The Heights Church

foreign [Music] good morning everyone thank you for coming for those joining us online Welcome to The Heights Church give me rise to our feet as we begin Our Song of praise God we give you glory god we give you honor and praise for you have been faithful you have been generous in your blessings and our lives govern when the storm comes father I pray that you will always and forever be our lighthouse that you will lead us out into the darkness into your Everlasting warming light gun we thank you for this time we dedicated to your name in Jesus name amen in my wrestling and my doubt in my failures [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in the Sun is [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] safe to sure [Music] [Music] [Applause] foreign [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] today to show up far before us you're the writers you will lead us through the storm far before us you're the brightest you will lead us through the storms [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] shine in the darkness [Music] see I will trust a promise you marry me [Applause] light out and lighthouse you carry me safe to sure [Music] oh wonderful what a great way to start this morning a very warm welcome to you all Let The Godly Sing For Joy To The Lord it is fitting for the pure to praise him praise the Lord with the Melodies on the line make music for him on the tank stringed heart sing a new song of praise to him play skillfully on the harp and sing with joy for the word of the Lord holds true and we can trust everything he does Heavenly Father we thank you that we can join together we can rejoice in you we can Rejoice because it is fitting to do so because you alone deserve all our praise As we sing to you may that just be an encouragement to us and may that be pleasing to you amen [Music] the Breaking Dawn as it shines over everyone we love to we long for you [Music] we'll be over the Rising Sun the Earth awaits your hope is [Music] hello [Music] how much is [Music] [Music] stick is your name [Music] like Waters rise floods displays [Music] thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] [Applause] I understand [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] they're Breaking Dawn the light that shines over everyone we love to you we long for you [Music] [Music] how much [Music] me [Music] [Music] more ideas [Music] moment that way [Music] I love your voice [Music] Darkness [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] every breath flowers [Music] beautiful [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Monday [Music] for my life foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you [Music] [Music] surrender now goodness [Applause] [Music] turn it down to me [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] and all my life you have been so so good with every breath that I am able I will soon foreign [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] wonderful one for a very warm welcome as you take a seat I hope you have had a fantastic week for those uh joining us online and here today a special warm welcome it's it's great to have you here in fellowship with you and encourage each other uh this week uh Mark is going to be continuing on in our Series in Romans I hope you've had some good uh memories of the different sermons we've had looking back at when the youth have been in and looking back at their notes Let Me encourage you the notes that the young people have been making on those two sermons just really show a level of interest and understanding so we're going to test that with them today out in youth church we'll see actually if that sunk in or but it was just really encouraging to see that they're engaging in in the talk so that's good tonight we have the men's dinner from 6 30 yep just making sure with Mark mccrindle so if you're coming along to this men's event last time was really encouraging and this this evening should be as well now for those of you who may have noticed a massive sign the kitchen is 99 or 100 complete 99 that is a wonderful uh job well done Philip and Hilton and the team thank you very much for that round of applause thank you thank you a lot a huge amount of work in that so it's just looking wonderful and I look forward to to using it um we're going to be uh continuing in worship Josephine's going to come up and pray and say thank you for that Josephine Brethren um let's continue worship we have sang um two songs and it's a confession of our faith and love for God so I want you to take a minute and just ponder over the words in the song that we sang and I think that's what the Holy Spirit wants us to do because we are confessing the Lord you have been so good to us and we want to long for the Lord and I think that's all that we Christians need that longing for our savior the one who loved us and wants us to live for him so let's be in prayer as a as an individual a one minute then we'll continue with our prayer as a congregation Oh Our God and our King what is man that you are so mindful of him the son of man our maker and our King we thank you for your presence this morning and holy spirit will thank you for making us and helping us to make this confession that your goodness is running after us and that we will long for you Lord our master as individuals sitting here Lord open our hearts to this truth that we have confessed that your goodness is running after us that you have been faithful in our darkest moments you have been like no other Lord in view of all these messages help us as we sang in the first uh that's I think the first or second song that will long for you that Jesus through your spirit help us that our hearts will be for you create that longing in our hearts this day for your word says that there is life and death in the power of the tongue and they that love it will eat the food thereof may we eat the fruit of life in this way that we have confessed that we will acknowledge you that you have been faithful in our lives and in view of this each day and each moment in our lives our longing for you for you holy God will be that we will be set apart for you and that whatever we do will do it to honor you Lord we thank you Lord Jesus and father as a congregation will come before you this morning our hearts are humbled before you Lord for you do so much and we are thankful for all these things and father we thank you that your ears are attentive to a cry and for this we commit Lord Jesus our leadership the government of our nation unto your Mighty hands Lord may you grant them the peace and the wisdom to make decisions that will improve the lives of the people they lead we pray that Lord Jesus we continue to touch their hearts that they will be spiritually LED that in all that they do Lord will be For Your Glory though they may not know you Lord but we know that the holy spirit will work in every decision that the lives of Christians and people that you have redeemed will be better but also for even the people who do not know you that Souls will be one for you father we also thank you for what has happened because he said in all things we should give you thanks concerning the submarine and the people lives that have been lost who else can we look up to than you Lord so father will commit the families of these people unto your Mighty hands as they grieve Lord may you bring people their way to help them encourage them in your word that they will find peace and comfort at this time we also pray that through this experience Lord do painful it is May it turn out to be for their good that through this they will know you I see a lot and personal savior Lord we thank you for the persecuted Church and for all that you're doing for them for those who are in the world that's asleep now or those who are awake Lord we pray for one thing that in quietness and confidence in your word they will be strengthened the father we also pray that may you cause a miracle in their lives we don't know what it is that they're going through but you know so we pray that you there will be a miracle that their faith will be increased their faith will increase father we also pray for the leadership of our church we commit Mark and Grace unto your Mighty hands as well as the people who support them to do your work may you continue to strengthen them give them sensitivity to the holy spirit so that at all times there will be there will be led by the Holy Spirit to do your will we pray for Mark increase as they speak your word may they speak your word with Clarity and conviction that the Holy Spirit alone can give that many that hear them will make a decision for your word father we also commit ourselves unto you as people who sit at their feet to hear your word may you give us a heart to hear this word and receiving faith and act upon them according to what you want us to know in your word we pray for the kids church Lord continue to open the heart of these young ones to receive your word we thank you for the Youth and for the testimony that Andy gave concerning that they are engaging in your word will bless you continue to grant them the grace to have that passion for your word and to live as people who have been set up holy for you we pray for the needs of the church Lord father we know that you are good may your favor rest upon us oh God and establish the work of our hands father we pray that for those who are looking for jobs as we remember our sister keita may you provide jobs for those who are sick may you grant healing for those who are despair because of the challenges in their lives may we remember may we may you help them to remember the words that we have sung in your word this morning that Lord they will have hope enjoy that you are faithful we thank you for your word that is coming we're going to hear this morning we know you are doing your work Holy Spirit and we thank you for the bladder cleanses us from all unrighteousness may your name be praised in Jesus name amen thank you Josephine we're going to take up our offering uh now um and as you as we do that there'll be some music playing but I want you to to think about this we've just sung in the goodness of God with every breath that I'm able I will sing of the goodness of God so I want you to say hello to somebody next to you turn around say hello ask about the week but I wanted to think what is it you've been able to Rejoice uh God for this week okay something to think about so do that now as we take up the offering thank you very much units [Music] [Music] there's nowhere to [Music] go thank you well how about I um thank God for this time and and to thank God for uh how he has blessed us and how we've been able to give back to him some of what he's given unto us for his work let me pray our loving father I thank you that we can come together and and uh Fellowship together and we thank you for your many blessings to us uh father we Rejoice every day for who you have made us we thank you that through Jesus we have an eternal place with you and that is just wonderful good news to rejoice in every day thank you for all the other little bits and pieces that we have been able to to thank you for as well father thank you for your goodness to us in providing for us financially in lots of different ways father may you use the money that we give to back to you to bring glory to your name in this community in our local schools in this church through this church and beyond our father we want to use everything that you've given us our skills our time of prayer with you our resources everything to bring you glory so father we ask that you might use this this money powerfully for your kingdom growth amen and over the last couple of weeks we've been privileged to hear from a couple of different people we've heard from eagles wings and that was really encouraging to hear somebody who has benefited through that program and then has been involved in teaching in eagles wings and last week I hope you were able to hear it if you were here we heard powerfully from Asif was that last week or the week before it wasn't yeah it was last week wasn't it yeah it seems to have gone so quickly I don't know about you but I was hugely impacted by that that listening and hearing from him and if you he had a book and if you want to read that book I have a copy as well and that's been really encouraging to read this week testimonies of people who have heard God at work and this week to top it all off we have Ryan Ryan would you like to join me Ryan is from hatsia and we are going to talk a little bit about this now Ryan uh one thing we all want to know yep mainly is what is your favorite smell is that how you usually lead is that the regular opening okay okay sweet that wasn't on the the run through she I hadn't prepped that one I should have given you yeah I appreciate it look uh I'm a fiend for cheesecake cheesecake I'm a fiend for any baked goods but cheesecake is just it's has a special place on my soul oh well that's good yeah that's good okay excellent all right well um can everybody hear me is that working not really okay I'll try another one oh there we are no no that's working fantastic okay um hats here yes um you're uh involved in hats yeah how about you tell us briefly what is it your you do how long have you been doing it and tell us what hadsier is yeah of course so um for those of you who don't know hadsea is the local board made up of a bunch of local churches um that organize High School scripture in the local high schools me being one of the teachers here so I'm the high school teacher I've been doing it since I was 17. I used to sneak out of my year 12 classes to go teach in my own school um so I've been teaching since I was a young we LED um and then yeah nine ten high schools later all through Western Sydney all through North Shore um yeah teaching primarily High School scripture from been through the year 10 and then 11 and 12 seminars so that's what we do that's how long I've been doing it fantastic and that's something that we're involved in supporting in our church and it's great to hear from you now um I'm imagining that this role is not the uh easiest role to be involved with but I'm sure it has great encouragement what are some of the challenges and and things to praise God for and perhaps how has had sir and your work how have you seen that develop and change over the years that you've been involved yeah yeah so um for me scripture teachings has been what I've done since I was 17 18 did it all through uni did it all through work and it's been a massive blessing you you have a direct um I guess line into these young people's lives and the Assumption with scripture teaching is you're teaching Christian kids who know Christian stories you go to you know Sunday school and that's just not the case I'd say 80 of my students I'm their first interaction with the gospel um so the challenges you're dealing with unchurched unsafe people who don't know anything about Jesus and I'm basically a glorified substitute teacher walking in and trying to deliver that word and what's been a real blessing especially here at um ask with boys and ask with girls um we've gone I've only been within the role over at Asquith since last term I'm sorry last term of last year so coming up to nine months now um in that time we've had to split our classes in two because our numbers have grown so great uh lunch group over at Asquith boys the record before uh we came in was they had seven kids who used to come to the little Jesus club uh we got 24 I think it was last time um and you're dealing with young people who don't know why they're even there don't know why they want to be there I asked these young men especially the boys I'm like you don't know Jesus why are you here and it's like we just want to eat in the presence of you and hear what you guys are saying which has been a really awesome encouragement and in the girls school a little blessing for me I've got this young young girl she's in my year 10 class knows the Lord on and off rough backgrounds just kind of coming back to taking grips of her faith but she's become my little evangelist in the school and just dragging kids into my scripture lessons every single week um so a lot of the challenges to deal with young people who have no understanding you're trying to teach them Concepts that you know they just finished an English class on you know Shakespeare and then you're like okay here's Jesus and it's just difficult um and a lot of the challenge honestly comes from a the school the schools aren't the happiest people that have us there we take their time and resources so as with boys I'm only teaching a seven year rate however most of my schools I teach you seven through to year ten usually 11 and 12 I can get them um so obviously a point for prayer there bit of favor with the school bit of that but that but I think the real big challenge out here for me and my team because I teach alongside to other teachers is actually the follow-up um you've got young people who are yearning to hear more about the gospel yearning to hear it and I'm an hour and a half away teaching in my own Schools running my own youth group part of my own church doing our young adults um and the other two ladies who I teach with older ladies who aren't really necessarily still plugged into the use of it um so I've got these young guys coming to the scripture every single week coming into launch groups coming to my camps whenever I run them it's just that plug-in to local youth groups that know how to handle them effectively and getting them around good you know young men and women who want to Mentor them um that's probably my biggest challenge and that's one of the places we've been looking for prayer and blessings and hands to help out I've been really encouraged by the scriptures uh when Jesus talks about we hear the scripture all the time the houses plan for the workers of Huber right after that he says pray for the workers because God has already controlled the Harvest God Is providing and providing plenty in the schools at the moment the hard work and what we need prayer for is actually the people to go and you know work those fields yeah yeah I feel that that is growing and the invested people even if they're not really sure why they're there that's wonderful how about tell us uh just briefly what a typical lesson looks like and what sort of things you questions you might have to deal with I suspect and maybe this isn't the case but the the young people if they're um interested enough they're going to be asking questions and what sort of things come up uh generally from from the young people what sort of things do you have to sort of face yeah uh varies from class to class um we go in and we teach the gospel and it's fullness but you can imagine the kind of questions I get in a class full of 28 year seven boys who are year seven boys and 28 of them so very interesting and weird little bits and Bobs but uh definitely a lot of the questions come from these young people um if I'm honest there's actually kind of this there's a spirit of hopelessness amongst young people so there's this they've always questioning okay what can God do for me how can I be involved in this um this God you speak of is so good how come I've seen such poor things happen how come my family situations like this um and you have to teach kids that God isn't a vending machine and that's not how it works but the reality is that there's this question of okay is God worth it for me and then you have your also your militant atheists or my favorite kids who just want to argue and they're great because they're great for conversation starters but um yeah a lot of the questioning a lot about identity and how they can you know how they identify in Christ if they were to make that step yeah so what sort of question might you get from a one of these militant atheists the the military they're my favorite because they'll actually at least talk to me about it oh yeah yeah that's great the reality with a lot of those kids is that it's in the back going this is stupid God's not real your magic man in the clouds is all this and that um what I love with those kids is you spend enough time with them they're the kid that stays back after class and that's for prayer because there's something in their life they need it for um that militant anger and aggression really is just a misguided lack of understanding um so I love them they're much easier than the Christian kids because they just answer all my questions I'm like I'm trying to get the rest of the kids involved that's good that's wonderful to you so we've heard that it's it's good to pray for people to be involved uh like you and it's wonderful to see your energy and enthusiasm for for this work what's some other things that we can pray for you now or is it is there something else you want to you want to make sure you get across to us today to understand to encourage us uh as well of course um understand that your you guys as a church have been incredibly beneficial to the ministry we're doing um I hear from the board of the generosity of this church and we're incredibly thankful you know finances keep the lights on however I'm always encouraged by Spurgeon who says um best service between a Sundays espressos um I I really if I can encourage anything it's be prayerful and be consistently in prayer it's empowering to our team uh our prayer points would be a favor with the schools in order to get more students coming in our next year's enrollments and more year groups and stuff we can do um as well as I know at the girls school their lunchtime group they're trying to push more kids in and get kids to take this role of student leadership um so be praying into that um always be praying for God to do a miracle yeah it's just God doesn't just work on a Sunday he works in the middle of a school day for me so absolutely well how about I pray for you now and then if you've got questions afterwards uh join us for morning tea and hit him up with some some questions that'll be great thank you Ryan let me pray for you now father God we thank you that we can partner with people like Ryan uh to bring your good news into our schools father it is wonderful and encouraging to hear of how you are bringing young people into a space where they can hear your good news father continue to give Ryan wisdom and grow his energy and enthusiasm and his love for these young people to hear your good news and and to be changed and saved and rescued our father I ask that you would bless him in every way that you would give him skills to work with the schools who yes it does take away time from curriculum and other things but father it is just a wonderful privilege that we are blessed to have in this country and so may Ryan and had to be able to make the most of every opportunity there uh father for the provision of of people to be involved in that work uh father may you be laying it on our hearts to pray for this ministry to raise up young people to be involved in this work we thank you for the other people that are involved in this may you bless them and may you provide them with that opportunity to Simply share the good news of Jesus and through your work of your spirit May lives be changed father may we be in prayer throughout that week and father for the things that happen outside of scripture for the Christians May there be a witness to those who are not for those who are there asking those great questions father may they just continue to be inquisitive and may they always come to a point where they're able to ask questions about you and find those answers and say Lord we thank you for this for hearing from Ryan and I thank you for him taking the time to share with us this evening this afternoon amen this morning work my way back yeah yeah thank you thank you uh Tony is going to come and read from God's word we're going to read from Romans chapter 5. so if you'd like to open your Bibles and then after this the youth young and young people are going to head out and little church as well I'll just find it for you because I close the Bible there you go well yes I haven't got my glasses on so there you go our reading this morning is from Romans chapter 5 verses 1 to 11 it is on the screen behind me if you'd like to follow along had sir is is a great institution and we've had a number of people come to us from heads here and always remember Peter Tom said saying that those students who were the most boisterous or disruptive in the class uh that was a good thing he said years later he had he saw people running through Westfield coming up to him saying sir sir and it was these people who that were disruptive saying I've become a Christian so there is hope and those are the ones that listen so that's great right that's great Romans chapter 5 verse 1. therefore since we have been justified through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand and we boast in the hope of the glory of God not only so but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance perseverance character and character hope and hope does not put us to shame this is not easily is it because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us you see at just the right time when we were still powerless Christ died for the ungodly very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person though for a good person someone might possibly Dare To Die but God demonstrates his own love for us in this while we were still sinners Christ died for us since we now have been justified by his blood how much more shall we be saved from God's Wrath through him for if while we were God's enemies we were reconciled to him through the death of his son how much more having been reconciled shall we be saved through his life not only is this so but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we now have received reconciliation the kids will will go out now kids and Youth and Young adults and half the adults got many teachers pray for our teachers as they they teach hopefully if it's along lines with Tony hopefully they're all disruptive well you know that's Tony saying that many years down the road good to hear about hadseo good to hear about the stuff that goes on has here is an extension really of our scripture that happens in our schools and we support in our primary schools around the area so Hornsby Heights and Hornsby we support and we have teachers what I go into Hornsby North Barry went in there for a long time on your Barry but no doubt it was some of the disruptive ones in your class that have now gone up and and been blessed in the future so it's good we love to celebrate as Australians don't we I didn't particularly appreciate the celebration of Queensland on Wednesday night but uh that's the way we have it anything that will warrant a party or a celebration will be into we're known worldwide for our fireworks every time that there's any any kind of significant event whatsoever we bring out the fireworks we won't have anything to do with the Royals whatsoever we'll even have a referendum to try to get rid of the monarchy but we'll put on a great fireworks display and we'll designate a public holiday in celebration of the Monarch's birthday we're famous for our barbecue celebrations we over celebrate sporting victories that's for sure the late prime minister Bob Hawke campaigned for everyone to have the morning off work because we won a boat race soccer fans go nuts because their team took the most Dives that you possibly can get to win to have a penalty to win the game so therefore we all celebrate we even celebrate the losses if somebody beats the Aussies in a sporting match they eventually get to the finals and they lose we all celebrate that they lost how dare they knock the Aussies out of the competition sadly some people celebrate their sinfulness but let me say people go no holds bar and the most doing the mouse outrageous things to celebrate living in Newcastle showed me that when the knights were in the Grand Final in 2001 which they won by the way we'll just put that out they painted their faces they painted their houses cars and Susan even remind me yesterday that they even painted a goat they yell at the top of their lungs they wear clothes that you'd never be seen in because in celebration fashion sense just goes straight out the door the celebration we eat more in one night than we do in a week some people drink more so they're not even celebrating anymore a huge excuse to hug somebody or to kiss somebody but when it comes to Christian celebrating many people are rejoicing on the inside there are times where it might appear that we've been baptized in lemon juice into a life of suffering we can sing songs like blessed be the name of your lord where we sing We Stand and lift up our hands but we're lifting up our spiritual hands I'm sure many people feel so uncomfortable to celebrate their lord they have a great ability to show massive celebration in nearly every area of life but in Christian Life sometimes people can't celebrate sometimes it's the fear of God what does he think some other times as the fear of associating ourselves with those who are more outgoing Christians sometimes as fear of ourselves what would we think what would other thinkers think about me sometimes it's a legitimate fear of genuineness or authenticity I mean many people many sporting fans go out and celebrate when they have absolutely no interest at all in the game or the sport that's being celebrated many people celebrate Chris Christmas but have no interest in Christ at all is the guilt or they call it happy holidays at the heist this morning one thing is very certain is that we're a diverse group of people and in all sorts of different ways particularly when it comes to celebration of Jesus you'll find diversity in churches and I found diversity in or every church that I've been passed throughout at narrabeen which is a larger Church than the heights we had three different sections we had the ones the section on the left hand side because preaching and singing you know what's going on they would raise their hands in the middle here they kind of do the little bit of kind of the Baptist thing and then on the other side it's just Hands In Pockets now I'm not saying that's even celebrating because I really are what I'm not talking about I'm not talking at all about what we do in worship songs I'm talking about how we celebrate Jesus in all our life how we give to him in everything we do how do we celebrate how do we Rejoice how do we boast in Jesus our expression in all of our life both personally and corporately whatever it is like will be a response to how we understand the reasons for our celebration and as we've looked over the past weeks as Christians we have great cause to celebrate or Rejoice or boast As Romans puts it in verses two and three now just to point out there that Tony read the wrong version uh it is a good habit to get into if you're studying the scriptures to have several versions in front of you if you have ESV if you have NIV if you have NLT or if you have King James or New King James Version whatever it might be because then you'll see the differences in the interpretations of the passage so you'll have one that will talk about celebration one that would would label it as rejoicing other would label as boasting I think they all mean the same things it's like my goodness our God is good and we are going to absolutely be in beside ourselves of how we can either spread the word how we can tell the word how we can show people the gladness and goodness that is in our hearts uh in in celebration this is what it says in verse two and three through him we have and this is ESV we have also obtained access by faith into the grace in which we now stand we rejoice we boast we celebrate in Hope of the glory of God not only that but we Rejoice same word celebrate or we boast in our sufferings not boast as in I'm going through suffering both as in it's a privilege as a Christian to be where we're at where we're standing we're going to talk about that a little bit later on knowing that suffering produces endurance etc etc etc etc we'll notice though that in these passages that it's not an imperative imperatives in Romans don't happen until chapter six so we go through five chapters of Paul just telling us who we are as Christians why we're being saved while we're doing that if you don't know what an imperative is basically it means that it's a command we're not command to do anything but yeah Paul talks about here in verses two and three and we Rejoice not and you ought to rejoice well you better get out there or you better make it your Habit to It's like because of chapters one two three four and as we get into five we we'll Rejoice it'll be part of our character the persevere perseverance produces character and part of the character is we rejoice in the hope and the peace that we have in Jesus that's what God's working out in your life what he's doing in your life he builds and builds the case that we stand in that Jesus is worth celebrating just in who he is and what he's done full stop not what he's done for me what he's done for this world what he's done in the whole story of salvation what he's done in obedience to his father we rejoice and we boast we need to know why we do that and first of all we rejoice in our present position verses one and two let's read therefore which means all the stuff that happened in one chapters one to four since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through him we have also obtained access by faith into the grace in which we stand God has dealt with our past he meets Us in the present and he assures us of the future he's dealt with our past in that we are Justified and we've looked at that over the past weeks if you want to get into some good uh good listening go to our podcast any podcast system that you have you'll find us on it and uh and you will see a great sermon by Chris and other other messages where where is pronounced where we have we're pronounced not guilty we're being set free we're redeemed we're no longer slaves to sin we're not no longer bound by the penalty of sin the wrath of God has been satisfied Remember That Word Scrabble propitiation Has anyone used it in Scrabble no through faith in that not through your faith through faith in what God has done is where we stand and where we celebrate in the finished work of Jesus Amen and that brings us peace with God now you can have peace in a couple of different ways can't you well you can have peace with your next-door neighbor if you build a six foot high fence and you never see them you can block out the noise of the dog they can have the big Barbecue Party in the backyard and you can block out and you can have they even made it so you don't even have slats and fence anymore you haven't got the Color Bond on the outside so you just put that you can have peace like that or you can be at peace with your neighbor without any fence in Kennedy you have to be because there's no fences because what happens is if you have a fence and when the snow blows not if the snow blows like when it blows uh it will use it will be like a snow fence that you see down sometimes in in our snow fields where the snow hits it falls on the other side you end up with these massive snow drifts everywhere so in orders that you don't block out the neighbor's driveway and all the rest of it basically there's no fences in sometimes front yard or backyard just goes all the way through so that there's no block that happened but that means that you have to talk to your neighbor means that you're sitting on the back doing the barbecue thing in -5 and you say hi how you going and you're forced to talk to people that's how you can have peace as well God has brought down the fences that that we have built for our life and the fences are that we're sinful people all have sinned and falls short of the glory of God all have sinned and we have a barrier between us and God and Jesus Through the cross has knocked those barriers down so that we are able to have full access full conversation with god or in in a big word we commune with God we connect with him and it is in only by God's grace that we're able to do that we have knocked the barriers down people try people try through religion to knock it down people drive through living a good life to knock it down but it's only through God's grace that we are standing where we are standing we rejoice in that in that assurance the hope that we have not striving to be any of those things not striving to make ourselves not guilty because we are guilty not striving to make ourselves free because we already are free not striving to satisfy the wrath of God by somehow beating up upon ourselves in penitence but rather we stand in the grace of God in what he has done not we have what we have done so hard to do that isn't it it's hard to do that even as Christians we looked at this week I looked at this week a um not you I looked at this week a podcast and listened to it and thought how true is that that as Christians we we stand in God's grace but our world tries to strive to make themselves right with God and sometimes we can find ourselves doing that too like I'll get to heaven why will you be in heaven well I've been a good person I've been a relatively good person I spoke about that on fuse on Friday night that the Simpsons bring it about that like Homer says I've been a good person I'll stand there and then God puts his arm yes you have and you walk along that's gone the way it goes and other people through religious Zeal try to build themselves up but not so much the the goodness moral convict conviction but rather the religious conviction and get up get up there but Aussies we don't even have that we have actually that death will get you right with God when you die you'll be right we've got ever heard it before are they looking down on me they've died and I'm sure that they're with me right now well no it's like when we die we get to heaven we look down upon the people on on Earth and we either sympathize with them or walk with that's Australian or maybe it's worldwide but it's very much Australian where when you die you have solved all the problems you're now with God you don't have to do anything in life you're dead you're with God and they'll be with me they'll walk with me right throughout my life I can feel their presence right here right now no you can't they are either with God or not but we are with God and we have the Assurance of that future hope that we have in God Hope's mentioned over and over again in fact so much so that when you look at ESV it talks about the peace that we have through faith and if you look at NIV it has the label peace and hope that's the the uh the block of that that comes in and hope Beyond those type of things hope Beyond anxiety and uncertainty and we live in a world of uncertainty don't we so much so that people have to make up those things like when we die we're always in heaven looking down upon the Earth so much so that I'll be right because I've I've been a good religious person in our society though we really have uncertainty about what's happening in the future we we have we're anxious for it to come about I'm not anxious to die I don't think you are too poor wasn't either but he knew when that was going to happen where he was going to be in our society we have a hurry up and wait kind of attitude we want everything to happen but we want to be patient in doing it we want for us to die and and be with with God but we want to uh God to slow down so we live life on this Earth results of any kind we want to hurry up and weigh whether it's medical things whether it's exam results you'll sit there and sweat it out man when you reach to year 12 there used to be a gap where they used to give out the HSC the day after New Years and people were just beside themselves and they changed that so I ran HSC study camps where let me tell you people were sweating it all the way up the time just waiting for the results we want it now and if we were sure of the outcome we wouldn't actually care whether it was going to happen now or not would you like that's the value of having early entrance into University doesn't really matter what you get although you've got to work really hard you're going to get there anyway if the doctor says I'm sure it's nothing what I'm sure Michelle has done that before and people go home go start off going yes it's just nothing I'm she's sure that it's nothing it's not going to be anything and then as time goes on as you wait for the week for the results to get back you come to about day four or five and you sit there and think to yourself maybe it's not nothing but why has it been so long maybe shouldn't she just phone me up just tell me that that is that it's nothing to happen our mind starts to think and uncertainty sets in and verse 9 gives us the absolute confidence of Celebration that what we hope for in Jesus has already happened see from him raising from the dead dying on the cross being satisfying the wrath of God as God raised Jesus from the dead in satisfaction of the Roth that has been paid now is alive seated with God reigning on the throne and we're seated with him we have a sure and certain hope of being with God forever says therefore since therefore we have now been Justified not if women we have been justified by us by how much more will we be saved by saved by him from the wrath of God how much more I don't know whether you've been on a holiday before where you've looked at the brochures and you've got to the destination you found it's not quite like the brochures have ever looked really happens with every single hotel room that you've ever seen you know you walk in there and you go well this might have been a picture of when they first innovated but it's certainly not a picture of it now but there are times aren't there when you go on a holiday where you are just blown away by what you see you look at the brochure you look at everything that's going on you look at the destination you're getting to and you just can't imagine anything more beautiful than what you were seeing and nothing in print could ever make that look like that Christ has risen he lives with us and through us but how much more is heaven going to be if that doesn't make you sort of right nothing will if we're living with Christ now we are so at peace with God Walking with God in celebration of our Christian Life and walking Within how much more is going to be seeing him face to face we only know what Paul says I pictured him but soon we'll know it completely as we stand with him the hope that we have is not a hope that we might get there that somehow God will be pleased with our life and we have the uncertainty and disappointment of times when we fail God wondering whether he's ever going to allow us to be with him now we have Jesus how much more therefore the presence of Jesus will affect our life we will rejoice in who we are in Jesus but we won't rejoice when we sin verses three to five talks about that this may not have the same fireworks display but it has an inner rejoicing of Peace we live in a world that's far from what God intended to be and in this world we will have suffering we Rejoice knowing that in the suffering knowing that these things that we're going through is a road that we're traveling on and is not the destination that we're getting to In Heaven There is no more suffering There's No More Tears there's no more mourning there is no more death we suffer now with the hope of the future and in that hope that we stand and persevere in it produces a character what's the character that It produced well it produces hope and that's part of the character that we have but also reduce produces rejoicing in Hope and boasting in God that we're going to be at the place where Christ is confidence why because he's loving and we know that Jesus is in control that's what peace talks about it says you'll have a peace that passes all understanding why is it beyond our understanding because we're not with Christ right now but Christ is walking with us through his spirit that gives us the assurance that God is in control of our life no matter what's going on and that our future is secure and sure in him it's not optimism fake optimism but rather it's an assurance of the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit puts upon us the clears verse 5. and this hope will not lead to disappointment for we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love the power of the Holy Spirit not only produces gifts in our life things in which God can use and comfort with inside of us but the power of the Holy Spirit helps us to see beyond here and into the future where God has assured us of life with him he dwells in every believer guiding and empowering us testifying to us about our adoption as children of God and gives us hope or instills hope in our heart as he provides Assurance of the future a future inheritance in him he's like that coach that says if you keep on running you'll get to the top you run in pairs don't you a lot of people if you run by yourself well then I guess something in voice inside of you has got to keep on and saying keep on going keep on going keep on going but if you if you're running pairs you you've got the person keep on going keep on going keep on going keep on pushing it keep on going I'm sure that John Hill when he's riding bikes people beside him says we need to get up this hill we need to get I don't can't imagine being at the bottom of the gorge trying to get up the top top of the gorge it's hard enough in a car but on a bike you're going to sit there and go keep on going we're almost there we're almost almost and then eventually it's there and I mean we're not masochists we don't want to go through life suffering we're not saying I'll bring it on it's not part of my cry and it's pretty sure it's not part of yours I'd much rather probably not grow in character than go for the suffering that you go through but if you go through it you go through it with Jesus then perseverance will produce character in your life and that character will lead to Hope and that hope will be a sure hope that you have in Jesus because the holy spirit will be speaking to you about how God's at work in your life this is Hope and does not disappoint because God loves us of course he's given us the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts with love the work of the holy spirit is transformative there's no doubt about it he reminds us in Romans over and over again about the faithfulness and the sovereignty of God he emphasizes that God's work together with the whole as the Holy Spirit emphasizes that as God works in our lives for those he loves and is called according to his promises that there's a hope that will be given to us C.S Lewis says this about if you're struggling and you're going for a difficult time so God Whispers to us in our Pleasures he speaks to us in our conscience but shouts in our pains is a megaphone to Rouse a deaf world and sometimes what I need you know like I'm watching television and Susan is talking to me or asking me questions I've got this is a confession type I'm watching and watching and watching it and then eventually she will raise her voice a little bit not yell at me she doesn't do that raise the voice of living don't you hear me what God shouts at me because I'm deaf and I'll hear the word the cro the cries of this world and the cries of suffering and the disappointment and the the disillusionment and the sometimes the the heartache that people are going through never points to God is in control and sometimes in my life it's the same and I need for him to shout in my suffering so that I'll hear him and I'll know that he is in control last thing is that we rejoice in our spiritual possessions and that is one is that that God is given us the Holy Spirit but he goes on just in the the verses to follow he talks about how we what we have now and what we have been saved from has been given to us by Adam human need has been brought about by one man but Salvation and rejoicing has been brought about by one other and that's Jesus the one man that's brought about our greatest need is Adam who we are sinners ungodly powerless we're enemies we're told what we did in in doing what is wrong and and not doing what is right where we're heading towards the wrath of God is all being brought about by one man and that is Adam but it's been destruct or destroyed and has been replaced and it's this Great Exchange that we have where one man has brought about New Life in him loved while still sinners died for and pronounced not guilty not deserving it saved from his wrath when what we deserve is the penalty of God saved by his life as he deals with us just as we are and just as we're walking we rejoice in God's presence we absolutely rejoice in how he's dealt with our past and we look forward to a blessed future with him but more than that verse 11 says more than that it's like here comes the steak knives that we bore we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have received reconciliation the fences have come down people I Rejoice with you you rejoice with me we will rejoice with Jesus as Brothers and Sisters in Christ we're living in one household we're together joined is one how will we celebrate what will we do how do you celebrate it's really between you and God I'm not certainly not going to tell you how you celebrate and how you shouldn't celebrate if I've stood in many many conferences right next to Susan and thought it's my wife which is but I celebrate also with her when she gives so generously when she has a compassion on her students when she cries over this heartache and suffering that's going on in life I say that because she's not sitting there that's rejoicing too how do you rejoice there are some biblical principles that that govern both private and corporate celebrations both appropriate in reverence he says be still and know that I am God there are times when it's not appropriate to paint your face in celebration I'm pretty sure that Chris is not over there best man at the wedding what's the name of the people he's going over maradina Dunner whatever their names are Anya Bob and Jenny painted the painted his face in in German colors I don't I don't think so but there's other times in a wedding celebration isn't there where we do celebrate pretty outrageously where we we decorate the couple's car as they go off to their honeymoon with all sorts of junk that's going to make as much noise as possible there's times when in reverence you'll sit before God maybe even lay flat on your face before God maybe sit on top of the hill overlooking the beach like I did many many times that I have Avalon and just be in awe of God maybe for you it's looking over the gorge or wherever your place is where you're still and knowing that he is God and he loves you there's other times though isn't there where the fireworks go off there's times where you are just in awe of God and I'm not to question how you do it and you're not to question how I do it but where to Rejoice with each other and we're to be glad in him that not only has he dealt with everyone's past who are Christians that he stands with us walks with us every second of the day and we're to celebrate of the great hope we have in him and where to remind each other of that and when I sit beside Susan or sit beside others or quitter or others who are more outgoing than I am because I sit there I hope they can see that I'm just excited to why not show it then again I might I yell and sing at the top of my lungs going down the F1 I don't know what your expression of Celebration and rejoicing and boasting in God is but I know that if it's from the heart that authentic celebration authentic rejoicing and boasting in God is boasting in the great hope we have of a sure future and the peace that we share with each other right here now walking on this Earth let's pray Lord we're not commanded to Rejoice we're just it's just from Paul it's just like an assumption that we wouldn't we've gone through over the over the weeks Lord how you have pronounced us not guilty free redeemed from our fallen self as one man brought slavery into this world we have been freed by you we no longer have to be in fear of your rightful an appropriate wrath upon our sin but rather we stand with you taking that penalty upon yourself how we celebrate how we are in awe of that help us Lord to listen to you and to through your Holy Spirit Lord almost in Reckless abandon allow ourselves to be governed by you so that we will celebrate and help us to be beside others and celebrate together as we do that as Church I pray this in your name amen amen Grace So a few times we close with this last song foreign [Music] [Music] be alone as worthy [Music] the glory song is inscribed upon my heart please [Music] this is home [Music] praise him all creatures [Music] what sacrifice could be equal to his own this Cross of Christ has declared that there is [Music] please [Music] [Applause] praise him all creatures [Music] says [Music] thank you our father died [Music] [Music] we've gone above [Music] this heart this is [Music] [Music] he's gone [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] another song [Music] cool Let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace be thankful let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms hymns and spiritual songs from the spirit singing to God with gratitude in our hearts and whatever you do whether in word or deed do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God through our father let's go out this week and just be people of praise be people who are celebrating God and I pray that if you're going through a suffering that God enables you for the Holy Spirit to see beyond that and to rejoice in him not with a fake smile but while there are peace in your heart knowing that God walks with you whatever you're going through I hope that you're able to come tonight blokes if you haven't signed up you can sign up I'll gladly eat Helen's take away and give you my meal if you want to come so come along and be part of tonight in microgrindle and uh and enjoy as we go out there unfortunately the coffee machine's not working so you've got Pod coffee and uh I'm sure you're able to handle that don't they part of our rejoicing in our suffering have a great week [Music]

Channel: The Heights Church

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Length: 84min 21sec (5061 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 25 2023