WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.400 Now, can you turn with me in your Bible to Genesis chapter 15 on the church Bible? 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:13.480 ! That's on page 15. As we look at some scenes from the life of Abraham. 00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:20.120 The question that we're asking ourselves today is, how can you and I know God? 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:23.759 So Genesis 15 and at verse 1. 00:00:24.460 --> 00:00:27.760 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision. 00:00:28.620 --> 00:00:35.719 Do not be afraid, Abraham. I am your shield, your very great reward, or your reward will be very great. 00:00:36.420 --> 00:00:41.280 But Abraham said, Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:44.800 and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? 00:00:45.700 --> 00:00:52.420 And Abraham said, You have given me no children, so a servant in my household will be my heir. 00:00:53.219 --> 00:00:57.260 Then the word of the Lord came to him, This man will not be your heir, 00:00:57.579 --> 00:01:00.799 but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir. 00:01:01.420 --> 00:01:06.400 He took him outside and said, Look up at the sky and count the stars, if indeed you can count them. 00:01:07.079 --> 00:01:10.520 Then he said to him, So shall your offspring be. 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:15.799 Abraham believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness. 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:22.420 He also said to him, I am a Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it. 00:01:23.140 --> 00:01:26.519 But Abraham said, Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I shall gain possession of it? 00:01:27.060 --> 00:01:32.939 So the Lord said to him, Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon. 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:38.400 Abraham brought all these to him, cut them in two, arranged the halves opposite each other. 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:40.960 The birds, however, he did not cut in half. 00:01:41.500 --> 00:01:44.940 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abraham drove them away. 00:01:45.800 --> 00:01:51.680 As the sun was setting, Abraham fell into a deep sleep and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 00:01:52.240 --> 00:01:56.780 Then the Lord said to him, Know for certain that for four hundred years, 00:01:57.300 --> 00:01:59.760 your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:02.079 and they will be enslaved and ill-treated there. 00:02:02.660 --> 00:02:07.340 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterwards they will come out with great possessions. 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:13.020 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 00:02:13.620 --> 00:02:16.620 In the fourth generation, your descendants will come back here, 00:02:17.200 --> 00:02:20.460 for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure. 00:02:21.460 --> 00:02:23.560 When the sun had set, darkness had fallen, 00:02:24.200 --> 00:02:27.920 a smoking brazier with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:31.579 On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham and said, 00:02:32.019 --> 00:02:36.079 To your descendants I give this land, from the wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates, 00:02:36.679 --> 00:02:42.019 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephites, Amorites, Canaanites, 00:02:42.179 --> 00:02:44.199 Girgashites, and Jebusites. 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:45.379 Amen. 00:02:47.379 --> 00:02:52.519 So for the last two weeks, we've been asking some big questions together, 00:02:52.519 --> 00:02:55.199 and we've been using the life of Abraham for some answers. 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:58.739 So two weeks ago, we asked the question, what's gone wrong with the world? 00:02:58.959 --> 00:03:02.759 And as we went to the Tower of Babel, we saw the problem of human pride, 00:03:03.299 --> 00:03:09.199 of a seeking of glory that at the same time meant walking away from and rejecting 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:13.519 a relationship with the God who made us. 00:03:14.359 --> 00:03:16.939 And then last week, we were asking the question, who is God? 00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:22.139 And we saw that he is the personal God, and he is a God who makes promises, 00:03:22.139 --> 00:03:28.199 and he is a God who offers grace, and who offers us a way back to life with him. 00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:32.019 And also, we saw that God wants us to know him. 00:03:32.899 --> 00:03:37.759 And so this week kind of follows on as we ask the question, well, how is it that I can know God? 00:03:38.899 --> 00:03:43.539 And this matters, because one of the things that the Bible wants us to understand 00:03:43.539 --> 00:03:47.000 is that you and I were made for God. 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:55.299 I imagine a good number of us have been to Edinburgh Zoo or some other zoo in our time. 00:03:55.299 --> 00:04:01.359 And it's great fun to go to a zoo, and you see beautiful animals, and you see magnificent animals. 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:06.219 But I wonder if you've ever had the experience as you've, you know, looked at the lion in the cage 00:04:06.219 --> 00:04:11.500 or the monkeys in their enclosure of thinking, it's a little bit sad at the same time, isn't it? 00:04:12.139 --> 00:04:15.740 Because we know that these animals were made for something more. 00:04:17.180 --> 00:04:20.000 Every Christian, we share a story. 00:04:20.899 --> 00:04:24.860 We have come to discover personally that God is good. 00:04:25.579 --> 00:04:29.980 We have come to know the joy of friendship with God through Jesus. 00:04:30.579 --> 00:04:34.800 We've come to understand, in the end, what we were truly made for. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:40.220 And that's what we want everyone else to know and to experience. 00:04:40.900 --> 00:04:42.759 That's why we worship. 00:04:42.939 --> 00:04:45.960 That's why we share the good news of Jesus. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:52.280 So that other people might experience God's love and grace for themselves. 00:04:53.259 --> 00:04:59.060 And so our goal today is to show from Genesis 15, how is it we can know God? 00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:02.460 And what we see really are two sides of the same coin. 00:05:02.459 --> 00:05:05.579 So we're going to see, first of all, the human side. 00:05:06.060 --> 00:05:11.620 And there's that emphasis on faith that trusts God and trusts God's promises. 00:05:12.239 --> 00:05:14.419 But then we also see God's side. 00:05:15.039 --> 00:05:21.659 We see the faithfulness of God, his commitment to make promises and to keep those promises. 00:05:22.659 --> 00:05:25.099 And so we're going to come across an important word today. 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:26.699 I guess we don't use it that much. 00:05:26.699 --> 00:05:27.420 It's the word covenant. 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:32.180 Maybe in a wedding ceremony, we might hear it. 00:05:32.300 --> 00:05:33.819 Marriages, we might think about it. 00:05:34.379 --> 00:05:37.539 And it's a reminder that it's a particular kind of relationship. 00:05:37.539 --> 00:05:41.079 Because I guess we've had experience of different kinds of relationships. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:48.680 If we talk about a consumer relationship, we probably have a sense of what that looks like. 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:52.639 You know, we're asking the question, what can I get out of this relationship? 00:05:53.379 --> 00:05:58.300 I will stay in this relationship for as long as I feel it benefits me. 00:05:58.459 --> 00:06:02.379 And if it doesn't work anymore, then I'll move along. 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:04.079 That's a consumer relationship. 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:06.000 But then there's a covenantal relationship. 00:06:06.660 --> 00:06:14.620 And whenever you hear the oaths of a marriage ceremony, you owe for better, for worse, for sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer. 00:06:14.620 --> 00:06:18.379 It's a reminder that it's a greater level of commitment. 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:25.600 Consumer relationships don't provide the same security that a covenant does. 00:06:26.420 --> 00:06:32.980 It's covenant that shows here is a genuine commitment, come what may. 00:06:33.959 --> 00:06:40.160 And what we discover is that covenant commitments become the basis for life actually flourishing really well. 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:46.560 And the good news of the Bible is that God's love, it's not based on a consumer agreement. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:48.360 It is entirely covenantal. 00:06:49.300 --> 00:06:56.860 And we can know God because of his covenantal love and through faith in Jesus. 00:06:57.400 --> 00:06:59.120 So we're going to think of two sides of the same coin. 00:06:59.200 --> 00:07:03.160 First of all, the reality that faith trusts God's promise. 00:07:03.840 --> 00:07:07.800 So that takes us to Genesis 15 verses 1 to 6. 00:07:07.800 --> 00:07:09.160 So have a look at the text with me. 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:11.860 And you'll notice right at the beginning it says after this. 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:14.100 So we're jumping into the story. 00:07:14.180 --> 00:07:16.280 So we need to ask very briefly, well, what's just happened? 00:07:17.460 --> 00:07:19.360 And if you've got time, you can read chapter 14. 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:23.960 And you will discover that Abraham's nephew Lot has been taken as a prisoner of war. 00:07:23.960 --> 00:07:28.400 And Abraham has really bravely gone with some of the men of his household. 00:07:28.540 --> 00:07:31.420 And he's rescued his nephew Lot. 00:07:31.540 --> 00:07:36.000 He's joined in a battle against an alliance of kings. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:46.100 And then after the successful battle, it's this really interesting moment where he refuses to take a reward from a king he regards as wicked. 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:49.240 And then we get to after this. 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:53.500 And so what comes next deliberately follows on. 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:56.360 So after this, the word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision. 00:07:56.839 --> 00:07:57.980 Do not be afraid, Abraham. 00:07:58.180 --> 00:07:59.319 I am your shield. 00:07:59.699 --> 00:08:01.600 Your reward will be very great. 00:08:02.220 --> 00:08:04.120 And God's making a striking point here. 00:08:04.120 --> 00:08:06.759 So remember, Abraham's just been in battle. 00:08:07.740 --> 00:08:10.959 But now God comes to him and says, you weren't afraid in that battle. 00:08:11.259 --> 00:08:15.579 There is something more to be feared than war. 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:22.259 And there's something to be feared is to be in the presence of the holy God. 00:08:22.259 --> 00:08:27.039 And then God says to him, Abraham, know this. 00:08:27.159 --> 00:08:28.099 I am your shield. 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:32.580 And your reward from me will be very great. 00:08:34.659 --> 00:08:36.340 God is Abraham's king. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:38.620 God is Abraham's protector. 00:08:39.059 --> 00:08:42.220 God will give Abraham his reward. 00:08:42.220 --> 00:08:43.220 God is God's kingdom. 00:08:43.220 --> 00:08:45.340 And so, so far, so good. 00:08:45.420 --> 00:08:48.200 Because here we have another example of the personal God. 00:08:48.580 --> 00:08:49.980 And he's coming near. 00:08:50.220 --> 00:08:51.560 And he's showing his commitment. 00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:52.660 He's making a promise. 00:08:52.860 --> 00:08:54.300 God is on Abraham's side. 00:08:54.840 --> 00:08:56.200 But then what comes next? 00:08:57.320 --> 00:08:59.240 Look at verse 2 and verse 3. 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:02.680 We find complaint. 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:07.399 Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless? 00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:11.679 Back in Genesis 12, God promised to give him a child. 00:09:12.179 --> 00:09:14.159 And from that child would come a nation. 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:18.879 Here's a huge challenge that we have within the Christian faith. 00:09:19.860 --> 00:09:26.340 This gap that can exist between God's promises and our reality. 00:09:26.959 --> 00:09:29.220 So three times Abraham has been promised a child. 00:09:29.340 --> 00:09:33.199 But as of yet, still no child. 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:39.740 And in that gap, it can be so tempting to question, is God good? 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:40.800 Is he for me? 00:09:40.940 --> 00:09:42.960 Is he going to keep his promises? 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:47.280 And so one of the things that we need to do as Christians is we need to learn to mind the gap. 00:09:48.700 --> 00:09:53.800 So Abraham says to God, well, what use is reward if I don't have a promised son? 00:09:53.860 --> 00:09:57.960 If I have to leave it all to a servant rather than to an heir? 00:09:59.180 --> 00:10:00.440 Where's the value in that? 00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:03.400 Abraham is living by faith. 00:10:04.280 --> 00:10:08.540 But he's discovering it's really hard at times to wait for God's promise. 00:10:10.280 --> 00:10:13.200 Something else for us to notice for our own lives. 00:10:13.640 --> 00:10:16.520 Notice that Abraham doesn't give in to bitterness. 00:10:17.820 --> 00:10:19.820 He doesn't let that eat him up from the inside. 00:10:20.440 --> 00:10:21.860 Rather, he does the right thing. 00:10:22.400 --> 00:10:23.580 What's the right thing to do? 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:25.240 He prays. 00:10:26.040 --> 00:10:27.280 He laments. 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:31.379 He takes his concern and his complaint to God. 00:10:33.019 --> 00:10:36.839 It's a reminder to us to be honest when we pray. 00:10:37.500 --> 00:10:39.480 Because after all, God knows. 00:10:39.620 --> 00:10:41.339 He knows the situation and he knows us. 00:10:42.919 --> 00:10:46.500 And what he's doing is he is claiming God's promise. 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:49.039 And he's, as it were, holding God to his promise. 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:50.039 Well, you said. 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:53.339 So where is he? 00:10:54.379 --> 00:10:56.719 Listen to the prayer of this old man of faith. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:58.939 He begins, sovereign Lord. 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:03.759 He knows the covenant Lord is king and he is in control. 00:11:04.279 --> 00:11:08.259 And again, don't we find that sometimes as Christians, that can be challenging. 00:11:08.259 --> 00:11:11.360 So life gets hard and things are distressing. 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:16.779 And sometimes it makes it even harder when we know, well, God's in control of everything. 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:18.819 And so he has permitted this. 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:21.360 And I don't know why, but sometimes that makes things hard. 00:11:23.539 --> 00:11:28.259 Abraham says directly to God, verse 3, you have given me no children. 00:11:28.259 --> 00:11:35.200 So he knows life comes from God and he believes God is able to do the impossible. 00:11:35.779 --> 00:11:40.960 But here he is living in the gap between God's promise and his reality and it's tough. 00:11:44.220 --> 00:11:50.419 And it reminds us that sometimes the Christian life is hard. 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:54.120 And sometimes discouragement is real. 00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:57.559 And we pray and we don't see answers. 00:11:57.559 --> 00:11:58.859 And what should we do? 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:01.419 We don't give in to bitterness. 00:12:01.599 --> 00:12:03.179 Rather, we are to follow Abraham. 00:12:03.479 --> 00:12:04.939 We take it to the Lord. 00:12:06.379 --> 00:12:09.779 We take our list of worries and we turn it into a list of prayers. 00:12:09.959 --> 00:12:11.119 We lament. 00:12:12.179 --> 00:12:14.539 We don't turn away from or against God. 00:12:14.619 --> 00:12:15.719 We turn to God. 00:12:16.539 --> 00:12:18.279 And so the Lord listens to his prayer. 00:12:19.379 --> 00:12:21.539 Good news that God listens to prayer. 00:12:22.299 --> 00:12:24.739 And his word comes. 00:12:24.740 --> 00:12:27.560 So now look at verses 4 to 6. 00:12:27.560 --> 00:12:33.879 So after we've seen the context and we've seen the complaint, then there's this counting that goes on. 00:12:35.259 --> 00:12:39.820 And first of all, look at what Abraham is invited to count in verse 4 and 5. 00:12:39.820 --> 00:12:44.660 So Yale University in the States, they have produced a bright star catalog. 00:12:45.740 --> 00:12:52.920 So apparently with the naked eye, there are 9,110 stars that are easily visible. 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:57.120 Listen to verse 4 and 5. 00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:01.240 This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir. 00:13:01.599 --> 00:13:05.259 He took him outside and said, look up at the sky and count the stars. 00:13:05.419 --> 00:13:06.659 Indeed, you can count them. 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:09.679 Then he said to him, so shall your offspring be. 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:13.539 So God speaks to Abraham in the middle of the night. 00:13:13.659 --> 00:13:17.239 He wakes him out and he calls him out of his tent to look up. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:21.419 Remember, he's living in kind of deserty conditions, so there's probably not much cloud. 00:13:21.500 --> 00:13:23.599 So it's a beautiful, bright, starlit night. 00:13:23.719 --> 00:13:28.639 And he gives him the sign of the stars to make his promise visible. 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:33.699 And the point is not, okay, let's see what the exact number of stars is. 00:13:33.979 --> 00:13:36.240 Those are the number of children that Abraham's going to have. 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:38.979 It's the idea that he is going to have lots and lots and lots. 00:13:38.980 --> 00:13:40.600 There's going to be a big family. 00:13:40.680 --> 00:13:46.259 And that family is not going to come through a servant, but through a flesh and blood heir. 00:13:46.420 --> 00:13:48.960 And so we're learning something really important with Abraham, 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:54.139 that the God who made the stars and the God who numbers and names them, 00:13:54.519 --> 00:14:00.960 he can raise up a son for Abraham beyond all human hope. 00:14:01.899 --> 00:14:06.100 And that principle is one we will see again on Easter Sunday 00:14:06.100 --> 00:14:09.779 when his own son is risen from the dead. 00:14:09.980 --> 00:14:12.100 So that was Abraham counting the stars. 00:14:12.279 --> 00:14:17.480 And then wonderfully, we find God counting in verse six. 00:14:18.100 --> 00:14:27.600 Abraham believed the Lord and the Lord credited it or counted it to him as righteousness. 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:32.740 So we get this wonderful example of a repeating pattern of Abraham's life. 00:14:32.820 --> 00:14:34.840 He doesn't do this perfectly, but he does it often. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:36.779 God said it. 00:14:37.779 --> 00:14:39.220 I believe it. 00:14:39.980 --> 00:14:41.040 End of story. 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:48.360 Here comes God's staggering promise made to an old man in the wilderness, 00:14:49.059 --> 00:14:51.759 married to a lady who can't have children. 00:14:52.659 --> 00:14:55.740 And Abraham again responds with faith. 00:14:56.819 --> 00:14:58.259 And it's that response. 00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:01.879 It's as he believes God's word of promise. 00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:06.899 That's why God counts it as righteousness. 00:15:07.899 --> 00:15:12.659 He is credited with that status of being right before God 00:15:12.659 --> 00:15:16.480 because Abraham by faith believes God's word of promise. 00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:18.600 Abraham didn't do anything. 00:15:19.259 --> 00:15:21.480 He didn't do some great moral deed. 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:24.659 He didn't perform some great moral action. 00:15:25.100 --> 00:15:26.559 Abraham looks with trust. 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:31.539 And clings with trust to God and his promise. 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:34.399 And so we need to get this right. 00:15:35.839 --> 00:15:37.879 It's the message of the catechism as well. 00:15:38.339 --> 00:15:42.879 Christianity is not a religion that says you need to perform to earn God's favor. 00:15:44.339 --> 00:15:47.439 No, Christianity says that we are saved by Christ alone. 00:15:47.579 --> 00:15:49.239 He does everything for us. 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:52.599 By God's grace alone, we don't merit it. 00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:54.659 And that comes to us through faith alone. 00:15:54.659 --> 00:15:58.319 And that faith, remember, is a gift from God. 00:16:00.179 --> 00:16:08.120 And so faith is really a matter of running into the arms of Christ Jesus 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:13.279 and trusting that when God says he will save and keep us, 00:16:13.860 --> 00:16:15.500 we can take him at his word. 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:24.179 To give us some pictures, faith is the small child on the edge of the swimming pool 00:16:24.179 --> 00:16:29.839 diving, trusting that their parent will catch them when they hit the water. 00:16:31.259 --> 00:16:34.199 Faith is Mary Jane Parker. 00:16:34.979 --> 00:16:39.379 When the building is about to collapse, reaching up and taking Spider-Man's hand, 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:42.439 trusting that he will catch her and hold her. 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:45.879 Or to look at some examples from Jesus' life. 00:16:47.419 --> 00:16:49.099 Faith is like blind Bartimaeus. 00:16:49.100 --> 00:16:53.700 When he hears Jesus is coming by, screaming his lungs out, 00:16:53.800 --> 00:16:56.899 Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. 00:16:57.540 --> 00:17:00.680 It's the father desperately pleading for his son. 00:17:01.139 --> 00:17:04.259 I do believe, but help my unbelief. 00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:07.140 Faith looks like the thief on the cross, 00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:09.500 turning to look at Jesus, 00:17:10.500 --> 00:17:12.980 suffering and dying in agony. 00:17:12.980 --> 00:17:15.539 And saying to him, 00:17:16.360 --> 00:17:21.500 Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 00:17:23.339 --> 00:17:25.839 If you and I want to know God today, 00:17:27.180 --> 00:17:29.680 Abraham becomes for us a model of faith. 00:17:30.980 --> 00:17:33.279 Because what we see in Abraham is what we need to do. 00:17:33.360 --> 00:17:37.599 We need to respond with trust to God's word of promise to us. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:40.759 We need to trust in Jesus, 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:42.759 God's good news message, 00:17:42.879 --> 00:17:44.579 God's promise to us. 00:17:46.219 --> 00:17:47.699 In the Bible, and we've seen this, 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:51.480 we discover there is this universal problem of sin and guilt. 00:17:52.159 --> 00:17:53.019 That we have rebelled, 00:17:53.139 --> 00:17:54.759 we have wandered away from God, 00:17:55.399 --> 00:17:57.719 and we've broken that relationship we were made for, 00:17:57.779 --> 00:17:58.899 and we cannot fix it. 00:17:58.959 --> 00:18:02.439 So we are separated with no way home, 00:18:03.559 --> 00:18:06.359 except that God sends his son Jesus. 00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:11.359 And Jesus comes by the grace of God to justify us, 00:18:11.419 --> 00:18:13.599 to give us a new status before God, 00:18:13.699 --> 00:18:15.399 to wash away our sin, 00:18:15.579 --> 00:18:17.159 and to bring us back home. 00:18:18.219 --> 00:18:19.319 And on the cross, 00:18:19.419 --> 00:18:21.459 this wonderful exchange happens. 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:25.159 So as Jesus takes our place on the cross, 00:18:25.699 --> 00:18:27.819 and he takes our sin upon himself, 00:18:28.899 --> 00:18:32.399 and he takes on himself the death that we deserve, 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:36.820 our sin is counted to Jesus' account. 00:18:37.580 --> 00:18:38.759 And he is punished, 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:41.820 and he feels that sense of being separated from his father. 00:18:42.460 --> 00:18:44.640 And then when we believe in Jesus, 00:18:45.060 --> 00:18:46.620 his perfect righteousness, 00:18:47.360 --> 00:18:49.980 well, that's counted to our account. 00:18:49.980 --> 00:18:52.640 And that's how the father, 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:54.660 though he is holy and perfect, 00:18:54.980 --> 00:18:56.319 he can look on us, 00:18:56.779 --> 00:18:57.960 and love us, 00:18:58.160 --> 00:18:59.860 and welcome us. 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:02.200 Not because of anything that we have done, 00:19:02.819 --> 00:19:06.279 but all because of his goodness and grace in giving us Jesus. 00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:12.119 And faith trusts God's promise in Jesus. 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:15.039 So that's one side of the coin, 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:19.440 but we also need to think about the faithfulness of God to his promise, 00:19:19.539 --> 00:19:22.619 and that's there from verse 7 to verse 21. 00:19:23.099 --> 00:19:26.079 Verse 7 reminds us of a promise earlier made, 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:29.240 I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans 00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:32.299 to give you this land to take possession of it. 00:19:33.140 --> 00:19:34.259 Now, as people, 00:19:34.740 --> 00:19:37.579 we make promises all the time. 00:19:38.859 --> 00:19:40.920 We make promises when we are children. 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:42.660 We'll be BFFs forever. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:45.740 We make promises to the people we love, 00:19:45.779 --> 00:19:47.019 I will always love you. 00:19:47.099 --> 00:19:48.819 We sign contracts. 00:19:48.960 --> 00:19:50.400 We make oaths. 00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:51.599 But sadly, 00:19:52.980 --> 00:19:54.539 you and I know this, 00:19:54.620 --> 00:19:56.200 because of our fallen condition, 00:19:56.200 --> 00:19:59.799 often we don't keep those promises. 00:20:00.980 --> 00:20:02.120 We change our mind. 00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:04.700 We forget about them. 00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:08.080 Or we simply find ourselves unable 00:20:08.080 --> 00:20:11.960 to carry out what we hoped we could perform. 00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:16.440 And so we might think, 00:20:16.539 --> 00:20:18.220 well, if God is like that, 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:20.920 if God is in any way like us, 00:20:21.380 --> 00:20:24.279 then I'm not sure he's a God I can trust. 00:20:24.279 --> 00:20:28.740 And especially perhaps when life gets hard, 00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:33.899 can I trust his word that he won't break it? 00:20:34.619 --> 00:20:37.220 Will he really love me to death and beyond? 00:20:39.160 --> 00:20:41.119 And I think that's where Genesis 15 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:44.240 becomes so helpful and so powerful for us 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:45.399 because Abraham discovers 00:20:45.399 --> 00:20:47.859 in a really visual and dramatic way 00:20:47.859 --> 00:20:49.980 that God is utterly committed, 00:20:50.279 --> 00:20:51.139 utterly faithful. 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:54.019 He establishes a covenant that he will not break. 00:20:54.279 --> 00:20:56.139 And do you know, 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:57.779 it's part of God knowing us so well. 00:20:59.059 --> 00:21:01.039 He knows that in our own human weakness, 00:21:01.180 --> 00:21:02.319 we need visuals. 00:21:03.660 --> 00:21:05.859 And so he gives visuals to the church. 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:07.819 Next Sunday, 00:21:07.879 --> 00:21:09.819 we'll share the Lord's Supper together. 00:21:10.819 --> 00:21:12.839 And bread will be broken. 00:21:14.420 --> 00:21:16.440 And wine will be drunk 00:21:16.440 --> 00:21:18.619 as a reminder of God's, 00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:21.539 Jesus' body broken and his blood shed. 00:21:21.539 --> 00:21:22.759 We have it at baptism. 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:25.559 God chooses to make the gospel, 00:21:25.700 --> 00:21:27.240 the good news visible to us 00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:30.279 to strengthen our faith in his faithfulness. 00:21:31.420 --> 00:21:32.680 So we're going to think really briefly 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:34.920 about the promise that God makes to Abraham 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:36.539 and the sign that he gives. 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:38.119 So we saw in verse seven, 00:21:38.220 --> 00:21:39.039 there's the promise 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:41.899 that he would receive 00:21:41.899 --> 00:21:44.039 what becomes known as the promised land, 00:21:44.180 --> 00:21:45.519 the land of Canaan. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:47.559 And then later in verse 13, 00:21:47.559 --> 00:21:49.539 if you turn over the page to verse 13, 00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:52.839 now God speaks to Abraham in a vision. 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:53.539 So it's nighttime 00:21:53.539 --> 00:21:55.139 and he comes to him again. 00:21:55.639 --> 00:21:57.240 And in this vision, 00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:59.539 we discover this promise 00:21:59.539 --> 00:22:01.519 that he receives from God. 00:22:02.019 --> 00:22:03.639 Well, it's going to be slow 00:22:03.639 --> 00:22:08.000 because notice that it's going to take 400 years 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:10.379 of Abraham's descendants 00:22:10.379 --> 00:22:13.319 being strangers and slaves 00:22:13.319 --> 00:22:16.439 before the promise is going to be fulfilled. 00:22:16.439 --> 00:22:18.000 So it's slow, 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:20.679 but it's also certain, 00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:23.460 know for certain 00:22:23.460 --> 00:22:27.220 that God will act in his good timing 00:22:27.220 --> 00:22:29.980 to ensure that his promise is kept. 00:22:31.439 --> 00:22:32.639 Verse 16, 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:35.799 we're reminded something of the patience of God. 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:36.879 The end there, 00:22:36.939 --> 00:22:38.059 in the fourth generation, 00:22:38.220 --> 00:22:39.879 your descendants will come back here 00:22:39.880 --> 00:22:41.800 for the sin of the Amorites 00:22:41.800 --> 00:22:43.660 has not yet reached its full measure. 00:22:43.880 --> 00:22:46.700 God's promise was somehow connected 00:22:46.700 --> 00:22:48.740 with this idea of a judgment 00:22:48.740 --> 00:22:49.780 on the people in the land, 00:22:49.900 --> 00:22:51.260 but God was showing patience 00:22:51.260 --> 00:22:52.740 and giving them the chance to repent. 00:22:54.180 --> 00:22:55.760 Peter picks that up in the New Testament. 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:57.340 God's not slow in keeping his promise. 00:22:57.480 --> 00:22:58.600 Some people think that, 00:22:58.880 --> 00:22:59.880 but actually he's patient 00:22:59.880 --> 00:23:02.700 so that you and I would have a chance to repent 00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:04.760 and turn back to trust in Jesus. 00:23:05.580 --> 00:23:07.900 So that's the promise to Abraham. 00:23:08.340 --> 00:23:09.740 I will give you descendants 00:23:09.740 --> 00:23:10.960 and your descendants will 00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:11.859 in the fullness of time 00:23:11.859 --> 00:23:13.220 receive a land. 00:23:13.799 --> 00:23:15.019 But then we come to the sign 00:23:15.019 --> 00:23:16.620 and this is the really interesting bit. 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:20.000 And this takes us to the idea of covenant. 00:23:20.420 --> 00:23:21.420 So just to go back 00:23:21.420 --> 00:23:22.620 to where we think of covenant, 00:23:22.740 --> 00:23:23.720 perhaps most naturally, 00:23:23.799 --> 00:23:25.539 think about a marriage as a covenant. 00:23:26.180 --> 00:23:27.859 At that marriage ceremony, 00:23:28.059 --> 00:23:30.200 there is always the covenant sign. 00:23:31.259 --> 00:23:33.420 Remember when the rings are exchanged, 00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:36.079 those rings are a sign 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:37.720 of covenant commitment. 00:23:37.720 --> 00:23:42.220 Well, God has a different kind of sign 00:23:42.220 --> 00:23:43.880 of covenant commitment here. 00:23:44.360 --> 00:23:46.240 I'm not sure it would take off 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:48.039 in our modern wedding ceremonies, 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:50.460 but it says something really powerful. 00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:52.519 So we need to turn to verse nine and 10 00:23:52.519 --> 00:23:54.559 and picture for just a moment, 00:23:54.740 --> 00:23:55.839 old Abraham. 00:23:56.740 --> 00:23:58.480 He's over 75 years old, 00:23:58.539 --> 00:24:00.140 somewhere between 75 and 86. 00:24:00.360 --> 00:24:01.339 So he's an older gentleman 00:24:01.339 --> 00:24:03.319 and he's been sent on a mission 00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:05.759 to gather these animals. 00:24:06.399 --> 00:24:08.099 So he's got to gather the heifer, 00:24:08.220 --> 00:24:09.299 the goat, the ram, 00:24:09.720 --> 00:24:10.839 and a couple of birds. 00:24:11.659 --> 00:24:13.199 And then what he has to do with the animals, 00:24:13.299 --> 00:24:13.980 but not the birds, 00:24:14.059 --> 00:24:15.279 is he has to kill them 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:17.740 and he has to slice them in half. 00:24:19.559 --> 00:24:21.539 It's not a job for the faint hearted. 00:24:21.980 --> 00:24:22.959 And then what he has to do 00:24:22.959 --> 00:24:24.779 is he has to create some kind of aisle. 00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:27.419 So there's one half over here 00:24:27.420 --> 00:24:29.320 and one half over here. 00:24:30.779 --> 00:24:31.320 And you might be thinking, 00:24:31.420 --> 00:24:32.960 what in the world is going on? 00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:37.019 At that time, cultures vary, 00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:38.460 at the time of Abraham, 00:24:39.180 --> 00:24:41.759 there was a particular kind of covenant ceremony 00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:44.840 that spoke of both commitment 00:24:44.840 --> 00:24:47.480 and curse taking. 00:24:48.340 --> 00:24:50.200 So picture a couple of kings. 00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:52.300 They've come to a decision 00:24:52.300 --> 00:24:54.320 that they're going to make a peace treaty. 00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:56.320 There's probably a greater king 00:24:56.320 --> 00:24:57.080 and a lesser king. 00:24:57.079 --> 00:24:59.139 As they make this agreement 00:24:59.139 --> 00:25:00.079 and they write down, 00:25:00.220 --> 00:25:01.659 here's their commitments to one another 00:25:01.659 --> 00:25:05.439 to kind of ratify this agreement, 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:08.960 to sign at the bottom of the page. 00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:11.519 They don't just get the bit of paper out 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:13.500 and have like a nice ceremony 00:25:13.500 --> 00:25:15.220 of writing with photographers. 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:16.399 What they do is 00:25:16.399 --> 00:25:18.519 they create this aisle 00:25:18.519 --> 00:25:20.579 with the dead animals 00:25:20.579 --> 00:25:23.639 and each of them walks through that together. 00:25:24.759 --> 00:25:26.419 And they're saying to one another 00:25:26.420 --> 00:25:27.779 and to everybody else that's watching, 00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:30.900 we will do what we have promised to do. 00:25:31.420 --> 00:25:32.640 And if we don't, 00:25:33.259 --> 00:25:35.160 may we be torn apart like these animals. 00:25:35.320 --> 00:25:36.900 So a really graphic way to say, 00:25:37.060 --> 00:25:38.960 I am absolutely committed to this promise. 00:25:39.320 --> 00:25:40.060 And if not, 00:25:40.120 --> 00:25:41.259 I fall under the curse. 00:25:41.259 --> 00:25:42.819 Okay? 00:25:43.319 --> 00:25:44.299 So we've got the picture. 00:25:44.859 --> 00:25:46.279 And Abraham's created the picture. 00:25:46.819 --> 00:25:48.079 And now what we need to see 00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:49.160 is the really astonishing, 00:25:49.420 --> 00:25:51.220 wonderful thing about this picture 00:25:51.220 --> 00:25:52.819 in verse 17, 00:25:53.099 --> 00:25:54.619 which tells us so much 00:25:54.619 --> 00:25:56.480 about God's relationship with us. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:59.180 When the sun had set 00:25:59.180 --> 00:26:01.720 and darkness had fallen, 00:26:02.680 --> 00:26:04.259 a smoking brazier 00:26:04.259 --> 00:26:07.099 with a blazing torch appeared 00:26:07.099 --> 00:26:09.599 and passed between the pieces. 00:26:10.099 --> 00:26:11.440 On that day, 00:26:11.799 --> 00:26:13.539 the Lord made a covenant with Abraham. 00:26:13.539 --> 00:26:14.019 Okay? 00:26:17.019 --> 00:26:18.680 Who walks through 00:26:18.680 --> 00:26:21.440 the aisle of the cut-up animals? 00:26:22.420 --> 00:26:23.339 Well, it's not Abraham 00:26:23.339 --> 00:26:24.659 because he's fast asleep. 00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:26.159 But instead, 00:26:26.259 --> 00:26:27.599 what Abraham gets in the vision 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:29.859 is a picture of God himself. 00:26:30.099 --> 00:26:31.500 Because fire and smoke 00:26:31.500 --> 00:26:33.819 is a picture of God's glory 00:26:33.819 --> 00:26:34.680 and God's presence. 00:26:34.859 --> 00:26:35.759 And so what we have 00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:39.440 is God walking through alone. 00:26:39.440 --> 00:26:43.279 This is a one-sided covenant. 00:26:44.059 --> 00:26:45.580 This is God committing 00:26:45.580 --> 00:26:47.100 to keep his promise. 00:26:47.460 --> 00:26:48.660 This is God saying to Abraham 00:26:48.660 --> 00:26:49.400 and saying to us, 00:26:49.740 --> 00:26:51.559 I would rather be torn apart 00:26:51.559 --> 00:26:53.120 than for my relationship 00:26:53.120 --> 00:26:55.140 with humanity to be broken. 00:26:56.660 --> 00:26:59.000 Now think about how committed God is 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:00.759 when he performs this act 00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:01.320 in the vision. 00:27:02.660 --> 00:27:03.900 And think about what it means 00:27:03.900 --> 00:27:04.559 for you and I. 00:27:06.080 --> 00:27:08.120 If we are to know God, 00:27:08.119 --> 00:27:11.019 God must take the initiative. 00:27:12.019 --> 00:27:13.979 God must make promises. 00:27:14.359 --> 00:27:15.839 And God must act on those promises. 00:27:16.219 --> 00:27:17.899 And God must keep those promises. 00:27:18.259 --> 00:27:18.939 And in Jesus, 00:27:19.859 --> 00:27:20.399 he does. 00:27:21.819 --> 00:27:24.459 So as the storyline of the Bible continues, 00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:26.159 and this idea of God's covenant 00:27:26.159 --> 00:27:27.899 commitment to people continues, 00:27:28.199 --> 00:27:29.699 we get an even greater sign 00:27:29.699 --> 00:27:31.279 that shows us 00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:33.479 just how committed God is to us 00:27:33.479 --> 00:27:35.279 and how willing he is 00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:38.519 to undergo the curse for us. 00:27:39.619 --> 00:27:41.000 And it's there with Jesus. 00:27:42.139 --> 00:27:43.639 Because here is Jesus, 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:44.740 the living God, 00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:46.500 who takes on human nature 00:27:46.500 --> 00:27:49.299 so that in the end 00:27:49.299 --> 00:27:50.519 he will taste death 00:27:50.519 --> 00:27:52.359 in the place of covenant breakers 00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:54.680 as he suffers and dies on the cross. 00:27:55.480 --> 00:27:56.720 And what the Bible tells us 00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:57.319 about the cross 00:27:57.319 --> 00:27:58.420 is that there on the cross, 00:27:58.879 --> 00:28:01.920 Jesus goes under the curse 00:28:01.920 --> 00:28:02.839 of the covenant 00:28:02.839 --> 00:28:04.160 as if he'd broken the law. 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:05.220 He hadn't, we had, 00:28:05.259 --> 00:28:06.519 but he takes our place. 00:28:08.779 --> 00:28:11.279 Jesus takes the curse of God 00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:12.900 in full. 00:28:13.060 --> 00:28:14.860 Nothing left for us. 00:28:14.860 --> 00:28:16.240 If by faith 00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:18.480 we trust in Jesus, 00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:21.360 then blessing flows to us 00:28:21.360 --> 00:28:23.300 because Jesus took the curse instead. 00:28:24.800 --> 00:28:26.660 And because Jesus was willing 00:28:26.660 --> 00:28:28.720 to be forsaken by his Father, 00:28:29.000 --> 00:28:30.320 that's how we can enjoy 00:28:30.320 --> 00:28:31.880 relationship with God. 00:28:31.880 --> 00:28:33.900 Jesus took our place 00:28:33.900 --> 00:28:34.880 and took our punishment 00:28:34.880 --> 00:28:36.800 so that God might be our God 00:28:36.800 --> 00:28:38.460 and we might be his people, 00:28:38.680 --> 00:28:40.140 that God might be our Father 00:28:40.140 --> 00:28:41.680 and we could know him 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:43.860 as his children. 00:28:45.620 --> 00:28:47.660 The story of Abraham 00:28:47.660 --> 00:28:48.620 reminds us 00:28:48.620 --> 00:28:50.720 that the way to enjoy 00:28:50.720 --> 00:28:51.960 the life with God 00:28:51.960 --> 00:28:53.220 that we were made for 00:28:53.220 --> 00:28:56.120 rests in God's covenant commitment 00:28:56.120 --> 00:28:57.600 to us in the Lord Jesus. 00:28:57.599 --> 00:29:00.240 So how can you and I 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:01.339 know God today? 00:29:02.119 --> 00:29:03.179 We trust 00:29:03.179 --> 00:29:04.519 his promise to us 00:29:04.519 --> 00:29:06.039 in the Lord Jesus. 00:29:09.719 --> 00:29:11.500 I imagine we will have seen 00:29:11.500 --> 00:29:13.199 images at various times. 00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:13.839 Maybe you've seen it 00:29:13.839 --> 00:29:14.740 in real life. 00:29:15.159 --> 00:29:16.199 Those moments where, 00:29:16.519 --> 00:29:16.839 let's say, 00:29:16.859 --> 00:29:17.619 a big whale 00:29:17.619 --> 00:29:18.339 beaches, 00:29:19.500 --> 00:29:19.719 you know, 00:29:19.719 --> 00:29:21.059 they kind of get washed in 00:29:21.059 --> 00:29:21.740 for some reason 00:29:21.740 --> 00:29:22.459 or get in distress 00:29:22.460 --> 00:29:24.079 and they end up ashore. 00:29:25.079 --> 00:29:27.000 And it usually makes the news. 00:29:27.860 --> 00:29:29.100 And if you watch the news, 00:29:29.180 --> 00:29:30.680 you see these rescuers, 00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:31.039 you know, 00:29:31.100 --> 00:29:32.200 small people compared 00:29:32.200 --> 00:29:33.140 to this massive whale 00:29:33.140 --> 00:29:34.420 and they've got their tiny buckets 00:29:34.420 --> 00:29:36.480 and they're throwing the water on. 00:29:36.539 --> 00:29:37.579 They're doing everything they can 00:29:37.579 --> 00:29:38.779 to save this whale 00:29:38.779 --> 00:29:39.960 and there's something so sad 00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:41.120 and pitiful about it 00:29:41.120 --> 00:29:42.620 because we know 00:29:42.620 --> 00:29:43.319 and they know 00:29:43.319 --> 00:29:44.759 that the whale is made 00:29:44.759 --> 00:29:45.400 to swim 00:29:45.400 --> 00:29:46.940 in the depths of the ocean. 00:29:46.940 --> 00:29:49.559 Do you know, 00:29:49.600 --> 00:29:50.660 God's message to us 00:29:50.660 --> 00:29:51.160 in the Bible 00:29:51.160 --> 00:29:52.220 is that you and I, 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:54.059 as people made by God 00:29:54.059 --> 00:29:54.640 in his image, 00:29:54.740 --> 00:29:56.080 we were made to swim 00:29:56.080 --> 00:29:58.220 in the depths of God's love 00:29:58.220 --> 00:29:59.140 and God's grace. 00:29:59.900 --> 00:30:00.960 And whenever we try 00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:02.480 to find life 00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:04.340 in something else, 00:30:05.340 --> 00:30:06.480 it always falls short 00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:07.640 of what we were made for. 00:30:09.240 --> 00:30:10.720 So when we find ourselves 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:11.940 looking for a love 00:30:11.940 --> 00:30:13.140 that lasts, 00:30:14.340 --> 00:30:15.660 we're invited to come 00:30:15.660 --> 00:30:16.240 to Jesus, 00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:18.059 Jesus who died for us 00:30:18.059 --> 00:30:19.039 and rose again for us 00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:19.380 who says, 00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:20.839 I am like the husband 00:30:20.839 --> 00:30:22.700 who is committed to you, 00:30:23.400 --> 00:30:24.299 committed to death 00:30:24.299 --> 00:30:24.900 and beyond, 00:30:26.299 --> 00:30:27.640 committed to always be with you 00:30:27.640 --> 00:30:28.980 and for you. 00:30:29.500 --> 00:30:30.339 That's what Jesus says 00:30:30.339 --> 00:30:30.900 to his church, 00:30:30.980 --> 00:30:31.480 to his people. 00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:33.740 When we're searching 00:30:33.740 --> 00:30:34.680 for the security 00:30:34.680 --> 00:30:35.579 that we need, 00:30:36.920 --> 00:30:38.559 we need to turn to Jesus 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:40.819 because while other people 00:30:40.819 --> 00:30:41.720 may let us down, 00:30:43.180 --> 00:30:44.380 while we let others down, 00:30:44.380 --> 00:30:46.800 God cannot break his promise. 00:30:47.560 --> 00:30:48.960 God cannot be untrue 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:49.620 to himself. 00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:51.380 When we trust in Jesus, 00:30:51.500 --> 00:30:52.620 he will be our God, 00:30:52.700 --> 00:30:53.580 we will be his 00:30:53.580 --> 00:30:54.740 and he will never leave us 00:30:54.740 --> 00:30:55.680 or forsake us. 00:30:56.800 --> 00:30:57.920 And so we discover 00:30:57.920 --> 00:30:59.280 in the story of the Bible 00:30:59.280 --> 00:31:01.000 that Jesus and Jesus alone 00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:02.620 gives us the relationship 00:31:02.620 --> 00:31:03.780 that we were made for. 00:31:04.420 --> 00:31:05.140 And we don't need 00:31:05.140 --> 00:31:05.940 to search for it 00:31:05.940 --> 00:31:07.440 and we don't need to fight 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:08.900 to make ourselves worthy of it. 00:31:08.900 --> 00:31:09.240 Rather, 00:31:09.900 --> 00:31:11.960 we turn to him by faith 00:31:11.960 --> 00:31:14.000 to receive that relationship 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:14.640 as a gift. 00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:16.700 And when we do, 00:31:18.280 --> 00:31:19.420 well, you and I then enter 00:31:19.420 --> 00:31:22.500 the joy of God's covenant love. 00:31:23.560 --> 00:31:24.620 Let's pray together. 00:31:25.620 --> 00:31:27.040 Our God and our Father, 00:31:27.160 --> 00:31:29.500 we thank you for this story 00:31:29.500 --> 00:31:30.380 that speaks to us 00:31:30.380 --> 00:31:31.560 of your covenant love 00:31:31.560 --> 00:31:33.560 and reminds us of our call 00:31:33.560 --> 00:31:35.120 to exercise faith. 00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:36.379 And we thank you 00:31:36.379 --> 00:31:39.019 for the way this imagery 00:31:39.019 --> 00:31:40.379 speaks to us ultimately 00:31:40.379 --> 00:31:43.459 of Jesus' body being torn 00:31:43.459 --> 00:31:45.619 so that our relationship 00:31:45.619 --> 00:31:46.979 with you could be healed. 00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:49.119 It speaks to us 00:31:49.119 --> 00:31:51.119 of your commitment 00:31:51.119 --> 00:31:53.259 to save a people for yourself, 00:31:53.779 --> 00:31:55.339 to give us the privilege 00:31:55.339 --> 00:31:56.539 of life with you. 00:31:57.159 --> 00:31:58.000 Pray that as Christians, 00:31:58.119 --> 00:31:59.399 we'd never take that for granted, 00:31:59.539 --> 00:32:01.599 but rather we would always enjoy 00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:03.379 our life with our God. 00:32:03.380 --> 00:32:05.060 And we pray for those 00:32:05.060 --> 00:32:05.980 who aren't yet Christians 00:32:05.980 --> 00:32:07.620 that you would enable them 00:32:07.620 --> 00:32:10.160 to see and to receive 00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:13.080 this gift of life with you 00:32:13.080 --> 00:32:14.720 through trusting in Jesus. 00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:16.280 And we pray in his name. 00:32:16.660 --> 00:32:16.900 Amen.