WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:08.900 Well, as we know that many of you were traveling for Thanksgiving and are probably still resting 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:16.899 and catching up on sleep and weary from travel and all that's involved in Thanksgiving, we 00:00:16.899 --> 00:00:22.800 figured we would go ahead and just cover a light topic this morning, how to be prepared 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:24.160 for the day of final judgment. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:27.080 That's what this passage is about. 00:00:27.079 --> 00:00:34.960 In Matthew 25, it's important that we see this passage in Matthew 25 as part of a coherent 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:39.879 whole with the sections that come before it of Jesus' teaching. 00:00:40.060 --> 00:00:46.179 In chapters 24 and 25, Jesus is talking to his disciples about the end of the age, about 00:00:46.179 --> 00:00:48.239 what the Old Testament calls the day of the Lord. 00:00:48.780 --> 00:00:52.840 And he's teaching his disciples how to be ready and prepared for that day. 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:57.300 And so he tells a series of parables in order to do that. 00:00:57.360 --> 00:00:59.660 He tells the parable of the wise and wicked servant. 00:01:00.400 --> 00:01:04.760 He tells the parable of the prepared and unprepared bridesmaids. 00:01:04.900 --> 00:01:06.600 He tells the parable of the talents. 00:01:07.100 --> 00:01:11.359 And all of these parables all serve to illustrate the same point, that at the day of judgment, 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:15.599 some people will be prepared and some won't be. 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:22.099 And so as we come to this passage in Matthew 25, we see what Jesus is saying here. 00:01:23.099 --> 00:01:27.219 Another point about what it means to be prepared on the last day, to be prepared for the day 00:01:27.219 --> 00:01:27.620 of judgment. 00:01:28.900 --> 00:01:36.120 And one of the determining factors is how people treated the weak, how people treated the poor 00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:37.760 and the vulnerable and the oppressed. 00:01:38.600 --> 00:01:40.180 And that's what we're going to look at this morning. 00:01:40.780 --> 00:01:46.540 We're going to look at the need for judgment, the scales of justice, and the invitation of 00:01:46.540 --> 00:01:46.780 Jesus. 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:51.240 The need for judgment, the scales of justice, and the invitation of Jesus. 00:01:51.400 --> 00:01:53.620 So first of all, the need for judgment. 00:01:54.880 --> 00:02:00.260 Maybe as we read this passage or as we might think about this idea of the final judgment, 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:05.000 recognize that there may be some of you here this morning or perhaps some people that 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:11.259 you know who hear that and are troubled by it or even offended by it. 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:18.039 This idea that heaven and hell are real places, that people go there, and there's this real 00:02:18.039 --> 00:02:24.319 eternal separation between them may seem today in our modern culture like a morally regressive, 00:02:24.900 --> 00:02:26.300 enlightened thing to believe in. 00:02:26.939 --> 00:02:31.400 Many people think that if there is a God, that he would only be a God of love and forgiveness 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:35.360 and that all people would some way find themselves into heaven. 00:02:36.379 --> 00:02:41.680 And I actually want to address this question by pointing us back to two sermons that have 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:45.120 been preached recently on this very topic. 00:02:45.219 --> 00:02:48.740 The first was a sermon by Pastor Dan a few weeks ago. 00:02:48.819 --> 00:02:55.099 And in his sermon, Pastor Dan made the point that as we think about the idea of God's judgment, 00:02:55.879 --> 00:02:59.379 judgment and wrath are basically the other side of love. 00:02:59.379 --> 00:03:03.919 Think about how you would feel if you think about the people in your life that you love 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:10.620 the most, your family, your friends, people in your life that you love the most, and think 00:03:10.620 --> 00:03:12.379 about how you would feel if they were threatened. 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:20.500 And think about if they were actually harmed by somebody else. 00:03:20.979 --> 00:03:21.780 How would you feel? 00:03:22.579 --> 00:03:27.599 How would you feel if the people that you love the most in life were threatened or harmed by 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:28.259 somebody else? 00:03:28.259 --> 00:03:28.899 What would you feel? 00:03:30.399 --> 00:03:31.239 You'd feel anger. 00:03:32.399 --> 00:03:33.459 You'd feel wrath. 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:36.679 And so how much more with God? 00:03:37.819 --> 00:03:41.239 God's wrath and judgment is the other side. 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:43.359 It's the other side of the coin of his goodness and love. 00:03:43.419 --> 00:03:47.699 It's because he loves his good creation that he's opposed to anything that threatens to harm 00:03:47.699 --> 00:03:47.840 it. 00:03:48.340 --> 00:03:53.539 It's because he loves people made in his image that he must punish those who commit injustice, 00:03:53.539 --> 00:03:55.400 especially against the weak and the vulnerable. 00:03:55.919 --> 00:04:00.919 God has to be a God of judgment because he is a God of love and goodness. 00:04:01.799 --> 00:04:06.599 The second was Pastor Tommy's sermon a couple weeks ago on Hosea. 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:12.859 And in that sermon, he told the story of a man named Emma from the Democratic Republic of 00:04:12.859 --> 00:04:13.299 the Congo. 00:04:13.300 --> 00:04:23.180 And when the country in the 1990s experienced political chaos that erupted into violence and 00:04:23.180 --> 00:04:31.340 corruption and degradation of the poor and the weak, Emma witnessed unspeakable acts of violence 00:04:31.340 --> 00:04:34.819 and atrocities committed against his friends and his family. 00:04:34.819 --> 00:04:40.899 And as he was telling this story in light of what had all happened, Emma said that the only 00:04:40.899 --> 00:04:45.819 way that I can cope with the trauma of all of this is if I believe in a God of judgment. 00:04:46.699 --> 00:04:51.839 Because I will never get justice in this life for the unspeakable atrocities committed against 00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:54.259 people who I love, my family and my friends. 00:04:55.060 --> 00:04:58.379 If God was only a God of love and grace, I couldn't get through it. 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:00.659 And that God would not be worthy of my worship. 00:05:00.660 --> 00:05:05.860 Because it would mean that the people who have committed these heinous acts of evil, who 00:05:05.860 --> 00:05:08.080 I love, would just get away with it. 00:05:08.140 --> 00:05:10.480 They would never have to be accountable for the actions. 00:05:10.620 --> 00:05:14.220 They would never have to face the consequences for their evil actions. 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:21.080 And so I understand if, perhaps for some of you, this idea of the final judgment or God 00:05:21.080 --> 00:05:26.740 being a God of judgment, if it troubles you, I understand that to some degree because we 00:05:26.740 --> 00:05:29.640 like the idea of God being a God of love and compassion. 00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:37.120 But with all due respect, if this idea of a God of judgment offends you or troubles you, 00:05:37.900 --> 00:05:46.200 it may be because you've never actually experienced true injustice or oppression in your life. 00:05:47.080 --> 00:05:52.340 But for people like Emma and for thousands and millions of people across the world, the 00:05:52.340 --> 00:05:54.520 idea of a God of judgment is incredibly good news. 00:05:54.519 --> 00:05:59.560 Because it means that there's a hope that one day all wrongs will be made right, that the 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:05.120 scales of justice across human history will one day be balanced, that both victims and 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:07.399 oppressors will all get what they deserve. 00:06:08.479 --> 00:06:12.859 And that all the evil and injustice in the world will one day finally be eradicated. 00:06:12.860 --> 00:06:18.100 This is why we need a God of judgment. 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:20.220 And this is why our world needs a final judgment. 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:24.040 And this is why this scene in Matthew 25 is taking place. 00:06:24.580 --> 00:06:30.939 This is ultimately about God's goodness and his love and his commitment to the flourishing 00:06:30.939 --> 00:06:31.840 of his creation. 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:37.259 And so this then raises the question, well, if there is going to be a final judgment, 00:06:37.799 --> 00:06:40.679 then how exactly is that going to take place? 00:06:41.479 --> 00:06:45.139 And that's the second thing that we see in this passage is that we see the scales of justice. 00:06:45.139 --> 00:06:53.319 And verses 31 and 32, Jesus says, when the son of man comes in his glory and all the angels 00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:56.500 with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 00:06:57.479 --> 00:07:01.379 Before him will be gathered all the nations and he will separate people one from another 00:07:01.379 --> 00:07:03.560 as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 00:07:04.500 --> 00:07:09.219 And there are two Old Testament passages in the background of what Jesus is saying here. 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:13.959 The first is from Daniel chapter seven, which is a prophecy about the son of man. 00:07:13.959 --> 00:07:20.659 And in Daniel chapter seven, we see this scene where one who looks like the son of man approaches 00:07:20.659 --> 00:07:23.139 the throne of God, approaches the ancient of days. 00:07:23.859 --> 00:07:29.279 And God makes this son of man a king over an everlasting kingdom, a kingdom of all peoples 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:31.439 and languages and tribes and nations. 00:07:32.539 --> 00:07:37.299 The second passage from the Old Testament in the background here is our Old Testament reading 00:07:37.299 --> 00:07:42.419 this morning, Ezekiel 34, where God is judging Israel's leaders. 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:47.219 And he's judging them for failing to be shepherds of his people. 00:07:48.099 --> 00:07:50.159 They have failed to seek out the lost. 00:07:51.239 --> 00:07:53.039 They have failed to bind up the injured. 00:07:53.159 --> 00:07:54.539 They have failed to strengthen the weak. 00:07:54.620 --> 00:07:58.839 And instead, instead of feeding the sheep and caring for the sheep and protecting the 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:02.060 sheep, they have fed themselves and serve themselves. 00:08:02.060 --> 00:08:08.780 And so the Lord says, I myself will be the great shepherd of my people, and I'm going to judge 00:08:08.780 --> 00:08:09.040 you. 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:19.740 And perhaps an agrarian image from the ancient world helps us understand this separation from 00:08:19.740 --> 00:08:20.600 the sheep and the goats. 00:08:20.699 --> 00:08:26.720 In the ancient world, it was very common for shepherds to herd sheep and goats together 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:29.700 as a very practical manner. 00:08:30.900 --> 00:08:36.300 But sheep are pretty docile, gentle creatures, and goats can be pretty unruly, rambunctious 00:08:36.300 --> 00:08:36.680 creatures. 00:08:37.019 --> 00:08:43.740 And so they can very easily upset the sheep in times of feeding and also in times of sleeping, 00:08:43.879 --> 00:08:45.480 especially at nighttime when they sleep. 00:08:45.920 --> 00:08:48.279 Goats can disturb the sheep from sleeping. 00:08:48.279 --> 00:08:53.240 And so one of the jobs of a shepherd that shepherded both goats and sheep together, at the very end 00:08:53.240 --> 00:09:00.220 of the day and in times of feeding, a shepherd would separate the sheep from the goats so as 00:09:00.220 --> 00:09:01.899 to not disturb the sheep. 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:04.980 And this is what Jesus says he will do. 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:14.240 Both of these passages show us that Jesus is the rightful king and the rightful judge over 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:14.919 all the earth. 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:20.120 Daniel chapter 7 shows us that Jesus is the son of man who will receive a kingdom from his father 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:21.019 over all the nations. 00:09:22.079 --> 00:09:30.079 Ezekiel 34 shows us that Jesus is a shepherd who rightly judges between the sheep that he is king over. 00:09:31.299 --> 00:09:38.139 The first time that Jesus came to earth, which we will think about and reflect on in the season 00:09:38.139 --> 00:09:44.279 of Advent and Christmas, the first time Jesus to earth, he came in weakness and fragility and humility, 00:09:44.919 --> 00:09:54.159 but the second time he comes in power and authority and glory as the rightful king and judge over all the earth. 00:09:54.919 --> 00:09:59.339 Starting in verse 33, Jesus separates the sheep from the goats, the righteous from the unrighteous. 00:09:59.819 --> 00:10:03.959 And the standard that we see here in this passage, the standard of the separation, 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:12.759 is whether or not they showed mercy to the weak, whether or not they showed mercy to the poor and the vulnerable. 00:10:13.800 --> 00:10:19.700 Those on his right, the righteous cared for the poor, fed the hungry, clothed the naked, healed the sick, 00:10:20.980 --> 00:10:26.600 visited those in prison, welcomed the stranger, and those on his left, the unrighteous, did not. 00:10:26.600 --> 00:10:33.759 And based on this standard of justice, we see a sobering reality here in this text, 00:10:33.820 --> 00:10:36.340 that there is an eternal separation. 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:40.860 Those on his right go towards everlasting life with God, 00:10:41.379 --> 00:10:47.600 and those on his left go towards eternal separation from God, away from God's presence. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:51.899 But then there is a shocking turn. 00:10:52.700 --> 00:10:59.740 There is a shocking twist in this passage that no one expects, that his disciples don't expect, that we don't expect. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:07.500 But it's this shocking and surprising twist that is the key to understanding Jesus' standard of justice in the final judgment. 00:11:08.180 --> 00:11:10.000 In verses 35 and 36, Jesus says, 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:33.200 Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:38.980 And this is what I think we need to focus our attention on this morning, that Jesus Christ, 00:11:40.160 --> 00:11:43.360 the glorious King and Judge of all the earth, 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:46.980 at the end of time, in the final judgment, 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:51.560 identifies himself with the weak, 00:11:52.400 --> 00:11:55.480 with the poor, with the vulnerable, with the suffering. 00:11:56.920 --> 00:12:02.060 And the implication from this passage is fairly clear and straightforward, 00:12:02.059 --> 00:12:03.679 and yet it's incredibly challenging. 00:12:04.679 --> 00:12:08.719 If Jesus, the King and the Judge of all, does this, 00:12:09.619 --> 00:12:11.799 then so should his people. 00:12:12.419 --> 00:12:17.199 To know and worship and follow Jesus is to have a deep connection with the poor, 00:12:17.839 --> 00:12:22.000 the sick, the orphaned, the refugee, and the imprisoned. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:30.799 And this shows us the historic Christian teaching of solidarity with the poor, 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:33.039 of solidarity with the poor, 00:12:33.620 --> 00:12:39.120 this social principle that has been around for centuries. 00:12:40.019 --> 00:12:44.879 Solidarity is this idea that we are all connected as part of one human family 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:50.340 across dividing lines of race, ethnicity, nationality, and class. 00:12:50.340 --> 00:12:52.780 But not just that we're connected, 00:12:52.899 --> 00:12:56.440 but because we are connected that we actively work for the good of all, 00:12:56.519 --> 00:13:00.200 especially those most poor and vulnerable among us, 00:13:00.280 --> 00:13:02.780 those who are most overlooked and marginalized. 00:13:04.660 --> 00:13:08.519 But solidarity doesn't just see the poor and the weak as people in need, 00:13:09.280 --> 00:13:11.899 as if we are the people who go to help them. 00:13:13.660 --> 00:13:18.259 Solidarity means a deep self-identification with the poor. 00:13:18.259 --> 00:13:28.960 It's looking at the poor and the needy and vulnerable and saying, 00:13:29.319 --> 00:13:30.759 that's me. 00:13:32.059 --> 00:13:33.539 That's us. 00:13:33.539 --> 00:13:38.740 We are called to solidarity with the poor and the weak and the vulnerable, 00:13:39.099 --> 00:13:42.819 not because it maps onto anybody's social or political agenda, 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:46.139 but because of what we see here in this text, 00:13:46.199 --> 00:13:51.199 because Jesus himself identifies with the poor and the weak. 00:13:52.079 --> 00:13:58.039 And it's passages like this that show why we are committed to living out this 00:13:58.039 --> 00:14:00.519 solidarity with the poor as a church. 00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:05.939 It's why we have a ministry to refugees in our city. 00:14:06.659 --> 00:14:09.120 It's why we're committed to partnering with DC 127, 00:14:09.500 --> 00:14:12.659 an organization committed to serving families on the margins 00:14:12.659 --> 00:14:16.740 and reducing the foster care list in DC. 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:22.579 It's why we want to prayerfully ask God how we can continue to live out this vision 00:14:22.579 --> 00:14:24.519 of solidarity with the poor in our new locations, 00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:31.600 that we can go beyond what we are already doing and live this out in new and broader and deeper ways. 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:38.000 But this all raises a question for us. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.080 Because it's the scene of final judgment, 00:14:41.980 --> 00:14:43.700 and some people might look at this and say, 00:14:44.259 --> 00:14:47.100 well, this is all well and good. 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:52.279 Solidarity with the poor, serving the poor and the weak is all well and good. 00:14:52.279 --> 00:14:57.500 But if what separates the righteous from the unrighteous in the final judgment 00:14:57.500 --> 00:15:00.860 is acts of charity and mercy, 00:15:01.939 --> 00:15:05.279 then isn't this passage teaching salvation by works? 00:15:06.500 --> 00:15:09.559 And doesn't this contradict what we believe about the gospel, 00:15:09.659 --> 00:15:12.620 that we're only saved by grace through faith with Christ? 00:15:13.199 --> 00:15:19.459 If the standard in final judgment is those who cared for the poor and those who didn't, 00:15:19.460 --> 00:15:21.940 doesn't this contradict the gospel? 00:15:23.220 --> 00:15:25.580 That's a valid question from this passage, 00:15:25.680 --> 00:15:27.360 and that's what we're going to look at in our third point, 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:29.460 which is the invitation of Jesus. 00:15:29.900 --> 00:15:30.920 The invitation of Jesus. 00:15:32.220 --> 00:15:37.680 Does this passage teach salvation through acts of mercy? 00:15:39.940 --> 00:15:43.060 One of the clearest places we see the relationship between faith and works 00:15:43.060 --> 00:15:44.940 comes from Ephesians 2, 8 through 10, 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:46.320 which says, 00:15:46.320 --> 00:16:06.440 So we can look at a passage like this. 00:16:06.500 --> 00:16:13.020 On one hand, we can say it's clear we're not ultimately saved by our own good works, 00:16:13.019 --> 00:16:19.279 that God looks at our own good works and improves of us and saves us because of them, 00:16:19.340 --> 00:16:23.019 but we're saved by faith in what Christ has done for us. 00:16:24.220 --> 00:16:26.720 Ephesians 2 goes even so far as to say, 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:30.539 even the faith that we have to believe in Christ, 00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:33.639 even that is not something that we produce in ourselves, 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:35.980 but even that is a gift from God. 00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:40.340 So it's clear we're not saved because of our good works, 00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:41.000 and yet, 00:16:41.800 --> 00:16:43.840 it's a very important distinction here, 00:16:44.019 --> 00:16:46.240 we're not saved by our good works, 00:16:46.300 --> 00:16:48.620 but we are saved for good works. 00:16:49.680 --> 00:16:51.259 God saves us by grace 00:16:51.259 --> 00:16:53.580 in order to transform us 00:16:53.580 --> 00:16:55.519 into people who are full of acts 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:58.019 of love and mercy and charity. 00:16:58.220 --> 00:16:58.899 And these are works, 00:16:59.340 --> 00:17:00.139 Ephesians 2 says, 00:17:00.220 --> 00:17:02.539 that God has prepared in advance for us to do. 00:17:02.539 --> 00:17:06.500 Another way to say it is this. 00:17:08.659 --> 00:17:12.460 Good works are not the root of the gospel, 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:15.659 but they are the fruit of the gospel. 00:17:16.819 --> 00:17:19.259 Good works are not the root of the gospel, 00:17:19.399 --> 00:17:21.279 but they are the fruit of the gospel. 00:17:21.779 --> 00:17:24.740 It's having Jesus' righteousness alone, 00:17:24.859 --> 00:17:26.279 it's being saved by grace, 00:17:26.500 --> 00:17:29.579 that leads to true righteousness in our lives. 00:17:29.579 --> 00:17:33.419 And we see this play out in this text. 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:37.799 Did you notice the great irony here in this passage? 00:17:38.299 --> 00:17:39.299 There's a great irony, 00:17:39.439 --> 00:17:42.419 and the irony is that it's only those 00:17:42.419 --> 00:17:46.220 who think of themselves as unrighteous, 00:17:46.779 --> 00:17:50.179 it's only those who think of themselves as unmerciful 00:17:50.179 --> 00:17:53.000 who are actually those who are righteous. 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:54.839 Verses 37 and 38, 00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:57.399 those on Jesus' right side say to him, 00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:00.519 Lord, when were we merciful to you? 00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:02.700 We weren't merciful to you. 00:18:02.820 --> 00:18:05.500 We didn't see you hungry or sick or imprisoned. 00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:08.340 We're the spiritually bankrupt ones. 00:18:09.400 --> 00:18:11.820 We're the ones who are unrighteous. 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:13.480 We are the ones who are unmerciful. 00:18:13.700 --> 00:18:16.040 No, Jesus, we don't deserve 00:18:16.040 --> 00:18:18.460 to be invited into your kingdom. 00:18:19.280 --> 00:18:20.540 We're the ones who are poor. 00:18:20.660 --> 00:18:21.740 We're the ones who are sick. 00:18:21.980 --> 00:18:23.660 We're the ones who are prisoners. 00:18:23.660 --> 00:18:27.440 It's the people who know they're unrighteous, 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:28.700 who know they're spiritually bankrupt. 00:18:29.820 --> 00:18:31.519 They're the ones who have true righteousness 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:33.980 because they understand how much they need mercy. 00:18:35.340 --> 00:18:36.560 And their lives, 00:18:36.900 --> 00:18:38.300 knowing that they were in need of mercy, 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:41.420 their lives have actually become full 00:18:41.420 --> 00:18:44.340 of the fruit of good works of mercy to others. 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:47.259 And yet it's those on the left 00:18:47.259 --> 00:18:48.519 who say the same thing, 00:18:48.600 --> 00:18:50.720 but they say it with a different motivation. 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:52.480 They say it coming from a different place. 00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:55.519 They say, Jesus, we didn't see you hungry 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:58.100 or thirsty or naked or sick or imprisoned. 00:18:59.259 --> 00:19:01.259 But of course, if we did, 00:19:01.380 --> 00:19:02.799 we would have cared for you. 00:19:02.860 --> 00:19:03.600 We would have welcomed you. 00:19:03.660 --> 00:19:04.460 We would have clothed you. 00:19:04.500 --> 00:19:05.299 We would have fed you 00:19:05.299 --> 00:19:08.880 because we are merciful and we are righteous. 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:09.559 We're the good people. 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:11.240 We would have done it and we would have seen you, 00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:12.120 but we didn't see you. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:17.039 This group is demanding their rights 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:18.680 before the king of heaven and earth. 00:19:18.680 --> 00:19:20.820 They are litigating their righteousness. 00:19:22.060 --> 00:19:23.500 Up until the very end, 00:19:23.620 --> 00:19:24.600 even in final judgment, 00:19:24.779 --> 00:19:28.940 they are trying to litigate their righteousness before God. 00:19:29.820 --> 00:19:31.100 And it's those people, 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:33.380 it's that group that end up being cast out. 00:19:34.539 --> 00:19:37.539 This difference between true and false righteousness, 00:19:38.420 --> 00:19:39.759 it may sound subtle, 00:19:39.860 --> 00:19:40.860 but it's, I think, 00:19:41.220 --> 00:19:43.759 clearly seen in a story told 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:45.420 by the great preacher Charles Spurgeon. 00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:47.500 And Charles Spurgeon told the story 00:19:47.500 --> 00:19:52.180 about a gardener who once grew a giant carrot in his garden. 00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:54.420 And this gardener grew this giant carrot 00:19:54.420 --> 00:19:57.759 and it was the largest and most beautiful carrot 00:19:57.759 --> 00:19:58.580 that he had ever grown. 00:19:59.560 --> 00:20:01.200 And he brought it before the king 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:03.500 and he laid it at the king's feet. 00:20:04.200 --> 00:20:04.800 And he said, 00:20:04.860 --> 00:20:06.860 oh king, I want you to have this carrot. 00:20:07.560 --> 00:20:10.259 It's the largest and most beautiful carrot I've ever grown. 00:20:10.259 --> 00:20:13.559 And because you're such a wise king, 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:14.920 because you're such a good king, 00:20:15.019 --> 00:20:16.400 because you're such a merciful king, 00:20:16.759 --> 00:20:17.879 I want you to have it. 00:20:17.940 --> 00:20:20.019 I want to honor you with this gift. 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:23.500 And the king was so honored that he took the carrot 00:20:23.500 --> 00:20:25.279 and in return, 00:20:25.539 --> 00:20:29.200 he gave the gardener a huge plot of land 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:31.240 as a gift in return. 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:34.640 But there was a savvy nobleman 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:37.400 who was watching this scene play out 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:38.339 in the king's court. 00:20:39.120 --> 00:20:40.799 And he saw this scene happen 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:42.000 and he thought to himself, 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:46.400 well, if this gardener gave the king a carrot 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:49.400 and got a huge plot of land, 00:20:50.180 --> 00:20:51.660 what would I get 00:20:51.660 --> 00:20:55.180 if I gave the king one of my best horses, 00:20:55.500 --> 00:20:56.519 one of my finest horses? 00:20:57.480 --> 00:20:59.319 And so the nobleman goes out 00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:00.639 and he gets one of his finest, 00:21:00.859 --> 00:21:01.920 most strongest horses. 00:21:02.740 --> 00:21:04.200 And he takes it before the king 00:21:04.200 --> 00:21:04.579 and he says, 00:21:04.680 --> 00:21:06.339 oh king, I want you to have this horse. 00:21:06.980 --> 00:21:08.680 It's the strongest, finest, 00:21:08.839 --> 00:21:10.200 most beautiful horse I've ever had. 00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:13.799 And the king looks at the nobleman 00:21:13.799 --> 00:21:15.980 and he looks at the horse 00:21:15.980 --> 00:21:17.639 and he says, 00:21:18.019 --> 00:21:18.879 thank you. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:20.700 Thank you for the horse. 00:21:22.019 --> 00:21:24.000 But the nobleman looked confused and angry 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:24.379 and he said, 00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:26.359 well, aren't you gonna give me anything 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:26.799 in return? 00:21:27.379 --> 00:21:29.859 I saw the gardener bring a carrot 00:21:29.859 --> 00:21:31.419 and you gave him a huge plot of land. 00:21:31.779 --> 00:21:33.159 You're not gonna give me anything 00:21:33.159 --> 00:21:34.639 in return for my horse? 00:21:36.119 --> 00:21:37.939 Obviously a better gift than a carrot. 00:21:39.799 --> 00:21:42.479 And the wise king looked at the nobleman 00:21:42.479 --> 00:21:44.139 and said, 00:21:44.219 --> 00:21:46.599 the gardener gave me the carrot, 00:21:47.319 --> 00:21:49.899 but you gave yourself the horse. 00:21:49.900 --> 00:21:55.580 And this gets at the difference in motivation 00:21:55.580 --> 00:21:57.620 between true righteousness 00:21:57.620 --> 00:21:58.780 and false righteousness. 00:21:59.280 --> 00:22:00.600 I think if we're honest, 00:22:00.660 --> 00:22:01.800 if we look at our own hearts, 00:22:02.540 --> 00:22:05.560 when it comes to serving the poor 00:22:05.560 --> 00:22:08.900 or the weak or needy or the refugees, 00:22:09.580 --> 00:22:11.180 I think all of us, 00:22:11.360 --> 00:22:11.880 if we're honest, 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:13.240 we can have mixed motivations, 00:22:13.460 --> 00:22:15.340 especially in a place like Washington, D.C., 00:22:15.339 --> 00:22:17.980 especially when many of our careers 00:22:17.980 --> 00:22:20.419 and work intersect on these things, 00:22:21.079 --> 00:22:23.019 I think all of us can have mixed motivations 00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:24.779 when it comes to acts of mercy 00:22:24.779 --> 00:22:27.299 because there's lots of ways 00:22:27.299 --> 00:22:30.259 in which we might actually be serving ourselves. 00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:33.099 Maybe it's building a social reputation 00:22:33.099 --> 00:22:36.439 of being a justice and mercy person. 00:22:38.259 --> 00:22:39.599 Maybe it's because we feel guilty 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:41.319 about our relative level of wealth 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:43.899 and we wanna assuage our own sense of guilt or shame. 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:46.859 Maybe we think, as many people do, 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:49.619 that the scales of justice are really about 00:22:49.619 --> 00:22:52.199 our good actions outweighing our bad actions. 00:22:52.899 --> 00:22:54.639 And if our good actions outweigh our bad actions, 00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:56.799 then God will approve of us in the end. 00:22:58.299 --> 00:23:00.059 But I think a question that we have to ask ourselves 00:23:00.059 --> 00:23:03.899 is when we look at serving the weak, 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:05.339 serving the poor, serving the vulnerable, 00:23:05.799 --> 00:23:08.759 are we giving Jesus the carrot 00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:12.279 or are we giving ourselves the horse? 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:15.259 And the difference, although it may seem subtle, 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:18.099 the difference lies in where you locate yourself 00:23:18.099 --> 00:23:18.980 in this scene. 00:23:20.419 --> 00:23:24.000 Are you the one who litigates your case before God 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:27.179 and says, because of these acts of mercy, 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:28.419 because I did these things, 00:23:28.420 --> 00:23:30.360 therefore you should consider me righteous? 00:23:32.360 --> 00:23:34.120 Or are you one who cries out for mercy? 00:23:34.300 --> 00:23:36.320 Are you one who sees yourself as unmerciful? 00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:39.500 How can you know the difference? 00:23:40.820 --> 00:23:42.860 How can we know the difference in our own lives? 00:23:45.539 --> 00:23:46.960 Well, when you see yourself, 00:23:48.060 --> 00:23:49.680 if your own vision of yourself 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:53.800 is one who is spiritually poor and bankrupt, 00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:56.420 with nothing to offer God, 00:23:56.420 --> 00:23:58.340 with a debt that you could never repay, 00:23:59.460 --> 00:24:01.180 and yet you see Jesus, 00:24:01.940 --> 00:24:03.720 who was infinitely rich, 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:06.120 and yet became poor, 00:24:06.800 --> 00:24:08.220 materially and spiritually poor, 00:24:08.860 --> 00:24:11.200 and paid your debt on the cross 00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:13.160 so that he could give you 00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:15.560 the glorious riches of his inheritance 00:24:15.560 --> 00:24:17.180 that Paul talks about in Ephesians 1, 00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:20.019 when you've seen that you were spiritually bankrupt, 00:24:20.259 --> 00:24:21.740 and yet Jesus paid your debt, 00:24:21.740 --> 00:24:25.079 it changes how you see the poor. 00:24:26.900 --> 00:24:28.140 Because you don't just see the poor 00:24:28.140 --> 00:24:29.359 as people who are in need, 00:24:30.019 --> 00:24:31.539 you look at the poor with solidarity, 00:24:31.779 --> 00:24:33.640 and you say, that's me. 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:38.599 That's me, and yet Jesus made me rich. 00:24:39.059 --> 00:24:41.579 When you see yourself as one who was an orphan, 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:44.000 or a refugee, or a stranger to God's family, 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:46.759 and you see at infinite cost to himself, 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:48.680 Jesus welcomed you in, 00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:51.060 and he gave you a seat at his table, 00:24:51.140 --> 00:24:53.940 and he made you a son and a daughter of the kingdom, 00:24:54.120 --> 00:24:56.000 and he made you a fellow citizen 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.100 in the kingdom of heaven. 00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:01.420 When you've experienced the hospitality of Jesus, 00:25:02.039 --> 00:25:04.080 it changes how you think about immigrants. 00:25:04.759 --> 00:25:07.180 It changes how you think about refugees and strangers, 00:25:07.840 --> 00:25:10.539 people who you don't know. 00:25:11.100 --> 00:25:13.120 Because you know what it feels like 00:25:13.120 --> 00:25:14.580 to be on the outside. 00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:16.939 You know what it feels like 00:25:16.939 --> 00:25:18.500 to be on the outside looking in. 00:25:19.599 --> 00:25:21.179 And then you know what it feels like 00:25:21.179 --> 00:25:22.059 to be invited in, 00:25:22.339 --> 00:25:24.379 and to be invited into the king's table. 00:25:25.859 --> 00:25:27.619 When you see yourself as one 00:25:27.619 --> 00:25:29.519 who was a prisoner, 00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:32.539 enslaved and bound 00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:35.399 by the chains of sin and guilt and shame, 00:25:35.460 --> 00:25:36.759 and then you see Jesus 00:25:36.759 --> 00:25:40.079 who came to earth to liberate you, 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:44.819 who unlocked your jail cell with his key 00:25:44.819 --> 00:25:46.639 and opened the door wide open 00:25:46.639 --> 00:25:48.199 so that you could go free, 00:25:49.240 --> 00:25:51.419 and then exchanged places with you, 00:25:51.460 --> 00:25:53.619 and then stepped inside your jail cell 00:25:53.619 --> 00:25:55.099 and locked it from the inside 00:25:55.099 --> 00:25:58.819 so that he could be condemned in your place 00:25:58.819 --> 00:26:00.699 and so that you could go free. 00:26:01.259 --> 00:26:02.279 When you've experienced 00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:04.220 the liberating power of Jesus, 00:26:04.819 --> 00:26:07.460 it changes how you look at those 00:26:07.460 --> 00:26:08.019 who are in prison. 00:26:09.400 --> 00:26:11.420 Because you don't just see somebody in prison 00:26:11.420 --> 00:26:14.100 as somebody who deserves to be there. 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:17.900 You see those in prison, 00:26:18.059 --> 00:26:19.039 and you say, 00:26:19.380 --> 00:26:20.180 that's me. 00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:22.600 Apart from the grace and mercy of God, 00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:23.579 that's me, 00:26:23.700 --> 00:26:24.860 and yet Jesus set me free. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:27.440 And this is why 00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:29.840 showing mercy to the weak 00:26:29.840 --> 00:26:30.720 and to the vulnerable 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:31.400 and to the poor 00:26:31.400 --> 00:26:33.299 is the dividing line 00:26:33.299 --> 00:26:34.579 and the final judgment 00:26:34.579 --> 00:26:35.920 between where true righteousness 00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:37.620 and false righteousness is. 00:26:38.060 --> 00:26:40.640 Because it is the ultimate litmus test. 00:26:41.980 --> 00:26:44.180 It's the ultimate litmus test 00:26:44.180 --> 00:26:45.460 if the root of the gospel 00:26:45.460 --> 00:26:47.000 of mercy, 00:26:47.420 --> 00:26:48.440 free mercy alone, 00:26:49.180 --> 00:26:51.460 has actually taken root in your life 00:26:51.460 --> 00:26:53.820 and transformed you 00:26:53.820 --> 00:26:54.740 into be a person 00:26:54.740 --> 00:26:56.380 of good works 00:26:56.380 --> 00:26:57.039 and mercy 00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:57.560 and charity. 00:26:58.759 --> 00:27:00.340 The difference between these two groups 00:27:00.340 --> 00:27:01.060 in Matthew 25, 00:27:01.240 --> 00:27:01.800 between those 00:27:01.800 --> 00:27:02.800 who are prepared 00:27:02.800 --> 00:27:03.640 for the final judgment 00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:04.759 and those who are not, 00:27:05.700 --> 00:27:06.720 is between those 00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:08.800 who litigate their case before God, 00:27:08.860 --> 00:27:09.860 who litigate their righteousness 00:27:09.860 --> 00:27:10.560 before God, 00:27:11.360 --> 00:27:13.140 and those who cry out for mercy. 00:27:14.280 --> 00:27:15.240 And it's those 00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:16.520 who cry out for mercy 00:27:16.520 --> 00:27:18.380 who objectively 00:27:18.380 --> 00:27:19.520 end up being those 00:27:19.520 --> 00:27:20.340 whose lives 00:27:20.340 --> 00:27:21.720 are full of mercy. 00:27:23.660 --> 00:27:26.520 So how can we be prepared 00:27:26.520 --> 00:27:28.180 for the day of final judgment? 00:27:29.120 --> 00:27:29.820 Well, the invitation 00:27:29.820 --> 00:27:30.620 of this passage 00:27:30.619 --> 00:27:31.519 is twofold. 00:27:31.619 --> 00:27:32.199 It's twofold. 00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:34.979 The first is to locate ourselves 00:27:34.979 --> 00:27:37.199 not as those 00:27:37.199 --> 00:27:38.039 who litigate 00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:38.819 and demand 00:27:38.819 --> 00:27:39.319 their rights 00:27:39.319 --> 00:27:39.959 before Jesus, 00:27:40.619 --> 00:27:41.379 but with those 00:27:41.379 --> 00:27:42.179 who know 00:27:42.179 --> 00:27:43.139 they're spiritually bankrupt, 00:27:43.299 --> 00:27:44.279 who know they're unrighteous, 00:27:44.359 --> 00:27:45.259 who know they're unmerciful. 00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:46.559 With those who, 00:27:46.679 --> 00:27:47.859 apart from the mercy of Jesus, 00:27:48.299 --> 00:27:49.159 that we're the ones 00:27:49.159 --> 00:27:49.719 who are poor. 00:27:50.919 --> 00:27:51.679 We're the ones 00:27:51.679 --> 00:27:52.219 who are imprisoned. 00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:53.059 We're the strangers. 00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:54.319 We're the sick. 00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:55.779 It's by knowing 00:27:55.779 --> 00:27:56.919 that we need mercy 00:27:56.920 --> 00:27:58.740 that we become 00:27:58.740 --> 00:27:59.640 people of mercy. 00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:01.279 It's by knowing 00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:02.080 that we are poor 00:28:02.080 --> 00:28:04.100 that we become people 00:28:04.100 --> 00:28:06.180 who care for the poor 00:28:06.180 --> 00:28:07.039 and have solidarity 00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:07.980 with them. 00:28:09.259 --> 00:28:10.240 The second part 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:10.700 of the invitation 00:28:10.700 --> 00:28:11.240 this morning 00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:13.200 is to locate 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:14.460 the face of Jesus, 00:28:15.240 --> 00:28:16.580 to locate the face 00:28:16.580 --> 00:28:17.180 of Jesus 00:28:17.180 --> 00:28:18.740 in the face 00:28:18.740 --> 00:28:19.820 of the poor, 00:28:20.519 --> 00:28:21.560 of the refugee, 00:28:22.360 --> 00:28:23.080 of the imprisoned, 00:28:23.500 --> 00:28:24.019 and of the orphan. 00:28:24.019 --> 00:28:26.039 Because it's in him 00:28:26.039 --> 00:28:26.599 that we find 00:28:26.599 --> 00:28:27.259 true righteousness. 00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:27.980 It's in Jesus 00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:28.519 that we find 00:28:28.519 --> 00:28:29.099 true mercy. 00:28:29.480 --> 00:28:30.299 In his incarnation, 00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:31.180 Jesus is the one 00:28:31.180 --> 00:28:31.859 who became poor. 00:28:32.579 --> 00:28:33.720 He emptied himself 00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:35.220 of all his heavenly glory 00:28:35.220 --> 00:28:36.579 and took on human frailty 00:28:36.579 --> 00:28:37.220 and weakness. 00:28:38.460 --> 00:28:39.579 Jesus became a stranger 00:28:39.579 --> 00:28:40.559 and an outcast 00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:41.139 and a refugee, 00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:42.839 outcast from the presence 00:28:42.839 --> 00:28:43.339 of God 00:28:43.339 --> 00:28:43.980 on the cross. 00:28:45.700 --> 00:28:46.700 Jesus became a prisoner. 00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:49.220 He was bound in chains. 00:28:49.319 --> 00:28:49.839 He was given 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:51.440 an unjust trial. 00:28:51.619 --> 00:28:52.519 He was condemned 00:28:52.519 --> 00:28:54.619 a criminal's death 00:28:54.619 --> 00:28:55.660 so that we 00:28:55.660 --> 00:28:56.879 could go free. 00:28:58.160 --> 00:28:58.599 And friends, 00:28:58.700 --> 00:28:59.500 that's the root. 00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:01.259 That's the root 00:29:01.259 --> 00:29:01.799 of the gospel. 00:29:02.700 --> 00:29:03.539 And if you let 00:29:03.539 --> 00:29:04.279 the root of the gospel 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:06.759 plant deeply within you, 00:29:07.639 --> 00:29:08.819 if that becomes 00:29:08.819 --> 00:29:09.720 the center of your life, 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:11.139 it'll transform you. 00:29:11.900 --> 00:29:13.119 It'll transform you 00:29:13.119 --> 00:29:14.379 to the kind of person 00:29:14.379 --> 00:29:15.440 whose lives 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:16.599 are full of good works, 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:17.460 whose lives 00:29:17.460 --> 00:29:18.859 are full of solidarity 00:29:18.859 --> 00:29:19.480 with the poor, 00:29:19.579 --> 00:29:19.879 whose lives 00:29:19.879 --> 00:29:20.920 are full of mercy. 00:29:20.920 --> 00:29:23.080 And that's one 00:29:23.080 --> 00:29:23.500 of the ways 00:29:23.500 --> 00:29:24.240 that Jesus says 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:25.220 that we can be prepared 00:29:25.220 --> 00:29:26.400 for the final judgment 00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:27.400 if we let the root 00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:27.940 of the gospel 00:29:27.940 --> 00:29:29.120 produce the fruit 00:29:29.120 --> 00:29:29.740 of mercy 00:29:29.740 --> 00:29:30.600 and justice 00:29:30.600 --> 00:29:31.519 in our lives. 00:29:32.900 --> 00:29:33.860 And one day, 00:29:35.080 --> 00:29:35.519 Jesus, 00:29:36.120 --> 00:29:36.800 the king 00:29:36.800 --> 00:29:37.519 and the judge 00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:37.940 of all, 00:29:38.060 --> 00:29:38.860 will say to you, 00:29:40.039 --> 00:29:40.519 come, 00:29:40.980 --> 00:29:42.100 you who are blessed 00:29:42.100 --> 00:29:42.880 by my father, 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:44.620 take your inheritance. 00:29:45.580 --> 00:29:46.539 The kingdom prepared 00:29:46.539 --> 00:29:47.120 for you 00:29:47.120 --> 00:29:48.380 since the creation 00:29:48.380 --> 00:29:49.500 of the world. 00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:50.880 let's pray. 00:29:53.720 --> 00:29:54.799 Our father in heaven, 00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:58.980 we do identify ourselves 00:29:58.980 --> 00:30:00.579 with the unrighteous, 00:30:01.160 --> 00:30:03.000 with the unmerciful, 00:30:03.700 --> 00:30:05.779 with those who are bankrupt 00:30:05.779 --> 00:30:07.079 and poor and needy. 00:30:08.500 --> 00:30:09.700 And we cry out to you 00:30:09.700 --> 00:30:10.140 for mercy. 00:30:11.059 --> 00:30:12.019 And we pray 00:30:12.019 --> 00:30:14.079 that the saving power 00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:14.660 of your gospel 00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:15.920 would so free us 00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:17.400 and transform us 00:30:17.400 --> 00:30:18.460 and liberate us 00:30:18.460 --> 00:30:21.460 that we might be people 00:30:21.460 --> 00:30:23.980 who live lives 00:30:23.980 --> 00:30:25.140 of solidarity 00:30:25.140 --> 00:30:26.360 with the poor 00:30:26.360 --> 00:30:26.860 and the weak 00:30:26.860 --> 00:30:27.320 and vulnerable 00:30:27.320 --> 00:30:28.100 around us. 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:30.820 Lord, 00:30:30.860 --> 00:30:31.680 we pray these things 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:32.340 for your sake. 00:30:32.940 --> 00:30:33.240 Amen. 00:30:33.240 --> 00:30:33.300 Amen. 00:30:34.140 --> 00:30:34.240 Amen. 00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:35.240 Amen. 00:30:35.240 --> 00:30:35.300 Amen. 00:30:35.300 --> 00:30:36.240 Amen. 00:30:36.240 --> 00:30:37.300 Amen. 00:30:37.300 --> 00:30:37.740 Amen. 00:30:37.740 --> 00:30:37.800 Amen. 00:30:37.800 --> 00:30:37.860 Amen. 00:30:37.860 --> 00:30:37.880 Amen. 00:30:37.880 --> 00:30:37.900 Amen. 00:30:37.900 --> 00:30:37.920 Amen. 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:37.940 Amen. 00:30:37.940 --> 00:30:37.960 Amen. 00:30:37.960 --> 00:30:37.980 Amen. 00:30:37.980 --> 00:30:38.039 Amen. 00:30:38.039 --> 00:30:38.100 Amen. 00:30:38.100 --> 00:30:38.180 Amen. 00:30:38.180 --> 00:30:38.200 Amen.