WEBVTT

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 Okay, good morning everyone. We have quite a bit of ground to cover so I wanted us to get started quickly.

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 After our journey of the last several weeks on the subject of work, we are starting to begin our descent as we prepare to wrap the series over the next two classes.

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 But I think it's always helpful, given it's been a while since our last class, to provide a brief recap of the terrain that we've covered.

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 The first couple of classes looked at God's plan for work, how he created us to work, and intended our work to be a continuation of the divine mandate to subdue the earth.

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 Our work is in some ways a sub-creation under his own completed work of creation at the beginning.

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 We learned that work is good. It comes in a variety of forms, none of which is superior to another.

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 And it came with constraints meant to continually point us to the one who made us and called us to work.

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 We then spent time looking at a specific section of this, which was work as a vocation.

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 I mean, it's calling from God separate to our occupation and its implication for how we're intended to live.

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 So despite being important, work remains secondary to our primary calling to a relationship with God.

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 And we also learned how the inability to earn God's grace nullifies what was in some way the pre-Reformation distinction between spiritual work and regular work,

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 as one was thought to be higher than the other.

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 Our next set of classes looked at the brokenness of work, which was how the entry of sin into the world alters God's design for work in several ways,

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 making our work fruitless, meaningless, self-centered, and as a medium or channel for our idols, often exposing and amplifying them.

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 Now, today's class pivots to now the gospel and how it impacts and redeems our work.

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 It's the third and final section of the companion book that we have been using for this series.

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 And while in many ways it returns to some of the ideas we have already covered in the course of the class,

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 the hope is that today this will bring it all, it will develop some of these ideas and integrate them into a coherent framework

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 that allows us to then connect many of the disparate elements that we may have highlighted as we went along.

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 But before we dive in, let's ask the Lord for his help in prayer.

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 Father Lord, thank you for the good ways in which you have designed our work.

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 Despite in many ways the entry of sin into the world threatens to break your good design,

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 we are grateful that through the gospel you are redeeming our work, just as you are doing with our world,

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 and we bring to fulfillment at your return.

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 We ask that you will open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to see this redeeming work, even here and now,

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 and for wisdom and grace to join with you in the work, in the ways you call us to.

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 I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

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 Let me just check that it's recording.

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 Okay, great.

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 Okay, so how does the gospel impact our work?

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 The gospel impacts our work in three main ways that we will look at today.

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 First, it gives us a new story or new narrative for our work.

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 Next, it gives us a new compass or an assessment rubric for our work.

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 And then finally, it gives us a new motivation or incentive for how and why we work.

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 So, before we look at the first one on how the gospel gives us a new story and narrative for our work,

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 it may be helpful to understand first why narratives are important in the first place.

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 Human beings are meaning makers, and stories are the ways in which we make sense of the world

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 and the ways in which we understand our place in it.

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 Stories are further important because, as Keller quotes the philosopher, I think, Alice Dare McIntyre in his book,

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 he describes actions as enacted narratives.

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 I would paraphrase that as saying the things that flow from us in response to the stories that we believe.

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 The closer the stories we tell ourselves match the reality of the world,

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 the better able we can to align ourselves to the world or to the reality of the world

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 and for our decisions and actions to drive results in line with reality.

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 Conversely, the further away from reality that these stories are,

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 the more likely we are to act in ways that could be at odds with the ends we desire,

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 the poorer our outcomes and our experiences will be.

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 The bigger the scope of the story that we tell over our lives,

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 the more important that story becomes in shaping outcomes and key decisions we make on the most important questions.

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 There should note that stories also do not have to be explicitly articulated for them to have sway over our lives.

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 Many of us live under implicit stories that we have assimilated from the culture, from our families,

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 without explicitly questioning.

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 And the result of this are actions and beliefs that we express about our work or other things

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 that we assume to be true but are wrong.

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 The final thing is that stories that are at heart contain three basic elements.

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 Almost every story can be decomposed almost into like that and their variety.

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 There is a situation, a complication and an ultimate resolution.

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 The situation captures the ideal or the context of the world.

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 The complication describes the main problem.

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 The resolution articulates how that problem can be addressed to restore the world to what it was or what it was meant to be.

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 So I was thinking an example would be The Lion King, which was one of my favorite animations by a huge margin actually.

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 But the story is simply, Simba was born to be king in Pride Rock.

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 Pride Rock is somewhere else.

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 I think it's called Pride Rock.

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 Yeah.

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 Okay, I think it's somewhere else that uses the term Pride Rock.

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 I don't remember.

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 And then Mufasa's brother, Simba, the complication, you know, kills Mufasa.

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 Scar kills Mufasa to assume the throne.

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 And then Simba runs away for his life.

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 And then he comes back.

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 You know, the resolution is he comes back.

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 He comes back, he battles Scar and becomes victorious and returns the kingdom to what it was meant to be.

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 The situation, complication, resolution.

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 You can try that with almost any movie.

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 It will follow the same.

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 Of course, each section in like would then have subsections of each story.

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 But that's the broad, broad frame of how stories are told.

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 So if we look at the gospel in this way, the gospel as a story we tell, you can summarize it essentially in three main points similarly.

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 God made the world good, created us humans for a relationship with him and to steward and continue the good work of creation that he had begun.

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 This was the first couple of classes.

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 Sin, the complication, entered the world through our disobedience.

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 And with it, death, brokenness, and evil came into the world.

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 Sin, as we discover in the development of the plot, is actually not primarily an action, but an orientation and posture of the heart in rebellion to God.

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 The resolution is God addresses the problem by sending his son, Jesus, to atone for our sin, justify us freely by grace and not by works.

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 And through his spirit, he sanctifies us, making us more like his son, Jesus, and ultimately with us, redeem and restore the world.

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 The fullness of that restoration or that resolution will occur when Jesus returns.

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 But in many ways, it has already begun.

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 And like he did, which is how resolutions take us back or connect to the situation, like he did in the garden, he again invites us to participate in that work of redemption that is already ongoing in the world.

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 That is like a situation, complication, resolution framework for the story of the gospel.

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 Now, some of the implications of that story, I think, should be obvious, given they form essentially the core of the first four classes that I summarized at the beginning.

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 Work is good.

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 It is broken by sin.

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 And we see or experience that brokenness in many ways.

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 But there are a few more that in this section of the book, Tim Keller starts to highlight that I think are then relevant here.

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 So this is the first point on the gospel as a story, how it gives us a new story for work.

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 And the first is that the creation for redemption arc in the story forms the basis of what he calls a re-narration or a restorative, in my own words, I call it a restorative storytelling that we may need to do as we engage our work as Christians.

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 So it's like in each work, what is the good?

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 Where is sin broken?

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 How is this being redeemed?

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 Now, we often may think that this is only needed for those who go into fields today that are culturally associated with godlessness and greed.

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 I had a private equity Instagram influencer in here as well.

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 But there are so many, I think I wouldn't be able to name them all.

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 But a fuller understanding, the story of the gospel, if you realize it's about a posture of heart and not an action, recognize that sin corrupts all work.

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 But even culturally good and noble occupations like teaching and nursing, all occupations have some of their grand or sub-narratives in tension with the gospel.

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 And these shape the outcomes people in them are tempted to pursue.

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 I think Keller gives quite a number of examples in there.

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 One of the most poignant ones is around higher education and the philosophies that are combating what is higher education meant to be.

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 And how there are, even though it is a positive good in many ways, in trying to shape that story of higher education, people have in some way corrupted some of it, not all of it.

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 Now, a direct corollary of also this understanding and embracing, yes, of embracing, what did I write here?

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 I apologize.

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 So a direct corollary of this framework of the re-narration is we can understand and embrace the common grace that is also present in most or all of these occupations.

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 So even as the narrative of the gospel helps us to see the occupations for what they are in tension, where they are in tension, where the gospel is in tension with the narratives that they also tell,

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 we are reminded that on the flip side, it is not all bad.

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 Sin corrupts but does not eliminate the good in the world that God has created.

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 And while these narratives have parts in tension, they also contain much that the gospel celebrates, which we can also embrace and celebrate as good.

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 And together, these two things, these two ideas or components of the idea, help facilitate a proper integration of our faith and work,

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 without us falling into a full withdrawal, thinking we only have to create Christian copies of everything for them to be glorified to God,

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 or a gullible embrace and in some way excusing sin without challenging it.

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 I'll pause.

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 I think this is perhaps one of the more abstract ideas.

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 And towards the end, we will come to very practical ways in which all of these help us in our work.

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 But I wanted to pause to see if there are any questions.

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 Okay.

00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:20.319
 Okay.

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 Well, I would give two examples.

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 I think I will be in the course of time.

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 I'll just try to give two examples that I wrote down just in case it will be helpful.

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 I think the first was private equity.

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 I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with private equity.

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 Some of you know what it is, but most of you know about it.

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 It's essentially associated with these, what they call rubber barons, who in the 80s, when the industry came into its own or its public identity,

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 where people who would buy companies by borrowing debt against the assets of these companies,

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 and in some way using that process to extract significant amounts of value from those companies while destroying,

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 and in some cases destroy them.

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 I was trying to look up some examples.

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 They've done also some good, but that is the perception.

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 Private equity comes in.

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 They borrow money against the company that they're buying, so the company now has debt tied to its assets,

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 and then they try to strip out the value by breaking it apart.

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 That's the caricature of private equity.

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 But many people are unaware that most of them.

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 So the way private equity funds are structured is there are people who operate the fund,

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 who are called general partners, and there are limited partners,

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 the people who contribute money to the fund, the fund that buys and owns and run these companies.

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 Many of the contributors to these funds are, you would not imagine, the biggest owners of private equity funds are.

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 Who can guess?

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 Huh?

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 Insurance funds?

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 Well, they are probably big hosts, but it's pension funds.

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 Pension funds are by and large the massive owners.

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 And I have a friend who worked there who, the re-narration in the positive way is,

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 he, when he goes in as a private equity investor in companies,

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 thinks about the grandma who has been putting money aside for her retirement.

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 And that money rests on the performance that the companies that they are acquired are supposed to deliver.

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 So his goal is to find companies that have a potential to do very well,

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 but may currently be performing not so well because they are under bad management,

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 and figuring out ways to restructure them in order for them to generate better returns,

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 and thus ensure that teacher's retirement fund by the time he or she is done with work.

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 And so that is a gospel re-narration or rethinking of,

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 even in this supposedly evil enterprise,

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 there is good there.

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 There are people who, it's because of the work that some of them do,

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 they push the management of many firms to become just better operators of their companies

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 and drive better returns for the pension funds that own the bulk of many of these,

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 of the assets in many of these private equity.

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 So that is one example of re-narration as a way,

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 as the gospel provides a framework for re-narration,

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 even in potentially evil occupations.

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 And I say potentially evil because, I mean, as we know, right,

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 knowing what we know about sin and its nature,

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 it's not specific occupations that are good or evil.

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 It's oftentimes, it's figuring out the good of evil in them.

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 On the second example, I want to talk about another animation I love,

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 which would be Frozen.

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 I have a young daughter.

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 I watched Frozen a long time ago,

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 and I think I have watched it more times in the last, I don't know, year than I would care to count.

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 But this is, again, this is the second part about the ability to embrace common grace in work.

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 When I think about,

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 there are not very many, at least modern, retellings of sibling love,

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 like the story of Frozen.

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 At the end, I am always captivated by just the strength of the narrative of sibling love.

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 And I'm sure many of you have either watched it or do not care to watch it,

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 so I'm not afraid of giving you a spoiler.

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 But at the very end, right,

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 there is a perfect picture of the gospel at the end of the story

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 that every time I watch it, I am moved to tears

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 that someone giving up their own life and their own purposes for the rescue of another.

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 And I can see it very clearly in my eyes.

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 I don't think Disney is run by necessarily Christian figures,

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 but they tell stories that have really powerful Christian implications

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 and stories from which you can use in engaging others about the picture of the gospel

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 without necessarily having to refer to only texts or examples that we are familiar with.

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 That is common grace.

00:16:54.980 --> 00:16:58.519
 Tim Keller gives another example of another famous Vietnamese movie

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 that has an equally poignant resolution as well.

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 And so we, in the spirit of how the gospel is helping us,

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 through this re-narration it tells,

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 we can reclaim the good through the understanding that there is common grace everywhere

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 while still able to critique the things that are evil about it.

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 So does this help a little bit more on the concept of narratives

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 and the gospel and retelling stories?

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 The examples help.

00:17:30.620 --> 00:17:32.440
 Yeah, I imagine that.

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 They were too long to write, but I figured we still have some time.

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 All right, so I mentioned there were three ways in which the gospel helps us redeem our work.

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 And I think the second way the gospel impacts or redeems our work

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 is by giving us a new compass, orientation, and ethics for our work.

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 And so we see this more clearly laid out in the instruction Paul gives in Ephesians 6,

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 I think from verse 7, and I'll read.

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 It says,

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 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and with sincerity of heart,

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 just as you would obey Christ.

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 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you,

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 but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

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 Serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord, not men.

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 Because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does,

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 whether he is slave or free.

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 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way.

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 Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven,

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 and there is no favoritism with him.

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 The gospel reminds us that we are not our own,

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 but belong not to ourselves, but to him who paid the price.

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 And because we belong to him, we are called to do our work as unto the one to whom we belong.

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 So slaves, or in our world today we would say employees,

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 are not to do shoddy work when no one is looking,

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 or do poor work for people they don't like,

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 because God is the end of the work.

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 If God is going to see and receive the work,

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 then it doesn't really matter whether someone's physical eye is on it.

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 Imagine if your manager had a camera trained on your desk, on your computer.

00:19:19.299 --> 00:19:22.340
 We would in some way, many of us would work differently.

00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:27.100
 I'm always reminded about my inclination, not even inclination,

00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:30.820
 but actual, when you are driving past those automatic toll,

00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:33.180
 you would slow down.

00:19:33.799 --> 00:19:34.920
 Yeah, just, yeah.

00:19:35.160 --> 00:19:37.240
 And it's the effect that naturally,

00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:39.680
 I was going to look up studies on this, but I'm like,

00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:45.019
 I'm sure we all understand the natural inclination of doing better work

00:19:45.019 --> 00:19:47.359
 when others are watching versus when they are not.

00:19:47.980 --> 00:19:53.059
 And we, in some way, have a different audience,

00:19:53.220 --> 00:19:54.700
 some of us who never stop watching,

00:19:54.839 --> 00:19:56.920
 and that doesn't watch in some way to penalize,

00:19:57.500 --> 00:19:59.960
 but watches us in a way to reward the work.

00:20:00.299 --> 00:20:03.160
 In particular, the work that we do when no one is watching,

00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:07.380
 the work that we do as unto God is work that God rewards.

00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:11.460
 You know, it's like, if you compare that to the story of giving money

00:20:11.460 --> 00:20:12.880
 for those others to see it,

00:20:13.259 --> 00:20:16.480
 Jesus told them, those have received their reward.

00:20:16.600 --> 00:20:19.120
 Their reward at that time was just the acknowledgement of men.

00:20:19.660 --> 00:20:22.160
 But those who give in secret, where only God sees,

00:20:22.620 --> 00:20:24.420
 are rewarded in openness, so without work.

00:20:24.820 --> 00:20:26.700
 When we work, when no one's eyes are on us,

00:20:26.800 --> 00:20:28.620
 and work because we are working unto God,

00:20:28.619 --> 00:20:31.859
 even secular work, which we know now,

00:20:32.159 --> 00:20:35.719
 after many classes, that is no real different from spiritual work,

00:20:36.299 --> 00:20:40.479
 will be rewarded by God for our faithful service as unto Him.

00:20:42.679 --> 00:20:45.279
 The final way the gospel imparts our work

00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:49.919
 is by giving us a new incentive or motivation.

00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:53.600
 I think in the previous class,

00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:56.019
 we had covered this when we talked about the subject of idols,

00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:59.279
 our desire for recognition, loss for money, power, and ambition.

00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:04.300
 But there is a subtle way, Tim Keller points this out,

00:21:04.700 --> 00:21:06.180
 where work is corrupted by sin,

00:21:06.900 --> 00:21:10.440
 and where we are liberated by the gospel's power.

00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:12.759
 And that is a freedom from what he calls

00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:14.500
 the work underneath the work.

00:21:14.500 --> 00:21:19.599
 And it's best to illustrate with an example that he gives.

00:21:19.700 --> 00:21:21.299
 In this movie, Chariots of Fire,

00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:25.660
 there's one of the runners, Harold Abrams,

00:21:25.779 --> 00:21:29.000
 who describes his reason for wanting to run the Olympics this way.

00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:32.680
 I pulled this quote online.

00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:33.039
 It says,

00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:36.240
 I'm forever in pursuit, and I don't know what I am chasing.

00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:40.920
 I have 10 lonely seconds to justify my existence.

00:21:40.920 --> 00:21:44.560
 Essentially, on the track, while he's running,

00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:49.900
 his work was essentially to prove that he deserved to be here

00:21:49.900 --> 00:21:52.360
 and justify his reason for living.

00:21:53.300 --> 00:21:54.700
 You may think this is dramatic,

00:21:54.860 --> 00:21:57.060
 but there was another example that I think Keller gave

00:21:57.060 --> 00:22:00.100
 about the famous preacher Martin Lloyd-Jones,

00:22:00.300 --> 00:22:03.259
 who was a doctor before becoming a preacher.

00:22:03.420 --> 00:22:06.380
 And he said to some of his medical students and doctors

00:22:06.380 --> 00:22:09.060
 that there are many whom I have had the privilege of meeting

00:22:09.059 --> 00:22:12.740
 whose tombstones might well bear the grim epitaph,

00:22:13.220 --> 00:22:15.299
 born a man and died a doctor.

00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:19.419
 So consumed by their work,

00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:23.319
 to the detriment of everything else that God had made them to be.

00:22:23.940 --> 00:22:26.740
 The work under the work that these stories are trying to describe

00:22:26.740 --> 00:22:28.440
 is the temptation for many of us,

00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:31.480
 for work to be, like I mentioned in Harold Abrams' case,

00:22:32.220 --> 00:22:34.240
 a way we justify our very existence

00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:36.620
 and define why we matter in this world,

00:22:37.059 --> 00:22:38.940
 and which we are tempted to hold up

00:22:38.940 --> 00:22:41.440
 as some sort of ticket for our salvation.

00:22:42.220 --> 00:22:45.940
 In many ways, it's just another expression of salvation by works,

00:22:46.359 --> 00:22:48.200
 a path which the Bible already tells us.

00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:50.440
 And as we have gone through the book of Galatians,

00:22:50.519 --> 00:22:52.220
 as a church we see more clearly,

00:22:52.859 --> 00:22:53.960
 it's already cursed.

00:22:53.960 --> 00:22:56.640
 No matter how many races are won,

00:22:57.180 --> 00:22:58.140
 are run and won,

00:22:58.660 --> 00:23:00.259
 or patients treated and cured,

00:23:03.079 --> 00:23:05.920
 it's like drinking seawater to quench your thirst.

00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:08.440
 Work will never be finished or complete

00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:11.519
 and will only lead to despair and frustration.

00:23:12.700 --> 00:23:16.240
 Now, this perspective contrasts with the motivation

00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:19.640
 that is fueled by the gospel of grace that Keller highlights.

00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:24.220
 When he contrasted Harold Abrams with the main character of the movie,

00:23:24.380 --> 00:23:25.200
 Eric Little,

00:23:25.940 --> 00:23:30.040
 who characterized his motivation this way,

00:23:30.940 --> 00:23:32.880
 I believe God made me for a purpose,

00:23:33.220 --> 00:23:35.020
 but he also made me fast.

00:23:35.460 --> 00:23:37.900
 And when I run, I feel his pleasure.

00:23:38.840 --> 00:23:41.720
 Because we are saved by grace and not by our works,

00:23:42.020 --> 00:23:44.200
 we don't do anything to earn our salvation.

00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:45.660
 It is freely given to us.

00:23:46.540 --> 00:23:49.600
 Nothing we can do before can earn it.

00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:51.280
 Otherwise, as it says in scripture,

00:23:51.420 --> 00:23:53.140
 it would be a wage and not a gift.

00:23:53.940 --> 00:23:55.980
 It must also mean that nothing we can do after

00:23:55.980 --> 00:23:57.759
 can be required either.

00:23:58.360 --> 00:24:00.600
 Otherwise, it would simply be a credit sale.

00:24:01.700 --> 00:24:04.940
 We are set free from the futility of the work underneath the work.

00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:09.080
 By the rest, Jesus promises to all who labor and are heavily leading,

00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:11.340
 and the rest we enter by faith in him.

00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:14.080
 As the writer of Hebrews puts it more directly,

00:24:14.500 --> 00:24:18.280
 there remains then a Sabbath rest for the people of God,

00:24:18.279 --> 00:24:20.839
 for anyone who enters God's rest

00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:23.039
 also rests from his own work,

00:24:23.500 --> 00:24:25.440
 just as God did from his.

00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:27.879
 God rested on the seventh day,

00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:29.779
 even though we know that God is still working.

00:24:29.960 --> 00:24:31.740
 Similarly, entering God's rest does not mean

00:24:31.740 --> 00:24:32.619
 we don't stop working,

00:24:33.099 --> 00:24:36.420
 but we enter a rest from the work underneath the work.

00:24:36.420 --> 00:24:40.300
 that frees us to then work as unto God.

00:24:41.900 --> 00:24:42.160
 Okay?

00:24:42.580 --> 00:24:43.860
 I want to pause here again,

00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:44.860
 see if there are questions.

00:24:47.180 --> 00:24:47.880
 Yes, Richard.

00:24:47.880 --> 00:24:51.260
 What do you mean by the work underneath the work?

00:24:51.940 --> 00:24:52.200
 Mm-hmm.

00:24:54.760 --> 00:24:57.760
 It's like a...

00:24:57.760 --> 00:25:01.120
 It's almost a self-justifying.

00:25:01.260 --> 00:25:05.620
 I need to perform for me to know that I have value.

00:25:05.619 --> 00:25:08.639
 If I don't do a great job,

00:25:09.079 --> 00:25:13.899
 I don't feel like I have value as a person or as a human being.

00:25:14.659 --> 00:25:16.619
 So that is a work underneath.

00:25:16.779 --> 00:25:17.679
 The work is not...

00:25:17.679 --> 00:25:19.500
 So I could be doing good work.

00:25:19.679 --> 00:25:21.039
 So that is work underneath the work,

00:25:21.099 --> 00:25:22.579
 because the actual work,

00:25:22.939 --> 00:25:23.599
 whatever it is,

00:25:23.919 --> 00:25:25.859
 being a doctor or being a teacher,

00:25:26.419 --> 00:25:28.879
 actually is accomplishing some purpose.

00:25:29.299 --> 00:25:30.559
 But the work underneath the work...

00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:31.779
 You're not just doing that work.

00:25:31.779 --> 00:25:34.319
 We are doing the work underneath the work

00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:37.660
 of trying to justify yourself and your existence,

00:25:38.099 --> 00:25:39.299
 beyond even just the work,

00:25:39.779 --> 00:25:41.859
 the actual elements of the work that you're doing.

00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:51.160
 There's a bigger, like, medical wish you're trying to achieve.

00:25:51.339 --> 00:25:51.519
 Yep.

00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:53.779
 Through your paid labor,

00:25:54.180 --> 00:25:56.160
 but also, you know,

00:25:57.599 --> 00:26:00.920
 volunteer work or church stuff or...

00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:01.379
 Mm-hmm.

00:26:01.779 --> 00:26:02.940
 Yeah.

00:26:04.639 --> 00:26:07.079
 And like we mentioned in the first story,

00:26:07.339 --> 00:26:09.839
 in the first point around the stories that we tell,

00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:11.460
 this is particularly,

00:26:11.859 --> 00:26:14.720
 I think, relevant here,

00:26:14.839 --> 00:26:17.660
 that often this is not an explicit story

00:26:17.660 --> 00:26:19.180
 that we tell ourselves.

00:26:19.819 --> 00:26:21.779
 You grew up in a culture or...

00:26:22.779 --> 00:26:25.519
 Yeah, and this is not even culture at large

00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:27.720
 or culture made small in, like, our families,

00:26:27.720 --> 00:26:33.019
 where you have to do X to be...

00:26:33.019 --> 00:26:34.920
 In some way, to be something.

00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:35.779
 Yeah.

00:26:35.880 --> 00:26:36.740
 I'm from Nigeria.

00:26:36.740 --> 00:26:41.420
 And yes, it is pretty important.

00:26:41.539 --> 00:26:44.279
 Education, when I was growing up, was the thing.

00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:46.799
 Like, you needed to be good in school

00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:48.960
 in order to have a good life.

00:26:49.319 --> 00:26:50.120
 That was literally...

00:26:50.120 --> 00:26:51.299
 There were songs about it.

00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:52.000
 I could sing them,

00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:53.660
 but they would be in a different language.

00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:54.299
 You wouldn't understand it.

00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:56.539
 But I know everybody knew the songs.

00:26:56.779 --> 00:26:57.519
 You knew the songs.

00:26:57.779 --> 00:26:58.660
 And even in my...

00:26:58.660 --> 00:27:00.180
 There were songs about work.

00:27:00.819 --> 00:27:02.960
 I remember one...

00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:05.000
 All of these songs are...

00:27:05.720 --> 00:27:06.740
 I mean, they are...

00:27:06.740 --> 00:27:07.119
 You could...

00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:08.599
 This is where, then, the second point

00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:11.659
 or the second sub-point on that narrative work

00:27:11.659 --> 00:27:12.479
 is important because

00:27:12.479 --> 00:27:16.379
 you can do the good cultural or gospel critique.

00:27:16.879 --> 00:27:19.279
 There are good things about what they say about work,

00:27:19.339 --> 00:27:20.899
 about diligence, about...

00:27:20.899 --> 00:27:23.479
 But there is also some assumption about

00:27:23.479 --> 00:27:25.559
 work as an end,

00:27:25.899 --> 00:27:28.439
 as a way to fulfill something that I think

00:27:28.439 --> 00:27:31.000
 in the second class, Alex, reminded us.

00:27:31.059 --> 00:27:32.139
 It sounds very spiritual,

00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:35.839
 but our primary calling is to a relationship with God.

00:27:35.839 --> 00:27:37.279
 I don't think it's...

00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:40.919
 If you think our primary calling is to serve God,

00:27:41.339 --> 00:27:43.439
 no, it's to a relationship with God

00:27:43.439 --> 00:27:46.339
 of which He then invites us to serve alongside Him.

00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:47.899
 If you mix that up,

00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:51.539
 even Christian work can be corrupted by that mixture.

00:27:52.259 --> 00:27:53.799
 But there are those who pursue

00:27:53.799 --> 00:27:55.379
 for which work becomes an end,

00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:55.839
 and then...

00:27:56.639 --> 00:27:58.179
 Yeah, if you find me after the class,

00:27:58.319 --> 00:28:00.240
 I will sing at least one of those songs for you.

00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:04.539
 Any other questions?

00:28:05.839 --> 00:28:13.000
 All right.

00:28:13.419 --> 00:28:15.220
 So maybe then our final part,

00:28:15.399 --> 00:28:16.159
 I mean, section,

00:28:16.299 --> 00:28:18.339
 maybe this will spark up a few more.

00:28:18.919 --> 00:28:19.779
 So then what does this mean

00:28:19.779 --> 00:28:21.759
 for our work practically today?

00:28:21.919 --> 00:28:24.000
 It feels, to Susan's earlier point,

00:28:24.059 --> 00:28:26.439
 some of these ideas may be a bit more abstract

00:28:26.439 --> 00:28:27.779
 around how do those...

00:28:27.779 --> 00:28:29.879
 How do the ideas of re-narration,

00:28:29.880 --> 00:28:33.180
 re-narration of working as unto God,

00:28:33.260 --> 00:28:34.080
 as a new audience,

00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:38.020
 and being free from this work underneath the work?

00:28:38.080 --> 00:28:41.040
 How does it play out on a Tuesday afternoon

00:28:41.040 --> 00:28:42.560
 in your workplace?

00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:46.259
 Well, first, thankfully,

00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:50.299
 re-narration does not just work on a macro level,

00:28:50.299 --> 00:28:52.119
 but also on a micro level.

00:28:52.119 --> 00:28:55.099
 Thus, we are able to see

00:28:55.099 --> 00:28:58.819
 this re-narration of the gospel at work,

00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:02.439
 even in the vexing day-to-day occurrences of our jobs,

00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:04.919
 in light of God's greater purposes.

00:29:05.500 --> 00:29:07.259
 As it says in Romans 8, 28,

00:29:07.259 --> 00:29:32.240
 The gospel assures us

00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:34.920
 that God works in everything for His purpose,

00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:37.300
 and our task is to seek and ask Him

00:29:37.300 --> 00:29:38.380
 to show us this good

00:29:38.380 --> 00:29:40.460
 and for us, in many ways,

00:29:40.539 --> 00:29:42.320
 to re-narrate whatever experiences

00:29:42.320 --> 00:29:44.920
 we are having in light of this.

00:29:45.539 --> 00:29:47.800
 So one famous example in Scripture

00:29:47.800 --> 00:29:49.720
 is the story of Joseph, right?

00:29:50.060 --> 00:29:52.279
 Who was sold into slavery by his brothers,

00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:54.259
 framed by Potiphar's wife,

00:29:54.560 --> 00:29:56.480
 and then forgotten in prison.

00:29:57.100 --> 00:29:59.320
 I mean, if you wrote this story without the end,

00:29:59.400 --> 00:30:02.120
 it was like this guy just went from low to lower

00:30:02.120 --> 00:30:04.500
 and all the way to the lowest point.

00:30:05.360 --> 00:30:06.600
 But at the end of the story,

00:30:06.660 --> 00:30:08.680
 after he had ultimately become prime minister,

00:30:09.460 --> 00:30:11.440
 and when his brothers were afraid

00:30:11.440 --> 00:30:13.539
 that he would then take revenge on them

00:30:13.539 --> 00:30:15.140
 for what they did to him,

00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:18.320
 this is what he had to say in Genesis 49.

00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:19.480
 He said,

00:30:19.300 --> 00:30:20.600
 Don't be afraid.

00:30:21.240 --> 00:30:22.620
 Am I in the place of God?

00:30:22.920 --> 00:30:24.440
 You intended to harm me,

00:30:24.800 --> 00:30:26.360
 but God intended it for good,

00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:28.960
 to accomplish what is now being done,

00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:30.940
 the saving of many lives.

00:30:31.759 --> 00:30:34.019
 So Joseph was able to see those events

00:30:34.019 --> 00:30:36.580
 in the grander narrative of God's plan

00:30:36.580 --> 00:30:38.180
 for what he was doing.

00:30:39.259 --> 00:30:42.240
 Re-narration is not wish fulfillment.

00:30:42.759 --> 00:30:45.140
 He did not deny the facts or the reality

00:30:45.140 --> 00:30:46.160
 of his brothers' actions,

00:30:46.600 --> 00:30:48.840
 and also even the evil that they intended.

00:30:49.340 --> 00:30:49.539
 He said,

00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:50.900
 You meant it for evil.

00:30:51.299 --> 00:30:52.580
 You intended to harm me,

00:30:52.920 --> 00:30:55.100
 but God intended it for good.

00:30:55.099 --> 00:30:57.439
 Thus, because of the gospel,

00:30:57.679 --> 00:30:59.619
 we can be sure of God's good purposes,

00:30:59.919 --> 00:31:00.879
 even in our trials,

00:31:01.159 --> 00:31:04.199
 even when people intentionally have plans to use,

00:31:04.459 --> 00:31:04.959
 you know, like,

00:31:05.219 --> 00:31:06.000
 either in work,

00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:06.899
 usurp our,

00:31:07.379 --> 00:31:08.519
 take our credit or whatever,

00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:08.939
 like,

00:31:09.539 --> 00:31:10.539
 you can't believe

00:31:10.539 --> 00:31:12.399
 that God has a plan,

00:31:12.539 --> 00:31:13.480
 and I think that is,

00:31:13.919 --> 00:31:15.639
 the work is actually us believing it,

00:31:15.719 --> 00:31:16.879
 not the fact that it is true,

00:31:16.980 --> 00:31:17.480
 because it's like,

00:31:17.539 --> 00:31:19.399
 how can God work in that?

00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:21.800
 But then the cross is a perfect example.

00:31:21.980 --> 00:31:23.540
 People looked at Jesus on the cross,

00:31:23.620 --> 00:31:23.820
 it's like,

00:31:24.019 --> 00:31:25.800
 that cannot be the Messiah,

00:31:26.420 --> 00:31:28.880
 because he is evidently cursed by God.

00:31:29.340 --> 00:31:29.860
 That is how,

00:31:30.120 --> 00:31:30.440
 yeah,

00:31:30.540 --> 00:31:33.120
 but that is the extent to which God is able to redeem

00:31:33.120 --> 00:31:34.300
 even evil,

00:31:34.860 --> 00:31:35.519
 how much less,

00:31:35.580 --> 00:31:35.740
 like,

00:31:35.880 --> 00:31:36.519
 the grand evil,

00:31:36.600 --> 00:31:38.240
 how much less the minor frustrations

00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:39.480
 in our work.

00:31:41.660 --> 00:31:42.480
 They had a pretty,

00:31:42.759 --> 00:31:43.560
 I don't know,

00:31:43.560 --> 00:31:44.120
 it's like a,

00:31:44.120 --> 00:31:45.920
 hopefully humorous example,

00:31:46.040 --> 00:31:46.780
 but I always imagine,

00:31:46.920 --> 00:31:48.940
 imagine if you went on a date,

00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:49.779
 and you got stood up,

00:31:49.900 --> 00:31:50.320
 or something,

00:31:50.700 --> 00:31:51.620
 you got stood up at a date,

00:31:52.019 --> 00:31:52.559
 and you're in the,

00:31:52.680 --> 00:31:53.120
 and you're there,

00:31:53.240 --> 00:31:54.980
 and you meet the person at the date

00:31:54.980 --> 00:31:56.940
 that you eventually marry,

00:31:57.700 --> 00:31:59.539
 how upset would you be

00:31:59.539 --> 00:32:01.900
 at the person who stood you up on the date?

00:32:02.539 --> 00:32:02.799
 Yeah,

00:32:02.920 --> 00:32:04.120
 I think it's the,

00:32:04.279 --> 00:32:05.080
 that is the way,

00:32:05.180 --> 00:32:06.559
 even we have the capacity,

00:32:06.759 --> 00:32:07.340
 it's just that,

00:32:07.740 --> 00:32:09.500
 often in a failure of imagination,

00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:12.960
 we think all God's power is limited to

00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:15.019
 is the specific experience that we are facing,

00:32:15.500 --> 00:32:15.740
 but,

00:32:16.100 --> 00:32:16.360
 yeah,

00:32:16.580 --> 00:32:18.000
 I can imagine on the wedding day,

00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:18.859
 they're supposed to be

00:32:18.859 --> 00:32:20.200
 the man of the man,

00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:21.859
 thanking the person who didn't show up,

00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:22.700
 because,

00:32:23.119 --> 00:32:23.420
 yeah,

00:32:23.539 --> 00:32:24.460
 if they had shown up,

00:32:24.759 --> 00:32:25.460
 then this wouldn't be,

00:32:25.559 --> 00:32:26.240
 this wouldn't happen,

00:32:26.420 --> 00:32:26.980
 and that's,

00:32:27.220 --> 00:32:27.880
 in many ways,

00:32:28.200 --> 00:32:30.079
 kind of how our experiences

00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:30.920
 can,

00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:32.180
 in the light of the gospel,

00:32:32.900 --> 00:32:33.900
 always remind us

00:32:33.900 --> 00:32:35.259
 that God has a greater purpose,

00:32:35.339 --> 00:32:36.839
 it may not be purposes

00:32:36.839 --> 00:32:38.400
 that are fulfilled here in this earth,

00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:40.839
 but they will definitely be

00:32:40.839 --> 00:32:42.759
 fulfilled in heaven.

00:32:42.759 --> 00:32:45.859
 The second is a liberation,

00:32:46.140 --> 00:32:48.079
 we have to embrace adventure,

00:32:48.299 --> 00:32:49.019
 appropriately,

00:32:49.400 --> 00:32:50.539
 in pursuit of our work,

00:32:50.819 --> 00:32:53.160
 because we are not defined by success or failure.

00:32:53.680 --> 00:32:54.019
 So now,

00:32:54.220 --> 00:32:56.059
 one of my favorite science fiction books,

00:32:56.480 --> 00:32:57.579
 is Ender's Game.

00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:00.460
 I don't know if any of you have read Ender's Game,

00:33:00.460 --> 00:33:02.000
 but in that book,

00:33:02.400 --> 00:33:04.440
 some kids are taken into an academy

00:33:04.440 --> 00:33:06.200
 to train them to become space fighters

00:33:06.200 --> 00:33:09.079
 against an invading alien army.

00:33:09.740 --> 00:33:11.440
 Their training was a cumulative one,

00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:14.360
 as they underwent a series of war game simulations,

00:33:14.680 --> 00:33:17.700
 building to a final capstone-like battle

00:33:17.700 --> 00:33:18.640
 that was like the exam.

00:33:19.779 --> 00:33:20.059
 Now,

00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:21.640
 there's a spoiler alert in the next sentence,

00:33:21.740 --> 00:33:22.840
 so if you want to read it,

00:33:23.059 --> 00:33:23.779
 it's a really good book,

00:33:24.120 --> 00:33:25.039
 you can close your ears.

00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:27.920
 It turned out, though,

00:33:27.980 --> 00:33:29.599
 that their final capstone battle

00:33:29.599 --> 00:33:32.039
 was the actual battle with the aliens.

00:33:32.180 --> 00:33:33.200
 That was like the plot twist.

00:33:33.819 --> 00:33:35.460
 But because they didn't know,

00:33:35.819 --> 00:33:37.879
 these kids were able to fight and win

00:33:37.879 --> 00:33:40.079
 by taking risks they otherwise might not have.

00:33:41.119 --> 00:33:42.920
 If they thought it was an actual battle,

00:33:43.899 --> 00:33:45.119
 where winning or losing

00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:47.700
 would have taken on the existential reality

00:33:47.700 --> 00:33:48.879
 of civilization destruction,

00:33:49.019 --> 00:33:49.639
 rather than,

00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:50.359
 for them,

00:33:50.420 --> 00:33:51.420
 it was just an exam.

00:33:52.920 --> 00:33:53.079
 Okay,

00:33:53.220 --> 00:33:53.359
 so,

00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:54.200
 spoiler over.

00:33:54.200 --> 00:33:55.940
 So it is with us.

00:33:56.440 --> 00:33:57.720
 Salvation by grace means

00:33:57.720 --> 00:34:00.019
 success or failure does not define us.

00:34:00.680 --> 00:34:02.580
 It actually frees us to embrace

00:34:02.580 --> 00:34:03.319
 and do things,

00:34:03.420 --> 00:34:05.559
 because failure doesn't change

00:34:05.559 --> 00:34:06.980
 the grand narrative,

00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:09.240
 doesn't change anything

00:34:09.240 --> 00:34:12.740
 about our relationship with God,

00:34:13.260 --> 00:34:15.079
 as long as we are working

00:34:15.079 --> 00:34:16.619
 in light of what He's called us to do.

00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:17.860
 So then,

00:34:18.260 --> 00:34:19.280
 what may you be,

00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:20.480
 what are you holding back,

00:34:20.599 --> 00:34:21.659
 or are you afraid to try?

00:34:22.220 --> 00:34:23.039
 Because you're like,

00:34:23.039 --> 00:34:24.380
 afraid of failure.

00:34:24.940 --> 00:34:26.199
 In light of the gospel,

00:34:27.239 --> 00:34:28.960
 success or failure here in this world,

00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:30.860
 it's kind of like an exam.

00:34:31.519 --> 00:34:31.719
 Yeah,

00:34:31.759 --> 00:34:32.500
 it doesn't mean that like,

00:34:32.619 --> 00:34:33.500
 failing an exam hurts,

00:34:33.639 --> 00:34:35.219
 but it's not existential.

00:34:35.659 --> 00:34:36.699
 It's not life or death.

00:34:37.099 --> 00:34:37.360
 And so,

00:34:37.460 --> 00:34:38.360
 we are set free

00:34:38.360 --> 00:34:39.679
 to embrace this work.

00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:41.739
 The flip side,

00:34:41.739 --> 00:34:42.279
 so this is,

00:34:42.440 --> 00:34:43.339
 the example I just gave

00:34:43.339 --> 00:34:44.339
 is the failure side.

00:34:44.819 --> 00:34:45.699
 But there's a flip side

00:34:45.699 --> 00:34:47.799
 that it also keeps success

00:34:47.799 --> 00:34:50.579
 from being golden handcuffs as well.

00:34:51.319 --> 00:34:52.440
 And we see that in,

00:34:52.919 --> 00:34:53.619
 I'm not sure,

00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:54.619
 I should explain what the term

00:34:54.619 --> 00:34:55.500
 golden handcuffs are.

00:34:55.559 --> 00:34:57.419
 I don't know if you understand them,

00:34:57.519 --> 00:34:58.739
 but for large corporations,

00:34:59.659 --> 00:35:01.159
 the executives are often promised

00:35:01.159 --> 00:35:02.519
 massive payouts

00:35:02.519 --> 00:35:04.279
 should the companies be acquired.

00:35:04.699 --> 00:35:05.659
 That's a golden handcuff.

00:35:05.659 --> 00:35:07.259
 It means that even though

00:35:07.259 --> 00:35:08.039
 they would love to quit,

00:35:08.460 --> 00:35:09.859
 why quit when you could be fired?

00:35:10.319 --> 00:35:11.480
 And then you could leave

00:35:11.480 --> 00:35:13.179
 with like a massive payout.

00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:14.119
 And so some of them,

00:35:14.259 --> 00:35:14.420
 again,

00:35:14.500 --> 00:35:15.159
 it's a handcuff

00:35:15.159 --> 00:35:16.000
 because it's golden.

00:35:16.259 --> 00:35:16.460
 It's like,

00:35:16.539 --> 00:35:16.739
 wow.

00:35:17.199 --> 00:35:18.719
 But they are often tied

00:35:18.719 --> 00:35:20.239
 longer to the places

00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:21.339
 that they should otherwise leave.

00:35:22.779 --> 00:35:23.219
 So,

00:35:24.059 --> 00:35:25.139
 this

00:35:25.139 --> 00:35:26.980
 is often

00:35:26.980 --> 00:35:28.519
 a result

00:35:28.519 --> 00:35:29.920
 on our own smaller scale

00:35:29.920 --> 00:35:31.739
 of success.

00:35:31.739 --> 00:35:34.179
 we can sometimes be tied

00:35:34.179 --> 00:35:35.399
 to our successes

00:35:35.399 --> 00:35:36.699
 in ways that are unhealthy.

00:35:37.019 --> 00:35:38.319
 And we see this,

00:35:38.839 --> 00:35:39.579
 I guess,

00:35:39.659 --> 00:35:41.179
 the positive side of this

00:35:41.179 --> 00:35:42.239
 in the story of Jesus

00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:43.259
 in Mark 1.

00:35:43.899 --> 00:35:44.599
 And it says,

00:35:44.839 --> 00:35:45.939
 that evening at sundown

00:35:45.939 --> 00:35:46.679
 they brought to him

00:35:46.679 --> 00:35:47.679
 all who were sick

00:35:47.679 --> 00:35:48.819
 and oppressed by demons.

00:35:49.179 --> 00:35:50.359
 And the whole city

00:35:50.359 --> 00:35:51.839
 was gathered together at the door.

00:35:52.179 --> 00:35:53.279
 And he healed many

00:35:53.279 --> 00:35:53.939
 who were sick

00:35:53.939 --> 00:35:54.879
 with various diseases

00:35:54.879 --> 00:35:56.559
 and cast out many demons.

00:35:57.119 --> 00:35:58.159
 And he would not permit

00:35:58.159 --> 00:35:59.339
 the demons to speak

00:35:59.339 --> 00:36:00.839
 because they knew him.

00:36:00.840 --> 00:36:02.620
 And rising very early

00:36:02.620 --> 00:36:04.200
 in the morning

00:36:04.200 --> 00:36:05.559
 while it was still dark,

00:36:05.960 --> 00:36:06.519
 he departed

00:36:06.519 --> 00:36:07.680
 and went out

00:36:07.680 --> 00:36:08.840
 to a desolate place.

00:36:09.320 --> 00:36:10.300
 And there he prayed.

00:36:11.360 --> 00:36:12.039
 And Simon

00:36:12.039 --> 00:36:13.519
 and those who were with him

00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:14.380
 searched for him

00:36:14.380 --> 00:36:15.140
 and they found him

00:36:15.140 --> 00:36:15.780
 and said to him,

00:36:16.200 --> 00:36:16.920
 everyone

00:36:16.920 --> 00:36:18.460
 is looking for you.

00:36:19.059 --> 00:36:20.039
 And he said to them,

00:36:20.440 --> 00:36:21.140
 let us go

00:36:21.140 --> 00:36:22.120
 to the next towns

00:36:22.120 --> 00:36:23.320
 that I may preach

00:36:23.320 --> 00:36:23.920
 there also

00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:25.220
 for that is why

00:36:25.220 --> 00:36:26.140
 I came out.

00:36:26.760 --> 00:36:27.460
 And he went

00:36:27.460 --> 00:36:28.700
 throughout all Galilee

00:36:28.700 --> 00:36:30.120
 preaching in their synagogues

00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:31.039
 and casting out demons.

00:36:31.679 --> 00:36:32.279
 There would have been

00:36:32.279 --> 00:36:32.759
 a temptation

00:36:32.759 --> 00:36:33.579
 for some of us

00:36:33.579 --> 00:36:33.900
 to be like,

00:36:34.019 --> 00:36:35.380
 wow, look at this.

00:36:35.900 --> 00:36:37.039
 Revival, crusade,

00:36:37.159 --> 00:36:38.219
 let us just stay here,

00:36:38.380 --> 00:36:39.799
 plant and...

00:36:39.799 --> 00:36:40.599
 But Jesus was like,

00:36:40.940 --> 00:36:41.339
 ah no,

00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:42.559
 this isn't why I was called.

00:36:42.799 --> 00:36:43.480
 Let us go.

00:36:44.119 --> 00:36:44.539
 He was able

00:36:44.539 --> 00:36:45.759
 to leave his successes

00:36:45.759 --> 00:36:47.339
 and continue on his mission

00:36:47.339 --> 00:36:49.659
 because the audience

00:36:49.659 --> 00:36:50.859
 of one that he served

00:36:50.859 --> 00:36:52.319
 was the most important thing.

00:36:52.440 --> 00:36:53.299
 It didn't really matter

00:36:53.299 --> 00:36:55.400
 success or failure

00:36:55.400 --> 00:36:56.559
 in the eyes

00:36:56.559 --> 00:36:57.819
 of others.

00:36:57.820 --> 00:36:59.800
 So,

00:37:00.140 --> 00:37:01.000
 a question for us

00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:01.519
 would then be,

00:37:01.820 --> 00:37:02.840
 where is success

00:37:02.840 --> 00:37:04.340
 also preventing you

00:37:04.340 --> 00:37:05.019
 from embracing

00:37:05.019 --> 00:37:06.080
 the mission God

00:37:06.080 --> 00:37:06.700
 has given you?

00:37:07.059 --> 00:37:07.580
 Maybe something

00:37:07.580 --> 00:37:08.240
 he's called you,

00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:08.900
 he's sensed like,

00:37:09.460 --> 00:37:10.100
 where is that?

00:37:10.440 --> 00:37:11.340
 Like, ah man,

00:37:11.420 --> 00:37:12.080
 I'm going to abandon

00:37:12.080 --> 00:37:12.720
 all of this.

00:37:13.059 --> 00:37:13.980
 Even fruitfulness.

00:37:14.740 --> 00:37:15.059
 Remember,

00:37:15.160 --> 00:37:15.760
 it wasn't as though

00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:17.240
 Jesus was being paid dollars.

00:37:17.300 --> 00:37:17.720
 It was like,

00:37:17.940 --> 00:37:18.860
 he was healing the sick

00:37:18.860 --> 00:37:19.840
 and people were coming out.

00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:20.920
 Even good things,

00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:22.280
 success in good things

00:37:22.280 --> 00:37:23.559
 can be the enemy

00:37:23.559 --> 00:37:25.200
 of ultimate things.

00:37:25.199 --> 00:37:26.679
 And I think that's what

00:37:26.679 --> 00:37:28.019
 this can challenge us

00:37:28.019 --> 00:37:28.579
 to think about

00:37:28.579 --> 00:37:29.219
 in the context

00:37:29.219 --> 00:37:29.839
 of our work.

00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:31.819
 Could it be time

00:37:31.819 --> 00:37:32.500
 to make a change

00:37:32.500 --> 00:37:33.119
 in your job

00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:34.379
 even though you're

00:37:34.379 --> 00:37:35.039
 really good at,

00:37:35.919 --> 00:37:36.419
 this is why,

00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:37.179
 it calls for wisdom

00:37:37.179 --> 00:37:39.099
 but at least

00:37:39.099 --> 00:37:39.500
 it's something

00:37:39.500 --> 00:37:40.299
 for us to prove.

00:37:41.899 --> 00:37:42.779
 Then perhaps

00:37:42.779 --> 00:37:43.899
 one final way

00:37:43.899 --> 00:37:45.159
 in which freedom

00:37:45.159 --> 00:37:45.779
 from work

00:37:45.779 --> 00:37:47.019
 underneath the work

00:37:47.019 --> 00:37:48.639
 can help us

00:37:48.639 --> 00:37:50.500
 is how it enables us

00:37:50.500 --> 00:37:51.699
 to serve

00:37:51.699 --> 00:37:52.539
 in humility.

00:37:52.539 --> 00:37:54.259
 And Jesus is again

00:37:54.259 --> 00:37:54.820
 our example

00:37:54.820 --> 00:37:56.199
 in John chapter 13.

00:37:57.199 --> 00:37:57.639
 It said,

00:37:57.980 --> 00:37:58.860
 Now before the feast

00:37:58.860 --> 00:37:59.500
 of the Passover

00:37:59.500 --> 00:38:01.039
 when Jesus knew

00:38:01.039 --> 00:38:01.820
 that his hour

00:38:01.820 --> 00:38:02.360
 had come

00:38:02.360 --> 00:38:03.400
 to depart

00:38:03.400 --> 00:38:04.219
 out of this world

00:38:04.219 --> 00:38:05.179
 to the Father,

00:38:05.759 --> 00:38:06.679
 having loved his own

00:38:06.679 --> 00:38:07.500
 who were in the world,

00:38:07.619 --> 00:38:08.079
 he loved them

00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:08.619
 to the end.

00:38:09.119 --> 00:38:09.840
 And during supper

00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:11.380
 when the devil

00:38:11.380 --> 00:38:12.199
 had already put it

00:38:12.199 --> 00:38:12.619
 in the heart

00:38:12.619 --> 00:38:13.639
 of Judas Iscariot,

00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:15.259
 Simon's son,

00:38:15.420 --> 00:38:16.159
 to betray him,

00:38:16.820 --> 00:38:17.179
 Jesus,

00:38:17.599 --> 00:38:18.420
 knowing that the Father

00:38:18.420 --> 00:38:19.400
 had given all things

00:38:19.400 --> 00:38:20.219
 into his hands

00:38:20.219 --> 00:38:21.259
 and that he had

00:38:21.259 --> 00:38:22.059
 come from God

00:38:22.059 --> 00:38:23.279
 and was going back

00:38:23.279 --> 00:38:23.759
 to God,

00:38:24.219 --> 00:38:25.219
 rose from supper.

00:38:25.739 --> 00:38:26.519
 He laid aside

00:38:26.519 --> 00:38:27.279
 his outer garments

00:38:27.279 --> 00:38:28.299
 and taking a towel,

00:38:28.900 --> 00:38:29.960
 tied it around his waist.

00:38:30.460 --> 00:38:31.539
 Then he poured water

00:38:31.539 --> 00:38:32.219
 into a basin

00:38:32.219 --> 00:38:33.340
 and began to wash

00:38:33.340 --> 00:38:34.179
 the disciples' feet

00:38:34.179 --> 00:38:35.519
 and to wipe them

00:38:35.519 --> 00:38:36.119
 with a towel

00:38:36.119 --> 00:38:37.500
 that was wrapped around him.

00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:39.460
 There's a similar passage

00:38:39.460 --> 00:38:40.019
 I was just reading

00:38:40.019 --> 00:38:40.900
 in Philippians 2

00:38:40.900 --> 00:38:41.239
 which says,

00:38:41.340 --> 00:38:41.900
 Let each of you

00:38:41.900 --> 00:38:42.619
 look not only

00:38:42.619 --> 00:38:43.420
 to his own interests

00:38:43.420 --> 00:38:44.480
 but also to the interests

00:38:44.480 --> 00:38:44.960
 of others.

00:38:45.579 --> 00:38:46.400
 Having this mind

00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:47.179
 among yourselves,

00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:48.019
 which is yours

00:38:48.019 --> 00:38:48.719
 in Christ Jesus,

00:38:49.360 --> 00:38:50.480
 who though he was

00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:51.380
 in the form of God,

00:38:51.380 --> 00:38:52.519
 did not count

00:38:52.519 --> 00:38:53.640
 equality with God

00:38:53.640 --> 00:38:54.840
 a thing to be grasped

00:38:54.840 --> 00:38:56.680
 but emptied himself

00:38:56.680 --> 00:38:57.920
 by taking the form

00:38:57.920 --> 00:38:58.460
 of a servant,

00:38:59.240 --> 00:38:59.880
 being born

00:38:59.880 --> 00:39:01.200
 in the likeness of men.

00:39:02.480 --> 00:39:03.820
 Both of these passages

00:39:03.820 --> 00:39:05.180
 highlight

00:39:05.180 --> 00:39:07.099
 that Jesus' ability

00:39:07.099 --> 00:39:07.800
 to serve

00:39:07.800 --> 00:39:08.960
 in humility

00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:11.460
 was interestingly linked

00:39:11.460 --> 00:39:12.860
 to a full understanding

00:39:12.860 --> 00:39:13.500
 of himself

00:39:13.500 --> 00:39:14.760
 in relationship to God.

00:39:14.860 --> 00:39:15.640
 I always,

00:39:15.760 --> 00:39:16.519
 every time I read

00:39:16.519 --> 00:39:18.099
 that verse in 3

00:39:18.099 --> 00:39:18.440
 that says,

00:39:18.759 --> 00:39:19.000
 Jesus,

00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:21.099
 knowing that the Father

00:39:21.099 --> 00:39:22.440
 had given everything

00:39:22.440 --> 00:39:23.019
 to him,

00:39:23.440 --> 00:39:24.819
 that he had come from God

00:39:24.819 --> 00:39:25.480
 and was returning

00:39:25.480 --> 00:39:26.000
 to God,

00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:27.480
 went and washed

00:39:27.480 --> 00:39:28.000
 seven species.

00:39:28.079 --> 00:39:28.440
 It's like,

00:39:29.279 --> 00:39:30.679
 many people,

00:39:30.860 --> 00:39:32.059
 he went and he sat

00:39:32.059 --> 00:39:32.980
 at the head of the table

00:39:32.980 --> 00:39:34.860
 and put his feet up

00:39:34.860 --> 00:39:35.880
 and asked his disciples.

00:39:36.239 --> 00:39:37.400
 That is the natural,

00:39:37.839 --> 00:39:38.619
 secular mind,

00:39:40.019 --> 00:39:41.099
 natural conclusion

00:39:41.099 --> 00:39:41.940
 of that sentence.

00:39:42.360 --> 00:39:42.739
 For Jesus,

00:39:42.960 --> 00:39:43.679
 knowing all this,

00:39:44.119 --> 00:39:45.279
 was able to lay it aside

00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:47.200
 and actually do work

00:39:47.200 --> 00:39:48.760
 that was humble

00:39:48.760 --> 00:39:49.880
 in nature.

00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:52.840
 The gospel frees us

00:39:52.840 --> 00:39:54.580
 in a similar way.

00:39:55.980 --> 00:39:56.880
 It allows our work

00:39:56.880 --> 00:39:58.720
 to be gracious expressions

00:39:58.720 --> 00:40:00.000
 of creative energies

00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:01.600
 in service of others,

00:40:01.900 --> 00:40:03.240
 like Dorothy Sayers

00:40:03.240 --> 00:40:04.960
 describes as a definition

00:40:04.960 --> 00:40:05.360
 of work.

00:40:06.019 --> 00:40:08.200
 That often stumbling block

00:40:08.200 --> 00:40:09.940
 or sometimes humbling ourselves,

00:40:10.580 --> 00:40:11.920
 we are set free from

00:40:11.920 --> 00:40:13.560
 in light of the gospel.

00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:15.760
 So,

00:40:16.240 --> 00:40:17.660
 I will stop here.

00:40:18.080 --> 00:40:18.420
 I don't know,

00:40:18.480 --> 00:40:19.200
 I think there's still time

00:40:19.200 --> 00:40:20.220
 for a few questions.

00:40:20.500 --> 00:40:20.580
 So,

00:40:20.940 --> 00:40:21.900
 open it up.

00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:30.620
 Can you share

00:40:30.620 --> 00:40:31.580
 just like a thought

00:40:31.580 --> 00:40:33.320
 and maybe it will spark something?

00:40:33.980 --> 00:40:34.300
 So,

00:40:34.480 --> 00:40:36.360
 the sub-narration point

00:40:36.360 --> 00:40:37.300
 is interesting

00:40:37.300 --> 00:40:38.800
 and I'm thinking about

00:40:38.800 --> 00:40:40.720
 how that comes about.

00:40:40.880 --> 00:40:41.000
 Like,

00:40:41.060 --> 00:40:42.080
 how do you discover

00:40:42.079 --> 00:40:44.119
 that there's a false narrative

00:40:44.119 --> 00:40:45.259
 happening in your head,

00:40:45.319 --> 00:40:45.539
 right?

00:40:45.659 --> 00:40:45.960
 And so,

00:40:46.039 --> 00:40:46.779
 I'm thinking like

00:40:46.779 --> 00:40:49.400
 the Holy Spirit,

00:40:49.559 --> 00:40:49.840
 right,

00:40:49.940 --> 00:40:50.860
 can convict you,

00:40:51.099 --> 00:40:51.819
 the Word of God,

00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:52.400
 obviously,

00:40:52.960 --> 00:40:53.940
 but also community,

00:40:54.119 --> 00:40:54.360
 right?

00:40:54.539 --> 00:40:55.219
 Like sharing,

00:40:55.819 --> 00:40:56.639
 having someone maybe

00:40:56.639 --> 00:40:57.960
 speak into your work

00:40:57.960 --> 00:40:58.980
 and being open

00:40:58.980 --> 00:40:59.599
 and honest,

00:40:59.860 --> 00:41:01.159
 I think is like

00:41:01.159 --> 00:41:02.860
 an interesting outworking

00:41:02.860 --> 00:41:04.519
 of how that might

00:41:04.519 --> 00:41:05.340
 come about.

00:41:05.500 --> 00:41:06.079
 It's like,

00:41:06.500 --> 00:41:07.519
 just kind of a call

00:41:07.519 --> 00:41:09.699
 to invite others in

00:41:09.699 --> 00:41:11.139
 and be vulnerable

00:41:11.139 --> 00:41:13.039
 with where we're at

00:41:13.039 --> 00:41:14.119
 from,

00:41:14.420 --> 00:41:14.619
 you know,

00:41:14.659 --> 00:41:15.239
 with work.

00:41:16.559 --> 00:41:17.699
 Because I think

00:41:17.699 --> 00:41:18.380
 you could live

00:41:18.380 --> 00:41:19.480
 under a false narrative

00:41:19.480 --> 00:41:20.199
 for a while,

00:41:20.320 --> 00:41:20.559
 right?

00:41:20.699 --> 00:41:20.940
 Like,

00:41:21.420 --> 00:41:22.360
 so thinking about

00:41:22.360 --> 00:41:22.960
 how to,

00:41:23.639 --> 00:41:24.400
 and maybe you even

00:41:24.400 --> 00:41:25.219
 discover like,

00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:26.840
 I feel convicted

00:41:26.840 --> 00:41:27.400
 about this,

00:41:27.480 --> 00:41:27.820
 but like,

00:41:27.880 --> 00:41:28.699
 help me work through,

00:41:28.820 --> 00:41:29.019
 you know,

00:41:29.059 --> 00:41:29.440
 like help,

00:41:29.579 --> 00:41:30.420
 like someone might be able

00:41:30.420 --> 00:41:31.500
 to speak into it

00:41:31.500 --> 00:41:33.199
 faster or more clearly

00:41:33.199 --> 00:41:33.619
 than,

00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:34.619
 you know,

00:41:34.719 --> 00:41:36.199
 God might use that person,

00:41:36.199 --> 00:41:36.619
 I guess,

00:41:36.719 --> 00:41:37.659
 to like speak true.

00:41:38.139 --> 00:41:39.839
 So maybe just a comment

00:41:39.839 --> 00:41:40.579
 as I think about

00:41:40.579 --> 00:41:41.299
 the application

00:41:41.299 --> 00:41:42.279
 of those things,

00:41:42.399 --> 00:41:43.179
 especially the,

00:41:43.179 --> 00:41:45.939
 the re-narrative,

00:41:46.179 --> 00:41:46.719
 what did you call it?

00:41:46.759 --> 00:41:48.039
 Re-narration.

00:41:48.619 --> 00:41:49.279
 That's kind of

00:41:49.279 --> 00:41:50.019
 an interesting

00:41:50.019 --> 00:41:53.399
 point.

00:41:53.960 --> 00:41:54.279
 But yeah,

00:41:54.319 --> 00:41:54.739
 I guess.

00:41:56.679 --> 00:41:56.899
 Yeah,

00:41:56.980 --> 00:41:57.099
 no,

00:41:57.159 --> 00:41:57.639
 thank you.

00:41:58.159 --> 00:41:58.879
 Kim, first.

00:41:58.879 --> 00:42:00.319
 The precursor question

00:42:00.319 --> 00:42:01.699
 that I wrote down is,

00:42:02.119 --> 00:42:03.179
 how is this not just

00:42:03.179 --> 00:42:04.079
 rationalization

00:42:04.079 --> 00:42:05.159
 to do what I want to do?

00:42:06.199 --> 00:42:06.719
 How,

00:42:06.919 --> 00:42:07.639
 yeah,

00:42:07.899 --> 00:42:09.099
 because I'm good at that.

00:42:11.539 --> 00:42:12.960
 And how do I know

00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:14.059
 that that's really

00:42:14.059 --> 00:42:15.099
 what it is?

00:42:15.219 --> 00:42:16.059
 I feel like a life

00:42:16.059 --> 00:42:16.480
 has been,

00:42:16.579 --> 00:42:17.179
 are you sure

00:42:17.179 --> 00:42:18.219
 this is what you want

00:42:18.219 --> 00:42:18.859
 to be doing?

00:42:19.699 --> 00:42:20.899
 And really,

00:42:21.019 --> 00:42:22.099
 really struggling

00:42:22.099 --> 00:42:22.899
 with that.

00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:24.239
 And I can take

00:42:24.239 --> 00:42:24.839
 something

00:42:24.839 --> 00:42:25.859
 that

00:42:25.859 --> 00:42:28.759
 would,

00:42:28.819 --> 00:42:29.899
 would provide,

00:42:30.159 --> 00:42:31.099
 you know,

00:42:31.139 --> 00:42:31.759
 all of the,

00:42:31.819 --> 00:42:32.980
 all of the qualifications

00:42:32.980 --> 00:42:33.840
 of work

00:42:33.840 --> 00:42:34.740
 and good work

00:42:34.740 --> 00:42:36.159
 and turn that

00:42:36.159 --> 00:42:38.360
 into gospel work

00:42:38.360 --> 00:42:39.440
 with no problem

00:42:39.440 --> 00:42:39.940
 whatsoever.

00:42:40.579 --> 00:42:41.260
 But is that

00:42:41.260 --> 00:42:41.900
 really,

00:42:42.460 --> 00:42:42.760
 is,

00:42:43.940 --> 00:42:44.960
 I think your point

00:42:44.960 --> 00:42:45.219
 is,

00:42:45.539 --> 00:42:46.519
 how do we know

00:42:46.519 --> 00:42:47.300
 we're being truthful

00:42:47.300 --> 00:42:48.139
 with ourselves

00:42:48.139 --> 00:42:49.760
 in coming to

00:42:49.760 --> 00:42:50.579
 those conclusions?

00:42:51.000 --> 00:42:52.280
 Like discerning,

00:42:52.740 --> 00:42:53.500
 discernment,

00:42:53.579 --> 00:42:53.780
 right?

00:42:53.900 --> 00:42:54.099
 Right.

00:42:54.099 --> 00:42:54.599
 are,

00:42:55.719 --> 00:42:57.539
 I mean,

00:42:57.599 --> 00:42:58.339
 and I could say,

00:42:58.440 --> 00:42:58.599
 oh,

00:42:58.679 --> 00:42:58.860
 but,

00:42:58.960 --> 00:42:59.179
 you know,

00:42:59.239 --> 00:42:59.880
 this is something

00:42:59.880 --> 00:43:01.000
 that's been on my heart.

00:43:01.079 --> 00:43:01.199
 Well,

00:43:01.319 --> 00:43:01.559
 of course,

00:43:01.679 --> 00:43:02.239
 deceitful,

00:43:02.239 --> 00:43:04.480
 just deceitful

00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:05.400
 and desperately wicked.

00:43:05.599 --> 00:43:05.819
 So,

00:43:06.019 --> 00:43:06.619
 how do,

00:43:06.699 --> 00:43:07.259
 how do I know

00:43:07.259 --> 00:43:08.079
 what I can trust?

00:43:10.159 --> 00:43:10.599
 Susan?

00:43:11.019 --> 00:43:11.920
 I think one of the

00:43:11.920 --> 00:43:13.039
 beauties of the church,

00:43:13.159 --> 00:43:14.099
 as I've experienced

00:43:14.099 --> 00:43:15.019
 it in my life,

00:43:15.579 --> 00:43:16.299
 is that

00:43:16.299 --> 00:43:17.960
 I have a lot

00:43:17.960 --> 00:43:18.839
 of deceptions,

00:43:19.779 --> 00:43:20.059
 you know,

00:43:20.380 --> 00:43:20.719
 just,

00:43:21.000 --> 00:43:21.659
 even just

00:43:21.659 --> 00:43:22.359
 growing up

00:43:22.359 --> 00:43:23.799
 in any household,

00:43:24.399 --> 00:43:25.539
 there are assumptions

00:43:25.539 --> 00:43:26.279
 that household

00:43:26.279 --> 00:43:27.199
 has had

00:43:27.199 --> 00:43:28.379
 that you just

00:43:28.379 --> 00:43:29.699
 follow along with

00:43:29.699 --> 00:43:31.279
 and you're questioning it.

00:43:32.039 --> 00:43:33.399
 But then you meet

00:43:33.399 --> 00:43:33.899
 someone

00:43:33.899 --> 00:43:35.940
 who displays

00:43:35.940 --> 00:43:37.500
 some quality

00:43:37.500 --> 00:43:39.639
 or ability

00:43:39.639 --> 00:43:40.699
 or characteristic,

00:43:41.739 --> 00:43:43.539
 a godly example.

00:43:44.379 --> 00:43:44.579
 And it,

00:43:44.859 --> 00:43:45.539
 and when the Lord

00:43:45.539 --> 00:43:46.119
 uses it,

00:43:46.199 --> 00:43:46.299
 go,

00:43:46.659 --> 00:43:46.859
 oh,

00:43:47.079 --> 00:43:49.339
 I could do that.

00:43:50.159 --> 00:43:50.460
 And,

00:43:50.539 --> 00:43:51.480
 and then

00:43:51.480 --> 00:43:52.679
 you have a mentor.

00:43:53.320 --> 00:43:53.539
 I mean,

00:43:53.579 --> 00:43:54.559
 then you watch them

00:43:54.559 --> 00:43:55.019
 and you see

00:43:55.019 --> 00:43:56.000
 how they do that.

00:43:56.199 --> 00:43:56.679
 You see

00:43:56.679 --> 00:43:58.800
 how they put it together.

00:43:59.260 --> 00:43:59.559
 I mean,

00:43:59.579 --> 00:44:00.099
 I just think

00:44:00.099 --> 00:44:00.920
 it's one of the beauties

00:44:00.920 --> 00:44:01.500
 of the church

00:44:01.500 --> 00:44:02.800
 that God has given us.

00:44:03.420 --> 00:44:04.440
 How many people,

00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:05.780
 you're not best friends

00:44:05.780 --> 00:44:06.159
 with them,

00:44:06.280 --> 00:44:06.460
 but,

00:44:06.579 --> 00:44:08.900
 but you recognize

00:44:08.900 --> 00:44:10.679
 God's work in them

00:44:10.679 --> 00:44:11.920
 and you want it.

00:44:12.460 --> 00:44:12.880
 You want it.

00:44:13.219 --> 00:44:13.460
 Yeah.

00:44:13.980 --> 00:44:14.340
 Yeah.

00:44:14.340 --> 00:44:14.719
 Yeah.

00:44:15.039 --> 00:44:15.519
 Yeah.

00:44:15.519 --> 00:44:15.699
 Yeah.

00:44:15.699 --> 00:44:16.320
 I'm just,

00:44:16.440 --> 00:44:17.019
 it'd be a,

00:44:17.179 --> 00:44:18.059
 I'm part of a,

00:44:18.480 --> 00:44:19.079
 at one of the

00:44:19.079 --> 00:44:20.699
 campus ministry retreats,

00:44:20.699 --> 00:44:21.639
 um,

00:44:22.039 --> 00:44:24.119
 we had Matt Crossman speak,

00:44:24.259 --> 00:44:25.419
 who is one of the founders

00:44:25.419 --> 00:44:26.980
 of Eltona Vineyard Church.

00:44:27.359 --> 00:44:28.139
 And he's a professor

00:44:28.139 --> 00:44:29.019
 at the Div school,

00:44:29.119 --> 00:44:29.899
 but he teaches a lot

00:44:29.899 --> 00:44:30.599
 at the college.

00:44:31.239 --> 00:44:31.559
 And,

00:44:31.659 --> 00:44:32.000
 um,

00:44:32.119 --> 00:44:32.819
 he was telling us

00:44:32.819 --> 00:44:33.099
 about,

00:44:33.179 --> 00:44:33.339
 like,

00:44:33.399 --> 00:44:34.239
 his early career.

00:44:34.579 --> 00:44:35.480
 And he was in campus

00:44:35.480 --> 00:44:36.399
 ministry himself

00:44:36.399 --> 00:44:36.699
 and,

00:44:36.699 --> 00:44:37.000
 like,

00:44:37.439 --> 00:44:38.500
 living on two dollars

00:44:38.500 --> 00:44:38.859
 and,

00:44:38.859 --> 00:44:39.739
 you know,

00:44:39.779 --> 00:44:40.279
 doing the,

00:44:40.359 --> 00:44:40.519
 quote,

00:44:40.599 --> 00:44:40.759
 unquote,

00:44:40.859 --> 00:44:41.439
 Lord's work.

00:44:41.579 --> 00:44:41.759
 But,

00:44:42.179 --> 00:44:43.719
 he was talking about

00:44:43.719 --> 00:44:44.839
 how he was so scared

00:44:44.839 --> 00:44:45.939
 to go into academia,

00:44:46.159 --> 00:44:46.579
 ultimately,

00:44:46.579 --> 00:44:48.559
 because he thought

00:44:48.559 --> 00:44:48.880
 it was,

00:44:49.079 --> 00:44:49.159
 like,

00:44:49.779 --> 00:44:51.319
 inherently more,

00:44:51.559 --> 00:44:51.739
 like,

00:44:51.799 --> 00:44:52.659
 less godly

00:44:52.659 --> 00:44:53.579
 than what he was

00:44:53.579 --> 00:44:54.340
 doing in the moment.

00:44:54.539 --> 00:44:55.819
 And I will never forget,

00:44:55.940 --> 00:44:57.039
 he said that he lost

00:44:57.039 --> 00:44:58.139
 so many years

00:44:58.139 --> 00:44:59.000
 to the gospel

00:44:59.000 --> 00:45:00.019
 of being mediocre

00:45:00.019 --> 00:45:00.619
 for Jesus.

00:45:01.199 --> 00:45:02.579
 Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

00:45:02.579 --> 00:45:03.099
 Oh!

00:45:04.380 --> 00:45:05.059
 But just,

00:45:05.119 --> 00:45:05.319
 like,

00:45:05.679 --> 00:45:06.619
 applying that

00:45:06.619 --> 00:45:07.319
 in this context

00:45:07.319 --> 00:45:07.539
 of,

00:45:07.619 --> 00:45:07.739
 you know,

00:45:07.759 --> 00:45:08.219
 we are called

00:45:08.219 --> 00:45:09.500
 to do our work

00:45:09.500 --> 00:45:10.259
 with excellence

00:45:10.259 --> 00:45:11.139
 unto the Lord.

00:45:11.319 --> 00:45:11.779
 And also,

00:45:12.000 --> 00:45:12.639
 there's an element

00:45:12.639 --> 00:45:12.880
 of,

00:45:12.980 --> 00:45:13.119
 like,

00:45:13.460 --> 00:45:14.059
 evaluating,

00:45:14.639 --> 00:45:15.460
 or he was just saying,

00:45:15.460 --> 00:45:16.820
 there's an element

00:45:16.820 --> 00:45:17.599
 of all of this

00:45:17.599 --> 00:45:18.460
 where evaluating

00:45:18.460 --> 00:45:19.519
 how God made you

00:45:19.519 --> 00:45:20.159
 in alignment

00:45:20.159 --> 00:45:20.619
 with,

00:45:20.760 --> 00:45:21.260
 you know,

00:45:21.340 --> 00:45:23.199
 the available occupations

00:45:23.199 --> 00:45:23.420
 and,

00:45:23.539 --> 00:45:23.639
 like,

00:45:24.139 --> 00:45:24.460
 you know,

00:45:24.539 --> 00:45:26.320
 he could do

00:45:26.320 --> 00:45:27.280
 the administrative

00:45:27.280 --> 00:45:28.240
 and campus ministry

00:45:28.240 --> 00:45:29.159
 work that he was doing,

00:45:29.340 --> 00:45:30.880
 but God made his mind

00:45:30.880 --> 00:45:31.800
 to think and wrestle

00:45:31.800 --> 00:45:32.619
 with some of these

00:45:32.619 --> 00:45:33.280
 big questions

00:45:33.280 --> 00:45:33.920
 and to publish

00:45:33.920 --> 00:45:34.720
 and to teach.

00:45:34.860 --> 00:45:35.539
 And I have a bunch

00:45:35.539 --> 00:45:35.840
 of,

00:45:35.840 --> 00:45:36.440
 like,

00:45:36.500 --> 00:45:37.500
 non-believing friends

00:45:37.500 --> 00:45:38.159
 at the college

00:45:38.159 --> 00:45:39.400
 who have taken his courses

00:45:39.400 --> 00:45:40.000
 which are,

00:45:40.280 --> 00:45:40.619
 you know,

00:45:40.840 --> 00:45:41.639
 under the guise

00:45:41.639 --> 00:45:42.619
 of the course listing

00:45:42.619 --> 00:45:42.820
 or,

00:45:42.940 --> 00:45:43.019
 like,

00:45:43.079 --> 00:45:43.400
 secular,

00:45:44.000 --> 00:45:44.679
 you know,

00:45:44.679 --> 00:45:45.919
 courses

00:45:45.919 --> 00:45:46.839
 but have been

00:45:46.839 --> 00:45:47.259
 challenged

00:45:47.259 --> 00:45:48.059
 to think about

00:45:48.059 --> 00:45:49.460
 the Christian way

00:45:49.460 --> 00:45:49.940
 of living

00:45:49.940 --> 00:45:50.739
 and the gospel.

00:45:51.259 --> 00:45:51.739
 And so,

00:45:52.079 --> 00:45:52.699
 if he hadn't

00:45:52.699 --> 00:45:53.819
 made that transition

00:45:53.819 --> 00:45:54.619
 of,

00:45:54.619 --> 00:45:54.919
 like,

00:45:55.299 --> 00:45:56.199
 not being mediocre

00:45:56.199 --> 00:45:56.739
 for Jesus,

00:45:57.239 --> 00:45:58.059
 you know,

00:45:58.319 --> 00:45:58.859
 like that,

00:45:59.199 --> 00:46:00.139
 lives wouldn't have

00:46:00.139 --> 00:46:00.679
 been changed

00:46:00.679 --> 00:46:01.399
 in his career.

00:46:02.519 --> 00:46:03.559
 I was just reminded

00:46:03.559 --> 00:46:04.000
 of that.

00:46:04.359 --> 00:46:05.079
 Thank you.

00:46:07.199 --> 00:46:07.679
 Alex?

00:46:07.859 --> 00:46:08.739
 I think I'd wrestle

00:46:08.739 --> 00:46:09.899
 with a lot

00:46:09.899 --> 00:46:10.699
 of the same questions

00:46:10.699 --> 00:46:11.159
 that Kim

00:46:11.159 --> 00:46:12.000
 was talking about.

00:46:12.000 --> 00:46:12.320
 like,

00:46:12.380 --> 00:46:13.159
 how do I separate

00:46:13.159 --> 00:46:14.460
 out what's my

00:46:14.460 --> 00:46:15.800
 selfish motivation

00:46:15.800 --> 00:46:16.900
 versus what God

00:46:16.900 --> 00:46:17.900
 is calling me

00:46:17.900 --> 00:46:18.440
 to do?

00:46:18.519 --> 00:46:19.079
 And I think

00:46:19.079 --> 00:46:20.760
 I have similar

00:46:20.760 --> 00:46:22.039
 experiences with,

00:46:22.480 --> 00:46:23.559
 personal experiences

00:46:23.559 --> 00:46:24.659
 with things

00:46:24.659 --> 00:46:25.420
 that are being shared

00:46:25.420 --> 00:46:29.320
 and there is an element

00:46:29.320 --> 00:46:30.740
 for me also

00:46:30.740 --> 00:46:32.079
 of God's sovereignty

00:46:32.079 --> 00:46:33.000
 in all of this

00:46:33.000 --> 00:46:34.659
 because one of my

00:46:34.659 --> 00:46:35.900
 most pivotal

00:46:35.900 --> 00:46:37.099
 personal experiences

00:46:37.099 --> 00:46:38.700
 is feeling like

00:46:38.700 --> 00:46:39.720
 I was good at something,

00:46:40.180 --> 00:46:41.019
 feeling like I was

00:46:41.019 --> 00:46:42.159
 called to do something,

00:46:42.880 --> 00:46:44.680
 and with the best wisdom

00:46:44.680 --> 00:46:45.500
 that I had

00:46:45.500 --> 00:46:47.260
 in and of myself

00:46:47.260 --> 00:46:48.139
 and in the community

00:46:48.139 --> 00:46:48.720
 that I was in,

00:46:48.800 --> 00:46:49.920
 I pursued a path

00:46:49.920 --> 00:46:51.260
 and God ultimately

00:46:51.260 --> 00:46:51.700
 said,

00:46:52.220 --> 00:46:52.420
 no,

00:46:52.639 --> 00:46:53.119
 that's not,

00:46:53.200 --> 00:46:54.139
 that's not a path

00:46:54.139 --> 00:46:55.700
 and he closed the door

00:46:55.700 --> 00:46:57.700
 and opened the door

00:46:57.700 --> 00:46:58.840
 to something else

00:46:58.840 --> 00:46:59.260
 and so,

00:47:00.079 --> 00:47:00.420
 that,

00:47:01.740 --> 00:47:03.539
 for me personally,

00:47:04.079 --> 00:47:05.500
 relieves a lot

00:47:05.500 --> 00:47:06.260
 of the work

00:47:06.260 --> 00:47:07.500
 underneath the work

00:47:07.500 --> 00:47:09.260
 because I can trust

00:47:09.260 --> 00:47:10.019
 in the work

00:47:10.019 --> 00:47:11.079
 that God is doing

00:47:11.079 --> 00:47:13.360
 in my life

00:47:13.360 --> 00:47:15.920
 and I can faithfully

00:47:15.920 --> 00:47:18.000
 try to use

00:47:18.000 --> 00:47:18.500
 the wisdom

00:47:18.500 --> 00:47:19.579
 that he's given to me

00:47:19.579 --> 00:47:21.340
 and given to the church

00:47:21.340 --> 00:47:22.760
 in my local community

00:47:22.760 --> 00:47:23.559
 but ultimately

00:47:23.559 --> 00:47:24.940
 if I trust

00:47:24.940 --> 00:47:27.340
 that everything

00:47:27.340 --> 00:47:27.820
 he does

00:47:27.820 --> 00:47:28.320
 is for the good

00:47:28.320 --> 00:47:29.320
 of those who love him

00:47:29.320 --> 00:47:32.200
 then I can rest

00:47:32.200 --> 00:47:36.380
 even in my work

00:47:36.380 --> 00:47:37.400
 of discerning

00:47:37.400 --> 00:47:39.500
 where I should be now

00:47:39.500 --> 00:47:40.280
 and where I should be

00:47:40.280 --> 00:47:40.780
 in the future,

00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:41.200
 so.

00:47:41.400 --> 00:47:41.640
 Yeah.

00:47:41.639 --> 00:47:43.480
 Yeah,

00:47:43.559 --> 00:47:43.779
 I think,

00:47:43.900 --> 00:47:44.500
 thank you Alex,

00:47:44.599 --> 00:47:44.859
 I think,

00:47:44.940 --> 00:47:45.460
 thank you all

00:47:45.460 --> 00:47:46.420
 for sharing that.

00:47:47.420 --> 00:47:48.779
 I think that point

00:47:48.779 --> 00:47:49.659
 maybe to the original

00:47:49.659 --> 00:47:50.279
 question,

00:47:51.079 --> 00:47:51.480
 Sarah,

00:47:52.059 --> 00:47:53.400
 is helpful

00:47:53.400 --> 00:47:55.460
 that as Christians

00:47:55.460 --> 00:47:56.119
 in community

00:47:56.119 --> 00:47:57.400
 God has given us

00:47:57.400 --> 00:47:58.599
 so many things

00:47:58.599 --> 00:47:59.940
 that enable us to,

00:48:00.379 --> 00:48:01.920
 we can even be set free

00:48:01.920 --> 00:48:02.859
 from that anxiety

00:48:02.859 --> 00:48:04.139
 that I am working

00:48:04.139 --> 00:48:05.599
 underneath a false narrative

00:48:05.599 --> 00:48:09.119
 because we sometimes,

00:48:09.559 --> 00:48:09.900
 I guess,

00:48:10.159 --> 00:48:10.659
 because the,

00:48:10.659 --> 00:48:12.980
 the narrative

00:48:12.980 --> 00:48:14.319
 of growing into an adult

00:48:14.319 --> 00:48:15.519
 is becoming independent

00:48:15.519 --> 00:48:17.000
 whereas in Christian

00:48:17.000 --> 00:48:17.519
 a growing

00:48:17.519 --> 00:48:18.639
 is growing dependence

00:48:18.639 --> 00:48:19.500
 on your father

00:48:19.500 --> 00:48:20.299
 and that is a

00:48:20.299 --> 00:48:21.859
 real conflict

00:48:21.859 --> 00:48:22.199
 of,

00:48:22.339 --> 00:48:23.039
 and so we sometimes

00:48:23.039 --> 00:48:23.940
 think like independent

00:48:23.940 --> 00:48:24.420
 adults

00:48:24.420 --> 00:48:26.000
 where Jesus then

00:48:26.000 --> 00:48:26.619
 encourages us

00:48:26.619 --> 00:48:27.359
 to think like kids

00:48:27.359 --> 00:48:28.039
 and I always give

00:48:28.039 --> 00:48:28.480
 an example

00:48:28.480 --> 00:48:29.199
 because I'm like,

00:48:29.460 --> 00:48:30.299
 I have a young kid,

00:48:30.379 --> 00:48:31.139
 I can always imagine

00:48:31.139 --> 00:48:32.159
 if she comes and says,

00:48:32.500 --> 00:48:32.779
 Dad,

00:48:33.059 --> 00:48:34.859
 I have a big question

00:48:34.859 --> 00:48:35.859
 and I don't know

00:48:35.859 --> 00:48:36.399
 what to do.

00:48:36.699 --> 00:48:37.819
 There is no parent,

00:48:37.960 --> 00:48:38.759
 even those who have,

00:48:38.760 --> 00:48:39.640
 there is no child

00:48:39.640 --> 00:48:40.620
 who has ever complained

00:48:40.620 --> 00:48:41.660
 that they receive

00:48:41.660 --> 00:48:42.880
 less advice than they want

00:48:42.880 --> 00:48:43.580
 from their parents.

00:48:44.360 --> 00:48:45.380
 No child ever

00:48:45.380 --> 00:48:46.480
 has complained about that.

00:48:46.820 --> 00:48:47.620
 So why would it be

00:48:47.620 --> 00:48:48.700
 the same with God?

00:48:49.180 --> 00:48:49.420
 Like,

00:48:49.880 --> 00:48:50.840
 you would never get

00:48:50.840 --> 00:48:52.300
 less than you need.

00:48:52.520 --> 00:48:53.080
 It says like,

00:48:53.300 --> 00:48:54.060
 whoever lacks wisdom,

00:48:54.200 --> 00:48:54.860
 let him ask God

00:48:54.860 --> 00:48:55.560
 who gives,

00:48:56.040 --> 00:48:57.440
 like any parent,

00:48:57.920 --> 00:48:58.560
 generously

00:48:58.560 --> 00:48:59.840
 without finding fault.

00:49:00.000 --> 00:49:00.800
 No parent would say like,

00:49:00.980 --> 00:49:01.140
 yeah,

00:49:01.200 --> 00:49:01.920
 don't come and ask me

00:49:01.920 --> 00:49:02.240
 about that.

00:49:02.300 --> 00:49:02.740
 They would be like,

00:49:02.820 --> 00:49:03.100
 oh,

00:49:03.240 --> 00:49:04.180
 let me tell you.

00:49:04.179 --> 00:49:05.399
 And so I think

00:49:05.399 --> 00:49:06.399
 if we think,

00:49:06.480 --> 00:49:07.699
 if we are reminded of that,

00:49:07.799 --> 00:49:08.980
 we are also set free

00:49:08.980 --> 00:49:10.079
 from that anxiety.

00:49:10.539 --> 00:49:11.599
 I think the fact

00:49:11.599 --> 00:49:12.579
 that he's not just

00:49:12.579 --> 00:49:13.960
 always there to counsel,

00:49:14.299 --> 00:49:15.299
 but that he's also sovereign.

00:49:15.579 --> 00:49:15.879
 I think,

00:49:16.119 --> 00:49:16.799
 think about Joseph.

00:49:16.919 --> 00:49:17.799
 I always think about

00:49:17.799 --> 00:49:18.599
 his last step

00:49:18.599 --> 00:49:19.480
 of being forgotten

00:49:19.480 --> 00:49:20.139
 in prison

00:49:20.139 --> 00:49:21.739
 was pretty important

00:49:21.739 --> 00:49:23.099
 because if he was,

00:49:23.399 --> 00:49:24.899
 if he was remembered,

00:49:25.199 --> 00:49:26.440
 what would he have done

00:49:26.440 --> 00:49:27.179
 if he was set free?

00:49:27.299 --> 00:49:27.679
 Maybe he would have

00:49:27.679 --> 00:49:28.460
 gone straight back

00:49:28.460 --> 00:49:29.779
 to try to find his way

00:49:29.779 --> 00:49:30.619
 back to Hebrew

00:49:30.619 --> 00:49:31.819
 and set up this grand

00:49:31.819 --> 00:49:32.339
 confrontation

00:49:32.339 --> 00:49:33.059
 with his brothers.

00:49:33.059 --> 00:49:33.359
 Yep,

00:49:33.480 --> 00:49:34.059
 I'm alive.

00:49:34.480 --> 00:49:34.739
 You know,

00:49:34.819 --> 00:49:37.039
 but God had a bigger plan

00:49:37.039 --> 00:49:39.099
 and so he was conveniently

00:49:39.099 --> 00:49:40.179
 forgotten in prison.

00:49:40.539 --> 00:49:41.419
 That was something

00:49:41.419 --> 00:49:42.899
 he could not have orchestrated

00:49:42.899 --> 00:49:44.339
 but that God had to.

00:49:44.460 --> 00:49:45.239
 So we are,

00:49:45.779 --> 00:49:47.639
 we can also rest in that.

00:49:48.099 --> 00:49:48.940
 And so there is a,

00:49:49.259 --> 00:49:50.539
 like in many things in faith,

00:49:50.619 --> 00:49:51.480
 a combination of

00:49:51.480 --> 00:49:52.279
 some of the things

00:49:52.279 --> 00:49:53.679
 that God encourages us to do,

00:49:54.039 --> 00:49:54.699
 taking advantage

00:49:54.699 --> 00:49:55.319
 of the grace

00:49:55.319 --> 00:49:56.099
 that he's given us,

00:49:56.460 --> 00:49:57.279
 invite others,

00:49:57.879 --> 00:49:58.759
 especially others

00:49:58.759 --> 00:49:59.539
 who are Christians

00:49:59.539 --> 00:50:00.919
 in your own profession

00:50:00.919 --> 00:50:02.779
 because many of you

00:50:02.779 --> 00:50:03.440
 are challenged

00:50:03.440 --> 00:50:05.420
 in different specific ways,

00:50:05.500 --> 00:50:06.300
 in ways that you can

00:50:06.300 --> 00:50:07.519
 refine each other.

00:50:07.940 --> 00:50:08.960
 But then people in the church

00:50:08.960 --> 00:50:09.460
 who are outside

00:50:09.460 --> 00:50:10.159
 of that profession

00:50:10.159 --> 00:50:11.820
 who may more clearly see

00:50:11.820 --> 00:50:13.139
 the dominant narrative

00:50:13.139 --> 00:50:13.880
 within the profession

00:50:13.880 --> 00:50:15.420
 in ways that you are blind to

00:50:15.420 --> 00:50:17.159
 and then trust in the Lord

00:50:17.159 --> 00:50:17.960
 and the Spirit.

00:50:17.960 --> 00:50:20.619
 But I think you can,

00:50:20.720 --> 00:50:21.559
 in some way,

00:50:21.900 --> 00:50:23.460
 almost like in Inception style,

00:50:23.820 --> 00:50:24.720
 start worrying about

00:50:24.720 --> 00:50:25.940
 the work beneath the work

00:50:25.940 --> 00:50:26.519
 beneath the work,

00:50:26.619 --> 00:50:27.019
 which is,

00:50:27.619 --> 00:50:28.139
 oh my God,

00:50:28.199 --> 00:50:29.179
 like where is my,

00:50:29.400 --> 00:50:29.679
 nah,

00:50:29.820 --> 00:50:31.400
 I think the freedom

00:50:31.400 --> 00:50:32.079
 of the gospel

00:50:32.079 --> 00:50:33.800
 is from everything

00:50:33.800 --> 00:50:35.380
 outside of the work.

00:50:35.579 --> 00:50:36.039
 It's like,

00:50:37.059 --> 00:50:38.539
 we can just give it to God

00:50:38.539 --> 00:50:39.559
 humbly.

00:50:39.760 --> 00:50:40.460
 The Bible tells us

00:50:40.460 --> 00:50:41.500
 God works in us

00:50:41.500 --> 00:50:42.820
 both to will

00:50:42.820 --> 00:50:43.800
 and to do.

00:50:43.900 --> 00:50:45.039
 It's one of the grand promises

00:50:45.039 --> 00:50:45.980
 of the New Testament.

00:50:46.539 --> 00:50:47.159
 I don't even have,

00:50:47.320 --> 00:50:48.340
 even when my will

00:50:48.340 --> 00:50:48.820
 is struggling,

00:50:49.079 --> 00:50:49.960
 I can ask God

00:50:49.960 --> 00:50:51.300
 to change my will

00:50:51.300 --> 00:50:52.360
 because that's what

00:50:52.360 --> 00:50:52.800
 he does

00:50:52.800 --> 00:50:53.619
 to work in us

00:50:53.619 --> 00:50:54.539
 both to will

00:50:54.539 --> 00:50:55.199
 and to do

00:50:55.199 --> 00:50:56.679
 according to his pleasure.

00:50:56.940 --> 00:50:57.039
 So,

00:50:57.900 --> 00:50:58.739
 we are set free

00:50:58.739 --> 00:50:59.019
 from

00:50:59.019 --> 00:51:01.500
 all different layers

00:51:01.500 --> 00:51:02.039
 of the work

00:51:02.039 --> 00:51:03.380
 because of the gospel.

00:51:04.320 --> 00:51:04.860
 Thank you.

00:51:04.860 --> 00:51:08.220
 All right,

00:51:08.300 --> 00:51:09.019
 it's five to ten.

00:51:09.079 --> 00:51:09.820
 I think this is a good

00:51:09.820 --> 00:51:10.559
 place to end.

00:51:11.800 --> 00:51:12.579
 Next week will be

00:51:12.579 --> 00:51:13.400
 our final class.

00:51:13.500 --> 00:51:14.660
 It will be a Q&A.

00:51:15.059 --> 00:51:15.220
 So,

00:51:15.280 --> 00:51:17.260
 we've done multiple topics.

00:51:17.720 --> 00:51:19.300
 There are bigger questions

00:51:19.300 --> 00:51:20.400
 that are not isolated

00:51:20.400 --> 00:51:21.740
 to one but span many

00:51:21.740 --> 00:51:23.380
 and Alex and I

00:51:23.380 --> 00:51:23.920
 will be filling

00:51:23.920 --> 00:51:25.019
 those questions next week.

00:51:25.079 --> 00:51:25.180
 So,

00:51:25.260 --> 00:51:25.860
 come with them

00:51:25.860 --> 00:51:29.220
 and we hope to see you then.

00:51:30.360 --> 00:51:30.940
 Thank you.

00:51:30.940 --> 00:51:30.940


00:51:30.940 --> 00:51:30.980
 Thank you.

00:51:31.980 --> 00:51:33.079
 Do you have a minute

00:51:33.079 --> 00:51:34.000
 to help you with that?

00:51:34.320 --> 00:51:34.660
 Yes.

00:51:34.860 --> 00:51:35.160
 Thank you.

00:51:35.160 --> 00:51:35.500
 Thank you.

00:51:35.500 --> 00:51:35.620
 Thank you.