WEBVTT

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 Father, we've had lots of difficulties this morning with our sound system and other things.

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 And Father, we are really very, very glad that we don't have to lean upon and depend

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 upon things like sound systems, but that we are to lean upon you.

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 So Father, at this time we ask that you would help us to lean upon you and lean into you.

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 We ask, Father, that your Holy Spirit would move deeply in our lives as we hear your word.

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 Lord, bring your word home to us, to the very center of our heart, so we might confess that

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 Jesus is Lord and that we might, Father, be gripped by the gospel, learning to live for

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 your glory.

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 And all this we ask in the name of Jesus.

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 Amen.

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 Please be seated.

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 I'd like to, just sort of as a way of beginning, if you're a guest here, you don't know this,

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 or maybe if you've been away for a few Sundays.

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 But this past, last two Sundays, I asked people in the congregation to pray for me.

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 I like to pray for me all the time, actually.

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 But on Wednesday, I was the guest speaker at church on Wednesday.

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 So we're at the University of Ottawa, right in the University Center in a public open spot.

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 And I ask that you would pray for me because I had to be in the University of Ottawa and

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 pray on the text, wives, submit to your husbands and slaves, obey your masters, which, as we

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 all know, is not even remotely controversial in the church or in the University of Ottawa

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 campus.

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 And I mean, you know, in heaven, we'll find out what the true fruit of such times are.

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 But I really want to thank you for your prayers.

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 God was very kind.

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 And he was very kind.

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 There were somewhere between 90 to 100 people who were there throughout all of it, plus different

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 people wandering by.

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 And one of the things is, and this comes from your prayers, I was not only, I think, able

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 to try to bring open the text to people, but to also share the gospel through it, which

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 sounds counterintuitive to a lot of people that you could take a text like that and use

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 it to talk about the wonder of Jesus and who he is and what he did for us on the cross.

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 But I made an attempt to do that, at least, and people were quiet and attentive.

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 One of the things that they do at church on Wednesday is after the talk is over, the sermon

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 is over, they, I think they sing a song, they announce that people can ask questions of the

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 speaker.

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 And they sing a song, and then we get to, they ask questions.

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 And I have to answer the questions.

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 And I think the very, very first question was, why should we trust the authority, why should

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 we trust or believe the authority of the Bible?

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 Why should we trust or believe the authority of the Bible?

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 And I responded, oh, that's easy.

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 And then I proceeded to give a very brief response.

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 How I answered that question, that it's easy, and how it is that we would trust the authority

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 of the Bible and why we should believe it.

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 Actually, it's not fully explained here, but in the text that we're about to look at, it

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 will come out as to why it is that Christians should, why not only Christians, but others

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 can trust the Bible and should believe that it's an authority.

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 So it'd be a great help to me as we look at this text.

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 And it's funny, this text is actually talking about something else, but it also helps us to

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 understand why it is that we can trust the Bible and it as an authority.

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 So the text is Romans chapter 9, verse 30.

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 Romans 9, 30.

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 And if you're one of the people here who's taken one of our free Bibles, it's page 653.

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 Romans 9, 30.

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 And this is how it begins.

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 Romans 9, 30.

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 And those of you who are listening to Nora speak, if you're not sort of a real keen student

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 of the Bible, some of it sounds a little bit confusing.

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 And I'm just going to sort of read a bit.

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 I'll make a couple of comments as we go, and it starts to get into sort of the big question

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 or issue today.

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 And you'll notice, by the way, that one of the things that the Bible is about to do is

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 to disagree with 95% of Canadians.

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 In fact, it's going to very specifically reject what 95% of Canadians believe, and which we

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 Christians, because we breathe Canadian air, are always tempted to want to believe as well.

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 Here's how it goes.

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 Romans 9, 30.

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 What shall we say then?

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 The Gentiles, here I'm going to use the word pagans, and it's a good word, and it refers

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 to basically everybody who's not Jewish at the time that this was written, that pagans

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 who did not pursue righteousness have attained it.

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 That is, a righteousness that is by faith.

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 Now, I'm going to pause here, because those of you who are following along, I'm going to

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 start doing something a little...

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 I'm not cheating, and I'm not trying to get away from the Bible, but I'm trying to bring

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 out something that's been established, if you've been here for previous weeks, about

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 the meaning of these words.

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 It's not saying that pagans don't try to be good people, and then all of a sudden something's

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 happened, and now they're good.

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 It's not trying to say that at all.

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 And it's also very interesting, if you look at your Bibles, it doesn't say that the Gentiles

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 are the pagans, because it's not going to say that everybody who's pagan, this has happened.

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 It's just going to say that for some people, this has happened, who are pagans.

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 And for the word righteousness here, I'm going to replace it by what it actually means more

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 literally, which is become or made right with God.

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 And I haven't talked about being made right with God for a while, but if all of a sudden

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 you just get this idea of making something right, every time I've talked about it, it's

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 shocked me how often in movies and in books this concept of making something right is

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 there.

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 You know, it could be something if you work at a Starbucks or something or a restaurant,

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 and you can hear that there's a kerfuffle going on outside, and there's somebody who's

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 unhappy or a couple of customers who are unhappy.

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 What you're hoping for if you're the poor person at the cash is that the manager will

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 come and make it right.

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 Okay, they'll make it right.

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 And maybe they'll make it right by firing the customer, getting the customer out of there,

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 calling the police.

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 Maybe they'll make it right by giving them a free drink and just, you know, talking and

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 listening to people.

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 But you want somebody to make it right.

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 You know, maybe you've been in a workplace, and there's lots of unhappiness going on.

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 There's lots of slander and backbiting and discontent.

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 And people are hoping maybe that at some point in time, the management or higher up in the

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 organization will come and make it right.

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 Okay, they'll come and make it right.

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 And you know, whether that making right is maybe firing somebody or, you know, a lateral

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 transfer or listening or whatever, it can involve a whole pile of things.

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 But we have this sort of basic understanding still in our culture of having something made

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 right.

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 Okay, and that's what's trying to get communicated here with this word righteousness in this particular

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 context as a range of meaning.

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 But that's what it means.

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 So now I'm going to keep reading.

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 And I'm going to say that rather than righteousness.

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 So we're not confused.

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 Okay, so we'll start again.

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 What shall we say then?

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 Verse 30 of chapter 9, that pagans who did not pursue being made right with God have attained

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 it.

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 That is, being made right with God that is by faith.

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 But that Israel, who pursued a law that would lead to being made right with God, did not

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 succeed in reaching that law.

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 In other words, they followed a principle and they didn't actually do what they wanted

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 to accomplish.

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 Why?

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 Because they did not pursue it by faith.

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 I'm going to explain this all in a moment.

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 But as it were, as if it were based on works.

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 They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, I am laying in Zion a stone

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 of stumbling and a rock of offense.

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 And whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.

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 Now just sort of pause here for a second.

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 I don't know how many of you watch The Amazing Race.

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 It's one of my guilty pleasures.

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 It's, I think, about the only thing I watch on sort of normal network TV.

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 And it's, I think it's always 11 teams and they go around the world and they have to

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 complete a series of tasks in foreign cities and follow, you know, they get a direction.

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 They have to go somewhere and complete a task.

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 And one of the things which every year, it always happens several times, that the people

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 are trying to figure out what something means.

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 And they have it very, very firmly stuck in their mind that they know exactly what they're

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 being told to do and exactly what it is that they have to see.

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 And you as a viewer delight in the fact that the camera person will show them constantly

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 walking by the actual thing they're supposed to find.

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 And it's very interesting.

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 Sometimes, I remember this one time, there were these two young men and their self-talk

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 was about how spectacular they were and how good they were at, they won everything they

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 always did.

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 And that was their sort of their self-talk as they were building each other up.

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 But like complete doofuses, they spent a long time walking right by the thing that they

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 were supposed to do and the sign that they were supposed to see.

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 And they were so, in a sense, caught up with how excellent they were and how successful

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 they were that they couldn't find it.

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 And it was one of those things of the viewer, in a sense, laughing at them.

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 Now, Paul, we're going to see here in a moment, says that this just breaks his heart.

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 But he's talking about that for the Jewish people, that God has provided with them laws.

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 And that the law, that not only refers to just the books of the first five books of the Old Testament,

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 but in a sense, the whole Old Testament.

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 But what's happened, he said, to his brothers and sisters who are Jewish,

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 is they've gotten in their own head and in their own mind how it is that they're going to sort everything out

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 by their standards and their criteria.

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 And the irony is that while they're trying to do that, they literally keep tripping over Jesus,

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 so to speak.

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 That they don't recognize that the entire, what we call the Old Testament,

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 that the entire Old Testament was doing several types of things.

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 One of them is that it was trying to get people to understand that they couldn't keep it.

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 That at some point in time, they had to just lay down, in a sense, their Bibles,

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 lay down their sword and seal, lay down their prayer mats, lay down everything,

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 and just say, only God.

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 Only God.

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 Unless God does something, I'm in big trouble.

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 And at the same time, what we call the Old Testament was to try to bring people to this

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 recognition and this realization that unless God does it, we're really in trouble.

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 At the same time, the entire Old Testament is setting all these clues and hints and riddles

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 to point to how God is, in fact, going to do this.

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 That God didn't write the Old Testament as some type of, like, it's not like Kafka's book,

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 the trial, and some type of evil genius back behind the veil, creating all of these rules,

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 just trying to see people trying to keep them, and all of them always just fail,

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 and he's just up there laughing at us and scorn.

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 No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

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 That, in fact, in the entire Old Testament, it's constantly giving us hints and riddles,

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 and that when Jesus comes, that if people had actually come to the point of looking at the Old Testament

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 and looking at the fact that why is it that I keep having to kill all these animals,

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 and I just keep messing up, and only God, unless God deals with it,

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 unless God, in a sense, provides that sacrifice, unless God is the one who sorts these things out,

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 I'm in big trouble, and then God actually does send the answer to all of these pointers.

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 But they're so intent on actually trying to accomplish their understanding

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 because they're so superior and they're so excellent,

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 and they keep, in a sense, tripping over Jesus.

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 That's what Paul is trying to communicate.

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 And then he continues in chapter 10, verse 1.

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 Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

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 Now, this is really, really, really important.

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 You know, one of the views that non-Christians have of Christians is that we don't really care about people.

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 We think we're better than them.

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 And a lot of times, non-Christians, they're not being mean and prejudiced when they think that.

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 Because, in fact, this text is going to continually try to humble us

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 because the fact of the matter is that a lot of us view,

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 those of us who are Christians, a lot of us view a lot of the city as a threat.

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 That a lot of us view people who are same-sex attracted or trans

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 and living, from our point of view, a life that's not of God.

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 And rather than our heart being broken for them and loving them,

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 we find them as a threat.

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 Or we think of them as our enemies.

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 And we do that with politics as well.

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 And we as Christians, and I don't know, you know, I'm not going to pick,

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 you know, but those of us who, you know, really love Trudeau.

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 And we view those who like, who supported Harper as a threat.

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 Those who wanted to vote conservative.

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 And they view people who vote for Trudeau as a threat, as bad people, as evil people.

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 And it goes on and on and on.

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 Our hearts can actually be very, very, very hard to people.

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 And we like those people who are sort of like us and sort of think our way,

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 but we're hard-hearted towards other people.

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 And non-Christians, if they have that perception of Christians, it's not prejudice.

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 I mean, sometimes maybe it is, and sometimes maybe it's not really fair.

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 But the fact of the matter is that our hearts are not often broken for our neighbors.

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 And that we have a real love for them.

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 And that we want to view that there's nobody in our neighborhood who's our enemy.

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 And nobody in this city who is our enemy.

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 There might be people who don't like us, but we don't want,

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 I don't want to view them as my enemy.

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 My heart wants to be like Paul's here in verse 1.

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 We'll read it again in 10.1.

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 Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

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 I mean, for many of us, that's the point right now that we have to pause and do some work with God.

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 To recognize how many people, we don't think that at all.

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 We'd like to see that person crushed.

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 Those people who voted for Harper, I'd like to see them crushed.

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 Those people who voted for Trudeau, I'm just waiting for everything to fall apart.

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 So that I can just say, look, that's what's going on in our hearts.

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 Not that our hearts burn with love for them.

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 Then Paul continues.

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 And here's now where he's going to be actually quite un-Canadian.

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 We'll read verse 2, 3, and 4.

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 But for I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God,

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 but not according to knowledge.

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 For being ignorant of the righteousness of God,

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 in other words, the way that God has provided to make us right with himself,

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 and seeking to establish their own way of making themselves right with God,

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 they did not submit to God's way of making people right with himself.

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 In other words, the way that God was actually going to accomplish it.

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 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

00:16:20.540 --> 00:16:22.220
 And I'm not going to talk much about this,

00:16:22.300 --> 00:16:24.980
 but that's something, a constant part of the teaching.

00:16:24.980 --> 00:16:28.300
 It's what Jesus says himself in Luke 24 after his resurrection,

00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:31.820
 that every single thing in the Old, what we call the Old Testament,

00:16:31.980 --> 00:16:34.120
 every single thing in the Bible points to him.

00:16:35.820 --> 00:16:39.700
 Everything points to him and who he is and what he's accomplished on the cross.

00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:40.200
 Everything.

00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:41.860
 Everything.

00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:45.200
 Everything in there is moving to its goal,

00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:47.200
 and in a sense, after Jesus,

00:16:49.300 --> 00:16:51.800
 we just keep funneling us back to him.

00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:53.800
 We're going to talk more about that in a moment.

00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:54.740
 But here, I just want to pause.

00:16:54.819 --> 00:16:56.759
 Do you notice that un-Canadian thing in verse 2?

00:16:57.959 --> 00:17:00.319
 Where he says, I have to turn the page,

00:17:00.779 --> 00:17:05.500
 for being ignorant of the, no, for I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God,

00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:06.919
 but not according to knowledge.

00:17:07.399 --> 00:17:09.200
 In other words, they have,

00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:12.159
 they are deeply committed,

00:17:12.579 --> 00:17:13.960
 authentically committed,

00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:14.960
 and sincere.

00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:17.660
 But they're all wrong.

00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:21.400
 Now, if you could put the first point up, Andrew,

00:17:22.120 --> 00:17:24.620
 what is it that most Canadians say?

00:17:25.620 --> 00:17:28.400
 It does not matter what you believe as long as you're sincere.

00:17:29.120 --> 00:17:30.600
 And I've added something else.

00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:35.579
 It only applies to things that are not real and do not matter.

00:17:35.579 --> 00:17:42.599
 Now, I don't want to offend you if you're here.

00:17:42.639 --> 00:17:43.599
 I don't mean to offend you.

00:17:43.659 --> 00:17:45.500
 I just want to consider this is, you know,

00:17:45.559 --> 00:17:47.579
 is the Bible being judgmental and mean?

00:17:48.740 --> 00:17:51.159
 Or is it just trying to point out something,

00:17:51.259 --> 00:17:52.980
 which in fact, we realize,

00:17:53.099 --> 00:17:54.679
 but we don't want to express it this way.

00:17:55.439 --> 00:17:58.579
 That it does not matter what you believe as long as you're sincere.

00:17:58.579 --> 00:18:02.939
 Sincere only applies to things that are real and do not matter.

00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:04.759
 So, for instance,

00:18:04.879 --> 00:18:07.399
 just to give a very, very, you know, absurd example,

00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:11.379
 you're flying in a jet, an Air Canada jet.

00:18:11.899 --> 00:18:13.659
 You're flying somewhere, it doesn't matter.

00:18:13.779 --> 00:18:15.539
 I don't know, it has 150 people on it.

00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:18.419
 And it's at 33,000 feet.

00:18:18.919 --> 00:18:20.579
 And all of a sudden, over the intercom,

00:18:21.259 --> 00:18:23.579
 it's announced that the pilot says that

00:18:23.579 --> 00:18:29.679
 that Joe has a deep and sincere commitment

00:18:29.679 --> 00:18:32.579
 that he believes he can fly a plane and land it.

00:18:33.299 --> 00:18:34.779
 And he's never had any lessons,

00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:37.019
 never flown a plane before,

00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:40.279
 but he's talked to his inner self.

00:18:40.599 --> 00:18:42.339
 And both his inner self and him

00:18:42.339 --> 00:18:43.839
 have really firmly convinced him

00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:45.859
 that he knows how to fly jets and land them.

00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:49.179
 And so because the Air Canada pilot is a Canadian,

00:18:49.179 --> 00:18:52.039
 he wants to respect sincerely held beliefs.

00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:54.200
 And he's going to come and sit in the plane

00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:58.299
 while Joe flies the plane without instruments

00:18:58.299 --> 00:18:59.319
 and lands it.

00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:01.379
 Now, of course, we would all laugh

00:19:01.379 --> 00:19:02.579
 and we would all think it was hilarious,

00:19:02.759 --> 00:19:05.139
 but if we actually came to think that that was happening,

00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:08.500
 we would all be storming the cockpit.

00:19:10.839 --> 00:19:12.539
 Because planes are real,

00:19:13.339 --> 00:19:15.619
 and when they're at 33,000 feet,

00:19:15.859 --> 00:19:17.059
 landing them matters.

00:19:18.740 --> 00:19:19.019
 Okay?

00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:21.879
 So it is, you see,

00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:23.380
 so for many people when they say

00:19:23.380 --> 00:19:24.620
 it doesn't matter what you believe

00:19:24.620 --> 00:19:25.700
 as long as you're sincere,

00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:27.500
 well, you know what they mean is,

00:19:27.560 --> 00:19:27.860
 you know,

00:19:28.780 --> 00:19:30.720
 I keep picking on,

00:19:30.820 --> 00:19:31.340
 I keep saying,

00:19:31.420 --> 00:19:32.000
 I'll just use it.

00:19:32.040 --> 00:19:33.800
 You know, it doesn't really matter that much.

00:19:33.880 --> 00:19:34.040
 You know,

00:19:34.600 --> 00:19:36.480
 if somebody just wants to go off

00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:38.280
 and dance in a little circle at night

00:19:38.280 --> 00:19:39.040
 out in the bush

00:19:39.040 --> 00:19:40.960
 and call down the goddesses

00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:42.160
 and call down the moon

00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:45.520
 and get in touch with animal spirits,

00:19:45.600 --> 00:19:46.380
 if they want to do that,

00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:47.720
 that's completely fine.

00:19:47.940 --> 00:19:48.200
 Okay?

00:19:48.819 --> 00:19:49.880
 And if somebody believes,

00:19:49.940 --> 00:19:51.240
 it really gives them good meaning

00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:52.160
 to think that,

00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:52.600
 I don't know,

00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:52.880
 you know,

00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:54.059
 that the entire earth

00:19:54.059 --> 00:19:55.460
 rests on a turtle's back

00:19:55.460 --> 00:19:57.620
 and everything was created by,

00:19:57.759 --> 00:19:57.940
 you know,

00:19:57.980 --> 00:19:59.819
 when ravens talked

00:19:59.819 --> 00:20:00.680
 and then some seeds

00:20:00.680 --> 00:20:01.539
 fell out of their mouth

00:20:01.539 --> 00:20:01.980
 and it fell out,

00:20:02.039 --> 00:20:02.240
 and that's,

00:20:02.600 --> 00:20:02.840
 you know,

00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:03.580
 that's fine.

00:20:03.980 --> 00:20:04.960
 But if all of a sudden

00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:06.900
 they actually wanted to change

00:20:06.900 --> 00:20:08.460
 how biology and chemistry

00:20:08.460 --> 00:20:10.600
 and physics is taught

00:20:10.599 --> 00:20:13.099
 and you actually realize

00:20:13.099 --> 00:20:14.099
 that they actually think

00:20:14.099 --> 00:20:15.159
 that this is true,

00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:19.119
 then you'd start to really think

00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:20.859
 that they were actually psychotic.

00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:23.159
 But even then,

00:20:23.199 --> 00:20:24.000
 you'd still maybe just want

00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:24.579
 to lock them up

00:20:24.579 --> 00:20:25.399
 because it doesn't matter

00:20:25.399 --> 00:20:26.519
 as much as landing a plane.

00:20:27.659 --> 00:20:28.899
 And here's the part

00:20:28.899 --> 00:20:30.319
 which is hard for Canadians

00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:31.159
 to understand.

00:20:31.399 --> 00:20:33.059
 It's why Christians keep getting

00:20:33.059 --> 00:20:34.219
 in trouble in public.

00:20:35.539 --> 00:20:36.819
 That for Christians,

00:20:36.819 --> 00:20:39.419
 we believe it's real.

00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:41.779
 At least I do.

00:20:42.659 --> 00:20:43.779
 If you're here as a guest,

00:20:44.179 --> 00:20:45.960
 earlier on when I began my sermon,

00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:47.799
 when I closed my eyes and prayed,

00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:50.379
 I quite literally believe

00:20:50.379 --> 00:20:52.159
 there is a God that does exist

00:20:52.159 --> 00:20:53.579
 that I am speaking to.

00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:55.419
 It doesn't matter

00:20:55.419 --> 00:20:56.659
 if nobody here believes it,

00:20:56.700 --> 00:20:58.359
 that's actually what I believe.

00:20:58.919 --> 00:21:00.339
 And when I ask the Father

00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:02.599
 to pour out His Holy Spirit,

00:21:02.779 --> 00:21:03.799
 I literally,

00:21:04.059 --> 00:21:04.220
 I mean,

00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:05.639
 I don't know what images I have,

00:21:05.659 --> 00:21:06.659
 I don't really have any images,

00:21:06.819 --> 00:21:08.139
 but I literally believe

00:21:08.139 --> 00:21:09.319
 that I'm asking God

00:21:09.319 --> 00:21:10.279
 who really does exist

00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:11.519
 to really do something.

00:21:12.679 --> 00:21:14.200
 And when I say

00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:15.439
 that Jesus rose from the dead,

00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:16.099
 I believe there was

00:21:16.099 --> 00:21:17.279
 a real historical person

00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:18.779
 that He really did rise from the dead.

00:21:18.859 --> 00:21:19.099
 When I,

00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:20.379
 earlier on in the service,

00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:20.879
 when I said,

00:21:20.960 --> 00:21:21.139
 God,

00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:21.980
 you created all things,

00:21:22.099 --> 00:21:22.779
 sustain all things,

00:21:22.839 --> 00:21:23.759
 there's not a square inch

00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:24.740
 that you don't sustain yourself,

00:21:24.740 --> 00:21:27.419
 I actually literally believe that.

00:21:29.179 --> 00:21:30.559
 And if it brings me

00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:31.339
 into conflict

00:21:31.339 --> 00:21:32.899
 with the biology faculty,

00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:35.980
 then that on one hand

00:21:35.980 --> 00:21:36.920
 is a bit of a daunting

00:21:36.920 --> 00:21:37.620
 type of thing

00:21:37.620 --> 00:21:38.259
 to take on,

00:21:38.339 --> 00:21:38.799
 you know,

00:21:38.900 --> 00:21:40.200
 40 PhDs,

00:21:40.299 --> 00:21:41.440
 but at the end of the day,

00:21:41.500 --> 00:21:42.140
 I would say,

00:21:42.279 --> 00:21:43.940
 I believe that this is true

00:21:43.940 --> 00:21:44.339
 and real

00:21:44.339 --> 00:21:44.960
 and it matters

00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:47.400
 that when in John chapter 1,

00:21:47.860 --> 00:21:48.500
 it says,

00:21:48.620 --> 00:21:49.579
 in the beginning was the Word

00:21:49.579 --> 00:21:50.660
 and the Word was with God

00:21:50.660 --> 00:21:51.660
 and the Word was God,

00:21:51.740 --> 00:21:52.420
 He was with God

00:21:52.420 --> 00:21:52.799
 in the beginning.

00:21:52.980 --> 00:21:54.620
 All things were made through Him

00:21:54.620 --> 00:21:55.259
 and without Him

00:21:55.259 --> 00:21:55.920
 nothing was made

00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:56.360
 that was made.

00:21:56.620 --> 00:21:58.319
 I believe that's literally true.

00:21:58.319 --> 00:22:02.480
 I believe it's just as true

00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:03.399
 as being on an airplane

00:22:03.399 --> 00:22:04.779
 at 33,000 feet

00:22:04.779 --> 00:22:05.740
 that has to land.

00:22:08.359 --> 00:22:10.039
 That's the Christian claim.

00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:13.200
 And so you see,

00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:13.679
 at first,

00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:14.439
 when this looks like

00:22:14.439 --> 00:22:15.899
 it's being very un-Canadian

00:22:15.899 --> 00:22:19.539
 by saying that it doesn't,

00:22:19.679 --> 00:22:19.819
 you know,

00:22:19.859 --> 00:22:20.879
 that being sincere

00:22:20.879 --> 00:22:22.899
 in fact isn't enough

00:22:22.899 --> 00:22:24.119
 and it sounds very un-Canadian

00:22:24.119 --> 00:22:25.240
 as if we're being rude.

00:22:25.460 --> 00:22:25.599
 Now,

00:22:25.679 --> 00:22:26.259
 on one hand,

00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:27.399
 for many Canadians

00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:27.880
 that we go,

00:22:28.700 --> 00:22:29.680
 good grief,

00:22:30.820 --> 00:22:31.900
 you don't accept

00:22:31.900 --> 00:22:33.120
 naturalistic evolution?

00:22:36.080 --> 00:22:36.259
 Like,

00:22:36.980 --> 00:22:38.080
 like,

00:22:38.800 --> 00:22:39.460
 good grief,

00:22:39.600 --> 00:22:41.220
 you actually believe

00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:41.740
 that, like,

00:22:41.780 --> 00:22:42.400
 there's demons

00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:43.320
 and angels?

00:22:43.700 --> 00:22:43.820
 Like,

00:22:44.259 --> 00:22:44.440
 you,

00:22:45.900 --> 00:22:46.240
 okay,

00:22:46.300 --> 00:22:47.120
 but it changes

00:22:47.120 --> 00:22:48.000
 the conversation,

00:22:48.500 --> 00:22:48.740
 right?

00:22:51.220 --> 00:22:52.200
 And that's what

00:22:52.200 --> 00:22:53.019
 the real,

00:22:53.300 --> 00:22:53.759
 robust,

00:22:54.780 --> 00:22:55.500
 historic,

00:22:55.980 --> 00:22:57.080
 biblical Christianity

00:22:57.079 --> 00:22:57.859
 is claiming.

00:23:01.299 --> 00:23:02.079
 We're saying

00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:02.859
 that we're not like

00:23:02.859 --> 00:23:03.779
 people who just

00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:05.279
 go and call down

00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:06.059
 the dark moon

00:23:06.059 --> 00:23:07.679
 and have beliefs

00:23:07.679 --> 00:23:08.059
 about,

00:23:08.179 --> 00:23:08.919
 you know,

00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:09.879
 chanting to the great,

00:23:10.199 --> 00:23:10.799
 that we're,

00:23:10.879 --> 00:23:11.939
 we're more,

00:23:12.179 --> 00:23:12.599
 in a sense,

00:23:12.699 --> 00:23:14.000
 like the chemistry faculty

00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.259
 and the biology faculty.

00:23:16.099 --> 00:23:16.759
 We're making

00:23:16.759 --> 00:23:17.579
 those type of claims.

00:23:17.579 --> 00:23:17.639
 believers.

00:23:20.439 --> 00:23:21.099
 And now,

00:23:21.240 --> 00:23:22.279
 what Paul is going

00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:22.819
 to do,

00:23:23.299 --> 00:23:24.000
 now that we sort

00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:25.399
 of grasp the problem,

00:23:26.759 --> 00:23:27.339
 I'm going to have,

00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:28.539
 I might have trouble,

00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:28.919
 anyway,

00:23:29.460 --> 00:23:30.119
 now that we've sort

00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:30.859
 of grasped the problem,

00:23:31.220 --> 00:23:31.919
 the Bible is going

00:23:31.919 --> 00:23:32.579
 to tell us now

00:23:32.579 --> 00:23:34.339
 three surprising,

00:23:34.599 --> 00:23:35.679
 counterintuitive truths.

00:23:35.779 --> 00:23:36.019
 In fact,

00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:36.839
 if you could put it up,

00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:37.799
 the point,

00:23:39.559 --> 00:23:41.899
 three counterintuitive

00:23:41.899 --> 00:23:42.839
 truths are taught

00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:43.419
 by the Bible

00:23:43.419 --> 00:23:43.819
 in very,

00:23:43.919 --> 00:23:44.379
 very quick,

00:23:44.380 --> 00:23:45.340
 summary fashion

00:23:45.340 --> 00:23:47.000
 in the next three verses.

00:23:47.940 --> 00:23:48.540
 The first

00:23:48.540 --> 00:23:49.400
 counterintuitive,

00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:51.280
 counterintuitive truth,

00:23:51.340 --> 00:23:52.120
 that's a bit of a tongue

00:23:52.120 --> 00:23:53.340
 twister for me,

00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:55.340
 counterintuitive truth

00:23:55.340 --> 00:23:56.820
 is that all attempts

00:23:56.820 --> 00:23:57.820
 to be right with God

00:23:57.820 --> 00:23:59.220
 by rule keeping fail.

00:24:00.320 --> 00:24:02.080
 This is a great shock

00:24:02.080 --> 00:24:03.640
 to non-Christians.

00:24:03.760 --> 00:24:04.840
 It's actually a great shock

00:24:04.840 --> 00:24:05.920
 to people who have

00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:06.580
 gone to church

00:24:06.580 --> 00:24:07.020
 for many,

00:24:07.180 --> 00:24:07.740
 many years.

00:24:08.540 --> 00:24:09.020
 Because,

00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:09.640
 in fact,

00:24:09.760 --> 00:24:10.640
 many Christians

00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:12.140
 believe that

00:24:12.140 --> 00:24:12.660
 rule keeping

00:24:12.660 --> 00:24:14.160
 is what Christianity

00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:14.900
 is all about.

00:24:16.040 --> 00:24:16.860
 But the Bible

00:24:16.860 --> 00:24:17.320
 is going to,

00:24:17.460 --> 00:24:17.620
 in fact,

00:24:17.700 --> 00:24:19.120
 completely reject this.

00:24:19.840 --> 00:24:20.360
 And the Bible

00:24:20.360 --> 00:24:21.180
 is going to say

00:24:21.180 --> 00:24:22.060
 that all attempts

00:24:22.060 --> 00:24:23.320
 to ascend to God

00:24:23.320 --> 00:24:24.860
 ascend to God

00:24:24.860 --> 00:24:25.740
 to know him fail.

00:24:25.800 --> 00:24:26.300
 I'm going to explain

00:24:26.300 --> 00:24:26.800
 what that means

00:24:26.800 --> 00:24:27.200
 in a moment.

00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:28.120
 And the Bible

00:24:28.120 --> 00:24:28.600
 is going to say

00:24:28.600 --> 00:24:29.620
 that all attempts

00:24:29.620 --> 00:24:31.220
 to descend to God

00:24:31.220 --> 00:24:32.160
 to know him fail.

00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:33.980
 And it does it

00:24:33.980 --> 00:24:34.160
 very,

00:24:34.279 --> 00:24:34.860
 very briefly.

00:24:35.340 --> 00:24:36.080
 And it's in

00:24:36.080 --> 00:24:37.279
 verses 5 to 7.

00:24:38.320 --> 00:24:39.340
 In a sense here,

00:24:39.420 --> 00:24:40.259
 there's a basic

00:24:40.259 --> 00:24:40.940
 rejection

00:24:40.940 --> 00:24:41.680
 rejection

00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:43.100
 of all of the

00:24:43.100 --> 00:24:43.900
 philosophies,

00:24:44.180 --> 00:24:44.940
 spiritualities,

00:24:45.019 --> 00:24:45.460
 and religions

00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:46.140
 of the world.

00:24:48.539 --> 00:24:50.039
 A basic rejection.

00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:53.180
 Not because

00:24:53.180 --> 00:24:54.500
 we think

00:24:54.500 --> 00:24:55.200
 we're smarter.

00:24:56.559 --> 00:24:57.059
 In fact,

00:24:57.120 --> 00:24:57.660
 as I'm going to try

00:24:57.660 --> 00:24:58.120
 to show,

00:24:58.960 --> 00:24:59.460
 the heart of the

00:24:59.460 --> 00:25:00.019
 Spurgeon

00:25:00.019 --> 00:25:00.980
 got it completely

00:25:00.980 --> 00:25:01.440
 right.

00:25:01.900 --> 00:25:03.320
 These rejections

00:25:03.320 --> 00:25:04.160
 are going to

00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:04.940
 humble us

00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:05.580
 and bring us

00:25:05.580 --> 00:25:06.360
 to our knees

00:25:06.359 --> 00:25:07.679
 and make us

00:25:07.679 --> 00:25:08.099
 realize

00:25:08.099 --> 00:25:09.240
 that every

00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:09.699
 Christian

00:25:09.699 --> 00:25:10.459
 is merely

00:25:10.459 --> 00:25:11.179
 one beggar

00:25:11.179 --> 00:25:11.939
 telling another

00:25:11.939 --> 00:25:12.439
 beggar

00:25:12.439 --> 00:25:13.359
 where to get

00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:13.899
 free bread.

00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:15.219
 It's going to

00:25:15.219 --> 00:25:15.919
 be a complete

00:25:15.919 --> 00:25:16.459
 and utter

00:25:16.459 --> 00:25:17.179
 rejection

00:25:17.179 --> 00:25:18.139
 of our

00:25:18.139 --> 00:25:18.819
 deep-seated

00:25:18.819 --> 00:25:19.299
 desire

00:25:19.299 --> 00:25:19.839
 to be a

00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:20.419
 superhero

00:25:20.419 --> 00:25:22.639
 and tell us

00:25:22.639 --> 00:25:22.879
 that we're

00:25:22.879 --> 00:25:23.399
 beggars.

00:25:25.419 --> 00:25:26.099
 That's the

00:25:26.099 --> 00:25:26.439
 deepest,

00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:27.259
 hardest part

00:25:27.259 --> 00:25:28.039
 of Christianity

00:25:28.039 --> 00:25:28.500
 that it

00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:29.019
 constantly

00:25:29.019 --> 00:25:29.979
 humbles us

00:25:29.979 --> 00:25:31.159
 to bring us

00:25:31.159 --> 00:25:31.879
 to our knees,

00:25:31.979 --> 00:25:32.399
 to have us

00:25:32.399 --> 00:25:33.000
 fall flat

00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:33.779
 on our face,

00:25:34.179 --> 00:25:35.159
 to acknowledge

00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:36.000
 that we are

00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:36.500
 beggars.

00:25:37.180 --> 00:25:37.680
 Here it is.

00:25:38.300 --> 00:25:38.820
 I'll read them

00:25:38.820 --> 00:25:39.680
 first and then

00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:40.180
 we'll go back

00:25:40.180 --> 00:25:40.680
 and look at each

00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:41.300
 very briefly.

00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:42.060
 Verse 5,

00:25:42.140 --> 00:25:42.980
 For Moses writes

00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:43.400
 about the

00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:43.820
 righteousness

00:25:43.820 --> 00:25:46.019
 or the way

00:25:46.019 --> 00:25:46.580
 of being right

00:25:46.580 --> 00:25:47.080
 with God

00:25:47.080 --> 00:25:47.700
 that is based

00:25:47.700 --> 00:25:48.300
 on the law

00:25:48.300 --> 00:25:49.380
 that the person

00:25:49.380 --> 00:25:49.940
 who does the

00:25:49.940 --> 00:25:50.400
 commandment

00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:51.300
 shall live by them.

00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:52.019
 And some of you

00:25:52.019 --> 00:25:52.259
 are saying,

00:25:52.340 --> 00:25:52.540
 George,

00:25:52.620 --> 00:25:53.240
 that contradicts

00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:53.680
 what you just

00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:53.840
 said,

00:25:53.900 --> 00:25:54.160
 but we're going

00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:54.519
 to go back

00:25:54.519 --> 00:25:54.940
 and look at it

00:25:54.940 --> 00:25:55.220
 and I'll show

00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:55.660
 you why that's

00:25:55.660 --> 00:25:56.220
 not the case.

00:25:56.740 --> 00:25:57.220
 Verse 6,

00:25:57.300 --> 00:25:57.960
 But the righteousness

00:25:57.960 --> 00:25:59.160
 based on faith,

00:25:59.540 --> 00:26:00.060
 the way of being

00:26:00.060 --> 00:26:00.960
 right with God

00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:02.140
 based on faith,

00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:02.480
 says,

00:26:02.820 --> 00:26:03.580
 Do not say in your

00:26:03.580 --> 00:26:03.840
 heart,

00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:04.720
 who will ascend

00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:05.339
 into heaven?

00:26:05.799 --> 00:26:07.099
 That is to bring

00:26:07.099 --> 00:26:07.819
 Christ down.

00:26:07.980 --> 00:26:08.299
 Or,

00:26:08.659 --> 00:26:09.720
 who will descend

00:26:09.720 --> 00:26:10.720
 into the abyss?

00:26:11.079 --> 00:26:12.000
 That is to bring

00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:12.819
 Christ up

00:26:12.819 --> 00:26:13.559
 from the dead.

00:26:14.379 --> 00:26:14.659
 So,

00:26:15.059 --> 00:26:15.939
 the three things,

00:26:16.459 --> 00:26:17.959
 the three counterintuitive

00:26:17.959 --> 00:26:18.799
 truths taught

00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:19.339
 by the Bible,

00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:19.659
 first,

00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:20.259
 all attempts

00:26:20.259 --> 00:26:20.720
 to be right

00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:21.139
 with God

00:26:21.139 --> 00:26:21.899
 by rule keeping

00:26:21.899 --> 00:26:22.359
 fail.

00:26:23.079 --> 00:26:24.119
 And verse 5,

00:26:24.179 --> 00:26:24.679
 that's where it

00:26:24.679 --> 00:26:25.000
 says it,

00:26:25.059 --> 00:26:26.019
 and it looks at first

00:26:26.019 --> 00:26:26.759
 as if it's saying

00:26:26.759 --> 00:26:27.319
 the opposite.

00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:28.339
 For Moses writes

00:26:28.339 --> 00:26:29.220
 about the righteousness,

00:26:29.720 --> 00:26:30.179
 the way of being

00:26:30.179 --> 00:26:30.839
 right with God

00:26:30.839 --> 00:26:31.619
 that is based

00:26:31.619 --> 00:26:32.079
 on the law,

00:26:32.219 --> 00:26:33.839
 that the person

00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:34.819
 who does the commandment

00:26:34.819 --> 00:26:35.579
 shall live by them.

00:26:35.859 --> 00:26:37.439
 What Paul is doing here,

00:26:37.879 --> 00:26:38.859
 and it's a little bit hard

00:26:38.859 --> 00:26:39.500
 if you haven't been

00:26:39.500 --> 00:26:40.279
 to any of the services,

00:26:40.459 --> 00:26:40.979
 you haven't heard

00:26:40.979 --> 00:26:41.859
 any of the sermons,

00:26:41.979 --> 00:26:42.439
 you haven't read

00:26:42.439 --> 00:26:43.019
 any of Romans,

00:26:43.439 --> 00:26:44.579
 but if you have a Bible

00:26:44.579 --> 00:26:45.059
 like this,

00:26:45.079 --> 00:26:46.139
 it's sort of very obvious

00:26:46.139 --> 00:26:47.579
 that Romans starts

00:26:47.579 --> 00:26:48.459
 over here,

00:26:49.219 --> 00:26:50.659
 and Romans has done,

00:26:50.739 --> 00:26:51.619
 he's talked about this,

00:26:51.679 --> 00:26:52.519
 he's talked about this,

00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:53.319
 he's talked about this,

00:26:53.359 --> 00:26:54.079
 he's talked about this,

00:26:54.119 --> 00:26:54.679
 he's talked about this,

00:26:54.719 --> 00:26:55.459
 now he gets to this.

00:26:56.719 --> 00:26:58.119
 Sometimes I come home

00:26:58.119 --> 00:26:59.059
 late at night,

00:26:59.059 --> 00:27:00.759
 and my wife and kids

00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:01.659
 are watching something

00:27:01.659 --> 00:27:02.359
 on Netflix,

00:27:03.299 --> 00:27:04.000
 and maybe they're

00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:04.819
 two-thirds of the way

00:27:04.819 --> 00:27:05.299
 through it,

00:27:05.819 --> 00:27:06.759
 and I just come,

00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:08.159
 I sit down

00:27:08.159 --> 00:27:08.799
 or do whatever,

00:27:08.980 --> 00:27:09.839
 and I come and watch

00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:10.240
 the movie,

00:27:10.659 --> 00:27:11.879
 and something said

00:27:11.879 --> 00:27:12.379
 on the TV

00:27:12.379 --> 00:27:12.980
 that to me

00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:14.700
 sounds completely innocuous,

00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:16.079
 and people,

00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:16.659
 the others,

00:27:16.839 --> 00:27:18.659
 chuckle or groan.

00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:21.579
 You know,

00:27:21.639 --> 00:27:22.039
 and I think,

00:27:22.159 --> 00:27:22.279
 wow,

00:27:22.339 --> 00:27:23.279
 they chuckle or groan,

00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:24.460
 it just sounds innocuous

00:27:24.460 --> 00:27:24.859
 to me.

00:27:25.679 --> 00:27:26.579
 And that's because

00:27:26.579 --> 00:27:27.799
 in the previous thing

00:27:27.799 --> 00:27:28.599
 leading up to it,

00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:30.259
 what they just say

00:27:30.259 --> 00:27:31.139
 has a context

00:27:31.139 --> 00:27:31.639
 that makes you

00:27:31.639 --> 00:27:32.379
 chuckle or groan.

00:27:32.939 --> 00:27:33.699
 And so what Paul

00:27:33.699 --> 00:27:34.539
 is doing here,

00:27:35.079 --> 00:27:36.419
 this is now

00:27:36.419 --> 00:27:37.339
 in chapter 10,

00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:38.439
 and if you go through

00:27:38.439 --> 00:27:39.139
 the book of Romans,

00:27:39.240 --> 00:27:40.319
 one of the main things

00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:40.939
 that Paul does

00:27:40.939 --> 00:27:41.819
 in the book of Romans,

00:27:42.199 --> 00:27:43.319
 he does it in the last

00:27:43.319 --> 00:27:44.339
 half of chapter 1,

00:27:44.439 --> 00:27:45.279
 all of chapter 2,

00:27:45.319 --> 00:27:46.579
 and most of chapter 3,

00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:48.000
 is he wants to try

00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:49.000
 to bring you to the point

00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:50.059
 of understanding

00:27:50.059 --> 00:27:51.679
 that if your goal

00:27:51.679 --> 00:27:53.319
 in life is to keep rules,

00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:54.699
 and keeping rules

00:27:54.699 --> 00:27:55.459
 is what's going to

00:27:55.459 --> 00:27:56.459
 make you right with God,

00:27:56.539 --> 00:27:57.839
 that you always fail.

00:27:57.839 --> 00:27:59.419
 You always fail,

00:27:59.639 --> 00:28:00.720
 everybody fails,

00:28:00.879 --> 00:28:01.919
 with no exception,

00:28:02.139 --> 00:28:02.980
 if they're completely

00:28:02.980 --> 00:28:04.059
 and utterly honest.

00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:05.720
 And Paul tries to show

00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:06.779
 that whether you follow

00:28:06.779 --> 00:28:08.199
 the perfect,

00:28:08.439 --> 00:28:09.359
 like God's rules,

00:28:09.459 --> 00:28:10.220
 ones that he wrote

00:28:10.220 --> 00:28:11.099
 that are in the Bible,

00:28:11.639 --> 00:28:13.000
 or whether God

00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:13.720
 will be completely

00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:14.619
 and utterly just,

00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.019
 and say,

00:28:15.139 --> 00:28:15.619
 okay, George,

00:28:15.679 --> 00:28:16.679
 you make your rules.

00:28:17.179 --> 00:28:17.720
 Okay, George,

00:28:17.779 --> 00:28:18.839
 you write down the things

00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:19.980
 that you have to accomplish,

00:28:20.299 --> 00:28:21.240
 and you write them down,

00:28:21.299 --> 00:28:22.119
 I'll let you choose.

00:28:22.179 --> 00:28:23.240
 You write them all down,

00:28:23.240 --> 00:28:24.859
 and then we'll just

00:28:24.859 --> 00:28:26.200
 have a video cam

00:28:26.200 --> 00:28:27.380
 that follows your life,

00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:28.200
 and we'll just spend

00:28:28.200 --> 00:28:28.859
 the next month

00:28:28.859 --> 00:28:29.779
 and seeing how long

00:28:29.779 --> 00:28:30.460
 it takes before

00:28:30.460 --> 00:28:31.359
 you can't even keep

00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:32.440
 the rules that you pick,

00:28:33.099 --> 00:28:34.359
 that you make for yourself.

00:28:36.500 --> 00:28:38.220
 And that God is

00:28:38.220 --> 00:28:39.839
 completely and utterly fair.

00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:43.500
 And so Paul is just using here

00:28:43.500 --> 00:28:44.720
 a very, very simple type

00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:45.919
 of a catchphrase

00:28:45.919 --> 00:28:48.240
 to remind us of the thing

00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:48.919
 that he's been saying

00:28:48.919 --> 00:28:50.379
 over and over and over again

00:28:50.379 --> 00:28:51.179
 in many, many, many

00:28:51.179 --> 00:28:52.240
 different forms

00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:53.579
 throughout the entire

00:28:53.579 --> 00:28:54.199
 book of Romans

00:28:54.199 --> 00:28:55.059
 up to this point.

00:28:56.819 --> 00:28:58.339
 And for many, many,

00:28:58.419 --> 00:28:59.859
 many, many, many Christians,

00:29:00.399 --> 00:29:02.240
 they believe that the Christian faith

00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:03.519
 is all about keeping rules.

00:29:03.799 --> 00:29:05.839
 Or, for you and I,

00:29:06.159 --> 00:29:06.759
 we say, oh yeah,

00:29:06.899 --> 00:29:07.759
 okay, no, no, no, no, no,

00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:08.419
 I have to get down

00:29:08.419 --> 00:29:08.839
 on my knees,

00:29:08.839 --> 00:29:09.879
 I make the sinner's prayer,

00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:11.079
 I give my life to God.

00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:12.619
 But then, it's almost

00:29:12.619 --> 00:29:14.000
 as soon as that's over,

00:29:14.379 --> 00:29:15.599
 before we know it,

00:29:15.879 --> 00:29:17.059
 how we evaluate

00:29:17.059 --> 00:29:18.679
 how we are with God

00:29:18.679 --> 00:29:21.259
 comes with how good we are

00:29:21.259 --> 00:29:23.000
 at keeping our standards

00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:24.419
 and our moral rules.

00:29:25.539 --> 00:29:26.939
 And how we end up

00:29:26.939 --> 00:29:27.959
 coming to church

00:29:27.959 --> 00:29:29.720
 feeling deeply depressed

00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:31.059
 because, in fact,

00:29:31.159 --> 00:29:31.959
 this past week

00:29:31.959 --> 00:29:33.139
 we haven't been very good

00:29:33.139 --> 00:29:34.000
 at keeping our rules,

00:29:34.059 --> 00:29:35.199
 and we somehow or another

00:29:35.199 --> 00:29:36.859
 believe that how we are

00:29:36.859 --> 00:29:38.279
 with God depends upon

00:29:38.279 --> 00:29:39.079
 our ability

00:29:39.079 --> 00:29:39.899
 to keep rules.

00:29:40.099 --> 00:29:41.559
 But it never does.

00:29:44.039 --> 00:29:45.220
 It never does.

00:29:46.379 --> 00:29:46.579
 In fact,

00:29:46.599 --> 00:29:47.480
 I'm going to share something.

00:29:47.559 --> 00:29:48.420
 If you're a non-Christian

00:29:48.420 --> 00:29:50.779
 and you are here today,

00:29:51.180 --> 00:29:51.799
 one of the things,

00:29:51.859 --> 00:29:52.940
 I'm going to tell you something

00:29:52.940 --> 00:29:55.480
 about your Christian friends

00:29:55.480 --> 00:29:56.960
 that maybe they don't even

00:29:56.960 --> 00:29:57.660
 know about themselves

00:29:57.660 --> 00:29:58.539
 or if they know it,

00:29:58.559 --> 00:29:59.619
 they don't want to share with you,

00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:01.500
 is that we Christians

00:30:01.500 --> 00:30:03.359
 sometimes are deeply

00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:04.859
 intimidated by people

00:30:04.859 --> 00:30:06.240
 who are very successful

00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:07.339
 at keeping rules.

00:30:10.679 --> 00:30:11.719
 That we look at,

00:30:11.799 --> 00:30:12.000
 you know,

00:30:12.059 --> 00:30:12.759
 maybe we look at

00:30:12.759 --> 00:30:13.639
 some Jewish person,

00:30:13.679 --> 00:30:14.439
 or we look at a Hindu,

00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:15.359
 or we look at a Buddhist,

00:30:15.500 --> 00:30:16.559
 or we just look at our neighbor

00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:17.339
 who's really good

00:30:17.339 --> 00:30:18.579
 at keeping financial rules,

00:30:18.679 --> 00:30:19.859
 or another person

00:30:19.859 --> 00:30:20.359
 who's really good

00:30:20.359 --> 00:30:21.259
 at just keeping the rules

00:30:21.259 --> 00:30:22.439
 about how you make promotions,

00:30:22.619 --> 00:30:23.079
 or how you have

00:30:23.079 --> 00:30:23.799
 the perfect house,

00:30:23.859 --> 00:30:24.279
 or how you have

00:30:24.279 --> 00:30:25.019
 the perfect wife,

00:30:25.059 --> 00:30:25.459
 or how you have

00:30:25.459 --> 00:30:26.099
 the perfect kid,

00:30:26.159 --> 00:30:26.959
 the perfect dog,

00:30:27.119 --> 00:30:27.899
 all together,

00:30:28.019 --> 00:30:28.599
 none of the above,

00:30:28.659 --> 00:30:29.279
 whatever it is.

00:30:29.279 --> 00:30:30.379
 And we Christians

00:30:30.379 --> 00:30:31.700
 can be deeply,

00:30:32.039 --> 00:30:32.460
 deeply,

00:30:32.740 --> 00:30:33.899
 deeply intimidated

00:30:33.899 --> 00:30:35.940
 by perfect rule keeping

00:30:35.940 --> 00:30:37.099
 and feel we have

00:30:37.099 --> 00:30:37.940
 nothing to say.

00:30:40.819 --> 00:30:41.259
 See,

00:30:41.319 --> 00:30:42.000
 this text wants

00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:42.599
 to humble us.

00:30:42.660 --> 00:30:43.339
 What should we say?

00:30:45.079 --> 00:30:46.019
 I'm a beggar.

00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:47.879
 I'm George.

00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:48.980
 I'm completely helpless.

00:30:49.139 --> 00:30:49.839
 I couldn't keep

00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:50.599
 all those laws

00:30:50.599 --> 00:30:52.059
 if my life depended upon it.

00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:52.399
 In fact,

00:30:52.460 --> 00:30:53.079
 the matter is,

00:30:53.359 --> 00:30:53.980
 is if you saw

00:30:53.980 --> 00:30:54.680
 how I ate,

00:30:54.759 --> 00:30:55.240
 you'd know

00:30:55.240 --> 00:30:56.279
 that I'm shortening

00:30:56.279 --> 00:30:57.319
 my life by how bad

00:30:57.319 --> 00:30:58.359
 I am at keeping rules.

00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:02.200
 We'd want to say,

00:31:02.259 --> 00:31:02.539
 you know what,

00:31:02.579 --> 00:31:03.399
 there's the good news

00:31:03.399 --> 00:31:04.639
 that being right with God

00:31:04.639 --> 00:31:05.420
 is never going to be

00:31:05.420 --> 00:31:06.599
 based on keeping rules.

00:31:07.899 --> 00:31:08.299
 Never.

00:31:10.759 --> 00:31:11.399
 And then,

00:31:11.579 --> 00:31:12.619
 we'll go and look,

00:31:13.359 --> 00:31:13.879
 and in fact,

00:31:13.940 --> 00:31:14.460
 here's another thing,

00:31:14.500 --> 00:31:14.960
 is basically,

00:31:15.099 --> 00:31:16.420
 all religion and spirituality

00:31:16.420 --> 00:31:17.500
 is advice about

00:31:17.500 --> 00:31:18.460
 the rules to keep.

00:31:20.579 --> 00:31:21.500
 All religion

00:31:21.500 --> 00:31:22.920
 and all spirituality

00:31:22.920 --> 00:31:24.460
 is advice about

00:31:24.460 --> 00:31:25.660
 the rules to keep

00:31:25.660 --> 00:31:26.139
 and follow.

00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:27.740
 And the Bible here

00:31:27.740 --> 00:31:28.160
 is saying,

00:31:28.399 --> 00:31:28.960
 you follow them

00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:29.900
 thinking you're going to live.

00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:31.200
 Nobody will live

00:31:31.200 --> 00:31:32.640
 because nobody keeps them.

00:31:33.940 --> 00:31:34.940
 Then verse 6,

00:31:35.559 --> 00:31:36.700
 but the way of being right

00:31:36.700 --> 00:31:37.079
 with God

00:31:37.079 --> 00:31:38.059
 based on faith

00:31:38.059 --> 00:31:38.700
 says,

00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:40.000
 it's a rejection.

00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:41.779
 Do not say in your heart

00:31:41.779 --> 00:31:42.579
 who will ascend

00:31:42.579 --> 00:31:43.200
 into heaven.

00:31:44.100 --> 00:31:44.680
 Now this is a,

00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:46.620
 that is,

00:31:46.740 --> 00:31:47.519
 who will ascend

00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:47.900
 into heaven,

00:31:47.980 --> 00:31:49.240
 that is to bring Christ down.

00:31:49.640 --> 00:31:50.200
 And here,

00:31:50.500 --> 00:31:51.140
 what the Bible

00:31:51.140 --> 00:31:52.000
 is telling us

00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:52.840
 is that

00:31:52.840 --> 00:31:55.220
 all ways of ascending

00:31:55.220 --> 00:31:57.279
 to know God,

00:31:57.279 --> 00:31:58.859
 they all fail.

00:31:59.700 --> 00:32:01.460
 Don't try to follow them.

00:32:02.259 --> 00:32:02.599
 And there's,

00:32:02.660 --> 00:32:03.539
 there's historically,

00:32:03.700 --> 00:32:04.460
 there's been all sorts

00:32:04.460 --> 00:32:05.319
 of different ways

00:32:05.319 --> 00:32:06.079
 to ascend to God.

00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:07.259
 The most common one

00:32:07.259 --> 00:32:09.180
 is to have a mystical experience.

00:32:09.180 --> 00:32:11.079
 And by having a mystical experience,

00:32:11.220 --> 00:32:12.460
 we ascend to God.

00:32:12.500 --> 00:32:13.099
 And people who have

00:32:13.099 --> 00:32:14.119
 mystical experiences

00:32:14.119 --> 00:32:14.980
 and ascend to God,

00:32:15.259 --> 00:32:16.099
 they're superior

00:32:16.099 --> 00:32:17.019
 to other people.

00:32:17.259 --> 00:32:18.399
 Or intellectuals

00:32:18.399 --> 00:32:19.019
 who are able to,

00:32:19.099 --> 00:32:20.059
 to think through

00:32:20.059 --> 00:32:20.839
 great things

00:32:20.839 --> 00:32:22.119
 and make great distinctions.

00:32:22.119 --> 00:32:22.899
 And their minds

00:32:22.899 --> 00:32:24.299
 become a series

00:32:24.299 --> 00:32:26.599
 of ever higher abstractions

00:32:26.599 --> 00:32:28.279
 and ever higher distinctions.

00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:28.919
 And they're just

00:32:28.919 --> 00:32:30.279
 unbelievably brilliant.

00:32:30.719 --> 00:32:31.839
 And maybe it's a matter

00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:32.839
 that there's going to be

00:32:32.839 --> 00:32:33.599
 these profound

00:32:33.599 --> 00:32:35.099
 ascetic disciplines

00:32:35.099 --> 00:32:35.699
 that just,

00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:37.399
 that their spirituality,

00:32:37.899 --> 00:32:38.779
 their mantras,

00:32:38.919 --> 00:32:39.539
 their chanting,

00:32:39.719 --> 00:32:40.219
 their yoga,

00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:41.500
 that that is going to be

00:32:41.500 --> 00:32:42.199
 a type of a way

00:32:42.199 --> 00:32:42.859
 of ascending

00:32:42.859 --> 00:32:43.399
 and ascending

00:32:43.399 --> 00:32:43.939
 and ascending

00:32:43.939 --> 00:32:45.259
 until we can actually

00:32:45.259 --> 00:32:46.979
 reach and grasp God.

00:32:47.139 --> 00:32:47.819
 And for others,

00:32:47.939 --> 00:32:48.819
 it's going to be

00:32:48.819 --> 00:32:50.679
 through aesthetic experiences.

00:32:50.680 --> 00:32:52.420
 The ability to appreciate

00:32:52.420 --> 00:32:54.279
 unbelievably great music

00:32:54.279 --> 00:32:55.700
 and get all of the nuances

00:32:55.700 --> 00:32:56.640
 out of that music.

00:32:57.100 --> 00:32:58.620
 And as the aesthetic experience

00:32:58.620 --> 00:32:59.279
 of the music

00:32:59.279 --> 00:32:59.940
 or the art

00:32:59.940 --> 00:33:01.160
 or the poetry

00:33:01.160 --> 00:33:02.100
 or the sculpture,

00:33:02.360 --> 00:33:03.720
 as it fills our minds

00:33:03.720 --> 00:33:04.700
 and our minds move

00:33:04.700 --> 00:33:05.920
 to higher things

00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:06.920
 and to higher things

00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:07.799
 and to higher things

00:33:07.799 --> 00:33:09.320
 so that we can grasp God.

00:33:09.500 --> 00:33:10.400
 And the Bible says

00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:11.740
 none of it works.

00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:15.180
 None of it works.

00:33:16.680 --> 00:33:17.880
 If you're a non-Christian

00:33:17.880 --> 00:33:18.519
 and you were here,

00:33:18.600 --> 00:33:19.940
 I want to share with you

00:33:19.940 --> 00:33:20.340
 another thing

00:33:20.339 --> 00:33:21.339
 about your Christian friend

00:33:21.339 --> 00:33:22.099
 that you don't realize,

00:33:22.519 --> 00:33:23.220
 we Christians

00:33:23.220 --> 00:33:24.939
 are profoundly,

00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:28.519
 profoundly uncomfortable

00:33:28.519 --> 00:33:29.639
 in the face

00:33:29.639 --> 00:33:31.559
 of profound assent

00:33:31.559 --> 00:33:34.599
 because part of us

00:33:34.599 --> 00:33:35.959
 wants to be like that ourselves.

00:33:38.019 --> 00:33:39.240
 We don't want to acknowledge

00:33:39.240 --> 00:33:39.919
 that we're beggars.

00:33:39.980 --> 00:33:40.480
 We want to think

00:33:40.480 --> 00:33:41.639
 we're superheroes too.

00:33:42.919 --> 00:33:44.419
 And when we come to people

00:33:44.419 --> 00:33:45.899
 who have finer distinctions

00:33:45.899 --> 00:33:46.759
 in their minds

00:33:46.759 --> 00:33:48.339
 and their aesthetic experiences

00:33:48.339 --> 00:33:49.759
 and their spiritual experience

00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:50.779
 and their mystical things,

00:33:51.440 --> 00:33:53.420
 we feel deeply uncomfortable

00:33:53.420 --> 00:33:54.960
 because part of us,

00:33:55.039 --> 00:33:56.299
 like fallen human beings,

00:33:56.400 --> 00:33:57.480
 wants to be a superhero

00:33:57.480 --> 00:33:58.259
 like that as well.

00:33:58.319 --> 00:33:59.039
 But the Bible says

00:33:59.039 --> 00:33:59.819
 none of it works.

00:34:00.740 --> 00:34:01.240
 One of the things

00:34:01.240 --> 00:34:01.879
 that constantly,

00:34:02.099 --> 00:34:02.960
 the people I talk to

00:34:02.960 --> 00:34:03.559
 in Starbucks,

00:34:04.099 --> 00:34:04.359
 one of the,

00:34:04.440 --> 00:34:05.079
 for many of them,

00:34:05.140 --> 00:34:05.819
 they'll bring up things

00:34:05.819 --> 00:34:07.339
 about Christopher Hitchens

00:34:07.339 --> 00:34:08.159
 and the presumption

00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:09.360
 of thinking that human beings

00:34:09.360 --> 00:34:10.639
 can know and capture God.

00:34:10.920 --> 00:34:11.760
 And they tell me that

00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:12.940
 thinking that they've got me

00:34:12.940 --> 00:34:13.300
 and I say,

00:34:13.380 --> 00:34:14.220
 I'm a Christian,

00:34:14.280 --> 00:34:15.220
 I completely believe,

00:34:15.400 --> 00:34:15.860
 I accept,

00:34:16.099 --> 00:34:16.200
 I,

00:34:16.200 --> 00:34:18.139
 Christopher Hitchens

00:34:18.139 --> 00:34:18.940
 and I like this,

00:34:19.019 --> 00:34:19.820
 we're bosom buddies,

00:34:19.960 --> 00:34:21.340
 we think alike on this one.

00:34:22.460 --> 00:34:24.119
 You haven't shocked me.

00:34:24.760 --> 00:34:26.000
 I agree with it.

00:34:26.700 --> 00:34:27.460
 And they go,

00:34:28.619 --> 00:34:29.039
 like they don't know

00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:29.700
 what to do next.

00:34:30.260 --> 00:34:31.659
 They thought they've got me.

00:34:32.940 --> 00:34:34.119
 That is presumptuous

00:34:34.119 --> 00:34:35.500
 to think that any human beings

00:34:35.500 --> 00:34:36.740
 can attain and grasp

00:34:36.740 --> 00:34:37.579
 by themselves,

00:34:37.740 --> 00:34:38.460
 by their minds,

00:34:38.539 --> 00:34:39.840
 through their aesthetic experiences,

00:34:40.360 --> 00:34:41.139
 the infinite God.

00:34:41.139 --> 00:34:41.839
 We accept that.

00:34:41.900 --> 00:34:43.019
 The Bible rejects it.

00:34:44.699 --> 00:34:45.559
 And then there's

00:34:45.559 --> 00:34:46.440
 the way of descent.

00:34:47.519 --> 00:34:48.239
 Verse 7,

00:34:49.319 --> 00:34:49.539
 where,

00:34:49.980 --> 00:34:50.879
 who will descend

00:34:50.879 --> 00:34:51.759
 into the abyss?

00:34:51.819 --> 00:34:52.879
 That is to bring Christ

00:34:52.879 --> 00:34:53.639
 up from the dead.

00:34:53.699 --> 00:34:53.799
 Now,

00:34:53.940 --> 00:34:54.659
 we're going to talk about

00:34:54.659 --> 00:34:55.679
 the second part of it,

00:34:55.739 --> 00:34:57.019
 but this way of descent,

00:34:57.559 --> 00:34:58.259
 once again,

00:34:58.319 --> 00:34:58.879
 that's a very,

00:34:59.000 --> 00:34:59.759
 very common way.

00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:00.980
 When I went to do

00:35:00.980 --> 00:35:02.259
 my master's in counseling,

00:35:03.319 --> 00:35:05.920
 the supposedly Christian place,

00:35:06.319 --> 00:35:07.059
 one of the things

00:35:07.059 --> 00:35:07.879
 that I had to do

00:35:07.879 --> 00:35:08.400
 in a class

00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:09.980
 is I had to go deep

00:35:09.980 --> 00:35:10.859
 within myself

00:35:10.860 --> 00:35:12.280
 to first of all

00:35:12.280 --> 00:35:12.579
 find,

00:35:12.740 --> 00:35:13.960
 not only go from myself,

00:35:14.420 --> 00:35:15.420
 but to go to my

00:35:15.420 --> 00:35:17.260
 higher self

00:35:17.260 --> 00:35:18.140
 and my higher self

00:35:18.140 --> 00:35:19.099
 and eventually touch

00:35:19.099 --> 00:35:20.480
 the transcendent

00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:22.000
 cosmic self.

00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:23.200
 And it was a journey

00:35:23.200 --> 00:35:24.059
 deep within.

00:35:25.140 --> 00:35:26.340
 And there's also people

00:35:26.340 --> 00:35:26.680
 who go,

00:35:26.820 --> 00:35:27.200
 in a sense,

00:35:27.240 --> 00:35:27.920
 a way of descent

00:35:27.920 --> 00:35:29.500
 as they go into the past.

00:35:29.780 --> 00:35:30.880
 They'll come and they'll tell us,

00:35:31.140 --> 00:35:31.300
 well,

00:35:31.380 --> 00:35:33.019
 you can just follow your God,

00:35:33.120 --> 00:35:33.940
 but the New Testament

00:35:33.940 --> 00:35:34.700
 was just written

00:35:34.700 --> 00:35:35.840
 2,000 years ago.

00:35:35.940 --> 00:35:37.400
 I follow some scripture

00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:38.220
 and some practice

00:35:38.220 --> 00:35:39.099
 that goes back

00:35:39.099 --> 00:35:40.360
 to 4,000 B.C.

00:35:40.360 --> 00:35:42.099
 long before Jesus

00:35:42.099 --> 00:35:43.220
 was even the gleam

00:35:43.220 --> 00:35:44.280
 in anybody's eyes.

00:35:44.440 --> 00:35:44.700
 This,

00:35:44.980 --> 00:35:45.780
 which is old

00:35:45.780 --> 00:35:47.260
 and far more ancient,

00:35:48.800 --> 00:35:49.740
 that's the path

00:35:49.740 --> 00:35:50.440
 that I follow.

00:35:50.780 --> 00:35:51.460
 Your thing

00:35:51.460 --> 00:35:52.180
 is just a Johnny

00:35:52.180 --> 00:35:52.760
 come lately.

00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:53.920
 Or there's a path

00:35:53.920 --> 00:35:54.460
 of descent

00:35:54.460 --> 00:35:55.260
 into that

00:35:55.260 --> 00:35:57.260
 which is purely physical,

00:35:57.900 --> 00:35:58.780
 often connected

00:35:58.780 --> 00:35:59.400
 with sex

00:35:59.400 --> 00:36:00.920
 because in sexual knowing

00:36:00.920 --> 00:36:02.079
 there's often something

00:36:02.079 --> 00:36:03.599
 which feels transcendent

00:36:03.599 --> 00:36:05.120
 and ecstatic about it.

00:36:05.360 --> 00:36:06.320
 And so as you enter

00:36:06.320 --> 00:36:06.900
 into this,

00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:07.640
 it feels as if

00:36:07.640 --> 00:36:08.099
 you're somehow

00:36:08.099 --> 00:36:08.880
 another connecting

00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:09.500
 to God.

00:36:09.900 --> 00:36:10.420
 That somehow,

00:36:10.920 --> 00:36:11.960
 and you think

00:36:11.960 --> 00:36:12.360
 of people

00:36:12.360 --> 00:36:13.239
 who believe

00:36:13.239 --> 00:36:13.920
 that by getting

00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:14.299
 themselves

00:36:14.299 --> 00:36:15.539
 into some unbelievable

00:36:15.539 --> 00:36:16.119
 trance

00:36:16.119 --> 00:36:16.659
 or some other

00:36:16.659 --> 00:36:17.980
 unbelievable act

00:36:17.980 --> 00:36:18.799
 of transgression,

00:36:19.219 --> 00:36:19.960
 that they're somehow

00:36:19.960 --> 00:36:20.799
 another connecting

00:36:20.799 --> 00:36:21.719
 by going down

00:36:21.719 --> 00:36:22.339
 and getting to that

00:36:22.339 --> 00:36:23.000
 which is base,

00:36:23.239 --> 00:36:23.920
 that they are somehow

00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:24.819
 connecting with that

00:36:24.819 --> 00:36:25.480
 which is real

00:36:25.480 --> 00:36:26.779
 and that which is God.

00:36:26.900 --> 00:36:27.799
 And the Bible said

00:36:27.799 --> 00:36:28.920
 none of them works.

00:36:30.319 --> 00:36:31.599
 None of them works.

00:36:31.599 --> 00:36:36.539
 And non-Christian friends,

00:36:36.639 --> 00:36:37.319
 I will tell you,

00:36:37.380 --> 00:36:38.360
 for many of us Christians,

00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:39.319
 we are profoundly

00:36:39.319 --> 00:36:39.960
 uncomfortable

00:36:39.960 --> 00:36:41.000
 in the face of that.

00:36:41.639 --> 00:36:42.940
 When somebody tells us

00:36:42.940 --> 00:36:44.299
 that their way

00:36:44.299 --> 00:36:45.380
 is far more ancient,

00:36:45.539 --> 00:36:46.460
 often for many of us

00:36:46.460 --> 00:36:47.199
 we don't quite know

00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:47.699
 what to say

00:36:47.699 --> 00:36:48.440
 because we wish

00:36:48.440 --> 00:36:48.980
 that we could say

00:36:48.980 --> 00:36:50.019
 that ours was more ancient.

00:36:50.900 --> 00:36:52.179
 And when people talk

00:36:52.179 --> 00:36:53.880
 about the experiences

00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:55.139
 they have through drugs

00:36:55.139 --> 00:36:56.000
 or through meditation

00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:56.699
 in their depths

00:36:56.699 --> 00:36:58.380
 or through profound experiences

00:36:58.380 --> 00:36:59.339
 of sexual knowing,

00:36:59.480 --> 00:37:00.259
 and for many of us

00:37:00.260 --> 00:37:01.120
 we don't know what it is

00:37:01.120 --> 00:37:01.820
 because we wish

00:37:01.820 --> 00:37:02.340
 that we could be

00:37:02.340 --> 00:37:03.080
 doing those things

00:37:03.080 --> 00:37:04.540
 and we can tell you

00:37:04.540 --> 00:37:05.820
 of our experiences

00:37:05.820 --> 00:37:07.200
 and how our experiences

00:37:07.200 --> 00:37:08.720
 are just as good as yours

00:37:08.720 --> 00:37:09.360
 and even better.

00:37:09.780 --> 00:37:10.320
 And once again,

00:37:10.400 --> 00:37:11.240
 the Bible is completely

00:37:11.240 --> 00:37:12.260
 and utterly humbling us

00:37:12.260 --> 00:37:13.320
 and we have to just say,

00:37:13.400 --> 00:37:13.740
 you know what,

00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:15.140
 that doesn't work either,

00:37:15.240 --> 00:37:15.920
 I'm a beggar.

00:37:18.520 --> 00:37:19.200
 And Canadians,

00:37:20.360 --> 00:37:21.440
 like most human beings,

00:37:21.500 --> 00:37:22.720
 don't like to acknowledge that.

00:37:28.440 --> 00:37:30.040
 And you were intimidated by it.

00:37:30.260 --> 00:37:33.640
 Before we go to the next verses,

00:37:34.780 --> 00:37:36.320
 we might go a little bit

00:37:36.320 --> 00:37:37.320
 over time today, folks.

00:37:37.440 --> 00:37:38.300
 Hopefully it's all right.

00:37:38.460 --> 00:37:39.840
 But could you put up

00:37:39.840 --> 00:37:41.320
 Romans 1, 16 to 17

00:37:41.320 --> 00:37:42.300
 for me at this time?

00:37:44.060 --> 00:37:45.300
 The way the book of Romans

00:37:45.300 --> 00:37:45.860
 is written

00:37:45.860 --> 00:37:48.920
 is that the first few verses

00:37:48.920 --> 00:37:50.000
 as Paul describes,

00:37:50.220 --> 00:37:50.740
 a little bit of

00:37:50.740 --> 00:37:51.640
 just sort of welcome.

00:37:52.180 --> 00:37:52.700
 Then he tells them

00:37:52.700 --> 00:37:53.780
 a little bit about his plans.

00:37:53.940 --> 00:37:54.720
 And then those of you

00:37:54.720 --> 00:37:55.100
 who have heard it,

00:37:55.200 --> 00:37:55.980
 I keep saying it

00:37:55.980 --> 00:37:56.560
 over and over again.

00:37:56.580 --> 00:37:57.120
 It's almost like

00:37:57.120 --> 00:37:59.320
 a modern academic paper

00:37:59.320 --> 00:38:00.400
 where there's the abstract

00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:01.200
 at the beginning

00:38:01.200 --> 00:38:02.700
 where the abstract

00:38:02.700 --> 00:38:03.960
 gives you the basic content

00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:04.600
 of the paper.

00:38:05.340 --> 00:38:06.200
 And Paul does that

00:38:06.200 --> 00:38:07.080
 in verses 1,

00:38:07.220 --> 00:38:08.039
 chapter 1,

00:38:08.100 --> 00:38:09.360
 verses 16 and 17.

00:38:10.240 --> 00:38:11.100
 And then after that,

00:38:11.180 --> 00:38:12.539
 he goes into the problem,

00:38:12.760 --> 00:38:13.640
 he goes into how God

00:38:13.640 --> 00:38:14.620
 solves the problem,

00:38:14.760 --> 00:38:15.420
 he goes into different

00:38:15.420 --> 00:38:15.980
 other things.

00:38:16.220 --> 00:38:17.260
 But everything in the book

00:38:17.260 --> 00:38:17.760
 of Romans

00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:19.340
 sort of unpacks this

00:38:19.340 --> 00:38:20.680
 or is revealed by this.

00:38:20.820 --> 00:38:22.140
 So could you help me

00:38:22.140 --> 00:38:23.420
 and read this with me,

00:38:23.500 --> 00:38:23.720
 please,

00:38:23.760 --> 00:38:24.180
 out loud.

00:38:24.179 --> 00:38:26.259
 for I am not ashamed

00:38:26.259 --> 00:38:27.059
 of the gospel,

00:38:27.359 --> 00:38:28.719
 for it is the power

00:38:28.719 --> 00:38:30.139
 of God for salvation

00:38:30.139 --> 00:38:31.899
 to everyone who believes,

00:38:32.299 --> 00:38:33.480
 to the Jew first

00:38:33.480 --> 00:38:34.919
 and also to the Greek.

00:38:35.500 --> 00:38:36.639
 For in the gospel,

00:38:36.899 --> 00:38:38.259
 the righteousness of God

00:38:38.259 --> 00:38:39.839
 is revealed from faith

00:38:39.839 --> 00:38:40.440
 to faith.

00:38:40.919 --> 00:38:41.879
 As it is written,

00:38:42.299 --> 00:38:43.440
 the righteous shall live

00:38:43.440 --> 00:38:44.179
 by faith.

00:38:45.239 --> 00:38:47.119
 So what Paul is saying here

00:38:47.119 --> 00:38:48.859
 is the gospel

00:38:48.859 --> 00:38:50.359
 is something completely

00:38:50.359 --> 00:38:51.419
 and utterly different.

00:38:51.420 --> 00:38:56.220
 that the gospel

00:38:56.220 --> 00:38:57.480
 is something completely

00:38:57.480 --> 00:38:58.960
 and utterly different.

00:38:59.980 --> 00:39:01.400
 Does rule keeping matter?

00:39:01.980 --> 00:39:03.260
 Rule keeping does matter.

00:39:04.059 --> 00:39:06.740
 But the good news is

00:39:06.740 --> 00:39:07.900
 that you and I

00:39:07.900 --> 00:39:09.059
 can't keep the rules.

00:39:09.980 --> 00:39:11.380
 But as Paul has described

00:39:11.380 --> 00:39:12.340
 up until now,

00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:14.559
 Jesus perfectly keeps

00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:16.539
 every rule

00:39:16.539 --> 00:39:18.320
 and has a life

00:39:18.320 --> 00:39:20.480
 of unbroken union

00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:21.559
 with God,

00:39:21.820 --> 00:39:22.840
 perfect obedience.

00:39:24.619 --> 00:39:26.199
 And that what happens

00:39:26.199 --> 00:39:27.199
 on the cross

00:39:27.199 --> 00:39:29.699
 is that Jesus

00:39:29.699 --> 00:39:31.659
 takes upon himself

00:39:31.659 --> 00:39:34.079
 my inability

00:39:34.079 --> 00:39:35.519
 to keep the rules

00:39:35.519 --> 00:39:36.760
 and the punishment

00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:37.480
 I deserve

00:39:37.480 --> 00:39:40.159
 and he offers me

00:39:40.159 --> 00:39:42.940
 his perfect keeping

00:39:42.940 --> 00:39:43.940
 of the rules.

00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:46.880
 That's what Jesus does

00:39:46.880 --> 00:39:47.820
 for me on the cross.

00:39:47.820 --> 00:39:49.780
 And what else

00:39:49.780 --> 00:39:50.420
 is happening

00:39:50.420 --> 00:39:51.180
 on the cross

00:39:51.180 --> 00:39:53.160
 is that God knows

00:39:53.160 --> 00:39:54.500
 that I,

00:39:54.840 --> 00:39:55.740
 by my finite,

00:39:55.920 --> 00:39:56.440
 fallen,

00:39:56.620 --> 00:39:57.980
 rebellious human mind,

00:39:58.519 --> 00:39:59.720
 cannot pierce

00:39:59.720 --> 00:40:00.940
 the heights of God.

00:40:03.460 --> 00:40:05.000
 That God

00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:06.480
 breaks into

00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:07.980
 our created order

00:40:07.980 --> 00:40:09.400
 in the person

00:40:09.400 --> 00:40:10.080
 of his son

00:40:10.080 --> 00:40:12.180
 that Jesus

00:40:12.180 --> 00:40:13.660
 comes

00:40:13.660 --> 00:40:14.860
 to us.

00:40:14.860 --> 00:40:17.019
 and that's

00:40:17.019 --> 00:40:17.900
 why all

00:40:17.900 --> 00:40:19.140
 Christian claims

00:40:19.140 --> 00:40:19.880
 of intellectual

00:40:19.880 --> 00:40:20.539
 superiority

00:40:20.539 --> 00:40:21.559
 have to die

00:40:21.559 --> 00:40:23.559
 because we have

00:40:23.559 --> 00:40:24.180
 to say that

00:40:24.180 --> 00:40:24.780
 none of it

00:40:24.780 --> 00:40:25.420
 came from our

00:40:25.420 --> 00:40:25.820
 thinking.

00:40:27.820 --> 00:40:29.120
 That God

00:40:29.120 --> 00:40:30.559
 comes down.

00:40:32.360 --> 00:40:32.840
 Jesus

00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:33.860
 descends.

00:40:35.320 --> 00:40:35.880
 And at the

00:40:35.880 --> 00:40:36.720
 same time,

00:40:37.559 --> 00:40:38.059
 and so that

00:40:38.059 --> 00:40:38.900
 what in a sense

00:40:38.900 --> 00:40:39.380
 is happening

00:40:39.380 --> 00:40:39.940
 when Jesus

00:40:39.940 --> 00:40:41.300
 dies upon the cross

00:40:41.300 --> 00:40:42.800
 is we are

00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:43.460
 observing

00:40:43.460 --> 00:40:45.900
 the coming

00:40:45.900 --> 00:40:46.560
 of Jesus

00:40:46.560 --> 00:40:47.580
 from the

00:40:47.580 --> 00:40:48.539
 Father's side

00:40:48.539 --> 00:40:49.740
 and he descends

00:40:49.740 --> 00:40:50.720
 to come to

00:40:50.720 --> 00:40:51.160
 our created

00:40:51.160 --> 00:40:51.580
 order.

00:40:51.740 --> 00:40:52.320
 He descends

00:40:52.320 --> 00:40:52.880
 to come

00:40:52.880 --> 00:40:53.380
 and actually

00:40:53.380 --> 00:40:53.860
 be within

00:40:53.860 --> 00:40:54.260
 the womb

00:40:54.260 --> 00:40:54.800
 of Mary

00:40:54.800 --> 00:40:55.700
 and then he

00:40:55.700 --> 00:40:56.460
 lives a normal

00:40:56.460 --> 00:40:57.140
 human life

00:40:57.140 --> 00:40:57.539
 and his

00:40:57.539 --> 00:40:58.019
 descent

00:40:58.019 --> 00:40:58.800
 continues

00:40:58.800 --> 00:40:59.980
 to actually

00:40:59.980 --> 00:41:00.720
 dine upon

00:41:00.720 --> 00:41:01.420
 the cross

00:41:01.420 --> 00:41:02.340
 and his

00:41:02.340 --> 00:41:02.880
 death upon

00:41:02.880 --> 00:41:03.360
 the cross

00:41:03.360 --> 00:41:03.780
 is going

00:41:03.780 --> 00:41:04.019
 to mean

00:41:04.019 --> 00:41:04.360
 that he's

00:41:04.360 --> 00:41:04.660
 going to

00:41:04.660 --> 00:41:05.200
 continue

00:41:05.200 --> 00:41:06.060
 to descend

00:41:06.060 --> 00:41:07.220
 and that

00:41:07.220 --> 00:41:07.660
 there is

00:41:07.660 --> 00:41:08.420
 no depth

00:41:08.420 --> 00:41:09.200
 so low

00:41:09.200 --> 00:41:09.740
 that Jesus

00:41:09.740 --> 00:41:10.380
 has not

00:41:10.380 --> 00:41:11.100
 gone lower,

00:41:11.099 --> 00:41:11.880
 that there

00:41:11.880 --> 00:41:12.519
 is no

00:41:12.519 --> 00:41:13.179
 type of

00:41:13.179 --> 00:41:13.659
 evil

00:41:13.659 --> 00:41:15.759
 that we

00:41:15.759 --> 00:41:16.199
 have done

00:41:16.199 --> 00:41:16.559
 or that we

00:41:16.559 --> 00:41:17.079
 know about

00:41:17.079 --> 00:41:17.619
 that has

00:41:17.619 --> 00:41:18.400
 not fallen

00:41:18.400 --> 00:41:19.099
 upon the

00:41:19.099 --> 00:41:19.480
 shoulders

00:41:19.480 --> 00:41:20.079
 of Jesus

00:41:20.079 --> 00:41:20.699
 that on

00:41:20.699 --> 00:41:21.480
 the cross

00:41:21.480 --> 00:41:22.539
 all of

00:41:22.539 --> 00:41:22.699
 the

00:41:22.699 --> 00:41:23.679
 that God

00:41:23.679 --> 00:41:24.039
 in his

00:41:24.039 --> 00:41:24.519
 descent

00:41:24.519 --> 00:41:25.079
 he comes

00:41:25.079 --> 00:41:25.500
 to us

00:41:25.500 --> 00:41:26.239
 he takes

00:41:26.239 --> 00:41:27.139
 upon himself

00:41:27.139 --> 00:41:28.559
 all that

00:41:28.559 --> 00:41:29.619
 keeps us

00:41:29.619 --> 00:41:30.179
 from God

00:41:30.179 --> 00:41:30.679
 all of

00:41:30.679 --> 00:41:31.539
 the evil

00:41:31.539 --> 00:41:31.839
 is going

00:41:31.839 --> 00:41:32.119
 to come

00:41:32.119 --> 00:41:32.599
 upon him

00:41:32.599 --> 00:41:33.299
 he continues

00:41:33.299 --> 00:41:34.079
 to descend

00:41:34.079 --> 00:41:34.960
 until he's

00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:35.339
 descended

00:41:35.339 --> 00:41:35.799
 and tasted

00:41:35.799 --> 00:41:36.339
 everything

00:41:36.339 --> 00:41:36.779
 there is

00:41:36.779 --> 00:41:37.179
 to taste

00:41:37.179 --> 00:41:37.659
 of death

00:41:37.659 --> 00:41:38.440
 everything

00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:38.880
 there is

00:41:38.880 --> 00:41:39.279
 to taste

00:41:39.279 --> 00:41:39.739
 of evil

00:41:39.739 --> 00:41:40.519
 everything

00:41:40.519 --> 00:41:40.940
 there is

00:41:40.940 --> 00:41:41.340
 to taste

00:41:41.340 --> 00:41:41.900
 of shame

00:41:41.900 --> 00:41:42.599
 everything

00:41:42.599 --> 00:41:43.019
 there is

00:41:43.019 --> 00:41:43.420
 to taste

00:41:43.420 --> 00:41:43.639
 about

00:41:43.639 --> 00:41:44.159
 separation

00:41:44.159 --> 00:41:44.860
 from God

00:41:44.860 --> 00:41:45.360
 that he

00:41:45.360 --> 00:41:45.659
 goes

00:41:45.659 --> 00:41:46.119
 lower

00:41:46.119 --> 00:41:46.800
 than anything

00:41:46.800 --> 00:41:47.780
 can possibly

00:41:47.780 --> 00:41:48.259
 be

00:41:48.259 --> 00:41:49.059
 to the very

00:41:49.059 --> 00:41:49.840
 very depths

00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:50.639
 and then

00:41:50.639 --> 00:41:51.259
 on the third

00:41:51.259 --> 00:41:51.519
 day

00:41:51.519 --> 00:41:51.840
 God

00:41:51.840 --> 00:41:52.639
 raises him

00:41:52.639 --> 00:41:53.059
 from the

00:41:53.059 --> 00:41:53.440
 dead

00:41:53.440 --> 00:41:55.940
 and he ascends

00:41:55.940 --> 00:41:56.420
 back into

00:41:56.420 --> 00:41:56.679
 heaven

00:41:56.679 --> 00:41:57.199
 that Jesus

00:41:57.199 --> 00:41:58.119
 is teaching

00:41:58.119 --> 00:42:00.059
 is teaching

00:42:00.059 --> 00:42:00.500
 that comes

00:42:00.500 --> 00:42:01.159
 from God

00:42:01.159 --> 00:42:02.179
 that his

00:42:02.179 --> 00:42:02.659
 death upon

00:42:02.659 --> 00:42:03.320
 the cross

00:42:03.320 --> 00:42:04.320
 is a

00:42:04.320 --> 00:42:04.739
 bearing of

00:42:04.739 --> 00:42:05.340
 our evil

00:42:05.340 --> 00:42:07.480
 and the

00:42:07.480 --> 00:42:08.120
 consequences

00:42:08.120 --> 00:42:08.500
 of our

00:42:08.500 --> 00:42:08.700
 evil

00:42:08.700 --> 00:42:09.100
 upon

00:42:09.100 --> 00:42:09.700
 himself

00:42:09.700 --> 00:42:12.820
 Jesus

00:42:12.820 --> 00:42:13.740
 comes

00:42:13.740 --> 00:42:14.820
 from above

00:42:14.820 --> 00:42:15.780
 descends

00:42:15.780 --> 00:42:16.160
 to the

00:42:16.160 --> 00:42:16.539
 depths

00:42:16.539 --> 00:42:17.480
 comes

00:42:17.480 --> 00:42:18.120
 back up

00:42:18.120 --> 00:42:20.880
 and as I'm

00:42:20.880 --> 00:42:21.120
 going to say

00:42:21.120 --> 00:42:21.440
 in a moment

00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:21.860
 if we just

00:42:21.860 --> 00:42:22.200
 put our

00:42:22.200 --> 00:42:22.600
 hands

00:42:22.600 --> 00:42:23.260
 in his

00:42:23.260 --> 00:42:23.760
 he is

00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:24.059
 the one

00:42:24.059 --> 00:42:24.500
 who takes

00:42:24.500 --> 00:42:24.780
 us to

00:42:24.780 --> 00:42:25.039
 God

00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:26.360
 that's what

00:42:26.360 --> 00:42:26.840
 the gospel

00:42:26.840 --> 00:42:27.160
 is

00:42:27.160 --> 00:42:27.900
 it's the

00:42:27.900 --> 00:42:28.340
 power of

00:42:28.340 --> 00:42:28.539
 God

00:42:28.539 --> 00:42:29.300
 for salvation

00:42:29.300 --> 00:42:31.180
 Andrew

00:42:31.180 --> 00:42:31.600
 can you put

00:42:31.600 --> 00:42:31.820
 up the

00:42:31.820 --> 00:42:32.380
 next point

00:42:32.380 --> 00:42:34.760
 the gospel

00:42:34.760 --> 00:42:35.099
 is the

00:42:35.099 --> 00:42:35.680
 good news

00:42:35.680 --> 00:42:36.039
 that by

00:42:36.039 --> 00:42:36.240
 the

00:42:36.240 --> 00:42:36.840
 resurrection

00:42:36.840 --> 00:42:37.599
 God

00:42:37.599 --> 00:42:37.840
 has

00:42:37.840 --> 00:42:38.480
 vindicated

00:42:38.480 --> 00:42:38.820
 who

00:42:38.820 --> 00:42:39.280
 Jesus

00:42:39.280 --> 00:42:39.680
 is

00:42:39.680 --> 00:42:40.440
 and what

00:42:40.440 --> 00:42:40.660
 he has

00:42:40.660 --> 00:42:41.280
 accomplished

00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:42.940
 the gospel

00:42:42.940 --> 00:42:43.280
 is the

00:42:43.280 --> 00:42:43.840
 good news

00:42:43.840 --> 00:42:44.260
 that by

00:42:44.260 --> 00:42:44.480
 the

00:42:44.480 --> 00:42:45.000
 resurrection

00:42:45.000 --> 00:42:45.440
 God

00:42:45.440 --> 00:42:45.619
 has

00:42:45.619 --> 00:42:46.260
 vindicated

00:42:46.260 --> 00:42:46.640
 who

00:42:46.640 --> 00:42:46.980
 Jesus

00:42:46.980 --> 00:42:47.420
 is

00:42:47.420 --> 00:42:48.160
 and what

00:42:48.160 --> 00:42:48.240
 he

00:42:48.240 --> 00:42:48.360
 has

00:42:48.360 --> 00:42:48.800
 accomplished

00:42:48.800 --> 00:42:49.460
 why

00:42:49.460 --> 00:42:49.860
 trust

00:42:49.860 --> 00:42:49.980
 the

00:42:49.980 --> 00:42:50.420
 Bible

00:42:50.420 --> 00:42:53.300
 it's

00:42:53.300 --> 00:42:53.700
 a coming

00:42:53.700 --> 00:42:54.019
 together

00:42:54.019 --> 00:42:54.280
 of

00:42:54.280 --> 00:42:54.579
 several

00:42:54.579 --> 00:42:55.000
 things

00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:55.340
 the

00:42:55.340 --> 00:42:55.579
 first

00:42:55.579 --> 00:42:55.760
 thing

00:42:55.760 --> 00:42:56.000
 it's

00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:56.300
 coming

00:42:56.300 --> 00:42:56.940
 together

00:42:56.940 --> 00:42:57.220
 about

00:42:57.220 --> 00:42:57.380
 is

00:42:57.380 --> 00:42:57.500
 that

00:42:57.500 --> 00:42:57.619
 the

00:42:57.619 --> 00:42:58.260
 resurrection

00:42:58.260 --> 00:42:58.640
 is

00:42:58.640 --> 00:42:58.900
 real

00:42:58.900 --> 00:42:59.119
 and it

00:42:59.119 --> 00:42:59.500
 matters

00:42:59.500 --> 00:43:01.119
 if you

00:43:01.119 --> 00:43:01.780
 study

00:43:01.780 --> 00:43:02.340
 history

00:43:02.340 --> 00:43:06.079
 if you study the historical records, if you study what went on,

00:43:06.519 --> 00:43:10.400
 I believe that if you study it with even a remotely open mind,

00:43:10.480 --> 00:43:13.880
 you will come to the conclusion that Jesus really existed, that he really died,

00:43:13.960 --> 00:43:17.039
 and that the only way to account for what happens on the third day

00:43:17.039 --> 00:43:19.320
 is that God raised him from the dead.

00:43:19.900 --> 00:43:22.340
 And that this is not just some isolated type of thing.

00:43:22.380 --> 00:43:24.280
 It wouldn't be as if all of a sudden Joey died,

00:43:24.579 --> 00:43:26.820
 and then three days later he came back to life.

00:43:26.820 --> 00:43:27.940
 That would just be weird.

00:43:28.900 --> 00:43:31.300
 Nothing personal, Joey, but it would just be weird.

00:43:32.740 --> 00:43:35.460
 Okay, it could be, ah, that would just be weird, okay?

00:43:35.820 --> 00:43:38.380
 But that Jesus dies and rises,

00:43:38.579 --> 00:43:40.820
 and he talked about the fact that he was going to do that.

00:43:40.860 --> 00:43:43.039
 He talked about the meaning and the significance of his life.

00:43:43.079 --> 00:43:44.480
 He talked about who he was.

00:43:44.700 --> 00:43:49.780
 So that the resurrection of Jesus is not just, that's weird,

00:43:50.620 --> 00:43:52.600
 but it vindicates who he said he was

00:43:52.600 --> 00:43:54.519
 and what he said he's going to accomplish on the cross,

00:43:54.519 --> 00:43:57.240
 which is this taking away of our rebellion

00:43:57.240 --> 00:43:59.760
 and the stowing upon us a righteousness of God.

00:43:59.760 --> 00:44:04.620
 And that all of this takes place within a rich system of thought found in the Bible,

00:44:04.720 --> 00:44:07.460
 a rich system of thought, a meta-narrative,

00:44:07.980 --> 00:44:11.320
 and wisdom within the Bible that makes sense of, well,

00:44:11.420 --> 00:44:13.680
 of abstract philosophy and of spirituality.

00:44:14.120 --> 00:44:15.740
 And on Wednesday I tried to show it,

00:44:15.960 --> 00:44:19.400
 it makes sense of the difference between human beings, of men and women.

00:44:19.700 --> 00:44:23.700
 And it makes sense in terms of how bosses and workers make,

00:44:23.740 --> 00:44:25.480
 and how it makes sense of social structures.

00:44:25.480 --> 00:44:29.139
 And it takes place within the context of arguments for the existence of God.

00:44:29.480 --> 00:44:33.519
 And it takes place, this life of Jesus and his death and his resurrection

00:44:33.519 --> 00:44:36.460
 and the vindication of him, it takes place within a rich thing.

00:44:36.539 --> 00:44:38.639
 And it's because of that that you can trust the authority of the Bible.

00:44:38.980 --> 00:44:40.460
 I urge you, if you're a non-Christian,

00:44:41.219 --> 00:44:44.699
 pursue to understand the historical record for who Jesus is

00:44:44.699 --> 00:44:46.099
 and what he accomplished from the cross.

00:44:46.440 --> 00:44:47.659
 I am not worried about that.

00:44:47.860 --> 00:44:48.519
 Search it.

00:44:48.840 --> 00:44:51.260
 I urge you to look into it for yourself.

00:44:51.260 --> 00:44:54.800
 I urge you to look into it for yourself.

00:44:57.320 --> 00:44:59.400
 Just very briefly in closing,

00:45:00.760 --> 00:45:07.100
 just before we go, the gospel is the good news, right?

00:45:07.180 --> 00:45:08.800
 It's not good advice.

00:45:08.980 --> 00:45:10.100
 It's not good rules.

00:45:10.280 --> 00:45:12.220
 It's not good yoga techniques.

00:45:12.420 --> 00:45:15.640
 It's not good community rules.

00:45:15.760 --> 00:45:16.960
 It's not good rituals.

00:45:17.180 --> 00:45:19.460
 It's not good institutions.

00:45:19.460 --> 00:45:22.220
 It's good news that by the resurrection,

00:45:22.559 --> 00:45:25.360
 God has vindicated who Jesus is and what he's accomplished.

00:45:26.280 --> 00:45:27.619
 We're just going to read these last verses

00:45:27.619 --> 00:45:31.320
 because the Bible is going to bring it all home now in a very powerful image.

00:45:31.420 --> 00:45:32.480
 Verse 8 to 13.

00:45:33.519 --> 00:45:34.559
 But what does it say?

00:45:34.639 --> 00:45:35.400
 What does the Bible say?

00:45:35.480 --> 00:45:36.880
 It's rejected rule keeping.

00:45:37.059 --> 00:45:38.920
 It's rejected ascending.

00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:40.119
 It's rejected descending.

00:45:40.619 --> 00:45:41.619
 But what does it say?

00:45:41.740 --> 00:45:44.179
 The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart.

00:45:44.280 --> 00:45:46.159
 That is the word of faith that we proclaim.

00:45:46.159 --> 00:45:49.599
 Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord

00:45:49.599 --> 00:45:52.859
 and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,

00:45:53.279 --> 00:45:55.940
 you will be saved.

00:45:56.139 --> 00:45:58.039
 This is not George saying this.

00:45:58.339 --> 00:45:59.899
 This is God saying this.

00:46:00.139 --> 00:46:01.480
 I have no authority.

00:46:01.639 --> 00:46:02.519
 I'm a beggar.

00:46:02.519 --> 00:46:05.960
 You will be saved.

00:46:06.280 --> 00:46:06.780
 Verse 10.

00:46:06.900 --> 00:46:07.860
 For with the heart,

00:46:08.219 --> 00:46:09.320
 and this doesn't mean emotions.

00:46:09.539 --> 00:46:11.920
 This means the command center of who you are.

00:46:12.000 --> 00:46:14.599
 It means the very, very underneath your mind,

00:46:14.739 --> 00:46:15.780
 underneath your will,

00:46:15.940 --> 00:46:17.039
 underneath your emotions,

00:46:17.159 --> 00:46:19.079
 the very command center of who you are,

00:46:19.519 --> 00:46:20.739
 the very center of who you are.

00:46:21.099 --> 00:46:23.139
 For with the heart one believes and is justified,

00:46:23.280 --> 00:46:24.380
 that is made right with God.

00:46:24.800 --> 00:46:27.019
 And with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

00:46:27.400 --> 00:46:28.460
 For the scripture says,

00:46:28.460 --> 00:46:31.119
 everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.

00:46:31.659 --> 00:46:34.440
 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek.

00:46:34.840 --> 00:46:36.579
 For the same Lord is Lord of all,

00:46:36.679 --> 00:46:38.940
 bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

00:46:39.340 --> 00:46:42.380
 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

00:46:43.619 --> 00:46:45.199
 Andrew, could you put up the next point?

00:46:46.740 --> 00:46:51.000
 Only God can cross the infinite gap of time and space and being

00:46:51.000 --> 00:46:53.679
 to come to you where you are,

00:46:54.059 --> 00:46:54.980
 as you are,

00:46:55.559 --> 00:46:56.760
 knowing who you are.

00:46:56.760 --> 00:47:02.000
 Only God can cross the infinite gap of time,

00:47:02.120 --> 00:47:03.460
 the infinite gap of space,

00:47:03.540 --> 00:47:05.300
 the infinite gap of being,

00:47:06.140 --> 00:47:09.420
 because God is so completely other and different than you and me.

00:47:10.440 --> 00:47:12.560
 To come to you where you are,

00:47:12.640 --> 00:47:13.280
 as you are,

00:47:13.360 --> 00:47:14.740
 knowing who you are.

00:47:15.340 --> 00:47:17.000
 If you could put up the final point, Andrew,

00:47:17.800 --> 00:47:20.120
 God says to us in verse 9 and 10,

00:47:20.900 --> 00:47:22.880
 I'm just changing the word slightly to make it,

00:47:22.880 --> 00:47:25.520
 this is God speaking to you directly and me directly.

00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:27.759
 If you confess with your mouth,

00:47:27.800 --> 00:47:28.800
 this is not George speaking,

00:47:28.900 --> 00:47:31.420
 it's as if God is saying to you and you and you and you.

00:47:31.960 --> 00:47:34.920
 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord,

00:47:36.179 --> 00:47:38.960
 believe in your heart that I raised him from the dead,

00:47:39.639 --> 00:47:42.719
 I will make you right with me now and forever.

00:47:42.719 --> 00:47:48.679
 God says to you and you and me,

00:47:49.679 --> 00:47:50.319
 you're a beggar.

00:47:51.859 --> 00:47:53.019
 Get over yourself.

00:47:53.939 --> 00:47:56.619
 You're going to spend your entire Christian life getting over yourself.

00:47:57.779 --> 00:47:59.779
 I'm going to keep having you read my word,

00:47:59.879 --> 00:48:00.980
 and if you read my word correctly,

00:48:01.339 --> 00:48:02.619
 it's going to help you get over yourself.

00:48:04.739 --> 00:48:05.699
 Get over yourself.

00:48:05.879 --> 00:48:06.419
 You're a beggar.

00:48:06.420 --> 00:48:11.139
 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord

00:48:11.139 --> 00:48:12.820
 and believe in your heart that I raised him from the dead,

00:48:12.860 --> 00:48:14.240
 I will make you right with me now and forever.

00:48:14.639 --> 00:48:15.980
 You know, if you watch Hollywood movies,

00:48:16.059 --> 00:48:18.039
 this is the closing image I'm going to ask you to stand.

00:48:18.320 --> 00:48:19.340
 If you watch Hollywood movies,

00:48:19.420 --> 00:48:21.820
 a very, very regular thing in Hollywood movies is

00:48:21.820 --> 00:48:24.139
 there's a group of noble people,

00:48:24.260 --> 00:48:26.280
 and they're fighting the evil overlord,

00:48:26.619 --> 00:48:29.260
 and then very, very close to the end of the movie,

00:48:29.260 --> 00:48:32.300
 one of the heroes or the hero's best friend.

00:48:32.700 --> 00:48:33.740
 Bang, they get shot.

00:48:33.900 --> 00:48:34.780
 Bang, they get shot.

00:48:34.920 --> 00:48:35.780
 Bang, they get shot.

00:48:35.860 --> 00:48:36.860
 And down they go.

00:48:37.220 --> 00:48:39.840
 And the other team members are all completely inhorrified.

00:48:40.140 --> 00:48:41.060
 Not Sally.

00:48:41.200 --> 00:48:41.980
 Not Fred.

00:48:42.360 --> 00:48:43.620
 Whatever their name is.

00:48:43.920 --> 00:48:46.580
 And they rush over to the person who's lying there.

00:48:46.860 --> 00:48:48.600
 And the very, very next thing you see is

00:48:48.600 --> 00:48:50.220
 you can just tell that the person's dead.

00:48:50.720 --> 00:48:51.700
 And two of the people,

00:48:51.820 --> 00:48:54.200
 they're firing their guns at the bad guys,

00:48:54.320 --> 00:48:55.040
 keeping them off.

00:48:55.260 --> 00:48:56.400
 And there's a third person,

00:48:56.500 --> 00:48:57.080
 and they're on the radio.

00:48:57.079 --> 00:48:58.940
 They're calling in a helicopter support

00:48:58.940 --> 00:49:00.779
 or spaceship support to come

00:49:00.779 --> 00:49:02.659
 so there can be a medic to come and help their friend.

00:49:02.860 --> 00:49:04.059
 But their friend is dead.

00:49:04.319 --> 00:49:05.179
 They're not breathing.

00:49:05.480 --> 00:49:07.119
 And there's another friend on top of them,

00:49:07.420 --> 00:49:09.299
 and he's pushing on the chest,

00:49:09.360 --> 00:49:10.299
 and he's doing like this,

00:49:10.319 --> 00:49:11.039
 and he's doing like this,

00:49:11.039 --> 00:49:12.019
 but the person's dead.

00:49:12.219 --> 00:49:13.340
 And there's another two people,

00:49:13.440 --> 00:49:14.420
 and they're putting their hands

00:49:14.420 --> 00:49:16.139
 right where all the bullet holes are

00:49:16.139 --> 00:49:17.319
 because the blood's coming out

00:49:17.319 --> 00:49:18.579
 because they want to stop it,

00:49:18.759 --> 00:49:19.880
 but the person's dead.

00:49:20.199 --> 00:49:21.380
 And then there's another person,

00:49:21.559 --> 00:49:22.860
 and she or he is saying,

00:49:23.619 --> 00:49:25.500
 don't go away from me.

00:49:25.579 --> 00:49:26.460
 Come back to me.

00:49:26.460 --> 00:49:27.159
 I love you.

00:49:27.220 --> 00:49:27.920
 I'm your friend.

00:49:28.039 --> 00:49:28.880
 Come back to me.

00:49:29.039 --> 00:49:30.420
 But the person's dead.

00:49:30.740 --> 00:49:32.579
 They are dead, dead, dead.

00:49:32.720 --> 00:49:35.300
 And then the camera keeps going back and forth,

00:49:35.400 --> 00:49:37.619
 and you get into the mind of the person who is dead.

00:49:38.440 --> 00:49:39.820
 And they're just lying there.

00:49:40.599 --> 00:49:42.240
 Blood's coming out of their bullet holes

00:49:42.240 --> 00:49:43.780
 or their ray gun holes.

00:49:45.280 --> 00:49:47.579
 Somebody else is firing to keep all the dead,

00:49:47.780 --> 00:49:48.720
 all the bad guys.

00:49:48.880 --> 00:49:50.480
 Somebody else is calling for the medic.

00:49:50.639 --> 00:49:52.139
 Somebody else is doing the CPR.

00:49:52.360 --> 00:49:54.820
 Somebody else is putting their hands in the bullet hole.

00:49:54.820 --> 00:49:56.220
 Somebody else is doing all of that.

00:49:56.420 --> 00:49:57.700
 They're just lying there dead.

00:49:59.039 --> 00:50:00.920
 And you see in their mind

00:50:00.920 --> 00:50:01.960
 that they're starting to go away.

00:50:02.880 --> 00:50:05.180
 And then the person who's calling them back,

00:50:05.240 --> 00:50:07.780
 or maybe they have an image of their child at home,

00:50:08.780 --> 00:50:10.059
 or their mom or something,

00:50:10.200 --> 00:50:10.760
 their dog.

00:50:10.900 --> 00:50:11.320
 I don't know.

00:50:11.840 --> 00:50:13.120
 They have this image,

00:50:13.200 --> 00:50:14.400
 and the image is right there.

00:50:14.480 --> 00:50:15.960
 They're not doing anything.

00:50:16.300 --> 00:50:17.660
 They're just lying there dead.

00:50:17.659 --> 00:50:21.879
 And they can see this image now in their mind.

00:50:23.139 --> 00:50:24.299
 And they come back.

00:50:25.379 --> 00:50:26.699
 And the next thing you know,

00:50:27.099 --> 00:50:28.399
 as they come back,

00:50:28.480 --> 00:50:29.119
 because the person,

00:50:29.279 --> 00:50:31.039
 that has come to them where they are dead.

00:50:32.019 --> 00:50:33.460
 And the next thing Hollywood shows

00:50:33.460 --> 00:50:34.460
 is the eyes open.

00:50:35.019 --> 00:50:35.980
 Take a big breath.

00:50:37.159 --> 00:50:38.019
 And the people with the guns

00:50:38.019 --> 00:50:39.079
 are shooting even more now,

00:50:39.139 --> 00:50:40.279
 and then the helicopter comes,

00:50:40.359 --> 00:50:41.019
 and they take them away,

00:50:41.059 --> 00:50:41.639
 and they're all alive.

00:50:41.699 --> 00:50:42.480
 And then the next thing you know,

00:50:42.539 --> 00:50:43.719
 they live happily ever after.

00:50:43.719 --> 00:50:47.559
 That is an image of what Paul is talking about here.

00:50:49.000 --> 00:50:51.379
 That is an image of what Paul is talking about here.

00:50:53.119 --> 00:50:55.339
 God crosses the infinite distance.

00:50:56.439 --> 00:50:58.619
 God is the one through his son

00:50:58.619 --> 00:51:00.299
 who's fighting off the bad guys.

00:51:00.480 --> 00:51:02.119
 God is the one doing the CPR.

00:51:02.339 --> 00:51:04.739
 God is the one in the bullet holes.

00:51:04.939 --> 00:51:06.439
 God is the one calling to you.

00:51:06.819 --> 00:51:10.759
 He comes to you when you are dead and helpless.

00:51:10.760 --> 00:51:16.980
 He provides the power to make you right with him.

00:51:17.620 --> 00:51:21.380
 He provides the power for you to live.

00:51:22.300 --> 00:51:26.800
 He does it all through the cross

00:51:26.800 --> 00:51:28.520
 in the person of Jesus.

00:51:29.460 --> 00:51:32.120
 And this is what Paul proclaimed,

00:51:32.480 --> 00:51:35.320
 and this is what I am telling you.

00:51:36.320 --> 00:51:40.020
 And it is for you today.

00:51:40.760 --> 00:51:45.160
 If you have not done it,

00:51:45.300 --> 00:51:47.260
 there is, don't wait, don't wait.

00:51:48.020 --> 00:51:50.300
 If you feel the pressure of the Holy Spirit,

00:51:50.380 --> 00:51:51.280
 you feel Jesus,

00:51:51.680 --> 00:51:53.480
 and you know he's been knocking on your door,

00:51:53.840 --> 00:51:55.440
 there is no better time than now

00:51:55.440 --> 00:51:57.560
 to with your lips say,

00:51:57.620 --> 00:51:58.420
 Jesus is Lord.

00:52:00.860 --> 00:52:03.040
 You see, raised him from the dead,

00:52:03.040 --> 00:52:07.520
 you know that Jesus is the one vindicated by God,

00:52:07.580 --> 00:52:10.080
 that he is in fact the power of God for salvation.

00:52:11.000 --> 00:52:12.259
 And Jesus is Lord.

00:52:12.360 --> 00:52:14.099
 You're acknowledging not only what he's done,

00:52:14.199 --> 00:52:15.079
 but who he is,

00:52:15.480 --> 00:52:17.920
 and what he will be for you for all eternity.

00:52:18.539 --> 00:52:19.239
 Please stand.

00:52:19.619 --> 00:52:20.019
 Thank you.

00:52:20.019 --> 00:52:30.900
 You don't have to scream it out or shout it out,

00:52:30.960 --> 00:52:33.099
 but even if it's just very quietly under your breath,

00:52:33.159 --> 00:52:35.079
 there's no better time than right now,

00:52:35.139 --> 00:52:36.980
 maybe for the very first time in your life,

00:52:36.980 --> 00:52:39.900
 and you know that Jesus has come to you

00:52:39.900 --> 00:52:40.500
 to just say,

00:52:40.599 --> 00:52:41.519
 Jesus, you are Lord.

00:52:41.940 --> 00:52:42.860
 You are my Lord.

00:52:43.880 --> 00:52:47.199
 You are the one that God has provided

00:52:47.199 --> 00:52:48.240
 to make me right with you.

00:52:48.320 --> 00:52:48.980
 You are Lord.

00:52:49.559 --> 00:52:50.219
 You are Lord.

00:52:52.300 --> 00:52:54.039
 Father, we confess before you

00:52:54.039 --> 00:52:57.219
 that we love this idea

00:52:57.219 --> 00:52:58.780
 that we are redeemed by grace

00:52:58.780 --> 00:53:00.000
 and by what you've done for us

00:53:00.000 --> 00:53:01.500
 on the cross through Jesus,

00:53:01.500 --> 00:53:02.019
 but Father,

00:53:02.119 --> 00:53:04.460
 you know how quickly we think

00:53:04.460 --> 00:53:05.340
 that it depends upon

00:53:05.340 --> 00:53:06.739
 how good we are at keeping rules.

00:53:07.119 --> 00:53:07.380
 Father,

00:53:07.500 --> 00:53:09.139
 you know how quickly it is

00:53:09.139 --> 00:53:09.659
 that we desire

00:53:09.659 --> 00:53:11.619
 that we'd be a superstar at rule keeping

00:53:11.619 --> 00:53:13.239
 or a superstar at rule breaking

00:53:13.239 --> 00:53:15.559
 or a superstar at being brilliant

00:53:15.559 --> 00:53:16.940
 and thinking brilliant things

00:53:16.940 --> 00:53:18.320
 and having mystical experiences

00:53:18.320 --> 00:53:19.900
 or how soon we wish

00:53:19.900 --> 00:53:21.659
 that we can go into the depths of everything.

00:53:21.840 --> 00:53:22.000
 Father,

00:53:22.119 --> 00:53:24.219
 you know how deeply addicted

00:53:24.219 --> 00:53:26.400
 and divided we are as human beings

00:53:26.400 --> 00:53:28.340
 even after we've made Jesus as Lord

00:53:28.340 --> 00:53:29.820
 to somehow think

00:53:29.820 --> 00:53:31.539
 that it's all about us being superstars.

00:53:31.760 --> 00:53:32.000
 Father,

00:53:32.800 --> 00:53:33.420
 you know,

00:53:33.579 --> 00:53:33.820
 Father,

00:53:33.900 --> 00:53:35.000
 we thank you so much

00:53:35.000 --> 00:53:36.300
 that you know every single thing

00:53:36.300 --> 00:53:37.180
 there is to know about us

00:53:37.180 --> 00:53:38.640
 when your son died upon the cross

00:53:38.640 --> 00:53:40.960
 and still he died on the cross for us.

00:53:41.019 --> 00:53:41.980
 Still he loves us.

00:53:42.920 --> 00:53:43.160
 Father,

00:53:43.559 --> 00:53:45.400
 make us disciples of Jesus

00:53:45.400 --> 00:53:47.120
 who are gripped by the gospel.

00:53:49.100 --> 00:53:50.320
 Gripped by the gospel

00:53:50.320 --> 00:53:51.240
 that we, Father,

00:53:51.340 --> 00:53:52.519
 can humbly say,

00:53:52.760 --> 00:53:53.539
 I am a beggar

00:53:53.539 --> 00:53:54.720
 when it comes to rule keeping.

00:53:54.880 --> 00:53:55.579
 I am a beggar

00:53:55.579 --> 00:53:56.800
 when it comes to being brilliant.

00:53:57.000 --> 00:53:58.059
 I am a beggar

00:53:58.059 --> 00:53:59.159
 when it comes to descending

00:53:59.159 --> 00:53:59.779
 into the depths.

00:53:59.960 --> 00:54:00.139
 Father,

00:54:00.779 --> 00:54:02.880
 please pour out your Holy Spirit upon us.

00:54:02.980 --> 00:54:04.460
 Make us disciples of Jesus

00:54:04.460 --> 00:54:05.779
 gripped by the gospel.

00:54:07.119 --> 00:54:08.259
 So freed up

00:54:08.259 --> 00:54:10.559
 that we can humbly

00:54:10.559 --> 00:54:12.619
 with faltering steps

00:54:12.619 --> 00:54:14.000
 live for your glory.

00:54:14.539 --> 00:54:16.500
 And this we ask in Jesus' name.

00:54:17.500 --> 00:54:18.340
 Your son

00:54:18.340 --> 00:54:19.639
 and our savior

00:54:19.639 --> 00:54:21.039
 and God's people said,

00:54:21.900 --> 00:54:22.259
 Amen.