WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.240 Well, thank you so much for having me here and Fiona and Zach. 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:05.419 We're so blessed to be here. 00:00:05.500 --> 00:00:07.219 It's such a privilege to speak at Watermark. 00:00:07.320 --> 00:00:11.580 I've heard so many amazing things about your church and about your community 00:00:11.580 --> 00:00:15.800 and just being here this morning, it's already clear that all of those wonderful things are true. 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:21.120 It's always a real privilege as a speaker to speak with one of these headset mics. 00:00:21.339 --> 00:00:25.039 They used to be called Madonna mics, now they're called Brittany mics. 00:00:25.780 --> 00:00:28.859 And the first time I spoke on one of these, I was in Australia 00:00:28.859 --> 00:00:33.799 and I was speaking to the pastor of the inviting church and he had never met me before. 00:00:34.340 --> 00:00:39.179 And he said, oh, we've got this Madonna mic, it's new, we've got a new sound system, it's going to be great. 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:40.439 And I'm like, oh, that sounds good. 00:00:40.659 --> 00:00:42.019 And he said, yeah, it's really good. 00:00:42.340 --> 00:00:45.120 They won't even be able to tell you're wearing it, it's skin coloured. 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:52.420 And I said, that's awesome, man, but it's probably not skin coloured. 00:00:52.659 --> 00:00:54.060 And he said, no, no, no, it's skin coloured. 00:00:54.060 --> 00:00:56.179 And so this went on back and forth for a while. 00:00:56.480 --> 00:00:58.100 He must have thought I was crazy. 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:01.100 Anyway, so I just left it and when he saw me, he got a bit surprised. 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:07.780 But anyway, it's great to be speaking with a skin coloured Brittany mic, even though you can see it. 00:01:09.320 --> 00:01:10.960 Let me just open briefly in prayer. 00:01:12.260 --> 00:01:14.439 Heavenly Father, we just commit this time to you, Lord. 00:01:14.579 --> 00:01:18.480 And I just pray that you would increase, that we would all decrease, 00:01:18.700 --> 00:01:21.480 and that you would speak to each of us into our minds and into our hearts. 00:01:21.859 --> 00:01:23.200 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:23.319 Amen. 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:31.939 How many of you have either read or watched the movie of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? 00:01:33.500 --> 00:01:34.500 Okay, most people. 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:40.679 For those of you that haven't, I'll give you a bit of context, but you don't really need the context to understand this part of the story. 00:01:41.419 --> 00:01:44.759 There's a part in the beginning of the story that's often forgotten. 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:50.340 So even those of you that are used to the story or know it well may well have forgotten this, 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:54.780 where Edmund, one of the children, the four children, it's about a family of four children, 00:01:54.859 --> 00:01:56.160 and they've just come into Narnia. 00:01:56.159 --> 00:02:02.859 And they've just basically been briefed by this family of beavers about the evil white witch, 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:05.479 about a curse that's kind of over the entire land, 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:10.319 and about this great lion, Aslan, who was kind of the creator of all of Narnia, 00:02:10.379 --> 00:02:13.939 and he's the good king, the rightful king, the rightful ruler of Narnia. 00:02:14.379 --> 00:02:19.740 But everyone's waiting for him to come back and save all of the animals and the good people of Narnia. 00:02:19.740 --> 00:02:26.600 But Edmund, while this is happening, he escapes and he betrays his brother and his two sisters 00:02:26.600 --> 00:02:31.040 and all of the good people of Narnia, and he decides to go to the castle of the white witch. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:32.180 He's met the white witch before. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:36.460 He thinks she's a better bet than this lion Aslan that everyone's talking about. 00:02:36.740 --> 00:02:37.980 He's had an encounter with her. 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:39.240 He sees her power. 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:40.219 It's all winter. 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:42.480 The whole place is covered with snow. 00:02:42.740 --> 00:02:45.060 So he makes his way to the castle of the white witch. 00:02:45.060 --> 00:02:49.379 He makes a judgment based on his own perception and his own experience. 00:02:49.740 --> 00:02:54.600 And when he gets to the castle of the white witch, he sees a stone lion. 00:02:54.780 --> 00:02:57.219 Now, this white witch can turn animals into stone. 00:02:57.560 --> 00:03:03.700 So he assumes that this lion is Aslan, is the great Aslan that the good Narnians have been talking about. 00:03:03.879 --> 00:03:06.540 And so he laughed and he kind of ridicules it and says, 00:03:06.620 --> 00:03:11.860 Ah, see, this great Aslan's already been defeated, already been turned into stone by the white witch. 00:03:13.060 --> 00:03:18.140 Simple part of the story, easily forgettable, not particularly interesting or exciting. 00:03:18.139 --> 00:03:25.439 And yet when you look a little deeper at what Edmund did, and when you look at it in the context of what was just read, 00:03:25.659 --> 00:03:31.759 about the angel coming to the Virgin Mary, telling her about something impossible that was going to happen, 00:03:31.959 --> 00:03:33.659 we see some interesting parallels. 00:03:34.279 --> 00:03:35.519 We see some interesting challenges. 00:03:35.679 --> 00:03:36.879 We see some interesting questions. 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:45.400 Because Edmund, just like Mary, was presented with supernatural power, with something that seemed impossible, 00:03:45.639 --> 00:03:51.219 with something based on the circumstances that didn't seem could logically and reasonably happen. 00:03:51.659 --> 00:03:55.120 And yet he and Mary reacted and responded in different ways. 00:03:55.120 --> 00:04:03.939 And the two big mistakes that Edmund made in kind of rejecting Aslan and ignoring the possibility of what he considered impossible, 00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:08.560 was that he overestimated himself and he underestimated Aslan. 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:12.640 He overestimated himself and he underestimated Aslan. 00:04:13.400 --> 00:04:20.500 And that, at its simplest level, is what we are all at risk of doing as people living in the 21st century, 00:04:20.500 --> 00:04:26.740 when we are presented with the supernatural power of God, this God of the impossible, 00:04:27.459 --> 00:04:31.019 this God of things beyond our imagination and beyond our understanding. 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:38.579 And any time we either reject God entirely or we don't embrace him and submit to him entirely 00:04:38.579 --> 00:04:41.439 in the way that he deserves to be embraced and submitted to, 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:44.220 we're doing one of those two things in some combination. 00:04:44.220 --> 00:04:50.439 At some level, we are overestimating ourselves and at some level, we're underestimating him. 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:51.519 And his power. 00:04:51.660 --> 00:04:54.199 So those are the two things I want to speak about this morning. 00:04:54.660 --> 00:04:56.620 Overestimating ourselves and underestimating God. 00:04:56.660 --> 00:04:57.680 And what flows from that? 00:04:57.740 --> 00:04:58.879 What are the consequences? 00:04:59.259 --> 00:05:00.079 What are the implications? 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:05.759 And how reasonable is it to be doing that when we actually look more closely at the evidence, 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:08.959 at ourselves, at the human heart, at our circumstances? 00:05:10.139 --> 00:05:12.000 So overestimating ourselves. 00:05:13.500 --> 00:05:17.420 It's interesting that Mary never overestimated herself. 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:19.379 She didn't make this mistake that Edmund made. 00:05:19.379 --> 00:05:23.300 In fact, she was kind of confused and troubled as to why an angel would come to her. 00:05:24.180 --> 00:05:30.680 In this obscure village, in this obscure town, this kind of unknown, single, engaged woman. 00:05:33.139 --> 00:05:39.120 She didn't have that sense of herself, that sense of her own status, 00:05:39.379 --> 00:05:42.240 that aggrandized view of herself. 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:48.400 So when the angel came to her, she was in a much better place to listen and absorb and to process what the angel was saying, 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:53.000 purely in the context of the value of what was being said. 00:05:53.139 --> 00:05:58.759 Whereas Edmund took what was said about Aslan, and he put it in the context of his sense of self, 00:05:58.840 --> 00:06:02.819 about how much he thought of himself, about his self-esteem and his ego. 00:06:02.819 --> 00:06:05.099 And that's why it kind of shot through. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:07.120 It didn't get processed in the right way. 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:11.599 So there were some things that Mary was stressed about and concerned about. 00:06:11.699 --> 00:06:14.019 And we can see that, in a sense, that was reasonable. 00:06:14.259 --> 00:06:20.039 She was stressed about the cultural consequences and the kind of logistical significance of what this angel was saying. 00:06:20.259 --> 00:06:20.920 She's a virgin. 00:06:21.319 --> 00:06:23.100 She's engaged to someone. 00:06:23.259 --> 00:06:24.639 And now she's going to be pregnant. 00:06:24.939 --> 00:06:27.259 Clearly, this is going to cause problems at that time. 00:06:27.259 --> 00:06:34.759 And so while she doesn't reject straight out what the angel is saying, she's got serious concerns and she's anxious. 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:39.279 So when presented with the supernatural power of God, when presented with something impossible, 00:06:40.659 --> 00:06:43.240 Mary's not putting herself above that. 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:45.139 She's not rejecting it because of who she is. 00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:51.339 But she's understandably, in my view, concerned and is perceiving it in the context in which she is. 00:06:51.639 --> 00:06:54.560 Surely that's something that we can all be okay with doing. 00:06:54.560 --> 00:07:02.740 When God presents us with challenges, when God presents us with opportunities, when God presents us with his supernatural power that he wants to deploy in our lives, 00:07:03.620 --> 00:07:10.420 while we shouldn't be subverting it to our own ego and our own sense of who we are and our power, 00:07:10.680 --> 00:07:17.319 it's okay for us to understand it and process it in the context of our circumstances, just like Mary did. 00:07:17.319 --> 00:07:27.379 The problem that Edmund had was he made a judgment about Aslan and chose to reject Aslan based on what he thought was possible. 00:07:28.379 --> 00:07:31.259 And this is an interesting thing about the word impossible, isn't it? 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:33.680 We say it as an objective statement. 00:07:33.779 --> 00:07:39.219 When someone says something's impossible, they're saying that something cannot happen, full stop. 00:07:39.220 --> 00:07:49.040 But really, when we look at it linguistically, what they're only qualified to say is that I'm of the view that this cannot happen based on the information I have, 00:07:49.100 --> 00:07:52.740 under the circumstances I am in, based on the perception that I have. 00:07:53.380 --> 00:07:57.620 As a lawyer, that's how you would take apart a claim of a witness that said, this is impossible. 00:07:57.620 --> 00:08:02.819 And so whenever we think that things are impossible, when our hearts tell us they're impossible, 00:08:02.980 --> 00:08:06.660 when our colleagues tell us they're impossible, when our circumstances tell us they're impossible, 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:13.759 we should remember that it's only based on our perception, it's only based on the information that we have. 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:20.259 And we do this, I think, both individually, whether we're Christians or we're not, 00:08:20.340 --> 00:08:24.899 wherever you are with God today, whether you've been a member of this church since the day it was planted, 00:08:24.899 --> 00:08:28.039 whether you're here for the first time, whether you've been walking with Jesus, 00:08:28.219 --> 00:08:31.539 whether you're thinking about it, whether you've been dragged along here for some other reason, 00:08:31.699 --> 00:08:35.240 I think this can speak to all of us in a very similar way, 00:08:36.100 --> 00:08:41.500 because we all have that instinct to rely on ourselves and our own perception and our own understanding, 00:08:41.699 --> 00:08:44.319 and then put God in a box in accordance with that. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:51.639 And this is kind of the story of humankind, how we've deified human progress and human achievement. 00:08:52.500 --> 00:08:54.639 Increasingly, we build kind of monuments to ourselves. 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:55.759 We invent new things. 00:08:55.980 --> 00:08:59.919 We, you know, the technology and the advancement, and we improve our quality of life, 00:08:59.980 --> 00:09:03.279 and our smartphones got smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller, 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:05.240 and then the screens got bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger, 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:07.259 and then it all got more and more and more powerful. 00:09:07.500 --> 00:09:13.019 And all of these achievements of humankind are impressive on any measure. 00:09:13.059 --> 00:09:17.460 When we look at what we've done over the last X thousand years, it is impressive. 00:09:17.639 --> 00:09:20.580 You know, there's a law that was coined, it's actually just an observation, 00:09:20.580 --> 00:09:25.060 coined by one of the former CEOs of the Intel Corporation called Moore's Law. 00:09:25.180 --> 00:09:29.720 Many of you will have heard of this, which kind of summarises human progress in a pretty accurate way. 00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:36.680 Moore's Law just was simply the observation that the number of transistors on an integrated computer circuit, 00:09:37.300 --> 00:09:40.360 generally speaking, tend to double every two years. 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:46.860 Technology enables the number of transistors on an integrated circuit to double every two years. 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:51.779 And when you model that, it's an exponential increase, because you're doubling on doubling on doubling. 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:52.700 It's compounding. 00:09:52.980 --> 00:09:53.800 And we see that. 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:57.860 We see from just over a hundred years ago, where so many people, 00:09:58.019 --> 00:10:04.080 in fact, the vast majority of humankind was saying that flight for human beings is impossible. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:12.259 Human beings will never fly to the point now where people are flying to another country to have breakfast and then flying back. 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:14.660 117 years later. 00:10:14.920 --> 00:10:19.240 So there's something in Moore's Law, and there's something in human progress and achievement. 00:10:19.520 --> 00:10:26.480 The problem is we take all of that, and we try to draw and build our identity, our sense of self, on all of those things. 00:10:26.620 --> 00:10:27.879 We see the great progress. 00:10:28.020 --> 00:10:29.040 We see the great advancement. 00:10:29.280 --> 00:10:31.700 And we think because of that, we are all there is. 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:33.080 We are all that matters. 00:10:33.080 --> 00:10:36.139 And we look inside ourselves for what's important. 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:37.800 We look inside ourselves for fulfillment. 00:10:38.020 --> 00:10:40.180 We look inside ourselves for identity. 00:10:40.460 --> 00:10:42.900 The psychologists call it self-actualization. 00:10:43.980 --> 00:10:48.940 The sociologists might call it self-sufficiency or self-aggrandizement. 00:10:49.020 --> 00:10:52.660 It's basically just people trying to get by on their own. 00:10:53.139 --> 00:10:54.540 And that's what the world out there is doing. 00:10:54.620 --> 00:10:56.360 It's trying to get by on its own. 00:10:57.080 --> 00:10:58.840 It's what the world teaches. 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:08.399 In fact, even the other world views, whether it's atheism or Buddhism or Hinduism or Islam or anything else, it all requires you to do something. 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:14.659 To self-actualize, to bring about something through what you can do. 00:11:14.659 --> 00:11:15.579 Self-empowerment. 00:11:15.659 --> 00:11:17.799 The entire self-help industry. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:26.279 It's worth something like $11 billion a year globally with books like The Present and Eat, Pray, Love and the movies and all of this stuff. 00:11:26.340 --> 00:11:28.419 It's all about digging deep inside yourself. 00:11:28.459 --> 00:11:30.759 Right from The Wizard of Oz all those years ago. 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:34.860 The whole thing is about looking inside yourself for what you need to be fulfilled. 00:11:35.379 --> 00:11:37.980 Look inside yourself for what you need to be happy. 00:11:39.439 --> 00:11:49.559 And so when we look at all of these different systems of thinking and ways of thinking, it's almost as if all of humankind and life is like a jungle. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.919 And we're all trying to negotiate our way through this jungle. 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:54.299 We're trying to punch our way through it. 00:11:54.519 --> 00:11:57.759 And different people are offering different ways through the jungle. 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:05.779 Some people are saying, you don't need to cut anything, you just swing and you work on your agility and you stretch and you bend and you get fit enough to negotiate through the jungle. 00:12:06.039 --> 00:12:09.240 Other people are like, no, no, just get a chainsaw and hack your way through the jungle. 00:12:09.539 --> 00:12:12.819 Some people are like, look, we don't have chainsaws but we've got machetes to get through the jungle. 00:12:13.139 --> 00:12:17.379 And then different people are teaching different ways of cutting and different ways of using the chainsaws and the machetes. 00:12:17.639 --> 00:12:22.059 Some people just want to bring forklifts and boulders and just barnstorm their way through the jungle. 00:12:22.059 --> 00:12:27.679 But everyone's trying to negotiate their way through the jungle using their own strength, using their own systems. 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:34.840 And it all comes down to an overestimation of ourselves and what we are capable of. 00:12:34.939 --> 00:12:48.039 Because when we look at the stats, humankind is more educated, is more wealthy, is more technologically advanced, is more knowledgeable, is supposed to be more politically and philosophically enlightened than we've ever been before. 00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:52.039 And yet all of the statistics tell a different story. 00:12:53.159 --> 00:12:55.019 Mental illness at an all-time high. 00:12:55.139 --> 00:12:56.819 Homicide rates at an all-time high. 00:12:56.939 --> 00:12:58.559 Suicide rates at an all-time high. 00:12:58.819 --> 00:13:00.759 Divorce rates at an all-time high. 00:13:01.459 --> 00:13:03.639 Humankind is out there more advanced than ever. 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:07.559 Broken minds, broken bodies, broken spirits. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:10.579 All because we're overestimating ourselves. 00:13:10.580 --> 00:13:14.040 So that's one problem. 00:13:14.800 --> 00:13:22.780 The other problem or the other challenge, and certainly for us, regardless of where we are with God, the other risk is underestimating God. 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:25.020 And this can be just as bad. 00:13:26.100 --> 00:13:27.240 And Edmund clearly did this. 00:13:27.300 --> 00:13:29.160 He underestimated Aslan and went to the White Witch. 00:13:29.159 --> 00:13:37.799 But even Mary at first, there's some evidence in the Scripture to suggest that she had a little double take on what the angel was saying. 00:13:38.519 --> 00:13:40.639 And again, we can forgive her for that. 00:13:40.679 --> 00:13:45.019 It kind of seems reasonable because the angel said she's going to be pregnant and she's like, but I'm a virgin. 00:13:45.740 --> 00:13:48.299 And based on the information she had, virgins don't get pregnant. 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:52.579 Based on the information we still have, virgins don't get pregnant. 00:13:52.819 --> 00:13:54.659 That's a reasonable response. 00:13:54.659 --> 00:14:01.179 And so at first, even she questions what the angel is saying. 00:14:01.259 --> 00:14:03.039 She questions it based on what she thought was possible. 00:14:06.319 --> 00:14:13.219 Today, when we are presented with the supernatural power of God, when we are presented with situations that seem impossible, 00:14:14.379 --> 00:14:19.699 and then we're presented with what Christians call a God of the impossible to overcome those situations, 00:14:19.700 --> 00:14:26.580 the reason we reject the supernatural power of God, or the reason we reject God at all on any level, 00:14:28.160 --> 00:14:29.580 whether we're Christians or we're not, 00:14:30.660 --> 00:14:37.320 generally comes down to one of two categories of error, or two reactions that we have 00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:42.420 to this claim that God is capable of the supernatural, or that God can do the impossible. 00:14:42.419 --> 00:14:49.419 The first is, for some, and as an apologist, I see a lot of this out there, 00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:57.500 is quite simply that people think that this God that we speak of seems impossible to believe in in the first place. 00:14:58.139 --> 00:14:59.740 This all seems impossible. 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:03.099 This supernatural God, all of these miracles, it all seems unbelievable. 00:15:03.479 --> 00:15:07.980 You want us to throw out the laws of science, you want us to throw out the laws of nature, 00:15:07.980 --> 00:15:11.779 you want us to throw out the principles of logic, and they mash it all together and say, 00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:14.879 this just can't be, it's impossible, it can't happen. 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:20.899 It's interesting, though, because those kind of reactions and those kinds of summarial statements, 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:23.340 they work fine if you just say them quickly like that. 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:28.779 But once you get them in, at least notionally, a courtroom of the mind, 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:31.120 or a courtroom of debate, or a courtroom of dialogue, 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:36.259 and you look deeper into what people who reject the existence of God, 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:39.000 or the truth of the Christian message, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, 00:15:39.060 --> 00:15:40.480 or the reliability of the scriptures, 00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:43.779 when you start taking things apart more carefully, 00:15:44.120 --> 00:15:48.560 we see holes start to appear in these critiques very, very quickly. 00:15:49.879 --> 00:15:52.519 And this is a sermon I'm giving on a particular passage, 00:15:52.659 --> 00:15:55.460 so unfortunately I don't have time to go into all of those arguments. 00:15:55.980 --> 00:15:57.960 Many of you will know them, there are books out there on them, 00:15:57.960 --> 00:16:01.360 and I'm sure many of you have prayed on these and thought on these before. 00:16:02.660 --> 00:16:05.420 But just one example, on the virgin birth alone, 00:16:06.259 --> 00:16:10.780 a lot of the new atheists ridicule and mock the entire Christian faith, 00:16:10.840 --> 00:16:15.720 and they centre it, they centre their disbelief on the impossibility of the virgin birth. 00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:19.200 They make the reasonable claim that virgins don't get pregnant, 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:23.100 and they say, therefore, all of Christianity is false. 00:16:24.460 --> 00:16:26.960 Interestingly, though, when you talk about the origins of life, 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:28.879 because if you reject Christianity outright, 00:16:29.019 --> 00:16:31.160 and that's everyone's right and prerogative, 00:16:31.400 --> 00:16:33.300 if you choose to reject Christianity outright, 00:16:33.400 --> 00:16:38.180 you still have to explain a lot of things that any worldview has to explain. 00:16:38.280 --> 00:16:41.680 The origins of life, the source of meaning, the source of human dignity, 00:16:41.900 --> 00:16:46.160 the categories of purpose, destiny, morality, and so forth. 00:16:46.360 --> 00:16:48.379 And so if you reject the virgin birth outright, 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:52.560 you still have to explain somehow the origins of human life, 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:55.879 if you're rejecting the virgin birth and through that Christianity and creation. 00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:58.860 And here's how it's explained. 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:03.580 This is actually the best explanation from new atheism that I could find. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:05.880 This guy's at least honest about how it happened. 00:17:06.539 --> 00:17:08.640 Peter Singer, he says, 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:14.660 First they claim, of course, that there's just nothing but a primeval soup, 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:18.520 so there's no life out there, there's just kind of random molecules and compounds. 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:20.120 And then Peter Singer says this, 00:17:20.840 --> 00:17:23.920 We can assume that somehow in the primeval soup, 00:17:24.180 --> 00:17:28.060 we got collections of molecules that became self-replicating. 00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:33.340 And I don't think we need any miraculous or mysterious explanation beyond that. 00:17:33.660 --> 00:17:34.640 I'll read the first line again. 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:37.500 We can assume that somehow in the primeval soup, 00:17:37.740 --> 00:17:41.780 we got collections of molecules that became self-replicating. 00:17:42.900 --> 00:17:45.900 Now, I'm from the subcontinent. 00:17:46.040 --> 00:17:46.780 It's an Eastern culture. 00:17:46.980 --> 00:17:47.780 I have a lot of cousins. 00:17:49.280 --> 00:17:51.360 And I'm from an Eastern culture. 00:17:51.620 --> 00:17:52.540 We've been very blessed. 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:54.100 Almost half of my cousins are doctors. 00:17:54.099 --> 00:17:58.639 I was the failure that became a lawyer. 00:18:00.139 --> 00:18:02.619 And then became an apologist and just confused the whole system. 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.839 But they tell me, reliably, when I ask them, 00:18:09.219 --> 00:18:11.359 when Fiona became pregnant, 00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:14.759 and we were early in the pregnancy with Zach, 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:15.879 and I asked them, 00:18:15.959 --> 00:18:17.279 How does this even work? 00:18:18.059 --> 00:18:21.259 How does a new life grow inside someone? 00:18:21.259 --> 00:18:24.759 And the miraculous aspect of it aside, 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:25.980 what they tell me, 00:18:26.819 --> 00:18:27.420 my cousins, 00:18:27.900 --> 00:18:29.759 and medical science, 00:18:29.819 --> 00:18:30.480 is that basically, 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:32.160 that's how it starts. 00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:34.680 It's when cells self-replicate. 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:38.599 So what Peter Singer is effectively arguing for 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:39.480 is a virgin birth. 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:42.339 To support atheism. 00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:44.299 So in the end, 00:18:44.339 --> 00:18:45.759 and this is just one tiny example 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:47.640 in one category of critique that we see 00:18:47.640 --> 00:18:49.480 of belief in God and the Christian faith, 00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:53.400 all Christians and all atheists out there 00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:55.279 are believing in a virgin birth of some type. 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:56.059 The question is, 00:18:56.120 --> 00:18:57.400 which virgin birth are you believing in? 00:18:58.779 --> 00:18:59.839 This is just one example 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:01.099 that I chose 00:19:01.099 --> 00:19:02.420 because I'm speaking from this passage. 00:19:03.059 --> 00:19:04.640 There are countless, countless others 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:05.460 for every critique 00:19:05.460 --> 00:19:06.920 you could possibly think of. 00:19:07.779 --> 00:19:09.079 The only way 00:19:09.079 --> 00:19:11.120 you can reasonably say, 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:13.059 using the principles of logic and philosophy 00:19:13.059 --> 00:19:13.960 and law and evidence, 00:19:14.180 --> 00:19:15.660 the only way you can reasonably argue 00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:16.559 that miracles, 00:19:16.779 --> 00:19:17.680 that the virgin birth 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:18.700 and other miracles, 00:19:18.900 --> 00:19:19.700 are impossible, 00:19:20.019 --> 00:19:21.160 is to prove, 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:22.120 deductively, 00:19:22.279 --> 00:19:23.240 that God 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:24.340 is impossible 00:19:24.340 --> 00:19:25.799 or God does not exist. 00:19:26.320 --> 00:19:27.060 That's the only way 00:19:27.060 --> 00:19:28.080 because if God exists, 00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:29.060 then miracles are really 00:19:29.060 --> 00:19:30.039 no big deal at all. 00:19:31.560 --> 00:19:32.519 No big deal at all. 00:19:32.580 --> 00:19:33.400 If God exists, 00:19:34.140 --> 00:19:35.060 then it's like saying 00:19:35.060 --> 00:19:36.400 banana trees exist, 00:19:36.740 --> 00:19:38.000 therefore the existence of bananas 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:39.360 is not really a big surprise. 00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:40.180 If God exists, 00:19:40.340 --> 00:19:41.299 the virgin birth 00:19:41.299 --> 00:19:42.680 is barely a miracle. 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:45.660 It's just a flick of the wrist 00:19:45.660 --> 00:19:47.640 if God exists. 00:19:47.779 --> 00:19:48.700 The only way of saying 00:19:48.700 --> 00:19:50.400 that miracles are impossible 00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:51.180 or the virgin birth 00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:51.740 was impossible 00:19:51.740 --> 00:19:52.500 is to prove 00:19:52.500 --> 00:19:53.259 that there's no God. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:55.759 Now here's an interesting thing 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:56.820 with proving 00:19:56.820 --> 00:19:57.860 a negative assertion, 00:19:58.380 --> 00:19:59.539 proving that there is no God. 00:19:59.660 --> 00:20:00.660 You actually need 00:20:00.660 --> 00:20:01.700 complete knowledge 00:20:01.700 --> 00:20:02.240 to do it. 00:20:02.299 --> 00:20:03.220 You need to have knowledge 00:20:03.220 --> 00:20:04.080 of everything 00:20:04.080 --> 00:20:05.340 across the universe 00:20:05.340 --> 00:20:07.400 to know that there is no God. 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:08.279 If you want to tell me 00:20:08.279 --> 00:20:09.519 that bananas don't exist, 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:11.340 you have to show me 00:20:11.339 --> 00:20:12.500 all of the fruit 00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:13.839 in the universe 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:14.659 and show me 00:20:14.659 --> 00:20:15.759 that there are no bananas there. 00:20:16.699 --> 00:20:18.379 It's a very difficult thing to do 00:20:18.379 --> 00:20:19.720 to deductively prove a negative. 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:20.179 That's why 00:20:20.179 --> 00:20:21.259 even the honest 00:20:21.259 --> 00:20:21.819 and smart 00:20:21.819 --> 00:20:23.119 new atheists 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:23.779 and atheists, 00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:24.980 they will say 00:20:24.980 --> 00:20:26.119 it's very unlikely 00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:26.740 God exists 00:20:26.740 --> 00:20:28.319 or he probably doesn't exist 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:29.399 or we don't have enough evidence 00:20:29.399 --> 00:20:29.959 that he exists. 00:20:30.179 --> 00:20:31.059 It takes a very 00:20:31.059 --> 00:20:33.199 bad philosopher 00:20:33.199 --> 00:20:35.059 to say that God 00:20:35.059 --> 00:20:36.159 definitely does not exist. 00:20:36.259 --> 00:20:37.559 They can't disprove it. 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:39.159 Now Yuri Gagarin 00:20:39.159 --> 00:20:39.899 was the first 00:20:39.900 --> 00:20:42.240 human being in space, 00:20:42.380 --> 00:20:43.220 Russian cosmonaut 00:20:43.220 --> 00:20:44.680 earlier in the 20th century. 00:20:45.080 --> 00:20:46.280 He got up there 00:20:46.280 --> 00:20:47.360 and obviously 00:20:47.360 --> 00:20:48.080 a known atheist 00:20:48.080 --> 00:20:49.780 and probably running 00:20:49.780 --> 00:20:50.280 some propaganda 00:20:50.280 --> 00:20:50.860 for the government 00:20:50.860 --> 00:20:51.680 that sent him there too 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:52.860 and he said, 00:20:53.019 --> 00:20:53.860 I've been up to the heavens, 00:20:54.340 --> 00:20:55.580 I've been out into space 00:20:55.580 --> 00:20:57.340 and I can assure 00:20:57.340 --> 00:20:58.280 everyone on earth 00:20:58.280 --> 00:20:59.580 that God does not exist. 00:21:00.040 --> 00:21:00.880 I've been up to the heavens 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:01.600 and I had a look 00:21:01.600 --> 00:21:03.120 and God does not exist. 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:05.280 And C.S. Lewis responded 00:21:05.280 --> 00:21:06.400 by saying, 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:07.720 for Yuri Gagarin 00:21:07.720 --> 00:21:08.860 to go into space 00:21:08.860 --> 00:21:09.780 and claim that God 00:21:09.780 --> 00:21:10.380 does not exist 00:21:10.380 --> 00:21:10.880 because he couldn't 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:11.480 find him there 00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:12.620 is as ridiculous 00:21:12.620 --> 00:21:13.860 as Hamlet 00:21:13.860 --> 00:21:14.800 or Macbeth 00:21:14.800 --> 00:21:15.960 going into their attic 00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:16.940 and claiming 00:21:16.940 --> 00:21:17.780 that William Shakespeare 00:21:17.780 --> 00:21:18.600 doesn't exist 00:21:18.600 --> 00:21:20.019 because they couldn't 00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:20.500 find him 00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:21.320 in their attic. 00:21:22.380 --> 00:21:23.759 We see the ridiculousness 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:24.320 of this, right? 00:21:27.460 --> 00:21:28.960 The only way 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:30.060 that Hamlet 00:21:30.060 --> 00:21:31.380 would know 00:21:31.380 --> 00:21:32.380 that William Shakespeare 00:21:32.380 --> 00:21:33.040 existed 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:35.720 is if William Shakespeare 00:21:35.720 --> 00:21:37.139 wrote himself 00:21:37.139 --> 00:21:38.359 into the story, 00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:39.299 Hamlet. 00:21:40.339 --> 00:21:41.859 The only way 00:21:41.859 --> 00:21:43.220 Hamlet would know 00:21:43.220 --> 00:21:44.200 about William Shakespeare, 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:45.119 would be able to meet him, 00:21:45.180 --> 00:21:45.980 would be able to even know 00:21:45.980 --> 00:21:47.399 of his existence, 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:48.859 is if Shakespeare 00:21:48.859 --> 00:21:49.559 wrote himself 00:21:49.559 --> 00:21:50.279 into the story. 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:53.339 Isn't it interesting 00:21:53.339 --> 00:21:54.099 that's exactly 00:21:54.099 --> 00:21:55.359 what this God did? 00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:57.099 Wrote himself 00:21:57.099 --> 00:21:58.159 into the story. 00:21:59.180 --> 00:22:00.279 Gave people a way 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:01.420 of not only knowing 00:22:01.420 --> 00:22:02.139 that he existed, 00:22:02.140 --> 00:22:03.560 but of knowing him 00:22:03.560 --> 00:22:04.500 personally, 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:06.140 up close and personal, 00:22:06.620 --> 00:22:07.380 as a person. 00:22:10.420 --> 00:22:11.280 So for some people 00:22:11.280 --> 00:22:12.140 this God 00:22:12.140 --> 00:22:14.300 just seems too impossible 00:22:14.300 --> 00:22:15.040 to believe in 00:22:15.040 --> 00:22:16.140 and we've already seen 00:22:16.140 --> 00:22:17.400 the difficulties 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:17.980 with that. 00:22:18.320 --> 00:22:19.100 For other people 00:22:19.100 --> 00:22:20.380 it's just an unwillingness 00:22:20.380 --> 00:22:21.360 to trust in God 00:22:21.360 --> 00:22:22.520 and that's often 00:22:22.520 --> 00:22:23.300 where more of us 00:22:23.300 --> 00:22:24.100 are as Christians 00:22:24.100 --> 00:22:25.340 because we go through 00:22:25.340 --> 00:22:26.360 difficulties with him. 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:27.020 We see things 00:22:27.020 --> 00:22:27.500 that are difficult 00:22:27.500 --> 00:22:28.220 in our lives 00:22:28.220 --> 00:22:28.800 or that are happening 00:22:28.800 --> 00:22:30.140 to people we love 00:22:30.140 --> 00:22:30.880 or there might have been 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:32.000 people in our lives 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:32.940 that have hurt us. 00:22:33.020 --> 00:22:33.380 There might have been 00:22:33.380 --> 00:22:34.640 people in your history 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:35.440 or in your life 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:36.540 that might have been 00:22:36.540 --> 00:22:37.480 Christian or called 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:38.280 themselves Christian 00:22:38.280 --> 00:22:39.020 and might have not 00:22:39.020 --> 00:22:39.740 acted like it 00:22:39.740 --> 00:22:40.600 and might have really 00:22:40.600 --> 00:22:42.020 hurt you or someone else 00:22:42.020 --> 00:22:43.060 and for that reason 00:22:43.060 --> 00:22:43.500 you say, 00:22:43.800 --> 00:22:44.640 is this God trustworthy 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:46.640 if people can follow him 00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:47.640 and claim to believe in him 00:22:47.640 --> 00:22:48.780 and then behave like this? 00:22:49.360 --> 00:22:50.340 One of the most common 00:22:50.340 --> 00:22:51.160 objections we get 00:22:51.160 --> 00:22:52.100 as apologists 00:22:52.100 --> 00:22:53.700 is how can you claim 00:22:53.700 --> 00:22:54.460 that this is true 00:22:54.460 --> 00:22:55.340 when the evidence 00:22:55.340 --> 00:22:56.880 of it amongst Christians, 00:22:57.360 --> 00:22:58.560 we have so much evidence 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:00.099 of Christians not behaving 00:23:00.099 --> 00:23:00.899 like the Christ 00:23:00.899 --> 00:23:01.919 that they claim to follow? 00:23:03.919 --> 00:23:04.960 And that's fair. 00:23:05.139 --> 00:23:06.220 I think that's a fair question. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:06.859 That's something we should, 00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:07.539 we're all going to have 00:23:07.539 --> 00:23:08.200 to answer for them. 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:09.000 That's why we have to all 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:09.980 continue working 00:23:09.980 --> 00:23:11.579 and building communities, 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:12.460 loving communities. 00:23:12.679 --> 00:23:13.639 But let me tell you 00:23:13.639 --> 00:23:14.299 something about 00:23:14.299 --> 00:23:16.119 why that's an incorrect 00:23:16.119 --> 00:23:17.200 and erroneous way 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:18.579 of judging this God 00:23:18.579 --> 00:23:19.559 and of making a decision 00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:20.879 about this God. 00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:22.720 If you think of 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:23.859 a beautiful piece of music, 00:23:24.980 --> 00:23:25.899 I just Googled 00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:28.580 because I'm nowhere near 00:23:28.580 --> 00:23:29.740 cultured enough to know this. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.100 What's the most famous 00:23:31.100 --> 00:23:31.720 piece of music 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:33.019 that Beethoven ever composed? 00:23:33.620 --> 00:23:34.300 According to Google, 00:23:34.440 --> 00:23:35.340 which means it has to be true, 00:23:35.840 --> 00:23:36.640 it turns out that 00:23:36.640 --> 00:23:37.900 it's Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. 00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:40.300 A beautiful piece of music 00:23:40.300 --> 00:23:41.960 like Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, 00:23:43.120 --> 00:23:43.720 it doesn't matter 00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:45.320 how much I practiced 00:23:45.320 --> 00:23:45.940 on the piano, 00:23:46.060 --> 00:23:47.220 and I'm not a pianist at all, 00:23:47.840 --> 00:23:49.140 I would never be able 00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:50.100 to play that in the way 00:23:50.100 --> 00:23:51.180 that Beethoven played it. 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:53.160 Even the pianists 00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:53.700 in the room, 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:55.160 if you're honest 00:23:55.160 --> 00:23:55.660 with yourselves, 00:23:55.840 --> 00:23:56.300 you would know 00:23:56.300 --> 00:23:57.100 you would never be able 00:23:57.100 --> 00:23:57.660 to play it 00:23:57.660 --> 00:23:58.900 the way he played it. 00:23:59.220 --> 00:24:00.000 That symphony 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:01.060 was composed 00:24:01.060 --> 00:24:02.360 by Beethoven 00:24:02.360 --> 00:24:03.480 for Beethoven. 00:24:03.720 --> 00:24:04.620 He's the only one 00:24:04.620 --> 00:24:06.080 capable of playing it perfectly. 00:24:07.300 --> 00:24:08.240 Every other person 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:09.220 that tries to play it 00:24:09.220 --> 00:24:10.600 is an imperfect representation. 00:24:10.920 --> 00:24:11.940 Some people might get close, 00:24:12.200 --> 00:24:12.960 lots of people might, 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:13.660 but it's still 00:24:13.660 --> 00:24:14.540 an imperfect representation. 00:24:17.360 --> 00:24:18.820 The Christian life 00:24:18.820 --> 00:24:22.080 has only ever been played, 00:24:22.080 --> 00:24:22.880 the song 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:24.960 has only ever been played, 00:24:25.160 --> 00:24:26.700 by one person perfectly, 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:28.480 the person of Jesus Christ. 00:24:28.700 --> 00:24:29.640 That's the person 00:24:29.640 --> 00:24:30.620 for us to look at 00:24:30.620 --> 00:24:32.640 to make a decision 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:34.060 in relation to our own life 00:24:34.060 --> 00:24:35.160 about whether or not 00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:36.340 to accept or reject 00:24:36.340 --> 00:24:37.160 this God, 00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:38.200 this God of the impossible. 00:24:38.940 --> 00:24:40.380 If that's what's holding you back, 00:24:41.840 --> 00:24:43.140 that someone has done something, 00:24:43.259 --> 00:24:44.240 or you look at Christians 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:45.620 and you're not impressed, 00:24:46.340 --> 00:24:47.400 it's irrelevant 00:24:47.400 --> 00:24:49.540 as to whether or not 00:24:49.540 --> 00:24:50.380 you're impressed by them. 00:24:50.380 --> 00:24:51.600 Look at the person of Jesus. 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:52.799 So when we look at 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:54.299 these sources of doubt 00:24:54.299 --> 00:24:55.259 that people use 00:24:55.259 --> 00:24:56.319 for underestimating God 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:57.459 or that people fall to 00:24:57.459 --> 00:24:58.699 for underestimating God, 00:24:58.859 --> 00:25:00.079 just a philosophical struggle 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:00.699 to accept 00:25:00.699 --> 00:25:01.459 that the supernatural 00:25:01.459 --> 00:25:02.079 can happen 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:03.699 or a personal struggle 00:25:03.699 --> 00:25:05.039 to trust in God 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:06.339 because of other people 00:25:06.339 --> 00:25:07.159 that might have hurt them 00:25:07.159 --> 00:25:07.939 or experiences 00:25:07.939 --> 00:25:08.619 they might have had, 00:25:08.719 --> 00:25:09.759 the answer to both 00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:10.659 of those doubts 00:25:10.659 --> 00:25:12.279 is to look at 00:25:12.279 --> 00:25:13.399 the person of Jesus Christ. 00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:14.519 It all comes back 00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:15.399 to the person 00:25:15.399 --> 00:25:16.179 of Jesus Christ. 00:25:16.179 --> 00:25:17.139 He's the person 00:25:17.139 --> 00:25:18.079 that God came into 00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:18.939 the world as, 00:25:19.159 --> 00:25:19.859 God's Son. 00:25:19.859 --> 00:25:21.759 the most perfect 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:23.019 human representation 00:25:23.019 --> 00:25:24.179 of God possible 00:25:24.179 --> 00:25:25.339 in our world. 00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:27.619 The most perfect 00:25:27.619 --> 00:25:28.519 human representation 00:25:28.519 --> 00:25:29.240 of God 00:25:29.240 --> 00:25:30.039 that was possible 00:25:30.039 --> 00:25:31.179 in our world 00:25:31.179 --> 00:25:32.219 is Jesus Christ. 00:25:32.379 --> 00:25:33.059 So what this all 00:25:33.059 --> 00:25:33.799 comes back to 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:35.799 is what is our response 00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:36.740 to Jesus Christ? 00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:37.819 The whole thing 00:25:37.819 --> 00:25:38.659 comes down to that. 00:25:39.339 --> 00:25:41.519 What is my response 00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:42.459 and your response 00:25:42.459 --> 00:25:43.479 to the person 00:25:43.479 --> 00:25:44.639 of Jesus Christ? 00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:45.379 Well, when it comes 00:25:45.379 --> 00:25:46.159 to the virgin birth, 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:46.839 there's lots of things 00:25:46.839 --> 00:25:48.139 we can see about him, 00:25:48.939 --> 00:25:49.679 about how he came 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:50.480 into the world 00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:52.080 through this virgin birth 00:25:52.080 --> 00:25:53.500 that already distinguish him 00:25:53.500 --> 00:25:54.340 from other people 00:25:54.340 --> 00:25:55.640 in human history 00:25:55.640 --> 00:25:56.620 that have asked us 00:25:56.620 --> 00:25:57.460 to follow them 00:25:57.460 --> 00:25:58.600 or follow their principles 00:25:58.600 --> 00:26:00.259 or follow their philosophies. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:03.039 The most interesting 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:03.740 and most powerful, 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:04.220 I think, 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:05.279 gets back to 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:06.180 the Shakespeare thing. 00:26:06.620 --> 00:26:07.860 It's when you look 00:26:07.860 --> 00:26:08.360 at all of these 00:26:08.360 --> 00:26:09.100 other religions, 00:26:10.500 --> 00:26:11.720 they're always conducted, 00:26:12.460 --> 00:26:13.900 religions or worldviews, 00:26:14.039 --> 00:26:14.880 either entirely 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:16.000 in the supernatural 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:17.140 or entirely 00:26:17.140 --> 00:26:18.039 in the natural. 00:26:18.039 --> 00:26:19.740 The Hinduism example, 00:26:19.899 --> 00:26:20.440 which is, of course, 00:26:20.599 --> 00:26:21.339 most prevalent 00:26:21.339 --> 00:26:22.700 in the part of the world 00:26:22.700 --> 00:26:23.379 where I'm from, 00:26:23.659 --> 00:26:25.000 it's all mythological. 00:26:25.379 --> 00:26:26.920 It's all in the supernatural realm. 00:26:28.099 --> 00:26:29.980 Those gods never interacted. 00:26:30.159 --> 00:26:31.180 Nothing ever happened here. 00:26:31.259 --> 00:26:32.079 You just have to trust 00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:32.599 that it happened 00:26:32.599 --> 00:26:34.579 in another supernatural place. 00:26:34.659 --> 00:26:35.480 In many senses, 00:26:35.579 --> 00:26:36.259 the same with the Greek 00:26:36.259 --> 00:26:37.099 and the Roman gods. 00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:40.839 Other religions, 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:43.599 like Islam, for example, 00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:46.139 happened entirely 00:26:46.139 --> 00:26:46.859 in the natural. 00:26:47.779 --> 00:26:48.879 God never came here. 00:26:49.439 --> 00:26:50.759 He never directly interacted. 00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:52.119 He never, you know, 00:26:52.199 --> 00:26:53.179 made presence 00:26:53.179 --> 00:26:54.579 with the world he created. 00:26:54.699 --> 00:26:55.419 He just dictated 00:26:55.419 --> 00:26:56.359 something to someone 00:26:56.359 --> 00:26:57.579 and then that was 00:26:57.579 --> 00:26:58.519 the rules and regulations 00:26:58.519 --> 00:26:59.759 from which we should all be 00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:00.939 responding to 00:27:00.939 --> 00:27:01.559 and living by. 00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:03.399 This God, 00:27:04.019 --> 00:27:05.399 this God of the impossible, 00:27:05.740 --> 00:27:06.879 is the only one 00:27:06.879 --> 00:27:07.959 of any worldview, 00:27:08.299 --> 00:27:09.019 of any religion 00:27:09.019 --> 00:27:09.579 or philosophy 00:27:09.579 --> 00:27:10.379 in human history, 00:27:10.380 --> 00:27:11.880 that brings together 00:27:11.880 --> 00:27:12.980 the supernatural 00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:14.000 with the natural. 00:27:14.180 --> 00:27:15.120 A supernatural God 00:27:15.120 --> 00:27:16.200 coming into the world 00:27:16.200 --> 00:27:17.360 as a baby, 00:27:17.540 --> 00:27:18.160 as a person. 00:27:20.900 --> 00:27:21.560 That's unique 00:27:21.560 --> 00:27:22.320 in and of itself. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:24.880 One of the other things 00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:25.500 I find interesting 00:27:25.500 --> 00:27:26.300 with the virgin birth 00:27:26.300 --> 00:27:27.300 is if we were trying 00:27:27.300 --> 00:27:27.980 to fool people, 00:27:28.100 --> 00:27:28.560 if they, 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:29.980 if the authors of the Gospels 00:27:29.980 --> 00:27:31.360 were trying to make something up, 00:27:31.700 --> 00:27:32.560 you wouldn't 00:27:32.560 --> 00:27:35.120 bring the person 00:27:35.120 --> 00:27:35.960 you call God, 00:27:36.080 --> 00:27:36.940 bring the Son of God 00:27:36.940 --> 00:27:37.720 into the world 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:39.240 through an illegitimate birth. 00:27:39.240 --> 00:27:40.579 That just creates more work 00:27:40.579 --> 00:27:41.359 for apologists. 00:27:42.519 --> 00:27:43.980 It just makes it less credible. 00:27:44.180 --> 00:27:45.279 It just makes it less respectable. 00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:47.059 It just makes it less proper. 00:27:47.980 --> 00:27:48.960 It automatically puts 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:50.579 the whole system of belief 00:27:50.579 --> 00:27:51.339 on the back foot 00:27:51.339 --> 00:27:51.859 when you were trying 00:27:51.859 --> 00:27:52.980 to get the word out to people. 00:27:53.819 --> 00:27:55.359 You just wouldn't make that up. 00:27:55.740 --> 00:27:56.500 It's unhelpful 00:27:56.500 --> 00:27:58.120 to make it up. 00:28:00.519 --> 00:28:01.740 Another of the many reasons 00:28:01.740 --> 00:28:03.180 why we see the uniqueness 00:28:03.180 --> 00:28:04.160 of Jesus Christ 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:05.259 is because of his 00:28:05.259 --> 00:28:06.359 ongoing involvement 00:28:06.359 --> 00:28:07.599 with the world 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:08.980 through his spirit. 00:28:09.240 --> 00:28:10.779 And this is the kicker, 00:28:10.859 --> 00:28:11.099 really, 00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:12.460 because this is the answer 00:28:12.460 --> 00:28:13.720 that the angel gave to Mary 00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:14.359 when she said, 00:28:14.460 --> 00:28:14.640 hey, 00:28:16.359 --> 00:28:17.279 virgins don't get pregnant. 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:19.400 He said, 00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:19.660 yes, 00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:20.779 but the Holy Spirit 00:28:20.779 --> 00:28:22.180 will make it possible. 00:28:22.940 --> 00:28:23.799 The Holy Spirit, 00:28:23.880 --> 00:28:25.000 many of us often forget this, 00:28:25.180 --> 00:28:26.500 he's not some abstract 00:28:26.500 --> 00:28:27.359 team member 00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:28.000 of the Trinity 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:29.559 that's like running drinks 00:28:29.559 --> 00:28:30.019 for them. 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:32.940 He's the Holy Spirit 00:28:32.940 --> 00:28:34.559 of Jesus Christ. 00:28:35.380 --> 00:28:36.519 He's the Holy Spirit 00:28:36.519 --> 00:28:37.779 of God the Father. 00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:41.139 He's those two persons 00:28:41.139 --> 00:28:41.779 of the Trinity 00:28:41.779 --> 00:28:43.139 in spirit, 00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:43.940 as a spirit. 00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:46.119 And he's still with us. 00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:47.859 He's inside everyone 00:28:47.859 --> 00:28:48.700 that's accepted Jesus 00:28:48.700 --> 00:28:49.539 into their lives. 00:28:50.279 --> 00:28:51.500 He still works miracles. 00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:52.460 He still has the capacity 00:28:52.460 --> 00:28:53.759 of the Holy Spirit 00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:56.559 that resulted in Mary's pregnancy. 00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:58.099 That supernatural capacity 00:28:58.099 --> 00:29:00.460 is still accessible 00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:01.339 to all of us. 00:29:01.339 --> 00:29:05.059 So all of this evidence 00:29:05.059 --> 00:29:06.919 that points to the truth, 00:29:07.159 --> 00:29:08.079 not just the possibility, 00:29:08.259 --> 00:29:08.859 but the truth 00:29:08.859 --> 00:29:09.779 of the virgin birth, 00:29:10.159 --> 00:29:11.359 the truth of the existence 00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:12.179 of this God, 00:29:13.619 --> 00:29:14.419 is quite overwhelming 00:29:14.419 --> 00:29:15.399 when you start looking through it. 00:29:15.399 --> 00:29:16.199 And I could keep going. 00:29:16.419 --> 00:29:16.879 I don't have time 00:29:16.879 --> 00:29:17.419 to keep going. 00:29:19.740 --> 00:29:20.699 But what's interesting 00:29:20.699 --> 00:29:21.619 about all of this, 00:29:21.740 --> 00:29:22.779 I've been talking about evidence, 00:29:22.779 --> 00:29:23.799 I've been talking like a lawyer, 00:29:24.579 --> 00:29:25.480 all of this evidence 00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:27.039 might point to something's existence 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:28.079 or someone's existence, 00:29:28.220 --> 00:29:28.980 even the miracles. 00:29:29.779 --> 00:29:30.599 And there's so many others, 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:30.859 right, 00:29:30.859 --> 00:29:31.899 turning water into wine 00:29:31.899 --> 00:29:32.639 and healing people 00:29:32.639 --> 00:29:33.399 and even raising, 00:29:33.539 --> 00:29:34.139 you know, 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:35.539 friends of his from the dead 00:29:35.539 --> 00:29:36.439 that Jesus performed. 00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:37.719 But none of them 00:29:37.719 --> 00:29:39.019 have a response imperative. 00:29:40.159 --> 00:29:40.899 In a sense, 00:29:40.959 --> 00:29:41.919 without wanting to diminish 00:29:41.919 --> 00:29:43.459 their power, 00:29:44.399 --> 00:29:45.959 it's kind of like fire twirling 00:29:45.959 --> 00:29:47.299 these miracles. 00:29:47.719 --> 00:29:48.199 Because yeah, 00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:48.679 they're great, 00:29:48.740 --> 00:29:49.359 but then what am I meant 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:50.219 to do with all of this? 00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:51.500 That's great for them. 00:29:51.779 --> 00:29:52.979 Great that they got free wine. 00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:56.379 Particularly living in Singapore, 00:29:56.500 --> 00:29:57.039 it's really great 00:29:57.039 --> 00:29:57.839 that they got free wine. 00:29:59.779 --> 00:30:00.719 But what about 00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:01.920 what does that have to do with me? 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:03.100 What's the point of all of this? 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:05.160 Where is the response imperative? 00:30:05.559 --> 00:30:05.860 And so, 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:07.079 my point to you is 00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:07.559 that 00:30:07.559 --> 00:30:09.079 the virgin birth 00:30:09.079 --> 00:30:09.880 in and of itself 00:30:09.880 --> 00:30:11.240 is proof that God exists. 00:30:11.900 --> 00:30:12.440 The fact that God 00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:13.220 came into the world 00:30:13.220 --> 00:30:13.759 as a person 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:15.180 is proof that he exists. 00:30:15.700 --> 00:30:15.839 But 00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:17.559 there's no response imperative 00:30:17.559 --> 00:30:18.600 if that's the end of the story. 00:30:19.100 --> 00:30:20.059 It just proves that he exists 00:30:20.059 --> 00:30:20.680 and that's it. 00:30:21.059 --> 00:30:21.640 That's the end of the story. 00:30:21.700 --> 00:30:22.019 We might as well 00:30:22.019 --> 00:30:22.740 just get on with it. 00:30:24.839 --> 00:30:25.600 So powerfully 00:30:25.600 --> 00:30:26.539 and so importantly though, 00:30:26.600 --> 00:30:27.819 that's not the end of the story. 00:30:27.819 --> 00:30:29.599 Because this virgin birth 00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:30.919 and even all of the miracles 00:30:30.919 --> 00:30:32.319 that Jesus performed 00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:33.519 after he was born 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:34.159 and grew up 00:30:34.159 --> 00:30:36.119 was just a preface 00:30:36.119 --> 00:30:37.500 to the main event. 00:30:38.379 --> 00:30:39.720 This supernatural power 00:30:39.720 --> 00:30:40.319 that we see through 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:40.960 the virgin birth, 00:30:41.019 --> 00:30:41.759 the supernatural power 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:42.639 we see through the miracles, 00:30:42.919 --> 00:30:43.980 they were just a glimpse. 00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:44.879 They weren't even 00:30:44.879 --> 00:30:45.799 the trailer 00:30:45.799 --> 00:30:47.039 or the previews 00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:47.939 in the movie 00:30:47.939 --> 00:30:49.000 when you go to see the movie. 00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:49.740 They were barely 00:30:49.740 --> 00:30:50.759 the popcorn smell 00:30:50.759 --> 00:30:52.279 that you smell 00:30:52.279 --> 00:30:53.240 when you get to the theater. 00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:56.380 That's how unimportant 00:30:56.380 --> 00:30:57.099 they were 00:30:57.099 --> 00:30:58.539 in relation 00:30:58.539 --> 00:30:59.740 to what came next. 00:31:01.059 --> 00:31:02.059 What makes something 00:31:02.059 --> 00:31:03.240 relevant for you and me? 00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:05.000 Something wonderful 00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:05.880 on a screen 00:31:05.880 --> 00:31:06.599 or something wonderful 00:31:06.599 --> 00:31:07.160 in a book, 00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:07.940 however true, 00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:09.420 doesn't in and of itself 00:31:09.420 --> 00:31:10.039 make it relevant 00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:10.720 for you and me. 00:31:11.079 --> 00:31:12.140 All of these miracles 00:31:12.140 --> 00:31:12.920 are just miracles. 00:31:13.279 --> 00:31:14.099 But what if there was 00:31:14.099 --> 00:31:14.519 a miracle? 00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:15.880 What if God performed 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:16.339 a miracle 00:31:16.339 --> 00:31:18.079 that was especially 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:18.640 for you, 00:31:18.940 --> 00:31:19.880 that was about you, 00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:20.960 that was because of you 00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:22.039 and that was for you? 00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:25.740 And here's the thing. 00:31:25.980 --> 00:31:26.839 God didn't just send 00:31:26.839 --> 00:31:27.880 Jesus into the world. 00:31:27.980 --> 00:31:28.819 He didn't come into the world 00:31:28.819 --> 00:31:29.420 as a person 00:31:29.420 --> 00:31:30.380 just to prove 00:31:30.380 --> 00:31:31.099 that he was God, 00:31:31.259 --> 00:31:32.039 just to show off 00:31:32.039 --> 00:31:32.640 that he could do 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:33.240 the impossible. 00:31:35.019 --> 00:31:36.160 God had a dilemma. 00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:38.180 This might be difficult 00:31:38.180 --> 00:31:38.680 to stomach. 00:31:38.779 --> 00:31:39.140 It was difficult 00:31:39.140 --> 00:31:39.819 for me to understand 00:31:39.819 --> 00:31:40.519 and I'd been a Christian 00:31:40.519 --> 00:31:41.200 for five years 00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:42.200 when this was clearly 00:31:42.200 --> 00:31:42.920 explained to me. 00:31:43.240 --> 00:31:43.980 God had a dilemma. 00:31:45.259 --> 00:31:46.440 His dilemma was 00:31:46.440 --> 00:31:48.000 that he's a God 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:48.940 of perfect justice 00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:50.000 and a God 00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:50.799 of perfect mercy. 00:31:52.339 --> 00:31:53.200 And so he wanted 00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:54.920 relationship with us. 00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:56.460 That's why he created us, 00:31:56.519 --> 00:31:57.620 for relationship with him. 00:31:58.240 --> 00:31:59.420 And yet we are imperfect 00:31:59.420 --> 00:32:01.039 and we know deep down 00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:01.600 that we are. 00:32:01.700 --> 00:32:02.480 Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 00:32:02.580 --> 00:32:04.160 the Nobel laureate 00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:04.640 in literature, 00:32:04.980 --> 00:32:06.160 very famously said, 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:07.600 the line that divides 00:32:07.600 --> 00:32:08.259 good and evil 00:32:08.259 --> 00:32:09.259 cuts through the heart 00:32:09.259 --> 00:32:10.120 of every man and woman. 00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:11.440 The line that divides 00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:12.000 good and evil 00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:12.819 cuts through the heart 00:32:12.819 --> 00:32:13.620 of every man and woman. 00:32:13.779 --> 00:32:14.460 Now I agree, 00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:15.539 when I look around the world 00:32:15.539 --> 00:32:16.480 it cuts through the heart 00:32:16.480 --> 00:32:17.360 in different places 00:32:17.360 --> 00:32:18.940 for different people, 00:32:19.100 --> 00:32:19.759 but it definitely 00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:20.640 cuts through my heart 00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:21.259 and I'm sure 00:32:21.259 --> 00:32:22.420 if we look inside 00:32:22.420 --> 00:32:23.520 ourselves we can see that. 00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:24.340 So God has an 00:32:24.340 --> 00:32:25.259 impossible situation. 00:32:25.920 --> 00:32:26.800 What's he going to do 00:32:26.800 --> 00:32:28.380 about the evil 00:32:28.380 --> 00:32:29.000 inside people, 00:32:29.060 --> 00:32:29.759 the fact that people 00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:30.460 are imperfect 00:32:30.460 --> 00:32:31.620 and he's perfect 00:32:31.620 --> 00:32:32.880 and you can't have 00:32:32.880 --> 00:32:33.860 imperfect and perfect 00:32:33.860 --> 00:32:34.500 coming together. 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:35.980 It's like oil and water. 00:32:36.440 --> 00:32:37.500 It's like a chemical reaction. 00:32:37.640 --> 00:32:38.180 It's an aversion. 00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:39.759 But he still wants 00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:40.320 relationship. 00:32:42.520 --> 00:32:43.200 And so some people say, 00:32:43.300 --> 00:32:43.660 well he should have 00:32:43.660 --> 00:32:44.160 just forgiven. 00:32:44.560 --> 00:32:45.420 He's always asking us 00:32:45.420 --> 00:32:45.800 to forgive. 00:32:45.799 --> 00:32:47.000 Why didn't he just forgive? 00:32:49.399 --> 00:32:50.659 The problem with that is 00:32:50.659 --> 00:32:51.659 he would have honoured 00:32:51.659 --> 00:32:52.940 his character 00:32:52.940 --> 00:32:54.599 as a God of mercy 00:32:54.599 --> 00:32:55.579 and a God of relationship 00:32:55.579 --> 00:32:56.379 but he would have 00:32:56.379 --> 00:32:57.299 violated his character 00:32:57.299 --> 00:32:58.139 as a God of justice. 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:00.339 So he's a God of justice. 00:33:00.480 --> 00:33:01.039 He can't leave 00:33:01.039 --> 00:33:02.039 all of this imperfection 00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:03.419 unpunished and undealt with 00:33:03.419 --> 00:33:04.839 but he's also a God of mercy. 00:33:04.940 --> 00:33:05.720 He wants relationship. 00:33:06.139 --> 00:33:07.279 He doesn't cast us away. 00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:08.659 He ceases to be 00:33:08.659 --> 00:33:09.599 loving and merciful. 00:33:09.960 --> 00:33:10.960 He can't punish us 00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:11.839 in the way that we 00:33:11.839 --> 00:33:12.700 deserve to be punished. 00:33:12.919 --> 00:33:13.440 Then he ceases, 00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:16.120 he can't avoid punishing us 00:33:16.120 --> 00:33:16.299 sorry, 00:33:16.400 --> 00:33:17.039 he ceases to be 00:33:17.039 --> 00:33:17.720 a God of justice. 00:33:18.039 --> 00:33:18.820 So what does he do? 00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:20.400 This is what leads 00:33:20.400 --> 00:33:21.480 to the greatest miracle 00:33:21.480 --> 00:33:22.799 in human history. 00:33:22.900 --> 00:33:23.620 The greatest miracle 00:33:23.620 --> 00:33:24.299 of all time. 00:33:24.860 --> 00:33:26.140 The greatest display 00:33:26.140 --> 00:33:27.080 of overcoming 00:33:27.080 --> 00:33:27.680 the impossible. 00:33:27.980 --> 00:33:28.920 Because God's situation 00:33:28.920 --> 00:33:29.779 seems impossible. 00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:31.059 He's in an impossible 00:33:31.059 --> 00:33:31.700 situation. 00:33:32.700 --> 00:33:33.840 He comes into the world 00:33:33.840 --> 00:33:34.680 as a person, 00:33:35.160 --> 00:33:35.960 Jesus Christ, 00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:37.820 and sacrifices himself 00:33:37.820 --> 00:33:39.940 to take on 00:33:39.940 --> 00:33:41.160 all of our imperfection, 00:33:41.400 --> 00:33:42.380 all of our sin 00:33:42.380 --> 00:33:43.620 as we Christians 00:33:43.620 --> 00:33:44.640 sometimes call it, 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:46.360 onto himself 00:33:46.360 --> 00:33:48.060 to deal with 00:33:48.060 --> 00:33:48.620 all of that. 00:33:48.820 --> 00:33:50.120 In dealing with the sin, 00:33:51.300 --> 00:33:52.540 in atoning for it, 00:33:52.940 --> 00:33:53.820 in paying for it, 00:33:53.840 --> 00:33:54.820 in paying the cost of it, 00:33:55.080 --> 00:33:55.960 he honours 00:33:55.960 --> 00:33:57.320 his character 00:33:57.320 --> 00:33:58.400 as a God 00:33:58.400 --> 00:33:59.220 of justice 00:33:59.220 --> 00:33:59.960 because he's dealing 00:33:59.960 --> 00:34:00.900 with this justly. 00:34:02.720 --> 00:34:03.580 And in dealing 00:34:03.580 --> 00:34:04.260 with the sin, 00:34:04.940 --> 00:34:05.560 he honours 00:34:05.560 --> 00:34:06.240 his character 00:34:06.240 --> 00:34:06.660 as a God 00:34:06.660 --> 00:34:07.580 of perfect love 00:34:07.580 --> 00:34:08.360 and perfect mercy 00:34:08.360 --> 00:34:09.039 because he's being 00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:09.680 merciful to us. 00:34:09.720 --> 00:34:10.380 He's not making us 00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:11.740 pay the price for it. 00:34:11.739 --> 00:34:12.979 That's the cross 00:34:12.979 --> 00:34:13.799 of Jesus Christ. 00:34:15.639 --> 00:34:16.639 When we look deep 00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:17.779 inside our own hearts, 00:34:18.099 --> 00:34:19.939 we see a need, 00:34:20.019 --> 00:34:20.639 whether we're Christian 00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:21.259 or we're not, 00:34:21.559 --> 00:34:22.739 there is a need 00:34:22.739 --> 00:34:23.539 for mercy 00:34:23.539 --> 00:34:24.379 and justice 00:34:24.379 --> 00:34:25.139 and compassion. 00:34:25.779 --> 00:34:27.039 And there is a desire 00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:27.639 for love 00:34:27.639 --> 00:34:28.319 and relationship. 00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:31.239 Isn't it so incredible, 00:34:31.419 --> 00:34:31.639 then, 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:33.839 that the greatest miracle 00:34:33.839 --> 00:34:34.419 in history, 00:34:34.519 --> 00:34:35.719 the cross of Jesus Christ, 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:38.479 brings perfect mercy 00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:39.860 and perfect justice 00:34:39.860 --> 00:34:41.039 and perfect compassion 00:34:41.039 --> 00:34:41.500 together 00:34:41.500 --> 00:34:42.760 and in doing so, 00:34:42.840 --> 00:34:43.519 it anchors it 00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:44.760 in supernatural love 00:34:44.760 --> 00:34:45.619 for the purpose 00:34:45.619 --> 00:34:46.460 of relationship. 00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:48.559 All the components 00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:49.360 we find in our heart, 00:34:49.400 --> 00:34:50.400 it brings them all together 00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:51.920 in an incredible 00:34:51.920 --> 00:34:53.139 and an amazing way. 00:34:53.380 --> 00:34:54.440 And you and I 00:34:54.440 --> 00:34:55.940 have been called 00:34:55.940 --> 00:34:57.119 into up close 00:34:57.119 --> 00:34:58.420 and personal relationship 00:34:58.420 --> 00:34:59.519 with this God 00:34:59.519 --> 00:35:00.099 of the impossible. 00:35:00.099 --> 00:35:03.099 And if you've already 00:35:03.099 --> 00:35:04.219 accepted that call, 00:35:04.519 --> 00:35:05.259 then today, 00:35:05.420 --> 00:35:06.119 you're being called 00:35:06.119 --> 00:35:07.380 deeper into that relationship. 00:35:09.719 --> 00:35:10.759 We are called 00:35:10.759 --> 00:35:11.860 into an up close 00:35:11.860 --> 00:35:12.860 and personal relationship. 00:35:12.980 --> 00:35:13.099 You know, 00:35:13.119 --> 00:35:13.860 one of the most powerful 00:35:13.860 --> 00:35:14.839 things about the cross 00:35:14.839 --> 00:35:16.119 that is just completely 00:35:16.119 --> 00:35:17.420 mind and heart 00:35:17.420 --> 00:35:18.500 blowing 00:35:18.500 --> 00:35:20.219 is that if you, 00:35:20.759 --> 00:35:21.559 and God says this 00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:22.119 to you, 00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:24.480 not you collectively 00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:25.420 as a group, 00:35:25.980 --> 00:35:26.659 but to you, 00:35:27.000 --> 00:35:28.179 He's speaking to you now, 00:35:28.179 --> 00:35:30.139 if you were the only person 00:35:30.139 --> 00:35:31.079 in the world, 00:35:32.099 --> 00:35:33.059 He still would have come 00:35:33.059 --> 00:35:33.639 for you and died 00:35:33.639 --> 00:35:34.179 on the cross. 00:35:35.099 --> 00:35:36.440 If you were the only one, 00:35:37.079 --> 00:35:37.980 He still would have come 00:35:37.980 --> 00:35:38.739 and died for you 00:35:38.739 --> 00:35:39.879 on the cross 00:35:39.879 --> 00:35:40.759 so He could be 00:35:40.759 --> 00:35:41.599 in loving relationship 00:35:41.599 --> 00:35:42.059 with you. 00:35:42.819 --> 00:35:43.719 That's how amazing 00:35:43.719 --> 00:35:45.299 the cross of Jesus Christ is. 00:35:45.539 --> 00:35:46.599 That's the supernatural, 00:35:46.940 --> 00:35:47.779 impossible nature 00:35:47.779 --> 00:35:48.819 of the love 00:35:48.819 --> 00:35:49.980 of Jesus Christ. 00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:51.339 Even the word love, 00:35:51.500 --> 00:35:52.199 in my view, 00:35:52.359 --> 00:35:53.559 is just the best expression 00:35:53.559 --> 00:35:54.199 we can give it 00:35:54.199 --> 00:35:55.159 with the English language. 00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:56.659 You can't even express 00:35:56.659 --> 00:35:58.679 what that meant 00:35:58.679 --> 00:35:59.559 and what He did 00:35:59.559 --> 00:36:00.359 and why He did it 00:36:00.359 --> 00:36:01.099 and what it means 00:36:01.099 --> 00:36:01.739 for you and me. 00:36:02.460 --> 00:36:03.599 We do the best we can 00:36:03.599 --> 00:36:04.219 with words. 00:36:05.359 --> 00:36:06.079 So the question is, 00:36:06.139 --> 00:36:06.920 what's our response 00:36:06.920 --> 00:36:08.359 to all of this? 00:36:08.399 --> 00:36:09.359 We've seen the differences 00:36:09.359 --> 00:36:11.619 between Mary and Edmund 00:36:11.619 --> 00:36:12.539 when they were presented 00:36:12.539 --> 00:36:13.399 with the supernatural. 00:36:16.579 --> 00:36:18.079 We see how Mary trusted, 00:36:18.319 --> 00:36:19.000 Mary accepted 00:36:19.000 --> 00:36:21.399 what the angel was saying 00:36:21.399 --> 00:36:22.079 and in the end, 00:36:22.940 --> 00:36:24.179 Mary embraced her position 00:36:24.179 --> 00:36:25.279 as one who was chosen 00:36:25.279 --> 00:36:27.119 and favoured by God. 00:36:27.319 --> 00:36:28.159 The question for you and I 00:36:28.159 --> 00:36:28.819 is are we willing 00:36:28.819 --> 00:36:30.219 to accept wholeheartedly 00:36:30.219 --> 00:36:31.259 in full submission 00:36:31.259 --> 00:36:33.139 the reality 00:36:33.139 --> 00:36:34.219 that we have been chosen 00:36:34.219 --> 00:36:35.579 and favoured by God 00:36:35.579 --> 00:36:37.039 and called into relationship? 00:36:37.299 --> 00:36:38.339 What's our response 00:36:38.339 --> 00:36:39.559 to that? 00:36:40.599 --> 00:36:41.519 I said that the world 00:36:41.519 --> 00:36:42.379 was like a jungle 00:36:42.379 --> 00:36:44.440 and all of the other world views 00:36:44.440 --> 00:36:45.359 were giving us ways 00:36:45.359 --> 00:36:46.319 to get through the jungle. 00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:47.759 It's only the cross 00:36:47.759 --> 00:36:48.599 of Jesus Christ 00:36:48.599 --> 00:36:49.419 that understands 00:36:49.419 --> 00:36:50.619 that we are incapable 00:36:50.619 --> 00:36:52.000 of getting through 00:36:52.000 --> 00:36:53.440 that jungle ourselves 00:36:53.440 --> 00:36:54.699 and it comes in 00:36:54.699 --> 00:36:55.619 with a helicopter 00:36:55.619 --> 00:36:57.099 and it drops a ladder 00:36:57.099 --> 00:36:59.059 and it rescues us 00:36:59.059 --> 00:36:59.880 out of the jungle. 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:01.960 Every other world view 00:37:01.960 --> 00:37:02.559 out there 00:37:02.559 --> 00:37:03.880 will be based 00:37:03.880 --> 00:37:04.900 on either a system 00:37:04.900 --> 00:37:05.599 of philosophy 00:37:05.599 --> 00:37:07.000 or a set of rules 00:37:07.000 --> 00:37:08.260 or a set of principles 00:37:08.260 --> 00:37:09.579 or a way of thinking 00:37:09.579 --> 00:37:10.739 or a culture 00:37:10.739 --> 00:37:12.239 or a set of behaviours 00:37:12.239 --> 00:37:12.800 and rituals. 00:37:14.099 --> 00:37:15.079 It's only 00:37:15.079 --> 00:37:16.280 at the feet 00:37:16.280 --> 00:37:17.239 of Jesus Christ. 00:37:17.820 --> 00:37:18.320 It's only 00:37:18.320 --> 00:37:19.699 the Christian world view 00:37:19.699 --> 00:37:21.619 that is a rescue mission. 00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:22.940 It's not a religion. 00:37:23.300 --> 00:37:23.960 It's not a set 00:37:23.960 --> 00:37:24.659 of philosophies. 00:37:24.800 --> 00:37:25.880 It's a rescue mission 00:37:25.880 --> 00:37:26.719 because it's about 00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:27.340 a relationship 00:37:27.340 --> 00:37:28.159 with an individual. 00:37:28.960 --> 00:37:29.679 It just so happens 00:37:29.679 --> 00:37:30.219 that individual 00:37:30.219 --> 00:37:30.860 happens to be 00:37:30.860 --> 00:37:31.800 the God of the universe. 00:37:33.260 --> 00:37:34.320 Not about rules. 00:37:35.059 --> 00:37:36.179 Not even about responsibilities 00:37:36.179 --> 00:37:37.239 but about relationship. 00:37:38.500 --> 00:37:39.199 So wherever you are 00:37:39.199 --> 00:37:39.539 with him 00:37:39.539 --> 00:37:40.280 in that relationship 00:37:40.280 --> 00:37:41.239 whether you haven't 00:37:41.239 --> 00:37:41.900 entered it yet 00:37:41.900 --> 00:37:42.800 whether you entered it 00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:43.380 in the past 00:37:43.380 --> 00:37:43.900 and you might have 00:37:43.900 --> 00:37:44.800 drifted from it 00:37:44.800 --> 00:37:45.840 or you've gone 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:46.639 lukewarm on it 00:37:46.639 --> 00:37:47.539 or whether you entered 00:37:47.539 --> 00:37:48.320 it some time ago 00:37:48.320 --> 00:37:49.079 or you entered it recently 00:37:49.079 --> 00:37:50.480 and you are on fire for it 00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:51.679 I encourage you 00:37:51.679 --> 00:37:52.360 to go deeper 00:37:52.360 --> 00:37:53.960 to take more time 00:37:53.960 --> 00:37:54.760 and more heart 00:37:54.760 --> 00:37:56.219 and more of your mind 00:37:56.219 --> 00:37:57.340 to spend time with Jesus 00:37:57.340 --> 00:37:58.500 to spend time in the scriptures. 00:37:59.000 --> 00:37:59.820 If you need to do business 00:37:59.820 --> 00:38:00.579 with God today 00:38:00.579 --> 00:38:02.039 don't let this day go by 00:38:02.039 --> 00:38:03.280 without you doing business 00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:03.760 with him. 00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:05.719 Just whenever you get home 00:38:05.719 --> 00:38:06.199 or even 00:38:06.199 --> 00:38:07.860 while we're finishing up here 00:38:07.860 --> 00:38:08.639 take some time. 00:38:08.740 --> 00:38:09.559 If you need to talk to someone 00:38:09.559 --> 00:38:10.340 and ask questions 00:38:10.340 --> 00:38:10.840 if you need 00:38:10.840 --> 00:38:12.240 if you have a particular question 00:38:12.240 --> 00:38:13.079 that I didn't cover 00:38:13.079 --> 00:38:14.059 there are so many of them 00:38:14.059 --> 00:38:15.539 that you need responded to. 00:38:15.940 --> 00:38:17.199 If the gospel of Jesus Christ 00:38:17.199 --> 00:38:17.659 was true 00:38:17.659 --> 00:38:19.219 and I believe 00:38:19.219 --> 00:38:20.440 from the bottom of my heart 00:38:20.440 --> 00:38:21.639 to the bottom of my brain 00:38:21.639 --> 00:38:22.719 that it is true 00:38:22.719 --> 00:38:24.579 because I've been 00:38:24.579 --> 00:38:25.719 in relationship with him 00:38:25.719 --> 00:38:26.859 if it's true 00:38:26.859 --> 00:38:28.119 it should stand up 00:38:28.119 --> 00:38:29.619 to any and every question 00:38:29.619 --> 00:38:31.179 that we could possibly think of. 00:38:31.420 --> 00:38:31.940 The truth 00:38:31.940 --> 00:38:33.279 can stand up to questioning. 00:38:34.379 --> 00:38:35.000 The truth 00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:36.119 can stand up to questions. 00:38:38.119 --> 00:38:39.319 And so I encourage you 00:38:39.319 --> 00:38:40.379 in your search for truth 00:38:40.379 --> 00:38:42.619 that as you're searching for it 00:38:42.619 --> 00:38:43.460 and as you find it 00:38:43.460 --> 00:38:44.019 remember 00:38:44.019 --> 00:38:45.639 the world will give you 00:38:45.639 --> 00:38:46.519 lots of answers 00:38:46.519 --> 00:38:47.139 and ideas 00:38:47.139 --> 00:38:47.739 and theories 00:38:47.739 --> 00:38:49.759 but it's only in the scriptures 00:38:49.759 --> 00:38:51.079 it's only in the Christian faith 00:38:51.079 --> 00:38:52.059 that you can be assured 00:38:52.059 --> 00:38:52.839 that the truth 00:38:52.839 --> 00:38:53.819 is not an idea 00:38:53.819 --> 00:38:54.980 it's not an abstraction 00:38:54.980 --> 00:38:56.480 it's not a set of philosophies 00:38:56.480 --> 00:38:57.599 the truth is a person 00:38:57.599 --> 00:38:59.359 a person that loves you more 00:38:59.359 --> 00:39:00.339 than anyone else 00:39:00.339 --> 00:39:01.079 has ever loved you. 00:39:01.319 --> 00:39:01.900 He knows you 00:39:01.900 --> 00:39:02.859 to your depths 00:39:02.859 --> 00:39:04.139 even your darkest depths 00:39:04.139 --> 00:39:05.179 and he loves you 00:39:05.179 --> 00:39:06.019 quite literally 00:39:06.019 --> 00:39:07.000 to the heavens. 00:39:08.059 --> 00:39:09.019 This God of the impossible 00:39:09.019 --> 00:39:10.359 who wants to walk with you 00:39:10.359 --> 00:39:11.179 so that together 00:39:11.179 --> 00:39:12.900 you can do impossible things 00:39:12.900 --> 00:39:14.599 things that you might think 00:39:14.599 --> 00:39:15.259 right now 00:39:15.259 --> 00:39:16.360 based on what you know 00:39:16.360 --> 00:39:17.599 and based on your perception 00:39:17.599 --> 00:39:18.619 can't happen. 00:39:19.059 --> 00:39:20.039 He wants to make them happen 00:39:20.039 --> 00:39:20.480 with you 00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:21.319 and for you 00:39:21.319 --> 00:39:22.819 and wants to walk with you. 00:39:24.380 --> 00:39:25.039 Let's pray. 00:39:26.940 --> 00:39:27.659 Heavenly Father 00:39:27.659 --> 00:39:29.159 I pray for everyone in here 00:39:29.159 --> 00:39:30.420 wherever they are with you 00:39:30.420 --> 00:39:31.819 I just pray that your love 00:39:31.819 --> 00:39:33.199 would shroud them 00:39:33.199 --> 00:39:34.500 that that sense of comfort 00:39:34.500 --> 00:39:35.239 and strength 00:39:35.239 --> 00:39:35.819 and hope 00:39:35.819 --> 00:39:38.079 that can only be made full 00:39:38.079 --> 00:39:39.219 in human hearts 00:39:39.219 --> 00:39:40.779 when it comes through you 00:39:40.779 --> 00:39:41.900 would be renewed 00:39:41.900 --> 00:39:42.880 in every heart here. 00:39:43.099 --> 00:39:43.940 I pray that those 00:39:43.940 --> 00:39:45.880 who are searching for you 00:39:45.880 --> 00:39:46.559 would find you 00:39:46.559 --> 00:39:47.599 and would submit to you 00:39:47.599 --> 00:39:48.420 and I pray that 00:39:48.420 --> 00:39:49.780 everyone here 00:39:49.780 --> 00:39:51.280 would go deeper 00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:52.320 in their knowledge of you 00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:53.720 and their relationship with you 00:39:53.720 --> 00:39:55.820 today and from here on. 00:39:55.980 --> 00:39:56.760 In Jesus name. 00:39:57.119 --> 00:39:57.360 Amen.