Latest / The Last Supper Club / JESUS PRAYED FOR YOU | The Last Supper Club · John 17
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- speaker-0: Welcome back to The Last Supper Club! speaker-1: Woo! speaker-0: table is full, the room is full, the dinner table is full. We're in John 17 this evening. John 17 is all about Jesus praying for us and he prays for unity. So I thought, you know I'm gonna make? I'm gonna make a fajita. Well, I'm not gonna make it. The guests are gonna make their own fajita. They're gonna have guacamole. They've got salad cream. They've got cheese. They've got a pepper medley. They've got pulled... We've speaker-1: Beef? speaker-0: got pulled chicken. speaker-1: Woo! speaker-0: We've got mac and cheese, we've got salsa, we've got everything that you want because June 17 is all about how there's personalities in the room, there's personalities in the fajita, but coming together united in a fajita? speaker-3: What? speaker-0: is exactly what my menu is doing, John 17. And then on the dessert menu, we've got a sticky toffee pudding. We've got a banoffee pie. We've got a messy but small chocolate cake. Because we're all imperfect, but in Christ, he holds us together. speaker-4: Amen. speaker-0: A Terry chocolate orange. And a... This is the last supper club. I'm so excited to see what the Lord has got in store for us tonight. Shall we eat? Shouts go out to Bible Society. The EFB Bibles are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. And this is the table. This is the menu. This is the last supper club. Let's eat. This is The Last of the Club. with every figure known to man. And now we're jumping into John 17. Jesus prayed for us. It's actually titled, The High Priestly Prayer. Amen, amen, amen. Who better to have prayed for us than the Lord Jesus himself? And so before we dive in, my first question actually is, in whose name can you ask for something and get a guarantee? Yes. It might be a parent, it might be a coworker. You might be spotting that coworker. It might be bossman. Sometimes a nice little bossman might nice you up, you know. You might go into the shop and be like. boss but I knew he was like, yeah, I got you, I got you. in whose name can you ask for something and get a guaranteed yes? You're laughing already. speaker-3: I'm laughing because when you said boss man, I remember my actual boss. So she's really assertive and I kind of tipped her around things and issues. Today in my one-to-one I said, I'm just waiting on this training, but I don't think the resources are ready. tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. By 5pm we're all being trained. I'm like, OK, so she's a get it done person. She's called Minnie and I call her the Minnie Meister because she's a machine. So yeah, she's a get done person and one of my champions. So thank God for Minnie. speaker-0: Yeah, thank God for Minnie. I like that, a get-done-person. Yeah, nice. speaker-2: You say a parent, my mum is actually the person who's best at saying no to me. speaker-0: You speaker-2: But my brother, so me and my brother, I probably should have used him as my two things earlier. We're kind of inseparable. We've always lived together. We do everything together. And he might kick up a fuss, but if I ask for something, he'll do it and vice versa. speaker-0: That's nice. Anything crazy you've asked of him that he's come through with? speaker-2: I once for work needed some shirts heat pressed in Manchester by 9am and it was about 1am. speaker-0: Gabby's laughing because she's from Manchester. speaker-2: He managed to get the shirts to me in Manchester from London via some kids who were in Wales at the time. By speaker-4: it's got... speaker-2: 9am. speaker-0: Wow. Yeah. Wow. So I can get in there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's a good brother. That's a great brother. Thank you so much. speaker-3: I think it was the convo of mums. So don't know if it's that I can ask anything in her name, but she is the name that's the authority. So you every family has the disciplinarian. That's my mum. As in my mum is the one that, you know, if you're misbehaving, they'll be like, my mum's called Laurie-Sene. They'll be like, if you carry on, I'm going to send you to Auntie Laurie-Sene's house. And that's when you act straight. So my mum, my mum is the one to put in, I'll never forget this. My cousin must have been about 14 years old. Mum said, if you carry on acting up, I'm going to put you on the stairs. She thinks she's a bad gal. Me? Cool, carry on acting up. My mum physically, grips just got up, put on the stairs, made her sit there one minute for every year of her life. Anytime she moves, she'll start again. So I don't know, it's like, if my mum says yes, it's a yes. If my mum says no, don't even try and ask her again. It's a no. On the flip side, because she's a yes, no on authority, on vibes, don't play with my mum. On the flip side, I used to work for someone who's the permanent secretary, and that's the most senior civil servant in any government department. This man... was the most mild tempered person in any room. So gentle, so sweet, people thought they could odd body him. They thought they could talk to him anyhow. He's a nice guy. If he says no, he's gonna say it quietly. He's gonna say it with a smile on his face. If he says no, stop that. What he means is no, stop that. If you press that thing, he's gonna press you. There's one guy you don't wanna get pressed by. It's the nice quiet guy. So I think I've seen the yes, no's on both like... authority, energy, and not like gentleness, quietness, serious. And I think I find him scarier, not that my mum, because my mum's the scariest, but then other people's mum. The quiet, gentle one, when he says no, meant no. When he says yes, he means yes. I think they're the two, Pemsec and my mum. speaker-0: Yeah, that's great options. Thank you, sis. speaker-3: I think it's my dad. I'm the eldest of four girls and we are all daddy's girls through and through, but this is the prime daddy's girl. Even today, he messaged me a picture of God bless people who sent us wedding gifts in this economy because it's not easy. But he said, do you want me to post them? I'm talking about boxes of gifts. That man would post the gifts, Royal Mail however much he needed to pay them to send them. And he's only in Bristol, it's not like he's far. He would do anything for my sisters and I. Gabby, is it mad to tell the story about the pasta in Cameroon? No, it's not mad. OK, cool. speaker-0: Yeah, straight on, speaker-3: My dad doesn't play about women and husbands being good to their wives. And there was a pastor in Cameroon who had married the prettiest girl in the church. Every man wanted to marry this girl in the church and the pastor said, that's going to be my wife. Turns out this man was abusing his wife. So what did my dad do? He went to the pastor's house and he put him in a headlock. And he said, Never ever lay your hands on a woman again. Never lay your hands on a woman again. And that just goes to show, if my dad would do that for someone else's daughter, he would ride for my sisters and I. So that's my little story. speaker-0: We love it. We love it. speaker-3: Also, my dad's a lawyer, so actually putting someone in a headlock speaker-0: I love it. Yeah, yeah, go. Go, go, go. speaker-5: So. Just last week, Leah and I went to go see my auntie, who's my neighbour. So when we first moved here around 20 years ago, she befriended my mum. So she's one of my mum's closest friends. And especially as unfortunately my mum passed away nine years ago, she's been such a, like, avid supporter of not only to the family, but just for like, just all of us. So every birthday, she's always getting us cake and she always writing us a card and sending money. When it came to the wedding, As soon as I got engaged, the first thing she said was, anything you want, I'll do it for you. Anything you want, just let me know what you need. And that's just somebody who became almost like a second mother to us. Someone who's very caring for my whole family in general. So I see that as an example. Literally, if there's anything I could dance for in the world, she would just be there and just do that for us. So that's my example. speaker-0: Yeah, great example. Thank you so much, Rui. Yeah, thank you so much. I'm actually going to pick it up from your example of just how beautiful that is and all the examples actually, but just the generosity of it. And in John 15, so two weeks or so ago, Jesus is saying, remain in me as I remain in you. Apart from me, you can do nothing. But he says, ask for something in my name and the Father will give it to you. And so these stories, God is so kind to give us people as examples who we ask for something from our dads, our moms, our timid but very strong hard body people at work, the people that get it done people. It's amazing that God would give those stories to us as a reflection of us asking for things from Him. And so if you're new to the Bible, if you're new to who this God is, God says, I'm a God of good gifts. I love to give my children good gifts. And the gospel says, if you put your trust in Jesus, who's died and he's risen again, then you become part of God's family, which then means he's your heavenly father. And the same way, by God's grace, we can run to parents or run to those who we love and can be confident they give us good gifts. That's the same and that's true of God the Father. And so how lovely is it before we get to Jesus' prayer again? to ask the thing. So before I get to a really crudged question, is there anything silly that you've asked or prayed for God to do or answer that he's done that's actually just made you think, rawr, if you're gonna be just answering prayers like that, I should be praying big boy prayers. And so anything silly you've asked, you thought, Lord, if you would like to do this. And actually he's done it, or maybe he's done it to the extreme. Maybe he's been extra generous like the people that we've just been thinking about. Yeah, have you asked something silly of God that he's actually come through on and it's below in your minds? speaker-3: For me, it's always parking. And before I moved back to London, I used to live in Kent and I feel like each house had six cars to their name. So when I'm coming back home late from church, we like to fellowship, there's never parking and I'll be going up my hill and I'm like, Lord, please. You know, I was with the saints. I know it's late, but let there be a space. And every time I prayed that prayer, there was a parking space right outside my house. I'm like, thank you Lord. So yeah, is definitely, yeah, parking. speaker-0: Amen. speaker-3: So I think it's always going to be finding lost belongings. In our house we have a rule with sisters and my parents always said ask the Holy Spirit if you've lost something because we'd be losing things all the time and so it's like you'll look for stuff and then eventually when you really can't find you just sit down and be like jeez speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: jealous. speaker-3: Help me find this thing, And so the most recent one that I can remember is I lost my oyster and I really couldn't find it anywhere for days. And eventually I got to that place, said, Jesus. he said, it's gonna sound really bad. He said, look behind the radiator. And truth be told, when I looked behind the radiator, my oyster was like stuck. I don't know how it got there, but it was stuck. behind the radiator and it hadn't melted. speaker-0: Extra kindness. Thank you. speaker-2: Exit. speaker-5: I'll just go. So usually for me, it's almost always to do with an awkward client. So I would make an edit and there'd be a revision, do the revision, send it back, more revisions. And it's like, how many revisions do you need, right? And yeah, so I would pray over edits before I send it to a client. And when I'm expecting loads of feedback, God just proves how sovereign he is over man's heart. And it's just yeah, we love it. Thank you. This is great. And I think that would be my one where I'm like, wow, that was such a small thing when I think about it. But yeah, I think that that's for me the best example I could think of in my life where God has answered my prayers. And I'm like, wow. speaker-0: Yeah. Amen. Amen. speaker-5: I don't know if anyone knows anything about African tailors, but they're the really bane of our lives. speaker-3: you speaker-5: So a few weeks ago, my cousin was getting married in Greece and I had forewarned my tailor that I needed my outfit done with four weeks and unfortunately the date, which was a fake date that I gave him, still came and he didn't have it done. So to my bemusement, I had to go online and find an alternative outfit. And I prayed to God, was like, Lord, I have nothing else to wear. So please let white ordered fit. and everything came through and the outfit came through clutch. So I'm grateful. And that was really silly of me because I knew I should have really had a backup plan, but I didn't. But I remember trying on clothes like literally like tomorrow we'll tell you, I think it was like one o'clock in the morning and we were leaving the house at like 2 p.m. Like there was no time to have anything else, but I was so grateful and I did look good. So I'll give God speaker-3: Fikes. speaker-0: I love it, love it. Yeah, yeah, go, go, go, go, Cisco. speaker-3: That's a funny one. Back in February when it was really rainy and stormy in London, so I cycled most places and I was cycling home at like 10pm and just kind of thinking, my goodness, if something falls on my head here, I'm gonna garner. So quick arrow prayer, like Lord protect me. And then about five minutes later, this guy cycled along beside me and he said, you know don't have any lights, right? That's really dangerous in this kind of weather. And I was kind of like, I did turn on my lights and then I looked and they'd run out of battery. up being quite friendly and he was like how far do you have to go I'm gonna cycle behind you make sure you get there and then five minutes later I was like yeah I did pray for speaker-0: Protection. speaker-3: was just the craziest thing. No way. speaker-0: Anyway, I'm just going to jump in a question here that's not even on my list of questions. Isn't that just like the Holy Spirit though? someone is a little bit all around us, but that image of I'm cycling and someone is behind me and just looking after me, just protecting me, yeah, my light has gone out and Jesus is actually the light of the world. Like that is just such an image to keep in mind. With all the stories, they're beautiful. Keep them coming. What does it say about who God is? Maybe you don't know who God is. Maybe you've come to dinner today and you're just like, yeah, I love a fajita. Praise the Lord for fajitas. We love a fajita. But as you're listening, maybe you're thinking, I didn't know this is who God is. Like, this doesn't sound familiar to me. Or maybe you do know who Jesus is, who the Lord is. What does it say when you hear stories of God answering prayers for small things, but so personal? The revision because you're an editor and you need that done. Or yeah, parking because the Lord knows. would be so long to not get parking or Taylor. All of these things are so personal and God is a personal God. Just a quick one for me was the whole theme has been united. We'll get there but mac and cheese I just thought the mac and the cheese the cheese sauce once you put the mac in you can't really say the mac out I love it. I love it. I love it, but then I looked at my portions. It really was giving fish and and Yeah bread and bread and fish today because I'm looking at this portion I said it's not gonna stretch Lord. It's not gonna I literally laid my hand on this pot I said Lord You did it for that boy with the lunchbox for the five thousand, please I know we're not five thousand But can you multiply this cheese sauce and I promise you I'm looking looking at Gabby packing away Tupperware. And I'm like, the 12 baskets of Tupperware in John 6, in this flat, we've got Tupperware to give away, mac and cheese. Amen. What a silly prayer, but no silly prayer to the Lord, is it? So that tells me God is kind. He cares about our dinner. He cares about there being enough. cares about, yeah, there being a generosity here at this dinner table. So, yeah, what things, as you've been listening to those stories, do they say about God to you? speaker-3: I think to me it just says that He is a generous and good Father. I think some people have an image of God sitting in the sky being like, what a silly prayer. What a silly thing to pray is if I'm going to answer that. if it's His will, He's like, yeah. And I'll actually double it with greatness because I'm good. speaker-0: Thank you, Matt. speaker-5: Yeah, says to me, oftentimes we say that God is a provider, but I've come to realise that He's actually provision, like He's the source of everything and things come from Him. To say He's a provider suggests He gets it from something else. So it's just that reminding He's generous, there's abundance in Him, He's kind and He's not stingy. oftentimes in a society here, cost of living, scarcity, how am going to do this? How am going to do that? And then we can put that human limitation on God. And that's just not who he is. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-2: Yeah, I think all too common, we as Christians fall into like, thinking God is just the God of the big things and like births, deaths, marriages, hospital beds, but really it's understanding that God is in every minute of our lives and he cares about everything that we do and he wants us to pray without ceasing, right? Over everything and he's willing to step in and help. speaker-0: We need him. Amen. speaker-5: I think when I was listening to just stories everyone gave, I think I was just thinking about the words, how God will never leave you nor forsake you. I think I used that as an example of even as you mentioned, like lot of the small things, it's like pretty much God is present in so many more circumstances that maybe we would actually be like aware of. And so just using that as a reminder of like pretty much in all your steps and everywhere that God will be there for pretty much everything. So it's always just having that as a concert. where sometimes it can seem as if he's not present, when actually he's always there, just as long as you call him and seek him. Yeah. That's good reminder for me. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah, and me too. And me too. If you jump to verse... Yes, verse three actually, sorry. I'll just read verse three. In fact, let me just read from the beginning because it's all one sentence. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son and the Son may glorify you. Glorify your son that the son may glorify you. Since you've given him authority over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. Verse three. this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I love that Jesus is so clear. He's not trying to catch you out. He's not trying to like double guess you or anything. You're asking what is eternal life? And Jesus says, is to know God, is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ and myself whom you have sent. And so it's so lovely, yeah, both what everyone has said, but particularly what you just said there, Mickey, about He's an every minute kind of God and He's the God of the big things and the small things. And what bigger thing could you get other than eternal life? And just to say as well, eternal, I think when I first became a Christian, I thought eternal life was limited to the moment that I died and Believing in Jesus, yeah, there's a heaven and there's destruction and those who are not in Jesus. Can we make some noise for Lucy please? Woo, the saints are in the house. Yeah, eternal life. And Jesus says in John 10, another chapter, I've come to give you life and life to the fullest. And isn't it amazing that when he says fullest, it's not just about when you die. Yes, it is true that eternal life does happen when you die if you're trusting in him. But eternal life is now. It's the joy that you have when you find the parking. It's the joy that have when you get your suit back and you're like, Lord, it fits and I look good. Those things are eternal life. They are joy. They are peace. They speak to a greater need more than, yeah, the minute by minute things. And so as well as the simple things or the silly things, have you ever prayed a really big prayer? May it do with like eternal life or hope or peace or, I don't know, to know if God is even there. My story was, yeah, being caught doing something stupid and being like, God, if you're real, get me out. And he did. So any stories of, okay, you know God to be of the small things and he's generous. But what about the deep things? Here he's saying, you can ask me for eternal life and to know eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ who the Lord has sent. Any stories of big things that you've prayed for and God has equally come through? speaker-2: So I actually have two sons. speaker-0: Go for it. speaker-2: So I'm quite politically engaged, right? And a couple of years ago, I was like, this country's absolutely finished. I said, God, I don't think there's any help here. I'm out. So I think I'm out, yeah? So I spoke to my friend who lives in Dubai, and I was like, you know what? I think it's time to go pay a little tax. No tax, I just go take it easy and do what I... I got offered a salary job. I've never had a salary in my life. I was like, you know what's coming every month? There's no tax. Like, this is perfect. And I said, you know what? I haven't prayed about it. I said, God, look, I'm finished with this country politically, I think I'm out. This country's finished. You're to have to be very explicit and clear here, yeah? Within 30 minutes, I was on a call. with a civil servant in the government who said, Mick, the politics is absolutely cooked here. Would you mind, we're putting together a team, would you mind being an expert advisor to create a new strategy for young people? And I thought, that's mental, right? That's got to say I'm at least here for now, right? speaker-0: You speaker-2: And then the second thing, is so I heard the Lord telling me to give up a lot of summer work that I do. And this summer work is very well paid and genuinely is a big part of my provision. I said, you know what? God is on you. I don't know how I'm going to pay my rent, but it's on you. The next month after I gave it up, I was made homeless. My landlord goes, time for you to leave. I want to give the flat to my daughter. I said, okay, don't worry. God is fine. God's going to provide. And I remember being in a room full of all my Muslim friends, right? And I was like, God's going to provide. And they're like, you and this ooky-booky feelings, this spirit Malaki talk about. And five minutes later, my estate agent calls me and goes, Mick, would you mind moving to Putney? There's a free bed. two bathrooms, office, two gardens, driveway. I said, yeah, amazing, man. How much is it going to cost? He goes, no, it's on probate. Take it for a year for free. speaker-0: Wow. speaker-2: So I was like wondering how's he going to provide financially? I'm like, no, he made it that I don't even have to worry about where I live. you know what mean? Amen. So yeah, God is good, speaker-0: Yeah, amen, amen. speaker-5: A few years ago, actually interesting enough, whilst I was dating Shemar, I was on dialysis. So I used to go to the centre three times, three times a week for four hours a session for my blood to be filtered and my kidneys kind of failed me out of nowhere. But I remember saying to God that I wanted to have a new kidney by the time I'm 30. And I prayed and obviously I was dating and I... There were some other things that I was like, Lord, I need to be able to provide. I need to be able to be a father to my children. I need to be able to have energy. need to just be able to, I need to be good Lord. I need to be just in a space where I can be who you've called me to be. And a week later, after I said, I do to Shamara, I got my kidney. My kidney came through. I got the call whilst we were at a gospel concert and I was 30. So what I prayed to God for, he delivered far above I could ever think of. And that was something big. And I think, I feel like that is my, that's my mission. Like God gave me that content to help bring people towards him by sharing that. speaker-0: Yeah, what an amazing story. Amen. Yeah. speaker-3: Yeah, yeah, God is a miraculous God, to be honest, I think. Sometimes I just think I'm not even worth it at times because, yeah, I would say for me, like two years ago, I had, I don't know if you guys know about fibroids, you know, it kind of happens a lot amongst black women. And yeah, had to surgery and they took out 13, you know, and Yeah, I would say I wouldn't say I lost hope, but you do question your fertility and you know, if this is going to, you know, not to say I was doubting God, but I was also human at the same time, you know, recently, like recently, meaning last year, tried and I didn't need to try. God just made it happen. And I had a baby seven weeks ago. via C-section. It was also amazing because I had a fear of pregnancy called tokophobia because my best friend passed away the week of her being due to cardiac arrest. it was, yeah, was a God really instilled stillness, protection, faith during my time of pregnancy because of the tokophobia. the fibroids and just having a successful c-section and just being able to come out the other side. So that was a blessing. speaker-0: Amen. Thank you so much for sharing. With RuneJohn 17, if you look with me at verse 13, Jesus has said something that, yeah, is just amazing that he would say this. Verse 13 says, but now I'm coming to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I've given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. It's been so, it's such a blessing to hear all the testimonies and all the stories of, yeah, you praying and the Lord has done something amazing. I'd love to know when you've prayed a prayer where you're like, Lord, this is, everyone is not receiving this Jesus, this gospel stuff well. Like it's hard, it's hard to be a Christian at home or it's hard to be a Christian at work or it's hard to be a Christian anywhere on the road. you made me. Not everyone takes well to it. And Jesus says, no, don't worry. I've asked that the Lord will keep you, will protect you. I've asked my father. It's almost like Jesus having a conversation with disciples and there's, we get to be a fly on the wall and we get to have an inside scoop of what Jesus asked for. Isn't it amazing that he says to the father, help them, protect them from the evil one. It would be wrong not to share this story actually. And I don't know if we'll make the edit, but just, I work in radio, I work, at Radio One and Radio One Extra and this... Amen, amen, amen, amen. Amen, amen. And this week a press release had gone out to say a few of us have been cut from Radio One. And I was actually one of those names to be cut from the current schedule. And I didn't get told about it really until the press release had gone out. And I got a meeting in with my boss, the big, big... Big, big boss of Radio 1. as I was walking to the meeting, I just heard the Lord again just be like, just go in and just listen, like just go in and just listen. And so we sat down and He's talking to me about this is what's happened, these are the schedule changes, this is what's going on. And I've said to Him like, I was praying for you on the way here. This brother is obviously not a Christian. Well, not to my knowledge, not to my knowledge. But I said, in Psalm 121, it says, my help comes from the Lord. I look up to the heavens, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. And so I'm sure your job is a tough job. Like you're probably letting go of lots of people when lots of people are probably very shouty and very angry. I would love for you to know that God is your helper. And he was looking at me like, okay, okay, sure. I think there's also a verse in Psalm 112 that says, will fear no bad news. I will confidently trust the Lord to take care of me. My heart will be firm in the Lord. And so whether this is a good meeting about a job that may be on the table or a bad meeting about a job that's not on the table anymore, I'm going to trust the Lord to provide for me. Can I pray for you? And this brother said, yes. I said, amen, amen. And so I just, you know when want to lay hands, you just get so penny or just, I was like, okay, here's my boss. And I've just, I've just prayed for him and I was like, Lord help him. He's got a big job, but he's got a good heart to sit with me and, and just take the time with me. You know, he just, in that moment, help me, help me Lord, just pray the right things. And so I prayed, gave him those Psalms and he just looked so teary-eyed and he just gave me a hug. Yeah, he gave me a hug. That's the nicest thing someone's ever done. And so I was just blown away that actually sometimes, I don't know if it's because I don't want to work on a Sunday, sometimes work is like, work on a Sunday, work on a Sunday. I'm like, I want to be in the house of the Lord. church on Sunday, I don't want to work on a Sunday and someone else has said to me, that's going to really stunt your career, you're not going to go anywhere because you're not taking the opportunity. And I was just like, but my God is the God of jobs. Like he's the God who's going to provide. And so hugging him and just, you know, saying, thank you so much for your time and leaving that. I look at this verse that says, I do not ask the Lord that you would take them out of the world, but you keep them from the evil one. I feel that the Lord has kept me this week. And he's kept me in many, many ways, but one of those ways is, yeah, being a Christian in a media that often, it doesn't gel with you. There's things I believe, things they believe that doesn't get on, but God has kept me, he's kept me, he's kept me, he's kept me. And so, yeah, throwing it out to the table, any stories of where the Lord's kept you, where you've just shot up an arrow prayer, there's no time, you've just got to a quick prayer and be like, Lord, this is what's going on, help me. And you've just seen the Lord do something incredible on the other side of a quick arrow prayer. speaker-3: I'm trying to have it adjacent to what you're saying career-wise. My first job, I was a temp. I was a reporter for a B2B magazine. And I was doing well. New York said I was great. All the international offices were really impressed with me. And there was a permanent role coming out. I thought I was going to get it. And I didn't. I was devastated. So they let me go for reasons I don't know. and I was at home for a few months and then I get called another title in the same group once me. And at the time I calculated it was maybe a 40 % salary increase and permanent. But when I moved across that team that I wanted to be inside to crumble, all kind of scandals that I can't really talk about. But God was there and I just want to encourage anyone that sometimes he provides by closing the door. speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-3: You won't know, but I think that's why we have to give thanks in all things and trust him. And I was in the same open fan office watching it all go down across the galley, just thinking, God saved me. But at the time I didn't feel like I was saved. I felt like I was taking an L. But you know, when you're a child of God, you don't lose for long. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. Keep going. Yeah, thank you so much. Thank you so much. speaker-5: So recently we had a Thanksgiving service at SBC for the anniversary and I was tasked with making a video. yeah, let's just say we had a memory card decide it doesn't want to have memory anymore. speaker-4: my god. speaker-5: Yeah. So myself, brother Jacob and uncle Adé, we just took a moment. prayed over the SD card and yeah, used another one. And later on, I've gone to just have a check. Let's see if it's got anything on there, because I'm going to have to reschedule some shoots otherwise. yeah, what it was recording didn't save, but everything else was fine. So it was salvageable. And I think that was one experience where quick prayer, change the game. Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah, amen. Amen. Yeah, jump into this. speaker-3: This is the last question, I'll call for this question. You know when something's on your mind and you're like, it would be wrong of me to not say and give God props where props are due. So I started in the civil service chat, I in the civil service about five years ago and I was about a week into my job and one of my good friends, actually he was a civil servant, took me to the pub. So I was on the way to the pub, I was with Naomi from SB. I don't know what that is, sorry. Sorry. Took me to the pub, I was in my best civil service chat, whole new industry for me, big moment. I picked up my bag and I had like 40,006 missed calls from a combination of three people. My sister, who never calls me unless she needs something. My elder, my sister's in Manchester. My elder in Stockholm Baptist, Yannick. and my partner at the time now, a hundred and certain missed calls from those three people. I picked up the phone and my mum had been blue lighted, blues and tears into A &E with COVID. I'm in London. You don't think about your parents getting ill. And I said, my mum's the serious one. She's the one that's just a disciplinarian. She's stroke. And I'm in London and I'm the oldest, so I'm responsible. But I'm in London, there in Manchester. The friend I was with, Naomi, put me in a taxi. No, you don't know what you're doing. Someone's just moving your body around. put me in a taxi. She got in a taxi with me, got me into the flat. She packed my bag, got me to the station, got on the train, sat on the train. And I'm not from a believing family. Like, you know, black culture, we kind of all know about God-ish, but no one's like, in any sense that I can sense walking with the Lord. So you pray differently when unbelieving family are ill. My mum was... So I got to Manchester, I went to the hospital and it was after visiting hours. I think I've inherited a few things from my mum, one of which is, I'm not here to play with you today. Visiting hours are done, that's cute for them lot, but me personally, I paid my NHS tax for you. I'm coming inside, that's cute, that's cute, that's cute. So I forced my, and when I was on the phone giving my best civil service voice, put my fam voice on. When I told them who my mum was, they said, yeah, actually, you probably should come tonight. said, okay, okay. Now, obviously, my sister's there. My grandma was still here at the time. When you hear, yeah, come tonight, and they were like, no, for these hours, I said, but this is my mum. said, yeah, come tonight. I said, okay, let's pray. And I don't really remember what I prayed, to be honest. It's like, Lord, help me. It's like arrow after arrow, just one line multiple times. Lord, help me. Lord, help my mom. Lord, save my mom spiritually, physically. Lord, help me. Lord, so yeah, many arrows, not anything complicated. God was so kind. They were just about to ventilate her and they'd given her a few hours. I became an expert in oxygen levels. was watching that thing. I said, she's got this much saturation in her lungs, this much oxygen. I knew the rotation from the morning nurse to the night nurse. They knew I was going to call. I said, you just started your shift. Can you update me? By God's grace, my mom is still here. My mom is still here. She recovered, she came out of that hospital. I've got friends whose moms passed away during COVID. The funny thing is that my mom, we're not... not at church regularly, but obviously because it's been an emotional situation, the church asked, she can't really say no to me, but I'm not at church in Manchester, so I don't really know what church to take her to. I just picked one church and said, let's go. So I said, do want to come church with me? And she said, yeah. I said, Lord, if you want to save her, I imagine we've gone to the service, the man's preaching on Jonah. Cool. Jonah being in the belly of the whale and being kind of engulfed with reeds like he can't breathe. I'm like, he's talking, sounds a bit familiar. I remember someone, could have breathed. Is that resonating? I think I was, you know, we're still trusting the Lord for salvation for many family members. Who knows what the Lord's seen in anyone's heart. But I think it was for her, but it was for me. That the Lord A, saved her life. But then by God's grace gave her the... the willingness to come to church and of all the things to be preached, the situation where someone was in darkness and could not breathe, was engulfed by reeds in the bottom of a well and was suffocating. And I was like, I've heard John a few times, I've never heard nothing about. But him bringing it to life, that was the language he used. And I was like, Lord, you really, you hear prayers, you hear uncomplicated, childish, help me prayers. Many arrows shot multiple times. And yeah, I'd have to testify. speaker-0: Yeah. That's a track. Amen. Yeah, I so clever as well, actually. Amen. Amen. Amen. The Lord is kind. It's funny that both Gaby and Josje just mentioned church there and Jesus not only prays, this chapter is split into three. He's praying for himself, he's praying for his disciples, his mandem, and then he's praying for us. He's praying for the disciples to come. And it's an amazing thing. If you're believing in Jesus, trusting in Jesus, he's praying for you. He's praying for us. He's praying for us in this room. And so, yeah, just jumping down to close us, verse 23. of John 17. In fact, I'll just go from 22. There is a oneness about being a Christian. And actually I did have a thing on my heart this evening of if anyone's just not... There's not many places on any part of my week that I go and I sing and I see the same people and the same people care for me that are not my family or not obliged to do that or don't get anything back if I don't do this or I do do this. And that is the church family. They're the family that are gonna throw you in a taxi and get you to the hospital. That the family's gonna pray over the SD card and lay hands on that thing and let's petition this thing. I just, yeah, I think the Lord actually this evening is just wanting to encourage you. If you don't have a family, if you have a church family, join a local church family. There's loads of us in the room that go to different churches. We'd love to talk to you about that. But for those who are in a church, what does it mean to be one with your church fam? What stories could you share of actually, because this person did this for me and didn't want anything back or is that parable? I don't know you're familiar with the Good Samaritan and this man got dusted, beaten up, beaten up, beaten up. And this guy comes along the road, picks him up, dashes him in one. I don't even play Pokemon Go, this is such a left field answer. But you know like the healthcare centre where you drop off your Pokemon, this man really put him in the healthcare centre and said, pizza, I'm gonna go back to work. If this man racks up any more bills, don't worry, I'm coming, let me add it. And his battery life is going to green, to green, to green. And he's okay, and that is like sacrificial love. is just a picture of the gospel that we too were the once beaten up ones laying on the roadside. and God in flesh, Jesus comes and picks us up and saves us, mends us, heals us, and then says, you're not just meant to be some eye roll, this eyeball roll, you're part to be of a body. You're gonna be in a family, you're gonna be in one body. You need every part of the body to work. And so Jesus is saying, yeah, they're gonna know that you're my disciples, because you're gonna be united, you're gonna be one. And so just any last thoughts around, yeah, maybe that is a story where you didn't know was possible, or maybe, You've had a church experience where you're like, wow, these people really bandaged me up, picked me up, set me straight, did something in my life that I just otherwise wouldn't have this story to tell. So yeah, I don't know, any stories of verse 23 really come into life given that Jesus is praying for us to be one. speaker-3: I think for me it's just the church family itself. guess, yeah, God is sovereign and in His sovereignty He answers the prayers that were not even praying aloud. So for me, guess, yeah, my family is my mum and my sister. So from a single parent household, my mum is one of 10 plus, my dad is one of six plus, but country-wise, my mum is the only one here. So I never grew up with, going to my cousin's house, I'm going to my auntie's house, actually. It was just us and a lot of things were, yeah, I had friends growing up, but they would break down or things won't go well. And I just find myself just pouring into people that just didn't give back. And I think, yeah, a hard time for me was Christmas because you go on Instagram and you see the matching pajamas and you see the auntie that comes once a year. Like, it's not a good thing, but I never had that. And it's not until I gave my life to Christ and then came to church and. Yeah, I remember Lord, you answered a prayer that I didn't ever say aloud. where I wanted aunties, have, there's many auntie in church. There's many auntie in church, there's many uncle in church. Like I have one sibling, but yeah, the Lord has bested me with 20, 30 siblings. Like I am so blessed and rich, like something that my heart desired. And in my head before I'm like, it's not until marriage where, if I have a husband, it's his family that becomes my family. But actually in Christ, I have my Stockwell family, but I'm united to. every Christian around the world and actually, yeah, I'm full. So just being part of the body and that oneness, yeah, has been an answered prayer that I wasn't praying aloud. was, guess, yeah, my heart's desire, like, Lord, it's just us. And I am so full in my family as well. I love them to bits, but yeah, there's nothing better than being united with Christ and yeah, the body. speaker-0: Yeah. Amen. Amen. Amen. speaker-3: Yeah, I just want to piggy bank off what you said. I came from a similar background actually, and that don't get spoken about enough Christmas. That was like the bane of my life. To be honest with you, was just like, my God, Instagram, absolutely not. I think for me, I've never really found a church that I've kind of resonated with. It's actually been the opposite. You know what mean? In terms of fellowship, I've never really had that. feeling is either the church is too big or everyone just in their clicks, you know what mean? And that's, that's been my experience. But for me, church is not necessarily a building, you know what I mean? It's, I've been as of recent surrounded by so many amazing Christians, which been in the form of here, you know, I don't how I got here to be honest with you, be honest, wouldn't have necessarily come to a Bible study. My friends, do you know what mean? They've they're literally amazing Christians and really have been a blanket, of faith in my life, if that makes sense. So to me, that's my fellow that has been my fellowship of recent. And that's kind of almost like a church. You know what I mean? And Kobe, her husband and Levine's been amazing. Do you know what I mean? And it's just been constant reminder of fellowship, but in a different type of way for me. Yeah. So yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, thank you, sis. speaker-3: I was looking for a church when I first moved to South London and I did the classic thing of going on Twitter trying to see churches, trying to also see the churches I should not be going to because that's very important. And Stockwell came up many a time. So I went to Stockwell and I've been there ever since like four years. And Stockwell has been amazing for me. I don't live near my family. My family live in Bristol and I've always thought, really want to just go somewhere where I can feel like I have another mum. You know, like, I want to just go to someone's house from morning to evening and just eat food and watch TV and just also as the eldest daughter, you don't really get to do that, really. And I met Gabby and I met, if you don't know, sister Phyllis Hayden. Sister Phyllis Hayden. speaker-0: One more time. Yes. speaker-3: She is... literally like my second mother. I go to her house, I'm there for 12 hours. Like she will go to bed and we're still gisting, still watching old music videos. That house is like my sanctuary in London. And then my second example of amazing saints at Stockwell is we were planning our wedding. I'm a Taipei person, so I was all over the planning, but it was hard. was... working a job that I don't enjoy. I was doing photography on the side, we were trying to do wedding stuff. It was difficult. And we were talking to our dear sis Chanel at church and she said, well, I'm trying to get into wedding planning. I'll do it you for free. I said, pardon? speaker-0: Thank speaker-3: She said, yeah, I'm trying to get into it. You'll be helping me. Like, let's help each other. And when I say this girl was incredible, she planned the wedding, she coordinated the wedding. One of her colleagues said, I'm trying to get into coordinating too. Do you mind if I come along? I won't charge you. Let me come along. We won a giveaway for another Christian couple who said, we want to come and help coordinate your wedding. So everyone who was there, coordination wise, we did not pay for. They didn't ask us for money. They didn't ask us for anything. We fed them. Wow. my gosh. We fed them. Chanel even paid out of her own pocket for our bridal party to eat before they came to church. now when she's asking me, do you mind if I have the template that you sent to the bridesmaids? Take it. Take everything because... Sorry, I'm rambling. Even the vendors that we had, the Christian vendors that we had, the coaches that were supposed to take guests back to their hotel didn't turn up. Our MC said, how many people can I take in the car? let me take the people. He was going in the opposite direction. He said, let me take people home. just having Christians around you, good Christian people around you makes so much of a difference. yeah, it's really been a massive change in my life to have Christian friends. I'm so grateful. So grateful. speaker-0: Amen, amen. As I was planning, it's such a silly question, forgive me Lord. As I was planning this session, where Jesus says, gosh, is it in this chapter? Where Jesus says, by the way they love one another, they will know me. Sorry, give me the verse, what's the verse? By the way, sorry John, I just. Yes, they shall know me by the way you love one another. The verse that speaks about... The verse that basically says, the way you love each other will point people to Jesus, will point people to me. And I was always like, but will it Lord? you know, my family are quite a loving family, but it's so true. When I hear you speak like that, I think it's the sacrificial love. It's the not wanting anything back. It's the kindness. It's the generosity. It's the mercy. It's the grace. It's the, go the extra mile and just go for it. Yeah, I just wanted to close with that. That is... what Jesus is talking about, about being one, about being united. yeah, if you're sitting around the table and that's not your experience, you don't have that, Jesus offers that. Jesus actually offers that. He says, you know, you are actually not even just not part of a community, you're an enemy of God's. You're actually not even part of the family because you've done things wrong, you've done mistakes, you've got all sorts going on and you don't believe in me, you don't have eternal life. Turn one page if you wouldn't mind as I close. Verse three, Jesus says, this is eternal life, that they know you, the one only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Just jumping before in John 16, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will come to convict you concerning sin, concerning righteousness and judgment. Sin is just about missing the mark. There is a mark and I've missed it. Righteousness, that's the mark, that's the target. There's a right standing. And I am it, Jesus says, I am it. And then convicted for judgment that actually, if you go and die, you're going to stand before Jesus and he's going to say, yeah, what did you do with this? What did you do with this, this reading? And the best thing you can do is believe. And you need the Holy Spirit. Yes, you need the Holy Spirit, but you get not only just your salvation that that alone, we would praise the Lord a thousand times, but he actually says, and he has a family. His mums and aunties and sisters and cousins and wedding planners and vendors and all the rest of it that comes with just being part of the body. And so I pray that I would just leave you with that. John 17 verse four. And John is a guy that's been sitting at the beginning of the book. This book is written that you may believe. And at the end of the book he's like, believe, believe, believe, believe. So why don't I just close us in prayer and help us Lord to, yeah, believe. May I close us in prayer? Father God, I thank you so much for this evening. I am so gobsmacked and in awe of all the good things that you have done in every one of our lives. Maybe not just take for granted good things that happened to us, but contribute to your loving hand, your kindness, your graciousness, your mercy towards us. And for any of us who, yeah, came this evening, don't know you, may tonight be the night that you would help someone to believe in you. May it be tonight that... Yeah, you would help someone believe that you are who has been sent by the Father into this world to die for our sin, for all the times we've missed the mark, to rise again because you're righteous, that yeah, come judgment. We know we're safe. We know we're good. We know we're on your team. And so Lord, yeah, just thank you so much for all the stories. Would you keep us united? We all come from different backgrounds, different upbringings, different all sorts, all sorts, all sorts. But you've prayed for us, Jesus. You've prayed that we would be one, that we would be united. that many would look to us and be like, who are they? What's this group about? Who's this God they serve? And many then would come to know you. So thank you for all the stories, all the testimonies. We really do love you and give you all the praise. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Amen, amen, amen. speaker-2: What think, yourself, all the chefs, when we speaker-0: Amen! speaker-2: back? together yeah speaker-0: Just on that point, if you're still on, just a little bit. It is actually a picture of unity tonight. Tesco, I know you're not sponsoring, but Tesco, if I book you between 11 and 1, or 11 and 12, I beg you come because my heart was panicking, panicking. I've got one miltron. So guys, the guac is not here. The sour cream is not here. Everyone said, OK, I've got this, I've got this, I've got this. And the way the table was full, said, praise the Lord. If this table is a picture of unity, that's... That is actually John 17 on the table. And so just thank you to everyone who dipped in and bought whatever you bought. You have blessed me and blessed our belly. So thank you, thank you, thank thank thank thank thank you. Amen, amen, amen. Amen, amen, amen.