Exiles: Exiles Influence | Ps Luke Harrison

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If you're new or visiting, thank you.
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Thank you for joining us. We are so
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privileged that you decided to join us.
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And um we're thankful that as you join
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us, you join us in the wrap-up of our
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series called Exiles.
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And uh we've been unpacking this through
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the book of
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Daniel.
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Don't you love when this happens? It's
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really testing my faith. How much I know
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my message. I probably could do it.
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There we go. We're back.
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And we've been unpacking this through
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the book of Daniel.
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And what we've been doing is realizing
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and understanding
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as we look through the book of Daniel
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that we are in the world but not of the
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world. and that ultimately God has
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placed us strategically in this world.
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And so ultimately what we've been doing
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is looking at two key themes as we've
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unpacked the book of Daniel. And um I
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might ask Jay to pass me my phone
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because I actually have my notes on my
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phone as well. Love technology.
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Thank you, sir. Appreciate you. And
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we've been unpacking two key themes.
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Here's the first theme. The theme is the
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fact that um that God has called us
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in a world that's compromising not to
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compromise, not to bow down to idols,
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but rather to turn towards God. The
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second key theme we unpacked and spoke
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about was this was the fact that God's
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called us not to feed on the things of
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the world, but rather to turn to repent
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and to feed on the things
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of God.
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And so today, the question we need to
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ask ourselves is simply this. Based on
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the learnings over the last two weeks,
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how do we respond?
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And I'm going to tell you because I've
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got my message here and it's awesome.
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I'm going to test my eyes because uh
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this is going to be fun. But praise the
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Lord. And so we're going to unpack the
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theme. How do we respond?
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How do we respond in the knowing that
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we've been called to be distinct? How do
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we live in this place? Because as
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Christians, we find ourselves living in
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this tension that ultimately we know we
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are in the world but not of this world.
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And so we fight this tension where we're
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trying to figure out are we called to
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assimilate to culture
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or are we called to isolate from
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culture. And the reality is we've not
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called to do any of those. And so if
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we're not being called to assimilate,
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i.e. become the culture that we're
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living in and we're not called to
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isolate, then ultimately what are we
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called to do? And friends, the response
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is simply this. If we're not called to
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assimilate and we're not called to
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isolate, then we're called to influence.
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And so today, very simply, the title of
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my message as we unpack the story of
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Daniel is this is exile's influence.
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Exiles influence. We don't assimilate.
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We don't isolate, but we influence. And
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we're going to unpack learnings from
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Daniel 1 as to how we do that.
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You see, it's come to known that as that
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as Christians, we called to bless the
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city without becoming it.
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But how do we live a life of influence
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and respond accordingly to what God has
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called us to? And it's simply this.
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There's a saying.
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Apologies. I'm just getting my life
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together.
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Bless Jackie with their goods. Jackie
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delivers.
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Love our production team.
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And so what we've been doing is
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unpacking the uh the book of Daniel, but
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also looking at it through the lens of
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Jeremiah. Jeremiah 29, not verses 11. I
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know that's a favorite, but Jeremiah's
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29:es 4-7 simply says this as we unpack.
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And if you've got your Bible with you,
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the call to be exiles. Here it is.
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Jeremiah 29:47 says this. Thus says the
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Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all
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the exiles whom I have sent into exile
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from Jerusalem to Babylon. Pause,
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highlight, score, whatever the asterisk,
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little things are called. Highlight
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that. Listen to it again. Whom I have
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sent into exile from Jerusalem. So we've
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been called to be in this world, not of
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this world.
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Goes on and says, build houses and live
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in them. Plant gardens and eat their
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produce. Take wives and have sons and
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daughters. Take wives for your sons and
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give your daughters in marriage that
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they may bear sons and daughters.
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Multiply there. And do not decrease, but
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seek the welfare of the city where I
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have sent you into exile and pray to the
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Lord on its behalf. For its welfare you
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will find your welfare. We've been
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called to be exiles.
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We see throughout scripture that this is
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happens time and time again where Jesus
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calls us out to be in the world but not
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of this world. In Matthew 6, excuse me,
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in John 17 first and foremost,
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if this works, the Lord is on my side.
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In John 17:136,
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it says this.
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Now Jesus after um he had had the the
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the last supper with disciples and
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explaining and trying to give them
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context of what's happening in and
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what's about to happen to them says this
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in John 17.
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He says but now I am coming to you.
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Jesus speaking to the father and these
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things I speak in the world that they
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may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
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I have given them your word and the
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world has hated them because they are
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not of the world just as I am not of the
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world. Jesus says, now listen, I do not
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ask that you take them out of the world,
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but that you keep them from the evil
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one. They are not of the world just as I
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am not of the world. Sanctify them in
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the truth. Your word is the truth. in
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the Lord's prayer. Our Father,
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who is in heaven,
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hallowed be your name. Your kingdom
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come, your will be done on earth as it
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is in
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>> in heaven.
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And so, we've been created to understand
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and acknowledge that we are not of this
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world, but rather we have been placed in
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this world to be an influence for the
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kingdom of God.
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And so, today, that's actually what
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we'll look to do. We will look to unpack
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this concept that not only have we been
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called to be distinct and different, but
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we've been called to influence where God
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has placed us. Here's a bit of shocking
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news for everybody. If you're ready for
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this, um, if you are saved and a
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Christian, I'm sorry to let you know
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you've been called to influence. If you
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got an issue with that, don't take it up
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with me. All I'm doing is reading
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scripture. Take it up with the big man.
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But we're going to unpack how we respond
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with the knowing that God has called us
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to be in this world and not on this
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world and how he calls us to respond. So
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Jesus, we just thank you, Lord. What a
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privilege and honor it is to come around
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your word. Lord, we just thank you that
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as your word goes out that it won't
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return void, but it will break chains
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and restore hearts. Lord, that
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ultimately that you would help people
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understand where and how it is that
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you've called them to influence.
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And so Lord, we just thank you for your
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word. We pray that people will come into
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right standing. We thank you Jesus that
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technology is now working in Jesus
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mighty name. Everybody said, "Amen."
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Awtoer says this. Don't take it up with
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me. Take it up with Awto to says this.
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The church is a body of people who have
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been called out of the world to witness
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to the world. Sorry, Jake. Can I give
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this to you? Thank you, sir.
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Charles Spurgeon says this. Every
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Christian is either a missionary or an
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impostor.
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That that wasn't me. Says Charles
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Spurgeon up there. Every Christian's a
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missionary or an impostor. Which means
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that we've been called not just to sit
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on our stools or on our chairs on a
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Sunday, but actually impact and
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influence
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the world and the environments we find
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ourselves in.
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The unfortunate part as Christians and
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as the world is when we think through
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influence, we get swayed by this idea.
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We overlay the world's understanding of
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influence over our understanding. And we
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start to believe that influence has to
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happen from a platform or with a
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platform. That influence has to for some
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reason be a big action. And only if we
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apply those big actions does it count as
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influence. But I'm here to tell you
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today that Christian influence and
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biblical influence is not just about one
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action, but rather about a thousand
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actions made in obedience towards
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Christ. And so what we're going to look
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to do is unpack that together as we look
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and read through Daniel 1:es 8 to 21,
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the learnings of Daniel and how we can
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apply the lens or apply this to the lens
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of influence. So, if you've got your
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Bibles with you, we're going to jump to
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Daniel.
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If you are in Exodus, friends, you've
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got to keep paging over.
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And if you are in Lamentations
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and if you are in Ezekiel, keep going
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and then you'll find Daniel. Here we
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are. Daniel 1:es 8 says this is but
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Daniel resolved that he would not defile
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himself. Defile himself. Full stop.
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Highlight whatever you need to do.
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Make sure we understand this. But Daniel
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resolved that he would not defile
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himself with the king's food or with the
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wine that he drank. Daniel initially
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before anything else made a decision. He
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resolved in himself. This wasn't just a
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light decision. This was a decision that
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had an inner shift within him.
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It was a line in the sand. He was
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putting his feet down, making a decision
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not to defile himself. He resolved in
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his heart that he would not defile
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himself. And therefore, he asked the
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chief of the Unix to allow him not to
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defile himself. And God gave Daniel
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favor and compassion in the sight of the
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chief of the Unix. Now, it doesn't say
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that God said to Daniel, "Hey, Daniel,
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if you don't defile yourself, then I
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will grant you favor."
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Daniel's first response was, "Lord,
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I'm choosing you. I resolve in my heart
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that I do not want the things of the
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world, but rather I choose you." So,
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Daniel resolves in his heart that he
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won't defile himself. And then the Lord
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responds. And God gave Daniel favor and
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compassion in the sight of the chief of
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the Unix. And the chief of the Unix said
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to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king who
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assigned your food and your drink. For
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why should he see that you were in worse
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condition than the youths who are of
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your own age?" So you would endanger my
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head with the king. And then Daniel said
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to the steward
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uh then Daniel said to the steward whom
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the chief of the Unix had assigned over
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Daniel, Hanaya, Michelle, and Azaria,
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"Test your servant for 10 days. Let us
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be given vegetables to eat and water to
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drink. Then let our appearance and the
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appearance of the youths who eat the
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king's food be observed by you and deal
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with your servant accordingly or
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according to what you see. So he
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listened to them in this matter and
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tested them for 10 days. At the end of
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the 10 days it was seen that they were
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better in appearance and fatter in flesh
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than all the youths who ate the king's
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food. So the steward who took their food
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and the wine then the steward took away
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their food and the wine. They were to
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drink and gave them vegetables. Now
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listen, verse 17. As for these four
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youths, God gave them learning and skill
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in all literature and wisdom. And Daniel
00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:44.389
had understanding in all visions. We
00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:46.230
jump to verse 19. It says this. And the
00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:48.870
king spoke to them. And among all of
00:12:48.880 --> 00:12:50.629
them, speaking about all of the servants
00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:53.350
and slaves, none was found like Daniel,
00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:55.670
Haniah, Michelle, and Aaria. Daniel,
00:12:55.680 --> 00:12:57.110
shake your bed, make your bed, and under
00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:00.150
the bed you go. Therefore, you'll get it
00:13:00.160 --> 00:13:02.068
later.
00:13:02.078 --> 00:13:02.629
[laughter]
00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:04.150
Therefore, they stood before the king,
00:13:04.160 --> 00:13:06.150
and in every matter of wisdom and
00:13:06.160 --> 00:13:08.710
understanding, they received influence
00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:11.829
about which the king inquired of them.
00:13:11.839 --> 00:13:14.550
Three key themes as we unpack how we
00:13:14.560 --> 00:13:17.750
bring this message of exiles into
00:13:17.760 --> 00:13:19.750
response is simply this. Here's the
00:13:19.760 --> 00:13:22.310
first thing I learned when it comes to
00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:24.470
the life of Daniel and throughout the
00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:27.269
book of Daniel is that influence starts
00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:30.310
very simply with repentance and reliance
00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:31.990
on God.
00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.389
Daniel resolves in his heart first and
00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:38.230
foremost not an idea to influence or do
00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:43.430
anything else other than honor God.
00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:45.829
You see when you look at the word influ
00:13:45.839 --> 00:13:47.990
influence when you look at the word I
00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:49.829
haven't found the word influence yet.
00:13:49.839 --> 00:13:52.389
When you look at the word uh repentance
00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:55.670
in the Greek and the Hebrew
00:13:55.680 --> 00:13:57.509
throughout the Old Testament, the New
00:13:57.519 --> 00:14:00.069
Testament, the word repentance means to
00:14:00.079 --> 00:14:02.150
turn away from the things of the world
00:14:02.160 --> 00:14:05.430
and turn towards God. It's this inner
00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:07.350
shift. It's this resolve, this
00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:09.750
understanding, this draw the sand,
00:14:09.760 --> 00:14:11.590
drawing a line in the sand and going, I
00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:12.790
don't want the things of the world,
00:14:12.800 --> 00:14:19.590
Lord, and I turn to you.
00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:24.470
This deep inner shift.
00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:25.750
Think about what we said at the
00:14:25.760 --> 00:14:27.590
beginning of the series that despite the
00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:29.590
outward pressure to conform, we don't
00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:32.389
bow to idols. Despite the constant
00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:34.150
barrage of media and culture, we don't
00:14:34.160 --> 00:14:39.350
feed on what the world sees and feeds.
00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:40.949
I love the fact that there was this
00:14:40.959 --> 00:14:43.829
decision from Daniel first and foremost
00:14:43.839 --> 00:14:47.670
to honor God. His first action that
00:14:47.680 --> 00:14:49.990
resolved in his heart was not how do I
00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:52.150
make a difference, but rather how do I
00:14:52.160 --> 00:14:55.110
honor God? This repentance is an inner
00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:56.389
shift.
00:14:56.399 --> 00:14:58.790
I think so often as Christians, we we
00:14:58.800 --> 00:15:00.949
start with salvation
00:15:00.959 --> 00:15:03.110
and then we move to wanting to do and
00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:05.110
and serve God, but we miss this
00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:07.430
opportunity where it's all about him and
00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:10.949
honoring him in and through our lives.
00:15:10.959 --> 00:15:13.350
You see, Daniel turned to God and was
00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:16.310
reliant on God first and foremost. His
00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:18.790
initial action was about influence. It
00:15:18.800 --> 00:15:20.230
was not about influence. It was about
00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:22.870
honor. Excuse me.
00:15:22.880 --> 00:15:24.230
So, the first thing I learn is that
00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:25.910
influence starts with repentance and
00:15:25.920 --> 00:15:28.949
reliance on God. The next two you're not
00:15:28.959 --> 00:15:31.350
going to like.
00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:33.829
But remember, you love me and I love
00:15:33.839 --> 00:15:35.990
you. And we're going to do this
00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:38.550
together.
00:15:38.560 --> 00:15:42.069
I read my Bible a few times
00:15:42.079 --> 00:15:44.870
and I've come to notice something
00:15:44.880 --> 00:15:49.030
is that influence is uncomfortable.
00:15:49.040 --> 00:15:50.310
And and I don't mean this
00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:52.870
disrespectfully. I genuinely don't. But
00:15:52.880 --> 00:15:55.910
I think sometimes us, all of us
00:15:55.920 --> 00:15:58.790
corporately, we we tend to read the
00:15:58.800 --> 00:16:02.389
Bible and the stories in the Bible and
00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:04.230
not fully comprehend that they aren't
00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:06.150
just stories, but lives lived that had
00:16:06.160 --> 00:16:08.949
consequences. And so, we want influence
00:16:08.959 --> 00:16:11.590
without being uncomfortable.
00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:13.110
You see, as Christians, we find
00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:16.230
ourselves in this trap where we want the
00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:18.550
blessing of David without the Goliath.
00:16:18.560 --> 00:16:21.189
like Lord bless me but no challenges.
00:16:21.199 --> 00:16:23.990
Don't want those. You can keep those.
00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:25.829
Lord Lord Lord we we we want the
00:16:25.839 --> 00:16:27.910
closeness of the disciples but not the
00:16:27.920 --> 00:16:33.509
persecution.
00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:35.590
We want the wisdom of Solomon but not
00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:38.389
the sacrifice. We want the influence of
00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.110
Daniel but not the fire. We want to live
00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:43.430
and be impactful for the kingdom of God
00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:47.590
but not be inconvenienced.
00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:49.509
And friends, unfortunately, as I started
00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:51.110
my message, I told you that we've all
00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:53.030
been called to influence. And part of
00:16:53.040 --> 00:16:54.470
influence requires a level of
00:16:54.480 --> 00:17:00.870
uncomfortability or discomfort.
00:17:00.880 --> 00:17:03.749
The one thing I've leed about
00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:05.590
being uncomfortable when it comes to the
00:17:05.600 --> 00:17:08.069
Christian life
00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:10.390
is that it's not an option. It's a
00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:13.029
necessity.
00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:16.630
Like faith is not comfortable.
00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:20.230
It's just not. But so often we seek the
00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:22.870
benefits of faith without the
00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:24.870
consequences. We seek the benefit of
00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:28.470
influence without
00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:31.750
without the uncomfort.
00:17:31.760 --> 00:17:33.750
Being an exile that influence is going
00:17:33.760 --> 00:17:36.070
to be uncomfortable. If we are going to
00:17:36.080 --> 00:17:38.950
want God to use us in our daily lives,
00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:41.350
then there needs to be a necessity to be
00:17:41.360 --> 00:17:46.950
uncomfortable.
00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:48.950
So influence starts with repentance and
00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:52.789
reliance on God. Tick.
00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:55.270
Influence is going to be uncomfortable.
00:17:55.280 --> 00:17:58.310
So we've resolved that. Great. So we're
00:17:58.320 --> 00:17:59.990
all going to be uncomfortable together.
00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:02.789
Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:04.789
Tick.
00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.190
Here's the third one. If you didn't like
00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:08.710
that one, you're probably not going to
00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:13.270
like this one either. You ready?
00:18:13.280 --> 00:18:16.390
Christian influence, real influence,
00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:19.510
biblical influence is built on the
00:18:19.520 --> 00:18:24.630
foundation of servantthood.
00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:26.549
Actually doing something more than just
00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:29.110
coming to church. I say this with a
00:18:29.120 --> 00:18:32.710
genuine pastoral heart
00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:37.190
that we've all been called to influence.
00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:40.710
Andy Goule who's the founder of Red
00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:42.710
Frogs that we partner with every year.
00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:45.590
Some of our team go to the Gold Coast to
00:18:45.600 --> 00:18:47.909
serve the young people at schoolies.
00:18:47.919 --> 00:18:51.029
Puts it this way very simply. He says if
00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:52.630
you want to win a generation, you need
00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:54.950
to serve a generation. And I've been
00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:56.549
thinking about this concept and this
00:18:56.559 --> 00:18:59.590
premise of being um uncomfortable as we
00:18:59.600 --> 00:19:02.470
influence. And it reminded me of a story
00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:05.190
in Mark 10.
00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:07.750
And it simply says this in Mark 10:es
00:19:07.760 --> 00:19:10.310
35-45.
00:19:10.320 --> 00:19:12.390
It says, "And James and John, the sons
00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:14.549
of Zebedee, came up to him and said to
00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:16.470
him,"Teacher,
00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:19.270
we want you to do for us whatever we ask
00:19:19.280 --> 00:19:22.150
of you." Pretty bold. I like it. And
00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:23.510
Jesus sort of like it's like, "All
00:19:23.520 --> 00:19:25.110
right, let's let's hear it." Love the
00:19:25.120 --> 00:19:26.950
fact that he sort of like plays into it.
00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:29.190
He goes, "Uh, what what do you want me
00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:31.430
to do for you?" And they said to him,
00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:33.990
"Grant us to sit one at your right hand
00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:36.230
and one to your left in your glory." And
00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:38.070
Jesus said to them, "You do not know
00:19:38.080 --> 00:19:40.230
what you are asking. Are you able to
00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:41.750
drink the cup that I drink or be
00:19:41.760 --> 00:19:43.830
baptized with the baptism with which I
00:19:43.840 --> 00:19:46.150
am baptized?" And they said to him, "We
00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:48.630
are able." And Jesus said to them, "The
00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.430
cup that I drink, you will drink. And
00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:52.950
with the baptism with which I am
00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:55.430
baptized, you will be baptized. But to
00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:57.350
sit at my right hand or at my left is
00:19:57.360 --> 00:19:59.669
not mine to grant, but is for those of
00:19:59.679 --> 00:20:01.990
whom it has been prepared. Now listen.
00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:03.430
And when the 10 heard it, the other
00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:05.110
disciples, they began to be indignant at
00:20:05.120 --> 00:20:07.510
James and John. And Jesus called them to
00:20:07.520 --> 00:20:09.350
him and said to them, "You know that
00:20:09.360 --> 00:20:12.070
those who are considered rulers of the
00:20:12.080 --> 00:20:14.870
Gentiles lorded over them, and their
00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:17.270
great ones exercise authority over them,
00:20:17.280 --> 00:20:19.669
but it shall not be so among you. But
00:20:19.679 --> 00:20:22.070
whoever would be great among you must be
00:20:22.080 --> 00:20:24.310
your servant. And whoever must be first
00:20:24.320 --> 00:20:27.110
among you must be slave of all. For even
00:20:27.120 --> 00:20:29.510
the son of man, the greatest person to
00:20:29.520 --> 00:20:32.870
influence, came not to be served, but to
00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:35.990
serve and give his life as a ransom for
00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.070
others.
00:20:38.080 --> 00:20:39.750
What does it look like practically as
00:20:39.760 --> 00:20:42.950
exiles? If influence is not about one
00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:45.750
big action and is rather about a
00:20:45.760 --> 00:20:47.590
thousand little decisions made in
00:20:47.600 --> 00:20:50.230
obedience to God, what does influence
00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:52.310
actually look like in our lives? I think
00:20:52.320 --> 00:20:54.310
to be honest, we complicate it far too
00:20:54.320 --> 00:20:57.029
much. The one thing I believe as
00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:58.390
Christians is we've been called to
00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:00.390
influence in a space where God has put
00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:02.390
you.
00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:04.230
I don't believe you've been planted or
00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:06.870
put into a place or a church or a job or
00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:09.510
a family
00:21:09.520 --> 00:21:13.909
just for the sake of it.
00:21:13.919 --> 00:21:18.149
God strategically placed you there.
00:21:18.159 --> 00:21:20.390
And so I wondered to myself, what would
00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:23.669
the world look like as Christians if we
00:21:23.679 --> 00:21:26.789
showed up where God placed us? If we
00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:31.430
served where God placed us?
00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:33.430
in our households,
00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:35.990
in our communities,
00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:38.710
in our neighborhoods, in our churches,
00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:40.870
in our cities, in our nations. I wonder
00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:43.029
what the world would look like if we
00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:47.190
just showed up day by day, not willing
00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:49.190
or looking for that big action of
00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:51.909
influence, but rather just serving like
00:21:51.919 --> 00:21:57.590
the Son of Man did.
00:21:57.600 --> 00:22:01.190
I love what CS Lewis says.
00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:04.390
CS Lewis says this, "Do not waste your
00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:06.149
time bothering whether you love your
00:22:06.159 --> 00:22:07.750
neighbor.
00:22:07.760 --> 00:22:10.230
Act as if you did."
00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:12.710
I wonder if we all took that on. All all
00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:14.950
of us personally
00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:16.710
where we don't just consider the fact
00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:18.390
that we've been called to be different
00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:21.029
and distinct, but we act upon the
00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:23.909
revelation of the love of Christ and the
00:22:23.919 --> 00:22:27.510
way that he served us.
00:22:27.520 --> 00:22:30.710
I wonder what our church would look like
00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:33.430
if 80% of the serving wasn't just done
00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:36.149
by 20% of the people, but that 80% of
00:22:36.159 --> 00:22:38.950
the church showed up and served and
00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:40.310
loved their neighbor and loved their
00:22:40.320 --> 00:22:42.070
community. Pastor Bennett said it a few
00:22:42.080 --> 00:22:44.470
times. What would this community look
00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:47.270
like if our church doors closed? Because
00:22:47.280 --> 00:22:50.149
that's what influence actually is. If
00:22:50.159 --> 00:22:53.830
all we do is show up on a Sunday
00:22:53.840 --> 00:22:56.070
and not influence the world that God has
00:22:56.080 --> 00:22:59.110
put us in,
00:22:59.120 --> 00:23:04.230
what are we truly doing?
00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:08.070
I don't mean this to be harsh,
00:23:08.080 --> 00:23:09.990
but I've noticed a trend, and I wonder
00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.070
if you've noticed this as well.
00:23:14.080 --> 00:23:17.110
As Christians,
00:23:17.120 --> 00:23:19.350
we are very good at the lip service but
00:23:19.360 --> 00:23:23.909
not very good at the hand service.
00:23:23.919 --> 00:23:26.230
Bless you, brother.
00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:30.070
I I I'll be praying for you.
00:23:30.080 --> 00:23:32.549
Just let me know if you need anything.
00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:36.310
Let let me know. Praying for you. God
00:23:36.320 --> 00:23:39.190
bless you. Favor of God over your life.
00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:41.590
Believe God's Jehovah Gyra. Praying for
00:23:41.600 --> 00:23:43.590
you. Blessings.
00:23:43.600 --> 00:23:46.470
Hey brother, let me pray for you.
00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:48.149
Just let me know if you need anything as
00:23:48.159 --> 00:23:56.549
long as it's not convenient.
00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:58.710
I I genuinely don't mean this as a
00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:00.470
rebuke,
00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:02.710
but I think sometimes as the body of
00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:05.430
Christ, we can be caught up in Christian
00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:08.310
cliches, but the greatest cliche I've
00:24:08.320 --> 00:24:12.710
seen is that the Lord Jesus served us.
00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:14.470
Many of us sit here on these seats and
00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:15.909
wonder, am I actually making a
00:24:15.919 --> 00:24:17.430
difference, Luke? It's easy for you to
00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:24.549
say on platform. You've got the mic.
00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:26.070
You know, I said to my wife the other
00:24:26.080 --> 00:24:30.390
day,
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:32.390
try not get emotional about this, but I
00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:34.549
did. I said to her, talking about what
00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:38.230
success looks like, and I said, "Babe,
00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:40.950
if I had a conversation with one person,
00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:43.909
just one person that allowed them to
00:24:43.919 --> 00:24:46.390
encounter the love and the grace of the
00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:48.710
Lord Jesus Christ, and when I go be with
00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:51.669
my savior, I'm like, man, I've done it."
00:24:51.679 --> 00:24:53.510
just one conversation where somebody
00:24:53.520 --> 00:24:56.230
felt lost and alone
00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:57.990
because of the way that I served them
00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:02.549
and showed up in the hard times.
00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:04.070
I feel like I would have done a great
00:25:04.080 --> 00:25:05.990
job
00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:08.230
cuz I think sometimes we underplay the
00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:11.190
small [music] impacts we have on people.
00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:13.190
But influence is like a ripple effect.
00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:15.590
It's cascading.
00:25:15.600 --> 00:25:19.110
We don't know the impact that that one
00:25:19.120 --> 00:25:21.830
conversation, that one meal drop, that
00:25:21.840 --> 00:25:24.070
one showing up for somebody in a her
00:25:24.080 --> 00:25:25.750
time
00:25:25.760 --> 00:25:28.310
would do not only for their lives, but
00:25:28.320 --> 00:25:30.870
what about their family? And what about
00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:32.789
the community they live in? And what
00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:34.870
about the city of Sydney? And what about
00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:38.310
the nation of Australia?
00:25:38.320 --> 00:25:41.190
One moment of influence,
00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:43.430
a thousand little steps in obedience
00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:45.430
towards God could change our city
00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:48.310
forever.
00:25:48.320 --> 00:25:50.230
Am I making a difference though, Luke?
00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:53.510
Is what I ask myself as a stay-at-home
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mom,
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as a single parent,
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as the person who walks through those
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corporate doors and is just one of a
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number?
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Am I actually making a difference?
00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:08.950
Cuz Luke, you don't know what it's like.
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I I do cuz I'm one of you.
00:26:13.120 --> 00:26:14.710
Cuz tomorrow I walk through those doors
00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:17.750
as a number.
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And I ask God, God, can you give me eyes
00:26:19.919 --> 00:26:21.669
to see where it is that you need me to
00:26:21.679 --> 00:26:25.590
serve? Just a word of encouragement, a
00:26:25.600 --> 00:26:27.269
willing to go the extra mile for
00:26:27.279 --> 00:26:29.269
somebody who doesn't necessarily um
00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:31.430
deserve it.
00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:33.590
And it reminds me of a parable as we
00:26:33.600 --> 00:26:35.590
wrap up
00:26:35.600 --> 00:26:39.110
in Matthew 13. If we understand that our
00:26:39.120 --> 00:26:41.110
first call to influence is repentance
00:26:41.120 --> 00:26:43.269
and reliance on God and we understand
00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:45.909
that that influence is going to be
00:26:45.919 --> 00:26:48.470
uncomfortable and if we understand that
00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:50.149
influence is actually built on the
00:26:50.159 --> 00:26:53.269
foundation of servantthood
00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:57.029
then this parable explains am I making a
00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:59.350
difference? Luke
00:26:59.360 --> 00:27:02.630
in Matthew 13:33, he told them this
00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:05.430
parable. Jesus telling them this parable
00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:07.990
says, "The kingdom of heaven is like
00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:10.870
leaven that a woman took and hid three
00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:14.230
measures of flour till it was leaven."
00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:17.909
You bakers would understand,
00:27:17.919 --> 00:27:20.149
those of you that do the old sourdough
00:27:20.159 --> 00:27:22.310
starters, the only thing I start is my
00:27:22.320 --> 00:27:24.310
car.
00:27:24.320 --> 00:27:26.149
is that when you take the start and you
00:27:26.159 --> 00:27:28.230
put in the flour, it doesn't look like
00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:31.269
it's doing much, but the cascading
00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:33.510
ripple effect, the influence of the
00:27:33.520 --> 00:27:35.669
leaven within that batch starts to
00:27:35.679 --> 00:27:38.630
bubble over. And over time, you see that
00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:42.230
loaf start to expand and grow. But what
00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:45.029
seemed as small and insignificant in a
00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:50.549
moment over time continued to influence
00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:53.110
and influence.
00:27:53.120 --> 00:27:54.950
See what looks small and insignificant,
00:27:54.960 --> 00:27:56.710
what leaves you thinking, does this
00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:58.389
actually work? Does this actually
00:27:58.399 --> 00:28:01.350
matter? Can this make a difference? The
00:28:01.360 --> 00:28:03.590
way I serve my family, the way I love my
00:28:03.600 --> 00:28:06.389
kids, the way I love my neighbors.
00:28:06.399 --> 00:28:08.950
These are the very things that God uses
00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:14.070
powerfully to spread the kingdom.
00:28:14.080 --> 00:28:15.750
See, right now, you might feel like your
00:28:15.760 --> 00:28:19.110
influence is small.
00:28:19.120 --> 00:28:20.789
You might feel like what you are doing
00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:25.830
isn't making much of a difference.
00:28:25.840 --> 00:28:31.190
But friends, my ask to all of us is this
00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:33.430
that we don't underestimate the leaven
00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:36.149
of your life to change the kingdom of
00:28:36.159 --> 00:28:40.230
God.
00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:41.750
Influence is going to look so different
00:28:41.760 --> 00:28:44.389
for all of us.
00:28:44.399 --> 00:28:45.830
But as Christians, we've all been called
00:28:45.840 --> 00:28:48.070
to it.
00:28:48.080 --> 00:28:50.470
as a church multiplying healthy local
00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:51.909
churches. That's not where we put the
00:28:51.919 --> 00:28:54.630
full stop.
00:28:54.640 --> 00:28:56.470
It's to see cities and nations
00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:59.990
transformed for the kingdom of God.
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:03.190
It's not just about these four walls.
00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:05.029
We will never just be about these four
00:29:05.039 --> 00:29:07.750
walls. We will never just be about a
00:29:07.760 --> 00:29:10.549
Sunday service.
00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:12.870
We will always be about the communities
00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:15.410
and the cities and the nations and
00:29:15.420 --> 00:29:17.269
[music] the world.
00:29:17.279 --> 00:29:19.590
Because each of us, every single one of
00:29:19.600 --> 00:29:22.950
you seated here or seated here at least,
00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:26.389
has a calling to influence.
00:29:26.399 --> 00:29:27.909
And so I wonder what that will look like
00:29:27.919 --> 00:29:30.310
in your life.
00:29:30.320 --> 00:29:31.990
And I wonder what the world would look
00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:33.830
like if we all took hold and took grasp
00:29:33.840 --> 00:29:36.549
of that.
00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:39.830
Not one giant action, but a thousand
00:29:39.840 --> 00:29:41.610
decisions made in obedience towards
00:29:41.620 --> 00:29:43.990
[music] Christ.
00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:45.430
But it starts with repentance and
00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:48.389
reliance on God.
00:29:48.399 --> 00:29:50.149
And so with every head bowed and eye
00:29:50.159 --> 00:29:51.750
closed, I want to give people a moment
00:29:51.760 --> 00:29:54.230
that have never said yes to Jesus. You
00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:56.710
believe God's called you to an area of
00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:59.510
influence to influence your life, your
00:29:59.520 --> 00:30:01.350
your family, your community, your
00:30:01.360 --> 00:30:04.070
neighborhood, your job. Starts with
00:30:04.080 --> 00:30:10.310
saying yes to Jesus.
00:30:10.320 --> 00:30:12.070
Bible says, "For the joy that was set
00:30:12.080 --> 00:30:15.990
before him, he endured the cross."
00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:17.909
That joy is you, each and every one of
00:30:17.919 --> 00:30:21.830
us.
00:30:21.840 --> 00:30:23.350
And so, if you've never said yes to
00:30:23.360 --> 00:30:25.029
Jesus before, you've never [music]
00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:26.870
allowed him to be Lord and Savior of
00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:28.470
your life, or if you know in your heart
00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:30.630
that at one point you had surrendered
00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:32.789
your life to God, but if you've got to
00:30:32.799 --> 00:30:34.070
be honest with yourself, you've walked
00:30:34.080 --> 00:30:36.070
away from him. You've tried to do it in
00:30:36.080 --> 00:30:37.830
your own strength.
00:30:37.840 --> 00:30:39.669
And friends, that influence, that moment
00:30:39.679 --> 00:30:41.269
of Christian influence starts [music]
00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:42.870
with saying yes to him. So with every
00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:44.950
head bow and eye closed, if that's you,
00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:47.110
if you want to say yes to Jesus this
00:30:47.120 --> 00:30:48.950
morning, would you be brave enough just
00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:51.510
to raise your hand on the count of three
00:30:51.520 --> 00:30:54.549
just so I know who I'm praying for?
00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:57.909
One, friend, God loves you so much. Two,
00:30:57.919 --> 00:30:59.909
know that your life matters and your
00:30:59.919 --> 00:31:01.269
impact [music] matters and your
00:31:01.279 --> 00:31:04.470
influence matters. Three. If that's you,
00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:05.750
would you raise your hand high enough
00:31:05.760 --> 00:31:07.350
and long enough just for me to see and
00:31:07.360 --> 00:31:11.190
I'll let you put it straight back down.
00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:13.029
Hands going up in the front already.
00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:16.549
Come on. Praise Jesus.
00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:17.990
Anybody else want to say, I want to
00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:19.830
commit my life that today is the day of
00:31:19.840 --> 00:31:22.310
salvation
00:31:22.320 --> 00:31:25.269
either for the first time
00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:28.470
or to recommmit your life to the Lord.
00:31:28.480 --> 00:31:29.830
Come on. Why don't we pray this prayer
00:31:29.840 --> 00:31:31.110
together? We're going to pray it from
00:31:31.120 --> 00:31:33.430
our hearts to his ears. Say, "Dear Lord
00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:35.990
Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross
00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:37.909
for me.
00:31:37.919 --> 00:31:40.710
I invite you to be the Lord and Savior
00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:43.029
of my life.
00:31:43.039 --> 00:31:47.430
Guide me, guard me, and give me peace in
00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:50.646
Jesus mighty name." And everybody said,
00:31:50.656 --> 00:31:53.120
[music] "Amen.