The unexpected Guest (Expectation)
So as we gather around your work this morning Lord I pray that Lord. You help us to grasp hold of something more of you. Something bull. Have your heart for all world. Something more about your son, Jesus. Play Father, open Our Eyes, Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord.
Be glorified, even this, we here and study your word today. We pray in Jesus name, I meant a series for this month. For December is expectancy.
I don't know what you had a guest to stay recently. You're probably planning to have someone know. You were coming somewhere Christmas. Many of us will be eating even with mouse and everything else that's going on, but probably be coming from somewhere over the rainbow people.
I'm so people are preparing.
I'm just like The Innkeeper said. Yeah, that was a, it was a senseless coming on. The people are traveling to go somewhere. The end was full. I thought it was the same today as a theme for this month. Is expectancy. I want to talk about the unexpected guest. Cuz we can still be expectant of the unexpected. Ready for anything and we ready for nothing. I'll say that again. Cuz I believe anything. We ready for nothing?
I'm so I do want to talk about the unexpected guest.
Yankee presiding at video he said his mom says there was an extra plate, make room make room in your heart because that's where it stops. Before you even think of lying an extra place at the table, you have to think of it. Before you do it you have to figure it boy. You think of it, you better make room for it. I know you, I don't know what do your British in in this this particular mindset but I'm absolutely a believer in one of the things I think we do, is we go, why don't you put R, A too much in your walking down, Acoma, High Street and you see a friend? You haven't seen for a long time, it's like what? And then you'll thinking portions of chicken kiev. It's not going to look so you get your thyroids out but we get out. I was out and about in three weeks time, a full week's time. How many times I think the spirit is nudging us to just say my truth.
When God gives us a spice, someone who needs my love. Someone who needs my encouragement, someone who needs to be. But what goes on, in our heads, only two portions of chicken Kiev.
I'll probably eat some of you would definitely heard me tell the story before now. But when I went to Papua New Guinea, I was often walking through the bush like walking through the bush between Villages because I was once. And I was unusual that be people to come and join me and they knew they couldn't believe that I was single so they will call me brother. David, how are you? I would tell him and then we need to Bushton. Maybe we got us some mangoes on their way and
And as we were walking through the village sites, I come and eat with us.
And I didn't realize what was going on with them and they have a thing called a house win in the house. When is the house without wolves bamboo floor in the sun on the rain? When it rains out? That is no rules and you can get a bit of a breath of fresh air at there is a me if there is any wind, if there is any parades and piled high with root vegetables. Sweet potato manioc, cassava, great big chunks because you went with your hands are full of root vegetables. And then I got a plate in the. I pick up some root vegetables and meat egg rice and then it's not too late. What I didn't realize was that supposed to be known for a while and put them in the microwave. They didn't like being in the part already. Cooking for that lunch.
They suck me, and I sat down with some of the other members of the family, what I didn't realize in the first few times because I was eating somebody else you for lunch.
And it was only after I realized that there were other people. The rest of the family, sitting beside listening to the stories. You were telling that I was a little more cautious about eating eating this evening. Because I was eating somebody else's room. They made room in the Hops. They made room around the table. They made room with the food. This a trick is a thought why can't we cut up the chicken? Kiev into three portions will get a bit.
I'll put it by potato in the microwave to die. That would be easy when you just had something more. But what we do is we go, this is too difficult.
John. I really believe God wants to bring some unexpected moments into our world into all day.
Think about this. You're just about to go, you just about to go into Zoom meeting or teams meeting or just about to go out the front door and the phone rings. And you look at your hand setting think, I know who that is.
But sometimes we happen sometimes we genuinely have them but many times is just here in our heads up, I was walking out the door. I don't have time right now.
A few years ago now, I walked out my front door. I was going to catch the train into London and I thought there was somebody will come down the right away. I haven't seen for a while to live, just around the corner from us. And we walk down the road chatting together, and we came to the end of Greens Road. And I was going to head towards the train and he was going to write to Old Central. I can be really good to see you. You know what? I went left and right, Road, be room for more conversation.
It's the thing I was thinking I've got to catch this train. I didn't have to happy fun time. I had not my room.
and so, as The Innkeeper set,
New Jersey boss was please. Inside avoided please, please.
Let's have a look at Luke chapter 21 verses 25 through 31 and I will be signs in the sun, in the moon and in the stars and all the Earth distress of nations with perplexity, the Sea, and the waves roaring men's Hearts, fighting them from fear. And from the expectation of those which are coming on the earth for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great Glory. Now then we see these things begin to happen to look up and lift up your heads because your Redemption draws near. And he spoke to them a parable look at the Fig Tree and all the trades. When they are already bothering you will see and you will know for yourself that summer is now in there. So you also, when you see these things happening know that the kingdom of God is near They're all songs. They're all signs. Sometimes, we don't pay attention to it. Sometimes we don't think. Sometimes we just need some Mike's Bikes, we need to make room.
I want to encourage each one of us Christmas. He's a busy time, a list of things we need to do.
I want to remember. I want to see you a couple who are John and evil knowing which size and We used to have enough to me off to the evening service. There's a bit of a memory. An evening service, and we used to have enough to make some time to talk to because it different people's houses right by my house is a mess. When you leave on the most particular about keeping a nice house tidy. She was always gets what she meant.
I said it'll be fine anyway. So we went back to the office to meet people and more important in Polish
The police are not encouraging us to bring strangers to our table. What I am saying these for those, we know those, we love, those were familiar with. We need space and time to encourage one another, that's make Thomas type time. And let's do what God has designed us to to Fellowship together.
I think the world is crying out for relationship. He's crying out for an upward, probably. Overdoing it a bit more connection. I'll be honest with you. I'm sick and tired of. You feel like I'm sick of tired of staring at a screen to a building relationship.
I started telling me some of the people that I work with, I'm saying, okay, I'm going to poke my I'm going to book in my calendar that I stop. I'm going to look on 5 minutes before we get into
Because that's what would normally happen, but isn't it, what would normally happen? You making an amazing room, you gotta be able to stay in coffee and you preaching about the weekend and you be building relationship. And now we jump from meeting to meeting to meeting with John, from country to different parts of the world, to different people. And I don't know what your brains like the ones often fried. Jumping from this meeting to that meeting, please. Make sure that there's no spice is no time to breathe. It's not time for a relationship. I'm not deliberately trying to make time for a relationship now.
I had an opportunity to, to, to make a secret entrance, to give a gift to a charity, and let the person know the gift has been given to the charity. So that's nice. But what are you doing at Christmas? And what have you been doing? I was just trying to find out what he's in cheese for a bit more to work out what to give to, but We don't talk about Christmas. You said yeah, I said what you like about Christmas anymore? I'm going to learn to chit chat cuz I'm not driving to chit-chat. Some of, you know, I was a sorry place for a number of years, and I found, I was reading the job. If I'm already rubbish at the job, I'm some of the other chaplains. I say, how do you do this? You need to link up with purpose and intent. I know what you mean. It's a police station and hang around and find me. Blind boxes of donuts. Would you like any making a cup of coffee in top of saying serving it? To them that was a place for conversation. I was just, I need a little something. In one of the reasons why
One of the reasons why we give you all these things, you start that conversation to. So please keep on taking the bags in the pens in the and the the monks and give them away and find an appropriate opportunity to do it. I was
bless you. I was a couple couple of weeks ago, I was in Costa Mesa or someone might help you or not. I had one in my pocket and gave it to them for once it'll be useful again. So I told them a little bit about us. Just don't know. You never know what make room make that's making room in our hearts for conversation. That's making room in our hearts, for acts of love. That's my criminal life's or random acts of kindness. Anybody remember the Canadian teams that used to come to church, we still have them staying at New Road. Wrote down his son used to leave many of them. I might like, I am and I am one of the things I did as a strategy was alright, I'm random acts of kindness in the morning. They would focus on every 10 12, 14 of them and then they pray and they said they decide what they were going to take with them. Some people chewing gum some things. I remember one guy said it and then looking very panicked and he was reaching into his pockets and the suits on and it hurts.
Are you okay? Like I said, I'm just going for a job interview.
Because I just imagined you might just say this is a coincidence if that's what you want to think, I don't believe in coincidences. I mean I believe in God instances by my pocket this morning and thought, I'd like to give you my time What might you put in your pocket and then explain who took 5 or 10 minutes? That's amazing. The guy from the Canadian team, remember his name. Now he just looked at the guy and so just remember this moment. It's just told me to put in my pocket and then we happen to me. In Burger King where it was. I can't remember that bad. It's just just think about it. Think about how big are these and how much he cares for you. Add appointment went to Mike in. The story is not that God is great and the girl can tell us what we need to do, but the fact that the person who was there, why would I put you got one time this Sunday, why would I put it in my pocket?
He might bring a migraine for the possibility, just imagine how frustrating it would be this guy in Burger King.
Tony. Such an amazing. God has such an incredible God.
What loves us so much?
Sometimes we know the times and the seasons in Mark chapter 13, verses 32 and 33 it says, but no one knows not even the angels in Heaven, nor the son, but only the father, take heed, watch and pray for you. Do not know when the time is. I'm talking about the return about save, it talks about and it's lots of stories in order, the gospel to talk about be ready. I'm not talking about be ready for your next, guess. I'll be ready for the unexpected. Be ready for those moments when God wants to use you and me and smallfoot miraculous
I was in Mexico. I would like to speak in a number of churches in Mexico. And we went to veep's now, because he's a chain in in America and Latin America would know how to compare it, but I miss you. Every time I was looking at that moving or is it that wearing something I just kept on looking and Couldn't work out why I was getting distracted until I recognized. It was already spent. So I didn't know what I was going to say. I just said,
So, if you turn to this lady and translation inside the types of pasta from, you kind just like to share something with you. If that's okay, she suddenly she started laughing and she started laughing and said why you laughing? She said what's together years before they start, just Thinkin that in these few moments I just said what I said, and the lady was so encouraged, but it also rekindle the relationship to the Don't just such a good go, but we need to have to make room for the possibility of God wants to use us. And I quit before 12 if even if all blinkers are on the way doing that and that's what we doing. There's no room for anything else. Why do I just want them to be so focused on the Finish Line? They can't even see the competition. I'm so busy, I don't have time to do this. Remove. Time is just how do we use it. People more important in Polish. Prayer is more important than the TV. I'm not saying you can't watch the TV. Please don't hit me wrong. I just think if we, if we
Actually, that's the report button is what flights are now and I don't know how much TV you watch these days that's life for me. It's very, very little most of its neighbor. I want to watch it.
I'm in the water time in our world where people with Usher you out of the house because something was just about to stop.
Is it happened to you? You have to make up the time for this to watch this.
So take heed watch and pray for you. Do not know. You do not know. We do not know what the time is on times and seasons of things, we need to pay attention to. Sorry, let me fry.
Father, we read in the Nativity Story, we read of Mary, and Joseph coming to an end and needing a place to stay. I'm The Innkeeper making room. Father, help us. So Mike room. For the possibility that you want to use this tonight. Help us to make room to the possibility. You want us to connect again with someone we haven't connected with for a while.
Call the help us to make room in our hearts to give like the time, maybe sometimes money, maybe sometimes food and fellowship.
The father, help us to my trip.
But we do without time real reflects what's important to us Father, I think for all of us we want to say, it'll be want to do more of what you want this to do. Motorsports in Alturas, what's your agenda? That can be important. The Father, the moments in between.
The opportunities that come. All the help us to continue to be an encourager to bring joy into Joy. The situations help us to bring peace where there is conflict. Well, I hope is to be your agents of change. We would be expected that Lil Wayne. We Do What You pull us to do and would be changed. They would be the impact. It would be blessing.
All they let us not be surprised by the magnitude of what you can do in us and through Us For Your Glory in Jesus name. Oh man. Oh man.
This may give you a bit of a PS, I write some nights down about how you might do this. And these are just some I wouldn't say these were just a few when you when you put things in your diary. Whatever your calendar system, is it probably broke some to the hour. Just don't think about making spicy no world. When you create an appointment in your diary, it automatically makes it an hour until 11:10 till 10 to 11. So we give you a spot in, in all day, rather than going from meeting to meeting to meeting.
Also deliberately put in your diary spice for social club, So, I deliberately for a couple of meetings all done recently, I'll send them a meeting for 10 minutes before the 45 minutes before and I didn't send it to everybody.
I mean, to maybe take a walk, Robin go in the car. It's going to be good for you likes. Going to be good for you wife's line bump into somebody while you're driving. You can't bump into someone must be working and then you can work together and then you can have a conversation, is another suggestion. We need to get out in the fresh air, we need to, we need to be in places where it's healthy to be done for walking meeting rather than in the room waiting, if you, if you decide to make some rather than other coffee shops are available, by the way,
Get fresh. That probably you'll have a different conversation. One of the things that I noticed whenever I went to get it was the best conversations happened when we were working on stuff. Not sitting at the table, looking at one. Another, that's quite an intense thing, but working on stuff walking together.
