WEBVTT

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 Praise God for good weather.

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 Man, I've been needing it.

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 I know you have too.

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 I'm glad we can be here together.

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 My name's Tommy, if I haven't met you.

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 I'm glad that we can be worshiping tonight in this space.

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 Very thankful for that.

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 Thankful for the series that we've been doing over the last couple of weeks.

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 It's been a great encouragement to me.

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 We decided to take a few weeks and explore a theme that at least I personally have not spent much time thinking about up until now.

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 We were looking at the state of our society, the state of culture, the, frankly, I think, enormous amount of unrest and anxiety and tension,

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 and really sensing that we as a community need hope and comfort and a vision for life moving forward.

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 And we've found that by looking at John chapter 17 and reflecting on this interesting truth.

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 Often when we think about Jesus and his ministry, we think about the things that Jesus did in his earthly ministry.

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 We think about Jesus living the life that we should have lived, a perfect life.

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 And we think about Jesus dying the death that we deserve to die on our behalf on the cross.

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 And we talk about Jesus' resurrection and the new life that he brings.

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 And yet there's an aspect of Jesus' ministry that, as I said before, I haven't thought much about.

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 And that's what Jesus has been doing ever since that time.

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 And quite simply, Jesus at this very moment, as he has been doing for the last 2,000 years, prays for us.

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 He intercedes on our behalf.

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 And I find it tremendously comforting to think of Jesus praying on behalf of his church.

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 And so in John chapter 17, we get a unique window into the kinds of things that Jesus prays for his church.

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 What is his desire for us, his people?

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 Those of us who are here who are Christians, what does he desire from us?

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 And what would he like to see in our midst?

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 And so that's what we're looking at.

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 And we looked a couple of weeks ago at the fact that Jesus prays for our protection.

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 And then last week, Dan preached on the fact that Jesus also prays for our unity.

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 And then tonight, the last week of this series, it all comes together in the third theme that we see in this prayer.

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 And that is that Jesus prays for our sanctification.

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 Which is a word in the Bible that essentially means to be set apart for a wholly specific purpose.

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 And so as we think about spiritual growth as Christians, what spiritual growth really means for us is growing in our set-apartness.

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 Growing in our ability to be aligned with and devoted to the unique purposes that God has for us.

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 And so that's what we're going to be looking at, the process of spiritual growth, of sanctification as Jesus prays for us to experience.

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 And we see three things about it.

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 First, we'll see the means of sanctification, the means of spiritual growth.

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 How does it happen?

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 Then we'll see the evidence of spiritual growth.

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 How do we know that we're actually growing?

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 And then third, and most important, we'll see the purpose.

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 What's it all for?

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 Why does it matter whether or not we grow in our set-apartness?

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 So with that in mind, let's pray as we get started.

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 Our Heavenly Father, we do thank you for setting us apart, for setting this time apart, and this space apart.

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 For us to encounter you, Lord.

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 As we prayed earlier, we pray that your Holy Spirit would come and empower these words to be your voice into our hearts.

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 And we pray that because we need it.

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 And we pray it for your glory.

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 In your Son's name.

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 Amen.

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 So as we're looking at John chapter 17, first of all, we're going to reflect on the means of spiritual growth.

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 How does growth actually happen?

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 And it's important to point out that this is where we see the distinction between the Christian understanding of spiritual growth

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 and what you might think of as the self-improvement culture in our society.

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 The self-help world or the self-improvement world.

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 You know, I did a little research, and the self-help market is an $11 billion market.

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 So tons of money spent on self-help books and videos and speakers and conferences.

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 It's a big world.

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 A lot of money.

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 And yet it makes you wonder, is there anything to this?

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 Are people actually being helped?

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 And there's some research on this.

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 Steve Salerno wrote a book called Sham, How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless.

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 And in his book, Salerno refers to the 18-month rule.

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 Well, what's that?

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 Well, research shows who are the most likely people to buy self-help materials?

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 People who bought self-help materials sometime in the last 18 months.

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 And what that shows you is that people buy again and again and again and again looking for that promise of help.

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 Right?

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 And the formula is very clear and very effective.

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 The formula essentially plays on our sense of discontentment.

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 Our sense of inadequacy.

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 That sense that pretty much everybody in the world has.

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 And then it promises that the life that you've been dreaming of, the life that you've been longing for, is right here.

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 It's just around that corner.

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 And this book or these techniques or these steps are going to get you just around that corner.

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 You're going to turn that corner and everything's going to be different.

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 So words like breakthrough.

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 Right?

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 You're going to have a breakthrough.

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 It's a very effective formula.

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 It's essentially peddling hope.

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 But the thing is, it's a scam.

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 And more than that, it's promising a kind of quick fix that really doesn't exist.

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 And what we see in Jesus' prayer is that the means of true growth and transformation.

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 Steve says here.

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 I mean, I'm sorry.

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 Jesus says here.

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 Steve.

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 Steve Salerno.

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 Sorry.

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 Still talking about Steve's book.

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 Now let's look at Jesus' book.

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 He says in verse 17,

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 Sanctify them in the truth.

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 Your word is truth.

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 And what he's talking about there is that sanctification, the process of becoming more set apart, more aligned with God's purposes,

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 that happens when we put God's truth into practice.

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 And by truth, he clarifies he means God's word.

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 When that becomes worked into our life.

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 Right?

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 So plants grow by taking sunlight and they convert sunlight into what they need to grow.

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 They work it into themselves and it's converted into growth.

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 And in the same way, Christians are called to take the light of God's truth and convert that into growth.

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 In other words, it's not automatic.

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 It's a process that happens over the course of a lifetime.

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 And in John's pastoral letter, so we just looked at, the gospel reading was from his gospel.

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 The other reading that we had was from 1 John, which is his pastoral letter to the church.

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 And in that letter, he tells us a little more about what spiritual growth actually looks like.

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 And he has this kind of poem that Diana read.

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 And it addresses three groups of people.

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 Little children, young men, and then fathers or elders.

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 And what's important to note about this poem is, these are symbolic categories.

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 He's not literally talking to kids and young men and dads.

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 He's essentially saying that there are different phases of growth for Christians.

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 Different stages of maturity.

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 So what constitutes the first stage of growth?

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 What is a basic baby Christian?

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 Well, here's what he says.

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 Little children are people who have heard and now believe the gospel.

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 They know that they're forgiven through the grace of Jesus and that they're children of God.

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 So little children are those people who know the basic, core gospel message.

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 Through Jesus, you receive grace and you become adopted as a child of God.

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 And that's what makes you a Christian.

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 It's the foundation of our faith.

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 So then the question becomes, well, what is it that takes you from that first phase of the Christian life?

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 What is it that makes the difference between people who grow and people remain spiritually children?

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 And if you look, here's what he says.

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 Here's how he describes the next phase of growth.

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 You, meaning young men, are strong.

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 And the word of God abides in you.

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 And you have overcome the evil one.

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 So what he's saying is this.

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 Here's the difference between people who remain spiritual infants and people who grow.

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 It's people who take God's word and work it into their lives and immerse themselves in it.

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 So that it begins to abide in them.

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 We'll talk a little bit more about that.

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 And then they use it in an active struggle against sin in their life.

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 Right?

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 Right?

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 Right?

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 So they're actively fighting against sin.

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 And they're striving for holiness.

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 And God's word is their instrument of battle.

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 This is how maturity begins to happen.

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 Right?

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 And so there are a lot of implications as we think about this as the means of spiritual growth.

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 But essentially this is saying that apart from God's word, spiritual maturity is not possible.

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 Apart from God's word, we remain spiritual infants.

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 You can come to faith and receive the gospel.

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 But you will remain a child in the faith.

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 Our decisions, our priorities, our dating relationships, our marriages, our kids, all of it has to be worked through the grid of the gospel.

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 Right?

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 We learn to see our celebration through the lens of the gospel.

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 We learn to lament through the lens of God's word.

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 Everything becomes framed by God's word.

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 And you know, over the years I've seen people in our church who have faced enormous tragedy.

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 Enormous struggle.

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 Enormous heartache.

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 Enormous heartache.

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 And I've seen what happens when people take all of that struggle and they open God's word and they allow God's word to shape and to frame and to direct all of those feelings.

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 Right?

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 They use God's word to make sense of that struggle.

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 And I've seen the depth and the maturity that comes from that.

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 There's really no other way to get it.

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 And Advent, by the way, is an Anglican church.

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 For those of you who don't know, an Anglican spirituality, all the liturgy and all the book of common prayer

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 and all that that we use, it may feel odd to some of you.

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 But the whole theory behind that is this idea.

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 That we want to immerse ourselves in scripture.

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 And so all of the common prayer that we use is essentially scripture that's been reformatted to allow us to use it in gathered worship.

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 That's all it is.

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 But it's based on this idea.

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 Total immersion.

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 And one other point I want to make.

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 This also says that part of maturity means developing sound doctrine.

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 In other words, doctrine that aligns with God's word accurately.

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 And there are a lot of different opinions on the role of doctrine in the Christian life.

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 But it's interesting to look at what Paul says in Ephesians 4.

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 He says, be no longer children.

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 He's exhorting the Ephesians to grow.

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 Well, what's the mark of a child?

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 Well, if you look on, he says, a child is someone who is tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.

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 Right?

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 So that's a mark of being a spiritual infant.

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 Right?

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 Is that you don't have any sound doctrine.

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 So people who say, well, you know, I follow Jesus and I believe in Jesus.

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 But the whole idea of doctrine, I just really, I reject that because doctrine just divides people and I just want to follow Jesus.

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 You know, frankly, honestly, the New Testament writers would say that that's very childish.

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 You know?

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 And we're called to have a childlike faith.

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 But not a childish faith.

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 Growing in Christ requires the developing of a sound, comprehensive, integrated theology that aligns with God's word.

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 All Christians in this room are amateur theologians.

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 We're all called to develop a coherent theology that's reflective of scripture.

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 So one more way to think about immersing ourselves in God's word before we move on is an illustration that I use from time to time because I think it's so great.

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 And it comes from the Chicago Shakespeare Improv Company.

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 If you're familiar with this group, every night they do, and if you've been around, you've heard me talk about this before, but I really can't find any better illustration of what we're trying to get at here.

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 So forgive me for the redundancy.

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 But it's essentially a troupe.

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 Every night they perform two 90-minute performances.

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 And they stand up and they say, okay, give me a topic.

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 Give me character names.

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 Give me a plot.

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 And people just shout out ideas.

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 You know, they shout out things, you know.

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 And they say, okay, okay.

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 And then right then, with no preparation, they just begin to improvise an hour and a half of a Shakespearean play.

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 And people watch this and they say, this is magic.

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 This has got to be rigged.

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 How could they possibly do it?

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 No, it's real.

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 But the way they do it is they immerse themselves in Shakespeare.

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 They study it.

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 They learn it.

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 They analyze it.

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 They memorize it.

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 They recite it.

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 They immerse themselves in it.

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 And over time, they develop a kind of Shakespearean instinct.

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 So that you give them a topic and they can improvise in Shakespearean verse.

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 And in the same way, we're called to do that with God's word.

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 Immerse ourselves in it so that it becomes worked into the marrow of our bones and our DNA and it's coursing through our veins.

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 And so when all of these circumstances arise in life, many of the circumstances in life are never addressed in the Bible.

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 Right?

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 Because that's not the purpose of the Bible.

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 But the goal is that we're so immersed in God's word that we develop a kind of word instinct.

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 And we're able to improvise in a word-shaped way in all of the various circumstances of our lives.

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 The only way to do it is the long, hard obedience of immersing ourselves in Scripture.

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 So the means of spiritual growth is God's truth, his word, when we not only learn it but put our lives under it.

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 And then that leads us to the next question.

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 How do we know we're growing?

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 What's the evidence of spiritual growth?

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 And we see three things in John 17.

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 And the first may surprise you.

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 The first evidence of spiritual maturity is joy.

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 It's joy.

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 There are a lot of people who know a lot about the Christian faith but they lack joy.

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 And one of the great examples, one of the great evidences of a maturing Christian is the presence of joy despite circumstance.

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 People who are joyful regardless of what's happening.

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 Right?

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 And joy for Jesus isn't just feeling good.

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 It's the joy that comes from putting the glory of his father above everything else.

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 It's that unique kind of glory.

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 As long as my father is glorified, I'm joyful.

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 Right?

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 And so mature Christians more and more and more put the glory of God above everything else.

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 They can rest in that glory regardless of what's happening down here.

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 Regardless of what's happening in their lives.

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 So that's the first mark of maturity.

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 Joy.

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 So Christian maturity isn't about doing our Christian duty and kind of dogmatic obedience and just doing what we're supposed to do.

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 It's none of that.

00:16:05.259 --> 00:16:09.379
 It's learning how to drink deeply from that well of joy.

00:16:09.860 --> 00:16:11.220
 Of the glory of God.

00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:12.980
 Regardless of what's happening.

00:16:14.100 --> 00:16:18.700
 And of course the more we find joy in God's glory, the more we're going to be drawn together.

00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:22.600
 And so not surprisingly, the next mark of maturity is unity.

00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:25.759
 It's people who are unified.

00:16:25.899 --> 00:16:26.860
 Christians who are unified.

00:16:27.060 --> 00:16:32.159
 Jesus says, I do not ask for these only, but also for all of those who will believe in me through their word.

00:16:32.259 --> 00:16:32.879
 That's us.

00:16:33.639 --> 00:16:38.060
 That they may all be one just as you, Father, are in me and I in you.

00:16:39.060 --> 00:16:41.620
 Now Dan preached on this last week, so I don't want to say too much about it.

00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:42.740
 But I do want to point this out.

00:16:42.740 --> 00:16:49.480
 A lot of communities these days, a lot of churches, pursue unity by doing away with doctrine.

00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:57.620
 And they say, in order for us all to get along and to have a cohesive group and to have a unified community, we need to relativize doctrine.

00:16:57.799 --> 00:17:01.100
 So you believe what you want and you believe what you want and you believe what you want.

00:17:01.100 --> 00:17:05.279
 And we'll all agree to disagree on all those things so that we can preserve unity.

00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:11.299
 And if we're reading John 17 correctly, Jesus would say that that's a false unity.

00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:13.500
 It's not a real unity.

00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:17.339
 And the reason that it's false is because it's unity at the expense of truth.

00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:20.839
 But Jesus is not praying for that.

00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:22.460
 He's praying for the opposite of that.

00:17:22.819 --> 00:17:25.059
 He's praying for unity through truth.

00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:27.460
 Unity in the truth.

00:17:27.460 --> 00:17:30.299
 Unity that is derived from the truth.

00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:35.059
 He's praying that we would be unified in the truth of who Jesus is.

00:17:35.299 --> 00:17:36.799
 The truth represented in scripture.

00:17:37.139 --> 00:17:38.399
 The truth of what we're called to be.

00:17:38.500 --> 00:17:39.439
 The truth of the gospel.

00:17:40.819 --> 00:17:43.399
 So unity does not come by saying let's agree to disagree.

00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:44.699
 As tempting as that might be.

00:17:45.719 --> 00:17:52.219
 True unity is when believers are striving together to understand who Jesus really is and what that really means.

00:17:52.639 --> 00:17:53.699
 Resolving our differences.

00:17:56.419 --> 00:17:59.500
 And of course, the more we're devoted to the glory of God

00:17:59.500 --> 00:18:02.460
 and the more that we're unified in the truth of his son Jesus,

00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:06.119
 the more love is going to come to define our relationships.

00:18:06.259 --> 00:18:07.940
 And not just any love, but his love.

00:18:08.299 --> 00:18:09.859
 So the third mark of maturity.

00:18:10.059 --> 00:18:10.599
 We have joy.

00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:11.180
 We have unity.

00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:12.779
 And the third mark is love.

00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:14.240
 Probably the most important.

00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:17.119
 At the end of the prayer, Jesus says,

00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:33.319
 Jesus prays that we would be so consumed with love for God

00:18:33.319 --> 00:18:38.179
 that that love would begin to shape and define all of our relationships.

00:18:38.180 --> 00:18:42.019
 Now there's something that I want to point out about all of these three.

00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:44.140
 Joy, unity, and love.

00:18:44.220 --> 00:18:44.980
 What do they all share?

00:18:46.340 --> 00:18:50.279
 They are all communal measures of spiritual maturity.

00:18:51.180 --> 00:18:52.060
 Not individual.

00:18:53.320 --> 00:18:53.560
 Right?

00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:55.259
 So yes, I want to become more patient.

00:18:56.539 --> 00:18:58.580
 Yes, I want to become more kind.

00:18:58.720 --> 00:18:59.880
 Yes, I want all these things.

00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:01.700
 And all of those things are marks of spiritual growth.

00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:03.279
 But he's emphasizing what?

00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:04.560
 The communal aspects.

00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:05.460
 Which tells us what?

00:19:05.460 --> 00:19:10.600
 An essential aspect of spiritual growth, your spiritual growth,

00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:11.920
 your personal growth,

00:19:12.460 --> 00:19:15.840
 an essential aspect of that is found in a community.

00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:18.880
 That that's how you know.

00:19:18.980 --> 00:19:20.000
 Okay, how do you know you're growing?

00:19:20.220 --> 00:19:21.600
 What are your relationships like?

00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:23.860
 That's how you know that you're growing.

00:19:25.120 --> 00:19:25.480
 Right?

00:19:25.539 --> 00:19:29.220
 So this is one of the main reasons why it's important to be involved in a local church,

00:19:29.299 --> 00:19:30.000
 wherever you live.

00:19:31.340 --> 00:19:32.759
 To be involved in a local church.

00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:35.779
 Listen, you know, there are a lot of people around here who say,

00:19:35.879 --> 00:19:38.220
 well, my church, I have a group of friends,

00:19:38.379 --> 00:19:40.799
 and we get together regularly, and we pray, and we read scripture,

00:19:41.059 --> 00:19:43.279
 and we worship God, and that's my church.

00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:45.119
 And I would say, I'm so glad that you have that,

00:19:45.180 --> 00:19:46.180
 but that is not a church.

00:19:48.220 --> 00:19:52.019
 I mean, self-selecting a group of people that you already like,

00:19:52.059 --> 00:19:54.039
 and already get along with, that's great.

00:19:54.039 --> 00:19:57.220
 But the kind of love that we're looking at here,

00:19:58.359 --> 00:20:01.500
 the kind of joy, the kind of unity,

00:20:02.139 --> 00:20:07.279
 it's really found when you're in a room full of people that you didn't pick,

00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:10.879
 and you look around, and you realize that God has said,

00:20:11.319 --> 00:20:13.399
 that person is your brother, that person is your sister.

00:20:14.539 --> 00:20:17.059
 You may not even like that person, you have nothing in common,

00:20:17.159 --> 00:20:20.559
 and yet somehow you have to figure out how to share joy with them,

00:20:20.740 --> 00:20:21.839
 how to be unified with them,

00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:23.439
 and how to love them sacrificially.

00:20:24.220 --> 00:20:25.639
 And that's when you're going to grow.

00:20:26.659 --> 00:20:28.059
 I'm glad that you have friends,

00:20:28.919 --> 00:20:30.699
 but we're talking about something much deeper,

00:20:31.419 --> 00:20:32.480
 much harder than that.

00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:35.859
 If you really want to spiritually grow,

00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:38.639
 find a local church, does not have to be Advent,

00:20:38.959 --> 00:20:40.879
 find a local church that's centered on the gospel,

00:20:41.579 --> 00:20:43.119
 and pour your life into it.

00:20:44.419 --> 00:20:45.639
 Pour your life into it.

00:20:46.939 --> 00:20:48.319
 It will change your life.

00:20:48.879 --> 00:20:49.720
 Mark my words.

00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:52.700
 It's one of the best ways to grow.

00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:56.900
 One of the last things I'll say about growth,

00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:57.779
 and evidence of growth,

00:20:57.980 --> 00:20:59.539
 comes from the Chronicles of Narnia.

00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:03.059
 I think it's the second book,

00:21:03.460 --> 00:21:05.980
 and Lucy sees Aslan,

00:21:06.100 --> 00:21:09.059
 and Aslan is the lion who represents God in Narnia.

00:21:09.579 --> 00:21:12.120
 It's been a long time since Lucy has seen Aslan,

00:21:12.259 --> 00:21:13.079
 and they're reunited.

00:21:13.079 --> 00:21:15.439
 And it says this.

00:21:15.919 --> 00:21:18.059
 The great beast rolled over on his side

00:21:18.059 --> 00:21:19.179
 so that Lucy fell,

00:21:19.339 --> 00:21:21.599
 half sitting and half lying between his front paws.

00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:24.599
 He bent forward and touched her nose with his tongue.

00:21:24.859 --> 00:21:26.639
 His warm breath came all around her,

00:21:26.899 --> 00:21:29.119
 and she gazed up into the large, wise face.

00:21:30.859 --> 00:21:32.419
 Welcome, child, he said.

00:21:33.419 --> 00:21:34.759
 Aslan, said Lucy.

00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:35.819
 You're bigger.

00:21:36.879 --> 00:21:39.019
 That's because you're older, little one,

00:21:39.460 --> 00:21:40.059
 answered he.

00:21:40.740 --> 00:21:41.900
 Not because you are.

00:21:42.680 --> 00:21:43.640
 I'm not.

00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:45.960
 But each year you grow,

00:21:46.299 --> 00:21:47.339
 you'll find me bigger.

00:21:48.859 --> 00:21:50.559
 That's what spiritual growth is.

00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:54.579
 The more mature we become,

00:21:55.019 --> 00:21:56.299
 the bigger God gets,

00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.099
 and the smaller everything else becomes,

00:21:59.200 --> 00:21:59.779
 including us.

00:22:00.940 --> 00:22:02.700
 The bigger God gets, right?

00:22:02.700 --> 00:22:03.779
 So the more we grow,

00:22:04.100 --> 00:22:05.279
 the bigger God gets,

00:22:05.980 --> 00:22:08.840
 the more joy that's found in God's glory

00:22:08.840 --> 00:22:11.100
 eclipses everything else, right?

00:22:11.180 --> 00:22:12.279
 The more we grow,

00:22:12.440 --> 00:22:13.680
 the more God becomes bigger,

00:22:14.420 --> 00:22:16.039
 the more we strive for unity

00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:20.680
 and work through our differences, right?

00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:21.740
 The more we grow,

00:22:21.799 --> 00:22:22.920
 and the bigger that God gets,

00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:25.720
 the more his love comes to define our relationships,

00:22:25.860 --> 00:22:29.000
 even above our own preferences and priorities.

00:22:29.620 --> 00:22:31.160
 This is how we know we're growing.

00:22:31.160 --> 00:22:34.420
 Okay, so the means of spiritual growth,

00:22:34.540 --> 00:22:35.080
 God's word.

00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:37.779
 Empowered by the spirit,

00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:39.000
 worked into our lives, right?

00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:40.300
 The measures of growth,

00:22:42.220 --> 00:22:45.259
 joy, unity, love,

00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:46.560
 God getting bigger.

00:22:47.400 --> 00:22:48.300
 Now what's it all for?

00:22:48.380 --> 00:22:49.880
 What's the purpose of spiritual growth

00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:52.980
 as we look at this passage together?

00:22:53.340 --> 00:22:55.700
 Verse 18, Jesus says,

00:22:55.700 --> 00:22:57.700
 As you sent me into the world,

00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:00.539
 so I have sent them into the world,

00:23:00.600 --> 00:23:01.519
 meaning us.

00:23:02.180 --> 00:23:03.140
 And for their sake,

00:23:03.220 --> 00:23:04.580
 I consecrate myself,

00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:08.180
 that they also may be sanctified in truth.

00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:10.640
 I do not ask for these only,

00:23:10.759 --> 00:23:12.680
 but also for those who will believe in me

00:23:12.680 --> 00:23:14.019
 through their word.

00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:15.720
 Now remember,

00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:16.759
 in John's writing,

00:23:16.819 --> 00:23:17.519
 I just want to clarify,

00:23:17.819 --> 00:23:18.840
 when he says world,

00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:20.220
 he's not talking about geography.

00:23:22.220 --> 00:23:22.620
 World,

00:23:22.779 --> 00:23:24.000
 whenever John writes world,

00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:24.420
 you need to,

00:23:24.460 --> 00:23:25.279
 when you're reading John

00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:26.059
 or any of John's letters,

00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:27.240
 you need to mentally translate.

00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:28.279
 When he says world,

00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:29.259
 what he means

00:23:29.259 --> 00:23:31.319
 is a mentality,

00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:32.500
 a worldview

00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:34.480
 that is set against God,

00:23:34.779 --> 00:23:36.680
 that rejects or ignores God.

00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:38.039
 So the world

00:23:38.039 --> 00:23:39.119
 is the community of people.

00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:40.119
 It's all people everywhere

00:23:40.119 --> 00:23:41.759
 who collectively reject

00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:42.839
 or ignore God

00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:44.160
 in the world that he made.

00:23:45.339 --> 00:23:45.480
 Right?

00:23:45.539 --> 00:23:46.339
 And so Jesus says,

00:23:46.599 --> 00:23:48.019
 just as God sent him

00:23:48.019 --> 00:23:49.559
 into the world,

00:23:49.640 --> 00:23:50.640
 into the midst of people

00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:52.240
 who reject and hate him,

00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:53.799
 so he has sent us

00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:55.120
 into the world.

00:23:55.240 --> 00:23:56.359
 He sent the church.

00:23:56.620 --> 00:23:57.500
 Here's all the people

00:23:57.500 --> 00:23:57.920
 in the world

00:23:57.920 --> 00:23:59.160
 who reject God

00:23:59.160 --> 00:24:00.480
 and God takes his church

00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:01.259
 and plunks it

00:24:01.259 --> 00:24:01.920
 right down in the middle.

00:24:02.099 --> 00:24:02.380
 And he says,

00:24:02.500 --> 00:24:03.460
 that's where I want you to be.

00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:04.640
 That's where I want you to stay.

00:24:04.859 --> 00:24:05.839
 I'm not going to take you out.

00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:06.740
 I want you to stay there.

00:24:06.980 --> 00:24:07.579
 Now why?

00:24:08.859 --> 00:24:09.220
 Why?

00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:10.680
 And this gets to the very heart

00:24:10.680 --> 00:24:11.539
 of what it means

00:24:11.539 --> 00:24:12.819
 to be the church.

00:24:13.420 --> 00:24:14.480
 Some of you are not Christians

00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:16.259
 and this may sound irrelevant to you.

00:24:17.259 --> 00:24:17.940
 But a lot of times,

00:24:18.059 --> 00:24:18.660
 those of us

00:24:18.660 --> 00:24:19.420
 who are in the church

00:24:19.420 --> 00:24:21.099
 lose sight of why we're here.

00:24:21.099 --> 00:24:22.299
 What is all this about?

00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:23.879
 And this reminds us.

00:24:24.699 --> 00:24:25.459
 And simply put,

00:24:25.679 --> 00:24:26.919
 we are meant to be

00:24:26.919 --> 00:24:28.639
 a preview.

00:24:29.719 --> 00:24:30.579
 A preview.

00:24:31.899 --> 00:24:32.159
 Right?

00:24:32.419 --> 00:24:33.379
 A coming attraction.

00:24:34.619 --> 00:24:34.779
 Right?

00:24:34.959 --> 00:24:35.959
 This is what's going

00:24:35.959 --> 00:24:37.339
 to happen everywhere.

00:24:38.359 --> 00:24:39.039
 We're meant to be

00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:39.859
 an embodiment

00:24:39.859 --> 00:24:41.599
 of the new creation,

00:24:41.779 --> 00:24:43.240
 to use the theological language.

00:24:43.799 --> 00:24:43.980
 Right?

00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:45.719
 A vision of the future,

00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:46.399
 here and now.

00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:49.399
 So imagine a big,

00:24:49.400 --> 00:24:52.660
 imagine a big housing building

00:24:52.660 --> 00:24:54.320
 that is just crumbling

00:24:54.320 --> 00:24:55.200
 and decrepit

00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:56.280
 and rotting

00:24:56.280 --> 00:24:57.800
 and the wiring doesn't work

00:24:57.800 --> 00:24:58.920
 and the water doesn't work

00:24:58.920 --> 00:25:00.500
 and it smells like urine

00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:01.640
 and imagine that

00:25:01.640 --> 00:25:02.560
 everybody who lives there

00:25:02.560 --> 00:25:04.780
 is up to their neck

00:25:04.780 --> 00:25:05.740
 in debt

00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:06.880
 and it's rat infested

00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:08.060
 and there's crime

00:25:08.060 --> 00:25:09.060
 and the whole thing

00:25:09.060 --> 00:25:09.700
 is falling apart.

00:25:10.019 --> 00:25:10.980
 And imagine that

00:25:10.980 --> 00:25:11.580
 somebody comes

00:25:11.580 --> 00:25:12.380
 and they say,

00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:13.420
 I'm going to,

00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:13.940
 I'm going to,

00:25:13.940 --> 00:25:15.280
 I'm going to raise

00:25:15.280 --> 00:25:16.340
 this building to the ground.

00:25:17.019 --> 00:25:18.459
 I'm going to scrape it clean.

00:25:18.539 --> 00:25:19.439
 There's going to be nothing left.

00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:21.039
 But then,

00:25:21.159 --> 00:25:21.919
 in its place,

00:25:22.679 --> 00:25:23.899
 I'm going to build

00:25:23.899 --> 00:25:24.759
 a work of art.

00:25:26.019 --> 00:25:27.539
 You can't even imagine it.

00:25:28.039 --> 00:25:28.500
 It's going to be

00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:29.179
 a work of art.

00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:29.559
 It's going to be

00:25:29.559 --> 00:25:30.119
 the greatest,

00:25:30.259 --> 00:25:31.379
 the greatest thing

00:25:31.379 --> 00:25:32.119
 ever built.

00:25:32.179 --> 00:25:32.519
 It's going to put

00:25:32.519 --> 00:25:33.500
 everything else to shame.

00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:36.839
 And instead of driving up

00:25:36.839 --> 00:25:38.159
 the cost of housing

00:25:38.159 --> 00:25:39.359
 and kicking all the people

00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:40.079
 that were here out,

00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:41.220
 I'm actually going to issue

00:25:41.220 --> 00:25:41.899
 an invitation.

00:25:42.259 --> 00:25:43.299
 Because this structure

00:25:43.299 --> 00:25:44.099
 is going to have enough

00:25:44.099 --> 00:25:46.419
 housing to fit everybody.

00:25:47.219 --> 00:25:47.879
 And so I'm going to

00:25:47.879 --> 00:25:48.639
 send out an invitation

00:25:48.639 --> 00:25:49.639
 and anybody who wants

00:25:49.639 --> 00:25:51.059
 to come and live here,

00:25:51.299 --> 00:25:51.899
 they can come.

00:25:51.939 --> 00:25:52.819
 And all they have to do

00:25:52.819 --> 00:25:54.000
 is come and talk to me.

00:25:55.779 --> 00:25:56.579
 And by the way,

00:25:56.639 --> 00:25:57.579
 those people who are in debt,

00:25:58.299 --> 00:25:59.519
 I'm going to pay off

00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:00.339
 all that debt.

00:26:00.939 --> 00:26:01.639
 And not only that,

00:26:01.719 --> 00:26:03.419
 I will cover the full cost

00:26:03.419 --> 00:26:04.939
 for them to live here

00:26:04.939 --> 00:26:06.579
 and have everything they need

00:26:06.579 --> 00:26:07.500
 for all of eternity.

00:26:07.619 --> 00:26:08.439
 And all they have to do

00:26:08.439 --> 00:26:09.059
 is come to me.

00:26:09.819 --> 00:26:11.259
 And imagine that this promise

00:26:11.259 --> 00:26:12.019
 is made to the world

00:26:12.019 --> 00:26:12.500
 and people say,

00:26:12.719 --> 00:26:13.639
 well, what is it going to look like?

00:26:13.640 --> 00:26:14.480
 What's it going to be like?

00:26:14.680 --> 00:26:16.180
 And imagine then this person

00:26:16.180 --> 00:26:17.700
 brings out a scale model

00:26:17.700 --> 00:26:18.980
 and puts it on the table

00:26:18.980 --> 00:26:19.500
 and says,

00:26:19.600 --> 00:26:21.180
 well, this will give you

00:26:21.180 --> 00:26:21.700
 some idea.

00:26:23.020 --> 00:26:24.080
 That scale model,

00:26:24.220 --> 00:26:25.020
 that's the church.

00:26:25.980 --> 00:26:26.740
 That's what the church

00:26:26.740 --> 00:26:27.440
 is meant to be.

00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:28.140
 Right?

00:26:28.280 --> 00:26:29.420
 There's no comparison

00:26:29.420 --> 00:26:30.360
 between this model

00:26:30.360 --> 00:26:31.140
 and the reality.

00:26:31.280 --> 00:26:32.080
 It's just a glimmer.

00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:33.000
 It's just a shadow.

00:26:33.259 --> 00:26:34.140
 Just a foretaste.

00:26:34.360 --> 00:26:34.980
 But it's something

00:26:34.980 --> 00:26:35.759
 and when you look at it,

00:26:35.800 --> 00:26:36.060
 you say,

00:26:36.380 --> 00:26:37.560
 yeah, I get that.

00:26:37.940 --> 00:26:39.360
 And the more you look at it,

00:26:39.380 --> 00:26:39.860
 the more you realize,

00:26:39.960 --> 00:26:41.280
 I want to be a part of this.

00:26:41.940 --> 00:26:42.720
 Sign me up.

00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:43.660
 Who do I talk to?

00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:44.880
 Right?

00:26:44.920 --> 00:26:45.880
 Where's the leasing office?

00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:46.180
 Right?

00:26:46.259 --> 00:26:47.019
 How do I get in?

00:26:48.259 --> 00:26:49.000
 That's what the church

00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:49.720
 is meant to be.

00:26:50.259 --> 00:26:50.460
 Right?

00:26:50.460 --> 00:26:51.019
 When people look

00:26:51.019 --> 00:26:51.740
 at the relationships

00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:52.539
 and the priorities

00:26:52.539 --> 00:26:53.559
 and the values

00:26:53.559 --> 00:26:56.700
 and the unity

00:26:56.700 --> 00:26:57.220
 and the joy

00:26:57.220 --> 00:26:58.079
 and they look at all this

00:26:58.079 --> 00:26:58.380
 and they say,

00:26:58.460 --> 00:26:59.500
 I want that.

00:26:59.700 --> 00:27:00.559
 What do they have?

00:27:00.779 --> 00:27:01.660
 That's the church.

00:27:02.360 --> 00:27:03.519
 That's what we're called to be.

00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:06.960
 I'll give you one example

00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:08.359
 of what this looks like

00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:09.019
 in practice

00:27:09.019 --> 00:27:09.879
 before we close

00:27:09.879 --> 00:27:10.680
 because I think it's important

00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:11.720
 to kind of make this tangible.

00:27:12.599 --> 00:27:14.339
 It comes from the early days

00:27:14.339 --> 00:27:14.839
 of the church

00:27:14.839 --> 00:27:15.639
 when the church

00:27:15.639 --> 00:27:16.240
 was only around

00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:17.319
 about a thousand people.

00:27:17.500 --> 00:27:18.980
 It was around 40 or 50 A.D.

00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:19.900
 Not long after

00:27:19.900 --> 00:27:22.000
 the resurrection

00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:25.539
 and as the first aspects,

00:27:25.779 --> 00:27:26.519
 the first gospels

00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:28.480
 are starting to be conceived of

00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:29.920
 and beginning to be written down.

00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:31.139
 You have about a thousand people.

00:27:31.140 --> 00:27:33.540
 And Rodney Stark,

00:27:34.120 --> 00:27:35.140
 who's a historical sociologist,

00:27:35.900 --> 00:27:37.259
 so this book isn't like

00:27:37.259 --> 00:27:38.620
 some piece of Christian propaganda.

00:27:38.900 --> 00:27:39.800
 This is just an academic

00:27:39.800 --> 00:27:41.220
 who's trying to figure out

00:27:41.220 --> 00:27:43.180
 how did the church grow so quickly

00:27:43.180 --> 00:27:44.620
 over just a few centuries.

00:27:44.940 --> 00:27:45.500
 And he wrote a book

00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:46.640
 called The Rise of Christianity.

00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:48.300
 He talks about the state

00:27:48.300 --> 00:27:49.200
 of the Roman Empire

00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:50.420
 at the birth of the church.

00:27:50.840 --> 00:27:51.759
 And quite frankly,

00:27:51.940 --> 00:27:52.960
 the empire was crumbling.

00:27:54.000 --> 00:27:54.740
 It was crumbling.

00:27:55.780 --> 00:27:56.160
 And you know,

00:27:56.200 --> 00:27:56.960
 we have these images

00:27:56.960 --> 00:27:58.360
 of the barbarian hordes

00:27:58.360 --> 00:27:59.240
 invading Rome.

00:27:59.380 --> 00:28:00.240
 No, that didn't happen.

00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:01.779
 You know what the biggest problem

00:28:01.779 --> 00:28:02.759
 in the Roman Empire was?

00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:04.519
 It was low fertility.

00:28:05.900 --> 00:28:08.019
 They couldn't birth enough children

00:28:08.019 --> 00:28:09.819
 to replace the population

00:28:09.819 --> 00:28:10.859
 that was dying out.

00:28:11.500 --> 00:28:12.480
 And so the barbarians

00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:13.339
 didn't conquer.

00:28:13.500 --> 00:28:14.579
 They just moved in

00:28:14.579 --> 00:28:15.620
 because there were more

00:28:15.620 --> 00:28:16.359
 and more and more

00:28:16.359 --> 00:28:17.240
 abandoned homesteads.

00:28:18.299 --> 00:28:19.079
 So they just came in

00:28:19.079 --> 00:28:21.319
 and just picked up

00:28:21.319 --> 00:28:22.019
 where they left off.

00:28:23.120 --> 00:28:23.960
 And the reason

00:28:23.960 --> 00:28:24.720
 for the low fertility,

00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:25.559
 there's a lot of reasons

00:28:25.559 --> 00:28:26.720
 and Stark goes in depth

00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:27.299
 into all of them,

00:28:27.299 --> 00:28:28.200
 but essentially Rome

00:28:28.200 --> 00:28:30.379
 was a very male-dominated society.

00:28:31.960 --> 00:28:32.339
 And so,

00:28:32.700 --> 00:28:34.919
 and sex and power

00:28:34.919 --> 00:28:36.200
 were very closely linked.

00:28:37.259 --> 00:28:39.319
 And so men felt a lot of freedom

00:28:39.319 --> 00:28:41.519
 to have sex with other men

00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:43.180
 or other women

00:28:43.180 --> 00:28:44.879
 or children

00:28:44.879 --> 00:28:47.240
 as much as they desired.

00:28:47.740 --> 00:28:49.419
 And there were really no checks on that.

00:28:50.519 --> 00:28:52.039
 And because of that,

00:28:52.099 --> 00:28:52.980
 and because of the sort of

00:28:52.980 --> 00:28:55.119
 free widespread availability of sex

00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:57.779
 with whom ever you might prefer,

00:28:58.239 --> 00:28:59.419
 marriage was seen,

00:28:59.479 --> 00:29:00.439
 even by the philosophers,

00:29:00.719 --> 00:29:02.719
 in a really low light.

00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:04.619
 Marriage was seen as a burden

00:29:04.619 --> 00:29:05.279
 and a bother

00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:06.979
 and something that almost

00:29:06.979 --> 00:29:08.519
 we wish we could just do away with it.

00:29:09.659 --> 00:29:10.739
 So men didn't like marriage.

00:29:10.879 --> 00:29:12.219
 They didn't prefer marriage.

00:29:12.979 --> 00:29:14.379
 And even when they did get married,

00:29:14.699 --> 00:29:15.619
 they would often marry

00:29:15.619 --> 00:29:17.039
 a 12-year-old girl

00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:18.559
 or younger.

00:29:19.159 --> 00:29:20.019
 And then often that girl

00:29:20.019 --> 00:29:21.159
 wouldn't survive very long

00:29:21.159 --> 00:29:22.139
 and so then they would marry

00:29:22.139 --> 00:29:23.779
 another 12-year-old girl.

00:29:23.859 --> 00:29:24.799
 And you see how that goes.

00:29:26.019 --> 00:29:26.919
 And along with that,

00:29:27.139 --> 00:29:28.759
 the practices of infanticide,

00:29:28.979 --> 00:29:29.519
 which is, you know,

00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:30.539
 exposing a child

00:29:30.539 --> 00:29:31.399
 and letting it die,

00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:32.339
 or abortion,

00:29:32.659 --> 00:29:33.379
 both of those things

00:29:33.379 --> 00:29:34.159
 were very widespread

00:29:34.159 --> 00:29:35.979
 and actually also encouraged

00:29:35.979 --> 00:29:36.799
 by the philosophers.

00:29:38.239 --> 00:29:38.839
 Abortion back then

00:29:38.839 --> 00:29:39.559
 was very dangerous.

00:29:39.719 --> 00:29:40.519
 A lot of times it resulted

00:29:40.519 --> 00:29:41.219
 either in death

00:29:41.219 --> 00:29:42.239
 or infertility.

00:29:43.539 --> 00:29:44.339
 And most often,

00:29:44.419 --> 00:29:45.659
 the vast majority of the time,

00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:46.839
 abortion and infanticide,

00:29:47.019 --> 00:29:48.000
 those were performed

00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:49.139
 on female children

00:29:49.139 --> 00:29:51.299
 because women didn't really

00:29:51.299 --> 00:29:52.539
 figure very highly

00:29:52.539 --> 00:29:53.899
 in the societal value system.

00:29:53.900 --> 00:29:55.780
 So as a result,

00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:56.960
 Stark estimates

00:29:56.960 --> 00:29:58.259
 that in Rome,

00:29:58.580 --> 00:30:00.220
 the ratio of men to women

00:30:00.220 --> 00:30:02.620
 was 131 men

00:30:02.620 --> 00:30:04.380
 for every 100 women.

00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:06.600
 Imagine that ratio.

00:30:06.800 --> 00:30:08.460
 Out in the suburbs,

00:30:09.540 --> 00:30:11.400
 140 men

00:30:11.400 --> 00:30:13.000
 for every 100 women.

00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:14.920
 That ratio is insane.

00:30:15.880 --> 00:30:17.259
 So no marriageable women

00:30:17.259 --> 00:30:18.259
 anywhere, right?

00:30:18.259 --> 00:30:20.599
 growing number of men.

00:30:21.879 --> 00:30:23.480
 And into this society,

00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:24.839
 and because of the plummeting

00:30:24.839 --> 00:30:25.619
 fertility rates,

00:30:25.740 --> 00:30:27.079
 the population was beginning

00:30:27.079 --> 00:30:27.519
 to shrink

00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:28.920
 and they couldn't afford

00:30:28.920 --> 00:30:30.680
 all of the elderly people

00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:31.420
 who needed care.

00:30:31.500 --> 00:30:32.039
 They couldn't afford,

00:30:32.119 --> 00:30:32.480
 there were nobody

00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:33.839
 to take care of them, right?

00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:35.700
 And so right into this

00:30:35.700 --> 00:30:36.460
 crumbling society,

00:30:36.700 --> 00:30:38.079
 the Christian church is born.

00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:39.079
 And the Christian church

00:30:39.079 --> 00:30:40.559
 was radically countercultural.

00:30:40.559 --> 00:30:44.379
 They prohibited abortion

00:30:44.379 --> 00:30:45.240
 and infanticide

00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:46.440
 in their own communities.

00:30:46.779 --> 00:30:47.859
 They didn't even try

00:30:47.859 --> 00:30:49.440
 to change policies, right?

00:30:49.480 --> 00:30:50.500
 They had no power.

00:30:50.819 --> 00:30:51.379
 But they just said,

00:30:51.480 --> 00:30:52.159
 okay, in our midst,

00:30:52.220 --> 00:30:52.980
 that's not going to happen.

00:30:53.159 --> 00:30:54.079
 We'll take care of them.

00:30:55.019 --> 00:30:55.220
 Right?

00:30:55.440 --> 00:30:56.720
 They had a high view

00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:57.240
 of marriage.

00:30:58.240 --> 00:30:59.039
 And they talked about

00:30:59.039 --> 00:30:59.579
 how marriage

00:30:59.579 --> 00:31:00.419
 was actually connected

00:31:00.419 --> 00:31:01.500
 to this great story

00:31:01.500 --> 00:31:02.460
 of God loving

00:31:02.460 --> 00:31:03.339
 and giving himself

00:31:03.339 --> 00:31:04.879
 for his beloved.

00:31:05.079 --> 00:31:05.859
 And that marriage

00:31:05.859 --> 00:31:06.559
 is actually something

00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:07.700
 that points to the union

00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:09.319
 of Christ and his church.

00:31:09.319 --> 00:31:10.759
 the bridegroom and the bride.

00:31:10.859 --> 00:31:11.599
 And they said that even

00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:13.099
 that the act of sex

00:31:13.099 --> 00:31:15.519
 has this transcendent power to it.

00:31:15.859 --> 00:31:17.119
 And everybody who heard that,

00:31:17.319 --> 00:31:18.480
 it was mind-blowing.

00:31:18.619 --> 00:31:19.119
 And they thought it was

00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:19.859
 the most beautiful thing

00:31:19.859 --> 00:31:20.519
 they'd ever heard.

00:31:21.500 --> 00:31:21.639
 Right?

00:31:21.740 --> 00:31:23.460
 They also applied

00:31:23.460 --> 00:31:24.679
 the same standards

00:31:24.679 --> 00:31:26.259
 of fidelity to men

00:31:26.259 --> 00:31:28.599
 as were applied to women.

00:31:29.700 --> 00:31:31.079
 And they enforced that.

00:31:31.819 --> 00:31:32.279
 Right?

00:31:32.359 --> 00:31:33.339
 And they gave women

00:31:33.339 --> 00:31:34.960
 a much higher social status

00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:35.500
 than they found

00:31:35.500 --> 00:31:36.319
 anywhere else in society.

00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:37.899
 So not surprisingly,

00:31:38.059 --> 00:31:38.539
 what happened?

00:31:38.539 --> 00:31:40.460
 Well, women flocked

00:31:40.460 --> 00:31:41.079
 to Christianity.

00:31:42.259 --> 00:31:42.839
 Women said,

00:31:42.940 --> 00:31:44.019
 oh, this is the best thing

00:31:44.019 --> 00:31:44.599
 I've ever seen.

00:31:44.700 --> 00:31:46.099
 And so many women came

00:31:46.099 --> 00:31:46.720
 and they brought

00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:47.779
 their unbelieving husbands

00:31:47.779 --> 00:31:48.700
 and then over time

00:31:48.700 --> 00:31:50.000
 their unbelieving husbands

00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:50.899
 came to faith.

00:31:51.619 --> 00:31:51.759
 Right?

00:31:51.819 --> 00:31:52.899
 And because of these practices

00:31:52.899 --> 00:31:53.559
 they began to have

00:31:53.559 --> 00:31:54.819
 more and more and more babies

00:31:54.819 --> 00:31:56.180
 and very soon

00:31:56.180 --> 00:31:58.220
 there was actually

00:31:58.220 --> 00:31:59.059
 in the Christian church,

00:31:59.220 --> 00:32:00.339
 well, the ratio that I said,

00:32:00.399 --> 00:32:02.500
 140 to 100 men to women,

00:32:02.599 --> 00:32:03.119
 in the church

00:32:03.119 --> 00:32:03.700
 there was actually

00:32:03.700 --> 00:32:04.519
 a surplus

00:32:04.519 --> 00:32:06.460
 of marriageable women.

00:32:06.460 --> 00:32:08.740
 just like Church of the Advent.

00:32:09.940 --> 00:32:10.860
 A surplus

00:32:10.860 --> 00:32:12.880
 of beautiful,

00:32:13.079 --> 00:32:14.059
 highly educated,

00:32:14.620 --> 00:32:16.100
 incredibly eligible women

00:32:16.100 --> 00:32:17.039
 and all they want to do

00:32:17.039 --> 00:32:17.660
 is get married.

00:32:17.880 --> 00:32:18.059
 Right?

00:32:18.200 --> 00:32:19.259
 And they're all in the church.

00:32:19.380 --> 00:32:20.680
 They're the best kept secret

00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:21.259
 in the world.

00:32:21.420 --> 00:32:22.100
 Right there.

00:32:24.380 --> 00:32:25.380
 And as a result

00:32:25.380 --> 00:32:27.480
 there was this explosive growth

00:32:27.480 --> 00:32:29.079
 in the church

00:32:29.079 --> 00:32:31.100
 and in addition to this,

00:32:31.160 --> 00:32:31.880
 one other thing I'll say,

00:32:31.880 --> 00:32:32.840
 when the plagues

00:32:32.840 --> 00:32:33.620
 would sweep through

00:32:33.620 --> 00:32:36.380
 and begin to ravage

00:32:36.380 --> 00:32:37.600
 and people were getting sick

00:32:37.600 --> 00:32:38.500
 all over the place,

00:32:38.860 --> 00:32:40.120
 the pagans would flee.

00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:41.080
 They would run as far

00:32:41.080 --> 00:32:42.420
 as they could away from it

00:32:42.420 --> 00:32:43.060
 and people would abandon

00:32:43.060 --> 00:32:44.040
 their own family members.

00:32:44.780 --> 00:32:45.420
 But the Christians,

00:32:45.620 --> 00:32:46.680
 because of what they believed,

00:32:46.820 --> 00:32:47.460
 because of their

00:32:47.460 --> 00:32:48.880
 counter-cultural values,

00:32:49.040 --> 00:32:50.420
 because of the parable

00:32:50.420 --> 00:32:51.080
 of the Good Samaritan,

00:32:51.140 --> 00:32:51.840
 they stayed

00:32:51.840 --> 00:32:53.140
 and they cared for people.

00:32:54.280 --> 00:32:55.000
 And what happened

00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:55.560
 is amazing.

00:32:55.680 --> 00:32:56.340
 A lot of times

00:32:56.340 --> 00:32:57.360
 all these people needed

00:32:57.360 --> 00:32:58.220
 was nursing care.

00:32:58.300 --> 00:32:59.300
 They didn't need medication,

00:32:59.300 --> 00:33:00.760
 they just needed nursing care.

00:33:00.759 --> 00:33:02.079
 And so estimates

00:33:02.079 --> 00:33:04.220
 say that that kind of care

00:33:04.220 --> 00:33:05.379
 provided probably saved

00:33:05.379 --> 00:33:06.680
 two-thirds of the people

00:33:06.680 --> 00:33:07.259
 who were sick,

00:33:07.519 --> 00:33:08.039
 got better.

00:33:09.480 --> 00:33:10.740
 Because they were cared for

00:33:10.740 --> 00:33:11.180
 by Christians.

00:33:11.299 --> 00:33:11.960
 And then what would happen?

00:33:12.119 --> 00:33:13.859
 Well, then two things.

00:33:13.960 --> 00:33:15.039
 One, they would become Christians.

00:33:15.900 --> 00:33:16.379
 And two,

00:33:16.460 --> 00:33:17.539
 they would then be immune

00:33:17.539 --> 00:33:18.299
 to the illness.

00:33:18.940 --> 00:33:19.839
 And so then they would go

00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:20.759
 and care for other people

00:33:20.759 --> 00:33:22.039
 who would then get better

00:33:22.039 --> 00:33:22.940
 and become Christians

00:33:22.940 --> 00:33:23.960
 and then be immune.

00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:25.240
 And you see how that happened.

00:33:25.579 --> 00:33:26.859
 And so even as Rome

00:33:26.859 --> 00:33:27.960
 fell apart,

00:33:28.900 --> 00:33:29.859
 Stark calculates

00:33:29.859 --> 00:33:30.839
 that Christianity grew

00:33:30.839 --> 00:33:32.099
 at a rate of 40%

00:33:32.099 --> 00:33:33.079
 per decade

00:33:33.079 --> 00:33:34.259
 between the years

00:33:34.259 --> 00:33:35.679
 40 and 350 A.D.

00:33:35.819 --> 00:33:36.599
 from perhaps

00:33:36.599 --> 00:33:38.000
 1,000 believers

00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:38.859
 in 40 A.D.

00:33:39.399 --> 00:33:42.119
 to nearly 34 million believers

00:33:42.119 --> 00:33:44.619
 a few centuries later.

00:33:44.679 --> 00:33:45.039
 If you want to know

00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:45.479
 how it happened,

00:33:45.699 --> 00:33:46.479
 that's how it happened.

00:33:46.599 --> 00:33:46.859
 Why?

00:33:47.059 --> 00:33:47.819
 Because Christians

00:33:47.819 --> 00:33:48.819
 were a radically

00:33:48.819 --> 00:33:50.779
 counter-cultural movement.

00:33:52.839 --> 00:33:53.959
 They used things

00:33:53.959 --> 00:33:55.079
 like sex and money

00:33:55.079 --> 00:33:55.579
 and power

00:33:55.579 --> 00:33:57.119
 in radically different ways.

00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:58.739
 ways that didn't reinforce

00:33:58.739 --> 00:34:00.059
 existing structures

00:34:00.059 --> 00:34:01.319
 of power and oppression

00:34:01.319 --> 00:34:02.319
 but ways that actually

00:34:02.319 --> 00:34:04.000
 pointed to a higher way,

00:34:04.839 --> 00:34:05.799
 a greater hope.

00:34:06.399 --> 00:34:07.119
 They lived in a way

00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:08.099
 that provoked questions

00:34:08.099 --> 00:34:09.400
 only the gospel can answer.

00:34:13.619 --> 00:34:14.759
 I want to note

00:34:14.759 --> 00:34:15.880
 that they weren't trying

00:34:15.880 --> 00:34:16.839
 to change policy.

00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:17.619
 They weren't trying

00:34:17.619 --> 00:34:19.159
 to get people into office.

00:34:19.259 --> 00:34:20.039
 They didn't dream

00:34:20.039 --> 00:34:21.159
 of that kind of influence.

00:34:21.699 --> 00:34:22.519
 They were simply

00:34:22.519 --> 00:34:23.679
 being the church.

00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:25.799
 And I think

00:34:25.799 --> 00:34:26.519
 that this is relevant

00:34:26.519 --> 00:34:27.019
 because I think

00:34:27.019 --> 00:34:28.119
 that a lot of the factors

00:34:28.119 --> 00:34:28.960
 that you see

00:34:28.960 --> 00:34:30.339
 that were present in Rome,

00:34:30.440 --> 00:34:31.159
 I think that there's

00:34:31.159 --> 00:34:32.559
 a lot of parallels

00:34:32.559 --> 00:34:34.279
 with our society today.

00:34:35.299 --> 00:34:36.539
 Even the dropping

00:34:36.539 --> 00:34:37.500
 fertility rates

00:34:37.500 --> 00:34:39.419
 among a number

00:34:39.419 --> 00:34:40.339
 of countries in the West.

00:34:42.039 --> 00:34:43.679
 So as we look at this

00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:44.419
 and as we think about

00:34:44.419 --> 00:34:45.599
 the implications of this,

00:34:46.460 --> 00:34:47.319
 as we think about

00:34:47.319 --> 00:34:48.339
 the means and the evidence

00:34:48.339 --> 00:34:48.899
 and the purpose

00:34:48.899 --> 00:34:49.460
 of our holiness,

00:34:49.879 --> 00:34:51.079
 this is what it's all for

00:34:51.079 --> 00:34:51.879
 so that we can be

00:34:51.880 --> 00:34:53.019
 that scale model

00:34:53.019 --> 00:34:53.880
 of new creation.

00:34:55.079 --> 00:34:56.300
 So in a culture

00:34:56.300 --> 00:34:57.320
 of moral relativism

00:34:57.320 --> 00:34:59.059
 and despair and confusion,

00:34:59.220 --> 00:35:00.039
 we could be united

00:35:00.039 --> 00:35:01.559
 in a joy

00:35:01.559 --> 00:35:02.440
 that comes from

00:35:02.440 --> 00:35:03.320
 the glory of God.

00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:04.900
 In a society

00:35:04.900 --> 00:35:05.579
 that is literally

00:35:05.579 --> 00:35:06.340
 being torn apart

00:35:06.340 --> 00:35:07.119
 by racial,

00:35:07.619 --> 00:35:08.380
 socioeconomic,

00:35:08.840 --> 00:35:10.960
 religious conflict,

00:35:11.619 --> 00:35:12.460
 political conflict,

00:35:12.840 --> 00:35:14.360
 that we could be unified

00:35:14.360 --> 00:35:16.860
 in Jesus Christ.

00:35:17.160 --> 00:35:18.320
 And in a society

00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:20.059
 of weaponized shame

00:35:20.059 --> 00:35:21.659
 and hurt

00:35:21.659 --> 00:35:22.619
 and trauma,

00:35:23.259 --> 00:35:24.380
 that we would be

00:35:24.380 --> 00:35:25.199
 a people of love.

00:35:26.219 --> 00:35:27.739
 Not just romantic love,

00:35:27.860 --> 00:35:28.739
 sacrificial love,

00:35:28.799 --> 00:35:29.639
 not only for one another,

00:35:29.840 --> 00:35:31.019
 but for all of those

00:35:31.019 --> 00:35:32.699
 in the community around us.

00:35:33.239 --> 00:35:34.239
 Pouring ourselves out

00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:35.440
 to see them flourish.

00:35:35.559 --> 00:35:36.259
 That's what we're called

00:35:36.259 --> 00:35:38.019
 to be as the church.

00:35:38.099 --> 00:35:38.699
 That's the purpose

00:35:38.699 --> 00:35:39.579
 of our sanctification.

00:35:40.119 --> 00:35:40.779
 So even as we know

00:35:40.779 --> 00:35:41.759
 that Jesus is praying

00:35:41.759 --> 00:35:43.059
 this for us right now,

00:35:43.320 --> 00:35:44.039
 let's join together

00:35:44.039 --> 00:35:44.380
 and pray.

00:35:44.380 --> 00:35:50.160
 soak it up.

00:35:50.680 --> 00:35:50.800
 So,

00:35:51.140 --> 00:35:51.480
 yeah,

00:35:51.480 --> 00:35:53.000
 if you kind of

00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:53.079
 may I shed a challenge

00:35:53.079 --> 00:35:53.840
 that because of this

00:35:53.840 --> 00:35:54.119
 blessing in dismay

00:35:54.160 --> 00:35:54.460
 somewhere,

00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:55.599
 because of how it

00:35:55.599 --> 00:35:56.200
 can be filled up,

00:35:56.200 --> 00:35:57.480
 but for you should

00:35:57.480 --> 00:35:59.240
 or may I shed about you

00:35:59.240 --> 00:35:59.260
 to the future

00:35:59.260 --> 00:36:00.440
 and may have

00:36:00.440 --> 00:36:00.840
 a little bit of

00:36:01.059 --> 00:36:01.680
 not just the

00:36:01.680 --> 00:36:02.160
 fear.

00:36:02.820 --> 00:36:03.519
 It's time.

00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:04.920
 You're going to

00:36:04.920 --> 00:36:05.660
 to be as an

00:36:05.660 --> 00:36:05.800
 aspect.

00:36:06.140 --> 00:36:07.500
 You're going to

00:36:07.500 --> 00:36:07.820
 to be FR

00:36:07.940 --> 00:36:08.780
 because you're

00:36:08.960 --> 00:36:10.559
 right away.

00:36:10.760 --> 00:36:12.019
 If you attract

00:36:12.019 --> 00:36:12.500
 them dark

00:36:12.500 --> 00:36:13.180
 and you