WEBVTT

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 We hope that you enjoy this teaching from Christchurch.

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 This material is copyrighted and no unauthorized duplication, redistribution, or any other use of any part is permitted without prior consent from Christchurch.

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 Please consider donating to this work in the San Francisco Bay Area online at ChristChurchEastBay.org.

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 Good morning. I am Abigail Todd and I am part of CC Kids.

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 Today's scripture reading is from the book of Genesis, chapter 25, verses 21 to 23, and chapter 27, verses 1 to 4, and 15 to 34, as printed in the liturgy.

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 A reading from the book of Genesis.

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 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless.

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 The Lord answered his prayer and his wife Rebecca became pregnant.

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 The babies jostled each other within her and she said, why is this happening to me?

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 So she went to inquire of the Lord.

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 The Lord said to her, two nations are in your womb and two peoples from within you will be separated.

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 One people will be stronger than the other and the older will serve the younger.

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 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak he could no longer see, he called for Esau, his older son, and said to him, my son.

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 Here I am, he answered.

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 Isaac said, I am now an old man and don't know the day of my death.

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 Now then, get your equipment, your quiver and bow, and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me.

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 Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat so that I may give you my blessing before I die.

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 Then Rebecca took the best clothes of Esau, her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob.

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 She also covered his hands in the smooth part of his neck with goat skins.

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 Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and bread she had made.

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 He went to his father and said, my father.

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 Yes, my son, he answered.

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 Who is it?

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 Jacob said to his father, I am Esau, your firstborn.

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 I have done as you told me.

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 Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may give me your blessing.

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 Isaac asked his son, how did you find it so quickly, my son?

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 The Lord your God gave me success, he replied.

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 Then Isaac said to Jacob, come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.

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 Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, the voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

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 He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau.

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 So he proceeded to bless him.

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 Are you really my son Esau, he asked.

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 I am, he replied.

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 Then he said, my son, bring me some of your game to eat so that I may give you my blessing.

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 Jacob brought it to him and he ate, and he brought some wine and he drank.

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 Then his father Isaac said to him, come here, my son, and kiss me.

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 So he went to him and kissed him.

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 When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, ah, the smell of my son is the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed.

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 May God give you heaven's dew and earth's richness, an abundance of grain and new wine.

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 May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you.

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 Be lord of your brothers and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.

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 May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.

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 After Isaac finished blessing him and Jacob had scarcely left his father's presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting.

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 He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father.

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 Then he said to him, my father, please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may give me your blessing.

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 His father Isaac said to him, who are you?

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 I'm your son, he answered, your firstborn Esau.

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 Isaac trembled violently and said, who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me?

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 I ate it just before you came and I blessed him and indeed he will be blessed.

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 When Esau heard his father's words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, bless me, me too, my father.

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 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.

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 All right.

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 What a wonderful recitation from Psalm 23.

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 And what a wonderful reading from Genesis 27.

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 I don't know if you have read many Russian novels, but Leo Tolstoy was a Russian novelist and he wrote a novel called Anna Karenina.

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 And the opening of that novel, the very first sentence, he says,

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 Happy families are all alike.

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 Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

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 If you came here today and you're feeling a little discouraged about your family,

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 the message of Genesis 27 is cheer up because things could be a whole lot worse.

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 Okay.

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 The holy family we meet here is actually quite unholy and therefore quite unhappy.

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 And that's crazy because if you're familiar with Genesis, you go to Genesis 24,

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 what you find there is one of the first and best love stories in all of world literature.

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 It's a story about how Isaac and Rebecca became husband and wife.

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 And then we heard a little bit in Genesis 25 there where Rebecca, his wife, is barren.

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 She's struggling with infertility for 20 years.

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 And Isaac prays for her for 20 years.

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 And it says that Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife and the Lord answered his prayer.

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 So it's an amazing love story.

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 But by the time you get to Genesis 27, they're not speaking to one another.

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 They are at cross purposes with each other.

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 This marriage is in trouble.

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 And so if you're reading the story, you're thinking to yourself,

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 well, what happened to this marriage made in heaven?

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 What happened to the spiritual union?

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 What happened to their covenantal intimacy?

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 Why are they now prayerless?

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 They're not even talking to God.

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 Why are they so dysfunctional?

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 Why are they so uncommunicative?

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 And by the way, aren't these supposed to be God's chosen people?

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 Aren't they supposed to be carrying within themselves the very promises of God

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 and the blessings of God on Abraham to all the nations of the world?

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 Why are they being such poor spouses and partners to each other in this story?

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 And what's more, how did they become such terrible parents to their kids?

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 Now, when we planned our parenting class for today,

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 we did not look ahead at the scripture lesson.

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 But God knows.

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 God has a sense of humor.

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 And the story is, of course, much deeper than this.

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 But parents, don't show favoritism to your kids.

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 Don't compare them with each other.

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 Don't say, hey, this is actually my kid and that's your kid.

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 Don't have divided loyalties.

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 And of course, if you get nothing else from today,

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 it's fine to dress your kid up on Halloween.

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 But please, do not go to the level of Genesis 27

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 and dress up your favorite kid

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 in order to deceive your spouse

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 that they're actually blessing their favorite kid.

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 I say this because the Bible is actually quite shocking.

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 We come to it with certain expectations.

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 We come to the Bible thinking it's going to give us some sort of spiritual uplift,

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 thinking that the Bible is going to give us some moral inspiration,

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 maybe a little chicken soup for the soul.

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 And we very quickly begin to realize

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 that the Bible is this soap opera of epic proportions.

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 Right?

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 It's a bizarre reality TV drama.

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 And in one episode after another,

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 we witness this just tragic downward spiral of human failure.

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 And today's story is actually quite bleak.

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 There's jealousy.

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 There's power struggles.

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 There's deception.

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 There's betrayal.

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 It's like a Russian novel.

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 And it basically ends with everyone falling apart,

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 trembling violently, crying bitterly.

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 Everybody feeling spiritually uplifted so far?

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 All right.

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 Awesome.

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 So what we're going to talk about is

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 we're going to talk about the power of God's blessing

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 and the dysfunction of God's family

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 and the triumph of God's grace.

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 The power of God's blessing,

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 the dysfunction of God's family,

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 and the triumph of God's grace.

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 First of all,

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 the power of God's blessing.

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 The word bless or blessing in Genesis 22 or 2027

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 occurs many times.

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 It occurs 22 times.

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 It's a key word in this text.

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 And you hear it there in verse 4 of Genesis 27

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 where Isaac says to Esau,

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 he says,

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 prepare me the kind of tasty food I like

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 and bring it to me to eat

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 so that I may give you my blessing before I die.

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 And then down in verse 19,

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 it says,

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 What does that word blessing mean?

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 It's a religious-sounding word.

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 We say a blessing at a meal.

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 We say bless you when you sneeze.

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 We say I'm feeling so blessed when life is going well.

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 We say, you know,

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 bless you or bless in the south.

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 We say bless your heart.

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 But we post pictures on Instagram

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 of our recent vacation,

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 and we say hashtag blessed.

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 But what does the word even mean?

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 It's that the English word is just so vague, actually.

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 It's so weak and so shallow

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 that we need to go back to Genesis 1

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 where the story of the Bible begins

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 with this God who brings life out of the darkness,

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 and he's ordering this beautiful world,

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 and he gives the first blessing in the Bible.

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 And he blesses the animals that he's made.

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 And what does he say to them?

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 He says,

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 Be fruitful and multiply.

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 Fill the earth.

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 Fill the sea.

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 Fill the sky.

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 So blessing is about flourishing.

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 It's about the multiplication of life.

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 Blessing is about God sharing

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 his life-producing ability with others.

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 And we read in Genesis 1-2

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 that God then blesses humans,

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 and he says,

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 I'm making you in my image.

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 You're gonna be fruitful

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 and multiply with life,

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 and you're to rule and steward over

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 the blessing that I've given

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 to this flourishing world.

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 And of course,

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 as we've been tracking the story,

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 Genesis 3,

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 pretty immediately,

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 humanity says,

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 Well, no,

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 we don't want the blessing that way.

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 We want the blessing this way.

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 We want the blessing on our terms.

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 And then the world begins to fall apart.

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 Fast forward to Genesis 12.

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 I think we have a slide on this

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 where God chooses one couple.

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 He blesses Abraham and Sarah.

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 He says,

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 You're gonna have a huge family.

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 You're gonna be fruitful.

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 You're gonna multiply with life.

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 And through you,

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 my blessing of spiritual life

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 is gonna go out to all the nations.

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 And this is God's plan.

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 This is God's way

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 that he's going to reverse the curse

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 on humanity

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 through this one family.

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 That the blessing of spiritual life

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 on Abraham and Sarah

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 is the thing

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 that's driving the drama

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 of the book of Genesis.

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 And really,

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 it's the thing that's driving

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 the drama of the whole Bible.

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 You just can't get the Bible

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 unless you get that.

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 And so our story today says,

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 you know,

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 okay,

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 without God's blessing of life,

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 there's no hope for this world

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 that's stuck in sin and death.

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 And right now,

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 this blessing

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 moving from one generation

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 to the next generation,

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 it really hangs in the balance.

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 Here you have Isaac,

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 the son of Abraham.

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 Isaac,

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 the son of promise,

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 the son of the covenant,

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 the son of blessing.

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 And he has a wonderful,

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 believing wife,

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 but they have no kids.

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 And in Genesis 25, 21,

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 his wife Rebecca

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 has been barren for 20 years.

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 That's a problem.

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 How's the blessing

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 going to go on

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 to the next generation?

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 So Isaac prays

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 to the Lord

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 on her behalf.

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 He intercedes for her.

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 And the Lord uses

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 the means of his prayer

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 to bless her with life.

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 And he blesses her

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 not just with one kid,

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 but with two kids

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 in her womb.

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 And the question is,

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 which of those sons

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 is going to inherit

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 the blessing?

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 And that's the question

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 that's driving

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 the entire plot line.

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 You with me so far?

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 Now, I want to argue,

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 and I think the text,

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 the narrator argues,

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 that even though Isaac,

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 Rebecca, Esau, and Jacob

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 are wrong

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 in the way that they give

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 and receive

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 this blessing of life,

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 this divine blessing of life,

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 and we'll get to that

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 in a moment,

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 they are absolutely right

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 in their desire to have it.

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 They're absolutely right

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 because there's no greater

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 treasure in the world

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 than this divine blessing

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 of life on Abraham

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 because through him

00:13:31.740 --> 00:13:32.679
 and through his descendants,

00:13:33.219 --> 00:13:34.299
 God has said salvation

00:13:34.299 --> 00:13:35.059
 is going to come

00:13:35.059 --> 00:13:36.099
 to the whole world.

00:13:37.620 --> 00:13:38.559
 And what's surprising

00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:39.159
 in this text

00:13:39.159 --> 00:13:40.579
 is that Isaac intends

00:13:40.579 --> 00:13:42.219
 to pass this blessing

00:13:42.219 --> 00:13:43.399
 on to Esau,

00:13:43.659 --> 00:13:45.099
 but he actually gives it

00:13:45.099 --> 00:13:46.519
 to Jacob instead.

00:13:46.679 --> 00:13:47.519
 And you may be wondering

00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:48.019
 to yourself,

00:13:48.079 --> 00:13:48.719
 like I was wondering

00:13:48.719 --> 00:13:49.379
 when I read it,

00:13:49.379 --> 00:13:51.679
 why didn't Isaac

00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:52.700
 just take it back?

00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:55.500
 Anybody wondering that?

00:13:56.939 --> 00:13:58.279
 Why didn't he just say,

00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:00.019
 Jacob, you scoundrel,

00:14:00.419 --> 00:14:00.820
 you're not even

00:14:00.820 --> 00:14:01.580
 my favorite child.

00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:03.360
 Jacob, you're a cheater

00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:04.679
 and you're a deceiver

00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:06.500
 and you're canceled, right?

00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:07.299
 I take it back.

00:14:08.419 --> 00:14:10.220
 Well, I don't know about you,

00:14:10.340 --> 00:14:12.080
 but my older brother

00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:14.159
 taught me when I was a kid,

00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:16.700
 there are no takebacks, right?

00:14:16.940 --> 00:14:18.519
 There are no do-overs.

00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:19.299
 That got pounded

00:14:19.299 --> 00:14:20.460
 into the old brain here.

00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:22.379
 And we all know that

00:14:22.379 --> 00:14:23.059
 since childhood,

00:14:23.199 --> 00:14:23.679
 but also,

00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:25.399
 it's just not how blessings work.

00:14:26.980 --> 00:14:28.500
 You know it from your own story.

00:14:28.579 --> 00:14:29.559
 You know it if you've gone

00:14:29.559 --> 00:14:30.079
 to counseling

00:14:30.079 --> 00:14:31.419
 or talked to your therapist

00:14:31.419 --> 00:14:34.220
 that the words people say to us,

00:14:34.840 --> 00:14:36.159
 whether they're words of blessing

00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:37.419
 or they're words of cursing,

00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:39.319
 they have power, don't they?

00:14:40.460 --> 00:14:42.639
 They stick in our heads,

00:14:42.819 --> 00:14:44.759
 they get lodged in our hearts,

00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:46.559
 they work their way

00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:48.139
 into the innermost parts

00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:48.919
 of our being,

00:14:49.299 --> 00:14:50.720
 and those words of blessing

00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:52.080
 or those words of cursing,

00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:53.980
 they shape our lives.

00:14:54.840 --> 00:14:56.919
 They form our narratives

00:14:56.919 --> 00:14:57.740
 and our beliefs

00:14:57.740 --> 00:14:59.259
 about ourselves in this world.

00:14:59.379 --> 00:15:00.439
 They form our thoughts

00:15:00.439 --> 00:15:01.059
 and our feelings.

00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.179
 They shape our sense of identity

00:15:03.179 --> 00:15:03.860
 and belonging

00:15:03.860 --> 00:15:04.899
 and meaning and purpose

00:15:04.899 --> 00:15:05.480
 in the world.

00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:08.000
 And so you can't just take them back.

00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:10.779
 Many people,

00:15:10.860 --> 00:15:12.159
 I've seen many people

00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:14.159
 spend a good portion

00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:14.919
 of their lives

00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:16.139
 seeking a blessing

00:15:16.139 --> 00:15:18.000
 that they wanted

00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:19.179
 from a parent

00:15:19.179 --> 00:15:20.039
 but they never got.

00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:22.460
 And I've also seen

00:15:22.460 --> 00:15:23.179
 many, many people

00:15:23.179 --> 00:15:24.320
 trying to get over words

00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:25.000
 of cursing

00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:26.500
 that lodged inside of them

00:15:26.500 --> 00:15:27.279
 like shrapnel

00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:28.360
 that's sort of creeping

00:15:28.360 --> 00:15:29.799
 up to their heart.

00:15:31.179 --> 00:15:32.480
 And what we should have learned

00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:33.019
 as kids

00:15:33.019 --> 00:15:33.799
 and what we should have said

00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:34.740
 to each other as kids

00:15:34.740 --> 00:15:36.840
 is sticks and stones

00:15:36.840 --> 00:15:37.919
 may break my bones

00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:39.699
 but words can make

00:15:39.699 --> 00:15:40.919
 or break my very soul.

00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:42.500
 Right?

00:15:42.599 --> 00:15:44.179
 Words have deep power.

00:15:44.299 --> 00:15:45.519
 It's not just as simple

00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:46.419
 as take it back.

00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:49.279
 And if that's the way it is

00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:52.319
 with our everyday words

00:15:52.319 --> 00:15:53.500
 and our offhanded comments,

00:15:53.599 --> 00:15:54.360
 our simple words

00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:55.159
 of affirmation

00:15:55.159 --> 00:15:55.939
 or condemnation,

00:15:56.059 --> 00:15:58.219
 our simple encouragement

00:15:58.219 --> 00:15:59.120
 or criticism,

00:15:59.620 --> 00:16:01.099
 then how much more so

00:16:01.099 --> 00:16:02.740
 with this divine

00:16:02.740 --> 00:16:04.000
 supernatural blessing

00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:05.839
 and this end of life

00:16:05.839 --> 00:16:07.139
 last will and testament

00:16:07.139 --> 00:16:09.019
 moment with the son

00:16:09.019 --> 00:16:09.899
 of Abraham

00:16:09.899 --> 00:16:11.799
 speaking formal words,

00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:12.919
 speaking legal

00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:14.080
 and binding words,

00:16:14.419 --> 00:16:15.500
 passing on not just

00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:16.779
 his parental

00:16:16.779 --> 00:16:18.559
 and personal blessing

00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:20.179
 but passing on

00:16:20.179 --> 00:16:21.960
 the life-giving blessing

00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:23.360
 of Almighty God.

00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:25.799
 Can't just take it back.

00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:28.299
 So how does this apply

00:16:28.299 --> 00:16:28.919
 to our lives?

00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:30.220
 Well, I just want to say

00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:33.580
 that every single one

00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:34.620
 of you

00:16:34.620 --> 00:16:35.600
 and every person

00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:36.080
 you meet

00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:38.660
 is made for God's blessing

00:16:38.660 --> 00:16:41.639
 and you're never

00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:42.660
 going to be content

00:16:42.660 --> 00:16:44.100
 without it.

00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:46.860
 The book of Ecclesiastes

00:16:46.860 --> 00:16:47.940
 has a wonderful

00:16:47.940 --> 00:16:49.759
 verse.

00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:51.639
 In Ecclesiastes 3.11

00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:52.160
 it says,

00:16:52.700 --> 00:16:53.759
 God has set eternity

00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:55.360
 in the human heart.

00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:58.060
 St. Augustine

00:16:58.060 --> 00:16:59.580
 famously said,

00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:00.200
 O Lord,

00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:00.800
 you've made us

00:17:00.800 --> 00:17:01.379
 for yourself

00:17:01.379 --> 00:17:02.980
 and our hearts

00:17:02.980 --> 00:17:03.480
 are restless

00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:04.680
 until they find

00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:05.500
 their rest in you.

00:17:06.740 --> 00:17:08.180
 And what Ecclesiastes

00:17:08.180 --> 00:17:09.099
 and what Augustine

00:17:09.099 --> 00:17:09.620
 is saying is,

00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:09.799
 look,

00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:11.380
 you have a God-shaped

00:17:11.380 --> 00:17:13.099
 eternity-sized

00:17:13.099 --> 00:17:14.620
 hole in your heart

00:17:14.620 --> 00:17:16.940
 and only a God-shaped

00:17:16.940 --> 00:17:18.039
 eternity-sized

00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:18.519
 blessing

00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:20.360
 is going to fill it.

00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:23.480
 And we see people,

00:17:23.480 --> 00:17:24.960
 maybe you're one

00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:25.380
 of these people,

00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:26.240
 you try to find

00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:26.660
 the blessing

00:17:26.660 --> 00:17:27.799
 in the approval

00:17:27.799 --> 00:17:28.559
 of your parents.

00:17:29.700 --> 00:17:30.559
 You try to find

00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:30.980
 the blessing

00:17:30.980 --> 00:17:31.559
 in the arms

00:17:31.559 --> 00:17:32.039
 of a lover.

00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:33.860
 You try to find

00:17:33.860 --> 00:17:34.279
 the blessing

00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:35.519
 in fancy degrees

00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:36.640
 from elite universities,

00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:38.440
 from the security

00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:39.539
 of a big bank account,

00:17:39.700 --> 00:17:40.500
 from the satisfaction

00:17:40.500 --> 00:17:42.240
 of a successful career.

00:17:42.620 --> 00:17:43.160
 You try to find

00:17:43.160 --> 00:17:43.579
 the blessing

00:17:43.579 --> 00:17:44.140
 in the comfort

00:17:44.140 --> 00:17:45.860
 of food or drink.

00:17:47.140 --> 00:17:49.180
 And it's kind

00:17:49.180 --> 00:17:49.920
 of elusive, right?

00:17:50.180 --> 00:17:50.759
 I've been thinking

00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:51.920
 about this a lot

00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:53.180
 as our daughter

00:17:53.180 --> 00:17:53.940
 is a senior

00:17:53.940 --> 00:17:54.620
 in high school

00:17:54.620 --> 00:17:57.019
 and she's applying

00:17:57.019 --> 00:17:57.800
 to colleges,

00:17:58.100 --> 00:17:59.039
 applying for scholarships,

00:17:59.340 --> 00:18:00.000
 and that means

00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:00.900
 that we've been

00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:01.880
 receiving a ton

00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:02.380
 of mail

00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:04.200
 over this past year,

00:18:04.980 --> 00:18:06.080
 an incredible amount

00:18:06.080 --> 00:18:06.500
 of mail

00:18:06.500 --> 00:18:07.880
 from admissions offices

00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:09.779
 that are recruiting

00:18:09.779 --> 00:18:10.759
 her to apply.

00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:14.080
 And these glossy mailers

00:18:14.080 --> 00:18:16.140
 are making massive promises

00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:16.960
 to my daughter

00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:19.320
 about how her life

00:18:19.320 --> 00:18:20.160
 is going to change

00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:20.600
 for the better,

00:18:20.700 --> 00:18:21.380
 how her life

00:18:21.380 --> 00:18:22.820
 is going to improve

00:18:22.820 --> 00:18:24.019
 dramatically

00:18:24.019 --> 00:18:25.860
 should this particular

00:18:25.860 --> 00:18:27.800
 school decide

00:18:27.800 --> 00:18:29.340
 to confer upon her

00:18:29.340 --> 00:18:30.200
 the blessing

00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:31.700
 of acceptance.

00:18:33.080 --> 00:18:33.340
 Right?

00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:34.560
 And everything hangs

00:18:34.560 --> 00:18:37.640
 on getting accepted,

00:18:37.779 --> 00:18:38.380
 getting in.

00:18:39.320 --> 00:18:40.500
 If the right people

00:18:40.500 --> 00:18:43.700
 say you're the right person

00:18:43.700 --> 00:18:45.019
 and you can come

00:18:45.019 --> 00:18:46.240
 to this institution,

00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:48.320
 you'll be blessed.

00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:49.559
 And this is very important

00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:51.279
 because where you go

00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:51.859
 is who you're going

00:18:51.859 --> 00:18:52.659
 to be, right?

00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:53.579
 Your degree,

00:18:54.019 --> 00:18:54.579
 the brand,

00:18:55.099 --> 00:18:55.720
 the friends,

00:18:55.899 --> 00:18:56.399
 the network,

00:18:56.519 --> 00:18:57.399
 the job prospects,

00:18:58.579 --> 00:18:59.500
 your earning potential,

00:18:59.919 --> 00:19:01.159
 we have the ability

00:19:01.159 --> 00:19:02.740
 to give you the blessing.

00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:05.779
 C.S. Lewis

00:19:05.779 --> 00:19:07.059
 was a professor

00:19:07.059 --> 00:19:08.980
 at the University

00:19:08.980 --> 00:19:09.740
 of Oxford

00:19:09.740 --> 00:19:10.539
 and Cambridge

00:19:10.539 --> 00:19:11.539
 and he gave a lecture

00:19:11.539 --> 00:19:12.339
 called

00:19:12.339 --> 00:19:13.500
 The Inner Ring,

00:19:13.639 --> 00:19:14.240
 capital I,

00:19:14.339 --> 00:19:14.980
 capital R,

00:19:15.419 --> 00:19:16.019
 Inner Ring.

00:19:16.019 --> 00:19:18.779
 And this is a lengthy quote

00:19:18.779 --> 00:19:19.599
 but I think it's worth

00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:21.099
 giving to you.

00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:22.660
 He says,

00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:23.700
 I believe that in all

00:19:23.700 --> 00:19:24.460
 men's lives

00:19:24.460 --> 00:19:25.519
 at certain periods

00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:27.299
 and in many men's lives

00:19:27.299 --> 00:19:28.079
 at all periods

00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:29.019
 between infancy

00:19:29.019 --> 00:19:30.279
 and extreme old age,

00:19:30.980 --> 00:19:32.519
 one of the most

00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:33.440
 dominant elements

00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:34.200
 is the desire

00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:35.180
 to be inside

00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:36.200
 the local ring

00:19:36.200 --> 00:19:37.480
 and the terror

00:19:37.480 --> 00:19:38.819
 of being left outside.

00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:41.119
 Think of our longing

00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:42.079
 to enter

00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:43.220
 the inner ring,

00:19:44.180 --> 00:19:44.879
 our anguish

00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:45.860
 when we are excluded

00:19:45.860 --> 00:19:47.760
 and the kind of pleasure

00:19:47.760 --> 00:19:48.340
 we feel

00:19:48.340 --> 00:19:49.060
 when we get in.

00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:50.980
 The desire

00:19:50.980 --> 00:19:51.800
 is one of the great

00:19:51.800 --> 00:19:53.940
 permanent mainsprings

00:19:53.940 --> 00:19:54.840
 of human action.

00:19:55.620 --> 00:19:56.600
 It is one of the factors

00:19:56.600 --> 00:19:57.420
 which go to make up

00:19:57.420 --> 00:19:57.780
 the world

00:19:57.780 --> 00:19:58.560
 as we know it,

00:19:58.600 --> 00:19:59.660
 this whole pell-mell

00:19:59.660 --> 00:20:00.380
 of struggle,

00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:01.340
 competition,

00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:02.160
 confusion,

00:20:02.360 --> 00:20:02.740
 graft,

00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:03.720
 disappointment,

00:20:04.020 --> 00:20:04.740
 and advertisement

00:20:04.740 --> 00:20:06.200
 and if it is one

00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:06.720
 of the permanent

00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:07.620
 mainsprings

00:20:07.620 --> 00:20:08.840
 then you may be

00:20:08.840 --> 00:20:10.160
 quite sure of this.

00:20:11.140 --> 00:20:12.240
 Unless you take measures

00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:13.000
 to prevent it,

00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:14.680
 this desire

00:20:14.680 --> 00:20:15.180
 is going to be

00:20:15.180 --> 00:20:15.819
 one of the chief

00:20:15.819 --> 00:20:17.099
 motives of your life

00:20:17.099 --> 00:20:18.480
 from the first day

00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:19.240
 on which you enter

00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:19.859
 your profession

00:20:19.859 --> 00:20:21.099
 until the day

00:20:21.099 --> 00:20:21.960
 when you are too old

00:20:21.960 --> 00:20:22.480
 to care.

00:20:23.380 --> 00:20:24.400
 Whether by pining

00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:25.500
 or moping outside

00:20:25.500 --> 00:20:26.279
 rings that you

00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:27.119
 can never enter

00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:29.019
 or by passing

00:20:29.019 --> 00:20:30.160
 triumphantly further

00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:31.000
 and further in,

00:20:31.660 --> 00:20:32.619
 one way or the other

00:20:32.619 --> 00:20:33.339
 you will be

00:20:33.339 --> 00:20:34.339
 an inner ringer.

00:20:35.579 --> 00:20:36.180
 The quest

00:20:36.180 --> 00:20:36.859
 of the inner ring

00:20:36.859 --> 00:20:38.000
 will break your hearts

00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:39.099
 unless you break it.

00:20:39.099 --> 00:20:41.559
 To a young person

00:20:41.559 --> 00:20:42.199
 just entering

00:20:42.199 --> 00:20:43.079
 adult life

00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:43.980
 the world seems

00:20:43.980 --> 00:20:45.019
 full of insides,

00:20:45.379 --> 00:20:46.179
 full of delightful

00:20:46.179 --> 00:20:46.859
 intimacies

00:20:46.859 --> 00:20:48.559
 and confidentialities

00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:49.319
 and he desires

00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:50.039
 to enter them

00:20:50.039 --> 00:20:51.099
 but if he follows

00:20:51.099 --> 00:20:51.839
 that desire

00:20:51.839 --> 00:20:52.939
 he will reach

00:20:52.939 --> 00:20:53.740
 no inside

00:20:53.740 --> 00:20:54.879
 that is worth reaching.

00:20:55.699 --> 00:20:56.459
 The true road

00:20:56.459 --> 00:20:57.319
 lies in quite

00:20:57.319 --> 00:20:58.579
 another direction.

00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:01.339
 See Lewis

00:21:01.339 --> 00:21:02.799
 thought quite a lot

00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:03.179
 about

00:21:03.179 --> 00:21:04.759
 where does

00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:05.679
 the blessing lie?

00:21:06.980 --> 00:21:07.119
 Right?

00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:07.839
 Does it lie

00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:09.239
 in that inner ring

00:21:09.239 --> 00:21:09.779
 out there?

00:21:10.719 --> 00:21:11.519
 And he personally

00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:12.199
 found that

00:21:12.199 --> 00:21:14.179
 the only inside

00:21:14.179 --> 00:21:14.859
 worth reaching

00:21:14.859 --> 00:21:16.659
 the only inner ring

00:21:16.659 --> 00:21:17.839
 worth being a part of

00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:19.819
 was entering into

00:21:19.819 --> 00:21:20.519
 the power

00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:21.419
 of God's blessing.

00:21:22.479 --> 00:21:23.179
 Stepping into

00:21:23.179 --> 00:21:23.979
 the inner ring

00:21:23.979 --> 00:21:24.659
 of the Father,

00:21:24.819 --> 00:21:25.659
 Son and Holy Spirit

00:21:25.659 --> 00:21:26.659
 which Jesus calls

00:21:26.659 --> 00:21:27.939
 eternal life

00:21:27.939 --> 00:21:29.739
 or abundant life

00:21:29.739 --> 00:21:31.579
 or divine life.

00:21:33.159 --> 00:21:33.959
 And I just want you

00:21:33.959 --> 00:21:34.439
 to know that

00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:36.140
 if you don't come

00:21:36.140 --> 00:21:37.200
 into the power

00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:37.920
 of God's blessing

00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:38.620
 and you don't let

00:21:38.620 --> 00:21:39.700
 the power of God's blessing

00:21:39.700 --> 00:21:40.720
 come into you,

00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:42.420
 you will spend

00:21:42.420 --> 00:21:43.480
 the rest of your life

00:21:43.480 --> 00:21:44.779
 looking for it

00:21:44.779 --> 00:21:46.440
 in inner rings

00:21:46.440 --> 00:21:47.660
 that make

00:21:47.660 --> 00:21:48.960
 really big claims

00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:50.740
 and really big promises

00:21:50.740 --> 00:21:52.820
 but can never actually

00:21:52.820 --> 00:21:54.620
 give you the thing.

00:21:56.299 --> 00:21:57.539
 So that's the power

00:21:57.539 --> 00:21:58.720
 of God's blessing.

00:22:00.220 --> 00:22:01.160
 And I want to talk

00:22:01.160 --> 00:22:01.980
 for a little bit about

00:22:01.980 --> 00:22:04.160
 now the dysfunction

00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:05.039
 of God's family

00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:06.579
 because now hopefully

00:22:06.579 --> 00:22:07.220
 we see

00:22:07.220 --> 00:22:09.279
 the need for

00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:10.259
 this divine

00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:12.920
 blessing of spiritual life

00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:14.860
 and why this family

00:22:14.860 --> 00:22:16.099
 was so right

00:22:16.099 --> 00:22:17.000
 to desire it

00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:17.860
 and to seek it

00:22:17.860 --> 00:22:19.680
 but I also want us

00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:20.200
 to look at all

00:22:20.200 --> 00:22:21.039
 the wrong ways

00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:21.539
 that they sought

00:22:21.539 --> 00:22:22.000
 to give it

00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:22.940
 and to receive it.

00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:25.160
 And I want to walk

00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:26.160
 through each family member

00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:26.759
 and show you

00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:27.920
 how they're all wrong

00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:31.039
 though some of them

00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:32.200
 are relatively less wrong

00:22:32.200 --> 00:22:32.720
 than others.

00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:34.519
 Okay, you tracking with me?

00:22:36.560 --> 00:22:37.600
 Basically, if you want

00:22:37.600 --> 00:22:38.779
 your family to be miserable,

00:22:39.060 --> 00:22:39.900
 if you want our church

00:22:39.900 --> 00:22:40.420
 to be miserable,

00:22:40.700 --> 00:22:41.560
 be like these people.

00:22:42.039 --> 00:22:42.180
 Okay?

00:22:43.460 --> 00:22:45.300
 In this patriarchal context,

00:22:46.259 --> 00:22:48.340
 Isaac bears the most

00:22:48.340 --> 00:22:49.019
 responsibility

00:22:49.019 --> 00:22:50.140
 as the leader of the family.

00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:51.220
 You can quibble with that

00:22:51.220 --> 00:22:53.200
 in your modern feminist ways

00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:54.620
 but that's just the world

00:22:54.620 --> 00:22:55.840
 that we're talking about.

00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:58.379
 And he's the heir

00:22:58.379 --> 00:22:59.000
 of the promises

00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:00.259
 and the covenant

00:23:00.259 --> 00:23:00.839
 with Abraham.

00:23:01.980 --> 00:23:02.759
 And so the question is,

00:23:02.839 --> 00:23:04.299
 is this old and blind man

00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:05.799
 merely the victim

00:23:05.799 --> 00:23:07.679
 of Rebekah's ruse

00:23:07.679 --> 00:23:08.359
 and her deception

00:23:08.359 --> 00:23:09.039
 or is there something

00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:09.819
 more going on

00:23:09.819 --> 00:23:10.359
 in the story?

00:23:11.740 --> 00:23:12.639
 And also in the ancient

00:23:12.639 --> 00:23:13.039
 Near East,

00:23:13.220 --> 00:23:14.599
 Esau bears big time

00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:15.359
 responsibility

00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:16.779
 as the firstborn son

00:23:16.779 --> 00:23:17.099
 and again,

00:23:17.199 --> 00:23:17.899
 you might not like

00:23:17.899 --> 00:23:18.619
 that structure

00:23:18.619 --> 00:23:20.119
 but that's what it is.

00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:22.220
 And the question is,

00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:23.500
 is Esau,

00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:24.459
 this manly man,

00:23:24.539 --> 00:23:25.599
 this hunter dude,

00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:27.240
 is he merely the victim

00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:29.099
 of Jacob's lies

00:23:29.099 --> 00:23:29.799
 and trickery

00:23:29.799 --> 00:23:30.459
 or is there something

00:23:30.459 --> 00:23:31.799
 deeper going on?

00:23:32.899 --> 00:23:33.579
 And I want to say

00:23:33.579 --> 00:23:34.379
 that like life,

00:23:34.819 --> 00:23:35.980
 this story is way more

00:23:35.980 --> 00:23:37.240
 complex than all the headlines.

00:23:38.919 --> 00:23:39.720
 Because if you look

00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:40.459
 at verse four,

00:23:41.899 --> 00:23:43.059
 Isaac says to Esau,

00:23:43.139 --> 00:23:43.379
 he says,

00:23:43.459 --> 00:23:44.299
 prepare me the kind

00:23:44.299 --> 00:23:46.079
 of tasty food,

00:23:46.159 --> 00:23:47.319
 the kind of delicious food

00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:47.939
 that I like

00:23:47.939 --> 00:23:49.439
 and bring it to me to eat

00:23:49.439 --> 00:23:50.579
 so that I may give you

00:23:50.579 --> 00:23:51.199
 my blessing

00:23:51.199 --> 00:23:52.439
 before I die.

00:23:52.679 --> 00:23:53.099
 Basically,

00:23:53.339 --> 00:23:54.039
 Isaac had been

00:23:54.039 --> 00:23:54.819
 a man of God,

00:23:54.819 --> 00:23:55.819
 he had been this person

00:23:55.819 --> 00:23:57.039
 who was persistent

00:23:57.039 --> 00:23:58.159
 in prayer

00:23:58.159 --> 00:23:59.720
 and was known

00:23:59.720 --> 00:24:00.559
 for his spirituality

00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:02.039
 but at this point

00:24:02.039 --> 00:24:02.700
 in his life,

00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:03.460
 he's known less

00:24:03.460 --> 00:24:04.379
 for his spirituality

00:24:04.379 --> 00:24:06.619
 and more for his sensuality.

00:24:08.220 --> 00:24:09.099
 He's controlled

00:24:09.099 --> 00:24:10.379
 by his mouth,

00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:10.939
 he's controlled

00:24:10.939 --> 00:24:11.679
 by his stomach

00:24:11.679 --> 00:24:13.439
 and somehow

00:24:13.439 --> 00:24:14.379
 his appetite

00:24:14.379 --> 00:24:15.259
 for meat

00:24:15.259 --> 00:24:17.220
 has become more powerful

00:24:17.220 --> 00:24:18.639
 than his theology.

00:24:20.059 --> 00:24:21.579
 And he's become

00:24:21.579 --> 00:24:22.939
 basically like Esau,

00:24:22.940 --> 00:24:23.700
 if you know the story

00:24:23.700 --> 00:24:24.539
 in Genesis 25,

00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:26.160
 Esau sold his birthright

00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:27.000
 for a pot

00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:27.779
 of lentil stew.

00:24:29.120 --> 00:24:30.039
 And so both Isaac

00:24:30.039 --> 00:24:30.759
 and Esau

00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:32.259
 surrender something

00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:34.320
 that's eternally precious,

00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:35.779
 something that is

00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:38.539
 a precious long-term good

00:24:38.539 --> 00:24:40.000
 in order to immediately

00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:42.259
 satisfy their appetites.

00:24:43.860 --> 00:24:44.860
 And what's more,

00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:46.000
 if you look at

00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:47.620
 Genesis 24 to 28,

00:24:47.619 --> 00:24:49.379
 it's very clear

00:24:49.379 --> 00:24:50.839
 that Abraham and Sarah

00:24:50.839 --> 00:24:52.919
 went to great lengths

00:24:52.919 --> 00:24:54.319
 to find Isaac

00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:56.099
 a wife

00:24:56.099 --> 00:24:57.659
 who shared

00:24:57.659 --> 00:24:58.639
 their spiritual vision,

00:24:58.879 --> 00:24:59.939
 shared their values,

00:25:00.119 --> 00:25:01.439
 shared their training

00:25:01.439 --> 00:25:02.259
 and their faith

00:25:02.259 --> 00:25:02.799
 in the Lord.

00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:05.279
 But Isaac seems

00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:06.239
 to have not done that

00:25:06.239 --> 00:25:06.959
 for Esau

00:25:06.959 --> 00:25:07.939
 and Esau

00:25:07.939 --> 00:25:08.679
 goes out

00:25:08.679 --> 00:25:09.559
 and he marries

00:25:09.559 --> 00:25:11.039
 a Canaanite wife,

00:25:11.139 --> 00:25:11.779
 basically a wife

00:25:11.779 --> 00:25:13.099
 who doesn't believe

00:25:13.099 --> 00:25:13.819
 anything about

00:25:13.819 --> 00:25:15.059
 the God of Israel,

00:25:15.239 --> 00:25:15.719
 Yahweh,

00:25:15.979 --> 00:25:16.519
 Elohim.

00:25:17.460 --> 00:25:18.460
 He not only marries

00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:19.379
 one Canaanite wife,

00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:20.119
 he marries two

00:25:20.119 --> 00:25:20.960
 Canaanite wives

00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:22.500
 who basically

00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:23.299
 just care

00:25:23.299 --> 00:25:24.639
 nothing about God,

00:25:24.779 --> 00:25:25.279
 nothing about

00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:26.299
 the promises of God,

00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:27.180
 the covenant of God.

00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:28.319
 They don't care anything

00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:29.720
 about what we read

00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:31.480
 about in Genesis 18-19

00:25:31.480 --> 00:25:32.819
 where it says,

00:25:33.160 --> 00:25:33.359
 Abraham,

00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:34.220
 you're to direct

00:25:34.220 --> 00:25:34.799
 your children

00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:35.500
 and your family

00:25:35.500 --> 00:25:36.279
 to keep the way

00:25:36.279 --> 00:25:36.639
 of the Lord

00:25:36.639 --> 00:25:37.720
 by doing what is right

00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:38.500
 and just.

00:25:38.619 --> 00:25:39.319
 Esau doesn't care

00:25:39.319 --> 00:25:39.819
 about that.

00:25:40.119 --> 00:25:40.519
 These women

00:25:40.519 --> 00:25:41.500
 don't care about that.

00:25:42.339 --> 00:25:42.879
 And what I want us

00:25:42.879 --> 00:25:43.859
 to see is that Isaac,

00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:45.579
 though he started strong,

00:25:45.579 --> 00:25:47.119
 he ends weak

00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:49.339
 and he ends passive.

00:25:50.579 --> 00:25:51.639
 And his physical blindness

00:25:51.639 --> 00:25:52.539
 is a sign

00:25:52.539 --> 00:25:54.000
 of his spiritual blindness.

00:25:55.579 --> 00:25:57.439
 His eyes can't recognize

00:25:57.439 --> 00:25:58.259
 God's leading

00:25:58.259 --> 00:25:59.480
 because he should have seen

00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:00.599
 that Esau

00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:01.199
 was actually

00:26:01.199 --> 00:26:02.960
 spiritually unsuitable,

00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:04.740
 that Esau

00:26:04.740 --> 00:26:05.599
 was actually

00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:06.419
 an unbeliever.

00:26:06.519 --> 00:26:07.480
 He despised the Lord.

00:26:07.559 --> 00:26:08.519
 He despised his family.

00:26:08.619 --> 00:26:09.619
 He despised his role.

00:26:09.779 --> 00:26:11.000
 He despised his birthright.

00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:11.859
 He held it all in contempt.

00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:12.179
 He said,

00:26:12.180 --> 00:26:13.100
 it's completely worthless

00:26:13.100 --> 00:26:13.519
 to me.

00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:14.420
 I'd rather have

00:26:14.420 --> 00:26:15.539
 this pot of stew.

00:26:18.140 --> 00:26:19.120
 And what's worse

00:26:19.120 --> 00:26:19.740
 is that Isaac

00:26:19.740 --> 00:26:20.940
 also knows

00:26:20.940 --> 00:26:21.900
 this word of the Lord

00:26:21.900 --> 00:26:23.160
 from Genesis 25,

00:26:23.259 --> 00:26:23.940
 verse 23.

00:26:24.779 --> 00:26:25.820
 This word that came

00:26:25.820 --> 00:26:26.360
 to Rebekah

00:26:26.360 --> 00:26:27.539
 where the Lord said,

00:26:28.019 --> 00:26:28.860
 the older will serve

00:26:28.860 --> 00:26:29.299
 the younger

00:26:29.299 --> 00:26:31.980
 and my will

00:26:31.980 --> 00:26:32.960
 is for the blessing

00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:33.560
 to bypass

00:26:33.560 --> 00:26:34.519
 the older one

00:26:34.519 --> 00:26:35.900
 and for the younger one

00:26:35.900 --> 00:26:36.500
 to be stronger

00:26:36.500 --> 00:26:37.420
 and for the younger one

00:26:37.420 --> 00:26:38.600
 to be the ruler.

00:26:40.039 --> 00:26:40.500
 That God

00:26:40.500 --> 00:26:41.680
 in his sovereign freedom

00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:42.099
 said,

00:26:42.539 --> 00:26:43.220
 I want to reverse

00:26:43.220 --> 00:26:44.160
 and I want to turn

00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:44.960
 upside down

00:26:44.960 --> 00:26:46.380
 the norms of culture.

00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:47.619
 Isaac knew that

00:26:47.619 --> 00:26:48.759
 but he stubbornly

00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:50.180
 resisted that clear

00:26:50.180 --> 00:26:50.779
 word of the Lord

00:26:50.779 --> 00:26:51.180
 and said,

00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:51.980
 well that's not

00:26:51.980 --> 00:26:53.019
 how I want to do it.

00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:55.980
 And so like

00:26:55.980 --> 00:26:56.799
 Adam and Eve

00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:57.859
 in Genesis 3

00:26:57.859 --> 00:26:58.500
 who loved

00:26:58.500 --> 00:26:59.539
 that forbidden fruit

00:26:59.539 --> 00:27:00.380
 more than they loved

00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:01.740
 trusting and obeying God.

00:27:03.220 --> 00:27:05.099
 And like Esau

00:27:05.099 --> 00:27:06.420
 in Genesis 25

00:27:06.420 --> 00:27:07.160
 who loved

00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:08.099
 that pot of stew

00:27:08.099 --> 00:27:09.039
 more than he loved

00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:10.380
 his spiritual birthright.

00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:12.339
 In this story

00:27:12.339 --> 00:27:14.720
 Isaac loves barbecue

00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:17.759
 more than he loves God.

00:27:21.380 --> 00:27:22.640
 And the question for us

00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:23.319
 is do you ever

00:27:23.319 --> 00:27:24.920
 resist the Lord

00:27:24.920 --> 00:27:25.519
 like this?

00:27:26.980 --> 00:27:28.039
 Do you ever resist

00:27:28.039 --> 00:27:28.859
 the Lord's word

00:27:28.859 --> 00:27:29.519
 and his will

00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:30.099
 and his way

00:27:30.099 --> 00:27:31.180
 for you like this?

00:27:32.759 --> 00:27:34.180
 Like Isaac and Esau

00:27:34.180 --> 00:27:34.880
 do you ever put

00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:35.700
 your appetite

00:27:35.700 --> 00:27:36.720
 before principle?

00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:38.859
 Do you ever put

00:27:38.859 --> 00:27:39.720
 self-indulgence

00:27:39.720 --> 00:27:41.839
 before the just thing

00:27:41.839 --> 00:27:42.579
 and the right thing?

00:27:43.819 --> 00:27:44.759
 Do you ever put

00:27:44.759 --> 00:27:45.940
 immediate satisfaction

00:27:45.940 --> 00:27:47.079
 before long-term

00:27:47.079 --> 00:27:48.039
 spiritual values?

00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:50.600
 Have you ever

00:27:50.600 --> 00:27:51.299
 found yourself

00:27:51.299 --> 00:27:52.019
 in a place

00:27:52.019 --> 00:27:52.680
 where you're just

00:27:52.680 --> 00:27:54.240
 unwilling to submit

00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:55.440
 to the plans of God

00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.400
 when they differ

00:27:57.400 --> 00:27:58.779
 from your own desires?

00:28:00.779 --> 00:28:01.200
 Isaac

00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:02.779
 and his love

00:28:02.779 --> 00:28:03.920
 for a comfortable life,

00:28:04.059 --> 00:28:04.819
 Isaac and his love

00:28:04.819 --> 00:28:05.659
 for good food

00:28:05.659 --> 00:28:07.379
 has put him

00:28:07.379 --> 00:28:08.659
 in this precarious place

00:28:08.659 --> 00:28:09.339
 where he's

00:28:09.339 --> 00:28:11.059
 not only neglecting

00:28:11.059 --> 00:28:12.079
 his parental duties

00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:13.079
 but he's also

00:28:13.079 --> 00:28:14.919
 become spiritually

00:28:14.919 --> 00:28:15.419
 indifferent

00:28:15.419 --> 00:28:16.720
 to pleasing the Lord.

00:28:18.159 --> 00:28:19.119
 And that's a very

00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:20.279
 dangerous place to be.

00:28:23.159 --> 00:28:24.079
 Just so you know,

00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:25.139
 passing on the blessing

00:28:25.139 --> 00:28:25.819
 was meant to be

00:28:25.819 --> 00:28:26.599
 a public affair.

00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:27.799
 Okay?

00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:29.159
 You're supposed

00:28:29.159 --> 00:28:30.519
 to call

00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:31.279
 your whole community

00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:31.720
 together,

00:28:32.460 --> 00:28:32.899
 get your whole

00:28:32.899 --> 00:28:33.839
 extended family,

00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:35.079
 all your kids

00:28:35.079 --> 00:28:37.059
 and your spouse

00:28:37.059 --> 00:28:38.559
 and you're to have

00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:39.180
 this moment.

00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:41.399
 But Isaac says,

00:28:41.559 --> 00:28:41.960
 no, I'm going to

00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:42.839
 conspire to have

00:28:42.839 --> 00:28:43.460
 this private

00:28:43.460 --> 00:28:44.519
 clandestine meeting

00:28:44.519 --> 00:28:46.039
 with only one son

00:28:46.039 --> 00:28:47.099
 and I'm not going

00:28:47.099 --> 00:28:47.940
 to share it with my wife.

00:28:48.059 --> 00:28:48.940
 Now, guys,

00:28:49.019 --> 00:28:50.000
 I'm still figuring

00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:50.599
 some stuff out

00:28:50.599 --> 00:28:51.220
 about marriage.

00:28:52.440 --> 00:28:53.440
 But here's one thing

00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:53.960
 I do know.

00:28:54.980 --> 00:28:56.379
 Do not keep secrets

00:28:56.380 --> 00:28:57.240
 from your wife.

00:28:58.880 --> 00:28:59.320
 Ladies,

00:28:59.420 --> 00:28:59.900
 can I get an amen

00:28:59.900 --> 00:29:00.420
 on that?

00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:01.400
 Okay.

00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:02.920
 Now, ladies,

00:29:03.640 --> 00:29:04.900
 if you see your husband

00:29:04.900 --> 00:29:05.860
 trying to thwart

00:29:05.860 --> 00:29:06.800
 God's plan

00:29:06.800 --> 00:29:07.420
 that he's given

00:29:07.420 --> 00:29:08.000
 in his word,

00:29:08.080 --> 00:29:08.980
 what should you do?

00:29:10.220 --> 00:29:11.060
 Should you dress up

00:29:11.060 --> 00:29:11.920
 your favorite child

00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:12.620
 like it's Halloween

00:29:12.620 --> 00:29:14.400
 and act like a con artist?

00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:16.380
 Should you pull up

00:29:16.380 --> 00:29:17.500
 a heist on your husband

00:29:17.500 --> 00:29:18.280
 through trickery

00:29:18.280 --> 00:29:19.100
 and manipulation

00:29:19.100 --> 00:29:20.300
 and deceit

00:29:20.300 --> 00:29:21.060
 and domination?

00:29:22.180 --> 00:29:23.100
 Your husband

00:29:23.100 --> 00:29:24.520
 definitely should not

00:29:24.520 --> 00:29:25.320
 be keeping secrets

00:29:25.320 --> 00:29:25.720
 from you.

00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:26.740
 He definitely

00:29:26.740 --> 00:29:27.980
 should not be favoring

00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:29.140
 your most rebellious

00:29:29.140 --> 00:29:29.759
 child

00:29:29.759 --> 00:29:31.100
 and he should not

00:29:31.100 --> 00:29:31.839
 be flat out

00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:33.200
 refusing to obey

00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:34.019
 the Lord.

00:29:34.620 --> 00:29:35.779
 But what should you do?

00:29:37.180 --> 00:29:37.960
 You should go

00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:38.600
 talk to him.

00:29:39.779 --> 00:29:40.680
 You should go

00:29:40.680 --> 00:29:41.680
 have a conversation

00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:42.059
 with him.

00:29:42.120 --> 00:29:42.500
 You should go

00:29:42.500 --> 00:29:42.759
 and say,

00:29:42.860 --> 00:29:43.079
 honey,

00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:45.019
 I'd like to discuss

00:29:45.019 --> 00:29:45.860
 a spiritual matter

00:29:45.860 --> 00:29:46.799
 that's very important

00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:47.299
 to me.

00:29:48.740 --> 00:29:49.240
 And again,

00:29:49.620 --> 00:29:50.519
 I'm still figuring

00:29:50.519 --> 00:29:51.140
 some stuff out

00:29:51.140 --> 00:29:51.660
 about marriage

00:29:51.660 --> 00:29:52.880
 but here's one thing

00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:53.360
 I do know

00:29:53.360 --> 00:29:53.819
 is ladies,

00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:54.620
 your husband

00:29:54.619 --> 00:29:55.199
 cannot read

00:29:55.199 --> 00:29:55.659
 your mind.

00:29:57.879 --> 00:29:58.279
 Amen?

00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:01.000
 And here's the other thing,

00:30:01.259 --> 00:30:02.019
 if he could read

00:30:02.019 --> 00:30:02.439
 your mind,

00:30:02.639 --> 00:30:03.639
 he still won't get it.

00:30:05.319 --> 00:30:05.959
 You're going to have

00:30:05.959 --> 00:30:06.619
 to spell it out

00:30:06.619 --> 00:30:07.099
 for him

00:30:07.099 --> 00:30:08.339
 and then explain that

00:30:08.339 --> 00:30:08.879
 and then give

00:30:08.879 --> 00:30:10.579
 a further explanation

00:30:10.579 --> 00:30:11.059
 of that.

00:30:11.059 --> 00:30:11.579
 Like he's,

00:30:11.819 --> 00:30:12.439
 we're slow.

00:30:14.019 --> 00:30:14.859
 And what I want you

00:30:14.859 --> 00:30:15.699
 to see is that

00:30:15.699 --> 00:30:17.079
 Rebecca's spiritual

00:30:17.079 --> 00:30:18.500
 values are actually

00:30:18.500 --> 00:30:19.919
 sound.

00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:21.360
 I think she's

00:30:21.360 --> 00:30:22.180
 the most sound

00:30:22.180 --> 00:30:23.700
 person spiritually

00:30:23.700 --> 00:30:24.380
 in the story.

00:30:25.140 --> 00:30:25.220
 Right?

00:30:25.340 --> 00:30:27.100
 She goes to inquire

00:30:27.100 --> 00:30:27.580
 of the Lord.

00:30:27.820 --> 00:30:29.800
 She desires

00:30:29.800 --> 00:30:30.420
 to be faithful

00:30:30.420 --> 00:30:31.120
 to God's word.

00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:31.960
 She treasures

00:30:31.960 --> 00:30:32.720
 the birthright

00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:33.340
 and the blessing.

00:30:33.620 --> 00:30:34.900
 She wants God's

00:30:34.900 --> 00:30:35.640
 will to be done.

00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:36.279
 All of those

00:30:36.279 --> 00:30:37.120
 are good and right

00:30:37.120 --> 00:30:37.539
 things.

00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:38.860
 Her spiritual values

00:30:38.860 --> 00:30:39.420
 are sound

00:30:39.420 --> 00:30:40.480
 but her methods

00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:41.380
 are deplorable.

00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:43.420
 And she goes

00:30:43.420 --> 00:30:44.060
 about trying to

00:30:44.060 --> 00:30:44.800
 pass on God's

00:30:44.800 --> 00:30:45.620
 blessing in all

00:30:45.620 --> 00:30:47.080
 the wrong ways.

00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:49.039
 as if the right

00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:50.679
 ends justify

00:30:50.679 --> 00:30:52.359
 wrong means.

00:30:54.960 --> 00:30:55.919
 And basically

00:30:55.919 --> 00:30:57.579
 instead of dropping

00:30:57.579 --> 00:30:58.199
 to her knees

00:30:58.199 --> 00:30:58.659
 in prayer

00:30:58.659 --> 00:31:00.939
 or instead of

00:31:00.939 --> 00:31:02.079
 going to her

00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:02.740
 husband and saying

00:31:02.740 --> 00:31:03.319
 can we have a

00:31:03.319 --> 00:31:03.919
 conversation?

00:31:05.439 --> 00:31:06.259
 Both of which

00:31:06.259 --> 00:31:06.599
 would have been

00:31:06.599 --> 00:31:07.099
 the faithful

00:31:07.099 --> 00:31:07.819
 and commendable

00:31:07.819 --> 00:31:08.679
 thing to do.

00:31:09.519 --> 00:31:10.179
 Rebecca says to

00:31:10.179 --> 00:31:10.819
 herself desperate

00:31:10.819 --> 00:31:11.619
 times call for

00:31:11.619 --> 00:31:12.319
 desperate measures.

00:31:13.559 --> 00:31:14.159
 And I'm going to

00:31:14.159 --> 00:31:14.679
 do a righteous

00:31:14.679 --> 00:31:15.359
 thing in a very

00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:16.639
 unrighteous way.

00:31:17.899 --> 00:31:18.899
 And so she reacts

00:31:18.899 --> 00:31:20.460
 to Isaac's

00:31:20.460 --> 00:31:21.439
 deceitful behavior

00:31:21.439 --> 00:31:23.359
 and his failure

00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:24.480
 to be the kind

00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:25.059
 of spiritually

00:31:25.059 --> 00:31:26.019
 discerning person

00:31:26.019 --> 00:31:26.519
 that he was

00:31:26.519 --> 00:31:27.139
 supposed to be.

00:31:28.139 --> 00:31:29.179
 And she launches

00:31:29.179 --> 00:31:29.759
 this counter

00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:30.460
 conspiracy

00:31:30.460 --> 00:31:32.599
 perpetuating a

00:31:32.599 --> 00:31:33.199
 more hurtful

00:31:33.199 --> 00:31:34.000
 ruse that

00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:35.099
 exploits her

00:31:35.099 --> 00:31:35.899
 husband's weaknesses

00:31:35.899 --> 00:31:37.419
 his blindness

00:31:37.419 --> 00:31:38.299
 his appetite

00:31:38.299 --> 00:31:40.019
 and Jacob

00:31:40.019 --> 00:31:41.279
 goes along

00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:42.460
 with his mom

00:31:42.460 --> 00:31:44.259
 not only deceiving

00:31:44.259 --> 00:31:44.699
 his father

00:31:44.699 --> 00:31:45.139
 but look in

00:31:45.139 --> 00:31:45.659
 verse 19

00:31:45.659 --> 00:31:45.939
 it says

00:31:45.939 --> 00:31:46.740
 Jacob said to

00:31:46.740 --> 00:31:47.220
 his father

00:31:47.220 --> 00:31:48.220
 I am Esau

00:31:48.220 --> 00:31:48.859
 your firstborn

00:31:48.859 --> 00:31:49.220
 I've done

00:31:49.220 --> 00:31:49.640
 as you told

00:31:49.640 --> 00:31:49.779
 me

00:31:49.779 --> 00:31:50.299
 please sit

00:31:50.299 --> 00:31:50.720
 up and eat

00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:51.140
 some of my

00:31:51.140 --> 00:31:51.500
 game

00:31:51.500 --> 00:31:52.299
 so that

00:31:52.299 --> 00:31:52.900
 you may

00:31:52.900 --> 00:31:53.200
 give me

00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:53.759
 your blessing

00:31:53.759 --> 00:31:54.880
 and Isaac

00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:55.460
 asked his son

00:31:55.460 --> 00:31:56.000
 how did you

00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:56.599
 find it so

00:31:56.599 --> 00:31:57.319
 quickly my son

00:31:57.319 --> 00:31:57.960
 the Lord

00:31:57.960 --> 00:31:58.400
 your God

00:31:58.400 --> 00:31:58.779
 gave me

00:31:58.779 --> 00:31:59.359
 success

00:31:59.359 --> 00:31:59.980
 he replied

00:31:59.980 --> 00:32:03.620
 you ever

00:32:03.620 --> 00:32:04.720
 have you

00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:05.460
 have

00:32:05.460 --> 00:32:05.920
 you ever done

00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:07.420
 it's a dangerous

00:32:07.420 --> 00:32:07.940
 thing to be

00:32:07.940 --> 00:32:08.599
 a spiritual

00:32:08.599 --> 00:32:09.099
 person

00:32:09.099 --> 00:32:11.519
 to use

00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:11.960
 the name

00:32:11.960 --> 00:32:12.339
 of God

00:32:12.339 --> 00:32:12.700
 to use

00:32:12.700 --> 00:32:13.099
 the things

00:32:13.099 --> 00:32:13.599
 of God

00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:14.339
 actually to

00:32:14.339 --> 00:32:14.759
 further your

00:32:14.759 --> 00:32:16.220
 own personal

00:32:16.220 --> 00:32:16.799
 interests

00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:19.279
 and my point

00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:19.720
 is this

00:32:19.720 --> 00:32:20.660
 that if you

00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:22.259
 look hard

00:32:22.259 --> 00:32:22.799
 enough into

00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:23.319
 the mirror

00:32:23.319 --> 00:32:24.000
 of Genesis

00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:24.620
 27

00:32:24.619 --> 00:32:26.139
 and you

00:32:26.139 --> 00:32:26.519
 don't see

00:32:26.519 --> 00:32:27.019
 something of

00:32:27.019 --> 00:32:27.419
 yourself

00:32:27.419 --> 00:32:28.719
 reflected back

00:32:28.719 --> 00:32:29.139
 to you

00:32:29.139 --> 00:32:30.419
 if you

00:32:30.419 --> 00:32:31.059
 can't identify

00:32:31.059 --> 00:32:31.419
 with the

00:32:31.419 --> 00:32:32.179
 failings of

00:32:32.179 --> 00:32:33.439
 this holy

00:32:33.439 --> 00:32:33.859
 family

00:32:33.859 --> 00:32:35.719
 then you

00:32:35.719 --> 00:32:36.359
 might be as

00:32:36.359 --> 00:32:37.139
 blind as

00:32:37.139 --> 00:32:37.759
 Isaac was

00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:38.139
 blind

00:32:38.139 --> 00:32:40.359
 because at

00:32:40.359 --> 00:32:40.839
 times

00:32:40.839 --> 00:32:42.879
 we fall

00:32:42.879 --> 00:32:43.799
 as badly

00:32:43.799 --> 00:32:44.399
 as this

00:32:44.399 --> 00:32:46.059
 and I can

00:32:46.059 --> 00:32:46.599
 say that now

00:32:46.599 --> 00:32:47.139
 I couldn't say

00:32:47.139 --> 00:32:47.479
 that as a

00:32:47.479 --> 00:32:47.899
 young pastor

00:32:47.899 --> 00:32:48.500
 but I've been

00:32:48.500 --> 00:32:48.959
 a pastor

00:32:48.959 --> 00:32:49.479
 20 years

00:32:49.480 --> 00:32:50.059
 at times

00:32:50.059 --> 00:32:50.640
 we fall

00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:51.440
 as badly

00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:52.039
 as this

00:32:52.039 --> 00:32:54.240
 and if I

00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:54.680
 had time

00:32:54.680 --> 00:32:55.279
 I'd show you

00:32:55.279 --> 00:32:56.039
 all the

00:32:56.039 --> 00:32:57.140
 spiritual

00:32:57.140 --> 00:32:58.839
 and relational

00:32:58.839 --> 00:32:59.680
 dysfunctions

00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:00.620
 that catch up

00:33:00.620 --> 00:33:01.200
 with this family

00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:01.799
 in the end

00:33:01.799 --> 00:33:02.799
 all the ways

00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:03.259
 they reap

00:33:03.259 --> 00:33:03.880
 what they sow

00:33:03.880 --> 00:33:04.920
 and they're

00:33:04.920 --> 00:33:05.519
 paying just

00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:05.880
 dearly

00:33:05.880 --> 00:33:06.400
 we'll see it

00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:06.860
 as we go

00:33:06.860 --> 00:33:07.180
 through the

00:33:07.180 --> 00:33:07.519
 story

00:33:07.519 --> 00:33:08.779
 they're experiencing

00:33:08.779 --> 00:33:09.140
 all the

00:33:09.140 --> 00:33:09.759
 consequences

00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:10.180
 of just

00:33:10.180 --> 00:33:11.380
 going against

00:33:11.380 --> 00:33:12.120
 God's moral

00:33:12.120 --> 00:33:12.519
 law

00:33:12.519 --> 00:33:14.500
 and you might

00:33:14.500 --> 00:33:14.880
 be saying

00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:15.420
 well pastor

00:33:15.420 --> 00:33:17.099
 why are you

00:33:17.099 --> 00:33:17.740
 trying so hard

00:33:17.740 --> 00:33:18.380
 to discourage

00:33:18.380 --> 00:33:18.860
 us today

00:33:18.859 --> 00:33:21.459
 and I'm

00:33:21.459 --> 00:33:21.899
 actually trying

00:33:21.899 --> 00:33:22.119
 to do

00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:23.279
 the exact

00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:23.799
 opposite

00:33:23.799 --> 00:33:25.399
 I'm trying

00:33:25.399 --> 00:33:26.000
 to encourage

00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:26.359
 you

00:33:26.359 --> 00:33:28.000
 because if

00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:28.500
 God can

00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:29.059
 bring about

00:33:29.059 --> 00:33:29.719
 salvation

00:33:29.719 --> 00:33:31.359
 in a

00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:31.879
 context

00:33:31.879 --> 00:33:32.559
 of such

00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:33.699
 unprincipled

00:33:33.699 --> 00:33:34.240
 behavior

00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:36.379
 by literally

00:33:36.379 --> 00:33:37.459
 every fallible

00:33:37.459 --> 00:33:38.079
 member of

00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:38.500
 the covenant

00:33:38.500 --> 00:33:39.699
 family

00:33:39.699 --> 00:33:40.240
 the chosen

00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:40.759
 people of

00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:41.059
 God

00:33:41.059 --> 00:33:42.399
 each one

00:33:42.399 --> 00:33:42.639
 of them

00:33:42.639 --> 00:33:43.500
 self-centeredly

00:33:43.500 --> 00:33:44.299
 seeking their

00:33:44.299 --> 00:33:45.019
 own interest

00:33:45.019 --> 00:33:45.539
 all of them

00:33:45.539 --> 00:33:46.000
 acting out

00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:46.459
 of impure

00:33:46.459 --> 00:33:47.000
 motives

00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:47.959
 and misdirected

00:33:47.959 --> 00:33:48.439
 intentions

00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:50.160
 their virtues

00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:51.380
 almost always

00:33:51.380 --> 00:33:52.480
 serving as

00:33:52.480 --> 00:33:53.000
 vices

00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:55.299
 if that's

00:33:55.299 --> 00:33:55.700
 what God

00:33:55.700 --> 00:33:56.000
 can do

00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:56.220
 here

00:33:56.220 --> 00:33:56.900
 then perhaps

00:33:56.900 --> 00:33:58.440
 in his

00:33:58.440 --> 00:33:58.920
 mercy and

00:33:58.920 --> 00:33:59.180
 grace

00:33:59.180 --> 00:33:59.460
 he can

00:33:59.460 --> 00:33:59.880
 bring about

00:33:59.880 --> 00:34:00.360
 salvation

00:34:00.360 --> 00:34:00.720
 in our

00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:01.160
 own lives

00:34:01.160 --> 00:34:01.620
 as well

00:34:01.620 --> 00:34:03.420
 right

00:34:03.420 --> 00:34:03.779
 if God

00:34:03.779 --> 00:34:04.660
 can overcome

00:34:04.660 --> 00:34:05.660
 their weaknesses

00:34:05.660 --> 00:34:06.440
 and if he

00:34:06.440 --> 00:34:07.100
 can use them

00:34:07.100 --> 00:34:07.799
 warts and all

00:34:07.799 --> 00:34:09.099
 then perhaps

00:34:09.099 --> 00:34:09.599
 he can use

00:34:09.599 --> 00:34:09.960
 me

00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:11.740
 perhaps he

00:34:11.740 --> 00:34:12.320
 can overcome

00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:13.800
 your messiness

00:34:13.800 --> 00:34:14.320
 perhaps he

00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:15.119
 can use us

00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:16.139
 as well

00:34:16.139 --> 00:34:17.400
 so that's

00:34:17.400 --> 00:34:17.679
 why I like

00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:18.159
 to end

00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:18.980
 talking about

00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:19.539
 the triumph

00:34:19.539 --> 00:34:20.039
 of God's

00:34:20.039 --> 00:34:20.359
 grace

00:34:20.359 --> 00:34:22.139
 we talked

00:34:22.139 --> 00:34:22.440
 about the

00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:22.859
 power of

00:34:22.859 --> 00:34:23.480
 God's blessing

00:34:23.480 --> 00:34:24.639
 and the

00:34:24.639 --> 00:34:25.019
 dysfunction

00:34:25.019 --> 00:34:25.539
 of God's

00:34:25.539 --> 00:34:25.839
 family

00:34:25.839 --> 00:34:26.219
 but let's

00:34:26.219 --> 00:34:26.679
 talk about

00:34:26.679 --> 00:34:27.400
 the triumph

00:34:27.400 --> 00:34:27.920
 of God's

00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:28.279
 grace

00:34:28.279 --> 00:34:30.599
 you know

00:34:30.599 --> 00:34:30.759
 what's

00:34:30.759 --> 00:34:31.119
 outrageous

00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:31.539
 in this

00:34:31.539 --> 00:34:31.859
 story

00:34:31.859 --> 00:34:32.900
 it's meant

00:34:32.900 --> 00:34:33.359
 to strike

00:34:33.359 --> 00:34:33.659
 us as

00:34:33.659 --> 00:34:34.019
 outrageous

00:34:34.019 --> 00:34:36.159
 is that

00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:37.019
 the power

00:34:37.019 --> 00:34:37.480
 of God's

00:34:37.480 --> 00:34:37.819
 blessing

00:34:37.819 --> 00:34:38.719
 is almost

00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:39.319
 squandered

00:34:39.319 --> 00:34:40.000
 it's almost

00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:40.659
 lost

00:34:40.659 --> 00:34:42.019
 because

00:34:42.019 --> 00:34:42.859
 God's people

00:34:42.859 --> 00:34:43.319
 are so

00:34:43.319 --> 00:34:44.119
 dysfunctional

00:34:44.119 --> 00:34:45.460
 that's

00:34:45.460 --> 00:34:45.839
 outrageous

00:34:45.839 --> 00:34:47.799
 and the

00:34:47.799 --> 00:34:48.239
 second thing

00:34:48.239 --> 00:34:48.819
 that's outrageous

00:34:48.819 --> 00:34:49.259
 is that

00:34:49.259 --> 00:34:49.759
 God's

00:34:49.759 --> 00:34:50.179
 intentions

00:34:50.179 --> 00:34:51.059
 to bless

00:34:51.059 --> 00:34:52.259
 his elect

00:34:52.259 --> 00:34:53.699
 God's

00:34:53.699 --> 00:34:53.980
 intentions

00:34:53.980 --> 00:34:54.559
 to bless

00:34:54.559 --> 00:34:55.319
 Jacob

00:34:55.319 --> 00:34:56.900
 are actually

00:34:56.900 --> 00:34:57.559
 forwarded by

00:34:57.559 --> 00:34:57.859
 the most

00:34:57.859 --> 00:34:58.639
 underhanded

00:34:58.639 --> 00:34:59.500
 tactics

00:34:59.500 --> 00:34:59.900
 the most

00:34:59.900 --> 00:35:00.839
 Machiavellian

00:35:00.839 --> 00:35:01.839
 manipulation

00:35:01.839 --> 00:35:02.539
 you can imagine

00:35:02.539 --> 00:35:02.960
 I don't even

00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:03.279
 know how

00:35:03.279 --> 00:35:03.659
 this is in

00:35:03.659 --> 00:35:04.099
 the Bible

00:35:04.099 --> 00:35:05.119
 it's crazy

00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:07.579
 but actually

00:35:07.579 --> 00:35:08.119
 the most

00:35:08.119 --> 00:35:08.539
 outrageous

00:35:08.539 --> 00:35:08.960
 thing of

00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:09.259
 all

00:35:09.259 --> 00:35:10.679
 is that

00:35:10.679 --> 00:35:10.980
 God

00:35:10.980 --> 00:35:11.659
 consistently

00:35:11.659 --> 00:35:12.179
 brings

00:35:12.179 --> 00:35:13.059
 his scandalous

00:35:13.059 --> 00:35:14.179
 intervening

00:35:14.179 --> 00:35:14.639
 grace

00:35:14.639 --> 00:35:16.360
 into the

00:35:16.360 --> 00:35:16.599
 lives

00:35:16.599 --> 00:35:16.940
 of people

00:35:16.940 --> 00:35:17.320
 who do

00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:17.519
 not

00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:17.840
 deserve

00:35:17.840 --> 00:35:18.139
 it

00:35:18.139 --> 00:35:19.759
 into

00:35:19.759 --> 00:35:19.940
 the

00:35:19.940 --> 00:35:20.159
 lives

00:35:20.159 --> 00:35:20.299
 of

00:35:20.299 --> 00:35:20.519
 people

00:35:20.519 --> 00:35:20.880
 who

00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:21.960
 aren't

00:35:21.960 --> 00:35:22.139
 even

00:35:22.139 --> 00:35:22.420
 really

00:35:22.420 --> 00:35:22.719
 looking

00:35:22.719 --> 00:35:23.019
 for

00:35:23.019 --> 00:35:23.239
 it

00:35:23.239 --> 00:35:24.400
 and

00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:24.599
 into

00:35:24.599 --> 00:35:24.759
 the

00:35:24.759 --> 00:35:24.980
 lives

00:35:24.980 --> 00:35:25.099
 of

00:35:25.099 --> 00:35:25.299
 people

00:35:25.299 --> 00:35:25.480
 who

00:35:25.480 --> 00:35:25.679
 are

00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:27.019
 perpetually

00:35:27.019 --> 00:35:27.619
 resisting

00:35:27.619 --> 00:35:27.940
 it

00:35:27.940 --> 00:35:28.719
 and

00:35:28.719 --> 00:35:29.539
 even

00:35:29.539 --> 00:35:29.799
 after

00:35:29.799 --> 00:35:30.019
 they've

00:35:30.019 --> 00:35:30.219
 gotten

00:35:30.219 --> 00:35:30.420
 it

00:35:30.420 --> 00:35:30.599
 they

00:35:30.599 --> 00:35:30.759
 don't

00:35:30.759 --> 00:35:30.920
 even

00:35:30.920 --> 00:35:31.320
 appreciate

00:35:31.320 --> 00:35:31.739
 it

00:35:31.739 --> 00:35:34.119
 what

00:35:34.119 --> 00:35:34.320
 this

00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:34.539
 story

00:35:34.539 --> 00:35:34.860
 tells

00:35:34.860 --> 00:35:35.000
 us

00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:35.119
 is

00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:35.279
 that

00:35:35.279 --> 00:35:35.719
 God's

00:35:35.719 --> 00:35:36.039
 grace

00:35:36.039 --> 00:35:36.340
 cannot

00:35:36.340 --> 00:35:36.599
 be

00:35:36.599 --> 00:35:36.980
 silenced

00:35:36.980 --> 00:35:37.159
 by

00:35:37.159 --> 00:35:37.860
 conflict

00:35:37.860 --> 00:35:38.279
 or

00:35:38.279 --> 00:35:38.960
 alienation

00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:40.259
 nor

00:35:40.259 --> 00:35:40.460
 can

00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:40.539
 it

00:35:40.539 --> 00:35:40.940
 be chased

00:35:40.940 --> 00:35:41.199
 away

00:35:41.199 --> 00:35:41.400
 by

00:35:41.400 --> 00:35:42.119
 exploitation

00:35:42.119 --> 00:35:43.019
 and deceit

00:35:43.019 --> 00:35:44.819
 and in

00:35:44.819 --> 00:35:45.219
 spite of

00:35:45.219 --> 00:35:45.639
 all this

00:35:45.639 --> 00:35:46.099
 family's

00:35:46.099 --> 00:35:46.719
 machinations

00:35:46.719 --> 00:35:47.460
 and mischief

00:35:47.460 --> 00:35:48.440
 the divine

00:35:48.440 --> 00:35:49.000
 purpose

00:35:49.000 --> 00:35:50.679
 stands

00:35:50.679 --> 00:35:53.219
 and

00:35:53.219 --> 00:35:53.519
 despite

00:35:53.519 --> 00:35:54.039
 all the

00:35:54.039 --> 00:35:55.159
 appalling

00:35:55.159 --> 00:35:55.900
 misdeeds

00:35:55.900 --> 00:35:56.319
 of

00:35:56.319 --> 00:35:56.819
 fallen

00:35:56.819 --> 00:35:57.400
 infallible

00:35:57.400 --> 00:35:57.799
 men and

00:35:57.799 --> 00:35:58.000
 women

00:35:58.000 --> 00:35:59.219
 like us

00:35:59.219 --> 00:36:00.500
 God's

00:36:00.500 --> 00:36:00.880
 gracious

00:36:00.880 --> 00:36:01.339
 blessing

00:36:01.339 --> 00:36:01.699
 to give

00:36:01.699 --> 00:36:02.139
 life

00:36:02.139 --> 00:36:03.719
 God's

00:36:03.719 --> 00:36:04.079
 sovereign

00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:04.500
 election

00:36:04.500 --> 00:36:04.940
 of his

00:36:04.940 --> 00:36:05.359
 people

00:36:05.359 --> 00:36:06.579
 continues

00:36:06.579 --> 00:36:07.019
 on

00:36:07.019 --> 00:36:07.339
 and his

00:36:07.339 --> 00:36:07.699
 purposes

00:36:07.699 --> 00:36:08.279
 ultimately

00:36:08.279 --> 00:36:09.619
 are fulfilled

00:36:09.619 --> 00:36:11.059
 and

00:36:11.059 --> 00:36:11.199
 this

00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:11.319
 is

00:36:11.319 --> 00:36:11.480
 one

00:36:11.480 --> 00:36:11.639
 thing

00:36:11.639 --> 00:36:11.759
 we

00:36:11.759 --> 00:36:11.960
 see

00:36:11.960 --> 00:36:12.219
 over

00:36:12.219 --> 00:36:12.359
 and

00:36:12.359 --> 00:36:12.500
 over

00:36:12.500 --> 00:36:12.599
 in

00:36:12.599 --> 00:36:12.679
 the

00:36:12.679 --> 00:36:12.839
 book

00:36:12.839 --> 00:36:12.960
 of

00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:13.239
 Genesis

00:36:13.239 --> 00:36:13.500
 is

00:36:13.500 --> 00:36:13.659
 that

00:36:13.659 --> 00:36:14.119
 this

00:36:14.119 --> 00:36:14.359
 God

00:36:14.359 --> 00:36:14.480
 of

00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:14.900
 grace

00:36:14.900 --> 00:36:16.119
 he

00:36:16.119 --> 00:36:16.500
 loves

00:36:16.500 --> 00:36:16.960
 to draw

00:36:16.960 --> 00:36:17.460
 straight

00:36:17.460 --> 00:36:17.880
 lines

00:36:17.880 --> 00:36:18.099
 with

00:36:18.099 --> 00:36:18.359
 crooked

00:36:18.359 --> 00:36:18.880
 sticks

00:36:18.880 --> 00:36:21.759
 in

00:36:21.759 --> 00:36:22.059
 Genesis

00:36:22.059 --> 00:36:23.199
 50

00:36:23.199 --> 00:36:23.559
 the very

00:36:23.559 --> 00:36:23.819
 end

00:36:23.819 --> 00:36:23.900
 of

00:36:23.900 --> 00:36:24.000
 the

00:36:24.000 --> 00:36:24.219
 book

00:36:24.219 --> 00:36:25.539
 one

00:36:25.539 --> 00:36:25.639
 of

00:36:25.639 --> 00:36:25.759
 the

00:36:25.759 --> 00:36:25.960
 sons

00:36:25.960 --> 00:36:26.119
 of

00:36:26.119 --> 00:36:26.380
 Jacob

00:36:26.380 --> 00:36:26.539
 his

00:36:26.539 --> 00:36:26.679
 name

00:36:26.679 --> 00:36:26.799
 is

00:36:26.799 --> 00:36:27.099
 Joseph

00:36:27.099 --> 00:36:27.359
 he

00:36:27.359 --> 00:36:27.579
 says

00:36:27.579 --> 00:36:27.739
 this

00:36:27.739 --> 00:36:27.859
 he

00:36:27.859 --> 00:36:28.019
 says

00:36:28.019 --> 00:36:28.219
 what

00:36:28.219 --> 00:36:28.519
 you

00:36:28.519 --> 00:36:28.940
 intended

00:36:28.940 --> 00:36:29.179
 for

00:36:29.179 --> 00:36:29.579
 harm

00:36:29.579 --> 00:36:29.759
 and

00:36:29.759 --> 00:36:30.119
 evil

00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:30.859
 God

00:36:30.859 --> 00:36:31.199
 intended

00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:31.420
 for

00:36:31.420 --> 00:36:31.679
 good

00:36:31.679 --> 00:36:31.779
 and

00:36:31.779 --> 00:36:31.940
 the

00:36:31.940 --> 00:36:32.179
 saving

00:36:32.179 --> 00:36:32.339
 of

00:36:32.339 --> 00:36:32.500
 many

00:36:32.500 --> 00:36:32.900
 lives

00:36:32.900 --> 00:36:35.920
 if

00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:36.119
 the

00:36:36.119 --> 00:36:36.359
 kingdom

00:36:36.359 --> 00:36:36.579
 of

00:36:36.579 --> 00:36:36.900
 God

00:36:36.900 --> 00:36:37.279
 coming

00:36:37.279 --> 00:36:37.460
 into

00:36:37.460 --> 00:36:37.659
 this

00:36:37.659 --> 00:36:37.860
 world

00:36:37.860 --> 00:36:38.199
 dependent

00:36:38.199 --> 00:36:38.440
 on

00:36:38.440 --> 00:36:38.940
 us

00:36:38.940 --> 00:36:39.319
 and

00:36:39.319 --> 00:36:39.519
 our

00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:40.679
 faithfulness

00:36:40.679 --> 00:36:41.019
 it

00:36:41.019 --> 00:36:41.139
 would

00:36:41.139 --> 00:36:41.360
 never

00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:41.759
 happen

00:36:41.759 --> 00:36:43.219
 but

00:36:43.219 --> 00:36:43.360
 the

00:36:43.360 --> 00:36:43.539
 good

00:36:43.539 --> 00:36:43.900
 news

00:36:43.900 --> 00:36:44.159
 is

00:36:44.159 --> 00:36:44.279
 that

00:36:44.279 --> 00:36:44.400
 the

00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:44.599
 kingdom

00:36:44.599 --> 00:36:44.799
 of

00:36:44.799 --> 00:36:45.139
 God

00:36:45.139 --> 00:36:45.960
 is

00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:46.500
 totally

00:36:46.500 --> 00:36:46.840
 and

00:36:46.840 --> 00:36:47.319
 completely

00:36:47.319 --> 00:36:49.019
 dependent

00:36:49.019 --> 00:36:49.279
 on

00:36:49.279 --> 00:36:49.639
 God's

00:36:49.639 --> 00:36:49.960
 sovereign

00:36:49.960 --> 00:36:50.360
 grace

00:36:50.360 --> 00:36:50.860
 God's

00:36:50.860 --> 00:36:51.460
 gracious

00:36:51.460 --> 00:36:52.000
 blessing

00:36:52.000 --> 00:36:52.480
 of

00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:52.799
 life

00:36:52.799 --> 00:36:53.000
 that

00:36:53.000 --> 00:36:53.639
 overrides

00:36:53.639 --> 00:36:54.279
 all

00:36:54.279 --> 00:36:54.940
 absolutely

00:36:54.940 --> 00:36:55.460
 all

00:36:55.460 --> 00:36:56.299
 of our

00:36:56.299 --> 00:36:57.059
 miserable

00:36:57.059 --> 00:36:57.900
 failures

00:36:57.900 --> 00:37:00.059
 and so

00:37:00.059 --> 00:37:00.179
 the

00:37:00.179 --> 00:37:00.480
 question

00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:00.779
 as we

00:37:00.779 --> 00:37:01.179
 conclude

00:37:01.179 --> 00:37:01.440
 is

00:37:01.440 --> 00:37:02.099
 how

00:37:02.099 --> 00:37:02.319
 can

00:37:02.319 --> 00:37:02.440
 you

00:37:02.440 --> 00:37:02.739
 get

00:37:02.739 --> 00:37:04.239
 the

00:37:04.239 --> 00:37:04.559
 blessing

00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:04.739
 of

00:37:04.739 --> 00:37:05.039
 God's

00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:05.440
 triumphant

00:37:05.440 --> 00:37:05.840
 grace

00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:06.079
 in your

00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:06.440
 life

00:37:06.440 --> 00:37:07.539
 how

00:37:07.539 --> 00:37:07.700
 does

00:37:07.700 --> 00:37:07.800
 it

00:37:07.800 --> 00:37:08.099
 become

00:37:08.099 --> 00:37:08.740
 operative

00:37:08.740 --> 00:37:09.420
 in

00:37:09.420 --> 00:37:09.619
 your

00:37:09.619 --> 00:37:10.039
 life

00:37:10.039 --> 00:37:11.900
 well

00:37:11.900 --> 00:37:12.039
 it's

00:37:12.039 --> 00:37:12.320
 interesting

00:37:12.320 --> 00:37:12.639
 when you

00:37:12.639 --> 00:37:13.000
 turn the

00:37:13.000 --> 00:37:13.380
 gospel

00:37:13.380 --> 00:37:13.980
 of

00:37:13.980 --> 00:37:14.420
 John

00:37:14.420 --> 00:37:15.980
 Jesus

00:37:15.980 --> 00:37:16.500
 is

00:37:16.500 --> 00:37:16.860
 called

00:37:16.860 --> 00:37:17.200
 the

00:37:17.200 --> 00:37:17.700
 only

00:37:17.700 --> 00:37:18.260
 begotten

00:37:18.260 --> 00:37:18.579
 son

00:37:18.579 --> 00:37:18.720
 of

00:37:18.720 --> 00:37:19.019
 God

00:37:19.019 --> 00:37:22.039
 he's

00:37:22.039 --> 00:37:22.159
 the

00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:22.700
 eternally

00:37:22.700 --> 00:37:23.099
 beloved

00:37:23.099 --> 00:37:23.440
 son

00:37:23.440 --> 00:37:23.539
 of

00:37:23.539 --> 00:37:23.659
 the

00:37:23.659 --> 00:37:23.920
 father

00:37:23.920 --> 00:37:24.260
 who's

00:37:24.260 --> 00:37:24.579
 been

00:37:24.579 --> 00:37:25.019
 forever

00:37:25.019 --> 00:37:25.220
 in

00:37:25.220 --> 00:37:25.380
 the

00:37:25.380 --> 00:37:25.720
 state

00:37:25.720 --> 00:37:25.940
 of

00:37:25.940 --> 00:37:26.200
 living

00:37:26.200 --> 00:37:26.519
 under

00:37:26.519 --> 00:37:26.720
 the

00:37:26.720 --> 00:37:27.099
 blessing

00:37:27.099 --> 00:37:28.019
 of

00:37:28.019 --> 00:37:28.179
 the

00:37:28.179 --> 00:37:28.519
 father

00:37:28.519 --> 00:37:30.619
 and

00:37:30.619 --> 00:37:30.940
 then

00:37:30.940 --> 00:37:31.079
 you

00:37:31.079 --> 00:37:31.240
 go

00:37:31.240 --> 00:37:31.380
 to

00:37:31.380 --> 00:37:31.500
 the

00:37:31.500 --> 00:37:31.679
 end

00:37:31.679 --> 00:37:31.760
 of

00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:31.860
 the

00:37:31.860 --> 00:37:32.179
 gospel

00:37:32.179 --> 00:37:32.360
 and

00:37:32.360 --> 00:37:32.460
 it

00:37:32.460 --> 00:37:32.619
 says

00:37:32.619 --> 00:37:32.780
 that

00:37:32.780 --> 00:37:33.079
 Jesus

00:37:33.079 --> 00:37:33.440
 gave

00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:33.619
 up

00:37:33.619 --> 00:37:33.820
 that

00:37:33.820 --> 00:37:34.220
 blessing

00:37:34.219 --> 00:37:36.119
 by

00:37:36.119 --> 00:37:36.439
 taking

00:37:36.439 --> 00:37:36.759
 on

00:37:36.759 --> 00:37:37.059
 not

00:37:37.059 --> 00:37:37.239
 just

00:37:37.239 --> 00:37:37.500
 human

00:37:37.500 --> 00:37:37.819
 flesh

00:37:37.819 --> 00:37:38.019
 but

00:37:38.019 --> 00:37:38.319
 by

00:37:38.319 --> 00:37:38.919
 dying

00:37:38.919 --> 00:37:39.059
 on

00:37:39.059 --> 00:37:39.179
 the

00:37:39.179 --> 00:37:39.439
 cross

00:37:39.439 --> 00:37:39.659
 now

00:37:39.659 --> 00:37:39.899
 why

00:37:39.899 --> 00:37:40.099
 would

00:37:40.099 --> 00:37:40.419
 Jesus

00:37:40.419 --> 00:37:41.559
 give up

00:37:41.559 --> 00:37:41.919
 his

00:37:41.919 --> 00:37:42.839
 blessing

00:37:42.839 --> 00:37:43.219
 of being

00:37:43.219 --> 00:37:43.399
 the

00:37:43.399 --> 00:37:43.899
 eternally

00:37:43.899 --> 00:37:44.659
 begotten

00:37:44.659 --> 00:37:45.039
 and beloved

00:37:45.039 --> 00:37:45.500
 son

00:37:45.500 --> 00:37:46.199
 of the

00:37:46.199 --> 00:37:46.500
 father

00:37:46.500 --> 00:37:49.179
 the

00:37:49.179 --> 00:37:49.440
 answer

00:37:49.440 --> 00:37:49.579
 is

00:37:49.579 --> 00:37:49.820
 because

00:37:49.820 --> 00:37:49.980
 he

00:37:49.980 --> 00:37:50.219
 wanted

00:37:50.219 --> 00:37:50.639
 you

00:37:50.639 --> 00:37:50.780
 to

00:37:50.780 --> 00:37:51.000
 have

00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:51.239
 it

00:37:51.239 --> 00:37:54.000
 the

00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:54.260
 apostle

00:37:54.260 --> 00:37:54.559
 Paul

00:37:54.559 --> 00:37:54.860
 says

00:37:54.860 --> 00:37:55.079
 in

00:37:55.079 --> 00:37:55.699
 Galatians

00:37:55.699 --> 00:37:55.940
 3

00:37:55.940 --> 00:37:56.300
 he says

00:37:56.300 --> 00:37:56.699
 Jesus

00:37:56.699 --> 00:37:57.300
 redeemed

00:37:57.300 --> 00:37:57.539
 us

00:37:57.539 --> 00:37:57.699
 from

00:37:57.699 --> 00:37:57.840
 the

00:37:57.840 --> 00:37:58.159
 curse

00:37:58.159 --> 00:37:58.280
 of

00:37:58.280 --> 00:37:58.400
 the

00:37:58.400 --> 00:37:58.739
 law

00:37:58.739 --> 00:37:59.400
 by

00:37:59.400 --> 00:37:59.780
 becoming

00:37:59.780 --> 00:37:59.980
 a

00:37:59.980 --> 00:38:00.199
 curse

00:38:00.199 --> 00:38:00.420
 for

00:38:00.420 --> 00:38:00.820
 us

00:38:00.820 --> 00:38:02.059
 for

00:38:02.059 --> 00:38:02.159
 it

00:38:02.159 --> 00:38:02.280
 is

00:38:02.280 --> 00:38:02.500
 written

00:38:02.500 --> 00:38:02.880
 curse

00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:03.000
 it

00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:03.099
 as

00:38:03.099 --> 00:38:03.440
 everyone

00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:03.699
 who

00:38:03.699 --> 00:38:03.840
 is

00:38:03.840 --> 00:38:04.159
 hanged

00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:04.260
 on

00:38:04.260 --> 00:38:04.380
 a

00:38:04.380 --> 00:38:04.659
 tree

00:38:04.659 --> 00:38:06.260
 and

00:38:06.260 --> 00:38:06.380
 he

00:38:06.380 --> 00:38:06.579
 took

00:38:06.579 --> 00:38:06.760
 on

00:38:06.760 --> 00:38:06.960
 that

00:38:06.960 --> 00:38:07.340
 curse

00:38:07.340 --> 00:38:07.579
 Paul

00:38:07.579 --> 00:38:08.000
 says

00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:08.440
 so

00:38:08.440 --> 00:38:08.800
 that

00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:09.920
 the

00:38:09.920 --> 00:38:10.440
 blessing

00:38:10.440 --> 00:38:10.900
 given

00:38:10.900 --> 00:38:11.099
 to

00:38:11.099 --> 00:38:11.679
 Abraham

00:38:11.679 --> 00:38:12.840
 might

00:38:12.840 --> 00:38:13.159
 come

00:38:13.159 --> 00:38:13.420
 to

00:38:13.420 --> 00:38:13.920
 us

00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:14.780
 through

00:38:14.780 --> 00:38:15.420
 Jesus

00:38:15.420 --> 00:38:15.940
 Christ

00:38:15.940 --> 00:38:17.700
 see

00:38:17.700 --> 00:38:17.940
 on

00:38:17.940 --> 00:38:18.059
 the

00:38:18.059 --> 00:38:18.380
 cross

00:38:18.380 --> 00:38:18.740
 Jesus

00:38:18.740 --> 00:38:19.159
 is

00:38:19.159 --> 00:38:19.880
 in a

00:38:19.880 --> 00:38:20.039
 way

00:38:20.039 --> 00:38:20.360
 Jesus

00:38:20.360 --> 00:38:20.599
 is

00:38:20.599 --> 00:38:20.940
 dressing

00:38:20.940 --> 00:38:21.240
 up

00:38:21.240 --> 00:38:21.579
 like

00:38:21.579 --> 00:38:21.980
 us

00:38:21.980 --> 00:38:24.539
 and

00:38:24.539 --> 00:38:24.780
 he's

00:38:24.780 --> 00:38:24.980
 getting

00:38:24.980 --> 00:38:25.220
 the

00:38:25.220 --> 00:38:25.599
 curse

00:38:25.599 --> 00:38:25.760
 that

00:38:25.760 --> 00:38:25.900
 we

00:38:25.900 --> 00:38:26.340
 deserved

00:38:26.340 --> 00:38:27.720
 so

00:38:27.720 --> 00:38:27.840
 that

00:38:27.840 --> 00:38:28.000
 when

00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:28.179
 we

00:38:28.179 --> 00:38:28.460
 believe

00:38:28.460 --> 00:38:28.619
 in

00:38:28.619 --> 00:38:28.880
 him

00:38:28.880 --> 00:38:29.179
 we

00:38:29.179 --> 00:38:29.420
 get

00:38:29.420 --> 00:38:29.579
 the

00:38:29.579 --> 00:38:29.840
 blessing

00:38:29.840 --> 00:38:30.039
 that

00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:30.220
 he

00:38:30.220 --> 00:38:30.740
 deserved

00:38:30.740 --> 00:38:31.599
 and

00:38:31.599 --> 00:38:31.740
 he

00:38:31.740 --> 00:38:32.159
 came

00:38:32.159 --> 00:38:33.000
 to

00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:33.200
 give

00:38:33.200 --> 00:38:33.420
 you

00:38:33.420 --> 00:38:34.220
 all

00:38:34.220 --> 00:38:34.440
 of

00:38:34.440 --> 00:38:34.539
 the

00:38:34.539 --> 00:38:34.820
 blessing

00:38:34.820 --> 00:38:35.079
 that's

00:38:35.079 --> 00:38:35.360
 his

00:38:35.360 --> 00:38:36.300
 all

00:38:36.300 --> 00:38:36.460
 the

00:38:36.460 --> 00:38:36.740
 blessing

00:38:36.740 --> 00:38:37.059
 all

00:38:37.059 --> 00:38:37.240
 the

00:38:37.240 --> 00:38:37.700
 inheritance

00:38:37.700 --> 00:38:38.519
 of

00:38:38.519 --> 00:38:38.720
 being

00:38:38.720 --> 00:38:38.900
 the

00:38:38.900 --> 00:38:39.179
 first

00:38:39.179 --> 00:38:39.500
 born

00:38:39.500 --> 00:38:40.260
 son

00:38:40.260 --> 00:38:42.440
 so

00:38:42.440 --> 00:38:42.579
 when

00:38:42.579 --> 00:38:42.679
 you

00:38:42.679 --> 00:38:42.820
 look

00:38:42.820 --> 00:38:42.900
 at

00:38:42.900 --> 00:38:43.039
 that

00:38:43.039 --> 00:38:43.500
 blessing

00:38:43.500 --> 00:38:44.400
 in

00:38:44.400 --> 00:38:44.700
 verse

00:38:44.699 --> 00:38:46.460
 28

00:38:46.460 --> 00:38:47.799
 where it

00:38:47.799 --> 00:38:48.059
 says in

00:38:48.059 --> 00:38:48.319
 Genesis

00:38:48.319 --> 00:38:48.899
 27

00:38:48.899 --> 00:38:49.399
 28

00:38:49.399 --> 00:38:50.739
 may

00:38:50.739 --> 00:38:50.960
 God

00:38:50.960 --> 00:38:51.159
 give

00:38:51.159 --> 00:38:51.259
 you

00:38:51.259 --> 00:38:51.379
 the

00:38:51.379 --> 00:38:51.899
 of

00:38:51.899 --> 00:38:52.379
 heaven's

00:38:52.379 --> 00:38:52.659
 dew

00:38:52.659 --> 00:38:52.839
 and

00:38:52.839 --> 00:38:52.939
 of

00:38:52.939 --> 00:38:53.199
 earth's

00:38:53.199 --> 00:38:53.519
 richness

00:38:53.519 --> 00:38:53.879
 an

00:38:53.879 --> 00:38:54.239
 abundance

00:38:54.239 --> 00:38:54.480
 of

00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:54.759
 grain

00:38:54.759 --> 00:38:54.919
 and

00:38:54.919 --> 00:38:55.059
 new

00:38:55.059 --> 00:38:55.399
 wine

00:38:55.399 --> 00:38:56.559
 may

00:38:56.559 --> 00:38:56.919
 nations

00:38:56.919 --> 00:38:57.259
 serve

00:38:57.259 --> 00:38:57.500
 you

00:38:57.500 --> 00:38:57.679
 and

00:38:57.679 --> 00:38:58.099
 peoples

00:38:58.099 --> 00:38:58.379
 bow

00:38:58.379 --> 00:38:58.659
 down

00:38:58.659 --> 00:38:58.859
 to

00:38:58.859 --> 00:38:59.159
 you

00:38:59.159 --> 00:38:59.980
 be

00:38:59.980 --> 00:39:00.259
 lord

00:39:00.259 --> 00:39:00.419
 over

00:39:00.419 --> 00:39:00.539
 your

00:39:00.539 --> 00:39:00.799
 brothers

00:39:00.799 --> 00:39:00.939
 and

00:39:00.939 --> 00:39:01.039
 may

00:39:01.039 --> 00:39:01.199
 the

00:39:01.199 --> 00:39:01.480
 sons

00:39:01.480 --> 00:39:01.639
 of

00:39:01.639 --> 00:39:01.739
 your

00:39:01.739 --> 00:39:01.939
 mother

00:39:01.939 --> 00:39:02.179
 bow

00:39:02.179 --> 00:39:02.439
 down

00:39:02.439 --> 00:39:02.639
 to

00:39:02.639 --> 00:39:02.779
 you

00:39:02.779 --> 00:39:02.939
 may

00:39:02.939 --> 00:39:03.179
 those

00:39:03.179 --> 00:39:03.319
 who

00:39:03.319 --> 00:39:03.599
 curse

00:39:03.599 --> 00:39:03.739
 you

00:39:03.739 --> 00:39:03.879
 be

00:39:03.879 --> 00:39:04.139
 cursed

00:39:04.139 --> 00:39:04.279
 and

00:39:04.279 --> 00:39:04.480
 those

00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:04.599
 who

00:39:04.599 --> 00:39:04.879
 bless

00:39:04.879 --> 00:39:05.099
 you

00:39:05.099 --> 00:39:05.759
 be

00:39:05.759 --> 00:39:06.259
 blessed

00:39:06.259 --> 00:39:06.259


00:39:14.699 --> 00:39:16.099
 surrounded

00:39:16.099 --> 00:39:16.500
 by all

00:39:16.500 --> 00:39:16.619
 of

00:39:16.619 --> 00:39:16.759
 his

00:39:16.759 --> 00:39:17.099
 loyal

00:39:17.099 --> 00:39:17.299
 and

00:39:17.299 --> 00:39:17.619
 adoring

00:39:17.619 --> 00:39:18.339
 subjects

00:39:18.339 --> 00:39:20.579
 and

00:39:20.579 --> 00:39:20.699
 so

00:39:20.699 --> 00:39:20.819
 the

00:39:20.819 --> 00:39:21.139
 question

00:39:21.139 --> 00:39:21.419
 as we

00:39:21.419 --> 00:39:21.739
 come

00:39:21.739 --> 00:39:21.899
 to

00:39:21.899 --> 00:39:22.119
 this

00:39:22.119 --> 00:39:22.739
 table

00:39:22.739 --> 00:39:23.559
 of

00:39:23.559 --> 00:39:24.439
 abundant

00:39:24.439 --> 00:39:24.899
 grain

00:39:24.899 --> 00:39:25.079
 and

00:39:25.079 --> 00:39:25.259
 new

00:39:25.259 --> 00:39:25.639
 wine

00:39:25.639 --> 00:39:27.639
 this

00:39:27.639 --> 00:39:28.480
 royal

00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:28.939
 feast

00:39:28.939 --> 00:39:29.219
 that's

00:39:29.219 --> 00:39:29.359
 set

00:39:29.359 --> 00:39:29.639
 before

00:39:29.639 --> 00:39:30.119
 us

00:39:30.119 --> 00:39:33.039
 is

00:39:33.039 --> 00:39:33.419
 Jesus

00:39:33.419 --> 00:39:33.939
 Christ

00:39:33.939 --> 00:39:34.519
 resurrected

00:39:34.519 --> 00:39:34.960
 from the

00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:35.159
 dead

00:39:35.159 --> 00:39:35.739
 is he

00:39:35.739 --> 00:39:36.739
 your

00:39:36.739 --> 00:39:37.079
 king

00:39:37.079 --> 00:39:39.519
 and

00:39:39.519 --> 00:39:39.819
 through

00:39:39.819 --> 00:39:40.379
 Jesus

00:39:40.379 --> 00:39:41.559
 have you

00:39:41.559 --> 00:39:41.779
 had

00:39:41.779 --> 00:39:42.239
 lavished

00:39:42.239 --> 00:39:42.559
 upon

00:39:42.559 --> 00:39:42.859
 you

00:39:42.859 --> 00:39:43.079
 the

00:39:43.079 --> 00:39:43.379
 love

00:39:43.379 --> 00:39:43.519
 of

00:39:43.519 --> 00:39:43.679
 God

00:39:43.679 --> 00:39:43.840
 the

00:39:43.840 --> 00:39:44.159
 father

00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:46.000
 and

00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:46.280
 in

00:39:46.280 --> 00:39:46.539
 Jesus

00:39:46.539 --> 00:39:46.940
 Christ

00:39:46.940 --> 00:39:47.159
 have

00:39:47.159 --> 00:39:47.400
 you

00:39:47.400 --> 00:39:48.280
 had

00:39:48.280 --> 00:39:48.599
 put

00:39:48.599 --> 00:39:48.920
 into

00:39:48.920 --> 00:39:49.059
 you

00:39:49.059 --> 00:39:49.199
 the

00:39:49.199 --> 00:39:49.519
 presence

00:39:49.519 --> 00:39:49.679
 and

00:39:49.679 --> 00:39:49.780
 the

00:39:49.780 --> 00:39:50.059
 power

00:39:50.059 --> 00:39:50.199
 of

00:39:50.199 --> 00:39:50.280
 the

00:39:50.280 --> 00:39:50.500
 Holy

00:39:50.500 --> 00:39:50.860
 Spirit

00:39:50.860 --> 00:39:51.039
 of

00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:51.340
 God

00:39:51.340 --> 00:39:53.400
 and

00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:53.800
 has

00:39:53.800 --> 00:39:53.940
 he

00:39:53.940 --> 00:39:54.380
 invited

00:39:54.380 --> 00:39:54.579
 you

00:39:54.579 --> 00:39:54.759
 to

00:39:54.759 --> 00:39:55.019
 come

00:39:55.019 --> 00:39:55.179
 and

00:39:55.179 --> 00:39:55.599
 feast

00:39:55.599 --> 00:39:55.820
 with

00:39:55.820 --> 00:39:56.099
 him

00:39:56.099 --> 00:39:57.039
 around

00:39:57.039 --> 00:39:57.340
 this

00:39:57.340 --> 00:39:57.980
 table

00:39:57.980 --> 00:39:58.179
 of

00:39:58.179 --> 00:39:58.780
 abundance

00:39:58.780 --> 00:39:59.340
 this

00:39:59.340 --> 00:39:59.619
 table

00:39:59.619 --> 00:39:59.800
 of

00:39:59.800 --> 00:40:00.179
 victory

00:40:00.179 --> 00:40:02.000
 because

00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:02.340
 if

00:40:02.340 --> 00:40:02.679
 that's

00:40:02.679 --> 00:40:02.960
 you

00:40:02.960 --> 00:40:04.199
 no

00:40:04.199 --> 00:40:04.420
 matter

00:40:04.420 --> 00:40:04.900
 how

00:40:04.900 --> 00:40:05.800
 dysfunctional

00:40:05.800 --> 00:40:06.059
 you

00:40:06.059 --> 00:40:06.460
 are

00:40:06.460 --> 00:40:08.059
 no

00:40:08.059 --> 00:40:08.259
 matter

00:40:08.259 --> 00:40:08.559
 how

00:40:08.559 --> 00:40:09.239
 undeserving

00:40:09.239 --> 00:40:09.579
 you

00:40:09.579 --> 00:40:09.940
 are

00:40:09.940 --> 00:40:12.500
 you're

00:40:12.500 --> 00:40:12.860
 part

00:40:12.860 --> 00:40:12.980
 of

00:40:12.980 --> 00:40:13.160
 the

00:40:13.160 --> 00:40:13.700
 nations

00:40:13.700 --> 00:40:15.120
 that

00:40:15.120 --> 00:40:15.400
 God

00:40:15.400 --> 00:40:15.559
 is

00:40:15.559 --> 00:40:15.880
 gathering

00:40:15.880 --> 00:40:16.260
 together

00:40:16.260 --> 00:40:16.380
 in

00:40:16.380 --> 00:40:16.519
 this

00:40:16.519 --> 00:40:16.860
 blessing

00:40:16.860 --> 00:40:17.019
 that

00:40:17.019 --> 00:40:17.140
 are

00:40:17.140 --> 00:40:17.660
 serving

00:40:17.660 --> 00:40:18.099
 Jesus

00:40:18.099 --> 00:40:18.680
 and bowing

00:40:18.680 --> 00:40:18.940
 down

00:40:18.940 --> 00:40:19.120
 to

00:40:19.120 --> 00:40:19.420
 Jesus

00:40:19.420 --> 00:40:20.000
 and blessing

00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:20.500
 Jesus

00:40:20.500 --> 00:40:21.340
 and that

00:40:21.340 --> 00:40:21.740
 means

00:40:21.740 --> 00:40:22.480
 that you're

00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:22.920
 living under

00:40:22.920 --> 00:40:23.380
 the power

00:40:23.380 --> 00:40:23.800
 of God's

00:40:23.800 --> 00:40:24.240
 blessing

00:40:24.240 --> 00:40:26.519
 and that

00:40:26.519 --> 00:40:26.940
 means

00:40:26.940 --> 00:40:28.599
 that the

00:40:28.599 --> 00:40:29.000
 triumph

00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:29.500
 of God's

00:40:29.500 --> 00:40:29.860
 grace

00:40:29.860 --> 00:40:30.980
 is going

00:40:30.980 --> 00:40:31.180
 to be

00:40:31.180 --> 00:40:31.400
 true

00:40:31.400 --> 00:40:32.039
 for you

00:40:32.039 --> 00:40:35.720
 so friends

00:40:35.720 --> 00:40:36.059
 let's come

00:40:36.059 --> 00:40:36.340
 to this

00:40:36.340 --> 00:40:36.700
 table

00:40:36.700 --> 00:40:38.700
 expectant

00:40:38.699 --> 00:40:40.059
 that

00:40:40.059 --> 00:40:40.419
 as we

00:40:40.419 --> 00:40:40.779
 come

00:40:40.779 --> 00:40:41.519
 we're

00:40:41.519 --> 00:40:41.759
 children

00:40:41.759 --> 00:40:42.000
 of the

00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:42.359
 blessing

00:40:42.359 --> 00:40:44.039
 that

00:40:44.039 --> 00:40:44.339
 here

00:40:44.339 --> 00:40:44.539
 we

00:40:44.539 --> 00:40:44.839
 get

00:40:44.839 --> 00:40:46.019
 heaven's

00:40:46.019 --> 00:40:46.299
 dew

00:40:46.299 --> 00:40:47.279
 and earth's

00:40:47.279 --> 00:40:47.579
 richness

00:40:47.579 --> 00:40:49.019
 that

00:40:49.019 --> 00:40:49.279
 here

00:40:49.279 --> 00:40:49.460
 we

00:40:49.460 --> 00:40:49.639
 get

00:40:49.639 --> 00:40:49.759
 an

00:40:49.759 --> 00:40:50.139
 abundance

00:40:50.139 --> 00:40:50.359
 of

00:40:50.359 --> 00:40:50.759
 grain

00:40:50.759 --> 00:40:51.359
 and

00:40:51.359 --> 00:40:51.559
 new

00:40:51.559 --> 00:40:51.980
 wine

00:40:51.980 --> 00:40:53.319
 here

00:40:53.319 --> 00:40:53.500
 we

00:40:53.500 --> 00:40:53.639
 get

00:40:53.639 --> 00:40:53.799
 to

00:40:53.799 --> 00:40:54.039
 sit

00:40:54.039 --> 00:40:54.379
 down

00:40:54.379 --> 00:40:54.599
 with

00:40:54.599 --> 00:40:54.759
 the

00:40:54.759 --> 00:40:55.019
 king

00:40:55.019 --> 00:40:55.179
 of

00:40:55.179 --> 00:40:55.500
 kings

00:40:55.500 --> 00:40:55.639
 and

00:40:55.639 --> 00:40:55.779
 the

00:40:55.779 --> 00:40:55.980
 lord

00:40:55.980 --> 00:40:56.139
 of

00:40:56.139 --> 00:40:56.559
 lords

00:40:56.559 --> 00:40:57.199
 around

00:40:57.199 --> 00:40:57.579
 whom

00:40:57.579 --> 00:40:57.980
 all

00:40:57.980 --> 00:40:58.159
 the

00:40:58.159 --> 00:40:58.500
 nations

00:40:58.500 --> 00:40:58.699
 are

00:40:58.699 --> 00:40:59.239
 bowing

00:40:59.239 --> 00:40:59.539
 down

00:40:59.539 --> 00:40:59.719
 and

00:40:59.719 --> 00:40:59.939
 will

00:40:59.939 --> 00:41:00.239
 one

00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:00.379
 day

00:41:00.379 --> 00:41:00.699
 bow

00:41:00.699 --> 00:41:00.980
 down

00:41:00.980 --> 00:41:01.139
 and

00:41:01.139 --> 00:41:01.379
 say

00:41:01.379 --> 00:41:01.980
 you

00:41:01.980 --> 00:41:02.419
 are

00:41:02.419 --> 00:41:02.939
 the

00:41:02.939 --> 00:41:03.259
 Lord

00:41:03.259 --> 00:41:05.059
 this

00:41:05.059 --> 00:41:05.219
 is

00:41:05.219 --> 00:41:05.359
 where

00:41:05.359 --> 00:41:05.519
 the

00:41:05.519 --> 00:41:05.819
 blessing

00:41:05.819 --> 00:41:06.199
!

00:41:08.699 --> 00:41:11.059
 In the

00:41:11.059 --> 00:41:11.259
 name of

00:41:11.259 --> 00:41:11.379
 the

00:41:11.379 --> 00:41:11.579
 Father

00:41:11.579 --> 00:41:11.819
 Son

00:41:11.819 --> 00:41:11.960
 and

00:41:11.960 --> 00:41:12.139
 Holy

00:41:12.139 --> 00:41:12.500
 Spirit

00:41:12.500 --> 00:41:13.559
 Amen