WEBVTT

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 Father, your word is your word.

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 Every word in the Bible, Father, is the word that you wanted to have there.

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 And we confess, Father, that often because of our culture and often because of our context,

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 we completely and utterly misunderstand your word.

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 Father, we confess that sometimes we just, we get it all wrong and we don't even recognize

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 that we've got it wrong.

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 So, Father, we ask that you would continue to gently but deeply pour out your Holy Spirit

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 upon us.

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 Pour out your Holy Spirit upon our minds, our hearts, our wills, our bodies.

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 And grant us, Father, a constant humility in regard to our own opinions, a willingness

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 to change our minds.

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 Grant us a great humility before you and your word written.

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 And grant us a great hunger for you and for your word written.

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 So that your word might come into us, into our lives.

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 And we will then bear much fruit for your glory in this city and at the ends of the earth.

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

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 Amen.

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 Please be seated.

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 I almost want to say I apologize, but I'm not going to apologize.

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 But I want to give you a bit of a warning right off the bat.

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 I know that there's many, many guests here this morning.

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 And I'm going to talk later on in the sermon.

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 It's just going to be brief.

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 But I'm going to talk about abortion.

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 I'm going to talk about doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia.

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 And I'm going to talk about same-sex marriage.

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 In fact, I was dealing with so many complicated and controversial topics, I almost thought I'd

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 throw in tithing while we're at it.

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 Just to get it out of the way, you know.

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 But I'm going to be talking about these three.

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 And some of you might think, you know, especially if you're a guest and you've come here to see

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 maybe your daughter or your granddaughter or your niece or your friend, you know, dance.

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 And you think, oh, you know, I knew those, you know, fanatic, hardcore, right-wing Christians

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 that all they ever did was hammer away at those topics.

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 I knew that was the case.

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 Well, that's actually, if you think that about churches in Ottawa, you could go to most churches

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 in Ottawa for five years and never hear anybody ever talk about any of those three topics.

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 Most churches in Ottawa are terrified about talking about those topics, just if that's what

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 you're thinking.

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 And so you might be wondering, well, George, why on earth are you talking about it on a

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 day like today?

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 And here's another thing that non-Christians often think about Christians, and they often

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 think it correctly about Christians, by the way.

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 A lot of people see Christians as being basically hypocritical, that we believe that we want to

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 know the Bible and follow the Bible, but we actually ignore big parts of the Bible, the big parts

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 of the Bible that we don't like, or we don't just agree with, or don't fit into our lifestyle,

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 we just ignore.

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 And so one of the things that many non-Christians say about Christians, and unfortunately it's

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 often correct, is that we pick and choose in the Bible.

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 And so I just want to share with you, I mean, at Messiah, we don't want to be a pick and choose

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 congregation.

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 And so one of the ways that we try to deal with that is that we preach through books of

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 the Bible.

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 And the Bible's long, so I'd have to probably have been the pastor here for 50 years to

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 cover every book and every word, and that's hard to do.

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 But we try to deal with that problem of bits and pieces Christianity by preaching through

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 books of the Bible.

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 And when you preach through a book of the Bible, it means you're going to regularly deal with

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 things that aren't very comfortable for our culture.

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 And so that's what we're doing in this church right now.

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 You can look in the bulletin later on in the blog, it talks a little bit about why we do

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 that and upcoming things.

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 But we're going through the book of Romans.

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 And as part of going through the book of Romans, we come to Romans 13, which is what we're going

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 to look at.

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 And I would fail you as a pastor and as a man who's called to open the word of God if

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 I preached on Romans 13 and didn't mention those topics.

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 It's abortion, doctor-assisted suicide or euthanasia and same-sex marriage.

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 So you've been warned, and I'll return to it, and hopefully I'll return to it twice.

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 But it would be a great help to me if you open your Bibles, because you want to be able

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 to see that I'm actually not just making it up as I go along, but I'm actually trying

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 to follow the Bible.

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 I should have warned you earlier that there's free Bibles over there.

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 I don't mind if you get up while I'm talking and go over there and get a free Bible.

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 And if you don't own a Bible, keep it.

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 It's our gift to you, or you can return it later.

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 But Romans 13.

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 And so let's get into the word.

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 And here's how it begins.

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 Let every person, Romans 13, 1, let every person be subject to the governing authorities.

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 For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by

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 God.

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 Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist

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 will incur judgment.

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 And just sort of pause there for a second.

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 We just want to pause here for a second.

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 Now, this is a really easy text.

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 Here's the problem about this text.

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 There's something so blindingly obvious about this text that if we recognize what's so blindingly

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 obvious, it's going to completely and utterly turn this text in a different direction.

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 But it's so obvious that we forget it.

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 And here, I'm just going to, you know, if you're a guest here this morning, I'll say it.

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 You might not know this.

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 But for Christians, many Christians aren't even aware of this.

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 But just before we get into it, I'm getting tongue-tied.

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 Christians believe what Jesus teaches.

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 And what Jesus teaches and the Bible teaches about itself is that the Bible is God's word

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 written.

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 And what that means is that every word that we see here, this is what Christians believe

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 because Jesus believed it, that every word that you see here is ultimately the word that

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 God wanted to have there.

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 Now, it doesn't have, like, it's not like dictation.

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 It wasn't as if one day Paul was out for a walk and then God took him over and he had

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 to go to a table and he had to sort of write like this as God sort of overwhelmed his personality

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 and overwhelmed him and made him write down every word.

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 That's not how it works.

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 It's demons which possess us.

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 And I don't have lots of experience with this, but my guess is that if you're demon-possessed,

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 if you listen to ten different demon-possessed people speaking or writing, they'd all basically

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 sound exactly the same because the demon actually possesses them.

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 And God doesn't possess us in that way.

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 He never overwhelms us.

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 And so Paul would just be writing what Paul is writing.

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 But what Christians believe, and actually Romans teaches this, but it's a little bit later

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 on, is that Paul writes just from his heart dealing with a particular problem.

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 But God is sovereign over it.

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 And so that later on, it's recognized that God caused those particular words, the particular

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 words that God wanted his people and the whole world to know, God used Paul to get that done.

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 Just as he used Peter and he used Amos and he used Isaiah and he used Jeremiah and he used

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 the different writers of the Bible.

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 And because he actually just uses Paul, it sounds like Paul.

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 And if you read, you know, Isaiah, it sounds like Isaiah.

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 And you read Jeremiah, it sounds like Jeremiah.

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 He uses their personalities and everything like that.

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 But God acts in such a way that the actual words that are written are the words he wants

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 to be written down.

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 And then he also acts in such a way so that it's recognized by the church, by the followers

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 of Jesus, that those are the actual words that God wants to have written down.

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 So it doesn't mean that Paul is particularly a special person.

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 It just means that God used him.

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 It doesn't mean that Paul was smarter than you and I or more insightful than you and I.

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 If we went back in a time machine and just listened to Paul, it's not that he was more insightful

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 than us, a special person.

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 Every writer of the Bible is in a sense like Balaam's ass, that God uses the donkey to speak.

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 And so why is this significant?

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 Well, it's very, very significant if you understand that it's God who's telling us to do this.

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 In fact, Andrew, can you put up the point?

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 If we don't understand this, we're not going to understand anything in Romans 13.

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 The King of kings and Lord of lords, the true and living God, tells his grace-ransomed children

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 to submit to human authorities and to respect and honor them in a way which fully glorifies

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 and honors him.

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 Now, just help me down.

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 I'm going to help to unpack this a little bit.

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 A few years ago, but maybe about 10 years ago now, actually more than 12 years ago.

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 I'm getting old, so things long ago actually happened relatively close.

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 Anyway, I was the chair of a national organization, and I also was, in a sense, the CEO.

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 And we had this really important thing going on.

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 I was still part of the Anglican Church of Canada, and there was this really important

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 meeting of the Anglican Church.

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 And we wanted to have a presence there to sort of represent, you know, biblical Christianity

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 in their deliberations.

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 And it was going to be very, very far-reaching, this meeting, in terms of the things they would

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 decide.

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 So I was there.

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 Several other people were there.

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 And we hired a communications person to help with daily press releases and a daily newsletter

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 because we wanted to just represent biblical truths as the Anglican Church was making

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 this important decision.

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 So we hired somebody.

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 In a sense, I hired him.

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 I was the chair of the board and the CEO, in effect.

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 And so we hired somebody to help us.

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 And he worked with a few volunteers.

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 And at the end of the event, as the three- or four-day or five-day conference, I can't remember

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 how long it was, but it was a long conference.

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 At the end of it, the Anglican Church of Canada made a horrendous decision.

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 And a couple of the very, very key volunteers who had been working with this guy that we'd

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 hired, they had their own private agenda.

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 And so they wanted to spin this particular important communication from the organization

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 in a way that favored their particular agenda.

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 And I heard about it that morning.

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 And I was horrified.

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 They were going to say the exact wrong thing.

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 The board would not have agreed with it.

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 It was the wrong thing.

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 So I went and I found the guy.

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 And I said to him, have you sent off this press release yet?

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 Have you released it?

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 He said, no.

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 I said, good.

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 You're not sending it.

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 It's wrong.

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 And he said, well, whoa.

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 Like, he said, well.

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 And he mentions these two really important people in the Anglican Church.

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 And they've agreed with it.

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 And I said to him, I sign your checks.

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 I sign your check.

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 I'm your boss.

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 They're not.

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 You're not sending it because it's wrong.

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 Now, there will be another sermon illustration as to the two volunteers and the strips they

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 tried to tear off of me when they found out that I'd actually put a kibosh to what they

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 wanted.

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 But here's the significance.

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 They, this fellow worked with volunteers in a sense because I, who was his employer, told

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 him that he could work with these two people.

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 But I never relinquished being his employer.

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 He was my employee, not those other people's employees.

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 So what's significant about this text?

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 And it's really even more significant because, as you'll see later on in the text, it's going

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 to refer, the text is going to refer to the rulers and authorities as the servant of God,

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 the slave of God.

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 So what we need to understand here is that this text is not a blank check to whoever's in power.

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 I can tell you right now that Justin Trudeau would probably be deeply offended to hear that he's

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 described as the slave of God.

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 And I don't think I would be overstretching matters to think that Beverly McLaughlin and the Supreme Court

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 justices of this country would be offended to understand that the Bible is describing them as God's slaves,

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 but he's describing those who are followers of Jesus as his children.

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 It's all the way through the Romans.

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 You'd have to be reading Romans all the way through here.

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 So that's why I've tried to express it this way.

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 Just remember what's happening here.

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 It's just like me hiring this guy to work with other people, and I give him some instructions.

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 Only it's different because it's not, God isn't speaking here to his employees,

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 but he's our Father in Heaven speaking to his children.

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 And he doesn't stop or relinquish being our dad.

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 And I could have said our Heavenly Father, but I wanted to emphasize here Lord of Lords and King of Kings,

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 the Creator, Sustainer God, the Sovereign God of all the universe,

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 who has ransomed you and me.

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 If we put our faith and trust in Jesus, he has ransomed us through Jesus.

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 We are now the children of the living God by adoption and by grace.

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 And that God asks me to respect and honor and submit to human authorities

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 that the text is going to describe as his servant and his slave.

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 This is not the government of Canada telling me how to worship or the Supreme Court giving me permission.

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 You see how this text, in a sense, to use a postmodern word,

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 it deconstructs and relativizes all human power and authority.

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 And then within that tells me not that Christians should rule,

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 but that we are to submit and honor and respect.

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 So it's a very, very surprising thing.

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 And from that, we have to understand as well several other things about the text.

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 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities,

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 for there is no authority except from God,

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 and those that exist have been instituted by God.

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 Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed,

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 and those who resist will incur judgment.

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 So is this text saying that when God looked down at Moclair and Trudeau and Harper,

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 he said, I don't like Harper and I don't like Moclair.

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 I like Justin Trudeau.

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 So I'm going to make Justin Trudeau the prime minister,

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 and my people better submit to him.

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 Right now, I'm going to pick your boogeyman.

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 If we were in an American United States and Trump wins,

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 would all the Bible Belt Christians have to say,

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 God liked Trump better than all those other guys and that one gal?

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 Or if Hillary Clinton wins,

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 well, all those Bible Belt Christians have to say,

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 obviously God thought Nelson Cruz and Trump and Sanders were terrible, evil men.

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 He chose his woman.

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 Is that what the text is saying?

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 Just to put it very boldly and bluntly.

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 Well, if you could put up the next point,

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 this prayer is completely consistent with Romans 13.

00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:40.379
 And if we don't understand how this prayer is consistent with Romans 13,

00:16:40.379 --> 00:16:41.720
 we won't understand the text.

00:16:42.560 --> 00:16:46.279
 Lord, please spare our nation from the government that we deserve.

00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:51.519
 And in your mercy grant us a government which is better than we deserve.

00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:57.120
 Lord, please spare our nation from the government that we deserve.

00:16:57.620 --> 00:17:01.399
 And in your mercy grant us a government which is better than we deserve.

00:17:01.399 --> 00:17:09.200
 That prayer is completely and utterly consistent and congruent with Romans 13.

00:17:10.099 --> 00:17:13.740
 If you go back, and I don't have time to do this for obvious reasons,

00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:16.279
 you go back and you read the Old Testament, what we call the Old Testament,

00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:19.839
 which Paul at that time would have just understood as the Bible.

00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:21.619
 And it's very, very clear.

00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:25.559
 In fact, the book of Habakkuk, which I'm going to return to in a bit,

00:17:25.559 --> 00:17:27.399
 it's a very, very famous book.

00:17:27.480 --> 00:17:30.460
 It's a very, very odd book because Habakkuk is complaining about

00:17:30.460 --> 00:17:32.919
 how completely and utterly evil Israel is.

00:17:33.460 --> 00:17:35.000
 And God says, good news.

00:17:35.179 --> 00:17:36.220
 I've heard your prayer.

00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:37.079
 I'm answering them.

00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:43.700
 I'm sending the Assyrians to take over and obliterate Israel.

00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:46.799
 And Habakkuk says, God, no, you can't do that.

00:17:46.859 --> 00:17:47.759
 You got it all wrong.

00:17:47.879 --> 00:17:50.299
 They're way worse than Israel.

00:17:51.779 --> 00:17:52.139
 Okay?

00:17:52.299 --> 00:17:53.000
 And then you go back.

00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:54.799
 You read about Nebuchadnezzar.

00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:55.919
 You read about all of these.

00:17:56.159 --> 00:17:57.700
 Just read Isaiah.

00:17:57.879 --> 00:17:58.599
 Read Amos.

00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:01.740
 Read Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

00:18:02.059 --> 00:18:04.099
 Read the book of 1 and 2 Kings.

00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:07.440
 Just because the person's in authority,

00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:12.919
 sometimes they are there because it is the ruler the nation deserves

00:18:12.919 --> 00:18:14.180
 and it is a punishment.

00:18:15.819 --> 00:18:18.419
 I know I've opened up a whole other can of worms.

00:18:19.259 --> 00:18:21.279
 And I don't have time to go into it.

00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:27.839
 But Trump or Clinton cannot, or Trudeau cannot say,

00:18:28.099 --> 00:18:31.759
 I am obviously the choice person that God has chosen.

00:18:31.899 --> 00:18:38.079
 It might very well be that they are there as part of God's judgment.

00:18:39.859 --> 00:18:42.720
 And that is completely consistent with Romans 13,

00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:45.920
 which is why, in a sense, we have to be careful

00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:49.039
 because when our friends or the people that we like are in government,

00:18:49.700 --> 00:18:54.160
 we have to be careful that we stop praying a prayer like that.

00:18:54.160 --> 00:19:03.240
 But there is no mere human collection known as a nation,

00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:06.279
 which is God's favored people.

00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:07.519
 Israel is an exception.

00:19:08.300 --> 00:19:10.000
 But apart from that, there's no,

00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:12.040
 and even then Israel, just because they're Israel,

00:19:12.100 --> 00:19:14.440
 doesn't mean they do a whole pile of evil things, by the way.

00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:15.920
 Read the Old Testament.

00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:18.580
 Israel did horrible things.

00:19:19.439 --> 00:19:19.599
 Okay?

00:19:21.240 --> 00:19:23.079
 This is a prayer that we have to pray.

00:19:24.639 --> 00:19:27.740
 I mean, my hope and prayer is that God didn't give us Trudeau

00:19:27.740 --> 00:19:29.099
 as a punishment upon our nation.

00:19:29.199 --> 00:19:31.139
 I'm not trying to make a, I'm not making a political,

00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:33.099
 I really am not making a political comment.

00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:33.699
 I'm not.

00:19:36.699 --> 00:19:38.220
 This is a prayer we have to pray

00:19:38.220 --> 00:19:42.419
 as a nation that has a concern for our nation.

00:19:45.019 --> 00:19:46.439
 So some of you might say,

00:19:46.440 --> 00:19:49.200
 okay, George, well, this is all a little bit,

00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:51.940
 you've turned the text a little bit upside down on me.

00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:54.320
 But George, doesn't the text seem to say

00:19:54.320 --> 00:19:55.880
 a whole pile of nonsense stuff?

00:19:55.980 --> 00:19:58.940
 Doesn't it seem to say that, you know,

00:19:59.220 --> 00:20:02.340
 it's just stuff that isn't obviously true,

00:20:03.220 --> 00:20:07.480
 that, you know, rulers punish evil and rulers do good?

00:20:07.600 --> 00:20:10.460
 Like, okay, George, so this has surprised me,

00:20:10.539 --> 00:20:12.519
 but even if that's all true what you've said,

00:20:12.600 --> 00:20:14.559
 doesn't the text just say nonsense?

00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:16.919
 Like, how could anybody with a straight face

00:20:16.919 --> 00:20:18.159
 say that the government does good

00:20:18.159 --> 00:20:19.460
 and rewards people who do good?

00:20:21.700 --> 00:20:22.839
 Is it Linda McKibben?

00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:23.539
 Is that her name?

00:20:24.500 --> 00:20:26.139
 One of the most dangerous people

00:20:26.139 --> 00:20:27.539
 in the province of Ontario.

00:20:27.639 --> 00:20:29.139
 How many times has she been arrested now?

00:20:30.619 --> 00:20:33.240
 I mean, is it 25 times, 27 times, 30 times,

00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:34.000
 something like that?

00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:36.619
 Just because she quietly stands and prays

00:20:36.619 --> 00:20:37.599
 near an abortion clinic,

00:20:37.819 --> 00:20:40.339
 and she's thrown in and out of jail constantly.

00:20:40.339 --> 00:20:42.859
 Like, how can George, how can Romans be true?

00:20:42.980 --> 00:20:46.079
 It's obvious that governments don't reward good people

00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:47.559
 and discipline bad people.

00:20:48.879 --> 00:20:51.459
 Well, let's look at the text.

00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:53.379
 We're not going to hide from it.

00:20:53.419 --> 00:20:54.059
 Let's look at Romans.

00:20:54.179 --> 00:20:55.059
 We'll start at verse one.

00:20:55.099 --> 00:20:56.119
 We'll go through to verse seven.

00:20:56.919 --> 00:20:58.000
 Let's listen to it again.

00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:01.539
 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities,

00:21:02.199 --> 00:21:04.599
 for there is no authority except from God,

00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:07.639
 and those that exist have been instituted by God.

00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:09.480
 Therefore, whoever resists the authorities

00:21:09.480 --> 00:21:10.900
 resists what God has appointed,

00:21:12.140 --> 00:21:16.520
 and those who resist will incur judgment.

00:21:17.120 --> 00:21:20.340
 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.

00:21:21.100 --> 00:21:23.380
 Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority?

00:21:23.880 --> 00:21:26.380
 Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,

00:21:27.040 --> 00:21:28.620
 for he is God's servant for your good.

00:21:29.300 --> 00:21:31.240
 But if you do wrong, be afraid,

00:21:31.840 --> 00:21:33.520
 for he does not bear the sword in vain,

00:21:34.060 --> 00:21:35.320
 for he is the servant of God,

00:21:35.319 --> 00:21:38.279
 an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

00:21:38.859 --> 00:21:40.799
 Therefore, one must be in subjection,

00:21:40.859 --> 00:21:42.319
 not only to avoid God's wrath,

00:21:42.419 --> 00:21:44.059
 but also for the sake of conscience.

00:21:44.679 --> 00:21:46.879
 For because of this, you also pay taxes

00:21:46.879 --> 00:21:49.779
 for the authorities or ministers of God

00:21:49.779 --> 00:21:51.659
 attending to this very thing.

00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:54.000
 Pay to all what is owed to them,

00:21:54.119 --> 00:21:55.599
 taxes to whom taxes are owed,

00:21:56.179 --> 00:21:57.619
 revenue to whom revenue is owed,

00:21:58.019 --> 00:21:59.500
 respect to whom respect is owed,

00:22:00.439 --> 00:22:03.579
 honor to whom honor is owed.

00:22:03.579 --> 00:22:12.319
 So, doesn't it seem to say odd things, George?

00:22:12.659 --> 00:22:13.699
 Here's the first thing.

00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:15.659
 Here's where your doctrine of the Bible

00:22:15.659 --> 00:22:19.299
 is really, really important.

00:22:24.639 --> 00:22:28.379
 If, in fact, God uses different human beings,

00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:31.319
 not because they're wise or particularly insightful,

00:22:31.319 --> 00:22:33.460
 but that God just uses them.

00:22:33.539 --> 00:22:35.419
 He chooses that he's going to use them

00:22:35.419 --> 00:22:37.759
 and they just write the way they think they need to write.

00:22:37.899 --> 00:22:38.939
 But at the end of the day,

00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:40.059
 the end of the process,

00:22:40.779 --> 00:22:42.799
 God has sovereignly worked in such a way

00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:44.039
 that the words that they've written

00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:45.599
 are the words that he wants written.

00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:48.159
 And therefore, there's not 66

00:22:48.159 --> 00:22:50.139
 completely different books in the Bible.

00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:50.919
 I mean, there are,

00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:52.759
 but there's ultimately one author

00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:53.700
 who's written the Bible.

00:22:53.700 --> 00:22:56.180
 And if you understand that,

00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:58.360
 then you say to yourself,

00:22:58.420 --> 00:23:00.140
 you can ask hard questions like this.

00:23:00.700 --> 00:23:02.620
 God asks us to ask honest,

00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:04.200
 intellectual, hard questions.

00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:06.080
 But we need to say,

00:23:06.140 --> 00:23:08.259
 okay, well, is God going to actually write something

00:23:08.259 --> 00:23:11.100
 which is just so obviously contradictory or foolish?

00:23:11.220 --> 00:23:13.360
 In fact, even without the doctrine of the Bible,

00:23:13.960 --> 00:23:15.380
 Paul writing these words would,

00:23:15.380 --> 00:23:23.600
 I mean, Paul knows that he has been unjustly put in jail.

00:23:24.539 --> 00:23:27.840
 Paul knows that the authorities act in a way

00:23:27.840 --> 00:23:29.039
 that oppresses him.

00:23:30.180 --> 00:23:32.319
 And in fact, Paul knows,

00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:33.740
 if you go back and read the book of Acts,

00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:37.860
 Paul knows that he used legal and quasi-legal means

00:23:37.860 --> 00:23:40.680
 to oppress people before he was a Christian.

00:23:41.059 --> 00:23:41.880
 That's what he did.

00:23:42.200 --> 00:23:44.460
 In fact, he was on the way with letters

00:23:44.460 --> 00:23:47.700
 from political and cultural and religious authorities.

00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:51.880
 He was going with powers to oppress Christians

00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:54.420
 in another city when he met Jesus.

00:23:54.920 --> 00:23:55.680
 Paul knows that.

00:23:56.180 --> 00:23:58.260
 In fact, it's so well known to Paul,

00:23:58.320 --> 00:24:01.400
 it was obviously a key part of how Paul understood himself.

00:24:01.940 --> 00:24:05.260
 You can see traces of how he reacted to that

00:24:05.260 --> 00:24:06.360
 throughout all of his letters.

00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:07.360
 And what's more,

00:24:07.700 --> 00:24:10.140
 Paul knows that Jesus died an innocent man.

00:24:10.800 --> 00:24:13.140
 That Jesus was a prey,

00:24:13.300 --> 00:24:15.120
 oppressed and betrayed

00:24:15.120 --> 00:24:16.920
 by the religious authorities

00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:19.160
 and by the Roman authorities,

00:24:19.160 --> 00:24:21.200
 by religious scholars

00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:24.019
 and the secular scholars and powers,

00:24:24.380 --> 00:24:26.500
 that Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent

00:24:26.500 --> 00:24:29.220
 and Pilate had Jesus condemned to death.

00:24:29.580 --> 00:24:30.539
 Paul knows this.

00:24:32.580 --> 00:24:34.160
 So what on earth is he saying here?

00:24:35.340 --> 00:24:36.920
 What on earth is he saying here?

00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:41.060
 What he's saying here, amongst other things,

00:24:41.059 --> 00:24:45.259
 is that Paul here is actually talking about

00:24:45.259 --> 00:24:47.579
 basically what we would call as general principles.

00:24:49.179 --> 00:24:50.619
 Just some general principles.

00:24:50.839 --> 00:24:53.720
 And it's actually a very, very curious thing

00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:56.899
 that he talks about these general principles in such a way.

00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:58.359
 Like, if you think about it for a second,

00:24:59.019 --> 00:25:01.339
 like, I've had people come and talk to me now

00:25:01.339 --> 00:25:02.559
 because increasingly,

00:25:03.099 --> 00:25:04.720
 especially if they have something to do with government,

00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:06.639
 that there's things going on at the government level

00:25:06.639 --> 00:25:10.240
 that for Christians are problematic or evil.

00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:12.980
 And how do they actually work in government?

00:25:13.079 --> 00:25:14.019
 Do they have to resign?

00:25:14.099 --> 00:25:15.099
 Or what do they do?

00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:17.519
 And surely, if you think about it for a second,

00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:19.200
 how would you give some general advice?

00:25:19.420 --> 00:25:19.980
 Well, do good.

00:25:21.180 --> 00:25:22.559
 Like, wherever you are, do good.

00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:26.220
 And if you're in power,

00:25:26.519 --> 00:25:27.900
 like, make sure that, you know,

00:25:28.019 --> 00:25:31.420
 if there's a, like, the Kameshi affair like that,

00:25:31.500 --> 00:25:32.700
 which, you know,

00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:34.400
 if there's complaints about misconduct,

00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:36.180
 like, you deal with that misconduct, right?

00:25:36.220 --> 00:25:38.559
 Like, you try to deal with the wrong things

00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:39.559
 that are going on in your workplace

00:25:39.559 --> 00:25:40.679
 and do good.

00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:42.179
 And that would be part of the way

00:25:42.179 --> 00:25:43.480
 that we're going to try to give people

00:25:43.480 --> 00:25:45.179
 a bit of a sense about how they work.

00:25:45.639 --> 00:25:46.579
 And if all this,

00:25:46.759 --> 00:25:48.339
 all that was in the text here

00:25:48.339 --> 00:25:49.899
 was just these words,

00:25:49.980 --> 00:25:51.899
 then it would be a lot more confusing.

00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:53.240
 But as we're going to look at in a moment,

00:25:53.319 --> 00:25:55.000
 there's also verses 8 to 14.

00:25:55.819 --> 00:25:57.559
 And so what Paul is doing here

00:25:57.559 --> 00:25:59.700
 is he's giving some general principles

00:25:59.700 --> 00:26:01.119
 in the context of God's word

00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:02.919
 to help Christians to understand

00:26:02.919 --> 00:26:05.259
 how they're to submit

00:26:05.259 --> 00:26:06.440
 and how they're to respect

00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:07.600
 and how they're to show honor.

00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:08.320
 And one of the things

00:26:08.320 --> 00:26:10.200
 which is exceptionally,

00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:14.299
 I mean, if you think about this for a second,

00:26:14.660 --> 00:26:16.860
 you'd have to think that God does this.

00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:18.059
 Is my mic dying?

00:26:18.140 --> 00:26:18.820
 Is my battery dying?

00:26:19.320 --> 00:26:19.519
 No?

00:26:20.039 --> 00:26:20.480
 I'm fine?

00:26:21.500 --> 00:26:21.759
 Okay.

00:26:21.860 --> 00:26:23.480
 It seems like it goes out all of a sudden,

00:26:23.539 --> 00:26:24.400
 but maybe it's just my hearing.

00:26:24.940 --> 00:26:27.000
 But when Paul wrote this,

00:26:27.559 --> 00:26:29.320
 it wasn't as if

00:26:29.320 --> 00:26:31.440
 there were Christians in power.

00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:33.559
 In fact, when Paul wrote this,

00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:35.660
 probably around the year 59 or 60,

00:26:37.180 --> 00:26:38.580
 the Christian faith

00:26:38.580 --> 00:26:41.700
 was an unregistered religion

00:26:41.700 --> 00:26:42.940
 in the Roman Empire.

00:26:44.460 --> 00:26:46.519
 They were a minority of a minority

00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:48.000
 of a minority of a minority

00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:48.759
 of a minority.

00:26:49.980 --> 00:26:51.380
 And the Roman state,

00:26:52.519 --> 00:26:53.380
 Nero was a god.

00:26:54.160 --> 00:26:55.080
 Everything's organized

00:26:55.080 --> 00:26:56.400
 around the worship of the gods.

00:26:56.759 --> 00:26:58.140
 The state practices slavery.

00:26:58.420 --> 00:27:00.580
 The state practices infanticide.

00:27:00.579 --> 00:27:02.599
 And there's no Christians in power.

00:27:03.240 --> 00:27:04.220
 But it's very interesting

00:27:04.220 --> 00:27:05.119
 if you look at this

00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:06.019
 in terms of

00:27:06.019 --> 00:27:08.159
 sending some basic principles,

00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:09.079
 not only,

00:27:09.220 --> 00:27:10.039
 as I'm going to explain in a moment,

00:27:10.139 --> 00:27:11.559
 principles about how we live

00:27:11.559 --> 00:27:13.419
 under a power like that.

00:27:14.379 --> 00:27:16.619
 But it actually looks down the road

00:27:16.619 --> 00:27:18.099
 to when Christians

00:27:18.099 --> 00:27:20.859
 get in positions of power and authority.

00:27:21.460 --> 00:27:23.720
 Because the very, very same principle,

00:27:24.019 --> 00:27:25.899
 which is going to help set the stage

00:27:25.899 --> 00:27:27.639
 for how you submit and respect

00:27:27.639 --> 00:27:29.720
 and show honor,

00:27:29.720 --> 00:27:31.819
 is communicating to Christians

00:27:31.819 --> 00:27:33.299
 that once they get in power,

00:27:34.380 --> 00:27:36.460
 what their job description is.

00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:39.319
 That they're to do good.

00:27:39.400 --> 00:27:40.380
 That they're to punish evil.

00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:42.000
 So it's very, very,

00:27:42.380 --> 00:27:43.940
 it's actually quite surprising

00:27:43.940 --> 00:27:45.880
 because it's 300 years

00:27:45.880 --> 00:27:47.420
 after this approximately

00:27:47.420 --> 00:27:49.660
 before Christians will be in power.

00:27:51.259 --> 00:27:52.360
 Now obviously many Christians

00:27:52.360 --> 00:27:53.519
 haven't kept it,

00:27:53.579 --> 00:27:55.059
 but it's very, very interesting.

00:27:55.059 --> 00:27:59.339
 And so this particular thing,

00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:02.399
 this is telling us

00:28:02.399 --> 00:28:03.460
 some general principles,

00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:04.599
 but some of you might say,

00:28:05.059 --> 00:28:05.740
 okay, George,

00:28:05.819 --> 00:28:06.399
 maybe it's saying

00:28:06.399 --> 00:28:08.000
 some particular principles,

00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:10.359
 but doesn't the whole idea

00:28:10.359 --> 00:28:11.519
 of being submissive

00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:13.480
 and showing honor and respect

00:28:13.480 --> 00:28:14.740
 mean that you have to do

00:28:14.740 --> 00:28:15.599
 what people in authority

00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:16.359
 tell you to do?

00:28:16.359 --> 00:28:18.719
 Well, okay,

00:28:18.719 --> 00:28:19.979
 we just keep these different things

00:28:19.979 --> 00:28:20.799
 that we've just heard

00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:22.159
 and remember that Paul,

00:28:22.619 --> 00:28:24.679
 with no break in his argument,

00:28:24.879 --> 00:28:26.019
 goes from all these things

00:28:26.019 --> 00:28:27.240
 about paying taxes and honor

00:28:27.240 --> 00:28:28.939
 to verses 8 to 14.

00:28:29.059 --> 00:28:29.939
 So let's look at these right now,

00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:31.359
 then we're going to sum it up

00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:32.299
 with two quick points

00:28:32.299 --> 00:28:34.139
 and then an overarching thing.

00:28:34.699 --> 00:28:36.079
 Look at verses 8 to 14.

00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:39.019
 So he's already told us

00:28:39.019 --> 00:28:39.740
 about, you know,

00:28:39.939 --> 00:28:40.859
 doing good

00:28:40.859 --> 00:28:43.279
 and what the state

00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:44.899
 in theory is supposed to do

00:28:44.899 --> 00:28:47.179
 and it's implying,

00:28:47.319 --> 00:28:47.619
 by the way,

00:28:47.699 --> 00:28:48.519
 that sometimes we're going

00:28:48.519 --> 00:28:49.779
 to fall victim to the sword

00:28:49.779 --> 00:28:51.480
 if we don't do what they want,

00:28:51.619 --> 00:28:53.259
 but look at verses 8 to 14.

00:28:53.939 --> 00:28:54.839
 Owe no one anything

00:28:54.839 --> 00:28:56.059
 except to love each other,

00:28:56.339 --> 00:28:57.359
 for the one who loves

00:28:57.359 --> 00:28:59.179
 has fulfilled the law.

00:29:00.639 --> 00:29:01.659
 For the commandments,

00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:03.240
 you shall not commit adultery,

00:29:03.379 --> 00:29:04.279
 you shall not murder,

00:29:04.419 --> 00:29:05.339
 you shall not steal,

00:29:05.339 --> 00:29:06.480
 you shall not covet,

00:29:07.159 --> 00:29:08.459
 and any other commandment

00:29:08.459 --> 00:29:09.779
 are summed up in this word.

00:29:10.379 --> 00:29:11.439
 You shall love your neighbor

00:29:11.439 --> 00:29:12.159
 as yourself.

00:29:13.319 --> 00:29:14.359
 Love does no wrong

00:29:14.359 --> 00:29:14.939
 to a neighbor,

00:29:15.099 --> 00:29:15.759
 therefore love

00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:16.799
 is the fulfilling of the law.

00:29:16.859 --> 00:29:17.579
 Just pause here

00:29:17.579 --> 00:29:18.439
 before we go any further.

00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:19.459
 It's very interesting

00:29:19.459 --> 00:29:23.119
 that the argument

00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:25.379
 for abortion is,

00:29:26.159 --> 00:29:27.139
 part of the argument

00:29:27.139 --> 00:29:27.919
 for abortion

00:29:27.919 --> 00:29:29.500
 is that it's the loving thing

00:29:29.500 --> 00:29:29.859
 to do.

00:29:30.879 --> 00:29:31.859
 Part of the argument

00:29:31.859 --> 00:29:33.720
 for doctor-assisted suicide,

00:29:33.899 --> 00:29:34.720
 for euthanasia,

00:29:34.720 --> 00:29:36.039
 is it's the loving thing

00:29:36.039 --> 00:29:36.440
 to do.

00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:38.759
 Part of the argument

00:29:38.759 --> 00:29:39.960
 for same-sex marriage

00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:42.299
 is it's all about love.

00:29:43.860 --> 00:29:45.000
 But Paul here,

00:29:45.120 --> 00:29:45.720
 when he says,

00:29:45.860 --> 00:29:47.019
 you shall not commit adultery,

00:29:47.079 --> 00:29:47.920
 you shall not murder,

00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:49.960
 he says,

00:29:50.059 --> 00:29:51.240
 these are all summed up

00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:52.319
 by you love your neighbors

00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:52.880
 yourself.

00:29:53.940 --> 00:29:54.519
 In other words,

00:29:54.579 --> 00:29:56.400
 he says that true love

00:29:56.400 --> 00:29:57.440
 means that you would not

00:29:57.440 --> 00:29:58.339
 do these things.

00:29:59.000 --> 00:29:59.920
 But we'll return to that

00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:00.339
 in a moment.

00:30:00.980 --> 00:30:01.559
 Verse 11,

00:30:01.559 --> 00:30:02.379
 besides this,

00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:03.220
 you know the time

00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:04.440
 that the hour has come

00:30:04.440 --> 00:30:05.759
 for you to wake from sleep.

00:30:06.579 --> 00:30:07.960
 For salvation is nearer

00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:08.460
 to us now

00:30:08.460 --> 00:30:09.759
 than when we first believed.

00:30:10.339 --> 00:30:11.399
 The night is far gone,

00:30:11.480 --> 00:30:12.299
 the day is at hand.

00:30:12.419 --> 00:30:13.099
 So then let us

00:30:13.099 --> 00:30:14.200
 cast off the works

00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:14.740
 of darkness

00:30:14.740 --> 00:30:15.759
 and put on the armor

00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:16.200
 of light.

00:30:16.700 --> 00:30:17.879
 Let us walk properly

00:30:17.879 --> 00:30:18.659
 as in the daytime,

00:30:18.859 --> 00:30:19.679
 not in orgies

00:30:19.679 --> 00:30:20.500
 and drunkenness,

00:30:20.579 --> 00:30:22.399
 nor in sexual immorality

00:30:22.399 --> 00:30:24.279
 and sensuality,

00:30:24.419 --> 00:30:25.639
 nor in quarreling

00:30:25.639 --> 00:30:26.179
 and jealousy,

00:30:26.180 --> 00:30:28.039
 but put on

00:30:28.039 --> 00:30:29.080
 the Lord Jesus Christ

00:30:29.080 --> 00:30:30.080
 and make no provision

00:30:30.080 --> 00:30:30.820
 for the flesh

00:30:30.820 --> 00:30:32.160
 to gratify

00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:33.500
 its desires.

00:30:35.019 --> 00:30:35.759
 Now I know

00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:36.340
 that in a room

00:30:36.340 --> 00:30:37.460
 with this many people,

00:30:37.779 --> 00:30:39.000
 there's at least

00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:39.740
 one person

00:30:39.740 --> 00:30:40.680
 who's had an abortion

00:30:40.680 --> 00:30:42.880
 or who's aided

00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:43.580
 somebody to have

00:30:43.580 --> 00:30:44.039
 an abortion.

00:30:46.140 --> 00:30:46.980
 And so

00:30:46.980 --> 00:30:48.620
 this is maybe

00:30:48.620 --> 00:30:49.360
 a very,

00:30:49.500 --> 00:30:51.019
 very awkward

00:30:51.019 --> 00:30:52.620
 topic.

00:30:54.279 --> 00:30:55.200
 And I'm going to

00:30:55.200 --> 00:30:55.740
 return to it

00:30:55.740 --> 00:30:56.019
 in a moment,

00:30:56.120 --> 00:30:56.660
 but I just

00:30:56.660 --> 00:30:57.500
 understand that.

00:30:57.599 --> 00:30:57.980
 In fact,

00:30:59.220 --> 00:30:59.400
 you know,

00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:00.339
 there's been earlier,

00:31:00.539 --> 00:31:01.620
 even before it's

00:31:01.620 --> 00:31:02.440
 legalized

00:31:02.440 --> 00:31:03.900
 to help doctors

00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:05.519
 kill a patient,

00:31:06.220 --> 00:31:07.259
 it's well known

00:31:07.259 --> 00:31:07.980
 that there's other

00:31:07.980 --> 00:31:09.200
 subtle ways in the past

00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:10.240
 that doctors have acted

00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:12.299
 to bring about

00:31:12.299 --> 00:31:13.200
 the death of people.

00:31:14.380 --> 00:31:15.319
 I was involved

00:31:15.319 --> 00:31:15.779
 in a case

00:31:15.779 --> 00:31:17.240
 about 10 years ago.

00:31:18.720 --> 00:31:19.000
 So we,

00:31:19.259 --> 00:31:19.799
 and so there might

00:31:19.799 --> 00:31:20.400
 very well be

00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:21.220
 somebody here

00:31:21.220 --> 00:31:22.380
 who's helped

00:31:22.380 --> 00:31:23.400
 counsel a doctor

00:31:23.400 --> 00:31:24.900
 to act in such a way

00:31:24.900 --> 00:31:25.720
 so that they've

00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:27.340
 acted to shorten,

00:31:27.700 --> 00:31:28.220
 not just

00:31:28.220 --> 00:31:29.340
 like to actually

00:31:29.340 --> 00:31:30.480
 literally take action

00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:31.060
 to shorten life.

00:31:31.100 --> 00:31:31.740
 And I know this is

00:31:31.740 --> 00:31:32.780
 very uncomfortable

00:31:32.780 --> 00:31:34.320
 maybe for you.

00:31:39.900 --> 00:31:41.160
 Sometimes the government

00:31:41.160 --> 00:31:41.759
 tells us

00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:42.920
 to do wrong things.

00:31:42.920 --> 00:31:42.980
 things.

00:31:46.860 --> 00:31:48.860
 And when it says

00:31:48.860 --> 00:31:49.700
 here,

00:31:50.980 --> 00:31:52.880
 you shall not

00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:53.740
 commit adultery,

00:31:54.200 --> 00:31:55.440
 if you read through

00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:56.480
 both the Old Testament

00:31:56.480 --> 00:31:56.960
 and if you read

00:31:56.960 --> 00:31:57.820
 through the New Testament,

00:31:59.160 --> 00:31:59.560
 it actually,

00:31:59.700 --> 00:32:00.580
 the literal word here

00:32:00.580 --> 00:32:01.080
 which is used

00:32:01.080 --> 00:32:01.720
 is pornea.

00:32:01.720 --> 00:32:04.180
 and the pornea word group

00:32:04.180 --> 00:32:07.660
 points to the basic principle,

00:32:08.360 --> 00:32:09.700
 not that sex is bad,

00:32:09.799 --> 00:32:11.039
 that sexual knowing is bad,

00:32:11.140 --> 00:32:12.460
 but that sexual knowing

00:32:12.460 --> 00:32:13.519
 is restricted

00:32:13.519 --> 00:32:16.519
 or set aside,

00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:18.140
 maybe that's a better word,

00:32:19.100 --> 00:32:20.980
 for one man

00:32:20.980 --> 00:32:21.960
 and one woman

00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:23.279
 who've been joined

00:32:23.279 --> 00:32:24.600
 in holy matrimony.

00:32:25.539 --> 00:32:27.279
 And any sexual knowing

00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:29.319
 or sexual stimulation

00:32:29.319 --> 00:32:33.180
 outside of the one man

00:32:33.180 --> 00:32:34.660
 married to one woman

00:32:34.660 --> 00:32:35.960
 is adultery,

00:32:36.079 --> 00:32:36.599
 is pornea.

00:32:38.579 --> 00:32:39.779
 And therefore,

00:32:42.259 --> 00:32:43.660
 two men marrying

00:32:43.660 --> 00:32:46.379
 would be by definition

00:32:46.379 --> 00:32:48.619
 not something

00:32:48.619 --> 00:32:49.539
 that the church

00:32:49.539 --> 00:32:50.399
 should bless,

00:32:52.139 --> 00:32:53.420
 but that the church

00:32:53.420 --> 00:32:54.639
 with tears,

00:32:55.500 --> 00:32:57.259
 but with conviction,

00:32:57.279 --> 00:32:58.240
 should say is wrong.

00:33:00.139 --> 00:33:01.460
 And when the text here

00:33:01.460 --> 00:33:02.859
 says you shall not murder,

00:33:03.059 --> 00:33:03.899
 that means you shouldn't

00:33:03.899 --> 00:33:05.160
 take innocent human life.

00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:07.740
 And so,

00:33:07.859 --> 00:33:09.240
 any attempt by the state

00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:10.579
 to say that doctors

00:33:10.579 --> 00:33:12.519
 can be given the power

00:33:12.519 --> 00:33:13.740
 to take,

00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:15.940
 it's not a sin

00:33:15.940 --> 00:33:16.879
 to be old.

00:33:17.779 --> 00:33:19.099
 It's not a sin

00:33:19.099 --> 00:33:20.559
 to be mentally ill.

00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:22.680
 It is not evil

00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:24.359
 to have Alzheimer's

00:33:24.359 --> 00:33:24.960
 or dementia.

00:33:25.759 --> 00:33:27.259
 And it is not evil

00:33:27.259 --> 00:33:29.000
 to be in the womb.

00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:31.839
 It might be profoundly

00:33:31.839 --> 00:33:32.039
 inconvenient

00:33:32.039 --> 00:33:33.559
 for people

00:33:33.559 --> 00:33:34.619
 who are in power,

00:33:35.500 --> 00:33:36.680
 but it is never

00:33:36.680 --> 00:33:37.799
 a crime

00:33:37.799 --> 00:33:38.940
 to be in the womb.

00:33:39.579 --> 00:33:40.119
 And it's never

00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:40.700
 a crime

00:33:40.700 --> 00:33:41.579
 to be old

00:33:41.579 --> 00:33:42.859
 or to be depressed

00:33:42.859 --> 00:33:44.299
 or to be sick.

00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:46.119
 It's a call

00:33:46.119 --> 00:33:46.579
 for us

00:33:46.579 --> 00:33:48.079
 to show compassion.

00:33:49.160 --> 00:33:50.200
 It is not

00:33:50.200 --> 00:33:50.680
 a call

00:33:50.680 --> 00:33:51.099
 for us

00:33:51.099 --> 00:33:51.519
 to take

00:33:51.519 --> 00:33:52.940
 innocent human life.

00:33:52.940 --> 00:33:56.820
 and that means

00:33:56.820 --> 00:33:57.779
 that a state

00:33:57.779 --> 00:33:58.400
 that says

00:33:58.400 --> 00:33:58.920
 that there is

00:33:58.920 --> 00:33:59.539
 no restriction

00:33:59.539 --> 00:34:00.140
 on abortion

00:34:00.140 --> 00:34:02.500
 or that there

00:34:02.500 --> 00:34:03.380
 is the power

00:34:03.380 --> 00:34:03.980
 of the state

00:34:03.980 --> 00:34:05.000
 to give power

00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:05.680
 to doctors

00:34:05.680 --> 00:34:06.860
 to kill

00:34:06.860 --> 00:34:09.460
 innocent human life,

00:34:09.460 --> 00:34:10.679
 it's just wrong.

00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:12.900
 It's just wrong.

00:34:12.900 --> 00:34:16.740
 And so,

00:34:17.320 --> 00:34:18.599
 the interesting thing

00:34:18.599 --> 00:34:19.059
 here about

00:34:19.059 --> 00:34:19.900
 Romans 13

00:34:19.900 --> 00:34:22.740
 is that the Bible

00:34:22.740 --> 00:34:23.960
 here isn't giving us

00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:25.079
 a simple technique

00:34:25.079 --> 00:34:25.740
 or recipe

00:34:25.740 --> 00:34:27.019
 about how to deal

00:34:27.019 --> 00:34:27.720
 with things.

00:34:27.719 --> 00:34:29.539
 the Bible here

00:34:29.539 --> 00:34:30.500
 is actually calling us

00:34:30.500 --> 00:34:30.879
 to live

00:34:30.879 --> 00:34:32.019
 in an awkward

00:34:32.019 --> 00:34:33.159
 middle place

00:34:33.159 --> 00:34:35.339
 in between

00:34:35.339 --> 00:34:36.219
 those

00:34:36.219 --> 00:34:36.980
 who just want

00:34:36.980 --> 00:34:37.239
 to live

00:34:37.239 --> 00:34:38.239
 in Christian ghettos

00:34:38.239 --> 00:34:38.699
 and pretend

00:34:38.699 --> 00:34:39.699
 that the world

00:34:39.699 --> 00:34:40.399
 doesn't exist

00:34:40.399 --> 00:34:40.819
 in a sense

00:34:40.819 --> 00:34:41.819
 to be like a Hutterite.

00:34:42.079 --> 00:34:42.779
 I apologize

00:34:42.779 --> 00:34:43.439
 to mention them,

00:34:43.500 --> 00:34:43.779
 but I'm going

00:34:43.779 --> 00:34:44.299
 to mention them

00:34:44.299 --> 00:34:44.599
 to any

00:34:44.599 --> 00:34:45.719
 or any type

00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:46.539
 of Christian ghetto

00:34:46.539 --> 00:34:47.259
 that just tries

00:34:47.259 --> 00:34:47.619
 to live

00:34:47.619 --> 00:34:48.259
 as if the world

00:34:48.259 --> 00:34:48.839
 doesn't exist,

00:34:48.899 --> 00:34:49.480
 as if the world

00:34:49.480 --> 00:34:50.179
 is evil and gone.

00:34:50.519 --> 00:34:51.179
 There's the whole

00:34:51.179 --> 00:34:52.679
 implication of this text

00:34:52.679 --> 00:34:53.159
 is that we are

00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:54.039
 to pray for government

00:34:54.039 --> 00:34:54.779
 and we are to be

00:34:54.779 --> 00:34:55.659
 for the good

00:34:55.659 --> 00:34:56.159
 of the city,

00:34:56.299 --> 00:34:56.899
 that we are to pray

00:34:56.899 --> 00:34:57.459
 for the blessing

00:34:57.460 --> 00:34:57.980
 of the city,

00:34:58.320 --> 00:34:59.000
 that we are to be

00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:00.519
 involved in the blessing

00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:01.139
 and the flourishing

00:35:01.139 --> 00:35:01.639
 of the city.

00:35:02.780 --> 00:35:03.559
 So we're not

00:35:03.559 --> 00:35:04.559
 to take the one option

00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:05.300
 of just completely

00:35:05.300 --> 00:35:06.400
 withdrawing from the world.

00:35:06.480 --> 00:35:07.079
 On the other hand,

00:35:07.139 --> 00:35:07.720
 we are not to take

00:35:07.720 --> 00:35:08.360
 the other option

00:35:08.360 --> 00:35:08.820
 that whatever

00:35:08.820 --> 00:35:09.760
 the government

00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:10.659
 or the Supreme Court

00:35:10.659 --> 00:35:11.480
 of Canada says

00:35:11.480 --> 00:35:12.380
 that we just say amen

00:35:12.380 --> 00:35:13.280
 and we go along with it.

00:35:13.340 --> 00:35:14.579
 There's a very awkward

00:35:14.579 --> 00:35:15.380
 middle place

00:35:15.380 --> 00:35:16.039
 that the Bible's

00:35:16.039 --> 00:35:16.699
 calling us to,

00:35:17.019 --> 00:35:17.980
 which is one of the reasons

00:35:17.980 --> 00:35:20.159
 why we need the church,

00:35:20.260 --> 00:35:21.019
 we need each other,

00:35:21.079 --> 00:35:22.019
 and we need to develop

00:35:22.019 --> 00:35:23.940
 means of discipleship

00:35:23.940 --> 00:35:24.820
 and fellowship

00:35:24.820 --> 00:35:26.019
 and community

00:35:26.019 --> 00:35:27.099
 whereby we can help

00:35:27.099 --> 00:35:28.119
 people to figure out

00:35:28.119 --> 00:35:29.199
 what to do.

00:35:32.199 --> 00:35:33.159
 Here, could you put up

00:35:33.159 --> 00:35:34.079
 the third point

00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:35.639
 please for me?

00:35:37.440 --> 00:35:38.579
 In light of God's

00:35:38.579 --> 00:35:39.259
 instruction,

00:35:39.819 --> 00:35:40.639
 and I say God's

00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:41.380
 instruction because

00:35:41.380 --> 00:35:42.239
 all the way through here

00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:43.259
 when it says the law,

00:35:43.559 --> 00:35:44.599
 it means the Torah,

00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:46.219
 and the Torah

00:35:46.219 --> 00:35:47.599
 means God's instruction.

00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:50.860
 So in light of God's

00:35:50.860 --> 00:35:51.519
 instruction,

00:35:52.059 --> 00:35:52.900
 through his word

00:35:52.900 --> 00:35:53.279
 written,

00:35:54.139 --> 00:35:55.559
 I will offer real

00:35:55.559 --> 00:35:56.699
 but qualified

00:35:56.699 --> 00:35:58.299
 respect and honor

00:35:58.299 --> 00:35:58.920
 to rulers.

00:35:59.239 --> 00:36:00.099
 That's what the text

00:36:00.099 --> 00:36:01.219
 is trying to get at here.

00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:03.360
 Real,

00:36:03.860 --> 00:36:05.480
 but qualified,

00:36:05.739 --> 00:36:06.739
 qualified by the word

00:36:06.739 --> 00:36:07.139
 of God.

00:36:07.980 --> 00:36:08.380
 You see,

00:36:09.559 --> 00:36:10.599
 I don't remember if you,

00:36:10.860 --> 00:36:11.880
 some of you might remember,

00:36:12.019 --> 00:36:12.279
 but I don't know,

00:36:12.339 --> 00:36:13.039
 was it 10 years ago

00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:14.039
 that George W. Bush

00:36:14.039 --> 00:36:14.659
 came to Ottawa?

00:36:14.659 --> 00:36:17.039
 And just so you get the joke,

00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:18.219
 I only started wearing

00:36:18.219 --> 00:36:19.779
 glasses when I was 49.

00:36:20.899 --> 00:36:21.839
 And so at first,

00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:22.619
 when I first started

00:36:22.619 --> 00:36:23.179
 to wear glasses

00:36:23.179 --> 00:36:23.639
 and preach,

00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:24.579
 I had a bad habit.

00:36:24.699 --> 00:36:25.539
 My glasses would start

00:36:25.539 --> 00:36:26.259
 to go down like this,

00:36:26.339 --> 00:36:27.899
 and I would do this.

00:36:30.739 --> 00:36:31.899
 So I had a son

00:36:31.899 --> 00:36:33.019
 that every Sunday

00:36:33.019 --> 00:36:33.500
 he said,

00:36:33.559 --> 00:36:33.859
 Dad,

00:36:34.119 --> 00:36:34.639
 I'm going to tell you

00:36:34.639 --> 00:36:35.399
 how many times

00:36:35.399 --> 00:36:35.940
 every Sunday

00:36:35.940 --> 00:36:36.519
 you give the whole

00:36:36.519 --> 00:36:37.619
 congregation the finger.

00:36:37.619 --> 00:36:40.480
 And I would come home

00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:41.739
 and Jacob would say,

00:36:41.819 --> 00:36:42.099
 Dad,

00:36:42.500 --> 00:36:43.199
 five times,

00:36:43.279 --> 00:36:44.159
 five times a day

00:36:44.159 --> 00:36:44.719
 you gave the whole

00:36:44.719 --> 00:36:45.880
 congregation the finger.

00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:46.119
 I mean,

00:36:46.139 --> 00:36:46.940
 I guess it was a pain

00:36:46.940 --> 00:36:47.299
 of attention

00:36:47.299 --> 00:36:47.880
 to the sermon,

00:36:48.059 --> 00:36:48.420
 at least,

00:36:48.500 --> 00:36:48.699
 right?

00:36:49.079 --> 00:36:49.960
 And so I eventually

00:36:49.960 --> 00:36:51.519
 had to stop doing that

00:36:51.519 --> 00:36:52.500
 and raise my glasses

00:36:52.500 --> 00:36:52.940
 another way.

00:36:53.179 --> 00:36:53.920
 Some of you might remember

00:36:53.920 --> 00:36:54.619
 when George Bush

00:36:54.619 --> 00:36:55.239
 came to Ottawa

00:36:55.239 --> 00:36:56.039
 a few years ago,

00:36:56.519 --> 00:36:57.420
 quite a few years ago,

00:36:57.759 --> 00:36:58.759
 George Bush said,

00:36:58.859 --> 00:36:59.480
 Ottawa is such

00:36:59.480 --> 00:37:00.519
 a friendly city.

00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:01.799
 Everywhere I go,

00:37:01.900 --> 00:37:02.940
 people wave at me.

00:37:03.219 --> 00:37:03.900
 And some of them

00:37:03.900 --> 00:37:05.219
 even use all five fingers.

00:37:05.219 --> 00:37:08.259
 And I thought

00:37:08.259 --> 00:37:09.059
 that was pretty funny

00:37:09.059 --> 00:37:09.759
 on his part.

00:37:10.379 --> 00:37:10.779
 Anyway,

00:37:10.980 --> 00:37:11.500
 here's the thing.

00:37:11.759 --> 00:37:12.159
 Obviously,

00:37:12.339 --> 00:37:13.199
 if George W. Bush

00:37:13.199 --> 00:37:13.879
 comes and you give him

00:37:13.879 --> 00:37:14.679
 a finger,

00:37:14.799 --> 00:37:15.299
 you're not showing

00:37:15.299 --> 00:37:15.799
 him respect.

00:37:17.599 --> 00:37:18.000
 Right?

00:37:18.980 --> 00:37:19.699
 You're not showing

00:37:19.699 --> 00:37:20.179
 him respect.

00:37:20.599 --> 00:37:21.339
 The interesting thing

00:37:21.339 --> 00:37:22.439
 about this whole text

00:37:22.439 --> 00:37:23.079
 is the Bible

00:37:23.079 --> 00:37:23.679
 could have used

00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:24.319
 the word obey,

00:37:24.839 --> 00:37:25.619
 not submit.

00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:27.039
 But it doesn't use

00:37:27.039 --> 00:37:27.559
 the word obey.

00:37:27.699 --> 00:37:28.619
 It uses the word submit.

00:37:28.779 --> 00:37:29.539
 And submit's a very,

00:37:29.659 --> 00:37:30.359
 very different word.

00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:32.639
 Submit is something

00:37:32.639 --> 00:37:34.019
 that I do voluntarily.

00:37:34.019 --> 00:37:35.460
 That's why the very,

00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:36.719
 very early prayer

00:37:36.719 --> 00:37:37.659
 is that Jesus,

00:37:38.300 --> 00:37:39.219
 the King of Kings

00:37:39.219 --> 00:37:40.000
 and Lord of Lords,

00:37:40.440 --> 00:37:42.019
 he's asking his children

00:37:42.019 --> 00:37:43.059
 to do something.

00:37:43.659 --> 00:37:44.380
 He's telling us

00:37:44.380 --> 00:37:45.039
 to do something.

00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:48.000
 But I get to choose

00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:48.739
 and decide

00:37:48.739 --> 00:37:49.900
 how to submit.

00:37:50.980 --> 00:37:52.840
 The whole submit word group

00:37:52.840 --> 00:37:53.559
 doesn't mean

00:37:53.559 --> 00:37:54.500
 that the Supreme Court

00:37:54.500 --> 00:37:55.179
 of Canada

00:37:55.179 --> 00:37:56.259
 or Trudeau

00:37:56.259 --> 00:37:57.860
 tells me the shape

00:37:57.860 --> 00:37:58.900
 of how I submit.

00:37:59.659 --> 00:38:00.780
 That power is not

00:38:00.780 --> 00:38:02.059
 given to them by God.

00:38:02.659 --> 00:38:02.860
 I mean,

00:38:02.860 --> 00:38:03.519
 they have their own

00:38:03.519 --> 00:38:04.400
 secular powers,

00:38:04.539 --> 00:38:04.820
 obviously.

00:38:05.019 --> 00:38:05.840
 And Shadrach,

00:38:05.960 --> 00:38:06.280
 Meshach,

00:38:06.360 --> 00:38:06.860
 and Abednego,

00:38:07.120 --> 00:38:08.320
 they didn't submit

00:38:08.320 --> 00:38:08.820
 in the way that

00:38:08.820 --> 00:38:09.800
 Nebuchadnezzar thought

00:38:09.800 --> 00:38:10.539
 they should submit.

00:38:10.940 --> 00:38:11.620
 And he gave them

00:38:11.620 --> 00:38:12.640
 a chance to submit

00:38:12.640 --> 00:38:13.400
 according to the way

00:38:13.400 --> 00:38:14.140
 that he thought

00:38:14.140 --> 00:38:14.940
 they should submit.

00:38:15.360 --> 00:38:15.980
 And he said,

00:38:16.059 --> 00:38:17.079
 if you don't submit,

00:38:17.500 --> 00:38:18.340
 I'm going to throw you

00:38:18.340 --> 00:38:19.280
 into the fiery furnace.

00:38:19.340 --> 00:38:20.280
 I'm going to have you dead.

00:38:20.820 --> 00:38:21.840
 And Shadrach,

00:38:21.940 --> 00:38:22.260
 Meshach,

00:38:22.300 --> 00:38:22.700
 and Abednego

00:38:22.700 --> 00:38:23.700
 said very,

00:38:23.800 --> 00:38:24.840
 very powerfully

00:38:24.840 --> 00:38:25.660
 throughout the ages,

00:38:26.099 --> 00:38:26.940
 we believe

00:38:26.940 --> 00:38:28.460
 we are not going to do

00:38:28.460 --> 00:38:29.800
 what you have told us to do.

00:38:29.800 --> 00:38:31.180
 We believe that God

00:38:31.180 --> 00:38:32.120
 will deliver us.

00:38:32.539 --> 00:38:33.360
 But even if he did,

00:38:33.519 --> 00:38:35.160
 but if not,

00:38:36.019 --> 00:38:37.539
 but if not,

00:38:37.600 --> 00:38:38.140
 even if God

00:38:38.140 --> 00:38:38.940
 does not deliver us,

00:38:39.019 --> 00:38:39.620
 we will not do

00:38:39.620 --> 00:38:40.080
 what you want

00:38:40.080 --> 00:38:40.660
 because it involves

00:38:40.660 --> 00:38:41.620
 worshiping idols.

00:38:41.860 --> 00:38:42.480
 We won't do it.

00:38:42.539 --> 00:38:43.019
 We'll die

00:38:43.019 --> 00:38:44.019
 in the fiery furnace.

00:38:45.019 --> 00:38:45.360
 One of the reasons

00:38:45.360 --> 00:38:45.820
 that Shadrach,

00:38:45.940 --> 00:38:46.740
 that beautiful

00:38:46.740 --> 00:38:47.640
 old Jewish thing,

00:38:48.160 --> 00:38:50.300
 the sovereign God

00:38:50.300 --> 00:38:51.700
 that is the creator

00:38:51.700 --> 00:38:52.480
 of the sun

00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:52.980
 and the moon

00:38:52.980 --> 00:38:53.640
 and the stars

00:38:53.640 --> 00:38:54.539
 and the angels

00:38:54.539 --> 00:38:56.180
 and everything

00:38:56.180 --> 00:38:56.800
 in creation

00:38:56.800 --> 00:38:58.180
 are all to worship God

00:38:58.179 --> 00:38:58.799
 and Shadrach,

00:38:58.879 --> 00:38:59.159
 Meshach,

00:38:59.199 --> 00:38:59.579
 and Abednego

00:38:59.579 --> 00:39:00.379
 reminds us

00:39:00.379 --> 00:39:01.500
 as we read

00:39:01.500 --> 00:39:02.599
 Romans 13

00:39:02.599 --> 00:39:03.719
 that God is sovereign,

00:39:04.399 --> 00:39:05.500
 worthy of our praise.

00:39:06.879 --> 00:39:07.539
 And submission

00:39:07.539 --> 00:39:08.339
 is something

00:39:08.339 --> 00:39:09.419
 I do voluntarily

00:39:09.419 --> 00:39:11.919
 within a context.

00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:14.559
 And maybe

00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:15.559
 if we are serving

00:39:15.559 --> 00:39:16.319
 a boss

00:39:16.319 --> 00:39:18.440
 and she's the best boss

00:39:18.440 --> 00:39:19.239
 we've ever had.

00:39:19.879 --> 00:39:21.960
 She is a spectacular boss.

00:39:22.699 --> 00:39:23.879
 She's really competent.

00:39:24.399 --> 00:39:25.219
 She's honest.

00:39:25.379 --> 00:39:26.399
 She keeps her word.

00:39:26.559 --> 00:39:27.199
 She listens.

00:39:27.199 --> 00:39:28.460
 She makes decisions.

00:39:28.659 --> 00:39:29.419
 She's fair.

00:39:29.899 --> 00:39:30.519
 She just moves

00:39:30.519 --> 00:39:31.779
 the whole department full.

00:39:32.119 --> 00:39:32.439
 Then you know

00:39:32.439 --> 00:39:33.139
 that your honoring

00:39:33.139 --> 00:39:34.000
 and respecting her

00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:35.139
 is going to be really easy.

00:39:36.199 --> 00:39:37.519
 But maybe you have

00:39:37.519 --> 00:39:38.079
 a boss

00:39:38.079 --> 00:39:39.219
 which is completely

00:39:39.219 --> 00:39:39.879
 and utterly

00:39:39.879 --> 00:39:40.419
 not only

00:39:40.419 --> 00:39:41.699
 they're worse

00:39:41.699 --> 00:39:42.579
 than incompetent,

00:39:42.679 --> 00:39:43.699
 they're incompetent

00:39:43.699 --> 00:39:44.319
 and evil.

00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:47.559
 If something goes wrong,

00:39:47.779 --> 00:39:48.719
 it goes on you

00:39:48.719 --> 00:39:49.779
 even if they did it.

00:39:49.839 --> 00:39:51.059
 And if something goes right

00:39:51.059 --> 00:39:51.699
 and you did it,

00:39:51.759 --> 00:39:52.500
 they take the credit.

00:39:52.599 --> 00:39:53.179
 You know those types

00:39:53.179 --> 00:39:53.639
 of bosses?

00:39:54.059 --> 00:39:54.879
 And it's completely

00:39:54.879 --> 00:39:55.319
 and utterly

00:39:55.320 --> 00:39:56.539
 how we honor

00:39:56.539 --> 00:39:57.160
 and respect them

00:39:57.160 --> 00:39:57.480
 is going to be

00:39:57.480 --> 00:39:57.960
 very different.

00:39:58.120 --> 00:39:58.900
 The honor and respect

00:39:58.900 --> 00:39:59.580
 might be that you're

00:39:59.580 --> 00:40:00.100
 just silent.

00:40:02.460 --> 00:40:03.160
 That might be

00:40:03.160 --> 00:40:03.820
 how it looks.

00:40:04.019 --> 00:40:04.140
 Right?

00:40:04.200 --> 00:40:04.960
 It's qualified

00:40:04.960 --> 00:40:06.680
 by the context

00:40:06.680 --> 00:40:07.600
 and by God's word.

00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:09.059
 It's qualified

00:40:09.059 --> 00:40:09.940
 by the context

00:40:09.940 --> 00:40:10.700
 and God's word.

00:40:10.699 --> 00:40:15.359
 So that's why

00:40:15.359 --> 00:40:15.919
 it says

00:40:15.919 --> 00:40:16.539
 submit

00:40:16.539 --> 00:40:18.199
 and not obey.

00:40:18.399 --> 00:40:19.000
 That's why

00:40:19.000 --> 00:40:20.659
 in light of God's instruction

00:40:20.659 --> 00:40:21.639
 through his word written,

00:40:21.819 --> 00:40:22.619
 I will offer real

00:40:22.619 --> 00:40:23.559
 but qualified

00:40:23.559 --> 00:40:24.339
 respect

00:40:24.339 --> 00:40:25.839
 and honor

00:40:25.839 --> 00:40:27.159
 to rulers.

00:40:29.659 --> 00:40:31.099
 And it's also

00:40:31.099 --> 00:40:31.779
 why

00:40:31.779 --> 00:40:33.559
 you can't

00:40:33.559 --> 00:40:35.319
 this whole thing,

00:40:35.480 --> 00:40:35.639
 you know,

00:40:35.679 --> 00:40:36.559
 it's very interesting

00:40:36.559 --> 00:40:37.259
 that the Bible

00:40:37.259 --> 00:40:37.759
 puts

00:40:37.759 --> 00:40:38.619
 the

00:40:38.619 --> 00:40:39.639
 do not steal,

00:40:39.779 --> 00:40:40.599
 do not commit murder,

00:40:40.739 --> 00:40:41.839
 do not commit adultery

00:40:41.839 --> 00:40:42.699
 right after,

00:40:42.859 --> 00:40:43.639
 as part of this

00:40:43.639 --> 00:40:44.119
 whole

00:40:44.119 --> 00:40:46.239
 thing

00:40:46.239 --> 00:40:47.819
 in Romans 13

00:40:47.819 --> 00:40:48.639
 and in the power

00:40:48.639 --> 00:40:49.099
 of government

00:40:49.099 --> 00:40:50.079
 because in a sense

00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:50.819
 it's looking down

00:40:50.819 --> 00:40:51.719
 the ages

00:40:51.719 --> 00:40:53.639
 to when Christians

00:40:53.639 --> 00:40:54.339
 are in positions

00:40:54.339 --> 00:40:55.059
 of power

00:40:55.059 --> 00:40:57.239
 and it's saying

00:40:57.239 --> 00:40:58.500
 that any politician

00:40:58.500 --> 00:40:59.239
 who's in power

00:40:59.239 --> 00:41:00.559
 cannot say

00:41:00.559 --> 00:41:03.039
 I'm going to vote

00:41:03.039 --> 00:41:03.699
 for this

00:41:03.699 --> 00:41:04.619
 even though

00:41:04.619 --> 00:41:05.259
 I'm personally

00:41:05.259 --> 00:41:06.179
 opposed to it.

00:41:06.179 --> 00:41:08.639
 I'm going to

00:41:08.639 --> 00:41:09.299
 vote

00:41:09.299 --> 00:41:10.199
 for abortion

00:41:10.199 --> 00:41:10.839
 funding

00:41:10.839 --> 00:41:12.239
 even though

00:41:12.239 --> 00:41:12.759
 I'm personally

00:41:12.759 --> 00:41:13.460
 opposed to it.

00:41:13.639 --> 00:41:14.219
 The Bible doesn't

00:41:14.219 --> 00:41:14.940
 leave that option.

00:41:17.799 --> 00:41:18.159
 I mean,

00:41:18.219 --> 00:41:19.419
 it might be

00:41:19.419 --> 00:41:21.739
 that the MP

00:41:21.739 --> 00:41:23.279
 has to sacrifice

00:41:23.279 --> 00:41:23.940
 his career.

00:41:25.239 --> 00:41:26.099
 It might be

00:41:26.099 --> 00:41:26.519
 that in some

00:41:26.519 --> 00:41:27.099
 of these cases

00:41:27.099 --> 00:41:27.699
 you have to move

00:41:27.699 --> 00:41:28.639
 into other types

00:41:28.639 --> 00:41:29.259
 of law

00:41:29.259 --> 00:41:30.399
 or other types

00:41:30.399 --> 00:41:30.799
 of work

00:41:30.799 --> 00:41:31.339
 in the government

00:41:31.339 --> 00:41:32.719
 or where you

00:41:32.719 --> 00:41:33.480
 can do good.

00:41:33.480 --> 00:41:35.380
 but this

00:41:35.380 --> 00:41:36.300
 personally

00:41:36.300 --> 00:41:37.139
 opposed thing

00:41:37.139 --> 00:41:38.440
 is removed

00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:39.619
 by this text.

00:41:42.240 --> 00:41:42.760
 So,

00:41:43.480 --> 00:41:43.880
 if you could

00:41:43.880 --> 00:41:44.260
 put the next

00:41:44.260 --> 00:41:44.519
 point,

00:41:44.639 --> 00:41:44.900
 please.

00:41:46.480 --> 00:41:47.240
 I have to look

00:41:47.240 --> 00:41:47.840
 at my time.

00:41:48.940 --> 00:41:49.119
 Lord,

00:41:49.219 --> 00:41:49.880
 please help me

00:41:49.880 --> 00:41:50.679
 to be a disciple

00:41:50.679 --> 00:41:51.219
 of Jesus

00:41:51.219 --> 00:41:52.280
 gripped by the gospel

00:41:52.280 --> 00:41:53.539
 who builds my life

00:41:53.539 --> 00:41:55.079
 on your eternal truths

00:41:55.079 --> 00:41:57.219
 and not transient

00:41:57.219 --> 00:41:58.099
 legislative

00:41:58.099 --> 00:41:59.300
 and judicial

00:41:59.300 --> 00:42:00.260
 decisions.

00:42:00.260 --> 00:42:02.820
 see,

00:42:02.920 --> 00:42:03.400
 that's why

00:42:03.400 --> 00:42:03.980
 this text

00:42:03.980 --> 00:42:04.560
 is talking

00:42:04.560 --> 00:42:05.240
 about

00:42:05.240 --> 00:42:07.160
 things in

00:42:07.160 --> 00:42:08.160
 the Ten Commandments

00:42:08.160 --> 00:42:08.960
 at the same time

00:42:08.960 --> 00:42:09.460
 that it's helping

00:42:09.460 --> 00:42:10.440
 to try to give people

00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:11.300
 a sense of how

00:42:11.300 --> 00:42:12.120
 we're going to serve

00:42:12.120 --> 00:42:13.520
 both good governments

00:42:13.520 --> 00:42:14.520
 and bad governments,

00:42:14.680 --> 00:42:15.440
 both good rulers

00:42:15.440 --> 00:42:16.340
 and evil rulers.

00:42:16.480 --> 00:42:17.000
 It might be

00:42:17.000 --> 00:42:18.060
 that if Canada

00:42:18.060 --> 00:42:18.700
 was to become

00:42:18.700 --> 00:42:20.000
 a really oppressive

00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:22.340
 militaristic place

00:42:22.340 --> 00:42:24.260
 and there's the draft

00:42:24.260 --> 00:42:25.940
 then Christians,

00:42:26.040 --> 00:42:26.580
 I would urge

00:42:26.580 --> 00:42:27.640
 Christians to volunteer

00:42:27.640 --> 00:42:29.080
 to work as medics.

00:42:29.079 --> 00:42:31.460
 we're stretcher bearers.

00:42:31.639 --> 00:42:31.799
 I mean,

00:42:31.819 --> 00:42:32.400
 I don't know what it is.

00:42:32.420 --> 00:42:33.139
 I'm just telling you

00:42:33.139 --> 00:42:35.059
 that it's an awkward

00:42:35.059 --> 00:42:35.900
 middle place

00:42:35.900 --> 00:42:37.880
 but the heart of it

00:42:37.880 --> 00:42:38.799
 is that we want

00:42:38.799 --> 00:42:39.799
 to pray that God

00:42:39.799 --> 00:42:40.539
 will help us

00:42:40.539 --> 00:42:41.119
 to be gripped

00:42:41.119 --> 00:42:41.759
 by the gospel

00:42:41.759 --> 00:42:42.779
 and build our lives

00:42:42.779 --> 00:42:44.019
 on eternal truths

00:42:44.019 --> 00:42:45.139
 and not on transient

00:42:45.139 --> 00:42:45.819
 legislative

00:42:45.819 --> 00:42:47.159
 and judicial decisions.

00:42:48.019 --> 00:42:48.799
 The court looking

00:42:48.799 --> 00:42:49.619
 at the same laws

00:42:49.619 --> 00:42:50.460
 20 years later

00:42:50.460 --> 00:42:51.340
 reversing itself

00:42:51.340 --> 00:42:52.259
 on doctor-assisted

00:42:52.259 --> 00:42:53.440
 suicide and euthanasia

00:42:53.440 --> 00:42:54.559
 from the same documents

00:42:54.559 --> 00:42:55.799
 it just reverses itself.

00:42:57.940 --> 00:42:58.420
 Governments,

00:42:59.079 --> 00:43:00.119
 do what governments do,

00:43:00.259 --> 00:43:01.480
 judges do what judges do.

00:43:01.579 --> 00:43:02.159
 Sometimes they're

00:43:02.159 --> 00:43:03.079
 very, very wise,

00:43:03.219 --> 00:43:04.239
 they're very, very insightful

00:43:04.239 --> 00:43:04.920
 and sometimes

00:43:04.920 --> 00:43:06.159
 they're just merely willful

00:43:06.159 --> 00:43:08.259
 and that's what life is like

00:43:08.259 --> 00:43:10.639
 and we're to honor them

00:43:10.639 --> 00:43:11.440
 and respect them

00:43:11.440 --> 00:43:13.420
 and we're to pray

00:43:13.420 --> 00:43:14.319
 for the good of our city.

00:43:16.819 --> 00:43:18.539
 Now, I just want to

00:43:18.539 --> 00:43:22.199
 I have to wrap it up now.

00:43:22.759 --> 00:43:23.319
 Could you look at

00:43:23.319 --> 00:43:24.460
 verses 11 to 14?

00:43:24.579 --> 00:43:25.139
 I want to leave

00:43:25.139 --> 00:43:26.179
 those of you who are here

00:43:26.179 --> 00:43:27.059
 and you might be wondering

00:43:27.059 --> 00:43:28.079
 that if this,

00:43:28.199 --> 00:43:28.840
 what I've just said

00:43:28.840 --> 00:43:29.920
 is really hurtful

00:43:29.920 --> 00:43:31.579
 about abortion

00:43:31.579 --> 00:43:33.840
 and about doctor-assisted suicide

00:43:33.840 --> 00:43:39.559
 and same-sex marriage

00:43:39.559 --> 00:43:45.299
 and it just sounds legalistic

00:43:45.299 --> 00:43:45.860
 and cold.

00:43:46.000 --> 00:43:46.699
 There's something here

00:43:46.699 --> 00:43:47.759
 which is really important

00:43:47.759 --> 00:43:50.840
 that I have to look at

00:43:50.840 --> 00:43:52.099
 very briefly before we leave.

00:43:52.400 --> 00:43:54.139
 Look at verses 11 to 14 again.

00:43:54.139 --> 00:43:55.859
 Besides this,

00:43:55.960 --> 00:43:56.719
 you know the time

00:43:56.719 --> 00:43:57.900
 that the hour has come

00:43:57.900 --> 00:43:59.059
 for you to wake from sleep

00:43:59.059 --> 00:44:00.819
 for salvation is nearer to us now

00:44:00.819 --> 00:44:02.019
 than when we first believed.

00:44:02.480 --> 00:44:03.519
 The night is far gone,

00:44:03.599 --> 00:44:04.279
 the day is at hand,

00:44:04.339 --> 00:44:05.500
 so then let us cast off

00:44:05.500 --> 00:44:06.460
 the works of darkness

00:44:06.460 --> 00:44:07.839
 and put on the armor of light.

00:44:08.579 --> 00:44:09.699
 Let us walk properly

00:44:09.699 --> 00:44:10.500
 as in the daytime,

00:44:10.699 --> 00:44:12.159
 not in orgies and drunkenness,

00:44:12.239 --> 00:44:13.579
 not in sexual immorality

00:44:13.579 --> 00:44:14.440
 and sensuality,

00:44:14.519 --> 00:44:16.279
 not in quarreling and jealousy.

00:44:17.059 --> 00:44:18.480
 But here's this wonderful verse,

00:44:18.480 --> 00:44:21.500
 but put on the Lord Jesus Christ

00:44:21.500 --> 00:44:23.320
 and make no provision

00:44:23.320 --> 00:44:24.139
 for the flesh

00:44:24.139 --> 00:44:25.960
 to gratify its desires.

00:44:26.440 --> 00:44:26.980
 Could you put up

00:44:26.980 --> 00:44:28.079
 the final point please, Andrew?

00:44:31.780 --> 00:44:33.059
 Lord, please make me

00:44:33.059 --> 00:44:34.059
 a disciple of Jesus

00:44:34.059 --> 00:44:35.159
 gripped by the gospel

00:44:35.159 --> 00:44:36.780
 who daily clothes myself

00:44:36.780 --> 00:44:38.260
 with the Lord Jesus Christ

00:44:38.260 --> 00:44:40.219
 and also turns away

00:44:40.219 --> 00:44:41.599
 from all that is within me

00:44:41.599 --> 00:44:43.260
 which is in rebellion against you.

00:44:43.880 --> 00:44:45.340
 That's what the flesh means.

00:44:46.140 --> 00:44:48.019
 The flesh in this particular case

00:44:48.019 --> 00:44:50.660
 means that there's things within me

00:44:50.660 --> 00:44:52.840
 even after I've come to faith in Jesus

00:44:52.840 --> 00:44:55.579
 that are in rebellion against God.

00:44:56.920 --> 00:44:58.940
 And so that's what verse 14 is saying.

00:44:59.079 --> 00:45:00.180
 In a sense it's saying

00:45:00.180 --> 00:45:02.320
 that every morning when I wake up,

00:45:02.460 --> 00:45:03.800
 like I can almost envision this

00:45:03.800 --> 00:45:04.700
 because you know how clothes

00:45:04.700 --> 00:45:06.000
 affect how you live the day.

00:45:06.160 --> 00:45:06.960
 You know, if you get up

00:45:06.960 --> 00:45:07.640
 and you're just going to spend

00:45:07.640 --> 00:45:08.180
 the whole day

00:45:08.180 --> 00:45:10.880
 in your grimiest working things,

00:45:11.019 --> 00:45:12.620
 that's not how you're going to go

00:45:12.620 --> 00:45:14.640
 to meet the prime minister, right?

00:45:15.340 --> 00:45:16.059
 On the other hand,

00:45:16.140 --> 00:45:16.500
 you don't, you know,

00:45:16.539 --> 00:45:17.600
 you don't, if you want to meet

00:45:17.600 --> 00:45:18.160
 the prime minister,

00:45:18.280 --> 00:45:18.880
 you dress one way,

00:45:18.920 --> 00:45:19.800
 you don't dress that way

00:45:19.800 --> 00:45:21.519
 then go work in the government, right?

00:45:22.059 --> 00:45:23.380
 And I mean work in the garden.

00:45:23.800 --> 00:45:25.260
 And so if you just in a sense

00:45:25.260 --> 00:45:25.960
 when you wake up

00:45:25.960 --> 00:45:26.600
 as you're a Christian,

00:45:26.700 --> 00:45:27.920
 you imagine that you're putting on

00:45:27.920 --> 00:45:29.140
 the Lord Jesus Christ

00:45:29.140 --> 00:45:30.360
 at the same time

00:45:30.360 --> 00:45:31.059
 you're just going to say,

00:45:31.180 --> 00:45:32.260
 Father, help me to turn away

00:45:32.260 --> 00:45:33.480
 from everything within me

00:45:33.480 --> 00:45:34.700
 that's in rebellion against you.

00:45:34.720 --> 00:45:36.120
 I want to live my day that way.

00:45:36.680 --> 00:45:38.039
 But here's the thing about it.

00:45:38.100 --> 00:45:39.340
 This is a text to ask us

00:45:39.340 --> 00:45:40.660
 to be shaped by the gospel.

00:45:40.659 --> 00:45:45.359
 You see, here's the wonderful thing

00:45:45.359 --> 00:45:46.179
 about the gospel.

00:45:47.519 --> 00:45:50.079
 Dick Gregory, who was an anti-war comedian

00:45:50.079 --> 00:45:51.679
 in the 60s and the 70s

00:45:51.679 --> 00:45:52.699
 against the Vietnam War,

00:45:53.139 --> 00:45:54.879
 he said that he had no problem

00:45:54.879 --> 00:45:56.359
 with sending his son

00:45:56.359 --> 00:45:58.420
 to go fight on the front lines.

00:45:59.299 --> 00:46:00.099
 But he said,

00:46:00.519 --> 00:46:01.759
 if Nixon had a son,

00:46:01.839 --> 00:46:02.960
 if you put my son

00:46:02.960 --> 00:46:04.279
 where Nixon's son is,

00:46:04.879 --> 00:46:06.359
 then I'm fine to send my son

00:46:06.359 --> 00:46:07.139
 to fight in Vietnam.

00:46:07.139 --> 00:46:11.079
 Because what do people in power do?

00:46:12.299 --> 00:46:14.239
 People in power send young men

00:46:14.239 --> 00:46:15.599
 and now young women to fight,

00:46:15.699 --> 00:46:16.739
 but they stay back.

00:46:17.900 --> 00:46:19.619
 What do they pay taxes?

00:46:19.719 --> 00:46:20.379
 They take honor.

00:46:20.500 --> 00:46:21.359
 They take respect,

00:46:21.359 --> 00:46:22.559
 but they don't give back.

00:46:23.779 --> 00:46:26.039
 They pass laws that we have to obey,

00:46:26.159 --> 00:46:27.099
 but often they refuse

00:46:27.099 --> 00:46:28.179
 to obey them themselves.

00:46:28.819 --> 00:46:29.879
 But what is the gospel?

00:46:30.579 --> 00:46:31.659
 The gospel is about

00:46:31.659 --> 00:46:33.440
 the most remarkable thing

00:46:33.440 --> 00:46:34.199
 in the world,

00:46:34.879 --> 00:46:36.119
 that the King of kings

00:46:36.119 --> 00:46:37.119
 and Lord of lords

00:46:37.119 --> 00:46:37.839
 that Jesus,

00:46:38.339 --> 00:46:39.759
 the second person of the Trinity,

00:46:40.519 --> 00:46:42.259
 that he sets aside

00:46:42.259 --> 00:46:44.119
 his divine prerogatives,

00:46:44.559 --> 00:46:46.819
 his right, in a sense,

00:46:46.859 --> 00:46:48.119
 to be worshipped as God.

00:46:48.500 --> 00:46:49.579
 He stays God,

00:46:49.639 --> 00:46:51.440
 but he sets all of his appearances aside.

00:46:51.539 --> 00:46:52.619
 He looks at human beings

00:46:52.619 --> 00:46:54.299
 who cannot pay the taxes,

00:46:54.739 --> 00:46:56.299
 who cannot keep the laws,

00:46:56.599 --> 00:46:58.400
 who are complete and utter lawbreakers,

00:46:58.440 --> 00:46:59.699
 and they can't stop it.

00:46:59.920 --> 00:47:01.420
 And he says,

00:47:01.619 --> 00:47:04.339
 I will go and pay the punishment

00:47:04.339 --> 00:47:05.380
 that they deserve.

00:47:05.380 --> 00:47:08.480
 And I will go and fulfill

00:47:08.480 --> 00:47:09.440
 and keep the law

00:47:09.440 --> 00:47:10.720
 that they cannot keep.

00:47:11.260 --> 00:47:12.840
 I will do that

00:47:12.840 --> 00:47:13.820
 for people

00:47:13.820 --> 00:47:15.880
 in rebellion against me.

00:47:16.900 --> 00:47:17.420
 I,

00:47:17.599 --> 00:47:18.559
 who am properly

00:47:18.559 --> 00:47:19.340
 King of kings

00:47:19.340 --> 00:47:20.400
 and Lord of lords,

00:47:20.400 --> 00:47:22.840
 I will empty myself.

00:47:23.740 --> 00:47:24.099
 Sorry,

00:47:24.200 --> 00:47:25.300
 I'm making kids cry.

00:47:26.360 --> 00:47:27.700
 We should all be crying

00:47:27.700 --> 00:47:28.500
 in repentance,

00:47:28.500 --> 00:47:29.780
 not just because I've been loud

00:47:29.780 --> 00:47:30.360
 all of a sudden.

00:47:30.440 --> 00:47:30.900
 I'm sorry.

00:47:31.119 --> 00:47:32.700
 But that's what the Bible's telling us

00:47:32.700 --> 00:47:33.619
 the gospel is.

00:47:34.280 --> 00:47:35.860
 A complete reversal

00:47:35.860 --> 00:47:37.200
 of our expectations.

00:47:38.200 --> 00:47:39.619
 And that's how we are made right

00:47:39.619 --> 00:47:40.059
 with God.

00:47:40.280 --> 00:47:41.700
 The Christian faith begins

00:47:41.700 --> 00:47:42.720
 when in a sense,

00:47:42.800 --> 00:47:43.800
 we call out to Jesus

00:47:43.800 --> 00:47:44.700
 and say,

00:47:44.820 --> 00:47:45.160
 Jesus,

00:47:45.960 --> 00:47:47.820
 clothe me with yourself

00:47:47.820 --> 00:47:48.640
 and what you've done

00:47:48.640 --> 00:47:49.400
 on the cross

00:47:49.400 --> 00:47:50.920
 to take me as your own.

00:47:51.000 --> 00:47:52.360
 I don't want to be your servant

00:47:52.360 --> 00:47:53.620
 or your slave in a sense.

00:47:53.720 --> 00:47:54.980
 I want to be your child

00:47:54.980 --> 00:47:57.700
 and therefore serve you.

00:47:58.980 --> 00:48:00.880
 And the Christian life begins

00:48:00.880 --> 00:48:02.100
 when we're gripped

00:48:02.100 --> 00:48:04.180
 with what God has done for us,

00:48:04.600 --> 00:48:07.000
 completely unlike human kings

00:48:07.000 --> 00:48:08.000
 and queens.

00:48:08.000 --> 00:48:10.320
 and what he does to die

00:48:10.320 --> 00:48:11.400
 for us to reconcile him

00:48:11.400 --> 00:48:12.000
 to himself.

00:48:12.980 --> 00:48:14.059
 And then the Bible says

00:48:14.059 --> 00:48:15.659
 we don't just sort of accept that

00:48:15.659 --> 00:48:16.599
 and then we go on

00:48:16.599 --> 00:48:17.760
 and live hard-hearted,

00:48:18.239 --> 00:48:18.739
 cold,

00:48:19.179 --> 00:48:20.579
 legislative lives

00:48:20.579 --> 00:48:21.760
 that are consumed

00:48:21.760 --> 00:48:22.760
 with seeking honor

00:48:22.760 --> 00:48:23.440
 for ourselves

00:48:23.440 --> 00:48:24.699
 and respect for ourselves

00:48:24.699 --> 00:48:25.780
 and money for ourselves

00:48:25.780 --> 00:48:26.940
 and power for ourselves.

00:48:27.239 --> 00:48:27.539
 No.

00:48:27.760 --> 00:48:28.860
 What does the text say?

00:48:29.260 --> 00:48:31.179
 Every day when I wake up

00:48:31.179 --> 00:48:32.239
 after I've given my life

00:48:32.239 --> 00:48:32.760
 to Jesus,

00:48:33.159 --> 00:48:34.099
 the text is saying

00:48:34.099 --> 00:48:34.900
 I should say,

00:48:35.559 --> 00:48:35.860
 Father,

00:48:35.980 --> 00:48:36.900
 there's things in me

00:48:36.900 --> 00:48:37.579
 that are incomplete

00:48:37.579 --> 00:48:38.679
 and utter rebellion

00:48:38.679 --> 00:48:39.400
 against you.

00:48:39.500 --> 00:48:40.500
 I don't want to have them

00:48:40.500 --> 00:48:41.619
 characterize my day.

00:48:41.880 --> 00:48:43.179
 I want to be clothed

00:48:43.179 --> 00:48:43.920
 with Jesus.

00:48:45.380 --> 00:48:46.340
 My Lord

00:48:46.340 --> 00:48:47.639
 and your Messiah,

00:48:47.799 --> 00:48:48.579
 my Messiah,

00:48:48.699 --> 00:48:49.860
 the Messiah and Savior

00:48:49.860 --> 00:48:50.259
 I need.

00:48:50.380 --> 00:48:51.619
 I want the gospel

00:48:51.619 --> 00:48:53.019
 to shape

00:48:53.019 --> 00:48:54.279
 how I make

00:48:54.279 --> 00:48:55.259
 every decision,

00:48:56.259 --> 00:48:57.319
 how I serve,

00:48:57.920 --> 00:48:58.880
 how I rule,

00:48:59.500 --> 00:49:00.599
 how I show honor,

00:49:01.039 --> 00:49:02.279
 how I show respect,

00:49:02.739 --> 00:49:04.039
 how I bless the city.

00:49:04.779 --> 00:49:06.019
 I want gospel

00:49:06.019 --> 00:49:06.759
 to shape that.

00:49:07.579 --> 00:49:08.340
 Please stand.

00:49:12.219 --> 00:49:12.619
 Father,

00:49:12.699 --> 00:49:13.340
 we ask for,

00:49:13.739 --> 00:49:14.340
 I've mentioned

00:49:14.340 --> 00:49:15.039
 Justin Trudeau,

00:49:15.099 --> 00:49:15.480
 I've mentioned

00:49:15.480 --> 00:49:16.159
 the Supreme Court

00:49:16.159 --> 00:49:16.619
 of Canada,

00:49:16.699 --> 00:49:17.159
 we lift them

00:49:17.159 --> 00:49:17.699
 before you,

00:49:17.840 --> 00:49:18.019
 Father.

00:49:19.139 --> 00:49:19.440
 Father,

00:49:19.500 --> 00:49:20.179
 we ask that you

00:49:20.179 --> 00:49:20.739
 would pour out

00:49:20.739 --> 00:49:21.480
 your Holy Spirit

00:49:21.480 --> 00:49:22.000
 upon them.

00:49:22.779 --> 00:49:23.239
 We ask,

00:49:23.400 --> 00:49:23.519
 Father,

00:49:23.579 --> 00:49:24.000
 that they would

00:49:24.000 --> 00:49:24.819
 come to a saving

00:49:24.819 --> 00:49:25.659
 faith in Jesus.

00:49:26.179 --> 00:49:26.519
 We ask,

00:49:26.679 --> 00:49:26.880
 Father,

00:49:27.059 --> 00:49:28.059
 that as well,

00:49:28.179 --> 00:49:28.699
 that they would

00:49:28.699 --> 00:49:29.539
 act,

00:49:29.880 --> 00:49:30.980
 they have their own plans,

00:49:31.079 --> 00:49:31.960
 they have their own agendas,

00:49:32.119 --> 00:49:33.059
 they have their own concerns,

00:49:33.059 --> 00:49:34.219
 but that your Holy Spirit

00:49:34.219 --> 00:49:35.039
 might move and work

00:49:35.039 --> 00:49:35.559
 in their lives

00:49:35.559 --> 00:49:36.360
 so that they will be

00:49:36.360 --> 00:49:37.519
 a blessing to Canada,

00:49:38.239 --> 00:49:39.539
 that they will rule

00:49:39.539 --> 00:49:40.619
 and act in such a way

00:49:40.619 --> 00:49:42.239
 that Canada will be prosperous,

00:49:42.480 --> 00:49:43.360
 that we will flourish,

00:49:43.480 --> 00:49:44.659
 that we will not only flourish

00:49:44.659 --> 00:49:45.539
 as a nation,

00:49:45.659 --> 00:49:47.099
 but that we will be a blessing

00:49:47.099 --> 00:49:48.199
 to all of the nations

00:49:48.199 --> 00:49:48.900
 on the planet,

00:49:49.440 --> 00:49:50.699
 that they will seek

00:49:50.699 --> 00:49:52.820
 laws that are

00:49:52.820 --> 00:49:53.960
 right with you

00:49:53.960 --> 00:49:54.940
 and right for us,

00:49:54.940 --> 00:49:56.000
 that bring harmony

00:49:56.000 --> 00:49:56.860
 and mercy

00:49:56.860 --> 00:49:57.860
 to our land.

00:49:58.000 --> 00:49:58.159
 Father,

00:49:58.219 --> 00:49:59.300
 we ask for them.

00:49:59.840 --> 00:50:00.900
 We ask that you'd not

00:50:00.900 --> 00:50:01.780
 give us the government

00:50:01.780 --> 00:50:02.500
 we deserve,

00:50:02.639 --> 00:50:03.880
 but that you would bless us

00:50:03.880 --> 00:50:06.860
 with great government.

00:50:07.780 --> 00:50:07.920
 And,

00:50:08.019 --> 00:50:08.179
 Father,

00:50:08.260 --> 00:50:09.340
 we ask for ourselves.

00:50:09.900 --> 00:50:10.380
 You know how,

00:50:10.639 --> 00:50:10.719
 Father,

00:50:10.800 --> 00:50:11.739
 if we have a person

00:50:11.739 --> 00:50:12.420
 that we don't like,

00:50:12.460 --> 00:50:13.139
 how easy it is

00:50:13.139 --> 00:50:14.059
 to show disrespect

00:50:14.059 --> 00:50:15.239
 and dishonor them

00:50:15.239 --> 00:50:16.500
 and tear them down.

00:50:16.619 --> 00:50:16.860
 Father,

00:50:16.920 --> 00:50:17.559
 we ask that you would

00:50:17.559 --> 00:50:18.719
 help us to repent of that.

00:50:19.280 --> 00:50:20.400
 Show us appropriate

00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:21.340
 honor and respect,

00:50:21.539 --> 00:50:22.440
 even for people

00:50:22.440 --> 00:50:22.900
 who

00:50:22.900 --> 00:50:25.239
 all of our contemporaries

00:50:25.239 --> 00:50:26.159
 in the world might say

00:50:26.159 --> 00:50:26.899
 don't deserve it,

00:50:26.939 --> 00:50:27.479
 but help us,

00:50:27.739 --> 00:50:27.779
 Father,

00:50:27.839 --> 00:50:28.759
 to show appropriate

00:50:28.759 --> 00:50:30.279
 respect and honor to them

00:50:30.279 --> 00:50:32.039
 as a way of honoring you

00:50:32.039 --> 00:50:33.139
 and bringing you glory.

00:50:34.419 --> 00:50:34.839
 And,

00:50:34.959 --> 00:50:35.079
 Father,

00:50:35.119 --> 00:50:36.179
 we ask that every day

00:50:36.179 --> 00:50:37.399
 you help us to turn away

00:50:37.399 --> 00:50:38.579
 from those things within us

00:50:38.579 --> 00:50:39.159
 that are in rebellion

00:50:39.159 --> 00:50:39.819
 against you

00:50:39.819 --> 00:50:40.939
 and help us to clothe

00:50:40.939 --> 00:50:42.139
 ourselves with Jesus.

00:50:43.099 --> 00:50:43.639
 Help us,

00:50:43.639 --> 00:50:44.000
 Father,

00:50:44.059 --> 00:50:44.779
 to figure out

00:50:44.779 --> 00:50:45.819
 how to follow you

00:50:45.819 --> 00:50:46.419
 in Canada

00:50:46.419 --> 00:50:48.659
 in a way which is

00:50:48.659 --> 00:50:49.439
 true to you

00:50:49.439 --> 00:50:51.739
 and is good

00:50:51.739 --> 00:50:52.419
 for this city

00:50:52.419 --> 00:50:53.099
 and this land.

00:50:53.939 --> 00:50:54.219
 Father,

00:50:54.299 --> 00:50:55.099
 help us to do it.

00:50:56.059 --> 00:50:56.899
 And if there are any here,

00:50:57.039 --> 00:50:57.219
 Father,

00:50:57.319 --> 00:50:58.019
 who today have given

00:50:58.019 --> 00:50:58.739
 their lives to you

00:50:58.739 --> 00:50:59.500
 for the first time,

00:50:59.559 --> 00:51:00.479
 may your Holy Spirit

00:51:00.479 --> 00:51:01.739
 flood them with might

00:51:01.739 --> 00:51:02.299
 and power

00:51:02.299 --> 00:51:03.199
 and deep conviction.

00:51:03.439 --> 00:51:04.539
 Seal them for yourself.

00:51:04.739 --> 00:51:05.559
 Seal all of us.

00:51:05.939 --> 00:51:07.419
 Make us disciples of Jesus

00:51:07.419 --> 00:51:08.500
 gripped by the gospel

00:51:08.500 --> 00:51:09.519
 who live for your glory.

00:51:09.939 --> 00:51:11.599
 This we ask in Jesus' name

00:51:11.599 --> 00:51:13.419
 and all God's people said,

00:51:14.059 --> 00:51:14.439
 Amen.

00:51:14.439 --> 00:51:14.599
 Amen.