WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:15.599
 Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah.

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! It is wonderful that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah,

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 either by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray for us

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 that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself?

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 The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian,

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 we really, I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the

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 Bible, they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will do

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 what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a non-Christian,

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 checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't hesitate to send us

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 questions. It helps me actually to know, as I'm preaching, how to deal with the types of things

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 that you're really struggling with. So God bless.

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 Just bow our heads in prayer, please, at this time.

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 Father, we give you thanks and praise that you love us, that you are our Father in Heaven who cares for us,

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 that this is your world, and that when we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ,

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 we become your children by adoption and grace. We ask, Father, that your Holy Spirit will lead,

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 bring your word and the gospel home deep into our hearts, so that your word and your gospel may form us,

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 so that we may live lives in this world that are confident and joyful, with our confidence and joy

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 in Christ. And we ask these things in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen. Please be seated.

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 Thank you.

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 So, actually, just before, just as part of my beginning, once again, we've been going through

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 the book of Philippians. Last week was the first sermon. We have bought these ESV scripture journals

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 for people in the congregation. It gives a nice print, nice paper, a nice print on one side of the page

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 is the text. On the other side of the page, it's blank for you to make your own notes, comments,

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 questions, prayers. They are there in a box. You can sort of ignore me and go get one,

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 or you can wait till after the service. But I will be using this and preaching. It's the Bible,

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 and it's on page eight. But before we turn there, a more proper introduction to the sermon.

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 I think I shared last week that, oh, I didn't start my timer. That's not a good idea. I might preach

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 for five hours. No, just joking. I mentioned last week that the book of Philippians has,

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 from very early on in my Christian life, been one of my favorite books in the Bible. And some of you

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 know that the book of Philippians is a source of many quotes. In fact, you might once, as you go

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 through it, if you weren't familiar with this before, by the end of Philippians, you'll say,

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 oh, that's why I saw that on that Christian mug, or on that Christian t-shirt, or something like that.

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 And they're often very good quotes for people, for Christians, who have terrible attitudes.

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 Now, before you raise your eyes and roll your eyes and go, oh yeah, yeah, yeah,

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 terrible, you know, bad attitudes and all of that. By the way, rolling your eyes at the idea of good

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 attitudes is a bad attitude. Because the fact of the matter is, is that some Christians have

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 absolutely crappy attitudes. And part of the problem for Christians with crappy attitudes is

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 we mistake our crappy attitudes for a sign of wisdom, or realism, or insight. We aren't like those

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 other blind, easily led, gullible Christians. We see the world as it really is, and we tell ourselves

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 this story. But the fact of the matter is, we have crappy attitudes. Now, I'm saying that because you are

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 looking at, for many years, exhibit A of a Christian with an absolutely crappy attitude. And in fact, it was

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 only when I was in my mid-30s. I'd been ordained at that time about seven years. And there was things in

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 my life that the wheels started to come off my life. And the reason the wheels were coming off, I mean,

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 on the outward sign, my life was quite success as a Christian, the church was growing, all of that type

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 of stuff. But I had a whole pile of junk in my life. And as I was forced to deal with it, in God's

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 grace, I was forced to deal with it. And one of the things that started to really hit me was the fact

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 that I had a terrible attitude about a whole pile of things. I mean, there's other things as well. I

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 didn't recognize anxiety. I didn't recognize stress. I dealt with that. Those are other sermon

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 illustrations. But all of this came home to me in a very powerful way. I'm not naturally a mystical guy,

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 but I do have occasionally mystical types experiences. And I was in my parish in Eganville,

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 and I looked after four little churches. And I was driving from where I lived in Eganville to

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 Killaloo to do an event. And by this point in time, I'm spending a... I was a year or more into

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 trying to deal with the junk in my life. And one of the things that was junky in my life was having

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 a terrible attitude. And I'm driving along, and I'm praying, and I'm asking God to, you know, to work

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 in my life. And it's almost like I got... I mean, I was driving a car. So it's not that God just

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 froze my hand to the wheel, because then I would have gone off the curves and into the trees. But it was

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 as if God almost had me in his grip. And he, for a moment, helped me to see myself as I was.

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 And as he brought me to see myself as I was, as I'm driving, it brought me to tears.

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 Because I realized that the way I thought about myself and my ministry and the churches that I was

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 serving is that I thought to myself that in 10, 20 years, the churches that I was serving would be

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 smaller, weaker, just all bad... just smaller and weaker. I myself personally would be faithful,

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 but the churches that I served was right then, and the churches I would come to serve, they would be

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 smaller and weaker. And it was as if God shone a flashlight in my heart. And I realized that's how I

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 thought. That was my attitude. And as he did that, I realized that could not possibly be his attitude for

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 the churches that I served in. That could not possibly be God's hope for that church or this church.

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 His hope for you isn't that this church will get smaller and smaller and smaller and weaker and weaker

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 and weaker while I stay faithful. That's not... that is not how God wants to form my heart or your heart.

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 Now, I mention this because this is a bad attitude that's directly attacked or dealt with or confronted

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 in the book that we're about the passage that we're going to look at today. So I invite you to turn in

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 your Bibles to Philippians chapter 1. We're going to be looking at verses 12 to 26. If you're using these

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 little booklets, it's page 8. And I encourage you to bring your own Bibles. It's good to make notes.

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 It's good to check to see that I'm not, you know, playing fast and loose with the text or anything

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 like that. I want to handle the word well. And last week we looked at it. We're going to go through all

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 the way through the book of Philippians. Just 108 verses. Short, but very powerful. And excuse me,

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 this was written while Paul was under house arrest. And house arrest isn't as easy as it is here in

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 Canada. Paul was shackled in chains. He always had several Roman guards with him. And those guards

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 were changed every four hours to keep them fresh. And Paul was in chains and he wasn't guilty of

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 anything that deserved this. He's been in imprisonment either in house arrest or actually in jails or military

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 barracks for two and a half years or three years or something like that. He has people who want to

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 kill him and he's innocent. And that's his situation. And it's while he is in Rome waiting to be tried by

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 Nero that he writes this letter somewhere in the years 60 to 62. And here's what he says next. It begins

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 at verse 12. I want you to know brothers and sisters. And by the way, here throughout the book

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 of Philippians, whenever you see the word brothers, you should add the word sisters. The original word

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 in the original language is referring to both brothers and sisters. It's older English where

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 the masculine can apply for both, but you should read it brothers and sisters. I want you to know,

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 brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me, remember I just told you what's all happened to him?

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 And he says this, what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.

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 Okay? Like I can just tell you, I haven't read church growth books in a few years,

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 but I can tell you this, nobody says in a church growth book, if you want to grow the church,

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 get arrested. Okay? Like that has never been, I've never seen that in an article. Maybe I should be the

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 first one to write it. I don't know. It never says, if you want to have the gospel grow, get arrested.

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 But anyway, he says, what is really, has served to advance the gospel, verse 13, so that it has become

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 known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. In

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 other words, he viewed the jail as a mission field, almost as if Nero is going to stick me with a couple

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 of soldiers, changing them every four hours for two years, they're going to hear about Jesus.

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 I mean, that's sort of the attitude that he took to it. Like, how kind of Nero to send people to me

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 every day that I can tell about Jesus. I mean, that's sort of his attitude, right? By the way,

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 you can see how this isn't a good attitude, by the way, to have, isn't it? You can see that,

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 but we'll keep going, because we're getting to the nub in a moment. And most of the brothers and

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 sisters, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the

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 word, that is to tell people about Jesus, without fear. Some, and this all just sounds very almost

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 hallmarky, like the sort of thing that a John Maxwell would say, or a Tony Robbins would say,

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 but now it takes a very, very, a bit of a darker turn. Listen to what he does in verse 15.

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 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry. Now just pause. That word envy is, in the original

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 language, you could almost translate it more literally in English as hateful envy, an envy which

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 is closely connected to hatred. And that's why they're doing it. And rivalry isn't just sort of

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 something like, you know, Leafs and Sens fans joshing each other. It's, it's factionalism, it's tribalism,

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 it's pursuing your own tribal or family good at the same time that you're trying to keep the other,

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 other people down. It's a, it's a very, very bad thing. So he says, some indeed preach Christ

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 with these terrible reasons from envy, hatred, hate, hateful envy and rivalry, but others from

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 goodwill. The latter, that's the ones who do it for goodwill, do it out of love, knowing that I am put

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 here for the defense of the gospel. And by the way, that word goodwill is a very, it's a good, good word,

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 but I want to bring out a nuance with it about what it means. It means that you do it out of a spirit

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 of love and benevolence. So why do I tell, bear witness to Jesus at the coffee shops that I go to

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 and when I meet other people? It's because I love those people. And I really believe that if they gave

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 their life to Christ, it would not only be better for their eternal destiny, but it would be better

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 for their day-to-day life as Christ becomes the Savior and Lord of their life. I like, I really,

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 that should be the attitude that you tell other people about Jesus. Not so you win arguments,

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 not so people will think you're clever, not, you know, not because it's like, yeah, not for any of

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 those, or not so you can, I don't know, say to people, you talk to more people than others, like,

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 no, no, no, no, no. The spirit that you do that in is a spirit of benevolence and love. That's the

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 proper thing. You love these people. You want the best for them. And you have come to know Christ,

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 and to know Christ, you know that Christ is the best for them.

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 Verse 17, the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition. In other words, a self-centered

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 ambition. Not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me, cause him grief in my chains. The words

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 imprisonment there throughout this text literally are, while I'm in my chains. What then, verse 8,

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 13. Now, here's the shocking thing. Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth,

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 Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Now, this is, this is a sort of an odd conclusion,

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 isn't it? If we think about it at first, when you're just reading it, like, you think to yourself,

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 is, has Paul been taking some type of drug? Like, is he on Valium? Or I don't know what the latest

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 drugs are to improve your mood. You know, has he been smoking one of those substances, or chewing

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 them that you can buy here in Canada to mellow you out? Is that what's going on? Is he just like a guy

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 with his head in the sand? Or is he, you know, some of you know what I mean. I hear this as a term of

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 derision, painted smile Christians. They have a painted smile, big beaming smile, but underneath

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 that, they don't actually love you. They don't actually care about you. They're not actually very

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 good people. They've just painted a smile on their face. Is that what's going on here with Paul? So he

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 has all these people causing him affliction, doing, telling people about Christ for terrible reasons,

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 and he ends by saying this odd thing, Christ is proclaimed and that I rejoice. So what's going on?

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 It's not that he's on drugs. It's not that he's a painted smile Christian. I mean, far from it. Good

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 grief. He's writing this with chains on his hands, and a Roman soldier close by, maybe two or three or

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 four. That's how he's doing it. The opposite of a painted smile Christian. What's going on? Well,

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 last week, some of you might remember that I talked about how significant verse six is. I'll just read

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 it to you again. It's not going to be on the screen, maybe, but in verse six, Paul says,

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 and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion, or bring it to

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 perfection at the day of Jesus Christ. And I talked about how one of the things which is just so

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 beautiful about that is that it's saying that when you give your life to Christ, and you enter into

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 him, and he enters into you, he begins to work in your life. And the work that he does will bring you

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 to glory. It's not because I'm very competent. It's not because I'm always a wonderful Christian.

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 It's not because I never sin. It's not because I never struggle with shame or terrible attitudes.

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 It's not because of anything like that. It's because Christ himself, through the Holy Spirit,

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 actually begins a work in you, and he will keep that work going in you until you see Jesus face to

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 face and are like him. My confidence is in Christ's work in me, not in my work for Christ.

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 And that's what your confidence should be as well. And so one of the things which is so beautiful about

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 the Christian faith is it's really the Christian faith, which of course is the Old and the New

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 Testaments for us, so our Jewish friends share in this to a considerable extent, that it's really

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 granted to the world the importance of every human being. Every human being is important and precious.

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 That's a Christian discovery. It's a Christian message that every human being has worth and value

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 and integrity. And from that, the importance of the individual has come, the doctrine of individualism.

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 And individualism isn't necessarily, in fact, there's many things which are bad about individualism,

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 because it's not just that we human beings are particular people, but we also need other people.

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 And Christianity keeps this balance between the importance of the individual, the person,

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 and the group, whether that group is the family, whether it's the local church, whether it's the nation,

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 that other larger group is also very, very important. And so this same promise that God has made to you

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 and me as particular people, that the work that he has begun in you and me, he will bring it to perfection,

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 that same promise applies not just to us as individuals, but in a slightly different form to the work of the local church.

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 God is bringing the gospel to more people.

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 And that is his work. It's not because Church of the Messiah is spectacular, wonderful, brilliant, rich, talented,

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 beautiful, funny, cute, any of those things, as much as some of those things describe us.

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 It's God who's advancing the gospel. If you could put up the first point,

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 here's how the text is trying to get at it, that God draws straight with the crooked lines we humans draw.

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 Right? Paul has just, God draws straight with the crooked lines that we humans draw.

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 I'm trying to get a bit of a poetic way to express this truth,

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 because Paul's very frank about the fact that there's terrible things going on behind the sharing of the gospel.

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 And it's part of another way to express this profound truth that first comes in Genesis 50,

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 and you can go back and read it later on, and it's all the way through the Bible,

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 and it helps us to understand the sovereignty of God,

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 that God is our Father in heaven, and we are his children by adoption and grace,

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 and he is in control. And so, I can't go into all of it, but there's a story of Joseph and his brothers,

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 and his brothers hate him, and so they, when he comes to visit them when they're out in the wilderness,

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 they take him and they're going to kill him because they hate him so much.

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 These ten brothers hate their brother Joseph.

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 And then they decide, well, why kill him when we can sell him as a slave to slave traders

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 and still get rid of him and have extra money in our pocket?

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 So that's what they do. They sell Joseph into slavery.

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 And then if you go ahead and read the chapters in Genesis just before this,

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 there's all the terrible things that happened to Joseph,

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 and by the end of it, though, God ends up working through events

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 so that Joseph becomes very powerful in the land of Egypt

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 and is going to save Egypt from a famine

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 and ends up saving his family from death.

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 And so after he saved them from death by famine

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 and their father dies, they come to Joseph and say,

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 by the way, before our dad died, he said,

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 don't get revenge on us.

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 And this is the very powerful part in Genesis 50.

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 Joseph calls them on it.

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 He said, no, he didn't.

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 Our dad didn't say that to you, and I'm sure they must have just,

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 because he's like the second most powerful person in Egypt.

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 He can just do that, and soldiers can come and kill them.

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 And in Egyptian culture at that time, that would be fine.

00:20:44.279 --> 00:20:46.819
 The second powerful people wants to kill irritating people.

00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:48.059
 You just kill irritating people.

00:20:48.460 --> 00:20:49.220
 No big deal.

00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:54.740
 But he says, you meant it for ill,

00:20:54.740 --> 00:20:56.680
 what you did to me.

00:20:57.339 --> 00:20:58.900
 You meant it for evil,

00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:02.519
 but God used it for good.

00:21:04.299 --> 00:21:06.099
 You meant it for evil,

00:21:06.539 --> 00:21:09.059
 but God used it for good.

00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:16.640
 God draws straight with the crooked lines that we draw.

00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:20.160
 So the text is not saying,

00:21:21.060 --> 00:21:24.580
 this is one of the things which is so wonderful then about this text,

00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:29.460
 is that God is at work in spreading the gospel.

00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:33.280
 There are more Christians today in the world than there was a year ago.

00:21:33.360 --> 00:21:35.060
 There might not be more Christians in Ottawa,

00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:36.660
 but there are more Christians in the world.

00:21:38.060 --> 00:21:39.300
 And God will use us.

00:21:39.320 --> 00:21:41.300
 There's no guarantee that our church will get bigger.

00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:45.480
 I mean, it might just very well be that God has these weird plans for us.

00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:48.440
 That we'll stay a relatively small church,

00:21:48.539 --> 00:21:51.579
 and we die and go to heaven because Christ hasn't returned yet.

00:21:51.720 --> 00:21:57.720
 And we discover that because we support Samir in his work

00:21:57.720 --> 00:22:00.940
 and pray for Samir in his work amongst the Afghan people,

00:22:01.640 --> 00:22:06.680
 that God uses Samir to bring some young Afghan person to Christ

00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:14.279
 who becomes the Wesley of all Persian-speaking people of the world.

00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:17.119
 I mean, I don't know.

00:22:17.180 --> 00:22:18.559
 Maybe that's going to be it, right?

00:22:19.059 --> 00:22:21.200
 Maybe right now our prayer support

00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:23.980
 and sometimes financial support for Korgala Ministries,

00:22:24.460 --> 00:22:27.980
 that one of those young orphaned boys becomes a Christian

00:22:27.980 --> 00:22:33.180
 and he becomes the Wesley or the Billy Graham of Africa

00:22:33.180 --> 00:22:36.019
 and impacts the rest of the world

00:22:36.019 --> 00:22:38.500
 as missionaries from Africa come to Canada

00:22:38.500 --> 00:22:40.259
 to bring the gospel back to us.

00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:43.299
 God is advancing the gospel.

00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:45.740
 That's this profound thing.

00:22:45.859 --> 00:22:47.480
 That's the bracketing of it.

00:22:47.579 --> 00:22:49.119
 You know, this is serving to advance the gospel.

00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:50.339
 I'm just praising God.

00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:52.099
 That's how the whole thing is framed.

00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:54.200
 If you look at 12 and how it ends at 18,

00:22:54.599 --> 00:22:55.799
 God, that's the message.

00:22:56.200 --> 00:22:57.299
 That's the good news.

00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:59.640
 God draws straight with crooked lines,

00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:01.640
 the crooked lines we humans draw.

00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:03.379
 And if you put up the second point, Claire,

00:23:03.420 --> 00:23:04.240
 that would be very helpful.

00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:08.380
 And that leads to a very important attitude prayer for us,

00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:11.779
 an attitude prayer for you and me.

00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:17.539
 Lord, please mold us and use us as you advance the gospel

00:23:17.539 --> 00:23:22.500
 in Ottawa, Gatineau, in Canada, and throughout the world.

00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:26.819
 You see, when you understand this,

00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:27.960
 it's why we say, you know,

00:23:28.019 --> 00:23:29.759
 we haven't been doing much in evangelism.

00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:31.319
 It's time to repent.

00:23:31.319 --> 00:23:33.480
 And it's worth it.

00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:34.599
 It's worth it to repent.

00:23:34.859 --> 00:23:36.399
 It's worth it to pray for people.

00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:39.179
 It's worth it to pray that God will give you an opportunity

00:23:39.179 --> 00:23:40.279
 to bear witness to Jesus.

00:23:40.460 --> 00:23:40.700
 Why?

00:23:41.740 --> 00:23:43.159
 Not because you're good at sales.

00:23:43.659 --> 00:23:45.939
 Not because you're the world's most brilliant apologist.

00:23:46.460 --> 00:23:48.399
 Not because you're the most holy person

00:23:48.399 --> 00:23:49.759
 who's ever lived on the planet.

00:23:49.919 --> 00:23:51.119
 You are none of those things.

00:23:51.259 --> 00:23:52.379
 I am none of those things.

00:23:52.500 --> 00:23:53.899
 But because God is at work,

00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:58.000
 and that's what makes it worth taking the trial,

00:23:58.299 --> 00:23:59.720
 the pray and to try.

00:24:01.319 --> 00:24:04.799
 Lord, please mold us.

00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:05.939
 Please mold me.

00:24:06.399 --> 00:24:07.539
 And please use us.

00:24:07.659 --> 00:24:10.319
 Please use me as you advance the gospel

00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:13.899
 in Ottawa, Gatineau, in Canada, and throughout the world.

00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:23.179
 Now, I'm about to do a faux pas in Canada.

00:24:23.180 --> 00:24:28.680
 In Canada, you are not allowed to ask this question.

00:24:30.259 --> 00:24:32.799
 Have you thought very much about the fact that you're dying?

00:24:34.840 --> 00:24:38.259
 Like, did you wake up this morning and think to yourself,

00:24:38.420 --> 00:24:40.420
 I am one day closer to my death?

00:24:40.820 --> 00:24:41.759
 Have you thought about that?

00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:45.019
 That's a faux pas in Canada.

00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:47.339
 You can't say that in a party.

00:24:48.140 --> 00:24:49.680
 I mean, maybe you could as a bit of a joke,

00:24:49.779 --> 00:24:51.019
 and they'll think, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:53.240
 But they say, no, no, no, I'm actually serious.

00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:54.579
 I'd really like to talk to you.

00:24:54.619 --> 00:24:56.839
 Have you actually thought about the fact that you're going to die?

00:24:57.960 --> 00:24:59.400
 And by the way, if you're at a party,

00:24:59.480 --> 00:25:00.400
 and you want to be by yourself,

00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:02.460
 that's a good thing to say, by the way.

00:25:02.740 --> 00:25:05.600
 In Canada, it will mean that people will leave you alone

00:25:05.600 --> 00:25:07.220
 if you want some quiet time.

00:25:07.940 --> 00:25:10.240
 If you want to spend less time with your family

00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:11.840
 at the next family gathering,

00:25:11.980 --> 00:25:12.680
 just say, by the way,

00:25:12.700 --> 00:25:14.500
 have each of you thought very much about the fact

00:25:14.500 --> 00:25:15.160
 that you're dying?

00:25:15.320 --> 00:25:16.440
 You're one day closer to death?

00:25:17.080 --> 00:25:18.400
 So I'm about to do a faux pas,

00:25:18.540 --> 00:25:20.140
 but it's one of those things where the gospel

00:25:20.140 --> 00:25:21.660
 is really, really powerful

00:25:21.660 --> 00:25:23.840
 and really, really helpful.

00:25:24.080 --> 00:25:25.820
 You'll notice that, you know,

00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:28.180
 the text has said that the gospel is going forth.

00:25:28.280 --> 00:25:30.160
 Well, what is the gospel, first of all?

00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.540
 The gospel is true news from God.

00:25:34.340 --> 00:25:36.240
 It's not good advice, not good rituals,

00:25:36.460 --> 00:25:38.940
 not good therapies, not even good attitudes.

00:25:39.240 --> 00:25:42.740
 It's true good news from God about Jesus,

00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:45.900
 and it comes with power from God to change you.

00:25:46.380 --> 00:25:47.700
 That's what the gospel is.

00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:49.680
 Romans 1, 16 to 17,

00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:50.800
 I'm not ashamed of the gospel,

00:25:50.940 --> 00:25:52.840
 for it is the power of God for salvation

00:25:52.840 --> 00:25:54.380
 to everyone who believes,

00:25:54.420 --> 00:25:56.420
 to the Jew first and then to the pagan.

00:25:56.779 --> 00:25:58.279
 That's what the gospel is.

00:25:58.279 --> 00:25:59.640
 It's good news about Jesus,

00:25:59.640 --> 00:26:02.000
 that comes to you from God,

00:26:02.060 --> 00:26:03.740
 and because it comes from God,

00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:07.259
 it is a power that transforms you

00:26:07.259 --> 00:26:09.380
 and changes you.

00:26:10.020 --> 00:26:11.780
 And it's in light of this

00:26:11.780 --> 00:26:13.900
 that we understand that we as Christians

00:26:13.900 --> 00:26:16.320
 can think a little bit about the fact

00:26:16.320 --> 00:26:17.560
 that we will die,

00:26:17.620 --> 00:26:19.220
 and the people around us will die.

00:26:19.220 --> 00:26:24.259
 In fact, it is a challenge to every system of thought.

00:26:25.059 --> 00:26:26.839
 You have your boutique spirituality,

00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:28.420
 you have your apatheism,

00:26:28.579 --> 00:26:29.720
 you have your atheism,

00:26:29.819 --> 00:26:31.000
 you have your skepticism.

00:26:31.700 --> 00:26:33.720
 Have you thought about the fact that you will die?

00:26:36.019 --> 00:26:37.640
 How does that measure up?

00:26:37.779 --> 00:26:39.079
 How does your materialism,

00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:40.220
 your consumerism,

00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:43.299
 measure up to the fact that you will die?

00:26:43.299 --> 00:26:44.339
 You will lose everything.

00:26:45.659 --> 00:26:46.039
 Everything.

00:26:47.960 --> 00:26:49.859
 Well, 18 to 26 is,

00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:52.419
 you'll see in a moment why I'm asking this question,

00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:54.559
 not just to have clickbait or anything like that,

00:26:54.659 --> 00:26:56.639
 but look at how it continues.

00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:59.079
 So 18 begins with,

00:26:59.240 --> 00:26:59.539
 what then?

00:26:59.659 --> 00:27:00.759
 Only that in every way,

00:27:00.919 --> 00:27:02.359
 whether in pretense or in truth,

00:27:02.460 --> 00:27:03.339
 Christ is proclaimed,

00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:04.960
 and in that I rejoice.

00:27:04.960 --> 00:27:05.960
 Yes,

00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:08.840
 and I will rejoice.

00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:09.779
 And it's interesting,

00:27:09.940 --> 00:27:12.680
 because the rejoicing is both going backwards

00:27:12.680 --> 00:27:17.079
 to the fact that God is advancing the gospel,

00:27:17.660 --> 00:27:20.680
 and therefore we can be involved in meaningful labor

00:27:20.680 --> 00:27:22.059
 and meaningful change,

00:27:22.059 --> 00:27:24.120
 and it's also rejoicing forward,

00:27:24.360 --> 00:27:26.900
 because it's a message about union with Christ

00:27:26.900 --> 00:27:27.900
 and about death.

00:27:28.299 --> 00:27:29.380
 And then verse 19,

00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:31.860
 for I know that through your prayers

00:27:31.859 --> 00:27:35.119
 and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

00:27:35.379 --> 00:27:37.779
 this will turn out for my deliverance.

00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:39.119
 Now just pause.

00:27:39.419 --> 00:27:41.740
 This isn't an attitude that you can take

00:27:41.740 --> 00:27:43.240
 just by itself.

00:27:43.419 --> 00:27:45.139
 Paul has a particular promise

00:27:45.139 --> 00:27:48.379
 that he will be delivered from death this time.

00:27:48.879 --> 00:27:50.639
 Read 2 Timothy for the balance

00:27:50.639 --> 00:27:52.759
 when he knows that the second time

00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:55.359
 and final time he's in prison in Rome,

00:27:55.479 --> 00:27:58.459
 he will not leave to go free again.

00:27:58.559 --> 00:27:59.500
 He will be martyred.

00:27:59.899 --> 00:28:01.799
 So that's not the attitude.

00:28:01.859 --> 00:28:05.099
 But it's a particular thing in this case

00:28:05.099 --> 00:28:07.299
 that he knows, however, from the Spirit,

00:28:07.399 --> 00:28:08.379
 and it ends up being true.

00:28:08.959 --> 00:28:09.359
 Verse 20,

00:28:09.439 --> 00:28:11.799
 As it is my eager expectation and hope

00:28:11.799 --> 00:28:14.079
 that I will not be at all ashamed,

00:28:14.719 --> 00:28:16.259
 but that with full courage,

00:28:16.399 --> 00:28:17.439
 now as always,

00:28:17.899 --> 00:28:19.019
 Christ will be honored.

00:28:19.899 --> 00:28:21.879
 And that word honored can also be translated

00:28:21.879 --> 00:28:23.039
 as magnified.

00:28:25.740 --> 00:28:27.219
 People will honor Christ.

00:28:27.319 --> 00:28:28.859
 They'll have a higher opinion of him.

00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:30.639
 They'll want to know more about him,

00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:32.520
 that Christ will be honored or magnified

00:28:32.520 --> 00:28:34.080
 in my body,

00:28:34.080 --> 00:28:36.200
 whether by life or by death.

00:28:36.280 --> 00:28:38.220
 And here is the famous,

00:28:38.300 --> 00:28:40.620
 one of the famous quotes in the book of Philippians.

00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:41.759
 Verse 21,

00:28:42.540 --> 00:28:44.940
 For to me, to live is Christ,

00:28:45.380 --> 00:28:47.860
 and to die is gain.

00:28:47.859 --> 00:28:51.439
 To live is Christ,

00:28:52.219 --> 00:28:52.879
 to die,

00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:55.539
 life is Christ,

00:28:55.819 --> 00:28:56.740
 death is gain.

00:28:56.740 --> 00:28:58.079
 To live is Christ,

00:28:58.439 --> 00:28:59.819
 to die is gain.

00:29:04.399 --> 00:29:06.919
 That is not how Canadians think about death.

00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:08.839
 We'll come back to it,

00:29:08.859 --> 00:29:09.559
 but let's keep going.

00:29:09.679 --> 00:29:11.000
 For to me, to live is Christ,

00:29:11.319 --> 00:29:12.500
 and to die is gain.

00:29:12.500 --> 00:29:14.539
 If you're going to get a tattoo,

00:29:15.140 --> 00:29:16.319
 that's a good one to get.

00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:19.319
 If you're 25,

00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:22.259
 you won't be embarrassed with it at 90.

00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:26.099
 Not like most tattoos that most people have.

00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:26.900
 I'm not dissing you.

00:29:27.019 --> 00:29:27.680
 It's just, I mean,

00:29:27.740 --> 00:29:28.880
 have you really thought about the fact

00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:30.039
 you might live for 60 years

00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:31.180
 before you get that tattoo?

00:29:31.319 --> 00:29:33.180
 But that's a whole other topic of conversation.

00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:35.059
 One of the reasons I don't have tattoos

00:29:35.059 --> 00:29:36.779
 is I wouldn't want to have the same hairstyle

00:29:36.779 --> 00:29:37.799
 for the rest of my life.

00:29:37.859 --> 00:29:40.579
 But that's a whole other topic of conversation as well.

00:29:40.579 --> 00:29:42.399
 For to me, to live is Christ,

00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:43.480
 and to die is gain.

00:29:43.960 --> 00:29:44.980
 If I am to live,

00:29:45.019 --> 00:29:45.619
 verse 22,

00:29:45.799 --> 00:29:46.439
 in the flesh,

00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:47.579
 that is, in the body,

00:29:48.279 --> 00:29:50.119
 that means fruitful labor for me.

00:29:50.279 --> 00:29:50.799
 In other words,

00:29:50.919 --> 00:29:52.399
 work that will bear fruit.

00:29:53.619 --> 00:29:55.199
 Yet which shall I choose,

00:29:55.299 --> 00:29:55.939
 which I shall,

00:29:56.159 --> 00:29:57.539
 but yet which I shall choose,

00:29:57.599 --> 00:29:58.439
 I cannot tell.

00:29:59.659 --> 00:30:01.639
 I am hard-pressed between the two.

00:30:02.359 --> 00:30:05.000
 My desire is to depart and be with Christ,

00:30:05.079 --> 00:30:06.220
 for that is far better.

00:30:06.980 --> 00:30:08.619
 But to remain in the flesh,

00:30:08.619 --> 00:30:09.699
 the body,

00:30:09.859 --> 00:30:11.819
 is more necessary on your account.

00:30:13.419 --> 00:30:14.239
 Convinced of this,

00:30:14.299 --> 00:30:15.699
 I know that I will remain,

00:30:16.019 --> 00:30:17.119
 that is, living,

00:30:17.819 --> 00:30:19.679
 and continue with you all,

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:21.599
 not for himself,

00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:23.399
 but for your progress

00:30:23.399 --> 00:30:24.699
 and joy in the faith,

00:30:24.819 --> 00:30:26.539
 so that in me

00:30:26.539 --> 00:30:29.000
 you may have ample cause

00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:31.539
 to glory in Christ Jesus

00:30:31.539 --> 00:30:33.839
 because of my coming to you again.

00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:36.159
 the excitement we get

00:30:36.159 --> 00:30:37.419
 from answered prayer.

00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:39.839
 And that's how he views it.

00:30:41.159 --> 00:30:43.379
 So, what's going on here

00:30:43.379 --> 00:30:44.939
 in this text?

00:30:45.859 --> 00:30:47.220
 To life is Christ,

00:30:47.500 --> 00:30:48.619
 death is gain.

00:30:49.379 --> 00:30:51.000
 And why is it that he seems

00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:51.859
 to almost talk

00:30:51.859 --> 00:30:53.459
 as if he's considering suicide?

00:30:54.459 --> 00:30:56.319
 And some people would say to me,

00:30:56.399 --> 00:30:56.879
 well, George,

00:30:57.000 --> 00:30:57.819
 and have said to me,

00:30:57.839 --> 00:30:58.059
 George,

00:30:58.119 --> 00:30:58.819
 if what you're saying

00:30:58.819 --> 00:30:59.679
 is so true about

00:30:59.679 --> 00:31:00.779
 what it means to be in Christ,

00:31:00.779 --> 00:31:02.379
 like, why wouldn't you kill yourself?

00:31:03.480 --> 00:31:04.039
 If that's,

00:31:04.139 --> 00:31:05.579
 if death is just going to mean

00:31:05.579 --> 00:31:06.180
 you're going to have

00:31:06.180 --> 00:31:07.180
 a glorified body

00:31:07.180 --> 00:31:08.000
 and be with God

00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:09.339
 in the new heaven and earth forever,

00:31:09.460 --> 00:31:10.139
 like, why wouldn't you

00:31:10.139 --> 00:31:11.099
 just kill yourself?

00:31:11.240 --> 00:31:12.740
 And people have asked me that

00:31:12.740 --> 00:31:13.980
 and I probably have often

00:31:13.980 --> 00:31:15.460
 not given very, very wise

00:31:15.460 --> 00:31:16.440
 and helpful answers.

00:31:17.700 --> 00:31:19.759
 But it's not,

00:31:19.980 --> 00:31:21.660
 he's actually not considering it.

00:31:21.799 --> 00:31:22.240
 It's a,

00:31:22.579 --> 00:31:24.180
 you can check the commentaries.

00:31:24.339 --> 00:31:26.359
 It's a rhetorical device

00:31:26.359 --> 00:31:27.460
 that's used back then

00:31:27.460 --> 00:31:29.339
 to get people thinking.

00:31:30.779 --> 00:31:31.180
 Uh,

00:31:31.700 --> 00:31:32.879
 but,

00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:33.839
 well,

00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:34.660
 it's still

00:31:34.660 --> 00:31:36.859
 a shocking thing.

00:31:37.180 --> 00:31:37.980
 Life is Christ,

00:31:38.119 --> 00:31:38.859
 death is gain.

00:31:39.819 --> 00:31:40.019
 I mean,

00:31:40.059 --> 00:31:41.160
 most people in Canada

00:31:41.160 --> 00:31:41.859
 will say that

00:31:41.859 --> 00:31:42.559
 when you die,

00:31:42.639 --> 00:31:43.599
 you go to a better place,

00:31:43.619 --> 00:31:44.960
 but they don't really believe it.

00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:47.279
 I don't think anybody

00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:47.899
 believes it

00:31:47.899 --> 00:31:48.660
 when they say it.

00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:49.480
 I think it's just

00:31:49.480 --> 00:31:50.799
 one of those hallmark words

00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:51.639
 that you just say

00:31:51.639 --> 00:31:53.099
 to another person.

00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:55.500
 But it's not what you believe.

00:31:56.960 --> 00:31:58.099
 And you have no ground

00:31:58.099 --> 00:31:58.740
 to believe it.

00:31:58.740 --> 00:31:59.779
 The fact is that

00:31:59.779 --> 00:32:01.240
 death feels unnatural.

00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:02.559
 It feels like a judgment.

00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:03.900
 It's something which is,

00:32:04.140 --> 00:32:05.099
 we're afraid of.

00:32:05.620 --> 00:32:06.539
 It's something that

00:32:06.539 --> 00:32:07.859
 we will do all sorts of things

00:32:07.859 --> 00:32:08.779
 to try to avoid.

00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:10.960
 It seems unnatural.

00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:13.700
 And most of the religions

00:32:13.700 --> 00:32:14.339
 of the world

00:32:14.339 --> 00:32:15.779
 aren't very helpful with it.

00:32:15.799 --> 00:32:18.240
 Even those more popular religions

00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:19.200
 in North America

00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:20.220
 that people will choose

00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:21.099
 over Christianity,

00:32:21.299 --> 00:32:22.039
 like karma.

00:32:22.039 --> 00:32:24.119
 Karma is not

00:32:24.119 --> 00:32:26.700
 a hopeful thing.

00:32:28.740 --> 00:32:28.960
 I mean,

00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:30.480
 the fact that you die

00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:31.519
 and you might come back,

00:32:31.740 --> 00:32:31.960
 I mean,

00:32:32.019 --> 00:32:32.859
 maybe you'll come back

00:32:32.859 --> 00:32:33.980
 as somebody famous

00:32:33.980 --> 00:32:34.579
 and important,

00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:35.619
 but more likely

00:32:35.619 --> 00:32:36.460
 you'll come back

00:32:36.460 --> 00:32:37.559
 as some animal

00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:38.440
 or even a bug.

00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:40.960
 And it's

00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:42.480
 millions and millions

00:32:42.480 --> 00:32:43.099
 and millions

00:32:43.099 --> 00:32:44.440
 and millions of years

00:32:44.440 --> 00:32:45.099
 of going through

00:32:45.099 --> 00:32:46.000
 the pain of death

00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:46.879
 and pain of death

00:32:46.879 --> 00:32:48.119
 only to be reborn

00:32:48.119 --> 00:32:49.039
 and only knowing

00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:49.619
 that you're going to go

00:32:49.619 --> 00:32:50.599
 through the pain of death

00:32:50.599 --> 00:32:51.459
 and pain of death.

00:32:52.719 --> 00:32:54.339
 It is not a hopeful idea,

00:32:54.439 --> 00:32:55.519
 but a depressing idea

00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:56.399
 that you are trapped.

00:32:56.519 --> 00:32:58.759
 You are like a hamster

00:32:58.759 --> 00:33:00.740
 on a little cage

00:33:00.740 --> 00:33:01.319
 just running

00:33:01.319 --> 00:33:01.699
 and running

00:33:01.699 --> 00:33:02.079
 and running,

00:33:02.179 --> 00:33:03.119
 but you never stop

00:33:03.119 --> 00:33:04.159
 and leave the cage.

00:33:04.779 --> 00:33:05.519
 You're just always

00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:06.459
 caught in a treadmill.

00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:08.379
 So why is it

00:33:08.379 --> 00:33:09.259
 that Paul says,

00:33:09.899 --> 00:33:10.939
 life is Christ,

00:33:11.199 --> 00:33:11.939
 death is gain?

00:33:13.459 --> 00:33:14.779
 One of the commentaries

00:33:14.779 --> 00:33:15.279
 that I read

00:33:15.279 --> 00:33:16.419
 is a very good one

00:33:16.419 --> 00:33:17.459
 by George Guthrie,

00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:19.039
 and he shares the story

00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:19.859
 that he was told

00:33:19.859 --> 00:33:20.799
 by a co-worker.

00:33:21.779 --> 00:33:24.119
 And this co-worker's dad

00:33:24.119 --> 00:33:25.339
 was a business guy,

00:33:25.919 --> 00:33:29.000
 but he was a very

00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:29.740
 devout Christian.

00:33:30.779 --> 00:33:31.919
 And when he was

00:33:31.919 --> 00:33:32.719
 in his 80s,

00:33:32.719 --> 00:33:33.759
 he got diagnosed

00:33:33.759 --> 00:33:35.000
 with cancer

00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:35.959
 that was probably

00:33:35.959 --> 00:33:36.799
 inoperable.

00:33:37.459 --> 00:33:38.319
 And he only lived

00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:39.179
 about six months

00:33:39.179 --> 00:33:40.699
 after the diagnosis came.

00:33:41.639 --> 00:33:42.479
 And one day,

00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:43.519
 this fellow

00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:45.279
 was driving his dad

00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:46.439
 to go get scanned.

00:33:46.440 --> 00:33:49.539
 And as he picked

00:33:49.539 --> 00:33:50.580
 his dad up afterwards

00:33:50.580 --> 00:33:51.700
 and was driving him home,

00:33:51.779 --> 00:33:52.759
 he asked his dad

00:33:52.759 --> 00:33:53.860
 what he was thinking

00:33:53.860 --> 00:33:54.700
 about

00:33:54.700 --> 00:33:56.059
 when he was in

00:33:56.059 --> 00:33:57.059
 that big device

00:33:57.059 --> 00:33:58.320
 scanning him.

00:33:59.779 --> 00:34:00.720
 And this is what

00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:01.640
 his dad said.

00:34:02.360 --> 00:34:03.140
 What did I say

00:34:03.140 --> 00:34:03.880
 over and over?

00:34:05.180 --> 00:34:06.380
 Every molecule

00:34:06.380 --> 00:34:07.960
 that makes me me

00:34:07.960 --> 00:34:09.220
 belongs to Christ.

00:34:09.219 --> 00:34:13.359
 Every molecule

00:34:13.359 --> 00:34:14.599
 in my body

00:34:14.599 --> 00:34:17.259
 belongs to Christ.

00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:18.199
 That's what he said

00:34:18.199 --> 00:34:19.039
 over and over

00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:19.980
 and over again

00:34:19.980 --> 00:34:20.659
 while he was in

00:34:20.659 --> 00:34:21.239
 that device

00:34:21.239 --> 00:34:22.039
 scanning him

00:34:22.039 --> 00:34:23.679
 to see how bad

00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:24.639
 the cancer was.

00:34:24.819 --> 00:34:25.859
 Every molecule

00:34:25.859 --> 00:34:27.079
 in my body

00:34:27.079 --> 00:34:28.099
 belongs to Christ.

00:34:29.480 --> 00:34:30.399
 If you could put up

00:34:30.399 --> 00:34:31.039
 the third point,

00:34:31.099 --> 00:34:31.439
 that would be

00:34:31.439 --> 00:34:32.039
 very helpful.

00:34:33.359 --> 00:34:34.579
 What's going on here

00:34:34.579 --> 00:34:35.179
 is this very,

00:34:35.299 --> 00:34:35.799
 very beautiful

00:34:35.799 --> 00:34:36.659
 doctrine of union

00:34:36.659 --> 00:34:37.339
 with Christ,

00:34:37.599 --> 00:34:38.500
 which I talked

00:34:38.500 --> 00:34:39.299
 about last week

00:34:39.299 --> 00:34:39.779
 and I'll talk

00:34:39.779 --> 00:34:40.440
 about a little bit

00:34:40.440 --> 00:34:41.079
 more today.

00:34:43.099 --> 00:34:44.139
 Every molecule,

00:34:44.460 --> 00:34:45.739
 if you are in Jesus,

00:34:46.460 --> 00:34:47.379
 every molecule

00:34:47.379 --> 00:34:48.500
 in your body,

00:34:49.399 --> 00:34:50.279
 every part

00:34:50.279 --> 00:34:51.139
 of your soul,

00:34:52.179 --> 00:34:52.899
 your yesterday,

00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:53.460
 today,

00:34:53.539 --> 00:34:54.159
 and forever

00:34:54.159 --> 00:34:55.519
 is in union

00:34:55.519 --> 00:34:56.219
 with Christ.

00:34:57.420 --> 00:34:58.659
 Your sexuality,

00:34:59.460 --> 00:35:00.739
 your time,

00:35:01.339 --> 00:35:02.019
 your mind,

00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:03.480
 your creativity,

00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:06.599
 every part

00:35:06.599 --> 00:35:07.480
 of what makes

00:35:07.480 --> 00:35:08.320
 you you

00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:10.219
 is in union

00:35:10.219 --> 00:35:10.980
 with Christ.

00:35:11.980 --> 00:35:13.139
 There is not

00:35:13.139 --> 00:35:13.800
 a molecule

00:35:13.800 --> 00:35:14.820
 in your body

00:35:14.820 --> 00:35:15.719
 that is not

00:35:15.719 --> 00:35:16.380
 in union

00:35:16.380 --> 00:35:17.740
 with Christ.

00:35:23.920 --> 00:35:24.699
 You know,

00:35:24.920 --> 00:35:25.840
 I don't think

00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:26.360
 we can ever

00:35:26.360 --> 00:35:27.000
 believe this

00:35:27.000 --> 00:35:28.039
 too much.

00:35:29.719 --> 00:35:30.500
 It's both

00:35:30.500 --> 00:35:31.139
 very, very

00:35:31.139 --> 00:35:31.820
 helpful

00:35:31.820 --> 00:35:32.420
 when we look

00:35:32.420 --> 00:35:33.219
 at other people

00:35:33.219 --> 00:35:33.279
 people.

00:35:36.039 --> 00:35:36.619
 You know,

00:35:36.679 --> 00:35:37.799
 maybe we have

00:35:37.799 --> 00:35:38.639
 a child

00:35:38.639 --> 00:35:39.419
 who's profoundly

00:35:39.419 --> 00:35:40.399
 handicapped.

00:35:42.179 --> 00:35:43.519
 Maybe we have

00:35:43.519 --> 00:35:44.899
 a man

00:35:44.899 --> 00:35:45.339
 or a woman

00:35:45.339 --> 00:35:46.339
 in our congregation

00:35:46.339 --> 00:35:47.299
 who is quite

00:35:47.299 --> 00:35:48.299
 mentally disabled,

00:35:48.779 --> 00:35:49.439
 but we know

00:35:49.439 --> 00:35:50.359
 they've come to Christ.

00:35:50.500 --> 00:35:51.359
 We pray that they

00:35:51.359 --> 00:35:51.939
 come to Christ

00:35:51.939 --> 00:35:52.879
 and to look at them

00:35:52.879 --> 00:35:53.339
 and to say,

00:35:53.419 --> 00:35:53.679
 you know,

00:35:54.299 --> 00:35:55.679
 every single part

00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:56.639
 of who they are

00:35:56.639 --> 00:35:57.439
 is in union

00:35:57.439 --> 00:35:58.199
 with Christ.

00:35:59.059 --> 00:36:00.099
 For you and me

00:36:00.099 --> 00:36:01.219
 as we age

00:36:01.219 --> 00:36:03.359
 and in the

00:36:03.359 --> 00:36:03.919
 hour

00:36:03.919 --> 00:36:04.959
 as we approach

00:36:04.959 --> 00:36:05.679
 our dying,

00:36:07.239 --> 00:36:08.379
 everything in my

00:36:08.379 --> 00:36:08.879
 past

00:36:08.879 --> 00:36:09.839
 and my present

00:36:09.839 --> 00:36:10.659
 and my future,

00:36:10.899 --> 00:36:11.500
 everything that

00:36:11.500 --> 00:36:12.419
 makes me me

00:36:12.419 --> 00:36:13.559
 in my soul

00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:14.279
 and my body

00:36:14.279 --> 00:36:14.959
 is in union

00:36:14.959 --> 00:36:15.579
 with Christ

00:36:15.579 --> 00:36:16.199
 with nothing

00:36:16.199 --> 00:36:16.839
 left over.

00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:20.860
 In fact,

00:36:20.940 --> 00:36:21.200
 you see,

00:36:21.300 --> 00:36:22.200
 what salvation

00:36:22.200 --> 00:36:23.160
 really is

00:36:23.160 --> 00:36:23.720
 is

00:36:23.720 --> 00:36:27.820
 that when I put

00:36:27.820 --> 00:36:28.680
 my faith and trust

00:36:28.680 --> 00:36:29.180
 in Christ,

00:36:29.260 --> 00:36:30.039
 or I come to realize

00:36:30.039 --> 00:36:30.900
 that I put my faith

00:36:30.900 --> 00:36:31.760
 and trust in Christ,

00:36:31.840 --> 00:36:32.680
 and I talked about this

00:36:32.680 --> 00:36:33.600
 a little bit last week,

00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:34.759
 I won't belabor it,

00:36:34.819 --> 00:36:35.659
 you can go back

00:36:35.659 --> 00:36:36.099
 and listen,

00:36:36.839 --> 00:36:37.799
 he really enters

00:36:37.799 --> 00:36:38.619
 into me

00:36:38.619 --> 00:36:39.440
 and I really

00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:40.619
 enter into him

00:36:40.619 --> 00:36:41.719
 and now I really

00:36:41.719 --> 00:36:42.460
 am in union

00:36:42.460 --> 00:36:43.119
 with him

00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:44.339
 and that's part

00:36:44.339 --> 00:36:44.960
 of what makes

00:36:44.960 --> 00:36:46.699
 the whole death

00:36:46.699 --> 00:36:47.500
 upon the cross

00:36:47.500 --> 00:36:48.039
 and everything

00:36:48.039 --> 00:36:49.059
 so unbelievably

00:36:49.059 --> 00:36:50.219
 precious and beautiful.

00:36:50.519 --> 00:36:51.539
 It means with

00:36:51.539 --> 00:36:52.599
 that union of Christ,

00:36:52.799 --> 00:36:54.059
 the sin

00:36:54.059 --> 00:36:54.719
 and the shame

00:36:54.719 --> 00:36:55.199
 and the wrong

00:36:55.199 --> 00:36:55.960
 things I've done

00:36:55.960 --> 00:36:56.960
 and the good things

00:36:56.960 --> 00:36:57.460
 I should have did

00:36:57.460 --> 00:36:58.179
 but didn't do

00:36:58.179 --> 00:36:59.900
 and not doing that

00:36:59.900 --> 00:37:00.779
 and whatever punishment

00:37:00.779 --> 00:37:01.880
 is deserved of that,

00:37:01.880 --> 00:37:03.780
 that comes into him,

00:37:03.920 --> 00:37:04.599
 his life

00:37:04.599 --> 00:37:06.240
 and he takes that

00:37:06.240 --> 00:37:07.079
 into himself

00:37:07.079 --> 00:37:09.460
 and all of the things

00:37:09.460 --> 00:37:10.119
 which he did

00:37:10.119 --> 00:37:10.740
 which were good

00:37:10.740 --> 00:37:11.220
 and beautiful

00:37:11.220 --> 00:37:12.340
 and all of his destiny

00:37:12.340 --> 00:37:13.660
 comes into me

00:37:13.660 --> 00:37:15.720
 and just as

00:37:15.720 --> 00:37:17.559
 Jesus was conceived

00:37:17.559 --> 00:37:19.500
 and begins life

00:37:19.500 --> 00:37:20.360
 as a zygote,

00:37:20.660 --> 00:37:21.740
 what he has done

00:37:21.740 --> 00:37:22.059
 for me

00:37:22.059 --> 00:37:22.980
 and my union with him

00:37:22.980 --> 00:37:23.820
 goes right back

00:37:23.820 --> 00:37:25.019
 to that zygote stage

00:37:25.019 --> 00:37:25.860
 for both of us

00:37:25.860 --> 00:37:27.119
 and he is in heaven

00:37:27.119 --> 00:37:28.039
 and that comes right

00:37:28.039 --> 00:37:28.880
 into me as well

00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:30.220
 and that's what happens

00:37:30.220 --> 00:37:31.440
 when I put my faith

00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:32.099
 in Christ

00:37:32.099 --> 00:37:33.440
 when you do too.

00:37:34.820 --> 00:37:35.740
 From the time

00:37:35.740 --> 00:37:36.800
 you were a zygote

00:37:36.800 --> 00:37:38.659
 till you die,

00:37:39.340 --> 00:37:40.619
 you are in union

00:37:40.619 --> 00:37:41.240
 with him

00:37:41.240 --> 00:37:42.079
 from the time

00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:42.960
 he was a zygote

00:37:42.960 --> 00:37:43.800
 until he dies

00:37:43.800 --> 00:37:44.940
 and he is now in glory

00:37:44.940 --> 00:37:45.860
 and you are in union

00:37:45.860 --> 00:37:46.380
 with him

00:37:46.380 --> 00:37:48.900
 and so the moment

00:37:48.900 --> 00:37:49.800
 of my death,

00:37:50.280 --> 00:37:51.500
 the moment of your death

00:37:51.500 --> 00:37:52.280
 brother and sister

00:37:52.280 --> 00:37:53.280
 if you are in Christ

00:37:53.280 --> 00:37:54.900
 is the moment

00:37:54.900 --> 00:37:55.619
 that your eyes

00:37:55.619 --> 00:37:56.220
 will open

00:37:56.219 --> 00:37:58.899
 and you will not

00:37:58.899 --> 00:38:00.199
 necessarily feel it

00:38:00.199 --> 00:38:02.179
 but you are

00:38:02.179 --> 00:38:04.299
 bearing

00:38:04.299 --> 00:38:06.439
 an eternal

00:38:06.439 --> 00:38:07.659
 weight of glory

00:38:07.659 --> 00:38:13.819
 that has transformed you

00:38:13.819 --> 00:38:14.719
 an eternal

00:38:14.719 --> 00:38:16.259
 weight of glory

00:38:16.259 --> 00:38:19.000
 is now you.

00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:22.380
 Why doesn't

00:38:22.380 --> 00:38:23.659
 Paul commit suicide?

00:38:23.659 --> 00:38:24.480
 Just very,

00:38:24.619 --> 00:38:25.139
 very briefly.

00:38:26.500 --> 00:38:27.219
 Here's a bit

00:38:27.219 --> 00:38:28.139
 of a hack

00:38:28.139 --> 00:38:28.599
 about reading

00:38:28.599 --> 00:38:29.539
 the book of Philippians

00:38:29.539 --> 00:38:30.360
 is that

00:38:30.360 --> 00:38:31.380
 I'm going to read

00:38:31.380 --> 00:38:32.400
 this text right now.

00:38:32.460 --> 00:38:33.039
 I'm just going to read

00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:33.659
 it from a

00:38:33.659 --> 00:38:35.420
 different translation

00:38:35.420 --> 00:38:36.659
 because the ESV

00:38:36.659 --> 00:38:38.019
 gives very technical stuff

00:38:38.019 --> 00:38:38.500
 but really

00:38:38.500 --> 00:38:39.440
 everything in the book

00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:40.159
 of Philippians

00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:41.920
 is to be understood

00:38:41.920 --> 00:38:42.619
 in the light

00:38:42.619 --> 00:38:43.360
 of Philippians

00:38:43.360 --> 00:38:44.099
 chapter 2

00:38:44.099 --> 00:38:45.380
 verses 6 to 11

00:38:45.380 --> 00:38:46.720
 the so-called

00:38:46.720 --> 00:38:47.619
 Christ hymn

00:38:47.619 --> 00:38:48.800
 or Christ creed.

00:38:49.360 --> 00:38:50.340
 Everything in the book

00:38:50.340 --> 00:38:51.039
 of Philippians

00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:52.420
 is centered

00:38:52.420 --> 00:38:53.619
 or is reflected

00:38:53.619 --> 00:38:55.300
 or is seen

00:38:55.300 --> 00:38:56.440
 in light of this

00:38:56.440 --> 00:38:57.599
 and I'm going to look

00:38:57.599 --> 00:38:57.880
 at this,

00:38:57.960 --> 00:38:58.500
 we're all going to look

00:38:58.500 --> 00:38:59.440
 at this next week

00:38:59.440 --> 00:39:00.039
 but for now

00:39:00.039 --> 00:39:00.680
 I'll just read it

00:39:00.680 --> 00:39:01.840
 in a simpler translation

00:39:01.840 --> 00:39:03.579
 and here's what it said.

00:39:03.660 --> 00:39:03.900
 It says,

00:39:04.280 --> 00:39:04.440
 you know,

00:39:04.500 --> 00:39:05.039
 that we're to be,

00:39:05.220 --> 00:39:05.619
 because remember

00:39:05.619 --> 00:39:06.039
 I just said

00:39:06.039 --> 00:39:06.519
 we're in union

00:39:06.519 --> 00:39:07.099
 with Christ

00:39:07.099 --> 00:39:08.480
 and it talks about

00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:09.180
 Christ who though

00:39:09.180 --> 00:39:09.920
 he existed

00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:11.140
 in the very nature

00:39:11.140 --> 00:39:11.960
 as God

00:39:11.960 --> 00:39:13.720
 did not consider

00:39:13.720 --> 00:39:14.860
 regard equality

00:39:14.860 --> 00:39:15.400
 with God

00:39:15.400 --> 00:39:15.900
 as something

00:39:15.900 --> 00:39:17.160
 to be grasped

00:39:17.160 --> 00:39:18.579
 but he emptied

00:39:18.579 --> 00:39:18.980
 himself

00:39:18.980 --> 00:39:20.019
 by taking on

00:39:20.019 --> 00:39:20.680
 the form

00:39:20.680 --> 00:39:21.380
 of a slave

00:39:21.380 --> 00:39:22.539
 and by looking

00:39:22.539 --> 00:39:24.160
 like other human beings

00:39:24.160 --> 00:39:25.480
 and by sharing

00:39:25.480 --> 00:39:26.539
 in human nature

00:39:26.539 --> 00:39:28.079
 he humbled himself

00:39:28.079 --> 00:39:28.920
 by becoming

00:39:28.920 --> 00:39:29.460
 obedient

00:39:29.460 --> 00:39:30.840
 to God the Father

00:39:30.840 --> 00:39:31.519
 to the point

00:39:31.519 --> 00:39:32.000
 of death

00:39:32.000 --> 00:39:33.380
 even the shameful

00:39:33.380 --> 00:39:34.599
 death upon the cross

00:39:34.599 --> 00:39:35.860
 and as a result

00:39:35.860 --> 00:39:37.620
 God exalted him

00:39:37.620 --> 00:39:38.760
 and gave him

00:39:38.760 --> 00:39:39.320
 the name

00:39:39.320 --> 00:39:40.180
 that is above

00:39:40.180 --> 00:39:41.079
 every name

00:39:41.079 --> 00:39:42.140
 that at the name

00:39:42.140 --> 00:39:42.700
 of Jesus

00:39:42.700 --> 00:39:43.620
 every knee

00:39:43.620 --> 00:39:44.220
 will bow

00:39:44.219 --> 00:39:44.879
 in heaven

00:39:44.879 --> 00:39:45.859
 and on earth

00:39:45.859 --> 00:39:46.919
 and under the earth

00:39:46.919 --> 00:39:48.259
 and every tongue

00:39:48.259 --> 00:39:49.539
 confess that Jesus

00:39:49.539 --> 00:39:50.679
 Christ is Lord

00:39:50.679 --> 00:39:51.659
 to the glory

00:39:51.659 --> 00:39:52.519
 of God

00:39:52.519 --> 00:39:53.379
 the Father

00:39:53.379 --> 00:39:54.819
 Amen

00:39:54.819 --> 00:39:59.259
 You are united

00:39:59.259 --> 00:40:00.299
 to Christ

00:40:00.299 --> 00:40:00.939
 You

00:40:00.939 --> 00:40:01.459
 that

00:40:01.459 --> 00:40:02.699
 Philippians 2

00:40:02.699 --> 00:40:04.239
 6-11

00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:05.339
 is what you are

00:40:05.339 --> 00:40:06.239
 united with

00:40:06.239 --> 00:40:07.039
 in Christ

00:40:07.039 --> 00:40:10.880
 and that gives me

00:40:10.880 --> 00:40:11.940
 to my fourth point

00:40:11.940 --> 00:40:12.699
 very briefly

00:40:12.699 --> 00:40:14.820
 if you could put it up

00:40:14.820 --> 00:40:15.139
 Claire

00:40:15.139 --> 00:40:17.139
 you did not make

00:40:17.139 --> 00:40:18.579
 the story of Jesus Christ

00:40:18.579 --> 00:40:19.320
 or the Bible

00:40:19.320 --> 00:40:21.779
 but God

00:40:21.779 --> 00:40:22.940
 is using them

00:40:22.940 --> 00:40:24.579
 to make you

00:40:24.579 --> 00:40:26.920
 I get this from

00:40:26.920 --> 00:40:27.619
 Rich Mullins

00:40:27.619 --> 00:40:28.420
 I know

00:40:28.420 --> 00:40:29.019
 my buddy

00:40:29.019 --> 00:40:29.659
 John O'Hare

00:40:29.659 --> 00:40:30.219
 is a big

00:40:30.219 --> 00:40:31.099
 Rich Mullins fan

00:40:31.099 --> 00:40:32.000
 if you do not know

00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:32.840
 Rich Mullins

00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:33.940
 make a note

00:40:33.940 --> 00:40:35.619
 Google it

00:40:35.619 --> 00:40:36.800
 go on Spotify

00:40:36.800 --> 00:40:38.480
 absolutely brilliant

00:40:38.480 --> 00:40:39.340
 Christian musician

00:40:39.340 --> 00:40:40.760
 who died in 1997

00:40:40.760 --> 00:40:41.880
 in a car accident

00:40:41.880 --> 00:40:42.740
 way too young

00:40:42.740 --> 00:40:43.800
 and a hymn

00:40:43.800 --> 00:40:44.400
 that he wrote

00:40:44.400 --> 00:40:45.099
 or a song

00:40:45.099 --> 00:40:45.460
 that he wrote

00:40:45.460 --> 00:40:46.179
 in 1993

00:40:46.179 --> 00:40:46.800
 was called

00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:47.300
 The Creed

00:40:47.300 --> 00:40:48.400
 and the lines

00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:49.559
 go something like this

00:40:49.559 --> 00:40:50.519
 he goes through

00:40:50.519 --> 00:40:50.880
 the whole

00:40:50.880 --> 00:40:51.800
 Apostles Creed

00:40:51.800 --> 00:40:52.840
 sung very beautifully

00:40:52.840 --> 00:40:53.559
 and he says

00:40:53.559 --> 00:40:54.420
 the chorus is

00:40:54.420 --> 00:40:55.900
 I did not make it

00:40:55.900 --> 00:40:57.559
 it is making me

00:40:57.559 --> 00:40:58.880
 and I believe

00:40:58.880 --> 00:40:59.679
 what I believe

00:40:59.679 --> 00:41:00.760
 is what makes me

00:41:00.760 --> 00:41:01.579
 what I am

00:41:01.579 --> 00:41:02.920
 I did not make it

00:41:02.920 --> 00:41:04.920
 no it is making me

00:41:04.920 --> 00:41:06.519
 it is the very truth

00:41:06.519 --> 00:41:07.139
 of God

00:41:07.139 --> 00:41:08.480
 and not

00:41:08.480 --> 00:41:09.380
 the invention

00:41:09.380 --> 00:41:10.599
 of any man

00:41:10.599 --> 00:41:12.659
 and he gets that

00:41:12.659 --> 00:41:13.279
 perfectly

00:41:13.279 --> 00:41:17.500
 he gets that perfectly

00:41:17.500 --> 00:41:18.599
 he nails it

00:41:18.599 --> 00:41:20.619
 you did not make

00:41:20.619 --> 00:41:22.000
 the story of Jesus Christ

00:41:22.000 --> 00:41:22.940
 you did not make

00:41:22.940 --> 00:41:23.480
 the Bible

00:41:23.480 --> 00:41:24.799
 I did not make it

00:41:24.799 --> 00:41:25.880
 but God

00:41:25.880 --> 00:41:27.259
 uses the Bible

00:41:27.259 --> 00:41:28.179
 God uses

00:41:28.179 --> 00:41:29.559
 the story of Christ

00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:30.880
 to make me

00:41:30.880 --> 00:41:31.920
 and if

00:41:31.920 --> 00:41:33.280
 that is the case

00:41:33.280 --> 00:41:34.960
 and if in fact

00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:35.840
 it truly is

00:41:35.840 --> 00:41:36.440
 that the moment

00:41:36.440 --> 00:41:37.280
 I die

00:41:37.280 --> 00:41:37.980
 is the moment

00:41:37.980 --> 00:41:38.820
 I wake up

00:41:38.820 --> 00:41:39.660
 and I realize

00:41:39.660 --> 00:41:40.500
 that I have

00:41:40.500 --> 00:41:41.700
 a resurrected body

00:41:41.700 --> 00:41:42.519
 that there is

00:41:42.519 --> 00:41:43.500
 an eternal weight

00:41:43.500 --> 00:41:44.220
 of glory

00:41:44.220 --> 00:41:45.760
 upon what had

00:41:45.760 --> 00:41:46.440
 before been

00:41:46.440 --> 00:41:47.680
 frail human flesh

00:41:47.680 --> 00:41:48.880
 and why would I

00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:49.680
 not do that

00:41:49.680 --> 00:41:50.539
 was how can I

00:41:50.539 --> 00:41:51.579
 possibly do that

00:41:51.579 --> 00:41:52.480
 if I am in union

00:41:52.480 --> 00:41:53.099
 with Christ

00:41:53.099 --> 00:41:54.079
 and the whole

00:41:54.079 --> 00:41:55.280
 story of Christ

00:41:55.280 --> 00:41:56.599
 is emptying himself

00:41:56.599 --> 00:41:57.960
 for others

00:41:57.960 --> 00:42:02.199
 that is the story

00:42:02.199 --> 00:42:04.539
 that starts to make you

00:42:04.539 --> 00:42:06.400
 and make us

00:42:06.400 --> 00:42:12.079
 that should be our prayer

00:42:12.079 --> 00:42:14.240
 that is why we have

00:42:14.240 --> 00:42:15.340
 church on Sundays

00:42:15.340 --> 00:42:16.860
 and tell what the Bible

00:42:16.860 --> 00:42:17.300
 is saying

00:42:17.300 --> 00:42:18.199
 it's why we have

00:42:18.199 --> 00:42:19.000
 the Lord's Supper

00:42:19.000 --> 00:42:20.220
 and remember the words

00:42:20.220 --> 00:42:20.760
 of Jesus

00:42:20.760 --> 00:42:22.000
 it's why we have

00:42:22.000 --> 00:42:22.760
 small groups

00:42:22.760 --> 00:42:24.059
 and scripture memorization

00:42:24.059 --> 00:42:26.239
 is that the story

00:42:26.239 --> 00:42:27.299
 of Jesus

00:42:27.299 --> 00:42:28.799
 will become

00:42:28.799 --> 00:42:29.539
 the story

00:42:29.539 --> 00:42:30.719
 by which we live

00:42:30.719 --> 00:42:31.579
 it's the story

00:42:31.579 --> 00:42:32.759
 upon which we stand

00:42:32.759 --> 00:42:34.360
 it is the story

00:42:34.360 --> 00:42:35.199
 by which we look

00:42:35.199 --> 00:42:35.840
 at the world

00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:36.960
 it is the story

00:42:36.960 --> 00:42:37.679
 by which we look

00:42:37.679 --> 00:42:38.239
 at ourselves

00:42:38.239 --> 00:42:39.500
 it is the story

00:42:39.500 --> 00:42:40.239
 by which we look

00:42:40.239 --> 00:42:40.820
 at others

00:42:40.820 --> 00:42:41.960
 it is the story

00:42:41.960 --> 00:42:42.779
 by which we look

00:42:42.779 --> 00:42:43.759
 at our sexuality

00:42:43.759 --> 00:42:45.259
 our identity

00:42:45.259 --> 00:42:46.519
 our money

00:42:46.519 --> 00:42:48.000
 everything

00:42:48.000 --> 00:42:51.599
 invite you to stand

00:42:51.599 --> 00:42:57.699
 let's bow our heads in prayer

00:42:57.699 --> 00:43:10.420
 father thank you so much for your word thank you for this profound truth may you burn it on our

00:43:10.420 --> 00:43:17.799
 hearts that given that when we put our life in christ our lives in christ's hands we enter into

00:43:17.800 --> 00:43:23.360
 union with him and now we can say life is christ death is gain

00:43:23.360 --> 00:43:33.940
 father we are not worthy of such a gift we give you thanks and praise that your love for us is so

00:43:33.940 --> 00:43:44.100
 great so deep so high so wide so pure so good so just so kind so merciful so thorough so unfailing

00:43:44.099 --> 00:43:54.279
 that you do this in our lives so father we ask that the story of christ the gospel and the bible

00:43:54.279 --> 00:43:59.739
 that that would form us and make us and make us more and more and more and that you would mold us

00:43:59.739 --> 00:44:07.759
 and and form us so that you will use people unworthy as we are to tell others about jesus

00:44:07.760 --> 00:44:14.640
 as you bring more and more people to a faith in jesus father we know that when we pray this we're

00:44:14.640 --> 00:44:21.820
 praying what you would have us pray these aren't father bold prayers they're humble prayers father

00:44:21.820 --> 00:44:29.280
 make us humble enough to pray these humble prayers that sound like boldness and we ask all these things

00:44:29.280 --> 00:44:35.040
 in the name of jesus your son and our savior and all god's people said amen we'll be

00:44:35.039 --> 00:44:56.079
 pray these έ