WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.400
 Father, we thank you so much that we can be in your presence.

00:00:06.299 --> 00:00:10.339
 Father, we ask that the Holy Spirit would move in our lives

00:00:10.339 --> 00:00:13.620
 so that as we are in your presence, we will know that we are in your presence

00:00:13.620 --> 00:00:17.859
 and that you will make us work within us so that we will be in your presence

00:00:17.859 --> 00:00:21.620
 to receive from you in a worthy manner and respond to you in a worthy manner.

00:00:22.039 --> 00:00:29.760
 Father, we give you an unconditional, no qualifications invitation and permission

00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:33.000
 to have your word speak and rule deep in our hearts.

00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:36.939
 And this we ask in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.

00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:41.320
 I became a Christian in November of grade 12.

00:00:42.460 --> 00:00:45.160
 I'd been on sort of a year-long quest or journey.

00:00:45.260 --> 00:00:46.560
 It started the previous fall.

00:00:47.120 --> 00:00:50.260
 But in November, when I was in grade 12, I became a Christian.

00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:57.140
 And in the spring, I was part of a small group of young people

00:00:57.140 --> 00:01:01.899
 that we gave out evangelistic tracts after the service.

00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:05.140
 I don't know if many people know anymore what tracts are.

00:01:05.700 --> 00:01:09.159
 A little like brochure or a leaflet that you give to people

00:01:09.159 --> 00:01:11.060
 in the hope that you can have a conversation.

00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:14.120
 And as a result of the conversation, they'll come to a faith in Christ.

00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:16.960
 And we weren't allowed to do this on the school property.

00:01:16.960 --> 00:01:19.159
 We tried to do it on the school property.

00:01:19.159 --> 00:01:24.319
 And the principal came out and told us we weren't allowed to do it.

00:01:24.659 --> 00:01:27.780
 So we went just on the edge of the school property on the sidewalk.

00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:30.840
 And there were three different ways in that school that most...

00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:32.659
 Mainly two ways that people left.

00:01:32.739 --> 00:01:35.319
 And we went at one of the main way that people left.

00:01:35.400 --> 00:01:38.479
 And we stood on the sidewalk and handed out evangelistic tracts.

00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:42.219
 I know I was one of those guys back then.

00:01:42.219 --> 00:01:49.959
 And doing that meant that I got actually into a lot of conversations with people.

00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:51.359
 And there were two guys in particular.

00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:53.239
 They were well-known in the school.

00:01:54.459 --> 00:01:56.659
 Some of you can remember what high school was like

00:01:56.659 --> 00:01:58.879
 and how people get different types of reputations.

00:01:59.140 --> 00:02:02.460
 And these two guys were very well-known as being intellectuals

00:02:02.460 --> 00:02:05.719
 as much as anybody in high school can be an intellectual.

00:02:05.939 --> 00:02:08.520
 But, you know, in high school life, they were the intellectual types.

00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:11.000
 And they started to have conversations with me

00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:12.439
 and asked to speak with me separately.

00:02:12.919 --> 00:02:15.979
 I realized later that they'd taken it on as their pet project

00:02:15.979 --> 00:02:17.800
 to argue me out of the Christian faith.

00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:20.479
 But at first I went into it sort of thinking

00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:22.620
 that they were interested in having a bit of a conversation

00:02:22.620 --> 00:02:23.819
 learning about the Christian faith.

00:02:24.360 --> 00:02:27.400
 But really, the very first time we had a private conversation,

00:02:27.560 --> 00:02:28.920
 the two of them hammered me.

00:02:29.900 --> 00:02:35.180
 They really hammered me with why Christianity couldn't be true.

00:02:35.180 --> 00:02:37.159
 And one of the particular things they did,

00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:39.759
 which really rocked me because I'd never thought about it,

00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:41.539
 they said to me,

00:02:41.579 --> 00:02:43.899
 George, in the world you see,

00:02:44.239 --> 00:02:46.560
 and this is what science has discovered,

00:02:46.739 --> 00:02:47.959
 and this is what you see in the world,

00:02:48.039 --> 00:02:49.399
 that there's just a cause,

00:02:49.899 --> 00:02:51.699
 and the cause creates an effect,

00:02:52.199 --> 00:02:54.439
 and that effect becomes another cause,

00:02:54.679 --> 00:02:56.280
 which creates another effect,

00:02:56.359 --> 00:02:57.419
 which is another cause,

00:02:57.539 --> 00:02:58.419
 which is another effect.

00:02:58.500 --> 00:03:00.180
 There's only cause and effect in the universe.

00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:01.899
 There's no free will.

00:03:01.900 --> 00:03:05.719
 And given that that's the way the universe works,

00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:07.120
 you've come to these beliefs,

00:03:07.379 --> 00:03:11.180
 not because you've freely come to Jesus or anything like that,

00:03:11.240 --> 00:03:12.740
 but just because of cause and effect.

00:03:13.340 --> 00:03:14.420
 And the fact of the matter is,

00:03:14.460 --> 00:03:16.840
 is that the universe described by cause and effect,

00:03:16.900 --> 00:03:19.120
 it means that Christianity can't possibly be true.

00:03:19.480 --> 00:03:20.719
 And they did different examples,

00:03:20.900 --> 00:03:21.740
 you know, a billiard ball,

00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:22.960
 you need another billiard ball,

00:03:23.020 --> 00:03:23.780
 and they'd move,

00:03:23.920 --> 00:03:25.099
 and dominoes,

00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:26.480
 you make one domino move,

00:03:26.580 --> 00:03:27.259
 and all of that,

00:03:27.319 --> 00:03:28.840
 if they're all lined up in the right way,

00:03:28.840 --> 00:03:29.819
 they all just move,

00:03:29.920 --> 00:03:31.780
 and they gave me illustration after illustration,

00:03:32.420 --> 00:03:33.400
 and it was as if they were,

00:03:33.460 --> 00:03:34.640
 you know, tag team wrestling,

00:03:34.780 --> 00:03:35.800
 where I didn't have a partner,

00:03:35.920 --> 00:03:36.819
 but there were two of them,

00:03:37.219 --> 00:03:38.980
 and they just kept tagging each other off,

00:03:39.020 --> 00:03:40.120
 and they really hammered me.

00:03:40.699 --> 00:03:42.180
 And even as I think about it,

00:03:42.180 --> 00:03:44.920
 I get a little bit uncomfortable about it, actually,

00:03:45.219 --> 00:03:47.199
 because I'm sure I just sat there,

00:03:47.340 --> 00:03:48.659
 tongue-tied and red-faced.

00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:51.759
 And all I could do is,

00:03:52.020 --> 00:03:52.280
 blether,

00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:53.939
 there must,

00:03:54.300 --> 00:03:54.719
 basically,

00:03:54.860 --> 00:03:56.659
 there must be some answer to what you're saying.

00:03:56.659 --> 00:03:58.020
 And actually,

00:03:58.139 --> 00:03:59.560
 that launched me into

00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:01.460
 about a good solid month,

00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:03.039
 where I came very,

00:04:03.180 --> 00:04:04.340
 very close to walking away

00:04:04.340 --> 00:04:05.300
 from the Christian faith,

00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:06.319
 because I couldn't figure out

00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:07.639
 how to deal with what they'd said.

00:04:08.139 --> 00:04:09.359
 Very, very, very close

00:04:09.359 --> 00:04:11.000
 to walking away from the Christian faith,

00:04:11.819 --> 00:04:13.259
 until about a month later,

00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:14.759
 when I had a conversation with them.

00:04:15.740 --> 00:04:17.219
 I mention this story,

00:04:17.500 --> 00:04:19.740
 because there's something in the Bible text

00:04:19.740 --> 00:04:20.420
 that Shane read,

00:04:20.459 --> 00:04:21.920
 and what we do here at Church of the Messiah

00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:22.560
 most of the time,

00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:24.319
 is preach through books of the Bible.

00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:26.699
 And one of the really good things

00:04:26.699 --> 00:04:28.139
 about preaching through books of the Bible

00:04:28.139 --> 00:04:29.879
 is that they were written as books.

00:04:30.219 --> 00:04:31.599
 The Bible isn't like a big,

00:04:31.719 --> 00:04:32.920
 long collection of quotes.

00:04:33.300 --> 00:04:35.599
 It's not at all like the Koran,

00:04:35.899 --> 00:04:38.579
 which is just a series of different sayings,

00:04:39.180 --> 00:04:41.459
 ordered in terms of length,

00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:42.740
 not even in terms of the order

00:04:42.740 --> 00:04:43.379
 that they're written,

00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:44.980
 but that the Bible is,

00:04:45.139 --> 00:04:46.500
 it's all written as a book.

00:04:46.740 --> 00:04:48.039
 And so when we preach through books,

00:04:48.139 --> 00:04:49.519
 you're studying the book,

00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:50.300
 or understanding the book,

00:04:50.339 --> 00:04:51.519
 in the way that it was intended to,

00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:51.939
 as a book.

00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:53.879
 The other thing, of course, about it

00:04:53.879 --> 00:04:56.300
 is if you're interested in the Christian faith,

00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:57.939
 you're not going to be surprised

00:04:57.939 --> 00:04:59.399
 with the small print later on,

00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:00.560
 because we don't skip bits.

00:05:01.620 --> 00:05:03.519
 And in the text that Shane read,

00:05:03.620 --> 00:05:05.839
 because we're preaching through 2 Timothy,

00:05:05.939 --> 00:05:07.019
 this is the second week,

00:05:07.620 --> 00:05:09.720
 there's actually something in the text

00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:11.439
 which is the identical problem

00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:14.019
 which I faced with my non-Christian friends.

00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:15.839
 But interestingly enough,

00:05:15.939 --> 00:05:17.240
 that identical problem,

00:05:17.420 --> 00:05:18.259
 which is in the Bible,

00:05:18.259 --> 00:05:20.180
 is something that many,

00:05:20.539 --> 00:05:22.500
 has led several people that I know

00:05:22.500 --> 00:05:24.420
 away from the Christian faith,

00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:26.319
 because they think it poses a problem

00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:27.439
 which is insoluble.

00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:29.719
 And so it would be really helpful to me

00:05:29.719 --> 00:05:30.759
 if you would turn in your Bibles

00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:31.560
 to look at it.

00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:33.500
 And it's in 2 Timothy.

00:05:34.060 --> 00:05:35.740
 We'll read the whole text later on,

00:05:35.779 --> 00:05:36.439
 but what I'll do is,

00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:38.000
 I'm going to focus on that bit.

00:05:38.039 --> 00:05:38.759
 And some of you are saying,

00:05:38.860 --> 00:05:40.099
 there was something in that text

00:05:40.099 --> 00:05:41.240
 that would lead people

00:05:41.240 --> 00:05:42.579
 to leave the Christian faith?

00:05:42.920 --> 00:05:44.259
 It's identical to that problem

00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:45.620
 that George had

00:05:45.620 --> 00:05:46.439
 that almost led them

00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:47.540
 to leave the Christian faith.

00:05:48.019 --> 00:05:49.240
 Like, people don't recognize

00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:50.219
 it's an identical problem,

00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:51.480
 but it's an identical problem.

00:05:51.579 --> 00:05:52.600
 And I'll try to show you

00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:53.920
 how it's an identical problem.

00:05:55.319 --> 00:05:56.000
 Here's how it goes.

00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:57.300
 We're just going to get right

00:05:57.300 --> 00:05:57.980
 to the little bit,

00:05:58.060 --> 00:05:59.279
 and then we'll look at the whole text.

00:05:59.420 --> 00:06:02.019
 It begins 2 Timothy 2, verse 8.

00:06:05.220 --> 00:06:06.540
 Remember Jesus Christ,

00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:07.819
 risen from the dead,

00:06:08.159 --> 00:06:09.300
 the offspring of David,

00:06:09.420 --> 00:06:10.659
 as preached in my gospel.

00:06:10.740 --> 00:06:11.759
 And just sort of pause there.

00:06:12.420 --> 00:06:13.860
 Those of you who might have overheard

00:06:13.860 --> 00:06:15.580
 a little bit of the text last week.

00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:17.319
 Paul is in jail.

00:06:17.939 --> 00:06:19.360
 He's in jail in Rome.

00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:22.740
 Paul had a record

00:06:22.740 --> 00:06:23.780
 as long as your arm.

00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:25.980
 I'm sure today

00:06:25.980 --> 00:06:28.160
 he'd have all sorts of prison tattoos

00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:29.139
 or something like that,

00:06:29.180 --> 00:06:30.400
 but back then he wouldn't have done that.

00:06:30.460 --> 00:06:30.780
 It would have gone

00:06:30.780 --> 00:06:31.900
 against the Old Testament law.

00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:34.980
 But if you read the whole book,

00:06:35.060 --> 00:06:36.420
 you'll see that Paul is in Rome.

00:06:36.620 --> 00:06:37.639
 He's doing hard time.

00:06:37.740 --> 00:06:38.360
 He's chained.

00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:40.480
 And he knows that even though

00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:42.840
 he survived all sorts of jail time before,

00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:45.179
 he has a very, very deep sense

00:06:45.179 --> 00:06:45.899
 that this time

00:06:45.899 --> 00:06:47.659
 he's going to walk out of jail

00:06:47.659 --> 00:06:48.959
 not to freedom,

00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:50.239
 but to be executed.

00:06:50.500 --> 00:06:51.659
 And in that he's correct.

00:06:51.899 --> 00:06:53.639
 He is in jail for the final time.

00:06:53.739 --> 00:06:55.500
 He will only leave the jail cell

00:06:55.500 --> 00:06:58.219
 to be executed under Nero.

00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:00.659
 And I shared last week

00:07:00.659 --> 00:07:02.879
 that Paul is in jail

00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:04.759
 not just because of an ideology

00:07:04.759 --> 00:07:05.839
 or religion,

00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:07.259
 although he is,

00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:08.620
 but he's fundamentally in jail

00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:10.479
 because he won't deny a fact.

00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:13.259
 And that's a very, very rare thing

00:07:13.259 --> 00:07:14.060
 to see that somebody

00:07:14.060 --> 00:07:15.960
 would be willing to do hard time

00:07:15.960 --> 00:07:17.140
 and to suffer

00:07:17.140 --> 00:07:19.379
 and even die over a fact.

00:07:19.740 --> 00:07:21.700
 And the fact is what I just read.

00:07:22.220 --> 00:07:23.160
 Remember, he's in jail.

00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:24.680
 And what's he in jail for?

00:07:24.740 --> 00:07:25.420
 He's in jail

00:07:25.420 --> 00:07:26.540
 because he believes

00:07:26.540 --> 00:07:27.759
 that Jesus was crucified

00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:29.020
 by the Roman authorities.

00:07:29.980 --> 00:07:31.600
 And after he'd been crucified,

00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:32.420
 he was buried.

00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:34.439
 And on the third day,

00:07:35.200 --> 00:07:36.600
 the tomb was empty.

00:07:37.400 --> 00:07:39.080
 The body was never found.

00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:41.000
 And the reason that the tomb was empty

00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:42.240
 and the body was never found

00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:43.219
 was because that Jesus

00:07:43.219 --> 00:07:44.219
 had risen from the dead.

00:07:45.019 --> 00:07:46.539
 And Paul knows this

00:07:46.539 --> 00:07:48.079
 because not only is it true

00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:49.199
 that the tomb was empty

00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:50.560
 and the body was never found,

00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:52.939
 but Paul saw Jesus

00:07:52.939 --> 00:07:54.419
 after his resurrection.

00:07:56.019 --> 00:07:58.039
 And so Paul is willing to die

00:07:58.039 --> 00:08:00.000
 rather than deny

00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:01.699
 this particular truth and fact.

00:08:01.860 --> 00:08:02.879
 I'll read that verse again.

00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:04.120
 Remember Jesus Christ

00:08:04.120 --> 00:08:04.899
 risen from the dead,

00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:06.659
 the offspring of David

00:08:06.659 --> 00:08:07.979
 as preached in my gospel

00:08:07.980 --> 00:08:09.520
 for which I am suffering.

00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:11.379
 Bound with chains

00:08:11.379 --> 00:08:11.939
 is a criminal,

00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:13.420
 but the word of God

00:08:13.420 --> 00:08:14.560
 is not chained.

00:08:15.280 --> 00:08:15.700
 Therefore,

00:08:15.900 --> 00:08:17.000
 I endure everything

00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:18.020
 for the sake of

00:08:18.020 --> 00:08:20.420
 the elect

00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:23.960
 that they also may obtain

00:08:23.960 --> 00:08:24.580
 the salvation

00:08:24.580 --> 00:08:25.680
 that is in Christ Jesus

00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:26.580
 with eternal glory.

00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:27.500
 The elect.

00:08:27.500 --> 00:08:33.440
 Now, you know,

00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:34.299
 those of you who've come

00:08:34.299 --> 00:08:35.019
 to the church before

00:08:35.019 --> 00:08:36.100
 know sometimes I'll say,

00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:36.279
 you know,

00:08:36.299 --> 00:08:37.220
 with this particular word,

00:08:37.259 --> 00:08:38.460
 if you look at the origin language,

00:08:38.580 --> 00:08:39.500
 it sort of means this

00:08:39.500 --> 00:08:40.179
 or has this other

00:08:40.179 --> 00:08:41.240
 different type of sense.

00:08:41.580 --> 00:08:42.340
 If you do this

00:08:42.340 --> 00:08:43.480
 with the word the elect,

00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:44.960
 all it does is emphasize

00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:46.159
 that it's saying the elect.

00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:48.000
 And it's connected

00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:49.759
 to the doctrine of predestination.

00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:53.659
 It's actually,

00:08:53.960 --> 00:08:55.240
 some of the texts

00:08:55.240 --> 00:08:56.480
 connected to predestination

00:08:56.480 --> 00:08:57.899
 were in last week's text.

00:08:58.039 --> 00:08:58.259
 Remember,

00:08:58.480 --> 00:08:59.840
 some of you might remember

00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:01.840
 that Paul says

00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:03.419
 that people who've come to faith,

00:09:03.539 --> 00:09:04.220
 they've been called

00:09:04.220 --> 00:09:05.159
 out of eternity,

00:09:05.340 --> 00:09:06.539
 that God from eternity

00:09:06.539 --> 00:09:07.500
 chooses them

00:09:07.500 --> 00:09:08.939
 and from eternity

00:09:08.939 --> 00:09:10.019
 calls them.

00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:11.279
 And from eternity

00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:12.419
 means that from before

00:09:12.419 --> 00:09:13.299
 time existed,

00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:15.360
 after time stops to exist,

00:09:15.500 --> 00:09:16.240
 underneath time

00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:16.980
 and over time,

00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:17.360
 in a sense,

00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:18.259
 outside of time,

00:09:18.740 --> 00:09:20.440
 God calls people to himself,

00:09:20.560 --> 00:09:21.720
 he chooses people,

00:09:22.500 --> 00:09:24.300
 and this word,

00:09:24.500 --> 00:09:25.039
 the elect,

00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:25.600
 is connected

00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:26.340
 to the whole doctrine

00:09:26.340 --> 00:09:27.159
 of predestination.

00:09:27.379 --> 00:09:27.940
 It means,

00:09:29.800 --> 00:09:30.759
 obviously it doesn't mean

00:09:30.759 --> 00:09:31.639
 that you're superior

00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:33.180
 because that doesn't really fit

00:09:33.180 --> 00:09:34.240
 with Paul being in jail

00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:35.180
 and chained,

00:09:36.759 --> 00:09:38.899
 but that somehow or another

00:09:38.899 --> 00:09:41.120
 God chooses people

00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:42.740
 and people he chooses

00:09:42.740 --> 00:09:44.340
 become Christians.

00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:49.419
 And a lot of Christians

00:09:49.419 --> 00:09:51.639
 find this a very offensive doctrine.

00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:53.899
 In fact,

00:09:53.960 --> 00:09:54.820
 I was just talking

00:09:54.820 --> 00:09:55.279
 with somebody

00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:56.039
 just within the last

00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:56.800
 couple of weeks

00:09:56.800 --> 00:09:58.840
 that might be

00:09:58.840 --> 00:09:59.659
 on the way out

00:09:59.659 --> 00:10:00.700
 of the Christian faith

00:10:00.700 --> 00:10:04.060
 and the crack in the dike

00:10:04.060 --> 00:10:05.639
 was this doctrine

00:10:05.639 --> 00:10:06.600
 of predestination

00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:07.240
 and election.

00:10:07.779 --> 00:10:08.580
 It was the crack

00:10:08.580 --> 00:10:09.240
 in the dike

00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:10.980
 because the person

00:10:10.980 --> 00:10:11.580
 found it,

00:10:11.700 --> 00:10:12.360
 excuse me,

00:10:12.379 --> 00:10:13.840
 a very offensive idea.

00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:16.500
 it means that you're not free.

00:10:17.700 --> 00:10:19.100
 It means only some.

00:10:19.899 --> 00:10:20.980
 It's unfair.

00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:22.420
 Like,

00:10:22.519 --> 00:10:23.120
 how can you,

00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:23.940
 God says,

00:10:24.100 --> 00:10:26.139
 say that it's all about love,

00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:27.519
 that he's all about love

00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:28.680
 and that in heaven

00:10:28.680 --> 00:10:30.240
 it's all about love.

00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:30.500
 George,

00:10:30.540 --> 00:10:31.120
 when you were talking,

00:10:31.379 --> 00:10:31.580
 you know,

00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:32.200
 a little while ago

00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:33.160
 in some of your blogs

00:10:33.160 --> 00:10:33.840
 about hell

00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:34.620
 and all of that

00:10:34.620 --> 00:10:35.100
 and how,

00:10:35.580 --> 00:10:36.019
 you know,

00:10:36.259 --> 00:10:38.120
 God respects your freedom

00:10:38.120 --> 00:10:39.840
 and you're free to choose him

00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:41.160
 and love involves

00:10:41.160 --> 00:10:42.460
 being able to be free

00:10:42.460 --> 00:10:44.340
 and you say all of that stuff

00:10:44.340 --> 00:10:45.200
 but now it says,

00:10:45.580 --> 00:10:45.800
 George,

00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:46.720
 as if that's a complete

00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:47.580
 and utter contradiction

00:10:47.580 --> 00:10:49.300
 and it doesn't even make

00:10:49.300 --> 00:10:50.700
 any sense of my experience,

00:10:50.860 --> 00:10:51.000
 George.

00:10:51.080 --> 00:10:51.820
 I didn't feel like

00:10:51.820 --> 00:10:52.540
 I was a puppet,

00:10:53.300 --> 00:10:53.500
 you know,

00:10:53.560 --> 00:10:54.300
 and then God sort of

00:10:54.300 --> 00:10:55.160
 manipulating me

00:10:55.160 --> 00:10:56.379
 to come to a saving faith

00:10:56.379 --> 00:10:56.900
 in Jesus.

00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:58.280
 I chose him.

00:10:58.379 --> 00:10:58.460
 Like,

00:10:58.500 --> 00:10:59.500
 this doesn't make any sense

00:10:59.500 --> 00:11:00.560
 and it's very offensive.

00:11:04.360 --> 00:11:05.120
 And so,

00:11:06.200 --> 00:11:08.300
 then people start

00:11:08.300 --> 00:11:09.160
 to look at other things

00:11:09.160 --> 00:11:09.660
 and they realize

00:11:09.660 --> 00:11:10.480
 there's other problems

00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:11.019
 or they think

00:11:11.019 --> 00:11:12.040
 there's other problems

00:11:12.039 --> 00:11:13.719
 in the Bible

00:11:13.719 --> 00:11:15.240
 and they end up,

00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:16.139
 in some cases,

00:11:16.139 --> 00:11:17.099
 I've known some people

00:11:17.099 --> 00:11:18.219
 that that was the crack

00:11:18.219 --> 00:11:19.199
 or part of the cracks

00:11:19.199 --> 00:11:19.679
 that led them

00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:20.419
 to leave the faith.

00:11:21.139 --> 00:11:22.000
 And I'm going to have to ask

00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:22.779
 for some mercy.

00:11:23.439 --> 00:11:24.339
 Give me some mercy

00:11:24.339 --> 00:11:26.299
 because I don't,

00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:27.399
 I really,

00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:29.519
 I don't mean to offend anybody

00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:30.699
 but I might say something

00:11:30.699 --> 00:11:31.419
 which might offend.

00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:35.539
 In every case

00:11:35.539 --> 00:11:36.659
 when I've had conversations

00:11:36.659 --> 00:11:37.759
 with people like this

00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:38.480
 that they've ended up

00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:39.240
 leaving the faith,

00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:40.639
 I think all of them,

00:11:40.719 --> 00:11:41.860
 their testimony would be,

00:11:42.740 --> 00:11:44.639
 that they came into faith

00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:46.620
 and the Christian faith

00:11:46.620 --> 00:11:47.179
 and it was just

00:11:47.179 --> 00:11:48.179
 all about believing

00:11:48.179 --> 00:11:50.240
 and you don't use your mind

00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:51.219
 and you just trust

00:11:51.219 --> 00:11:52.079
 what people say

00:11:52.079 --> 00:11:52.620
 and you don't use

00:11:52.620 --> 00:11:53.899
 your critical faculties

00:11:53.899 --> 00:11:55.240
 and they started to use

00:11:55.240 --> 00:11:56.439
 their critical faculties

00:11:56.439 --> 00:11:56.959
 and when they started

00:11:56.959 --> 00:11:58.339
 to use their critical faculties

00:11:58.339 --> 00:11:59.159
 they ended up realizing

00:11:59.159 --> 00:11:59.679
 they had to,

00:12:00.079 --> 00:12:00.959
 if they wanted to be,

00:12:01.099 --> 00:12:02.259
 live an examined life

00:12:02.259 --> 00:12:03.139
 and be a thinker

00:12:03.139 --> 00:12:03.939
 they have to leave

00:12:03.939 --> 00:12:04.879
 the Christian faith

00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:06.379
 and that leaving

00:12:06.379 --> 00:12:07.219
 the Christian faith

00:12:07.219 --> 00:12:08.019
 it's like walking

00:12:08.019 --> 00:12:09.059
 into a world

00:12:09.059 --> 00:12:09.480
 of really,

00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:10.000
 where you really

00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:10.779
 begin to think.

00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:12.420
 Now here's where

00:12:12.420 --> 00:12:13.379
 I need some mercy

00:12:13.379 --> 00:12:16.220
 because actually

00:12:16.220 --> 00:12:16.720
 I would say

00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:17.399
 that what always

00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:18.340
 happens with them

00:12:18.340 --> 00:12:19.620
 in my experience,

00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:20.480
 maybe not yours

00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:21.120
 if you're here,

00:12:21.879 --> 00:12:22.560
 is they've left

00:12:22.560 --> 00:12:23.360
 the Christian faith

00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:24.519
 and stopped thinking,

00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:26.320
 not begun to think.

00:12:27.580 --> 00:12:28.399
 That's why I really

00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:29.180
 need some mercy.

00:12:29.179 --> 00:12:33.579
 You see,

00:12:33.819 --> 00:12:36.279
 my opening story

00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:37.819
 I said was identical

00:12:37.819 --> 00:12:38.819
 to this problem

00:12:38.819 --> 00:12:41.039
 and it is.

00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:41.959
 You see,

00:12:42.059 --> 00:12:43.059
 what people are saying

00:12:43.059 --> 00:12:43.579
 is how on earth

00:12:43.579 --> 00:12:44.159
 can you believe

00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:45.079
 the Bible, George,

00:12:45.079 --> 00:12:46.139
 if it says that God

00:12:46.139 --> 00:12:47.500
 just causes some people

00:12:47.500 --> 00:12:48.839
 to have these certain beliefs

00:12:48.839 --> 00:12:50.339
 but what was the challenge

00:12:50.339 --> 00:12:51.439
 my non-Christian friends

00:12:51.439 --> 00:12:51.899
 were saying?

00:12:52.359 --> 00:12:53.519
 You only believe things

00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:54.339
 because it's caused.

00:12:54.479 --> 00:12:55.519
 It's the same problem,

00:12:55.740 --> 00:12:56.199
 actually.

00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:59.000
 The exact same problem

00:12:59.000 --> 00:12:59.720
 looked at from

00:12:59.720 --> 00:13:01.340
 two different types

00:13:01.340 --> 00:13:02.180
 of world views.

00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:03.500
 And you see,

00:13:03.620 --> 00:13:04.840
 that's the particular thing

00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:05.220
 is that,

00:13:05.820 --> 00:13:06.300
 and by the way,

00:13:06.360 --> 00:13:07.080
 here's another bit

00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:07.520
 of an aside.

00:13:07.620 --> 00:13:08.500
 If you haven't seen it,

00:13:08.560 --> 00:13:09.140
 I really,

00:13:09.400 --> 00:13:10.020
 really recommend

00:13:10.020 --> 00:13:10.800
 you Google,

00:13:11.540 --> 00:13:12.320
 go to the

00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:13.020
 Dig and Delve

00:13:13.020 --> 00:13:13.920
 Apologetics

00:13:13.920 --> 00:13:15.759
 YouTube channel

00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:16.460
 or just go to

00:13:16.460 --> 00:13:17.120
 Dig and Delve

00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:18.360
 and also put in

00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:19.140
 Oz Guinness

00:13:19.140 --> 00:13:20.379
 and you'll see

00:13:20.379 --> 00:13:21.720
 an event

00:13:21.720 --> 00:13:22.360
 which actually

00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:23.420
 was in the

00:13:23.420 --> 00:13:24.300
 Ottawa Little Theatre

00:13:24.300 --> 00:13:25.460
 about five years ago

00:13:25.460 --> 00:13:26.259
 or so like that

00:13:26.259 --> 00:13:28.259
 and the Dig and Delve

00:13:28.259 --> 00:13:29.360
 Apologetics team

00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:30.320
 here in Ottawa,

00:13:30.500 --> 00:13:31.200
 we teamed up

00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:31.820
 with the major

00:13:31.820 --> 00:13:33.060
 atheist organization

00:13:33.060 --> 00:13:33.620
 in Ottawa

00:13:33.620 --> 00:13:35.060
 to put on a conversation

00:13:35.060 --> 00:13:36.100
 around the meaning

00:13:36.100 --> 00:13:36.560
 of life.

00:13:37.300 --> 00:13:38.580
 And so we had

00:13:38.580 --> 00:13:39.220
 Oz Guinness

00:13:39.220 --> 00:13:39.920
 as our speaker

00:13:39.920 --> 00:13:40.620
 and they got to

00:13:40.620 --> 00:13:41.379
 choose their speaker

00:13:41.379 --> 00:13:41.900
 and they chose

00:13:41.900 --> 00:13:42.920
 a philosophy professor

00:13:42.920 --> 00:13:43.639
 from the University

00:13:43.639 --> 00:13:44.120
 of Toronto.

00:13:44.560 --> 00:13:45.460
 And right on this stage

00:13:45.460 --> 00:13:46.060
 the two men

00:13:46.060 --> 00:13:46.960
 had a conversation.

00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:47.980
 And one of the things

00:13:47.980 --> 00:13:49.040
 which is so fascinating

00:13:49.040 --> 00:13:49.960
 is how honest

00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:51.259
 the philosopher,

00:13:51.540 --> 00:13:52.460
 the atheist philosopher

00:13:52.460 --> 00:13:53.160
 from the University

00:13:53.160 --> 00:13:53.759
 of Toronto is

00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:55.000
 because in the talk

00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:55.559
 if you go and listen

00:13:55.559 --> 00:13:55.720
 to it,

00:13:55.779 --> 00:13:56.860
 he sort of acknowledges

00:13:56.860 --> 00:13:57.659
 that he's not sure

00:13:57.659 --> 00:13:58.960
 if there's any such thing

00:13:58.960 --> 00:13:59.659
 as free will

00:13:59.659 --> 00:14:02.500
 because the logic

00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:04.000
 of cause and effect

00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:04.700
 would imply

00:14:04.700 --> 00:14:05.299
 that in fact

00:14:05.299 --> 00:14:06.120
 there's no freedom,

00:14:06.259 --> 00:14:07.319
 there's nothing chosen

00:14:07.319 --> 00:14:08.120
 at all.

00:14:10.279 --> 00:14:11.220
 And it's a very,

00:14:11.340 --> 00:14:12.080
 very telling,

00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:14.000
 honest conversation

00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:15.159
 between the two men.

00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:16.840
 But you see,

00:14:16.899 --> 00:14:17.460
 my friends

00:14:17.460 --> 00:14:18.259
 who get problems

00:14:18.259 --> 00:14:19.980
 with predestination

00:14:19.980 --> 00:14:20.960
 and they leave

00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:22.120
 the Christian faith

00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:23.139
 believing that

00:14:23.139 --> 00:14:23.899
 they're thinking

00:14:23.899 --> 00:14:25.379
 stop thinking

00:14:25.379 --> 00:14:29.120
 because they haven't

00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:29.580
 thought through

00:14:29.580 --> 00:14:31.060
 what they're stepping

00:14:31.060 --> 00:14:31.700
 into.

00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:35.820
 And it's compounded

00:14:35.820 --> 00:14:36.480
 if they were to leave

00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:36.799
 for,

00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:37.379
 once again,

00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:38.179
 give me some mercy,

00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:38.879
 but in Islam

00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:40.460
 it's total fatalism,

00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:42.200
 total determinism.

00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:43.100
 It's the essence

00:14:43.100 --> 00:14:43.759
 of Islam,

00:14:43.940 --> 00:14:45.100
 total determinism.

00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:46.899
 And in Hinduism

00:14:46.899 --> 00:14:47.440
 and Buddhism,

00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:49.139
 and by the way,

00:14:49.340 --> 00:14:50.220
 I'm not saying this

00:14:50.220 --> 00:14:51.060
 about anybody being bad,

00:14:51.059 --> 00:14:51.899
 but the problem

00:14:51.899 --> 00:14:52.799
 is that freedom

00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:54.039
 and free will

00:14:54.039 --> 00:14:55.539
 is always fundamentally

00:14:55.539 --> 00:14:56.979
 a type of inherent

00:14:56.979 --> 00:14:57.759
 contradiction

00:14:57.759 --> 00:14:58.839
 within all those

00:14:58.839 --> 00:14:59.539
 schools of thought

00:14:59.539 --> 00:15:00.779
 because everything

00:15:00.779 --> 00:15:01.879
 was the one

00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:02.939
 and there's been

00:15:02.939 --> 00:15:04.579
 some great disruption

00:15:04.579 --> 00:15:05.419
 which means that

00:15:05.419 --> 00:15:05.919
 people think

00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:07.019
 there are different things

00:15:07.019 --> 00:15:08.199
 but really there aren't

00:15:08.199 --> 00:15:08.799
 different things

00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:09.579
 and the end result

00:15:09.579 --> 00:15:10.339
 is that there's only

00:15:10.339 --> 00:15:10.859
 the one

00:15:10.859 --> 00:15:11.919
 and if there's only

00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:12.379
 the one

00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:13.019
 then there can't

00:15:13.019 --> 00:15:13.759
 really be freedom

00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:14.399
 and there can't

00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:15.299
 really be choice

00:15:15.299 --> 00:15:16.819
 and so you have

00:15:16.819 --> 00:15:18.119
 this problematic thing

00:15:18.119 --> 00:15:18.599
 in the middle

00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:19.860
 but that's not

00:15:19.860 --> 00:15:20.680
 really adequately

00:15:20.680 --> 00:15:21.300
 dealt with

00:15:21.300 --> 00:15:22.220
 and so the fact

00:15:22.220 --> 00:15:22.519
 of the matter

00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:23.940
 is that you see

00:15:23.940 --> 00:15:24.460
 some problems

00:15:24.460 --> 00:15:25.259
 in the Christian faith

00:15:25.259 --> 00:15:25.779
 and you think

00:15:25.779 --> 00:15:26.480
 okay, I'm going to

00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:27.019
 continue to be

00:15:27.019 --> 00:15:27.740
 a thinking person

00:15:27.740 --> 00:15:28.139
 and leave

00:15:28.139 --> 00:15:28.779
 but you leave

00:15:28.779 --> 00:15:29.300
 into things

00:15:29.300 --> 00:15:30.139
 which are vastly

00:15:30.139 --> 00:15:30.840
 more,

00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:32.680
 they have no hope.

00:15:35.580 --> 00:15:36.620
 How did I answer

00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:38.000
 my non-Christian friends

00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:39.159
 all those years ago?

00:15:39.980 --> 00:15:40.560
 This isn't because

00:15:40.560 --> 00:15:41.779
 I'm particularly brilliant.

00:15:42.600 --> 00:15:42.759
 You know,

00:15:42.800 --> 00:15:43.240
 one of the things

00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:44.680
 I love saying this,

00:15:45.300 --> 00:15:46.200
 I'm going to say it

00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:46.600
 and say it

00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:47.040
 and say it

00:15:47.040 --> 00:15:47.720
 until I die

00:15:47.720 --> 00:15:48.160
 hopefully.

00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:49.160
 You know,

00:15:49.379 --> 00:15:50.240
 I'm going to find

00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:50.640
 in heaven

00:15:50.640 --> 00:15:51.200
 that it wasn't

00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:51.379
 that,

00:15:51.540 --> 00:15:51.740
 oh,

00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:52.680
 I'm such a clever

00:15:52.680 --> 00:15:53.180
 thinker,

00:15:53.220 --> 00:15:53.759
 I came up

00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:54.379
 with a rebuttal.

00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:54.780
 What I'm going

00:15:54.780 --> 00:15:55.140
 to find out

00:15:55.140 --> 00:15:55.540
 in heaven

00:15:55.540 --> 00:15:56.520
 is that my

00:15:56.520 --> 00:15:57.240
 grandmother

00:15:57.240 --> 00:15:58.620
 was praying

00:15:58.620 --> 00:15:59.200
 for me

00:15:59.200 --> 00:15:59.920
 or some

00:15:59.920 --> 00:16:00.800
 nameless old

00:16:00.800 --> 00:16:01.500
 lady in the

00:16:01.500 --> 00:16:01.920
 congregation

00:16:01.920 --> 00:16:02.900
 was praying

00:16:02.900 --> 00:16:03.520
 for me

00:16:03.520 --> 00:16:04.500
 and that's

00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:05.340
 why I got

00:16:05.340 --> 00:16:06.040
 this insight

00:16:06.040 --> 00:16:07.020
 because God

00:16:07.020 --> 00:16:07.740
 gave it to me

00:16:07.740 --> 00:16:08.440
 not because

00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:10.100
 I was clever

00:16:10.100 --> 00:16:12.000
 and what I said

00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:12.340
 to them

00:16:12.340 --> 00:16:12.940
 eventually

00:16:12.940 --> 00:16:13.520
 about a month

00:16:13.520 --> 00:16:13.800
 later,

00:16:13.900 --> 00:16:14.160
 a month

00:16:14.160 --> 00:16:14.620
 where I came

00:16:14.620 --> 00:16:15.180
 so close

00:16:15.180 --> 00:16:16.060
 to losing

00:16:16.059 --> 00:16:16.659
 my Christian

00:16:16.659 --> 00:16:16.899
 faith

00:16:16.899 --> 00:16:17.179
 and then

00:16:17.179 --> 00:16:17.639
 one day

00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:18.139
 I was reading

00:16:18.139 --> 00:16:18.579
 the Bible

00:16:18.579 --> 00:16:18.919
 and then

00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:19.279
 afterwards

00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:19.779
 I was going

00:16:19.779 --> 00:16:20.239
 for a walk

00:16:20.239 --> 00:16:20.739
 and all of a

00:16:20.739 --> 00:16:20.839
 sudden

00:16:20.839 --> 00:16:21.239
 it came

00:16:21.239 --> 00:16:21.579
 to me

00:16:21.579 --> 00:16:22.479
 Christians

00:16:22.479 --> 00:16:23.219
 don't believe

00:16:23.219 --> 00:16:23.679
 that human

00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:24.099
 beings

00:16:24.099 --> 00:16:24.639
 are purely

00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:25.339
 natural.

00:16:26.539 --> 00:16:27.019
 God

00:16:27.019 --> 00:16:27.459
 gives us

00:16:27.459 --> 00:16:28.119
 a soul

00:16:28.119 --> 00:16:31.279
 and it

00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:31.799
 was like

00:16:31.799 --> 00:16:33.219
 whoa

00:16:33.219 --> 00:16:35.639
 and I

00:16:35.639 --> 00:16:36.039
 said to

00:16:36.039 --> 00:16:36.259
 them

00:16:36.259 --> 00:16:37.199
 here's the

00:16:37.199 --> 00:16:37.539
 problem

00:16:37.539 --> 00:16:37.979
 with your

00:16:37.979 --> 00:16:38.459
 worldview

00:16:38.459 --> 00:16:39.019
 that the

00:16:39.019 --> 00:16:39.359
 Bible

00:16:39.359 --> 00:16:39.819
 teaches

00:16:39.819 --> 00:16:40.459
 that human

00:16:40.459 --> 00:16:40.919
 beings

00:16:40.919 --> 00:16:41.299
 have been

00:16:41.299 --> 00:16:41.759
 given a

00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:42.059
 soul

00:16:42.059 --> 00:16:42.599
 that a

00:16:42.599 --> 00:16:42.859
 soul

00:16:42.859 --> 00:16:43.279
 is not

00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:43.859
 material

00:16:43.859 --> 00:16:44.459
 it's not

00:16:44.459 --> 00:16:45.299
 energy

00:16:45.299 --> 00:16:45.639
 it's

00:16:45.639 --> 00:16:46.059
 something

00:16:46.059 --> 00:16:47.599
 that's

00:16:47.599 --> 00:16:48.459
 spirit

00:16:48.459 --> 00:16:49.339
 or mind

00:16:49.339 --> 00:16:50.219
 and it

00:16:50.219 --> 00:16:50.639
 means that

00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:51.179
 human beings

00:16:51.179 --> 00:16:51.719
 both have

00:16:51.719 --> 00:16:52.179
 a soul

00:16:52.179 --> 00:16:52.479
 and have

00:16:52.479 --> 00:16:52.919
 a body

00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:53.799
 and obviously

00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:55.319
 we're connected

00:16:55.319 --> 00:16:55.799
 to the whole

00:16:55.799 --> 00:16:56.500
 flow of cause

00:16:56.500 --> 00:16:56.839
 and effect

00:16:56.839 --> 00:16:57.299
 but there's

00:16:57.299 --> 00:16:57.939
 something outside

00:16:57.939 --> 00:16:58.579
 of the flow

00:16:58.579 --> 00:16:59.079
 of the cause

00:16:59.079 --> 00:16:59.399
 and effect

00:16:59.399 --> 00:16:59.799
 and that's

00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:00.179
 how God

00:17:00.179 --> 00:17:00.519
 has made

00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:01.379
 human beings

00:17:01.379 --> 00:17:03.199
 and out of

00:17:03.199 --> 00:17:03.679
 that means

00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:04.279
 that sometimes

00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:05.079
 human beings

00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:05.539
 can actually

00:17:05.539 --> 00:17:06.579
 make full

00:17:06.579 --> 00:17:07.019
 choices

00:17:07.019 --> 00:17:07.960
 and not just

00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:08.440
 human beings

00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:08.980
 human beings

00:17:08.980 --> 00:17:09.279
 do it

00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:09.899
 preeminently

00:17:09.899 --> 00:17:10.339
 but you can

00:17:10.339 --> 00:17:10.680
 even see

00:17:10.680 --> 00:17:11.119
 in the higher

00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:11.500
 animals

00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:11.899
 that God

00:17:11.899 --> 00:17:12.539
 gives them

00:17:12.539 --> 00:17:13.180
 like my

00:17:13.180 --> 00:17:13.500
 dog

00:17:13.500 --> 00:17:13.899
 Rocky

00:17:13.899 --> 00:17:14.480
 a small

00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:14.920
 degree

00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:15.740
 of some

00:17:15.740 --> 00:17:16.059
 degree

00:17:16.059 --> 00:17:16.519
 of times

00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:16.759
 when you

00:17:16.759 --> 00:17:17.059
 can see

00:17:17.059 --> 00:17:17.399
 that they

00:17:17.399 --> 00:17:17.899
 choose

00:17:17.899 --> 00:17:19.519
 to do

00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:19.819
 some

00:17:19.819 --> 00:17:20.099
 things

00:17:20.099 --> 00:17:20.539
 my

00:17:20.539 --> 00:17:23.980
 wife

00:17:23.980 --> 00:17:24.579
 trained

00:17:24.579 --> 00:17:24.859
 our

00:17:24.859 --> 00:17:25.220
 German

00:17:25.220 --> 00:17:25.639
 shepherd

00:17:25.639 --> 00:17:26.000
 that when

00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:26.440
 she comes

00:17:26.440 --> 00:17:26.740
 in the

00:17:26.740 --> 00:17:27.079
 door

00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:28.460
 Louise

00:17:28.460 --> 00:17:28.899
 can say

00:17:28.899 --> 00:17:29.119
 to her

00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:29.559
 close the

00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:29.740
 door

00:17:29.740 --> 00:17:30.159
 Rocky

00:17:30.159 --> 00:17:31.000
 and Rocky

00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:31.519
 goes

00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:32.099
 and closes

00:17:32.099 --> 00:17:32.619
 the door

00:17:32.619 --> 00:17:33.220
 expecting

00:17:33.220 --> 00:17:33.740
 a treat

00:17:33.740 --> 00:17:34.579
 but the

00:17:34.579 --> 00:17:34.960
 thing about

00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:35.339
 it is

00:17:35.339 --> 00:17:35.700
 is that

00:17:35.700 --> 00:17:36.139
 if Rocky

00:17:36.139 --> 00:17:37.079
 comes in

00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:37.379
 the house

00:17:37.379 --> 00:17:37.740
 opening

00:17:37.740 --> 00:17:38.259
 the door

00:17:38.259 --> 00:17:39.960
 he looks

00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:40.460
 at Louise

00:17:40.460 --> 00:17:41.099
 and then he

00:17:41.099 --> 00:17:41.460
 looks at

00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:41.740
 the door

00:17:41.740 --> 00:17:42.059
 he goes

00:17:42.059 --> 00:17:42.519
 back to

00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:42.859
 the door

00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:43.460
 he closes

00:17:43.460 --> 00:17:43.880
 the door

00:17:43.880 --> 00:17:44.120
 and he

00:17:44.120 --> 00:17:44.480
 looks at

00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:44.700
 Louise

00:17:44.700 --> 00:17:45.019
 waiting

00:17:45.019 --> 00:17:45.359
 for a

00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:45.680
 treat

00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:48.960
 that even

00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:49.480
 animals

00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:49.880
 have a

00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:50.339
 certain degree

00:17:50.339 --> 00:17:50.859
 not as much

00:17:50.859 --> 00:17:51.259
 as a human

00:17:51.259 --> 00:17:51.839
 being but a

00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:52.460
 certain degree

00:17:52.460 --> 00:17:53.279
 of ability

00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:53.940
 God has given

00:17:53.940 --> 00:17:54.500
 them something

00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:55.019
 within them

00:17:55.019 --> 00:17:55.839
 that is outside

00:17:55.839 --> 00:17:56.420
 just the flow

00:17:56.420 --> 00:17:56.839
 of cause and

00:17:56.839 --> 00:17:57.019
 effect

00:17:57.019 --> 00:17:57.640
 and I said

00:17:57.640 --> 00:17:58.099
 that to my

00:17:58.099 --> 00:17:58.519
 friends and

00:17:58.519 --> 00:17:59.900
 they had no

00:17:59.900 --> 00:18:00.359
 answer

00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:01.120
 the other thing

00:18:01.120 --> 00:18:01.539
 I said to

00:18:01.539 --> 00:18:01.900
 them is you

00:18:01.900 --> 00:18:02.319
 don't actually

00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:02.920
 believe what

00:18:02.920 --> 00:18:03.420
 you said to

00:18:03.420 --> 00:18:03.799
 me because

00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:04.160
 if you

00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:04.680
 believe what

00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:05.019
 you said

00:18:05.019 --> 00:18:05.339
 to me it

00:18:05.339 --> 00:18:05.660
 means that

00:18:05.660 --> 00:18:06.180
 your views

00:18:06.180 --> 00:18:06.900
 are controlled

00:18:06.900 --> 00:18:08.640
 cause and

00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:08.880
 effect

00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:09.299
 it's not

00:18:09.299 --> 00:18:10.039
 just mine

00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:10.539
 it's yours

00:18:10.539 --> 00:18:11.200
 too but you

00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:11.680
 don't believe

00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:12.460
 that do you

00:18:12.460 --> 00:18:12.960
 and they

00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:13.200
 had no

00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:13.860
 answer because

00:18:13.860 --> 00:18:14.240
 they thought

00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:14.759
 they just had

00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:15.880
 an argument

00:18:15.880 --> 00:18:16.819
 against Christianity

00:18:16.819 --> 00:18:17.980
 and in the

00:18:17.980 --> 00:18:18.700
 words of G.K.

00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:19.200
 Chesterton

00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:20.000
 they're thinking

00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:20.580
 it led them

00:18:20.580 --> 00:18:21.200
 to a thought

00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:21.799
 that stops

00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:22.660
 all thought

00:18:22.660 --> 00:18:29.039
 so how do

00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:29.600
 we begin to

00:18:29.600 --> 00:18:30.160
 puzzle this

00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:31.039
 thing together

00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:31.720
 of the elect

00:18:31.720 --> 00:18:33.039
 well I'm just

00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:33.420
 going to give

00:18:33.420 --> 00:18:34.200
 you two types

00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:34.759
 of ways to

00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:35.500
 think about it

00:18:35.500 --> 00:18:36.539
 and any of

00:18:36.539 --> 00:18:36.900
 you and

00:18:36.900 --> 00:18:37.880
 it's going to

00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:38.480
 come down to

00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:38.900
 first of all

00:18:38.900 --> 00:18:39.319
 we can just

00:18:39.319 --> 00:18:39.900
 go to Hollywood

00:18:39.900 --> 00:18:40.819
 novels and

00:18:40.819 --> 00:18:41.519
 anybody who's

00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:42.000
 watched a

00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:43.299
 post-apocalyptic

00:18:43.299 --> 00:18:44.919
 novel or

00:18:44.919 --> 00:18:46.519
 movie will

00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:47.119
 have a sense

00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:47.639
 about how to

00:18:47.639 --> 00:18:48.319
 understand the

00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:49.139
 problem and

00:18:49.139 --> 00:18:49.539
 the other thing

00:18:49.539 --> 00:18:50.059
 is if you think

00:18:50.059 --> 00:18:50.460
 about the

00:18:50.460 --> 00:18:51.200
 experience of

00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:53.159
 love so

00:18:53.159 --> 00:18:53.759
 first of all

00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:54.559
 post-apocalyptic

00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:57.559
 novels I

00:18:57.559 --> 00:18:58.039
 actually just

00:18:58.039 --> 00:18:58.619
 read a really

00:18:58.619 --> 00:18:59.419
 really excellent

00:18:59.419 --> 00:19:00.519
 literary one I

00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:00.859
 think it was

00:19:00.859 --> 00:19:01.200
 called the

00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:02.079
 dog star or

00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:02.619
 something like

00:19:02.619 --> 00:19:03.480
 that written

00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:04.099
 about nine or

00:19:04.099 --> 00:19:04.779
 ten years ago

00:19:04.779 --> 00:19:05.500
 really excellent

00:19:05.500 --> 00:19:06.339
 very thoughtful

00:19:06.339 --> 00:19:07.659
 people and

00:19:07.659 --> 00:19:08.199
 so there's a

00:19:08.199 --> 00:19:09.159
 world where

00:19:09.159 --> 00:19:09.599
 there's been

00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:10.519
 some virus

00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:12.519
 that's killed

00:19:12.519 --> 00:19:13.779
 like 99 point

00:19:13.779 --> 00:19:15.000
 you know 99

00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:15.699
 percent of all

00:19:15.699 --> 00:19:16.480
 the population

00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:18.939
 and 99.5 or

00:19:18.939 --> 00:19:19.539
 whatever so

00:19:19.539 --> 00:19:20.299
 there's very few

00:19:20.299 --> 00:19:20.899
 people who are

00:19:20.899 --> 00:19:21.919
 left in and

00:19:21.919 --> 00:19:22.500
 it's this

00:19:22.500 --> 00:19:23.399
 particular novel

00:19:23.399 --> 00:19:24.319
 set in in the

00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:25.319
 Colorado area

00:19:25.319 --> 00:19:26.319
 not that far from

00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:27.659
 Denver and but

00:19:27.659 --> 00:19:28.220
 it doesn't matter

00:19:28.220 --> 00:19:29.139
 any type of a

00:19:29.139 --> 00:19:30.480
 of a novel or a

00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:31.220
 movie where some

00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:32.500
 disease or something

00:19:32.500 --> 00:19:33.439
 has killed most

00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:34.759
 people what's

00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:36.660
 life like after

00:19:36.660 --> 00:19:37.840
 everything has

00:19:37.840 --> 00:19:39.580
 fallen apart is

00:19:39.580 --> 00:19:40.420
 there more freedom

00:19:40.420 --> 00:19:42.120
 or less always

00:19:42.120 --> 00:19:45.519
 less why because

00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:46.620
 they always portray

00:19:46.620 --> 00:19:48.019
 a world where

00:19:48.019 --> 00:19:49.500
 there are bands

00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:51.059
 of roving men

00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:52.019
 usually men

00:19:52.019 --> 00:19:52.700
 occasionally with

00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:53.759
 some women who

00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:55.080
 basically survive

00:19:55.080 --> 00:19:56.519
 by raping and

00:19:56.519 --> 00:19:59.500
 pillaging and so

00:19:59.500 --> 00:20:00.660
 people who do not

00:20:00.660 --> 00:20:01.320
 want to make their

00:20:01.320 --> 00:20:02.420
 living by raping and

00:20:02.420 --> 00:20:03.180
 pillaging how do

00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:04.340
 they live they

00:20:04.340 --> 00:20:04.860
 want to try to

00:20:04.860 --> 00:20:05.440
 you know have a

00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:06.200
 garden and have

00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:07.140
 some food and live

00:20:07.140 --> 00:20:09.320
 peaceful they hide

00:20:09.320 --> 00:20:13.620
 they hide

00:20:13.620 --> 00:20:17.539
 I was thinking

00:20:17.539 --> 00:20:18.200
 about this this

00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:18.799
 week when I was

00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:19.600
 out for a run

00:20:19.600 --> 00:20:20.500
 along the canal

00:20:20.500 --> 00:20:22.539
 now I'll be honest

00:20:22.539 --> 00:20:23.240
 when I say it's a

00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:24.620
 run I'm exaggerating

00:20:24.620 --> 00:20:26.200
 it's a fast shuffle

00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:28.299
 in my case but I

00:20:28.299 --> 00:20:29.279
 continue to call it

00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:30.580
 a run so I was

00:20:30.580 --> 00:20:31.320
 off for a fast

00:20:31.320 --> 00:20:32.519
 shuffle along the

00:20:32.519 --> 00:20:33.700
 canal and I was

00:20:33.700 --> 00:20:34.379
 just thinking about

00:20:34.379 --> 00:20:35.400
 it in a post

00:20:35.400 --> 00:20:36.579
 apocalyptic novel or

00:20:36.579 --> 00:20:37.460
 movie nobody goes

00:20:37.460 --> 00:20:38.259
 for a run along the

00:20:38.259 --> 00:20:40.599
 canal nobody just

00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:41.200
 goes out to a

00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:41.960
 restaurant or buys

00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:43.319
 groceries why you

00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:44.180
 can't you can't do

00:20:44.180 --> 00:20:44.940
 that if you do you

00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:45.920
 have to carry lots of

00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:47.779
 guns lots of knives

00:20:47.779 --> 00:20:48.720
 lots of bows and

00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:49.379
 arrows you have to do

00:20:49.379 --> 00:20:50.079
 all that type of

00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:51.180
 thing you scurry in

00:20:51.180 --> 00:20:52.160
 you scurry out and

00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:52.920
 you try to protect

00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:54.819
 yourself so how is it

00:20:54.819 --> 00:20:55.740
 that we have freedom

00:20:55.740 --> 00:20:58.519
 we only have freedom if

00:20:58.519 --> 00:20:59.200
 there's something like

00:20:59.200 --> 00:20:59.960
 a government and

00:20:59.960 --> 00:21:01.460
 laws something that

00:21:01.460 --> 00:21:03.039
 guarantees and creates

00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:04.059
 the context for

00:21:04.059 --> 00:21:05.240
 freedom and that's

00:21:05.240 --> 00:21:05.960
 exactly what the

00:21:05.960 --> 00:21:07.039
 Bible teaches that's

00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:08.180
 why only the Bible

00:21:08.180 --> 00:21:09.660
 only gospel centered

00:21:09.660 --> 00:21:11.019
 Christianity can

00:21:11.019 --> 00:21:12.799
 provide an answer to

00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:14.160
 the paradox of how we

00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:15.200
 live in a world where

00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:16.140
 there is both true

00:21:16.140 --> 00:21:18.059
 freedom and where

00:21:18.059 --> 00:21:18.740
 there's cause and

00:21:18.740 --> 00:21:21.400
 effect why because God

00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:22.980
 guarantees it he

00:21:22.980 --> 00:21:24.019
 created the world he

00:21:24.019 --> 00:21:25.080
 designed that world in

00:21:25.080 --> 00:21:26.100
 a particular way he

00:21:26.099 --> 00:21:27.099
 said I'm going to

00:21:27.099 --> 00:21:28.279
 design human beings in

00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:29.599
 my own in in in in

00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:31.159
 our image in in our

00:21:31.159 --> 00:21:31.799
 image and we're going

00:21:31.799 --> 00:21:32.740
 to design human beings

00:21:32.740 --> 00:21:33.339
 so that there's a

00:21:33.339 --> 00:21:34.379
 little bit of something

00:21:34.379 --> 00:21:35.339
 in them that's not just

00:21:35.339 --> 00:21:36.159
 part of the cause and

00:21:36.159 --> 00:21:37.559
 effect but it's

00:21:37.559 --> 00:21:38.740
 completely connected to

00:21:38.740 --> 00:21:39.859
 them and it means

00:21:39.859 --> 00:21:40.279
 they're going to be

00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:41.439
 affected by things we

00:21:41.439 --> 00:21:42.299
 all know how brain

00:21:42.299 --> 00:21:43.500
 chemicals can change

00:21:43.500 --> 00:21:44.480
 things in our mind but

00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:45.119
 there's going to be this

00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:46.159
 flow of cause and

00:21:46.159 --> 00:21:46.939
 effect but they're still

00:21:46.939 --> 00:21:47.959
 always part of human

00:21:47.959 --> 00:21:49.079
 beings something which is

00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:50.159
 outside the flow of

00:21:50.159 --> 00:21:51.159
 cause and effect that

00:21:51.159 --> 00:21:52.319
 they can choose they

00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:53.339
 can they can have an

00:21:53.339 --> 00:21:54.480
 identity they know that

00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:55.219
 they're different than

00:21:55.219 --> 00:21:56.059
 rocks and trees

00:21:56.059 --> 00:21:57.399
 and and birds and

00:21:57.399 --> 00:21:58.579
 bees and bugs and

00:21:58.579 --> 00:21:59.259
 beavers they're

00:21:59.259 --> 00:22:00.839
 different and and and

00:22:00.839 --> 00:22:01.679
 and and yet they're

00:22:01.679 --> 00:22:02.700
 also creatures and they

00:22:02.700 --> 00:22:03.519
 can choose and they can

00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:04.099
 be in the world and

00:22:04.099 --> 00:22:04.899
 we're going to guarantee

00:22:04.899 --> 00:22:05.919
 it I'm going to we're

00:22:05.919 --> 00:22:06.839
 going to only create a

00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:07.519
 world like that we're

00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:08.559
 going to sustain a world

00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:09.980
 like that so that

00:22:09.980 --> 00:22:10.819
 there's real freedom

00:22:10.819 --> 00:22:12.720
 and in fact it even fits

00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:13.579
 within Christianity

00:22:13.579 --> 00:22:14.359
 because how do

00:22:14.359 --> 00:22:15.240
 Christians understand

00:22:15.240 --> 00:22:16.679
 God the Father the

00:22:16.679 --> 00:22:17.619
 Son and the Holy Spirit

00:22:17.619 --> 00:22:18.919
 three persons one God

00:22:18.919 --> 00:22:19.720
 from all eternity

00:22:19.720 --> 00:22:21.599
 from all eternity there

00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:22.839
 was the Father loving

00:22:22.839 --> 00:22:23.819
 the Son in a sense

00:22:23.819 --> 00:22:25.139
 choosing the Son to

00:22:25.139 --> 00:22:26.039
 love the Son in the

00:22:26.039 --> 00:22:27.420
 Son choosing to love

00:22:27.420 --> 00:22:28.200
 the Father and the

00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:29.619
 Holy Spirit in that

00:22:29.619 --> 00:22:30.859
 whole mix and so right

00:22:30.859 --> 00:22:31.899
 from the very nature of

00:22:31.899 --> 00:22:32.980
 God there's choice

00:22:32.980 --> 00:22:35.000
 there's freedom there's

00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:37.139
 love and it is that God

00:22:37.139 --> 00:22:38.839
 the Trinity that creates

00:22:38.839 --> 00:22:40.139
 human beings and creates

00:22:40.139 --> 00:22:41.539
 a world that in some way

00:22:41.539 --> 00:22:43.519
 reflects the character of

00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:44.879
 the triune God and he's

00:22:44.879 --> 00:22:46.039
 created us to be free he

00:22:46.039 --> 00:22:47.259
 sustains our freedom

00:22:47.259 --> 00:22:50.879
 when we meet a human being

00:22:50.879 --> 00:22:52.220
 who's lost their freedom

00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:53.200
 that's completely and

00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:55.120
 utterly captivated or not

00:22:55.120 --> 00:22:56.680
 captivated completely and

00:22:56.680 --> 00:22:57.920
 utterly overcome by

00:22:57.920 --> 00:22:59.160
 Alzheimer's or by

00:22:59.160 --> 00:23:00.700
 dementia or by mental

00:23:00.700 --> 00:23:02.299
 illness we feel sorry for

00:23:02.299 --> 00:23:04.259
 them we feel they've lost

00:23:04.259 --> 00:23:07.700
 their identity and have

00:23:07.700 --> 00:23:08.799
 become completely and

00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:09.840
 utterly controlled by

00:23:09.840 --> 00:23:11.960
 outside forces and then

00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:13.080
 of course we by our other

00:23:13.080 --> 00:23:14.580
 choices can be people can

00:23:14.580 --> 00:23:16.539
 enter into alcohol or drugs

00:23:16.539 --> 00:23:17.660
 in a way that diminishes

00:23:17.660 --> 00:23:19.580
 their freedom pride and

00:23:19.579 --> 00:23:21.599
 narcissism and and and and

00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:23.399
 over self-regard reduces

00:23:23.399 --> 00:23:24.980
 our freedom evil reduces

00:23:24.980 --> 00:23:27.240
 our freedom virtue increases

00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:29.259
 our freedom the the humble

00:23:29.259 --> 00:23:30.819
 person the meek person is

00:23:30.819 --> 00:23:32.480
 vastly more free than the

00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:33.879
 proud and arrogant person

00:23:33.879 --> 00:23:39.659
 vastly more free if you can't

00:23:39.659 --> 00:23:43.619
 control yourself if you can't

00:23:43.619 --> 00:23:45.099
 be self-effacing you are less

00:23:45.099 --> 00:23:47.259
 free than the one if you can

00:23:47.259 --> 00:23:48.480
 control yourself and you are

00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:50.120
 self-effacing you are more

00:23:50.120 --> 00:23:51.519
 free than the one who cannot

00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:54.380
 be self-effacing can only be

00:23:54.380 --> 00:23:58.000
 proud so the Bible describes

00:23:58.000 --> 00:23:59.460
 it the second thing is though

00:23:59.460 --> 00:24:00.519
 like what about the fact

00:24:00.519 --> 00:24:05.380
 George that well I'm still

00:24:05.380 --> 00:24:06.599
 trouble there's still trouble

00:24:06.599 --> 00:24:08.160
 by freedom and the fact that

00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:09.740
 God chooses you from all

00:24:09.740 --> 00:24:10.860
 eternity to become a

00:24:10.860 --> 00:24:14.500
 Christian and yet it still

00:24:14.500 --> 00:24:15.740
 feels free and it doesn't seem

00:24:15.740 --> 00:24:18.720
 to fit George years ago when I

00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:20.099
 was in my rural parish and I'm

00:24:20.099 --> 00:24:21.779
 so I hope this doesn't isn't a

00:24:21.779 --> 00:24:24.279
 an analogy which is wounding

00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:25.859
 for some for some people but

00:24:25.859 --> 00:24:27.799
 there's this really really funny

00:24:27.799 --> 00:24:30.900
 woman and she was good friends

00:24:30.900 --> 00:24:31.900
 with some of the people in the

00:24:31.900 --> 00:24:33.640
 congregation and she'd come to

00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:35.700
 all of the in rural Anglican

00:24:35.700 --> 00:24:36.920
 churches they're always having

00:24:36.920 --> 00:24:39.700
 like suppers and all these types

00:24:39.700 --> 00:24:41.980
 of things and and it's really

00:24:41.980 --> 00:24:43.380
 quite glorious if you have even

00:24:43.380 --> 00:24:44.700
 something like a hymn singer a

00:24:44.700 --> 00:24:46.520
 choir sing and for rural people

00:24:46.520 --> 00:24:47.540
 you have to have a big meal

00:24:47.540 --> 00:24:50.380
 afterwards rural people are far

00:24:50.380 --> 00:24:52.040
 more like people like in South

00:24:52.040 --> 00:24:53.900
 America or Africa you meet you

00:24:53.900 --> 00:24:56.720
 have lots of food the first time

00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:58.040
 we Louise and I got invited out

00:24:58.040 --> 00:25:01.520
 for supper in a rural place they

00:25:01.520 --> 00:25:03.040
 didn't just offer me one type of

00:25:03.040 --> 00:25:06.120
 meat three types of meat were

00:25:06.120 --> 00:25:08.400
 offered in the meal lots of

00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:10.040
 different other not just one way of

00:25:10.040 --> 00:25:11.800
 having potatoes and anyway that

00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:13.180
 they just like they love to eat

00:25:13.180 --> 00:25:14.759
 anyway so there's this woman and I

00:25:14.759 --> 00:25:16.480
 said are you like I should I

00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:18.919
 refer to you as Mrs. or Ms. and

00:25:18.919 --> 00:25:20.539
 and she laughed because she was

00:25:20.539 --> 00:25:22.919
 she was round and jolly she said no

00:25:22.919 --> 00:25:26.059
 you should call me missed I never

00:25:26.059 --> 00:25:31.319
 got married I was missed I missed

00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:33.700
 you know whatever Smith and she just

00:25:33.700 --> 00:25:35.559
 laughed away at it and went

00:25:35.559 --> 00:25:36.940
 downstairs and lined up for the

00:25:36.940 --> 00:25:39.000
 buffet she wasn't bothered by it at

00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:41.500
 all but you know here's the thing

00:25:41.500 --> 00:25:44.960
 about this so here's the thing

00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:46.980
 this story illustrates two things

00:25:46.980 --> 00:25:50.500
 the first is every single one of us

00:25:50.500 --> 00:25:52.180
 not every single one of us many of

00:25:52.180 --> 00:25:55.400
 us more than once have experiences

00:25:55.400 --> 00:25:58.039
 where we feel both most free and

00:25:58.039 --> 00:26:00.299
 most determined most free and most

00:26:00.299 --> 00:26:03.819
 bound and that's the experience of

00:26:03.819 --> 00:26:10.039
 love if you meet a young couple you

00:26:10.039 --> 00:26:12.939
 oldies and they've just really

00:26:12.939 --> 00:26:15.799
 fallen in love and they're gonna get

00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:18.519
 married if you talk to them at all

00:26:18.519 --> 00:26:20.099
 they'll say I've never felt I've never

00:26:20.099 --> 00:26:21.919
 felt so free and so alive as I do

00:26:21.919 --> 00:26:24.399
 right now what will they also tell you

00:26:24.399 --> 00:26:26.339
 I've never met anybody that it just

00:26:26.339 --> 00:26:29.599
 feels I have to marry them they feel

00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:31.279
 completely and utterly bound and

00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:33.839
 compelled and it's not just with

00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:35.119
 something like that it's it's often

00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:36.399
 how it is and I know I can be

00:26:36.399 --> 00:26:38.059
 touching on troublesome things for

00:26:38.059 --> 00:26:39.480
 some people I know there are people

00:26:39.480 --> 00:26:40.819
 who'd love to have babies and they're

00:26:40.819 --> 00:26:43.019
 never able to have them but often a

00:26:43.019 --> 00:26:45.980
 mom and a dad but often a mom in

00:26:45.980 --> 00:26:47.339
 particular will feel that way when

00:26:47.339 --> 00:26:48.680
 they're holding their newborn baby

00:26:48.680 --> 00:26:52.700
 they've never felt so much love they've

00:26:52.700 --> 00:26:55.359
 never felt so much themselves and so

00:26:55.359 --> 00:26:58.599
 alive and yet at the same time so

00:26:58.599 --> 00:27:00.539
 completely and utterly tied and

00:27:00.539 --> 00:27:03.779
 compelled to that little life you see

00:27:03.779 --> 00:27:07.019
 when you go up you come to this

00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:08.819
 port where you're both most free and

00:27:08.819 --> 00:27:13.439
 most bound and the Bible describes that

00:27:13.439 --> 00:27:18.379
 God is love you see the fact of the

00:27:18.379 --> 00:27:20.699
 matter is is that the Lord both chooses

00:27:20.699 --> 00:27:22.719
 you to be his child by adoption and

00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:24.799
 grace and provides you the freedom to

00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:29.420
 choose him the Lord both chooses you to

00:27:29.420 --> 00:27:31.539
 be his child by adoption and grace and

00:27:31.539 --> 00:27:33.740
 provides you the freedom to choose him

00:27:33.740 --> 00:27:37.600
 now one of the things about this these

00:27:37.600 --> 00:27:39.259
 stories that I've given is it can cause

00:27:39.259 --> 00:27:41.539
 a lot of trouble that people who always

00:27:41.539 --> 00:27:43.240
 wanted to marry and were never able to

00:27:43.240 --> 00:27:44.880
 marry people who were married and were

00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:47.319
 in love and and now there may be living

00:27:47.319 --> 00:27:51.120
 with a in divorce or whatever people who

00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:52.579
 wanted to have that baby and were never

00:27:52.579 --> 00:27:54.239
 able to have that baby and these are

00:27:54.239 --> 00:27:56.059
 very very troublesome thing it touches on

00:27:56.059 --> 00:27:58.099
 a very very deep wound in the center of a

00:27:58.099 --> 00:28:01.539
 lot of our lives a very very deep wound

00:28:01.539 --> 00:28:03.839
 or whose marriages right now are on the

00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:06.199
 rock those days of feeling so free and so

00:28:06.199 --> 00:28:08.500
 alive and so bound have have gone away

00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:13.299
 you know and in fact I've talked to

00:28:13.299 --> 00:28:16.000
 people who say you know all all my life

00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:19.920
 nobody's chosen me they weren't like that

00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:22.079
 woman in Eganville who could say I missed

00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:26.460
 missed Smith and just sort of have a

00:28:26.460 --> 00:28:28.319
 laugh and maybe she could do that because

00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:30.460
 she was older and had come to terms with

00:28:30.460 --> 00:28:33.200
 it and so they hear this doctrine that

00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:35.599
 God chooses you to be his child by

00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:37.039
 adoption and grace and provides you the

00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:39.160
 freedom to choose him and in your bones

00:28:39.160 --> 00:28:41.500
 you have this very very very deep sense

00:28:41.500 --> 00:28:44.720
 the Lord would never choose me

00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:51.519
 no one's chosen me story of my life

00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:53.759
 you know what they should have on my on

00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:56.019
 my tombstone the unchosen

00:28:56.019 --> 00:29:02.259
 but I want to tell you something right

00:29:02.259 --> 00:29:06.380
 now if that is at all your reaction

00:29:06.380 --> 00:29:09.720
 anyone here anyone working online that

00:29:09.720 --> 00:29:11.759
 the story of your life is the unchosen

00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:13.720
 if that's what comes to you unbidden

00:29:13.720 --> 00:29:15.839
 as I describe this very very wonderful

00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:17.900
 thing because it's a very wonderful

00:29:17.900 --> 00:29:20.140
 thing which I'll describe a little bit

00:29:20.140 --> 00:29:22.200
 more in a moment if you feel that at all

00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:27.940
 you know what that is you're hearing his

00:29:27.940 --> 00:29:33.019
 call you're hearing that he's chosen you

00:29:33.019 --> 00:29:37.819
 the person who doesn't give a flip

00:29:37.819 --> 00:29:42.119
 that's a different category but if you feel

00:29:42.119 --> 00:29:46.159
 I never get chosen you know what is you

00:29:46.159 --> 00:29:49.839
 are feeling God's choosing you and I just

00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:51.779
 would like to encourage you to stop

00:29:51.779 --> 00:29:56.740
 listening to me and say God have you

00:29:56.740 --> 00:30:00.000
 chosen me I would love it if you chose

00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:03.439
 me I would love to have Jesus as my

00:30:03.439 --> 00:30:06.759
 savior but I just pour out your heart to

00:30:06.759 --> 00:30:09.480
 God and say that's what you'd like and

00:30:09.480 --> 00:30:11.440
 become his child by adoption and grace

00:30:11.440 --> 00:30:19.180
 see here's the other thing which is so

00:30:19.180 --> 00:30:21.180
 wonderful about this particular doctrine

00:30:21.180 --> 00:30:26.799
 in fact actually see here's the thing

00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:28.240
 which is so wonderful about there's so

00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:29.400
 many things that are wonderful about

00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:30.839
 this doctrine if you think about it for

00:30:30.839 --> 00:30:33.519
 a second if God didn't do something

00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:35.400
 like that there'd be no Christians I

00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:37.339
 wouldn't be a Christian I'm not

00:30:37.339 --> 00:30:40.819
 naturally spiritual if it was just up

00:30:40.819 --> 00:30:44.920
 to me I would sleep in this morning I'm

00:30:44.920 --> 00:30:48.039
 reading a really good novel I'd probably

00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:50.379
 go for a run I'd probably go somewhere

00:30:50.379 --> 00:30:52.819
 and have a coffee in the afternoon have

00:30:52.819 --> 00:30:55.319
 a nap somewhere along there I'd watch

00:30:55.319 --> 00:30:57.740
 some NFL football games and then have a

00:30:57.740 --> 00:30:58.940
 beer or wine at the end of the day

00:30:58.940 --> 00:31:01.640
 church would definitely not be part of

00:31:01.640 --> 00:31:04.000
 it and let me tell you something else

00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:08.000
 how many people do you think will wake

00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:11.100
 up on a Monday morning and say I'm

00:31:11.100 --> 00:31:12.220
 trying to figure out how to get

00:31:12.220 --> 00:31:15.320
 connected to the living God you know

00:31:15.320 --> 00:31:17.640
 what I think I'm going to look at the

00:31:17.640 --> 00:31:20.500
 hundred thousand plus Romans people the

00:31:20.500 --> 00:31:25.240
 Romans crucified back 2,000 years ago I

00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:27.759
 have a feeling that some crucified guy is

00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:30.779
 the key to life what are the odds of

00:31:30.779 --> 00:31:39.500
 that zero zilch what if Jesus God sends

00:31:39.500 --> 00:31:43.460
 Jesus to die upon the cross I mean who

00:31:43.460 --> 00:31:45.619
 when he died upon the cross who was left

00:31:45.619 --> 00:31:49.960
 on the grave his mom John a couple of

00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:52.839
 women everybody else all the cool kids

00:31:52.839 --> 00:31:55.220
 all the powerful kids all making fun of

00:31:55.220 --> 00:31:58.460
 them it isn't enough that God just

00:31:58.460 --> 00:32:00.720
 provides the means of salvation he

00:32:00.720 --> 00:32:03.819
 needs to bring people to salvation you

00:32:03.819 --> 00:32:05.480
 know one of the wonderful things about

00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:07.960
 the story of the Jesus and in Luke

00:32:07.960 --> 00:32:10.120
 chapter 7 when I read about the the

00:32:10.120 --> 00:32:13.460
 young man that's dead and how does what

00:32:13.460 --> 00:32:15.299
 happened to that young man the young man

00:32:15.299 --> 00:32:18.079
 isn't dead and said I think I'll get up

00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:22.480
 and talk to my mom no he's dead he says he

00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:25.700
 doesn't say to himself I think I'd like

00:32:25.700 --> 00:32:29.680
 to talk to Jesus no he's dead how does a

00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:31.500
 parable where how does a story work not a

00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:34.160
 parable is a story work Jesus calls him

00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:37.480
 he calls him out of death into life and

00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:39.039
 because he calls him out of death into

00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:43.720
 life the man's alive and let me tell you

00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:47.480
 you read the Bible read Philippians read

00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:49.720
 Colossians read Ephesians what does it

00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:52.299
 regularly say apart from Christ we are

00:32:52.299 --> 00:32:56.539
 dead the dead don't choose

00:32:56.539 --> 00:33:07.759
 and so the gospel is this wonderful not

00:33:07.759 --> 00:33:10.000
 only this good news of what God has done

00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:13.180
 in Jesus to make us right with him it is

00:33:13.180 --> 00:33:15.640
 this wonderful news that God doesn't just

00:33:15.640 --> 00:33:17.600
 look around look for the cool kids the

00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:19.359
 powerful kids the ones who are always

00:33:19.359 --> 00:33:21.839
 chosen he'll choose some of those he

00:33:21.839 --> 00:33:24.619
 chooses the Dalits he chooses he chooses

00:33:24.619 --> 00:33:26.759
 the street people he chooses the middle

00:33:26.759 --> 00:33:29.039
 class the working class he chooses the

00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:32.679
 only chooses the unworthy and he calls

00:33:32.679 --> 00:33:35.419
 them and his call comes from all eternity

00:33:35.419 --> 00:33:37.539
 comes out of love it comes to you and

00:33:37.539 --> 00:33:42.480
 you respond to it that he not only calls

00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:44.679
 you he gives you the freedom to respond

00:33:44.680 --> 00:33:48.180
 to it it's all from him and then you can

00:33:48.180 --> 00:33:49.560
 say George well if it's just all from

00:33:49.560 --> 00:33:51.200
 that like why would anybody even do

00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:52.580
 anything or try anything like why don't

00:33:52.580 --> 00:33:54.299
 you just sort of just let God do

00:33:54.299 --> 00:33:56.080
 everything but you see if you do that

00:33:56.080 --> 00:34:00.860
 it's like this true story I I had I had

00:34:00.860 --> 00:34:02.340
 been going to this very very conservative

00:34:02.340 --> 00:34:04.460
 Baptist church you know I come to come

00:34:04.460 --> 00:34:07.180
 to faith very very very very add like add

00:34:07.180 --> 00:34:09.260
 six varies that's how conservative it was

00:34:09.260 --> 00:34:12.560
 and and an evangelical and about 20 years

00:34:12.560 --> 00:34:14.560
 later I'm I'm at a bus stop on Bank

00:34:14.560 --> 00:34:16.680
 Street and I I meet a I meet a guy

00:34:16.680 --> 00:34:21.800
 cigarette sort of you know one of those

00:34:21.800 --> 00:34:24.600
 guys he's sort of as if there's a wind he

00:34:24.600 --> 00:34:27.120
 you know he'd had more than a few beer so

00:34:27.120 --> 00:34:29.140
 he's standing there and he says oh George I

00:34:29.140 --> 00:34:31.280
 say hi to him I ask him if he's connected

00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:32.980
 to the church or he asked me about that and

00:34:32.980 --> 00:34:34.620
 I asked him about that and he says to me as

00:34:34.619 --> 00:34:38.699
 he's swaying he said you know Christianity

00:34:38.699 --> 00:34:40.980
 is wonderful God loves to forgive and I

00:34:40.980 --> 00:34:46.559
 love to sin and he said I figured out

00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:51.239
 that I'm gonna have a really really really

00:34:51.239 --> 00:34:53.139
 good time until I'm too old have a good

00:34:53.139 --> 00:34:55.500
 time and then when I figure there's about

00:34:55.500 --> 00:34:59.420
 a year left to live I'm gonna give my

00:34:59.420 --> 00:35:03.159
 life to Jesus go to heaven they gave me a

00:35:03.159 --> 00:35:09.219
 drunken smile so you see here's the

00:35:09.219 --> 00:35:18.519
 thing he thinks he's fooled God he'd not

00:35:18.519 --> 00:35:20.599
 given his life to Jesus he's figured he's

00:35:20.599 --> 00:35:22.759
 done an end run around God that he's

00:35:22.759 --> 00:35:24.339
 read the fine print and he's been able

00:35:24.339 --> 00:35:27.619
 he's gonna be able to trick God he

00:35:27.619 --> 00:35:30.099
 doesn't think he needs a savior he

00:35:30.099 --> 00:35:32.339
 doesn't think he's dead needs life he

00:35:32.340 --> 00:35:34.120
 doesn't think he's blind and need to see

00:35:34.120 --> 00:35:36.539
 he doesn't think he's broken and needs to

00:35:36.539 --> 00:35:38.920
 be whole he doesn't think he's lost and

00:35:38.920 --> 00:35:41.400
 needs to be found he thinks he's superior

00:35:41.400 --> 00:35:42.980
 to everybody and even God and he's found

00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:45.019
 a loophole around God's provision and

00:35:45.019 --> 00:35:47.140
 God's conditions that will get him what he

00:35:47.140 --> 00:35:51.079
 wants that's called presumption and God

00:35:51.079 --> 00:35:54.840
 sees right through it what is the

00:35:54.840 --> 00:35:56.960
 doctrine of election do why is it that it

00:35:56.960 --> 00:35:58.620
 actually if you grab it and you

00:35:58.619 --> 00:36:01.039
 understand this that gives you this it as

00:36:01.039 --> 00:36:02.960
 it grabs you more and more it gives you

00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:07.380
 courage it helps you to do hard things it

00:36:07.380 --> 00:36:10.599
 propels you and draws you to do things of

00:36:10.599 --> 00:36:13.699
 sacrifice and of humility and of self

00:36:13.699 --> 00:36:15.739
 examination that you might have thought

00:36:15.739 --> 00:36:17.900
 impossible before the gospel starts to

00:36:17.900 --> 00:36:20.259
 grab you I'll give you an example for

00:36:20.259 --> 00:36:24.619
 many years I've wanted to write a book it's

00:36:24.619 --> 00:36:25.920
 the first time I've ever said this in

00:36:25.920 --> 00:36:28.019
 public I'd love to write a book I love

00:36:28.019 --> 00:36:29.299
 reading books so I'd love to write a

00:36:29.299 --> 00:36:33.099
 book not a particular surprise but here's

00:36:33.099 --> 00:36:34.319
 what goes through my mind I don't have

00:36:34.319 --> 00:36:37.420
 the time I'd have to cut time with Louise

00:36:37.420 --> 00:36:39.559
 I'd have to take time out of the job and

00:36:39.559 --> 00:36:40.839
 you know the book probably wouldn't be

00:36:40.839 --> 00:36:44.500
 any good even if I could write it and

00:36:44.500 --> 00:36:47.139
 even if I wrote it and it's so it wasn't

00:36:47.139 --> 00:36:48.839
 very good and I'd probably sell a couple of

00:36:48.839 --> 00:36:50.500
 copies in my church because people out of

00:36:50.500 --> 00:36:53.980
 pity would buy it and and then they'd come

00:36:53.980 --> 00:36:55.860
 and say way to go George it's such a good

00:36:55.860 --> 00:36:58.860
 book and I'd say yeah yeah that's 40

00:36:58.860 --> 00:37:03.699
 sales and wasn't worth the time what if

00:37:03.699 --> 00:37:05.420
 one day God showed up and said George I

00:37:05.420 --> 00:37:08.260
 want you to write a book and the book

00:37:08.260 --> 00:37:09.559
 you're going to write is going to help

00:37:09.559 --> 00:37:13.460
 a hundred thousand people I've called you

00:37:13.460 --> 00:37:19.519
 to write this book and because I don't

00:37:19.519 --> 00:37:21.119
 have as much faith as you God has to

00:37:21.119 --> 00:37:23.079
 show up two or three times and even

00:37:23.079 --> 00:37:24.539
 after the third time he says this still

00:37:24.539 --> 00:37:25.759
 isn't working I'm going to show up to

00:37:25.759 --> 00:37:31.360
 Louise so Louise will tell George and

00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:32.539
 then I finally know that that's the

00:37:32.539 --> 00:37:35.440
 case that God has called me chosen me to

00:37:35.440 --> 00:37:37.279
 write a book you know what then I go to

00:37:37.279 --> 00:37:38.539
 the wardens I go to you folks and say

00:37:38.539 --> 00:37:40.659
 you know what I'm going to take an hour a

00:37:40.659 --> 00:37:42.179
 day out of my time I go to Louise I'm

00:37:42.179 --> 00:37:43.440
 going to take an hour a day out of our

00:37:43.440 --> 00:37:44.759
 time with you and the family I'm going to

00:37:44.759 --> 00:37:48.759
 be working on a book and all the stuff

00:37:48.760 --> 00:37:50.320
 and all the time when I'm struggling

00:37:50.320 --> 00:37:52.220
 with not knowing the right thing and

00:37:52.220 --> 00:37:54.420
 how to edit it and and and all the

00:37:54.420 --> 00:37:56.420
 times I'm tired and all the times I feel

00:37:56.420 --> 00:37:58.040
 that it's not worth it or it's not

00:37:58.040 --> 00:38:01.220
 working it's all worth it the sacrifice

00:38:01.220 --> 00:38:04.160
 is worth it because it's going to end

00:38:04.160 --> 00:38:05.940
 with something that God has already said

00:38:05.940 --> 00:38:09.480
 he's going to do and rather than creating

00:38:09.480 --> 00:38:12.440
 laziness it gives you hope it gives you

00:38:12.440 --> 00:38:16.360
 endurance because it's not presumption

00:38:16.360 --> 00:38:18.440
 it's just believing what God has said

00:38:18.440 --> 00:38:20.800
 and that's why we need to gather in

00:38:20.800 --> 00:38:25.059
 church to hear that God has chosen you

00:38:25.059 --> 00:38:28.400
 yes I know he had poor taste no just

00:38:28.400 --> 00:38:31.960
 joking if you say to yourself did he

00:38:31.960 --> 00:38:33.940
 know how big of a screw-up I am did he

00:38:33.940 --> 00:38:35.740
 know how weak I am does know how bad a

00:38:35.740 --> 00:38:37.500
 Christian I am yes he know all that stuff

00:38:37.500 --> 00:38:40.340
 he chose you and because he chose you

00:38:40.340 --> 00:38:42.500
 you've given your life to Christ and

00:38:42.500 --> 00:38:44.420
 nothing will ever take you out of his

00:38:44.420 --> 00:38:47.079
 hand and your end will be glory and

00:38:47.079 --> 00:38:49.500
 because of that you can go and you can

00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:51.640
 try hard things you can do hard things

00:38:51.640 --> 00:38:53.260
 you can look at the sin in your life

00:38:53.260 --> 00:38:55.240
 you can go and humble yourself and ask

00:38:55.240 --> 00:38:57.559
 forgiveness and seek reconciliation you

00:38:57.559 --> 00:38:59.559
 can give away your money you can give up

00:38:59.559 --> 00:39:02.240
 of your time why because it's worth it

00:39:02.240 --> 00:39:05.160
 God has called you he's chosen you he's

00:39:05.160 --> 00:39:07.400
 done everything to make you his child

00:39:07.400 --> 00:39:12.860
 he'll never let you go that is the

00:39:12.860 --> 00:39:13.619
 gospel

00:39:13.619 --> 00:39:22.860
 remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead

00:39:22.860 --> 00:39:25.019
 the offspring of David as preached in

00:39:25.019 --> 00:39:28.300
 my gospel for which I am suffering bound

00:39:28.300 --> 00:39:30.920
 with chains as a criminal but the word of

00:39:30.920 --> 00:39:34.480
 God is not chained therefore I endure

00:39:34.480 --> 00:39:37.380
 everything for the sake of the elect that

00:39:37.380 --> 00:39:39.760
 they also may obtain the salvation that

00:39:39.760 --> 00:39:42.400
 is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory

00:39:42.400 --> 00:39:46.099
 why do you share the gospel why do you

00:39:46.099 --> 00:39:48.780
 bear witness to Jesus God uses imperfect

00:39:48.780 --> 00:39:51.260
 people like us but he does all he does

00:39:51.260 --> 00:39:54.460
 all the work he still has people in this

00:39:54.460 --> 00:39:57.420
 city we have a brother who's going to be

00:39:57.420 --> 00:39:58.980
 going back to Asia why does he go to

00:39:58.980 --> 00:40:01.539
 Asia because God has people call he's

00:40:01.539 --> 00:40:04.579
 calling in Asia right brother not

00:40:04.579 --> 00:40:06.900
 because nothing personal not putting

00:40:06.900 --> 00:40:08.599
 you down it's not because you're an

00:40:08.599 --> 00:40:10.579
 unbelievably charismatic persuasive

00:40:10.579 --> 00:40:13.239
 salesperson it's a matter of

00:40:13.239 --> 00:40:16.259
 obedience and you open your mouth you

00:40:16.259 --> 00:40:17.900
 get on your knees and pray you open

00:40:17.900 --> 00:40:20.960
 your mouth you do acts of love share

00:40:20.960 --> 00:40:23.159
 about Jesus and you go there knowing

00:40:23.159 --> 00:40:26.900
 what God has people in Asia that he's

00:40:26.900 --> 00:40:29.000
 calling and he's using imperfect people

00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:31.500
 like you and he has people in Ottawa that

00:40:31.500 --> 00:40:33.179
 he's calling he uses imperfect people

00:40:33.179 --> 00:40:33.840
 like us

00:40:33.840 --> 00:40:36.000
 might invite you to stand please

00:40:36.000 --> 00:40:45.559
 let's just bow our heads in prayer

00:40:45.559 --> 00:40:56.480
 father the word this morning says that

00:40:56.480 --> 00:40:58.179
 you want to make us strong and you want

00:40:58.179 --> 00:41:01.219
 to make us strong in grace we give you

00:41:01.219 --> 00:41:03.039
 thanks and praise father the grace that

00:41:03.039 --> 00:41:06.800
 you have given us that purely and utterly

00:41:06.800 --> 00:41:11.159
 your are your unmerited kindness and

00:41:11.159 --> 00:41:14.000
 favor and love towards us that you would

00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:17.380
 provide a savior your unmerited kindness

00:41:17.380 --> 00:41:20.360
 towards us that you would call us and

00:41:20.360 --> 00:41:22.639
 give us the freedom to freely choose

00:41:22.639 --> 00:41:25.279
 Jesus as our savior and Lord your

00:41:25.279 --> 00:41:28.900
 unmerited kindness to us because you

00:41:28.900 --> 00:41:30.940
 have called us that you will you and

00:41:30.940 --> 00:41:32.879
 made it effective you will never let us

00:41:32.879 --> 00:41:35.779
 go no matter how many hard times we

00:41:35.779 --> 00:41:38.639
 experience you will never let us go even

00:41:39.359 --> 00:41:41.299
 those times when we appear to wander you

00:41:41.299 --> 00:41:43.639
 will always father take us back because

00:41:43.639 --> 00:41:46.819
 your grip is never let us go father this

00:41:46.819 --> 00:41:48.759
 wonder of grace that you know everything

00:41:48.759 --> 00:41:50.179
 there is to know about us and still

00:41:50.179 --> 00:41:52.559
 Jesus died for us still you called us

00:41:52.559 --> 00:41:54.859
 that we do not make ourselves righteous

00:41:54.859 --> 00:41:56.960
 and perfect we do not you do not add up

00:41:56.960 --> 00:42:00.000
 our merits that it's all your grace and

00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:02.119
 love and mercy towards us and we give you

00:42:02.119 --> 00:42:03.940
 thanks and praise father that you want

00:42:03.940 --> 00:42:06.960
 us to grow in strength not in our in

00:42:06.960 --> 00:42:09.419
 self-confidence but in confidence of you

00:42:09.419 --> 00:42:11.440
 and of your grace and if you're a

00:42:11.440 --> 00:42:14.299
 effectual call to us in our lives father

00:42:14.299 --> 00:42:16.859
 we ask that that you who have helped us to

00:42:16.859 --> 00:42:18.940
 be gripped by the gospel that we would grip

00:42:18.940 --> 00:42:20.800
 the gospel back and that it would have a

00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:22.940
 deeper and deeper hold and roll in the

00:42:22.940 --> 00:42:25.760
 very center of our lives and that father

00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:29.039
 that as your word comes to us in the and

00:42:29.039 --> 00:42:31.159
 as your gospel comes to us as your Holy

00:42:31.159 --> 00:42:33.079
 Spirit moves and works within us that we

00:42:33.079 --> 00:42:35.420
 will not be conformed to this world but

00:42:35.420 --> 00:42:39.159
 that your grace will transform us to take

00:42:39.159 --> 00:42:42.400
 risks risks of speaking risks of

00:42:42.400 --> 00:42:44.800
 forgiveness risks of humility risks of

00:42:44.800 --> 00:42:49.660
 generosity risks of giving that your word

00:42:49.660 --> 00:42:52.380
 father will transform us so that we know

00:42:52.380 --> 00:42:54.560
 you and know your will and bring you glory

00:42:54.560 --> 00:42:58.740
 and delight in you and all these things we

00:42:58.740 --> 00:43:00.620
 ask in the name of Jesus and all God's

00:43:00.620 --> 00:43:02.560
 people said amen

00:43:02.559 --> 00:43:04.579
 God bless you

00:43:04.579 --> 00:43:18.279
 and God bless you

00:43:18.279 --> 00:43:20.440
 you

00:43:20.440 --> 00:43:21.380
 m