WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:07.820 Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would fall upon us afresh, that your Holy Spirit 00:00:07.820 --> 00:00:15.839 would fall upon our minds, our memories, our images, the wounds of our minds, the longings 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:22.100 of our minds, that your Holy Spirit, Father, would fall upon our bodies, our emotions, 00:00:22.620 --> 00:00:23.400 our wills. 00:00:23.940 --> 00:00:28.600 Father, may there not be any part of who we are that your Holy Spirit does not fall upon. 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:58.579 Father, may there not be any part of who we are that your Holy Spirit would fall upon 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:02.920 and he's been to some of the different Christians, I should talk to several people this week, 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:08.079 have been to some of the classical music concerts that go on during Christmas season. 00:01:09.019 --> 00:01:15.439 And one fellow in particular was really struck by the fact that some of these performances 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:20.740 of classical music around the Christmas and Advent season, how they're completely packed. 00:01:20.739 --> 00:01:29.699 And the different words of Isaiah and of the gospel texts are very, very powerfully sung. 00:01:30.459 --> 00:01:34.799 And yet it seems to be that it's completely, nobody's moved by it. 00:01:34.839 --> 00:01:36.859 I mean, people are moved emotionally by it. 00:01:37.199 --> 00:01:41.679 But it doesn't seem as if it makes any type of a difference to them, as if hearing these 00:01:41.679 --> 00:01:48.140 powerful things about God doing miracles and the birth of Jesus, and it seems as if for many 00:01:48.140 --> 00:01:53.680 people when they're listening to it, it's just an aesthetic and emotional experience. 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:56.480 But it doesn't seem to change them spiritually. 00:01:56.739 --> 00:02:01.299 And it was sort of puzzled as to how that can happen in a country like Canada. 00:02:02.099 --> 00:02:04.560 I had a bit of an answer to it last night. 00:02:04.980 --> 00:02:09.420 I did not attend, not that I'm opposed to it, a classical music concert. 00:02:09.539 --> 00:02:13.180 I watched The Furious 7 with my son Tommy. 00:02:13.180 --> 00:02:18.159 That's the seventh installment of the Fast and Furious movies. 00:02:18.860 --> 00:02:22.500 And, you know, as I'm watching it, I kept laughing all the way through. 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:23.500 I know it's not a funny movie. 00:02:23.560 --> 00:02:24.159 There are jokes. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:32.860 But it's such an overwhelming young man's fantasy of powerful muscles with no working 00:02:32.860 --> 00:02:35.740 out, fancy cars with no job. 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:38.540 And you can just do all of these things. 00:02:38.539 --> 00:02:42.799 You can roll out of cars and have your car go all the way up so it can hit helicopters. 00:02:43.799 --> 00:02:45.060 And nobody's ever hurt. 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:46.280 None of the good guys die. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:50.939 It's such a young male fantasy, at least some young men. 00:02:51.259 --> 00:02:55.099 And I would just keep laughing because, of course, it's completely and utterly unrealistic. 00:02:56.139 --> 00:03:01.079 And, but, you know, it sort of fulfills the type of fantasy and emotional needs. 00:03:01.180 --> 00:03:02.060 I'm not putting it down. 00:03:02.180 --> 00:03:02.739 You know, it's fun. 00:03:02.740 --> 00:03:11.700 But, you know, in some ways, how most Canadians hear the Christmas story is really the same 00:03:11.700 --> 00:03:13.379 way people watch Furious 7. 00:03:14.860 --> 00:03:22.360 It's, it maybe is more high class to go to watch, to be part of a classical music concert 00:03:22.360 --> 00:03:23.260 or sing the Messiah. 00:03:23.740 --> 00:03:27.379 But it's just really fulfilling different emotional needs for people. 00:03:27.379 --> 00:03:34.060 And it doesn't really seem to be connected to history or reality, so to speak. 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:37.780 And I forgot to set my clock, which is not a good sign at the beginning. 00:03:38.579 --> 00:03:44.379 So, so, so for many people, it's just sort of like the Christmas story or really hearing 00:03:44.379 --> 00:03:49.680 Isaiah 9 or Isaiah 7 or Isaiah 53 and Matthew and Luke. 00:03:49.780 --> 00:03:52.859 It's no different than watching Furious 7 or hearing stories of Santa. 00:03:52.860 --> 00:04:02.180 So, so the question is, is this really what, is this sort of a fair way to hear it? 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:11.420 Or is, is, is there a deeper claim being made that if we recognize the deeper claim, it would 00:04:11.420 --> 00:04:14.560 make us mad or maybe excited? 00:04:15.140 --> 00:04:18.660 So, it'd be a great help to me if you could get out your Bibles and we're just going to 00:04:18.660 --> 00:04:25.700 sort of look and see whether at least the original writers of the Gospels were thinking that they 00:04:25.700 --> 00:04:32.120 were writing something that would merely be inspiring or give some type of enjoyment or 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:37.680 fun to people or whether they were making, in fact, some claim very, very, very different. 00:04:38.660 --> 00:04:42.820 And if you don't have Bibles, there's always a few Bibles up here at the front that you can 00:04:42.820 --> 00:04:44.340 come and take if you'd like to use them. 00:04:44.339 --> 00:04:49.000 And actually, we're going to not just, you know, we're going to not look at Luke 2 at 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:49.259 first. 00:04:49.379 --> 00:04:50.919 We're going to look at Luke chapter 1. 00:04:51.019 --> 00:04:52.500 It's the beginning of the, of the Gospel. 00:04:53.099 --> 00:05:01.539 And if you look at Luke 1, in this particular Gospel, it gives you an idea about what Luke 00:05:01.539 --> 00:05:07.799 thinks he's doing when in a few verses on, a few lines on, he talks about the birth of Jesus. 00:05:07.919 --> 00:05:10.039 Like, what does Luke think he's doing? 00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:16.740 And by the way, there's very good reasons to believe that what we see here isn't written 00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:21.580 by a person who was born a Christian, and he wasn't born Jewish. 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:28.920 He was born a pagan and Greek, probably from Syria, and he was a doctor. 00:05:29.879 --> 00:05:35.879 And sometime after the birth and death and resurrection of Jesus, he became a Christian. 00:05:35.879 --> 00:05:42.439 And he probably wrote this in the mid to late 60s. 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:46.180 That's the 060s, not the 1960s or the 1860s. 00:05:46.620 --> 00:05:52.639 And here at least, listen, what Luke thinks he's doing or is trying to do, and we'll just 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:53.819 hear it in his own words. 00:05:54.199 --> 00:05:57.100 And in his own words, he says this, Luke 1, 1. 00:05:57.100 --> 00:06:04.280 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished 00:06:04.280 --> 00:06:11.840 among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word 00:06:11.840 --> 00:06:20.820 have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely 00:06:20.819 --> 00:06:28.139 for some time past, to write an orderly account to you, for you, most excellent Theophilus, 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:33.519 that you may have certainty concerning the things that have been taught. 00:06:34.719 --> 00:06:41.879 And if you just sort of go on later, if you actually turn to the book of Acts and look 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:46.699 at the first few verses of the book of Acts, that's Acts chapter 1. 00:06:46.740 --> 00:06:48.620 If you don't have Bibles, you can just listen to it. 00:06:48.620 --> 00:06:53.060 And when you hear this, you'll realize that Luke, when he was writing this, he actually 00:06:53.060 --> 00:06:57.600 wrote sort of two books, what we now see of his two books, but they were linked. 00:06:58.420 --> 00:07:04.740 And in the beginning of the book of Acts, chapter 1, the first few verses, he says this, Luke 00:07:04.740 --> 00:07:11.220 says this, in the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do 00:07:11.220 --> 00:07:17.560 and teach until the day when he was taken up after he had given commands to the Holy Spirit, 00:07:17.560 --> 00:07:19.399 to the apostles whom he had chosen. 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:27.740 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them 00:07:27.740 --> 00:07:31.699 during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:33.540 So it's very interesting. 00:07:33.779 --> 00:07:41.720 If you're just listening to it, you'll see that Luke believes that he's telling a story 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:46.200 of Jesus, things that have happened to Jesus and other people who came into contact with 00:07:46.200 --> 00:07:54.360 Jesus, that it's based on eyewitness reports, and that things actually happened, that he's 00:07:54.360 --> 00:07:59.880 not writing a fantasy novel or a fiction novel, that he's not like in many modern movies. 00:07:59.879 --> 00:08:07.060 At the beginning of the movie, they'll say something like, inspired by true events, or say something 00:08:07.060 --> 00:08:17.279 like, yeah, inspired by true events, or based on true events, which are Hollywood wiggle words, 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:22.360 which means that there might be one tiny little dollop of actual truth in it, in terms of what 00:08:22.360 --> 00:08:24.379 happened, and the rest was just creative license. 00:08:25.159 --> 00:08:27.240 No, Luke actually doesn't say anything like that. 00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:33.139 He says that he's really saying that, you know, I've done a lot of research, and I've 00:08:33.139 --> 00:08:40.259 talked to eyewitnesses, and I've looked at other documents, and I want to tell you about 00:08:40.259 --> 00:08:47.659 the things that Jesus actually did, and that he actually said, and what people said when 00:08:47.659 --> 00:08:48.600 they actually saw Jesus. 00:08:48.659 --> 00:08:51.379 That's actually what he claims to be doing. 00:08:51.379 --> 00:08:57.439 And so he's claiming that this is, in fact, historical events. 00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:01.860 So when it comes to the text that we're going to really look at today, if you turn back in 00:09:01.860 --> 00:09:14.399 your Bible to Luke chapter 2, verses 1 to 7, Luke is claiming that this happens in history. 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:20.480 And in fact, one of the things, as I start to read, is that he actually, he doesn't sort 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:25.519 of say, I'm going to talk about history, and then he sort of says, in a land long ago, in 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:32.379 a time far away, and as if it's just like a bit mythical, and he doesn't sort of give any 00:09:32.379 --> 00:09:33.759 historical details. 00:09:34.779 --> 00:09:42.199 Already, prior to this, he's referred to historical personages that other historians and documents 00:09:42.200 --> 00:09:47.200 and monuments talk about, and then when he gets to the story of the birth of Jesus, he 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:55.780 specifically locates it by well-known historical figures, historical figures that we know existed 00:09:55.780 --> 00:10:02.100 from historians like Josephus and Tacitus, and we know from coins that had been found and 00:10:02.100 --> 00:10:03.780 other types of historical records. 00:10:04.560 --> 00:10:11.540 And Luke begins his story by placing the birth of Jesus firmly in Roman and Jewish customs, 00:10:11.539 --> 00:10:12.339 and the world. 00:10:12.339 --> 00:10:19.980 He goes like this, in those days, not long ago or once upon a time, but in those days, 00:10:20.599 --> 00:10:25.919 a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all of the world should be registered. 00:10:26.579 --> 00:10:34.219 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria, and all went to be registered, 00:10:34.379 --> 00:10:35.360 each to his own town. 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:41.680 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of 00:10:41.680 --> 00:10:47.039 David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:50.500 be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 00:10:51.159 --> 00:10:54.379 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 00:10:54.879 --> 00:11:00.480 And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:04.259 him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 00:11:05.779 --> 00:11:09.279 And so Luke is claiming that he's writing what we would call history. 00:11:10.740 --> 00:11:13.800 Now, at this point in time, we start to run into some trouble. 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:20.240 And people want to say, okay, George, listen, everybody knows. 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:25.159 And in fact, if you were probably to go to a local Starbucks, or a local Tim Hortons, or 00:11:25.159 --> 00:11:30.839 a hipster coffee place, or no coffee place at all, and you were just to say, do you think 00:11:30.839 --> 00:11:32.759 the things in the Gospels actually happened? 00:11:32.839 --> 00:11:34.959 Do you think the things in the New Testament actually happened? 00:11:35.480 --> 00:11:37.360 And that we can sort of know that they happened? 00:11:37.500 --> 00:11:42.439 And people would say to you, probably all is one, we all know those things didn't happen. 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:44.879 We all know that you can't trust the documents. 00:11:45.079 --> 00:11:46.779 We all know you can't trust the Bible. 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:49.139 We all know that it's just not historical. 00:11:49.559 --> 00:11:53.500 That's one of those things the Canadians just know. 00:11:53.500 --> 00:11:59.580 And it's basically told us when we read the National Post, or we read the Ottawa Citizen, 00:11:59.820 --> 00:12:06.340 or we watch the CBC, or watch Hollywood, we just all know that, I mean, Luke might say 00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:13.919 these things, but it can't, he can't, you can't take it, like, it's just, don't, don't, 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:14.940 like, don't believe him. 00:12:15.059 --> 00:12:17.840 Like, just listen to it in a religious or spiritual way. 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:22.280 Don't actually listen to it like the way you would listen to instructions about how to, 00:12:22.280 --> 00:12:28.139 how to, you know, install Netflix on your, you know, so you can watch Netflix. 00:12:28.300 --> 00:12:29.259 Don't listen the same way. 00:12:29.340 --> 00:12:30.780 That's what everybody would tell you. 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:33.420 So let's just look at this question for a second. 00:12:34.100 --> 00:12:36.220 Andrew, could you put up screen one, please? 00:12:36.220 --> 00:12:45.200 So, for instance, these are two significant ancient historians for New Testament times. 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:51.620 People, when they want to know about what was going on, they will refer to those. 00:12:51.680 --> 00:12:56.840 If you take courses at University of Ottawa or Carleton in classics or antiquity, these 00:12:56.840 --> 00:13:02.320 are two of the principal historians of the New Testament times that people would use so 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:03.700 that we could understand it. 00:13:03.700 --> 00:13:06.940 And if you went there, people wouldn't say, oh, yeah, you know, Josephus doesn't know 00:13:06.940 --> 00:13:08.860 anything, or Tacitus doesn't know anything. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:13.020 We would just, you would just be taught who the different governors and emperors were and 00:13:13.020 --> 00:13:16.379 all the different things, and they would be depending upon these two people. 00:13:16.620 --> 00:13:24.379 So the question would arise, well, if this is the case, then obviously if you can't trust 00:13:24.379 --> 00:13:28.780 the New Testament, if you can't trust Luke, it must be because Luke was born, like, way 00:13:28.779 --> 00:13:38.319 after this, because Jesus was probably born in very late the year 5 BC or early in 4 BC, 00:13:38.319 --> 00:13:42.740 and he died either in the year 30 or the year 33. 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:44.740 There's a bit of, it's not quite clear. 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:51.059 But so obviously if Luke can't be trusted, he must be far born a lot after that. 00:13:51.299 --> 00:13:52.459 Andrew, could you put up the next slide? 00:13:52.460 --> 00:13:56.139 That's when Luke was born and died. 00:13:57.000 --> 00:13:57.780 You go, one moment. 00:14:00.100 --> 00:14:05.700 You said Jesus died in 30 or 33, and the two other historians, some of whom mentioned Jesus 00:14:05.700 --> 00:14:07.960 and Christians, they actually were born way later. 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:12.780 There's question marks because we don't know precisely when Luke was born or when he died. 00:14:12.779 --> 00:14:19.720 What we do know is that he was already a medical doctor in the year 49, and we also know for 00:14:19.720 --> 00:14:23.019 sure that he was still alive in the late 60s. 00:14:23.980 --> 00:14:26.120 And so I just put a question mark beside it. 00:14:26.139 --> 00:14:29.179 He might have been born a little bit earlier, a little bit later, died a bit earlier, a bit 00:14:29.179 --> 00:14:29.519 later. 00:14:30.059 --> 00:14:34.339 There's an old Christian story that he lived to the year 84. 00:14:35.220 --> 00:14:40.679 But that's sort of a bit surprising for considering what all Canadians know. 00:14:40.679 --> 00:14:45.939 So then maybe we could say, well, the problem is actually not that Luke wasn't at the right 00:14:45.939 --> 00:14:52.059 time, but maybe what it is is that whatever Luke wrote, like whatever the real Luke wrote, 00:14:54.120 --> 00:15:00.059 probably what is the case is that he must have written... 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:02.599 Sorry, I'm out of place in my thing. 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:05.059 Maybe the problem is that... 00:15:05.059 --> 00:15:06.839 You know how they didn't... 00:15:06.839 --> 00:15:10.059 So they wrote something at some point in time, but then maybe the... 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:14.419 Maybe there's not very many manuscripts around what, you know, these... 00:15:14.419 --> 00:15:16.899 Because nobody has the original document they wrote. 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:23.879 So maybe what happens is that, you know, there's hardly any copies of ancient copies of Luke's 00:15:23.879 --> 00:15:28.559 writings, and we have a lot more copies of Josephus and Tacitus. 00:15:28.659 --> 00:15:29.959 Could you put up the next screen, Andrew? 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:31.799 I didn't sort of say that very well. 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:36.120 So, you know, when people want to figure out what Josephus actually wrote, there's... 00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:41.919 You know, archaeologists have found copies of what Josephus and Tacitus have actually written. 00:15:42.899 --> 00:15:46.879 And they're ancient manuscripts, like ancient copies. 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:51.279 And this is how many copies of Josephus, either all of his work or part. 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:56.759 Tacitus actually, even though nobody doubts Tacitus' writings, there's actually no complete 00:15:56.759 --> 00:16:00.399 one finding in ancient copies of Tacitus. 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:06.139 It's all bits and pieces, and from the three different copies, we have what we understand 00:16:06.139 --> 00:16:07.319 Tacitus to have written. 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:13.179 So the question must be, if gosh, if that's the case, then obviously it must be that there's 00:16:13.179 --> 00:16:15.419 only like one or two copies of the New Testament. 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:16.980 That's why people can't trust it. 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:18.179 Next screen, Andrew. 00:16:19.860 --> 00:16:20.959 That's not a typo. 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:25.900 5,700 ancient manuscript copies. 00:16:26.620 --> 00:16:27.680 5,700. 00:16:29.420 --> 00:16:35.680 What's not counted there, if you were to add copies of the New Testament that were translated 00:16:35.680 --> 00:16:42.700 into Latin or Syrian or other languages, there would be over 10,000 extra ancient manuscripts. 00:16:42.700 --> 00:16:50.759 And if you were to add writings of early Christians where they quote sometimes big passages of the 00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:53.480 Bible, there would be over 100,000 extra. 00:16:54.580 --> 00:16:55.560 100,000. 00:16:57.100 --> 00:16:59.500 Compared to 3 and 133. 00:17:01.900 --> 00:17:02.920 Well then, okay. 00:17:03.259 --> 00:17:05.720 So we all know that Luke can't actually be trusted. 00:17:05.880 --> 00:17:11.200 So it must be the case that the Josephus and Tacitus documents are written really close 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:11.880 to when they wrote. 00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:17.279 And maybe those 5,700 New Testament documents are all like four or five, six hundred years 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:18.420 later and there's a big gap. 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:20.220 And that's why we can't trust them. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:22.340 Andrew, could you put up the next screen, please? 00:17:23.059 --> 00:17:29.580 That's the gap between the earliest copy of Josephus and when he would have written and 00:17:29.580 --> 00:17:30.680 the gap for Tacitus. 00:17:32.019 --> 00:17:36.860 And yet, remember I told you that if you take courses at University of Ottawa or Carleton, 00:17:37.100 --> 00:17:40.860 you won't see professors saying you can't know anything about the ancient world from 00:17:40.859 --> 00:17:42.019 Josephus or Tacitus. 00:17:42.279 --> 00:17:43.899 They won't say anything like that. 00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:49.839 So it must be, since every Canadian knows what's true, it must be then that, gosh, they 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:53.500 have all those extra manuscripts, but it must be a lot later than 1,000 years. 00:17:53.740 --> 00:17:55.039 Could you put up for the New Testament? 00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:57.240 It's not a typo. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:02.259 Now, that's for the Gospel of John. 00:18:02.259 --> 00:18:07.940 And depending on how you do the carbon dating, it could be as close as 20 years to when Gospel 00:18:07.940 --> 00:18:08.799 of John was written. 00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:11.279 20 years compared to those other figures. 00:18:12.619 --> 00:18:16.400 And I'm sort of, you know, I'm using the New Testament because generally people just 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:19.960 don't focus on Luke, but the New Testament in general, at least the Gospels in general. 00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:29.240 In fact, if you were to put there the gap between when Luke wrote and when the earliest part of 00:18:29.240 --> 00:18:34.680 Luke has been found, the earliest copy, it's 100 years, about 105 years. 00:18:35.720 --> 00:18:41.799 And that ancient document not only contains almost all of Luke, but very interestingly, 00:18:42.019 --> 00:18:47.340 and very interesting, it actually has on one of the pages that they found, Luke comes to 00:18:47.339 --> 00:18:51.279 an end, and then they start the Gospel of John. And then there's a large part of John. 00:18:55.419 --> 00:18:56.819 It's actually quite stunning. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:00.799 I'm just going to sort of stop with this for a second. If you could put up the last 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:07.339 screen, at least for this. If you're interested in getting more information on this, you can go to 00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:10.859 that, and this will be on the webpage if you don't have time to write it down right now, but you can go to 00:19:10.859 --> 00:19:16.240 Dig and Delve, or you can Google Dig and Delve YouTube, especially 2014, 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:20.740 and there's a whole range of talks. If you don't want to watch the videos, you can speak to our 00:19:20.740 --> 00:19:25.940 sound guy afterwards. He has the audios of them, and he can give them to you if you'd like to listen 00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:33.240 to them. And actually, before we go any further, this is for our Muslim friends. Our Muslim friends 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:38.940 often say that you can't trust the things in the New Testament that the Koran tells you, the true story. 00:19:39.980 --> 00:19:43.680 And listen, even if you take for granted, and Christians aren't necessarily going to disagree, 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:50.460 that God can give somebody a prophetic vision, but the fact of the matter is that Luke isn't 00:19:50.460 --> 00:20:04.660 equivalent to Muhammad. Muhammad wrote in the 600s. 600 years. Over 600 years after the death and 00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:13.000 resurrection of Jesus. And so you can't, you have to compare what the Koran says with the historical 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:17.940 documents. And when you compare it with the historical documents, you realize that the Koran 00:20:17.940 --> 00:20:25.480 is not correct. It's just not correct. It can't, you see, if Luke was writing at the same time as 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:30.880 Muhammad, you could just say they're battling visions or prophecies, but they're not equivalent. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:37.800 Luke is writing eyewitness report that fits in with all of the known fact in the culture. And 00:20:37.800 --> 00:20:44.420 if the Koran doesn't mesh with that, then the problem is with the Koran, not with the history. 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:52.880 And so some of you might say, George, go back to that text that you just read a moment ago. 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:59.720 Isn't it the case that Luke is wrong? He's not trustworthy. But isn't it the case that Quirinius 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:06.920 wasn't the governor at the same time that Augustus Caesar? Like it's a very, very common thing that 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:11.700 this sort of proves that Luke isn't trustworthy. I'll just read you the text again. Look at this 00:21:11.700 --> 00:21:17.060 in verse chapter one. I mean, chapter two, verse one. In those days, a decree went out from Caesar 00:21:17.059 --> 00:21:23.740 Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius 00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:30.500 was governor of Syria. And George, isn't it true that the historical records show that Quirinius 00:21:30.500 --> 00:21:39.559 was the governor of Syria in the year 6 AD and that Caesar Augustus died in, I think it's April of 4 BC? 00:21:39.559 --> 00:21:45.659 That's a 10-year gap. Ha ha. Told you you shouldn't go the history route, George. 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:54.539 Well, that's a very, very interesting, it's a very, very common objection. And I don't have time to go 00:21:54.539 --> 00:21:59.799 into all of it, but I'll just say a couple of things. If you go and look at some of these videos, 00:22:00.159 --> 00:22:05.559 one of the things you'll see is that one of the archaeologists who speaks tells, quite frankly, 00:22:05.559 --> 00:22:14.319 that in Israel, Jewish, not Christian, but Jewish archaeologists use gospels like Luke to make more 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:21.819 archaeological discoveries because they found Luke's and the other gospel writers' accuracy 00:22:21.819 --> 00:22:28.899 helps them to know where to look to find things. And when they look, they often find things there. 00:22:28.900 --> 00:22:37.340 In fact, in the Gospel of Luke, he mentions 32 different countries, like Luke and Acts, 54 different cities, 00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:47.540 nine islands, and dozens of ancient officials. And in every case, archaeology has found him to be accurate. 00:22:47.539 --> 00:22:56.299 So on one level, if he made only one mistake out of all of that, let me tell you, 00:22:56.680 --> 00:23:05.399 Josephus and Tacitus make far more than Luke does. But in this particular case, it's not even obvious 00:23:05.399 --> 00:23:10.240 that Luke has made a mistake. And I won't go into the technical answers, but it basically comes around 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:18.460 to two particular things. First of all, while we know that Quirinius was not the governor of Syria in 4 BC, 00:23:19.299 --> 00:23:25.480 the word governor also can mean administrator. It's another completely valid way to understand it. 00:23:26.140 --> 00:23:30.900 And the fact of the matter is, is that Quirinius is a historical figure. There's historical documents 00:23:30.900 --> 00:23:35.519 that talk about his existence. Luke knows that Quirinius, if you go on and read the book of Acts, 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:42.639 Luke knows that Quirinius was the governor of Syria in the year 6 AD, and that his census caused a riot. 00:23:43.319 --> 00:23:49.740 So he understands that. But when you actually go, there's a big gap in terms of what we know of 00:23:49.740 --> 00:23:59.160 what Quirinius was doing. And during this time period of 5A BC and 4 BC, there's no historical record 00:23:59.160 --> 00:24:06.980 separate that tells us what Quirinius was doing. In other words, if the word can also mean administrator, 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:14.519 there's no historical evidence that says that Quirinius wasn't the administrator in 5 BC or 4 BC. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:20.380 It's not contradicting anything in history that we know of from any other source. 00:24:20.380 --> 00:24:24.080 So here's the point. Andrew, if you could put up the... 00:24:24.080 --> 00:24:27.680 I had to make Andrew run all the way back down. If you could put up this first point. 00:24:28.520 --> 00:24:30.360 The other points will be briefer, by the way. 00:24:31.120 --> 00:24:34.940 But I want to just see, Luke gives a true historical account 00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:40.460 of the life, birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. 00:24:41.860 --> 00:24:44.400 That there is very, very good reason. 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:48.040 Not a mystical reason. Not an emotional reason. 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:53.080 Just there's actually good archaeological, historical reason to believe 00:24:53.080 --> 00:24:57.900 that Luke gives a true historical account of the birth, life, death, and resurrection 00:24:57.900 --> 00:24:59.680 of Jesus of Nazareth. 00:25:00.840 --> 00:25:04.440 Now, this is deeply troubling to Canadians. 00:25:06.019 --> 00:25:12.600 Because, you see, for Canadians, religion and spirituality is not about truth. 00:25:12.599 --> 00:25:14.759 Not a historical truth. 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:16.439 It's all about... 00:25:16.439 --> 00:25:20.980 It's about emotions and having peace and having meaning. 00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:24.359 It's about higher things and spiritual things. 00:25:25.299 --> 00:25:26.599 And it's about... 00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:27.619 You know, when I... 00:25:27.619 --> 00:25:30.559 In Anglican churches, when I was part of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, 00:25:31.339 --> 00:25:33.359 and the kids would make a noise in the service, 00:25:33.539 --> 00:25:35.339 people would complain about it, and they'd say, 00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:37.339 You know, the kids are making a noise. 00:25:37.439 --> 00:25:40.259 I just want to have that hour or hour quarter 00:25:40.259 --> 00:25:42.720 on a Sunday morning of peace and quiet 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:45.640 where I can just have a moment of reflection 00:25:45.640 --> 00:25:47.460 and some uplifting thoughts. 00:25:48.420 --> 00:25:51.900 And these irksome children are irritating me. 00:25:52.440 --> 00:25:54.539 And that's a very, very Canadian view. 00:25:54.980 --> 00:25:58.039 It's, in fact, to talk about history and truth, 00:25:58.240 --> 00:25:59.579 it's almost... 00:25:59.579 --> 00:26:00.619 It's offensive. 00:26:00.980 --> 00:26:02.879 It's like native spirituality. 00:26:03.460 --> 00:26:05.059 Okay, like, are you... 00:26:05.059 --> 00:26:06.579 If you start talking about this, George, 00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:08.900 it's going to mean that you're going to start saying to native spirituality 00:26:08.900 --> 00:26:10.440 that there can't... 00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:13.060 The world wasn't made by turtles or bears 00:26:13.060 --> 00:26:15.560 or, you know, ravens pooping 00:26:15.560 --> 00:26:16.220 or whatever the... 00:26:16.220 --> 00:26:17.900 You know, whatever the myths are. 00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:21.019 And it's going to be deeply troubling 00:26:21.019 --> 00:26:25.180 about hard questions about other types of faiths. 00:26:25.180 --> 00:26:27.420 And so Canadians, part of us, on one hand, 00:26:27.480 --> 00:26:29.060 want to recoil against it, 00:26:29.500 --> 00:26:31.180 and part of us also want to have a bit of a... 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:33.580 Well, we're... 00:26:33.580 --> 00:26:36.860 Well, here's a perfect example, 00:26:36.980 --> 00:26:37.980 another perfect example. 00:26:38.900 --> 00:26:40.600 Back when I was like this, 00:26:40.660 --> 00:26:41.900 about 15 years ago, 00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:43.380 and I was still in the Diocese of Ottawa, 00:26:43.640 --> 00:26:45.720 we used to have these things called clergy days. 00:26:45.800 --> 00:26:47.540 It would be like a continuing ed day. 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:50.580 And in one of the continuing ed days, 00:26:50.680 --> 00:26:52.780 we had this guest speaker come, 00:26:53.280 --> 00:26:54.740 and he was talking about demons. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:58.019 And it was a very well-attended one, 00:26:58.100 --> 00:27:00.700 and it was a very civil conversation 00:27:00.700 --> 00:27:02.560 as he was going through different things 00:27:02.560 --> 00:27:04.960 about possession and attack and all that. 00:27:04.960 --> 00:27:06.980 And then about halfway, 00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:09.680 two-thirds of the way through the presentation, 00:27:10.460 --> 00:27:12.559 a person put up his hand and said, 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:13.380 one moment, 00:27:14.140 --> 00:27:16.279 this has been really, really, really fascinating 00:27:16.279 --> 00:27:17.079 and very helpful, 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:18.299 but what you just said, 00:27:19.299 --> 00:27:21.740 are you actually saying that demons really exist? 00:27:22.019 --> 00:27:25.360 Like, actual have ontological, 00:27:26.019 --> 00:27:29.480 actual existence that can affect, 00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:32.880 like, actual things that are real? 00:27:33.640 --> 00:27:34.799 Is that what you're saying? 00:27:35.440 --> 00:27:36.460 And the speaker said, 00:27:36.500 --> 00:27:37.039 yeah, of course. 00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:39.000 And then, 00:27:39.420 --> 00:27:40.880 he wasn't able to fulfill 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:42.339 any of the rest of his talk. 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:44.480 The entire room erupted 00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:47.279 in attacking him. 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:49.960 Because as long as demons 00:27:49.960 --> 00:27:52.579 were just ways of talking about evil 00:27:52.579 --> 00:27:54.420 or mental illness 00:27:54.420 --> 00:27:56.640 or sociological 00:27:56.640 --> 00:27:58.360 or political types of processes 00:27:58.360 --> 00:28:00.599 the way theologians like Walter Wink 00:28:00.599 --> 00:28:01.400 would talk about it, 00:28:01.420 --> 00:28:02.400 as long as it was just talking 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:03.920 at a symbolic level, 00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:04.940 you know, 00:28:05.200 --> 00:28:08.160 then it was all fine. 00:28:08.220 --> 00:28:09.779 But when it actually gets to be real, 00:28:10.440 --> 00:28:12.500 it's actually deeply offensive 00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:14.119 to many people in Canada. 00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:16.400 And so the problem with this statement, 00:28:16.539 --> 00:28:17.980 Luke gives a true historical account 00:28:17.980 --> 00:28:18.880 of the birth, life, death, 00:28:18.900 --> 00:28:20.759 and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, 00:28:20.940 --> 00:28:23.319 is if you read past verse 7. 00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:28.779 Because when you go past verse 7, 00:28:29.180 --> 00:28:30.500 all of a sudden, 00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:33.640 God appears in a way 00:28:33.640 --> 00:28:36.539 which is deeply troubling. 00:28:36.539 --> 00:28:39.599 God appears as non-tame, 00:28:40.180 --> 00:28:41.160 authoritative, 00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:42.860 planning, 00:28:43.640 --> 00:28:44.560 powerful, 00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:46.040 acting, 00:28:46.560 --> 00:28:47.440 and intrusive. 00:28:48.759 --> 00:28:50.259 And Canadians don't like it 00:28:50.259 --> 00:28:51.519 when God shows up 00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:52.480 not tame 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:53.540 and actually acting 00:28:53.540 --> 00:28:54.220 and intrusive. 00:28:55.019 --> 00:28:56.880 Let's read from verse 8 on. 00:28:58.259 --> 00:28:59.500 So verse 7 is like 00:28:59.500 --> 00:29:00.860 the actual Christmas story, 00:29:00.980 --> 00:29:01.700 and she gave birth 00:29:01.700 --> 00:29:02.840 to her firstborn son 00:29:02.840 --> 00:29:03.380 and wrapped him 00:29:03.380 --> 00:29:05.060 in swaddling cloths 00:29:05.060 --> 00:29:05.880 and laid him in a manger 00:29:05.880 --> 00:29:06.960 because there was no place 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:07.779 for them in the inn. 00:29:08.380 --> 00:29:08.940 Verse 8, 00:29:08.940 --> 00:29:10.460 And in the same region 00:29:10.460 --> 00:29:11.340 there were shepherds 00:29:11.340 --> 00:29:12.019 out in the field 00:29:12.019 --> 00:29:13.539 keeping watch over their flocks 00:29:13.539 --> 00:29:14.059 by night. 00:29:14.700 --> 00:29:16.500 And an angel of the Lord 00:29:16.500 --> 00:29:17.400 appeared to them, 00:29:17.779 --> 00:29:19.299 and the glory of the Lord 00:29:19.299 --> 00:29:20.519 shone around them, 00:29:20.820 --> 00:29:21.680 and they were filled 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:22.539 with great fear. 00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:25.160 And the angel spoke to them 00:29:25.160 --> 00:29:26.759 in words, 00:29:27.380 --> 00:29:28.640 in Aramaic. 00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:32.600 He speaks in Aramaic, 00:29:33.140 --> 00:29:33.900 Fear not, 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:34.540 for behold, 00:29:34.700 --> 00:29:36.120 I bring you good news 00:29:36.120 --> 00:29:36.860 of great joy 00:29:36.860 --> 00:29:38.460 that will be for all the people. 00:29:39.540 --> 00:29:41.280 For unto you is born this day 00:29:41.280 --> 00:29:42.200 in the city of David 00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:44.400 a Savior who is Christ the Lord. 00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:46.620 And this will be a sign for you. 00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:48.100 You will find a baby 00:29:48.100 --> 00:29:49.780 wrapped in swaddling cloths 00:29:49.780 --> 00:29:50.780 and lying in a manger. 00:29:51.259 --> 00:29:53.180 And suddenly there was with the angel 00:29:53.180 --> 00:29:55.360 a multitude of the heavenly host. 00:29:55.740 --> 00:29:56.820 Lots of angels. 00:29:56.819 --> 00:29:57.019 angels. 00:29:58.159 --> 00:29:59.220 Praising God 00:29:59.220 --> 00:29:59.919 and saying, 00:30:00.399 --> 00:30:01.439 Glory to God 00:30:01.439 --> 00:30:02.139 in the highest 00:30:02.139 --> 00:30:03.059 and on earth 00:30:03.059 --> 00:30:04.179 peace among those 00:30:04.179 --> 00:30:04.759 with whom 00:30:04.759 --> 00:30:06.119 He is pleased. 00:30:09.700 --> 00:30:10.659 How dare 00:30:10.659 --> 00:30:12.279 Him only be pleased 00:30:12.279 --> 00:30:12.899 with some. 00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:15.839 That's not Canadian. 00:30:17.319 --> 00:30:18.220 When the angels 00:30:18.220 --> 00:30:19.279 went away from them 00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:20.099 into heaven, 00:30:20.200 --> 00:30:20.720 the shepherds 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:21.500 said to one another, 00:30:21.579 --> 00:30:22.720 Let's go over to Bethlehem 00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:23.500 and see this thing 00:30:23.500 --> 00:30:24.079 that has happened 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:24.619 which the Lord 00:30:24.619 --> 00:30:25.759 has made known to us. 00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:27.240 And they went with haste 00:30:27.240 --> 00:30:28.420 and found Mary and Joseph 00:30:28.420 --> 00:30:29.879 and the baby lying in a manger. 00:30:30.379 --> 00:30:31.400 And when they saw it, 00:30:31.420 --> 00:30:32.700 they made known the saying 00:30:32.700 --> 00:30:33.859 that had been told them 00:30:33.859 --> 00:30:35.019 concerning this child. 00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:36.359 And all who heard it 00:30:36.359 --> 00:30:37.640 wondered at what the shepherds 00:30:37.640 --> 00:30:38.180 told them. 00:30:38.460 --> 00:30:39.720 But Mary treasured up 00:30:39.720 --> 00:30:40.440 all these things, 00:30:40.599 --> 00:30:42.339 pondering them in her heart. 00:30:42.740 --> 00:30:43.819 And the shepherds returned, 00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:45.259 glorifying and praising God 00:30:45.259 --> 00:30:46.500 for all they had heard and seen 00:30:46.500 --> 00:30:48.960 as it had been told 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:49.960 to them. 00:30:49.960 --> 00:30:54.120 the meaning of the birth 00:30:54.120 --> 00:30:56.759 in the manger, 00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:58.299 the birth and the baby 00:30:58.299 --> 00:30:59.079 in the manger, 00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:01.299 the meaning and significance 00:31:01.299 --> 00:31:04.059 is given by God 00:31:04.059 --> 00:31:05.100 to the angels. 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:07.700 Andrew, could you put up 00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:08.180 the slide? 00:31:09.500 --> 00:31:12.400 Luke gives a true historical account 00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:14.660 of God communicating 00:31:14.660 --> 00:31:16.799 the meaning and significance 00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:18.839 of the birth, life, death 00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:19.559 and resurrection 00:31:19.559 --> 00:31:21.059 of Jesus of Nazareth, 00:31:21.799 --> 00:31:22.500 the Messiah. 00:31:24.220 --> 00:31:25.759 Now just a very, very little 00:31:25.759 --> 00:31:26.500 brief aside. 00:31:27.619 --> 00:31:30.019 When people say that miracles 00:31:30.019 --> 00:31:31.299 aren't historical, 00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:32.740 what they're doing 00:31:32.740 --> 00:31:34.539 is actually almost always 00:31:34.539 --> 00:31:35.799 arguing in a circle. 00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:37.559 They'll say history 00:31:37.559 --> 00:31:39.039 is the study of things 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:40.519 that aren't miraculous, 00:31:40.980 --> 00:31:42.139 in a sense. 00:31:42.780 --> 00:31:44.140 And then when you study history, 00:31:44.220 --> 00:31:45.200 you don't find any miracles 00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:46.840 because historians say 00:31:46.840 --> 00:31:47.520 if there's a miracle, 00:31:47.640 --> 00:31:48.560 it can't be historical. 00:31:49.020 --> 00:31:50.340 But that's just not actually, 00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:51.759 that's not being open-minded 00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:52.560 to inquire. 00:31:52.940 --> 00:31:54.120 If you start off 00:31:54.120 --> 00:31:55.540 by assuming that all miracles 00:31:55.540 --> 00:31:56.720 are non-historical, 00:31:57.080 --> 00:31:58.160 and then you go and look 00:31:58.160 --> 00:31:59.200 historically to see 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:00.100 if miracles happen 00:32:00.100 --> 00:32:01.040 and you don't find any, 00:32:01.120 --> 00:32:01.940 all you've done is 00:32:01.940 --> 00:32:02.580 you're just following 00:32:02.580 --> 00:32:03.540 what you've assumed. 00:32:04.460 --> 00:32:05.680 But if you just look, 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:09.680 and it's beyond the scope 00:32:09.680 --> 00:32:10.240 of this because it's 00:32:10.240 --> 00:32:11.080 an Easter sermon, 00:32:11.079 --> 00:32:12.339 the evidence 00:32:12.339 --> 00:32:13.619 for the resurrection 00:32:13.619 --> 00:32:14.259 of Jesus 00:32:14.259 --> 00:32:16.099 is quite strong 00:32:16.099 --> 00:32:17.000 historically. 00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:19.839 And it ultimately 00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:21.259 is the reason why 00:32:21.259 --> 00:32:23.379 I trust, 00:32:23.639 --> 00:32:24.579 and Christian people 00:32:24.579 --> 00:32:25.500 who've looked into it 00:32:25.500 --> 00:32:27.019 trust Luke on everything. 00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:30.339 But if you see this text, 00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:31.519 it describes 00:32:31.519 --> 00:32:34.199 a non-tame God, 00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:36.079 a God who intrudes, 00:32:37.099 --> 00:32:38.079 a God who is authoritative, 00:32:38.939 --> 00:32:40.179 a God who plans, 00:32:40.180 --> 00:32:42.259 a God who is powerful, 00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:44.080 a God who is present, 00:32:44.519 --> 00:32:46.560 a God who can act. 00:32:48.440 --> 00:32:49.740 And this causes 00:32:49.740 --> 00:32:50.700 a bit of a dilemma 00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:51.660 for Canadians. 00:32:53.140 --> 00:32:54.000 Because you see, 00:32:54.080 --> 00:32:54.920 on one hand, 00:32:55.080 --> 00:32:55.799 our understanding 00:32:55.799 --> 00:32:57.320 of religion and spirituality 00:32:57.320 --> 00:32:59.320 cloaks despair. 00:32:59.319 --> 00:33:03.000 because it's really 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:03.799 just saying 00:33:03.799 --> 00:33:05.079 that there's not, 00:33:05.319 --> 00:33:05.439 you know, 00:33:05.480 --> 00:33:06.679 in a sense, 00:33:07.079 --> 00:33:07.859 history is, 00:33:08.379 --> 00:33:09.079 and forgive me 00:33:09.079 --> 00:33:09.639 for saying this, 00:33:09.679 --> 00:33:10.159 I'm just quoting 00:33:10.159 --> 00:33:10.759 how it's said, 00:33:11.099 --> 00:33:11.839 history is just 00:33:11.839 --> 00:33:12.679 one damn thing 00:33:12.679 --> 00:33:13.319 after another. 00:33:15.079 --> 00:33:15.839 It doesn't really 00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:16.480 mean anything. 00:33:18.039 --> 00:33:18.539 And, you know, 00:33:18.659 --> 00:33:20.599 if a story about Santa 00:33:20.599 --> 00:33:21.539 gives you some meaning 00:33:21.539 --> 00:33:22.220 and some pleasure, 00:33:22.379 --> 00:33:23.399 if listening to Bach 00:33:23.399 --> 00:33:25.059 or listening to Handel 00:33:25.059 --> 00:33:25.799 gives you some meaning 00:33:25.799 --> 00:33:26.259 or pleasure, 00:33:26.359 --> 00:33:27.299 if Jack Daniels 00:33:27.299 --> 00:33:27.839 gives you meaning 00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:28.339 or pleasure, 00:33:28.339 --> 00:33:29.000 then it's all 00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:30.240 sort of basically equal. 00:33:30.539 --> 00:33:31.199 Because you just 00:33:31.199 --> 00:33:32.159 have to grab 00:33:32.159 --> 00:33:33.939 whatever will amuse you 00:33:33.939 --> 00:33:34.819 until you die 00:33:34.819 --> 00:33:35.980 and then that's the end. 00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:41.399 But on the same time, 00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:41.959 we're sort of, 00:33:42.039 --> 00:33:42.899 we understand 00:33:42.899 --> 00:33:44.419 at the same time 00:33:44.419 --> 00:33:45.679 that there has to be 00:33:45.679 --> 00:33:46.899 some type of meaning 00:33:46.899 --> 00:33:47.539 to life. 00:33:48.079 --> 00:33:49.220 We stop short 00:33:49.220 --> 00:33:49.939 of the abyss. 00:33:50.500 --> 00:33:51.639 On one hand, 00:33:52.159 --> 00:33:53.159 we want to just 00:33:53.159 --> 00:33:53.980 sort of have the meaning 00:33:53.980 --> 00:33:54.759 that we can sort of 00:33:54.759 --> 00:33:55.720 grasp or create 00:33:55.720 --> 00:33:56.419 for ourselves. 00:33:56.519 --> 00:33:57.179 But on the other hand, 00:33:57.180 --> 00:33:58.759 we have some type 00:33:58.759 --> 00:33:59.539 of sense 00:33:59.539 --> 00:34:00.900 that there must be 00:34:00.900 --> 00:34:02.259 some type of meaning 00:34:02.259 --> 00:34:03.539 to our lives, 00:34:03.820 --> 00:34:04.860 our real lives, 00:34:04.900 --> 00:34:06.460 not just our emotional lives, 00:34:06.539 --> 00:34:07.480 but our real lives, 00:34:07.600 --> 00:34:08.680 our embodied lives. 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:09.880 It's why we're always 00:34:09.880 --> 00:34:10.820 trying to find meaning 00:34:10.820 --> 00:34:11.760 in human actions 00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:13.019 when other people act. 00:34:13.380 --> 00:34:14.539 We don't want to just say 00:34:14.539 --> 00:34:15.260 it was just one thing 00:34:15.260 --> 00:34:15.980 happening after another. 00:34:16.039 --> 00:34:16.700 We want to understand, 00:34:16.800 --> 00:34:17.940 well, why did they say that? 00:34:18.039 --> 00:34:19.019 Why did they do that? 00:34:19.300 --> 00:34:20.720 Why did they say that to me? 00:34:20.800 --> 00:34:22.059 Why did that happen to me? 00:34:22.059 --> 00:34:22.980 On one hand, 00:34:23.039 --> 00:34:23.599 we want to ask 00:34:23.599 --> 00:34:24.960 these types of why questions 00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:26.079 about our real life 00:34:26.079 --> 00:34:27.320 really lived. 00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:28.820 But on the other hand, 00:34:31.019 --> 00:34:33.199 on the other hand, 00:34:33.320 --> 00:34:34.739 we basically have 00:34:34.739 --> 00:34:35.639 an understanding 00:34:35.639 --> 00:34:38.039 that if there is 00:34:38.039 --> 00:34:39.059 true meaning, 00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:39.920 not just meaning 00:34:39.920 --> 00:34:40.519 that we've made 00:34:40.519 --> 00:34:41.279 for ourselves, 00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:43.519 that it not only 00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:44.340 has to be in a sense 00:34:44.340 --> 00:34:44.940 personal, 00:34:45.159 --> 00:34:46.119 but it has to be 00:34:46.119 --> 00:34:47.139 more than personal. 00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:48.599 There has to be 00:34:48.599 --> 00:34:49.960 something transcendent 00:34:49.960 --> 00:34:50.460 about it. 00:34:50.460 --> 00:34:51.400 In other words, 00:34:51.500 --> 00:34:52.440 that real meaning, 00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:53.440 if there's real meaning 00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:54.119 in human life, 00:34:54.179 --> 00:34:55.119 it not only has to be 00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:56.139 part of human life, 00:34:56.639 --> 00:34:58.000 but it has to be 00:34:58.000 --> 00:34:58.920 in a sense outside 00:34:58.920 --> 00:35:00.340 of or beyond human life. 00:35:01.500 --> 00:35:02.800 So, you know, 00:35:02.940 --> 00:35:04.039 on one hand, 00:35:04.199 --> 00:35:05.579 we're stuck as Canadians, 00:35:05.740 --> 00:35:06.760 as human beings, 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:08.780 that we're committed 00:35:08.780 --> 00:35:09.740 to this project 00:35:09.740 --> 00:35:11.059 of being like God. 00:35:11.720 --> 00:35:12.900 And we don't like 00:35:12.900 --> 00:35:14.960 anything that interrupts 00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:17.360 or intrudes upon 00:35:17.360 --> 00:35:19.880 being like God. 00:35:20.460 --> 00:35:21.380 And if there really 00:35:21.380 --> 00:35:22.240 is a God, 00:35:23.159 --> 00:35:24.860 and He really can speak, 00:35:25.460 --> 00:35:26.039 and He's really 00:35:26.039 --> 00:35:26.880 authoritative, 00:35:27.340 --> 00:35:28.820 and He really can intrude, 00:35:29.500 --> 00:35:30.860 and He really can act, 00:35:31.980 --> 00:35:34.260 then our whole project 00:35:34.260 --> 00:35:35.400 of being like God 00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:36.019 crumbles. 00:35:37.599 --> 00:35:38.539 Yet at the same time, 00:35:38.599 --> 00:35:39.480 there must be meaning. 00:35:41.880 --> 00:35:43.220 And so on one hand, 00:35:43.639 --> 00:35:44.500 to start to have 00:35:44.500 --> 00:35:45.440 a glimmer that there's 00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:47.340 actual historical evidence 00:35:47.340 --> 00:35:48.780 of God speaking 00:35:48.780 --> 00:35:49.720 and communicating 00:35:49.720 --> 00:35:50.720 and giving meaning, 00:35:50.860 --> 00:35:51.760 on one hand, 00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:52.840 for some, 00:35:54.100 --> 00:35:54.800 is an answer 00:35:54.800 --> 00:35:55.420 to the longing 00:35:55.420 --> 00:35:55.940 and yearning 00:35:55.940 --> 00:35:56.680 of our hearts. 00:35:56.820 --> 00:35:57.760 Yet at the same time, 00:35:57.820 --> 00:35:58.720 there is great fear. 00:36:00.180 --> 00:36:01.320 There is great fear. 00:36:02.300 --> 00:36:02.600 In fact, 00:36:02.980 --> 00:36:03.740 we worry, 00:36:03.860 --> 00:36:04.840 we instantly go to 00:36:04.840 --> 00:36:05.559 saying that it, 00:36:05.800 --> 00:36:06.200 instantly, 00:36:06.460 --> 00:36:07.180 thinking that this 00:36:07.180 --> 00:36:08.019 actual story, 00:36:08.160 --> 00:36:08.420 that this, 00:36:08.720 --> 00:36:09.320 that there could be 00:36:09.320 --> 00:36:10.440 a story like this 00:36:10.440 --> 00:36:11.880 which is actually true, 00:36:11.880 --> 00:36:13.940 that it's inherently 00:36:13.940 --> 00:36:15.000 imperialistic, 00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:16.400 that it's imperialistic 00:36:16.400 --> 00:36:17.900 to spiritualities, 00:36:18.360 --> 00:36:19.140 non-traditional 00:36:19.140 --> 00:36:20.039 spiritualities. 00:36:20.240 --> 00:36:21.420 It's imperialistic 00:36:21.420 --> 00:36:22.539 to religion. 00:36:22.920 --> 00:36:23.880 It's imperialistic 00:36:23.880 --> 00:36:24.579 to atheists 00:36:24.579 --> 00:36:25.340 and agnostics, 00:36:25.440 --> 00:36:26.460 that it's somehow 00:36:26.460 --> 00:36:27.920 imperialistic 00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:29.440 and forceful 00:36:29.440 --> 00:36:30.900 and not good. 00:36:33.559 --> 00:36:35.340 But that's just, 00:36:35.440 --> 00:36:37.119 that's just our fear, 00:36:37.260 --> 00:36:37.800 that the true 00:36:37.800 --> 00:36:38.780 and living God 00:36:38.780 --> 00:36:41.800 also has our 00:36:41.800 --> 00:36:42.980 God project 00:36:42.980 --> 00:36:44.440 at work. 00:36:46.260 --> 00:36:48.280 That the real God 00:36:48.280 --> 00:36:49.320 is going to act 00:36:49.320 --> 00:36:50.480 in a way that we would act 00:36:50.480 --> 00:36:51.800 if we really had power 00:36:51.800 --> 00:36:52.480 to be God. 00:36:54.180 --> 00:36:54.720 I mean, 00:36:54.760 --> 00:36:55.380 just be honest, 00:36:55.480 --> 00:36:55.620 you know, 00:36:55.620 --> 00:36:56.400 sometimes I get mad 00:36:56.400 --> 00:36:56.920 at drivers. 00:36:57.060 --> 00:36:58.120 If I had God's power, 00:36:58.220 --> 00:36:58.840 there'd be a lot 00:36:58.840 --> 00:36:59.800 of dead drivers. 00:37:01.980 --> 00:37:03.260 And maybe driving's 00:37:03.260 --> 00:37:03.940 not your thing, 00:37:04.120 --> 00:37:04.940 maybe it's cutting 00:37:04.940 --> 00:37:05.560 in a line. 00:37:05.660 --> 00:37:06.360 How many people 00:37:06.360 --> 00:37:07.640 would be dead today 00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:09.199 if they cut in line 00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:09.619 of you and you 00:37:09.619 --> 00:37:10.699 had God's powers? 00:37:11.759 --> 00:37:12.719 And that terrifies 00:37:12.719 --> 00:37:13.460 us about God. 00:37:13.539 --> 00:37:14.679 But listen to the story 00:37:14.679 --> 00:37:15.079 again. 00:37:15.460 --> 00:37:16.460 Look at verse 7. 00:37:17.500 --> 00:37:18.019 Look at this. 00:37:18.199 --> 00:37:19.179 If the things 00:37:19.179 --> 00:37:20.319 in verses 10 to 14 00:37:20.319 --> 00:37:20.699 are true, 00:37:20.759 --> 00:37:21.279 look at it. 00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:22.839 He doesn't come 00:37:22.839 --> 00:37:23.480 with power. 00:37:23.619 --> 00:37:24.259 He doesn't come 00:37:24.259 --> 00:37:24.759 looking like 00:37:24.759 --> 00:37:25.679 the furious seven. 00:37:25.759 --> 00:37:26.339 He doesn't come 00:37:26.339 --> 00:37:27.639 looking born 00:37:27.639 --> 00:37:28.980 out of nowhere 00:37:28.980 --> 00:37:29.839 like the rock, 00:37:30.059 --> 00:37:31.099 like Dwayne Johnson 00:37:31.099 --> 00:37:32.139 with unbelievably 00:37:32.139 --> 00:37:33.299 bulging muscles 00:37:33.299 --> 00:37:34.739 and a negative 00:37:34.739 --> 00:37:36.500 body fat count, 00:37:36.500 --> 00:37:38.159 who's able 00:37:38.159 --> 00:37:40.159 to just flex 00:37:40.159 --> 00:37:40.920 his muscle 00:37:40.920 --> 00:37:41.719 and the cast 00:37:41.719 --> 00:37:42.719 explodes off 00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:43.460 his arms. 00:37:44.039 --> 00:37:44.579 And then he can 00:37:44.579 --> 00:37:45.559 pick up heavy 00:37:45.559 --> 00:37:46.980 guns and have 00:37:46.980 --> 00:37:49.539 ambulances, 00:37:49.699 --> 00:37:50.619 knock predator 00:37:50.619 --> 00:37:51.760 drones out of 00:37:51.760 --> 00:37:52.280 the sky. 00:37:52.519 --> 00:37:52.679 I mean, 00:37:52.739 --> 00:37:53.000 this guy, 00:37:53.780 --> 00:37:54.119 no, 00:37:54.380 --> 00:37:54.940 verse 7, 00:37:55.159 --> 00:37:56.019 and she gave birth 00:37:56.019 --> 00:37:57.340 to her firstborn son 00:37:57.340 --> 00:37:57.980 and wrapped him 00:37:57.980 --> 00:37:59.139 in swaddling cloths 00:37:59.139 --> 00:37:59.559 and laid him 00:37:59.559 --> 00:38:00.039 in a manger 00:38:00.039 --> 00:38:00.739 because there was 00:38:00.739 --> 00:38:01.539 no place for them 00:38:01.539 --> 00:38:02.099 in the inn. 00:38:03.500 --> 00:38:04.280 The king and king 00:38:04.280 --> 00:38:04.900 and lord of the 00:38:04.900 --> 00:38:05.840 lord's first throne 00:38:05.840 --> 00:38:07.180 was a feeding trough 00:38:07.180 --> 00:38:07.900 for animals. 00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:09.840 And look at 00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:10.700 verse 10 and 00:38:10.700 --> 00:38:11.019 following. 00:38:11.120 --> 00:38:11.740 What the angels 00:38:11.740 --> 00:38:12.100 say, 00:38:12.180 --> 00:38:12.680 and the angels 00:38:12.680 --> 00:38:13.260 said to them, 00:38:13.780 --> 00:38:14.700 fear not, 00:38:15.820 --> 00:38:16.940 fear not, 00:38:18.100 --> 00:38:19.200 fear not, 00:38:20.200 --> 00:38:22.900 fear not, 00:38:23.440 --> 00:38:24.120 for behold, 00:38:24.240 --> 00:38:24.860 I bring you 00:38:24.860 --> 00:38:25.820 good news 00:38:25.820 --> 00:38:27.460 of great joy 00:38:27.460 --> 00:38:28.700 that will be 00:38:28.700 --> 00:38:29.980 for all the people, 00:38:30.580 --> 00:38:31.800 for unto you, 00:38:31.940 --> 00:38:32.880 ordinary people 00:38:32.880 --> 00:38:33.780 like you in Ottawa 00:38:33.780 --> 00:38:35.140 in 2015 00:38:35.140 --> 00:38:36.559 is born this day 00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:37.860 in the city of David, 00:38:38.140 --> 00:38:38.900 a savior 00:38:38.900 --> 00:38:40.800 who is Christ, 00:38:41.000 --> 00:38:41.740 the Messiah, 00:38:41.900 --> 00:38:42.559 the promised one 00:38:42.559 --> 00:38:42.980 of God, 00:38:43.240 --> 00:38:43.900 the Lord. 00:38:45.539 --> 00:38:46.460 And this will be 00:38:46.460 --> 00:38:47.220 a sign for you. 00:38:47.220 --> 00:38:48.200 You will find a baby 00:38:48.200 --> 00:38:49.980 wrapped in swaddling cloths 00:38:49.980 --> 00:38:51.059 in line in a manger 00:38:51.059 --> 00:38:52.740 and suddenly there was 00:38:52.740 --> 00:38:53.579 with the angel 00:38:53.579 --> 00:38:54.440 a multitude of the 00:38:54.440 --> 00:38:54.960 heavenly host 00:38:54.960 --> 00:38:55.720 praising God 00:38:55.720 --> 00:38:56.539 and saying glory 00:38:56.539 --> 00:38:57.920 to God in the highest 00:38:57.920 --> 00:38:59.539 and on earth 00:38:59.539 --> 00:39:00.559 shalom 00:39:00.559 --> 00:39:01.860 among those 00:39:01.860 --> 00:39:02.900 with whom he is pleased. 00:39:03.539 --> 00:39:04.840 And he died. 00:39:05.640 --> 00:39:06.720 So when we put our faith 00:39:06.720 --> 00:39:07.620 and trust in him, 00:39:08.200 --> 00:39:09.440 he is pleased 00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:11.559 with ordinary people. 00:39:12.539 --> 00:39:13.420 Ordinary people. 00:39:13.800 --> 00:39:14.720 Here's the message. 00:39:15.640 --> 00:39:16.539 Luke tells us 00:39:16.539 --> 00:39:18.180 of the humble birth 00:39:18.180 --> 00:39:19.800 of the humble Lord 00:39:19.800 --> 00:39:20.800 who will save 00:39:20.800 --> 00:39:21.820 ordinary people 00:39:21.820 --> 00:39:23.360 that humble themselves 00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:25.400 and humbly receive him 00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:26.300 as savior 00:39:26.300 --> 00:39:27.760 and then humbly 00:39:27.760 --> 00:39:28.860 follow him as Lord. 00:39:29.500 --> 00:39:30.579 The world is filled 00:39:30.579 --> 00:39:31.779 with proud Christians 00:39:31.779 --> 00:39:33.739 but God does not 00:39:33.739 --> 00:39:35.000 call us to pride. 00:39:39.000 --> 00:39:39.880 Come to me 00:39:39.880 --> 00:39:41.179 all who are labor 00:39:41.179 --> 00:39:42.319 and are heavy laden 00:39:42.319 --> 00:39:43.719 and I will give you rest. 00:39:43.860 --> 00:39:45.219 Take my yoke upon you 00:39:45.219 --> 00:39:46.079 and learn from me 00:39:46.079 --> 00:39:47.079 for I am gentle 00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:48.440 and lowly of heart 00:39:48.440 --> 00:39:49.920 and you will find rest 00:39:49.920 --> 00:39:50.779 for your souls. 00:39:51.319 --> 00:39:52.699 For my yoke is easy 00:39:52.699 --> 00:39:54.480 and my burden is light. 00:39:54.639 --> 00:39:55.579 The words of Jesus 00:39:55.579 --> 00:39:56.819 as recorded in Matthew. 00:39:56.820 --> 00:39:59.440 Luke tells us 00:39:59.440 --> 00:40:00.620 of the humble birth 00:40:00.620 --> 00:40:01.840 of the humble Lord 00:40:01.840 --> 00:40:03.019 who will save 00:40:03.019 --> 00:40:04.019 ordinary people 00:40:04.019 --> 00:40:04.880 like you and me 00:40:04.880 --> 00:40:06.680 that humble themselves 00:40:06.680 --> 00:40:08.580 and humbly receive him 00:40:08.580 --> 00:40:09.080 as savior 00:40:09.080 --> 00:40:10.539 and then humbly 00:40:10.539 --> 00:40:11.320 follow him 00:40:11.320 --> 00:40:12.539 as Lord. 00:40:14.080 --> 00:40:15.200 Just sort of 00:40:15.200 --> 00:40:15.980 in closing, 00:40:17.180 --> 00:40:18.039 when we realize 00:40:18.039 --> 00:40:19.080 that this is actually 00:40:19.080 --> 00:40:20.420 historically true, 00:40:20.920 --> 00:40:22.420 it, it, it, it, 00:40:22.420 --> 00:40:22.740 it, it, it, 00:40:22.740 --> 00:40:24.400 as this grips us, 00:40:24.460 --> 00:40:24.820 it revolutionizes 00:40:24.820 --> 00:40:25.580 and revolutionizes 00:40:25.580 --> 00:40:26.440 our lives. 00:40:28.700 --> 00:40:29.720 Why do I pray? 00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:30.400 When I pray 00:40:30.400 --> 00:40:30.820 at the beginning 00:40:30.820 --> 00:40:31.400 of the service 00:40:31.400 --> 00:40:32.160 for the Holy Spirit 00:40:32.160 --> 00:40:32.620 to fall, 00:40:33.120 --> 00:40:34.260 I pray to a God 00:40:34.260 --> 00:40:35.080 who does exist 00:40:35.080 --> 00:40:35.820 who can listen 00:40:35.820 --> 00:40:37.080 and who can do that. 00:40:40.100 --> 00:40:40.800 When I pray 00:40:40.800 --> 00:40:41.280 for somebody 00:40:41.280 --> 00:40:41.920 to be healed, 00:40:42.380 --> 00:40:42.780 I don't know 00:40:42.780 --> 00:40:43.760 if God will say yes 00:40:43.760 --> 00:40:44.059 or no 00:40:44.059 --> 00:40:45.180 or how he will heal them, 00:40:45.240 --> 00:40:46.200 but I pray to a God 00:40:46.200 --> 00:40:47.000 who can do that. 00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:49.220 How can it make a difference? 00:40:49.360 --> 00:40:50.260 Why should anybody 00:40:50.260 --> 00:40:51.380 like stand at the door 00:40:51.380 --> 00:40:51.940 like Owen 00:40:51.940 --> 00:40:52.740 and get cold 00:40:52.740 --> 00:40:53.620 to serve people? 00:40:53.740 --> 00:40:54.380 Why should anybody 00:40:54.380 --> 00:40:55.680 look after snotty-nosed, 00:40:55.840 --> 00:40:56.860 sniveling little kids 00:40:56.860 --> 00:40:58.539 and not get any thanks? 00:40:59.980 --> 00:41:00.940 It's because there's 00:41:00.940 --> 00:41:01.960 a meaning and purpose 00:41:01.960 --> 00:41:02.480 to life 00:41:02.480 --> 00:41:03.380 and I'm humbly 00:41:03.380 --> 00:41:04.400 following the Lord 00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:06.420 and I'm following 00:41:06.420 --> 00:41:07.099 a trajectory 00:41:07.099 --> 00:41:07.780 that will lead 00:41:07.780 --> 00:41:08.700 to an eternal life 00:41:08.700 --> 00:41:09.300 in the new heaven 00:41:09.300 --> 00:41:09.960 and the new earth. 00:41:10.760 --> 00:41:11.760 Why is it that I should 00:41:11.760 --> 00:41:12.360 take the risk 00:41:12.360 --> 00:41:13.280 of forgiving people 00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:13.700 while I, 00:41:14.599 --> 00:41:15.840 Jesus, my Savior 00:41:15.840 --> 00:41:16.400 and my Lord 00:41:16.400 --> 00:41:17.780 has told me to do this. 00:41:17.820 --> 00:41:18.460 He died 00:41:18.460 --> 00:41:20.340 so that I might be forgiven. 00:41:20.460 --> 00:41:20.880 He died 00:41:20.880 --> 00:41:21.920 so my enemies 00:41:21.920 --> 00:41:22.800 might be forgiven 00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:24.019 and out of that 00:41:24.019 --> 00:41:24.600 as I'm gripped 00:41:24.600 --> 00:41:25.300 by the gospel 00:41:25.300 --> 00:41:26.140 it makes sense 00:41:26.140 --> 00:41:27.160 to try to forgive. 00:41:29.160 --> 00:41:32.180 And why is it that, 00:41:32.320 --> 00:41:33.840 I don't know, 00:41:33.940 --> 00:41:34.420 we should take, 00:41:34.500 --> 00:41:35.120 like why is it 00:41:35.120 --> 00:41:35.900 that we have people 00:41:35.900 --> 00:41:36.680 from our congregation 00:41:36.680 --> 00:41:37.519 who decide 00:41:37.519 --> 00:41:38.019 to leave 00:41:38.019 --> 00:41:42.019 very profitable jobs 00:41:42.019 --> 00:41:42.620 or careers 00:41:42.620 --> 00:41:43.320 to go to 00:41:43.320 --> 00:41:44.740 closed nations 00:41:44.740 --> 00:41:45.920 to share the gospel 00:41:45.920 --> 00:41:46.380 with them? 00:41:46.460 --> 00:41:47.060 Why is it that 00:41:47.060 --> 00:41:48.080 we take stands 00:41:48.080 --> 00:41:48.900 and take risks 00:41:48.900 --> 00:41:49.500 with budgets 00:41:49.500 --> 00:41:50.240 and other types 00:41:50.239 --> 00:41:50.639 of things? 00:41:51.000 --> 00:41:51.579 Why is it that 00:41:51.579 --> 00:41:52.099 we have people 00:41:52.099 --> 00:41:52.739 going to places 00:41:52.739 --> 00:41:53.339 like Turkey 00:41:53.339 --> 00:41:53.939 and other places 00:41:53.939 --> 00:41:54.500 like Asia? 00:41:55.079 --> 00:41:55.859 Why is it, 00:41:56.019 --> 00:41:56.159 well, 00:41:56.259 --> 00:41:56.559 it's because 00:41:56.559 --> 00:41:57.619 if you go to bed 00:41:57.619 --> 00:41:58.279 every night 00:41:58.279 --> 00:41:59.039 thinking that it's 00:41:59.039 --> 00:42:00.019 just one damn thing 00:42:00.019 --> 00:42:00.679 after another, 00:42:01.039 --> 00:42:02.299 it's very hard 00:42:02.299 --> 00:42:03.299 to have courage. 00:42:03.899 --> 00:42:04.819 If you believe 00:42:04.819 --> 00:42:05.679 there is a God 00:42:05.679 --> 00:42:06.919 who actually exists 00:42:06.919 --> 00:42:07.679 who's sovereign 00:42:07.679 --> 00:42:08.379 and can act 00:42:08.379 --> 00:42:09.279 in human history, 00:42:09.859 --> 00:42:11.000 who has received 00:42:11.000 --> 00:42:12.059 you as his own 00:42:12.059 --> 00:42:13.019 when you put 00:42:13.019 --> 00:42:13.459 your faith 00:42:13.459 --> 00:42:14.319 and trust in him, 00:42:17.699 --> 00:42:17.919 well, 00:42:17.959 --> 00:42:18.579 why don't we 00:42:18.579 --> 00:42:19.339 try something? 00:42:19.340 --> 00:42:20.760 If God is leading, 00:42:20.920 --> 00:42:21.920 if God is for us, 00:42:22.160 --> 00:42:23.079 let's go for it. 00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:26.559 Please stand. 00:42:33.440 --> 00:42:33.960 You know, 00:42:34.039 --> 00:42:34.260 there's, 00:42:35.760 --> 00:42:37.519 this isn't a myth, 00:42:37.600 --> 00:42:38.480 it's not a fable. 00:42:39.880 --> 00:42:40.160 And, 00:42:40.240 --> 00:42:42.280 on one hand, 00:42:42.340 --> 00:42:42.740 to know that 00:42:42.740 --> 00:42:43.720 there really is a God, 00:42:43.800 --> 00:42:44.640 an untamed 00:42:44.640 --> 00:42:45.820 but good God 00:42:45.820 --> 00:42:46.700 who really exists, 00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:47.840 who can really act, 00:42:47.840 --> 00:42:49.740 who humbles himself 00:42:49.740 --> 00:42:50.519 as a child, 00:42:51.160 --> 00:42:52.300 this is the end 00:42:52.300 --> 00:42:53.140 of our longings 00:42:53.140 --> 00:42:53.940 and of our yearnings. 00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:55.760 And it opens 00:42:55.760 --> 00:42:56.720 a whole new life 00:42:56.720 --> 00:42:57.300 of courage 00:42:57.300 --> 00:42:58.300 and a whole new life 00:42:58.300 --> 00:42:58.760 of prayer 00:42:58.760 --> 00:42:59.300 when you put 00:42:59.300 --> 00:42:59.840 your hand 00:42:59.840 --> 00:43:00.440 in the hand 00:43:00.440 --> 00:43:02.019 of the one 00:43:02.019 --> 00:43:03.079 who came as a baby 00:43:03.079 --> 00:43:04.579 but died on the cross 00:43:04.579 --> 00:43:06.140 and rose triumphant 00:43:06.140 --> 00:43:07.120 over sin and death. 00:43:08.320 --> 00:43:09.180 Let's bow our heads 00:43:09.180 --> 00:43:09.579 in prayer. 00:43:11.340 --> 00:43:11.660 Father, 00:43:11.780 --> 00:43:12.680 may you know 00:43:12.680 --> 00:43:13.380 that there might be 00:43:13.380 --> 00:43:14.420 people here this morning 00:43:14.420 --> 00:43:15.059 who have not yet 00:43:15.059 --> 00:43:15.840 put their trust 00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:16.340 in Jesus. 00:43:16.579 --> 00:43:16.820 You know, 00:43:16.940 --> 00:43:17.159 Father, 00:43:17.239 --> 00:43:17.779 you know, 00:43:17.980 --> 00:43:18.239 Father, 00:43:18.380 --> 00:43:19.480 deeply the fears 00:43:19.480 --> 00:43:20.400 that they have 00:43:20.400 --> 00:43:21.460 about making 00:43:21.460 --> 00:43:22.320 such a step 00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:23.320 of faith in Jesus. 00:43:24.099 --> 00:43:24.639 I ask, 00:43:24.820 --> 00:43:25.019 Father, 00:43:25.099 --> 00:43:26.139 that your Holy Spirit 00:43:26.139 --> 00:43:27.159 would fall gently 00:43:27.159 --> 00:43:28.779 but deeply upon them 00:43:28.779 --> 00:43:30.440 and deliver them 00:43:30.440 --> 00:43:31.239 from fear 00:43:31.239 --> 00:43:33.019 and fan into flame 00:43:33.019 --> 00:43:33.559 within them 00:43:33.559 --> 00:43:34.159 a longing 00:43:34.159 --> 00:43:34.880 and yearning 00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:35.820 to call out 00:43:35.820 --> 00:43:36.380 to Jesus 00:43:36.380 --> 00:43:37.480 to be their Savior 00:43:37.480 --> 00:43:38.099 and their Lord, 00:43:38.219 --> 00:43:38.840 that they would do 00:43:38.840 --> 00:43:39.500 that today. 00:43:40.639 --> 00:43:40.799 And, 00:43:40.980 --> 00:43:41.039 Father, 00:43:41.119 --> 00:43:41.960 for those of us 00:43:41.960 --> 00:43:42.639 who are followers 00:43:42.639 --> 00:43:43.319 of Jesus, 00:43:43.859 --> 00:43:45.299 you know how easy 00:43:45.299 --> 00:43:46.619 it is that our culture 00:43:46.619 --> 00:43:48.000 seeps away 00:43:48.000 --> 00:43:50.099 our confidence 00:43:50.099 --> 00:43:51.259 that you are sovereign 00:43:51.259 --> 00:43:52.139 or that you hear 00:43:52.139 --> 00:43:52.900 our prayers, 00:43:53.599 --> 00:43:54.460 how our culture 00:43:54.460 --> 00:43:55.519 seeps away 00:43:55.519 --> 00:43:56.839 our life of prayer 00:43:56.839 --> 00:43:58.079 or calling out 00:43:58.079 --> 00:43:58.920 for you to move 00:43:58.920 --> 00:43:59.339 and act. 00:43:59.519 --> 00:43:59.759 Father, 00:44:00.139 --> 00:44:01.279 may your Holy Spirit 00:44:01.279 --> 00:44:02.279 fall upon us 00:44:02.279 --> 00:44:03.019 with gentle 00:44:03.019 --> 00:44:04.099 but deep power 00:44:04.099 --> 00:44:05.440 that we might 00:44:05.440 --> 00:44:06.259 once again 00:44:06.259 --> 00:44:07.579 know how big 00:44:07.579 --> 00:44:08.379 and awesome 00:44:08.379 --> 00:44:09.119 and true 00:44:09.119 --> 00:44:10.179 and real 00:44:10.179 --> 00:44:11.599 you really are 00:44:11.599 --> 00:44:12.599 and that you 00:44:12.599 --> 00:44:13.360 are not 00:44:13.360 --> 00:44:14.440 a distant God 00:44:14.440 --> 00:44:15.519 but our Father 00:44:15.519 --> 00:44:16.339 who loves us 00:44:16.339 --> 00:44:17.500 and that Jesus 00:44:17.500 --> 00:44:18.940 is not just 00:44:18.940 --> 00:44:19.519 a fable 00:44:19.519 --> 00:44:20.279 or a story 00:44:20.279 --> 00:44:21.480 but that he 00:44:21.480 --> 00:44:22.940 can be my Savior 00:44:22.940 --> 00:44:23.900 and my friend 00:44:23.900 --> 00:44:25.339 that he died 00:44:25.339 --> 00:44:25.799 for me 00:44:25.799 --> 00:44:26.719 to make me yours 00:44:26.719 --> 00:44:27.599 and he rose 00:44:27.599 --> 00:44:28.259 from the dead 00:44:28.259 --> 00:44:29.239 and conquered 00:44:29.239 --> 00:44:30.239 sin and hell 00:44:30.239 --> 00:44:31.079 and all hostile 00:44:31.079 --> 00:44:32.119 spiritual powers 00:44:32.119 --> 00:44:33.239 in his resurrection 00:44:33.239 --> 00:44:35.159 and that I can walk 00:44:35.159 --> 00:44:35.900 with him 00:44:35.900 --> 00:44:36.940 and in him 00:44:36.940 --> 00:44:38.219 day by day 00:44:38.219 --> 00:44:39.299 as I face my life. 00:44:39.539 --> 00:44:39.679 Father, 00:44:39.679 --> 00:44:41.179 build and grow 00:44:41.179 --> 00:44:41.659 in me 00:44:41.659 --> 00:44:42.899 a deep and humble 00:44:42.899 --> 00:44:44.199 trusting confidence 00:44:44.199 --> 00:44:45.539 in Jesus 00:44:45.539 --> 00:44:46.759 and in you. 00:44:47.299 --> 00:44:48.659 Pour out your Holy Spirit 00:44:48.659 --> 00:44:49.379 this we pray 00:44:49.379 --> 00:44:50.279 in Jesus name. 00:44:50.799 --> 00:44:51.059 Amen.