WEBVTT

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 Scripture reading comes from 1 Samuel chapters 4 and 5.

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 Please follow along on the screen, in your bulletin, or your own Bible.

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 Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines.

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 They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistine encamped at Aphek.

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 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread,

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 Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about 4,000 men on the field of battle.

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 And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said,

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 Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines?

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 Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh,

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 that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.

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 So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord, a host.

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 He was enthroned on a cherubim.

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 And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

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 As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp,

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 all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded.

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 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said,

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 What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?

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 And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp,

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 the Philistines were afraid.

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 For they said,

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 A God has come into the camp.

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 And they said,

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 Woe to us, for nothing like this has happened before.

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 Woe to us.

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 Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods?

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 These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness.

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 Take courage and be men, O Philistines,

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 lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you.

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 Be men and fight.

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 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated,

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 and they fled every man to his home.

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 And there was a very great slaughter,

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 and thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.

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 And the ark of God was captured,

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 and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

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 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day,

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 with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.

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 When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road,

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 watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God.

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 And when the man came into the city and told the news,

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 all the city cried out.

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 When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said,

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 What is this uproar?

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 Then the man hurried and came and told Eli.

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 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were set so that he could not see.

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 And the man said to Eli,

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 I am he who has come from the battle.

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 I fled from the battle today.

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 And he said,

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 How did it go, my son?

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 He who brought the news answered and said,

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 Israel has fled before the Philistines,

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 and there has also been a great defeat among the people.

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 Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead,

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 and the ark of God has been captured.

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 As soon as he mentioned the ark of God,

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 Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate,

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 and his neck was broken and he died.

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 For the man was old and heavy.

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 He had judged Israel forty years.

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 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant,

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 about to give birth.

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 And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured,

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 and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead,

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 she bowed and gave birth.

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 For her pains came upon her.

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 And about the time of her death,

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 the women attending her said to her,

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 Do not be afraid, for ye have born a son.

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 But she did not answer or pay attention.

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 And she named the child Ishabod, saying,

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 The glory has departed from Israel,

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 because the ark of God had been captured,

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 and because her father-in-law and her husband.

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 And she said,

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 The glory has departed from Israel,

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 for the ark of God has been captured.

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 When the Philistines captured the ark of God,

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 they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

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 then the Philistines took the ark of God,

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 and brought it into the house of Dagon,

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 and set it up beside Dagon.

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 And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day,

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 behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground

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 before the ark of the Lord.

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 So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.

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 But when they rose early on the next morning,

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 behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground

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 before the ark of the Lord,

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 and the head of Dagon and both his hands

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 were lying cut off on the threshold.

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 Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

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 This is why the priests of Dagon

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 and all who enter the house of Dagon

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 do not tread on the threshold of Dagon

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 in Ashdod to this day.

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 The hand of the Lord was heavy

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 against the people of Ashdod,

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 and he terrified and afflicted them

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 with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.

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 And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were,

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 they said,

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 The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us,

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 for his hand is hard against us

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 and against Dagon, our God.

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 This is the word of God.

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 Great.

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 Thank you so much, Celeste, for reading to us.

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 I know it's a long passage that we're looking at.

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 As we go through Samuel,

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 some of these are going to be longer passages,

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 but it's really important for us

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 to actually hear God's word in full.

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 We've actually going to,

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 I'm going to summarize some of the last part

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 because we haven't looked at all of it.

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 But I hope actually,

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 as we're back on Zoom again,

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 that we can actually just still our hearts

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 to really hear what God wants to say to us this morning.

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 I don't know what kind of day you've had.

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 I don't know what kind of morning you've had.

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 I had a little bit of a crazy morning with my kids.

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 But actually, Jesus is still on the throne.

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 Whether we're gathering physically

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 or whether we're on Zoom,

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 Jesus is still here with us.

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 So let me just pray for us

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 as we get into God's word

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 and invite him to speak to us.

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 Father, we thank you that you

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 are not the God that we imagine you to be.

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 You're not the God that we try and make you to be,

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 but you're a God who's so much better than you,

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 than we think you are.

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 And I pray today,

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 even as we look at this tricky passage

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 where there's a whole load of stuff,

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 even about judgment.

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 And Lord, I pray that we would see you

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 for who you really are,

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 that you would come and open our eyes

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 to see that we don't come before you casually,

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 but we come before you joyfully

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 because you're a God who is so awesome

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 and yet so present and so merciful and gracious.

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 So speak to us, we pray.

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 Amen.

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 In Jesus' mighty name.

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 Amen.

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 Great.

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 Great to see a lot of you.

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 I can see,

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 I saw Jesse and Victoria earlier.

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 I saw the Yangs and Edward and Ada

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 and a few others.

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 Great to see you.

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 So we're continuing in our series in Samuel.

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 And today's going to be,

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 there's a challenging passage in many ways.

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 But as I start,

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 I was reading a professor from New York University.

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 He's an atheist

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 and he's a very prominent philosopher

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 called Thomas Nagel.

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 And he said this,

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 he said,

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 I want atheism to be true.

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 It isn't just that I don't believe in God.

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 It's that I hope there is no God.

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 I don't want there to be a God.

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 I don't want the universe to be like that.

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 Now, I actually appreciate his honesty

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 because what he's saying is how we view God

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 is often less to do with our kind of rational arguments

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 that we live by,

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 but more to do with the desires

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 that we have in our hearts.

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 An atheist like Nagel

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 might not want God to exist

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 so his life can carry on without interference.

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 Or a religious person

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 might want God to exist

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 but to be the kind of God that they want

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 rather than the God that he actually is.

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 I was talking to Alan in the week

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 and he told me in Nepalese culture,

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 the Nepalese church is fine with a God of judgment,

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 but they have real problems

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 with a God of mercy and forgiveness and grace.

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 I've spoken to some other people who said to me,

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 yeah, I believe in a God of compassion and forgiveness,

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 but I don't like this kind of God

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 and this stuff about a God of judgment.

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 You see, today's passage is difficult for many of us

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 because it calls us to stop making God in our own image.

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 It calls us to take God for who he really is,

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 not for who I want him to be,

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 you want him to be,

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 or your culture wants him to be

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 because actually who he really is

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 is a place of life

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 and a place of blessing

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 better than we can ever conjure up for ourselves.

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 And so this series we're looking at in 1 Samuel,

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 we've seen how the real theme that's going through

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 is how man looks at the outward appearance,

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 but God looks at the heart.

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 God raises up the humble who turn to him

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 and he brings down the proud who trust in themselves.

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 And we've seen that with Hannah,

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 who was honored as she ran with desperation to God

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 and God provided her with a son.

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 We've seen that with Samuel, the little boy,

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 but actually he was listening to God's word

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 and how God honors him as the last judge of Israel

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 and how God has promised to bring down the sons of Eli

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 and Eli himself and his household

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 because they were dishonoring God

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 and treating his word with contempt.

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 And today in chapters four through to seven,

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 this is the kind of block we're gonna look at,

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 we see how God plays out his promises

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 of what he had said to the sons,

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 how his judgment comes.

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 So he removes the weeds from the garden of Israel

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 so that new life and new flowers

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 can flourish and blossom in the kingdom

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 and the new king can come.

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 So I'm gonna look at three things.

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 I'm gonna look at putting God in a box

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 and then when God breaks the box

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 and then our response to that.

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 So let's start off, putting God in a box.

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 And so I encourage you to have the passage in front of you.

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 I'm just gonna pull through a few key verses

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 to show you what's going on.

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 So background, Israel has been in an on and off conflict

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 with the tribes of the Philistines

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 and it's been going on throughout the book of the Judges

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 and now they're back on the battlefield again.

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 And this time they suffer a crushing defeat.

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 And in the book of Judges, which were dark times,

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 when they were kept defeating,

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 even then the people would actually cry out to God

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 and God would come and deliver them.

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 But here we see the Israelites don't do that at all

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 because we see the Israelites are users of God,

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 not those who turn to God.

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 And so here we see verse three.

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 Their response is,

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 why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines?

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 That's a good reflection question.

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 And notice they say,

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 why has the Lord defeated us?

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 Not the Philistines defeated us.

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 Because you see defeat in battle

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 in those times was seen as either a sign

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 of the weakness of your God

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 or a sign that your God was displeased with you.

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 And here we see the Israelites

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 see that their God, Yahweh,

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 is not happy with them.

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 But how do they respond?

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 Do they repent?

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 Do they go back to see what does God require of us?

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 No, they come up with their own little fix,

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 their own plan to deal with the situation.

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 Verse three continues.

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 Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord

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 here from Shiloh,

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 that it may come among us

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 and save us from the power of our enemies.

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 Well, just stop and think about it.

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 What is the ark of the covenant?

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 If you know your Old Testament,

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 you know the ark was a wooden box

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 overlaid with gold,

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 which symbolized the footstool

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 of the throne of God himself.

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 It's the throne of the Lord of hosts.

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 And that means the God of the heavenly armies,

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 the all-powerful one.

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 This is a sign of his rule.

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 And it's a holy thing.

00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:03.100
 Numbers four tells us

00:13:03.100 --> 00:13:04.899
 that no one was to look at it.

00:13:05.100 --> 00:13:06.399
 It was meant to be kept hidden

00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:09.259
 behind a curtain in the tabernacle,

00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:10.740
 in the holiest place,

00:13:10.740 --> 00:13:13.519
 and treated with great reverence

00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:16.139
 because it shows the presence of God himself.

00:13:17.019 --> 00:13:19.639
 And it's the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

00:13:19.740 --> 00:13:22.480
 And so inside were the Ten Commandments,

00:13:22.560 --> 00:13:24.659
 the tablets of the Ten Commandments,

00:13:24.940 --> 00:13:26.799
 showing that God's covenant

00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:28.759
 with his word, with his people,

00:13:29.019 --> 00:13:30.039
 is right at the center

00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:31.700
 of a relationship with him.

00:13:32.279 --> 00:13:33.460
 And then on the very top

00:13:33.460 --> 00:13:35.580
 was what's called the mercy seat.

00:13:35.980 --> 00:13:36.840
 And this is the place

00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:38.240
 where the high priest would come in

00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:40.039
 and would offer blood

00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:41.860
 from the sacrifice of an animal

00:13:41.860 --> 00:13:43.879
 to bring forgiveness and cleansing

00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:45.000
 for the people's sin.

00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:46.899
 You see, the ark was about

00:13:46.899 --> 00:13:48.039
 God's holy rule,

00:13:48.340 --> 00:13:49.220
 his presence.

00:13:49.620 --> 00:13:51.039
 It's about his covenant

00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:51.860
 through his word.

00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:52.980
 And it's about the place

00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:54.580
 of forgiveness and reconciliation

00:13:54.580 --> 00:13:56.100
 to a sinful people.

00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:58.500
 It's a highly significant thing.

00:13:59.960 --> 00:14:00.820
 And so the Israelites,

00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:02.620
 they figure,

00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:05.580
 well, this box is from the Lord of hosts,

00:14:05.779 --> 00:14:06.419
 God of the armies.

00:14:06.419 --> 00:14:08.759
 So like Joshua defeated Jericho

00:14:08.759 --> 00:14:10.819
 when he took the ark before him,

00:14:11.079 --> 00:14:12.759
 let's bring out our secret weapon,

00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:14.719
 carry out the ark,

00:14:14.919 --> 00:14:16.079
 out of the tabernacle,

00:14:16.379 --> 00:14:17.319
 put it on the battlefield,

00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:18.679
 and ya-ra-ra,

00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:19.959
 we're going to win this thing.

00:14:21.500 --> 00:14:22.179
 And do you see

00:14:22.179 --> 00:14:23.279
 who's actually organizing

00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:23.979
 the whole thing?

00:14:24.459 --> 00:14:26.039
 It's da-da-da,

00:14:26.279 --> 00:14:27.360
 the sons of Eli.

00:14:28.219 --> 00:14:28.839
 Remember them?

00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:30.339
 Okay, they're the ones

00:14:30.339 --> 00:14:31.719
 who just treated God

00:14:31.719 --> 00:14:32.839
 with utter contempt.

00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:34.000
 They had taken

00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:35.220
 and used their position,

00:14:35.620 --> 00:14:36.460
 priestly position,

00:14:36.460 --> 00:14:37.899
 to get for themselves,

00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:39.879
 sleeping with all the women around,

00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:41.919
 because it was all about them,

00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:42.980
 their whole religion.

00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:43.940
 And yet,

00:14:44.299 --> 00:14:45.259
 they're organizing

00:14:45.259 --> 00:14:46.399
 the whole of this,

00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:47.360
 and the Israelites

00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:48.279
 go wild.

00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:49.500
 They're excited.

00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:50.639
 They're now confident

00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:52.179
 they've got their box with them.

00:14:52.500 --> 00:14:52.740
 Okay?

00:14:52.740 --> 00:14:54.340
 God's going to come

00:14:54.340 --> 00:14:56.899
 and defeat the Israelites,

00:14:57.200 --> 00:14:58.539
 Philistines for them.

00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:00.960
 But it's all a load of hot air,

00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:02.940
 because they have literally

00:15:02.940 --> 00:15:05.000
 put God in a box

00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:06.860
 to use him

00:15:06.860 --> 00:15:08.419
 to get them out of trouble,

00:15:08.419 --> 00:15:10.639
 but they don't actually want him

00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:12.519
 for who he really is.

00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:13.759
 You see,

00:15:14.340 --> 00:15:15.580
 isn't that actually sometimes

00:15:15.580 --> 00:15:16.980
 what we often do?

00:15:17.639 --> 00:15:17.940
 You know,

00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:19.860
 we can have problems at work,

00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:20.980
 or you've got a job interview,

00:15:21.100 --> 00:15:22.180
 or you've got a health crisis,

00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:24.279
 and suddenly,

00:15:24.719 --> 00:15:26.079
 you haven't really been

00:15:26.079 --> 00:15:27.339
 praying very much,

00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:28.159
 you haven't really been

00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:28.859
 engaging with God,

00:15:28.899 --> 00:15:29.299
 but suddenly,

00:15:29.419 --> 00:15:30.899
 your prayer life just takes off.

00:15:31.239 --> 00:15:32.120
 You're kind of at church,

00:15:32.179 --> 00:15:32.899
 you're really trying to do

00:15:32.899 --> 00:15:33.799
 whatever it takes

00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:35.719
 that you can get from God

00:15:35.719 --> 00:15:36.879
 the answer that you need.

00:15:36.919 --> 00:15:37.199
 And then,

00:15:37.199 --> 00:15:38.799
 when he fixes your situation,

00:15:39.139 --> 00:15:39.899
 what do we do?

00:15:40.279 --> 00:15:41.779
 What happens to our prayer life?

00:15:42.139 --> 00:15:42.500
 Suddenly,

00:15:42.719 --> 00:15:43.579
 we go back to

00:15:43.579 --> 00:15:45.000
 what we always were.

00:15:45.699 --> 00:15:46.740
 We just kind of move on.

00:15:47.059 --> 00:15:47.979
 We kind of put God

00:15:47.979 --> 00:15:48.819
 back in the box.

00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:49.099
 You know,

00:15:49.139 --> 00:15:50.339
 we kind of wheel him out,

00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:52.079
 like giving us some licey,

00:15:52.179 --> 00:15:53.500
 for New Year,

00:15:53.579 --> 00:15:54.439
 like an elderly relative,

00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:55.479
 and then wheeling him back

00:15:55.479 --> 00:15:56.399
 to his nursing home,

00:15:56.519 --> 00:15:57.199
 leaving him there,

00:15:57.479 --> 00:15:58.919
 ignoring him for the rest of the time

00:15:58.919 --> 00:16:00.079
 until we need him again.

00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:03.279
 I don't know if you've ever felt

00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:04.199
 used by someone,

00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:06.660
 but it's not nice.

00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:09.320
 Because when we do that,

00:16:09.560 --> 00:16:10.500
 we're not seeking

00:16:10.500 --> 00:16:12.340
 the holy God of the universe

00:16:12.340 --> 00:16:13.960
 in relationship with him.

00:16:14.040 --> 00:16:14.900
 We're using him,

00:16:15.520 --> 00:16:16.580
 putting him in a box,

00:16:16.940 --> 00:16:19.040
 and that's actually contempt of God.

00:16:19.740 --> 00:16:21.020
 And the thing this passage

00:16:21.020 --> 00:16:21.840
 is going to show us

00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:23.980
 is God will not be put in a box.

00:16:25.100 --> 00:16:26.000
 That's the Israelites.

00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:27.580
 They're religious users.

00:16:28.520 --> 00:16:29.000
 But then,

00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:30.160
 let's look at the pagan,

00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:31.420
 the Philistines.

00:16:31.419 --> 00:16:33.419
 They are pagan refusers.

00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:34.899
 Because what do they do

00:16:34.899 --> 00:16:36.039
 as the ark comes out?

00:16:36.199 --> 00:16:36.679
 They go,

00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:39.079
 a God has come into the camp.

00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:40.879
 Who can deliver us

00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:41.599
 from the power

00:16:41.599 --> 00:16:42.620
 of these mighty gods?

00:16:42.819 --> 00:16:43.059
 You see,

00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:44.279
 they've actually got more reverence

00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:44.879
 for this

00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:46.000
 than the Israelites.

00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:47.519
 They've heard of the power

00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:47.979
 of this God.

00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:49.139
 They've heard of the victory

00:16:49.139 --> 00:16:50.259
 over the Egyptians.

00:16:50.959 --> 00:16:52.000
 But they don't go,

00:16:52.659 --> 00:16:52.919
 wow,

00:16:53.019 --> 00:16:54.059
 let's just surrender

00:16:54.059 --> 00:16:55.899
 before this awesome,

00:16:56.099 --> 00:16:56.740
 powerful God.

00:16:56.740 --> 00:16:57.259
 Instead,

00:16:57.659 --> 00:16:58.180
 they go,

00:16:58.899 --> 00:16:59.639
 take courage,

00:17:00.100 --> 00:17:01.620
 be men of Philistines,

00:17:01.899 --> 00:17:03.440
 lest you become slaves

00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:04.500
 to the Hebrews

00:17:04.500 --> 00:17:05.980
 as they have been to you.

00:17:06.299 --> 00:17:07.640
 Be men and fight.

00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:09.220
 You see,

00:17:09.259 --> 00:17:10.400
 they've heard this God,

00:17:10.940 --> 00:17:11.519
 but they,

00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:12.359
 like Thomas Nagel,

00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:13.120
 don't want him

00:17:13.120 --> 00:17:14.099
 to be their God.

00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:15.880
 They prefer their idols

00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:17.099
 because they think

00:17:17.099 --> 00:17:17.900
 they're going to lose

00:17:17.900 --> 00:17:18.660
 their freedom

00:17:18.660 --> 00:17:19.799
 if they surrender to him.

00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:20.940
 They'll become slaves

00:17:20.940 --> 00:17:22.039
 and restricted.

00:17:22.380 --> 00:17:23.779
 And so they refuse God

00:17:23.779 --> 00:17:25.660
 and they actually fight

00:17:25.660 --> 00:17:27.220
 against him.

00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:28.680
 Because you see,

00:17:28.740 --> 00:17:29.720
 some of us may be users,

00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:31.279
 some of us may be refuses.

00:17:32.379 --> 00:17:34.379
 But the result of this

00:17:34.379 --> 00:17:36.559
 is bad.

00:17:38.899 --> 00:17:41.059
 Israel is demolished

00:17:41.059 --> 00:17:42.000
 by the Philistines.

00:17:42.460 --> 00:17:43.599
 30,000 dead,

00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:44.940
 Eli's son's dead,

00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:46.500
 the ark of the covenant

00:17:46.500 --> 00:17:47.920
 of God captured,

00:17:48.539 --> 00:17:50.639
 and Eli waits trembling

00:17:50.639 --> 00:17:51.899
 to hear the news.

00:17:51.900 --> 00:17:52.840
 Remember,

00:17:53.100 --> 00:17:53.820
 in chapter 2,

00:17:53.860 --> 00:17:54.340
 verse 34,

00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:55.600
 God had promised him

00:17:55.600 --> 00:17:57.220
 that both of his sons

00:17:57.220 --> 00:17:58.519
 would die on the same day.

00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:00.880
 The news,

00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:01.680
 when the news came

00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:02.180
 of their death,

00:18:02.220 --> 00:18:02.980
 it didn't shock him.

00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:04.800
 What did shock him

00:18:04.800 --> 00:18:05.600
 was the news

00:18:05.600 --> 00:18:06.400
 that the ark

00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:07.840
 of God's presence

00:18:07.840 --> 00:18:08.860
 had gone,

00:18:09.320 --> 00:18:10.240
 had been captured.

00:18:10.980 --> 00:18:12.320
 And it kills him,

00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:12.780
 literally.

00:18:13.060 --> 00:18:14.220
 He falls over backwards

00:18:14.220 --> 00:18:16.000
 and he dies.

00:18:16.840 --> 00:18:17.400
 And it says,

00:18:17.540 --> 00:18:19.420
 because the man

00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:20.900
 was old and heavy.

00:18:20.900 --> 00:18:21.980
 And actually,

00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:23.420
 it's a play on words here,

00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:24.960
 because the word for heavy

00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:26.519
 is the word kabod,

00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:28.400
 kabod in Hebrew.

00:18:28.700 --> 00:18:30.040
 It's actually the same word

00:18:30.040 --> 00:18:30.940
 for glory.

00:18:31.580 --> 00:18:31.759
 See,

00:18:31.860 --> 00:18:33.200
 the glory of God

00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:33.960
 in the Old Testament

00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:34.960
 is his weightiness,

00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:36.080
 his substance,

00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:37.280
 that when he speaks,

00:18:37.600 --> 00:18:38.540
 there is power

00:18:38.540 --> 00:18:39.240
 and weight

00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:40.560
 behind who he is.

00:18:42.220 --> 00:18:42.780
 But Eli,

00:18:42.980 --> 00:18:43.920
 in honoring his sons

00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:44.800
 above God,

00:18:45.120 --> 00:18:45.340
 you see,

00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:45.780
 he had lived

00:18:45.780 --> 00:18:46.920
 for his own kabod,

00:18:47.060 --> 00:18:48.480
 his own glory,

00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:49.819
 and it ends up

00:18:49.819 --> 00:18:50.680
 killing him.

00:18:51.460 --> 00:18:52.900
 That's really sobering.

00:18:53.620 --> 00:18:53.980
 And then,

00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:55.120
 his daughter-in-law

00:18:55.120 --> 00:18:56.000
 hears the news,

00:18:56.259 --> 00:18:57.099
 and it gets even worse,

00:18:57.259 --> 00:18:58.500
 because she goes into labor

00:18:58.500 --> 00:18:59.819
 and she dies,

00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:00.819
 proclaiming,

00:19:01.220 --> 00:19:02.579
 in the name of her son,

00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:03.720
 she says,

00:19:04.519 --> 00:19:05.559
 her son is called

00:19:05.559 --> 00:19:06.400
 Ichabod,

00:19:06.579 --> 00:19:07.120
 kabod,

00:19:07.220 --> 00:19:07.740
 same word,

00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:08.380
 saying,

00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:09.160
 the glory,

00:19:09.339 --> 00:19:09.720
 kabod,

00:19:09.779 --> 00:19:11.460
 has departed from Israel,

00:19:11.460 --> 00:19:12.960
 for the ark of God

00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:13.900
 has been captured.

00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:15.559
 You see,

00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:16.019
 literally,

00:19:16.140 --> 00:19:16.460
 she says,

00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:17.600
 the glory has gone

00:19:17.600 --> 00:19:18.539
 into exile.

00:19:20.860 --> 00:19:21.579
 But do you know

00:19:21.579 --> 00:19:22.220
 she was wrong?

00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:24.980
 God's glory

00:19:24.980 --> 00:19:25.940
 and God's presence

00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:27.019
 didn't depart

00:19:27.019 --> 00:19:27.539
 from them

00:19:27.539 --> 00:19:28.819
 when the ark left.

00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:30.340
 The glory of God

00:19:30.340 --> 00:19:31.600
 had long since departed

00:19:31.600 --> 00:19:32.600
 because Israel

00:19:32.600 --> 00:19:33.900
 had long since departed

00:19:33.900 --> 00:19:35.220
 from honoring their God.

00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:37.980
 And the amazing thing

00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:38.539
 is this,

00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:40.400
 the pagan news

00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:40.900
 at the time,

00:19:40.980 --> 00:19:41.420
 would have gone,

00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:42.940
 Yahweh defeated,

00:19:43.560 --> 00:19:43.940
 Dagon,

00:19:44.120 --> 00:19:45.019
 the Philistine god,

00:19:45.380 --> 00:19:46.400
 reigns supreme,

00:19:46.820 --> 00:19:47.960
 because warfare shows

00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:49.000
 whose God is strongest.

00:19:50.600 --> 00:19:51.720
 But God doesn't work

00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:52.360
 in our ways.

00:19:53.180 --> 00:19:53.460
 You see,

00:19:53.600 --> 00:19:54.560
 man looks at the outward

00:19:54.560 --> 00:19:55.700
 appearance of defeat,

00:19:56.180 --> 00:19:57.440
 but God was fulfilling

00:19:57.440 --> 00:19:58.640
 his promise to Eli,

00:19:59.060 --> 00:20:00.300
 he was bringing an end

00:20:00.300 --> 00:20:02.060
 to the family's corrupt rule,

00:20:02.320 --> 00:20:03.340
 and he was wiping

00:20:03.340 --> 00:20:04.340
 the slate clean

00:20:04.340 --> 00:20:04.940
 to prepare

00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:06.480
 for a fresh,

00:20:06.840 --> 00:20:08.759
 clean start

00:20:08.759 --> 00:20:09.720
 that he wanted to bring.

00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:10.579
 God's judgment

00:20:10.579 --> 00:20:12.220
 clears the dead branches

00:20:12.220 --> 00:20:13.819
 out so that new life

00:20:13.819 --> 00:20:14.480
 can come.

00:20:17.380 --> 00:20:18.860
 A scholar

00:20:18.860 --> 00:20:21.299
 named Dale Ralph Davis

00:20:21.299 --> 00:20:22.180
 said this,

00:20:22.220 --> 00:20:23.220
 a very challenging quote,

00:20:23.299 --> 00:20:23.620
 he says,

00:20:24.740 --> 00:20:25.380
 Yahweh

00:20:25.380 --> 00:20:27.360
 will suffer shame

00:20:27.360 --> 00:20:28.720
 rather than allow you

00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:29.420
 to carry on

00:20:29.420 --> 00:20:30.420
 a false relationship

00:20:30.420 --> 00:20:30.900
 with him.

00:20:31.420 --> 00:20:32.519
 He will allow you

00:20:32.519 --> 00:20:33.620
 to be disappointed

00:20:33.620 --> 00:20:34.220
 with him

00:20:34.220 --> 00:20:36.059
 if it will awaken you

00:20:36.059 --> 00:20:37.440
 to the sort of God

00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:38.240
 that he is.

00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:39.380
 You know,

00:20:39.420 --> 00:20:40.180
 when I was in the UK,

00:20:40.859 --> 00:20:42.380
 where I studied,

00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:43.140
 the university,

00:20:43.559 --> 00:20:45.380
 many of the lecture halls

00:20:45.380 --> 00:20:46.539
 and the drama studio

00:20:46.539 --> 00:20:49.299
 and even flats

00:20:49.299 --> 00:20:49.819
 were actually

00:20:49.819 --> 00:20:51.400
 old church buildings

00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:53.259
 which had closed

00:20:53.259 --> 00:20:54.900
 and they'd been taken over.

00:20:55.359 --> 00:20:56.420
 And many people

00:20:56.420 --> 00:20:57.660
 I heard lamented,

00:20:57.779 --> 00:20:57.940
 oh,

00:20:58.019 --> 00:20:59.200
 the glory departed

00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:00.440
 when the building shut.

00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:01.680
 No,

00:21:01.720 --> 00:21:02.900
 the glory doesn't depart

00:21:02.900 --> 00:21:03.240
 then.

00:21:03.500 --> 00:21:04.880
 It departed long before

00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:05.640
 when people

00:21:05.640 --> 00:21:06.740
 had treated God

00:21:06.740 --> 00:21:07.440
 as a user

00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:09.720
 and weren't lovers

00:21:09.720 --> 00:21:10.500
 of him.

00:21:11.340 --> 00:21:11.559
 You see,

00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:12.299
 God may,

00:21:12.539 --> 00:21:13.340
 and this is challenging,

00:21:13.840 --> 00:21:14.220
 but this is what

00:21:14.220 --> 00:21:14.960
 the passage is saying,

00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:15.799
 God may allow

00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:16.559
 your plans,

00:21:17.019 --> 00:21:17.480
 he may allow

00:21:17.480 --> 00:21:18.180
 your prayers,

00:21:18.299 --> 00:21:19.440
 he may even allow

00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:20.380
 his church

00:21:20.380 --> 00:21:21.580
 to be defeated

00:21:21.580 --> 00:21:23.120
 to wake us up

00:21:23.120 --> 00:21:24.240
 to who he really is.

00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:25.580
 And you know,

00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:26.460
 I've talked to people

00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:27.120
 who say things like,

00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:27.819
 I used to pray

00:21:27.819 --> 00:21:28.859
 before job interviews

00:21:28.859 --> 00:21:30.079
 and every time I prayed,

00:21:30.399 --> 00:21:31.579
 God gave me the job,

00:21:31.719 --> 00:21:33.139
 but I prayed this time

00:21:33.139 --> 00:21:34.079
 and I didn't get the job.

00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:34.519
 Like,

00:21:34.639 --> 00:21:35.619
 what went wrong?

00:21:36.179 --> 00:21:36.439
 Like,

00:21:36.659 --> 00:21:37.839
 what's the point

00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:38.379
 in praying?

00:21:40.659 --> 00:21:41.459
 But maybe

00:21:41.459 --> 00:21:42.219
 we've made God

00:21:42.219 --> 00:21:42.779
 our genie,

00:21:43.219 --> 00:21:44.319
 we've put him in a box,

00:21:44.479 --> 00:21:45.500
 he is so gracious

00:21:45.500 --> 00:21:46.259
 to us,

00:21:46.599 --> 00:21:47.500
 but sometimes

00:21:47.500 --> 00:21:48.679
 he'll disappoint us

00:21:48.679 --> 00:21:49.819
 so that we come

00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:50.919
 to him for him,

00:21:51.299 --> 00:21:52.219
 we come to him

00:21:52.219 --> 00:21:52.899
 for his face,

00:21:52.979 --> 00:21:54.099
 not just for his hand

00:21:54.099 --> 00:21:54.899
 of what he's going

00:21:54.899 --> 00:21:55.559
 to give us.

00:21:55.559 --> 00:21:57.599
 So that we learn

00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:58.480
 how to honour him

00:21:58.480 --> 00:21:59.599
 as the holy God,

00:21:59.740 --> 00:22:00.720
 the sovereign God,

00:22:00.899 --> 00:22:01.940
 the gracious God,

00:22:02.299 --> 00:22:03.740
 but who God really is

00:22:03.740 --> 00:22:04.639
 not to use him.

00:22:05.139 --> 00:22:06.139
 That's the first thing.

00:22:06.539 --> 00:22:07.759
 When we put God

00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:08.579
 in a box.

00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:10.299
 But the second thing

00:22:10.299 --> 00:22:10.980
 is this.

00:22:11.639 --> 00:22:12.480
 When God

00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:14.000
 breaks the box.

00:22:15.339 --> 00:22:15.679
 And

00:22:15.679 --> 00:22:16.940
 I love this,

00:22:16.980 --> 00:22:17.500
 this is kind of,

00:22:17.779 --> 00:22:19.259
 I'd love to see this

00:22:19.259 --> 00:22:19.919
 acted out,

00:22:20.500 --> 00:22:21.579
 but maybe Annabelle

00:22:21.579 --> 00:22:22.539
 and Justin

00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:23.639
 can do this for us later.

00:22:24.359 --> 00:22:25.519
 But just when

00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:26.440
 Yahweh

00:22:26.440 --> 00:22:27.720
 seems down

00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:28.379
 and out

00:22:28.379 --> 00:22:29.139
 for the count,

00:22:30.059 --> 00:22:30.740
 God proves

00:22:30.740 --> 00:22:31.240
 that he's still

00:22:31.240 --> 00:22:31.639
 on the throne.

00:22:31.740 --> 00:22:31.960
 Do you remember

00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:32.799
 in chapter 2,

00:22:33.319 --> 00:22:34.559
 Hannah's prayer

00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:35.420
 says,

00:22:35.639 --> 00:22:36.500
 the adversaries

00:22:36.500 --> 00:22:37.220
 of the Lord

00:22:37.220 --> 00:22:37.920
 will be broken

00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:38.519
 in pieces.

00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:39.660
 And so what happens?

00:22:40.139 --> 00:22:40.720
 Verse 5,

00:22:40.859 --> 00:22:41.160
 sorry,

00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:41.660
 chapter 5,

00:22:41.700 --> 00:22:42.279
 verse 1 and 2.

00:22:42.779 --> 00:22:43.839
 When the Philistines

00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:45.299
 captured the Ark of God,

00:22:45.299 --> 00:22:46.299
 they brought it

00:22:46.299 --> 00:22:47.359
 from Ebenezer

00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:48.359
 to Ashdod.

00:22:48.619 --> 00:22:49.480
 And then the Philistines

00:22:49.480 --> 00:22:50.519
 took the Ark of God

00:22:50.519 --> 00:22:51.539
 and they brought it

00:22:51.539 --> 00:22:52.500
 into the house

00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:52.960
 of Dagon

00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:53.920
 and set it up

00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:54.680
 beside Dagon.

00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:55.700
 See,

00:22:55.799 --> 00:22:56.059
 remember,

00:22:56.160 --> 00:22:56.740
 I said warfare

00:22:56.740 --> 00:22:58.100
 was a battle of gods.

00:22:58.660 --> 00:22:59.559
 And so when pagans

00:22:59.559 --> 00:23:00.680
 won a victory,

00:23:00.819 --> 00:23:01.480
 pagan nations

00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:02.039
 won a victory

00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:03.059
 over another nation,

00:23:03.340 --> 00:23:04.079
 what would they do?

00:23:04.200 --> 00:23:04.660
 They would bring

00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:05.160
 the image

00:23:05.160 --> 00:23:06.360
 of that nation's god

00:23:06.360 --> 00:23:07.559
 and like a hunter's

00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:08.420
 trophy cabinet,

00:23:08.660 --> 00:23:09.200
 they'd put it

00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:09.840
 in their temple

00:23:09.840 --> 00:23:10.500
 to show,

00:23:10.500 --> 00:23:11.640
 look at all the people

00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:12.319
 we've defeated.

00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:13.799
 It was,

00:23:14.380 --> 00:23:14.840
 because you know,

00:23:14.940 --> 00:23:15.500
 refusers,

00:23:15.620 --> 00:23:16.660
 when they seem successful,

00:23:17.100 --> 00:23:18.180
 they love to mock

00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:19.019
 and to look down

00:23:19.019 --> 00:23:19.779
 on those who seem

00:23:19.779 --> 00:23:20.779
 defeated and weak.

00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:22.680
 But here's what I love.

00:23:22.759 --> 00:23:23.399
 I love this part.

00:23:24.639 --> 00:23:25.059
 And when,

00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:26.980
 this is verse 3,

00:23:27.619 --> 00:23:28.220
 when the people

00:23:28.220 --> 00:23:28.799
 of Ashdod

00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:30.920
 rose early next day,

00:23:31.099 --> 00:23:31.319
 okay,

00:23:31.399 --> 00:23:31.700
 they're probably

00:23:31.700 --> 00:23:33.399
 like kind of,

00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:34.599
 a bit kind of cocky

00:23:34.599 --> 00:23:35.639
 after the victory

00:23:35.639 --> 00:23:37.519
 of the day before,

00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:38.660
 they walk into

00:23:38.660 --> 00:23:39.200
 their temple

00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:41.899
 and it says this,

00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:43.440
 behold,

00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:44.799
 Dagon had fallen

00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:45.700
 face down

00:23:45.700 --> 00:23:46.500
 on the ground

00:23:46.500 --> 00:23:47.559
 before the Ark

00:23:47.559 --> 00:23:48.139
 of the Lord.

00:23:48.819 --> 00:23:49.079
 You see,

00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:49.539
 what's happening

00:23:49.539 --> 00:23:50.359
 is Dagon

00:23:50.359 --> 00:23:51.200
 is literally

00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:52.519
 prostrate

00:23:52.519 --> 00:23:53.379
 on the floor

00:23:53.379 --> 00:23:54.099
 before the Ark

00:23:54.099 --> 00:23:54.519
 of Yahweh.

00:23:54.619 --> 00:23:55.000
 That's actually

00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:55.500
 how people

00:23:55.500 --> 00:23:56.159
 used to work,

00:23:56.399 --> 00:23:56.960
 worship.

00:23:57.519 --> 00:23:58.259
 If you see

00:23:58.259 --> 00:23:59.279
 how Muslims pray,

00:23:59.539 --> 00:24:00.200
 that's how people

00:24:00.200 --> 00:24:00.759
 would do it.

00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:02.379
 Dagon is worshipping

00:24:02.379 --> 00:24:03.019
 Yahweh.

00:24:03.159 --> 00:24:04.139
 It's kind of comical.

00:24:04.500 --> 00:24:05.240
 It's tragic.

00:24:05.859 --> 00:24:06.139
 And so,

00:24:06.379 --> 00:24:07.220
 what do the people do?

00:24:07.319 --> 00:24:07.559
 They go,

00:24:07.779 --> 00:24:08.059
 oh,

00:24:08.139 --> 00:24:08.740
 do they repent?

00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:09.379
 No.

00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:10.799
 They prop their idol

00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:12.159
 back up into their place.

00:24:12.500 --> 00:24:12.759
 And so,

00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:13.279
 what does it say?

00:24:13.420 --> 00:24:14.180
 They took Dagon,

00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:15.680
 put him back in his place,

00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:16.759
 and the next morning,

00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:17.359
 okay,

00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:18.680
 what happens?

00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:19.299
 Behold,

00:24:19.620 --> 00:24:20.500
 Dagon had fallen

00:24:20.500 --> 00:24:21.640
 face down on the ground

00:24:21.640 --> 00:24:22.420
 before the Ark

00:24:22.420 --> 00:24:22.920
 of the Lord.

00:24:23.320 --> 00:24:23.820
 And now,

00:24:24.500 --> 00:24:25.440
 the head of Dagon

00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:26.940
 and both his hands

00:24:26.940 --> 00:24:28.240
 were lying cut off

00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:29.039
 on the threshold.

00:24:29.180 --> 00:24:29.860
 Only the trunk

00:24:29.860 --> 00:24:30.720
 of Dagon

00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:31.440
 was left to him.

00:24:32.100 --> 00:24:33.360
 Do you get the message?

00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:33.960
 Okay?

00:24:34.700 --> 00:24:36.080
 Your idols suck.

00:24:36.420 --> 00:24:37.220
 That's what he's saying.

00:24:37.600 --> 00:24:37.880
 Okay?

00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:39.240
 What you think

00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:39.860
 is the source

00:24:39.860 --> 00:24:40.700
 of your success

00:24:40.700 --> 00:24:42.120
 actually is just

00:24:42.120 --> 00:24:43.299
 a museum piece.

00:24:43.299 --> 00:24:45.200
 because anything

00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:46.180
 you trust in,

00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:47.919
 anything you give glory

00:24:47.919 --> 00:24:49.579
 to for your success

00:24:49.579 --> 00:24:50.339
 or for anything

00:24:50.339 --> 00:24:51.079
 in your life

00:24:51.079 --> 00:24:52.440
 other than God himself

00:24:52.440 --> 00:24:53.460
 will ultimately

00:24:53.460 --> 00:24:54.879
 at some point

00:24:54.879 --> 00:24:55.960
 be exposed

00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:56.879
 and brought low

00:24:56.879 --> 00:24:57.799
 and been shown

00:24:57.799 --> 00:24:58.700
 for a dead,

00:24:59.139 --> 00:24:59.899
 worthless idol

00:24:59.899 --> 00:25:01.139
 for what it really is.

00:25:02.099 --> 00:25:02.319
 You see,

00:25:02.399 --> 00:25:03.200
 you haven't kind of

00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:03.539
 COVID

00:25:03.539 --> 00:25:04.879
 and even you think back

00:25:04.879 --> 00:25:06.119
 to like the financial crisis

00:25:06.119 --> 00:25:07.059
 in 2008

00:25:07.059 --> 00:25:08.319
 and a thousand

00:25:08.319 --> 00:25:08.940
 other things

00:25:08.940 --> 00:25:09.919
 shown us things like

00:25:09.919 --> 00:25:11.399
 we're not in control.

00:25:12.159 --> 00:25:12.980
 Our plans

00:25:12.980 --> 00:25:13.879
 are not God.

00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:15.440
 Yet how many of us

00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:15.659
 kind of,

00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:16.639
 we continue to prop

00:25:16.639 --> 00:25:17.200
 that idol

00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:18.419
 back up in its place,

00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:18.720
 you know,

00:25:18.779 --> 00:25:19.720
 trust our own plans,

00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:20.460
 our own abilities,

00:25:20.599 --> 00:25:21.299
 our own success

00:25:21.299 --> 00:25:22.919
 for what can make us through.

00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:24.220
 And you know,

00:25:24.259 --> 00:25:24.940
 God is sometimes

00:25:24.940 --> 00:25:26.099
 so gracious to us

00:25:26.099 --> 00:25:28.480
 to actually smash our plans,

00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:31.099
 to actually smash

00:25:31.099 --> 00:25:32.099
 the things we trust

00:25:32.099 --> 00:25:32.960
 into pieces

00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:33.980
 to wake us up

00:25:33.980 --> 00:25:34.579
 to see that

00:25:34.579 --> 00:25:35.559
 his holiness

00:25:35.559 --> 00:25:38.099
 is the source

00:25:38.099 --> 00:25:39.119
 of life

00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:40.679
 that you are craving

00:25:40.679 --> 00:25:41.799
 for and longing for.

00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:43.679
 He is the source

00:25:43.679 --> 00:25:44.440
 of everything

00:25:44.440 --> 00:25:46.700
 that you ultimately desire.

00:25:47.019 --> 00:25:48.079
 He is our oxygen.

00:25:48.539 --> 00:25:49.480
 He is our life.

00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:50.960
 And he keeps going,

00:25:51.299 --> 00:25:52.159
 come to me.

00:25:52.259 --> 00:25:54.119
 I want to give you life.

00:25:55.419 --> 00:25:56.639
 Let me show you

00:25:56.639 --> 00:25:57.240
 that,

00:25:57.319 --> 00:25:58.659
 you know,

00:25:58.759 --> 00:26:00.240
 that your kind of,

00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:02.159
 your self-made snorkels

00:26:02.159 --> 00:26:03.579
 don't work in deep water.

00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:05.059
 Let me show you,

00:26:05.059 --> 00:26:06.220
 come to me.

00:26:06.679 --> 00:26:07.440
 But if you,

00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:08.399
 like the Philistines

00:26:08.399 --> 00:26:09.299
 and like a diver

00:26:09.299 --> 00:26:10.779
 who continually refuses,

00:26:10.899 --> 00:26:10.980
 no,

00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:11.839
 I don't want your oxygen.

00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:12.940
 I don't want your oxygen.

00:26:13.179 --> 00:26:14.460
 I can do it by myself.

00:26:14.639 --> 00:26:16.019
 I'm going to cut the line.

00:26:17.059 --> 00:26:17.859
 Trust yourself.

00:26:18.099 --> 00:26:18.899
 At some point,

00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:19.799
 God will not force

00:26:19.799 --> 00:26:20.879
 his life upon us.

00:26:22.279 --> 00:26:23.799
 And we will die

00:26:23.799 --> 00:26:25.399
 cut off

00:26:25.399 --> 00:26:27.079
 eternally from God

00:26:27.079 --> 00:26:29.399
 if we continually,

00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:31.240
 continually refuse him.

00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:32.440
 And you can't go,

00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:32.859
 well,

00:26:32.940 --> 00:26:33.899
 God's just mean,

00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:34.480
 isn't he?

00:26:35.600 --> 00:26:35.980
 No,

00:26:36.040 --> 00:26:37.240
 if you choose

00:26:37.240 --> 00:26:37.680
 to go,

00:26:37.800 --> 00:26:37.920
 hey,

00:26:38.019 --> 00:26:39.019
 I want my life,

00:26:39.140 --> 00:26:39.600
 my way,

00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:40.560
 not his way,

00:26:41.060 --> 00:26:41.980
 he will eventually

00:26:41.980 --> 00:26:42.700
 hand us over

00:26:42.700 --> 00:26:43.700
 to the consequences

00:26:43.700 --> 00:26:45.460
 of our choices.

00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:46.580
 And even if you're

00:26:46.580 --> 00:26:47.100
 a believer,

00:26:47.480 --> 00:26:48.300
 you're not going to,

00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:49.080
 there's not a place

00:26:49.080 --> 00:26:49.980
 of eternal death,

00:26:50.060 --> 00:26:50.880
 but actually he can

00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:51.600
 wake us up

00:26:51.600 --> 00:26:52.640
 through bringing

00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:53.420
 consequences

00:26:53.420 --> 00:26:54.200
 of our decisions

00:26:54.200 --> 00:26:55.019
 to us.

00:26:55.019 --> 00:26:57.259
 you know,

00:26:57.319 --> 00:26:59.139
 Paul in the Romans

00:26:59.139 --> 00:27:00.139
 says the wages

00:27:00.139 --> 00:27:01.519
 of sin is death.

00:27:02.259 --> 00:27:02.619
 God says,

00:27:02.700 --> 00:27:03.619
 don't walk away

00:27:03.619 --> 00:27:04.180
 from me.

00:27:04.599 --> 00:27:05.400
 And what happens

00:27:05.400 --> 00:27:06.359
 is God brings

00:27:06.359 --> 00:27:07.639
 a deadly plague

00:27:07.639 --> 00:27:09.339
 on the Philistines.

00:27:10.799 --> 00:27:12.119
 It's quite heavy

00:27:12.119 --> 00:27:13.099
 in many ways.

00:27:13.740 --> 00:27:14.160
 And that's where

00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:14.720
 we got up to

00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:15.220
 in the reading.

00:27:16.200 --> 00:27:16.940
 Because actually

00:27:16.940 --> 00:27:18.200
 scripture is really clear.

00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:19.379
 All of us

00:27:19.379 --> 00:27:20.319
 at some point

00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:21.180
 are users

00:27:21.180 --> 00:27:22.379
 or refusers of God.

00:27:22.380 --> 00:27:23.600
 at some point.

00:27:23.700 --> 00:27:24.160
 All of us

00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:24.720
 have sinned

00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:25.620
 and fallen short

00:27:25.620 --> 00:27:26.480
 of the kavod,

00:27:26.560 --> 00:27:27.580
 the glory of God.

00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:28.720
 We all of us

00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:29.440
 have not treated

00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:30.280
 God as God

00:27:30.280 --> 00:27:30.940
 in some way.

00:27:31.360 --> 00:27:32.240
 And all of us

00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:33.920
 experience our sin

00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:35.420
 and at some point

00:27:35.420 --> 00:27:36.980
 experience the consequences

00:27:36.980 --> 00:27:39.720
 when we get exposed

00:27:39.720 --> 00:27:41.880
 and God exposes us

00:27:41.880 --> 00:27:43.000
 in different ways.

00:27:43.140 --> 00:27:43.980
 And God is gracious

00:27:43.980 --> 00:27:45.520
 to bring our idols

00:27:45.520 --> 00:27:46.280
 to fail.

00:27:47.360 --> 00:27:48.340
 But when you feel

00:27:48.340 --> 00:27:49.020
 the consequences

00:27:49.020 --> 00:27:49.700
 of your sin,

00:27:50.560 --> 00:27:50.880
 do you know

00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:51.440
 what uses

00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:52.820
 and refusers do?

00:27:53.580 --> 00:27:54.380
 They either

00:27:54.380 --> 00:27:56.200
 become self-atoners

00:27:56.200 --> 00:27:57.080
 or they become

00:27:57.080 --> 00:27:58.080
 minimizers

00:27:58.080 --> 00:27:58.860
 and deniers

00:27:58.860 --> 00:27:59.519
 of their sin.

00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:00.620
 And here's where

00:28:00.620 --> 00:28:01.420
 chapter 6

00:28:01.420 --> 00:28:02.960
 comes into play.

00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:03.820
 We didn't read this

00:28:03.820 --> 00:28:05.940
 but here's where

00:28:05.940 --> 00:28:07.340
 chapter 6

00:28:07.340 --> 00:28:09.000
 kind of

00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:09.799
 picks up the story

00:28:09.799 --> 00:28:10.299
 and I'm going to go

00:28:10.299 --> 00:28:11.660
 quickly and summarize this.

00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:13.259
 But what happens is

00:28:13.259 --> 00:28:14.700
 the Philistines

00:28:14.700 --> 00:28:16.380
 seek to self-atone

00:28:16.380 --> 00:28:17.779
 and remove

00:28:17.779 --> 00:28:18.660
 the consequences

00:28:18.660 --> 00:28:20.259
 by appeasing God.

00:28:20.259 --> 00:28:20.920
 So they produce

00:28:20.920 --> 00:28:22.099
 a guilt offering

00:28:22.099 --> 00:28:22.720
 for God.

00:28:22.940 --> 00:28:23.460
 And that's good.

00:28:23.619 --> 00:28:24.619
 Scripture tells you

00:28:24.619 --> 00:28:27.039
 that sin requires

00:28:27.039 --> 00:28:28.059
 a guilt offering

00:28:28.059 --> 00:28:28.759
 for healing.

00:28:29.460 --> 00:28:30.759
 But what offering

00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:31.900
 do they bring?

00:28:32.660 --> 00:28:33.099
 Do they bring

00:28:33.099 --> 00:28:33.839
 a sacrifice

00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:34.700
 of an animal

00:28:34.700 --> 00:28:36.079
 blood to God's altar

00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:37.140
 as he required?

00:28:37.259 --> 00:28:37.460
 No.

00:28:37.879 --> 00:28:38.879
 They actually say

00:28:38.879 --> 00:28:39.740
 this and this is

00:28:39.740 --> 00:28:40.539
 verse 5.

00:28:40.740 --> 00:28:41.099
 They say

00:28:41.099 --> 00:28:42.599
 you must make

00:28:42.599 --> 00:28:43.279
 images

00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:44.000
 the word is

00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:44.420
 idols

00:28:44.420 --> 00:28:45.900
 of your tumors

00:28:45.900 --> 00:28:47.000
 and images

00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:48.460
 idols of your mice

00:28:48.460 --> 00:28:49.480
 that's actually rats

00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:50.880
 that ravage the land

00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:51.480
 and give glory

00:28:51.480 --> 00:28:52.340
 to the God of Israel

00:28:52.340 --> 00:28:53.160
 perhaps he will

00:28:53.160 --> 00:28:53.860
 lighten his hands

00:28:53.860 --> 00:28:54.279
 off you

00:28:54.279 --> 00:28:55.039
 and your gods

00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:55.840
 and your land.

00:28:56.960 --> 00:28:57.440
 Do you see

00:28:57.440 --> 00:28:57.880
 what they're doing?

00:28:58.440 --> 00:28:59.759
 They feel the consequence

00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:00.660
 of their sin on them.

00:29:01.420 --> 00:29:01.600
 Okay.

00:29:01.960 --> 00:29:02.400
 And so they're

00:29:02.400 --> 00:29:03.140
 appeasing God

00:29:03.140 --> 00:29:04.000
 by making

00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:05.799
 golden idols

00:29:05.799 --> 00:29:07.059
 of boils

00:29:07.059 --> 00:29:08.039
 and rats.

00:29:08.920 --> 00:29:09.960
 That's just gross.

00:29:10.120 --> 00:29:10.380
 In fact

00:29:10.380 --> 00:29:11.140
 in scripture

00:29:11.140 --> 00:29:12.620
 it's unclean

00:29:12.620 --> 00:29:13.259
 all of it.

00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:14.340
 And they're putting them

00:29:14.339 --> 00:29:15.039
 they put them

00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:15.659
 on a car

00:29:15.659 --> 00:29:16.819
 next to the

00:29:16.819 --> 00:29:17.679
 holy ark

00:29:17.679 --> 00:29:18.179
 of God

00:29:18.179 --> 00:29:19.159
 and they think

00:29:19.159 --> 00:29:19.639
 that these

00:29:19.639 --> 00:29:20.720
 disgusting images

00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:21.480
 in some way

00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:22.119
 are going to

00:29:22.119 --> 00:29:23.419
 please this God.

00:29:24.220 --> 00:29:25.139
 And they send it

00:29:25.139 --> 00:29:26.319
 back with the ark

00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:28.379
 and kind of hope

00:29:28.379 --> 00:29:29.179
 that they've just

00:29:29.179 --> 00:29:29.720
 kind of removed

00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:30.279
 the consequences

00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:31.000
 they can get on

00:29:31.000 --> 00:29:31.699
 with their lives

00:29:31.699 --> 00:29:32.439
 and their gods

00:29:32.439 --> 00:29:33.459
 and all the other stuff.

00:29:34.339 --> 00:29:35.000
 Because you see

00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:36.059
 this is them

00:29:36.059 --> 00:29:37.500
 self-atoning

00:29:37.500 --> 00:29:38.939
 making up

00:29:38.939 --> 00:29:40.000
 trying to remove

00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:40.899
 the consequences

00:29:40.899 --> 00:29:42.459
 of their sin

00:29:42.460 --> 00:29:43.840
 while still trying

00:29:43.840 --> 00:29:44.680
 to stay in control

00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:46.519
 without coming

00:29:46.519 --> 00:29:46.920
 to God

00:29:46.920 --> 00:29:47.779
 on his terms.

00:29:48.740 --> 00:29:48.900
 You know

00:29:48.900 --> 00:29:50.680
 I've got friends

00:29:50.680 --> 00:29:52.360
 who self-harm

00:29:52.360 --> 00:29:53.940
 and you know

00:29:53.940 --> 00:29:54.680
 self-harm

00:29:54.680 --> 00:29:55.279
 is a way

00:29:55.279 --> 00:29:56.279
 to try and remove

00:29:56.279 --> 00:29:57.299
 feelings of guilt

00:29:57.299 --> 00:29:57.940
 and shame

00:29:57.940 --> 00:29:58.799
 through shedding

00:29:58.799 --> 00:29:59.640
 our own blood.

00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:00.600
 It's a form

00:30:00.600 --> 00:30:01.600
 of self-atonement

00:30:01.600 --> 00:30:02.860
 and it's devastating.

00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:04.299
 It feels good

00:30:04.299 --> 00:30:04.759
 for a moment

00:30:04.759 --> 00:30:05.920
 but it leaves scars.

00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:07.700
 But it's

00:30:07.700 --> 00:30:08.759
 I think we can do that

00:30:08.759 --> 00:30:10.960
 also psychologically too.

00:30:11.460 --> 00:30:11.559
 You know

00:30:11.559 --> 00:30:12.160
 I talked to

00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:13.240
 a lady

00:30:13.240 --> 00:30:13.779
 who said

00:30:13.779 --> 00:30:14.500
 I know

00:30:14.500 --> 00:30:15.480
 God forgives me

00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:16.860
 but I can't

00:30:16.860 --> 00:30:17.680
 forgive myself

00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:18.500
 for what I've done.

00:30:19.540 --> 00:30:19.840
 You know

00:30:19.840 --> 00:30:20.540
 what she's saying

00:30:20.540 --> 00:30:20.800
 is

00:30:20.800 --> 00:30:22.019
 sure I understand

00:30:22.019 --> 00:30:22.600
 the idea

00:30:22.600 --> 00:30:23.940
 that God forgives

00:30:23.940 --> 00:30:25.480
 but that's not enough

00:30:25.480 --> 00:30:26.300
 so I've got to

00:30:26.300 --> 00:30:27.000
 self-atone

00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:27.640
 by being really

00:30:27.640 --> 00:30:28.640
 hard on myself.

00:30:29.820 --> 00:30:30.680
 Thinking that

00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:31.440
 maybe the worse

00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:32.180
 or the more guilty

00:30:32.180 --> 00:30:33.040
 I feel

00:30:33.040 --> 00:30:34.000
 the more likely

00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:35.340
 God is to forgive you

00:30:35.340 --> 00:30:36.740
 or to get you

00:30:36.740 --> 00:30:37.160
 out of it.

00:30:37.220 --> 00:30:37.680
 That's actually

00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:39.300
 psychological self-harm.

00:30:40.300 --> 00:30:40.820
 Some of us

00:30:40.820 --> 00:30:41.360
 self-atone

00:30:41.359 --> 00:30:42.039
 by serving

00:30:42.039 --> 00:30:42.799
 or doing charity.

00:30:43.139 --> 00:30:43.439
 Others

00:30:43.439 --> 00:30:44.339
 through confessing

00:30:44.339 --> 00:30:44.819
 your sin

00:30:44.819 --> 00:30:45.359
 in CG

00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:47.259
 removing the guilty feeling

00:30:47.259 --> 00:30:48.119
 you just had a nice

00:30:48.119 --> 00:30:48.839
 therapy session

00:30:48.839 --> 00:30:49.439
 in your CG

00:30:49.439 --> 00:30:50.279
 and then

00:30:50.279 --> 00:30:51.319
 you go away

00:30:51.319 --> 00:30:52.039
 and you just carry on

00:30:52.039 --> 00:30:52.759
 with the rest of your life

00:30:52.759 --> 00:30:53.439
 and then you come back

00:30:53.439 --> 00:30:54.079
 again next week

00:30:54.079 --> 00:30:55.219
 just confess the same

00:30:55.219 --> 00:30:55.919
 thing

00:30:55.919 --> 00:30:56.879
 but you have no sense

00:30:56.879 --> 00:30:57.500
 of actually trying

00:30:57.500 --> 00:30:58.259
 to really change

00:30:58.259 --> 00:30:59.279
 or to make any difference

00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:00.500
 in your life.

00:31:00.699 --> 00:31:01.679
 It's actually a form

00:31:01.679 --> 00:31:02.799
 of self-atonement.

00:31:03.939 --> 00:31:05.000
 Remove the consequences

00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:06.319
 of sin

00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:07.639
 without running to God

00:31:07.639 --> 00:31:09.279
 to truly cleanse you

00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:10.000
 from your sin

00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:11.440
 and to truly change you

00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:12.299
 so that you want him

00:31:12.299 --> 00:31:12.859
 for him.

00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:15.019
 Now that's

00:31:15.019 --> 00:31:16.139
 what the Philistines do

00:31:16.139 --> 00:31:17.180
 self-atonement.

00:31:17.899 --> 00:31:19.660
 The Israelites

00:31:19.660 --> 00:31:21.440
 they do something else.

00:31:21.759 --> 00:31:22.859
 When the ark returns

00:31:22.859 --> 00:31:24.779
 they are ones

00:31:24.779 --> 00:31:25.440
 who minimize

00:31:25.440 --> 00:31:26.619
 or fail to own

00:31:26.619 --> 00:31:27.039
 their sin.

00:31:27.160 --> 00:31:28.099
 The ark gets back

00:31:28.099 --> 00:31:30.160
 and the Israelites

00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:31.359
 don't kind of repent

00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:32.000
 sorry God

00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:32.579
 we've just been

00:31:32.579 --> 00:31:33.440
 users of you.

00:31:34.139 --> 00:31:34.700
 No they go

00:31:34.700 --> 00:31:36.099
 oh everything's fine

00:31:36.099 --> 00:31:37.200
 the ark's back

00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:38.319
 let's have a party.

00:31:38.680 --> 00:31:39.920
 They sacrifice the cows

00:31:39.920 --> 00:31:40.720
 when only bulls

00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:41.580
 were meant to be sacrificed.

00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:42.799
 They put the ark

00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:43.880
 on a huge stone

00:31:43.880 --> 00:31:45.140
 for everyone to look at

00:31:45.140 --> 00:31:45.880
 when actually it was

00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:46.779
 meant to be hidden

00:31:46.779 --> 00:31:47.720
 and treated respect

00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:48.600
 behind the curtain

00:31:48.600 --> 00:31:49.720
 of the tabernacle.

00:31:50.259 --> 00:31:51.640
 God is still in their box.

00:31:51.840 --> 00:31:52.720
 They're still users

00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:54.080
 after all that has

00:31:54.080 --> 00:31:54.799
 happened to them

00:31:54.799 --> 00:31:56.480
 and the judgment

00:31:56.480 --> 00:31:57.740
 of God comes upon them

00:31:57.740 --> 00:31:59.900
 and death comes upon them

00:31:59.900 --> 00:32:01.180
 and they go

00:32:01.180 --> 00:32:03.140
 oh this is a problem.

00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:04.259
 Who is able

00:32:04.259 --> 00:32:06.400
 to stand before the Lord

00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:07.619
 this holy God?

00:32:08.279 --> 00:32:09.500
 Okay that's a great question.

00:32:09.660 --> 00:32:10.440
 Psalm 24 says

00:32:10.440 --> 00:32:11.180
 yeah only those

00:32:11.180 --> 00:32:12.059
 who've got a pure heart

00:32:12.059 --> 00:32:13.259
 and clean hands.

00:32:13.779 --> 00:32:14.500
 And so they don't go

00:32:14.500 --> 00:32:15.259
 let's repent.

00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:15.859
 They go

00:32:15.859 --> 00:32:17.220
 oh to whom shall he

00:32:17.220 --> 00:32:18.099
 go up away from us?

00:32:18.180 --> 00:32:19.240
 Let's get rid of him.

00:32:19.779 --> 00:32:20.640
 We don't want him.

00:32:21.319 --> 00:32:21.700
 Okay.

00:32:21.940 --> 00:32:22.660
 We don't want him

00:32:22.660 --> 00:32:23.140
 because he doesn't

00:32:23.140 --> 00:32:24.180
 fit in our box.

00:32:25.640 --> 00:32:26.440
 You see

00:32:26.440 --> 00:32:28.579
 when self-atoners

00:32:28.579 --> 00:32:29.279
 and minimizers

00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:30.279
 still have God

00:32:30.279 --> 00:32:30.980
 in their box

00:32:30.980 --> 00:32:32.200
 they do so

00:32:32.200 --> 00:32:33.440
 because they don't realize

00:32:33.440 --> 00:32:34.759
 that when you come to God

00:32:34.759 --> 00:32:36.400
 on his terms

00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:37.680
 when you let him

00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:38.640
 break your box

00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:40.160
 you can quit

00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:41.200
 being hard on yourself.

00:32:41.700 --> 00:32:42.519
 You can quit

00:32:42.519 --> 00:32:43.620
 all your self-atonement.

00:32:44.100 --> 00:32:44.620
 You can quit

00:32:44.620 --> 00:32:45.860
 denying or minimizing

00:32:45.860 --> 00:32:46.539
 your sin

00:32:46.539 --> 00:32:48.360
 because he has made

00:32:48.360 --> 00:32:49.100
 a way

00:32:49.100 --> 00:32:50.820
 to face it fully

00:32:50.820 --> 00:32:52.340
 and to remove

00:32:52.340 --> 00:32:53.220
 all of your sin

00:32:53.220 --> 00:32:54.039
 and consequences.

00:32:55.140 --> 00:32:56.740
 Because the crazy thing

00:32:56.740 --> 00:32:57.600
 in the story is

00:32:57.600 --> 00:32:59.580
 the whole way along

00:32:59.580 --> 00:33:02.320
 the top of this

00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:03.480
 holy ark

00:33:03.480 --> 00:33:04.339
 of the covenant

00:33:04.339 --> 00:33:05.419
 which has been

00:33:05.419 --> 00:33:06.079
 with the Israelites

00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:06.639
 which has been

00:33:06.639 --> 00:33:07.480
 with the Philistines

00:33:07.480 --> 00:33:08.359
 all along

00:33:08.359 --> 00:33:10.159
 was the mercy seat

00:33:10.159 --> 00:33:12.379
 where

00:33:12.379 --> 00:33:13.419
 through the blood

00:33:13.419 --> 00:33:14.539
 of an animal sacrifice

00:33:14.539 --> 00:33:15.439
 the people

00:33:15.439 --> 00:33:16.700
 would be cleansed

00:33:16.700 --> 00:33:17.200
 forgiven

00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:18.000
 healed

00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:18.839
 and could experience

00:33:18.839 --> 00:33:19.740
 God's blessing

00:33:19.740 --> 00:33:20.899
 into their life again.

00:33:22.460 --> 00:33:23.339
 And we know

00:33:23.339 --> 00:33:23.879
 as Christians

00:33:23.879 --> 00:33:24.439
 if you kind of

00:33:24.439 --> 00:33:25.500
 fast track the story

00:33:25.500 --> 00:33:26.119
 those of us

00:33:26.119 --> 00:33:26.619
 who've been

00:33:26.619 --> 00:33:27.519
 in Watermark a while

00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:28.439
 we know

00:33:28.440 --> 00:33:29.660
 that actually

00:33:29.660 --> 00:33:30.640
 we have a

00:33:30.640 --> 00:33:32.120
 new covenant

00:33:32.120 --> 00:33:33.660
 that's the ark

00:33:33.660 --> 00:33:34.420
 of the old covenant

00:33:34.420 --> 00:33:34.860
 that we have

00:33:34.860 --> 00:33:35.600
 a new covenant

00:33:35.600 --> 00:33:37.259
 in Jesus' blood

00:33:37.259 --> 00:33:40.360
 which as we celebrate

00:33:40.360 --> 00:33:41.160
 communion later

00:33:41.160 --> 00:33:42.240
 we're celebrating

00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:43.759
 this new covenant

00:33:43.759 --> 00:33:44.539
 which is sealed

00:33:44.539 --> 00:33:45.299
 with Christ

00:33:45.299 --> 00:33:46.320
 came to die

00:33:46.320 --> 00:33:47.180
 to atone

00:33:47.180 --> 00:33:49.220
 for every ounce

00:33:49.220 --> 00:33:50.420
 of God's judgment

00:33:50.420 --> 00:33:51.160
 on us

00:33:51.160 --> 00:33:52.220
 every ounce

00:33:52.220 --> 00:33:53.220
 of all need

00:33:53.220 --> 00:33:54.519
 for self-atoning

00:33:54.519 --> 00:33:55.440
 removed

00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:56.019
 because Jesus

00:33:56.019 --> 00:33:56.799
 paid it all.

00:33:56.799 --> 00:33:57.680
 He drained

00:33:57.680 --> 00:33:59.419
 every morsel

00:33:59.419 --> 00:34:00.480
 and every drop

00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:00.980
 of it.

00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:02.399
 There's nothing

00:34:02.399 --> 00:34:03.740
 but grace left

00:34:03.740 --> 00:34:04.519
 it's a throne

00:34:04.519 --> 00:34:05.039
 of grace

00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:05.720
 Hebrew says

00:34:05.720 --> 00:34:06.200
 for those

00:34:06.200 --> 00:34:07.019
 who come to it

00:34:07.019 --> 00:34:08.119
 and who come

00:34:08.119 --> 00:34:09.019
 to him.

00:34:09.279 --> 00:34:09.960
 God's mercy

00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:11.460
 triumphs over judgment

00:34:11.460 --> 00:34:12.059
 for those

00:34:12.059 --> 00:34:12.880
 who come to God

00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:13.980
 in his way

00:34:13.980 --> 00:34:15.119
 not in our way.

00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.739
 His forgiveness

00:34:16.739 --> 00:34:17.539
 is total.

00:34:17.960 --> 00:34:18.699
 No believer

00:34:18.699 --> 00:34:19.599
 needs to live

00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:21.099
 in a cringing fear

00:34:21.099 --> 00:34:21.719
 that God

00:34:21.719 --> 00:34:22.079
 is somehow

00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:22.960
 going to condemn you

00:34:22.960 --> 00:34:23.480
 God is somehow

00:34:23.480 --> 00:34:23.840
 going to be

00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:24.860
 disappointed in you

00:34:24.860 --> 00:34:25.559
 God is somehow

00:34:25.559 --> 00:34:26.019
 going to turn

00:34:26.019 --> 00:34:26.779
 his back on you

00:34:26.780 --> 00:34:27.280
 you haven't done

00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:28.080
 enough for him

00:34:28.080 --> 00:34:28.720
 because

00:34:28.720 --> 00:34:32.700
 if you run

00:34:32.700 --> 00:34:33.420
 to the one

00:34:33.420 --> 00:34:34.040
 who wants to

00:34:34.040 --> 00:34:34.780
 give you oxygen

00:34:34.780 --> 00:34:36.340
 and life

00:34:36.340 --> 00:34:38.720
 he's not

00:34:38.720 --> 00:34:39.680
 withholding

00:34:39.680 --> 00:34:40.780
 it from you

00:34:40.780 --> 00:34:41.320
 he's been wanting

00:34:41.320 --> 00:34:41.780
 to give it

00:34:41.780 --> 00:34:42.600
 to you all along.

00:34:43.680 --> 00:34:44.740
 Nothing delights

00:34:44.740 --> 00:34:45.400
 him more

00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:46.400
 than when sinners

00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:47.200
 come and repent

00:34:47.200 --> 00:34:48.180
 before him.

00:34:48.519 --> 00:34:49.140
 He delights

00:34:49.140 --> 00:34:49.760
 to call us

00:34:49.760 --> 00:34:50.420
 his beloved

00:34:50.420 --> 00:34:51.500
 sons and daughters

00:34:51.500 --> 00:34:53.300
 and the only

00:34:53.300 --> 00:34:53.980
 condition

00:34:53.980 --> 00:34:55.559
 to receive mercy

00:34:55.559 --> 00:34:57.119
 is to quit

00:34:57.119 --> 00:34:57.519
 using

00:34:57.519 --> 00:34:58.460
 and quit

00:34:58.460 --> 00:34:59.059
 refusing

00:34:59.059 --> 00:34:59.860
 God

00:34:59.860 --> 00:35:00.440
 and return

00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:00.820
 to God

00:35:00.820 --> 00:35:01.639
 on his terms

00:35:01.639 --> 00:35:02.260
 with empty

00:35:02.260 --> 00:35:02.820
 hands

00:35:02.820 --> 00:35:04.139
 in repentance.

00:35:08.300 --> 00:35:09.519
 20 years later

00:35:09.519 --> 00:35:11.420
 chapter 7

00:35:11.420 --> 00:35:13.179
 Samuel

00:35:13.179 --> 00:35:14.300
 finally appears

00:35:14.300 --> 00:35:14.820
 he hasn't been

00:35:14.820 --> 00:35:15.539
 anywhere in these

00:35:15.539 --> 00:35:16.360
 last two chapters

00:35:16.360 --> 00:35:17.820
 he finally appears

00:35:17.820 --> 00:35:19.820
 and he calls

00:35:19.820 --> 00:35:20.280
 the people

00:35:20.280 --> 00:35:21.440
 back to relationship

00:35:21.440 --> 00:35:22.180
 to himself.

00:35:23.120 --> 00:35:24.140
 7 verse 3

00:35:24.140 --> 00:35:24.820
 says this

00:35:24.820 --> 00:35:26.080
 he says

00:35:26.080 --> 00:35:26.780
 if you are

00:35:26.780 --> 00:35:27.539
 returning to the

00:35:27.539 --> 00:35:28.360
 Lord with all

00:35:28.360 --> 00:35:28.880
 your heart

00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:29.960
 put away the

00:35:29.960 --> 00:35:30.580
 foreign gods

00:35:30.580 --> 00:35:31.460
 the Ashteroth

00:35:31.460 --> 00:35:31.980
 that's an idol

00:35:31.980 --> 00:35:33.180
 from among you

00:35:33.180 --> 00:35:34.380
 and direct your

00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:35.980
 heart to the

00:35:35.980 --> 00:35:36.340
 Lord

00:35:36.340 --> 00:35:37.900
 not just to use him

00:35:37.900 --> 00:35:38.760
 not just to refuse him

00:35:38.760 --> 00:35:39.519
 but to actually

00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:40.160
 want him

00:35:40.160 --> 00:35:41.700
 and do you know

00:35:41.700 --> 00:35:42.200
 what they did?

00:35:42.199 --> 00:35:43.599
 I mean

00:35:43.599 --> 00:35:44.579
 this is like

00:35:44.579 --> 00:35:45.379
 one of the highlights

00:35:45.379 --> 00:35:46.139
 of the book of Samuel

00:35:46.139 --> 00:35:46.739
 it's like the one

00:35:46.739 --> 00:35:47.379
 of the few times

00:35:47.379 --> 00:35:48.019
 to actually do

00:35:48.019 --> 00:35:48.619
 something right

00:35:48.619 --> 00:35:49.699
 so the people

00:35:49.699 --> 00:35:50.199
 of Israel

00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:51.199
 they put away

00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:51.659
 the Baals

00:35:51.659 --> 00:35:52.599
 and the Ashteroth

00:35:52.599 --> 00:35:53.759
 and they served

00:35:53.759 --> 00:35:54.379
 the Lord

00:35:54.379 --> 00:35:55.079
 only

00:35:55.079 --> 00:35:58.000
 you see

00:35:58.000 --> 00:35:58.759
 what happens

00:35:58.759 --> 00:35:59.839
 revival

00:35:59.839 --> 00:36:01.139
 begins to break

00:36:01.139 --> 00:36:01.759
 out in the people

00:36:01.759 --> 00:36:02.279
 of Israel

00:36:02.279 --> 00:36:03.379
 and God

00:36:03.379 --> 00:36:04.419
 brings them

00:36:04.419 --> 00:36:05.279
 the very

00:36:05.279 --> 00:36:06.139
 victory

00:36:06.139 --> 00:36:07.559
 over the Philistines

00:36:07.559 --> 00:36:08.059
 that they had

00:36:08.059 --> 00:36:08.960
 wanted all along

00:36:08.960 --> 00:36:10.480
 because finally

00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:11.319
 they've woken up

00:36:11.320 --> 00:36:12.100
 to see that when

00:36:12.100 --> 00:36:12.760
 you love God

00:36:12.760 --> 00:36:13.320
 for God

00:36:13.320 --> 00:36:15.059
 when you honestly

00:36:15.059 --> 00:36:16.100
 turn to him

00:36:16.100 --> 00:36:18.840
 he can deal

00:36:18.840 --> 00:36:19.280
 with everything

00:36:19.280 --> 00:36:20.200
 else in our lives

00:36:20.200 --> 00:36:21.480
 when you come

00:36:21.480 --> 00:36:22.380
 in his way

00:36:22.380 --> 00:36:24.680
 there is life

00:36:24.680 --> 00:36:26.340
 there is life

00:36:26.340 --> 00:36:27.720
 there is life

00:36:27.720 --> 00:36:30.680
 what does this

00:36:30.680 --> 00:36:31.380
 mean for us?

00:36:31.480 --> 00:36:32.440
 here's the final thing

00:36:32.440 --> 00:36:35.460
 we're going to take

00:36:35.460 --> 00:36:35.800
 communion

00:36:35.800 --> 00:36:36.780
 actually in a second

00:36:36.780 --> 00:36:38.620
 and that's that

00:36:38.620 --> 00:36:39.539
 symbol I said

00:36:39.539 --> 00:36:40.580
 of the presence

00:36:40.579 --> 00:36:41.460
 of a holy God

00:36:41.460 --> 00:36:42.079
 with us

00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:43.779
 bringing us

00:36:43.779 --> 00:36:45.059
 this incredible

00:36:45.059 --> 00:36:45.619
 forgiveness

00:36:45.619 --> 00:36:46.599
 through Jesus

00:36:46.599 --> 00:36:47.019
 death

00:36:47.019 --> 00:36:48.119
 as the only way

00:36:48.119 --> 00:36:49.279
 that you can

00:36:49.279 --> 00:36:50.319
 come to God

00:36:50.319 --> 00:36:51.940
 do you know

00:36:51.940 --> 00:36:52.679
 some of us

00:36:52.679 --> 00:36:53.739
 don't truly

00:36:53.739 --> 00:36:54.699
 enjoy communion

00:36:54.699 --> 00:36:55.219
 and everything

00:36:55.219 --> 00:36:55.759
 it represents

00:36:55.759 --> 00:36:56.659
 we don't truly

00:36:56.659 --> 00:36:57.420
 enjoy

00:36:57.420 --> 00:36:58.539
 and get excited

00:36:58.539 --> 00:36:59.519
 at the grace

00:36:59.519 --> 00:37:00.039
 of God

00:37:00.039 --> 00:37:01.579
 because you read

00:37:01.579 --> 00:37:02.480
 passages about

00:37:02.480 --> 00:37:03.460
 judgment like this

00:37:03.460 --> 00:37:03.980
 in the Bible

00:37:03.980 --> 00:37:04.960
 and because of

00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:05.960
 upbringing you've had

00:37:05.960 --> 00:37:06.679
 or experiences

00:37:06.679 --> 00:37:07.400
 you've had

00:37:07.400 --> 00:37:09.400
 we know

00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:10.000
 theoretically

00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:10.400
 that God

00:37:10.400 --> 00:37:10.860
 loves us

00:37:10.860 --> 00:37:11.300
 and that Jesus

00:37:11.300 --> 00:37:12.019
 forgives us

00:37:12.019 --> 00:37:12.579
 we kind of know

00:37:12.579 --> 00:37:13.119
 that because you've

00:37:13.119 --> 00:37:14.019
 been in church a while

00:37:14.019 --> 00:37:15.480
 but we still put God

00:37:15.480 --> 00:37:16.820
 in this box of harsh

00:37:16.820 --> 00:37:18.200
 or hard

00:37:18.200 --> 00:37:19.360
 or demanding

00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:20.840
 or disappointed

00:37:20.840 --> 00:37:23.360
 but you know

00:37:23.360 --> 00:37:24.300
 God so loved

00:37:24.300 --> 00:37:24.860
 the world

00:37:24.860 --> 00:37:25.760
 that he sent Jesus

00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:27.119
 to die for you

00:37:27.119 --> 00:37:28.599
 not to forgive you

00:37:28.599 --> 00:37:29.160
 theoretically

00:37:29.160 --> 00:37:30.400
 but to smash

00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:31.139
 that box

00:37:31.139 --> 00:37:32.440
 it's actually a false idol

00:37:32.440 --> 00:37:33.599
 it's a false image

00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:34.260
 it's an idol

00:37:34.260 --> 00:37:35.140
 the box

00:37:35.140 --> 00:37:35.720
 that God

00:37:35.720 --> 00:37:36.320
 is harsh

00:37:36.320 --> 00:37:37.120
 towards you

00:37:37.120 --> 00:37:38.240
 that's maybe

00:37:38.240 --> 00:37:38.760
 your parents

00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:39.180
 that's maybe

00:37:39.180 --> 00:37:39.660
 your culture

00:37:39.660 --> 00:37:40.560
 but it's not God

00:37:40.560 --> 00:37:42.040
 he wants you

00:37:42.040 --> 00:37:43.000
 to come to him

00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:43.980
 as you come

00:37:43.980 --> 00:37:44.620
 to communion

00:37:44.620 --> 00:37:46.360
 firstly to repent

00:37:46.360 --> 00:37:47.020
 of all the ways

00:37:47.020 --> 00:37:47.480
 that we try

00:37:47.480 --> 00:37:48.260
 and self-atone

00:37:48.260 --> 00:37:50.720
 be totally honest

00:37:50.720 --> 00:37:51.820
 and real before him

00:37:51.820 --> 00:37:52.500
 about sin

00:37:52.500 --> 00:37:53.640
 don't have any hiding

00:37:53.640 --> 00:37:56.280
 and when you do that

00:37:56.280 --> 00:37:58.020
 you can find

00:37:58.020 --> 00:37:59.220
 the most joy

00:37:59.220 --> 00:38:00.360
 filled freedom

00:38:00.360 --> 00:38:01.680
 that there is

00:38:01.680 --> 00:38:02.920
 full forgiveness

00:38:02.920 --> 00:38:04.740
 for you

00:38:04.740 --> 00:38:06.680
 every time

00:38:06.680 --> 00:38:07.579
 you confess sin

00:38:07.579 --> 00:38:08.519
 let me tell you

00:38:08.519 --> 00:38:11.079
 never just confess sin

00:38:11.079 --> 00:38:12.059
 and confess sin

00:38:12.059 --> 00:38:13.200
 always finish

00:38:13.200 --> 00:38:14.460
 thanking God

00:38:14.460 --> 00:38:15.780
 that it is dealt with

00:38:15.780 --> 00:38:17.820
 and don't take it up

00:38:17.820 --> 00:38:18.240
 and don't

00:38:18.240 --> 00:38:18.940
 you know that phrase

00:38:18.940 --> 00:38:20.200
 in that song

00:38:20.200 --> 00:38:20.559
 it says

00:38:20.559 --> 00:38:21.559
 when Satan tempts me

00:38:21.559 --> 00:38:22.039
 to despair

00:38:22.039 --> 00:38:22.539
 and tells me

00:38:22.539 --> 00:38:23.320
 of the guilt within

00:38:23.320 --> 00:38:25.579
 upward I look

00:38:25.579 --> 00:38:26.420
 and see him there

00:38:26.420 --> 00:38:27.539
 who made an end

00:38:27.539 --> 00:38:29.079
 of all my sin

00:38:29.079 --> 00:38:30.519
 if Satan comes

00:38:30.519 --> 00:38:31.500
 to make you despair

00:38:31.500 --> 00:38:32.980
 you tell him where to go

00:38:32.980 --> 00:38:33.980
 because Jesus

00:38:33.980 --> 00:38:35.219
 has already dealt with it

00:38:35.219 --> 00:38:37.119
 some of you need to hear that

00:38:37.119 --> 00:38:39.039
 some of us

00:38:39.039 --> 00:38:41.320
 need to hear a different message

00:38:41.320 --> 00:38:44.119
 some of us

00:38:44.119 --> 00:38:45.239
 we get God's forgiveness

00:38:45.239 --> 00:38:47.400
 but here's the challenge

00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:48.000
 of the passage

00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:49.500
 we actually take it lightly

00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:51.019
 it doesn't thrill us

00:38:51.019 --> 00:38:52.420
 we come casually

00:38:52.420 --> 00:38:53.019
 to communion

00:38:53.019 --> 00:38:53.900
 we come casually

00:38:53.900 --> 00:38:54.639
 confessing

00:38:54.639 --> 00:38:56.619
 we respond to sermons

00:38:56.619 --> 00:38:57.219
 casually

00:38:57.219 --> 00:38:58.679
 because we don't want

00:38:58.679 --> 00:39:00.119
 to face the cost

00:39:00.119 --> 00:39:00.919
 of change

00:39:00.919 --> 00:39:02.159
 we don't really want

00:39:02.159 --> 00:39:02.899
 God to be God

00:39:02.899 --> 00:39:03.519
 in every area

00:39:03.519 --> 00:39:04.259
 of our lives

00:39:04.259 --> 00:39:06.199
 John the Baptist

00:39:06.199 --> 00:39:07.399
 says bear fruit

00:39:07.399 --> 00:39:08.119
 in keeping

00:39:08.119 --> 00:39:08.980
 with repentance

00:39:08.980 --> 00:39:12.519
 let's not carry on

00:39:12.519 --> 00:39:13.159
 as users

00:39:13.159 --> 00:39:13.980
 or refusers

00:39:13.980 --> 00:39:14.659
 of God

00:39:14.659 --> 00:39:16.519
 Paul actually says

00:39:16.519 --> 00:39:17.440
 and here's actually

00:39:17.440 --> 00:39:19.039
 we often don't read

00:39:19.039 --> 00:39:19.460
 this part

00:39:19.460 --> 00:39:20.119
 but Paul says

00:39:20.119 --> 00:39:20.940
 in 1 Corinthians 11

00:39:20.940 --> 00:39:22.199
 some people have died

00:39:22.199 --> 00:39:23.440
 after taking communion

00:39:23.440 --> 00:39:24.279
 because they took it

00:39:24.279 --> 00:39:24.799
 so lightly

00:39:24.799 --> 00:39:25.579
 because they didn't

00:39:25.579 --> 00:39:26.519
 think about the sin

00:39:26.519 --> 00:39:27.199
 of the way they were

00:39:27.199 --> 00:39:27.859
 treating their other

00:39:27.860 --> 00:39:28.440
 relationships

00:39:28.440 --> 00:39:29.700
 and the way they were

00:39:29.700 --> 00:39:30.460
 treating God

00:39:30.460 --> 00:39:31.860
 God says

00:39:31.860 --> 00:39:32.820
 take my discipline

00:39:32.820 --> 00:39:33.460
 seriously

00:39:33.460 --> 00:39:34.180
 it's gracious

00:39:34.180 --> 00:39:35.780
 it's gracious

00:39:35.780 --> 00:39:37.460
 but I want to break

00:39:37.460 --> 00:39:38.300
 the box where you

00:39:38.300 --> 00:39:39.260
 treat me as your mate

00:39:39.260 --> 00:39:41.240
 I'm not a tame lion

00:39:41.240 --> 00:39:42.640
 as C.S. Lewis says

00:39:42.640 --> 00:39:44.240
 in the Chronicles of Narnia

00:39:44.240 --> 00:39:45.900
 but I am good

00:39:45.900 --> 00:39:47.460
 really good

00:39:47.460 --> 00:39:49.340
 so take me for who I am

00:39:49.340 --> 00:39:50.500
 on my terms

00:39:50.500 --> 00:39:51.780
 come and repent

00:39:51.780 --> 00:39:53.400
 and that is where

00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:54.579
 you're going to find life

00:39:54.579 --> 00:39:57.699
 I want you to

00:39:57.699 --> 00:39:58.539
 just take a minute

00:39:58.539 --> 00:40:00.259
 and just think

00:40:00.259 --> 00:40:01.400
 for yourself

00:40:01.400 --> 00:40:02.119
 where are you

00:40:02.119 --> 00:40:02.539
 with God

00:40:02.539 --> 00:40:03.319
 who do you

00:40:03.319 --> 00:40:04.099
 resonate more

00:40:04.099 --> 00:40:05.000
 within this story

00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:07.659
 what's the box

00:40:07.659 --> 00:40:08.360
 that you've placed

00:40:08.360 --> 00:40:08.860
 God in

00:40:08.860 --> 00:40:09.960
 are you a user

00:40:09.960 --> 00:40:11.179
 are you a refuser

00:40:11.179 --> 00:40:13.579
 if you haven't

00:40:13.579 --> 00:40:14.139
 got the communion

00:40:14.139 --> 00:40:14.460
 elements

00:40:14.460 --> 00:40:15.319
 I encourage you

00:40:15.319 --> 00:40:15.960
 to have them now

00:40:15.960 --> 00:40:16.319
 because we're going

00:40:16.319 --> 00:40:17.059
 to take it in a second

00:40:17.059 --> 00:40:18.039
 but before we do

00:40:18.039 --> 00:40:19.480
 we don't come lightly

00:40:19.480 --> 00:40:20.819
 this is a holy moment

00:40:20.820 --> 00:40:23.100
 this is an awesome moment

00:40:23.100 --> 00:40:25.180
 this is a joyful moment

00:40:25.180 --> 00:40:26.380
 for those who come

00:40:26.380 --> 00:40:27.480
 to God on his terms

00:40:27.480 --> 00:40:29.420
 so let's just

00:40:29.420 --> 00:40:30.860
 really take a moment

00:40:30.860 --> 00:40:31.880
 to actually examine

00:40:31.880 --> 00:40:32.620
 where we are

00:40:32.620 --> 00:40:33.059
 with God

00:40:33.059 --> 00:40:34.240
 how are you viewing him

00:40:34.240 --> 00:40:36.260
 what does your life

00:40:36.260 --> 00:40:36.960
 show you

00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:38.019
 about where you are

00:40:38.019 --> 00:40:38.500
 with him

00:40:38.500 --> 00:40:40.640
 he longs for you

00:40:40.640 --> 00:40:41.300
 to run back

00:40:41.300 --> 00:40:43.640
 if you need to repent

00:40:43.640 --> 00:40:44.700
 just take this time

00:40:44.700 --> 00:40:45.440
 to actually come

00:40:45.440 --> 00:40:46.340
 before him and repent

00:40:46.340 --> 00:40:48.400
 if you're not a believer

00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:51.200
 you need to take seriously

00:40:51.200 --> 00:40:53.340
 who is this God

00:40:53.340 --> 00:40:53.940
 don't make him

00:40:53.940 --> 00:40:54.680
 in your own image

00:40:54.680 --> 00:40:55.440
 you've got to take him

00:40:55.440 --> 00:40:56.079
 as he is

00:40:56.079 --> 00:40:57.519
 will you be like

00:40:57.519 --> 00:40:58.220
 the Philistines

00:40:58.220 --> 00:40:59.079
 or will you be like

00:40:59.079 --> 00:41:00.000
 the Israelites

00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:00.940
 at the end

00:41:00.940 --> 00:41:02.519
 who really do turn

00:41:02.519 --> 00:41:03.280
 and recognise

00:41:03.280 --> 00:41:04.880
 that he is the only one

00:41:04.880 --> 00:41:07.240
 some of you

00:41:07.240 --> 00:41:08.180
 actually need to

00:41:08.180 --> 00:41:09.559
 allow him

00:41:09.559 --> 00:41:10.240
 to just show you

00:41:10.240 --> 00:41:10.860
 his grace

00:41:10.860 --> 00:41:13.460
 maybe you just need

00:41:13.460 --> 00:41:13.960
 to actually

00:41:13.960 --> 00:41:15.240
 open up your hands

00:41:15.240 --> 00:41:17.639
 and release to him

00:41:17.639 --> 00:41:18.400
 some of

00:41:18.400 --> 00:41:20.219
 those boxes

00:41:20.219 --> 00:41:21.460
 that you've placed him in

00:41:21.460 --> 00:41:22.480
 and ask him

00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:23.139
 to change them

00:41:23.139 --> 00:41:23.659
 and break

00:41:23.659 --> 00:41:25.339
 break out of those boxes