WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.599 So, one of the things that many non-Christians say about Christians is that Christians are often very judgmental and unloving. 00:00:12.900 --> 00:00:22.280 In fact, I think one of the things that non-Christians would say about Christians is that not only are we very judgmental and unloving, 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:35.520 that we're often nitpickers, and in fact, we're the type of deadly nitpicker that will leave no nit unpicked when we're examining other people's lives. 00:00:36.400 --> 00:00:38.880 And some of this criticism of us is unfair. 00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:47.880 I know there's a guy I talk to all the time at Starbucks, and I mean, he's actually the most opinionated guy that I know, 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:53.719 but he accuses me of being very judgmental because I disagree with him on one or two moral issues. 00:00:54.400 --> 00:00:56.440 And I don't think in that particular case it's fair. 00:00:56.840 --> 00:01:02.359 But the fact of the matter is, is that the non-Christian complaint about Christians being judgmental, 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:08.859 about us picking fights, about us having cold, unloving hearts, is often true. 00:01:09.800 --> 00:01:16.120 But what I think the average non-Christian isn't aware of is that the Bible agrees with them. 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:27.459 The Bible says that Christians are in danger of having unloving, cold, hard hearts, 00:01:27.899 --> 00:01:33.019 and of being judgmental nitpickers who leave no nit unpicked. 00:01:33.939 --> 00:01:42.060 But in fact, when a non-Christian complains about us, they're just saying, in a sense, what the Bible says and warns us about. 00:01:42.060 --> 00:01:50.820 So we're going to look at that text because I don't think any of us wants to have a cold, unloving heart and to be a judgmental nitpicker. 00:01:51.320 --> 00:01:58.700 So it'd be a great help if you open your Bibles and turn to Romans 14 because this is really what the chapter is about. 00:01:58.859 --> 00:02:08.259 It's warning us about the problem of becoming judgmental, cold, hard-hearted, even while we believe all the right things about God. 00:02:08.259 --> 00:02:11.439 And so it's a really important text for us to think about. 00:02:12.019 --> 00:02:13.819 And it's Romans chapter 14. 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:16.179 And we'll begin reading. 00:02:16.519 --> 00:02:19.219 Just we'll look at the first four verses and then we're going to pause. 00:02:19.299 --> 00:02:23.799 And we're going to have to camp at the beginning of the verse for a bit of time 00:02:23.799 --> 00:02:30.159 because it's one of those texts which I'm going to show in a moment that we think we know what it means, but we actually don't. 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:34.500 And the problem, anyway, we'll get to it. 00:02:34.620 --> 00:02:39.280 Romans 14 verses 1 and following, we'll read the first four verses at first. 00:02:39.659 --> 00:02:45.539 As for the one who is weak in faith, and just sort of pause right there. 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:51.139 In chapter 15 verse 1, it's going to talk about the strong in faith. 00:02:51.139 --> 00:02:56.199 So all the way through the chapter 14, it's sort of Paul is setting up. 00:02:56.239 --> 00:03:01.759 He doesn't use the word strong in faith until chapter 15 verse 1, but that idea is present. 00:03:02.459 --> 00:03:07.399 He's contrasting the strong in faith to the weak in faith all the way through this chapter. 00:03:08.419 --> 00:03:11.119 And that's important just to note. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:12.679 So read this again. 00:03:12.679 --> 00:03:19.899 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 00:03:19.900 --> 00:03:27.280 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:29.000 I'll explain what this is in a moment. 00:03:29.099 --> 00:03:30.819 It's not complaining about vegetarians. 00:03:32.200 --> 00:03:36.240 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains. 00:03:36.640 --> 00:03:38.219 That's the one who eats meat. 00:03:39.460 --> 00:03:45.939 And let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats. 00:03:46.580 --> 00:03:48.300 For God has welcomed him. 00:03:48.300 --> 00:03:50.520 And just pause for a second. 00:03:50.660 --> 00:03:57.020 The word judgment here doesn't just mean like a type of a judgment, like a good judgment. 00:03:57.180 --> 00:03:58.680 Oh, I'm coming up to the intersection here. 00:03:58.740 --> 00:04:00.780 Should I make, do I go left or right? 00:04:00.860 --> 00:04:03.439 Well, you make a judgment that you're supposed to go left or right. 00:04:04.140 --> 00:04:09.560 What it's talking about here is judgment's a good word, but it can have either a sort of a, 00:04:09.620 --> 00:04:12.800 just a neutral connotation or a bad connotation. 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:14.880 And here the word has a bad connotation. 00:04:15.380 --> 00:04:24.000 It means that you've, you've, you've looked at somebody, you've judged them, you found them guilty, and you've sentenced them to a terrible penalty. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:27.480 That's, that's what's, that's what it's saying here in the Greek. 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:28.560 So it's, it's judgment. 00:04:28.699 --> 00:04:32.879 In this particular case, it's judgment with a very, very bad connotation. 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:38.060 Hard-hearted condemning of another person. 00:04:38.420 --> 00:04:41.620 You don't consider them innocent until proven guilty. 00:04:41.860 --> 00:04:42.959 You find them guilty. 00:04:43.420 --> 00:04:44.759 Find them worthy of a punishment. 00:04:45.500 --> 00:04:46.480 I'll just read it again. 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:53.540 Verse 3, let not the one who eats despise the one, despise, note that, despise the one who abstains. 00:04:54.600 --> 00:05:01.080 And let not the one who abstains pass judgment or condemn the one who eats. 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:03.180 For God has welcomed him. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:06.220 Who are you to pass judgment? 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:09.900 All the way through here, the word judgment has that condemnatory sense. 00:05:10.700 --> 00:05:13.640 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? 00:05:13.639 --> 00:05:18.000 It is before his own master that he stands or falls. 00:05:18.539 --> 00:05:22.819 And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 00:05:22.919 --> 00:05:26.439 And just one other note here, the word translated servant, I'll read it again. 00:05:27.300 --> 00:05:29.860 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? 00:05:30.699 --> 00:05:37.620 In every case in the New Testament where you see the word servant, or some of your translations will say slave or bond servant, 00:05:38.039 --> 00:05:39.759 it's translating the word doulos. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:45.039 There's only four places in the New Testament where a different word is used, and this is one of the four places. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:51.240 And this is not the word doulos, which either is translated as slave or bond servant or servant. 00:05:51.879 --> 00:05:57.779 The word here basically means like they're a servant, but they're like they're part of the family. 00:05:57.779 --> 00:06:01.839 It's a very close, intimate word. 00:06:03.739 --> 00:06:08.039 I don't know how else to say it other than this isn't just an employee or a slave. 00:06:08.179 --> 00:06:11.839 This is like they're, it's almost like another son or like another daughter. 00:06:12.359 --> 00:06:16.399 This is one of the only the four places in the New Testament where that word is used underneath that. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:22.299 So just to listen to it again in verse four, who are you to pass judgment on the servant? 00:06:23.359 --> 00:06:30.339 The person who to the Lord, they are as close to the Lord as a son or a daughter, as a brother or a sister. 00:06:30.459 --> 00:06:32.779 That's how close this person is to the Lord. 00:06:32.779 --> 00:06:41.939 It is before his own master that he stands or falls, and he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 00:06:42.779 --> 00:06:50.179 So let's just sort of take a pause, because we have to sort of understand who the weak in faith are and who they're not, 00:06:50.439 --> 00:06:53.059 and who the strong in faith are and who they're not. 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:57.299 If we don't sort of have a bit of a sense about this, we're going to misunderstand the text. 00:06:57.300 --> 00:07:05.020 So the first thing to understand is that they're not, Paul is not making a point here about how we would usually use weak in faith. 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:09.780 There are many of us here today who are just really beat up by life. 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:20.519 Some of us have maybe had a traumatic or terrible event in their past, and we're still living with the echoes of it, and it's still very real. 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:24.620 I mean, I talk to some people sometimes, and they'll tell me about a traumatic event, 00:07:24.620 --> 00:07:29.459 and I'll think it happened just a week or a month ago, and it might have happened 5, 10, 15 years ago. 00:07:30.019 --> 00:07:36.000 It was an event that just completely rocked them, knocked their stuffing out of their life. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:40.780 Some of us are dealing with weakness because we're just struggling with depression. 00:07:41.579 --> 00:07:46.399 Maybe we're struggling with a besetting sin that we just can't seem to get over. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:53.079 Some of us are just getting old and just making us feel weak. 00:07:53.079 --> 00:08:02.300 And that's often how we use the word weak, just beat up by life and circumstances, and that's not what's being meant here. 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:10.159 The Bible has lots to say for those of us who are struggling with that, but this isn't a text about that. 00:08:10.259 --> 00:08:12.579 It's talking about something quite different. 00:08:12.579 --> 00:08:20.120 In fact, hopefully I'll be able to show you in a moment what the text here, what is meaning by the weak, 00:08:20.259 --> 00:08:25.939 is from a sociological or psychological point of view, a person we might think of as being very strong 00:08:25.939 --> 00:08:28.639 because they're very confident. 00:08:28.939 --> 00:08:32.019 They're very articulate. 00:08:33.139 --> 00:08:34.840 They have lots of energy. 00:08:35.139 --> 00:08:36.579 They're filled with zeal and fervor. 00:08:36.580 --> 00:08:42.240 And it's a person who can be like this that the Bible is describing as being weak in faith. 00:08:42.940 --> 00:08:48.200 And the other thing to understand about this text is that the Bible is not describing people who are non-Christians, 00:08:48.340 --> 00:08:50.139 who are maybe just getting a little bit of faith. 00:08:50.540 --> 00:08:53.680 We're trying to sort of sort out if they're members of the faith. 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:59.540 Whenever you see the word faith in the book of Romans, just to make sure you have a bit of a sense about it, 00:08:59.560 --> 00:09:00.740 just remember this phrase. 00:09:00.740 --> 00:09:03.659 You can't be half pregnant. 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:07.680 You're either pregnant or you're not. 00:09:08.759 --> 00:09:13.740 And the book of Romans talks about a saving faith that makes you right with God. 00:09:14.379 --> 00:09:18.960 And when God has made you right with himself, then you're his. 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:23.419 You might be just weighed down with a besetting sin. 00:09:23.779 --> 00:09:28.039 You might have had a financial thing happen to you or a physical thing happen to you, 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:33.500 or you might be dealing with an illness of a loved one or the death of a loved one that just completely, 00:09:33.899 --> 00:09:36.279 you might be dealing with just unbelievable. 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:37.679 The bills are higher. 00:09:37.860 --> 00:09:39.339 Your bills are higher than the ceiling. 00:09:39.459 --> 00:09:40.279 You're really weighed down. 00:09:40.779 --> 00:09:42.019 It doesn't mean you're not a Christian. 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:46.159 It just means you're a Christian who's really weighed down by life. 00:09:47.379 --> 00:09:50.399 And that's, once again, not what the weak in faith is describing here. 00:09:50.959 --> 00:09:52.539 It's describing something else. 00:09:52.539 --> 00:09:58.240 And maybe the way to get it is to tell you something that happened when I was potty training one of my kids. 00:10:00.059 --> 00:10:02.659 And I can't remember now which one it was, thank goodness. 00:10:03.740 --> 00:10:11.179 But so, you know, they're trying to get out of diapers and learn how to poop, sorry, on a toilet rather than the diaper. 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:14.299 So they say, yeah, I have to go to the bathroom. 00:10:14.299 --> 00:10:18.240 So they go to the poop and, you know, they're just sitting there. 00:10:18.359 --> 00:10:20.439 I'm standing by just, you know, thinking. 00:10:21.219 --> 00:10:23.659 The little child is lost in thought. 00:10:24.059 --> 00:10:25.019 They're very articulate. 00:10:25.259 --> 00:10:30.819 And all of a sudden, out of the blue, my child says to me, God has really big teeth. 00:10:34.259 --> 00:10:35.659 I was just daydreaming. 00:10:35.779 --> 00:10:36.539 Now I'm looking. 00:10:36.539 --> 00:10:44.360 And then the child says that God has really big fangs and really big claws. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:50.379 Nothing has bigger teeth and fangs and claws than God. 00:10:50.500 --> 00:10:54.579 He has the biggest teeth and fangs and claws of anybody. 00:10:54.580 --> 00:11:07.139 So I think to myself, my budding theologian, I said, well, what makes you think that? 00:11:08.060 --> 00:11:14.440 And the child says, well, God is stronger than monsters. 00:11:16.220 --> 00:11:22.160 And I, my Sunday school teacher, maybe it was Louise, told me I don't have to be afraid of monsters 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:25.079 because God is stronger than monsters. 00:11:25.639 --> 00:11:28.939 And monsters have big teeth and fangs and claws. 00:11:29.379 --> 00:11:34.799 So God must have bigger teeth and bigger fangs and bigger claws. 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:37.719 Isn't that wonderful? 00:11:40.579 --> 00:11:44.299 If you're very curious about this, it's really important. 00:11:44.299 --> 00:11:49.299 If you Google sometime horrid red things, an essay that C.S. Lewis wrote, 00:11:49.299 --> 00:11:52.399 and he talks about how, anyway, horrid red things. 00:11:52.459 --> 00:11:55.639 It's a great article to look up on the Internet or find in one of his books. 00:11:56.199 --> 00:11:58.799 So, you know, so I said to my child, yeah, that's exactly right. 00:11:58.839 --> 00:12:00.919 You don't have to be afraid of monsters, et cetera, et cetera. 00:12:01.059 --> 00:12:07.939 So within, you know, his or her little mind, that's how they understood how powerful God is. 00:12:07.979 --> 00:12:09.559 And that's completely and utterly fine. 00:12:10.919 --> 00:12:16.579 Now, if that child went on to become 35 and they still thought that God had claws, et cetera, 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:17.719 there's some problems, right? 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:20.800 And we can all laugh at it because we can understand that it's just, you know, 00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:25.300 he or she trying to figure out a complicated, you know, theological truth. 00:12:26.040 --> 00:12:27.279 But here's the problem. 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:37.740 We don't understand when our culture forms us to make big mistakes about what the Bible is saying. 00:12:38.420 --> 00:12:44.720 We don't realize it when we are doing the adult equivalent of big teeth and fangs. 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:55.500 And so when we think of strong and weak, we think in physical or intellectual or aesthetic or class, social class terms. 00:12:55.960 --> 00:12:56.860 That's how we think. 00:12:57.300 --> 00:13:00.620 We think of the strong person being the well-educated person. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:03.340 We think of the strong person as being the articulate person. 00:13:03.740 --> 00:13:06.379 We think of the strong person as the one who has lots of energy. 00:13:06.379 --> 00:13:16.019 We think of the strong person as being the one who's very confident, the one who's able to get their way, the one who can manage people, the one who can be very, very persuasive. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:18.679 We think in sociological and psychological. 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:20.340 We think in cultural terms. 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:27.360 And so when we see this word strong, we tend to think of it in terms of these types of cultural categories. 00:13:27.580 --> 00:13:29.000 But that's not at all. 00:13:29.000 --> 00:13:33.039 If we read that all the way through this, we're going to misunderstand the text. 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:36.379 All the time we read it in Romans 14, we're going to misunderstand it. 00:13:36.460 --> 00:13:42.080 Just as it would be if a person still thought that God literally had fangs and claws and big teeth. 00:13:42.700 --> 00:13:50.220 The Bible here is talking about something different, which means that you don't have to be well-educated to be strong in faith. 00:13:50.220 --> 00:14:00.360 And you don't have to be of the upper middle class or go to Oxford or to be young and healthy or to be beautiful to be strong in faith. 00:14:00.560 --> 00:14:09.779 The Bible never says that any of these categories are the same thing as being strong in faith or being wise. 00:14:09.920 --> 00:14:10.379 Never. 00:14:10.660 --> 00:14:13.840 We bring these cultural things to the Bible. 00:14:13.980 --> 00:14:16.840 But the Bible, if we're careful, is always undercutting them. 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:21.320 Andrew, if you could put up the first point, please. 00:14:24.060 --> 00:14:25.960 No, not the text. 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:26.800 Sorry. 00:14:27.500 --> 00:14:28.460 There we go. 00:14:29.639 --> 00:14:41.320 The strong Christian has a clear knowledge of both the gospel and the Bible and can thereby distinguish between what is first order, second order, and error. 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:53.840 And I'm going to explain that in a moment. 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:59.879 But the first thing to understand is don't instantly slip into thinking in terms of cultural categories. 00:15:01.220 --> 00:15:06.019 Some of you may say, oh, dang, I couldn't pass a theology test on stuff like that. 00:15:06.060 --> 00:15:07.860 I couldn't write about stuff like that. 00:15:08.180 --> 00:15:11.460 Let me tell you, in my previous church, there was a man named Artie. 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:13.080 He's with the Lord now. 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:15.460 If he was here now, he'd be all red-faced. 00:15:15.580 --> 00:15:18.420 And afterwards, he'd be a bit grumpy with me for using him as an illustration. 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:19.660 But he's with the Lord. 00:15:19.740 --> 00:15:20.920 I'll use him as my illustration. 00:15:21.300 --> 00:15:22.100 Man named Artie. 00:15:22.100 --> 00:15:24.220 He had a grade 2 education. 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:30.060 When I knew him, and he was in his late 80s, he lived... 00:15:30.060 --> 00:15:39.440 You know, if you think places like Eganville and Killaloo are rural, where Artie lived is where people in Killaloo think it's rural. 00:15:40.340 --> 00:15:41.700 He was a hillbilly. 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:44.200 He had a grade 2 education. 00:15:44.820 --> 00:15:48.899 Just because a person only has a grade 2 education doesn't mean they're not smart. 00:15:49.680 --> 00:15:51.120 It just means they don't have book learning. 00:15:52.100 --> 00:15:54.279 He built his own sawmill. 00:15:54.820 --> 00:15:56.960 He could fix anything with a motor. 00:15:57.759 --> 00:15:59.240 He could do electrical wiring. 00:15:59.379 --> 00:16:00.519 He built his own house. 00:16:01.300 --> 00:16:08.420 He worked hard with his hands and provided for his wife and his many kids and was beloved by his grandkids and all that. 00:16:08.419 --> 00:16:19.579 But let me tell you, Artie, with his grade 2 education, he might not have been able to either pronounce or spell a whole pile of complicated Greek and Latin and theological words. 00:16:19.580 --> 00:16:25.060 But he had a clear knowledge of the difference between first and second order things. 00:16:25.059 --> 00:16:29.399 If you asked Artie, do you have to be a real... 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:32.059 You know, is it the case that only real Christians... 00:16:32.779 --> 00:16:43.619 You know, is it a case, Artie, that, you know, if you don't have the right view on baptism, if you believe that, you know, you have to be baptized as a child or you have to be baptized as an adult, do you think that's really essential to the Christian faith? 00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:45.279 Artie would have shook his head. 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:45.559 No. 00:16:46.839 --> 00:16:50.100 That's not essential to being what's really important in the Christian faith. 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:59.299 You could go through a whole list of things, and I bet you any money that Artie would have got all of those distinctions right. 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:01.639 Grade 2 education. 00:17:03.740 --> 00:17:04.700 So don't... 00:17:04.700 --> 00:17:07.920 When you read this, that's why I say clear knowledge. 00:17:09.420 --> 00:17:12.399 Because some people aren't very articulate, but they know it. 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:13.440 They live it. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:17.539 Now, this isn't... 00:17:17.539 --> 00:17:18.000 I'm not... 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:21.079 By saying all this, I hope you don't go away thinking that I'm encouraging you to be stupid. 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:24.920 God has given some of us IQs that are through the roof. 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:27.160 Use them to the glory of God. 00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:31.440 Some of us, God has given the ability to really be disciplined and study. 00:17:31.559 --> 00:17:32.420 Use it to the glory of God. 00:17:32.539 --> 00:17:34.779 I'm not putting anybody down here. 00:17:34.779 --> 00:17:41.099 I just don't want us to automatically think that because you teach at Oxford or Wycliffe, they can understand these things better than Artie. 00:17:41.220 --> 00:17:43.960 That's, in fact, definitely not the case. 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:55.160 The well-educated people can throw a whole pile of big, complicated theological words at you, but ultimately it's just they're confused and they're weak in faith. 00:17:56.039 --> 00:18:00.039 Now, in the text here, we're going to unpack this a little bit, right? 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:10.639 So what this text is trying to get across is that the strong Christian has a clear knowledge of both the gospel and the Bible and can thereby distinguish between what is first order, second order, and errors. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:17.780 And here in the text, Paul gives four examples of a second order issue. 00:18:18.560 --> 00:18:20.540 Just four examples, but there's four. 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:22.440 The first one here is in verse 2. 00:18:23.320 --> 00:18:28.400 One person believes he may eat anything while the weak person eats only vegetables. 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:32.900 Just for the record, my wife has been a vegetarian for a long time. 00:18:32.900 --> 00:18:40.519 I was a vegetarian for five years, so I'm not saying this because I have some special pleading that is referring to vegetarians as being weak in faith. 00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:43.620 Paul is saying here that it's a thing indifferent. 00:18:44.740 --> 00:18:51.280 But what the context probably is is that in the time that Paul wrote, every idolatry was mixed into everything. 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:58.519 And most of the meat that would have been served in the market was first sacrificed to a pagan god or goddess. 00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:10.799 And so Christians were trying, people who became Christians out of paganism, or even Jewish people who didn't sacrifice the animal to a god or goddess before they ate it, 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:14.319 they were trying to sort out how to live and follow Jesus. 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:19.500 And so some people were saying, the only way to do it is just to only eat vegetables, never eat any meat. 00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:21.200 That's the safe way. 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:24.579 And Paul is saying, no, no, no, you've misunderstood the issue. 00:19:25.099 --> 00:19:28.240 Being a vegetarian or eating meat isn't a first order issue. 00:19:29.640 --> 00:19:37.059 And then if you go down a little tiny bit to, sorry, I lost my page here, it's a terrible, oh yeah. 00:19:37.220 --> 00:19:40.220 If you go down to verse 5, there's another example. 00:19:40.740 --> 00:19:45.579 One person esteems one day is better than another, while another esteems all days alike. 00:19:46.099 --> 00:19:48.359 Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 00:19:48.359 --> 00:19:50.579 Here it's not probably referring to keeping the Sabbath. 00:19:51.159 --> 00:19:57.519 It's referring to something that if you're at all from an Anglican or a Roman Catholic or Lutheran or Eastern Orthodox background, 00:19:57.619 --> 00:19:58.879 you have a bit of a sense of it. 00:19:59.779 --> 00:20:00.939 I'm not making this up. 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:04.479 And for some of you, if you're not familiar with the weirdness of Anglicanism, 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:06.500 this will maybe come a complete and utter surprise. 00:20:07.379 --> 00:20:09.619 And by the way, I'm going to have to be really careful here. 00:20:09.699 --> 00:20:11.359 And I ask your prayers for me. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:14.219 I struggle with this all week. 00:20:14.519 --> 00:20:16.079 And so I ask your prayers. 00:20:16.719 --> 00:20:17.639 I have two things. 00:20:17.779 --> 00:20:23.859 I don't want to give you folks the impression that I am stridding around on the stages of I'm a strong Christian. 00:20:24.139 --> 00:20:28.099 And everything that I know perfectly, the difference between strong and weak. 00:20:28.099 --> 00:20:30.939 I'm not saying that. 00:20:30.980 --> 00:20:32.019 I don't want to give that impression. 00:20:32.179 --> 00:20:37.759 The other thing is in some of these cases, I might inadvertently lead a brother or sister to fall 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:40.000 because I'm going to talk about alcohol and other types of things. 00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:44.219 And I don't know how to use examples to deal with the text without talking. 00:20:44.359 --> 00:20:46.859 But, you know, I don't want to lead anybody into falling. 00:20:46.859 --> 00:20:50.619 So just, you know, pray that the Lord will cover this place, okay? 00:20:51.019 --> 00:20:52.599 I'm not trying to be proud. 00:20:52.679 --> 00:20:53.359 I really am not. 00:20:54.179 --> 00:20:57.139 But use this example about Anglicanisms and special days. 00:20:58.019 --> 00:21:02.659 There's some Anglicans who believe that you shouldn't say the word hallelujah during Lent. 00:21:03.419 --> 00:21:05.359 Sorry, I smile because I think it's ridiculous. 00:21:05.619 --> 00:21:06.139 I apologize. 00:21:07.259 --> 00:21:08.699 So this is a true thing. 00:21:09.079 --> 00:21:14.159 I was in a meeting and the budget, this was a big meeting for like a national group. 00:21:14.379 --> 00:21:15.399 And they were all Anglicans. 00:21:15.399 --> 00:21:16.339 It was Annick. 00:21:16.339 --> 00:21:18.740 And we got a financial report. 00:21:18.879 --> 00:21:21.720 And it was way better than the bishop was expecting. 00:21:21.879 --> 00:21:23.500 He said, hallelujah, look at this. 00:21:23.959 --> 00:21:25.799 And he was told off by somebody in the room. 00:21:26.439 --> 00:21:28.799 I am not making this up for saying hallelujah during Lent. 00:21:29.500 --> 00:21:30.919 Now, this shows how fallen I am. 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:33.079 Some of you who are old, remember that old chorus? 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:37.039 Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, praise ye the Lord. 00:21:37.099 --> 00:21:38.799 You know, you often get the guys and the girls standing up. 00:21:39.059 --> 00:21:45.379 I immediately wanted to go into singing hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, praise ye the Lord. 00:21:45.380 --> 00:21:48.340 And look right at the guy who told off the bishop. 00:21:48.339 --> 00:21:50.619 That just shows how fallen I am. 00:21:50.619 --> 00:21:50.959 Okay? 00:21:52.720 --> 00:22:01.079 But it just, you know, maybe it's like, maybe it's in some evangelical churches, real evangelical churches, real charismatics, real godly Christians. 00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:02.519 They fast once a month. 00:22:02.519 --> 00:22:06.119 When the pastor calls for a day of fasting, real Christians fast. 00:22:06.339 --> 00:22:08.440 Look at all those other second class Christians who don't. 00:22:08.940 --> 00:22:09.139 Okay? 00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:10.480 Special days. 00:22:11.139 --> 00:22:12.039 Special days. 00:22:13.559 --> 00:22:16.160 The Bible doesn't say anything about these special days. 00:22:16.339 --> 00:22:17.700 It's not a first order issue. 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:21.480 Another example that the text gives is verse 14. 00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:24.339 We'll start at verse 13. 00:22:24.339 --> 00:22:32.660 And therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother or sister. 00:22:33.299 --> 00:22:43.380 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean. 00:22:43.380 --> 00:22:53.040 And what this is referring to is that, you know, whether it's a Jewish person who's become a Christian at the time or whether it's just a pagan who's, you know, reading what we now call the Old Testament. 00:22:53.180 --> 00:22:53.920 He's just reading Isaiah. 00:22:54.060 --> 00:22:54.640 He's reading Leviticus. 00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:55.460 He's reading Deuteronomy. 00:22:55.520 --> 00:23:02.500 And he comes to the conclusion that he has to follow all of the Old Testament laws in Leviticus and in Deuteronomy and in Numbers and Exodus. 00:23:02.600 --> 00:23:03.600 He has to follow them all. 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:07.900 And he starts to become that he has to follow or she has to follow these things. 00:23:08.060 --> 00:23:12.920 And what happens here is that they haven't understood the significance of the gospel. 00:23:14.040 --> 00:23:19.940 And they haven't understood how Jesus has said himself that all foods are clean. 00:23:20.100 --> 00:23:26.940 They haven't understood that Jesus is, in a sense, the great lamb, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, 00:23:27.060 --> 00:23:34.300 that he is the way that we are made right with God, not by keeping these commandments and that all of these dietary things, they had their place, 00:23:34.620 --> 00:23:36.500 but Jesus has inaugurated a new covenant. 00:23:36.620 --> 00:23:37.640 They don't understand that. 00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:39.040 And that's still a common thing. 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:47.799 It's amazing how many people, often in more evangelical and charismatic churches, they almost become Jewish worshipers. 00:23:47.799 --> 00:23:54.079 Like they want to get the Jewish trumpet to blow and they want to wear Jewish prayer shawls. 00:23:54.139 --> 00:23:56.379 And you can just sort of tell that they wish they were Jewish. 00:23:56.700 --> 00:23:58.720 They want to add all sorts of other Jewish stuff. 00:23:58.779 --> 00:24:00.859 And it's a common problem. 00:24:01.740 --> 00:24:03.339 It's a recurrent problem. 00:24:03.339 --> 00:24:06.859 And Paul says it's an example of being weak in faith. 00:24:07.339 --> 00:24:14.579 And there's just one other one, which was a really important one for me when I was a teenager, but I don't care about any more. 00:24:15.619 --> 00:24:17.179 It's, where is it here? 00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:17.939 Verse 21. 00:24:18.839 --> 00:24:19.759 We'll start at verse 20. 00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:22.900 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. 00:24:23.420 --> 00:24:28.140 Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 00:24:28.519 --> 00:24:34.420 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 00:24:35.079 --> 00:24:36.420 In other words, being a teetotaler. 00:24:39.259 --> 00:24:43.059 And, you know, there are many, many Christians who believe that you shouldn't drink alcohol. 00:24:44.819 --> 00:24:48.119 It's even a condition of membership in some denominations. 00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:50.859 I don't know, it used to be in the Salvation Army. 00:24:51.479 --> 00:24:57.259 But some, I think, I won't go into other denominations where it's still a, you know, a part of membership. 00:24:57.419 --> 00:24:59.619 It's considered to be an essential part of the Christian life. 00:25:00.059 --> 00:25:01.799 And Paul says here that they're wrong. 00:25:02.639 --> 00:25:07.039 It's not an essential part of the Christian life to abstain from alcohol. 00:25:07.679 --> 00:25:09.419 Here's where I don't want to cause anybody to fall. 00:25:10.679 --> 00:25:13.159 But it's not an essential part of the Christian faith. 00:25:13.160 --> 00:25:20.880 I can remember because even though I came to faith, I was getting deeply involved in the counterculture, 00:25:21.560 --> 00:25:23.660 and I came to faith through the Jesus People movement. 00:25:24.340 --> 00:25:28.380 My Christian memory was a very fundamentalist type of church. 00:25:28.380 --> 00:25:34.040 And even though I didn't really like the church very much, and I found it boring and irrelevant, 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:37.840 when I came to faith in Jesus, a lot of that still carried over with me. 00:25:37.900 --> 00:25:44.580 And I still remember, to my shame, one day how there was a fellow who had really been very, very, very helpful 00:25:44.580 --> 00:25:47.620 and important to me in helping me to grow as a Christian. 00:25:48.120 --> 00:25:49.280 And I happened to be in a bus. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:54.519 And as I was in the bus, I looked out the window, and he was walking carrying a six-pack of beer. 00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:57.700 And I despised him in my heart. 00:25:59.079 --> 00:26:01.099 I despised him in my heart. 00:26:02.639 --> 00:26:04.680 And said, I'm not going to listen to this guy anymore. 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:07.940 What type of Christian carries a six-pack down Bank Street? 00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:12.180 I'm just telling you what went through my heart. 00:26:13.639 --> 00:26:14.619 But I was wrong. 00:26:15.399 --> 00:26:16.160 I was wrong. 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:27.820 You see, what Paul is trying to get at is that the Gospel and the Bible makes a distinction between first and second order things. 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:35.019 And if we don't understand the distinction between first and second order things, 00:26:35.300 --> 00:26:38.540 we're going to keep getting into trouble in the Christian life. 00:26:39.640 --> 00:26:44.120 And some Christians have the problem that they want to make, 00:26:44.119 --> 00:26:47.139 and that's why I put it here, first and second order things in error. 00:26:48.099 --> 00:26:50.039 Because the Bible here isn't saying, 00:26:50.699 --> 00:26:54.439 so some Christians, the problem they have is they want to make everything black and white. 00:26:55.659 --> 00:26:56.819 You voted for Harper? 00:26:56.979 --> 00:26:59.119 How can you be a Christian if you voted for Harper? 00:26:59.779 --> 00:27:00.819 You didn't vote for Harper? 00:27:01.059 --> 00:27:03.299 How can you be a Christian if you didn't vote for Harper? 00:27:05.539 --> 00:27:06.919 You listen to that type of music? 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:08.779 How can you be a Christian and listen to that type of music? 00:27:08.779 --> 00:27:10.519 How can you be a Christian and dress this way? 00:27:10.519 --> 00:27:15.819 You know, real friends don't invite their friends to go to Starbucks. 00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:18.599 I read that on a blog just a little while ago. 00:27:21.420 --> 00:27:24.039 Like, you know, and I bet they'd also say, 00:27:24.119 --> 00:27:25.400 and Tim Hortons, whoa. 00:27:26.759 --> 00:27:31.039 I mean, their eyes would probably roll up and around their head a few times like that, you know. 00:27:31.160 --> 00:27:33.720 Tim Hortons, gosh, that's even worse, you know. 00:27:33.720 --> 00:27:38.799 And how many people at Tim Hortons fans love making fun? 00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:40.539 I know one guy who goes to Tim Hortons all the time. 00:27:40.600 --> 00:27:42.880 He calls Starbucks five bucks. 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:48.120 Because unlike Tim Hortons, you can't get a coffee for less than five bucks at Starbucks. 00:27:48.779 --> 00:27:50.279 So he calls it people who go to Starbucks, 00:27:50.380 --> 00:27:51.680 there you go, off the five bucks. 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:54.600 Let's go get that coffee at Timmy's, my double-double, you know. 00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:56.539 And here's the thing. 00:27:56.600 --> 00:27:58.480 It's a human problem to make these. 00:27:58.980 --> 00:28:00.200 In fact, this is really significant, 00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:01.860 that it is in fact a human problem. 00:28:01.859 --> 00:28:06.639 And one of the things which is so significant is why it's a human problem, 00:28:06.679 --> 00:28:10.679 even in secular culture, of making these types of distinctions, 00:28:10.939 --> 00:28:12.759 of turning everything into black and white, 00:28:12.799 --> 00:28:15.899 or getting all caught up on the things which really don't matter. 00:28:16.519 --> 00:28:20.359 And it's interesting that the Bible articulates this as a problem 00:28:20.359 --> 00:28:22.639 and sees the gospel as a solution. 00:28:23.259 --> 00:28:26.059 And that as we read the Bible and go deeper into the Bible, 00:28:26.659 --> 00:28:29.419 that as the gospel forms us, 00:28:29.420 --> 00:28:31.840 we'll realize that there are some things which are essential, 00:28:31.980 --> 00:28:33.920 which are central, which we can't give up. 00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:38.279 But most other things in life are second-order things. 00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:41.820 And even some things in the Bible are second-order things. 00:28:41.940 --> 00:28:43.380 I would suggest that today, 00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:46.039 baptism is a second-order thing. 00:28:47.460 --> 00:28:49.680 And I've now offended a whole pile of people, 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:52.180 but I think it's a second-order thing, not a first-order thing. 00:28:52.180 --> 00:28:54.980 Christians in good conscience read the Bible 00:28:54.980 --> 00:28:57.680 and believe that God allows the baptism of infants. 00:28:58.539 --> 00:29:00.940 And Christians read the Bible and in good conscience 00:29:00.940 --> 00:29:02.960 believe that God restricts it to adults. 00:29:03.500 --> 00:29:05.100 I think that's a second-order issue. 00:29:05.560 --> 00:29:07.519 I think whether you're premillennial or amillennial, 00:29:07.640 --> 00:29:08.920 that's a second-order issue. 00:29:09.380 --> 00:29:11.779 Christians in good conscience differ on those things. 00:29:12.460 --> 00:29:13.580 But more significantly, 00:29:14.100 --> 00:29:17.380 second-order issues is what type of music you sing in church. 00:29:17.380 --> 00:29:22.480 The Bible doesn't tell you that there's a godly key 00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:25.040 and all other keys are ungodly, 00:29:25.300 --> 00:29:28.080 or that there's a certain progression of notes, 00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:30.260 which is the godly progression of notes, 00:29:30.320 --> 00:29:32.540 and every other progression of notes is ungodly. 00:29:33.260 --> 00:29:35.240 It doesn't tell you whether you can use written prayers 00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:36.460 or not use written prayers. 00:29:36.600 --> 00:29:39.340 Any one of those things can be completely and utterly abused. 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:42.220 I was at a wedding once, 00:29:42.320 --> 00:29:45.660 and they asked this minister to do an extemporaneous grace over the food. 00:29:45.660 --> 00:29:49.740 14 minutes long at a wedding. 00:29:50.220 --> 00:29:52.680 14 minutes extemporaneous. 00:29:53.300 --> 00:29:55.160 The guests did not have to have 00:29:55.160 --> 00:29:58.800 the entire history of salvation recounted for them. 00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:01.100 They were just hoping for, 00:30:01.700 --> 00:30:03.460 oh, Father, bless Bob and Betty. 00:30:03.580 --> 00:30:04.860 May they have a great marriage. 00:30:05.080 --> 00:30:06.240 Thank you for this food. 00:30:06.660 --> 00:30:09.279 Bless us and help us to support Bob and Betty 00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:11.040 in their married life. 00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:11.519 Amen. 00:30:12.040 --> 00:30:14.100 That was all they wanted, not 14 minutes. 00:30:14.100 --> 00:30:15.519 Anything can be abused. 00:30:16.300 --> 00:30:17.720 There's a whole pile of things around music 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:19.360 and church structure that are set, 00:30:19.700 --> 00:30:21.600 like not even, like they're like third order issues, 00:30:21.779 --> 00:30:23.440 and that doesn't even count the other issues, 00:30:23.600 --> 00:30:26.160 which is another type of second order issue, 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:27.779 which is, true confession, 00:30:28.060 --> 00:30:29.380 I don't really like Beethoven. 00:30:30.220 --> 00:30:31.400 I like Bach. 00:30:31.800 --> 00:30:32.759 I don't like Beethoven. 00:30:33.860 --> 00:30:37.779 You know, I really like that weird experimental jazz music 00:30:37.779 --> 00:30:39.700 that goes all crazy, that's instrumental. 00:30:39.900 --> 00:30:41.620 I actually find that very relaxing. 00:30:41.619 --> 00:30:44.519 I like working with it in the background. 00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:48.879 I like listening to Hillsong United and Bethel. 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:51.840 I like French vanilla ice cream 00:30:51.840 --> 00:30:54.040 and barbecue potato chips, 00:30:54.040 --> 00:30:55.620 not together in the same bowl. 00:30:57.100 --> 00:30:58.820 First the barbecue potato chips, 00:30:58.900 --> 00:30:59.560 then the ice cream, 00:30:59.620 --> 00:31:01.540 and then maybe back to barbecue potato chips 00:31:01.540 --> 00:31:02.900 because I have a weakness for them. 00:31:03.140 --> 00:31:04.000 You see, the thing about them, 00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:06.020 these are all completely and utterly indifferent. 00:31:06.460 --> 00:31:07.180 It's not that anybody, 00:31:07.620 --> 00:31:09.660 that's what Paul is trying to get here. 00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:11.440 And Paul is saying that it's rooted 00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:12.960 in the very nature of the gospel, 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:14.900 and that as we get deeper into the Bible, 00:31:15.360 --> 00:31:17.519 it leads us into a deeper sense. 00:31:17.620 --> 00:31:20.279 Could you put up the next point, Andrew? 00:31:20.360 --> 00:31:23.940 I think it's often mistakenly quoted by Augustine, 00:31:24.019 --> 00:31:24.640 but it's actually, 00:31:25.059 --> 00:31:25.940 isn't that a great name? 00:31:26.539 --> 00:31:27.019 Robertus? 00:31:27.840 --> 00:31:30.340 Any of you people are looking for new baby names 00:31:30.340 --> 00:31:31.140 for your son? 00:31:33.100 --> 00:31:35.460 There's just a spectacular one, 00:31:35.640 --> 00:31:37.940 and he'll be the only one in his class. 00:31:37.940 --> 00:31:38.039 Yes. 00:31:39.580 --> 00:31:41.400 Robertus Meldenius, 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:42.820 in essentials unity, 00:31:43.200 --> 00:31:44.460 in non-essentials liberty, 00:31:44.900 --> 00:31:46.140 in all things charity. 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:48.900 In essentials unity, 00:31:49.320 --> 00:31:50.620 in non-essentials liberty, 00:31:50.840 --> 00:31:51.820 in all things charity. 00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:53.000 Now, 00:31:53.759 --> 00:31:56.299 I'm going to have to do something here, 00:31:56.360 --> 00:31:57.580 which I didn't really want to do. 00:31:57.640 --> 00:31:59.019 I wrestled with it all week, 00:31:59.840 --> 00:32:02.320 but I wouldn't be serving you 00:32:02.320 --> 00:32:03.940 as your pastor 00:32:03.940 --> 00:32:05.140 if I didn't do it. 00:32:05.140 --> 00:32:06.700 And so, 00:32:07.100 --> 00:32:09.980 last week I talked about same-sex marriage, 00:32:10.100 --> 00:32:11.280 and I'm going to talk about it again. 00:32:13.020 --> 00:32:14.259 Because it's very relevant 00:32:14.259 --> 00:32:15.860 for the state of the church right now. 00:32:17.360 --> 00:32:17.940 And so, 00:32:18.080 --> 00:32:19.820 it's not that I have a bee in my bonnet. 00:32:19.940 --> 00:32:20.520 You know what it is? 00:32:20.580 --> 00:32:21.720 I was trying to think of an analogy. 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:22.780 It would be as if, 00:32:22.860 --> 00:32:23.860 in the Second World War, 00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:25.280 the Second World War starts, 00:32:25.880 --> 00:32:27.420 and there's a soldier, 00:32:27.980 --> 00:32:29.820 a Canadian soldier, 00:32:30.060 --> 00:32:31.920 and they happen to be on leave or something, 00:32:32.500 --> 00:32:33.520 and they're in England, 00:32:33.640 --> 00:32:34.800 and they wire home, 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:35.279 and say, 00:32:35.359 --> 00:32:35.419 oh, 00:32:35.460 --> 00:32:36.839 the Second World War has started. 00:32:36.919 --> 00:32:39.000 I'm going to rush home as fast as I can 00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:40.899 to defend the Canadian border 00:32:40.899 --> 00:32:41.980 against the Americans. 00:32:43.700 --> 00:32:45.399 And the commanding officer would go, 00:32:45.779 --> 00:32:47.460 no, 00:32:47.639 --> 00:32:48.359 go to Holland. 00:32:49.460 --> 00:32:50.539 Go to Poland. 00:32:50.759 --> 00:32:50.879 Like, 00:32:50.919 --> 00:32:52.720 go to where the battle actually is. 00:32:53.440 --> 00:32:56.059 And there is increasingly a move 00:32:56.059 --> 00:32:57.059 within the church 00:32:57.059 --> 00:32:59.539 to say that same-sex marriage 00:32:59.539 --> 00:33:01.899 is a second-order thing 00:33:01.899 --> 00:33:03.639 that Christians can differ over. 00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:06.680 In fact, 00:33:07.339 --> 00:33:07.940 often, 00:33:08.139 --> 00:33:10.339 people who can use all sorts of fancy 00:33:10.339 --> 00:33:11.339 Greek and Latin words, 00:33:11.420 --> 00:33:13.700 they'll look at Romans 14 as an example, 00:33:14.200 --> 00:33:16.480 and they'll use the example of food laws 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:18.680 as how it's just one of those things 00:33:18.680 --> 00:33:20.220 that Christians can differ over, 00:33:20.220 --> 00:33:24.160 and they are completely and utterly wrong. 00:33:25.120 --> 00:33:26.519 You're wondering what I really think? 00:33:26.700 --> 00:33:27.039 Sorry. 00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:29.500 They're completely and utterly wrong. 00:33:30.440 --> 00:33:31.759 They're completely wrong, 00:33:31.839 --> 00:33:33.360 especially using the book of Romans. 00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:35.279 Romans 14, 00:33:36.079 --> 00:33:36.920 Romans 1, 00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:38.799 is one of the most important texts 00:33:38.799 --> 00:33:41.460 understanding the nature of acting 00:33:41.460 --> 00:33:42.960 on same-sex attraction. 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:46.000 And just if you were here last week, 00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:47.840 you'll see that twice, 00:33:47.960 --> 00:33:49.380 just in the verses before this, 00:33:49.480 --> 00:33:53.180 Paul upheld the biblical teaching of adultery, 00:33:53.380 --> 00:33:53.960 of porneia, 00:33:54.740 --> 00:33:55.799 the porneia word group. 00:33:56.059 --> 00:33:57.059 And in that, 00:33:57.140 --> 00:33:58.279 the Christian teaching is 00:33:58.279 --> 00:34:00.799 that God has made sexual knowing 00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:02.460 as a good thing, 00:34:02.900 --> 00:34:03.920 but sexual knowing 00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:08.220 is to be a great gift 00:34:08.220 --> 00:34:10.679 that is to be exercised 00:34:10.679 --> 00:34:11.920 only within the context 00:34:11.920 --> 00:34:13.960 of a one man to one woman 00:34:13.960 --> 00:34:15.059 in holy matrimony, 00:34:15.800 --> 00:34:18.139 and that any sexual knowing 00:34:18.139 --> 00:34:19.280 or sexual stimulation 00:34:19.280 --> 00:34:20.340 outside of that 00:34:20.340 --> 00:34:21.760 is guilty of porneia. 00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:23.780 The Bible treats it 00:34:23.780 --> 00:34:25.200 not as a second-order issue, 00:34:25.300 --> 00:34:26.619 but as a first-order issue. 00:34:28.220 --> 00:34:30.500 And so to try to twist this 00:34:30.500 --> 00:34:31.579 as if, 00:34:31.940 --> 00:34:33.280 especially in the book of Romans, 00:34:33.659 --> 00:34:34.800 after what's just gone on 00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:35.400 all the way through 00:34:35.400 --> 00:34:37.599 in Romans 13 and Romans 1, 00:34:37.680 --> 00:34:38.960 to try to make it look now 00:34:38.960 --> 00:34:39.940 as if same-sex marriage 00:34:39.940 --> 00:34:41.000 is a second-order thing, 00:34:41.000 --> 00:34:42.900 it's just not what 00:34:42.900 --> 00:34:43.739 the Bible teaches. 00:34:45.900 --> 00:34:46.920 Now, I'll talk again 00:34:46.920 --> 00:34:47.320 in a moment, 00:34:47.420 --> 00:34:48.639 and it breaks my heart 00:34:48.639 --> 00:34:49.880 to use this as an example. 00:34:50.099 --> 00:34:50.239 I just, 00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:52.079 I don't want Christians 00:34:52.079 --> 00:34:52.960 to be misled. 00:34:55.960 --> 00:34:56.480 It's, 00:34:56.840 --> 00:34:58.079 you just can't be misled 00:34:58.079 --> 00:34:58.519 about it. 00:34:58.559 --> 00:34:59.699 I really don't want that. 00:34:59.699 --> 00:35:07.759 sometimes, 00:35:08.139 --> 00:35:08.699 you see, 00:35:08.839 --> 00:35:09.699 what the Bible here 00:35:09.699 --> 00:35:10.539 is saying 00:35:10.539 --> 00:35:11.239 about the difference 00:35:11.239 --> 00:35:11.919 between first 00:35:11.919 --> 00:35:12.859 in essentials unity, 00:35:13.099 --> 00:35:14.379 in non-essentials liberty, 00:35:14.919 --> 00:35:16.079 and in all things charity, 00:35:16.219 --> 00:35:16.819 it's a very, 00:35:16.939 --> 00:35:17.779 very wise statement 00:35:17.779 --> 00:35:19.460 by this old German guy 00:35:19.460 --> 00:35:20.480 who wrote during 00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:21.439 the Thirty Years' War, 00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:21.939 by the way, 00:35:22.119 --> 00:35:22.679 during the war 00:35:22.679 --> 00:35:23.519 between Protestants 00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:24.139 and Catholics. 00:35:24.239 --> 00:35:25.179 That's when he wrote this 00:35:25.179 --> 00:35:26.539 as part of an essay. 00:35:26.539 --> 00:35:27.759 And, 00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:30.960 the Bible wants us 00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:32.219 and calls us 00:35:32.219 --> 00:35:33.440 to make important, 00:35:34.279 --> 00:35:35.739 understand important 00:35:35.739 --> 00:35:36.659 first-order things 00:35:36.659 --> 00:35:37.279 and be willing 00:35:37.279 --> 00:35:38.360 to argue for them 00:35:38.360 --> 00:35:39.320 in a charitable way. 00:35:40.880 --> 00:35:42.099 It's just also saying 00:35:42.099 --> 00:35:42.800 that the closer, 00:35:43.000 --> 00:35:43.940 the more we understand 00:35:43.940 --> 00:35:44.779 the first-order things, 00:35:44.860 --> 00:35:45.719 the more we understand 00:35:45.719 --> 00:35:46.320 that these other 00:35:46.320 --> 00:35:47.179 second-order things 00:35:47.179 --> 00:35:47.759 are just things 00:35:47.759 --> 00:35:48.420 that we just have to 00:35:48.420 --> 00:35:48.900 treat as things 00:35:48.900 --> 00:35:49.360 of liberty. 00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:54.700 Just quite a few years ago, 00:35:54.720 --> 00:35:55.700 I went to an international 00:35:55.700 --> 00:35:57.280 consultation in Kenya. 00:35:57.519 --> 00:35:58.039 It was in, 00:35:58.099 --> 00:35:58.320 I think, 00:35:58.360 --> 00:35:59.380 the year 2003. 00:36:00.340 --> 00:36:01.840 And I was one of four Canadians 00:36:01.840 --> 00:36:02.360 who went to this 00:36:02.360 --> 00:36:03.340 international consultation 00:36:03.340 --> 00:36:04.360 of about 150, 00:36:04.740 --> 00:36:05.840 200 people at it. 00:36:06.599 --> 00:36:07.800 And in my group, 00:36:07.900 --> 00:36:08.700 my discussion group, 00:36:08.780 --> 00:36:09.180 which was on 00:36:09.180 --> 00:36:10.400 the uniqueness of Jesus, 00:36:11.420 --> 00:36:12.960 there was four guys 00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:13.640 from England, 00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:15.200 all with PhDs 00:36:15.200 --> 00:36:16.460 from Oxford and Cambridge. 00:36:16.940 --> 00:36:17.760 There was me, 00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:18.280 duh. 00:36:19.360 --> 00:36:21.599 Carlton grad. 00:36:24.140 --> 00:36:25.380 An Ottawa U grad. 00:36:26.180 --> 00:36:26.440 I mean, 00:36:26.480 --> 00:36:27.019 that just makes 00:36:27.019 --> 00:36:28.400 the Oxford and Cambridge guys 00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:29.680 quake in their boots 00:36:29.680 --> 00:36:30.760 when they hear 00:36:30.760 --> 00:36:31.559 you went to Carlton 00:36:31.559 --> 00:36:32.120 and Ottawa U. 00:36:32.240 --> 00:36:32.420 Sorry, 00:36:32.539 --> 00:36:33.200 I went to both, 00:36:33.260 --> 00:36:34.079 so I can make fun about it. 00:36:34.120 --> 00:36:34.360 Right, okay. 00:36:34.660 --> 00:36:34.960 So anyway, 00:36:35.420 --> 00:36:36.640 and then the other 00:36:36.640 --> 00:36:37.480 like 12 people 00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:37.920 in it were all 00:36:37.920 --> 00:36:38.640 from Africa, 00:36:38.820 --> 00:36:39.300 Sri Lanka, 00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:39.860 India, 00:36:40.200 --> 00:36:40.400 you know, 00:36:40.420 --> 00:36:40.720 Asia. 00:36:41.160 --> 00:36:42.140 And as we went 00:36:42.140 --> 00:36:43.440 into this topic, 00:36:44.059 --> 00:36:44.840 I started to notice 00:36:44.840 --> 00:36:46.559 that these four guys 00:36:46.559 --> 00:36:47.460 who were from England, 00:36:47.700 --> 00:36:48.340 or three of them 00:36:48.340 --> 00:36:49.059 in particular, 00:36:49.360 --> 00:36:50.160 and the other guy 00:36:50.160 --> 00:36:51.039 got wrapped up in it, 00:36:51.079 --> 00:36:51.760 they started to make 00:36:51.760 --> 00:36:52.579 all of these things 00:36:52.579 --> 00:36:53.860 undermining the uniqueness 00:36:53.860 --> 00:36:54.539 of Jesus. 00:36:55.280 --> 00:36:56.420 They also kept making 00:36:56.420 --> 00:36:57.620 disparaging comments 00:36:57.620 --> 00:36:58.440 about the fact 00:36:58.440 --> 00:36:59.300 that there are demons. 00:37:00.420 --> 00:37:01.260 And I put up with it 00:37:01.260 --> 00:37:02.039 a little bit at first. 00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:03.680 I had gone into this thing 00:37:03.680 --> 00:37:04.559 thinking that I was going 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:05.059 to have to check 00:37:05.059 --> 00:37:06.260 my cultural blinders 00:37:06.260 --> 00:37:06.660 at the door 00:37:06.660 --> 00:37:07.099 because I wanted 00:37:07.099 --> 00:37:07.680 to really learn 00:37:07.680 --> 00:37:08.620 from my African brothers 00:37:08.620 --> 00:37:09.180 and sisters 00:37:09.180 --> 00:37:10.220 and my brothers and sisters 00:37:10.220 --> 00:37:10.820 from India 00:37:10.820 --> 00:37:12.059 and Sri Lanka 00:37:12.059 --> 00:37:12.720 and Asia, 00:37:12.860 --> 00:37:13.420 and I was just going 00:37:13.420 --> 00:37:14.220 to have to understand 00:37:14.220 --> 00:37:15.140 that there were going 00:37:15.140 --> 00:37:16.120 to be cultural differences. 00:37:16.119 --> 00:37:17.859 I hadn't come expecting 00:37:17.859 --> 00:37:18.400 that I was going 00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:19.000 to have to listen 00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:20.199 to somebody from England 00:37:20.199 --> 00:37:21.980 undermine the deity 00:37:21.980 --> 00:37:22.599 of Jesus, 00:37:23.079 --> 00:37:23.779 the uniqueness 00:37:23.779 --> 00:37:24.400 of his death 00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:25.380 upon the cross, 00:37:26.199 --> 00:37:27.739 the fact that he is 00:37:27.739 --> 00:37:28.880 God's provision 00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:29.739 for salvation. 00:37:30.259 --> 00:37:31.039 So I started 00:37:31.039 --> 00:37:32.039 to argue with them. 00:37:32.619 --> 00:37:33.599 And it felt really 00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:34.119 uncomfortable. 00:37:34.319 --> 00:37:35.000 I was the only one 00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:35.799 arguing with them. 00:37:36.539 --> 00:37:37.719 And this was a consultation 00:37:37.719 --> 00:37:38.639 that went about six days. 00:37:38.699 --> 00:37:40.059 I did this for two days straight. 00:37:40.199 --> 00:37:41.500 I constantly was arguing 00:37:41.500 --> 00:37:42.000 with them. 00:37:42.460 --> 00:37:43.679 Nobody was backing me up. 00:37:43.679 --> 00:37:44.940 I felt very discouraged. 00:37:45.859 --> 00:37:46.579 So I decided 00:37:46.579 --> 00:37:47.019 I was just going 00:37:47.019 --> 00:37:47.619 to be silent. 00:37:48.619 --> 00:37:49.059 I was just going 00:37:49.059 --> 00:37:49.919 to roll my eyes. 00:37:50.460 --> 00:37:51.119 No point getting 00:37:51.119 --> 00:37:51.679 into arguments 00:37:51.679 --> 00:37:52.219 all the time. 00:37:52.839 --> 00:37:53.559 Then just after 00:37:53.559 --> 00:37:54.339 I had given up, 00:37:55.339 --> 00:37:55.980 a couple of the 00:37:55.980 --> 00:37:57.219 African brothers 00:37:57.219 --> 00:37:59.119 and a Sri Lankan brother, 00:37:59.239 --> 00:37:59.739 they were all men, 00:37:59.799 --> 00:38:00.480 they came and said, 00:38:00.559 --> 00:38:01.579 can we talk with you? 00:38:01.579 --> 00:38:02.539 Can we have tea with you? 00:38:03.179 --> 00:38:03.339 I said, 00:38:03.379 --> 00:38:04.059 well, I'll have coffee 00:38:04.059 --> 00:38:04.799 but you can have tea. 00:38:05.739 --> 00:38:06.480 And they said, 00:38:06.579 --> 00:38:08.259 they came to this event 00:38:08.259 --> 00:38:09.239 just like me. 00:38:09.279 --> 00:38:09.940 It was really neat. 00:38:09.940 --> 00:38:10.799 The Sri Lankan 00:38:10.799 --> 00:38:11.719 and African brothers. 00:38:12.259 --> 00:38:12.619 They said, 00:38:12.699 --> 00:38:13.539 we came to this event 00:38:13.539 --> 00:38:15.000 realizing that different people 00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:15.679 from cultures 00:38:15.679 --> 00:38:16.739 speak different ways. 00:38:17.400 --> 00:38:18.039 And when we heard 00:38:18.039 --> 00:38:19.159 these people from England 00:38:19.159 --> 00:38:20.360 speaking these things 00:38:20.360 --> 00:38:21.019 about Jesus, 00:38:21.159 --> 00:38:21.739 we just thought 00:38:21.739 --> 00:38:23.239 we weren't understanding them. 00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:25.960 Like it sounded wrong 00:38:25.960 --> 00:38:26.820 but maybe it's just 00:38:26.820 --> 00:38:27.460 the way somebody 00:38:27.460 --> 00:38:28.840 from the first world talks. 00:38:29.239 --> 00:38:29.880 But then over 00:38:29.880 --> 00:38:30.779 these last two days, 00:38:30.880 --> 00:38:31.880 we've heard you argue 00:38:31.880 --> 00:38:32.360 with them 00:38:32.360 --> 00:38:33.940 and everything you said 00:38:33.940 --> 00:38:34.820 we agree with. 00:38:35.960 --> 00:38:37.159 And now we realize 00:38:37.159 --> 00:38:37.960 that these guys, 00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:40.059 it's not a second order thing. 00:38:40.139 --> 00:38:40.960 They're undermining 00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:42.019 a first order thing. 00:38:42.019 --> 00:38:44.599 So they told me 00:38:44.599 --> 00:38:45.159 that they wanted, 00:38:45.519 --> 00:38:46.219 they still wanted me 00:38:46.219 --> 00:38:47.219 to do most of the talking 00:38:47.219 --> 00:38:47.820 because they felt 00:38:47.820 --> 00:38:49.079 a little bit uncomfortable 00:38:49.079 --> 00:38:50.300 that English wasn't 00:38:50.300 --> 00:38:51.199 their first language, 00:38:51.320 --> 00:38:51.480 right? 00:38:51.539 --> 00:38:52.480 But it was a very, 00:38:52.599 --> 00:38:53.380 very different thing 00:38:53.380 --> 00:38:55.599 and it eventually 00:38:55.599 --> 00:38:56.360 had to be dealt with 00:38:56.360 --> 00:38:57.000 at the conference. 00:38:58.079 --> 00:38:58.940 So here's the thing, 00:38:58.980 --> 00:39:00.099 is the Bible's not saying 00:39:00.099 --> 00:39:01.420 that we stop making judgments 00:39:01.420 --> 00:39:02.800 about first order things 00:39:02.800 --> 00:39:04.000 like the resurrection, 00:39:04.199 --> 00:39:04.840 the incarnation, 00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:05.840 the virgin birth, 00:39:06.460 --> 00:39:08.579 but basic sexual morality things. 00:39:08.579 --> 00:39:10.699 But there is a huge area 00:39:10.699 --> 00:39:11.719 of second order things 00:39:11.719 --> 00:39:12.420 that we just have to 00:39:12.420 --> 00:39:13.420 practice liberty with. 00:39:14.119 --> 00:39:15.039 That's what the gospel 00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:15.980 is leading us to. 00:39:17.139 --> 00:39:18.920 And the gospel is leading us 00:39:18.920 --> 00:39:20.039 not just to this, 00:39:20.259 --> 00:39:21.699 but not to abuse our strength. 00:39:21.759 --> 00:39:22.440 I have to be careful 00:39:22.440 --> 00:39:22.759 at the time. 00:39:22.819 --> 00:39:23.519 I'm going to have to wrap it up 00:39:23.519 --> 00:39:24.960 a bit earlier than I want. 00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:26.420 I want to go to a couple of prayers. 00:39:27.239 --> 00:39:29.059 But if you could, 00:39:29.239 --> 00:39:30.559 Andrew, put up the third point, 00:39:30.679 --> 00:39:31.319 please, for me. 00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:34.880 You know one of the things 00:39:34.880 --> 00:39:36.460 which is really neat here 00:39:36.460 --> 00:39:38.240 about if you go back 00:39:38.240 --> 00:39:40.440 to Romans 14 verses 1 and following, 00:39:40.680 --> 00:39:40.880 you know, 00:39:40.900 --> 00:39:41.500 hopefully I've given you 00:39:41.500 --> 00:39:42.320 enough of a context 00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:43.559 that if you read Romans 14 00:39:43.559 --> 00:39:44.700 you understand what's going on 00:39:44.700 --> 00:39:45.160 in the text. 00:39:45.640 --> 00:39:46.380 Notice here what it says, 00:39:46.740 --> 00:39:47.740 it's for the one weak in faith 00:39:47.740 --> 00:39:48.519 welcome him, 00:39:49.160 --> 00:39:50.539 but not to quarrel over opinions. 00:39:50.680 --> 00:39:51.460 One person believes 00:39:51.460 --> 00:39:52.320 he may eat anything 00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:53.220 while the weak person 00:39:53.220 --> 00:39:55.099 perceives only vegetables. 00:39:55.260 --> 00:39:56.099 Let not the one who eats 00:39:56.099 --> 00:39:57.340 despise the one who abstains 00:39:57.340 --> 00:39:58.380 and let not the one who abstains 00:39:58.380 --> 00:39:59.940 pass judgment on the one who eats. 00:40:00.680 --> 00:40:01.920 For God has welcomed him. 00:40:03.300 --> 00:40:04.640 Who are you to pass judgment 00:40:04.639 --> 00:40:05.500 on the servant of another? 00:40:05.579 --> 00:40:06.679 It is before his own master 00:40:06.679 --> 00:40:07.719 that he stands or falls. 00:40:08.599 --> 00:40:09.480 He will be upheld 00:40:09.480 --> 00:40:10.759 for the Lord is able 00:40:10.759 --> 00:40:11.759 to make him stand. 00:40:12.500 --> 00:40:13.799 So here's the thing. 00:40:14.719 --> 00:40:15.879 What's so precious? 00:40:17.799 --> 00:40:17.980 You know, 00:40:18.119 --> 00:40:20.159 I would much rather 00:40:20.159 --> 00:40:21.099 have been fighting battles 00:40:21.099 --> 00:40:21.619 in the church 00:40:21.619 --> 00:40:23.079 over the uniqueness of Jesus 00:40:23.079 --> 00:40:24.819 than over things 00:40:24.819 --> 00:40:26.119 like same-sex marriage. 00:40:29.019 --> 00:40:30.379 Every single one of us 00:40:30.379 --> 00:40:30.900 in this room 00:40:30.900 --> 00:40:32.039 is sexually broken. 00:40:32.039 --> 00:40:35.300 Every single one of us 00:40:35.300 --> 00:40:37.119 has sexual issues. 00:40:37.900 --> 00:40:39.420 And even those of us 00:40:39.420 --> 00:40:40.019 who don't maybe 00:40:40.019 --> 00:40:41.679 have directly sexual issues, 00:40:41.800 --> 00:40:43.039 it's very, very hard 00:40:43.039 --> 00:40:44.840 for a lot of couples, 00:40:45.019 --> 00:40:46.139 for the man and the woman 00:40:46.139 --> 00:40:47.300 to understand how to love 00:40:47.300 --> 00:40:48.539 and respect each other. 00:40:49.579 --> 00:40:50.539 There's often women 00:40:50.539 --> 00:40:51.239 who don't seem 00:40:51.239 --> 00:40:52.239 to be sexually broken 00:40:52.239 --> 00:40:53.739 who are unable 00:40:53.739 --> 00:40:55.599 to respect their husband 00:40:55.599 --> 00:40:58.460 and don't even feel 00:40:58.460 --> 00:40:59.880 remotely guilty about it. 00:41:01.259 --> 00:41:01.900 In fact, 00:41:01.960 --> 00:41:02.559 almost take it 00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:03.380 as a badge of honor. 00:41:04.519 --> 00:41:05.880 So every single one here 00:41:05.880 --> 00:41:06.900 is sexually broken. 00:41:07.900 --> 00:41:08.799 And I know that there are 00:41:08.799 --> 00:41:09.860 people probably here 00:41:09.860 --> 00:41:11.920 who find a powerful attraction 00:41:11.920 --> 00:41:12.400 to a member 00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:13.239 of the same sex. 00:41:13.900 --> 00:41:15.239 And there are people here 00:41:15.239 --> 00:41:16.279 who probably feel 00:41:16.279 --> 00:41:17.279 very uncomfortable 00:41:17.279 --> 00:41:18.739 in the biological sex 00:41:18.739 --> 00:41:19.799 that they were born with 00:41:19.799 --> 00:41:21.360 and feel that they should 00:41:21.360 --> 00:41:22.339 be something else. 00:41:23.239 --> 00:41:24.099 And here's the thing. 00:41:24.099 --> 00:41:27.339 On the cross, 00:41:27.500 --> 00:41:28.360 in the cross, 00:41:28.679 --> 00:41:30.199 we see God doing 00:41:30.199 --> 00:41:32.079 everything that has to be done 00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:34.099 so that he can welcome 00:41:34.099 --> 00:41:37.460 fallen, broken, imperfect, 00:41:37.960 --> 00:41:39.339 but deeply precious 00:41:39.339 --> 00:41:40.420 human beings 00:41:40.420 --> 00:41:41.460 like you and me. 00:41:42.940 --> 00:41:45.199 Jesus does this for us. 00:41:45.619 --> 00:41:46.920 This isn't just a matter 00:41:46.920 --> 00:41:48.019 of God putting up 00:41:48.019 --> 00:41:49.679 a high, I'm open, 00:41:49.860 --> 00:41:51.159 you're welcome to come in. 00:41:52.219 --> 00:41:52.559 Like, 00:41:52.559 --> 00:41:54.400 it would be as if 00:41:54.400 --> 00:41:55.480 God wants to welcome 00:41:55.480 --> 00:41:56.480 people in a place 00:41:56.480 --> 00:41:58.059 and he comes into that place. 00:41:58.199 --> 00:41:59.759 He crosses the ocean, 00:41:59.940 --> 00:42:00.480 so to speak, 00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:01.019 to welcome. 00:42:01.500 --> 00:42:02.659 He comes and picks 00:42:02.659 --> 00:42:03.340 a location. 00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:04.659 He comes 00:42:04.659 --> 00:42:05.539 and he pays 00:42:05.539 --> 00:42:06.500 for a food to be, 00:42:06.579 --> 00:42:07.719 a banquet to be put out. 00:42:07.980 --> 00:42:09.380 He pays for the whole place 00:42:09.380 --> 00:42:10.000 to be cleaned. 00:42:10.400 --> 00:42:11.059 He pays 00:42:11.059 --> 00:42:12.880 and provides 00:42:12.880 --> 00:42:13.440 a tent 00:42:13.440 --> 00:42:14.059 so that people 00:42:14.059 --> 00:42:14.980 can be welcomed 00:42:14.980 --> 00:42:15.840 into a place 00:42:15.840 --> 00:42:16.779 that's protected 00:42:16.779 --> 00:42:17.679 from the elements 00:42:17.679 --> 00:42:18.739 where it's safe 00:42:18.739 --> 00:42:19.860 because there's security 00:42:19.860 --> 00:42:21.280 and where there's food 00:42:21.280 --> 00:42:22.019 and there's provision 00:42:22.019 --> 00:42:23.360 and everything is clean 00:42:23.360 --> 00:42:24.260 and there's maybe 00:42:24.260 --> 00:42:24.920 even provision 00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:26.200 so that people can wash, 00:42:26.260 --> 00:42:27.120 they can get new clothes. 00:42:27.480 --> 00:42:29.000 He does everything 00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:30.120 to do the welcoming. 00:42:30.760 --> 00:42:32.380 He crosses the distance. 00:42:32.820 --> 00:42:34.200 He sends Jesus 00:42:34.200 --> 00:42:36.940 and Jesus pays 00:42:36.940 --> 00:42:38.740 the price of our rebellion 00:42:38.740 --> 00:42:40.019 so that we can be clean. 00:42:40.400 --> 00:42:41.140 He's the one 00:42:41.140 --> 00:42:42.079 who makes us clean. 00:42:42.460 --> 00:42:43.180 He's the one 00:42:43.180 --> 00:42:44.460 who deals with our rebellion. 00:42:44.700 --> 00:42:45.480 He's the one 00:42:45.480 --> 00:42:46.640 who deals with our shame. 00:42:47.039 --> 00:42:47.900 He's the one 00:42:47.900 --> 00:42:49.339 who perfectly accomplishes 00:42:49.339 --> 00:42:49.719 the law. 00:42:50.079 --> 00:42:50.859 He's the one 00:42:50.859 --> 00:42:51.599 who will clothe us 00:42:51.599 --> 00:42:52.339 with his righteousness. 00:42:52.779 --> 00:42:53.659 And the cross 00:42:53.659 --> 00:42:56.179 is God's powerful act 00:42:56.179 --> 00:42:57.359 to welcome 00:42:57.359 --> 00:42:59.119 sexually broken 00:42:59.119 --> 00:43:00.099 human beings 00:43:00.099 --> 00:43:00.920 like you and me. 00:43:02.599 --> 00:43:03.900 And let me tell you, 00:43:04.359 --> 00:43:05.099 he welcomes 00:43:05.099 --> 00:43:06.839 but he doesn't affirm. 00:43:07.739 --> 00:43:08.659 And he's not picking 00:43:08.659 --> 00:43:10.079 on any particular group. 00:43:14.079 --> 00:43:15.099 He welcomes 00:43:15.099 --> 00:43:16.139 but he doesn't affirm 00:43:16.139 --> 00:43:16.719 what we do. 00:43:21.079 --> 00:43:22.000 On the cross, 00:43:22.299 --> 00:43:23.099 Jesus accomplished 00:43:23.099 --> 00:43:24.039 everything that needed 00:43:24.039 --> 00:43:24.819 to be accomplished 00:43:24.819 --> 00:43:26.480 for me to be welcomed 00:43:26.480 --> 00:43:27.079 by God. 00:43:27.960 --> 00:43:29.440 So I can only come 00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:29.819 to him 00:43:29.819 --> 00:43:30.500 in humble, 00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:31.379 receptive faith. 00:43:32.259 --> 00:43:32.639 Let's just, 00:43:32.819 --> 00:43:33.359 in closing, 00:43:33.460 --> 00:43:34.319 there's three prayers 00:43:34.319 --> 00:43:35.659 just to try to bring 00:43:35.659 --> 00:43:36.299 this home to you 00:43:36.299 --> 00:43:37.480 and then we'll close. 00:43:37.579 --> 00:43:39.039 I'll just read 00:43:39.039 --> 00:43:39.719 each one of them out. 00:43:39.799 --> 00:43:40.319 In fact, actually, 00:43:40.779 --> 00:43:41.639 why don't we stand? 00:43:42.719 --> 00:43:43.379 Do you want to join 00:43:43.379 --> 00:43:44.219 with me in reading 00:43:44.219 --> 00:43:45.219 each of these three prayers? 00:43:45.219 --> 00:43:45.839 I know some of you 00:43:45.839 --> 00:43:46.299 like to write, 00:43:46.399 --> 00:43:46.819 make notes. 00:43:47.079 --> 00:43:48.179 It'll all be on the web page 00:43:48.179 --> 00:43:48.980 of one of these prayers 00:43:48.980 --> 00:43:49.679 that speaks to you. 00:43:49.719 --> 00:43:50.339 This is a way to try 00:43:50.339 --> 00:43:51.179 to bring the points 00:43:51.179 --> 00:43:52.199 of this home 00:43:52.199 --> 00:43:52.819 in terms of how 00:43:52.819 --> 00:43:53.699 we change our lives, 00:43:53.739 --> 00:43:54.019 how we know 00:43:54.019 --> 00:43:55.000 the freedom of Jesus, 00:43:55.500 --> 00:43:56.779 how we start to be healed 00:43:56.779 --> 00:43:58.059 of our mistake 00:43:58.059 --> 00:43:58.879 and confusion 00:43:58.879 --> 00:43:59.879 about first and second 00:43:59.879 --> 00:44:00.539 order things 00:44:00.539 --> 00:44:01.579 and being willing 00:44:01.579 --> 00:44:02.319 to deal with error. 00:44:02.679 --> 00:44:03.219 Would you say 00:44:03.219 --> 00:44:04.219 this prayer with me? 00:44:04.219 --> 00:44:05.500 Dear Lord, 00:44:06.059 --> 00:44:07.879 I confess that I flatter 00:44:07.879 --> 00:44:09.339 myself too much 00:44:09.339 --> 00:44:10.859 to detect or hate 00:44:10.859 --> 00:44:11.779 my own sin. 00:44:12.259 --> 00:44:13.439 Please make me 00:44:13.439 --> 00:44:14.980 a disciple of Jesus 00:44:14.980 --> 00:44:16.459 gripped by the gospel 00:44:16.459 --> 00:44:18.139 whom you are helping 00:44:18.139 --> 00:44:18.980 to confess 00:44:18.980 --> 00:44:21.719 how weak is my grasp 00:44:21.719 --> 00:44:22.399 of the faith 00:44:22.399 --> 00:44:24.379 and how quick I am 00:44:24.379 --> 00:44:26.000 to condemn other Christians. 00:44:26.859 --> 00:44:27.739 Help me to see 00:44:27.739 --> 00:44:29.579 the log in my own eye 00:44:29.579 --> 00:44:31.659 before I see the speck 00:44:31.659 --> 00:44:32.779 in another's eye. 00:44:33.599 --> 00:44:34.460 That's one of the things 00:44:34.460 --> 00:44:35.940 that none of us 00:44:35.940 --> 00:44:36.519 are going to say, 00:44:36.639 --> 00:44:36.960 you know what? 00:44:37.000 --> 00:44:37.699 I'm really weak 00:44:37.699 --> 00:44:38.539 in faith like that. 00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:39.759 I'm the hard-hearted 00:44:39.759 --> 00:44:40.839 judgmental person. 00:44:41.899 --> 00:44:42.879 It's a harder thing 00:44:42.879 --> 00:44:43.779 to acknowledge that. 00:44:44.819 --> 00:44:45.980 The Bible's inviting us 00:44:45.980 --> 00:44:46.759 to pray into that. 00:44:47.940 --> 00:44:48.920 Next prayer, Andrew. 00:44:49.799 --> 00:44:51.159 Join me in praying this, please. 00:44:51.659 --> 00:44:52.259 Dear Lord, 00:44:52.779 --> 00:44:54.079 please forgive me 00:44:54.079 --> 00:44:54.799 that thinking 00:44:54.799 --> 00:44:55.859 that being right 00:44:55.859 --> 00:44:56.579 is enough. 00:44:57.179 --> 00:44:58.199 Please make me 00:44:58.199 --> 00:44:59.699 a disciple of Jesus 00:44:59.699 --> 00:45:01.259 gripped by the gospel 00:45:01.260 --> 00:45:02.620 who will surrender 00:45:02.620 --> 00:45:03.540 my freedom 00:45:03.540 --> 00:45:04.460 for the good 00:45:04.460 --> 00:45:05.160 of my brothers 00:45:05.160 --> 00:45:06.580 and sisters in you. 00:45:07.240 --> 00:45:08.180 Please help me 00:45:08.180 --> 00:45:09.860 to live for your praise, 00:45:10.020 --> 00:45:11.160 not my praise. 00:45:11.880 --> 00:45:13.180 See, this is the text 00:45:13.180 --> 00:45:13.780 that says 00:45:13.780 --> 00:45:14.720 if you go 00:45:14.720 --> 00:45:16.000 to have 00:45:16.000 --> 00:45:16.940 a meal 00:45:16.940 --> 00:45:18.000 with a whole pile 00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:19.020 of Baptists 00:45:19.020 --> 00:45:21.200 or Pentecostals 00:45:21.200 --> 00:45:21.820 or a whole pile 00:45:21.820 --> 00:45:22.900 of Reformed alcoholics, 00:45:23.000 --> 00:45:23.940 you don't buy beer. 00:45:28.280 --> 00:45:29.260 You just don't. 00:45:29.260 --> 00:45:30.720 If you go 00:45:30.720 --> 00:45:31.280 to witness 00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:32.420 to Muslims, 00:45:32.600 --> 00:45:33.080 you don't eat 00:45:33.080 --> 00:45:33.860 a ham sandwich 00:45:33.860 --> 00:45:34.460 while you brought 00:45:34.460 --> 00:45:35.180 along your dog. 00:45:37.180 --> 00:45:38.080 And if you invite, 00:45:38.680 --> 00:45:39.260 if you come 00:45:39.260 --> 00:45:40.420 to some Jewish Christians, 00:45:40.720 --> 00:45:41.780 you don't serve them 00:45:41.780 --> 00:45:42.900 a cream soup 00:45:42.900 --> 00:45:44.100 with shrimp, 00:45:44.820 --> 00:45:45.160 ham, 00:45:45.360 --> 00:45:45.940 and beef. 00:45:47.540 --> 00:45:48.780 You just don't. 00:45:49.920 --> 00:45:51.040 The final prayer. 00:45:52.140 --> 00:45:53.200 You got it up there? 00:45:53.199 --> 00:45:54.659 Dear Lord, 00:45:55.119 --> 00:45:56.039 please make me 00:45:56.039 --> 00:45:56.759 a disciple 00:45:56.759 --> 00:45:57.579 of Jesus 00:45:57.579 --> 00:45:59.099 gripped by the gospel 00:45:59.099 --> 00:46:00.980 who daily meditates 00:46:00.980 --> 00:46:02.539 upon your word written 00:46:02.539 --> 00:46:04.039 and who's growing 00:46:04.039 --> 00:46:05.039 in their knowledge 00:46:05.039 --> 00:46:05.619 of you 00:46:05.619 --> 00:46:06.879 and of your truth. 00:46:07.399 --> 00:46:08.659 Please deliver me 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:09.439 from idols. 00:46:10.159 --> 00:46:11.719 Please renew my mind 00:46:11.719 --> 00:46:12.539 and my heart. 00:46:13.279 --> 00:46:14.039 Please help me 00:46:14.039 --> 00:46:15.579 to live for your glory. 00:46:16.199 --> 00:46:16.839 Let's just bow 00:46:16.839 --> 00:46:17.539 our heads in prayer. 00:46:17.699 --> 00:46:17.980 Father, 00:46:18.879 --> 00:46:20.419 you know the different areas 00:46:20.419 --> 00:46:21.219 that we're weak in 00:46:21.219 --> 00:46:22.099 and you know those areas 00:46:22.099 --> 00:46:23.079 that we're strong in. 00:46:23.159 --> 00:46:24.099 You know those areas 00:46:24.099 --> 00:46:24.599 where we have 00:46:24.599 --> 00:46:26.679 a firm grip of the gospel 00:46:26.679 --> 00:46:27.759 and you know, 00:46:27.880 --> 00:46:28.059 Father, 00:46:28.119 --> 00:46:29.139 those areas of our lives 00:46:29.139 --> 00:46:29.799 where we're still 00:46:29.799 --> 00:46:31.339 arrogantly filled 00:46:31.339 --> 00:46:32.440 with legalism 00:46:32.440 --> 00:46:33.819 and a religious spirit 00:46:33.819 --> 00:46:35.159 and a condemning, 00:46:35.319 --> 00:46:35.940 despising, 00:46:36.079 --> 00:46:37.019 looking down our nose 00:46:37.019 --> 00:46:37.579 at others. 00:46:38.059 --> 00:46:38.420 And Father, 00:46:38.519 --> 00:46:38.980 you know how 00:46:38.980 --> 00:46:40.119 we don't even recognize 00:46:40.119 --> 00:46:41.119 that that's what's going on 00:46:41.119 --> 00:46:41.619 in our hearts, 00:46:41.679 --> 00:46:43.179 that we feel self-righteous 00:46:43.179 --> 00:46:44.339 and self-justified 00:46:44.339 --> 00:46:44.940 about this. 00:46:45.500 --> 00:46:45.920 And Father, 00:46:46.039 --> 00:46:47.659 we bring this before you. 00:46:47.819 --> 00:46:49.179 We want to be formed 00:46:49.179 --> 00:46:49.900 by the gospel. 00:46:50.079 --> 00:46:51.019 We want to be formed 00:46:51.019 --> 00:46:51.639 by your word. 00:46:51.639 --> 00:46:53.099 We want to live free. 00:46:53.639 --> 00:46:55.259 We want to have strong minds 00:46:55.259 --> 00:46:56.420 and soft hearts 00:46:56.420 --> 00:46:58.179 and we want to live lives 00:46:58.179 --> 00:46:59.819 that are loving of people 00:46:59.819 --> 00:47:00.659 and bring honor 00:47:00.659 --> 00:47:01.400 and glory to you. 00:47:01.519 --> 00:47:01.759 Father, 00:47:01.879 --> 00:47:02.900 we need your help. 00:47:03.000 --> 00:47:04.059 We need your mercy. 00:47:04.199 --> 00:47:05.239 We need to be gripped 00:47:05.239 --> 00:47:06.059 by the gospel 00:47:06.059 --> 00:47:07.379 and we ask that you would 00:47:07.379 --> 00:47:08.259 gently but deeply 00:47:08.259 --> 00:47:09.659 pour out your Holy Spirit 00:47:09.659 --> 00:47:10.219 upon us. 00:47:10.539 --> 00:47:11.239 And this we ask 00:47:11.239 --> 00:47:12.079 in the name of Jesus. 00:47:12.559 --> 00:47:12.900 Amen.