WEBVTT

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 So, after that text in Amos, which was just read, some of you might be wondering, you

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 know, probably quite valid, why is it that the Bible seems so confusing, all these weird

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 imageries, all this blood-curdling and bloodthirsty types of visions and images, odd place names.

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 It's just a lot of the Bible seems either confusing or it seems like just a bit repellent

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 because it's so bloodthirsty and violent.

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 In fact, many people might even be wondering if you're here this morning, like, why is

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 it that a church would even read such a thing like this in public?

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 Like, you know, on a Sunday morning you struggle to come here through the rain and you don't

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 want to really hear about all these things about judgment and destroying all the land

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 and destroying the deep and people being dying by the sword.

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 Like, it's not, you know, people don't sort of wake up in the morning on a Sunday and

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 say, gosh, I think I need to hear a story about massive earthly destruction today.

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 I think it'll really help my inner life and sense of peace if I spend some time thinking

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 about it.

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 That's not how Canadians wake up.

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 And it's one of the reasons, by the way, that many, many churches, if you're a person

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 who's come here this morning for a variety of reasons, you got dragged here, you got tricked

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 here or whatever, or you're in some type of a search.

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 And, you know, many people say, you know, George, it's no wonder, like, you know, churches

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 that talk about these types of things, it's not very helpful.

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 Like, look at how, like, yoga's peaceful.

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 Like, there's lots of peaceful things.

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 Star Trek, you know, Star Wars is a bit like, it has like the force.

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 It's like a bit religious.

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 It's far, like, it's better, George.

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 Don't you think it's better?

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 How can you talk about Amos in Canada in a day like today?

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 One of the things that we do, for those who are here maybe as guests, is we don't, we

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 believe that Messiah, that the best way to really learn about God and learn about ourselves

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 is to go through whole books of the Bible, where we talk about, I mean, the books, everything

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 in the Bible was originally written as a book, as an individual book, and we feel that's

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 really the best way to come to know who Jesus is and to come to know ourselves.

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 It's an honest way to look at things.

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 I'll illustrate, I mean, I just, the other day, actually, just this week I had two people

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 who had to deal with either insurance companies or car companies, and I'm not making a negative

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 comment about if you're here and you work for an insurance company, and if you're here

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 you work for a car company.

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 I'm not talking about all, if actually what I say is about you, then maybe that's one of

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 those things you need to repent of.

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 But in both cases, the person got screwed because of, sorry, maybe Andrew would have been

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 bothered that I said that.

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 Anyway, that's not too offensive, is it?

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 They got ripped off, that's the better word, maybe less offensive, because of fine print.

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 And, like, one guy that I was just talking to this week, he's probably out about 10 grand

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 because of fine print, that if he'd seen the fine print, he would have chosen a bit

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 of a different option about it.

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 And another person, it was obvious that they just were pretending that they were kind and

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 caring, but in fact they weren't.

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 They were just trying to close a deal on a car, and they were really just trying to close

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 a deal on the car.

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 I mean, basically they've learned that if you can fake being kind and caring, then you got

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 it made.

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 It helps you to be not kind and not caring and try to make money, except it didn't work

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 in this case.

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 So, you know, many of the times people wonder about Christians and about, you know, why,

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 you know, oh yeah, yeah, it all sounds good, you know, Jesus loves you, you know, the pig,

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 oh yeah, he's up there, stained glass window holding a little sheep, and he looks, but you

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 know, George, like there's all this other side about religion and about Christianity.

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 And that's one of the reasons, by going through books of the Bible, what in a sense we're

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 doing is we're saying, like what I'm telling to this is, I believe there is a God who really

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 does exist.

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 And I think there's some good philosophical arguments and other things for it, but at

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 the end of the day, I believe it because I believe that Jesus actually is God's son,

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 that he actually died upon a cross, that on the third day he actually rose from the dead,

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 that the tomb was empty, that he rose from the dead, that he proved that he was alive.

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 And it's because of him, and I trust him, that God actually speaks, he tells us about what

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 he's like, and that every human being needs to be reconciled to their creator.

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 And Jesus is God's means to reconcile creatures like you and me back to God.

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 And there's no other way other than what God has done to the person and work of Jesus.

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 Jesus.

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 And I really believe that.

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 Like, I believe it.

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 And it's because of that, I don't want anybody to say, well, you know, that we hide things

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 about what it means to be a Christian.

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 And at the end of the day, because Jesus trusted and loved the Bible, and if you go and you read

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 the Gospels, he's quoting the Bible, he's making allusions to the Bible, he says he doesn't

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 contradict a single thing in the Bible, and by that he means texts like Amos.

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 And when he actually, after he died and risen from the dead, and he appeared to his disciples,

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 on several occasions, he sends them back to read what we call the Old Testament.

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 Jewish people call it the Tanakh.

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 And he sends them back to read it because he says, I'm in that all the way through it.

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 And so that's why we read Old Testament texts like this.

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 Even if they seem a little bit bloodthirsty, they don't seem at all what Canadians are thinking

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 about.

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 They don't even seem at first as if it's what we need to think about.

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 But it really is what we need to think about.

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 You see, one of the things that's going on in this text, I'm going to have you, if you

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 have your Bibles, we're going to look at it in a moment.

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 So one of the things that's going on in this text, which is really, really important,

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 is that God actually wants to speak to every human being.

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 Like God, the thing about the Bible is it's all sorts of different types of literature

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 because people process things different ways.

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 They appreciate things different ways.

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 I've shared with you, I don't like poetry.

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 I never read poetry.

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 And when I have to preach on a poem in the Bible, it's going against the grain.

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 But I know there are many people who love poetry.

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 My former bishop, he was always quoting poetry.

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 He loved poetry.

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 I mean, he'd rather read a poem than a novel.

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 I'd much rather have a novel where somebody gets killed and then they try to figure out

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 who killed the person.

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 And that's my type of, I like that, you know?

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 I don't like poetry.

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 But that's fine.

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 The Bible's not just written for people like me.

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 It's written for all sorts of different people.

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 And that's why it's written in all sorts of different genres.

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 I've told you before, I have a good friend.

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 And she was a lawyer.

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 She'd been a lawyer for quite a few years, still is a lawyer.

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 And she was non-Christian.

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 And she started getting interested in the Christian faith.

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 And she was having a hard time figuring out how things worked.

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 And she was at a workplace thing, like an inquiry type thing.

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 And of all things, the speaker spoke on the book of Leviticus.

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 The book of Leviticus, if you're non-Christian or you don't know much about the book,

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 that's like all the law type of stuff.

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 And she said, as the sermon went on, on this long text of Leviticus, by the end of it,

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 she said, Christianity makes sense.

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 From Leviticus!

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 But she's a lawyer!

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 Like it fit with her.

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 So here's the thing.

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 I like abstract ideas.

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 I like being able to debate at an abstract level.

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 It's one of the things, it's just the way I am.

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 I know lots of people aren't.

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 So if I say to you that God is omnipotent, sovereign, omnipresent, active in his creation.

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 Now because you're good Christian boys and girls, you'll all nod and go, yeah.

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 But many of us, nothing is going on behind the eyes and between the ears.

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 I might as well have spoken to you in Turkish.

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 Because it would have had the same impact on you.

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 It doesn't mean anything at all to you.

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 For some people, abstraction thing, that's very, very good.

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 In fact, you know, images, oh my, images and movie clips, those are dangerous, you know.

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 But for others, we think in movie clips and images.

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 So one of the things at this point in time in the book of Amos is after six chapters have gone on,

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 where amongst other things, after six chapters in two different types of literary genres,

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 God has tried to communicate to the people of Israel, probably around the year 750 BC,

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 and about a massive, even though the country is very, very prosperous and very, very stable,

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 its prosperity and stability is based upon profound injustice, human suffering, and great evil.

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 And now, for the rest of the book of Amos, but especially in chapter seven, God gives three images.

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 And the images are to try to communicate in a visual way, like using words to try to create a mind,

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 a picture that God is omnipotent, sovereign, omnipresent, and holy.

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 But for those of us that that doesn't mean anything, the Bible, Amos uses three images to communicate the same thing.

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 In fact, it'd probably be better to say it's as if God gives the words for three short movie clips.

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 So let's look at them.

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 We'll look at them and then we'll see sort of, well, let's look at them.

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 The first one is verse one.

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 This is what the Lord God showed me.

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 Behold, he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout.

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 And behold, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.

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 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said, and we'll talk about what he said later.

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 Now you get this image.

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 The three different images are going to show how that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, sovereign, and holy

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 in the natural world, in the supernatural and natural world, and in the human and moral world.

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 That's what the three images are going to do, through images.

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 And so what we see here is a picture of God being all-powerful and present and sovereign

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 and holy in the natural sphere.

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 And so it's a picture as if he sees God and he sees God summoning locusts.

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 And as God summons locusts, there's an overwhelming number of locusts.

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 And then God directs the locusts to go to where Israel is and to do what locusts do naturally,

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 which is to eat everything which is green.

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 And the significance of the mowings is you might be pleased to know that even in the year 750 BC,

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 the government makes sure it gets his taxes first.

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 I get my paycheck, the taxes are gone, right?

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 Even in 750 BC, that's how it was.

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 And so what it is is that the very, very early crops, the king comes and takes them.

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 Taxes are paid.

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 You have trouble with the rest of your crops?

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 Sucks to be you.

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 But the king's got his tax.

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 And so basically the king's got his tax and that's when the locusts come.

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 And the locusts devour everything.

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 It means there's nothing to eat for a year.

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 It means famine.

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 Now the second image is in verse 4.

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 It goes like this.

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 Remember I said that it's using images

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 because some of us think in pictures

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 that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, sovereign, and holy.

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 Nothing goes on in our minds.

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 Well, here's the second image.

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 This is what the Lord, verse 4,

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 this is what the Lord God showed me.

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 Behold, the Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire

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 and it devoured the great deep

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 and was eating up the land.

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 And here we have a different image.

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 It's as if God starts to speak and call out.

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 And as he speaks and calls out, a fire comes.

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 And this is a fire that can touch what we would call

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 spiritual or supernatural things and also natural things.

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 And he calls for this fire and when the fire has come, he sends it.

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 And it's a very, very interesting image of the great deep.

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 For Amos' hearers, it would have had a double meaning.

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 For some of them, it would have meant the oceans.

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 That there's a fire that comes from God that consumes the oceans

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 and then begins to consume the land.

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 But for others, it's a place where the really bad and nasty

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 but powerful gods live.

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 And so when God calls a fire and it consumes the deep,

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 it consumes the gods.

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 It consumes the gods that you're most afraid of.

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 And they're all consumed.

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 The water, the gods, and it starts to consume the land.

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 And it all comes as God speaks.

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 We have a hard time thinking of God as omnipotent,

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 omnipresent, sovereign, and holy.

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 It doesn't do anything for us.

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 This is an image that communicates it for those of us

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 who can't think in abstractions.

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 It also actually serves as an important check for us

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 because sometimes abstractions just remain abstractions.

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 We don't think of them as being real.

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 And a vision like this is trying to communicate to us.

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 It's like, I think I've told you this before.

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 I was at a, this is a long, long time ago

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 and I'm still part of the Anglican Church of Canada.

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 And there was a workshop on demons.

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 And most, a lot of Anglican clergy,

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 they're fine with the idea of the demonic

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 as a type of a symbolism for evil

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 or maybe even a symbolism for institutional evil.

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 And it was halfway through the workshop,

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 one of the speakers said,

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 one moment,

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 you're talking about demons as if they're real.

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 And the speaker said, yeah.

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 I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

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 Like ontologically real?

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 Like not just an idea or a myth or a narrative

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 or an organizing principle,

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 but actually like real like a person?

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 Yeah?

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 Well, then,

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 then the brown stuff hit the fan

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 and the whole conversation went a different way.

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 And so actually for many of us,

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 the danger of just having the fact

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 that God is omnipotent,

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 omniscient, sovereign,

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 and holy

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 is it can just become something abstract.

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 These images help us say,

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 no, no, no, no, no,

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 that's what those big words

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 with lots of syllables mean.

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 And then the third image,

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 and you're going to have to take my word for it a little bit

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 because we're going to see in a moment

00:15:08.319 --> 00:15:09.699
 why I say what it is.

00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:11.579
 It talks about God being omnipotent,

00:15:12.059 --> 00:15:12.659
 omnipresent,

00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:14.000
 and sovereign,

00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:16.339
 and holy

00:15:16.339 --> 00:15:19.459
 in the realm of human life

00:15:19.459 --> 00:15:21.399
 and the moral order

00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:22.759
 and in institutions

00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:23.860
 and human relationships,

00:15:24.019 --> 00:15:25.259
 everything that it means to be human.

00:15:25.539 --> 00:15:27.079
 And that's in the image that comes,

00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:28.740
 the vision that comes in verse 7.

00:15:28.740 --> 00:15:31.779
 This is what he showed me.

00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:34.659
 Behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall

00:15:34.659 --> 00:15:36.039
 built with a plumb line,

00:15:36.460 --> 00:15:38.379
 with a plumb line in his hand.

00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:41.039
 And the Lord said to me,

00:15:41.080 --> 00:15:42.019
 Amos, what do you see?

00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:43.159
 And I said, a plumb line.

00:15:44.940 --> 00:15:46.840
 And we'll talk a little bit about more

00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:49.960
 what it means in terms of responding to it in a second.

00:15:50.379 --> 00:15:51.860
 But here's the image.

00:15:53.259 --> 00:15:54.799
 It's in the moral area

00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:56.240
 and the human area.

00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:58.799
 He sees the Lord.

00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:01.720
 He sees the Lord holding a plumb line.

00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:03.240
 I mean, nowadays they use lasers

00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:04.159
 and stuff like that, right?

00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:05.940
 It's a heavy weight at the end of a rope

00:16:05.940 --> 00:16:07.440
 that shows you what's vertical.

00:16:08.500 --> 00:16:09.960
 And there's a plumb line

00:16:09.960 --> 00:16:12.320
 and there's God holding a plumb line

00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:14.580
 and beside God is a wall

00:16:14.580 --> 00:16:17.240
 that's been built properly

00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:18.560
 according to a plumb line.

00:16:19.620 --> 00:16:20.980
 And it's an image

00:16:20.980 --> 00:16:22.740
 for the fact,

00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:24.519
 as what's going to come and see here,

00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:25.740
 is that God's plumb line

00:16:25.740 --> 00:16:27.759
 is going to be in Israel

00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:29.340
 and it won't be taken away.

00:16:30.519 --> 00:16:31.980
 And it's an image

00:16:31.980 --> 00:16:34.000
 that God desires

00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:37.600
 to build human lives

00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:39.480
 and human institutions

00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:40.899
 and human endeavors

00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:43.720
 according to his plumb line.

00:16:43.720 --> 00:16:47.840
 And those that aren't built

00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:49.320
 according to his plumb line,

00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:51.279
 as we'll see in the rest of the interaction,

00:16:51.860 --> 00:16:52.920
 will be destroyed.

00:16:54.360 --> 00:16:55.960
 And it's an image

00:16:55.960 --> 00:16:57.080
 of God being present

00:16:57.080 --> 00:16:58.180
 in human affairs

00:16:58.180 --> 00:17:01.639
 in a real way,

00:17:02.040 --> 00:17:03.500
 with real expectations

00:17:03.500 --> 00:17:04.720
 about how important institutions

00:17:05.259 --> 00:17:06.180
 should work,

00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:06.720
 like families

00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:08.759
 and marriage

00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:10.640
 and business endeavors

00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:14.720
 and government.

00:17:16.859 --> 00:17:18.119
 And that there's a way

00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:20.480
 that if God's presence

00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:21.519
 and purpose

00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:22.940
 and character

00:17:22.940 --> 00:17:24.640
 and law

00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:25.519
 and grace

00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:26.220
 and mercy

00:17:26.220 --> 00:17:26.980
 and love,

00:17:27.799 --> 00:17:28.640
 which is all

00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:29.819
 what's sort of imitated

00:17:29.819 --> 00:17:30.980
 and talked about here

00:17:30.980 --> 00:17:31.980
 with this plumb line,

00:17:32.980 --> 00:17:34.460
 that there's a way

00:17:34.460 --> 00:17:35.379
 that that should lead

00:17:35.379 --> 00:17:36.980
 to a type of human flourishing

00:17:36.980 --> 00:17:38.160
 that fits

00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:39.480
 with the created order

00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:40.200
 and there's a way

00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:40.860
 that it doesn't

00:17:40.860 --> 00:17:42.660
 and eventually God will destroy it.

00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:43.259
 There'll be judgment.

00:17:45.339 --> 00:17:46.740
 So that's the beginning.

00:17:46.860 --> 00:17:47.440
 And part of the reason

00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:48.720
 it's confusing for us

00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:49.440
 is that

00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:51.019
 in our culture

00:17:51.019 --> 00:17:52.360
 it's not the way

00:17:52.360 --> 00:17:53.860
 most people think about God.

00:17:56.579 --> 00:17:58.120
 And that's part of the reason

00:17:58.120 --> 00:17:59.440
 it's confusing to us.

00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:01.980
 Because it's not the way

00:18:01.980 --> 00:18:03.120
 we think of God

00:18:03.120 --> 00:18:04.240
 as judging

00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:06.319
 and as being sovereign

00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:07.759
 over these types of areas.

00:18:08.679 --> 00:18:09.220
 In fact,

00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:10.019
 in a sense,

00:18:11.019 --> 00:18:11.879
 relative to what

00:18:11.879 --> 00:18:12.500
 most Canadians

00:18:12.500 --> 00:18:13.419
 think of as God,

00:18:13.539 --> 00:18:14.399
 I would be an atheist.

00:18:14.539 --> 00:18:14.919
 I don't believe

00:18:14.919 --> 00:18:15.939
 that God exists.

00:18:17.899 --> 00:18:18.859
 But if you think about it

00:18:18.859 --> 00:18:19.220
 for a second,

00:18:19.419 --> 00:18:20.339
 and this text here

00:18:20.339 --> 00:18:21.179
 isn't going to try to prove

00:18:21.179 --> 00:18:21.939
 that God exists,

00:18:22.039 --> 00:18:22.480
 by the way.

00:18:23.339 --> 00:18:24.259
 And I'm not going to

00:18:24.259 --> 00:18:24.700
 in this sermon

00:18:24.700 --> 00:18:25.339
 try to prove

00:18:25.339 --> 00:18:26.359
 that God exists.

00:18:26.819 --> 00:18:28.220
 But if you think about it

00:18:28.220 --> 00:18:28.679
 for a second,

00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:30.879
 the God that most Canadians

00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:31.880
 think of

00:18:31.880 --> 00:18:34.600
 is,

00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:36.900
 I mean,

00:18:36.940 --> 00:18:37.280
 you know what,

00:18:37.320 --> 00:18:38.640
 you go to a better place,

00:18:39.800 --> 00:18:40.100
 you know,

00:18:40.120 --> 00:18:41.100
 he's kind and loving,

00:18:41.740 --> 00:18:42.940
 she's kind and loving,

00:18:43.100 --> 00:18:44.120
 it's kind and loving,

00:18:44.280 --> 00:18:45.200
 it's like a force,

00:18:45.280 --> 00:18:46.160
 it's through everything.

00:18:47.160 --> 00:18:47.580
 You know,

00:18:47.580 --> 00:18:50.360
 it has less character

00:18:50.359 --> 00:18:53.259
 and less reality

00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:54.359
 or and less...

00:18:57.419 --> 00:18:57.819
 Like,

00:18:57.879 --> 00:18:58.500
 if you described

00:18:58.500 --> 00:18:59.279
 a human being

00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:00.399
 in those terms,

00:19:00.919 --> 00:19:01.339
 would you think

00:19:01.339 --> 00:19:02.159
 that was attractive?

00:19:03.879 --> 00:19:04.719
 And what human being,

00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:04.919
 like,

00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:05.339
 in fact,

00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:06.199
 if you talked about

00:19:06.199 --> 00:19:07.639
 somebody in those ways,

00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:08.839
 you'd probably,

00:19:09.019 --> 00:19:09.159
 like,

00:19:09.179 --> 00:19:09.839
 if you had a friend

00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:10.559
 that you described

00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:11.299
 in those same ways,

00:19:11.379 --> 00:19:11.899
 you'd say,

00:19:11.979 --> 00:19:12.859
 that person has to start

00:19:12.859 --> 00:19:13.439
 to learn to have

00:19:13.439 --> 00:19:14.839
 some self-assertion.

00:19:16.819 --> 00:19:17.219
 Like,

00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:17.939
 two-year-olds

00:19:17.939 --> 00:19:18.799
 aren't like that.

00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:21.699
 People aren't like that.

00:19:22.339 --> 00:19:23.319
 Why is it that we think

00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:24.419
 that God's like that?

00:19:24.539 --> 00:19:24.619
 Like,

00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:25.599
 shouldn't that be

00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:27.000
 a little bit of a clue to us

00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:28.079
 that the type of God

00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:29.099
 that most Canadians

00:19:29.099 --> 00:19:30.579
 think of as being God

00:19:30.579 --> 00:19:32.199
 can't possibly be God?

00:19:33.139 --> 00:19:33.879
 Or if it is,

00:19:33.919 --> 00:19:34.459
 it's a God

00:19:34.459 --> 00:19:35.599
 who needs therapy

00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:37.259
 or something.

00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:38.339
 Like,

00:19:38.379 --> 00:19:38.819
 come on,

00:19:38.919 --> 00:19:40.139
 stand up for yourself.

00:19:41.099 --> 00:19:41.379
 Like,

00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:42.419
 tell us something

00:19:42.419 --> 00:19:43.359
 about yourself.

00:19:43.879 --> 00:19:44.199
 You know?

00:19:45.740 --> 00:19:46.119
 And yet,

00:19:46.339 --> 00:19:47.059
 most Canadians,

00:19:47.259 --> 00:19:48.119
 because most Canadians

00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:49.099
 think the same way,

00:19:49.219 --> 00:19:50.339
 just as in Amos,

00:19:50.339 --> 00:19:51.139
 when he's speaking

00:19:51.139 --> 00:19:51.819
 to Israel,

00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:53.500
 Israel has gotten

00:19:53.500 --> 00:19:54.179
 so accustomed

00:19:54.179 --> 00:19:55.019
 to speaking of God

00:19:55.019 --> 00:19:56.099
 in a similar type of way

00:19:56.099 --> 00:19:56.779
 that it's a complete

00:19:56.779 --> 00:19:58.079
 and utter shock to them

00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:00.079
 to hear that God

00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:00.939
 might be something

00:20:00.939 --> 00:20:02.240
 completely and utterly

00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:02.919
 different

00:20:02.919 --> 00:20:04.220
 than that their

00:20:04.220 --> 00:20:05.539
 educational institutions,

00:20:05.740 --> 00:20:06.980
 their religious institutions,

00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:09.679
 their legal institutions,

00:20:09.919 --> 00:20:10.980
 government institutions,

00:20:11.679 --> 00:20:13.059
 the entertainment institutions,

00:20:13.059 --> 00:20:13.740
 all the way

00:20:13.740 --> 00:20:14.639
 that they talk about God,

00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:15.599
 that that view of God

00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:16.679
 might be wrong.

00:20:16.680 --> 00:20:16.799
 wrong.

00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:19.420
 Not true.

00:20:20.860 --> 00:20:21.880
 And in some ways,

00:20:21.960 --> 00:20:22.140
 then,

00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:23.000
 what goes on here

00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:23.519
 in Canada

00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:24.539
 is the very same thing

00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:25.220
 that's going on

00:20:25.220 --> 00:20:26.279
 in Israel.

00:20:27.840 --> 00:20:28.560
 And it's a bit

00:20:28.560 --> 00:20:29.740
 of a shock to us

00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:31.220
 to hear a text

00:20:31.220 --> 00:20:31.880
 like this.

00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:33.920
 So, I mean,

00:20:33.940 --> 00:20:34.700
 I just want to suggest

00:20:34.700 --> 00:20:34.980
 to you,

00:20:35.019 --> 00:20:35.640
 this text isn't going

00:20:35.640 --> 00:20:35.940
 to argue,

00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:36.620
 but I'm going to just say,

00:20:36.660 --> 00:20:37.340
 if you think about it

00:20:37.340 --> 00:20:37.940
 for a second,

00:20:38.420 --> 00:20:39.820
 it's far more likely

00:20:39.820 --> 00:20:41.060
 that if God exists,

00:20:41.140 --> 00:20:42.340
 he's something like this

00:20:42.340 --> 00:20:43.039
 than the way

00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:43.660
 most Canadians

00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:44.380
 think of God.

00:20:46.900 --> 00:20:47.480
 Because the way

00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:48.080
 most Canadians

00:20:48.080 --> 00:20:48.640
 think of God

00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:49.540
 doesn't make sense.

00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:51.980
 Doesn't sound real.

00:20:52.580 --> 00:20:52.940
 It's not like

00:20:52.940 --> 00:20:54.000
 the way real things are.

00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:56.360
 Now,

00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:57.400
 some of you might say,

00:20:57.480 --> 00:20:57.840
 okay, George,

00:20:57.880 --> 00:20:58.680
 that might be true,

00:20:58.779 --> 00:20:59.400
 but gosh,

00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:00.120
 you sure hope

00:21:00.120 --> 00:21:01.160
 that that isn't true.

00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:02.440
 Like, George,

00:21:02.540 --> 00:21:02.940
 don't you think

00:21:02.940 --> 00:21:03.600
 that's a bit of a

00:21:03.600 --> 00:21:04.600
 bloodthirsty,

00:21:04.800 --> 00:21:05.759
 blood-curdling,

00:21:06.019 --> 00:21:07.060
 violent God?

00:21:11.740 --> 00:21:12.300
 Well, I,

00:21:12.300 --> 00:21:12.400
 I,

00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:14.860
 to God,

00:21:14.940 --> 00:21:15.480
 you need to take

00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:16.340
 seriously.

00:21:18.740 --> 00:21:19.240
 But I,

00:21:19.380 --> 00:21:19.980
 I've only given you

00:21:19.980 --> 00:21:20.200
 the,

00:21:20.200 --> 00:21:20.480
 the,

00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:21.160
 the visions,

00:21:21.780 --> 00:21:22.420
 and the visions

00:21:22.420 --> 00:21:23.140
 take place

00:21:23.140 --> 00:21:24.300
 within conversation

00:21:24.300 --> 00:21:24.920
 and dialogue,

00:21:25.240 --> 00:21:26.440
 and you need to see

00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:27.180
 the rest of it

00:21:27.180 --> 00:21:28.340
 before you start

00:21:28.340 --> 00:21:29.160
 to have a view

00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:29.840
 of what the Bible

00:21:29.840 --> 00:21:30.420
 is really trying

00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:31.280
 to communicate here,

00:21:31.340 --> 00:21:31.880
 because it's trying

00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:32.900
 to communicate something

00:21:32.900 --> 00:21:33.940
 not only about

00:21:33.940 --> 00:21:34.660
 who God is,

00:21:34.740 --> 00:21:35.600
 but what it means

00:21:35.600 --> 00:21:36.360
 to be human,

00:21:36.700 --> 00:21:37.460
 and what it means

00:21:37.460 --> 00:21:38.000
 to flourish

00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:39.019
 as human beings.

00:21:39.620 --> 00:21:40.420
 And so the images

00:21:40.420 --> 00:21:41.259
 are there to catch

00:21:41.259 --> 00:21:41.880
 your attention,

00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:42.380
 but you need

00:21:42.380 --> 00:21:43.040
 to understand

00:21:43.040 --> 00:21:44.320
 how Amos

00:21:44.320 --> 00:21:45.440
 and how God

00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:46.440
 talked to each other

00:21:46.440 --> 00:21:47.080
 about the different

00:21:47.080 --> 00:21:47.740
 images and what

00:21:47.740 --> 00:21:48.160
 they reveal.

00:21:48.280 --> 00:21:48.660
 So if it,

00:21:48.760 --> 00:21:48.860
 this,

00:21:48.980 --> 00:21:49.480
 let's go back

00:21:49.480 --> 00:21:50.180
 and look again

00:21:50.180 --> 00:21:51.120
 at what happens.

00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:51.780
 I said I'd speak

00:21:51.780 --> 00:21:52.080
 about it,

00:21:52.100 --> 00:21:52.320
 and I will.

00:21:52.420 --> 00:21:53.880
 Look at chapter 7,

00:21:54.360 --> 00:21:55.000
 verse 1.

00:21:55.260 --> 00:21:55.660
 Now you've got

00:21:55.660 --> 00:21:56.140
 the images

00:21:56.140 --> 00:21:57.100
 that God is

00:21:57.100 --> 00:21:57.860
 omnipotent,

00:21:58.000 --> 00:21:59.240
 that he's omnipresent,

00:21:59.600 --> 00:22:00.620
 that he's sovereign,

00:22:01.040 --> 00:22:02.000
 that he's holy.

00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:04.660
 Omnipresent means

00:22:04.660 --> 00:22:05.660
 he's closer to you

00:22:05.660 --> 00:22:06.099
 than you are

00:22:06.099 --> 00:22:06.680
 to your breath,

00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:08.920
 closer to you

00:22:08.920 --> 00:22:09.599
 than your mind

00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:10.099
 is to you,

00:22:10.180 --> 00:22:10.740
 closer to you

00:22:10.740 --> 00:22:11.339
 than your thoughts

00:22:11.339 --> 00:22:11.599
 are to you.

00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:11.880
 That's what

00:22:11.880 --> 00:22:12.920
 omnipresent means.

00:22:13.299 --> 00:22:14.299
 He's also transcendent,

00:22:14.339 --> 00:22:15.259
 he's completely different,

00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:16.420
 he's all-powerful.

00:22:18.140 --> 00:22:18.940
 But the text

00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:19.519
 is communicating

00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:20.099
 this in images,

00:22:20.200 --> 00:22:20.880
 so here's the first

00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:21.720
 image and what happens.

00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:22.339
 This is what

00:22:22.339 --> 00:22:22.940
 the Lord God

00:22:22.940 --> 00:22:23.500
 showed me.

00:22:23.859 --> 00:22:24.259
 Behold,

00:22:24.359 --> 00:22:24.940
 he was forming

00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:26.319
 locusts when the

00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:26.880
 latter growth

00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:27.579
 was just beginning

00:22:27.579 --> 00:22:28.119
 to sprout,

00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:28.680
 and behold,

00:22:28.779 --> 00:22:29.339
 it was the latter

00:22:29.339 --> 00:22:30.099
 growth after the

00:22:30.099 --> 00:22:30.980
 king's mowings.

00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:32.059
 When they had

00:22:32.059 --> 00:22:32.640
 finished eating

00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:33.460
 the grass of the land,

00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:33.720
 I said,

00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:34.880
 Oh Lord God,

00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:35.880
 please forgive!

00:22:36.900 --> 00:22:37.960
 How can Jacob,

00:22:38.039 --> 00:22:38.700
 that means Israel,

00:22:39.079 --> 00:22:40.660
 how can Jacob stand?

00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:42.880
 He is so small.

00:22:44.360 --> 00:22:45.640
 The Lord relented

00:22:45.640 --> 00:22:46.940
 concerning this.

00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:48.079
 Notice that,

00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:48.980
 the Lord relented

00:22:48.980 --> 00:22:51.319
 as Amos called out.

00:22:52.200 --> 00:22:53.299
 It shall not be,

00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:54.460
 said the Lord.

00:22:55.059 --> 00:22:56.259
 It shall not be.

00:22:57.099 --> 00:22:57.380
 Now,

00:22:57.500 --> 00:22:58.579
 just a bit of a pause

00:22:58.579 --> 00:22:59.299
 here before we get

00:22:59.299 --> 00:23:00.019
 into some other things.

00:23:00.019 --> 00:23:01.079
 Here's a real challenge

00:23:01.079 --> 00:23:01.539
 for us.

00:23:02.180 --> 00:23:03.299
 Many Christians,

00:23:03.579 --> 00:23:04.480
 and if you're here

00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:05.519
 as a guest this morning,

00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:06.099
 you're still trying

00:23:06.099 --> 00:23:06.480
 to figure out

00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:07.299
 the Christian faith,

00:23:07.799 --> 00:23:08.359
 or as I said,

00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:08.940
 you got tricked

00:23:08.940 --> 00:23:09.700
 to come in here,

00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:10.240
 you came here

00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:10.940
 to get out of the rain

00:23:10.940 --> 00:23:11.339
 or whatever.

00:23:11.980 --> 00:23:12.579
 Hopefully I'll have

00:23:12.579 --> 00:23:13.180
 lots of coffee

00:23:13.180 --> 00:23:14.019
 with us later on.

00:23:14.460 --> 00:23:16.319
 But here's the thing

00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:17.139
 which is a real challenge

00:23:17.139 --> 00:23:17.740
 for those of us

00:23:17.740 --> 00:23:18.279
 who are Christians.

00:23:18.420 --> 00:23:19.000
 We lament

00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:19.799
 what's going on

00:23:19.799 --> 00:23:20.980
 in parts of our culture.

00:23:21.180 --> 00:23:21.960
 Part of Canada,

00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:23.500
 there's a whole part

00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:24.039
 of Canada

00:23:24.039 --> 00:23:25.379
 that's increasingly

00:23:25.379 --> 00:23:27.160
 embracing the culture

00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:27.740
 of death.

00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:30.019
 And as well

00:23:30.019 --> 00:23:30.779
 for Christians,

00:23:30.900 --> 00:23:31.759
 especially Christians

00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:32.779
 who are older,

00:23:33.980 --> 00:23:35.180
 the fact that the church

00:23:35.180 --> 00:23:36.100
 and the Christian faith

00:23:36.100 --> 00:23:36.460
 used to have

00:23:36.460 --> 00:23:37.460
 a privileged position

00:23:37.460 --> 00:23:38.360
 in our culture

00:23:38.360 --> 00:23:39.400
 and in our country

00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:40.360
 that that's gone,

00:23:40.500 --> 00:23:41.440
 completely gone.

00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:41.860
 In fact,

00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:42.660
 that the opposite

00:23:42.660 --> 00:23:43.620
 is increasing.

00:23:44.180 --> 00:23:45.560
 It's very worrisome.

00:23:46.080 --> 00:23:47.180
 But here's the thing.

00:23:47.220 --> 00:23:48.040
 Do you notice this?

00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:49.160
 Amos intercedes

00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:51.720
 for his nation

00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:52.480
 and his city?

00:23:53.820 --> 00:23:55.080
 And this is a challenge

00:23:55.080 --> 00:23:56.580
 to every single one of us.

00:23:57.300 --> 00:23:58.360
 Do we intercede

00:23:58.360 --> 00:23:59.000
 for Canada?

00:24:00.100 --> 00:24:01.600
 Do we intercede

00:24:01.600 --> 00:24:03.080
 for Ontario?

00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:05.380
 Do we intercede

00:24:05.380 --> 00:24:06.019
 for Ottawa?

00:24:06.660 --> 00:24:07.500
 For those of you

00:24:07.500 --> 00:24:08.120
 who come from

00:24:08.120 --> 00:24:09.160
 La Belle Provence,

00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:11.100
 do you intercede

00:24:11.100 --> 00:24:12.540
 for Gatineau?

00:24:13.259 --> 00:24:14.420
 And do you intercede

00:24:14.420 --> 00:24:14.900
 for Quebec?

00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:18.779
 Amos isn't said,

00:24:18.779 --> 00:24:19.960
 God doesn't say to Amos,

00:24:20.059 --> 00:24:20.519
 what do you mean

00:24:20.519 --> 00:24:21.680
 giving me lip?

00:24:22.819 --> 00:24:23.879
 That's not what God says.

00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:26.519
 God relents.

00:24:27.379 --> 00:24:27.559
 See,

00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:28.819
 there's a mystery here

00:24:28.819 --> 00:24:29.819
 that the Bible

00:24:29.819 --> 00:24:30.720
 just talks about.

00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:31.859
 It just shows it,

00:24:31.899 --> 00:24:33.099
 but it never explains it.

00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:34.059
 There's a mystery here.

00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:35.639
 It portrays God

00:24:35.639 --> 00:24:37.759
 as transcendent,

00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:38.819
 as omnipotent,

00:24:38.940 --> 00:24:39.879
 as omniscient,

00:24:40.019 --> 00:24:40.740
 as sovereign,

00:24:40.920 --> 00:24:41.639
 as holy,

00:24:42.099 --> 00:24:43.059
 as being one

00:24:43.059 --> 00:24:44.619
 who can call locusts,

00:24:44.619 --> 00:24:46.579
 who can call fire

00:24:46.579 --> 00:24:47.619
 that devours idols

00:24:47.619 --> 00:24:49.579
 and spiritual presences

00:24:49.579 --> 00:24:50.439
 in the land

00:24:50.439 --> 00:24:51.099
 and water

00:24:51.099 --> 00:24:52.839
 and is present

00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:53.619
 in the moral order.

00:24:53.859 --> 00:24:54.799
 Yet at the same time,

00:24:54.839 --> 00:24:55.979
 what it portrays

00:24:55.979 --> 00:24:57.139
 is that God,

00:24:57.319 --> 00:24:59.219
 as he's working,

00:25:01.219 --> 00:25:02.619
 he listens to the prayers

00:25:02.619 --> 00:25:03.359
 of his people.

00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:06.559
 And yes,

00:25:06.619 --> 00:25:07.899
 that is mind-boggling.

00:25:08.679 --> 00:25:09.539
 It's one of those things

00:25:09.539 --> 00:25:10.779
 to use an Irish expression

00:25:10.779 --> 00:25:12.299
 that's gobsmacking.

00:25:12.299 --> 00:25:17.180
 But that's what it's trying

00:25:17.180 --> 00:25:17.720
 to portray.

00:25:18.099 --> 00:25:19.299
 It's telling us,

00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:20.940
 amongst other things,

00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:22.539
 to intercede for our city

00:25:22.539 --> 00:25:24.740
 and intercede for our nation.

00:25:27.220 --> 00:25:28.539
 But you see,

00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:29.500
 the other thing

00:25:29.500 --> 00:25:30.419
 which is going on here

00:25:30.419 --> 00:25:30.940
 in the text,

00:25:31.039 --> 00:25:31.579
 which is really,

00:25:31.779 --> 00:25:32.099
 really important

00:25:32.099 --> 00:25:32.659
 before we get

00:25:32.659 --> 00:25:33.240
 to the other

00:25:33.240 --> 00:25:34.559
 different images,

00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:36.639
 is that

00:25:36.639 --> 00:25:40.519
 look at what he says.

00:25:40.519 --> 00:25:42.200
 Look at how Amos intercedes

00:25:42.200 --> 00:25:42.980
 for,

00:25:43.379 --> 00:25:44.259
 and he's going to intercede

00:25:44.259 --> 00:25:45.099
 for this twice

00:25:45.099 --> 00:25:47.019
 in verse 2

00:25:47.019 --> 00:25:48.500
 and in verse 5.

00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:50.339
 Verse 2 again,

00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:51.139
 Oh Lord God,

00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:51.839
 please forgive.

00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:53.440
 How can Jacob stand?

00:25:53.559 --> 00:25:54.139
 And what does it say?

00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:54.480
 Why?

00:25:54.980 --> 00:25:56.180
 He is so small.

00:25:57.480 --> 00:25:58.920
 Now let me ask you this.

00:25:59.619 --> 00:26:00.279
 Do you think

00:26:00.279 --> 00:26:00.819
 that if you went

00:26:00.819 --> 00:26:01.619
 to the Supreme Court

00:26:01.619 --> 00:26:02.180
 of Canada

00:26:02.180 --> 00:26:03.660
 and sat in

00:26:03.660 --> 00:26:04.319
 on their meetings,

00:26:04.420 --> 00:26:05.279
 they'd begin their meetings

00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:05.740
 by saying,

00:26:05.740 --> 00:26:06.740
 let's just all remember,

00:26:07.980 --> 00:26:08.500
 Canada

00:26:08.500 --> 00:26:11.359
 and all that goes on here,

00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:11.960
 we're small

00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:12.740
 and God is big.

00:26:13.819 --> 00:26:14.539
 I think that's how

00:26:14.539 --> 00:26:15.400
 they begin their meetings

00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:16.339
 and their deliberations.

00:26:16.460 --> 00:26:16.779
 Do you think

00:26:16.779 --> 00:26:17.620
 the Liberal Cabinet,

00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:18.720
 and I'm not playing

00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:19.559
 partisan politics,

00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:20.039
 do you think

00:26:20.039 --> 00:26:21.220
 the Conservative Cabinet

00:26:21.220 --> 00:26:22.920
 began their meetings

00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:23.359
 by saying,

00:26:23.420 --> 00:26:24.200
 I just want you all

00:26:24.200 --> 00:26:24.799
 to remember,

00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:28.299
 we're small

00:26:28.299 --> 00:26:29.120
 and God is big.

00:26:29.880 --> 00:26:30.180
 Okay,

00:26:30.220 --> 00:26:30.720
 let's think.

00:26:32.120 --> 00:26:32.779
 Do you think

00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:33.559
 that's how they think

00:26:33.559 --> 00:26:34.380
 at the CBC?

00:26:34.380 --> 00:26:35.720
 Do you think

00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:36.340
 in the Faculty

00:26:36.340 --> 00:26:37.660
 of University of Toronto,

00:26:38.060 --> 00:26:38.840
 University of Ottawa,

00:26:39.100 --> 00:26:39.500
 Carleton?

00:26:40.560 --> 00:26:40.980
 Do you think

00:26:40.980 --> 00:26:41.400
 that's how

00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:42.120
 when the executive

00:26:42.120 --> 00:26:42.740
 of Google

00:26:42.740 --> 00:26:43.500
 gets together

00:26:43.500 --> 00:26:44.180
 that they say

00:26:44.180 --> 00:26:44.720
 to themselves,

00:26:44.920 --> 00:26:45.520
 just remember,

00:26:46.100 --> 00:26:47.700
 we're small,

00:26:48.420 --> 00:26:49.220
 God is big.

00:26:50.660 --> 00:26:51.620
 It's not part

00:26:51.620 --> 00:26:52.780
 of the self-identity

00:26:52.780 --> 00:26:54.180
 of Canada

00:26:54.180 --> 00:26:55.420
 or of corporations,

00:26:55.900 --> 00:26:57.220
 of Hollywood.

00:26:58.360 --> 00:26:59.180
 It's not how

00:26:59.180 --> 00:27:00.560
 we understand ourselves.

00:27:01.700 --> 00:27:02.180
 And in fact,

00:27:02.300 --> 00:27:02.640
 actually,

00:27:02.780 --> 00:27:03.460
 probably for many

00:27:03.460 --> 00:27:03.860
 of the people

00:27:03.860 --> 00:27:04.260
 that I've just

00:27:04.259 --> 00:27:04.539
 mentioned,

00:27:04.619 --> 00:27:05.180
 but maybe not

00:27:05.180 --> 00:27:05.619
 all of them.

00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:06.240
 You don't want

00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:07.039
 to be presumptuous.

00:27:07.140 --> 00:27:07.900
 It would be offensive.

00:27:10.619 --> 00:27:10.940
 See,

00:27:10.980 --> 00:27:11.500
 one of the things

00:27:11.500 --> 00:27:11.940
 that Amos

00:27:11.940 --> 00:27:12.900
 is trying to communicate

00:27:12.900 --> 00:27:14.019
 week in and week out,

00:27:14.099 --> 00:27:14.819
 and I know that Daniel

00:27:14.819 --> 00:27:15.500
 and I have shared

00:27:15.500 --> 00:27:16.019
 the sermons

00:27:16.019 --> 00:27:16.740
 and I haven't yet

00:27:16.740 --> 00:27:17.220
 had a chance

00:27:17.220 --> 00:27:17.940
 to listen to Daniel

00:27:17.940 --> 00:27:18.960
 and we all come,

00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:19.259
 you know,

00:27:19.299 --> 00:27:20.019
 there's different things

00:27:20.019 --> 00:27:21.220
 that the Bible

00:27:21.220 --> 00:27:21.940
 really calls on

00:27:21.940 --> 00:27:22.660
 and speaks out to us,

00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:23.579
 but the Bible

00:27:23.579 --> 00:27:24.359
 wants to regulate,

00:27:24.579 --> 00:27:25.480
 Amos is a book

00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:26.119
 that wants to,

00:27:26.299 --> 00:27:26.500
 really,

00:27:26.619 --> 00:27:27.180
 these visions

00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:27.980
 are so important

00:27:27.980 --> 00:27:28.759
 to the book of Amos.

00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:31.039
 Canada thinks

00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:31.759
 that God

00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:32.559
 is small

00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:34.099
 and people

00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:34.660
 are big

00:27:34.660 --> 00:27:36.119
 and institutions

00:27:36.119 --> 00:27:36.700
 are big

00:27:36.700 --> 00:27:37.240
 and movements

00:27:37.240 --> 00:27:37.759
 are big

00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:38.259
 and banks

00:27:38.259 --> 00:27:38.720
 are big

00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:39.140
 and money

00:27:39.140 --> 00:27:39.779
 is big

00:27:39.779 --> 00:27:40.819
 and social progress

00:27:40.819 --> 00:27:41.500
 is big

00:27:41.500 --> 00:27:42.680
 and being progressive

00:27:42.680 --> 00:27:43.119
 is big

00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:43.660
 and all of these

00:27:43.660 --> 00:27:44.339
 things are big

00:27:44.339 --> 00:27:45.099
 and God is really,

00:27:45.220 --> 00:27:45.740
 really tiny

00:27:45.740 --> 00:27:46.359
 and small.

00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:49.379
 And we breathe that in.

00:27:49.460 --> 00:27:50.059
 We breathe it in

00:27:50.059 --> 00:27:50.779
 when we go to school.

00:27:50.900 --> 00:27:51.420
 We breathe it in

00:27:51.420 --> 00:27:52.200
 when we go to work.

00:27:52.279 --> 00:27:52.859
 We breathe it in

00:27:52.859 --> 00:27:53.920
 when we go to Tim Hortons

00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:54.839
 or we go to Starbucks.

00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:55.660
 We breathe it in

00:27:55.660 --> 00:27:56.579
 when we read the newspaper.

00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:57.319
 We breathe it in

00:27:57.319 --> 00:27:57.859
 when we read,

00:27:58.319 --> 00:27:59.400
 when we watch the movies

00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:00.259
 and we breathe it in

00:28:00.259 --> 00:28:01.000
 and we breathe it in

00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:01.700
 and we breathe it in

00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:02.240
 and it's easy

00:28:02.240 --> 00:28:03.100
 to start to become

00:28:03.100 --> 00:28:04.100
 that part of our spirit

00:28:04.100 --> 00:28:04.519
 or the way

00:28:04.519 --> 00:28:05.519
 that we follow Jesus

00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:06.920
 is that in our heart

00:28:06.920 --> 00:28:07.320
 of hearts

00:28:07.320 --> 00:28:08.360
 we sort of see

00:28:08.360 --> 00:28:09.180
 that God is getting

00:28:09.180 --> 00:28:10.140
 smaller and smaller

00:28:10.140 --> 00:28:10.580
 and smaller

00:28:10.580 --> 00:28:11.380
 and all of these things

00:28:11.380 --> 00:28:12.200
 are very, very big

00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:12.620
 and that's how

00:28:12.620 --> 00:28:13.280
 the world looks.

00:28:13.900 --> 00:28:14.500
 And Amos

00:28:14.500 --> 00:28:16.160
 is trying to shock us

00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:16.519
 and say,

00:28:16.620 --> 00:28:16.980
 no, no.

00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:18.840
 God is big.

00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:20.860
 Google,

00:28:21.259 --> 00:28:22.140
 that's smaller.

00:28:23.140 --> 00:28:24.100
 That's smaller

00:28:24.100 --> 00:28:25.500
 than the Down Syndrome

00:28:25.500 --> 00:28:27.120
 child you saw

00:28:27.120 --> 00:28:28.200
 in Tim Hortons

00:28:28.200 --> 00:28:28.759
 yesterday.

00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:32.200
 Google will come

00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:32.759
 to an end.

00:28:32.940 --> 00:28:34.600
 That young child

00:28:34.600 --> 00:28:36.800
 will live forever

00:28:36.800 --> 00:28:37.860
 in eternity.

00:28:39.280 --> 00:28:40.340
 And even though

00:28:40.340 --> 00:28:41.640
 individuals are bigger

00:28:41.640 --> 00:28:42.880
 than institutions

00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:46.040
 and countries,

00:28:47.259 --> 00:28:48.800
 how many people

00:28:48.800 --> 00:28:49.680
 spend all their time

00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:50.180
 thinking about

00:28:50.180 --> 00:28:51.480
 Nortel stocks today?

00:28:52.820 --> 00:28:53.660
 Well, maybe some of you

00:28:53.660 --> 00:28:54.860
 who lost your shirt on it

00:28:54.860 --> 00:28:55.920
 think about it occasionally,

00:28:56.920 --> 00:28:58.560
 but the rest of us

00:28:58.560 --> 00:28:58.920
 don't.

00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:03.019
 And the Bible here

00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:04.120
 is trying to help us

00:29:04.120 --> 00:29:04.660
 to understand

00:29:04.660 --> 00:29:05.640
 that God is big.

00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:08.740
 People are small.

00:29:09.600 --> 00:29:10.180
 Now, some of you

00:29:10.180 --> 00:29:10.560
 might say,

00:29:10.620 --> 00:29:10.780
 George,

00:29:10.820 --> 00:29:11.300
 that's a very,

00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:12.740
 very worrisome idea.

00:29:13.320 --> 00:29:14.200
 Whoa, that's a

00:29:14.200 --> 00:29:15.019
 worrisome idea.

00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:16.200
 George,

00:29:16.259 --> 00:29:16.940
 haven't you seen

00:29:16.940 --> 00:29:17.600
 what it's like?

00:29:17.700 --> 00:29:18.660
 Like, look at some

00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:19.740
 cultures and some

00:29:19.740 --> 00:29:20.920
 religions where God

00:29:20.920 --> 00:29:21.820
 seems to be really,

00:29:21.900 --> 00:29:22.780
 really, really big

00:29:22.779 --> 00:29:24.899
 and it just seems

00:29:24.899 --> 00:29:25.920
 to crush people.

00:29:26.180 --> 00:29:26.639
 It just seems

00:29:26.639 --> 00:29:27.440
 to crush people.

00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:28.859
 George, if you knew,

00:29:29.379 --> 00:29:30.000
 you know, if you knew

00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:30.960
 what it was like in Quebec

00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:32.460
 in the 1950s

00:29:32.460 --> 00:29:32.980
 and the way they

00:29:32.980 --> 00:29:34.099
 talked about the church

00:29:34.099 --> 00:29:34.700
 and God

00:29:34.700 --> 00:29:35.420
 and religious things,

00:29:35.460 --> 00:29:36.500
 it just crushed the people.

00:29:36.619 --> 00:29:37.200
 George, if you look

00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:38.660
 in places like Saudi Arabia

00:29:38.660 --> 00:29:39.259
 where God,

00:29:39.720 --> 00:29:40.619
 at least on the surface,

00:29:40.619 --> 00:29:41.500
 seems to be big

00:29:41.500 --> 00:29:42.660
 and people just get crushed.

00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:43.359
 Like, George,

00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:44.019
 you look at what happens

00:29:44.019 --> 00:29:44.619
 with the Taliban.

00:29:45.160 --> 00:29:45.759
 George, you look at

00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:46.599
 what happens in some

00:29:46.599 --> 00:29:47.759
 places under Hinduism.

00:29:47.879 --> 00:29:48.279
 Look at something.

00:29:48.639 --> 00:29:49.399
 George, do you see

00:29:49.399 --> 00:29:50.480
 what happens when God

00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:51.180
 seems to be big

00:29:51.180 --> 00:29:51.799
 and people are small?

00:29:51.900 --> 00:29:52.860
 People just get crushed.

00:29:53.740 --> 00:29:54.360
 Here's the thing.

00:29:55.100 --> 00:29:55.880
 I'm just going to say it,

00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:56.700
 but I'm not going to

00:29:56.700 --> 00:29:57.660
 spend much time on it.

00:29:57.759 --> 00:29:58.320
 Here's the thing.

00:29:58.620 --> 00:29:59.180
 At the end of the day,

00:29:59.259 --> 00:30:00.080
 there really is a God

00:30:00.080 --> 00:30:01.200
 who really does exist

00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:02.779
 and so every different

00:30:02.779 --> 00:30:03.480
 religion,

00:30:04.180 --> 00:30:05.000
 apart from that,

00:30:05.320 --> 00:30:06.180
 apart from the God

00:30:06.180 --> 00:30:06.680
 who's revealed

00:30:06.680 --> 00:30:07.460
 in the scriptures

00:30:07.460 --> 00:30:08.519
 and is revealed

00:30:08.519 --> 00:30:09.140
 in the person

00:30:09.140 --> 00:30:10.120
 and work of Jesus,

00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:11.860
 all of the different

00:30:11.860 --> 00:30:13.019
 religions and spirituality

00:30:13.019 --> 00:30:13.960
 of the worlds,

00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:15.380
 they,

00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:16.400
 I'm going to be

00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:17.660
 very un-Canadian here.

00:30:18.539 --> 00:30:18.779
 Okay?

00:30:19.100 --> 00:30:19.779
 Give me a little bit

00:30:19.779 --> 00:30:20.220
 of grace.

00:30:20.220 --> 00:30:21.100
 I'm going to be

00:30:21.100 --> 00:30:21.940
 profoundly,

00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:23.900
 massively,

00:30:23.900 --> 00:30:25.420
 un-Canadian.

00:30:28.299 --> 00:30:29.360
 But all of the

00:30:29.360 --> 00:30:30.019
 different religions

00:30:30.019 --> 00:30:31.279
 and spiritualities

00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:33.019
 are distortions

00:30:33.019 --> 00:30:36.279
 of the real God

00:30:36.279 --> 00:30:38.900
 and left to our

00:30:38.900 --> 00:30:40.620
 natural thinking

00:30:40.620 --> 00:30:41.640
 and our natural

00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:42.339
 processes,

00:30:42.500 --> 00:30:43.620
 unless it's constantly

00:30:43.620 --> 00:30:45.059
 reformed by God's word,

00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:47.640
 our understanding of God

00:30:47.640 --> 00:30:48.259
 will start to be

00:30:48.259 --> 00:30:48.740
 deformed

00:30:48.740 --> 00:30:50.600
 and twisted

00:30:50.600 --> 00:30:51.820
 and wrong.

00:30:52.820 --> 00:30:53.700
 And that's why

00:30:53.700 --> 00:30:54.220
 one of the things

00:30:54.220 --> 00:30:55.340
 that the Bible does

00:30:55.340 --> 00:30:57.060
 as we understand

00:30:57.060 --> 00:30:57.920
 the whole counsel

00:30:57.920 --> 00:30:58.360
 of God

00:30:58.360 --> 00:30:59.160
 in the context

00:30:59.160 --> 00:30:59.759
 of the grace

00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:00.520
 that comes to us

00:31:00.520 --> 00:31:01.060
 in the person

00:31:01.060 --> 00:31:02.020
 and work of Jesus,

00:31:02.660 --> 00:31:03.440
 and we start to

00:31:03.440 --> 00:31:04.600
 understand the person

00:31:04.600 --> 00:31:05.460
 and work of Jesus

00:31:05.460 --> 00:31:06.880
 in light of the

00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:07.980
 whole counsel of God,

00:31:08.060 --> 00:31:08.780
 is that the Bible

00:31:08.780 --> 00:31:10.600
 regularly subverts

00:31:10.600 --> 00:31:12.220
 every religion

00:31:12.220 --> 00:31:12.940
 and spirituality

00:31:12.940 --> 00:31:14.120
 and ideology.

00:31:14.820 --> 00:31:16.019
 It subverts

00:31:16.019 --> 00:31:17.340
 and undercuts it,

00:31:17.900 --> 00:31:19.500
 but at the same time,

00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:21.720
 it fulfills it.

00:31:23.400 --> 00:31:25.400
 It undercuts

00:31:25.400 --> 00:31:26.259
 and subverts

00:31:26.259 --> 00:31:26.940
 and it fulfills

00:31:26.940 --> 00:31:29.420
 because it tries

00:31:29.420 --> 00:31:30.080
 to reveal

00:31:30.080 --> 00:31:32.019
 who God really is

00:31:32.019 --> 00:31:32.980
 in the context

00:31:32.980 --> 00:31:34.019
 of our heart,

00:31:34.680 --> 00:31:36.580
 who we really are,

00:31:37.299 --> 00:31:38.539
 and the wellspring

00:31:38.539 --> 00:31:39.559
 of the different types

00:31:39.559 --> 00:31:40.200
 of decisions

00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:41.080
 and longings

00:31:41.080 --> 00:31:41.600
 and hopes

00:31:41.600 --> 00:31:42.320
 and fears

00:31:42.320 --> 00:31:43.860
 that we actually have.

00:31:43.940 --> 00:31:44.340
 And that's what

00:31:44.340 --> 00:31:45.140
 the Bible does.

00:31:48.460 --> 00:31:49.620
 And so what Amos

00:31:49.620 --> 00:31:50.580
 is trying to communicate

00:31:50.580 --> 00:31:51.340
 is that when we

00:31:51.340 --> 00:31:52.600
 understand who God is,

00:31:52.640 --> 00:31:53.120
 and we're going to see

00:31:53.120 --> 00:31:54.160
 this more as it goes through,

00:31:54.279 --> 00:31:55.440
 is that when the Bible

00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:56.299
 says is that

00:31:56.299 --> 00:31:56.879
 when the God

00:31:56.879 --> 00:31:57.839
 who really does exist,

00:31:58.059 --> 00:31:59.759
 when we accept,

00:32:00.119 --> 00:32:01.440
 when we hear him speak

00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:02.960
 and we see how he redeems,

00:32:03.720 --> 00:32:05.339
 and in light of his redemption

00:32:05.339 --> 00:32:07.039
 and the way he speaks

00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:08.859
 and what he tells us to do,

00:32:08.940 --> 00:32:10.079
 when God is big

00:32:10.079 --> 00:32:11.359
 and people are small,

00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:13.720
 people matter to God.

00:32:16.119 --> 00:32:18.539
 And institutions will be built

00:32:18.539 --> 00:32:20.460
 that enable human flourishing.

00:32:21.980 --> 00:32:23.639
 But when God is small

00:32:23.640 --> 00:32:25.500
 and people

00:32:25.500 --> 00:32:26.780
 or ideologies

00:32:26.780 --> 00:32:27.980
 or idols

00:32:27.980 --> 00:32:29.100
 or projects

00:32:29.100 --> 00:32:29.920
 are big,

00:32:30.920 --> 00:32:34.259
 evil grows,

00:32:35.780 --> 00:32:36.960
 injustice flourishes,

00:32:37.460 --> 00:32:38.780
 and people suffer.

00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:42.660
 That's what Amos

00:32:42.660 --> 00:32:43.700
 is trying to get to us.

00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:46.360
 And that's why God judges.

00:32:46.359 --> 00:32:49.839
 Now, why is it

00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:50.379
 you can say

00:32:50.379 --> 00:32:50.979
 that the Bible

00:32:50.979 --> 00:32:51.879
 is trying to communicate

00:32:51.879 --> 00:32:53.019
 that when God is big

00:32:53.019 --> 00:32:53.839
 and people are small

00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:54.919
 that people actually flourish?

00:32:55.279 --> 00:32:55.819
 Well, you see,

00:32:56.279 --> 00:32:57.859
 in some cultures

00:32:57.859 --> 00:32:58.799
 where God is really

00:32:58.799 --> 00:32:59.699
 massively big

00:32:59.699 --> 00:33:00.439
 and people are small,

00:33:00.519 --> 00:33:01.959
 you could not imagine

00:33:01.959 --> 00:33:03.439
 Amos interceding

00:33:03.439 --> 00:33:04.179
 for his city

00:33:04.179 --> 00:33:05.379
 and God listening.

00:33:06.919 --> 00:33:07.259
 You see,

00:33:07.339 --> 00:33:08.299
 the entire flow,

00:33:08.399 --> 00:33:08.899
 the image

00:33:08.899 --> 00:33:11.279
 seems so unbelievably powerful

00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:12.399
 and if all you had

00:33:12.399 --> 00:33:13.500
 was verse 1,

00:33:13.599 --> 00:33:14.059
 verse 4,

00:33:14.159 --> 00:33:14.599
 verse 7,

00:33:14.639 --> 00:33:15.199
 and that was it,

00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:16.519
 you'd have to say

00:33:16.519 --> 00:33:17.620
 that these places

00:33:17.620 --> 00:33:19.059
 where God seems to be huge

00:33:19.059 --> 00:33:20.100
 so huge and big

00:33:20.100 --> 00:33:21.039
 that people are crushed

00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:22.440
 that that has to be true.

00:33:22.580 --> 00:33:23.460
 But that's not how

00:33:23.460 --> 00:33:24.440
 the Word of God goes.

00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:25.640
 It gives us this

00:33:25.640 --> 00:33:27.039
 overpowering image

00:33:27.039 --> 00:33:28.779
 of God being omnipotent

00:33:28.779 --> 00:33:30.700
 and God being omnipresent

00:33:30.700 --> 00:33:32.220
 and he's transcendent

00:33:32.220 --> 00:33:33.100
 and he's sovereign

00:33:33.100 --> 00:33:34.220
 and he's holy

00:33:34.220 --> 00:33:35.539
 and he reveals it

00:33:35.539 --> 00:33:36.440
 and he reveals it

00:33:36.440 --> 00:33:37.340
 in a context of

00:33:37.340 --> 00:33:38.500
 human injustice

00:33:38.500 --> 00:33:40.059
 and human evil.

00:33:42.860 --> 00:33:44.519
 And little tiny Amos says,

00:33:44.519 --> 00:33:45.579
 God,

00:33:45.720 --> 00:33:46.879
 we're so small,

00:33:47.940 --> 00:33:49.039
 please relent.

00:33:49.720 --> 00:33:50.539
 And God does

00:33:50.539 --> 00:33:53.799
 because people matter to God.

00:33:56.900 --> 00:33:58.200
 And it comes up again

00:33:58.200 --> 00:33:58.759
 in the next one,

00:33:58.839 --> 00:33:59.319
 verse 4.

00:33:59.720 --> 00:34:00.700
 This is what the Lord God

00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:01.139
 showed me.

00:34:01.240 --> 00:34:01.500
 Behold,

00:34:01.579 --> 00:34:02.119
 the Lord God

00:34:02.119 --> 00:34:03.160
 was calling for judgment

00:34:03.160 --> 00:34:03.819
 by fire

00:34:03.819 --> 00:34:04.440
 and it devoured

00:34:04.440 --> 00:34:05.139
 the great deep

00:34:05.139 --> 00:34:06.139
 and was eating up the land.

00:34:06.420 --> 00:34:06.980
 Then I said,

00:34:07.220 --> 00:34:08.259
 Oh Lord God,

00:34:08.360 --> 00:34:09.440
 please cease.

00:34:10.219 --> 00:34:11.300
 How can Jacob,

00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:12.119
 that means Israel,

00:34:12.119 --> 00:34:12.779
 stand.

00:34:13.259 --> 00:34:14.960
 He is so small.

00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:16.960
 And the Lord

00:34:16.960 --> 00:34:18.299
 relented concerning this.

00:34:18.819 --> 00:34:20.359
 This also shall not be,

00:34:20.460 --> 00:34:21.199
 said the Lord God.

00:34:21.980 --> 00:34:22.759
 And then we see

00:34:22.759 --> 00:34:23.639
 the third vision.

00:34:24.299 --> 00:34:25.159
 And it's this vision

00:34:25.159 --> 00:34:25.759
 of the wall

00:34:25.759 --> 00:34:26.519
 which shows that

00:34:26.519 --> 00:34:26.980
 in fact,

00:34:27.359 --> 00:34:28.059
 God is not,

00:34:28.579 --> 00:34:29.400
 that the purpose

00:34:29.400 --> 00:34:30.759
 of God being big

00:34:30.759 --> 00:34:32.239
 and people being small

00:34:32.239 --> 00:34:32.900
 is,

00:34:33.099 --> 00:34:33.719
 and the way that

00:34:33.719 --> 00:34:34.460
 the real God,

00:34:34.539 --> 00:34:35.420
 the God who's revealed

00:34:35.420 --> 00:34:36.059
 in the Bible,

00:34:36.179 --> 00:34:37.039
 the God who's revealed

00:34:37.039 --> 00:34:37.819
 in the gospel,

00:34:37.820 --> 00:34:39.240
 in the person,

00:34:39.480 --> 00:34:39.780
 work,

00:34:40.100 --> 00:34:41.200
 and teaching of Jesus

00:34:41.200 --> 00:34:42.640
 that he's concerned

00:34:42.640 --> 00:34:43.660
 at the same time

00:34:43.660 --> 00:34:45.500
 with proper human flourishing

00:34:45.500 --> 00:34:48.160
 is also in this image

00:34:48.160 --> 00:34:48.740
 of the wall.

00:34:49.160 --> 00:34:49.600
 Verse 7,

00:34:49.860 --> 00:34:51.000
 this is what he showed me.

00:34:51.100 --> 00:34:51.440
 Behold,

00:34:51.539 --> 00:34:52.420
 the Lord was standing

00:34:52.420 --> 00:34:53.180
 beside a wall

00:34:53.180 --> 00:34:54.420
 built with a plumb line,

00:34:55.059 --> 00:34:55.920
 with a plumb line

00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:56.720
 in his hand.

00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:58.000
 And the Lord said to me,

00:34:58.220 --> 00:34:58.559
 Amos,

00:34:58.600 --> 00:34:59.280
 what do you see?

00:34:59.740 --> 00:35:00.240
 And I said,

00:35:00.280 --> 00:35:00.900
 a plumb line.

00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:01.300
 It's funny,

00:35:01.380 --> 00:35:01.800
 he can't say,

00:35:01.860 --> 00:35:02.260
 I can't see,

00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:02.780
 he doesn't say,

00:35:02.780 --> 00:35:03.840
 I see you God.

00:35:04.160 --> 00:35:04.920
 He doesn't say that.

00:35:05.600 --> 00:35:06.539
 He doesn't talk about the wall.

00:35:06.600 --> 00:35:06.940
 He just says,

00:35:06.980 --> 00:35:07.760
 I see the plumb line.

00:35:08.680 --> 00:35:09.360
 Then the Lord said,

00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:09.820
 Behold,

00:35:09.940 --> 00:35:11.280
 I am setting a plumb line

00:35:11.280 --> 00:35:13.360
 in the midst of my people Israel,

00:35:13.600 --> 00:35:15.320
 and I will never again

00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:16.280
 pass by them.

00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:16.920
 In other words,

00:35:18.059 --> 00:35:19.400
 I'm going to spare

00:35:19.400 --> 00:35:20.300
 these other judgments,

00:35:20.500 --> 00:35:21.680
 but I'm not going to leave

00:35:21.680 --> 00:35:23.220
 being omnipresent.

00:35:24.500 --> 00:35:25.700
 I'm always present.

00:35:27.700 --> 00:35:28.860
 I'm always real.

00:35:29.860 --> 00:35:30.100
 See,

00:35:30.100 --> 00:35:30.960
 when you give your life

00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:31.700
 to Jesus

00:35:31.700 --> 00:35:34.600
 and receive the grace

00:35:34.600 --> 00:35:35.660
 that comes from God

00:35:35.660 --> 00:35:36.700
 and start to listen

00:35:36.700 --> 00:35:37.500
 to his word,

00:35:37.820 --> 00:35:40.559
 everybody around you

00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:41.140
 will say,

00:35:41.360 --> 00:35:42.480
 you've lost your senses,

00:35:42.700 --> 00:35:43.440
 you're losing touch

00:35:43.440 --> 00:35:44.180
 with reality.

00:35:44.600 --> 00:35:45.840
 The Bible says

00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:46.980
 you're starting

00:35:46.980 --> 00:35:48.039
 to enter reality.

00:35:48.980 --> 00:35:50.320
 That for the first time

00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:51.100
 in your life,

00:35:51.280 --> 00:35:52.220
 you're beginning

00:35:52.220 --> 00:35:53.580
 to live in the real world.

00:35:57.480 --> 00:35:58.740
 Verse 8 again.

00:35:59.800 --> 00:36:00.640
 And the Lord said to me,

00:36:00.660 --> 00:36:00.860
 Amos,

00:36:00.900 --> 00:36:01.360
 what do you see?

00:36:01.380 --> 00:36:01.680
 And I said,

00:36:01.720 --> 00:36:02.320
 a plumb line.

00:36:02.760 --> 00:36:03.440
 Then the Lord said,

00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:03.800
 behold,

00:36:03.880 --> 00:36:04.920
 I am setting a plumb line

00:36:04.920 --> 00:36:06.260
 in the midst of my people Israel.

00:36:06.260 --> 00:36:07.960
 I will never again pass by them.

00:36:08.260 --> 00:36:09.600
 The high places of Isaac

00:36:09.600 --> 00:36:10.740
 shall be made desolate.

00:36:11.460 --> 00:36:12.320
 That's an institution.

00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:13.519
 Not just,

00:36:13.680 --> 00:36:15.660
 not about mountain places.

00:36:15.660 --> 00:36:17.039
 It's talking about those places

00:36:17.039 --> 00:36:17.900
 in any culture

00:36:17.900 --> 00:36:19.559
 that are viewed as high places.

00:36:19.780 --> 00:36:19.940
 It's,

00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:20.539
 you know,

00:36:20.539 --> 00:36:21.779
 that it's like

00:36:21.779 --> 00:36:22.119
 when there's

00:36:22.119 --> 00:36:22.759
 in the Citizen

00:36:22.759 --> 00:36:23.900
 or the National Post

00:36:23.900 --> 00:36:24.659
 or the Globe and Mail,

00:36:24.739 --> 00:36:25.179
 they want to get

00:36:25.179 --> 00:36:26.079
 expert opinion.

00:36:26.219 --> 00:36:27.079
 They go to the faculty

00:36:27.079 --> 00:36:28.179
 of the University of Toronto

00:36:28.179 --> 00:36:29.179
 or the University of Ottawa

00:36:29.179 --> 00:36:30.719
 or the Université de Montréal

00:36:30.719 --> 00:36:32.800
 and that adds prestige.

00:36:32.900 --> 00:36:33.980
 It's a high place.

00:36:34.980 --> 00:36:36.840
 And the sanctuaries of Israel

00:36:36.840 --> 00:36:38.320
 shall be laid waste.

00:36:39.820 --> 00:36:40.960
 The retreats,

00:36:41.019 --> 00:36:41.619
 the spas,

00:36:41.820 --> 00:36:43.239
 the ways by which

00:36:43.239 --> 00:36:44.639
 we recoup

00:36:44.639 --> 00:36:46.079
 and we gather our energy,

00:36:46.199 --> 00:36:46.880
 all of the things

00:36:46.880 --> 00:36:47.400
 secular,

00:36:47.659 --> 00:36:48.019
 spiritual,

00:36:48.159 --> 00:36:48.539
 and religious,

00:36:48.539 --> 00:36:49.480
 which we understand

00:36:49.480 --> 00:36:50.679
 in a secular,

00:36:50.900 --> 00:36:51.480
 social way

00:36:51.480 --> 00:36:52.579
 as a sanctuary,

00:36:53.099 --> 00:36:54.039
 they will be laid waste.

00:36:54.139 --> 00:36:54.800
 And I will rise

00:36:54.800 --> 00:36:55.500
 against the house

00:36:55.500 --> 00:36:56.199
 of Jeroboam

00:36:56.199 --> 00:36:56.820
 with the sword.

00:36:59.219 --> 00:37:00.400
 So we see here

00:37:00.400 --> 00:37:00.820
 that this,

00:37:00.980 --> 00:37:01.539
 the Bible's trying

00:37:01.539 --> 00:37:02.199
 to communicate

00:37:02.199 --> 00:37:03.239
 a very, very,

00:37:03.759 --> 00:37:05.039
 it's trying to purge us.

00:37:05.159 --> 00:37:05.340
 Okay,

00:37:05.900 --> 00:37:07.059
 I had this real problem

00:37:07.059 --> 00:37:07.460
 the other day.

00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:08.599
 I was talking to somebody

00:37:08.599 --> 00:37:10.440
 and he found out

00:37:10.440 --> 00:37:11.139
 I was a pastor

00:37:11.139 --> 00:37:11.659
 and then he started

00:37:11.659 --> 00:37:12.420
 to praise people

00:37:12.420 --> 00:37:13.079
 who were religious.

00:37:14.900 --> 00:37:15.559
 And I didn't know

00:37:15.559 --> 00:37:16.300
 what to say to him,

00:37:16.360 --> 00:37:17.320
 but I wanted to say to him,

00:37:17.840 --> 00:37:18.259
 you know what,

00:37:18.260 --> 00:37:18.880
 I'm doing a sermon

00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:19.600
 on Amos 7

00:37:19.600 --> 00:37:20.640
 and it doesn't say

00:37:20.640 --> 00:37:21.540
 that religious people

00:37:21.540 --> 00:37:21.960
 are good.

00:37:24.560 --> 00:37:25.460
 It doesn't say

00:37:25.460 --> 00:37:26.440
 that spiritual people

00:37:26.440 --> 00:37:26.860
 are good.

00:37:27.060 --> 00:37:27.940
 It's not interested

00:37:27.940 --> 00:37:28.900
 in you becoming religious.

00:37:29.060 --> 00:37:29.680
 It's not interested

00:37:29.680 --> 00:37:30.720
 in you becoming spiritual.

00:37:30.860 --> 00:37:31.560
 It's calling you

00:37:31.560 --> 00:37:33.120
 to the one true,

00:37:33.320 --> 00:37:33.860
 real God

00:37:33.860 --> 00:37:36.140
 who acts

00:37:36.140 --> 00:37:38.120
 in a powerful way

00:37:38.120 --> 00:37:39.420
 through the person

00:37:39.420 --> 00:37:40.080
 of his son

00:37:40.080 --> 00:37:42.500
 to reconcile you to him.

00:37:42.540 --> 00:37:44.140
 And I was a bit tongue-tied.

00:37:44.220 --> 00:37:44.840
 I wasn't expecting

00:37:44.840 --> 00:37:45.460
 it was going to happen.

00:37:45.580 --> 00:37:46.080
 I didn't quite know

00:37:46.080 --> 00:37:46.600
 how to,

00:37:46.599 --> 00:37:47.199
 to sort of,

00:37:47.199 --> 00:37:47.920
 I felt like

00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:48.179
 it would have been

00:37:48.179 --> 00:37:48.759
 a bit rude

00:37:48.759 --> 00:37:49.400
 to tell you,

00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:50.019
 well,

00:37:50.019 --> 00:37:50.559
 I'm really glad

00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:51.619
 that you're flattering me

00:37:51.619 --> 00:37:52.659
 and complimenting me,

00:37:52.739 --> 00:37:53.440
 but actually I think

00:37:53.440 --> 00:37:54.440
 you're completely wrong

00:37:54.440 --> 00:37:54.920
 and I don't agree

00:37:54.920 --> 00:37:55.900
 with a word you've said.

00:37:56.039 --> 00:37:56.159
 I mean,

00:37:56.199 --> 00:37:56.819
 I just didn't know how to,

00:37:56.860 --> 00:37:57.400
 as a Canadian,

00:37:57.500 --> 00:37:58.219
 I didn't know how to,

00:37:58.219 --> 00:37:59.980
 to manage that,

00:38:00.099 --> 00:38:00.400
 you know.

00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:03.099
 I don't agree with anything

00:38:03.099 --> 00:38:03.579
 you said.

00:38:05.400 --> 00:38:06.000
 But it's,

00:38:06.519 --> 00:38:10.320
 it's trying to communicate

00:38:10.320 --> 00:38:11.300
 this powerful thing

00:38:11.300 --> 00:38:11.780
 about who we are.

00:38:11.820 --> 00:38:12.240
 But by the way,

00:38:12.300 --> 00:38:13.119
 one other just thing

00:38:13.119 --> 00:38:14.039
 before we go to the next,

00:38:14.160 --> 00:38:14.700
 you know one of the things

00:38:14.700 --> 00:38:15.380
 we see here?

00:38:16.500 --> 00:38:18.220
 God cannot make straight

00:38:18.220 --> 00:38:19.360
 what does not bow.

00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:24.620
 God cannot make straight

00:38:24.620 --> 00:38:26.740
 what does not bow.

00:38:28.980 --> 00:38:30.559
 This image of the plumb line,

00:38:31.099 --> 00:38:32.500
 and it's interesting,

00:38:32.599 --> 00:38:33.800
 the way that we get in line

00:38:33.800 --> 00:38:34.760
 with the plumb line

00:38:34.760 --> 00:38:36.440
 is by bowing.

00:38:37.640 --> 00:38:38.539
 And that's because

00:38:38.539 --> 00:38:39.059
 one of the things

00:38:39.059 --> 00:38:39.920
 that we do as creatures

00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:40.760
 when we're fallen

00:38:40.760 --> 00:38:42.140
 is the fall means

00:38:42.140 --> 00:38:42.920
 that we're all bent.

00:38:43.860 --> 00:38:45.360
 Maybe we're bent like this,

00:38:45.360 --> 00:38:46.380
 I don't know.

00:38:47.340 --> 00:38:48.539
 And the way it gets made straight

00:38:48.539 --> 00:38:49.880
 is when we start to bow to him.

00:38:50.300 --> 00:38:51.200
 We're made straight.

00:38:53.460 --> 00:38:54.680
 So how do we respond?

00:38:56.720 --> 00:38:58.000
 See, that's what's going to happen

00:38:58.000 --> 00:38:58.660
 right now

00:38:58.660 --> 00:38:59.599
 with the rest of the text,

00:38:59.680 --> 00:39:00.320
 just bringing it up

00:39:00.320 --> 00:39:01.620
 very, very briefly in closing,

00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:03.579
 is that Amos would have had

00:39:03.579 --> 00:39:04.559
 a public ministry.

00:39:05.500 --> 00:39:06.440
 It wasn't that Amos

00:39:06.440 --> 00:39:07.960
 wrote these few things down

00:39:07.960 --> 00:39:08.860
 and just sort of left it

00:39:08.860 --> 00:39:10.420
 in a book in a coffee shop

00:39:10.420 --> 00:39:11.840
 and then forgot about it.

00:39:11.940 --> 00:39:12.640
 Amos would have been

00:39:12.640 --> 00:39:13.700
 saying these things

00:39:13.700 --> 00:39:14.880
 over and over and over again

00:39:14.880 --> 00:39:15.420
 in public.

00:39:16.820 --> 00:39:18.200
 And probably what would have happened

00:39:18.200 --> 00:39:19.180
 is that he would be,

00:39:19.579 --> 00:39:19.780
 you know,

00:39:19.820 --> 00:39:20.920
 there's three different genres.

00:39:21.059 --> 00:39:21.660
 It's a different thing

00:39:21.660 --> 00:39:22.300
 in the book of Amos.

00:39:22.380 --> 00:39:23.519
 There's three different genres,

00:39:23.700 --> 00:39:24.440
 chapter one and two,

00:39:24.579 --> 00:39:25.599
 chapters three through six

00:39:25.599 --> 00:39:26.680
 and chapters seven to nine.

00:39:27.099 --> 00:39:27.640
 And he would have maybe

00:39:27.640 --> 00:39:28.760
 been giving these different things

00:39:28.760 --> 00:39:29.519
 at different times

00:39:29.519 --> 00:39:30.579
 and maybe talking to people

00:39:30.579 --> 00:39:31.640
 about explaining what they meant

00:39:31.640 --> 00:39:32.860
 and making them practical and real.

00:39:33.180 --> 00:39:33.559
 And eventually,

00:39:33.660 --> 00:39:34.660
 they would have gotten written down.

00:39:35.200 --> 00:39:36.099
 So how do you respond?

00:39:36.700 --> 00:39:37.860
 So the rest of the chapter

00:39:37.860 --> 00:39:39.440
 gives us the warning,

00:39:39.920 --> 00:39:40.780
 the spiritual warning

00:39:40.780 --> 00:39:42.180
 about how not to respond.

00:39:42.179 --> 00:39:44.500
 You see,

00:39:44.619 --> 00:39:46.119
 God wants us to respond

00:39:46.119 --> 00:39:47.339
 by repentance

00:39:47.339 --> 00:39:49.159
 and by intercession.

00:39:51.059 --> 00:39:52.319
 Calling out to God

00:39:52.319 --> 00:39:53.940
 for others

00:39:53.940 --> 00:39:55.559
 because we have a compassion

00:39:55.559 --> 00:39:56.319
 for our city

00:39:56.319 --> 00:39:57.019
 and our nation

00:39:57.019 --> 00:39:58.000
 and the other institutions.

00:39:58.919 --> 00:39:59.899
 And repentance

00:39:59.899 --> 00:40:01.899
 because we want to bow to his word.

00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:02.579
 What we don't want to do

00:40:02.579 --> 00:40:03.519
 is silence God.

00:40:03.519 --> 00:40:06.320
 But that's the very,

00:40:06.460 --> 00:40:08.679
 very deeply ingrained human habit

00:40:08.679 --> 00:40:11.460
 in the face of the true God speaking

00:40:11.460 --> 00:40:13.800
 is to ask him to be silent.

00:40:14.759 --> 00:40:16.719
 Listen to how it happens here in verse 10.

00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:19.019
 The visions are over.

00:40:19.619 --> 00:40:21.659
 Amos has had his conversations with God.

00:40:23.019 --> 00:40:24.880
 He's proclaimed this publicly

00:40:24.880 --> 00:40:26.219
 in Bethel

00:40:26.219 --> 00:40:27.920
 and Amaziah.

00:40:29.420 --> 00:40:30.280
 Verse 10.

00:40:30.280 --> 00:40:31.019
 That Amaziah,

00:40:31.120 --> 00:40:32.100
 the priest of Bethel

00:40:32.100 --> 00:40:33.460
 sent to Jeroboam,

00:40:33.720 --> 00:40:34.420
 king of Israel,

00:40:34.540 --> 00:40:34.800
 saying,

00:40:35.380 --> 00:40:37.200
 Amos has conspired against you.

00:40:37.480 --> 00:40:38.640
 He lies, basically.

00:40:40.019 --> 00:40:42.320
 Amos hasn't conspired against Jeroboam.

00:40:44.740 --> 00:40:45.740
 But Amaziah,

00:40:45.860 --> 00:40:47.100
 hearing all of these things,

00:40:47.600 --> 00:40:50.080
 he wants to get Amos in trouble

00:40:50.080 --> 00:40:50.820
 and he lies.

00:40:51.400 --> 00:40:52.800
 Amos has conspired against you

00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:54.019
 in the midst of the house of Israel.

00:40:54.560 --> 00:40:55.480
 The land is not able

00:40:55.480 --> 00:40:56.580
 to bear all his words.

00:40:57.120 --> 00:40:58.160
 For thus Amos has said,

00:40:58.599 --> 00:41:00.119
 Jeroboam shall die by the sword

00:41:00.119 --> 00:41:01.420
 and Israel must go into exile

00:41:01.420 --> 00:41:02.359
 and from his land.

00:41:03.319 --> 00:41:04.599
 And then after Amaziah

00:41:04.599 --> 00:41:06.139
 has in a sense sent this to the king

00:41:06.139 --> 00:41:07.059
 with the hope that the king

00:41:07.059 --> 00:41:07.879
 will do something,

00:41:08.119 --> 00:41:10.279
 probably in terms of executing Amos,

00:41:11.079 --> 00:41:12.739
 Amaziah speaks to Amos.

00:41:12.819 --> 00:41:13.319
 Verse 12.

00:41:13.399 --> 00:41:14.619
 And Amaziah said to Amos,

00:41:14.699 --> 00:41:15.179
 O seer,

00:41:15.279 --> 00:41:15.539
 go,

00:41:15.980 --> 00:41:16.319
 flee,

00:41:16.759 --> 00:41:17.980
 away to the land of Judah

00:41:17.980 --> 00:41:19.359
 and eat bread there

00:41:19.359 --> 00:41:20.239
 and prophesy there.

00:41:20.319 --> 00:41:22.460
 But never again prophesy at Bethel

00:41:22.460 --> 00:41:24.639
 for it is the king's sanctuary

00:41:24.639 --> 00:41:26.559
 and it is a temple of the kingdom.

00:41:26.940 --> 00:41:27.819
 Know what that is?

00:41:28.839 --> 00:41:30.920
 He doesn't say it's God's sanctuary

00:41:30.920 --> 00:41:32.399
 and a temple for God.

00:41:35.299 --> 00:41:36.539
 That's not what he says.

00:41:37.319 --> 00:41:38.819
 It's the king's.

00:41:40.119 --> 00:41:41.599
 It's a temple of the kingdom.

00:41:44.599 --> 00:41:46.460
 Amaziah hears God

00:41:46.460 --> 00:41:48.480
 and says to God,

00:41:49.480 --> 00:41:50.199
 shut up

00:41:50.199 --> 00:41:51.980
 and go away.

00:41:51.980 --> 00:41:57.019
 And that's the persistent issue

00:41:57.019 --> 00:41:58.559
 even for us as Christians.

00:41:58.800 --> 00:42:00.039
 Part of the growth of holiness

00:42:00.039 --> 00:42:02.599
 is as different parts of the Bible

00:42:02.599 --> 00:42:03.699
 convict us.

00:42:04.860 --> 00:42:06.579
 Maybe about how we treat our wife

00:42:06.579 --> 00:42:07.719
 or how we treat our children

00:42:07.719 --> 00:42:09.300
 or how we're relating to our neighbors

00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:10.800
 or our thought life

00:42:10.800 --> 00:42:11.940
 or our money.

00:42:13.320 --> 00:42:15.219
 Or a political view

00:42:15.219 --> 00:42:16.039
 that we might have to have

00:42:16.039 --> 00:42:16.920
 a view on abortion

00:42:16.920 --> 00:42:18.940
 or on doctor assist,

00:42:19.139 --> 00:42:20.219
 like on euthanasia

00:42:20.219 --> 00:42:21.519
 that goes against our culture

00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:22.519
 that means that we won't be

00:42:22.519 --> 00:42:24.699
 as welcome with our set

00:42:24.699 --> 00:42:26.579
 and we want God to be silent

00:42:26.579 --> 00:42:28.139
 and to go away.

00:42:28.259 --> 00:42:29.820
 It's the issue of holiness

00:42:29.820 --> 00:42:31.380
 for the rest of our lives

00:42:31.380 --> 00:42:33.739
 is that there's always part of us

00:42:33.739 --> 00:42:34.659
 that wants to say to God,

00:42:34.800 --> 00:42:35.759
 shut up and go away.

00:42:35.760 --> 00:42:40.960
 The beginning of the Christian life

00:42:40.960 --> 00:42:41.620
 doesn't come,

00:42:42.200 --> 00:42:43.300
 the Christian life isn't about

00:42:43.300 --> 00:42:45.060
 me teaching you techniques

00:42:45.060 --> 00:42:48.560
 to never say shut up to God

00:42:48.560 --> 00:42:49.100
 and go away.

00:42:49.240 --> 00:42:50.680
 The Christian life begins

00:42:50.680 --> 00:42:51.980
 when we come to the point

00:42:51.980 --> 00:42:52.880
 to recognize

00:42:52.880 --> 00:42:56.020
 that what is being described

00:42:56.020 --> 00:42:56.860
 here in the Bible

00:42:56.860 --> 00:42:58.160
 is who I am

00:42:58.160 --> 00:42:59.420
 and that there is a God

00:42:59.420 --> 00:43:00.200
 who does exist.

00:43:01.120 --> 00:43:02.320
 And when we in a sense say,

00:43:02.320 --> 00:43:07.700
 I can't fix this, God.

00:43:07.960 --> 00:43:09.200
 I need you to do

00:43:09.200 --> 00:43:10.760
 what only you can do.

00:43:12.539 --> 00:43:14.080
 My only hope

00:43:14.080 --> 00:43:16.180
 is that this plumb line

00:43:16.180 --> 00:43:16.820
 you talk about

00:43:16.820 --> 00:43:18.240
 is not just a moral order

00:43:18.240 --> 00:43:20.039
 but is also a grace order

00:43:20.039 --> 00:43:22.039
 and a mercy order

00:43:22.039 --> 00:43:25.480
 and that you will have mercy upon me.

00:43:29.380 --> 00:43:30.980
 And despite the fact

00:43:30.980 --> 00:43:32.059
 that there is a deep habit

00:43:32.059 --> 00:43:32.699
 out of my heart

00:43:32.699 --> 00:43:33.860
 to tell you to shut up

00:43:33.860 --> 00:43:34.559
 and be silent,

00:43:35.440 --> 00:43:36.360
 my only hope

00:43:36.360 --> 00:43:38.840
 is that you will have mercy upon me.

00:43:41.159 --> 00:43:42.420
 In Amos' time,

00:43:44.980 --> 00:43:46.279
 they had what we think of

00:43:46.279 --> 00:43:47.320
 as a surprising thing.

00:43:47.380 --> 00:43:48.420
 We have the Ten Commandments.

00:43:48.500 --> 00:43:49.099
 If you go back

00:43:49.099 --> 00:43:50.500
 and look in Exodus and Deuteronomy,

00:43:50.659 --> 00:43:51.340
 it doesn't begin,

00:43:51.400 --> 00:43:52.079
 the Ten Commandments

00:43:52.079 --> 00:43:53.079
 don't begin by saying,

00:43:53.519 --> 00:43:54.239
 by God saying,

00:43:54.579 --> 00:43:55.360
 listen, I've thought up

00:43:55.360 --> 00:43:56.880
 ten really important rules

00:43:56.880 --> 00:43:57.719
 that are really smart

00:43:57.719 --> 00:43:58.400
 and really wise.

00:43:58.500 --> 00:43:59.239
 You need to do them.

00:43:59.960 --> 00:44:00.820
 How is it introduced?

00:44:00.820 --> 00:44:03.140
 I am the God

00:44:03.140 --> 00:44:04.440
 who redeemed you.

00:44:06.580 --> 00:44:07.400
 So listen.

00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:11.400
 So in Amos' time,

00:44:11.539 --> 00:44:12.420
 they could have understood

00:44:12.420 --> 00:44:13.880
 that it's in the context

00:44:13.880 --> 00:44:14.620
 of redemption

00:44:14.620 --> 00:44:16.559
 and grace

00:44:16.559 --> 00:44:18.340
 that God speaks to us.

00:44:18.340 --> 00:44:21.920
 we live more than 750 years

00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:22.460
 after Amos.

00:44:22.820 --> 00:44:24.059
 750 years after Amos,

00:44:24.160 --> 00:44:24.720
 Jesus came

00:44:24.720 --> 00:44:25.800
 and we live now after that

00:44:25.800 --> 00:44:26.680
 and we understand

00:44:26.680 --> 00:44:28.680
 in a way that Amos

00:44:28.680 --> 00:44:29.740
 could have only hoped

00:44:29.740 --> 00:44:31.400
 that God has acted

00:44:31.400 --> 00:44:32.240
 in a powerful

00:44:32.240 --> 00:44:33.340
 and public way

00:44:33.340 --> 00:44:37.079
 that his Son,

00:44:37.480 --> 00:44:38.380
 who is our Lord,

00:44:39.100 --> 00:44:40.260
 is also the one

00:44:40.260 --> 00:44:41.900
 who would die for us

00:44:41.900 --> 00:44:43.960
 as an act of grace,

00:44:43.960 --> 00:44:46.179
 that he would give us

00:44:46.179 --> 00:44:46.980
 his righteousness,

00:44:47.500 --> 00:44:48.240
 our inability

00:44:48.240 --> 00:44:49.159
 to tell God

00:44:49.159 --> 00:44:49.780
 to shut up,

00:44:51.000 --> 00:44:52.000
 to stop saying that,

00:44:52.420 --> 00:44:53.860
 that Jesus never said that

00:44:53.860 --> 00:44:55.340
 and his perfect life

00:44:55.340 --> 00:44:56.460
 stands for ours

00:44:56.460 --> 00:44:58.579
 and it's as we're gripped

00:44:58.579 --> 00:44:59.720
 by what Jesus

00:44:59.720 --> 00:45:00.800
 has done for us,

00:45:00.920 --> 00:45:02.059
 by God's mercy,

00:45:02.860 --> 00:45:05.220
 knowing that God knows

00:45:05.220 --> 00:45:05.980
 all there is

00:45:05.980 --> 00:45:06.800
 to know about us

00:45:06.800 --> 00:45:07.679
 and how deeply

00:45:07.679 --> 00:45:08.679
 ingrained we are

00:45:08.679 --> 00:45:09.240
 to tell him

00:45:09.240 --> 00:45:09.720
 to shut up

00:45:09.720 --> 00:45:10.300
 and to go away,

00:45:10.380 --> 00:45:11.699
 that God still loves us

00:45:11.699 --> 00:45:12.859
 and still sent his Son

00:45:12.859 --> 00:45:13.579
 and closed us

00:45:13.579 --> 00:45:14.399
 with his righteousness

00:45:14.399 --> 00:45:15.399
 and paid the penalty

00:45:15.399 --> 00:45:16.239
 for our sins,

00:45:17.299 --> 00:45:18.799
 that in light of that,

00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:21.579
 he has reconciled us

00:45:21.579 --> 00:45:22.039
 to God

00:45:22.039 --> 00:45:23.599
 and as the Word of God

00:45:23.599 --> 00:45:24.500
 confronts us

00:45:24.500 --> 00:45:25.879
 about how this week

00:45:25.879 --> 00:45:26.299
 we've lived

00:45:26.299 --> 00:45:27.339
 as if God is small

00:45:27.339 --> 00:45:28.099
 or this week

00:45:28.099 --> 00:45:29.879
 we've come to realize

00:45:29.879 --> 00:45:30.579
 that we have lived

00:45:30.579 --> 00:45:31.659
 a certain part of our life

00:45:31.659 --> 00:45:32.119
 telling God

00:45:32.119 --> 00:45:33.099
 to shut up and go away

00:45:33.099 --> 00:45:33.779
 and we can say,

00:45:33.879 --> 00:45:34.079
 God,

00:45:34.739 --> 00:45:35.679
 you've made that clear

00:45:35.679 --> 00:45:36.219
 to me now.

00:45:37.359 --> 00:45:38.139
 Help me, Father,

00:45:38.239 --> 00:45:38.859
 be gripped

00:45:38.859 --> 00:45:39.839
 by what you've done

00:45:39.839 --> 00:45:40.839
 for me on the cross

00:45:40.840 --> 00:45:42.079
 in the person of your Son

00:45:42.079 --> 00:45:44.200
 that I might begin

00:45:44.200 --> 00:45:45.260
 to amend my life,

00:45:45.340 --> 00:45:46.200
 that I might trust

00:45:46.200 --> 00:45:47.380
 that you are wise in this,

00:45:47.420 --> 00:45:48.300
 that I might listen

00:45:48.300 --> 00:45:49.720
 and think about it,

00:45:49.760 --> 00:45:50.500
 that I might talk

00:45:50.500 --> 00:45:51.440
 with other believers

00:45:51.440 --> 00:45:53.200
 about what the wisdom

00:45:53.200 --> 00:45:53.920
 of your Word

00:45:53.920 --> 00:45:54.960
 actually means.

00:45:57.840 --> 00:45:58.240
 Lord,

00:45:58.380 --> 00:45:59.840
 mindful of what you have done

00:45:59.840 --> 00:46:00.900
 for me in the cross,

00:46:03.079 --> 00:46:04.539
 grant me the courage

00:46:04.539 --> 00:46:06.940
 to stop telling you

00:46:06.940 --> 00:46:07.920
 to shut up and go away

00:46:07.920 --> 00:46:09.120
 but to listen to your Word.

00:46:09.119 --> 00:46:11.259
 that's the Christian life.

00:46:13.319 --> 00:46:14.900
 I invite you to walk in it

00:46:14.900 --> 00:46:15.619
 if you haven't started

00:46:15.619 --> 00:46:16.179
 walking in it.

00:46:16.219 --> 00:46:17.179
 There's no better time

00:46:17.179 --> 00:46:17.659
 than today

00:46:17.659 --> 00:46:19.059
 than to call out to God

00:46:19.059 --> 00:46:19.639
 for mercy

00:46:19.639 --> 00:46:21.319
 and to begin to walk

00:46:21.319 --> 00:46:23.239
 the Jesus way

00:46:23.239 --> 00:46:24.960
 with Jesus and others.

00:46:25.199 --> 00:46:25.719
 Let's stand.

00:46:33.599 --> 00:46:34.759
 Bow our heads in prayer.

00:46:34.760 --> 00:46:38.860
 Father,

00:46:39.000 --> 00:46:39.960
 you know those parts

00:46:39.960 --> 00:46:40.640
 in our lives

00:46:40.640 --> 00:46:41.140
 where we don't want

00:46:41.140 --> 00:46:41.820
 to bow to you.

00:46:42.300 --> 00:46:43.440
 You know those parts

00:46:43.440 --> 00:46:44.120
 of our lives

00:46:44.120 --> 00:46:44.880
 where we don't want

00:46:44.880 --> 00:46:45.740
 to hear your Word

00:46:45.740 --> 00:46:46.900
 because it's just going

00:46:46.900 --> 00:46:47.560
 to threaten the way

00:46:47.560 --> 00:46:48.060
 we think,

00:46:48.120 --> 00:46:48.720
 it's going to threaten

00:46:48.720 --> 00:46:49.380
 our politics,

00:46:49.560 --> 00:46:50.260
 it's going to threaten

00:46:50.260 --> 00:46:51.960
 some of our relationships.

00:46:52.640 --> 00:46:53.680
 You know those ways

00:46:53.680 --> 00:46:54.620
 that we think about money,

00:46:54.720 --> 00:46:55.120
 for instance,

00:46:55.260 --> 00:46:56.660
 and that we know

00:46:56.660 --> 00:46:57.460
 that if we start

00:46:57.460 --> 00:46:58.460
 to have a different,

00:46:58.560 --> 00:46:59.840
 if the text about money

00:46:59.840 --> 00:47:00.940
 start to affect our lives,

00:47:01.000 --> 00:47:01.100
 Father,

00:47:01.099 --> 00:47:02.719
 we don't want to hear

00:47:02.719 --> 00:47:03.360
 that stuff,

00:47:03.480 --> 00:47:03.579
 Father.

00:47:03.619 --> 00:47:04.519
 You know those things

00:47:04.519 --> 00:47:04.900
 about us

00:47:04.900 --> 00:47:05.360
 that we don't want

00:47:05.360 --> 00:47:06.699
 to hear your Word

00:47:06.699 --> 00:47:07.719
 speaking into our life,

00:47:07.759 --> 00:47:08.460
 but we thank you,

00:47:08.659 --> 00:47:08.739
 Father,

00:47:08.819 --> 00:47:09.480
 you know everything

00:47:09.480 --> 00:47:10.039
 there is to know

00:47:10.039 --> 00:47:10.360
 about us

00:47:10.360 --> 00:47:11.659
 until you sent your Son

00:47:11.659 --> 00:47:12.799
 to die upon the cross

00:47:12.799 --> 00:47:13.279
 for us.

00:47:14.239 --> 00:47:14.699
 And we ask,

00:47:14.960 --> 00:47:14.980
 Father,

00:47:15.039 --> 00:47:15.880
 that your Holy Spirit

00:47:15.880 --> 00:47:17.159
 would work in our lives,

00:47:17.219 --> 00:47:18.119
 that we would call out

00:47:18.119 --> 00:47:18.940
 to you for mercy,

00:47:19.059 --> 00:47:19.940
 that we would call out

00:47:19.940 --> 00:47:20.779
 to you for grace,

00:47:21.420 --> 00:47:21.960
 that we would be

00:47:21.960 --> 00:47:23.219
 disciples of Jesus

00:47:23.219 --> 00:47:24.839
 who would trust Jesus

00:47:24.839 --> 00:47:27.299
 to make us right with you.

00:47:28.079 --> 00:47:30.099
 The grace in who he is

00:47:30.099 --> 00:47:30.759
 and what he's done

00:47:30.759 --> 00:47:31.639
 for us in the cross

00:47:31.639 --> 00:47:32.299
 and his teaching,

00:47:32.400 --> 00:47:33.719
 that that would grip us.

00:47:34.420 --> 00:47:35.639
 And as, Father,

00:47:35.880 --> 00:47:37.420
 that gospel grips us,

00:47:37.519 --> 00:47:38.440
 helps us, Father,

00:47:38.519 --> 00:47:39.819
 to listen to your Word,

00:47:40.159 --> 00:47:41.440
 to bow to you,

00:47:42.759 --> 00:47:43.960
 to no longer tell you

00:47:43.960 --> 00:47:44.440
 to be silent,

00:47:44.519 --> 00:47:45.739
 but to listen to you

00:47:45.739 --> 00:47:47.380
 and to begin to live

00:47:47.380 --> 00:47:48.799
 free and whole

00:47:48.799 --> 00:47:49.739
 and for your glory.

00:47:49.920 --> 00:47:50.119
 Father,

00:47:50.219 --> 00:47:51.779
 this we ask in Jesus' name,

00:47:51.860 --> 00:47:53.519
 your Son and our Savior.

00:47:54.059 --> 00:47:54.460
 Amen.