WEBVTT

00:00:00.660 --> 00:00:06.580
 The scripture reading comes from the Gospel of John chapter 4, starting at verse 1.

00:00:07.080 --> 00:00:10.080
 Please follow along in the screen or in your Bible.

00:00:11.419 --> 00:00:18.839
 Now, when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John,

00:00:19.580 --> 00:00:23.539
 although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples,

00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:27.359
 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.

00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:30.039
 Then he had to pass through Samaria.

00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:36.980
 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.

00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:44.379
 Jacob's well was there, so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.

00:00:44.899 --> 00:00:46.460
 It was about the sixth hour.

00:00:47.260 --> 00:00:49.620
 A woman from Samaria came to draw water.

00:00:50.340 --> 00:00:51.280
 Jesus said to her,

00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:56.960
 Give me a drink, for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

00:00:57.359 --> 00:00:59.439
 The Samaritan woman said to him,

00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:04.739
 How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?

00:01:05.379 --> 00:01:08.239
 For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:09.920
 Jesus answered her,

00:01:10.579 --> 00:01:15.099
 If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you,

00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:17.719
 Give me a drink, you would have asked him,

00:01:18.219 --> 00:01:20.599
 and he would have given you living water.

00:01:20.599 --> 00:01:22.479
 The woman said to him,

00:01:22.819 --> 00:01:26.839
 Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep.

00:01:27.239 --> 00:01:28.799
 Where do you get the living water?

00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:31.099
 Are you greater than our father Jacob?

00:01:31.619 --> 00:01:36.699
 He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.

00:01:37.679 --> 00:01:38.539
 Jesus said to her,

00:01:38.540 --> 00:01:42.660
 Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,

00:01:43.020 --> 00:01:49.080
 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.

00:01:49.800 --> 00:01:53.920
 The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water,

00:01:54.360 --> 00:01:55.920
 welling up to eternal life.

00:01:56.420 --> 00:01:57.780
 The woman said to him,

00:01:58.100 --> 00:02:04.400
 Sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.

00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:06.400
 Jesus said to her,

00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:09.500
 Go, call your husband and come here.

00:02:10.099 --> 00:02:11.360
 The woman answered him,

00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:12.960
 I have no husband.

00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:14.480
 Jesus said to her,

00:02:14.860 --> 00:02:17.400
 You are right in saying I have no husband,

00:02:17.780 --> 00:02:19.580
 for you have had five husbands,

00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:22.800
 and the one you now have is not your husband.

00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:24.920
 What you have said is true.

00:02:25.540 --> 00:02:26.680
 The woman said to him,

00:02:27.140 --> 00:02:30.040
 Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

00:02:30.700 --> 00:02:32.740
 Our fathers worshipped on this mountain,

00:02:32.740 --> 00:02:37.820
 but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.

00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:39.659
 Jesus said to her,

00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:41.659
 Woman, believe me,

00:02:41.900 --> 00:02:47.260
 the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:49.900
 You worship what you do not know.

00:02:50.320 --> 00:02:51.620
 We worship what we know,

00:02:51.980 --> 00:02:53.680
 for salvation is from the Jews.

00:02:54.180 --> 00:02:56.920
 But the hour is coming and is now here

00:02:56.920 --> 00:03:00.860
 when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.

00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:04.300
 For the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

00:03:05.200 --> 00:03:06.680
 God is spirit,

00:03:06.920 --> 00:03:10.860
 and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

00:03:11.220 --> 00:03:12.700
 The woman said to him,

00:03:13.020 --> 00:03:15.160
 I know that Messiah is coming,

00:03:15.540 --> 00:03:16.900
 he who is called Christ.

00:03:17.380 --> 00:03:18.320
 When he comes,

00:03:18.700 --> 00:03:20.300
 he will tell us all things.

00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:21.940
 Jesus said to her,

00:03:22.440 --> 00:03:24.440
 I who speak to you am he.

00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:27.180
 Just then his disciples came back.

00:03:27.660 --> 00:03:30.000
 They marveled that he was talking with a woman,

00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:31.259
 but no one said,

00:03:31.719 --> 00:03:32.580
 What do you seek?

00:03:32.819 --> 00:03:33.159
 Or,

00:03:33.379 --> 00:03:34.699
 Why are you talking with her?

00:03:35.020 --> 00:03:39.840
 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,

00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:40.840
 Come,

00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:44.479
 see a man who told me all that I ever did.

00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:46.360
 Can this be the Christ?

00:03:47.080 --> 00:03:47.420
 Amen.

00:03:47.419 --> 00:03:47.599
 Amen.

00:03:54.239 --> 00:03:54.639
 Great.

00:03:54.799 --> 00:03:55.199
 Good morning,

00:03:55.299 --> 00:03:55.639
 everybody.

00:03:56.139 --> 00:03:59.159
 And it's wonderful to be with you again this morning.

00:03:59.779 --> 00:04:00.179
 Again,

00:04:00.219 --> 00:04:02.079
 if you're new to Watermark and you don't know me,

00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:02.899
 my name is Kevin.

00:04:03.099 --> 00:04:04.219
 I'm one of the leaders,

00:04:04.419 --> 00:04:05.539
 one of the pastors here.

00:04:05.879 --> 00:04:08.799
 And it's wonderful to be able to be with you this morning.

00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:11.979
 And to kick off our new series that we're starting called,

00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:13.039
 Why Christianity?

00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:14.739
 For the next couple of weeks,

00:04:14.859 --> 00:04:19.899
 we're going to be exploring some of the questions and the difficulties that we have

00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:23.579
 when we consider the claims of Jesus Christ in the Bible.

00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:26.360
 And so we're so glad that you're joining us this morning.

00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:29.060
 And we're looking forward to the next couple of weeks.

00:04:29.740 --> 00:04:30.560
 Now this morning,

00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:32.039
 we're looking at the question,

00:04:32.339 --> 00:04:37.079
 Isn't Christianity exclusivist and therefore arrogant?

00:04:37.860 --> 00:04:40.959
 Isn't Christianity exclusivist and arrogant?

00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:44.399
 You may have heard the story.

00:04:44.699 --> 00:04:47.219
 It's based on an old Hindu parable from many,

00:04:47.359 --> 00:04:52.399
 many years ago that says there were four blind men walking through the jungle.

00:04:52.699 --> 00:04:54.000
 They stumble across an elephant,

00:04:54.299 --> 00:04:55.240
 a very tame elephant.

00:04:56.039 --> 00:05:01.819
 And each one of them takes an aspect of the element and feels it,

00:05:01.939 --> 00:05:03.399
 trying to work out what it is.

00:05:03.919 --> 00:05:07.299
 And so the first blind man grabs hold of the trunk and he says,

00:05:07.300 --> 00:05:11.220
 This thing is long and narrow and bendy.

00:05:11.520 --> 00:05:13.100
 It feels a little bit like a snake.

00:05:13.840 --> 00:05:16.540
 The second man grabs a tusk and says,

00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:17.300
 No, no, no.

00:05:17.340 --> 00:05:18.420
 This thing is hard.

00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:19.480
 It narrows.

00:05:19.540 --> 00:05:20.660
 It's got a point on the end.

00:05:21.020 --> 00:05:22.720
 This thing feels like a spear.

00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:25.680
 The third man grabs the ear and says,

00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:31.120
 No, this is flat and wavy and it creates air movement like a fan.

00:05:31.620 --> 00:05:35.480
 And the fourth man grabs the elephant's leg and says,

00:05:35.940 --> 00:05:36.260
 No, no.

00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:37.540
 This is hard.

00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:38.240
 It's solid.

00:05:38.380 --> 00:05:38.880
 It's sturdy.

00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:40.620
 It feels like a tree trunk.

00:05:41.520 --> 00:05:42.500
 And so the parable says,

00:05:42.620 --> 00:05:44.200
 Well, they're all partly right,

00:05:44.280 --> 00:05:45.840
 but they're all partly wrong.

00:05:46.420 --> 00:05:48.000
 Wouldn't it be arrogant?

00:05:48.180 --> 00:05:51.120
 Wouldn't it be exclusivistic for any one of them to say,

00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:52.620
 I have the answer.

00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:53.579
 I am right.

00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:55.300
 I know what's going on here.

00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:59.360
 Sometimes when we think of religion and faith,

00:05:59.480 --> 00:06:01.160
 it can feel a little bit like that.

00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:02.579
 When somebody says,

00:06:02.780 --> 00:06:04.860
 I believe something to be true,

00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:09.579
 we tend to think that all religions are fundamentally the same,

00:06:09.860 --> 00:06:10.780
 superficially different.

00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:12.699
 They're all heading in the same direction.

00:06:13.139 --> 00:06:14.620
 And it's simply arrogant.

00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:17.480
 It's exclusivistic for one person,

00:06:17.480 --> 00:06:18.700
 one faith to say,

00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:21.340
 We believe this is how things really are.

00:06:21.480 --> 00:06:22.600
 This is the truth.

00:06:23.240 --> 00:06:25.520
 Sometimes when we hear people talking like that,

00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:29.840
 we can feel that those people have a sense of superiority about them,

00:06:30.100 --> 00:06:33.860
 as if they're looking down on anybody who believes differently from them,

00:06:34.180 --> 00:06:36.280
 and judges them with a sense of,

00:06:36.420 --> 00:06:37.100
 I'm right.

00:06:37.220 --> 00:06:37.879
 You're wrong.

00:06:38.060 --> 00:06:39.220
 I know what's going on.

00:06:39.340 --> 00:06:39.980
 You don't.

00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:41.920
 I'm better than you.

00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:46.860
 Isn't Christianity arrogant and exclusivist?

00:06:47.420 --> 00:06:48.640
 This morning,

00:06:48.860 --> 00:06:57.120
 what I want to put to us is that all people are of equal value and dignity and respect.

00:06:57.640 --> 00:07:00.319
 All people have freedom of religion,

00:07:00.980 --> 00:07:02.180
 freedom of worship,

00:07:02.520 --> 00:07:04.000
 freedom to believe what they want.

00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:09.600
 And yet not all beliefs or ideas are equally valid,

00:07:09.939 --> 00:07:12.699
 because not all ideas are equally true.

00:07:13.720 --> 00:07:17.459
 There's four things I want us to think about this morning as we think about this question.

00:07:17.620 --> 00:07:19.579
 I want to think about the nature of truth,

00:07:19.980 --> 00:07:21.860
 the challenge of truth,

00:07:22.259 --> 00:07:23.819
 the promise of truth,

00:07:23.819 --> 00:07:25.019
 and finally,

00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:26.420
 the person of truth.

00:07:26.779 --> 00:07:28.000
 So let's dive straight in.

00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:28.360
 Firstly,

00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:30.120
 the nature of truth.

00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:34.800
 We're looking at this passage that Betty read to us this morning,

00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:37.860
 this encounter in John's gospel in John chapter four.

00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:40.600
 And in order to understand what's going on here,

00:07:40.660 --> 00:07:42.560
 it helps to understand some of the backstory.

00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:47.699
 Jesus encounters this lady at a watering well in Samaria.

00:07:48.340 --> 00:07:48.680
 Now,

00:07:48.840 --> 00:07:54.399
 this lady that Jesus encounters is a lady who carries a lot of shame in her life.

00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:56.100
 And we know this for two reasons.

00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:59.980
 The first reason is the scripture tells us she's been married,

00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:00.780
 five times.

00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:04.620
 And the man she's with at the moment is not actually her husband.

00:08:06.019 --> 00:08:07.379
 And even in our modern day,

00:08:07.540 --> 00:08:08.860
 that would be quite a story.

00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:10.639
 But in ancient Israel,

00:08:10.819 --> 00:08:12.780
 this was nothing less than scandalous.

00:08:13.280 --> 00:08:15.720
 The village in which she lives isn't a big city.

00:08:15.860 --> 00:08:16.980
 It's not a mega city.

00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:18.500
 These are small villages.

00:08:18.899 --> 00:08:22.780
 Everybody in the town knows that this lady has had five husbands.

00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:26.439
 And everybody in the town knows that she's with somebody at the moment

00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:28.019
 who's not really her husband.

00:08:28.019 --> 00:08:32.960
 This was a cause for great gossip and scandal all throughout the town.

00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:38.000
 But the other reason we know this is because the woman is coming to the well at midday.

00:08:38.819 --> 00:08:42.039
 Nobody in the ancient world went to go collect water,

00:08:42.220 --> 00:08:44.939
 heavy buckets of water in the heat of the day.

00:08:45.259 --> 00:08:46.319
 In the middle of the day,

00:08:46.439 --> 00:08:48.100
 temperatures could get to 45,

00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:49.340
 50 degrees Celsius.

00:08:49.980 --> 00:08:51.860
 No one would go to the watering well then.

00:08:51.860 --> 00:08:54.740
 Everyone would go in the earliest part of the day

00:08:54.740 --> 00:08:57.580
 or late in the evening to avoid the heat of the day.

00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:00.700
 Why does this lady come in the middle of the day?

00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:04.840
 The reason is because she knows that nobody else will be there.

00:09:05.560 --> 00:09:08.019
 She's going there because it's the one time of the day

00:09:08.019 --> 00:09:10.180
 that she can get away from the scowls,

00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:11.139
 the looks,

00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:12.320
 the comments,

00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:13.720
 the mocking thoughts,

00:09:14.220 --> 00:09:16.659
 the jabs of the other woman in the town.

00:09:16.659 --> 00:09:19.000
 All those who know her story

00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:20.439
 and are judging her.

00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:22.519
 And so she comes to the watering well

00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:23.459
 in the middle of the day

00:09:23.459 --> 00:09:25.500
 hoping to avoid everybody else

00:09:25.500 --> 00:09:27.759
 for just a bit of peace and quiet.

00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:29.639
 And yet she encounters Jesus.

00:09:30.379 --> 00:09:31.740
 And as she encounters Jesus,

00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:33.839
 Jesus makes this radical claim

00:09:33.839 --> 00:09:36.399
 because Jesus makes the unashamedly

00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:38.240
 strong claim

00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:40.240
 that he's nothing less than the Messiah,

00:09:40.740 --> 00:09:42.159
 God in human form.

00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:43.860
 And yet as we're going to see,

00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:45.879
 this is not bad news.

00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:47.679
 This is good news.

00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:52.740
 Let's look firstly at the nature of truth.

00:09:53.500 --> 00:09:56.240
 Jesus, in his conversation with this lady,

00:09:56.480 --> 00:09:59.460
 makes some pretty big claims about himself.

00:10:00.019 --> 00:10:00.960
 They're at the watering well

00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:02.320
 and Jesus says to her,

00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:04.559
 everyone who drinks of this water

00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:05.700
 will be thirsty again,

00:10:06.179 --> 00:10:08.960
 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him

00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:11.059
 will never be thirsty again.

00:10:11.620 --> 00:10:13.019
 The water that I give

00:10:13.019 --> 00:10:15.100
 will become within him or her

00:10:15.100 --> 00:10:17.040
 a spring of living water

00:10:17.040 --> 00:10:19.120
 welling up to eternal life.

00:10:19.920 --> 00:10:20.899
 What's Jesus saying?

00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:23.040
 Well, he's making a pretty big

00:10:23.040 --> 00:10:24.379
 and binary claim.

00:10:24.560 --> 00:10:25.120
 He's saying,

00:10:25.860 --> 00:10:27.300
 to find what your heart

00:10:27.300 --> 00:10:28.800
 and your soul is looking for,

00:10:29.220 --> 00:10:30.420
 you have to come to me.

00:10:30.980 --> 00:10:32.399
 But if you reject me,

00:10:32.680 --> 00:10:34.139
 you'll never find

00:10:34.139 --> 00:10:35.180
 what you're looking for

00:10:35.180 --> 00:10:36.379
 in the deepest part of you.

00:10:37.060 --> 00:10:38.500
 Jesus is not saying

00:10:38.500 --> 00:10:40.019
 that he is a path

00:10:40.019 --> 00:10:42.500
 to meaning and satisfaction in life.

00:10:42.500 --> 00:10:43.620
 All the things

00:10:43.620 --> 00:10:44.940
 that that lady's been looking for

00:10:44.940 --> 00:10:46.340
 and the five men that she's married

00:10:46.340 --> 00:10:47.519
 and the man she's with now,

00:10:47.940 --> 00:10:49.379
 all the affirmation

00:10:49.379 --> 00:10:50.259
 and the acceptance

00:10:50.259 --> 00:10:51.179
 and the approval

00:10:51.179 --> 00:10:52.120
 and the love.

00:10:52.580 --> 00:10:53.120
 Jesus says,

00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:54.559
 I'm not just one path

00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:55.379
 to all of those things.

00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:56.539
 I'm the path.

00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:58.220
 Either you come to me

00:10:58.220 --> 00:10:59.860
 and find what your heart is looking for

00:10:59.860 --> 00:11:01.259
 or you reject me

00:11:01.259 --> 00:11:02.440
 and you never find

00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:03.320
 what you're looking for.

00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:05.679
 Again, Jesus says to her,

00:11:05.740 --> 00:11:06.000
 he says,

00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:07.740
 look, go and call your husband.

00:11:08.419 --> 00:11:09.320
 And she says,

00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:10.620
 well, I don't have a husband.

00:11:10.620 --> 00:11:13.759
 And Jesus so graciously says,

00:11:13.980 --> 00:11:15.460
 what you've said is true.

00:11:15.899 --> 00:11:17.000
 You're right in saying

00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:17.759
 I have no husband

00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:18.860
 for you've had five

00:11:18.860 --> 00:11:19.919
 and the man that you're with

00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:21.139
 right now is not your husband.

00:11:22.039 --> 00:11:22.879
 And then Jesus says

00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:23.820
 this amazing thing.

00:11:24.299 --> 00:11:24.639
 He says,

00:11:24.779 --> 00:11:25.700
 what you've said

00:11:25.700 --> 00:11:26.840
 is just,

00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:27.539
 is true.

00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:30.139
 Now that's an incredible thing to say

00:11:30.139 --> 00:11:31.279
 because let's be honest,

00:11:31.620 --> 00:11:32.539
 what she said

00:11:32.539 --> 00:11:33.879
 was technically true

00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:35.340
 but it wasn't really

00:11:35.340 --> 00:11:36.480
 the whole truth, right?

00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:37.560
 She's being,

00:11:37.820 --> 00:11:38.919
 what some people have called

00:11:38.919 --> 00:11:40.799
 is economical with the truth.

00:11:41.259 --> 00:11:42.099
 She's saying something

00:11:42.099 --> 00:11:43.539
 that's technically true

00:11:43.539 --> 00:11:45.379
 but it's actually misleading.

00:11:45.959 --> 00:11:46.979
 And rather than Jesus

00:11:46.979 --> 00:11:47.899
 calling her out

00:11:47.899 --> 00:11:48.259
 and saying,

00:11:48.419 --> 00:11:48.979
 you liar,

00:11:49.139 --> 00:11:50.039
 you're deceiving me,

00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:52.039
 Jesus graciously

00:11:52.039 --> 00:11:53.719
 challenges her

00:11:53.719 --> 00:11:55.459
 with what is really true

00:11:55.459 --> 00:11:58.000
 while not judging her

00:11:58.000 --> 00:11:59.179
 or exposing her

00:11:59.179 --> 00:11:59.919
 to more shame.

00:12:00.219 --> 00:12:01.360
 The tenderness of Jesus

00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:02.279
 is just amazing.

00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:03.620
 And yet,

00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:05.699
 Jesus doesn't brush over it.

00:12:06.059 --> 00:12:07.199
 He confronts her

00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:08.200
 with the reality.

00:12:08.920 --> 00:12:10.340
 Why does Jesus do that?

00:12:11.500 --> 00:12:12.560
 The reason is

00:12:12.560 --> 00:12:13.259
 because Jesus

00:12:13.259 --> 00:12:14.440
 doesn't want this lady

00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:15.379
 or any of us

00:12:15.379 --> 00:12:16.460
 to be confused

00:12:16.460 --> 00:12:18.280
 about the absolute,

00:12:18.540 --> 00:12:19.980
 even binary nature

00:12:19.980 --> 00:12:20.879
 of truth claims.

00:12:21.660 --> 00:12:23.180
 Jesus is unashamedly

00:12:23.180 --> 00:12:23.720
 challenging

00:12:23.720 --> 00:12:25.020
 the post-truth culture

00:12:25.020 --> 00:12:25.960
 by saying

00:12:25.960 --> 00:12:27.200
 that truth is real,

00:12:27.700 --> 00:12:28.660
 it's knowable,

00:12:29.040 --> 00:12:30.080
 it's absolute,

00:12:30.520 --> 00:12:31.520
 and it corresponds

00:12:31.520 --> 00:12:32.740
 to reality.

00:12:33.660 --> 00:12:34.420
 Jesus claiming

00:12:34.420 --> 00:12:35.600
 that what is true

00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:37.659
 is by nature exclusive

00:12:37.659 --> 00:12:39.019
 because what is

00:12:39.019 --> 00:12:40.019
 is distinct

00:12:40.019 --> 00:12:41.060
 from what isn't.

00:12:41.420 --> 00:12:42.139
 What's true

00:12:42.139 --> 00:12:43.019
 is distinct

00:12:43.019 --> 00:12:44.300
 from what's false.

00:12:45.560 --> 00:12:45.960
 And friends,

00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:46.700
 I want to put it to us

00:12:46.700 --> 00:12:47.779
 that we all actually

00:12:47.779 --> 00:12:48.759
 know this.

00:12:49.500 --> 00:12:49.860
 We all,

00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:51.360
 in order to function

00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:52.399
 in an ordered

00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:53.399
 and logical world,

00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:54.840
 we all need to believe

00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:56.440
 in the objective reality,

00:12:56.620 --> 00:12:58.019
 the nature of truth.

00:12:58.680 --> 00:12:59.200
 Imagine,

00:12:59.639 --> 00:13:00.460
 you're about to step

00:13:00.460 --> 00:13:01.220
 out of your apartment

00:13:01.220 --> 00:13:02.600
 and your housemate

00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:03.700
 or your spouse

00:13:03.700 --> 00:13:04.220
 says to you,

00:13:04.500 --> 00:13:04.660
 oh,

00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:05.660
 it's just started raining,

00:13:05.780 --> 00:13:06.400
 you better take

00:13:06.400 --> 00:13:07.420
 an umbrella with you.

00:13:08.160 --> 00:13:09.120
 How many of us

00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:09.740
 would feel

00:13:09.740 --> 00:13:10.660
 that our housemate

00:13:10.660 --> 00:13:11.879
 is being arrogant,

00:13:12.460 --> 00:13:13.600
 exclusivistic,

00:13:13.780 --> 00:13:15.620
 to impose upon us

00:13:15.620 --> 00:13:16.720
 their version

00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:17.540
 of the truth?

00:13:18.220 --> 00:13:18.780
 How many of us

00:13:18.780 --> 00:13:19.160
 would say,

00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:20.600
 that may be true of you,

00:13:20.780 --> 00:13:21.680
 but that's not true

00:13:21.680 --> 00:13:22.180
 for me.

00:13:22.540 --> 00:13:23.379
 Don't impose

00:13:23.379 --> 00:13:24.920
 your worldview upon us.

00:13:25.340 --> 00:13:25.520
 Now,

00:13:25.560 --> 00:13:26.400
 you can say that,

00:13:26.820 --> 00:13:27.600
 but if you don't

00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:28.259
 want to get wet

00:13:28.259 --> 00:13:29.220
 while walking in the rain,

00:13:29.320 --> 00:13:30.259
 you have to conform

00:13:30.259 --> 00:13:31.100
 to the reality

00:13:31.100 --> 00:13:32.560
 that walking in the rain

00:13:32.560 --> 00:13:33.379
 without an umbrella

00:13:33.379 --> 00:13:35.580
 is going to render you wet.

00:13:36.220 --> 00:13:36.519
 You see,

00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:38.180
 truth is not a social construct.

00:13:38.360 --> 00:13:38.879
 It's not something

00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:39.920
 people came up with

00:13:39.920 --> 00:13:40.639
 to control

00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:41.759
 or manipulate people.

00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:43.000
 Truth corresponds

00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:44.019
 to reality.

00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:45.500
 Here's another example.

00:13:45.980 --> 00:13:46.560
 I know this is

00:13:46.560 --> 00:13:47.639
 a little bit hypothetical,

00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:49.639
 but just bear with me

00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:50.200
 for a second.

00:13:50.860 --> 00:13:52.279
 Just imagine for a second

00:13:52.279 --> 00:13:53.820
 that the airports are open

00:13:53.820 --> 00:13:55.120
 and that you're actually

00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:56.100
 flying on an airplane

00:13:56.100 --> 00:13:57.080
 to go on holiday.

00:13:57.320 --> 00:13:58.300
 I know that hasn't happened

00:13:58.300 --> 00:13:58.980
 for any of us

00:13:58.980 --> 00:13:59.940
 for a very long time,

00:13:59.940 --> 00:14:01.040
 but just imagine

00:14:01.040 --> 00:14:02.460
 that the airports are open

00:14:02.460 --> 00:14:03.940
 and you're flying somewhere.

00:14:05.060 --> 00:14:05.680
 How many of us

00:14:05.680 --> 00:14:06.740
 want to fly on an airplane

00:14:06.740 --> 00:14:08.540
 when the co-pilot

00:14:08.540 --> 00:14:10.160
 says to his pilot,

00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:11.140
 look,

00:14:11.180 --> 00:14:12.640
 in order to land safely,

00:14:12.760 --> 00:14:14.180
 you need to drop your speed,

00:14:14.660 --> 00:14:15.900
 tilt the wings,

00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:17.400
 and drop your altitude.

00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:18.740
 How many of us

00:14:18.740 --> 00:14:19.920
 want a pilot that says,

00:14:20.300 --> 00:14:21.700
 don't impose your truth on me?

00:14:22.220 --> 00:14:23.840
 Don't be so arrogant

00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:25.120
 as to tell me

00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:26.400
 what is your version of truth?

00:14:26.620 --> 00:14:27.920
 That may be true for you,

00:14:27.980 --> 00:14:29.100
 but that's not true for me.

00:14:29.899 --> 00:14:31.120
 None of us want that,

00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:31.420
 right?

00:14:32.340 --> 00:14:33.680
 In order to function

00:14:33.680 --> 00:14:34.659
 in an ordered

00:14:34.659 --> 00:14:35.940
 and a logical world,

00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:37.820
 we all actually believe

00:14:37.820 --> 00:14:38.820
 in the objective nature

00:14:38.820 --> 00:14:39.399
 of truth.

00:14:39.779 --> 00:14:40.960
 We believe that truth

00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:42.800
 corresponds to reality.

00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:44.920
 A few years ago,

00:14:45.139 --> 00:14:47.460
 the atheist astrophysicist

00:14:47.460 --> 00:14:48.800
 Neil deGrasse Tyson,

00:14:48.940 --> 00:14:50.639
 a very famous astrophysicist

00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:51.320
 in the US,

00:14:52.259 --> 00:14:53.180
 said this.

00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:53.580
 He said,

00:14:53.580 --> 00:14:55.680
 the good thing about science

00:14:55.680 --> 00:14:56.900
 is that it's true

00:14:56.900 --> 00:14:58.400
 whether you believe in it

00:14:58.400 --> 00:14:59.100
 or not.

00:14:59.800 --> 00:15:00.320
 Well,

00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:02.220
 that's absolutely true,

00:15:02.300 --> 00:15:02.560
 right?

00:15:02.800 --> 00:15:03.759
 Whether you believe

00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:05.180
 in gravitational forces

00:15:05.180 --> 00:15:06.720
 or the earth is round

00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:07.280
 or not,

00:15:07.379 --> 00:15:08.420
 doesn't really matter.

00:15:08.620 --> 00:15:09.560
 Those things are real.

00:15:09.680 --> 00:15:10.620
 That is reality.

00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:12.700
 But if you think about it,

00:15:12.900 --> 00:15:13.900
 that's not just true

00:15:13.900 --> 00:15:14.600
 for science.

00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:16.020
 That's the good news

00:15:16.020 --> 00:15:17.060
 about all truth.

00:15:17.620 --> 00:15:18.660
 Truth is truth,

00:15:18.659 --> 00:15:19.459
 and it's real

00:15:19.459 --> 00:15:20.699
 whether you believe in it

00:15:20.699 --> 00:15:21.459
 or not.

00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:22.839
 As Os Guinness said,

00:15:22.980 --> 00:15:23.759
 truth is truth

00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:25.639
 even if nobody believes in it

00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:27.039
 and falsehood is false

00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:28.539
 even if everybody

00:15:28.539 --> 00:15:29.759
 believes in it.

00:15:30.139 --> 00:15:31.100
 And what that means

00:15:31.100 --> 00:15:32.240
 is that truth

00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:32.980
 by nature

00:15:32.980 --> 00:15:33.939
 is exclusive.

00:15:34.419 --> 00:15:35.500
 It makes a claim

00:15:35.500 --> 00:15:36.079
 about the world.

00:15:36.179 --> 00:15:36.419
 It says,

00:15:36.719 --> 00:15:37.860
 this is the way the world is.

00:15:37.980 --> 00:15:38.600
 This is the way

00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:39.939
 the world is not.

00:15:40.279 --> 00:15:41.839
 It separates what's true

00:15:41.839 --> 00:15:42.779
 from what's false,

00:15:42.959 --> 00:15:43.819
 what's real

00:15:43.819 --> 00:15:45.159
 from what isn't,

00:15:45.259 --> 00:15:46.319
 what's dependable

00:15:46.319 --> 00:15:47.639
 from what is faulty.

00:15:47.639 --> 00:15:49.639
 And this is the case

00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:50.340
 for all truth,

00:15:50.460 --> 00:15:51.939
 not just religious truth.

00:15:52.419 --> 00:15:53.399
 Anything that claims

00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:53.960
 to be truth

00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:54.740
 by nature

00:15:54.740 --> 00:15:55.860
 is exclusive.

00:15:56.779 --> 00:15:57.819
 And so when someone says,

00:15:58.080 --> 00:15:59.019
 there's no such thing

00:15:59.019 --> 00:16:00.039
 as absolute truth,

00:16:00.299 --> 00:16:01.120
 all religions

00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:02.019
 are just the same,

00:16:02.460 --> 00:16:03.819
 well that is actually

00:16:03.819 --> 00:16:04.819
 a truth claim.

00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:06.559
 That's a propositional claim

00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:07.340
 about the way

00:16:07.340 --> 00:16:08.139
 the world is.

00:16:08.539 --> 00:16:09.360
 That's saying that

00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:10.919
 the world is this way,

00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:12.080
 it's not this way.

00:16:12.360 --> 00:16:13.220
 I believe the world

00:16:13.220 --> 00:16:13.919
 is like this.

00:16:14.139 --> 00:16:15.500
 That is a false view

00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:16.319
 of religion

00:16:16.319 --> 00:16:17.200
 and who God is.

00:16:17.640 --> 00:16:18.580
 Even the belief

00:16:18.580 --> 00:16:19.960
 that there's no such thing

00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:20.860
 as objective,

00:16:21.140 --> 00:16:22.060
 exclusive truth

00:16:22.060 --> 00:16:23.740
 is an objective truth

00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:25.060
 claim about the way

00:16:25.060 --> 00:16:25.900
 that the world is.

00:16:26.580 --> 00:16:27.140
 And so if you think

00:16:27.140 --> 00:16:27.780
 about the story,

00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:29.040
 the parable of the elephant,

00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:30.400
 the only way,

00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:31.360
 the only reason

00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:32.300
 that it seems

00:16:32.300 --> 00:16:33.080
 to make sense

00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:34.900
 is because that story

00:16:34.900 --> 00:16:35.560
 is told

00:16:35.560 --> 00:16:36.920
 from the vantage point,

00:16:37.140 --> 00:16:37.700
 the viewpoint

00:16:37.700 --> 00:16:38.680
 of the narrator.

00:16:39.280 --> 00:16:40.440
 Somebody who claims

00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:41.540
 to have absolute

00:16:41.540 --> 00:16:42.620
 perfect perspective

00:16:42.620 --> 00:16:43.360
 on the world,

00:16:43.860 --> 00:16:44.640
 somebody who says,

00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:45.840
 let me tell you

00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:47.360
 about how the world is.

00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:48.299
 This is what

00:16:48.299 --> 00:16:49.199
 the world is like.

00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:50.199
 It's like four men

00:16:50.199 --> 00:16:51.039
 that stumble across

00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:51.559
 an elephant.

00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:53.159
 The only way

00:16:53.159 --> 00:16:54.519
 you can possibly claim

00:16:54.519 --> 00:16:56.000
 that no religion

00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.699
 can see the whole truth

00:16:57.699 --> 00:16:59.279
 is if you yourself

00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:00.340
 have superior,

00:17:00.860 --> 00:17:02.179
 comprehensive knowledge

00:17:02.179 --> 00:17:03.899
 about spiritual reality,

00:17:04.359 --> 00:17:05.180
 the very knowledge

00:17:05.180 --> 00:17:06.119
 that you've just claimed

00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:07.660
 nobody really has.

00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:08.859
 You see,

00:17:09.019 --> 00:17:09.920
 all truth claims

00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:10.619
 by nature

00:17:10.619 --> 00:17:11.359
 are exclusive.

00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:12.359
 They make a claim.

00:17:12.500 --> 00:17:13.219
 This is the way

00:17:13.219 --> 00:17:14.279
 the world is.

00:17:15.539 --> 00:17:15.979
 Secondly,

00:17:16.500 --> 00:17:17.679
 the challenge of truth.

00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:18.939
 Now,

00:17:19.159 --> 00:17:20.419
 why do we struggle

00:17:20.419 --> 00:17:21.659
 with this nature of truth?

00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:22.539
 Why do we struggle

00:17:22.539 --> 00:17:23.099
 with the idea

00:17:23.099 --> 00:17:24.959
 that this is the way

00:17:24.959 --> 00:17:25.639
 the world is?

00:17:25.659 --> 00:17:26.419
 And we push back

00:17:26.419 --> 00:17:27.419
 and we like the idea

00:17:27.419 --> 00:17:29.240
 of living in a post-truth culture.

00:17:29.919 --> 00:17:30.879
 Part of the reason

00:17:30.879 --> 00:17:32.719
 is because the character

00:17:32.719 --> 00:17:33.179
 of truth

00:17:33.179 --> 00:17:34.619
 is that it's confrontational.

00:17:34.979 --> 00:17:35.979
 It's challenging.

00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:37.659
 It challenges us

00:17:37.659 --> 00:17:38.039
 to say,

00:17:38.219 --> 00:17:39.179
 this is a reality.

00:17:39.180 --> 00:17:40.880
 You need to align your life

00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:42.019
 to reality.

00:17:42.620 --> 00:17:43.400
 In other words,

00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:44.460
 it calls us

00:17:44.460 --> 00:17:45.500
 to surrender

00:17:45.500 --> 00:17:46.380
 and submit

00:17:46.380 --> 00:17:47.660
 to the reality

00:17:47.660 --> 00:17:49.360
 of what the truth is.

00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:51.100
 There's an old story.

00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:52.860
 It's a bit of a folklore story.

00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:54.320
 But there's an old story

00:17:54.320 --> 00:17:55.759
 of a U.S. battleship

00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:56.980
 sailing somewhere

00:17:56.980 --> 00:17:58.279
 along the coast

00:17:58.279 --> 00:17:59.660
 of Central America.

00:18:00.539 --> 00:18:02.680
 And it's twilight.

00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:04.360
 It's going into the evening.

00:18:04.779 --> 00:18:06.160
 There's fog all around.

00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:07.340
 The weather's very bad.

00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:09.339
 Nobody can really see

00:18:09.339 --> 00:18:10.159
 much around them.

00:18:10.659 --> 00:18:11.419
 But up ahead,

00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:12.959
 the battleship sees

00:18:12.959 --> 00:18:14.240
 a light flashing

00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:14.980
 in its direction

00:18:14.980 --> 00:18:15.759
 and realizes

00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:16.399
 there's a ship

00:18:16.399 --> 00:18:17.019
 in its way.

00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:18.299
 And so the captain

00:18:18.299 --> 00:18:19.519
 says to his radio man,

00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:20.579
 get on the radio

00:18:20.579 --> 00:18:21.679
 and tell that ship

00:18:21.679 --> 00:18:22.919
 to adjust their course

00:18:22.919 --> 00:18:23.980
 by 20 degrees,

00:18:24.099 --> 00:18:24.759
 otherwise we're going

00:18:24.759 --> 00:18:25.399
 to collide.

00:18:26.139 --> 00:18:26.879
 And so the radio man

00:18:26.879 --> 00:18:28.159
 sends this message across

00:18:28.159 --> 00:18:29.119
 and the message

00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:30.199
 comes back saying,

00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:30.799
 no,

00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:31.980
 we're not adjusting.

00:18:32.179 --> 00:18:33.359
 You change your course.

00:18:34.339 --> 00:18:35.019
 The captain's

00:18:35.019 --> 00:18:35.959
 a bit irritated.

00:18:36.119 --> 00:18:36.379
 He says,

00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:37.040
 listen,

00:18:37.180 --> 00:18:37.720
 tell them

00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:38.940
 they better change

00:18:38.940 --> 00:18:40.700
 their course quickly,

00:18:40.820 --> 00:18:41.780
 otherwise this is going

00:18:41.780 --> 00:18:42.660
 to end up in a collision.

00:18:43.380 --> 00:18:44.500
 The message comes back

00:18:44.500 --> 00:18:44.840
 saying,

00:18:45.080 --> 00:18:45.860
 we're not moving.

00:18:46.020 --> 00:18:47.220
 You adjust your course.

00:18:48.060 --> 00:18:49.160
 The captain grabs

00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:49.640
 the radio

00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:50.060
 and he says,

00:18:50.420 --> 00:18:50.820
 listen,

00:18:50.820 --> 00:18:52.220
 this is the captain

00:18:52.220 --> 00:18:54.100
 of the U.S. destroyer.

00:18:54.420 --> 00:18:56.120
 I command you now

00:18:56.120 --> 00:18:56.960
 to immediately

00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:58.180
 adjust your course.

00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:00.660
 The message comes back

00:19:00.660 --> 00:19:00.960
 saying,

00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:02.420
 this is the keeper

00:19:02.420 --> 00:19:03.260
 of the lighthouse.

00:19:03.660 --> 00:19:04.320
 I suggest

00:19:04.320 --> 00:19:05.340
 you adjust

00:19:05.339 --> 00:19:06.259
 your course.

00:19:07.500 --> 00:19:08.699
 It's a silly story,

00:19:08.839 --> 00:19:09.779
 but it illustrates

00:19:09.779 --> 00:19:10.579
 the point

00:19:10.579 --> 00:19:12.159
 that reality

00:19:12.159 --> 00:19:13.199
 and truth

00:19:13.199 --> 00:19:14.959
 are confrontational.

00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:16.659
 It challenges us.

00:19:16.939 --> 00:19:18.059
 When we're confronted

00:19:18.059 --> 00:19:18.839
 with the reality

00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:19.419
 of truth,

00:19:19.579 --> 00:19:20.539
 we can't just

00:19:20.539 --> 00:19:21.199
 carry on

00:19:21.199 --> 00:19:21.879
 as if life

00:19:21.879 --> 00:19:23.000
 is arbitrary

00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:24.359
 or has no reality.

00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:26.119
 Truth confronts us

00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:26.379
 and says,

00:19:26.500 --> 00:19:27.039
 what are you going

00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:27.519
 to do

00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:28.379
 with the truth

00:19:28.379 --> 00:19:29.439
 that you've just

00:19:29.439 --> 00:19:29.959
 been told?

00:19:29.960 --> 00:19:31.920
 In this exchange

00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:32.420
 with the woman,

00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:34.240
 after Jesus

00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:34.900
 has revealed

00:19:34.900 --> 00:19:35.759
 her situation

00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:36.640
 with her various

00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:37.559
 romantic partners,

00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:39.079
 the woman replies

00:19:39.079 --> 00:19:39.420
 and says,

00:19:39.539 --> 00:19:39.819
 sir,

00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:40.680
 I perceive

00:19:40.680 --> 00:19:41.559
 that you're a prophet.

00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:42.940
 And she changes

00:19:42.940 --> 00:19:43.680
 the conversation

00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:44.840
 to spiritual matters,

00:19:44.940 --> 00:19:45.740
 things that she thinks

00:19:45.740 --> 00:19:46.799
 are a little bit

00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:47.779
 more ethereal.

00:19:48.340 --> 00:19:49.500
 And she says to Jesus,

00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:50.100
 look,

00:19:50.180 --> 00:19:51.180
 our people say

00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:51.860
 that you should

00:19:51.860 --> 00:19:52.980
 worship on this mountain.

00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:54.200
 Your people,

00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:54.620
 the Jews,

00:19:54.680 --> 00:19:55.160
 say that we should

00:19:55.160 --> 00:19:56.480
 worship on this mountain.

00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:57.900
 Who knows really

00:19:57.900 --> 00:19:58.680
 what's right

00:19:58.680 --> 00:19:59.320
 and what's true.

00:19:59.420 --> 00:20:00.160
 I guess they both

00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:00.779
 kind of work.

00:20:01.539 --> 00:20:02.960
 And Jesus replies

00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:03.539
 in effect

00:20:03.539 --> 00:20:04.200
 and says,

00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:04.900
 look,

00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:05.640
 it doesn't matter

00:20:05.640 --> 00:20:06.680
 where you worship

00:20:06.680 --> 00:20:07.799
 or how you worship.

00:20:08.039 --> 00:20:08.779
 What matters

00:20:08.779 --> 00:20:09.600
 is the condition

00:20:09.600 --> 00:20:10.580
 of your heart.

00:20:11.340 --> 00:20:12.539
 What's Jesus saying?

00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:14.279
 Jesus is saying,

00:20:14.759 --> 00:20:15.000
 look,

00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:16.279
 you can do it here,

00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:17.640
 you can worship there,

00:20:17.840 --> 00:20:18.920
 you worship in your home

00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:19.820
 or a schoolyard

00:20:19.820 --> 00:20:20.480
 or a cathedral.

00:20:20.660 --> 00:20:21.740
 That's not what's important.

00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:23.060
 What's important

00:20:23.060 --> 00:20:24.360
 is that if you want

00:20:24.360 --> 00:20:25.080
 to know God,

00:20:25.460 --> 00:20:26.240
 if you want to know

00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:26.799
 the truth,

00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:27.580
 you've got to

00:20:27.579 --> 00:20:28.919
 encounter God,

00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:30.179
 you've got to be truthful,

00:20:30.439 --> 00:20:30.980
 not fake.

00:20:31.339 --> 00:20:32.779
 You've got to be surrendered.

00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:34.599
 You've got to come

00:20:34.599 --> 00:20:35.339
 to Him

00:20:35.339 --> 00:20:36.039
 and let Him

00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:37.220
 confront you

00:20:37.220 --> 00:20:37.759
 with the reality

00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:38.579
 of who He is.

00:20:39.059 --> 00:20:39.779
 And then she says

00:20:39.779 --> 00:20:40.740
 something very interesting.

00:20:40.899 --> 00:20:41.339
 She says,

00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:42.199
 well,

00:20:42.699 --> 00:20:43.419
 I guess,

00:20:43.559 --> 00:20:44.220
 who knows how

00:20:44.220 --> 00:20:45.179
 these things work out.

00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:46.500
 I hear the Messiah's coming.

00:20:46.819 --> 00:20:47.559
 When He comes,

00:20:47.639 --> 00:20:48.759
 He'll tell us reality.

00:20:49.819 --> 00:20:51.179
 And Jesus says to her,

00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:51.939
 lady,

00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:53.000
 the man that speaks

00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:53.460
 to you

00:20:53.460 --> 00:20:54.599
 is He.

00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:56.119
 I am

00:20:56.119 --> 00:20:57.339
 the Messiah.

00:20:59.099 --> 00:21:00.539
 Jesus is confronting her

00:21:00.539 --> 00:21:00.979
 with the fact

00:21:00.979 --> 00:21:01.939
 that He's not only

00:21:01.939 --> 00:21:03.099
 someone who's bringing

00:21:03.099 --> 00:21:03.719
 the truth,

00:21:04.139 --> 00:21:05.359
 He claims to be

00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:05.939
 the truth.

00:21:06.719 --> 00:21:07.699
 And throughout the Gospels,

00:21:07.879 --> 00:21:09.199
 Jesus is constantly saying

00:21:09.199 --> 00:21:10.139
 these confrontational,

00:21:10.219 --> 00:21:11.339
 these challenging things.

00:21:11.919 --> 00:21:13.019
 Jesus is constantly

00:21:13.019 --> 00:21:14.339
 challenging the people

00:21:14.339 --> 00:21:15.199
 who are listening to Him

00:21:15.199 --> 00:21:15.659
 to saying,

00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:16.979
 this is a reality.

00:21:17.159 --> 00:21:17.619
 What are you going

00:21:17.619 --> 00:21:18.519
 to do about it?

00:21:18.879 --> 00:21:20.019
 Jesus says things like,

00:21:20.439 --> 00:21:21.379
 whoever holds on

00:21:21.379 --> 00:21:22.039
 to His life

00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:23.379
 will find that He loses it.

00:21:23.380 --> 00:21:24.500
 But if you're willing

00:21:24.500 --> 00:21:25.740
 to lay down your life

00:21:25.740 --> 00:21:26.500
 for my sake

00:21:26.500 --> 00:21:27.660
 in order to know me,

00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:29.440
 you'll actually find life.

00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:31.000
 Jesus says things like,

00:21:31.220 --> 00:21:32.020
 nobody can come

00:21:32.020 --> 00:21:32.560
 to the Father.

00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:33.940
 Nobody can discover

00:21:33.940 --> 00:21:35.440
 the reality of who God is

00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:37.420
 unless you come to me.

00:21:37.740 --> 00:21:38.480
 At one point,

00:21:38.540 --> 00:21:39.980
 some people are debating,

00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:41.280
 should they follow Jesus

00:21:41.280 --> 00:21:42.080
 or should they stick

00:21:42.080 --> 00:21:43.120
 with the family business?

00:21:43.300 --> 00:21:44.420
 And they're oscillating

00:21:44.420 --> 00:21:44.920
 a little bit

00:21:44.920 --> 00:21:45.680
 between the two.

00:21:46.300 --> 00:21:47.060
 And Jesus says,

00:21:47.460 --> 00:21:48.340
 either you're in

00:21:48.340 --> 00:21:49.460
 or you're out.

00:21:49.700 --> 00:21:51.160
 You can't be in two camps.

00:21:51.560 --> 00:21:52.320
 Either you believe

00:21:52.320 --> 00:21:53.800
 I am who I say I am

00:21:53.800 --> 00:21:55.140
 or you reject me,

00:21:55.420 --> 00:21:56.259
 but you can't just

00:21:56.259 --> 00:21:57.100
 admire me.

00:21:57.220 --> 00:21:58.480
 You can't sit on the fence.

00:21:59.560 --> 00:22:00.420
 Jesus is constantly

00:22:00.420 --> 00:22:01.259
 making statements.

00:22:01.800 --> 00:22:02.340
 Things like,

00:22:02.779 --> 00:22:03.720
 I am the door

00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:04.480
 to reality.

00:22:04.660 --> 00:22:05.540
 I am the gate.

00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:06.759
 I am living water.

00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:08.300
 I am truth.

00:22:08.700 --> 00:22:09.700
 And what He's saying is,

00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:11.180
 you can't just admire Him.

00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:13.200
 You can't just tolerate Him.

00:22:13.779 --> 00:22:14.920
 Jesus doesn't allow us

00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:15.880
 just to consider Himself

00:22:15.880 --> 00:22:16.900
 a good moral man

00:22:16.900 --> 00:22:17.700
 that had some wisdom.

00:22:18.060 --> 00:22:19.460
 He lays down a claim,

00:22:19.560 --> 00:22:20.500
 a binary claim,

00:22:20.500 --> 00:22:21.500
 an exclusive claim.

00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:21.839
 And He says,

00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:22.940
 what are you going to do with it?

00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:24.400
 How are you going to respond

00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:25.240
 to my claim

00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:27.420
 that I am the way to truth?

00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:30.319
 Os Guinness said it like this.

00:22:30.359 --> 00:22:30.559
 He said,

00:22:30.619 --> 00:22:31.759
 there's two people in the world.

00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:35.460
 Those who conform their lives

00:22:35.460 --> 00:22:36.259
 to the truth

00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:37.619
 or those who try

00:22:37.619 --> 00:22:38.859
 and conform truth

00:22:38.859 --> 00:22:40.380
 to their lives.

00:22:41.059 --> 00:22:41.539
 And again,

00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:42.279
 we actually know

00:22:42.279 --> 00:22:43.519
 that this is self-evident.

00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:45.180
 That when somebody says,

00:22:45.539 --> 00:22:46.700
 this is the way the world is,

00:22:46.759 --> 00:22:47.680
 this is reality,

00:22:47.680 --> 00:22:50.180
 we either conform to it

00:22:50.180 --> 00:22:51.100
 or reject it.

00:22:51.160 --> 00:22:52.460
 But you can't sit on the fence.

00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:54.420
 Imagine your doctor comes to you

00:22:54.420 --> 00:22:55.420
 and he says,

00:22:55.820 --> 00:22:56.180
 listen,

00:22:57.019 --> 00:22:58.600
 you are in an unhealthy state

00:22:58.600 --> 00:22:59.940
 unless you lose some weight,

00:23:00.019 --> 00:23:01.039
 you start eating healthy

00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:02.500
 and you take this medication,

00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:03.279
 you're going to be dead

00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:04.259
 in six months' time.

00:23:05.060 --> 00:23:05.460
 Well,

00:23:05.560 --> 00:23:06.640
 we can philosophize

00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:07.299
 all we want

00:23:07.299 --> 00:23:08.680
 about how arrogant that is,

00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:10.299
 how exclusivist that is.

00:23:11.060 --> 00:23:12.120
 But the reality is,

00:23:12.180 --> 00:23:13.140
 if you want to live

00:23:13.140 --> 00:23:14.180
 longer than six months,

00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:15.360
 you have to conform,

00:23:15.620 --> 00:23:16.440
 align your life

00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:17.380
 to the truth

00:23:17.380 --> 00:23:18.400
 of what the doctor said.

00:23:19.140 --> 00:23:19.680
 You see, friends,

00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:20.980
 in our post-truth culture,

00:23:21.120 --> 00:23:22.320
 we may be tempted to say,

00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:22.960
 well,

00:23:23.019 --> 00:23:24.220
 why can't I pick and choose?

00:23:24.299 --> 00:23:25.340
 I'll take a bit of Jesus,

00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:26.340
 the Sermon on the Mount

00:23:26.340 --> 00:23:27.340
 that's about turning

00:23:27.340 --> 00:23:28.000
 the other cheek

00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:29.080
 and forgiving your enemies.

00:23:29.380 --> 00:23:30.080
 I'll take a bit

00:23:30.080 --> 00:23:31.240
 of Eastern meditation.

00:23:31.779 --> 00:23:33.220
 I'll blend my own fusion

00:23:33.220 --> 00:23:34.240
 of what I believe

00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:34.880
 is to be true.

00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:36.140
 But friends,

00:23:36.220 --> 00:23:37.200
 when we do that,

00:23:37.400 --> 00:23:38.539
 we form a God

00:23:38.539 --> 00:23:39.320
 in our own image.

00:23:39.600 --> 00:23:40.600
 We make a God

00:23:40.600 --> 00:23:41.900
 who looks just like us,

00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:43.820
 a God who never challenges us,

00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:44.880
 but ultimately,

00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:45.980
 we make up a God

00:23:45.980 --> 00:23:46.800
 that doesn't have

00:23:46.800 --> 00:23:48.400
 any connection

00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:49.520
 to reality.

00:23:50.660 --> 00:23:52.160
 The challenge of truth

00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:53.380
 is that it calls us

00:23:53.380 --> 00:23:54.280
 to submit,

00:23:54.420 --> 00:23:55.120
 to surrender.

00:23:55.960 --> 00:23:56.200
 Now,

00:23:56.260 --> 00:23:57.260
 why is this so important?

00:23:58.120 --> 00:23:58.360
 Well,

00:23:58.420 --> 00:23:58.860
 thirdly,

00:23:59.020 --> 00:23:59.900
 because the promise

00:23:59.900 --> 00:24:00.500
 of truth.

00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:01.520
 You see,

00:24:01.580 --> 00:24:02.140
 the stakes

00:24:02.140 --> 00:24:03.320
 couldn't be higher.

00:24:04.340 --> 00:24:05.120
 Truth promises

00:24:05.120 --> 00:24:06.060
 nothing less

00:24:06.060 --> 00:24:07.140
 than freedom.

00:24:09.240 --> 00:24:11.160
 In the mid-20th century,

00:24:11.480 --> 00:24:11.980
 philosophers

00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:14.000
 like Michel Foucault

00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:15.019
 and others

00:24:15.019 --> 00:24:17.200
 came up with the idea

00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:18.259
 that truth

00:24:18.259 --> 00:24:19.120
 and reality

00:24:19.120 --> 00:24:19.960
 is relative.

00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:21.500
 It's not really

00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:22.360
 a real thing.

00:24:23.299 --> 00:24:24.200
 Michel Foucault

00:24:24.200 --> 00:24:25.220
 taught that

00:24:25.220 --> 00:24:26.819
 truth and reality

00:24:26.819 --> 00:24:28.259
 is a social construct,

00:24:28.579 --> 00:24:29.259
 something that

00:24:29.259 --> 00:24:30.819
 those in power

00:24:30.819 --> 00:24:31.799
 have created

00:24:31.799 --> 00:24:33.279
 in order to

00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:34.059
 oppress

00:24:34.059 --> 00:24:35.220
 the powerless.

00:24:36.039 --> 00:24:36.360
 And so,

00:24:36.539 --> 00:24:37.640
 Foucault and others

00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:38.579
 were saying that

00:24:38.579 --> 00:24:40.660
 when somebody,

00:24:40.860 --> 00:24:41.880
 especially those in power,

00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:42.740
 claim that something

00:24:42.740 --> 00:24:43.420
 is right

00:24:43.420 --> 00:24:44.540
 or something is true

00:24:44.540 --> 00:24:45.380
 or use things

00:24:45.380 --> 00:24:46.700
 like divine decree,

00:24:46.940 --> 00:24:48.120
 God has said so,

00:24:48.540 --> 00:24:49.040
 actually,

00:24:49.140 --> 00:24:50.400
 that's a social construct

00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:52.200
 to manipulate

00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:53.380
 or control

00:24:53.380 --> 00:24:54.960
 those that

00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:56.000
 oppose them

00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.040
 or their opponents.

00:24:57.800 --> 00:24:58.740
 The great example

00:24:58.740 --> 00:24:59.120
 of this,

00:24:59.200 --> 00:24:59.560
 of course,

00:24:59.620 --> 00:25:00.560
 is the Crusades

00:25:00.560 --> 00:25:01.440
 in the Middle Ages,

00:25:01.560 --> 00:25:01.800
 right,

00:25:02.120 --> 00:25:02.860
 where the church

00:25:02.860 --> 00:25:03.340
 was saying,

00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:05.000
 we need to impose

00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:06.520
 the reality of Christianity

00:25:06.520 --> 00:25:08.660
 on the rest of the world.

00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:09.180
 And they went

00:25:09.180 --> 00:25:09.960
 in their army

00:25:09.960 --> 00:25:11.319
 and try to

00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:12.900
 oppose and oppress

00:25:12.900 --> 00:25:14.259
 their opponents.

00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:16.460
 Remember the famous saying,

00:25:16.840 --> 00:25:18.340
 religion is the opium

00:25:18.340 --> 00:25:19.059
 of the masses.

00:25:19.500 --> 00:25:20.360
 It's used to

00:25:20.360 --> 00:25:22.120
 oppress and suppress,

00:25:22.600 --> 00:25:23.600
 manipulate and control

00:25:23.600 --> 00:25:24.079
 people.

00:25:24.620 --> 00:25:25.059
 And of course,

00:25:25.140 --> 00:25:26.240
 one of the great examples

00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:28.000
 of this is Nazi Germany.

00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:29.519
 Hitler claimed that

00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:31.400
 Jews and homosexuals

00:25:31.400 --> 00:25:32.240
 and gypsies

00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:33.120
 were the scourge

00:25:33.120 --> 00:25:33.640
 of Germany.

00:25:33.980 --> 00:25:34.900
 They were the problem

00:25:34.900 --> 00:25:35.640
 of everything.

00:25:35.819 --> 00:25:36.460
 They were the source

00:25:36.460 --> 00:25:37.600
 of all Germany's problems.

00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:38.879
 And for Germany

00:25:38.879 --> 00:25:39.699
 to really be

00:25:39.699 --> 00:25:40.339
 the nation

00:25:40.339 --> 00:25:41.219
 it was meant to be,

00:25:41.480 --> 00:25:42.519
 we need to get rid

00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:43.319
 of the scourge

00:25:43.319 --> 00:25:43.799
 of Germany.

00:25:44.339 --> 00:25:46.319
 Hitler propagated

00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:46.859
 this truth

00:25:46.859 --> 00:25:48.000
 that these people

00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:48.719
 were stealing

00:25:48.719 --> 00:25:49.319
 the jobs

00:25:49.319 --> 00:25:50.439
 of hard-working

00:25:50.439 --> 00:25:51.599
 German nationals

00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:52.399
 and we need to

00:25:52.399 --> 00:25:53.439
 eradicate

00:25:53.439 --> 00:25:54.339
 such people

00:25:54.339 --> 00:25:55.000
 from our nation

00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:55.719
 so that we can be

00:25:55.719 --> 00:25:56.319
 a pure

00:25:56.319 --> 00:25:57.259
 and a wholesome

00:25:57.259 --> 00:25:59.099
 country again.

00:26:00.879 --> 00:26:01.619
 Michel Foucault

00:26:01.619 --> 00:26:01.919
 said,

00:26:02.259 --> 00:26:03.199
 people like Hitler,

00:26:03.399 --> 00:26:04.819
 people like the Crusaders,

00:26:05.480 --> 00:26:06.480
 were constructing

00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:07.200
 truth.

00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:08.720
 Truth isn't really real.

00:26:08.819 --> 00:26:10.339
 It was a social construct

00:26:10.339 --> 00:26:11.900
 to impose their will

00:26:11.900 --> 00:26:12.839
 upon others

00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:13.500
 to control

00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:14.720
 and manipulate them.

00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:16.900
 But is this really true?

00:26:18.039 --> 00:26:19.319
 As we discover,

00:26:20.099 --> 00:26:20.940
 the problem

00:26:20.940 --> 00:26:22.759
 is not actually truth.

00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:23.860
 The problem

00:26:23.860 --> 00:26:24.980
 is the contortion

00:26:24.980 --> 00:26:25.640
 of truth

00:26:25.640 --> 00:26:26.880
 or the manipulation

00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:27.700
 of truth.

00:26:28.140 --> 00:26:28.519
 In fact,

00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:29.500
 the greatest problem

00:26:29.500 --> 00:26:30.839
 is half-truths.

00:26:31.339 --> 00:26:33.180
 Any authoritarian regime

00:26:33.180 --> 00:26:33.900
 or dictator

00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:34.360
 has found

00:26:34.360 --> 00:26:34.980
 that truth

00:26:34.980 --> 00:26:36.180
 is so powerful

00:26:36.180 --> 00:26:37.319
 that if you can

00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:37.960
 take something

00:26:37.960 --> 00:26:39.059
 and dress it up

00:26:39.059 --> 00:26:39.500
 as truth,

00:26:39.559 --> 00:26:40.220
 if you can make

00:26:40.220 --> 00:26:41.019
 something look

00:26:41.019 --> 00:26:41.579
 like truth,

00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:43.480
 it's a powerful weapon

00:26:43.480 --> 00:26:44.299
 that you can use

00:26:44.299 --> 00:26:45.200
 to control others.

00:26:45.660 --> 00:26:46.339
 But the problem

00:26:46.339 --> 00:26:46.980
 isn't actually

00:26:46.980 --> 00:26:47.420
 the nature

00:26:47.420 --> 00:26:48.259
 of truth itself.

00:26:48.620 --> 00:26:49.660
 It's the contortion

00:26:49.660 --> 00:26:50.640
 and the distortion

00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:51.299
 of truth.

00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:53.559
 One of Hitler's

00:26:53.559 --> 00:26:57.319
 great ministers

00:26:57.319 --> 00:26:57.900
 in parliament

00:26:57.900 --> 00:26:58.460
 was a man

00:26:58.460 --> 00:26:58.819
 by the name

00:26:58.819 --> 00:26:59.920
 of Joseph Goebbels

00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:00.500
 and he was

00:27:00.500 --> 00:27:01.039
 the minister

00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:01.960
 of propaganda.

00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:03.759
 Joseph Goebbels

00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:04.700
 said this.

00:27:05.299 --> 00:27:05.519
 He said,

00:27:05.599 --> 00:27:06.200
 if you tell

00:27:06.200 --> 00:27:06.779
 a lie

00:27:06.779 --> 00:27:07.619
 big enough

00:27:07.619 --> 00:27:08.500
 and you keep

00:27:08.500 --> 00:27:09.319
 repeating it,

00:27:09.799 --> 00:27:10.839
 people will eventually

00:27:10.839 --> 00:27:12.240
 come to believe it.

00:27:12.680 --> 00:27:13.539
 Now just pause there

00:27:13.539 --> 00:27:14.440
 for a second.

00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:15.700
 What does that sound like?

00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:17.299
 That sounds like

00:27:17.299 --> 00:27:18.259
 fake news, right?

00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:19.819
 If you can come up

00:27:19.819 --> 00:27:20.279
 with a lie

00:27:20.279 --> 00:27:20.900
 big enough

00:27:20.900 --> 00:27:22.160
 and keep repeating it,

00:27:22.379 --> 00:27:23.220
 people will eventually

00:27:23.220 --> 00:27:24.259
 come to believe it.

00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:25.700
 It thus becomes

00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:26.759
 vitally important

00:27:26.759 --> 00:27:27.879
 for the Nazi state

00:27:27.879 --> 00:27:29.319
 to use all

00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:30.039
 of its powers

00:27:30.039 --> 00:27:31.299
 to repress

00:27:31.299 --> 00:27:32.279
 dissent

00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:33.240
 and the truth.

00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:34.579
 For truth

00:27:34.579 --> 00:27:35.619
 is the mortal

00:27:35.619 --> 00:27:36.160
 enemy

00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:37.019
 of the lie

00:27:37.019 --> 00:27:37.940
 and thus

00:27:37.940 --> 00:27:38.639
 by extension

00:27:38.639 --> 00:27:39.619
 is the greatest

00:27:39.619 --> 00:27:40.220
 enemy

00:27:40.220 --> 00:27:41.420
 of our state.

00:27:42.099 --> 00:27:42.839
 You see what Goebbels

00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:43.279
 is saying?

00:27:43.700 --> 00:27:44.079
 He's saying

00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:44.960
 the problem is

00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:46.039
 we've come up

00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:47.660
 with a version

00:27:47.660 --> 00:27:48.180
 of truth,

00:27:48.259 --> 00:27:49.019
 a half truth.

00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:49.619
 We've come up

00:27:49.619 --> 00:27:50.460
 with a hypothesis

00:27:50.460 --> 00:27:51.759
 and we better

00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:52.639
 not let anybody

00:27:52.639 --> 00:27:53.200
 find out

00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:54.119
 what the truth is.

00:27:55.819 --> 00:27:56.539
 There's a

00:27:56.539 --> 00:27:58.259
 fascinating documentary

00:27:58.259 --> 00:27:58.779
 on Netflix

00:27:58.779 --> 00:27:59.480
 at the moment

00:27:59.480 --> 00:27:59.960
 called

00:27:59.960 --> 00:28:01.000
 The Social Dilemma.

00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:01.420
 I'm not sure

00:28:01.420 --> 00:28:02.140
 if you've seen it.

00:28:02.779 --> 00:28:03.640
 In this documentary,

00:28:04.400 --> 00:28:05.180
 the creators

00:28:05.180 --> 00:28:06.759
 interview a whole

00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:07.640
 bunch of

00:28:07.640 --> 00:28:08.920
 previous VPs,

00:28:09.220 --> 00:28:09.599
 presidents,

00:28:09.819 --> 00:28:10.480
 top executives

00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:11.140
 of a bunch

00:28:11.140 --> 00:28:11.880
 of social media

00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:12.319
 companies

00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:13.359
 from Silicon Valley.

00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:15.240
 They're talking

00:28:15.240 --> 00:28:16.180
 about the challenge

00:28:16.180 --> 00:28:17.480
 that the social

00:28:17.480 --> 00:28:18.359
 media age

00:28:18.359 --> 00:28:19.019
 that we live in

00:28:19.019 --> 00:28:19.579
 presents

00:28:19.579 --> 00:28:20.240
 and particularly

00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:20.859
 the challenge

00:28:20.859 --> 00:28:21.640
 of the smartphone

00:28:21.640 --> 00:28:23.000
 and what this

00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:23.299
 is doing

00:28:23.299 --> 00:28:24.460
 for our civilization.

00:28:25.259 --> 00:28:25.880
 One of the

00:28:25.880 --> 00:28:27.140
 people that they

00:28:27.140 --> 00:28:27.819
 interview is a man

00:28:27.819 --> 00:28:28.180
 by the name

00:28:28.180 --> 00:28:29.099
 of Tristan Harris,

00:28:29.099 --> 00:28:30.819
 a former executive

00:28:30.819 --> 00:28:31.419
 at Google.

00:28:31.939 --> 00:28:32.539
 Listen to what

00:28:32.539 --> 00:28:33.879
 Tristan Harris says.

00:28:34.819 --> 00:28:35.159
 He says,

00:28:35.259 --> 00:28:36.399
 if we don't agree

00:28:36.399 --> 00:28:37.939
 on what is true

00:28:37.939 --> 00:28:39.179
 or that there is

00:28:39.179 --> 00:28:39.819
 such a thing

00:28:39.819 --> 00:28:40.480
 as truth,

00:28:41.019 --> 00:28:42.480
 then we are toast.

00:28:43.959 --> 00:28:45.139
 This is the problem

00:28:45.139 --> 00:28:45.939
 beneath all other

00:28:45.939 --> 00:28:46.779
 problems because

00:28:46.779 --> 00:28:47.879
 if we can't agree

00:28:47.879 --> 00:28:48.740
 on what is true,

00:28:49.019 --> 00:28:50.359
 we can't navigate

00:28:50.359 --> 00:28:51.299
 out of any

00:28:51.299 --> 00:28:52.139
 of our problems.

00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:53.439
 Do you see

00:28:53.439 --> 00:28:53.959
 what he's saying?

00:28:54.659 --> 00:28:55.199
 He's saying

00:28:55.199 --> 00:28:55.839
 the problem

00:28:55.839 --> 00:28:56.659
 of fake news

00:28:56.660 --> 00:28:57.340
 in our age

00:28:57.340 --> 00:28:58.120
 is rampant

00:28:58.120 --> 00:28:58.560
 and actually

00:28:58.560 --> 00:28:59.300
 what's at stake

00:28:59.300 --> 00:29:00.060
 is nothing less

00:29:00.060 --> 00:29:00.759
 than the freedom

00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:02.240
 of our civilization.

00:29:03.080 --> 00:29:03.600
 The answer

00:29:03.600 --> 00:29:04.680
 is not to suppress

00:29:04.680 --> 00:29:05.080
 truth.

00:29:05.400 --> 00:29:05.779
 The answer

00:29:05.779 --> 00:29:06.500
 is not to deny

00:29:06.500 --> 00:29:06.900
 truth.

00:29:07.320 --> 00:29:08.019
 It's to come

00:29:08.019 --> 00:29:08.680
 to a comprehensive

00:29:08.680 --> 00:29:09.340
 understanding

00:29:09.340 --> 00:29:10.660
 that this is truth

00:29:10.660 --> 00:29:11.540
 and unless we can

00:29:11.540 --> 00:29:12.300
 agree on that,

00:29:12.740 --> 00:29:13.420
 we are toast.

00:29:13.840 --> 00:29:14.480
 We are finished.

00:29:15.480 --> 00:29:15.960
 Friends,

00:29:16.019 --> 00:29:16.600
 the ramifications

00:29:16.600 --> 00:29:17.300
 of truth

00:29:17.300 --> 00:29:18.180
 are so vitally

00:29:18.180 --> 00:29:18.900
 important because

00:29:18.900 --> 00:29:19.620
 what's at stake

00:29:19.620 --> 00:29:20.400
 is nothing less

00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:21.160
 than freedom,

00:29:21.600 --> 00:29:22.640
 both for individuals

00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:23.300
 and nations

00:29:23.300 --> 00:29:24.759
 and entire civilizations

00:29:24.759 --> 00:29:26.180
 because even though

00:29:26.180 --> 00:29:26.960
 truth demands

00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:27.619
 your submission,

00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:28.799
 your alignment,

00:29:29.079 --> 00:29:29.940
 even though it claims

00:29:29.940 --> 00:29:30.660
 certain things

00:29:30.660 --> 00:29:31.339
 are always true

00:29:31.339 --> 00:29:32.039
 and certain things

00:29:32.039 --> 00:29:32.799
 are always false,

00:29:33.299 --> 00:29:34.559
 when we align ourselves

00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:35.359
 to what's truth,

00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:36.759
 the result is always

00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:38.099
 freedom and liberty.

00:29:38.839 --> 00:29:39.640
 And it's not only

00:29:39.640 --> 00:29:40.400
 true socially

00:29:40.400 --> 00:29:42.259
 or nationally,

00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:43.559
 it's equally true

00:29:43.559 --> 00:29:44.700
 personally and individually.

00:29:45.400 --> 00:29:45.879
 I'm not sure

00:29:45.879 --> 00:29:46.559
 how many of us

00:29:46.559 --> 00:29:47.200
 have ever been

00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:48.119
 in this situation

00:29:48.119 --> 00:29:49.480
 where maybe

00:29:49.480 --> 00:29:50.440
 you know something

00:29:50.440 --> 00:29:50.980
 or you've been

00:29:50.980 --> 00:29:52.420
 sworn to secrecy

00:29:52.420 --> 00:29:53.400
 something that

00:29:53.400 --> 00:29:54.200
 you cannot tell

00:29:54.200 --> 00:29:55.140
 or maybe

00:29:55.140 --> 00:29:55.860
 you've done

00:29:55.860 --> 00:29:56.400
 something that

00:29:56.400 --> 00:29:57.240
 you're so ashamed

00:29:57.240 --> 00:29:57.440
 of,

00:29:57.539 --> 00:29:58.299
 embarrassed about

00:29:58.299 --> 00:29:59.120
 and you swear

00:29:59.120 --> 00:29:59.600
 that you're going

00:29:59.600 --> 00:30:00.480
 to go to your grave

00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:01.480
 and nobody's going

00:30:01.480 --> 00:30:02.559
 to find out about it.

00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:03.900
 Friends,

00:30:03.980 --> 00:30:04.580
 how are you ever

00:30:04.580 --> 00:30:05.340
 going to be free

00:30:05.340 --> 00:30:06.360
 from the burden

00:30:06.360 --> 00:30:07.860
 and the weight

00:30:07.860 --> 00:30:09.319
 of such responsibility?

00:30:10.380 --> 00:30:11.160
 The only way

00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:12.740
 is to speak the truth

00:30:12.740 --> 00:30:14.180
 because truth

00:30:14.180 --> 00:30:15.360
 leads to freedom.

00:30:16.600 --> 00:30:17.360
 That's why

00:30:17.360 --> 00:30:18.740
 anyone who's engaged

00:30:18.740 --> 00:30:20.180
 in Alcoholics Anonymous

00:30:20.180 --> 00:30:20.700
 program

00:30:20.700 --> 00:30:21.759
 or another 12-step

00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:22.819
 program knows

00:30:22.819 --> 00:30:23.919
 that the very

00:30:23.919 --> 00:30:24.679
 first step

00:30:24.679 --> 00:30:25.919
 is to acknowledge

00:30:25.919 --> 00:30:26.639
 reality

00:30:26.639 --> 00:30:28.159
 because the denial

00:30:28.159 --> 00:30:29.259
 of reality

00:30:29.259 --> 00:30:30.639
 never leads

00:30:30.639 --> 00:30:31.439
 to freedom.

00:30:31.879 --> 00:30:32.960
 In order to be free

00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:34.019
 you have to face

00:30:34.019 --> 00:30:34.720
 the reality

00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:36.200
 that is before you.

00:30:36.779 --> 00:30:37.740
 The ancient Hebrews

00:30:37.740 --> 00:30:38.379
 had a proverb

00:30:38.379 --> 00:30:39.519
 that said this,

00:30:40.159 --> 00:30:41.059
 buy the truth

00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:42.659
 and do not sell it.

00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:44.099
 It's so simple

00:30:44.099 --> 00:30:45.039
 but it's so profound.

00:30:45.579 --> 00:30:46.939
 Whatever it costs you,

00:30:47.319 --> 00:30:48.179
 whatever the cost

00:30:48.179 --> 00:30:48.659
 involved,

00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:49.899
 buy the truth,

00:30:50.059 --> 00:30:51.019
 obtain the truth

00:30:51.019 --> 00:30:51.859
 and no matter

00:30:51.859 --> 00:30:52.720
 what it costs you,

00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:54.799
 never ever sell it.

00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:56.160
 Never give up on truth

00:30:56.160 --> 00:30:57.200
 because to give up

00:30:57.200 --> 00:30:57.799
 on truth

00:30:57.799 --> 00:30:59.660
 will always cost you

00:30:59.660 --> 00:31:00.059
 more

00:31:00.059 --> 00:31:01.559
 than holding on

00:31:01.559 --> 00:31:02.059
 to truth.

00:31:02.599 --> 00:31:03.639
 Truth is costly,

00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:04.119
 it's true

00:31:04.119 --> 00:31:05.339
 but it's liberating

00:31:05.339 --> 00:31:06.420
 and it's free.

00:31:06.940 --> 00:31:07.440
 And Jesus

00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:08.240
 in one of his

00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:09.200
 most famous teachings

00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:09.759
 says this,

00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:10.480
 if you listen

00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:11.279
 to my teachings

00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:12.099
 you'll be free.

00:31:12.460 --> 00:31:13.500
 You will discover

00:31:13.500 --> 00:31:14.059
 the truth

00:31:14.059 --> 00:31:14.759
 and the truth

00:31:14.759 --> 00:31:15.720
 will set you free.

00:31:16.980 --> 00:31:17.879
 Earlier this year

00:31:17.879 --> 00:31:18.440
 I was listening

00:31:18.440 --> 00:31:19.120
 to the story

00:31:19.120 --> 00:31:19.740
 of a man

00:31:19.740 --> 00:31:20.160
 by the name

00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:21.259
 of Michael Ramston

00:31:21.259 --> 00:31:22.519
 and he was telling

00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:22.920
 the story

00:31:22.920 --> 00:31:23.759
 of how he became

00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:24.840
 a follower of Jesus.

00:31:25.480 --> 00:31:26.200
 He said he grew up

00:31:26.200 --> 00:31:26.799
 in a family

00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:28.259
 that wasn't religious

00:31:28.259 --> 00:31:29.120
 at all.

00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:30.400
 He grew up in Lebanon

00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:32.480
 and as a teenager

00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:33.860
 he had big questions

00:31:33.860 --> 00:31:34.539
 about life

00:31:34.539 --> 00:31:35.160
 and faith

00:31:35.160 --> 00:31:35.740
 and meaning

00:31:35.740 --> 00:31:36.360
 and purpose

00:31:36.360 --> 00:31:37.380
 and what is true

00:31:37.380 --> 00:31:38.519
 and in Lebanon

00:31:38.519 --> 00:31:39.220
 he discovers

00:31:39.220 --> 00:31:40.120
 this old missionary

00:31:40.120 --> 00:31:41.840
 and he starts asking

00:31:41.840 --> 00:31:43.100
 this missionary questions,

00:31:43.220 --> 00:31:44.000
 big questions

00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:44.779
 about life

00:31:44.779 --> 00:31:46.559
 and eventually

00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:48.879
 some of his brother

00:31:48.879 --> 00:31:49.680
 and his friends

00:31:49.680 --> 00:31:50.960
 they join this bit

00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:51.480
 of a group

00:31:51.480 --> 00:31:52.440
 and they hang out

00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:53.019
 with this missionary

00:31:53.019 --> 00:31:53.680
 asking him

00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:54.279
 these questions

00:31:54.279 --> 00:31:54.740
 of life

00:31:54.740 --> 00:31:56.039
 and this missionary

00:31:56.039 --> 00:31:56.779
 one day says

00:31:56.779 --> 00:31:57.180
 listen,

00:31:57.379 --> 00:31:58.000
 let's arrange

00:31:58.000 --> 00:31:58.879
 a weekend away

00:31:58.879 --> 00:32:00.139
 and you can ask me

00:32:00.139 --> 00:32:00.920
 all the questions

00:32:00.920 --> 00:32:01.440
 that you want

00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:02.099
 and we can debate

00:32:02.099 --> 00:32:02.740
 and talk about

00:32:02.740 --> 00:32:03.639
 the nature of truth.

00:32:04.220 --> 00:32:04.859
 So they go away

00:32:04.859 --> 00:32:05.480
 for the weekend

00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:08.599
 and on the Friday night

00:32:08.599 --> 00:32:09.819
 Michael Ramston

00:32:09.819 --> 00:32:11.420
 realizes that the claims

00:32:11.420 --> 00:32:12.519
 of Jesus are true

00:32:12.519 --> 00:32:13.879
 but for him

00:32:13.879 --> 00:32:15.039
 that's a problem

00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:15.900
 he didn't want

00:32:15.900 --> 00:32:16.579
 them to be true.

00:32:17.099 --> 00:32:18.220
 Listen to what he says.

00:32:18.839 --> 00:32:19.200
 He says,

00:32:19.259 --> 00:32:20.500
 I've come to the realization

00:32:20.500 --> 00:32:21.420
 that Christianity

00:32:21.420 --> 00:32:22.319
 was true

00:32:22.319 --> 00:32:23.700
 but I didn't want

00:32:23.700 --> 00:32:24.379
 it to be true

00:32:24.379 --> 00:32:25.799
 because I thought

00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:26.579
 it would make

00:32:26.579 --> 00:32:27.839
 my life miserable.

00:32:28.420 --> 00:32:29.279
 I was debating

00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:30.359
 how long

00:32:30.359 --> 00:32:31.680
 can I hold off

00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:33.740
 making this decision

00:32:33.740 --> 00:32:35.000
 because I thought

00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:35.839
 that becoming

00:32:35.839 --> 00:32:36.339
 a Christian

00:32:36.339 --> 00:32:37.440
 would be the end

00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:38.660
 of my happiness.

00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:40.619
 So on the Saturday morning

00:32:40.619 --> 00:32:41.579
 he wakes up early

00:32:41.579 --> 00:32:42.460
 he's wrestling

00:32:42.460 --> 00:32:43.319
 with the decision.

00:32:43.699 --> 00:32:44.599
 He knows it's true

00:32:44.599 --> 00:32:45.859
 but he doesn't want

00:32:45.859 --> 00:32:46.819
 to follow Jesus

00:32:46.819 --> 00:32:47.939
 because he thinks

00:32:47.939 --> 00:32:48.460
 it'll be the end

00:32:48.460 --> 00:32:48.980
 of his happiness.

00:32:49.579 --> 00:32:50.199
 He goes up

00:32:50.199 --> 00:32:51.139
 onto a mountainside

00:32:51.139 --> 00:32:52.099
 and he smokes

00:32:52.099 --> 00:32:53.480
 40 cigarettes.

00:32:53.879 --> 00:32:54.480
 Chain smokes

00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:55.639
 two packs of cigarettes

00:32:55.639 --> 00:32:57.339
 wrestling with this decision.

00:32:58.679 --> 00:32:59.679
 He eventually comes down

00:32:59.679 --> 00:33:01.240
 and he gets his brother

00:33:01.240 --> 00:33:02.500
 and his best friends together

00:33:02.500 --> 00:33:02.839
 and he says,

00:33:02.939 --> 00:33:03.179
 guys,

00:33:03.639 --> 00:33:05.000
 I've got some bad news.

00:33:05.480 --> 00:33:06.119
 I've decided

00:33:06.119 --> 00:33:07.079
 tonight's the night

00:33:07.079 --> 00:33:07.679
 I'm going to become

00:33:07.679 --> 00:33:08.179
 a Christian.

00:33:08.819 --> 00:33:09.859
 And this is what he says,

00:33:09.859 --> 00:33:11.000
 tonight I'm going

00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:11.839
 to sacrifice

00:33:11.839 --> 00:33:12.740
 my happiness

00:33:12.740 --> 00:33:13.839
 on the altar

00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:15.259
 of truth.

00:33:15.899 --> 00:33:16.339
 Do you see

00:33:16.339 --> 00:33:16.859
 what he's saying?

00:33:17.439 --> 00:33:17.799
 He's saying

00:33:17.799 --> 00:33:18.359
 I've discovered

00:33:18.359 --> 00:33:18.919
 the truth

00:33:18.919 --> 00:33:20.479
 and it's demanding

00:33:20.479 --> 00:33:21.379
 that I align

00:33:21.379 --> 00:33:22.199
 my life to it.

00:33:22.339 --> 00:33:23.559
 Even if it costs me

00:33:23.559 --> 00:33:24.219
 my happiness,

00:33:24.399 --> 00:33:24.859
 my freedom,

00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:25.439
 my joy,

00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:27.099
 I've come to the realization

00:33:27.099 --> 00:33:28.719
 I have to sacrifice

00:33:28.719 --> 00:33:29.539
 my happiness

00:33:29.539 --> 00:33:30.740
 on the altar

00:33:30.740 --> 00:33:31.619
 of truth.

00:33:32.299 --> 00:33:33.259
 Except that's not

00:33:33.259 --> 00:33:34.059
 how it turned out.

00:33:34.779 --> 00:33:35.479
 This is how

00:33:35.479 --> 00:33:36.379
 he finishes the story.

00:33:36.740 --> 00:33:37.419
 When I eventually

00:33:37.419 --> 00:33:38.319
 became a Christian,

00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:39.679
 the thing that totally

00:33:39.679 --> 00:33:40.579
 surprised me

00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:41.759
 was that I didn't

00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:42.799
 sink into some kind

00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:43.460
 of depression

00:33:43.460 --> 00:33:44.779
 as I had expected.

00:33:45.399 --> 00:33:46.200
 But unexpectedly,

00:33:46.579 --> 00:33:48.059
 I actually discovered

00:33:48.059 --> 00:33:49.939
 this inexplicable joy.

00:33:50.439 --> 00:33:51.799
 I got the opposite

00:33:51.799 --> 00:33:52.519
 of what I thought

00:33:52.519 --> 00:33:53.399
 was coming my way

00:33:53.399 --> 00:33:54.599
 as a result

00:33:54.599 --> 00:33:55.639
 of coming

00:33:55.639 --> 00:33:56.819
 to Jesus.

00:33:57.399 --> 00:33:58.119
 He thought

00:33:58.119 --> 00:33:58.659
 that he was going

00:33:58.659 --> 00:33:59.299
 to sacrifice

00:33:59.299 --> 00:33:59.919
 his happiness

00:33:59.919 --> 00:34:00.759
 and his freedom

00:34:00.759 --> 00:34:01.579
 and his joy

00:34:01.579 --> 00:34:02.700
 as he aligned

00:34:02.700 --> 00:34:03.519
 himself to truth.

00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:04.639
 But what he found

00:34:04.639 --> 00:34:05.359
 was the opposite.

00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:07.179
 That coming to the truth

00:34:07.180 --> 00:34:08.440
 actually gave him

00:34:08.440 --> 00:34:08.980
 freedom.

00:34:09.380 --> 00:34:10.300
 It gave him joy.

00:34:10.659 --> 00:34:11.099
 It gave him

00:34:11.099 --> 00:34:11.720
 a happiness

00:34:11.720 --> 00:34:13.180
 he never expected

00:34:13.180 --> 00:34:14.340
 and had never

00:34:14.340 --> 00:34:15.059
 anticipated

00:34:15.059 --> 00:34:16.420
 in his life.

00:34:16.840 --> 00:34:17.659
 And that leads us

00:34:17.659 --> 00:34:18.579
 to the fourth point

00:34:18.579 --> 00:34:19.700
 which is the person

00:34:19.700 --> 00:34:20.220
 of truth.

00:34:20.820 --> 00:34:21.900
 The person of truth

00:34:21.900 --> 00:34:23.260
 is Jesus Christ.

00:34:23.920 --> 00:34:24.220
 You see,

00:34:24.280 --> 00:34:25.039
 we said earlier

00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:26.860
 that every worldview,

00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:28.440
 every claim

00:34:28.440 --> 00:34:29.680
 is binary.

00:34:29.880 --> 00:34:30.360
 It claims

00:34:30.360 --> 00:34:31.019
 that some things

00:34:31.019 --> 00:34:31.440
 are true

00:34:31.440 --> 00:34:32.099
 and some things

00:34:32.099 --> 00:34:32.500
 are not.

00:34:32.820 --> 00:34:34.000
 Even the objective

00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:34.900
 worldview that says

00:34:34.900 --> 00:34:35.900
 there's no such thing

00:34:35.900 --> 00:34:36.460
 as truth

00:34:36.460 --> 00:34:37.760
 is a truth claim

00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:38.599
 in and of itself.

00:34:39.340 --> 00:34:39.900
 But Christianity

00:34:39.900 --> 00:34:40.920
 is distinctive

00:34:40.920 --> 00:34:41.559
 in this way.

00:34:42.220 --> 00:34:43.019
 Every worldview

00:34:43.019 --> 00:34:44.019
 whether atheistic

00:34:44.019 --> 00:34:44.840
 or theistic

00:34:44.840 --> 00:34:46.280
 every worldview

00:34:46.280 --> 00:34:47.519
 says this is truth.

00:34:47.860 --> 00:34:48.940
 Here is the truth.

00:34:49.559 --> 00:34:50.240
 Jesus Christ

00:34:50.240 --> 00:34:50.880
 comes along

00:34:50.880 --> 00:34:51.400
 and says

00:34:51.400 --> 00:34:52.800
 I am truth.

00:34:53.380 --> 00:34:54.320
 I am truth.

00:34:54.500 --> 00:34:55.240
 I am the way.

00:34:55.519 --> 00:34:56.780
 I am life.

00:34:57.599 --> 00:34:58.360
 Everything we've

00:34:58.360 --> 00:34:58.820
 spoken about

00:34:58.820 --> 00:34:59.340
 this morning

00:34:59.340 --> 00:35:00.700
 comes to final

00:35:00.700 --> 00:35:01.700
 fulfillment in Jesus.

00:35:02.420 --> 00:35:03.180
 We spoke about

00:35:03.180 --> 00:35:04.099
 the nature of truth

00:35:04.099 --> 00:35:05.079
 that it's binary.

00:35:05.079 --> 00:35:05.920
 It claims

00:35:05.920 --> 00:35:06.699
 that certain things

00:35:06.699 --> 00:35:07.259
 are true

00:35:07.259 --> 00:35:08.179
 certain things are not.

00:35:08.940 --> 00:35:09.880
 Jesus comes along

00:35:09.880 --> 00:35:10.480
 and he doesn't say

00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:12.019
 I am a version of truth

00:35:12.019 --> 00:35:13.259
 or a part to truth.

00:35:13.340 --> 00:35:13.579
 He says

00:35:13.579 --> 00:35:14.920
 I'm the part to truth.

00:35:15.460 --> 00:35:16.340
 Either you accept me

00:35:16.340 --> 00:35:17.420
 or you reject me

00:35:17.420 --> 00:35:18.139
 but you can't sit

00:35:18.139 --> 00:35:18.699
 on the fence.

00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:20.099
 We spoke about

00:35:20.099 --> 00:35:21.099
 the challenge of truth.

00:35:21.199 --> 00:35:22.059
 It confronts us.

00:35:22.119 --> 00:35:22.699
 It calls us

00:35:22.699 --> 00:35:23.639
 to align ourselves

00:35:23.639 --> 00:35:24.299
 with reality.

00:35:25.159 --> 00:35:26.079
 Jesus comes and says

00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:27.139
 either you reject me

00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:28.259
 or you accept me

00:35:28.259 --> 00:35:29.099
 but you can't

00:35:29.099 --> 00:35:29.980
 just tolerate me.

00:35:30.239 --> 00:35:31.460
 You can't just admire me.

00:35:31.819 --> 00:35:32.279
 If you're going

00:35:32.279 --> 00:35:32.819
 to follow me

00:35:32.819 --> 00:35:33.659
 your whole life

00:35:33.659 --> 00:35:34.799
 has to come into alignment

00:35:34.800 --> 00:35:36.160
 and you have to surrender

00:35:36.160 --> 00:35:37.320
 and give your whole life

00:35:37.320 --> 00:35:37.600
 to me.

00:35:37.780 --> 00:35:39.380
 I demand wholehearted devotion.

00:35:40.100 --> 00:35:40.600
 We spoke about

00:35:40.600 --> 00:35:41.660
 the promise of truth

00:35:41.660 --> 00:35:42.780
 liberty and freedom.

00:35:43.460 --> 00:35:44.220
 Jesus comes along

00:35:44.220 --> 00:35:44.560
 and says

00:35:44.560 --> 00:35:45.840
 if anyone listens

00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:46.440
 to my teaching

00:35:46.440 --> 00:35:47.440
 they will know the truth

00:35:47.440 --> 00:35:48.039
 and the truth

00:35:48.039 --> 00:35:48.740
 will set them free

00:35:48.740 --> 00:35:50.100
 because I am truth.

00:35:51.700 --> 00:35:52.560
 But there's more

00:35:52.560 --> 00:35:53.039
 to Jesus

00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:53.980
 than just his claim

00:35:53.980 --> 00:35:54.660
 to being true.

00:35:56.100 --> 00:35:56.519
 You see

00:35:56.519 --> 00:35:58.480
 just because Jesus

00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:00.039
 claims to be truth

00:36:00.039 --> 00:36:00.980
 and exclusivist

00:36:00.980 --> 00:36:02.559
 how does that

00:36:02.559 --> 00:36:03.300
 stop Christians

00:36:03.300 --> 00:36:04.400
 from being judgmental

00:36:04.400 --> 00:36:04.840
 and arrogant?

00:36:06.079 --> 00:36:06.659
 Tim Keller

00:36:06.659 --> 00:36:07.519
 helps us here.

00:36:07.820 --> 00:36:08.800
 Listen to what he says.

00:36:09.639 --> 00:36:10.079
 He says

00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:11.440
 you cannot avoid

00:36:11.440 --> 00:36:12.119
 truth claims

00:36:12.119 --> 00:36:12.820
 and binaries.

00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:14.199
 The real issue

00:36:14.199 --> 00:36:15.500
 is which kinds

00:36:15.500 --> 00:36:16.440
 of truth claims

00:36:16.440 --> 00:36:17.900
 lead you to embrace

00:36:17.900 --> 00:36:18.740
 people who are

00:36:18.740 --> 00:36:19.559
 different from you

00:36:19.559 --> 00:36:20.480
 even those who

00:36:20.480 --> 00:36:21.260
 believe differently.

00:36:22.039 --> 00:36:22.820
 Which truth claims

00:36:22.820 --> 00:36:23.940
 lead to community?

00:36:24.679 --> 00:36:25.500
 Which truth claims

00:36:25.500 --> 00:36:26.300
 both humble

00:36:26.300 --> 00:36:27.159
 and affirm you

00:36:27.159 --> 00:36:28.099
 so that you aren't

00:36:28.099 --> 00:36:29.039
 afraid of people

00:36:29.039 --> 00:36:30.059
 who are different from you

00:36:30.059 --> 00:36:31.719
 nor do you despise

00:36:31.719 --> 00:36:33.039
 and judge them.

00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:34.360
 You see what

00:36:34.360 --> 00:36:35.059
 Tim Keller is saying?

00:36:35.599 --> 00:36:35.940
 He's saying

00:36:35.940 --> 00:36:36.940
 how do we find

00:36:36.940 --> 00:36:37.719
 a truth claim

00:36:37.719 --> 00:36:38.860
 that contrary

00:36:38.860 --> 00:36:40.440
 to contemporary culture

00:36:40.440 --> 00:36:41.239
 it doesn't just say

00:36:41.239 --> 00:36:42.320
 well everything's true.

00:36:42.679 --> 00:36:43.639
 It actually believes

00:36:43.639 --> 00:36:44.420
 this is true.

00:36:44.960 --> 00:36:45.900
 But how do we find

00:36:45.900 --> 00:36:46.460
 a truth claim?

00:36:46.559 --> 00:36:47.239
 Where do we find

00:36:47.239 --> 00:36:47.880
 a truth claim

00:36:47.880 --> 00:36:48.460
 that contrary

00:36:48.460 --> 00:36:49.679
 to traditional religion

00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:51.460
 isn't judgmental

00:36:51.460 --> 00:36:52.059
 and arrogant

00:36:52.059 --> 00:36:52.880
 towards those

00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:53.400
 that are different

00:36:53.400 --> 00:36:53.860
 from them?

00:36:54.219 --> 00:36:54.960
 That can even

00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:56.079
 be gracious

00:36:56.079 --> 00:36:57.420
 and welcoming

00:36:57.420 --> 00:36:59.519
 and loving

00:36:59.519 --> 00:37:00.259
 towards people

00:37:00.259 --> 00:37:01.039
 who even believe

00:37:01.039 --> 00:37:01.480
 differently?

00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:02.719
 Where are we going

00:37:02.719 --> 00:37:03.559
 to find such

00:37:03.559 --> 00:37:04.340
 a truth claim?

00:37:05.119 --> 00:37:05.900
 Friends the answer

00:37:05.900 --> 00:37:07.539
 is the gospel.

00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:09.259
 The gospel.

00:37:10.880 --> 00:37:11.559
 I don't know

00:37:11.559 --> 00:37:12.079
 if you picked up

00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:12.599
 in the story

00:37:12.599 --> 00:37:13.559
 in John chapter 4

00:37:13.559 --> 00:37:14.579
 that Betty read

00:37:14.579 --> 00:37:15.219
 to us earlier.

00:37:16.179 --> 00:37:17.159
 This lady

00:37:17.159 --> 00:37:17.980
 experiences

00:37:17.980 --> 00:37:19.400
 the truth claim

00:37:19.400 --> 00:37:19.840
 of Jesus

00:37:19.840 --> 00:37:20.579
 and yet doesn't

00:37:20.579 --> 00:37:21.300
 experience

00:37:21.300 --> 00:37:22.820
 judgmentalism.

00:37:23.440 --> 00:37:24.400
 She starts off

00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:25.320
 coming to the well

00:37:25.320 --> 00:37:26.360
 at the middle of day

00:37:26.360 --> 00:37:27.500
 to avoid the other

00:37:27.500 --> 00:37:28.259
 people in the village

00:37:28.260 --> 00:37:29.500
 because she's tired

00:37:29.500 --> 00:37:31.000
 of their judgmental

00:37:31.000 --> 00:37:31.720
 attitudes.

00:37:32.300 --> 00:37:32.860
 And yet at the end

00:37:32.860 --> 00:37:33.400
 of the story

00:37:33.400 --> 00:37:34.980
 after discovering

00:37:34.980 --> 00:37:35.380
 Jesus

00:37:35.380 --> 00:37:36.280
 she puts down

00:37:36.280 --> 00:37:37.320
 her jars of water

00:37:37.320 --> 00:37:38.500
 she runs

00:37:38.500 --> 00:37:39.440
 into the village

00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:40.500
 and she tells

00:37:40.500 --> 00:37:41.000
 everybody

00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:42.040
 come to me

00:37:42.040 --> 00:37:43.040
 listen to me

00:37:43.040 --> 00:37:44.080
 I've just met

00:37:44.080 --> 00:37:44.600
 the man

00:37:44.600 --> 00:37:45.740
 who told me

00:37:45.740 --> 00:37:46.700
 everything about

00:37:46.700 --> 00:37:47.320
 my life.

00:37:48.220 --> 00:37:49.400
 For her whole life

00:37:49.400 --> 00:37:50.700
 she's tried to hide

00:37:50.700 --> 00:37:52.040
 the story of her life.

00:37:52.400 --> 00:37:53.040
 She's tried to

00:37:53.040 --> 00:37:54.160
 cover up her shame.

00:37:54.520 --> 00:37:55.200
 She's tried to

00:37:55.200 --> 00:37:55.920
 let people

00:37:55.920 --> 00:37:56.800
 not find out

00:37:56.800 --> 00:37:57.420
 what's going on

00:37:57.420 --> 00:37:57.740
 her life

00:37:57.740 --> 00:37:58.260
 because she's

00:37:58.260 --> 00:37:58.900
 tired of the

00:37:58.900 --> 00:37:59.700
 judgmentalism.

00:38:00.280 --> 00:38:01.019
 She discovers

00:38:01.019 --> 00:38:01.780
 Jesus and she

00:38:01.780 --> 00:38:02.599
 says everybody

00:38:02.599 --> 00:38:03.420
 I've just met

00:38:03.420 --> 00:38:03.840
 a man

00:38:03.840 --> 00:38:04.599
 who knows

00:38:04.599 --> 00:38:05.579
 everything about

00:38:05.579 --> 00:38:06.380
 me and told

00:38:06.380 --> 00:38:07.019
 me my whole

00:38:07.019 --> 00:38:07.300
 life

00:38:07.300 --> 00:38:08.240
 you've got to

00:38:08.240 --> 00:38:08.559
 come and

00:38:08.559 --> 00:38:09.240
 discover him.

00:38:09.960 --> 00:38:10.220
 Why?

00:38:10.539 --> 00:38:11.360
 Because though

00:38:11.360 --> 00:38:11.980
 she discovered

00:38:11.980 --> 00:38:12.900
 the truth of

00:38:12.900 --> 00:38:13.200
 Jesus

00:38:13.200 --> 00:38:14.340
 she didn't

00:38:14.340 --> 00:38:14.840
 encounter

00:38:14.840 --> 00:38:15.700
 his

00:38:15.700 --> 00:38:16.900
 judgmentalism

00:38:16.900 --> 00:38:17.980
 she discovered

00:38:17.980 --> 00:38:19.119
 his grace.

00:38:20.200 --> 00:38:20.920
 Friends

00:38:20.920 --> 00:38:22.559
 in typical

00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:23.119
 religion

00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:23.880
 says that

00:38:23.880 --> 00:38:24.579
 you're accepted

00:38:24.579 --> 00:38:25.199
 and you're

00:38:25.199 --> 00:38:25.819
 affirmed

00:38:25.819 --> 00:38:27.039
 you're in

00:38:27.039 --> 00:38:27.759
 because of

00:38:27.759 --> 00:38:28.619
 what you do

00:38:28.619 --> 00:38:29.679
 because you've

00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:30.420
 met the grade

00:38:30.420 --> 00:38:31.480
 you've obeyed

00:38:31.480 --> 00:38:32.019
 the teachings

00:38:32.019 --> 00:38:32.559
 you've fulfilled

00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:33.219
 the commandments

00:38:33.219 --> 00:38:34.139
 you've done

00:38:34.139 --> 00:38:34.920
 everything that's

00:38:34.920 --> 00:38:35.719
 required of you

00:38:35.719 --> 00:38:36.440
 you've observed

00:38:36.440 --> 00:38:37.000
 the rules

00:38:37.000 --> 00:38:38.340
 but in the gospel

00:38:38.340 --> 00:38:39.179
 Jesus says

00:38:39.179 --> 00:38:39.599
 you can be

00:38:39.599 --> 00:38:40.099
 accepted

00:38:40.099 --> 00:38:41.079
 you can be

00:38:41.079 --> 00:38:41.679
 affirmed

00:38:41.679 --> 00:38:42.480
 you can be

00:38:42.480 --> 00:38:43.179
 welcomed into

00:38:43.179 --> 00:38:43.699
 his family

00:38:43.699 --> 00:38:44.880
 not because of

00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:45.559
 what you've

00:38:45.559 --> 00:38:45.719
 done

00:38:45.719 --> 00:38:46.279
 but because of

00:38:46.279 --> 00:38:46.719
 what he's

00:38:46.719 --> 00:38:46.940
 done

00:38:46.940 --> 00:38:48.019
 because he

00:38:48.019 --> 00:38:48.799
 died on the

00:38:48.799 --> 00:38:49.279
 cross to

00:38:49.279 --> 00:38:49.759
 take our

00:38:49.759 --> 00:38:50.119
 sin

00:38:50.119 --> 00:38:50.880
 and our

00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:51.359
 judgment

00:38:51.359 --> 00:38:52.179
 and our

00:38:52.179 --> 00:38:52.599
 shame

00:38:52.599 --> 00:38:53.739
 upon himself

00:38:53.739 --> 00:38:54.639
 friends

00:38:54.639 --> 00:38:55.440
 Jesus died

00:38:55.440 --> 00:38:56.099
 on the cross

00:38:56.099 --> 00:38:57.279
 to welcome

00:38:57.279 --> 00:38:58.299
 those in

00:38:58.299 --> 00:38:59.359
 who were once

00:38:59.359 --> 00:39:00.199
 on the outside

00:39:00.199 --> 00:39:01.639
 and that means

00:39:01.639 --> 00:39:02.199
 that there's no

00:39:02.199 --> 00:39:03.079
 room for arrogance

00:39:03.079 --> 00:39:04.299
 there's no room

00:39:04.299 --> 00:39:05.440
 for judgmentalism

00:39:05.440 --> 00:39:06.659
 Christians certainly

00:39:06.659 --> 00:39:07.319
 don't always get

00:39:07.319 --> 00:39:07.799
 this right

00:39:07.799 --> 00:39:08.559
 and if you've

00:39:08.559 --> 00:39:09.339
 ever been judged

00:39:09.339 --> 00:39:09.980
 by Christians

00:39:09.980 --> 00:39:11.179
 I am so sorry

00:39:11.179 --> 00:39:12.299
 but friends

00:39:12.299 --> 00:39:13.159
 the more truly

00:39:13.159 --> 00:39:14.380
 we get the gospel

00:39:14.380 --> 00:39:15.079
 the more we

00:39:15.079 --> 00:39:16.019
 understand the

00:39:16.019 --> 00:39:16.679
 nature of the

00:39:16.679 --> 00:39:17.039
 gospel

00:39:17.039 --> 00:39:18.440
 that the only

00:39:18.440 --> 00:39:19.019
 thing that I

00:39:19.019 --> 00:39:19.799
 contribute to

00:39:19.800 --> 00:39:20.500
 my salvation

00:39:20.500 --> 00:39:21.800
 is my sin

00:39:21.800 --> 00:39:22.940
 and my shame

00:39:22.940 --> 00:39:24.060
 that the reason

00:39:24.060 --> 00:39:24.620
 I'm included

00:39:24.620 --> 00:39:25.320
 is because of

00:39:25.320 --> 00:39:26.360
 Jesus grace

00:39:26.360 --> 00:39:27.060
 and his mercy

00:39:27.060 --> 00:39:27.860
 and his forgiveness

00:39:27.860 --> 00:39:29.380
 there's no ways

00:39:29.380 --> 00:39:30.100
 I can be arrogant

00:39:30.100 --> 00:39:31.240
 there's no ways

00:39:31.240 --> 00:39:32.320
 I can be judgmental

00:39:32.320 --> 00:39:33.280
 there's no ways

00:39:33.280 --> 00:39:34.000
 I can look at

00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:34.740
 those of other

00:39:34.740 --> 00:39:35.420
 religions and

00:39:35.420 --> 00:39:36.160
 look down my

00:39:36.160 --> 00:39:36.760
 nose at them

00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:37.460
 and think I'm

00:39:37.460 --> 00:39:38.160
 better than you

00:39:38.160 --> 00:39:39.420
 because when I

00:39:39.420 --> 00:39:40.240
 look at the gospel

00:39:40.240 --> 00:39:41.000
 it tells me that

00:39:41.000 --> 00:39:41.760
 I'm a sinner

00:39:41.760 --> 00:39:43.140
 I'm broken

00:39:43.140 --> 00:39:44.640
 that I'm in deep

00:39:44.640 --> 00:39:44.900
 trouble

00:39:44.900 --> 00:39:45.880
 that I need a

00:39:45.880 --> 00:39:46.160
 savior

00:39:46.160 --> 00:39:47.560
 that it's only the

00:39:47.560 --> 00:39:48.280
 mercy and the

00:39:48.280 --> 00:39:49.000
 forgiveness of

00:39:49.000 --> 00:39:49.360
 Jesus

00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:50.680
 that welcomes

00:39:50.680 --> 00:39:51.220
 me in

00:39:51.220 --> 00:39:52.519
 friends the gospel

00:39:52.519 --> 00:39:53.380
 tells me that I'm

00:39:53.380 --> 00:39:54.480
 incredibly loved and

00:39:54.480 --> 00:39:55.420
 accepted by God

00:39:55.420 --> 00:39:56.360
 not because of my

00:39:56.360 --> 00:39:56.860
 pedigree

00:39:56.860 --> 00:39:57.920
 not because of my

00:39:57.920 --> 00:39:58.380
 culture

00:39:58.380 --> 00:39:59.440
 not because of my

00:39:59.440 --> 00:40:00.420
 moral performance

00:40:00.420 --> 00:40:01.360
 but because Jesus

00:40:01.360 --> 00:40:02.180
 went to the cross

00:40:02.180 --> 00:40:02.700
 for me

00:40:02.700 --> 00:40:04.200
 but the second

00:40:04.200 --> 00:40:04.880
 thing is this

00:40:04.880 --> 00:40:06.760
 the gospel tells us

00:40:06.760 --> 00:40:07.559
 that rather than

00:40:07.559 --> 00:40:08.280
 being exclusive

00:40:08.280 --> 00:40:09.440
 Jesus is the most

00:40:09.440 --> 00:40:10.460
 inclusive man

00:40:10.460 --> 00:40:11.660
 that ever lived

00:40:11.660 --> 00:40:13.880
 in the previous

00:40:13.880 --> 00:40:14.620
 chapter to John

00:40:14.620 --> 00:40:15.220
 chapter 4

00:40:15.220 --> 00:40:16.140
 and John chapter 3

00:40:16.139 --> 00:40:17.299
 Jesus meets

00:40:17.299 --> 00:40:17.960
 another truth

00:40:17.960 --> 00:40:18.299
 seeker

00:40:18.299 --> 00:40:18.900
 a man by the

00:40:18.900 --> 00:40:19.199
 name of

00:40:19.199 --> 00:40:19.819
 Nicodemus

00:40:19.819 --> 00:40:21.299
 and Nicodemus

00:40:21.299 --> 00:40:22.000
 comes to Jesus

00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:22.900
 by the cover of

00:40:22.900 --> 00:40:24.000
 night in darkness

00:40:24.000 --> 00:40:25.359
 and at the end of

00:40:25.359 --> 00:40:25.900
 that exchange

00:40:25.900 --> 00:40:26.900
 Jesus says one of

00:40:26.900 --> 00:40:27.579
 the most famous

00:40:27.579 --> 00:40:28.239
 words in the

00:40:28.239 --> 00:40:29.219
 entire world

00:40:29.219 --> 00:40:30.139
 he says

00:40:30.139 --> 00:40:31.579
 for God so loved

00:40:31.579 --> 00:40:32.059
 the world

00:40:32.059 --> 00:40:33.239
 that he gave his

00:40:33.239 --> 00:40:33.759
 only son

00:40:33.759 --> 00:40:34.980
 that whoever

00:40:34.980 --> 00:40:36.119
 would believe in

00:40:36.119 --> 00:40:37.159
 him will not

00:40:37.159 --> 00:40:37.619
 perish

00:40:37.619 --> 00:40:39.019
 but experience

00:40:39.019 --> 00:40:39.960
 eternal life

00:40:39.960 --> 00:40:41.879
 friends

00:40:41.880 --> 00:40:43.559
 look at what

00:40:43.559 --> 00:40:44.059
 it says

00:40:44.059 --> 00:40:44.780
 it says

00:40:44.780 --> 00:40:46.019
 who will get

00:40:46.019 --> 00:40:46.599
 to experience

00:40:46.599 --> 00:40:47.340
 eternal life

00:40:47.340 --> 00:40:48.579
 who is welcomed

00:40:48.579 --> 00:40:49.160
 by Jesus

00:40:49.160 --> 00:40:50.559
 it's whoever

00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:52.160
 whoever

00:40:52.160 --> 00:40:53.840
 whoever will

00:40:53.840 --> 00:40:54.700
 simply come to

00:40:54.700 --> 00:40:54.980
 him

00:40:54.980 --> 00:40:56.240
 friends it doesn't

00:40:56.240 --> 00:40:56.800
 matter what your

00:40:56.800 --> 00:40:57.640
 background is

00:40:57.640 --> 00:40:58.519
 what your culture

00:40:58.519 --> 00:40:59.059
 is what your

00:40:59.059 --> 00:40:59.940
 ethnicity is

00:40:59.940 --> 00:41:00.519
 it doesn't matter

00:41:00.519 --> 00:41:01.400
 what your race is

00:41:01.400 --> 00:41:02.200
 it doesn't matter

00:41:02.200 --> 00:41:03.039
 what family you

00:41:03.039 --> 00:41:03.700
 were born into

00:41:03.700 --> 00:41:04.280
 it doesn't matter

00:41:04.280 --> 00:41:05.079
 the size of your

00:41:05.079 --> 00:41:05.700
 bank account

00:41:05.700 --> 00:41:06.640
 it doesn't matter

00:41:06.640 --> 00:41:07.240
 whether you live

00:41:07.240 --> 00:41:08.039
 up on the peak

00:41:08.039 --> 00:41:08.860
 whether you live

00:41:08.860 --> 00:41:09.800
 in student housing

00:41:09.800 --> 00:41:10.559
 or whether you live

00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:11.320
 under a bridge

00:41:11.320 --> 00:41:11.840
 in downtown

00:41:11.840 --> 00:41:12.460
 Hong Kong

00:41:12.460 --> 00:41:13.620
 friends it doesn't

00:41:13.620 --> 00:41:14.019
 matter whether

00:41:14.019 --> 00:41:14.960
 you have a PhD

00:41:14.960 --> 00:41:16.039
 in astrophysics

00:41:16.039 --> 00:41:16.840
 or whether you

00:41:16.840 --> 00:41:17.460
 dropped out of

00:41:17.460 --> 00:41:17.940
 high school

00:41:17.940 --> 00:41:19.220
 it doesn't matter

00:41:19.220 --> 00:41:20.140
 friends who your

00:41:20.140 --> 00:41:20.820
 family is

00:41:20.820 --> 00:41:21.620
 what your background

00:41:21.620 --> 00:41:22.460
 is it doesn't

00:41:22.460 --> 00:41:22.900
 matter whether

00:41:22.900 --> 00:41:23.680
 you've committed

00:41:23.680 --> 00:41:25.200
 some heinous crime

00:41:25.200 --> 00:41:26.059
 of which you're

00:41:26.059 --> 00:41:26.840
 deeply ashamed

00:41:26.840 --> 00:41:27.700
 or whether you

00:41:27.700 --> 00:41:28.400
 followed all the

00:41:28.400 --> 00:41:29.160
 rules perfectly

00:41:29.160 --> 00:41:30.740
 Jesus stands

00:41:30.740 --> 00:41:31.760
 with open arms

00:41:31.760 --> 00:41:32.380
 and he says

00:41:32.380 --> 00:41:33.220
 whoever

00:41:33.220 --> 00:41:34.900
 if anyone

00:41:34.900 --> 00:41:35.880
 would come to

00:41:35.880 --> 00:41:36.140
 me

00:41:36.140 --> 00:41:37.320
 irrespective of

00:41:37.320 --> 00:41:38.000
 your age

00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:38.820
 your culture

00:41:38.820 --> 00:41:39.660
 your language

00:41:39.660 --> 00:41:40.400
 your background

00:41:40.400 --> 00:41:41.720
 anyone who

00:41:41.719 --> 00:41:42.219
 will come to

00:41:42.219 --> 00:41:42.579
 me and

00:41:42.579 --> 00:41:43.019
 believe in

00:41:43.019 --> 00:41:43.199
 me

00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:44.299
 anyone who

00:41:44.299 --> 00:41:44.799
 will align

00:41:44.799 --> 00:41:45.379
 their lives

00:41:45.379 --> 00:41:46.000
 to the truth

00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:46.319
 of me

00:41:46.319 --> 00:41:47.419
 is welcome

00:41:47.419 --> 00:41:48.719
 to experience

00:41:48.719 --> 00:41:49.759
 my kingdom

00:41:49.759 --> 00:41:50.679
 my kingdom

00:41:50.679 --> 00:41:51.259
 of life

00:41:51.259 --> 00:41:52.159
 my kingdom

00:41:52.159 --> 00:41:52.899
 of truth

00:41:52.899 --> 00:41:53.819
 my kingdom

00:41:53.819 --> 00:41:54.480
 of joy

00:41:54.480 --> 00:41:55.459
 my kingdom

00:41:55.459 --> 00:41:56.139
 of freedom

00:41:56.139 --> 00:41:57.099
 let's pray

00:41:57.099 --> 00:41:57.539
 together

00:41:57.539 --> 00:42:00.139
 heavenly father

00:42:00.139 --> 00:42:00.839
 thank you so

00:42:00.839 --> 00:42:01.619
 much for

00:42:01.619 --> 00:42:02.459
 the truth

00:42:02.459 --> 00:42:03.119
 of the gospel

00:42:03.119 --> 00:42:05.119
 for many of us

00:42:05.119 --> 00:42:05.879
 we have discovered

00:42:05.879 --> 00:42:06.679
 that the gospel

00:42:06.679 --> 00:42:07.500
 is not just

00:42:07.500 --> 00:42:08.279
 good advice

00:42:08.280 --> 00:42:09.240
 it's good news

00:42:09.240 --> 00:42:10.340
 it's true

00:42:10.340 --> 00:42:11.440
 and because of

00:42:11.440 --> 00:42:11.840
 that we've

00:42:11.840 --> 00:42:12.519
 experienced the

00:42:12.519 --> 00:42:13.200
 freedom and

00:42:13.200 --> 00:42:13.620
 the joy

00:42:13.620 --> 00:42:15.060
 the inexplicable

00:42:15.060 --> 00:42:15.980
 and unexpected

00:42:15.980 --> 00:42:17.040
 happiness and

00:42:17.040 --> 00:42:17.620
 freedom that

00:42:17.620 --> 00:42:18.340
 comes with it

00:42:18.340 --> 00:42:19.900
 Jesus I pray for

00:42:19.900 --> 00:42:20.780
 us as a church

00:42:20.780 --> 00:42:21.320
 watermark

00:42:21.320 --> 00:42:22.100
 I pray for those

00:42:22.100 --> 00:42:22.640
 that are looking

00:42:22.640 --> 00:42:23.800
 in those that

00:42:23.800 --> 00:42:24.440
 are exploring the

00:42:24.440 --> 00:42:25.040
 claims of Christ

00:42:25.040 --> 00:42:25.780
 I pray won't you

00:42:25.780 --> 00:42:26.340
 help us to

00:42:26.340 --> 00:42:27.700
 discover the gospel

00:42:27.700 --> 00:42:28.340
 won't you get the

00:42:28.340 --> 00:42:29.100
 gospel deeper

00:42:29.100 --> 00:42:29.800
 into our hearts

00:42:29.800 --> 00:42:31.360
 won't you undermine

00:42:31.360 --> 00:42:32.100
 any sense of

00:42:32.100 --> 00:42:33.040
 judgmentalism

00:42:33.040 --> 00:42:34.120
 won't you remind

00:42:34.120 --> 00:42:34.760
 us God we've got

00:42:34.760 --> 00:42:35.660
 no reason to look

00:42:35.660 --> 00:42:36.360
 down at others

00:42:36.360 --> 00:42:37.320
 to be arrogant or

00:42:37.320 --> 00:42:38.519
 bigoted because

00:42:38.519 --> 00:42:39.700
 your gospel says

00:42:39.700 --> 00:42:40.460
 that we are saved

00:42:40.460 --> 00:42:41.380
 by grace and

00:42:41.380 --> 00:42:42.019
 grace alone

00:42:42.019 --> 00:42:43.320
 Jesus thank you

00:42:43.320 --> 00:42:44.019
 so much for your

00:42:44.019 --> 00:42:44.940
 freedom your truth

00:42:44.940 --> 00:42:46.320
 we love you

00:42:46.320 --> 00:42:47.420
 amen