(250) Finding Life in the Chaos (Genesis Part 1) - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieujVbsiOtk

Transcript: (00:00) we are doing a new series on the Book of Genesis um which I'm very excited about we're gonna be doing this for until Easter isn't it yeah it's about about 15 16 weeks something like that so we're going to be doing that until Easter which is great now just give you a little bit of context Genesis is the very first book of the Bible it is one of the most contentious books of the Bible as well I would say um because there's like 20 different interpret ations of the Book of Genesis um so just to give you a little insight it talks about how God created the heavens and the Earth talks about how he created man (00:39) and then it goes on to talk about how we sinned how we F fell then we've got stories about the Tower of Babel which is just nuts and then we go into Abraham and a whole bunch of other people we're going to get into all of this um but just to say there are there are Christians who will interpret Genesis in a very different way right um I'm not going to ask you are you interpret Genesis uh good cuz I'm not sure yeah that's the problem I'll tell you at the end of the series it's one of those you can interpret I think Genesis quite (01:11) literally can't you you can say right one day was a literal 24-hour period that God literally created the Earth in six days rested on the seventh right that is one way to do it some people will say that a day is as a thousand years use scripture to say well it talks about a day but it's a period of time not necessarily 24 hours when it's talking about the sixth day creation some people people might even say that there was a literal day then there was a massive gap between day one and day two and then a massive Gap and it could have taken a year it could have taken a 100 (01:40) million years there's all kinds of theories now one thing that we do know about the Book of Genesis uh which is worth understanding before we jump into it you're Q jacked get up and get your self ready um is uh that the Bible itself is a collection of books right some of them are literal so you read the Gospels and they are literal stories so this guy went to this place you know that that happened the Psalms well there's all kinds of language and poetry in Psalms that is not literal it's just a way to (02:13) express an idea and so you have to think about genre when you look at the Bible and the Book of Genesis is an interesting book about genre and what we do know is it was written at a time around the time of Moses and it blew everybody's mind right the way the book was written what it was said the stories the analogies that it used some people translate them literally some people think it's a genre type interpretation wherever you're at Genesis is not a science book it is not a science text book although there are some things in there about science um it is a book (02:51) which tells you about the very nature and being of God which Jack's going to get into so however you interpret it whatever you think about it come with an open heart and an open mind as we are going to get into it with senior pastor Jack marinina Go Jack is there not an intro video W hey well lovely to see you all and Happy New Year great to be with you all um what a fantastic intro Matt that was you've I'm just looking at what I can sort of gather from my intro that I can still say but that was a great intro to Genesis we are really excited about this new series looking at the book of (03:30) Genesis and we're calling it in the beginning in the beginning um where we're going to be looking at key themes key passages in this book about what God says about himself What God Says About Us how we are to relate to him we are looking at how we can relate to the environment how we can relate to one another we're looking at relationships there is so many foundational things that we can find in Genesis and we are really excited to delve into it and so today unsurprisingly we are going to be starting in Genesis 1 and my main takeaway point from today is this God is (04:10) always moving God is always moving I've heard that in church so many times and if I'm really honest it's a phrase that I've heard or a promise that I've heard and I thought is he really is he really always moving um but I'm going to show in just the first couple of passages in Genesis that God is always moving his his spirit is always breathing life he is always doing a new thing so let's turn to Genesis chapter 1 right at the beginning of the Bible it's the easiest to find of all scriptures and all books chapter 1 verse one in the beginning God (04:47) created the heavens and the earth now the Earth was formless and empty Darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters and God said let there be light and there was light God saw that the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness so it's one of those passages and one of those stories that we might look at and we might read and we might hear and we might think I've heard all this before I've heard this creation story many times but if we are too familiar with it then we can miss so much and if I as to (05:23) summarize these first opening passages in Genesis I would say this firstly we can see that God is is present God is always present he is present he is involved he's the initiator he is the Creator and secondly God turns what is formless and empty into something of life he turns Darkness into light he turns what is empty and formless into something of substance that is more pleasant talks about Waters and if we read on the Genesis account of creation talks about the land being filled and the Earth being filled and the stars and the galaxies being formed and so God is (05:59) present and he changes situations and importantly we're told at the end of each day that it is good and right at the end of creation we humans are really good very good so at the start of this year I don't know how you think about yourselves but you are very good you are made and God says you are very good so what's interesting though as we look at these first two verses is that God is present but he's present in the chaos he's present in amidst the turmoil I don't know how you're starting your 2025 (06:35) if you had a bad 2024 and you can't wait to see what this year holds it can't be as bad as last year or if actually things are quite good you're in the the blessings of life and you're like actually it's going to be good but if it feels like chaos if you've got something looming if you're in a situation that you just think this is awful it's chaos and I want want you to know that God is present amongst it all that chaos doesn't mean the absence of God but maybe he just hasn't moved yet because what we see here is that God is present (07:05) even before the wonderful world that was created and it just took him to breathe and to move for life to come and the Hebrew Hebrew words are really interesting if we read that passage again in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth the Earth was formless and empty and it says Darkness was over the surface of the deep and one of the Hebrew words in this passage is this word to to um I'm an Arsenal fan and I have come to view this word um as uh the the word that I'm now going to start using for (07:41) Arsenal's Arch Rivals Tottenham I'm just going to start calling them toam because I found out that the Hebrew word for this is abysmal toam means abysmal um sorry my brother is a Tottenham fan and sometimes he watches this um so any Tottenham fans you are welcome to continue to listen uh it's just a bit of joke but this word toam captures this essence of a chaotic ocean waters it's where you get the word Abyss from so when you when we read this it's a negative term and the author in Genesis often uses um opposite words to make the point and so when you see darkness and (08:19) it talks about to and then it says the spirit of God bringing Light and Water you get that difference between to which can swallow you up it can it it's a negative sort of form and then his spirit is hovering over the waters this is a life-bringing kind of word that he uses to to say this is what God does this is what God is in the business of doing bringing life and we think of life um coming from Wells and rivers of water and that is what he's talking about it's when God's spirit is mentioned when God is involved the auor changes how he describes what is there and so already (08:59) just two verses in into Genesis we get this sense of who God is and what he does and how he works he is a god that is with us even when there's trouble and he is a god that is present and he can turn what is chaotic he can turn what is abysmal he can turn what is nothing into something of Life by his spirit and so this creation story that we've been talking about and how matters kind of introduce and we've started with that reading we see how God starts with nothing he starts with absolutely nothing thing and he breathes life and he starts to build and by the end we get this incredible world full of life and (09:37) animals and all sorts of different things but it's not long before it goes wrong it's not long before it goes a bit pear-shaped is it and first Adam and Eve they eat that forbidden fruit I won't go into what that fruit is is it an apple does it say it's an apple no it doesn't um but they they they do something that God says don't do and sin enters the world and things start to un rvel and get really grim and so you get to Genesis 4 and you see how Adam and Eve's Exile from Eden um their son Cain kills (10:09) the brother his brother Esau and then a man called lamech uh I won't go go into his name but he brags about murdering people and as we continue through Genesis it's this story after Story of death and tragedy and by the time we get to chapter 5 and Noah's Ark and Noah um being given this second chance for a new generation everyone is doing what they want it is chaos it's as if they've gone back before creation and it is this this chaotic scene again everyone's doing their own thing and the world is back to this chaotic state but God is not finished is he God is not finished with (10:48) them it's not like he's started this experiment and he said I'm going to give it a go push it down to Hill see if it rolls um oh it hasn't I'm going to give up on it he is not finished is he he is present and he is always on the Move God is always on the move and this time he sends a flood and no Builds an ark and God brings restoration and there's this new beginning this new start so God is present he creates he brings life and he goes again and when we think about 2025 that is exactly what we can expect God to be in the business of doing in our (11:25) lives in the lives of those around us in this city in this nation wherever you find yourself God is a god of new beginnings and new life and in this building we're in Liverpool here and 30 years ago people started to dream and to say God would you move in this city and people started to meet in homes and then got this old army barracks of a building where it was Rubble on the floor it was cold um they used to all sorts of stories about heating it and um but God by his Spirit has brought life to hundreds if not thousands of people in (11:58) this city through this church and I don't know if this church is on day three or day 103 of God building and and moving in power but the point is this God has things to do in us God has things to do in his church in 2025 he has not finished with us yet and he is on the move and when we think of what God has called us to as a people of God as people who are following Jesus as a church Community one of the markers is that we are imp EMP powered by his Spirit one of the markers of what it is to be a follower of Jesus is that his Spirit he wants to move in in us through (12:37) his spirit and I often think of what does it mean to be empowered by God's spirit um what does it mean to to know to hear God's spirit to to move in the Supernatural one of the first examples is in Genesis it's Genesis 37 a key figure in the life of Israel is Joseph and you might have heard of Joseph with the technical dream Co and his this man with dreams he's the son of Jacob and Rachel he's one of their what he's their favorite son and and his brothers get really jealous because he's having these dreams and they sell him into slavery but God wasn't finished with him God (13:12) wasn't finished with him yet and so he has these series of ups and downs where he's put in prison he um works for potier and he ends up ruling over Egypt but why him what was so special about Joseph what qualified him you know didn't have degrees he didn't have management experience and yet in Genesis 41 we get this beautiful description that is really poignant Genesis 41 the Pharaoh the Pharaoh declares there was no one so Discerning and wise as Joseph no one like him in whom is the spirit of God now I would love that to to to be (13:53) said about me not that there was no one like me but that the spirit of God was moving moving in me that's what makes the difference for Joseph God's spirit and I have to think he must he must have been a clever guy he may have been an ambitious I'm an ambitious person but his ambition probably wouldn't have gotten through all the challenges that life was going to throw him instead it was the spirit of God that helped him and this story is the first story of what someone once called a supercharged human it's what happens when someone is empowered by the Holy Spirit to do what (14:30) God has called them to do which is to rule and Reign and um have dominion over uh the the world that they have and that is by his spirit that that happens this is God's intention for all Humanity to be supercharged humans to be empowered by his spirit and that is one of the things that we um believe and for 2025 I invite you to pray God would you send your spirit God would you send your spirit on me on us in this city and in this nation do something fresh in our day send your spirit we need your spirit (15:06) move in power the second thing I wanted to share uh when we're looking into this term ahead is that we all have a part to play in the fresh thing that God is doing because it's interesting when you look at this text uh what separates us from the rest of creation from the birds from the animals from the stars from the plants it's not his spirit that separates us because we know that the spirit gives life to all these things this it is the spirit that gives life to all creation it is not his spirit that separates us but it's something we see (15:42) in Genesis 1: 26-28 this is what separates us Genesis 1 verse 26-28 God said let us make Mankind in our image in our likeness so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky over the livestock and all the wild animals over the creatures that move along the ground God blessed them and said be fruitful and increase in number fill the Earth subdue it rule over the fish and the Sea the birds and every other living creature so what separates us from all creation is that we are made to represent God We Are Made To Rule and to Reign and to be (16:21) fruitful and to multiply to give him the glory so that his name spreads so that his glory um contines Contin so that his Heaven invades Earth and why is that important for us today and into 2025 because that is what God is in the business of doing just as he gave that mandate to Adam and Eve to rule and to Reign and to multiply so he gives us that same mandate to tell people about Jesus to to show them this God you know like Joseph he was empowered by the spirit to bring God's kingdom and like the church and Acts were empowered by the spirit to be fruitful and to (17:00) multiply that same spirit is alive and working and active in 2025 and I I often look at the book of Acts I'm looking at going through the book of Acts at the moment and in Acts one this early church just after Jesus A lot of them had met Jesus and then new people who knew Jesus and it says they were waiting for the Holy Spirit to come and I don't know what you think of when you think of why would why would someone wait for something um often it's worth waiting for they they they want the thing that they're waiting for we've just had Christmas and you might have thought um you know what was I waiting (17:38) for that gift or to see some friends and some family they were waiting for something and it was worth waiting for but actually why were they waiting for the Holy Spirit really it's because they knew they couldn't do it without him they could not do everything that God had called them to do without the holy spirit because it is God's spirit who does all these things that brings life life into situations that brings his kingdom and we are invited to partner with God to Reign and to rule to bring his kingdom to Earth and we do all these (18:11) things by his spirit so whatever he is calling you into this year when you think ahead to the things you're looking forward to when you think ahead to the challenges of 2025 You are not alone and it is by his spirit says the Lord that's what his spirit is in the business of doing empow in ordinary people to do extraordinary things for his kingdom and so I I I hope that You' join us in praying in in this year God would you send your spirit God would you build your church God would you move in our lives would you transform this city or (18:45) if you're in another city or in another location transform that location bring people to know you bring order out of chaos move by your spirit because God is not finished yet God is not finished yet God for those who don't know your are friends our neighbors our colleagues those who are so far from you God you're not finished with them yet where there is chaos where there is Darkness God breathe your light breathe your life move into those spaces I've got a little picture little illustration this is uh Wordsworth Street this is our first house in toxi (19:21) kind of South Liverpool and we moved there I'm going to say about 12 years ago uh our first house a bit of a miracle how we got onto the property ladder uh but we bought this house we could afford and we we went in we had looked around but I remember the first day we went in and the floor literally bounced it was one of those where the foundations everything electrics I think only the front door Still Remains from 12 years ago and we've lived in there and the people that bought it off us have done loads of work as well but the whole place was absolutely chaotic and (19:56) it um it was toam if you like it was that word to that abismal you know the the the darkness was over the surface of the deep um if you like and what we saw over the space of about four years through a lot of hard work um and a lot of different people coming in doing the work was this beautiful home this warm home uh built around us and that is the god of Genesis he takes what is chaos he takes what is null and void he takes little old me and you he takes a situ sitation and he moves he steps into that (20:32) space and he breathes life he breathes life where there isn't and if you're here listening to this or if you're here in person or online and your situation is uh one where you are you don't know God you don't know what we we're talking about but you are excited about something and it's just stirring in you then there's an invitation for you to get to know God as we go through this series there's an invitation for you to get to know God right right now wherever your situation is he wants to bring life (21:03) into your life he wants to bring Health to you and he is moving and he has a plan and a purpose for your life and I think as we listen to this some of us are in that space where we're ready to go we we might know what our 2025 holds the things we're excited about the the mission field that we're in and I want to say go for it pray that your the Holy Spirit empowers you to do all that he's called you CU you can't do it on your own and you're going to get stuck if you try if you're here in person in Liverpool if you're in the region then I want to invite you to come and pray with (21:37) us we pray on the first Monday of every month we're going to be praying tomorrow at half 7 and we're praying Holy Spirit Come and move this year AR fresh come and Empower us to do all that you've called us to do and so so some of us know what our front lines are and we're ready to pray Holy Spirit come some of us don't know though where God has called us to be they they're maybe that they're finding work just a little bit mundane or things are just a little bit tough in your life I can't quite see how God is at work then I want to say don't stress about it just ask him God where (22:08) have you placed me what's my front line what's the one person or the one place that mission field that you might be calling me into it might be a project it might be um your street it might be your workplace it might be where you play if You' got a football team or a gym membership or that might be where God is calling you to have an impact but for those of us who hear this message and you're like I'm coming into this year just bit dragging myself I'm crawling into this year I cannot see myself bringing any positive change I I'm just (22:46) about holding on then I want to say you're in a safe place you are in a safe place and we get it and there is no need to come to God with a whole load of optimism there are seasons in our life when it is just chaos and if that's you then you're in a safe place and all you can do is call to God and here's a loving father that wants to give you a new chance he wants to give you a new beginning a new life God is God a god um who is in the midst of the chaos and it might feel tough but one thing Genesis 1 promises us is that God is always moving (23:21) and he can bring life and light into your situation so this year God is doing a new thing he is bringing life he is breathing into creation and he's wanting to breathe and work through um people who want to be used by him and want to come to know him more so be blessed this year I'm really excited about this series uh we're going to go into conversation Street and then we're going to go if you're present we're going to go into a final song after God bless you wonderful thanks Jack uh the second time I've heard it it (24:03) was better the second time I know it would be well done Jack thanks for that appreciate that uh Book of Genesis so we're in there so uh what was your takeaway from the talk write your thoughts write your questions in the comments if you're online if you're in person you can write them uh on the the thing that was on the screen it's not on the screen now but um what's it called pigeon hole that's the one I'm looking for uh but yeah feel free to write your questions we've got some coming in so where do we want to start I mean let's start with where do (24:36) you start with Genesis let's start start at the beginning of the talk shall we I mean in all seriousness I that I found that really challenging and had loads of really great stuff in it but that first idea of like God speaking something into nothingness into chaos into the void as it were I just I find that mind-blowing don't you like just that idea that God and that he's still doing it now that he did it at the beginning of time and or our time and and that he's still doing it today he still like speaks his spirit and his life into things that seem empty (25:14) and void and chaotic yeah it's it's this whole idea of like you say it was it was toam I'm going to remember that CU I'm not a Tottenham fan and I apologies again to all the Tottenham fans uh but um I I think this this idea of chaos and God speaking and creating the world out of nothing I said at the start that the Book of Genesis was written um to address ideas at the time so when you look at you know there's a lot of Tales um that are quite understood not the tales of gilg gilgames it's hard word to say apparently uh I can say it in my head uh (25:57) but there's a lot of these sort of thinking um at the at the time The Book of Genesis was written so a lot of uh everybody had multiple gods and multiple theories about why creation happened and why God made man and um you know God made man to because they just couldn't be bothered to work so they made M do you know I mean there's all these sort of ideas and and theories going around at the time and the Book of Genesis smacks every single one of them in the face and I love this it was so radical it was so revolutionary at the time and the first one being that actually God (26:32) created the world from nothing it wasn't this sort of primeval void that was there or I think one Fable I can't remember which one it is the world was created from the blood of a dead God or something like that um no this was created from nothing and you're right I think the whole idea um and I know Steve con is touching next week is it on the nature of God is it in two weeks and then is it Ellie next week maybe on environment oh you don't know we don't know in the next week or so Steve Connell is going to be have a plan is I (27:06) do know he's talking about the nature of God because we we have talked about it um and it and this whole idea of the radicalness and the revolution of it and this idea that God created the world from nothing I mean it blows my mind now but I also like to think about the people that first read the book of Genesis 2,000 years ago and how it was just like question yeah it does yeah yeah definitely I I mean there's so many things you could say I mean your intro to Genesis was great as well and I I you know I sort of (27:39) think where do you begin and I'm picking Genesis like I always remember as a kid being like how can Genesis be literal because there's no dinosaurs in it where do the dinosaurs fit in I used to get really stressed about that question it's funny isn't it what what we get stuck on when we start to think about it and you know now I sort of think yeah it doesn't actually matter like whether the day is a physical day which it probably isn't in my opinion but you know or a length of time a process of time but it's but the you know the but (28:11) the point is is that it's about the work of God and that it's about mystery and actually we're not you know we're never going to fully comprehend MH how God created something from nothing but you know like I I was also talking the other day and and someone said to me oh but isn't it isn't it ridiculous that people believe that you know God created something out of nothing I'm like well it seems less ridiculous than thinking nothing created something out of nothing you know what I mean which is the other option so I for me that's you know yeah (28:49) it's it makes more sense to me it does it does it's an interesting one isn't it when you think about how God did what he did he moved when he moved um but if you if you well here's the thing right going taking a step back further if I can we posted a video a few weeks ago well I I say well you don't know about it you were on it uh it was a clip good to know when you've been posted all over the Internet yeah it was a clip um that we posted a little short video about how it's important that um we you know God blows our minds and we don't we don't want to I think you (29:33) said something about you didn't want a God that was small and that you could fit I do remember that actually and so there's quite a lot of comments on this video in various places and a lot of people were talking about oh hang on a minute that's very convenient um when God does in effect suffering and we we there was this link then we say is easy to say that when there's all this suffering now if you take God out of the equation right so why why is there suffering with god well we'll deal with that over the coming weeks I think but (30:04) if you take suffering out of the equation right so let's say there is no God then why does suffering matter and the answer is it doesn't especially to Dawkins because there's no good there's no evil there's no suffering um or suffering is just a kind of evolution having its sort of natural outwork and in fact it's probably a positive thing if you go along with some of those thinkings and so if you take God out of the equation then where did the world come from how is it do you see what I mean yeah but when you bring God (30:37) back into the equation then although we don't like suffering suffering makes sense when you bring God back into the equation the idea that the world was created from nothing makes sense because that is by very definition God he is Supernatural right he is above natural things and I think I think it's it's important to sort of this is what we get about the nature of God this is what we get when we understand the Book of Genesis that actually God Is Bigger God is Way Beyond what we can possibly think about uh or understand and that's actually what we want God to be I think (31:12) and it also in in context to that it also sort of draws out how we feel about ourselves as well at some level because that describes who God is but it also makes sense of who we are like we want a sense sense of belonging of purpose of identity of self like I want to know who I am and what I'm here for I think you talk to anyone and it doesn't matter what their views are on religion or politics or anything else but I find it very hard like I don't think I can think of anyone I've ever met that doesn't (31:47) have those deep needs about understanding who they are and their purpose maybe they don't articulate it always in that way but I think those are such so quarter to us all as humans and and that only makes sense in the context of being a created thing that's created by God as well yeah absolutely that sense of belonging which leads me nicely into uh a question which said we heard Jack talked about how what separates humans from the rest of creation is being made to represent God what does that actually look like I knew you were going to put that back on me (32:29) you got to ask the difficult questions first um to me I feel like it it goes back to that kind of sense that we were talking about at the beginning of this about kind of purpose in emptiness you know that that kind of something out of nothing um I don't know I feel like kind of life without God is I I quite quickly get a bit lost what am I supposed to be doing like that sense of purpose that sense of Drive getting out of bed in the morning what am I here to do how can I make a difference in this world that I (33:04) inhabit um in my neighborhood in my family in my friendships I quite quickly lose that when I lose connection with God and um and I think somebody posted a question which is I'm trying to find it um what areas of your life were previously chaos but God brought life into them and I think that for me is like like before I had a really personal relationship with God I just was a bit lost that's how I can best describe it I don't mean physically lost I mean a bit emotionally lost a bit kind of lost in terms of what am I here to do what am I supposed to do with my life like what are my gifts what are my talents what (33:48) literally what should I do as a career how should I spend the next however many years of life I've got on planet Earth and I feel like without God I qu quickly lose my way that again um and that sense of purpose and what I'm here to do and who I'm meant to be very definitely comes from from that connection with god um I don't know if that answers the question maybe I went to B the point but do you have an answer no because I can't remember the question um what was it uh so was it like to what does it mean to (34:18) represent God I think it's a really interesting one isn't it because fundamentally Christians represent God um and this is one of the issues that I think a lot of people have about Christianity is um well if Christians are the best representative of God we've got some fundamental problems yeah yeah um and so you I hear the phrase a lot you know Christians are a bunch of Hypocrites and all this sort of stuff well if I go back to the football analogy because Jack likes them and I like them um it's okay to be a Christian (34:49) and not like football though I should are you sure um so here's the thing right I can go to a football stadium I can wear I'm a Liverpool fan I can wear the Liverpool shirt I can wear the scarf and I'm representing Liverpool Football Club I can walk out of that Stadium I can go into the local chip shop and start a fight right I can be a hooligan now just because I am doing that that's not indicative of Liverpool Football Club right you you it's hard not to judge the football club by its supporters but in essence Liverpool Football Club has not pay me to do that they're not endorsing me to do that they're not telling me to do that I'm (35:28) doing that because I'm an utter lunatic right and so when it comes to church we quite often are quick to judge God by the actions of Christians and I get it I get why we do that right but it's not really indicative of the god that we represent and I and I would just point that out um so what does it mean to be a representa representative of him I think it's a privilege I think it's an honor um I think it's something that we should remember on a daily basis that that's what what we do um in our thoughts in (36:01) our words in our deeds in our actions how we talk to people um how we interact with people how we open our homes how we close our homes How We join in conversation how we shut conversations whatever it is we at all times are representing God and people I think especially those outside the church look to you and go well hang on a minute what does God look like I need to look to you I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing yeah and I also think you know as much as and I think that's a really good example using the like football fan but I also think just as many people who um (36:40) are like you know there's just as many people who are great examples of like how God might look as well as like you know so not all Christians represent God well um as ambassadors as people who sort of represent them but then there's so many that do and you look through history and I think it's incredible like the church um in the UK and the impact it's had on our culture and our nation things like healthc care you know education yeah so many things are core to who we are and what is important um you know we place a high quality on you know life on individuals on caring for those who are lost and broken and the CH (37:21) the church still does that really well today you look at things like food banks and all kinds of things and I and I think the church that is best is still at the Forefront of social injustice and making things are broken mended and I think that absolutely represents God's heart and so yeah I I think it's just important to say like the church you know and individuals from the church can and do do it really well and have done throughout history but yeah obviously not everybody um yeah not everybody 100% of the time either I think it's a (37:52) fundamental problem of humanity in many ways isn't it um but I yeah I I I I think you're right I think that the church has done so many amazing things um and so many bad things you know we read about those in the press as well I probably you read more about the bad things than you do about the good things don't you but um fundamentally God is about like Jack said bringing order out of chaos and I think representing God is seeing the chaos and bringing God's kingdom and God's order into that and if we can do that Happy Days uh I think that's that's probably our primary mission in many ways um to be Kingdom (38:30) Builders in effect that's that's what it's all about and I I really like that question near the end about kind of how does you know reflecting on it at the start of this new year at start of 2025 like how do we what does that mean to us like in what way are we bringing order out of chaos this year like did last year for like chaos actually was quite a good year but like where is God kind of shaping and breathing his life or wanting to breathe his life and I think and I think that's a really good question to reflect on at the start of a (39:03) new year um like what do you think like in terms of like for you do you you know is there anywhere that you sort think either God has brought chaos out of sorry order out of chaos not the other way around get that right or or you know or that you feel like God might want to this year that's a really good question and I think I think the answer is yes because I'm not there yet yeah um and I think there's things about my character that God wants to work on and I think God I think I'm just of the I'm a little bit old school maybe I'm kind of of the opinion that God works on character before he works well he works on (39:43) character more often than all the circumstances around me so um I definitely want to see God move saying my my workpl and in the business that we have um but first and foremost I think God brings about ordering the chaos that's inside me um maybe in my attitudes about certain things in the way that I approach certain things um and yeah I think God works on character first and I think the other thing to say here is chaos into order doesn't mean bad into what you perceive to be good yeah and this is it's a really important thing to (40:22) understand because we hear statements like this and we think right in that case God my bank account is in chaos this is chaos and I by the end of the week I just want to wave my magic wand iszy wisy let's get busy and God is just going to fix it all right um and it may be that God wants to S out your finances it may be that God wants to bring healing but I think going back to the statement we made earlier about God's ways not being our ways you know I think sometimes what we understand by order is God doing exactly what I want him to do in the way that I want him to do it and his order not yours right because I I (41:00) think you know when you look at the Bible it's like genesis to Revelations it's like you've literally got um you know kind of this Arch haven't you where the world's perfect God created it then the it becomes broken and God promises that he'll redeem it in the fullness of time and we're sort of still living somewhere in that middle where he has begun that Redemption work through Jesus and also we don't live in the fullness of that yet um and you know we can point to a million things in our own lives that are broken and imperfect still can't we so (41:36) for me it's like it's like that both and but yeah I just I think it's yeah it's just I don't know where I was going with that really but it's that for me is like you've got to kind of keep in that context and and yeah you're absolutely right yeah it's important to understand isn't it we're on a journey uh we're going to be looking actually um I was study in this morning about Abraham's Journey which we're going to get into when we look at Abraham in a few weeks time um it was not plain sailing the Journey of God never seems to be that plane sailing But ultimately there is a plan and there is (42:11) order bought out of chaos but it is God's order it's not necessarily my wish list it might well be and I really hope that it is for you guys um but don't be surprised if it's not and God takes you down a different route or a different path um that would be one because healing like healing and Redemption doesn't always look like the outcome you want this is why I hate like I'm sorry if anyone loves like you know the New Year's resolution type thing I'm not a big fan to be honest and and that's and that's why because like you can set all all the best planning and goal setting for the year like you know (42:49) by the end of the year I want this amount of money in my bank account or I want my job to my career to move from here to here and I you know I want I want my family or my relationships to look like this and plans aren't wrong are they but there's like there's a lot of verses in the Bible that's like you make a plan but God has his way you know there's a lot of verses where I've had to learn that where it's like you might you know have a plan but actually it's God who's going to like you know it's his way not yours and so I think it's it's good I always say like it's good to (43:23) have a plan but write in pencil and be like you know I'm a writer and was like be open to God's edits and changes yeah so I tried to write in pencil rather than you know big marker pen like this is my plan resolutions in P resolutions yeah is that what we're saying yeah okay do do them in pencil well just don't do them and just you know ask God what you want them up obviously is why no no no they're they're good for some people but that that's just the point isn't it that it's it's about the fact that it's not about holding things really tight and like our plans not always might not look the same as Gods (44:00) yeah well and and again New Year's resolutions often I think are about self-effort what am I going to do to achieve this what Jack was saying early on is actually it's by his spirit it's God that brings the order out of chaos and we can try and do what we like and sometimes I think we make plans and God laughs at them um it's it's not necessarily wrong if you feel like God's leading you down that rout but if it's all about you your power and your self uh self effort you've got problem let's I'm aware of time what time is yeah yeah we we ran (44:31) over IM we started late we did and we also had a few technical issues at the start sorry for that again folks but there we go thanks for bearing with us indeed thank you for joining us for conversation streak I hope you got um uh there was a few questions we didn't actually get dra to but hope you got your questions answered next week we either have Ellie light talking about the environment or Steve connley talking about the nature of God I can't remember which way around it is because Jack's put a seed of out in my mind always good to check these things before we get live isn't it it was always good to check (45:02) these things before you go live yes and uh that is what's going to happen next week we're going to be carrying on in the Book of Genesis over the next few weeks which I'm really excited about like I said you're going to learn a lot about God um learn a lot about ourselves and actually in four three or four weeks we are going to be looking at the science question so although I said Genesis is not a science textbook we are going to be getting into that a little bit I'm excited we might be able to is Will doing that one no Josh is doing that one well I'm going to ask the dinosaur (45:32) question bring your dinosaur questions and any other ones yeah and any other ones um but do stay connected with us if you're watching online hit that Bell hit that notification hit that subscription button all that's left to say is listen if you're watching this still thank you for bearing with us um if you would like to come meet us online you can do hopefully Dan is going to put a little thing on the screen which gives you an address to go to um just go to go do crowd. Church meet um and we'll put that in the comments come join us uh in about (46:05) five or six minutes we would love to see you in there um come say hello other than that we're going to end the live stream and say goodbye to you all here in person we're going to carry on worshiping God is that right yeah have I got that right I think I've got that right indeed thank you so much for joining us have a fantastic week wherever you are in the world uh bye for those that are online God bless you take care [Music]