WEBVTT

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 Father, who you are is God. You're big. You are a mystery. We don't understand it.

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 We understand bits and pieces of it, but Father, we love you, and we acknowledge that you are God,

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 that this whole earth is yours, that you are sovereign over all things.

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 You are the creator of all things, sovereign over all things, present and active, Father, in the world.

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 And we thank you for Jesus and what he did for us on the cross.

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 We thank you, Father, that you love us and want us to be reconciled to you by accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

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 We thank you, Father, that you want us to live filled with the Holy Spirit,

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 lives that are free from idolatry and free from addictions,

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 and able, Father, to serve you and please you in freedom and joy,

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 confident that our security in Christ is completely and utterly sure.

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 Father, may the Holy Spirit move in our lives at this time.

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 Open your word. Open your word to us.

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 Bring it deeply to our lives.

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 And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

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 So, what's going on with this weird story with Mary?

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 I guess I forgot to put on the mic. That's fine. We're fine.

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 But what's going on with this? I mean, that's a weird story, isn't it?

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 Jesus is reclining a table, and Mary comes in and takes some ointment.

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 And it's not so much weird that she puts it on her feet.

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 Some of you know that I'll be going to Jerusalem to an international conference.

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 I leave on Wednesday.

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 This time next week, I'll be in Jerusalem.

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 And I've been looking at the weather network for Jerusalem.

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 And no rain forecast while I'm there.

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 Like 30 degrees every day.

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 And the UV index, the UV index is 12 every day, which is the highest the UV index can get.

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 And so, you can well imagine that Jesus wandering around, that he could probably use some ointment on his feet.

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 But the weird thing is that she wipes it with her hair.

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 Like, that's...

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 Like, I just...

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 I was...

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 You know, all week, I've been imagining,

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 what would it be like if I was to share this story with a group of my non-Christian friends

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 that I meet in the different coffee shops?

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 Um...

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 It really touches on one of the deep fears that a lot of people have about the Christian faith.

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 And one of the fears that people have about the Christian faith is that it makes you weird.

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 That if you become a Christian, you'll end up doing weird things.

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 So, to see a text like this, I can just well imagine them thinking,

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 that's weird.

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 Like, they'd probably be hoping that I say it's weird.

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 And probably at the same time, my non-Christian friends would wonder

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 if George does weird things in private that he's hiding from them.

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 Because it's odd.

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 So, what's up with this?

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 What's up with this odd act?

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 So, let's take our Bibles.

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 Let's get it sort of fresh in our mind, what happened and didn't happen.

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 What was said and was not said.

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 In this very unusual story.

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 Set of stories.

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 So, it's John chapter 12.

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 John chapter 12.

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 And it begins like this.

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 Six days before the Passover,

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 Jesus therefore came to Bethany,

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 where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

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 And just sort of pause there before I read any further.

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 So, Bethany is just less than two miles outside of Jerusalem back in the day.

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 Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

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 Mary and Martha are sisters, and Lazarus is the brother.

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 So, there's three siblings.

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 Adult siblings.

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 Don't know how old they are other than the fact that they're adults.

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 It's Lazarus' house, probably.

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 And six days before the Passover,

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 it means it's probably,

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 this is actually probably happening on the Sabbath.

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 It's probably happening on a Saturday.

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 The events in this particular thing.

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 And the Passover, those of you who are familiar with the Bible,

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 know that the triumphal entry that happens just after this,

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 that happens just the week before Jesus dies.

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 So, this is the end of Jesus' ministry.

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 Okay?

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 So, just read that verse 1 again.

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 Six days before the Passover,

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 Jesus therefore came to Bethany,

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 where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

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 So, they gave a dinner for him there.

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 That's Jesus.

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 Martha served,

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 and Lazarus was one of those reclining with Jesus at table.

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 Mary therefore,

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 and I can tell you the commentators puzzle over why the word therefore is there.

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 Lots of ink has been spilled on why the word therefore is there.

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 But Mary therefore took a pound,

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 about 350 grams,

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 of expensive ointment made from pure nard,

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 and anointed the feet of Jesus,

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 and wiped his feet with her hair.

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 The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume,

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 but Judas Iscariot,

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 one of his disciples,

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 he who was about to betray Jesus,

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 said,

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 why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?

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 And just sort of pause there.

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 300 denarii would be approximately 13 to 14 months of the average wage.

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 So, whatever the average wage in Canada is,

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 average monthly wage,

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 multiply that by 13 or 14 or 13 and a half,

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 and that's how much money this is worth.

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 Okay?

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 Basically,

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 in terms of every time you see the word denarii,

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 think of the fact that five denarii in our labor market would be what you need to live on.

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 That would be in terms of both buying your RSPs or whatever it is for your retirement,

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 paying your rent.

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 So, five denarii is the equivalent of a week's wages,

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 and you can figure those things out for yourself.

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 Verse six,

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 Judas said this not because he cared about the poor,

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 but because he was a thief,

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 and having charge of the money bag,

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 he used to help himself to what was put into it.

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 Jesus said,

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 leave her alone so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.

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 For the poor you always have with you,

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 but you do not always have me.

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 So, you might say,

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 okay, George,

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 you've read it again a second time,

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 I was paying more attention,

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 what's up?

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 It's still really odd.

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 Like, what's up?

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 It's still pretty odd.

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 And it does sort of touch on my sort of fear,

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 my perception that Christians have to do weird things and odd things

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 if they become Christians,

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 so why on earth would I want to do it?

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 So, here's a couple of things about it.

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 First of all,

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 let's just acknowledge that there's a range of human beings on the planet

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 who like doing odd things.

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 I'm on Amazon Prime,

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 there's a series on,

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 which a documentary series on the New Zealand rugby,

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 team,

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 the All Blacks.

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 And in the first two episodes,

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 it highlights a game of the New Zealand All Blacks versus the English Lions

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 in a three-game rugby tournament.

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 And the English Lions,

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 it only happens every 12 years,

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 and it's the elite players from Northern Ireland,

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 Scotland,

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 Wales,

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 and England all come together to make one team,

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 and they go and they play New Zealand.

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 So, let me tell you,

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 if you want to see odd behavior,

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 watch the fans.

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 Like, I mean odd behavior.

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 Just watch the fans.

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 Just watch a football game.

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 You know,

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 guys who take their shirts off,

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 paint themselves funny colors,

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 put funny hats on,

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 make funny noise.

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 So,

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 it's not just that Christianity encourages you to do odd things.

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 There's lots of things in life that encourage us to be odd.

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 And there's a lot of people who like being odd.

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 Some of you know who you are.

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 And the rest of you,

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 we've been dying to tell you that you like doing things that are odd,

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 and we just haven't worked up the courage.

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 But it's a bit of a human issue that some people like to do odd things.

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 And the second thing then,

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 just sort of taking that into account,

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 the second thing is,

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 if you notice in the story,

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 that Jesus does not tell her off for what she did.

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 He doesn't say,

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 come on, Mary,

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 this is kooky.

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 Don't do it.

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 He doesn't say that to her,

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 does he?

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 He also doesn't say,

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 all you dudes around here,

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 you should be doing this.

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 Like,

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 this is what I want real Christians to do.

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 He doesn't say that either,

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 does he?

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 He doesn't say,

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 this is what a real Christian does,

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 and he doesn't tell her off.

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 He defends her and accepts her.

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 He defends her and accepts her.

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 So if you could put up the first point,

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 here's the first point,

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 and you're going to see it's the first point.

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 Three of my points are framed the same way,

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 and you'll see the significance of it.

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 Hopefully,

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 if I haven't put you all to sleep,

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 you'll see it as I go forward.

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 The gospel shapes your singularity.

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 Your singularity does not shape the gospel.

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 In other words,

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 I'm using here the gospel in the biblical sense.

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 It's a bit of a short way.

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 It's gospel means good news.

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 It's the good news as to who Jesus is,

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 and what he accomplished for us on the cross.

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 And it's the good news as to who Jesus is,

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 God,

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 the Son of God,

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 man who came and died on the cross,

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 so that human beings like you and me

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 can be reconciled to God

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 and become part of his kingdom,

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 come under the rule of Jesus.

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 And this is not only something about Jesus

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 and what he's done.

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 It's good news for you

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 because it's told in the hope

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 that you will accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

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 It's the good news of what God has done.

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 And so what we see here

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 is that who Jesus is and what he does,

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 that as that works in our lives,

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 it makes us more unique

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 or more singular.

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 singularity just sort of worked it

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 a little bit better in the sentence

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 when I was playing around

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 with the different synonyms.

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 And so that's actually what the gospel does to us.

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 It makes us more unique.

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 The more we know Jesus,

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 the more we will become ourselves.

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 It doesn't sort of flatten us

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 and make us like clones,

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 like the Stepford Wives.

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 It makes us unique.

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 But here's the thing.

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 Our uniqueness,

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 and I'll try to bring this in a little bit at the end,

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 our uniqueness does not shape the gospel.

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 The gospel is the gospel.

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 Jesus is God, the Son of God.

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 He is the Savior.

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 He is the long-promised Messiah

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 to the Jewish people

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 who dies for the Jewish people

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 and for all who put their faith and trust in them.

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 Jesus is Jesus.

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 The gospel is the gospel.

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 And our uniqueness does not shape the gospel,

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 but the gospel shakes our uniqueness.

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 So some of you might say,

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 well, George, okay, that's sort of interesting.

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 So what you're saying then

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 is that the gospel doesn't make you weird

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 and the gospel won't make you eccentric and odd.

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 Well, actually, I'm not saying that.

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 If I was to say to you,

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 yes, actually, that's true.

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 The gospel will never make you weird

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 or odd or eccentric.

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 Some of you, and you know who you are,

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 would be disappointed.

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 You like being odd.

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 You like coming into a room,

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 sort of dancing and making a scene

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 and wild gestures and funny hats

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 and, I don't know, odd eccentric clothing.

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 And it would be really disappointing to you,

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 wouldn't it be, if I just said,

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 no, actually, the gospel is all about

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 when the gospel hits our lives,

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 we're all bland, all vanilla,

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 all beige, all the time.

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 Well, that's not what the gospel is.

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 That's not our singularity.

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 So on one hand,

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 I'm not going to say that the gospel won't make you,

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 the gospel is going to make you more yourself.

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 And so for some very, very quiet people

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 who all their lives have been imprisoned

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 by vanilla,

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 by the way, vanilla is my favorite flavor of ice cream,

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 so I'm not picking on vanilla.

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 But vanilla, you know,

00:11:45.779 --> 00:11:47.100
 all vanilla, all beige,

00:11:47.220 --> 00:11:48.560
 all bland, all the time.

00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:49.359
 For some people,

00:11:49.479 --> 00:11:52.519
 their inner self has always desired

00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:54.199
 that they could be the one

00:11:54.199 --> 00:11:55.479
 who would dance into a room

00:11:55.479 --> 00:11:57.439
 or would feel uninhibited enough

00:11:57.439 --> 00:11:59.039
 to take their shirt off

00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:01.319
 and paint themselves blue or green or gold

00:12:01.319 --> 00:12:03.939
 and wear funny hats and cheer on their team.

00:12:04.019 --> 00:12:05.859
 And the gospel will free you up to start to do that.

00:12:06.539 --> 00:12:08.279
 And for others who sort of do that

00:12:08.279 --> 00:12:09.419
 because they got drunk,

00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:13.299
 the gospel will give you the self-control

00:12:13.299 --> 00:12:15.159
 to no longer do those things

00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:16.599
 that you wouldn't normally do

00:12:16.599 --> 00:12:18.519
 if you weren't drunk out of your skull.

00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:21.599
 So it's not really a matter

00:12:21.599 --> 00:12:22.559
 that the promise is

00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:24.039
 that the gospel won't make you odd.

00:12:24.139 --> 00:12:26.199
 The gospel will make you more yourself.

00:12:26.719 --> 00:12:28.199
 And if you are in simple...

00:12:28.199 --> 00:12:28.559
 In other words,

00:12:28.599 --> 00:12:31.279
 the gospel isn't just making us all into marbles or clones.

00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:33.179
 It makes us more ourselves.

00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:35.159
 But here's the other way.

00:12:35.319 --> 00:12:36.879
 On one level, though,

00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:39.859
 the gospel will inevitably make everyone weird.

00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:41.479
 If you could put up the next point, please,

00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:42.219
 that would be helpful.

00:12:42.220 --> 00:12:45.399
 The gospel creates a counterculture.

00:12:46.519 --> 00:12:52.540
 And this counterculture will sometimes seem weird

00:12:52.540 --> 00:12:54.259
 to the dominant culture.

00:12:55.019 --> 00:12:58.100
 The gospel creates a counterculture,

00:12:58.259 --> 00:13:02.600
 and this counterculture will sometimes seem weird

00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:04.580
 to the dominant culture.

00:13:04.580 --> 00:13:07.420
 So two things about this.

00:13:07.500 --> 00:13:08.080
 First of all,

00:13:09.560 --> 00:13:11.680
 the Bible doesn't create one culture.

00:13:13.500 --> 00:13:15.580
 I mean, one of the reasons why people...

00:13:16.139 --> 00:13:18.860
 It's so important that churches like ours

00:13:18.860 --> 00:13:22.800
 help somebody like me or Gary to go to GAFCON

00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:24.799
 is that it's...

00:13:25.319 --> 00:13:28.859
 The gospel will make the Christians

00:13:28.859 --> 00:13:31.759
 into a counterculture within their dominant culture.

00:13:32.979 --> 00:13:34.579
 But cultures are different.

00:13:35.740 --> 00:13:38.679
 When I was in Kenya for the first time in 2003,

00:13:38.819 --> 00:13:40.879
 one of the very, very funny things that they did

00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:42.399
 in one of our worship sessions

00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:45.879
 is they had the many different tribes in Kenya

00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:47.199
 show how they dance.

00:13:47.819 --> 00:13:49.759
 Sort of like a little bit of a dance-off.

00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:50.899
 And it was one of those things

00:13:50.899 --> 00:13:51.919
 that brought lots of laughter,

00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:52.879
 how the Maasai danced.

00:13:52.899 --> 00:13:54.120
 I can't remember the different tribes.

00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:55.779
 But they all danced a bit different.

00:13:55.879 --> 00:13:57.199
 It was very funny just to watch

00:13:57.199 --> 00:13:58.599
 the different ways that they would dance.

00:13:58.699 --> 00:13:59.259
 Everybody laughed.

00:13:59.299 --> 00:13:59.959
 It was a good time.

00:14:00.319 --> 00:14:01.179
 It was why we were singing

00:14:01.179 --> 00:14:03.579
 some silly little praise song as well.

00:14:04.120 --> 00:14:06.120
 But the fact is that, you know,

00:14:06.199 --> 00:14:07.599
 if you're from India,

00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:09.719
 part of your culture is going to be

00:14:09.719 --> 00:14:10.659
 a certain type of food,

00:14:10.759 --> 00:14:11.659
 a certain type of cooking,

00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:12.879
 a certain taste in music.

00:14:13.379 --> 00:14:15.579
 And there'll be things that the gospel does

00:14:15.579 --> 00:14:17.599
 to make you a counterculture within India,

00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:18.980
 but you're still in India.

00:14:19.899 --> 00:14:21.839
 And in Canada, you'll still be in Canada.

00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:22.740
 It's just...

00:14:22.740 --> 00:14:23.759
 But in every culture,

00:14:23.860 --> 00:14:25.399
 there'll be something that is...

00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:27.039
 makes you a bit of a counterculture.

00:14:27.199 --> 00:14:28.459
 It's going to become more clear

00:14:28.459 --> 00:14:29.079
 as we go forward,

00:14:29.099 --> 00:14:29.740
 but I just want to give you

00:14:29.740 --> 00:14:30.500
 one other example.

00:14:30.919 --> 00:14:33.599
 I think that if my barista friends

00:14:33.599 --> 00:14:36.079
 in Starbucks,

00:14:36.319 --> 00:14:37.699
 if they were to find out...

00:14:37.699 --> 00:14:39.360
 And I'm not tooting my own horn here.

00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:40.219
 It just was the example

00:14:40.219 --> 00:14:41.360
 I could think of easily.

00:14:41.839 --> 00:14:43.059
 If they found out how much money

00:14:43.059 --> 00:14:43.719
 I give away,

00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:45.699
 they'd think I was weird.

00:14:45.700 --> 00:14:50.340
 If I was to tell them

00:14:50.340 --> 00:14:53.080
 how much money I gave away in 2018,

00:14:53.320 --> 00:14:53.600
 they'd say,

00:14:53.660 --> 00:14:54.160
 that's weird.

00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:56.440
 Like, that's really odd

00:14:56.440 --> 00:14:57.879
 that somebody would give away

00:14:57.879 --> 00:14:58.660
 so much money.

00:15:01.400 --> 00:15:02.020
 And, you know,

00:15:02.040 --> 00:15:04.440
 if you're in a very, very culture

00:15:04.440 --> 00:15:07.340
 which emphasizes revenge,

00:15:07.820 --> 00:15:09.520
 the gospel message of forgiveness

00:15:09.520 --> 00:15:10.960
 will seem very, very weird.

00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:13.379
 If you're in a culture

00:15:13.379 --> 00:15:17.360
 which emphasizes subservience,

00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:20.040
 then the gospel message

00:15:20.040 --> 00:15:22.160
 of the dignity of the human being

00:15:22.160 --> 00:15:23.519
 will seem very, very weird

00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:24.519
 and very, very threatening.

00:15:25.300 --> 00:15:26.740
 If you're in a culture

00:15:26.740 --> 00:15:29.259
 that doesn't sing,

00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:30.280
 which is increasingly

00:15:30.280 --> 00:15:31.540
 what Canada is like,

00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:33.280
 they'd say,

00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:35.180
 you guys sing songs?

00:15:36.379 --> 00:15:37.500
 Like, that's weird.

00:15:39.139 --> 00:15:40.940
 Canadians virtually don't sing

00:15:40.940 --> 00:15:41.360
 anymore.

00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:45.480
 I actually had a person

00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:46.360
 in a coffee shop.

00:15:46.760 --> 00:15:48.700
 The reason she was really curious

00:15:48.700 --> 00:15:49.880
 about me being a minister,

00:15:50.580 --> 00:15:52.260
 she's doing a master's

00:15:52.260 --> 00:15:54.220
 in music ethnology

00:15:54.220 --> 00:15:55.400
 and she wanted to come

00:15:55.400 --> 00:15:56.420
 visit the church sometime

00:15:56.420 --> 00:15:57.340
 because she said to me,

00:15:57.400 --> 00:15:58.380
 churches are the only place

00:15:58.380 --> 00:15:59.520
 left in Canadian culture

00:15:59.520 --> 00:16:00.820
 virtually where people sing.

00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:02.920
 And that's what she's

00:16:02.920 --> 00:16:04.000
 just curious about.

00:16:05.920 --> 00:16:07.940
 So, it's a bit complicated

00:16:07.940 --> 00:16:08.500
 with this.

00:16:08.800 --> 00:16:09.580
 Now, but some of you

00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:10.120
 might say,

00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:11.580
 okay, George,

00:16:11.659 --> 00:16:14.279
 well, that's all sort of interesting.

00:16:15.259 --> 00:16:16.320
 But, oh, by the way,

00:16:16.379 --> 00:16:17.440
 back to the Gafcon thing,

00:16:17.500 --> 00:16:18.399
 the fact that the gospel

00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:20.100
 creates many, many different cultures

00:16:20.100 --> 00:16:21.279
 and different countercultures

00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:22.039
 in different countries.

00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:22.580
 One of the things

00:16:22.580 --> 00:16:23.560
 which is important, then,

00:16:23.580 --> 00:16:24.659
 is for Christians

00:16:24.659 --> 00:16:26.879
 across from different cultures

00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:27.860
 to get together

00:16:27.860 --> 00:16:30.240
 to help to be clearer

00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:32.200
 about what's key

00:16:32.200 --> 00:16:34.799
 and what's just different.

00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:36.699
 Anyway, so,

00:16:36.839 --> 00:16:37.719
 some would say,

00:16:37.899 --> 00:16:38.699
 George, well, what's up?

00:16:39.079 --> 00:16:39.639
 That's, like,

00:16:39.699 --> 00:16:40.959
 that's all very interesting.

00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:42.199
 And so, what you're just saying

00:16:42.199 --> 00:16:43.859
 is that maybe that's why

00:16:43.859 --> 00:16:45.319
 it says Mary, therefore,

00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:46.819
 took a pound of ointment

00:16:46.819 --> 00:16:47.959
 because if you knew Mary,

00:16:48.059 --> 00:16:48.559
 you'd say, well,

00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:49.979
 that's the type of thing

00:16:49.979 --> 00:16:50.859
 that Mary does.

00:16:52.039 --> 00:16:52.599
 You know?

00:16:52.959 --> 00:16:53.939
 You could almost have said,

00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:54.899
 well, Martha, therefore,

00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:55.559
 served,

00:16:55.659 --> 00:16:56.759
 and Lazarus, therefore,

00:16:56.859 --> 00:16:57.519
 the lazy bum,

00:16:57.579 --> 00:16:58.359
 just sat and ate.

00:16:58.460 --> 00:16:58.960
 I mean, I don't know

00:16:58.960 --> 00:16:59.360
 what you mean,

00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:01.000
 but it's just different.

00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:01.980
 But what's up

00:17:01.980 --> 00:17:03.480
 with this odd comment

00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:04.099
 of Jesus?

00:17:05.120 --> 00:17:06.339
 Like, I mean, surely,

00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:07.819
 separate from the fact

00:17:07.819 --> 00:17:08.460
 as to whether or not

00:17:08.460 --> 00:17:09.259
 Judas is a thief,

00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:11.799
 surely Judas had a point.

00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:12.559
 Don't you think?

00:17:12.700 --> 00:17:13.720
 Like, do you actually think,

00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:14.099
 George?

00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:15.019
 Like, what's up with that?

00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:15.740
 What's up with it?

00:17:15.900 --> 00:17:17.019
 Like, why didn't Jesus

00:17:17.019 --> 00:17:17.960
 just say to Mary,

00:17:18.059 --> 00:17:19.240
 Mary, before you do that,

00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:20.180
 because he's all-knowing,

00:17:20.220 --> 00:17:21.240
 before you do that,

00:17:21.660 --> 00:17:22.420
 like, why don't you go

00:17:22.420 --> 00:17:23.519
 sell that ointment,

00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:24.839
 buy some other ointment

00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:25.500
 that you could buy

00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:27.380
 for, like, a day's wage,

00:17:27.380 --> 00:17:29.020
 and then use that

00:17:29.020 --> 00:17:29.660
 on my feet.

00:17:29.940 --> 00:17:30.660
 And then you can take

00:17:30.660 --> 00:17:32.740
 the other 299 denarii

00:17:32.740 --> 00:17:34.480
 and you can give it

00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:34.900
 to the poor.

00:17:35.040 --> 00:17:35.960
 Like, George,

00:17:36.020 --> 00:17:36.680
 even though Judas

00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:37.300
 was a thief,

00:17:37.400 --> 00:17:38.580
 surely he had a good point

00:17:38.580 --> 00:17:39.140
 and didn't,

00:17:39.880 --> 00:17:41.160
 isn't it a bit hard-hearted

00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:42.180
 of Jesus to say

00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:42.840
 something like that?

00:17:42.940 --> 00:17:43.640
 And don't you think

00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:44.820
 it's almost sort of cynical

00:17:44.820 --> 00:17:46.540
 to just sort of pass it off

00:17:46.540 --> 00:17:47.420
 because you're always

00:17:47.420 --> 00:17:48.780
 going to have the poor

00:17:48.780 --> 00:17:49.180
 with you?

00:17:50.860 --> 00:17:52.240
 Well, let's just look again

00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:53.160
 at what Jesus said.

00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:54.880
 Look, his response

00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:55.660
 in verse 7.

00:17:55.660 --> 00:17:57.440
 How does Jesus respond

00:17:57.440 --> 00:17:58.100
 to Judas?

00:17:58.220 --> 00:17:58.680
 He says,

00:17:59.000 --> 00:17:59.920
 Leave her alone

00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:01.680
 so that she may keep it

00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:02.940
 for the day of my burial.

00:18:03.120 --> 00:18:03.820
 For the poor

00:18:03.820 --> 00:18:05.480
 you always have with you,

00:18:05.580 --> 00:18:06.940
 but you do not always

00:18:06.940 --> 00:18:08.540
 have me.

00:18:09.800 --> 00:18:11.060
 So, you know,

00:18:11.120 --> 00:18:12.880
 what's up with this?

00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:15.440
 Well, the first thing is,

00:18:16.519 --> 00:18:17.440
 like, there's several things.

00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:19.400
 The first thing is,

00:18:19.900 --> 00:18:20.600
 well, isn't Jesus

00:18:20.600 --> 00:18:21.920
 actually just being realistic?

00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:26.940
 Like, I know a couple

00:18:26.940 --> 00:18:27.420
 of years ago

00:18:27.420 --> 00:18:27.940
 in the election

00:18:27.940 --> 00:18:29.420
 there was a whole big thing

00:18:29.420 --> 00:18:29.960
 about we needed

00:18:29.960 --> 00:18:31.539
 evidence-based policy.

00:18:32.220 --> 00:18:33.340
 Well, if there's one thing

00:18:33.340 --> 00:18:34.620
 which is scientifically

00:18:34.620 --> 00:18:36.279
 and anthropologically true

00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:37.120
 is that there's always

00:18:37.120 --> 00:18:37.940
 been poor people

00:18:37.940 --> 00:18:38.680
 in every culture.

00:18:38.800 --> 00:18:39.300
 Like, isn't that

00:18:39.300 --> 00:18:40.420
 just empirically true?

00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:42.259
 Like, why would we be upset

00:18:42.259 --> 00:18:43.220
 with Jesus just saying

00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:43.800
 what's true?

00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:47.799
 But there's several

00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:49.039
 other things going here

00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:51.099
 in Jesus' response.

00:18:51.419 --> 00:18:52.059
 And if you could just

00:18:52.059 --> 00:18:53.460
 put up the next point,

00:18:53.720 --> 00:18:54.919
 that'll help us

00:18:54.919 --> 00:18:55.480
 to understand.

00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.299
 The gospel shapes your heart

00:18:57.299 --> 00:18:59.099
 to care about the poor.

00:19:00.139 --> 00:19:01.359
 Caring about the poor

00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:03.399
 does not shape the gospel.

00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:05.879
 The gospel shapes your heart

00:19:05.879 --> 00:19:07.579
 to care about the poor.

00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:09.980
 But caring about the poor

00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:13.139
 does not shape the gospel.

00:19:13.140 --> 00:19:14.040
 In other words,

00:19:14.140 --> 00:19:15.380
 the gospel doesn't only

00:19:15.380 --> 00:19:16.280
 have value

00:19:16.280 --> 00:19:17.480
 because it helps us

00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:18.440
 deal with the poor.

00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:20.020
 So here's the thing

00:19:20.020 --> 00:19:21.200
 about Jesus' statement

00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:21.920
 which is going to be

00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:23.240
 very, very counter-cultural.

00:19:23.940 --> 00:19:24.660
 On Friday,

00:19:24.740 --> 00:19:25.660
 I was talking to

00:19:25.660 --> 00:19:26.780
 one of my friends

00:19:26.780 --> 00:19:27.960
 in a coffee shop

00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:29.740
 and he's very, very progressive.

00:19:30.320 --> 00:19:31.100
 He's progressive

00:19:31.100 --> 00:19:31.920
 on everything.

00:19:32.120 --> 00:19:32.980
 I mean, he's progressive

00:19:32.980 --> 00:19:33.860
 on immigration.

00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:34.820
 He's progressive

00:19:34.820 --> 00:19:35.800
 in terms of relations

00:19:35.800 --> 00:19:36.560
 with Muslims.

00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:37.320
 He's progressive

00:19:37.320 --> 00:19:38.680
 in terms of sexuality,

00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:40.280
 same-sex marriage,

00:19:40.740 --> 00:19:41.160
 gender,

00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:42.860
 income redistribution.

00:19:42.859 --> 00:19:44.000
 You pick the topic.

00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:45.579
 He is Mr. Progressive.

00:19:45.639 --> 00:19:46.819
 So I asked him on Friday,

00:19:47.379 --> 00:19:48.659
 who did you vote for?

00:19:49.299 --> 00:19:49.779
 And he said,

00:19:49.799 --> 00:19:50.519
 I didn't vote.

00:19:51.699 --> 00:19:52.659
 And I said,

00:19:52.699 --> 00:19:53.279
 well, why didn't you vote?

00:19:53.319 --> 00:19:53.519
 He said,

00:19:53.539 --> 00:19:54.000
 there was nobody

00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:54.919
 for me to vote for

00:19:54.919 --> 00:19:55.759
 so I didn't vote.

00:19:57.219 --> 00:19:58.919
 And, you know,

00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:01.019
 it's as if

00:20:01.019 --> 00:20:02.899
 he's so completely

00:20:02.899 --> 00:20:03.899
 and utterly progressive

00:20:03.899 --> 00:20:04.819
 he can't deal

00:20:04.819 --> 00:20:05.740
 with the real world.

00:20:06.359 --> 00:20:07.459
 So here's the thing

00:20:07.459 --> 00:20:08.199
 about this comment

00:20:08.199 --> 00:20:08.639
 of Jesus'

00:20:08.859 --> 00:20:09.939
 which is so significant.

00:20:09.940 --> 00:20:11.600
 If a Christian

00:20:11.600 --> 00:20:12.759
 goes into the sociology

00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:14.160
 faculty of Carleton

00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:14.779
 or Ottawa U,

00:20:14.860 --> 00:20:15.480
 if a Christian

00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:16.740
 goes to many

00:20:16.740 --> 00:20:18.180
 of the social justice

00:20:18.180 --> 00:20:19.580
 faculties or gatherings,

00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:20.600
 if he goes to a group

00:20:20.600 --> 00:20:21.519
 of anti-poverty

00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:23.460
 advocates,

00:20:23.900 --> 00:20:24.660
 that Christian

00:20:24.660 --> 00:20:25.640
 has to say to them

00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:26.360
 something that's going

00:20:26.360 --> 00:20:26.980
 to offend them,

00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:27.720
 the poor you will

00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:28.620
 always have with you.

00:20:30.279 --> 00:20:31.640
 It is not a criticism

00:20:31.640 --> 00:20:32.340
 of a church

00:20:32.340 --> 00:20:32.980
 or a government

00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:34.320
 that there are still

00:20:34.320 --> 00:20:34.940
 poor people

00:20:34.940 --> 00:20:35.340
 in the city

00:20:35.340 --> 00:20:35.980
 or the country.

00:20:35.980 --> 00:20:39.839
 Because it is not

00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:40.440
 the case,

00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:41.940
 as you hear Christians,

00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:42.960
 many Christians say

00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:43.640
 that if the church

00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:44.500
 was really the church

00:20:44.500 --> 00:20:45.500
 there would be no poor.

00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:46.259
 Really?

00:20:46.360 --> 00:20:47.500
 That's not what Jesus said.

00:20:48.940 --> 00:20:49.880
 Jesus didn't say

00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:50.339
 if the church

00:20:50.339 --> 00:20:51.000
 was the church

00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:51.860
 there would be no poor.

00:20:51.940 --> 00:20:52.539
 He said the poor

00:20:52.539 --> 00:20:53.279
 you will always have

00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:53.680
 with you.

00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:56.839
 But Jesus isn't

00:20:56.839 --> 00:20:58.240
 making a very cynical

00:20:58.240 --> 00:20:58.819
 comment.

00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:00.480
 What Jesus is doing

00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:02.140
 here is he's quoting

00:21:02.140 --> 00:21:02.700
 from the book

00:21:02.700 --> 00:21:03.519
 of Deuteronomy.

00:21:04.120 --> 00:21:04.799
 So if you just

00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:05.620
 turn in your Bibles

00:21:05.619 --> 00:21:06.519
 with me for a moment

00:21:06.519 --> 00:21:07.299
 to Deuteronomy

00:21:07.299 --> 00:21:08.239
 chapter 15

00:21:08.239 --> 00:21:08.979
 verse 11.

00:21:10.299 --> 00:21:11.419
 Deuteronomy 15

00:21:11.419 --> 00:21:12.199
 verse 11.

00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:13.839
 You'll see that

00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:14.739
 what Jesus does

00:21:14.739 --> 00:21:15.519
 is he actually

00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:16.539
 quotes a passage

00:21:16.539 --> 00:21:17.199
 of the Bible

00:21:17.199 --> 00:21:18.459
 which is in the context

00:21:18.459 --> 00:21:19.159
 of being generous

00:21:19.159 --> 00:21:19.739
 to the poor.

00:21:21.819 --> 00:21:22.639
 And none of the

00:21:22.639 --> 00:21:23.559
 Jewish hearers

00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:24.579
 who were hearing

00:21:24.579 --> 00:21:25.239
 Jesus would have

00:21:25.239 --> 00:21:26.000
 understood him

00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:26.719
 to be cynical

00:21:26.719 --> 00:21:27.519
 about the poor.

00:21:28.179 --> 00:21:28.659
 He would have

00:21:28.659 --> 00:21:29.459
 been understood

00:21:29.459 --> 00:21:30.579
 as being part

00:21:30.579 --> 00:21:31.419
 of the teaching

00:21:31.419 --> 00:21:32.839
 to be perpetually

00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:33.739
 generous

00:21:33.739 --> 00:21:35.099
 towards the poor.

00:21:35.099 --> 00:21:35.939
 Listen to what

00:21:35.939 --> 00:21:36.240
 it says

00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:36.819
 in Deuteronomy

00:21:36.819 --> 00:21:37.240
 and if you go

00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:37.719
 back and read

00:21:37.719 --> 00:21:38.199
 the rest of

00:21:38.199 --> 00:21:39.019
 Deuteronomy 15

00:21:39.019 --> 00:21:39.659
 it becomes

00:21:39.659 --> 00:21:40.419
 even stronger.

00:21:40.899 --> 00:21:41.619
 But 1511

00:21:41.619 --> 00:21:42.419
 For there will

00:21:42.419 --> 00:21:43.059
 never cease

00:21:43.059 --> 00:21:43.699
 to be poor

00:21:43.699 --> 00:21:44.279
 in the land

00:21:44.279 --> 00:21:45.740
 therefore I

00:21:45.740 --> 00:21:46.379
 command you

00:21:46.379 --> 00:21:47.219
 you shall

00:21:47.219 --> 00:21:48.279
 open wide

00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:48.939
 your hand

00:21:48.939 --> 00:21:49.659
 to your brother

00:21:49.659 --> 00:21:50.659
 to the needy

00:21:50.659 --> 00:21:51.279
 and to the poor

00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:51.919
 in your land.

00:21:52.899 --> 00:21:53.859
 So the Jewish

00:21:53.859 --> 00:21:54.519
 hearers

00:21:54.519 --> 00:21:55.219
 who are hearing

00:21:55.219 --> 00:21:55.679
 Jesus

00:21:55.679 --> 00:21:56.419
 would not have

00:21:56.419 --> 00:21:56.759
 understood

00:21:56.759 --> 00:21:57.379
 Jesus as

00:21:57.379 --> 00:21:57.899
 saying something

00:21:57.899 --> 00:21:58.319
 cynical.

00:21:58.519 --> 00:21:58.879
 He would have

00:21:58.879 --> 00:21:59.279
 been saying

00:21:59.279 --> 00:21:59.939
 something about

00:21:59.939 --> 00:22:01.399
 lay off Mary

00:22:01.399 --> 00:22:02.339
 here for a second

00:22:02.339 --> 00:22:03.779
 but let me

00:22:03.779 --> 00:22:04.159
 understand

00:22:04.159 --> 00:22:04.639
 you know

00:22:04.639 --> 00:22:05.079
 you're always

00:22:05.079 --> 00:22:05.359
 going to have

00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:05.759
 the poor

00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:06.159
 and they

00:22:06.159 --> 00:22:06.359
 would have

00:22:06.359 --> 00:22:06.619
 been able

00:22:06.619 --> 00:22:06.919
 to fill

00:22:06.919 --> 00:22:07.259
 in the rest

00:22:07.259 --> 00:22:07.819
 of the sentence.

00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:08.579
 We understand

00:22:08.579 --> 00:22:08.839
 that you

00:22:08.839 --> 00:22:09.240
 always have

00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:09.759
 to be generous

00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:10.480
 and not

00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:11.339
 countermanding

00:22:11.339 --> 00:22:11.579
 that.

00:22:11.980 --> 00:22:12.319
 The other

00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:12.740
 thing is the

00:22:12.740 --> 00:22:13.240
 very nature

00:22:13.240 --> 00:22:13.759
 of the gospel

00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:14.159
 itself.

00:22:14.299 --> 00:22:14.419
 You know

00:22:14.419 --> 00:22:15.339
 on the point

00:22:15.339 --> 00:22:15.759
 up here

00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:16.539
 I say

00:22:16.539 --> 00:22:17.319
 how the gospel

00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:18.699
 earlier I said

00:22:18.699 --> 00:22:19.099
 the gospel

00:22:19.099 --> 00:22:19.599
 treats a

00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:20.279
 counterculture

00:22:20.279 --> 00:22:20.819
 and the gospel

00:22:20.819 --> 00:22:21.980
 shapes your

00:22:21.980 --> 00:22:22.699
 heart to care

00:22:22.699 --> 00:22:23.359
 about the poor

00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:25.720
 but caring

00:22:25.720 --> 00:22:26.259
 about the poor

00:22:26.259 --> 00:22:26.619
 does not

00:22:26.619 --> 00:22:27.339
 shape the gospel.

00:22:27.480 --> 00:22:28.059
 Just turn

00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:28.399
 with me

00:22:28.399 --> 00:22:29.299
 to 2 Corinthians

00:22:29.299 --> 00:22:29.960
 chapter 8

00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:30.639
 verse 9

00:22:30.639 --> 00:22:32.099
 it's a great

00:22:32.099 --> 00:22:32.579
 verse to

00:22:32.579 --> 00:22:33.079
 memorize.

00:22:33.619 --> 00:22:33.799
 In fact

00:22:33.799 --> 00:22:34.159
 it's a very

00:22:34.159 --> 00:22:35.039
 powerful verse

00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:35.579
 to memorize

00:22:35.579 --> 00:22:36.379
 2 Corinthians

00:22:36.379 --> 00:22:37.039
 8 9

00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:37.940
 I sort of

00:22:37.940 --> 00:22:38.240
 have it

00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:39.039
 half memorized

00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:39.500
 because my

00:22:39.500 --> 00:22:40.079
 brain doesn't

00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:40.599
 work as well

00:22:40.599 --> 00:22:41.019
 as it used

00:22:41.019 --> 00:22:41.259
 to.

00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:42.039
 So I'm

00:22:42.039 --> 00:22:42.159
 going to

00:22:42.159 --> 00:22:42.539
 read it

00:22:42.539 --> 00:22:43.139
 just so I

00:22:43.139 --> 00:22:43.599
 don't sort

00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:43.940
 of mess

00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:44.299
 up the

00:22:44.299 --> 00:22:44.759
 quote a

00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:45.139
 little bit.

00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:46.099
 But here's

00:22:46.099 --> 00:22:46.379
 one of the

00:22:46.379 --> 00:22:47.059
 most powerful

00:22:47.059 --> 00:22:48.220
 ways to

00:22:48.220 --> 00:22:48.740
 understand

00:22:48.740 --> 00:22:49.099
 what the

00:22:49.099 --> 00:22:49.759
 gospel is.

00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:50.139
 Like what

00:22:50.139 --> 00:22:50.559
 is it when

00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:50.960
 we say

00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:51.519
 that Jesus

00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:52.180
 is God

00:22:52.180 --> 00:22:52.539
 the son

00:22:52.539 --> 00:22:52.980
 of God

00:22:52.980 --> 00:22:53.299
 as the

00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:53.539
 creed

00:22:53.539 --> 00:22:54.119
 tells us

00:22:54.119 --> 00:22:55.059
 that leaves

00:22:55.059 --> 00:22:55.819
 beside his

00:22:55.819 --> 00:22:56.599
 glory and

00:22:56.599 --> 00:22:57.159
 splendor

00:22:57.159 --> 00:22:57.859
 and prerogatives

00:22:57.859 --> 00:22:58.159
 that he

00:22:59.299 --> 00:23:00.639
 dies on

00:23:00.639 --> 00:23:01.200
 the cross

00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:02.579
 and when

00:23:02.579 --> 00:23:03.200
 he dies

00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:04.139
 as I've

00:23:04.139 --> 00:23:04.419
 said to

00:23:04.419 --> 00:23:04.759
 you before

00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:05.039
 it's a

00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:05.419
 line from

00:23:05.419 --> 00:23:05.879
 Flannery

00:23:05.879 --> 00:23:06.359
 O'Connor

00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:06.859
 you can't

00:23:06.859 --> 00:23:07.180
 be any

00:23:07.180 --> 00:23:07.799
 poorer than

00:23:07.799 --> 00:23:08.119
 dead.

00:23:09.940 --> 00:23:10.579
 This week

00:23:10.579 --> 00:23:10.839
 I was

00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:11.359
 talking to

00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:11.940
 somebody in

00:23:11.940 --> 00:23:12.339
 a coffee

00:23:12.339 --> 00:23:12.839
 shop and

00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:13.619
 we got

00:23:13.619 --> 00:23:14.139
 talking about

00:23:14.139 --> 00:23:14.619
 life being

00:23:14.619 --> 00:23:14.859
 meaning.

00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:15.159
 I think

00:23:15.159 --> 00:23:15.359
 we were

00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:15.759
 talking about

00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:17.220
 that spade

00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:17.720
 who committed

00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:19.359
 suicide and

00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:20.099
 I just

00:23:20.099 --> 00:23:20.559
 said to

00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:20.940
 them I

00:23:20.940 --> 00:23:21.240
 said you

00:23:21.240 --> 00:23:21.399
 know I

00:23:21.399 --> 00:23:21.659
 don't know

00:23:21.659 --> 00:23:22.200
 how people

00:23:22.200 --> 00:23:22.680
 who don't

00:23:22.680 --> 00:23:23.019
 have a

00:23:23.019 --> 00:23:23.500
 sense that

00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:24.099
 life has a

00:23:24.099 --> 00:23:24.899
 final ultimate

00:23:24.899 --> 00:23:27.059
 meaning and

00:23:27.059 --> 00:23:27.419
 it's not

00:23:27.419 --> 00:23:28.000
 just an

00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:28.919
 abstract meaning

00:23:28.919 --> 00:23:29.279
 but that

00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:30.139
 there's a

00:23:30.139 --> 00:23:31.039
 real ultimate

00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:31.859
 meaning to

00:23:31.859 --> 00:23:32.839
 life that

00:23:32.839 --> 00:23:33.160
 we can

00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:34.039
 receive through

00:23:34.039 --> 00:23:34.740
 Jesus and

00:23:34.740 --> 00:23:35.099
 that we can

00:23:35.099 --> 00:23:35.460
 pray to

00:23:35.460 --> 00:23:35.680
 Jesus.

00:23:35.799 --> 00:23:35.980
 I don't

00:23:35.980 --> 00:23:36.480
 understand how

00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:36.920
 people can

00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:37.319
 live like

00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:38.339
 that without

00:23:38.339 --> 00:23:38.720
 that.

00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:39.619
 I said if

00:23:39.619 --> 00:23:40.119
 your whole

00:23:40.119 --> 00:23:40.680
 life is

00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:41.379
 centered around

00:23:41.379 --> 00:23:42.420
 one dang

00:23:42.420 --> 00:23:43.220
 thing after

00:23:43.220 --> 00:23:43.639
 another and

00:23:43.639 --> 00:23:43.899
 then you

00:23:43.899 --> 00:23:44.319
 die.

00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:46.180
 One dang

00:23:46.180 --> 00:23:46.740
 thing after

00:23:46.740 --> 00:23:47.099
 another and

00:23:47.099 --> 00:23:47.319
 then you

00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:47.599
 die.

00:23:47.779 --> 00:23:48.039
 Like it's

00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:48.379
 hard to

00:23:48.379 --> 00:23:48.619
 know how

00:23:48.619 --> 00:23:48.920
 like I

00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:49.940
 like as a

00:23:49.940 --> 00:23:50.480
 Christian it's

00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:50.940
 increasingly

00:23:50.940 --> 00:23:51.440
 hard for me

00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:52.099
 to understand

00:23:52.099 --> 00:23:54.740
 how you're

00:23:54.740 --> 00:23:54.980
 able to

00:23:54.980 --> 00:23:55.420
 just to

00:23:55.420 --> 00:23:55.879
 live like

00:23:55.879 --> 00:23:56.759
 that without

00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:57.720
 that sort

00:23:57.720 --> 00:23:58.259
 of deeper

00:23:58.259 --> 00:23:59.319
 meaning.

00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:01.180
 And I

00:24:01.180 --> 00:24:02.319
 shared with

00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:02.940
 one of

00:24:02.940 --> 00:24:03.240
 them I

00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:03.559
 said you

00:24:03.559 --> 00:24:04.339
 know the

00:24:04.339 --> 00:24:05.079
 second after

00:24:05.079 --> 00:24:06.000
 you die and

00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:06.599
 let's say you

00:24:06.599 --> 00:24:07.220
 and Bill Gates

00:24:07.220 --> 00:24:07.740
 die in the

00:24:07.740 --> 00:24:08.379
 exact same

00:24:08.379 --> 00:24:10.000
 second and I

00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:10.400
 said the

00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:10.940
 second after

00:24:10.940 --> 00:24:11.500
 you both die

00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:12.019
 you both have

00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:12.859
 the exact same

00:24:12.859 --> 00:24:13.339
 amount of

00:24:13.339 --> 00:24:14.039
 assets under

00:24:14.039 --> 00:24:14.680
 your control

00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:16.420
 which is

00:24:16.420 --> 00:24:16.720
 zero.

00:24:18.500 --> 00:24:19.319
 All of Bill

00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:20.160
 Gates assets are

00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:20.859
 completely and

00:24:20.859 --> 00:24:21.779
 utterly worthless the

00:24:21.779 --> 00:24:22.460
 second after he

00:24:22.460 --> 00:24:22.879
 dies.

00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:25.360
 So look at

00:24:25.360 --> 00:24:26.100
 that mindful of

00:24:26.100 --> 00:24:26.540
 that look at

00:24:26.540 --> 00:24:27.180
 this text 2

00:24:27.180 --> 00:24:27.660
 Corinthians

00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:28.300
 chapter 8

00:24:28.300 --> 00:24:29.000
 verse 9 for

00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:29.520
 you know the

00:24:29.520 --> 00:24:30.100
 grace of our

00:24:30.100 --> 00:24:30.580
 Lord Jesus

00:24:30.580 --> 00:24:31.220
 Christ that

00:24:31.220 --> 00:24:31.880
 though he was

00:24:31.880 --> 00:24:33.360
 rich yet for

00:24:33.360 --> 00:24:34.040
 your sake he

00:24:34.040 --> 00:24:35.880
 became poor so

00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:36.700
 that you by his

00:24:36.700 --> 00:24:38.000
 poverty might

00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:38.780
 become rich.

00:24:39.220 --> 00:24:39.900
 We'll read it

00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:40.120
 again.

00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:40.480
 It's a very

00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:41.440
 powerful verse

00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:42.320
 well worth

00:24:42.320 --> 00:24:42.960
 remembering

00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:44.240
 memorizing for

00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:44.800
 you know the

00:24:44.800 --> 00:24:45.360
 grace of our

00:24:45.360 --> 00:24:45.860
 Lord Jesus

00:24:45.860 --> 00:24:46.400
 Christ.

00:24:47.120 --> 00:24:47.940
 What's the

00:24:47.940 --> 00:24:48.360
 good news?

00:24:48.440 --> 00:24:48.800
 The good news

00:24:48.800 --> 00:24:49.300
 is all about

00:24:49.300 --> 00:24:49.880
 grace.

00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:51.520
 It's all about

00:24:51.520 --> 00:24:52.080
 the fact that

00:24:52.080 --> 00:24:52.860
 God the son of

00:24:52.859 --> 00:24:53.539
 God came and

00:24:53.539 --> 00:24:54.019
 died on a

00:24:54.019 --> 00:24:54.599
 cross for

00:24:54.599 --> 00:24:55.719
 you out of

00:24:55.719 --> 00:24:57.199
 grace that

00:24:57.199 --> 00:24:57.779
 his death upon

00:24:57.779 --> 00:24:58.500
 the cross does

00:24:58.500 --> 00:24:59.339
 all that has

00:24:59.339 --> 00:25:00.740
 to be done to

00:25:00.740 --> 00:25:01.240
 make you right

00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:02.019
 with God out

00:25:02.019 --> 00:25:03.179
 of grace out

00:25:03.179 --> 00:25:04.159
 of unmerited

00:25:04.159 --> 00:25:04.839
 mercy and

00:25:04.839 --> 00:25:06.259
 favor for you

00:25:06.259 --> 00:25:06.839
 know the grace

00:25:06.839 --> 00:25:07.319
 of our Lord

00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:07.979
 Jesus Christ

00:25:07.979 --> 00:25:08.500
 that though he

00:25:08.500 --> 00:25:10.059
 was rich yet

00:25:10.059 --> 00:25:10.959
 for your sake

00:25:10.959 --> 00:25:12.039
 he became poor

00:25:12.039 --> 00:25:13.459
 so that you

00:25:13.459 --> 00:25:14.939
 by his poverty

00:25:14.939 --> 00:25:16.139
 might become

00:25:16.139 --> 00:25:16.579
 rich.

00:25:17.539 --> 00:25:19.259
 You see as

00:25:19.259 --> 00:25:21.259
 when we give

00:25:21.259 --> 00:25:21.979
 our lives to

00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:22.819
 Jesus when we

00:25:22.819 --> 00:25:23.460
 accept the

00:25:23.460 --> 00:25:24.680
 gospel it

00:25:24.680 --> 00:25:25.319
 will in

00:25:25.319 --> 00:25:25.980
 other words

00:25:25.980 --> 00:25:26.279
 when we

00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:26.900
 accept the

00:25:26.900 --> 00:25:27.660
 passage like

00:25:27.660 --> 00:25:28.160
 this and it

00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:28.860
 becomes part

00:25:28.860 --> 00:25:29.420
 of our just

00:25:29.420 --> 00:25:30.140
 how we

00:25:30.140 --> 00:25:31.240
 understand what

00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:32.059
 the world is

00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:32.860
 like what

00:25:32.860 --> 00:25:34.019
 God is like

00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:35.360
 like how we

00:25:35.360 --> 00:25:36.259
 stand where

00:25:36.259 --> 00:25:37.339
 we stand that

00:25:37.339 --> 00:25:38.700
 Jesus who

00:25:38.700 --> 00:25:40.259
 had he was

00:25:40.259 --> 00:25:41.319
 I mean he had

00:25:41.319 --> 00:25:42.140
 everything and

00:25:42.140 --> 00:25:43.059
 he's God he's

00:25:43.059 --> 00:25:43.740
 in heaven I

00:25:43.740 --> 00:25:44.519
 mean even the

00:25:44.519 --> 00:25:45.160
 richest person

00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:45.660
 on earth can't

00:25:45.660 --> 00:25:46.620
 even like even

00:25:46.620 --> 00:25:48.039
 it's not even

00:25:48.039 --> 00:25:48.440
 they can't even

00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:49.019
 buy a blade of

00:25:49.019 --> 00:25:50.039
 grass in heaven

00:25:50.039 --> 00:25:51.019
 the blade of

00:25:51.019 --> 00:25:51.700
 grass in heaven

00:25:51.700 --> 00:25:52.079
 is more

00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:52.980
 precious he

00:25:52.980 --> 00:25:53.539
 had all of

00:25:53.539 --> 00:25:54.099
 that he sets

00:25:54.099 --> 00:25:55.019
 it all aside

00:25:55.019 --> 00:25:55.579
 to come and

00:25:55.579 --> 00:25:56.159
 walk amongst

00:25:56.159 --> 00:25:56.579
 us and to

00:25:56.579 --> 00:25:56.960
 die on the

00:25:56.960 --> 00:25:57.740
 cross for us

00:25:57.740 --> 00:25:59.099
 and and he

00:25:59.099 --> 00:25:59.879
 does that so

00:25:59.879 --> 00:26:00.740
 that I can

00:26:00.740 --> 00:26:01.339
 know God's

00:26:01.339 --> 00:26:02.500
 unmerited favor

00:26:02.500 --> 00:26:04.000
 and that I can

00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:04.759
 be clothed in

00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:05.279
 the righteousness

00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:06.220
 of Jesus and

00:26:06.220 --> 00:26:06.859
 I can be

00:26:06.859 --> 00:26:07.659
 reconciled to

00:26:07.659 --> 00:26:08.960
 God and I

00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:09.680
 can begin to

00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:10.159
 know him as

00:26:10.159 --> 00:26:10.700
 my heavenly

00:26:10.700 --> 00:26:11.680
 father and I

00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:12.339
 can begin to

00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:12.819
 pour up my

00:26:12.819 --> 00:26:13.480
 heart to him

00:26:13.480 --> 00:26:14.220
 and that

00:26:14.220 --> 00:26:15.119
 relationship will

00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:15.700
 go on into

00:26:15.700 --> 00:26:16.420
 all eternity

00:26:16.420 --> 00:26:17.079
 and into a new

00:26:17.079 --> 00:26:17.680
 heaven and a new

00:26:17.680 --> 00:26:18.339
 earth and he

00:26:18.339 --> 00:26:19.000
 did all of that

00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:19.740
 he became so

00:26:19.740 --> 00:26:20.500
 completely and

00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:22.259
 utterly poor that

00:26:22.259 --> 00:26:23.119
 I can have this

00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:24.019
 wealth and as

00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:25.119
 that story grips

00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:25.640
 us it will

00:26:25.640 --> 00:26:26.420
 change how we

00:26:26.420 --> 00:26:28.380
 view money and

00:26:28.380 --> 00:26:28.960
 it will change

00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:29.440
 how we view

00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:34.259
 the poor it

00:26:34.259 --> 00:26:34.900
 will it will

00:26:34.900 --> 00:26:35.599
 turn our hearts

00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:38.680
 to the poor it

00:26:38.680 --> 00:26:39.220
 will mean that

00:26:39.220 --> 00:26:39.759
 when you look

00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:40.720
 when you walk

00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:41.339
 along Bank

00:26:41.339 --> 00:26:41.779
 Street you

00:26:41.779 --> 00:26:42.880
 won't think to

00:26:42.880 --> 00:26:43.599
 yourself I

00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:44.720
 wish that smelly

00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:45.740
 stupid street

00:26:45.740 --> 00:26:46.500
 person would get

00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:47.079
 out of the way

00:26:47.079 --> 00:26:48.439
 I mean it

00:26:48.439 --> 00:26:48.919
 doesn't necessarily

00:26:48.919 --> 00:26:49.279
 mean you're going

00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:49.639
 to give them

00:26:49.639 --> 00:26:50.119
 money but it

00:26:50.119 --> 00:26:50.619
 means you should

00:26:50.619 --> 00:26:51.500
 love them it

00:26:51.500 --> 00:26:52.339
 means that you

00:26:52.339 --> 00:26:53.339
 look at them

00:26:53.339 --> 00:26:53.899
 and say Jesus

00:26:53.899 --> 00:26:54.659
 gave his life

00:26:54.659 --> 00:26:55.480
 for that person

00:26:55.480 --> 00:26:57.659
 Jesus died that

00:26:57.659 --> 00:26:58.439
 that person might

00:26:58.439 --> 00:26:58.939
 be free

00:26:58.939 --> 00:27:02.639
 you see so the

00:27:02.639 --> 00:27:03.480
 statement of Jesus

00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:06.159
 on one hand it

00:27:06.159 --> 00:27:06.799
 would cause us

00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:07.639
 lots of trouble in

00:27:07.639 --> 00:27:08.359
 social justice

00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:09.039
 circles on the

00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:09.679
 other hand though

00:27:09.679 --> 00:27:10.240
 if we go into

00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:11.299
 many of the MBA

00:27:11.299 --> 00:27:13.039
 faculties and

00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:14.059
 business clubs it

00:27:14.059 --> 00:27:14.960
 would cause trouble

00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:15.919
 there because it

00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:17.279
 would mean to

00:27:17.279 --> 00:27:17.800
 be gripped by

00:27:17.800 --> 00:27:18.460
 the gospel you

00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:19.000
 have to care

00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:19.700
 about the poor

00:27:19.700 --> 00:27:20.720
 and the meaning

00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:21.539
 of life is not

00:27:21.539 --> 00:27:22.500
 to accumulate as

00:27:22.500 --> 00:27:23.259
 much money as

00:27:23.259 --> 00:27:24.279
 you possibly can

00:27:24.279 --> 00:27:27.820
 it's counter

00:27:27.820 --> 00:27:29.880
 cultural in

00:27:29.880 --> 00:27:30.560
 terms of how we

00:27:30.560 --> 00:27:31.380
 view money and

00:27:31.380 --> 00:27:31.960
 how we view the

00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:33.680
 poor and the

00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:35.019
 gospel shapes us

00:27:35.019 --> 00:27:36.480
 inevitably as the

00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:37.380
 gospel grips us

00:27:37.380 --> 00:27:38.320
 it will shape us

00:27:38.320 --> 00:27:43.960
 this same friend

00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:44.920
 of mine who's a

00:27:44.920 --> 00:27:46.160
 big social justice

00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:48.120
 guy he comes out

00:27:48.120 --> 00:27:48.860
 of the orthodox

00:27:48.860 --> 00:27:49.580
 church the

00:27:49.580 --> 00:27:50.740
 capital orthodox

00:27:50.740 --> 00:27:51.320
 church and one

00:27:51.320 --> 00:27:51.779
 of the things he

00:27:51.779 --> 00:27:52.660
 loves to tell me

00:27:52.660 --> 00:27:53.180
 is about the

00:27:53.180 --> 00:27:54.360
 latest excess by

00:27:54.360 --> 00:27:54.820
 the Russian

00:27:54.820 --> 00:27:56.620
 excess by the

00:27:56.620 --> 00:27:57.420
 Russian patriarch

00:27:57.420 --> 00:27:58.740
 the latest great

00:27:58.740 --> 00:28:00.060
 expensive gift or

00:28:00.060 --> 00:28:00.800
 privilege he's

00:28:00.800 --> 00:28:01.660
 gotten from Putin

00:28:01.660 --> 00:28:03.640
 he loves telling me

00:28:03.640 --> 00:28:04.500
 about this story

00:28:04.500 --> 00:28:05.240
 because he says

00:28:05.240 --> 00:28:06.380
 it's a great great

00:28:06.380 --> 00:28:08.320
 indictment of

00:28:08.320 --> 00:28:10.080
 religion but I

00:28:10.080 --> 00:28:11.600
 now often after he

00:28:11.600 --> 00:28:12.200
 goes on this little

00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:13.539
 rant or maybe it'll

00:28:13.539 --> 00:28:14.140
 be about something

00:28:14.140 --> 00:28:15.180
 do with Catholicism

00:28:15.180 --> 00:28:15.900
 or some mega

00:28:15.900 --> 00:28:16.560
 preacher but he

00:28:16.560 --> 00:28:17.420
 loves picking on

00:28:17.420 --> 00:28:18.240
 his own orthodox

00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:19.220
 tradition he's an

00:28:19.220 --> 00:28:20.500
 atheist he loves

00:28:20.500 --> 00:28:21.240
 picking on his own

00:28:21.240 --> 00:28:22.080
 orthodox tradition

00:28:22.080 --> 00:28:23.580
 and one time when he

00:28:23.580 --> 00:28:24.300
 was saying all this

00:28:24.300 --> 00:28:25.480
 I said to him well

00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:26.600
 that might be true of

00:28:26.600 --> 00:28:27.500
 some Christians but I

00:28:27.500 --> 00:28:28.320
 said that's not true of

00:28:28.320 --> 00:28:29.280
 our church I said we

00:28:29.280 --> 00:28:30.180
 walked away from our

00:28:30.180 --> 00:28:31.160
 property we don't own

00:28:31.160 --> 00:28:33.280
 any property we voted

00:28:33.280 --> 00:28:34.540
 unanimously to walk

00:28:34.540 --> 00:28:36.140
 away from it all and

00:28:36.140 --> 00:28:36.960
 I remember one time he

00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:37.740
 paused he said yeah but

00:28:37.740 --> 00:28:39.140
 you folks are different

00:28:39.140 --> 00:28:42.380
 which was the closest we

00:28:42.380 --> 00:28:43.360
 ever got to any type of

00:28:43.360 --> 00:28:46.340
 praise from him but and

00:28:46.340 --> 00:28:47.259
 then normally he'll still

00:28:47.259 --> 00:28:48.380
 condemn me for my views

00:28:48.380 --> 00:28:49.480
 on abortion or some

00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:50.380
 other type of thing like

00:28:50.380 --> 00:28:51.440
 that but that's a that's

00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:52.340
 a whole other sermon

00:28:52.340 --> 00:28:55.720
 topic but one of the

00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:56.620
 things I think that my

00:28:56.620 --> 00:28:57.460
 friend I almost said his

00:28:57.460 --> 00:28:58.380
 name by accident one of

00:28:58.380 --> 00:28:58.960
 the things I think my

00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:00.420
 friend would say he was

00:29:00.420 --> 00:29:01.640
 here with looking at this

00:29:01.640 --> 00:29:02.759
 story but we'll go back

00:29:02.759 --> 00:29:05.060
 to John is he would say

00:29:05.060 --> 00:29:06.100
 George this just seems

00:29:06.100 --> 00:29:06.920
 like all of a sudden

00:29:06.920 --> 00:29:08.240
 Jesus is playing power

00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:09.360
 politics like doesn't it

00:29:09.360 --> 00:29:10.700
 look like he manipulates

00:29:10.700 --> 00:29:12.340
 events so that he's

00:29:12.340 --> 00:29:13.340
 fulfilling a prophecy

00:29:13.340 --> 00:29:14.220
 and doesn't it look like

00:29:14.220 --> 00:29:15.360
 he's manipulated events

00:29:15.360 --> 00:29:16.560
 so he hits a great crowd

00:29:16.560 --> 00:29:17.580
 and so he's he's he's

00:29:17.580 --> 00:29:19.779
 proclaimed as king what

00:29:19.779 --> 00:29:20.660
 it's really important

00:29:20.660 --> 00:29:21.500
 that we see is that as

00:29:21.500 --> 00:29:22.519
 the sermon sort of wraps

00:29:22.519 --> 00:29:23.500
 up that we look and see

00:29:23.500 --> 00:29:24.840
 what exactly is going on

00:29:24.840 --> 00:29:26.420
 with this this story so

00:29:26.420 --> 00:29:27.360
 we've I've already said

00:29:27.360 --> 00:29:28.400
 in fact it's actually from

00:29:28.400 --> 00:29:30.039
 this story that we get

00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:31.680
 how the gospel shapes our

00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:32.740
 relationship to the poor

00:29:32.740 --> 00:29:33.820
 but our relationship to the

00:29:33.820 --> 00:29:34.560
 poor doesn't shape the

00:29:34.560 --> 00:29:35.240
 gospel and that our

00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:36.740
 gospel shapes our our

00:29:36.740 --> 00:29:38.160
 our uniqueness but our

00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:39.099
 uniqueness doesn't shape

00:29:39.099 --> 00:29:40.220
 the gospel because if

00:29:40.220 --> 00:29:40.819
 you could put up the

00:29:40.819 --> 00:29:42.019
 final point not the final

00:29:42.019 --> 00:29:43.740
 next point what what we

00:29:43.740 --> 00:29:45.019
 see in this story is that

00:29:45.019 --> 00:29:46.680
 the gospel shapes what it

00:29:46.680 --> 00:29:49.380
 means to be king being

00:29:49.380 --> 00:29:51.279
 king does not shape the

00:29:51.279 --> 00:29:54.839
 gospel the gospel shapes

00:29:54.839 --> 00:29:56.319
 what it means to be king

00:29:56.319 --> 00:29:59.019
 being king does not shape

00:29:59.019 --> 00:30:00.480
 the gospel let's look at

00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:01.359
 the story we'll just jump

00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:03.359
 down to verse 12 the next

00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:04.759
 day that's what we would

00:30:04.759 --> 00:30:06.240
 now call palm sunday the

00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:07.440
 large crowd the first day

00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:08.079
 of the week the large

00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:09.000
 crowd that had come to

00:30:09.000 --> 00:30:09.879
 the feast heard that

00:30:09.879 --> 00:30:10.900
 jesus was coming to

00:30:10.900 --> 00:30:12.480
 jerusalem so they took

00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:13.980
 branches of palm trees and

00:30:13.980 --> 00:30:14.740
 went out to meet him

00:30:14.740 --> 00:30:16.480
 crying out hosanna which

00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:17.960
 means lord save us

00:30:17.960 --> 00:30:19.859
 blessed is he who comes in

00:30:19.859 --> 00:30:20.980
 the name of the lord even

00:30:20.980 --> 00:30:21.980
 the king of israel blessed

00:30:21.980 --> 00:30:22.839
 is he who comes in the

00:30:22.839 --> 00:30:23.500
 name of the lord it's a

00:30:23.500 --> 00:30:25.740
 quote from psalm 118 even

00:30:25.740 --> 00:30:29.019
 the king of israel and they

00:30:29.019 --> 00:30:30.259
 understand king of israel

00:30:30.259 --> 00:30:32.200
 probably by the way that

00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:34.559
 king is understood in

00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:35.839
 sociologically and

00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:37.200
 anthropologically in the in

00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:38.819
 in the world that's what

00:30:38.819 --> 00:30:39.579
 they would have understood

00:30:39.579 --> 00:30:41.079
 they would have understood

00:30:41.079 --> 00:30:43.420
 jesus by the category of

00:30:43.420 --> 00:30:45.980
 king they wouldn't have

00:30:45.980 --> 00:30:48.299
 understood king by how

00:30:48.299 --> 00:30:49.819
 jesus redefines what it

00:30:49.819 --> 00:30:52.019
 means to be a king but they

00:30:52.019 --> 00:30:54.319
 call out uh blessed is he

00:30:54.319 --> 00:30:55.099
 who comes in the name of

00:30:55.099 --> 00:30:56.200
 lord even the king of israel

00:30:56.200 --> 00:30:57.740
 verse 14 and jesus found a

00:30:57.740 --> 00:30:59.099
 young donkey and sat on it

00:30:59.099 --> 00:31:00.220
 just as it is written fear

00:31:00.220 --> 00:31:01.980
 not daughter of zion behold

00:31:01.980 --> 00:31:03.299
 your king is coming sitting

00:31:03.299 --> 00:31:04.960
 on a donkey's cold just to

00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:06.319
 give it a bit of a context i i

00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:07.940
 i was on uh parliament hill

00:31:07.940 --> 00:31:09.980
 just the other day when um i

00:31:09.980 --> 00:31:11.420
 about a week or so ago when

00:31:11.420 --> 00:31:12.839
 trudeau came back on the hill

00:31:12.839 --> 00:31:15.599
 lots of big suvs flashing

00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:17.700
 lights big muscle type of

00:31:17.700 --> 00:31:20.140
 things this is describing jesus

00:31:20.140 --> 00:31:21.620
 coming into jerusalem in a

00:31:21.620 --> 00:31:26.640
 hyundai accent they're tiny

00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:29.300
 cars if you don't know cars i

00:31:29.300 --> 00:31:30.500
 think that they're the second

00:31:30.500 --> 00:31:33.340
 or third cheapest car so here

00:31:33.340 --> 00:31:34.860
 you're expecting that you know

00:31:34.860 --> 00:31:37.120
 if trudeau shows up all by

00:31:37.120 --> 00:31:39.420
 himself in a little hyundai not

00:31:39.420 --> 00:31:42.460
 even a not even a green prius or

00:31:42.460 --> 00:31:43.620
 something like that with a green

00:31:43.620 --> 00:31:44.940
 license plate just a little

00:31:44.940 --> 00:31:48.200
 dinky elantra that's what's going

00:31:48.200 --> 00:31:52.520
 on here in the text and i mean he's

00:31:52.520 --> 00:31:53.800
 fulfilling a prophecy but it's

00:31:53.800 --> 00:31:55.160
 even interesting isn't it that in

00:31:55.160 --> 00:31:56.600
 the prophecy which comes from

00:31:56.600 --> 00:31:58.880
 zechariah it's prophesying the

00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:01.279
 day when the king the great king

00:32:01.279 --> 00:32:02.840
 the true king comes but he's going

00:32:02.840 --> 00:32:06.340
 to come on on an elantra he's not

00:32:06.340 --> 00:32:08.160
 going to come on a war horse he's

00:32:08.160 --> 00:32:10.180
 not going to come in an escalade he's

00:32:10.180 --> 00:32:11.820
 not going to come in a rolls royce

00:32:11.820 --> 00:32:14.620
 he's not going to come in something

00:32:14.620 --> 00:32:18.320
 armored verse 16 his disciples not

00:32:18.320 --> 00:32:19.940
 understand these things at first but

00:32:19.940 --> 00:32:21.600
 when jesus was glorified that is

00:32:21.600 --> 00:32:22.960
 after he died and risen from the

00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:24.300
 dead then they remembered that these

00:32:24.299 --> 00:32:26.579
 things had been written about him

00:32:26.579 --> 00:32:28.859
 and had been done to him so you see

00:32:28.859 --> 00:32:33.619
 jesus redefine if we understand who

00:32:33.619 --> 00:32:35.980
 jesus is by the worldly category of

00:32:35.980 --> 00:32:37.639
 king it's blasphemy

00:32:37.639 --> 00:32:41.879
 it's blasphemy

00:32:41.879 --> 00:32:45.859
 because how does it work and i'm not

00:32:45.859 --> 00:32:48.139
 picking on people here who maybe have

00:32:48.139 --> 00:32:49.680
 been in politics but we all know how it

00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:51.099
 works i mean i talk about this we all

00:32:51.099 --> 00:32:52.419
 know how it works with the powerful

00:32:52.419 --> 00:32:54.339
 right how does it work with the

00:32:54.339 --> 00:32:57.099
 powerful well the powerful their goal

00:32:57.099 --> 00:32:59.359
 is to maintain power or to increase

00:32:59.359 --> 00:33:01.519
 their power if they possibly can for the

00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:03.179
 powerful it's the little guy or the

00:33:03.179 --> 00:33:04.659
 little gal who dies so that the

00:33:04.659 --> 00:33:07.779
 powerful can stay powerful it's you know

00:33:07.779 --> 00:33:09.939
 i think i shared with you before a

00:33:09.939 --> 00:33:11.699
 famous anti-war activist during the

00:33:11.699 --> 00:33:13.699
 vietnam war dick gregory an african

00:33:13.699 --> 00:33:15.299
 american really really funny i had the

00:33:15.299 --> 00:33:18.220
 great privilege to to see him live once

00:33:18.220 --> 00:33:20.779
 when he came to to canada and he said

00:33:20.779 --> 00:33:23.200
 i wish i could imitate his he had an

00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:25.359
 accent from mississippi and i wish i

00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:26.799
 could imitate his accent he said i'm not

00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:29.299
 opposed to to the vietnam war i just

00:33:29.299 --> 00:33:31.359
 want that whenever wherever whatever when

00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:33.480
 my son gets drafted he goes and he gets

00:33:33.480 --> 00:33:35.579
 he gets to serve right beside rockefeller's

00:33:35.579 --> 00:33:35.759
 son

00:33:35.759 --> 00:33:39.159
 and as long as my son can serve in the

00:33:39.159 --> 00:33:41.279
 exact same place as rockefeller's son i'm

00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:43.859
 fine with us sending young men over to

00:33:43.859 --> 00:33:45.980
 vietnam but he knew that how did it

00:33:45.980 --> 00:33:48.019
 work african-american men got sent to

00:33:48.019 --> 00:33:50.940
 poor the poor black and white they get

00:33:50.940 --> 00:33:53.559
 sent and the rich stay home or have

00:33:53.559 --> 00:33:55.639
 far not always of course not always not

00:33:55.639 --> 00:33:59.779
 always but um we all know how power

00:33:59.779 --> 00:34:02.319
 works and so you see part of the problem

00:34:02.319 --> 00:34:03.819
 with the gospel this is why one of the

00:34:03.819 --> 00:34:05.359
 things i've said not every week but in

00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:06.680
 many weeks so part of the problem we

00:34:06.680 --> 00:34:09.679
 have with is that we have to keep

00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:11.960
 there's there's words that are common in

00:34:11.960 --> 00:34:14.819
 our culture like the word god but the

00:34:14.819 --> 00:34:16.139
 fact of the matter is is that the way

00:34:16.139 --> 00:34:18.399
 god is described in our culture in some

00:34:18.399 --> 00:34:21.179
 ways it it helps us to understand when we

00:34:21.179 --> 00:34:22.639
 say god but otherwise it's always going

00:34:22.639 --> 00:34:25.099
 to keep getting us mixed up we'll have

00:34:25.099 --> 00:34:27.259
 mixtures of like god is like the force

00:34:27.259 --> 00:34:29.259
 and that means he's sort of amoral or

00:34:29.259 --> 00:34:32.159
 where that god gets mixed up with utopian

00:34:32.159 --> 00:34:35.119
 social scheming of some great future that

00:34:35.119 --> 00:34:37.159
 we will accomplish by our politics and

00:34:37.159 --> 00:34:38.980
 our science and our technology and our

00:34:38.980 --> 00:34:41.920
 techniques or we'll have some type of a you

00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:44.679
 know like a vague sense of god and and

00:34:44.679 --> 00:34:46.960
 so and and and so whenever we come

00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:49.159
 across words in our culture what we need

00:34:49.159 --> 00:34:51.019
 to keep doing is we keep needing to be

00:34:51.019 --> 00:34:52.719
 gripped by the gospel and gripped by the

00:34:52.719 --> 00:34:55.900
 word of god because the gospel changes

00:34:55.900 --> 00:34:58.360
 the words these words if they're left to

00:34:58.360 --> 00:35:00.440
 themselves will cause blasphemy

00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:06.219
 so why is it that the gospel shapes our

00:35:06.219 --> 00:35:08.059
 uniqueness but our uniqueness not just does

00:35:08.059 --> 00:35:09.840
 not shape the gospel it's a very very hard

00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:14.219
 word to our lgbtq plus friends that the

00:35:14.219 --> 00:35:16.820
 gospel is not shaped by your your unique

00:35:16.820 --> 00:35:21.420
 experience the gospel will shape you the

00:35:21.420 --> 00:35:23.659
 gospel does not have to correspond to your

00:35:23.659 --> 00:35:26.320
 unique experience it can't it won't he's

00:35:26.320 --> 00:35:28.719
 god he's the lord

00:35:28.719 --> 00:35:33.419
 and to the business person into the social

00:35:33.419 --> 00:35:35.599
 progressive the gospel will shape how you deal

00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:38.480
 with money your understanding for the business

00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:40.419
 person and your understanding the anti-poverty

00:35:40.419 --> 00:35:43.679
 axis activist your understanding is not going to

00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:45.779
 shape the gospel the gospel if it's to be the

00:35:45.779 --> 00:35:48.919
 gospel will shape you and and if you understand

00:35:48.919 --> 00:35:51.879
 king in the earthly way well the gospel is going

00:35:51.879 --> 00:35:54.659
 to shape your understanding of king being king will not shape

00:35:54.659 --> 00:35:57.419
 your understanding of the gospel or should not because you see what

00:35:57.420 --> 00:36:01.360
 happens in the history of the church is when the world shapes these

00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:08.300
 definitions that then it's terrible then you have apartheid then you have

00:36:08.300 --> 00:36:15.119
 racism then you have segregation then you have hard-heartedness towards the

00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:23.340
 poor then you have militarism and and imperialism and when the world shapes how we

00:36:23.340 --> 00:36:32.180
 understand these terms it's terrible the church has to continually be

00:36:32.180 --> 00:36:36.300
 immersed in the scriptures as god's word written

00:36:36.300 --> 00:36:43.340
 so that we redefine what these terms mean and and and and and and the

00:36:43.340 --> 00:36:48.260
 implications for our lives final point just is wrapping it up if you could put it

00:36:48.260 --> 00:36:56.860
 up jesus christ crucified is the true king as we live in the kingdoms of this world

00:36:56.860 --> 00:37:05.440
 he leads his redeemed people to live under his rule in his kingdom to his glory

00:37:05.440 --> 00:37:12.340
 jesus christ crucified is the true king that's that's why zechariah could be promising and

00:37:12.340 --> 00:37:16.500
 predicting the true king who's going to come he's not just to be the king of israel

00:37:16.500 --> 00:37:21.460
 he is to be the king of people from every people group because he is properly the

00:37:21.460 --> 00:37:27.500
 true king he is the proper second adam over all human beings and what distinguishes

00:37:27.500 --> 00:37:35.820
 christians is that we receive mercy from the true king to be made his people not that

00:37:35.820 --> 00:37:39.739
 we are somehow special in and of ourselves but jesus christ crucified is the true king

00:37:39.739 --> 00:37:45.639
 and being a christian means that you receive the gospel you receive who jesus is and what

00:37:45.639 --> 00:37:51.539
 he's done for us on the cross we receive him as our savior and lord and as we receive him as our

00:37:51.539 --> 00:37:58.000
 savior and lord his word and the holy spirit his leading and guiding will will start to make us free

00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:05.219
 from idols free from things in our culture which bind us and wound us and hurt ourselves and hurt other

00:38:05.219 --> 00:38:13.000
 people and it will start to work to free us from anger and and pride and vanity and greed and sloth and

00:38:13.000 --> 00:38:19.519
 and lust and it will begin to free us from these things that we can begin to be free and unique and he

00:38:19.519 --> 00:38:26.599
 will he will lead his redeemed people to be part of a of a communities where we are learning to live under

00:38:26.599 --> 00:38:38.139
 his rule in his kingdom for his glory we're saved in a sense as i used to say they used to have a saying

00:38:38.139 --> 00:38:49.460
 that i i had we enter that we enter the jesus way one by one but we live the jesus way with jesus and others

00:38:49.460 --> 00:38:56.099
 one by faith, but we live the Jesus way with Jesus and others, with him as our king. Please stand.

00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:06.500
 Just bow our heads in prayer. Father,

00:39:07.619 --> 00:39:14.579
 pour out the Holy Spirit upon us. Father, if there are any here who have not yet given their

00:39:14.579 --> 00:39:22.099
 lives to Jesus, may, Father, may your Holy Spirit just press in deeply on their heart that they might

00:39:22.099 --> 00:39:27.779
 hear Jesus knocking at the door of their heart and they might open that door and say, Jesus,

00:39:27.779 --> 00:39:34.219
 please come in and be my savior and be my Lord. Be my savior and be my Lord. I give myself to you,

00:39:34.259 --> 00:39:42.199
 Jesus, come in and have your way within me. I trust that you will only make me free and unique

00:39:42.199 --> 00:39:50.500
 and fit me for heaven. And Father, for each of us, you know the different ways that the world bends

00:39:50.500 --> 00:39:55.119
 us out of shape. We ask, Father, that you would renew our minds, that you would renew our wills,

00:39:55.279 --> 00:40:01.099
 that you would renew our emotions, that you would renew and redefine our affections, that you would

00:40:01.099 --> 00:40:08.179
 renew and redefine our longings and our will, our values, that you would, Father, that your Holy

00:40:08.179 --> 00:40:13.319
 Spirit, through your word, as we're gripped by the gospel, would do this mighty work of ongoing

00:40:13.319 --> 00:40:20.599
 transformation in our lives. Father, and we ask this in the name of Jesus, your son and our savior. Amen.