WEBVTT

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 Good to see you all.

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 We've been waiting for 25 years.

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 We've been waiting for 25 years for Abraham and Sarah to have a baby.

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!

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 The sleepless nights begin here, and from here on out, everything's going to be fine.

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 It is not the case.

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 In fact, Genesis chapter 21 was not the climax of Abraham's life.

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 It is Genesis chapter 22, which is today.

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 And we're going to be looking at that today.

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 And I'm going to invite the lovely Emily to come up to read the word of the Lord to us.

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 As is our tradition, we love to stand for the word of the Lord because it's just God breathed.

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 It is God's word to us.

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 And so we stand in reverence and also, can I invite you to stand for the word of the Lord

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 as Emily reads Genesis chapter 22 to us.

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 Thank you.

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 Lovely, James.

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 Genesis 22.

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 After these things, God tested Abraham, and he said to him, Abraham.

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 And he said, here I am.

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 He said, take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah,

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 and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.

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 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him

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 and his son Isaac.

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 And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place which God had told him.

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 On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.

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 Then his eyes...

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 Oh, sorry.

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 Then Abraham said to his young men, stay here with the donkey.

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 I and the boy will go over there and worship and come against you.

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 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son.

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 And he took it in his hand, the fire and the knife.

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 So they went both of them together.

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 And Isaac said to his father, Abraham, my father.

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 And he said, here I am, my son.

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 He said, behold, the fire and the wood.

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 But where is the lamb for the burnt offering?

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 Abraham said, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.

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 So they went both of them together.

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 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order

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 and bound Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.

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 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

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 But the angel of the Lord called him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham.

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 And he said, here I am.

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 He said, do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him.

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 For now I know that you fear God.

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 Seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.

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 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked.

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 And behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns.

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 And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

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 So Abraham called the name of that place the Lord will provide.

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 As it is said today, on the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.

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 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said,

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 By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son.

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 I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of the heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.

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 And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.

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 And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice.

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 So Abraham returned to his young men and they arose and went together to Beersheba.

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 And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Thank you, Emily.

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 Please take a seat.

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 Thank you so much, Emily.

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 We're going to go through this.

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 But before we go through chapter 22, there's one verse that really just kind of jumped out at me.

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 It was just the verse just before that at the end of chapter 21.

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 And it says, because he's got the baby now.

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 And then he says, and Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines.

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 What an interesting thing.

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 Honestly, this has been, going through Genesis and going through the story of Abraham has been good for me.

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 Because if you've, if I've had a chance to talk to you these last few weeks, this is something that I've been wrestling with.

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 And actually the story of Abraham has really been blessing me.

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 Because as someone who really, right now, is a little bit of just sojourning going, well, is home England?

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 Or is home Hong Kong?

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 Or actually, where is home?

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 Or what is home?

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 And then I'm looking at Abraham's story.

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 This guy was promised so much.

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 His family would own land.

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 Lots of land.

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 And yet he spends the majority of his life as a sojourner living in a tent.

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 Oh, that just kind of speaks to me that, man, despite all the stuff that he's been promised,

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 and yet he's actually happy just to sojourn through foreign land, the land of the Philistines.

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 In fact, one of the only pieces of land he actually ends up owning is a few chapters later where Sarah finally dies

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 and he actually has to buy her land to bury her.

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 That's the only thing.

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 It makes me think, we weren't built for this world.

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 The city that we belong to is not on this planet.

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 It's somewhere else.

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 We're sojourners just like Abraham.

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 And I'll tell you about my idol.

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 My idol as in the Christian term of the idol in terms of what I really hold on to and what I really struggle with.

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 I was talking to Jay and Emily about this the other night.

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 Control.

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 Control and comfort.

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 I love to know what's happening tomorrow.

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 I love to know that's why children are just a complete wrecking ball into the lives of parents because you no longer have control.

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 You don't, you're unable to dictate where things go.

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 You see here at the beginning again, this is interesting.

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 Genesis chapter 22 is almost a repeat once again of Genesis chapter 12.

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 That first call when God says to Abraham, hey, go.

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 You see the call again where he says, go.

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 It reminds me, many of you will have heard me tell this story as a 16-year-old when I'd done something that wasn't so good.

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 And then my dad takes me.

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 He takes me to the church that we grew up in in Leicester.

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 We went there just this last summer.

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 And this crazy thing happens.

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 He goes and he takes me up to the sanctuary upstairs.

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 And then he starts bawling his eyes out.

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 He starts crying.

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 And then he lies just at the stage, just underneath the cross.

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 And then, of course, as a teenager, I'm like, OK, I'm in trouble.

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 But I'm the one who's supposed to be crying, not you.

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 And what's going on?

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 And then it was that when he told me, there's a feeling that the Lord is going to take him away early.

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 And it would be a time that would be unexpected.

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 And he made me promise him.

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 He said, James, one thing that you have to promise me, it isn't about education.

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 It isn't even about looking after your brother and your mother.

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 Just be true to your calling.

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 I interpret that as to being, if God tells you to go, you go.

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 That's it.

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 And honestly, that's the journey that I've been on since then.

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 Christina and I, these last few weeks, since we came back from sunny England, maybe a little bit too hot with our air conditioning.

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 But coming back going, God, where is it that you're calling us to?

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 What are you calling?

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 What do you actually want us to do?

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 We seem like sojourners.

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 What are we doing here?

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 And I realized the Christian life is not just about becoming good people who have good behavior.

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 The Christian life is about responding to the call of God.

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 Time and time and time again.

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 The scary thing is, God calls you to go somewhere.

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 He often doesn't tell you exactly where.

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 Genesis chapter 12, he says, go.

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 I want you to leave home and I'll tell you where you'll end up going.

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 Genesis chapter 22.

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 Remember those seasons I talked about a couple of weeks ago?

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 He's gone through a lot of seasons.

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 He's gone through 25 years, 26 years of just seasons of making mistakes, going up and down, up and down.

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 And now we reach the climax because God tests him once and for all, one final time and says, go.

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 Go where?

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 He said, go.

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 Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.

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 Again, he says, go.

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 Head in that direction, but I'll tell you where later.

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 How often when we want to hear the voice of God, it's saying, hey, go.

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 And God, can you tell us exactly where you're going to tell us to go and what we're going to be exactly going to be doing?

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 And yet God doesn't do that.

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 And so we see here Abraham again responding to God, not knowing where to go.

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 And I love it.

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 God just calls him by name, Abraham.

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 So often we think of this God who's just distanced, saying, little minion, little human, obey me, follow me.

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 But no, it's Abraham.

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 Abraham, go.

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 And go and take your son, your only son, almost just to rub salt in the wounds.

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 Why?

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 Because just a couple of chapters ago, there was another son.

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 There was another son, Ishmael.

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 And God said, I know there was another son.

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 But I'll bless him and I see him and I hear him.

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 I want to be okay.

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 But now Isaac is the only one you have left.

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 Take your son and offer a burnt.

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 Go to the land of Moriah where the mountains are and then offer him as a burnt offering.

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 A lot of us think this is, wait, he's telling him to kill him?

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 No, it's offer him as a sacrifice, as a burnt offering.

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 If God was like, hey, I want you to show me how much you love me.

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 I want you to kill your son.

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 You'd have to climb a mountain for three days to do that.

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 You can just go into the tent and make it happen straight away.

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 But that's not what God's calling him.

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 God's saying, hey, I want you to take your son, your only son, whom you love,

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 and go to the land and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.

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 Just a little bit of context because this is horrifying.

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 As we read through scripture, sometimes there are things that we don't understand,

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 especially the modern day reader does not understand what this is really about.

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 Bearing in mind, Abraham lived in a time where there was so many societies,

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 so many pagan societies that would offer human sacrifices to the gods to satisfy them.

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 And often they would be offering the firstborn, the firstfruits.

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 You see Cain and Abel, they were offering the firstfruits, right?

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 So actually, this is not a foreign concept to Abraham.

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 It's like, whoa, especially because it's the firstborn.

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 Well, this is the onlyborn now, but this was not a foreign concept to him

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 because it would have been like, okay, I think God's doing something.

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 Just a bit more of Jewish context around this.

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 This idea of the firstfruits or giving your best to God

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 was something that they would have been familiar with.

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 Why? Because there is a God, there is a holy God.

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 There is a God that we need to satisfy.

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 There is a God, there is a debt to be paid.

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 And by offering up the sacrifice was almost a symbol of that gratitude, of that repentance.

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 And so this is not that foreign to Abraham.

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 And to us, it's just like, whoa, why is this happening?

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 But to God, he's testing.

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 Actually, does Abraham truly cherish me, follow me, believe me?

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 That thing that my dad told me to promise him, to go when God tells you to go,

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 to be true to your calling.

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 We did that when I was a teacher in England, and then Christina was working in the hospital.

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 And so we went.

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 We have friends here who were with us during that time.

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 And so we decided, okay, let's quit our jobs.

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 Let's go work in the church.

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 But what about kids?

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 How are we going to provide for our kids?

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 And then what we found is God just provided more and more for us at each step.

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 Every time we took that leap of faith, God provided more for us.

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 But this was all in England.

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 This was all in the relative comforts of our own home.

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 And then until God said to us and challenged us eight years ago saying,

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 hey, do you know all those good gifts that I've given you?

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 When you took that leap of faith and I came good for you, what if I took all those away?

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 Are you most appreciative of me because of my gifts?

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 Or are you appreciative of me because I'm the giver?

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 And that was the hardest one.

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 When God gives you gifts and you're like, oh, thank you for this.

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 Thank you so much.

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 God, can you just please give me that job?

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 I would love to work for that company.

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 It would be such a good thing.

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 What if God gives it to you?

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 And then what if then God asks you to take it away?

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 What's he actually trying to show us in doing that?

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 And so we see that here as well.

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 He gives him Isaac finally.

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 Now, bear in mind, it says, verse 1 says, after these things.

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 So Isaac was born.

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 But actually, scholars aren't quite sure exactly how many years have passed since then.

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 If you go to the National Gallery in London, you'll see portraits, paintings of this scene in Genesis chapter 22.

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 And often it will actually be Abraham holding a knife, ready to sacrifice his baby boy or little child.

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 But this isn't the case.

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 Isaac is actually at least, at the very least, a teenager at this point.

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 But some believe he's either somewhere between 13 to 30.

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 Okay?

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 So it's been a while.

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 And so then God says, after all these things, take him up.

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 And then what you see here is just a fascinating turn of events.

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 And this is where we'll go, verse 3.

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 So Abraham rose early in the morning.

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 A lot of people will then use this to say, well, this is radical obedience.

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 This is just waking up the next morning and just going straight and just, and that's almost the lesson of the sermon.

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 Hey, when God tells you to do something, do it without questioning.

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 I'm not sure.

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 Imagine, who's a parent here?

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 Who's a father here?

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 Let's put your hand up with your father.

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 God tells you the night before, hey, I need you to offer your son, your only son, the one whom you love, as a sacrifice.

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 And I need you to head to those mountains over there.

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 Do you think you'll be sleeping that night?

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 I think he rose up early because he couldn't sleep.

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 He's lying in bed going, what am I going to tell Sarah?

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 25 years ago we've been waiting for this.

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 Finally, our marriage is in a little bit of a better place.

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 Really?

00:14:00.659 --> 00:14:02.540
 Is this what, you know what he's battling with?

00:14:03.100 --> 00:14:04.680
 He's like, God, this doesn't make sense.

00:14:05.060 --> 00:14:08.960
 When the command of God seems to conflict with the promises of God.

00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:14.860
 He's like, wait, God, but you said you'll give me the son and actually then I'll be the father of many.

00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:18.220
 But now you're telling me to, this doesn't make sense.

00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:21.139
 Your commands don't seem to match up with your promises.

00:14:21.980 --> 00:14:24.740
 And no doubt he would have just been spiraling in this.

00:14:25.040 --> 00:14:26.080
 And so finally day breaks.

00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:26.720
 He's like, you know what?

00:14:27.900 --> 00:14:34.259
 Through my life, especially these last 25 years of learning and mistakes constantly, there's one thing.

00:14:34.340 --> 00:14:35.139
 God must be trusted.

00:14:35.280 --> 00:14:36.300
 God must be obeyed.

00:14:36.299 --> 00:14:42.000
 And he always provides, I remember that time when I, in Genesis 12, when I went to Egypt and I lied about Sarah.

00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:43.879
 And yet somehow he still blessed me with more.

00:14:45.159 --> 00:14:46.819
 And that time I made that mistake with Hagar.

00:14:46.939 --> 00:14:49.019
 And yet somehow he continues to still bless me with a son.

00:14:49.359 --> 00:14:51.279
 And then I went again and I lied about Sarah again.

00:14:51.339 --> 00:14:52.679
 And then somehow he kept blessing with me more.

00:14:52.939 --> 00:14:54.699
 So he must be wrestling with these things going, you know what?

00:14:54.700 --> 00:14:59.080
 My conclusion in the last 25 years, the one lesson that I've learned is God must be trusted.

00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:00.120
 God must be obeyed.

00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:01.879
 It's daybreak now.

00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:02.560
 Let's go.

00:15:02.640 --> 00:15:03.980
 So he takes, he wakes Isaac up.

00:15:04.140 --> 00:15:06.640
 He takes him and he takes two young men to go with him.

00:15:06.780 --> 00:15:09.100
 And this is where you know that Isaac's not just like a two-year-old boy.

00:15:10.400 --> 00:15:13.560
 He cuts the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

00:15:13.839 --> 00:15:15.199
 And on the third day, this is a walk.

00:15:16.299 --> 00:15:21.839
 Like you, I challenge you to even take me for a hike for three hours, but for three days.

00:15:22.939 --> 00:15:23.579
 Just a walk.

00:15:23.619 --> 00:15:24.039
 Can you imagine?

00:15:24.199 --> 00:15:25.399
 Okay, so I don't think he sleeps.

00:15:25.659 --> 00:15:27.039
 And then he finally goes and gets up.

00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:28.859
 And then they walk for three days.

00:15:30.059 --> 00:15:33.599
 This is the constant internal turmoil, the wrestling that he's going through.

00:15:33.599 --> 00:15:34.779
 Wait, what does this mean?

00:15:35.219 --> 00:15:36.099
 God, your commands.

00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:37.099
 God, your promises.

00:15:37.259 --> 00:15:39.259
 It doesn't make sense to me.

00:15:39.659 --> 00:15:42.839
 And then just when he sees the mountain, and then Abraham said to his young men,

00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:43.879
 stay here with the donkey.

00:15:44.259 --> 00:15:47.620
 I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.

00:15:48.060 --> 00:15:49.100
 This is really interesting.

00:15:49.160 --> 00:15:53.639
 He says, okay, this final route, this final part of the route, I'm going to go myself with Isaac.

00:15:54.860 --> 00:15:57.759
 And this is a really interesting moment here because this is the first,

00:15:57.940 --> 00:16:01.340
 very first mention of the word worship in scripture.

00:16:04.620 --> 00:16:06.379
 What does the word mean to Abraham?

00:16:07.560 --> 00:16:12.160
 It means to fall face down, to surrender, to prostrate oneself.

00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:14.519
 To a holy God.

00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:17.860
 Fast forward many, many years now.

00:16:18.040 --> 00:16:19.720
 What does the word worship mean to us?

00:16:21.259 --> 00:16:26.720
 For some of it, it means dim lights, synth pads, good songs.

00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:29.200
 Sometimes not so good songs.

00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:31.879
 Oh, yeah, the worship of that church wasn't great.

00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:33.980
 The worship leader sang too long.

00:16:34.500 --> 00:16:36.960
 I mean, just kept repeating the chorus over and over and over again.

00:16:37.340 --> 00:16:37.919
 I got bored.

00:16:40.220 --> 00:16:41.379
 Yeah, the worship wasn't great there.

00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:43.179
 It was a little bit too lively for me, a little bit too charismatic.

00:16:44.439 --> 00:16:46.860
 Or a little bit too old-fashioned and boring.

00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:49.960
 Yeah, I'm not vibing with the worship of that church.

00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:55.580
 We've come so far from the original meaning and mention of the word worship,

00:16:55.580 --> 00:17:00.960
 which meant to prostrate oneself, to surrender oneself to a holy God.

00:17:03.460 --> 00:17:06.200
 In the New Testament, the word worship would mean to ascribe worth.

00:17:06.299 --> 00:17:07.440
 That's where you worship worth.

00:17:07.640 --> 00:17:10.860
 It's the saying, God, you are the most valuable thing to me,

00:17:10.859 --> 00:17:15.699
 even more than the son that I've waited for for 25 years.

00:17:15.959 --> 00:17:18.019
 I'm going to worship him with you there.

00:17:18.379 --> 00:17:19.479
 Hey, you guys wait here.

00:17:19.679 --> 00:17:23.019
 I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.

00:17:25.179 --> 00:17:28.259
 So he kind of knows that this is a little bit of a test.

00:17:28.639 --> 00:17:30.559
 And as he's wrestling with this and he's not sleeping

00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:31.859
 and then he's walking these three days, he's like,

00:17:31.859 --> 00:17:34.639
 okay, well, the command of God doesn't seem to match with the promise of God,

00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:37.179
 but God is pretty powerful, so he's going to do something.

00:17:37.419 --> 00:17:39.119
 Maybe what will happen is I will pretend,

00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:40.679
 maybe I will offer the sacrifice.

00:17:41.099 --> 00:17:43.619
 Maybe for a moment, Isaac, our fear will even faint.

00:17:44.299 --> 00:17:46.799
 And maybe then he'll wake up again and we'll be okay.

00:17:46.959 --> 00:17:50.059
 Or maybe I do have to actually offer him and maybe he will die.

00:17:50.539 --> 00:17:52.659
 But God, his promise, his promise,

00:17:52.899 --> 00:17:55.959
 maybe God will then raise him from the dead is what it says in Hebrews 11.

00:17:56.339 --> 00:17:58.919
 So actually Abraham, with the full knowledge going,

00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:00.939
 okay, something's going to happen here that's going to be special.

00:18:01.479 --> 00:18:05.619
 It isn't just going to be me going up with two people and coming down by myself.

00:18:05.779 --> 00:18:07.459
 There's going to be more to this is what he's saying.

00:18:07.639 --> 00:18:08.759
 And so they do it.

00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:11.640
 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son.

00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:12.099
 Clever man.

00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:13.660
 Remember, Abraham's quite old at this point.

00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:14.879
 He's about 110 years old.

00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:16.900
 So he's not carrying the wood up the mountain.

00:18:17.400 --> 00:18:20.200
 So he's saying, teenager, Isaac, this is what I fed you for.

00:18:20.539 --> 00:18:21.700
 You're going to carry this wood up.

00:18:21.819 --> 00:18:26.980
 So then he straps the wood onto Isaac and he took his hand, the fire and the knife.

00:18:27.259 --> 00:18:28.839
 And so they went, both of them together.

00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:31.980
 And Isaac said to Abraham, and this is where it should break every father's heart.

00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:32.680
 Verse 7 and 8.

00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:34.420
 This is kind of the turning point of the passage here.

00:18:34.920 --> 00:18:40.640
 It says, my father, I know enough to be kind of doing this with you, to trust you.

00:18:41.539 --> 00:18:44.180
 We have the fire and the wood, but there is no lamb.

00:18:44.320 --> 00:18:47.680
 I've seen you offer burnt offerings before, and there's usually a lamb.

00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:49.560
 Where's the lamb?

00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:57.960
 Abraham says, actually, he says, here I am, my son.

00:18:58.660 --> 00:19:00.600
 This is the second time he says, here I am, by the way.

00:19:00.700 --> 00:19:03.019
 He says it to God first, and then he says it to Isaac here.

00:19:03.740 --> 00:19:07.019
 God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.

00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:08.279
 God will see to it.

00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:11.980
 He doesn't say, hey, cool story.

00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:13.279
 You're going to be the lamb.

00:19:14.360 --> 00:19:15.759
 It's going to be really fun, I promise.

00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:16.340
 Trust me.

00:19:16.660 --> 00:19:17.519
 It's going to be just fine.

00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:20.080
 He says, God will see to it.

00:19:21.340 --> 00:19:24.299
 I don't know how he's going to do it, but he's going to see to it.

00:19:24.580 --> 00:19:25.440
 So let's just keep going.

00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:27.820
 And so they both went together, and when they get there,

00:19:28.840 --> 00:19:30.960
 the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there

00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:32.820
 and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac, his son,

00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:36.160
 and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.

00:19:37.580 --> 00:19:39.920
 This is every parent's nightmare.

00:19:41.500 --> 00:19:44.500
 We pray and pray for God to give us the things that we want,

00:19:44.500 --> 00:19:46.440
 and often some of those include children.

00:19:46.440 --> 00:19:48.980
 The children are the biggest blessing to us.

00:19:51.080 --> 00:19:53.880
 But how often do we find this happening even in church,

00:19:54.200 --> 00:19:55.720
 where when we get the gift of children,

00:19:56.080 --> 00:19:59.220
 and then the first thing that becomes an idol is our children.

00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:05.100
 Suddenly it's the gift that God gives us that stops us from going to God.

00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:08.000
 How often has that happened with our work?

00:20:08.399 --> 00:20:10.299
 God, please, I'd love to work for that company.

00:20:10.459 --> 00:20:12.159
 And then you get the job.

00:20:12.819 --> 00:20:13.740
 And it's like, praise God.

00:20:13.919 --> 00:20:15.159
 Thank you so much for the job.

00:20:15.659 --> 00:20:19.019
 And then two Sundays later, sorry, I can't go to church anymore because of my work,

00:20:19.319 --> 00:20:21.259
 because of the work that you gave me,

00:20:21.500 --> 00:20:25.519
 because of the child that you gave me needs to nap at that time,

00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:27.299
 so we're not going to go to church anymore.

00:20:27.400 --> 00:20:29.400
 We will just watch Zoom online instead.

00:20:30.299 --> 00:20:32.680
 And then when the child gets older, God, thank you so much for this child,

00:20:32.740 --> 00:20:35.299
 but we can't come to church anymore because they have tennis lessons,

00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.059
 because we have to take them here, we have to take them there.

00:20:38.700 --> 00:20:40.639
 God, I want him or her to follow you,

00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:42.079
 but actually there's all these other things.

00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:46.200
 And suddenly as parents, our whole lives revolve around our children.

00:20:46.200 --> 00:20:52.700
 And suddenly the very things that God gives us become the idols that pull him away from us.

00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:54.500
 Has that happened to any of us?

00:20:56.080 --> 00:21:01.860
 And you see God here testing Abraham, whether he's fearful of God.

00:21:01.900 --> 00:21:02.840
 That's what Gav has just said.

00:21:02.940 --> 00:21:06.360
 That actually, when he does actually, so he gets ready and he holds the knife,

00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:09.080
 and then the angel calls to him, say, Abraham, Abraham.

00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:10.940
 And he said, here I am for the third time.

00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:13.120
 Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him.

00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:18.299
 For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.

00:21:18.339 --> 00:21:21.299
 A couple of weeks ago I quoted one of my favorite devotional books,

00:21:21.379 --> 00:21:23.500
 My Upmost for His Highest, Charles Ward Chambers, who says,

00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:26.059
 when you fear God, you won't fear anything else.

00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:28.659
 But when you don't fear God, you will fear everything else.

00:21:28.899 --> 00:21:32.399
 All of this is about do we fear God or not.

00:21:32.679 --> 00:21:34.879
 The word fear isn't terrified, afraid of God.

00:21:35.159 --> 00:21:38.559
 It is, is there a reverence and awe for who God is.

00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:42.559
 And actually, I'm just going to trust you with everything.

00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:46.739
 Even with the things that I hold the most dear to my heart.

00:21:47.739 --> 00:21:53.019
 And so, because God sees that he fears him and actually trusts him,

00:21:53.779 --> 00:21:54.859
 he says, hey, stop.

00:21:55.199 --> 00:21:56.039
 The experiment is over.

00:21:56.099 --> 00:21:56.859
 The test is done.

00:21:57.339 --> 00:21:58.399
 You have passed.

00:21:58.839 --> 00:22:01.259
 There was as much risk here for Abraham as there was for God.

00:22:02.259 --> 00:22:05.359
 Because if actually Abraham doesn't trust God,

00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:08.139
 then actually God's salvation plan for the nations does not work.

00:22:08.140 --> 00:22:14.060
 And for Abraham, if God actually lets him do this, then it's done.

00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:17.060
 And it isn't just about the sentimental value of,

00:22:17.180 --> 00:22:18.380
 this is my son who I love.

00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:19.940
 I won't be able to play football with him anymore.

00:22:20.320 --> 00:22:21.860
 Now, this is actually back in those days,

00:22:22.080 --> 00:22:25.280
 the firstborn son, the only son, would have held such significant value

00:22:25.280 --> 00:22:27.380
 because this was basically your social hope.

00:22:28.700 --> 00:22:30.060
 This was your way of surviving.

00:22:30.140 --> 00:22:32.259
 This was your way for your family to continue.

00:22:32.619 --> 00:22:35.079
 In fact, in those days, the firstborn would get everything.

00:22:35.299 --> 00:22:36.759
 Why would that firstborn get everything?

00:22:37.099 --> 00:22:38.819
 They wouldn't separate it with all the siblings

00:22:38.819 --> 00:22:41.839
 because the moment you separate the inheritance with all the different siblings,

00:22:42.460 --> 00:22:43.480
 your family becomes weaker.

00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:46.579
 So it made the most sense to give it all to one person

00:22:46.579 --> 00:22:49.220
 and have that person be the one who leads the clan after that.

00:22:50.379 --> 00:22:52.519
 So God's saying, hey, I know I gave you this,

00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:55.440
 but I want you to entrust not just you and your family with me.

00:22:55.619 --> 00:22:57.799
 I want you to entrust your whole future with me.

00:22:58.559 --> 00:22:59.640
 I want you to fear me.

00:22:59.700 --> 00:23:00.440
 I want you to rely on me.

00:23:00.440 --> 00:23:02.299
 I want you to trust me and me alone.

00:23:02.740 --> 00:23:03.640
 Thank the Lord, though.

00:23:04.420 --> 00:23:06.720
 He stops him, and then he sees a ram.

00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:10.220
 He sees a sheep that's just, you know, poor ram,

00:23:10.320 --> 00:23:11.740
 just kind of minding his own business,

00:23:11.820 --> 00:23:14.840
 and suddenly gets trapped in a thicket by his horns.

00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:18.400
 And so that ends up being the sacrifice instead.

00:23:19.620 --> 00:23:22.720
 And then Abraham says, whew, I passed.

00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:25.539
 I'm going to call this mountain the Lord will provide.

00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:29.279
 Notice he does not say, I'm going to call this mountain,

00:23:29.819 --> 00:23:31.460
 this is where I obeyed.

00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:33.480
 This was not the mountain of obedience.

00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:37.319
 This isn't where Abraham goes, hey, I actually managed to prove myself.

00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:38.539
 That's not what he's saying.

00:23:38.619 --> 00:23:39.740
 He's saying this is where God provided.

00:23:40.639 --> 00:23:42.740
 This is where God provided for me.

00:23:42.980 --> 00:23:46.559
 And remember, it's not about just obedience, pure obedience.

00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:47.779
 Some of us who have grown up in the church,

00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:49.240
 that's what we think Christianity is about.

00:23:49.420 --> 00:23:51.980
 Can we just be the good Christians that we were supposed to be,

00:23:51.980 --> 00:23:54.140
 obey the rules that we were supposed to obey,

00:23:54.420 --> 00:23:55.860
 not do the things that we're not supposed to do,

00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:57.779
 and that's what Christianity is about.

00:23:57.860 --> 00:23:58.700
 That is not what it's about.

00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:01.539
 The whole point of Christianity, the whole point of the gospel,

00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:03.579
 is that God provides.

00:24:04.660 --> 00:24:07.140
 Just like Gabe said last week, that God is a God of promise,

00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:08.700
 and he actually provides.

00:24:08.819 --> 00:24:11.319
 And it's only afterwards, it's only after the obedience,

00:24:11.480 --> 00:24:12.279
 does the provision come.

00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:16.500
 You only start walking on the water, as John Altberg would say,

00:24:16.819 --> 00:24:18.720
 after you actually step out of the boat.

00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:21.220
 But some of us are trapped in this place where,

00:24:21.380 --> 00:24:22.079
 will God provide or not?

00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:25.880
 Well, you won't find out until you actually take that step out.

00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:27.120
 And once you take that step out,

00:24:27.180 --> 00:24:29.220
 you will realize that God is good for his promise,

00:24:29.579 --> 00:24:32.720
 and that he will provide every step of the way.

00:24:34.700 --> 00:24:37.279
 Genesis 22 is this radical form of obedience,

00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:39.759
 even though I believe there would have been a lot of internal wrestling.

00:24:39.880 --> 00:24:41.839
 But you can't just look at Genesis 22 and go,

00:24:41.940 --> 00:24:43.240
 okay, that's pretty crazy.

00:24:43.360 --> 00:24:44.980
 So basically, whatever God says we should do,

00:24:45.380 --> 00:24:47.519
 you have to take it in the context of all of Abraham's life.

00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:49.059
 That actually, only a few chapters ago,

00:24:49.099 --> 00:24:51.000
 he was bargaining and negotiating with God.

00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:52.000
 Right?

00:24:53.180 --> 00:24:56.400
 And so you're in this place now where he has become so trusting of God.

00:24:56.539 --> 00:24:58.119
 Say, okay, God, I have learned my lesson.

00:24:58.220 --> 00:24:59.299
 I know that you can be trusted.

00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:00.500
 I'm going to follow you.

00:25:00.700 --> 00:25:02.200
 I know you're going to figure it out some way.

00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:04.599
 And I wonder whether we need to do that with our own lives.

00:25:04.759 --> 00:25:07.460
 Whether it's in a relationship that we have been entrusted with,

00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:09.460
 whether it's been someone that he's gifted us with,

00:25:09.579 --> 00:25:11.879
 or whether it's the job that he's given to us,

00:25:11.980 --> 00:25:13.400
 or whether it's just simply our future.

00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:15.660
 Whatever it is that God has given us,

00:25:16.120 --> 00:25:18.420
 do we entrust it back to him?

00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:20.540
 Or do we hold on to it and say,

00:25:20.620 --> 00:25:21.560
 well, now you've given it to us.

00:25:22.460 --> 00:25:23.420
 Now you've given it to me.

00:25:23.580 --> 00:25:26.259
 I can't let it go because I don't know why.

00:25:26.519 --> 00:25:29.420
 Because ultimately, if you keep peeling back

00:25:29.420 --> 00:25:31.080
 and you keep asking why, there's only one answer.

00:25:31.259 --> 00:25:32.480
 It's because I don't trust you, God.

00:25:32.980 --> 00:25:34.360
 I know you're good enough to give it to me now,

00:25:34.460 --> 00:25:37.240
 but actually, I don't truly, truly trust you,

00:25:37.860 --> 00:25:38.740
 is what we're saying.

00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:40.720
 If we go all the way back to Genesis,

00:25:41.180 --> 00:25:42.480
 at the beginning of Genesis, the fall,

00:25:42.819 --> 00:25:43.839
 we see that's what it is.

00:25:43.940 --> 00:25:45.299
 Did God really tell you to do that?

00:25:46.460 --> 00:25:48.259
 It all comes down to a mistrust of God.

00:25:49.460 --> 00:25:52.539
 This whole test here is just testing to see

00:25:52.539 --> 00:25:56.579
 whether Abraham truly, truly trusts God

00:25:56.579 --> 00:25:57.680
 and cherishes him,

00:25:57.799 --> 00:25:59.339
 not just for the gifts that he gives him,

00:25:59.339 --> 00:26:01.519
 but for the actual presence of God himself.

00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:04.120
 So that's God.

00:26:04.940 --> 00:26:05.779
 And that's Abraham.

00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:07.240
 He passes the test.

00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:10.240
 But I want to spare a little thought for Isaac.

00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:12.960
 Isaac, who at this point,

00:26:13.019 --> 00:26:14.759
 remember, he's actually not a baby,

00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:15.700
 not a toddler.

00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:18.120
 He's probably a little bit older than Reuben.

00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:21.339
 And dad tells him,

00:26:21.420 --> 00:26:22.779
 hey, look, we're going up to the mountain to worship,

00:26:23.420 --> 00:26:23.940
 carry the wood.

00:26:26.380 --> 00:26:28.660
 What we see here is actually a picture of a willing son,

00:26:29.620 --> 00:26:30.380
 a trusting son,

00:26:31.120 --> 00:26:33.900
 who actually knows that his father

00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:35.220
 knows what's best for him

00:26:35.220 --> 00:26:37.140
 and is willing to go.

00:26:37.180 --> 00:26:38.880
 And you see there's actually a relationship here

00:26:38.880 --> 00:26:39.279
 between the two.

00:26:39.339 --> 00:26:40.339
 There's only a very short dialogue,

00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:41.660
 but you see my father,

00:26:42.120 --> 00:26:43.120
 hey, I can see all this stuff,

00:26:43.180 --> 00:26:44.059
 but we're missing something.

00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:46.380
 And then Abraham responds to him in kind.

00:26:46.940 --> 00:26:47.680
 This tells me one thing,

00:26:47.740 --> 00:26:48.539
 especially for his adults,

00:26:48.660 --> 00:26:49.460
 especially for his parents.

00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:50.940
 If we have kids who question the faith,

00:26:51.220 --> 00:26:51.900
 who question anything,

00:26:52.539 --> 00:26:53.240
 let them question,

00:26:53.380 --> 00:26:53.880
 talk to them,

00:26:54.140 --> 00:26:54.860
 discuss with them.

00:26:55.720 --> 00:26:56.339
 Don't just say,

00:26:56.420 --> 00:26:56.559
 hey,

00:26:57.440 --> 00:26:58.839
 what I say is it.

00:26:59.140 --> 00:26:59.960
 We're going up the hill.

00:26:59.960 --> 00:27:04.000
 let's welcome questions.

00:27:04.120 --> 00:27:05.120
 Let's welcome dialogue.

00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:06.700
 Let's welcome relationship.

00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:13.779
 The goal is for not just God to see how faithful Abraham is,

00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:14.900
 but it's actually,

00:27:15.620 --> 00:27:16.140
 you can actually,

00:27:16.220 --> 00:27:18.519
 Isaac can see Abraham.

00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:21.720
 One of the reasons we went into ministry

00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:25.559
 is actually when Christina was pregnant with Reuben,

00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:30.339
 one of the questions that was posed to us is,

00:27:30.460 --> 00:27:32.519
 what do you want your son to learn from us?

00:27:34.460 --> 00:27:35.940
 And there's many things,

00:27:36.059 --> 00:27:36.240
 you know,

00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:39.059
 how to be a good person,

00:27:39.319 --> 00:27:40.139
 how to be kind,

00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:42.519
 how to study hard,

00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:44.480
 and all those kind of things.

00:27:44.940 --> 00:27:46.700
 But the one thing that we kept saying to ourselves is,

00:27:47.099 --> 00:27:49.000
 we want our children to know

00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:50.440
 that God can be trusted.

00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:53.579
 And so when God called us out of our jobs,

00:27:53.579 --> 00:27:56.419
 I loved the school that I was teaching in.

00:27:56.759 --> 00:27:58.059
 I thought I was going to stay there forever.

00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:01.059
 And it was God's gift to me.

00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:02.879
 But when we had Reuben,

00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:03.240
 I was like,

00:28:03.339 --> 00:28:03.799
 you know what?

00:28:04.399 --> 00:28:06.279
 I don't even want to just teach my son

00:28:06.279 --> 00:28:08.240
 that God gives us these good gifts

00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:10.119
 and we should just do our best

00:28:10.119 --> 00:28:11.259
 in whatever he gives us.

00:28:13.819 --> 00:28:14.720
 I want to show him

00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.819
 that actually God can be trusted.

00:28:17.899 --> 00:28:19.399
 Because if we can trust God,

00:28:19.939 --> 00:28:21.419
 we will reverse the curse of sin.

00:28:21.420 --> 00:28:23.900
 God can be trusted.

00:28:24.120 --> 00:28:24.860
 So imagine Isaac

00:28:24.860 --> 00:28:26.560
 just following Abraham up,

00:28:27.340 --> 00:28:28.360
 willingly being tied down,

00:28:28.440 --> 00:28:28.519
 going,

00:28:28.600 --> 00:28:28.740
 okay,

00:28:28.860 --> 00:28:29.019
 God,

00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:29.860
 Dad's got a plan.

00:28:30.860 --> 00:28:31.620
 Dad's got a plan.

00:28:32.120 --> 00:28:32.900
 Dad's got a plan.

00:28:33.019 --> 00:28:34.460
 Can the plan show up anytime now,

00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:34.700
 please?

00:28:36.900 --> 00:28:38.000
 But what you do see here

00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:39.140
 is a son looking up at a father,

00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:39.360
 going,

00:28:39.480 --> 00:28:39.660
 okay,

00:28:40.660 --> 00:28:41.560
 the God that my father

00:28:41.560 --> 00:28:42.920
 follows and worships

00:28:42.920 --> 00:28:43.940
 is serious.

00:28:44.900 --> 00:28:45.800
 I should trust him

00:28:45.800 --> 00:28:46.320
 with everything.

00:28:46.980 --> 00:28:47.720
 And so that's why you

00:28:47.720 --> 00:28:49.180
 then hear about this God

00:28:49.180 --> 00:28:50.620
 not just being the God of Abraham

00:28:50.620 --> 00:28:52.000
 but also the God of Isaac.

00:28:53.180 --> 00:28:54.720
 Abraham teaches Isaac

00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:56.539
 a very important lesson here.

00:28:56.820 --> 00:28:57.299
 And remember,

00:28:57.480 --> 00:28:58.840
 in just the verses before,

00:28:59.080 --> 00:28:59.519
 in verses,

00:28:59.799 --> 00:29:01.160
 verse eight,

00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:02.880
 oh,

00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:03.580
 and verse six,

00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:04.180
 they both say,

00:29:04.380 --> 00:29:04.840
 so they went,

00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:05.420
 both of them,

00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:05.740
 together.

00:29:06.820 --> 00:29:07.980
 This wasn't one person

00:29:07.980 --> 00:29:08.820
 dragging the other person.

00:29:09.779 --> 00:29:10.539
 This was a willing,

00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:11.820
 this was a mutual willingness

00:29:11.820 --> 00:29:12.700
 to trust in God

00:29:12.700 --> 00:29:14.019
 as they went up this mountain together.

00:29:14.220 --> 00:29:15.100
 And so you see that

00:29:15.100 --> 00:29:15.920
 happening here.

00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:16.620
 And of course,

00:29:16.740 --> 00:29:17.800
 we all now know

00:29:17.800 --> 00:29:18.880
 as we look at this text,

00:29:19.120 --> 00:29:20.400
 even though we aren't

00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:21.140
 quite going through

00:29:21.140 --> 00:29:22.000
 the internal turmoil

00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:23.220
 of what Abraham was going through

00:29:23.220 --> 00:29:24.480
 because we look now

00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:25.160
 and then it doesn't happen.

00:29:25.400 --> 00:29:26.140
 But now we look,

00:29:26.200 --> 00:29:26.940
 we see something more

00:29:26.940 --> 00:29:27.740
 because we don't just see

00:29:27.740 --> 00:29:28.259
 the Old Testament,

00:29:28.360 --> 00:29:29.220
 we see the New Testament.

00:29:29.660 --> 00:29:31.019
 We see that what Isaac is,

00:29:31.100 --> 00:29:32.060
 what Isaac truly was,

00:29:32.100 --> 00:29:32.900
 is a foreshadowing

00:29:32.900 --> 00:29:34.100
 of the willing son,

00:29:34.200 --> 00:29:35.860
 the Christ Jesus himself.

00:29:36.019 --> 00:29:37.200
 He was a prefiguration

00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:38.779
 of the son

00:29:38.779 --> 00:29:40.160
 who willingly obeyed

00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:41.140
 the father in the garden

00:29:41.140 --> 00:29:41.759
 when he said,

00:29:42.320 --> 00:29:42.480
 okay,

00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:43.060
 not my will,

00:29:43.120 --> 00:29:43.759
 but yours be done.

00:29:43.860 --> 00:29:44.019
 Why?

00:29:44.140 --> 00:29:44.960
 Because I trust you,

00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:45.299
 father.

00:29:45.940 --> 00:29:47.360
 And you see Isaac

00:29:47.360 --> 00:29:48.640
 basically painting a picture

00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:49.500
 going further

00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:50.860
 and you're seeing Jesus

00:29:50.860 --> 00:29:51.860
 doing the same thing.

00:29:53.059 --> 00:29:53.860
 And that's what

00:29:53.860 --> 00:29:54.579
 this whole passage

00:29:54.579 --> 00:29:55.700
 about here

00:29:55.700 --> 00:29:57.360
 is really trying

00:29:57.360 --> 00:29:57.960
 to hammer home

00:29:57.960 --> 00:29:59.319
 this idea of trusting

00:29:59.319 --> 00:29:59.880
 in God.

00:30:00.059 --> 00:30:00.480
 It's funny,

00:30:00.840 --> 00:30:01.539
 God tells Abraham

00:30:01.539 --> 00:30:02.740
 to go to the land of Moriah

00:30:02.740 --> 00:30:03.840
 and go to the mountains there

00:30:03.840 --> 00:30:05.779
 and that mountain

00:30:05.779 --> 00:30:06.319
 ends up being

00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:07.200
 where the temple

00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:07.660
 gets built.

00:30:08.440 --> 00:30:09.039
 So this mountain,

00:30:09.140 --> 00:30:09.880
 this very mountain here

00:30:09.880 --> 00:30:10.620
 where the Lord will provide

00:30:10.620 --> 00:30:11.240
 is where the temple

00:30:11.240 --> 00:30:11.980
 of Solomon gets built.

00:30:12.920 --> 00:30:14.000
 Many, many years later

00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:14.660
 just in the mountain

00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:15.960
 just across the way,

00:30:16.840 --> 00:30:17.700
 there is another son

00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:19.560
 who climbs his mountain

00:30:19.560 --> 00:30:21.860
 with wood on his back too.

00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:23.980
 And of course,

00:30:24.019 --> 00:30:24.800
 what we're talking about,

00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:25.759
 who we're talking about

00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:26.380
 is Jesus.

00:30:26.820 --> 00:30:28.120
 And it is the same thing

00:30:28.120 --> 00:30:29.180
 that I think he was wrestling.

00:30:30.440 --> 00:30:32.160
 How does the command of God

00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:34.120
 reconcile with the promise

00:30:34.120 --> 00:30:35.240
 of God?

00:30:35.240 --> 00:30:38.299
 How does a holy God

00:30:38.299 --> 00:30:41.460
 also be a gracious God?

00:30:42.700 --> 00:30:42.960
 Look,

00:30:43.019 --> 00:30:44.120
 that sacrifice is needed.

00:30:44.220 --> 00:30:45.140
 We know that sacrifice

00:30:45.140 --> 00:30:45.559
 is needed

00:30:45.559 --> 00:30:46.460
 because we are sinners

00:30:46.460 --> 00:30:47.400
 and there is a debt

00:30:47.400 --> 00:30:47.880
 to be paid.

00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:49.120
 So we know that's the case

00:30:49.120 --> 00:30:50.779
 because if it wasn't there,

00:30:50.819 --> 00:30:51.599
 then he's not a holy God.

00:30:51.640 --> 00:30:52.400
 And if he's not a holy God,

00:30:52.420 --> 00:30:53.059
 then he's not just.

00:30:53.140 --> 00:30:54.039
 And then everything in the world

00:30:54.039 --> 00:30:54.700
 that we see right now,

00:30:54.819 --> 00:30:55.359
 there's no hope

00:30:55.359 --> 00:30:56.059
 for anything in the world

00:30:56.059 --> 00:30:56.740
 if he's in the holy

00:30:56.740 --> 00:30:57.680
 and just God.

00:30:58.180 --> 00:30:59.220
 But there's also no hope

00:30:59.220 --> 00:30:59.660
 in the world

00:30:59.660 --> 00:31:01.160
 if he is not a gracious God

00:31:01.160 --> 00:31:02.019
 because who of us here

00:31:02.019 --> 00:31:03.160
 can say that we have not

00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:04.060
 sin that we are perfect.

00:31:04.540 --> 00:31:05.920
 So we are glad

00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:06.820
 that he is holy and just

00:31:06.820 --> 00:31:07.660
 when we look at the darkness

00:31:07.660 --> 00:31:08.140
 in the world

00:31:08.140 --> 00:31:09.100
 and we're also glad

00:31:09.100 --> 00:31:10.200
 that he is gracious

00:31:10.200 --> 00:31:11.080
 and forgiving

00:31:11.080 --> 00:31:12.100
 when we look at the darkness

00:31:12.100 --> 00:31:12.740
 inside us.

00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:15.620
 And you see

00:31:15.620 --> 00:31:16.840
 the questions

00:31:16.840 --> 00:31:18.140
 of whether he is a holy God

00:31:18.140 --> 00:31:19.380
 or whether he is a gracious God.

00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:20.460
 You see the battling

00:31:20.460 --> 00:31:21.620
 of whether the commands of God

00:31:21.620 --> 00:31:22.720
 match up with the promise of God

00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:23.840
 all in one place

00:31:23.840 --> 00:31:24.560
 and that is the cross.

00:31:26.740 --> 00:31:27.600
 And that is the cross

00:31:27.600 --> 00:31:28.380
 where you see

00:31:28.380 --> 00:31:29.259
 the justice of God,

00:31:29.340 --> 00:31:30.200
 the wrath of God,

00:31:31.360 --> 00:31:32.580
 waging war against evil,

00:31:33.160 --> 00:31:35.180
 come hand in hand

00:31:35.180 --> 00:31:35.820
 with the love

00:31:35.820 --> 00:31:36.320
 and the grace

00:31:36.320 --> 00:31:37.400
 and the forgiveness of God

00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:39.640
 on the cross.

00:31:40.519 --> 00:31:40.960
 And it's funny

00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:41.640
 in the book of James

00:31:41.640 --> 00:31:42.120
 chapter 2

00:31:42.120 --> 00:31:42.600
 it says this

00:31:42.600 --> 00:31:43.600
 that Abraham trusted

00:31:43.600 --> 00:31:44.380
 and believed God

00:31:44.380 --> 00:31:45.500
 and then it was counted

00:31:45.500 --> 00:31:46.259
 to him as righteousness.

00:31:47.600 --> 00:31:48.400
 It wasn't

00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:50.120
 Abraham obeyed God

00:31:50.120 --> 00:31:51.259
 and climbed up a mountain

00:31:51.259 --> 00:31:51.900
 for three days

00:31:51.900 --> 00:31:52.980
 and did something crazy.

00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:54.580
 It was that he just believed.

00:31:55.620 --> 00:31:56.400
 And because he believed

00:31:56.400 --> 00:31:58.160
 that's all that was required

00:31:58.160 --> 00:31:59.660
 and it was counted to him

00:31:59.660 --> 00:32:00.920
 as righteousness.

00:32:01.700 --> 00:32:02.380
 You see it's easy

00:32:02.380 --> 00:32:03.900
 to surrender to God

00:32:03.900 --> 00:32:05.080
 when we know who God is.

00:32:05.840 --> 00:32:06.760
 It's easy to surrender

00:32:06.760 --> 00:32:07.320
 to a God

00:32:07.320 --> 00:32:09.680
 who we truly believe

00:32:09.680 --> 00:32:10.440
 will provide

00:32:10.440 --> 00:32:11.480
 and will give us the way.

00:32:12.900 --> 00:32:13.440
 And Romans 8

00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:14.000
 it says this

00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:15.300
 if you're wrestling with this

00:32:15.300 --> 00:32:15.860
 he's like how

00:32:15.860 --> 00:32:17.980
 he gave his only son

00:32:17.980 --> 00:32:18.520
 for you

00:32:18.520 --> 00:32:19.600
 how will he not graciously

00:32:19.600 --> 00:32:20.940
 give you all things?

00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:23.000
 How many of us struggle

00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:24.040
 with trusting God

00:32:24.040 --> 00:32:25.280
 with our jobs

00:32:25.280 --> 00:32:26.520
 with our future

00:32:26.520 --> 00:32:27.500
 with our relationships?

00:32:28.800 --> 00:32:30.280
 We all struggle with this.

00:32:30.279 --> 00:32:31.899
 I struggle with this.

00:32:33.200 --> 00:32:34.440
 I find great comfort

00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:34.899
 in the fact

00:32:34.899 --> 00:32:35.420
 that Abraham

00:32:35.420 --> 00:32:37.079
 also struggled

00:32:37.079 --> 00:32:38.200
 with this.

00:32:40.500 --> 00:32:41.139
 Final thing

00:32:41.139 --> 00:32:41.599
 and then I'm actually

00:32:41.599 --> 00:32:42.299
 going to bring up

00:32:42.299 --> 00:32:43.359
 my good friend Jay

00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:44.359
 to have a little conversation.

00:32:45.799 --> 00:32:46.579
 Just imagine

00:32:46.579 --> 00:32:47.119
 for a second

00:32:47.119 --> 00:32:48.420
 if Abraham

00:32:48.420 --> 00:32:49.160
 and Isaac

00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:50.180
 were actually

00:32:50.180 --> 00:32:51.059
 at the

00:32:51.059 --> 00:32:51.940
 Mount of Calvary

00:32:51.940 --> 00:32:54.799
 when they see

00:32:54.799 --> 00:32:55.259
 Jesus

00:32:55.259 --> 00:32:56.079
 on the cross

00:32:56.079 --> 00:32:56.660
 when they see

00:32:56.660 --> 00:32:57.619
 God's only son

00:32:57.619 --> 00:32:58.119
 the son

00:32:58.119 --> 00:32:58.879
 whom he loves

00:32:58.879 --> 00:33:00.419
 on the cross.

00:33:01.539 --> 00:33:01.979
 Imagine

00:33:01.979 --> 00:33:02.659
 just for a second

00:33:02.659 --> 00:33:03.359
 if Abraham

00:33:03.359 --> 00:33:03.739
 and Isaac

00:33:03.739 --> 00:33:04.559
 found a time machine

00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:05.639
 and they ended up there

00:33:05.639 --> 00:33:07.919
 and what they would have seen

00:33:07.919 --> 00:33:08.299
 they're like

00:33:08.299 --> 00:33:08.699
 oh

00:33:08.699 --> 00:33:10.899
 this all makes sense.

00:33:12.179 --> 00:33:13.139
 Now I know.

00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:15.339
 Now I know.

00:33:17.039 --> 00:33:17.719
 Because he

00:33:17.719 --> 00:33:18.779
 who does not spare

00:33:18.779 --> 00:33:19.799
 his only son

00:33:19.799 --> 00:33:20.959
 whom he loves

00:33:20.959 --> 00:33:22.079
 now I know

00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:22.959
 that God loves me.

00:33:25.079 --> 00:33:25.500
 He would have been

00:33:25.500 --> 00:33:26.059
 shouting around

00:33:26.059 --> 00:33:26.599
 to everyone going

00:33:26.599 --> 00:33:27.679
 I was here

00:33:27.679 --> 00:33:28.480
 well I was nearby

00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:29.039
 on a mountain

00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:30.019
 many years ago

00:33:30.019 --> 00:33:31.440
 but now I know

00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:32.319
 what it was all about.

00:33:33.579 --> 00:33:34.379
 That there is a God

00:33:34.379 --> 00:33:35.119
 there is a father

00:33:35.119 --> 00:33:35.539
 in heaven

00:33:35.539 --> 00:33:36.500
 who loves us so much

00:33:36.500 --> 00:33:37.299
 who is so holy

00:33:37.299 --> 00:33:38.079
 and who is so just

00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:39.220
 and who is so compassionate

00:33:39.220 --> 00:33:40.419
 that he would find

00:33:40.419 --> 00:33:40.980
 he would launch

00:33:40.980 --> 00:33:41.759
 a rescue plan

00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:42.619
 to save us

00:33:42.619 --> 00:33:43.579
 and that plan

00:33:43.579 --> 00:33:44.059
 would involve

00:33:44.059 --> 00:33:44.759
 his son dying

00:33:44.759 --> 00:33:45.359
 on a cross for us.

00:33:45.559 --> 00:33:46.259
 Guys look

00:33:46.259 --> 00:33:47.639
 that is the land

00:33:47.639 --> 00:33:48.319
 that was slain.

00:33:49.940 --> 00:33:50.599
 Can you imagine

00:33:50.599 --> 00:33:51.079
 Isaac

00:33:51.079 --> 00:33:51.859
 going

00:33:51.859 --> 00:33:52.940
 that could have been me

00:33:52.940 --> 00:33:55.319
 but it wasn't.

00:33:57.019 --> 00:33:57.659
 Oh man.

00:33:59.919 --> 00:34:00.859
 I think as those

00:34:00.859 --> 00:34:01.700
 of us who follow Christ

00:34:01.700 --> 00:34:02.279
 we need to

00:34:02.279 --> 00:34:03.419
 encounter that truth

00:34:03.419 --> 00:34:04.419
 again and again.

00:34:06.519 --> 00:34:07.279
 To know how deep

00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:08.239
 the father's love for us

00:34:08.239 --> 00:34:08.779
 that he would give

00:34:08.779 --> 00:34:09.340
 his only son

00:34:09.340 --> 00:34:09.900
 and because of that

00:34:09.900 --> 00:34:10.679
 we are now called

00:34:10.679 --> 00:34:11.259
 children of God.

00:34:14.679 --> 00:34:15.579
 So here's my question

00:34:15.579 --> 00:34:18.019
 and it's probably

00:34:18.019 --> 00:34:18.619
 one that you would have

00:34:18.619 --> 00:34:19.219
 thought as you were

00:34:19.219 --> 00:34:19.719
 just looking through

00:34:19.719 --> 00:34:20.099
 this passage

00:34:20.099 --> 00:34:20.900
 is what's your Isaac?

00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:22.539
 What's the gift

00:34:22.539 --> 00:34:23.360
 that God has given you

00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:25.139
 that you're so grateful for

00:34:25.139 --> 00:34:26.079
 but now you're

00:34:26.079 --> 00:34:26.579
 holding on to

00:34:26.579 --> 00:34:26.960
 and you don't want

00:34:26.960 --> 00:34:27.539
 to give back to him?

00:34:28.980 --> 00:34:30.579
 This happens all the time

00:34:30.579 --> 00:34:31.799
 with Micah

00:34:31.799 --> 00:34:32.279
 doesn't it Reuben?

00:34:32.579 --> 00:34:33.519
 We give him a toy

00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:35.319
 and then he doesn't

00:34:35.319 --> 00:34:36.000
 let us have it back

00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:37.759
 and he's no

00:34:37.759 --> 00:34:38.199
 mine.

00:34:39.960 --> 00:34:40.799
 How many of us

00:34:40.799 --> 00:34:41.839
 have that in our lives?

00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:42.739
 How many of us

00:34:42.739 --> 00:34:43.940
 have that Isaac

00:34:43.940 --> 00:34:45.199
 in our lives?

00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:46.839
 And what if God

00:34:46.839 --> 00:34:47.559
 was just saying

00:34:47.559 --> 00:34:48.219
 hey

00:34:48.219 --> 00:34:49.779
 I gave you

00:34:49.779 --> 00:34:50.480
 this

00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:52.500
 and the whole point

00:34:52.500 --> 00:34:52.800
 of this

00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:53.460
 the whole point

00:34:53.460 --> 00:34:54.159
 of this test

00:34:54.159 --> 00:34:55.500
 is that you would

00:34:55.500 --> 00:34:56.079
 trust me again

00:34:56.079 --> 00:34:59.480
 and that you would

00:34:59.480 --> 00:35:00.400
 respond to my call

00:35:00.400 --> 00:35:00.840
 again

00:35:00.840 --> 00:35:02.699
 and just in case

00:35:02.699 --> 00:35:03.280
 you thought

00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:04.260
 that responding

00:35:04.260 --> 00:35:04.840
 to God's call

00:35:04.840 --> 00:35:05.579
 once is enough

00:35:05.579 --> 00:35:06.780
 Abraham tells us

00:35:06.780 --> 00:35:07.500
 it is not enough

00:35:07.500 --> 00:35:08.740
 it happened in

00:35:08.740 --> 00:35:09.880
 Genesis 12

00:35:09.880 --> 00:35:10.639
 it happened in

00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:11.420
 Genesis 17

00:35:11.420 --> 00:35:11.800
 18

00:35:11.800 --> 00:35:12.420
 20

00:35:12.420 --> 00:35:12.980
 22

00:35:12.980 --> 00:35:15.360
 to be a follower

00:35:15.360 --> 00:35:15.740
 of Christ

00:35:15.740 --> 00:35:16.559
 is not just about

00:35:16.559 --> 00:35:18.219
 modifying our behavior

00:35:18.219 --> 00:35:18.599
 once

00:35:18.599 --> 00:35:20.940
 it's about a

00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:22.219
 constant decision

00:35:22.219 --> 00:35:22.920
 to say God

00:35:22.920 --> 00:35:23.579
 you call

00:35:23.579 --> 00:35:24.000
 I go

00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:26.599
 you invite me

00:35:26.599 --> 00:35:27.000
 I follow

00:35:27.000 --> 00:35:29.199
 what is our Isaac?

00:35:29.820 --> 00:35:30.300
 And so something

00:35:30.300 --> 00:35:30.840
 that I've been wanting

00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:31.300
 to try

00:35:31.300 --> 00:35:32.139
 because I know

00:35:32.139 --> 00:35:33.699
 that if I keep

00:35:33.699 --> 00:35:34.380
 speaking every week

00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:34.880
 for a long time

00:35:34.880 --> 00:35:35.420
 you'll all get sick

00:35:35.420 --> 00:35:35.659
 of me

00:35:35.659 --> 00:35:36.659
 is actually

00:35:36.659 --> 00:35:37.460
 there's lots of people

00:35:37.460 --> 00:35:38.300
 in our congregation

00:35:38.300 --> 00:35:39.019
 who actually have

00:35:39.019 --> 00:35:40.500
 really so much to say

00:35:40.500 --> 00:35:41.159
 so much to bless

00:35:41.159 --> 00:35:41.920
 all of us

00:35:41.920 --> 00:35:42.539
 and what we're going

00:35:42.539 --> 00:35:43.159
 to hopefully

00:35:43.159 --> 00:35:44.179
 try and do more of

00:35:44.179 --> 00:35:44.880
 is actually

00:35:44.880 --> 00:35:45.800
 to get some people

00:35:45.800 --> 00:35:46.239
 up to

00:35:46.239 --> 00:35:48.099
 share their thoughts

00:35:48.099 --> 00:35:48.960
 so what I will do

00:35:48.960 --> 00:35:49.960
 is the week before

00:35:49.960 --> 00:35:50.460
 I'll actually give

00:35:50.460 --> 00:35:51.199
 them a passage

00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:51.880
 the passage

00:35:51.880 --> 00:35:52.139
 that I'm going

00:35:52.139 --> 00:35:52.719
 to be preaching on

00:35:52.719 --> 00:35:53.320
 and ask them

00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:54.179
 to meditate over it

00:35:54.179 --> 00:35:55.300
 ask them to study over it

00:35:55.300 --> 00:35:56.500
 and then of course

00:35:56.500 --> 00:35:57.279
 to listen to the message

00:35:57.279 --> 00:35:57.579
 as well

00:35:57.579 --> 00:35:58.059
 and then to

00:35:58.059 --> 00:35:58.759
 kind of give us

00:35:58.759 --> 00:35:59.199
 a response

00:35:59.199 --> 00:35:59.820
 in real time

00:35:59.820 --> 00:36:00.500
 and maybe just

00:36:00.500 --> 00:36:00.900
 to represent

00:36:00.900 --> 00:36:01.599
 all of us here

00:36:01.599 --> 00:36:02.259
 is actually

00:36:02.259 --> 00:36:02.699
 what does

00:36:02.699 --> 00:36:03.619
 the word of God

00:36:03.619 --> 00:36:05.079
 have for us?

00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:05.820
 What is God

00:36:05.820 --> 00:36:06.639
 actually trying to say

00:36:06.639 --> 00:36:07.019
 to us

00:36:07.019 --> 00:36:07.500
 and what can we

00:36:07.500 --> 00:36:08.400
 put into action here?

00:36:08.699 --> 00:36:09.320
 And so I'd love

00:36:09.320 --> 00:36:10.099
 to invite Jay

00:36:10.099 --> 00:36:10.920
 up here

00:36:10.920 --> 00:36:11.719
 and can we give him

00:36:11.719 --> 00:36:12.320
 a round of applause?

00:36:12.539 --> 00:36:19.360
 So I gave Jay

00:36:19.360 --> 00:36:20.059
 this passage

00:36:20.059 --> 00:36:21.300
 to kind of

00:36:21.300 --> 00:36:22.000
 just reflect on

00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:22.779
 and we've been

00:36:22.779 --> 00:36:23.259
 talking about

00:36:23.259 --> 00:36:23.940
 ways for him

00:36:23.940 --> 00:36:25.099
 to kind of

00:36:25.099 --> 00:36:26.039
 just serve more

00:36:26.039 --> 00:36:26.759
 and he actually

00:36:26.759 --> 00:36:27.519
 feels a conviction

00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:28.420
 that one of these

00:36:28.420 --> 00:36:29.159
 is to actually

00:36:29.159 --> 00:36:29.980
 be able to

00:36:29.980 --> 00:36:31.099
 share his testimony

00:36:31.099 --> 00:36:31.779
 and also just

00:36:31.779 --> 00:36:32.199
 to be willing

00:36:32.199 --> 00:36:33.639
 to grow in teaching

00:36:33.639 --> 00:36:34.800
 the word of God

00:36:34.800 --> 00:36:35.199
 so actually

00:36:35.199 --> 00:36:36.199
 I gave him this passage

00:36:36.199 --> 00:36:36.739
 and then he actually

00:36:36.739 --> 00:36:37.079
 sent me

00:36:37.079 --> 00:36:37.900
 I actually got

00:36:37.900 --> 00:36:38.559
 a little bit excited

00:36:38.559 --> 00:36:38.900
 because I was like

00:36:38.900 --> 00:36:39.500
 oh this is like

00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:40.380
 a whole sermon's worth

00:36:40.380 --> 00:36:41.259
 I can actually

00:36:41.259 --> 00:36:41.880
 have the week off

00:36:41.880 --> 00:36:42.500
 and I realized

00:36:42.500 --> 00:36:43.360
 if I did that

00:36:43.360 --> 00:36:43.740
 he'll never

00:36:43.740 --> 00:36:44.320
 come back again

00:36:44.320 --> 00:36:46.400
 so we're gonna

00:36:46.400 --> 00:36:47.360
 so Jay

00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:48.240
 before I jump

00:36:48.240 --> 00:36:48.820
 into the questions

00:36:48.820 --> 00:36:49.360
 can you just

00:36:49.360 --> 00:36:50.099
 briefly tell us

00:36:50.099 --> 00:36:51.900
 what you do

00:36:51.900 --> 00:36:52.900
 and just

00:36:52.900 --> 00:36:53.420
 about yourself

00:36:53.420 --> 00:36:55.260
 my name is Jay

00:36:55.260 --> 00:36:57.460
 and I am currently

00:36:57.460 --> 00:36:58.500
 working at Bloomberg

00:36:58.500 --> 00:37:00.800
 I'm Korean

00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:01.380
 I don't know

00:37:01.380 --> 00:37:01.980
 what else to share

00:37:01.980 --> 00:37:02.420
 yeah

00:37:02.420 --> 00:37:04.200
 you're Korean

00:37:04.200 --> 00:37:04.960
 and working at Bloomberg

00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:06.159
 that is a very

00:37:06.159 --> 00:37:06.800
 Korean way

00:37:06.800 --> 00:37:07.519
 of describing yourself

00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:09.800
 so

00:37:09.800 --> 00:37:11.800
 what made you

00:37:11.800 --> 00:37:12.180
 want to

00:37:12.180 --> 00:37:12.700
 kind of just

00:37:12.700 --> 00:37:13.700
 get up and do this

00:37:13.699 --> 00:37:19.659
 God spoke to me

00:37:19.659 --> 00:37:20.259
 three years ago

00:37:20.259 --> 00:37:21.179
 when I was in the military

00:37:21.179 --> 00:37:21.879
 and

00:37:21.879 --> 00:37:23.199
 he spoke actually

00:37:23.199 --> 00:37:24.019
 really clearly to me

00:37:24.019 --> 00:37:24.500
 and

00:37:24.500 --> 00:37:25.219
 he said

00:37:25.219 --> 00:37:26.179
 I've given you a gift

00:37:26.179 --> 00:37:27.039
 and you must use it

00:37:27.039 --> 00:37:28.519
 and that's to teach

00:37:28.519 --> 00:37:29.460
 so

00:37:29.460 --> 00:37:31.779
 I've had

00:37:31.779 --> 00:37:32.719
 my own journey

00:37:32.719 --> 00:37:33.639
 of trying to obey

00:37:33.639 --> 00:37:34.159
 this command

00:37:34.159 --> 00:37:34.919
 and trusting God

00:37:34.919 --> 00:37:35.500
 when he's calling me

00:37:35.500 --> 00:37:35.980
 to do this

00:37:35.980 --> 00:37:37.519
 it made me a little bit

00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:38.019
 scared initially

00:37:38.019 --> 00:37:38.519
 and

00:37:38.519 --> 00:37:39.779
 I think now

00:37:39.779 --> 00:37:40.699
 I'm sitting up here

00:37:40.699 --> 00:37:41.000
 and

00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:42.259
 I don't feel the nerves

00:37:42.259 --> 00:37:42.879
 that I used to

00:37:42.879 --> 00:37:43.139
 and

00:37:43.139 --> 00:37:43.939
 it's such a

00:37:43.939 --> 00:37:44.859
 I mean

00:37:44.859 --> 00:37:45.939
 Emily knows how nervous

00:37:45.939 --> 00:37:46.519
 I used to get

00:37:46.519 --> 00:37:47.279
 and now I'm up here

00:37:47.279 --> 00:37:47.519
 and

00:37:47.519 --> 00:37:48.679
 it's just

00:37:48.679 --> 00:37:49.599
 sorry

00:37:49.599 --> 00:37:50.339
 I just want to testify

00:37:50.339 --> 00:37:50.859
 it's just

00:37:50.859 --> 00:37:51.759
 I'm so

00:37:51.759 --> 00:37:53.219
 I'm so grateful

00:37:53.219 --> 00:37:54.539
 that God's changed my heart

00:37:54.539 --> 00:37:54.939
 that

00:37:54.939 --> 00:37:56.679
 I just want to glorify him

00:37:56.679 --> 00:37:57.119
 like this

00:37:57.119 --> 00:37:58.119
 I'm here to glorify him

00:37:58.119 --> 00:37:58.819
 I just want to

00:37:58.819 --> 00:37:59.819
 share how

00:37:59.819 --> 00:38:00.639
 God has been working

00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:01.259
 in my life

00:38:01.259 --> 00:38:01.719
 and

00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:03.439
 it's tiring to hear you

00:38:03.439 --> 00:38:03.819
 all the time

00:38:03.819 --> 00:38:04.039
 you know

00:38:04.039 --> 00:38:04.319
 it is

00:38:04.319 --> 00:38:07.079
 I first met Jay

00:38:07.079 --> 00:38:07.399
 when

00:38:07.399 --> 00:38:07.960
 actually it was our

00:38:07.960 --> 00:38:08.659
 very first weekend

00:38:08.659 --> 00:38:09.399
 here in Hong Kong

00:38:09.399 --> 00:38:10.219
 seven years ago

00:38:10.219 --> 00:38:11.439
 and he was still

00:38:11.439 --> 00:38:12.219
 how old were you then?

00:38:14.139 --> 00:38:14.500
 19

00:38:14.500 --> 00:38:14.899
 19

00:38:14.899 --> 00:38:15.139
 18

00:38:15.139 --> 00:38:15.500
 19

00:38:15.500 --> 00:38:16.500
 he was part of the

00:38:16.500 --> 00:38:17.159
 Young Life University

00:38:17.159 --> 00:38:17.859
 ministries as well

00:38:17.859 --> 00:38:18.319
 and that's how

00:38:18.319 --> 00:38:19.139
 they kind of got connected

00:38:19.139 --> 00:38:19.939
 and since then

00:38:19.939 --> 00:38:20.419
 I've just watched him

00:38:20.419 --> 00:38:20.959
 grow and grow

00:38:20.959 --> 00:38:22.059
 both in stature

00:38:22.059 --> 00:38:23.139
 both in kind of

00:38:23.139 --> 00:38:23.919
 build

00:38:23.919 --> 00:38:24.879
 and also in hair

00:38:24.879 --> 00:38:26.079
 and every time

00:38:26.079 --> 00:38:26.980
 every time I look at him

00:38:26.980 --> 00:38:27.619
 there's just a little bit

00:38:27.619 --> 00:38:28.399
 of disdain in me

00:38:28.399 --> 00:38:29.699
 it's just

00:38:29.699 --> 00:38:30.079
 it's just

00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:30.919
 it's just such a waste

00:38:30.919 --> 00:38:31.539
 it's just kind of

00:38:31.539 --> 00:38:32.119
 it's just

00:38:32.119 --> 00:38:35.879
 and the most annoying thing is

00:38:35.879 --> 00:38:36.539
 he'll go to military

00:38:36.539 --> 00:38:37.339
 he'll shave it all off

00:38:37.339 --> 00:38:38.179
 and then just two months later

00:38:38.179 --> 00:38:38.819
 it's all back again

00:38:38.820 --> 00:38:40.880
 but anyway

00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:42.000
 thank you for so much

00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:42.360
 for doing this

00:38:42.360 --> 00:38:42.680
 and I hope

00:38:42.680 --> 00:38:44.080
 we'll be able to do this more

00:38:44.080 --> 00:38:45.700
 and so

00:38:45.700 --> 00:38:46.300
 the first question

00:38:46.300 --> 00:38:46.840
 I have for you

00:38:46.840 --> 00:38:47.519
 and we only have two

00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:48.440
 just in case you're tracking

00:38:48.440 --> 00:38:49.080
 is just

00:38:49.080 --> 00:38:50.600
 as you read the passage

00:38:50.600 --> 00:38:51.940
 of Genesis 22

00:38:51.940 --> 00:38:52.980
 what stood out to you

00:38:52.980 --> 00:38:53.340
 the most?

00:38:54.039 --> 00:38:54.519
 Before I do that

00:38:54.519 --> 00:38:55.380
 can I just quickly pray

00:38:55.380 --> 00:38:55.840
 if it's okay?

00:38:55.840 --> 00:39:01.180
 Holy Spirit

00:39:01.180 --> 00:39:01.980
 this is your stage

00:39:01.980 --> 00:39:03.140
 and I just want to speak

00:39:03.140 --> 00:39:03.980
 what you want to speak

00:39:03.980 --> 00:39:04.380
 through me

00:39:04.380 --> 00:39:07.600
 I just sense that

00:39:07.600 --> 00:39:08.740
 there's a lot of open hearts

00:39:08.740 --> 00:39:09.320
 here today Lord

00:39:09.320 --> 00:39:10.440
 so I just pray God

00:39:10.440 --> 00:39:12.079
 that you soften their hearts

00:39:12.079 --> 00:39:12.579
 even more

00:39:12.579 --> 00:39:13.680
 in the next 10 minutes God

00:39:13.680 --> 00:39:15.160
 whatever it is

00:39:15.160 --> 00:39:15.840
 that you want to speak

00:39:15.840 --> 00:39:16.260
 through me

00:39:16.260 --> 00:39:17.519
 I just pray I can obey

00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:19.240
 I can abide in you God

00:39:19.240 --> 00:39:20.880
 and I know that you will speak

00:39:20.880 --> 00:39:22.200
 because you're faithful

00:39:22.200 --> 00:39:23.039
 and I can trust you

00:39:23.039 --> 00:39:23.900
 and we can trust you

00:39:23.900 --> 00:39:25.519
 so Father I just pray

00:39:25.519 --> 00:39:26.400
 for fertile soul

00:39:26.400 --> 00:39:27.240
 as you speak now

00:39:27.240 --> 00:39:28.380
 in the name of prayer

00:39:28.380 --> 00:39:28.639
 Amen

00:39:28.639 --> 00:39:30.680
 to answer the question

00:39:30.680 --> 00:39:31.740
 well firstly

00:39:31.740 --> 00:39:32.579
 thanks for having me James

00:39:32.579 --> 00:39:34.400
 I've been thinking about

00:39:34.400 --> 00:39:34.780
 this passage

00:39:34.780 --> 00:39:35.720
 for the past two weeks

00:39:35.720 --> 00:39:37.680
 it's a passage that's

00:39:37.680 --> 00:39:38.960
 confused me

00:39:38.960 --> 00:39:39.680
 it's been

00:39:39.680 --> 00:39:40.980
 a passage that's been

00:39:40.980 --> 00:39:42.820
 it's challenged me a lot

00:39:42.820 --> 00:39:43.460
 over the years

00:39:43.460 --> 00:39:45.019
 and two weeks ago

00:39:45.019 --> 00:39:45.440
 like you know

00:39:45.440 --> 00:39:46.000
 when we were doing

00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:46.559
 chapter 20

00:39:46.559 --> 00:39:47.039
 I was like

00:39:47.039 --> 00:39:47.420
 oh okay

00:39:47.420 --> 00:39:48.559
 I need to speak on chapter 22

00:39:48.559 --> 00:39:49.360
 as I was reading ahead

00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:51.039
 the main thing

00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:52.039
 that stood out to me was

00:39:52.039 --> 00:39:52.680
 I mean James

00:39:52.680 --> 00:39:53.500
 you talked a lot about

00:39:53.500 --> 00:39:54.219
 what it looks like

00:39:54.219 --> 00:39:55.519
 to trust in God

00:39:55.519 --> 00:39:56.179
 and how Abraham

00:39:56.179 --> 00:39:57.099
 trusted in God

00:39:57.099 --> 00:39:59.380
 and I think the question

00:39:59.380 --> 00:40:00.079
 that popped up for me

00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:00.380
 was like

00:40:00.380 --> 00:40:01.860
 how do we trust God more

00:40:01.860 --> 00:40:03.579
 because it's something

00:40:03.579 --> 00:40:04.559
 that's said a lot in church

00:40:04.559 --> 00:40:04.780
 right

00:40:04.780 --> 00:40:05.539
 we just trust God

00:40:05.539 --> 00:40:06.440
 and when you read

00:40:06.440 --> 00:40:08.360
 Genesis 22

00:40:08.360 --> 00:40:09.800
 like let's say

00:40:09.800 --> 00:40:10.460
 you didn't know anything

00:40:10.460 --> 00:40:10.980
 about Abraham

00:40:10.980 --> 00:40:12.420
 and you read Genesis 22

00:40:12.420 --> 00:40:13.940
 this passage makes

00:40:13.940 --> 00:40:15.480
 Abraham seem like

00:40:15.480 --> 00:40:17.059
 he's this really obedient

00:40:17.059 --> 00:40:19.159
 he doesn't challenge God

00:40:19.159 --> 00:40:20.260
 he's super

00:40:20.260 --> 00:40:21.500
 like he's really

00:40:21.500 --> 00:40:22.579
 he really trusts the Lord

00:40:22.579 --> 00:40:23.719
 but if you

00:40:23.719 --> 00:40:25.900
 if you see the context

00:40:25.900 --> 00:40:26.500
 of his life

00:40:26.500 --> 00:40:27.559
 everything that's led up

00:40:27.559 --> 00:40:28.179
 to this point

00:40:28.179 --> 00:40:28.799
 Abraham

00:40:28.799 --> 00:40:31.000
 was not a very good dude

00:40:31.000 --> 00:40:32.440
 he really wasn't

00:40:32.440 --> 00:40:33.179
 like you know

00:40:33.179 --> 00:40:34.179
 he lied

00:40:34.179 --> 00:40:35.799
 he was

00:40:35.799 --> 00:40:37.159
 he's not a very honest dude

00:40:37.159 --> 00:40:38.099
 he didn't trust God

00:40:38.099 --> 00:40:38.960
 at many turns

00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:39.860
 he took matters

00:40:39.860 --> 00:40:40.739
 into his own hands

00:40:40.739 --> 00:40:41.819
 many times

00:40:41.819 --> 00:40:43.380
 but

00:40:43.380 --> 00:40:44.940
 we read today's passage

00:40:44.940 --> 00:40:45.639
 and

00:40:45.639 --> 00:40:46.659
 for the person

00:40:46.659 --> 00:40:47.559
 who doesn't know

00:40:47.559 --> 00:40:48.699
 or doesn't have context

00:40:48.699 --> 00:40:49.340
 to Abraham's life

00:40:49.340 --> 00:40:49.699
 it's like

00:40:49.699 --> 00:40:50.519
 oh this guy is like

00:40:50.519 --> 00:40:51.239
 he's the goat

00:40:51.239 --> 00:40:51.739
 like I don't think

00:40:51.739 --> 00:40:52.360
 I can ever

00:40:52.360 --> 00:40:54.539
 be as trustworthy

00:40:54.539 --> 00:40:55.639
 as Abraham was

00:40:55.639 --> 00:40:56.900
 I'm nowhere near

00:40:56.900 --> 00:40:58.400
 close to that level

00:40:58.400 --> 00:40:58.820
 of faith

00:40:58.820 --> 00:40:59.420
 right

00:40:59.420 --> 00:41:00.820
 but then we have to

00:41:00.820 --> 00:41:01.340
 I think for me

00:41:01.340 --> 00:41:01.980
 what's so encouraging

00:41:01.980 --> 00:41:02.400
 firstly

00:41:02.400 --> 00:41:03.619
 is just understanding

00:41:03.619 --> 00:41:04.179
 the context

00:41:04.179 --> 00:41:05.099
 of Abraham's life

00:41:05.099 --> 00:41:06.380
 this dude was messed up

00:41:06.380 --> 00:41:07.480
 he did not trust God

00:41:07.480 --> 00:41:08.519
 he's called the father

00:41:08.519 --> 00:41:08.880
 of faith

00:41:08.880 --> 00:41:09.539
 in the New Testament

00:41:09.539 --> 00:41:10.400
 but if you read

00:41:10.400 --> 00:41:11.219
 all the context

00:41:11.219 --> 00:41:12.099
 all the chapters

00:41:12.099 --> 00:41:12.920
 prior to today

00:41:12.920 --> 00:41:13.980
 oh man

00:41:13.980 --> 00:41:14.900
 he was a mess

00:41:14.900 --> 00:41:15.360
 right

00:41:15.360 --> 00:41:16.179
 and James talks about

00:41:16.179 --> 00:41:16.900
 how our faith

00:41:16.900 --> 00:41:17.759
 is like cycles

00:41:17.759 --> 00:41:17.960
 right

00:41:17.960 --> 00:41:18.599
 like it's not just

00:41:18.599 --> 00:41:19.840
 this linear growth

00:41:19.840 --> 00:41:21.340
 it's we go through cycles

00:41:21.340 --> 00:41:22.539
 and I think that was

00:41:22.539 --> 00:41:23.000
 the first thing

00:41:23.000 --> 00:41:23.940
 that really stood out to me

00:41:23.940 --> 00:41:24.220
 so

00:41:24.220 --> 00:41:25.920
 as I was thinking about

00:41:25.920 --> 00:41:26.679
 okay

00:41:26.679 --> 00:41:27.840
 how did Abraham

00:41:27.840 --> 00:41:28.699
 actually

00:41:28.699 --> 00:41:29.380
 what was different

00:41:29.380 --> 00:41:30.019
 for him this time

00:41:30.019 --> 00:41:30.199
 right

00:41:30.199 --> 00:41:31.039
 that was the main question

00:41:31.039 --> 00:41:32.240
 like why this time

00:41:32.240 --> 00:41:33.440
 after all the time

00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:33.760
 prior

00:41:33.760 --> 00:41:34.960
 he just challenged God

00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:35.940
 he was quarreling with God

00:41:35.940 --> 00:41:36.720
 he lied to God

00:41:36.720 --> 00:41:38.400
 what was different this time

00:41:38.400 --> 00:41:40.440
 what switched on for him

00:41:40.440 --> 00:41:41.079
 where he was like

00:41:41.079 --> 00:41:41.360
 okay

00:41:41.360 --> 00:41:42.440
 I can actually trust God

00:41:42.440 --> 00:41:42.820
 this time

00:41:42.820 --> 00:41:45.039
 and

00:41:45.039 --> 00:41:46.340
 I think my main takeaway

00:41:46.340 --> 00:41:47.159
 if I could summarize

00:41:47.159 --> 00:41:48.000
 my main takeaway

00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:48.759
 into one sentence

00:41:48.759 --> 00:41:49.579
 it's this

00:41:49.579 --> 00:41:51.699
 we can only begin

00:41:51.699 --> 00:41:52.859
 to truly trust God

00:41:52.859 --> 00:41:53.960
 when we see that

00:41:53.960 --> 00:41:54.980
 he's truly trustworthy

00:41:54.980 --> 00:41:57.219
 it's about God's faithfulness

00:41:57.219 --> 00:41:58.359
 when we read the passage

00:41:58.359 --> 00:41:59.559
 I think it's so

00:41:59.559 --> 00:42:01.019
 focused on Abraham

00:42:01.019 --> 00:42:02.079
 Abraham's faith

00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:02.839
 like wow

00:42:02.839 --> 00:42:04.059
 Abraham you did such a good job

00:42:04.059 --> 00:42:04.299
 but

00:42:04.299 --> 00:42:06.019
 actually the only reason

00:42:06.019 --> 00:42:06.940
 he was able to do

00:42:06.940 --> 00:42:07.659
 that good job

00:42:07.659 --> 00:42:08.699
 is because he finally

00:42:08.699 --> 00:42:09.399
 understood

00:42:09.399 --> 00:42:10.940
 experienced personally

00:42:10.940 --> 00:42:11.599
 in his heart

00:42:11.599 --> 00:42:12.719
 God's faithfulness

00:42:12.719 --> 00:42:13.299
 in his life

00:42:13.299 --> 00:42:14.299
 and it's what James

00:42:14.299 --> 00:42:14.960
 said earlier right

00:42:14.960 --> 00:42:16.199
 only when we can

00:42:16.199 --> 00:42:16.980
 actually see that

00:42:16.980 --> 00:42:17.579
 he's trustworthy

00:42:17.579 --> 00:42:18.440
 when we understand

00:42:18.440 --> 00:42:19.300
 that God is trustworthy

00:42:19.300 --> 00:42:20.280
 then our actions

00:42:20.280 --> 00:42:20.740
 will follow

00:42:20.740 --> 00:42:21.960
 and I think that's the thing

00:42:21.960 --> 00:42:22.960
 that really stood out to me

00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:24.699
 it's not trying to

00:42:24.699 --> 00:42:26.099
 muster up the courage

00:42:26.099 --> 00:42:27.019
 to say okay God

00:42:27.019 --> 00:42:27.740
 I'm just gonna trust you

00:42:27.740 --> 00:42:28.000
 in this

00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:28.360
 it's

00:42:28.360 --> 00:42:30.019
 that's not what God's

00:42:30.019 --> 00:42:30.900
 asking of us right

00:42:30.900 --> 00:42:33.480
 Abraham saw who God was

00:42:33.480 --> 00:42:34.920
 he understood

00:42:34.920 --> 00:42:35.960
 that God was faithful

00:42:35.960 --> 00:42:36.420
 to him

00:42:36.420 --> 00:42:37.679
 think about it right

00:42:37.679 --> 00:42:37.940
 like

00:42:37.940 --> 00:42:41.079
 it sounds like

00:42:41.079 --> 00:42:41.920
 Abraham's faith

00:42:41.920 --> 00:42:42.780
 but it's actually

00:42:42.780 --> 00:42:43.579
 a passage on

00:42:43.579 --> 00:42:44.320
 God's faith

00:42:44.320 --> 00:42:45.440
 in Abraham's life

00:42:45.440 --> 00:42:47.280
 because Abraham

00:42:47.280 --> 00:42:48.180
 did not hold

00:42:48.180 --> 00:42:48.900
 his end of the deal

00:42:48.900 --> 00:42:49.840
 so many times

00:42:49.840 --> 00:42:50.059
 right

00:42:50.059 --> 00:42:50.920
 but yet

00:42:50.920 --> 00:42:52.260
 God still took him

00:42:52.260 --> 00:42:53.539
 to that mountain

00:42:53.539 --> 00:42:56.160
 and he reestablishes

00:42:56.160 --> 00:42:56.580
 that covenant

00:42:56.580 --> 00:42:56.960
 with him

00:42:56.960 --> 00:42:57.840
 it's actually a story

00:42:57.840 --> 00:42:59.300
 about God's faithfulness

00:42:59.300 --> 00:42:59.780
 to Abraham

00:42:59.780 --> 00:43:00.860
 and I think

00:43:00.860 --> 00:43:01.580
 when we start

00:43:01.580 --> 00:43:02.400
 taking the focus

00:43:02.400 --> 00:43:03.180
 off of ourselves

00:43:03.180 --> 00:43:04.080
 and what we can do

00:43:04.080 --> 00:43:04.900
 to bring to the table

00:43:04.900 --> 00:43:05.780
 to become a better

00:43:05.780 --> 00:43:06.120
 Christian

00:43:06.120 --> 00:43:06.460
 whatever

00:43:06.460 --> 00:43:06.920
 what not

00:43:06.920 --> 00:43:07.860
 and we see

00:43:07.860 --> 00:43:08.700
 actually God

00:43:08.700 --> 00:43:09.360
 is trustworthy

00:43:09.360 --> 00:43:11.300
 I think

00:43:11.300 --> 00:43:11.599
 that's when

00:43:11.599 --> 00:43:11.860
 our hearts

00:43:11.860 --> 00:43:12.500
 begin to change

00:43:12.500 --> 00:43:13.519
 and just one last thing

00:43:13.519 --> 00:43:15.059
 I think

00:43:15.059 --> 00:43:16.860
 the thing

00:43:16.860 --> 00:43:17.539
 that really resonated

00:43:17.539 --> 00:43:18.160
 with me as well

00:43:18.160 --> 00:43:19.240
 was how it took

00:43:19.240 --> 00:43:20.220
 Abraham so much time

00:43:20.220 --> 00:43:21.079
 to get to this point

00:43:21.079 --> 00:43:22.980
 I think when we

00:43:22.980 --> 00:43:23.260
 again

00:43:23.260 --> 00:43:24.220
 when we read this passage

00:43:24.220 --> 00:43:24.840
 it just seems like

00:43:24.840 --> 00:43:25.140
 oh wow

00:43:25.140 --> 00:43:25.559
 he's the goat

00:43:25.559 --> 00:43:26.780
 he's like so trustworthy

00:43:26.780 --> 00:43:28.160
 but it took time

00:43:28.160 --> 00:43:29.800
 it took mistakes

00:43:29.800 --> 00:43:31.220
 and I think

00:43:31.220 --> 00:43:32.059
 as readers

00:43:32.059 --> 00:43:32.880
 of this passage

00:43:32.880 --> 00:43:33.960
 I think what we can

00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:34.680
 take away from it

00:43:34.680 --> 00:43:35.660
 is understanding

00:43:35.660 --> 00:43:36.260
 you know what

00:43:36.260 --> 00:43:37.640
 in this journey of faith

00:43:37.640 --> 00:43:38.599
 as I grow closer

00:43:38.599 --> 00:43:39.079
 to Christ

00:43:39.079 --> 00:43:40.119
 I will make mistakes

00:43:40.119 --> 00:43:42.679
 and I will fall short

00:43:42.679 --> 00:43:44.319
 but God is gracious

00:43:44.319 --> 00:43:45.420
 and when I do

00:43:45.420 --> 00:43:46.420
 he'll re-invite me

00:43:46.420 --> 00:43:47.159
 with open arms

00:43:47.159 --> 00:43:47.920
 and I think

00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:48.420
 that's the thing

00:43:48.420 --> 00:43:49.059
 that has to

00:43:49.059 --> 00:43:50.360
 root us back to him

00:43:50.360 --> 00:43:51.159
 keep us back to him

00:43:51.159 --> 00:43:51.880
 it's about God

00:43:51.880 --> 00:43:52.860
 taking the focus

00:43:52.860 --> 00:43:54.599
 off of ourselves

00:43:54.599 --> 00:43:55.519
 and looking to the

00:43:55.519 --> 00:43:56.079
 faithful God

00:43:56.079 --> 00:43:56.739
 I think is what

00:43:56.739 --> 00:43:58.000
 I took away from

00:43:58.000 --> 00:43:58.759
 the passage today

00:43:58.759 --> 00:43:59.659
 and you

00:43:59.659 --> 00:44:01.519
 this incoming curveball

00:44:01.519 --> 00:44:02.719
 you and I both

00:44:02.719 --> 00:44:03.739
 have the idol of control

00:44:03.739 --> 00:44:04.480
 we've talked about this

00:44:04.480 --> 00:44:04.920
 a lot

00:44:04.920 --> 00:44:06.139
 and often that leads

00:44:06.139 --> 00:44:07.400
 to just lots of anxiety

00:44:07.400 --> 00:44:08.700
 and a lot of stress

00:44:08.700 --> 00:44:09.119
 and worry

00:44:09.119 --> 00:44:10.099
 that our wives

00:44:10.099 --> 00:44:10.880
 can attest to

00:44:10.880 --> 00:44:11.260
 as well

00:44:11.260 --> 00:44:12.340
 so when you're saying

00:44:12.340 --> 00:44:12.860
 okay well

00:44:12.860 --> 00:44:13.860
 the answer then is

00:44:13.860 --> 00:44:15.440
 that we just have to

00:44:15.440 --> 00:44:15.720
 look at the

00:44:15.720 --> 00:44:16.700
 trustworthiness of God

00:44:16.700 --> 00:44:18.240
 practically speaking

00:44:18.240 --> 00:44:19.039
 what does that look like

00:44:19.039 --> 00:44:20.480
 how do you do that

00:44:20.480 --> 00:44:21.039
 how do you remind

00:44:21.039 --> 00:44:22.039
 yourself of that

00:44:22.039 --> 00:44:23.740
 I guess I could just

00:44:23.740 --> 00:44:24.460
 share the testimony

00:44:24.460 --> 00:44:30.280
 I think trusting the Lord

00:44:30.280 --> 00:44:32.800
 is when we look

00:44:32.800 --> 00:44:34.860
 when I read the Bible

00:44:34.860 --> 00:44:36.099
 it just sounds like

00:44:36.099 --> 00:44:37.480
 you make one decision

00:44:37.480 --> 00:44:38.300
 once at one point

00:44:38.300 --> 00:44:38.679
 in your life

00:44:38.679 --> 00:44:39.480
 okay I trust the Lord

00:44:39.480 --> 00:44:39.920
 and you're set

00:44:39.920 --> 00:44:41.679
 but it's never like that

00:44:41.679 --> 00:44:41.920
 right

00:44:41.920 --> 00:44:43.260
 it's a daily decision

00:44:43.260 --> 00:44:43.679
 actually

00:44:43.679 --> 00:44:45.460
 it takes time

00:44:45.460 --> 00:44:47.720
 and I think for me

00:44:47.720 --> 00:44:49.659
 in the context of

00:44:49.659 --> 00:44:50.079
 idols

00:44:50.079 --> 00:44:51.019
 and my Isaac

00:44:51.019 --> 00:44:51.579
 in my life

00:44:51.579 --> 00:44:52.119
 it's control

00:44:52.119 --> 00:44:53.219
 and sometimes

00:44:53.219 --> 00:44:53.679
 that control

00:44:53.679 --> 00:44:54.400
 manifests itself

00:44:54.400 --> 00:44:55.299
 in very different

00:44:55.299 --> 00:44:56.099
 areas of my life

00:44:56.099 --> 00:44:57.019
 but control in the

00:44:57.019 --> 00:44:58.059
 context of my career

00:44:58.059 --> 00:44:59.519
 I think

00:44:59.519 --> 00:45:00.480
 for me

00:45:00.480 --> 00:45:01.440
 I'm an Asian kid

00:45:01.440 --> 00:45:01.599
 right

00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:02.400
 my parents had

00:45:02.400 --> 00:45:03.000
 high expectations

00:45:03.000 --> 00:45:03.380
 for me

00:45:03.380 --> 00:45:03.980
 and you know

00:45:03.980 --> 00:45:04.579
 doctor, lawyer

00:45:04.579 --> 00:45:04.839
 whatever

00:45:04.839 --> 00:45:05.380
 whatever

00:45:05.380 --> 00:45:06.219
 yeah you know

00:45:06.219 --> 00:45:06.799
 that was the

00:45:06.799 --> 00:45:07.559
 expectation of me

00:45:07.559 --> 00:45:09.279
 and I did it

00:45:09.279 --> 00:45:10.159
 and that's

00:45:10.159 --> 00:45:11.219
 kind of where I am now

00:45:11.219 --> 00:45:11.980
 and

00:45:11.980 --> 00:45:14.319
 for a very long time

00:45:14.319 --> 00:45:14.619
 now

00:45:14.619 --> 00:45:15.859
 since I was

00:45:15.859 --> 00:45:16.380
 I don't know

00:45:16.380 --> 00:45:17.659
 as long as I can remember

00:45:17.659 --> 00:45:18.940
 I knew that God

00:45:18.940 --> 00:45:19.539
 was calling me

00:45:19.539 --> 00:45:20.099
 into a different

00:45:20.099 --> 00:45:20.699
 career path

00:45:20.699 --> 00:45:21.779
 he was calling me

00:45:21.779 --> 00:45:22.039
 I think

00:45:22.039 --> 00:45:22.779
 to become a counselor

00:45:22.779 --> 00:45:24.599
 and I resisted that

00:45:24.599 --> 00:45:25.519
 for a very long time

00:45:25.519 --> 00:45:26.559
 I'll just explain why

00:45:26.559 --> 00:45:27.779
 I'm sharing this testimony

00:45:27.779 --> 00:45:28.159
 in a second

00:45:28.159 --> 00:45:28.919
 and how it relates

00:45:28.919 --> 00:45:30.039
 to trust

00:45:30.039 --> 00:45:30.319
 but

00:45:30.319 --> 00:45:32.799
 I resisted for a very long time

00:45:32.799 --> 00:45:34.359
 couple of reasons

00:45:34.359 --> 00:45:35.000
 number one

00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:35.399
 again

00:45:35.399 --> 00:45:36.119
 I didn't want to

00:45:36.119 --> 00:45:37.759
 I didn't want to

00:45:37.759 --> 00:45:38.419
 disappoint my parents

00:45:38.419 --> 00:45:39.419
 that was a big one

00:45:39.419 --> 00:45:40.480
 and

00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:42.039
 I think

00:45:42.039 --> 00:45:43.139
 the career that I'm in now

00:45:43.139 --> 00:45:43.679
 I'm comfortable

00:45:43.679 --> 00:45:44.579
 it means

00:45:44.579 --> 00:45:45.219
 I can control

00:45:45.219 --> 00:45:46.319
 the variables in my life

00:45:46.319 --> 00:45:47.119
 it means that

00:45:47.119 --> 00:45:48.480
 I can eliminate

00:45:48.480 --> 00:45:49.279
 a lot of

00:45:49.279 --> 00:45:49.859
 uncertainty

00:45:49.860 --> 00:45:50.539
 from my life

00:45:50.539 --> 00:45:51.280
 and that's really

00:45:51.280 --> 00:45:51.920
 important for me

00:45:51.920 --> 00:45:53.579
 so when God gave me

00:45:53.579 --> 00:45:53.980
 the call

00:45:53.980 --> 00:45:55.019
 hey become a counselor

00:45:55.019 --> 00:45:56.620
 in my head

00:45:56.620 --> 00:45:57.079
 I was thinking

00:45:57.079 --> 00:45:58.180
 oh my goodness

00:45:58.180 --> 00:45:58.559
 like

00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:00.160
 that doesn't sound

00:46:00.160 --> 00:46:01.200
 like a very stable job

00:46:01.200 --> 00:46:02.760
 that sounds like

00:46:02.760 --> 00:46:04.740
 really difficult work

00:46:04.740 --> 00:46:05.260
 I mean

00:46:05.260 --> 00:46:06.059
 the list goes on

00:46:06.059 --> 00:46:06.160
 right

00:46:06.160 --> 00:46:06.760
 there's just so many

00:46:06.760 --> 00:46:08.300
 different things to fear

00:46:08.300 --> 00:46:08.840
 and

00:46:08.840 --> 00:46:10.340
 so I resisted

00:46:10.340 --> 00:46:11.099
 for a very long time

00:46:11.099 --> 00:46:12.000
 and then I applied

00:46:12.000 --> 00:46:12.360
 to Bloomberg

00:46:12.360 --> 00:46:13.059
 and I got to Bloomberg

00:46:13.059 --> 00:46:13.599
 and now I'm working

00:46:13.599 --> 00:46:14.019
 finance

00:46:14.019 --> 00:46:14.820
 it's been three years

00:46:14.820 --> 00:46:15.099
 and

00:46:15.099 --> 00:46:16.380
 the start of the year

00:46:16.380 --> 00:46:18.340
 I was sharing

00:46:18.340 --> 00:46:19.200
 with one of my mentors

00:46:19.200 --> 00:46:20.039
 that I was really

00:46:20.039 --> 00:46:20.920
 struggling with this

00:46:20.920 --> 00:46:21.720
 I said to him

00:46:21.720 --> 00:46:23.320
 I think the Lord's

00:46:23.320 --> 00:46:23.800
 calling me

00:46:23.800 --> 00:46:24.059
 but

00:46:24.059 --> 00:46:25.260
 I don't know

00:46:25.260 --> 00:46:25.740
 how to obey

00:46:25.740 --> 00:46:27.200
 and

00:46:27.200 --> 00:46:27.940
 he just asked me

00:46:27.940 --> 00:46:28.480
 this question

00:46:28.480 --> 00:46:29.039
 that just

00:46:29.039 --> 00:46:29.940
 straight to the heart

00:46:29.940 --> 00:46:30.740
 he's very direct

00:46:30.740 --> 00:46:32.200
 he said

00:46:32.200 --> 00:46:32.980
 Jay

00:46:32.980 --> 00:46:33.500
 why don't you

00:46:33.500 --> 00:46:34.019
 trust God

00:46:34.019 --> 00:46:37.400
 and I was like

00:46:37.400 --> 00:46:37.700
 what

00:46:37.700 --> 00:46:38.360
 what do you mean

00:46:38.360 --> 00:46:38.680
 I do

00:46:38.680 --> 00:46:39.720
 that's really rude

00:46:39.720 --> 00:46:40.220
 and he was like

00:46:40.220 --> 00:46:40.740
 no Jay

00:46:40.740 --> 00:46:42.460
 you don't trust God

00:46:42.460 --> 00:46:43.800
 and

00:46:43.800 --> 00:46:44.980
 as I sat with it

00:46:44.980 --> 00:46:46.000
 I realized

00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:47.000
 in my head

00:46:47.000 --> 00:46:47.519
 I was saying

00:46:47.519 --> 00:46:48.500
 Lord I trust you

00:46:48.500 --> 00:46:49.320
 and I come here

00:46:49.320 --> 00:46:50.199
 to Sunday service

00:46:50.199 --> 00:46:50.559
 and I say

00:46:50.559 --> 00:46:51.139
 I worship you

00:46:51.139 --> 00:46:51.880
 I surrender

00:46:51.880 --> 00:46:52.159
 whatever

00:46:52.159 --> 00:46:53.199
 I'm saying

00:46:53.199 --> 00:46:54.119
 with my lips

00:46:54.119 --> 00:46:55.519
 but

00:46:55.519 --> 00:46:56.480
 my heart

00:46:56.480 --> 00:46:57.059
 didn't show it

00:46:57.059 --> 00:46:57.599
 my actions

00:46:57.599 --> 00:46:58.240
 didn't show it

00:46:58.240 --> 00:47:00.139
 so when he asked me

00:47:00.139 --> 00:47:00.599
 that question

00:47:00.599 --> 00:47:01.480
 I didn't have an answer

00:47:01.480 --> 00:47:02.099
 and he started praying

00:47:02.099 --> 00:47:02.440
 for me

00:47:02.440 --> 00:47:02.920
 and then

00:47:02.920 --> 00:47:03.440
 as he started

00:47:03.440 --> 00:47:03.980
 praying for me

00:47:03.980 --> 00:47:05.099
 I got this picture

00:47:05.099 --> 00:47:06.500
 as a young boy

00:47:06.500 --> 00:47:08.000
 just a bit of context

00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:08.619
 when I was a kid

00:47:08.619 --> 00:47:09.960
 I

00:47:09.960 --> 00:47:11.119
 I guess

00:47:11.119 --> 00:47:11.639
 I didn't have

00:47:11.639 --> 00:47:12.139
 a really good time

00:47:12.139 --> 00:47:12.440
 in school

00:47:12.460 --> 00:47:12.960
 I was bullied

00:47:12.960 --> 00:47:14.059
 and my first

00:47:14.059 --> 00:47:14.679
 so there's

00:47:14.679 --> 00:47:15.300
 there's this one

00:47:15.300 --> 00:47:16.099
 particular memory

00:47:16.099 --> 00:47:17.240
 that as he was

00:47:17.240 --> 00:47:17.780
 praying for me

00:47:17.780 --> 00:47:18.599
 I just replayed

00:47:18.599 --> 00:47:18.980
 in my head

00:47:18.980 --> 00:47:19.519
 and I realized

00:47:19.519 --> 00:47:19.800
 it was like

00:47:19.800 --> 00:47:20.079
 kind of like

00:47:20.079 --> 00:47:20.880
 a traumatic memory

00:47:20.880 --> 00:47:21.539
 for me as a kid

00:47:21.539 --> 00:47:22.740
 and it affected

00:47:22.740 --> 00:47:23.280
 the way that I

00:47:23.280 --> 00:47:23.800
 trusted God

00:47:23.800 --> 00:47:24.900
 but the story goes

00:47:24.900 --> 00:47:26.199
 it was my first day

00:47:26.199 --> 00:47:26.500
 of school

00:47:26.500 --> 00:47:28.940
 and after the teacher

00:47:28.940 --> 00:47:29.559
 introduced me

00:47:29.559 --> 00:47:30.300
 she left

00:47:30.300 --> 00:47:31.780
 and this Korean girl

00:47:31.780 --> 00:47:32.179
 stood up

00:47:32.179 --> 00:47:32.860
 and she was like

00:47:32.860 --> 00:47:33.659
 that's kimchi boy

00:47:33.659 --> 00:47:34.240
 he's smelly

00:47:34.240 --> 00:47:34.699
 he's a loser

00:47:34.699 --> 00:47:35.280
 no one hang out

00:47:35.280 --> 00:47:35.579
 with him

00:47:35.579 --> 00:47:37.119
 and from that point

00:47:37.119 --> 00:47:37.420
 on

00:47:37.420 --> 00:47:38.860
 just as a kid

00:47:38.860 --> 00:47:39.300
 that's like

00:47:39.300 --> 00:47:39.740
 the worst thing

00:47:39.740 --> 00:47:40.119
 that can happen

00:47:40.119 --> 00:47:40.619
 to you right

00:47:40.619 --> 00:47:41.619
 and I remember

00:47:41.619 --> 00:47:41.940
 that

00:47:41.940 --> 00:47:42.619
 that day

00:47:42.619 --> 00:47:43.519
 like the first recess

00:47:43.519 --> 00:47:44.179
 I went down

00:47:44.179 --> 00:47:45.820
 and I was making

00:47:45.820 --> 00:47:46.500
 my rounds with the kids

00:47:46.500 --> 00:47:46.940
 like some kids

00:47:46.940 --> 00:47:47.639
 were playing wall ball

00:47:47.639 --> 00:47:48.519
 some kids were playing catch

00:47:48.519 --> 00:47:48.740
 and I was like

00:47:48.740 --> 00:47:49.599
 hey can I play with you

00:47:49.599 --> 00:47:49.960
 like you know

00:47:49.960 --> 00:47:50.700
 my high squeaky voice

00:47:50.700 --> 00:47:51.360
 and they're like

00:47:51.360 --> 00:47:52.179
 oh no you're kimchi boy

00:47:52.179 --> 00:47:52.599
 you're a loser

00:47:52.599 --> 00:47:53.059
 you suck

00:47:53.059 --> 00:47:53.599
 like no one wants

00:47:53.599 --> 00:47:54.099
 to be with you

00:47:54.099 --> 00:47:55.880
 and I made my rounds

00:47:55.880 --> 00:47:56.920
 across the entire

00:47:56.920 --> 00:47:57.440
 playground

00:47:57.440 --> 00:47:57.820
 right

00:47:57.820 --> 00:47:59.420
 and every single

00:47:59.420 --> 00:48:00.440
 kid said no to me

00:48:00.440 --> 00:48:00.920
 and

00:48:00.920 --> 00:48:02.940
 the memory of me

00:48:02.940 --> 00:48:03.280
 was

00:48:03.280 --> 00:48:04.460
 I went to the corner

00:48:04.460 --> 00:48:05.579
 of the playground

00:48:05.579 --> 00:48:06.559
 and I was

00:48:06.559 --> 00:48:07.260
 I was weeping

00:48:07.260 --> 00:48:08.320
 I was sobbing

00:48:08.320 --> 00:48:09.280
 just this little j

00:48:09.280 --> 00:48:09.740
 you know

00:48:09.740 --> 00:48:11.040
 and

00:48:11.040 --> 00:48:14.680
 in that

00:48:14.680 --> 00:48:15.440
 in that moment

00:48:15.440 --> 00:48:16.000
 I asked

00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:16.600
 I asked Jesus

00:48:16.600 --> 00:48:17.360
 I asked Jesus

00:48:17.360 --> 00:48:18.140
 where were you

00:48:18.140 --> 00:48:18.840
 in that moment

00:48:18.840 --> 00:48:19.800
 why didn't you

00:48:19.800 --> 00:48:20.320
 protect me

00:48:20.320 --> 00:48:21.860
 and

00:48:21.860 --> 00:48:24.040
 I realized

00:48:24.040 --> 00:48:24.519
 that this was

00:48:24.519 --> 00:48:25.360
 kind of a core memory

00:48:25.360 --> 00:48:26.000
 that has been

00:48:26.000 --> 00:48:26.580
 holding me back

00:48:26.580 --> 00:48:27.580
 now even as adults

00:48:27.580 --> 00:48:28.540
 from trusting God

00:48:28.540 --> 00:48:29.600
 because that really

00:48:29.600 --> 00:48:30.980
 solidified in my head

00:48:30.980 --> 00:48:31.519
 and I realized

00:48:31.519 --> 00:48:32.140
 it was kind of like

00:48:32.140 --> 00:48:33.220
 enemy had its root

00:48:33.220 --> 00:48:33.820
 in my heart

00:48:33.820 --> 00:48:35.060
 God is not

00:48:35.060 --> 00:48:36.060
 worthy of trusting

00:48:36.059 --> 00:48:37.219
 he didn't protect you

00:48:37.219 --> 00:48:37.460
 then

00:48:37.460 --> 00:48:38.380
 he won't protect you

00:48:38.380 --> 00:48:38.659
 now

00:48:38.659 --> 00:48:39.920
 and that lie

00:48:39.920 --> 00:48:40.880
 was so embedded

00:48:40.880 --> 00:48:41.380
 in my heart

00:48:41.380 --> 00:48:42.000
 I didn't realize

00:48:42.000 --> 00:48:42.880
 it had such a strong

00:48:42.880 --> 00:48:43.440
 grip on me

00:48:43.440 --> 00:48:45.440
 and the coolest thing

00:48:45.440 --> 00:48:46.159
 was when I asked

00:48:46.159 --> 00:48:46.340
 Jesus

00:48:46.340 --> 00:48:47.019
 where were you

00:48:47.019 --> 00:48:47.860
 he walks out

00:48:47.860 --> 00:48:48.539
 from one of the

00:48:48.539 --> 00:48:49.320
 classrooms

00:48:49.320 --> 00:48:50.779
 and he sits next

00:48:50.779 --> 00:48:51.299
 to me like this

00:48:51.299 --> 00:48:51.779
 and he puts his

00:48:51.779 --> 00:48:52.380
 arm around me

00:48:52.380 --> 00:48:52.960
 and he says

00:48:52.960 --> 00:48:54.940
 son I'll take care

00:48:54.940 --> 00:48:55.219
 of you

00:48:55.219 --> 00:48:56.579
 and I'll take care

00:48:56.579 --> 00:48:57.340
 of your family too

00:48:57.340 --> 00:48:59.400
 and the second part

00:48:59.400 --> 00:48:59.940
 really got me

00:48:59.940 --> 00:49:01.239
 because I think

00:49:01.239 --> 00:49:03.019
 making this

00:49:03.019 --> 00:49:05.259
 making this transition

00:49:05.260 --> 00:49:05.740
 has been

00:49:05.740 --> 00:49:07.800
 I'm starting

00:49:07.800 --> 00:49:08.260
 a new family

00:49:08.260 --> 00:49:08.660
 with Emily

00:49:08.660 --> 00:49:12.020
 and as a husband

00:49:12.020 --> 00:49:13.580
 and hopefully

00:49:13.580 --> 00:49:13.940
 in the future

00:49:13.940 --> 00:49:14.480
 as a father

00:49:14.480 --> 00:49:17.940
 there are certain

00:49:17.940 --> 00:49:18.300
 things that

00:49:18.300 --> 00:49:19.260
 we have responsibilities

00:49:19.260 --> 00:49:21.500
 and I was scared

00:49:21.500 --> 00:49:22.240
 that I wouldn't be able

00:49:22.240 --> 00:49:22.740
 to meet those

00:49:22.740 --> 00:49:23.220
 responsibilities

00:49:23.220 --> 00:49:24.180
 for my family

00:49:24.180 --> 00:49:25.880
 so when God

00:49:25.880 --> 00:49:26.300
 said to me

00:49:26.300 --> 00:49:26.800
 I'll take care

00:49:26.800 --> 00:49:27.340
 of your family

00:49:27.340 --> 00:49:28.300
 I realized that

00:49:28.300 --> 00:49:31.820
 God knows me

00:49:31.820 --> 00:49:32.560
 so intimately

00:49:32.560 --> 00:49:33.420
 he saw straight

00:49:33.420 --> 00:49:34.020
 into my heart

00:49:34.020 --> 00:49:34.820
 he knew exactly

00:49:34.820 --> 00:49:35.380
 what I needed

00:49:35.380 --> 00:49:36.080
 he knew exactly

00:49:36.080 --> 00:49:36.600
 what I needed

00:49:36.600 --> 00:49:36.920
 to hear

00:49:36.920 --> 00:49:38.420
 and so I went

00:49:38.420 --> 00:49:39.059
 home that night

00:49:39.059 --> 00:49:40.760
 and I went

00:49:40.760 --> 00:49:41.120
 to Emily

00:49:41.120 --> 00:49:41.640
 and I said

00:49:41.640 --> 00:49:45.940
 and God has

00:49:45.940 --> 00:49:46.380
 called me

00:49:46.380 --> 00:49:47.120
 and I must obey

00:49:47.120 --> 00:49:48.140
 there is no

00:49:48.140 --> 00:49:48.660
 other option

00:49:48.660 --> 00:49:49.840
 and I think

00:49:49.840 --> 00:49:51.960
 the reason why

00:49:51.960 --> 00:49:53.539
 that the lights

00:49:53.539 --> 00:49:54.380
 came on for me

00:49:54.380 --> 00:49:55.460
 was when I realized

00:49:55.460 --> 00:49:57.260
 God's going to

00:49:57.260 --> 00:49:57.880
 take care of me

00:49:57.880 --> 00:49:58.940
 I have these fears

00:49:58.940 --> 00:49:59.600
 it's the same thing

00:49:59.600 --> 00:50:00.300
 as Abraham right

00:50:00.300 --> 00:50:01.160
 he had all these fears

00:50:01.160 --> 00:50:02.000
 he had all these doubts

00:50:02.000 --> 00:50:03.639
 but I finally

00:50:03.639 --> 00:50:04.699
 understood in my heart

00:50:04.699 --> 00:50:05.960
 okay he's going

00:50:05.960 --> 00:50:06.639
 to take care of me

00:50:06.639 --> 00:50:07.440
 so regardless

00:50:07.440 --> 00:50:08.079
 of what comes

00:50:08.079 --> 00:50:09.039
 I can trust him

00:50:09.039 --> 00:50:09.679
 and I can take

00:50:09.679 --> 00:50:10.360
 that leap of faith

00:50:10.360 --> 00:50:11.920
 and I think that's

00:50:11.920 --> 00:50:12.460
 what kind of switched

00:50:12.460 --> 00:50:12.940
 on for me

00:50:12.940 --> 00:50:13.500
 and that's why

00:50:13.500 --> 00:50:14.519
 when I read this passage

00:50:14.519 --> 00:50:16.139
 it really hits home

00:50:16.139 --> 00:50:16.679
 for me because

00:50:16.679 --> 00:50:17.579
 I've made my mistakes

00:50:17.579 --> 00:50:19.099
 I have disobeyed God

00:50:19.099 --> 00:50:20.860
 for over 10 years

00:50:20.860 --> 00:50:22.659
 and I'm finally

00:50:22.659 --> 00:50:23.239
 making the move

00:50:23.239 --> 00:50:23.659
 to do it

00:50:23.659 --> 00:50:24.639
 it took time

00:50:24.639 --> 00:50:26.159
 and it took a lot

00:50:26.159 --> 00:50:26.619
 of mistakes

00:50:26.619 --> 00:50:27.760
 and I will make

00:50:27.760 --> 00:50:28.440
 a lot of mistakes

00:50:28.440 --> 00:50:29.559
 there's still moments

00:50:29.559 --> 00:50:30.300
 where I have to

00:50:30.300 --> 00:50:31.280
 re-evaluate

00:50:31.280 --> 00:50:32.240
 and re-trust God

00:50:32.240 --> 00:50:32.940
 because there are moments

00:50:32.940 --> 00:50:33.340
 where I'm like

00:50:33.340 --> 00:50:33.860
 oh my goodness

00:50:33.860 --> 00:50:35.179
 what am I doing

00:50:35.179 --> 00:50:36.440
 this is a stupid decision

00:50:36.440 --> 00:50:37.139
 like I should not

00:50:37.139 --> 00:50:37.619
 be doing this

00:50:37.619 --> 00:50:39.619
 and the call again

00:50:39.619 --> 00:50:40.920
 is remembering

00:50:40.920 --> 00:50:41.960
 Jesus who said

00:50:41.960 --> 00:50:42.679
 I'll take care of you

00:50:42.679 --> 00:50:43.400
 and I'll take care

00:50:43.400 --> 00:50:44.139
 of your family too

00:50:44.139 --> 00:50:45.480
 and just lastly

00:50:45.480 --> 00:50:45.880
 James

00:50:45.880 --> 00:50:47.019
 conscious of time

00:50:47.019 --> 00:50:49.900
 Davina

00:50:49.900 --> 00:50:50.720
 you asked me

00:50:50.720 --> 00:50:51.480
 a question yesterday

00:50:51.480 --> 00:50:52.300
 in Alpha

00:50:52.300 --> 00:50:53.119
 you asked me

00:50:53.119 --> 00:50:56.420
 I want to trust God

00:50:56.420 --> 00:50:57.000
 but sometimes

00:50:57.000 --> 00:50:57.720
 I don't feel it

00:50:57.719 --> 00:51:00.859
 oh I resonate

00:51:00.859 --> 00:51:01.639
 with that so much

00:51:01.639 --> 00:51:04.419
 sometimes this memory

00:51:04.419 --> 00:51:05.079
 of I'll take care

00:51:05.079 --> 00:51:05.500
 of you son

00:51:05.500 --> 00:51:06.480
 doesn't do it for me

00:51:06.480 --> 00:51:08.599
 sometimes I still spiral

00:51:08.599 --> 00:51:10.379
 so the real

00:51:10.379 --> 00:51:13.459
 the real direction

00:51:13.459 --> 00:51:14.199
 I start fixing

00:51:14.199 --> 00:51:14.980
 my gaze towards

00:51:14.980 --> 00:51:15.819
 is the cross

00:51:15.819 --> 00:51:17.379
 and I think the cross

00:51:17.379 --> 00:51:18.279
 is the only place

00:51:18.279 --> 00:51:19.459
 where we can

00:51:19.459 --> 00:51:20.399
 kind of

00:51:20.399 --> 00:51:21.399
 recalibrate

00:51:21.399 --> 00:51:22.119
 ourselves

00:51:22.119 --> 00:51:23.179
 what I mean by that

00:51:23.179 --> 00:51:23.459
 is

00:51:23.459 --> 00:51:25.679
 if we look at

00:51:25.679 --> 00:51:26.519
 the truth of the gospel

00:51:26.519 --> 00:51:27.139
 it's

00:51:27.139 --> 00:51:28.039
 God

00:51:28.039 --> 00:51:28.940
 coming to us

00:51:28.940 --> 00:51:29.579
 and it's about

00:51:29.579 --> 00:51:30.480
 God's faithfulness

00:51:30.480 --> 00:51:30.879
 to us

00:51:30.879 --> 00:51:32.379
 and when I feel

00:51:32.379 --> 00:51:33.480
 the fear in my heart

00:51:33.480 --> 00:51:34.339
 and it grips me again

00:51:34.339 --> 00:51:36.139
 I remember

00:51:36.139 --> 00:51:37.400
 that Jesus had

00:51:37.400 --> 00:51:38.179
 all the power

00:51:38.179 --> 00:51:39.279
 all the authority

00:51:39.279 --> 00:51:39.960
 it says

00:51:39.960 --> 00:51:40.739
 in the gospels

00:51:40.739 --> 00:51:41.480
 that Jesus had

00:51:41.480 --> 00:51:41.839
 the authority

00:51:41.839 --> 00:51:42.839
 to bring legions

00:51:42.839 --> 00:51:43.359
 of angels

00:51:43.359 --> 00:51:44.379
 to kill everyone

00:51:44.379 --> 00:51:44.940
 in front of him

00:51:44.940 --> 00:51:45.659
 in front of the cross

00:51:45.659 --> 00:51:46.599
 but he didn't

00:51:46.599 --> 00:51:48.440
 isn't that so

00:51:48.440 --> 00:51:49.119
 curious

00:51:49.119 --> 00:51:49.960
 why didn't he

00:51:49.960 --> 00:51:50.440
 he had

00:51:50.440 --> 00:51:51.619
 every authority

00:51:51.619 --> 00:51:52.139
 to do so

00:51:52.139 --> 00:51:52.920
 but he didn't

00:51:52.920 --> 00:51:53.760
 why

00:51:53.760 --> 00:51:54.720
 because of you

00:51:54.720 --> 00:51:56.000
 because of me

00:51:56.000 --> 00:51:57.860
 that's the only reason

00:51:57.860 --> 00:51:58.320
 and

00:51:58.320 --> 00:51:59.920
 when I look to the cross

00:51:59.920 --> 00:52:00.619
 I think

00:52:00.619 --> 00:52:01.680
 it moves me

00:52:01.680 --> 00:52:02.059
 because

00:52:02.059 --> 00:52:03.380
 I know that

00:52:03.380 --> 00:52:04.079
 if Jesus

00:52:04.079 --> 00:52:05.460
 chose to stay

00:52:05.460 --> 00:52:06.000
 on the cross

00:52:06.000 --> 00:52:06.960
 it wasn't like

00:52:06.960 --> 00:52:07.740
 the soldiers

00:52:07.740 --> 00:52:08.579
 had too much power

00:52:08.579 --> 00:52:09.079
 over him

00:52:09.079 --> 00:52:09.920
 and he couldn't

00:52:09.920 --> 00:52:10.119
 leave

00:52:10.119 --> 00:52:11.720
 he had every right

00:52:11.720 --> 00:52:12.880
 he had every power

00:52:12.880 --> 00:52:13.400
 to do so

00:52:13.400 --> 00:52:14.780
 but he chose not to

00:52:14.780 --> 00:52:15.700
 for you

00:52:15.699 --> 00:52:17.899
 and I think

00:52:17.899 --> 00:52:18.480
 I come back

00:52:18.480 --> 00:52:19.219
 to that a lot

00:52:19.219 --> 00:52:21.179
 and

00:52:21.179 --> 00:52:22.079
 sorry James

00:52:22.079 --> 00:52:23.019
 one final thing

00:52:23.019 --> 00:52:25.159
 this is really final

00:52:25.159 --> 00:52:26.359
 keep thanking me

00:52:26.359 --> 00:52:31.199
 I think one final thing

00:52:31.199 --> 00:52:31.480
 is

00:52:31.480 --> 00:52:33.259
 I think I struggle

00:52:33.259 --> 00:52:34.279
 with trusting God

00:52:34.279 --> 00:52:34.980
 and what that means

00:52:34.980 --> 00:52:35.699
 often

00:52:35.699 --> 00:52:36.599
 I'm sharing this

00:52:36.599 --> 00:52:37.359
 as if I've got it

00:52:37.359 --> 00:52:37.719
 all figured out

00:52:37.719 --> 00:52:38.779
 I really don't

00:52:38.779 --> 00:52:39.739
 I really

00:52:39.739 --> 00:52:40.500
 really don't

00:52:40.500 --> 00:52:42.980
 the thing

00:52:42.980 --> 00:52:43.599
 that encourages me

00:52:43.599 --> 00:52:43.879
 a lot

00:52:43.879 --> 00:52:45.119
 when I struggle

00:52:45.119 --> 00:52:45.639
 is

00:52:45.639 --> 00:52:46.400
 I realize that

00:52:46.400 --> 00:52:47.019
 I'm not actually

00:52:47.019 --> 00:52:47.659
 supposed to do this

00:52:47.659 --> 00:52:48.159
 by myself

00:52:48.159 --> 00:52:49.159
 this journey

00:52:49.159 --> 00:52:50.420
 of trusting God

00:52:50.420 --> 00:52:51.839
 I think that's why

00:52:51.839 --> 00:52:52.440
 Jesus gave us

00:52:52.440 --> 00:52:53.019
 the Holy Spirit

00:52:53.019 --> 00:52:53.299
 right

00:52:53.299 --> 00:52:54.579
 we're not supposed

00:52:54.579 --> 00:52:55.199
 to do it ourselves

00:52:55.199 --> 00:52:56.619
 and the passage

00:52:56.619 --> 00:52:57.440
 that encourages me

00:52:57.440 --> 00:52:58.000
 so much

00:52:58.000 --> 00:52:59.299
 is in Luke 11

00:52:59.299 --> 00:52:59.859
 I'll just read it

00:52:59.859 --> 00:53:00.199
 real quick

00:53:00.199 --> 00:53:01.059
 it's in Luke 11

00:53:01.059 --> 00:53:02.519
 verse 11

00:53:02.519 --> 00:53:03.299
 it says

00:53:03.299 --> 00:53:04.739
 what father among you

00:53:04.739 --> 00:53:05.359
 if his son

00:53:05.359 --> 00:53:06.179
 asks for a fish

00:53:06.179 --> 00:53:07.199
 will instead of a fish

00:53:07.199 --> 00:53:07.900
 give him a serpent

00:53:07.900 --> 00:53:09.500
 or if he asks for an egg

00:53:09.500 --> 00:53:10.619
 will give you a scorpion

00:53:10.619 --> 00:53:11.839
 if you then

00:53:11.839 --> 00:53:12.519
 who are evil

00:53:12.519 --> 00:53:13.480
 know how to give

00:53:13.480 --> 00:53:14.119
 good gifts

00:53:14.119 --> 00:53:14.779
 to your children

00:53:14.780 --> 00:53:15.900
 how much more

00:53:15.900 --> 00:53:16.760
 will the heavenly father

00:53:16.760 --> 00:53:17.760
 give the Holy Spirit

00:53:17.760 --> 00:53:18.720
 to those who ask him

00:53:18.720 --> 00:53:21.180
 how much more

00:53:21.180 --> 00:53:22.400
 will the heavenly father

00:53:22.400 --> 00:53:23.560
 give the Holy Spirit

00:53:23.560 --> 00:53:24.940
 to those who ask him

00:53:24.940 --> 00:53:30.060
 you can ask him anytime

00:53:30.060 --> 00:53:31.980
 the Holy Spirit

00:53:31.980 --> 00:53:32.400
 is there

00:53:32.400 --> 00:53:33.060
 he's knocking

00:53:33.060 --> 00:53:35.380
 I sense that

00:53:35.380 --> 00:53:36.040
 there's a lot of people

00:53:36.040 --> 00:53:36.460
 in this room

00:53:36.460 --> 00:53:36.880
 who are probably

00:53:36.880 --> 00:53:37.420
 struggling with

00:53:37.420 --> 00:53:38.000
 trusting God

00:53:38.000 --> 00:53:38.420
 right now

00:53:38.420 --> 00:53:40.740
 the good news is

00:53:40.740 --> 00:53:41.260
 you don't have to

00:53:41.260 --> 00:53:41.720
 do it alone

00:53:41.719 --> 00:53:43.259
 the good news is

00:53:43.259 --> 00:53:44.799
 there's a heavenly father

00:53:44.799 --> 00:53:45.719
 who wants to give you

00:53:45.719 --> 00:53:46.359
 the Holy Spirit

00:53:46.359 --> 00:53:48.199
 there's a heavenly father

00:53:48.199 --> 00:53:49.339
 who wants to help you

00:53:49.339 --> 00:53:51.579
 so

00:53:51.579 --> 00:53:52.439
 I just

00:53:52.439 --> 00:53:53.099
 can I pray

00:53:53.099 --> 00:53:53.459
 actually

00:53:53.459 --> 00:53:54.579
 or do you want to

00:53:54.579 --> 00:53:55.379
 okay

00:53:55.379 --> 00:53:57.980
 can I just pray for you

00:53:57.980 --> 00:53:59.919
 it's a prayer

00:53:59.919 --> 00:54:00.459
 that I pray

00:54:00.459 --> 00:54:01.239
 when I feel

00:54:01.239 --> 00:54:02.259
 that I don't have

00:54:02.259 --> 00:54:02.859
 the strength anymore

00:54:02.859 --> 00:54:03.619
 to trust in him

00:54:03.619 --> 00:54:17.440
 Jesus we look to you

00:54:17.440 --> 00:54:21.079
 the only reason

00:54:21.079 --> 00:54:22.219
 why we can trust you

00:54:22.219 --> 00:54:24.000
 is because you have

00:54:24.000 --> 00:54:24.679
 proved yourself

00:54:24.679 --> 00:54:25.420
 to be trustworthy

00:54:25.420 --> 00:54:30.219
 Father we confess

00:54:30.219 --> 00:54:30.719
 that

00:54:30.719 --> 00:54:32.619
 we like Abraham

00:54:32.619 --> 00:54:33.920
 have failed so many

00:54:33.920 --> 00:54:34.819
 times in our lives

00:54:34.819 --> 00:54:37.019
 the God that

00:54:37.019 --> 00:54:37.920
 loves us

00:54:37.920 --> 00:54:38.539
 the God that

00:54:38.539 --> 00:54:39.219
 looks at us

00:54:39.219 --> 00:54:39.799
 is the one

00:54:39.799 --> 00:54:40.759
 who has so much

00:54:40.759 --> 00:54:41.239
 grace

00:54:41.239 --> 00:54:42.839
 who's willing to

00:54:42.839 --> 00:54:43.480
 give us a second

00:54:43.480 --> 00:54:43.900
 chance

00:54:43.900 --> 00:54:44.839
 a third chance

00:54:44.839 --> 00:54:45.799
 a fourth chance

00:54:45.799 --> 00:54:46.739
 a fifth chance

00:54:46.739 --> 00:54:48.059
 because that's who

00:54:48.059 --> 00:54:48.440
 you are

00:54:48.440 --> 00:54:49.199
 you're trustworthy

00:54:49.199 --> 00:54:51.759
 so Holy Spirit

00:54:51.759 --> 00:54:53.420
 Holy Spirit

00:54:53.420 --> 00:54:53.960
 I ask

00:54:53.960 --> 00:54:54.579
 can you just

00:54:54.579 --> 00:54:55.279
 enter the hearts

00:54:55.279 --> 00:54:55.819
 of those who are

00:54:55.819 --> 00:54:56.460
 willing to receive

00:54:56.460 --> 00:54:57.039
 you right now

00:54:57.039 --> 00:55:00.359
 if there's any

00:55:00.359 --> 00:55:01.319
 if there's anyone

00:55:01.319 --> 00:55:01.839
 here right now

00:55:01.840 --> 00:55:02.400
 who wants to receive

00:55:02.400 --> 00:55:02.900
 the Holy Spirit

00:55:02.900 --> 00:55:04.059
 can I just invite you

00:55:04.059 --> 00:55:05.200
 to just open your heart

00:55:05.200 --> 00:55:06.079
 or even just open your

00:55:06.079 --> 00:55:06.840
 hands as a posture

00:55:06.840 --> 00:55:07.519
 to show him

00:55:07.519 --> 00:55:08.880
 Holy Spirit

00:55:08.880 --> 00:55:09.960
 I don't understand this

00:55:09.960 --> 00:55:11.480
 but I want to receive

00:55:11.480 --> 00:55:12.120
 you in my life

00:55:12.120 --> 00:55:12.900
 I'm struggling

00:55:12.900 --> 00:55:14.680
 I feel like I know

00:55:14.680 --> 00:55:15.320
 where I need to go

00:55:15.320 --> 00:55:15.860
 but I don't have

00:55:15.860 --> 00:55:16.800
 the strength to do it

00:55:16.800 --> 00:55:17.880
 Holy Spirit

00:55:17.880 --> 00:55:18.460
 please

00:55:18.460 --> 00:55:19.660
 come

00:55:19.660 --> 00:55:21.920
 will you enter my heart

00:55:21.920 --> 00:55:22.860
 will you dwell in me

00:55:22.860 --> 00:55:24.539
 you promised that

00:55:24.539 --> 00:55:25.700
 you would if I ask

00:55:25.700 --> 00:55:27.260
 so can I just invite you

00:55:27.260 --> 00:55:28.300
 to just ask the Holy Spirit

00:55:28.300 --> 00:55:28.720
 in your heart

00:55:28.720 --> 00:55:29.840
 just echo in your heart

00:55:29.840 --> 00:55:31.519
 come Holy Spirit

00:55:31.519 --> 00:55:32.699
 come

00:55:32.699 --> 00:55:35.820
 we thank you Father

00:55:35.820 --> 00:55:36.719
 that you are faithful

00:55:36.719 --> 00:55:37.360
 you are faithful

00:55:37.360 --> 00:55:38.019
 to Abraham

00:55:38.019 --> 00:55:39.300
 you are faithful

00:55:39.300 --> 00:55:39.980
 to David

00:55:39.980 --> 00:55:41.019
 you are faithful

00:55:41.019 --> 00:55:42.039
 to Samson

00:55:42.039 --> 00:55:43.039
 you are faithful

00:55:43.039 --> 00:55:44.159
 to Mary

00:55:44.159 --> 00:55:44.960
 you are faithful

00:55:44.960 --> 00:55:46.079
 to so many people

00:55:46.079 --> 00:55:47.059
 who have come before us

00:55:47.059 --> 00:55:48.480
 and you will be faithful

00:55:48.480 --> 00:55:49.000
 to us

00:55:49.000 --> 00:55:50.199
 he will be faithful

00:55:50.199 --> 00:55:50.759
 to you

00:55:50.759 --> 00:55:52.480
 that is his promise

00:55:52.480 --> 00:55:54.380
 so whatever you're

00:55:54.380 --> 00:55:54.960
 struggling with

00:55:54.960 --> 00:55:55.380
 remember

00:55:55.380 --> 00:55:56.840
 he is worthy

00:55:56.840 --> 00:55:57.780
 of all of your trust

00:55:57.780 --> 00:55:59.519
 if he didn't leave you

00:55:59.519 --> 00:56:00.000
 at Calvary

00:56:00.000 --> 00:56:01.040
 he won't leave you now

00:56:01.040 --> 00:56:01.620
 yes

00:56:01.620 --> 00:56:08.000
 so Father

00:56:08.000 --> 00:56:08.480
 we come

00:56:08.480 --> 00:56:10.900
 to you

00:56:10.900 --> 00:56:15.160
 would you give us

00:56:15.160 --> 00:56:15.860
 clean hands

00:56:15.860 --> 00:56:16.840
 and a pure heart

00:56:16.840 --> 00:56:19.900
 we surrender

00:56:19.900 --> 00:56:20.920
 to a loving

00:56:20.920 --> 00:56:22.740
 providing

00:56:22.739 --> 00:56:24.659
 faithful God

00:56:24.659 --> 00:56:29.379
 we finish with

00:56:29.379 --> 00:56:31.179
 a response

00:56:31.179 --> 00:56:31.799
 through song

00:56:31.799 --> 00:56:39.059
 but also

00:56:39.059 --> 00:56:39.799
 if you feel

00:56:39.799 --> 00:56:40.599
 as though you need prayer

00:56:40.599 --> 00:56:43.019
 we'll be at the front

00:56:43.019 --> 00:56:44.539
 and don't hesitate

00:56:44.539 --> 00:56:45.079
 to come over

00:56:45.079 --> 00:56:45.659
 and ask for prayer

00:56:45.659 --> 00:56:46.479
 and we can pray for you

00:56:46.480 --> 00:56:48.559
 may may

00:56:48.559 --> 00:56:48.559


00:56:48.559 --> 00:56:48.559


00:56:48.559 --> 00:56:48.559


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00:56:48.559 --> 00:56:50.639
!

00:56:50.639 --> 00:56:50.639


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