More of Jesus: Embracing Transformation and Community

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Jesus says, let the children come to me. That's it. Good explanation, right? Yes, let the children come to me. And what I hear Jesus say there is mainly that he tells us that we as parents, as a community, as brothers, as a family, should not stand in the way. [00:20:48]

And we, as a community, it is not only our task not to stand in the way, but to guide him, encourage him, help him, guide him to be able to live the life with Jesus in this world. So let the children come to me. That's it. [00:21:18]

We begin with our new series about our new vision slogan as it were. I hope you have seen it or received it by now. And that is it, first more. First more. And this comes from these beautiful words of Paul in Ephesians 3, verses 20 to 21. [00:40:01]

And there it says to him, who by the power that works in us, is able to do infinitely more than we ask or think. To him be the glory, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations, to all eternity. Amen. First more. [00:40:31]

In the course of time, Western Christianity, I know too little about the rest, but I call it Western Christianity, has become increasingly dependent on other mores. Such as more comfort, more professionalism, technology, entertainment, success, consumption, individualism, and spectacle and so on. [00:42:28]

And although these things, because I don't want to make it so black and white, because although these things can be of added value, it becomes complex when we think this is what we mean by first more. And then this obviously becomes more and we then have more to lose. [00:42:57]

And Jesus also once met someone who had a lot to lose. And let's read together, you know that story. But today, I promise you, you don't know the story completely. Mark 10, from verse 17. When Jesus continued his way, a rich young man came to him. [00:43:52]

And Jesus asks him to sell everything, to give up his wealth, to give it away, to break his dependence on it. Jesus says one thing, one thing you lack. It was this one thing, but this one thing, one thing, no more, so close. [00:46:27]

And what is particularly special in a strange way is this. Maybe we leave for a while. But we do kind of come back. Right? We come back. We do stay in the vicinity. In the vicinity of church. And God. And faith. [00:50:36]

And Jesus' words became clearer and clearer in his mind. And eventually he made a decision and sold all his possessions. He had nothing left but a shirt on his back. He stayed in the vicinity. [00:57:45]

And he stayed close to Jesus and he kept listening and observing and internalizing and processing and struggling and searching and looking. And he kept listening and observing and internalizing and processing and struggling and searching and looking. [01:01:22]

If we come very close to Jesus, and that is often there in the grave, then he will do a work in us that is so profound, that it is not only a change of our thinking, but a transformation of our DNA, of who we are. [01:13:08]

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