WEBVTT

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 So we're talking about faith and work, this massive part of our lives.

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 As Jaya said, our waking day, probably more than a half of our life in many ways.

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 And we're seeing it's absolutely critical that we think about this really important part of our life

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 in light of what does God say and how does God want us to think about this really important part of our life.

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 For those of us that are Christians, how does our commitment to love and follow Jesus

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 shape this really important part of our life.

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 And so far what we've seen is that work is not just a necessary evil,

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 something we've just got to grin and bear until we can one day retire or live for the weekend.

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 No, it's actually part of what it means to be a human being made in God's image.

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 And we've seen that God calls us to see our work as an opportunity to love, love our city,

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 love our co-workers, love the world in which we live through our work.

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 And I hope this has been encouraging and inspiring and uplifting.

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 And yet, as we said two weeks ago, that isn't always our lived experience.

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 Sometimes work is hard and frustrating and difficult.

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 Sometimes it's degrading.

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 And you have bosses and co-workers and markets and all sorts of things that go wrong.

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 And why is that?

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 Why is it that this thing that God gives us, which is good, can also be so hard and difficult?

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 Well, this morning we're going to look at Genesis 3 and understand why it is that work is sometimes

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 difficult and hard.

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 And why it is that sometimes God calls us to difficult work.

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 And so Celeste is going to come and read Genesis 3 for us.

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 And so let's listen to that.

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 And as she does that, I'm going to tell you, we've got two things to say.

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 You can come on up, Celeste.

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 This morning we're going to look at the curse, why work is hard.

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 And secondly, the crucible, why God calls us to difficult work.

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 So let's listen up.

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 So this morning's scripture reading comes from Genesis 3.

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 Please follow along in your bulletin or on the screen.

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 There you go.

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 Starting in verse 1, we read,

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 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

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 He said to the woman,

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 Did God actually say,

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 You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?

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 And the woman said to the serpent,

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 We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,

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 but God said,

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 You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden,

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 neither shall you touch it lest you die.

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 But the serpent said to the woman,

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 You will not surely die,

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 for God knows that when you eat of it,

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 your eyes will be opened and you will be like God,

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 knowing good and evil.

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 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,

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 and that it was a delight to the eyes,

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 and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,

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 she took of its fruit and ate,

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 and she also gave some to her husband who was with her,

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 and he ate.

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 Then in verse 16,

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 To the woman he said,

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 I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing.

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 In pain you shall bring forth children.

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 Your desire shall be for your husband,

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 and he shall rule over you.

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 And to Adam he said,

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 Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,

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 and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,

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 you shall not eat of it.

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 Cursed is the ground because of you.

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 In pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life.

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 Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,

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 and you shall eat the plants of the field.

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 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,

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 till you return to the ground,

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 for out of it you were taken.

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 For you are dust,

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 and to dust you shall return.

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 This is the word of God.

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 Great.

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 Thank you.

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 Thank you, Celeste.

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 Let's pray briefly as we come to look at this word.

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 Heavenly Father,

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 your word is always good.

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 God, your word is life-giving.

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 You are the true God,

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 and your word speaks life to us.

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 And so God,

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 as we come to your word this morning,

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 we want to understand your heart.

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 We want to understand what it is

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 that you have to say about our work.

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 And God,

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 we want to hear your commissioning

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 and your calling

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 to send us into our workplaces

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 full of your spirit,

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 alive to you,

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 trusting and obeying you,

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 and being a light and a blessing to this world.

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 And so we pray, God,

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 as we look at your word,

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 won't you,

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 by your spirit,

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 speak to us.

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 In your name we pray.

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 Amen.

00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:52.559
 Okay, so,

00:04:52.739 --> 00:04:53.379
 like I said,

00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:55.099
 we're going to look at two things this morning.

00:04:55.219 --> 00:04:55.739
 The curse,

00:04:55.979 --> 00:04:57.599
 why work is hard and difficult,

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 and secondly,

00:04:58.439 --> 00:04:59.020
 the crucible,

00:04:59.620 --> 00:05:01.460
 why God calls us to difficult work.

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 So firstly,

00:05:02.080 --> 00:05:02.439
 the curse.

00:05:03.180 --> 00:05:03.360
 Now,

00:05:03.700 --> 00:05:05.020
 Genesis 1 and 2,

00:05:05.820 --> 00:05:07.040
 we looked at it a few weeks ago,

00:05:07.220 --> 00:05:11.060
 describe God's pattern and design for our world,

00:05:11.460 --> 00:05:12.980
 the way that the world ought to be.

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 But Genesis 3 describes the way the world actually is.

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 And there's a big difference between the twos.

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 And Genesis 3 tells us

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 why the world is fractured and difficult and hard

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 and is full of sickness and death

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 and injustice

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 and selfishness

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 and chaos

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 and tears and agony

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 and frustration.

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 And at the heart of the Bible's understanding

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 of the world in which we live

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 and the brokenness of our world

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 is the concept of sin,

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 which is mankind's rejection of God,

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 rebellion of God,

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 and as a consequence,

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 our alienation from Him.

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 Now,

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 I know that we live in a world

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 in which we're always told

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 to think well of ourselves

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 and positive thinking

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 and, you know,

00:06:01.560 --> 00:06:03.560
 don't think about such bad stuff.

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 And I know it can feel like,

00:06:05.300 --> 00:06:05.920
 oh boy,

00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:07.099
 here we go again.

00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:08.939
 The past is just trying to make me feel

00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:10.079
 even worse about myself

00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:11.079
 than I already do.

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 But hear me out.

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 Because the Bible says that

00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:17.539
 unless we understand the roots of the problem,

00:06:17.539 --> 00:06:20.219
 we'll never grasp the solution

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 and the good news of the gospel.

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 And so the Bible,

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 like a good doctor,

00:06:24.200 --> 00:06:26.400
 goes right to the root of the problem

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 and tells us what's wrong with the world.

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 And so Genesis 3,

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 we see that in the midst of this

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 garden paradise

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 that God created,

00:06:36.620 --> 00:06:37.880
 God tells Adam and Eve

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 not to do something very specifically,

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 not to eat the fruit of a certain tree.

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 Now,

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 what is so important about that tree in particular?

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 Well,

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 probably nothing.

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 Very important.

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 Wasn't that tree.

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 The issue is the instruction.

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 Will they listen to God

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 and trust Him

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 and obey Him?

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 Will they trust that God knows what's best?

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 Or will they go their own way?

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 And so,

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 Satan comes to Adam and Eve

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 and he says three things.

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 Firstly,

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 he twists God's word

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 and he says,

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 has God really said this?

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 And he puts a different spin on it.

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 Secondly,

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 he questions God's word

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 by saying,

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 you won't really die.

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 God is lying to you.

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 You can't really trust Him.

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 But thirdly,

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 he says,

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 if you do what I tell you,

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 you will be like God.

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 And so Adam and Eve

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 trust the Satan

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 and they rebel against God.

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 Now,

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 on the one hand,

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 what the Satan said

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 was absolutely right.

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 In a sense,

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 Adam and Eve,

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 mankind,

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 humanity,

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 did become like God.

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 It didn't become divine in that sense,

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 but we took on the status of God

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 in our lives

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 and in our world.

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 We decided,

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 we know what's best.

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 We'll determine what's right and wrong.

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 We will become our own authority.

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 We will decide how we should live.

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 And so,

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 having dethroned God

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 from the heart of humanity,

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 having usurped His authority

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 and put ourselves

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 where God should be,

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 we unleashed this catastrophe

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 across the world.

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 And because of our rebellion,

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 it unleashed the root

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 of all that's wrong

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 and broken with our world.

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 But,

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 so on the one hand,

00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:23.620
 what Satan said was right,

00:08:23.720 --> 00:08:24.340
 but on the other hand,

00:08:24.379 --> 00:08:26.199
 what he said was absolutely wrong

00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:27.300
 because he says,

00:08:27.660 --> 00:08:28.660
 you won't surely die.

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 Nothing's going to happen to you.

00:08:31.079 --> 00:08:31.639
 And yet,

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 as a result of Adam and Eve's rebellion,

00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:36.980
 absolutely death entered the world.

00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:38.120
 Now,

00:08:38.519 --> 00:08:40.539
 Adam and Eve didn't suddenly fall over

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 and stop breathing,

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 right?

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 But,

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 but in a sense,

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 decay,

00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:46.159
 deterioration,

00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:48.399
 breakdown of society,

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 death itself entered

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 into the very kind of fabric

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 of our entire world.

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 So that every aspect of our world

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 and our humanity,

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 physically,

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 spiritually,

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 emotionally,

00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:01.680
 psychologically,

00:09:02.300 --> 00:09:04.040
 every aspect of this world

00:09:04.040 --> 00:09:05.460
 is now tainted

00:09:05.460 --> 00:09:06.660
 and affected

00:09:06.659 --> 00:09:08.899
 by the deterioration

00:09:08.899 --> 00:09:10.299
 and the death virus.

00:09:12.139 --> 00:09:14.019
 Our world is broken.

00:09:14.179 --> 00:09:14.939
 Nothing works

00:09:14.939 --> 00:09:16.219
 as it should be.

00:09:16.959 --> 00:09:17.679
 It's kind of like,

00:09:17.719 --> 00:09:18.459
 I don't know if you've seen those

00:09:18.459 --> 00:09:20.100
 before and after photos,

00:09:20.199 --> 00:09:20.459
 right?

00:09:20.819 --> 00:09:22.199
 You see them everywhere

00:09:22.199 --> 00:09:23.259
 in the MTR station,

00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:23.579
 right?

00:09:24.259 --> 00:09:25.779
 Before you signed up

00:09:25.779 --> 00:09:27.100
 for that dieting program

00:09:27.100 --> 00:09:29.139
 and afterwards,

00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:29.540
 right?

00:09:30.920 --> 00:09:32.300
 Before you bought that

00:09:32.300 --> 00:09:35.340
 million dollar hair treatment program,

00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:35.899
 right?

00:09:36.460 --> 00:09:37.340
 You look like me

00:09:37.340 --> 00:09:38.680
 and afterwards,

00:09:38.899 --> 00:09:39.159
 right?

00:09:39.159 --> 00:09:40.399
 You look like Oscar,

00:09:40.959 --> 00:09:41.179
 okay?

00:09:41.659 --> 00:09:43.100
 Before and after photos,

00:09:43.199 --> 00:09:43.339
 right?

00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:44.339
 It's kind of like that

00:09:44.339 --> 00:09:46.179
 except it's the other way around.

00:09:46.860 --> 00:09:47.279
 Before,

00:09:47.419 --> 00:09:49.139
 the world is full of beauty

00:09:49.139 --> 00:09:49.819
 and joy

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 and purpose

00:09:50.620 --> 00:09:51.699
 and delight

00:09:51.699 --> 00:09:52.699
 and meaning

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 and significance

00:09:53.459 --> 00:09:54.120
 and harmony

00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:55.339
 and afterwards,

00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:56.860
 the world is full of chaos

00:09:56.860 --> 00:09:57.719
 and confusion

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 and pain

00:09:58.959 --> 00:09:59.620
 and agony

00:09:59.620 --> 00:10:00.899
 and heartache

00:10:00.899 --> 00:10:01.659
 and anxiety

00:10:01.659 --> 00:10:02.480
 and stress

00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:04.980
 and the death virus

00:10:04.980 --> 00:10:05.759
 has come in.

00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:08.500
 And Genesis 3 says,

00:10:08.500 --> 00:10:09.240
 or Genesis says

00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:09.879
 that this is true

00:10:09.879 --> 00:10:11.639
 of every area of life

00:10:11.639 --> 00:10:13.139
 but as Celeste read to us,

00:10:13.299 --> 00:10:14.240
 one of the areas

00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:15.120
 that this impacts

00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:16.620
 is our work.

00:10:17.259 --> 00:10:17.720
 Our work.

00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:18.019
 And so,

00:10:18.179 --> 00:10:19.580
 look at Genesis 3 with me

00:10:19.580 --> 00:10:20.759
 if you've got in the bulletin.

00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:22.720
 Verse 17,

00:10:23.460 --> 00:10:24.379
 to Adam,

00:10:24.539 --> 00:10:25.299
 God said,

00:10:25.799 --> 00:10:27.360
 because you have eaten

00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:27.980
 of the tree

00:10:27.980 --> 00:10:29.240
 of which I commanded you

00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:30.720
 saying you shall not eat of it,

00:10:31.419 --> 00:10:32.539
 cursed is the ground

00:10:32.539 --> 00:10:33.340
 because of you.

00:10:33.779 --> 00:10:34.399
 In pain,

00:10:34.500 --> 00:10:35.279
 you shall eat of it

00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:36.700
 all the days of your life.

00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:38.480
 Thorns and thistles

00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:39.860
 it shall bring forth for you

00:10:39.860 --> 00:10:40.940
 and you shall eat

00:10:40.940 --> 00:10:42.159
 of the plants of the field.

00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:44.300
 By the sweat of your face

00:10:44.300 --> 00:10:45.300
 you shall eat bread

00:10:45.300 --> 00:10:47.320
 until you return to the ground

00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:48.399
 for out of it

00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:49.080
 you were taken

00:10:49.080 --> 00:10:49.879
 from,

00:10:50.139 --> 00:10:51.139
 you are from dust

00:10:51.139 --> 00:10:51.779
 and to dust

00:10:51.779 --> 00:10:53.340
 you shall return.

00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:54.820
 Now,

00:10:54.899 --> 00:10:55.360
 this passage

00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:56.700
 is rich and full

00:10:56.700 --> 00:10:57.360
 and there's a lot

00:10:57.360 --> 00:10:58.420
 we could explore in it

00:10:58.420 --> 00:10:58.960
 but let me just

00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:00.320
 pick up three things

00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:01.519
 that relate to our work

00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:02.139
 in this passage.

00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:03.539
 The first is this.

00:11:03.860 --> 00:11:04.500
 It tells us

00:11:04.500 --> 00:11:05.060
 that our work

00:11:05.060 --> 00:11:05.860
 is frustrating

00:11:05.860 --> 00:11:06.580
 and difficult.

00:11:07.220 --> 00:11:07.360
 Okay?

00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:08.279
 Now,

00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:09.500
 you probably don't need me

00:11:09.500 --> 00:11:10.480
 to convince you of that.

00:11:10.560 --> 00:11:11.300
 If you've worked

00:11:11.300 --> 00:11:12.259
 more than one week

00:11:12.259 --> 00:11:13.220
 in your life

00:11:13.220 --> 00:11:14.460
 you will know that.

00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:14.800
 Right?

00:11:15.300 --> 00:11:16.480
 Work is hard.

00:11:16.680 --> 00:11:17.300
 It's frustrating.

00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:19.060
 Whether that's physical work

00:11:19.060 --> 00:11:19.960
 or mental work

00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:21.100
 whether it's paid work

00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:22.180
 or unpaid work

00:11:22.180 --> 00:11:23.360
 you're a student

00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:24.100
 at university

00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:25.700
 and you put in

00:11:25.700 --> 00:11:26.779
 so many hours

00:11:26.779 --> 00:11:27.539
 in that exam

00:11:27.539 --> 00:11:28.899
 and you still

00:11:28.899 --> 00:11:30.519
 only just pass

00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:32.100
 or maybe you don't.

00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:32.399
 Okay?

00:11:32.980 --> 00:11:33.180
 You,

00:11:33.179 --> 00:11:35.639
 it feels like

00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:36.699
 you're pushing

00:11:36.699 --> 00:11:37.879
 rocks up a hill.

00:11:38.699 --> 00:11:39.919
 Look at what he says here.

00:11:40.239 --> 00:11:40.919
 The ground

00:11:40.919 --> 00:11:41.639
 is cursed of you.

00:11:41.699 --> 00:11:41.939
 It means

00:11:41.939 --> 00:11:43.120
 the resources

00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:43.779
 that you're meant

00:11:43.779 --> 00:11:44.539
 to work with

00:11:44.539 --> 00:11:45.379
 time

00:11:45.379 --> 00:11:46.039
 and people

00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:46.779
 and energy

00:11:46.779 --> 00:11:47.659
 and things

00:11:47.659 --> 00:11:49.459
 they seem to conspire

00:11:49.459 --> 00:11:50.219
 against you.

00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:51.679
 You put hundreds

00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:52.179
 of hours

00:11:52.179 --> 00:11:52.899
 into something

00:11:52.899 --> 00:11:54.000
 and you see

00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:55.219
 mediocre results.

00:11:56.459 --> 00:11:56.679
 Now,

00:11:56.759 --> 00:11:57.479
 it's not that work

00:11:57.479 --> 00:11:58.959
 itself is a curse.

00:11:59.500 --> 00:12:00.259
 It's not that God

00:12:00.259 --> 00:12:00.559
 says,

00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:01.120
 okay,

00:12:01.240 --> 00:12:01.679
 you sinned.

00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:01.840
 Now,

00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:02.840
 I'm going to make you work.

00:12:02.980 --> 00:12:03.480
 Before that,

00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:04.080
 you could just live

00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:04.539
 on holiday.

00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:05.960
 Work itself

00:12:05.960 --> 00:12:06.819
 is not a curse

00:12:06.819 --> 00:12:08.620
 but now our work

00:12:08.620 --> 00:12:10.059
 operates under

00:12:10.059 --> 00:12:10.779
 a cursed

00:12:10.779 --> 00:12:11.860
 and fallen world

00:12:11.860 --> 00:12:13.279
 and so our work

00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:14.259
 becomes hard

00:12:14.259 --> 00:12:14.919
 and difficult.

00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:17.100
 Look at verse 19.

00:12:17.639 --> 00:12:18.279
 By the sweat

00:12:18.279 --> 00:12:19.019
 of your face

00:12:19.019 --> 00:12:20.279
 you shall eat bread.

00:12:20.819 --> 00:12:21.000
 Okay,

00:12:21.059 --> 00:12:22.279
 that just feels like

00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:22.919
 life in Hong Kong

00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:23.360
 in the summer,

00:12:23.460 --> 00:12:23.720
 right?

00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:25.539
 That's just the way

00:12:25.539 --> 00:12:25.899
 it is.

00:12:26.299 --> 00:12:26.819
 In pain

00:12:26.819 --> 00:12:27.759
 you shall eat of it

00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:28.559
 all the days

00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:29.139
 of your life.

00:12:29.799 --> 00:12:29.899
 So,

00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:30.279
 in other words,

00:12:30.299 --> 00:12:31.240
 you'll be fruitful.

00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:32.139
 It won't be that

00:12:32.139 --> 00:12:33.480
 there'll be no fruit

00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:34.120
 from your work

00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:35.500
 but it'll come through

00:12:35.500 --> 00:12:36.519
 difficult work.

00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:37.980
 Rather than the environment

00:12:37.980 --> 00:12:39.299
 working with you,

00:12:39.699 --> 00:12:40.480
 now it seems like

00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:41.460
 the system is stacked

00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:42.199
 against you.

00:12:43.319 --> 00:12:44.120
 Maybe you spend

00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:45.519
 months developing

00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:46.539
 this new product

00:12:46.539 --> 00:12:49.019
 or this system

00:12:49.019 --> 00:12:49.699
 and you're about

00:12:49.699 --> 00:12:50.620
 to unleash it

00:12:50.620 --> 00:12:52.039
 and you get a new boss

00:12:52.039 --> 00:12:53.000
 and in one minute

00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:53.980
 he pulls the plug.

00:12:54.460 --> 00:12:54.600
 Okay,

00:12:54.659 --> 00:12:55.539
 I'm sure many of us

00:12:55.539 --> 00:12:56.899
 have experienced that.

00:12:57.340 --> 00:12:58.620
 Or maybe you spent

00:12:58.620 --> 00:12:59.460
 years developing

00:12:59.460 --> 00:12:59.980
 this product,

00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:01.460
 you sign this deal

00:13:01.460 --> 00:13:02.340
 and you're about

00:13:02.340 --> 00:13:03.299
 to go full steam ahead

00:13:03.299 --> 00:13:04.240
 and the next day

00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:05.360
 one of the key members

00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:06.039
 of your team

00:13:06.039 --> 00:13:07.259
 resigns,

00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:08.120
 hands on their resignation.

00:13:09.139 --> 00:13:10.279
 It just feels like,

00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:10.759
 oh,

00:13:11.139 --> 00:13:12.259
 can everything,

00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:13.039
 just obstacle

00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:13.940
 after obstacle

00:13:13.940 --> 00:13:14.820
 after obstacle.

00:13:16.120 --> 00:13:16.879
 And remember,

00:13:17.019 --> 00:13:17.919
 God's mandate

00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:18.679
 to Adam and Eve

00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:19.740
 was to work the ground

00:13:19.740 --> 00:13:21.060
 to cultivate the garden

00:13:21.060 --> 00:13:22.179
 so it would flourish

00:13:22.179 --> 00:13:23.399
 and fruit trees

00:13:23.399 --> 00:13:24.060
 and blessing.

00:13:24.059 --> 00:13:25.559
 And what do they get?

00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:27.439
 Thorns and thistles.

00:13:28.479 --> 00:13:28.979
 In other words,

00:13:29.219 --> 00:13:30.599
 the garden of delight

00:13:30.599 --> 00:13:32.099
 at times resembles

00:13:32.099 --> 00:13:32.919
 more of a desert.

00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:35.179
 It's hard work.

00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:36.619
 Maybe you have

00:13:36.619 --> 00:13:37.719
 this great vision

00:13:37.719 --> 00:13:38.719
 for your industry

00:13:38.719 --> 00:13:40.179
 or your company

00:13:40.179 --> 00:13:40.839
 and you've got to

00:13:40.839 --> 00:13:41.739
 introduce something

00:13:41.739 --> 00:13:42.399
 that's going to bring

00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:43.799
 safety for employees

00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:44.799
 or change the way

00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:45.979
 that the industry works

00:13:45.979 --> 00:13:47.619
 or change business

00:13:47.619 --> 00:13:49.159
 ethics in your company.

00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:50.859
 And yet it just feels

00:13:50.860 --> 00:13:52.419
 like the more you try,

00:13:52.820 --> 00:13:54.220
 you come against obstacle

00:13:54.220 --> 00:13:55.460
 and frustration

00:13:55.460 --> 00:13:56.460
 and difficulty.

00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:58.740
 It's just hard work.

00:14:00.019 --> 00:14:00.779
 Now if you were here

00:14:00.779 --> 00:14:01.399
 last year,

00:14:01.740 --> 00:14:02.399
 we preached

00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:02.720
 through the book

00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:03.560
 of Ecclesiastes

00:14:03.560 --> 00:14:04.759
 and one of the things

00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:05.580
 that Koheleth,

00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:06.600
 the teacher,

00:14:06.800 --> 00:14:07.460
 says to us

00:14:07.460 --> 00:14:08.519
 in chapter 2,

00:14:08.620 --> 00:14:09.500
 he talks about work

00:14:09.500 --> 00:14:10.320
 in the broken world.

00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:11.220
 Look at what he says.

00:14:11.940 --> 00:14:12.220
 He says,

00:14:12.300 --> 00:14:13.240
 I gave my heart

00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:14.200
 up to despair

00:14:14.200 --> 00:14:15.800
 over all the toil

00:14:15.800 --> 00:14:16.740
 of my labors

00:14:16.740 --> 00:14:17.940
 under the sun.

00:14:18.460 --> 00:14:19.320
 Because sometimes

00:14:19.320 --> 00:14:19.920
 the person

00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:20.899
 who has toiled

00:14:20.899 --> 00:14:21.559
 with wisdom

00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:22.399
 and knowledge

00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:23.299
 and skill

00:14:23.299 --> 00:14:24.379
 must leave it

00:14:24.379 --> 00:14:25.539
 to be enjoyed

00:14:25.539 --> 00:14:26.099
 by someone

00:14:26.099 --> 00:14:27.399
 who did not work for it.

00:14:27.839 --> 00:14:28.620
 What is a man

00:14:28.620 --> 00:14:29.439
 from all the toil

00:14:29.439 --> 00:14:30.179
 and striving

00:14:30.179 --> 00:14:31.500
 with which he toils

00:14:31.500 --> 00:14:32.219
 under the sun?

00:14:32.740 --> 00:14:33.839
 For all his days

00:14:33.839 --> 00:14:34.459
 are sorrow.

00:14:34.860 --> 00:14:35.459
 His work

00:14:35.459 --> 00:14:36.319
 is an irritation.

00:14:37.019 --> 00:14:38.099
 Even in the night

00:14:38.099 --> 00:14:38.979
 his heart

00:14:38.979 --> 00:14:40.099
 does not rest.

00:14:41.219 --> 00:14:41.879
 How many of us

00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:42.799
 can resonate with that?

00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:43.860
 You sign off

00:14:43.860 --> 00:14:44.699
 on Friday afternoon,

00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:45.939
 you should be at rest

00:14:45.939 --> 00:14:46.599
 for the weekend,

00:14:46.919 --> 00:14:47.799
 but the whole weekend

00:14:47.799 --> 00:14:48.980
 your mind is thinking.

00:14:49.740 --> 00:14:50.460
 Or you lie in bed

00:14:50.460 --> 00:14:50.820
 at night

00:14:50.820 --> 00:14:51.440
 and you're wondering,

00:14:51.680 --> 00:14:52.019
 grappling.

00:14:52.340 --> 00:14:53.000
 Even at night

00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:53.440
 your heart

00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:54.240
 does not rest.

00:14:55.060 --> 00:14:55.360
 Now,

00:14:55.659 --> 00:14:56.680
 what's the implication

00:14:56.680 --> 00:14:57.200
 of this?

00:14:57.740 --> 00:14:57.960
 Well,

00:14:58.060 --> 00:14:58.960
 one of the implications

00:14:58.960 --> 00:14:59.720
 is this.

00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:01.159
 It doesn't mean

00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:01.899
 that if work

00:15:01.899 --> 00:15:02.960
 is hard or difficult,

00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:04.220
 it doesn't mean

00:15:04.220 --> 00:15:05.259
 you're in the wrong job

00:15:05.259 --> 00:15:06.460
 or the wrong career

00:15:06.460 --> 00:15:07.279
 and you need

00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:08.159
 to jump ship,

00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:08.659
 right?

00:15:09.100 --> 00:15:10.240
 So sometimes people say,

00:15:10.360 --> 00:15:10.600
 oh,

00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:12.220
 I'm working so hard,

00:15:12.659 --> 00:15:13.860
 50 hours a week,

00:15:13.980 --> 00:15:14.940
 can you believe it?

00:15:15.580 --> 00:15:16.560
 Maybe this is not

00:15:16.560 --> 00:15:17.100
 my calling.

00:15:17.580 --> 00:15:19.080
 I know my calling

00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:20.920
 is to be a quality assurance

00:15:20.920 --> 00:15:21.840
 control manager

00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:23.000
 at Lindt Chocolate,

00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:23.399
 right?

00:15:23.680 --> 00:15:25.040
 That must be my calling

00:15:25.040 --> 00:15:25.519
 in life.

00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:26.779
 Or to,

00:15:27.420 --> 00:15:27.720
 you know,

00:15:27.779 --> 00:15:29.320
 be a snow ski instructor

00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:30.180
 on the slopes

00:15:30.180 --> 00:15:30.980
 of Japan.

00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:32.279
 That must be what God

00:15:32.279 --> 00:15:32.899
 has called me to do.

00:15:33.259 --> 00:15:33.720
 Or maybe,

00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:34.659
 my calling

00:15:34.659 --> 00:15:35.899
 is to test

00:15:35.899 --> 00:15:37.100
 the deck chairs

00:15:37.100 --> 00:15:37.960
 in the Maldives,

00:15:38.040 --> 00:15:38.180
 right?

00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:39.259
 Somebody's got to do it.

00:15:39.700 --> 00:15:40.340
 Okay, God,

00:15:40.580 --> 00:15:41.680
 I will respond

00:15:41.680 --> 00:15:42.440
 to that calling,

00:15:42.540 --> 00:15:42.759
 right?

00:15:43.740 --> 00:15:44.039
 No,

00:15:44.100 --> 00:15:44.639
 but actually,

00:15:45.620 --> 00:15:46.480
 just because work

00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:47.379
 is hard,

00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:48.360
 difficult,

00:15:48.600 --> 00:15:49.139
 doesn't mean

00:15:49.139 --> 00:15:50.059
 you're in the wrong place.

00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:51.919
 Because all work

00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:52.679
 in some sense

00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:53.539
 is going to be hard.

00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:54.580
 Because we live

00:15:54.580 --> 00:15:54.980
 in a fallen

00:15:54.980 --> 00:15:55.919
 and broken world.

00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:57.200
 Every job

00:15:57.200 --> 00:15:57.720
 is going to have

00:15:57.720 --> 00:15:58.279
 difficulties.

00:15:58.419 --> 00:15:58.879
 Every job

00:15:58.879 --> 00:15:59.419
 is going to have

00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:00.080
 its challenges.

00:16:00.919 --> 00:16:01.799
 And many jobs,

00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:02.919
 they look like

00:16:02.919 --> 00:16:03.799
 the perfect job

00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:05.259
 until you get inside.

00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:07.179
 And then you find

00:16:07.179 --> 00:16:08.179
 that actually

00:16:08.179 --> 00:16:09.299
 your manager

00:16:09.299 --> 00:16:10.279
 at Lindt Chocolate

00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:11.620
 is the grumpiest

00:16:11.620 --> 00:16:12.879
 person in the whole world.

00:16:13.319 --> 00:16:14.980
 Or maybe you finally

00:16:14.980 --> 00:16:15.919
 get that job

00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:16.600
 at Lindt Chocolate

00:16:16.600 --> 00:16:18.039
 and some batch

00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:18.699
 is contaminated

00:16:18.699 --> 00:16:19.600
 and a whole bunch

00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:20.360
 of people in Brazil

00:16:20.360 --> 00:16:20.959
 get sick

00:16:20.959 --> 00:16:22.220
 and you are responsible,

00:16:22.379 --> 00:16:22.600
 right?

00:16:23.259 --> 00:16:24.139
 Every job

00:16:24.139 --> 00:16:24.600
 in its world

00:16:24.600 --> 00:16:25.839
 is going to be difficult.

00:16:26.779 --> 00:16:27.439
 And just because

00:16:27.439 --> 00:16:28.399
 we think this job

00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:29.459
 doesn't spark joy

00:16:29.459 --> 00:16:30.100
 in my life,

00:16:30.459 --> 00:16:31.299
 doesn't mean it's time

00:16:31.299 --> 00:16:32.120
 to change jobs

00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:32.519
 so that you're

00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:33.220
 in the wrong job.

00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:34.360
 Actually,

00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:36.379
 God's design

00:16:36.379 --> 00:16:36.879
 and calling

00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:37.480
 for our work

00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:38.939
 is not to necessarily

00:16:38.940 --> 00:16:40.300
 be the most wonderful

00:16:40.300 --> 00:16:41.300
 place in the whole world.

00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:42.720
 It's to love.

00:16:42.880 --> 00:16:43.600
 It's to serve.

00:16:44.280 --> 00:16:45.340
 It's to serve our society

00:16:45.340 --> 00:16:46.140
 and God.

00:16:46.920 --> 00:16:47.160
 So,

00:16:47.400 --> 00:16:47.960
 first thing,

00:16:48.040 --> 00:16:48.780
 work is difficult

00:16:48.780 --> 00:16:49.920
 and challenging.

00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:50.940
 Second thing is this.

00:16:52.020 --> 00:16:52.980
 Our relationships

00:16:52.980 --> 00:16:53.980
 at work

00:16:53.980 --> 00:16:54.540
 are affected

00:16:54.540 --> 00:16:55.320
 by the fall.

00:16:56.060 --> 00:16:56.260
 Now,

00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:56.700
 we're going to talk

00:16:56.700 --> 00:16:57.380
 about this a little bit

00:16:57.380 --> 00:16:58.120
 more next week.

00:16:58.820 --> 00:16:59.240
 So,

00:16:59.360 --> 00:16:59.720
 let me not say

00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:00.620
 too much about this.

00:17:01.020 --> 00:17:01.900
 But in verse 16

00:17:01.900 --> 00:17:03.000
 that Celeste read to us,

00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:04.279
 one of the things you see

00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:05.080
 is the breakdown

00:17:05.080 --> 00:17:05.720
 of relationship

00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:07.039
 between Adam and Eve.

00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:08.799
 And this is symbolic

00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:10.339
 of all relationships

00:17:10.339 --> 00:17:11.359
 in the world.

00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:12.539
 That where God

00:17:12.539 --> 00:17:13.519
 has put people together

00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:15.180
 to partner together

00:17:15.180 --> 00:17:16.180
 and work together

00:17:16.180 --> 00:17:17.619
 and strengthen

00:17:17.619 --> 00:17:18.779
 and encourage each other

00:17:18.779 --> 00:17:19.379
 for the task

00:17:19.379 --> 00:17:20.200
 that He's called us to,

00:17:20.639 --> 00:17:22.299
 now often those relationships

00:17:22.299 --> 00:17:23.079
 are marked by

00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:23.839
 friction,

00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:25.039
 frustration,

00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:26.339
 difficulty,

00:17:26.819 --> 00:17:27.299
 irritation.

00:17:27.940 --> 00:17:28.720
 And we see this

00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:29.639
 all the time, right?

00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:30.779
 With our colleagues

00:17:30.779 --> 00:17:31.619
 and our co-workers.

00:17:31.740 --> 00:17:32.799
 Rather than celebrating

00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:34.059
 and encouraging each other,

00:17:34.500 --> 00:17:35.599
 strengthening each other,

00:17:35.980 --> 00:17:36.920
 now there's aggression.

00:17:37.579 --> 00:17:38.299
 There's competition

00:17:38.299 --> 00:17:39.159
 from colleagues.

00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:41.359
 There's managers

00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:43.099
 degrading and abusing people.

00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:44.059
 There's gossip.

00:17:44.180 --> 00:17:44.599
 There's talking

00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:45.740
 behind people's back.

00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:47.099
 And our relationships

00:17:47.099 --> 00:17:48.779
 get difficult and hard.

00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:49.720
 And sometimes

00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:50.500
 the work environment,

00:17:50.619 --> 00:17:51.500
 Jaya spoke about it.

00:17:51.539 --> 00:17:52.559
 It's not always easy.

00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:53.759
 Now,

00:17:53.879 --> 00:17:54.440
 we'll talk more

00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:55.259
 about this next week.

00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:56.200
 But what are the

00:17:56.200 --> 00:17:57.339
 implications of this?

00:17:58.059 --> 00:17:58.319
 Well,

00:17:58.420 --> 00:17:59.259
 one of the implications

00:17:59.259 --> 00:17:59.899
 is this.

00:18:00.940 --> 00:18:02.139
 Develop the discipline

00:18:02.139 --> 00:18:03.000
 of examining

00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:03.960
 your own life

00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:04.779
 and your own heart.

00:18:05.420 --> 00:18:06.339
 What I mean by that

00:18:06.339 --> 00:18:06.740
 is this.

00:18:07.500 --> 00:18:07.940
 Sometimes

00:18:07.940 --> 00:18:08.659
 at work people

00:18:08.659 --> 00:18:09.180
 are difficult.

00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:10.220
 Sometimes

00:18:10.220 --> 00:18:10.799
 colleagues

00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:11.519
 in particular

00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:12.279
 can be difficult.

00:18:12.940 --> 00:18:13.619
 And it's easy

00:18:13.619 --> 00:18:14.039
 to think,

00:18:14.220 --> 00:18:14.359
 oh,

00:18:14.399 --> 00:18:14.960
 I can't believe

00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:15.659
 I get to work

00:18:15.659 --> 00:18:16.460
 with these people,

00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:16.799
 right?

00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:18.500
 But here's the thing.

00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:20.079
 They might just

00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:20.639
 be thinking

00:18:20.639 --> 00:18:21.339
 the same thing

00:18:21.339 --> 00:18:21.980
 about you.

00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:23.099
 Okay?

00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:24.279
 And maybe

00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:25.099
 one of the reasons

00:18:25.099 --> 00:18:25.940
 why there's friction

00:18:25.940 --> 00:18:26.579
 in the team

00:18:26.579 --> 00:18:28.440
 is because I'm selfish.

00:18:28.980 --> 00:18:30.079
 And it's my issues

00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:30.819
 with my heart.

00:18:30.819 --> 00:18:32.179
 And so one of the

00:18:32.179 --> 00:18:32.599
 best things

00:18:32.599 --> 00:18:33.159
 we can do

00:18:33.159 --> 00:18:33.939
 is to pray

00:18:33.939 --> 00:18:35.240
 Psalm 139.

00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:36.740
 Search me,

00:18:36.839 --> 00:18:37.240
 oh God,

00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:38.439
 and know my heart.

00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:39.599
 Try me

00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:40.379
 and know my thoughts.

00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:40.980
 God,

00:18:41.139 --> 00:18:41.779
 see if there's

00:18:41.779 --> 00:18:42.659
 any grievous

00:18:42.659 --> 00:18:43.480
 way in me

00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:44.720
 and lead me

00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:45.099
 in the way

00:18:45.099 --> 00:18:46.200
 of everlasting life.

00:18:47.019 --> 00:18:47.740
 And then secondly,

00:18:47.859 --> 00:18:48.559
 make it your goal

00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:49.359
 to be the best

00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:49.720
 colleague,

00:18:49.859 --> 00:18:50.379
 the best

00:18:50.379 --> 00:18:52.599
 member of the team

00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:53.299
 in your school,

00:18:53.419 --> 00:18:54.259
 your company,

00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:54.919
 et cetera.

00:18:55.360 --> 00:18:55.539
 Okay?

00:18:56.180 --> 00:18:56.920
 So the fall

00:18:56.920 --> 00:18:57.860
 affects our work

00:18:57.860 --> 00:18:58.300
 itself.

00:18:58.420 --> 00:18:58.960
 It affects the

00:18:58.960 --> 00:18:59.560
 relationships,

00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:00.620
 the people at work.

00:19:01.100 --> 00:19:01.779
 But here's the third

00:19:01.779 --> 00:19:02.580
 thing that the fall,

00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:03.380
 the curse of the

00:19:03.380 --> 00:19:04.340
 broken world does,

00:19:04.779 --> 00:19:06.300
 is that it makes

00:19:06.300 --> 00:19:07.460
 work selfish

00:19:07.460 --> 00:19:08.960
 and enslaving.

00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:10.140
 Again,

00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:11.259
 Jaya spoke about this.

00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:12.580
 One of the main

00:19:12.580 --> 00:19:13.560
 consequences of

00:19:13.560 --> 00:19:14.860
 the fallen world

00:19:14.860 --> 00:19:15.700
 in Genesis 3

00:19:15.700 --> 00:19:16.440
 is the fact that

00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:17.060
 our relationship

00:19:17.060 --> 00:19:18.000
 with God,

00:19:18.460 --> 00:19:19.440
 the life source

00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:20.080
 of all hope

00:19:20.080 --> 00:19:20.580
 and meaning

00:19:20.580 --> 00:19:21.120
 and purpose

00:19:21.120 --> 00:19:21.600
 in life,

00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:22.420
 is now,

00:19:22.700 --> 00:19:23.519
 that relationship

00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:24.200
 is fractured.

00:19:24.300 --> 00:19:24.640
 And there's an

00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:25.480
 alienation that

00:19:25.480 --> 00:19:26.080
 has come into

00:19:26.080 --> 00:19:27.020
 the world.

00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:28.200
 And so,

00:19:28.820 --> 00:19:30.360
 what that means

00:19:30.360 --> 00:19:31.340
 is that we now

00:19:31.340 --> 00:19:32.140
 tend to look

00:19:32.140 --> 00:19:33.240
 to things in our

00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:34.940
 world to do

00:19:34.940 --> 00:19:35.920
 what only God

00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:36.560
 is meant to do.

00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:37.980
 We tend to look

00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:39.020
 to the things

00:19:39.020 --> 00:19:39.500
 in our world,

00:19:39.580 --> 00:19:40.360
 such as work

00:19:40.360 --> 00:19:40.900
 and people

00:19:40.900 --> 00:19:41.440
 and money,

00:19:42.020 --> 00:19:43.200
 to provide

00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:43.840
 the things that

00:19:43.840 --> 00:19:44.520
 God is meant to

00:19:44.520 --> 00:19:45.140
 or play the role

00:19:45.140 --> 00:19:45.820
 that God is meant

00:19:45.820 --> 00:19:46.180
 to play.

00:19:46.820 --> 00:19:47.580
 And so we often

00:19:47.580 --> 00:19:48.280
 tend to look

00:19:48.280 --> 00:19:49.080
 to our work

00:19:49.080 --> 00:19:50.000
 as a kind of

00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:51.100
 God-like idol.

00:19:51.900 --> 00:19:52.700
 What's an idol?

00:19:52.860 --> 00:19:53.600
 An idol is something

00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:54.659
 we look to

00:19:54.659 --> 00:19:55.679
 or make sacrifices

00:19:55.679 --> 00:19:56.119
 for,

00:19:56.759 --> 00:19:57.319
 something we

00:19:57.319 --> 00:19:58.559
 lay down our

00:19:58.559 --> 00:19:59.219
 life to in some

00:19:59.219 --> 00:19:59.299
 way,

00:19:59.359 --> 00:19:59.819
 something we

00:19:59.819 --> 00:20:00.259
 worship,

00:20:00.899 --> 00:20:01.500
 trusting that

00:20:01.500 --> 00:20:02.179
 in return,

00:20:02.399 --> 00:20:03.119
 it will bless

00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:03.439
 us,

00:20:03.819 --> 00:20:04.480
 it will provide

00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:04.959
 for us,

00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:05.819
 it will keep

00:20:05.819 --> 00:20:06.419
 us safe

00:20:06.419 --> 00:20:07.119
 and secure,

00:20:07.639 --> 00:20:08.099
 it will give

00:20:08.099 --> 00:20:08.899
 us validation

00:20:08.899 --> 00:20:09.959
 and identity.

00:20:10.539 --> 00:20:11.159
 The things that

00:20:11.159 --> 00:20:11.619
 God has meant

00:20:11.619 --> 00:20:12.259
 to provide for

00:20:12.259 --> 00:20:12.399
 us,

00:20:12.439 --> 00:20:12.899
 we now look

00:20:12.899 --> 00:20:13.659
 to work

00:20:13.659 --> 00:20:14.240
 to do those

00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:14.659
 things.

00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:16.179
 And so we see

00:20:16.179 --> 00:20:16.959
 this not long

00:20:16.959 --> 00:20:18.119
 after Genesis 3

00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:19.679
 in Genesis 11.

00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:21.200
 it's a fascinating

00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:22.340
 account of a

00:20:22.340 --> 00:20:22.860
 bunch of men

00:20:22.860 --> 00:20:23.120
 and women

00:20:23.120 --> 00:20:23.600
 that come

00:20:23.600 --> 00:20:24.160
 together,

00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:25.400
 they've made

00:20:25.400 --> 00:20:26.259
 some technological

00:20:26.259 --> 00:20:27.240
 and engineering

00:20:27.240 --> 00:20:27.900
 breakthroughs,

00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:28.580
 they've learnt

00:20:28.580 --> 00:20:29.200
 how to bake

00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:31.019
 bricks rather

00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:31.560
 than just relying

00:20:31.560 --> 00:20:32.140
 on stones,

00:20:32.539 --> 00:20:33.200
 and they come

00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:33.779
 together and

00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:34.500
 they say this,

00:20:34.840 --> 00:20:35.700
 let us make a

00:20:35.700 --> 00:20:36.660
 tower and a

00:20:36.660 --> 00:20:37.900
 city and we

00:20:37.900 --> 00:20:38.580
 will make a

00:20:38.580 --> 00:20:39.220
 name for

00:20:39.220 --> 00:20:39.920
 ourselves.

00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:41.080
 And so they

00:20:41.080 --> 00:20:41.720
 gather together

00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:42.500
 to build the

00:20:42.500 --> 00:20:43.340
 city, this

00:20:43.340 --> 00:20:43.960
 tower, the

00:20:43.960 --> 00:20:44.460
 tower of

00:20:44.460 --> 00:20:44.900
 Babel.

00:20:46.299 --> 00:20:46.779
 Tim Keller

00:20:46.779 --> 00:20:47.560
 says that in

00:20:47.560 --> 00:20:48.100
 the Bible,

00:20:48.099 --> 00:20:48.959
 to make a

00:20:48.959 --> 00:20:49.500
 name for

00:20:49.500 --> 00:20:50.039
 yourself,

00:20:50.439 --> 00:20:51.679
 always means

00:20:51.679 --> 00:20:52.959
 to construct

00:20:52.959 --> 00:20:53.679
 an identity,

00:20:54.339 --> 00:20:55.199
 to build a

00:20:55.199 --> 00:20:55.719
 sense of

00:20:55.719 --> 00:20:57.419
 self-worth

00:20:57.419 --> 00:20:58.519
 that proves

00:20:58.519 --> 00:20:58.919
 to us that

00:20:58.919 --> 00:20:59.459
 we're not a

00:20:59.459 --> 00:20:59.819
 nobody.

00:21:00.500 --> 00:21:00.939
 And that's

00:21:00.939 --> 00:21:01.619
 what the

00:21:01.619 --> 00:21:02.099
 people are

00:21:02.099 --> 00:21:02.500
 trying to

00:21:02.500 --> 00:21:02.939
 do, right?

00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:03.939
 They come

00:21:03.939 --> 00:21:04.179
 and they

00:21:04.179 --> 00:21:05.379
 work together

00:21:05.379 --> 00:21:06.799
 to construct

00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:07.480
 an identity,

00:21:07.639 --> 00:21:08.059
 a sense of

00:21:08.059 --> 00:21:08.519
 self, to

00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:09.059
 prove that

00:21:09.059 --> 00:21:09.740
 I'm not a

00:21:09.740 --> 00:21:10.240
 failure, I'm

00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:10.519
 not a

00:21:10.519 --> 00:21:10.859
 nobody.

00:21:12.199 --> 00:21:12.519
 But friends,

00:21:12.599 --> 00:21:13.059
 don't we do

00:21:13.059 --> 00:21:13.439
 this with

00:21:13.439 --> 00:21:13.980
 work all the

00:21:13.980 --> 00:21:14.299
 time?

00:21:15.159 --> 00:21:15.599
 Jai spoke

00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:16.119
 about it.

00:21:16.679 --> 00:21:17.319
 We look to

00:21:17.319 --> 00:21:18.039
 our work

00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:19.019
 to provide

00:21:19.019 --> 00:21:19.720
 an identity

00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:21.259
 to prove

00:21:21.259 --> 00:21:22.000
 to ourselves

00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:22.440
 at least

00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:22.920
 that we're

00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:23.259
 not a

00:21:23.259 --> 00:21:23.539
 failure.

00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:24.940
 We look to

00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:25.440
 our work, we

00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:25.980
 make great

00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:26.920
 sacrifices to

00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:27.220
 our work.

00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:27.759
 We sacrifice

00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:28.440
 our kids

00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:29.180
 on the

00:21:29.180 --> 00:21:29.740
 altar of

00:21:29.740 --> 00:21:30.059
 work.

00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:31.200
 We sacrifice

00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.359
 our well-being

00:21:32.359 --> 00:21:32.720
 and our

00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:33.700
 health on

00:21:33.700 --> 00:21:34.159
 the altar

00:21:34.159 --> 00:21:34.759
 of work.

00:21:35.500 --> 00:21:36.099
 So that

00:21:36.099 --> 00:21:36.559
 work can

00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:37.279
 provide for

00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:37.579
 us what

00:21:37.579 --> 00:21:37.980
 God has

00:21:37.980 --> 00:21:38.220
 meant to

00:21:38.220 --> 00:21:38.599
 provide.

00:21:39.319 --> 00:21:39.659
 A sense

00:21:39.659 --> 00:21:40.240
 of identity,

00:21:41.180 --> 00:21:41.500
 a sense

00:21:41.500 --> 00:21:41.980
 of hope,

00:21:42.740 --> 00:21:43.039
 a sense

00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:43.720
 of security,

00:21:44.759 --> 00:21:45.079
 a sense

00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:46.099
 of purpose.

00:21:46.099 --> 00:21:47.480
 And what

00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:47.959
 that does

00:21:47.959 --> 00:21:48.219
 is it

00:21:48.219 --> 00:21:48.759
 makes work

00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:49.839
 selfish and

00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:50.579
 it ultimately

00:21:50.579 --> 00:21:51.939
 enslaves us.

00:21:53.240 --> 00:21:54.240
 Richard Phillips

00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:55.079
 said it like

00:21:55.079 --> 00:21:55.439
 this,

00:21:56.119 --> 00:21:56.839
 God never

00:21:56.839 --> 00:21:57.859
 designed people

00:21:57.859 --> 00:21:58.539
 to find their

00:21:58.539 --> 00:21:59.539
 identities or

00:21:59.539 --> 00:22:00.079
 their ultimate

00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.399
 delight in the

00:22:01.399 --> 00:22:02.079
 achievement of

00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:02.419
 their own

00:22:02.419 --> 00:22:02.879
 hands.

00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:04.559
 God intended

00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:05.319
 for our work

00:22:05.319 --> 00:22:05.919
 to be a way

00:22:05.919 --> 00:22:06.859
 of delighting

00:22:06.859 --> 00:22:07.279
 in and

00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:07.879
 worshiping

00:22:07.879 --> 00:22:08.240
 him,

00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:09.619
 not an act

00:22:09.619 --> 00:22:11.079
 of self-actualization

00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:12.740
 and self-glory.

00:22:13.500 --> 00:22:14.699
 This is why

00:22:14.699 --> 00:22:15.359
 one of the

00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:16.259
 consequences for

00:22:16.259 --> 00:22:17.480
 sin is not

00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:18.259
 only that work

00:22:18.259 --> 00:22:18.899
 is difficult,

00:22:19.319 --> 00:22:20.480
 but that success

00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:21.359
 is empty.

00:22:22.199 --> 00:22:22.740
 That's a

00:22:22.740 --> 00:22:23.779
 profound thought.

00:22:24.740 --> 00:22:25.119
 One of the

00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:25.899
 consequences of

00:22:25.899 --> 00:22:26.579
 sin is not

00:22:26.579 --> 00:22:27.299
 only that work

00:22:27.299 --> 00:22:27.899
 is difficult,

00:22:28.379 --> 00:22:29.039
 but even

00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:30.279
 success is

00:22:30.279 --> 00:22:30.699
 empty.

00:22:31.939 --> 00:22:32.439
 Now,

00:22:32.500 --> 00:22:32.759
 what are the

00:22:32.759 --> 00:22:33.579
 implications of

00:22:33.579 --> 00:22:33.919
 this?

00:22:34.859 --> 00:22:35.159
 Well,

00:22:35.439 --> 00:22:36.159
 for work to

00:22:36.159 --> 00:22:36.839
 not become an

00:22:36.839 --> 00:22:37.240
 idol,

00:22:38.099 --> 00:22:38.619
 the thing that

00:22:38.619 --> 00:22:39.159
 you look to

00:22:39.159 --> 00:22:39.919
 to validate

00:22:39.919 --> 00:22:40.539
 you or give

00:22:40.539 --> 00:22:41.059
 you meaning

00:22:41.059 --> 00:22:41.839
 or purpose

00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:43.359
 or identity

00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:44.000
 in life,

00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:45.419
 you've got to

00:22:45.419 --> 00:22:46.500
 encounter in a

00:22:46.500 --> 00:22:47.799
 profoundly deep

00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:49.200
 way the true

00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:50.019
 and living God.

00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:51.599
 In other words,

00:22:52.019 --> 00:22:52.799
 unless you,

00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:54.659
 God says this,

00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:55.799
 the way to

00:22:55.799 --> 00:22:56.940
 demolish the

00:22:56.940 --> 00:22:57.619
 idols in our

00:22:57.619 --> 00:22:58.379
 heart is not

00:22:58.379 --> 00:22:59.000
 just to tell

00:22:59.000 --> 00:22:59.460
 ourselves,

00:22:59.819 --> 00:23:00.379
 don't worship

00:23:00.379 --> 00:23:00.720
 work,

00:23:00.839 --> 00:23:01.359
 don't worship

00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:01.759
 work.

00:23:02.220 --> 00:23:02.919
 You've got to

00:23:02.919 --> 00:23:03.740
 encounter a

00:23:03.740 --> 00:23:04.399
 better and

00:23:04.399 --> 00:23:05.220
 more profound

00:23:05.220 --> 00:23:05.839
 God, the

00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:06.419
 living God,

00:23:06.500 --> 00:23:07.139
 the true God

00:23:07.139 --> 00:23:07.579
 himself.

00:23:08.419 --> 00:23:08.980
 And you've

00:23:08.980 --> 00:23:09.740
 got to encounter

00:23:09.740 --> 00:23:10.539
 God in such a

00:23:10.539 --> 00:23:11.000
 way that he

00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:12.059
 disrupts your

00:23:12.059 --> 00:23:12.579
 life,

00:23:13.220 --> 00:23:13.900
 okay, by

00:23:13.900 --> 00:23:14.619
 dismantling your

00:23:14.619 --> 00:23:15.799
 idols, but at

00:23:15.799 --> 00:23:16.519
 the same time

00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:17.359
 gives you profound

00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:18.220
 peace because

00:23:18.220 --> 00:23:18.960
 you've encountered

00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:19.880
 the true and

00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:20.400
 living God.

00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:21.720
 You've got to

00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:22.640
 allow God to

00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:23.380
 disrupt your

00:23:23.380 --> 00:23:23.799
 life by

00:23:23.799 --> 00:23:24.779
 dethroning the

00:23:24.779 --> 00:23:25.539
 idols that you

00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:26.000
 look to.

00:23:26.660 --> 00:23:27.660
 And yet, as you

00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:28.559
 do that, as you

00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:30.220
 trust him, you'll

00:23:30.220 --> 00:23:31.559
 find that in that

00:23:31.559 --> 00:23:32.920
 disruption, actually

00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:33.579
 he'll bring you

00:23:33.579 --> 00:23:33.980
 peace.

00:23:34.900 --> 00:23:35.500
 You see, one of the

00:23:35.500 --> 00:23:36.440
 things with idols is

00:23:36.440 --> 00:23:37.220
 that we look to them

00:23:37.220 --> 00:23:38.220
 to give us security

00:23:38.220 --> 00:23:39.579
 and peace, and all

00:23:39.579 --> 00:23:40.819
 they give is us, they

00:23:40.819 --> 00:23:42.100
 give us restlessness.

00:23:42.600 --> 00:23:43.460
 They actually rob us

00:23:43.460 --> 00:23:43.920
 of peace.

00:23:44.579 --> 00:23:45.839
 And God says that if

00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:47.019
 you allow him to

00:23:47.019 --> 00:23:48.720
 dismantle the idol, to

00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:51.079
 demolish the idol, if

00:23:51.079 --> 00:23:51.799
 you allow him to

00:23:51.799 --> 00:23:52.799
 actually disrupt your

00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:54.400
 life, it will feel so

00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:54.839
 scary.

00:23:55.339 --> 00:23:56.299
 It'll feel like you're

00:23:56.299 --> 00:23:57.559
 taking a step out of

00:23:57.559 --> 00:23:58.579
 the boat onto water.

00:23:59.059 --> 00:24:00.279
 It'll feel profoundly

00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:01.860
 scary, and yet in that

00:24:01.860 --> 00:24:03.480
 place, you will find

00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:03.980
 peace.

00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:05.099
 peace, the peace

00:24:05.099 --> 00:24:05.640
 that your heart

00:24:05.640 --> 00:24:06.500
 really longs for.

00:24:07.579 --> 00:24:08.220
 Remember the words

00:24:08.220 --> 00:24:09.480
 of Augustine, our

00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:10.440
 hearts were made for

00:24:10.440 --> 00:24:11.740
 you, O God, and

00:24:11.740 --> 00:24:12.779
 we'll always be

00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:13.920
 restless until we

00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:15.360
 find our rest in

00:24:15.360 --> 00:24:15.660
 you.

00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:17.920
 And so that's what

00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:19.360
 the gospel is all

00:24:19.360 --> 00:24:19.539
 about.

00:24:19.700 --> 00:24:20.700
 Jesus says he came

00:24:20.700 --> 00:24:21.839
 to prove to you by

00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:22.660
 going to the cross

00:24:22.660 --> 00:24:23.720
 and dying and rising

00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:25.140
 again, that he alone

00:24:25.140 --> 00:24:26.860
 is God, but also

00:24:26.860 --> 00:24:28.099
 that you can trust

00:24:28.099 --> 00:24:28.339
 him.

00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:32.519
 Okay, so work is

00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:32.980
 difficult.

00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:33.099
 difficult.

00:24:33.940 --> 00:24:34.720
 Work itself is

00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:35.000
 difficult.

00:24:35.140 --> 00:24:35.759
 Our relationships

00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:36.299
 are difficult.

00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:38.599
 Work becomes ensnaring

00:24:38.599 --> 00:24:39.380
 and selfish.

00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:41.720
 But the other thing

00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:42.400
 that we see in the

00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:43.339
 Bible is work is not

00:24:43.339 --> 00:24:45.259
 only operate under the

00:24:45.259 --> 00:24:46.279
 curse and difficult

00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:46.880
 and hard.

00:24:47.420 --> 00:24:48.860
 Secondly, work is a

00:24:48.860 --> 00:24:49.380
 crucible.

00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:51.680
 Why God calls us to

00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:52.680
 difficult work.

00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:55.000
 So what I'm trying to

00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:56.640
 argue here is that all

00:24:56.640 --> 00:24:57.559
 work is hard and

00:24:57.559 --> 00:24:58.259
 difficult because we

00:24:58.259 --> 00:24:59.079
 live in a fall and a

00:24:59.079 --> 00:24:59.720
 broken world.

00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:01.380
 But here's the

00:25:01.380 --> 00:25:01.700
 question.

00:25:01.700 --> 00:25:03.660
 Sometimes God calls

00:25:03.660 --> 00:25:05.360
 us specifically into

00:25:05.360 --> 00:25:06.259
 difficult work.

00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:07.860
 And why is that?

00:25:08.539 --> 00:25:09.279
 Why doesn't God just

00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:10.200
 call, you know, why

00:25:10.200 --> 00:25:10.880
 doesn't God just say,

00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:11.819
 listen, you're a

00:25:11.819 --> 00:25:12.460
 Christian now.

00:25:12.620 --> 00:25:13.580
 I love you.

00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:14.880
 You should go and work

00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:15.779
 in the Maldives, right?

00:25:16.220 --> 00:25:17.180
 Let all the difficult

00:25:17.180 --> 00:25:18.279
 work be done by those

00:25:18.279 --> 00:25:19.420
 people out there, right?

00:25:20.140 --> 00:25:21.340
 Why does God call us to

00:25:21.340 --> 00:25:22.059
 difficult work?

00:25:22.819 --> 00:25:25.259
 Well, one of the things

00:25:25.259 --> 00:25:26.539
 that the Bible tells us

00:25:26.539 --> 00:25:28.559
 is God doesn't just say,

00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:30.379
 listen, you live in a

00:25:30.379 --> 00:25:31.319
 fallen world, a broken

00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:32.639
 world, suck it up, one

00:25:32.639 --> 00:25:33.460
 day you'll get to heaven,

00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:33.859
 okay?

00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:35.379
 One of the things that

00:25:35.379 --> 00:25:36.980
 God tells us is that you

00:25:36.980 --> 00:25:37.899
 live in a fallen and a

00:25:37.899 --> 00:25:39.539
 broken world, that's true,

00:25:39.899 --> 00:25:41.379
 but the difficulties that

00:25:41.379 --> 00:25:43.059
 come our way are not just

00:25:43.059 --> 00:25:45.420
 bad luck, but are filtered

00:25:45.420 --> 00:25:46.859
 through the hands of a

00:25:46.859 --> 00:25:48.740
 loving Father, okay?

00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:51.120
 In other words, to endure

00:25:51.120 --> 00:25:52.539
 the difficulty of work is

00:25:52.539 --> 00:25:54.200
 not just a fact of life.

00:25:54.599 --> 00:25:56.259
 For many of us, in some

00:25:56.259 --> 00:25:57.599
 way, it's part of God's

00:25:57.599 --> 00:25:59.120
 divine call on our lives.

00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:00.799
 It's actually that God

00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:02.599
 calls us and leads us into

00:26:02.599 --> 00:26:03.460
 difficult work.

00:26:05.120 --> 00:26:06.500
 And that's because if you

00:26:06.500 --> 00:26:07.420
 are a Christian this

00:26:07.420 --> 00:26:08.319
 morning, and I know not

00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:09.279
 all of us are Christians,

00:26:09.420 --> 00:26:10.180
 but if you're a Christian

00:26:10.180 --> 00:26:11.940
 this morning, part of God's

00:26:11.940 --> 00:26:13.579
 call is to see your work

00:26:13.579 --> 00:26:14.559
 as a crucible.

00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:16.640
 Now, I don't know if you

00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:17.579
 know what a crucible is.

00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:20.659
 A crucible is this pot or

00:26:20.659 --> 00:26:23.059
 a container that is put

00:26:23.059 --> 00:26:24.740
 into an extremely hot

00:26:24.740 --> 00:26:27.359
 furnace so that the thing

00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:28.539
 that's inside of it, often

00:26:28.539 --> 00:26:30.179
 precious metals or gold or

00:26:30.179 --> 00:26:31.539
 silver or something, is

00:26:31.539 --> 00:26:32.799
 able to be melted and

00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:34.899
 refined and purified or

00:26:34.899 --> 00:26:35.939
 shaped and molded.

00:26:36.319 --> 00:26:37.619
 So they put some gold or

00:26:37.619 --> 00:26:38.619
 some kind of metal in a

00:26:38.619 --> 00:26:39.819
 crucible, they put the

00:26:39.819 --> 00:26:41.579
 crucible in this insanely hot

00:26:41.579 --> 00:26:43.359
 furnace, and it melts the

00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:44.339
 thing inside so that it can

00:26:44.339 --> 00:26:45.139
 be purified.

00:26:46.059 --> 00:26:47.559
 What God is saying is this,

00:26:48.019 --> 00:26:49.119
 throughout the Bible, God

00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:50.319
 says again and again and

00:26:50.319 --> 00:26:52.559
 again, that God calls us

00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:54.019
 sometimes to difficult and

00:26:54.019 --> 00:26:55.679
 extremely hard circumstances

00:26:55.679 --> 00:26:57.859
 because God uses those

00:26:57.859 --> 00:27:00.000
 circumstances as a crucible

00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:02.740
 to shape us and to purify us

00:27:02.740 --> 00:27:04.799
 and to mold us and to shape

00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:05.839
 our characters to be the

00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:06.619
 kind of people that he's

00:27:06.619 --> 00:27:07.279
 called us to be.

00:27:08.199 --> 00:27:09.879
 So for instance, Proverbs 17

00:27:09.879 --> 00:27:11.539
 says, a crucible is for

00:27:11.539 --> 00:27:13.439
 silver, a furnace is for gold,

00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:15.700
 but the Lord tests the heart

00:27:15.700 --> 00:27:16.960
 of his people.

00:27:18.180 --> 00:27:19.860
 In other words, sometimes the

00:27:19.860 --> 00:27:21.220
 struggle and the frustrations

00:27:21.220 --> 00:27:23.220
 of our work is not only

00:27:23.220 --> 00:27:25.039
 because of the curse, but

00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:26.420
 because actually they are God's

00:27:26.420 --> 00:27:27.920
 crucibles to shape us, to

00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:29.279
 reveal what's inside of our

00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:29.680
 hearts.

00:27:30.180 --> 00:27:31.740
 What are we really trusting in?

00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:33.299
 Where are we really finding

00:27:33.299 --> 00:27:35.039
 our identity and our hope and

00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:35.600
 our security?

00:27:36.360 --> 00:27:37.380
 And for those of us who are

00:27:37.380 --> 00:27:39.340
 Christians, we tend to think,

00:27:39.339 --> 00:27:40.799
 okay, my identity is in Jesus,

00:27:40.980 --> 00:27:42.919
 I know that, I'm secure in

00:27:42.919 --> 00:27:45.500
 him, until you get to work and

00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:47.039
 that deal falls flat, right?

00:27:47.379 --> 00:27:49.639
 Or your boss scolds you or

00:27:49.639 --> 00:27:50.939
 something goes wrong or you

00:27:50.939 --> 00:27:52.779
 don't make that promotion and

00:27:52.779 --> 00:27:54.039
 suddenly our whole world

00:27:54.039 --> 00:27:55.500
 crumbles and falls apart.

00:27:56.059 --> 00:27:56.879
 What's happening?

00:27:57.839 --> 00:27:59.559
 The refiner is at work in your

00:27:59.559 --> 00:27:59.919
 world.

00:28:01.039 --> 00:28:02.599
 God is at work in your life and

00:28:02.599 --> 00:28:03.720
 he's shaping you and he's

00:28:03.720 --> 00:28:04.359
 molding you.

00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:06.119
 And so sometimes the

00:28:06.119 --> 00:28:07.679
 difficulty of work is meant to

00:28:07.679 --> 00:28:08.699
 refine our characters.

00:28:09.339 --> 00:28:10.679
 So God wants us to be

00:28:10.679 --> 00:28:11.839
 patient, but how are you ever

00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:13.339
 going to know how impatient you

00:28:13.339 --> 00:28:14.939
 are until your patience is

00:28:14.939 --> 00:28:16.059
 tested, right?

00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:18.459
 Or how are you going to see

00:28:18.459 --> 00:28:19.240
 that you've got an anger

00:28:19.240 --> 00:28:20.419
 problem when life is always

00:28:20.419 --> 00:28:21.179
 going your way?

00:28:22.139 --> 00:28:23.500
 Sometimes God uses the

00:28:23.500 --> 00:28:25.179
 difficulty of work to reveal

00:28:25.179 --> 00:28:26.759
 what's really in our hearts

00:28:26.759 --> 00:28:29.039
 and to show our need for him.

00:28:29.980 --> 00:28:31.039
 I often think to myself, I

00:28:31.039 --> 00:28:33.459
 used to, I kind of laugh at

00:28:33.459 --> 00:28:34.839
 this, I used to think I was a

00:28:34.839 --> 00:28:35.779
 very patient person.

00:28:36.779 --> 00:28:37.899
 Until two things happened.

00:28:37.899 --> 00:28:38.899
 One, I had kids.

00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:42.399
 And two, a whole bunch of

00:28:42.399 --> 00:28:44.359
 work situations arose where I

00:28:44.359 --> 00:28:46.019
 got so impatient with people

00:28:46.019 --> 00:28:47.919
 and I realized I am a very

00:28:47.919 --> 00:28:48.959
 impatient person.

00:28:49.539 --> 00:28:51.299
 But it took the difficulty of

00:28:51.299 --> 00:28:52.919
 the crucible to reveal that,

00:28:53.019 --> 00:28:53.259
 right?

00:28:54.379 --> 00:28:55.679
 And so sometimes God allows

00:28:55.679 --> 00:28:57.139
 difficulty to come our way,

00:28:57.579 --> 00:28:59.019
 oftentimes in and through our

00:28:59.019 --> 00:29:00.959
 work, so that we can see our

00:29:00.959 --> 00:29:01.740
 need for him.

00:29:02.779 --> 00:29:03.659
 Paul writes this in

00:29:03.659 --> 00:29:04.720
 Corinthians, listen to what he

00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:05.139
 says here.

00:29:05.140 --> 00:29:05.640
 He says,

00:29:05.640 --> 00:29:07.020
 we do not want you to be

00:29:07.020 --> 00:29:08.620
 unaware, brothers and sisters,

00:29:08.620 --> 00:29:10.980
 of the affliction we experienced

00:29:10.980 --> 00:29:11.960
 when we were in Asia.

00:29:12.560 --> 00:29:14.040
 Some of you might feel the

00:29:14.040 --> 00:29:14.540
 same, right?

00:29:15.120 --> 00:29:16.259
 In America, it was so easy.

00:29:16.340 --> 00:29:17.680
 I came to Asia, deep

00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:18.120
 affliction.

00:29:19.120 --> 00:29:20.800
 For we were utterly burdened

00:29:20.800 --> 00:29:22.220
 beyond our strength and we

00:29:22.220 --> 00:29:23.759
 despaired of life itself.

00:29:24.560 --> 00:29:26.240
 Indeed, we felt we had received

00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:27.440
 the sentence of death.

00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:29.840
 But that was to make us rely

00:29:29.840 --> 00:29:32.160
 not on ourselves, but on the

00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:34.440
 God who raises us from the

00:29:34.440 --> 00:29:34.759
 dead.

00:29:35.620 --> 00:29:36.259
 You see that?

00:29:37.080 --> 00:29:38.220
 Again and again, the

00:29:38.220 --> 00:29:39.320
 scriptures say that the

00:29:39.320 --> 00:29:40.880
 hardship and the difficulty of

00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:42.560
 work are meant to be like a

00:29:42.560 --> 00:29:44.300
 shepherd's goad, a shepherd's

00:29:44.300 --> 00:29:45.340
 staff that are actually meant

00:29:45.340 --> 00:29:47.860
 to draw us back to God and

00:29:47.860 --> 00:29:49.060
 lead us to the foot of the

00:29:49.060 --> 00:29:51.300
 cross and say, God, I need

00:29:51.300 --> 00:29:51.620
 you.

00:29:53.740 --> 00:29:54.860
 They're meant to reveal the

00:29:54.860 --> 00:29:56.080
 counterfeit gods that we are

00:29:56.080 --> 00:29:56.860
 trusting in.

00:29:57.720 --> 00:29:58.960
 And sometimes we may think,

00:29:59.120 --> 00:30:00.460
 oh, work is difficult and the

00:30:00.460 --> 00:30:01.440
 environment isn't that good,

00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:02.559
 it must be time to leave.

00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:04.299
 Maybe, but maybe not.

00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:06.460
 Maybe that's exactly where God

00:30:06.460 --> 00:30:08.120
 wants you because he wants to

00:30:08.120 --> 00:30:09.220
 show you what you're trusting

00:30:09.220 --> 00:30:10.960
 in and what's in your heart.

00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:13.299
 Friends, again and again and

00:30:13.299 --> 00:30:14.980
 again, the scriptures tell us

00:30:14.980 --> 00:30:17.880
 that God is absolutely clear on

00:30:17.880 --> 00:30:19.220
 this, that God is infinitely

00:30:19.220 --> 00:30:20.620
 more concerned about our

00:30:20.620 --> 00:30:22.500
 character than our comfort.

00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:25.240
 And I know that in the 21st

00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:26.600
 century, that's hard to believe

00:30:26.600 --> 00:30:28.400
 because we think that the one

00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:29.539
 thing we're entitled to is a

00:30:29.539 --> 00:30:30.259
 comfortable life.

00:30:30.579 --> 00:30:32.119
 But again and again and again,

00:30:32.259 --> 00:30:33.659
 God says that he's infinitely

00:30:33.659 --> 00:30:34.839
 more concerned with our

00:30:34.839 --> 00:30:36.799
 character than our comfort.

00:30:38.039 --> 00:30:40.299
 Just read almost any book in

00:30:40.299 --> 00:30:41.500
 the Bible, any of the New

00:30:41.500 --> 00:30:43.500
 Testament epistles, any of the

00:30:43.500 --> 00:30:44.159
 gospels, right?

00:30:44.180 --> 00:30:45.139
 You'll see again and again

00:30:45.139 --> 00:30:46.659
 suffering and hardship,

00:30:47.099 --> 00:30:49.460
 anxiety, difficulty, stress.

00:30:49.700 --> 00:30:51.180
 This is a normal part of the

00:30:51.180 --> 00:30:51.799
 Christian life.

00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:53.940
 And sometimes God brings these

00:30:53.940 --> 00:30:54.899
 things into our life because he

00:30:54.900 --> 00:30:55.940
 wants us to see what's in our

00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:56.300
 hearts.

00:30:57.880 --> 00:31:02.820
 Now, last thing before we, last

00:31:02.820 --> 00:31:03.120
 section.

00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:05.900
 What about, what about if your

00:31:05.900 --> 00:31:07.759
 job or you work in an environment

00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:10.900
 or a company or for a boss that

00:31:10.900 --> 00:31:14.740
 the values directly contradict your

00:31:14.740 --> 00:31:16.220
 values as a follower of Jesus?

00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:19.200
 Maybe your company is very vocal in

00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:21.540
 supporting a cause or a movement

00:31:21.539 --> 00:31:22.899
 that you as a follower of Jesus

00:31:22.899 --> 00:31:25.059
 don't, can't support.

00:31:25.779 --> 00:31:27.319
 Maybe you work for a company that

00:31:27.319 --> 00:31:29.339
 invests in the industry or brokers

00:31:29.339 --> 00:31:32.659
 deals for an industry that is doing

00:31:32.659 --> 00:31:35.759
 harmful stuff to the environment or is

00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:37.420
 contributing towards division in

00:31:37.420 --> 00:31:38.899
 society and breakdown society.

00:31:39.460 --> 00:31:40.299
 What do you do?

00:31:41.079 --> 00:31:42.619
 What do you do if your boss treats

00:31:42.619 --> 00:31:44.839
 people badly or sexist or racist or

00:31:44.839 --> 00:31:46.559
 abuses people in the company?

00:31:47.259 --> 00:31:48.819
 What do you do when your boss wants you

00:31:48.819 --> 00:31:50.480
 to go out drinking with clients and

00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:51.839
 binging on alcohol so that you can

00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:53.159
 win business for the company?

00:31:54.679 --> 00:31:56.119
 Should we leave our job?

00:31:56.679 --> 00:31:57.859
 Go work for a Christian NGO?

00:31:58.779 --> 00:32:00.259
 Go start a Christian investment

00:32:00.259 --> 00:32:00.700
 company?

00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:02.919
 Maybe go work for a church because,

00:32:03.099 --> 00:32:03.839
 you know, we don't have any

00:32:03.839 --> 00:32:04.799
 challenges at the church.

00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:06.359
 Okay.

00:32:08.200 --> 00:32:09.839
 Well, friends, the Bible doesn't give

00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:11.919
 us answers to each and every

00:32:11.919 --> 00:32:13.299
 situation, but let's just think about

00:32:13.299 --> 00:32:13.839
 this briefly.

00:32:14.460 --> 00:32:15.759
 And I want to say three things to us

00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:16.539
 in that situation.

00:32:17.139 --> 00:32:17.679
 Four things.

00:32:17.680 --> 00:32:20.920
 One, it's really hard and there's no

00:32:20.920 --> 00:32:22.039
 short, quick answers.

00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:25.519
 Two, that book over there by Daniel

00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:27.560
 Doriani is a really great book and

00:32:27.560 --> 00:32:28.759
 he's got a great chapter on that

00:32:28.759 --> 00:32:30.160
 called Work in Hard Places.

00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:31.740
 I encourage you to read it.

00:32:32.519 --> 00:32:36.500
 Three, no workplace in the earth is

00:32:36.500 --> 00:32:38.360
 going to be purely good or purely easy

00:32:38.360 --> 00:32:39.799
 or purely ethical.

00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:40.240
 Okay.

00:32:41.039 --> 00:32:43.640
 Every workplace is going to come face

00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:44.700
 to face with these challenges.

00:32:44.700 --> 00:32:48.400
 And every workplace, in fact, in some

00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:49.799
 ways, the more corrupt the workplace,

00:32:49.960 --> 00:32:52.259
 the more it needs God-centered people

00:32:52.259 --> 00:32:54.500
 who have the wisdom of a God-fearing

00:32:54.500 --> 00:32:56.340
 life and who's hard to shape our

00:32:56.340 --> 00:32:57.759
 Christ to be in that place.

00:32:58.460 --> 00:33:00.279
 And so if it's possible that you can

00:33:00.279 --> 00:33:01.519
 still work in that place without

00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:03.940
 contributing towards the evil, maybe

00:33:03.940 --> 00:33:05.620
 God wants you to be in that place

00:33:05.620 --> 00:33:08.519
 as specifically to bring some element

00:33:08.519 --> 00:33:11.840
 of wisdom or light to that workplace.

00:33:11.839 --> 00:33:14.119
 It may be that God wants us to stay

00:33:14.119 --> 00:33:16.220
 there because our responsibility is to

00:33:16.220 --> 00:33:18.379
 love others more than find a

00:33:18.379 --> 00:33:19.159
 comfortable job.

00:33:19.919 --> 00:33:21.379
 And when we think about it in the

00:33:21.379 --> 00:33:22.819
 Bible, there's actually tons of

00:33:22.819 --> 00:33:24.639
 examples of men and women that worked

00:33:24.639 --> 00:33:26.500
 in really difficult work environments.

00:33:27.099 --> 00:33:28.319
 So I think of Daniel, right?

00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:30.279
 Daniel goes to Nebuchadnezzar and he

00:33:30.279 --> 00:33:32.799
 works as an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar,

00:33:33.179 --> 00:33:35.439
 the king of Babylon, who was this

00:33:35.439 --> 00:33:36.879
 pagan, ungodly man.

00:33:37.439 --> 00:33:39.119
 And Daniel works in the palace for

00:33:39.119 --> 00:33:42.079
 almost 70 years, his entire life for

00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:43.819
 Nebuchadnezzar and his followers.

00:33:44.359 --> 00:33:45.759
 Or think about Queen Esther.

00:33:46.259 --> 00:33:48.099
 She's married to King Xerxes, the

00:33:48.099 --> 00:33:50.159
 king of the Persian king.

00:33:50.539 --> 00:33:53.019
 He was a terrible man, a misogynist.

00:33:53.379 --> 00:33:54.500
 And she's in the palace.

00:33:55.059 --> 00:33:58.599
 Or think of a man called Obadiah, who

00:33:58.599 --> 00:34:00.459
 worked as a court official in the palace

00:34:00.459 --> 00:34:01.059
 of Ahab.

00:34:01.500 --> 00:34:03.679
 Ahab was a terrible king in Israel.

00:34:04.239 --> 00:34:05.699
 Murders people, kills people.

00:34:05.700 --> 00:34:08.740
 Obadiah works as a court official in

00:34:08.740 --> 00:34:09.300
 his palace.

00:34:09.460 --> 00:34:11.240
 And Obadiah, we're told, is a God-fearing,

00:34:11.420 --> 00:34:12.039
 godly man.

00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:16.179
 All these men and women worked for in

00:34:16.179 --> 00:34:17.900
 the service of pretty wicked,

00:34:18.380 --> 00:34:19.460
 egomaniac men.

00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:21.800
 And yet, who did terrible things.

00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:23.559
 And yet, they stayed there.

00:34:24.260 --> 00:34:25.860
 And one of the reasons why they stayed

00:34:25.860 --> 00:34:27.920
 there was because they saw that God had

00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:29.500
 called them there and that their purpose

00:34:29.500 --> 00:34:32.519
 there was to serve, and in many instances,

00:34:32.519 --> 00:34:36.480
 save the lives of people that otherwise

00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:38.639
 would have been severely impacted had

00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:39.440
 they not been there.

00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:42.239
 So, for instance, right, Esther saves

00:34:42.239 --> 00:34:44.300
 almost the entire Jewish nation in

00:34:44.300 --> 00:34:46.940
 Persia because she's in the palace and

00:34:46.940 --> 00:34:50.199
 can speak up and stand up for the people

00:34:50.199 --> 00:34:51.800
 who are going to be exterminated.

00:34:52.579 --> 00:34:55.159
 Daniel saves the lives of other advisors

00:34:55.159 --> 00:34:57.280
 to the king of Nebuchadnezzar and gets

00:34:57.280 --> 00:35:00.239
 to tell Nebuchadnezzar about the God of

00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:01.639
 Abraham and Israel and Isaac.

00:35:01.639 --> 00:35:06.440
 Look, Obadiah gets to save a number of

00:35:06.440 --> 00:35:08.099
 people, hundreds of people in Israel

00:35:08.099 --> 00:35:09.920
 because he's in the palace and because

00:35:09.920 --> 00:35:10.879
 of his influence there.

00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:13.679
 And so, all these men and women

00:35:13.679 --> 00:35:16.359
 saving get to save and do great good

00:35:16.359 --> 00:35:18.059
 even though they work in extremely

00:35:18.059 --> 00:35:19.179
 difficult circumstances.

00:35:20.139 --> 00:35:21.400
 Imagine they had left and said,

00:35:21.759 --> 00:35:23.659
 I think I'm going to go taste chocolate

00:35:23.659 --> 00:35:24.879
 at the Lymph Factory, right?

00:35:25.500 --> 00:35:27.819
 But God had a calling there, a purpose

00:35:27.819 --> 00:35:28.099
 there.

00:35:28.859 --> 00:35:30.159
 But here's the other thing that we

00:35:30.159 --> 00:35:31.039
 really need to see.

00:35:31.779 --> 00:35:35.199
 All of these men and women served in

00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:38.039
 dangerous and difficult situations and

00:35:38.039 --> 00:35:39.980
 yet all of them were willing to put

00:35:39.980 --> 00:35:43.199
 their jobs and even their lives on the

00:35:43.199 --> 00:35:46.399
 line because they knew who their true

00:35:46.399 --> 00:35:47.059
 king was.

00:35:48.099 --> 00:35:49.799
 And so, while they serve in the palace

00:35:49.799 --> 00:35:52.519
 of the king, all of them ultimately know

00:35:52.519 --> 00:35:55.599
 there is a higher king who has a higher

00:35:55.599 --> 00:35:58.539
 authority whose voice I will listen to

00:35:58.539 --> 00:35:59.339
 ultimately.

00:35:59.860 --> 00:36:01.920
 All of them knew that there was a God

00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:03.819
 in heaven who had the ultimate

00:36:03.819 --> 00:36:05.679
 authority of their lives and who they

00:36:05.679 --> 00:36:07.360
 had given their ultimate allegiance to.

00:36:08.360 --> 00:36:09.819
 And so, do you remember Esther?

00:36:10.679 --> 00:36:12.000
 She does a very dangerous thing.

00:36:12.099 --> 00:36:13.599
 Mordecai says to her, if you keep

00:36:13.599 --> 00:36:15.400
 silent at this time, God will bring

00:36:15.400 --> 00:36:17.279
 deliverance through another means.

00:36:17.940 --> 00:36:20.219
 And she says, I will speak up to the

00:36:20.219 --> 00:36:22.559
 king even though it is against the law

00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:24.820
 and if I perish, I will perish.

00:36:25.699 --> 00:36:27.179
 Or do you remember Shadrach, Meshach and

00:36:27.179 --> 00:36:27.599
 Abednego?

00:36:28.039 --> 00:36:30.420
 They say to Nebuchadnezzar, you want to

00:36:30.420 --> 00:36:31.539
 throw us in the fiery furnace?

00:36:31.820 --> 00:36:33.699
 Our God is able to save us and deliver

00:36:33.699 --> 00:36:33.940
 us.

00:36:34.099 --> 00:36:36.860
 But even if he does not, we will not

00:36:36.860 --> 00:36:38.900
 bow down to you, O great king.

00:36:39.860 --> 00:36:42.079
 And so friends, these are difficult and

00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:43.799
 challenging decisions and there's no quick

00:36:43.799 --> 00:36:44.219
 answers.

00:36:44.799 --> 00:36:46.779
 But ultimately, what's going to determine

00:36:46.779 --> 00:36:49.000
 whether the hard and challenging

00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:51.900
 environment corrupts you or whether it

00:36:51.900 --> 00:36:54.440
 refines you is who is your king?

00:36:54.980 --> 00:36:56.559
 Who have you sworn allegiance to?

00:36:57.019 --> 00:36:58.960
 Who holds the ultimate voice in your

00:36:58.960 --> 00:36:59.380
 life?

00:37:00.860 --> 00:37:02.180
 Where does your allegiance lie?

00:37:03.559 --> 00:37:05.539
 And so here's my final thought for us

00:37:05.539 --> 00:37:05.780
 today.

00:37:06.519 --> 00:37:08.000
 That working in hard and challenging

00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:10.119
 environments, it may be that God has

00:37:10.119 --> 00:37:12.440
 sent you to that environment because

00:37:12.440 --> 00:37:14.920
 out of love for those people, he wants

00:37:14.920 --> 00:37:16.920
 them to hear about the good news of

00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:17.200
 Jesus.

00:37:18.099 --> 00:37:21.660
 Friends, isn't that why Jonah went to

00:37:21.659 --> 00:37:22.019
 Nineveh?

00:37:22.839 --> 00:37:24.480
 Hundreds of thousands of people in

00:37:24.480 --> 00:37:26.159
 Assyria did not know God.

00:37:26.619 --> 00:37:28.899
 And so God sends Jonah into Nineveh,

00:37:29.000 --> 00:37:31.159
 into Assyria, to tell them about God.

00:37:31.779 --> 00:37:33.420
 Isn't that why God sent Joseph into

00:37:33.420 --> 00:37:35.279
 Egypt to save people?

00:37:36.019 --> 00:37:38.239
 Friends, is that not why God the Father

00:37:38.239 --> 00:37:41.000
 sent the Lord Jesus Christ into a dark

00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:42.000
 and crooked world?

00:37:42.399 --> 00:37:44.379
 Because of his profound love for you

00:37:44.379 --> 00:37:47.219
 and for me, that we could come to know

00:37:47.219 --> 00:37:49.039
 the hope of the gospel.

00:37:49.980 --> 00:37:52.439
 You see, we didn't read it, but in

00:37:52.439 --> 00:37:54.779
 Genesis chapter 3, we go back to the

00:37:54.779 --> 00:37:55.099
 curse.

00:37:55.659 --> 00:37:57.719
 In verse 15, there's an amazing line.

00:37:58.459 --> 00:38:01.039
 And God says to the snake, which is a

00:38:01.039 --> 00:38:03.139
 symbol of the Satan, he says,

00:38:03.480 --> 00:38:06.179
 there will come a descendant of the

00:38:06.179 --> 00:38:07.259
 woman of Eve.

00:38:07.619 --> 00:38:10.980
 A man will be born and you will make it

00:38:10.980 --> 00:38:13.139
 your business to destroy him and to

00:38:13.139 --> 00:38:13.679
 crush him.

00:38:14.259 --> 00:38:16.079
 And you will try to kill him.

00:38:16.559 --> 00:38:20.859
 And even as you kill him, actually he

00:38:20.859 --> 00:38:22.319
 will be killing and crushing you.

00:38:23.139 --> 00:38:25.519
 And so God says to the Satan, there will

00:38:25.519 --> 00:38:28.420
 come a descendant of the woman who you

00:38:28.420 --> 00:38:31.299
 will think that you have crushed him and

00:38:31.299 --> 00:38:33.500
 yet, and you'll even think that you've

00:38:33.500 --> 00:38:33.940
 succeeded.

00:38:34.159 --> 00:38:37.299
 And yet in doing so, he will crush you and

00:38:37.299 --> 00:38:39.000
 the rebellion that you've unleashed on the

00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:39.259
 earth.

00:38:39.839 --> 00:38:41.440
 There will come a man that you will think

00:38:41.440 --> 00:38:43.720
 that you've put to death and yet his

00:38:43.720 --> 00:38:46.940
 death will actually bring life because

00:38:46.940 --> 00:38:49.760
 in his dying, he will take upon himself

00:38:49.760 --> 00:38:52.639
 the curse of this broken world so that

00:38:52.639 --> 00:38:55.579
 all those who trust in him will start to

00:38:55.579 --> 00:38:57.619
 feel the curse of this world start to

00:38:57.619 --> 00:38:59.500
 lift off of their shoulders.

00:39:00.260 --> 00:39:04.380
 Friends, God tells to Satan that there

00:39:04.380 --> 00:39:07.300
 will come a descendant who will in dying

00:39:07.300 --> 00:39:12.019
 bring an end to death, who in dying will

00:39:12.019 --> 00:39:13.180
 bring life.

00:39:14.100 --> 00:39:16.160
 Kevin DeYoung summarizes the entire message

00:39:16.160 --> 00:39:18.760
 of the Bible saying, the snake crusher has

00:39:18.760 --> 00:39:21.200
 come to bring us back into the garden.

00:39:22.300 --> 00:39:23.140
 And friends, isn't that true?

00:39:23.980 --> 00:39:26.900
 Jesus Christ came, Satan did his best,

00:39:27.019 --> 00:39:28.519
 tried to kill him and crush him.

00:39:28.940 --> 00:39:32.380
 And yet in his dying on the cross, he crushed

00:39:32.380 --> 00:39:35.019
 the curse of what Satan had did in the world.

00:39:35.019 --> 00:39:37.259
 And on the cross, you remember what Jesus'

00:39:37.420 --> 00:39:38.199
 final words are?

00:39:38.579 --> 00:39:40.619
 Some of his very last words, he says,

00:39:41.239 --> 00:39:44.599
 Father, it is finished.

00:39:45.219 --> 00:39:46.360
 My work is done.

00:39:47.139 --> 00:39:48.900
 Father, I've done the work that you called me

00:39:48.900 --> 00:39:49.280
 to do.

00:39:49.980 --> 00:39:52.280
 Friends, Genesis 3 is full of darkness and

00:39:52.280 --> 00:39:52.800
 difficulty.

00:39:53.340 --> 00:39:55.300
 It tells us about how the curse has come into

00:39:55.300 --> 00:39:56.920
 the world because of our rebellion.

00:39:57.659 --> 00:39:59.840
 And yet even there in the Bible's darkest

00:39:59.840 --> 00:40:03.440
 moments, there's a ray of light, a ray of hope,

00:40:03.440 --> 00:40:05.920
 because it tells us about how Jesus Christ

00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:08.800
 will come and reverse the curse and take upon

00:40:08.800 --> 00:40:11.380
 himself the curse of the world so that all

00:40:11.380 --> 00:40:14.220
 those who hope in him and trust in him and

00:40:14.220 --> 00:40:17.440
 believe in him and follow him will start to

00:40:17.440 --> 00:40:19.760
 feel the curse lift off our shoulders as we

00:40:19.760 --> 00:40:22.019
 start to feel the effects of the new world

00:40:22.019 --> 00:40:22.820
 come in.

00:40:23.639 --> 00:40:25.960
 Friends, work is hard and is full of frustration

00:40:25.960 --> 00:40:27.900
 because of the curse of sin.

00:40:28.340 --> 00:40:31.639
 But thank God almighty, that's not the final word

00:40:31.639 --> 00:40:33.639
 in the Bible.

00:40:33.639 --> 00:40:35.420
 The final word is that Jesus has come and Jesus

00:40:35.420 --> 00:40:36.299
 is coming again.

00:40:37.019 --> 00:40:39.400
 And he will take those who love him and trust him

00:40:39.400 --> 00:40:42.119
 into the new heavens and the new earth where we

00:40:42.119 --> 00:40:46.099
 will work with joy and dignity and delight and with

00:40:46.099 --> 00:40:49.279
 pleasure and out of love and where the curse of this

00:40:49.279 --> 00:40:51.900
 broken world will be no more.

00:40:52.579 --> 00:40:56.159
 Friends, because if you trust him and love him and follow

00:40:56.159 --> 00:40:59.319
 him and obey him, sometimes God will send you into the

00:40:59.320 --> 00:41:02.400
 darkest and the hardest moments and places of our world

00:41:02.400 --> 00:41:06.660
 full of his strength, full of his power, full of his

00:41:06.660 --> 00:41:10.220
 light, full of his hope that you can bring hope into

00:41:10.220 --> 00:41:12.000
 those places as well.

00:41:12.620 --> 00:41:13.720
 Let's pray together.

00:41:15.400 --> 00:41:20.000
 Maybe actually before we pray, I've got some questions on

00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:20.420
 the screen.

00:41:20.580 --> 00:41:21.740
 Maybe you can go there.

00:41:21.800 --> 00:41:25.160
 Let's take a minute just to think and reflect about these

00:41:25.160 --> 00:41:28.559
 scriptures and these questions and then I'll lead us in a

00:41:28.559 --> 00:41:29.179
 time of prayer.

00:41:30.219 --> 00:41:33.279
 Friends, in what ways God, in what ways have you experienced

00:41:33.279 --> 00:41:34.900
 the frustration and difficulty of work?

00:41:35.980 --> 00:41:38.659
 In what ways work a crucible to shape and grow you?

00:41:40.019 --> 00:41:43.000
 How might God be calling you to trust him this week?

00:41:44.119 --> 00:41:48.159
 Is there anything you need to pray, confess or celebrate?

00:41:48.940 --> 00:41:51.059
 Let's take a few minutes just to think about that and then

00:41:51.059 --> 00:41:51.840
 I'll lead us in prayer.

00:41:51.840 --> 00:41:51.900
 Amen.

00:41:51.900 --> 00:41:51.960
 Amen.

00:41:51.960 --> 00:41:52.019
 Amen.

00:41:52.019 --> 00:41:52.039
 Amen.

00:41:52.039 --> 00:41:52.079
 Amen.

00:41:58.559 --> 00:41:58.980
 Amen.

00:42:28.559 --> 00:42:43.900
 Let's pray together.

00:42:44.739 --> 00:42:49.980
 Heavenly Father, today we offer you our work with all its

00:42:49.980 --> 00:42:54.099
 joys and frustrations, its delights and difficulties.

00:42:54.099 --> 00:42:58.880
 Father, we pray through the power of your spirit, won't you

00:42:58.880 --> 00:43:03.960
 help us to worship you in our work, to love and serve others

00:43:03.960 --> 00:43:08.500
 through our work, to persevere amidst the frustrations of our

00:43:08.500 --> 00:43:13.799
 work, to live out our distinct identity as we work.

00:43:15.079 --> 00:43:18.799
 Father, won't you help us to surrender the idols that steal our

00:43:18.799 --> 00:43:23.679
 work and to trust you in the challenges of our work, to be

00:43:23.679 --> 00:43:28.000
 steadfast for you in the crucible of work and to be a light of

00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:29.739
 transformation where we work.

00:43:30.899 --> 00:43:35.059
 Father, as we worship you now and tomorrow, through songs at

00:43:35.059 --> 00:43:39.099
 church and through our work, won't you give us the faith to know

00:43:39.099 --> 00:43:44.500
 that you will refine us and use us in your ultimate work of creating

00:43:44.500 --> 00:43:47.440
 a new heavens and a new earth.

00:43:48.159 --> 00:43:50.659
 We pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

00:43:52.039 --> 00:43:52.379
 Amen.

00:43:53.059 --> 00:43:53.399
 Amen.

00:43:53.400 --> 00:43:53.440
 Amen.

00:43:53.880 --> 00:43:54.200
 Amen.

00:43:54.200 --> 00:43:58.700
 Hodan II its начemed

00:44:01.019 --> 00:44:03.440
 Awesome music

00:44:04.200 --> 00:44:06.639
 That's Earlier

00:44:06.639 --> 00:44:17.440
 Please

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 See