WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:15.599 Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:20.480 ! It is wonderful that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah, 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:25.679 either by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray for us 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:32.159 that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself? 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:37.359 The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian, 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:42.159 we really, I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:48.799 Bible, they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will do 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:55.120 what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a non-Christian, 00:00:55.119 --> 00:01:00.320 checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't hesitate to send us 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:05.280 questions. It helps me actually to know, as I'm preaching, how to deal with the types of things 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.759 that you're really struggling with. So God bless. 00:01:12.479 --> 00:01:13.920 Let's just bow our heads in prayer. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:22.560 Father, we ask that you would continue to send the Holy Spirit upon us with might and power and deep 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:29.359 conviction. Your Word today, Father, says tough things about our human condition, 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:36.560 tough things about our human condition that if we're honest, we find a bit offensive, 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:39.920 more than a bit offensive, especially if we're meant to take it literally. 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:48.000 Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would fall with a gentle but deep power of conviction to open our 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:54.400 hearts to receive the truths that you desire us to know this morning about ourselves and about you and 00:01:54.400 --> 00:02:01.599 about the gospel, and that we might embrace these truths and become, for those of us who are outside of 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:07.439 the Christian faith, be saved, and for those of us within the Christian faith, that we might grow in 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:14.319 godliness, and for us as a church that we might walk in the beauty of holiness. And I ask these things in 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:17.759 the name of Jesus, your Son, and our Savior. Amen. 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:19.359 Please be seated. 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:31.199 So I'm not, uh, I definitely don't want to be alarmist or extremist about this, and I know things can go in all sorts of 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:38.079 different directions, but, um, well, it's, it's, uh, it can be hard when you're preaching through a book to, to, to know how to, to break it into 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:44.560 sections. Uh, and, uh, and so this part that we're looking at today is actually part of a bigger section, sort of a 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:50.400 natural unit that goes from verse 18 to verse 32. I know that's a bit of a boring, nerdish thing. I'm already putting 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:57.040 some of you to sleep. Here's the point. In this bigger unit, which I won't look at today, but I will look at 00:02:57.600 --> 00:03:04.240 next week, is a text that could get me in trouble with Bill C9, if it were to pass as it is written right now. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:13.200 Uh, not exactly, it's not, on one hand, it might not get me into trouble, but given the direction of 00:03:13.200 --> 00:03:18.640 court rulings and the way government works, it, it is something that downstream, uh, me preaching on a 00:03:18.640 --> 00:03:24.719 text like I will next week, the second part of this unit is a text that could get me in trouble, uh, with 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:32.400 Bill C9. Uh, but that, I'm not looking at that this week because I'm afraid of looking at it, um, but just, I had to 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:38.879 divide the text up because it's very rich and very deep. So, um, so let's look. If you, uh, take your 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:46.319 Bibles, uh, those of you who have Bibles, it's, uh, Romans chapter 1, verses 18 to 25. Uh, next week, 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:52.560 we'll look at verses 26 to 32. And, uh, I'll just read the whole, it's only eight verses. I'll just read 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:57.439 them to give you, uh, to, to refresh your memory about it, and then we'll circle back and, and we'll 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:03.120 look at the different parts. And here's how it goes. It's a very, very, very Canadian text. As you 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:09.439 know, it's the, uh, probably the theme text for seeker-sensitive services, uh, because it begins, 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:16.399 for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and women 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:23.040 who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:30.319 because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:35.920 divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:42.240 that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:48.879 as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:57.360 darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:05.279 resembling mortal man or mortal woman and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore, God gave them 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:11.519 up in the lusts, um, another, a better, maybe a more literal, the literal translation of the word lust is 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:20.079 over-desire. Over-desire. So therefore, God gave them up in the over-desires of their hearts 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:27.759 to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:34.000 about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:42.399 Amen. And Christians would say this is the word of the Lord, and we'd respond thanks be to God. 00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:46.720 Although, to be honest, some of us wonder entirely how much this is the word of the Lord. 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:54.319 Although I do very clearly, just so you know. It's a bit of a shocking text for Christians. 00:05:54.319 --> 00:05:59.120 I read it slowly to try to bring home to you how shocking it is for Canadians. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:03.840 And if you're watching online or you're here and you're outside of the Christian faith, you're maybe 00:06:03.840 --> 00:06:08.560 here as a seeker, you might not know that Christians find it a bit shocking too. 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:14.959 And in fact, it's, it's very interesting. Just before this, in Romans 1, 16 to 17, it says, 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:18.959 For I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation. 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.959 And the word ashamed there can also be translated as offended. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:28.159 For I'm not offended by the gospel, by what the Bible teaches. 00:06:29.039 --> 00:06:40.000 And many Canadians, and in fact, even many Christian Canadians, are, are offended by this text. 00:06:41.359 --> 00:06:47.679 So just to give you, just as we go into it, here's how you have to begin to understand the text. 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:54.079 The way the book of Romans is designed is the first 15 verses, there's a bit of a greeting, 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:58.240 a longer greeting than normal in the letter. And then there's a few travel details. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:04.399 And then it's an unusual book in that in verses 16 and 17, he gives you basically the praesi about 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:09.759 what the whole book is about. And then in verse 18, he immediately goes in the direction you're not 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:14.639 expecting, but it's actually a reasonable direction if you think about it. From verse 18 of chapter 1 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:19.519 to chapter 3, verse 20, he does what in, I don't know if they still talk about this in business 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:25.439 world, he sells the problem. We've been blessed by having very good wardens and council members 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:30.319 over the years. And one of the things which is really good about the council members and wardens 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:35.279 I've had over the last, I don't know, 10, 15, 20 years, is they're not afraid to disagree with me 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:40.079 and tell me that I'm wrong. And this is a great blessing for a congregation because I, in fact, 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:46.639 I'm not always correct. Sometimes I'm wrong. But about maybe 90% of the time when they say that 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:52.079 I'm wrong, I'm really wrong, move on to the next thing. They have better wisdom. But about 10% of 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:56.079 the time, so it doesn't happen very often because they don't actually disagree with me that often. 00:07:56.879 --> 00:08:01.839 But I'll think about it afterwards driving home and I realize I want to reintroduce the topic, 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:07.680 which I generally don't do. And the reason I want to reintroduce the topic is because I realized 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:13.600 that I saw a problem in the church that I just thought was so obvious that what I did is I present 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:18.079 that when I went to that to talk to the wardens, I just assumed they understood the problem as well and 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:23.120 saw it. And so I didn't try to sell them. I just went to the solution. But I realized going home, they 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:30.160 didn't see the problem. And so the next time we meet, I sell them the problem. I explain in detail 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:35.519 what the problem is. Now it might still be, you know, and after that they go, oh, okay, there's a problem. 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:39.519 Now they still might end up selecting the solution that I thought was the right one, 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:44.639 that they'd come up with a better one. But at least they saw the problem. And so what Paul is 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:50.879 doing here over the next little bit is he's selling the problem. Why is it that human beings need a 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:58.079 salvation that comes from God, that comes with power to save? Why is it that human beings need God to 00:08:58.079 --> 00:09:05.279 always be just? Why is it that human beings need God to make them right? Like, what is the problem? Why is that the case? 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:13.980 And he begins then with this, this shocking turn of events in verse 18. So if you turn to it, 00:09:14.019 --> 00:09:20.960 we'll just read it again. Chapter 1, verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:26.299 all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and women who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 00:09:27.139 --> 00:09:32.519 So just, you know, once again, a bit of a pause. This is a, for Christians, this is a bit of a gut check 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:40.980 moment. Will I be offended by this text? Or will I take it as an opportunity to learn about myself and 00:09:40.980 --> 00:09:51.100 learn about God? Will I be open to learn? Or will I be offended? And so for those of you outside the 00:09:51.100 --> 00:09:56.139 Christian faith listening to this, I think this text is going to tell you irrefutable, true reasons, 00:09:56.139 --> 00:10:03.000 two things about the human condition. And it's part of several things in the Bible which just proves 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:08.299 that Christianity is true. Its description of human nature is very, very wise and perceptive 00:10:08.299 --> 00:10:15.779 and clearly, obviously seen in the world. But let's look at what he says again. For the wrath of God is 00:10:15.779 --> 00:10:21.059 revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness 00:10:21.059 --> 00:10:28.019 suppress the truth. I'm not going to spend very long on the anger of God right now, other than to 00:10:28.019 --> 00:10:35.599 say this. What happens here is that people who liked what just was said in verse 17, when it gets worked 00:10:35.599 --> 00:10:41.500 out in verse 18, they realize they don't like it. And so we're actually sort of caught in a dilemma. 00:10:43.159 --> 00:10:50.159 It's a little bit like in the, you know, in the Gospels when Jesus challenges the people who hate him 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:57.219 was the, you know, was the testimony of John the Baptist from God or from human beings. And they're all 00:10:57.219 --> 00:11:01.860 caught because on one hand, if they say from human beings, they'll get in trouble with the crowd. 00:11:02.579 --> 00:11:06.939 And they also sort of believe in John the Baptist as a prophet as well. So, but if they believe that, 00:11:07.019 --> 00:11:10.699 if they say, well, he's a prophet, then he says, well, why don't you believe him? If they, anyway, 00:11:10.699 --> 00:11:14.959 they can't make up their mind. So he said, I'm not going to answer your question. And so here it is. 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:20.860 Earlier last week in verse 17, it says that one of the things about God is that he's unfailingly just 00:11:20.860 --> 00:11:27.580 and unfailingly good. He never stops being good. He's never in favor of evil. He's never in favor 00:11:27.580 --> 00:11:34.180 of injustice. He's never in favor of anything which is immoral. He's always good. Always good. And that's 00:11:34.180 --> 00:11:38.920 a good thing. And we all probably say, yay, God is always good. And now we come to the next thing. And 00:11:38.919 --> 00:11:45.259 it says, by the way, what that means is that God is going to be properly angry at evil. If you could 00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:50.579 put up the first point, that would be very helpful. Since God is unfailingly good and just, he will 00:11:50.579 --> 00:11:57.719 have proper anger at sin and evil. And that just follows from the other thing. So what do you want 00:11:57.719 --> 00:12:02.419 to have? Do you want to say, well, actually, I think, by the way, sometimes he should be again, 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:06.879 he should be in favor of evil and give you, no, no. Is that really a good thing? Is that really what 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:11.779 you want from God? Well, if this first part is something we want, this follows from it. 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:17.480 But just to touch on some of our fears, I'm not going to try to argue for it. The thing about God 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:24.399 is revealed in the Bible is that God is never overwhelmed by anger like we are. And he is never, 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:31.600 ever, ever anger driven like we are. But just as I'm going to mention in a moment, some of the things 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:39.620 that appear to be going on in Iran, and it should anger us. It should anger us at the terrible evil 00:12:39.620 --> 00:12:45.320 and injustice that's going on. It's not a sign of moral superiority to be indifferent to some of the 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:52.120 evil in the world. It's a sign that we're less than moral and even maybe less than human. And so God is 00:12:52.120 --> 00:12:59.440 properly anger, angry at the evil and the sin and the injustice that is done in the world. 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:05.620 And the other two bits, the unrighteousness and ungodly, which sound almost like, if you listen 00:13:05.620 --> 00:13:10.120 to it again, verse 18, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and 00:13:10.120 --> 00:13:16.440 unrighteousness of men and women. It almost sounds like a punchline that a comedian would make on 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:21.320 Saturday Night Live. You know, are you being ungodly and unrighteous? And the crowd laughs because it's so 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:28.120 square and uncool. But actually, it's a flip side, once again, of something that most people think 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:33.120 is pretty wise. So earlier on in the service, and I've talked to even those outside the Christian 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:36.620 faith, and they often think this is actually a pretty reasonable... I mean, they might not believe 00:13:36.620 --> 00:13:42.220 in God, but they think it's a pretty reasonable and interesting way that Christian moral teaching 00:13:42.220 --> 00:13:47.840 goes, is that Jesus says, Jesus has asked, what are the two greatest commandments? And the response is, 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:51.500 you know, the two great commandments are these. You should love... You know, the great commandment 00:13:51.500 --> 00:13:54.899 is this. You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your 00:13:54.899 --> 00:14:00.000 strength. And the second is like onto it. You should love your neighbor as yourself. And people say, 00:14:00.040 --> 00:14:05.440 that's actually pretty cool. Well, ungodliness and unrighteousness is what happens when we deny these 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:14.120 two great commandments. That's actually literally what it means. So ungodliness means when you deny the 00:14:14.120 --> 00:14:19.179 first commandment, and you say, I'm not going to serve or honor God or acknowledge God, I'm going 00:14:19.179 --> 00:14:24.279 to deny him, I'm going to suppress him, I'm going to live as if he doesn't exist. That's violating the 00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:28.980 first great commandment. And the second one, unrighteousness, is violating the second one of 00:14:28.980 --> 00:14:34.179 loving your neighbor as yourself. And as the Bible will go on to reveal, you can't break the second 00:14:34.179 --> 00:14:41.279 commandment without also breaking the first, because God has designed a moral universe. And so if I lie 00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:49.980 to Morris, I'm not just lying to Morris, I'm also lying against God. I'm not just doing something 00:14:49.980 --> 00:14:56.600 wrong against Morris, I'm doing something wrong against Morris and God. Because all of the horizontal 00:14:56.600 --> 00:15:02.980 sins always contain a vertical... So all of a sudden you see, that which sort of looks really unreasonable, 00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:07.179 we're sort of caught, because we actually like the idea of the great commandments, and we like the idea that 00:15:07.179 --> 00:15:12.099 God is always just, we just don't like the consequence. But that doesn't mean that there's something with the 00:15:12.099 --> 00:15:16.879 Bible, it means there's something wrong with us and our desires, and our thinking. 00:15:19.359 --> 00:15:20.519 Now, George, 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:24.339 it's still a bit of an odd text. 00:15:27.359 --> 00:15:29.099 Like, look at it, George, again, it says, 00:15:29.100 --> 00:15:41.860 Like, what does that mean? Well, just listen on what he goes on and says. 00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:43.300 Verse 19, 00:15:43.299 --> 00:16:05.939 And that can also literally be translated that in the day of judgment, they will have no defense. 00:16:05.940 --> 00:16:08.220 They will have no defense. 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:12.120 Because they have suppressed the truth. 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:18.040 This Bible text is saying something which, of course, modern social science and psychology and 00:16:18.040 --> 00:16:24.300 psychiatry have learned far, far later, which is that we are not just brains on sticks, 00:16:24.860 --> 00:16:31.800 but we are connected. Our will, our moral, our affections, our desires, our creativity, our mind have 00:16:31.799 --> 00:16:38.399 interconnections. And so that if we do something which is wrong, there's also an act of suppression 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:43.439 there, not only against the truth, but against God. And on one level, it's saying nothing that's 00:16:43.439 --> 00:16:49.039 particularly shocking. But what is shocking is this idea that, well, that 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:54.459 that the knowledge of God is sort of obvious. 00:16:54.460 --> 00:17:02.200 Here's the thing to start to enter into in this text. 00:17:04.860 --> 00:17:08.240 I was reading one news report this morning that came out of the Middle East. 00:17:09.420 --> 00:17:18.720 And Israeli intelligence has estimated that in the last 48 hours, the last 48 hours, the Iranian 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:28.640 regime has killed 30,000 protesters. 30,000 protesters. Now, obviously, we don't know if that's correct. 00:17:28.740 --> 00:17:34.380 It might be an exaggeration. In fact, here, all good people should be hoping and praying that that's a 00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:39.259 huge exaggeration. Right? We should, that's, that should be our prayer. We hope they've really 00:17:39.259 --> 00:17:41.120 exaggerated that, that it's not true. 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:48.159 But 30,000, that is very evil. 00:17:51.859 --> 00:17:54.379 And should both make us angry and break our heart. 00:17:56.779 --> 00:18:02.939 And, um, and here's what the book of Romans is saying about suppressing the truth and about what's 00:18:02.939 --> 00:18:06.259 plain and obvious to them, which is very countercultural to Canadians. 00:18:06.259 --> 00:18:11.680 For us as Canadians, one of the most standard things that people will say to me as to why they don't 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:16.500 believe in any God whatsoever, whether they're at best an agnostic, but maybe an atheist, 00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:22.299 is, uh, uh, or even maybe just as they're apatheists, they're apathetic about the whole thing, 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:26.160 is they say to me, George, look at the world, and you see all of the evil in the world. 00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:30.039 In all of this evil in the world, it must mean that God does not exist. 00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:36.319 And the book of Romans is going to challenge us, as it just did with this text, and say, 00:18:36.399 --> 00:18:37.539 no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:40.279 You're not observing the world the correct way. 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:45.480 What you should see when you look at the world, and you see if it in fact is true, 00:18:45.539 --> 00:18:51.240 and we hope and pray that it isn't, that the Iranian regime has killed 30,000 of its citizens 00:18:51.240 --> 00:18:54.279 in 48 hours. 00:18:54.279 --> 00:19:01.519 And then we look at all the other evil which is going on in the world, and we'd say, boy, 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:07.299 you can't look at this world and not come to the conclusion that we are under the judgment 00:19:07.299 --> 00:19:07.960 of God. 00:19:11.779 --> 00:19:18.960 And that every single human being is under God's judgment, that no one by themselves are close 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:21.480 to him, that we're all by nature far from him. 00:19:21.480 --> 00:19:28.339 And Romans said that's actually the wise question to ask and observation to make when you look 00:19:28.339 --> 00:19:32.980 at the evil in the world, that we are obviously under the judgment of God. 00:19:34.620 --> 00:19:40.360 And so that's, if you could put up the second point, this big idea is that you suppress your 00:19:40.360 --> 00:19:46.220 knowledge of God, and that's what becomes a little bit more complicated for people. 00:19:46.220 --> 00:19:52.420 So, you know, I've shared before how over my first 10 or 12 years of being a Christian, 00:19:52.519 --> 00:19:57.519 I had about five or six or seven or whatever times when I came very close to walking away 00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:02.700 from the Christian faith because I had intellectual and heart problems with the Christian faith. 00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:06.900 Some of them were around the problem of evil, and there's a variety of other ones that I 00:20:06.900 --> 00:20:07.220 had. 00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:12.740 And in every case, one of the things that brought me back and kept me in the faith was that just 00:20:12.740 --> 00:20:15.279 is if Jesus rose from the dead, Christianity is true. 00:20:16.299 --> 00:20:20.200 Like, I don't know, maybe know the answer to this question, but Christianity is true if 00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:23.579 Jesus rose from the dead, and that there will be a good answer. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:30.900 A second thing is connected to this text, is I just kept being stuck by the obvious design 00:20:30.900 --> 00:20:34.140 in the world, and I just couldn't believe that it happened by chance. 00:20:34.140 --> 00:20:41.120 And actually, in the third thing, which I don't talk about as much, is that the line by Dostoevsky 00:20:41.120 --> 00:20:47.820 just seemed to me, in the Brothers Karamazov, just seemed to me to be unmistakably true, 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:52.000 that if God is dead, everything is permissible. 00:20:53.980 --> 00:20:56.060 If God is dead, everything is permissible. 00:20:56.420 --> 00:20:59.200 And I just couldn't believe that that is correct. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:04.220 It is wrong to kill 30,000 of your citizens to stay in power. 00:21:06.039 --> 00:21:06.519 Period. 00:21:08.460 --> 00:21:10.360 That means God must not be dead. 00:21:14.100 --> 00:21:20.860 But this text says that it's obvious to people that by the things that they're made that God 00:21:20.860 --> 00:21:21.340 exists. 00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:25.039 And this seems like a controversial claim. 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:29.599 So I just want to give two examples, one from science fiction and one from horror movies. 00:21:30.619 --> 00:21:35.519 Because I obviously spend lots of time reading very intellectual things and watching very 00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:36.619 intellectual movies. 00:21:38.259 --> 00:21:42.399 And the first one would be in a scientific movie, imagine a science fiction movie. 00:21:42.519 --> 00:21:49.059 Imagine that in a couple of years' time, they finally are able to land, human beings are 00:21:49.059 --> 00:21:50.339 able to land on Mars. 00:21:50.339 --> 00:21:54.759 And when they land on Mars, they sort of go on a bit of an exploration. 00:21:55.179 --> 00:22:00.139 And they come upon what seems to be an alien space station. 00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:07.720 And in fact, to their great surprise, it even has something like technology that we have, 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:11.039 is that they actually are able to, they press a button on the door and the door opens. 00:22:11.419 --> 00:22:12.699 And they're able to go inside. 00:22:13.139 --> 00:22:15.839 And first of all, that the door opens shows that it has some power. 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:18.339 And as soon as they go inside, some type of light comes on. 00:22:19.799 --> 00:22:23.599 And it's very obvious that it's an alien space station. 00:22:24.159 --> 00:22:30.899 Now, if in the movie they said, isn't this amazing that by accident this appears, develops 00:22:30.899 --> 00:22:31.619 on Mars? 00:22:31.619 --> 00:22:39.740 I wonder what dust storms and solar storms and earthquakes created this. 00:22:40.539 --> 00:22:41.879 Well, I mean, that wouldn't even happen. 00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:46.080 It's obviously just too ridiculous for words. 00:22:47.580 --> 00:22:52.240 In fact, the whole movie would be a bit of a detective work from looking at the alien space 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:55.980 station to come up with some conclusions about what the aliens were like. 00:22:58.780 --> 00:23:04.080 At the dawn of evolutionary theory, the cell was basically just viewed as something very, 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:07.420 not much more complicated than just a blob of almost like gel. 00:23:07.420 --> 00:23:12.940 And those of you, many of you know science vastly more than me. 00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:17.120 But in the years that have followed, it becomes more and more obvious every year. 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:20.840 The unbelievable complexity of just a single cell. 00:23:21.640 --> 00:23:23.440 The many parts that make it up. 00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:28.480 They even have like machines and engines almost that do things within it. 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:31.079 It's a very, very complicated system. 00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:36.759 And so every year as science develops, it becomes more and more possible to think that that could 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:42.539 just happen by chance under a rock in a primordial sludge. 00:23:44.680 --> 00:23:48.900 It's far more complicated than find an alien spaceship. 00:23:48.900 --> 00:23:57.820 And every reasonable person in the world would go from the space, sorry, the space station to trying to figure out what aliens were like from what they have made. 00:23:58.280 --> 00:24:00.980 And we are surrounded by things that are made. 00:24:02.900 --> 00:24:04.140 Obviously with design. 00:24:05.280 --> 00:24:06.320 Just one final one. 00:24:06.660 --> 00:24:09.400 One of the delights that people, I don't like horror movies by the way. 00:24:10.740 --> 00:24:11.900 I think I get too scared. 00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:18.100 I don't mind tense ones sometimes like zombie things and stuff like that. 00:24:18.180 --> 00:24:19.480 Those are sort of more like thrillers. 00:24:19.780 --> 00:24:27.940 But, you know, one of the things I think that people like about, well, one of the things they like about zombie movies is that people in the zombie movies keep doing dumb things. 00:24:27.940 --> 00:24:28.920 And so we feel smart. 00:24:29.580 --> 00:24:33.400 But one of the things that people like about horror movies is that people do dumb things. 00:24:33.400 --> 00:24:34.480 And so we feel smart. 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:37.500 Like, don't go in the room. 00:24:38.420 --> 00:24:39.480 Don't split up. 00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:42.200 Like, you know, the certain common things that they do, right? 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:44.220 And we feel very smart about it. 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:58.779 So if, in fact, they walk into a room and it's a cold day and there's like steam on the window and they see written on the window in the steam, I am coming to kill you. 00:24:58.779 --> 00:25:08.720 And if you looked at it and the two people said, wow, isn't it pretty amazing that the way that steam forms on that window almost comes that type of design? 00:25:08.899 --> 00:25:10.200 Like, that's pretty cool, isn't it? 00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:13.940 You'd be going, how dumb are you? 00:25:14.660 --> 00:25:19.480 It's obviously written by somebody and they're going to come and kill you. 00:25:19.480 --> 00:25:27.180 Nobody would take that simple little message to just be the chance development of steam or frost on a coal window. 00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:38.700 And yet the amount of information in a strand of DNA is vastly, vastly, vastly more complicated and more detailed than that. 00:25:38.700 --> 00:25:47.600 We live in a world where the truth about God is suppressed. 00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:57.440 Now, by the way, one of the things you need to understand as this continues to go on is that one of the things which is really unique about the Bible is that it's not othering. 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:02.460 It's not saying, look at all those woke people. 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:04.519 Look at all those MAGA people. 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:09.200 Look at all those suburban single household dwellers. 00:26:09.640 --> 00:26:12.539 Look at all those fentanyl addicts. 00:26:12.600 --> 00:26:14.160 And look at how they're alike. 00:26:14.340 --> 00:26:15.559 No, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:26:15.600 --> 00:26:16.980 That's not how the text is written. 00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:20.840 It's talking about all human beings. 00:26:22.220 --> 00:26:23.779 Talking about all human beings. 00:26:23.779 --> 00:26:26.440 We suppress the truth about God. 00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:38.340 Now, the second big thing about this text is it says something which is very, very, very un-Canadian. 00:26:38.440 --> 00:26:40.160 Another thing which is very, very un-Canadian. 00:26:40.340 --> 00:26:43.980 But it's actually, I think, very, very profoundly true. 00:26:45.120 --> 00:26:50.059 And if you could, and here's what it says, verses 21 to 25. 00:26:50.059 --> 00:27:07.200 So, for although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:21.920 Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the images resembling mortal man and mortal woman and birds and animals and creeping things. 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:41.820 Therefore, God gave them up in the over-desires of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. 00:27:41.819 --> 00:27:42.819 Amen. 00:27:42.819 --> 00:27:43.179 Amen. 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:51.579 Now, actually, if you could put up the third point, Claire, that would be very, very helpful. 00:27:52.500 --> 00:27:57.439 Human beings are designed to give thanks, honor, worship, and serve God. 00:27:57.440 --> 00:28:15.400 So, what this is saying is there's a sort of a, so if the first problem that human beings are going to face is that we seem to have a deep tendency regularly to suppress the truth about God, and when we suppress the truth about God, we're also going to suppress the truth in general. 00:28:15.539 --> 00:28:20.700 We're going to suppress moral truths and aesthetic truths and inconvenient truths. 00:28:20.700 --> 00:28:24.380 We're going to suppress these things, and that's a feature of what human beings are like. 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:26.220 And, by the way, that's just true. 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:28.380 It's just true. 00:28:30.100 --> 00:28:30.460 Right? 00:28:30.740 --> 00:28:31.759 It's too blunt. 00:28:32.700 --> 00:28:39.840 And some of us, it might be too despairing, but I'm going to get to that in a moment about why this text isn't a cause for despair, but for hope. 00:28:40.580 --> 00:28:45.180 And it's actually sort of beginning to be seen here in the text, part of the hope of it, believe it or not. 00:28:46.039 --> 00:28:57.220 And then the second thing it's going to say is that because we are hardwired, we're not in a world where there is no God, and life is just one dang thing after another, and then we die. 00:28:57.220 --> 00:28:58.940 That's not what the real world is like. 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:03.579 The real world is that we've been designed and created by a real God who really exists. 00:29:04.220 --> 00:29:13.460 And part of how he designed us is to know him, and in knowing him, to serve him and love him and honor him and be fruitful and to multiply. 00:29:13.460 --> 00:29:26.700 But what happens is that when we decide to suppress the knowledge of God and live in disobedience and rebellion against God, it doesn't mean that that part of us which is hardwired dies. 00:29:26.700 --> 00:29:28.700 It just gets redirected. 00:29:28.700 --> 00:29:29.259 It's redirected. 00:29:30.100 --> 00:29:39.860 You see, what in a sense this text is saying is that when you go out today, every single human being you meet, there's one truth that you can know about them. 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:42.860 They worship idols. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:47.279 They worship idols. 00:29:47.279 --> 00:29:57.279 And there's also one other thing that God wants you to know is that when you look at the mirror and you see yourself, you're looking at a person who worships idols. 00:29:57.279 --> 00:30:07.799 You see, so what happens is that we turn from, we're designed to worship God. 00:30:07.859 --> 00:30:08.700 We don't want to do that. 00:30:08.759 --> 00:30:09.619 We don't want to look up. 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:12.079 We turn our backs on him. 00:30:12.500 --> 00:30:14.160 We want to be gods ourselves. 00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:27.240 But tragically, our need, our design purpose to know, to honor, to thank, to worship, and to serve, that just doesn't get turned off. 00:30:27.340 --> 00:30:29.660 The human question is never, will I worship? 00:30:30.100 --> 00:30:32.019 The question is, what are you worshiping? 00:30:32.120 --> 00:30:33.200 That's always the question. 00:30:34.360 --> 00:30:35.000 Excuse me. 00:30:35.080 --> 00:30:36.540 What are you actually worshiping? 00:30:36.560 --> 00:30:37.660 Not whether you will worship. 00:30:39.660 --> 00:30:40.820 What are you honoring? 00:30:40.980 --> 00:30:41.900 Not will you honor. 00:30:41.900 --> 00:30:51.000 And so we don't worship God, and so we start to either worship and serve and honor and thank things which are quite evil. 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:53.900 There's death cults. 00:30:57.540 --> 00:31:03.220 And in Canada, we are increasingly part of a culture that has a death cult aspect to it. 00:31:04.340 --> 00:31:05.400 It worships death. 00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:09.180 Excuse me. 00:31:09.220 --> 00:31:09.900 I'm a bit hoarse. 00:31:09.900 --> 00:31:13.580 Or we worship and serve demons. 00:31:14.860 --> 00:31:24.180 Or we take things which are good in and of themselves, but by making them an ultimate thing and serving them, we turn them into bad things. 00:31:24.280 --> 00:31:25.220 We turn them into idols. 00:31:26.140 --> 00:31:27.780 We worship our marriage. 00:31:28.460 --> 00:31:29.660 We worship money. 00:31:30.440 --> 00:31:31.600 We worship power. 00:31:32.280 --> 00:31:33.320 We worship degrees. 00:31:33.319 --> 00:31:37.500 We worship children and family. 00:31:38.279 --> 00:31:47.619 We worship cleverness or technology or companies or political movements or ideas. 00:31:47.619 --> 00:31:50.539 Or in some parts of the world. 00:31:50.539 --> 00:31:55.759 We worship animals and bugs and snakes. 00:31:55.759 --> 00:32:25.759 We worship sharp as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans as humans 00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:31.119 and that's what it means to be human 00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:32.920 on this side of the fall 00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:41.400 now some of you might be thinking as I draw this to a close 00:32:41.400 --> 00:32:45.720 George you've described something which is very very very bleak 00:32:45.720 --> 00:32:51.539 and I have a feeling George that you're doing what's a very 00:32:51.539 --> 00:32:54.519 classic move of people describing 00:32:54.519 --> 00:32:59.799 sort of you're caught in knowing and behaving in certain types of ways but they exempt themselves 00:32:59.799 --> 00:33:04.039 when they say these things I've had many many people over the years 00:33:04.039 --> 00:33:07.839 tell me that you know the sociology of knowledge and the psychology of knowledge 00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:11.680 shows that I only believe the things that I believe because of my upbringing 00:33:11.680 --> 00:33:15.319 and this and that and that and I listen to them very politely and I say well 00:33:15.319 --> 00:33:19.660 that all sounds very good and a lot of it might be very very true but the problem is 00:33:19.660 --> 00:33:23.980 you're exempting yourself you think it only applies to Christians 00:33:23.980 --> 00:33:29.259 like me you don't think it applies to your skepticism and they all look completely and utterly shocked 00:33:29.259 --> 00:33:34.539 at it because it never dawned on them that these psychological processes might apply to them 00:33:34.539 --> 00:33:40.940 and so is that what the Paul is doing here no he's not doing that and it's not completely a cause to despair 00:33:40.940 --> 00:33:46.539 and that's because we don't live in a universe where there is no God and it's just one dang thing after another but then we die 00:33:46.539 --> 00:34:14.539 we live in a universe where God exists and so listen to verse 24 again therefore God gave them up in the over desires of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves and we're going to look at this more because this connects very much with the last part of Romans chapter 1 but for now there's two things the first thing is if you notice the very interesting justice of God because here it describes one of the ways that God punishes us and interestingly 00:34:14.539 --> 00:34:28.539 and interestingly enough it's very similar to what a skeptic and a non-christian by the name of Oscar Wilde famously said and Oscar Wilde bon vivant skeptic famously said 00:34:28.539 --> 00:34:52.500 when the gods wish to punish man when the gods wish to punish man they answer their prayers they give them what they want and that's part of what the Bible is saying here is that part of the way that God judges and punishes people is this he says 00:34:52.500 --> 00:35:13.119 the God says to God says to in a sense to George George George you give yourself over to this won't use George because you think I'm let's say Bob Bob you you have completely and utterly chosen lies you regularly like to lie and so I'm going to allow you to lie more and more because that seems to be what you want 00:35:13.119 --> 00:35:27.539 and but what Bob doesn't realize is that when he starts to tell more and more lies is that that's inevitably going to mean that he becomes more and more lonely because nobody wants to be with him because all he does is lie 00:35:27.539 --> 00:35:38.119 and one of the things that people are going to want is not give him the promotions that he wants because he just lies and he doesn't realize that if he just always lies and sometimes he'll even lie 00:35:38.119 --> 00:35:55.739 when the lie gets him in trouble and just telling the truth would not get him in trouble and still he lies and at some point in time he can't tell the difference between truth and a lie because he's given himself to lies and all God does in that particular case is says you want to give your entire life over to lies I'll allow I'll begin to allow that to happen 00:35:55.739 --> 00:36:07.599 you want to give yourself over to to sexual sin I'm going to begin to allow that to happen you want to you want to worship this I'm going to allow that type of thing to happen you want to make your children your gods and then there's going to completely 00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:22.319 not really break your heart or you're completely not really going to ruin them because they end up becoming like your little puppets and your adornments and they end up resenting you for the rest of their lives and all he does is allow what you have turned into an idol to go further with it 00:36:22.319 --> 00:36:27.259 how can you complain against God's justice if he does what you want 00:36:27.259 --> 00:36:35.960 in Oscar Wilde's world how can you shake your fist to God and say how dare you answer what I asked for 00:36:35.960 --> 00:36:41.780 but this is also the source of hope 00:36:41.780 --> 00:36:47.059 if you could put up the fourth point that would be very helpful 00:36:47.059 --> 00:36:50.980 you are dependent upon God's common grace 00:36:50.980 --> 00:36:54.960 a few Sundays ago I talked about how 00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:58.579 you know one of the things to understand about the fall is 00:36:58.579 --> 00:37:02.920 imagine a magnet and you have a magnet and if you pick up 00:37:02.920 --> 00:37:06.940 a piece of iron with that magnet and the magnet has no magnetism in and of itself 00:37:06.940 --> 00:37:08.860 and you pick up the magnet the magnet 00:37:08.860 --> 00:37:10.740 picks up the iron and the 00:37:10.740 --> 00:37:12.960 magnetism flows through the into the 00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:15.019 iron and so you can pick up a second piece 00:37:15.019 --> 00:37:17.159 of iron and then you can pick up a third 00:37:17.159 --> 00:37:19.079 piece of iron and then depending on the strength of the 00:37:19.079 --> 00:37:20.740 iron and I mean the iron 00:37:20.740 --> 00:37:23.159 and the magnets you can pick up a variety of places 00:37:23.159 --> 00:37:24.940 and in a sense that's 00:37:24.940 --> 00:37:27.039 what human beings are like that we were designed 00:37:27.039 --> 00:37:29.099 in a sense to have Adam 00:37:29.099 --> 00:37:34.940 and Eve like pieces of iron connected to God and the life of God the magnetism of God flew through it 00:37:34.940 --> 00:37:43.480 and it's as if when Adam and Eve decided to rebel against God as if they just talked to each other and said hey listen we're filled with magnetism look at the other things that are holding to us 00:37:43.480 --> 00:37:55.960 we can hold things together we don't need to be with God so let's separate from God and they don't realize that when they separated from God they no longer were magnetic but God didn't allow them to completely and utterly fall apart but held them together 00:37:55.960 --> 00:37:57.960 to some extent 00:37:57.960 --> 00:37:58.400 to some extent 00:37:58.400 --> 00:38:01.679 and it's because of God's common grace 00:38:01.679 --> 00:38:05.340 that our suppressing of the truth is not complete and total 00:38:05.340 --> 00:38:06.579 that our 00:38:06.579 --> 00:38:11.420 our serving of idols is not complete and total 00:38:11.420 --> 00:38:13.840 that God restrains this 00:38:13.840 --> 00:38:19.720 because we don't live in a mechanistic and deterministic universe but we live in a God-drenched God-supported 00:38:19.720 --> 00:38:21.800 God-inhabited universe 00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:24.139 and so those things are not 00:38:24.139 --> 00:38:25.720 allowed by God 00:38:25.719 --> 00:38:27.579 to completely and utterly 00:38:27.579 --> 00:38:28.679 to completely and utterly overwhelm us 00:38:28.679 --> 00:38:30.579 they are restrained 00:38:30.579 --> 00:38:36.299 and part of what God's punishment is sometimes for us is to weaken the restraint 00:38:36.299 --> 00:38:38.339 for us 00:38:38.339 --> 00:38:41.679 so why does he do this 00:38:41.679 --> 00:38:49.419 it's because if we are to hear this knowledge and we say after hearing about it 00:38:49.419 --> 00:38:53.639 I look at the world and I'm obviously under God's judgment 00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:56.279 I come aware of my own evil and idolatry 00:38:56.279 --> 00:38:57.219 I'm always under God 00:38:57.219 --> 00:38:58.879 I'm obviously under God's judgment 00:38:58.879 --> 00:39:01.500 I have suppressed the truth about him 00:39:01.500 --> 00:39:03.480 I am obviously under God's judgment 00:39:03.480 --> 00:39:06.679 but there is this hope of common grace 00:39:06.679 --> 00:39:08.719 and maybe if there is common grace 00:39:08.719 --> 00:39:11.159 there is saving grace 00:39:11.159 --> 00:39:15.619 and my heart is tuned to call out to God 00:39:15.619 --> 00:39:16.019 God 00:39:16.019 --> 00:39:19.679 I cannot make myself right with you 00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:22.179 Lord in your mercy 00:39:22.179 --> 00:39:25.940 may there be a power and a means that comes from you 00:39:25.940 --> 00:39:29.199 that I can receive unworthy as I am 00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:31.679 that can make me right with you 00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:33.839 not my own ability 00:39:33.839 --> 00:39:35.239 I cannot do this 00:39:35.239 --> 00:39:37.839 I am dependent upon you to act 00:39:37.840 --> 00:39:45.000 and we understand this 00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:47.019 we understand how good it is to hear 00:39:47.019 --> 00:39:49.519 that I am not ashamed of the gospel 00:39:49.519 --> 00:39:50.600 Romans 1 16 00:39:50.600 --> 00:39:51.280 why? 00:39:51.620 --> 00:39:54.320 it is the power of God for salvation 00:39:54.320 --> 00:39:56.240 to everyone who believes 00:39:56.240 --> 00:39:58.720 and that means not just being made right with God 00:39:58.720 --> 00:40:00.960 but learning to become more like God 00:40:00.960 --> 00:40:03.700 and eventually being glorified with God 00:40:03.699 --> 00:40:06.359 it is the power of God for salvation 00:40:06.359 --> 00:40:07.599 to everyone who believes 00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:08.699 to the Jew first 00:40:08.699 --> 00:40:09.759 and also to the pagan 00:40:09.759 --> 00:40:12.119 for in it the righteousness of God 00:40:12.119 --> 00:40:14.159 is revealed from faith for faith 00:40:14.159 --> 00:40:15.239 as it is written 00:40:15.239 --> 00:40:16.899 the righteous shall live by faith 00:40:16.899 --> 00:40:18.119 and as we talked about 00:40:18.119 --> 00:40:19.559 and we'll talk about more 00:40:19.559 --> 00:40:21.839 that something comes from God 00:40:21.839 --> 00:40:23.759 he always is righteous and just 00:40:23.759 --> 00:40:26.039 and he provides a means 00:40:26.039 --> 00:40:29.939 in this power for us to be made right with God 00:40:29.939 --> 00:40:33.000 if you could put up the fifth point 00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:35.960 you need to be saved 00:40:35.960 --> 00:40:41.260 very briefly 00:40:41.260 --> 00:40:43.139 just three very brief 00:40:43.139 --> 00:40:45.219 carry home points for us 00:40:45.219 --> 00:40:47.739 obviously the first one is 00:40:47.739 --> 00:40:49.739 if you haven't given your life to God 00:40:49.739 --> 00:40:51.960 there's no better time than right now 00:40:51.960 --> 00:40:52.920 to call out on him 00:40:52.920 --> 00:40:53.659 and say Jesus 00:40:53.659 --> 00:40:55.840 I really need you to save me 00:40:55.840 --> 00:40:57.500 Father I need you to save me 00:40:57.500 --> 00:40:58.800 please save me 00:40:58.800 --> 00:41:00.800 Jesus please be my Savior and Lord 00:41:00.800 --> 00:41:02.559 I give myself to you 00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:03.699 whatever the language is 00:41:03.699 --> 00:41:04.779 to call out to God 00:41:04.779 --> 00:41:07.299 and for those of us who know Jesus 00:41:07.299 --> 00:41:09.199 three very quick things 00:41:09.199 --> 00:41:12.539 the first one is that God wants you to learn humbly 00:41:12.539 --> 00:41:16.099 this truth about our potent 00:41:16.099 --> 00:41:18.980 our constant desire to suppress the truth 00:41:18.980 --> 00:41:22.299 isn't a means to say that we should despair 00:41:22.299 --> 00:41:23.460 and that we can never know 00:41:23.460 --> 00:41:26.799 we also understand that God's common grace 00:41:26.800 --> 00:41:31.539 means that God wants us to learn humbly 00:41:31.539 --> 00:41:34.920 he wants us to learn the truth 00:41:34.920 --> 00:41:37.019 he wants us to know him 00:41:37.019 --> 00:41:39.360 he just wants us to be humble 00:41:39.360 --> 00:41:41.860 to be humble in our judgments 00:41:41.860 --> 00:41:43.199 to listen to others 00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:45.719 to be open to being proven wrong 00:41:45.719 --> 00:41:48.460 he wants us to learn humbly 00:41:48.460 --> 00:41:49.840 but he wants us to learn 00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:51.219 and secondly 00:41:51.219 --> 00:41:53.019 that if you could 00:41:53.019 --> 00:41:54.320 that was hopefully put that up 00:41:54.320 --> 00:41:55.679 clearly God wants us to learn humbly 00:41:55.679 --> 00:41:56.179 secondly 00:41:56.179 --> 00:41:58.759 be repentance and obedience 00:41:58.759 --> 00:42:00.719 clarifies your mind and heart 00:42:00.719 --> 00:42:02.899 a lot of times 00:42:02.899 --> 00:42:04.559 the best way to move forward 00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:05.279 is to say 00:42:05.279 --> 00:42:07.960 I was wrong 00:42:07.960 --> 00:42:11.699 I was wrong 00:42:11.699 --> 00:42:14.019 I was mistaken 00:42:14.019 --> 00:42:19.359 or just to say 00:42:19.359 --> 00:42:20.259 you know I lied 00:42:20.260 --> 00:42:22.740 I betrayed you 00:42:22.740 --> 00:42:26.780 and that's partly the whole Christian community 00:42:26.780 --> 00:42:28.600 about how you manage that with God 00:42:28.600 --> 00:42:30.480 and how you say that to other people 00:42:30.480 --> 00:42:32.080 without making things further down 00:42:32.080 --> 00:42:33.780 that's why you need small groups 00:42:33.780 --> 00:42:34.420 and mentors 00:42:34.420 --> 00:42:37.160 and people that you can discuss these things with 00:42:37.160 --> 00:42:38.640 about how to make amendment 00:42:38.640 --> 00:42:42.080 but that's the way towards clarifying 00:42:42.080 --> 00:42:45.780 that the inside of you is filled with light 00:42:45.780 --> 00:42:48.320 and one final thing is this 00:42:48.320 --> 00:42:49.980 point C 00:42:49.980 --> 00:42:52.240 we're going to see that 00:42:52.240 --> 00:42:53.380 after the gospel 00:42:53.380 --> 00:42:54.199 the bad news 00:42:54.199 --> 00:42:54.920 and the good news 00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:55.579 is described 00:42:55.579 --> 00:42:56.900 one of the very first things 00:42:56.900 --> 00:42:58.840 one of the very first truths 00:42:58.840 --> 00:43:01.719 of the book of Romans 00:43:01.719 --> 00:43:04.179 is in chapter 12 verse 1 00:43:04.179 --> 00:43:05.860 where he says 00:43:05.860 --> 00:43:07.380 he says this 00:43:07.380 --> 00:43:12.920 he says this 00:43:12.920 --> 00:43:13.860 I appeal to you therefore 00:43:13.860 --> 00:43:14.800 brothers and sisters 00:43:14.800 --> 00:43:15.940 by the mercies of God 00:43:15.940 --> 00:43:16.960 to present your bodies 00:43:16.960 --> 00:43:18.139 as a living sacrifice 00:43:18.139 --> 00:43:19.599 holy and acceptable 00:43:19.599 --> 00:43:20.159 to God 00:43:20.159 --> 00:43:21.500 which is your spiritual worship 00:43:21.500 --> 00:43:22.639 do not be 00:43:22.639 --> 00:43:24.500 conformed to this world 00:43:24.500 --> 00:43:25.400 but be transformed 00:43:25.400 --> 00:43:26.319 by the renewal 00:43:26.319 --> 00:43:27.920 of your mind 00:43:27.920 --> 00:43:29.480 that by testing 00:43:29.480 --> 00:43:30.799 you may discern 00:43:30.799 --> 00:43:32.019 what is the will of God 00:43:32.019 --> 00:43:32.900 what is good 00:43:32.900 --> 00:43:33.519 and acceptable 00:43:33.519 --> 00:43:34.259 and purpose 00:43:34.259 --> 00:43:34.779 perfect 00:43:34.779 --> 00:43:37.299 pray for the renewing 00:43:37.299 --> 00:43:38.579 of your mind 00:43:38.579 --> 00:43:41.519 that as you know the gospel 00:43:41.519 --> 00:43:42.719 and as you know the bible 00:43:42.719 --> 00:43:45.959 he will renew your mind 00:43:45.959 --> 00:43:47.839 because we do not walk 00:43:47.839 --> 00:43:48.879 through this life alone 00:43:48.879 --> 00:43:51.439 we have his dear presence 00:43:51.439 --> 00:43:52.839 to cheer and to guide 00:43:52.839 --> 00:43:54.500 we have the comfort 00:43:54.500 --> 00:43:55.579 and the presence 00:43:55.579 --> 00:43:56.599 of the Holy Spirit 00:43:56.599 --> 00:43:58.159 we have a father 00:43:58.159 --> 00:43:59.279 who desires 00:43:59.279 --> 00:44:00.759 and longs to hear 00:44:00.759 --> 00:44:01.339 our prayer 00:44:01.339 --> 00:44:02.899 and he longs 00:44:02.899 --> 00:44:03.799 to hear you and me 00:44:03.799 --> 00:44:04.059 pray 00:44:04.059 --> 00:44:04.519 Lord 00:44:04.519 --> 00:44:06.159 renew my mind 00:44:06.159 --> 00:44:07.319 Lord 00:44:07.319 --> 00:44:08.480 renew my mind 00:44:08.480 --> 00:44:10.240 invite you to stand 00:44:10.240 --> 00:44:20.139 bow our heads in prayer 00:44:20.139 --> 00:44:28.579 Father 00:44:28.579 --> 00:44:30.739 my hope and prayer 00:44:30.739 --> 00:44:31.539 is that those 00:44:31.539 --> 00:44:32.579 who are here 00:44:32.579 --> 00:44:34.000 and those watching online 00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:34.400 have 00:44:34.400 --> 00:44:35.699 even if at first 00:44:35.699 --> 00:44:36.659 we were a bit offended 00:44:36.659 --> 00:44:37.779 by the bluntness 00:44:37.779 --> 00:44:38.599 of your word 00:44:38.599 --> 00:44:40.980 that we are no longer 00:44:40.980 --> 00:44:41.559 offended 00:44:41.559 --> 00:44:44.559 that we hear 00:44:44.559 --> 00:44:45.679 your truth 00:44:45.679 --> 00:44:46.879 and it's 00:44:46.879 --> 00:44:47.900 it's blunt 00:44:47.900 --> 00:44:51.079 and it takes us 00:44:51.079 --> 00:44:51.579 aback 00:44:51.579 --> 00:44:53.680 but that as we 00:44:53.680 --> 00:44:54.380 think about it 00:44:54.380 --> 00:44:55.200 and pray about it 00:44:55.200 --> 00:44:55.840 and as our hearts 00:44:55.840 --> 00:44:56.619 are open to it 00:44:56.619 --> 00:44:57.139 we realize 00:44:57.139 --> 00:44:58.000 it's all true 00:44:58.000 --> 00:44:59.639 and that these 00:44:59.639 --> 00:45:00.240 are truths 00:45:00.240 --> 00:45:00.760 that you have 00:45:00.760 --> 00:45:01.920 spoken to us 00:45:01.920 --> 00:45:03.200 not to humiliate us 00:45:03.200 --> 00:45:04.180 not to shame us 00:45:04.180 --> 00:45:04.920 not to lead us 00:45:04.920 --> 00:45:05.639 to despair 00:45:05.639 --> 00:45:08.840 but that we might 00:45:08.840 --> 00:45:09.440 have hope 00:45:09.440 --> 00:45:11.360 that we might 00:45:11.360 --> 00:45:12.139 live freely 00:45:12.139 --> 00:45:13.400 that we might 00:45:13.400 --> 00:45:14.960 truly start to know 00:45:14.960 --> 00:45:15.740 more truly 00:45:15.740 --> 00:45:16.639 and more beautifully 00:45:16.639 --> 00:45:17.539 and more clearly 00:45:17.539 --> 00:45:18.940 that we might 00:45:18.940 --> 00:45:19.599 live with more 00:45:19.599 --> 00:45:20.059 freedom 00:45:20.059 --> 00:45:20.840 that we might 00:45:20.840 --> 00:45:21.539 live with hope 00:45:21.539 --> 00:45:22.759 so Father 00:45:22.759 --> 00:45:23.380 we thank you 00:45:23.380 --> 00:45:24.099 for the gospel 00:45:24.099 --> 00:45:25.259 and power of God 00:45:25.259 --> 00:45:25.960 for salvation 00:45:25.960 --> 00:45:27.019 for all who believes 00:45:27.019 --> 00:45:28.259 and we thank you 00:45:28.259 --> 00:45:28.759 for the whole 00:45:28.759 --> 00:45:29.759 counsel of God 00:45:29.759 --> 00:45:31.320 and we ask Father 00:45:31.320 --> 00:45:31.900 that Jesus 00:45:31.900 --> 00:45:33.099 will become so real 00:45:33.099 --> 00:45:33.619 to us 00:45:33.619 --> 00:45:34.880 and so real 00:45:34.880 --> 00:45:35.519 in terms of 00:45:35.519 --> 00:45:36.059 what he has done 00:45:36.059 --> 00:45:36.559 for us 00:45:36.559 --> 00:45:37.840 that more and more 00:45:37.840 --> 00:45:38.259 and more 00:45:38.259 --> 00:45:38.900 our lives 00:45:38.900 --> 00:45:39.779 might be characterized 00:45:39.779 --> 00:45:41.360 by keeping the first 00:45:41.360 --> 00:45:43.079 and great commandment 00:45:43.079 --> 00:45:44.340 that we will love you 00:45:44.340 --> 00:45:45.079 with all our heart 00:45:45.079 --> 00:45:45.559 and soul 00:45:45.559 --> 00:45:46.059 and mind 00:45:46.059 --> 00:45:46.699 and strength 00:45:46.699 --> 00:45:47.739 and the second 00:45:47.739 --> 00:45:48.860 that is like unto it 00:45:48.860 --> 00:45:49.719 that we will love 00:45:49.719 --> 00:45:50.159 our neighbors 00:45:50.159 --> 00:45:50.860 as ourselves 00:45:50.860 --> 00:45:52.320 and we ask this 00:45:52.320 --> 00:45:53.159 in the name of Jesus 00:45:53.159 --> 00:45:53.719 your son 00:45:53.719 --> 00:45:54.360 and our savior 00:45:54.360 --> 00:45:55.559 amen 00:45:55.559 --> 00:46:08.659 as you 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:08.659 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:38.639 Thank you.