WEBVTT

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 Father, you know how each one of us to some extent struggles with being one person in church and with our Christian friends

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 and another person when we're away from church and away from our Christian friends.

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 Father, you know how much that describes some of our lives.

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 And so, Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would use your word today in a powerful way to speak into our lives.

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 And that, Father, you would grip us with the beauty of the gospel and what Jesus has done.

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 You would grip us with his unfailing love.

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 And as we are gripped by the gospel, that you would grow courage within us to swim against the tide for the good of this city and your great glory.

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 And we ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.

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 Please be seated.

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 One of my regular people that I talk to is an atheist.

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 And about once a month or so, it works out that I happen to be at the Starbucks,

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 or as somebody said, I should start calling it St. Arbux to make it sound more holy.

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 And I'm there.

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 And so, about once a month at least, he happens to be there on a Friday morning.

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 And he'll ask me about once a month or more what I'm preaching on this Sunday.

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 He's an atheist, right?

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 So, it's always very interesting.

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 It always provokes some type of conversation.

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 So, he asked me on Friday morning.

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 And just so you know, I often don't know on Friday morning exactly what I'm going to say on Sunday morning

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 because I haven't finished listening to the Bible deeply.

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 So, he asked me this Friday.

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 And I said, well, I'm not actually sure.

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 It's a very unusual text.

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 And then I said, but I'll tell you what the story is that I'm going to preach on.

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 So, I told him the story.

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 And I gave him a brief summary of the story.

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 And when I was finished, literally, he went like this.

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 Whoa, I didn't know stuff like that was in the Bible.

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 And then he said, but you know, it doesn't matter what's in the Bible

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 because no story written 2,200 years ago in a very different culture can have any relevance to anybody's life today.

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 So, I had a brief conversation with him about that, which maybe we'll touch on in a moment.

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 But let's look at that story that made him go,

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 whoa, I didn't know they had stories like that in the Bible.

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 And so, we're looking at Esther chapter 2.

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 Esther chapter 2.

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 And we're going to be looking at the story in verses 1 to 18.

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 And just as you may be turning to that, and in a moment the text will go up on the screen,

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 the way to think of this sermon series in the book of Esther is imagine that you're watching.

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 We're using the book of Esther to make a series of scripts for different shows on a Netflix series.

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 And each episode has to be an episode that you can watch and enjoy and be challenged, etc.

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 But also, there's an overarching story that all of the nine episodes will work to bring home different truths.

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 Anyway, so that's what we're doing.

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 So, this is really episode 2.

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 And in episode 1, which we looked at last week,

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 just a, you know, we won't do the skip intro thing,

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 which lasts about a minute on most of those Netflix shows.

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 What happened last week is we were introduced to King Euserus,

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 which I didn't pronounce his name correctly.

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 I have a hard time pronouncing his name.

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 But it's about King Euserus, who's the emperor of Persia.

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 And one of the things that you need to know, I talked about it last week,

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 one commentator said that you can start to understand the beginning of Jewish humor

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 if you understand parts of the book of Esther.

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 Because the book of Esther is talking about something which is very, very, very serious.

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 It talks about rape, it talks about sex trafficking, and it talks about genocide.

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 But there's still some humor in it, puns.

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 And so the Jewish writer of this book, he chose as the name for the king

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 a name which in Hebrew sounds like headache.

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 So all the way through the story, when you're reading it,

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 if you were a Hebrew speaker back then,

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 it would sound as if they were calling him King Headache to make people smile.

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 We know him as King Xerxes, who was the...

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 How many of you have seen the movie 300?

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 I asked you this last week, only a small number of you.

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 We are Sparta.

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 Yes, that's the king that they take on in that movie,

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 is the king that's mentioned in this story.

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 And the first episode takes place three years before the movie 300, so to speak.

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 And so we see King Xerxes and all of his glory and his splendor.

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 But when we're watching it, it's a little bit like when one of us watches a movie about the Civil War.

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 And maybe you see Birmingham, Alabama, just after Fort Sumter has surrendered to the Confederate forces.

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 And everybody's jubilant and everybody's celebrating.

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 And they're there in their finery.

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 And you can see the riches and the splendor.

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 And they're going to kick the North's butt.

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 And they're going to win.

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 And they're going to triumph.

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 And we watch it.

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 We watch it.

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 And we know they're all going to lose.

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 They're going to lose.

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 And so chapter one is set by this.

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 You see all of King Ehuserxes, King Xerxes' splendor and glory.

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 But they put in this very subtle thing about the year that this happens.

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 And we know this happens just a couple of years before he invades Greece.

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 And he loses.

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 And he'll come back.

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 And a man who's been defeated.

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 And this second episode that we're looking at takes place after he's come back.

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 Actually, sort of before and after he's come back.

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 And he's been defeated.

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 So it's a different type of King Xerxes.

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 And let's kick up.

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 Oh, and one other thing about it is while he's drunk for seven days, he has a conflict with one of his queens.

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 And as a result of that conflict, because she refuses to obey him, he banishes her forever.

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 Now we caught up.

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 Episode two, verse one.

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 After these things, when the anger of King Hedek had abated, he remembered Vashti.

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 That was his queen that he'd banished.

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 And what she had done and what had been decreed against her.

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 Then the king's young men who attended him said,

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 Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king.

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 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa, the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the woman.

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 Let their cosmetics be given to them.

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 And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.

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 This pleased the king, and he did so.

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 Now we have to pause here.

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 What they've just described is horrific.

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 This is not sending out a casting note to see what beautiful young women want to be on the show The Bachelor, which is horrific in and of itself, by the way.

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 But that's a different sermon topic.

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 This is the forced taking of young women from their home throughout the entire empire.

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 It is the king deciding to use the bureaucracy, the police, and the military of the state to seek out beautiful young women and take them against their will, away from their family and friends, and to bring them to the capital.

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 And Herodotus, because this king, headache, he's done this several times.

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 Herodotus said, a Greek historian, that 400 young women, 400 young women would be taken.

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 Some scholars of the ancient world think that the number that he might have taken in something like this might have approached 1,500 young women taken from their homes by force to go to the capital.

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 It's horrific.

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 And it's in this context that we're going to meet the person that the book is named after, Esther.

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 Let's continue, verse 5.

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 Now, there was a Jew in Susa, the citadel, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shemai, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives.

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 So who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away when with Jeconai, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had carried away.

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 Now, just sort of pause there.

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 That's a lot of Jewish names.

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 And a lot of times when we get a lot of these Jewish names, our mind, if you're like me, your mind starts to just sort of blank out a little bit.

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 And so what's going on here is, first of all, for ancient Jewish readers, Minam Mordecai is a very, is a sort of a common Jewish name, but it's a shocking name.

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 Because what his name is, is worshiper of Marduk.

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 He's a Jewish man who's named as a worshiper of Marduk, the god of the Babylonians.

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 And the story tells us that this man who's named the worshiper of Marduk is a fourth generation Jew in exile away from the Jewish homeland.

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 That's the whole thing about the son of this, the son of this, the son of this.

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 So there have now been, Mordecai is the fourth generation of those Jewish people who had been taken away by the Babylonians out of the promised land, out of the holy land, to live in a foreign empire.

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 Fourth generation.

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 And the other thing which is going on in this story is this, by this, by them giving these timelines, what they also tell you is this.

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 Those of you who read the Bible, there's this overarching story in the Bible.

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 There's sort of an underlying timeline which tells this overarching story.

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 And I'm not going to go into it.

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 You can talk to me at coffee hour.

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 I can talk to you a little bit more about it if you'd like to know.

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 But if you read the book of Ezra, it's a book in that part of the Bible which we call the Old Testament before Jesus.

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 It's all the books before Jesus.

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 And if you look at the first part of Ezra, the first part of Ezra describes how King Headache's father gave permission for the Jewish people who want to go back to the promised land.

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 But that's King Xerxes' father.

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 And obviously Mordecai is not one of them.

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 He didn't want to go to the promised land.

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 He wanted to stay in the winter capital of the empire of Persia.

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 And one of the things which is really interesting about the book of Esther is it doesn't comment on it.

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 It just tells you this is what's gone on.

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 Some of the Jews, at great cost to themselves, went back to the homeland.

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 Mordecai is not one of them.

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 He stayed in the capital.

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 In fact, he stayed at the very heart of the capital.

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 It would be really like saying that rather than going back to the promised land,

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 he not only lived in Ottawa, he lived in Centertown or the Glebe.

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 He didn't live in Canada.

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 Good grief.

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 Who lives in Canada?

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 You know, he's living in Centertown, the Glebe.

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 He's living downtown where it's nice.

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 That's where he chose to live.

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 That's Mordecai.

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 But the book's not named after Mordecai.

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 But now we learn about Mordecai to learn about the person that the book is named after.

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 But learning that Mordecai is a fourth generation in exile and that he's named after the god,

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 as a worshiper of the god of Babylon, Marduk,

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 it's very interesting then when we meet Esther.

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 Look at verse 7.

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 So Mordecai was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle,

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 for she had neither father nor mother.

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 The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at.

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 And when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

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 So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed,

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 and when many young women were gathered in Susa, the capital, in custody of Higai,

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 Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Higai,

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 who had charged the woman.

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 And the young woman pleased him, the young woman Esther.

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 That young woman Esther pleased Higai and won his favor.

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 So Higai quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food

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 and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace

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 and advanced her and her young woman to the best place in the harem.

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 Esther had not made known her people or kindred,

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 for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.

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 And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem

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 to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.

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 Now just pause.

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 Remember here I told you that there's somewhere between 400 to 1,500 young women

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 who were rounded up against their will and brought here.

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 Harem's very huge.

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 Probably many, many rooms.

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 Just crowded.

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 And what we're seeing here, it's very, very interesting about her name

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 and one other thing here in the story amongst other things.

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 She has two names.

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 She has a Jewish name and she has a Persian name.

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 And there's some debate in scholars as to what the source of her Persian name is,

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 but I'd say the best scholarship says that her name,

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 she's named after Ishtar,

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 the Persian equivalent of the goddess Venus,

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 the god of love and war.

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 And so she has a Persian name named after Ishtar.

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 She has a Jewish name.

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 And she decides that when she gets captured,

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 she's only going to go by her Persian name

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 and she's not going to go by her Jewish name.

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 Now what this means is,

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 many of you know the story in Daniel.

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 And if you remember,

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 those of you who know the story of Daniel,

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 the very first chapter is how Daniel is captured by the Babylonians

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 as they're taking over Israel and Jerusalem,

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 or Judah and Jerusalem.

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 And Daniel and his friends,

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 when they're brought into captivity,

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 because they're healthy and of noble family,

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 they decide that they're going to make,

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 I mean one thing which they don't usually tell us about Daniel is,

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 probably what happened to Daniel is,

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 they took his testicles out to make him a eunuch.

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 Which often doesn't get taught in Sunday school,

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 but that's what they probably did to him.

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 But they took out Daniel and his three friends

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 and the other Jewish men,

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 they take out their testicles to make them eunuchs,

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 to train them to be officials in the bureaucracy of Babylon.

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 And those of us know the very first story is,

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 some of you know what is it that Daniel and his friends do?

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 They refuse.

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 They say we're Jewish people.

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 We refuse to eat your food.

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 We're going to follow our dietary laws.

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 Esther's not Daniel.

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 Esther wasn't keeping kosher.

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 Esther wouldn't have been doing anything

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 that would have showed that she was Jewish

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 or one of God's people.

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 She wouldn't have been saying her Jewish prayers

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 in such a way that people would know she was Jewish.

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 She wouldn't have been keeping the Sabbath.

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 She would have been eating the same food that was unclean.

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 And she was going by a Persian name,

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 not a Jewish name.

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 Now, by the way, a couple of things.

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 One of the reasons I think that Christians

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 have to read the book of Esther,

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 I mean, it's good to read the book of Daniel,

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 but you know what the fact of the matter is,

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 is that most of us are far more like Esther

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 than we are like Daniel.

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 Esther's living a compromised life.

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 In fact, none of us even know anybody like this.

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 But I've been told that in some churches,

00:16:28.899 --> 00:16:29.680
 there's a problem.

00:16:29.820 --> 00:16:30.720
 Not ours, of course,

00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:32.620
 but in some churches, there's a problem

00:16:32.620 --> 00:16:35.419
 where people are very good with their Christianese

00:16:35.419 --> 00:16:37.060
 and their evangelical talk

00:16:37.060 --> 00:16:38.800
 and everything when they're in church,

00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:40.340
 but then when they go to work

00:16:40.340 --> 00:16:41.080
 or when they go home,

00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:42.480
 they live a radically different life.

00:16:42.680 --> 00:16:44.779
 We don't know anybody at all who's like that, of course.

00:16:44.899 --> 00:16:47.580
 It's a completely foreign problem to us.

00:16:48.659 --> 00:16:50.440
 But many of us struggle with that, don't we?

00:16:50.560 --> 00:16:51.759
 I mean, I'm being facetious.

00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:53.420
 Many of us struggle with being one thing

00:16:53.420 --> 00:16:54.440
 when we're with other Christians

00:16:54.440 --> 00:16:56.280
 and very another thing when we show up at work

00:16:56.280 --> 00:16:58.860
 or we play hockey, we play basketball,

00:16:59.820 --> 00:17:02.100
 when we go home with our wives and kids,

00:17:02.300 --> 00:17:04.900
 a radically, quite a significantly different person.

00:17:06.460 --> 00:17:08.820
 And, you know, in many ways,

00:17:08.940 --> 00:17:10.900
 most of us have probably not been Daniels

00:17:10.900 --> 00:17:11.680
 all of our lives.

00:17:13.019 --> 00:17:14.660
 Many of us have been more like Esther.

00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:16.539
 By the way, the book of Esther is going to show

00:17:16.539 --> 00:17:18.539
 in a couple of episodes

00:17:18.539 --> 00:17:21.779
 her conversion moment, so to speak,

00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:23.420
 which is key to the book.

00:17:23.420 --> 00:17:25.380
 And next episode,

00:17:25.380 --> 00:17:26.200
 we're going to talk about

00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:28.140
 Mordecai's conversion moment,

00:17:28.500 --> 00:17:29.000
 by the way.

00:17:29.820 --> 00:17:31.300
 But right now, what they're showing

00:17:31.300 --> 00:17:32.240
 is that both of them,

00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:33.460
 Mordecai and Esther,

00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:35.060
 have lived compromised lives,

00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:37.539
 identifying with their pagan culture

00:17:37.539 --> 00:17:39.180
 rather than being the people of God.

00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:41.640
 And that Esther in particular,

00:17:42.120 --> 00:17:42.759
 who, by the way,

00:17:43.400 --> 00:17:45.120
 this situation she's in,

00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:46.580
 we're going to talk a bit more about it in a moment,

00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:48.080
 it's a horrific situation.

00:17:49.380 --> 00:17:51.600
 She was forced away from her home.

00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:54.659
 And one of the things which is so wonderful

00:17:54.659 --> 00:17:56.099
 about this text, by the way,

00:17:56.259 --> 00:17:57.679
 one of the things which is so

00:17:57.679 --> 00:18:00.679
 spectacularly wonderful about this text

00:18:00.679 --> 00:18:03.319
 is that it just reports it.

00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:06.899
 Like, many people read it and say,

00:18:06.959 --> 00:18:08.899
 well, why doesn't the Bible condemn this?

00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:10.359
 It's sex trafficking, right?

00:18:10.399 --> 00:18:12.039
 Like, why doesn't the Bible condemn this?

00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:15.579
 Like, why doesn't the Bible describe how,

00:18:15.779 --> 00:18:16.720
 you know, Esther,

00:18:17.579 --> 00:18:19.940
 like, why doesn't Esther go on a hunger strike

00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:22.839
 and rather die than do what's being demanded of her?

00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:23.599
 Like, why doesn't,

00:18:24.019 --> 00:18:25.039
 like, why doesn't she,

00:18:25.180 --> 00:18:26.619
 like, all these things and,

00:18:26.899 --> 00:18:28.180
 you know, but the fact of the matter is,

00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:29.319
 is, you know, what do we know?

00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:31.700
 The little we know about things like sex trafficking

00:18:31.700 --> 00:18:33.339
 is that for all we know,

00:18:33.420 --> 00:18:34.619
 many of these young women

00:18:34.619 --> 00:18:36.339
 who got put into this situation,

00:18:36.500 --> 00:18:38.059
 their parents were happy.

00:18:38.059 --> 00:18:43.440
 I mean, isn't that how lots of sex trafficking happens?

00:18:43.980 --> 00:18:45.980
 The parents contact the authorities.

00:18:46.460 --> 00:18:48.019
 Would you consider taking her daughter?

00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:52.659
 And in some of the families,

00:18:52.839 --> 00:18:54.339
 it might very well be that the daughter

00:18:54.339 --> 00:18:56.619
 hated the parents so much they wanted to do this.

00:18:57.740 --> 00:18:59.379
 Because, you know, the fact of the matter is,

00:18:59.399 --> 00:19:01.460
 is that reality is very messy, isn't it?

00:19:02.359 --> 00:19:03.480
 It's very messy.

00:19:04.379 --> 00:19:06.059
 And one of the things which is so powerful

00:19:06.059 --> 00:19:07.720
 about this story,

00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:09.460
 its enduring power,

00:19:10.420 --> 00:19:12.920
 is that if we were to try to improve it

00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:15.640
 by making a little comment

00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:17.700
 about how all the women were crying

00:19:17.700 --> 00:19:19.600
 or all of the parents were crying

00:19:19.600 --> 00:19:22.200
 or all, you know, or Esther did this,

00:19:22.259 --> 00:19:22.880
 you know what it would do?

00:19:22.940 --> 00:19:24.500
 It would turn it into a greeting card

00:19:24.500 --> 00:19:26.259
 that would trivialize the story.

00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:30.880
 It would turn it into a greeting card

00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:33.120
 that would trivialize the complexity

00:19:33.120 --> 00:19:34.539
 of what was going on.

00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:37.000
 But even though what's going on is complex,

00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:38.019
 it's horrific.

00:19:39.819 --> 00:19:43.259
 She is, with no exit other than death,

00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:48.200
 under the power of the most powerful empire

00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:51.440
 in the West,

00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:53.240
 and all the way up to India.

00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:59.539
 So what happens to her?

00:19:59.660 --> 00:20:01.079
 Well, let's look at verse 12.

00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:05.019
 Now, when the turn came for each young woman

00:20:05.019 --> 00:20:07.099
 to go into King Ahuserus,

00:20:07.460 --> 00:20:08.139
 King Headache,

00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:10.740
 after being 12 months under the regulations

00:20:10.740 --> 00:20:11.419
 for the woman,

00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:13.679
 since this was the regular period

00:20:13.679 --> 00:20:14.599
 of their beautifying,

00:20:14.819 --> 00:20:16.379
 six months with oil of myrrh

00:20:16.379 --> 00:20:17.839
 and six months with spices

00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:19.779
 and ointments for women,

00:20:21.099 --> 00:20:22.119
 when the young...

00:20:22.119 --> 00:20:22.819
 Now, just pause here.

00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:23.460
 I'm going to read it again.

00:20:23.460 --> 00:20:26.220
 But what's being described here

00:20:26.220 --> 00:20:29.779
 is completely and utterly abhorrent

00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:31.900
 and evil.

00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:35.160
 The king of Persia

00:20:35.160 --> 00:20:38.440
 has used the army

00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:39.460
 and the bureaucracy

00:20:39.460 --> 00:20:40.980
 to find somewhere between

00:20:40.980 --> 00:20:43.960
 400 to 1,500 young women.

00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:46.740
 He's brought them against their will

00:20:46.740 --> 00:20:48.640
 to come into his capital

00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:49.620
 to be under his care.

00:20:49.619 --> 00:20:52.979
 And he's lavished...

00:20:52.979 --> 00:20:53.859
 Well, he's lavished.

00:20:53.919 --> 00:20:55.719
 He's lavished a year of preparation

00:20:55.719 --> 00:20:59.019
 so he can have one sexual encounter with them.

00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:06.779
 One sexual encounter with them.

00:21:09.459 --> 00:21:11.539
 And that's what's about to happen to Esther.

00:21:15.339 --> 00:21:16.219
 And really,

00:21:16.459 --> 00:21:18.159
 when these young women are captured,

00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:20.420
 it's like a sentence of death to them.

00:21:23.160 --> 00:21:23.600
 Because

00:21:23.600 --> 00:21:26.580
 they will spend one night with the king,

00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:27.600
 as we're going to see in a moment,

00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:29.519
 and then they don't go back

00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:31.060
 to the harem of women

00:21:31.060 --> 00:21:32.019
 who are being prepared

00:21:32.019 --> 00:21:33.560
 to spend one night,

00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:35.860
 one sexual encounter

00:21:35.860 --> 00:21:36.940
 with the king.

00:21:37.259 --> 00:21:38.580
 They go into another harem.

00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:40.200
 And it might be that they spend

00:21:40.200 --> 00:21:41.200
 the rest of their lives

00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:42.660
 never even ever

00:21:42.660 --> 00:21:44.279
 going to see the king again.

00:21:44.420 --> 00:21:44.680
 Ever.

00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:49.100
 It means they have been denied

00:21:49.100 --> 00:21:50.880
 the possibility of marriage,

00:21:51.620 --> 00:21:52.440
 of children,

00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:54.400
 of a normal life.

00:21:54.660 --> 00:21:56.000
 It is horrific.

00:22:00.440 --> 00:22:02.420
 It is unspeakably evil.

00:22:04.340 --> 00:22:05.400
 And there's another thing

00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:05.900
 I want to say

00:22:05.900 --> 00:22:08.320
 before we go anywhere further for this.

00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:09.940
 And this is a very, very, very,

00:22:09.940 --> 00:22:11.600
 very important lesson for us.

00:22:14.940 --> 00:22:16.220
 We look at it

00:22:16.220 --> 00:22:18.259
 and we see that this is horrific

00:22:18.259 --> 00:22:19.660
 and it's a broken world

00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:20.580
 and a broken system.

00:22:20.680 --> 00:22:22.039
 But if you lived in Persia,

00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:25.059
 Persia was the best country

00:22:25.059 --> 00:22:25.600
 in the world.

00:22:27.600 --> 00:22:29.120
 And what was going on

00:22:29.120 --> 00:22:30.799
 is what all reasonable people

00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:32.100
 believe and think.

00:22:32.580 --> 00:22:33.759
 Like, everybody knows

00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:34.539
 that it's all right

00:22:34.539 --> 00:22:36.200
 for kings to do things like that.

00:22:36.200 --> 00:22:38.019
 And not only is that something

00:22:38.019 --> 00:22:39.420
 that just everybody knows,

00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:41.860
 but the intelligentsia,

00:22:41.940 --> 00:22:42.480
 the artists,

00:22:42.600 --> 00:22:42.860
 would say,

00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:43.420
 well, of course,

00:22:43.500 --> 00:22:44.120
 what do you expect?

00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:44.759
 He's the king.

00:22:44.860 --> 00:22:45.600
 Of course, this is how

00:22:45.600 --> 00:22:46.480
 the world works.

00:22:49.380 --> 00:22:49.880
 You see,

00:22:49.940 --> 00:22:50.519
 this is the thing

00:22:50.519 --> 00:22:51.400
 for us in our day.

00:22:53.420 --> 00:22:54.420
 Now, Canadians,

00:22:54.700 --> 00:22:55.720
 we're not very proud.

00:22:55.840 --> 00:22:56.299
 We wouldn't say

00:22:56.299 --> 00:22:57.200
 that we're the best country

00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:57.580
 in the world.

00:22:57.660 --> 00:22:58.640
 We would maybe acknowledge

00:22:58.640 --> 00:22:59.880
 that Norway or Sweden

00:22:59.880 --> 00:23:01.220
 were a bit better than us.

00:23:02.100 --> 00:23:03.100
 Maybe Switzerland.

00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:06.000
 We're like a thousand times better

00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:06.939
 than those dummies

00:23:06.939 --> 00:23:08.159
 down south of the border.

00:23:08.959 --> 00:23:09.939
 Like maybe a million,

00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:11.579
 billion, trillion, quadrillion.

00:23:12.679 --> 00:23:13.919
 So we're too humble

00:23:13.919 --> 00:23:15.039
 to say we're the best country

00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:15.399
 in the world,

00:23:15.480 --> 00:23:16.399
 but we're up there

00:23:16.399 --> 00:23:17.519
 in the top four.

00:23:18.639 --> 00:23:19.559
 Sweden, Norway,

00:23:20.379 --> 00:23:20.819
 Switzerland,

00:23:21.879 --> 00:23:23.000
 maybe above us.

00:23:24.139 --> 00:23:25.899
 And we live in the best culture

00:23:25.899 --> 00:23:28.079
 and there's all sorts of things

00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:29.000
 in our culture

00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:30.539
 that everybody just knows.

00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:32.719
 Everybody knows.

00:23:33.099 --> 00:23:35.319
 Everybody knows

00:23:35.319 --> 00:23:36.359
 that if a woman

00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:37.319
 wants to have an abortion,

00:23:37.459 --> 00:23:38.299
 she should have an abortion.

00:23:39.259 --> 00:23:40.319
 Like if you don't know that,

00:23:41.219 --> 00:23:43.559
 like everybody knows

00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:44.299
 that if a person's

00:23:44.299 --> 00:23:45.139
 having lots of pain

00:23:45.139 --> 00:23:45.639
 and suffering

00:23:45.639 --> 00:23:46.480
 at the end of their life,

00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:47.219
 that they should be able

00:23:47.219 --> 00:23:47.919
 to ask a doctor

00:23:47.919 --> 00:23:48.579
 to kill them.

00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:52.980
 Like everybody knows that.

00:23:53.980 --> 00:23:54.679
 Like how come

00:23:54.679 --> 00:23:55.240
 you don't know that?

00:23:55.959 --> 00:23:56.839
 Everybody knows

00:23:56.839 --> 00:23:58.799
 that naturalistic evolution

00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:00.339
 explains everything

00:24:00.339 --> 00:24:01.059
 that exists

00:24:01.059 --> 00:24:02.419
 and if you don't know that,

00:24:02.420 --> 00:24:03.759
 like really?

00:24:03.860 --> 00:24:04.700
 You don't believe that?

00:24:04.860 --> 00:24:06.940
 Like do you not

00:24:06.940 --> 00:24:08.060
 brush your teeth as well?

00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:09.380
 Like is your IQ

00:24:09.380 --> 00:24:10.259
 that of a turnip?

00:24:10.600 --> 00:24:12.800
 Like everybody knows that.

00:24:15.160 --> 00:24:15.960
 Now by the way,

00:24:16.039 --> 00:24:16.580
 when I mentioned

00:24:16.580 --> 00:24:17.620
 the thing about abortion,

00:24:17.820 --> 00:24:19.259
 just a point here,

00:24:19.539 --> 00:24:20.700
 there's a very good chance

00:24:20.700 --> 00:24:22.080
 that at least one of us,

00:24:23.259 --> 00:24:24.720
 just if you're here,

00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:25.220
 you know,

00:24:25.420 --> 00:24:26.240
 it says church,

00:24:26.320 --> 00:24:26.920
 but if we could ever

00:24:26.920 --> 00:24:27.580
 change the name

00:24:27.580 --> 00:24:28.160
 from church,

00:24:28.259 --> 00:24:29.620
 what we should rename

00:24:29.619 --> 00:24:30.639
 ourselves is not

00:24:30.639 --> 00:24:31.259
 the collection

00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:34.379
 of the perfect,

00:24:34.939 --> 00:24:35.679
 not the collection

00:24:35.679 --> 00:24:36.299
 of the holy,

00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:37.539
 not the collection

00:24:37.539 --> 00:24:38.219
 of the virtuous,

00:24:38.539 --> 00:24:39.399
 but the hospital

00:24:39.399 --> 00:24:40.039
 for sinners.

00:24:41.459 --> 00:24:42.239
 A church

00:24:42.239 --> 00:24:43.099
 is a hospital

00:24:43.099 --> 00:24:43.739
 for sinners.

00:24:44.879 --> 00:24:45.419
 And there's probably

00:24:45.419 --> 00:24:46.159
 at least one of us

00:24:46.159 --> 00:24:47.299
 here who's either

00:24:47.299 --> 00:24:47.959
 had an abortion

00:24:47.959 --> 00:24:49.239
 or contributed to abortion

00:24:49.239 --> 00:24:50.339
 and I didn't bring that up

00:24:50.339 --> 00:24:52.639
 to push you away.

00:24:53.079 --> 00:24:54.359
 I brought it up

00:24:54.359 --> 00:24:55.679
 because that's in fact

00:24:55.679 --> 00:24:56.599
 something which needs

00:24:56.599 --> 00:24:57.239
 to be talked about

00:24:57.239 --> 00:24:57.739
 in our culture

00:24:57.740 --> 00:24:58.660
 and all I would tell you

00:24:58.660 --> 00:24:59.819
 if you're here

00:24:59.819 --> 00:25:00.920
 and you've had an abortion

00:25:00.920 --> 00:25:01.920
 or you've helped

00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:03.019
 somebody have an abortion

00:25:03.019 --> 00:25:04.920
 is that Jesus loves you

00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:05.559
 and I'm not saying

00:25:05.559 --> 00:25:06.799
 that to trivialize anything

00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:09.759
 and he died for you

00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:10.259
 knowing that you

00:25:10.259 --> 00:25:11.259
 would do bad things

00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:13.579
 and this is an invitation

00:25:13.579 --> 00:25:15.440
 for you to pour out

00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:16.319
 your heart to Jesus

00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:17.059
 because you need

00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:17.819
 to talk it through

00:25:17.819 --> 00:25:19.440
 and you need to know

00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:20.299
 his grace and mercy.

00:25:21.660 --> 00:25:22.980
 So I just want to encourage you

00:25:22.980 --> 00:25:24.079
 if that describes you

00:25:24.079 --> 00:25:24.960
 that you just,

00:25:25.059 --> 00:25:26.200
 you try to talk to somebody

00:25:26.200 --> 00:25:27.360
 who looks like there's

00:25:27.360 --> 00:25:28.059
 a kind face

00:25:28.059 --> 00:25:28.819
 and they'll listen to you

00:25:28.819 --> 00:25:29.580
 and they'll love you.

00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:33.920
 But the point is

00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:35.400
 this horrific thing

00:25:35.400 --> 00:25:36.259
 at the time

00:25:36.259 --> 00:25:37.380
 wasn't viewed as horrific.

00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:39.319
 It was viewed

00:25:39.319 --> 00:25:40.400
 as just what everybody knows.

00:25:42.120 --> 00:25:43.420
 Just the way the world works.

00:25:44.039 --> 00:25:45.160
 The way the world should work.

00:25:45.840 --> 00:25:46.779
 Powerful men should have

00:25:46.779 --> 00:25:47.700
 more than one wives

00:25:47.700 --> 00:25:50.460
 and should have concubines.

00:25:51.160 --> 00:25:52.400
 They have sexual urges.

00:25:52.819 --> 00:25:53.920
 They should be able

00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:54.920
 to act on it.

00:25:56.200 --> 00:25:58.960
 And we know they're wrong

00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:00.880
 and it's a powerful thing

00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:02.240
 for us to realize

00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:03.620
 that lots of what gets said

00:26:03.620 --> 00:26:04.860
 that just everybody knows.

00:26:05.319 --> 00:26:07.019
 It's a wake-up call for us.

00:26:07.660 --> 00:26:08.340
 I'm not saying

00:26:08.340 --> 00:26:09.200
 that we should be,

00:26:09.380 --> 00:26:10.680
 there's so much stuff

00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:11.360
 we could learn

00:26:11.360 --> 00:26:12.799
 from the gay

00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:15.000
 and lesbian movement

00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:17.220
 because at the heart

00:26:17.220 --> 00:26:17.900
 of that movement

00:26:17.900 --> 00:26:18.900
 was them saying

00:26:18.900 --> 00:26:19.519
 we're queer

00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:20.200
 and we're here

00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:21.940
 and we're not going away.

00:26:21.940 --> 00:26:24.259
 We're queer,

00:26:24.539 --> 00:26:25.279
 we're proud

00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:26.240
 that we're queer

00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:26.980
 and we're here.

00:26:27.120 --> 00:26:27.900
 Now we can't say

00:26:27.900 --> 00:26:28.480
 we're Christians

00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:29.180
 and we're proud

00:26:29.180 --> 00:26:30.279
 because that's like a sin.

00:26:30.940 --> 00:26:31.720
 We're Christians

00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:32.779
 and we're humbly here

00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:33.660
 and we're not going away.

00:26:34.320 --> 00:26:35.380
 And we just disagree

00:26:35.380 --> 00:26:36.320
 with all sorts of things

00:26:36.320 --> 00:26:37.039
 that go on in the world

00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:37.880
 and we're not going away.

00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:38.580
 And we should just,

00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:39.620
 we have to learn

00:26:39.620 --> 00:26:40.720
 to start to go against

00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:41.400
 the tide

00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:43.640
 in an upfront way.

00:26:43.700 --> 00:26:44.740
 Not in a proud way,

00:26:44.820 --> 00:26:46.240
 not in an angry way

00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:46.820
 necessarily,

00:26:47.019 --> 00:26:47.400
 but just

00:26:47.400 --> 00:26:49.320
 I don't believe

00:26:49.320 --> 00:26:49.780
 those things.

00:26:49.860 --> 00:26:50.720
 I don't think those things.

00:26:50.800 --> 00:26:51.280
 I'm a Christian.

00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:52.120
 I follow Jesus.

00:26:53.400 --> 00:26:54.420
 And we have to start

00:26:54.420 --> 00:26:54.820
 to learn

00:26:54.820 --> 00:26:55.920
 to be more comfortable

00:26:55.920 --> 00:26:57.340
 to just be publicly

00:26:57.340 --> 00:26:58.700
 swimming against the tide

00:26:58.700 --> 00:27:00.080
 and books like Esther

00:27:00.080 --> 00:27:01.500
 help us to understand that

00:27:01.500 --> 00:27:02.860
 in a very,

00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:04.320
 very powerful story

00:27:04.320 --> 00:27:06.019
 where when you actually

00:27:06.019 --> 00:27:07.040
 look at the text

00:27:07.040 --> 00:27:07.900
 and you realize

00:27:07.900 --> 00:27:08.700
 it's not like

00:27:08.700 --> 00:27:09.900
 what often gets talked

00:27:09.900 --> 00:27:10.920
 about by preachers

00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:11.460
 because there's

00:27:11.460 --> 00:27:12.780
 unspeakable evil

00:27:12.780 --> 00:27:14.720
 and Esther is trapped

00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:16.720
 in unspeakable evil

00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:21.120
 and it's going to lead

00:27:21.120 --> 00:27:22.900
 to her conversion moment

00:27:22.900 --> 00:27:24.019
 in a couple of episodes

00:27:24.019 --> 00:27:24.860
 but not today.

00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:27.920
 So let's get back

00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:28.440
 because the text,

00:27:28.620 --> 00:27:29.519
 I've sort of jumped ahead

00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:29.759
 of that.

00:27:29.819 --> 00:27:30.900
 Look at verse 12 again.

00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:33.740
 Now when the turn came

00:27:33.740 --> 00:27:34.740
 for each young woman

00:27:34.740 --> 00:27:36.539
 to go into king headache

00:27:36.539 --> 00:27:38.720
 after being 12 months

00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:39.680
 under the regulations

00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:40.400
 for the women

00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:41.740
 since this was

00:27:41.740 --> 00:27:42.839
 the regular period

00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:43.740
 of their beautifying,

00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:45.380
 six months with oil of myrrh

00:27:45.380 --> 00:27:46.200
 and six months

00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:46.880
 with spices

00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:48.060
 and ointments for women,

00:27:48.840 --> 00:27:49.900
 when the young woman

00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:50.900
 went into the king

00:27:50.900 --> 00:27:51.420
 in this way

00:27:51.420 --> 00:27:52.000
 she was given

00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:53.020
 whatever she desired

00:27:53.020 --> 00:27:53.760
 to take with her

00:27:53.760 --> 00:27:54.400
 from the harem

00:27:54.400 --> 00:27:55.460
 to the king's palace.

00:27:56.280 --> 00:27:57.000
 Here's the part.

00:27:58.140 --> 00:27:59.100
 In the evening

00:27:59.100 --> 00:28:00.000
 she would go in

00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:01.960
 and in the morning

00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:03.420
 she would return

00:28:03.420 --> 00:28:04.540
 to the second harem

00:28:04.540 --> 00:28:07.580
 in custody of Shazgaz,

00:28:08.260 --> 00:28:09.300
 the king's eunuch,

00:28:09.960 --> 00:28:10.880
 who was in charge

00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:11.960
 of the concubines.

00:28:11.960 --> 00:28:13.840
 She would not go

00:28:13.840 --> 00:28:15.000
 into the king again

00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:15.779
 unless the king

00:28:15.779 --> 00:28:16.660
 delighted in her

00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:18.259
 and she was summoned

00:28:18.259 --> 00:28:18.819
 by name.

00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:21.180
 He doesn't even know

00:28:21.180 --> 00:28:21.920
 their names.

00:28:24.220 --> 00:28:25.319
 Night after night

00:28:25.319 --> 00:28:26.360
 a different concubine,

00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:27.539
 a different woman

00:28:27.539 --> 00:28:29.460
 doesn't know

00:28:29.460 --> 00:28:30.180
 their names.

00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:32.200
 They might have never

00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:33.559
 even seen the king again

00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:34.740
 for the rest of their lives.

00:28:35.240 --> 00:28:36.480
 This is unspeakable evil.

00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:38.860
 And it's not just,

00:28:39.019 --> 00:28:40.160
 I don't want to trivialize

00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:40.819
 the evil to the women,

00:28:40.819 --> 00:28:42.079
 we cannot trivialize

00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:42.759
 the evil to the women.

00:28:42.819 --> 00:28:43.319
 We cannot,

00:28:44.579 --> 00:28:44.700
 there,

00:28:46.039 --> 00:28:46.899
 I am not,

00:28:47.539 --> 00:28:48.579
 this is just not,

00:28:48.779 --> 00:28:48.899
 but,

00:28:49.859 --> 00:28:51.339
 nothing that I say next

00:28:51.339 --> 00:28:52.119
 is meant to,

00:28:52.359 --> 00:28:54.039
 the evil to the women

00:28:54.039 --> 00:28:56.319
 is atrocious.

00:28:57.779 --> 00:28:58.819
 But there's also

00:28:58.819 --> 00:29:00.259
 a broader social evil

00:29:00.259 --> 00:29:00.899
 that goes on

00:29:00.899 --> 00:29:01.599
 because it means

00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:02.480
 that there's 400

00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:04.019
 to 1,500 young men

00:29:04.019 --> 00:29:05.079
 who will never have a wife.

00:29:05.079 --> 00:29:09.359
 polygamy,

00:29:10.359 --> 00:29:11.720
 all polygamy,

00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:14.399
 serves rulers

00:29:14.399 --> 00:29:15.439
 and emperors

00:29:15.439 --> 00:29:16.859
 by creating

00:29:16.859 --> 00:29:17.799
 a large group

00:29:17.799 --> 00:29:18.699
 of young men

00:29:18.699 --> 00:29:20.439
 who can be sacrificed

00:29:20.439 --> 00:29:21.199
 in war.

00:29:25.019 --> 00:29:26.220
 And it is

00:29:26.220 --> 00:29:27.939
 fertile ground

00:29:27.939 --> 00:29:29.359
 for men

00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:30.220
 profiting

00:29:30.220 --> 00:29:31.659
 from prostitution.

00:29:31.660 --> 00:29:38.480
 You see,

00:29:38.660 --> 00:29:39.240
 the evil

00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:40.300
 of what goes on

00:29:40.300 --> 00:29:40.700
 in this,

00:29:40.759 --> 00:29:41.640
 and it's what happens

00:29:41.640 --> 00:29:42.800
 in every country,

00:29:43.340 --> 00:29:44.880
 anytime there's a type

00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:45.500
 of an evil

00:29:45.500 --> 00:29:46.200
 that goes on

00:29:46.200 --> 00:29:46.820
 in the culture,

00:29:46.920 --> 00:29:47.620
 the evil

00:29:47.620 --> 00:29:48.880
 isn't just this

00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:50.040
 tiny little

00:29:50.040 --> 00:29:51.140
 singular evil,

00:29:51.300 --> 00:29:52.080
 but the evil

00:29:52.080 --> 00:29:53.000
 spreads

00:29:53.000 --> 00:29:55.700
 just as abortion

00:29:55.700 --> 00:29:56.920
 corrupts

00:29:56.920 --> 00:29:57.820
 everything

00:29:57.820 --> 00:29:59.040
 it touches.

00:29:59.039 --> 00:29:59.259
 verses.

00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:08.960
 Verse 15.

00:30:10.639 --> 00:30:11.619
 When the turn

00:30:11.619 --> 00:30:12.720
 came for Esther,

00:30:14.379 --> 00:30:16.420
 here she is,

00:30:16.440 --> 00:30:17.119
 a young woman,

00:30:18.139 --> 00:30:19.379
 she's trapped,

00:30:20.539 --> 00:30:21.639
 and she's going

00:30:21.639 --> 00:30:22.299
 to be brought in

00:30:22.299 --> 00:30:23.099
 for her one night

00:30:23.099 --> 00:30:23.700
 with the king.

00:30:25.319 --> 00:30:26.240
 When the turn

00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:27.220
 came for Esther,

00:30:27.319 --> 00:30:27.720
 the daughter

00:30:27.720 --> 00:30:28.599
 of Abahel,

00:30:28.599 --> 00:30:29.199
 the uncle

00:30:29.199 --> 00:30:30.179
 of Mordecai,

00:30:31.079 --> 00:30:33.500
 who had taken

00:30:33.500 --> 00:30:34.199
 her as his own

00:30:34.199 --> 00:30:35.059
 daughter to go

00:30:35.059 --> 00:30:35.639
 into the king.

00:30:35.740 --> 00:30:36.259
 She asked for

00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:37.000
 nothing except

00:30:37.000 --> 00:30:37.659
 what Haggai,

00:30:37.759 --> 00:30:38.500
 the king's eunuch,

00:30:38.819 --> 00:30:39.500
 who had charge

00:30:39.500 --> 00:30:39.919
 of the woman,

00:30:40.019 --> 00:30:40.439
 advised.

00:30:41.539 --> 00:30:41.959
 Now Esther

00:30:41.959 --> 00:30:42.519
 was winning

00:30:42.519 --> 00:30:43.799
 favor in the eyes

00:30:43.799 --> 00:30:44.539
 of all who saw

00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:44.779
 her.

00:30:47.179 --> 00:30:48.279
 Just pause here.

00:30:49.480 --> 00:30:49.719
 You know,

00:30:49.759 --> 00:30:50.459
 this is what's so

00:30:50.459 --> 00:30:51.279
 wise about the

00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:51.639
 Bible.

00:30:53.019 --> 00:30:54.199
 It just reports

00:30:54.199 --> 00:30:55.099
 what's going on.

00:30:55.299 --> 00:30:55.959
 It doesn't try

00:30:55.959 --> 00:30:57.039
 to trivialize this.

00:30:57.119 --> 00:30:57.619
 It doesn't say

00:30:57.619 --> 00:30:58.199
 this is a good

00:30:58.200 --> 00:30:58.920
 thing she's doing

00:30:58.920 --> 00:30:59.420
 or a bad

00:30:59.420 --> 00:31:00.059
 thing it's doing.

00:31:00.140 --> 00:31:00.799
 It's not saying

00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:01.860
 that this Jewish

00:31:01.860 --> 00:31:02.519
 girl who tried

00:31:02.519 --> 00:31:03.059
 to flirt her

00:31:03.059 --> 00:31:03.460
 way to be

00:31:03.460 --> 00:31:03.819
 one of the

00:31:03.819 --> 00:31:04.940
 400 or 1500

00:31:04.940 --> 00:31:05.539
 that would

00:31:05.539 --> 00:31:06.039
 become the

00:31:06.039 --> 00:31:06.319
 queen.

00:31:07.220 --> 00:31:07.900
 It's talking

00:31:07.900 --> 00:31:08.360
 about one

00:31:08.360 --> 00:31:08.900
 story.

00:31:10.400 --> 00:31:10.740
 It's not

00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:11.080
 tame,

00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:13.559
 but it's

00:31:13.559 --> 00:31:15.140
 the critique

00:31:15.140 --> 00:31:16.200
 of it is

00:31:16.200 --> 00:31:16.580
 in the

00:31:16.580 --> 00:31:17.440
 dispassionate

00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:17.840
 telling.

00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:24.179
 without going

00:31:24.179 --> 00:31:24.599
 into what

00:31:24.599 --> 00:31:24.980
 might be

00:31:24.980 --> 00:31:25.399
 going through

00:31:25.399 --> 00:31:25.839
 Esther in

00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:26.119
 the right

00:31:26.119 --> 00:31:26.399
 way or

00:31:26.399 --> 00:31:26.759
 the wrong

00:31:26.759 --> 00:31:27.039
 way and

00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:27.419
 all of that

00:31:27.419 --> 00:31:27.799
 type of

00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:28.019
 stuff.

00:31:28.119 --> 00:31:28.339
 It would

00:31:28.339 --> 00:31:30.099
 turn it

00:31:30.099 --> 00:31:30.679
 into greeting

00:31:30.679 --> 00:31:31.139
 cards.

00:31:31.240 --> 00:31:31.439
 It would

00:31:31.439 --> 00:31:31.899
 turn it

00:31:31.899 --> 00:31:32.459
 into political

00:31:32.459 --> 00:31:33.299
 slogans,

00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:34.939
 but it just

00:31:34.939 --> 00:31:35.539
 records.

00:31:38.220 --> 00:31:39.039
 Verse 16,

00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:39.639
 when Esther

00:31:39.639 --> 00:31:40.159
 was taken

00:31:40.159 --> 00:31:40.619
 to King

00:31:40.619 --> 00:31:41.079
 Headache,

00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:42.639
 into his

00:31:42.639 --> 00:31:43.379
 royal palace

00:31:43.379 --> 00:31:43.680
 in the

00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:44.240
 tenth month,

00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:44.740
 which is the

00:31:44.740 --> 00:31:45.099
 month of

00:31:45.099 --> 00:31:46.519
 Tibet, in the

00:31:46.519 --> 00:31:47.200
 seventh year of

00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:47.740
 his reign.

00:31:47.779 --> 00:31:48.240
 At this point

00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:48.480
 in time,

00:31:48.539 --> 00:31:48.960
 it's four

00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:49.659
 years after

00:31:49.659 --> 00:31:50.440
 chapter one,

00:31:50.500 --> 00:31:50.879
 or episode

00:31:50.879 --> 00:31:51.460
 one, four

00:31:51.460 --> 00:31:52.180
 years after.

00:31:52.700 --> 00:31:53.720
 It's after he's

00:31:53.720 --> 00:31:54.319
 been defeated

00:31:54.319 --> 00:31:55.180
 by Persia.

00:31:55.180 --> 00:31:57.660
 The king

00:31:57.660 --> 00:31:58.519
 loved Esther,

00:31:59.720 --> 00:32:00.400
 that woman

00:32:00.400 --> 00:32:01.100
 named after

00:32:01.100 --> 00:32:02.539
 the Persian

00:32:02.539 --> 00:32:03.400
 goddess of

00:32:03.400 --> 00:32:03.799
 love and

00:32:03.799 --> 00:32:06.080
 war, hiding

00:32:06.080 --> 00:32:06.980
 her Jewishness.

00:32:08.220 --> 00:32:08.920
 The king

00:32:08.920 --> 00:32:09.519
 loved Esther

00:32:09.519 --> 00:32:09.960
 more than

00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:10.279
 all the

00:32:10.279 --> 00:32:11.039
 women, and

00:32:11.039 --> 00:32:11.380
 she won

00:32:11.380 --> 00:32:11.960
 grace and

00:32:11.960 --> 00:32:12.440
 favor in

00:32:12.440 --> 00:32:12.860
 his sight

00:32:12.860 --> 00:32:13.240
 more than

00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:13.560
 all the

00:32:13.560 --> 00:32:13.960
 virgins.

00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:15.880
 So he set

00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:16.299
 the royal

00:32:16.299 --> 00:32:17.019
 crown on

00:32:17.019 --> 00:32:17.620
 her head

00:32:17.620 --> 00:32:18.000
 and made

00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:18.640
 her queen

00:32:18.640 --> 00:32:19.200
 instead of

00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:19.720
 Vashti.

00:32:20.779 --> 00:32:21.440
 Then the

00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:21.900
 king gave

00:32:21.900 --> 00:32:22.259
 a great

00:32:22.259 --> 00:32:22.720
 feast for

00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:22.980
 all his

00:32:22.980 --> 00:32:23.660
 officials and

00:32:23.660 --> 00:32:24.060
 servants.

00:32:24.220 --> 00:32:24.440
 It was

00:32:24.440 --> 00:32:24.900
 Esther's

00:32:24.900 --> 00:32:25.240
 feast.

00:32:25.860 --> 00:32:26.220
 He also

00:32:26.220 --> 00:32:26.800
 granted a

00:32:26.800 --> 00:32:27.320
 remission of

00:32:27.320 --> 00:32:27.880
 taxes to

00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:28.420
 the provinces

00:32:28.420 --> 00:32:28.900
 and gave

00:32:28.900 --> 00:32:30.259
 gifts with

00:32:30.259 --> 00:32:31.120
 royal generosity.

00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:35.240
 So just

00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:36.600
 a couple of

00:32:36.600 --> 00:32:37.580
 takeaways from

00:32:37.580 --> 00:32:37.800
 this.

00:32:37.900 --> 00:32:38.000
 I mean,

00:32:38.120 --> 00:32:38.660
 you know,

00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:40.600
 I spend

00:32:40.600 --> 00:32:41.360
 more time

00:32:41.360 --> 00:32:41.940
 trying to

00:32:41.940 --> 00:32:42.240
 help you

00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:43.120
 understand and

00:32:43.120 --> 00:32:43.480
 hear the

00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:44.120
 story than

00:32:44.120 --> 00:32:44.600
 my own

00:32:44.600 --> 00:32:45.700
 words because

00:32:45.700 --> 00:32:47.560
 this is

00:32:47.560 --> 00:32:48.240
 God's word

00:32:48.240 --> 00:32:48.580
 and my

00:32:48.580 --> 00:32:49.000
 words are

00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:49.720
 my words.

00:32:50.360 --> 00:32:51.000
 And it's

00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:51.460
 far better

00:32:51.460 --> 00:32:51.840
 that the

00:32:51.840 --> 00:32:52.500
 story grip

00:32:52.500 --> 00:32:52.759
 you.

00:32:53.180 --> 00:32:53.580
 But if you

00:32:53.580 --> 00:32:53.920
 could put up

00:32:53.920 --> 00:32:54.320
 the first

00:32:54.320 --> 00:32:54.620
 point,

00:32:54.619 --> 00:32:54.979
 Andrew,

00:32:55.979 --> 00:32:56.959
 let's be

00:32:56.959 --> 00:32:57.299
 honest,

00:32:58.059 --> 00:32:58.539
 there is a

00:32:58.539 --> 00:32:59.119
 powerful

00:32:59.119 --> 00:32:59.739
 allure.

00:33:00.039 --> 00:33:00.459
 I know the

00:33:00.459 --> 00:33:00.919
 grammar of

00:33:00.919 --> 00:33:01.399
 this sentence

00:33:01.399 --> 00:33:02.000
 isn't great,

00:33:02.139 --> 00:33:02.439
 but I

00:33:02.439 --> 00:33:03.219
 couldn't fix

00:33:03.219 --> 00:33:03.419
 it.

00:33:03.979 --> 00:33:04.459
 There is a

00:33:04.459 --> 00:33:05.039
 powerful

00:33:05.039 --> 00:33:06.319
 allure to

00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:06.959
 the path

00:33:06.959 --> 00:33:08.099
 of silence,

00:33:08.759 --> 00:33:09.179
 compromise,

00:33:09.579 --> 00:33:10.459
 and conformity

00:33:10.459 --> 00:33:11.699
 so that you

00:33:11.699 --> 00:33:11.939
 will be

00:33:11.939 --> 00:33:12.399
 accepted.

00:33:12.759 --> 00:33:13.199
 Isn't that

00:33:13.199 --> 00:33:13.679
 true in our

00:33:13.679 --> 00:33:14.039
 culture?

00:33:14.919 --> 00:33:15.219
 There's

00:33:15.219 --> 00:33:15.819
 something very

00:33:15.819 --> 00:33:17.259
 powerful and

00:33:17.259 --> 00:33:18.979
 alluring about

00:33:18.979 --> 00:33:19.639
 this idea.

00:33:19.640 --> 00:33:20.140
 if I just

00:33:20.140 --> 00:33:20.420
 am going to

00:33:20.420 --> 00:33:21.300
 be silent,

00:33:21.800 --> 00:33:24.020
 and if I'm

00:33:24.020 --> 00:33:24.340
 going to be

00:33:24.340 --> 00:33:25.080
 silent about

00:33:25.080 --> 00:33:25.480
 being a

00:33:25.480 --> 00:33:26.080
 Christian and

00:33:26.080 --> 00:33:26.660
 about what

00:33:26.660 --> 00:33:27.360
 I think,

00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:27.800
 and if I

00:33:27.800 --> 00:33:28.280
 just sort of

00:33:28.280 --> 00:33:28.840
 compromise,

00:33:29.140 --> 00:33:29.420
 and if I

00:33:29.420 --> 00:33:29.940
 just learn to

00:33:29.940 --> 00:33:30.480
 conform,

00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:31.420
 I'll be

00:33:31.420 --> 00:33:31.960
 accepted.

00:33:31.960 --> 00:33:36.200
 You know,

00:33:36.360 --> 00:33:36.860
 I have

00:33:36.860 --> 00:33:37.819
 my,

00:33:38.180 --> 00:33:38.840
 I've been,

00:33:39.579 --> 00:33:40.279
 I'm a slow

00:33:40.279 --> 00:33:40.600
 learner,

00:33:40.960 --> 00:33:41.740
 and I have a

00:33:41.740 --> 00:33:42.000
 parrot,

00:33:42.160 --> 00:33:42.700
 and for some

00:33:42.700 --> 00:33:43.240
 reason I keep

00:33:43.240 --> 00:33:43.779
 calling it an

00:33:43.779 --> 00:33:44.519
 African grey,

00:33:44.900 --> 00:33:45.360
 but it's not

00:33:45.360 --> 00:33:46.220
 an African grey,

00:33:46.539 --> 00:33:46.900
 it's an

00:33:46.900 --> 00:33:47.279
 Amazon.

00:33:48.680 --> 00:33:49.140
 And anyway,

00:33:49.299 --> 00:33:49.519
 it's a,

00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:50.440
 well actually I

00:33:50.440 --> 00:33:50.960
 don't really have

00:33:50.960 --> 00:33:51.519
 it, but my

00:33:51.519 --> 00:33:52.100
 daughter and my

00:33:52.100 --> 00:33:52.539
 wife have it,

00:33:52.559 --> 00:33:52.960
 it's a parrot

00:33:52.960 --> 00:33:53.740
 about this big.

00:33:54.240 --> 00:33:54.360
 Okay,

00:33:54.700 --> 00:33:55.100
 and in the

00:33:55.100 --> 00:33:56.160
 biological world,

00:33:56.660 --> 00:33:57.539
 we took that

00:33:57.539 --> 00:33:58.259
 parrot and we

00:33:58.259 --> 00:33:58.900
 made a chicken

00:33:58.900 --> 00:33:59.980
 suit, a duck

00:33:59.980 --> 00:34:00.900
 suit for it,

00:34:01.220 --> 00:34:01.660
 made out of

00:34:01.660 --> 00:34:02.340
 duck feathers

00:34:02.340 --> 00:34:02.800
 and a little

00:34:02.800 --> 00:34:03.560
 duck head,

00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:04.960
 and because it's

00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:05.340
 a parrot,

00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:06.019
 we trained it

00:34:06.019 --> 00:34:06.700
 how to quack

00:34:06.700 --> 00:34:07.380
 like a duck.

00:34:08.099 --> 00:34:08.619
 Well that would

00:34:08.619 --> 00:34:09.019
 sort of be

00:34:09.019 --> 00:34:09.639
 amusing for

00:34:09.639 --> 00:34:10.260
 people, you

00:34:10.260 --> 00:34:10.639
 know, we put

00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:11.240
 our parrot in

00:34:11.240 --> 00:34:11.880
 a duck suit,

00:34:12.019 --> 00:34:12.720
 and it wanders

00:34:12.720 --> 00:34:13.440
 around on the

00:34:13.440 --> 00:34:14.220
 floor quacking

00:34:14.220 --> 00:34:14.900
 like a duck,

00:34:15.099 --> 00:34:15.700
 but on a

00:34:15.700 --> 00:34:16.659
 biological level,

00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:18.500
 it's still a

00:34:18.500 --> 00:34:18.720
 parrot.

00:34:19.740 --> 00:34:20.320
 But at the

00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:20.840
 moral and

00:34:20.840 --> 00:34:22.300
 intellectual level,

00:34:23.059 --> 00:34:23.980
 we become what

00:34:23.980 --> 00:34:24.639
 we put on.

00:34:26.180 --> 00:34:26.800
 In other words,

00:34:26.860 --> 00:34:27.579
 for human beings,

00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:27.920
 when we,

00:34:28.119 --> 00:34:28.760
 not, I mean,

00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:29.300
 not literally,

00:34:29.480 --> 00:34:30.079
 obviously, but if

00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:30.820
 you quack like a

00:34:30.820 --> 00:34:31.539
 duck, poop

00:34:31.539 --> 00:34:32.179
 like a duck,

00:34:32.719 --> 00:34:33.460
 walk like a

00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:35.920
 duck, look

00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:36.480
 like a duck,

00:34:37.019 --> 00:34:37.559
 you're a duck.

00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:42.139
 And C.S.

00:34:42.219 --> 00:34:43.139
 Lewis, his

00:34:43.139 --> 00:34:44.279
 least favorite,

00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:45.860
 people who read

00:34:45.860 --> 00:34:46.199
 C.S.

00:34:46.259 --> 00:34:48.000
 Lewis, the novel

00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:48.900
 people like the

00:34:48.900 --> 00:34:49.759
 least is Till We

00:34:49.759 --> 00:34:50.380
 Have Faces.

00:34:51.139 --> 00:34:52.219
 The novel he

00:34:52.219 --> 00:34:53.380
 loved the most was

00:34:53.380 --> 00:34:54.259
 that novel, Till

00:34:54.259 --> 00:34:55.139
 We Have Faces.

00:34:55.139 --> 00:34:56.619
 and it's all

00:34:56.619 --> 00:34:57.420
 about a woman

00:34:57.420 --> 00:34:59.099
 who wears a

00:34:59.099 --> 00:35:01.500
 mask and she

00:35:01.500 --> 00:35:02.199
 eventually comes

00:35:02.199 --> 00:35:02.819
 to look like

00:35:02.819 --> 00:35:03.500
 the mask.

00:35:04.719 --> 00:35:05.319
 And he's

00:35:05.319 --> 00:35:06.259
 capturing a

00:35:06.259 --> 00:35:06.799
 very, it's a

00:35:06.799 --> 00:35:07.500
 very powerful

00:35:07.500 --> 00:35:08.480
 novel and it

00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:09.559
 just describes

00:35:09.559 --> 00:35:10.319
 how we become,

00:35:10.440 --> 00:35:11.019
 what we do.

00:35:12.799 --> 00:35:13.619
 And so, you

00:35:13.619 --> 00:35:14.299
 know, if we

00:35:14.299 --> 00:35:15.000
 think, well, I'm

00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:15.440
 just going to be

00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:16.339
 silent about this

00:35:16.339 --> 00:35:16.859
 issue and I'm

00:35:16.859 --> 00:35:17.139
 going to be

00:35:17.139 --> 00:35:18.019
 silent about this

00:35:18.019 --> 00:35:18.519
 issue and I'm

00:35:18.519 --> 00:35:19.159
 going to compromise

00:35:19.159 --> 00:35:20.099
 on this issue

00:35:20.099 --> 00:35:21.239
 and I'm going

00:35:21.239 --> 00:35:22.079
 to conform on

00:35:22.079 --> 00:35:22.819
 this issue and

00:35:22.819 --> 00:35:23.539
 before you know

00:35:23.539 --> 00:35:25.339
 it, you're not

00:35:25.339 --> 00:35:26.400
 actually a follower

00:35:26.400 --> 00:35:27.039
 of Jesus.

00:35:33.980 --> 00:35:35.480
 But we sort of

00:35:35.480 --> 00:35:36.000
 think that we

00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:36.539
 can be.

00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:38.199
 When I was part

00:35:38.199 --> 00:35:38.900
 of the Diocese of

00:35:38.900 --> 00:35:39.360
 Ottawa, there

00:35:39.360 --> 00:35:39.940
 would be several

00:35:39.940 --> 00:35:42.339
 people that,

00:35:42.860 --> 00:35:43.279
 you know, when

00:35:43.279 --> 00:35:43.880
 different things

00:35:43.880 --> 00:35:44.339
 were going on in

00:35:44.339 --> 00:35:44.940
 the Diocese of

00:35:44.940 --> 00:35:45.799
 Ottawa, that were

00:35:45.799 --> 00:35:47.839
 just wrong and

00:35:47.839 --> 00:35:48.579
 virtually nobody

00:35:48.579 --> 00:35:49.480
 would speak against

00:35:49.480 --> 00:35:49.759
 it and there

00:35:49.760 --> 00:35:50.200
 were several

00:35:50.200 --> 00:35:50.760
 people with

00:35:50.760 --> 00:35:51.720
 great qualifications

00:35:51.720 --> 00:35:52.080
 who were

00:35:52.080 --> 00:35:53.860
 evangelicals and

00:35:53.860 --> 00:35:54.400
 they just were

00:35:54.400 --> 00:35:55.080
 silent but

00:35:55.080 --> 00:35:55.580
 because they

00:35:55.580 --> 00:35:56.240
 would say they're

00:35:56.240 --> 00:35:57.120
 becoming silent

00:35:57.120 --> 00:35:57.640
 because they can

00:35:57.640 --> 00:35:58.080
 get on this

00:35:58.080 --> 00:35:58.680
 committee or in

00:35:58.680 --> 00:35:59.660
 this key position

00:35:59.660 --> 00:36:00.220
 and then they'd

00:36:00.220 --> 00:36:00.820
 eventually make

00:36:00.820 --> 00:36:01.260
 change.

00:36:01.800 --> 00:36:02.080
 But they

00:36:02.080 --> 00:36:02.960
 compromised and

00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:03.540
 they compromised

00:36:03.540 --> 00:36:04.460
 and they compromised

00:36:04.460 --> 00:36:05.300
 and they compromised

00:36:05.300 --> 00:36:05.920
 and when they got

00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:06.620
 into that position

00:36:06.620 --> 00:36:07.320
 there was always

00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:08.560
 one more level

00:36:08.560 --> 00:36:09.400
 they could reach

00:36:09.400 --> 00:36:09.860
 and so they

00:36:09.860 --> 00:36:10.480
 would compromise

00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:11.380
 and conform and

00:36:11.380 --> 00:36:11.740
 at the end of

00:36:11.740 --> 00:36:12.060
 the day,

00:36:12.980 --> 00:36:15.040
 they were a

00:36:15.040 --> 00:36:15.260
 liberal.

00:36:18.460 --> 00:36:19.260
 Their backbone

00:36:19.260 --> 00:36:19.960
 was removed,

00:36:21.160 --> 00:36:21.960
 given a different

00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:22.220
 one.

00:36:23.400 --> 00:36:24.360
 There's a powerful

00:36:24.360 --> 00:36:25.900
 allure to the

00:36:25.900 --> 00:36:26.760
 path of silence,

00:36:26.940 --> 00:36:27.640
 compromise, and

00:36:27.640 --> 00:36:28.560
 conformity so that

00:36:28.560 --> 00:36:28.840
 you will be

00:36:28.840 --> 00:36:29.240
 accepted.

00:36:29.400 --> 00:36:29.980
 Second point,

00:36:30.580 --> 00:36:31.180
 but what does this

00:36:31.180 --> 00:36:31.920
 story show us?

00:36:31.980 --> 00:36:33.040
 The path of silence,

00:36:33.260 --> 00:36:34.020
 compromise, and

00:36:34.020 --> 00:36:35.160
 conformity makes you

00:36:35.160 --> 00:36:36.740
 promises that will

00:36:36.740 --> 00:36:37.540
 not work out.

00:36:40.540 --> 00:36:41.440
 Esther went by

00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:41.980
 another name,

00:36:42.080 --> 00:36:42.760
 Mordecai went by

00:36:42.760 --> 00:36:43.200
 another name,

00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:43.980
 Esther still gets

00:36:43.980 --> 00:36:44.520
 captured.

00:36:45.120 --> 00:36:46.000
 We're going to see

00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:47.240
 this part of what

00:36:47.239 --> 00:36:48.039
 makes the book of

00:36:48.039 --> 00:36:49.079
 Esther so important

00:36:49.079 --> 00:36:49.879
 is that what's

00:36:49.879 --> 00:36:50.439
 going to happen

00:36:50.439 --> 00:36:51.119
 in the next,

00:36:52.079 --> 00:36:53.099
 not this episode,

00:36:53.339 --> 00:36:54.000
 not this next

00:36:54.000 --> 00:36:54.579
 episode, but the

00:36:54.579 --> 00:36:55.519
 episode after that

00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:56.699
 is the plan to

00:36:56.699 --> 00:36:57.619
 have genocide to

00:36:57.619 --> 00:36:58.619
 kill every Jew

00:36:58.619 --> 00:36:59.759
 is going to be

00:36:59.759 --> 00:37:00.379
 put in place.

00:37:00.500 --> 00:37:01.000
 That's going to be

00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:01.819
 what drives the

00:37:01.819 --> 00:37:02.699
 last episodes of

00:37:02.699 --> 00:37:03.419
 this story, the

00:37:03.419 --> 00:37:04.719
 plan by the

00:37:04.719 --> 00:37:05.879
 Persian government

00:37:05.879 --> 00:37:07.679
 to kill every

00:37:07.679 --> 00:37:09.000
 Jewish person.

00:37:11.859 --> 00:37:12.839
 And the fact of

00:37:12.839 --> 00:37:13.439
 the matter is,

00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:14.439
 is the path of

00:37:14.439 --> 00:37:15.159
 silence and

00:37:15.159 --> 00:37:15.979
 compromise and

00:37:15.980 --> 00:37:16.740
 conformity does

00:37:16.740 --> 00:37:17.519
 not deliver what

00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:18.119
 it promises,

00:37:19.079 --> 00:37:20.000
 either in terms of

00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:20.860
 effectiveness or

00:37:20.860 --> 00:37:22.320
 your peace, nor

00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:22.980
 your eternal

00:37:22.980 --> 00:37:23.480
 destiny.

00:37:26.800 --> 00:37:28.019
 By the way, I'm

00:37:28.019 --> 00:37:28.860
 not saying that as

00:37:28.860 --> 00:37:30.639
 if I'm, this is a

00:37:30.639 --> 00:37:31.440
 time now I wish I

00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:32.199
 got off the stage

00:37:32.199 --> 00:37:32.719
 and was down

00:37:32.719 --> 00:37:32.940
 there.

00:37:33.300 --> 00:37:33.940
 Let me just share

00:37:33.940 --> 00:37:34.539
 with you, sorry,

00:37:34.920 --> 00:37:35.480
 two minutes.

00:37:36.000 --> 00:37:36.900
 I got into this

00:37:36.900 --> 00:37:37.820
 hour and a half

00:37:37.820 --> 00:37:38.860
 long conversation

00:37:38.860 --> 00:37:39.480
 with a guy

00:37:39.480 --> 00:37:39.920
 yesterday.

00:37:40.119 --> 00:37:41.000
 It was so funny.

00:37:41.619 --> 00:37:43.219
 Here I am, on

00:37:43.219 --> 00:37:43.940
 one level I pray

00:37:43.940 --> 00:37:44.699
 for opportunities to

00:37:44.699 --> 00:37:45.440
 share the gospel,

00:37:45.440 --> 00:37:46.440
 and I go into

00:37:46.440 --> 00:37:47.200
 the coffee shop

00:37:47.200 --> 00:37:47.760
 and I get down,

00:37:47.820 --> 00:37:48.159
 I'm going to be

00:37:48.159 --> 00:37:48.720
 working on my

00:37:48.720 --> 00:37:49.360
 sermon for this

00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:49.619
 morning.

00:37:49.720 --> 00:37:50.280
 I get five

00:37:50.280 --> 00:37:50.940
 minutes into it,

00:37:50.980 --> 00:37:51.720
 this guy starts

00:37:51.720 --> 00:37:52.519
 talking to me.

00:37:52.940 --> 00:37:53.400
 It ends up to

00:37:53.400 --> 00:37:54.019
 me in an hour

00:37:54.019 --> 00:37:54.519
 and a half.

00:37:54.599 --> 00:37:55.280
 By the time it's

00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:56.079
 over, I am so

00:37:56.079 --> 00:37:57.139
 exhausted, I can't

00:37:57.139 --> 00:37:57.679
 work on the

00:37:57.679 --> 00:37:57.980
 sermon.

00:37:59.119 --> 00:38:00.380
 And it's far

00:38:00.380 --> 00:38:01.200
 ranging about

00:38:01.200 --> 00:38:02.280
 creation, about

00:38:02.280 --> 00:38:03.200
 God, but we get

00:38:03.200 --> 00:38:04.019
 into this one part

00:38:04.019 --> 00:38:04.760
 of the conversation

00:38:04.760 --> 00:38:05.599
 because he's into

00:38:05.599 --> 00:38:08.320
 chakras and auras

00:38:08.320 --> 00:38:08.980
 and all of that

00:38:08.980 --> 00:38:09.679
 type of stuff.

00:38:09.780 --> 00:38:10.460
 And he challenges

00:38:10.460 --> 00:38:11.320
 me about whether

00:38:11.320 --> 00:38:12.119
 Christianity can

00:38:12.119 --> 00:38:12.840
 account for that

00:38:12.840 --> 00:38:13.519
 type of stuff.

00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:14.900
 And I want to

00:38:14.900 --> 00:38:15.739
 try to win him

00:38:15.739 --> 00:38:16.179
 and I'm trying

00:38:16.179 --> 00:38:17.219
 to defend things.

00:38:17.539 --> 00:38:18.139
 And he says we

00:38:18.139 --> 00:38:18.860
 have no account

00:38:18.860 --> 00:38:19.619
 for that type of

00:38:19.619 --> 00:38:19.880
 stuff.

00:38:20.019 --> 00:38:21.000
 And in my mind,

00:38:21.079 --> 00:38:21.739
 I say part of

00:38:21.739 --> 00:38:22.420
 what we Christians

00:38:22.420 --> 00:38:25.000
 would say, and I

00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:25.579
 don't want to say

00:38:25.579 --> 00:38:27.559
 it because I want

00:38:27.559 --> 00:38:28.619
 to be silent because

00:38:28.619 --> 00:38:29.219
 he's going to think

00:38:29.219 --> 00:38:30.659
 I'm a knuckle

00:38:30.659 --> 00:38:32.179
 dragging, narrow

00:38:32.179 --> 00:38:33.559
 minded fundamentalist.

00:38:33.559 --> 00:38:37.400
 And then probably

00:38:37.400 --> 00:38:38.239
 in heaven I'll find

00:38:38.239 --> 00:38:38.759
 out one of you

00:38:38.759 --> 00:38:39.440
 were praying for

00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:40.119
 me that exact

00:38:40.119 --> 00:38:40.900
 moment so that I

00:38:40.900 --> 00:38:41.679
 had courage because

00:38:41.679 --> 00:38:42.239
 I didn't have it

00:38:42.239 --> 00:38:42.900
 in my flesh.

00:38:44.219 --> 00:38:44.960
 And I said, well,

00:38:45.019 --> 00:38:45.500
 part of what we

00:38:45.500 --> 00:38:46.320
 would say that what

00:38:46.320 --> 00:38:46.980
 you're seeing is

00:38:46.980 --> 00:38:47.340
 demonic.

00:38:50.460 --> 00:38:51.159
 It's demons.

00:38:52.799 --> 00:38:55.099
 He goes, whoa.

00:38:57.179 --> 00:38:58.099
 Now the interesting

00:38:58.099 --> 00:38:58.860
 thing is it didn't

00:38:58.860 --> 00:38:59.659
 end the conversation.

00:38:59.820 --> 00:39:00.139
 You see, that's

00:39:00.139 --> 00:39:00.639
 always the thing

00:39:00.639 --> 00:39:01.340
 about compromise,

00:39:01.559 --> 00:39:01.739
 right?

00:39:01.739 --> 00:39:03.519
 The devil whispers

00:39:03.519 --> 00:39:04.259
 into me enough and

00:39:04.259 --> 00:39:04.919
 says, if you say

00:39:04.919 --> 00:39:05.899
 something like demonic,

00:39:06.039 --> 00:39:06.739
 he's going to think

00:39:06.739 --> 00:39:07.379
 you're stupid.

00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:08.159
 He's going to think

00:39:08.159 --> 00:39:08.639
 you're blah, blah,

00:39:08.699 --> 00:39:09.019
 blah, blah.

00:39:09.099 --> 00:39:09.719
 You shouldn't say

00:39:09.719 --> 00:39:10.319
 something like that.

00:39:10.379 --> 00:39:10.659
 You can't.

00:39:10.759 --> 00:39:12.059
 I said, natter away.

00:39:12.239 --> 00:39:12.879
 And I just said, well,

00:39:12.899 --> 00:39:13.579
 that part of how we

00:39:13.579 --> 00:39:14.399
 would account for it is

00:39:14.399 --> 00:39:15.339
 it's you're experiencing

00:39:15.339 --> 00:39:16.639
 demons.

00:39:18.839 --> 00:39:19.579
 They're only leading

00:39:19.579 --> 00:39:20.799
 you away from God.

00:39:22.059 --> 00:39:22.879
 We still talk for

00:39:22.879 --> 00:39:23.599
 another 40 minutes

00:39:23.599 --> 00:39:24.159
 after that.

00:39:27.159 --> 00:39:27.919
 And he wants to

00:39:27.919 --> 00:39:28.699
 talk with me again.

00:39:30.519 --> 00:39:31.159
 What I'm just

00:39:31.159 --> 00:39:31.679
 saying to you,

00:39:31.739 --> 00:39:32.719
 when I make these

00:39:32.719 --> 00:39:33.379
 points, I'm not

00:39:33.379 --> 00:39:34.019
 saying that I'm

00:39:34.019 --> 00:39:34.619
 somehow some

00:39:34.619 --> 00:39:35.179
 superstar.

00:39:36.519 --> 00:39:38.179
 I am so

00:39:38.179 --> 00:39:39.639
 Canadian and

00:39:39.639 --> 00:39:41.359
 I, like you,

00:39:41.699 --> 00:39:42.579
 have a sinful

00:39:42.579 --> 00:39:43.279
 flesh.

00:39:45.659 --> 00:39:47.019
 We need to pray

00:39:47.019 --> 00:39:47.819
 for each other

00:39:47.819 --> 00:39:49.459
 that we learn

00:39:49.459 --> 00:39:51.319
 to bear witness

00:39:51.319 --> 00:39:52.199
 to Jesus

00:39:52.199 --> 00:39:54.039
 unashamed of the

00:39:54.039 --> 00:39:55.719
 gospel and the

00:39:55.719 --> 00:39:56.599
 whole counsel of

00:39:56.599 --> 00:39:56.919
 God.

00:39:56.920 --> 00:39:57.019
 God.

00:39:57.019 --> 00:40:00.200
 And willing to be a

00:40:00.200 --> 00:40:01.260
 fool for Christ.

00:40:05.760 --> 00:40:06.740
 Next thing, if you

00:40:06.740 --> 00:40:07.519
 put up next point,

00:40:08.320 --> 00:40:10.180
 this is really a

00:40:10.180 --> 00:40:10.840
 thing to remember

00:40:10.840 --> 00:40:11.780
 because many people

00:40:11.780 --> 00:40:12.539
 will read the book

00:40:12.539 --> 00:40:13.180
 of Esther as if

00:40:13.180 --> 00:40:13.980
 Esther is a hero.

00:40:15.400 --> 00:40:16.220
 There's only one

00:40:16.220 --> 00:40:16.960
 hero in the Bible,

00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:17.519
 folks.

00:40:18.480 --> 00:40:19.000
 It's Jesus.

00:40:19.000 --> 00:40:22.099
 Jesus is the only

00:40:22.099 --> 00:40:23.019
 hero in the Bible.

00:40:23.860 --> 00:40:24.539
 In fact, part of

00:40:24.539 --> 00:40:25.179
 what is so

00:40:25.179 --> 00:40:26.059
 important about

00:40:26.059 --> 00:40:27.199
 what those books

00:40:27.199 --> 00:40:27.619
 in the Old

00:40:27.619 --> 00:40:28.360
 Testament that

00:40:28.360 --> 00:40:29.099
 prepare us for

00:40:29.099 --> 00:40:29.619
 Jesus, part of the

00:40:29.619 --> 00:40:30.360
 way they prepare us

00:40:30.360 --> 00:40:31.659
 for Jesus is that

00:40:31.659 --> 00:40:32.619
 every, I mean,

00:40:32.639 --> 00:40:33.079
 they're sort of

00:40:33.079 --> 00:40:34.800
 heroes with all

00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:35.860
 very small letters

00:40:35.860 --> 00:40:36.559
 with lots of

00:40:36.559 --> 00:40:37.380
 quote marks and

00:40:37.380 --> 00:40:38.280
 caveats around

00:40:38.280 --> 00:40:38.539
 them.

00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:39.780
 But you look at

00:40:39.780 --> 00:40:41.260
 all of them and

00:40:41.260 --> 00:40:42.159
 all of them, you

00:40:42.159 --> 00:40:43.159
 see they're sinful.

00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:44.039
 All of them, you

00:40:44.039 --> 00:40:45.079
 see they fail.

00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:45.780
 All of them, they

00:40:45.780 --> 00:40:46.579
 do something which

00:40:46.579 --> 00:40:47.119
 is wrong.

00:40:47.119 --> 00:40:47.920
 All of them, they

00:40:47.920 --> 00:40:48.719
 do something where

00:40:48.719 --> 00:40:49.819
 God has to deliver

00:40:49.819 --> 00:40:50.059
 them.

00:40:50.500 --> 00:40:51.319
 And then you come

00:40:51.319 --> 00:40:52.219
 to Jesus.

00:40:54.099 --> 00:40:54.880
 And then you read

00:40:54.880 --> 00:40:55.579
 the rest of the New

00:40:55.579 --> 00:40:56.699
 Testament after Jesus

00:40:56.699 --> 00:40:57.619
 and you see Paul and

00:40:57.619 --> 00:40:58.599
 he fights with Barnabas

00:40:58.599 --> 00:40:59.199
 and you see, you

00:40:59.199 --> 00:40:59.779
 know, you hear about

00:40:59.779 --> 00:41:00.980
 this person and that

00:41:00.980 --> 00:41:02.159
 person and you see

00:41:02.159 --> 00:41:02.759
 the things that you

00:41:02.759 --> 00:41:03.639
 see the fights and

00:41:03.639 --> 00:41:04.659
 the messiness and all

00:41:04.659 --> 00:41:05.420
 of that type of stuff.

00:41:05.679 --> 00:41:06.859
 And what shines

00:41:06.859 --> 00:41:07.539
 throughout all of it

00:41:07.539 --> 00:41:08.119
 is Jesus.

00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:11.960
 Only Jesus is without

00:41:11.960 --> 00:41:12.339
 sin.

00:41:12.719 --> 00:41:13.480
 Only him.

00:41:15.480 --> 00:41:16.799
 All of the Bible is

00:41:16.800 --> 00:41:17.600
 preparing us to

00:41:17.600 --> 00:41:19.700
 understand Jesus.

00:41:21.160 --> 00:41:22.160
 Completely different

00:41:22.160 --> 00:41:23.300
 than any prophet or

00:41:23.300 --> 00:41:23.860
 apostle.

00:41:25.460 --> 00:41:27.320
 Patriarch or patron.

00:41:28.740 --> 00:41:29.260
 If you could put up

00:41:29.260 --> 00:41:29.840
 the next point,

00:41:29.960 --> 00:41:30.200
 please.

00:41:31.920 --> 00:41:32.780
 What do we see in

00:41:32.780 --> 00:41:33.140
 this story?

00:41:33.200 --> 00:41:34.220
 This story is so

00:41:34.220 --> 00:41:35.780
 wonderful because it

00:41:35.780 --> 00:41:36.460
 touches at a

00:41:36.460 --> 00:41:40.140
 fundamental level a

00:41:40.140 --> 00:41:41.260
 deep fear that many

00:41:41.260 --> 00:41:41.780
 of us have.

00:41:41.860 --> 00:41:42.820
 It's the lie.

00:41:43.140 --> 00:41:43.660
 You see, one of the

00:41:43.660 --> 00:41:44.700
 things I try to pray

00:41:44.700 --> 00:41:45.460
 when I prepare for

00:41:45.460 --> 00:41:46.320
 sermons is I say,

00:41:46.320 --> 00:41:49.980
 what lies does this

00:41:49.980 --> 00:41:51.180
 text come against?

00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:54.640
 What lies that

00:41:54.640 --> 00:41:56.000
 Canadians easily

00:41:56.000 --> 00:41:56.960
 believe does this

00:41:56.960 --> 00:41:57.920
 text come against?

00:41:59.059 --> 00:42:00.039
 And a common

00:42:00.039 --> 00:42:01.580
 complaint, whether

00:42:01.580 --> 00:42:02.580
 it's the rich, the

00:42:02.580 --> 00:42:03.700
 one percent, whether

00:42:03.700 --> 00:42:04.580
 it's the Republicans,

00:42:04.880 --> 00:42:05.400
 whether it's the

00:42:05.400 --> 00:42:06.220
 Democrats, whether

00:42:06.220 --> 00:42:07.080
 it's the conservatives,

00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:07.940
 whether it's the

00:42:07.940 --> 00:42:09.420
 liberals, whether it's

00:42:09.420 --> 00:42:10.760
 Islam, whether it's

00:42:10.760 --> 00:42:11.860
 Christianity, whether

00:42:11.860 --> 00:42:13.620
 it's Buddhism, is that

00:42:13.620 --> 00:42:15.000
 the many sacrifice for

00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:16.280
 the benefit of the

00:42:16.280 --> 00:42:17.500
 few or even the

00:42:17.500 --> 00:42:17.780
 one.

00:42:18.380 --> 00:42:19.400
 In the world, often

00:42:19.400 --> 00:42:20.139
 the many are

00:42:20.139 --> 00:42:21.739
 sacrificed for the

00:42:21.739 --> 00:42:22.460
 good of the few.

00:42:22.920 --> 00:42:24.579
 In the gospel, the

00:42:24.579 --> 00:42:26.099
 one sacrificed

00:42:26.099 --> 00:42:27.800
 himself for the good

00:42:27.800 --> 00:42:28.239
 of the many.

00:42:30.659 --> 00:42:32.880
 The one sacrificed

00:42:32.880 --> 00:42:33.340
 himself.

00:42:33.500 --> 00:42:34.239
 The many are

00:42:34.239 --> 00:42:36.280
 sacrificed for the

00:42:36.280 --> 00:42:36.840
 good of the one or

00:42:36.840 --> 00:42:37.199
 the few.

00:42:37.199 --> 00:42:37.259
 people.

00:42:38.139 --> 00:42:39.239
 But this is preparing

00:42:39.239 --> 00:42:40.039
 us to see how

00:42:40.039 --> 00:42:41.159
 radically different

00:42:41.159 --> 00:42:42.079
 Jesus is.

00:42:42.659 --> 00:42:44.079
 He is the one who

00:42:44.079 --> 00:42:45.199
 willingly dies

00:42:45.199 --> 00:42:47.419
 himself and offers

00:42:47.419 --> 00:42:49.099
 his life himself,

00:42:49.619 --> 00:42:50.759
 not for his own

00:42:50.759 --> 00:42:52.359
 benefit, but for the

00:42:52.359 --> 00:42:54.259
 benefit of all who

00:42:54.259 --> 00:42:55.759
 will receive what he

00:42:55.759 --> 00:42:56.239
 has done.

00:42:58.039 --> 00:42:58.960
 And if you could up

00:42:58.960 --> 00:43:00.839
 the final point, one

00:43:00.839 --> 00:43:01.579
 of the things which is

00:43:01.579 --> 00:43:02.779
 so powerful about this

00:43:02.779 --> 00:43:04.339
 story is, you know

00:43:04.339 --> 00:43:04.559
 what?

00:43:04.559 --> 00:43:05.360
 You know what's

00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:05.980
 described here?

00:43:06.039 --> 00:43:06.799
 One of the things I

00:43:06.799 --> 00:43:07.719
 said to my atheist

00:43:07.719 --> 00:43:10.079
 friend on Friday

00:43:10.079 --> 00:43:12.139
 morning is I said,

00:43:12.579 --> 00:43:13.279
 you're wrong.

00:43:13.779 --> 00:43:15.480
 This story could be

00:43:15.480 --> 00:43:16.239
 written today.

00:43:17.360 --> 00:43:19.340
 This story is going

00:43:19.340 --> 00:43:20.559
 on with Boko Haram.

00:43:21.199 --> 00:43:22.860
 This story is going

00:43:22.860 --> 00:43:23.719
 on in the streets of

00:43:23.719 --> 00:43:24.199
 this city.

00:43:24.880 --> 00:43:26.880
 This story is as

00:43:26.880 --> 00:43:27.860
 contemporary as

00:43:27.860 --> 00:43:28.679
 anything you could

00:43:28.679 --> 00:43:29.840
 possibly imagine.

00:43:29.840 --> 00:43:32.860
 And it's all part of

00:43:32.860 --> 00:43:33.980
 a larger story

00:43:33.980 --> 00:43:34.940
 preparing us to

00:43:34.940 --> 00:43:35.519
 meet Jesus.

00:43:38.579 --> 00:43:39.820
 And the very

00:43:39.820 --> 00:43:41.160
 realism of the

00:43:41.160 --> 00:43:42.340
 story, that there

00:43:42.340 --> 00:43:43.539
 are, you know, we

00:43:43.539 --> 00:43:45.260
 understand how the

00:43:45.260 --> 00:43:46.640
 power of the state

00:43:46.640 --> 00:43:49.019
 with its police and

00:43:49.019 --> 00:43:50.740
 its judiciary and

00:43:50.740 --> 00:43:52.420
 its soldiers can be

00:43:52.420 --> 00:43:54.260
 used to enforce

00:43:54.260 --> 00:43:55.780
 that which is

00:43:55.780 --> 00:43:57.240
 atrociously evil.

00:43:57.239 --> 00:43:59.539
 This is the

00:43:59.539 --> 00:44:00.799
 earth today.

00:44:01.899 --> 00:44:03.339
 It is a realistic

00:44:03.339 --> 00:44:04.679
 story about real

00:44:04.679 --> 00:44:05.679
 people and it's

00:44:05.679 --> 00:44:06.279
 helping us to

00:44:06.279 --> 00:44:07.500
 understand the

00:44:07.500 --> 00:44:09.519
 real God offers a

00:44:09.519 --> 00:44:11.479
 real gospel with a

00:44:11.479 --> 00:44:13.419
 real savior for the

00:44:13.419 --> 00:44:15.059
 real you in the

00:44:15.059 --> 00:44:15.719
 real world.

00:44:15.719 --> 00:44:15.819
 world.

00:44:19.659 --> 00:44:20.739
 Not the God

00:44:20.739 --> 00:44:22.639
 described or that

00:44:22.639 --> 00:44:23.559
 we fear in our

00:44:23.559 --> 00:44:24.679
 imagination as a

00:44:24.679 --> 00:44:25.359
 God who will

00:44:25.359 --> 00:44:26.579
 sacrifice many for

00:44:26.579 --> 00:44:27.619
 his causes and his

00:44:27.619 --> 00:44:29.079
 glory, but the

00:44:29.079 --> 00:44:30.279
 God revealed in the

00:44:30.279 --> 00:44:31.339
 person of Jesus in

00:44:31.339 --> 00:44:32.039
 the words of the

00:44:32.039 --> 00:44:33.659
 Bible that describes

00:44:33.659 --> 00:44:34.519
 the one who will

00:44:34.519 --> 00:44:35.779
 sacrifice himself for

00:44:35.779 --> 00:44:36.139
 the many.

00:44:37.139 --> 00:44:38.500
 And the real gospel

00:44:38.500 --> 00:44:39.639
 is that it really did

00:44:39.639 --> 00:44:40.779
 happen, he really did

00:44:40.779 --> 00:44:41.839
 come, he really did

00:44:41.839 --> 00:44:43.079
 die, he really did,

00:44:43.419 --> 00:44:45.399
 his perfect life will

00:44:45.400 --> 00:44:46.180
 stand for your

00:44:46.180 --> 00:44:47.059
 imperfect and

00:44:47.059 --> 00:44:48.860
 compromised life and

00:44:48.860 --> 00:44:50.559
 his death will pay

00:44:50.559 --> 00:44:52.160
 the punishment that

00:44:52.160 --> 00:44:53.360
 your compromises

00:44:53.360 --> 00:44:55.619
 deserve and he

00:44:55.619 --> 00:44:56.960
 really does it and

00:44:56.960 --> 00:44:58.360
 he really dies and

00:44:58.360 --> 00:44:59.320
 the grave is really

00:44:59.320 --> 00:45:00.660
 empty on the third

00:45:00.660 --> 00:45:01.720
 day and he really

00:45:01.720 --> 00:45:03.260
 does appear and it

00:45:03.260 --> 00:45:04.059
 really happened.

00:45:04.240 --> 00:45:05.220
 He's a real savior,

00:45:05.460 --> 00:45:06.680
 it's real news that

00:45:06.680 --> 00:45:08.059
 comes from God for

00:45:08.059 --> 00:45:09.260
 real people like you

00:45:09.260 --> 00:45:10.660
 in your real world

00:45:10.660 --> 00:45:12.900
 that he will take you

00:45:12.900 --> 00:45:13.960
 for himself when you

00:45:13.960 --> 00:45:14.800
 put your faith and

00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:15.560
 trust in him.

00:45:17.420 --> 00:45:18.700
 And for those of us

00:45:18.700 --> 00:45:19.920
 who compromise after

00:45:19.920 --> 00:45:21.700
 we are his, we have

00:45:21.700 --> 00:45:22.900
 this great confidence

00:45:22.900 --> 00:45:24.880
 that he has done it

00:45:24.880 --> 00:45:26.100
 all to make me right

00:45:26.100 --> 00:45:27.220
 with him and he will

00:45:27.220 --> 00:45:28.780
 never let me go and

00:45:28.780 --> 00:45:30.000
 he will never forsake

00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:30.300
 me.

00:45:32.940 --> 00:45:34.560
 It's all done by him

00:45:34.560 --> 00:45:36.500
 and that I can turn to

00:45:36.500 --> 00:45:38.100
 him every Sunday when I

00:45:38.100 --> 00:45:39.380
 gather with God's people

00:45:39.380 --> 00:45:41.100
 or in my private

00:45:41.100 --> 00:45:42.120
 devotions and say

00:45:42.120 --> 00:45:43.420
 yesterday or this week

00:45:43.420 --> 00:45:44.420
 I screwed up again

00:45:44.420 --> 00:45:44.760
 God.

00:45:45.420 --> 00:45:46.920
 I compromised myself

00:45:46.920 --> 00:45:47.880
 here and I compromised

00:45:47.880 --> 00:45:49.000
 myself here and I

00:45:49.000 --> 00:45:50.000
 compromised myself

00:45:50.000 --> 00:45:51.880
 here and I'm sorry.

00:45:53.380 --> 00:45:54.659
 Thank you for Jesus.

00:45:56.400 --> 00:45:57.519
 Help me to learn to

00:45:57.519 --> 00:45:58.940
 walk with Jesus in this

00:45:58.940 --> 00:46:01.960
 real world without

00:46:01.960 --> 00:46:03.780
 compromise and for your

00:46:03.780 --> 00:46:04.400
 great glory.

00:46:06.400 --> 00:46:07.220
 Please stand.

00:46:07.219 --> 00:46:07.279
 Lord.

00:46:16.659 --> 00:46:17.859
 If you have never called

00:46:17.859 --> 00:46:19.139
 out to Jesus to be your

00:46:19.139 --> 00:46:20.839
 savior, you should do it

00:46:20.839 --> 00:46:21.159
 now.

00:46:21.299 --> 00:46:22.439
 Stop listening to me.

00:46:22.980 --> 00:46:24.519
 Just say, Jesus, be my

00:46:24.519 --> 00:46:25.619
 savior and my Lord.

00:46:26.339 --> 00:46:27.859
 I thank you that you died

00:46:27.859 --> 00:46:28.339
 for me.

00:46:30.119 --> 00:46:31.439
 The real me in the real

00:46:31.439 --> 00:46:32.559
 world, I thank you that you

00:46:32.559 --> 00:46:33.139
 died for me.

00:46:33.219 --> 00:46:34.039
 Be my savior.

00:46:34.039 --> 00:46:35.920
 Be my Lord.

00:46:37.179 --> 00:46:38.099
 Thank you that you will

00:46:38.099 --> 00:46:39.119
 never let me go.

00:46:39.980 --> 00:46:41.400
 Just pray it in your own

00:46:41.400 --> 00:46:42.219
 words right now.

00:46:43.460 --> 00:46:44.579
 But for all of us, let's

00:46:44.579 --> 00:46:45.699
 just do some business with

00:46:45.699 --> 00:46:46.000
 God.

00:46:48.039 --> 00:46:49.599
 Father, thank you so much

00:46:49.599 --> 00:46:53.779
 that you know who we

00:46:53.779 --> 00:46:55.699
 really are and you know

00:46:55.699 --> 00:46:57.940
 what we're really like and

00:46:57.940 --> 00:46:59.420
 you know our compromises

00:46:59.420 --> 00:47:01.259
 and you know those times

00:47:01.259 --> 00:47:02.179
 when we don't compromise,

00:47:02.179 --> 00:47:03.039
 Father, because we don't

00:47:03.039 --> 00:47:03.879
 always compromise.

00:47:04.679 --> 00:47:05.659
 You know our growth.

00:47:06.399 --> 00:47:07.339
 You know how we're going.

00:47:07.440 --> 00:47:08.119
 Some of us are going

00:47:08.119 --> 00:47:09.679
 downhill and backwards and

00:47:09.679 --> 00:47:10.539
 some of us are moving

00:47:10.539 --> 00:47:11.000
 forward.

00:47:11.179 --> 00:47:12.000
 Father, you know us.

00:47:12.599 --> 00:47:14.159
 You know us as a motley

00:47:14.159 --> 00:47:16.099
 collection of people and

00:47:16.099 --> 00:47:17.919
 all sorts of conditions of

00:47:17.919 --> 00:47:19.279
 life and of holiness and

00:47:19.279 --> 00:47:19.899
 of sinfulness.

00:47:20.480 --> 00:47:21.279
 Thank you, Father.

00:47:21.379 --> 00:47:22.179
 You know each of us as

00:47:22.179 --> 00:47:22.719
 individuals.

00:47:22.899 --> 00:47:24.399
 You know us as a whole and

00:47:24.399 --> 00:47:25.539
 still you love us.

00:47:27.099 --> 00:47:28.839
 And thank you, Father, that

00:47:28.839 --> 00:47:30.440
 you are always more willing

00:47:30.440 --> 00:47:32.340
 to hear us when we

00:47:32.340 --> 00:47:35.019
 confess to you than we

00:47:35.019 --> 00:47:35.960
 are to confess to you.

00:47:36.000 --> 00:47:37.000
 You're always more willing

00:47:37.000 --> 00:47:37.700
 to hear us and you're

00:47:37.700 --> 00:47:38.619
 always more willing to

00:47:38.619 --> 00:47:40.059
 give us help than we are

00:47:40.059 --> 00:47:40.840
 to ask for help.

00:47:40.900 --> 00:47:41.840
 So, Father, we ask for

00:47:41.840 --> 00:47:42.260
 your help.

00:47:42.940 --> 00:47:44.059
 We ask for your mercy.

00:47:44.200 --> 00:47:45.220
 We ask for your grace.

00:47:45.340 --> 00:47:46.159
 We ask that you would

00:47:46.159 --> 00:47:48.019
 grip us with the gospel.

00:47:48.599 --> 00:47:49.539
 Grip us with the gospel

00:47:49.539 --> 00:47:50.920
 that we might start to

00:47:50.920 --> 00:47:52.340
 live lives of courage,

00:47:52.720 --> 00:47:54.220
 to swim against the flow

00:47:54.220 --> 00:47:56.639
 in a way that loves people,

00:47:56.639 --> 00:47:59.279
 seeks their best,

00:47:59.940 --> 00:48:01.299
 and brings you great glory.

00:48:01.980 --> 00:48:03.379
 And we ask this in the name

00:48:03.379 --> 00:48:04.879
 of Jesus and all God's

00:48:04.879 --> 00:48:05.559
 people said,

00:48:06.359 --> 00:48:06.699
 Amen.