The Community Church: Sermons and teaching

In this teaching, David encourages us to be strong and courageous in three specific contexts. First, the importance of possessing the promises of God by being bold and brave in laying hold of their inheritance. Second, the need to build the house that previous generations dreamed of, to finish what others have started with strength and courage. Lastly, calling for strength and courage in impacting the culture by confidently sharing the love of God without apology or defensiveness. 

What is The Community Church: Sermons and teaching?

In this podcast, we share our sermons and teaching from our Sunday Celebrations + some other additional teaching content.

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Thank you. It's really good to be with you. And the first thing I must do is apologize that, Deborah isn't with me today, okay? I know, I know, but we are awaiting a grandchild. Yeah, and those things must come first. Of course. so any moment, if I. If I leave in a hurry because I've had an alert.

No. Know, I'll be like that before, but it's really good to be with you. I really appreciate the invitation. Realize Jeff is away somewhere, and Harry's right away. But thank you to the elders in church for inviting me. It's. It's a real privilege. It really is a privilege. Really is a great privilege. And to see what the Lord is doing among you.

And, I just bring greetings from from living Rock church in the Midlands. yeah. Where are you from? Staffordshire. Oh, gosh. Well, the great news is, God is with us in the Midlands, just as he is in sunny Southport. I'm driving up. Yesterday it was sunnier in Southport than in the Midlands. Of course. but God is.

God is doing great things everywhere. Of course we've, we've just planted a new church into Leamington Spa, so just wanted to say that if anybody knows anybody in Leamington Spa who might want to be in touch with us, please, please let me know. one of our young couples, my son and his wife are going to be moving there, and we've got a little group of ten people already started.

So we're trusting God for great things in Leamington Spa. And some of you know, I'm also involved in, in, ministry in Kenya. And, so I just update you there that the churches have grown from 14 to 18 churches. And, William, who leads everything over there, just sort of slips this in. Occasionally there's another four places and, I'm Trent and the one hand, I'm trying to slow him down so we can do everything really well.

On the other hand, you can't hold back what God wants to do, so it's a beautiful tension. but I feel in being here with you today, my task is to encourage you in all that God is doing. And I want to read a really familiar passage. it'll be familiar to many of you from Joshua chapter one.

And I've been thinking about this a lot lately and really felt that this was what I needed to share with you here, as well as I have done at home recently. Joshua one. I'm reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. I'm just going to read the first 11 verses, and then a couple more towards the end of the chapter.

After the death of Moses, the Lord's servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua, son of nun, who had served Moses. Moses, my servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land. I'm giving the Israelites. I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised. Moses.

Your territory will. It will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River, all the land of the Hittites, and west to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you, and be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers, and to give them as an inheritance.

Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction. My servant Moses commanded you, do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth. You want to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it.

For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. Haven't I commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. And then Joshua commanded the officers of the people to go through the camp and tell the people, get provisions ready for yourselves, for within three days you will be crossing the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you to inherit.

And then verse 16, after Joshua has given some specific instructions, then they answered Joshua, everything you have commanded us we will do. And everywhere you send us we will go. We will obey you. Just as we obeyed Moses in everything. And may the Lord God be with you as he was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words in all that you command, commanded him, will be put to death.

Above all, be strong and courageous. I don't know whether you picked up the two key words from those passages to be strong and courageous, and I believe those characteristics are so vital for the church in this day, and so vital for this church, this part of God's Church. As you begin a new season, without these characteristics, I don't I don't believe we can fill all that God fulfill all God has for us.

I don't believe I cannot work all he has for me unless I'm strong and courageous. And, what I want to just show you this morning is how these these two qualities are so vital for God's people at significant moments. And I believe you're in one significant moments in history. Significant junction, significant crossroads, significant turning points. And that it is no less so right here and right now.

And we'll come back to this passage from Joshua in just a moment. But I want us to just try and think about what these two words mean to be strong, to be courageous, to be strong is to to have strength is to be well built, to have the power or the ability to, carry weight, to be strong, to withstand pressures, to resist attack, to endure, to have the resources need needed for challenges being faced.

In the Old Testament, the word used has a sense of standing firm, being secure, established, being fortified, taking hold of something, holding fast to something prevailing, even being repaired. In the New Testament, the word means all of those things and carries with it a sense of the possibility of something. I like that to be strong. All of those things with, with a tremendous sense of possibility.

And I believe God wants this church and wants you individually to be strong, to be really strong in being becoming, being strong, or rather, becoming strong is always a process. We don't we're not instantly strong. We become strong. I love that in Luke's gospel it says of both, John the Baptist and Jesus. They grew up and became strong, says of Abraham in Romans that he grew strong in his faith.

I believe the Lord wants you in this church, individually and corporately, to become stronger from the from the newest believer to the the most seasoned of saints. There's this. We can all become stronger. And I believe that is a really key thing for us right now. We find our strength in God. God is our rock and our stronghold.

We find our strength in him. We ought to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians says Paul, Paul says that he, he, he so gratefully has great grace that's sufficient to know strength even when he feels weak. He knows God's strength in him. I love the fact that Paul amongst the apostles puts such an emphasis on strengthening the churches.

We had a had a good look at this during the lockdown when, it's kind of what else? What can we do now that we can't gather, but we can always strengthen one another. And, you know, the Paul Paul talks many times about sending people that you might be strengthened. He talks about different, different trips and visits and places he goes to to strengthen the churches.

And there's one moment in acts 18, I think it is where it describes a journey. Paul went on, it's the beginning of the, the third missionary journey. And it says he set out traveling through one place after another in the Galatian territory and in Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. And when I looked at that journey took it was hundreds and hundreds of miles with the simple sole purpose of strengthening the churches doesn't talk about starting anything new, doesn't describe anything else.

His sole purpose was the strengthening of the churches. There's a real premium on being stronger. Why is that? Well, in acts nine let me read these two verses to you. Act nine and verse 31. Beautiful description. It says the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened and living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit.

It's increased in numbers. In 16 it says the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. How many of you put your hands up? Would you, if you believe it, is God's will an intention for this church to grow in number? Amen. We must be strong. God wants to strengthen us. He wants us to be well built, able to carry weight, to withstand pressure, to resist attack, to endure, to have all the resources we need for the challenges we face.

And in a day of great possibility, it really matters that we're strong, strong. The other word was courageous to be courageous. Now you. If I was to say, now write down what you think it means to be courageous. I don't want you to write. It's a great word, isn't it? To be bold, to be brave, fearless, valiant, intrepid.

And I'm really going to go and, heroic, audacious, adventurous, unflinching, shrinking. Unafraid. In the Old Testament, the words used mean to be persistent and determined. In the New Testament, the words used mean boldness and confidence to take heart and has this lovely sense of to be, to be bolstered from within us. God wants us to be strong, and he wants us to be courageous, to be bolstered from within.

I love the, the, the very one of the very first descriptions of King David when he's still just a shepherd boy. He is commended, characterized by his bravery, his courage. all the Old Testament warriors of God's people, amongst God's people are commended for their bravery. Do you remember in acts chapter four, if you just turn, after Peter and John have performed this great miracle outside the beautiful gate and lifted the lame man up and, dragged before the Sanhedrin, before the Jewish, elders, and it says in acts four, verse 13 that when they saw the courage of Peter and John, when they saw the courage of Peter, and John, and realized

that they were unschooled, ordinary men, anybody identify that unschooled? I know we've got some students here. They're obviously highly skilled. I met somebody today who's doing a master's degree, not unschooled, but maybe a little ordinary. Who knows? They were unschooled in ordinary, but they'd been with Jesus. They noted their courage. It wasn't because of their schooling, wasn't because they were special.

It was because they'd been with Jesus. Unschooled, ordinary men who'd been with Jesus. And then what was the result of this act of courage? Acts four verse 29 says that after this the story acts four, verse 13, I beg your pardon at four, verse four, even I've got so many references, it says that after this miracle of this courageous act, many heard the message, and the number of the men came to about 5000.

Another another verse that tells us this characteristic of courage resulted in an increase in numbers. Community church, God wants you, urges you, needs you and will enable you to be strong and courageous.

Imagine the impact. David. Sees. Isn't it, Keith? David? John? Might all of us imagine the impact if we were a little bit braver, bolder, more audacious, a little bit more adventurous? We'll come on to some of those things in just a moment. So these two things, strength and courage, both are essential. And at certain times they come together and God commands or there's an instruction to be to be both strong and courageous.

As I said earlier, it at certain times, at certain junctures, at certain key moments, these two characteristics together are what's needed. And I come here this morning believing this is a time for you to be strong and courageous. So I'm going to mention three, three kind of context, three situations, three types of of types of moment where strength and courage to be strong and courageous are exactly what's needed.

And the first takes me back to Joshua is to possess what God has promised. To possess. To inherit. To take. Hold out. To embrace. To wrap your arms around what God has promised to lay hold of your inheritance individually, personally, corporately requires strength and courage. This is the situation in Joshua one that we read be strong and courageous.

Be strong and courageous. Haven't I commanded you? Be strong and courageous at the end there above all, be strong and courageous. And there's other references. At the end of the previous book, Deuteronomy, these people in this situation have been chosen and called out to live as God's representatives in the world. They started as a family. They they grew to become 12 tribes.

They were formed into a nation. And throughout this journey, God had promised them. And I'm making no reference to the current situation at all. I'm just speaking of the historical situation here. God had promised them some land that he would take them into it. They'd been spurred on by this promise. That he would take them, that he. That he'd take them into a land flowing with milk and honey.

And in fact, if you know, if you know your Old Testament story 40 years before this, they'd been on the edge of that land. They'd been ready to go in, but they'd been discouraged. They'd been. They'd lost heart. They'd lost faith. They'd. They'd lost courage and strength. And rebelled against the garden and the next 40 years were spent wandering around in a wilderness until they came back at this point that we read at the beginning to the edge of this land, to the cusp of laying hold of God's promise, of inheriting what they'd lived with, believing and hearing about their ancestors.

The generations before them had spoken of this. They all knew. They all knew the promises. And here they are again, ready to cross the river, ready to enter the land. Ready to take up this inheritance, ready to go further than their ancestors. To establish God's kingdom in this new land, to possess the promises. Here they are on the cusp of the fulfillment of these wonderful promises, and one exhortation rings out louder than anything.

Be strong and courageous.

I believe I know the Lord has a great purpose for you. That he's spoken great promises over this church.

I, I know what he sees you as because this is how he sees his church. He's. He sees you as his masterpiece. The most wonderful thing he's ever created. Ephesians 210 tells us this is his is his church, his masterpiece. He sees his church as the as the this masterpiece he's creating to reveal his wisdom to the heavenly realms.

That's how he sees us. I believe he, he, he sees you as cold out from the newest believer. I think you were the one referred to earlier, whether it was last week or you're a seasoned saint. He called you out to be part of his masterpiece. If you if he wanted us just to sing songs, we could join the choir.

Yeah. If he wanted us just to learn stuff, we could have lectures. But he's building a masterpiece to display his wisdom, his glory. Not just in Southport, not just in this country. Not just in this world. Not just on this earth, but in the heavenly realms. God sees his church. So that that's pretty good. I like it. And then, David told me that he's spoken some wonderful things very specifically to you in Southport about this year.

About a year of more, a year of increase, a year of depth, new depths, new dynamics in the spirit, a year in which the student population in this church will grow, a year of a year of mission, a year of not just sowing, but harvesting God. God spoke those things over this community at the start of this year.

And it's great to hear the words. It's great to make notes of them in our books. It's great to it's great to believe them. But God wants us to be strong and courageous, to lay hold of them, to make them ours. We must not shrink back from the edge, from the cusp, from entering into what he has for us.

We mustn't lose heart. We mustn't get to the edge and hold back, or wait for another generation to come through. We must be strong. I'm saying we because. Because I'm with you in this strong and courageous, well built, able to carry the weights, withstand the pressures, resist the attacks. Bold. Brave. Fearless. Valiant. Intrepid. Heroic. Undeterred by obstacles. Adventurous.

Audacious. Undaunted. Unflinching. Unsure. Shrinking. Unafraid. Resolute. Determined. Unknowns. Lots of words that. This intrigues me.

It means living your life on mission. It means opening your arms to hundreds of people. It means taking every opportunity to pray for the sick. What a wonderful testimony from the children this morning. Taking every opportunity to pray for the sick. You you must interact with between us, with hundreds of sick people all week. If we all took the opportunities to offer prayer for our sick friends just to do the simple New Testament stuff, to open arms, to live on mission, to go to pioneer new things.

It means for you personally believing he's prepared you for great works. Ephesians 210. You are parts of his masterpiece. He's formed you and shaped you and created you and now joined you with others. And none of us are here to be ordinary, mundane, watching from the sideline. Christians. It means believing he has a big plan for your life.

It means making the big decisions with his big plan in mind. If you're if you're in the younger end of things, you know who I'm talking to? John Sutton Smith.

If you're on the younger end of things in your head, even if not in your body, but if you're younger, seriously, it means believing his hand is on you for great destiny.

And making quality choices about your priorities, about your relationships, about who are you going to spend the rest of your life with? About where you're going to be invested in church so that you can go further in God than ever before? It means for all of us getting out of our comfort zones and getting on board with the adventure in God.

And as I said at the beginning, I feel I'm here to encourage you in what is happening and to say more. Lord, more Lord, more Lord. I love that this exhortation to be strong and courageous is given, from the Lord to Joshua, from Moses to Joshua, from, Moses to all the people. And then at the end, from all the people back to Joshua, everybody is telling everybody else to be strong and courageous, and that I'm not saying we have to use those words, but that sentiment should be amongst us all the time.

Come on, let's be strong. Let's be courageous. I need you to spur me on. You need me to spur you on. You need one another to spur each other on, to be strong and courageous, to possess the promises of God.

The second circumstance in which we find these two characteristics coming together. Is in one Chronicles 22. I'll read this again from from this translation one Chronicles 22. and it's the situation where David commissions his son Solomon, who's who is about to succeed him as King, and he commissions him to build the temple that David himself had long for.

Two Chronicles one on one Chronicles 22, verses 6 to 8 and 11 to 13. Listen carefully to this. There's some doing to miss what is in here. Then he called for his son Solomon, and he charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon, my son, I have it in my heart to build a house for the name of the Lord my God.

But this word of the Lord came to me. You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my name. Now my son, the Lord be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would. May the Lord give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God, and then you will have success.

If you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for for Israel, be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, for discouraged. And then just let me read a verse from from chapter 28, verse 20 David said to Solomon, his son, be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God my God is with you, and he will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.

We need to be strong and courageous to build the house our fathers dreamed of. To build the house our fathers dreamed of. David was a man after God's heart. He was chosen to be their shepherd. That king to point towards the great Shepherd, the great King. And he really loved the Lord. He was passionate. He was a songwriter.

He was a worshiper. He he danced before the Lord, and he always dreamed of building a house for the Lord. A temple to replace the temporary tabernacle. And, And he wrote psalms about the house of the Lord about this place. And, we won't reference them, but you can have a look at Psalm 26, Psalm 27. He wrote psalms about dwelling in the house of the Lord, even though the house of the Lord hasn't even been built.

But it lived in his imagination, in his dreams, in his longing, in his dream and his longing. The house was there. It just hadn't been physically built yet. But he talks about it in the Psalms as if it's already there. And of course, he's not the one because of it, because of the bloodshed. And and he's a man of war.

And instead Solomon, his son, is to build the house. And David has to hand over the dream, as it were, to his son. But David made provisions. And when you when you read on in chapter 22, he gathered. He stored up all the things Solomon would need to build this physical temple, including get this 4000 tons of gold.

38,000 tons of silver. This is chapter 22, verse 14. And more bronze or iron than could be weighed. Pretty good at so. So David made all the provision for Solomon to finish the work, and now he instructs him to build the house he dreamed of. And in his instruction twice we heard it. There is. You must be strong and courageous.

I hope you are feeling this like I am right now. We have many heroes of faith, many pioneers, many fathers and mothers in the faith who have gone before us and dreamed of a house, a church for his glory. We could. We could start with the heroes of Hebrews 11, those Old Testament heroes who were waiting for us.

We could talk about the apostles of the New Testament who saw the house. We could talk about the key people in our own quite specific, our own roots and heritage who've seen something. If you don't know this, I'll just mention the names, and the most seasoned saints amongst us will be will happily tell you more about Ern Baxter, about Arthur Wallace, about Bryn Jones.

You know, Tony Ling. He dreamed of a house. I was thinking about this this morning. I can't think of a church in all related spheres working together with a rich heritage than this one. Men and women who stepped out. You've never met some of them. But you're here today because of them. Who stepped out and paid a price to honor the spirit and the word?

Who broke with some traditions, who believe for something better, who pioneered this church? Men and women who've served faithfully over many years to remain faithful to the vision. Men and women like Jeff and Pam, Grace like John and Julia Sutton Smith, like Miriam, like Mike and Ali, like David Raynor, and those who are already with Jesus, like Steve Smith and Gwen Reyna.

In the last three months, Deborah and I have lost both our mothers. But one thing that has really spurred me on is Second Timothy chapter one. Where Paul writes to this young man and says, I remember the faith that first lived in your grandmother and then lives in your mother, and I know lives in you also. Therefore I remind you to keep ablaze.

I think of the translation say turn into flame, the gift of God that's in you. You know the best way we can honor those who've gone before us is to be a blaze with a vision of building the house that they dreamed of, to wow. And this is the time and the place for us to work with all our might, to finish what others have started.

This is the season I believe we're coming into, to finish what others have started. To build the church that expresses all the things that were in their hearts. I don't have time to describe those, but we benefit from from them to never settle, to never compromise, to never make do, to ensure the foundations are deep and the plumb line is applied and the house brings glory to Jesus.

And if we're going to do that, and like Solomon, we must be strong and courageous, standing firm, resisting at times steadfast, audacious, adventurous, pioneering, finishing what they started.

I love the fact that David made all that provision available to Solomon. And I just want to say in the building of the house, make sure you're part of the provision. Volunteer. Do not sit on the sidelines. And die unfulfilled. And with all that potential unused up. Then you want to get to and you want to get to the finish line, your own finish line and be empty.

Isn't that the idea that the the time we get the the batteries, the batteries run? Well, you know, there's still some there's still enough to cross the line. But but essentially all that was in storage. We've spent it all. And fulfilled it all. And I can't think of anything worse than that. Looking back with the Lord at all in this moment.

All the might have beens. How depressing that would be. That's not for you and me. That the third moment, that strength and courage come together.

There are others. But these to me, seem to be the key and relevant ones for right now. Amongst us is in one Corinthians 16.

Verse. verse 13, one Corinthians 16, verse 13. Before I read the verse, so I read the verse and then say something about the context. It says, be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Do everything in love. Be courageous, be strong. New Testament instruction. This, this book, this letter to the Corinthians. I don't know how much you know about it, but but 16 chapters long, Paul has spent the first 15.5 chapters helping the Corinthians, instructing them, encouraging them, correcting them, provoking them, realigning them essentially along the theme of how to be the church in Corinth.

That's his opening second verse to the to God's Church at Corinth, this church, this, this community of God's people in the middle of this city. That was secular.

That the cultures were completely contrary. They are the church, but they're in Corinth. And isn't that the situation we find ourselves in today? The clash of kingdoms, clash of cultures. And Paul, after 15.5 chapters of of of instruction and and helping them to avoid division, to avoid immorality, to not to blend in with the culture around them, how to how to deal with alternative viewpoints and worldviews and perspectives and paradigms, and how to use the gifts of the spirit, other worldly powers available to us, supernatural things, charismatic things.

How to how to use the gifts of how to find healing around the Lord's table. Wow. Talk about a cultural advantage, a kingdom advantage we can find healing around just by coming around the table without division and nonsense between us. How to prepare for the second coming. And he he kind of concludes, and he wraps it all up in these few words be strong and courageous.

I think Paul is deliberately echoing Joshua and David. I think, I think, I think he's choosing his words very carefully here. Paul does that, doesn't he? And other translations say, be alert, stand in the faith something and be brave. Be strong. The message says, keep your eyes open. Hold tight to your convictions. Give it all you've got.

Be resolute and love the the next verse says Unlove without stopping you. I love that. Love without stopping. What tremendous opportunities church are all around us. And and you're in this. You've had the while I was with you last week. You've been you've been interacting and and seeing that the gospel is powerful. What tremendous opportunity amongst our friends, our families, our colleagues, our fellow students, our classmates who are who are coming to the conclusion that that the the alternatives offer no hope.

Yeah. Who said that? the alternative are empty. There's a parade of political promises at the moment, and one thing after another, all this money suddenly available, and none of them are going to address the heart of the matter.

But we have we have some answers, folks. The gospel of the kingdom, God's total answer to man's total need is the gospel of the Kingdom. And I just want to encourage you in closing the. I said that just to, you know, just so you know, like Paul in Acts 20, they've only got another few hours to go.

This is a day for all of us to be strong and courageous in how we live out our faith and our mission in the culture that we live in. And I want to encourage you that it's not with apology. It's not being defensive. It's not arguing, proving we're right. It's not being against everything and against everybody. It's not judging.

It's not competing, but it's boldly and confidently and quietly sometimes and positively and courageously letting people know what we are for. Amen. Letting people, letting people know that God loves the world, that Jesus is real and amazing, and the gospel is great news and our church is fantastic, and we're strong and we're courageous. We're part of an unshakable kingdom.

And as Paul says here, I want to finish by saying church, be alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be strong. Be courageous. Keep your eyes open. Hold tight to your convictions. Give it all you've got. Be resolute and love without stopping. I'm feel privileged to be with you at a time where I believe the Lord is crushing you into something new and fresh and expansive.

And I want to say to you, in this moment, church, be strong. Be courageous. Encourage one another in that. Spur each other on however you describe that to one another to be strong and courageous. I wonder what you want to be remembered for. It's great to think back to some of those other generations, what they were, what we remember them for.

I want us to serve God's purpose as they have to grow in strength to show unusually great courage. And I want to say, church, may nothing hold you back as you go into this new season he has for you. Amen. Amen. Not a question. Yes. Yes. Yeah.

Yeah.

Set against me.

Yeah. Amen.

Yeah.

Well, I will let the leaders answer for themselves. I would say, They're on the way there. It's not fulfilled yet.

Well, maybe you're part of it. Yeah. And why don't we just, just just pray together? I want to I feel this morning. I want to pray for people, and, maybe the simplest thing I could say is, is if you're stirred with the reason you're here.

The idea of of becoming more strong and more courageous and being part of everything in the next stage in the season, in the light of the ongoing life of this church towards the fulfillment of everything that's been dreamed over the years. If you stand with me, I want us to pray together.

Amen. And lift our hands to the Lord.

Thank you.

Well. Praise God. I think everybody standing. How wonderful. Lord, we're offering ourselves a fresh this morning. To play our part in the fulfillment of all the promises over this church. We're standing before you to offer ourselves with, as they've described earlier, total surrender. Holding on to nothing, giving you everything to say. Lord, help us to build the house our fathers dreamed of.

To be. To be on mission in this alien culture. Not at war against flesh and blood, but confident in the gospel we stand for in the hope in Christ. May our lives shine bright. Hope to our families, our friends, our colleagues, our classmates, our fellow students.

May our lives impact and bring results for your Kingdom. Lord, we pray. Want to pray for every man and woman that stand the for the deep conviction will fill our hearts concerning this masterpiece you're constructing in Southport. Concerning the impact you want the people in this room to have in many other places concerning our part in your great purpose, Lord, we thank you.

You didn't call us to form a choir or come to lectures, but to be your called out people, showing your glory, demonstrating your wisdom to powers and principalities and rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. It's way beyond our understanding. Lord. But I pray you'll help us to grasp enough of it that our lives, from this moment on, are given to you and given to your purpose for your Amen.

Amen.