WEBVTT

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 Father, we ask that the Holy Spirit would move with gentle and deep power upon us this morning.

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 Father, your word told us that you want us to be not just hearers of your word, but doers of your word.

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 And so, Father, we ask that for us this morning, that you would help us to hear your word well and be doers of your word.

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 We ask that your word would come into our hearts and we give you, Father, full permission.

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 We invite and give you full permission for your word to speak into our hearts and rule in our hearts.

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 And this we ask in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.

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 Please be seated.

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 I fell in love with my wife, but she didn't fall in love with me in the very early days of our relationship.

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 In fact, it was one of those situations where I sort of fell in love with Louise almost from the first moment I saw her, even though I didn't even know her name.

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 But she didn't have that same experience of me.

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 That's the stuff of romantic comedies and all that other stuff that happens all the time.

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 Eventually, I became her friend.

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 But Louise was in love with another man.

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 Nothing wrong with that.

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 We'll call him Bob.

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 And so I sort of became a bit of a friend of Louise and of Bob.

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 And there was this one particular night.

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 There used to be this thing in Ottawa, way, way, way, way back, called the Hoots.

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 It used to meet in Jack Purcell Community Center on Sunday evening.

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 Sort of a bit of a gathering for people like folk music and those who were sort of connected to the counterculture, as I guess it would have been called back then.

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 And so there's this one night I go to the Hoots and I happen to come in at the same time that Louise is coming in with Bob.

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 And they invite me to sit with them.

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 And so we take our coats off because I think it was either late, late, late fall or early, early, early spring.

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 And we take our coats off.

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 And Louise says she'll sit there while Bob and I go and get something from the little place.

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 They sold coffee and different types of things like that.

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 So I go up there and I order what I'm going to have.

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 And then it's Bob's turn.

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 And Bob orders what he wants to have.

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 And then he says this.

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 He says, I know what Louise would like.

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 She'd like this.

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 It was apple cider.

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 And I can't remember the thing that was tea.

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 But she says, I know what Louise would like.

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 She'd like this.

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 Now, that little phrase was like a dagger in my heart.

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 Because in those little words, I know what Louise would like,

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 it really brought home to me the vast gap between myself and Louise and Louise and this other fellow.

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 Because it dawned on me that I wouldn't have had the vaguest idea in the world what to buy Louise.

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 I didn't know what she would like.

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 And it was a very depressing evening for me.

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 I tell you this story.

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 And hopefully, if you just sort of remember it, and I'm going to say a few more comments about it.

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 But if you have this story in the back of your mind, as we read James 2, verses 14 to 26,

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 it'll help you to understand what James is saying and what he's talking about.

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 This desire that I had to be in a relationship with Louise,

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 the fact that I didn't know much about her, and all that type of stuff.

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 If you just keep that in your mind, it'll really help us as we read this text.

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 So if you have your Bibles, turn in them to James 2, verses 14 to 26.

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 If you're a guest here this morning, we're preaching through the book of James.

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 That's what we do most of the time here at Church of the Messiah.

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 And so we've come to this text, and that's what we're looking at.

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 And some of you might not know this, but this historically, at least for 500 years,

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 has been a very, very, very controversial text in at least certain circles of the Christian church.

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 In fact, Luther, one of the early reformers, thought that the book shouldn't be in the Bible

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 because it contradicted what the rest of the New Testament said.

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 So it's been a very controversial text, and actually it's because of this text

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 that Luther thought it shouldn't be in the Bible.

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 And so here's how the text goes.

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 It's James 2, verses 14 to 26.

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 And just by the way, it's just to move to the side here so the camera can see this for a moment.

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 Maybe you can see it or you can't.

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 Maybe my water's in the way.

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 But it says up there, grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

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 It's a very, very famous Christian saying.

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 Grace alone.

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 How am I made right with God?

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 I'm made right with God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

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 And so it's very fortuitous that that sign is here because here's what verse 14 says.

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 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?

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 Can that faith save him?

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 And a bit of a grammar geek moment.

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 In the time of the text that this was written, there's a verbal form in the original language

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 where they use certain questions.

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 They always imply that the right answer is no.

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 It's not like a real question that they're going to discover.

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 It's just a way of speaking where they pose a question, but the answer is no.

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 And so basically what he's saying is,

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 what good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works,

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 can that faith save him?

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 And the answer is no.

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 So in other words, the question is,

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 should we take the sign down?

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 Because the sign is wrong.

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 That in fact, we're not saved by grace alone through faith alone.

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 We're saved by grace alone through faith and works.

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 And that's the way the text should actually go.

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 So what's going on here in the text?

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 Well, just as we're starting to get into it,

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 I didn't realize when I was preparing this sermon that the gospel text was going to be John 6.

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 But many, many, many years ago, in the early days of my being a Christian,

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 I had a very funny story connected with John 6.

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 And so every time I read the text, I smile inwardly when I read it.

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 So I became a Christian.

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 I was sort of connected to the counterculture,

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 more of a wannabe than an actual member of the counterculture.

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 I was a bit of a wannabe hippie, had long hair, a beard.

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 By long hair, I mean down to my belt, like not just sort of down past my ears, like down to my belt.

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 Anyway, we had this home fellowship, like sort of home church, home Bible study group.

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 And one day we invited somebody who really was very, very involved in the counterculture.

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 We had somebody, we'd been having talks with him,

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 and he'd gotten to know a little bit about the Christian faith,

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 and he came to one of our Bible studies.

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 And the Bible study was John 6.

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 And so we're going along, and we would get into a bit of a discussion about it.

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 And he was one of the very first people who said anything about it.

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 He said, George, that's a wonderful text.

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 Now I understand what happened.

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 And we were all a bit surprised.

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 He said, yeah, because it says that there was lots of grass in that place.

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 And in the 70s, grass was a way to refer to marijuana.

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 So he said, there's lots of grass in the place.

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 That just means they were all there with Jesus smoking marijuana.

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 Yeah.

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 And because they were smoking marijuana,

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 anyway, he went on and on with this whole thing.

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 But the fact of the matter is, I mean, the Bible just meant grass as the stuff you mow.

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 But he thought grass meant the stuff that you smoked.

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 And so he fundamentally misunderstood the text.

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 And so it's actually a very good segue into our text.

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 The text says, what good is it, my brothers and sisters,

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 if someone says he has faith but does not have works?

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 Can that faith save him?

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 And the question is, well, what's going on here?

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 Works, by the way, is just a sort of a very simple word that refers to what you do.

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 Like, what do you actually do?

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 And not only what you do with your body physically,

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 but what do you do with your emotions?

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 What do you do with your mind?

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 What do you do with your lips?

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 Like, what do you do?

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 That's just what the word works means in this particular consequence, in this context.

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 But what does faith mean?

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 Actually, for a lot of people probably, and I was thinking about this,

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 that I was thinking a lot of my non-Christian friends would probably misunderstand the word faith

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 because the word faith is used in a very particular way in our culture.

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 It's usually used to mean in one of two senses.

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 It either means a type of emotional state or a type of personal power.

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 You'd hear people talk about how you have to have faith.

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 Faith, it's going to work out, you have to have faith.

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 And the idea there of having faith is that faith is like a type of power that we have.

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 Sort of, I'm not being derogatory, but I'm just trying to illustrate it.

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 It's almost those of you who remember the Care Bears,

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 when it came to the right time to try to deal with the issue,

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 and they sort of stuck out their chest and stuff.

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 Hearts came out from their chest to deal with the bad guy and shut the bad guy down.

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 And so for a lot of people in our culture, when they hear the word faith,

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 what they really think of is a type of power.

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 That there's a type of power within you that's called faith.

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 That if you just sort of garnish it and get it together and focus it and project it,

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 that you're able to change the world in a way that's good for you and good for others.

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 But always good for you, but good for you and good for others.

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 And you just have to have faith.

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 It's a type of power.

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 That's how a lot of people understand faith in our culture.

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 And on the other hand, and the other way that a lot of people understand faith

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 is that it's a type of emotional state where you'll hear people say,

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 well, I have faith this is going to work out.

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 And what they really mean is that they have a type of emotion connected to it.

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 An emotion of sort of tranquility or happiness or rest that it's all going to work out.

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 And that's what they mean by it.

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 They have a certain emotional state.

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 So is that what is going on here in the text?

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 Is the text saying that if you don't have this sort of personal power and works,

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 which doesn't really make sense,

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 or if you don't have this type of emotional state and this other stuff,

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 like what's going on there with the text?

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 Is that what the word faith means?

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 So some of you might be wondering, why are we even talking about this?

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 Well, one of the things that drives my wife nuts about me,

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 when I go to other churches on my holidays,

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 I make it like a personal goal to not criticize or complain about the sermon

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 because it's always easy to complain about other people and not complain about yourself.

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 It's a danger for ministers.

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 But it's probably the same for musicians or anybody who's good at anything,

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 to nitpick how other people do it and not look at yourself.

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 But, you know, at the end, after we go to the church, I don't say anything negative.

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 In fact, if I think the sermon's really bad,

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 this is a suggestion for you as well, by the way,

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 if you think this sermon's tanking,

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 that's an opportunity for you to pray for me in the congregation.

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 And that's what I try to do when I'm visiting another church.

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 If the sermon is really tanking, I think,

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 okay, now God brought me here today to pray for the pastor and pray for the congregation.

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 But one of the things that, it's amazing how often it happens,

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 that the person supposedly talks on the text,

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 but if he'd actually just read the few verses after the text,

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 he'd realize that everything he said about the text was wrong.

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 Like, it's astounding how often it happens.

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 Like, one of the preceding sins of Christians and non-Christians

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 when they look at the Bible is they just look at the Bible as if it's just that text.

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 And they go ahead and they talk about it.

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 But if you think about it, the text is part of a book.

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 It would be as if you watched one minute of a movie

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 and then went on and on and on about it.

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 But from the one minute in the movie,

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 you might not even know who the good guy or the bad guy is.

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 Like, you don't know how the movie ends.

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 You don't know how anything happens.

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 You just make this judgment and go on and on about the movie.

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 And if some of you have watched the whole movie and you'd listen to it,

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 you'd go, come on, that's crazy.

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 That doesn't make any sense.

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 Like, you can't just talk about that.

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 You need to know what happened before and what happened after.

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 So the same thing with reading the Bible.

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 You always have to look at what's going on before and after.

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 And in this particular case, when it says,

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 what good is it, my brothers and sisters,

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 if someone says he has faith but does not have works,

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 can that faith save him?

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 It's referring to a huge point in the book of James

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 that happened just immediately before it.

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 So I didn't ask people to put this on the screen.

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 It won't be on the screen.

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 If you have your Bibles, you can see it.

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 Or you just have to trust me that I'm reading it correctly.

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 And what is said immediately before this is this.

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 It's the last four words, the last four words of verse 13.

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 Mercy triumphs over judgment.

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 Mercy triumphs over judgment.

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 And it's a very, very, very powerful phrase.

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 It might not jump out of you.

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 Some of you might like the sound of it just hearing it.

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 But the more you understand this text,

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 the more you understand just how big and powerful a word is.

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 Because what James has done is he unearths something

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 that we all know and sometimes deeply troubles us,

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 but we don't really know what to do about it

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 other than to try harder.

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 And what James unearths just before this is very bad news

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 is that there's something fundamentally broken about human beings.

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 That even the best human being,

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 there's something that's a bit dark at different parts of their life.

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 That there's something a bit broken,

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 even in the best person, about different parts of their life.

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 And that if we're all really honest,

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 like really, really honest,

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 the type of honesty that can happen at 3 o'clock

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 or 4 o'clock in the morning

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 or when you're beating yourself up over something,

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 that to realize that there's just something,

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 there is something just broken.

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 Like, why is it to my best friend that I said that?

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 Why is it that to my boss I said that?

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 Why is it that that slipped out?

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 Like, why is it that rather than getting up and helping,

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 I did the opposite?

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 Like, why is it?

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 And every single human being,

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 if they're even remotely self-aware,

00:14:13.740 --> 00:14:14.919
 and by the way,

00:14:14.980 --> 00:14:17.459
 there was a wonderful line in the newspaper this week

00:14:17.459 --> 00:14:19.299
 talking about somebody.

00:14:20.059 --> 00:14:21.939
 Self-absorbed, self being,

00:14:21.940 --> 00:14:24.820
 there are many people today who are self-absorbed,

00:14:24.920 --> 00:14:26.080
 but not self-aware.

00:14:26.440 --> 00:14:27.540
 Isn't that a wonderful phrase?

00:14:28.540 --> 00:14:32.140
 Self-absorbed with zero self-awareness.

00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:34.760
 But if you aren't,

00:14:35.300 --> 00:14:36.480
 if you have any self-awareness,

00:14:36.520 --> 00:14:37.760
 you realize there's something broken.

00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:40.120
 And so what James is talking about

00:14:40.120 --> 00:14:41.040
 is this wonderful thing.

00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:44.360
 It's a four-word summary of what Jesus does for us on the cross.

00:14:45.480 --> 00:14:48.560
 That God's seen our great need,

00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:52.479
 that Jesus dies on the cross and rises from the dead.

00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:55.159
 And that the way to understand what Jesus does

00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:57.159
 as he's dying upon the cross for you,

00:14:57.479 --> 00:15:00.359
 as he tastes all there is to taste of death for you

00:15:00.359 --> 00:15:01.419
 over the three days,

00:15:01.479 --> 00:15:04.739
 and as he rises from death and defeats death,

00:15:05.239 --> 00:15:07.439
 having vanquished hell, so to speak,

00:15:08.239 --> 00:15:12.859
 is that what we see is mercy triumphing over judgment.

00:15:12.860 --> 00:15:16.060
 That the judgment that God has on you,

00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:18.480
 the judgment that other people have on you,

00:15:18.539 --> 00:15:20.419
 the judgment that you have on yourself,

00:15:20.560 --> 00:15:22.460
 those things you cannot deal with

00:15:22.460 --> 00:15:25.759
 and cannot, you can try to maybe drink it away

00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:26.659
 from your conscience

00:15:26.659 --> 00:15:29.240
 or distract yourself away from your conscience

00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:32.300
 or just pretend that it not happened

00:15:32.300 --> 00:15:35.360
 or isolate yourself from the people that remind you

00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:36.980
 or the situations that remind you

00:15:36.980 --> 00:15:38.659
 that there's these things in your conscience

00:15:38.659 --> 00:15:40.080
 that just cannot be dealt with,

00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:41.780
 that God knowing all,

00:15:41.900 --> 00:15:44.480
 Jesus as God knowing all there is to know,

00:15:44.560 --> 00:15:46.800
 that he had left the glory and splendor of heaven,

00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:48.620
 he takes on our human nature,

00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:50.320
 he lives the life that we could never live,

00:15:51.020 --> 00:15:53.560
 and he dies in your place.

00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:56.460
 That the judgment of God happens,

00:15:56.620 --> 00:15:58.520
 but there's this wonderful surprise

00:15:58.520 --> 00:16:02.320
 that God's mercy triumphs over that judgment

00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.180
 in a way that can make you right with him.

00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:07.400
 And it's this wonderful, powerful, powerful phrase.

00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:10.179
 In an age where we struggle with hopelessness,

00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:12.959
 this is the profound hope of the gospel.

00:16:13.079 --> 00:16:15.019
 In an age which struggles with anxiety,

00:16:15.459 --> 00:16:18.059
 this is the profound gospel hope

00:16:18.059 --> 00:16:19.259
 in the face of anxiety

00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:22.279
 that God knew every single thing about you

00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:24.059
 with nothing held back.

00:16:24.379 --> 00:16:25.579
 He knew you perfectly.

00:16:25.779 --> 00:16:27.000
 Still, he loved you,

00:16:27.059 --> 00:16:28.199
 and he loved you so much,

00:16:28.259 --> 00:16:29.579
 and Jesus loved you so much

00:16:29.579 --> 00:16:32.500
 that knowing you absolutely perfectly

00:16:32.500 --> 00:16:33.960
 from the moment of your conception

00:16:33.960 --> 00:16:35.100
 to the moment of your death,

00:16:35.100 --> 00:16:38.399
 still he was willing to die in your place.

00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:40.560
 In your place condemned he stood.

00:16:40.700 --> 00:16:42.519
 In my place condemned he stood.

00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:44.899
 And that in his death upon the cross

00:16:44.899 --> 00:16:45.980
 and in his resurrection,

00:16:46.220 --> 00:16:49.519
 what you are seeing is God's wonderful provision

00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:50.820
 of grace and mercy,

00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:53.040
 that mercy triumphs over judgment.

00:16:55.139 --> 00:16:57.680
 And that's what James has just shared.

00:16:57.679 --> 00:16:59.879
 So then the question is,

00:17:00.339 --> 00:17:01.379
 how does that,

00:17:02.279 --> 00:17:05.099
 how do I connect to that?

00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:07.000
 How do I get that?

00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:09.179
 How do I get into that?

00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:11.159
 How do I get included in that?

00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:12.539
 How do I receive it?

00:17:12.579 --> 00:17:13.559
 How does that get in me?

00:17:13.679 --> 00:17:15.379
 Like, what's even the right language?

00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:18.559
 Like, given who he is and what he's done,

00:17:18.700 --> 00:17:21.859
 like, how does that become mine?

00:17:21.980 --> 00:17:24.019
 How does that become me?

00:17:24.019 --> 00:17:29.000
 How do I get there that there gets to me?

00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:32.799
 And Christians historically have answered,

00:17:33.619 --> 00:17:35.319
 reading the Bible,

00:17:36.059 --> 00:17:37.500
 that the answer is that

00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:39.240
 it's all an act of grace,

00:17:39.539 --> 00:17:41.279
 God's grace alone,

00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:43.379
 that we get into it

00:17:43.379 --> 00:17:46.500
 and it gets into us through faith alone.

00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:49.259
 And who do you have the faith in?

00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:51.819
 You have the faith in Christ alone.

00:17:51.819 --> 00:17:54.720
 You have, that's who you connect with.

00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:56.139
 The person of Jesus,

00:17:56.339 --> 00:17:58.859
 who's also the promise of God,

00:17:58.939 --> 00:17:59.579
 the Lamb of God,

00:17:59.639 --> 00:18:00.859
 who takes away the sin of the world,

00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:03.139
 that you connect to Jesus with faith.

00:18:04.599 --> 00:18:07.339
 And James knows that that's the Christian answer.

00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:10.319
 But he knew that back in his time,

00:18:10.419 --> 00:18:11.359
 just as there is today,

00:18:11.439 --> 00:18:13.659
 there's lots of confusion about what faith is.

00:18:15.500 --> 00:18:16.839
 And that's what he's getting at.

00:18:16.919 --> 00:18:17.500
 So first of all,

00:18:17.539 --> 00:18:19.579
 he says something to shock everybody.

00:18:19.579 --> 00:18:23.199
 But after he shocked everybody by saying,

00:18:23.379 --> 00:18:23.859
 what good is it,

00:18:23.919 --> 00:18:24.779
 my brothers and sisters,

00:18:24.779 --> 00:18:26.179
 if someone says he has faith,

00:18:26.259 --> 00:18:27.179
 but does not have works,

00:18:27.259 --> 00:18:28.439
 can that faith save him?

00:18:28.779 --> 00:18:30.579
 What he does is he unearths

00:18:31.179 --> 00:18:32.859
 four different misconceptions

00:18:32.859 --> 00:18:34.819
 about what faith is

00:18:34.819 --> 00:18:35.919
 so that we can understand

00:18:35.919 --> 00:18:36.960
 what faith really is

00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:37.740
 and what it isn't.

00:18:38.639 --> 00:18:40.019
 And so that for those of us

00:18:40.019 --> 00:18:42.000
 who might have been very,

00:18:42.119 --> 00:18:42.579
 very confused,

00:18:42.579 --> 00:18:46.819
 can realize that maybe we aren't as,

00:18:48.179 --> 00:18:48.579
 maybe,

00:18:48.740 --> 00:18:51.179
 maybe what's going on in us

00:18:51.179 --> 00:18:52.460
 doesn't suck after all

00:18:52.460 --> 00:18:54.339
 and isn't as terrible

00:18:54.339 --> 00:18:55.960
 or missing the point as we thought.

00:18:58.259 --> 00:18:59.779
 Or otherwise,

00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:00.619
 say, you know what,

00:19:01.899 --> 00:19:04.299
 I just thought it was those other things.

00:19:04.539 --> 00:19:06.019
 And today's the day that you can say,

00:19:06.419 --> 00:19:08.019
 now that as James starts to give you

00:19:08.019 --> 00:19:09.659
 these examples of what it is

00:19:09.660 --> 00:19:10.360
 and what it isn't,

00:19:10.380 --> 00:19:10.840
 that you say,

00:19:10.900 --> 00:19:11.700
 I want that, Lord.

00:19:12.420 --> 00:19:14.360
 Jesus, be my Savior,

00:19:14.500 --> 00:19:15.140
 be my Lord.

00:19:15.800 --> 00:19:18.380
 Like, mercy triumphs over judgment,

00:19:18.580 --> 00:19:18.880
 yes.

00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:21.180
 Like, let that be in me

00:19:21.180 --> 00:19:22.220
 and let me be in that.

00:19:23.220 --> 00:19:24.820
 Yes, yes, yes.

00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:29.380
 So how does he do it?

00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:29.960
 Well, just actually,

00:19:29.980 --> 00:19:30.380
 I'm going to give you

00:19:30.380 --> 00:19:31.560
 the big idea of the text

00:19:31.560 --> 00:19:33.600
 before we get into the text

00:19:33.600 --> 00:19:34.660
 and read the rest of his things.

00:19:35.040 --> 00:19:35.440
 And I don't know

00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:36.660
 if it's going to be on the screen or not

00:19:36.660 --> 00:19:37.840
 because I sent it very late

00:19:37.840 --> 00:19:39.860
 to the poor tech team.

00:19:40.779 --> 00:19:42.600
 Faith is humbly connecting

00:19:42.600 --> 00:19:44.100
 to the triune God

00:19:44.100 --> 00:19:45.519
 from your heart

00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:47.360
 so that he changes

00:19:47.360 --> 00:19:48.420
 the real you

00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:49.980
 in your real life.

00:19:51.340 --> 00:19:53.960
 Faith is humbly connecting

00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:55.800
 to the triune God

00:19:55.800 --> 00:19:57.279
 from your heart

00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:58.960
 so that he changes

00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:00.019
 the real you

00:20:00.019 --> 00:20:01.300
 in your real life.

00:20:01.360 --> 00:20:01.920
 I'm going to say it

00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:03.340
 other times during the service.

00:20:03.339 --> 00:20:05.919
 And just to sort of

00:20:05.919 --> 00:20:07.459
 give you a bit of a high view

00:20:07.459 --> 00:20:08.139
 of what that means,

00:20:08.199 --> 00:20:08.839
 and I'll talk about it

00:20:08.839 --> 00:20:09.359
 a little bit more

00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:10.399
 in the words to come.

00:20:10.839 --> 00:20:11.899
 By saying that faith

00:20:11.899 --> 00:20:12.879
 is humbly connecting

00:20:12.879 --> 00:20:13.959
 the triune God

00:20:13.959 --> 00:20:15.059
 to the triune God

00:20:15.059 --> 00:20:15.720
 from your heart,

00:20:15.819 --> 00:20:17.139
 it's saying that it's personal.

00:20:18.919 --> 00:20:20.399
 That it's from your heart.

00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:21.759
 It's from the very center of you.

00:20:22.339 --> 00:20:23.459
 Like, if somebody,

00:20:23.740 --> 00:20:24.619
 if you met somebody

00:20:24.619 --> 00:20:25.559
 who had that type

00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:26.699
 of deep affection

00:20:26.699 --> 00:20:27.720
 and love

00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:30.039
 and personal connection

00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:30.819
 to their lawnmower,

00:20:30.899 --> 00:20:32.079
 you'd think they were weird.

00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:33.960
 And you'd be right.

00:20:34.980 --> 00:20:35.960
 If you had somebody

00:20:35.960 --> 00:20:36.500
 who didn't have

00:20:36.500 --> 00:20:37.539
 any type of warmth

00:20:37.539 --> 00:20:38.079
 or connection

00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:38.980
 to their husband

00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:39.699
 or their wife,

00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:41.159
 you'd think that's not right.

00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:42.500
 And so,

00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:43.659
 what it's saying is

00:20:43.659 --> 00:20:44.199
 that the faith

00:20:44.199 --> 00:20:45.220
 is something personal.

00:20:45.379 --> 00:20:46.019
 It comes from,

00:20:46.139 --> 00:20:47.460
 it involves your heart,

00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:48.159
 the very center

00:20:48.159 --> 00:20:48.919
 of who you are.

00:20:49.199 --> 00:20:50.559
 And I'm using the word heart

00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:51.379
 in the biblical way,

00:20:51.439 --> 00:20:52.359
 not the modern way.

00:20:52.439 --> 00:20:53.159
 In the biblical way,

00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:54.339
 the heart is the very center

00:20:54.339 --> 00:20:55.099
 of who you are.

00:20:55.539 --> 00:20:56.460
 And from your heart,

00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:56.839
 the heart,

00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:58.000
 like in modern world,

00:20:58.079 --> 00:20:59.199
 heart refers to emotions.

00:20:59.819 --> 00:21:01.179
 But in the biblical world,

00:21:01.180 --> 00:21:01.799
 and that's the way

00:21:01.799 --> 00:21:02.560
 I'm using the word,

00:21:02.700 --> 00:21:03.660
 the heart is the center

00:21:03.660 --> 00:21:04.340
 of who you are

00:21:04.340 --> 00:21:05.299
 and out of your heart

00:21:05.299 --> 00:21:06.460
 flows your imagination,

00:21:07.220 --> 00:21:08.000
 your mind,

00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:09.080
 your will,

00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:10.259
 your emotion,

00:21:10.740 --> 00:21:11.799
 your affections.

00:21:12.380 --> 00:21:14.500
 Like all of these things

00:21:14.500 --> 00:21:15.299
 that we sort of

00:21:15.299 --> 00:21:16.380
 have different words for

00:21:16.380 --> 00:21:17.600
 have one source,

00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:19.140
 which is the very center

00:21:19.140 --> 00:21:19.880
 of who we are.

00:21:20.560 --> 00:21:21.279
 So when I say

00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:23.080
 that faith is humbly connecting

00:21:23.080 --> 00:21:24.160
 to the triune God

00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:25.100
 from your heart,

00:21:25.840 --> 00:21:26.539
 sort of it changes

00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:27.220
 the real you

00:21:27.220 --> 00:21:28.019
 and your real life.

00:21:28.019 --> 00:21:29.740
 It's talking about,

00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:30.940
 it's a personal knowing

00:21:30.940 --> 00:21:31.879
 of the Father

00:21:31.879 --> 00:21:32.299
 and the Son

00:21:32.299 --> 00:21:33.119
 and the Holy Spirit.

00:21:33.740 --> 00:21:34.639
 You know Jesus

00:21:34.639 --> 00:21:35.279
 and the power

00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:36.180
 of the Holy Spirit

00:21:36.180 --> 00:21:37.359
 and Jesus is the one

00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:38.019
 who makes you know

00:21:38.019 --> 00:21:38.559
 the Father.

00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:40.900
 And it involves

00:21:40.900 --> 00:21:41.680
 the emotion,

00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:42.660
 the imagination,

00:21:42.980 --> 00:21:43.440
 the will,

00:21:43.619 --> 00:21:44.099
 the mind,

00:21:44.220 --> 00:21:44.599
 everything.

00:21:45.579 --> 00:21:46.319
 It's saying that

00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:46.859
 this is something

00:21:46.859 --> 00:21:48.079
 which is deeply human,

00:21:49.220 --> 00:21:51.599
 which I'll talk about

00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:52.099
 more in a moment.

00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:53.920
 It's human because

00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:54.980
 it's based on the Trinity

00:21:54.980 --> 00:21:55.799
 as well,

00:21:55.859 --> 00:21:56.160
 by the way.

00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:56.420
 I mean,

00:21:56.980 --> 00:21:57.900
 actually I'll say

00:21:57.900 --> 00:21:58.600
 something about this

00:21:58.600 --> 00:21:59.140
 right now.

00:22:02.820 --> 00:22:03.440
 You know,

00:22:03.600 --> 00:22:05.140
 from a long time

00:22:05.140 --> 00:22:05.700
 I've thought that

00:22:05.700 --> 00:22:06.500
 there's a lot of stuff

00:22:06.500 --> 00:22:07.480
 in evolutionary theory

00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:08.120
 that just doesn't

00:22:08.120 --> 00:22:09.060
 make any sense.

00:22:10.320 --> 00:22:11.560
 Because if Darwinian

00:22:11.560 --> 00:22:12.560
 theory is true

00:22:12.560 --> 00:22:13.120
 and it's all about

00:22:13.120 --> 00:22:13.759
 the survival

00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:14.640
 of the fittest,

00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:16.240
 the fittest thing

00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:16.840
 to survive

00:22:16.840 --> 00:22:17.600
 would be something

00:22:17.600 --> 00:22:18.740
 that it can just

00:22:18.740 --> 00:22:20.519
 propagate itself

00:22:20.519 --> 00:22:21.200
 and doesn't need

00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:21.960
 another person

00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:22.560
 and doesn't need

00:22:22.560 --> 00:22:23.060
 a community.

00:22:23.059 --> 00:22:26.179
 if you just

00:22:26.179 --> 00:22:26.779
 think about it

00:22:26.779 --> 00:22:27.259
 for a second,

00:22:27.399 --> 00:22:28.139
 like what a weird

00:22:28.139 --> 00:22:28.500
 way,

00:22:28.639 --> 00:22:29.440
 like how is it

00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:30.740
 better that for

00:22:30.740 --> 00:22:31.399
 the human being

00:22:31.399 --> 00:22:31.679
 to,

00:22:31.819 --> 00:22:32.700
 human race to

00:22:32.700 --> 00:22:33.099
 continue,

00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:33.599
 that there has

00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:33.980
 to be both

00:22:33.980 --> 00:22:34.799
 a husband and

00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:35.259
 a wife,

00:22:35.319 --> 00:22:35.899
 like a man and

00:22:35.899 --> 00:22:36.259
 a woman,

00:22:36.759 --> 00:22:37.399
 and that it even

00:22:37.399 --> 00:22:38.119
 takes more than

00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:38.919
 two people to

00:22:38.919 --> 00:22:39.440
 survive,

00:22:39.700 --> 00:22:39.839
 that,

00:22:40.220 --> 00:22:40.519
 you know,

00:22:40.599 --> 00:22:41.159
 like even the

00:22:41.159 --> 00:22:42.799
 earliest records

00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:43.740
 of any type of

00:22:43.740 --> 00:22:44.200
 human life,

00:22:44.259 --> 00:22:44.859
 there's always a

00:22:44.859 --> 00:22:45.319
 tribe.

00:22:45.419 --> 00:22:45.899
 It's not just

00:22:45.899 --> 00:22:46.279
 that you have

00:22:46.279 --> 00:22:47.159
 to have one

00:22:47.159 --> 00:22:48.200
 man and one

00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:48.579
 woman,

00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:49.259
 like not two

00:22:49.259 --> 00:22:49.460
 men,

00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:49.940
 like why?

00:22:50.299 --> 00:22:50.740
 Like really,

00:22:50.740 --> 00:22:51.559
 the best way,

00:22:51.640 --> 00:22:52.019
 if you really

00:22:52.019 --> 00:22:52.519
 want to have

00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:53.720
 ultimate survival,

00:22:53.880 --> 00:22:54.400
 it should just

00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:55.819
 be that I'm

00:22:55.819 --> 00:22:57.019
 like an amoeba

00:22:57.019 --> 00:22:58.059
 type blob,

00:22:58.420 --> 00:22:58.859
 and at the

00:22:58.859 --> 00:22:59.519
 right time I

00:22:59.519 --> 00:22:59.960
 just sort of

00:22:59.960 --> 00:23:00.779
 something oozes

00:23:00.779 --> 00:23:01.420
 out of me,

00:23:01.460 --> 00:23:01.779
 and another

00:23:01.779 --> 00:23:02.480
 human being

00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:02.880
 that doesn't

00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:03.200
 mean any

00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:03.660
 other human

00:23:03.660 --> 00:23:04.740
 beings just

00:23:04.740 --> 00:23:05.460
 goes on and

00:23:05.460 --> 00:23:05.880
 on and on.

00:23:06.099 --> 00:23:07.019
 It's a really

00:23:07.019 --> 00:23:08.240
 crazy way,

00:23:08.819 --> 00:23:09.819
 like that doesn't

00:23:09.819 --> 00:23:10.380
 really make any

00:23:10.380 --> 00:23:11.480
 sense in terms

00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:12.200
 of if it's all

00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:13.039
 about the survival

00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:13.640
 of the fittest,

00:23:13.700 --> 00:23:14.200
 it's all about

00:23:14.200 --> 00:23:15.279
 evolutionary development

00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:16.519
 that helps the

00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:17.319
 propagation of

00:23:17.319 --> 00:23:17.819
 species,

00:23:18.019 --> 00:23:18.359
 like that doesn't

00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:19.160
 make any sense,

00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:20.160
 but,

00:23:21.060 --> 00:23:21.779
 and it also

00:23:21.779 --> 00:23:22.580
 makes no sense

00:23:22.580 --> 00:23:23.060
 if you think

00:23:23.060 --> 00:23:23.460
 about it,

00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:24.759
 that personhood

00:23:24.759 --> 00:23:25.700
 comes out of

00:23:25.700 --> 00:23:27.060
 the impersonal,

00:23:28.320 --> 00:23:28.519
 I mean,

00:23:28.640 --> 00:23:29.259
 that's at the

00:23:29.259 --> 00:23:29.540
 heart of

00:23:29.540 --> 00:23:30.380
 evolutionary theory

00:23:30.380 --> 00:23:30.820
 as well,

00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:31.420
 is that somehow

00:23:31.420 --> 00:23:32.080
 or another the

00:23:32.080 --> 00:23:33.040
 impersonal,

00:23:33.100 --> 00:23:34.019
 an impersonal

00:23:34.019 --> 00:23:35.279
 world somehow

00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:35.640
 or another

00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:36.640
 creates persons,

00:23:36.740 --> 00:23:37.340
 well how can

00:23:37.340 --> 00:23:37.980
 that be?

00:23:39.100 --> 00:23:39.560
 Like we don't

00:23:39.560 --> 00:23:40.279
 see that ever

00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:41.080
 happening anywhere

00:23:41.080 --> 00:23:41.840
 around us,

00:23:41.880 --> 00:23:42.420
 we don't see

00:23:42.420 --> 00:23:43.140
 lawn mowers

00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:44.080
 developing into

00:23:44.080 --> 00:23:44.600
 persons,

00:23:44.800 --> 00:23:45.519
 we don't see

00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:47.060
 calculators turning

00:23:47.060 --> 00:23:47.880
 into persons,

00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:48.120
 persons,

00:23:49.120 --> 00:23:50.800
 so how could

00:23:50.800 --> 00:23:51.300
 that be?

00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:51.540
 But,

00:23:51.760 --> 00:23:52.080
 you know,

00:23:52.200 --> 00:23:52.680
 it makes

00:23:52.680 --> 00:23:55.600
 sense if

00:23:55.600 --> 00:23:57.220
 the one who

00:23:57.220 --> 00:23:57.760
 has ultimately

00:23:57.760 --> 00:23:58.420
 created all

00:23:58.420 --> 00:23:58.900
 things and

00:23:58.900 --> 00:23:59.580
 sustains all

00:23:59.580 --> 00:24:00.080
 things has

00:24:00.080 --> 00:24:00.660
 made human

00:24:00.660 --> 00:24:01.660
 beings in

00:24:01.660 --> 00:24:02.580
 particular to

00:24:02.580 --> 00:24:03.200
 be different

00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:03.780
 on one level

00:24:03.780 --> 00:24:04.320
 part of the

00:24:04.320 --> 00:24:04.860
 created order

00:24:04.860 --> 00:24:05.420
 but different

00:24:05.420 --> 00:24:06.400
 than everything

00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:07.020
 else in the

00:24:07.020 --> 00:24:08.020
 created order

00:24:08.020 --> 00:24:08.720
 because human

00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:10.240
 beings bear the

00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:11.280
 image of God

00:24:11.280 --> 00:24:12.360
 and from all

00:24:12.360 --> 00:24:13.300
 eternity the

00:24:13.300 --> 00:24:13.920
 real God,

00:24:14.100 --> 00:24:14.600
 and that's one

00:24:14.600 --> 00:24:14.900
 of the reasons

00:24:14.900 --> 00:24:15.380
 by the way I

00:24:15.380 --> 00:24:15.720
 use the word

00:24:15.720 --> 00:24:16.640
 triune God,

00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:17.140
 I use the

00:24:17.140 --> 00:24:17.720
 word triune

00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:18.400
 God because

00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:19.200
 I as a

00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:19.660
 Christian do

00:24:19.660 --> 00:24:20.200
 not believe in

00:24:20.200 --> 00:24:20.680
 the God that

00:24:20.680 --> 00:24:21.320
 most Canadians

00:24:21.320 --> 00:24:22.020
 believe in.

00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:25.980
 I believe in

00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:26.840
 the triune God

00:24:26.840 --> 00:24:27.380
 which is not

00:24:27.380 --> 00:24:27.800
 what most

00:24:27.800 --> 00:24:28.660
 Canadians believe

00:24:28.660 --> 00:24:29.080
 and in fact

00:24:29.080 --> 00:24:29.520
 one of the

00:24:29.520 --> 00:24:30.440
 funny moments

00:24:30.440 --> 00:24:30.800
 with an

00:24:30.800 --> 00:24:31.360
 atheist or

00:24:31.360 --> 00:24:31.800
 somebody who's

00:24:31.800 --> 00:24:32.320
 given up on

00:24:32.320 --> 00:24:32.700
 faith and

00:24:32.700 --> 00:24:33.240
 they no longer

00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:33.660
 believe in

00:24:33.660 --> 00:24:34.160
 God and if

00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:34.620
 you ask them

00:24:34.620 --> 00:24:35.500
 what do you

00:24:35.500 --> 00:24:36.200
 mean by God

00:24:36.200 --> 00:24:37.100
 and they tell

00:24:37.100 --> 00:24:37.400
 you and you

00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:37.640
 say well

00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:38.000
 actually you

00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:38.440
 and I are at

00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:38.580
 one,

00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:39.000
 I don't believe

00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:39.340
 that God

00:24:39.340 --> 00:24:39.600
 either,

00:24:40.020 --> 00:24:40.300
 I don't

00:24:40.300 --> 00:24:40.620
 believe that

00:24:40.620 --> 00:24:41.300
 God exists,

00:24:41.860 --> 00:24:42.120
 sort of

00:24:42.120 --> 00:24:42.800
 catches them by

00:24:42.800 --> 00:24:43.100
 surprise,

00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:43.640
 what like,

00:24:44.860 --> 00:24:45.120
 thought you

00:24:45.120 --> 00:24:45.380
 should be a

00:24:45.380 --> 00:24:45.640
 Christian,

00:24:45.640 --> 00:24:45.820
 yeah,

00:24:45.900 --> 00:24:46.020
 yeah,

00:24:46.060 --> 00:24:46.400
 I'm a

00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:46.780
 Christian but

00:24:46.780 --> 00:24:46.940
 I don't

00:24:46.940 --> 00:24:47.200
 believe in

00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:47.620
 that God,

00:24:47.740 --> 00:24:48.100
 like if I

00:24:48.100 --> 00:24:48.420
 were you I

00:24:48.420 --> 00:24:48.800
 wouldn't believe

00:24:48.800 --> 00:24:49.920
 in that God

00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:50.200
 either,

00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:51.420
 but if from

00:24:51.420 --> 00:24:51.920
 all eternity

00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:52.400
 there's the

00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:52.780
 person of

00:24:52.780 --> 00:24:53.220
 the Father

00:24:53.220 --> 00:24:53.800
 loving the

00:24:53.800 --> 00:24:54.200
 person of

00:24:54.200 --> 00:24:54.660
 the Son

00:24:54.660 --> 00:24:56.380
 and the

00:24:56.380 --> 00:24:56.759
 person of

00:24:56.759 --> 00:24:57.040
 the Holy

00:24:57.040 --> 00:24:57.500
 Spirit,

00:24:57.640 --> 00:24:58.020
 then the

00:24:58.020 --> 00:24:58.720
 idea that

00:24:58.720 --> 00:24:59.000
 we are

00:24:59.000 --> 00:24:59.700
 made for

00:24:59.700 --> 00:25:00.320
 a personal

00:25:00.320 --> 00:25:01.120
 connection and

00:25:01.120 --> 00:25:01.540
 personal

00:25:01.540 --> 00:25:02.300
 relationship

00:25:02.300 --> 00:25:03.320
 because we

00:25:03.320 --> 00:25:03.680
 are made

00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:04.100
 in God's

00:25:04.100 --> 00:25:04.520
 image makes

00:25:04.520 --> 00:25:05.100
 complete and

00:25:05.100 --> 00:25:05.660
 utter perfect

00:25:05.660 --> 00:25:06.280
 sense.

00:25:08.340 --> 00:25:08.900
 And I'll

00:25:08.900 --> 00:25:09.180
 say,

00:25:10.180 --> 00:25:10.620
 yeah,

00:25:11.020 --> 00:25:11.380
 and so,

00:25:11.540 --> 00:25:11.759
 you know,

00:25:11.840 --> 00:25:12.540
 it's personal,

00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:14.300
 it is of the

00:25:14.300 --> 00:25:14.660
 heart,

00:25:14.800 --> 00:25:15.360
 it is human,

00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:15.619
 it is

00:25:15.619 --> 00:25:16.099
 Trinitarian,

00:25:16.759 --> 00:25:17.299
 it has

00:25:17.299 --> 00:25:18.759
 boundaries in

00:25:18.759 --> 00:25:19.339
 terms of,

00:25:19.659 --> 00:25:20.500
 like faith has

00:25:20.500 --> 00:25:21.519
 boundaries or,

00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:22.179
 in other words,

00:25:22.219 --> 00:25:22.939
 it's connected to

00:25:22.939 --> 00:25:23.879
 the object.

00:25:25.199 --> 00:25:26.439
 Faith changes you

00:25:26.439 --> 00:25:27.379
 in all areas of

00:25:27.379 --> 00:25:27.779
 your life,

00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:28.519
 it moves towards

00:25:28.519 --> 00:25:29.019
 a particular

00:25:29.019 --> 00:25:29.740
 end,

00:25:30.299 --> 00:25:32.419
 and just as,

00:25:33.219 --> 00:25:33.399
 you see,

00:25:33.459 --> 00:25:34.199
 and this is where it

00:25:34.199 --> 00:25:35.319
 goes back to the

00:25:35.319 --> 00:25:36.019
 story that I had

00:25:36.019 --> 00:25:36.559
 with Louise.

00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:42.759
 you see,

00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:45.639
 at all times,

00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:46.659
 faith is a

00:25:46.659 --> 00:25:47.079
 type of

00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:48.159
 personal knowing

00:25:48.159 --> 00:25:49.519
 where you open

00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:50.339
 yourself up to

00:25:50.339 --> 00:25:51.399
 the other in

00:25:51.399 --> 00:25:51.799
 the hope that

00:25:51.799 --> 00:25:52.419
 the other opens

00:25:52.419 --> 00:25:53.200
 themselves up to

00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:53.419
 you.

00:25:53.940 --> 00:25:54.879
 That's at the

00:25:54.879 --> 00:25:55.359
 end of the day

00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:55.980
 what it is.

00:25:57.339 --> 00:26:00.339
 And that,

00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:01.539
 you know,

00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:02.480
 it's appropriate,

00:26:02.659 --> 00:26:03.319
 like if Louise

00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:04.339
 had gone on to

00:26:04.339 --> 00:26:05.399
 marry Bob,

00:26:05.400 --> 00:26:06.840
 and if by chance

00:26:06.840 --> 00:26:07.340
 we had been

00:26:07.340 --> 00:26:07.800
 friends,

00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:08.880
 I might continue

00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:09.259
 to know her,

00:26:09.320 --> 00:26:09.840
 but I could only

00:26:09.840 --> 00:26:10.440
 know her as a

00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:10.820
 friend,

00:26:11.120 --> 00:26:11.540
 obviously,

00:26:11.700 --> 00:26:12.080
 otherwise it

00:26:12.080 --> 00:26:12.900
 would transgress

00:26:12.900 --> 00:26:13.860
 the marital

00:26:13.860 --> 00:26:14.580
 relationship.

00:26:15.380 --> 00:26:15.940
 And you know

00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:17.120
 your wife or

00:26:17.120 --> 00:26:17.840
 your husband in

00:26:17.840 --> 00:26:18.320
 a different way

00:26:18.320 --> 00:26:18.660
 than you know

00:26:18.660 --> 00:26:19.240
 your friend,

00:26:19.340 --> 00:26:19.680
 and in a

00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:20.040
 different way

00:26:20.040 --> 00:26:20.420
 than you know

00:26:20.420 --> 00:26:21.060
 your child,

00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:22.220
 and in a

00:26:22.220 --> 00:26:22.660
 different way

00:26:22.660 --> 00:26:23.080
 that you know

00:26:23.080 --> 00:26:23.860
 somebody else.

00:26:24.259 --> 00:26:25.320
 The object is

00:26:25.320 --> 00:26:25.700
 important,

00:26:25.800 --> 00:26:26.240
 there's a type

00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:26.940
 of a fitness

00:26:26.940 --> 00:26:27.640
 between the

00:26:27.640 --> 00:26:28.220
 object and the

00:26:28.220 --> 00:26:28.680
 person where

00:26:28.680 --> 00:26:28.960
 you don't want

00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:30.360
 to transgress

00:26:30.360 --> 00:26:30.680
 it.

00:26:31.860 --> 00:26:32.580
 But in the

00:26:32.580 --> 00:26:33.380
 case of Louise,

00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:34.400
 I desire to

00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:34.980
 have a deeper

00:26:34.980 --> 00:26:35.380
 relationship,

00:26:35.400 --> 00:26:36.060
 a different

00:26:36.060 --> 00:26:36.600
 type of

00:26:36.600 --> 00:26:37.120
 relationship

00:26:37.120 --> 00:26:37.519
 with her.

00:26:37.580 --> 00:26:38.040
 I desired

00:26:38.040 --> 00:26:38.380
 that I

00:26:38.380 --> 00:26:38.680
 would know

00:26:38.680 --> 00:26:38.960
 how to

00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:39.620
 open myself

00:26:39.620 --> 00:26:40.140
 up to her

00:26:40.140 --> 00:26:41.019
 and have

00:26:41.019 --> 00:26:41.440
 her open

00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:42.060
 herself up

00:26:42.060 --> 00:26:42.380
 to me

00:26:42.380 --> 00:26:42.940
 in a way

00:26:42.940 --> 00:26:43.420
 that would

00:26:43.420 --> 00:26:45.759
 move to

00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:46.240
 a deeper

00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:46.780
 type of

00:26:46.780 --> 00:26:47.320
 relationship

00:26:47.320 --> 00:26:47.640
 and a

00:26:47.640 --> 00:26:47.920
 different

00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:48.420
 type of

00:26:48.420 --> 00:26:48.960
 relationship.

00:26:49.220 --> 00:26:49.519
 But at

00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:49.800
 the end

00:26:49.800 --> 00:26:49.980
 of the

00:26:49.980 --> 00:26:50.280
 day,

00:26:50.780 --> 00:26:51.420
 and as it

00:26:51.420 --> 00:26:51.920
 turned out

00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:52.920
 by the

00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:53.580
 providence

00:26:53.580 --> 00:26:53.980
 of God,

00:26:54.600 --> 00:26:56.000
 her and

00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:56.519
 Bob came

00:26:56.519 --> 00:26:56.960
 to an end

00:26:56.960 --> 00:26:57.560
 and I was

00:26:57.560 --> 00:26:57.980
 able to

00:26:57.980 --> 00:26:58.519
 marry her

00:26:58.519 --> 00:27:00.180
 and we'd

00:27:00.180 --> 00:27:00.480
 been married

00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:00.820
 a long

00:27:00.820 --> 00:27:01.280
 time and

00:27:01.280 --> 00:27:01.900
 I'm very,

00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:02.180
 very,

00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:02.460
 very,

00:27:02.519 --> 00:27:03.060
 very grateful

00:27:03.060 --> 00:27:03.560
 for it.

00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:06.759
 But the

00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:07.119
 fact of the

00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:07.519
 matter is,

00:27:07.579 --> 00:27:08.419
 is this ability

00:27:08.419 --> 00:27:09.579
 to connect in a

00:27:09.579 --> 00:27:10.339
 relationship with

00:27:10.339 --> 00:27:10.940
 another human

00:27:10.940 --> 00:27:11.619
 being doesn't

00:27:11.619 --> 00:27:12.740
 depend upon IQ,

00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:15.079
 doesn't depend

00:27:15.079 --> 00:27:15.980
 upon how much

00:27:15.980 --> 00:27:16.839
 you can know

00:27:16.839 --> 00:27:17.639
 in school,

00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:18.839
 it doesn't

00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:19.679
 depend upon how

00:27:19.679 --> 00:27:20.460
 powerful your

00:27:20.460 --> 00:27:21.259
 emotions is,

00:27:21.339 --> 00:27:23.119
 it's fundamentally

00:27:23.119 --> 00:27:24.679
 deeply human.

00:27:24.680 --> 00:27:26.900
 and that's

00:27:26.900 --> 00:27:27.180
 one of the

00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:27.880
 wonderful things

00:27:27.880 --> 00:27:28.500
 is that God

00:27:28.500 --> 00:27:29.440
 doesn't call us

00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:30.140
 to get into

00:27:30.140 --> 00:27:30.740
 what he's done

00:27:30.740 --> 00:27:31.279
 for us in the

00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:32.060
 person of Jesus

00:27:32.060 --> 00:27:32.660
 where mercy

00:27:32.660 --> 00:27:33.320
 triumphs over

00:27:33.320 --> 00:27:33.779
 judgment.

00:27:34.560 --> 00:27:35.200
 He doesn't do

00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:35.720
 something that

00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:36.120
 means that we

00:27:36.120 --> 00:27:36.880
 have to be

00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:37.220
 really,

00:27:37.380 --> 00:27:37.920
 really smart

00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:38.340
 and be able

00:27:38.340 --> 00:27:38.840
 to figure out

00:27:38.840 --> 00:27:39.779
 theology really

00:27:39.779 --> 00:27:40.860
 well or that

00:27:40.860 --> 00:27:41.240
 we have to

00:27:41.240 --> 00:27:41.759
 have the type

00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:43.759
 of willpower

00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:44.620
 that's described

00:27:44.620 --> 00:27:45.279
 in our culture

00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:45.700
 that we can

00:27:45.700 --> 00:27:46.180
 just sort of

00:27:46.180 --> 00:27:46.660
 really,

00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:47.700
 really use our

00:27:47.700 --> 00:27:48.420
 willpower to

00:27:48.420 --> 00:27:49.220
 connect to God

00:27:49.220 --> 00:27:50.180
 or he doesn't

00:27:50.180 --> 00:27:50.740
 call us to be

00:27:50.740 --> 00:27:51.240
 the type of

00:27:51.240 --> 00:27:51.660
 person who

00:27:51.660 --> 00:27:52.700
 always has lots

00:27:52.700 --> 00:27:53.680
 of really positive

00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:54.580
 types of emotions

00:27:54.580 --> 00:27:55.019
 so that we

00:27:55.019 --> 00:27:55.340
 have these

00:27:55.340 --> 00:27:56.539
 positive emotions

00:27:56.539 --> 00:27:57.240
 about God.

00:27:57.759 --> 00:27:57.940
 No,

00:27:58.580 --> 00:27:59.279
 the way we

00:27:59.279 --> 00:27:59.779
 connect is

00:27:59.779 --> 00:28:00.420
 through faith

00:28:00.420 --> 00:28:00.940
 and if you

00:28:00.940 --> 00:28:01.680
 think about it,

00:28:03.160 --> 00:28:04.740
 a little

00:28:04.740 --> 00:28:05.940
 baby,

00:28:06.460 --> 00:28:07.759
 a little

00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:08.320
 baby,

00:28:08.700 --> 00:28:09.380
 just nursing

00:28:09.380 --> 00:28:09.900
 with its

00:28:09.900 --> 00:28:10.240
 mother,

00:28:11.100 --> 00:28:11.620
 the baby

00:28:11.620 --> 00:28:12.180
 knows the

00:28:12.180 --> 00:28:12.440
 mother.

00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:15.560
 The mother

00:28:15.560 --> 00:28:15.940
 has a

00:28:15.940 --> 00:28:16.400
 relationship

00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:16.840
 with the

00:28:16.840 --> 00:28:17.240
 baby and

00:28:17.240 --> 00:28:17.580
 the baby

00:28:17.580 --> 00:28:17.960
 has a

00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:18.380
 relationship

00:28:18.380 --> 00:28:18.840
 with the

00:28:18.840 --> 00:28:19.060
 mother.

00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:22.000
 The baby

00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:22.420
 has a

00:28:22.420 --> 00:28:22.680
 different

00:28:22.680 --> 00:28:23.220
 relationship

00:28:23.220 --> 00:28:23.600
 with the

00:28:23.600 --> 00:28:23.779
 mother

00:28:23.779 --> 00:28:24.200
 than the

00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:24.500
 father

00:28:24.500 --> 00:28:24.960
 does.

00:28:27.299 --> 00:28:28.259
 But it's

00:28:28.259 --> 00:28:28.640
 just the

00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:29.059
 fundamental

00:28:29.059 --> 00:28:29.600
 nature of

00:28:29.600 --> 00:28:29.900
 the human

00:28:29.900 --> 00:28:30.460
 being that

00:28:30.460 --> 00:28:31.120
 human beings

00:28:31.120 --> 00:28:32.440
 can do that

00:28:32.440 --> 00:28:33.220
 connecting with

00:28:33.220 --> 00:28:33.700
 other human

00:28:33.700 --> 00:28:35.339
 beings in a

00:28:35.339 --> 00:28:36.140
 personal way.

00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:37.740
 It's how God

00:28:37.740 --> 00:28:38.480
 designed us.

00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:39.180
 It's fundamentally

00:28:39.180 --> 00:28:39.500
 human.

00:28:39.620 --> 00:28:40.259
 A handicapped,

00:28:40.339 --> 00:28:40.799
 a severely

00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:42.819
 handicapped adult

00:28:42.819 --> 00:28:44.120
 or child can

00:28:44.120 --> 00:28:45.140
 have a relationship

00:28:45.140 --> 00:28:46.299
 with another

00:28:46.299 --> 00:28:47.039
 human being.

00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:49.480
 A very,

00:28:49.600 --> 00:28:50.319
 very elderly

00:28:50.319 --> 00:28:50.960
 person,

00:28:51.100 --> 00:28:51.720
 just before they

00:28:51.720 --> 00:28:52.420
 get lost in

00:28:52.420 --> 00:28:52.840
 dementia,

00:28:53.120 --> 00:28:53.740
 can have

00:28:53.740 --> 00:28:54.680
 still a

00:28:54.680 --> 00:28:55.039
 personal

00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:55.759
 relationship

00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:56.960
 with somebody.

00:28:58.740 --> 00:28:59.259
 And that's

00:28:59.259 --> 00:28:59.860
 why God,

00:29:00.140 --> 00:29:00.600
 the way that

00:29:00.600 --> 00:29:01.080
 we connect

00:29:01.080 --> 00:29:01.600
 with Jesus

00:29:01.600 --> 00:29:02.320
 is something

00:29:02.320 --> 00:29:02.800
 which is

00:29:02.800 --> 00:29:03.360
 fundamentally

00:29:03.360 --> 00:29:04.080
 connected to

00:29:04.080 --> 00:29:04.600
 who we are

00:29:04.600 --> 00:29:04.980
 that does

00:29:04.980 --> 00:29:05.560
 not depend

00:29:05.560 --> 00:29:06.220
 upon us

00:29:06.220 --> 00:29:07.620
 having strength

00:29:07.620 --> 00:29:08.080
 of will,

00:29:08.259 --> 00:29:08.820
 strength of

00:29:08.820 --> 00:29:09.100
 mind,

00:29:09.259 --> 00:29:09.620
 extensive

00:29:09.620 --> 00:29:10.380
 education,

00:29:11.019 --> 00:29:11.800
 great verbal

00:29:11.800 --> 00:29:13.019
 dexterity

00:29:13.019 --> 00:29:14.180
 and clarity

00:29:14.180 --> 00:29:14.800
 or any of

00:29:14.800 --> 00:29:15.360
 these types

00:29:15.360 --> 00:29:16.180
 of things.

00:29:16.180 --> 00:29:17.820
 it's a

00:29:17.820 --> 00:29:18.420
 personal

00:29:18.420 --> 00:29:20.019
 connecting,

00:29:20.700 --> 00:29:23.340
 a personal

00:29:23.340 --> 00:29:23.799
 connecting

00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:24.200
 that can

00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:24.759
 grow with

00:29:24.759 --> 00:29:25.420
 knowledge about

00:29:25.420 --> 00:29:25.840
 the person.

00:29:25.960 --> 00:29:26.380
 Over time,

00:29:26.460 --> 00:29:26.940
 maybe now I

00:29:26.940 --> 00:29:27.240
 would know

00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:27.560
 how to go

00:29:27.560 --> 00:29:27.980
 up to the

00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:28.380
 thing.

00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:29.620
 Louise would

00:29:29.620 --> 00:29:29.960
 say I'm a

00:29:29.960 --> 00:29:30.440
 very slow

00:29:30.440 --> 00:29:32.980
 learner and

00:29:32.980 --> 00:29:33.580
 she would be

00:29:33.580 --> 00:29:34.019
 right.

00:29:35.019 --> 00:29:36.120
 I am a

00:29:36.120 --> 00:29:36.680
 very slow

00:29:36.680 --> 00:29:37.560
 learner when

00:29:37.560 --> 00:29:38.060
 it comes to

00:29:38.060 --> 00:29:38.740
 my relationship

00:29:38.740 --> 00:29:39.240
 with her.

00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:40.200
 But I know

00:29:40.200 --> 00:29:40.620
 how to order

00:29:40.620 --> 00:29:41.039
 for her,

00:29:41.140 --> 00:29:41.420
 like I would

00:29:41.420 --> 00:29:41.600
 have known

00:29:41.600 --> 00:29:41.980
 that a long

00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:42.460
 time ago.

00:29:42.460 --> 00:29:42.819
 I know

00:29:42.819 --> 00:29:43.420
 lots about

00:29:43.420 --> 00:29:43.840
 her and

00:29:43.840 --> 00:29:44.920
 about how

00:29:44.920 --> 00:29:45.480
 she is and

00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:45.840
 how she

00:29:45.840 --> 00:29:46.440
 works and

00:29:46.440 --> 00:29:47.360
 who she

00:29:47.360 --> 00:29:47.779
 is and

00:29:47.779 --> 00:29:48.480
 how I am

00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:48.860
 and the

00:29:48.860 --> 00:29:49.200
 knowledge

00:29:49.200 --> 00:29:49.759
 grows.

00:29:50.319 --> 00:29:50.720
 And that's

00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:51.860
 what faith

00:29:51.860 --> 00:29:52.140
 is.

00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:53.200
 You see,

00:29:53.319 --> 00:29:53.960
 it's because

00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:55.220
 mercy triumphs

00:29:55.220 --> 00:29:55.840
 over judgment

00:29:55.840 --> 00:29:56.620
 isn't just an

00:29:56.620 --> 00:29:57.259
 abstraction,

00:29:57.480 --> 00:29:57.980
 it's not just

00:29:57.980 --> 00:29:58.579
 a slogan,

00:29:59.299 --> 00:29:59.900
 it's a

00:29:59.900 --> 00:30:00.620
 summary of

00:30:00.620 --> 00:30:01.220
 what Jesus

00:30:01.220 --> 00:30:01.960
 does for

00:30:01.960 --> 00:30:02.779
 us with

00:30:02.779 --> 00:30:03.460
 his life,

00:30:03.860 --> 00:30:04.360
 his death

00:30:04.360 --> 00:30:04.840
 upon the

00:30:04.840 --> 00:30:05.180
 cross,

00:30:05.220 --> 00:30:05.600
 and his

00:30:05.600 --> 00:30:06.200
 resurrection,

00:30:06.900 --> 00:30:07.360
 and it's

00:30:07.360 --> 00:30:07.860
 a knowing

00:30:07.860 --> 00:30:08.400
 of him.

00:30:08.579 --> 00:30:08.840
 And just

00:30:08.840 --> 00:30:09.400
 as to know

00:30:09.400 --> 00:30:09.980
 any human

00:30:09.980 --> 00:30:10.299
 being,

00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:10.620
 you get

00:30:10.620 --> 00:30:11.160
 involved in

00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:11.579
 their life,

00:30:11.660 --> 00:30:11.940
 what they

00:30:11.940 --> 00:30:12.259
 say,

00:30:12.360 --> 00:30:12.440
 what they

00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:13.120
 don't say,

00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:13.500
 what they're

00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:13.820
 like,

00:30:14.220 --> 00:30:14.720
 what they've

00:30:14.720 --> 00:30:15.000
 done,

00:30:15.080 --> 00:30:15.340
 what they

00:30:15.340 --> 00:30:15.880
 haven't done,

00:30:15.940 --> 00:30:16.220
 what they

00:30:16.220 --> 00:30:16.660
 will do,

00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:16.900
 you get

00:30:16.900 --> 00:30:17.320
 involved in

00:30:17.320 --> 00:30:17.720
 all of

00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:18.279
 those types

00:30:18.279 --> 00:30:18.920
 of things.

00:30:19.380 --> 00:30:19.740
 But at

00:30:19.740 --> 00:30:20.100
 the same

00:30:20.100 --> 00:30:20.620
 when you

00:30:20.620 --> 00:30:21.620
 know Jesus,

00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:22.120
 you can't

00:30:22.120 --> 00:30:22.660
 know Jesus

00:30:22.660 --> 00:30:23.500
 without knowing

00:30:23.500 --> 00:30:24.600
 who he

00:30:24.600 --> 00:30:25.519
 is and

00:30:25.519 --> 00:30:26.259
 what he

00:30:26.259 --> 00:30:27.000
 says and

00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:27.259
 what he

00:30:27.259 --> 00:30:27.840
 doesn't say

00:30:27.840 --> 00:30:28.120
 and what

00:30:28.120 --> 00:30:28.799
 pleases him

00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:29.059
 and what

00:30:29.059 --> 00:30:29.480
 doesn't

00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:29.880
 please him

00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:30.100
 and what

00:30:30.100 --> 00:30:30.240
 he's

00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:30.720
 accomplished

00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:31.380
 for you

00:30:31.380 --> 00:30:31.980
 and what

00:30:31.980 --> 00:30:32.400
 he will

00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:32.840
 accomplish

00:30:32.840 --> 00:30:33.320
 for you

00:30:33.320 --> 00:30:33.519
 and what

00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:33.680
 he's

00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:34.160
 continuing

00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:34.840
 to accomplish

00:30:34.840 --> 00:30:35.779
 for you

00:30:35.779 --> 00:30:36.000
 and in

00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:36.400
 your life.

00:30:36.500 --> 00:30:36.840
 And that's

00:30:36.840 --> 00:30:37.460
 who you

00:30:37.460 --> 00:30:37.980
 know.

00:30:38.500 --> 00:30:38.820
 And it's

00:30:38.820 --> 00:30:39.400
 summarized

00:30:39.400 --> 00:30:40.340
 with this

00:30:40.340 --> 00:30:40.820
 profound

00:30:40.820 --> 00:30:41.360
 truth that

00:30:41.360 --> 00:30:42.040
 every moment

00:30:42.040 --> 00:30:42.360
 in your

00:30:42.360 --> 00:30:43.120
 Christian walk,

00:30:43.300 --> 00:30:44.860
 mercy triumphs

00:30:44.860 --> 00:30:46.100
 over judgment.

00:30:47.340 --> 00:30:47.860
 Struggling

00:30:47.860 --> 00:30:48.740
 with anxiety,

00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:50.519
 mercy triumphs

00:30:50.519 --> 00:30:51.860
 over judgment.

00:30:52.380 --> 00:30:52.640
 Struggling

00:30:52.640 --> 00:30:53.540
 with hopelessness,

00:30:53.940 --> 00:30:55.460
 mercy triumphs

00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:56.580
 over judgment.

00:30:56.820 --> 00:30:57.360
 Feeling you

00:30:57.360 --> 00:30:57.560
 are an

00:30:57.560 --> 00:30:57.860
 absolutely

00:30:57.860 --> 00:30:58.300
 crappy

00:30:58.300 --> 00:30:58.900
 Christian and

00:30:58.900 --> 00:30:59.320
 maybe you

00:30:59.320 --> 00:30:59.519
 are,

00:30:59.600 --> 00:30:59.800
 but you

00:30:59.800 --> 00:31:00.040
 know the

00:31:00.040 --> 00:31:00.400
 comfort?

00:31:00.820 --> 00:31:01.259
 Mercy

00:31:01.259 --> 00:31:02.400
 triumphs

00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:03.759
 over judgment.

00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:07.300
 That

00:31:07.300 --> 00:31:08.700
 describes

00:31:08.700 --> 00:31:09.539
 who he

00:31:09.539 --> 00:31:09.920
 is and

00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:10.319
 what he's

00:31:10.319 --> 00:31:10.680
 done.

00:31:14.279 --> 00:31:14.700
 Let's

00:31:14.700 --> 00:31:15.019
 just read

00:31:15.019 --> 00:31:15.400
 the text

00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:16.059
 very quickly.

00:31:16.539 --> 00:31:16.779
 I got

00:31:16.779 --> 00:31:17.360
 out of my

00:31:17.360 --> 00:31:17.660
 notes,

00:31:17.740 --> 00:31:18.180
 by the way.

00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:19.819
 We need

00:31:19.819 --> 00:31:20.059
 to read

00:31:20.059 --> 00:31:20.539
 the rest.

00:31:21.600 --> 00:31:22.000
 So how's

00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:22.160
 how you

00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:22.580
 unpack it?

00:31:22.620 --> 00:31:22.840
 Look at

00:31:22.840 --> 00:31:23.720
 verses 15,

00:31:23.960 --> 00:31:24.640
 16,

00:31:24.779 --> 00:31:25.500
 and 17.

00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:26.700
 For brother

00:31:26.700 --> 00:31:27.200
 or sister

00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:27.740
 is poorly

00:31:27.740 --> 00:31:28.319
 clothed

00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:28.779
 and lacking

00:31:28.779 --> 00:31:29.240
 in daily

00:31:29.240 --> 00:31:29.620
 food,

00:31:29.700 --> 00:31:29.980
 and one

00:31:29.980 --> 00:31:30.240
 of you

00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:30.700
 says to

00:31:30.700 --> 00:31:30.840
 them,

00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:31.240
 go in

00:31:31.240 --> 00:31:31.539
 peace,

00:31:31.640 --> 00:31:32.080
 be warm

00:31:32.080 --> 00:31:32.720
 and filled,

00:31:33.140 --> 00:31:33.380
 without

00:31:33.380 --> 00:31:33.860
 giving them

00:31:33.860 --> 00:31:34.340
 the things

00:31:34.340 --> 00:31:34.779
 needed for

00:31:34.779 --> 00:31:35.220
 the body.

00:31:35.580 --> 00:31:35.900
 What

00:31:35.900 --> 00:31:36.500
 good is

00:31:36.500 --> 00:31:37.000
 that?

00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:38.720
 So also

00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:39.500
 faith by

00:31:39.500 --> 00:31:40.000
 itself,

00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:40.519
 if it does

00:31:40.519 --> 00:31:40.980
 not have

00:31:40.980 --> 00:31:41.339
 works,

00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:41.960
 is dead.

00:31:42.019 --> 00:31:42.319
 One of the

00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:42.660
 things that's

00:31:42.660 --> 00:31:43.079
 so wonderful

00:31:43.079 --> 00:31:44.160
 about James

00:31:44.160 --> 00:31:44.779
 is he tells

00:31:44.779 --> 00:31:45.140
 you what

00:31:45.140 --> 00:31:45.880
 he thinks.

00:31:46.440 --> 00:31:46.680
 What do

00:31:46.680 --> 00:31:46.960
 you think,

00:31:47.099 --> 00:31:47.359
 James?

00:31:47.480 --> 00:31:48.220
 It's dead.

00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:48.660
 It's

00:31:48.660 --> 00:31:49.180
 completely

00:31:49.180 --> 00:31:49.880
 worthless.

00:31:50.539 --> 00:31:51.059
 So what's

00:31:51.059 --> 00:31:51.680
 he describing?

00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:52.960
 He's describing

00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:53.720
 what the

00:31:53.720 --> 00:31:54.339
 normal way

00:31:54.339 --> 00:31:54.740
 is for

00:31:54.740 --> 00:31:54.960
 faith.

00:31:55.019 --> 00:31:55.279
 He's going

00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:55.799
 to describe

00:31:55.799 --> 00:31:56.339
 as wrong

00:31:56.339 --> 00:31:56.799
 the two

00:31:56.799 --> 00:31:57.839
 normal mistakes

00:31:57.839 --> 00:31:58.319
 that people

00:31:58.319 --> 00:31:58.839
 make about

00:31:58.839 --> 00:31:59.220
 faith.

00:31:59.880 --> 00:32:00.279
 You see,

00:32:00.359 --> 00:32:00.819
 what happens

00:32:00.819 --> 00:32:01.079
 to this

00:32:01.079 --> 00:32:01.500
 particular

00:32:01.500 --> 00:32:01.980
 person?

00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:02.380
 They're just

00:32:02.380 --> 00:32:02.740
 caught up

00:32:02.740 --> 00:32:03.339
 with themselves.

00:32:03.519 --> 00:32:03.799
 They're just

00:32:03.799 --> 00:32:04.140
 caught up

00:32:04.140 --> 00:32:04.400
 with their

00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:05.019
 own world.

00:32:05.019 --> 00:32:08.319
 What they're

00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:08.920
 concerned with

00:32:08.920 --> 00:32:09.619
 is making

00:32:09.619 --> 00:32:10.240
 a posture

00:32:10.240 --> 00:32:11.079
 type statement.

00:32:11.220 --> 00:32:12.200
 What they're

00:32:12.200 --> 00:32:12.839
 concerned with

00:32:12.839 --> 00:32:13.559
 is saying

00:32:13.559 --> 00:32:13.940
 the right

00:32:13.940 --> 00:32:14.359
 word.

00:32:14.700 --> 00:32:15.079
 What they're

00:32:15.079 --> 00:32:15.700
 concerned with

00:32:15.700 --> 00:32:16.119
 is having

00:32:16.119 --> 00:32:16.440
 the right

00:32:16.440 --> 00:32:16.940
 emotion

00:32:16.940 --> 00:32:17.420
 about the

00:32:17.420 --> 00:32:17.799
 person.

00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:19.119
 In terms

00:32:19.119 --> 00:32:19.740
 of virtue

00:32:19.740 --> 00:32:20.299
 signaling,

00:32:20.700 --> 00:32:21.180
 it might

00:32:21.180 --> 00:32:21.519
 even be

00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:21.839
 that they

00:32:21.839 --> 00:32:22.220
 leave and

00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:22.539
 they just

00:32:22.539 --> 00:32:22.980
 feel so

00:32:22.980 --> 00:32:23.539
 good about

00:32:23.539 --> 00:32:23.980
 themselves

00:32:23.980 --> 00:32:24.400
 that they've

00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:25.019
 said something

00:32:25.019 --> 00:32:25.460
 like this.

00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:25.779
 Don't I

00:32:25.779 --> 00:32:26.319
 really care

00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:26.759
 about the

00:32:26.759 --> 00:32:27.000
 poor?

00:32:27.400 --> 00:32:27.700
 It's just

00:32:27.700 --> 00:32:28.279
 like when

00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:28.599
 I saw

00:32:28.599 --> 00:32:29.059
 that Black

00:32:29.059 --> 00:32:29.660
 Lives Matter

00:32:29.660 --> 00:32:30.400
 demonstration,

00:32:30.579 --> 00:32:31.000
 all those

00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:31.279
 people,

00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:31.619
 I thought,

00:32:32.019 --> 00:32:32.639
 all you

00:32:32.639 --> 00:32:33.000
 folks,

00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:33.980
 I mean,

00:32:34.019 --> 00:32:34.299
 there's a

00:32:34.299 --> 00:32:34.839
 real problem.

00:32:34.900 --> 00:32:35.119
 I'm not

00:32:35.119 --> 00:32:35.519
 denying the

00:32:35.519 --> 00:32:35.960
 problem.

00:32:36.900 --> 00:32:37.859
 But gosh,

00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:38.759
 if you

00:32:38.759 --> 00:32:39.200
 wanted to

00:32:39.200 --> 00:32:39.599
 get a

00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:40.240
 whole range

00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:41.119
 of Pharisees

00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:41.619
 and virtue

00:32:41.619 --> 00:32:42.059
 signaling,

00:32:42.200 --> 00:32:42.519
 and if I've

00:32:42.519 --> 00:32:43.039
 offended you,

00:32:43.079 --> 00:32:43.559
 then that's

00:32:43.559 --> 00:32:44.119
 life.

00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:45.460
 That's what

00:32:45.460 --> 00:32:46.059
 it was.

00:32:47.579 --> 00:32:48.140
 Virtue

00:32:48.140 --> 00:32:48.720
 signaling.

00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:51.720
 Powerful

00:32:51.720 --> 00:32:52.579
 emotions that

00:32:52.579 --> 00:32:53.259
 did

00:32:53.259 --> 00:32:54.759
 nothing.

00:32:56.059 --> 00:32:56.619
 Did

00:32:56.619 --> 00:32:57.420
 nothing.

00:32:57.799 --> 00:32:58.319
 It's the

00:32:58.319 --> 00:32:58.759
 secular

00:32:58.759 --> 00:32:59.640
 equivalent of

00:32:59.640 --> 00:33:00.299
 go your

00:33:00.299 --> 00:33:00.640
 way,

00:33:00.759 --> 00:33:01.420
 do well.

00:33:01.420 --> 00:33:06.300
 you see

00:33:06.300 --> 00:33:07.259
 how it's

00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:07.800
 a problem

00:33:07.800 --> 00:33:08.279
 and we

00:33:08.279 --> 00:33:08.580
 don't even

00:33:08.580 --> 00:33:08.920
 necessarily

00:33:08.920 --> 00:33:09.620
 realize it?

00:33:09.779 --> 00:33:10.000
 And I

00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:10.200
 don't know,

00:33:10.220 --> 00:33:10.500
 maybe I'm

00:33:10.500 --> 00:33:10.740
 going to get

00:33:10.740 --> 00:33:11.140
 some angry

00:33:11.140 --> 00:33:11.840
 emails because

00:33:11.840 --> 00:33:12.500
 I compare

00:33:12.500 --> 00:33:14.019
 this text to

00:33:14.019 --> 00:33:14.779
 Black Lives Matter

00:33:14.779 --> 00:33:15.740
 demonstrations in

00:33:15.740 --> 00:33:16.100
 Canada.

00:33:16.200 --> 00:33:17.240
 I can't comment as

00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:17.800
 much about the

00:33:17.800 --> 00:33:18.140
 states.

00:33:19.620 --> 00:33:20.180
 But it's all

00:33:20.180 --> 00:33:20.800
 about emotion.

00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:21.120
 You know,

00:33:21.160 --> 00:33:21.680
 one of the big

00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:22.460
 things I had as a

00:33:22.460 --> 00:33:22.880
 problem in my

00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:23.460
 early Christian

00:33:23.460 --> 00:33:23.680
 days,

00:33:23.779 --> 00:33:24.300
 I became

00:33:24.300 --> 00:33:25.000
 Christians through

00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:25.660
 charismatics,

00:33:25.880 --> 00:33:26.680
 and I'd go to

00:33:26.680 --> 00:33:27.200
 these worship

00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:29.300
 services and all,

00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:30.680
 and everybody,

00:33:30.680 --> 00:33:31.360
 there'd be all

00:33:31.360 --> 00:33:31.960
 these times in

00:33:31.960 --> 00:33:32.340
 the service

00:33:32.340 --> 00:33:33.340
 closing their

00:33:33.340 --> 00:33:33.900
 eyes,

00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:34.960
 their arms are

00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:35.180
 up,

00:33:35.200 --> 00:33:35.620
 you can just

00:33:35.620 --> 00:33:36.259
 feel all the

00:33:36.259 --> 00:33:36.759
 emotion.

00:33:37.259 --> 00:33:37.960
 And I think to

00:33:37.960 --> 00:33:38.279
 myself,

00:33:38.420 --> 00:33:38.680
 gosh,

00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:39.360
 I'm a crappy

00:33:39.360 --> 00:33:39.960
 Christian.

00:33:41.299 --> 00:33:42.380
 I suck.

00:33:44.220 --> 00:33:44.980
 But then it's

00:33:44.980 --> 00:33:45.560
 so, you know,

00:33:45.580 --> 00:33:45.920
 and then you

00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:46.880
 realize after they

00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:47.500
 go right from

00:33:47.500 --> 00:33:48.440
 that to get

00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:48.980
 drunk.

00:33:49.560 --> 00:33:50.279
 And you go,

00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:54.180
 like some

00:33:54.180 --> 00:33:54.740
 people just

00:33:54.740 --> 00:33:55.480
 like emotional

00:33:55.480 --> 00:33:56.160
 displays.

00:33:57.440 --> 00:33:58.120
 Some people

00:33:58.120 --> 00:33:58.759
 just like to

00:33:58.759 --> 00:33:59.380
 mouth the right

00:33:59.380 --> 00:33:59.980
 words.

00:34:00.680 --> 00:34:01.160
 And what

00:34:01.160 --> 00:34:01.820
 James says,

00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:02.340
 is that

00:34:02.340 --> 00:34:02.720
 faith?

00:34:02.820 --> 00:34:03.019
 No,

00:34:03.080 --> 00:34:03.700
 it's dead.

00:34:04.200 --> 00:34:04.680
 Complete

00:34:04.680 --> 00:34:05.299
 dead end.

00:34:07.799 --> 00:34:08.280
 Now,

00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:09.380
 now that we

00:34:09.380 --> 00:34:10.740
 more reformed,

00:34:11.139 --> 00:34:11.800
 restrained,

00:34:11.960 --> 00:34:13.000
 Anglican types,

00:34:13.420 --> 00:34:14.260
 where very few

00:34:14.260 --> 00:34:15.220
 of us are much

00:34:15.220 --> 00:34:15.900
 in danger of

00:34:15.900 --> 00:34:16.260
 being in a

00:34:16.260 --> 00:34:16.980
 worship service

00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:17.400
 where we're

00:34:17.400 --> 00:34:18.119
 jumping up and

00:34:18.119 --> 00:34:18.559
 down and

00:34:18.559 --> 00:34:19.039
 waving our

00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:19.460
 arms,

00:34:19.960 --> 00:34:21.780
 so we can

00:34:21.780 --> 00:34:21.940
 say,

00:34:22.019 --> 00:34:22.099
 yeah,

00:34:22.139 --> 00:34:22.440
 I'm really

00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:23.220
 glad James

00:34:23.220 --> 00:34:23.940
 nailed those

00:34:23.940 --> 00:34:24.320
 persons.

00:34:24.420 --> 00:34:24.700
 Now he

00:34:24.700 --> 00:34:25.360
 nails us.

00:34:25.360 --> 00:34:26.920
 that's what

00:34:26.920 --> 00:34:27.200
 he does

00:34:27.200 --> 00:34:27.599
 next.

00:34:27.900 --> 00:34:28.280
 Look what he

00:34:28.280 --> 00:34:28.860
 says immediately

00:34:28.860 --> 00:34:29.579
 after that.

00:34:30.120 --> 00:34:30.820
 Verse 18,

00:34:31.039 --> 00:34:31.460
 but someone

00:34:31.460 --> 00:34:31.860
 will say,

00:34:31.980 --> 00:34:32.220
 you have

00:34:32.220 --> 00:34:32.760
 faith and I

00:34:32.760 --> 00:34:33.420
 have works.

00:34:36.340 --> 00:34:36.780
 Basically,

00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:37.660
 what's behind

00:34:37.660 --> 00:34:38.460
 that is it's

00:34:38.460 --> 00:34:38.980
 as if he

00:34:38.980 --> 00:34:39.579
 knows what's

00:34:39.579 --> 00:34:39.880
 going to be

00:34:39.880 --> 00:34:40.820
 written in

00:34:40.820 --> 00:34:41.460
 Romans 12

00:34:41.460 --> 00:34:41.880
 and 1

00:34:41.880 --> 00:34:42.740
 Corinthians 12

00:34:42.740 --> 00:34:44.300
 where there's

00:34:44.300 --> 00:34:44.860
 the gift of

00:34:44.860 --> 00:34:45.440
 faith and the

00:34:45.440 --> 00:34:46.260
 gift of works

00:34:46.260 --> 00:34:46.920
 of mercy and

00:34:46.920 --> 00:34:47.440
 compassion.

00:34:47.640 --> 00:34:47.800
 And it's

00:34:47.800 --> 00:34:48.559
 sort of as if

00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:49.380
 the person

00:34:49.380 --> 00:34:49.559
 said,

00:34:49.640 --> 00:34:49.700
 well,

00:34:49.720 --> 00:34:49.840
 you know,

00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:49.980
 there's

00:34:49.980 --> 00:34:50.740
 different strokes

00:34:50.739 --> 00:34:51.259
 for different

00:34:51.259 --> 00:34:51.679
 folks,

00:34:51.819 --> 00:34:51.939
 you know,

00:34:52.019 --> 00:34:52.819
 you know,

00:34:52.859 --> 00:34:53.119
 whatever.

00:34:54.079 --> 00:34:54.459
 And James

00:34:54.459 --> 00:34:54.699
 says,

00:34:54.759 --> 00:34:55.199
 show me your

00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:55.679
 faith apart

00:34:55.679 --> 00:34:56.019
 from your

00:34:56.019 --> 00:34:56.479
 works and I

00:34:56.479 --> 00:34:56.939
 will show you

00:34:56.939 --> 00:34:57.639
 my faith by

00:34:57.639 --> 00:34:58.219
 my works,

00:34:58.239 --> 00:34:58.699
 by what I

00:34:58.699 --> 00:34:58.939
 do.

00:34:59.399 --> 00:35:00.000
 You believe

00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:00.359
 that God

00:35:00.359 --> 00:35:00.839
 is one?

00:35:01.959 --> 00:35:02.619
 You do

00:35:02.619 --> 00:35:03.000
 well.

00:35:03.859 --> 00:35:04.559
 And then,

00:35:04.919 --> 00:35:05.279
 boom,

00:35:05.559 --> 00:35:06.000
 even the

00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:06.659
 demons believe

00:35:06.659 --> 00:35:07.139
 and shudder.

00:35:09.199 --> 00:35:09.879
 And that's

00:35:09.879 --> 00:35:10.439
 for us more

00:35:10.439 --> 00:35:11.359
 reformed or

00:35:11.359 --> 00:35:12.479
 evangelical types

00:35:12.479 --> 00:35:13.399
 who might be

00:35:13.399 --> 00:35:14.059
 able to recite

00:35:14.059 --> 00:35:14.939
 the entire

00:35:14.939 --> 00:35:16.199
 39 articles,

00:35:16.359 --> 00:35:16.859
 the entire

00:35:16.859 --> 00:35:17.739
 Westminster

00:35:17.739 --> 00:35:18.179
 Shorter

00:35:18.179 --> 00:35:18.819
 Catechism,

00:35:19.019 --> 00:35:19.479
 Luther's

00:35:19.479 --> 00:35:19.739
 Shorter

00:35:19.739 --> 00:35:20.459
 Catechism,

00:35:20.739 --> 00:35:21.699
 for Roman

00:35:21.699 --> 00:35:22.359
 Catholics who

00:35:22.359 --> 00:35:22.899
 can quote

00:35:22.899 --> 00:35:23.639
 verbatim

00:35:23.639 --> 00:35:24.339
 the entire

00:35:24.339 --> 00:35:25.139
 big fat

00:35:25.139 --> 00:35:25.659
 book of

00:35:25.659 --> 00:35:26.259
 the Catholic

00:35:26.259 --> 00:35:26.819
 Catechism

00:35:26.819 --> 00:35:27.119
 of the

00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:27.459
 Christian

00:35:27.459 --> 00:35:27.919
 faith.

00:35:28.699 --> 00:35:29.139
 But that's

00:35:29.139 --> 00:35:29.539
 just mere

00:35:29.539 --> 00:35:29.839
 not,

00:35:29.919 --> 00:35:30.259
 it's just

00:35:30.259 --> 00:35:31.339
 things in

00:35:31.339 --> 00:35:31.859
 your head.

00:35:33.219 --> 00:35:33.739
 And if it

00:35:33.739 --> 00:35:34.239
 isn't that

00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:34.799
 personal

00:35:34.799 --> 00:35:35.639
 relationship

00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:37.459
 that involves

00:35:37.459 --> 00:35:38.019
 a change

00:35:38.019 --> 00:35:38.299
 in your

00:35:38.299 --> 00:35:38.719
 life,

00:35:39.539 --> 00:35:39.939
 what does

00:35:39.939 --> 00:35:40.479
 James say

00:35:40.479 --> 00:35:40.879
 it is?

00:35:41.439 --> 00:35:41.639
 It's

00:35:41.639 --> 00:35:47.239
 like demons

00:35:47.239 --> 00:35:47.639
 who know

00:35:47.639 --> 00:35:48.019
 perfect,

00:35:48.299 --> 00:35:49.479
 I mean,

00:35:49.519 --> 00:35:49.839
 what he's

00:35:49.839 --> 00:35:50.179
 saying here

00:35:50.179 --> 00:35:50.319
 is,

00:35:50.739 --> 00:35:52.139
 this is

00:35:52.139 --> 00:35:52.859
 so crazy,

00:35:53.779 --> 00:35:54.619
 every demon

00:35:54.619 --> 00:35:55.159
 has a

00:35:55.159 --> 00:35:55.419
 better,

00:35:55.879 --> 00:35:56.479
 a more

00:35:56.479 --> 00:35:56.879
 pure

00:35:56.879 --> 00:35:57.539
 theology

00:35:57.539 --> 00:35:58.159
 than every

00:35:58.159 --> 00:35:58.500
 single,

00:35:58.619 --> 00:35:58.939
 any one

00:35:58.939 --> 00:35:59.219
 of us

00:35:59.219 --> 00:35:59.519
 here in

00:35:59.519 --> 00:35:59.879
 the room.

00:36:03.379 --> 00:36:04.059
 And so

00:36:04.059 --> 00:36:04.479
 if it's

00:36:04.479 --> 00:36:04.819
 just a

00:36:04.819 --> 00:36:05.419
 matter of

00:36:05.419 --> 00:36:06.099
 the Christian

00:36:06.099 --> 00:36:06.599
 faith is

00:36:06.599 --> 00:36:07.079
 all about

00:36:07.079 --> 00:36:07.839
 perfecting

00:36:07.839 --> 00:36:08.059
 your

00:36:08.059 --> 00:36:08.719
 theology,

00:36:10.719 --> 00:36:11.679
 it's going

00:36:11.679 --> 00:36:11.959
 to be hard

00:36:11.959 --> 00:36:12.319
 to beat a

00:36:12.319 --> 00:36:12.559
 demon,

00:36:12.559 --> 00:36:12.659
 human,

00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:16.940
 but it's

00:36:16.940 --> 00:36:17.400
 completely

00:36:17.400 --> 00:36:17.980
 useless.

00:36:19.739 --> 00:36:20.259
 It would

00:36:20.259 --> 00:36:20.699
 be as if

00:36:20.699 --> 00:36:21.179
 I merely

00:36:21.179 --> 00:36:21.639
 studied

00:36:21.639 --> 00:36:22.219
 Louise from

00:36:22.219 --> 00:36:22.820
 a distance

00:36:22.820 --> 00:36:23.699
 and got

00:36:23.699 --> 00:36:24.039
 to know

00:36:24.039 --> 00:36:24.739
 her perfectly

00:36:24.739 --> 00:36:25.360
 and perfectly

00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:26.000
 and perfectly,

00:36:26.159 --> 00:36:26.519
 but never

00:36:26.519 --> 00:36:27.539
 actually said

00:36:27.539 --> 00:36:28.960
 hello to

00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:29.279
 her.

00:36:33.019 --> 00:36:33.639
 And not

00:36:33.639 --> 00:36:34.219
 only hello,

00:36:34.440 --> 00:36:35.420
 but then

00:36:35.420 --> 00:36:36.380
 talk to her

00:36:36.380 --> 00:36:36.860
 for an extra

00:36:36.860 --> 00:36:37.340
 couple of

00:36:37.340 --> 00:36:37.820
 moments and

00:36:37.820 --> 00:36:38.179
 then maybe

00:36:38.179 --> 00:36:38.799
 have coffee

00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:39.180
 with her

00:36:39.180 --> 00:36:39.560
 and then

00:36:39.560 --> 00:36:40.560
 have it

00:36:40.560 --> 00:36:40.980
 develop.

00:36:42.539 --> 00:36:43.160
 And those

00:36:43.160 --> 00:36:43.440
 are the

00:36:43.440 --> 00:36:43.920
 classic

00:36:43.920 --> 00:36:44.620
 two big

00:36:44.620 --> 00:36:45.280
 mistakes.

00:36:46.519 --> 00:36:47.000
 And then

00:36:47.000 --> 00:36:47.480
 he points

00:36:47.480 --> 00:36:47.840
 us in a

00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:48.000
 better

00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:48.600
 direction.

00:36:49.180 --> 00:36:49.440
 Remember

00:36:49.440 --> 00:36:49.780
 I said

00:36:49.780 --> 00:36:50.300
 that faith

00:36:50.300 --> 00:36:50.920
 is humbly

00:36:50.920 --> 00:36:51.500
 connecting

00:36:51.500 --> 00:36:52.220
 to the

00:36:52.220 --> 00:36:52.600
 triune

00:36:52.600 --> 00:36:52.960
 God

00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:53.400
 from your

00:36:53.400 --> 00:36:53.800
 heart

00:36:53.800 --> 00:36:54.180
 so that

00:36:54.180 --> 00:36:54.740
 he changes

00:36:54.740 --> 00:36:55.260
 the real

00:36:55.260 --> 00:36:55.620
 you

00:36:55.620 --> 00:36:56.440
 in your

00:36:56.440 --> 00:36:56.900
 real life.

00:36:56.980 --> 00:36:57.320
 That's the

00:36:57.320 --> 00:36:57.620
 heart of

00:36:57.620 --> 00:36:58.300
 all relationships.

00:36:58.460 --> 00:36:58.780
 Having a

00:36:58.780 --> 00:36:59.120
 child

00:36:59.120 --> 00:37:00.260
 changes you.

00:37:00.580 --> 00:37:00.780
 If it

00:37:00.780 --> 00:37:01.100
 doesn't

00:37:01.100 --> 00:37:01.760
 change you,

00:37:01.980 --> 00:37:02.280
 there's

00:37:02.280 --> 00:37:02.640
 something

00:37:02.640 --> 00:37:03.140
 wrong.

00:37:03.500 --> 00:37:03.940
 Having a

00:37:03.940 --> 00:37:04.160
 friend

00:37:04.160 --> 00:37:05.039
 changes you.

00:37:05.120 --> 00:37:05.320
 If it

00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:05.680
 doesn't

00:37:05.680 --> 00:37:06.200
 change you,

00:37:06.280 --> 00:37:06.500
 there's

00:37:06.500 --> 00:37:06.860
 something

00:37:06.860 --> 00:37:07.380
 wrong.

00:37:07.700 --> 00:37:07.940
 Being

00:37:07.940 --> 00:37:08.320
 married

00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:08.940
 changes

00:37:08.940 --> 00:37:09.160
 you.

00:37:09.200 --> 00:37:09.380
 If it

00:37:09.380 --> 00:37:09.640
 doesn't

00:37:09.640 --> 00:37:10.019
 change

00:37:10.019 --> 00:37:10.220
 you,

00:37:10.440 --> 00:37:10.760
 there's

00:37:10.760 --> 00:37:11.160
 something

00:37:11.160 --> 00:37:11.760
 wrong.

00:37:12.260 --> 00:37:12.820
 That's

00:37:12.820 --> 00:37:13.600
 how

00:37:13.600 --> 00:37:14.880
 relationships

00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:15.880
 work.

00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:17.200
 And so

00:37:17.200 --> 00:37:17.780
 James now

00:37:17.780 --> 00:37:18.260
 points us

00:37:18.260 --> 00:37:18.780
 in terms

00:37:18.780 --> 00:37:19.140
 of a

00:37:19.140 --> 00:37:19.559
 more

00:37:19.559 --> 00:37:20.039
 positive

00:37:20.039 --> 00:37:20.539
 direction.

00:37:20.640 --> 00:37:20.960
 Verses

00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:21.500
 20 to

00:37:21.500 --> 00:37:22.019
 24.

00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:22.740
 Do you

00:37:22.740 --> 00:37:22.960
 want to

00:37:22.960 --> 00:37:23.100
 be

00:37:23.100 --> 00:37:23.500
 shown,

00:37:23.960 --> 00:37:24.039
 you

00:37:24.039 --> 00:37:24.360
 foolish

00:37:24.360 --> 00:37:24.860
 person,

00:37:25.260 --> 00:37:25.760
 that faith

00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:26.320
 apart from

00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:26.660
 works,

00:37:26.720 --> 00:37:26.940
 in other

00:37:26.940 --> 00:37:27.140
 words,

00:37:27.300 --> 00:37:28.500
 faith apart

00:37:28.500 --> 00:37:29.740
 from your

00:37:29.740 --> 00:37:30.420
 life being

00:37:30.420 --> 00:37:31.240
 changed,

00:37:31.880 --> 00:37:32.920
 faith apart

00:37:32.920 --> 00:37:33.320
 from your

00:37:33.320 --> 00:37:33.760
 life being

00:37:33.760 --> 00:37:34.440
 changed is

00:37:34.440 --> 00:37:35.019
 useless.

00:37:35.820 --> 00:37:36.160
 Was not

00:37:36.160 --> 00:37:36.860
 Abraham our

00:37:36.860 --> 00:37:37.820
 father justified

00:37:37.820 --> 00:37:38.760
 by works when

00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:39.200
 he offered

00:37:39.200 --> 00:37:39.559
 up his

00:37:39.559 --> 00:37:39.940
 son on

00:37:39.940 --> 00:37:40.640
 Isaac on

00:37:40.640 --> 00:37:41.059
 the altar.

00:37:41.700 --> 00:37:41.980
 You see

00:37:41.980 --> 00:37:42.559
 that faith

00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:43.280
 was active

00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:43.840
 along with

00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:44.320
 his works

00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:44.860
 and faith

00:37:44.860 --> 00:37:45.500
 was completed

00:37:45.500 --> 00:37:46.080
 by his

00:37:46.080 --> 00:37:47.000
 works and

00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:47.519
 the scripture

00:37:47.519 --> 00:37:48.340
 was fulfilled

00:37:48.340 --> 00:37:49.880
 that says

00:37:49.880 --> 00:37:51.240
 Abraham believed

00:37:51.240 --> 00:37:52.380
 God and it

00:37:52.380 --> 00:37:53.080
 was counted to

00:37:53.080 --> 00:37:53.720
 him as

00:37:53.720 --> 00:37:54.780
 righteousness and

00:37:54.780 --> 00:37:55.559
 he was called

00:37:55.559 --> 00:37:57.019
 a friend of

00:37:57.019 --> 00:37:57.380
 God.

00:37:57.500 --> 00:37:58.080
 You see that a

00:37:58.080 --> 00:37:58.600
 person is

00:37:58.600 --> 00:37:59.380
 justified by

00:37:59.380 --> 00:37:59.860
 works and

00:37:59.860 --> 00:38:00.519
 not by faith

00:38:00.519 --> 00:38:00.840
 alone.

00:38:02.200 --> 00:38:03.180
 What he's just

00:38:03.180 --> 00:38:03.840
 saying here is

00:38:03.840 --> 00:38:04.800
 is that faith

00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:05.640
 is active.

00:38:06.420 --> 00:38:07.059
 It was active

00:38:07.059 --> 00:38:07.640
 in terms of

00:38:07.640 --> 00:38:08.000
 Abraham,

00:38:08.280 --> 00:38:09.039
 that it's

00:38:09.039 --> 00:38:09.600
 active,

00:38:10.220 --> 00:38:10.579
 that it

00:38:10.579 --> 00:38:11.900
 involves such

00:38:11.900 --> 00:38:12.900
 things as

00:38:12.900 --> 00:38:16.059
 it grows.

00:38:16.600 --> 00:38:17.059
 What he

00:38:17.059 --> 00:38:17.640
 actually does

00:38:17.640 --> 00:38:18.160
 here is he

00:38:18.160 --> 00:38:18.920
 connects,

00:38:19.260 --> 00:38:19.660
 if you go

00:38:19.660 --> 00:38:20.200
 back and you

00:38:20.200 --> 00:38:20.500
 read it,

00:38:20.519 --> 00:38:21.100
 he connects

00:38:21.100 --> 00:38:22.280
 the life of

00:38:22.280 --> 00:38:23.140
 Abraham from

00:38:23.140 --> 00:38:24.340
 Genesis 15 to

00:38:24.340 --> 00:38:25.300
 Genesis 22.

00:38:25.539 --> 00:38:26.579
 So there's

00:38:26.579 --> 00:38:27.940
 eight chapters

00:38:27.940 --> 00:38:30.280
 there and

00:38:30.280 --> 00:38:31.460
 he texts

00:38:31.460 --> 00:38:32.000
 something from

00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:32.480
 the beginning

00:38:32.480 --> 00:38:33.280
 of Abraham's

00:38:33.280 --> 00:38:33.780
 walk with

00:38:33.780 --> 00:38:34.280
 God and

00:38:34.280 --> 00:38:35.820
 towards the

00:38:35.820 --> 00:38:36.179
 end of

00:38:36.179 --> 00:38:36.699
 Abraham's

00:38:36.699 --> 00:38:37.179
 walk with

00:38:37.179 --> 00:38:37.519
 God.

00:38:37.739 --> 00:38:37.880
 And he

00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:38.699
 takes a

00:38:38.699 --> 00:38:39.480
 25 year

00:38:39.480 --> 00:38:40.320
 span of

00:38:40.320 --> 00:38:41.079
 Abraham's

00:38:41.079 --> 00:38:41.480
 life and

00:38:41.480 --> 00:38:42.659
 he connects

00:38:42.659 --> 00:38:42.820
 it.

00:38:42.920 --> 00:38:43.239
 He shows

00:38:43.239 --> 00:38:43.599
 that there

00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:44.079
 was this

00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:44.980
 active

00:38:44.980 --> 00:38:45.820
 aspect and

00:38:45.820 --> 00:38:46.179
 growing

00:38:46.179 --> 00:38:46.920
 aspect and

00:38:46.920 --> 00:38:47.360
 developmental

00:38:47.360 --> 00:38:48.380
 aspect of

00:38:48.380 --> 00:38:48.980
 Abraham's

00:38:48.980 --> 00:38:50.019
 faith in

00:38:50.019 --> 00:38:50.539
 the personal

00:38:50.539 --> 00:38:50.920
 God.

00:38:51.019 --> 00:38:51.239
 Remember,

00:38:51.400 --> 00:38:51.820
 faith is

00:38:51.820 --> 00:38:52.139
 humbly

00:38:52.139 --> 00:38:52.719
 connecting to

00:38:52.719 --> 00:38:53.199
 the triune

00:38:53.199 --> 00:38:53.719
 God from

00:38:53.719 --> 00:38:54.139
 your heart

00:38:54.139 --> 00:38:54.860
 so that it

00:38:54.860 --> 00:38:55.480
 changes the

00:38:55.480 --> 00:38:56.199
 real you in

00:38:56.199 --> 00:38:56.599
 your real

00:38:56.599 --> 00:38:56.920
 life.

00:38:57.019 --> 00:38:57.199
 And it

00:38:57.199 --> 00:38:58.280
 culminates in

00:38:58.280 --> 00:38:59.179
 this particular

00:38:59.179 --> 00:38:59.519
 story,

00:38:59.599 --> 00:38:59.920
 which I don't

00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:00.420
 have time to

00:39:00.420 --> 00:39:01.099
 go into right

00:39:01.099 --> 00:39:01.440
 now.

00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:02.440
 Which has

00:39:02.440 --> 00:39:03.380
 to do with

00:39:03.380 --> 00:39:03.800
 his son

00:39:03.800 --> 00:39:04.280
 Isaac.

00:39:04.699 --> 00:39:05.199
 That in a

00:39:05.199 --> 00:39:05.639
 sense there's

00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:06.360
 always a type

00:39:06.360 --> 00:39:06.679
 of a

00:39:06.679 --> 00:39:07.179
 fulfillment.

00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:07.920
 There's always

00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:08.480
 a moving

00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:09.440
 towards something

00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:10.159
 greater, a

00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:10.480
 goal.

00:39:11.079 --> 00:39:11.900
 That a better

00:39:11.900 --> 00:39:12.719
 friendship, a

00:39:12.719 --> 00:39:13.880
 better marriage, a

00:39:13.880 --> 00:39:14.719
 better relationship

00:39:14.719 --> 00:39:16.199
 with your kids, a

00:39:16.199 --> 00:39:17.059
 better relationship

00:39:17.059 --> 00:39:18.539
 with your boss, a

00:39:18.539 --> 00:39:19.380
 better relationship.

00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:20.139
 That there's always

00:39:20.139 --> 00:39:20.860
 this sense that

00:39:20.860 --> 00:39:21.420
 there's always

00:39:21.420 --> 00:39:22.340
 something more

00:39:22.340 --> 00:39:22.920
 that you can

00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:23.179
 do.

00:39:23.420 --> 00:39:24.199
 Not in a way

00:39:24.199 --> 00:39:24.840
 that crushes

00:39:24.840 --> 00:39:25.480
 you or kills

00:39:25.480 --> 00:39:26.219
 you, but in a

00:39:26.219 --> 00:39:26.719
 sense that you

00:39:26.719 --> 00:39:27.159
 know that it's

00:39:27.159 --> 00:39:28.440
 just natural, that

00:39:28.440 --> 00:39:29.239
 bothers you if

00:39:29.239 --> 00:39:30.360
 your relationship

00:39:30.360 --> 00:39:31.179
 with your child

00:39:31.179 --> 00:39:31.839
 or your spouse

00:39:31.839 --> 00:39:32.339
 or your friend

00:39:32.339 --> 00:39:32.919
 is going in the

00:39:32.919 --> 00:39:33.519
 wrong direction.

00:39:33.940 --> 00:39:34.559
 Wrong direction

00:39:34.559 --> 00:39:35.099
 means that you

00:39:35.099 --> 00:39:35.739
 have a basic

00:39:35.739 --> 00:39:36.599
 idea that there's

00:39:36.599 --> 00:39:37.319
 an end, a

00:39:37.319 --> 00:39:38.139
 telos, something

00:39:38.139 --> 00:39:38.739
 that should be

00:39:38.739 --> 00:39:40.559
 going towards, that

00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:41.440
 you're off track

00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:41.879
 and you want to

00:39:41.879 --> 00:39:42.659
 get back to it.

00:39:43.039 --> 00:39:43.980
 And once again, if

00:39:43.980 --> 00:39:44.879
 we understand that

00:39:44.879 --> 00:39:46.099
 faith is humbly

00:39:46.099 --> 00:39:47.819
 connecting to the

00:39:47.819 --> 00:39:48.759
 triune God from

00:39:48.759 --> 00:39:49.460
 your heart so that

00:39:49.460 --> 00:39:50.359
 it changes the real

00:39:50.359 --> 00:39:51.059
 you and your real

00:39:51.059 --> 00:39:52.079
 life, then you

00:39:52.079 --> 00:39:52.940
 realize that there's

00:39:52.940 --> 00:39:54.419
 this direction that

00:39:54.419 --> 00:39:55.759
 that connection will

00:39:55.759 --> 00:39:56.679
 continue to go,

00:39:56.779 --> 00:39:57.719
 which is continue to

00:39:57.719 --> 00:39:58.639
 get you closer and

00:39:58.639 --> 00:39:59.559
 closer to God.

00:40:00.819 --> 00:40:01.759
 And when it says

00:40:01.759 --> 00:40:02.359
 that faith is

00:40:02.359 --> 00:40:04.199
 active, what it is

00:40:04.199 --> 00:40:04.619
 there in the

00:40:04.619 --> 00:40:06.159
 original language, it

00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:07.119
 says faith is active

00:40:07.119 --> 00:40:08.059
 and works, and the

00:40:08.059 --> 00:40:10.039
 images of a boss and

00:40:10.039 --> 00:40:11.039
 co-workers doing

00:40:11.039 --> 00:40:11.879
 something together,

00:40:12.019 --> 00:40:12.879
 that's the image in

00:40:12.879 --> 00:40:13.879
 the original language.

00:40:14.639 --> 00:40:15.539
 In other words, what

00:40:15.539 --> 00:40:16.639
 happens first and

00:40:16.639 --> 00:40:18.139
 foremost is the boss

00:40:18.139 --> 00:40:19.139
 making the decision,

00:40:19.299 --> 00:40:20.019
 but then the boss

00:40:20.019 --> 00:40:21.019
 makes a decision and

00:40:21.019 --> 00:40:22.539
 everything works

00:40:22.539 --> 00:40:23.279
 towards it.

00:40:23.959 --> 00:40:24.539
 You know, it would

00:40:24.539 --> 00:40:25.500
 be the same thing

00:40:25.500 --> 00:40:26.919
 that, in a sense,

00:40:26.920 --> 00:40:28.159
 what really begins

00:40:28.159 --> 00:40:29.079
 a relationship with

00:40:29.079 --> 00:40:29.920
 me and Louise is

00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:30.680
 entering into a

00:40:30.680 --> 00:40:32.039
 relationship, and

00:40:32.039 --> 00:40:32.920
 then certain actions

00:40:32.920 --> 00:40:33.360
 follow.

00:40:33.619 --> 00:40:35.059
 The actions don't

00:40:35.059 --> 00:40:36.659
 go before or

00:40:36.659 --> 00:40:37.500
 separate from a

00:40:37.500 --> 00:40:38.099
 relationship.

00:40:39.019 --> 00:40:39.440
 I mean, that would

00:40:39.440 --> 00:40:40.300
 just be weird,

00:40:40.619 --> 00:40:40.960
 wouldn't it?

00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:41.579
 Like, she would view

00:40:41.579 --> 00:40:42.519
 it as stalking.

00:40:42.659 --> 00:40:43.400
 If I just sort of

00:40:43.400 --> 00:40:44.200
 kept coming up,

00:40:44.320 --> 00:40:45.619
 refused, she refuses

00:40:45.619 --> 00:40:46.760
 all my advantages, I

00:40:46.760 --> 00:40:47.599
 just keep buying her

00:40:47.599 --> 00:40:48.460
 coffee or doing other

00:40:48.460 --> 00:40:49.639
 types of things, that

00:40:49.639 --> 00:40:50.619
 wouldn't, she'd think

00:40:50.619 --> 00:40:51.559
 I was stalking her.

00:40:51.720 --> 00:40:52.480
 That's a definition

00:40:52.480 --> 00:40:53.280
 of a creep.

00:40:53.280 --> 00:40:58.260
 But it's not, if it

00:40:58.260 --> 00:40:58.940
 begins with a

00:40:58.940 --> 00:40:59.820
 relationship and then

00:40:59.820 --> 00:41:00.820
 out of the relationship

00:41:00.820 --> 00:41:02.280
 certain actions follow,

00:41:02.420 --> 00:41:03.700
 like, that you don't,

00:41:03.760 --> 00:41:04.580
 you know, you don't

00:41:04.580 --> 00:41:05.519
 dominate, you know,

00:41:05.560 --> 00:41:06.320
 husbands don't

00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:07.360
 dominate your wives.

00:41:07.500 --> 00:41:08.400
 Don't mistake

00:41:08.400 --> 00:41:10.460
 dominating your wives

00:41:10.460 --> 00:41:11.460
 for whatever the

00:41:11.460 --> 00:41:12.440
 biblical text is you

00:41:12.440 --> 00:41:13.180
 think you're quoting.

00:41:13.300 --> 00:41:14.120
 You're just misquoting

00:41:14.120 --> 00:41:14.620
 the Bible.

00:41:14.780 --> 00:41:15.420
 It's the wrong, it's

00:41:15.420 --> 00:41:16.420
 not the right telos.

00:41:16.480 --> 00:41:17.200
 It's not moving the

00:41:17.200 --> 00:41:17.620
 right way.

00:41:18.660 --> 00:41:19.780
 That's what's going on

00:41:19.780 --> 00:41:20.340
 here in the text.

00:41:20.340 --> 00:41:21.579
 The relationship, in

00:41:21.579 --> 00:41:23.720
 a sense, guides and

00:41:23.720 --> 00:41:25.220
 makes sense of the

00:41:25.220 --> 00:41:25.780
 actions.

00:41:27.240 --> 00:41:28.280
 And then the next

00:41:28.280 --> 00:41:29.160
 thing which he does in

00:41:29.160 --> 00:41:31.700
 verses 25 to 26 is,

00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:32.780
 and in the same way

00:41:32.780 --> 00:41:34.220
 was not also Rahab the

00:41:34.220 --> 00:41:35.760
 prostitute justified by

00:41:35.760 --> 00:41:36.920
 works when she received

00:41:36.920 --> 00:41:38.100
 the messengers and

00:41:38.100 --> 00:41:39.019
 sent them out by another

00:41:39.019 --> 00:41:39.320
 way?

00:41:39.720 --> 00:41:41.180
 For as the body apart

00:41:41.180 --> 00:41:42.300
 from the spirit is dead,

00:41:42.400 --> 00:41:43.760
 so also faith apart from

00:41:43.760 --> 00:41:44.400
 works is dead.

00:41:44.860 --> 00:41:46.500
 And I originally, I

00:41:46.500 --> 00:41:47.400
 got, I spent more,

00:41:47.500 --> 00:41:49.400
 anyway, I didn't manage

00:41:49.400 --> 00:41:50.300
 my time in the sermon,

00:41:50.340 --> 00:41:50.559
 well.

00:41:51.539 --> 00:41:52.600
 Hopefully it's all in

00:41:52.600 --> 00:41:53.240
 the providence of God,

00:41:53.280 --> 00:41:53.820
 it's all worked well.

00:41:54.140 --> 00:41:54.920
 The interesting thing

00:41:54.920 --> 00:41:55.480
 about going from

00:41:55.480 --> 00:41:58.660
 Abraham to Rahab is

00:41:58.660 --> 00:41:59.660
 that Abraham is a

00:41:59.660 --> 00:42:01.700
 hero of the faith, and

00:42:01.700 --> 00:42:02.559
 so a lot of us could

00:42:02.559 --> 00:42:03.280
 say, well, that leaves

00:42:03.280 --> 00:42:03.740
 me out.

00:42:03.780 --> 00:42:04.519
 I'm not a hero of the

00:42:04.519 --> 00:42:04.700
 faith.

00:42:04.760 --> 00:42:05.740
 I'm not Billy Graham.

00:42:06.760 --> 00:42:07.400
 You know, I'm not

00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:08.519
 St. Francis of Assisi.

00:42:08.640 --> 00:42:09.440
 I'm not Calvin.

00:42:10.200 --> 00:42:11.320
 You know, I'm not

00:42:11.320 --> 00:42:12.840
 Corrie Ten Boom.

00:42:13.620 --> 00:42:15.280
 I'm not like that.

00:42:15.940 --> 00:42:16.940
 And so he uses the

00:42:16.940 --> 00:42:17.940
 example of a woman who

00:42:17.940 --> 00:42:18.840
 was a pagan and a

00:42:18.840 --> 00:42:19.480
 prostitute.

00:42:21.140 --> 00:42:22.620
 And whereas Abraham's

00:42:22.620 --> 00:42:24.100
 story is a story of 25

00:42:24.100 --> 00:42:25.160
 years of development

00:42:25.160 --> 00:42:26.559
 and growth, Rahab's is

00:42:26.559 --> 00:42:27.960
 of a moment when she

00:42:27.960 --> 00:42:28.600
 has to make a

00:42:28.600 --> 00:42:29.460
 particular decision,

00:42:29.559 --> 00:42:30.519
 then act out of it,

00:42:30.539 --> 00:42:31.059
 and it completely

00:42:31.059 --> 00:42:32.100
 changes her life.

00:42:32.099 --> 00:42:34.299
 And so he takes man to

00:42:34.299 --> 00:42:36.480
 woman, high prestige to

00:42:36.480 --> 00:42:38.460
 no prestige, long period

00:42:38.460 --> 00:42:39.940
 of time to sudden.

00:42:40.279 --> 00:42:41.519
 And in both cases, he

00:42:41.519 --> 00:42:42.619
 says, you see in here

00:42:42.619 --> 00:42:43.719
 there's the beginning of a

00:42:43.719 --> 00:42:44.519
 connecting to the

00:42:44.519 --> 00:42:46.559
 triune God in a way

00:42:46.559 --> 00:42:48.940
 which changes you, the

00:42:48.940 --> 00:42:50.420
 real you in your real

00:42:50.420 --> 00:42:50.900
 life.

00:42:50.900 --> 00:42:50.960
 life.

00:42:54.380 --> 00:42:58.019
 I just want to close with

00:42:58.019 --> 00:42:59.000
 two things.

00:43:01.880 --> 00:43:02.800
 I'm an evangelical.

00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:04.500
 I believe that it's

00:43:04.500 --> 00:43:05.840
 appropriate for me to

00:43:05.840 --> 00:43:06.900
 tell people about Jesus

00:43:06.900 --> 00:43:07.900
 and say, if you haven't

00:43:07.900 --> 00:43:08.840
 given your life to Jesus,

00:43:08.840 --> 00:43:09.860
 there's no better time

00:43:09.860 --> 00:43:12.460
 now than to get in on the

00:43:12.460 --> 00:43:13.420
 most spectacular,

00:43:13.700 --> 00:43:14.920
 wonderful, real thing

00:43:14.920 --> 00:43:16.079
 that's ever happened in the

00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:17.779
 real world, which is that

00:43:17.779 --> 00:43:20.000
 mercy triumphs over

00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:20.940
 judgment.

00:43:22.039 --> 00:43:23.239
 And if you didn't know

00:43:23.239 --> 00:43:24.719
 that until now, I'm

00:43:24.719 --> 00:43:25.960
 telling you now, and I'm

00:43:25.960 --> 00:43:26.860
 telling you that he did it

00:43:26.860 --> 00:43:27.319
 for you.

00:43:27.699 --> 00:43:29.099
 There's no single person

00:43:29.099 --> 00:43:30.860
 who's so bad, so screwed

00:43:30.860 --> 00:43:32.179
 up, so psychologically

00:43:32.179 --> 00:43:33.599
 damaged, so much a

00:43:33.599 --> 00:43:35.819
 failure, who's so much

00:43:35.819 --> 00:43:37.139
 rejected by the world,

00:43:37.259 --> 00:43:38.559
 whose life is so screwed

00:43:38.559 --> 00:43:39.719
 up that this is not in

00:43:39.719 --> 00:43:42.059
 fact an invitation to you,

00:43:42.840 --> 00:43:44.319
 that you can take place

00:43:44.319 --> 00:43:45.440
 that even though your life

00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:46.579
 is a mess upon a mess

00:43:46.579 --> 00:43:47.820
 upon a mess upon a mess,

00:43:48.079 --> 00:43:49.940
 as Jesus lived this life

00:43:49.940 --> 00:43:50.920
 that he lived and died

00:43:50.920 --> 00:43:52.260
 his death upon the cross

00:43:52.260 --> 00:43:53.200
 and rose from the dead,

00:43:53.300 --> 00:43:54.760
 he was thinking of you

00:43:54.760 --> 00:43:56.539
 in the hope that you

00:43:56.539 --> 00:43:57.519
 would say to him,

00:43:58.179 --> 00:43:59.599
 Jesus, be my Savior and

00:43:59.599 --> 00:43:59.900
 Lord.

00:44:00.500 --> 00:44:01.780
 Help me to get into that

00:44:01.780 --> 00:44:03.500
 and please get into me.

00:44:04.519 --> 00:44:05.420
 I'm an evangelical.

00:44:05.639 --> 00:44:06.280
 I believe that.

00:44:06.559 --> 00:44:07.400
 And I've just said it to

00:44:07.400 --> 00:44:07.760
 you again.

00:44:08.860 --> 00:44:10.039
 But here's what I also

00:44:10.039 --> 00:44:10.720
 want to tell you.

00:44:11.220 --> 00:44:12.200
 There's three different

00:44:12.200 --> 00:44:13.099
 ways that people get

00:44:13.099 --> 00:44:13.579
 into that.

00:44:15.440 --> 00:44:16.860
 I know people,

00:44:17.400 --> 00:44:18.920
 and in fact,

00:44:19.039 --> 00:44:19.980
 I know people who are

00:44:19.980 --> 00:44:21.059
 for the fulfillment of

00:44:21.059 --> 00:44:22.119
 what every Christian

00:44:22.119 --> 00:44:22.599
 prays.

00:44:22.619 --> 00:44:23.380
 There's beautiful young

00:44:23.380 --> 00:44:24.179
 children here.

00:44:24.260 --> 00:44:24.980
 I can tell you this

00:44:24.980 --> 00:44:25.400
 right now.

00:44:25.599 --> 00:44:26.440
 If the parent is a

00:44:26.440 --> 00:44:27.820
 Christian, none of them

00:44:27.820 --> 00:44:29.300
 is saying, I sure hope

00:44:29.300 --> 00:44:30.820
 that my child becomes a

00:44:30.820 --> 00:44:32.179
 witch and a drug addict

00:44:32.179 --> 00:44:33.420
 and then joins a biker

00:44:33.420 --> 00:44:34.619
 gang for eight years so

00:44:34.619 --> 00:44:35.579
 they can have a dramatic

00:44:35.579 --> 00:44:36.720
 sudden conversion.

00:44:39.220 --> 00:44:40.400
 What does every Christian

00:44:40.400 --> 00:44:40.720
 pray?

00:44:41.019 --> 00:44:41.920
 They pray, I'm going to

00:44:41.920 --> 00:44:42.820
 read stories to the,

00:44:42.820 --> 00:44:43.620
 I'm going to read Bible

00:44:43.620 --> 00:44:44.600
 stories to my kids.

00:44:44.660 --> 00:44:45.180
 I'm going to bring them

00:44:45.180 --> 00:44:45.800
 to church.

00:44:46.100 --> 00:44:47.000
 I'm going to pray for

00:44:47.000 --> 00:44:47.640
 them every day.

00:44:48.080 --> 00:44:48.380
 Why?

00:44:48.500 --> 00:44:49.660
 Because every parent

00:44:49.660 --> 00:44:50.880
 wants their child to,

00:44:50.960 --> 00:44:51.880
 in a sense, be able to

00:44:51.880 --> 00:44:52.980
 say when they're 20,

00:44:53.480 --> 00:44:54.280
 you know what, I don't

00:44:54.280 --> 00:44:55.140
 know if there ever was a

00:44:55.140 --> 00:44:56.080
 time in my life I didn't

00:44:56.080 --> 00:44:56.920
 believe and trust in

00:44:56.920 --> 00:44:57.260
 Jesus.

00:44:59.220 --> 00:45:01.300
 And just as a baby

00:45:01.300 --> 00:45:02.340
 doesn't have to have

00:45:02.340 --> 00:45:03.720
 amnesia for 20 years

00:45:03.720 --> 00:45:04.500
 and all of a sudden

00:45:04.500 --> 00:45:05.680
 discover its mother,

00:45:05.679 --> 00:45:10.599
 you can have a real

00:45:10.599 --> 00:45:11.940
 relationship with Jesus

00:45:11.940 --> 00:45:13.000
 that begins from

00:45:13.000 --> 00:45:14.279
 infancy that you don't

00:45:14.279 --> 00:45:15.199
 know the moment to

00:45:15.199 --> 00:45:15.940
 change but the

00:45:15.940 --> 00:45:17.099
 relationship is real.

00:45:20.019 --> 00:45:21.799
 And there's others who

00:45:21.799 --> 00:45:22.960
 can't tell you a moment

00:45:22.960 --> 00:45:23.980
 they came to trust in

00:45:23.980 --> 00:45:24.219
 Jesus.

00:45:24.359 --> 00:45:25.359
 They could say that on,

00:45:25.500 --> 00:45:26.980
 you know, March 15,

00:45:27.199 --> 00:45:28.519
 2020, I wasn't a

00:45:28.519 --> 00:45:29.879
 Christian and March 15,

00:45:30.059 --> 00:45:31.980
 2021, I became, I know

00:45:31.980 --> 00:45:32.960
 I'm a Christian and where

00:45:32.960 --> 00:45:34.859
 that moment came where I

00:45:34.860 --> 00:45:35.559
 went from one to the

00:45:35.559 --> 00:45:36.360
 other, I can't tell you

00:45:36.360 --> 00:45:36.960
 where it happened but

00:45:36.960 --> 00:45:37.720
 you know what I can tell

00:45:37.720 --> 00:45:37.880
 you?

00:45:38.019 --> 00:45:38.920
 I can tell you that

00:45:38.920 --> 00:45:40.240
 Jesus is my Savior and my

00:45:40.240 --> 00:45:41.460
 only hope is that mercy

00:45:41.460 --> 00:45:43.059
 triumphs over judgment.

00:45:44.019 --> 00:45:44.720
 And then there's others

00:45:44.720 --> 00:45:45.680
 of us who can say, yeah,

00:45:45.760 --> 00:45:46.320
 you know, there was a

00:45:46.320 --> 00:45:47.280
 moment, George or some

00:45:47.280 --> 00:45:48.200
 other person or my

00:45:48.200 --> 00:45:49.599
 neighbor told me about

00:45:49.599 --> 00:45:50.640
 this and I realized it

00:45:50.640 --> 00:45:52.059
 was time for me to lay

00:45:52.059 --> 00:45:53.440
 down my arm or open the

00:45:53.440 --> 00:45:54.500
 drawbridge and get down

00:45:54.500 --> 00:45:55.559
 on my knees and look at

00:45:55.559 --> 00:45:57.000
 Jesus and say, Jesus be

00:45:57.000 --> 00:45:58.980
 my Savior, I want mercy to

00:45:58.980 --> 00:46:01.079
 triumph over judgment in

00:46:01.079 --> 00:46:01.640
 my life.

00:46:02.740 --> 00:46:04.220
 And God is so shameless

00:46:04.219 --> 00:46:05.379
 because it's a personal

00:46:05.379 --> 00:46:05.619
 thing.

00:46:05.679 --> 00:46:06.679
 He accepts all three.

00:46:09.759 --> 00:46:11.259
 He accepts all three.

00:46:12.799 --> 00:46:13.659
 Please stand.

00:46:23.279 --> 00:46:24.239
 Let's just pray.

00:46:25.859 --> 00:46:27.339
 Father, some of us here,

00:46:27.679 --> 00:46:30.039
 some of us here as maybe

00:46:30.039 --> 00:46:32.519
 adults don't really know

00:46:32.519 --> 00:46:33.539
 that there was a time

00:46:33.539 --> 00:46:35.599
 that we ever, we've just

00:46:35.599 --> 00:46:36.739
 always believed in Jesus.

00:46:37.599 --> 00:46:38.420
 And Father, we give you

00:46:38.420 --> 00:46:39.500
 thanks and praise that

00:46:39.500 --> 00:46:41.900
 because to be with Jesus

00:46:41.900 --> 00:46:42.940
 is about having a

00:46:42.940 --> 00:46:44.219
 relationship with him and

00:46:44.219 --> 00:46:45.519
 just as a child can have a

00:46:45.519 --> 00:46:46.599
 relationship with its

00:46:46.599 --> 00:46:48.900
 mother from the moment of

00:46:48.900 --> 00:46:50.179
 birth and even from the

00:46:50.179 --> 00:46:51.739
 moment of conception so we

00:46:51.739 --> 00:46:53.259
 can have a moment, a

00:46:53.259 --> 00:46:54.400
 relationship with Jesus

00:46:54.400 --> 00:46:55.139
 that we don't know the

00:46:55.139 --> 00:46:55.500
 beginning.

00:46:55.940 --> 00:46:57.059
 Father, we give you thanks

00:46:57.059 --> 00:46:58.219
 and praise for Christian

00:46:58.219 --> 00:46:59.619
 families, for moms and

00:46:59.619 --> 00:47:01.599
 dads who read the Bible to

00:47:01.599 --> 00:47:02.960
 their children and pray for

00:47:02.960 --> 00:47:04.000
 their children and sing

00:47:04.000 --> 00:47:06.039
 Christian songs and love

00:47:06.039 --> 00:47:07.179
 them and bring them to

00:47:07.179 --> 00:47:09.279
 church and other types of

00:47:09.279 --> 00:47:10.319
 things to grow their faith.

00:47:10.420 --> 00:47:11.460
 And Father, for everyone

00:47:11.460 --> 00:47:13.539
 here who that describes, we

00:47:13.539 --> 00:47:15.360
 are so grateful for the

00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:16.480
 parents and we are so

00:47:16.480 --> 00:47:17.679
 grateful that they know

00:47:17.679 --> 00:47:19.739
 Jesus and did not have to

00:47:19.739 --> 00:47:20.579
 go through some of the

00:47:20.579 --> 00:47:22.019
 messes the rest of us had to

00:47:22.019 --> 00:47:23.559
 go through before we became

00:47:23.559 --> 00:47:24.079
 Christians.

00:47:25.039 --> 00:47:26.400
 And Father, there are some

00:47:26.400 --> 00:47:27.380
 here who have given their

00:47:27.380 --> 00:47:28.519
 lives to Jesus and they can

00:47:28.519 --> 00:47:29.079
 say the moment.

00:47:29.179 --> 00:47:30.139
 There's others who can say,

00:47:30.139 --> 00:47:31.819
 well, I wasn't one now, then

00:47:31.819 --> 00:47:33.119
 and now I am and I don't

00:47:33.119 --> 00:47:33.400
 know more.

00:47:33.480 --> 00:47:34.539
 Father, we give you thanks

00:47:34.539 --> 00:47:37.500
 and praise that you use

00:47:37.500 --> 00:47:38.839
 that means as well to bring

00:47:38.839 --> 00:47:40.339
 people to a trusting

00:47:40.339 --> 00:47:42.539
 connection with you, with

00:47:42.539 --> 00:47:44.559
 Jesus that changes our life

00:47:44.559 --> 00:47:46.699
 and changes our real life

00:47:46.699 --> 00:47:47.879
 and our real destiny, our

00:47:47.879 --> 00:47:48.319
 real end.

00:47:48.379 --> 00:47:49.480
 And Father, we thank you for

00:47:49.480 --> 00:47:50.859
 that work of the Holy Spirit

00:47:50.859 --> 00:47:52.239
 that brought us to Jesus.

00:47:53.619 --> 00:47:54.879
 And Father, if there are any

00:47:54.879 --> 00:47:56.119
 here who have not yet given

00:47:56.119 --> 00:47:57.480
 their lives to Jesus, I ask

00:47:57.480 --> 00:47:58.440
 that the Holy Spirit would

00:47:58.440 --> 00:47:59.840
 move deeply in their lives, if

00:47:59.840 --> 00:48:01.579
 they feel, Father, a type of

00:48:01.579 --> 00:48:03.280
 a pressure to surrender and

00:48:03.280 --> 00:48:04.380
 say yes, that they would

00:48:04.380 --> 00:48:05.820
 stop fighting that pressure

00:48:05.820 --> 00:48:07.159
 and that they would just

00:48:07.159 --> 00:48:08.460
 turn to Jesus and say,

00:48:08.519 --> 00:48:09.760
 Jesus, be my Savior and

00:48:09.760 --> 00:48:09.960
 Lord.

00:48:11.200 --> 00:48:13.119
 I want it to be the case not

00:48:13.119 --> 00:48:15.000
 of how good a person I am or

00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:16.539
 thinking I'm too bad a

00:48:16.539 --> 00:48:18.599
 person, but that the song

00:48:18.599 --> 00:48:20.320
 and story of my life will be

00:48:20.320 --> 00:48:21.940
 mercy triumphs over judgment

00:48:21.940 --> 00:48:24.400
 because I have received Jesus

00:48:24.400 --> 00:48:26.200
 as my Savior and my Lord.

00:48:26.199 --> 00:48:29.119
 And Father, for all of us, we

00:48:29.119 --> 00:48:30.339
 ask that you help us to be

00:48:30.339 --> 00:48:31.759
 more and more and more gripped

00:48:31.759 --> 00:48:33.000
 with the wonder of the

00:48:33.000 --> 00:48:34.719
 gospel, that mercy triumphs

00:48:34.719 --> 00:48:35.899
 over judgment, that that

00:48:35.899 --> 00:48:37.819
 might be the ground by which

00:48:37.819 --> 00:48:39.259
 we understand our lives,

00:48:39.399 --> 00:48:40.599
 understand our past,

00:48:40.759 --> 00:48:41.819
 understand our present,

00:48:42.000 --> 00:48:43.759
 understand our future, that

00:48:43.759 --> 00:48:45.239
 mercy triumphs over judgment,

00:48:45.339 --> 00:48:46.579
 that Jesus would be the one

00:48:46.579 --> 00:48:47.659
 as that truth is brought

00:48:47.659 --> 00:48:49.159
 deeper to our heart, that

00:48:49.159 --> 00:48:50.460
 propels us to live, that

00:48:50.460 --> 00:48:51.659
 draws us to live, that

00:48:51.659 --> 00:48:53.239
 grounds how we live, that

00:48:53.239 --> 00:48:54.819
 becomes the lens by which we

00:48:54.820 --> 00:48:56.120
 see ourselves in our past

00:48:56.120 --> 00:48:57.260
 and our future, and

00:48:57.260 --> 00:48:58.460
 motivates us to live.

00:48:58.780 --> 00:48:59.820
 And Father, we ask that

00:48:59.820 --> 00:49:00.820
 your Holy Spirit would do

00:49:00.820 --> 00:49:02.720
 that wonderful, continuing,

00:49:03.300 --> 00:49:05.740
 saving, sanctifying work

00:49:05.740 --> 00:49:07.820
 until that day when either

00:49:07.820 --> 00:49:09.300
 you have returned Jesus or

00:49:09.300 --> 00:49:10.700
 we die and see you face to

00:49:10.700 --> 00:49:12.900
 face, and we enter into

00:49:12.900 --> 00:49:15.700
 glory all along, not you

00:49:15.700 --> 00:49:16.660
 weighing our merits, but

00:49:16.660 --> 00:49:17.559
 pardoning our offenses.

00:49:17.780 --> 00:49:19.320
 Father, we thank you for

00:49:19.320 --> 00:49:19.900
 Jesus.

00:49:21.740 --> 00:49:23.820
 Grip us with the gospel, and

00:49:23.820 --> 00:49:25.580
 all God's people said,

00:49:26.300 --> 00:49:26.620
 Amen.