WEBVTT

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 Father, we thank you for your word.

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 We confess before you, Father, that we often just quickly flip through your word,

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 just gaze or listen to it lightly, gaze lightly with our eyes, listen lightly with our ears,

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 and that we don't allow your word, Father, to settle into our heart and our mind and our will.

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 We don't trust your word, Father, to settle into our mind, our heart, our will.

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 So that we are preoccupied with our own thoughts.

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 Father, you know our frailty and still you love us.

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 You know our rebellion and still you love us.

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 We ask that you would gently but deeply pour out your Holy Spirit upon us this morning

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 so that we might gaze upon your word and listen to your word

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 and that your word might have its healing and forming and challenging role in our lives.

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 And all this we ask in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior.

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 Amen.

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 It's not a good thing about me, but some things really, really sort of bother me.

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 And I think I've mentioned it before.

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 I listen to Christian radio sometimes.

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 In fact, it's usually Christian radio on at our house.

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 And my daughter, who'd come back from university,

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 was asking me if I'd noticed that a particular show had changed on Sunday night.

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 And I realized that I hadn't noticed that.

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 And I was trying to think about why it was.

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 And then I realized the reason why I hadn't noticed that this show had changed on Sunday night.

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 And that's because at some point in time on Sunday morning, afternoon,

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 I always turn the radio off, even though it's usually on sort of in the kitchen area.

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 And it's because I think there's like four shows in a row about contagious enthusiasm.

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 And I end up, by the time I've listened to it the second time, I want to go postal.

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 Too much unbridled enthusiasm and positive thinking just starts to really, really, really irritate me.

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 Because it just, I don't know, there's just something.

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 I hope I'm not offending anybody here.

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 Those of you who I'm offending, it just shows you how deeply you have to pray for me,

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 that I can be set off by people just wanting to always be,

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 have cheery voices, huge smiles, only talking about positive, pleasant things,

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 and just encouraging us to be good.

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 And that makes me go postal after a certain point in time.

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 It shows that there's something going on inside of me.

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 I probably need counseling, but I turn it off.

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 Because it's having the exact opposite effect on me

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 than the people who are making the show are intending it to.

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 And this sort of complicated aspect of human nature, or at least my human nature,

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 but I think all of us have certain things that people intend it to maybe make us smile,

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 or happy, or do something, but it creates the opposite reaction.

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 This type of complicated aspect of human beings is well illustrated,

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 and great wisdom is presented in the passage, which John just read a few moments ago.

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 So I invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to Genesis chapter 4.

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 Genesis chapter 4.

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 And as is every Sunday, if you're a guest here, you don't have your Bible with you,

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 there's always some Bibles here at the front by the stage,

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 and you're welcome to use the Bible, keep it.

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 It can be a gift from us to you if you want.

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 You can return it afterwards as well if you want.

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 And it's the famous story of Cain and Abel.

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 Some of you might have noticed when John read Am I My Brother's Keeper,

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 that is one of those snippets of biblical tradition

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 which still would be sort of known in our culture.

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 People might not know where it came from.

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 They might use it out of context, but it's a snippet of that biblical heritage

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 which still exists in our culture.

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 And so it's going to talk...

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 Anyway, let's read.

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 Genesis chapter 4, verses 1.

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 We'll look at it again.

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 Now Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying,

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 I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.

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 And again she bore his brother Abel.

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 Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.

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 In the course of time, Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,

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 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.

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 Just a pause here.

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 In older times, people liked eating fat.

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 It was highly valued if something had lots of fat.

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 I mean, now it's sort of a guilty pleasure when we're pouring on the bacon and the cheese on our burger

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 with lots of filling in it so that none of the fat runs out of the hamburger

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 and we feel slightly guilty about it.

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 But in older times, and in many parts of the world today,

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 it would still be viewed as something precious.

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 The fat was important.

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 Back to verse 4 again.

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 And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.

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 And the Lord had regard, had favor.

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 That's sort of another way to translate it.

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 And the Lord had favor for Abel and his offering,

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 but for Cain and his offering, he had no regard.

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 He did not have favor.

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 So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

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 The Lord said to Cain,

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 Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?

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 If you do well, will you not be accepted?

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 In other words, will you not have my favor upon you?

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 And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.

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 Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.

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 Now, I should have sort of paused there at a certain part.

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 But some of you might wonder, why is it, like,

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 why on earth is it that God liked Abel's sacrifice,

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 and he didn't like Cain's sacrifice?

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 I have to confess that for many, many years,

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 when I would glibly go over it,

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 I thought that the reason that God liked Abel's sacrifice

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 was because it was an animal sacrifice,

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 and you sort of pointed to the cross.

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 And Cain's was just, you know, grain and fruit and nuts and stuff like that,

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 and didn't point to the cross.

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 But I later on realized that that actually can't possibly be the reason,

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 because if you go on and read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy,

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 you'll see that, in fact, there's a whole series of Old Testament offerings

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 that, in fact, just involve grain and the fruits of the earth.

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 So it's not as if there's something special about the animal

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 and something bad about the grain.

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 And so, you know, somebody might wonder,

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 well, why is it that God sort of liked one sacrifice and didn't like another?

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 One of the things when you read Old Testament stories and New Testament stories

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 is, as we read it, to understand that no response is,

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 that no particular response is required by the text.

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 Like, we might become very familiar with the fact that a certain response occurs,

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 but you should, we can always ask the question,

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 well, out of all of the possible responses,

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 why did the person choose that response?

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 So here's what I mean.

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 I'm married, and let's say I bring home to my wife one day a gift,

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 and I bring the gift to my wife, and her face falls.

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 She gets sad by it.

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 Okay, well, one moment.

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 I have a whole range of responses to this, don't I?

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 Like, if in fact, if I bring my wife a gift,

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 and her face falls,

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 and she seems to be unpleased with it,

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 why would I fly into a rage at her?

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 Like, why would I be angry at it?

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 Like, I mean, I could ask her,

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 like, why are you upset?

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 Well, I didn't like you spending so much money, or something,

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 or it reminds me of something.

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 I mean, I could ask her,

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 I could ask her, what could I do to make the gift acceptable?

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 I could ask if I could take this gift back,

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 and exchange it, and buy another gift.

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 I mean, if I did something to offend her with the gift,

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 I could apologize.

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 Like, there's all sorts of responses to that, isn't there?

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 So, in fact, what happens when, in this story,

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 when Cain's gift is not accepted,

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 his response to God reveals

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 why it is that God did not accept the gift.

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 Here's the first insight from the text,

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 if you want to put that up on the screen, Mike.

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 The first insight from the text.

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 A problem with me?

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 I want to put God in my debt.

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 A problem with me?

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 A problem with you?

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 I write these in such a way that if you write them in your notes,

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 if you write these in your notes,

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 it doesn't say,

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 a problem with George.

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 But if you write down a problem with me,

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 then you realize that you're writing it as a problem about you,

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 about me.

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 That it's, in fact,

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 it's a far, far deeper-rooted problem than we realize.

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 You see, what Cain is doing

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 is he's trying to, in a sense, manipulate God.

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 Like, don't we understand?

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 Here's another thing about gifts.

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 It matters to us, doesn't it?

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 Why somebody gives us a gift?

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 It matters to us.

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 Like, if somebody gives me a gift,

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 and I think, oh, that's really nice.

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 You know, maybe they've been, I don't know,

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 really obnoxious,

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 they've been really, really rude,

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 they've been angry,

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 and they give me a gift.

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 And then, you know,

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 I think, well, that's sort of curious.

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 Why are they giving me a gift?

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 And then, like, you know,

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 an hour later, they say,

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 oh, by the way,

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 I need a letter of recommendation from my pastor.

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 Could you write me a letter of recommendation?

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 Well, that would be a very transparent attempt

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 to try to bribe me,

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 to try to change my mood,

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 to try to make me feel like somehow I'm in their debt,

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 or change my impression of them.

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 And so, even if at a human level,

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 we understand that the motive behind the giving of the gift matters,

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 then how much more does it matter for God?

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 But the fact of the matter is,

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 is that we regularly think, naively,

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 that whether it's being involved in a liturgy,

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 or reading our Bible,

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 or somehow or another,

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 that we do it,

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 not so much necessarily because we love God,

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 or trust God,

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 or trust his sovereignty,

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 or trust his goodness,

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 desire to know him,

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 desire to give him honor,

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 desire to show our dependence upon him,

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 do anything which is what God desires,

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 but instead we do it expecting some type of result.

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 Maybe because we've done something bad,

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 and it maybe helps us with our conscience,

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 it calms our conscience,

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 or,

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 you know,

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 I,

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 you know,

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 I,

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 you know,

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 we come to church not because we want to sing God's praises,

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 and open the Bible,

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 and hear from him,

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 but we want an hour of calm and quiet to collect our thoughts,

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 so we can handle a busy week.

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 An hour of calm and quiet to,

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 you know,

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 to calm our thoughts to handle a busy week.

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 Like,

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 we do it because of me,

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 because of I,

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 because of,

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 you know,

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 whatever reason.

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 And,

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 and,

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 and that's what's going on here in Cain,

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 is his response shows,

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 that in fact,

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 he's not actually that interested in God.

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 In fact,

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 here,

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 if you put the next point up,

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 Andrew,

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 here,

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 here's the spiritual principle behind the text.

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 The first thing is very important,

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 that the problem is very important,

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 but here's the spiritual principle.

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 In true worship,

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 first I bring myself,

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 and then I bring myself and my stuff.

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 In true worship,

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 first I bring myself,

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 and then I bring myself and my stuff.

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 In fact,

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 at a,

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 at a,

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 at the level of the Hebrew,

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 and in the,

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 and the,

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 and the cultural context,

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 we actually get a bit of a hint about that.

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 In,

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 in the book of Hebrews,

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 chapter 11,

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 verse 4,

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 it talks about how,

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 uh,

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 Abel's sacrifice was accepted,

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 because it came out of faith.

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 In other words,

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 it came out of a desire,

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 to have a relationship,

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 with the living God,

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 where,

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 uh,

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 Abel acknowledges that God is God,

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 and he is a creature,

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 Abel is a creature,

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 and that God,

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 Abel desires to somehow,

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 honor that,

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 illustrate that,

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 to represent that,

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 to,

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 to,

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 to know God.

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 He's not only bringing himself,

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 he brings himself to God first,

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 in a matter of trust,

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 but then he brings his stuff with him,

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 and,

00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:21.840
 and that's seen in the,

00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:22.200
 in the,

00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:22.879
 in the,

00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:24.180
 in the actual story,

00:12:24.280 --> 00:12:27.120
 because Abel brings the best,

00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:29.240
 and gives it to God,

00:12:29.580 --> 00:12:30.320
 off the top.

00:12:31.100 --> 00:12:32.120
 He doesn't sort of wait,

00:12:32.139 --> 00:12:32.860
 until he has,

00:12:32.860 --> 00:12:33.519
 uh,

00:12:33.560 --> 00:12:34.399
 a thousand,

00:12:35.340 --> 00:12:35.940
 livestock,

00:12:36.379 --> 00:12:38.200
 and then after he has lots of livestock,

00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:38.919
 for himself,

00:12:39.019 --> 00:12:39.620
 he then takes,

00:12:40.100 --> 00:12:40.360
 you know,

00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:41.639
 a few unimportant ones,

00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:42.419
 or a little bit of,

00:12:42.460 --> 00:12:42.600
 you know,

00:12:42.659 --> 00:12:43.259
 so-so ones,

00:12:43.340 --> 00:12:43.759
 I guess if,

00:12:43.820 --> 00:12:43.919
 you know,

00:12:43.940 --> 00:12:44.060
 we,

00:12:44.200 --> 00:12:44.539
 I don't know,

00:12:44.580 --> 00:12:45.000
 we put a little,

00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:45.279
 you know,

00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:46.080
 wash it up a bit,

00:12:46.179 --> 00:12:47.019
 and fluff its hair,

00:12:47.100 --> 00:12:47.759
 it'll look all right,

00:12:48.060 --> 00:12:48.519
 for God.

00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:48.720
 He,

00:12:48.740 --> 00:12:49.879
 he takes it at the beginning,

00:12:49.980 --> 00:12:50.899
 he gives the first fruit,

00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:51.539
 he gives the very,

00:12:51.639 --> 00:12:52.019
 very best,

00:12:52.259 --> 00:12:53.539
 and he gives the best portion,

00:12:53.539 --> 00:12:54.080
 of the meat,

00:12:54.299 --> 00:12:54.500
 to the,

00:12:54.680 --> 00:12:55.379
 the very,

00:12:55.560 --> 00:12:56.120
 very best,

00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:58.320
 and in the original language,

00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:00.460
 Cain just sort of gives some of his stuff.

00:13:00.980 --> 00:13:03.100
 It's like he has a whole barn full of stuff,

00:13:03.179 --> 00:13:03.419
 and he says,

00:13:03.460 --> 00:13:03.960
 oh gosh,

00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:04.919
 I've got to go to God,

00:13:05.060 --> 00:13:05.440
 uh,

00:13:05.500 --> 00:13:05.820
 I don't know,

00:13:05.899 --> 00:13:06.000
 I,

00:13:06.759 --> 00:13:07.159
 um,

00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:07.440
 you know,

00:13:07.460 --> 00:13:08.519
 and he says to his wife,

00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:08.799
 you know,

00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:09.580
 you don't like turnips,

00:13:09.659 --> 00:13:10.259
 I don't like turnips,

00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:11.639
 let's give turnips to God,

00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:12.080
 okay?

00:13:12.580 --> 00:13:12.740
 Uh,

00:13:12.740 --> 00:13:14.279
 we'll give God a whole pile of turnips,

00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:14.919
 uh,

00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:15.840
 we won't miss them,

00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:16.519
 and,

00:13:16.580 --> 00:13:17.779
 and God will be pleased,

00:13:17.879 --> 00:13:18.200
 you know?

00:13:18.299 --> 00:13:18.799
 And that's,

00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:20.060
 that's what's going on in the story.

00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:21.180
 And,

00:13:21.340 --> 00:13:21.759
 um,

00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:22.419
 but,

00:13:22.700 --> 00:13:24.200
 so Abel understands it,

00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:25.340
 he actually,

00:13:25.620 --> 00:13:25.899
 he,

00:13:25.899 --> 00:13:26.919
 he doesn't understand,

00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:28.299
 he just knows that God is God,

00:13:28.340 --> 00:13:30.319
 and he wants to give of himself to God,

00:13:30.379 --> 00:13:31.399
 and he gives himself first,

00:13:31.459 --> 00:13:32.579
 and he brings along his stuff.

00:13:32.959 --> 00:13:33.299
 It's a very,

00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:34.679
 very fundamental principle.

00:13:35.439 --> 00:13:36.439
 If you're a guest here today,

00:13:36.919 --> 00:13:38.679
 this is my opportunity to say to you,

00:13:39.059 --> 00:13:39.259
 uh,

00:13:39.259 --> 00:13:41.379
 that one of the things that we do here as part of our worship

00:13:41.379 --> 00:13:42.740
 is collect an offering.

00:13:43.639 --> 00:13:44.000
 And,

00:13:44.079 --> 00:13:45.399
 and why do we collect an offering?

00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:45.659
 Well,

00:13:45.740 --> 00:13:46.319
 first of all,

00:13:46.319 --> 00:13:47.779
 we want to bring ourselves to God,

00:13:47.860 --> 00:13:49.579
 and then we want to bring ourselves and our stuff.

00:13:50.620 --> 00:13:53.179
 That that's like a spiritual principle about growth.

00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:55.120
 Because stuff matters,

00:13:55.340 --> 00:13:55.579
 right?

00:13:55.899 --> 00:13:57.319
 Stuff matters to us.

00:13:57.939 --> 00:13:58.279
 And so,

00:13:58.340 --> 00:13:59.699
 if we're bringing ourselves to God,

00:13:59.740 --> 00:14:02.240
 we want to bring the stuff that matters to God as well.

00:14:02.659 --> 00:14:02.939
 And so,

00:14:03.019 --> 00:14:03.620
 if you're here,

00:14:03.779 --> 00:14:04.799
 and you're a seeker,

00:14:04.939 --> 00:14:05.860
 or you come just,

00:14:06.259 --> 00:14:06.480
 you know,

00:14:06.500 --> 00:14:07.259
 for whatever reason,

00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:08.139
 uh,

00:14:08.179 --> 00:14:09.000
 and you're a guest,

00:14:09.079 --> 00:14:10.379
 especially if you're a guest that you're,

00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:12.539
 you haven't given yourself to God first,

00:14:12.899 --> 00:14:13.399
 I really,

00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:14.620
 you know,

00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:16.600
 keep coming to our church as often as you want,

00:14:16.659 --> 00:14:18.079
 and never put any money in the plate.

00:14:18.319 --> 00:14:18.480
 Uh,

00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:20.120
 that's completely fine with us.

00:14:20.179 --> 00:14:20.360
 In fact,

00:14:20.379 --> 00:14:21.840
 it's probably better for you not to.

00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:22.579
 Uh,

00:14:22.579 --> 00:14:23.120
 because you see,

00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:24.480
 what God wants first is,

00:14:24.539 --> 00:14:25.159
 is me.

00:14:25.500 --> 00:14:26.659
 What he wants first is you.

00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:27.919
 And then,

00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:28.360
 as,

00:14:28.580 --> 00:14:28.820
 as,

00:14:28.919 --> 00:14:30.600
 as I give myself to God,

00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:31.039
 and he,

00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:31.299
 and,

00:14:31.460 --> 00:14:31.600
 and,

00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:33.100
 and I start to know God,

00:14:33.220 --> 00:14:34.560
 and I start to know who he is,

00:14:34.600 --> 00:14:35.259
 and his goodness,

00:14:35.399 --> 00:14:35.940
 and his mercy,

00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:36.840
 and I start to be healed,

00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:37.920
 and freed up by that,

00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:39.019
 then it,

00:14:39.019 --> 00:14:41.920
 it starts to become obvious to me that I need to bring my stuff to him.

00:14:42.920 --> 00:14:43.280
 So,

00:14:43.379 --> 00:14:44.220
 let the plate pass.

00:14:44.800 --> 00:14:45.040
 Uh,

00:14:45.040 --> 00:14:46.200
 we'll keep passing the plate,

00:14:46.280 --> 00:14:46.500
 uh,

00:14:46.500 --> 00:14:48.300
 in our services because it is part of worship.

00:14:48.420 --> 00:14:48.740
 It's a,

00:14:48.740 --> 00:14:50.680
 an important spiritual principle,

00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:51.780
 but at the same time,

00:14:51.780 --> 00:14:52.360
 um,

00:14:52.740 --> 00:14:52.980
 you know,

00:14:52.980 --> 00:14:53.800
 give ourselves first,

00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:54.240
 then,

00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:54.960
 then our stuff.

00:14:55.680 --> 00:14:56.080
 Now,

00:14:56.899 --> 00:14:57.320
 um,

00:14:57.720 --> 00:14:58.620
 some of you,

00:14:58.620 --> 00:14:58.960
 um,

00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:01.060
 um,

00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:03.139
 one of the things that,

00:15:03.180 --> 00:15:03.320
 uh,

00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:05.040
 also sort of bothers me about Christmas

00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:06.759
 is,

00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:07.139
 uh,

00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:08.480
 I,

00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:09.039
 boy,

00:15:09.099 --> 00:15:11.039
 this is like a bad day for Christian radio.

00:15:11.719 --> 00:15:12.159
 Um,

00:15:12.819 --> 00:15:14.959
 one of the things that bothers me about Christian radio,

00:15:15.059 --> 00:15:15.899
 at least in this city,

00:15:15.899 --> 00:15:20.519
 is how they almost play as many secular Christmas songs as,

00:15:20.599 --> 00:15:21.839
 as Magic 100,

00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:22.980
 uh,

00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:23.360
 or,

00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:24.259
 uh,

00:15:24.319 --> 00:15:25.179
 88.5,

00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:26.319
 Live 88.5,

00:15:26.439 --> 00:15:26.719
 uh,

00:15:26.719 --> 00:15:26.980
 you know,

00:15:26.980 --> 00:15:28.219
 the alternative music station,

00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:29.120
 or any other station.

00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:29.919
 Uh,

00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:30.120
 and,

00:15:30.199 --> 00:15:32.259
 and if you listen to secular music songs,

00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:32.659
 and I,

00:15:32.939 --> 00:15:33.339
 you know what,

00:15:33.399 --> 00:15:34.679
 you're going to think I'm like the Grinch.

00:15:34.679 --> 00:15:34.939
 I,

00:15:35.019 --> 00:15:36.419
 I really am not like the Grinch.

00:15:36.479 --> 00:15:37.279
 I don't want to be the Grinch,

00:15:37.359 --> 00:15:37.919
 but I'm just trying to,

00:15:38.239 --> 00:15:40.279
 here's the thing about secular music songs,

00:15:40.359 --> 00:15:41.479
 is it makes it look as if,

00:15:41.839 --> 00:15:42.699
 what's Christmas about?

00:15:42.819 --> 00:15:44.000
 Christmas is about snow,

00:15:45.139 --> 00:15:46.139
 about family,

00:15:47.059 --> 00:15:47.539
 uh,

00:15:47.579 --> 00:15:49.039
 about coming home,

00:15:49.719 --> 00:15:50.239
 uh,

00:15:50.319 --> 00:15:51.819
 it's about being good,

00:15:51.979 --> 00:15:54.459
 and it's about being kind,

00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:55.779
 and it's about being generous,

00:15:56.159 --> 00:15:59.120
 and that's what Christmas is sort of all about.

00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:00.139
 And,

00:16:00.199 --> 00:16:00.379
 uh,

00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:04.219
 and one of the funny things about this secular understanding and idea behind Christmas

00:16:04.220 --> 00:16:05.580
 is that it,

00:16:05.580 --> 00:16:05.820
 it,

00:16:05.820 --> 00:16:11.019
 it sort of promises certain things about home and goodness and kindness and getting along,

00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:14.500
 but then when we actually go home for Christmas,

00:16:14.500 --> 00:16:16.840
 we deal with all the grumpy,

00:16:17.060 --> 00:16:17.399
 angry,

00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:20.820
 selfish people who irritate us for the rest of the year.

00:16:21.160 --> 00:16:22.320
 I'm not talking about my own family,

00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:22.639
 okay?

00:16:23.300 --> 00:16:23.540
 Uh,

00:16:23.540 --> 00:16:24.019
 maybe they're taught,

00:16:24.120 --> 00:16:25.180
 maybe that's what they think about me,

00:16:25.220 --> 00:16:25.660
 I don't know,

00:16:25.779 --> 00:16:25.940
 but,

00:16:26.040 --> 00:16:29.100
 especially after I'm sort of grumpy about secular Christmas carols.

00:16:29.899 --> 00:16:29.940
 and,

00:16:30.060 --> 00:16:30.259
 and,

00:16:30.259 --> 00:16:30.340
 and,

00:16:30.340 --> 00:16:31.000
 but you know what I mean,

00:16:31.040 --> 00:16:31.659
 on one hand,

00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:34.100
 Christmas carols promise something,

00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:37.600
 but if you actually try to follow the secular Christmas carols,

00:16:37.700 --> 00:16:39.180
 it reveals something very,

00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:39.860
 very different.

00:16:40.820 --> 00:16:40.940
 And,

00:16:41.060 --> 00:16:41.240
 you know,

00:16:41.240 --> 00:16:42.139
 some families are really,

00:16:42.259 --> 00:16:42.659
 really great,

00:16:43.180 --> 00:16:44.300
 and hopefully,

00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:44.620
 well,

00:16:44.680 --> 00:16:46.040
 let's all pray for great families.

00:16:46.120 --> 00:16:46.779
 But you know what I mean,

00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:47.560
 often,

00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:47.779
 you know,

00:16:47.800 --> 00:16:48.620
 maybe it's at work,

00:16:48.700 --> 00:16:50.399
 and you go to a Christmas party,

00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:52.279
 or you have a neighborhood Christmas party,

00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:52.480
 and,

00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:53.300
 and you realize that,

00:16:53.379 --> 00:16:53.460
 boy,

00:16:53.540 --> 00:16:54.019
 some people,

00:16:54.139 --> 00:16:55.320
 they're just obnoxious.

00:16:55.899 --> 00:16:56.120
 Like,

00:16:56.139 --> 00:16:58.440
 you sort of hope that you don't get caught in a corner with them.

00:16:58.440 --> 00:16:59.120
 Like,

00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:03.940
 that idea of human goodness is often not revealed at Christmas parties,

00:17:04.299 --> 00:17:05.500
 and at Christmas time.

00:17:06.620 --> 00:17:07.660
 The rushing,

00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:08.360
 and the pushing,

00:17:08.539 --> 00:17:09.059
 and the grabbing,

00:17:09.299 --> 00:17:10.360
 and the materialism,

00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:16.580
 and there's all sorts of stuff about Christmas that reveals the opposite of what Christmas songs seem to promise.

00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:17.700
 And,

00:17:17.779 --> 00:17:27.920
 and one of the reasons I'm doing these unusual introductions to the Christmas story is because these unusual introductions help to reveal the meaning of Christmas,

00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:29.560
 the biblical meaning of Christmas,

00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:31.720
 and also are just very,

00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:35.700
 very rich insights about what is that goes on in us as human beings.

00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:36.240
 And,

00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:37.460
 and this can be seen in something,

00:17:37.580 --> 00:17:39.660
 the story that maybe some of you are wondering at,

00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:41.000
 which is,

00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:41.720
 just,

00:17:42.600 --> 00:17:42.740
 well,

00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:44.440
 let's go back and look at the text.

00:17:45.259 --> 00:17:46.580
 Go back up to verse five,

00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:49.460
 this part about how Cain gets angry at God.

00:17:50.460 --> 00:17:51.720
 Go up to verse four.

00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:55.799
 For Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions,

00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:59.740
 and the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,

00:17:59.860 --> 00:18:02.259
 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.

00:18:02.420 --> 00:18:03.839
 So Cain was very angry,

00:18:03.980 --> 00:18:04.860
 and his face fell.

00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:07.279
 The Lord said to Cain,

00:18:07.539 --> 00:18:08.640
 why are you angry,

00:18:08.819 --> 00:18:10.400
 and why has your face fallen?

00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:11.839
 If you do well,

00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:13.259
 will you not be accepted?

00:18:13.259 --> 00:18:14.259
 Or,

00:18:15.500 --> 00:18:16.019
 as I said,

00:18:17.339 --> 00:18:17.740
 sort of,

00:18:17.940 --> 00:18:19.759
 my favor will rest upon you.

00:18:20.259 --> 00:18:21.660
 And if you do not do well,

00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:23.079
 sin is crouching at the door,

00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:24.420
 its desire is for you,

00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:25.640
 but you must rule over it.

00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:27.180
 Now just put your finger there for a second.

00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:28.680
 This is sort of very,

00:18:28.819 --> 00:18:29.599
 very interesting.

00:18:30.579 --> 00:18:33.619
 God actually has been very kind and merciful to Cain.

00:18:34.920 --> 00:18:36.539
 He's basically telling,

00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:38.259
 warning Cain of a great danger,

00:18:38.859 --> 00:18:41.420
 and he's definitely leaving the door wide open

00:18:41.420 --> 00:18:43.960
 for Cain to change his heart in such a way

00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:46.100
 that he can know God,

00:18:46.360 --> 00:18:47.779
 and that God will know him,

00:18:47.900 --> 00:18:49.940
 and that Cain can know God's favor.

00:18:50.940 --> 00:18:52.700
 And so God speaks to Cain,

00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:54.539
 and in the story,

00:18:54.779 --> 00:18:57.420
 how is it that Cain speaks next?

00:18:57.600 --> 00:18:59.120
 Like, how does he speak to God?

00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:00.759
 Okay?

00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:02.539
 God has spoken to Cain.

00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:04.620
 How does Cain respond?

00:19:05.220 --> 00:19:06.420
 Well, notice this in the text.

00:19:06.519 --> 00:19:07.620
 It's very, very subtle,

00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:08.980
 but very, very important,

00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:10.000
 and very interesting.

00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:11.300
 Verse 8.

00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:13.279
 Cain spoke to Abel.

00:19:14.660 --> 00:19:16.460
 He doesn't speak back to God,

00:19:17.120 --> 00:19:19.480
 but he speaks back to God in a sense

00:19:19.480 --> 00:19:20.700
 by speaking to Abel.

00:19:21.300 --> 00:19:23.259
 Cain spoke to Abel, his brother,

00:19:23.840 --> 00:19:26.380
 and when they were in the field,

00:19:26.759 --> 00:19:28.960
 Cain rose up against his brother Abel

00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:30.000
 and killed him.

00:19:34.900 --> 00:19:35.340
 That's,

00:19:36.320 --> 00:19:37.200
 look at verse 9,

00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:37.720
 how it continues.

00:19:37.800 --> 00:19:38.660
 Then the Lord said to Cain,

00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:39.840
 where is Abel your brother?

00:19:40.839 --> 00:19:41.639
 And Cain said,

00:19:41.699 --> 00:19:42.299
 I do not know.

00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:43.359
 Am I my brother's keeper?

00:19:46.819 --> 00:19:47.579
 And the voice,

00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:48.480
 and the Lord said,

00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:49.199
 what have you done?

00:19:49.899 --> 00:19:51.359
 The voice of your brother's blood

00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:52.839
 is crying to me from the ground.

00:19:54.059 --> 00:19:54.819
 And just sort of paused.

00:19:54.879 --> 00:19:55.279
 You see that?

00:19:55.339 --> 00:19:55.740
 It's a very,

00:19:55.859 --> 00:19:57.039
 very interesting dynamic.

00:19:58.959 --> 00:19:59.279
 Abel,

00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:00.240
 I mean,

00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:02.339
 Cain brings the turnips

00:20:02.339 --> 00:20:03.779
 and,

00:20:03.779 --> 00:20:06.019
 I don't like Brussels sprouts,

00:20:06.139 --> 00:20:06.839
 brings the turnips

00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:08.319
 and the Brussels sprouts.

00:20:08.399 --> 00:20:08.980
 I like turnips.

00:20:09.059 --> 00:20:09.920
 I don't like Brussels sprouts.

00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:11.299
 Brings the turnips

00:20:11.299 --> 00:20:12.119
 and Brussels sprouts

00:20:12.119 --> 00:20:13.460
 and offers them to God

00:20:13.460 --> 00:20:14.119
 as his offering.

00:20:14.940 --> 00:20:15.819
 And it throws in,

00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:16.319
 like, you know,

00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:17.139
 an apple or something

00:20:17.139 --> 00:20:18.000
 because he likes apples,

00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:18.920
 just to, you know,

00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:20.039
 hide the fact that it's

00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:21.359
 a whole pile of Brussels sprouts

00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:23.359
 and offers them to God.

00:20:23.539 --> 00:20:24.819
 God realizes

00:20:24.819 --> 00:20:25.500
 what's going on

00:20:25.500 --> 00:20:26.219
 in Cain's life,

00:20:26.719 --> 00:20:27.719
 speaks a word of mercy

00:20:27.719 --> 00:20:28.279
 to Cain.

00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:30.799
 Cain's response is,

00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:32.979
 Cain's response is,

00:20:33.419 --> 00:20:34.039
 anger at God.

00:20:34.479 --> 00:20:35.399
 God speaks his word

00:20:35.399 --> 00:20:36.240
 of mercy to him

00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:37.559
 and Cain goes

00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:38.619
 and rather than speaking

00:20:38.619 --> 00:20:39.299
 back to God,

00:20:39.379 --> 00:20:40.419
 he speaks to Abel

00:20:40.419 --> 00:20:41.259
 to lure him

00:20:41.259 --> 00:20:41.979
 into a field

00:20:41.979 --> 00:20:42.719
 to kill him.

00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:46.379
 Put up the next slide.

00:20:47.659 --> 00:20:48.699
 A problem with me,

00:20:48.700 --> 00:20:51.580
 I have an anger at God

00:20:51.580 --> 00:20:53.120
 that is expressed

00:20:53.120 --> 00:20:54.059
 as an anger

00:20:54.059 --> 00:20:55.259
 at myself and others.

00:20:57.340 --> 00:20:58.720
 A problem with me,

00:20:58.819 --> 00:21:00.779
 I have an anger at God

00:21:00.779 --> 00:21:02.360
 that is expressed

00:21:02.360 --> 00:21:03.740
 as an anger

00:21:03.740 --> 00:21:04.600
 at myself

00:21:04.600 --> 00:21:06.059
 and others.

00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:09.759
 There are some of us

00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:10.819
 who

00:21:10.819 --> 00:21:13.980
 maybe are insufficient

00:21:13.980 --> 00:21:15.120
 that don't get angry

00:21:15.120 --> 00:21:15.920
 when we should.

00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:19.320
 maybe we've

00:21:19.320 --> 00:21:21.160
 been so deeply

00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:22.480
 inundated by our culture

00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:23.660
 to accept certain types

00:21:23.660 --> 00:21:25.160
 of indignities against us

00:21:25.160 --> 00:21:26.200
 that

00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:27.560
 when there might,

00:21:27.720 --> 00:21:28.440
 should maybe be

00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:29.600
 a type of a moment

00:21:29.600 --> 00:21:31.160
 of appropriate anger,

00:21:31.340 --> 00:21:31.860
 it's gone.

00:21:32.060 --> 00:21:33.340
 That's a bit of a problem,

00:21:33.420 --> 00:21:34.060
 probably not as much

00:21:34.060 --> 00:21:35.000
 of a problem in our culture

00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:35.980
 as we think that it is.

00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:37.320
 The more problem,

00:21:37.500 --> 00:21:37.860
 the more,

00:21:37.860 --> 00:21:38.880
 the more

00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:40.960
 common problem

00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:42.220
 is that

00:21:42.220 --> 00:21:44.420
 while there might be

00:21:44.420 --> 00:21:44.940
 a place

00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:46.380
 that something happens

00:21:46.380 --> 00:21:46.940
 where there's,

00:21:47.100 --> 00:21:47.340
 you know,

00:21:47.380 --> 00:21:48.180
 a type of a,

00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:49.320
 being upset

00:21:49.320 --> 00:21:50.000
 at the,

00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:53.440
 at the wrongness

00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:54.240
 and the injustice

00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:55.539
 that there is

00:21:55.539 --> 00:21:56.180
 an appropriate

00:21:56.180 --> 00:21:58.400
 response to evil

00:21:58.400 --> 00:21:59.980
 that can also

00:21:59.980 --> 00:22:01.200
 go along with anger.

00:22:02.840 --> 00:22:05.060
 But for most of us,

00:22:05.060 --> 00:22:06.680
 we can't just stay

00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:07.539
 with that appropriate

00:22:07.539 --> 00:22:08.400
 response

00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:10.300
 to the evil,

00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:11.240
 but the anger

00:22:11.240 --> 00:22:12.360
 grows within us.

00:22:12.359 --> 00:22:15.919
 And for many of us,

00:22:16.539 --> 00:22:17.319
 there are

00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:19.119
 deep areas

00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:19.779
 of anger

00:22:19.779 --> 00:22:20.899
 in our lives

00:22:20.899 --> 00:22:23.639
 that can easily

00:22:23.639 --> 00:22:24.359
 come out.

00:22:25.879 --> 00:22:26.859
 Maybe it's

00:22:26.859 --> 00:22:27.759
 Rob Ford,

00:22:27.879 --> 00:22:28.659
 the mayor of Toronto,

00:22:28.740 --> 00:22:29.579
 and as soon as I mention

00:22:29.579 --> 00:22:30.359
 that to some of you,

00:22:30.399 --> 00:22:31.039
 you get mad.

00:22:32.379 --> 00:22:33.059
 Maybe it's

00:22:33.059 --> 00:22:34.099
 Thomas Mulcair

00:22:34.099 --> 00:22:34.839
 of the NDP,

00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:36.199
 and I just mentioned him,

00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:37.199
 and you get mad.

00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:37.740
 Maybe it's

00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:38.419
 Stephen Harper.

00:22:38.679 --> 00:22:39.139
 Maybe it's

00:22:39.139 --> 00:22:39.539
 the president

00:22:39.539 --> 00:22:40.479
 of the United States.

00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:43.860
 Maybe it's,

00:22:43.860 --> 00:22:45.980
 I just have to mention,

00:22:47.339 --> 00:22:48.299
 ex-wives

00:22:48.299 --> 00:22:51.019
 or children,

00:22:51.819 --> 00:22:52.620
 and instantly

00:22:52.620 --> 00:22:53.880
 there's anger

00:22:53.880 --> 00:22:55.380
 that's right there

00:22:55.380 --> 00:22:56.480
 underneath the surface

00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:57.000
 for you.

00:22:57.640 --> 00:22:58.460
 Maybe it's even

00:22:58.460 --> 00:22:59.559
 good things.

00:22:59.700 --> 00:23:00.519
 Maybe it's even

00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:01.420
 things like,

00:23:01.559 --> 00:23:02.480
 I mentioned,

00:23:03.120 --> 00:23:04.920
 sex trafficking

00:23:04.920 --> 00:23:06.160
 or abortion

00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:06.980
 or

00:23:06.980 --> 00:23:10.680
 violence against

00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:11.160
 women

00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:11.980
 or

00:23:11.980 --> 00:23:14.120
 racism.

00:23:15.580 --> 00:23:16.700
 And instantly

00:23:16.700 --> 00:23:18.620
 there's this

00:23:18.620 --> 00:23:19.600
 anger which is

00:23:19.600 --> 00:23:19.860
 there.

00:23:22.340 --> 00:23:22.600
 And

00:23:22.600 --> 00:23:25.519
 we might have,

00:23:25.640 --> 00:23:26.400
 even as Christians,

00:23:26.560 --> 00:23:27.000
 very, very

00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:27.660
 sophisticated

00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:28.779
 theological

00:23:28.779 --> 00:23:30.519
 reasons as to

00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:31.240
 why our anger

00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:32.140
 is justified.

00:23:32.140 --> 00:23:33.740
 And maybe

00:23:33.740 --> 00:23:34.480
 even we would

00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:34.840
 say,

00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:35.100
 boy,

00:23:35.180 --> 00:23:35.560
 if you knew

00:23:35.560 --> 00:23:36.420
 my ex-wife,

00:23:36.520 --> 00:23:36.900
 if you knew

00:23:36.900 --> 00:23:37.560
 my kids,

00:23:37.660 --> 00:23:38.000
 if you knew

00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:38.759
 my husband,

00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:39.480
 if you knew

00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:40.280
 my boss,

00:23:40.340 --> 00:23:40.720
 if you knew

00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:41.600
 my employees,

00:23:41.860 --> 00:23:42.240
 if you knew

00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:43.000
 my neighbor,

00:23:43.560 --> 00:23:44.380
 you would be

00:23:44.380 --> 00:23:45.520
 angry as well.

00:23:46.620 --> 00:23:47.560
 But the Bible

00:23:47.560 --> 00:23:48.320
 here reveals

00:23:48.320 --> 00:23:49.060
 something which

00:23:49.060 --> 00:23:50.320
 modern psychology

00:23:50.320 --> 00:23:50.980
 and counseling

00:23:50.980 --> 00:23:51.920
 completely and

00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:52.720
 utterly ignores,

00:23:52.920 --> 00:23:53.640
 and Christian

00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:54.420
 counseling and

00:23:54.420 --> 00:23:54.940
 psychology,

00:23:55.160 --> 00:23:55.700
 which is just

00:23:55.700 --> 00:23:57.120
 aping secular

00:23:57.120 --> 00:23:57.660
 counseling,

00:23:57.800 --> 00:23:58.420
 completely and

00:23:58.420 --> 00:23:59.240
 utterly ignores,

00:23:59.720 --> 00:24:00.640
 that in fact,

00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:02.040
 ongoing,

00:24:02.540 --> 00:24:03.140
 habitual,

00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:05.300
 residual wells

00:24:05.300 --> 00:24:05.960
 of anger

00:24:05.960 --> 00:24:06.840
 within us

00:24:06.840 --> 00:24:07.820
 are revealing

00:24:07.820 --> 00:24:08.660
 to us

00:24:08.660 --> 00:24:09.880
 that we aren't

00:24:09.880 --> 00:24:10.640
 really angry

00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:11.460
 about the things

00:24:11.460 --> 00:24:11.980
 that we think

00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:12.560
 we're angry

00:24:12.560 --> 00:24:12.960
 about.

00:24:13.560 --> 00:24:14.300
 You and I

00:24:14.300 --> 00:24:15.000
 are angry

00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:15.680
 at God.

00:24:18.020 --> 00:24:18.780
 The problem

00:24:18.780 --> 00:24:19.160
 with me,

00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:19.640
 I have an

00:24:19.640 --> 00:24:20.720
 anger at God

00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:22.120
 that is expressed

00:24:22.120 --> 00:24:23.020
 as an anger

00:24:23.020 --> 00:24:24.100
 at myself

00:24:24.100 --> 00:24:25.980
 and others.

00:24:26.380 --> 00:24:26.840
 I guess I

00:24:26.840 --> 00:24:27.200
 could have put

00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:28.100
 and or others.

00:24:28.259 --> 00:24:28.620
 That would have

00:24:28.620 --> 00:24:29.180
 been more

00:24:29.180 --> 00:24:29.680
 appropriate.

00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:31.680
 That's what

00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:32.320
 the text is

00:24:32.320 --> 00:24:32.720
 revealing.

00:24:35.060 --> 00:24:35.680
 Cain tries

00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:36.300
 to buy off

00:24:36.300 --> 00:24:36.740
 God.

00:24:37.320 --> 00:24:38.060
 God calls

00:24:38.060 --> 00:24:38.460
 him on it

00:24:38.460 --> 00:24:38.880
 but does it

00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:39.180
 in a very

00:24:39.180 --> 00:24:39.940
 gracious way

00:24:39.940 --> 00:24:40.380
 so that it

00:24:40.380 --> 00:24:40.800
 can all be

00:24:40.800 --> 00:24:41.240
 fixed.

00:24:41.940 --> 00:24:42.380
 Cain doesn't

00:24:42.380 --> 00:24:42.940
 even speak

00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:43.480
 to God.

00:24:43.820 --> 00:24:44.300
 He speaks

00:24:44.300 --> 00:24:44.620
 to his

00:24:44.620 --> 00:24:45.120
 brother and

00:24:45.120 --> 00:24:45.780
 kills him.

00:24:46.120 --> 00:24:46.840
 Cain is

00:24:46.840 --> 00:24:47.780
 consumed with

00:24:47.780 --> 00:24:48.300
 an anger

00:24:48.300 --> 00:24:48.880
 at God

00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:49.920
 and he

00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:50.380
 takes it

00:24:50.380 --> 00:24:50.900
 out at

00:24:50.900 --> 00:24:51.720
 anger and

00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:52.020
 murder

00:24:52.020 --> 00:24:52.400
 at his

00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:52.660
 brother.

00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:54.840
 And there's

00:24:54.840 --> 00:24:55.620
 a very,

00:24:55.780 --> 00:24:56.980
 very important

00:24:56.980 --> 00:24:58.300
 takeaway for

00:24:58.300 --> 00:24:58.800
 us here.

00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:02.180
 that in

00:25:02.180 --> 00:25:02.720
 fact if

00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:03.119
 some of

00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:03.419
 us are

00:25:03.419 --> 00:25:03.779
 dealing,

00:25:03.919 --> 00:25:04.119
 if we

00:25:04.119 --> 00:25:04.500
 are aware

00:25:04.500 --> 00:25:04.779
 of the

00:25:04.779 --> 00:25:05.200
 fact that

00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:05.740
 ongoing

00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:06.240
 deep

00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:07.000
 anger that

00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:07.779
 gets revealed,

00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:09.059
 one of the

00:25:09.059 --> 00:25:09.519
 things we need

00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:09.919
 to do is

00:25:09.919 --> 00:25:10.539
 call out to

00:25:10.539 --> 00:25:10.839
 God and

00:25:10.839 --> 00:25:10.960
 say,

00:25:11.019 --> 00:25:11.200
 God,

00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:11.779
 why am I

00:25:11.779 --> 00:25:12.480
 angry at

00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:12.680
 you?

00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:14.480
 And one

00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:14.659
 of the

00:25:14.659 --> 00:25:14.980
 things that

00:25:14.980 --> 00:25:15.240
 we need

00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:15.659
 to do is

00:25:15.659 --> 00:25:16.500
 ask ourselves,

00:25:16.680 --> 00:25:17.119
 ask the

00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:18.019
 fathers to

00:25:18.019 --> 00:25:18.599
 pour out his

00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:19.079
 Holy Spirit

00:25:19.079 --> 00:25:19.740
 upon us,

00:25:20.200 --> 00:25:20.839
 that he can

00:25:20.839 --> 00:25:21.659
 reveal to us

00:25:21.659 --> 00:25:22.659
 the idols that

00:25:22.659 --> 00:25:23.279
 we're serving,

00:25:23.859 --> 00:25:24.740
 the lies that

00:25:24.740 --> 00:25:25.339
 we're believing,

00:25:25.720 --> 00:25:26.299
 or the sin

00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:26.659
 that we're

00:25:26.659 --> 00:25:27.039
 guarding.

00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:29.519
 that is at

00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:29.960
 root of our

00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:30.680
 anger against

00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:31.119
 God.

00:25:32.680 --> 00:25:33.059
 If we put

00:25:33.059 --> 00:25:33.319
 up the

00:25:33.319 --> 00:25:34.639
 next slide,

00:25:35.720 --> 00:25:36.159
 here's the

00:25:36.159 --> 00:25:36.779
 other important

00:25:36.779 --> 00:25:37.579
 thing for us,

00:25:38.259 --> 00:25:38.960
 is that God

00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:39.779
 is never,

00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:40.700
 ever,

00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:41.680
 ever,

00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:42.859
 anger driven.

00:25:44.339 --> 00:25:45.059
 One of the

00:25:45.059 --> 00:25:45.339
 things that

00:25:45.339 --> 00:25:45.759
 comes all the

00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:46.000
 way through

00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:46.480
 the story,

00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:48.440
 God is

00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:49.039
 never,

00:25:49.379 --> 00:25:49.879
 ever,

00:25:50.599 --> 00:25:51.059
 ever,

00:25:51.220 --> 00:25:52.279
 anger driven.

00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:53.180
 One of the

00:25:53.180 --> 00:25:53.519
 problems that

00:25:53.519 --> 00:25:53.920
 we have as

00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:54.559
 human beings

00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:55.500
 is because we

00:25:55.500 --> 00:25:56.000
 have this

00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:56.819
 deep-seated,

00:25:57.039 --> 00:25:57.779
 these,

00:25:57.980 --> 00:25:58.180
 you know,

00:25:58.200 --> 00:25:58.559
 and some

00:25:58.559 --> 00:25:58.759
 of us

00:25:58.759 --> 00:25:59.259
 don't have

00:25:59.259 --> 00:25:59.379
 it,

00:25:59.519 --> 00:25:59.759
 you know,

00:26:00.119 --> 00:26:00.980
 maybe some

00:26:00.980 --> 00:26:01.200
 of us,

00:26:01.259 --> 00:26:01.619
 anger is

00:26:01.619 --> 00:26:01.960
 never going

00:26:01.960 --> 00:26:02.220
 to be a

00:26:02.220 --> 00:26:02.559
 bit of a

00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:03.259
 problem for

00:26:03.259 --> 00:26:03.399
 us,

00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:03.920
 but those

00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:04.240
 of us

00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:04.659
 who have

00:26:04.659 --> 00:26:05.339
 realized that

00:26:05.339 --> 00:26:05.579
 there's

00:26:05.579 --> 00:26:06.220
 anger in

00:26:06.220 --> 00:26:06.399
 there,

00:26:06.539 --> 00:26:06.639
 we,

00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:07.539
 you know,

00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:07.920
 you know,

00:26:08.879 --> 00:26:10.740
 the sign

00:26:10.740 --> 00:26:11.539
 of anger

00:26:11.539 --> 00:26:12.559
 beyond the

00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:12.819
 very,

00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:13.559
 very narrow

00:26:13.559 --> 00:26:14.359
 momentary

00:26:14.359 --> 00:26:15.339
 appropriateness

00:26:15.339 --> 00:26:16.359
 of it is

00:26:16.359 --> 00:26:17.319
 a sign of

00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:17.899
 our enmity

00:26:17.899 --> 00:26:18.720
 towards God.

00:26:20.339 --> 00:26:21.039
 It's an

00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:21.799
 indicator of

00:26:21.799 --> 00:26:21.940
 it,

00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:22.359
 using

00:26:22.359 --> 00:26:23.200
 sociological

00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:23.579
 language.

00:26:23.740 --> 00:26:24.019
 It's an

00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:24.940
 indicator of

00:26:24.940 --> 00:26:25.299
 a deeper

00:26:25.299 --> 00:26:25.859
 problem.

00:26:25.859 --> 00:26:27.159
 And it's

00:26:27.159 --> 00:26:27.679
 part of our

00:26:27.679 --> 00:26:28.219
 problem that

00:26:28.219 --> 00:26:28.679
 we have in

00:26:28.679 --> 00:26:29.159
 coming to

00:26:29.159 --> 00:26:29.579
 God and

00:26:29.579 --> 00:26:30.179
 talking to

00:26:30.179 --> 00:26:30.759
 God and

00:26:30.759 --> 00:26:31.579
 worshiping God

00:26:31.579 --> 00:26:32.439
 and giving

00:26:32.439 --> 00:26:33.059
 ourselves and

00:26:33.059 --> 00:26:33.699
 our stuff to

00:26:33.699 --> 00:26:34.399
 God is that

00:26:34.399 --> 00:26:35.119
 we sort of,

00:26:35.559 --> 00:26:36.379
 at one level,

00:26:37.019 --> 00:26:37.719
 transpose,

00:26:38.399 --> 00:26:38.919
 transfer,

00:26:39.439 --> 00:26:40.979
 project our

00:26:40.979 --> 00:26:42.259
 own anger at

00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:43.599
 God to God

00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:44.199
 and how he

00:26:44.199 --> 00:26:44.959
 relates to us.

00:26:45.500 --> 00:26:46.139
 But in this

00:26:46.139 --> 00:26:47.559
 story, God is

00:26:47.559 --> 00:26:49.139
 never, ever,

00:26:49.679 --> 00:26:50.119
 ever,

00:26:50.519 --> 00:26:51.179
 anger-driven.

00:26:51.180 --> 00:26:51.980
 read the

00:26:51.980 --> 00:26:52.560
 Old Testament.

00:26:52.740 --> 00:26:53.000
 He is

00:26:53.000 --> 00:26:53.460
 never,

00:26:53.980 --> 00:26:54.299
 ever,

00:26:54.740 --> 00:26:55.220
 ever,

00:26:55.220 --> 00:26:56.460
 anger-driven.

00:26:59.180 --> 00:26:59.460
 Now,

00:26:59.960 --> 00:27:00.380
 we're going to

00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:00.840
 have to wrap

00:27:00.840 --> 00:27:01.340
 it up in a

00:27:01.340 --> 00:27:01.920
 couple of

00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:02.039
 minutes.

00:27:02.120 --> 00:27:02.420
 Some of you

00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:02.680
 might be

00:27:02.680 --> 00:27:02.820
 wondering,

00:27:02.920 --> 00:27:03.039
 George,

00:27:03.080 --> 00:27:03.279
 those are

00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:03.600
 all very,

00:27:03.660 --> 00:27:04.320
 very interesting

00:27:04.320 --> 00:27:04.820
 things.

00:27:05.420 --> 00:27:05.759
 But, you

00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:05.820
 know,

00:27:05.820 --> 00:27:06.259
 I have two

00:27:06.259 --> 00:27:06.560
 things,

00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:06.820
 George.

00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:07.240
 First of all,

00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:07.600
 this is a

00:27:07.600 --> 00:27:08.259
 Christmas sermon

00:27:08.259 --> 00:27:08.480
 and you

00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:08.880
 haven't mentioned

00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:09.320
 anything about

00:27:09.320 --> 00:27:09.920
 Christmas at

00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:10.240
 all yet.

00:27:10.299 --> 00:27:10.539
 But the

00:27:10.539 --> 00:27:10.940
 other thing,

00:27:11.039 --> 00:27:11.240
 George,

00:27:11.320 --> 00:27:11.539
 is, come

00:27:11.539 --> 00:27:11.660
 on,

00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:11.960
 let's look at

00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:12.320
 this story

00:27:12.320 --> 00:27:12.840
 for a second.

00:27:13.720 --> 00:27:13.980
 You know,

00:27:14.100 --> 00:27:14.640
 I remember

00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:15.000
 that other

00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:15.340
 part.

00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:16.160
 I remember

00:27:16.160 --> 00:27:16.700
 the story a

00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:17.019
 little bit.

00:27:21.180 --> 00:27:21.759
 where are

00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:22.140
 the other

00:27:22.140 --> 00:27:22.700
 people to

00:27:22.700 --> 00:27:23.259
 kill Cain?

00:27:23.360 --> 00:27:23.740
 Cain's going

00:27:23.740 --> 00:27:24.180
 to start a

00:27:24.180 --> 00:27:24.360
 city?

00:27:24.519 --> 00:27:24.960
 Like, where

00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:25.180
 are the

00:27:25.180 --> 00:27:25.660
 people to

00:27:25.660 --> 00:27:26.080
 start a

00:27:26.080 --> 00:27:26.240
 city?

00:27:27.120 --> 00:27:27.640
 And those

00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:27.960
 are very,

00:27:28.060 --> 00:27:28.360
 very good

00:27:28.360 --> 00:27:28.900
 questions.

00:27:30.740 --> 00:27:31.519
 But here's

00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:31.779
 the thing

00:27:31.779 --> 00:27:32.180
 about the

00:27:32.180 --> 00:27:32.779
 stories in

00:27:32.779 --> 00:27:33.140
 the first

00:27:33.140 --> 00:27:33.880
 11 chapters

00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:34.440
 of Genesis

00:27:34.440 --> 00:27:35.220
 in particular.

00:27:35.940 --> 00:27:36.539
 And, you

00:27:36.539 --> 00:27:36.940
 know, this

00:27:36.940 --> 00:27:37.240
 would be one

00:27:37.240 --> 00:27:37.460
 of those

00:27:37.460 --> 00:27:37.799
 things that

00:27:37.799 --> 00:27:38.200
 if Andrew

00:27:38.200 --> 00:27:39.160
 or Mike

00:27:39.160 --> 00:27:39.680
 were to

00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:40.960
 take my

00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:41.440
 tape and

00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:42.160
 cut it at

00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:42.400
 the right

00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:42.759
 spot, it

00:27:42.759 --> 00:27:43.060
 would make

00:27:43.060 --> 00:27:43.539
 me look like

00:27:43.539 --> 00:27:43.920
 I'm saying

00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:44.560
 something very,

00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:45.220
 very bad

00:27:45.220 --> 00:27:46.060
 and wrong.

00:27:46.180 --> 00:27:46.440
 So you

00:27:46.440 --> 00:27:46.860
 have to hear

00:27:46.860 --> 00:27:47.200
 the whole

00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:47.740
 part of it.

00:27:48.460 --> 00:27:49.039
 But, you

00:27:49.039 --> 00:27:49.799
 know, the

00:27:49.799 --> 00:27:50.379
 stories in

00:27:50.379 --> 00:27:50.960
 Genesis are

00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:51.440
 a little bit

00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:52.220
 like a joke.

00:27:53.299 --> 00:27:53.559
 Okay?

00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:54.680
 They're a

00:27:54.680 --> 00:27:55.039
 little bit

00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:55.700
 like a joke.

00:27:56.139 --> 00:27:56.659
 I'll show you

00:27:56.659 --> 00:27:56.980
 what I mean.

00:27:57.119 --> 00:27:57.559
 Some of you

00:27:57.559 --> 00:27:57.940
 have heard this

00:27:57.940 --> 00:27:58.220
 before.

00:27:58.279 --> 00:27:58.519
 It's my

00:27:58.519 --> 00:27:58.859
 favorite

00:27:58.859 --> 00:27:59.579
 Anglican joke.

00:27:59.700 --> 00:28:00.039
 How do you

00:28:00.039 --> 00:28:00.579
 explain the

00:28:00.579 --> 00:28:00.819
 different

00:28:00.819 --> 00:28:01.240
 Protestant

00:28:01.240 --> 00:28:01.960
 denominations

00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:02.419
 to a Roman

00:28:02.419 --> 00:28:03.019
 Catholic or

00:28:03.019 --> 00:28:03.299
 an Eastern

00:28:03.299 --> 00:28:03.639
 Orthodox?

00:28:04.359 --> 00:28:04.599
 You know,

00:28:04.659 --> 00:28:05.279
 somebody comes

00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:06.919
 from a place

00:28:06.919 --> 00:28:07.220
 where there's

00:28:07.220 --> 00:28:07.759
 only Eastern

00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:08.119
 Orthodox,

00:28:08.299 --> 00:28:08.700
 they come and

00:28:08.700 --> 00:28:09.119
 discover all

00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:09.659
 these Protestant

00:28:09.659 --> 00:28:10.079
 churches,

00:28:10.220 --> 00:28:10.599
 how on earth

00:28:10.599 --> 00:28:11.079
 do you explain

00:28:11.079 --> 00:28:12.019
 Protestantism to

00:28:12.019 --> 00:28:12.159
 them?

00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:12.759
 And it's

00:28:12.759 --> 00:28:13.099
 very, very

00:28:13.099 --> 00:28:13.440
 simple.

00:28:13.559 --> 00:28:13.819
 You say,

00:28:13.940 --> 00:28:14.579
 well, the

00:28:14.579 --> 00:28:15.200
 Salvation Army

00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:15.879
 pick you up out

00:28:15.879 --> 00:28:16.319
 of the gutter.

00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:18.119
 the Baptists,

00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:18.679
 they get you

00:28:18.679 --> 00:28:19.379
 baptized and

00:28:19.379 --> 00:28:19.779
 started in the

00:28:19.779 --> 00:28:20.439
 Christian life.

00:28:21.159 --> 00:28:21.559
 Presbyterians,

00:28:21.659 --> 00:28:22.019
 they're really

00:28:22.019 --> 00:28:22.339
 good at

00:28:22.339 --> 00:28:23.220
 educating you.

00:28:24.559 --> 00:28:24.919
 And so,

00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:25.099
 you know,

00:28:25.139 --> 00:28:25.819
 Christian Reformers

00:28:25.819 --> 00:28:26.279
 are really good

00:28:26.279 --> 00:28:27.079
 at educating you.

00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:27.579
 Methodists,

00:28:27.639 --> 00:28:28.019
 they get you

00:28:28.019 --> 00:28:29.039
 really fired up

00:28:29.039 --> 00:28:29.619
 with a concern

00:28:29.619 --> 00:28:30.299
 for holiness.

00:28:31.559 --> 00:28:31.960
 Pentecostals

00:28:31.960 --> 00:28:32.799
 and Charismatics

00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:33.259
 are really

00:28:33.259 --> 00:28:34.299
 spectacular at

00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:34.859
 freeing you up

00:28:34.859 --> 00:28:35.299
 in worship

00:28:35.299 --> 00:28:35.759
 and teaching

00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:36.159
 you how to

00:28:36.159 --> 00:28:36.439
 sing.

00:28:37.059 --> 00:28:37.480
 Anglicans,

00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:38.039
 they introduce

00:28:38.039 --> 00:28:38.779
 you to society

00:28:38.779 --> 00:28:39.419
 and culture.

00:28:40.819 --> 00:28:41.519
 And then the

00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:42.079
 Salvation Army

00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:42.639
 pick you up

00:28:42.639 --> 00:28:43.200
 out of the gutter.

00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:46.819
 Now, you

00:28:46.819 --> 00:28:47.080
 see, the

00:28:47.080 --> 00:28:47.400
 thing about

00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:47.740
 this is,

00:28:47.840 --> 00:28:48.319
 obviously,

00:28:48.539 --> 00:28:49.080
 in this story,

00:28:49.180 --> 00:28:49.759
 that's not all

00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:50.660
 about Anglicanism.

00:28:50.799 --> 00:28:50.920
 You know,

00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:51.180
 I haven't

00:28:51.180 --> 00:28:51.559
 mentioned the

00:28:51.559 --> 00:28:52.340
 39 articles.

00:28:52.539 --> 00:28:52.819
 I haven't

00:28:52.819 --> 00:28:53.160
 mentioned,

00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:53.380
 you know,

00:28:53.460 --> 00:28:54.180
 Wilberforce

00:28:54.180 --> 00:28:54.860
 and C.S.

00:28:54.960 --> 00:28:55.460
 Lewis and

00:28:55.460 --> 00:28:56.319
 John Stott

00:28:56.319 --> 00:28:56.580
 and the

00:28:56.580 --> 00:28:57.420
 godly Anglican

00:28:57.420 --> 00:28:57.860
 heritage.

00:28:58.519 --> 00:28:58.799
 You know,

00:28:59.000 --> 00:28:59.539
 you could say,

00:28:59.580 --> 00:28:59.920
 oh, George

00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:00.140
 Emerson,

00:29:00.299 --> 00:29:00.640
 all this stuff.

00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:00.819
 You know,

00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:01.319
 Methodists,

00:29:01.380 --> 00:29:01.519
 you know,

00:29:01.559 --> 00:29:01.900
 Baptists,

00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:02.100
 they don't

00:29:02.100 --> 00:29:03.019
 just baptize you.

00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:03.240
 You know,

00:29:03.580 --> 00:29:04.259
 okay, but what's

00:29:04.259 --> 00:29:04.799
 the point of,

00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:06.120
 how does a joke

00:29:06.120 --> 00:29:06.500
 work?

00:29:07.660 --> 00:29:08.259
 You just take

00:29:08.259 --> 00:29:09.039
 this little tiny

00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:09.819
 moment and you

00:29:09.819 --> 00:29:10.680
 trace along the

00:29:10.680 --> 00:29:11.360
 thread to make

00:29:11.360 --> 00:29:11.779
 a point.

00:29:12.440 --> 00:29:13.039
 How is that a

00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:13.759
 parable work?

00:29:13.880 --> 00:29:14.340
 A parable,

00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:15.120
 when Jesus tells

00:29:15.120 --> 00:29:15.799
 a parable about

00:29:15.799 --> 00:29:16.580
 the seeds and

00:29:16.580 --> 00:29:17.019
 the sower,

00:29:17.580 --> 00:29:17.799
 you know,

00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:18.259
 it's just,

00:29:18.320 --> 00:29:18.680
 he's trying to

00:29:18.680 --> 00:29:18.799
 make,

00:29:18.940 --> 00:29:19.519
 you just take

00:29:19.519 --> 00:29:20.320
 the tiny little

00:29:20.320 --> 00:29:21.299
 narrow point as

00:29:21.299 --> 00:29:21.820
 it goes from

00:29:21.820 --> 00:29:22.259
 moment to

00:29:22.259 --> 00:29:22.600
 moment to

00:29:22.600 --> 00:29:22.900
 moment to

00:29:22.900 --> 00:29:23.220
 get the

00:29:23.220 --> 00:29:23.480
 point.

00:29:23.580 --> 00:29:24.000
 How does a

00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:24.660
 metaphor or

00:29:24.660 --> 00:29:25.220
 an analogy

00:29:25.220 --> 00:29:26.100
 work, you

00:29:26.100 --> 00:29:26.200
 know,

00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:26.440
 or an

00:29:26.440 --> 00:29:26.920
 illustration?

00:29:27.080 --> 00:29:27.380
 You take

00:29:27.380 --> 00:29:27.600
 this,

00:29:27.660 --> 00:29:28.080
 that one

00:29:28.080 --> 00:29:28.860
 aspect of

00:29:28.860 --> 00:29:29.620
 the story or

00:29:29.620 --> 00:29:30.100
 the image

00:29:30.100 --> 00:29:31.279
 which matters

00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:32.019
 and you leave

00:29:32.019 --> 00:29:32.460
 the rest of

00:29:32.460 --> 00:29:32.820
 it behind.

00:29:32.940 --> 00:29:33.220
 And that's,

00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:33.580
 in a sense,

00:29:33.640 --> 00:29:34.080
 what's happening

00:29:34.080 --> 00:29:34.560
 with Genesis

00:29:34.560 --> 00:29:35.440
 chapter 4.

00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:36.799
 We have lots

00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:37.400
 of questions

00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:37.920
 about the

00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:38.180
 text,

00:29:38.259 --> 00:29:38.519
 that the

00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:39.220
 text is not

00:29:39.220 --> 00:29:39.980
 interested in

00:29:39.980 --> 00:29:40.420
 answering.

00:29:41.740 --> 00:29:42.340
 It doesn't want

00:29:42.340 --> 00:29:43.160
 us to pause to

00:29:43.160 --> 00:29:43.740
 try to figure out

00:29:43.740 --> 00:29:44.140
 these other

00:29:44.140 --> 00:29:44.440
 things,

00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:44.880
 it's just

00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:45.460
 wanting us to

00:29:45.460 --> 00:29:46.220
 follow along

00:29:46.220 --> 00:29:47.160
 as the text

00:29:47.160 --> 00:29:48.060
 makes a series

00:29:48.060 --> 00:29:49.400
 of very,

00:29:49.560 --> 00:29:50.220
 very important

00:29:50.220 --> 00:29:50.540
 points.

00:29:50.620 --> 00:29:51.519
 One overarching

00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:52.040
 point,

00:29:52.140 --> 00:29:52.720
 which is that

00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:53.880
 as the enmity,

00:29:54.120 --> 00:29:55.340
 as human enmity

00:29:55.340 --> 00:29:56.060
 towards God

00:29:56.060 --> 00:29:56.540
 and rage

00:29:56.540 --> 00:29:57.180
 toward God

00:29:57.180 --> 00:29:57.700
 increases,

00:29:57.880 --> 00:29:58.340
 that God

00:29:58.340 --> 00:29:59.200
 is always

00:29:59.200 --> 00:29:59.640
 merciful.

00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:00.140
 That's the

00:30:00.140 --> 00:30:00.740
 overwhelming

00:30:00.740 --> 00:30:01.960
 story of the

00:30:01.960 --> 00:30:02.160
 text,

00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:02.759
 but even as

00:30:02.759 --> 00:30:03.280
 it goes along

00:30:03.280 --> 00:30:03.640
 there's just

00:30:03.640 --> 00:30:04.400
 always a fine

00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:05.040
 type of point

00:30:05.040 --> 00:30:06.040
 and it's not,

00:30:06.140 --> 00:30:06.740
 just like my

00:30:06.740 --> 00:30:07.200
 little joke

00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:07.980
 about Anglicanism

00:30:07.980 --> 00:30:08.539
 doesn't intend

00:30:08.539 --> 00:30:09.500
 to explain

00:30:09.500 --> 00:30:10.500
 the 1662

00:30:10.500 --> 00:30:11.240
 Book of Common

00:30:11.240 --> 00:30:11.580
 Prayer and

00:30:11.580 --> 00:30:12.440
 the 1552

00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:13.140
 Book of Common

00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:13.440
 Prayer and

00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:13.840
 the 39

00:30:13.840 --> 00:30:14.360
 Articles and

00:30:14.360 --> 00:30:14.700
 the Ordinal

00:30:14.700 --> 00:30:15.059
 with its

00:30:15.059 --> 00:30:15.900
 Preface and

00:30:15.900 --> 00:30:16.180
 her whole

00:30:16.180 --> 00:30:16.840
 godly heritage

00:30:16.840 --> 00:30:17.940
 doesn't do

00:30:17.940 --> 00:30:18.420
 all that stuff,

00:30:18.460 --> 00:30:18.720
 does it?

00:30:19.799 --> 00:30:20.319
 Just a little

00:30:20.319 --> 00:30:20.920
 tiny point,

00:30:20.980 --> 00:30:21.299
 that's what

00:30:21.299 --> 00:30:22.080
 Genesis 4 is

00:30:22.080 --> 00:30:22.299
 doing.

00:30:22.960 --> 00:30:23.460
 And in fact,

00:30:23.660 --> 00:30:24.140
 it's quite

00:30:24.140 --> 00:30:25.220
 breathtaking in

00:30:25.220 --> 00:30:25.660
 the rest of

00:30:25.660 --> 00:30:26.080
 the text,

00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:27.240
 how,

00:30:27.620 --> 00:30:28.100
 let's just

00:30:28.100 --> 00:30:28.519
 read it very

00:30:28.519 --> 00:30:28.920
 quickly.

00:30:29.500 --> 00:30:29.840
 Look back

00:30:29.840 --> 00:30:30.220
 at verse,

00:30:30.380 --> 00:30:34.000
 skip over

00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:36.080
 to verse 17.

00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:38.259
 God has

00:30:38.259 --> 00:30:39.559
 put a mark

00:30:39.559 --> 00:30:40.140
 on Cain,

00:30:40.220 --> 00:30:40.740
 it's an act

00:30:40.740 --> 00:30:41.259
 of mercy.

00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:42.120
 Verse 17,

00:30:42.279 --> 00:30:42.779
 Cain knew

00:30:42.779 --> 00:30:43.319
 his wife

00:30:43.319 --> 00:30:43.600
 and she

00:30:43.600 --> 00:30:44.080
 conceived

00:30:44.080 --> 00:30:44.440
 and bore

00:30:44.440 --> 00:30:44.920
 Enoch.

00:30:45.559 --> 00:30:46.080
 When he

00:30:46.080 --> 00:30:46.779
 built a city,

00:30:47.019 --> 00:30:47.420
 he called

00:30:47.420 --> 00:30:47.779
 the name

00:30:47.779 --> 00:30:48.220
 of the city

00:30:48.220 --> 00:30:48.660
 after the

00:30:48.660 --> 00:30:48.940
 name of

00:30:48.940 --> 00:30:49.299
 his son

00:30:49.299 --> 00:30:49.799
 Enoch.

00:30:50.080 --> 00:30:50.500
 Enoch

00:30:50.500 --> 00:30:51.000
 was born

00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:51.680
 Irad,

00:30:52.140 --> 00:30:52.740
 and Irad

00:30:52.740 --> 00:30:53.400
 fathered

00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:54.299
 Mahujahel,

00:30:54.620 --> 00:30:55.680
 and Mahujahel

00:30:55.680 --> 00:30:56.920
 fathered

00:30:56.920 --> 00:30:58.039
 Methushahel,

00:30:58.400 --> 00:30:59.500
 and Methushahel

00:30:59.500 --> 00:31:00.140
 fathered

00:31:00.140 --> 00:31:00.600
 Lamech,

00:31:00.860 --> 00:31:01.480
 and Lamech

00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:02.080
 took two

00:31:02.080 --> 00:31:02.600
 wives.

00:31:03.299 --> 00:31:03.799
 The name

00:31:03.799 --> 00:31:04.240
 of the one

00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:04.920
 was Adah,

00:31:05.380 --> 00:31:05.720
 and the

00:31:05.720 --> 00:31:06.059
 name of

00:31:06.059 --> 00:31:06.319
 the other

00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:06.839
 was Zillah.

00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:08.019
 Adah

00:31:08.019 --> 00:31:08.319
 bore

00:31:08.319 --> 00:31:08.880
 Jabal,

00:31:09.400 --> 00:31:09.740
 he was

00:31:09.740 --> 00:31:10.200
 the father

00:31:10.200 --> 00:31:10.620
 of those

00:31:10.620 --> 00:31:11.000
 who dwell

00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:11.480
 in tents

00:31:11.480 --> 00:31:11.839
 and have

00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:12.279
 livestock.

00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:12.620
 His

00:31:12.620 --> 00:31:12.980
 brother's

00:31:12.980 --> 00:31:13.160
 name

00:31:13.160 --> 00:31:13.339
 was

00:31:13.339 --> 00:31:13.759
 Jubal,

00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:14.480
 he was

00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:14.839
 the father

00:31:14.839 --> 00:31:15.200
 of all

00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:15.400
 those

00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:15.740
 who played

00:31:15.740 --> 00:31:16.279
 the lyre

00:31:16.279 --> 00:31:16.620
 and the

00:31:16.620 --> 00:31:16.940
 pipe.

00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:17.859
 Zillah

00:31:17.859 --> 00:31:18.599
 also bore

00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:19.359
 Tubal-Cain,

00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:19.799
 he was

00:31:19.799 --> 00:31:20.319
 the forger

00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:20.599
 of all

00:31:20.599 --> 00:31:21.039
 instruments

00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:21.579
 of bronze

00:31:21.579 --> 00:31:22.039
 and iron.

00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:23.000
 The sister

00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:23.779
 of Tubal-Cain

00:31:23.779 --> 00:31:25.279
 was Nahmah,

00:31:25.819 --> 00:31:26.319
 Lamech said

00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:26.680
 to his

00:31:26.680 --> 00:31:27.079
 wives.

00:31:27.579 --> 00:31:27.920
 Adah

00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:28.380
 and Zillah

00:31:28.380 --> 00:31:28.859
 hear my

00:31:28.859 --> 00:31:29.240
 voice,

00:31:29.380 --> 00:31:29.859
 you wives

00:31:29.859 --> 00:31:30.359
 of Lamech,

00:31:30.420 --> 00:31:30.740
 listen to

00:31:30.740 --> 00:31:31.019
 what I

00:31:31.019 --> 00:31:31.279
 say,

00:31:31.380 --> 00:31:31.660
 I have

00:31:31.660 --> 00:31:32.299
 killed a

00:31:32.299 --> 00:31:32.819
 man for

00:31:32.819 --> 00:31:33.279
 wounding

00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:33.559
 me,

00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:34.359
 a young

00:31:34.359 --> 00:31:34.920
 man for

00:31:34.920 --> 00:31:35.319
 striking

00:31:35.319 --> 00:31:35.660
 me,

00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:36.759
 if Cain's

00:31:36.759 --> 00:31:37.420
 revenge is

00:31:37.420 --> 00:31:38.259
 sevenfold,

00:31:38.700 --> 00:31:39.519
 then Lamech's

00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:41.380
 is seventy-sevenfold.

00:31:42.660 --> 00:31:43.200
 It's very,

00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:43.400
 very,

00:31:43.460 --> 00:31:44.160
 very curious

00:31:44.160 --> 00:31:44.700
 how this,

00:31:45.319 --> 00:31:46.259
 the Moses

00:31:46.259 --> 00:31:46.960
 writing the

00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:47.299
 book of

00:31:47.299 --> 00:31:47.700
 Genesis,

00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:49.720
 under the

00:31:49.720 --> 00:31:50.220
 inspiration of

00:31:50.220 --> 00:31:50.359
 the Holy

00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:50.559
 Spirit,

00:31:50.640 --> 00:31:51.079
 making all

00:31:51.079 --> 00:31:51.700
 these fine

00:31:51.700 --> 00:31:52.220
 things.

00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:53.380
 It's very,

00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:54.120
 very interesting.

00:31:54.620 --> 00:31:55.400
 In a world

00:31:55.400 --> 00:31:56.279
 that attributed

00:31:56.279 --> 00:31:57.140
 the development

00:31:57.140 --> 00:31:57.980
 of farming

00:31:57.980 --> 00:31:58.680
 and music

00:31:58.680 --> 00:31:59.420
 and metallurgy

00:31:59.420 --> 00:32:00.160
 to the gods,

00:32:00.740 --> 00:32:03.200
 God's word

00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:03.620
 is saying

00:32:03.620 --> 00:32:03.960
 it has

00:32:03.960 --> 00:32:04.359
 nothing to

00:32:04.359 --> 00:32:04.579
 do with

00:32:04.579 --> 00:32:05.000
 the gods,

00:32:05.059 --> 00:32:05.380
 there's only

00:32:05.380 --> 00:32:05.940
 one God.

00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:08.839
 And it's

00:32:08.839 --> 00:32:09.059
 very,

00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:09.880
 very interesting

00:32:09.880 --> 00:32:10.559
 that in the

00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:11.059
 Old Testament

00:32:11.059 --> 00:32:11.420
 in this

00:32:11.420 --> 00:32:11.980
 language here

00:32:11.980 --> 00:32:12.779
 what characterizes

00:32:12.779 --> 00:32:13.400
 building a

00:32:13.400 --> 00:32:13.980
 city is

00:32:13.980 --> 00:32:14.700
 it means

00:32:14.700 --> 00:32:15.240
 one of two

00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:15.579
 things,

00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:15.900
 it either

00:32:15.900 --> 00:32:16.539
 means building

00:32:16.539 --> 00:32:17.019
 a wall

00:32:17.019 --> 00:32:17.319
 that you

00:32:17.319 --> 00:32:17.900
 could defend

00:32:17.900 --> 00:32:18.339
 or building

00:32:18.339 --> 00:32:18.859
 a tower

00:32:18.859 --> 00:32:19.180
 that you

00:32:19.180 --> 00:32:19.519
 could go

00:32:19.519 --> 00:32:19.759
 in to

00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:20.099
 defend.

00:32:20.200 --> 00:32:20.440
 In other

00:32:20.440 --> 00:32:20.680
 words,

00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:21.259
 it's talking

00:32:21.259 --> 00:32:21.779
 about a

00:32:21.779 --> 00:32:22.579
 place to

00:32:22.579 --> 00:32:23.279
 defend against

00:32:23.279 --> 00:32:23.700
 war.

00:32:24.660 --> 00:32:25.140
 And it

00:32:25.140 --> 00:32:25.799
 shows part of

00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:26.259
 the mystery

00:32:26.259 --> 00:32:26.779
 or the riddle

00:32:26.779 --> 00:32:27.299
 of cities

00:32:27.299 --> 00:32:27.920
 all in this

00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:28.500
 little tiny

00:32:28.500 --> 00:32:28.759
 thing,

00:32:28.819 --> 00:32:29.220
 it shows the

00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:29.799
 mystery and riddle

00:32:29.799 --> 00:32:30.160
 of cities

00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:30.720
 that on one

00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:31.180
 hand,

00:32:31.759 --> 00:32:33.000
 civilization has

00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:33.480
 things like

00:32:33.480 --> 00:32:34.279
 music and

00:32:34.279 --> 00:32:35.079
 metallurgy and

00:32:35.079 --> 00:32:36.039
 fine crafts

00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:37.279
 and animals

00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:38.160
 and husbandry

00:32:38.160 --> 00:32:38.819
 and all that

00:32:38.819 --> 00:32:39.360
 thing which is

00:32:39.360 --> 00:32:39.860
 connected to

00:32:39.860 --> 00:32:40.480
 civilization,

00:32:40.640 --> 00:32:40.960
 yet at the

00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:41.460
 same time

00:32:41.460 --> 00:32:42.240
 that civilization

00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:42.860
 grows,

00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:43.920
 war grows,

00:32:45.400 --> 00:32:46.220
 which is why

00:32:46.220 --> 00:32:46.579
 you need a

00:32:46.579 --> 00:32:47.000
 fortress.

00:32:48.860 --> 00:32:49.339
 And it

00:32:49.339 --> 00:32:50.079
 sort of shows

00:32:50.079 --> 00:32:50.660
 the riddle

00:32:50.660 --> 00:32:50.960
 and the

00:32:50.960 --> 00:32:51.680
 mystery of

00:32:51.680 --> 00:32:53.259
 cities and

00:32:53.259 --> 00:32:53.900
 civilization,

00:32:54.380 --> 00:32:54.920
 and it

00:32:54.920 --> 00:32:56.059
 opens up the

00:32:56.059 --> 00:32:56.660
 whole way for

00:32:56.660 --> 00:32:57.220
 Christians to

00:32:57.220 --> 00:32:58.200
 understand what

00:32:58.200 --> 00:32:58.660
 it means to

00:32:58.660 --> 00:32:59.039
 live in the

00:32:59.039 --> 00:32:59.220
 city,

00:32:59.299 --> 00:32:59.759
 that on one

00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:00.059
 hand,

00:33:00.059 --> 00:33:00.419
 the city

00:33:00.419 --> 00:33:00.899
 does have

00:33:00.899 --> 00:33:01.440
 these things

00:33:01.440 --> 00:33:01.960
 like music

00:33:01.960 --> 00:33:02.379
 which are

00:33:02.379 --> 00:33:02.639
 good,

00:33:03.039 --> 00:33:03.299
 yet the

00:33:03.299 --> 00:33:03.759
 other time

00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:04.139
 it seems

00:33:04.139 --> 00:33:04.519
 to be,

00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:05.240
 there seems

00:33:05.240 --> 00:33:05.599
 to be,

00:33:05.779 --> 00:33:06.819
 as civilization

00:33:06.819 --> 00:33:07.500
 increases,

00:33:07.679 --> 00:33:08.000
 there seems

00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:08.399
 to be an

00:33:08.399 --> 00:33:08.879
 increase of

00:33:08.879 --> 00:33:09.559
 violence and

00:33:09.559 --> 00:33:10.079
 war at the

00:33:10.079 --> 00:33:10.679
 same time,

00:33:10.740 --> 00:33:10.960
 and there's

00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:12.259
 a mystery to

00:33:12.259 --> 00:33:12.839
 the fall,

00:33:13.339 --> 00:33:14.019
 and a mystery

00:33:14.019 --> 00:33:14.799
 to our

00:33:14.799 --> 00:33:15.619
 rebellion against

00:33:15.619 --> 00:33:16.019
 God,

00:33:16.099 --> 00:33:16.720
 and a mystery

00:33:16.720 --> 00:33:17.379
 as to how it

00:33:17.379 --> 00:33:17.980
 bends and

00:33:17.980 --> 00:33:18.799
 changes human

00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:19.220
 nature,

00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:21.139
 music and

00:33:21.139 --> 00:33:21.720
 munitions,

00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:24.980
 culture and

00:33:24.980 --> 00:33:26.259
 clash and

00:33:26.259 --> 00:33:26.879
 violence.

00:33:26.880 --> 00:33:27.080
 men.

00:33:27.080 --> 00:33:29.040
 But at the

00:33:29.040 --> 00:33:29.360
 end of it

00:33:29.360 --> 00:33:29.600
 all, it

00:33:29.600 --> 00:33:30.140
 also shows,

00:33:30.260 --> 00:33:30.560
 by the way,

00:33:30.620 --> 00:33:31.220
 that polygamy

00:33:31.220 --> 00:33:32.840
 is a result of

00:33:32.840 --> 00:33:33.260
 the fall.

00:33:34.160 --> 00:33:34.620
 But then at

00:33:34.620 --> 00:33:35.180
 the end of it,

00:33:35.240 --> 00:33:36.160
 it shows how

00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:37.400
 Lamech kills

00:33:37.400 --> 00:33:38.880
 a man just

00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:39.420
 because he'd

00:33:39.420 --> 00:33:40.140
 been slightly

00:33:40.140 --> 00:33:41.620
 hurt, and

00:33:41.620 --> 00:33:42.260
 then Lamech

00:33:42.260 --> 00:33:42.840
 boasts,

00:33:43.160 --> 00:33:45.360
 aha, God

00:33:45.360 --> 00:33:46.140
 protected

00:33:46.140 --> 00:33:47.780
 Cain by

00:33:47.780 --> 00:33:48.500
 promising

00:33:48.500 --> 00:33:49.560
 seven-fold

00:33:49.560 --> 00:33:52.800
 retribution.

00:33:52.799 --> 00:33:55.019
 I am safer

00:33:55.019 --> 00:33:55.680
 than Cain

00:33:55.680 --> 00:33:56.799
 because you

00:33:56.799 --> 00:33:57.339
 mess with

00:33:57.339 --> 00:33:59.099
 me, I

00:33:59.099 --> 00:34:00.159
 will exact

00:34:00.159 --> 00:34:02.220
 77 times

00:34:02.220 --> 00:34:03.299
 punishment on

00:34:03.299 --> 00:34:03.519
 you.

00:34:05.879 --> 00:34:06.839
 I am more

00:34:06.839 --> 00:34:07.659
 powerful than

00:34:07.659 --> 00:34:08.079
 God.

00:34:08.679 --> 00:34:09.300
 Don't fear

00:34:09.300 --> 00:34:10.159
 God, fear

00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:10.820
 Lamech.

00:34:11.820 --> 00:34:12.880
 I take wives

00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:13.579
 as I will.

00:34:14.539 --> 00:34:15.259
 I have my

00:34:15.259 --> 00:34:16.079
 sword and my

00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:16.739
 violence, and

00:34:16.739 --> 00:34:17.480
 it will protect

00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:17.759
 me.

00:34:19.259 --> 00:34:20.139
 I am more

00:34:20.139 --> 00:34:20.880
 powerful than

00:34:20.880 --> 00:34:21.239
 God.

00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:24.340
 that's how

00:34:24.340 --> 00:34:24.780
 the text

00:34:24.780 --> 00:34:25.380
 ends.

00:34:26.280 --> 00:34:26.519
 In fact,

00:34:26.560 --> 00:34:26.820
 there's a

00:34:26.820 --> 00:34:27.200
 very, very

00:34:27.200 --> 00:34:27.700
 interesting

00:34:27.700 --> 00:34:28.580
 counterpoint,

00:34:28.740 --> 00:34:29.140
 which will

00:34:29.140 --> 00:34:29.720
 then lead us

00:34:29.720 --> 00:34:30.340
 into Christmas,

00:34:30.980 --> 00:34:32.100
 that with

00:34:32.100 --> 00:34:32.720
 Cain's

00:34:32.720 --> 00:34:33.740
 rebellion, God

00:34:33.740 --> 00:34:34.900
 warns Cain

00:34:34.900 --> 00:34:36.680
 that sin is

00:34:36.680 --> 00:34:37.740
 growing and

00:34:37.740 --> 00:34:38.940
 desires to

00:34:38.940 --> 00:34:41.000
 work in him.

00:34:41.960 --> 00:34:42.400
 And then by

00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:43.000
 the end of the

00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:43.760
 story, we see

00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:44.500
 that Lamech's

00:34:44.500 --> 00:34:45.400
 understanding of

00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:46.180
 the way that

00:34:46.180 --> 00:34:47.019
 Lamech wants to

00:34:47.019 --> 00:34:47.940
 deal with sin

00:34:47.940 --> 00:34:49.019
 is to become

00:34:49.019 --> 00:34:49.780
 more powerful

00:34:49.780 --> 00:34:50.440
 than God.

00:34:50.660 --> 00:34:51.220
 In fact, if you

00:34:51.220 --> 00:34:51.680
 put up the

00:34:51.680 --> 00:34:52.039
 slide,

00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:53.800
 a problem

00:34:53.800 --> 00:34:54.380
 with me,

00:34:55.260 --> 00:34:55.880
 sin is a

00:34:55.880 --> 00:34:56.539
 power that

00:34:56.539 --> 00:34:57.380
 towers in

00:34:57.380 --> 00:34:58.260
 me and

00:34:58.260 --> 00:34:59.039
 over me,

00:34:59.580 --> 00:35:00.100
 and in

00:35:00.100 --> 00:35:01.760
 response, I

00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:02.280
 want to

00:35:02.280 --> 00:35:02.980
 tower as

00:35:02.980 --> 00:35:03.380
 God.

00:35:04.240 --> 00:35:04.600
 So the

00:35:04.600 --> 00:35:05.039
 story is

00:35:05.039 --> 00:35:05.320
 showing.

00:35:07.400 --> 00:35:08.460
 God warns

00:35:08.460 --> 00:35:10.260
 Cain that

00:35:10.260 --> 00:35:11.340
 there's sometimes

00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:11.920
 that there's

00:35:11.920 --> 00:35:12.620
 sins that

00:35:12.620 --> 00:35:13.320
 just seem to

00:35:13.320 --> 00:35:13.820
 grow and

00:35:13.820 --> 00:35:14.240
 grow and

00:35:14.240 --> 00:35:14.640
 grow and

00:35:14.640 --> 00:35:15.000
 grow and

00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:15.539
 get bigger,

00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:16.000
 and they

00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:16.860
 desire to

00:35:16.860 --> 00:35:21.760
 overwhelm

00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:22.000
 me.

00:35:23.040 --> 00:35:23.580
 Yet at the

00:35:23.580 --> 00:35:24.120
 same time,

00:35:24.160 --> 00:35:24.920
 my response

00:35:24.920 --> 00:35:25.340
 to things

00:35:25.340 --> 00:35:25.680
 that want

00:35:25.680 --> 00:35:26.460
 to overwhelm

00:35:26.460 --> 00:35:28.040
 me is that

00:35:28.040 --> 00:35:28.600
 I desire to

00:35:28.600 --> 00:35:29.160
 tower as

00:35:29.160 --> 00:35:29.620
 God.

00:35:30.940 --> 00:35:32.540
 Both are

00:35:32.540 --> 00:35:33.400
 responses of

00:35:33.400 --> 00:35:35.360
 hell, not

00:35:35.360 --> 00:35:35.800
 of heaven.

00:35:40.140 --> 00:35:41.340
 Our response

00:35:41.340 --> 00:35:42.940
 is, put up

00:35:42.940 --> 00:35:43.180
 the next

00:35:43.180 --> 00:35:43.480
 slide,

00:35:43.620 --> 00:35:43.860
 please.

00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:45.640
 God is

00:35:45.640 --> 00:35:46.380
 sovereign and

00:35:46.380 --> 00:35:47.220
 good, even

00:35:47.220 --> 00:35:48.220
 in judgment,

00:35:48.219 --> 00:35:49.579
 and offers

00:35:49.579 --> 00:35:50.039
 mercy.

00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:50.699
 All the way

00:35:50.699 --> 00:35:51.019
 through the

00:35:51.019 --> 00:35:51.639
 story, mercy

00:35:51.639 --> 00:35:52.179
 is always

00:35:52.179 --> 00:35:52.819
 offered by

00:35:52.819 --> 00:35:53.179
 God.

00:35:53.899 --> 00:35:54.559
 All the way

00:35:54.559 --> 00:35:54.980
 through the

00:35:54.980 --> 00:35:55.500
 story, God

00:35:55.500 --> 00:35:55.980
 is always

00:35:55.980 --> 00:35:56.459
 sovereign.

00:35:58.459 --> 00:35:59.679
 And if we

00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:00.399
 just think about

00:36:00.399 --> 00:36:00.959
 those different

00:36:00.959 --> 00:36:01.899
 responses that in

00:36:01.899 --> 00:36:02.419
 true worship,

00:36:02.579 --> 00:36:03.099
 first I bring

00:36:03.099 --> 00:36:03.779
 myself and

00:36:03.779 --> 00:36:04.239
 then I bring

00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:04.919
 myself and

00:36:04.919 --> 00:36:05.519
 my stuff,

00:36:06.139 --> 00:36:06.579
 God is

00:36:06.579 --> 00:36:07.379
 never, ever,

00:36:07.539 --> 00:36:08.379
 ever anger

00:36:08.379 --> 00:36:09.799
 driven, and

00:36:09.799 --> 00:36:10.559
 God is

00:36:10.559 --> 00:36:11.259
 sovereign and

00:36:11.259 --> 00:36:11.919
 good, and

00:36:11.919 --> 00:36:12.619
 even in

00:36:12.619 --> 00:36:14.139
 judgment, offers

00:36:14.139 --> 00:36:14.599
 mercy.

00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:15.579
 That's who the

00:36:15.579 --> 00:36:16.359
 living God is.

00:36:16.360 --> 00:36:18.559
 Put up the

00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:19.180
 final slide,

00:36:19.280 --> 00:36:19.559
 please.

00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:22.599
 Running out

00:36:22.599 --> 00:36:23.059
 of time.

00:36:24.220 --> 00:36:24.900
 The birth of

00:36:24.900 --> 00:36:25.660
 Jesus is not

00:36:25.660 --> 00:36:26.500
 the prelude to

00:36:26.500 --> 00:36:27.940
 tragedy, but

00:36:27.940 --> 00:36:28.620
 the beginning of

00:36:28.620 --> 00:36:29.360
 God's gracious

00:36:29.360 --> 00:36:29.980
 gift of

00:36:29.980 --> 00:36:30.380
 shalom.

00:36:32.099 --> 00:36:34.860
 To turn into

00:36:34.860 --> 00:36:35.500
 Luke chapter

00:36:35.500 --> 00:36:36.320
 one, to Luke

00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:36.980
 chapter two.

00:36:41.820 --> 00:36:42.800
 And in Luke

00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:43.579
 chapter two, we

00:36:43.579 --> 00:36:44.200
 have Luke's

00:36:44.200 --> 00:36:44.800
 account of the

00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:45.559
 Christmas story.

00:36:46.360 --> 00:36:47.599
 chapter two, and

00:36:47.599 --> 00:36:48.740
 look at verse

00:36:48.740 --> 00:36:49.140
 eight.

00:36:50.180 --> 00:36:50.559
 And in the

00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:51.320
 same region, there

00:36:51.320 --> 00:36:52.079
 were shepherds out

00:36:52.079 --> 00:36:52.880
 in the field, keeping

00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:53.640
 watch over their

00:36:53.640 --> 00:36:54.480
 flock by night.

00:36:54.740 --> 00:36:55.440
 And an angel of

00:36:55.440 --> 00:36:56.120
 the Lord appeared

00:36:56.120 --> 00:36:57.140
 to them, and the

00:36:57.140 --> 00:36:58.000
 glory of the Lord

00:36:58.000 --> 00:36:59.700
 shone around them, and

00:36:59.700 --> 00:37:00.539
 they were filled with

00:37:00.539 --> 00:37:00.900
 fear.

00:37:01.519 --> 00:37:02.480
 And the angel said

00:37:02.480 --> 00:37:03.640
 to them, fear not,

00:37:04.680 --> 00:37:06.019
 fear not, fear not,

00:37:06.099 --> 00:37:06.260
 right?

00:37:07.320 --> 00:37:09.200
 Their shepherds are

00:37:09.200 --> 00:37:11.700
 projecting their

00:37:11.700 --> 00:37:13.340
 anger drivenness, and

00:37:13.340 --> 00:37:14.400
 their lack of the

00:37:14.400 --> 00:37:15.680
 belief that God is not

00:37:15.679 --> 00:37:16.219
 good, and they

00:37:16.219 --> 00:37:18.399
 project that on

00:37:18.399 --> 00:37:19.239
 anything that comes

00:37:19.239 --> 00:37:19.779
 from heaven.

00:37:21.500 --> 00:37:22.219
 And the angels

00:37:22.219 --> 00:37:23.059
 say to them, fear

00:37:23.059 --> 00:37:24.199
 not, for behold, I

00:37:24.199 --> 00:37:25.419
 bring you good news of

00:37:25.419 --> 00:37:26.460
 great joy that will be

00:37:26.460 --> 00:37:27.319
 for all the people.

00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:28.940
 For unto you is born

00:37:28.940 --> 00:37:30.059
 this day in the city of

00:37:30.059 --> 00:37:31.299
 David a Savior, who is

00:37:31.299 --> 00:37:32.299
 Christ the Lord.

00:37:32.759 --> 00:37:33.960
 And this will be a sign

00:37:33.960 --> 00:37:34.339
 for you.

00:37:34.460 --> 00:37:35.399
 You will find a baby

00:37:35.399 --> 00:37:36.500
 wrapped in swaddling

00:37:36.500 --> 00:37:37.739
 clothes and lying in a

00:37:37.739 --> 00:37:38.039
 manger.

00:37:38.579 --> 00:37:39.619
 And suddenly there was

00:37:39.619 --> 00:37:40.460
 with the angel a

00:37:40.460 --> 00:37:41.379
 multitude of the heavenly

00:37:41.379 --> 00:37:42.759
 host, praising God and

00:37:42.759 --> 00:37:45.079
 saying, glory to God in the

00:37:45.079 --> 00:37:46.579
 highest, and on earth

00:37:46.579 --> 00:37:48.880
 peace, shalom, among

00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:50.099
 those with whom he is

00:37:50.099 --> 00:37:50.579
 pleased.

00:37:50.860 --> 00:37:52.019
 In other words, on those

00:37:52.019 --> 00:37:54.059
 with whom his favor

00:37:54.059 --> 00:37:54.659
 rests.

00:37:55.799 --> 00:37:56.960
 It's the very, very same

00:37:56.960 --> 00:37:57.779
 language of the

00:37:57.779 --> 00:37:58.920
 sacrifice that was used

00:37:58.920 --> 00:38:00.259
 of Cain and Abel.

00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:02.980
 The very same language

00:38:02.980 --> 00:38:04.159
 that the angels used to

00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:05.019
 describe Jesus.

00:38:06.679 --> 00:38:08.019
 They describe the

00:38:08.019 --> 00:38:09.400
 state of, I mean,

00:38:09.539 --> 00:38:11.259
 what the story of Cain and

00:38:11.259 --> 00:38:12.699
 Abel shows is it reveals

00:38:12.699 --> 00:38:14.539
 human enmity and anger

00:38:14.539 --> 00:38:15.439
 towards God.

00:38:16.079 --> 00:38:17.659
 And it reveals to us our

00:38:17.659 --> 00:38:19.279
 tendency to desire to

00:38:19.279 --> 00:38:20.619
 deal with enmity and

00:38:20.619 --> 00:38:21.839
 anger and any type of

00:38:21.839 --> 00:38:23.179
 sin that overwhelms us

00:38:23.179 --> 00:38:25.359
 by being able to be like

00:38:25.359 --> 00:38:27.079
 a God and towering over

00:38:27.079 --> 00:38:28.079
 it, getting bigger and

00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:29.500
 bigger and bigger over

00:38:29.500 --> 00:38:30.179
 that sin.

00:38:30.659 --> 00:38:31.899
 And the Bible here is

00:38:31.899 --> 00:38:32.679
 revealing something

00:38:32.679 --> 00:38:33.679
 completely and utterly

00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:34.719
 different, that God

00:38:34.719 --> 00:38:35.899
 enters the human story

00:38:35.899 --> 00:38:37.719
 not by towering, but he

00:38:37.719 --> 00:38:38.899
 enters it as a baby.

00:38:39.679 --> 00:38:41.239
 And in fact, he enters it

00:38:41.239 --> 00:38:43.339
 as a baby to live his

00:38:43.339 --> 00:38:45.059
 life and ultimately to

00:38:45.059 --> 00:38:47.539
 die upon the cross as a

00:38:47.539 --> 00:38:48.679
 means to reconcile us

00:38:48.679 --> 00:38:49.179
 to God.

00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:50.819
 But we see with the

00:38:50.819 --> 00:38:51.899
 birth of Jesus the

00:38:51.899 --> 00:38:53.539
 entering in of something

00:38:53.539 --> 00:38:54.859
 that only God can do

00:38:54.859 --> 00:38:55.959
 for us and that we

00:38:55.959 --> 00:38:57.679
 cannot do for ourselves

00:38:57.679 --> 00:38:58.899
 and we cannot do in

00:38:58.899 --> 00:38:59.879
 terms of our relationship

00:38:59.879 --> 00:39:01.179
 with God, that while

00:39:01.179 --> 00:39:02.439
 that which characterizes

00:39:02.439 --> 00:39:03.599
 us is being trapped

00:39:03.599 --> 00:39:05.179
 between enmity, often

00:39:05.179 --> 00:39:07.299
 unrecognized, and a

00:39:07.299 --> 00:39:08.839
 desire to tower over the

00:39:08.839 --> 00:39:10.459
 things that seem to

00:39:10.460 --> 00:39:11.619
 overwhelm us, which

00:39:11.619 --> 00:39:12.460
 also keeps us

00:39:12.460 --> 00:39:13.840
 distance from God, but

00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:15.599
 that God brings into

00:39:15.599 --> 00:39:17.119
 the world his means

00:39:17.119 --> 00:39:18.019
 of shalom.

00:39:18.340 --> 00:39:19.240
 And shalom means

00:39:19.240 --> 00:39:20.079
 something different

00:39:20.079 --> 00:39:21.119
 than the experience

00:39:21.119 --> 00:39:22.300
 of emotional peace.

00:39:23.420 --> 00:39:24.460
 Shalom means a

00:39:24.460 --> 00:39:26.880
 setting right, a

00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:28.159
 reestablishing of

00:39:28.159 --> 00:39:30.800
 order, a reestablishing

00:39:30.800 --> 00:39:32.340
 of creating a

00:39:32.340 --> 00:39:34.960
 balance, a change not

00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:36.380
 first and foremost of

00:39:36.380 --> 00:39:37.699
 emotion, but a change

00:39:37.699 --> 00:39:38.780
 of reality and

00:39:38.780 --> 00:39:39.460
 structure.

00:39:39.460 --> 00:39:41.800
 And God is

00:39:41.800 --> 00:39:43.559
 bringing his shalom

00:39:43.559 --> 00:39:44.300
 into the world.

00:39:44.400 --> 00:39:45.220
 That shalom will be

00:39:45.220 --> 00:39:47.460
 won upon the cross, but

00:39:47.460 --> 00:39:48.519
 he's bringing his

00:39:48.519 --> 00:39:49.840
 shalom into the world,

00:39:49.960 --> 00:39:52.220
 the means by which we

00:39:52.220 --> 00:39:54.260
 by faith in him can

00:39:54.260 --> 00:39:55.760
 know God's favor and

00:39:55.760 --> 00:39:57.340
 his acceptance and be

00:39:57.340 --> 00:39:58.360
 reconciled to him.

00:39:59.079 --> 00:40:00.179
 That's what Christmas

00:40:00.179 --> 00:40:00.500
 is.

00:40:01.500 --> 00:40:02.920
 It's not a prelude to

00:40:02.920 --> 00:40:04.440
 tragedy, but the

00:40:04.440 --> 00:40:05.260
 beginning of God's

00:40:05.260 --> 00:40:06.139
 gracious gift of

00:40:06.139 --> 00:40:06.460
 shalom.

00:40:06.460 --> 00:40:07.420
 Let's stand.

00:40:17.559 --> 00:40:21.400
 Father, we, you know

00:40:21.400 --> 00:40:22.619
 those of us this

00:40:22.619 --> 00:40:23.720
 morning who struggle

00:40:23.720 --> 00:40:24.360
 with anger.

00:40:25.300 --> 00:40:26.360
 Father, you know

00:40:26.360 --> 00:40:28.360
 those of us who have

00:40:28.360 --> 00:40:29.400
 never even considered

00:40:29.400 --> 00:40:31.099
 that the anger that we

00:40:31.099 --> 00:40:32.440
 feel when certain names

00:40:32.440 --> 00:40:33.440
 are in the world.

00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:35.539
 We ask that we

00:40:35.539 --> 00:40:37.320
 never even thought,

00:40:37.700 --> 00:40:38.159
 Father, that it's

00:40:38.159 --> 00:40:39.360
 hiding in anger that

00:40:39.360 --> 00:40:40.079
 we have at you.

00:40:40.940 --> 00:40:42.019
 We ask, Father, that you

00:40:42.019 --> 00:40:43.460
 would reveal to us the

00:40:43.460 --> 00:40:44.500
 idols that we are

00:40:44.500 --> 00:40:45.659
 serving or the lies

00:40:45.659 --> 00:40:46.659
 that we are believing

00:40:46.659 --> 00:40:48.380
 or the sin that we are

00:40:48.380 --> 00:40:52.320
 covering up that make us

00:40:52.320 --> 00:40:53.220
 angry at you.

00:40:54.320 --> 00:40:55.179
 Father, we ask

00:40:55.179 --> 00:40:55.800
 desperately.

00:40:56.179 --> 00:40:57.539
 We do not want to be

00:40:57.539 --> 00:40:57.980
 angry.

00:40:57.980 --> 00:40:59.980
 We do not want to be

00:40:59.980 --> 00:41:00.760
 anger-driven.

00:41:01.519 --> 00:41:02.659
 We give you thanks and

00:41:02.659 --> 00:41:04.179
 praise, Father, that your

00:41:04.179 --> 00:41:05.760
 son came to bring your

00:41:05.760 --> 00:41:08.000
 shalom and that when we

00:41:08.000 --> 00:41:09.480
 become your children by

00:41:09.480 --> 00:41:10.840
 adoption and grace on one

00:41:10.840 --> 00:41:12.039
 level, already that

00:41:12.039 --> 00:41:13.320
 shalom now characterizes

00:41:13.320 --> 00:41:13.619
 us.

00:41:14.059 --> 00:41:15.360
 Yet, on the other hand, it

00:41:15.360 --> 00:41:16.679
 still needs, Father, to

00:41:16.679 --> 00:41:18.260
 take depth in our

00:41:18.260 --> 00:41:18.900
 experience.

00:41:19.280 --> 00:41:20.240
 And we ask, Father, that

00:41:20.240 --> 00:41:21.460
 you would reveal to us the

00:41:21.460 --> 00:41:23.659
 idols and the lies and the

00:41:23.659 --> 00:41:23.920
 sins.

00:41:24.840 --> 00:41:26.400
 Reveal to us why it is

00:41:26.400 --> 00:41:27.599
 that we are angry at you

00:41:27.599 --> 00:41:29.199
 and bring your shalom to

00:41:29.199 --> 00:41:30.460
 bear in our lives, that

00:41:30.460 --> 00:41:31.539
 we might be free of

00:41:31.539 --> 00:41:33.940
 anger, that we might

00:41:33.940 --> 00:41:36.940
 live free, not towering

00:41:36.940 --> 00:41:39.179
 over others, but free as

00:41:39.179 --> 00:41:40.559
 your doulos and your

00:41:40.559 --> 00:41:41.019
 servant.

00:41:41.679 --> 00:41:43.259
 Grow in us, Father, a

00:41:43.259 --> 00:41:44.559
 sense of your immensity

00:41:44.559 --> 00:41:45.619
 and the immensity of

00:41:45.619 --> 00:41:46.679
 grace and the immensity

00:41:46.679 --> 00:41:47.639
 of your shalom.

00:41:48.460 --> 00:41:49.779
 And help us, Father, to

00:41:49.779 --> 00:41:51.480
 desire not to tower over

00:41:51.480 --> 00:41:52.960
 other people, but to be a

00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:54.500
 servant of you, a

00:41:54.500 --> 00:41:56.059
 servant of your shalom, a

00:41:56.059 --> 00:41:57.579
 servant of grace, a

00:41:57.579 --> 00:41:58.960
 servant of the gospel.

00:42:00.139 --> 00:42:02.079
 Father, that is the

00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:03.380
 truth for which we were

00:42:03.380 --> 00:42:04.920
 meant, to be your

00:42:04.920 --> 00:42:07.059
 doulos, not to tower.

00:42:07.860 --> 00:42:09.579
 So, Father, may your

00:42:09.579 --> 00:42:10.900
 Holy Spirit work within

00:42:10.900 --> 00:42:12.440
 us to heal us this

00:42:12.440 --> 00:42:14.279
 Christmas time and every

00:42:14.279 --> 00:42:15.440
 day until we see your

00:42:15.440 --> 00:42:16.460
 Son face to face.

00:42:17.079 --> 00:42:18.219
 And all this we ask in the

00:42:18.219 --> 00:42:19.460
 name of Jesus, your Son,

00:42:19.619 --> 00:42:20.199
 and our Savior.

00:42:20.840 --> 00:42:21.159
 Amen.

00:42:21.159 --> 00:42:21.299
 Amen.

00:42:21.299 --> 00:42:21.340
 Amen.

00:42:21.340 --> 00:42:21.360
 Amen.

00:42:21.360 --> 00:42:21.380
 Amen.

00:42:21.380 --> 00:42:21.400
 Amen.

00:42:21.400 --> 00:42:21.420
 Amen.

00:42:21.420 --> 00:42:21.440
 Amen.

00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:21.460
 Amen.

00:42:21.460 --> 00:42:21.519
 Amen.

00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:21.539
 Amen.

00:42:21.539 --> 00:42:21.559
 Amen.

00:42:21.559 --> 00:42:21.599
 Amen.

00:42:21.599 --> 00:42:21.619
 Amen.

00:42:21.619 --> 00:42:21.639
 Amen.

00:42:21.639 --> 00:42:21.679
 Amen.

00:42:21.679 --> 00:42:23.279
 Amen.

00:42:23.279 --> 00:42:23.319
 Amen.

00:42:23.319 --> 00:42:23.340
 Amen.