Known from Things that Are

[0:00] so as you've heard a couple of times it is my birthday people always call and congratulate me on my birthday but there's really not a lot I did but you can come and congratulate my mom my mom's here visiting so she would love to hear the congratulations of that 48 hour labor that she had with me all right turn in your bibles to romans when enough of this fun kid stuff let's get to this serious stuff romans chapter one if any of you guys have been paying attention to anything that is going on in this world you are of the opinion or should have the opinion this world is going mad stark raving crazy mad how crazy is it interesting enough I get a call from one of my friends in the states and he says is it true is it true what's going on up here and I'm like well there's quite a few different things going on in here what are you talking about that you guys now have a law where you can arrest someone if you think they might speak hate speech you guys heard about that so the true government has are trying to get I think it's bill 367 it is about hate speech and part of the provisions is you can put someone under house arrest if you suspect that they are going to say something hateful if you're familiar with the movie minority report as anybody familiar it's an older movie all right old guys thank you Rick for not leaving me alone on this one but the whole premise was what happens if you could see into the future of a crime being committed would it still be moral and ethical to arrest that person before they were even guilty of that crime right and of course they recognize that it isn't but there's this thing that they use hate speech to and I was really glad the leader of the opposition says sometimes I think when the liberal party says hate speech it means the speech that they hate but you can see how it even be used to control speech in church speech in the government just in a democracy trying to share an opinion that somehow is not palatable to the masses what's interesting is that people are recognizing that there is something wrong with this thought process back in 2020 there was a book written by a journalist by the name of abigail shriver and she wrote this book it was called irreversible damage the transgender craze seducing our daughters and basically she is a uh uh like i said she's investigative journalist she graduated from oxford columbia university and yale law school she is not a christian she is from what i understand a secular jew but she became fascinated with the story because she as she someone had tipped her off to the story and she just came at it with not a view of pro-transgenderism or anti-transgenderism but just trying to get to the why all of a sudden is there this greater number in certain social circles and not only is transgenderism going on but they're allowing these surgeries to be done that ultimately sterilize 15 year old students so she just started looking into this and what was interesting she found found certain studies that universities had done they if you know if you gets into a journal

[4:01] um it means certain people have tested the thesis over and over and over and it's been proved good all of a sudden those articles started being removed from mainstream she started getting attacked and she's like i got no agenda in all this i just want to ask the questions she had been vilified attacked and her character assassinated what's interesting is that she just finished writing another book entitled bad therapy why your kids are not growing up and i would encourage every single one of you to listen to this podcast it's actually jordan peterson interviews her on the subject it is quite amazing some of the issues but what i find amazing is and this is where we're going is these are people that are outside god's kingdom that are thinking through these issues and they're saying what is going on is wrong and there's this wrestling why is it wrong and it's interesting a lot of people go under social media her argument it's not social media is the problem you know what the problem is parenting just parenting just being active parents i found that very encouraging now that flies in the face of our ndp government our ndp government made a statement a couple weeks ago as you know that you parents your role with your children is to not direct them your role is to affirm them and support them in any of the decisions that they make all right just craziness but she outs and she will say this she says if you have a child that is in any form of secular therapy get them out get them out and she goes through and she's going to talk about it she's going to talk about how the system all the universities and the teachers that go through even teachers colleges today to be teachers in canada are indoctrinated with this craziness that perpetuates this need that kids have therapy the question is why is the world pushing back more than the church pushing back why do we see these people giving their lives over to fight this evil in the world i'll tell you how bad it's gotten this week the most popular podcaster in the world you guys familiar with joe rogan the joe rogan experience if you haven't you're really not in this demographic but he's kind of a regular crude crass kind of guy he's got uh he's a ufc fighter commentator he's a big into martial arts before that and he's a stand-up comedian he's an actor um but he's got this really original podcast that has over 15 million subscribers his podcasts have been listened to or viewed over 3 billion times in this world okay people listen to what this guy is thinking and he doesn't pass himself off as any great intellectual he's just i just want to i just want to be a regular guy asking the questions that you guys should be asking still have put like elon musk and interesting people that have different thoughts on life his background is that he's a he's uh what he's called a vocal evangelist of the new atheists he's respectful towards religion but uh that's not his thing but then this week he made this statement i'll read this statement to you he says as think i think as time rolls on people are going to understand the need to have some sort of divine structure to things some sort of belief in

[8:09] the sanctity of love and truth and he says and a lot of that comes from a religion he says a lot of people's moral compass the guidelines they've used to follow to live a just and righteous life this this comes from religion we need this and he goes unfortunately and i want you to listen to this observation that he makes a lot of very intelligent people they dismiss all the positive aspects of religion because they think the stories are more superstitious and fairy tales that have no place in our modern world and he says this and they believe the lie that we're inherently good and your ethics are based on your own moral compass and we all have one simply says that's not necessarily true he's just undermined this whole world theory that's going on that he's looked at it and it's interesting his podcast was so popular he was on one forum spotify bought him out for 200 million dollars okay because and then they started getting mad because a lot of people who were left-wing didn't like it just this year he signed up again for another 250 million dollars so this guy is kind of living his best life now 450 million dollars this guy's made apart from all that money made as an actor and a commentator and all this kind of stuff but he's still looking that there's something off in this world not only do we need a god but the idea that our our compasses our own compasses are good and that we are inherently good uh it's not true and then he makes this statement he goes we need jesus we need you and and and and his co-host kind of chuckles and he simply says no no i think for real we need jesus now if you've been paying attention joe rogan isn't the only one making these public statements russell brand the one-time rude shock jock actor atheist hedonist drug advocate has life has been changed because someone provided him the book the purpose-driven life by rick warren he's now seeing for the first time that he has a purpose and that it's god not in the pursuit of his own hedonism in fact jordan peterson made the statement on joe rogan's podcast he simply said see you soon meaning that he himself has come to the conclusion that we need jesus now did they hear any great sermon on jesus did they recently see a movie of the passion of christ or maybe they've been watching the chosen or maybe they've been sitting under a pastor i'm unaware of such things they are just secular people making observations about what is going on in this world world today's text is actually the seminal text in answering the question can man know god from things that are you'll notice that is the title of my sermon can the world know and understand jesus just by from making observations about this world can man know god from nature can man know god through the observations of the universe can god can man know god through life and can man naturally tell what is

[12:09] right and wrong and what is the implications of this understanding in case you don't know pierre polivier has stepped up as the leader of the opposition his statements against some of the parenting and some of the other aspects in the transgender dialogue and he's done it in a very interesting way he says we need to combat the madness of this world with common sense common sense the question is where do we get that understanding of what is common sense who is he appealing to what laws is he appealing to is he appealing to an innate understanding that god has placed himself within man we all know that allowing a 15 year old child to make decisions that will render them sterile is not a smart or good decision there is a man that is pretty much well known throughout the world i don't know if you've heard him his name is billboard chris you guys heard of billboard chris he's just a man he's actually from the surrey area he travels the world and he puts a sandwich board and he's got two sayings on his billboard one children cannot consent to puberty blockers and two children are never born in the wrong body he's actually followed by millions of people around the world and he travels on his own money to every big discussion that involves and he sets up a phone and he just has conversations with people he's been in downtown vancouver downtown toronto he's been in london he's been in israel he goes everywhere just to talk these have these conversations and his statement is the reason i do this is our politicians refuse to listen our media refuse to report so i am having a conversation across north america what is written but it's literally this world this section in romans 1 that we're about to get into teaches us a lot on how to understand these issues it's going to teach us how to respond to these issues this passage is going to help us understand why is it that some people in this world get that this world is crazy and are trying to do something about it jordan peterson made the comment that he said canadians are so asleep at the wheel he says there should be demonstration and convoys against this new law so i'm left here thinking why is it that non-christians have actually written some of the best books on the subject on why this world is so messed up and i start to think how can the church best engage the world about these issues the teachings that paul brings us provides for us a key foundational key foundational teachings for some of you who love apologetics these are the key issues that you need to know and you need to understand for you young people who run school these are the teachings that will teach you the foundations of what other people are bringing against you before we go any further let me pray dear holy heavenly father we are your saints who have been called to live in this world we are part of this world we do live with people who do not know you that know the difference between good and bad right and wrong just and injustice we see battles that are being

[16:15] fought sadly we see or don't hear christians saying anything or engaging just even a christian testimony of a doctor the other day i listened to he said for if i was to say anything i'd lose my license and i would no longer be able to be a doctor there's great forces that are fighting these ideas of truth oh god but father as we get into this text we're going to see that this is no surprise this has been going on for years hundreds of years we know to you there is nothing new under the sun there's nothing that surprises you and father i do pray that these truths do stir up our hearts our minds and our souls for action there's opportunities for the gospel like no other time just in being able to explain to people why this world is so mad thank you for your word and not forgetting about us father but that you bring your special revelation to us in your word that explains these things and god's people said all right let's take a look romans chapter 1 verse 18 i've been reading it for the last couple of weeks we're going to read it again for the wrath of god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth for what can be known about god is plain to them because god has shown it to them for his invisible attributes namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made so they are without excuse for although they knew god they did not honor him as god or give thanks to him but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened claiming to be wise they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal god for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things now to help us understand the context and what is going on in this passage i am going to invite you into an episode of law and order squamish edition all right law and order squamish edition imagine for this morning that you are in a court this court is in rome proceeding over this court is the right honorable god the judge his name is elohim he is the perfect judge judge james 4 12 identifies god as the only law giver and the only judge there is only one judge that sits on the bench and it is the god the only law giver and the only judge that sits on the bench and it is the god of the judge mankind which includes you and i stand before the court we are simply known as the accused to our right stands the prosecution the apostle paul he is the one who's going to make his case against us this morning as the for the crown the judge right the judge enters the perfect perfect law giver enters the courts the judge asks what is this charge against the accused paul rises and reads the statement it's found simply in romans 118 for the wrath of god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth your honor the accused is charged with suppressing the truth and rejecting

[20:25] your right to rule that is the judgment that paul is making against mankind the crown defines suppressing the truth as hindering restraining holding back holding down preventing the truth to be known the accused does this and you've been with us for the last several weeks you know this but the accused does this by not worshiping you who is the only judge in god over all creation the accused does this by not demonstrating devotion to you the only judge in god over all creation and the accused has done this by not giving you judge all the glory judge over all god over all creation your honor the accused rejects your right to rule the judge turns his head to the accused how do you plead what was that not guilty your honor the crowd room kind of rustles and a murmur arises simply put your lawyer stands up and he simply says your honor Elohim my client the accused pleads not guilty based on the reason that he is as a gentile was never given the law my client is ignorant of the law my client is ignorant of you the law giver nobody ever warned my client about the law your honor my client is not a child of Abraham Isaac and Jacob my client did not have a law giver such as Moses to teach him your law my client did not have kings that were appointed by you like Saul David and Solomon he did not have the prophets to warn him

[22:55] Elijah Elisha Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel he doesn't know who they are so how can you say that my client is guilty if he didn't have the law he had no kings and no one warned him in fact you didn't even bother to send him Jonah like you did the Ninevites so this morning my client the accused pleads not guilty by reason of ignorance of the law and the law giver your honor we call this defense the not fair defense your honor this is the context of where we are in this passage of Romans that is the question the accusation that Paul is anticipating the text from verse 19 is Paul's case against us

[24:04] Paul knows that the Gentiles did not have the law Paul knows that they did not have Moses they did not have kings like David they did not have prophets who warned them but Paul in this text Paul provides two major arguments that we the Gentiles are without excuse the first piece of evidence that Paul provides the court to support his charge is that mankind is inexcusably ignorant mankind is inexcusably ignorant verse 19 for what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them verse 20 so mankind is without excuse if you're using a different version of the Bible your New American Standard will say what can be known about God your NIV will say that which is known and New King James Version will say what may be known but Paul is stating that it is impossible for man to be ignorant about God notice it doesn't say everything about God but it says what may be known about God can be known the Apostle Paul bringing this forth this first evidence now stands to address the court it says for what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them for his invisible attributes namely his eternal power and defiant nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made so they are without excuse what can be named about God note that word plain to them that means clear it is evidently clear another way of saying it the truth about God lies plainly before their eyes to the point that there is no possible way that anyone could claim any sort of ignorance because it is so clear the fact of the matter is

[26:40] God is not hiding God does not hide himself from this world God has not set up this life like it's some big escape room if you guys have ever been in one of those escape rooms got to follow the clues in order to get out to get your freedom that is not how God designed this world God doesn't cause an event every so often and you guys heard it before the big blood moon is coming something's happening God doesn't jump in and out of mankind every 100 years or so does a miracle somewhere and he says you know you guys figure it out like it's some kind of cosmic puzzle that if we can pull all these pieces we will have a clear picture knowing about God you do not need to be of high intellectual state and able to see it to prove it what Paul is clearly stating is that God can be as clearly seen as the sun and the day and the moon and the night how clear is

[27:57] God Paul claims that the evidence that God provides is so clear that we can never say it's not fair why is it so clear because God made it that way God created this world so that he may be known verse 19 because God has shown it to them NASB says for God made it evident to them the NIV says God made it plain to them what Paul is stating here you do not need the law you do not need the kings you do not need the prophets that God has made himself so clear nobody has to tell you about him you just need to use your senses and you will know that he is God now how has

[29:03] God made himself so clear tells us right here through creation verse 20 for his invisible attributes namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made again there's that world that word clearly perceived clearly seen clearly observed perceived but there's also another word it's not that they're just seen we just don't see that there's great things around us what he's talking about in that term perceived is there's an actual knowledge component that there is something beyond the mountains and the oceans that I see that there is something great in grandeur in what I observe what I smell and what

[30:04] I hear in this world remember those 3D pictures that were the big hype if you looked at them in a certain way and the image would pop out never worked for me I could stare at that all day long you twist your eyes around and never worked it's not like that with God it's not like if I taught you a secret way to tilt your head in a certain way and make your eyes go together can you see what God has done and know no no no no it's clearly and even in fact you guys have heard of Helen Keller she was the lady that was born deaf and mute when she was finally able to communicate and heard about Jesus Christ she knew she knew and understood that there was a God so not only are we able to see the image we we know exactly what it represents what it means what Paul is communicating is we can know that

[31:05] God is there without a doubt the great reformer Calvin wrote that God created the thunder to shake the skies the lightning to set the air ablaze and the storms to bring terrors to the earth even when agnostics call it mother earth they are acknowledging that there is a power that is beyond their understanding but there is a power beyond what they see and they hear we see these marvels and we understand that it is an invitation to give God the glory and worship the God on high I can think of two times where I was made still by the glory of God and let's be honest we see a lot of beauty here where we're not so much in all the mountains right a couple years ago Daniela and I took a cruise up the elastic coast and everybody was like oh isn't that really great yeah it's all right you know we've seen it is it's beautiful it's incredible but I remember

[32:08] I was in Florida I was coming out and there was a storm raging and it was down I don't know midway and the sky was fire red and everybody in the parking lot stopped you could even people driving the cars stopped and looked and there was this vortex that was going out in the ocean and lightning was striking out like you could see just the flashes and there was like there was no other sound everybody in this mall who was coming out was just in awe of what they were seeing this display of nature the other one I saw was when I lived in Illinois southern Illinois they get tornadoes and there's tornado sirens and they were all telling us to to to get underground to the bunkers but of course being a guy

[33:14] I'm half stupid my friends and I sat there watching the tornado form and you could see these three storm sectors these clouds coming and then when they met the lightning and how they started to form this this this this the only response was awe to be fearful of such power all men have evidence of God and their physical senses can perceive him and their inner senses can understand to some extent that there has to be some reality of truth of God in the greatness of creation even man knows that they are responsible for a proper response to this revelation so the idea that there's no argument or ignorance that's not fair just doesn't wash

[34:25] Paul in the book of Acts if you remember appears to Greece the Agri Paul and he's about to preach and he said that there's an altar and even the Greeks who've never heard of Jesus Christ they've never heard of God just there's an inscription that said to an unknown God that they knew in their understanding that there had to be a God this God had to have an altar even though they didn't know his name do you understand that there's something and I've shared with you a few times that there's like this Babylonian text where the man was writing he's pleading for forgiveness for a sin he's not quite sure what he did but he knows he's wronged the God and he's scared because he knows he must have to do something but he doesn't know what but he knows he's accountable the fact the matter is anthropologists see this all over the world but creation does tell us something about

[35:41] God notice it says his invisible attributes in Acts 4 Paul talks about God's goodness because he brings rain and sun to the farms brings order to this world the fact that we can trust the sun to rise in the east and set in the west the fact that even our earth you know a few more degrees closer to the sun water boils and evaporates the other way and it freezes and it's no use it tells us that when we look at these mountains and these oceans that there has to be an eternal power strength beyond anything we can comprehend in creation we see God's creativity to know that there's over 5,000 different species of birds in the world and how they always migrate some by the magnetic fields some birds chart stars there's a study where you could keep a bird in a room for his whole life and you set him free he will immediately know where he is in the world and be able to fly according to that star we know that God loves beauty we see the flowers on the fields the splendor the brilliance of the colors like I said we see God's kindness in the sun and then he gives us this beautiful snow to ski the waters to swim in and enjoy his imagination have you guys ever watched any documentary on what goes on in the ocean there's some real funny fish out there like God's got a sense of humor in that right like I don't know there's this one guy who's become friends with this fish and it's like this big ugly and the guy goes down and breaks down clams for him and the fish follows him every he's been going years and he's friends with this fish and it's the ugliest thing you've ever seen

[38:02] God's sense of humor just just yesterday morning there was a video of someone playing with a baby platypus the most adorable thing you could ever see like why did God make a platypus right it's kind of like an otter with a beak like a but there's a reason for it and it's gorgeous and it's beautiful and if you've read those we've seen those movies the mating dances that birds do to attract their mate they're hilarious like who would do that but I believe a God that has a sense of humor and then if you want to talk about the intricacy speak to a daughter about a doctor what goes on in our bodies the surgeries and how our bodies repair themselves and how they keep going and it's just amazing what goes on at a cellular structure it should amaze us how such tall trees come from such small seeds should amaze us that there are wonders and significance to the seasons that God gives us one of my favorite videos as you know because I subscribe because I have dogs

[39:27] I get these animal videos sent to me all the time but there was a baby beaver you guys seen the beaver one it's a video and it's the beaver was left behind little baby they raised the beaver and the woman who makes it is pretty funny she's like I'm gonna tell you right now you don't want a beaver as a pet and she's just talking about I guess his name is Herman and of course what does Herman do he's never met another beaver he was born they found him and they incubate her whatever obviously he says we can't have wood furniture anymore like he's chewed up the table he's chewed up the chair stairs and he builds dams in their house he takes all the toys that the kids have and he jams them up and he's just bringing stuff like he's never he's never had another beaver tell him how to do that in his mind there is no other beaver and it's amazing how even where God has placed certain animals is so important

[40:30] I don't know if you guys know back oh I don't know about 40 50 years ago they took a whole bunch of Canadian beavers and brought them to I think it's Argentina and they're a huge problem because why they build dams everywhere and that's what they wanted but there's no apex predator to kill them so they're crazy then then there was the other idea of bringing moose to New Zealand you guys hear about that they all died because they couldn't climb they all drowned in the ocean they couldn't climb the you know just just not thinking these things through that God had a purpose where and why he put all these animals Psalm 19 speaks specifically to this Psalm 19 one says the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork says day to day pours out speech and night to night reveals knowledge know what he's saying there it's not a trick on words but it's like

[41:30] God is talking when we look at his creation day to day pours out speech it's like day to day he's yelling I am here I am God and night to night reveals his knowledge just think of any sailor that goes back in time that can the stars are always in the same system to guide man when they sail he says there is no speech nor are there words whose voice is not heard their voice goes out throughout all the earth and their words to the end of the world in them he has set a tent for the sun and the sun who comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber in the morning like a strong man runs its course with joy the sun rising in the east and setting in the west it's rising is from the head end of the heavens and it's circuit to the end of them and there is nothing hidden from the heat

[42:40] I would encourage you to watch some of these nature shows if you have Disney plus there's that one strange rock and it's narrated by Will Smith who's definitely not a Christian and he's going through the first one is on the world and how the Sahara stands at that point of the year come over the earth which affect the rainforest and the storms take the nutrients and feed the krill in the north pacific upon which the whales eat oh it's all by accident it's all by accident and I encourage you to watch it for two reasons to see how amazing God is and how he made everything and two to see how man tries desperately to suppress the knowledge of God even the narrator Will

[43:52] Smith will struggle with his language trying not to say God they'll try to say that our planet was born in a cosmic storm whatever I'm going to show you a little picture so just reading this is a black robin you guys ever heard of a black robin probably haven't seen any unless you exist on an island which is 500 miles off of New Zealand it is called the black robin and they were down to like 17 of these robins and the thing is they don't fly very well and they live in tree stumps so rats and other predators get at them really easy so there's this interesting study and they're trying to get this group to breed and what happens is the conservative people not the conservationists would go and check on this one breeding pair's nest and sometimes there'd be an egg on the outside of the nest so what they do is they'd put it and they'd be like oh no wonder there's none of these birds they're really stupid they need to sit on the bird but they found out the more they did that the population was going down and they weren't even though more birds were popping out they didn't live very long and they weren't very strong and they finally decided to stop moving the eggs in because the birds themselves knew that there was some deformity or something wrong in that egg that would not they didn't want a certain trait to carry on to strengthen the line so when they allowed the birds to do their own thing guess what happened it grew so now there's about 300 of them no one taught them this but the birds knew that's

[45:58] God see when we see what God has clearly revealed in nature we notice that only a willfully closed mind to the obvious cannot see the power intricacy or harmony that is clear in this world this world screams that there is a master designer a master designer who rules this universe if you're familiar with Aquinas and I've quoted him a few times he lived in the 1200s but he deduced that you could come to some idea that there is a God even amongst ourselves and one of his big things is our understanding of beauty the arts we know what good music is we know what bad music is we know what good photography is we know what bad photography is we we know what good dancing is and we know what bad dancing is it's interesting my friend I lived in Ottawa for a time and

[47:08] I'll be honest with you no artist don't really pay much attention to art but my friend's brother in law was really big and he was quite a famous artist so I'd go to the shows with him and I remember one day staring at a picture for about four hours and I don't even know what it was but it was such an incredible use of the color purple with the textures that I was actually mesmerized by the beauty and it's still that imprint of God within us same with architects that can create such beauty of buildings and functionality we have an understanding that there is something good and there must be a God the early church father Augustine argued that man is restless until he finds his purpose in God he will always be restless he wrote until we find our rest in God we will be unsatisfied because we were made for God we were made by

[48:10] God we were made for God we were made to trust God we were made to love God we were made to obey God until then we are ungodly what Paul is saying in this text which is very clear is that no man can ever enter a defense that he is ignorance the fact the matter is atheism is a choice it is a willing choice to suppress the knowledge of God those who seek to suppress about God need to deny the existence of God now a few things that I want to make clear the first thing is what I am talking about is what theologians call natural revelation it is how God has naturally revealed himself in nature here is the thing it provides for you enough information to know there is

[49:16] God but it does not give you enough information so that you can have peace with God you with me what the knowledge does is it makes you accountable for your life it is an understanding that you are accountable for something or someone you see to be saved we need what is called special revelation what is interesting in this text Paul when he gets into this shows us what the special revelation is and when we go back to verse 16 of Romans 1 the special revelation was revealed in God's word and in the person of Jesus Christ amen what's interesting I didn't tell you this at the end of

[50:18] Joe Rogan's statement he makes the statement he just says come Jesus come come he says if you're listening God come now and I thought that was a this is a guy who just signed a $250 million contract right most people when you think about all right I got $250 million I know you're coming can you hold off for six years that's like a lot of fun right I can see a lot of places I can give it to a lot of Christian organizations right come on who's there not going to get on that one right but it tells you something about this guy who's got it all and he's making this conclusion that more of this is not going to help what's going on with what I see before him but verse 16 he says for I am not ashamed of the gospel you guys know that means for

[51:23] I glory in the gospel for is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith the righteous shall live by faith if you're new to this series you'll know you won't know but that beginning part of this dialogue is God's mercy at play because what we are getting into is depressing stuff but he's kind of letting us know about the hope before the judgment then he really gets in into the hope and the hope is glorious as he explains to who God is and what salvation is all about but he lets us know that now that you know there is a God it is a God this righteousness you receive by faith so you don't have to be like the

[52:24] Babylonian scurrying about trying to find out who you need to reconcile with Christianity tells you it's simply God and I've done the reconciling for you and my son Jesus Christ and that we can receive this faith by anyone who believes simply on the son Romans 10 8 he will later tell us the word is near you in your mouth and in your heart that is the word of faith that we proclaim because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved for with the heart one believes and is justified and that means to be made right with God and with the mouth one confesses and is saved for the scriptures say everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame for there is no distinction between

[53:31] Jew and Greek for the same Lord is Lord of all bestowing his riches on all who call on him for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved I think if there's anything in that we pray is an understanding that when we begin to share the truth with Jesus Christ is the first thing is to bring them the gospel to alleviate them from the concern that they can truly see this God and can have a relationship with this God and be ultimately reconciled to this God and instead of being frightened by creation you give glory in creation amen let's pray dear heavenly holy wondrous creative God with a sense of humor with beauty with magnitude all the things that we can think of in this world I just pray this church even for this week let them just marvel at your creation give them things to look at to understand to perceive that you say is clear it's there may it give us worship father we we live in this land here squamish that's kind of interesting because they recognize that there's a

[54:52] God but they're kind of in the next section they've traded that knowledge of God to worship rocks and trees and things that crawl on the ground but father we pray that when we evangelize and share God the first thing is to understand that there is a God and it's a God that can be known father the names on our walls represent the people that we want to know to come to a knowledge of you I pray for every single one of these names that are mentioned here for that were listed by friends and family members that they through their love they would continue to pray for them and father we pray that you would be extremely clear and the clarity that they need to have is to drown out the noise of the lies of Satan who tries to skewer the sight we have with our own personal pain maybe we dwell on past relationships we dwell on past hurts we dwell on our own past shames of our own sin

[56:06] Satan is tricky and he's an enemy that means to thwart your wonderful will father we pray against Satan we pray against his wicked ways we pray that your truth would be seen clearly and I pray that each and every one of us would get an opportunity to share the loving truth about the God who is beyond all this glory God's people said amen Christ is salvation is resurrection John is mama unrestedimp en him to purine toילו son twin his school their son or come through covenant and para him to him com e and know about his girl your own