WEBVTT 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:06.960 Father, we give you thanks and praise that you used ordinary people to have your word written, 00:00:08.179 --> 00:00:14.099 and that your word is true. We confess before you, Father, that it can be very hard for us to 00:00:14.099 --> 00:00:20.179 actually even want to know the truth, that we can prefer our self-deceptions, our delusions, 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:27.440 our fantasies, our quest for power and ego and dominance, that we can, Father, just prefer 00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:34.539 ourselves to the truth. Father, we know that you know our hearts, and we know that you not only know 00:00:34.539 --> 00:00:40.460 us perfectly, but you love us, even as you know us perfectly. And we ask that you would be very kind 00:00:40.460 --> 00:00:45.380 to us this morning, and that you would pour out the Holy Spirit upon us with might and power and 00:00:45.380 --> 00:00:50.960 deep conviction, so that your word would be able to come into our hearts, and that we would know the 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:56.920 truth and be formed by the truth, to love the truth and share the truth and speak the truth with love 00:00:56.920 --> 00:01:02.380 and gentleness. And we ask this in the precious name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen. 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:04.079 Please be seated. 00:01:07.859 --> 00:01:14.560 So, I'm not doing this just to cause controversy, but I'm going to create some tension in the room right now. 00:01:17.980 --> 00:01:26.299 Here's the tension. Imagine that you are watching me in a Starbucks or a Tim Hortons or a Bridgehead 00:01:26.299 --> 00:01:35.899 or some other coffee place, and a young woman of color or a young First Nations person says something 00:01:35.899 --> 00:01:41.859 about what's going on in our culture or something that's happened in history. And imagine for a moment 00:01:41.859 --> 00:01:49.239 that I just put my finger up like this and said, I think you're wrong, and corrected the young woman of 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:54.879 color or the young First Nations woman. And then not only said, I think you're wrong, but began to tell her 00:01:54.879 --> 00:02:06.060 why I think she's wrong. Now, that would cause a lot of tension for most Canadians, not all Canadians, 00:02:06.179 --> 00:02:13.419 but for many Canadians. In fact, if I was to tell you that I was going to do a video, I'm obviously an old 00:02:13.419 --> 00:02:23.259 white guy, and I was going to do a video on truth and reconciliation, or about some aspects of the 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:29.139 experience of African Americans in Canada. In fact, if I was to announce that I'd just done a video like 00:02:29.139 --> 00:02:33.500 this and that I was going to be releasing it on Monday, there would be a lot of tension in the 00:02:33.500 --> 00:02:37.639 congregation. And I would have a lot of people tell me I shouldn't do it. 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:46.599 The fact of the matter is that the gatekeepers of our culture 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:55.819 say that basically certain types of conversation are protected and are, in a sense, to use the 00:02:55.819 --> 00:03:01.919 postmodern language, are privileged. And for an old white guy like me to say something to correct 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:08.579 certain types of classes of person would, in fact, be a great evil. In fact, there's the main theory, 00:03:08.699 --> 00:03:13.279 which is taught in universities, critical theory, with all of its different offspring of critical 00:03:13.279 --> 00:03:19.279 race theory, critical theory around gender and sexuality, very specifically says that guys like 00:03:19.279 --> 00:03:27.159 me can't speak into certain types of issues. There was a very interesting columnist this week 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:35.599 who had a line in his column that when people no longer believe in the truth, all that's left 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:45.439 is fists, is fighting and punching and grasping for power. 00:03:47.620 --> 00:03:52.960 Now, I say this because it's a bit of a, it creates some tension, and you can well imagine how much 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:56.939 tension you would feel if I said I was going to release a video or if you saw me talking. 00:03:56.939 --> 00:04:03.120 Yet at the same time, we know that there's a lot of people in our culture who are very 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:09.020 uncomfortable with how many of the, there's things going on in our, things going on in our culture, 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:14.360 concerned to truth. It does seem as if, for a significant part of our culture, there no longer 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:20.860 is a concern for the truth. In a sense, critical theory has led to no longer being able to think 00:04:20.860 --> 00:04:21.460 critically. 00:04:25.460 --> 00:04:32.720 And to be woke, increasingly looks like you go to sleep, rather than being awakened. 00:04:35.780 --> 00:04:40.759 It's very interesting if you have a conversation with non-Christians and they start to discover 00:04:40.759 --> 00:04:44.879 that you don't necessarily agree with how our culture goes, and all of a sudden, 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:51.680 if they feel safe, they begin to talk, because we know how much we could be jumped on for just 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:57.839 considering some of these particular issues. So for those of you who I have not so offended 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:03.860 that if you're watching online, you've clicked the off button, and you're off to do something 00:05:03.860 --> 00:05:07.759 else. And for those of you who still might be steaming, but are at least willing to listen, 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:12.719 but for others of us who acknowledge that there's some wisdom from this fellow saying that when you 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:19.560 no longer believe in truth, all that's left is fists. It's all that's left. Very Nietzschean thought. 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:25.360 The Bible, believe it or not, the text that we looked at today has a lot of profound wisdom to 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:31.480 offer our culture and for us as a congregation. So if you were turning your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 00:05:31.480 --> 00:05:38.980 2 verses 14 and following, we're going to look at this very, very old letter. 2 Timothy chapter 2 00:05:38.980 --> 00:05:44.939 verses 14 and following. And very interesting enough, as I've shared in each of the last two 00:05:44.939 --> 00:05:48.460 weeks when we've looked at it, if you're a guest here, one of the things we do at Church of the 00:05:48.460 --> 00:05:51.960 Messiah is we preach through books of the Bible. That's how they're written. They're written as 00:05:51.960 --> 00:05:58.879 books. The Bible isn't a compendium of quotes. It has a few things like the book of Proverbs that 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:02.120 have just sayings, but generally speaking, they're written as books. They have a beginning, 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:07.540 they have an end, a middle, etc., and it's best to look at them that way. And this actually was 00:06:07.540 --> 00:06:13.620 originally a letter written from jail, a guy doing hard time in Rome during the height of the Roman 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:19.160 Empire, maybe the biggest time of the Roman Empire, close to it, if not the absolute pinnacle of the 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:25.400 Roman Empire. Nero is the emperor, and this particular fellow is in jail. And interestingly enough, he's in 00:06:25.400 --> 00:06:31.379 jail because of the truth. He's in jail because he believes something happened, actually really happened 00:06:31.379 --> 00:06:39.259 in history. And all the smart people and the powerful people and the popular people don't want that to be true. 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:45.219 But he keeps saying it actually happened, and so as a result of that, he now finds himself in jail doing hard time. 00:06:45.699 --> 00:06:51.860 And as I've shared before, at the end of the book, he reveals that he believes that he's only going to walk out of 00:06:51.860 --> 00:06:58.240 jail, this time to go to his execution, which is in fact what happened to him. And here's, now we're sort of 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:04.480 coming up to the, I guess we've been, we've been, this is our third look at it. Let's look and see what he says here. 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:11.199 So remind them, verse 14, remind them of these things and charge them before God not to quarrel 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:15.900 about words, which does no good but only ruins the hearers. 00:07:15.899 --> 00:07:39.819 Now, some of you watching this are hearing this, okay, George, this is just really, really, really puzzling. 00:07:39.819 --> 00:07:46.579 I mean, as soon as he says irreverent babble, as soon as he says ungodliness, a good grief, George, 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:48.959 he's talking about religion and spirituality. 00:07:49.899 --> 00:07:55.719 George, how can a text talking about religion and spirituality possibly be helpful to our particular issue? 00:07:56.199 --> 00:08:00.659 Don't you understand all the fights that come because of religion and spirituality? 00:08:01.019 --> 00:08:07.100 Aren't you aware of the terrible history of Christians fighting each other over words? 00:08:07.100 --> 00:08:13.300 And George, I mean, and why just the Christian faith? Like, don't, can't you just see that this is, like, what? 00:08:13.740 --> 00:08:17.820 Like, some people go look at this, what, George, this, whatever you said about the beginning, 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:22.840 I am interested to try to figure out how you can have a concern for the truth and hear some wisdom about it. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:27.040 But going to something like this, like talking about ungodliness, good grief, George, 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:30.580 that's not possibly going to be something that's going to lead us to anything profitable. 00:08:30.579 --> 00:08:39.179 Now, I'm going to have to confess that Christians have often, in fact, it's interestingly enough, 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:44.399 you can't, in a sense, out-critique the Bible on this because what is the Bible actually warning you against? 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:46.559 It's warning about Christians fighting over words. 00:08:47.539 --> 00:08:52.379 In other words, what you can say is that there's been a long history of Christians being hypocrites. 00:08:53.259 --> 00:08:54.419 They don't read their Bible. 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:57.240 They don't read their Bible and understand that, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, 00:08:57.240 --> 00:08:59.960 you guys are getting into a huge fight over, whoa, whoa, whoa, time out, time out. 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:04.039 Let's read 2 Timothy 2, verses 14 to 16. 00:09:04.500 --> 00:09:09.360 Let's take a chill pill and let's have a bit of a, you know, cool down about this. 00:09:09.500 --> 00:09:15.600 So, I mean, in a sense, he's writing this because God knows our hearts, 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:20.159 how easy it is for us to forget this and to get into big fights over words, right? 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:25.460 So that's actually, you know, so have there been lots of Christians who've been very bad in the past? 00:09:25.460 --> 00:09:25.779 Yes. 00:09:25.779 --> 00:09:28.600 Am I a bad Christian many, many times in my life? 00:09:28.659 --> 00:09:29.659 Yes, by the way. 00:09:30.919 --> 00:09:35.399 I'm not up here trying to point the finger at the other Christians out there. 00:09:35.459 --> 00:09:38.480 If I do that, I have three fingers pointing back at me. 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:48.860 But here's the big claim that's underneath this text, 00:09:49.059 --> 00:09:52.559 which is a very, very shocking thing for our culture. 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:56.639 To become a Christian is to take the red pill. 00:09:59.359 --> 00:10:00.719 To become a Christian. 00:10:01.219 --> 00:10:02.439 This is the Christian message. 00:10:02.779 --> 00:10:09.579 Some of you have heard me share a line by Spurgeon that Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. 00:10:09.580 --> 00:10:24.420 And I've been thinking this week that maybe we could reformulate that and say Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where to get the red pill and urging them to take it. 00:10:24.419 --> 00:10:33.399 Now, those of you who aren't familiar with the language, it goes back to The Matrix, a sort of a culturally formative movie that was made about 20 some odd years ago. 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:38.299 And in that, this fellow Neo is given a choice. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:39.699 He's given a red pill. 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:42.600 The person holds his hand out and gives a red pill and a blue pill. 00:10:42.659 --> 00:10:46.860 And if he chooses the blue pill, then everything will just go back to normal. 00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:54.460 But what we, the viewer, understand as normal is that he's actually not living the life he thinks he lives. 00:10:54.500 --> 00:11:01.860 He's actually just in a vat being used as a battery to give energy to machines. 00:11:01.860 --> 00:11:18.080 And he can either take the blue pill and just go back to a life of pleasant illusion and delusion, or he can take the red pill and he will be freed from that delusion and illusion and has to live with the weight of understanding what the world is really like. 00:11:19.560 --> 00:11:24.600 And I understand that for most people in our culture, religion is just part of values. 00:11:24.820 --> 00:11:25.879 It's part of like a hobby. 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:27.100 It's a type of therapy. 00:11:27.259 --> 00:11:30.560 It's something that is understood just to make you feel more comfortable. 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:45.919 And if religion and all is just something to make you feel more comfortable, a type of therapy, something you just happen to like or enjoy, maybe for historic or family reasons, then to argue about the truth or falsity of it is just completely and utterly ridiculous. 00:11:46.099 --> 00:11:51.339 It would be like, I don't know, arguing whether crocheting is better or a needlepoint. 00:11:51.500 --> 00:11:56.159 It would be like arguing whether you should make pierogies as a family or cabbage rolls. 00:11:56.159 --> 00:12:02.879 Like to get into a big fight over that is just a sign of immaturity and untamed egos. 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:09.439 And so for a lot of people in our culture to think that Christians would get into an argument about things is just like that. 00:12:09.500 --> 00:12:12.240 It's an argument over whether you make pierogies or cabbage rolls. 00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:23.060 But actually, the fact of the matter is, is that Christianity believes that when you receive the gospel, the offer of part of the offer of the gospel is that will you take the red pill? 00:12:23.059 --> 00:12:37.859 That, in fact, Christians believe that if you accept the gospel and begin to be formed by the gospel and the word of God, that that's actually taking the red pill, that you will begin to understand that the world is very different than you think. 00:12:37.939 --> 00:12:40.159 That, in fact, there is a devil. 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:42.379 That there is a last judgment. 00:12:42.679 --> 00:12:43.419 That there are demons. 00:12:43.619 --> 00:12:44.419 That there are angels. 00:12:44.419 --> 00:12:46.939 That there is, in fact, revealed truth from God. 00:12:47.059 --> 00:12:54.699 That, in fact, it's not just that every view of God is correct, but that the real God, the true God, is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:56.319 Three persons, one God. 00:12:56.379 --> 00:12:57.240 That there is a Savior. 00:12:57.500 --> 00:13:01.659 That there is something about the human condition that can't be fixed by the human condition. 00:13:02.139 --> 00:13:12.860 And that part of the journey of being a Christian, of the quest of being a Christian, is to begin to be formed more and more and more about the truth so that you can see and understand the world as it really is. 00:13:12.860 --> 00:13:15.180 This is, in fact, the claim of the Christian faith. 00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:21.200 But some of you might push back and say, okay, George, good grief. 00:13:21.620 --> 00:13:25.659 How on earth could you possibly know that, George? 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:28.580 You can get up on your hind legs and make such a claim. 00:13:29.940 --> 00:13:38.700 Well, interestingly enough, Jesus, there's a very famous story in one of, in three, I think it takes place in three of the ancient biographies of Jesus. 00:13:38.700 --> 00:13:46.020 Ancient biographies, either written by eyewitnesses or written based on eyewitness testimony. 00:13:46.280 --> 00:13:52.360 When many, many, many, many, many eyewitnesses were still around and could say, no, no, that's wrong, that's wrong, we need to fix this or whatever. 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.940 And in three of these ancient biographies, there's a very, very powerful story. 00:13:56.940 --> 00:14:10.060 And it's a story, some of you here will know it, where Jesus is teaching and he's in a room and some fellows have a friend who's paralyzed and they want to see if they can get Jesus to maybe heal them. 00:14:10.140 --> 00:14:12.380 But people won't get out of the way, they can't get in. 00:14:12.820 --> 00:14:16.340 And so they go up, they knock a hole in the roof, which is pretty rude. 00:14:16.460 --> 00:14:21.700 Hopefully they're all carpenters and could fix it later or whatever, however you could fix roofs back in those days. 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:25.180 They never tell you that part of the story, but I'm sure something like that happened. 00:14:25.179 --> 00:14:29.099 And they drop the guy and they have ropes or whatever, they lower the guy in. 00:14:29.799 --> 00:14:33.559 And obviously they want Jesus to heal this guy. 00:14:33.659 --> 00:14:36.359 And Jesus makes this very, very, very shocking claim. 00:14:36.459 --> 00:14:38.719 He says, son, your sins are forgiven. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:50.839 Now, people back, you know, we are such, Canadians in 2021, we are such chronological snobs. 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:59.759 We think that just because back then they didn't have TikTok or flush toilets that they were stupid. 00:15:01.259 --> 00:15:05.460 There's a very good argument to be made that using TikTok makes you stupid, by the way. 00:15:06.920 --> 00:15:10.759 Or Instagram or Facebook might lower your IQ. 00:15:10.759 --> 00:15:13.779 And that maybe a time before that they were actually smarter. 00:15:14.059 --> 00:15:15.840 But those people back then, they weren't dumb. 00:15:16.460 --> 00:15:19.500 They said the exact same thing a group of Canadians would say. 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:24.919 If it was Tim Hortons, all of a sudden the roof came down and Jesus was there and they asked Jesus to heal the guy. 00:15:25.019 --> 00:15:26.659 And Jesus said, son, your sins are forgiven. 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:30.220 All of them said, who can forgive sins but God alone? 00:15:32.740 --> 00:15:33.779 Talk is cheap. 00:15:33.779 --> 00:15:38.139 You know, Jesus can say whatever he wants. 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:40.259 But they're smart people. 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:42.399 They say, well, that's just a ridiculous thing to say. 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:43.539 So what does Jesus say to them? 00:15:43.639 --> 00:15:46.839 Jesus says to them, well, listen, what is easier for me to say? 00:15:46.980 --> 00:15:49.199 Son, rise up and be healed? 00:15:49.379 --> 00:15:50.879 Or son, your sins are forgiven? 00:15:50.980 --> 00:15:51.480 What's easier? 00:15:51.559 --> 00:15:56.579 Well, of course, you can't just have somebody just perform a miracle. 00:15:56.779 --> 00:16:00.480 All of a sudden, a man like Jesus just says something. 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:07.159 And what goes on inside the body is that if there's like nerve endings or whatever that have been broken or blocked, 00:16:07.259 --> 00:16:10.080 or there's a blockage that those in a sense are removed, 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:14.920 that if there's things that aren't connected, that there's an act of creation that will join nerves, 00:16:15.100 --> 00:16:20.039 that the muscles that have atrophied will all of a sudden be firm enough that they could walk, 00:16:20.139 --> 00:16:21.340 that this is like a mighty thing. 00:16:21.420 --> 00:16:26.600 If I just speak that and all of a sudden these acts of creation and negation that create health, 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:29.580 if that just comes, that's impossible. 00:16:29.580 --> 00:16:36.020 And so Jesus says to show that I have the authority to forgive sins, 00:16:36.020 --> 00:16:39.259 the implication is I'm going to heal this guy, 00:16:39.340 --> 00:16:41.240 but he says to show that I have the authority to do this, 00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:42.800 son, rise up and walk. 00:16:43.720 --> 00:16:47.780 And three of the ancient biographies say that that's exactly what happened to the young man. 00:16:49.300 --> 00:16:51.040 You see, the fact of the matter is, 00:16:51.080 --> 00:16:53.879 is that in the history of religion and spirituality, 00:16:54.220 --> 00:16:55.840 all sorts of claims are made. 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:58.300 But the fact of the matter is, 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:00.700 is that when you just respond to me that, George, 00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:04.180 to make this claim that to become a Christian is to receive the red pill, 00:17:04.220 --> 00:17:05.299 that's just you talking. 00:17:05.700 --> 00:17:07.640 That's because you're used to the fact that, 00:17:08.059 --> 00:17:08.900 generally speaking, 00:17:09.340 --> 00:17:12.759 religions and spiritualities don't provide any evidence. 00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:16.860 They just make claims. 00:17:16.859 --> 00:17:23.419 But that's one of the reasons why out of all of the religions and the spiritualities that exist in the world, 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:27.479 the historic and great ones that bespoke and chosen ones of the day, 00:17:28.019 --> 00:17:31.959 that what is completely and utterly unique about Christianity is not only that, 00:17:32.519 --> 00:17:35.839 like, gospel doesn't mean good rituals, good morals, good advice. 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:36.939 It means good news. 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:41.960 And the good news is that God has actually done something in history in such a way 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:45.720 that you can examine it and see whether or not it's possible to be true. 00:17:47.500 --> 00:17:50.480 Because, you see, that's exactly the claim that's made by Jesus. 00:17:50.700 --> 00:17:53.200 And it's very, very interesting that in the context, 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:56.840 in the context of profoundly wise writings, 00:17:57.080 --> 00:18:03.220 and profoundly wise writings that is out of the writings of what we call the Old Testament, 00:18:03.340 --> 00:18:04.860 our Jewish friends call the Tanakh. 00:18:04.859 --> 00:18:07.759 I was just talking to a Jewish friend the other day, 00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:10.240 and once again we had that very, very same little dance. 00:18:10.639 --> 00:18:12.059 I refer to it as the Tanakh, 00:18:12.099 --> 00:18:13.679 and he referred to it as the Old Testament, 00:18:13.859 --> 00:18:15.419 and I joke that that's like, 00:18:15.740 --> 00:18:17.459 that's what you do if you want to be friends. 00:18:18.339 --> 00:18:19.679 I use the Jewish term, 00:18:19.719 --> 00:18:21.039 and he uses the Christian term, 00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:22.479 and we're both talking about the same book. 00:18:22.679 --> 00:18:25.379 But, you know, 00:18:25.819 --> 00:18:29.319 but it's out of these writings that human rights have developed. 00:18:29.459 --> 00:18:31.159 It's out of these writings that are notions of, 00:18:31.259 --> 00:18:33.119 the best notions of justice have developed. 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:40.599 It's in fact out of these writings that the notion that powerless people see things about the powerful, 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:43.179 that the powerful don't understand about themselves, 00:18:43.179 --> 00:18:46.779 that comes out of the Old Testament and the New Testament. 00:18:47.819 --> 00:18:52.799 I mean, that's the grounding that I have to be careful challenging a young Aboriginal woman, 00:18:52.899 --> 00:18:55.039 or a young woman of color about what she said. 00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:56.839 Because the fact of the matter is, 00:18:56.879 --> 00:18:58.799 it's a constant theme of the Bible, 00:18:59.379 --> 00:19:03.599 that the powerless often see things in the world about the powerful, 00:19:03.740 --> 00:19:06.119 and about the world that the powerful just don't see, 00:19:06.220 --> 00:19:10.879 because it's very easy for the powerful to become blinded by power and pride. 00:19:11.099 --> 00:19:13.259 That is a biblical idea. 00:19:13.259 --> 00:19:21.420 It wasn't invented by French intellectuals in the late part of the 1900s. 00:19:24.119 --> 00:19:26.539 It's in the book of Ecclesiastes. 00:19:26.819 --> 00:19:27.900 It's in the Psalms. 00:19:27.980 --> 00:19:29.140 It's in the Proverbs. 00:19:29.140 --> 00:19:36.360 And it's in the context of these profound writings of psychological depth 00:19:36.360 --> 00:19:39.580 that have done much good in the world. 00:19:39.700 --> 00:19:42.600 It's in the context of this overriding narrative 00:19:42.600 --> 00:19:47.640 of creation that's good and of fall, 00:19:47.780 --> 00:19:50.920 and that explains the presence of good and evil in the world, 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:52.200 and our divided nature. 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:55.340 It's in the context of this overarching story 00:19:55.340 --> 00:19:58.759 of God promising that someday He would send a deliverer 00:19:58.759 --> 00:20:01.480 to do what human beings cannot do for themselves. 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:04.620 It's in this context of this overarching story, 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:06.080 of this profound wisdom, 00:20:06.860 --> 00:20:09.740 that Jesus comes and walks amongst us and says, 00:20:10.740 --> 00:20:16.740 the Romans are going to crucify me, 00:20:17.299 --> 00:20:18.819 and I am going to die, 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:21.460 and on the third day I'm going to rise from the dead. 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:23.200 And you're going to know it's true. 00:20:26.100 --> 00:20:27.279 And that's what happened. 00:20:30.279 --> 00:20:31.720 That's a claim about history. 00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:36.880 It's a claim about history 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:38.680 because we would have to say, 00:20:38.900 --> 00:20:41.279 good grief, remember the story about the man healed by paralyzed? 00:20:42.259 --> 00:20:43.539 Well, if something like that happens, 00:20:43.600 --> 00:20:44.980 then maybe he can forgive sins. 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:46.799 That's a very reasonable thing to believe. 00:20:50.039 --> 00:20:51.880 But you see, if that's true, 00:20:51.880 --> 00:20:55.580 and if, in fact, Jesus really did die and rise from the dead, 00:20:56.380 --> 00:20:56.880 if Jesus... 00:20:57.560 --> 00:20:58.460 Oh, have I just lost... 00:20:58.460 --> 00:20:59.600 I've never turned my mic on? 00:21:00.060 --> 00:21:01.560 I've never turned my mic on. 00:21:02.020 --> 00:21:03.160 Let's just take it off. 00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:04.140 It's irritating. 00:21:06.080 --> 00:21:08.200 If Jesus really died from the dead, 00:21:08.560 --> 00:21:09.620 died from the dead, 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:11.020 rose from the dead, 00:21:11.280 --> 00:21:12.700 if He really did this, 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:14.960 if there's things like miracles that have happened, 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:20.160 it means that the way the Globe and Mail and the CBC talk about the world is not true. 00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:27.480 And that maybe to know and hear the good news of the Gospel 00:21:27.480 --> 00:21:29.800 and to receive it and accept it 00:21:29.800 --> 00:21:31.519 is to take the red pill 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:34.920 and to begin to be led by Jesus 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:37.360 into what the world is really like. 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:40.459 in a world where there is science, 00:21:41.299 --> 00:21:42.839 a world where there is truth, 00:21:43.740 --> 00:21:45.699 a world where truth should be valued, 00:21:46.659 --> 00:21:49.319 and that we should basically try to understand 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:51.679 that using fists to solve issues of truth 00:21:51.679 --> 00:21:53.599 is never going to lead to the truth. 00:21:53.699 --> 00:21:55.500 The way you come to a leading of the truth 00:21:55.500 --> 00:21:56.740 is a moral quest 00:21:56.740 --> 00:21:59.659 that the living God, 00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:00.819 the true and living God, 00:22:00.899 --> 00:22:02.679 desires for you to embark in, 00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:03.839 to know the truth, 00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:04.899 and to be formed by it. 00:22:08.759 --> 00:22:10.119 See, the fact of the matter is, 00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:10.959 and this is, 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:14.299 the way the sermon is structured, 00:22:14.399 --> 00:22:15.799 I really want to talk a lot about this. 00:22:16.659 --> 00:22:19.240 I might just read the rest of the text very quickly 00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:20.359 to draw out a couple of points, 00:22:20.459 --> 00:22:22.500 but here's the big idea behind this. 00:22:22.579 --> 00:22:24.959 Not only is it that Christians understand 00:22:24.959 --> 00:22:26.119 that to become a Christian 00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:27.799 is to take the red pill, 00:22:28.579 --> 00:22:29.959 and it's a red pill 00:22:29.959 --> 00:22:31.959 that isn't just to lead you into a... 00:22:31.959 --> 00:22:33.779 Here's the other thing. 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:35.159 I think it's going to be on the screen. 00:22:35.240 --> 00:22:36.839 The Lord created and launched 00:22:36.839 --> 00:22:38.439 a movement of truth and love 00:22:38.439 --> 00:22:41.659 that builds communities of truth and love 00:22:41.659 --> 00:22:43.980 for the glory of God and the good of people. 00:22:46.199 --> 00:22:48.579 See, that's what's sort of behind this text. 00:22:48.679 --> 00:22:50.359 It's behind the entire New Testament. 00:22:50.579 --> 00:22:53.240 It's behind what our Jewish friends call the Tanakh 00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:54.519 and what we call the Old Testament. 00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:58.199 The Lord created and launched 00:22:58.199 --> 00:23:00.259 a movement of truth and love, 00:23:00.339 --> 00:23:02.179 not just of love and not just of truth, 00:23:02.180 --> 00:23:03.700 but of truth and love 00:23:03.700 --> 00:23:05.180 that is to build... 00:23:05.180 --> 00:23:10.080 It does build communities of truth and love 00:23:10.080 --> 00:23:12.580 for the glory of God and the good of people. 00:23:12.579 --> 00:23:16.559 That's what the Lord's doing. 00:23:18.399 --> 00:23:21.879 That's the context behind this advice that he says, 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:23.179 don't quarrel about words, 00:23:23.259 --> 00:23:25.179 don't pay attention to irreverent babble, 00:23:25.299 --> 00:23:26.980 learn to handle the word of truth. 00:23:27.639 --> 00:23:29.319 Learn to handle the word of truth. 00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:32.539 You see, because since the truth matters, 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:36.399 words and how you use them matter. 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:41.120 And since the truth matters, 00:23:41.360 --> 00:23:43.660 words and how you use them matter. 00:23:43.759 --> 00:23:44.940 And if I was to add another thing, 00:23:45.019 --> 00:23:46.700 I'd say since people matter, 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:50.380 words and how you use them matter. 00:23:50.740 --> 00:23:53.100 Because we all know that we can use the truth 00:23:53.100 --> 00:23:55.480 in a cruel and heartless way. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:00.519 We can use the truth to beat people up, 00:24:00.680 --> 00:24:02.980 to belittle them, to diminish them, 00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:05.200 to rob them of hope, to make them ashamed. 00:24:06.680 --> 00:24:09.039 And I bet every single one of us here in the room 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:10.200 could tell you a story 00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:12.120 of how a person has used the truth 00:24:12.120 --> 00:24:13.720 in a way against them 00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:16.900 which has been brutal, heartless, vicious. 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:23.880 But on the other hand, 00:24:23.960 --> 00:24:25.180 we also know people who, 00:24:25.380 --> 00:24:27.140 out of a mistaken notion of love, 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:28.480 will not speak the truth. 00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:32.519 I remember many, many, many years ago, 00:24:32.599 --> 00:24:33.620 there was somebody who told me 00:24:33.620 --> 00:24:35.360 they thought that they were called 00:24:35.360 --> 00:24:36.440 to the ordained ministry. 00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:40.259 And I hate conversations like this. 00:24:40.339 --> 00:24:41.539 I'm very Canadian. 00:24:42.099 --> 00:24:42.360 Eh? 00:24:42.819 --> 00:24:44.440 Yeah, I'm very Canadian. 00:24:45.420 --> 00:24:48.759 And so I, you know, 00:24:48.819 --> 00:24:51.259 Canadians always prefer passive aggressiveness 00:24:51.259 --> 00:24:52.819 over just, you know, being direct. 00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:57.160 And so anyway, I said to them, 00:24:57.160 --> 00:24:58.380 I didn't think God was calling them 00:24:58.380 --> 00:25:00.420 to be ordained. 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:02.680 They were upset with me. 00:25:03.140 --> 00:25:03.880 And then they told me 00:25:03.880 --> 00:25:05.180 two or three other people in the church 00:25:05.180 --> 00:25:06.279 who all thought they were called 00:25:06.279 --> 00:25:06.860 to be ordained. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:09.759 And then a week later, 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:10.519 one of the other, 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:11.480 a couple of the other people 00:25:11.480 --> 00:25:12.460 came up to me and said, 00:25:12.519 --> 00:25:14.840 I hear that you told Bob 00:25:14.840 --> 00:25:15.820 that you didn't think 00:25:15.820 --> 00:25:16.860 he was called to be ordained. 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:18.580 And he's really mad. 00:25:18.840 --> 00:25:19.580 And I said, yeah. 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:20.740 And they said to me, 00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:22.140 we don't think he's called 00:25:22.140 --> 00:25:22.980 to be ordained either, 00:25:23.080 --> 00:25:24.480 but we didn't want to hurt his feelings. 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:27.220 And we're really glad you told them. 00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:28.559 Now, whether I told it 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:29.360 in a gentle way or not, 00:25:29.380 --> 00:25:30.019 I don't know. 00:25:30.259 --> 00:25:32.079 I'll find out maybe I was too harsh, 00:25:32.259 --> 00:25:32.579 you know, 00:25:32.599 --> 00:25:33.700 with a particular person. 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:34.500 But we understand 00:25:34.500 --> 00:25:35.759 that since the truth matters 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:36.940 and since people matters, 00:25:37.420 --> 00:25:39.099 words and how you use them matter. 00:25:44.039 --> 00:25:45.099 And see, once again, 00:25:45.140 --> 00:25:45.799 if you understand 00:25:45.799 --> 00:25:46.799 that the Christian faith 00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:47.779 is trying to communicate 00:25:47.779 --> 00:25:48.980 about what the real world 00:25:48.980 --> 00:25:49.920 is really like, 00:25:50.460 --> 00:25:50.740 like, 00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:52.880 I'm very simple-minded. 00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:54.260 At the beginning of the service, 00:25:54.960 --> 00:25:56.080 at the beginning of the sermon, 00:25:56.220 --> 00:25:57.600 when I say to you 00:25:57.600 --> 00:25:58.340 that ultimately 00:25:58.340 --> 00:26:00.280 God caused the scriptures 00:26:00.280 --> 00:26:00.860 to be read, 00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:01.020 like, 00:26:01.060 --> 00:26:01.680 I actually think 00:26:01.680 --> 00:26:02.480 that's what happened. 00:26:02.620 --> 00:26:03.660 I'm very simple-minded. 00:26:03.780 --> 00:26:04.340 I think that's what 00:26:04.340 --> 00:26:05.020 actually happened. 00:26:06.020 --> 00:26:07.300 And when I pray 00:26:07.300 --> 00:26:08.340 that God would pour out 00:26:08.340 --> 00:26:09.520 the Holy Spirit upon us, 00:26:09.540 --> 00:26:10.360 I actually believe 00:26:10.360 --> 00:26:11.500 I'm talking to my Father 00:26:11.500 --> 00:26:12.020 in heaven 00:26:12.020 --> 00:26:15.520 and that Jesus 00:26:15.520 --> 00:26:16.980 is interceding for me. 00:26:16.980 --> 00:26:19.460 And I actually believe 00:26:19.460 --> 00:26:20.740 when I talk to God, 00:26:20.840 --> 00:26:21.740 I ask him to pour out 00:26:21.740 --> 00:26:22.440 the Holy Spirit, 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:24.599 that he will, 00:26:24.859 --> 00:26:25.620 because that's something 00:26:25.620 --> 00:26:27.120 he asks us to pray for, 00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:27.799 that he will do 00:26:27.799 --> 00:26:28.579 what I've asked, 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:29.519 what we've asked him for, 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:30.359 and that he actually does 00:26:30.359 --> 00:26:31.160 pour the Holy Spirit 00:26:31.160 --> 00:26:32.460 out upon those of us 00:26:32.460 --> 00:26:32.720 in the room. 00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:33.440 I actually believe 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:34.960 that's what's happening. 00:26:37.900 --> 00:26:39.819 And I don't just say this 00:26:39.819 --> 00:26:40.559 because I'm weird, 00:26:40.660 --> 00:26:42.140 although many of you 00:26:42.140 --> 00:26:43.299 now maybe think I'm weird. 00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:45.480 I do this because 00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:46.720 I believe that Jesus 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:48.019 really did rise from the dead, 00:26:48.099 --> 00:26:49.759 that the tomb was empty, 00:26:49.880 --> 00:26:51.039 that they never found the body, 00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:52.879 that he appeared alive 00:26:52.879 --> 00:26:54.579 to many, many witnesses, 00:26:55.339 --> 00:26:59.460 that the miracles he does 00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:00.059 in the Bible 00:27:00.059 --> 00:27:01.220 actually happened, 00:27:01.879 --> 00:27:03.039 that you can't say 00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:03.940 that Jesus was 00:27:03.940 --> 00:27:05.279 a great moral teacher, 00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:06.559 because if he, 00:27:06.819 --> 00:27:09.019 the Bible very clearly shows 00:27:09.019 --> 00:27:09.940 that Jesus claimed 00:27:09.940 --> 00:27:10.680 to be God 00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:11.839 and you can't claim 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:12.619 to be God 00:27:12.619 --> 00:27:14.299 and be a great moral teacher, 00:27:14.940 --> 00:27:15.740 he either knew 00:27:15.740 --> 00:27:16.879 that he wasn't God 00:27:16.879 --> 00:27:18.359 and therefore he was lying 00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:19.439 and therefore he can't 00:27:19.439 --> 00:27:20.459 be a great moral teacher, 00:27:20.619 --> 00:27:21.279 or he actually, 00:27:21.379 --> 00:27:22.259 he wasn't God, 00:27:22.519 --> 00:27:23.479 but he thought he was, 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:25.179 and then he's insane. 00:27:25.399 --> 00:27:26.079 He's like the, 00:27:26.579 --> 00:27:28.240 he's like many of the mental 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:30.159 people who are off their meds 00:27:30.159 --> 00:27:30.919 that we see wandering 00:27:30.919 --> 00:27:31.859 around the streets 00:27:31.859 --> 00:27:32.519 of Ottawa, 00:27:33.059 --> 00:27:33.500 poor, 00:27:34.159 --> 00:27:34.979 demented people 00:27:34.979 --> 00:27:36.339 that need our mercy 00:27:36.339 --> 00:27:37.579 and we should pray for them, 00:27:37.659 --> 00:27:38.519 and that's Jesus. 00:27:40.199 --> 00:27:41.579 Or he really did rise 00:27:41.579 --> 00:27:42.099 from the dead 00:27:42.099 --> 00:27:43.059 and the grave is empty, 00:27:43.579 --> 00:27:44.319 and he did claim 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:44.959 to be God, 00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:45.860 and he did claim 00:27:45.860 --> 00:27:46.980 to come to save us, 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:48.579 and that means 00:27:48.579 --> 00:27:49.319 he's the Lord. 00:27:52.740 --> 00:27:53.680 And that the world 00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:54.259 is different 00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:54.700 than the way 00:27:54.700 --> 00:27:55.420 Ottawa U 00:27:55.420 --> 00:27:56.380 and the CBC 00:27:56.380 --> 00:27:57.819 and the Supreme Court 00:27:57.819 --> 00:27:58.420 of Canada 00:27:58.420 --> 00:28:00.140 and Hollywood 00:28:00.140 --> 00:28:01.380 and Bay Street 00:28:01.380 --> 00:28:02.039 tell us. 00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:04.319 And we need 00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:04.920 to be part 00:28:04.920 --> 00:28:05.539 of a community 00:28:05.539 --> 00:28:06.759 of truth and love 00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:10.299 to learn 00:28:10.299 --> 00:28:11.539 how to love better 00:28:11.539 --> 00:28:12.900 and love the truth better 00:28:12.900 --> 00:28:14.060 and not live 00:28:14.060 --> 00:28:14.740 by hatred 00:28:14.740 --> 00:28:15.660 and not live 00:28:15.660 --> 00:28:16.320 by fear 00:28:16.320 --> 00:28:17.320 and not live 00:28:17.320 --> 00:28:18.000 by lies. 00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:20.820 And that is 00:28:20.820 --> 00:28:21.900 what Jesus calls us to. 00:28:26.560 --> 00:28:27.220 And you see, 00:28:27.280 --> 00:28:27.920 this is why 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:31.940 when Paul says here 00:28:31.940 --> 00:28:32.560 that you need to, 00:28:32.660 --> 00:28:32.820 you know, 00:28:32.860 --> 00:28:33.540 don't get into 00:28:33.540 --> 00:28:35.280 quarrels 00:28:35.280 --> 00:28:36.259 and infighting 00:28:36.259 --> 00:28:37.740 and don't just 00:28:37.740 --> 00:28:39.200 listen to irreverent babble 00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:40.120 but learn to handle 00:28:40.120 --> 00:28:41.040 the truth rightly 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:43.139 because if there 00:28:43.139 --> 00:28:44.500 really is this news 00:28:44.500 --> 00:28:45.559 that there is a God 00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:46.319 that does exist 00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:47.299 who loves you 00:28:47.299 --> 00:28:48.659 and loves you so much 00:28:48.659 --> 00:28:49.339 that he died upon 00:28:49.339 --> 00:28:50.319 the cross for you 00:28:50.319 --> 00:28:52.440 so that if you accept 00:28:52.440 --> 00:28:53.779 what he's done for you, 00:28:54.500 --> 00:28:56.200 God does in your life 00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:57.019 what you can never 00:28:57.019 --> 00:28:57.960 do for yourself. 00:28:58.180 --> 00:28:58.879 He makes you 00:28:58.879 --> 00:28:59.940 right with himself 00:28:59.940 --> 00:29:02.240 and the Holy Spirit 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:04.000 actually lives in you 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:05.039 and you actually 00:29:05.039 --> 00:29:06.359 at a spiritual level 00:29:06.359 --> 00:29:07.700 become changed. 00:29:08.039 --> 00:29:08.680 Your emotions 00:29:08.680 --> 00:29:09.659 might not change 00:29:09.659 --> 00:29:10.079 right away. 00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:11.319 Your body might not 00:29:11.319 --> 00:29:12.159 change right away. 00:29:12.259 --> 00:29:13.039 Your finances 00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:13.980 or any of these things 00:29:13.980 --> 00:29:15.799 but at a spiritual level 00:29:15.799 --> 00:29:16.539 who you are 00:29:16.539 --> 00:29:17.619 at the level of your 00:29:17.619 --> 00:29:18.819 of the depths 00:29:18.819 --> 00:29:19.460 of who you are 00:29:19.460 --> 00:29:20.599 that now actually 00:29:20.599 --> 00:29:21.460 is completely 00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:22.379 and utterly changed 00:29:22.379 --> 00:29:23.000 as if you have 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:24.220 become born again. 00:29:28.179 --> 00:29:29.279 If you were to hear, 00:29:30.179 --> 00:29:30.720 if you were to get 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:31.679 an email tomorrow 00:29:31.679 --> 00:29:33.059 saying that 00:29:33.059 --> 00:29:33.579 dear sir, 00:29:33.699 --> 00:29:34.199 dear madam, 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:35.539 we regret to inform you 00:29:35.539 --> 00:29:36.240 that we've now done 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:36.720 an audit 00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:37.279 and discovered 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:38.259 that the Pfizer 00:29:38.259 --> 00:29:39.440 and Moderna vaccine 00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:40.579 that was given to you 00:29:40.579 --> 00:29:41.900 had been mishandled 00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:42.960 and hadn't been kept 00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:44.220 at the proper temperature 00:29:44.220 --> 00:29:45.379 and so therefore 00:29:45.379 --> 00:29:46.160 was completely 00:29:46.160 --> 00:29:47.200 and utterly worthless 00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:48.220 and we administered it 00:29:48.220 --> 00:29:48.660 to you, 00:29:49.480 --> 00:29:50.599 every single one of you 00:29:50.599 --> 00:29:51.400 who received an email 00:29:51.400 --> 00:29:51.839 like that 00:29:51.839 --> 00:29:52.680 would feel sick 00:29:52.680 --> 00:29:53.379 and angry. 00:29:55.579 --> 00:29:56.059 Why? 00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:57.019 Because they didn't 00:29:57.019 --> 00:29:58.680 handle the drugs properly. 00:29:58.900 --> 00:29:59.920 They didn't handle 00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:00.700 the vaccines 00:30:00.700 --> 00:30:01.980 properly 00:30:01.980 --> 00:30:03.880 to your harm 00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:07.579 and it's because 00:30:07.579 --> 00:30:08.440 we're talking 00:30:08.440 --> 00:30:09.140 of the real world 00:30:09.140 --> 00:30:09.640 that the Bible 00:30:09.640 --> 00:30:10.559 says what it says. 00:30:11.420 --> 00:30:12.059 But some of you 00:30:12.059 --> 00:30:12.360 might say, 00:30:12.460 --> 00:30:12.599 George, 00:30:12.660 --> 00:30:13.279 and this is a very, 00:30:13.400 --> 00:30:14.460 very valid pushback, 00:30:14.539 --> 00:30:14.740 you'd say, 00:30:14.819 --> 00:30:15.000 George, 00:30:15.039 --> 00:30:15.539 well how do you know 00:30:15.539 --> 00:30:16.220 the difference 00:30:16.220 --> 00:30:17.599 between quarreling 00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:18.400 over words? 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:19.400 How do you know 00:30:19.400 --> 00:30:19.900 the difference 00:30:19.900 --> 00:30:21.220 between irreverent babble 00:30:21.220 --> 00:30:22.120 and rightly handling 00:30:22.120 --> 00:30:22.740 the word of truth? 00:30:22.839 --> 00:30:23.160 Like, George, 00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:23.660 how on earth 00:30:23.660 --> 00:30:24.240 do you know that? 00:30:24.299 --> 00:30:24.759 I mean, George, 00:30:24.819 --> 00:30:25.460 you've been involved 00:30:25.460 --> 00:30:26.360 in controversies, 00:30:26.360 --> 00:30:27.319 I know you have 00:30:27.319 --> 00:30:28.980 and so how do you know 00:30:28.980 --> 00:30:30.940 when you're doing that 00:30:30.940 --> 00:30:31.640 or what? 00:30:31.720 --> 00:30:32.720 Like, what's going on, 00:30:32.799 --> 00:30:33.000 George? 00:30:33.140 --> 00:30:34.299 And if you have 00:30:34.299 --> 00:30:35.120 that question, 00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:36.920 that is the world's 00:30:36.920 --> 00:30:38.620 best question 00:30:38.620 --> 00:30:40.500 because, you see, 00:30:40.559 --> 00:30:41.839 that's part of the point 00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:43.720 of verses 14 to 16 00:30:43.720 --> 00:30:47.059 because I have to come 00:30:47.059 --> 00:30:47.740 to God and say, 00:30:47.799 --> 00:30:48.460 God, is it I? 00:30:49.940 --> 00:30:50.860 In this case, 00:30:50.900 --> 00:30:51.400 is it me? 00:30:53.099 --> 00:30:54.019 Like, which one 00:30:54.019 --> 00:30:54.839 am I here, God? 00:30:54.839 --> 00:30:59.299 I shouldn't come 00:30:59.299 --> 00:30:59.879 to the text 00:30:59.879 --> 00:31:01.839 arrogantly presuming 00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:02.939 that I'm only 00:31:02.939 --> 00:31:04.179 always rightly 00:31:04.179 --> 00:31:05.119 handling the word 00:31:05.119 --> 00:31:05.759 of truth, 00:31:06.159 --> 00:31:07.720 that there's no ego 00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:09.199 ever in me, 00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:10.519 that I never want 00:31:10.519 --> 00:31:11.659 to win an argument, 00:31:11.879 --> 00:31:12.699 that's what other 00:31:12.699 --> 00:31:13.519 people do, 00:31:13.679 --> 00:31:15.659 that's not... 00:31:15.659 --> 00:31:16.899 Time out, George. 00:31:17.659 --> 00:31:18.659 Part of the point 00:31:18.659 --> 00:31:19.699 of the mystery 00:31:19.699 --> 00:31:20.279 of the text 00:31:20.279 --> 00:31:21.000 is on one level 00:31:21.000 --> 00:31:21.919 we all understand 00:31:21.919 --> 00:31:22.619 the distinction 00:31:22.619 --> 00:31:23.299 between this, 00:31:23.379 --> 00:31:24.500 we all understand it. 00:31:24.500 --> 00:31:25.460 What we don't 00:31:25.460 --> 00:31:26.420 always understand 00:31:26.420 --> 00:31:27.160 is which side 00:31:27.160 --> 00:31:27.799 of the distinction 00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:29.519 we were just on 00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:30.779 three minutes ago. 00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:34.079 And so this text, 00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:35.559 you see, 00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:36.980 I have to watch 00:31:36.980 --> 00:31:37.299 the time, 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:38.880 this text is calling 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:40.000 for you and me 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:40.839 and us as a church 00:31:40.839 --> 00:31:42.019 to constantly have 00:31:42.019 --> 00:31:43.460 moments of moral 00:31:43.460 --> 00:31:44.559 reflection about 00:31:44.559 --> 00:31:45.500 our own lives. 00:31:46.140 --> 00:31:47.539 Jesus warns us 00:31:47.539 --> 00:31:48.539 about seeing specks 00:31:48.539 --> 00:31:49.579 in other people's eyes 00:31:49.579 --> 00:31:50.660 and not seeing 00:31:50.660 --> 00:31:52.400 the log sticking 00:31:52.400 --> 00:31:53.359 out of our own eyes. 00:31:53.359 --> 00:31:54.420 The book of Psalms 00:31:54.420 --> 00:31:55.279 warns us about 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:56.180 the problem we have 00:31:56.180 --> 00:31:57.519 of flattering ourselves 00:31:57.519 --> 00:31:59.080 too much to detect 00:31:59.080 --> 00:32:00.360 or hate our own sin. 00:32:01.800 --> 00:32:02.820 And so a text like this 00:32:02.820 --> 00:32:03.539 is to call me, 00:32:03.600 --> 00:32:04.360 not to say that 00:32:04.360 --> 00:32:05.019 I'm never going to 00:32:05.019 --> 00:32:05.740 try to actually 00:32:05.740 --> 00:32:07.200 defend the truth. 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:07.920 It's not that I'm 00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:08.340 never going to 00:32:08.340 --> 00:32:09.140 actually try to 00:32:09.140 --> 00:32:10.720 be careful with words, 00:32:10.740 --> 00:32:11.820 but to always come out 00:32:11.820 --> 00:32:12.200 of it and say, 00:32:12.300 --> 00:32:12.440 okay, 00:32:13.620 --> 00:32:13.880 you know, 00:32:14.420 --> 00:32:14.920 Lord, 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:15.660 was I... 00:32:15.660 --> 00:32:16.340 What was going on 00:32:16.340 --> 00:32:17.180 there in my life? 00:32:17.420 --> 00:32:17.680 Like, 00:32:18.039 --> 00:32:19.259 was I just... 00:32:19.259 --> 00:32:20.560 Did I cross a line 00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:21.539 at some point 00:32:21.539 --> 00:32:21.940 in there? 00:32:23.480 --> 00:32:24.919 Was I doing something 00:32:24.919 --> 00:32:25.519 to manipulate 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:26.419 the other person? 00:32:26.519 --> 00:32:27.559 Was I doing something 00:32:27.559 --> 00:32:28.139 to belittle 00:32:28.139 --> 00:32:28.960 the other person? 00:32:29.079 --> 00:32:29.859 Was I doing something 00:32:29.859 --> 00:32:30.679 to shame them? 00:32:31.740 --> 00:32:32.500 Was I just coming 00:32:32.500 --> 00:32:33.359 on so heavy 00:32:33.359 --> 00:32:34.000 that I... 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:35.019 Was I stopping... 00:32:35.019 --> 00:32:36.319 Was I stopping listening? 00:32:36.500 --> 00:32:37.299 Did I stop listening? 00:32:38.700 --> 00:32:39.679 Did I just listen 00:32:39.679 --> 00:32:40.659 to the first three words 00:32:40.659 --> 00:32:41.119 they said 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:42.099 and then close my ears 00:32:42.099 --> 00:32:42.919 as I formulated 00:32:42.919 --> 00:32:43.659 my rebuttal? 00:32:44.659 --> 00:32:45.679 Have I walked away 00:32:45.679 --> 00:32:46.779 thinking how proud 00:32:46.779 --> 00:32:48.259 and wonderful I was 00:32:48.259 --> 00:32:49.399 with my cutting word, 00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:50.460 my telling word, 00:32:50.539 --> 00:32:52.160 that I got you word? 00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:53.160 Is that what went on 00:32:53.160 --> 00:32:53.500 in me? 00:32:54.220 --> 00:32:54.599 Lord, 00:32:55.259 --> 00:32:57.180 did I just leave 00:32:57.180 --> 00:32:58.220 that conversation 00:32:58.220 --> 00:33:01.500 as a bully? 00:33:03.200 --> 00:33:04.819 As an arrogant person? 00:33:08.119 --> 00:33:08.759 You see, 00:33:08.940 --> 00:33:10.139 here's where the gospel 00:33:10.139 --> 00:33:11.700 is very important. 00:33:13.700 --> 00:33:14.819 The word Christian 00:33:14.819 --> 00:33:15.839 doesn't mean good. 00:33:17.480 --> 00:33:18.579 The word Christian 00:33:18.579 --> 00:33:20.079 means a follower of Jesus. 00:33:21.639 --> 00:33:22.519 Why do I need 00:33:22.519 --> 00:33:23.700 to be a follower of Jesus? 00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:25.960 Because I do wrong things 00:33:25.960 --> 00:33:27.240 and I can't fix myself. 00:33:27.960 --> 00:33:28.960 I need a savior. 00:33:30.619 --> 00:33:32.059 And that's part of the profound 00:33:32.059 --> 00:33:33.180 and wonderful news 00:33:33.180 --> 00:33:33.899 of the gospel. 00:33:34.759 --> 00:33:35.599 Is that Jesus 00:33:35.599 --> 00:33:36.940 doesn't weigh my merits. 00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:37.379 He doesn't say, 00:33:37.460 --> 00:33:38.039 oh gosh, 00:33:38.200 --> 00:33:39.319 George is so brilliant. 00:33:39.539 --> 00:33:40.579 He's so articulate. 00:33:40.940 --> 00:33:41.899 He's so winsome. 00:33:42.859 --> 00:33:43.899 He's always gentle. 00:33:45.240 --> 00:33:46.220 I'm going to bring him 00:33:46.220 --> 00:33:47.039 into my kingdom 00:33:47.039 --> 00:33:47.819 because boy, 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:49.100 is he ever going to add value. 00:33:49.220 --> 00:33:49.400 No, 00:33:49.480 --> 00:33:50.779 that's not how the gospel works. 00:33:54.680 --> 00:33:55.700 I was a person 00:33:55.700 --> 00:33:56.720 completely and utterly 00:33:56.720 --> 00:33:58.100 caught in self-deception 00:33:58.100 --> 00:33:59.880 and I needed the Holy Spirit 00:33:59.880 --> 00:34:02.740 to pierce the darkness 00:34:02.740 --> 00:34:04.420 and blindness of my mind 00:34:04.420 --> 00:34:05.620 and bring the red pill 00:34:05.620 --> 00:34:06.980 into the center of who I am 00:34:06.980 --> 00:34:08.420 and I need the grace of God 00:34:08.420 --> 00:34:11.880 to take my anger, 00:34:11.880 --> 00:34:12.619 my pride, 00:34:12.619 --> 00:34:13.340 my vanity, 00:34:14.660 --> 00:34:15.619 to pierce all of that 00:34:15.619 --> 00:34:16.920 and bring me that red pill 00:34:16.920 --> 00:34:17.519 of the gospel 00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:18.340 that I would know 00:34:18.340 --> 00:34:19.320 my savior 00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:22.019 who saves me 00:34:22.019 --> 00:34:22.700 and saves you 00:34:22.700 --> 00:34:23.740 not weighing my merits 00:34:23.740 --> 00:34:25.240 but pardoning my offenses, 00:34:25.579 --> 00:34:27.440 who saves the angry, 00:34:27.619 --> 00:34:28.700 who saves the timid, 00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:29.840 who saves the proud, 00:34:29.980 --> 00:34:30.860 who saves the weak, 00:34:30.980 --> 00:34:32.460 who saves the person 00:34:32.460 --> 00:34:33.800 who has no backbone 00:34:33.800 --> 00:34:35.300 and the one 00:34:35.300 --> 00:34:36.119 who's just completely 00:34:36.119 --> 00:34:37.019 and utterly encased 00:34:37.019 --> 00:34:37.559 in armor, 00:34:37.780 --> 00:34:39.440 who saves the indigenous 00:34:39.440 --> 00:34:40.559 in the First Nations 00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:41.360 and the black, 00:34:41.720 --> 00:34:43.500 the people from the Caribbean 00:34:43.500 --> 00:34:44.280 and Africa 00:34:44.280 --> 00:34:45.059 and Singapore 00:34:45.059 --> 00:34:46.000 and China 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:47.559 and the Middle East 00:34:47.559 --> 00:34:48.500 and Afghanistan 00:34:48.500 --> 00:34:49.679 and Canada 00:34:49.679 --> 00:34:51.980 not weighing our merits 00:34:51.980 --> 00:34:54.800 but we need a savior, 00:34:54.940 --> 00:34:55.619 I need a savior, 00:34:55.780 --> 00:34:56.559 you need a savior. 00:34:57.300 --> 00:34:58.179 There is a savior. 00:34:59.460 --> 00:34:59.820 Hallelujah. 00:34:59.820 --> 00:35:00.000 Hallelujah. 00:35:07.460 --> 00:35:08.099 You see, 00:35:08.099 --> 00:35:08.699 this tells us 00:35:08.699 --> 00:35:09.860 another important thing 00:35:09.860 --> 00:35:11.980 is to know the truth 00:35:11.980 --> 00:35:12.799 about God, 00:35:13.039 --> 00:35:13.579 the world 00:35:13.579 --> 00:35:14.299 and yourself 00:35:14.299 --> 00:35:16.259 is a moral quest. 00:35:17.539 --> 00:35:18.739 To know the truth 00:35:18.739 --> 00:35:19.440 about God, 00:35:19.539 --> 00:35:19.900 the world 00:35:19.900 --> 00:35:20.460 and yourself 00:35:20.460 --> 00:35:22.099 is a moral quest. 00:35:22.519 --> 00:35:23.239 It's not just 00:35:23.239 --> 00:35:24.839 an intellectual quest, 00:35:25.219 --> 00:35:26.719 it's a moral quest 00:35:26.719 --> 00:35:28.239 to believe 00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:29.000 that there is 00:35:29.000 --> 00:35:30.299 a way of solving 00:35:30.299 --> 00:35:31.059 difficulties 00:35:31.059 --> 00:35:32.920 that doesn't involve fists, 00:35:33.380 --> 00:35:34.559 that there is a truth 00:35:34.559 --> 00:35:35.539 that does exist, 00:35:35.759 --> 00:35:36.659 that you can have 00:35:36.659 --> 00:35:37.539 a conversation, 00:35:37.539 --> 00:35:38.579 that you can listen, 00:35:39.000 --> 00:35:40.039 that you can hopefully 00:35:40.039 --> 00:35:41.099 enter into in a way 00:35:41.099 --> 00:35:41.960 which is gentle 00:35:41.960 --> 00:35:42.679 and respectful 00:35:42.679 --> 00:35:43.699 of the other person 00:35:43.699 --> 00:35:44.460 and that you can 00:35:44.460 --> 00:35:45.219 pursue the truth, 00:35:45.340 --> 00:35:46.320 that you as Christians, 00:35:46.519 --> 00:35:46.980 because we have 00:35:46.980 --> 00:35:47.759 a father in heaven, 00:35:47.820 --> 00:35:48.659 that we can pray 00:35:48.659 --> 00:35:49.880 that people who 00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:51.079 disagree with us, 00:35:51.119 --> 00:35:51.719 that they will come 00:35:51.719 --> 00:35:52.360 to know the truth, 00:35:52.420 --> 00:35:53.300 that we can pray 00:35:53.300 --> 00:35:55.019 that if we are blinded 00:35:55.019 --> 00:35:56.400 about this particular issue, 00:35:56.480 --> 00:35:57.259 if my privilege 00:35:57.259 --> 00:35:58.559 or my skin color 00:35:58.559 --> 00:35:59.699 or my power 00:35:59.699 --> 00:36:01.019 has blinded me 00:36:01.019 --> 00:36:01.659 to privilege, 00:36:01.800 --> 00:36:02.179 that Lord, 00:36:02.300 --> 00:36:03.460 have mercy upon me 00:36:03.460 --> 00:36:04.220 and deliver me 00:36:04.220 --> 00:36:05.159 from my blindness 00:36:05.159 --> 00:36:06.079 that I might know 00:36:06.079 --> 00:36:06.740 the truth, 00:36:07.019 --> 00:36:08.179 that I might be 00:36:08.179 --> 00:36:09.220 humbled by truth, 00:36:09.559 --> 00:36:10.619 mastered by truth 00:36:10.619 --> 00:36:11.500 in a way 00:36:11.500 --> 00:36:12.559 which is always 00:36:12.559 --> 00:36:13.519 loving of you 00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:14.800 and loving of your creation 00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:16.500 and loving of other people. 00:36:17.460 --> 00:36:17.820 Lord, 00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:19.400 have mercy upon me, 00:36:19.480 --> 00:36:20.880 have mercy upon us. 00:36:21.199 --> 00:36:22.519 May we be a community 00:36:22.519 --> 00:36:24.159 of truth and love 00:36:24.159 --> 00:36:26.380 for the glory of God 00:36:26.380 --> 00:36:27.800 and for the good of people. 00:36:27.800 --> 00:36:28.360 Just, 00:36:33.700 --> 00:36:35.080 it's the time I just, 00:36:35.200 --> 00:36:35.760 let's just read 00:36:35.760 --> 00:36:36.539 the rest of the text 00:36:36.539 --> 00:36:37.300 so you hear it. 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:38.660 Verse 17, 00:36:39.360 --> 00:36:40.180 or verse 16, 00:36:40.280 --> 00:36:41.580 but avoid irreverent babble 00:36:41.580 --> 00:36:42.580 for it will lead people 00:36:42.580 --> 00:36:43.280 into more and more 00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:43.840 ungodliness 00:36:43.840 --> 00:36:44.560 and their talk 00:36:44.560 --> 00:36:45.160 will spread 00:36:45.160 --> 00:36:47.000 like gandrine. 00:36:47.660 --> 00:36:48.160 Among them 00:36:48.160 --> 00:36:48.900 are Hymenaeus 00:36:48.900 --> 00:36:49.500 and Philetus 00:36:49.500 --> 00:36:50.700 who have swerved 00:36:50.700 --> 00:36:51.320 from the truth 00:36:51.320 --> 00:36:52.420 saying that the resurrection 00:36:52.420 --> 00:36:53.500 has already happened. 00:36:54.060 --> 00:36:54.640 They are upsetting 00:36:54.640 --> 00:36:55.600 the faith of some. 00:36:56.100 --> 00:36:56.840 What's probably 00:36:56.840 --> 00:36:57.539 going on there 00:36:57.539 --> 00:36:58.559 is if this idea 00:36:58.559 --> 00:36:59.539 that somehow or another 00:36:59.539 --> 00:37:00.159 I've just, 00:37:00.360 --> 00:37:00.960 whoa, 00:37:01.139 --> 00:37:01.779 I'm resurrected. 00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:03.420 I'm already living 00:37:03.420 --> 00:37:04.360 in the heavenlies. 00:37:05.079 --> 00:37:05.279 Well, 00:37:05.340 --> 00:37:06.139 what my body does 00:37:06.139 --> 00:37:06.739 doesn't matter 00:37:06.739 --> 00:37:07.960 and how can you say 00:37:07.960 --> 00:37:09.000 that I lied, 00:37:09.219 --> 00:37:09.519 that I, 00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:10.300 like, 00:37:10.400 --> 00:37:11.460 it's a way to actually, 00:37:11.900 --> 00:37:13.579 it's a way to make you 00:37:13.579 --> 00:37:14.279 sound religious 00:37:14.279 --> 00:37:15.119 and spiritual 00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:16.719 while it pardons 00:37:16.719 --> 00:37:17.559 the crap 00:37:17.559 --> 00:37:18.920 and the lies 00:37:18.920 --> 00:37:19.840 and the anger 00:37:19.840 --> 00:37:20.840 and the violence 00:37:20.840 --> 00:37:22.039 and the evil you do. 00:37:23.880 --> 00:37:25.019 That matters. 00:37:27.539 --> 00:37:28.259 That matters. 00:37:30.340 --> 00:37:31.239 And then it goes on 00:37:31.239 --> 00:37:32.360 and says in verse 19, 00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:33.759 but God's firm foundation 00:37:33.759 --> 00:37:35.420 stands bearing this seal. 00:37:35.519 --> 00:37:36.199 The Lord knows 00:37:36.199 --> 00:37:37.079 those who are his. 00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:37.820 You know what, 00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:38.619 I don't have the time. 00:37:38.860 --> 00:37:39.900 I shouldn't say that. 00:37:40.460 --> 00:37:41.940 Go back in your devotions 00:37:41.940 --> 00:37:43.139 and read the rest 00:37:43.139 --> 00:37:43.820 of this text. 00:37:44.239 --> 00:37:45.300 But here's the point 00:37:45.300 --> 00:37:46.059 about the text. 00:37:47.759 --> 00:37:48.900 Since people, 00:37:49.119 --> 00:37:50.059 and it's already been covered 00:37:50.059 --> 00:37:50.500 in the stuff 00:37:50.500 --> 00:37:51.719 that's going on, 00:37:51.800 --> 00:37:52.460 you'll go back 00:37:52.460 --> 00:37:52.960 and you'll see 00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:53.960 that the fact 00:37:53.960 --> 00:37:54.880 that the truth, 00:37:54.980 --> 00:37:55.440 knowing the truth 00:37:55.440 --> 00:37:56.280 is a moral quest, 00:37:56.340 --> 00:37:56.760 it means you have 00:37:56.760 --> 00:37:57.800 to flee certain things 00:37:57.800 --> 00:37:59.019 and pursue certain things. 00:37:59.139 --> 00:38:00.300 And pursuing things 00:38:00.300 --> 00:38:02.059 like faithfulness to God 00:38:02.059 --> 00:38:03.800 and being right with God 00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:04.760 matter if you want 00:38:04.760 --> 00:38:05.480 to know the truth 00:38:05.480 --> 00:38:06.860 because it's too easy 00:38:06.860 --> 00:38:08.599 for my pride 00:38:08.599 --> 00:38:09.840 to make me hurt people 00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:10.860 and for my pride 00:38:10.860 --> 00:38:11.599 to no longer 00:38:11.599 --> 00:38:12.420 want to know the truth. 00:38:12.519 --> 00:38:13.200 It's too easy 00:38:13.200 --> 00:38:14.039 for that to happen. 00:38:14.420 --> 00:38:15.019 To know the truth 00:38:15.019 --> 00:38:15.800 isn't just a matter 00:38:15.800 --> 00:38:16.460 of the mind, 00:38:16.579 --> 00:38:17.460 it's also a matter 00:38:17.460 --> 00:38:18.539 of a moral quest. 00:38:19.240 --> 00:38:20.420 And here's the thing, 00:38:20.539 --> 00:38:21.639 since people matter 00:38:21.639 --> 00:38:22.360 to God, 00:38:23.559 --> 00:38:24.460 people should matter 00:38:24.460 --> 00:38:25.019 to you. 00:38:26.059 --> 00:38:26.360 Therefore, 00:38:26.639 --> 00:38:27.460 seek to win 00:38:27.460 --> 00:38:28.880 the person for Christ, 00:38:29.519 --> 00:38:30.760 not the argument 00:38:30.760 --> 00:38:31.679 for your ego. 00:38:32.960 --> 00:38:34.679 Since people matter 00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:35.539 to God, 00:38:36.159 --> 00:38:37.240 people should matter 00:38:37.240 --> 00:38:37.940 to you. 00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:39.079 Therefore, 00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:40.679 seek to win 00:38:40.679 --> 00:38:42.460 the person for Christ, 00:38:42.760 --> 00:38:44.360 not the argument 00:38:44.360 --> 00:38:45.360 for your ego. 00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:47.019 And in the secular world, 00:38:47.119 --> 00:38:48.139 if you're in the business world, 00:38:48.240 --> 00:38:49.440 if you're in the scientific world, 00:38:49.519 --> 00:38:50.900 if you're in the media world, 00:38:51.940 --> 00:38:52.099 I mean, 00:38:52.139 --> 00:38:52.720 to seek to win 00:38:52.720 --> 00:38:53.579 the world for Christ, 00:38:53.579 --> 00:38:54.759 you can't maybe 00:38:54.759 --> 00:38:55.519 always try to win 00:38:55.519 --> 00:38:56.179 them for Christ, 00:38:56.279 --> 00:38:56.940 but you can win 00:38:56.940 --> 00:38:57.480 for the good 00:38:57.480 --> 00:38:58.139 of the culture, 00:38:58.259 --> 00:38:59.000 the good of the people, 00:38:59.079 --> 00:38:59.659 because the truth 00:38:59.659 --> 00:39:00.460 is good for you. 00:39:01.980 --> 00:39:03.259 Don't live by lies. 00:39:03.259 --> 00:39:04.480 Don't live by hatred. 00:39:06.099 --> 00:39:07.460 Let's be people of truth 00:39:07.460 --> 00:39:09.019 and people of love. 00:39:09.340 --> 00:39:10.019 Please stand. 00:39:11.019 --> 00:39:11.739 I invite you to stand. 00:39:11.739 --> 00:39:25.179 Father, we give you 00:39:25.179 --> 00:39:26.000 thanks and praise 00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:26.839 that you continue 00:39:26.839 --> 00:39:27.899 to do this wonderful, 00:39:28.119 --> 00:39:29.119 miraculous work. 00:39:29.259 --> 00:39:29.979 You've done it, 00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:30.299 Father, 00:39:30.459 --> 00:39:32.839 for very powerful people 00:39:32.839 --> 00:39:33.879 where you've pierced 00:39:33.879 --> 00:39:34.579 the darkness 00:39:34.579 --> 00:39:36.619 and brought the gospel 00:39:36.619 --> 00:39:37.239 home to them. 00:39:37.299 --> 00:39:38.500 You've done it for addicts 00:39:38.500 --> 00:39:38.959 and you've done it 00:39:38.959 --> 00:39:39.919 for alcoholics. 00:39:39.920 --> 00:39:41.260 You've done it for housewives, 00:39:41.420 --> 00:39:43.019 for soccer moms. 00:39:43.240 --> 00:39:43.880 You've done it 00:39:43.880 --> 00:39:44.659 for politicians. 00:39:45.019 --> 00:39:45.539 You've done it 00:39:45.539 --> 00:39:47.300 for working class people, 00:39:47.480 --> 00:39:47.659 Father, 00:39:47.659 --> 00:39:48.639 that you continue 00:39:48.639 --> 00:39:49.920 to desire people 00:39:49.920 --> 00:39:50.800 to know Jesus, 00:39:51.400 --> 00:39:52.300 to know that he is 00:39:52.300 --> 00:39:52.980 the way, 00:39:53.099 --> 00:39:53.559 the truth, 00:39:53.599 --> 00:39:54.079 and the life, 00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:55.059 that he loves them, 00:39:55.139 --> 00:39:56.119 that he is the Savior, 00:39:56.700 --> 00:39:57.500 that he is the one 00:39:57.500 --> 00:39:58.320 that can fit them 00:39:58.320 --> 00:39:58.840 for heaven, 00:39:58.980 --> 00:40:00.059 that to make them, 00:40:00.139 --> 00:40:01.159 to begin to form them 00:40:01.159 --> 00:40:01.880 to be a person 00:40:01.880 --> 00:40:02.420 of the truth 00:40:02.420 --> 00:40:03.460 and a person of love. 00:40:03.820 --> 00:40:04.139 And Father, 00:40:04.200 --> 00:40:04.840 we thank you 00:40:04.840 --> 00:40:06.220 that Jesus is still 00:40:06.220 --> 00:40:06.800 the Savior, 00:40:06.980 --> 00:40:07.599 that you are still 00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:08.579 bringing him to people. 00:40:08.579 --> 00:40:09.519 And we ask, 00:40:09.779 --> 00:40:09.860 Father, 00:40:09.940 --> 00:40:10.779 for our loved ones 00:40:10.779 --> 00:40:11.340 and our friends 00:40:11.340 --> 00:40:12.559 who do not yet know Jesus, 00:40:13.019 --> 00:40:13.779 that you would bring 00:40:13.779 --> 00:40:15.019 Jesus home to them 00:40:15.019 --> 00:40:15.579 and that they would 00:40:15.579 --> 00:40:16.619 take the red pill 00:40:16.619 --> 00:40:17.380 of the gospel. 00:40:17.860 --> 00:40:19.000 And if there is anyone 00:40:19.000 --> 00:40:20.619 here who is present 00:40:20.619 --> 00:40:21.920 or watching this online, 00:40:22.059 --> 00:40:22.299 Father, 00:40:22.380 --> 00:40:23.259 that the Holy Spirit 00:40:23.259 --> 00:40:24.299 would move in their lives, 00:40:24.360 --> 00:40:25.119 that they would take 00:40:25.119 --> 00:40:25.719 the red pill 00:40:25.719 --> 00:40:26.400 of the gospel. 00:40:27.259 --> 00:40:27.900 And Father, 00:40:27.960 --> 00:40:29.319 we ask that the Holy Spirit 00:40:29.319 --> 00:40:30.460 would so form us 00:40:30.460 --> 00:40:31.219 by the gospel, 00:40:31.460 --> 00:40:32.400 so form us 00:40:32.400 --> 00:40:33.159 by your word, 00:40:33.259 --> 00:40:34.440 that your Holy Spirit 00:40:34.440 --> 00:40:35.380 should be so real 00:40:35.380 --> 00:40:36.340 and active within us, 00:40:36.380 --> 00:40:37.619 that not only that each one 00:40:37.619 --> 00:40:38.699 of us as individuals 00:40:38.699 --> 00:40:40.400 will be a person of love 00:40:40.400 --> 00:40:41.500 and a person of the truth, 00:40:41.799 --> 00:40:42.880 but that we, 00:40:43.000 --> 00:40:44.000 a Church of the Messiah, 00:40:44.579 --> 00:40:45.239 that we will be 00:40:45.239 --> 00:40:45.880 a community, 00:40:46.259 --> 00:40:46.480 Father, 00:40:46.619 --> 00:40:47.139 of love, 00:40:47.219 --> 00:40:48.339 a community of the truth 00:40:48.339 --> 00:40:50.079 for your great glory 00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:50.880 and for the good 00:40:50.880 --> 00:40:51.599 of our city, 00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:53.000 the good of our nation, 00:40:53.359 --> 00:40:54.319 the good of our world. 00:40:55.579 --> 00:40:56.219 And we ask this 00:40:56.219 --> 00:40:57.099 in the name of Jesus 00:40:57.099 --> 00:40:58.559 and all God's people said, 00:40:58.940 --> 00:40:59.699 Amen. 00:40:59.699 --> 00:40:59.920 Amen. 00:40:59.920 --> 00:40:59.980 Amen.