WEBVTT 00:00:00.100 --> 00:00:01.400 Good morning to you all. 00:00:01.820 --> 00:00:04.080 We had brunch yesterday at our house 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:06.440 and some of you came and ate with us 00:00:06.440 --> 00:00:08.419 and I just wanna say thank you for coming 00:00:08.419 --> 00:00:11.859 and helping to bring the joy and the cheer 00:00:11.859 --> 00:00:16.280 and that sense of community and connection into our home. 00:00:16.379 --> 00:00:17.219 We had a wonderful time. 00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:19.620 And one of the topics of conversation, 00:00:19.900 --> 00:00:22.000 at least in the kitchen where some of us were gathered, 00:00:22.519 --> 00:00:25.080 was the topic of the AI Jesus. 00:00:25.879 --> 00:00:29.280 In Lucerne, Switzerland, they have developed 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:31.620 and put out for public interaction 00:00:31.620 --> 00:00:35.219 what people are referring to as an AI Jesus. 00:00:35.460 --> 00:00:38.880 They took a language model, an AI language model, 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:42.079 a lot like ChatGPT, and they trained it 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:44.719 using machine learning on a bunch of religious texts. 00:00:45.400 --> 00:00:47.140 And then they set up a hologram, 00:00:47.260 --> 00:00:50.420 like a screen of Jesus's face 00:00:50.420 --> 00:00:55.159 behind a lattice screen in a confession booth. 00:00:55.820 --> 00:00:57.960 And he's open for business. 00:00:57.960 --> 00:01:00.960 And so people can go and they can sit in the booth 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:03.560 and they can have conversations with AI Jesus. 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:04.960 And it answers questions 00:01:04.960 --> 00:01:08.359 and offers various religious platitudes. 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:11.000 And there's been a lot of interest in this. 00:01:11.579 --> 00:01:13.640 Close to 1,000 people apparently 00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:15.159 over about a two-month period 00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:18.040 wanted to come and have a conversation with AI Jesus. 00:01:18.379 --> 00:01:20.319 And as I have read about this 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:22.520 and tried to understand more of the project 00:01:22.520 --> 00:01:23.840 and the intentions behind it, 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:25.540 a couple of things came to mind. 00:01:25.540 --> 00:01:29.920 Number one, this shows how spiritually hungry people are. 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:32.200 There's a lot of interest. 00:01:32.420 --> 00:01:35.560 And even though these people are talking to a computer, 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:38.780 when they come out of the booth and they're interviewed, 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:41.040 two-thirds of these people say 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.800 that they had a religious or spiritual experience. 00:01:44.580 --> 00:01:46.920 The majority of people say they had a spiritual experience. 00:01:47.540 --> 00:01:48.980 And it shows, I believe, 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:52.240 that people are longing for some sense of connection 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:53.859 to something transcendent. 00:01:53.939 --> 00:01:56.780 They're longing to connect to something or someone 00:01:56.780 --> 00:01:57.879 bigger than themselves. 00:01:58.060 --> 00:01:58.679 That's the first thing. 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:01.140 Second thing, it made me wonder this question. 00:02:02.140 --> 00:02:04.219 What if someone went into that booth, 00:02:04.939 --> 00:02:07.560 but instead of an AI hologram, 00:02:07.679 --> 00:02:09.379 they actually encountered Jesus? 00:02:10.459 --> 00:02:12.379 What if Jesus was in that booth? 00:02:13.340 --> 00:02:15.719 I wonder what they would say to the interviewers 00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:16.840 when they came back out. 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:20.280 I wonder if they would give the kind of reports 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:23.860 that they have given to the reporters. 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:26.640 And then it made me ask this question. 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:28.140 What if that happened to us? 00:02:30.219 --> 00:02:33.199 This is the topic that we're gonna be exploring this morning 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:36.219 as we look at chapter three in Luke's gospel. 00:02:36.659 --> 00:02:38.840 And we're gonna be looking at a man named John the Baptist. 00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:42.140 His entire ministry challenges us 00:02:42.140 --> 00:02:43.960 to ask this question. 00:02:43.960 --> 00:02:46.340 Are we prepared? 00:02:47.580 --> 00:02:50.300 Should we encounter Jesus face to face? 00:02:50.580 --> 00:02:52.500 Are we prepared for that moment? 00:02:53.480 --> 00:02:56.939 God has given John essentially one singular mission. 00:02:57.640 --> 00:03:00.379 Prepare the world for the coming of the Messiah. 00:03:01.260 --> 00:03:04.939 And John's message addresses two kinds of people. 00:03:05.060 --> 00:03:07.580 So we're gonna look at each kind of person 00:03:07.580 --> 00:03:10.360 and what John has to say to them. 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:11.960 And then our question is obviously, 00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:13.840 where do we fall in the mix? 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:14.980 So let's pray. 00:03:15.719 --> 00:03:18.840 Lord, we ask you this morning to open your word to us, 00:03:19.240 --> 00:03:21.240 to give us hearts that are receptive to it, 00:03:22.120 --> 00:03:24.340 that whatever we need this morning, 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:25.659 which only you know, 00:03:26.420 --> 00:03:28.500 that you would give that to us by your grace, 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:31.080 that we would encounter you through your word. 00:03:31.600 --> 00:03:33.400 And we ask this, that we would grow 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:36.040 and our faith would be strengthened, 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:38.140 that we would become faithful. 00:03:39.040 --> 00:03:41.960 But ultimately we ask it for your glory, Lord. 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:44.040 And it's in the name of your son that we pray. 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:44.520 Amen. 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:49.200 So let's look at the context of what's going on in this story. 00:03:49.300 --> 00:03:51.340 At this point in the gospel, 00:03:51.540 --> 00:03:53.379 essentially John has gone viral. 00:03:53.379 --> 00:03:55.180 I mean, he's blowing up, 00:03:55.240 --> 00:03:57.000 he's amassing all of these followers. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:03:59.039 He's the talk of the town. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:02.479 The big buzz is people wanna go see John. 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:04.759 They wanna hear some of the things that he has to say. 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:06.439 Some people think he's a prophet, 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:07.639 some people think he's crazy. 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:10.039 Some people see him as an enemy and a threat, 00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:11.539 like Herod the Tetrarch. 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:14.539 He's not like what he hears John saying 00:04:14.539 --> 00:04:16.920 because it has implications for him politically. 00:04:17.400 --> 00:04:18.640 So we see at the end of the passage, 00:04:18.759 --> 00:04:20.080 she actually locks John up. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:22.600 So lots of reactions, lots of controversy. 00:04:23.500 --> 00:04:24.540 And for the most part, 00:04:24.620 --> 00:04:26.699 the people who are going out to see John are Jews. 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:28.080 And for the most part, 00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:30.900 these people are excited about the possibility 00:04:30.900 --> 00:04:32.900 that the Messiah might actually be coming. 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:34.620 And that's because of passages 00:04:34.620 --> 00:04:36.960 like the ones that we read this morning. 00:04:37.620 --> 00:04:40.280 Passages like the one from Zephaniah 3, 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:41.580 like Psalm 85. 00:04:41.579 --> 00:04:45.639 These are songs about God's promise 00:04:45.639 --> 00:04:47.560 to bring salvation and renewal. 00:04:49.139 --> 00:04:51.620 And they're exciting to contemplate. 00:04:52.379 --> 00:04:53.879 So these people who are going out 00:04:53.879 --> 00:04:55.439 to see and hear John the Baptist 00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:56.979 are a lot like the people 00:04:56.979 --> 00:04:59.079 who are going to see the AI Jesus. 00:05:00.060 --> 00:05:01.060 They're curious. 00:05:02.039 --> 00:05:05.060 They're hoping to see spectacle of some kind. 00:05:05.799 --> 00:05:07.839 They're maybe wanting to see something miraculous. 00:05:08.019 --> 00:05:10.479 They're hoping for some kind of spiritual experience. 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:13.840 Maybe these are people who used to be serious 00:05:13.840 --> 00:05:15.340 about their faith, but they've faded away. 00:05:15.460 --> 00:05:17.020 Maybe they're people who've never really been serious 00:05:17.020 --> 00:05:18.920 about faith, and they're curious. 00:05:19.020 --> 00:05:20.580 They want to know, is there something more to this? 00:05:20.960 --> 00:05:22.080 And so they're going out there 00:05:22.080 --> 00:05:24.240 hoping that something might happen. 00:05:24.280 --> 00:05:25.540 At least we'll make some memories. 00:05:26.920 --> 00:05:28.900 So imagine their utter shock 00:05:28.900 --> 00:05:31.360 when John begins shouting at them 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:33.660 about fleeing from the wrath to come. 00:05:35.900 --> 00:05:36.520 You know, they're like, 00:05:36.520 --> 00:05:40.420 is this, did we make a mistake? 00:05:41.300 --> 00:05:42.960 Because that's not what they're expecting to hear. 00:05:43.860 --> 00:05:46.939 I remember an interview with a California resident 00:05:46.939 --> 00:05:50.140 who was trying to convince his neighbors 00:05:50.140 --> 00:05:53.080 to evacuate when a series of wildfires 00:05:53.080 --> 00:05:55.160 swept through Southern California. 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:58.980 He says, there we are begging people to leave, 00:05:59.140 --> 00:06:00.620 and they're not taking us seriously. 00:06:01.720 --> 00:06:03.720 We're begging our neighbors to leave, 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:05.000 and they're not taking us seriously. 00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:07.400 He's like, they look like they're packing 00:06:07.400 --> 00:06:08.439 to go on vacation. 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:10.980 Some of them are planning to fight the fire 00:06:10.980 --> 00:06:12.000 with a garden hose. 00:06:13.420 --> 00:06:15.219 And he says, they don't seem to understand. 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:17.439 This is unlike any fire we've ever seen. 00:06:18.759 --> 00:06:19.459 And then he says, you know, 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:21.839 the ones who listened to us lived, 00:06:22.600 --> 00:06:24.860 and the ones who didn't died. 00:06:26.439 --> 00:06:28.060 So John's not being rude, 00:06:28.100 --> 00:06:30.220 and he's not just like somebody's crazy uncle 00:06:30.220 --> 00:06:32.980 who's just saying crazy things. 00:06:32.980 --> 00:06:35.920 John is sounding the alarm. 00:06:37.160 --> 00:06:38.379 John is saying to these people, 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:39.460 don't you understand? 00:06:40.420 --> 00:06:41.759 A fire is coming, 00:06:42.819 --> 00:06:44.980 and this is unlike any fire we've ever seen. 00:06:46.280 --> 00:06:48.300 He calls it an unquenchable fire. 00:06:49.580 --> 00:06:52.120 He's saying, you need to read these passages again 00:06:52.120 --> 00:06:53.120 in their context. 00:06:53.259 --> 00:06:54.620 Zephaniah 3, Psalm 85. 00:06:55.080 --> 00:06:57.340 Yes, God has promised to bring salvation 00:06:57.340 --> 00:06:58.800 and deliverance and renewal, 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:00.960 that in order to do that, 00:07:01.020 --> 00:07:03.540 God's going to come like a great consuming fire. 00:07:04.060 --> 00:07:05.400 Everyone and everything 00:07:05.400 --> 00:07:07.259 has to pass through that fire. 00:07:07.259 --> 00:07:10.459 But as a result of that, 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:13.219 all injustice, all evil, all weakness 00:07:13.219 --> 00:07:14.800 is going to be utterly consumed. 00:07:15.019 --> 00:07:17.560 And ultimately, this is good news for the world. 00:07:18.139 --> 00:07:19.839 This is why people like Herod, 00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:22.819 who are in political power, 00:07:22.939 --> 00:07:23.959 who are utterly corrupt, 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:26.060 this is why they hated John's message. 00:07:27.079 --> 00:07:28.680 Because it's a message that says, 00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:30.439 ultimately one day, 00:07:31.139 --> 00:07:32.879 all of those who are in power 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:34.039 are going to be held accountable 00:07:34.039 --> 00:07:36.779 by the one true ruler and king of this world. 00:07:36.779 --> 00:07:38.919 So if you're poor, if you're oppressed, 00:07:39.159 --> 00:07:40.419 if you're a victim of violence, 00:07:40.500 --> 00:07:42.119 if you're a victim of war, 00:07:43.139 --> 00:07:44.379 the hope of God's promise 00:07:44.379 --> 00:07:45.839 to judge the evil in the world 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:47.519 is unimaginably good news. 00:07:48.619 --> 00:07:51.319 But the question John is challenging his people 00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:52.439 and us to ask is, 00:07:52.779 --> 00:07:54.279 yeah, but is it good news for me? 00:07:55.779 --> 00:07:58.099 Is that good news for us personally? 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:02.299 That depends on one thing. 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:03.459 Are we prepared? 00:08:03.459 --> 00:08:03.959 Are we prepared? 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:06.199 Are we prepared? 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:09.680 For those of us who assume we are prepared, 00:08:10.680 --> 00:08:12.899 for those of us who would assume 00:08:12.899 --> 00:08:14.459 the answer to that question is yes, 00:08:15.719 --> 00:08:17.919 John would say, we're not. 00:08:18.779 --> 00:08:19.779 Verses seven to nine. 00:08:21.039 --> 00:08:22.620 See, many of the people coming to see John 00:08:22.620 --> 00:08:25.120 assume that because of their Jewish ethnicity, 00:08:25.359 --> 00:08:26.319 their heritage, 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:28.719 because of their great, great, great grandparents, 00:08:29.579 --> 00:08:30.679 that they're good with God. 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:33.039 They assume that when the Messiah comes, 00:08:33.100 --> 00:08:34.740 he's gonna come and vindicate them, 00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:36.419 maybe even overthrow the Romans. 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:38.620 They assume they're the ones 00:08:38.620 --> 00:08:39.700 who are gonna be celebrated 00:08:39.700 --> 00:08:41.620 and automatically welcomed into God's kingdom. 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:43.480 That's a lot like assuming that, 00:08:43.580 --> 00:08:45.759 well, you know, because I got baptized as a kid, 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:48.980 my parents were serious about the faith, 00:08:49.060 --> 00:08:49.779 they went to church. 00:08:50.060 --> 00:08:53.060 Because I went to church occasionally growing up, 00:08:53.799 --> 00:08:55.299 because I give to charity 00:08:55.299 --> 00:08:57.639 that we're good with God. 00:08:57.639 --> 00:08:59.319 I remember Warren Buffett saying one time 00:08:59.319 --> 00:09:00.639 he had given millions to charity 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:01.919 and he was at this event and he said, 00:09:01.980 --> 00:09:03.699 you know, there are a lot of ways to get to heaven 00:09:03.699 --> 00:09:04.840 and this is a pretty good way. 00:09:06.740 --> 00:09:08.419 Now, he was more or less joking, 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:09.919 but I think a lot of people think like that 00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:10.840 on a deep down level. 00:09:11.620 --> 00:09:12.899 When you compare everybody, 00:09:13.100 --> 00:09:14.259 surely I'm on the, 00:09:14.860 --> 00:09:16.539 at least in the upper quartile, 00:09:17.299 --> 00:09:19.220 you know, compared to most people, 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:20.639 I'm probably a pretty good person. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:23.779 But John calls people like this 00:09:23.779 --> 00:09:24.779 a brood of vipers. 00:09:24.779 --> 00:09:27.860 He says, you brood of vipers 00:09:27.860 --> 00:09:30.419 who warned you to flee from the wrath to come. 00:09:30.620 --> 00:09:32.279 He says, you assume that 00:09:32.279 --> 00:09:34.059 because you are children of Abraham 00:09:34.059 --> 00:09:35.720 that you're safe. 00:09:37.699 --> 00:09:40.439 But the fruit in your life would say otherwise. 00:09:41.860 --> 00:09:42.939 And what he's really saying, 00:09:42.980 --> 00:09:44.240 we gotta understand the meaning 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:45.459 behind his word choice here. 00:09:45.500 --> 00:09:46.519 What he's really saying is, 00:09:47.100 --> 00:09:48.980 you claim that you're children of Abraham, 00:09:49.139 --> 00:09:50.579 but if you look at the fruit in your life, 00:09:51.459 --> 00:09:53.639 you look a lot like somebody else's children. 00:09:54.779 --> 00:09:57.980 See, brood of vipers is a way of saying 00:09:57.980 --> 00:10:00.039 children of the serpent 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:02.179 or children of Satan. 00:10:03.860 --> 00:10:05.740 And to be a child of Satan, 00:10:05.899 --> 00:10:07.620 to be descended from Satan, 00:10:07.779 --> 00:10:09.879 means that your heart and your life 00:10:09.879 --> 00:10:13.539 are rooted in the great lie of Satan, 00:10:13.699 --> 00:10:14.639 the serpent's lie. 00:10:14.779 --> 00:10:16.360 Your life, your identity, 00:10:16.539 --> 00:10:18.879 how you prioritize your agenda, 00:10:19.439 --> 00:10:21.139 all of that is rooted 00:10:21.139 --> 00:10:22.779 in the great lie of the serpent. 00:10:22.779 --> 00:10:26.459 Notice that if you think back to the story 00:10:26.459 --> 00:10:27.819 in the garden, 00:10:28.039 --> 00:10:30.279 our first parents, 00:10:31.439 --> 00:10:33.419 Satan didn't tell Adam and Eve, 00:10:33.659 --> 00:10:34.519 hey, you should go out 00:10:34.519 --> 00:10:35.860 and do a bunch of bad things. 00:10:37.620 --> 00:10:39.199 He didn't even really tell them 00:10:39.199 --> 00:10:40.319 to disobey God. 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:42.259 That's not what it was about. 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:45.179 All he says is essentially this. 00:10:46.139 --> 00:10:48.839 Why do you need God to rule your life? 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:51.700 God's great. 00:10:51.920 --> 00:10:52.580 God's wonderful. 00:10:52.700 --> 00:10:53.960 Yeah, he's amazing. 00:10:54.100 --> 00:10:55.920 But why do you need him to rule your life? 00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:58.080 Aren't you capable of doing that yourself? 00:10:59.620 --> 00:11:01.180 Wouldn't it be more convenient for God 00:11:01.180 --> 00:11:01.840 and for you? 00:11:01.940 --> 00:11:03.120 Wouldn't everybody be better off 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:04.960 if you could manage your own life, 00:11:05.040 --> 00:11:06.639 decide for yourself what's right and wrong? 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:10.500 Wouldn't it be better for you if you did that? 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:12.500 Why not try to be your own God? 00:11:12.500 --> 00:11:12.580 God. 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:15.720 See, in their hearts, 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:17.419 these people who are coming to John, 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:19.240 many of them assume 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:21.100 that they don't need God ultimately. 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:24.220 They don't really need a Savior. 00:11:24.379 --> 00:11:25.259 They don't need a Lord. 00:11:26.539 --> 00:11:28.340 They assume that because of their heritage, 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:30.159 because they do things like go to synagogue 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:31.059 and keep the Sabbath, 00:11:31.340 --> 00:11:32.539 they don't need saving. 00:11:32.779 --> 00:11:34.000 They assume, in other words, 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:35.360 that they could be their own Savior. 00:11:37.059 --> 00:11:38.980 And that's the lie of the serpent. 00:11:38.980 --> 00:11:43.980 You know, we also see the lie of the serpent show up 00:11:43.980 --> 00:11:45.019 when we say things like, 00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:48.279 no one can tell me how to live my life. 00:11:49.500 --> 00:11:51.200 No one has a right to tell me 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:53.560 what I should or shouldn't do with my money 00:11:53.560 --> 00:11:55.200 or my time or my body. 00:11:56.740 --> 00:11:58.340 See, when we say things like that, 00:11:58.420 --> 00:11:58.920 when we say, you know, 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:00.240 I would never believe in a God 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:01.360 who would say this 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:03.539 or who would ask this of me, 00:12:04.259 --> 00:12:08.060 who would say that this is not okay for me 00:12:08.059 --> 00:12:09.719 or would call me to this kind of life, 00:12:10.019 --> 00:12:10.939 when we think that way, 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:11.759 when we speak that way, 00:12:11.819 --> 00:12:13.039 that's the serpent talking. 00:12:15.539 --> 00:12:17.259 We're trying to be our own God. 00:12:17.439 --> 00:12:18.259 We're saying to God, 00:12:18.319 --> 00:12:19.979 you know, I think I know better than you do 00:12:19.979 --> 00:12:21.919 what my life should look like. 00:12:23.259 --> 00:12:24.899 And this lie shows up 00:12:24.899 --> 00:12:27.500 in all kinds of unexpected places too. 00:12:27.819 --> 00:12:28.859 It doesn't just show up 00:12:28.859 --> 00:12:30.500 in the kind of overt rebellion. 00:12:30.500 --> 00:12:32.939 It shows up in the most unexpected places. 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:34.439 Just to take one example, 00:12:35.439 --> 00:12:37.719 let's talk about for a second chronic anxiety. 00:12:39.059 --> 00:12:39.879 And you say, well, 00:12:39.899 --> 00:12:40.819 now you're just gonna give me 00:12:40.819 --> 00:12:42.059 one more thing to worry about, right? 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:44.399 But chronic anxiety 00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:46.500 is different from other kinds of anxiety. 00:12:46.659 --> 00:12:48.179 Chronic anxiety is the kind of anxiety 00:12:48.179 --> 00:12:51.039 we feel that's based on things 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:52.299 that are false or perceived. 00:12:52.939 --> 00:12:54.439 It's not like clinical anxiety 00:12:54.439 --> 00:12:55.699 or acute anxiety 00:12:55.699 --> 00:12:58.879 that you feel in response to real situations. 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:00.219 It's the kind of anxiety 00:13:00.219 --> 00:13:02.139 that results from our false beliefs, 00:13:02.319 --> 00:13:02.899 false needs, 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:04.199 things that we're perceiving 00:13:04.199 --> 00:13:05.039 that aren't really there. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:07.159 And this comes, by the way, 00:13:07.219 --> 00:13:08.079 from Steve Cuss, 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:09.579 who writes and speaks a lot 00:13:09.579 --> 00:13:11.159 on the topic of anxiety. 00:13:11.819 --> 00:13:12.559 But he says, 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:15.179 chronic anxiety tends to result 00:13:15.179 --> 00:13:17.019 from five false needs. 00:13:18.179 --> 00:13:19.539 Five false needs. 00:13:19.639 --> 00:13:21.159 Number one, control. 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:25.099 I'm not okay unless I feel 00:13:25.099 --> 00:13:26.500 in control of the situation, 00:13:26.659 --> 00:13:28.740 in control of the people in my life, 00:13:28.779 --> 00:13:29.819 in control of outcomes. 00:13:29.820 --> 00:13:31.900 Number two, perfection. 00:13:33.220 --> 00:13:35.620 I'm not okay unless things are just right. 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:39.100 Number three, having the answer. 00:13:41.500 --> 00:13:43.100 Some of us just need for people 00:13:43.100 --> 00:13:44.879 to know that we know. 00:13:45.720 --> 00:13:46.620 You know, we wanna be 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:47.860 the smartest person in the room. 00:13:47.920 --> 00:13:48.580 And if there's a question 00:13:48.580 --> 00:13:49.940 that comes up in a group of people, 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:51.540 it just, and we know the answer, 00:13:51.660 --> 00:13:52.940 we just have to say it. 00:13:53.300 --> 00:13:54.360 It's like a compulsion. 00:13:55.700 --> 00:13:57.740 Number four, being there for others. 00:13:57.740 --> 00:14:00.779 This isn't just being compassionate. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:02.680 Some of us need to be needed. 00:14:02.980 --> 00:14:03.680 Some of us don't know 00:14:03.680 --> 00:14:04.600 how to be in relationship 00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:07.039 unless we are actively earning 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:08.620 our spot in that relationship. 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:10.220 Some of us are not okay 00:14:10.220 --> 00:14:12.080 when other people are not okay. 00:14:12.220 --> 00:14:13.700 And we actually stress out about it 00:14:13.700 --> 00:14:14.700 more than they do. 00:14:15.860 --> 00:14:17.419 The need to be there for others. 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:19.000 And number five, people's approval. 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:22.039 Some of us just cannot tolerate 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:25.899 when someone else is not okay with us. 00:14:25.899 --> 00:14:27.799 We ruminate about it. 00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:29.059 We stress about it. 00:14:29.799 --> 00:14:31.199 So control, perfection, 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:32.319 having the answer, 00:14:32.500 --> 00:14:33.379 being there for others, 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:34.179 people's approval. 00:14:34.500 --> 00:14:36.879 These things result in chronic anxiety. 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:38.799 These are the things that we ruminate on 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:39.759 and keep us up at night. 00:14:39.939 --> 00:14:40.779 But here's the point. 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:41.799 Here's how it connects. 00:14:42.959 --> 00:14:45.840 Each of these false beliefs 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:47.159 or false needs 00:14:47.159 --> 00:14:50.319 is actually an attribute of God. 00:14:52.079 --> 00:14:54.240 Only God is totally in control. 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:57.519 Only God is perfect. 00:14:59.060 --> 00:15:00.680 Only God is omniscient. 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:02.039 He knows all things, 00:15:02.139 --> 00:15:02.940 has all the answers. 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:05.500 Only God is able to save 00:15:05.500 --> 00:15:07.940 and provide for everyone in the world. 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:10.919 And only God is worthy 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:12.940 of all of our praise 00:15:12.940 --> 00:15:14.560 and all of our worship. 00:15:16.220 --> 00:15:17.419 The point is this. 00:15:17.500 --> 00:15:19.060 Our chronic anxiety 00:15:19.060 --> 00:15:22.620 stems from us trying to be God. 00:15:22.620 --> 00:15:25.600 rather than letting God be God 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:29.259 and accepting our creaturely limitations. 00:15:31.259 --> 00:15:34.419 That anxiety is like our heart telling us 00:15:34.419 --> 00:15:36.440 we are not made for this. 00:15:36.659 --> 00:15:38.399 This is above our pay grade. 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:40.700 We're not equipped to be God. 00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:43.060 We're not equipped to live life this way. 00:15:44.220 --> 00:15:47.220 See, that's the fruit of the serpent's lie 00:15:47.220 --> 00:15:48.820 in our lives. 00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:52.040 When our hearts are rooted 00:15:52.040 --> 00:15:53.300 in the lie of the serpent, 00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:56.200 that bears fruit in all kinds of ways 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:57.680 in every area of our life. 00:15:57.680 --> 00:15:59.620 Just to summarize what we've just said, 00:15:59.920 --> 00:16:02.440 it shows up when we try to be our own saviors. 00:16:02.860 --> 00:16:05.040 It shows up when we try to live our lives 00:16:05.040 --> 00:16:06.320 as though God doesn't exist. 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:08.400 It shows up in our priorities 00:16:08.400 --> 00:16:09.360 and in our agendas. 00:16:09.560 --> 00:16:10.780 It shows up in our fears. 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:12.880 And it shows up in our chronic anxiety. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:15.200 And it convinces us 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:17.039 that while God is good for advice, 00:16:17.700 --> 00:16:20.100 while God may be a good source of comfort 00:16:20.100 --> 00:16:21.620 if you turn to the right scriptures, 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:25.919 we should never, ever, ever let God rule our lives. 00:16:28.220 --> 00:16:30.860 That we're better off calling the shots. 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:34.120 So for those of us who assume 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:36.980 that we are prepared to meet Jesus when he comes, 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:39.139 John challenges us to ask, 00:16:39.139 --> 00:16:42.500 what does the fruit in our lives 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:44.699 tell us about our true roots? 00:16:48.699 --> 00:16:50.879 Among these people in the crowd, 00:16:51.259 --> 00:16:53.019 there are some people 00:16:53.019 --> 00:16:55.860 who are more prepared than they know 00:16:55.860 --> 00:16:58.399 to meet the real Jesus when he comes. 00:16:59.080 --> 00:17:00.659 And those are the people who ask, 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:03.319 what then shall we do? 00:17:05.420 --> 00:17:06.359 See, here's the point. 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:09.179 For those of us who assume that we are prepared, 00:17:10.059 --> 00:17:11.139 we are likely not. 00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:14.459 But for those of us who believe 00:17:14.459 --> 00:17:16.839 or suspect that we may not be prepared, 00:17:17.679 --> 00:17:20.819 we are actually more prepared than we think. 00:17:21.939 --> 00:17:24.019 Because asking, as these people do, 00:17:24.259 --> 00:17:25.779 what then shall we do? 00:17:25.879 --> 00:17:27.059 What shall we do? 00:17:27.639 --> 00:17:29.659 That's taking the first step 00:17:29.659 --> 00:17:32.139 of genuine humility and readiness. 00:17:32.140 --> 00:17:34.440 But by asking this, 00:17:34.540 --> 00:17:36.560 by simply articulating the question, 00:17:37.100 --> 00:17:39.640 we are acknowledging, 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:43.320 number one, our need for change. 00:17:44.820 --> 00:17:46.940 Number two, the fact that we need help 00:17:46.940 --> 00:17:48.600 outside of ourselves. 00:17:49.800 --> 00:17:51.060 I know I need to change 00:17:51.060 --> 00:17:52.200 and I know I need something 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:53.580 that I don't have in me, 00:17:53.780 --> 00:17:55.480 which runs against the popular belief 00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:57.620 that all the answers can be found within. 00:17:57.780 --> 00:17:59.920 No, I don't have whatever it takes. 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:01.080 I need help. 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:03.340 You're on the right path. 00:18:04.360 --> 00:18:06.060 And the word that John uses 00:18:06.060 --> 00:18:07.000 is the word repent. 00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:10.080 He says, bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 00:18:12.080 --> 00:18:13.380 Now what is repentance? 00:18:13.580 --> 00:18:15.340 Well, it's really helpful 00:18:15.340 --> 00:18:17.259 in telling that John is using here 00:18:17.259 --> 00:18:18.500 the metaphor of a tree. 00:18:19.080 --> 00:18:21.060 That should tell us something very important. 00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:23.800 At our old house, 00:18:23.820 --> 00:18:24.820 we lived there for 10 years, 00:18:24.920 --> 00:18:26.539 we had a crabapple tree in the yard. 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:29.300 And I think crabapple trees are nasty. 00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:32.940 People say you can do things with them, 00:18:33.059 --> 00:18:34.079 make jams or jellies, 00:18:34.139 --> 00:18:35.779 anything that you have to boil down and cook 00:18:35.779 --> 00:18:36.680 and add a bunch of sugar 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:37.839 for hours and hours and hours. 00:18:38.059 --> 00:18:39.440 It's just not meant to be eaten. 00:18:39.639 --> 00:18:40.339 I think it's nasty. 00:18:42.279 --> 00:18:43.799 On the other hand, I love peaches. 00:18:44.659 --> 00:18:46.859 And I remember every year I would look out 00:18:46.859 --> 00:18:48.819 and I was, man, I wish that was a peach tree. 00:18:49.159 --> 00:18:49.899 Wouldn't that be amazing 00:18:49.899 --> 00:18:51.599 if in season we used all these peaches? 00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:52.960 I could eat peaches all day long. 00:18:53.220 --> 00:18:55.379 But every year, every season, 00:18:55.859 --> 00:18:56.839 nothing but crabapples. 00:18:56.839 --> 00:18:59.359 And no amount of wishful thinking 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:00.819 is gonna change that fact 00:19:00.819 --> 00:19:03.019 because it's a crabapple tree. 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:05.699 And it can only produce one kind of fruit. 00:19:06.659 --> 00:19:08.899 And the same is true about our lives. 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:10.179 No amount of wishful thinking, 00:19:10.740 --> 00:19:11.899 no amount of willpower 00:19:11.899 --> 00:19:14.720 can produce the kind of fruit that God desires. 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:18.039 No amount of wishful thinking, 00:19:18.139 --> 00:19:18.980 no amount of willpower 00:19:18.980 --> 00:19:21.339 can produce the kind of fruit that God desires. 00:19:21.339 --> 00:19:25.500 Because it's not just about doing good works. 00:19:26.740 --> 00:19:28.379 God cares about our hearts. 00:19:29.720 --> 00:19:31.119 He cares about our motivations. 00:19:32.339 --> 00:19:33.019 He says, you know, 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:34.419 if I wanted children from Abraham, 00:19:34.519 --> 00:19:36.339 I could raise them up from the stones. 00:19:37.419 --> 00:19:38.919 If I just wanted good works, 00:19:38.980 --> 00:19:40.959 if I just wanted to solve problems in the world, 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:43.819 you know, if God just wanted to end poverty, 00:19:45.099 --> 00:19:46.539 he could do it like that. 00:19:47.079 --> 00:19:48.259 It's not just about the good works. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:49.480 He cares about the motivation. 00:19:49.480 --> 00:19:51.259 He cares about the why. 00:19:51.420 --> 00:19:52.259 He cares about the heart. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:55.099 Here's the point. 00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:58.039 If my heart is rooted in the lie 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:02.460 that I don't need God to be my savior and Lord, 00:20:03.019 --> 00:20:05.319 then what's the effect of my good works gonna be? 00:20:06.660 --> 00:20:08.160 If my heart is ultimately rooted 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:12.120 in the fact that I'm better off on my own, 00:20:12.220 --> 00:20:13.860 if my heart is rooted in this lie, 00:20:14.599 --> 00:20:16.480 when I go out and do a bunch of good works, 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:19.660 what's the impact of that gonna be on my heart? 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:24.519 It's gonna have the opposite effect. 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.620 It's gonna push me further away from God. 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:31.319 It's gonna confirm my seeking suspicion 00:20:31.319 --> 00:20:32.740 that I'm actually a pretty decent person. 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:38.720 So it's not just about the good works. 00:20:38.720 --> 00:20:44.259 If you want new fruit, here's the point. 00:20:44.920 --> 00:20:46.200 You need new roots. 00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:49.200 You need to become an entirely different kind of tree. 00:20:50.759 --> 00:20:51.900 John says in verse nine, 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:54.880 even now the ax is laid to the root of the tree. 00:20:56.220 --> 00:20:56.600 Right? 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:59.860 We need to go all the way down to the core of our life 00:20:59.859 --> 00:21:04.459 and tear out the serpent's lie by the root. 00:21:05.539 --> 00:21:07.240 We need to tear out that lie 00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:09.559 that I'm better off being my own God, 00:21:09.639 --> 00:21:11.339 that I don't need God to be my savior. 00:21:11.779 --> 00:21:13.399 And Lord, that has to go. 00:21:13.979 --> 00:21:14.939 We need new roots. 00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:16.399 So the question then becomes, 00:21:16.579 --> 00:21:18.059 how do we get new roots? 00:21:18.139 --> 00:21:20.159 How do we become a new kind of tree 00:21:20.159 --> 00:21:22.399 that produces a new kind of fruit? 00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:26.539 And the answer, my friends, is Christmas. 00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:30.220 This is why Christmas is a holiday 00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:32.240 worthy of our celebration. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:36.839 Before Jesus brings judgment on the earth, 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:40.039 he is willing to endure judgment 00:21:40.039 --> 00:21:42.720 on behalf of the earth. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:43.740 Right? 00:21:43.799 --> 00:21:45.920 Before Jesus brings fire, 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:49.720 he plunges into the fire on our behalf. 00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:51.940 That's what Christmas tells us. 00:21:53.339 --> 00:21:54.519 And John the Baptist says, 00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:56.480 you don't need my baptism. 00:21:56.639 --> 00:21:58.220 It's just a baptism of water. 00:21:58.639 --> 00:22:00.659 That gets you so far as to say, 00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:02.139 what then shall we do? 00:22:03.059 --> 00:22:04.299 I know I have a problem. 00:22:05.420 --> 00:22:06.599 What should I do? 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:10.399 John says, that's where human ability ends. 00:22:11.159 --> 00:22:14.139 You need something that only the Messiah can give you. 00:22:14.139 --> 00:22:18.220 You need a baptism of spirit and fire. 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:22.200 Now, he's using that same word fire. 00:22:22.339 --> 00:22:23.440 What's he talking about? 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:26.059 When you're baptized, 00:22:26.420 --> 00:22:26.900 in other words, 00:22:26.980 --> 00:22:28.200 when you come to Jesus 00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:29.500 and you ask for forgiveness 00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:31.059 and you ask to be restored 00:22:31.059 --> 00:22:35.200 on the basis of what he's accomplished on the cross, 00:22:35.400 --> 00:22:37.180 what he offers is not just forgiveness, 00:22:37.340 --> 00:22:38.200 it's a new identity. 00:22:38.380 --> 00:22:39.820 That's what baptism represents, 00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:41.039 a new identity. 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:46.319 We become like people who have already passed through the fire. 00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:50.960 We become like people who have already passed through the fire, 00:22:51.339 --> 00:22:53.599 which means from that point forward, 00:22:53.720 --> 00:22:57.000 we no longer have anything to fear from the coming fire. 00:22:57.139 --> 00:22:58.420 We've already gone in there. 00:22:58.639 --> 00:22:59.960 We've already endured it 00:22:59.960 --> 00:23:03.139 because Jesus has given us his identity. 00:23:03.140 --> 00:23:06.259 And so we know from that point forward 00:23:06.259 --> 00:23:08.420 that because we've been baptized 00:23:08.420 --> 00:23:10.880 with the spirit and the fire of the Messiah, 00:23:11.780 --> 00:23:14.920 we know that we will be part of this world 00:23:14.920 --> 00:23:16.280 when everything is made new. 00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:18.680 And because of all of this, 00:23:18.800 --> 00:23:21.860 Christmas gives us a new place to put down roots. 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:23.920 Instead of rooting our lives 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:26.440 in the lie that we are better off without God, 00:23:26.580 --> 00:23:28.440 we root our lives in God's mercy. 00:23:29.520 --> 00:23:31.320 We root our lives in God's grace. 00:23:31.319 --> 00:23:34.119 That begins to be the thing that defines us. 00:23:34.539 --> 00:23:35.720 We root our lives in the truth 00:23:35.720 --> 00:23:37.720 that we need God every moment of every day. 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:39.679 We root our lives in the truth 00:23:39.679 --> 00:23:40.980 that God loves us so much 00:23:40.980 --> 00:23:42.819 that he was willing to do this for us 00:23:42.819 --> 00:23:46.379 while we were still in active rebellion against him. 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:50.819 So this season we're in now, 00:23:50.899 --> 00:23:51.639 the season of Advent, 00:23:52.439 --> 00:23:53.859 is really an opportunity 00:23:53.859 --> 00:23:56.879 because it is so easy, friends, 00:23:56.980 --> 00:23:59.139 it is so easy to approach Christmas 00:23:59.140 --> 00:24:02.120 like the spiritual tourists 00:24:02.120 --> 00:24:04.160 who are going to see the AI Jesus. 00:24:05.360 --> 00:24:06.720 Hoping to make some memories, 00:24:07.980 --> 00:24:08.940 take some selfies, 00:24:10.300 --> 00:24:12.200 maybe have a spiritual experience, 00:24:13.580 --> 00:24:15.759 maybe have our hearts slightly warmed. 00:24:17.040 --> 00:24:19.180 But Advent is meant to awaken in us 00:24:19.180 --> 00:24:20.580 a sense of urgency. 00:24:22.020 --> 00:24:23.800 John the Baptist confronting us 00:24:23.800 --> 00:24:24.660 with this question, 00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:28.220 are we prepared to meet Jesus when he comes? 00:24:29.820 --> 00:24:32.320 Do we enter the season like spiritual tourists, 00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:36.840 like people who are just hoping for some new memories? 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:39.340 Or do we enter it like people 00:24:39.340 --> 00:24:42.060 who know that our hearts need new roots? 00:24:42.059 --> 00:24:46.039 So I invite you to take some time, 00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:48.759 I know it's a busy few weeks coming up, 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:49.740 but to take some time, 00:24:49.879 --> 00:24:50.639 find some time, 00:24:51.079 --> 00:24:52.599 fight for it and make some time 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:54.279 to pray. 00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:56.679 Get alone somewhere 00:24:56.679 --> 00:24:59.559 where it's reasonably quiet, 00:25:00.440 --> 00:25:02.879 where you're reasonably not likely to be disturbed, 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:05.839 and spend some time in prayer 00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:08.679 asking God 00:25:08.680 --> 00:25:10.980 to help you see the truth about your own heart. 00:25:11.880 --> 00:25:13.840 Because God's the only one who can do that. 00:25:15.700 --> 00:25:17.500 Asking God to help you answer that question, 00:25:17.580 --> 00:25:18.500 am I really prepared? 00:25:20.720 --> 00:25:22.400 Asking God to help give you 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:25.259 a newer, deeper understanding 00:25:25.259 --> 00:25:26.380 of the meaning of Christmas 00:25:26.380 --> 00:25:27.740 and the coming of the Messiah, 00:25:27.900 --> 00:25:28.920 what that means for you. 00:25:30.140 --> 00:25:31.279 And if there are things 00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:32.920 that you need to hear from the Lord, 00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:36.240 so spend some time praying 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:37.440 and spend some time listening. 00:25:38.680 --> 00:25:40.180 And seeking the hope 00:25:40.180 --> 00:25:41.500 that Christmas offers the world 00:25:41.500 --> 00:25:42.779 in your own life. 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:44.700 Come Lord Jesus. 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:45.720 Let's pray. 00:25:47.080 --> 00:25:48.720 Lord, we thank you for your word, 00:25:49.140 --> 00:25:50.480 and we know that you are here. 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:53.320 And we know that you have come to us. 00:25:54.580 --> 00:25:55.960 And we pray now that 00:25:55.960 --> 00:25:59.259 as we continue in confession 00:25:59.259 --> 00:26:01.220 and prayer and song, 00:26:02.060 --> 00:26:04.880 we pray for an encounter with you. 00:26:04.940 --> 00:26:06.160 As we gather around your table, 00:26:06.259 --> 00:26:08.480 we pray that we would meet you face to face. 00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:09.940 We pray that in the coming weeks, 00:26:10.420 --> 00:26:13.680 to those who pray and ask 00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:15.240 and open themselves to you 00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:16.259 and reach out to you, 00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:18.559 that they would find you there 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:19.319 with a ready answer. 00:26:20.279 --> 00:26:21.620 We pray that you would lead us all 00:26:21.620 --> 00:26:22.640 into a deeper faith 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:25.500 that is rooted in the truth of your gospel. 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:28.059 And we pray this for our own good 00:26:28.059 --> 00:26:28.779 and for your glory. 00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:30.220 In the name of Jesus, amen. 00:26:30.220 --> 00:26:30.380 Amen. 00:26:30.380 --> 00:27:00.360 Thank you.