WEBVTT

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 Man, it's dreary outside. Amber? Is it amber rain warning today? I didn't expect that.

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! If it's your first time here, can I just say we're not normally this moody. It's normally

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! a little bit brighter, but it is what it is. Actually, when I was listening to Alex sing,

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 and just the word, actually the word holy kept coming up even before the third song,

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 and I was like, what does holy mean? Holy just means we're different. What does different mean?

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 We're people that are still willing to gather to worship him, come rain or shine. And the fact

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 that you're here encourages me. I hope you are encouraged by today as well. I support a football

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 team which years in the past would be accused of being called fair weather men. Arsenal were

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 fair weather men in the sense that they could play on a nice warm summer day and do really well, but

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 when they go to Stoke-on-Trent for a cold dark day in November, they would struggle.

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 It reminded me that actually as Christians, what does it mean to be holy? What does it mean to be

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 different? It's precisely this kind of thing where come rain or shine, whether life is going really

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 well and going exactly the way you planned it or whether it's completely getting washed out by the

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 rain and the storm, we're still the same. That's what makes us different. That's what makes us holy.

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 And we're really going to think about and talk about what that is. We've got an interesting topic

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 coming up that I shared briefly with you last week. But before I even go into that, one of the big

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 things that has been on my heart this week, and it's in the passage that we're touching on,

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 1 Corinthians 7.35, Paul says, in order to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

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 Everything is about getting to the point where we can have an undivided devotion to the Lord.

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 Well, I don't know why you gather. I don't know why you're here. I'll tell you why I'm here,

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 because I want to gather to have a relationship with Him. That's why I'm here, to know Him, to enjoy

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 Him, to live out the faith and the life that He's given me, He's gifted to me. And I realized I can't

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 do that without you. And I shared last week that, hey, there's churches and the Lord uses those for

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 different contexts where you can just sit and you can just listen to a sermon, not talk to anyone,

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 and then leave. For me, I need more than that. In order for me to learn how to love God, I don't need

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 to just learn about loving God. I need to then have people around me, people who are hard to love,

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 to practice loving. That's why I gather for a relationship. That's why we're here.

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 And I've been thinking about what does that even mean to be devoted, undividedly devoted to Him and

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 to one another. And actually, it made me think of Queenie. Last week, we had the pleasure of Trevor

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 sharing a bit with us. And then we had Kuban, we had Agnes. My heart for this is, if we're talking

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 about relationship, I don't want you just listening to me talk about relationship. I want you to hear

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 from some of the people that are just part of this gathering, because they have something to say.

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 They have something even more, maybe important to say, that resonates with you that I think it

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 would be wrong to ignore. So I want to invite Queenie up here. Queenie, can we give her a round of applause?

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 Now, Queenie's been a fairly new addition to the gathering. Take a seat. Thank you, Queenie.

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 We first met Queenie with mutual friends at Jason and Juliana's house, I think. I think that's where we met you.

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 And then we've seen you at different places over different times. Queenie, tell us where the Lord has placed you for work.

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 I'm a barrister. So I'm a lawyer, the type that goes to court.

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 The type that goes to court. Can I have this one? The type that goes to court. I don't know anything about that world.

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 I have a good friend. We have a mutual friend called Abraham, who I had breakfast with on Friday, and I asked him to tell me a bit more about you.

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 And all he said was, Queenie's a big deal. Queenie's a big deal in the world of law.

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 And he then proceeded to explain to me why, which I've completely forgotten. Nathan, why is Queenie a big deal?

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 Go on. Tell us why, Nathan. Nathan's a lawyer, by the way. I'm not putting him on the swap completely.

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 She is a great mentor, I guess. Sorry. Maybe she should make this announcement. I feel like this is...

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 Okay, I'll announce her. So Queenie recently made the senior council, was appointed a senior council, which I think will be effective in May 11th.

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 So it's a big deal. Yeah, is what it is. Yeah.

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 Thank you.

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 Apparently only two people in Hong Kong got it.

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 Three people this year.

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 Three. Wow. Okay, loads more than I thought.

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 Three people got it. It was signed by the Chief Justice himself.

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 And so when I look at you, Queenie, I see an undivided devotion to the Lord and also to the work that he's placed you,

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 which is why you made senior council at the stage that you're in.

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 And so really I had one question for you and we spoke about this. Don't worry, I didn't put her completely on the spot.

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 I gave her at least two days notice.

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 And it's the question of actually what does undivided devotion to the Lord look for you?

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 And what are some of the challenges that you've faced in pursuing that?

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 Thanks, James.

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 So I just wanted to begin by saying that I'm sharing not as actually someone who has made it and arriving at that undivided devotion to God.

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 It's definitely something I'm continuing to learn.

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 It's something I continue to struggle with.

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 I fall short all the time.

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 And much of what I share today is actually aspirational, more than necessarily something I've sort of achieved or understood or managed.

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 So I think one of the biggest questions for me in my life is what is God calling me to do?

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 What is his calling for me and how am I fulfilling it?

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 Because I think what he is calling me or who he is calling me to be and what he is calling me to do,

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 if I'm not able to do it, then I feel I'm not really following him.

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 And so when I think about following him, that's the sort of big question that comes to my mind.

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 And I think the two major areas in my life which are sort of linked to that and which I try to be quite intentional when I think about following God would be first work,

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 which James has just mentioned, and secondly, relationships.

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 Because I think realistically, these are the two things that I spend most of my time doing.

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 So for work, I've already found out a long time ago that what I'm doing now is what God is calling me to.

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 So that's a real blessing.

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 In terms of relationships, sometimes they may be very longstanding relationships.

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 Sometimes they are newer relationships.

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 And sometimes they are very, very new relationships which were perhaps just birthed even just a few weeks ago.

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 But with these relationships, I often see God showing to me that he really is calling me to those relationships.

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 Sometimes it may be with people who seem very different to me, and I kind of wonder, can we even be friends to some extent?

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 And yet God may somehow just really put these people in my heart and just grow some really deep friendships and relationships there.

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 And sometimes there may be relationships where I've known this person for a long time, but just never really had the chance to talk to them very much.

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 But then suddenly something will happen.

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 Suddenly they may share more.

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 Suddenly our relationship may deepen, and I may feel called to walk with them.

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 So when I kind of look at or think about what new things or extra things to do in my life, I often sort of contemplate that in the context of thinking,

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 how does that impact upon what God is already calling me to do already?

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 So that's really often the perspective I come at it from.

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 And I think there are sort of several practical things I can share about what I try to do to help me as I learn to follow God.

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 I'll give you three examples.

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 The first is that I like to spend most of my mornings or start most of my mornings with a coffee and reading a bit of a Christian book.

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 So before I launch into the craziness of my day, I try to have a quieter start, and I try to begin with him.

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 The second thing I'll share is at the beginning of each year, I write a prayer that I then pray every day.

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 So obviously I pray about other things, but I find it helps me to center myself on prayer that is not just about my most immediate circumstances or what's happening around me.

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 And so one of the verses I've been praying for a few years now, actually, every day, is Matthew 6.33.

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 And so I ask God to help me to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and not to just focus on myself and my most immediate things.

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 And then the third thing I was going to share is about John 21, 15 to 17, which I think Julian also mentioned when he was sharing a few weeks ago.

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 So that's one of my favorite passages, and so I schedule it in to my diary so that at least on the 1st of January and at least on the 1st of July, I will spend some time on this passage and reflecting on it.

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 This is a passage where Jesus asks Peter three times, do you love me?

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 Or a variation of that, do you love me more than these?

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 And so I find it helpful to reflect on do I love God?

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 What does that actually mean?

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 And do I love him more than everything else, basically?

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 So those are just some practical steps I take to try to regularly help myself focus on him.

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 And then I guess James' next question about what are the challenges that stand in the way of all that.

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 I would say for me the busyness of life.

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 So I'm quite busy at work and other things.

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 And so work in itself, as I say, is something I feel very called to.

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 But it's also quite easy for something good to turn into something a bit big sometimes, and sometimes even a distraction.

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 So that's definitely one of my struggles.

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 Yeah.

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 Actually, when we first met at the Youngs, I think you may have been there for the conversation.

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 I think Juliana said something, which was, if you can find peace and God in Hong Kong, you can find it anywhere.

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 Because such is the life and pace of the city.

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 And of course, from someone like you who's grown up, I'm assuming DGS.

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 There's more context to that, I promise.

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 It's not just stereotypical.

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 But you can ask yourself.

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 DGS and temple chambers and all these things you've got going on.

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 The challenge is how to still maintain that routine.

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 Are you saying that those three things that you do are kind of some of the responses that you've had to life here that have kind of kept you grounded?

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 Is that what it is?

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 Yeah.

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 And what I actually find is that the busier I am, the more I need those things.

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 Because the busier I am, the more I sort of fall into all this craziness.

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 And the more I need to start my day and to hang on to that.

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 I mean, I think it's Martin Luther who said it right.

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 He was too busy not to pray.

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 And he lived in a very different era that was not Hong Kong in 2024 as well.

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 So thank you.

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 Thank you, Queenie.

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 We just love it.

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 And please feel free to just pick her mind.

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 She is an incredibly smart and accomplished woman who does so many things.

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 But most of all, has this undivided devotion to the Lord that we can clearly see.

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 So thank you.

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 Round of applause for Queenie.

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 Thank you.

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 Thank you.

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 Thank you.

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 Thank you.

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00:11:38.159 --> 00:11:39.159
 Thank you.

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 So continuing on talking about relationships, we keep saying we gather for a relationship.

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 We gather so that you can have a relationship with God, that I can have a relationship with God.

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 But one of the things is we have to tackle what is the main priority of the people who we're trying to make disciples of.

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 That's our goal, to make disciples of Jesus.

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 But in order to do that, we have to tackle some of the biggest priorities that disciples of Jesus or potential,

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 disciples of Jesus have.

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 And that is, as Queenie says, the life here and the relationships that we have.

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 And last week, we talked about family.

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 And I'm hoping that we have a time, actually, to pray about this.

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 I think it was a missed opportunity last week because that just unpeels so many things, right?

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 That's where it all comes from.

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 That's the original source of our vocation, as Ellen said.

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 How we relate to family impacts how we relate to each other and how we relate to God.

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 The topic that we're going to talk about today is one that, actually, I've still found hard coming in this morning.

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 Because I know that many of us have struggled with this and gone through this.

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 And actually, I come into this with a heavy heart.

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 We're talking about singleness.

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 We're talking about what it means to be single.

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 Now, just to throw some kind of thoughts out there.

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 All of us started single and all of us likely will end up single.

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 Actually, even the way society is trending, people are not getting married as much.

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 And actually, churches are finding that over 50% of the population of the congregation are single.

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 So we have to figure out how to talk about this.

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 We have to figure out what it means.

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 And if you are married, half of you here who are married will at some point end up single.

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 I was talking to a pastor friend whose dad, who's very, very old now, who's 100 years old, literally.

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 And he got married and he was married for 50 years.

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 But then his wife passed away.

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 But what does that mean?

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 That he still had 50 years to figure out what it means to be a single person.

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 So we are all going to end up single at some point.

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 And of course, the other thing is marriage, as we know, is a temporary earthly construct.

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 Even the most beautiful of days, when Florence stares into Juju's eyes and says,

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 Till death do us part.

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 It really is just till death.

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 And then it's done.

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 So it's temporary.

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 So for those of you who are married, you're like, oh, it's temporary.

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 Thank goodness.

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 That's good.

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 That'll be over soon.

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 But we have to keep that in mind.

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 But one thing I really wanted to start with, and that I've been praying about,

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 is actually may it not just be my thoughts about this.

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 And there are plenty of people here who I've grown to know and love.

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 And you are single.

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 And actually, the overwhelming thought I had as I was preparing this is one of repentance.

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 Is one of repentance.

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 And so, again, maybe in line with the mood lighting that we have today,

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 I wanted to start this message by saying sorry.

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 Sorry to you.

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 On behalf of myself and on behalf of the church,

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 because we've basically bought into what society has told you about being single.

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 That you are not enough.

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 Through your family reunions that you have at Chinese New Year or Christmas

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 or through the adverts that you see at the MTR,

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 time and time again, society has told you,

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 if you don't have someone, you are not enough.

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 And you cannot be loved.

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 And I'm sitting here saying that as a pastor to you,

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 and I'm sorry because I may not have said that to you personally and explicitly,

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 but through my jokes.

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 Through the way we talk in church.

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 I'd like to first offer just an apology to you that actually,

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 if you are single and you sat here and even Ellen mentioned,

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 as we all come with past experiences,

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 if you've been hurt by past experiences,

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 whether in a different church,

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 whether in a different family,

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 or whether in this one,

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 I apologize to you because I will tell you this,

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 you are enough.

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 You are and you are loved.

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 And that is all you need.

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 I'll tell you how often our jokes and our questions betray that.

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 The way we talk to people,

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 oh, how are you?

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 Oh, so are you married?

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 Oh, you're not.

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 Oh, oh.

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 And then suddenly there's nothing else to talk about.

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 Right?

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 Because suddenly, oh, I mean,

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 this happened to a beloved auntie that I was speaking to,

00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:14.799
 and she was asking me about,

00:16:15.079 --> 00:16:16.899
 oh, how so-and-so, how are they doing?

00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:19.620
 Oh, he's, oh yeah, he's doing well, he's doing well.

00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:20.339
 Oh, is he married yet?

00:16:20.659 --> 00:16:21.319
 No, no, no.

00:16:21.740 --> 00:16:22.099
 Oh.

00:16:23.620 --> 00:16:23.979
 Oh.

00:16:25.240 --> 00:16:26.279
 It's like a tragedy.

00:16:29.099 --> 00:16:29.459
 Right?

00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:34.000
 And the way your marital status is described is not married.

00:16:34.359 --> 00:16:35.120
 It's in the negative.

00:16:35.899 --> 00:16:36.659
 And that's wrong.

00:16:37.439 --> 00:16:38.899
 That's not what we believe at all.

00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:41.339
 In the book of 1 John and 1 John 4,

00:16:41.339 --> 00:16:42.759
 it talks about testing the spirits.

00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:43.879
 And how do you test the spirits?

00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:45.539
 If that spirit says that Jesus,

00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:47.419
 the Son of God, has come in the flesh.

00:16:48.419 --> 00:16:50.620
 Now, if we truly believe that,

00:16:50.939 --> 00:16:52.360
 that all that means,

00:16:52.460 --> 00:16:54.439
 the gospel message is wrapped up in that statement,

00:16:54.539 --> 00:16:55.759
 that Jesus, the Son of God,

00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:56.759
 has come in the flesh,

00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:00.080
 and he's completely human and completely fulfilled,

00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:03.679
 any other thing that we say that tells you

00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:05.259
 that without being married or without dating,

00:17:05.420 --> 00:17:08.099
 you are not fully human is completely wrong.

00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:10.500
 Of course, the cliche is,

00:17:10.500 --> 00:17:11.420
 oh, well, Jesus was single,

00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:12.500
 but it's more than that.

00:17:13.700 --> 00:17:14.779
 Jesus wasn't just single,

00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:15.900
 but he was the Son of God,

00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:16.759
 and he was the complete,

00:17:16.879 --> 00:17:18.420
 he was the only definition

00:17:18.420 --> 00:17:21.359
 of a perfect, complete human being.

00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:24.279
 And we sell ourselves short

00:17:24.279 --> 00:17:27.740
 if we talk to people who aren't dating

00:17:27.740 --> 00:17:28.440
 or who aren't married,

00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:31.119
 or actually, this goes to those who are married

00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:32.859
 who don't have kids yet.

00:17:33.160 --> 00:17:34.180
 You have the same thing, right?

00:17:34.700 --> 00:17:35.900
 When people ask you, oh, you're married,

00:17:35.900 --> 00:17:37.720
 and then the church, the world,

00:17:38.100 --> 00:17:38.860
 asks you, oh, well,

00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:40.680
 are you working on the next step?

00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:43.420
 Are you unlocking the next thing?

00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:45.280
 And when you haven't unlocked the next thing,

00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:46.320
 then you're like, oh,

00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:48.460
 oh, why haven't you unlocked the next thing?

00:17:49.060 --> 00:17:49.900
 You're not enough.

00:17:50.320 --> 00:17:52.420
 There's something wrong with you, right?

00:17:52.420 --> 00:17:54.820
 The church needs to repent of that.

00:17:55.519 --> 00:17:56.600
 I need to repent of that.

00:17:56.660 --> 00:17:57.900
 If we're to truly believe

00:17:57.900 --> 00:18:00.779
 that actually all of us

00:18:00.779 --> 00:18:03.100
 find true contentment and fulfillment

00:18:03.100 --> 00:18:04.700
 only in one thing,

00:18:05.080 --> 00:18:06.720
 and it isn't in relationship with other people,

00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:08.840
 it's in relationship with God.

00:18:09.080 --> 00:18:10.480
 You see, and I joked last week,

00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:11.320
 we have this scene where

00:18:11.320 --> 00:18:12.960
 the single people want to get married

00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:13.680
 and the married people

00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:15.000
 want to get single again.

00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:17.640
 But this is what happens

00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:19.160
 when we're in relationship

00:18:19.160 --> 00:18:19.839
 with other people.

00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:21.400
 We look across at someone else

00:18:21.400 --> 00:18:21.859
 and we go,

00:18:22.359 --> 00:18:24.000
 I would prefer that.

00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:25.460
 I would want that.

00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:26.700
 And so this week,

00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:28.440
 I've been talking to a lot of single people

00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:29.359
 and I've been picking their minds

00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:30.059
 and asking them questions

00:18:30.059 --> 00:18:31.359
 because I didn't really want to

00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:33.900
 kind of come into this uninformed.

00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:36.200
 Actually, one of the things people,

00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:37.920
 actually an author wrote about this

00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:39.539
 was actually for single people,

00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:40.559
 actually for both sides,

00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:41.559
 what we end up doing is

00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:43.819
 we end up comparing the lows of singleness

00:18:43.819 --> 00:18:45.419
 with the highs of marriage.

00:18:47.339 --> 00:18:50.379
 Married people compare the lows of marriage

00:18:50.379 --> 00:18:52.059
 with the highs of singleness.

00:18:53.639 --> 00:18:54.039
 Right?

00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:56.500
 Isn't that what just social media

00:18:56.500 --> 00:18:57.539
 or Instagram culture is?

00:18:58.259 --> 00:19:00.099
 Who's posting up their lowlights?

00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:01.899
 No, you're posting up your highlights

00:19:01.899 --> 00:19:03.839
 in the Maldives

00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:04.799
 and you're putting that up,

00:19:04.919 --> 00:19:06.700
 but you're not showing us the lowlights.

00:19:07.179 --> 00:19:08.659
 And it's the same for single or married.

00:19:09.579 --> 00:19:10.299
 You're single people who go,

00:19:10.339 --> 00:19:11.819
 oh, I wish I just could have someone

00:19:11.819 --> 00:19:12.619
 because I can do this

00:19:12.619 --> 00:19:13.259
 because then it'll be easier

00:19:13.259 --> 00:19:14.000
 to cook for two people

00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:14.660
 and for one person.

00:19:15.019 --> 00:19:15.960
 It'll be easier to show up

00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:16.680
 to a party together

00:19:16.680 --> 00:19:17.680
 so I don't have to just like

00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:19.079
 find out who I'm sitting next to

00:19:19.079 --> 00:19:19.940
 and all those kinds of things.

00:19:21.740 --> 00:19:22.500
 But the married person

00:19:22.500 --> 00:19:23.140
 is looking at you going,

00:19:23.259 --> 00:19:25.400
 man, if I could just have my nights back,

00:19:26.599 --> 00:19:27.799
 if I could just spend time

00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:28.940
 doing the things that I want to do.

00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:30.539
 And we end up comparing

00:19:30.539 --> 00:19:32.119
 lowlights versus highlights.

00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:32.879
 Don't you do that?

00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:34.200
 I do that.

00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:35.539
 And actually one of the authors

00:19:35.539 --> 00:19:36.279
 of this topic

00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:37.680
 who himself has been a pastor

00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:38.480
 for years and is single,

00:19:38.579 --> 00:19:39.200
 he'll say, you know what?

00:19:39.379 --> 00:19:40.539
 I've pastored so many people,

00:19:40.819 --> 00:19:41.980
 both single and married,

00:19:41.980 --> 00:19:43.279
 and all the troubles that come with both.

00:19:44.420 --> 00:19:45.539
 He'd pick the loads of singleness

00:19:45.539 --> 00:19:47.460
 over the loads of married life any day

00:19:47.460 --> 00:19:49.579
 because the trouble that comes

00:19:49.579 --> 00:19:50.620
 when two people get together.

00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:52.880
 And because that's not something

00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:53.380
 that I'm saying,

00:19:53.420 --> 00:19:55.200
 it's just something that a pastor,

00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:56.360
 a very thoughtful pastor

00:19:56.360 --> 00:19:57.819
 who's just reflecting

00:19:57.819 --> 00:19:58.819
 as a single man himself.

00:19:58.900 --> 00:19:59.500
 And I realized, man,

00:19:59.579 --> 00:20:00.799
 I don't know if we're talking

00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:01.559
 about this enough.

00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:03.240
 Hence why we're here.

00:20:03.900 --> 00:20:05.000
 Hence why I'm also asking

00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:05.860
 for your grace

00:20:05.860 --> 00:20:07.860
 as I talk about this

00:20:07.859 --> 00:20:10.079
 is that I'm presenting to you

00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:10.979
 what I'm looking here.

00:20:11.139 --> 00:20:11.779
 Actually, because you might

00:20:11.779 --> 00:20:12.399
 just look at me and go,

00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:12.719
 well, James,

00:20:12.919 --> 00:20:15.139
 you're not an authority on this

00:20:15.139 --> 00:20:16.439
 because you're married

00:20:16.439 --> 00:20:17.759
 and you've got three kids.

00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:19.479
 But I'll tell you this,

00:20:19.779 --> 00:20:21.439
 I'm sat here to talk about this,

00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:23.000
 not based on my authority

00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:24.179
 or based on my experience.

00:20:25.259 --> 00:20:26.279
 I'm sat here based

00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:27.899
 on my faithfulness to scripture.

00:20:28.259 --> 00:20:29.619
 And the Lord helped me with that

00:20:29.619 --> 00:20:31.559
 because it's not about

00:20:31.559 --> 00:20:32.719
 what my experience is.

00:20:33.919 --> 00:20:34.679
 Paul wasn't married

00:20:34.680 --> 00:20:35.440
 and he talks to,

00:20:35.500 --> 00:20:36.700
 he writes to married people,

00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:38.000
 right?

00:20:38.860 --> 00:20:39.820
 But on the faithfulness

00:20:39.820 --> 00:20:40.220
 of scripture,

00:20:40.519 --> 00:20:41.779
 that's my hope

00:20:41.779 --> 00:20:42.480
 and that's my prayer.

00:20:42.900 --> 00:20:43.640
 And there's going to be

00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:44.160
 two passages

00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:45.080
 that I want to look at.

00:20:45.140 --> 00:20:46.039
 One is from Matthew 19

00:20:46.039 --> 00:20:47.240
 is what Jesus says about this.

00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:48.279
 Jesus doesn't,

00:20:48.539 --> 00:20:49.900
 neither of them talk about this.

00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:50.160
 And actually,

00:20:50.320 --> 00:20:51.039
 Jay and I were hanging out

00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:51.500
 yesterday morning.

00:20:51.580 --> 00:20:52.620
 We were talking about all things

00:20:52.620 --> 00:20:53.640
 and I was like,

00:20:53.660 --> 00:20:54.000
 you know what?

00:20:54.140 --> 00:20:55.539
 I don't think God has

00:20:55.539 --> 00:20:57.940
 that much he has wanted to say

00:20:57.940 --> 00:20:59.060
 about our particular

00:20:59.060 --> 00:21:00.299
 romantic relationships.

00:21:00.299 --> 00:21:01.100
 He seems to have

00:21:01.100 --> 00:21:01.880
 something bigger

00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:02.860
 in the back

00:21:02.860 --> 00:21:04.180
 that he cares even more about.

00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:06.720
 And as I was looking at this,

00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:07.759
 there's not that many places

00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:08.120
 that they,

00:21:08.420 --> 00:21:08.980
 Paul or Jesus,

00:21:09.080 --> 00:21:09.640
 talk about this,

00:21:09.900 --> 00:21:10.600
 but there are a couple

00:21:10.600 --> 00:21:11.680
 that I think we can learn from

00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:12.400
 and I invite you

00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:15.140
 to look through it with me.

00:21:15.380 --> 00:21:16.779
 It's from the book of Matthew

00:21:16.779 --> 00:21:17.440
 and we're going to go

00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:18.600
 with Jesus one first

00:21:18.600 --> 00:21:20.039
 and chapter 19.

00:21:20.700 --> 00:21:21.840
 Matthew chapter 19,

00:21:22.340 --> 00:21:23.360
 as is our custom,

00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:24.279
 can I invite you to stand

00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:25.019
 for the word of the Lord?

00:21:25.019 --> 00:21:34.339
 Jesus,

00:21:34.460 --> 00:21:35.359
 as we read your word,

00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:37.059
 would you prepare our hearts?

00:21:39.859 --> 00:21:40.859
 As we read your word,

00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:41.859
 would you prepare our hearts?

00:21:44.859 --> 00:21:45.879
 As we read your word,

00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:48.099
 would you prepare our hearts?

00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:50.500
 Matthew chapter 19,

00:21:50.500 --> 00:21:52.900
 Now when Jesus

00:21:52.900 --> 00:21:54.099
 had finished these sayings,

00:21:54.140 --> 00:21:55.279
 he went away from Galilee

00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:56.259
 and entered the region

00:21:56.259 --> 00:21:57.539
 of Judea beyond the Jordan.

00:21:58.319 --> 00:21:59.700
 And large crowds followed him

00:21:59.700 --> 00:22:00.980
 and he healed them there.

00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:02.619
 And Pharisees came up to him

00:22:02.619 --> 00:22:03.720
 and tested him by asking,

00:22:04.279 --> 00:22:05.440
 Is it lawful to divorce

00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:06.599
 one's wife for any cause?

00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:07.740
 He answered,

00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:08.720
 Have you not read

00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:09.920
 that he who created them

00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:10.519
 from the beginning

00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:11.819
 made them male and female

00:22:11.819 --> 00:22:12.579
 and said,

00:22:12.579 --> 00:22:13.240
 Therefore a man

00:22:13.240 --> 00:22:13.920
 shall leave his father

00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:14.380
 and his mother

00:22:14.380 --> 00:22:15.500
 and hold fast to his wife

00:22:15.500 --> 00:22:16.759
 and the two shall become

00:22:16.759 --> 00:22:17.400
 one flesh?

00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:18.880
 So they are no longer two,

00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:19.580
 but one flesh.

00:22:20.040 --> 00:22:20.680
 What therefore God

00:22:20.680 --> 00:22:21.400
 has joined together,

00:22:22.040 --> 00:22:23.000
 let no man separate.

00:22:24.120 --> 00:22:24.759
 They said to him,

00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:26.400
 Why then did Moses command

00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:27.340
 one to give a certificate

00:22:27.340 --> 00:22:27.860
 of divorce

00:22:27.860 --> 00:22:28.780
 and to send her away?

00:22:29.220 --> 00:22:29.780
 He said to them,

00:22:29.820 --> 00:22:31.340
 Because of your hardness of heart,

00:22:31.740 --> 00:22:32.519
 Moses allowed you

00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:33.420
 to divorce your wives.

00:22:33.660 --> 00:22:34.400
 But from the beginning

00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:35.460
 it was not so.

00:22:35.960 --> 00:22:36.680
 And I say to you,

00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:37.880
 whoever divorces his wife,

00:22:38.040 --> 00:22:39.519
 except for sexual immorality,

00:22:39.980 --> 00:22:40.780
 and marries another,

00:22:41.120 --> 00:22:42.019
 commits adultery.

00:22:42.840 --> 00:22:44.040
 The disciples said to him,

00:22:44.460 --> 00:22:45.440
 If such is the case

00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:46.360
 of a man with his wife,

00:22:46.359 --> 00:22:47.899
 it is better not to marry.

00:22:49.299 --> 00:22:50.000
 But he said to them,

00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:51.019
 Not everyone can receive

00:22:51.019 --> 00:22:51.439
 this saying,

00:22:51.579 --> 00:22:52.279
 but only those

00:22:52.279 --> 00:22:53.079
 to whom it is given.

00:22:53.619 --> 00:22:54.419
 For there are eunuchs

00:22:54.419 --> 00:22:55.939
 who have been so from birth,

00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:57.099
 and there are eunuchs

00:22:57.099 --> 00:22:58.019
 who have been made eunuchs

00:22:58.019 --> 00:22:58.459
 by men,

00:22:58.779 --> 00:22:59.559
 and there are eunuchs

00:22:59.559 --> 00:23:00.819
 who have made themselves eunuchs

00:23:00.819 --> 00:23:01.459
 for the sake

00:23:01.459 --> 00:23:02.539
 of the kingdom of heaven.

00:23:03.259 --> 00:23:03.839
 Let the one

00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:05.179
 who is able to receive this

00:23:05.179 --> 00:23:06.379
 receive it.

00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:08.039
 This is the word of the Lord.

00:23:09.240 --> 00:23:09.879
 Take a seat.

00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:10.279
 Take a seat.

00:23:14.039 --> 00:23:14.859
 So I believe that

00:23:14.859 --> 00:23:15.439
 through this passage

00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:16.759
 Jesus shows us

00:23:16.759 --> 00:23:17.180
 a little bit

00:23:17.180 --> 00:23:18.259
 of what actually it means

00:23:18.259 --> 00:23:20.519
 to live for the kingdom of God

00:23:20.519 --> 00:23:21.700
 and to live as a single

00:23:21.700 --> 00:23:23.299
 or a married person.

00:23:24.539 --> 00:23:25.740
 The context here

00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:27.340
 is an interesting conversation

00:23:27.340 --> 00:23:28.000
 because once again,

00:23:28.059 --> 00:23:28.600
 the people are trying

00:23:28.600 --> 00:23:29.460
 to trip Jesus up.

00:23:29.660 --> 00:23:30.559
 So they're bringing up

00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:31.500
 this issue about marriage

00:23:31.500 --> 00:23:31.980
 and divorce.

00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:33.500
 Now you need to understand

00:23:33.500 --> 00:23:34.200
 the Jewish culture

00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:34.660
 at that moment

00:23:34.660 --> 00:23:35.720
 how they perceived

00:23:35.720 --> 00:23:37.180
 marriage and divorce.

00:23:37.420 --> 00:23:38.100
 And it is one of just

00:23:38.100 --> 00:23:39.100
 basically functionality.

00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:40.200
 It's basically getting

00:23:40.200 --> 00:23:41.320
 two families together.

00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:42.420
 There wasn't the romantic

00:23:42.420 --> 00:23:43.400
 element here

00:23:43.400 --> 00:23:44.320
 where the two people

00:23:44.320 --> 00:23:45.580
 had the feels for each other

00:23:45.580 --> 00:23:46.600
 and so that they would

00:23:46.600 --> 00:23:47.360
 want to be together

00:23:47.360 --> 00:23:48.640
 and live happily ever after.

00:23:49.060 --> 00:23:50.080
 Again, just a side note

00:23:50.080 --> 00:23:50.700
 on that apology.

00:23:50.860 --> 00:23:51.759
 Disney is not correct

00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:52.060
 on that.

00:23:52.140 --> 00:23:53.160
 When two people

00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:54.019
 finally get together

00:23:54.019 --> 00:23:54.780
 and one's been sleeping

00:23:54.780 --> 00:23:55.519
 for a hundred years

00:23:55.519 --> 00:23:56.120
 and gets a kiss

00:23:56.120 --> 00:23:57.259
 and then suddenly

00:23:57.259 --> 00:23:58.180
 they're together

00:23:58.180 --> 00:24:00.060
 and then they sail off

00:24:00.060 --> 00:24:00.620
 into the distance

00:24:00.620 --> 00:24:01.720
 and it's happily ever after,

00:24:01.820 --> 00:24:02.540
 I can tell you

00:24:02.540 --> 00:24:03.960
 that it is absolutely false.

00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:05.800
 Do not believe it.

00:24:05.860 --> 00:24:06.660
 Anyone who thinks

00:24:06.660 --> 00:24:07.440
 the moment you are

00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:07.900
 with someone

00:24:07.900 --> 00:24:09.320
 it is happily ever after,

00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:10.560
 that is false.

00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:11.059
 We have done you

00:24:11.059 --> 00:24:11.539
 a disservice

00:24:11.539 --> 00:24:12.659
 to what it means

00:24:12.659 --> 00:24:13.200
 to be married

00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:14.139
 and to be in relationship

00:24:14.139 --> 00:24:16.519
 and it is so much,

00:24:16.899 --> 00:24:18.139
 so much harder than that.

00:24:18.639 --> 00:24:19.659
 And yet we perceive that.

00:24:20.099 --> 00:24:20.679
 And the problem

00:24:20.679 --> 00:24:21.480
 with that is

00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:22.399
 then we have

00:24:22.399 --> 00:24:23.619
 a whole population

00:24:23.619 --> 00:24:23.960
 of people,

00:24:24.019 --> 00:24:25.200
 over half the people

00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:26.480
 looking going,

00:24:26.579 --> 00:24:27.319
 well, I'm never going

00:24:27.319 --> 00:24:28.200
 to be happily ever after

00:24:28.200 --> 00:24:28.419
 then.

00:24:29.099 --> 00:24:29.359
 Right?

00:24:29.940 --> 00:24:31.259
 Isn't that the connotation

00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:32.839
 when we see two people

00:24:32.839 --> 00:24:34.000
 sail off on a white horse?

00:24:34.179 --> 00:24:34.599
 Then it's like,

00:24:34.659 --> 00:24:35.679
 well, they're going

00:24:35.679 --> 00:24:36.339
 happily ever after

00:24:36.339 --> 00:24:37.379
 even though behind the curtain

00:24:37.379 --> 00:24:38.159
 there's tons of things

00:24:38.159 --> 00:24:38.480
 happening.

00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:39.860
 But for those

00:24:39.860 --> 00:24:40.660
 on the other side,

00:24:40.740 --> 00:24:41.059
 well, okay,

00:24:41.099 --> 00:24:41.480
 does that mean

00:24:41.480 --> 00:24:41.980
 I'm never going

00:24:41.980 --> 00:24:42.779
 to be happily ever after?

00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:44.740
 Paul and Jesus

00:24:44.740 --> 00:24:46.620
 seem to tackle this

00:24:46.620 --> 00:24:48.680
 in a very conservative way

00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:50.920
 or in a very low-key,

00:24:51.380 --> 00:24:53.460
 even-keeled kind of way.

00:24:54.339 --> 00:24:55.160
 It's interesting,

00:24:55.259 --> 00:24:56.160
 the conversation here

00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:57.759
 is how you can

00:24:57.759 --> 00:24:58.360
 divorce someone.

00:24:58.720 --> 00:24:59.640
 Now, in the Old Testament,

00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:00.360
 there's tons of reasons

00:25:00.360 --> 00:25:00.960
 why you can divorce

00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:01.579
 and they say,

00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:02.120
 well, Moses,

00:25:02.220 --> 00:25:02.819
 let us do this

00:25:02.819 --> 00:25:03.519
 and let us do that.

00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:04.519
 And he's saying,

00:25:04.599 --> 00:25:05.019
 Jesus is saying,

00:25:05.259 --> 00:25:05.700
 well, that's because

00:25:05.700 --> 00:25:07.660
 Moses knew that you guys

00:25:07.660 --> 00:25:08.400
 were idiots.

00:25:08.819 --> 00:25:09.960
 And you have hard hearts.

00:25:10.180 --> 00:25:11.480
 And you have all this sin

00:25:11.480 --> 00:25:12.079
 inside you.

00:25:12.140 --> 00:25:13.019
 So he's helping you

00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:13.860
 damage control

00:25:13.860 --> 00:25:14.740
 with some of these

00:25:14.740 --> 00:25:15.700
 rules and regulations.

00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:16.779
 Because back then,

00:25:16.839 --> 00:25:18.319
 you could divorce your wife

00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:19.740
 if she made your egg

00:25:19.740 --> 00:25:20.400
 in the wrong way

00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:20.920
 in the morning.

00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:22.079
 And that was it.

00:25:22.599 --> 00:25:23.279
 Jesus then says,

00:25:23.360 --> 00:25:24.279
 no, that's not it.

00:25:24.819 --> 00:25:25.920
 Actually, the only reason

00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:27.599
 you can divorce your wife

00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:29.599
 if there is sexual immorality.

00:25:30.180 --> 00:25:30.940
 That's the only reason.

00:25:31.539 --> 00:25:33.079
 And then the disciples quip.

00:25:33.220 --> 00:25:33.900
 And I've got to say,

00:25:34.259 --> 00:25:35.720
 I might actually be

00:25:35.720 --> 00:25:36.799
 the guy that says this.

00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:38.460
 Verse 10.

00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:39.500
 Well, he's like,

00:25:39.559 --> 00:25:39.860
 they're like,

00:25:40.259 --> 00:25:41.480
 well, if that's the only reason

00:25:41.480 --> 00:25:42.420
 that we can get divorced

00:25:42.420 --> 00:25:43.339
 and there's no other reason,

00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:44.039
 then it's better not

00:25:44.039 --> 00:25:44.559
 to get married

00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:46.160
 because it's not worth it.

00:25:46.860 --> 00:25:47.500
 And it is,

00:25:47.660 --> 00:25:48.559
 if such is a case

00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:49.860
 of a man with his wife,

00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:52.120
 it is better not to marry.

00:25:53.180 --> 00:25:54.140
 What he has

00:25:54.140 --> 00:25:55.279
 is a cynical,

00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:57.600
 low view of marriage.

00:25:58.600 --> 00:25:59.400
 What he has

00:25:59.400 --> 00:25:59.960
 is a cynical,

00:26:00.180 --> 00:26:00.720
 low view of marriage,

00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:01.059
 which is,

00:26:01.380 --> 00:26:02.519
 how low can I get?

00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:04.019
 What can I get away with

00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:06.360
 so that I can divorce my wife

00:26:06.360 --> 00:26:08.500
 and find someone else?

00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:10.480
 And if you're not letting me do that,

00:26:10.759 --> 00:26:12.000
 then maybe there's really no point.

00:26:13.160 --> 00:26:14.220
 That's what he's kind of saying.

00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:15.559
 And Jesus obviously knows

00:26:15.559 --> 00:26:16.000
 what he's saying.

00:26:16.200 --> 00:26:18.180
 And Jesus responds to him,

00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:19.380
 which in an interesting way,

00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:20.160
 verse 11,

00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:20.460
 it says,

00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:21.279
 but he said to them,

00:26:21.360 --> 00:26:22.920
 not everyone can receive this saying,

00:26:23.299 --> 00:26:25.059
 but only those to whom

00:26:25.059 --> 00:26:27.180
 it is given.

00:26:27.180 --> 00:26:30.500
 which then starts this journey again,

00:26:30.600 --> 00:26:30.900
 well, actually,

00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:32.240
 not everyone needs to be married.

00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:33.920
 In fact,

00:26:34.360 --> 00:26:34.960
 some of it,

00:26:35.220 --> 00:26:35.799
 some of you

00:26:35.799 --> 00:26:36.560
 who won't get married,

00:26:37.140 --> 00:26:38.799
 this is the Lord's gift to you.

00:26:39.620 --> 00:26:40.820
 And then this unveils

00:26:40.820 --> 00:26:41.500
 the second problem.

00:26:42.299 --> 00:26:42.720
 Who's wanted,

00:26:42.920 --> 00:26:43.700
 who's received

00:26:43.700 --> 00:26:44.640
 that unwanted gift

00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:45.080
 at Christmas

00:26:45.080 --> 00:26:45.940
 from that uncle

00:26:45.940 --> 00:26:47.320
 who buys you a pair of socks

00:26:47.320 --> 00:26:48.060
 that you'll never wear?

00:26:48.820 --> 00:26:49.500
 Some of you are single,

00:26:49.580 --> 00:26:49.700
 you go,

00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:49.880
 well,

00:26:49.940 --> 00:26:51.060
 what if I didn't want the gift

00:26:51.060 --> 00:26:52.000
 of singleness?

00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:54.400
 Again,

00:26:55.400 --> 00:26:56.360
 I think we've come at it

00:26:56.360 --> 00:26:56.960
 from the wrong way.

00:26:57.660 --> 00:26:58.279
 We're coming at it

00:26:58.279 --> 00:26:59.380
 from a low,

00:26:59.720 --> 00:27:00.400
 cynical view

00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:02.279
 of what it even means

00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:03.180
 for two people together.

00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:04.420
 And what does a gift

00:27:04.420 --> 00:27:05.200
 even mean?

00:27:05.799 --> 00:27:06.680
 If you're sat here going,

00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:06.820
 well,

00:27:06.840 --> 00:27:07.400
 I don't know if I have

00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:08.000
 the gift of singleness,

00:27:08.080 --> 00:27:08.880
 if you have a think

00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:10.400
 how Jesus talks about the gift

00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:12.039
 and how Paul talks about gifts,

00:27:12.380 --> 00:27:13.920
 what's the purpose of a gift

00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:15.680
 according to the Bible?

00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:18.720
 Julian just nodded,

00:27:18.779 --> 00:27:19.340
 so I'll pick on you.

00:27:19.560 --> 00:27:20.700
 What's the purpose of a gift

00:27:20.700 --> 00:27:21.320
 in the Bible?

00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:26.759
 It's not just for you,

00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:28.879
 it's for you to use

00:27:28.879 --> 00:27:29.859
 for others.

00:27:30.460 --> 00:27:31.599
 The whole point

00:27:31.599 --> 00:27:32.960
 of a gift

00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.339
 is that you would use it

00:27:35.339 --> 00:27:36.940
 to serve the church,

00:27:37.779 --> 00:27:38.879
 to build the church up,

00:27:39.019 --> 00:27:39.980
 to edify the body,

00:27:40.140 --> 00:27:41.319
 as it says in Ephesians 4.

00:27:42.220 --> 00:27:43.539
 That's what the gift is for.

00:27:43.900 --> 00:27:45.039
 So the next time you catch yourself

00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:45.180
 going,

00:27:45.299 --> 00:27:45.319
 well,

00:27:45.379 --> 00:27:46.319
 I'm not sure that's a gift

00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:46.720
 that I want.

00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:46.900
 Well,

00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:49.379
 there we've exposed

00:27:49.379 --> 00:27:50.440
 the real issue here,

00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:51.640
 that we don't have

00:27:51.640 --> 00:27:52.640
 an undivided devotion

00:27:52.640 --> 00:27:53.799
 to the Lord.

00:27:53.799 --> 00:27:53.960
 Now,

00:27:54.019 --> 00:27:54.779
 I'm not here saying

00:27:54.779 --> 00:27:55.000
 that,

00:27:55.099 --> 00:27:55.259
 man,

00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:57.079
 you're single,

00:27:57.159 --> 00:27:58.419
 so you best just appreciate it

00:27:58.419 --> 00:27:59.519
 and give it to the church

00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:00.500
 and build up the church.

00:28:00.779 --> 00:28:01.720
 I know that there's

00:28:01.720 --> 00:28:02.839
 all these wrestlings

00:28:02.839 --> 00:28:03.659
 and all these emotions

00:28:03.659 --> 00:28:04.259
 that go on

00:28:04.259 --> 00:28:05.259
 that are hard.

00:28:06.379 --> 00:28:07.059
 And I'm not here

00:28:07.059 --> 00:28:08.039
 to say any of that,

00:28:08.119 --> 00:28:09.039
 which is why I started

00:28:09.039 --> 00:28:09.680
 with the apology,

00:28:10.259 --> 00:28:11.000
 but I'll tell you this,

00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:11.819
 a married person

00:28:11.819 --> 00:28:12.379
 has to go through

00:28:12.379 --> 00:28:13.319
 the exact same things.

00:28:14.779 --> 00:28:15.519
 Singleness is a gift,

00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:16.639
 just like marriage is a gift.

00:28:17.639 --> 00:28:17.960
 Why?

00:28:18.620 --> 00:28:19.420
 Not for you

00:28:19.420 --> 00:28:20.539
 to have someone

00:28:20.539 --> 00:28:22.039
 to hold and love

00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:22.360
 and comfort

00:28:22.360 --> 00:28:24.100
 and go and eat with

00:28:24.100 --> 00:28:25.299
 and do life with.

00:28:25.960 --> 00:28:26.900
 It's for the church.

00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:28.880
 It's for the kingdom.

00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:30.680
 So I think the first thing

00:28:30.680 --> 00:28:31.420
 that we have to surrender

00:28:31.420 --> 00:28:32.720
 is this low cynical view

00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:33.960
 of what even a relationship is.

00:28:35.880 --> 00:28:36.720
 When we do that,

00:28:36.779 --> 00:28:37.799
 I think we can rediscover

00:28:37.799 --> 00:28:39.440
 what it means to be single

00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:40.019
 or what it means

00:28:40.019 --> 00:28:40.480
 to be married

00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:41.279
 and you realize,

00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:41.680
 actually,

00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:42.680
 it's a temporary thing

00:28:42.680 --> 00:28:43.900
 all for the glory of God,

00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:46.460
 all pointing to him.

00:28:46.460 --> 00:28:47.920
 And Jesus talks

00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:48.860
 about the eunuch.

00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:50.299
 If you don't know

00:28:50.299 --> 00:28:50.860
 what a eunuch is,

00:28:50.900 --> 00:28:51.620
 then I encourage you

00:28:51.620 --> 00:28:54.480
 to ask someone about it,

00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:56.019
 just preferably not me.

00:28:56.240 --> 00:28:57.740
 Well, of course,

00:28:57.799 --> 00:28:58.240
 eunuch is someone

00:28:58.240 --> 00:28:59.640
 who's an emasculated male

00:28:59.640 --> 00:29:00.840
 without testicles,

00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:02.279
 basically with the idea

00:29:02.279 --> 00:29:03.259
 that actually this person,

00:29:04.579 --> 00:29:06.000
 actually often in that culture,

00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:06.880
 eunuchs were hired

00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:08.000
 by powerful people

00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:09.180
 so that they wouldn't be

00:29:09.180 --> 00:29:10.200
 susceptible

00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:11.440
 to the same temptations

00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:12.579
 because they don't have

00:29:12.579 --> 00:29:13.400
 a family to care about.

00:29:13.480 --> 00:29:13.960
 They have a family

00:29:13.960 --> 00:29:14.380
 to think about.

00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:14.960
 They have a future

00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:15.539
 to think about.

00:29:16.460 --> 00:29:17.460
 And so Jesus

00:29:17.460 --> 00:29:18.759
 has this fascinating thing

00:29:18.759 --> 00:29:19.180
 where he goes,

00:29:19.380 --> 00:29:21.140
 for there are eunuchs

00:29:21.140 --> 00:29:22.160
 who have been sober from birth

00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:22.799
 and there are eunuchs

00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:23.539
 who have been made eunuchs

00:29:23.539 --> 00:29:23.880
 by men

00:29:23.880 --> 00:29:24.440
 and there are eunuchs

00:29:24.440 --> 00:29:25.420
 who have made themselves eunuchs

00:29:25.420 --> 00:29:26.360
 for the sake of the kingdom

00:29:26.360 --> 00:29:26.940
 of heaven.

00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:28.160
 He has this profound knowledge

00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:29.420
 that actually we are

00:29:29.420 --> 00:29:30.840
 in the fallen world now

00:29:30.840 --> 00:29:31.660
 and there are people

00:29:31.660 --> 00:29:32.539
 who are born this way.

00:29:32.819 --> 00:29:33.259
 There are people

00:29:33.259 --> 00:29:34.319
 who are made this way.

00:29:34.940 --> 00:29:36.180
 But what he's focusing on,

00:29:36.440 --> 00:29:36.920
 there are people

00:29:36.920 --> 00:29:37.880
 who choose this way.

00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:38.160
 Why?

00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:39.420
 For the kingdom of heaven.

00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:40.980
 He's not talking about

00:29:40.980 --> 00:29:42.660
 their earthly status here.

00:29:42.900 --> 00:29:43.660
 He's talking about,

00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:45.039
 he's actually encouraging

00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:46.659
 all of us to be spiritual eunuchs,

00:29:46.740 --> 00:29:47.799
 not from a physical standpoint,

00:29:48.119 --> 00:29:49.119
 but we want to basically

00:29:49.119 --> 00:29:50.659
 commit yourself fully

00:29:50.659 --> 00:29:51.859
 to the kingdom of heaven

00:29:51.859 --> 00:29:52.559
 because that's the one

00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:53.000
 that will last.

00:29:53.079 --> 00:29:53.619
 That is the one

00:29:53.619 --> 00:29:55.599
 that we'll find in eternity.

00:29:56.440 --> 00:29:57.819
 And this is interesting here

00:29:57.819 --> 00:29:58.980
 because, of course,

00:29:59.019 --> 00:29:59.559
 when we talk about

00:29:59.559 --> 00:30:00.359
 spiritual eunuchs,

00:30:00.440 --> 00:30:00.920
 we've got Jesus,

00:30:01.059 --> 00:30:01.500
 we've got Paul,

00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:02.920
 we've got the John the Baptist here,

00:30:03.119 --> 00:30:03.700
 we've got people

00:30:03.700 --> 00:30:05.460
 who actually have devoted

00:30:05.460 --> 00:30:06.879
 themselves to the work

00:30:06.879 --> 00:30:07.480
 of God

00:30:07.480 --> 00:30:09.879
 without being married.

00:30:11.220 --> 00:30:11.920
 Key here,

00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:13.359
 there is no difference.

00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:14.959
 neither is morally superior.

00:30:15.979 --> 00:30:17.699
 Neither is morally superior.

00:30:18.139 --> 00:30:18.559
 Even,

00:30:19.000 --> 00:30:19.899
 despite whatever

00:30:19.899 --> 00:30:21.039
 that uncle or auntie

00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:21.979
 or grandparents says

00:30:21.979 --> 00:30:23.459
 at your next family reunion,

00:30:24.399 --> 00:30:26.059
 neither is morally superior.

00:30:27.240 --> 00:30:28.879
 The key here is

00:30:28.879 --> 00:30:30.479
 how are we using that gift,

00:30:30.579 --> 00:30:31.559
 whatever that gift is,

00:30:32.099 --> 00:30:32.939
 in that season

00:30:32.939 --> 00:30:35.000
 for the kingdom of heaven.

00:30:35.719 --> 00:30:36.500
 Paul talks about this.

00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:36.719
 He says,

00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:37.659
 neither are actually,

00:30:38.599 --> 00:30:39.559
 not one is better

00:30:39.559 --> 00:30:39.939
 than the other,

00:30:39.940 --> 00:30:41.700
 but 1 Corinthians 7,

00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:43.080
 which is the other key passage

00:30:43.080 --> 00:30:43.920
 talking about singleness,

00:30:44.180 --> 00:30:44.820
 it's actually not just

00:30:44.820 --> 00:30:45.200
 about singleness,

00:30:45.320 --> 00:30:45.779
 it's about marriage,

00:30:45.840 --> 00:30:46.360
 it's about all kinds

00:30:46.360 --> 00:30:46.940
 of relationships.

00:30:47.380 --> 00:30:47.900
 Paul writes here,

00:30:48.180 --> 00:30:49.360
 he says in 1 Corinthians 7,

00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:49.860
 32,

00:30:50.220 --> 00:30:51.180
 I want you to be free

00:30:51.180 --> 00:30:51.920
 from anxieties.

00:30:52.059 --> 00:30:52.820
 The unmarried man

00:30:52.820 --> 00:30:53.640
 is anxious about

00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:54.480
 the things of the Lord,

00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:55.559
 how to please the Lord,

00:30:55.620 --> 00:30:56.299
 but the married man

00:30:56.299 --> 00:30:56.920
 is anxious about

00:30:56.920 --> 00:30:57.580
 worldly things,

00:30:57.820 --> 00:30:58.720
 how to please his wife,

00:30:58.740 --> 00:30:59.380
 and his interests

00:30:59.380 --> 00:31:00.500
 are divided.

00:31:00.900 --> 00:31:01.440
 Later on,

00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:01.759
 it says,

00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:02.920
 verse 35,

00:31:04.279 --> 00:31:05.240
 but to promote good order

00:31:05.240 --> 00:31:06.420
 and secure

00:31:06.420 --> 00:31:08.000
 your undivided devotion

00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:10.039
 to the Lord.

00:31:10.140 --> 00:31:11.079
 There is a plus

00:31:11.079 --> 00:31:12.440
 in singleness.

00:31:12.859 --> 00:31:13.779
 There is a plus,

00:31:13.880 --> 00:31:14.400
 and what is that?

00:31:15.380 --> 00:31:16.079
 That you are free

00:31:16.079 --> 00:31:17.000
 from anxieties.

00:31:18.140 --> 00:31:18.400
 You're like,

00:31:18.500 --> 00:31:18.900
 oh no,

00:31:18.940 --> 00:31:19.319
 I'm single

00:31:19.319 --> 00:31:20.180
 and I'm very anxious.

00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:22.980
 But it's saying,

00:31:23.980 --> 00:31:24.279
 actually,

00:31:24.359 --> 00:31:25.380
 but if your heart

00:31:25.380 --> 00:31:26.539
 is inclined towards him,

00:31:26.980 --> 00:31:27.640
 then you would be

00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:28.960
 less anxious,

00:31:29.220 --> 00:31:30.599
 because the person

00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:31.759
 who is married

00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:32.720
 can't do the things

00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:34.220
 that a single person

00:31:34.220 --> 00:31:35.039
 can do.

00:31:36.180 --> 00:31:36.980
 A couple weeks ago,

00:31:37.079 --> 00:31:37.960
 my dear friend

00:31:37.960 --> 00:31:38.380
 and colleague,

00:31:38.519 --> 00:31:38.940
 Pastor Johnny,

00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:40.740
 got to represent

00:31:40.740 --> 00:31:42.180
 the gathering basketball team

00:31:42.180 --> 00:31:43.380
 and then go

00:31:43.380 --> 00:31:44.440
 to the other side

00:31:44.440 --> 00:31:44.940
 of Hong Kong

00:31:44.940 --> 00:31:45.539
 and represent

00:31:45.539 --> 00:31:46.200
 the football team

00:31:46.200 --> 00:31:47.720
 in the same day,

00:31:47.859 --> 00:31:48.720
 within the same afternoon.

00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:51.220
 I dream of doing

00:31:51.220 --> 00:31:51.819
 something like that,

00:31:51.859 --> 00:31:52.299
 but I could never

00:31:52.299 --> 00:31:52.980
 do something like that.

00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:54.460
 I dream of pulling

00:31:54.460 --> 00:31:55.660
 off a shirt like that,

00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:57.980
 but neither can he.

00:31:57.980 --> 00:31:58.380
 So,

00:31:58.380 --> 00:32:06.360
 when you're a single person,

00:32:07.020 --> 00:32:07.360
 again,

00:32:07.360 --> 00:32:09.940
 I hope you receive this

00:32:09.940 --> 00:32:10.300
 in the spirit

00:32:10.300 --> 00:32:10.920
 that it's intended

00:32:10.920 --> 00:32:13.020
 and not condescending anyway.

00:32:14.320 --> 00:32:15.260
 You have an ability

00:32:15.260 --> 00:32:15.880
 to focus

00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:18.800
 that other people do not,

00:32:18.800 --> 00:32:19.680
 a married person does not.

00:32:21.080 --> 00:32:22.280
 Ability to focus

00:32:22.280 --> 00:32:23.460
 and to be flexible.

00:32:23.460 --> 00:32:25.299
 to be able to say yes

00:32:25.299 --> 00:32:26.960
 at a moment's notice

00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:27.980
 to go and hang out

00:32:27.980 --> 00:32:28.559
 and do something

00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:29.500
 to be with someone.

00:32:30.700 --> 00:32:31.799
 You might have this gift

00:32:31.799 --> 00:32:32.960
 only for a temporary period,

00:32:33.100 --> 00:32:33.880
 but my question is,

00:32:33.960 --> 00:32:34.819
 are you using it?

00:32:35.220 --> 00:32:35.400
 Well,

00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:38.039
 you have focus

00:32:38.039 --> 00:32:39.660
 and you have flexibility.

00:32:39.660 --> 00:32:42.740
 If everything is about

00:32:42.740 --> 00:32:43.980
 securing an undivided

00:32:43.980 --> 00:32:44.840
 devotion to the Lord,

00:32:45.120 --> 00:32:45.860
 are you using

00:32:45.860 --> 00:32:46.519
 what you have

00:32:46.519 --> 00:32:47.600
 to get to that point?

00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:49.680
 There's a study

00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:50.259
 that said that

00:32:50.259 --> 00:32:51.720
 the average 21-year-old

00:32:51.720 --> 00:32:53.980
 spends 10,000 hours

00:32:53.980 --> 00:32:56.440
 playing video games.

00:32:56.540 --> 00:32:57.700
 By the time he's hit 21,

00:32:58.080 --> 00:33:00.300
 he's played 10,000 hours

00:33:00.300 --> 00:33:01.140
 of video games.

00:33:02.540 --> 00:33:05.380
 10,000 hours.

00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:07.240
 Malcolm Gladwell says

00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:08.200
 that means you're an expert.

00:33:08.200 --> 00:33:10.380
 You are the legend

00:33:10.380 --> 00:33:11.039
 of the league.

00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:15.519
 10,000 hours.

00:33:18.080 --> 00:33:18.819
 Single people,

00:33:18.920 --> 00:33:19.539
 how do you use

00:33:19.539 --> 00:33:20.460
 the time that the Lord's

00:33:20.460 --> 00:33:20.860
 given you

00:33:20.860 --> 00:33:23.180
 in this season?

00:33:23.840 --> 00:33:24.900
 I know that there are

00:33:24.900 --> 00:33:25.880
 anxieties about the future

00:33:25.880 --> 00:33:26.120
 and all these,

00:33:26.200 --> 00:33:27.620
 but if you truly are enough,

00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:29.259
 if you truly are

00:33:29.259 --> 00:33:32.500
 loved just the way you are,

00:33:33.220 --> 00:33:34.120
 how are you using

00:33:34.120 --> 00:33:35.340
 the gift of focus

00:33:35.340 --> 00:33:36.640
 and flexibility

00:33:36.640 --> 00:33:38.160
 to be utterly

00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:39.320
 and undividedly

00:33:39.320 --> 00:33:41.080
 devoted to the Lord?

00:33:44.020 --> 00:33:44.800
 I'm not here

00:33:44.800 --> 00:33:45.900
 and I'm very carefully,

00:33:46.020 --> 00:33:46.700
 I don't want to talk

00:33:46.700 --> 00:33:47.460
 about single people

00:33:47.460 --> 00:33:48.460
 and how you can

00:33:48.460 --> 00:33:49.320
 find someone

00:33:49.320 --> 00:33:50.380
 because that almost

00:33:50.380 --> 00:33:51.540
 goes against my whole point

00:33:51.540 --> 00:33:52.240
 that I'm saying

00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:52.860
 that you're not enough

00:33:52.860 --> 00:33:53.380
 as you are.

00:33:53.380 --> 00:33:57.400
 but the heart

00:33:57.400 --> 00:33:58.140
 is the same here

00:33:58.140 --> 00:33:58.740
 is actually

00:33:58.740 --> 00:33:59.880
 whether you are married

00:33:59.880 --> 00:34:00.300
 or single,

00:34:00.440 --> 00:34:01.280
 do you have this

00:34:01.280 --> 00:34:02.280
 devotion to the Lord?

00:34:03.220 --> 00:34:04.520
 I love Queenie's humility

00:34:04.520 --> 00:34:05.740
 when the very beginning,

00:34:05.960 --> 00:34:06.840
 when I asked her to talk

00:34:06.840 --> 00:34:07.720
 about undivided devotion,

00:34:07.820 --> 00:34:08.019
 she says,

00:34:08.099 --> 00:34:08.240
 actually,

00:34:08.300 --> 00:34:09.119
 I haven't got this,

00:34:09.480 --> 00:34:10.340
 I'm pursuing it.

00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:11.720
 Do you know what it reminds me of?

00:34:11.780 --> 00:34:12.420
 Philippians 3

00:34:12.420 --> 00:34:13.800
 and Paul says,

00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:14.440
 not that I've already

00:34:14.440 --> 00:34:14.940
 obtained this

00:34:14.940 --> 00:34:15.720
 or I'm already perfect,

00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:16.420
 but I press on

00:34:16.420 --> 00:34:17.220
 to make it my own

00:34:17.220 --> 00:34:18.019
 because Christ Jesus

00:34:18.019 --> 00:34:19.300
 made me his own.

00:34:19.300 --> 00:34:20.180
 brothers,

00:34:20.260 --> 00:34:20.860
 I do not consider

00:34:20.860 --> 00:34:22.440
 I have obtained this,

00:34:23.160 --> 00:34:23.780
 but I press on

00:34:23.780 --> 00:34:24.320
 toward the goal

00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:25.019
 of the upward call

00:34:25.019 --> 00:34:25.980
 of God in Christ Jesus.

00:34:26.880 --> 00:34:28.160
 Paul talks about that

00:34:28.160 --> 00:34:29.320
 undivided devotion

00:34:29.320 --> 00:34:30.660
 as an upward call

00:34:30.660 --> 00:34:32.260
 of God in Christ Jesus,

00:34:32.460 --> 00:34:33.480
 whether you are single

00:34:33.480 --> 00:34:34.660
 or whether you are married.

00:34:35.600 --> 00:34:36.120
 Do you,

00:34:36.900 --> 00:34:38.900
 do we have that?

00:34:40.620 --> 00:34:41.720
 There's something else here

00:34:41.720 --> 00:34:42.060
 which is,

00:34:42.200 --> 00:34:42.440
 actually,

00:34:42.580 --> 00:34:43.900
 you can be content

00:34:43.900 --> 00:34:44.860
 in singleness,

00:34:45.060 --> 00:34:46.560
 but also still desire

00:34:46.560 --> 00:34:47.280
 relationship.

00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:49.500
 They are not

00:34:49.500 --> 00:34:50.260
 mutually exclusive.

00:34:50.420 --> 00:34:51.800
 You can still be both.

00:34:53.180 --> 00:34:53.860
 Paul talks about this

00:34:53.860 --> 00:34:54.740
 in Philippians 4.

00:34:55.500 --> 00:34:55.700
 He says,

00:34:55.800 --> 00:34:56.860
 not that I'm speaking

00:34:56.860 --> 00:34:57.580
 of wanting

00:34:57.580 --> 00:34:58.920
 or speaking of being in need,

00:34:59.140 --> 00:34:59.760
 but I have learned

00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:00.580
 to be content

00:35:00.580 --> 00:35:01.580
 in whatever situation.

00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:02.900
 I know how to be brought low.

00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:03.680
 I know how to abound.

00:35:04.660 --> 00:35:05.019
 Actually,

00:35:05.300 --> 00:35:06.560
 there's many people

00:35:06.560 --> 00:35:07.260
 who believe that actually

00:35:07.260 --> 00:35:08.000
 Paul was married

00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:08.460
 at one point

00:35:08.460 --> 00:35:09.040
 because actually

00:35:09.040 --> 00:35:09.740
 the Jewish culture

00:35:09.740 --> 00:35:10.320
 at that time,

00:35:10.740 --> 00:35:11.420
 if you're going through

00:35:11.420 --> 00:35:12.280
 to become a Pharisee,

00:35:12.340 --> 00:35:13.360
 you will be assigned a wife.

00:35:13.700 --> 00:35:13.860
 Now,

00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:14.780
 he doesn't talk about it

00:35:14.780 --> 00:35:15.160
 at any point

00:35:15.160 --> 00:35:16.400
 and later in life,

00:35:16.780 --> 00:35:17.260
 whether it's through

00:35:17.260 --> 00:35:18.920
 being widowed

00:35:18.920 --> 00:35:19.520
 or divorced

00:35:19.520 --> 00:35:20.180
 or whatever it might be,

00:35:20.360 --> 00:35:20.740
 he's not.

00:35:21.160 --> 00:35:21.660
 So in some ways,

00:35:21.700 --> 00:35:22.280
 I'm thinking actually

00:35:22.280 --> 00:35:23.480
 Paul would have understood

00:35:23.480 --> 00:35:25.580
 both of these situations

00:35:25.580 --> 00:35:26.580
 because actually

00:35:26.580 --> 00:35:27.460
 commentators say

00:35:27.460 --> 00:35:28.060
 it would have been

00:35:28.060 --> 00:35:29.120
 very unlikely

00:35:29.120 --> 00:35:30.460
 for him not to have

00:35:30.460 --> 00:35:30.960
 been married off

00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:31.580
 in an early age

00:35:31.580 --> 00:35:32.660
 because that was the culture.

00:35:33.960 --> 00:35:34.160
 Now,

00:35:34.200 --> 00:35:34.920
 he doesn't talk about it

00:35:34.920 --> 00:35:35.340
 and we know

00:35:35.340 --> 00:35:36.060
 that he's a single man

00:35:36.060 --> 00:35:36.580
 at this point

00:35:36.580 --> 00:35:37.800
 when he's later in life,

00:35:37.840 --> 00:35:38.680
 when he's becoming

00:35:38.680 --> 00:35:39.900
 the most prolific church planter

00:35:39.900 --> 00:35:41.260
 in the whole of history.

00:35:42.120 --> 00:35:42.960
 So when he says,

00:35:43.060 --> 00:35:43.640
 not that I'm speaking

00:35:43.640 --> 00:35:44.380
 of being in need,

00:35:44.600 --> 00:35:45.080
 but I've learned

00:35:45.080 --> 00:35:45.780
 to be content

00:35:45.780 --> 00:35:46.720
 in whatever situation,

00:35:46.720 --> 00:35:47.780
 I know how to be

00:35:47.780 --> 00:35:48.120
 brought low

00:35:48.120 --> 00:35:49.120
 and I know how to abound.

00:35:49.320 --> 00:35:50.140
 It could easily be,

00:35:50.420 --> 00:35:51.160
 I know what it was like

00:35:51.160 --> 00:35:51.540
 to be married

00:35:51.540 --> 00:35:52.300
 and I know what it is like

00:35:52.300 --> 00:35:52.800
 to be single.

00:35:53.720 --> 00:35:54.260
 But in any

00:35:54.260 --> 00:35:55.160
 and every situation,

00:35:55.500 --> 00:35:55.940
 circumstance,

00:35:56.900 --> 00:35:57.260
 I have learned

00:35:57.260 --> 00:35:58.080
 the secret of facing

00:35:58.080 --> 00:35:58.820
 plenty and hunger,

00:35:58.920 --> 00:35:59.680
 abundance and need.

00:35:59.820 --> 00:36:01.000
 I can do all things

00:36:01.000 --> 00:36:01.600
 through him

00:36:01.600 --> 00:36:03.220
 who strengthens me.

00:36:03.900 --> 00:36:05.240
 Regardless of marital status,

00:36:05.400 --> 00:36:06.500
 Paul had an undivided

00:36:06.500 --> 00:36:07.820
 devotion to the Lord.

00:36:07.880 --> 00:36:08.940
 You can still desire

00:36:08.940 --> 00:36:11.040
 but also be content.

00:36:11.039 --> 00:36:13.759
 You can also still be content

00:36:13.759 --> 00:36:15.500
 but still struggle.

00:36:17.079 --> 00:36:17.320
 Okay?

00:36:17.619 --> 00:36:18.500
 We do not live

00:36:18.500 --> 00:36:19.599
 in a black and white world.

00:36:20.199 --> 00:36:21.699
 You can have these things.

00:36:21.900 --> 00:36:22.300
 You can say,

00:36:22.460 --> 00:36:24.920
 Lord, this is what I desire.

00:36:25.059 --> 00:36:25.679
 This is what I want.

00:36:25.759 --> 00:36:26.400
 Actually, C.S. Lewis

00:36:26.400 --> 00:36:27.719
 says a really interesting quote.

00:36:27.820 --> 00:36:28.019
 He says,

00:36:28.340 --> 00:36:28.920
 A woman's heart

00:36:28.920 --> 00:36:30.039
 should be so close to God

00:36:30.039 --> 00:36:31.300
 that a man should have

00:36:31.300 --> 00:36:32.779
 to chase him to find her.

00:36:33.340 --> 00:36:34.000
 A woman's heart

00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:35.039
 should be so close to God

00:36:35.039 --> 00:36:35.960
 that a man should have

00:36:35.960 --> 00:36:37.519
 to chase him to find her.

00:36:38.099 --> 00:36:38.759
 One of those cheesy

00:36:38.759 --> 00:36:39.440
 Instagram quotes

00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:40.300
 that you could see.

00:36:41.159 --> 00:36:41.860
 But it's C.S. Lewis

00:36:41.860 --> 00:36:42.420
 so it's okay.

00:36:42.579 --> 00:36:43.480
 Instagram wasn't created

00:36:43.480 --> 00:36:43.900
 at that point.

00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:47.079
 But you get the heart behind it.

00:36:48.380 --> 00:36:49.200
 What are you using

00:36:49.200 --> 00:36:50.380
 with whatever status you have?

00:36:51.300 --> 00:36:52.619
 Is it an undivided devotion

00:36:52.619 --> 00:36:54.320
 to the Lord?

00:36:54.700 --> 00:36:55.740
 The 10,000 hours

00:36:55.740 --> 00:36:56.360
 that you spend

00:36:56.360 --> 00:36:57.380
 doing whatever it is

00:36:57.380 --> 00:36:57.940
 that you're doing,

00:36:58.720 --> 00:37:00.340
 could it be used for him?

00:37:03.480 --> 00:37:04.139
 I think,

00:37:04.460 --> 00:37:07.260
 I think we struggle

00:37:07.260 --> 00:37:08.000
 to think about it

00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:08.860
 even for a single person.

00:37:08.860 --> 00:37:09.099
 Actually,

00:37:09.180 --> 00:37:09.720
 there are dangers

00:37:09.720 --> 00:37:10.320
 to being single.

00:37:10.740 --> 00:37:10.960
 Actually,

00:37:11.000 --> 00:37:11.700
 one of my best friends

00:37:11.700 --> 00:37:12.440
 in England is single.

00:37:13.780 --> 00:37:14.519
 Same age as me

00:37:14.519 --> 00:37:15.460
 and he's the godfather

00:37:15.460 --> 00:37:16.019
 to our children

00:37:16.019 --> 00:37:17.480
 and we talk about this a lot.

00:37:17.579 --> 00:37:17.840
 You know what?

00:37:17.880 --> 00:37:18.680
 One of the biggest dangers

00:37:18.680 --> 00:37:19.660
 and he'll admit this as well,

00:37:19.700 --> 00:37:20.579
 one of the biggest dangers

00:37:20.579 --> 00:37:21.640
 of being a single person,

00:37:22.380 --> 00:37:23.220
 self-centeredness.

00:37:24.500 --> 00:37:25.320
 Self-centeredness.

00:37:25.380 --> 00:37:26.220
 Everything just becomes

00:37:26.220 --> 00:37:26.660
 about you

00:37:26.660 --> 00:37:28.360
 because it is about you

00:37:28.360 --> 00:37:31.019
 and that's a dangerous place

00:37:31.019 --> 00:37:31.720
 to be.

00:37:33.079 --> 00:37:33.820
 One good thing

00:37:33.820 --> 00:37:34.820
 that comes out of a marriage,

00:37:35.120 --> 00:37:35.760
 if you can call it

00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:36.220
 a good thing,

00:37:37.340 --> 00:37:39.340
 is that you'll discover

00:37:39.340 --> 00:37:40.240
 problems that you never

00:37:40.240 --> 00:37:40.780
 knew existed.

00:37:42.040 --> 00:37:42.860
 You'll fight about things

00:37:42.860 --> 00:37:43.560
 that you never knew

00:37:43.560 --> 00:37:44.500
 you could even fight about.

00:37:44.800 --> 00:37:45.420
 Kenneth's just like,

00:37:45.680 --> 00:37:46.360
 preacher bro.

00:37:50.040 --> 00:37:51.200
 There's character flaws

00:37:51.200 --> 00:37:51.800
 in me

00:37:51.800 --> 00:37:54.480
 that actually I only realized

00:37:54.480 --> 00:37:55.660
 once I married Christina

00:37:55.659 --> 00:37:57.319
 and she lovingly,

00:37:57.579 --> 00:37:58.000
 graciously

00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:00.099
 points them out to me

00:38:00.099 --> 00:38:01.519
 on a fairly regular basis.

00:38:04.899 --> 00:38:05.920
 I have no choice.

00:38:06.440 --> 00:38:07.239
 Well, I still am

00:38:07.239 --> 00:38:09.239
 and I can have to confess

00:38:09.239 --> 00:38:10.639
 recently that I am selfish.

00:38:11.279 --> 00:38:12.019
 I am selfish

00:38:12.019 --> 00:38:13.539
 because I wasn't able

00:38:13.539 --> 00:38:14.679
 to do my own thing

00:38:14.679 --> 00:38:15.779
 on an evening anymore

00:38:15.779 --> 00:38:16.299
 because I've got

00:38:16.299 --> 00:38:17.519
 these other things

00:38:17.519 --> 00:38:18.099
 I have to do.

00:38:19.420 --> 00:38:19.779
 Man.

00:38:20.259 --> 00:38:21.199
 But when you're a single person,

00:38:21.299 --> 00:38:22.239
 that danger is even higher.

00:38:22.239 --> 00:38:22.679
 Higher.

00:38:24.399 --> 00:38:24.719
 You just,

00:38:24.879 --> 00:38:26.219
 you just becomes

00:38:26.219 --> 00:38:26.719
 absorbed

00:38:26.719 --> 00:38:28.119
 by the things of you.

00:38:29.159 --> 00:38:30.259
 You just keep thinking

00:38:30.259 --> 00:38:31.099
 about yourself.

00:38:32.399 --> 00:38:32.759
 Right?

00:38:34.939 --> 00:38:36.379
 But how can we release that?

00:38:36.659 --> 00:38:37.659
 How can we release that

00:38:37.659 --> 00:38:38.739
 so it's not just

00:38:38.739 --> 00:38:39.619
 about us

00:38:39.619 --> 00:38:40.299
 and actually

00:38:40.299 --> 00:38:40.779
 that

00:38:40.779 --> 00:38:42.479
 we have to ask ourselves

00:38:42.479 --> 00:38:42.919
 that question.

00:38:43.019 --> 00:38:43.639
 Why do we want

00:38:43.639 --> 00:38:44.339
 to be with someone?

00:38:44.419 --> 00:38:44.879
 If we are single,

00:38:44.959 --> 00:38:45.459
 why do we want

00:38:45.459 --> 00:38:45.959
 to be with someone?

00:38:46.059 --> 00:38:46.639
 Here's another question

00:38:46.639 --> 00:38:47.099
 that I found

00:38:47.099 --> 00:38:47.779
 that was interesting.

00:38:48.299 --> 00:38:49.279
 If your prayer

00:38:49.279 --> 00:38:50.139
 for a spouse

00:38:50.139 --> 00:38:50.979
 was answered,

00:38:50.980 --> 00:38:52.320
 would it change

00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:52.659
 the world

00:38:52.659 --> 00:38:53.219
 or would it change

00:38:53.219 --> 00:38:53.460
 yours?

00:38:55.159 --> 00:38:56.199
 If your prayer

00:38:56.199 --> 00:38:56.980
 for a spouse

00:38:56.980 --> 00:38:57.679
 is answered,

00:38:58.260 --> 00:38:59.619
 would it change

00:38:59.619 --> 00:39:00.119
 the world

00:39:00.119 --> 00:39:00.800
 or would it only

00:39:00.800 --> 00:39:01.619
 change your world?

00:39:02.760 --> 00:39:03.619
 That will reveal

00:39:03.619 --> 00:39:04.059
 to you

00:39:04.059 --> 00:39:05.639
 what you're actually

00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:05.980
 craving,

00:39:06.179 --> 00:39:06.780
 what you're actually

00:39:06.780 --> 00:39:07.320
 looking for.

00:39:10.679 --> 00:39:11.219
 Where is,

00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:12.280
 where is your heart

00:39:12.280 --> 00:39:12.619
 in this?

00:39:13.079 --> 00:39:13.679
 Where is my heart

00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:14.000
 in this?

00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:15.139
 In whatever circumstances

00:39:15.139 --> 00:39:15.639
 that the Lord

00:39:15.639 --> 00:39:16.219
 has given us.

00:39:16.980 --> 00:39:17.820
 If all of it

00:39:17.820 --> 00:39:18.260
 is to point

00:39:18.260 --> 00:39:18.699
 towards

00:39:18.699 --> 00:39:19.960
 that,

00:39:19.960 --> 00:39:21.659
 to press

00:39:21.659 --> 00:39:21.940
 on toward

00:39:21.940 --> 00:39:22.260
 the goal

00:39:22.260 --> 00:39:22.760
 of the upward

00:39:22.760 --> 00:39:23.340
 call of God

00:39:23.340 --> 00:39:23.960
 in Christ Jesus.

00:39:24.699 --> 00:39:25.360
 That's the prayer.

00:39:25.579 --> 00:39:26.059
 That's the thing

00:39:26.059 --> 00:39:26.599
 that I don't think

00:39:26.599 --> 00:39:27.260
 we as a church

00:39:27.260 --> 00:39:28.019
 are doing well enough

00:39:28.019 --> 00:39:29.380
 to call single people

00:39:29.380 --> 00:39:30.559
 or called married people

00:39:30.559 --> 00:39:31.720
 to the kingdom

00:39:31.720 --> 00:39:32.099
 of heaven

00:39:32.099 --> 00:39:33.900
 and saying,

00:39:34.019 --> 00:39:34.260
 man,

00:39:34.679 --> 00:39:35.639
 I know you have

00:39:35.639 --> 00:39:36.079
 this struggle

00:39:36.079 --> 00:39:37.599
 whichever way you are

00:39:37.599 --> 00:39:38.960
 in terms of your life

00:39:38.960 --> 00:39:39.380
 right now,

00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:40.740
 but how can we

00:39:40.740 --> 00:39:41.519
 call each other

00:39:41.519 --> 00:39:42.699
 higher to the things

00:39:42.699 --> 00:39:43.099
 of the kingdom

00:39:43.099 --> 00:39:43.440
 of heaven?

00:39:44.519 --> 00:39:45.159
 That's the most

00:39:45.159 --> 00:39:45.679
 important thing.

00:39:45.860 --> 00:39:46.340
 But there are

00:39:46.340 --> 00:39:47.199
 some extra questions

00:39:47.199 --> 00:39:47.639
 about this

00:39:47.639 --> 00:39:48.099
 that I want to

00:39:48.099 --> 00:39:49.019
 quickly tackle as well.

00:39:49.019 --> 00:39:50.900
 if you are single,

00:39:51.000 --> 00:39:51.159
 you're like,

00:39:51.199 --> 00:39:51.280
 well,

00:39:51.340 --> 00:39:51.840
 what about

00:39:51.840 --> 00:39:52.980
 my sexuality?

00:39:53.739 --> 00:39:55.139
 Created as a sexual being.

00:39:56.219 --> 00:39:57.099
 What about that?

00:39:57.960 --> 00:39:58.219
 Well,

00:39:58.239 --> 00:39:58.440
 again,

00:39:58.519 --> 00:39:59.039
 it points

00:39:59.039 --> 00:40:00.500
 to one thing

00:40:00.500 --> 00:40:01.179
 that is most important.

00:40:01.280 --> 00:40:01.860
 This whole book,

00:40:01.940 --> 00:40:03.039
 this marriage itself

00:40:03.039 --> 00:40:04.039
 points to what?

00:40:04.820 --> 00:40:05.759
 Points to the coming

00:40:05.759 --> 00:40:07.320
 return of Christ.

00:40:08.960 --> 00:40:09.400
 Jesus,

00:40:09.619 --> 00:40:10.119
 as the most

00:40:10.119 --> 00:40:11.159
 complete single man,

00:40:11.219 --> 00:40:11.800
 the most content

00:40:11.800 --> 00:40:12.519
 single man,

00:40:13.300 --> 00:40:14.000
 talks about

00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:14.840
 the church

00:40:14.840 --> 00:40:16.619
 and his future return

00:40:16.619 --> 00:40:18.019
 in terms of bridegroom

00:40:18.019 --> 00:40:18.500
 and bride.

00:40:19.759 --> 00:40:20.519
 And he says,

00:40:20.679 --> 00:40:20.800
 hey,

00:40:20.820 --> 00:40:21.480
 I'm coming back.

00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:23.019
 And actually,

00:40:23.099 --> 00:40:23.340
 the author,

00:40:23.460 --> 00:40:23.920
 Sam Albury,

00:40:24.059 --> 00:40:24.880
 who actually writes

00:40:24.880 --> 00:40:25.280
 the book called

00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:26.320
 Seven Myths of Singleness,

00:40:26.579 --> 00:40:27.059
 says this,

00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:28.780
 we are created

00:40:28.780 --> 00:40:29.599
 as sexual beings

00:40:29.599 --> 00:40:31.239
 and we have that desire

00:40:31.239 --> 00:40:31.920
 to be fruitful

00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:32.679
 and to multiply.

00:40:32.900 --> 00:40:33.800
 That is part of it.

00:40:34.179 --> 00:40:34.900
 On a side note,

00:40:34.980 --> 00:40:35.460
 for single people

00:40:35.460 --> 00:40:36.539
 who don't have kids yet

00:40:36.539 --> 00:40:38.019
 or who will never have kids,

00:40:38.659 --> 00:40:39.800
 you have a spiritual family

00:40:39.800 --> 00:40:40.860
 here with children

00:40:40.860 --> 00:40:41.780
 that are in desperate

00:40:41.780 --> 00:40:42.559
 need of discipling.

00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:44.039
 How can you contribute

00:40:44.039 --> 00:40:45.099
 to the growth

00:40:45.099 --> 00:40:46.519
 of the next generation

00:40:46.519 --> 00:40:47.179
 growing up

00:40:47.179 --> 00:40:47.920
 in this family?

00:40:48.219 --> 00:40:49.019
 That you have something

00:40:49.019 --> 00:40:50.179
 that you actually have

00:40:50.179 --> 00:40:50.759
 to teach them

00:40:50.759 --> 00:40:51.819
 and to guide them with?

00:40:52.500 --> 00:40:53.360
 To dispel

00:40:53.360 --> 00:40:54.079
 some of the myths

00:40:54.079 --> 00:40:56.019
 and some of the misconceptions

00:40:56.019 --> 00:40:57.420
 of what even singleness

00:40:57.420 --> 00:40:58.059
 and marriage is.

00:40:58.259 --> 00:40:59.199
 You have a role to play.

00:40:59.319 --> 00:41:00.380
 Are you actively playing

00:41:00.380 --> 00:41:01.099
 that role

00:41:01.099 --> 00:41:01.860
 to bring up

00:41:01.860 --> 00:41:03.460
 the future generation?

00:41:03.980 --> 00:41:04.539
 But when it comes

00:41:04.539 --> 00:41:05.000
 to sexuality,

00:41:05.139 --> 00:41:06.039
 Sam Albury says this,

00:41:06.259 --> 00:41:06.500
 actually,

00:41:06.779 --> 00:41:07.880
 allow our sexuality

00:41:07.880 --> 00:41:08.880
 to be the thing

00:41:08.880 --> 00:41:10.039
 that points us

00:41:10.039 --> 00:41:11.599
 to the greater consummation,

00:41:11.980 --> 00:41:12.679
 which is the day

00:41:12.679 --> 00:41:13.599
 that Jesus comes back

00:41:13.599 --> 00:41:14.159
 for his bride.

00:41:14.659 --> 00:41:15.900
 The moment you feel

00:41:15.900 --> 00:41:16.819
 those things,

00:41:17.839 --> 00:41:18.759
 the moment you feel

00:41:18.759 --> 00:41:20.339
 and reminded of your flesh,

00:41:20.659 --> 00:41:21.639
 use it as a chance

00:41:21.639 --> 00:41:22.579
 to point you

00:41:22.579 --> 00:41:24.940
 to the greatest consummation

00:41:24.940 --> 00:41:26.019
 that Christ is coming back

00:41:26.019 --> 00:41:26.839
 and when he's coming back

00:41:26.839 --> 00:41:27.400
 from his bride,

00:41:27.619 --> 00:41:28.199
 that will be

00:41:28.199 --> 00:41:29.400
 the true satisfaction,

00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:29.860
 that will be

00:41:29.860 --> 00:41:31.059
 the true fulfillment

00:41:31.059 --> 00:41:32.400
 that we're all

00:41:32.400 --> 00:41:33.199
 actually craving for.

00:41:33.920 --> 00:41:34.679
 Something else

00:41:34.679 --> 00:41:35.380
 about that

00:41:35.380 --> 00:41:37.980
 is married people

00:41:37.980 --> 00:41:39.440
 also have the same

00:41:39.440 --> 00:41:40.559
 sexual temptations.

00:41:40.819 --> 00:41:41.779
 Why are divorce rates

00:41:41.779 --> 00:41:42.639
 at their highest?

00:41:42.639 --> 00:41:45.059
 why are so many marriages

00:41:45.059 --> 00:41:45.839
 falling apart?

00:41:46.199 --> 00:41:46.639
 It's because

00:41:46.639 --> 00:41:47.699
 just because you're married,

00:41:47.799 --> 00:41:48.719
 it does not mean

00:41:48.719 --> 00:41:49.359
 that you suddenly

00:41:49.359 --> 00:41:50.900
 have no sexual temptations.

00:41:52.339 --> 00:41:53.319
 Quite the opposite

00:41:53.319 --> 00:41:54.339
 sometimes.

00:41:56.400 --> 00:41:56.920
 Again,

00:41:56.980 --> 00:41:57.779
 it's the same thing.

00:41:58.400 --> 00:41:59.379
 Single or married,

00:42:00.099 --> 00:42:00.699
 which you allow

00:42:00.699 --> 00:42:01.339
 your sexuality

00:42:01.339 --> 00:42:02.500
 to point you

00:42:02.500 --> 00:42:04.480
 to the coming

00:42:04.480 --> 00:42:05.500
 of Christ.

00:42:07.539 --> 00:42:08.579
 Let's not turn sex

00:42:08.579 --> 00:42:09.779
 into the evil thing

00:42:09.780 --> 00:42:10.240
 is because,

00:42:10.460 --> 00:42:10.800
 remember,

00:42:10.980 --> 00:42:11.720
 God Almighty,

00:42:11.920 --> 00:42:12.720
 the creator of heaven

00:42:12.720 --> 00:42:12.960
 and earth,

00:42:13.120 --> 00:42:13.600
 was the one

00:42:13.600 --> 00:42:14.400
 that created it.

00:42:14.660 --> 00:42:14.860
 Why?

00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:16.000
 To point people

00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:16.640
 to Christ.

00:42:16.700 --> 00:42:17.420
 Marriage is only

00:42:17.420 --> 00:42:17.880
 an earthly,

00:42:18.240 --> 00:42:19.200
 temporary construct.

00:42:19.480 --> 00:42:20.019
 The whole point

00:42:20.019 --> 00:42:20.600
 of two people

00:42:20.600 --> 00:42:21.220
 getting together

00:42:21.220 --> 00:42:21.740
 to be married

00:42:21.740 --> 00:42:22.560
 is so that other

00:42:22.560 --> 00:42:23.560
 people can see

00:42:23.560 --> 00:42:24.360
 that actually

00:42:24.360 --> 00:42:25.460
 this is the kind

00:42:25.460 --> 00:42:25.660
 of love,

00:42:25.700 --> 00:42:26.580
 this is a reflection

00:42:26.580 --> 00:42:27.660
 of the kind of love

00:42:27.660 --> 00:42:28.260
 that God has

00:42:28.260 --> 00:42:28.880
 for his people.

00:42:29.900 --> 00:42:30.519
 And the moment

00:42:30.519 --> 00:42:31.560
 that served its purpose,

00:42:31.700 --> 00:42:32.500
 when God returns,

00:42:32.940 --> 00:42:33.880
 there is no need

00:42:33.880 --> 00:42:34.519
 for marriage anymore.

00:42:35.199 --> 00:42:35.840
 There is no need

00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:37.300
 for sex anymore.

00:42:39.800 --> 00:42:41.059
 We still have to fight

00:42:41.059 --> 00:42:42.759
 those same temptations

00:42:42.759 --> 00:42:43.199
 whether you are

00:42:43.199 --> 00:42:43.820
 single or married.

00:42:44.179 --> 00:42:45.079
 But use it

00:42:45.079 --> 00:42:46.079
 the way you were created

00:42:46.079 --> 00:42:47.119
 to point yourself,

00:42:47.219 --> 00:42:48.019
 to remind yourself,

00:42:48.099 --> 00:42:49.039
 to remind ourselves

00:42:49.039 --> 00:42:51.820
 of the day

00:42:51.820 --> 00:42:52.559
 that Jesus returns.

00:42:53.000 --> 00:42:53.759
 And the second question

00:42:53.759 --> 00:42:54.579
 is what about intimacy?

00:42:56.099 --> 00:42:57.380
 If we were made

00:42:57.380 --> 00:42:58.039
 for a relationship,

00:42:58.199 --> 00:42:58.599
 then man,

00:42:58.719 --> 00:42:59.340
 without a spouse,

00:42:59.440 --> 00:42:59.940
 without someone,

00:43:00.380 --> 00:43:01.360
 I don't have

00:43:01.360 --> 00:43:02.719
 the intimacy.

00:43:02.719 --> 00:43:04.279
 Well, let me dispel

00:43:04.279 --> 00:43:05.339
 another thing

00:43:05.339 --> 00:43:06.559
 that movies seem

00:43:06.559 --> 00:43:07.679
 to promote a lot,

00:43:07.779 --> 00:43:08.739
 which is when you have sex,

00:43:08.799 --> 00:43:09.439
 you have intimacy.

00:43:09.699 --> 00:43:11.079
 You can have a lot of sex

00:43:11.079 --> 00:43:11.819
 and have zero,

00:43:12.399 --> 00:43:14.039
 zero intimacy.

00:43:15.519 --> 00:43:16.959
 Intimacy is not something

00:43:16.959 --> 00:43:18.539
 that is tied to sexuality.

00:43:19.039 --> 00:43:21.759
 If this is supposed to be

00:43:21.759 --> 00:43:22.959
 what it's supposed to be,

00:43:24.219 --> 00:43:25.519
 there will be people here

00:43:25.519 --> 00:43:26.579
 as friends,

00:43:26.919 --> 00:43:27.639
 as family,

00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:29.799
 who can help bring you

00:43:29.799 --> 00:43:31.779
 into an intimate relationship

00:43:31.780 --> 00:43:32.780
 where when you are

00:43:32.780 --> 00:43:33.560
 going through sugar calls,

00:43:33.600 --> 00:43:34.720
 when there are rainy days,

00:43:34.840 --> 00:43:36.120
 you can call

00:43:36.120 --> 00:43:37.180
 and you can speak to,

00:43:38.040 --> 00:43:40.240
 just like a married person

00:43:40.240 --> 00:43:41.360
 has to speak

00:43:41.360 --> 00:43:42.240
 to their spouse at home

00:43:42.240 --> 00:43:43.980
 when they're going

00:43:43.980 --> 00:43:44.640
 through the same thing.

00:43:45.620 --> 00:43:46.980
 The question is,

00:43:47.260 --> 00:43:48.820
 how are we promoting,

00:43:48.940 --> 00:43:49.780
 how are we pursuing

00:43:49.780 --> 00:43:51.600
 intimacy between

00:43:51.600 --> 00:43:52.980
 the people here

00:43:52.980 --> 00:43:53.560
 in this room,

00:43:54.400 --> 00:43:55.220
 the people that we've

00:43:55.220 --> 00:43:56.460
 chosen to gather?

00:43:56.920 --> 00:43:57.660
 Some marriages

00:43:57.660 --> 00:43:59.280
 don't have intimacy

00:43:59.280 --> 00:44:00.420
 at all.

00:44:00.420 --> 00:44:02.559
 It's not a given.

00:44:03.500 --> 00:44:03.900
 Again,

00:44:04.180 --> 00:44:04.880
 whether you're single

00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:05.940
 or married.

00:44:06.820 --> 00:44:07.639
 Psalm Albury says this

00:44:07.639 --> 00:44:08.539
 and this is where he finishes

00:44:08.539 --> 00:44:09.059
 and I'll finish

00:44:09.059 --> 00:44:10.260
 with this final story here.

00:44:10.480 --> 00:44:10.700
 He says,

00:44:10.780 --> 00:44:11.980
 if marriage shows you

00:44:11.980 --> 00:44:12.940
 the shape of the gospel,

00:44:13.400 --> 00:44:14.980
 singleness shows you

00:44:14.980 --> 00:44:15.720
 its sufficiency.

00:44:16.480 --> 00:44:17.079
 That the gospel

00:44:17.079 --> 00:44:18.380
 is sufficient for you,

00:44:18.639 --> 00:44:20.659
 you as a single human being.

00:44:20.980 --> 00:44:21.599
 Marriage will show you

00:44:21.599 --> 00:44:22.320
 the shape of the gospel

00:44:22.320 --> 00:44:22.960
 and how you're supposed

00:44:22.960 --> 00:44:23.840
 to die for one another

00:44:23.840 --> 00:44:25.320
 even when you don't deserve it,

00:44:25.480 --> 00:44:26.639
 but singleness will show you

00:44:26.639 --> 00:44:27.139
 its sufficiency,

00:44:27.280 --> 00:44:28.019
 that this is actually

00:44:28.019 --> 00:44:28.619
 all you need.

00:44:30.139 --> 00:44:31.280
 This does not make you

00:44:31.280 --> 00:44:32.699
 any less of a person.

00:44:34.699 --> 00:44:35.679
 Marriage and singleness

00:44:35.679 --> 00:44:37.340
 are both a gift

00:44:37.340 --> 00:44:39.000
 and that is the good news.

00:44:39.360 --> 00:44:40.000
 The problem is

00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:41.099
 we have a low view

00:44:41.099 --> 00:44:41.880
 of marriage

00:44:41.880 --> 00:44:43.199
 and we have a low view

00:44:43.199 --> 00:44:44.119
 of singleness.

00:44:44.500 --> 00:44:44.739
 Why?

00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:46.199
 Because we have a low view

00:44:46.199 --> 00:44:46.900
 of who God is.

00:44:48.059 --> 00:44:49.219
 When you discover

00:44:49.219 --> 00:44:50.380
 who God truly is,

00:44:50.539 --> 00:44:51.380
 and that song that we sang,

00:44:51.440 --> 00:44:52.039
 the first song,

00:44:52.360 --> 00:44:53.199
 the goodness of God,

00:44:53.199 --> 00:44:54.460
 when you truly discover

00:44:54.460 --> 00:44:55.559
 the goodness of God,

00:44:55.780 --> 00:44:56.500
 you will discover

00:44:56.500 --> 00:44:57.360
 the goodness of marriage

00:44:57.360 --> 00:44:58.000
 and you will discover

00:44:58.000 --> 00:44:58.920
 the goodness of singleness.

00:44:59.900 --> 00:45:02.220
 It starts as it always does.

00:45:02.700 --> 00:45:05.079
 It ends as it always does

00:45:05.079 --> 00:45:06.240
 with God.

00:45:07.079 --> 00:45:08.500
 The question for us is,

00:45:08.599 --> 00:45:09.960
 do we truly realize that?

00:45:10.400 --> 00:45:12.280
 Or have we let our own lives

00:45:12.280 --> 00:45:13.740
 catch us in this spiral

00:45:13.740 --> 00:45:14.640
 where we're just thinking

00:45:14.640 --> 00:45:15.380
 about ourselves?

00:45:16.620 --> 00:45:17.519
 And it's funny,

00:45:18.039 --> 00:45:18.740
 Jesus says this,

00:45:18.900 --> 00:45:21.500
 when you lose yourself,

00:45:21.559 --> 00:45:22.400
 that's when you'll gain

00:45:22.400 --> 00:45:24.260
 the true abundant life.

00:45:24.260 --> 00:45:27.680
 So many of us,

00:45:28.280 --> 00:45:29.560
 regardless of marital status,

00:45:30.100 --> 00:45:31.780
 have to be reminded of that.

00:45:31.900 --> 00:45:33.300
 When we have this undivided

00:45:33.300 --> 00:45:34.080
 devotion to the Lord,

00:45:34.160 --> 00:45:35.060
 that is when we'll see Him.

00:45:35.160 --> 00:45:36.400
 Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount,

00:45:36.800 --> 00:45:37.500
 Matthew 5, 8,

00:45:37.560 --> 00:45:37.780
 says,

00:45:38.140 --> 00:45:39.440
 those who are pure in heart,

00:45:40.360 --> 00:45:40.940
 they shall what?

00:45:42.120 --> 00:45:42.740
 See God.

00:45:44.120 --> 00:45:45.020
 Those who are pure in heart,

00:45:45.100 --> 00:45:46.640
 they shall see God.

00:45:47.380 --> 00:45:47.640
 Now,

00:45:47.740 --> 00:45:48.480
 for a young man

00:45:48.480 --> 00:45:49.840
 growing up in this culture,

00:45:51.020 --> 00:45:51.900
 we straight away,

00:45:51.900 --> 00:45:53.599
 we know what being pure in heart is,

00:45:53.619 --> 00:45:54.639
 and we know that we are not

00:45:54.639 --> 00:45:55.300
 pure in heart.

00:45:55.820 --> 00:45:57.019
 And there is a side

00:45:57.019 --> 00:45:58.360
 to sexual temptation there

00:45:58.360 --> 00:45:59.740
 that is true.

00:46:00.160 --> 00:46:01.320
 But I'm not entirely sure

00:46:01.320 --> 00:46:01.860
 that's what Jesus

00:46:01.860 --> 00:46:02.519
 was talking about.

00:46:03.300 --> 00:46:03.960
 When He says,

00:46:04.639 --> 00:46:05.160
 blessed are those

00:46:05.160 --> 00:46:06.440
 who are pure in heart,

00:46:06.519 --> 00:46:07.380
 for they shall see God.

00:46:07.820 --> 00:46:08.519
 Blessed are those

00:46:08.519 --> 00:46:09.820
 who are single-heartedly

00:46:09.820 --> 00:46:11.760
 devoted to seeing Him,

00:46:12.320 --> 00:46:13.300
 because if you are,

00:46:13.660 --> 00:46:14.700
 then you shall see Him.

00:46:16.300 --> 00:46:17.280
 Blessed are those

00:46:17.280 --> 00:46:19.119
 who have an undivided devotion

00:46:19.119 --> 00:46:20.619
 to the Kingdom of Heaven,

00:46:20.619 --> 00:46:21.480
 who seek first

00:46:21.480 --> 00:46:22.159
 the Kingdom of God

00:46:22.159 --> 00:46:22.900
 and His righteousness,

00:46:23.420 --> 00:46:24.480
 and at that point,

00:46:24.599 --> 00:46:25.299
 everything else

00:46:25.299 --> 00:46:26.460
 will be added.

00:46:27.420 --> 00:46:28.179
 I want to finish

00:46:28.179 --> 00:46:28.719
 with a story

00:46:28.719 --> 00:46:30.039
 of a eunuch.

00:46:30.519 --> 00:46:31.119
 And you guys will know

00:46:31.119 --> 00:46:32.199
 this is one of my favorite stories

00:46:32.199 --> 00:46:32.619
 in the Bible.

00:46:32.739 --> 00:46:33.259
 It's Acts 8.

00:46:34.279 --> 00:46:35.159
 It's about Philip,

00:46:35.380 --> 00:46:36.279
 the evangelist.

00:46:36.719 --> 00:46:37.839
 And I love telling this story,

00:46:37.900 --> 00:46:38.539
 because in Acts 8,

00:46:38.659 --> 00:46:39.099
 this is Philip,

00:46:39.179 --> 00:46:39.759
 the evangelist,

00:46:40.299 --> 00:46:40.440
 he,

00:46:40.920 --> 00:46:42.659
 the apostles and disciples

00:46:42.659 --> 00:46:43.599
 are getting persecuted,

00:46:43.739 --> 00:46:44.500
 so they have to scatter

00:46:44.500 --> 00:46:45.619
 and leave Jerusalem.

00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:46.739
 They have to leave

00:46:46.739 --> 00:46:47.659
 the city that they love,

00:46:47.900 --> 00:46:48.559
 and they have to go.

00:46:48.900 --> 00:46:49.599
 And they're terrified,

00:46:49.599 --> 00:46:50.380
 because this could be

00:46:50.380 --> 00:46:51.139
 the end of their lives.

00:46:52.279 --> 00:46:53.179
 And then something fascinating,

00:46:53.299 --> 00:46:53.960
 because Paul, actually,

00:46:54.319 --> 00:46:55.679
 funny story there,

00:46:56.719 --> 00:46:57.219
 Paul's the one

00:46:57.219 --> 00:46:57.920
 who's chasing them down

00:46:57.920 --> 00:46:58.519
 and trying to kill them.

00:46:58.839 --> 00:46:59.920
 Philip is an interesting one.

00:46:59.960 --> 00:47:00.619
 He runs away.

00:47:00.940 --> 00:47:01.500
 And you'd think

00:47:01.500 --> 00:47:02.480
 he'd stay down low,

00:47:02.579 --> 00:47:03.500
 on the down low,

00:47:03.579 --> 00:47:04.019
 and low key,

00:47:04.139 --> 00:47:04.559
 and just kind of

00:47:04.559 --> 00:47:05.319
 try and keep his life

00:47:05.319 --> 00:47:05.940
 and preserve his life.

00:47:06.119 --> 00:47:06.559
 He doesn't.

00:47:06.719 --> 00:47:07.599
 He goes into Samaria,

00:47:07.759 --> 00:47:08.500
 and he continues

00:47:08.500 --> 00:47:09.500
 to preach the good news.

00:47:09.679 --> 00:47:10.400
 He can't stop.

00:47:10.460 --> 00:47:11.460
 He has this undivided

00:47:11.460 --> 00:47:12.860
 devotion to the Lord.

00:47:13.480 --> 00:47:14.139
 And then he has

00:47:14.139 --> 00:47:14.759
 this magical thing

00:47:14.759 --> 00:47:15.799
 which we all hope for.

00:47:15.880 --> 00:47:16.360
 For those of us

00:47:16.360 --> 00:47:17.019
 who are asking God,

00:47:17.019 --> 00:47:17.860
 how can I serve you?

00:47:18.079 --> 00:47:19.179
 He has this moment

00:47:19.179 --> 00:47:20.699
 where God zaps him,

00:47:21.059 --> 00:47:22.400
 literally zaps him

00:47:22.400 --> 00:47:23.500
 to a different road.

00:47:24.219 --> 00:47:24.780
 I would love

00:47:24.780 --> 00:47:25.460
 for that to happen.

00:47:26.159 --> 00:47:26.539
 For God,

00:47:26.599 --> 00:47:27.579
 use me however you want.

00:47:27.739 --> 00:47:28.179
 Take me.

00:47:28.519 --> 00:47:29.460
 Like, zap me to Hawaii

00:47:29.460 --> 00:47:30.079
 right now.

00:47:31.360 --> 00:47:32.320
 There are bartenders

00:47:32.320 --> 00:47:32.960
 at the beach club

00:47:32.960 --> 00:47:33.840
 that need the gospel.

00:47:35.619 --> 00:47:36.539
 And I would love

00:47:36.539 --> 00:47:37.179
 for that to happen,

00:47:37.300 --> 00:47:38.159
 yet it often doesn't happen

00:47:38.159 --> 00:47:38.780
 because I don't have

00:47:38.780 --> 00:47:39.440
 the faith of Philip.

00:47:39.679 --> 00:47:40.259
 Because if someone

00:47:40.259 --> 00:47:41.000
 was trying to kill me,

00:47:41.259 --> 00:47:42.079
 I'm lying low.

00:47:42.759 --> 00:47:43.599
 But he doesn't lie low.

00:47:43.679 --> 00:47:44.699
 He goes into enemy territory

00:47:44.699 --> 00:47:45.480
 and he carries on.

00:47:45.819 --> 00:47:46.779
 So God zaps him.

00:47:47.340 --> 00:47:48.139
 He moves.

00:47:48.380 --> 00:47:49.619
 He guides the moving car

00:47:49.619 --> 00:47:51.940
 to this Ethiopian eunuch.

00:47:52.199 --> 00:47:52.980
 And that's kind of the story

00:47:52.980 --> 00:47:53.860
 I often like to tell.

00:47:53.980 --> 00:47:54.480
 Actually, man,

00:47:54.619 --> 00:47:55.380
 Philip's heart

00:47:55.380 --> 00:47:56.779
 just constantly moving,

00:47:57.039 --> 00:47:57.679
 not afraid.

00:47:57.739 --> 00:47:58.219
 I love this.

00:47:58.519 --> 00:47:59.219
 But I want to finish

00:47:59.219 --> 00:48:00.500
 with the story of the eunuch.

00:48:01.139 --> 00:48:02.199
 The guy who's in the chariot.

00:48:03.079 --> 00:48:03.299
 Okay?

00:48:04.000 --> 00:48:04.980
 Tell you a little bit more

00:48:04.980 --> 00:48:05.860
 about this guy.

00:48:06.860 --> 00:48:08.019
 He was essentially

00:48:08.019 --> 00:48:09.460
 the CFO

00:48:09.460 --> 00:48:10.960
 of his kingdom.

00:48:11.579 --> 00:48:12.300
 He's a eunuch,

00:48:12.460 --> 00:48:14.240
 which means he has no hope

00:48:14.240 --> 00:48:15.840
 of a family at all.

00:48:15.880 --> 00:48:17.059
 And he's a very powerful man.

00:48:17.139 --> 00:48:18.559
 The queen has entrusted

00:48:18.559 --> 00:48:19.820
 all the nation's treasures

00:48:19.820 --> 00:48:20.699
 to this guy.

00:48:21.400 --> 00:48:21.659
 And actually,

00:48:21.760 --> 00:48:22.380
 let me turn to it now

00:48:22.380 --> 00:48:23.820
 just so we can follow through.

00:48:23.900 --> 00:48:24.619
 If you've got it as well,

00:48:24.699 --> 00:48:25.539
 I want you to turn to it

00:48:25.539 --> 00:48:26.139
 because I think

00:48:26.139 --> 00:48:27.240
 there's things here

00:48:27.240 --> 00:48:29.119
 that often we skip through.

00:48:29.980 --> 00:48:31.940
 Acts 8, verse 27,

00:48:32.220 --> 00:48:32.720
 and he rose,

00:48:32.840 --> 00:48:33.699
 so he gets zapped

00:48:33.699 --> 00:48:34.720
 into a desert place,

00:48:34.840 --> 00:48:35.500
 not quite Hawaii,

00:48:35.599 --> 00:48:36.460
 but he goes to a desert place

00:48:36.460 --> 00:48:37.619
 and he rose and went

00:48:37.619 --> 00:48:39.039
 and there was an Ethiopian,

00:48:39.159 --> 00:48:39.599
 a eunuch,

00:48:39.699 --> 00:48:40.940
 a court official of Candace,

00:48:40.960 --> 00:48:42.059
 queen of the Ethiopians,

00:48:42.179 --> 00:48:43.179
 who was in charge

00:48:43.179 --> 00:48:44.340
 of all her treasure.

00:48:44.539 --> 00:48:46.280
 This was an important man.

00:48:46.940 --> 00:48:48.539
 This was a very important man

00:48:48.539 --> 00:48:50.780
 who had castrated himself

00:48:50.780 --> 00:48:51.900
 for the kingdom

00:48:51.900 --> 00:48:53.039
 for Queen Candace

00:48:53.039 --> 00:48:54.500
 and was basically looking

00:48:54.500 --> 00:48:55.480
 after all her treasure.

00:48:56.099 --> 00:48:56.320
 Okay?

00:48:56.539 --> 00:48:57.599
 That's the context

00:48:57.599 --> 00:48:58.639
 of this man.

00:48:59.679 --> 00:49:01.179
 He had come to Jerusalem

00:49:01.179 --> 00:49:01.900
 to worship

00:49:01.900 --> 00:49:03.159
 and was returning

00:49:03.159 --> 00:49:04.440
 seated in his chariot.

00:49:05.099 --> 00:49:06.639
 So he'd gone to Jerusalem

00:49:06.639 --> 00:49:07.340
 from Ethiopia,

00:49:07.340 --> 00:49:08.960
 which actually would have been

00:49:08.960 --> 00:49:10.440
 a long, long ride.

00:49:11.900 --> 00:49:13.140
 And he's gone on his way back

00:49:13.140 --> 00:49:14.860
 and Philip has this moment

00:49:14.860 --> 00:49:15.380
 with him where

00:49:15.380 --> 00:49:16.280
 Philip is zapped

00:49:16.280 --> 00:49:17.340
 to this desert road

00:49:17.340 --> 00:49:19.260
 and then goes to speak to him.

00:49:20.100 --> 00:49:21.579
 And what does the Ethiopian say?

00:49:22.220 --> 00:49:22.980
 What does Philip say?

00:49:24.140 --> 00:49:24.660
 Philip says,

00:49:24.720 --> 00:49:25.220
 hey, do you know,

00:49:25.300 --> 00:49:25.740
 do you understand

00:49:25.740 --> 00:49:26.280
 what you're reading?

00:49:26.500 --> 00:49:27.000
 Verse 30.

00:49:27.700 --> 00:49:28.800
 Because he's reading a scroll.

00:49:28.880 --> 00:49:30.120
 He's reading the scroll of Isaiah,

00:49:30.280 --> 00:49:31.059
 which isn't a nice,

00:49:31.120 --> 00:49:31.800
 tidy book like this.

00:49:31.840 --> 00:49:33.000
 It's probably just all scrolled up,

00:49:33.059 --> 00:49:34.559
 just a huge manuscript.

00:49:34.559 --> 00:49:35.719
 He's just reading it.

00:49:37.320 --> 00:49:38.079
 A few years ago,

00:49:38.159 --> 00:49:39.440
 I understood a little bit more

00:49:39.440 --> 00:49:40.320
 of the context of this.

00:49:41.019 --> 00:49:42.340
 This Ethiopian official,

00:49:42.639 --> 00:49:44.259
 who was an incredibly powerful man,

00:49:45.059 --> 00:49:47.440
 had all the nation's money

00:49:47.440 --> 00:49:48.380
 at his disposal,

00:49:48.779 --> 00:49:49.460
 but was a eunuch,

00:49:49.519 --> 00:49:50.639
 so he had no hope

00:49:50.639 --> 00:49:51.139
 or a future

00:49:51.139 --> 00:49:51.900
 for his own family.

00:49:52.940 --> 00:49:54.440
 He leaves that

00:49:54.440 --> 00:49:57.199
 and takes a sabbatical

00:49:57.199 --> 00:49:59.659
 to go to Jerusalem.

00:50:01.019 --> 00:50:02.179
 Can we just pause there

00:50:02.179 --> 00:50:02.759
 and just have a think?

00:50:02.820 --> 00:50:04.000
 What's going on in his heart?

00:50:04.559 --> 00:50:08.820
 He's the chief financial officer

00:50:08.820 --> 00:50:09.860
 for Queen Candace,

00:50:10.019 --> 00:50:11.259
 has everything that he needs.

00:50:11.320 --> 00:50:12.579
 Yeah, he won't have children,

00:50:13.440 --> 00:50:15.199
 but there's something going on

00:50:15.199 --> 00:50:15.940
 in his heart

00:50:15.940 --> 00:50:17.059
 that is like,

00:50:17.400 --> 00:50:18.219
 guys, I've got to take

00:50:18.219 --> 00:50:18.960
 a few months off

00:50:18.960 --> 00:50:20.599
 and I've got to travel

00:50:20.599 --> 00:50:21.239
 to Jerusalem

00:50:21.239 --> 00:50:23.460
 because there's something

00:50:23.460 --> 00:50:24.519
 going on inside me

00:50:24.519 --> 00:50:25.380
 that I'm hungry for,

00:50:25.440 --> 00:50:26.279
 that I'm desperate for,

00:50:26.799 --> 00:50:28.239
 that I can't have

00:50:28.239 --> 00:50:28.900
 even though I have

00:50:28.900 --> 00:50:29.779
 all this money

00:50:29.779 --> 00:50:30.500
 at my disposal.

00:50:30.500 --> 00:50:32.400
 So he makes this journey

00:50:32.400 --> 00:50:33.340
 from Ethiopia

00:50:33.340 --> 00:50:35.280
 to Jerusalem.

00:50:36.280 --> 00:50:37.320
 But here's the problem.

00:50:38.380 --> 00:50:39.780
 According to Old Testament law,

00:50:40.280 --> 00:50:41.340
 eunuchs are not allowed

00:50:41.340 --> 00:50:42.619
 in the temple.

00:50:43.880 --> 00:50:45.320
 I don't know whether he

00:50:45.320 --> 00:50:47.420
 knew that beforehand,

00:50:47.719 --> 00:50:48.800
 so was heading there

00:50:48.800 --> 00:50:49.699
 to see if he could

00:50:49.699 --> 00:50:51.420
 just sneak in,

00:50:51.420 --> 00:50:54.519
 or whether he didn't know

00:50:54.519 --> 00:50:55.240
 and he would have been

00:50:55.240 --> 00:50:56.180
 turned around at the door.

00:50:57.780 --> 00:50:58.480
 Either way,

00:50:59.039 --> 00:51:00.019
 look at his response

00:51:00.019 --> 00:51:01.139
 when Philip says to him,

00:51:01.240 --> 00:51:01.880
 do you understand

00:51:01.880 --> 00:51:02.480
 what you're reading?

00:51:02.579 --> 00:51:03.400
 And so he's reading

00:51:03.400 --> 00:51:04.840
 the scroll of Isaiah

00:51:04.840 --> 00:51:06.159
 as he's going home.

00:51:07.119 --> 00:51:07.440
 Unlikely,

00:51:07.519 --> 00:51:08.599
 a two, three month journey

00:51:08.599 --> 00:51:09.460
 back home

00:51:09.460 --> 00:51:10.639
 and his colleagues

00:51:10.639 --> 00:51:11.019
 are going to go,

00:51:11.019 --> 00:51:11.800
 oh, what did you do?

00:51:11.920 --> 00:51:12.800
 Did you find that God

00:51:12.800 --> 00:51:13.579
 that you were looking for?

00:51:13.820 --> 00:51:15.059
 Did you find that satisfaction

00:51:15.059 --> 00:51:15.740
 that you were looking for?

00:51:16.059 --> 00:51:17.119
 And I don't think

00:51:17.119 --> 00:51:17.760
 he's that happy

00:51:17.760 --> 00:51:19.420
 because what does Philip say?

00:51:19.659 --> 00:51:20.039
 Philip says,

00:51:20.039 --> 00:51:20.840
 do you understand

00:51:20.840 --> 00:51:21.320
 what you're reading?

00:51:21.420 --> 00:51:23.400
 And then the Ethiopian unit goes,

00:51:23.579 --> 00:51:24.340
 how can I

00:51:24.340 --> 00:51:26.079
 unless someone guides me?

00:51:27.960 --> 00:51:29.099
 Do you sense that?

00:51:30.119 --> 00:51:31.019
 Do you sense that?

00:51:31.159 --> 00:51:32.039
 So he shows up

00:51:32.039 --> 00:51:32.639
 to the temple.

00:51:33.739 --> 00:51:35.039
 He gets turned away.

00:51:35.699 --> 00:51:36.320
 He's been on this

00:51:36.320 --> 00:51:37.039
 huge pilgrimage

00:51:37.039 --> 00:51:38.940
 and gets turned away.

00:51:39.519 --> 00:51:40.320
 And then now

00:51:40.320 --> 00:51:41.219
 this random guy

00:51:41.219 --> 00:51:42.360
 runs next to his chariot

00:51:42.360 --> 00:51:43.239
 as he's heading home

00:51:43.239 --> 00:51:44.860
 in his Rolls Royce

00:51:44.860 --> 00:51:45.619
 and he's saying,

00:51:45.800 --> 00:51:46.880
 do you understand

00:51:46.880 --> 00:51:47.380
 what you're reading?

00:51:47.480 --> 00:51:47.579
 He's like,

00:51:47.840 --> 00:51:48.840
 what do you people

00:51:48.840 --> 00:51:49.440
 want from me?

00:51:50.039 --> 00:51:51.920
 I came looking for answers

00:51:51.920 --> 00:51:52.880
 and you wouldn't let me

00:51:52.880 --> 00:51:53.599
 through the door.

00:51:54.840 --> 00:51:55.739
 What was he reading?

00:51:57.440 --> 00:51:58.199
 Like a sheep,

00:51:58.340 --> 00:51:59.500
 he was led to the slaughter

00:51:59.500 --> 00:52:00.599
 and like a lamb

00:52:00.599 --> 00:52:01.420
 before its shearer

00:52:01.420 --> 00:52:01.920
 is silent

00:52:01.920 --> 00:52:03.179
 so he opens not his mouth.

00:52:03.639 --> 00:52:04.599
 In his humiliation,

00:52:04.840 --> 00:52:05.980
 justice was denied him.

00:52:06.619 --> 00:52:07.500
 Who can describe

00:52:07.500 --> 00:52:08.119
 his generation

00:52:08.119 --> 00:52:08.900
 for his life

00:52:08.900 --> 00:52:09.619
 is taken away

00:52:09.619 --> 00:52:10.179
 from the earth?

00:52:10.920 --> 00:52:12.179
 In his humiliation,

00:52:12.559 --> 00:52:13.920
 justice was denied him.

00:52:14.320 --> 00:52:15.360
 Who can describe

00:52:15.360 --> 00:52:16.400
 his generation?

00:52:16.519 --> 00:52:16.779
 Remember,

00:52:16.880 --> 00:52:17.340
 this Ethiopian

00:52:17.340 --> 00:52:18.059
 doesn't know anything.

00:52:18.420 --> 00:52:19.039
 Where's this passage

00:52:19.039 --> 00:52:19.599
 from by the way?

00:52:19.679 --> 00:52:20.139
 Bible trivia.

00:52:20.440 --> 00:52:20.920
 Does anyone know?

00:52:25.920 --> 00:52:26.320
 Isaiah

00:52:26.320 --> 00:52:29.599
 50,

00:52:30.679 --> 00:52:32.079
 Isaiah 53.

00:52:33.000 --> 00:52:33.639
 It's the man

00:52:33.639 --> 00:52:34.460
 of sorrow's passage.

00:52:34.820 --> 00:52:35.739
 Now we now look

00:52:35.739 --> 00:52:36.500
 at this and go,

00:52:36.619 --> 00:52:37.159
 well obviously

00:52:37.159 --> 00:52:38.360
 he's talking about Jesus.

00:52:38.940 --> 00:52:39.699
 The Ethiopian

00:52:39.699 --> 00:52:40.679
 does not know this

00:52:40.679 --> 00:52:42.539
 because he's not

00:52:42.539 --> 00:52:43.239
 even been allowed

00:52:43.239 --> 00:52:44.019
 to ask the question.

00:52:44.119 --> 00:52:44.739
 He's not even allowed

00:52:44.739 --> 00:52:45.320
 to go in.

00:52:46.019 --> 00:52:46.500
 Maybe there was

00:52:46.500 --> 00:52:47.380
 a scene of humiliation

00:52:47.380 --> 00:52:47.960
 that was happening

00:52:47.960 --> 00:52:48.860
 right at the temple.

00:52:49.220 --> 00:52:50.080
 I've traveled here

00:52:50.080 --> 00:52:51.400
 from very far

00:52:51.400 --> 00:52:52.580
 and now you're

00:52:52.580 --> 00:52:53.260
 not letting me in

00:52:53.260 --> 00:52:54.220
 because something

00:52:54.220 --> 00:52:54.780
 that someone else

00:52:54.780 --> 00:52:55.240
 did to me.

00:52:57.960 --> 00:52:59.039
 How can I understand

00:52:59.039 --> 00:53:00.220
 unless someone guides me?

00:53:00.380 --> 00:53:01.320
 He's reading that passage

00:53:01.320 --> 00:53:02.260
 from Isaiah 53

00:53:02.260 --> 00:53:03.320
 that we now know

00:53:03.320 --> 00:53:04.940
 is about Jesus.

00:53:05.100 --> 00:53:05.820
 Surely he has borne

00:53:05.820 --> 00:53:06.240
 our griefs

00:53:06.240 --> 00:53:07.080
 and carried our sorrows

00:53:07.080 --> 00:53:08.000
 yet we esteemed him

00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:08.360
 stricken,

00:53:08.840 --> 00:53:09.559
 smitten by God

00:53:09.559 --> 00:53:10.180
 and afflicted

00:53:10.180 --> 00:53:10.900
 but he was pierced

00:53:10.900 --> 00:53:11.760
 for our transgressions.

00:53:12.160 --> 00:53:12.620
 He was crushed

00:53:12.620 --> 00:53:13.320
 for our iniquities

00:53:13.320 --> 00:53:13.860
 and he's going

00:53:13.860 --> 00:53:14.640
 what does he say

00:53:14.640 --> 00:53:15.320
 to Philip?

00:53:15.400 --> 00:53:15.680
 He says

00:53:15.680 --> 00:53:16.740
 who's this about?

00:53:17.840 --> 00:53:18.559
 What's this about?

00:53:18.680 --> 00:53:19.180
 I want to know.