WEBVTT

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 Thank you, Jesus, for this morning.

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 Thank you, Lord, for coming to meet us in our worship,

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 whether we're harried, whether we're in a contemplative place,

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 because you are God.

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 It doesn't depend on us.

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 It depends on you, Lord God.

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 We ask that you would be present with us,

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 be present in the word that I'm about to speak.

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 May it be your word, Lord, and not my own.

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 In Jesus' name we pray.

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 Amen.

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 I mentioned this morning, earlier,

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 I have a thorn that's been put in my side to harass me this week.

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 I actually lost my voice earlier on this week with a cold,

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 so I have my water up here every now and then.

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 I'm going to probably have to clear my throat.

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 I'm going to talk about resolution to reformation this morning.

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 I want to talk and focus on Colossians 3,

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 which is a passage that is very much close to my own heart.

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 I'm a recent person who has moved from the Anglican Church of Canada to Anik.

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 I did so November the 1st, which was All Saints Day.

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 It also happened to be my birthday.

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 And so the bishop thought that was,

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 and I thought Archdeacon Tim was a great opportunity to make that move.

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 And when I first made the move to Anik and started talking about the transition,

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 I actually attended St. Luke's up in Pembroke with Archdeacon Tim Perron,

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 and there were a few things that really stood out to me as the Lord speaking.

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 And George and I have spoken about a few of these,

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 but one of them that's very interestingly that stood out to me was the name of the seminary.

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 And when Archdeacon Tim said to me,

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 oh, we have a seminary, Ryle Seminary in Ottawa,

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 it was like light came down from heaven and surround him.

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 I thought, Ryle Seminary?

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 Why am I not already in this denomination?

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 Bishop J.C. Ryle, I think he's one of my heroes.

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 J.C. Ryle is a hero to, I think, a lot of Anglican evangelicals.

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 So he's a shining example of choosing Jesus,

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 even though the pressures of the church around you,

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 the pressures of the life around you are really pressuring you to accept anything else

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 as the center of your spirituality, the center of your religious life, if we can call that.

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 He was a shining example of that.

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 In the 1800s, when Bishop Ryle became bishop,

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 the church in England was a very dry church.

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 The church in England was very much a stuffy religious institution

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 and was very much focused on the externals.

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 It was very much focused on, you know,

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 were you sitting at the right time during the service?

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 Were you standing?

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 Did you cross yourself?

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 Did you face the right way?

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 Everything was about the externals in the church at that time.

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 And you followed that worship life.

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 And you followed along with what the church was teaching,

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 if you were a priest, a pastor, or a bishop.

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 And if you didn't, it was actually very scandalous at that time

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 to have not followed along.

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 And into this situation, God provided in the 1800s

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 a handful of Bible-believing, biblically-minded leaders

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 who kind of stood against that trend, who stood against that flow.

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 And Bishop Ryle was really at the forefront of that.

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 And it was a battle, and he was at the forefront.

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 He wasn't made a bishop.

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 You can see him here with his big white beard,

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 one of the famous pictures of him.

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 He wasn't made a bishop until his 60s.

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 He was in his mid-60s.

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 He was actually made a bishop partly by the prime minister

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 as a political move.

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 So he kind of went in there.

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 It was a bit of a blast at the incoming government at the time.

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 The prime minister was on his way out.

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 So he said, well, I know what I'm going to do to you guys.

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 I'm going to make that Ryle guy bishop.

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 And so they made Bishop Ryle bishop.

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 And so he had nothing to lose.

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 And he really kind of became the gangster bishop of the 1800s.

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 And it's kind of funny the way we see it.

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 He quickly became known for his distaste for empty religion.

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 He quickly became known for his desire to renew the English church

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 to biblically-minded, dynamic faith.

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 We have this term called live orthodoxy.

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 That's what he wanted, affectionate relationship with God

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 and to move away from the dry spirituality at the time.

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 One of my favorite stories of Bishop Ryle, during worship,

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 he was a bishop at Liverpool.

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 This is the cathedral at Liverpool.

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 And during worship, like I said, you stood, you sat down,

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 you crossed yourself at the right time, and you faced the front.

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 Like during the creed and during other parts of the service,

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 you would face the front.

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 And everybody did this.

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 It was the rules.

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 You did this.

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 Except for Bishop Ryle.

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 Now to us, it seems kind of simple,

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 but it was scandalous back then.

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 And now if you were at the back corner,

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 just in case you couldn't see him because he was hidden away up there,

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 just in case you couldn't see him,

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 Packer said he actually was known for leaning forward.

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 Just so the people at the back could see,

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 I'm not facing the front.

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 And, you know, it was scandalous.

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 Sounds funny to us,

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 but at that time, you know, church was front page news.

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 These kind of things were front page news.

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 The papers actually cared about it.

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 Very much an example for our time of what Paul is talking about in Colossians 3.

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 Very much an example for us for choosing a dynamic relationship with Jesus over religion.

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 So I'm super stoked with the fact that our seminary is named Ryle.

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 I think it's a great example for our students who are coming through.

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 And yeah, it was one of those light moments that helped bring me in.

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 Bringing to death the ways that we have clung to religious approach to our faith.

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 In changing a dynamic spirituality.

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 So this epiphany, while we're looking at Colossians,

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 we want to look for our own epiphany in Jesus,

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 to see Jesus raised on high.

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 And so here's the big idea.

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 One of my teachers,

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 the people that I turn to with Haddon Robinson,

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 passed away recently.

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 He always said,

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 have a big idea when you preach.

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 If you don't leave here with anything else,

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 this is the big idea for the sermon.

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 The basic truth of what God has done for us.

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 The basic truth about what God has done for you in Christ

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 is the point from which everything in the Christian spiritual life flows.

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 This is really important because there are all kinds of things in the church.

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 There are all kinds of things in the world

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 that are competing to be that one thing from which our spirituality will flow.

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 Paul talks about that.

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 He says,

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 no,

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 your identity in Christ,

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 since you've been raised with him,

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 that is the point from which everything else in our spirituality flows.

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 I want to unpack that a little bit.

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 So if you want to look at...

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 I open your...

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 3, 1 to 11.

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 I'm fiddling with this thing.

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 Sorry, brother.

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 That's my fault.

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 Should I use...

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 All right.

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 Oh, I can't move around.

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 It'll look odd if I'm walking around with this.

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 All right.

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 All right.

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 We're going to open our Bibles to Colossians 3, 1 to 11.

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 And Paul says some serious stuff.

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 You know, verse 8 there,

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 he says some serious stuff.

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 If you look there,

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 but you must put away all anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk.

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 Don't lie with one another.

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 Lie to one another,

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 seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.

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 You know,

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 one of the temptations that we have when it comes to the Bible

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 is, you know,

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 often when the Bible says something that we don't like

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 or says something that's something that the people in the church don't like.

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 One of the things that I often hear,

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 well, you know, Padre,

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 I know that says that,

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 but you really have to look at that in context.

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 Right?

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 That's what we hear all the time.

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 As if looking at the Bible in context

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 has become kind of the trump card.

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 Right?

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 When it's a hard passage.

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 Well, if we just look at it in context,

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 we can explain that away.

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 One of the problems is,

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 if you start unpacking the context of the Bible,

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 oftentimes,

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 most times,

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 it will say more

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 rather than less.

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 And oftentimes,

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 the Bible is harder

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 rather than easier

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 because God is calling us,

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 in Jesus,

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 to give over our entire life to him.

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 So,

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 just looking at the Bible in context

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 isn't the get-out-of-jail-free card

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 that sometimes we often think that it is.

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 It's so important for us to learn

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 how to unpack God's word.

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 And that's why I'm glad that we're here

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 in this church.

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 We choose what's called

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 this big word like marmalade,

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 expository preaching.

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 And that's when we unpack

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 an entire book of the Bible.

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 Really allows George and the other preachers

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 to dig down

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 to what the Bible is saying to us.

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 Because when we start to look in context,

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 that's when the Bible becomes alive

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 and really starts to speak to us.

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 So, let's look at where we are

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 this morning.

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 We're visiting with Colossae.

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 It's a small town

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 on the south bank

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 of the Lycus River

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 in what's now Turkey.

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 At one point,

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 Colossae was a major center,

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 but it had been bypassed

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 by a highway.

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 Anybody that's seen that happens

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 knows what happens

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 when a small town

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 or a city is bypassed

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 by the highway.

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 And it actually was about

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 100 miles from Ephesus.

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 And the two cities

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 that were closer to it,

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 Laodicea being one of them,

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 were actually more important

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 than Colossae was.

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 So, it's kind of like,

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 the book of Colossians

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 is kind of like Paul writing

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 to Carleton Place.

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 It's an okay place.

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 Amy and I looked at Carleton Place

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 at houses when we moved here to Ottawa.

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 But it's not the major center.

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 It's kind of set off

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 a little bit.

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 And so, it's a small church

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 that he's writing to.

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 It's a fledgling church

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 full of new Christians.

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 And apparently,

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 they had lost

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 a bit of their confidence.

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 Colossae itself,

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 this is one of my favorite

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 contrasts that I like here.

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 I want to take us

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 to our next slide there, brother.

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 If you were to visit

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 Laodicea,

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 right now,

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 the ruins of Laodicea,

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 that's them on the left.

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 Kind of look like

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 what you'd expect

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 from Roman ruins.

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 You know,

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 columns everywhere.

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 You can actually go see

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 kind of what things are.

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 If you were to go

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 to the ruins of Colossae,

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 that's them on the right.

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 But,

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 it's more like

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 a sheep's field.

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 I mean,

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 I can drive an hour

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 from here to see

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 a field like that.

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 I don't need to go

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 over the ocean.

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 And the reason that

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 that is,

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 is that in about

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 61-62 AD,

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 an earthquake

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 leveled Colossae

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 and was never rebuilt.

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 And so,

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 we know that this letter

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 was written

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 previous to that.

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 A lot of people think

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 actually quite previous

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 to that.

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 So,

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 it's a very early letter

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 from the New Testament.

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 And it gives you

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 a sense of

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 biblical scholarship.

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 So,

00:11:12.860 --> 00:11:13.220
 if you're new

00:11:13.220 --> 00:11:13.860
 to the Bible,

00:11:14.740 --> 00:11:15.279
 and if you're new

00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:16.100
 to unpacking

00:11:16.100 --> 00:11:17.220
 the Bible

00:11:17.220 --> 00:11:17.939
 that we've had

00:11:17.939 --> 00:11:18.980
 handed out at the front here,

00:11:19.620 --> 00:11:19.819
 you know,

00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:21.179
 there's so much more

00:11:21.179 --> 00:11:22.819
 to biblical scholarship

00:11:22.819 --> 00:11:24.220
 than that broken telephone.

00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:25.340
 You know the broken telephone

00:11:25.340 --> 00:11:25.939
 they talk about

00:11:25.939 --> 00:11:26.139
 where,

00:11:26.419 --> 00:11:26.519
 oh,

00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:27.139
 the Bible's just

00:11:27.139 --> 00:11:27.700
 a translation

00:11:27.700 --> 00:11:28.259
 of a translation

00:11:28.259 --> 00:11:28.860
 of a translation

00:11:28.860 --> 00:11:29.539
 and you really don't.

00:11:29.819 --> 00:11:32.039
 That couldn't be further

00:11:32.039 --> 00:11:33.439
 from what the truth is.

00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:35.340
 But the truth is

00:11:35.340 --> 00:11:36.980
 that there's so much

00:11:36.980 --> 00:11:37.580
 that goes in.

00:11:37.580 --> 00:11:39.080
 That section of history

00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:39.920
 is one of the most

00:11:39.920 --> 00:11:41.360
 researched sections

00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:41.900
 of history

00:11:41.900 --> 00:11:42.860
 that we have.

00:11:43.420 --> 00:11:43.660
 And so,

00:11:43.700 --> 00:11:44.720
 we know so much

00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:45.300
 about the Bible.

00:11:45.700 --> 00:11:45.940
 And so,

00:11:46.160 --> 00:11:46.920
 that just kind of

00:11:46.920 --> 00:11:47.600
 gives you a sense

00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:49.120
 of what we're talking

00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:49.639
 about when we talk

00:11:49.639 --> 00:11:50.060
 about digging

00:11:50.060 --> 00:11:50.800
 into the Bible.

00:11:51.820 --> 00:11:52.100
 And so,

00:11:52.139 --> 00:11:52.860
 we have this letter.

00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:54.320
 We have this letter

00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:54.780
 that's written

00:11:54.780 --> 00:11:55.940
 to this small,

00:11:55.980 --> 00:11:56.520
 it's an early letter

00:11:56.520 --> 00:11:56.879
 of Paul,

00:11:57.160 --> 00:11:57.759
 written to this

00:11:57.759 --> 00:11:58.500
 small community

00:11:58.500 --> 00:11:59.379
 kind of out of the way.

00:12:00.379 --> 00:12:01.220
 And we're really

00:12:01.220 --> 00:12:01.740
 only getting

00:12:01.740 --> 00:12:02.540
 one side

00:12:02.540 --> 00:12:03.340
 of the conversation.

00:12:03.860 --> 00:12:05.220
 I work in cubicle land

00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:06.600
 as many of you do.

00:12:06.780 --> 00:12:07.440
 I'm not going to make you

00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:08.040
 put up your hand,

00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:09.160
 but Ottawa has a few

00:12:09.160 --> 00:12:09.880
 cubicle farms

00:12:09.880 --> 00:12:10.940
 from what I understand.

00:12:11.640 --> 00:12:12.620
 And it's a new experience

00:12:12.620 --> 00:12:13.000
 for me.

00:12:13.140 --> 00:12:14.260
 I'm an army guy.

00:12:14.700 --> 00:12:15.660
 My feet have been

00:12:15.660 --> 00:12:16.100
 in the dust,

00:12:16.160 --> 00:12:16.680
 as we say,

00:12:16.740 --> 00:12:17.640
 for 10 years now.

00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:21.040
 And it's a whole new thing

00:12:21.040 --> 00:12:21.940
 to me to be in this

00:12:21.940 --> 00:12:22.680
 office setting.

00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:23.740
 And what I find

00:12:23.740 --> 00:12:24.540
 really interesting

00:12:24.540 --> 00:12:25.560
 is to be able to sit there

00:12:25.560 --> 00:12:26.820
 and hear all the conversations.

00:12:26.920 --> 00:12:27.300
 You can hear

00:12:27.300 --> 00:12:28.060
 everybody's conversations

00:12:28.060 --> 00:12:28.600
 on the phone.

00:12:29.160 --> 00:12:29.740
 But it's always just

00:12:29.740 --> 00:12:31.200
 one side of the conversation.

00:12:31.580 --> 00:12:32.660
 And it's quite entertaining

00:12:32.660 --> 00:12:33.300
 in the army.

00:12:33.880 --> 00:12:35.300
 We're not about subtlety

00:12:35.300 --> 00:12:35.940
 in the army.

00:12:35.940 --> 00:12:37.360
 Okay, so the conversations

00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:38.760
 aren't subtle back and forth.

00:12:39.220 --> 00:12:40.420
 And to hear one half,

00:12:40.500 --> 00:12:41.600
 you're just dying to know,

00:12:41.680 --> 00:12:43.340
 okay, what is the other guy

00:12:43.340 --> 00:12:45.300
 saying if he's saying this?

00:12:45.460 --> 00:12:46.660
 It's quite entertaining.

00:12:46.780 --> 00:12:47.800
 It makes the days go by fast

00:12:47.800 --> 00:12:48.060
 anyways.

00:12:49.420 --> 00:12:50.760
 But you never completely

00:12:50.760 --> 00:12:52.960
 know what the conversation

00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:54.380
 is unless you hear

00:12:54.380 --> 00:12:55.160
 from the other side

00:12:55.160 --> 00:12:55.940
 or unless you're really

00:12:55.940 --> 00:12:56.500
 paying attention.

00:12:56.580 --> 00:12:57.500
 And we run into that

00:12:57.500 --> 00:12:58.380
 with all the letters.

00:12:58.440 --> 00:12:59.220
 And we run into that

00:12:59.220 --> 00:12:59.640
 with the letter

00:12:59.640 --> 00:13:00.440
 from the Colossians.

00:13:00.880 --> 00:13:02.880
 Here we have Paul's writing.

00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:03.919
 We don't know

00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:06.059
 what the Colossians

00:13:06.059 --> 00:13:06.679
 have said to him.

00:13:06.820 --> 00:13:07.600
 We don't know

00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:08.240
 what he's heard

00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:08.919
 or what letters

00:13:08.919 --> 00:13:10.080
 they've sent back to him.

00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:12.720
 But there are a few things

00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:13.279
 we can find out

00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:13.939
 which means we have to

00:13:13.939 --> 00:13:14.759
 pay closer attention.

00:13:15.659 --> 00:13:16.620
 And so for us to pay

00:13:16.620 --> 00:13:17.539
 to know what's going on

00:13:17.539 --> 00:13:18.000
 in chapter 3,

00:13:18.059 --> 00:13:18.799
 we have to go back.

00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:19.539
 If you go back with me

00:13:19.539 --> 00:13:20.279
 to chapter 2.

00:13:21.379 --> 00:13:22.379
 What we know

00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:23.320
 about what Paul's

00:13:23.320 --> 00:13:23.980
 dealing with

00:13:23.980 --> 00:13:25.360
 is there is

00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:27.340
 some sort of philosophy.

00:13:27.639 --> 00:13:28.799
 If you look at 2.8 there,

00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.299
 see to it that no one

00:13:31.299 --> 00:13:32.299
 gets you captive

00:13:32.299 --> 00:13:33.299
 by a philosophy

00:13:33.299 --> 00:13:34.899
 and by empty deeds.

00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:35.899
 It's really key

00:13:35.899 --> 00:13:36.579
 to understand

00:13:36.579 --> 00:13:37.879
 that Paul is addressing

00:13:37.879 --> 00:13:40.659
 some sort of a philosophy

00:13:40.659 --> 00:13:42.039
 that is creeping in

00:13:42.039 --> 00:13:43.620
 to the Colossian church here.

00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:45.379
 And if we look deeper,

00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:46.579
 we see throughout,

00:13:46.699 --> 00:13:47.899
 if you look from 16 to 23,

00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:49.279
 this is very much

00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:50.859
 a religious philosophy

00:13:50.859 --> 00:13:53.579
 that's creeping in

00:13:53.579 --> 00:13:55.399
 and trying to grab hold

00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:56.359
 of the Colossian church.

00:13:56.620 --> 00:13:57.819
 Probably is rooted

00:13:57.820 --> 00:13:59.120
 in kind of the old

00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:00.960
 religious purity laws.

00:14:02.060 --> 00:14:03.520
 Okay, so Paul is addressing this

00:14:03.520 --> 00:14:04.760
 and the key

00:14:04.760 --> 00:14:07.620
 is that Paul is reiterating

00:14:07.620 --> 00:14:08.900
 to the Colossians

00:14:08.900 --> 00:14:11.500
 that they are complete in Christ.

00:14:12.160 --> 00:14:13.140
 That they don't need

00:14:13.140 --> 00:14:14.560
 to be performing

00:14:14.560 --> 00:14:16.220
 any sort of deed before God

00:14:16.220 --> 00:14:17.520
 to make themselves righteous.

00:14:18.100 --> 00:14:19.240
 He's trying to get it through

00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:20.120
 to them again

00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:20.520
 to say,

00:14:20.900 --> 00:14:22.500
 you are raised with Christ.

00:14:23.560 --> 00:14:25.340
 You don't need these things.

00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:26.600
 And then chapter 3

00:14:26.600 --> 00:14:27.440
 where we are,

00:14:27.820 --> 00:14:29.540
 is where he flushes out

00:14:29.540 --> 00:14:30.879
 what that means spiritually.

00:14:31.640 --> 00:14:32.820
 So he said what it isn't

00:14:32.820 --> 00:14:33.440
 and now he's talking

00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:35.340
 about what spiritual formation,

00:14:35.540 --> 00:14:36.460
 reformation is.

00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:38.700
 See, Paul is concerned

00:14:38.700 --> 00:14:39.940
 throughout the letter

00:14:39.940 --> 00:14:40.660
 of Colossians

00:14:40.660 --> 00:14:42.540
 that the moorings

00:14:42.540 --> 00:14:43.320
 of the church

00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:44.200
 have shifted

00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:45.780
 in Colossae.

00:14:46.340 --> 00:14:47.300
 Now, a mooring,

00:14:47.800 --> 00:14:48.620
 this is a picture

00:14:48.620 --> 00:14:49.940
 of the Halifax shipyard.

00:14:49.980 --> 00:14:50.480
 I was down there

00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:51.100
 for a conference

00:14:51.100 --> 00:14:52.080
 just earlier on

00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:53.000
 in November.

00:14:53.660 --> 00:14:54.260
 And a mooring

00:14:54.260 --> 00:14:54.780
 is anywhere

00:14:54.779 --> 00:14:55.600
 where a ship

00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:56.799
 is anchored to.

00:14:56.879 --> 00:14:57.980
 It was very interesting

00:14:57.980 --> 00:14:59.199
 or is tied to.

00:14:59.539 --> 00:15:00.279
 It's very interesting

00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:00.720
 to be,

00:15:01.100 --> 00:15:02.319
 this Halifax shipyard,

00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:03.399
 that's just been built.

00:15:03.819 --> 00:15:05.139
 Up over the top there

00:15:05.139 --> 00:15:06.939
 is where the Halifax base is.

00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:08.360
 That's where our retreat was

00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:09.379
 or our conference was.

00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:10.500
 The shipyard

00:15:10.500 --> 00:15:12.139
 has just recently been built.

00:15:12.539 --> 00:15:13.159
 And that's where

00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:14.360
 the new coastal ships

00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:14.959
 that the government

00:15:14.959 --> 00:15:15.539
 has purchased

00:15:15.539 --> 00:15:16.500
 are being built

00:15:16.500 --> 00:15:16.980
 within that.

00:15:16.980 --> 00:15:19.019
 And it's very interesting,

00:15:19.180 --> 00:15:19.340
 though,

00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:20.980
 along while those ships

00:15:20.980 --> 00:15:21.840
 are being built,

00:15:22.539 --> 00:15:23.259
 the whole,

00:15:23.460 --> 00:15:25.840
 this whole coastline there,

00:15:26.740 --> 00:15:27.580
 right up,

00:15:27.740 --> 00:15:28.560
 you can kind of see

00:15:28.560 --> 00:15:29.500
 right up at the top,

00:15:29.800 --> 00:15:30.820
 right up at the top there,

00:15:31.300 --> 00:15:32.180
 a bit of construction

00:15:32.180 --> 00:15:32.740
 that's happening

00:15:32.740 --> 00:15:33.320
 where it's kind of

00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:33.899
 cordoned off.

00:15:34.200 --> 00:15:35.399
 That whole pier

00:15:35.399 --> 00:15:38.060
 is being completely rebuilt

00:15:38.060 --> 00:15:40.399
 to suit these new ships

00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:41.019
 that have been built.

00:15:42.700 --> 00:15:44.820
 And it's taking as long

00:15:44.820 --> 00:15:46.780
 to redo the moorings,

00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:48.360
 to redo the shipyard,

00:15:48.680 --> 00:15:50.240
 as it is to actually

00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:51.620
 build the ships themselves.

00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:53.300
 And to great expense.

00:15:53.760 --> 00:15:55.640
 Because if the moorings shift,

00:15:55.740 --> 00:15:57.560
 if where you tie your boat to shifts,

00:15:57.780 --> 00:15:58.460
 we're talking about

00:15:58.460 --> 00:16:00.080
 billions of dollars

00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:02.000
 of new procurement

00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:02.620
 for the government.

00:16:03.020 --> 00:16:04.300
 They want to make sure

00:16:04.300 --> 00:16:05.560
 that those moorings

00:16:05.560 --> 00:16:06.160
 are going to hold.

00:16:06.800 --> 00:16:07.840
 Because if your moorings

00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:08.480
 don't hold,

00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:09.900
 you are in a heap of trouble.

00:16:11.380 --> 00:16:11.900
 And if we return

00:16:11.900 --> 00:16:12.560
 to our passage,

00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:13.780
 Paul is concerned

00:16:13.779 --> 00:16:15.220
 about a shift

00:16:15.220 --> 00:16:16.480
 in the moorings

00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:17.100
 of the church.

00:16:18.059 --> 00:16:19.000
 This is a church,

00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:19.360
 again,

00:16:19.459 --> 00:16:20.939
 that was in a very small town.

00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:21.899
 It's a small church.

00:16:22.699 --> 00:16:23.839
 Lots of new believers.

00:16:24.759 --> 00:16:25.699
 And it was very,

00:16:25.879 --> 00:16:26.759
 the church at that time

00:16:26.759 --> 00:16:27.720
 was very outside

00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:28.519
 the mainstream.

00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:31.240
 There was a lot of pressure

00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:32.679
 both outside of the church,

00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:34.139
 apparently with this new philosophy.

00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:35.419
 Inside the church,

00:16:35.839 --> 00:16:36.759
 religious criticism

00:16:36.759 --> 00:16:37.279
 is just coming

00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:38.220
 at all sides

00:16:38.220 --> 00:16:39.279
 of this new baby church

00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:40.259
 that Paul is writing to.

00:16:40.839 --> 00:16:41.819
 And this philosophy

00:16:41.820 --> 00:16:43.800
 is seeking to get them

00:16:43.800 --> 00:16:44.600
 simply to become

00:16:44.600 --> 00:16:45.300
 more religious

00:16:45.300 --> 00:16:46.840
 so that they can be

00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:47.720
 as proud

00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:48.700
 as everybody else

00:16:48.700 --> 00:16:49.260
 around them.

00:16:50.140 --> 00:16:51.040
 You can be as proud

00:16:51.040 --> 00:16:52.000
 as your pagan neighbor,

00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:53.300
 as proud as your

00:16:53.300 --> 00:16:55.080
 traditional religious neighbor.

00:16:55.300 --> 00:16:56.100
 You need to get

00:16:56.100 --> 00:16:56.720
 more religious

00:16:56.720 --> 00:16:57.560
 like they are.

00:16:58.260 --> 00:16:58.800
 And that's what

00:16:58.800 --> 00:16:59.360
 the philosophy

00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:00.020
 is trying to get them

00:17:00.020 --> 00:17:00.800
 to take pride

00:17:00.800 --> 00:17:01.300
 in themselves

00:17:01.300 --> 00:17:01.920
 and who they are

00:17:01.920 --> 00:17:02.660
 as religious people

00:17:02.660 --> 00:17:05.519
 and to earn

00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:06.840
 their spiritual growth,

00:17:07.220 --> 00:17:08.420
 to earn their adoption

00:17:08.420 --> 00:17:09.120
 from God

00:17:09.120 --> 00:17:10.180
 through effort.

00:17:10.180 --> 00:17:12.120
 But the Christian life,

00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:14.320
 we know nothing stalls

00:17:14.320 --> 00:17:15.320
 the Christian life

00:17:15.320 --> 00:17:16.360
 and our walk with God

00:17:16.360 --> 00:17:17.320
 more than pride does.

00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:19.259
 Nothing stalls

00:17:19.259 --> 00:17:20.000
 the Christian life

00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:20.759
 more than pride does.

00:17:21.779 --> 00:17:22.779
 And so after framing

00:17:22.779 --> 00:17:23.519
 this issue,

00:17:23.980 --> 00:17:24.920
 Paul sets off

00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:25.740
 with his correction,

00:17:26.380 --> 00:17:26.940
 which we've read

00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:27.380
 this morning

00:17:27.380 --> 00:17:28.640
 in chapter 3.

00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:30.279
 And he starts

00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:31.460
 with,

00:17:31.539 --> 00:17:32.460
 I actually have a key

00:17:32.460 --> 00:17:33.240
 written in my book.

00:17:33.299 --> 00:17:34.000
 I'm one of those weird people

00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:34.519
 who actually writes

00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:34.960
 in his Bible.

00:17:35.220 --> 00:17:36.000
 I have a key written

00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:36.660
 beside this verse

00:17:36.660 --> 00:17:37.080
 because to me

00:17:37.080 --> 00:17:38.039
 this is a key verse

00:17:38.039 --> 00:17:38.900
 for Colossians.

00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:40.000
 Everything else hinges on

00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:41.859
 if then you've been

00:17:41.859 --> 00:17:42.640
 raised with Christ.

00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:43.759
 If then you have been

00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:44.640
 raised with Christ.

00:17:45.460 --> 00:17:46.680
 Other translations say

00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:47.220
 since.

00:17:47.859 --> 00:17:48.200
 And I would say

00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:48.779
 that could just be

00:17:48.779 --> 00:17:49.420
 all being capitalized.

00:17:49.700 --> 00:17:51.140
 Since you have been

00:17:51.140 --> 00:17:51.839
 raised with Christ.

00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:53.660
 It all starts there.

00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:55.960
 Everything in the

00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:56.460
 Christian life

00:17:56.460 --> 00:17:57.480
 starts with that

00:17:57.480 --> 00:17:58.299
 since or that

00:17:58.299 --> 00:17:58.759
 if then.

00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:00.960
 Being raised with Christ.

00:18:02.259 --> 00:18:03.299
 And everything else

00:18:03.299 --> 00:18:04.119
 flows from that.

00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:05.720
 3.2 flows from that.

00:18:05.819 --> 00:18:06.640
 Then because you've been

00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:07.420
 raised with Christ,

00:18:07.420 --> 00:18:09.600
 you set your minds

00:18:09.600 --> 00:18:10.300
 and your hearts.

00:18:10.500 --> 00:18:11.340
 You're able to set

00:18:11.340 --> 00:18:12.039
 your mind and heart

00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:13.000
 on God and on Christ.

00:18:13.580 --> 00:18:14.400
 Because you're able

00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:14.940
 to do that

00:18:14.940 --> 00:18:16.180
 from 3.6 to 11

00:18:16.180 --> 00:18:18.580
 we see the process

00:18:18.580 --> 00:18:19.620
 of stripping off

00:18:19.620 --> 00:18:20.539
 the old rags

00:18:20.539 --> 00:18:21.440
 of our old self.

00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:22.900
 The old rags of sin

00:18:22.900 --> 00:18:23.940
 and putting on

00:18:23.940 --> 00:18:25.140
 the new heavenly clothes

00:18:25.140 --> 00:18:25.960
 because we've been

00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:27.000
 saved and raised

00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:27.600
 with Christ.

00:18:28.460 --> 00:18:30.100
 It all flows

00:18:30.100 --> 00:18:31.279
 from 3.1.

00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:33.860
 Christian growth

00:18:33.860 --> 00:18:35.200
 flows

00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:36.980
 from looking at Jesus.

00:18:37.860 --> 00:18:38.340
 Period.

00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:38.759
 End.

00:18:38.840 --> 00:18:39.279
 Full stop.

00:18:40.180 --> 00:18:41.360
 The Christian life

00:18:41.360 --> 00:18:42.360
 flows

00:18:42.360 --> 00:18:43.559
 and grows

00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:44.920
 from looking at Jesus.

00:18:45.740 --> 00:18:46.920
 Hebrews 12.1-2

00:18:46.920 --> 00:18:48.140
 Let us also

00:18:48.140 --> 00:18:49.279
 lay aside

00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:50.019
 every weight

00:18:50.019 --> 00:18:50.700
 and sin

00:18:50.700 --> 00:18:51.279
 which clings

00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:52.000
 so closely

00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:52.880
 and let us

00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:53.779
 run with endurance

00:18:53.779 --> 00:18:54.200
 the race

00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:55.160
 that's set before us

00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:57.080
 looking to Jesus

00:18:57.080 --> 00:18:58.720
 the founder

00:18:58.720 --> 00:18:59.440
 and perfecter

00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:00.019
 of our faith.

00:19:00.180 --> 00:19:01.200
 We look to Jesus

00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:03.440
 and that vision

00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:04.180
 of God's glory

00:19:04.180 --> 00:19:04.960
 is found in Jesus

00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:06.140
 that is what

00:19:06.140 --> 00:19:06.920
 changes us.

00:19:07.420 --> 00:19:07.920
 That's Christian

00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:08.700
 spiritual formation.

00:19:09.180 --> 00:19:09.680
 That's Christian

00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:11.160
 spiritual reformation.

00:19:13.220 --> 00:19:14.460
 The basic truth

00:19:14.460 --> 00:19:14.960
 of what God

00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:15.880
 has done for us

00:19:15.880 --> 00:19:16.819
 is the point

00:19:16.819 --> 00:19:17.240
 from which

00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:18.000
 everything else

00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:18.860
 in our spiritual life

00:19:18.860 --> 00:19:19.160
 flows.

00:19:20.420 --> 00:19:21.620
 Now this matters

00:19:21.620 --> 00:19:22.420
 for a couple

00:19:22.420 --> 00:19:23.480
 of big reasons.

00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:25.579
 This lesson

00:19:25.579 --> 00:19:26.480
 that Paul is teaching

00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:27.420
 to this

00:19:27.420 --> 00:19:28.039
 in this letter

00:19:28.039 --> 00:19:29.100
 to kind of a

00:19:29.100 --> 00:19:30.740
 small little church

00:19:30.740 --> 00:19:32.920
 about 2,000 years ago

00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:34.160
 it matters to us

00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:35.380
 for two reasons.

00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:38.160
 First

00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:42.539
 we're very much

00:19:42.539 --> 00:19:43.160
 similar I think

00:19:43.160 --> 00:19:44.060
 to the Colossian church.

00:19:44.920 --> 00:19:45.820
 We fall into

00:19:45.820 --> 00:19:46.320
 uncertainty.

00:19:46.519 --> 00:19:47.180
 The church now

00:19:47.180 --> 00:19:48.240
 is out of the mainstream.

00:19:48.440 --> 00:19:49.039
 The Christian church

00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:49.500
 is very much

00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:49.920
 out of the mainstream.

00:19:50.060 --> 00:19:50.720
 I happen to think

00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:51.440
 in some ways

00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:52.259
 that's a very good thing

00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:54.080
 but it holds

00:19:54.080 --> 00:19:54.700
 its challenges.

00:19:56.300 --> 00:19:57.039
 There's a lot

00:19:57.039 --> 00:19:57.500
 of pressures

00:19:57.500 --> 00:19:58.200
 from the outside

00:19:58.200 --> 00:19:59.460
 to just go along

00:19:59.460 --> 00:20:00.319
 and to get along.

00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:02.120
 We're surrounded

00:20:02.120 --> 00:20:03.480
 by constant criticism.

00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:04.759
 I mean we are not

00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:06.480
 unlike the Colossian church

00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:08.400
 that Paul's writing to.

00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:10.660
 So it causes

00:20:10.660 --> 00:20:11.279
 two problems.

00:20:11.460 --> 00:20:12.120
 That pressure

00:20:12.120 --> 00:20:13.059
 is the root

00:20:13.059 --> 00:20:13.660
 of two problems.

00:20:13.840 --> 00:20:14.220
 First

00:20:14.220 --> 00:20:15.640
 when we stay infants

00:20:15.640 --> 00:20:16.779
 in our spiritual life

00:20:16.779 --> 00:20:18.460
 we can be pulled

00:20:18.460 --> 00:20:19.660
 to water down

00:20:19.660 --> 00:20:21.680
 or to fashion

00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:22.360
 our faith

00:20:22.360 --> 00:20:23.039
 to the age.

00:20:24.500 --> 00:20:25.539
 If you haven't

00:20:25.539 --> 00:20:26.319
 accepted the Lord

00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:27.319
 or if you find yourself

00:20:27.319 --> 00:20:28.360
 now watering down

00:20:28.359 --> 00:20:29.439
 and just accepting

00:20:29.439 --> 00:20:29.939
 the spirit

00:20:29.939 --> 00:20:30.500
 of the age.

00:20:30.879 --> 00:20:31.419
 The question

00:20:31.419 --> 00:20:32.000
 I have for you

00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:32.359
 this morning

00:20:32.359 --> 00:20:33.599
 is are you tired

00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:35.459
 of just floating

00:20:35.459 --> 00:20:36.339
 along with this culture?

00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:38.479
 Are you getting tired

00:20:38.479 --> 00:20:39.299
 of just floating along?

00:20:42.139 --> 00:20:42.979
 I'm convinced

00:20:42.979 --> 00:20:44.219
 that we live

00:20:44.219 --> 00:20:45.379
 very much

00:20:45.379 --> 00:20:46.579
 in a fear

00:20:46.579 --> 00:20:47.559
 based society.

00:20:48.059 --> 00:20:48.959
 There is a lot

00:20:48.959 --> 00:20:49.599
 of fear

00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:50.399
 and a lot of pressure

00:20:50.399 --> 00:20:51.259
 based on fear

00:20:51.259 --> 00:20:51.579
 out there

00:20:51.579 --> 00:20:52.779
 to just go along

00:20:52.779 --> 00:20:53.399
 and get along.

00:20:53.740 --> 00:20:54.359
 You know some people

00:20:54.359 --> 00:20:55.000
 one tweet

00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:55.759
 one wrong tweet

00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:57.099
 that's the end

00:20:57.099 --> 00:20:57.619
 of their career.

00:20:58.359 --> 00:20:59.939
 We live

00:20:59.939 --> 00:21:00.579
 very much

00:21:00.579 --> 00:21:01.479
 in a society

00:21:01.479 --> 00:21:02.099
 that has a lot

00:21:02.099 --> 00:21:02.539
 of pressure

00:21:02.539 --> 00:21:03.839
 for us just

00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:04.519
 to float along

00:21:04.519 --> 00:21:05.799
 but also

00:21:05.799 --> 00:21:06.119
 it's a very

00:21:06.119 --> 00:21:07.119
 confused society.

00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:11.959
 And we're

00:21:11.959 --> 00:21:13.240
 told to talk

00:21:13.240 --> 00:21:13.799
 a certain way

00:21:13.799 --> 00:21:14.240
 to dress

00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:14.779
 a certain way

00:21:14.779 --> 00:21:15.259
 to eat

00:21:15.259 --> 00:21:15.899
 a certain way

00:21:15.899 --> 00:21:16.519
 certain foods

00:21:16.519 --> 00:21:17.000
 are about to be

00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:17.459
 outlawed

00:21:17.459 --> 00:21:17.839
 apparently.

00:21:19.299 --> 00:21:20.079
 And God

00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:20.759
 offers

00:21:20.759 --> 00:21:21.439
 here

00:21:21.439 --> 00:21:22.379
 a new start

00:21:22.379 --> 00:21:22.859
 for us

00:21:22.859 --> 00:21:23.379
 and to be

00:21:23.379 --> 00:21:24.199
 rooted in Christ

00:21:24.199 --> 00:21:24.839
 and not just

00:21:24.839 --> 00:21:25.599
 to be going along

00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:26.579
 a confidence

00:21:26.579 --> 00:21:27.500
 to no longer

00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:28.639
 just go along

00:21:28.639 --> 00:21:29.039
 with whatever

00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:29.980
 fear today

00:21:29.980 --> 00:21:30.579
 is telling me

00:21:30.579 --> 00:21:30.899
 to do

00:21:30.899 --> 00:21:31.879
 but instead

00:21:31.879 --> 00:21:32.439
 the confidence

00:21:32.439 --> 00:21:32.939
 of following

00:21:32.939 --> 00:21:33.199
 God

00:21:33.199 --> 00:21:33.579
 and following

00:21:33.579 --> 00:21:33.959
 Christ.

00:21:34.819 --> 00:21:35.119
 So that's

00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:35.519
 the first

00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:36.779
 reason it

00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:37.019
 matters.

00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:38.019
 The second

00:21:38.019 --> 00:21:38.639
 I think

00:21:38.639 --> 00:21:39.059
 is more

00:21:39.059 --> 00:21:39.500
 for those

00:21:39.500 --> 00:21:39.939
 of us

00:21:39.939 --> 00:21:40.699
 who are

00:21:40.699 --> 00:21:41.759
 within the

00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:42.319
 church now

00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:43.779
 as followers

00:21:43.779 --> 00:21:44.339
 of Jesus

00:21:44.339 --> 00:21:45.559
 we can get

00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:46.019
 pulled

00:21:46.019 --> 00:21:46.579
 into this

00:21:46.579 --> 00:21:46.939
 same

00:21:46.939 --> 00:21:47.279
 religious

00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:47.759
 mindset.

00:21:48.639 --> 00:21:49.379
 We can get

00:21:49.379 --> 00:21:49.819
 pulled into

00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:50.179
 the same

00:21:50.179 --> 00:21:50.439
 religious

00:21:50.439 --> 00:21:50.819
 mindset

00:21:50.819 --> 00:21:51.399
 towards the

00:21:51.399 --> 00:21:51.599
 faith.

00:21:52.019 --> 00:21:52.599
 The area

00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:53.159
 of study

00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:53.500
 that I

00:21:53.500 --> 00:21:53.800
 follow

00:21:53.800 --> 00:21:54.160
 is called

00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:54.540
 spiritual

00:21:54.540 --> 00:21:55.000
 formation.

00:21:55.779 --> 00:21:56.420
 It's on the

00:21:56.420 --> 00:21:56.640
 side.

00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:56.920
 I'm doing

00:21:56.920 --> 00:21:57.440
 some studies

00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:57.779
 in that.

00:21:58.420 --> 00:21:58.779
 And there's

00:21:58.779 --> 00:21:59.860
 actually a

00:21:59.860 --> 00:22:00.600
 great example

00:22:00.600 --> 00:22:01.120
 of this

00:22:01.120 --> 00:22:01.620
 pressure

00:22:01.620 --> 00:22:03.540
 to go along

00:22:03.540 --> 00:22:03.860
 with a

00:22:03.860 --> 00:22:04.080
 religious

00:22:04.080 --> 00:22:04.500
 mindset

00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:05.420
 is within

00:22:05.420 --> 00:22:05.900
 the spiritual

00:22:05.900 --> 00:22:06.360
 formation

00:22:06.360 --> 00:22:06.960
 world

00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:08.220
 there is a

00:22:08.220 --> 00:22:08.820
 model which

00:22:08.820 --> 00:22:09.480
 has become

00:22:09.480 --> 00:22:10.519
 very popular

00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:11.300
 and it's

00:22:11.300 --> 00:22:11.660
 called the

00:22:11.660 --> 00:22:12.140
 traditional

00:22:12.140 --> 00:22:13.019
 triple way

00:22:13.019 --> 00:22:13.700
 of classical

00:22:13.700 --> 00:22:16.000
 mysticism.

00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:17.380
 And if I

00:22:17.380 --> 00:22:17.880
 was to chart

00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:18.180
 it out

00:22:18.180 --> 00:22:18.420
 it would

00:22:18.420 --> 00:22:18.840
 chart like

00:22:18.840 --> 00:22:19.200
 this.

00:22:19.560 --> 00:22:19.860
 Take us

00:22:19.860 --> 00:22:20.060
 to the

00:22:20.060 --> 00:22:20.279
 next.

00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:22.120
 This is

00:22:22.120 --> 00:22:22.600
 classical

00:22:22.600 --> 00:22:23.019
 mysticism.

00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:23.259
 And I'm

00:22:23.259 --> 00:22:23.599
 not getting

00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:23.960
 down on

00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:24.740
 Catholicism

00:22:24.740 --> 00:22:24.980
 here.

00:22:25.379 --> 00:22:25.740
 This is

00:22:25.740 --> 00:22:26.200
 true if

00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:26.440
 you were

00:22:26.440 --> 00:22:26.799
 to look

00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:28.220
 in Eastern

00:22:28.220 --> 00:22:28.779
 religions,

00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:29.519
 if you were

00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:29.700
 to look

00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:30.480
 at Sufism,

00:22:30.700 --> 00:22:31.339
 all kinds

00:22:31.339 --> 00:22:31.819
 of the

00:22:31.819 --> 00:22:32.119
 different

00:22:32.119 --> 00:22:32.680
 mystical

00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:33.059
 religions

00:22:33.059 --> 00:22:33.319
 that are

00:22:33.319 --> 00:22:33.660
 out there.

00:22:33.879 --> 00:22:34.339
 They pretty

00:22:34.339 --> 00:22:34.940
 much follow

00:22:34.940 --> 00:22:35.379
 the same

00:22:35.379 --> 00:22:35.920
 threefold

00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:36.940
 path to

00:22:36.940 --> 00:22:37.539
 illumination,

00:22:37.700 --> 00:22:38.200
 to union

00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:38.859
 with the

00:22:38.859 --> 00:22:39.420
 divine or

00:22:39.420 --> 00:22:39.859
 the spark

00:22:39.859 --> 00:22:40.180
 or whatever

00:22:40.180 --> 00:22:41.000
 you want

00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:41.279
 to call

00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:41.700
 God

00:22:41.700 --> 00:22:42.859
 within those

00:22:42.859 --> 00:22:43.299
 contexts.

00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:44.339
 It starts

00:22:44.339 --> 00:22:45.079
 with cleansing.

00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:46.539
 You cleanse

00:22:46.539 --> 00:22:47.059
 your life

00:22:47.059 --> 00:22:48.099
 by becoming

00:22:48.099 --> 00:22:48.539
 better.

00:22:49.500 --> 00:22:50.220
 Just become

00:22:50.220 --> 00:22:50.639
 a better

00:22:50.639 --> 00:22:51.039
 person.

00:22:51.639 --> 00:22:52.240
 From there

00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:52.720
 it moves

00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:53.120
 on to

00:22:53.120 --> 00:22:53.819
 illumination.

00:22:54.279 --> 00:22:54.700
 Of some

00:22:54.700 --> 00:22:55.120
 kind,

00:22:55.259 --> 00:22:55.960
 you gain

00:22:55.960 --> 00:22:56.500
 some sort

00:22:56.500 --> 00:22:56.960
 of special

00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:57.660
 knowledge.

00:22:58.279 --> 00:22:58.480
 And then

00:22:58.480 --> 00:22:59.000
 through that

00:22:59.000 --> 00:22:59.620
 cleansing and

00:22:59.620 --> 00:22:59.900
 through that

00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:00.819
 special knowledge,

00:23:01.099 --> 00:23:02.460
 you achieve

00:23:02.460 --> 00:23:03.539
 union with

00:23:03.539 --> 00:23:03.920
 God.

00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:04.599
 You can be

00:23:04.599 --> 00:23:05.099
 proud of

00:23:05.099 --> 00:23:05.539
 yourself.

00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:06.359
 You are at

00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:07.079
 the pinnacle.

00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:08.160
 You are a

00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:08.980
 spiritual person.

00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:09.819
 And everybody

00:23:09.819 --> 00:23:10.460
 will clap for

00:23:10.460 --> 00:23:10.620
 you.

00:23:11.779 --> 00:23:12.680
 That is the

00:23:12.680 --> 00:23:13.400
 triple way of

00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:13.779
 classical

00:23:13.779 --> 00:23:15.220
 mysticism.

00:23:15.220 --> 00:23:16.220
 But the

00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:17.120
 problem is

00:23:17.120 --> 00:23:19.240
 that is the

00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:21.440
 reverse of

00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:21.799
 what the

00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:22.539
 Bible says

00:23:22.539 --> 00:23:23.759
 is spiritual

00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:24.259
 formation.

00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:25.759
 The Bible

00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:26.860
 starts with

00:23:26.860 --> 00:23:29.500
 union with

00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:30.279
 God through

00:23:30.279 --> 00:23:30.759
 faith in

00:23:30.759 --> 00:23:31.039
 Christ.

00:23:31.400 --> 00:23:32.200
 Since you

00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:32.700
 have been

00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:33.259
 raised,

00:23:33.860 --> 00:23:34.620
 everything

00:23:34.620 --> 00:23:35.079
 else,

00:23:35.700 --> 00:23:36.180
 everything

00:23:36.180 --> 00:23:36.779
 else flows

00:23:36.779 --> 00:23:37.220
 from there.

00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:38.220
 Since you've

00:23:38.220 --> 00:23:38.660
 been raised,

00:23:38.740 --> 00:23:39.019
 everything.

00:23:39.420 --> 00:23:39.680
 The Bible

00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:40.380
 starts with

00:23:40.380 --> 00:23:40.759
 the vision

00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:41.220
 of union

00:23:41.220 --> 00:23:41.720
 with God

00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:42.420
 in 3.1,

00:23:42.420 --> 00:23:43.180
 then moves

00:23:43.180 --> 00:23:43.860
 on to

00:23:43.860 --> 00:23:44.620
 illumination

00:23:44.620 --> 00:23:45.080
 by the

00:23:45.080 --> 00:23:45.720
 Holy Spirit.

00:23:45.820 --> 00:23:46.200
 We can see

00:23:46.200 --> 00:23:46.460
 it there.

00:23:46.580 --> 00:23:46.940
 Set your

00:23:46.940 --> 00:23:47.580
 minds on

00:23:47.580 --> 00:23:47.759
 things.

00:23:48.060 --> 00:23:48.500
 Holy Spirit

00:23:48.500 --> 00:23:49.140
 will illumine

00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:49.400
 us.

00:23:49.880 --> 00:23:50.259
 Ephesians

00:23:50.259 --> 00:23:51.039
 4.23,

00:23:51.580 --> 00:23:52.340
 renewed in

00:23:52.340 --> 00:23:52.940
 the spirit

00:23:52.940 --> 00:23:53.380
 of your

00:23:53.380 --> 00:23:53.700
 mind.

00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:54.300
 Then it

00:23:54.300 --> 00:23:54.720
 moves on

00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:54.880
 to

00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:55.640
 illumination

00:23:55.640 --> 00:23:56.600
 and then

00:23:56.600 --> 00:23:57.120
 it finally

00:23:57.120 --> 00:23:58.019
 lands on

00:23:58.019 --> 00:23:59.000
 spiritual

00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:00.100
 growth or

00:24:00.100 --> 00:24:01.019
 sanctification,

00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:01.840
 which is the

00:24:01.840 --> 00:24:02.800
 big theological

00:24:02.800 --> 00:24:03.480
 term we use

00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:03.820
 for that.

00:24:04.140 --> 00:24:04.400
 I don't like

00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:04.680
 the term

00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:05.080
 cleansing.

00:24:05.220 --> 00:24:05.440
 I'd rather

00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:05.640
 use

00:24:05.640 --> 00:24:06.300
 sanctification.

00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:07.980
 Biblically,

00:24:08.100 --> 00:24:08.519
 there's no

00:24:08.519 --> 00:24:09.620
 hard process

00:24:09.620 --> 00:24:10.380
 for spiritual

00:24:10.380 --> 00:24:10.720
 growth.

00:24:10.980 --> 00:24:11.279
 There's more

00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:11.500
 of a

00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:11.900
 framework.

00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:12.700
 There's a

00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:14.019
 theology of

00:24:14.019 --> 00:24:15.460
 change that

00:24:15.460 --> 00:24:16.259
 we keep our

00:24:16.259 --> 00:24:16.820
 minds on and

00:24:16.820 --> 00:24:17.280
 we keep in

00:24:17.280 --> 00:24:18.380
 mind while

00:24:18.380 --> 00:24:19.300
 we follow

00:24:19.300 --> 00:24:19.660
 Jesus.

00:24:20.620 --> 00:24:21.320
 The problem

00:24:21.320 --> 00:24:22.300
 is the

00:24:22.300 --> 00:24:23.100
 tendency we

00:24:23.100 --> 00:24:23.759
 have and

00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:24.140
 how very

00:24:24.140 --> 00:24:24.940
 easy it is

00:24:24.940 --> 00:24:25.259
 to try to

00:24:25.259 --> 00:24:25.560
 cut the

00:24:25.560 --> 00:24:26.360
 corners and

00:24:26.360 --> 00:24:27.240
 slip back

00:24:27.240 --> 00:24:28.280
 down into

00:24:28.280 --> 00:24:29.560
 the classical

00:24:29.560 --> 00:24:30.000
 model.

00:24:30.340 --> 00:24:30.840
 It happens

00:24:30.840 --> 00:24:31.280
 all the time.

00:24:31.360 --> 00:24:31.860
 I see it

00:24:31.860 --> 00:24:33.000
 all the time

00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:34.000
 where I'm

00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:34.320
 trying to

00:24:34.320 --> 00:24:35.019
 earn God's

00:24:35.019 --> 00:24:35.280
 favor.

00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:39.440
 We start

00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:40.180
 relating then

00:24:40.180 --> 00:24:40.960
 in the bottom

00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:41.500
 part here

00:24:41.500 --> 00:24:42.440
 as wage

00:24:42.440 --> 00:24:43.019
 earners

00:24:43.019 --> 00:24:44.440
 from God

00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:45.000
 rather than

00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:45.559
 people who

00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:46.019
 have received

00:24:46.019 --> 00:24:46.420
 a great

00:24:46.420 --> 00:24:46.720
 gift.

00:24:47.880 --> 00:24:48.220
 It's by

00:24:48.220 --> 00:24:48.799
 a realization

00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:49.360
 that we've

00:24:49.360 --> 00:24:49.799
 received a

00:24:49.799 --> 00:24:50.299
 great gift

00:24:50.299 --> 00:24:51.480
 that we

00:24:51.480 --> 00:24:52.920
 learn humility

00:24:52.920 --> 00:24:53.559
 in the

00:24:53.559 --> 00:24:54.299
 spiritual life.

00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:55.500
 We start

00:24:55.500 --> 00:24:55.840
 with the

00:24:55.840 --> 00:24:56.279
 free gift

00:24:56.279 --> 00:24:56.640
 of God

00:24:56.640 --> 00:24:57.140
 in Christ,

00:24:57.460 --> 00:24:57.960
 moves on

00:24:57.960 --> 00:24:58.059
 to

00:24:58.059 --> 00:24:58.600
 illumination,

00:24:59.019 --> 00:24:59.299
 and then

00:24:59.299 --> 00:24:59.480
 we're

00:24:59.480 --> 00:25:00.059
 sanctified.

00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:00.900
 Living out

00:25:00.900 --> 00:25:01.120
 of our

00:25:01.120 --> 00:25:01.539
 created

00:25:01.539 --> 00:25:02.079
 purpose,

00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:02.940
 both now

00:25:02.940 --> 00:25:03.279
 and to

00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:03.660
 eternity.

00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:04.299
 That's what

00:25:04.299 --> 00:25:04.539
 God's

00:25:04.539 --> 00:25:04.880
 looking for

00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:05.100
 and that's

00:25:05.100 --> 00:25:05.500
 what Paul's

00:25:05.500 --> 00:25:06.039
 talking about.

00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:09.539
 It's more

00:25:09.539 --> 00:25:10.960
 than what

00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:11.279
 we're talking

00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:11.559
 about here

00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:11.920
 than a

00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:12.380
 spiritual

00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:13.000
 renovation.

00:25:14.119 --> 00:25:14.579
 Paul is

00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:15.119
 definitely not

00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:15.619
 talking about

00:25:15.619 --> 00:25:16.019
 just, you

00:25:16.019 --> 00:25:16.140
 know,

00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:16.819
 renovating

00:25:16.819 --> 00:25:17.240
 your life

00:25:17.240 --> 00:25:17.859
 by yourself.

00:25:18.700 --> 00:25:19.059
 It's not

00:25:19.059 --> 00:25:19.420
 like home

00:25:19.420 --> 00:25:19.799
 improvements

00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:20.839
 for your

00:25:20.839 --> 00:25:21.140
 life.

00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:22.980
 Amy and

00:25:22.980 --> 00:25:24.119
 I, we

00:25:24.119 --> 00:25:24.460
 moved to

00:25:24.460 --> 00:25:25.000
 Pembroke.

00:25:25.960 --> 00:25:26.539
 Take us to

00:25:26.539 --> 00:25:26.759
 the next

00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:27.099
 slide there,

00:25:27.140 --> 00:25:27.240
 brother.

00:25:27.960 --> 00:25:28.259
 In the

00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:28.779
 military, when

00:25:28.779 --> 00:25:29.420
 you move,

00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:31.140
 you get what's

00:25:31.140 --> 00:25:31.519
 called a

00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:32.059
 house hunting

00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:32.460
 trip.

00:25:33.019 --> 00:25:33.420
 They give

00:25:33.420 --> 00:25:33.700
 you two

00:25:33.700 --> 00:25:34.160
 weeks to

00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:34.720
 go to your

00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:35.299
 new destination

00:25:35.299 --> 00:25:35.839
 and find

00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:36.259
 a house

00:25:36.259 --> 00:25:37.000
 and buy

00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:37.460
 that house.

00:25:37.859 --> 00:25:38.700
 We had a

00:25:38.700 --> 00:25:39.159
 pretty good

00:25:39.159 --> 00:25:39.480
 house hunting

00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:39.859
 trip here

00:25:39.859 --> 00:25:40.279
 to Ottawa.

00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:40.680
 Amy and

00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:41.039
 I found

00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:41.339
 a house

00:25:41.339 --> 00:25:41.759
 in Richmond,

00:25:42.180 --> 00:25:42.579
 lost that

00:25:42.579 --> 00:25:42.859
 house but

00:25:42.859 --> 00:25:43.119
 found a

00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:43.519
 better house

00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:44.000
 in Stittsville.

00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:44.879
 Very happy

00:25:44.879 --> 00:25:45.279
 with that.

00:25:45.799 --> 00:25:46.519
 Our trip

00:25:46.519 --> 00:25:47.279
 to Pembroke,

00:25:47.379 --> 00:25:48.139
 to Petawawa,

00:25:48.700 --> 00:25:48.839
 what,

00:25:49.139 --> 00:25:49.839
 nine years

00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:50.139
 ago,

00:25:50.399 --> 00:25:51.019
 was not

00:25:51.019 --> 00:25:51.539
 so good.

00:25:52.659 --> 00:25:53.799
 And what

00:25:53.799 --> 00:25:54.399
 had happened

00:25:54.399 --> 00:25:55.339
 was people

00:25:55.339 --> 00:25:55.879
 came back

00:25:55.879 --> 00:25:56.519
 from Afghanistan

00:25:56.519 --> 00:25:56.940
 and when

00:25:56.940 --> 00:25:57.859
 you go to

00:25:57.859 --> 00:25:58.399
 Afghanistan,

00:25:58.899 --> 00:25:59.259
 when we

00:25:59.259 --> 00:25:59.579
 went to

00:25:59.579 --> 00:26:00.019
 Afghanistan,

00:26:00.619 --> 00:26:01.119
 the government

00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:01.659
 actually gave

00:26:01.659 --> 00:26:02.139
 us a nice

00:26:02.139 --> 00:26:02.700
 bag of money

00:26:02.700 --> 00:26:03.359
 to go to

00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:03.720
 Afghanistan.

00:26:04.039 --> 00:26:04.759
 There's a pot

00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:05.220
 of money that's

00:26:05.220 --> 00:26:05.859
 called hardship,

00:26:06.220 --> 00:26:06.619
 a pot of

00:26:06.619 --> 00:26:07.000
 money that's

00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:07.700
 called danger

00:26:07.700 --> 00:26:08.039
 pay.

00:26:08.359 --> 00:26:08.940
 You maxed out

00:26:08.940 --> 00:26:09.500
 on that and

00:26:09.500 --> 00:26:09.900
 you didn't pay

00:26:09.900 --> 00:26:10.319
 taxes.

00:26:10.759 --> 00:26:11.299
 So these guys

00:26:11.299 --> 00:26:11.700
 that were coming

00:26:11.700 --> 00:26:12.059
 back from

00:26:12.059 --> 00:26:12.759
 Afghanistan came

00:26:12.759 --> 00:26:13.160
 back with a

00:26:13.160 --> 00:26:13.619
 big bag of

00:26:13.619 --> 00:26:15.180
 money, or

00:26:15.180 --> 00:26:15.640
 guys and

00:26:15.640 --> 00:26:16.740
 girls, and

00:26:16.740 --> 00:26:17.400
 gals, and when

00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:18.099
 they came back

00:26:18.099 --> 00:26:18.980
 they went on the

00:26:18.980 --> 00:26:19.480
 economy and they

00:26:19.480 --> 00:26:20.180
 bought themselves

00:26:20.180 --> 00:26:20.519
 houses.

00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:20.980
 They didn't want

00:26:20.980 --> 00:26:21.799
 to live in the

00:26:21.799 --> 00:26:23.039
 military shacks

00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:23.400
 anymore.

00:26:23.900 --> 00:26:24.319
 We literally

00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:24.879
 call them the

00:26:24.879 --> 00:26:25.240
 shacks.

00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:26.640
 They wanted to

00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:27.119
 buy their own

00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:27.279
 house.

00:26:27.339 --> 00:26:27.839
 So they went and

00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:28.319
 bought up on the

00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:28.579
 economy.

00:26:29.099 --> 00:26:29.480
 Amy and I

00:26:29.480 --> 00:26:30.019
 received our

00:26:30.019 --> 00:26:30.819
 posting message

00:26:30.819 --> 00:26:31.640
 late in the

00:26:31.640 --> 00:26:31.900
 year.

00:26:31.900 --> 00:26:32.580
 So we were

00:26:32.580 --> 00:26:33.140
 there after

00:26:33.140 --> 00:26:33.560
 pretty much

00:26:33.560 --> 00:26:34.220
 everybody else

00:26:34.220 --> 00:26:34.600
 who was getting

00:26:34.600 --> 00:26:35.040
 posted in.

00:26:35.120 --> 00:26:35.820
 They picked over

00:26:35.820 --> 00:26:36.220
 everything that

00:26:36.220 --> 00:26:36.620
 was left.

00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:37.840
 So when Amy and

00:26:37.840 --> 00:26:38.500
 I went for our

00:26:38.500 --> 00:26:39.140
 house hunting trip

00:26:39.140 --> 00:26:40.460
 in Petawawa, we

00:26:40.460 --> 00:26:41.240
 went on a one

00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:42.420
 week tour across

00:26:42.420 --> 00:26:43.160
 the bottom of the

00:26:43.160 --> 00:26:44.440
 barrel of what was

00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:45.480
 left over on the

00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:46.620
 housing market and

00:26:46.620 --> 00:26:47.460
 we saw some

00:26:47.460 --> 00:26:47.900
 doozies.

00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:48.480
 There are some

00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:49.980
 interesting homes

00:26:49.980 --> 00:26:51.040
 an hour and a

00:26:51.040 --> 00:26:51.960
 half for sale, an

00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:52.400
 hour and a half

00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:53.019
 north of here if

00:26:53.019 --> 00:26:53.540
 you're interested.

00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:54.840
 We saw most of

00:26:54.840 --> 00:26:54.960
 them.

00:26:56.259 --> 00:26:57.360
 One of the ones

00:26:57.360 --> 00:26:58.580
 that we found, Amy

00:26:58.580 --> 00:26:59.320
 talks about it all

00:26:59.320 --> 00:27:00.440
 the time, and this

00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:01.120
 was just kind of

00:27:01.120 --> 00:27:02.259
 an image of our

00:27:02.259 --> 00:27:02.820
 whole time.

00:27:02.920 --> 00:27:03.660
 Amy went into

00:27:03.660 --> 00:27:05.080
 this one room, and

00:27:05.080 --> 00:27:05.740
 she couldn't tell

00:27:05.740 --> 00:27:06.539
 what was wrong with

00:27:06.539 --> 00:27:07.039
 this house, but

00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:07.740
 something was wrong

00:27:07.740 --> 00:27:09.460
 until I came in and

00:27:09.460 --> 00:27:10.660
 stepped on, I came

00:27:10.660 --> 00:27:11.019
 in on the other

00:27:11.019 --> 00:27:11.400
 side of the room,

00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:11.820
 came through the

00:27:11.820 --> 00:27:12.640
 door, and when I

00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:13.299
 stepped into the

00:27:13.299 --> 00:27:14.620
 room, the floor

00:27:14.620 --> 00:27:15.360
 tilted and she

00:27:15.360 --> 00:27:16.460
 raised up in the

00:27:16.460 --> 00:27:18.000
 air, and I went

00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:18.259
 down.

00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:20.460
 Now, we were

00:27:20.460 --> 00:27:21.080
 looking for a

00:27:21.080 --> 00:27:24.680
 fixer-upper, but we

00:27:24.680 --> 00:27:25.259
 weren't exactly

00:27:25.259 --> 00:27:26.080
 looking for that.

00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:26.779
 I can put some

00:27:26.779 --> 00:27:27.620
 veneer down, maybe

00:27:27.620 --> 00:27:28.559
 some window dressings,

00:27:28.680 --> 00:27:29.660
 paint, but that

00:27:29.660 --> 00:27:30.400
 needed, I mean, that

00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:31.660
 was a knock it

00:27:31.660 --> 00:27:33.420
 down and start

00:27:33.420 --> 00:27:34.100
 all over again.

00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:34.660
 It's not even

00:27:34.660 --> 00:27:35.140
 worth it because

00:27:35.140 --> 00:27:35.960
 something's going on

00:27:35.960 --> 00:27:37.300
 there that you

00:27:37.300 --> 00:27:37.920
 can't fix.

00:27:38.540 --> 00:27:39.740
 And so Paul is

00:27:39.740 --> 00:27:41.300
 talking about so

00:27:41.300 --> 00:27:42.140
 much more than

00:27:42.140 --> 00:27:43.200
 just adding the

00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:44.380
 veneer of Christian

00:27:44.380 --> 00:27:45.580
 values to us this

00:27:45.580 --> 00:27:45.800
 morning.

00:27:46.340 --> 00:27:47.320
 He's talking about

00:27:47.320 --> 00:27:48.259
 more than just,

00:27:48.300 --> 00:27:49.019
 when he says, you

00:27:49.019 --> 00:27:49.560
 know, put on the

00:27:49.560 --> 00:27:50.460
 new clothes, he's

00:27:50.460 --> 00:27:51.200
 talking about so

00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:52.120
 much more than

00:27:52.120 --> 00:27:53.160
 just putting on

00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:53.940
 new spiritual

00:27:53.940 --> 00:27:55.340
 clothes over the

00:27:55.340 --> 00:27:55.840
 old one.

00:27:56.100 --> 00:27:57.040
 He's talking about

00:27:57.040 --> 00:27:59.300
 being raised again

00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:01.559
 by God, starting

00:28:01.559 --> 00:28:02.799
 anew and then

00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:03.519
 moving on from

00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:03.759
 there.

00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:05.579
 It's a complete

00:28:05.579 --> 00:28:06.519
 rebuilding project.

00:28:07.159 --> 00:28:08.000
 It's not just

00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:08.659
 adding some window

00:28:08.659 --> 00:28:10.079
 dressings to the

00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:10.960
 spirituality of our

00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:11.480
 lives, to the

00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:12.059
 religion of our

00:28:12.059 --> 00:28:12.379
 lives.

00:28:12.940 --> 00:28:13.859
 When it comes to

00:28:13.859 --> 00:28:14.720
 spiritual growth as

00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:16.180
 Christians, this

00:28:16.180 --> 00:28:17.659
 realization is the

00:28:17.659 --> 00:28:18.839
 mooring for us.

00:28:19.399 --> 00:28:20.240
 This was the

00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:20.940
 mooring that he

00:28:20.940 --> 00:28:21.819
 wanted the Colossians

00:28:21.819 --> 00:28:22.659
 to hold on to.

00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:24.039
 Helps anchor our

00:28:24.039 --> 00:28:24.700
 spiritual life in

00:28:24.700 --> 00:28:26.000
 humility, and that

00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:28.440
 real humility is a

00:28:28.440 --> 00:28:29.460
 response to what

00:28:29.460 --> 00:28:30.559
 God has done for

00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:30.920
 us.

00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:32.619
 Spiritual

00:28:32.619 --> 00:28:33.940
 reformation is

00:28:33.940 --> 00:28:34.720
 rooted in our

00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:36.940
 identity as the

00:28:36.940 --> 00:28:38.519
 risen children of

00:28:38.519 --> 00:28:38.799
 God.

00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:39.880
 You're risen and

00:28:39.880 --> 00:28:40.359
 adopted.

00:28:41.299 --> 00:28:42.259
 That's the starting

00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:42.579
 point.

00:28:43.740 --> 00:28:44.980
 The basic truth of

00:28:44.980 --> 00:28:45.640
 what God has done

00:28:45.640 --> 00:28:46.299
 for us is the

00:28:46.299 --> 00:28:47.059
 point from everything

00:28:47.059 --> 00:28:48.400
 else in our

00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:49.039
 spiritual life

00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:49.400
 flows.

00:28:50.339 --> 00:28:50.900
 And so this

00:28:50.900 --> 00:28:52.259
 leaves us with

00:28:52.259 --> 00:28:53.299
 something to do.

00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:54.859
 Talk about what

00:28:54.859 --> 00:28:55.359
 the Bible says,

00:28:55.420 --> 00:28:55.859
 why it matters.

00:28:55.859 --> 00:28:57.319
 Now I think we

00:28:57.319 --> 00:28:57.919
 have something to

00:28:57.919 --> 00:28:58.439
 do just like the

00:28:58.439 --> 00:28:59.000
 Colossians had

00:28:59.000 --> 00:28:59.419
 something to do.

00:28:59.799 --> 00:29:00.579
 Pete Scazzaro, who

00:29:00.579 --> 00:29:00.979
 we were actually

00:29:00.979 --> 00:29:01.599
 talking about this

00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:02.199
 morning, George and

00:29:02.199 --> 00:29:05.179
 I, is a great author

00:29:05.179 --> 00:29:05.759
 when it comes to

00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:06.379
 spiritual formation.

00:29:07.199 --> 00:29:09.599
 And he points out

00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:10.459
 that when Jesus

00:29:10.459 --> 00:29:11.679
 describes becoming a

00:29:11.679 --> 00:29:13.839
 Christian, he talks

00:29:13.839 --> 00:29:15.019
 about new birth.

00:29:15.679 --> 00:29:16.039
 If you look at

00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:17.399
 John 3, chapter 3,

00:29:17.439 --> 00:29:18.919
 3 to 5, he's

00:29:18.919 --> 00:29:20.439
 talking about new

00:29:20.439 --> 00:29:21.919
 birth when Jesus

00:29:21.919 --> 00:29:22.599
 talks about becoming

00:29:22.599 --> 00:29:22.979
 a Christian.

00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:25.759
 Amy and I have an

00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:26.379
 apple tree in our

00:29:26.379 --> 00:29:26.700
 backyard.

00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:28.940
 Now apparently this

00:29:28.940 --> 00:29:29.700
 was a selling point

00:29:29.700 --> 00:29:30.420
 for Amy when we

00:29:30.420 --> 00:29:30.879
 bought the house.

00:29:31.000 --> 00:29:31.940
 I had no idea it

00:29:31.940 --> 00:29:32.440
 was an apple tree.

00:29:32.539 --> 00:29:32.920
 I just thought it

00:29:32.920 --> 00:29:33.660
 was a nice big tree

00:29:33.660 --> 00:29:34.140
 in the backyard,

00:29:34.220 --> 00:29:34.539
 going to give it

00:29:34.539 --> 00:29:34.940
 some shade.

00:29:36.039 --> 00:29:37.059
 It comes out with

00:29:37.059 --> 00:29:37.740
 flowers that look

00:29:37.740 --> 00:29:38.140
 like that.

00:29:38.180 --> 00:29:38.640
 I don't know if

00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:39.160
 those are the right

00:29:39.160 --> 00:29:39.559
 flowers.

00:29:40.140 --> 00:29:40.700
 It kind of look like

00:29:40.700 --> 00:29:40.740
 it.

00:29:40.740 --> 00:29:41.099
 Is that the right

00:29:41.099 --> 00:29:41.660
 kind of flower?

00:29:41.779 --> 00:29:42.460
 I don't even know.

00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:43.160
 Who knows?

00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:44.259
 I'm not a tree

00:29:44.259 --> 00:29:44.640
 person.

00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:47.460
 But let's say

00:29:47.460 --> 00:29:48.380
 however that the

00:29:48.380 --> 00:29:50.100
 apple tree wasn't a

00:29:50.100 --> 00:29:51.100
 selling point for us

00:29:51.100 --> 00:29:52.460
 and we decided

00:29:52.460 --> 00:29:54.160
 instead that we

00:29:54.160 --> 00:29:54.660
 wanted to have

00:29:54.660 --> 00:29:55.960
 peaches on our

00:29:55.960 --> 00:29:56.160
 tree.

00:29:57.480 --> 00:29:59.200
 There's no way to

00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:00.140
 get that apple tree

00:30:00.140 --> 00:30:01.120
 to grow peaches.

00:30:02.100 --> 00:30:04.140
 You can't trim it

00:30:04.140 --> 00:30:05.800
 back and wire on

00:30:05.800 --> 00:30:06.120
 peaches.

00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:07.240
 You can't even

00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:08.300
 graft a good old

00:30:08.300 --> 00:30:10.340
 fashioned peach tree

00:30:10.340 --> 00:30:10.860
 to an apple tree.

00:30:10.920 --> 00:30:11.440
 I actually had to

00:30:11.440 --> 00:30:12.080
 Google that to make

00:30:12.080 --> 00:30:12.759
 sure I wasn't telling

00:30:12.759 --> 00:30:13.160
 you a lie.

00:30:13.400 --> 00:30:13.900
 You can't.

00:30:13.900 --> 00:30:14.640
 You can't actually

00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:15.480
 graft an old

00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:16.259
 fashioned peach tree

00:30:16.259 --> 00:30:17.559
 to an apple tree.

00:30:18.279 --> 00:30:19.299
 No matter what you

00:30:19.299 --> 00:30:21.279
 do, only apples are

00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:21.879
 going to grow on

00:30:21.879 --> 00:30:22.359
 that tree.

00:30:22.740 --> 00:30:23.480
 If you want peach

00:30:23.480 --> 00:30:24.000
 tree, you've got to

00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:24.940
 take it up, roots and

00:30:24.940 --> 00:30:26.660
 all, and plant a

00:30:26.660 --> 00:30:27.079
 peach tree.

00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:28.240
 If we want new

00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:29.400
 fruit, we have to

00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:30.180
 dig up the roots.

00:30:31.160 --> 00:30:32.680
 New roots equals

00:30:32.680 --> 00:30:33.180
 new fruit.

00:30:33.960 --> 00:30:34.740
 If all we do is

00:30:34.740 --> 00:30:36.779
 modify, and all we

00:30:36.779 --> 00:30:37.599
 do is we kind of

00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:38.480
 modify in the same

00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:39.200
 way when all we're

00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:39.960
 doing is making up

00:30:39.960 --> 00:30:40.460
 resolutions.

00:30:41.019 --> 00:30:41.480
 You know, I'm

00:30:41.480 --> 00:30:42.140
 going to pray more.

00:30:42.339 --> 00:30:42.740
 I'm going to go to

00:30:42.740 --> 00:30:43.319
 church more.

00:30:43.420 --> 00:30:43.940
 I'm going to stop

00:30:43.940 --> 00:30:44.740
 being bad and be

00:30:44.740 --> 00:30:45.500
 more Christian, and

00:30:45.500 --> 00:30:46.720
 God's going to see

00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:48.200
 how good I am.

00:30:48.819 --> 00:30:49.680
 I feel for some of

00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:50.299
 the soldiers who

00:30:50.299 --> 00:30:51.039
 come into my office,

00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:52.480
 and they're like, I

00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:53.180
 can't go to church, I'm

00:30:53.180 --> 00:30:53.779
 not good enough.

00:30:54.059 --> 00:30:55.900
 If you only knew.

00:30:56.839 --> 00:30:57.819
 First of all, about me

00:30:57.819 --> 00:30:59.700
 and the people who

00:30:59.700 --> 00:31:00.220
 are there, no

00:31:00.220 --> 00:31:02.980
 offense, but we're all

00:31:02.980 --> 00:31:04.000
 just sinners in need

00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:04.680
 of grace here.

00:31:06.120 --> 00:31:06.480
 Amen?

00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:06.620
 Amen?

00:31:07.059 --> 00:31:07.500
 Amen.

00:31:08.160 --> 00:31:09.220
 And so, Christ

00:31:09.220 --> 00:31:10.160
 announced that it's

00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:11.920
 only by the direct

00:31:11.920 --> 00:31:13.539
 intervention of God

00:31:13.539 --> 00:31:15.120
 can you or I be

00:31:15.120 --> 00:31:15.480
 changed.

00:31:16.519 --> 00:31:17.120
 And that's the

00:31:17.120 --> 00:31:17.640
 starting point.

00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:19.720
 Colossians 2 told us

00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:20.839
 how not to approach

00:31:20.839 --> 00:31:21.640
 spiritual formation,

00:31:22.380 --> 00:31:23.279
 much like that old

00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:24.480
 classical model.

00:31:25.480 --> 00:31:27.500
 Colossians 3 shows us

00:31:27.500 --> 00:31:29.380
 how to approach

00:31:29.380 --> 00:31:30.360
 spirituality.

00:31:31.240 --> 00:31:32.759
 Setting our eyes on

00:31:32.759 --> 00:31:34.660
 the things above, the

00:31:34.660 --> 00:31:35.320
 passage says.

00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:37.840
 Set your minds on

00:31:37.840 --> 00:31:38.880
 things that are above,

00:31:39.240 --> 00:31:40.580
 not on things that

00:31:40.580 --> 00:31:41.320
 are on earth.

00:31:42.820 --> 00:31:43.779
 We're raised with

00:31:43.779 --> 00:31:44.480
 Christ, then we set

00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:44.720
 our minds.

00:31:44.759 --> 00:31:45.360
 That means to be

00:31:45.360 --> 00:31:46.420
 taken up with.

00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:47.560
 When you look at the

00:31:47.560 --> 00:31:48.380
 passage and translate

00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:49.380
 the passage, it could

00:31:49.380 --> 00:31:51.720
 be taken up with the

00:31:51.720 --> 00:31:52.860
 things of God.

00:31:53.060 --> 00:31:54.720
 It could be devoted to

00:31:54.720 --> 00:31:55.900
 the things that are

00:31:55.900 --> 00:31:56.220
 above.

00:31:57.080 --> 00:31:58.380
 Allowing God, through a

00:31:58.380 --> 00:31:59.600
 vision of his glory, to

00:31:59.600 --> 00:32:01.360
 strip off the old and

00:32:01.360 --> 00:32:02.259
 put on the new.

00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:04.140
 I love Isaiah 6, 3,

00:32:04.140 --> 00:32:04.860
 where it talks about

00:32:04.860 --> 00:32:06.180
 the garment of praise.

00:32:06.280 --> 00:32:07.180
 We put on the

00:32:07.180 --> 00:32:07.759
 garment of praise.

00:32:07.840 --> 00:32:08.900
 I think that applies

00:32:08.900 --> 00:32:09.580
 here.

00:32:10.460 --> 00:32:12.259
 When God strips off

00:32:12.259 --> 00:32:13.259
 the old clothes and

00:32:13.259 --> 00:32:15.080
 he reclothes us, we

00:32:15.080 --> 00:32:16.360
 in a sense do that as

00:32:16.360 --> 00:32:17.180
 well along with him.

00:32:17.200 --> 00:32:17.800
 We put on the

00:32:17.800 --> 00:32:18.780
 garment of praise, all

00:32:18.780 --> 00:32:19.900
 the means of grace.

00:32:20.360 --> 00:32:20.880
 We have this term

00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:21.720
 called biblical means

00:32:21.720 --> 00:32:22.280
 of grace, which

00:32:22.280 --> 00:32:23.400
 includes reading our

00:32:23.400 --> 00:32:25.160
 Bibles, it includes

00:32:25.160 --> 00:32:26.160
 the Lord's Supper, the

00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:27.240
 wonderful worship we

00:32:27.240 --> 00:32:27.860
 had this morning.

00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:29.740
 These are the ways that

00:32:29.740 --> 00:32:31.180
 God allows us to

00:32:31.180 --> 00:32:33.300
 interact with him, to

00:32:33.299 --> 00:32:34.119
 set our minds.

00:32:34.980 --> 00:32:35.919
 But these things have

00:32:35.919 --> 00:32:36.879
 no power in

00:32:36.879 --> 00:32:38.980
 themselves unless

00:32:38.980 --> 00:32:40.480
 they're infused by

00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:41.139
 the Holy Spirit.

00:32:42.180 --> 00:32:43.099
 And through the

00:32:43.099 --> 00:32:44.680
 Holy Spirit, we get,

00:32:45.220 --> 00:32:46.980
 they become ways to

00:32:46.980 --> 00:32:48.779
 look to Jesus.

00:32:49.700 --> 00:32:50.599
 And it's through

00:32:50.599 --> 00:32:52.659
 looking to Jesus that

00:32:52.659 --> 00:32:53.419
 we become saved.

00:32:55.339 --> 00:32:56.519
 I have to stop there

00:32:56.519 --> 00:32:57.119
 with that point because

00:32:57.119 --> 00:32:57.700
 I could preach a whole

00:32:57.700 --> 00:32:58.500
 other sermon just on

00:32:58.500 --> 00:32:58.680
 that.

00:32:58.680 --> 00:33:01.259
 If Paul still uses

00:33:01.259 --> 00:33:03.360
 active terms and

00:33:03.360 --> 00:33:04.460
 those images are

00:33:04.460 --> 00:33:05.400
 active on our mark,

00:33:05.460 --> 00:33:06.460
 you take off then,

00:33:06.560 --> 00:33:07.420
 put on then, he's

00:33:07.420 --> 00:33:08.180
 always talking about

00:33:08.180 --> 00:33:10.460
 active, but we have

00:33:10.460 --> 00:33:11.799
 to keep that mooring

00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:12.560
 in sight.

00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:13.960
 We have been raised

00:33:13.960 --> 00:33:14.519
 already.

00:33:14.680 --> 00:33:15.500
 It's not about earning

00:33:15.500 --> 00:33:16.140
 God's favor.

00:33:16.640 --> 00:33:17.740
 It's about looking to

00:33:17.740 --> 00:33:18.759
 God and allowing him

00:33:18.759 --> 00:33:19.440
 to change us.

00:33:20.900 --> 00:33:22.299
 These are ways that we

00:33:22.299 --> 00:33:23.860
 relate to God as his

00:33:23.860 --> 00:33:24.180
 children.

00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:27.160
 They are not ways that

00:33:27.160 --> 00:33:28.320
 we earn his favor or

00:33:28.320 --> 00:33:29.120
 build our own

00:33:29.120 --> 00:33:29.840
 spiritual growth.

00:33:30.940 --> 00:33:31.340
 Spiritual

00:33:31.340 --> 00:33:32.440
 reformation is rooted

00:33:32.440 --> 00:33:33.460
 in our identity as

00:33:33.460 --> 00:33:34.460
 risen and adopted

00:33:34.460 --> 00:33:35.279
 children of God.

00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:36.940
 The basic truth about

00:33:36.940 --> 00:33:37.800
 what Christ has done

00:33:37.800 --> 00:33:39.820
 for us, that's the

00:33:39.820 --> 00:33:40.279
 point from which

00:33:40.279 --> 00:33:40.940
 everything else in

00:33:40.940 --> 00:33:41.620
 the spiritual life

00:33:41.620 --> 00:33:41.960
 flows.

00:33:43.240 --> 00:33:44.000
 And that's important

00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:44.519
 for us to remember

00:33:44.519 --> 00:33:45.060
 because there's a lot

00:33:45.060 --> 00:33:45.759
 of things out there

00:33:45.759 --> 00:33:48.120
 that want us basically

00:33:48.120 --> 00:33:49.380
 to say, no, you

00:33:49.380 --> 00:33:50.600
 know, our money or

00:33:50.600 --> 00:33:51.480
 our pride in ourselves,

00:33:51.480 --> 00:33:52.220
 that's going to be the

00:33:52.220 --> 00:33:52.840
 point from which my

00:33:52.840 --> 00:33:53.600
 spirituality is going to

00:33:53.600 --> 00:33:53.759
 flow.

00:33:54.040 --> 00:33:54.779
 No, it's what God has

00:33:54.779 --> 00:33:55.900
 done for us in Christ.

00:33:55.900 --> 00:33:58.200
 And so our to-do, if we

00:33:58.200 --> 00:33:59.160
 don't know Jesus and

00:33:59.160 --> 00:34:00.519
 you're tired of just

00:34:00.519 --> 00:34:01.460
 floating along in this

00:34:01.460 --> 00:34:03.180
 fear-based society, is to

00:34:03.180 --> 00:34:05.200
 accept Jesus' promise of

00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:06.180
 a new and risen life.

00:34:07.060 --> 00:34:08.000
 His forgiveness of your

00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:09.460
 sins and rising us from

00:34:09.460 --> 00:34:10.920
 the death that we live

00:34:10.920 --> 00:34:11.200
 now.

00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:14.380
 And to begin our

00:34:14.380 --> 00:34:14.660
 journey.

00:34:16.039 --> 00:34:17.559
 Or, if we're in the

00:34:17.559 --> 00:34:18.900
 church and we think

00:34:18.900 --> 00:34:19.440
 we're just humming

00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:21.420
 along, the beginning of

00:34:21.420 --> 00:34:22.280
 this year is a perfect

00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:23.780
 time to examine ourselves

00:34:23.780 --> 00:34:25.119
 and ask ourselves, in

00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:26.059
 what way have we

00:34:26.059 --> 00:34:27.319
 bought into that old

00:34:27.319 --> 00:34:28.960
 model of spiritual

00:34:28.960 --> 00:34:29.460
 formation?

00:34:30.339 --> 00:34:31.619
 The religious model

00:34:31.619 --> 00:34:33.539
 that apparently this

00:34:33.539 --> 00:34:34.279
 philosophy was trying to

00:34:34.279 --> 00:34:35.000
 get the Colossians.

00:34:35.380 --> 00:34:36.199
 In what ways at the

00:34:36.199 --> 00:34:36.819
 beginning of this year

00:34:36.819 --> 00:34:38.099
 am I buying into that

00:34:38.099 --> 00:34:38.559
 mindset?

00:34:40.259 --> 00:34:41.519
 And start again to

00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:42.759
 offer our old rags of

00:34:42.759 --> 00:34:44.380
 sin to him, commit to

00:34:44.380 --> 00:34:46.359
 his means of grace, and

00:34:46.359 --> 00:34:48.380
 to allow him to make us

00:34:48.380 --> 00:34:49.839
 into who he wants us to

00:34:49.839 --> 00:34:50.019
 be.

00:34:50.359 --> 00:34:51.119
 Not the other way

00:34:51.119 --> 00:34:51.380
 around.

00:34:52.980 --> 00:34:53.739
 All right, it's time for

00:34:53.739 --> 00:34:54.219
 the big finish.

00:34:54.299 --> 00:34:54.699
 This is my favorite

00:34:54.699 --> 00:34:55.179
 part of the sermon.

00:34:55.419 --> 00:34:55.899
 I think it's everybody's

00:34:55.899 --> 00:34:56.419
 favorite part.

00:34:58.459 --> 00:34:59.659
 One of the great parts

00:34:59.659 --> 00:35:00.519
 about joining the

00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:01.679
 military is when you

00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:03.359
 first get your uniform.

00:35:03.539 --> 00:35:04.559
 It's been a while for me,

00:35:05.059 --> 00:35:06.759
 but, you know, you get

00:35:06.759 --> 00:35:07.500
 this wonderful new

00:35:07.500 --> 00:35:08.259
 uniform that you've been

00:35:08.259 --> 00:35:09.159
 itching to put on.

00:35:10.019 --> 00:35:11.939
 And, you know, in

00:35:11.939 --> 00:35:13.939
 Petawawa, we always got

00:35:13.939 --> 00:35:14.939
 the new chaplains to

00:35:14.939 --> 00:35:15.219
 train.

00:35:15.379 --> 00:35:17.179
 I have a feeling now

00:35:17.179 --> 00:35:18.059
 that that's because they

00:35:18.059 --> 00:35:18.879
 could never convince any

00:35:18.879 --> 00:35:19.459
 of the experienced

00:35:19.459 --> 00:35:20.439
 chaplains to come there.

00:35:20.779 --> 00:35:22.639
 So we always got the new

00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:23.599
 chaplains to train.

00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:25.299
 And clothing stores where

00:35:25.299 --> 00:35:26.319
 in the military you

00:35:26.319 --> 00:35:27.199
 actually get your uniform

00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:28.539
 had this thing that they

00:35:28.539 --> 00:35:29.440
 seemed to like to do

00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:30.759
 with chaplains, and that

00:35:30.759 --> 00:35:32.579
 is give them a uniform,

00:35:33.139 --> 00:35:34.219
 smile, and send them on

00:35:34.219 --> 00:35:34.539
 their way.

00:35:35.079 --> 00:35:36.139
 Everybody else gets shown

00:35:36.139 --> 00:35:36.960
 how to wear the uniform.

00:35:37.159 --> 00:35:38.319
 For some reason, maybe

00:35:38.319 --> 00:35:38.699
 it's because we're

00:35:38.699 --> 00:35:39.759
 officers or chaplains,

00:35:39.839 --> 00:35:40.400
 they think, you know,

00:35:40.420 --> 00:35:41.139
 the Lord's going to show

00:35:41.139 --> 00:35:41.879
 us how to put this thing

00:35:41.879 --> 00:35:42.079
 on.

00:35:42.159 --> 00:35:42.579
 I don't know.

00:35:43.339 --> 00:35:45.239
 But they, so I remember

00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:47.579
 one fellow, great guy,

00:35:47.719 --> 00:35:49.719
 fantastic chaplain, but

00:35:49.719 --> 00:35:51.779
 when he showed up, they

00:35:51.779 --> 00:35:52.460
 gave him his uniform.

00:35:52.460 --> 00:35:54.159
 He went on his way, and

00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:55.380
 God bless him, he went

00:35:55.380 --> 00:35:56.380
 home and he put on his

00:35:56.380 --> 00:35:57.220
 uniform himself.

00:35:57.940 --> 00:35:59.119
 And then, well, he put

00:35:59.119 --> 00:36:00.340
 on his uniform himself.

00:36:00.820 --> 00:36:01.699
 And then he showed up

00:36:01.699 --> 00:36:02.659
 at our chaplain offices,

00:36:02.940 --> 00:36:03.960
 and the office was

00:36:03.960 --> 00:36:04.740
 locked, and Padre

00:36:04.740 --> 00:36:05.900
 Lara, who I worked

00:36:05.900 --> 00:36:06.400
 with for a number of

00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:09.000
 years, she came around

00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:10.059
 the door, and there

00:36:10.059 --> 00:36:10.360
 were a couple of

00:36:10.360 --> 00:36:11.220
 people there, and all

00:36:11.220 --> 00:36:12.400
 they remember is Lara

00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:13.099
 coming around and

00:36:13.099 --> 00:36:13.780
 looking out the front

00:36:13.780 --> 00:36:14.480
 door and going, oh

00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:16.519
 my goodness, and seeing

00:36:16.519 --> 00:36:17.480
 him there standing in

00:36:17.480 --> 00:36:18.440
 his uniform all proud of

00:36:18.440 --> 00:36:18.740
 himself.

00:36:19.159 --> 00:36:19.800
 And she went, she

00:36:19.800 --> 00:36:20.360
 opened the door, and

00:36:20.360 --> 00:36:21.800
 she just like dragged

00:36:21.800 --> 00:36:22.660
 him in, and her

00:36:22.660 --> 00:36:23.800
 question was like, how

00:36:23.800 --> 00:36:24.960
 many people saw you?

00:36:26.720 --> 00:36:28.820
 He had a pizza box, his

00:36:28.820 --> 00:36:29.480
 beret looked like a

00:36:29.480 --> 00:36:30.480
 pizza box on his head,

00:36:30.580 --> 00:36:31.800
 his legs were on

00:36:31.800 --> 00:36:32.160
 blouse.

00:36:32.260 --> 00:36:33.120
 Like, to a civilian, he

00:36:33.120 --> 00:36:34.460
 might look military, but

00:36:34.460 --> 00:36:35.400
 if you're in the army, I

00:36:35.400 --> 00:36:36.060
 mean, he was just

00:36:36.060 --> 00:36:37.160
 embarrassing himself.

00:36:38.600 --> 00:36:39.660
 And credibility is

00:36:39.660 --> 00:36:40.300
 everything with the

00:36:40.300 --> 00:36:40.680
 army guys.

00:36:40.860 --> 00:36:41.840
 You don't want to, or

00:36:41.840 --> 00:36:43.660
 army folks, you know,

00:36:43.700 --> 00:36:44.240
 you don't want to

00:36:44.240 --> 00:36:44.980
 embarrass yourself like

00:36:44.980 --> 00:36:45.080
 that.

00:36:45.080 --> 00:36:45.800
 And really kind of

00:36:45.800 --> 00:36:46.380
 embarrassing the

00:36:46.380 --> 00:36:47.100
 chaplains as well.

00:36:47.099 --> 00:36:49.500
 And he's so terribly

00:36:49.500 --> 00:36:50.000
 put together.

00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:51.199
 You know, even though

00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:52.380
 the membership and the

00:36:52.380 --> 00:36:54.799
 rank were his, he

00:36:54.799 --> 00:36:55.739
 needed to grow into

00:36:55.739 --> 00:36:56.159
 the uniform.

00:36:57.139 --> 00:36:58.119
 You learn to grow into

00:36:58.119 --> 00:36:59.199
 the uniform, how to

00:36:59.199 --> 00:37:00.559
 talk, how to be within

00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:01.179
 the military.

00:37:01.920 --> 00:37:02.779
 And he had that

00:37:02.779 --> 00:37:03.819
 confidence now while

00:37:03.819 --> 00:37:04.000
 growing.

00:37:04.059 --> 00:37:04.559
 We actually just

00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:05.440
 deployed him recently.

00:37:06.219 --> 00:37:07.319
 We had the community

00:37:07.319 --> 00:37:08.500
 that came around him to

00:37:08.500 --> 00:37:09.319
 help, the chaplains,

00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:10.460
 kind of showing him how

00:37:10.460 --> 00:37:11.239
 to put on his beret,

00:37:11.639 --> 00:37:13.099
 you know, what right

00:37:13.099 --> 00:37:13.719
 boots to wear.

00:37:13.819 --> 00:37:14.299
 I'm surprised he had

00:37:14.299 --> 00:37:14.960
 his boots on the right

00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:15.199
 feet.

00:37:15.199 --> 00:37:18.359
 This life after being

00:37:18.359 --> 00:37:20.299
 raised is about

00:37:20.299 --> 00:37:21.739
 growing in to our

00:37:21.739 --> 00:37:22.319
 new identity.

00:37:23.419 --> 00:37:24.199
 It's about letting

00:37:24.199 --> 00:37:26.159
 God put on our new

00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:27.899
 uniform for us, rooted

00:37:27.899 --> 00:37:28.919
 in who we've been made

00:37:28.919 --> 00:37:30.219
 to be, empowered by the

00:37:30.219 --> 00:37:31.839
 Holy Spirit to take

00:37:31.839 --> 00:37:33.919
 off the old and to

00:37:33.919 --> 00:37:34.559
 put on the new.

00:37:35.339 --> 00:37:36.059
 And so my challenge

00:37:36.059 --> 00:37:36.879
 this morning is for us

00:37:36.879 --> 00:37:37.759
 to make a resolution,

00:37:38.460 --> 00:37:40.359
 not just to change,

00:37:40.960 --> 00:37:42.139
 but a resolution to

00:37:42.139 --> 00:37:43.379
 spend my year looking

00:37:43.379 --> 00:37:44.159
 to Jesus.

00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:46.859
 Let him grow you

00:37:46.859 --> 00:37:47.460
 into the new

00:37:47.460 --> 00:37:48.919
 spiritual being that

00:37:48.919 --> 00:37:50.039
 he raised you to be.

00:37:51.460 --> 00:37:52.119
 Let's pray.

00:37:54.460 --> 00:37:55.599
 Loving God, what a

00:37:55.599 --> 00:37:56.799
 wonderful gift.

00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:00.039
 An unbelievable gift

00:38:00.039 --> 00:38:00.799
 you've given to us

00:38:00.799 --> 00:38:01.259
 in Christ.

00:38:03.219 --> 00:38:04.139
 We give you thanks,

00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:04.859
 Lord God, for our

00:38:04.859 --> 00:38:05.279
 salvation.

00:38:05.460 --> 00:38:05.939
 We give you thanks,

00:38:06.059 --> 00:38:08.279
 Lord God, for the new

00:38:08.279 --> 00:38:09.599
 way you close us in the

00:38:09.599 --> 00:38:10.960
 close of heaven now as a

00:38:10.960 --> 00:38:12.019
 taste of what's to come.

00:38:12.559 --> 00:38:13.279
 We pray for our

00:38:13.279 --> 00:38:14.299
 community that we would

00:38:14.300 --> 00:38:15.180
 be a place that would

00:38:15.180 --> 00:38:16.880
 help each other along

00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:18.200
 to grow into our new

00:38:18.200 --> 00:38:18.519
 uniform.

00:38:19.580 --> 00:38:20.360
 We pray, Lord God,

00:38:20.420 --> 00:38:21.880
 that this would be a

00:38:21.880 --> 00:38:23.680
 year where we look to

00:38:23.680 --> 00:38:25.320
 you and let you change

00:38:25.320 --> 00:38:26.400
 us through that vision

00:38:26.400 --> 00:38:27.360
 of your glory.

00:38:28.220 --> 00:38:29.160
 In Jesus' name we pray.

00:38:29.620 --> 00:38:29.920
 Amen.