WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:16.800 Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah. It is wonderful 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:20.760 that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah, either 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:24.920 by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:31.520 for us that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself? 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:37.939 The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian, we really, 00:00:38.179 --> 00:00:42.579 I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the Bible, 00:00:43.240 --> 00:00:48.760 they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will 00:00:48.760 --> 00:00:54.560 do what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:59.340 non-Christian checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't 00:00:59.340 --> 00:01:04.680 hesitate to send us questions. It helps me actually to know, as I'm preaching, how to deal with the 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:07.780 types of things that you're really struggling with. So God bless. 00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:13.820 And let's bow our heads in prayer. 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:23.680 Father, we like being reminded about the promises in your Word for your people and 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:28.420 we like asking you that you would help us to believe the promises. And Father, 00:01:29.060 --> 00:01:32.900 most of the time we like learning truth from your Word that we might know it. 00:01:33.860 --> 00:01:38.560 And Father, we don't always like some of the commands that you give us, but you do give us 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:44.020 commands and we ask that you would help us to obey them. But Father, we often really don't like 00:01:44.020 --> 00:01:49.280 hearing your warnings to us. And so Father, we ask that you would help us to hear your warnings 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:55.040 and to heed them, knowing, Father, who you are, that you are our Father in heaven who loves us. 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:59.719 And we ask these things in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen. 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:01.159 Please be seated. 00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:23.819 So, this is a sobering sermon today. The book of Jude is a sobering book. And I hope it'll be 00:02:23.819 --> 00:02:32.340 obvious by the end of the sermon. But I am going to have to refer to such things as same-sex marriage, 00:02:32.799 --> 00:02:45.079 the pride movement in general, and euthanasia and abortion. And I think you'll see by the end of 00:02:45.079 --> 00:02:49.900 the sermon why it is that I need to say some things about this. And the things I'm going to say, 00:02:49.900 --> 00:02:57.260 of course, go against the grain of what Canadian culture says. In fact, at the end of the eight 00:02:57.260 --> 00:03:04.560 o'clock service, somebody said to me, don't worry, George, we'll bail you out of jail after the sermon. 00:03:08.680 --> 00:03:13.680 There's a, you might have noticed it in my prayer, there's a very old-fashioned way to help people 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:18.099 with their personal Bible study, or if you're in Bible study groups, it's to ask four questions of 00:03:18.099 --> 00:03:24.659 every text. One question to ask of the text is, is there a promise in this text that I should believe? 00:03:25.299 --> 00:03:31.180 Good question to ask. Look for it, see if there's any promises. A second very good question is to ask, 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:35.859 is there some truth that God is revealing here that he wants me to know? That's, once again, 00:03:35.900 --> 00:03:39.620 a very good question to ask while you're looking at a Bible text, trying to understand it. 00:03:40.099 --> 00:03:46.240 A third question to ask is, is there a command in the text that I am to obey? Once again, 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:50.740 that's a very good thing to notice. Are there some imperatives, some commands that God is asking 00:03:50.740 --> 00:03:56.320 you to obey? And the fourth question is the one that we're really looking at today, primarily. Is 00:03:56.320 --> 00:04:05.480 there a warning in the text that God would want you to pay attention to and to heed? So today there is 00:04:05.480 --> 00:04:13.140 the end of two sermons, but there's a very profound warning for us. So I invite you to turn with me in your 00:04:13.139 --> 00:04:18.579 Bibles to the book of Jude. It's the second to last book in the Bible. It's just 25 verses, 00:04:18.740 --> 00:04:22.959 so it's very short. So if you go to the book of Revelation and just sort of flip towards the other 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:29.279 side, you'll come across this, the book of Jude, which often just fits in one page of a Bible like 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:34.560 mine. It fits in one page. And we've been going through this. We preach through books of the Bible. 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:42.160 Bible. And the way that the book is sort of structured is there's a very hopeful greeting, 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:48.100 which describes the great promise of being a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then there's 00:04:48.100 --> 00:04:53.740 a very simple thing where he's setting forth why he's writing the letter, which is that ungodly 00:04:53.740 --> 00:05:00.439 influencers have come into the church, and we need to contend for the faith. And then from verses 5 to 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:07.120 19, what Jude is doing primarily is selling the problem. And I shared two weeks ago when I last 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:11.579 preached on the first part of the selling the problem, how occasionally I have to go to the 00:05:11.579 --> 00:05:18.819 council, back to the council after they've shot down a proposal of mine. And I only go back if I 00:05:18.819 --> 00:05:24.800 afterwards think that I made a big strategic mistake with them, and I assumed they saw the problem, 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:32.240 but they hadn't seen the problem, and I'd failed to sell the problem to them. Sell the problem doesn't 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:38.379 mean inventing a problem. It's just helping them to see that there's a problem. And usually, when I've 00:05:38.379 --> 00:05:43.139 gone back and done that, I haven't done it for quite a few years, after I sell the problem, they go, 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:48.680 oh, that's why you made that proposal. They might say, well, it's still a dumb, some way of solving the 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:54.480 problem, which is fair enough, because sometimes I'm dumb. But now that they see that there's a 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:58.980 problem, then they come up with a way to try to solve the problem. And really, one of the ways to 00:05:58.980 --> 00:06:04.920 understand then verses 5 to 19 is that Jude is trying to sell the problem to believing Christians 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:11.579 about a problem in the church. And the way he does that is by he gives a series primarily of little 00:06:11.579 --> 00:06:18.480 keywords to point you back to biblical stories. He also uses a couple of things from nature, and he uses a 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:23.980 cultural story that was common in their day. And he just gives a little snippet so that you can go 00:06:23.980 --> 00:06:29.640 back and think about the story and get the shape of the problem, the contour of the problem, the 00:06:29.640 --> 00:06:35.060 identity of the problem. And these verses today that we're going to look at, 14 to 19, is the second 00:06:35.060 --> 00:06:42.720 part of trying to understand what the problem is. So that in the next two sermons, we'll look at, 00:06:43.220 --> 00:06:48.120 in a sense, the shape of how we respond to the problem and the hope we have in responding 00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:59.740 to the problem. So let's just look. It's verse 14. And well, let's look. It's just verse 14. And what 00:06:59.740 --> 00:07:05.959 he's doing here is he's quoting in verse 14 from a story common to the Jewish culture at the time. 00:07:06.740 --> 00:07:11.620 It would sort of be as if I was to go to a Christian homeschooling convention for kids who were 00:07:11.620 --> 00:07:18.220 12 to 14. And I want to discuss Jesus and his death upon the cross. I might refer to the Narnia 00:07:18.220 --> 00:07:27.220 Chronicles and Aslan dying on behalf of one of the children, right? So I know I might give a Bible 00:07:27.220 --> 00:07:33.060 passage, tell them about that Narnia story, maybe tell them another Bible passage. And Jude is doing 00:07:33.060 --> 00:07:39.220 something similar. He's using a story and a part of the story which really captures what's going on. 00:07:39.220 --> 00:07:44.040 In fact, actually, if one of the commentators gave a whole list of all the little allusions 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:49.640 and references to the Old Testament contained within the text. But here's what he says. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:59.020 It was also about these, that's these ungodly influencers, that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, 00:07:59.220 --> 00:08:00.260 prophesied, saying, 00:08:00.259 --> 00:08:09.759 Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on all and to convict 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:18.539 all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way and 00:08:18.539 --> 00:08:25.560 of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Now that's a mouthful. 00:08:25.560 --> 00:08:31.339 And if you go back and you look, one of the things, last time I preached on this, I used the NIV 00:08:31.339 --> 00:08:38.740 because it helped with one of the problem translation bits. But here, the ESV has kept 00:08:38.740 --> 00:08:45.419 something which is very intentional. Four times he uses the word all, and four times he uses the word 00:08:45.419 --> 00:08:53.480 ungodly. And if you read other very good translations like the NIV or the NLT, they haven't preserved the 00:08:53.480 --> 00:08:59.680 four alls and the four ungodlies. But he's trying to communicate something very clearly about what 00:08:59.680 --> 00:09:05.539 the ungodly are like. And at the heart of it, what he's really trying to say is that what they do is 00:09:05.539 --> 00:09:15.220 ungodly. Why they do it is ungodly. What they're aiming for is ungodly. And then he ends with this 00:09:15.220 --> 00:09:22.779 little bit at the end of 15, of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against 00:09:22.779 --> 00:09:31.200 him. In some other translations, trying to capture this harsh is defiant. So harsh, defiant things that 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:40.360 ungodly sinners have spoken against God. Now, I mean, that actually sounds to the Canadian ears, 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:48.039 that's a very harsh thing to say, isn't it? Actually, sort of ironic. But it's actually, 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:52.800 on one level, it's very clear. But on the other hand, it's a bit confusing. Like, who exactly are 00:09:52.800 --> 00:09:58.240 the ungodly? What are the ungodly? Like, how is it that they're actually saying, like, that sounds 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:03.159 really strong, defiant and harsh things against God. And this is things going on in the church. 00:10:03.680 --> 00:10:08.500 And that's something I forgot to mention just a bit earlier. This whole letter is addressed an issue 00:10:08.500 --> 00:10:14.639 in the church. It's not addressing issues in our culture at large. Although when I get to the 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:20.100 specifics, you're going to see that it's making a comment about issues in the culture at large. 00:10:20.740 --> 00:10:25.179 But it's referring to issues going on in the church. And it's a bit confusing, but I'd like to 00:10:25.179 --> 00:10:31.240 go through the rest of the text. And then we'll come back to verses 14 and 15. And I'll explain 00:10:31.240 --> 00:10:39.879 how it is that you can recognize harsh and defiant speech against God and what the word ungodly means. 00:10:40.519 --> 00:10:44.940 Now, this next bit, this next verse is something that the average Canadian would agree with 00:10:44.940 --> 00:10:48.659 fundamentally most of it. They'd think these are things that we generally don't like. 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:55.000 But once again, unless you understand what ungodly is, you might not recognize it when you see it. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:11:00.159 You might not actually be catching what Jude is talking about. So in other words, it looks like 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:04.519 something you agree with, but you might not agree with it if you understand what he's trying to get 00:11:04.519 --> 00:11:10.919 at. Let's look at verse 16. It says this. They're talking about the ungodly influencers. 00:11:11.939 --> 00:11:21.879 They are grumblers, malcontents. Another word for malcontent is fault finders. And we all know people 00:11:21.879 --> 00:11:30.259 who find fault, and there's no fault they don't find. And there's no fault they don't ride to death. 00:11:30.740 --> 00:11:36.100 And so generally, Canadians don't like being around people like that, fault finders. Just like we don't 00:11:36.100 --> 00:11:40.620 really like people being around, you know, grumblers. I mean, you know, you have some people over and you 00:11:40.620 --> 00:11:44.820 make, you go to a lot of bother to give them a really nice meal, and then they grumble about it and 00:11:44.820 --> 00:11:49.700 say, I don't know, it's a bit too spicy, not spicy enough, too much salt, not enough salt. They don't like 00:11:49.700 --> 00:11:53.940 the way, you know, you think, really? I put one to all this work to feed you a meal, and you're 00:11:53.940 --> 00:11:59.920 grumbling about it, right? So, you know, and then that goes on. They're doing this grumbling and 00:11:59.920 --> 00:12:05.040 malcontents, verse 16, following their own sinful desires. In other words, what's emerging from is a 00:12:05.040 --> 00:12:11.740 desire which is against God. And then this next bit, they are loudmouth boasters showing favoritism 00:12:11.740 --> 00:12:18.860 to gain advantage. This would be a whole wonderful sermon. And if you go back and look at some other 00:12:18.860 --> 00:12:25.320 translations, they translate it as slightly different. But what the fundamental idea is 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:30.720 that they're getting at here is that these are people who inflate themselves and others with 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:37.440 emptiness and vanity. So whether you're looking at, some of the texts talk about people who flatter a 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:43.100 lot. Some of it says this loudmouth boasting. Some of it talks about bombastic speech. Different 00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:47.000 translations are trying to get at this idea. But the heart of all of it at the end of this 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:55.360 is people who inflate themselves and others with emptiness and vanity. Another way to understand 00:12:55.360 --> 00:13:04.639 it is they have a perception of the sins and the delusions and illusions that a person believes. 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:11.100 And they have a sense of what that, you know, you think of, you know, you look at Bob and you have a sense 00:13:11.100 --> 00:13:17.740 of the type of delusions and illusions and sin that Bob sort of actually thinks that they're true and you tell 00:13:17.740 --> 00:13:26.460 them they are true. And that's what it's trying to get at. Things which are ultimately empty and vain means 00:13:26.460 --> 00:13:32.700 you're not going to accomplish what you want. And it's self-seeking. So once again, these are things that Canadians can 00:13:32.700 --> 00:13:41.620 say, I can understand that these are problems. But we don't actually get what he's trying to get at as a problem 00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:48.400 within the church. So the next thing that Jude does is after this cultural story, he brings the selling the 00:13:48.400 --> 00:13:54.060 problem to an end by giving a short little phrase where he just summarizes in a sense what the New Testament 00:13:54.059 --> 00:14:03.479 teaches. Look at what he says in verse 17. But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of 00:14:03.479 --> 00:14:10.239 our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, in the last time there will be scoffers following their own 00:14:10.239 --> 00:14:20.959 ungodly passions. And just pause here for a second. The Bible has an overarching story. And in this 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:29.000 overarching story, we right now are living in the last days. God begins when Jesus dies upon the cross 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:35.660 and rises from the dead, the last days begin. And those last days will end when Jesus returns. 00:14:36.360 --> 00:14:41.720 As Enoch was talking about, he'll return with tens and tens of thousands of angels. And there will be a 00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:47.280 judging of the living and the dead. And then there will be the new heaven and the new earth. So we live in 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:57.559 that in-between time between these things. And just go back to verse 18 again. They said to you, 00:14:57.639 --> 00:15:05.819 in the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passion. And just what is a scoffer? 00:15:06.199 --> 00:15:14.879 Actually, a lot of discourse on Twitter and a lot of what we call commentary in our newspapers, 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:22.340 even elite newspapers, is actually just scoffing. And it's another version of mocking. And the Bible 00:15:22.340 --> 00:15:29.820 says it's a way that will never lead you to wisdom. It will never lead you to truth. And what scoffing 00:15:29.820 --> 00:15:39.820 does is scoffing never gives reason and evidence, or rarely gives reason or evidence. What scoffing does 00:15:39.820 --> 00:15:51.820 is demean, demean, diminish, disdain, and deride. It just basically tries to belittle you. And you use 00:15:51.820 --> 00:15:57.180 your tongue to intimidate and belittle somebody who holds a different position than you. And you just 00:15:57.180 --> 00:16:03.280 do it by, whether you're conscious or unconsciously, just calling them names. There's a columnist in The 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:10.299 Citizen that I read regularly, because basically I think she's wrong about everything. I actually 00:16:10.299 --> 00:16:14.759 think that if she said it was going to be a sunny day tomorrow, I would bring an umbrella. Like, 00:16:14.839 --> 00:16:19.959 she's just so consistently wrong. And one of the things which is just fascinating about reading her 00:16:19.959 --> 00:16:27.639 is she's just filled constantly with scoffing. She's always calling people names, like constantly, 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:31.959 just putting people down and calling them names. And then after she'd been doing that for a month, 00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:38.080 she wrote a column on how we have to have more civil discourse. And I go, really? That's what I 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:44.240 think. But all you do is call people names. I'm not going to tell you the person's name. But the 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:49.759 problem is, that's what scoffers do. And obviously, we can be prone to it as well. We can just, you know, 00:16:49.800 --> 00:16:53.740 use our tongue to diminish people. We don't give actually any evidence or any reason for what we 00:16:53.740 --> 00:16:59.139 believe. We just try to intimidate people with our tongue. And that's what scoffing is. And so once again, 00:16:59.139 --> 00:17:04.579 Canadians might look at that and say, you know, that's actually, we agree with that. But the 00:17:04.579 --> 00:17:09.779 problem is, do we agree with it in the places where Jude means? That's really the fundamental. 00:17:09.879 --> 00:17:14.900 You'll see why I mean it's a bit of a problem in a second. So go back to verse 18. They said to you, 00:17:16.220 --> 00:17:20.900 this is all of the, basically, the New Testament. In the last time, there will be scoffers following 00:17:20.900 --> 00:17:30.200 their own ungodly passions. And once again, you get that word ungodly. When Jude gives you 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:34.800 this thing, there are ungodly people in the church, you need to contend for the faith. 00:17:35.580 --> 00:17:40.200 And now towards the end of his selling the problem, he gives you these four words of ungodly. 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:44.660 And then here, just before he finishes selling the problem, he uses ungodly again. 00:17:44.660 --> 00:17:51.779 And then finally, it is these who cause divisions. And now here it says worldly people devoid of the 00:17:51.779 --> 00:18:00.640 spirit. Now, if we have anybody online watching who's come from an Islamic background, and not just 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:05.360 Islamic backgrounds, maybe Hindu backgrounds or Buddhist backgrounds, one of the things that's 00:18:05.360 --> 00:18:12.740 very hard for people, especially coming from outside of Canada, is that many people from a Muslim 00:18:12.740 --> 00:18:20.799 or Hindu or Buddhist background think that Canada is Christian. Now, it is, in fact, case that Canada 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:27.380 has a Christendom heritage and was formed by Christendom. But in fact, what this text is saying 00:18:27.380 --> 00:18:31.339 here is that there's, first of all, as you know, the majority of Christians never go to, the Canadians 00:18:31.339 --> 00:18:35.859 never go to church at all. They might put on the census that they're Christians. And so they call 00:18:35.859 --> 00:18:42.640 themselves Christians. But what this text is showing is that there's lots of people, even in churches, 00:18:42.740 --> 00:18:48.480 that call themselves Christians. But in fact, when it says here that they're worldly people and devoid 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:55.059 of the Holy Spirit, it means that what they really are is from the world, not from Christ. And when it 00:18:55.059 --> 00:19:00.720 says they're devoid of the Spirit, it means they aren't Christians. Because when you give your life to 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:09.400 Christ, when you call out to him that he will be your Savior and your Lord, the Holy Spirit, not only are 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:15.440 your sins forgiven, not only are you made right with God, but the Holy Spirit is given to you and 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:21.680 indwells you. And now you're his. Like, if you go back and look at the very, very beginning, 00:19:22.780 --> 00:19:26.860 and it's not going to be there, you just have to listen. Or if you have your own Bible, 00:19:27.860 --> 00:19:34.780 the second part of verse 1, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus 00:19:34.779 --> 00:19:39.740 Christ. There's this idea that once you give your life to Christ, you're enwrapped in the love of God, 00:19:39.819 --> 00:19:45.819 you're kept for Jesus, and implied later on as well, is that the Holy Spirit actually indwells you. 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:56.899 So what's going on here in the text? I have a very good friend who was a minister for a long time, 00:19:57.000 --> 00:20:03.019 and he was a very, very, very, very fine man. And we used to have coffee together regularly. 00:20:03.019 --> 00:20:10.779 And one of the things he would tell me, he was very gentle, and very soft-spoken, and very caring. 00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:16.519 And sometimes those things got in his way when he had to tell somebody off. 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:21.480 Maybe there was somebody in a small group that were acting rudely, or somebody causing trouble 00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:26.339 in the church, and it came time for him to tell them off. And because he was so consistently gentle, 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:31.059 and caring, and soft-spoken, he would come afterwards to me and say, you know, George, 00:20:31.059 --> 00:20:34.980 I realized after I was driving home, I don't think they realized I was telling them off. 00:20:36.500 --> 00:20:40.559 I think they thought I was talking about somebody else, or maybe even affirming them. 00:20:40.700 --> 00:20:43.960 And he'd have to talk to them again. Sometimes he'd have to talk to them more than once, 00:20:44.179 --> 00:20:49.879 for him finally to overcome his natural tendencies to be gentle and soft-spoken, and actually say, 00:20:50.659 --> 00:20:54.119 actually, you're being a jerk, and you have to stop a little bit with the book of Jude. 00:20:54.119 --> 00:20:58.419 Lots of people could read it. Many people could even think they agree with big parts of it. 00:21:00.179 --> 00:21:05.179 But we're actually not really getting what's going on. So here's the first problem, 00:21:05.919 --> 00:21:09.599 why it's hard for Canadians maybe to recognize what Jude is talking about. 00:21:10.179 --> 00:21:15.619 If you go back and you look at, earlier on, six of the Old Testament examples that he gave. 00:21:16.259 --> 00:21:19.479 Well, if you look at them, and you look at them from a Canadian's eyes, 00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:24.299 so the Bible actually uses all of these six things as a way to understand what the problem is. 00:21:24.360 --> 00:21:30.779 But you go back and you look at what happens to the Israelites after they are delivered from Egypt by God 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:32.539 and enter into the Promised Land. 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:37.799 Well, the problem they have, from God's point of view, 00:21:38.380 --> 00:21:42.500 is they don't believe what he tells them, and then they worship idols. 00:21:43.500 --> 00:21:45.279 Well, just think about it for a second here. 00:21:46.019 --> 00:21:48.140 How do we as Canadians look at that? 00:21:48.140 --> 00:21:51.040 What we actually see here is that they're very spiritual. 00:21:53.320 --> 00:21:54.960 And they're very open-minded. 00:21:55.640 --> 00:21:57.180 And they're very diverse. 00:21:57.700 --> 00:21:58.640 And they're equitable. 00:21:59.320 --> 00:22:01.660 And they're learning to think for themselves. 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:06.220 Well, that's actually not what Jude's trying to communicate. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:10.660 And then if you look at the next story about angels who've become demons, 00:22:11.080 --> 00:22:15.980 well, I mean, the problem is that these angelic beings see God perfectly. 00:22:15.980 --> 00:22:18.819 And you could say, well, isn't that what you want to have is to see God perfectly? 00:22:19.120 --> 00:22:23.279 And isn't it not, like, isn't, for our point of view, from a Canadian point of view, 00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:25.200 a good thing to sort of ask some questions? 00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:29.740 Okay, well, that's not what Jude's trying to get at in this story. 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:35.079 And then you look at the next story, which is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:22:35.079 --> 00:22:39.419 And for the average Canadian, you'd want to say, well, actually, isn't the goal for people 00:22:39.419 --> 00:22:45.199 to be able to choose their own sexualities and their own identity and to be sexually liberated 00:22:45.199 --> 00:22:52.319 and free, to be their authentic sexual self and live that out, not only in private but in public? 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:53.899 Like, isn't that a good thing? 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:58.240 Well, okay, that's not exactly the point of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:01.019 Or these aren't good examples. 00:23:01.120 --> 00:23:02.480 They're supposed to be bad examples. 00:23:02.680 --> 00:23:08.059 And then you go on and you use the example of Cain, which Jude does. 00:23:08.140 --> 00:23:12.500 But once again, if you go and look at the story from a Canadian perspective and Canadian eyes, 00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:14.940 Cain is a person who worships God. 00:23:17.140 --> 00:23:20.660 He sacrificially gives of the fruit of the earth to worship God. 00:23:20.660 --> 00:23:25.800 But then when God says that that's not the way to worship me, Cain gets mad. 00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:28.160 But from a Canadian point of view, isn't that like a reasonable thing? 00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:28.820 Like, here we are. 00:23:28.900 --> 00:23:30.220 Like, don't you want to be spiritual? 00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:31.259 Don't you want to worship? 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:32.100 Like, really? 00:23:32.259 --> 00:23:36.820 You think it's all right just to be narrow-minded and say that your way of worshiping isn't right? 00:23:36.900 --> 00:23:38.600 Like, we sort of sympathize with Cain. 00:23:38.779 --> 00:23:42.160 Well, once again, that's not what Jude intended by using the story. 00:23:42.860 --> 00:23:44.640 Very, very good example is Balaam. 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:47.220 Like, Balaam is like the Canadian. 00:23:47.259 --> 00:23:53.880 If he was living today, he would have millions and millions and millions of followers. 00:23:54.320 --> 00:23:58.560 He is like exactly what Canadians want to be like, many of them. 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:03.940 Because Balaam was a non-judgmental expert in many spiritualities. 00:24:04.520 --> 00:24:05.300 That's what he was. 00:24:05.360 --> 00:24:07.860 He was a guy you'd go to because he could navigate. 00:24:07.980 --> 00:24:12.040 Okay, you have your system of understanding gods and goddesses and everything like that. 00:24:12.080 --> 00:24:12.800 Like, I'm with you. 00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:13.920 I'm with you, friend. 00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:15.279 And you're having a problem. 00:24:15.340 --> 00:24:18.060 And I can help you navigate what's going on with that system. 00:24:18.100 --> 00:24:19.120 And then he meets another person. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:23.759 And he has a different system of gods and goddesses and spells and spiritualities. 00:24:23.860 --> 00:24:24.940 He says, I'm with you, friend. 00:24:25.100 --> 00:24:27.900 And here's how you navigate those things to get what you want. 00:24:27.940 --> 00:24:34.060 And then he meets another person with different sets of spells and spiritualities and idols and gods and goddesses. 00:24:34.120 --> 00:24:35.580 And he says, I'm with you, friend. 00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:38.100 And this is how you navigate all of these types of things. 00:24:38.320 --> 00:24:41.820 And it doesn't even hurt that at the end of the day it's a ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching. 00:24:41.819 --> 00:24:47.559 Because what isn't more popular to Canadians than be open-minded, spiritual, and make a whole pile of dough? 00:24:48.839 --> 00:24:50.879 We've just described the Canadian spirit. 00:24:52.139 --> 00:24:54.480 Well, once again, that's not actually why Jude uses it. 00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:56.599 It's supposed to be a bad example, not a good example. 00:24:57.079 --> 00:24:59.399 And then you look at the very, very final example. 00:24:59.460 --> 00:25:02.659 And the final example he uses from the Old Testament is the example of Korah. 00:25:02.660 --> 00:25:05.360 Well, okay, George, what's the problem with that? 00:25:05.420 --> 00:25:05.840 Good grief. 00:25:05.940 --> 00:25:06.440 He's Jewish. 00:25:06.600 --> 00:25:07.259 He's a Levite. 00:25:07.360 --> 00:25:08.720 He's involved with temple worship. 00:25:09.160 --> 00:25:11.840 Like, aren't those good things from the Old Testament's point of view? 00:25:13.080 --> 00:25:14.820 Like being an expert in his own tradition? 00:25:15.560 --> 00:25:17.279 I don't understand why God got mad at him. 00:25:18.180 --> 00:25:19.360 Okay, well, one moment. 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:21.180 You sort of missed the point. 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:23.440 Jude's not trying to make those types of points. 00:25:26.140 --> 00:25:27.300 There's another problem. 00:25:27.299 --> 00:25:31.000 And I can illustrate this. 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:35.779 If I was to hand out, we were all to turn this into a bit of a retreat day, 00:25:36.200 --> 00:25:38.359 and I was to hand out a piece of paper, 00:25:39.099 --> 00:25:41.940 and I said, just take 10 minutes, just 10 minutes of quiet, 00:25:42.099 --> 00:25:43.839 and I want you to write down, don't show anybody else, 00:25:43.879 --> 00:25:48.460 just show down, write down some of the things that you've done wrong 00:25:48.460 --> 00:25:50.680 since last Sunday. 00:25:52.740 --> 00:25:53.139 Okay. 00:25:53.140 --> 00:25:58.480 And then maybe, you know, one of the people talks to me, 00:25:58.560 --> 00:25:59.220 he said, well, actually, George, 00:25:59.280 --> 00:26:01.600 I couldn't think of anything to put down on the paper. 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:07.500 But when we think of that person, we'd say, come on, really? 00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:11.040 In fact, I could just imagine if I did that, 00:26:11.259 --> 00:26:13.700 and Louise said, listen, I can put five things on, 00:26:13.780 --> 00:26:16.200 write easily without even thinking about it. 00:26:16.840 --> 00:26:18.720 And any one of your kids or your neighbors 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:20.740 could put down a couple of things, right? 00:26:20.740 --> 00:26:23.339 We wouldn't believe that, that there's nothing from last week. 00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:24.380 So here's the other problem. 00:26:24.460 --> 00:26:26.160 When we hear this word of ungodly, 00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:28.920 one of the problems is that people who are godly, 00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:30.799 and I'm going to define what godly means in a moment, 00:26:31.700 --> 00:26:34.180 every single person who's godly 00:26:34.180 --> 00:26:37.099 lives an imperfect Christian life. 00:26:40.599 --> 00:26:42.200 And if you are that one 00:26:42.200 --> 00:26:44.579 that you don't think you could put a single thing down 00:26:44.579 --> 00:26:45.500 that you've done wrong, 00:26:45.579 --> 00:26:47.779 or a good that you failed to do from last week, 00:26:47.779 --> 00:26:51.000 in fact, we would probably wonder 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:52.339 whether you're in fact a Christian, 00:26:52.500 --> 00:26:54.240 or if you're just a raging narcissist 00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:56.240 who likes to use Christian language. 00:26:57.740 --> 00:26:59.980 So the problem is, there's a second problem, 00:27:00.180 --> 00:27:01.879 is it's hard to look at these examples, 00:27:01.980 --> 00:27:03.680 and even thinking of what scoffing means, 00:27:03.740 --> 00:27:04.980 and all of that type of stuff, 00:27:05.700 --> 00:27:07.519 and how to recognize it. 00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:09.619 And the worry is that we think 00:27:09.619 --> 00:27:11.500 it's talking about us in some ways, 00:27:11.579 --> 00:27:13.399 because, you know, one of the things 00:27:13.399 --> 00:27:15.559 the Holy Spirit does is not only 00:27:15.559 --> 00:27:18.139 start to move you to believe the promises of God, 00:27:18.220 --> 00:27:20.279 and have the gospel become more real to your heart, 00:27:20.339 --> 00:27:21.839 but also to convict you of sin. 00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:25.119 And so you're aware of your imperfections, 00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:27.019 your lack of following Christ. 00:27:28.299 --> 00:27:33.940 So, what is he saying about the ungodly? 00:27:34.779 --> 00:27:37.019 And what does he mean by talking about, 00:27:37.159 --> 00:27:39.299 if you go back to verses 14 and 15, 00:27:39.399 --> 00:27:40.700 15 in particular, 00:27:40.700 --> 00:27:43.259 about them talking harshly, 00:27:43.480 --> 00:27:45.019 or defiantly, 00:27:45.519 --> 00:27:46.960 and what does scoffing, 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:48.240 and all of those things mean? 00:27:48.440 --> 00:27:49.940 Well, here's what ungodly means, 00:27:50.100 --> 00:27:51.759 and I should have put it down as a point, 00:27:51.860 --> 00:27:53.600 I apologize for not doing that. 00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:57.319 The ungodly lead you away 00:27:57.319 --> 00:28:00.640 from the person, presence, power, 00:28:01.180 --> 00:28:03.299 words, and finished work of Christ. 00:28:03.299 --> 00:28:10.019 The ungodly are leading you away, 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:11.619 influencing you away 00:28:11.619 --> 00:28:13.599 from the person of Jesus, 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:15.779 Jesus' presence, 00:28:16.579 --> 00:28:17.619 Jesus' power, 00:28:18.460 --> 00:28:19.559 Jesus' words, 00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:22.539 and Jesus' finished work upon the cross. 00:28:23.059 --> 00:28:25.099 That's what the ungodly influencers do. 00:28:25.099 --> 00:28:27.299 And they can do it 00:28:27.299 --> 00:28:30.039 with profound mystical experiences, 00:28:30.939 --> 00:28:31.719 with profound, 00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:34.599 with what we think of superficially 00:28:34.599 --> 00:28:37.059 as profound insights from depth psychology, 00:28:37.659 --> 00:28:39.339 with being able to articulate 00:28:39.339 --> 00:28:40.639 the wisdom of the world 00:28:40.639 --> 00:28:42.419 in the Canadian cultural story 00:28:42.419 --> 00:28:45.059 with great persuasiveness. 00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:47.119 But at the end of the day, 00:28:47.599 --> 00:28:48.619 what's happening is 00:28:48.619 --> 00:28:50.799 you're less concerned with who Jesus is, 00:28:50.859 --> 00:28:51.839 you're less concerned 00:28:51.839 --> 00:28:53.359 with his presence in your life, 00:28:53.359 --> 00:28:54.559 you're less concerned 00:28:54.559 --> 00:28:57.219 with his power, 00:28:57.419 --> 00:28:58.179 his grace, 00:28:58.299 --> 00:28:59.259 his power in your life, 00:28:59.319 --> 00:29:00.619 you're less concerned 00:29:00.619 --> 00:29:02.479 with his actual words that he said, 00:29:02.539 --> 00:29:04.059 and you're actually less concerned 00:29:04.059 --> 00:29:05.439 with his finished work 00:29:05.439 --> 00:29:06.299 upon the cross. 00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:11.419 So what is the godly? 00:29:11.579 --> 00:29:12.539 What's implied then? 00:29:12.639 --> 00:29:14.959 If that's what the ungodly influences are, 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:16.539 then who are the godly? 00:29:16.619 --> 00:29:17.439 What is the godly? 00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:22.579 The godly are pressing into 00:29:22.579 --> 00:29:25.980 and becoming grounded in 00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:29.399 and being drawn to 00:29:29.399 --> 00:29:32.279 and being led into 00:29:32.279 --> 00:29:33.980 the person, 00:29:34.519 --> 00:29:35.039 presence, 00:29:35.539 --> 00:29:36.079 power, 00:29:36.639 --> 00:29:37.159 words, 00:29:37.319 --> 00:29:39.359 and finished work of Christ. 00:29:44.359 --> 00:29:45.699 By Jude's definition, 00:29:45.859 --> 00:29:46.599 I am godly. 00:29:46.599 --> 00:29:49.000 And it's not a contradiction 00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:50.019 for me to say, 00:29:50.159 --> 00:29:51.740 in Jude's definition here, 00:29:51.980 --> 00:29:53.919 I am trying to be a godly pastor. 00:29:55.019 --> 00:29:57.019 And I'm also here to tell you, 00:29:57.079 --> 00:29:57.799 I'm not going to tell you 00:29:57.799 --> 00:29:58.339 what they are, 00:29:58.480 --> 00:29:59.359 but when it comes time 00:29:59.359 --> 00:29:59.839 in the service 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:00.899 to confess my sins, 00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:02.179 I have things to confess. 00:30:05.299 --> 00:30:06.259 That I have to take 00:30:06.259 --> 00:30:07.019 the top three. 00:30:08.539 --> 00:30:09.419 The top three 00:30:09.419 --> 00:30:10.419 that hit my conscience. 00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:12.879 Right? 00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:15.680 The godly, 00:30:15.960 --> 00:30:17.340 contending for the faith, 00:30:17.560 --> 00:30:18.140 is going to be, 00:30:18.220 --> 00:30:18.360 in fact, 00:30:18.380 --> 00:30:19.160 that's what you're going to see 00:30:19.160 --> 00:30:20.240 when you look at the end 00:30:20.240 --> 00:30:20.940 when he talks about 00:30:20.940 --> 00:30:22.220 the shape of responding 00:30:22.220 --> 00:30:23.000 to the problem 00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:24.220 and the promise of responding 00:30:24.220 --> 00:30:24.840 to the problem, 00:30:25.340 --> 00:30:26.280 is that you understand 00:30:26.280 --> 00:30:28.600 that you're pressing into 00:30:28.600 --> 00:30:33.340 and you're becoming 00:30:33.340 --> 00:30:34.520 grounded in 00:30:34.520 --> 00:30:35.460 and you're becoming 00:30:35.460 --> 00:30:36.540 drawn by 00:30:36.540 --> 00:30:37.880 and you're being led 00:30:37.880 --> 00:30:38.600 into 00:30:38.599 --> 00:30:40.719 who Jesus is, 00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:42.379 his presence, 00:30:42.679 --> 00:30:43.539 his power, 00:30:43.959 --> 00:30:44.779 his words, 00:30:44.939 --> 00:30:46.099 and his finished work. 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:48.919 So here, friends, 00:30:49.019 --> 00:30:50.359 are where I have to say 00:30:50.359 --> 00:30:51.679 some sobering words. 00:30:53.899 --> 00:30:55.379 Now, just before I read 00:30:55.379 --> 00:30:56.819 this list of four things, 00:30:57.139 --> 00:30:57.919 I want to especially 00:30:57.919 --> 00:30:59.319 assure those 00:30:59.319 --> 00:31:00.359 who are watching online 00:31:00.359 --> 00:31:03.259 that my things 00:31:03.259 --> 00:31:04.000 I'm about to say 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:05.439 are not political points. 00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:08.700 and they're definitely 00:31:08.700 --> 00:31:09.880 not an us for them, 00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:11.360 us versus them points, 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:12.120 which I'll explain 00:31:12.120 --> 00:31:12.720 why in a moment. 00:31:13.240 --> 00:31:13.779 So here's what 00:31:13.779 --> 00:31:14.559 I want to tell you. 00:31:15.700 --> 00:31:16.440 A church 00:31:16.440 --> 00:31:17.380 which does 00:31:17.380 --> 00:31:18.559 same-sex marriages 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:21.600 or flies pride flags 00:31:21.600 --> 00:31:23.820 or describes themselves 00:31:23.820 --> 00:31:25.000 as gay positive 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:26.920 or walks in prayer 00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:28.720 in pride parades 00:31:28.720 --> 00:31:32.400 are ungodly influencers. 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:32.600 influencers. 00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:36.340 A church 00:31:36.340 --> 00:31:37.960 which celebrates 00:31:37.960 --> 00:31:39.800 trans 00:31:39.800 --> 00:31:41.440 gender 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:42.060 movement 00:31:42.060 --> 00:31:42.940 and changes 00:31:42.940 --> 00:31:44.900 are ungodly 00:31:44.900 --> 00:31:45.560 influencers. 00:31:47.500 --> 00:31:48.860 A church 00:31:48.860 --> 00:31:49.820 which supports 00:31:49.820 --> 00:31:51.300 abortion on demand 00:31:51.300 --> 00:31:54.680 are ungodly 00:31:54.680 --> 00:31:55.300 influencers. 00:31:56.580 --> 00:31:57.680 A church 00:31:57.680 --> 00:31:58.660 which supports 00:31:58.660 --> 00:31:59.780 medically assisted 00:31:59.780 --> 00:32:00.500 dying 00:32:00.500 --> 00:32:01.619 or euthanasia. 00:32:02.980 --> 00:32:03.680 They are 00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:04.220 ungodly 00:32:04.220 --> 00:32:04.839 influencers. 00:32:11.099 --> 00:32:11.619 That's 00:32:11.619 --> 00:32:13.839 what Jude 00:32:13.839 --> 00:32:14.440 is getting at. 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:15.680 I could give 00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:16.440 other examples. 00:32:16.839 --> 00:32:17.200 I'll pick 00:32:17.200 --> 00:32:17.880 the four 00:32:17.880 --> 00:32:18.700 biggest ones 00:32:18.700 --> 00:32:19.400 which are relevant 00:32:19.400 --> 00:32:20.000 for Ottawa 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:21.019 in 2024. 00:32:23.599 --> 00:32:24.420 Why is this 00:32:24.420 --> 00:32:24.940 not an us 00:32:24.940 --> 00:32:25.559 versus them 00:32:25.559 --> 00:32:25.900 thing? 00:32:27.079 --> 00:32:27.920 I'm not saying 00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:28.440 necessarily 00:32:28.440 --> 00:32:29.119 every single 00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:29.339 part, 00:32:29.339 --> 00:32:30.500 but you 00:32:30.500 --> 00:32:31.459 think of 00:32:31.459 --> 00:32:31.980 our church 00:32:31.980 --> 00:32:32.240 and the 00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:32.439 people 00:32:32.439 --> 00:32:32.579 who have 00:32:32.579 --> 00:32:32.919 been part 00:32:32.919 --> 00:32:33.179 of our 00:32:33.179 --> 00:32:33.439 church 00:32:33.439 --> 00:32:33.899 over the 00:32:33.899 --> 00:32:34.359 years. 00:32:36.980 --> 00:32:37.699 There have 00:32:37.699 --> 00:32:38.179 been people 00:32:38.179 --> 00:32:38.519 who are 00:32:38.519 --> 00:32:39.019 same-sex 00:32:39.019 --> 00:32:39.599 attracted. 00:32:40.899 --> 00:32:41.240 There are 00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:41.819 people who 00:32:41.819 --> 00:32:42.439 are same-sex 00:32:42.439 --> 00:32:42.959 attracted. 00:32:45.199 --> 00:32:46.019 And there are 00:32:46.019 --> 00:32:46.599 people in our 00:32:46.599 --> 00:32:47.199 congregation 00:32:47.199 --> 00:32:48.399 who have had 00:32:48.399 --> 00:32:49.159 abortions or 00:32:49.159 --> 00:32:50.359 supported abortions 00:32:50.359 --> 00:32:52.299 and probably 00:32:52.299 --> 00:32:53.019 have been 00:32:53.019 --> 00:32:53.679 supportive of 00:32:53.679 --> 00:32:54.359 euthanasia. 00:32:54.359 --> 00:32:57.099 and our 00:32:57.099 --> 00:32:57.759 people who 00:32:57.759 --> 00:32:58.519 struggle with 00:32:58.519 --> 00:32:59.299 thinking that 00:32:59.299 --> 00:32:59.899 they are in 00:32:59.899 --> 00:33:00.219 the wrong 00:33:00.219 --> 00:33:00.639 body. 00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:02.899 That's why 00:33:02.899 --> 00:33:03.259 it's not an 00:33:03.259 --> 00:33:03.759 us versus 00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:04.379 them issue. 00:33:04.740 --> 00:33:05.219 It's not a 00:33:05.219 --> 00:33:05.899 political issue. 00:33:06.439 --> 00:33:06.899 Jude's not 00:33:06.899 --> 00:33:07.919 talking politics. 00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:11.979 Why are 00:33:11.979 --> 00:33:12.699 these ungodly 00:33:12.699 --> 00:33:13.219 influencers? 00:33:13.419 --> 00:33:13.979 It's because of 00:33:13.979 --> 00:33:14.539 the clarity of 00:33:14.539 --> 00:33:14.939 the Bible. 00:33:14.940 --> 00:33:18.039 the Bible is 00:33:18.039 --> 00:33:20.240 very clear in 00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:20.960 its teaching 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:23.200 that God is 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:23.940 the creator of 00:33:23.940 --> 00:33:24.740 human beings 00:33:24.740 --> 00:33:26.240 and he created 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:27.920 human beings as 00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:28.960 biological males 00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:29.720 and biological 00:33:29.720 --> 00:33:30.400 females. 00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:32.640 And part of 00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:33.559 our very design 00:33:33.559 --> 00:33:34.120 and part of 00:33:34.120 --> 00:33:34.360 the very 00:33:34.360 --> 00:33:35.059 structure of 00:33:35.059 --> 00:33:36.600 reality is 00:33:36.600 --> 00:33:37.019 that some 00:33:37.019 --> 00:33:37.460 who are 00:33:37.460 --> 00:33:38.759 biologically male 00:33:38.759 --> 00:33:39.180 and some 00:33:39.180 --> 00:33:39.440 who are 00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:40.940 biologically female 00:33:40.940 --> 00:33:42.259 would enter 00:33:42.259 --> 00:33:42.900 into holy 00:33:42.900 --> 00:33:43.559 matrimony. 00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:45.319 and that 00:33:45.319 --> 00:33:46.039 sexual knowing 00:33:46.039 --> 00:33:46.659 and sexual 00:33:46.659 --> 00:33:47.720 stimulation is 00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:49.299 reserved for 00:33:49.299 --> 00:33:49.879 a biological 00:33:49.879 --> 00:33:50.879 male married 00:33:50.879 --> 00:33:51.200 to a 00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:52.240 biological female. 00:33:54.139 --> 00:33:54.919 And we 00:33:54.919 --> 00:33:56.119 believe as a 00:33:56.119 --> 00:33:56.960 freeing truth. 00:33:57.099 --> 00:33:57.500 I am not 00:33:57.500 --> 00:33:58.319 embarrassed about 00:33:58.319 --> 00:33:58.619 this. 00:33:59.019 --> 00:33:59.679 I'll tell you 00:33:59.679 --> 00:34:00.079 more about it 00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:00.460 in a second. 00:34:01.379 --> 00:34:02.019 But because 00:34:02.019 --> 00:34:02.539 God has 00:34:02.539 --> 00:34:03.179 designed us 00:34:03.179 --> 00:34:03.599 and created 00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:04.159 us to either 00:34:04.159 --> 00:34:05.059 be biologically 00:34:05.059 --> 00:34:05.659 male or 00:34:05.659 --> 00:34:06.839 biologically female, 00:34:07.079 --> 00:34:07.639 he's also 00:34:07.639 --> 00:34:08.500 made biological 00:34:08.500 --> 00:34:09.360 males to 00:34:09.360 --> 00:34:09.900 learn to be 00:34:09.900 --> 00:34:11.619 men and 00:34:11.619 --> 00:34:12.659 biological females 00:34:12.659 --> 00:34:13.480 to learn to be 00:34:13.480 --> 00:34:14.059 women. 00:34:15.059 --> 00:34:15.920 And there is 00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:16.679 no lasting 00:34:16.679 --> 00:34:17.280 peace for 00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:17.760 those who 00:34:17.760 --> 00:34:18.400 have a hard 00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:19.039 time fitting 00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:19.480 into the 00:34:19.480 --> 00:34:20.740 cultural stereotypes 00:34:20.740 --> 00:34:21.980 of man and 00:34:21.980 --> 00:34:22.440 woman in 00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:22.760 Canada. 00:34:22.920 --> 00:34:24.300 That's not 00:34:24.300 --> 00:34:24.920 always a bad 00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:25.300 thing. 00:34:25.639 --> 00:34:26.280 There can be 00:34:26.280 --> 00:34:27.139 very disordered 00:34:27.139 --> 00:34:27.780 ways of 00:34:27.780 --> 00:34:28.320 understanding 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:29.079 those things. 00:34:29.820 --> 00:34:30.440 But there is 00:34:30.440 --> 00:34:31.179 no peace for 00:34:31.179 --> 00:34:32.039 any person who 00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:32.760 doesn't feel at 00:34:32.760 --> 00:34:33.219 home in their 00:34:33.219 --> 00:34:34.940 body unless 00:34:34.940 --> 00:34:35.980 that peace is 00:34:35.980 --> 00:34:36.740 moving towards 00:34:36.740 --> 00:34:37.179 being at 00:34:37.179 --> 00:34:39.800 peace, at 00:34:39.800 --> 00:34:40.719 peace and 00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:42.559 at home with 00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:43.139 the body 00:34:43.139 --> 00:34:43.820 that you 00:34:43.820 --> 00:34:44.340 have. 00:34:46.920 --> 00:34:47.559 And the 00:34:47.559 --> 00:34:47.980 Bible is 00:34:47.980 --> 00:34:48.500 very clear 00:34:48.500 --> 00:34:48.860 that you 00:34:48.860 --> 00:34:49.199 do not 00:34:49.199 --> 00:34:49.779 take innocent 00:34:49.779 --> 00:34:50.559 human life. 00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:53.779 And we 00:34:53.779 --> 00:34:54.360 can't give 00:34:54.360 --> 00:34:55.159 up on this 00:34:55.159 --> 00:34:57.000 because, you 00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:57.559 see, God 00:34:57.559 --> 00:34:58.559 designed us 00:34:58.559 --> 00:34:59.119 for this. 00:34:59.420 --> 00:35:00.039 It is our 00:35:00.039 --> 00:35:00.699 destiny. 00:35:01.279 --> 00:35:02.000 It is all 00:35:02.000 --> 00:35:02.779 part of us 00:35:02.779 --> 00:35:03.820 appreciating that 00:35:03.820 --> 00:35:04.759 we are creatures 00:35:04.759 --> 00:35:06.179 who are made to 00:35:06.179 --> 00:35:06.519 know our 00:35:06.519 --> 00:35:07.059 creator. 00:35:07.519 --> 00:35:08.239 And the same 00:35:08.239 --> 00:35:08.980 things which you 00:35:08.980 --> 00:35:09.940 use to support 00:35:09.940 --> 00:35:10.599 these teachings 00:35:10.599 --> 00:35:11.300 are the same 00:35:11.300 --> 00:35:12.480 basis for 00:35:12.480 --> 00:35:13.519 human rights 00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:14.220 and human 00:35:14.220 --> 00:35:15.420 integrity and 00:35:15.420 --> 00:35:16.400 human glory. 00:35:19.460 --> 00:35:21.000 Science and 00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:23.200 the world and 00:35:23.200 --> 00:35:24.200 evolution does 00:35:24.200 --> 00:35:25.200 not teach you 00:35:25.200 --> 00:35:25.619 that human 00:35:25.619 --> 00:35:26.139 beings are 00:35:26.139 --> 00:35:27.099 equal, does 00:35:27.099 --> 00:35:28.139 not teach you 00:35:28.139 --> 00:35:28.559 that human 00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:29.280 beings have a 00:35:29.280 --> 00:35:30.220 particular glory. 00:35:30.539 --> 00:35:30.980 Those are 00:35:30.980 --> 00:35:32.260 theological ideas 00:35:32.260 --> 00:35:32.639 and they're 00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:33.159 completely 00:35:33.159 --> 00:35:34.000 interwoven with 00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:34.559 what I just 00:35:34.559 --> 00:35:35.000 said. 00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:36.099 And you 00:35:36.099 --> 00:35:36.840 cannot give 00:35:36.840 --> 00:35:37.480 those things 00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:38.720 up about the 00:35:38.719 --> 00:35:39.819 sexuality issues 00:35:39.819 --> 00:35:40.839 and about the 00:35:40.839 --> 00:35:41.539 protection and 00:35:41.539 --> 00:35:42.119 the dignity of 00:35:42.119 --> 00:35:42.659 human life 00:35:42.659 --> 00:35:43.379 without also 00:35:43.379 --> 00:35:44.559 undermining human 00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:45.379 rights and human 00:35:45.379 --> 00:35:46.679 dignity and the 00:35:46.679 --> 00:35:47.480 glory of what it 00:35:47.480 --> 00:35:48.259 can mean to be a 00:35:48.259 --> 00:35:49.000 human being. 00:35:50.379 --> 00:35:51.439 And so we need 00:35:51.439 --> 00:35:52.279 to take a stand 00:35:52.279 --> 00:35:53.099 on these types of 00:35:53.099 --> 00:35:53.399 things. 00:35:53.539 --> 00:35:53.980 And for a 00:35:53.980 --> 00:35:56.699 church, a 00:35:56.699 --> 00:35:58.739 church to 00:35:58.739 --> 00:35:59.559 deny these 00:35:59.559 --> 00:36:03.919 things is a 00:36:03.919 --> 00:36:05.559 church, they 00:36:05.559 --> 00:36:06.179 might be way 00:36:06.179 --> 00:36:07.159 nicer than us. 00:36:07.159 --> 00:36:08.980 they might seem 00:36:08.980 --> 00:36:09.699 to be way more 00:36:09.699 --> 00:36:12.879 gentle, but 00:36:12.879 --> 00:36:13.399 they are a 00:36:13.399 --> 00:36:14.819 church which is 00:36:14.819 --> 00:36:16.699 defying God and 00:36:16.699 --> 00:36:17.719 speaking harshly 00:36:17.719 --> 00:36:18.399 against him. 00:36:19.839 --> 00:36:20.299 You see, 00:36:20.420 --> 00:36:20.940 brothers and 00:36:20.940 --> 00:36:21.539 sisters, you 00:36:21.539 --> 00:36:22.440 see my friends, 00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:24.639 a Christian 00:36:24.639 --> 00:36:26.000 church cannot 00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:27.500 bless what God 00:36:27.500 --> 00:36:28.259 calls sin. 00:36:30.339 --> 00:36:31.399 A Christian 00:36:31.399 --> 00:36:32.159 church cannot 00:36:32.159 --> 00:36:33.960 bless what God 00:36:33.960 --> 00:36:34.659 calls sin. 00:36:34.659 --> 00:36:37.299 you cannot 00:36:37.299 --> 00:36:37.759 have a 00:36:37.759 --> 00:36:38.119 blessed 00:36:38.119 --> 00:36:39.079 euthanasia. 00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:47.839 We are 00:36:47.839 --> 00:36:48.399 called to 00:36:48.399 --> 00:36:48.960 humbly 00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:50.139 proclaim, you 00:36:50.139 --> 00:36:50.779 know, Spurgeon 00:36:50.779 --> 00:36:51.440 wonderfully said 00:36:51.440 --> 00:36:51.799 about the 00:36:51.799 --> 00:36:52.480 gospel, but it's 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:53.219 true of these 00:36:53.219 --> 00:36:54.019 truths as well, 00:36:55.139 --> 00:36:56.859 that all we 00:36:56.859 --> 00:36:58.119 are is one 00:36:58.119 --> 00:36:58.879 beggar telling 00:36:58.879 --> 00:36:59.699 another beggar 00:36:59.699 --> 00:37:00.299 where to find 00:37:00.299 --> 00:37:00.839 bread and where 00:37:00.839 --> 00:37:01.519 to find life. 00:37:01.519 --> 00:37:02.360 God 00:37:02.360 --> 00:37:03.679 is our 00:37:03.679 --> 00:37:04.480 vocation in 00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:04.820 Canada. 00:37:08.360 --> 00:37:09.019 And if you 00:37:09.019 --> 00:37:09.619 cannot bless 00:37:09.619 --> 00:37:10.079 what God 00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:10.880 calls sin, 00:37:12.059 --> 00:37:13.380 then why is 00:37:13.380 --> 00:37:14.639 Jude trying to 00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:15.340 sell the problem 00:37:15.340 --> 00:37:15.759 to us? 00:37:15.820 --> 00:37:16.460 The problem is 00:37:16.460 --> 00:37:17.039 for we as 00:37:17.039 --> 00:37:17.840 Canadians, we 00:37:17.840 --> 00:37:18.480 want to say, 00:37:18.980 --> 00:37:19.340 well, you 00:37:19.340 --> 00:37:20.380 know, just 00:37:20.380 --> 00:37:20.699 want to get 00:37:20.699 --> 00:37:21.259 along and 00:37:21.259 --> 00:37:21.679 shrug our 00:37:21.679 --> 00:37:22.440 shoulders and 00:37:22.440 --> 00:37:22.880 you know, to 00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:23.300 each their 00:37:23.300 --> 00:37:24.320 own and we 00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:24.639 don't want to 00:37:24.639 --> 00:37:25.599 be divisive and 00:37:25.599 --> 00:37:26.059 we don't want to 00:37:26.059 --> 00:37:26.599 do all of those 00:37:26.599 --> 00:37:27.519 types of things. 00:37:28.500 --> 00:37:28.980 We don't want to 00:37:28.980 --> 00:37:29.619 be sort of like 00:37:29.619 --> 00:37:30.400 St. Albans, 00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:31.300 I mean, about 00:37:31.300 --> 00:37:32.420 a church like 00:37:32.420 --> 00:37:32.940 us that was 00:37:32.940 --> 00:37:33.440 very, very 00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:34.099 divisive. 00:37:34.200 --> 00:37:34.380 You know, you 00:37:34.380 --> 00:37:35.059 left the Anglican 00:37:35.059 --> 00:37:35.760 Church of Canada 00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:36.340 and all of those 00:37:36.340 --> 00:37:37.039 types of things 00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:37.639 in George, like, 00:37:38.340 --> 00:37:38.940 you shouldn't be 00:37:38.940 --> 00:37:39.380 talking about 00:37:39.380 --> 00:37:39.960 other people, you 00:37:39.960 --> 00:37:40.480 should be talking 00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:41.079 about yourself, 00:37:41.200 --> 00:37:41.740 you're very, very 00:37:41.740 --> 00:37:42.039 divisive. 00:37:42.119 --> 00:37:42.840 No, no, no, no, 00:37:42.840 --> 00:37:43.660 no, no, no, no, 00:37:43.660 --> 00:37:43.860 no, no. 00:37:44.660 --> 00:37:45.320 If God 00:37:45.320 --> 00:37:46.420 pronounces woe, 00:37:47.019 --> 00:37:47.619 which he does 00:37:47.619 --> 00:37:48.480 just before this, 00:37:48.700 --> 00:37:49.320 the part we read 00:37:49.320 --> 00:37:50.200 today, you cannot 00:37:50.200 --> 00:37:50.840 shrug your 00:37:50.840 --> 00:37:51.280 shoulders. 00:37:53.059 --> 00:37:54.059 If God, just 00:37:54.059 --> 00:37:54.599 as you can't 00:37:54.599 --> 00:37:55.200 bless what God 00:37:55.200 --> 00:37:55.880 calls sin, if 00:37:55.880 --> 00:37:56.559 God pronounces 00:37:56.559 --> 00:37:57.740 woe, you 00:37:57.740 --> 00:37:58.539 cannot shrug your 00:37:58.539 --> 00:37:59.660 shoulders, you 00:37:59.659 --> 00:38:00.480 cannot say it's 00:38:00.480 --> 00:38:01.420 not important, you 00:38:01.420 --> 00:38:02.199 need to act. 00:38:03.879 --> 00:38:04.719 Just to be 00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:06.359 clear, we are 00:38:06.359 --> 00:38:07.339 not divisive. 00:38:09.440 --> 00:38:10.359 Very simple 00:38:10.359 --> 00:38:10.839 analogy. 00:38:13.319 --> 00:38:14.619 If you have a 00:38:14.619 --> 00:38:16.039 close friend and 00:38:16.039 --> 00:38:17.500 she's married to 00:38:17.500 --> 00:38:19.259 her husband and 00:38:19.259 --> 00:38:20.199 she finds out that 00:38:20.199 --> 00:38:21.079 the husband has 00:38:21.079 --> 00:38:21.639 been sleeping 00:38:21.639 --> 00:38:22.339 around with many 00:38:22.339 --> 00:38:23.019 different women, 00:38:24.059 --> 00:38:25.239 and if she 00:38:25.239 --> 00:38:26.500 divorces him, who 00:38:26.500 --> 00:38:26.940 broke the 00:38:26.940 --> 00:38:27.359 marriage? 00:38:27.360 --> 00:38:30.000 not the 00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:30.380 woman who 00:38:30.380 --> 00:38:30.960 called for the 00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:31.599 divorce, but 00:38:31.599 --> 00:38:32.140 for the man 00:38:32.140 --> 00:38:32.539 who had the 00:38:32.539 --> 00:38:32.920 affairs. 00:38:35.840 --> 00:38:36.460 And if the 00:38:36.460 --> 00:38:37.079 Anglican Church 00:38:37.079 --> 00:38:37.880 of Canada wanted 00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:39.160 to defy God, 00:38:41.620 --> 00:38:42.300 bless what he 00:38:42.300 --> 00:38:43.079 said was sin, 00:38:44.500 --> 00:38:46.480 they divided 00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:47.120 the church, 00:38:48.400 --> 00:38:49.180 but we had to 00:38:49.180 --> 00:38:49.780 take action. 00:38:49.780 --> 00:38:55.680 But here's the 00:38:55.680 --> 00:38:56.280 thing which this 00:38:56.280 --> 00:38:56.900 opens up the 00:38:56.900 --> 00:38:57.280 door to the 00:38:57.280 --> 00:38:58.540 godly, about 00:38:58.540 --> 00:38:59.080 what it means to 00:38:59.080 --> 00:38:59.940 be godly, and 00:38:59.940 --> 00:39:00.640 just the 00:39:00.640 --> 00:39:01.300 wonderful, why 00:39:01.300 --> 00:39:05.019 why we, the 00:39:05.019 --> 00:39:06.040 gospel humbles 00:39:06.040 --> 00:39:06.760 us, doesn't make 00:39:06.760 --> 00:39:08.300 us proud, and we 00:39:08.300 --> 00:39:09.060 need to deal with 00:39:09.060 --> 00:39:09.860 these things, but 00:39:09.860 --> 00:39:13.440 here's what is so 00:39:13.440 --> 00:39:14.560 implicit in all of 00:39:14.560 --> 00:39:14.940 this, and it's 00:39:14.940 --> 00:39:15.480 going to be made 00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:16.540 clear when we go 00:39:16.540 --> 00:39:17.160 to the, how to 00:39:17.160 --> 00:39:18.019 begin to deal with 00:39:18.019 --> 00:39:18.699 the problem in 00:39:18.699 --> 00:39:19.320 the next sermon, 00:39:19.420 --> 00:39:19.820 and then the 00:39:19.820 --> 00:39:20.380 hope of dealing 00:39:20.380 --> 00:39:20.940 with the problem 00:39:20.940 --> 00:39:21.480 in the final 00:39:21.480 --> 00:39:22.579 sermon, which 00:39:22.579 --> 00:39:23.199 I'll have to do 00:39:23.199 --> 00:39:23.940 after Easter. 00:39:24.719 --> 00:39:25.940 Becoming godly is 00:39:25.940 --> 00:39:26.420 not my 00:39:26.420 --> 00:39:27.079 accomplishment. 00:39:29.380 --> 00:39:30.619 Becoming godly is 00:39:30.619 --> 00:39:31.099 not my 00:39:31.099 --> 00:39:32.000 accomplishment, and 00:39:32.000 --> 00:39:32.860 it's not yours. 00:39:34.719 --> 00:39:35.739 From first to 00:39:35.739 --> 00:39:36.440 last, it's an 00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:37.539 accomplishment by 00:39:37.539 --> 00:39:37.920 God. 00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:40.980 God died for the 00:39:40.980 --> 00:39:43.019 ungodly, that he 00:39:43.019 --> 00:39:44.800 might godly make 00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:45.699 us be. 00:39:45.699 --> 00:39:48.099 Sort of 00:39:48.099 --> 00:39:49.019 paraphrasing an 00:39:49.019 --> 00:39:49.579 old hymn. 00:39:51.019 --> 00:39:52.439 God himself died 00:39:52.439 --> 00:39:53.480 for the ungodly, 00:39:53.819 --> 00:39:55.399 that you and I, 00:39:56.619 --> 00:39:57.339 that sort of he 00:39:57.339 --> 00:39:58.460 might godly make 00:39:58.460 --> 00:39:58.939 us be. 00:40:00.319 --> 00:40:02.419 The creator died 00:40:02.419 --> 00:40:03.599 for his fallen 00:40:03.599 --> 00:40:06.359 creation, that we 00:40:06.359 --> 00:40:07.759 might be reconciled 00:40:07.759 --> 00:40:10.399 to our creator, and 00:40:10.399 --> 00:40:11.480 to begin to be at 00:40:11.480 --> 00:40:13.139 home in the real 00:40:13.139 --> 00:40:13.739 creation. 00:40:13.739 --> 00:40:15.899 creation. 00:40:15.979 --> 00:40:17.399 The images of the 00:40:17.399 --> 00:40:18.399 gospel of Jesus 00:40:18.399 --> 00:40:19.699 being a ransom for 00:40:19.699 --> 00:40:20.859 us is an image of 00:40:20.859 --> 00:40:22.079 Jesus doing something 00:40:22.079 --> 00:40:23.239 for us and 00:40:23.239 --> 00:40:24.439 transferring us from 00:40:24.439 --> 00:40:26.539 slavery to freedom 00:40:26.539 --> 00:40:27.399 in his kingdom. 00:40:27.939 --> 00:40:28.859 If you go back and 00:40:28.859 --> 00:40:29.579 you read Ephesians 00:40:29.579 --> 00:40:30.639 chapter 2, there's 00:40:30.639 --> 00:40:31.399 the image of you 00:40:31.399 --> 00:40:32.219 put your faith and 00:40:32.219 --> 00:40:33.179 trust in Jesus, and 00:40:33.179 --> 00:40:35.119 he transfers you from 00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:35.919 the kingdom of 00:40:35.919 --> 00:40:37.659 darkness, the kingdom 00:40:37.659 --> 00:40:39.439 of the ungodly, and 00:40:39.439 --> 00:40:40.959 transfers you into his 00:40:40.959 --> 00:40:42.399 kingdom of light and of 00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:44.200 godliness, he does 00:40:44.200 --> 00:40:45.099 that work. 00:40:48.360 --> 00:40:51.420 He does that work, and 00:40:51.420 --> 00:40:52.599 only he can do it. 00:40:53.880 --> 00:40:55.740 And every single human 00:40:55.740 --> 00:40:58.320 being needs to hear this 00:40:58.320 --> 00:40:59.840 profound, liberating 00:40:59.840 --> 00:41:00.400 truth. 00:41:01.740 --> 00:41:02.700 And we don't, we 00:41:02.700 --> 00:41:03.599 shouldn't be, the world 00:41:03.599 --> 00:41:04.320 will want us to be 00:41:04.320 --> 00:41:05.320 embarrassed and ashamed 00:41:05.320 --> 00:41:05.900 about it. 00:41:05.900 --> 00:41:08.740 brothers and sisters, 00:41:09.940 --> 00:41:11.360 this gospel is the 00:41:11.360 --> 00:41:12.099 hope of the world. 00:41:14.119 --> 00:41:15.460 It is the hope of the 00:41:15.460 --> 00:41:15.760 world. 00:41:17.160 --> 00:41:18.579 Christ is your hope for 00:41:18.579 --> 00:41:18.960 glory. 00:41:19.099 --> 00:41:20.200 There is no other hope. 00:41:21.139 --> 00:41:22.320 His finished work is 00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:23.360 your only hope. 00:41:24.300 --> 00:41:25.400 If you hope in your 00:41:25.400 --> 00:41:26.680 own finished work, there 00:41:26.680 --> 00:41:27.380 is no hope. 00:41:28.180 --> 00:41:29.180 In a couple of weeks, 00:41:29.240 --> 00:41:29.980 we're going to have the 00:41:29.980 --> 00:41:31.099 seven last words from the 00:41:31.099 --> 00:41:32.039 cross, and I'll say this 00:41:32.039 --> 00:41:32.559 in closing. 00:41:32.559 --> 00:41:35.480 And in John's second 00:41:35.480 --> 00:41:36.759 to last word, Jesus 00:41:36.759 --> 00:41:38.119 pronounces, it is 00:41:38.119 --> 00:41:38.559 finished. 00:41:39.259 --> 00:41:40.119 And as you probably 00:41:40.119 --> 00:41:41.840 know, that can also be 00:41:41.840 --> 00:41:45.059 translated as, it is 00:41:45.059 --> 00:41:46.360 accomplished. 00:41:49.059 --> 00:41:51.119 And I take hold of 00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:51.360 that. 00:41:52.360 --> 00:41:53.420 I invite you to stand. 00:41:53.420 --> 00:42:02.300 Victor is going to, in a 00:42:02.300 --> 00:42:03.840 moment, lead us in 00:42:03.840 --> 00:42:04.420 intercession. 00:42:04.539 --> 00:42:05.519 I think Victor is the 00:42:05.519 --> 00:42:06.539 one to be doing that. 00:42:07.760 --> 00:42:09.619 And as he makes his way 00:42:09.619 --> 00:42:10.639 up here, let's just bow 00:42:10.639 --> 00:42:11.420 our heads in prayer. 00:42:14.420 --> 00:42:14.780 Father, 00:42:18.780 --> 00:42:22.079 it can be hard for us to 00:42:22.079 --> 00:42:23.119 recognize what the book 00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:23.980 of Jude is talking 00:42:23.980 --> 00:42:24.279 about. 00:42:24.480 --> 00:42:26.619 We can go to a church 00:42:26.619 --> 00:42:27.500 and a minister. 00:42:27.639 --> 00:42:28.739 He doesn't seem like he's 00:42:28.739 --> 00:42:30.460 a scoffer or a grumbler 00:42:30.460 --> 00:42:33.079 until we realize that he's 00:42:33.079 --> 00:42:34.179 scoffing at your word. 00:42:34.299 --> 00:42:35.440 He's grumbling against 00:42:35.440 --> 00:42:36.099 your word. 00:42:36.359 --> 00:42:38.059 He is to find your word. 00:42:38.159 --> 00:42:39.339 And it can be hard to see 00:42:39.339 --> 00:42:40.299 and hard to recognize. 00:42:41.059 --> 00:42:44.799 And Father, we ask that you 00:42:44.799 --> 00:42:45.779 help us to take these 00:42:45.779 --> 00:42:47.219 warnings of Jude to heart. 00:42:47.719 --> 00:42:49.039 And help us to hunger, 00:42:49.259 --> 00:42:50.619 Father, to hear what he 00:42:50.619 --> 00:42:52.000 says next, your word says 00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:54.460 next about the shape of our 00:42:54.460 --> 00:42:56.980 dealing with those, Father, 00:42:57.119 --> 00:42:58.820 who are ungodly influencers 00:42:58.820 --> 00:42:59.639 in the church. 00:43:00.900 --> 00:43:02.559 And the hope of dealing 00:43:02.559 --> 00:43:03.900 with them and the hope of 00:43:03.900 --> 00:43:06.920 being in your church, Father. 00:43:07.539 --> 00:43:12.300 Father, just Father, we ask 00:43:12.300 --> 00:43:13.980 that you would so ground us in 00:43:13.980 --> 00:43:16.800 who Jesus is and so draw us by 00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:18.119 who he is and that we would so 00:43:18.119 --> 00:43:20.559 stand in this and be so open 00:43:20.559 --> 00:43:22.239 to the Holy Spirit that we 00:43:22.239 --> 00:43:23.159 might bring you glory. 00:43:24.400 --> 00:43:26.500 We might be unashamed of the 00:43:26.500 --> 00:43:26.960 gospel. 00:43:27.900 --> 00:43:29.619 We can speak winsomely and 00:43:29.619 --> 00:43:31.400 clearly and when necessary, 00:43:31.579 --> 00:43:32.819 take courageous stands. 00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:35.139 But Father, we ask that you would 00:43:35.139 --> 00:43:37.579 help these words to deeply form 00:43:37.579 --> 00:43:37.839 us. 00:43:39.119 --> 00:43:40.619 And we ask these things in the 00:43:40.619 --> 00:43:42.139 name of Jesus, your Son and our 00:43:42.139 --> 00:43:42.460 Savior. 00:43:43.119 --> 00:43:43.480 Amen.