WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.339 Today, we've had quite a number of people who share God's Word up on the stage. 00:00:08.540 --> 00:00:11.599 But today we have somebody who most of you know. 00:00:12.519 --> 00:00:14.660 Jeremy is going to come and share God's Word to us. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:20.980 And some of you will know Jeremy because he's up the front leading us in some worship much of the time. 00:00:20.980 --> 00:00:27.420 But also you may not know that he's also very involved with a lot of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes 00:00:27.420 --> 00:00:32.140 in terms of the mission outreach to poor neighborhoods that we're involved with, 00:00:32.620 --> 00:00:35.640 to connecting organizations and people together. 00:00:36.120 --> 00:00:38.460 And so he's going to come and share some of God's Word to us. 00:00:38.540 --> 00:00:41.300 So let me just pray for us, for him. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:47.500 And yeah, Father, thank you that your Word is powerful. 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:51.660 Thank you that even though your Word sometimes seems crazy, 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:55.960 it seems like so different from what we're used to, 00:00:55.960 --> 00:00:59.759 yet your Word is like a two-edged sword which is to cut us to the heart. 00:01:00.219 --> 00:01:02.100 Pray for Jeremy now as he speaks to us. 00:01:02.160 --> 00:01:05.659 I pray for our own hearts that you'd give us soft hearts to hear your Word 00:01:05.659 --> 00:01:08.760 and to listen to you and to obey you. 00:01:09.180 --> 00:01:10.460 Thank you in your name. 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:11.200 Amen. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:17.420 All right. 00:01:17.659 --> 00:01:18.500 Here we are. 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:21.219 How's the weather doing for everybody? 00:01:21.219 --> 00:01:26.480 I don't think I've seen a morning of sunshine in a while. 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:32.239 I was like rudely awakened this morning at about maybe 6 or 7 a.m. 00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:33.019 I don't even remember. 00:01:33.180 --> 00:01:37.200 But I have an air conditioner that kind of sticks out, not inside. 00:01:37.780 --> 00:01:40.180 So, you know, when things hit it, it makes a noise. 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:45.180 And it felt like this morning maybe the person above us, you know, 00:01:45.180 --> 00:01:47.540 had a fit of rage and decided they hated carbs 00:01:47.540 --> 00:01:50.620 and started emptying bags of rice onto my air con. 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:53.380 And it just woke me right up and it was just like hail. 00:01:53.520 --> 00:01:55.160 I didn't know what it was. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:02:00.300 And, yeah, so this weather is not happy for me. 00:02:00.800 --> 00:02:01.320 But it's good. 00:02:01.400 --> 00:02:03.120 It's good to preach from the Word 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:06.380 because I honestly think that I'm just pointing me 00:02:06.380 --> 00:02:09.360 and I'm pointing us to the Word of God. 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:12.840 You know, it's fundamentally I'm not making this up, hopefully. 00:02:13.960 --> 00:02:15.460 I'm not a motivational speaker, 00:02:15.620 --> 00:02:17.620 so I haven't kind of come up with this material on our own. 00:02:17.700 --> 00:02:20.560 You know, the fact that we took such a long passage of Scripture. 00:02:20.820 --> 00:02:22.560 And if you've noticed the last few weeks, 00:02:22.640 --> 00:02:24.000 they have been long passages of Scripture. 00:02:24.180 --> 00:02:25.680 But these stories about the judges, 00:02:26.100 --> 00:02:27.660 they're telling us something important. 00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:31.320 And so we really want to kind of get into the Word 00:02:31.320 --> 00:02:32.440 and into the Scriptures. 00:02:32.580 --> 00:02:36.420 And we live in an age of unprecedented access to information. 00:02:36.419 --> 00:02:40.419 You know, iPhones or Google, Android, 00:02:40.519 --> 00:02:42.099 you know, if that floats your boat. 00:02:43.419 --> 00:02:44.419 iPads, Internet. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:50.859 Even, I think some of you guys still have physical Bibles lying around too. 00:02:50.979 --> 00:02:53.979 But, you know, there was a time not too long ago in history 00:02:53.979 --> 00:02:57.779 where God's people actually didn't have their own access to the Word. 00:02:57.959 --> 00:03:00.399 So, you know, this is really a privilege, I think, 00:03:00.419 --> 00:03:02.879 to be able to dig into the Word yourself. 00:03:02.979 --> 00:03:03.839 So I encourage you, you know, 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:07.200 go home tonight, read the entire passage, 00:03:07.819 --> 00:03:12.420 see how the story escalates after Samson, you know, 00:03:12.460 --> 00:03:15.259 has this fit of rage and murders a bunch of Philistines, 00:03:15.379 --> 00:03:19.300 and continue letting God speak to you through His Word. 00:03:20.140 --> 00:03:22.500 If you've been doing that regularly already, then that's great. 00:03:22.659 --> 00:03:23.620 You can shut off now. 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:25.800 You don't have to listen to me anymore. 00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:29.000 But, you know, if you're anything like me, 00:03:29.320 --> 00:03:32.800 and you're anything like the people I think I've met in life, 00:03:33.640 --> 00:03:40.000 I think we're constantly forgetting that who God is, 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:42.000 certain attributes of God, you know. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:45.759 And I think I find myself at any point in time, 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:49.580 my heart is overemphasizing a certain attribute of God 00:03:49.580 --> 00:03:51.099 or underemphasizing. 00:03:51.500 --> 00:03:54.460 And they might be, you know, perfectly true things about God, 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.439 but if I'm only just focusing on this one thing over and over again, 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:01.039 this develops a very kind of skewed view of God 00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:02.039 and a skewed theology. 00:04:02.180 --> 00:04:04.939 So I just think it's great that when we get together as a church, 00:04:04.979 --> 00:04:07.039 when we dig through the Word together, 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:11.379 He's drawing us back to seeing Him in all of His beauty, 00:04:11.519 --> 00:04:12.459 all this splendor. 00:04:14.019 --> 00:04:17.000 It's a chance for, I think, the Word of God to remind us 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:20.579 and for us to remind each other as you continue talking about it, 00:04:20.740 --> 00:04:22.699 what is it that we might have forgotten? 00:04:22.779 --> 00:04:23.779 And I really believe this morning, 00:04:23.879 --> 00:04:27.920 every single one of us here is something that God wants to remind us about Him, 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:31.839 something that He wants to teach you about Him. 00:04:33.139 --> 00:04:37.000 So for me, you know, when I reread a story like Samson, 00:04:37.100 --> 00:04:38.020 that we just read, 00:04:38.180 --> 00:04:40.980 the first thing that strikes me is like, 00:04:41.060 --> 00:04:44.720 whoa, you know, this is not that storybook Samson 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:48.420 that I learned about in Sunday school when I was a kid, right? 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:51.660 I mean, who here has kind of learned about Samson before 00:04:51.660 --> 00:04:54.939 in some shape or form or maybe sung a song about him? 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:55.780 Anyone? 00:04:56.180 --> 00:04:57.879 Yeah, come on, you know who you are. 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:00.600 Does anyone want to sing the songs that they learned about Samson 00:05:00.939 --> 00:05:02.220 when they were kids? 00:05:02.300 --> 00:05:05.640 But I look at this and I forget every time I read it 00:05:05.640 --> 00:05:06.740 because I do it once in a while. 00:05:06.740 --> 00:05:10.060 I'm like, he was actually a pretty lousy character. 00:05:10.660 --> 00:05:15.379 You know, this ain't the stuff that children's songs are actually really made of. 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:18.840 We're having VBS this week with the kids, 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:22.040 and I encourage you guys to pray about that and think about it. 00:05:22.280 --> 00:05:26.480 But if you're a volunteer here and you're planning to serve this week, 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:29.439 you know, my challenge to you, try and write a children's song 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:35.540 that is actually accurately based on the scripture that we just read, you know? 00:05:36.259 --> 00:05:38.180 It'll be challenging, you know? 00:05:39.180 --> 00:05:44.580 Childish, immature, violent, you know, just very indulgent, 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:49.000 disobedient to parents, you know, womanizing sex addicts. 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:51.319 You know, that's Samson. 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:56.439 And so I think when we look at that in sort of his true color, 00:05:56.600 --> 00:05:59.819 you know, a couple weeks ago we learned about Gideon, 00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:03.220 and Graham was talking about Gideon having warts and all. 00:06:03.300 --> 00:06:08.040 You just see this complete picture of who Samson is. 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:10.060 He was not a paragon of virtue. 00:06:10.060 --> 00:06:15.300 He was not a model, a role model by any measure. 00:06:17.780 --> 00:06:18.920 But hold on a sec here. 00:06:18.980 --> 00:06:23.220 When we kind of take a step back and we look at the society, 00:06:23.980 --> 00:06:26.259 the context in which Samson was growing up, 00:06:26.300 --> 00:06:29.920 I think we can actually start to understand, maybe, 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:31.819 and maybe even sympathize with them. 00:06:31.860 --> 00:06:35.360 Maybe why did Samson turn out the way he did? 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:40.699 So chapter 13, verse 1, we start from the top right there 00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:42.759 that Chris just read wonderfully. 00:06:42.960 --> 00:06:43.139 It says, 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:47.240 The Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord. 00:06:48.180 --> 00:06:48.819 And what happened? 00:06:49.220 --> 00:06:53.040 They ended up being ruled by the Philistines for 40 years. 00:06:53.860 --> 00:06:56.660 And as we've gone through this series on Judges, 00:06:56.699 --> 00:06:57.780 we're in our fourth week right now, 00:06:57.819 --> 00:07:01.220 you might have noticed a pattern in these scripture readings 00:07:01.220 --> 00:07:04.520 over the last few weeks, you know, with Jephthah, with Gideon. 00:07:04.519 --> 00:07:06.299 There's this pattern that we see. 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:08.719 God's people turn away from him. 00:07:09.779 --> 00:07:10.779 Turn away from him. 00:07:10.819 --> 00:07:14.139 They turn to all these idols from the Canaanite culture 00:07:14.139 --> 00:07:15.319 and religion around them. 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:19.500 And then God comes and graciously disciplines them 00:07:19.500 --> 00:07:24.079 by actually giving them in to these oppressive people. 00:07:24.159 --> 00:07:25.500 And he kind of gives in to them 00:07:25.500 --> 00:07:28.699 and delivers them into these hands of the four nations. 00:07:28.799 --> 00:07:29.799 And the Israelites are like, 00:07:29.919 --> 00:07:30.879 What have we done? 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:31.899 We're enslaved. 00:07:32.019 --> 00:07:32.919 And they cry out. 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:33.759 They're distressed. 00:07:33.840 --> 00:07:35.000 They say, God, help us. 00:07:35.860 --> 00:07:39.620 And then God graciously raises up a judge to save them. 00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:42.080 But look at the beginning of chapter 13. 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:43.960 You notice something different? 00:07:44.379 --> 00:07:45.400 The cycle is broken. 00:07:45.960 --> 00:07:47.020 Because this time, 00:07:48.200 --> 00:07:49.860 the Israelites don't cry out for help. 00:07:51.460 --> 00:07:53.000 They don't think they're in distress. 00:07:53.000 --> 00:08:01.819 The story of Judges is that God is actually faithfully saving his people again and again. 00:08:01.819 --> 00:08:05.399 But in the entire book, they're on this downward spiral. 00:08:06.259 --> 00:08:13.199 And we get to this point now where they're so integrated and so absorbed into the Canaanite culture around them 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:15.439 that they don't even know that they're enslaved. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:17.500 They just want the status quo. 00:08:17.660 --> 00:08:19.420 It's complete apathy. 00:08:21.100 --> 00:08:24.079 And some scholars even think that maybe within a few generations, 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:29.579 the Israelite sort of nation and culture would have disappeared altogether 00:08:29.579 --> 00:08:34.299 because they were getting completely absorbed into the culture surrounding them. 00:08:34.299 --> 00:08:39.139 And this Canaanite culture, you know, in general and simple terms, 00:08:39.259 --> 00:08:42.559 was about all these different gods that people, they served. 00:08:43.419 --> 00:08:47.079 But they served them in the belief that the gods would actually bless them. 00:08:47.159 --> 00:08:53.279 So, for example, you know, having sex with the temple prostitutes in Canaanite religion 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:54.779 was often seen as a ritual. 00:08:55.299 --> 00:09:00.000 And that connected them to bring fertility to the land or to other things. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:05.200 Even children were killed and sacrificed as last week, if you remember, 00:09:05.299 --> 00:09:06.960 the story of Jephthah, very tragic. 00:09:08.059 --> 00:09:11.919 Child sacrifice, human sacrifice was not uncommon. 00:09:13.620 --> 00:09:15.860 It was a violent culture, as we just read. 00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:22.080 Chapter 14, verse 15, you know, the Philistines threatened to kill their own people 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:23.879 just to get what they want, those 30 men. 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:27.039 And if you continue to read on, you find that they ended up, 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:32.620 they did burn Samson's wife and her father. 00:09:34.379 --> 00:09:37.579 So, in essence, that culture, this Canaanite culture, 00:09:37.579 --> 00:09:43.199 was about doing what's right in your own eyes by their own standard. 00:09:44.620 --> 00:09:47.839 And sadly, that's how the Israelites are actually described 00:09:47.839 --> 00:09:50.980 by the time you reach the end of the book of Judges. 00:09:51.339 --> 00:09:54.819 It says, every man did what was right in his own eyes. 00:09:54.820 --> 00:09:59.900 Their actions were governed by the goal that everything they did, 00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:01.860 they had to get something in return. 00:10:02.700 --> 00:10:07.700 They were willing to sacrifice a lot and even hurt the people around them 00:10:07.700 --> 00:10:12.000 in order and in the name of pursuing something greater. 00:10:13.240 --> 00:10:17.020 That's the Canaanite culture that Samson grew up in. 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:19.320 And it had spread through all of Israel. 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:21.940 You know, there were Philistine settlements everywhere. 00:10:21.940 --> 00:10:24.680 And his parents, you know, in the opening account, 00:10:24.760 --> 00:10:27.440 his parents, although they appear to be relatively godly people, 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:32.480 they also display some characteristics of that Canaanite influence. 00:10:32.680 --> 00:10:35.040 You know, in their interaction with the angel, 00:10:35.160 --> 00:10:37.420 you know, when you read closely and kind of parse through it, 00:10:37.460 --> 00:10:41.400 there's some spiritual dullness in the fact that they fail to recognize, 00:10:41.540 --> 00:10:44.480 especially Manoah, the father, that this is the angel of the Lord. 00:10:44.560 --> 00:10:47.040 This is literally God's presence before them. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:50.379 And it takes so long for them to really kind of get to that. 00:10:50.439 --> 00:10:56.259 It kind of reminds us of Gideon when he was asking for more signs and more signs and more signs. 00:10:56.860 --> 00:11:06.199 The mother, the angel had to explicitly remind her that you have to stay away from this ceremonially unclean food, 00:11:06.279 --> 00:11:10.019 you know, which suggests there's a general disregard all throughout culture 00:11:10.019 --> 00:11:16.559 because it should have been just the norm to stay away from this ceremonially unclean food. 00:11:16.659 --> 00:11:18.399 It should have just been commonplace. 00:11:19.539 --> 00:11:21.279 But he had to remind her of that. 00:11:22.659 --> 00:11:26.720 God had given his people these laws for a reason. 00:11:28.139 --> 00:11:33.860 And this has a lot to do with this special identity that the Israelites have been called to. 00:11:33.860 --> 00:11:37.860 So why about this ceremonially unclean food? 00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:39.500 Why did she have to abstain from it? 00:11:39.580 --> 00:11:42.240 God's people had given them a special identity. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:48.600 In his graciousness, he had chose this people of Israel and made a promise to them to set them apart. 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:51.879 And he says, be holy, for I am holy. 00:11:52.220 --> 00:11:55.320 Be holy, Israel, because I am holy. 00:11:55.419 --> 00:11:58.639 And there was this calling on them was to worship God 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:04.580 and to reflect God's amazing character through developing this society. 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:12.620 And this society was to be established on God's attributes, you know, his love, his justice, his mercy. 00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:16.840 A genuine concern for human dignity. 00:12:17.379 --> 00:12:21.720 This was the calling, the identity that was graciously given to Israel. 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:25.200 And, you know, human dignity, guys, and human rights, 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:28.020 it's just another reason that I personally believe, 00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:31.340 you know, one of the many reasons why I personally believe that God, 00:12:31.900 --> 00:12:34.940 the one true God, there's one true creator and he's real. 00:12:35.680 --> 00:12:40.340 Because, you know, I've worked in, having worked in like the legal field and in human rights, 00:12:40.420 --> 00:12:44.080 you read documents like the UN's Declaration of Human Rights. 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:51.360 And it says, you know, you have words like inherent dignity and worth of a person. 00:12:51.560 --> 00:12:53.280 And don't get me wrong, that's great. 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:55.220 And it sounds great on paper. 00:12:55.959 --> 00:13:02.799 But I think unless there's this transcendent, God-given moral absolute that says, 00:13:03.259 --> 00:13:08.360 this really is how I created you because people are made in my image. 00:13:08.819 --> 00:13:12.620 Honestly, if you don't have that, I think those words are really open to interpretation. 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:17.399 I think the Philistines probably would have disagreed with the UN. 00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:23.980 Because they would have said, well, yeah, the human beings are worth something, 00:13:24.079 --> 00:13:29.100 but they're also worth sacrificing on an altar to our gods 00:13:29.100 --> 00:13:33.899 because we believe that we need that for God to bless us. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:35.819 I think they would have disregarded that. 00:13:35.820 --> 00:13:41.900 So the Israelites were called to be this light in this dark world, 00:13:42.040 --> 00:13:44.440 this calling, this identity on them. 00:13:44.640 --> 00:13:47.780 And similarly, when we read the story of Samson, 00:13:48.680 --> 00:13:50.980 he's kind of like a microcosm of that. 00:13:51.040 --> 00:13:57.660 He's kind of like a small individual example of what was going on in Israel on the whole. 00:13:57.659 --> 00:14:02.879 So this identity of the Nazarite that we read about, that's very important. 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:07.000 It's based on the book of Numbers, chapter 6, verse 1. 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:11.419 And Tim Keller does a really, I think, really great summary 00:14:11.419 --> 00:14:15.039 of what the Nazarite identity and the vow was all about. 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:22.879 He said the purpose of the Nazarite vow was to ask God for special help during a crucial time. 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:27.379 And if you notice what the angel said, there was three kind of rules, 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:29.799 three stipulations that came with it. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:32.139 He said, keep your hair uncut, basically. 00:14:33.419 --> 00:14:35.659 Don't drink anything made from vines. 00:14:35.899 --> 00:14:38.439 So, you know, wine would be a really great example. 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:42.659 And lastly, don't have any contact with any dead body. 00:14:42.860 --> 00:14:45.820 And there was some purpose, some meaning behind this. 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:50.740 The first two, the not cutting hair and not drinking wine, 00:14:50.740 --> 00:14:56.139 it shows that you are really focused and pursuing a goal, a special purpose. 00:14:56.659 --> 00:14:59.159 Because wine, for example, it was meant to be enjoyed. 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:02.620 It was a good thing, and it was associated with celebration, 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:07.240 which is why you would refrain from that when you're doing this special training for this goal. 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:10.340 And then by not touching dead bodies, 00:15:10.460 --> 00:15:14.759 you were actually adopting these strict rules of ceremonial cleanliness 00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:17.519 that the priests of Israel followed. 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:22.059 So basically, what God is saying for the Nazarite is that Samson was essentially called 00:15:22.059 --> 00:15:26.159 to live in God's presence, his immediate presence daily, 00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:29.559 just like the priests did when they were working in the tabernacle, 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:32.439 and just like they did later on in the temple. 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:35.340 And he was in training towards this special goal. 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:38.519 Chapter 13, verse 5, 00:15:38.659 --> 00:15:43.600 he will begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:49.100 And as we see in the story, you know, this supernatural power, 00:15:49.180 --> 00:15:52.240 you know, had nothing to do with his hair, really. 00:15:53.040 --> 00:15:56.200 You know, it wasn't like those Pantene commercials 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:59.840 where it's just like this lustrous, shiny hair, 00:15:59.940 --> 00:16:02.279 and there was something magical and shiny and beautiful 00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:04.659 that every woman and maybe man wants. 00:16:05.060 --> 00:16:05.960 It had nothing to do with that. 00:16:06.019 --> 00:16:08.259 The hair was actually just a symbol, 00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:10.899 a representation of this Nazarite vow. 00:16:10.899 --> 00:16:16.819 The fact that God had set him apart to serve him for a special purpose. 00:16:17.939 --> 00:16:24.699 So we have this identity of Israel, of Samson as a Nazarite. 00:16:25.860 --> 00:16:28.699 And now when we actually look at Samson's early life, 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:30.539 when we actually look at what he did, 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:32.259 we really kind of see a contrast. 00:16:33.319 --> 00:16:36.960 We follow Samson through these early stages of his life, 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:40.139 and it's, wow, couldn't be a different picture. 00:16:40.139 --> 00:16:46.419 Samson was basically a man who lived by his selfish impulses, right? 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:47.779 His desires. 00:16:47.939 --> 00:16:49.519 And among his many flaws, 00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:53.059 he had a particular weakness for foreign women. 00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:57.819 You know, the first, and his own sexual lust. 00:16:58.039 --> 00:17:02.139 And, you know, you'll see it in the rest of the passage 00:17:02.139 --> 00:17:03.279 when you read it tonight. 00:17:03.439 --> 00:17:04.980 But, you know, the Philistine wife, 00:17:05.099 --> 00:17:06.839 this first woman that he sees, 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:08.720 and he's like, looks good to me. 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:11.299 That's just the first of several women. 00:17:11.620 --> 00:17:14.600 So after his failed marriage with this Philistine woman, 00:17:15.220 --> 00:17:20.140 you'll see in chapter 16 that he sleeps with the Philistine prostitute. 00:17:20.940 --> 00:17:24.039 And then obviously we all know about, who is that? 00:17:25.120 --> 00:17:25.720 Exactly. 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:26.460 Delilah. 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:28.220 Foxy Delilah. 00:17:28.220 --> 00:17:32.600 And so he really seems to have this weakness. 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:35.460 And I don't really know, actually, 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:39.740 what about Philistine women that was so enticing to Samson. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:44.880 I didn't Google, are Philistine women attractive or hotter or whatever. 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:45.640 But I don't know. 00:17:45.660 --> 00:17:49.079 Maybe you guys, some of you guys can relate. 00:17:49.079 --> 00:17:51.079 I was just thinking maybe a modern analogy. 00:17:51.299 --> 00:17:55.480 Like, you know, frankly, like all my white friends that come here, 00:17:55.859 --> 00:17:58.859 from, you know, like British bankers or whatever, 00:17:58.919 --> 00:18:02.859 they come here and you have like Asian girlfriends or Asian wives. 00:18:03.059 --> 00:18:04.259 Maybe it's kind of like that. 00:18:04.359 --> 00:18:04.539 Maybe. 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:06.960 I don't know. 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:09.740 You see this Asian girl and it's like, 00:18:09.980 --> 00:18:11.579 I don't see that at home. 00:18:12.659 --> 00:18:14.659 This is, I'm just kidding. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:18.300 It's, I'm just kidding. 00:18:20.360 --> 00:18:22.820 One of, some of my best friends, obviously Chris Thornton, 00:18:23.259 --> 00:18:25.720 made an excellent choice. 00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:29.460 I was a groomsman for a good friend not too long ago. 00:18:29.980 --> 00:18:32.940 American guy, white guy, married an Asian girl. 00:18:32.940 --> 00:18:37.420 And I actually, I love, I think interracial relationships. 00:18:38.580 --> 00:18:40.220 Joe and Tracy, I love you guys. 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:43.120 I think interracial relationships are a beautiful thing 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:48.419 because Christ transcends language and nation 00:18:48.419 --> 00:18:53.419 and transcends just cultural differences too. 00:18:53.919 --> 00:18:54.579 But actually the, 00:18:55.099 --> 00:18:59.439 the passage isn't about interracial marriage actually, 00:18:59.500 --> 00:19:00.159 if you look carefully. 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:00.639 It's not. 00:19:01.059 --> 00:19:01.819 It's not at all. 00:19:01.819 --> 00:19:05.519 So don't mistake God saying anything about interracial marriage. 00:19:05.639 --> 00:19:07.739 If you look at chapter 14, verse 3, 00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:13.359 Manoah's response to Samson is about the uncircumcised Philistines. 00:19:14.279 --> 00:19:17.200 And that's really important because it shows that the main issue, 00:19:17.500 --> 00:19:20.839 the main issue was the fact that they didn't worship God. 00:19:21.640 --> 00:19:23.440 These Philistines were uncircumcised 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:29.140 because circumcision was the covenant sign between God and his people. 00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:32.120 So Manoah's concern isn't based on race. 00:19:32.119 --> 00:19:36.379 It's actually based on God's explicit command in Exodus 34, 00:19:36.619 --> 00:19:41.199 that his people are not to marry those who worship other gods. 00:19:42.859 --> 00:19:45.259 But we come back to Samson, you know, he retorts. 00:19:45.419 --> 00:19:46.259 We're still in verse 3. 00:19:46.379 --> 00:19:46.619 He said, 00:19:47.299 --> 00:19:50.259 Get her for me, for she looks good to me. 00:19:51.879 --> 00:19:53.019 And first of all, this, 00:19:53.139 --> 00:19:55.719 other than the fact that that sounds ridiculous in my mind, 00:19:55.720 --> 00:19:59.740 this would have been actually massively disrespectful in that society. 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:03.680 I mean, in terms of not even just talking back to your father, 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:06.640 but in such a patriarchal ancient society, 00:20:06.860 --> 00:20:08.740 that the patriarch, the father's word, 00:20:09.259 --> 00:20:10.980 was basically law in a sense. 00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:14.660 And this really just shows Samson's sort of arrogance 00:20:14.660 --> 00:20:17.220 and his childishness. 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:19.980 And I can just imagine him being this kind of brute caveman. 00:20:20.120 --> 00:20:23.100 You know, I see, I like, I want. 00:20:24.220 --> 00:20:24.500 You know? 00:20:24.500 --> 00:20:26.079 The scary thing, though, 00:20:26.099 --> 00:20:29.779 is that you can actually also look at this response that he says, 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:32.660 and some can also translate it literally as, 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:35.019 She is right in my eyes. 00:20:35.880 --> 00:20:37.420 Does that sound kind of familiar to you? 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:43.339 It's basically what we see as this case for all of Israel 00:20:43.339 --> 00:20:44.200 by the end of Judges. 00:20:44.299 --> 00:20:47.359 Every man did what was right in their own eyes. 00:20:47.980 --> 00:20:48.920 It's very ominous. 00:20:48.920 --> 00:20:52.940 It kind of reflects in Samson 00:20:52.940 --> 00:20:54.519 and what's happening on a broader scale. 00:20:54.620 --> 00:20:55.460 You know, if it looks good, 00:20:56.180 --> 00:20:57.460 guys, if it feels good, 00:20:58.100 --> 00:20:58.500 do it. 00:20:59.220 --> 00:21:00.840 I decide what's right for me. 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:03.880 That's basically Samson in a nutshell. 00:21:06.380 --> 00:21:07.380 Continuing the story, 00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:07.799 afterwards, 00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:10.779 he probably breaks the two stipulations 00:21:10.779 --> 00:21:12.279 of the Nazarite rules already, 00:21:12.360 --> 00:21:14.559 you know, when he handled the lion's carcass. 00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:16.419 And guys, you know something's up there 00:21:16.419 --> 00:21:17.720 because the narrator's very smart. 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:18.419 He puts in, 00:21:19.139 --> 00:21:19.579 but he didn't, 00:21:19.899 --> 00:21:21.440 he gave this honey to his parents, 00:21:21.539 --> 00:21:22.399 but he didn't tell them. 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:23.960 Like, you know, 00:21:24.039 --> 00:21:26.119 I think he's just subtly saying 00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:27.679 he knew something was off there, 00:21:27.940 --> 00:21:29.000 but he didn't tell them 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:31.039 that he got the honey from the lion's carcass. 00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:33.279 And then he threw that wedding feast, 00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:34.000 if you remember, 00:21:34.099 --> 00:21:35.619 like all the young men typically do. 00:21:35.659 --> 00:21:37.200 And you can literally translate that 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:38.460 as a drinking party, 00:21:38.940 --> 00:21:40.179 the word for feast. 00:21:40.980 --> 00:21:42.180 And so we can be pretty sure 00:21:42.180 --> 00:21:44.900 that he also was involved 00:21:44.900 --> 00:21:47.340 with drinking from the vine 00:21:47.340 --> 00:21:48.759 or wine during that time. 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:49.560 And then Samson, 00:21:49.700 --> 00:21:51.680 that silly little riddle at his wedding, 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:52.220 I mean, I don't know 00:21:52.220 --> 00:21:53.440 what you were thinking, Samson, 00:21:53.539 --> 00:21:55.019 but it was his own idea. 00:21:55.860 --> 00:21:57.100 You know, and then in his own weakness, 00:21:57.259 --> 00:21:59.320 he gives in to his wife's pressure. 00:22:00.340 --> 00:22:02.259 The whole thing quickly escalates 00:22:02.259 --> 00:22:03.460 into him, you know, 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:04.779 in a fit of rage and anger, 00:22:04.900 --> 00:22:06.279 murdering a whole bunch of Philistines. 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:09.840 And then this just escalates 00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:10.519 from there. 00:22:11.459 --> 00:22:13.099 It gets more and more intense. 00:22:13.259 --> 00:22:14.399 More lives are at stake. 00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:16.459 You know, his weakness 00:22:16.459 --> 00:22:17.799 with his first wife 00:22:17.799 --> 00:22:18.619 that we read about, 00:22:18.699 --> 00:22:21.319 it foreshadows his relationship 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:22.359 with Delilah 00:22:22.359 --> 00:22:25.599 that I think we're quite familiar with. 00:22:25.639 --> 00:22:27.619 The two incidents are so similar, 00:22:27.740 --> 00:22:28.399 but with Delilah, 00:22:28.500 --> 00:22:29.939 after she kind of presses him 00:22:29.939 --> 00:22:31.379 and seduces him, 00:22:31.419 --> 00:22:32.899 he actually betrays God 00:22:32.899 --> 00:22:34.199 completely with Delilah 00:22:34.199 --> 00:22:35.639 because with her, 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:37.980 he reveals the true source 00:22:37.980 --> 00:22:38.579 of his power, 00:22:38.579 --> 00:22:41.119 essentially that the Nazarite identity 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:42.199 that God gave him. 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:44.960 He sacrifices that. 00:22:45.539 --> 00:22:47.039 When he let his hair get cut, 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:48.539 he was essentially 00:22:48.539 --> 00:22:50.879 totally giving up 00:22:50.879 --> 00:22:52.980 his God-given identity. 00:22:53.199 --> 00:22:56.099 He gave it up for Delilah, 00:22:56.339 --> 00:22:58.179 for his love for Delilah, 00:22:58.319 --> 00:23:01.359 and ultimately his idolatry of sex. 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:04.619 And I think that was convicting to me 00:23:04.619 --> 00:23:05.819 because I was thinking for us, 00:23:05.879 --> 00:23:06.859 I remember how often 00:23:06.859 --> 00:23:08.879 do we kind of do this trade-in? 00:23:09.619 --> 00:23:11.399 How often do I look 00:23:11.399 --> 00:23:13.279 maybe to the hope 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:14.559 of a significant other 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.919 or if you're married, 00:23:16.019 --> 00:23:16.579 to your husband 00:23:16.579 --> 00:23:17.539 and to your wife 00:23:17.539 --> 00:23:18.099 or whoever, 00:23:18.259 --> 00:23:18.979 a father, a mother, 00:23:19.079 --> 00:23:19.899 someone you care about, 00:23:20.159 --> 00:23:21.059 you look to them 00:23:21.059 --> 00:23:23.459 to be your functional savior, 00:23:23.639 --> 00:23:25.059 to be my functional savior, 00:23:25.059 --> 00:23:27.419 to be the person 00:23:27.419 --> 00:23:29.579 that only God can be 00:23:29.579 --> 00:23:31.579 and only God can do? 00:23:31.579 --> 00:23:37.799 I think at this point, 00:23:37.939 --> 00:23:38.659 at this juncture, 00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:40.659 it's important for us 00:23:40.659 --> 00:23:41.939 to kind of pause and contemplate 00:23:41.939 --> 00:23:42.879 because this is ultimately 00:23:42.879 --> 00:23:44.779 a story not about Samson, 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:46.579 not about Delilah. 00:23:46.679 --> 00:23:48.079 This is a story about God. 00:23:48.879 --> 00:23:50.220 So where is he in this? 00:23:50.379 --> 00:23:50.480 You know, 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:51.740 where is God at work 00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:52.099 in all this? 00:23:52.179 --> 00:23:52.779 And it's obvious, 00:23:53.399 --> 00:23:53.779 if you remember, 00:23:53.980 --> 00:23:55.439 the angel comes, 00:23:56.179 --> 00:23:57.220 he speaks to Manoah, 00:23:57.359 --> 00:23:58.319 he speaks to the wife, 00:23:58.419 --> 00:23:59.720 so if it's not clear already, 00:23:59.859 --> 00:24:00.019 you know, 00:24:00.019 --> 00:24:03.019 God initiated something here. 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:05.039 But just in case 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:06.200 that wasn't clear enough, 00:24:06.379 --> 00:24:08.279 verse 4 in chapter 14 00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:08.799 was so, 00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:10.319 it's actually really important. 00:24:11.099 --> 00:24:11.639 What does it say? 00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:12.039 It says, 00:24:12.539 --> 00:24:14.059 it was of the Lord. 00:24:14.440 --> 00:24:15.480 It's like God telling me, 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:16.599 telling us, 00:24:16.759 --> 00:24:17.740 it was of the Lord. 00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:19.940 It being Samson's pursuit 00:24:19.940 --> 00:24:21.099 of this Philistine woman. 00:24:21.660 --> 00:24:23.980 For he was seeking an occasion 00:24:23.980 --> 00:24:25.779 against the Philistines. 00:24:26.599 --> 00:24:27.700 Now at that time, 00:24:28.119 --> 00:24:29.460 the Philistines were ruling 00:24:29.460 --> 00:24:30.440 over Israel. 00:24:30.579 --> 00:24:31.000 And here, 00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:33.259 I think we see this mystery 00:24:33.259 --> 00:24:36.279 of how God's sovereign will 00:24:36.279 --> 00:24:37.720 kind of intersects 00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:40.000 with our human will 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:40.779 and our free will. 00:24:40.860 --> 00:24:41.440 Because certainly, 00:24:41.579 --> 00:24:43.440 God didn't make Samson 00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:44.240 do something 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:45.200 illicitly against 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:46.640 God's own commandment. 00:24:47.400 --> 00:24:48.220 He didn't do that. 00:24:49.299 --> 00:24:50.460 But God's promise, 00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:50.960 what was it? 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:51.700 He promised that 00:24:51.700 --> 00:24:52.960 he would use Samson 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:55.400 to begin saving Israel. 00:24:55.400 --> 00:24:57.440 And in God's amazing mercy, 00:24:58.280 --> 00:25:00.000 he was even using Samson's 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:00.880 own sinfulness 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:02.140 and his idolatry 00:25:02.140 --> 00:25:04.259 for his amazing purposes. 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:06.620 Likewise, you know, 00:25:06.660 --> 00:25:08.040 when we see the Holy Spirit 00:25:08.040 --> 00:25:10.140 coming onto Samson 00:25:10.140 --> 00:25:12.040 and supernaturally empowering him, 00:25:12.360 --> 00:25:13.360 I don't think this has anything 00:25:13.360 --> 00:25:14.820 to do with whether Samson 00:25:14.820 --> 00:25:16.780 deserves those gifts, 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:17.259 actually. 00:25:18.019 --> 00:25:19.059 To be kind of 00:25:19.059 --> 00:25:20.500 simply stating it, 00:25:20.859 --> 00:25:21.980 the gifts of the Spirit, 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:23.079 the gifts of the Spirit, 00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:24.079 they're functional. 00:25:24.359 --> 00:25:25.619 They're for achieving purposes. 00:25:25.859 --> 00:25:26.980 They're for doing something. 00:25:27.339 --> 00:25:28.859 Whereas the fruit of the Spirit, 00:25:29.240 --> 00:25:29.940 that's about 00:25:29.940 --> 00:25:31.140 a person's character. 00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:32.420 So I don't think 00:25:32.420 --> 00:25:33.259 we're seeing God 00:25:33.259 --> 00:25:34.160 endorsing 00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:35.980 Samson's choices. 00:25:36.140 --> 00:25:37.220 I don't think we're seeing God 00:25:37.220 --> 00:25:37.960 endorsing 00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:39.240 Samson's character. 00:25:39.240 --> 00:25:40.619 I think what we're seeing 00:25:40.619 --> 00:25:41.680 is God faithfully 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:43.099 using this final judge, 00:25:43.099 --> 00:25:45.299 even as Samson 00:25:45.299 --> 00:25:46.179 is personally 00:25:46.179 --> 00:25:47.219 and callously 00:25:47.219 --> 00:25:49.259 disregarding his identity, 00:25:49.779 --> 00:25:50.939 disregarding his calling. 00:25:51.399 --> 00:25:52.799 And even as Israelites 00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:54.539 are just so apathetic, 00:25:55.419 --> 00:25:55.859 indifferent, 00:25:56.879 --> 00:25:57.959 they want to remain 00:25:57.959 --> 00:25:58.619 under slavery. 00:26:02.199 --> 00:26:03.399 God is there. 00:26:05.259 --> 00:26:06.719 It's not on every line. 00:26:07.399 --> 00:26:08.319 But the narrator says 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:09.019 in verse 4, 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:10.319 it's a reminder so clearly 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:11.519 that behind the scenes, 00:26:11.679 --> 00:26:12.740 even when we don't know, 00:26:13.099 --> 00:26:14.119 when we don't see, 00:26:14.539 --> 00:26:15.419 when we don't feel 00:26:15.419 --> 00:26:16.699 he's at work. 00:26:19.240 --> 00:26:19.919 Samson's life 00:26:19.919 --> 00:26:21.099 is convicting for me, 00:26:21.139 --> 00:26:21.299 you know, 00:26:21.339 --> 00:26:22.639 as I was reflecting on this. 00:26:23.099 --> 00:26:24.319 Because I see my life. 00:26:25.139 --> 00:26:26.459 I see the culture around me. 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:27.679 I see Hong Kong. 00:26:28.159 --> 00:26:29.879 It's beautiful metropolis. 00:26:31.399 --> 00:26:33.779 But it's eerily similar 00:26:33.779 --> 00:26:36.240 to the time of Samson. 00:26:37.339 --> 00:26:38.319 That's what I think 00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:39.839 as I was reflecting on this. 00:26:39.919 --> 00:26:40.000 You know, 00:26:40.039 --> 00:26:41.519 remember how I described 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:43.139 the Canaanite culture 00:26:43.139 --> 00:26:43.720 at the beginning? 00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:46.339 Well, why don't I just 00:26:46.339 --> 00:26:47.059 kind of replace it 00:26:47.059 --> 00:26:47.940 from my own eyes? 00:26:48.639 --> 00:26:50.059 My culture is about me 00:26:50.059 --> 00:26:50.980 doing what's right 00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:52.200 in my own eyes. 00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:53.639 That's what Hong Kong's 00:26:53.639 --> 00:26:54.139 telling me. 00:26:55.779 --> 00:26:57.920 My actions are governed 00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:58.599 by the goal 00:26:58.599 --> 00:26:59.460 of getting something 00:26:59.460 --> 00:26:59.980 in return. 00:27:01.940 --> 00:27:03.039 I'm actually willing, 00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:04.099 if I'm honest, 00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:05.680 to sacrifice a lot 00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:07.519 and even hurt the people 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:08.460 who are close to me 00:27:08.460 --> 00:27:09.779 in the name of pursuing 00:27:09.779 --> 00:27:10.600 something greater. 00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:12.400 Does that sound familiar 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:12.840 to you? 00:27:13.420 --> 00:27:14.500 Is that a familiar story? 00:27:15.299 --> 00:27:15.460 You know, 00:27:15.500 --> 00:27:16.460 when I think about 00:27:16.460 --> 00:27:17.240 Samson's life, 00:27:17.299 --> 00:27:18.100 I also see 00:27:18.100 --> 00:27:21.080 this idolatry of sex 00:27:21.080 --> 00:27:22.259 in Hong Kong. 00:27:22.360 --> 00:27:22.480 You know, 00:27:22.519 --> 00:27:23.720 it's pervasive. 00:27:24.420 --> 00:27:25.380 It's ubiquitous. 00:27:25.380 --> 00:27:26.000 It's everywhere. 00:27:27.140 --> 00:27:27.300 You know, 00:27:27.340 --> 00:27:28.080 this phrase, 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:29.860 sex sells, 00:27:30.340 --> 00:27:31.360 was obviously coined 00:27:31.360 --> 00:27:31.980 for a reason. 00:27:33.380 --> 00:27:34.440 I see it on billboards. 00:27:34.580 --> 00:27:35.700 I see it in commercials. 00:27:36.020 --> 00:27:37.680 I see it on the internet. 00:27:37.860 --> 00:27:38.740 I see it on websites. 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:39.920 I see it in movies. 00:27:40.140 --> 00:27:42.340 I see it in popular culture. 00:27:44.840 --> 00:27:45.640 And I think, 00:27:45.800 --> 00:27:46.260 ultimately, 00:27:46.660 --> 00:27:48.260 Samson's idolatry of sex, 00:27:48.260 --> 00:27:49.320 it was much more 00:27:49.320 --> 00:27:50.260 than literally 00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:53.680 the act of having sex. 00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:54.200 It's actually, 00:27:54.340 --> 00:27:54.600 I think, 00:27:54.640 --> 00:27:55.700 much more to do 00:27:55.700 --> 00:27:56.400 with everything 00:27:56.400 --> 00:27:58.000 related to romantic 00:27:58.000 --> 00:27:59.180 and sexual love. 00:27:59.279 --> 00:27:59.380 You know, 00:27:59.420 --> 00:28:00.460 the Greeks called this 00:28:00.460 --> 00:28:01.019 eros. 00:28:01.600 --> 00:28:02.220 It's where we get 00:28:02.220 --> 00:28:03.279 the word erotic from. 00:28:03.360 --> 00:28:03.940 And you may know 00:28:03.940 --> 00:28:04.140 that, 00:28:04.259 --> 00:28:05.000 unlike in English, 00:28:05.120 --> 00:28:05.759 the Greeks actually 00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:06.759 had multiple words 00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:08.380 for love, 00:28:08.440 --> 00:28:08.960 and they called 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:09.680 this type of love 00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:10.220 eros. 00:28:10.360 --> 00:28:10.820 And I think 00:28:10.820 --> 00:28:12.000 what I've experienced 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:12.860 in my own life, 00:28:12.940 --> 00:28:13.560 if I'm honest, 00:28:13.600 --> 00:28:14.759 is that I definitely 00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:16.220 think we have a tendency 00:28:16.220 --> 00:28:17.680 to idolize 00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:18.640 this kind of love. 00:28:20.640 --> 00:28:21.140 You know, 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:22.560 I enjoy watching movies, 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:24.240 and I must say, 00:28:24.460 --> 00:28:25.720 I'd probably say 00:28:25.720 --> 00:28:29.240 maybe 99.9% 00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:30.279 of the movies 00:28:30.279 --> 00:28:30.819 I watch are, 00:28:30.899 --> 00:28:31.779 they're pretty solid 00:28:31.779 --> 00:28:32.759 like bro movies, 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:33.139 you know, 00:28:33.240 --> 00:28:33.460 like, 00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:33.799 you know, 00:28:34.179 --> 00:28:35.419 action, 00:28:36.419 --> 00:28:37.259 adventure, 00:28:38.579 --> 00:28:39.700 Schwarzenegger, 00:28:40.859 --> 00:28:42.919 a good drama, 00:28:43.159 --> 00:28:44.000 a good suspense, 00:28:44.220 --> 00:28:45.940 maybe some sci-fi 00:28:45.940 --> 00:28:47.019 for that geek in me, 00:28:47.079 --> 00:28:47.339 you know. 00:28:47.339 --> 00:28:49.299 But then I realized 00:28:49.299 --> 00:28:49.839 as I was thinking 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:50.299 about this 00:28:50.299 --> 00:28:50.980 that actually 00:28:50.980 --> 00:28:52.019 maybe the remaining 00:28:52.019 --> 00:28:54.099 0.1% 00:28:54.099 --> 00:28:55.419 is usually 00:28:55.419 --> 00:28:57.079 inhabited by 00:28:57.079 --> 00:28:58.279 romantic comedies, 00:28:58.799 --> 00:29:00.359 and they're usually 00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:01.379 watched on the plane. 00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:03.919 And so I can say 00:29:03.919 --> 00:29:04.939 to, you know, 00:29:04.980 --> 00:29:05.359 my friends, 00:29:05.439 --> 00:29:05.720 oh yeah, 00:29:05.859 --> 00:29:06.779 I watched 00:29:06.779 --> 00:29:08.399 How to Lose a Guy 00:29:08.399 --> 00:29:09.119 in 10 Days 00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:10.819 on the plane 00:29:10.819 --> 00:29:12.720 because, you know, 00:29:13.119 --> 00:29:14.579 anything you can do 00:29:14.579 --> 00:29:15.259 in the name of 00:29:15.259 --> 00:29:16.079 passing time 00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:16.879 on a flight, 00:29:16.980 --> 00:29:17.140 you know, 00:29:17.220 --> 00:29:18.319 that's fine, right? 00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:19.960 I'd already watched 00:29:19.960 --> 00:29:20.960 all the other movies, 00:29:21.379 --> 00:29:22.259 so I kind of just 00:29:22.259 --> 00:29:22.920 had to watch 00:29:22.920 --> 00:29:23.920 all those rom-coms. 00:29:24.980 --> 00:29:26.519 So even in my own heart, 00:29:26.619 --> 00:29:27.500 if I'm honest with you, 00:29:27.539 --> 00:29:28.180 there's something 00:29:28.180 --> 00:29:29.539 about rom-coms 00:29:29.539 --> 00:29:30.180 that is appealing, 00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:31.460 as manly as I am. 00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:34.079 And honestly, 00:29:34.180 --> 00:29:35.299 if I had more time, 00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:37.259 I might even indulge 00:29:37.259 --> 00:29:38.279 in those invitations 00:29:38.279 --> 00:29:38.839 to watch 00:29:38.839 --> 00:29:39.700 The Bachelorette 00:29:39.700 --> 00:29:40.759 with some of you 00:29:40.759 --> 00:29:42.019 who will remain nameless. 00:29:42.019 --> 00:29:44.619 Maybe if I had 00:29:44.619 --> 00:29:45.639 an infinite amount 00:29:45.639 --> 00:29:46.460 of time to spare, 00:29:46.619 --> 00:29:47.599 I would indulge that. 00:29:47.980 --> 00:29:48.339 See, guys, 00:29:48.460 --> 00:29:49.460 sex and romance 00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:50.440 is everywhere. 00:29:51.879 --> 00:29:53.720 Even in my sort of 00:29:53.720 --> 00:29:55.480 older Chinese uncles 00:29:55.480 --> 00:29:56.119 and aunties. 00:29:56.379 --> 00:29:58.619 And just hold on a second. 00:29:58.660 --> 00:29:59.119 I'm not going 00:29:59.119 --> 00:29:59.639 where you think 00:29:59.639 --> 00:30:00.059 I'm going. 00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:00.980 See, you hit 00:30:00.980 --> 00:30:01.900 a certain age. 00:30:02.660 --> 00:30:03.680 Maybe for guys 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:04.779 it's your late 20s 00:30:04.779 --> 00:30:05.639 or early 30s. 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:08.559 And the inescapable question 00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:09.759 I get asked 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:10.379 to dinners 00:30:10.379 --> 00:30:12.220 and family gatherings. 00:30:13.460 --> 00:30:14.599 You know what it is, right? 00:30:16.119 --> 00:30:23.680 For you non-Cantonese initiated, 00:30:23.859 --> 00:30:24.960 it's basically 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:25.480 when are you going 00:30:25.480 --> 00:30:26.160 to start dating 00:30:26.160 --> 00:30:28.000 or get married? 00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:28.460 You know, guys, 00:30:28.500 --> 00:30:29.339 it's just there. 00:30:29.859 --> 00:30:30.680 It's expected. 00:30:30.859 --> 00:30:31.859 We think about it. 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:32.940 You know, 00:30:32.980 --> 00:30:33.879 we like talking 00:30:33.879 --> 00:30:35.180 about who's hooking up. 00:30:35.500 --> 00:30:35.619 You know, 00:30:35.640 --> 00:30:36.579 there's this whole sector 00:30:36.579 --> 00:30:37.299 of journalism. 00:30:37.740 --> 00:30:39.279 If you can call it journalism, 00:30:39.279 --> 00:30:40.579 that's dedicated 00:30:40.579 --> 00:30:42.700 to celebrity crushes 00:30:42.700 --> 00:30:43.619 and, you know, 00:30:43.720 --> 00:30:44.819 who's dating who 00:30:44.819 --> 00:30:45.859 and who's with who 00:30:45.859 --> 00:30:48.920 and excellent journalism. 00:30:49.700 --> 00:30:50.799 OK Magazine, maybe, 00:30:50.899 --> 00:30:51.399 or People. 00:30:51.500 --> 00:30:51.920 I don't know. 00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:52.920 It's good. 00:30:53.099 --> 00:30:53.879 And let me be clear. 00:30:53.980 --> 00:30:55.119 I'm not actually saying 00:30:55.119 --> 00:30:55.879 any of this 00:30:55.879 --> 00:30:57.059 is inherently bad. 00:30:59.319 --> 00:31:00.420 But I think, actually, 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:01.399 you've heard this before. 00:31:01.740 --> 00:31:02.579 Most of our idols 00:31:02.579 --> 00:31:03.539 come from things 00:31:03.539 --> 00:31:05.480 that are inherently good. 00:31:06.680 --> 00:31:07.599 But we make them 00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:08.720 more important than God. 00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:10.740 And that leads us 00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:12.980 to do very tragic things 00:31:12.980 --> 00:31:13.519 as a result. 00:31:13.639 --> 00:31:14.379 And like Samson, 00:31:14.579 --> 00:31:16.000 who elevated his love 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:16.559 for Delilah 00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:18.299 above his God-given identity 00:31:18.299 --> 00:31:19.519 as a Nazarite. 00:31:21.099 --> 00:31:22.299 And Scripture tells us also 00:31:22.299 --> 00:31:23.539 that God actually created 00:31:23.539 --> 00:31:24.440 a romantic love. 00:31:24.639 --> 00:31:24.740 You know, 00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:25.859 He created sex 00:31:25.859 --> 00:31:26.700 to be enjoyed 00:31:26.700 --> 00:31:28.019 in the context 00:31:28.019 --> 00:31:28.940 of a godly marriage. 00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:30.559 God is the author 00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:31.200 of romance. 00:31:31.500 --> 00:31:33.500 He created it for us, 00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:34.039 His people. 00:31:35.160 --> 00:31:35.660 So I'm not saying 00:31:35.660 --> 00:31:36.819 any of that is bad, 00:31:36.879 --> 00:31:37.259 actually. 00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:38.500 It's a good thing 00:31:38.500 --> 00:31:39.079 that God made. 00:31:39.140 --> 00:31:39.940 But here's the thing. 00:31:42.579 --> 00:31:42.980 Church, 00:31:43.099 --> 00:31:44.279 when we look at 00:31:44.279 --> 00:31:45.339 the life of Jesus, 00:31:45.940 --> 00:31:46.099 you know, 00:31:46.119 --> 00:31:46.640 when we look at 00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:47.259 Jesus Christ, 00:31:47.420 --> 00:31:48.640 God in human form 00:31:48.640 --> 00:31:49.599 coming to earth, 00:31:50.379 --> 00:31:50.940 when we look at 00:31:50.940 --> 00:31:51.700 the New Testament, 00:31:52.500 --> 00:31:52.900 when we look at 00:31:52.900 --> 00:31:53.980 the lives of Christ 00:31:53.980 --> 00:31:55.079 as a single man 00:31:55.079 --> 00:31:57.259 for all of His life, 00:31:57.400 --> 00:31:57.940 and we look at 00:31:57.940 --> 00:31:58.940 people like Paul, 00:31:59.940 --> 00:32:01.200 we don't see 00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:01.859 the pursuit 00:32:01.859 --> 00:32:02.960 of sexual love 00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:04.460 actually as a calling 00:32:04.460 --> 00:32:05.799 or a goal 00:32:05.799 --> 00:32:06.720 of the people 00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:07.140 of God. 00:32:08.519 --> 00:32:08.980 And certainly, 00:32:09.100 --> 00:32:09.940 we don't see God 00:32:09.940 --> 00:32:10.400 put any, 00:32:10.500 --> 00:32:10.759 you know, 00:32:10.819 --> 00:32:11.579 real value 00:32:11.579 --> 00:32:12.680 on marriage 00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:13.240 and singleness 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:14.759 as your identity 00:32:14.759 --> 00:32:16.100 as a Christian. 00:32:17.319 --> 00:32:18.140 He doesn't. 00:32:18.920 --> 00:32:19.100 Well, 00:32:19.140 --> 00:32:19.559 you might say, 00:32:19.660 --> 00:32:19.799 well, 00:32:20.180 --> 00:32:20.440 Jeremy, 00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:21.400 what about Adam 00:32:21.400 --> 00:32:21.819 and Eve? 00:32:22.819 --> 00:32:24.140 What about God's command 00:32:24.140 --> 00:32:24.980 and His calling 00:32:24.980 --> 00:32:25.539 on them 00:32:25.539 --> 00:32:26.700 to be fruitful 00:32:26.700 --> 00:32:27.500 and multiply? 00:32:27.660 --> 00:32:27.920 And to that, 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:28.279 I would say, 00:32:28.340 --> 00:32:28.559 yes, 00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:29.400 that's true. 00:32:29.400 --> 00:32:31.920 But what does Christ say 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:34.320 is the true essence, 00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:35.200 the true measure 00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:36.160 of fruitfulness 00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:37.560 and multiplication? 00:32:39.360 --> 00:32:41.100 In the kingdom of God, 00:32:41.160 --> 00:32:41.600 what is it? 00:32:42.420 --> 00:32:43.120 It's spiritual. 00:32:44.100 --> 00:32:45.440 It's spiritual birth, 00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:47.240 spiritual children, 00:32:48.500 --> 00:32:49.460 spiritual relationships 00:32:49.460 --> 00:32:50.800 in the family of God, 00:32:51.540 --> 00:32:51.900 us. 00:32:53.560 --> 00:32:55.280 Matthew chapter 12, 00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:57.259 verse 46, 00:32:57.380 --> 00:32:58.519 a powerful passage. 00:32:58.519 --> 00:33:00.400 While Jesus was still 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:01.759 talking to the crowd, 00:33:01.879 --> 00:33:03.000 His mother and brothers 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:04.379 stood outside 00:33:04.379 --> 00:33:06.259 wanting to speak to Him. 00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:07.960 Someone told Him, 00:33:08.359 --> 00:33:09.160 your mother and brothers 00:33:09.160 --> 00:33:10.240 are standing outside 00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:11.559 wanting to speak to you. 00:33:13.099 --> 00:33:14.359 Jesus replied to Him, 00:33:15.319 --> 00:33:16.400 who is my mother? 00:33:17.119 --> 00:33:18.039 Who are my brothers? 00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:20.579 Pointing to His disciples, 00:33:20.740 --> 00:33:21.119 He said, 00:33:21.720 --> 00:33:22.980 here are my mother 00:33:22.980 --> 00:33:24.339 and my brothers. 00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:26.460 For whoever does 00:33:26.460 --> 00:33:27.720 the will of my Father 00:33:27.720 --> 00:33:28.319 in heaven 00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:30.000 is my brother 00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:31.859 and my sister 00:33:31.859 --> 00:33:33.179 and my mother. 00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:35.879 Do you remember 00:33:35.879 --> 00:33:36.639 the implications 00:33:36.639 --> 00:33:37.299 of that 00:33:37.299 --> 00:33:37.939 when you read that 00:33:37.939 --> 00:33:38.799 for the first time? 00:33:40.079 --> 00:33:41.079 It's a radical 00:33:41.079 --> 00:33:42.419 reordering 00:33:42.419 --> 00:33:43.679 and transformation 00:33:43.679 --> 00:33:45.720 of this nature 00:33:45.720 --> 00:33:46.399 of family 00:33:46.399 --> 00:33:47.319 and relationship 00:33:47.319 --> 00:33:48.439 in the kingdom of God. 00:33:48.839 --> 00:33:49.839 Because unlike Israel, 00:33:50.579 --> 00:33:51.939 the people of God today 00:33:51.939 --> 00:33:53.480 were not tied 00:33:53.480 --> 00:33:54.599 to an ethnic group. 00:33:54.599 --> 00:33:56.099 we don't need 00:33:56.099 --> 00:33:57.579 procreation 00:33:57.579 --> 00:33:58.679 to propagate 00:33:58.679 --> 00:34:00.399 this plan of salvation 00:34:00.399 --> 00:34:02.740 and to maintain 00:34:02.740 --> 00:34:03.719 the family of God. 00:34:03.919 --> 00:34:04.659 We are a people 00:34:04.659 --> 00:34:05.539 whose hearts 00:34:05.539 --> 00:34:07.240 have been transformed. 00:34:07.799 --> 00:34:08.420 Our hearts 00:34:08.420 --> 00:34:09.759 have been circumcised 00:34:09.759 --> 00:34:10.420 through faith 00:34:10.420 --> 00:34:11.960 in Jesus Christ. 00:34:12.059 --> 00:34:12.440 So whether 00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:13.579 you're married 00:34:13.579 --> 00:34:14.319 or single 00:34:14.319 --> 00:34:15.299 now actually 00:34:15.299 --> 00:34:16.519 does not affect 00:34:16.519 --> 00:34:18.179 our ability 00:34:18.179 --> 00:34:18.819 to live out 00:34:18.819 --> 00:34:19.440 this calling 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:20.559 that God has given us. 00:34:20.559 --> 00:34:22.460 our calling 00:34:22.460 --> 00:34:23.059 as a church 00:34:23.059 --> 00:34:24.219 is to be fruitful 00:34:24.219 --> 00:34:25.559 and multiply 00:34:25.559 --> 00:34:27.699 by bringing people 00:34:27.699 --> 00:34:28.699 into the spiritual 00:34:28.699 --> 00:34:29.299 family 00:34:29.299 --> 00:34:30.480 of God, 00:34:30.799 --> 00:34:31.259 the church. 00:34:32.360 --> 00:34:33.199 You can do that 00:34:33.199 --> 00:34:33.799 biologically 00:34:33.799 --> 00:34:34.779 and you still need 00:34:34.779 --> 00:34:35.659 to do it spiritually 00:34:35.659 --> 00:34:36.980 but you definitely 00:34:36.980 --> 00:34:38.380 need to do it 00:34:38.380 --> 00:34:38.860 spiritually. 00:34:40.460 --> 00:34:41.099 So just kind of 00:34:41.099 --> 00:34:41.659 think with me 00:34:41.659 --> 00:34:42.420 for a second here. 00:34:42.619 --> 00:34:42.759 What, 00:34:43.299 --> 00:34:43.539 guys, 00:34:43.639 --> 00:34:44.559 what if we shifted 00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:45.480 this paradigm 00:34:45.480 --> 00:34:46.199 altogether? 00:34:46.199 --> 00:34:46.960 When we talk 00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:48.079 about the idolatry 00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:49.859 of sex 00:34:49.859 --> 00:34:50.519 and relationships 00:34:50.519 --> 00:34:51.319 and love, 00:34:51.719 --> 00:34:52.859 what if we shifted 00:34:52.859 --> 00:34:53.439 the paradigm 00:34:53.439 --> 00:34:54.079 in the church 00:34:54.079 --> 00:34:55.039 instead of our identity 00:34:55.039 --> 00:34:56.480 being so intimately 00:34:56.480 --> 00:34:57.659 tied to 00:34:57.659 --> 00:34:58.779 our relationship 00:34:58.779 --> 00:34:59.679 statuses? 00:35:00.500 --> 00:35:01.460 What if we think 00:35:01.460 --> 00:35:02.359 about this calling 00:35:02.359 --> 00:35:03.379 that God has given us 00:35:03.379 --> 00:35:04.239 and we start asking 00:35:04.239 --> 00:35:05.099 these questions 00:35:05.099 --> 00:35:06.639 instead of, 00:35:06.679 --> 00:35:06.980 you know, 00:35:07.399 --> 00:35:09.939 it's still an important 00:35:09.939 --> 00:35:10.339 question, 00:35:10.399 --> 00:35:10.980 it's valid, 00:35:11.939 --> 00:35:13.000 but what if the main 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:14.119 thing we're asking 00:35:14.119 --> 00:35:14.539 each other 00:35:14.539 --> 00:35:15.359 and asking ourselves 00:35:15.359 --> 00:35:15.739 is this, 00:35:15.739 --> 00:35:15.919 you know, 00:35:15.959 --> 00:35:16.799 am I a spiritual 00:35:16.799 --> 00:35:17.199 parent? 00:35:18.959 --> 00:35:20.819 Who am I a spiritual 00:35:20.819 --> 00:35:22.259 father or mother to? 00:35:23.439 --> 00:35:23.699 You know, 00:35:23.719 --> 00:35:24.439 when we do this, 00:35:25.059 --> 00:35:25.639 this was really 00:35:25.639 --> 00:35:26.359 convicting for me 00:35:26.359 --> 00:35:26.939 because when we do 00:35:26.939 --> 00:35:27.719 this Father's Day 00:35:27.719 --> 00:35:28.819 thing or Mother's Day, 00:35:28.959 --> 00:35:29.139 you know, 00:35:29.279 --> 00:35:30.279 if you've been with us 00:35:30.279 --> 00:35:31.199 for any number of time, 00:35:31.259 --> 00:35:31.799 we usually give out 00:35:31.799 --> 00:35:32.679 these little gifts 00:35:32.679 --> 00:35:34.159 kind of as to honor 00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:35.919 all the adult men 00:35:35.919 --> 00:35:36.519 or women 00:35:36.519 --> 00:35:38.199 in the congregation 00:35:38.199 --> 00:35:39.699 and, 00:35:39.779 --> 00:35:39.959 you know, 00:35:40.019 --> 00:35:40.939 whether they have 00:35:40.939 --> 00:35:41.919 biological children 00:35:41.919 --> 00:35:42.779 or not. 00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:43.879 And I always feel 00:35:43.879 --> 00:35:44.659 a little kind of 00:35:44.659 --> 00:35:45.419 tentative. 00:35:45.420 --> 00:35:45.900 I'm like, 00:35:46.079 --> 00:35:47.720 should I be getting 00:35:47.720 --> 00:35:48.000 one? 00:35:48.940 --> 00:35:49.900 Am I a spiritual 00:35:49.900 --> 00:35:50.400 father? 00:35:50.599 --> 00:35:51.320 Am I a father? 00:35:52.300 --> 00:35:52.820 But I think, 00:35:52.960 --> 00:35:53.180 honestly, 00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:54.599 if I had that identity, 00:35:54.740 --> 00:35:55.400 if that calling 00:35:55.400 --> 00:35:56.440 was so real to me, 00:35:56.519 --> 00:35:57.019 I would, 00:35:57.500 --> 00:35:58.619 and if I saw myself 00:35:58.619 --> 00:35:59.720 as having the role 00:35:59.720 --> 00:36:00.320 of a father 00:36:00.320 --> 00:36:01.780 to the fatherless, 00:36:01.820 --> 00:36:02.720 a spiritual father 00:36:02.720 --> 00:36:03.139 because I was 00:36:03.139 --> 00:36:04.220 investing my time 00:36:04.220 --> 00:36:05.059 and my energy 00:36:05.059 --> 00:36:05.740 and I loved 00:36:05.740 --> 00:36:07.099 those kids around me, 00:36:07.099 --> 00:36:09.039 I think I would be like, 00:36:09.500 --> 00:36:10.400 right here, 00:36:11.339 --> 00:36:12.019 give me one of those 00:36:12.019 --> 00:36:12.659 water bottles 00:36:12.659 --> 00:36:13.539 because I'm a spiritual 00:36:13.539 --> 00:36:14.039 father, 00:36:14.360 --> 00:36:14.900 right? 00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:15.699 But I'm not. 00:36:16.079 --> 00:36:16.699 And that's always 00:36:16.699 --> 00:36:17.380 a time for me 00:36:17.380 --> 00:36:18.539 to kind of dwell on that 00:36:18.539 --> 00:36:19.480 and think about that. 00:36:20.039 --> 00:36:21.259 I think if Jesus was here, 00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:22.360 he wouldn't think twice 00:36:22.360 --> 00:36:23.000 about receiving 00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:23.619 one of those 00:36:23.619 --> 00:36:25.360 because he knew 00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:25.940 in his heart 00:36:25.940 --> 00:36:27.480 that his calling 00:36:27.480 --> 00:36:28.440 was to be a spiritual 00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:28.960 father 00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:30.739 to those around him. 00:36:30.739 --> 00:36:31.979 You know, 00:36:32.039 --> 00:36:32.939 what would our community 00:36:32.939 --> 00:36:33.579 look like 00:36:33.579 --> 00:36:34.379 if I devoted 00:36:34.379 --> 00:36:36.559 the majority of my time 00:36:36.559 --> 00:36:37.719 to the spiritual lives 00:36:37.719 --> 00:36:38.719 of the people around me? 00:36:38.759 --> 00:36:38.859 You know, 00:36:39.099 --> 00:36:40.119 whether you're single 00:36:40.119 --> 00:36:41.339 or married, 00:36:41.500 --> 00:36:42.319 how much time 00:36:42.319 --> 00:36:43.579 do you actually spend 00:36:43.579 --> 00:36:45.139 bringing in 00:36:45.139 --> 00:36:46.199 and nurturing 00:36:46.199 --> 00:36:47.759 a new generation 00:36:47.759 --> 00:36:48.739 of spiritual children? 00:36:50.919 --> 00:36:51.139 You know, 00:36:51.179 --> 00:36:51.919 is it as much 00:36:51.919 --> 00:36:52.879 as you would expect 00:36:52.879 --> 00:36:54.299 a parent would spend 00:36:54.299 --> 00:36:55.219 parenting 00:36:55.219 --> 00:36:56.419 and nurturing 00:36:56.419 --> 00:36:57.179 their own child? 00:36:57.179 --> 00:37:01.980 single and married people. 00:37:02.599 --> 00:37:03.099 How often 00:37:03.099 --> 00:37:03.639 do you actually 00:37:03.639 --> 00:37:04.679 spend time 00:37:04.679 --> 00:37:06.139 together 00:37:06.139 --> 00:37:07.339 as an extended 00:37:07.339 --> 00:37:08.199 church family 00:37:08.199 --> 00:37:09.480 with the kids 00:37:09.480 --> 00:37:10.879 and whoever else? 00:37:11.460 --> 00:37:12.379 Because your identity 00:37:12.379 --> 00:37:13.000 isn't rooted 00:37:13.000 --> 00:37:14.839 in your marital status. 00:37:15.500 --> 00:37:16.339 We're just an extended 00:37:16.339 --> 00:37:17.119 family of God 00:37:17.119 --> 00:37:18.319 and we can walk 00:37:18.319 --> 00:37:19.899 alongside each other. 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:20.699 You have authority 00:37:20.699 --> 00:37:21.559 from God 00:37:21.559 --> 00:37:22.519 to speak into 00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:23.359 each other's lives 00:37:23.359 --> 00:37:24.079 no matter where 00:37:24.079 --> 00:37:25.379 you're at 00:37:25.380 --> 00:37:27.320 in your life journey. 00:37:29.180 --> 00:37:29.420 Now, 00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:29.960 I imagine 00:37:29.960 --> 00:37:31.400 God's church, 00:37:31.579 --> 00:37:32.140 it's kind of like 00:37:32.140 --> 00:37:32.660 the vision 00:37:32.660 --> 00:37:34.240 that I have. 00:37:34.300 --> 00:37:34.700 I imagine 00:37:34.700 --> 00:37:35.360 God's church 00:37:35.360 --> 00:37:36.220 being a community 00:37:36.220 --> 00:37:36.920 that is just 00:37:36.920 --> 00:37:37.980 striving, 00:37:39.079 --> 00:37:40.920 striving to be 00:37:40.920 --> 00:37:41.360 a community 00:37:41.360 --> 00:37:42.119 in which every 00:37:42.119 --> 00:37:42.880 single person 00:37:42.880 --> 00:37:43.440 is proud 00:37:43.440 --> 00:37:44.240 of their singlehood 00:37:44.240 --> 00:37:46.160 and every married 00:37:46.160 --> 00:37:47.079 person is proud 00:37:47.079 --> 00:37:47.900 of their marriage 00:37:47.900 --> 00:37:48.599 even when 00:37:48.599 --> 00:37:50.360 things are rocky 00:37:50.360 --> 00:37:51.200 and not going well. 00:37:51.260 --> 00:37:51.400 Why? 00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:52.420 Because the church 00:37:52.420 --> 00:37:53.860 is so content, 00:37:53.860 --> 00:37:56.620 so fulfilled 00:37:56.620 --> 00:37:58.099 by God's love. 00:37:59.340 --> 00:38:00.180 And singlehood 00:38:00.180 --> 00:38:01.599 and marriage 00:38:01.599 --> 00:38:02.920 are both equally 00:38:02.920 --> 00:38:03.960 cherished 00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:05.240 and celebrated. 00:38:06.340 --> 00:38:06.559 You know, 00:38:06.599 --> 00:38:07.240 where we've stopped 00:38:07.240 --> 00:38:08.320 looking to dating 00:38:08.320 --> 00:38:09.800 and we've stopped 00:38:09.800 --> 00:38:10.599 looking to marriage 00:38:10.599 --> 00:38:11.140 and sex 00:38:11.140 --> 00:38:11.740 to fulfill 00:38:11.740 --> 00:38:12.760 the true purpose 00:38:12.760 --> 00:38:13.660 of the human heart 00:38:13.660 --> 00:38:15.800 and that's to receive 00:38:15.800 --> 00:38:17.019 and share 00:38:17.019 --> 00:38:19.360 the unconditional love 00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:20.900 that God, 00:38:21.019 --> 00:38:21.680 our creator, 00:38:22.740 --> 00:38:23.360 gives us. 00:38:23.860 --> 00:38:26.559 when I think 00:38:26.559 --> 00:38:27.720 about our mission 00:38:27.720 --> 00:38:28.599 as a church, 00:38:30.680 --> 00:38:30.920 man, 00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:31.519 I think that would 00:38:31.519 --> 00:38:32.400 be so appealing 00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:33.220 to a world 00:38:33.220 --> 00:38:33.860 that is 00:38:33.860 --> 00:38:35.940 just sex crazed 00:38:35.940 --> 00:38:37.099 and yearning 00:38:37.099 --> 00:38:39.380 for happiness, 00:38:39.780 --> 00:38:40.480 for contentment. 00:38:40.480 --> 00:38:43.099 and I think I'm 00:38:43.099 --> 00:38:44.139 a pretty realistic guy. 00:38:44.340 --> 00:38:44.740 I know, 00:38:45.219 --> 00:38:45.480 guys, 00:38:45.539 --> 00:38:46.659 I know we'll always 00:38:46.659 --> 00:38:48.360 yearn for something, 00:38:49.360 --> 00:38:50.139 for things that we 00:38:50.139 --> 00:38:50.619 don't have. 00:38:50.679 --> 00:38:50.800 You know, 00:38:50.840 --> 00:38:51.380 I do. 00:38:52.039 --> 00:38:53.260 I catch myself, 00:38:53.820 --> 00:38:55.659 I catch myself, 00:38:55.719 --> 00:38:55.880 you know, 00:38:55.900 --> 00:38:56.579 still in times 00:38:56.579 --> 00:38:57.539 of discontentment, 00:38:58.019 --> 00:38:58.639 of loneliness. 00:39:00.800 --> 00:39:01.340 You know, 00:39:01.380 --> 00:39:02.320 the grass is greener 00:39:02.320 --> 00:39:03.139 on the other side. 00:39:03.519 --> 00:39:04.400 I need this. 00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:05.900 The question, 00:39:06.139 --> 00:39:07.079 some of the questions, 00:39:07.460 --> 00:39:08.099 like one test 00:39:08.099 --> 00:39:08.740 that I kind of 00:39:08.740 --> 00:39:09.680 ask myself is, 00:39:10.320 --> 00:39:10.480 man, 00:39:10.539 --> 00:39:11.160 if God 00:39:11.160 --> 00:39:12.840 kept the status quo 00:39:12.840 --> 00:39:13.940 in my life right now, 00:39:15.099 --> 00:39:15.599 no more, 00:39:15.680 --> 00:39:16.119 no less. 00:39:16.519 --> 00:39:17.220 Maybe no more 00:39:17.220 --> 00:39:18.360 career advancement, 00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:19.619 you know, 00:39:19.720 --> 00:39:20.519 no more changes 00:39:20.519 --> 00:39:21.880 in my social status, 00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:23.639 in my relationship status. 00:39:24.180 --> 00:39:25.400 If nothing happened, 00:39:25.860 --> 00:39:26.539 nothing changed 00:39:26.539 --> 00:39:27.440 for the rest of my life. 00:39:28.119 --> 00:39:28.860 I keep aging, 00:39:29.000 --> 00:39:29.340 of course. 00:39:29.340 --> 00:39:32.160 But would I still 00:39:32.160 --> 00:39:32.680 be content 00:39:32.680 --> 00:39:34.300 because I have God? 00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:36.180 Because I have 00:39:36.180 --> 00:39:36.840 His love for me? 00:39:39.860 --> 00:39:40.640 I don't know, 00:39:41.019 --> 00:39:41.940 to be honest with you. 00:39:42.300 --> 00:39:43.059 It hasn't happened 00:39:43.059 --> 00:39:43.600 to me yet. 00:39:44.400 --> 00:39:45.000 But I think there's 00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:46.120 something we can strive for 00:39:46.120 --> 00:39:46.960 and when I look 00:39:46.960 --> 00:39:47.720 around me, 00:39:47.800 --> 00:39:48.620 when I look at this, 00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:50.720 when I spend time 00:39:50.720 --> 00:39:51.240 in community 00:39:51.240 --> 00:39:52.019 with my friends 00:39:52.019 --> 00:39:52.820 in community group, 00:39:52.900 --> 00:39:53.840 my brothers and sisters, 00:39:53.960 --> 00:39:55.579 my family in community, 00:39:55.579 --> 00:39:56.640 when I see you guys 00:39:56.640 --> 00:39:57.680 and I experience 00:39:57.680 --> 00:39:58.480 the family God, 00:39:58.480 --> 00:40:00.460 I actually start realizing 00:40:00.460 --> 00:40:01.300 and God reminds me 00:40:01.300 --> 00:40:01.920 that this, 00:40:02.199 --> 00:40:02.500 guys, 00:40:02.619 --> 00:40:03.500 this is actually 00:40:03.500 --> 00:40:05.179 the most important thing. 00:40:05.619 --> 00:40:06.760 What I see God doing 00:40:06.760 --> 00:40:08.639 in this spiritual family. 00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:11.619 So I don't know exactly 00:40:11.619 --> 00:40:13.539 where each one of you are 00:40:13.539 --> 00:40:14.880 in your spiritual journey. 00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:16.679 I don't know the idols 00:40:16.679 --> 00:40:19.199 that you might be wrestling with. 00:40:19.320 --> 00:40:19.519 I mean, 00:40:19.559 --> 00:40:20.179 maybe you guys 00:40:20.179 --> 00:40:21.260 don't even know yourself. 00:40:22.260 --> 00:40:23.360 Maybe you're not really sure 00:40:23.360 --> 00:40:24.539 what's going on 00:40:24.539 --> 00:40:25.039 in your heart. 00:40:25.840 --> 00:40:27.500 But I know that God knows. 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:30.000 chapter 14, 00:40:30.119 --> 00:40:30.639 verse 4, 00:40:30.780 --> 00:40:32.740 that incredible reminder. 00:40:33.679 --> 00:40:34.300 God says, 00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:36.219 he's basically telling us, 00:40:36.260 --> 00:40:36.840 he's there. 00:40:37.840 --> 00:40:38.740 He's at work. 00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:39.719 He loves you. 00:40:40.240 --> 00:40:41.460 He's pursuing you. 00:40:42.840 --> 00:40:44.740 While we were still sinners, 00:40:45.880 --> 00:40:46.800 the Bible says, 00:40:46.980 --> 00:40:49.260 Christ died for us. 00:40:49.639 --> 00:40:51.099 While we were still unaware 00:40:51.099 --> 00:40:51.980 and ignorant 00:40:51.980 --> 00:40:53.500 and blinded 00:40:53.500 --> 00:40:55.840 by our own idolatry, 00:40:57.400 --> 00:40:59.659 blind to our spiritual slavery, 00:40:59.820 --> 00:41:00.900 just like the Israelites 00:41:00.900 --> 00:41:02.360 where God was at work. 00:41:03.039 --> 00:41:03.880 He died for us 00:41:03.880 --> 00:41:04.500 on that cross. 00:41:04.579 --> 00:41:05.380 And that cross, 00:41:06.280 --> 00:41:07.360 that beautiful cross, 00:41:07.420 --> 00:41:08.380 is the monumental 00:41:08.380 --> 00:41:09.820 declaration 00:41:09.820 --> 00:41:11.440 of God's love for us. 00:41:11.500 --> 00:41:12.740 If you ever are in doubt, 00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:14.699 just remember the cross 00:41:14.699 --> 00:41:15.719 because that is just 00:41:15.719 --> 00:41:16.800 historical, 00:41:17.579 --> 00:41:19.019 incontrovertible proof 00:41:19.019 --> 00:41:20.119 in history 00:41:20.119 --> 00:41:21.840 that God loves you 00:41:21.840 --> 00:41:22.980 so much 00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:23.960 that he died for you. 00:41:24.000 --> 00:41:25.340 And he's working 00:41:25.340 --> 00:41:26.639 out his purposes. 00:41:26.840 --> 00:41:27.199 And guys, 00:41:27.259 --> 00:41:28.099 if he's doing that 00:41:28.099 --> 00:41:29.139 while we're far away, 00:41:29.619 --> 00:41:30.280 like Samson, 00:41:30.360 --> 00:41:31.000 when we're ignorant 00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:31.739 like the Israelites, 00:41:32.000 --> 00:41:33.280 how much more amazing 00:41:33.280 --> 00:41:34.340 will it be for us 00:41:34.340 --> 00:41:35.800 when he's actually 00:41:35.800 --> 00:41:37.119 working out his purposes 00:41:37.119 --> 00:41:38.039 when we're walking 00:41:38.039 --> 00:41:38.579 with him, 00:41:38.900 --> 00:41:40.360 when we're pursuing him, 00:41:41.219 --> 00:41:41.940 when we're actually 00:41:41.940 --> 00:41:43.019 worshiping him? 00:41:43.019 --> 00:41:44.559 How much more amazing 00:41:44.559 --> 00:41:45.259 would it be us 00:41:45.259 --> 00:41:45.960 as a family 00:41:45.960 --> 00:41:47.840 to be worshiping God 00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:48.880 and seeing him 00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:50.260 working out 00:41:50.260 --> 00:41:51.320 his amazing purposes? 00:41:51.539 --> 00:41:52.099 And I honestly 00:41:52.099 --> 00:41:53.599 can't imagine, 00:41:54.380 --> 00:41:55.260 in my own heart, 00:41:55.300 --> 00:41:55.980 I can't imagine 00:41:55.980 --> 00:41:56.900 anything in life 00:41:56.900 --> 00:41:57.940 that can bring 00:41:57.940 --> 00:41:59.199 as much genuine joy 00:41:59.199 --> 00:42:00.400 and contentment 00:42:00.400 --> 00:42:02.280 as knowing this, 00:42:02.380 --> 00:42:03.079 that I have 00:42:03.079 --> 00:42:04.820 everlasting life. 00:42:06.420 --> 00:42:07.659 I will have 00:42:07.659 --> 00:42:08.380 and I do have 00:42:08.380 --> 00:42:09.260 everlasting life 00:42:09.260 --> 00:42:10.059 in the presence 00:42:10.059 --> 00:42:11.220 of a God 00:42:11.220 --> 00:42:12.240 that loves me 00:42:12.240 --> 00:42:13.059 unconditionally. 00:42:13.059 --> 00:42:17.639 I'm going to ask 00:42:17.639 --> 00:42:18.340 the band 00:42:18.340 --> 00:42:19.380 to come on back up 00:42:19.380 --> 00:42:22.480 and let's just 00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:23.279 take this time 00:42:23.279 --> 00:42:25.360 in prayer. 00:42:26.199 --> 00:42:26.880 Let's pray for, 00:42:27.659 --> 00:42:28.500 speak to God, 00:42:28.559 --> 00:42:28.699 you know, 00:42:28.699 --> 00:42:30.039 as we fix our eyes 00:42:30.039 --> 00:42:30.799 on Christ. 00:42:32.199 --> 00:42:33.400 I believe that hymn 00:42:33.400 --> 00:42:33.559 is, 00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:34.059 that old hymn 00:42:34.059 --> 00:42:34.519 is true. 00:42:35.599 --> 00:42:35.820 You know, 00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:36.440 when he says, 00:42:36.820 --> 00:42:37.279 turn your eyes 00:42:37.279 --> 00:42:37.960 upon Jesus 00:42:37.960 --> 00:42:39.199 and lead me 00:42:39.199 --> 00:42:39.900 to the cross. 00:42:41.259 --> 00:42:41.840 And the things 00:42:41.840 --> 00:42:42.380 of this world 00:42:42.380 --> 00:42:43.620 really will grow, 00:42:44.019 --> 00:42:44.940 start to grow dim. 00:42:45.820 --> 00:42:46.280 The things 00:42:46.280 --> 00:42:47.320 that entice us, 00:42:48.740 --> 00:42:49.539 the things 00:42:49.539 --> 00:42:50.660 that worry us, 00:42:50.760 --> 00:42:51.380 that burden us, 00:42:51.420 --> 00:42:52.460 they start becoming 00:42:52.460 --> 00:42:53.220 dim because 00:42:53.220 --> 00:42:54.120 it might not be 00:42:54.120 --> 00:42:55.000 overnight, 00:42:55.840 --> 00:42:56.340 it might be 00:42:56.340 --> 00:42:57.140 a lifelong journey 00:42:57.140 --> 00:42:57.680 and it probably 00:42:57.680 --> 00:42:58.140 will be, 00:42:58.220 --> 00:42:58.940 little by little, 00:42:59.039 --> 00:42:59.700 but those things 00:42:59.700 --> 00:43:00.780 start to grow dim. 00:43:02.320 --> 00:43:02.820 And I just 00:43:02.820 --> 00:43:04.460 imagine God 00:43:04.460 --> 00:43:06.200 holding us 00:43:06.200 --> 00:43:06.800 and me 00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:08.079 in his hands. 00:43:08.220 --> 00:43:09.140 It's so secure, 00:43:09.780 --> 00:43:10.500 so secure 00:43:10.500 --> 00:43:11.199 than the things 00:43:11.199 --> 00:43:11.840 that we hold 00:43:11.840 --> 00:43:12.380 on to 00:43:12.380 --> 00:43:13.639 so tightly, 00:43:14.219 --> 00:43:14.699 things that we 00:43:14.699 --> 00:43:15.500 think we need, 00:43:15.860 --> 00:43:16.880 that we must have. 00:43:17.380 --> 00:43:18.179 We can just start 00:43:18.179 --> 00:43:19.059 letting go of those 00:43:19.059 --> 00:43:19.260 things. 00:43:19.320 --> 00:43:19.840 I don't know what 00:43:19.840 --> 00:43:20.539 those things are 00:43:20.539 --> 00:43:21.400 for you exactly, 00:43:22.639 --> 00:43:23.420 but just take this 00:43:23.420 --> 00:43:24.420 time to reflect on 00:43:24.420 --> 00:43:25.280 that and pray. 00:43:26.139 --> 00:43:26.679 Pray to him, 00:43:26.820 --> 00:43:27.539 maybe for the first 00:43:27.539 --> 00:43:27.840 time, 00:43:27.940 --> 00:43:28.099 God, 00:43:28.199 --> 00:43:28.860 show me who you 00:43:28.860 --> 00:43:29.139 are. 00:43:29.900 --> 00:43:30.599 Show me the power 00:43:30.599 --> 00:43:31.219 of the cross 00:43:31.219 --> 00:43:33.219 and power of 00:43:33.219 --> 00:43:33.960 Jesus Christ 00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:35.519 and what he did, 00:43:36.099 --> 00:43:36.679 how his love 00:43:36.679 --> 00:43:37.599 poured out for us. 00:43:37.599 --> 00:43:56.239 lecture more 00:43:56.239 --> 00:43:58.480 and