Vision Sunday - Part 1

You're listening to a podcast from Jubilee Church,

Farnham. To find out more, visit www .jubilee

.church Well, it's Vision Sunday. And at the

beginning of each September time, we try and

give some time over just to cast vision, if you

like, set the scene for the next academic year

to... set our course of direction. And I have

to say this, starting this autumn, I feel more

excited, more faith -filled, more expectant than

ever. I know I think I probably say that a lot

of years, but this year I mean it. No, no. It

can get better every year. It can. Thank you,

Ben. Thank you. Absolutely. I just see faith

rising. As I talk to people, I see faith rising.

I, like Nathan, was stirred by the report, you

know, the quiet revival. And it's easy to see

it in a report, in sort of research, but I see

it amongst us as well. I mean, just have a little

look around. Look around at people. Look, it's

quite a cool bunch. Everyone's a little bit...

Dodgy, aren't they? Who do I look at? But you

know, in this room, there are people whose faith

is rising. In this year of faith, as we set it

out to be, I have seen faith rising. Faith for

things, faith for all sorts of different ways.

I see it amongst us. And it's not surprising,

is it? Because we are a church. In fact, should

we say, we are a church? Let's say, we are a

church. Who are we? The church. And I tell you

what, that is a significant thing. So this morning,

I want to just sort of start the beginning of

two Sundays. And I really want to start by asking

the question, sort of why, really? I don't know

if you've ever stopped to ask yourself why. Why

are you here? I don't know. Probably all sorts

of reasons, aren't there? Why do I do what I

want to do? For most of us, we know the what

we're doing. I mean, some of us struggle with

that level, but most of us know the what we're

doing. We just look at our diaries or look at

our planners. Many of us think about how we're

doing it as well. The culture in our homes or

the culture in the church, the sort of how we're

doing it, but far fewer... ask the deeper question,

why? Why are we doing it? Over the summer, I

read a book on leadership. It's called Start

With Why. And some might have read it. It was

a Simon Sinek book. He's a leadership guru, business

sort of guy. It wasn't a Christian book. He just

advises organizations, charities, businesses,

and sort of suggests that sometimes they just

focus on the what. All their focus is on the

what and what they do. And some, he suggests,

goes further to think about how they do it. And

they'll create culture statements or values.

I mean, they're up on the wall there for the

school. That's how they want to do education

in this school. But often, he suggests, people

don't start with why. Over the summer, as I read

the book, I just felt the whisper of God, really,

if I'm honest, saying, in September, start with

why. I was going to go straight into, this morning,

all the exciting plans for the autumn, because

they are exciting. Boy, they are exciting. But

I just felt that gentle encouragement to remember

our why as we start off. So today I want to start

with why. It's going to feel slightly different

from next Sunday when I want to focus on the

how and what we're going to do as we go through

this autumn. But this week I want to start with

why. Is that all right? Oh, there's a sort of

expectation. And I can hear music. But that isn't

my music. That must be somewhere else. Anyway,

so why? Got me thinking as well about Jesus is

why. The more I thought about it, the more I

sort of thought, Jesus actually was quite clear.

He says in quite a few different places, different

things that you could look in that way. But the

one that I just landed on for this morning is

in John 10 .10, where he said, I came that they

may have life and life abundantly. Some translations

say life to the full or to full measure or to

rich and satisfying. The message paraphrase says,

I came that they may have real and eternal life,

more and better life than you ever dreamed of.

Jesus came to bring life, bring abundant life.

See, Jesus saw the big picture. He'd been there

at the beginning of creation. God created the

world, and then after every iteration, declared

it was good. Then on the sixth day, he creates

people, men, women, and he says it's really good,

or very good. That's why when we look around,

we say, this is very good. It's full of people

who love God. Then in the second creation narrative

in Genesis 3, he paints a picture of men and

women who are made in the image of God. It's

a powerful picture. Enjoying paradise. There

was purpose, provision, purity. It was a place

where we see the love of God and connection between

men and women and God in its perfection. But

into this shalom, this picture of peace and contentment,

Satan whispers, did God really say? And causes

them to doubt what God says. And you read the

story, peace and contentment becomes anxiety

and fear. Strife and hardship breaks in to the

world. And worst of all there is disconnection

between God and man and between man and woman.

Love turns in on itself. Selfishness comes to

reign. Me. It's all about me. See, Satan was

out to destroy all that was good. And so suspicion

that God doesn't have our best interests at heart.

He sows a suspicion that God's not good. He's

not for us. He can't really love us. It's all

there in this sublime few chapters at the beginning

of the Bible. That's why Jesus says, there's

a thief comes to steal and kill and destroy.

Before he says, I have come that you may have

life and have it to the full. In a sense, that

breaking in of Jesus' kingdom was his why. And

it changes everything. And as we enter this autumn,

I think Jesus is saying to us, I'm coming that

you may have life and life to the full. Not just

as a church, not just as Jubilee, but for you

individually, you in your families. Because there's

a thief who comes to destroy and steal, but there

is one who comes. to bring life, life abundantly.

And in all that I do, that you do, in all of

our programs, our ministries, our events, I believe

there's going to be life coming. And that's part

of his message as we start this new term. Why?

Because Jesus wants in. Jesus wants in to this

church. into our families, into our homes, into

our lives, into our careers, into whatever we're

putting our hand to. Jesus wants to be in our

lives. Amen? I mean, that is a good amen. Could

have been louder. It totally transforms things

if we really have faith that Jesus wants to be

in on what we're doing, on how we're living.

What we're doing in our lives. Jesus wants to

be involved in what is going on in Jubilee. But

he's also wanting to be involved in what's going

on in your world. And he knows that there's a

thief who's out to destroy. But he comes and

we believe all authority has been given to him.

And he comes to bring life. The thief comes to

steal and destroy and kill. I've come that they

may have life and life it in the full. For too

long, the thief has robbed people in Farnham

of the presence of Jesus in their lives. Amen?

The thief has robbed many of us too in different

ways from knowing the blessing we have in Jesus.

As we start, I don't want to... Get into all

the programs and all the wonderful things we're

doing before we really grasp the blessing we

have in Jesus as a church, as a community, and

as individuals. We really need to get that into

our hearts and into our souls. And what a blessing

we have. I couldn't resist but go to Ephesians.

I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. The beginning

of Ephesians. It's a wonderful book which talks

about the blessing that we have in Christ. In

fact, I was so blessed by it, I'm going to read

the whole first chapter to you from the Message

Paraphys translation. Just let this get absorbed

into your souls. In the original language, it's

like there's no punctuation. The apostle is just

so enthusiastic. So excited, so motivated, so

stirred by faith about what he's saying. It just

all blurts out of his mouth. And there's a bit

of that in the paraphrase that the message puts

out. I want to sort of capture that as well.

So let me read this. This is our blessing as

we start the term. Okay, are you listening? Ears

open. More importantly, hearts open. Paul, I'm

under God's plan as apostle, a special agent

of Jesus Christ, writing to you, faithful believers

in Farnham. Sorry, Ephesus, but Farnham as well.

I greet you in the name of grace and peace poured

out into our lives by God our Father and Master,

Jesus Christ. I mean, what a start. How blessed

is God? And what a blessing he is. He's the father

of our master, Jesus Christ. He takes us to the

high places of blessing in him. Long before he

laid down earth's foundation, he had us in mind,

had settled on us as the focus of his love, to

be made whole and holy by his love. It's brilliant,

isn't it? Long, long ago, he decided to adopt

us into his family through Jesus Christ. What

pleasure he took in planning this. He wanted

us to enter into the celebration of his lavish

gift -giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his

blood poured out on the altar of the cross. We

are free people. Free of penalties and punishments

chalked up by all of our misdeeds. And not barely

free. either, abundantly free. He thought of

everything, provided for everything he could

possibly need, letting us in on the plans he

took such delight in making. He set it all out

before us in Christ, a long -range plan in which

everything would be brought together and summed

up in him. Everything in deepest heaven, everything

on planet earth. It's in Christ that we find

out who we are. And what we're living for. Long

before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes

up, he had his eye on us. Had designs for us.

For glorious living. Part of the overall purpose

he's working out in everything and everyone.

You enjoying this? It's great. It is in Christ

that you, once you heard the truth and believed

it, this message of your salvation, found yourselves

home free, signed, sealed and delivered by the

Holy Spirit. This down payment from God is the

first installment of what is coming. A reminder

that we will get everything God has planned for

us. A praising and glorious life. That's why...

When I heard of the solid trust you have in the

Master, Jesus, and your outpouring of love to

all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking

God for you. Every time I prayed, I'd think of

you and give thanks. But I do more than thank.

I ask God, our Master, Jesus Christ, the God

of glory, to make you intelligent and discerning

in knowing Him personally. Your eyes fixed and

clear so that you can see exactly what he's calling

you to do. Grasp the immensity of this glorious

way of life he has for his followers. Oh, the

utter extravagance of his work in us who trust

him. Endless energy, boundless strength. You're

getting his enthusiasm. And all this energy,

he says, issues from Christ. God raised him from

the dead. And set him on a throne in deep heaven.

In charge of running the universe. Everything

from galaxies to governments. No name, no power

exempt from his rule. And just for the time being,

not just for the time being, but forever. He

is in charge of it all. It is not... Sorry, he's

in charge of it all. Has the final word on everything.

At the center of all this, Christ rules the church.

The church, you see, is not peripheral to the

world. The world is peripheral to the church.

The church is Christ's body in which he speaks

and acts, by which he fills everything with his

presence. Wow. And when we look around at this

motley crew... We might see something different

sometimes. But the reality is this truth. There

might be one out to whisper that that isn't the

case. But this is the truth. He's in charge of

it all, has the final word on everything. At

the centre of it, Christ rules his church. The

church, you see, is not peripheral to the world.

The world is peripheral to the church. We used

to say this in every sermon for the first decade

that the church existed. Pretty much. The church

is Christ's body in which he speaks and acts,

by which he fills everything with his presence.

See, today we stand, if you like, as we reflect

on these things, on holy ground. Because the

living God has chosen us. He's called us. He's

named us. And placed us right here, right now,

as his church, his people, his witnesses of the

kingdom of light breaking into the kingdom of

darkness. Amen? Let it motivate us. Ephesians

1, it paints a breathtaking picture. Paul opens

the curtain and lets us see what God has been

planning all along. Before the foundations of

the earth were laid, God dreamed of us. God dreamed

of you. Now, some of you think that was a nightmare.

But I'm telling you, that's the enemy, says that.

When he dreamed of you, he thought he was having

fun. And he was loving it because you were his

beloved. From the beginning of the earth, he

chose you, each one of you. To be part of a plan

that he is doing in our time, in our nation.

He dreamed of us. He dreamed of a church alive

with his spirit. Carrying his light into a dark

and fractured world. That's quite a cool why,

isn't it? As we get to our programs, we'll be

thinking about all sorts of things. But behind

it is a kingdom advancing in Farnham. A kingdom

of light and love. A kingdom of healing. And

as I just looked at this passage, I found four

B's for you. There they are. Blessed. This will

help you remember. Blessed. Paul begins, how

blessed is God and what a blessing he is. He

is the father of our master, Jesus Christ, and

takes us to the high places of blessing in him.

See, the church exists first and foremost to

bless God and glorify him. That's why one of

our Jesus glorifies, isn't it? What we're doing

this morning is glorifying God. That's what we're

doing. We're not just meeting in a school hall

with a dodgy gate. We're actually the people

of God, ready to receive the very presence of

God and be a glorious place of blessing. We're

here to bless God. But notice, in blessing him,

he pours blessing into us. He lifts us up. He

raises us to the highest places with Christ.

Have we got faith for that? I mean, that is what

he's doing. If we bless him, he lifts us up.

The world says you're what you achieve. You're

what you own. You're the labels others slap on

you. But heaven says you're chosen. You're holy.

You're beloved. That's the truth this morning.

And the church exists to be a place where people

hear the truest things about themselves. That

they're not children of darkness, but children

of light. They are blessed. Because they're also

brought. The message says, because of the sacrifice

of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar

of the cross, we're free people. Free of penalties

and punishments chalked up by all of our misdeeds.

Not just barely free either. Abundantly free.

See, the life Jesus offers us is free to us.

But it was costly for him. The darkness says

you're condemned. You're chained. You've gone

too far. It's too late. There's no hope. But

the cross shouts louder that you're forgiven.

You're free. You can be made new. You can be

healed. You can reconcile. That's what the cross

shouts. See, Jesus came to bring deliverance.

that we might live. The devil still whispers,

still ensnares, still steals, still deceives

and distorts, tries to destroy. But Jesus came

to deliver us from evil. Isn't it our prayer?

Our Father who art in heaven, deliver us from

evil. Thy kingdom come. See, Jesus proclaims

freedom to the captives, forgiveness to the guilty,

healing to the broken. It's what he did when

he stood up at the beginning of his ministry,

when we read it in Luke chapter 4. He stands

Luke 4 · chapter mention

there in the synagogue, gets the scroll, opens

it up and reads, the spirit of the Lord is on

me because he's anointed me to proclaim good

news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim freedom.

For the prisoners. Recovery of sight for the

blind. To set the oppressed free. And to proclaim

the year of the Lord's favour. Then he rolled

up the scroll. Gave it back to the attendant.

It says that he sat down. And the eyes of everyone

in the synagogue. Were fastened on him. And he

began by saying to them. Today. This scripture

is fulfilled in your hearing. Jesus came for

us to set us free, to forgive us, to heal us.

Let's not live just barely free. Let's live abundantly

free as we start this term. He also... As a result

of that, gave us a place where we can belong.

The third bead. Paul says, long before he laid

down earth's foundations, he had us in mind.

Long before he laid down earth's foundations,

he had us in mind. Had settled on us. As the

focus of his love to be made whole and holy by

his love. Wow. See, the kingdom of darkness tells

people they're orphans, alone, unwanted, forgotten.

I meet people the whole time who are living with

that in the core of their soul. But the kingdom

of light declares something different. It declares

adoption. It declares belonging. In Christ, God

says, you're mine and I will never leave you.

You are written into my family story. What a

message for us to bring at this time into this

world. Jubilee, we exist to be the family of

God in a lonely world. Loneliness is one of the

biggest issues in Farnham. Countless are lonely.

Many of them in a crowd. And we're called to

be the place where people can belong. A lighthouse

for the lost. A table with seats for prodigals

coming home. I met Steve this week for coffee.

Steve goes right back to the beginning and remembers

those verses that we used to say. And he's got

prophetic gifts. I always listen to Steve. And

most of the time he's right. Sometimes he isn't.

But he said, I just feel in this year of faith,

we need faith that people are going to come to

faith. And I thought, that's like God speaking

to me. I don't want him to get big -headed. He

was a channel sort of thing. Have we got faith

that people are going to come to faith? Do you

know what I have? Come. January and our next

Vision Sunday, because we like lots of vision.

There's going to be people here who've just come

to faith. I'm believing it. Because the kingdom

is advancing. I'm praying Acts 26, 18, where

God says, to open their eyes so that they may

turn from the kingdom of darkness to light. and

from the power of Satan to God, that they may

receive forgiveness of sins and a place among

those who are sanctified by faith. What a wonderful

prayer. Fourth B, belong. We are blessed, bought,

and belong to go beyond. It says he set it all

out before us in Christ, the long -range plan

in which everything would be bought together

and summed up in him. Everything in deepest heaven.

And everything on planet Earth. See, the church

isn't just a social club. The church isn't just

a social action charity doing good in our town.

We do do good in our town. We're not just a Sunday

hobby. We're people who are all in, as Hayley

brought us from God earlier. We're a visible

outpost of God's kingdom plan. A plan to unite

heaven and earth under Christ's reign. I mean

it's a big calling that we have. Our why is as

big as you can get. We have a ministry of reconciliation.

Helping people reconcile themselves with God.

Helping people reconcile themselves with each

other. It's why we work so hard to bring people

together in Farnham. To bring churches together.

In Farnham, looking at Andy and Rebecca and Ben

play a key role in bringing churches together.

Let me just show you a little aside. This is

like an advert, okay? So you can switch off if

you want and make a cup of tea. But I just need

to honour Ben Wills here, who hate me now for

bringing the spotlight, but he has done a phenomenal

thing. If you go to farnhamchurches .events website,

it brings all of the churches together. So this

Sunday, these are all of the church... Let me

just put it up on that screen. These are all

of the church services that are happening in

the town. If you want to look at baby and toddler

groups, if the internet's working, you can search

up... Oh, it's disconnected. Any of the church

-based Mums and Tots groups. If you want to look

at youth groups in the town, you can look up

any, there we are, any of the youth groups. All

the events that are happening across the churches,

the outward -looking events, inviting people

to them, are up on this website. And our man,

Ben, put it together. So I think we should give

him a little clap. We're to go beyond as a unifying,

reconciling people. That when the world looks

at us, they should catch a glimpse of heaven.

A glimpse of the future, a future where justice

rolls like rivers, where swords are beaten into

plowshares, where every tribe and tongue gathers

around a throne in love. And it is counter -cultural

in our polarised, opinionated world. God is calling

us to bring people together. Paul goes on, he

says, It's in Christ that you, once you heard

the truth and believed, found yourselves home

free, signed, sealed and delivered by the Holy

Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a down payment, if

you like, of God's kingdom. The Spirit's the

light that pushes back the darkness. And that

is what's happening this autumn. Beloved, we

live in a world of shadows. Fear, greed, loneliness,

division. But Paul says at the centre of all

this, Christ rules the church. And the church,

you see, is not peripheral to the world. The

world is peripheral to the church. The church

is Christ's body in which he speaks and acts,

by which he fills everything with his presence.

We may feel we're 100 people in a church hall,

but God sees us very differently. And all the

programs, all the things we're going to be doing,

all the things we'll be sharing next week comes

out of a conviction that we are something far

more significant than a group of 100 people in

a school hall. We're the church. We're Christ's

body. That's quite a why, isn't it? The church

exists to be the body of Christ, the place where

his light breaks into the darkness, where hope

outshines despair, where love overcomes hate,

where life defeats death. That's what we are.

Jesus is no longer on this earth in bodily form,

but instead his presence comes by his spirit.

And fills his church. Wow. And we, the church,

are his body in the world. In Farnham. In our

street. By his resurrection and ascension, Christ

is exalted to be Lord of all. He's head of all

things for the church. And the church is his

body. Intended to express him in the world. That's

a high calling, isn't it? More than that, the

church is intended to be a full expression of

him. What does that mean? By being filled by

him. Whose purpose is to fill everything that

there is. We, the church, are his body. In Farnham

at this time. It blows your mind, doesn't it?

It blows my mind. That's why I'm passionate about

the church. That's why I'm passionate about it.

Universal, all the different churches, even though

a lot of them have got a lot of things wrong,

in my perspective. And when I get to heaven,

I probably find that actually, perhaps I got

a few things wrong as well over the ways. But

anyway, we need a confident humility to engage

with others. But in all of its frailty, there's

nothing like it. The church, you see, is not

peripheral to the world. The world is peripheral

to the church. And have we got faith for that?

Because if we have, it makes what we're doing

very different. As you read that first chapter

in the book of Acts, we just see a radical church,

don't we, that we wanted to be all those 20 years

ago when we started it all off, a loving church

that reflects the New Testament. where people

took off their masks and shared their lives with

one another. That was what we went for decades

ago, where people laughed and cried and prayed

and sang and served together in authentic fellowship.

That was the vision that we had right at the

beginning. We've talked about it many times.

Those who had more shared with those who had

less till socioeconomic barriers melted away

in the book of Acts. And we want to see that

in Farnham in our day. People relating together

in ways that bridge gender and racial chasms

and celebrated cultural differences. That's what

the church did then and that's what the church

is doing now. As an example to the world. An

expression to the world. Acts 2 tells us this

community of believers, the church, offered unbelievers

in their time a vision of life that was so beautiful

it took their breath away. And it was so bold,

so creative, so dynamic, they couldn't resist

it. Verse 47 of chapter 2 in Acts says that the

Lord added to their number daily those who were

being saved. We need to stir faith. Wouldn't

we love it to be daily? That people were coming

to faith. We grow as a church by being the sort

of church Christ wants us to be. One with him

right at the centre. It's why we break bread

every Sunday. A church full of the Holy Spirit.

Full of Bible truth. Because those sorts of churches

have the power to transform people. And transform

lives. Because it's Jesus' why. He was there

to bring life. I get to meet all sorts of people

these days, civic leaders and people who have

got titles that I don't understand and who play

a significant role in our community. A lot of

it's so good. But what I realize more and more

is just how unpowerful these people are. Actually,

how limited the power they have really is. Yes,

they can allocate money. There's good -hearted

people they can seek to set up initiatives that

will help people. But in it, you know, they can't

really get to the core of the problem, which

is the human heart, isn't it? It's what the Gospel

says, what the Bible says, what we've said for

years. A businessman can provide sorely needed

jobs. Wide educators, I've said it before, can

teach useful knowledge about the world. Self

-help programs can offer effective methods of

behavioral modification. Psychological techniques

can help in self -understanding. It's all good.

We want to use the good that is there. But actually,

what can really transform the heart of people?

It's an encounter with Jesus, isn't it? I've

said so many times, there's only one power that

exists that can do that. It's the power of the

love of God in Christ Jesus. The love that conquers

sin, wipes out shame, heals wounds, reconciles

enemies, patches up broken dreams, ultimately

changes the world one life at a time. And that's

what we're about to do through the autumn in

so many different ways. The writers of Scripture

tell us that this vision is the way things are

supposed to be. And we, the church, his body

full of truth and the presence of his spirit

are his chosen vehicle to change the world. We're

here to change the world. I mean, we start by

changing ourselves, changing our families. But

we're ultimately here to change the world. Do

we believe it? Have we got faith for it? Because

if we have, it motivates us in a different way

when it comes to rotors, giving our money, serving,

thinking, oh, I'm just a bit knackered today.

I don't want to do that. Actually, if we've got

this why in our heart, It actually makes all

those things. You know, I want to do that. I

want to get involved with that because people's

lives are going to be changed. I'm going to make

a cake for the Refresh Cafe because actually...

Unfortunately, that bit of the tape glitched

out and we've got a little static on it that

I'll put on later. Whatever it is, I can make

cakes. The challenge is there now, isn't it?

You see, all the stuff we're going to do has

to be motivated by our why, doesn't it? I mean,

we've got to think about how we do it as well,

because we want to reflect Jesus in that. But

we don't want to just focus on the doing without

understanding and having real faith for the why

we're doing it in the first place. You can channel

Juliet, but that's probably not a very good thing

to say. You can represent Juliet. You see, without

churches, let me just finish with this, without

churches filled with the power of God, or without

churches so filled with the power of God, they

can't help but spill out and go beyond the church.

Goodness and peace and love and joy. bringing

all that into the world, depravity wins the day.

Evil will flood the world. Evil will flood our

town. Darkness will flood our town if we don't

stand up and shine the light. Now, we might think

we're a little bunch of people and we can't deal

with that. It's too overwhelming. But didn't

he say a little bit of yeast? See, it doesn't

have to be as it is. The kingdom of light and

love and life can break in and is breaking. And

this autumn, the forces of darkness, I believe,

are going to be pushed back. I believe that this

term, we're seeing an advance in the kingdom

of God. Not just corporately, but in our lives.

I've spoken to people this week where there is

breakthrough needed. In people's lives. Where

the kingdom of light is flooding in. And for

too long there's been darkness. Whispers from

the enemy. And the kingdom of light is breaking

in. And pushing back the kingdom of darkness.

The evil one who's had his way in this world

for many, many too long. I believe he's going

to be forced back this term. As we. His body.

Grasp the why. I don't know about you, but when

I think of Farnham and just hear the statistics

about young people in the town now, hear statistics

about all sorts of ways that things are breaking

down, when Hayley comes back from school and

tells me all the training she's had and what

they're recognising is happening with little

kids, you think crumbs. There's a thief who's

been stealing things. And it's time for us to

rise up as his body in this town. Amen? Philippians

4 .3 says, I'm ready for anything through the

strength that Christ who lives in me. We, Jubilee,

are the church. God, if I sound like Angela then.

Angela Kem. We are the church. We're his body.

The risen Christ's body. Us. Now. Wow. Let the

thief retreat. And Jesus bring life. Abundant

life this autumn. Amen? Let's stand, shall we?

Lord Jesus, we thank you for your word. We thank

you for the truth within it. I just pray, Lord,

that you'd speak through these passages that

we've looked at this morning. That even as we're

listening, If we've had little whispers from

a serpent, I just pray that you would help us

resist them. Because we know that your word says

the enemy then flees. Resist the devil when he

flees. Why? Because we're Jesus people. And all

authority in heaven on earth was given to Jesus.

And as we read on our... Each Sunday, Jesus says

he's with us. So we thank you, Lord Jesus, that

you're with us. And we want to be your body.

And we want to do that well and to be a good

expression, full of your truth, full of your

spirit in our community in these days. And Lord,

we want to be in the good of that as we then

start thinking about all the exciting things

we're going to do. But we want to be motivated

in all of our doing. by this glorious why. And

we ask you to help us stir faith, stir vision

in our hearts for it. In Jesus' name. And as

we come to this communion table, Lord, we thank

you that each week... Each week... Each week

we remember... Your promise that you said that

you would give us your body. That you walked

around on earth, Lord Jesus. You showed us the

way. And then it cost you everything. And you

broke your body for your people. You shed your

blood for your church. It cost you everything

so that it's free for us. And so we come to this

communion table today knowing our why, knowing

that you gave everything for us, that we could

live free, that we could know abundant life.

And Lord, we're sorry when we don't enter into

it in the way we should, when we're half -hearted.

And I just pray, Lord, as we come and take communion

this Sunday, you would help us say to ourselves,

enough is enough. The enemy is not having any

victory in my life. But the Holy Spirit has come

to transform me, to be more and more like Christ.

And so we want to encounter you as we take the

bread and the wine this morning. We want to...

become more and more like you. And we want to

do what you did. Because it's all about you,

Lord Jesus. And we thank you that we come in

the good of that as we break bread this morning.

In Jesus' name. Amen.