WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:16.780
 Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah. It is wonderful

00:00:16.780 --> 00:00:20.780
 that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah, either

00:00:20.780 --> 00:00:25.179
 by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray for

00:00:25.179 --> 00:00:31.519
 us that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself?

00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:37.939
 The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian, we really,

00:00:38.179 --> 00:00:42.579
 I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the Bible,

00:00:43.239 --> 00:00:48.760
 they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will

00:00:48.760 --> 00:00:54.560
 do what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a

00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:59.340
 non-Christian checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't

00:00:59.340 --> 00:01:04.219
 hesitate to send us questions. It helps me, actually, to know, as I'm preaching, how to

00:01:04.219 --> 00:01:07.760
 deal with the types of things that you're really struggling with. So God bless.

00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:21.040
 Let's just bow our heads in prayer. Father, we give you thanks and praise for Jesus. We give

00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:29.080
 you thanks and praise that He died on the cross as our substitute to be our Savior. We give you thanks

00:01:29.080 --> 00:01:36.840
 and praise that there is no human being so far from you, no human being who has done anything so evil

00:01:36.840 --> 00:01:48.600
 that your Son's death upon the cross is not sufficient to save them. That you have and can and will forgive

00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:55.579
 even the worst when they come to you, asking for your forgiveness and for Jesus to be their Savior and

00:01:55.579 --> 00:02:01.759
 their Lord. So Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would bring these precious truths home to us in a

00:02:01.759 --> 00:02:08.379
 very powerful way as we look at your Word. May they form our heart and how we live. And we ask these

00:02:08.379 --> 00:02:12.719
 things in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen. Please be seated.

00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:13.019
 Amen.

00:02:13.019 --> 00:02:13.099
 Amen.

00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:13.099


00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:13.099


00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:13.099


00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:13.099


00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:13.099


00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:13.099


00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:13.099


00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:13.099


00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:13.099


00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:15.099
 Amen.

00:02:15.099 --> 00:02:15.099


00:02:15.099 --> 00:02:15.099


00:02:15.099 --> 00:02:15.099


00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:48.599
 I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I think I

00:02:48.599 --> 00:02:51.780
 guilty person or stop the bad thing from happening.

00:02:51.780 --> 00:02:54.659
 And most of the more popular books in that genre

00:02:54.659 --> 00:02:57.599
 have a bit of a semi-tortured hero.

00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:00.419
 Somebody who in fact is struggling

00:03:00.419 --> 00:03:02.719
 because they've done some horrible things

00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:04.979
 and they're a bit uncomfortable with their conscience,

00:03:04.979 --> 00:03:08.900
 so to speak, as they try to deal with that other issue.

00:03:10.099 --> 00:03:13.840
 And so it's just, I think it's now viewed as a very

00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:17.240
 common place of contemporary wisdom that people need

00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:20.280
 to learn how to forgive themselves.

00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:25.280
 But the problem is, like why is it that this is going on

00:03:25.780 --> 00:03:26.620
 in the culture?

00:03:26.620 --> 00:03:29.100
 And you know, the problem is, and many of us are probably

00:03:29.100 --> 00:03:32.900
 living with this right now, some of us have seasons

00:03:32.900 --> 00:03:35.620
 in our lives and sometimes those seasons of our lives

00:03:35.620 --> 00:03:38.000
 can last a very, very, very long time.

00:03:38.920 --> 00:03:42.700
 When we have a conscience that accuses us constantly.

00:03:42.699 --> 00:03:47.739
 Our conscience isn't quiet and it isn't settled.

00:03:47.739 --> 00:03:51.599
 But it's as if there's something inside of our head

00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:56.879
 with a loud voice that accuses us over and over and over again.

00:03:57.739 --> 00:04:00.299
 And it affects how we relate to other people.

00:04:00.739 --> 00:04:03.579
 And it affects our sleep.

00:04:03.580 --> 00:04:06.880
 It just deeply affects us.

00:04:08.540 --> 00:04:12.660
 And on top of that, some of us maybe live with,

00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:16.259
 it's not just a voice inside of our head which is accusing us

00:04:16.259 --> 00:04:18.620
 very shrilly.

00:04:19.620 --> 00:04:24.420
 But we actually might live or see regularly somebody who accuses us.

00:04:24.420 --> 00:04:28.080
 And that is how a lot of us live.

00:04:28.080 --> 00:04:31.460
 And I think it's in that context that our cultural wisdom

00:04:31.460 --> 00:04:34.520
 is that we have to learn to forgive ourselves.

00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:39.720
 It's an attempt to quieten that conscience which accuses us,

00:04:39.980 --> 00:04:41.780
 which says you are no good.

00:04:42.200 --> 00:04:43.200
 You are terrible.

00:04:43.639 --> 00:04:45.560
 You always do terrible things.

00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:46.980
 Did you see what you just did?

00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:48.620
 That just shows how bad you are.

00:04:48.939 --> 00:04:49.600
 I am bad.

00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:50.300
 You are bad.

00:04:50.379 --> 00:04:52.220
 It's just over and over and over in our head.

00:04:52.220 --> 00:04:58.320
 So how do we live with that?

00:04:58.560 --> 00:04:59.940
 Well, actually, believe it or not,

00:05:00.280 --> 00:05:05.040
 the Bible text that was just read by Josiah,

00:05:05.520 --> 00:05:08.920
 on one hand, probably some of you find the text very, very boring.

00:05:10.140 --> 00:05:14.300
 And in some ways, it is a bit of a boring text for a lot of us Canadians.

00:05:14.440 --> 00:05:16.140
 It might not be boring for lawyers

00:05:17.140 --> 00:05:21.640
 because of the two legal arguments summarized in it.

00:05:22.220 --> 00:05:25.040
 And I don't know if you picked up that actually within that,

00:05:25.140 --> 00:05:28.280
 there's not only something which is in the midst of that story,

00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:29.880
 which some of us would have found boring.

00:05:30.320 --> 00:05:32.660
 It's actually a thing that if you understood what he just said,

00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:35.480
 you'd go, whoa, whoa, he just said that?

00:05:35.780 --> 00:05:38.780
 Because he touches on something which for many people in our culture,

00:05:38.880 --> 00:05:41.880
 we find, they find is a problem with Christianity.

00:05:41.879 --> 00:05:44.079
 But it's actually in this story,

00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:47.379
 if you actually enter into what's going on in the story,

00:05:47.500 --> 00:05:52.519
 there's a key building block of solving the problem of accusing conscience.

00:05:53.420 --> 00:05:56.100
 And the key building block is vastly better

00:05:56.100 --> 00:05:59.600
 than the futile attempt to forgive yourself.

00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:01.100
 So open your Bibles.

00:06:01.219 --> 00:06:02.939
 Let's have a look and see what it says.

00:06:03.779 --> 00:06:05.560
 And we're looking at Acts chapter 24.

00:06:06.339 --> 00:06:08.280
 And if you're watching or you're here

00:06:08.280 --> 00:06:09.660
 and you haven't been to our church before,

00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:11.139
 we preach through books of the Bible.

00:06:11.280 --> 00:06:12.480
 We're going through the book of Acts.

00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:13.899
 It's an...

00:06:13.899 --> 00:06:17.819
 And we've started chapter one.

00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:18.939
 We're going to go right till the end.

00:06:18.980 --> 00:06:20.360
 And we're looking at chapter 24.

00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:22.860
 And what has just sort of happened here

00:06:22.860 --> 00:06:26.439
 is that Paul, who's an apostle,

00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:28.340
 he's in Roman custody.

00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:31.240
 He's been accused of things that he hadn't done.

00:06:31.379 --> 00:06:33.000
 There's been a mob that tried to kill him.

00:06:33.459 --> 00:06:35.300
 There's been a plot to try to kill him

00:06:35.300 --> 00:06:36.819
 and to save him from the plot.

00:06:37.060 --> 00:06:39.600
 The Romans, when they discover he's also a Roman citizen,

00:06:39.779 --> 00:06:43.100
 they've brought him into still not protective custody.

00:06:43.240 --> 00:06:46.060
 It's still criminal custody, not protective custody.

00:06:46.060 --> 00:06:47.120
 It's criminal custody.

00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:50.220
 And they've brought him to the capital of the whole region

00:06:50.220 --> 00:06:52.439
 before the governor of the whole region

00:06:52.439 --> 00:06:55.399
 so that there could be a type of trial

00:06:55.399 --> 00:06:58.779
 about what should be done about Paul.

00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:00.379
 And that's where we are in the story.

00:07:00.379 --> 00:07:03.420
 And so let's begin at chapter 24, verse one.

00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:04.360
 And here's how it goes.

00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:07.339
 And after five days...

00:07:07.339 --> 00:07:09.980
 So the five days is the plot to murder Paul.

00:07:10.740 --> 00:07:13.920
 So five days after the plot to murder Paul,

00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:18.279
 the high priest Ananias came down with some of the elders.

00:07:19.620 --> 00:07:20.680
 They're sort of...

00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:22.540
 Elders is a good translation,

00:07:22.759 --> 00:07:23.860
 but what you should understand,

00:07:23.959 --> 00:07:26.000
 it's a bit of a formal title for the nobility.

00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:29.040
 Okay, so Ananias, who's the high priest,

00:07:29.100 --> 00:07:33.759
 has come down with some other people of the priestly elite,

00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:36.620
 and he's also brought some of the secular elite,

00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:39.579
 so to speak, down for this trial.

00:07:39.819 --> 00:07:43.399
 So they're very invested in finding Paul guilty

00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:44.680
 so that he will be killed.

00:07:44.899 --> 00:07:45.540
 That's...

00:07:45.540 --> 00:07:49.220
 If you don't understand that it's all about Paul being killed,

00:07:49.420 --> 00:07:51.319
 you won't understand the drama of the text.

00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:54.860
 By the way, I planned it exactly

00:07:54.860 --> 00:07:57.519
 that there'd be kids coming in at a dramatic moment like that.

00:07:57.599 --> 00:08:00.060
 It takes lots of extra planning to do that.

00:08:00.420 --> 00:08:02.240
 So verse 21 again.

00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:03.180
 And after five days,

00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:06.060
 the high priest Ananias came down with some of the elders,

00:08:06.259 --> 00:08:08.219
 or the lay nobility,

00:08:08.779 --> 00:08:11.019
 and a spokesman, one Tertullus,

00:08:11.100 --> 00:08:12.039
 basically a lawyer,

00:08:12.459 --> 00:08:13.500
 because it's going to be a trial.

00:08:14.180 --> 00:08:16.339
 And they laid before the governor

00:08:16.339 --> 00:08:17.719
 their case against Paul.

00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:19.880
 And when he had been summoned,

00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:23.100
 Tertullus began to accuse Paul,

00:08:23.400 --> 00:08:23.800
 saying...

00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:26.320
 Now, just before we go any more into it,

00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:27.840
 just a bit of an aside,

00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:31.800
 in terms of the historical accuracy of the book,

00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:36.480
 Ananias, the high priest,

00:08:36.700 --> 00:08:37.259
 is...

00:08:37.259 --> 00:08:38.379
 They know a lot about him

00:08:38.379 --> 00:08:40.899
 because a Jewish historian wrote about him.

00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:42.379
 And at the end of this,

00:08:42.420 --> 00:08:44.200
 we're going to discover that it's Felix,

00:08:44.519 --> 00:08:45.820
 who was the Roman governor,

00:08:45.820 --> 00:08:47.780
 and they know a lot about Felix

00:08:47.780 --> 00:08:50.040
 because the Roman historian Tacitus

00:08:50.040 --> 00:08:51.280
 talked about him.

00:08:51.860 --> 00:08:53.460
 And if you're very curious,

00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:55.560
 you can go into some academic commentaries,

00:08:55.700 --> 00:08:58.379
 and they'll talk about how Tacitus lived

00:08:58.379 --> 00:08:59.720
 and Ananias lived

00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:00.680
 and their conflicts

00:09:00.680 --> 00:09:01.920
 and all of that other stuff.

00:09:02.020 --> 00:09:03.720
 There's this whole other subtext going on

00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:04.460
 in the bottom of it.

00:09:04.800 --> 00:09:05.879
 But the bottom line is

00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:09.820
 that if you know the historical record

00:09:09.820 --> 00:09:10.860
 about these two men,

00:09:10.920 --> 00:09:13.300
 you'll understand that what happens in this story

00:09:13.299 --> 00:09:15.199
 is completely plausible and reasonable.

00:09:15.819 --> 00:09:17.819
 There's no reason historically to doubt

00:09:17.819 --> 00:09:20.019
 that this actually happened

00:09:20.019 --> 00:09:23.859
 and that this is an accurate state of affairs.

00:09:24.199 --> 00:09:25.299
 So what's their argument

00:09:25.299 --> 00:09:27.519
 as to why Felix should put Paul to death?

00:09:29.159 --> 00:09:30.099
 This is life and death.

00:09:30.199 --> 00:09:33.240
 It begins then in verse 2, halfway through.

00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:34.599
 Tertullus says,

00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:37.480
 Since through you we enjoy peace,

00:09:37.580 --> 00:09:38.320
 much peace,

00:09:38.940 --> 00:09:40.480
 and since by your foresight,

00:09:40.800 --> 00:09:42.500
 most excellent Felix,

00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:45.500
 reforms are being made for this nation.

00:09:45.960 --> 00:09:48.320
 In every way and everywhere,

00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:52.159
 we accept this with all gratitude.

00:09:52.500 --> 00:09:54.000
 So basically, this is just a summary.

00:09:54.580 --> 00:09:55.259
 Like in real life,

00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:57.019
 he spent 20 minutes, 25 minutes,

00:09:58.139 --> 00:09:59.460
 shameless flattery.

00:10:00.800 --> 00:10:01.920
 That's what he would have done.

00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:02.500
 And by the way,

00:10:02.500 --> 00:10:03.840
 we know that flattery works.

00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:07.720
 Otherwise, people would stop using flattery.

00:10:08.100 --> 00:10:09.419
 But it's just shameless flattery.

00:10:09.460 --> 00:10:10.940
 They just summarized it very briefly.

00:10:11.179 --> 00:10:12.820
 And then it continues, verse 4,

00:10:12.899 --> 00:10:15.279
 But to detain you no further,

00:10:16.059 --> 00:10:17.879
 I beg you in your kindness

00:10:17.879 --> 00:10:18.879
 to hear us briefly.

00:10:19.879 --> 00:10:21.860
 For we found this man a plague,

00:10:22.460 --> 00:10:24.059
 one who stirs up riots.

00:10:24.139 --> 00:10:24.980
 Sorry, that's verse 5.

00:10:25.059 --> 00:10:26.600
 For we have found this man a plague,

00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:28.299
 one who stirs up riots

00:10:28.299 --> 00:10:29.840
 among all the Jewish people

00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:31.000
 throughout the world,

00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:33.259
 and is a ringleader of the sect

00:10:33.259 --> 00:10:34.480
 of the Nazarenes.

00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:35.740
 Now, just pause here.

00:10:36.779 --> 00:10:38.440
 The word translated is plague.

00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:39.399
 It's a very good word,

00:10:39.500 --> 00:10:41.399
 but it's actually a technical legal term.

00:10:42.019 --> 00:10:44.000
 And so what the charge is,

00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:45.039
 is they've said,

00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:46.059
 the word for plague

00:10:46.059 --> 00:10:47.200
 could also be translated

00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:48.379
 as public enemy.

00:10:49.740 --> 00:10:51.740
 And so the charge that they're going,

00:10:51.820 --> 00:10:52.879
 they're not going after anything

00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:53.919
 religious with Paul.

00:10:54.059 --> 00:10:55.039
 Paul knows that it's,

00:10:55.200 --> 00:10:56.240
 for religious reasons,

00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:57.220
 that they're after him.

00:10:57.220 --> 00:10:58.580
 But they don't use that.

00:10:58.660 --> 00:10:59.759
 They don't use anything spiritual.

00:10:59.920 --> 00:11:01.100
 They go after a very, very,

00:11:01.180 --> 00:11:02.259
 very serious crime,

00:11:02.340 --> 00:11:03.460
 and it's the crime of sedition.

00:11:04.759 --> 00:11:09.180
 That Paul is a well-traveled public enemy.

00:11:09.740 --> 00:11:11.060
 That's what the word plague is.

00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:11.899
 And so you can get it.

00:11:12.100 --> 00:11:12.779
 It's a plague.

00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:14.000
 He's a public enemy

00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:15.000
 that's just going to spread

00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:15.759
 and spread and spread

00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:17.740
 unless you put him to death.

00:11:18.139 --> 00:11:19.320
 And even when they say

00:11:19.320 --> 00:11:20.120
 that he's a ringleader

00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:21.580
 of the sect of the Nazarenes,

00:11:21.660 --> 00:11:23.320
 that's furthering their claim

00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:25.379
 that he is a public menace.

00:11:25.379 --> 00:11:25.820
 Why?

00:11:26.299 --> 00:11:28.320
 Because they say you follow Jesus.

00:11:28.460 --> 00:11:29.159
 And who's Jesus?

00:11:29.340 --> 00:11:30.980
 Well, Jesus was executed

00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:33.320
 20-some years earlier

00:11:33.320 --> 00:11:36.500
 for being the king of the Jews.

00:11:37.740 --> 00:11:39.460
 He's been accused of sedition.

00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:41.080
 Verse 6,

00:11:41.700 --> 00:11:43.480
 he even tried to profane the temple.

00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:44.240
 So now they're sort of

00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:45.200
 giving him some arguments.

00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:46.919
 He even tried to profane the temple, right?

00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:47.600
 He's a troublemaker.

00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:48.600
 But we seized him.

00:11:48.659 --> 00:11:49.559
 We're the good guys.

00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:51.820
 We're the good guys.

00:11:51.899 --> 00:11:52.659
 We seized him.

00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:54.419
 Verse 8,

00:11:54.419 --> 00:11:56.219
 By examining him yourself,

00:11:56.299 --> 00:11:58.019
 you will be able to find out from him

00:11:58.019 --> 00:12:00.139
 about everything of which we accuse him.

00:12:00.740 --> 00:12:02.699
 The Jews also joined the charge

00:12:02.699 --> 00:12:04.059
 affirming that all these things

00:12:04.059 --> 00:12:05.319
 were so offering of our evidence.

00:12:05.719 --> 00:12:06.559
 And the thing to remember

00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:07.059
 in all of this

00:12:07.059 --> 00:12:08.159
 is that in Roman trials,

00:12:08.299 --> 00:12:09.179
 you are not innocent

00:12:09.179 --> 00:12:10.299
 until proven guilty.

00:12:11.500 --> 00:12:13.019
 That's why Paul is still

00:12:13.019 --> 00:12:14.519
 not in protective custody,

00:12:14.620 --> 00:12:15.839
 but in criminal custody.

00:12:16.439 --> 00:12:17.539
 He is not innocent.

00:12:18.120 --> 00:12:19.939
 They've made this accusation against him.

00:12:19.980 --> 00:12:20.500
 In Canada,

00:12:20.819 --> 00:12:21.199
 at least,

00:12:21.199 --> 00:12:23.000
 I think still primarily,

00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:25.139
 I don't have to say a single word

00:12:25.139 --> 00:12:25.700
 in my defense

00:12:25.700 --> 00:12:26.659
 if I'm accused of that.

00:12:26.740 --> 00:12:27.720
 They have to prove the case.

00:12:27.779 --> 00:12:28.299
 Not there.

00:12:29.379 --> 00:12:30.620
 Paul has to prove his innocence.

00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:33.960
 It's a very, very clever legal ploy.

00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:36.000
 So what's Paul going to do about it?

00:12:36.700 --> 00:12:38.159
 Well, verse 10,

00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:39.419
 And when the governor

00:12:39.419 --> 00:12:41.000
 had nodded to him to speak,

00:12:41.179 --> 00:12:41.820
 Paul replied.

00:12:41.980 --> 00:12:43.200
 Paul has trained in rhetoric.

00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:44.580
 He's going to defend himself.

00:12:45.220 --> 00:12:46.179
 And he says this,

00:12:46.379 --> 00:12:47.799
 Knowing that for many years

00:12:47.799 --> 00:12:48.840
 you have been a judge

00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:49.940
 over this nation,

00:12:49.940 --> 00:12:52.420
 I cheerfully make my defense.

00:12:53.440 --> 00:12:53.980
 Now, by the way,

00:12:53.980 --> 00:12:55.360
 we don't know if when he says cheerfully

00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:56.900
 he's, like most of us,

00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:59.920
 his knees are going like this

00:12:59.920 --> 00:13:02.620
 and there's sweat pouring down,

00:13:03.040 --> 00:13:03.600
 you know,

00:13:03.640 --> 00:13:05.160
 but he said at least cheerfully.

00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:06.120
 That's, I guess,

00:13:06.160 --> 00:13:07.280
 maybe his aspiration

00:13:07.280 --> 00:13:08.340
 rather than what he's actually

00:13:08.340 --> 00:13:10.220
 really feeling right then.

00:13:10.640 --> 00:13:11.340
 We'll say that again.

00:13:11.380 --> 00:13:12.760
 I cheerfully make my defense.

00:13:13.160 --> 00:13:13.900
 You can verify

00:13:13.900 --> 00:13:16.340
 that it is not more than 12 days

00:13:16.340 --> 00:13:17.660
 since I went up to worship

00:13:17.659 --> 00:13:18.699
 in Jerusalem

00:13:18.699 --> 00:13:21.500
 and that they did not find me

00:13:21.500 --> 00:13:22.480
 disputing with anyone

00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:23.980
 or stirring up a crowd

00:13:23.980 --> 00:13:25.559
 either in the temple

00:13:25.559 --> 00:13:27.399
 or in the synagogues

00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:28.219
 or in the city.

00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:29.439
 And what Paul's going to do

00:13:29.439 --> 00:13:30.019
 is he's going to try

00:13:30.019 --> 00:13:31.519
 to ignore the sedition thing.

00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:32.839
 He's going to just say

00:13:32.839 --> 00:13:34.059
 there's no evidence of this

00:13:34.059 --> 00:13:34.620
 and he's going to try

00:13:34.620 --> 00:13:35.179
 to bring it back

00:13:35.179 --> 00:13:36.480
 to a type of religious issue.

00:13:36.679 --> 00:13:37.939
 But here's the point.

00:13:38.059 --> 00:13:38.860
 Unless you're a lawyer

00:13:38.860 --> 00:13:39.659
 and you're really interested

00:13:39.659 --> 00:13:40.399
 in the strategy,

00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:42.459
 we're coming to the part

00:13:42.459 --> 00:13:43.620
 which is that

00:13:43.620 --> 00:13:45.079
 we just read over

00:13:45.079 --> 00:13:45.779
 but actually

00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:46.980
 we should understand

00:13:46.980 --> 00:13:48.399
 that that's like a woe moment.

00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:48.919
 Okay?

00:13:49.559 --> 00:13:50.179
 Verse 13.

00:13:50.259 --> 00:13:51.620
 Neither can they prove to you

00:13:51.620 --> 00:13:54.360
 what they now bring up against me.

00:13:55.019 --> 00:13:57.139
 But this I confess to you

00:13:57.139 --> 00:13:58.779
 that according to the way,

00:13:59.059 --> 00:13:59.720
 it's an early way

00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:00.879
 of describing Christianity

00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:01.559
 as the way,

00:14:02.100 --> 00:14:03.339
 which they call a sect,

00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:05.179
 I worship the God

00:14:05.179 --> 00:14:06.159
 of our fathers,

00:14:06.839 --> 00:14:08.419
 believing everything

00:14:08.419 --> 00:14:09.759
 laid down by the law

00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:11.019
 and written by the prophets.

00:14:11.019 --> 00:14:12.199
 That's why Christians,

00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:13.839
 I sometimes shock

00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:15.160
 some of my Jewish friends

00:14:15.160 --> 00:14:16.019
 or acquaintances,

00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:16.600
 they don't,

00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:17.960
 there's a lot of Jewish people

00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:18.899
 who don't understand

00:14:18.899 --> 00:14:20.139
 that Christians believe

00:14:20.139 --> 00:14:20.759
 the Old Testament

00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:21.639
 is part of their Bible.

00:14:22.800 --> 00:14:23.120
 I mean,

00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:24.220
 I say that to some

00:14:24.220 --> 00:14:24.540
 and they go,

00:14:24.940 --> 00:14:25.120
 like,

00:14:25.500 --> 00:14:27.460
 they make a bit of a surprise

00:14:27.460 --> 00:14:27.860
 to me.

00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:28.440
 But it's,

00:14:28.899 --> 00:14:29.660
 Christians believe

00:14:29.660 --> 00:14:30.420
 the Old Testament

00:14:30.420 --> 00:14:31.580
 is part of the Bible.

00:14:32.500 --> 00:14:33.700
 Verse 15.

00:14:33.780 --> 00:14:34.899
 Having a hope in God,

00:14:35.620 --> 00:14:36.399
 now here's the hope,

00:14:36.540 --> 00:14:37.840
 which these men accept,

00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:39.360
 okay,

00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:40.720
 what's Paul's hope?

00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:42.980
 which these men themselves

00:14:42.980 --> 00:14:43.300
 accept,

00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:43.840
 the Jews,

00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:44.800
 that there will be

00:14:44.800 --> 00:14:45.340
 a resurrection

00:14:45.340 --> 00:14:46.300
 of both the just

00:14:46.300 --> 00:14:46.980
 and the unjust.

00:14:47.800 --> 00:14:48.180
 Now,

00:14:48.300 --> 00:14:48.940
 pause here.

00:14:49.259 --> 00:14:49.500
 That's,

00:14:49.580 --> 00:14:51.420
 this is a woe moment.

00:14:51.820 --> 00:14:52.259
 Woe.

00:14:54.340 --> 00:14:55.560
 This is the language.

00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:56.480
 Paul

00:14:56.480 --> 00:14:58.660
 is a nobody.

00:15:01.420 --> 00:15:02.340
 Paul's a nobody.

00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:03.220
 I mean,

00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:03.860
 it's sort of one of those

00:15:03.860 --> 00:15:04.960
 ironies of history

00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:05.560
 that today,

00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:06.720
 unless you happen

00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:07.500
 to go to a church

00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:08.080
 and they happen

00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:08.860
 to preach on Acts,

00:15:08.860 --> 00:15:10.120
 or unless you're

00:15:10.120 --> 00:15:12.539
 into ancient Roman society,

00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:13.240
 you have no idea

00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:14.019
 who Felix is

00:15:14.019 --> 00:15:14.779
 or Ananias.

00:15:15.539 --> 00:15:16.580
 Paul has schools

00:15:16.580 --> 00:15:17.560
 named after him,

00:15:17.879 --> 00:15:19.320
 cities are named after him,

00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:20.259
 but back then,

00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:21.039
 he's a nobody,

00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:22.600
 complete and utter nobody,

00:15:23.259 --> 00:15:24.180
 surrounded by all

00:15:24.180 --> 00:15:25.240
 of the powerful people

00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:26.800
 in criminal custody,

00:15:27.539 --> 00:15:28.300
 and he's looking,

00:15:29.060 --> 00:15:30.279
 the governor,

00:15:30.560 --> 00:15:31.320
 whose nation

00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:32.180
 has conquered

00:15:32.180 --> 00:15:33.180
 the Jewish people,

00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:34.320
 and he's saying,

00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:35.340
 this is my hope.

00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:37.100
 My hope is

00:15:37.100 --> 00:15:38.720
 that there will one day

00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:40.300
 be a true

00:15:40.300 --> 00:15:41.720
 and greater court,

00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:44.040
 and every human being,

00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:45.080
 the implication,

00:15:45.620 --> 00:15:46.240
 you too,

00:15:46.860 --> 00:15:48.139
 are going to stand

00:15:48.139 --> 00:15:50.159
 before the triune God

00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:51.740
 and be judged,

00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:54.320
 and not everybody

00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:55.159
 is going to be found

00:15:55.159 --> 00:15:56.259
 innocent,

00:15:56.659 --> 00:15:57.540
 and by him saying

00:15:57.540 --> 00:15:58.120
 it's a hope,

00:15:58.420 --> 00:15:59.440
 his belief

00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:00.460
 is that when

00:16:00.460 --> 00:16:01.340
 that final,

00:16:01.580 --> 00:16:01.820
 true,

00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:02.840
 and greater court

00:16:02.840 --> 00:16:03.480
 comes,

00:16:04.019 --> 00:16:06.200
 called by the triune God,

00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:07.759
 every single person

00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:08.780
 who's ever lived

00:16:08.780 --> 00:16:09.620
 is going to appear

00:16:09.620 --> 00:16:10.280
 before it,

00:16:10.580 --> 00:16:11.600
 some will be found

00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:12.000
 guilty,

00:16:12.420 --> 00:16:13.400
 and this leads into

00:16:13.400 --> 00:16:14.080
 the whole doctrine

00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:15.180
 of eternal punishment,

00:16:15.640 --> 00:16:16.540
 but my hope is

00:16:16.540 --> 00:16:17.360
 that I will stand

00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:18.100
 in that judgment,

00:16:18.400 --> 00:16:19.600
 and he says that

00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:20.540
 to the Roman governor.

00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:23.780
 That's a woe moment.

00:16:25.460 --> 00:16:27.060
 I bet the Jewish people

00:16:27.060 --> 00:16:27.360
 went,

00:16:27.560 --> 00:16:27.940
 woe,

00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:29.000
 and then they probably

00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:29.520
 chuckled,

00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:30.640
 now we got him.

00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:33.220
 He's just insulted

00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:33.659
 Felix.

00:16:35.159 --> 00:16:36.159
 He's just called

00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:36.980
 into question

00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:38.379
 everything that

00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:39.259
 Felix is doing.

00:16:39.740 --> 00:16:40.679
 He's implying

00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:41.860
 that there's a chance

00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:42.399
 that Felix,

00:16:42.600 --> 00:16:43.199
 when he appears

00:16:43.199 --> 00:16:44.379
 before the triune God,

00:16:44.419 --> 00:16:45.319
 will be found guilty

00:16:45.319 --> 00:16:46.419
 and judged by God.

00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:47.919
 They're chuckling

00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:48.759
 to themselves,

00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:51.460
 and who knows,

00:16:51.539 --> 00:16:52.519
 maybe some of Paul's

00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:53.319
 friends are thinking,

00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:55.700
 Paul,

00:16:55.799 --> 00:16:58.120
 that's not a smart move.

00:16:58.120 --> 00:17:01.419
 Paul is playing

00:17:01.419 --> 00:17:02.419
 for bigger stakes.

00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:04.779
 In a sense,

00:17:04.859 --> 00:17:05.440
 what's going through

00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:06.039
 Paul's heart

00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:08.099
 is what does it

00:17:08.099 --> 00:17:09.059
 profit me

00:17:09.059 --> 00:17:11.319
 to stand justified

00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:12.079
 before God

00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:13.099
 on the judgment day

00:17:13.099 --> 00:17:14.920
 when I didn't give

00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:16.700
 Felix an opportunity

00:17:16.700 --> 00:17:18.319
 to also stand

00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:20.640
 and be found

00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:21.539
 justified

00:17:21.539 --> 00:17:22.519
 on the last day

00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:22.980
 of judgment.

00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:23.819
 What's far more

00:17:23.819 --> 00:17:24.259
 important?

00:17:24.259 --> 00:17:28.960
 In Felix's mind,

00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:29.740
 he's probably going,

00:17:29.960 --> 00:17:30.220
 hmm,

00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:32.339
 this is interesting.

00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:36.379
 I'm a Roman.

00:17:37.420 --> 00:17:38.559
 You're a Jew

00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:39.900
 under my thumb.

00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:41.539
 I'm a governor.

00:17:41.900 --> 00:17:42.619
 You're a nobody.

00:17:43.019 --> 00:17:43.720
 I'm rich.

00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:44.640
 You're a nobody.

00:17:44.859 --> 00:17:45.680
 I'm powerful.

00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:46.680
 You're a nobody.

00:17:47.220 --> 00:17:47.839
 My brother

00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:48.779
 personally knows

00:17:48.779 --> 00:17:49.379
 the emperor.

00:17:50.019 --> 00:17:50.619
 Da-da-da-da.

00:17:50.940 --> 00:17:51.779
 You're a nobody.

00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:53.500
 You're in my court.

00:17:53.500 --> 00:17:54.579
 You're a nobody.

00:17:54.859 --> 00:17:55.900
 I get to decide

00:17:55.900 --> 00:17:56.440
 your fate.

00:17:56.740 --> 00:17:57.460
 You're a nobody.

00:17:57.779 --> 00:17:58.259
 That's probably

00:17:58.259 --> 00:17:58.779
 what's going through

00:17:58.779 --> 00:17:59.299
 his mind.

00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:01.359
 But Paul makes

00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:01.759
 this very,

00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:03.039
 very bold claim.

00:18:03.339 --> 00:18:03.759
 And as we're going

00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:04.539
 to see for a moment,

00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:05.599
 it's going to be

00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:06.400
 something that he

00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:07.519
 doubles down on

00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:09.200
 in a couple of minutes.

00:18:09.519 --> 00:18:10.579
 Let's look what happens.

00:18:10.660 --> 00:18:11.380
 Verse 16.

00:18:13.859 --> 00:18:14.259
 So,

00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:15.359
 this is what he says.

00:18:15.420 --> 00:18:15.900
 And here's where

00:18:15.900 --> 00:18:16.480
 it touches in

00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:17.000
 with what I said.

00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:17.740
 It's actually something

00:18:17.740 --> 00:18:18.480
 which is important

00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:19.099
 to understand

00:18:19.099 --> 00:18:19.640
 the issue

00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:20.980
 of a severely

00:18:20.980 --> 00:18:22.539
 accusing conscience.

00:18:22.539 --> 00:18:23.639
 Look what he says

00:18:23.639 --> 00:18:24.259
 in verse 16.

00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:24.440
 So,

00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:25.379
 he has this hope

00:18:25.379 --> 00:18:27.619
 that every single

00:18:27.619 --> 00:18:28.200
 human being

00:18:28.200 --> 00:18:28.700
 will appear

00:18:28.700 --> 00:18:29.559
 before the judgment

00:18:29.559 --> 00:18:30.859
 seat of the triune God.

00:18:31.259 --> 00:18:31.480
 This,

00:18:31.619 --> 00:18:31.899
 by the way,

00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:32.940
 is not a popular

00:18:32.940 --> 00:18:34.039
 doctrine in Canada,

00:18:34.259 --> 00:18:35.399
 in case you're not

00:18:35.399 --> 00:18:36.259
 aware of that.

00:18:36.659 --> 00:18:37.680
 And my hope is

00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:38.680
 that when that happens,

00:18:38.819 --> 00:18:40.399
 I will be declared

00:18:40.399 --> 00:18:40.960
 innocent.

00:18:41.879 --> 00:18:42.259
 And then,

00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:42.440
 look,

00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:43.519
 he directly connects

00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:44.559
 this to his conscience.

00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:45.759
 Look at verse 16.

00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:46.599
 So,

00:18:46.700 --> 00:18:47.839
 I always take pains

00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:49.319
 to have a clear conscience

00:18:49.319 --> 00:18:50.740
 before both God

00:18:50.740 --> 00:18:52.579
 and human beings.

00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:53.880
 Continues.

00:18:54.460 --> 00:18:54.819
 Now,

00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:55.700
 after several years,

00:18:55.799 --> 00:18:56.960
 I came to bring alms

00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:57.680
 to my nation.

00:18:57.859 --> 00:18:58.240
 In other words,

00:18:58.279 --> 00:18:58.839
 rather than coming

00:18:58.839 --> 00:18:59.420
 to bring trouble,

00:18:59.500 --> 00:19:00.120
 I brought money

00:19:00.120 --> 00:19:01.019
 to help the poor

00:19:01.019 --> 00:19:02.779
 and to present offerings.

00:19:03.299 --> 00:19:04.359
 While I was doing this,

00:19:04.420 --> 00:19:05.420
 they found me purified

00:19:05.420 --> 00:19:05.940
 in the temple

00:19:05.940 --> 00:19:06.819
 without any crowd

00:19:06.819 --> 00:19:07.480
 or tumult.

00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:08.720
 It's a religious question,

00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:09.539
 not political.

00:19:10.180 --> 00:19:11.299
 But some Jewish people

00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:12.599
 from Western Turkey,

00:19:13.120 --> 00:19:14.819
 they ought to be here

00:19:14.819 --> 00:19:15.319
 before you

00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:16.319
 and make an accusation

00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:16.839
 should they have

00:19:16.839 --> 00:19:17.920
 anything against me.

00:19:18.120 --> 00:19:18.660
 In other words,

00:19:19.059 --> 00:19:19.779
 none of these people

00:19:19.779 --> 00:19:20.559
 actually witnessed

00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:21.019
 the thing

00:19:21.019 --> 00:19:22.160
 that got me into custody.

00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:23.399
 All of their testimony

00:19:23.399 --> 00:19:24.039
 is completely

00:19:24.039 --> 00:19:24.879
 and utterly valid.

00:19:25.299 --> 00:19:26.099
 The lawyers amongst

00:19:26.099 --> 00:19:27.579
 will say that it's hearsay

00:19:27.579 --> 00:19:29.039
 and hence doesn't have

00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:30.019
 any place in the court.

00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:31.180
 Verse 20,

00:19:31.259 --> 00:19:32.740
 or else let these men

00:19:32.740 --> 00:19:33.460
 themselves say

00:19:33.460 --> 00:19:34.200
 what wrongdoing

00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:34.680
 they found

00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:35.160
 when I stood

00:19:35.160 --> 00:19:35.879
 before the council.

00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:37.039
 Other than this one thing

00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:38.039
 that I cried out

00:19:38.039 --> 00:19:39.119
 while standing among them,

00:19:39.399 --> 00:19:40.299
 it is respect.

00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:41.639
 Look at this again.

00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:42.559
 To the resurrection

00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:43.299
 of the dead

00:19:43.299 --> 00:19:45.200
 that I am in trial

00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:46.000
 to you this day.

00:19:46.519 --> 00:19:47.619
 He returns to it,

00:19:47.700 --> 00:19:48.399
 although obviously

00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:49.580
 in a bit of a different tenor,

00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:50.380
 hinting at why

00:19:50.380 --> 00:19:51.180
 he has a conscience

00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:51.880
 before him.

00:19:53.420 --> 00:19:54.640
 Now, how does it all

00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:55.200
 play out?

00:19:55.280 --> 00:19:56.440
 Well, I'm going to get

00:19:56.440 --> 00:19:57.300
 into this whole issue

00:19:57.300 --> 00:19:57.820
 of the judgment,

00:19:58.019 --> 00:19:58.820
 but we need to see

00:19:58.820 --> 00:19:59.580
 the rest of the story

00:19:59.580 --> 00:20:00.259
 because it's going to

00:20:00.259 --> 00:20:01.460
 come up a third time

00:20:01.460 --> 00:20:01.960
 in the text.

00:20:02.060 --> 00:20:03.460
 Look at verse 22.

00:20:04.320 --> 00:20:05.000
 But Felix,

00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:06.080
 having a rather

00:20:06.080 --> 00:20:07.180
 accurate knowledge

00:20:07.180 --> 00:20:07.740
 of the way,

00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:09.200
 put them off,

00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:10.780
 that's the Ananias

00:20:10.780 --> 00:20:12.680
 and the Jewish elite,

00:20:13.340 --> 00:20:14.120
 by saying,

00:20:14.259 --> 00:20:14.840
 when Lysias,

00:20:14.980 --> 00:20:15.540
 the tribune,

00:20:15.539 --> 00:20:16.139
 comes down,

00:20:16.220 --> 00:20:16.980
 I will decide

00:20:16.980 --> 00:20:17.879
 your case.

00:20:18.659 --> 00:20:19.859
 Then he gave orders

00:20:19.859 --> 00:20:20.899
 to the centurion

00:20:20.899 --> 00:20:22.500
 that Paul should be

00:20:22.500 --> 00:20:23.440
 kept in custody

00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:24.519
 but have some liberty

00:20:24.519 --> 00:20:26.039
 that none of his friends

00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:26.819
 should be prevented

00:20:26.819 --> 00:20:27.440
 from attending

00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:28.039
 to his needs.

00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:28.859
 Paul is still going

00:20:28.859 --> 00:20:29.319
 to remain

00:20:29.319 --> 00:20:31.480
 in criminal custody.

00:20:32.440 --> 00:20:33.079
 Verse 24,

00:20:33.180 --> 00:20:34.259
 after some days,

00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:35.579
 Felix came with

00:20:35.579 --> 00:20:36.519
 his wife Drusilia,

00:20:36.779 --> 00:20:37.599
 who was Jewish,

00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:39.220
 and Felix sent

00:20:39.220 --> 00:20:39.859
 for Paul

00:20:39.859 --> 00:20:41.119
 and heard him speak.

00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:41.960
 Now, what does

00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:42.839
 Paul speak about?

00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:44.740
 Third time,

00:20:45.259 --> 00:20:46.059
 he talks about

00:20:46.059 --> 00:20:47.539
 faith in Christ Jesus

00:20:47.539 --> 00:20:50.059
 and as Paul reasoned

00:20:50.059 --> 00:20:50.899
 about righteousness

00:20:50.899 --> 00:20:52.379
 and self-control

00:20:52.379 --> 00:20:54.679
 and the coming judgment.

00:20:57.959 --> 00:20:59.299
 Felix was alarmed

00:20:59.299 --> 00:20:59.899
 and said,

00:21:00.179 --> 00:21:01.859
 go away for the present.

00:21:02.339 --> 00:21:03.439
 When I get an opportunity,

00:21:03.579 --> 00:21:04.419
 I will summon you.

00:21:05.419 --> 00:21:06.399
 At the same time,

00:21:06.539 --> 00:21:07.480
 Felix was hoping

00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:08.699
 that money would be given

00:21:08.699 --> 00:21:10.059
 to him by Paul.

00:21:10.139 --> 00:21:10.519
 In other words,

00:21:10.519 --> 00:21:11.819
 he's hoping for a bribe.

00:21:11.819 --> 00:21:14.179
 So he sent for Paul

00:21:14.179 --> 00:21:15.419
 often and conversed

00:21:15.419 --> 00:21:15.779
 with him.

00:21:16.439 --> 00:21:17.539
 For two years,

00:21:17.659 --> 00:21:18.899
 when two years had elapsed,

00:21:19.019 --> 00:21:19.939
 Felix was succeeded

00:21:19.939 --> 00:21:21.359
 by Porcius Festus

00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:22.659
 and desiring to do

00:21:22.659 --> 00:21:23.419
 the Jewish elites

00:21:23.419 --> 00:21:23.899
 a favor,

00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:25.079
 Felix left Paul

00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:25.559
 in prison.

00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:27.519
 So,

00:21:27.919 --> 00:21:29.639
 what's going on?

00:21:29.779 --> 00:21:29.960
 Well,

00:21:30.059 --> 00:21:31.139
 on one hand,

00:21:31.539 --> 00:21:33.619
 what's going on here

00:21:33.619 --> 00:21:34.359
 in this story

00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:35.359
 is,

00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:35.359


00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:40.659
 here's the problem.

00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:41.060
 So,

00:21:41.340 --> 00:21:42.060
 on one hand,

00:21:42.120 --> 00:21:43.300
 how you can read this story.

00:21:43.900 --> 00:21:44.860
 This is a story

00:21:44.860 --> 00:21:45.340
 that,

00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:45.900
 on one hand,

00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:46.800
 probably none of us

00:21:46.800 --> 00:21:47.259
 have been in

00:21:47.259 --> 00:21:48.720
 this exact situation,

00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:49.540
 but many of us

00:21:49.540 --> 00:21:50.540
 have been in situations

00:21:50.540 --> 00:21:51.400
 which are similar,

00:21:52.220 --> 00:21:52.880
 which is that

00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:53.580
 you're innocent,

00:21:54.380 --> 00:21:55.519
 you have the evidence

00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:56.580
 on your side,

00:21:56.940 --> 00:21:57.880
 but your enemies

00:21:57.880 --> 00:21:59.300
 are powerful,

00:21:59.740 --> 00:22:00.820
 they are insistent

00:22:00.820 --> 00:22:01.759
 upon your defeat,

00:22:02.860 --> 00:22:04.380
 they will not listen

00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:05.100
 to reason,

00:22:05.099 --> 00:22:06.459
 and the ones

00:22:06.459 --> 00:22:07.379
 who can judge it

00:22:07.379 --> 00:22:08.039
 are corrupt.

00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:09.179
 Or,

00:22:09.259 --> 00:22:09.539
 in other words,

00:22:09.619 --> 00:22:09.699
 what,

00:22:09.799 --> 00:22:10.299
 they're corrupt,

00:22:10.399 --> 00:22:11.480
 that's maybe a strong word.

00:22:12.339 --> 00:22:13.459
 Sometimes we've all been,

00:22:13.539 --> 00:22:14.119
 and maybe it's been

00:22:14.119 --> 00:22:14.759
 in a church,

00:22:15.059 --> 00:22:15.579
 maybe it's been

00:22:15.579 --> 00:22:16.139
 in school,

00:22:16.299 --> 00:22:16.799
 maybe it's been

00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:17.819
 a place of our employment,

00:22:18.199 --> 00:22:18.980
 where the person

00:22:18.980 --> 00:22:19.879
 who makes the decision,

00:22:20.019 --> 00:22:20.599
 rather than looking

00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:21.559
 at the facts of the case,

00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:22.199
 does this,

00:22:22.839 --> 00:22:25.219
 and sees which way

00:22:25.219 --> 00:22:25.919
 is the wind blowing

00:22:25.919 --> 00:22:26.779
 from the powerful.

00:22:28.219 --> 00:22:28.939
 And that's what's

00:22:28.939 --> 00:22:29.439
 going on in the story.

00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:29.599
 So,

00:22:29.659 --> 00:22:30.079
 on one hand,

00:22:30.119 --> 00:22:30.539
 it's a very,

00:22:30.639 --> 00:22:31.519
 very human story.

00:22:31.639 --> 00:22:32.379
 We've all probably

00:22:32.379 --> 00:22:33.460
 been in some situations

00:22:33.460 --> 00:22:35.019
 similar to this.

00:22:35.700 --> 00:22:36.720
 But the big issue

00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:36.900
 is,

00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:37.680
 what does this have to do

00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:38.740
 with accusing conscience,

00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:39.720
 and how on earth

00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:40.559
 can this idea

00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:41.900
 that human beings

00:22:41.900 --> 00:22:44.079
 are going to appear

00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:45.240
 before the judgment seat

00:22:45.240 --> 00:22:45.720
 of God,

00:22:45.779 --> 00:22:47.420
 and be judged by Him,

00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:48.900
 every single human being,

00:22:49.460 --> 00:22:50.759
 how can this actually

00:22:50.759 --> 00:22:52.500
 be helpful to anything?

00:22:52.639 --> 00:22:53.000
 In fact,

00:22:53.379 --> 00:22:54.680
 I think if you'd ask,

00:22:54.980 --> 00:22:55.720
 and it wouldn't matter

00:22:55.720 --> 00:22:56.339
 if you were in

00:22:56.339 --> 00:22:57.779
 the most trendy coffee house,

00:22:57.839 --> 00:22:58.440
 it wouldn't matter

00:22:58.440 --> 00:22:59.759
 if you were in a Tim Hortons,

00:22:59.819 --> 00:23:00.759
 or everything in between,

00:23:00.839 --> 00:23:01.420
 it wouldn't matter

00:23:01.420 --> 00:23:02.160
 if you went into

00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:04.580
 an elite cocktail bar,

00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:06.900
 or like a low-level pub,

00:23:07.500 --> 00:23:09.100
 many people would say

00:23:09.100 --> 00:23:09.980
 that they could never

00:23:09.980 --> 00:23:10.840
 believe in a God

00:23:10.840 --> 00:23:11.400
 who judges.

00:23:13.580 --> 00:23:14.480
 That's one of the problems

00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:15.259
 I have with Christianity,

00:23:15.460 --> 00:23:15.860
 George.

00:23:16.300 --> 00:23:17.320
 You believe there's going

00:23:17.320 --> 00:23:18.300
 to be a final judgment,

00:23:18.800 --> 00:23:19.600
 some people are going

00:23:19.600 --> 00:23:20.640
 to go to eternal punishment,

00:23:20.940 --> 00:23:21.380
 others are going

00:23:21.380 --> 00:23:21.900
 to be saved,

00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:22.960
 I could never believe

00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:23.580
 in a God

00:23:23.580 --> 00:23:24.500
 or a religion

00:23:24.500 --> 00:23:25.620
 that talks about

00:23:25.620 --> 00:23:26.519
 stuff like that.

00:23:28.580 --> 00:23:30.160
 Paul is tripled down

00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:31.560
 on this particular topic.

00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:32.519
 So how can this actually

00:23:32.519 --> 00:23:33.279
 be part of the help?

00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:35.100
 Well, here's the first thing

00:23:35.100 --> 00:23:35.720
 to think about,

00:23:35.820 --> 00:23:36.720
 and this might be something

00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:37.500
 you might want to say.

00:23:37.560 --> 00:23:38.400
 Maybe if you're thinking

00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:39.620
 these very things yourself,

00:23:39.820 --> 00:23:40.800
 this is something here

00:23:40.800 --> 00:23:41.400
 you'd consider.

00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:42.740
 Or if it comes up

00:23:42.740 --> 00:23:43.519
 in conversation,

00:23:43.759 --> 00:23:45.019
 it's come up in conversation

00:23:45.019 --> 00:23:46.240
 with me, by the way.

00:23:46.759 --> 00:23:47.580
 Sometimes people,

00:23:47.779 --> 00:23:48.860
 after I've talked to them

00:23:48.860 --> 00:23:49.500
 about Christianity

00:23:49.500 --> 00:23:50.019
 for a while,

00:23:50.100 --> 00:23:51.300
 have brought this issue

00:23:51.300 --> 00:23:52.040
 up to me,

00:23:52.660 --> 00:23:53.820
 and in a second way,

00:23:53.900 --> 00:23:54.880
 because they'll also say,

00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:55.640
 okay, by the way, George,

00:23:55.640 --> 00:23:56.340
 you actually think,

00:23:56.339 --> 00:23:58.159
 you think you're going

00:23:58.159 --> 00:23:59.339
 to stand in the judgment day

00:23:59.339 --> 00:24:00.079
 and I won't?

00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:01.639
 And you can sort of

00:24:01.639 --> 00:24:02.539
 see them smirk,

00:24:03.019 --> 00:24:03.659
 like, really?

00:24:04.299 --> 00:24:05.099
 You think you're

00:24:05.099 --> 00:24:06.099
 that much better than me?

00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:06.720
 Like, really?

00:24:08.419 --> 00:24:09.579
 And the implication is

00:24:09.579 --> 00:24:10.480
 that I'm very deluded.

00:24:12.539 --> 00:24:13.599
 But here's some things

00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:14.039
 we could say.

00:24:14.159 --> 00:24:15.139
 The first one is this.

00:24:16.119 --> 00:24:17.220
 Everybody wants to live

00:24:17.220 --> 00:24:18.319
 in a moral universe.

00:24:20.439 --> 00:24:21.379
 We want to live

00:24:21.379 --> 00:24:22.419
 in a moral universe

00:24:22.419 --> 00:24:24.159
 at a very fundamental level.

00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:26.080
 If you watch

00:24:26.080 --> 00:24:27.120
 the Netflix series,

00:24:27.240 --> 00:24:28.259
 it's very, very dark.

00:24:28.380 --> 00:24:29.400
 I'm not recommending it.

00:24:29.460 --> 00:24:29.759
 It's called

00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:30.860
 American Primeval.

00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:32.820
 But one of the things

00:24:32.820 --> 00:24:34.040
 which makes that series

00:24:34.040 --> 00:24:34.900
 so dark

00:24:34.900 --> 00:24:38.040
 is it's a fundamentally

00:24:38.040 --> 00:24:39.540
 amoral place.

00:24:40.420 --> 00:24:40.880
 And when it's

00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:42.340
 an amoral world,

00:24:42.840 --> 00:24:43.880
 all that matters

00:24:43.880 --> 00:24:45.380
 is who has the gun,

00:24:46.300 --> 00:24:49.580
 who will kill

00:24:49.580 --> 00:24:50.740
 to get what they want.

00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:52.060
 We want to live

00:24:52.060 --> 00:24:53.040
 in a moral universe

00:24:53.040 --> 00:24:54.140
 at a very fundamental level.

00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:55.740
 But here's the question.

00:24:56.519 --> 00:24:57.140
 How on earth

00:24:57.140 --> 00:24:57.640
 can we live

00:24:57.640 --> 00:24:58.440
 in a moral universe

00:24:58.440 --> 00:24:59.120
 if there's not

00:24:59.120 --> 00:24:59.980
 a final judgment?

00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:03.900
 You can't have

00:25:03.900 --> 00:25:04.680
 a moral universe

00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:06.040
 without a final judgment.

00:25:06.460 --> 00:25:07.840
 If there's no final judgment,

00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:09.660
 even if there's morality,

00:25:10.040 --> 00:25:11.200
 it's not a moral universe.

00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:12.779
 I'm not going to give you

00:25:12.779 --> 00:25:13.820
 any spoiler alerts,

00:25:13.960 --> 00:25:14.580
 but occasionally,

00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:16.040
 there'll be movies

00:25:16.040 --> 00:25:16.940
 that you can watch.

00:25:17.640 --> 00:25:18.080
 And, you know,

00:25:18.120 --> 00:25:18.560
 in hindsight,

00:25:18.700 --> 00:25:19.480
 I'll go back and think,

00:25:19.560 --> 00:25:20.560
 oh, it's one of those movies

00:25:20.560 --> 00:25:22.340
 that had like a 96%

00:25:22.339 --> 00:25:23.359
 critics liked it

00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:25.419
 and 4% viewers liked it.

00:25:25.419 --> 00:25:26.319
 And that should tell you

00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:27.559
 something right off the bat

00:25:27.559 --> 00:25:28.919
 if you have a movie

00:25:28.919 --> 00:25:30.399
 that's reviewed like that.

00:25:30.679 --> 00:25:31.559
 And it's a movie

00:25:31.559 --> 00:25:33.059
 where at the end of the movie,

00:25:33.619 --> 00:25:35.139
 the victims die,

00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:36.779
 the persecutors live,

00:25:37.319 --> 00:25:38.899
 the oppressors live,

00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:40.319
 those oppressing die.

00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:41.519
 The people who do

00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:42.359
 horrendous things,

00:25:42.439 --> 00:25:43.059
 they live,

00:25:43.319 --> 00:25:43.960
 and the people

00:25:43.960 --> 00:25:44.359
 who've been trying

00:25:44.359 --> 00:25:45.039
 to do the good thing,

00:25:45.099 --> 00:25:45.939
 they all die.

00:25:48.740 --> 00:25:49.679
 And you end up

00:25:49.679 --> 00:25:50.740
 watching a movie like that

00:25:50.740 --> 00:25:51.059
 and you think,

00:25:51.139 --> 00:25:51.720
 this is not like

00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:52.439
 a moral movie.

00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:53.639
 Like, I think to myself,

00:25:53.720 --> 00:25:54.799
 I've wasted my time

00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:56.059
 watching a movie like this.

00:25:57.700 --> 00:25:59.220
 If there's no type

00:25:59.220 --> 00:26:00.299
 of final judgment

00:26:00.299 --> 00:26:01.299
 in the world,

00:26:02.179 --> 00:26:03.200
 and all you have

00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:04.139
 is this life,

00:26:04.439 --> 00:26:05.679
 even if you have a sense

00:26:05.679 --> 00:26:06.619
 that there is right and wrong,

00:26:06.679 --> 00:26:07.779
 it's not a moral universe

00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:08.259
 unless there's

00:26:08.259 --> 00:26:08.920
 a final judgment.

00:26:09.220 --> 00:26:10.440
 People don't think about that.

00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:12.480
 And then the second thing

00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:13.220
 about it is about,

00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:14.400
 and it goes without

00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:15.740
 being a moral universe,

00:26:15.879 --> 00:26:16.599
 is you can't have

00:26:16.599 --> 00:26:17.319
 a moral universe

00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:18.379
 if there's no guilt,

00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:19.000
 if there's nothing

00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:19.859
 like conscience

00:26:19.859 --> 00:26:21.500
 which is built into you.

00:26:21.879 --> 00:26:22.920
 And here's a problem

00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:23.660
 for our culture.

00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:24.259
 You know,

00:26:24.299 --> 00:26:26.079
 the most successful species

00:26:26.079 --> 00:26:27.680
 are like ants

00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:28.619
 and cockroaches

00:26:28.619 --> 00:26:29.980
 and they have no conscience.

00:26:30.839 --> 00:26:32.359
 Conscience doesn't do anything

00:26:32.359 --> 00:26:35.119
 to increase your chance

00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:36.819
 of your species surviving,

00:26:36.940 --> 00:26:38.119
 but we have consciences

00:26:38.119 --> 00:26:39.659
 and we actually really

00:26:39.659 --> 00:26:40.819
 need to have a conscience

00:26:40.819 --> 00:26:42.000
 and we need to have guilt.

00:26:42.500 --> 00:26:43.399
 I've told some of you

00:26:43.399 --> 00:26:44.179
 this story before.

00:26:44.299 --> 00:26:44.919
 I haven't used it

00:26:44.919 --> 00:26:45.819
 for a couple of years,

00:26:46.159 --> 00:26:47.279
 but a couple of years ago

00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:48.519
 there was an interview

00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:50.500
 with a well-known actress

00:26:50.500 --> 00:26:51.039
 and they said

00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:51.739
 if there's one thing

00:26:51.739 --> 00:26:52.759
 you could change about life,

00:26:52.819 --> 00:26:53.539
 what would you change?

00:26:53.919 --> 00:26:54.639
 And she said

00:26:54.639 --> 00:26:55.859
 if I could change anything

00:26:55.859 --> 00:26:56.679
 in the world,

00:26:56.779 --> 00:26:58.459
 it would be to get rid of guilt,

00:26:58.459 --> 00:26:59.659
 that I have no sense

00:26:59.659 --> 00:27:00.719
 of guilt whatsoever.

00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:02.099
 And the interviewer

00:27:02.099 --> 00:27:02.879
 sort of nodded.

00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:03.519
 I mean, obviously,

00:27:03.619 --> 00:27:04.119
 I'm reading it,

00:27:04.139 --> 00:27:04.559
 but you could tell

00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:05.099
 they were nodding

00:27:05.099 --> 00:27:06.039
 with approval,

00:27:06.500 --> 00:27:07.899
 but she just said

00:27:07.899 --> 00:27:08.799
 she wanted to be

00:27:08.799 --> 00:27:09.619
 a sociopath.

00:27:11.399 --> 00:27:11.980
 I don't know

00:27:11.980 --> 00:27:12.639
 if it's a sociopath

00:27:12.639 --> 00:27:13.359
 or a psychopath.

00:27:13.619 --> 00:27:14.500
 Whatever one it is

00:27:14.500 --> 00:27:15.279
 that has no guilt.

00:27:15.699 --> 00:27:16.399
 She just said,

00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:17.599
 I want to be a psychopath.

00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:20.319
 And the other person

00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:21.059
 nodded as if,

00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:22.159
 like, this is a really good idea.

00:27:22.199 --> 00:27:23.079
 It's not a good idea

00:27:23.079 --> 00:27:23.819
 to be a psychopath.

00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:27.219
 Psychopaths don't have

00:27:27.219 --> 00:27:28.899
 that experience of guilt.

00:27:28.900 --> 00:27:32.759
 You see,

00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:34.040
 part of our rejection,

00:27:34.540 --> 00:27:35.720
 the human rejection

00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:36.759
 of the idea

00:27:36.759 --> 00:27:37.460
 that there is

00:27:37.460 --> 00:27:38.640
 a final judgment

00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:41.480
 is the sense

00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:42.680
 that if there is,

00:27:43.460 --> 00:27:44.580
 you won't pass.

00:27:48.540 --> 00:27:49.900
 Only the raging narcissist

00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:50.300
 think,

00:27:50.380 --> 00:27:50.980
 oh yeah, that's good.

00:27:51.080 --> 00:27:52.000
 I'm looking forward to it.

00:27:53.740 --> 00:27:54.780
 Look at my dimple.

00:27:55.500 --> 00:27:55.860
 Dimple?

00:27:56.019 --> 00:27:57.320
 I don't know if I have dimples,

00:27:57.440 --> 00:27:57.640
 you know.

00:27:57.640 --> 00:27:59.440
 You know, look at my scars.

00:28:00.180 --> 00:28:02.040
 God, I'm in for sure, right?

00:28:03.880 --> 00:28:04.900
 And especially, you know,

00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:05.560
 for those of us

00:28:05.560 --> 00:28:07.140
 who have accusing consciences,

00:28:08.120 --> 00:28:09.220
 this whole idea

00:28:09.220 --> 00:28:10.020
 that we will appear

00:28:10.020 --> 00:28:11.400
 before the judgment seat of God

00:28:11.400 --> 00:28:12.240
 just seems to

00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:13.860
 even be more depressing

00:28:13.860 --> 00:28:16.340
 and create even more despair.

00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:20.040
 But is Paul a narcissist?

00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:22.320
 Like, as I said,

00:28:22.360 --> 00:28:22.860
 when I've talked

00:28:22.860 --> 00:28:24.040
 to some people occasionally,

00:28:24.140 --> 00:28:24.700
 it hasn't happened

00:28:24.700 --> 00:28:25.620
 in a couple of years,

00:28:25.619 --> 00:28:27.719
 they directly asked me,

00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:28.379
 do you think I'm going

00:28:28.379 --> 00:28:28.919
 to go to hell

00:28:28.919 --> 00:28:30.199
 if I don't believe in Jesus?

00:28:31.699 --> 00:28:32.779
 I wasn't expecting

00:28:32.779 --> 00:28:33.519
 that question.

00:28:35.919 --> 00:28:36.559
 And I started

00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:37.319
 to give an answer.

00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:39.719
 And the person said,

00:28:40.119 --> 00:28:41.539
 so you think you won't?

00:28:41.859 --> 00:28:42.799
 You'll pass the judgment,

00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:43.419
 but I won't?

00:28:43.479 --> 00:28:43.939
 And that's when

00:28:43.939 --> 00:28:45.399
 they just looked.

00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:47.680
 like there's something

00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:48.600
 hopeless about me

00:28:48.600 --> 00:28:49.380
 if I think that's

00:28:49.380 --> 00:28:50.380
 what's going to happen to me.

00:28:53.259 --> 00:28:53.620
 Well,

00:28:54.140 --> 00:28:58.700
 the Bible is wise.

00:28:58.960 --> 00:28:59.420
 I mean, I've already

00:28:59.420 --> 00:29:00.400
 pointed out to you,

00:29:01.120 --> 00:29:01.740
 you can't live

00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:02.540
 in a moral universe.

00:29:02.620 --> 00:29:03.060
 You want to live

00:29:03.060 --> 00:29:03.800
 in a moral universe,

00:29:03.800 --> 00:29:04.780
 but you can't live in one

00:29:04.780 --> 00:29:06.000
 if there is no final judgment.

00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:06.740
 Then by death,

00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:07.740
 it is not going to be

00:29:07.740 --> 00:29:08.460
 a moral universe.

00:29:08.780 --> 00:29:10.160
 And you need to have conscience.

00:29:10.320 --> 00:29:11.500
 If there's no type of conscience,

00:29:11.620 --> 00:29:12.700
 then you want to live

00:29:12.700 --> 00:29:13.340
 in a world filled

00:29:13.340 --> 00:29:14.440
 with psychopaths.

00:29:14.860 --> 00:29:16.140
 And if there's in fact

00:29:16.140 --> 00:29:17.259
 something in your conscience

00:29:17.259 --> 00:29:18.080
 that knows that

00:29:18.080 --> 00:29:19.480
 if you actually stood

00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:20.180
 before the God

00:29:20.180 --> 00:29:21.180
 as described in the Bible,

00:29:21.299 --> 00:29:22.180
 you wouldn't pass.

00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:23.279
 Well,

00:29:24.539 --> 00:29:25.160
 you see,

00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:26.019
 here's how Canadians

00:29:26.019 --> 00:29:26.819
 think a little bit

00:29:26.819 --> 00:29:27.880
 about this whole question,

00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:29.140
 about whether I would stand

00:29:29.140 --> 00:29:29.480
 or not,

00:29:29.500 --> 00:29:30.019
 or they would.

00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:31.920
 The average Canadian

00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:33.360
 thinks something like this.

00:29:37.420 --> 00:29:38.519
 We sort of think

00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:39.039
 a little bit

00:29:39.039 --> 00:29:40.319
 as if God

00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:41.360
 is going to rank people

00:29:41.360 --> 00:29:41.980
 sort of the way

00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:43.559
 he ranked stadiums.

00:29:43.640 --> 00:29:44.640
 If you go to a hockey game,

00:29:44.740 --> 00:29:46.620
 how the stadium is ranked.

00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:48.779
 And so the rich people

00:29:48.779 --> 00:29:50.380
 can afford the seats

00:29:50.380 --> 00:29:51.880
 really close to the ice.

00:29:52.460 --> 00:29:53.880
 And the poor people

00:29:53.880 --> 00:29:55.519
 get the seats

00:29:55.519 --> 00:29:56.920
 in the nosebleed section.

00:29:58.019 --> 00:29:59.140
 And so how God's

00:29:59.140 --> 00:29:59.880
 final judgment

00:29:59.880 --> 00:30:00.640
 is going to be

00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:01.380
 is that

00:30:01.380 --> 00:30:03.180
 at the end of the day,

00:30:03.940 --> 00:30:04.740
 everybody's seated

00:30:04.740 --> 00:30:05.420
 in the stadium.

00:30:06.660 --> 00:30:08.880
 And the line goes

00:30:08.880 --> 00:30:11.740
 horizontally across

00:30:11.740 --> 00:30:12.900
 all human beings

00:30:12.900 --> 00:30:14.859
 and those human beings

00:30:14.859 --> 00:30:16.500
 which are below this line

00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:17.859
 in the expensive seats,

00:30:17.960 --> 00:30:18.819
 the good seats,

00:30:19.140 --> 00:30:20.400
 they pass.

00:30:21.220 --> 00:30:22.359
 The people in the

00:30:22.359 --> 00:30:24.220
 not good seats,

00:30:24.579 --> 00:30:24.839
 well,

00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:25.420
 they're the ones

00:30:25.420 --> 00:30:26.140
 who are going to fail.

00:30:27.599 --> 00:30:28.539
 But the Bible

00:30:28.539 --> 00:30:29.240
 says something

00:30:29.240 --> 00:30:30.099
 which is in fact

00:30:30.099 --> 00:30:31.120
 why our conscience,

00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:31.900
 only the Bible

00:30:31.900 --> 00:30:32.900
 actually explains

00:30:32.900 --> 00:30:34.380
 how that type of thinking

00:30:34.380 --> 00:30:35.759
 is not accurate thinking.

00:30:35.880 --> 00:30:36.640
 It doesn't even fit

00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:37.859
 with human experience.

00:30:37.859 --> 00:30:39.319
 You see,

00:30:39.379 --> 00:30:40.119
 because the Bible

00:30:40.119 --> 00:30:40.979
 actually says

00:30:40.979 --> 00:30:41.599
 that the line

00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:42.479
 between good and evil

00:30:42.479 --> 00:30:43.159
 goes right down

00:30:43.159 --> 00:30:44.000
 every human being.

00:30:47.639 --> 00:30:48.359
 It's not

00:30:48.359 --> 00:30:50.699
 a horizontal line.

00:30:51.059 --> 00:30:52.139
 It's a vertical line.

00:30:54.639 --> 00:30:55.319
 And you see,

00:30:55.379 --> 00:30:56.159
 the Bible doesn't say

00:30:56.159 --> 00:30:56.719
 that human beings

00:30:56.719 --> 00:30:57.859
 never do anything good,

00:30:58.139 --> 00:30:59.179
 but it does say

00:30:59.179 --> 00:30:59.839
 that we can never

00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:00.599
 only do things

00:31:00.599 --> 00:31:01.219
 which are good

00:31:01.219 --> 00:31:02.659
 because there is

00:31:02.659 --> 00:31:03.439
 this line down

00:31:03.439 --> 00:31:03.859
 the center

00:31:03.859 --> 00:31:04.899
 of every human being.

00:31:04.900 --> 00:31:06.620
 And so I would have

00:31:06.620 --> 00:31:07.759
 to say to that person

00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:08.519
 who said to me,

00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:09.780
 you need to understand

00:31:09.780 --> 00:31:10.940
 something about Christianity.

00:31:11.980 --> 00:31:13.560
 I know that in and of myself

00:31:13.560 --> 00:31:14.880
 I could never stand

00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:15.960
 before the judgment seat

00:31:15.960 --> 00:31:16.420
 of God.

00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:18.480
 And in fact,

00:31:18.580 --> 00:31:19.040
 actually,

00:31:19.620 --> 00:31:21.340
 if I have ever acted

00:31:21.340 --> 00:31:22.259
 in such a way

00:31:22.259 --> 00:31:22.740
 that I

00:31:22.740 --> 00:31:24.740
 looked like I thought

00:31:24.740 --> 00:31:25.400
 that somehow

00:31:25.400 --> 00:31:26.740
 just because of who I am

00:31:26.740 --> 00:31:27.500
 I would stand

00:31:27.500 --> 00:31:28.320
 before that,

00:31:28.400 --> 00:31:29.860
 I apologize to you.

00:31:32.240 --> 00:31:33.800
 Because that's not true.

00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:37.300
 It goes right down me.

00:31:38.759 --> 00:31:40.220
 And it goes right down you.

00:31:41.040 --> 00:31:42.220
 See, the other type of thing

00:31:42.220 --> 00:31:43.519
 which makes this doctrine

00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:44.340
 a little bit hard

00:31:44.340 --> 00:31:44.960
 is that

00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:47.060
 is the whole idea

00:31:47.060 --> 00:31:47.640
 of presumption.

00:31:47.780 --> 00:31:47.920
 You see,

00:31:47.960 --> 00:31:48.800
 as the average Canadian,

00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:49.620
 even if they think

00:31:49.620 --> 00:31:50.680
 about this as a topic,

00:31:50.780 --> 00:31:52.000
 what they tend to think of

00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:53.500
 is that it's sort of

00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:54.700
 like university students

00:31:54.700 --> 00:31:55.140
 at the beginning

00:31:55.140 --> 00:31:55.820
 of a term.

00:31:56.460 --> 00:31:58.200
 And if a university student

00:31:58.200 --> 00:31:58.640
 at the beginning

00:31:58.640 --> 00:31:59.480
 of a term said,

00:31:59.580 --> 00:32:00.259
 I already know

00:32:00.259 --> 00:32:01.280
 that I got an A plus,

00:32:02.019 --> 00:32:02.640
 you'd go, what?

00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:03.940
 Like, you're still

00:32:03.940 --> 00:32:04.940
 having to do the papers.

00:32:05.080 --> 00:32:06.600
 You haven't done the exams.

00:32:06.880 --> 00:32:07.820
 The final mark

00:32:07.820 --> 00:32:08.680
 isn't in yet.

00:32:10.140 --> 00:32:11.040
 But once again,

00:32:11.140 --> 00:32:11.880
 the fact that we are

00:32:11.880 --> 00:32:12.640
 troubled about

00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:13.860
 standing before God

00:32:13.860 --> 00:32:15.759
 in fact is a hint

00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:16.580
 that what the Bible

00:32:16.580 --> 00:32:17.380
 says is true.

00:32:17.460 --> 00:32:18.360
 And the Bible says

00:32:18.360 --> 00:32:19.720
 is that for every one

00:32:19.720 --> 00:32:20.000
 of you,

00:32:20.120 --> 00:32:20.780
 both in Christ

00:32:20.780 --> 00:32:21.460
 and out of Christ,

00:32:21.540 --> 00:32:22.220
 the final mark

00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:23.180
 has already been given.

00:32:23.180 --> 00:32:31.220
 Paul says to the church

00:32:31.220 --> 00:32:31.560
 in Rome,

00:32:31.640 --> 00:32:32.460
 for all have sinned

00:32:32.460 --> 00:32:33.060
 and fall short

00:32:33.060 --> 00:32:34.000
 of the glory of God.

00:32:34.620 --> 00:32:35.460
 The final mark

00:32:35.460 --> 00:32:36.060
 has been given.

00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:43.880
 My hope of not failing

00:32:43.880 --> 00:32:44.660
 is not based

00:32:44.660 --> 00:32:45.539
 on my performance.

00:32:49.480 --> 00:32:51.180
 See, what is the biblical...

00:32:51.180 --> 00:32:54.539
 The biblical hope

00:32:54.539 --> 00:32:55.200
 is this.

00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:00.400
 That unworthy

00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:01.299
 and as undeserving

00:33:01.299 --> 00:33:02.060
 that I am.

00:33:03.060 --> 00:33:03.900
 I don't know

00:33:03.900 --> 00:33:04.940
 who first said this,

00:33:05.940 --> 00:33:06.960
 but somebody said

00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:07.640
 that mercy

00:33:07.640 --> 00:33:10.060
 is not getting

00:33:10.060 --> 00:33:11.160
 what you deserve.

00:33:12.900 --> 00:33:14.900
 So, you get shown mercy

00:33:14.900 --> 00:33:16.060
 when you deserve something,

00:33:16.140 --> 00:33:16.680
 but you don't get

00:33:16.680 --> 00:33:17.380
 what you deserve.

00:33:17.380 --> 00:33:19.160
 But grace

00:33:19.160 --> 00:33:20.140
 is even greater.

00:33:21.180 --> 00:33:23.020
 It tops up mercy.

00:33:23.960 --> 00:33:24.700
 You get

00:33:24.700 --> 00:33:26.160
 what you don't deserve.

00:33:28.100 --> 00:33:28.900
 You get

00:33:28.900 --> 00:33:29.880
 what you don't deserve.

00:33:31.660 --> 00:33:32.860
 And my only hope

00:33:32.860 --> 00:33:33.660
 in life and death

00:33:33.660 --> 00:33:35.500
 is that I have one

00:33:35.500 --> 00:33:36.680
 who's taken my place

00:33:36.680 --> 00:33:38.140
 and died in my place,

00:33:38.320 --> 00:33:39.720
 who lived the life

00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:40.940
 that I should live,

00:33:41.140 --> 00:33:42.260
 but wasn't able to live,

00:33:42.820 --> 00:33:44.020
 who died the death

00:33:44.020 --> 00:33:44.880
 that I deserve,

00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:46.780
 but he taps me

00:33:46.780 --> 00:33:47.440
 on the shoulder.

00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:49.420
 And if you're here

00:33:49.420 --> 00:33:50.240
 outside of Christ

00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:51.660
 and if you have

00:33:51.660 --> 00:33:52.700
 a visual imagination,

00:33:52.700 --> 00:33:53.600
 as you hear me,

00:33:53.720 --> 00:33:54.580
 I am now speaking

00:33:54.580 --> 00:33:55.640
 as his ambassador,

00:33:55.800 --> 00:33:56.480
 his representative,

00:33:56.620 --> 00:33:57.720
 and I want to tell you

00:33:57.720 --> 00:33:59.340
 that he is tapping you

00:33:59.340 --> 00:33:59.900
 on the shoulder

00:33:59.900 --> 00:34:00.660
 right now

00:34:00.660 --> 00:34:02.460
 and saying,

00:34:02.560 --> 00:34:03.500
 Bob, Sue,

00:34:03.660 --> 00:34:04.680
 I'm willing

00:34:04.680 --> 00:34:05.660
 to take your place.

00:34:05.660 --> 00:34:09.019
 let me stand for you.

00:34:11.180 --> 00:34:12.440
 I will take the doom

00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:13.240
 that you deserve

00:34:13.240 --> 00:34:15.079
 and I will offer you

00:34:15.079 --> 00:34:15.700
 the destiny

00:34:15.700 --> 00:34:16.800
 that I deserve.

00:34:17.539 --> 00:34:18.559
 And I will do it

00:34:18.559 --> 00:34:19.500
 because I love you.

00:34:21.800 --> 00:34:22.880
 Because I love you.

00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:25.099
 And you might say to God,

00:34:25.380 --> 00:34:25.639
 Jesus,

00:34:25.860 --> 00:34:26.280
 Jesus,

00:34:26.539 --> 00:34:27.340
 do you realize

00:34:27.340 --> 00:34:28.019
 what I've done?

00:34:29.019 --> 00:34:29.920
 Do you realize

00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:30.579
 how terrible

00:34:30.579 --> 00:34:31.519
 a person I am?

00:34:32.200 --> 00:34:33.099
 I don't want to say

00:34:33.099 --> 00:34:33.900
 this to other people.

00:34:33.980 --> 00:34:34.519
 To other people,

00:34:34.519 --> 00:34:35.739
 I say that I'm a good person,

00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:36.739
 but do you realize

00:34:36.739 --> 00:34:37.719
 in my heart

00:34:37.719 --> 00:34:38.860
 I know that I have done

00:34:38.860 --> 00:34:40.059
 horrendous things?

00:34:40.539 --> 00:34:41.199
 Do you realize

00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:42.300
 that I have a conscience

00:34:42.300 --> 00:34:43.579
 that screams at me

00:34:43.579 --> 00:34:44.139
 every night

00:34:44.139 --> 00:34:45.440
 so that I cannot sleep?

00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:46.960
 Sometimes I can hardly

00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:47.559
 hear you

00:34:47.559 --> 00:34:48.519
 because my conscience

00:34:48.519 --> 00:34:49.500
 is screaming at me

00:34:49.500 --> 00:34:50.059
 so loud.

00:34:50.460 --> 00:34:51.159
 Do you realize

00:34:51.159 --> 00:34:52.099
 what I have done?

00:34:52.159 --> 00:34:52.659
 Do you realize

00:34:52.659 --> 00:34:53.960
 what I have failed to do?

00:34:56.039 --> 00:34:57.699
 And I can only speak now

00:34:57.699 --> 00:34:58.960
 as the herald of Christ

00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:00.519
 and say that Christ

00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:01.239
 will say to you

00:35:01.239 --> 00:35:01.920
 as he taps you

00:35:01.920 --> 00:35:02.559
 on the shoulder,

00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:04.799
 yes,

00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:05.259
 I know.

00:35:08.579 --> 00:35:09.000
 Yes,

00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:09.420
 I know.

00:35:13.619 --> 00:35:14.579
 And he'll show you

00:35:14.579 --> 00:35:15.320
 his hands

00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:16.880
 with the nail print

00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:18.759
 and maybe he'll show you

00:35:18.759 --> 00:35:19.380
 the side

00:35:19.380 --> 00:35:20.679
 where the spear went in

00:35:20.679 --> 00:35:22.360
 and he say,

00:35:22.619 --> 00:35:24.539
 I did these for you.

00:35:26.840 --> 00:35:28.380
 I will take your place

00:35:28.380 --> 00:35:30.200
 if you will but let me.

00:35:36.260 --> 00:35:37.599
 If you will but let me.

00:35:40.800 --> 00:35:41.340
 You see,

00:35:41.420 --> 00:35:42.079
 the thing is about

00:35:42.079 --> 00:35:42.980
 the whole story

00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:43.720
 of Christianity

00:35:43.720 --> 00:35:46.380
 is it fits this riddle

00:35:46.380 --> 00:35:47.180
 of our existence

00:35:47.180 --> 00:35:48.660
 that on one hand,

00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:49.599
 yeah,

00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:52.099
 that God himself

00:35:52.099 --> 00:35:53.380
 who sees all things

00:35:53.380 --> 00:35:54.280
 that only he

00:35:54.280 --> 00:35:55.260
 can truly forgive

00:35:55.260 --> 00:35:56.840
 and it's not just

00:35:56.840 --> 00:35:57.920
 a matter of forgiveness

00:35:57.920 --> 00:35:59.620
 of the bad things

00:35:59.620 --> 00:36:00.660
 having been dealt with

00:36:00.660 --> 00:36:01.160
 in Christ

00:36:01.160 --> 00:36:02.420
 as he takes our place,

00:36:02.420 --> 00:36:04.280
 but it's also a matter

00:36:04.280 --> 00:36:05.740
 of him clothing us

00:36:05.740 --> 00:36:06.840
 with his accomplishment.

00:36:08.600 --> 00:36:09.580
 Paul might have had

00:36:09.580 --> 00:36:10.720
 in the back of his mind

00:36:10.720 --> 00:36:12.020
 is one of those times

00:36:12.020 --> 00:36:12.760
 when he spoke

00:36:12.760 --> 00:36:16.000
 to Felix.

00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:16.159
 Felix,

00:36:16.460 --> 00:36:17.559
 I'm sorry I didn't have it

00:36:17.559 --> 00:36:18.480
 put up on the screen,

00:36:18.619 --> 00:36:19.579
 but if you have your Bibles,

00:36:19.699 --> 00:36:20.880
 it's a very famous text.

00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:22.360
 It's Isaiah chapter 53.

00:36:23.119 --> 00:36:24.159
 I'll just read part of it.

00:36:24.239 --> 00:36:25.320
 It's verses 1 to 6.

00:36:26.940 --> 00:36:27.900
 Who has believed

00:36:27.900 --> 00:36:29.079
 what he has heard from us

00:36:29.079 --> 00:36:29.699
 and to whom

00:36:29.699 --> 00:36:30.719
 has the arm of the Lord

00:36:30.719 --> 00:36:31.380
 been revealed?

00:36:32.039 --> 00:36:33.000
 This is a prophecy

00:36:33.000 --> 00:36:35.079
 600 years before Christ

00:36:35.079 --> 00:36:37.699
 and Isaiah prophetically saying

00:36:37.699 --> 00:36:38.380
 for Jesus,

00:36:38.539 --> 00:36:39.820
 for he grew up before him

00:36:39.820 --> 00:36:40.679
 like a young plant

00:36:40.679 --> 00:36:41.400
 and like a root

00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:42.719
 out of dry ground.

00:36:43.480 --> 00:36:44.460
 Speaking of Jesus,

00:36:44.460 --> 00:36:46.519
 he had no former majesty

00:36:46.519 --> 00:36:47.840
 that we should look at him

00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:49.179
 and no beauty,

00:36:49.340 --> 00:36:50.119
 humanly speaking,

00:36:50.119 --> 00:36:51.440
 that we should desire him.

00:36:52.199 --> 00:36:53.340
 Jesus was a nobody

00:36:53.340 --> 00:36:54.920
 from Nazareth,

00:36:55.019 --> 00:36:56.179
 which is nowhereville.

00:36:57.240 --> 00:36:59.320
 And Jesus was despised

00:36:59.320 --> 00:37:01.139
 and rejected by human beings.

00:37:01.500 --> 00:37:03.119
 He was a man of sorrows

00:37:03.119 --> 00:37:05.920
 and acquainted with grief.

00:37:06.760 --> 00:37:08.460
 He would have buried his father.

00:37:10.300 --> 00:37:11.380
 And in those days,

00:37:11.460 --> 00:37:12.519
 who knows how many brothers

00:37:12.519 --> 00:37:14.139
 or sisters that Mary bore

00:37:14.139 --> 00:37:16.159
 that died in childhood

00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:17.719
 that Jesus would have helped

00:37:17.719 --> 00:37:18.239
 to bury

00:37:18.239 --> 00:37:20.500
 as the oldest son.

00:37:21.599 --> 00:37:22.739
 He was despised

00:37:22.739 --> 00:37:23.839
 and rejected by men,

00:37:23.859 --> 00:37:24.859
 a man of sorrows

00:37:24.859 --> 00:37:26.019
 and acquainted with grief.

00:37:26.319 --> 00:37:27.420
 And as one

00:37:27.420 --> 00:37:29.279
 from whom men hide their faces,

00:37:29.279 --> 00:37:30.119
 that's what they did

00:37:30.119 --> 00:37:30.779
 on the cross,

00:37:31.019 --> 00:37:32.359
 he was despised

00:37:32.359 --> 00:37:33.879
 and we esteemed him not.

00:37:34.879 --> 00:37:37.440
 Surely he has borne our griefs

00:37:37.440 --> 00:37:39.599
 and carried our sorrows.

00:37:39.599 --> 00:37:42.559
 yet we esteemed him stricken,

00:37:43.940 --> 00:37:45.799
 smitten by God and afflicted.

00:37:48.259 --> 00:37:49.779
 But he was wounded

00:37:49.779 --> 00:37:52.119
 for our transgressions.

00:37:52.500 --> 00:37:55.819
 He was crushed for our iniquities.

00:37:56.339 --> 00:37:59.339
 Upon him was the chastisement

00:37:59.339 --> 00:38:01.679
 that brought us peace.

00:38:01.679 --> 00:38:06.599
 And with his stripes,

00:38:07.099 --> 00:38:08.460
 we are healed.

00:38:09.179 --> 00:38:10.079
 You are healed.

00:38:10.399 --> 00:38:12.039
 If you put your faith in him,

00:38:12.259 --> 00:38:13.139
 you are healed.

00:38:16.699 --> 00:38:18.980
 All like sheep have gone astray.

00:38:19.899 --> 00:38:21.960
 We have turned everyone to his own way.

00:38:22.460 --> 00:38:24.879
 And the Lord has laid on him

00:38:24.879 --> 00:38:27.219
 the iniquity of us all.

00:38:27.219 --> 00:38:29.559
 Brothers and sisters,

00:38:29.799 --> 00:38:31.899
 this is the Christian hope.

00:38:33.019 --> 00:38:34.019
 You will appear

00:38:34.019 --> 00:38:35.659
 before the judgment seat of God.

00:38:35.980 --> 00:38:38.019
 There is no hope other than this.

00:38:38.539 --> 00:38:40.019
 There is no moral universe

00:38:40.019 --> 00:38:41.279
 without a last judgment.

00:38:41.839 --> 00:38:43.559
 There is no explanation

00:38:43.559 --> 00:38:45.539
 of your conscience

00:38:45.539 --> 00:38:48.459
 unless it is part of God's good gift

00:38:48.459 --> 00:38:50.419
 to call you to himself.

00:38:51.319 --> 00:38:52.939
 And there is no savior

00:38:52.939 --> 00:38:54.879
 and no salvation

00:38:54.879 --> 00:38:57.119
 other than him taking your place

00:38:57.119 --> 00:38:58.279
 there is none.

00:38:58.480 --> 00:38:59.819
 But he offers it for you.

00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:01.900
 There is no sin so bad

00:39:01.900 --> 00:39:04.139
 that he did not die to cover it.

00:39:04.359 --> 00:39:04.639
 None.

00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:09.599
 And that is why

00:39:09.599 --> 00:39:10.900
 it is the beginning

00:39:10.900 --> 00:39:12.940
 of the quietening of our conscience

00:39:12.940 --> 00:39:13.859
 to know this.

00:39:14.679 --> 00:39:16.099
 A couple of things in closing.

00:39:17.880 --> 00:39:19.199
 If you struggle

00:39:19.199 --> 00:39:22.500
 with a conscience

00:39:22.500 --> 00:39:23.859
 that screams at you,

00:39:23.860 --> 00:39:27.059
 there is the body of Christ

00:39:27.059 --> 00:39:29.480
 who can pray for you.

00:39:33.140 --> 00:39:34.539
 Share that burden

00:39:34.539 --> 00:39:38.460
 and ask people to pray for you.

00:39:42.460 --> 00:39:43.960
 Sometimes this problem

00:39:43.960 --> 00:39:46.059
 is a truly spiritual problem.

00:39:46.059 --> 00:39:47.799
 there is a devil.

00:39:47.799 --> 00:39:47.820
 There is a devil.

00:39:49.099 --> 00:39:50.380
 And one of the names

00:39:50.380 --> 00:39:51.000
 of the devil

00:39:51.000 --> 00:39:53.199
 and all of the evil spirits

00:39:53.199 --> 00:39:54.559
 is the accuser.

00:39:55.239 --> 00:39:56.420
 The accuser.

00:39:59.420 --> 00:40:00.279
 Once again,

00:40:00.539 --> 00:40:02.119
 you have your own authority.

00:40:02.340 --> 00:40:02.699
 You can say,

00:40:02.980 --> 00:40:04.039
 in the name of Jesus,

00:40:04.440 --> 00:40:06.019
 evil spirit,

00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:07.079
 be gone from me.

00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:08.500
 In the name of Jesus,

00:40:08.659 --> 00:40:09.460
 be silenced.

00:40:10.079 --> 00:40:11.019
 In the name of Jesus,

00:40:11.019 --> 00:40:11.860
 don't speak.

00:40:13.380 --> 00:40:14.880
 And if that does not help,

00:40:15.960 --> 00:40:17.559
 you have brothers and sisters

00:40:17.559 --> 00:40:18.119
 in Christ

00:40:18.119 --> 00:40:19.079
 who can pray for you.

00:40:20.960 --> 00:40:22.019
 There is freedom.

00:40:24.980 --> 00:40:26.619
 And a third thing you can do

00:40:26.619 --> 00:40:27.719
 is to meditate upon

00:40:27.719 --> 00:40:29.099
 the finished work of Christ.

00:40:30.019 --> 00:40:31.380
 Meditate upon texts

00:40:31.380 --> 00:40:32.179
 like Romans 8.

00:40:32.280 --> 00:40:33.980
 There is no condemnation now

00:40:33.980 --> 00:40:35.820
 for those who are in Christ Jesus.

00:40:36.059 --> 00:40:37.119
 Meditate upon the end

00:40:37.119 --> 00:40:37.880
 of Romans 8.

00:40:38.500 --> 00:40:39.500
 Will this separate me

00:40:39.500 --> 00:40:40.300
 from the love of God

00:40:40.300 --> 00:40:42.000
 or this or this or this or this?

00:40:42.099 --> 00:40:43.519
 No, nothing will.

00:40:44.199 --> 00:40:45.340
 Meditate upon it.

00:40:46.019 --> 00:40:47.400
 Claim that as your promise.

00:40:47.659 --> 00:40:48.880
 Ask people to pray

00:40:48.880 --> 00:40:50.380
 that you will take that heart

00:40:50.380 --> 00:40:52.599
 as it brings the gospel home to you.

00:40:52.639 --> 00:40:54.059
 What Christ has done for you.

00:40:54.800 --> 00:40:55.559
 And a fourth thing

00:40:55.559 --> 00:40:56.300
 that you can do

00:40:56.300 --> 00:40:56.880
 is very,

00:40:57.039 --> 00:40:58.539
 it's a thing we can do today.

00:40:59.119 --> 00:41:00.400
 It's the wonderful thing

00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:01.239
 about celebrating

00:41:01.239 --> 00:41:02.219
 the Lord's Supper.

00:41:03.539 --> 00:41:04.420
 The Lord's Supper

00:41:04.420 --> 00:41:05.900
 is a reminder to us

00:41:05.900 --> 00:41:06.880
 of what Jesus did

00:41:06.880 --> 00:41:08.059
 for us on the cross.

00:41:08.579 --> 00:41:09.440
 And that when we put

00:41:09.440 --> 00:41:10.740
 our faith and trust in Him,

00:41:10.800 --> 00:41:11.639
 it's like you enter

00:41:11.639 --> 00:41:13.019
 into a new covenant with Him,

00:41:13.079 --> 00:41:14.820
 one where He will never let you go.

00:41:16.019 --> 00:41:17.340
 And it's not,

00:41:17.480 --> 00:41:18.559
 I'm not going to get up

00:41:18.559 --> 00:41:18.780
 and say,

00:41:18.860 --> 00:41:19.280
 by the way,

00:41:19.360 --> 00:41:20.059
 only the people

00:41:20.059 --> 00:41:21.340
 in the expensive seats

00:41:21.340 --> 00:41:22.159
 can come forward

00:41:22.159 --> 00:41:22.800
 for communion.

00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:23.940
 All you losers

00:41:23.940 --> 00:41:25.440
 in the nosebleed section,

00:41:25.559 --> 00:41:26.639
 you have to stay back.

00:41:26.960 --> 00:41:27.780
 I don't say,

00:41:28.099 --> 00:41:28.659
 by the way,

00:41:28.760 --> 00:41:29.700
 all of you really,

00:41:29.900 --> 00:41:30.340
 you know,

00:41:30.480 --> 00:41:31.260
 scummy people

00:41:31.260 --> 00:41:31.920
 who haven't had

00:41:31.920 --> 00:41:32.820
 a very good week,

00:41:32.900 --> 00:41:33.780
 like you have to stay

00:41:33.780 --> 00:41:34.420
 in your seats.

00:41:34.579 --> 00:41:34.980
 No.

00:41:34.980 --> 00:41:37.519
 The Lord's Supper

00:41:37.519 --> 00:41:39.099
 is this visual reminder

00:41:39.099 --> 00:41:40.280
 of what Christ has done

00:41:40.280 --> 00:41:41.860
 for us on the cross.

00:41:42.099 --> 00:41:43.119
 It's an opportunity

00:41:43.119 --> 00:41:44.599
 for us to reflect again

00:41:44.599 --> 00:41:46.000
 upon what the gospel

00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:47.740
 has accomplished for you.

00:41:48.119 --> 00:41:49.360
 And it is an invitation

00:41:49.360 --> 00:41:50.840
 for you to come and say,

00:41:51.679 --> 00:41:52.199
 you know what,

00:41:52.559 --> 00:41:53.480
 that person probably

00:41:53.480 --> 00:41:54.380
 isn't any better than me

00:41:54.380 --> 00:41:55.440
 and they're receiving communion

00:41:55.440 --> 00:41:56.199
 and that person

00:41:56.199 --> 00:41:57.179
 isn't any better than me

00:41:57.179 --> 00:41:58.519
 and George isn't any better than me

00:41:58.519 --> 00:41:59.900
 and they're all receiving communion.

00:41:59.900 --> 00:42:01.220
 And Jesus is,

00:42:01.380 --> 00:42:02.940
 George is being Christ's herald

00:42:02.940 --> 00:42:03.360
 and say,

00:42:03.500 --> 00:42:03.940
 come.

00:42:05.880 --> 00:42:06.940
 And I will come

00:42:06.940 --> 00:42:08.280
 and I will feed on Christ.

00:42:08.440 --> 00:42:09.940
 And it reminds me

00:42:09.940 --> 00:42:10.519
 that it's,

00:42:10.920 --> 00:42:12.660
 his blood has covered me

00:42:12.660 --> 00:42:13.400
 and entered me.

00:42:13.539 --> 00:42:14.860
 His body has entered me.

00:42:14.900 --> 00:42:16.860
 I can feed on him spiritually

00:42:16.860 --> 00:42:18.800
 and I can remember

00:42:18.800 --> 00:42:19.900
 with the invitation

00:42:19.900 --> 00:42:22.639
 that the words of the accuser

00:42:22.639 --> 00:42:23.539
 is wrong.

00:42:25.619 --> 00:42:27.260
 That Christ welcomes me.

00:42:27.260 --> 00:42:30.360
 One final piece of advice.

00:42:31.840 --> 00:42:32.120
 I mean,

00:42:32.260 --> 00:42:32.420
 you know,

00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:33.380
 part of the whole problem

00:42:33.380 --> 00:42:34.360
 with accusing conscience

00:42:34.360 --> 00:42:35.360
 is we can't go back

00:42:35.360 --> 00:42:36.540
 in time to fix things.

00:42:39.060 --> 00:42:39.960
 And one of the things,

00:42:40.020 --> 00:42:41.280
 upon all those other four things

00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:42.080
 which I've told you

00:42:42.080 --> 00:42:43.120
 is that one of the things

00:42:43.120 --> 00:42:43.940
 that we can just do

00:42:43.940 --> 00:42:44.740
 is pray.

00:42:46.180 --> 00:42:47.340
 If there's some other thing

00:42:47.340 --> 00:42:48.200
 of amendment of life

00:42:48.200 --> 00:42:48.840
 that we can do,

00:42:48.920 --> 00:42:49.760
 then the Holy Spirit

00:42:49.760 --> 00:42:51.020
 should lead you into it.

00:42:51.080 --> 00:42:51.280
 You see,

00:42:51.320 --> 00:42:52.000
 the wonderful thing

00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:52.760
 about the gospel

00:42:52.760 --> 00:42:53.800
 is that once it becomes

00:42:53.800 --> 00:42:54.860
 more real to your heart,

00:42:55.060 --> 00:42:56.440
 it doesn't become an excuse

00:42:56.440 --> 00:42:57.240
 for you to do more

00:42:57.239 --> 00:42:58.079
 bad things.

00:42:58.759 --> 00:43:00.259
 It becomes a secure,

00:43:00.479 --> 00:43:01.159
 emotional,

00:43:01.479 --> 00:43:02.779
 and intellectual place

00:43:02.779 --> 00:43:03.579
 to stand

00:43:03.579 --> 00:43:06.159
 where you can ask

00:43:06.159 --> 00:43:07.159
 the Holy Spirit,

00:43:07.299 --> 00:43:08.279
 you can ask Christ

00:43:08.279 --> 00:43:09.679
 to make clear to you

00:43:09.679 --> 00:43:10.479
 what you did

00:43:10.479 --> 00:43:12.159
 and what you did not do wrong

00:43:12.159 --> 00:43:13.599
 and ask for his help

00:43:13.599 --> 00:43:15.159
 to make things right

00:43:15.159 --> 00:43:19.199
 and to walk towards it.

00:43:20.059 --> 00:43:20.839
 And if there's nothing

00:43:20.839 --> 00:43:21.419
 you can do,

00:43:21.579 --> 00:43:22.000
 well then,

00:43:22.099 --> 00:43:23.839
 just to at least pray

00:43:23.839 --> 00:43:24.839
 into the situation.

00:43:24.840 --> 00:43:26.500
 You see,

00:43:26.579 --> 00:43:28.220
 the gospel doesn't give you

00:43:28.220 --> 00:43:29.500
 a license to sin.

00:43:29.660 --> 00:43:31.360
 It provides this strong

00:43:31.360 --> 00:43:33.680
 emotional and intellectual place

00:43:33.680 --> 00:43:35.880
 and communal place

00:43:35.880 --> 00:43:38.260
 because we are a congregation

00:43:38.260 --> 00:43:39.700
 of the cross

00:43:39.700 --> 00:43:43.480
 to support each other.

00:43:43.480 --> 00:43:48.420
 So sinners,

00:43:49.320 --> 00:43:50.920
 if you're in Christ,

00:43:51.059 --> 00:43:51.880
 you are redeemed.

00:43:53.079 --> 00:43:54.240
 And when it comes time

00:43:54.240 --> 00:43:54.820
 for communion,

00:43:55.619 --> 00:43:56.460
 come on up

00:43:56.460 --> 00:43:58.079
 and remember Christ.

00:43:58.639 --> 00:43:59.440
 I invite you to stand.

00:44:06.440 --> 00:44:07.119
 Let's pray.

00:44:07.119 --> 00:44:13.359
 Father,

00:44:13.500 --> 00:44:14.559
 your Son is a wonderful

00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:15.559
 and beautiful Savior.

00:44:18.599 --> 00:44:19.900
 We give you thanks

00:44:19.900 --> 00:44:20.539
 and praise

00:44:20.539 --> 00:44:21.440
 that though evil

00:44:21.440 --> 00:44:22.519
 runs through the center

00:44:22.519 --> 00:44:23.960
 of every single human being

00:44:23.960 --> 00:44:24.819
 and will be there

00:44:24.819 --> 00:44:25.659
 to some extent

00:44:25.659 --> 00:44:26.579
 until we see you

00:44:26.579 --> 00:44:27.380
 face to face

00:44:27.380 --> 00:44:29.059
 and are glorified

00:44:29.059 --> 00:44:31.019
 to be like Christ

00:44:31.019 --> 00:44:32.099
 and to see you

00:44:32.099 --> 00:44:33.000
 face to face

00:44:33.000 --> 00:44:35.280
 unashamed,

00:44:36.599 --> 00:44:37.800
 basking in your beauty,

00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:39.159
 the beauty of your smile

00:44:39.159 --> 00:44:39.900
 and of your goodness

00:44:39.900 --> 00:44:40.840
 and of your love

00:44:40.840 --> 00:44:42.059
 and beauty

00:44:42.059 --> 00:44:42.719
 and all of that,

00:44:42.860 --> 00:44:43.019
 Father.

00:44:43.079 --> 00:44:43.860
 We give you thanks

00:44:43.860 --> 00:44:44.380
 and praise

00:44:44.380 --> 00:44:45.699
 that your Son

00:44:45.699 --> 00:44:47.099
 died to save us,

00:44:47.960 --> 00:44:48.920
 that he died

00:44:48.920 --> 00:44:49.780
 to take away

00:44:49.780 --> 00:44:51.460
 that sin

00:44:51.460 --> 00:44:52.159
 and that shame

00:44:52.159 --> 00:44:52.760
 that he dealt

00:44:52.760 --> 00:44:53.760
 with it on the cross

00:44:53.760 --> 00:44:55.659
 and that he clothes us

00:44:55.659 --> 00:44:56.519
 when we put our faith

00:44:56.519 --> 00:44:57.219
 and trust in him,

00:44:57.320 --> 00:44:58.280
 that not just him,

00:44:58.400 --> 00:44:59.599
 he doesn't just take away

00:44:59.599 --> 00:45:00.519
 the sin

00:45:00.519 --> 00:45:01.119
 and the punishment

00:45:01.119 --> 00:45:02.059
 our sin deserves,

00:45:02.059 --> 00:45:03.619
 but that he clothes us

00:45:03.619 --> 00:45:04.440
 in his righteousness,

00:45:04.820 --> 00:45:06.039
 he clothes us

00:45:06.039 --> 00:45:06.860
 in his beauty,

00:45:07.259 --> 00:45:08.219
 he clothes us

00:45:08.219 --> 00:45:08.920
 in his goodness

00:45:08.920 --> 00:45:11.000
 and that he calls us

00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:12.719
 to be part of his people

00:45:12.719 --> 00:45:13.380
 in a covenant

00:45:13.380 --> 00:45:14.059
 with him forever.

00:45:14.239 --> 00:45:14.480
 Father,

00:45:14.559 --> 00:45:15.380
 we are not worthy

00:45:15.380 --> 00:45:16.440
 of anything like this.

00:45:16.860 --> 00:45:17.559
 We are dependent

00:45:17.559 --> 00:45:18.599
 completely upon

00:45:18.599 --> 00:45:19.500
 your goodness,

00:45:20.320 --> 00:45:21.299
 completely dependent

00:45:21.299 --> 00:45:22.199
 upon your goodness

00:45:22.199 --> 00:45:22.920
 and we ask,

00:45:23.039 --> 00:45:23.900
 we are so thankful,

00:45:24.259 --> 00:45:24.340
 Father,

00:45:24.400 --> 00:45:25.119
 that you do not

00:45:25.119 --> 00:45:26.000
 have us walk alone

00:45:26.000 --> 00:45:27.079
 but that we can be part

00:45:27.079 --> 00:45:27.779
 of a community

00:45:27.779 --> 00:45:29.579
 centered around the cross

00:45:29.579 --> 00:45:30.139
 in Christ

00:45:30.139 --> 00:45:31.739
 and that week by week

00:45:31.739 --> 00:45:32.479
 we are invited

00:45:32.479 --> 00:45:33.759
 to remember

00:45:33.759 --> 00:45:34.399
 what he did

00:45:34.399 --> 00:45:35.259
 for us on the cross.

00:45:35.419 --> 00:45:36.539
 We are reminded

00:45:36.539 --> 00:45:38.099
 to meet other people

00:45:38.099 --> 00:45:38.799
 that we can ask

00:45:38.799 --> 00:45:39.719
 to pray for us

00:45:39.719 --> 00:45:40.479
 and we can come

00:45:40.479 --> 00:45:41.079
 and receive

00:45:41.079 --> 00:45:42.339
 and feed spiritually

00:45:42.339 --> 00:45:43.219
 upon Christ

00:45:43.219 --> 00:45:44.719
 Sunday after Sunday.

00:45:44.839 --> 00:45:45.000
 Father,

00:45:45.059 --> 00:45:45.579
 we thank you

00:45:45.579 --> 00:45:46.559
 for the grace

00:45:46.559 --> 00:45:47.059
 in Christ

00:45:47.059 --> 00:45:47.719
 and the means

00:45:47.719 --> 00:45:48.279
 of grace

00:45:48.279 --> 00:45:49.859
 in Sunday services

00:45:49.859 --> 00:45:51.019
 and Holy Communion

00:45:51.019 --> 00:45:52.019
 and we ask,

00:45:52.459 --> 00:45:52.459


00:45:52.599 --> 00:45:54.079
 that you bring

00:45:54.079 --> 00:45:54.939
 the gospel home

00:45:54.939 --> 00:45:55.759
 more and more deeply

00:45:55.759 --> 00:45:56.319
 to us

00:45:56.319 --> 00:45:56.819
 so that,

00:45:57.139 --> 00:45:57.299
 Father,

00:45:57.419 --> 00:45:58.059
 out of that,

00:45:58.859 --> 00:45:59.339
 out of that,

00:45:59.399 --> 00:46:00.000
 we might deal

00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:00.719
 with the crap

00:46:00.719 --> 00:46:01.460
 in our lives

00:46:01.460 --> 00:46:03.500
 knowing what

00:46:03.500 --> 00:46:04.239
 the final judgment

00:46:04.239 --> 00:46:04.619
 is.

00:46:05.039 --> 00:46:05.579
 And we ask all

00:46:05.579 --> 00:46:06.059
 these things

00:46:06.059 --> 00:46:06.440
 in the name

00:46:06.440 --> 00:46:06.900
 of Jesus,

00:46:07.099 --> 00:46:07.599
 your Son

00:46:07.599 --> 00:46:08.199
 and our Savior

00:46:08.199 --> 00:46:08.820
 and all God's

00:46:08.820 --> 00:46:09.420
 people said,

00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:10.320
 Amen.

00:46:10.320 --> 00:46:10.420
 Amen.