Do You Trust Me? // One Church Podcast, 19th December 2022

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Welcome to the one Church podcast.

Hello and welcome to the one Church podcast.

It's Monday, the 19th of December and we're so glad that

you could join us. Today.

Our message this week comes from Josh Smith.

Speaking at the one Church City site on Sunday the 18th of

December. So get ready?

Open your heart and enjoy. Farmers Family, over sin has

become a bit more special because of Levi, Ezra included,

but he can't say the word Christmas.

In fact, he doesn't say any words at the moment, he just

squeaks. He's very cute though.

I need to look at you. But Levi, our oldest boy, who is

two and a half has the memory of an elephant in that elephants.

Don't forget, at least. That's the rumor.

And if you say something once, or he sees something once, he's

going to remember it until Jesus returns.

And at one point, on a recent Drive, Alice saw some Christmas

lights. She said that pretty every time

now that we drive past, a set of bang, average, Christmas lights,

Levi says, look at those Christmas lights, they're

pretty, I love them. Every set of Lies, it becomes a

little bit more magical. Even if they are multicolored

flashing in no organized fashion.

I got to tell you lights, should be white.

That can either be cool or warm and static or slow twinkle.

Like I was I put the other day. What?

Watching one of the England matches, and there's a big TV,

and in the corner, there was a Christmas tree, and it had the

lights on that scrolling mode, where it's like on flash flash,

flash, flash flash, stop it. Just I couldn't watch the game,

I just transfixed by this irritating, tree in the corner

and other. I mean if you do your Christmas

fairy lights in a different way. That's okay.

Maybe it's time to change. I've captured again, what it is.

The Wonder of Christmas Through The Eyes of a child.

Levi is just fascinated by everything.

He wants to know, all the stories.

All the reasons why I want to say to us before I dive into a

message, some of the things I enjoy about Christmas let us

never lose the wonder if you've lost the Wonder, allow yourself

to recapture it again. What I mean is that Christmas

for me is about this that God himself bent the rules of time

and space to inhabit human form. How does that work?

The one who hung the Stars Embrace Life underneath them?

Jesus, the Eternal and infinite was nursed by a woman that he

created by The Wonder of Christmas, the omnipresent

omnipotent and omniscient King of the universe made himself and

gave up everything making himself nothing.

The Wonder of Christmas. Let's not forget what it's all

about in the first place. I also love driving at

Christmas. Now we clock up a lot of miles

in the car to the extent where I had it serviced on Thursday

because we're going to do a few hundred miles or so through the

Christmas period and people always say to me.

Oh gosh, all that driving. It must be exhausting.

There are a few things that I enjoy more about Christmas than

a long night. Time Drive accompanied by an

overpriced drive through Coffee sleeping children in Jesus name,

and the world's most unhelpful, copilot, and Alice, not because

of her sense of direction. She's very good.

If she's been somewhere, once, you'll forget where it is.

And she has the ability though to fall asleep anywhere in any

moment. So, we've been on numerous

drives where Alice will be, like, no, don't worry.

I'm with you the whole way, and then we'll turn a corner, and

she'll just be asleep uncanny. It's the skill.

I think it may even be a spiritual gift.

But there are some things I struggle with with Christmas, I

struggle with turkey is. Here's the thing.

As Aiden would say. If Turkey was a genuinely good

food, we would eat it more than once a year.

We weren't, it's just bad chicken.

Let's just have chicken. And I don't understand after the

end of a Christmas dinner, I sit down and I go.

I wish we ordered Chinese I'm just saying, I'm just saying,

we're coming to yours for Christmas day.

We're gonna have been off my sister Steph.

We love you. We're going to The Ridges.

Just don't understand. I for me, turkey has no place at

the dinner table. It is subpar chicken at best.

The other thing that frustrates me about Christmas is Christmas

movies. Now this might be slightly

controversial. I'll explain why.

Now, I am, no Scrooge. Most of the time and

occasionally I do shared a secret tear whilst watching a Us

from we watched Miracle on like 89th Street or whatever.

It's called the other day and it's just me.

Alison. Leave, I sat through the whole

film and occasionally went. Where's that girl gone?

Kept him interested and and at the end of it I was slightly

emotional. It's lovely.

Lovely. However how do we get from The

Wonder of Jesus God making himself nothing becoming like

human form to the Grinch. I can't figure out the steps

that led from A to B. I don't get.

It doesn't make any sense. Now, remember, an overly Harry

Green, dude, who lives up a mountain need?

I remind you on a snowflake Jesus, the king of the universe

fall in the body of a baby, a green, dude, up a hill, the

mopey personality. I just, it doesn't, it doesn't

for me, it distracts, rather than ads, we've still not

decided as well. What we're going to do with you

and Santa Claus. We've got decided as I say,

often about Jesus, in decision is a decision, right?

So in not deciding to do or not do Santa, I'm hoping that we

I've accidentally decided against him.

It's all right. Because forgive me, this is my

understanding. A rather large old white guy.

Sneaks down. Your chimney takes credit for

the gifts that you buy and Demands, a mince pie for the

privilege. My life is better without that

guy in it to happening. Now if you still believe in

Santa Claus, Father, Christmas Saint Nick.

That's all right, Jesus loves you.

Some things about me and Christmas, I enjoyed writing

them, hope that makes you smile. However, you experience these

next few weeks, whether this season is painful with memory

and sadness, and lost loved ones who are no longer with you or

whether you find it an absolute Joy.

I want to say that we as a church are here to walk with you

because we believe in a God who is for you and we want to pray

safety protection over all of us.

As Christmas weird. Enjoy.

Some element of the peace that God brings not just get caught

up in the superficial. All Supermarket nonsense, I

meant, and in the blink of an eye out with 2023 and I'm

excited about the year to come, I don't know if you do this,

Alice loves New Year's resolutions.

We all sit down at some point over New Year and talk to people

that we made resolutions with and realize that everybody has

achieved nothing. They set out in 2022 to achieve

and that's good fun. For the most part, but I often

come to War's end of the year and then look back on it and

think about what's coming and also, spend time to lament and

rejoice for what's been found myself thinking about 20, 22,

and what a year we've had. If you've been around this site,

if you've been around our church, what a year it's been,

we believe God in January Alice, and I, and we talked with the

team about about this, we believe God that City would be

100 people strong each week from September onwards.

I'm not counting today because I've not done the numbers.

And it definitely isn't a hundred plus but that's okay.

But I did some digging around our numbers and the average

attendance from the 18th of September through to last Sunday

is 101. People a week?

That's pretty cool. Right?

That's pretty cool. Someone once said to us

regarding Church, leadership that healthy things grow for me,

an element of health is numerical growth.

People coming to Jesus, I want to remind us again that we're

like if you've come And join us over this last year from a

different Church. Want to say, we love you as so

grateful for you, make sure that you finish well with your last

place if this is becoming your home.

But we're not about, we're not about transfer growth, we're

about net gain for the Kingdom, right?

And what that means is that new people finding Jesus, and if we

look back over the year, we've seen many people finding Jesus

in this site and in our church and we're grateful this year, we

had Vision Sunday in which six hundred and fifty thousand

pounds was given and pledged. By the church in the middle of

the greatest economic crisis for a generation.

What a miracle, what a year. We've lived through the sense of

togetherness in our church, and the unity of churches around the

county has never been greater than it currently is.

And I believe that off the back of all.

This are about to experience growth and an expectation in

2023 The Lord has been good and he's going to continue to be

good for us in our personal lives.

I wonder what's 2022 being like for you as an individual.

Is it a year of sadness and trial?

Has it been a year of breakthrough and the miraculous?

Let me give you something. The Lord asks me at the back end

of 20 22 and this would sum up my year and I'm going to ask us

a couple of questions after back of it.

The Lord has asked me this will you trust me?

If you don't know the story with Ezra, let me just give you a

brief overview. And let me just caveat this

story with this many of you with walk through deep hardship over

this last year and in the years have gone prior to this.

I'm not saying that our story is greater or less.

I just want to tell you what the Lord Has Done in the middle of

is that, all right? So I'm not bringing comparison.

I want to tell you what, we've walked through on October the

16th Lawrence, Josh Gail Beth, and I set out to climb five

mountains. We finished it City.

We packed up our stuff. We got into Car and we drove to

Ben Nevis and we began a journey and it was an awful lot of fun

on the 19th of October Alice called me to say that she was

taking ezzy into Hospital. While we were in the Republic of

islands on the 20th. I flew home from Belfast and as

he was about to be placed on a ventilator.

And for me, the morning of the 21st is something I will never

forget, I was sat on the lounge floor as Alice was living at the

lri with Ezra, and I was there being dad with Levi and he was

running around playing. And I was praying on the floor

and as I was praying, I just began to weep and then the

little boy comes and he jumps over my back and he says, love

you Dada. What a gorgeous for you are.

I'm a conversation with a walk with the Lord went like, this.

God will you heal Ezra and the Lord responded by saying, will

you trust me? I said, Lord, will you heal him?

And he said, will you trust me as a lawyer, you just step in

and do something and he said, will you trust me?

At the end of my conversation? My Confession became Lord.

I choose to trust you. I choose to trust you.

I choose to trust you. For some of us.

We need to confess until we believe in that moment.

I had a choice. Am I going to Confess it because

I didn't currently believe it. Don't get me wrong, I trust him

with my life but some of you will know this journey.

It's one thing trusting in with your own life.

It's another thing trusting in with a life of your child.

Lord, I choose to trust you. I choose to trust you I choose

to trust you. he knew best and he cared most through the

Journey with a z Alice was in hospital for about 10 days with

him, he was on a ventilator and five or six days and if he had

stayed at home during that period of time, it would have

made it their the facts that's a reality but all the way through

Little Miracles in the journey and those Little Miracles went a

long way to helping me say and confess Lord I choose to trust

you And I believe for you and I, the Lord wants to ask us as we

begin 2023. Will we trust him the laws

question to you? Will you trust me?

Will you trust me with your life?

Will you trust me with your future?

Will you trust me with your family?

Will you trust me with your dreams?

Will you trust me? Father, I pray over these next

few minutes and moments that we've shared together that the

Holy Spirit you would come and fill this room with a sense of

your glory, your presence, your peace, your closeness, Lord, we

honor you what? Amazing year.

We have lived through and are living through and we give you

all the glory. All the honor or the praise is

all about you King Jesus. We love you.

Our men at the beginning of humanity, God gave Adam and Eve.

This same choice. Will you trust me?

The passage is going to come up on the screen.

I'm going to skim through a couple of things.

I'm going to focus on the Journey of Adam and Eve with God

in the garden and they're going to fast forward.

And number thousands of years until we get to Mary and Joseph

with a very similar conversation Genesis 2:16 through Genesis 3:8

Genesis 2:16 Genesis 3:8

says this but the Lord warned him.

Adam the man you may freely eat the fruit from any Tree in.

God and accept the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.

If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.

But the serpent was shrewd of all the wild animals that the

Lord had made one day. He asked the woman did God

really say, You must not eat from the fruit of any of the

trees in the garden. Of course, we may eat the fruit

from all the trees in the garden woman replied.

It is only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden

that we are not allowed to eat. God said, you must not eat it or

even touch it. If you do, you will.

Or die, you won't die. The serpent replied, the woman

God knows that your eyes will be open as soon as you eat it.

And you'll be like, God knowing both good and evil verse 6.

The woman was convinced, she saw that the tree was beautiful and

that it's fruit looked delicious.

And she wanted the wisdom, it would give her.

So she took some fruit and ate it.

She gave us some fruit to her husband who was with her, and he

ate it too. That moment that eyes were

opened and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness so they

sewed, fig leaves together to cover themselves, the call from

God to humankind at the beginning was the call to

dependency on him. Dependency is the necessity to

rely solely on the wisdom of another Go to school to humanity

at the beginning was not to seek wisdom but to live in obedience

and surrender. Do not eat from the Tree of the

knowledge of rather trust that I understand.

So you don't need to know that's the conversation, the Lord has

with man and woman. You don't need the knowledge of

this tree possesses because I see all things and I'm about all

things and I'm in all things and I know the end from the

beginning. So if you trust me, you don't

need what that can give you. Rather than trusting in the

wisdom of God, Eve chose to embrace the Curiosity of self.

And I imagine the Heartbreak in the moment for God when he

walked through the garden, he already knew what was happening

and he sees them with fig leaves.

So Dover themselves and they've never had been in that position

before. And the Heartbreak of God was

not. Why did you do that?

Rather it was, why didn't you trust me?

Because he always knew best. The Apple Tree in the garden was

not planted by mistake it, existed to pose a question of

trust. Whatever your life looks like

right now, 2023 will throw up an apple tree for you.

A moment where you can say, I need to seek wisdom from myself

or I'm going to choose to pendency and rely on the king of

kings. We'll walk through moments, but

we stand at the base of an apple tree.

How do we choose to respond? Sometimes the fruit of curiosity

looks more appealing, the Journey of dependency, how do

you and I want to live The shortcut to Independence, never

leads to the destination found in Christ like four Lions.

If I choose to go my way to put my trust in what I can

understand. It's never going to take me

where dependency on the King of Kings.

It's going to eventually lead me.

How do you and I want to live as we begin 2023.

The shortcut of Independence, never leads to the destination

found in Christ like Reliance. Let's be a people that say again

and again and again I choose to trust you.

I choose to trust you a choose to trust you even if I don't

understand even if it doesn't make sense, even if I can't see

the end of it, I choose to place my trust in you anyway.

I want to say for us for our generation, those of us who are

maybe 35 are young or so and we live in a society that is full

of anxiety, lowness of emotion and paranoia.

And don't get me wrong, many Christians walk through some

horrendous mental health challenges and sometimes the

Lord steps in a moment of fixing and other times.

He allows people to walk through the storm as I be shared, he

doesn't often take us out of it. Instead, he decides to hold our

hand and walk with us through it but I do believe that

independence from God. Reads, anxiety and feeds

paranoia. And I do believe that trust in

the Lord's leads to peace and security.

As much as it depends on me, I went to trust you, because

that's where I find my peace. That's where I find my security

and that's where I find my eternity.

How do you? And I want to live for Adam and

Eve the shortcut to wisdom, close the door, on the Journey

of intimacy. I'm going to choose this for

myself and the result was instead of walking closely.

They walked in the distance. What will we choose from today

forward even when he knows the end from the beginning?

And I don't Eve when he knows the outcome of that job

interview and I'm not sure Even when he knows, if my parents

going to get well. Well, I choose to trust him.

Believing that he knows best and that he holds the knowledge that

I don't need. For us this morning.

As we enter a new year, will you choose to trust again?

Let's fast forward slightly. Luke 1:26 238 and I what a

Luke 1:26

phenomenal passages, where we land for Christmas.

This is nice. The angel Mary.

Lovely says this, in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy.

God, sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth Village in Galilee to a

virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to

a man named Joseph. A descendant of King, David

Gabriel appeared to her. Greetings favored, woman, I

don't know if he would have said.

Greetings, so Chris is a weird word, isn't it?

What you have on a Christmas card?

That's not what you use in real life.

Anyway, I wonder what was said, if it was today.

Hey, maybe, maybe that would have been more terrifying.

I imagine his voice was very, very deep.

Hey, that's not deep, is it? That's just that's just got

problem. That's fine.

And greetings. Hey favored, woman, the Lord is

with you confused and disturbed. No wonder nine foot dude, with

wings Mary tried. To think what the angel of the

Lord could mean, don't be afraid.

Mary Angel told her. Do you notice the Angels say

that the demons don't? They carry Authority and power

and stature. Don't be afraid.

I'm with him. It's all right.

Dimas a piece gears. Because they're not always, as

intimidating as they appear to be anyway.

Don't Be Afraid. Mary.

The angel told her for you have found favor with God.

I mean, what a start to a conversation that is you found

favor with the King of Kings, you conceive and give birth to a

son and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will

be called the son of the most high God.

The Lord God will give him the Throne of his ancestor, David,

and he will reign over Israel forever.

His kingdom will never end. Merry Christmas.

Well, what? How do you, how do you process

that? You're 13, unmarried a virgin,

and the king of the universe is going to be implanted in your

womb and you're going to raise him for the rest of your life.

Hi cool. Mary responded.

She asked the angel, how can this happen?

I'm a virgin verse 35, the angel replied, the holy spirit will

come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow

you. So the baby to be born will be

holy and he will be called The Son of God.

What's more? Your relative Elizabeth has

become pregnant in her old age. People used to say, she was

Barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth

month for the word of God will never fail Mary responded.

I am the Lord's. Servant May everything you've

said about me. Come true.

And then the angel left her What a difference?

At the beginning of all things I want what that has.

I'm going to take it for myself and then at the new beginning of

humanity, when God presses reset through the person of Jesus,

instead of Mary's saying, I want that knowledge.

She says, I don't understand but may everything you said about me

come true, the difference. The difference that trust in the

Lord makes Eve sought wisdom and it resulted in Independence Mary

chose to trust and it resulted in the salvation of humanity The

decision. I don't get it.

But if you say so, Then I'm going to go with you because,

you know, the end from the beginning and I'm a simple

uneducated, young woman. And just to provide you with

some backstory for this passage I've already said Mary would

have been a teenager we presume around 13, 14 years old, she

would have not been highly educated, and she would have

been of low status. That's why she was going back to

the area. She was at the time of the

senses and her life is about to begin.

She's betrothed or engaged to a guy called Joseph.

Again, not a few standing that comes from the line of David's

and marriage for her. Would have been the Gateway in

Middle Eastern culture for her to have some form of me.

Meaning and purpose because inside of marriage, women

produce children, and that becomes their legacy, it's a

very different culture to how we live today, but without

marriage, women would often remain uneducated and forgive

me. But the brutal reality is and of

little value to society. So the news that Gabriel brings

Mary is not just biologically impossible.

It's also social suicide. She's a teenage girl.

She's about to give birth to a child outside of marriage.

The child had been born illegitimate and her life.

Effectively would have become forfeit.

She would have face stigma and, and to Bear a child outside of

wedlock would have been horrendous thought for a young

Jewish girl. It would have had implications

that Mary will have well-known. In fact, a recent article 2019

by the independent founder and I quote babies, born outside of

wedlock are abandoned On the streets of Saudi Arabia as

women, fear, retribution and punishment for having a child

outside of marriage. That's 2,000 years on from when

Mary would have been around the consequences to the message of

the Angel? Would have been so severe that

it required questioning. If that is, you and me, what's

our response to the angel? How how are you going to make

sure that my son's not going to grow up in persecution?

How you going to make sure that I still have some form of

future? How you going to make sure that

my betrothed still wants to marry me?

How is it going to work? And the call of God through the

angel, is this Mary will you trust me?

Will you trust me that your life will still hold?

Meaning? Will you trust me for the

security of your child and the safety of your own life?

Where Eve chose Independence? Mary sort Reliance she responds,

I am the Lord's. Servant May everything you've

said about me come true. She must have had so many

questions but she asked, none. Friends of ours, walking through

a season at the moment, which is really difficult and longing,

and expecting the Lord to break through and I said some

recently, have you had anything? Has he said anything or what's

the Lord done? Have you had a word and and the

guy said, no, we've not heard anything but what we're going to

do is what he said, last until he speaks again, that's how you

live interest. I'm going to do what he says

until he speaks again church for us this morning heading into a

new year, will you? And I choose to trust like Mary

that, he knows best. And that he cares, most Let me

finish with this. Proverbs 3:5-6 trust in the

Proverbs 3:5–6

Lord, with all your heart and lean not on your own

understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he will make

your path straight. Not got three points as you want

to present something to you. That is really simple, but

deeply profound, it's impacted our lives and I pray that the

start of a new year will impact yours as well.

My understanding from 2022, is this first, that he knows best

the secondly that he cares. Most I'm a response again.

This morning is Lord. I choose to trust your wonder if

you're able to buy your heads and close your eyes.

Father, thank you for the truth. You know, the end from the

beginning. Hold the universe in the palm of

your hands and nothing is surprise to you.

Thank you that you're never caught unaware.

Thank you that you're never anxious or worried Lord.

I pray for all of us this afternoon.

Our last Sunday into we would have a revelation regardless of

what we're walking through or what's coming ahead that, you

know, best and that you care. I don't know, what's funny is

really through to us. Why your heads a nice to close

that believe that we are about to.

This is being recorded. So let's see what the just going

to go through a seismic shift in our nation.

I believe that people will either stick to the word of God.

Was you find out later in the New Testament, people will see,

teachers will tell them whatever that itchy is.

When I had people that either gonna say, yes I'm gonna stand

on what the word says, or no. I'm gonna just agree with

secular culture and I believe that we're going to walk through

a shift in the next five years. Why churches will stand firm on

the word of God and Thrive and see something of a Revival in

the middle of persecution or will succumb to to secular

Authority and die. But in the middle of persecution

is always with the church has experience Revival.

I do believe it's this year coming but I believe there is a

seasonal. We're about to walk into where

we're going to be cool to stand up for what we believe.

It's not be shy about what the scripture says, but to take

authority based on the authority, we receive from the

book. Regardless of where it all

begins. Let me tell you, we are on an

exciting Journey because his plans for your 20:23 at greater

than you realize there is more in you, than you currently know.

He's cool g and this shows needs to make a difference.

I wonder what your response is this morning.

Maybe want to say, out loud with me.

I choose to trust you. Lord, I choose to trust you.

I choose to trust you. Maybe that needs to become your

confession until it becomes what you believe.

I choose to trust you in the morning.

When you wake up, I choose to trust you.

Even when you don't understand. I choose to trust you, even when

your health isn't good. I choose to trust you even when

he kids aren't while I choose to trust you, if when you get fired

from your job I choose to trust. True.

Even if your marriage is going through challenge, I choose to

trust you. Why he knows best and he cares.

Most, father, help us to be a people that trust that people

might see you, in the way that we live our conduct speech and

Purity in Jesus. If there's anything you need, if

there's any way we can pray with you, help you?

Or if you'd like to respond to that message.

Get in touch with us today. We are here for you over

Christmas. We are gathering on Christmas

Day and New Year's Day at 10:30 a.m. at the one Center 10 frog

Island. We're also gathering on New

Year's Eve for prayer on Zoom, at 11 p.m. and they'll be a

podcast released on boxing day. That's Monday, the 26th of

December. Brr and then again on Monday the

9th of January so whatever you do coming up over these coming

days know that we love you. We're praying for you and would

God bless you might early see you soon?

The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord.

Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Brr and then again on Monday the 9th of January so whatever you

do coming up over these coming days know that we love you.

We're praying for you and would God bless you might early see

you soon? The Lord bless you and keep you

the Lord. Make his face shine upon you and

be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward

you and give you peace.