HE HAS DONE GREAT THINGS - Part 3: A New Calling | Pastor Zach Wylie

Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. ECB is

an international church in Bangkok, Thailand,

with dozens of nationalities worshiping together.

We invite you to connect with us from wherever

you are through our website, ecb .asia, or our

mobile app. And now we pray that you are blessed

by this week's sermon. All right, so we've been

looking at he has done great. And we want to

celebrate Jesus in all of life. A couple weeks

ago, Pastor Phil helped us look at our new nature

in him, in our community, and the invitation

to belonging. Sorry, it was our new humanity.

And last week, Ajan Rawi, remember him? Minor

Christian celebrity, great speaker, talked to

us about what it means for the Holy Spirit to

work with inside of us, that spiritual formation

that takes place. God, through his spirit, is

working within us and he's changing how we love

and he's changing how we respond and he's changing

what it is that we desire and the way that we

treat one another. He gives us a new nature.

And so today, we're looking at another gift.

We've moved from humanity to nature to a calling,

a new calling. Has anyone ever heard that word,

like calling, before? Ever heard of it? I don't

know of anywhere else it's used except in the

church. And so all the Christians in the house

are like, yeah, I've heard calling before. And

those of you who are to church for the first

time or have been around for a bit, you might

be like, never really heard that word before.

What is it that you mean? Is it somebody hearing

a voice? Is it somebody that is being called

to something super specific? If it's in the church,

it doesn't mean there's a calling to be a pastor.

or calling to be like a missionary doesn't mean

they're moving to another country. And so I'd

like us to start with just an ordinary meaning,

okay? So think of it this way. When somebody

calls your name, they are addressing who? You.

They're addressing you. And usually when they

call your name, they want your attention, and

perhaps they're inviting you to something a little

bit closer, inviting you to come closer, or maybe

they're asking you to begin to take part in something.

So I was like calling you to participate in the

fun run, addressing you, inviting you to participate

in something. And so in our faith, as those who

would profess to be a Christian, we believe that

God takes initiative towards us. So he steps

towards us and he calls us into relationship

with Jesus. And as we follow Jesus, this means

that we receive a new direction. So he calls

to us and as we begin to follow him in this relationship,

he gives a new direction to our life. Make sense?

Okay. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 9, Paul

1 Corinthians 1:9

describes God calling people into fellowship

with his son. He calls us into relationship with

Jesus, and we, as we follow Jesus, read it with

me, our lives receive a new direction. God is

faithful. This is what 1 Corinthians says. It

says, God is faithful, who has called you into

fellowship with his son, Jesus. Christ our Lord.

And so fellowship here means that we share in

relationship with him. And so when we speak about

a new calling today, we mean this. Jesus invites

us, you and me, to belong to him and to take

part in his work. And so that includes the person

that's in this room who's exploring faith. I

would suggest to you that perhaps your first

response may be to begin trusting Jesus. And

for those of you who are like, man, I already

follow him. Well, then perhaps the question becomes,

Jesus, what does following you mean for the life

I am living now? And I think that all of us us

then can begin responding to God without having

had to hear some sort of audible voice or knowing

every detail in our future. And so there's a

connection between what it is that we've been

celebrating these past weeks. Jesus gathers us

into his people, he forms his character within

us, and then he gives us a part in making him

known to other people. And so I believe that

your life, my life, can become a place where

another person encounters Jesus' love, where

they can hear his truth, and where they can discover

his forgiveness in your life. And I think this

is a bit of an extraordinary kind of invitation

because those kinds of callings don't go out

every day. Right? When was the last time somebody

said, hey, I'm calling you to help people encounter

my love, hear my truth, and discover my forgiveness.

No one. Only Jesus. And so at ECB, we express

our mobilization vision in these words. If you've

been around and you've heard me speak over the

last few months, you're like, how come you always

say that? Because I believe it's who we are.

Making disciples for global impact. And what

does that mean for me? Everyone. Who? Everyone.

What? Sent where? Everywhere. And if you're like

me, when you hear the word sent, you might begin

to have some ideas of what that means. Perhaps,

again, in a Christian bubble or circle, you're

like, oh, sent. Maybe that's a missionary moving

to another country. Or maybe a sent one is somebody

who speaks confidently and professes their faith

with courage. Maybe it's somebody who's just

like really brave and they express, again, their

faith in a way that you admire them and you still

think, man, I'm glad that God calls people like

that. And then kind of like quietly to the side,

you're like, because I'm pretty sure I'm not

one of them. And so today, we get to enter a

room full of people probably did not feel especially

ready either. And they're disciples of Jesus.

And they're afraid. And so, if you're in this

space today and you're like, I'm just exploring

this whole Christian thing, welcome to the party.

Come, explore. Good news, you don't have to pretend

like you already believe everything we're about

to read today. You can read it and be like, that's

wild. I invite that. But come, look at Jesus

with us. Consider who it is that he is. Consider

what it is that he offers you. And why these

people's encounter that we read about today changed

their lives. So John chapter 20. If you're like,

John 20 · chapter mention

where are we at? They're in this book. We just

sang about songs where Jesus died and he resurrected

again. That has just happened. So Jesus has been

on the earth. He's like 33 years old. He's done

three years of ministry, hanging out with his

disciples, having fish fries on the beach, talking

about a new kingdom coming, peeling signs, miracles,

wonders. And the disciples are like, woo -hoo!

this guy's going to liberate us and we're all

going to be like powerful people in the land

and this is going to be our leader. And then

all of a sudden they're watching him hang on

the cross with a crown of thorns on his head

and people are saying like, kill him. And then

they're like, is he really going to die? And

then this spear gets slammed into his side and

water and blood pour out because it's like he's

really dead and gone. And then somebody offers

him a tomb and they wrap his body in it and they

put it in there and they're like, oh my gosh.

This guy that we bid our lives on is dead. And

not only is he dead, but like, people are like

ripping angry at him. And so if they're angry

at him and they just killed him and they all

know that we were following him, what's going

to happen to us? And so John places us on the

evening of the resurrection. On the evening of

that first day of the week, when the disciples

were together, with the doors, what? Locked.

For fear of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came. I

don't know if he, like, did this, like, pass

through the walls like a ghost thing. But if

the doors were locked, it doesn't say he knocked

or he, like, took a key. So I think he, like,

he passed through. And he stood among them. And

then he says, peace to you. And after he said

this, he showed them. Read it. His hands. And

his side. They're like, whoop. And the disciples

in this moment were overjoyed. Not like, yeah,

look at those holes. No, they're probably like,

oh, this is him. He's alive. He's in this room

with us right now. They were overjoyed when they

saw the Lord. And again, Jesus said, so not once

did he say peace, but a second time he says,

peace to you. And as the Father has sent me,

I am sending you. And with that, he... breathed

on them. I don't know if he was like, or if he

just like talked, receive the Holy Spirit. I

don't know. But it says he breathed on them.

We're going to talk about that because that happened

in creation. So I think that there's something

big happening in this moment. And then he says,

if you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are

forgiven. That's heavy. And if you don't forgive

them, they're not forgiven like that. So this

is crazy. Dead guy shows up, shows holes in his

body. Speaks peace to them, they're full of joy.

And then he's like, and just so you know, you

can forgive people and if you don't forgive them,

they're not forgiven either. So Jesus is being

crucified. His disciples, his followers had watched

all of their hopes collapse. And earlier that

day, one of Jesus' disciples, her name is Mary

Magdalene, has announced, she's like running

to the temple and shows up and the angels speak

to her and she meets the risen Lord and she goes

and tells the disciples, I've seen him, he's

alive. And then the disciples, even after that,

are like, disciples are together. And then John

gives us this detail that helps us feel the atmosphere

in the room. I'm grateful for it. The doors are

locked, which means who locked the door? The

disciples. The disciples locked themselves in

the room. And he even tells us why. They're afraid

of the Jewish leaders because they themselves

were Jewish. And John is describing fear of the

authorities that were involved in the opposition

to Jesus. And their fear, if you've read the

story, has a history because they know what happened

to their teacher. The guy died. People were like

betting on his robes and the things, the very

little remains. things that they had. They were

gambling on it at the cross as this guy hung

there dying. And then these vulnerable people,

this is why I love the Bible. He's not like,

and the disciples were full of great courage

and bravery and there they waited for the Lord

to come and greet them. No. With fear, they're

behind locked doors. Vulnerable people trying

to make some sense of something that is incredibly

overwhelming. And Jesus comes. I love this. And

he stands among them. He stands among them. I

mean, look who takes the initiative. Like, the

disciples could have been trying to go to the

temple to find Jesus, but Jesus has resurrected,

and he's gone and found them. And the ones that

he placed his bet on, the ones that he spent

his life with, that should have been the ones

that are like, even though he's died, that's

okay, we're taking this message forward. We're

going forward with it. The ones that he loved

the most, that he spent his most time with, were

like, coward, behind closed doors. And he doesn't

come in and he's like, losers, what are you doing

here? Sorry, we shouldn't say stuff like that

in the church. But like, I would probably be

tempted to say that. Like, are you serious? Guys,

I spent three years with you. I told you what

was going to happen. I told you I was going to

die. Remember last supper, wine, bread, behold,

curtain. I told you this was going to happen.

What are you doing hiding here? But he doesn't

do that. He comes and stands among them. Even

while they're still afraid. I love that. And

I think this matters because sometimes I assume

that God is waiting for me. He's waiting for

me to become some sort of a different person

before he'll come near to me. God, I just got

to get things together and then you'll come near

to me. Maybe I got to be a little bit more confident.

a little bit more knowledgeable, just another

adult discipleship course, or maybe my life is

like so inconsistent. And so if I was just a

bit more consistent, then God would come to me.

Nope, right here in this moment, Jesus meets

his disciples in the very condition they are

actually in. And what does he say? Peace be with

you. And then he shows them his hands and his

side. And I think, wow, why would John include

that? But if I was the disciple or you were the

disciple and you were wondering, is this real?

Is this a ghost or what's going on? The wounds

would help you recognize him. The one that's

standing before them is the same Jesus who had

been crucified. And now he's risen. His body,

his rose from the dead. And John tells us that

they rejoiced when they see him. And their joy

has a reason because Jesus is alive. And not

only is he alive, but he is with them. Man, some

of us need to just stay in that moment. But we

come today carrying fears that other people can't

see. Could you imagine the disciples, like all

of them, I wonder, lots of different fears in

that room, but what was it that they were feeling?

In this room, like between like 1 ,200 and 1

,500 people on a Sunday, I wonder what kind of

fears we bring that other people can't see. Maybe

a conversation that we're avoiding or a relationship

or a family situation that we're like, that's

never going to be resolved. Or maybe we've got

this like fear. That someone will discover how

uncertain we actually feel. You see, even in

this room there are people that if they're open

about following Jesus, there's a significant

cost. And that's actually why they're here. Their

life was at risk. With some of us, if we're open

about Jesus, it affects our relationships at

home or maybe how our friends accept us or how

people are going to treat us at work. But for

some of us, resistance might actually play a

little bit quieter because we're like, I call

it a CF. What do you think I mean? Come on, you're

part of the club. Control freak. And we prefer

to know what will happen before we say yes. And

sometimes, you're just tired. It's like, man,

the prospect of like one more responsibility

feels impossible. And so I think this morning,

the question that this passage might place before

us is this. What difference does the presence

of the risen Jesus make here? Now, I love that

he doesn't tell the disciples, hey, guys, everything's

all good outside. No. He stands among them in

their fears and he speaks peace. And I think

this is huge because it means that the peace

that Jesus gives can exist while difficulty remains

because our relationship with God And our future,

those two things, are actually held by someone

greater than the difficulty. And so what do his

wounds then mean for us? What do they mean for

you? I think we need to remember what his death

accomplished. When I read this, sometimes when

you're reading the Bible, things come to life.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit's role

is to lead us to truth. The Bible talks about

the scripture being alive. And it's like a sword

that cuts through bone and marrow. I love that

image of it. But it's a bit scary. So that means

that when we read this, sometimes it's not just

like, oh, nice black words on a page. It's like,

and it's like, oh, and it exposes something.

That happens. That's what the Holy Spirit's doing.

It's leading us to truth. And as I read this,

it made me think, like, man. Like, if I saw the

wounds, please say hi. If I saw his wounds, they

remind me that my sin is serious. It reminds

me that I have turned from God, that I hurt people.

that sometimes I put myself at the center of

lives that belong to him. And this reminds me

that Jesus gave himself for me, that he gave

himself for us. And through his death, through

his resurrection, he opens the way for me and

you to be forgiven and reconciled, made right

in relationship with him. And so this idea, it

reaches into our relationship with God. And so

if you're here and you're exploring faith, this

is where I would invite you to begin. I would

invite you to begin by knowing that you don't

need to start asking whether you could ever become

a missionary or do something magical for God,

but you can just consider Jesus in this moment.

Could he be the one that you need? Could his

forgiveness meet this guilt that you carry? Could

you entrust yourself to the one who gave his

life, who died and rose again? And even if you're

in this room and you're like, I followed Jesus

for a long time. Good word, pastor. Remember

this. That Jesus calling to them and to you,

to all of us, begins in relationship with him.

And so belonging to Jesus gives direction to

what it is that we do. And here's the good news

of grace. That you can receive, we can receive

his forgiveness and peace before we have to try

to offer him anything. Thank you, God. We don't

have to offer him our service or some sort of

things, but actually we receive his forgiveness

and peace and then this thing that wells up inside

of us flows from his grace. And so I wonder,

where do you, where do I need to trust Jesus

with my fear? If we continue John chapter 20,

John 20 · chapter mention

21, we see that Jesus sends us as he is sent.

See, Jesus' life begins to give shape to their

calling. Jesus speaks again. As the Father has

sent me, I am sending you. I love this. So let's

slow down for a little bit for the first part.

As. Another S and that would change everything.

But as. As. As the Father has sent me. And so

this series is called A New Calling. Because

here Jesus gives that calling a direction. He

sends his disciples. And I think to understand

what it is that he's sending them. Two, we need

to look at where the Father had actually sent

and how the Father had sent Jesus. And so if

we look back throughout the book of John, Matthew,

Mark, Luke, John, we're in the New Testament

here. John, over and over again, is speaking

about this Father, Jesus' Father, who has sent

him. And as he talks about this, he expresses

the love of God that is shown. for the world

through his sending of his son. And this belongs

to a story that actually reaches like... all

the way back to the beginning of time, creation,

Genesis, where God creates, the Bible tells us,

let's create man in our image. And then he blesses

this guy named Abraham, and he says the nations

need to be in the view of everything. I didn't

just die for you or one group of people, but

for all of humanity. And then he begins to give

gifts to his people, and those gifts were intended

to bring blessing through his people to others.

And then fast forward. to the coming of Jesus,

and we see God's love coming towards us personally

in human form, and John describes the word, which

is Jesus becoming flesh and dwelling among us.

That's cool. And Jesus enters human life, which

means that he knew weariness, which means that

he shared meals, which means that he listened

to people, he spoke truth, and he crossed these

boundaries that other people had made permanent.

I mean, like, as you read this, you read about

Jesus encountering people that no one wanted

to talk to. I remember the story of the Samaritan

woman, and she's kind of like lying to Jesus.

Like, I got a husband. He's like, you actually

have a lot of husbands. Think of the moment when

Jesus comes in and he washes the feet of his

disciple. I'm just trying to imagine any teacher,

any boss, any day being like, hey, so nice to

have you here. Could you just take off your shoes

so I can wash your feet? You're like, oh, that

was cultural. Like the leader, the teacher, like

the most prominent figure in that space doing

it is mind -blowing. And so then he's like, As

the father, he comes to his people and then he

dies on their behalf. Like this is the Jesus

who says that he is sending his disciples. So

his life, how he lived, gives shape to his calling.

And I'm super grateful that I am not Jesus. So

I don't have to repeat his saving work on the

cross because he accomplished that all on his

own. However, I am sent. You are sent to bear.

witness to him, if you're like, bear witness,

that's another thing. Like, where else do we

use that term? You should go bear witness to

how your soccer team has done this thing. I just

love Christianese. It's so good. We don't use

it anywhere else. But to bear witness, if you're

like, what does that mean? It means to make visible

and verbal. Say it with me. Visible and verbal.

So it means to make visible and verbal what we

have experienced. And so they had seen Jesus.

They had experienced his peace. And so then the

invitation to them is to speak his good news

and to love people in ways that reflect his character.

So essentially what this means is that I have

encountered Jesus and now my life helps others

encounter him too. And so that means the way,

the how we go matters. So like how you listen

matters. How you serve matters. How you speak

truth and humility matters. How we treat people

as people to love matters. It means that we make

room for questions. We stay present with people

when life sucks. And this invites us to look

in at ourselves. Whose purposes are shaping my

life? I love that in this text, Jesus is addressing

the disciples gathered in that room. A number

of years ago, I was involved in a study and we

were watching this video about the disciples

and somebody described the disciples as like

the B team. And I was like, oh, what does that

mean? They're the ones that didn't make the best

team. They were like the B team. They kind of

passed over. I was like, I don't know if I really

want to be part of the B team. But here's the

B team, again, behind closed doors. And Jesus

is like, these are the people that are going

to change the world. And they did. How do I know?

Because you're sitting here. I'm sitting here.

And so this commission begins with them. And

through their witness, the church begins to grow.

If you read at Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts,

like actions, things that begin to take place.

And we belong to that community. And so this

is what our new calling looks like in this passage.

Jesus invites the disciples to be taking part

in his work, in making him known. And so... I'm

grateful that this is so clear, but if I'm honest,

sometimes when I read this or in different parts

of my life, I'm like, well, I don't really know

what it is that he's calling me into. I haven't

got this audible voice yet. Or some really spiritual

person didn't come to me and be like, I was praying

and the word of the Lord came to me and I'd like

to give this to you. And I wasn't driving down

the road and there wasn't a neon sign. And it's

like, because there hasn't been this one special

assignment before me, sometimes I'm like, I don't

know if I'm called. And some of us feel that

same way. But there's already... something that's

very clear in front of us as a follower of Jesus

we can love people we can serve them we can bear

witness to him where we are everyone sent everywhere

and that's the conviction behind this that every

follower of Jesus can take part in making him

known And so that means that we might not have

to go to another country. We might not have to

change our job somewhere else. But maybe we just

need to begin to see the people that are around

us a little bit different. How about the calling

that we see every day? I got three kids. And

so oftentimes our kids invite people over and

I'm like, I only made dinner for five, not six.

Why'd you bring your friend? That's what I think

in my head. But then I'm like, this is Asia and

we always make food for more than those at our

table. So I've started doing that. But it could

be that kid who comes in. Maybe it's the student,

if you're in class, who sits alone and you're

like, hmm, see that one different. Maybe, this

is crazy, might be a little bit offensive. Maybe

it's the neighbor whose name you still don't

know. I don't know the names of all my neighbors.

So when I wrote that, I was convicted. But sometimes,

Sometimes we divide our lives into these separate

areas. There's my faith, there's my work, there's

my family, my future, my money, my time. What's

the core word? My, my, my. But then because I'm

a really good Christian, I say, Lord Jesus, come

and bless my family. Come and bless my money.

Come and bless my time. But, but, but, but, but,

but, but, but, please let me retain control.

over how these are used. And so, Jesus is sending

his disciples a message and he's inviting them

into something and he's inviting us into a deeper

question today. Jesus, what might you want to

do through the life you have given me now? And

I think the answer to that question can actually

change an ordinary week. Everyone say, hi Marco.

Marco is visiting online today. He's with his

family celebrating the birthday of a bunch of

people down in Hua Hin. But a few months ago,

over these last few months, I had the opportunity

and privilege to serve with our youth. Welcome,

youth. Nice to have you here. And Marco is one

of our youth. And Marco goes to a Thai school.

He's a Thai teenager. And he had this sense that

God was calling him to share his faith with his

fellow students. And so he wanted to start a

Christian club at this non -Christian school.

And so he went to the administration, and lo

and behold, the administration said no. So there

was a bit of an obstacle between what he had

hoped to do and then the reality of what he was

allowed to do. But I love this. He changed his

approach. So he started a debate club. So he

started this... this debate club and he's like,

there's got to be opportunities to share about

Jesus here. And so I want you to notice the movement

of this story with me. So the first proposal

goes in. Doesn't work. He had to think again.

How am I going to live out this faith in this

place it is that I am? And so this debate club

is this place where ideas can be discussed and

questions can be raised and people can listen

to different perspectives and views. And so Marco,

creatively, finds an opportunity to speak about

Jesus within that setting. And I think his experience

actually invites us to consider something on

our own. We might have a very clear idea about

how obedience in our life has to unfold, and

so we take a step, and we encounter resistance,

and then we begin to wonder, is there any way

forward? If you've been a Christian for a few

moments or a few years, I think you would agree

with this. Sometimes following Jesus involves

being patient. Sometimes it involves wisdom.

Other times we have to reconsider or maybe try

to find a little bit of a different approach.

But I also believe that it means that we need

to learn to listen carefully. Like Marco, he's

got to learn to respect people while still remaining

open. about what it is that we believe in our

faith. And I love that Marco's story does not

tell us that every obstacle will disappear when

we're following Jesus. No. It shows that there's

a young man who's taking his calling very seriously

in the place that he already spends his days.

super spiritual person coming in, but right where

he already is. God's peace coming into him in

that moment, sent there. He is a student, and

that is where he has relationships, and that

is where he has opportunities to listen, to care,

and to speak. And so when I think, and I heard

Marco's story, his and another will be posted

online in the coming days ahead in video format,

I think, what about me? Like, what about us?

I mean, like, have I said, like, one day when

life settles down, I'll become available. Or

maybe when I know more, I'll be able to say something,

or like, as I said earlier, one more adult discipleship

class, one more Bible study fellowship, one more

certificate. Or maybe you're like, I already

tried. My first attempt didn't work, so like,

if it worked the first time, well, then I would

have continued, but I'm out. But I wonder. What

might a faithful next step look like right now?

Could it be a conversation? Could it be a gentle

invitation through a question? Could it be offering

help or inviting someone to explore Jesus with

you? So who has Jesus already placed near you?

And then Jesus, love this moment, gives his spirit.

Notice what he does next. He breathes on them

and he tells them to receive the Holy Spirit.

And I think this is a striking action because

it recalls this creation story in Genesis when

God breathes life into the human being that he

has formed. And here, the risen Jesus connects

this life of his people with the gift of the

spirit. And I like this because the one who is

commissioning them is also providing what it

is that they need. You're like, why is that such

a big deal? Well, how many of us work in environments

where our boss tells us, you've got to do this,

and you're like, how am I going to do it? And

they're like, figure it out. And you're like,

thanks. And they're like, yeah, it's called empowerment.

I'm like, I feel empowered to do something to

you right now, but I'm not going to do it. Jesus

doesn't do that the one who commissions also

provides what they need and I think that makes

a sequence like quite meaningful Jesus comes

to them he gives them peace and then he sends

them and then he breathes his holy spirit onto

them so in other words when Jesus sends us out

he never sends us out without first giving us

what it is that we need to go love that so a

lot of people have talked about this and how

it relates to the Spirit on the day of Pentecost,

and I'm not going to get into that right now,

but I think we can see that there's this connection,

that calling depends on the Holy Spirit, and

he gives it to us. Acts 1 .8. Their calling depends

on the Holy Spirit, but you will receive power

when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will

be my witnesses. What are you going to do? You're

going to be my witnesses. You're going to talk

about the verbal and the? Okay? And I want to

give you the power to talk about those verbal,

invisible things. And you're not going to just

do it in your community. You're going to do it

in your community. And then you're going to do

it in your city. And then you're going to do

it in your country. And then I'm spitting a lot

today. And then you're going to do it to the

ends of the earth. Judea, Samaria, and to the

ends of the earth. Everyone say, hi, Dawn. This

leads us to a familiar face. Dawn, can you stand

up and give us a why? Guys, welcome home, Dawn.

Dawn is one of our children. She wasn't birthed

in ECB, but she was born and raised in Thailand,

a Thai national, discipled at ECB, sent out by

ECB, since that God was calling her out of her

work and into missions, and so she was commissioned

as a YWAM missionary, and she was based in Montana.

But then she traveled all throughout the world

to share the gospel in different parts. And I

think that, is a significant change because as

I was videoing, and you'll be able to go online

and listen to this story, as I listened to her

story, Dawn, what stood out to me, what stood

out to me as I listened to your story is that

your trust didn't end with just leaving. But

you had to trust Jesus like again and again and

again and again. So there was the initial calling,

and then what came from that calling, correct

me if I'm wrong, there was the following that

came after the calling. And following him along

the way meant that you needed to trust him again

and again and again. True? Watch the video. You'll

be inspired. So I think we can look at a life

like this and be like, that's a missionary, and

that's what she did. And we can focus on the

destination. Oh, that's where she went. That's

what she did. The country or the organization

or the travel. But Dawn's story, as you listen

to it, invites us to notice the relationship

that's happening underneath all of those things.

A person who's learning to trust Jesus as the

journey slowly begins to unfold. And I think

that's something that all of us need. There's

like really good quotes. about things, but this

is what I wrote. Often the step in front of us

requires us to trust him with what we cannot

yet see. And so when I look at these two lives,

Don is responding through a change of work and

a journey across nations, and Marco is responding

within his school. Obviously, their circumstances

are different. Don's particular work took her

across. borders, but Marco's opportunities were

among fellow students. But both of them belong

to Jesus. Both of them have a part in making

him known. And I think that distinction can help

us because our work, our location, our responsibilities

might change. Our relationship with Jesus continues

to give direction to how we live regardless of

where it is that we are. And so you don't need

somebody else's circumstances to begin to obey

him. You can ask for his help in yours. And it

might sound like this. Holy Spirit, help me notice.

Help me listen. Help me to know when to speak.

Give me the courage to do what is right. Help

me to trust you with the outcome. So where do

I need his help for the next step? Well, we carry

the good news of forgiveness. And there's one

more verse that I think we need to hear. Jesus

speaks about forgiving sins and about sins being

retained. And when I read it, like I said, I

was like, oh. That's weighty. That's heavy kind

of stuff. Because Christians have understood

aspects of this verse differently. I was a bit

like, ooh, do I get into that? Is this the space

to do that? I thought, yeah. But here's how I

understand it. When I read John as a whole and

the other gospels, I think this is what is being

said here. The authority comes from Jesus and

his gospel. So Jesus actually entrusts his people

with the announcement of forgiveness. You can

tell people, Jesus can forgive you. He trusts

us to be able to say that. The authority comes

from him to us to announce his forgiveness. But

we don't decide whether or not somebody is worthy

of God's mercy according to our preferences.

Thank God. But, we do get to bear witness to

the Savior who offers forgiveness. And so this

message matters because our relationship with

God matters. You see, a few verses later, if

you keep on reading, John explains why he has

written the gospel. So that people, all, may

believe in Jesus and have life in his name. And

so that helps us understand what the purpose

of our witness is. We want... people to know

him and receive his life. And so your kindness

matters. Your integrity matters. The way you

treat people matters. And beyond our actions,

we also have a really good news to speak. We

have a God who has come. Jesus has come. We have

a God who has given his life. Jesus gave his

life. We have a God who is risen. Jesus has risen.

And through him, forgiveness and new life are

offered to us. If you have never said yes to

Jesus, then that invitation includes you. You

might be carrying something that you've never

told anybody. You might think that what you have

is beyond any kind of forgiveness. Or perhaps

you're somebody who's been around church for

years, but you keep on holding Jesus at a distance.

Today, you can turn toward him. You can bring.

your sin, you can bring your questions, you can

bring your need, and you can begin trusting him.

He walked in and he's saying, I give you my peace.

If this is you, we want to talk to you. But then

we've got to look ahead. You're like, is he ever

going to finish? Yeah, I'm on my last point.

So this calling leads us somewhere. And as we

celebrate ECB's story, we also look ahead. We

were singing a song. Right? Did I get it? Is

that on key or off? Off? A little bit. Okay.

But that's not just a song that someone's like,

oh, this sounds fantastic. We should sing it

at like a church in Thailand. No, that's actually

from the book of Revelation. That's an image

that John... about the end of time when every

nation, every tribe, every people and language

are gathered before Jesus and we sang about it

today and then you did it. There are not a lot

of places like this where every tribe, tongue

and nation are here. Look about this. Look around

ECB for a moment. Look behind you. Nobody looks

like you here. There are so many different languages,

nations, cultures here. I remember when I came

and the pastors... talked slower so I could understand

him, and they said that there was like 50 plus

nations here, I was like, this is crazy. I don't

know if that's still true, but whatever the case

is, the nations are already represented among

us. And every one of you has relationship with

people that extend beyond this room, homes and

offices and schools and cities and countries.

For 60 years, the story of this church has included

people receiving the love of Jesus and sharing

it with others. And now, we get to respond in

our generation. We get to respond here and now.

What might he do through an available life? Miguel.

What might he do through a teenager who takes

his faith seriously? What might he do through

a person willing to reconsider their future?

What might he do through someone who welcomes

a newcomer? What might he do through a believer

who finally begins the conversation they've been

putting off? We cannot, I wrote this, we cannot

predict every outcome, but we can, all of us,

can offer him our next what? Yes. And so I want

us to return to that room. The disciples are

afraid and Jesus comes to them and he speaks

peace and he shows them that he is alive. And

then he sends them and he gives them his spirit.

The center of this passage, in case it's not

clear to us, is the risen Jesus and what he gives

his people. And that is where our response begins.

Because if you remember how we described calling

at the beginning, Jesus invites us to belong

to him and take part in his work. What would

it mean for you to respond to him today? And

so there are those of you who are like on a journey

of discovery and you found yourself sitting next

to somebody who might have invited you. Perhaps

your next yes is to Jesus himself. You can begin

trusting him today. You can tell him honestly,

Jesus, I need your forgiveness. I want to know

you. I want to follow you. So if you're exploring,

welcome. Keep asking questions. We'd love to

speak with you after. But for those of you who

are like, I'm just ready to become available,

to be used where it is that God has and what

he has for me. What is your next yes? I mean,

earlier I asked you to think of a person. And

I want you to keep that person in mind. The person

you thought of earlier. I mean, what might love

and witness look like in that relationship this

week? And if you're like, that's a great question.

What might it look like beyond this week? I've

got something for you. On the screen, you're

like, okay, are we going into a multi -level

marketing moment? No. October 5th to 10th, as

part of our ECB 60 days of prayer, we're inviting

everybody in this room to participate in praying

for your neighbors. Like, what? Really? That's

it? Like, yeah. That's it. And in praying for

your neighbor, you might discover that the Holy

Spirit says, I don't want you to just pray for

them. I'm inviting you to have a conversation

with them. If you're like, I've never had a conversation

with my neighbor before. How? how do I do that?

Guys, we got cookies for you. So you can take

a bag of cookies to your neighbor and just be

like, I just want you to know that I'm grateful

that you're my neighbor. If you ever need anything,

let me know. And BTW, that's by the way, in teenage

talk, I'm praying for you. You're like, oh, I

can't never say something like that. But some

of you are like, okay, I'm going to do that.

And others of you might be led into further conversation

where you're like, I've been journeying with

this person for a long time and I feel like maybe

I can begin to talk about Jesus, but I don't

even know where to begin. Great news, downstairs

at the table, or if you scan this QR code and

register, we got these cards that just walk you

through sharing the story of the gospel with

somebody. And you can walk them through. message

and the story of the gospel. And so we want to

invite you to go and love your neighbor. Number

two is this is called ECB Scent. ECB Scent is

nothing new. Actually, if you've been here in

September, you're like, oh, I'm kind of missing

it. I hope you missed it because we haven't done

it yet. But if you came in this morning, you

might have seen this rainbow of backdrops and

you're like, what are all of those things? Those

are all places that we need you to step up and

serve. One of the most ridiculously awesome...

I use ridiculous with awesome, is that we have

so many people in our ECB community who faithfully

serve every single weekend. I think there's like

over 100 people who volunteer every Sunday, every

greeter. There's people that are up there. There's

people that are on the stage in the other building.

There's people that are teaching up in Crosstown.

There's dozens of people. And we've got volunteers

all around the city every single week that are

holding our ECB community together. And then

you're like, I bet you he's going to ask me to

serve now too. You got it. Yeah. Because we need

you. There is something inside of you that I

don't have. And those people who have been serving

faithfully would love it if you were like, let

me give you this Sunday off. But beyond. you

giving somebody a Sunday off, this might be an

actual opportunity for you to step into something

that it is that God has been calling you to do.

And so I want to pause for 30 seconds. And I'd

love for you to take a picture of these because

I do want you to leave this space after we leave

today. I want you to find an actual place to

serve. When you scan that bottom QR code, they'll

be like, what's your name? Where are you from?

Something like that. What's your name? Who are

you at? Where do you want to serve? I think there's

a song. Anyways, you can be like, I'm interested

in serving Crosstown. Maybe I'm interested in

serving with youth. Music I'm kind of interested

in. Or, oh, I could be a greeter or something.

If you're like, I don't really know what all

of those things are, but I'm interested and I

might be able to serve in that area, check them.

And then what's going to happen is somebody's

going to reply to you and say, let me give you

more information about how it is that you can

serve in those places. And so this is one place

that you can begin living out that larger calling.

And so through this QR code and tables that are

downstairs and out, you can explore these opportunities

and let us know what it is you want to do. Okay?

Got it? Say, I'm going to try. But it's hard.

Okay. Good. I'm believing for at least 100 people

of like maybe 1 ,500 that are here this weekend

that'll say, I'll step forward and find a place

to serve. Okay? Listen, serving in these walls,

say it with me, can be a real expression of being

sent. But outside this, I want to believe that

in our families, in our work, in our schools,

in the people and the places that Jesus brings

into our lives, that he longs. to be discovered

in those places too. And he wants to use you

to do it. The good news is, is Jesus isn't going

to love you more if you serve here or you serve

outside. He loves you, period. But if you're

comfortable, I'm wondering if you'd be willing

to close your eyes, maybe open your hands as

we pray. And opening our hands is just an expression,

a simple way of expressing that we're available.

And then I want to pray. Jesus, first, thank

you. Thank you that you came to us when we were

sinners. That you loved us so much that you would

come. We talked about your death and resurrection

and we thank you that you died and that you resurrected.

Thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you, God,

for the peace that you offer us. And for those

who are beginning to trust you today, Jesus,

I pray that you would help them receive your

grace. You would help them discover what it means

to follow you. God, for those who are carrying

questions, I pray that you would lead them to

truth, that you would meet them as they seek

you. Jesus, for those of us that are living in

fear, I pray that you would help us trust your

presence. God, forgive us for the ways that we've

kept our lives closed to your purposes. Show

us where to serve, we pray. Show us when to speak.

Help us love. God, in our homes, in our work,

in our schools, in our time, and in our future,

Jesus, would you help us be available to you?

God, continue to work within us. Lord, would

you continue to make yourself known through us?

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. we welcome you

to engage by sending us an email to office at

ecb .asia. If God is calling you to support our

ministries, you will find giving options on our

website. And remember to join us next week. God

bless you.