WEBVTT

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 The scripture reading comes from Deuteronomy chapter 5.

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 Please follow along in your bulletin.

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 Verse 1,

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 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them,

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 Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today,

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 and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.

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 Then in verse 6,

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 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

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 out of the house of slavery.

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 You shall have no other gods before me.

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 You shall not make for yourself a carved image

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 or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above

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 or that is on the earth beneath

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 or that is in the water under the earth.

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 You shall not bow down to them or serve them,

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 for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,

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 visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children

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 to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

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 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me

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 and keep my commandments.

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 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,

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 for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

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 Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy,

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 as the Lord your God commanded you.

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 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

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 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.

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 On it you shall not do any work,

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 you or your son or your daughter or your male servant

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 or your female servant or your ox or your donkey

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 or any of your livestock or the sojourner who is within your gates,

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 that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

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 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt,

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 and the Lord your God brought you out from there

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 with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

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 Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

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 Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God commanded you,

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 that your days may be long

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 and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

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 You shall not murder, and you shall not commit adultery,

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 and you shall not steal,

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 and you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,

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 and you shall not covet your neighbor's wife,

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 and you shall not desire your neighbor's house,

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 his field, or his male servant, or his female servant,

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 his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.

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 This is the word of God.

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 Thank you, Karen.

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 Let's just pray briefly.

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 Father, as we come before your word,

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 these ten words for abundant life,

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 God, we want to hear from you.

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 Father, we are so aware that so many of these things

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 touch on real points of pain in our life.

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 I just think of last week as we spoke about relating to our parents,

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 as we think this week about what does it mean to honor life,

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 and the weeks to come, God, as we deal with these real areas of life

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 that so many of us have experienced pain and hardship.

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 God, we pray for your grace to wash over us.

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 God, we pray that you will speak to us.

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 We pray that we will see the good news of Jesus in these words,

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 these ten commandments.

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 God, I pray for this morning.

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 God, I want you to soften our hearts, Lord.

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 We want to meet with you and encounter you and your word.

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 And so, God, won't you open our hearts,

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 won't you impress upon us your greatness and your glory,

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 your majesty, but also your mercy and your grace.

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 God, I pray.

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 Come help us, we pray, in your wonderful and powerful name.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Okay, so once again, welcome.

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 If you are in the overflow room, welcome to you.

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 If you're at the community center or at home or somewhere else in the world,

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 welcome to those of us at Ebenezer.

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 A very warm welcome to you as well.

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 We are, as a church, working through this very famous body of teaching

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 called the Ten Commandments.

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 And these ten words that God gives to his people

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 for their abundance and their flourishing,

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 for their well-being.

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 And these ten commandments are broken up into two groups.

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 The first four have to do with our relationship with God.

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 And in them, God says, unequivocally,

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 I want you to honor me and worship me alone.

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 I want to be first in your heart.

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 Make sure that I'm supreme and preeminent in your heart.

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 Have no other gods beside me.

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 He says that we are to honor him and glorify his name.

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 And he actually commands us to set aside a set period of time each week

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 where we rest but also reorientate our hearts to him,

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 where we worship him.

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 And then the next six commandments all have to do with the way we relate to other people.

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 And so last week we looked at how we relate to our parents,

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 and that was a challenging one.

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 And today we look at this sixth commandment,

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 and in the Hebrew language it's just two words.

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 It says, not murder.

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 Do not murder.

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 And so I think that's probably all I want to say today.

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 Please, let's not murder anybody this week,

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 and let's take communion, okay?

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 No, the sixth commandment is a little bit more complicated than that.

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 And so let's dive in and see what God has to say in this passage.

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 The ten commandments have fallen on hard times recently.

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 Not too many people think that the ten commandments are that applicable to our life.

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 But this one, the sixth commandment,

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 is one that most people still think we should try and obey.

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 I heard recently there was a poll,

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 and 78% of people said that the sixth commandment is still a good law.

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 It should still be obeyed and honored in society.

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 I'm a little nervous about the other 22% that weren't so sure about that.

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 Let's hope they don't live in Hong Kong, right?

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 But this seems like a pretty straightforward one.

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 Do not murder.

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 Let's dive in and see what is God's heart behind it.

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 And so this morning there are four things I want us to see.

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 I want us to see God's heart behind the commandment,

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 God's scope.

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 In other words, what is the extent or the limit of the command?

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 What is God actually saying?

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 Thirdly, our hearts.

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 And fourthly, our hope.

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 Okay, so God's heart, God's scope, our hearts, and our hope.

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 Okay, let's dive in.

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 So firstly, God's heart.

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 Now, as we said, for most people, this command is pretty straightforward.

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 It's not a good idea to go around killing people, murdering people.

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 That's not a good society to live in.

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 It's not the kind of society we want to raise our children in.

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 But in the Bible, the reason why God gives this command is actually far more profound than just utilitarian ethics.

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 It's far more than just pragmatism.

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 Actually, the reason for this command is deeply theological.

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 It has something to do with God's heart.

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 And the reason why God is against murder is because human beings are not just a matter of flesh and blood.

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 Human beings are not just carbon atoms or DNA strands that come together.

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 Each human being has been knitted together by God, created by God, by his will, and brought into existence by his will and for his pleasure.

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 Each human being is God's handiwork, his artistry, his craftsmanship that displays something of his nature and his character.

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 So think about this.

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 Imagine you go to a world-class art museum.

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 You go to the Tate Modern in London or the Louvre in Paris.

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 And you see a piece of art and you think, that art doesn't speak to me at all.

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 I mean, what is this rubbish, right?

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 And you decide to pull out your cutting knife and you shred this piece of artwork.

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 What's going to happen to you?

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 Sirens, alarm, the police are going to jump on you.

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 You're going to soon find out what it looks like to destroy somebody else's famous, beautiful artwork.

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 Friends, God says that each human life, each human being, irrespective of how we feel or think about them, is his artwork, his craftsmanship, his artistry that he has brought into existence by his own will.

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 But even more importantly than this, the Bible says that each human being, each human life is one of supreme value and worth because every human being is made in the image of God and carries something of the image of God on them.

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 And what that means is that every human being, admittedly in our fallen, broken, sinful way, every human being carries something of the nature and there's an image of who God is and carries his unique fingerprint, his signature.

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 Every human being houses God's glory to some degree.

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 No matter what your ethnicity, no matter what your background or the color of your skin, no matter your socioeconomic status, whether you're a billionaire or you sweep the streets for a living,

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 no matter what your personality is, whether you're very kind and gracious or you're obnoxious and rude,

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 every human being has indescribable value and worth and dignity because every human being is created as an image bearer, a representative of who God is, of the unrivaled supreme God almighty,

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 the majestic God who is seated on the throne.

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 Every one of us carries something of a representation of him in our being.

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 I'm sure you've seen this on the news.

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 We haven't seen this in Hong Kong recently and I think that's a good thing.

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 But in some countries, when there are big protests, especially political protests, you'll see that some countries, the people will build an effigy.

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 An effigy is like a paper statue of, let's say, either their leader or maybe an opposing leader, the leader of a country that they don't like.

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 They'll build this paper statue, an image, a figure of a world leader, and then they'll march it through the streets singing and chanting,

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 and what will they do at the end?

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 They'll burn it, right?

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 That's right.

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 They'll burn it.

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 Now, why do people do that?

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 Because it's the ultimate insult.

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 It's the ultimate insult to take an image of somebody and to destroy it.

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 I don't know if you remember when Saddam Hussein was toppled.

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 One of the things, the street scenes afterwards, there was a big statue of him in the center of Iraq.

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 And people climbed up on the statue and grabbed their sandal off their feet and would beat the face of the statue.

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 To destroy or to insult the image of somebody is the ultimate offense.

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 Friends, God says that every human being, from those that are still in their mother's womb to those who are on their deathbeds,

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 all people, all persons carry something of the image of God in them and are therefore supremely valuable, have dignity and worth and respect.

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 All human life is precious.

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 And when we directly oppose somebody or slander somebody, when we deride them or we call them names like somebody's useless or they're a piece of rubbish,

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 we're not just deriding a person that we disagree with.

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 We're taking something of the nature and the image of God, that which that person represents,

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 and are slandering or shredding the character and the assassinating the character of God.

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 All people carry the image of God in them.

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 All people are persons for whom ultimately Jesus died on the cross.

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 Okay, so that's the heart of God behind this command.

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 What is the scope of this command, secondly?

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 So this command, as we said, is two words.

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 Lo ratzach, not murder.

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 But what does that actually mean?

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 What does that involve?

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 In the Old Testament, in the Hebrew Bible, there are seven or eight words for killing or ending someone's life or murder.

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 And the word in this command is a very specific word.

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 It's the word ratzach.

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 And it doesn't just refer to ending life in general, per se.

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 It refers to taking the unjustly taking an innocent life.

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 Okay?

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 The unjust taking of an innocent life.

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 So in the Old Testament, in the Bible, God actually makes provision.

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 There are times when it is not contrary to his will to take another life.

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 At times in the Bible, when you're defending yourself, you're not responsible if another person loses their life.

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 And the obvious example of this is self-defense.

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 So in Exodus 22, it says if somebody breaks into your house in the middle of the night and wants to steal something and you get into a confrontation and that person ends up dying,

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 you are not culpable for that person's life under the sixth commandment.

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 It's self-defense.

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 Now interestingly, it actually says in Exodus 22, if this happens in broad daylight and you kill the person, well then things change.

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 And the motivation for that is in broad daylight, you might be able to call for help.

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 There are other witnesses that can come and help you.

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 But in the middle of the night, you're caught off God, you're defending yourself and someone dies.

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 God's word says actually you're not culpable under the sixth commandment.

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 Because we are required to defend our family and those that we are responsible for.

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 Now that's true on an individual level, but it's also true on a national level.

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 And so actually in the Old Testament, the word ratzach, our Hebrew word here, is never used when dealing with legal matters.

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 And what that means is that in the Old Testament, capital punishment doesn't fall under the sixth commandment.

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 Now I'm not making a case for capital punishment.

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 There are other problems with capital punishment.

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 And the most obvious of those is that ethnic minorities, those that are without power, are often subject to most injustice.

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 And so there's other reasons why we might want to be careful about capital punishment.

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 But in God's word, capital punishment was considered a defense of the image of God.

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 To murder somebody was so serious that it required the most severe deterrent and punishment for it.

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 And of course this also didn't apply to military campaigns.

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 So somebody comes and attacks your nation, you shouldn't just roll over and say, no problem.

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 We have the right to defend what is ours, and that may mean attacking other enemy soldiers.

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 So does that make sense?

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 Okay, maybe I should go over that again.

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 So Phil Riken, a theologian, says this.

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 This is what the sixth commandment is about.

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 On the one hand, it is forbidding all deliberate premeditated murder.

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 Okay, that's pretty obvious.

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 It's also forbidding manslaughter committed in fits of rage.

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 So you lose your temper with someone, and you hit them, you beat them, you are culpable and responsible for that.

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 But it also holds responsible those who cause someone's death through reckless or careless living.

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 So drunk driving, somebody gets killed, you are culpable and responsible for that person's life.

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 A mother or a father leaves and abandons their children, and their children pass away, you are culpable, you are responsible for that person's life.

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 Now this all may seem pretty straightforward.

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 I'm not sure how many of us have recently weighed up the pros or cons of committing manslaughter.

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 Maybe you don't get on with a colleague or a boss.

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 I hope nobody is contemplating taking a gun to work this week.

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 This all seems pretty straightforward.

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 But as thinking Christians in the 21st century, I want to urge us to really think about the sixth commandment very carefully.

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 And to weigh up what God's word says around the unjust taking of innocent life.

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 And the reason why this is so important for us to weigh up and consider is because we live in an age, increasingly,

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 in which is becoming not only tolerant, but fostering deliberate taking of innocent lives.

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 And where this is seen is socially acceptable.

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 Some writers have described our age as the age of death.

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 Friends, we live in a time in the world when taking with the sanctity of human life,

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 the sacredness of human life is being made subservient to personal preference or personal convenience.

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 Friends, let us be clear here that we're living in an age where legalized and state-sanctioned killing is often seen,

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 is now framed within the narrative as a basic human rift.

00:17:25.660 --> 00:17:32.160
 Where things like aborting of pregnancy, where things like euthanasia or doctor-assisted suicide,

00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:36.019
 where even personal suicide are no longer seen as moral issues,

00:17:36.259 --> 00:17:38.700
 no longer seen as something that God speaks to,

00:17:39.040 --> 00:17:43.720
 but are seen as a matter of personal preference, as personal convenience, as a human right.

00:17:44.460 --> 00:17:49.200
 Friends, all human life, from the zygote that is formed at the moment of conception

00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:55.720
 to the person that is maybe suffering dementia or end of life at 110 years old,

00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:59.279
 all human life, irrespective of the color of your skin,

00:17:59.740 --> 00:18:02.440
 irrespective of your nationality or where you come from,

00:18:02.819 --> 00:18:07.620
 irrespective of your mental capacity or your social status or what part of the world you come from,

00:18:08.059 --> 00:18:11.480
 all human life is deeply, deeply sacred

00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:15.940
 because all human life carries within it the image of God.

00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:19.840
 God's handiwork that God created, God brings about,

00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:25.200
 it grieves God's heart and it robs Him of His glory when we insult Him,

00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:29.779
 when we decide who is worthy of life and who is not.

00:18:31.720 --> 00:18:33.559
 See, this is challenging, right?

00:18:34.360 --> 00:18:36.320
 It's easy to think, okay, let's not murder.

00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:40.620
 But in our day and age, we need to think about these things really carefully.

00:18:40.619 --> 00:18:46.639
 I know we've used this analogy, but imagine somebody comes to you and says,

00:18:47.399 --> 00:18:51.119
 look, I'm going away, I've got a hundred million dollar painting,

00:18:51.559 --> 00:18:55.500
 I want to entrust into your care, will you take care of it for me?

00:18:56.619 --> 00:18:59.199
 You say, sure, take care of it, you put it on your wall.

00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:03.479
 But after a little while, you think, this is not very convenient for me.

00:19:04.259 --> 00:19:05.919
 I mean, it doesn't really fit.

00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:09.279
 And you take it down, you store it away,

00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:11.879
 and then eventually it's getting in the way and you decide,

00:19:12.019 --> 00:19:13.779
 listen, I'm just going to trash it, right?

00:19:14.279 --> 00:19:16.180
 It doesn't really fit with my heart.

00:19:16.259 --> 00:19:17.359
 It doesn't fit with my style.

00:19:17.859 --> 00:19:19.259
 It's not very convenient for me.

00:19:20.220 --> 00:19:21.639
 What's that person going to say?

00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:28.920
 Friends, God comes to us and He entrusts into our hands human life.

00:19:30.379 --> 00:19:33.000
 Sometimes the very young, sometimes the very old.

00:19:33.579 --> 00:19:36.700
 And we live in an age in which we feel like

00:19:36.700 --> 00:19:38.860
 the stewardship of those human lives

00:19:38.860 --> 00:19:40.920
 are a matter of personal preference,

00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:42.680
 of personal freedom.

00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:46.299
 Friends, God gives us this incredible responsibility

00:19:46.299 --> 00:19:49.039
 to care for His people, His creation,

00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:50.580
 His image bearers.

00:19:51.940 --> 00:19:53.420
 And the point here is that

00:19:53.420 --> 00:19:55.299
 if we allow our moral compass

00:19:55.299 --> 00:19:57.960
 to be determined by the culture of our day,

00:19:58.460 --> 00:19:59.600
 we need to be very careful

00:19:59.600 --> 00:20:01.640
 because the cultural times are shifting

00:20:01.640 --> 00:20:04.259
 so quickly, so rapidly,

00:20:04.800 --> 00:20:06.360
 that as Malcolm Muggeridge said,

00:20:06.700 --> 00:20:09.080
 what one generation considers a war crime,

00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:11.980
 the next generation considers an act of compassion.

00:20:12.900 --> 00:20:16.300
 And so if we take our moral and ethical cues

00:20:16.300 --> 00:20:18.680
 from the cultural tides in which we live in,

00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:20.880
 friends, we're going to be deeply confused.

00:20:21.420 --> 00:20:22.640
 But over and against this,

00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:24.720
 against the shifting sands of our culture,

00:20:24.920 --> 00:20:26.140
 God speaks a word.

00:20:26.500 --> 00:20:27.759
 And it's a word of clarity,

00:20:28.140 --> 00:20:29.180
 it's a word of truth,

00:20:29.180 --> 00:20:31.860
 and God's truth is always a word of freedom.

00:20:32.500 --> 00:20:34.740
 God says that He is God and that we are not.

00:20:35.120 --> 00:20:37.380
 He is the one who gives life and takes it away.

00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:39.880
 And that each and every human life,

00:20:39.960 --> 00:20:42.140
 from the one that is fertilized one day old

00:20:42.140 --> 00:20:44.960
 to the person that is a few days or weeks

00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:45.720
 from their deathbed,

00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:49.220
 all human life is sacred and is in His hands.

00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:51.279
 And human lives are not,

00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:53.440
 the value of a human life is not determined

00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:55.820
 by their utility to society,

00:20:55.819 --> 00:20:58.240
 but the fact that we are image bearers

00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:00.279
 of the one true majestic God.

00:21:01.259 --> 00:21:02.079
 Earlier this week,

00:21:02.119 --> 00:21:03.639
 I was reading Revelation 4,

00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:06.319
 this amazing passage that,

00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:08.319
 where God is on the throne,

00:21:09.259 --> 00:21:10.799
 glorious, majestic,

00:21:11.019 --> 00:21:13.559
 angels are falling down and worshiping Him.

00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:16.019
 And all human beings,

00:21:16.379 --> 00:21:17.819
 who are in heaven,

00:21:18.179 --> 00:21:19.299
 fall down on their knees.

00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:20.179
 And this is what they say,

00:21:20.180 --> 00:21:21.380
 worthy are you,

00:21:21.500 --> 00:21:22.640
 our God and King,

00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:24.940
 to receive glory and honor

00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:27.039
 and praise and adoration.

00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:29.340
 This majestic God,

00:21:30.100 --> 00:21:30.600
 friends,

00:21:30.660 --> 00:21:34.779
 has chosen that we should bear His image,

00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:37.180
 should house something of His glory.

00:21:38.140 --> 00:21:38.360
 Friends,

00:21:38.420 --> 00:21:41.140
 human beings' value and worth

00:21:41.140 --> 00:21:43.539
 is not found in our utility to society,

00:21:43.820 --> 00:21:45.380
 but the fact that we are made

00:21:45.380 --> 00:21:46.900
 in the image of that God,

00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:48.200
 that majestic,

00:21:48.620 --> 00:21:49.440
 glorious God.

00:21:50.180 --> 00:21:50.620
 Okay,

00:21:50.660 --> 00:21:51.720
 so that's the scope.

00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:53.400
 God's heart,

00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:54.620
 God's scope.

00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:55.420
 Thirdly,

00:21:56.019 --> 00:21:56.759
 our hearts.

00:21:58.019 --> 00:21:58.840
 Our hearts.

00:22:00.299 --> 00:22:00.600
 Sorry,

00:22:00.660 --> 00:22:02.400
 this got a little more heavy

00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:03.180
 than I intended.

00:22:05.640 --> 00:22:06.080
 Okay,

00:22:06.299 --> 00:22:06.460
 well,

00:22:06.560 --> 00:22:07.660
 let's keep going.

00:22:10.620 --> 00:22:12.160
 Scripture actually has more to say

00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:13.740
 about the subject than that.

00:22:14.820 --> 00:22:16.400
 It starts off talking about murder,

00:22:16.779 --> 00:22:18.320
 and when we apply it to our own lives,

00:22:18.380 --> 00:22:20.140
 we realize we need to think about these things.

00:22:20.740 --> 00:22:21.299
 But actually,

00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:22.380
 there's another level,

00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:24.519
 and that is that all of us

00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:26.759
 need to grapple with our own hearts.

00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:28.799
 In Matthew chapter 15,

00:22:29.060 --> 00:22:30.380
 Jesus is having a debate

00:22:30.380 --> 00:22:32.480
 with some religious leaders,

00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:34.339
 and the reason he's having a debate,

00:22:34.339 --> 00:22:34.360
 and the reason he's having a debate,

00:22:34.360 --> 00:22:35.980
 is because he's eating food,

00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:37.660
 and he hasn't washed his hands.

00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:40.299
 And for the religious leaders in his day,

00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:42.180
 this is a serious offense,

00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:44.079
 because he's eating food

00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:45.980
 that is defiled,

00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:47.900
 or ceremonially unclean.

00:22:48.299 --> 00:22:49.319
 And so they say to him,

00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:51.240
 you are defiling yourself.

00:22:51.380 --> 00:22:53.200
 You are going to be ceremonially unclean,

00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:54.500
 because you haven't washed your hands.

00:22:54.579 --> 00:22:56.380
 And so the issue here isn't hygiene.

00:22:56.840 --> 00:22:58.120
 The issue is religious

00:22:58.120 --> 00:23:00.780
 and ceremonial acceptance before God.

00:23:01.780 --> 00:23:02.780
 And so Jesus says,

00:23:03.100 --> 00:23:04.100
 don't you realize,

00:23:04.220 --> 00:23:05.940
 it's not what goes into your mouth

00:23:05.940 --> 00:23:07.680
 that makes you defiled or unclean,

00:23:07.720 --> 00:23:09.300
 it's what comes out of your mouth.

00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:11.840
 And the disciples are a little bit confused.

00:23:11.980 --> 00:23:12.080
 They say,

00:23:12.080 --> 00:23:13.040
 what are you talking about?

00:23:13.120 --> 00:23:13.860
 And so a little later,

00:23:13.980 --> 00:23:15.000
 Jesus explains to him,

00:23:15.020 --> 00:23:15.800
 and he says this,

00:23:15.799 --> 00:23:17.759
 what you put into your mouth,

00:23:17.859 --> 00:23:18.980
 the food that you eat,

00:23:19.339 --> 00:23:20.460
 just goes into your stomach

00:23:20.460 --> 00:23:21.339
 and is expelled.

00:23:21.779 --> 00:23:23.740
 But what comes out of your mouth,

00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:25.480
 the words that you say,

00:23:25.899 --> 00:23:27.379
 the anger that you say,

00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:29.879
 the slander and the backbiting,

00:23:30.279 --> 00:23:33.059
 the anger and the vitriol that you say,

00:23:33.460 --> 00:23:35.659
 those words don't just come from your stomach,

00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:37.619
 they don't just come from your mind,

00:23:37.980 --> 00:23:40.039
 actually they come from your heart.

00:23:40.779 --> 00:23:41.879
 And that's the problem,

00:23:41.879 --> 00:23:42.639
 says Jesus.

00:23:43.180 --> 00:23:43.960
 Jesus says this,

00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:46.120
 out of the overflow of the heart,

00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:47.460
 the mouth speaks.

00:23:47.900 --> 00:23:50.400
 For out of your heart comes evil thoughts,

00:23:51.059 --> 00:23:53.500
 murder, adultery, sexual immorality,

00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:54.360
 et cetera, et cetera.

00:23:54.779 --> 00:23:57.140
 These are the things that defile the person.

00:23:58.620 --> 00:24:00.019
 Okay, so you see what Jesus is saying there.

00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:01.160
 He's saying,

00:24:01.360 --> 00:24:03.500
 actually maybe you've never gone and killed somebody,

00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:05.460
 but when we slander somebody,

00:24:05.539 --> 00:24:07.200
 when we talk about someone behind their back

00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:08.600
 and we shred their character,

00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:12.779
 actually the same root is in our heart.

00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:16.079
 John says this in 1 John chapter 3.

00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:16.460
 He says,

00:24:16.660 --> 00:24:19.519
 anybody who hates his brother is a murderer.

00:24:20.039 --> 00:24:21.639
 And that sounds pretty intense, right?

00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:22.359
 You think,

00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:22.500
 hey,

00:24:22.539 --> 00:24:23.619
 I've never killed anybody.

00:24:24.019 --> 00:24:27.940
 But actually when we foster bitterness and anger

00:24:27.940 --> 00:24:29.700
 and hatred in our heart,

00:24:30.119 --> 00:24:34.839
 actually the same root is common to both of those.

00:24:35.339 --> 00:24:36.460
 So John is saying this.

00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:37.619
 He says,

00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:40.220
 it would be insane if somebody came here to church on Sunday

00:24:40.220 --> 00:24:42.620
 and we sang this amazing song we sang earlier,

00:24:42.900 --> 00:24:43.900
 good and gracious God.

00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:44.880
 Holy,

00:24:45.059 --> 00:24:45.380
 holy,

00:24:45.539 --> 00:24:45.839
 holy,

00:24:46.220 --> 00:24:47.319
 Lord God almighty,

00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:49.240
 you're good and gracious God.

00:24:49.660 --> 00:24:49.940
 God,

00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:50.620
 I love you.

00:24:50.920 --> 00:24:52.680
 You are first and preeminent in my heart.

00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:54.660
 And then Monday to Friday,

00:24:54.819 --> 00:24:56.400
 they are a serial murderer,

00:24:56.519 --> 00:24:56.700
 right?

00:24:56.779 --> 00:24:58.059
 That wouldn't make sense.

00:24:58.140 --> 00:24:59.620
 Those two things are incompatible.

00:25:00.779 --> 00:25:00.900
 Well,

00:25:00.920 --> 00:25:02.480
 John's saying actually the same thing.

00:25:02.860 --> 00:25:04.299
 When we come to church and worship,

00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:04.740
 God,

00:25:04.819 --> 00:25:05.759
 you are first in my heart.

00:25:05.819 --> 00:25:07.079
 I love you supremely.

00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:07.519
 Jesus,

00:25:07.660 --> 00:25:08.960
 have your way in my life.

00:25:09.879 --> 00:25:13.019
 But then we actually are fostering or harboring

00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:18.140
 or growing hatred and anger and bitterness in our hearts.

00:25:18.259 --> 00:25:20.480
 There's something incompatible about that.

00:25:22.339 --> 00:25:23.660
 A couple of years ago,

00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:25.440
 people used to read the newspaper

00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:27.299
 and they'd read about some,

00:25:27.660 --> 00:25:28.059
 let's say,

00:25:28.140 --> 00:25:29.720
 violent crime that took place

00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:30.099
 and say,

00:25:30.400 --> 00:25:31.319
 you know,

00:25:31.379 --> 00:25:33.059
 the education levels these days,

00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:35.400
 what are they teaching children at school?

00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:36.819
 Or maybe,

00:25:37.079 --> 00:25:38.900
 people would read something in the newspaper,

00:25:39.059 --> 00:25:40.359
 violent crime that takes place

00:25:40.359 --> 00:25:40.799
 and they'd say,

00:25:41.140 --> 00:25:41.440
 you know,

00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:42.859
 black people

00:25:42.859 --> 00:25:44.619
 or Asians

00:25:44.619 --> 00:25:46.559
 or Hispanics

00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:48.240
 or those Guaylos,

00:25:48.460 --> 00:25:48.660
 right?

00:25:48.740 --> 00:25:50.819
 You just can't trust them these days,

00:25:51.099 --> 00:25:51.400
 right?

00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:52.940
 In South Africa,

00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:54.319
 the country I come from,

00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:57.220
 in the 1970s and 80s,

00:25:57.259 --> 00:25:58.900
 if you were Caucasian like me,

00:25:59.000 --> 00:25:59.879
 you were taught

00:25:59.879 --> 00:26:01.980
 that people with dark skin

00:26:01.980 --> 00:26:04.099
 were lesser humans than you.

00:26:04.099 --> 00:26:05.399
 It was part of the system

00:26:05.399 --> 00:26:06.299
 that you were taught.

00:26:07.059 --> 00:26:07.859
 And so people thought

00:26:07.859 --> 00:26:10.699
 that violence and murder

00:26:10.699 --> 00:26:12.139
 and rage and these things

00:26:12.139 --> 00:26:14.119
 were a matter of either your ethnicity

00:26:14.119 --> 00:26:15.339
 or your education

00:26:15.339 --> 00:26:16.859
 or your intellect levels

00:26:16.859 --> 00:26:18.159
 or your upbringing.

00:26:18.859 --> 00:26:19.219
 But friends,

00:26:19.299 --> 00:26:19.899
 don't we know

00:26:19.899 --> 00:26:21.659
 that there are some very smart people

00:26:21.659 --> 00:26:24.159
 that have got very advanced educations

00:26:24.159 --> 00:26:25.959
 that have become murderers

00:26:25.959 --> 00:26:27.539
 and killers of others?

00:26:28.199 --> 00:26:28.539
 Friends,

00:26:28.619 --> 00:26:29.819
 what Jesus is saying here

00:26:29.819 --> 00:26:31.419
 is that the roots of these things

00:26:31.420 --> 00:26:32.600
 isn't our education

00:26:32.600 --> 00:26:33.800
 or the color of our skin

00:26:33.800 --> 00:26:34.940
 or what nationality

00:26:34.940 --> 00:26:36.220
 or ethnicity we come from,

00:26:36.580 --> 00:26:37.880
 the root of these things

00:26:37.880 --> 00:26:39.220
 is our heart.

00:26:40.340 --> 00:26:41.240
 It's our heart.

00:26:42.120 --> 00:26:43.300
 And so Matthew chapter 5,

00:26:43.420 --> 00:26:45.100
 Jesus is famously

00:26:45.100 --> 00:26:46.180
 on the Sermon on the Mount.

00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:47.160
 He says this.

00:26:47.220 --> 00:26:47.440
 He says,

00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:48.519
 We've all heard it said,

00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:49.620
 Do not murder

00:26:49.620 --> 00:26:50.700
 and whoever murders

00:26:50.700 --> 00:26:51.740
 will be held liable.

00:26:51.980 --> 00:26:53.340
 Well, that makes sense, right?

00:26:53.720 --> 00:26:54.560
 But then he says,

00:26:54.900 --> 00:26:55.980
 But don't you realize

00:26:55.980 --> 00:26:57.660
 anyone who is angry

00:26:57.660 --> 00:26:59.360
 with hatred towards his brother

00:26:59.359 --> 00:27:00.639
 is also liable,

00:27:01.419 --> 00:27:02.319
 is going to be held liable.

00:27:02.740 --> 00:27:04.619
 Anyone who insults his brother

00:27:04.619 --> 00:27:05.939
 is liable to the council.

00:27:06.459 --> 00:27:07.939
 Anyone who says

00:27:07.939 --> 00:27:09.019
 to his brother or sister,

00:27:09.379 --> 00:27:10.039
 You fool,

00:27:10.199 --> 00:27:11.179
 you imbecile,

00:27:11.339 --> 00:27:12.259
 is going to be liable

00:27:12.259 --> 00:27:13.459
 to the fire of hell.

00:27:15.199 --> 00:27:15.519
 Friends,

00:27:15.639 --> 00:27:16.379
 Jesus comes here

00:27:16.379 --> 00:27:17.199
 and he says that actually

00:27:17.199 --> 00:27:18.759
 the root of those things

00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:19.179
 is true.

00:27:19.299 --> 00:27:20.359
 And so maybe we've never

00:27:20.359 --> 00:27:21.539
 gone and killed somebody,

00:27:21.919 --> 00:27:23.019
 but actually in our hearts

00:27:23.019 --> 00:27:23.899
 there's bitter

00:27:23.899 --> 00:27:24.719
 and there's resentment

00:27:24.719 --> 00:27:25.599
 that is growing

00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:26.479
 and we're fostering.

00:27:26.639 --> 00:27:27.159
 Jesus says,

00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:27.839
 We've got a problem.

00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:30.000
 Friends,

00:27:30.099 --> 00:27:30.859
 can I ask us,

00:27:30.939 --> 00:27:31.799
 anybody here

00:27:31.799 --> 00:27:33.519
 not been angry

00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:34.179
 with somebody

00:27:34.179 --> 00:27:35.359
 in the last six months

00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:36.159
 or twelve months?

00:27:37.639 --> 00:27:38.319
 Friends,

00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:39.019
 anybody here

00:27:39.019 --> 00:27:40.279
 never read the newspapers

00:27:40.279 --> 00:27:42.319
 and just said

00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:43.799
 some outrageous things

00:27:43.799 --> 00:27:45.419
 about political leaders?

00:27:46.459 --> 00:27:46.819
 Friends,

00:27:46.879 --> 00:27:47.979
 anyone here

00:27:47.979 --> 00:27:48.699
 says we've never

00:27:48.699 --> 00:27:49.599
 looked at anybody

00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:50.179
 and thought,

00:27:50.299 --> 00:27:51.059
 You imbecile.

00:27:51.459 --> 00:27:52.379
 Can't believe

00:27:52.379 --> 00:27:53.240
 you are like that.

00:27:54.279 --> 00:27:54.919
 Friends,

00:27:54.979 --> 00:27:55.779
 I know I have.

00:27:56.919 --> 00:27:57.599
 And what Jesus

00:27:57.599 --> 00:27:58.299
 is saying here

00:27:58.299 --> 00:27:59.619
 is that the ten commands,

00:27:59.779 --> 00:28:00.460
 Jesus doesn't say,

00:28:00.539 --> 00:28:01.119
 Oh, the ten commands

00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:01.680
 are a bit old,

00:28:01.740 --> 00:28:03.000
 let's give it a modern upgrade.

00:28:03.619 --> 00:28:04.139
 What he's doing,

00:28:04.220 --> 00:28:04.980
 he's going right

00:28:04.980 --> 00:28:05.700
 to the heart

00:28:05.700 --> 00:28:06.480
 of the ten commands.

00:28:06.579 --> 00:28:07.480
 He's opening it up

00:28:07.480 --> 00:28:08.059
 and he's showing

00:28:08.059 --> 00:28:09.059
 what is God's heart

00:28:09.059 --> 00:28:09.759
 behind it.

00:28:10.220 --> 00:28:11.119
 And what's God's heart

00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:11.899
 behind is that

00:28:11.899 --> 00:28:13.039
 though we may be innocent

00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:14.379
 before a court of law,

00:28:14.919 --> 00:28:16.119
 we may be very

00:28:16.119 --> 00:28:17.240
 socially acceptable,

00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:18.480
 for many of us

00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:19.599
 our hearts are bitter

00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:20.460
 and twisted,

00:28:21.059 --> 00:28:21.559
 angry,

00:28:22.119 --> 00:28:22.940
 even hateful,

00:28:24.039 --> 00:28:24.680
 murderous.

00:28:24.680 --> 00:28:26.420
 And Jesus is showing

00:28:26.420 --> 00:28:26.700
 us here

00:28:26.700 --> 00:28:27.240
 that murder

00:28:27.240 --> 00:28:28.019
 doesn't come out

00:28:28.019 --> 00:28:28.420
 of nowhere,

00:28:28.539 --> 00:28:29.640
 that it starts off

00:28:29.640 --> 00:28:31.400
 with this root cause

00:28:31.400 --> 00:28:32.400
 and that maybe

00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:33.080
 it never grows

00:28:33.080 --> 00:28:34.100
 into full-blamed murder

00:28:34.100 --> 00:28:34.880
 but actually there's

00:28:34.880 --> 00:28:35.620
 a root that if

00:28:35.620 --> 00:28:37.000
 left unchecked,

00:28:37.160 --> 00:28:37.880
 the toxicity

00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:38.660
 and the anger

00:28:38.660 --> 00:28:39.340
 in our hearts

00:28:39.340 --> 00:28:40.740
 is going to destroy us.

00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:43.140
 Friends,

00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:44.279
 maybe I can ask us here,

00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:45.560
 do you find yourself

00:28:45.560 --> 00:28:46.720
 easily getting angry

00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:47.640
 when things don't

00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:48.320
 go your way,

00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:49.840
 when you feel

00:28:49.840 --> 00:28:50.680
 disrespected

00:28:50.680 --> 00:28:51.519
 or dishonored?

00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:53.460
 Maybe you're towards

00:28:53.460 --> 00:28:54.000
 your wife

00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:55.400
 or your husband?

00:28:56.839 --> 00:28:57.079
 Friends,

00:28:57.139 --> 00:28:57.599
 what about when

00:28:57.599 --> 00:28:58.339
 our children

00:28:58.339 --> 00:28:59.920
 don't do things

00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:00.579
 the way we want

00:29:00.579 --> 00:29:00.900
 them to?

00:29:02.180 --> 00:29:03.019
 Can I just

00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:04.460
 publicly confess here,

00:29:05.500 --> 00:29:06.240
 last weekend

00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:07.339
 was not a good weekend

00:29:07.339 --> 00:29:08.400
 in the Murphy household.

00:29:09.539 --> 00:29:10.400
 On Friday,

00:29:10.619 --> 00:29:10.960
 Clenna

00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:12.420
 had a disagreement

00:29:12.420 --> 00:29:13.859
 and it took

00:29:13.859 --> 00:29:14.599
 most of the day

00:29:14.599 --> 00:29:15.339
 to thaw out

00:29:15.339 --> 00:29:16.019
 that disagreement

00:29:16.019 --> 00:29:18.379
 and I thought

00:29:18.379 --> 00:29:18.980
 things Saturday

00:29:18.980 --> 00:29:19.720
 were pretty good.

00:29:19.819 --> 00:29:20.759
 On Sunday night,

00:29:20.759 --> 00:29:21.299
 I don't know

00:29:21.299 --> 00:29:22.000
 what was wrong

00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:22.400
 with me

00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:24.099
 but our kids,

00:29:24.440 --> 00:29:25.099
 they weren't even

00:29:25.099 --> 00:29:25.680
 that bad

00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:26.400
 but they weren't

00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:26.779
 listening,

00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:27.379
 had to speak

00:29:27.379 --> 00:29:28.220
 a couple of times

00:29:28.220 --> 00:29:29.480
 and I just

00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:30.799
 got so frustrated

00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:32.259
 so we spoke

00:29:32.259 --> 00:29:32.759
 about it,

00:29:32.980 --> 00:29:34.000
 we dealt with it,

00:29:34.500 --> 00:29:35.579
 half an hour later

00:29:35.579 --> 00:29:36.319
 they're still not

00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:36.839
 doing what I want,

00:29:36.920 --> 00:29:37.319
 they're still not

00:29:37.319 --> 00:29:38.019
 listening and I

00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:38.619
 absolutely,

00:29:38.779 --> 00:29:39.180
 I just got

00:29:39.180 --> 00:29:39.799
 really,

00:29:40.039 --> 00:29:40.480
 really cross.

00:29:41.960 --> 00:29:42.259
 Friends,

00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:42.879
 I tell you that

00:29:42.879 --> 00:29:43.599
 because I've got

00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:44.039
 a problem.

00:29:45.059 --> 00:29:46.000
 My heart is

00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:46.720
 broken and wicked.

00:29:48.220 --> 00:29:48.579
 Friends,

00:29:48.680 --> 00:29:49.160
 and I guess

00:29:49.160 --> 00:29:49.519
 I'm probably

00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:50.160
 not the only one

00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:50.379
 here.

00:29:51.379 --> 00:29:51.680
 Friends,

00:29:51.740 --> 00:29:52.119
 do we have

00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:52.579
 a string

00:29:52.579 --> 00:29:53.119
 of broken

00:29:53.119 --> 00:29:53.779
 relationships?

00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:54.720
 Every time

00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:55.420
 something goes

00:29:55.420 --> 00:29:55.720
 wrong,

00:29:55.819 --> 00:29:56.740
 someone disappoints

00:29:56.740 --> 00:29:56.879
 you,

00:29:56.960 --> 00:29:57.579
 you explode

00:29:57.579 --> 00:29:57.980
 at them.

00:29:59.140 --> 00:29:59.500
 Friends,

00:29:59.559 --> 00:30:00.000
 do you find

00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:00.579
 yourself reading

00:30:00.579 --> 00:30:01.079
 the news

00:30:01.079 --> 00:30:01.619
 and calling

00:30:01.619 --> 00:30:02.640
 political leaders

00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:03.759
 offensive names,

00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:04.779
 derogatory terms?

00:30:05.500 --> 00:30:05.960
 Do we find

00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:06.539
 ourselves calling

00:30:06.539 --> 00:30:07.839
 people cockroaches,

00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:08.559
 dogs,

00:30:09.259 --> 00:30:09.940
 taking somebody

00:30:09.940 --> 00:30:10.799
 made in the image

00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:11.240
 of God,

00:30:11.319 --> 00:30:11.879
 the beautiful

00:30:11.879 --> 00:30:13.279
 person that Jesus

00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:14.240
 died on the cross

00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:15.660
 for and reducing

00:30:15.660 --> 00:30:16.460
 them to derogatory

00:30:16.460 --> 00:30:17.000
 names?

00:30:17.799 --> 00:30:18.079
 Friends,

00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:18.559
 do people

00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:19.299
 at the office

00:30:19.299 --> 00:30:20.460
 know that

00:30:20.460 --> 00:30:21.339
 when the

00:30:21.339 --> 00:30:21.960
 pressure's on,

00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:22.419
 they better

00:30:22.419 --> 00:30:23.019
 not interrupt

00:30:23.019 --> 00:30:23.519
 us because

00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:23.919
 they never

00:30:23.919 --> 00:30:24.339
 know what's

00:30:24.339 --> 00:30:24.539
 going to

00:30:24.539 --> 00:30:25.039
 explode,

00:30:25.199 --> 00:30:25.679
 what's going

00:30:25.679 --> 00:30:25.939
 to come

00:30:25.939 --> 00:30:26.359
 out of our

00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:26.779
 mouths when

00:30:26.779 --> 00:30:27.399
 we explode?

00:30:28.339 --> 00:30:30.419
 Do we speak

00:30:30.419 --> 00:30:31.240
 of people as

00:30:31.240 --> 00:30:32.339
 valued representatives,

00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:33.000
 sons and

00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:33.500
 daughters of the

00:30:33.500 --> 00:30:34.000
 great king?

00:30:35.059 --> 00:30:35.319
 Friends,

00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:35.619
 lastly,

00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:36.859
 maybe bitterness

00:30:36.859 --> 00:30:37.740
 and resentment

00:30:37.740 --> 00:30:40.019
 has fostered in

00:30:40.019 --> 00:30:40.599
 our hearts and

00:30:40.599 --> 00:30:41.059
 it's been there

00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:41.559
 so long we

00:30:41.559 --> 00:30:41.919
 don't even

00:30:41.919 --> 00:30:42.559
 realize.

00:30:43.299 --> 00:30:43.619
 It's just

00:30:43.619 --> 00:30:44.259
 become normal.

00:30:44.259 --> 00:30:44.960
 We are numb

00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:45.660
 to the bitterness

00:30:45.660 --> 00:30:46.480
 and the resentments

00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:47.099
 in our hearts.

00:30:47.819 --> 00:30:48.079
 Friends,

00:30:48.140 --> 00:30:48.599
 do we find

00:30:48.599 --> 00:30:49.119
 ourselves being

00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:50.220
 passively aggressive?

00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:51.920
 We are jabbing

00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:52.579
 and hurting

00:30:52.579 --> 00:30:53.460
 people but doing

00:30:53.460 --> 00:30:54.140
 it in a socially

00:30:54.140 --> 00:30:55.119
 acceptable way.

00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:56.319
 Friends,

00:30:56.359 --> 00:30:56.779
 in a world

00:30:56.779 --> 00:30:57.140
 which is

00:30:57.140 --> 00:30:57.779
 absolutely

00:30:57.779 --> 00:30:58.720
 charged with

00:30:58.720 --> 00:30:59.720
 hatred and

00:30:59.720 --> 00:31:00.599
 bankrupt of

00:31:00.599 --> 00:31:01.460
 any sort of

00:31:01.460 --> 00:31:02.519
 grace and

00:31:02.519 --> 00:31:02.900
 mercy,

00:31:03.500 --> 00:31:03.900
 where are we

00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:04.279
 going to find

00:31:04.279 --> 00:31:04.619
 hope?

00:31:05.220 --> 00:31:05.599
 Where are

00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:06.059
 sinners like

00:31:06.059 --> 00:31:06.740
 me going to

00:31:06.740 --> 00:31:07.299
 find hope?

00:31:08.019 --> 00:31:08.599
 Where is our

00:31:08.599 --> 00:31:09.119
 world going to

00:31:09.119 --> 00:31:09.640
 find hope?

00:31:10.220 --> 00:31:10.879
 And so lastly,

00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:11.779
 our hope.

00:31:12.059 --> 00:31:12.680
 Fourth thing is

00:31:12.680 --> 00:31:12.980
 this.

00:31:14.259 --> 00:31:15.079
 In the gospel

00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:15.619
 of Jesus,

00:31:16.039 --> 00:31:16.900
 Jesus gives us

00:31:16.900 --> 00:31:17.720
 the resources

00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:18.980
 to deal with

00:31:18.980 --> 00:31:19.640
 our hearts.

00:31:20.440 --> 00:31:21.879
 And the gospel

00:31:21.879 --> 00:31:22.799
 not only gives

00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:23.379
 us the grace

00:31:23.379 --> 00:31:23.879
 we need for

00:31:23.879 --> 00:31:24.440
 forgiveness,

00:31:24.839 --> 00:31:25.819
 the gospel also

00:31:25.819 --> 00:31:26.420
 gives us the

00:31:26.420 --> 00:31:27.099
 grace we need

00:31:27.099 --> 00:31:27.940
 to change.

00:31:28.519 --> 00:31:28.920
 And so let's

00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:29.339
 look at those

00:31:29.339 --> 00:31:29.799
 two things.

00:31:29.900 --> 00:31:30.180
 Firstly,

00:31:30.299 --> 00:31:30.879
 the grace for

00:31:30.879 --> 00:31:31.299
 forgiveness.

00:31:32.180 --> 00:31:32.500
 Friends,

00:31:32.579 --> 00:31:33.259
 I know that

00:31:33.259 --> 00:31:34.480
 all of us

00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:35.599
 here have to

00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:36.180
 live with the

00:31:36.180 --> 00:31:37.079
 choices that

00:31:37.079 --> 00:31:37.640
 we've made.

00:31:38.220 --> 00:31:38.859
 For some

00:31:38.859 --> 00:31:39.279
 of us,

00:31:39.579 --> 00:31:39.980
 there's been

00:31:39.980 --> 00:31:41.339
 so many years

00:31:41.339 --> 00:31:41.900
 of broken

00:31:41.900 --> 00:31:42.759
 relationships and

00:31:42.759 --> 00:31:43.559
 hurt and

00:31:43.559 --> 00:31:44.160
 harm that

00:31:44.160 --> 00:31:44.920
 some

00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:45.480
 relationships

00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:46.140
 are destroyed.

00:31:46.660 --> 00:31:47.180
 Maybe it's

00:31:47.180 --> 00:31:47.779
 destroyed your

00:31:47.779 --> 00:31:48.200
 marriage.

00:31:48.540 --> 00:31:48.900
 Maybe it's

00:31:48.900 --> 00:31:49.400
 destroyed your

00:31:49.400 --> 00:31:50.000
 relationship with

00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:50.680
 your parents or

00:31:50.680 --> 00:31:51.160
 your relationship

00:31:51.160 --> 00:31:51.840
 with your children

00:31:51.840 --> 00:31:52.519
 or the family

00:31:52.519 --> 00:31:52.880
 member.

00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:53.759
 And friends,

00:31:53.800 --> 00:31:54.540
 the reality is we

00:31:54.540 --> 00:31:55.100
 might need to

00:31:55.100 --> 00:31:55.740
 live with those

00:31:55.740 --> 00:31:56.019
 things.

00:31:56.180 --> 00:31:56.800
 You can't just

00:31:56.800 --> 00:31:57.420
 click your

00:31:57.420 --> 00:31:57.660
 fingers,

00:31:57.820 --> 00:31:58.720
 say abracadabra,

00:31:58.800 --> 00:31:59.420
 and Jesus puts

00:31:59.420 --> 00:32:00.400
 everything automatically

00:32:00.400 --> 00:32:00.700
 right.

00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:01.360
 We have to live

00:32:01.360 --> 00:32:01.940
 with the decisions

00:32:01.940 --> 00:32:02.500
 we've made.

00:32:03.540 --> 00:32:03.820
 Friends,

00:32:03.900 --> 00:32:04.560
 maybe for some

00:32:04.560 --> 00:32:05.019
 of us,

00:32:05.460 --> 00:32:05.980
 we've even

00:32:05.980 --> 00:32:06.900
 terminated an

00:32:06.900 --> 00:32:07.340
 unplanned

00:32:07.340 --> 00:32:07.820
 pregnancy.

00:32:09.019 --> 00:32:09.740
 Maybe for some

00:32:09.740 --> 00:32:10.040
 of us,

00:32:10.100 --> 00:32:10.720
 men here,

00:32:10.860 --> 00:32:11.779
 we've pressurized

00:32:11.779 --> 00:32:12.640
 our wives or

00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:13.259
 our girlfriends

00:32:13.259 --> 00:32:14.200
 or mistresses

00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:15.539
 into having

00:32:15.539 --> 00:32:16.240
 an abortion.

00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:17.579
 Friends,

00:32:17.619 --> 00:32:17.920
 those are the

00:32:17.920 --> 00:32:18.539
 decisions we

00:32:18.539 --> 00:32:19.440
 have to live

00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:19.740
 with.

00:32:20.700 --> 00:32:21.480
 But Jesus

00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:22.140
 tells us that

00:32:22.140 --> 00:32:22.779
 it doesn't help

00:32:22.779 --> 00:32:23.700
 us to gloss

00:32:23.700 --> 00:32:24.640
 over it or to

00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:25.460
 excuse it.

00:32:26.079 --> 00:32:26.839
 Jesus tells us

00:32:26.839 --> 00:32:27.420
 that the way to

00:32:27.420 --> 00:32:28.359
 be free from our

00:32:28.359 --> 00:32:29.039
 past is to

00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:29.920
 acknowledge it,

00:32:30.279 --> 00:32:31.140
 to own up to

00:32:31.140 --> 00:32:31.359
 it,

00:32:31.420 --> 00:32:32.160
 and to repent.

00:32:32.859 --> 00:32:33.400
 And Jesus

00:32:33.400 --> 00:32:34.240
 starts off his

00:32:34.240 --> 00:32:34.660
 ministry,

00:32:34.759 --> 00:32:35.279
 when he comes

00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:35.759
 and he's

00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:36.119
 ministering,

00:32:36.180 --> 00:32:36.879
 he starts off

00:32:36.879 --> 00:32:37.359
 his ministry

00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:38.119
 with these

00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:39.099
 incredible words

00:32:39.099 --> 00:32:39.759
 of freedom.

00:32:40.199 --> 00:32:40.759
 He says,

00:32:40.879 --> 00:32:41.339
 repent,

00:32:41.879 --> 00:32:42.539
 for the kingdom

00:32:42.539 --> 00:32:43.240
 of heaven is

00:32:43.240 --> 00:32:43.559
 here,

00:32:43.959 --> 00:32:44.819
 follow me.

00:32:45.399 --> 00:32:45.959
 When we hear

00:32:45.959 --> 00:32:46.419
 those words

00:32:46.419 --> 00:32:46.740
 repent,

00:32:46.879 --> 00:32:47.339
 we often don't

00:32:47.339 --> 00:32:47.859
 think of those

00:32:47.859 --> 00:32:48.480
 as good news

00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:48.779
 words.

00:32:48.839 --> 00:32:49.199
 We think of

00:32:49.199 --> 00:32:49.539
 those as

00:32:49.539 --> 00:32:49.919
 words of

00:32:49.919 --> 00:32:50.679
 condemnation,

00:32:51.139 --> 00:32:51.579
 words of

00:32:51.579 --> 00:32:52.179
 guilt and

00:32:52.179 --> 00:32:52.539
 shame.

00:32:52.939 --> 00:32:53.559
 But Jesus

00:32:53.559 --> 00:32:54.319
 actually brings

00:32:54.319 --> 00:32:54.939
 these words,

00:32:55.039 --> 00:32:55.339
 he says,

00:32:55.419 --> 00:32:55.879
 repent,

00:32:56.279 --> 00:32:56.659
 turn from

00:32:56.659 --> 00:32:56.819
 that,

00:32:56.939 --> 00:32:57.399
 turn to me,

00:32:57.699 --> 00:32:58.240
 because these

00:32:58.240 --> 00:32:58.759
 are words of

00:32:58.759 --> 00:32:59.219
 life.

00:32:59.679 --> 00:33:00.199
 These are words

00:33:00.199 --> 00:33:00.819
 of freedom.

00:33:01.219 --> 00:33:01.879
 These are words

00:33:01.879 --> 00:33:02.500
 of hope.

00:33:02.919 --> 00:33:03.519
 The only way

00:33:03.519 --> 00:33:04.039
 to be free

00:33:04.039 --> 00:33:04.799
 from our past

00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:05.279
 and from the

00:33:05.279 --> 00:33:05.899
 shame and the

00:33:05.899 --> 00:33:06.819
 guilt is to

00:33:06.819 --> 00:33:07.419
 come to

00:33:07.420 --> 00:33:07.860
 Jesus.

00:33:08.440 --> 00:33:08.700
 And so

00:33:08.700 --> 00:33:09.820
 Jesus issues

00:33:09.820 --> 00:33:10.840
 this invitation

00:33:10.840 --> 00:33:11.700
 to be free

00:33:11.700 --> 00:33:12.539
 from our past

00:33:12.539 --> 00:33:13.400
 and he says,

00:33:13.500 --> 00:33:14.660
 come to me.

00:33:15.300 --> 00:33:16.240
 Jesus starts

00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:17.000
 off his ministry

00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:17.660
 with these

00:33:17.660 --> 00:33:18.539
 incredible words

00:33:18.539 --> 00:33:19.080
 of freedom

00:33:19.080 --> 00:33:19.580
 and hope.

00:33:19.740 --> 00:33:19.980
 He says,

00:33:20.360 --> 00:33:20.960
 repent and

00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:21.500
 follow me.

00:33:22.080 --> 00:33:22.460
 But then

00:33:22.460 --> 00:33:23.200
 Jesus ends

00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:23.720
 off his

00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:24.220
 ministry,

00:33:24.500 --> 00:33:24.779
 how?

00:33:25.860 --> 00:33:26.380
 On a

00:33:26.380 --> 00:33:27.060
 rugged cross.

00:33:28.039 --> 00:33:28.500
 And in

00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:29.060
 between those

00:33:29.060 --> 00:33:29.360
 times,

00:33:29.460 --> 00:33:29.840
 the gospel

00:33:29.840 --> 00:33:30.360
 tells us

00:33:30.360 --> 00:33:30.920
 that Jesus

00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:32.000
 set his

00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:32.920
 face for

00:33:32.920 --> 00:33:33.380
 Jerusalem.

00:33:33.980 --> 00:33:34.560
 Jesus wasn't

00:33:34.560 --> 00:33:35.019
 avoiding

00:33:35.019 --> 00:33:35.500
 Jerusalem.

00:33:35.900 --> 00:33:36.460
 At one point

00:33:36.460 --> 00:33:37.120
 his disciples

00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:37.459
 and his

00:33:37.459 --> 00:33:38.079
 family members

00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:38.319
 say,

00:33:38.579 --> 00:33:38.699
 hey,

00:33:38.779 --> 00:33:39.139
 let's not

00:33:39.139 --> 00:33:39.399
 go to

00:33:39.399 --> 00:33:39.759
 Jerusalem.

00:33:40.019 --> 00:33:40.439
 They want

00:33:40.439 --> 00:33:40.799
 to kill

00:33:40.799 --> 00:33:41.039
 you.

00:33:41.299 --> 00:33:41.959
 And Jesus

00:33:41.959 --> 00:33:43.039
 sets his

00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:44.099
 face for

00:33:44.099 --> 00:33:44.559
 Jerusalem.

00:33:45.219 --> 00:33:45.579
 Why?

00:33:46.239 --> 00:33:46.799
 Because he

00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:47.239
 sets his

00:33:47.239 --> 00:33:48.279
 face for

00:33:48.279 --> 00:33:48.919
 the cross.

00:33:49.739 --> 00:33:50.079
 Friends,

00:33:50.199 --> 00:33:51.059
 Jesus ends

00:33:51.059 --> 00:33:51.579
 up his

00:33:51.579 --> 00:33:52.219
 ministry

00:33:52.219 --> 00:33:53.539
 on a

00:33:53.539 --> 00:33:54.659
 cross on

00:33:54.659 --> 00:33:55.199
 Calvary.

00:33:55.979 --> 00:33:56.399
 And the

00:33:56.399 --> 00:33:57.039
 reason he

00:33:57.039 --> 00:33:57.679
 goes there

00:33:57.679 --> 00:33:58.399
 is to

00:33:58.399 --> 00:33:58.959
 take my

00:33:58.959 --> 00:34:00.099
 sin and

00:34:00.099 --> 00:34:00.859
 my shame

00:34:00.859 --> 00:34:01.899
 and your

00:34:01.899 --> 00:34:02.959
 sin and

00:34:02.959 --> 00:34:03.639
 your shame

00:34:03.639 --> 00:34:04.359
 and the

00:34:04.359 --> 00:34:04.659
 sin and

00:34:04.659 --> 00:34:05.039
 the shame

00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:05.719
 of all

00:34:05.719 --> 00:34:06.139
 the world,

00:34:06.140 --> 00:34:06.700
 those who

00:34:06.700 --> 00:34:07.160
 would hope

00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:07.620
 and trust

00:34:07.620 --> 00:34:08.019
 in him

00:34:08.019 --> 00:34:08.960
 and he

00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:09.640
 would bear

00:34:09.640 --> 00:34:10.320
 the wrath

00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:10.800
 and the

00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:11.180
 judgment

00:34:11.180 --> 00:34:11.680
 and the

00:34:11.680 --> 00:34:12.140
 punishment

00:34:12.140 --> 00:34:12.740
 of God

00:34:12.740 --> 00:34:13.360
 in our

00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:14.700
 place so

00:34:14.700 --> 00:34:15.019
 that we

00:34:15.019 --> 00:34:15.460
 don't have

00:34:15.460 --> 00:34:15.640
 to.

00:34:17.140 --> 00:34:17.619
 Friends,

00:34:17.740 --> 00:34:18.519
 Jesus Christ

00:34:18.519 --> 00:34:19.519
 had the wrath

00:34:19.519 --> 00:34:19.820
 and the

00:34:19.820 --> 00:34:20.340
 judgment of

00:34:20.340 --> 00:34:21.039
 God poured

00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:21.660
 out on him

00:34:21.660 --> 00:34:23.059
 so that those

00:34:23.059 --> 00:34:23.400
 who hope

00:34:23.400 --> 00:34:23.820
 and trust

00:34:23.820 --> 00:34:24.260
 in him

00:34:24.260 --> 00:34:24.820
 won't

00:34:24.820 --> 00:34:25.480
 experience it

00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:25.960
 themselves.

00:34:26.860 --> 00:34:27.119
 And so

00:34:27.119 --> 00:34:27.380
 now,

00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:27.619
 friends,

00:34:27.700 --> 00:34:28.380
 because Jesus

00:34:28.380 --> 00:34:29.000
 dies on the

00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:29.240
 cross,

00:34:29.360 --> 00:34:30.039
 not as an

00:34:30.039 --> 00:34:30.640
 example of

00:34:30.640 --> 00:34:31.079
 humility,

00:34:31.519 --> 00:34:32.380
 not just as a

00:34:32.380 --> 00:34:32.800
 picture of

00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:33.940
 non-violent

00:34:33.940 --> 00:34:34.500
 politics,

00:34:34.500 --> 00:34:35.360
 but as an

00:34:35.360 --> 00:34:36.440
 actual atoning

00:34:36.440 --> 00:34:38.000
 sacrifice for

00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:38.340
 us,

00:34:38.460 --> 00:34:39.539
 now we get

00:34:39.539 --> 00:34:40.099
 to hear the

00:34:40.099 --> 00:34:40.559
 words of

00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:41.280
 love and

00:34:41.280 --> 00:34:42.179
 acceptance rather

00:34:42.179 --> 00:34:42.480
 than the

00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:42.840
 words of

00:34:42.840 --> 00:34:43.639
 condemnation.

00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:45.260
 Friends,

00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:45.679
 do you know

00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:46.220
 that if you

00:34:46.220 --> 00:34:46.500
 are in

00:34:46.500 --> 00:34:46.860
 Jesus,

00:34:47.679 --> 00:34:48.420
 despite your

00:34:48.420 --> 00:34:49.019
 sin and my

00:34:49.019 --> 00:34:49.200
 sin,

00:34:49.720 --> 00:34:50.400
 despite your

00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:50.840
 shame and

00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:51.380
 my shame,

00:34:52.039 --> 00:34:52.700
 that God

00:34:52.700 --> 00:34:53.300
 the Father

00:34:53.300 --> 00:34:54.780
 loves you

00:34:54.780 --> 00:34:55.599
 with the

00:34:55.599 --> 00:34:56.300
 same love

00:34:56.300 --> 00:34:56.740
 that he has

00:34:56.740 --> 00:34:57.280
 for Christ

00:34:57.280 --> 00:34:57.780
 the Son

00:34:57.780 --> 00:34:58.700
 because you

00:34:58.700 --> 00:34:59.079
 are in

00:34:59.079 --> 00:35:00.200
 Christ the

00:35:00.200 --> 00:35:00.500
 Son.

00:35:01.099 --> 00:35:01.400
 Friends,

00:35:01.400 --> 00:35:02.860
 in the

00:35:02.860 --> 00:35:03.139
 gospel,

00:35:03.320 --> 00:35:03.760
 the same

00:35:03.760 --> 00:35:04.360
 grace that

00:35:04.360 --> 00:35:05.200
 forgives us

00:35:05.200 --> 00:35:06.059
 is also the

00:35:06.059 --> 00:35:06.619
 grace that

00:35:06.619 --> 00:35:07.660
 changes us.

00:35:08.660 --> 00:35:09.280
 There's this

00:35:09.280 --> 00:35:10.039
 incredible line

00:35:10.039 --> 00:35:10.480
 in the book

00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:11.139
 of Proverbs,

00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:11.980
 Proverbs

00:35:11.980 --> 00:35:13.099
 chapter 15,

00:35:13.200 --> 00:35:13.539
 I think it

00:35:13.539 --> 00:35:13.660
 is,

00:35:13.680 --> 00:35:14.019
 it says

00:35:14.019 --> 00:35:14.380
 this,

00:35:15.579 --> 00:35:16.079
 a gentle

00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:16.760
 answer

00:35:16.760 --> 00:35:18.400
 turns away

00:35:18.400 --> 00:35:19.099
 wrath.

00:35:20.160 --> 00:35:20.639
 A gentle

00:35:20.639 --> 00:35:21.360
 answer turns

00:35:21.360 --> 00:35:21.639
 away wrath.

00:35:21.680 --> 00:35:21.960
 Have you ever

00:35:21.960 --> 00:35:22.619
 experienced that?

00:35:23.900 --> 00:35:24.840
 There's somebody

00:35:24.840 --> 00:35:25.579
 whose heart

00:35:25.579 --> 00:35:26.460
 is so hard

00:35:26.460 --> 00:35:26.940
 and bitter

00:35:26.940 --> 00:35:27.639
 towards you,

00:35:27.960 --> 00:35:28.820
 so angry,

00:35:28.960 --> 00:35:29.380
 that no matter

00:35:29.380 --> 00:35:30.480
 what you say,

00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:31.219
 they're just

00:35:31.219 --> 00:35:31.480
 going to

00:35:31.480 --> 00:35:32.260
 respond with

00:35:32.260 --> 00:35:32.639
 anger.

00:35:33.119 --> 00:35:33.719
 You try

00:35:33.719 --> 00:35:34.559
 and have

00:35:34.559 --> 00:35:35.219
 a conversation

00:35:35.219 --> 00:35:35.659
 and they

00:35:35.659 --> 00:35:36.179
 just want

00:35:36.179 --> 00:35:36.539
 to kill

00:35:36.539 --> 00:35:36.719
 you,

00:35:36.780 --> 00:35:36.960
 right?

00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:38.119
 Maybe not

00:35:38.119 --> 00:35:38.440
 literally,

00:35:38.599 --> 00:35:39.380
 but you try

00:35:39.380 --> 00:35:39.780
 and talk

00:35:39.780 --> 00:35:40.219
 things through

00:35:40.219 --> 00:35:40.539
 with them

00:35:40.539 --> 00:35:41.079
 and they're

00:35:41.079 --> 00:35:41.639
 just bitter

00:35:41.639 --> 00:35:42.320
 and hard

00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:42.719
 and there's

00:35:42.719 --> 00:35:43.400
 nothing you

00:35:43.400 --> 00:35:43.920
 can say

00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:44.480
 to soften

00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:45.019
 their heart

00:35:45.019 --> 00:35:47.780
 until they

00:35:47.780 --> 00:35:48.480
 experience a

00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:48.920
 moment of

00:35:48.920 --> 00:35:49.300
 love.

00:35:49.940 --> 00:35:50.240
 Have you ever

00:35:50.240 --> 00:35:50.599
 experienced

00:35:50.599 --> 00:35:50.860
 that?

00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:51.800
 I experienced

00:35:51.800 --> 00:35:52.159
 that in our

00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:52.400
 house,

00:35:52.460 --> 00:35:52.699
 I remember

00:35:52.699 --> 00:35:53.599
 about a year

00:35:53.599 --> 00:35:53.900
 ago,

00:35:54.219 --> 00:35:54.719
 one of my

00:35:54.719 --> 00:35:54.940
 daughters,

00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:55.260
 I can't

00:35:55.260 --> 00:35:55.760
 remember which

00:35:55.760 --> 00:35:56.019
 one,

00:35:58.460 --> 00:36:00.000
 there's only

00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:00.260
 two,

00:36:00.340 --> 00:36:00.519
 right?

00:36:01.179 --> 00:36:01.780
 One of my

00:36:01.780 --> 00:36:02.599
 daughters was

00:36:02.599 --> 00:36:03.940
 absolutely losing

00:36:03.940 --> 00:36:04.219
 it,

00:36:04.619 --> 00:36:05.840
 absolutely losing

00:36:05.840 --> 00:36:06.039
 it,

00:36:06.179 --> 00:36:06.679
 something was

00:36:06.679 --> 00:36:07.260
 going wrong

00:36:07.260 --> 00:36:08.340
 and I was

00:36:08.340 --> 00:36:08.659
 just saying

00:36:08.659 --> 00:36:09.480
 that's unacceptable,

00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:10.059
 it's not how

00:36:10.059 --> 00:36:10.500
 we behave,

00:36:10.639 --> 00:36:11.000
 you go to

00:36:11.000 --> 00:36:11.500
 the bathroom.

00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:12.420
 So she goes

00:36:12.420 --> 00:36:12.920
 to the bathroom

00:36:12.920 --> 00:36:13.800
 and she is

00:36:13.800 --> 00:36:14.360
 furious,

00:36:14.500 --> 00:36:15.460
 she has smokes

00:36:15.460 --> 00:36:16.039
 coming out of

00:36:16.039 --> 00:36:16.559
 her ears,

00:36:16.800 --> 00:36:18.380
 absolutely steaming

00:36:18.380 --> 00:36:20.400
 and if I try

00:36:20.400 --> 00:36:21.119
 and say that's

00:36:21.119 --> 00:36:21.719
 not how we

00:36:21.719 --> 00:36:22.179
 behave,

00:36:22.380 --> 00:36:23.139
 you stop that

00:36:23.139 --> 00:36:23.780
 right now,

00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:25.059
 that's not going

00:36:25.059 --> 00:36:25.679
 to help anything.

00:36:25.679 --> 00:36:27.460
 So I go to

00:36:27.460 --> 00:36:27.960
 the bathroom

00:36:27.960 --> 00:36:28.699
 and I sit

00:36:28.699 --> 00:36:29.199
 down there

00:36:29.199 --> 00:36:29.859
 and I say,

00:36:31.480 --> 00:36:31.919
 Sierra,

00:36:32.119 --> 00:36:32.440
 Shiloh,

00:36:32.539 --> 00:36:32.919
 whoever it

00:36:32.919 --> 00:36:33.039
 is,

00:36:33.119 --> 00:36:33.359
 I say,

00:36:33.679 --> 00:36:34.799
 I think it

00:36:34.799 --> 00:36:35.259
 is Shiloh,

00:36:35.359 --> 00:36:35.599
 I said,

00:36:35.639 --> 00:36:35.960
 Shiloh,

00:36:36.039 --> 00:36:36.500
 I've got two

00:36:36.500 --> 00:36:37.099
 things to say

00:36:37.099 --> 00:36:37.480
 to you.

00:36:38.599 --> 00:36:39.239
 The first

00:36:39.239 --> 00:36:39.839
 thing is this,

00:36:40.379 --> 00:36:41.579
 I love you

00:36:41.579 --> 00:36:43.119
 and I'll

00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:43.619
 never stop

00:36:43.619 --> 00:36:44.199
 loving you

00:36:44.199 --> 00:36:45.339
 and there's

00:36:45.339 --> 00:36:45.759
 nothing that

00:36:45.759 --> 00:36:46.219
 you can do

00:36:46.219 --> 00:36:46.859
 in all the

00:36:46.859 --> 00:36:47.399
 world that

00:36:47.399 --> 00:36:47.759
 will stop

00:36:47.759 --> 00:36:48.159
 me loving

00:36:48.159 --> 00:36:48.419
 you.

00:36:48.940 --> 00:36:49.399
 I love

00:36:49.399 --> 00:36:49.659
 you when

00:36:49.659 --> 00:36:50.099
 you're angry

00:36:50.099 --> 00:36:50.639
 and I love

00:36:50.639 --> 00:36:50.980
 you when

00:36:50.980 --> 00:36:51.299
 you're not

00:36:51.299 --> 00:36:51.659
 angry.

00:36:52.119 --> 00:36:52.500
 I will

00:36:52.500 --> 00:36:53.399
 never ever

00:36:53.399 --> 00:36:54.119
 stop loving

00:36:54.119 --> 00:36:54.379
 you.

00:36:54.380 --> 00:36:55.660
 And then

00:36:55.660 --> 00:36:55.940
 we had a

00:36:55.940 --> 00:36:56.420
 conversation

00:36:56.420 --> 00:36:56.800
 about our

00:36:56.800 --> 00:36:57.039
 anger.

00:36:58.260 --> 00:36:58.599
 And two

00:36:58.599 --> 00:36:59.140
 minutes later,

00:36:59.440 --> 00:36:59.880
 we walk

00:36:59.880 --> 00:37:00.180
 out of the

00:37:00.180 --> 00:37:00.480
 bathroom

00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:01.380
 holding hands

00:37:01.380 --> 00:37:01.820
 and we're

00:37:01.820 --> 00:37:02.559
 best friends.

00:37:05.059 --> 00:37:05.780
 The Bible

00:37:05.780 --> 00:37:06.519
 says that a

00:37:06.519 --> 00:37:07.940
 gentle word

00:37:07.940 --> 00:37:09.039
 turns away

00:37:09.039 --> 00:37:09.619
 wrath.

00:37:10.740 --> 00:37:11.220
 Friends,

00:37:11.340 --> 00:37:11.619
 in the

00:37:11.619 --> 00:37:11.940
 gospel,

00:37:12.140 --> 00:37:12.820
 Jesus doesn't

00:37:12.820 --> 00:37:13.500
 come with a

00:37:13.500 --> 00:37:13.800
 word of

00:37:13.800 --> 00:37:14.460
 condemnation.

00:37:15.039 --> 00:37:15.539
 He doesn't

00:37:15.539 --> 00:37:16.019
 come and say,

00:37:16.180 --> 00:37:16.660
 you dirty,

00:37:16.840 --> 00:37:17.720
 rotten scoundrel,

00:37:18.099 --> 00:37:19.000
 you murderous

00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:19.340
 heart,

00:37:19.559 --> 00:37:20.400
 I cannot believe

00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:20.800
 you're like

00:37:20.800 --> 00:37:21.099
 that.

00:37:21.660 --> 00:37:21.980
 Didn't I

00:37:21.980 --> 00:37:22.519
 tell you to

00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:23.079
 love people?

00:37:23.079 --> 00:37:24.239
 What does

00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:24.799
 Jesus do?

00:37:25.139 --> 00:37:25.719
 He comes

00:37:25.719 --> 00:37:26.139
 and he says,

00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:26.759
 my son,

00:37:27.199 --> 00:37:27.900
 my daughter,

00:37:28.539 --> 00:37:29.299
 those of us

00:37:29.299 --> 00:37:29.719
 that maybe

00:37:29.719 --> 00:37:30.380
 have ended

00:37:30.380 --> 00:37:30.900
 a life,

00:37:31.519 --> 00:37:32.019
 those of us

00:37:32.019 --> 00:37:32.719
 maybe who

00:37:32.719 --> 00:37:33.599
 literally are

00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:34.500
 murderers,

00:37:34.799 --> 00:37:35.299
 those of us

00:37:35.299 --> 00:37:35.559
 who've got

00:37:35.559 --> 00:37:36.259
 such bitter

00:37:36.259 --> 00:37:37.079
 and resentment

00:37:37.079 --> 00:37:37.679
 and anger

00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:38.159
 in our heart,

00:37:38.539 --> 00:37:39.000
 he comes

00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:39.360
 and he says,

00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:40.000
 my son,

00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:41.119
 my daughter,

00:37:41.480 --> 00:37:42.279
 I love

00:37:42.279 --> 00:37:42.539
 you.

00:37:43.119 --> 00:37:43.960
 Jesus comes

00:37:43.960 --> 00:37:44.340
 with a

00:37:44.340 --> 00:37:45.039
 better word.

00:37:45.480 --> 00:37:45.960
 He comes

00:37:45.960 --> 00:37:46.299
 with a

00:37:46.299 --> 00:37:47.000
 gracious word,

00:37:47.079 --> 00:37:47.519
 a gentle

00:37:47.519 --> 00:37:47.739
 word.

00:37:48.139 --> 00:37:48.579
 God the

00:37:48.579 --> 00:37:49.159
 Father comes

00:37:49.159 --> 00:37:49.480
 to us and

00:37:49.480 --> 00:37:49.659
 says,

00:37:49.799 --> 00:37:50.340
 if you are

00:37:50.340 --> 00:37:50.860
 in Christ,

00:37:51.260 --> 00:37:52.140
 it is

00:37:52.140 --> 00:37:53.220
 paid in

00:37:53.220 --> 00:37:53.760
 full.

00:37:54.140 --> 00:37:54.620
 It is

00:37:54.620 --> 00:37:55.300
 totally

00:37:55.300 --> 00:37:56.180
 forgiven.

00:37:57.019 --> 00:37:57.720
 And that

00:37:57.720 --> 00:37:58.160
 word of

00:37:58.160 --> 00:37:58.440
 love,

00:37:58.539 --> 00:37:58.800
 friends,

00:37:58.860 --> 00:37:59.559
 will melt

00:37:59.559 --> 00:38:00.280
 our hard

00:38:00.280 --> 00:38:00.860
 and angry

00:38:00.860 --> 00:38:01.880
 hearts and

00:38:01.880 --> 00:38:02.539
 will change

00:38:02.539 --> 00:38:03.059
 us to become

00:38:03.059 --> 00:38:03.500
 the kind of

00:38:03.500 --> 00:38:04.519
 people that

00:38:04.519 --> 00:38:04.860
 he's called

00:38:04.860 --> 00:38:05.280
 us to be.

00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:06.920
 Lastly,

00:38:07.120 --> 00:38:07.420
 finally,

00:38:07.559 --> 00:38:07.800
 this.

00:38:09.200 --> 00:38:09.880
 Jesus gives

00:38:09.880 --> 00:38:10.360
 us a grace

00:38:10.360 --> 00:38:10.800
 to forgive

00:38:10.800 --> 00:38:11.220
 us, but he

00:38:11.220 --> 00:38:11.760
 gives a grace

00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:12.260
 to change

00:38:12.260 --> 00:38:12.539
 us.

00:38:13.559 --> 00:38:13.960
 In

00:38:13.960 --> 00:38:14.220
 Titus

00:38:14.220 --> 00:38:15.340
 chapter 3,

00:38:15.500 --> 00:38:15.840
 it says

00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:16.200
 this.

00:38:17.079 --> 00:38:17.280
 The

00:38:17.280 --> 00:38:17.880
 apostle Paul's

00:38:17.880 --> 00:38:18.140
 writing,

00:38:18.139 --> 00:38:18.420
 and he

00:38:18.420 --> 00:38:18.639
 says,

00:38:18.779 --> 00:38:19.099
 previously,

00:38:19.759 --> 00:38:20.259
 we were

00:38:20.259 --> 00:38:20.779
 foolish,

00:38:21.679 --> 00:38:22.299
 disobedient,

00:38:22.500 --> 00:38:22.940
 deceived,

00:38:23.099 --> 00:38:23.879
 enslaved by

00:38:23.879 --> 00:38:24.500
 our passions.

00:38:25.179 --> 00:38:25.799
 We lived

00:38:25.799 --> 00:38:26.420
 in anger

00:38:26.420 --> 00:38:27.119
 and envy.

00:38:27.599 --> 00:38:27.960
 We were

00:38:27.960 --> 00:38:28.519
 hated by

00:38:28.519 --> 00:38:28.960
 others and

00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:29.519
 we hated

00:38:29.519 --> 00:38:30.179
 them back.

00:38:31.299 --> 00:38:32.099
 Sounds like

00:38:32.099 --> 00:38:32.539
 our world,

00:38:32.619 --> 00:38:32.819
 right?

00:38:33.420 --> 00:38:34.039
 But when

00:38:34.039 --> 00:38:34.759
 the kindness

00:38:34.759 --> 00:38:35.440
 and the

00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:35.980
 love of

00:38:35.980 --> 00:38:36.559
 God our

00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:36.879
 Savior

00:38:36.879 --> 00:38:37.440
 appeared,

00:38:38.039 --> 00:38:38.799
 he saved

00:38:38.799 --> 00:38:39.179
 us.

00:38:39.579 --> 00:38:40.179
 Not because

00:38:40.179 --> 00:38:40.619
 of righteous

00:38:40.619 --> 00:38:41.119
 things that

00:38:41.119 --> 00:38:41.460
 we had

00:38:41.460 --> 00:38:41.699
 done,

00:38:42.119 --> 00:38:42.659
 but because

00:38:42.659 --> 00:38:43.000
 of his

00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:43.480
 mercy.

00:38:44.039 --> 00:38:44.259
 That's

00:38:44.259 --> 00:38:44.699
 exactly what

00:38:44.699 --> 00:38:45.000
 we've been

00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:45.299
 saying,

00:38:45.400 --> 00:38:45.519
 right?

00:38:45.559 --> 00:38:45.699
 His

00:38:45.699 --> 00:38:46.179
 incredible

00:38:46.179 --> 00:38:46.619
 mercy.

00:38:47.179 --> 00:38:47.400
 And then

00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:47.639
 he goes

00:38:47.639 --> 00:38:47.940
 on to

00:38:47.940 --> 00:38:48.159
 say,

00:38:48.700 --> 00:38:48.980
 God

00:38:48.980 --> 00:38:49.460
 saved

00:38:49.460 --> 00:38:49.840
 us

00:38:49.840 --> 00:38:50.340
 through

00:38:50.340 --> 00:38:50.559
 the

00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:51.019
 washing

00:38:51.019 --> 00:38:51.340
 of

00:38:51.340 --> 00:38:51.760
 rebirth,

00:38:51.880 --> 00:38:52.000
 through

00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:52.220
 being

00:38:52.220 --> 00:38:52.619
 born

00:38:52.619 --> 00:38:53.019
 again,

00:38:53.300 --> 00:38:54.220
 by renewal

00:38:54.220 --> 00:38:54.579
 of the

00:38:54.579 --> 00:38:55.139
 Holy Spirit

00:38:55.139 --> 00:38:55.480
 that he

00:38:55.480 --> 00:38:56.280
 pours out

00:38:56.280 --> 00:38:56.599
 on us

00:38:56.599 --> 00:38:57.200
 generously

00:38:57.200 --> 00:38:57.800
 through

00:38:57.800 --> 00:38:58.139
 Jesus

00:38:58.139 --> 00:38:58.539
 Christ

00:38:58.539 --> 00:38:58.920
 the Savior.

00:38:59.380 --> 00:38:59.639
 Friends,

00:38:59.700 --> 00:38:59.940
 this is

00:38:59.940 --> 00:39:00.360
 what Paul

00:39:00.360 --> 00:39:00.780
 is saying.

00:39:01.179 --> 00:39:01.380
 He's

00:39:01.380 --> 00:39:01.500
 saying,

00:39:01.639 --> 00:39:02.380
 God's

00:39:02.380 --> 00:39:02.780
 grace

00:39:02.780 --> 00:39:03.420
 saves

00:39:03.420 --> 00:39:03.740
 us,

00:39:03.860 --> 00:39:04.300
 but it

00:39:04.300 --> 00:39:04.579
 doesn't

00:39:04.579 --> 00:39:05.159
 just wipe

00:39:05.159 --> 00:39:05.559
 away the

00:39:05.559 --> 00:39:06.019
 past and

00:39:06.019 --> 00:39:06.159
 say,

00:39:06.280 --> 00:39:06.420
 okay,

00:39:06.539 --> 00:39:06.920
 best of

00:39:06.920 --> 00:39:07.099
 luck,

00:39:07.179 --> 00:39:07.440
 you go

00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:07.720
 and live

00:39:07.720 --> 00:39:08.119
 your life

00:39:08.119 --> 00:39:08.340
 now.

00:39:08.800 --> 00:39:09.179
 God's

00:39:09.179 --> 00:39:09.380
 grace

00:39:09.380 --> 00:39:09.860
 saves

00:39:09.860 --> 00:39:10.119
 us,

00:39:10.240 --> 00:39:10.579
 but it

00:39:10.579 --> 00:39:10.760
 also

00:39:10.760 --> 00:39:11.360
 changes

00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:11.700
 us.

00:39:12.019 --> 00:39:12.119
 He

00:39:12.119 --> 00:39:12.480
 causes

00:39:12.480 --> 00:39:12.720
 us to

00:39:12.720 --> 00:39:13.179
 be born

00:39:13.179 --> 00:39:13.500
 again.

00:39:13.500 --> 00:39:13.880
 He

00:39:13.880 --> 00:39:14.079
 gives

00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:14.239
 us

00:39:14.239 --> 00:39:14.519
 a new

00:39:14.519 --> 00:39:14.900
 heart,

00:39:14.980 --> 00:39:15.179
 a new

00:39:15.179 --> 00:39:15.719
 operating

00:39:15.719 --> 00:39:16.119
 system,

00:39:16.199 --> 00:39:16.420
 a new

00:39:16.420 --> 00:39:16.980
 motherboard,

00:39:17.179 --> 00:39:17.440
 a new

00:39:17.440 --> 00:39:18.260
 DNA

00:39:18.260 --> 00:39:18.860
 inside of

00:39:18.860 --> 00:39:19.320
 our heart

00:39:19.320 --> 00:39:19.860
 that is

00:39:19.860 --> 00:39:20.239
 aligned

00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:20.639
 with his

00:39:20.639 --> 00:39:20.960
 heart.

00:39:21.460 --> 00:39:21.719
 And then

00:39:21.719 --> 00:39:22.239
 in addition

00:39:22.239 --> 00:39:22.579
 to that,

00:39:22.619 --> 00:39:23.019
 he gives

00:39:23.019 --> 00:39:23.320
 us the

00:39:23.320 --> 00:39:23.900
 Holy Spirit.

00:39:24.400 --> 00:39:24.639
 He

00:39:24.639 --> 00:39:25.119
 starts to

00:39:25.119 --> 00:39:25.619
 form us

00:39:25.619 --> 00:39:26.199
 and change

00:39:26.199 --> 00:39:26.360
 us,

00:39:26.420 --> 00:39:26.639
 and we

00:39:26.639 --> 00:39:27.179
 start to

00:39:27.179 --> 00:39:27.500
 become

00:39:27.500 --> 00:39:28.000
 the people

00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:28.800
 that he

00:39:28.800 --> 00:39:29.400
 wants us

00:39:29.400 --> 00:39:29.820
 to become.

00:39:30.059 --> 00:39:30.639
 No longer

00:39:30.639 --> 00:39:31.219
 angry,

00:39:31.500 --> 00:39:31.800
 foolish,

00:39:31.980 --> 00:39:32.639
 disobedient,

00:39:32.840 --> 00:39:33.820
 self-justifying,

00:39:33.980 --> 00:39:34.760
 self-righteous,

00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:35.880
 gracious.

00:39:36.840 --> 00:39:37.119
 He now

00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:37.579
 makes us

00:39:37.579 --> 00:39:38.099
 tender,

00:39:39.280 --> 00:39:39.699
 forgiving,

00:39:40.880 --> 00:39:41.619
 loving those

00:39:41.619 --> 00:39:43.119
 that revile us.

00:39:43.500 --> 00:39:44.099
 Friends,

00:39:44.179 --> 00:39:44.380
 in the

00:39:44.380 --> 00:39:44.659
 gospel,

00:39:44.900 --> 00:39:45.320
 God the

00:39:45.320 --> 00:39:45.719
 Father,

00:39:45.980 --> 00:39:46.699
 Jesus Christ

00:39:46.699 --> 00:39:47.000
 the Son,

00:39:47.199 --> 00:39:47.980
 pours his

00:39:47.980 --> 00:39:48.519
 love into

00:39:48.519 --> 00:39:49.119
 our hearts.

00:39:49.639 --> 00:39:49.800
 He says,

00:39:49.880 --> 00:39:50.219
 my son,

00:39:50.280 --> 00:39:50.659
 my daughter,

00:39:50.739 --> 00:39:51.360
 I love you.

00:39:52.579 --> 00:39:52.820
 And so

00:39:52.820 --> 00:39:53.320
 look what Paul

00:39:53.320 --> 00:39:53.780
 says here.

00:39:54.260 --> 00:39:54.460
 He says,

00:39:54.539 --> 00:39:54.920
 once we

00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:55.340
 lived like

00:39:55.340 --> 00:39:55.579
 this,

00:39:55.699 --> 00:39:56.159
 angry,

00:39:56.599 --> 00:39:56.960
 bitter,

00:39:57.519 --> 00:39:57.820
 hating,

00:39:57.980 --> 00:39:58.320
 and being

00:39:58.320 --> 00:39:58.760
 hated,

00:39:59.460 --> 00:39:59.980
 but when

00:39:59.980 --> 00:40:00.800
 the kindness

00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:01.219
 and the

00:40:01.219 --> 00:40:01.639
 love of

00:40:01.639 --> 00:40:02.340
 God came

00:40:02.340 --> 00:40:02.880
 to us

00:40:02.880 --> 00:40:03.599
 through

00:40:03.599 --> 00:40:03.860
 our

00:40:03.860 --> 00:40:04.219
 Savior,

00:40:04.739 --> 00:40:05.699
 he saved

00:40:05.699 --> 00:40:06.139
 us,

00:40:06.679 --> 00:40:07.480
 not because

00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:07.780
 of our

00:40:07.780 --> 00:40:08.199
 righteousness,

00:40:09.039 --> 00:40:09.699
 but because

00:40:09.699 --> 00:40:10.000
 of his

00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:10.480
 mercy and

00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:11.039
 his grace.

00:40:12.739 --> 00:40:13.039
 In 1

00:40:13.039 --> 00:40:13.320
 Corinthians

00:40:13.320 --> 00:40:15.059
 chapter 6,

00:40:15.320 --> 00:40:15.699
 the apostle

00:40:15.699 --> 00:40:16.239
 Paul writes,

00:40:16.300 --> 00:40:16.579
 he says,

00:40:16.659 --> 00:40:17.000
 don't you

00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:18.420
 realize the

00:40:18.420 --> 00:40:19.099
 unrighteous will

00:40:19.099 --> 00:40:19.820
 not inherit the

00:40:19.820 --> 00:40:20.219
 kingdom of

00:40:20.219 --> 00:40:20.539
 God?

00:40:21.539 --> 00:40:22.019
 Murderers,

00:40:22.219 --> 00:40:22.860
 adulterers,

00:40:23.159 --> 00:40:23.519
 greedy,

00:40:23.739 --> 00:40:24.139
 swindlers,

00:40:24.800 --> 00:40:25.279
 and then he

00:40:25.279 --> 00:40:25.480
 says,

00:40:25.599 --> 00:40:26.139
 but such

00:40:26.139 --> 00:40:26.619
 were some

00:40:26.619 --> 00:40:27.179
 of you,

00:40:27.940 --> 00:40:28.500
 such was

00:40:28.500 --> 00:40:28.880
 I,

00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:30.039
 but we've

00:40:30.039 --> 00:40:30.699
 been washed,

00:40:30.820 --> 00:40:31.159
 we've been

00:40:31.159 --> 00:40:31.659
 cleansed,

00:40:31.719 --> 00:40:32.039
 we've been

00:40:32.039 --> 00:40:32.659
 justified,

00:40:32.860 --> 00:40:33.139
 we've been

00:40:33.139 --> 00:40:33.759
 set free.

00:40:34.500 --> 00:40:35.380
 Jesus comes

00:40:35.380 --> 00:40:36.619
 and changes

00:40:36.619 --> 00:40:36.940
 us.

00:40:37.380 --> 00:40:37.659
 Friends,

00:40:37.820 --> 00:40:38.599
 Jesus died

00:40:38.599 --> 00:40:39.719
 to not only

00:40:39.719 --> 00:40:40.420
 destroy the

00:40:40.420 --> 00:40:41.039
 penalty of

00:40:41.039 --> 00:40:41.259
 sin,

00:40:41.679 --> 00:40:42.099
 but to

00:40:42.099 --> 00:40:42.699
 also destroy

00:40:42.699 --> 00:40:43.239
 the power

00:40:43.239 --> 00:40:43.639
 of sin,

00:40:44.179 --> 00:40:44.860
 to change

00:40:44.860 --> 00:40:45.139
 us,

00:40:45.579 --> 00:40:45.920
 to make

00:40:45.920 --> 00:40:46.339
 us new.

00:40:47.019 --> 00:40:47.460
 In these

00:40:47.460 --> 00:40:48.039
 words are

00:40:48.039 --> 00:40:48.559
 words of

00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:48.839
 life.

00:40:48.980 --> 00:40:49.639
 God commands

00:40:49.639 --> 00:40:50.179
 us not to

00:40:50.179 --> 00:40:50.420
 murder,

00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:50.900
 not to

00:40:50.900 --> 00:40:51.440
 unjust,

00:40:51.699 --> 00:40:52.299
 take innocent

00:40:52.299 --> 00:40:52.719
 life.

00:40:52.839 --> 00:40:53.239
 That may

00:40:53.239 --> 00:40:54.039
 seem obvious,

00:40:54.559 --> 00:40:54.980
 but God

00:40:54.980 --> 00:40:55.559
 calls us to

00:40:55.559 --> 00:40:56.159
 think carefully

00:40:56.159 --> 00:40:56.639
 about that,

00:40:56.719 --> 00:40:57.019
 how that

00:40:57.019 --> 00:40:57.440
 works in

00:40:57.440 --> 00:40:58.139
 our 21st

00:40:58.139 --> 00:40:58.839
 century world.

00:40:59.400 --> 00:40:59.779
 But more

00:40:59.779 --> 00:41:00.039
 than that,

00:41:00.119 --> 00:41:00.759
 Jesus calls

00:41:00.759 --> 00:41:01.219
 us to

00:41:01.219 --> 00:41:01.719
 examine our

00:41:01.719 --> 00:41:02.219
 own hearts,

00:41:02.360 --> 00:41:02.699
 to bring

00:41:02.699 --> 00:41:03.059
 our hearts

00:41:03.059 --> 00:41:03.599
 before him,

00:41:04.000 --> 00:41:04.319
 to be

00:41:04.319 --> 00:41:04.920
 gracious and

00:41:04.920 --> 00:41:05.219
 loving,

00:41:05.839 --> 00:41:06.199
 gentle,

00:41:06.420 --> 00:41:07.079
 and compassionate.

00:41:07.579 --> 00:41:08.059
 Let's pray

00:41:08.059 --> 00:41:08.420
 together.

00:41:08.420 --> 00:41:11.440
 Heavenly

00:41:11.440 --> 00:41:11.780
 Father,

00:41:11.900 --> 00:41:12.340
 we come

00:41:12.340 --> 00:41:12.700
 before you

00:41:12.700 --> 00:41:13.119
 this morning

00:41:13.119 --> 00:41:13.559
 because we

00:41:13.559 --> 00:41:14.099
 so need

00:41:14.099 --> 00:41:14.340
 you.

00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:15.340
 God,

00:41:15.480 --> 00:41:16.320
 your word

00:41:16.320 --> 00:41:16.960
 convicts

00:41:16.960 --> 00:41:17.260
 us.

00:41:18.539 --> 00:41:18.860
 Father,

00:41:19.019 --> 00:41:19.700
 chances are

00:41:19.700 --> 00:41:21.400
 that though

00:41:21.400 --> 00:41:22.139
 all of us

00:41:22.139 --> 00:41:22.619
 are different

00:41:22.619 --> 00:41:23.099
 by way of

00:41:23.099 --> 00:41:23.780
 personality,

00:41:24.059 --> 00:41:24.579
 background,

00:41:24.940 --> 00:41:25.320
 culture,

00:41:25.460 --> 00:41:25.940
 ethnicity,

00:41:27.159 --> 00:41:27.420
 God,

00:41:27.480 --> 00:41:27.840
 there's something

00:41:27.840 --> 00:41:28.480
 that unifies

00:41:28.480 --> 00:41:28.720
 us,

00:41:28.780 --> 00:41:29.099
 and that is

00:41:29.099 --> 00:41:29.740
 that apart

00:41:29.740 --> 00:41:30.139
 from me,

00:41:30.180 --> 00:41:30.680
 our hearts

00:41:30.680 --> 00:41:31.320
 are broken

00:41:31.320 --> 00:41:31.820
 and deeply

00:41:31.820 --> 00:41:32.220
 sinful,

00:41:32.920 --> 00:41:33.579
 but in

00:41:33.579 --> 00:41:33.800
 you,

00:41:33.900 --> 00:41:34.079
 God,

00:41:34.139 --> 00:41:34.579
 you're doing

00:41:34.579 --> 00:41:35.260
 an amazing

00:41:35.260 --> 00:41:35.920
 miracle of

00:41:35.920 --> 00:41:36.200
 grace.

00:41:36.300 --> 00:41:36.800
 You're changing

00:41:36.800 --> 00:41:37.139
 us.

00:41:37.739 --> 00:41:37.980
 Jesus,

00:41:38.039 --> 00:41:38.460
 I pray for

00:41:38.460 --> 00:41:38.859
 my brothers

00:41:38.859 --> 00:41:39.299
 and sisters

00:41:39.299 --> 00:41:39.819
 this morning.

00:41:39.940 --> 00:41:40.480
 I pray that

00:41:40.480 --> 00:41:40.759
 you do

00:41:40.759 --> 00:41:41.119
 come and

00:41:41.119 --> 00:41:41.579
 change us.

00:41:42.159 --> 00:41:42.359
 God,

00:41:42.400 --> 00:41:43.379
 may our

00:41:43.379 --> 00:41:43.779
 hearts

00:41:43.779 --> 00:41:44.400
 reflect your

00:41:44.400 --> 00:41:44.739
 hearts.

00:41:44.839 --> 00:41:44.980
 God,

00:41:45.019 --> 00:41:45.359
 may we

00:41:45.359 --> 00:41:46.019
 honor and

00:41:46.019 --> 00:41:46.940
 love every

00:41:46.940 --> 00:41:47.559
 person we

00:41:47.559 --> 00:41:48.019
 encounter,

00:41:48.400 --> 00:41:48.980
 even those

00:41:48.980 --> 00:41:49.379
 that we have

00:41:49.379 --> 00:41:49.859
 radically

00:41:49.859 --> 00:41:50.819
 different ideas

00:41:50.819 --> 00:41:51.539
 and opinions

00:41:51.539 --> 00:41:51.819
 to,

00:41:52.179 --> 00:41:52.619
 those that

00:41:52.619 --> 00:41:53.059
 are on the

00:41:53.059 --> 00:41:53.839
 opposite side

00:41:53.839 --> 00:41:54.059
 of the

00:41:54.059 --> 00:41:54.440
 political

00:41:54.440 --> 00:41:54.920
 spectrum,

00:41:55.079 --> 00:41:55.440
 may we

00:41:55.440 --> 00:41:56.159
 love them

00:41:56.159 --> 00:41:56.619
 and serve

00:41:56.619 --> 00:41:56.799
 them,

00:41:56.920 --> 00:41:57.199
 knowing,

00:41:57.359 --> 00:41:57.480
 God,

00:41:57.519 --> 00:41:57.739
 that they

00:41:57.739 --> 00:41:58.139
 are your

00:41:58.139 --> 00:41:58.559
 image

00:41:58.559 --> 00:41:59.079
 bearers,

00:41:59.440 --> 00:41:59.900
 created

00:41:59.900 --> 00:42:00.480
 by you,

00:42:00.859 --> 00:42:01.199
 fashioned

00:42:01.199 --> 00:42:01.719
 by you.

00:42:02.539 --> 00:42:02.879
 God,

00:42:02.940 --> 00:42:03.219
 we pray,

00:42:03.319 --> 00:42:03.559
 come and

00:42:03.559 --> 00:42:03.859
 work in

00:42:03.859 --> 00:42:04.319
 our hearts.

00:42:05.239 --> 00:42:05.619
 Make us

00:42:05.619 --> 00:42:06.279
 gracious and

00:42:06.279 --> 00:42:06.539
 gentle,

00:42:06.539 --> 00:42:07.079
 we pray.

00:42:08.219 --> 00:42:08.559
 In your

00:42:08.559 --> 00:42:09.139
 wonderful and

00:42:09.139 --> 00:42:09.599
 your powerful

00:42:09.599 --> 00:42:10.000
 name,

00:42:11.119 --> 00:42:11.440
 Amen.