WEBVTT

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 Father in heaven, may your presence, which rests around us and in us, amongst us,

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 Lord, open our hearts and our ears as we look to see in your word what you have to say to us.

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 Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. Amen. Please be seated.

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 These lights are quite bright.

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 Shalom from Jerusalem.

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 It is my privilege and pleasure to come and speak and to look at this text from the scriptures.

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 Now I want to start by saying that the Gospels are finely crafted texts.

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 That we have four Gospels and we have lots of stories about Jesus

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 and we have lots of stories that have been put into these texts in certain orders.

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 They are there for reasons.

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 Now we may have, some people might know, that there's a theory

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 that says that there were four Gospels and they all can be redacted down to this one common source.

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 That Matthew and Luke are borrowing from Mark and Mark's borrowing from this mysterious document called Q

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 and John is just way out there onto the side.

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 If you have heard of this theory, please take it, roll it up in a little ball and throw it away.

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 In the Middle East, which is where the Bible comes from,

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 our Bible is a Jewish text, it is a Middle Eastern text,

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 in the Middle East there were probably lots of Gospels.

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 There were lots of stories of Jesus and the Jesus event.

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 What happens is Matthew, Luke, Mark, John, by the guidance of God, by His Spirit,

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 they decide and choose what stories to include.

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 And they even tell us there are so many stories that we're not going to include everything.

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 There's too much.

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 This, this is enough.

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 And so they choose the stories that they feel under guidance that they're important

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 and they put them into a certain order.

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 And so some stories, like Jesus cleansing the temple,

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 occur early in John and late in Matthew

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 because of the way that they're structuring their story.

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 And so you have these stories that are packed with meaning,

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 even as to why they're in their order, they have a meaning.

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 So when we read this text, we've got to put it into context.

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 We should ask ourselves two questions whenever we read the Gospels.

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 Two questions.

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 What does this tell me about Jesus?

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 And how do I become a better disciple?

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 So we'll study this text and we'll wrestle with it.

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 God will speak to us and we'll come, we'll look for those answers.

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 What does this tell me about Jesus?

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 And how do I become a better disciple?

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 So let's have a look at our text.

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 This is the parable of the tenants in the vineyard.

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 And it is placed by Matthew in here at the, as Jesus has entered Jerusalem.

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 Now, does Jesus just say this parable when he's in Jerusalem?

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 He's probably said this parable lots of times.

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 Like any itinerant preacher has their top ten favorite sermons,

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 and you would go from village to village to village,

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 and you would preach this sermon in the same village here,

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 in the same village there, in the same village there.

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 So Jesus, Yeshua as we call him in Hebrew,

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 he's probably preached this a few times.

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 But Matthew's deliberately putting it here.

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 So Jesus has come into Jerusalem.

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 This is his final time.

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 The big showdown is coming with the temple.

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 He enters the temple.

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 There's the adulation of the crowds as they welcome him as the Messiah.

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 And it's wonderfully seen in movies, palm branches, donkeys, coats, and things.

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 He gets out his bullwhip, and he does his Indiana Jones,

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 and he cleanses the temple.

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 And he tips over the money changers, and he challenges them.

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 He challenges their authority.

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 And he gets away with it.

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 Because by this stage, the temple's quite corrupt.

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 And this occurred a couple of hundred years prior to Jesus,

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 during the Maccabean period,

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 when the Jewish people overthrew the Greeks,

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 who had been ruling them.

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 We get a wonderful holiday in Israel called Hanukkah, because of it,

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 which we're about to celebrate after Sukkot.

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 And the Jewish people, the Maccabees,

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 they cleanse the temple, they rededicate the temple,

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 and they reestablish the worship of God.

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 It's wonderful.

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 But then they also begin to expand the borders of Israel.

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 They begin to invade other people.

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 And they go across the Jordan,

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 and they capture some of the lands that the old Philistines used to have,

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 drive the Greeks out.

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 And they begin to think that they're actually in the Messianic age.

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 They begin to believe that we are part of the Messianic ideal.

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 And we don't actually need a person as a Messiah.

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 We are the Messias.

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 And they change the temple.

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 They take away the natural priests,

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 and they put in false priests.

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 Instead of priests being the descendants of Levi and Cohen,

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 as they are supposed to be, according to the Bible,

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 the B'nai Tzadok,

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 we find priests from Benjamin,

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 and from Asher,

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 and from Naphtali.

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 Not all of them.

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 And instead of having one high priest,

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 we have multiple priests,

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 chief priests,

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 and they're illegitimate.

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 And everybody knows this.

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 And yet,

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 people still go to the temple,

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 because this is where God lived.

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 Jesus himself goes.

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 But he's going to challenge their authority.

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 And he knows they're corrupt.

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 So when he spills over the money changers,

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 the people,

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 they're very excited by this.

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 Yes, we understand what you're doing.

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 You're challenging the authority.

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 And this little portion of Matthew

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 talks a lot about Jesus' authority.

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 He already has authority over death.

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 He's raised people from the dead.

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 He's raised his friend, Lazarus.

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 He has fought back the demons.

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 He has authority over the demons.

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 He has authority over sickness.

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 He heals wherever he goes.

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 Nothing can stop him.

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 He has authority over nature.

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 He can command the wind and the waters to stop.

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 And now he has authority to teach.

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 Then,

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 Matthew puts this image of the fig tree that withers.

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 Jesus,

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 just after he's cleansed the temple,

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 he sees a fig tree.

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 And figs,

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 in Jewish tradition,

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 are loaded with meaning.

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 A lot of these images are,

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 he goes up to this tree and he's looking for fruit.

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 He doesn't find any.

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 So then he curses the tree and the tree just dies.

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 You go,

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 wow,

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 that's really special.

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 How,

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 how,

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 Lord,

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 did you do that?

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 Well,

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 it's not about the fig tree not having fruit.

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 Because the gospel of Mark deliberately tells us that the,

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 the fig tree,

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 it wasn't the season for figs.

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 So Jesus was never going to find fruit there anyway.

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 So why is he cursing a tree that was never allowed to have fruit in that season?

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 That doesn't seem very fair.

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 Well,

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 in,

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 in Jewish tradition,

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 the idea of a fig tree was,

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 was the covering.

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 The first time figs are ever mentioned in the Bible is where?

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 Genesis.

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 That's right.

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 And that's because we've got to cover our nakedness.

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 And,

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 and so Adam and Eve,

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 they make a disastrous decision.

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 They,

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 they eat of the forbidden fruit.

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 They discover that they're naked.

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 And they started to cover themselves with,

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 with figs.

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 Which is a rather embarrassing thing to do.

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 Because figs have a special sap in their leaves,

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 which actually makes your skin red and itchy.

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 Okay.

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 So I'm sure that God,

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 when he comes out and sees Adam,

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 probably goes,

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 I bet that's uncomfortable.

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 Okay.

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 And,

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 and that's,

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 that's a good,

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 good effort,

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 but I'm going to do my best.

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 And he,

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 he actually makes real clothing.

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 For them.

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 So the idea that,

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 that figs represent the covering of a person,

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 then went through,

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 uh,

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 into Jewish,

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 uh,

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 preaching tradition,

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 into their thinking,

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 that you would sit under a fig tree.

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 And that would be,

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 not a literal one,

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 but the,

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 the covering for us,

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 was the Torah.

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 That was what,

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 what covered us and protected us,

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 as we waited for the Messiah.

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 Now the Torah in Hebrew,

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 comes from the verb,

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 leherot,

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 which means to teach,

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 or to guide,

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 to instruct.

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 It doesn't mean law,

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 which a lot of our texts actually,

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 uh,

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 translate.

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 The word law in Hebrew is,

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 chok.

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 So if anyone can see the difference between,

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 chok and Torah,

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 that's good.

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 There are laws inside the Torah,

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 but the Torah itself,

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 is teaching,

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 guidance,

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 and instruction.

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 And according to Jewish tradition,

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 and also the Bible,

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 uh,

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 when do you receive the Torah?

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 You receive the Torah,

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 after you've been saved.

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 So the,

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 the,

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 the Jewish people,

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 are in Egypt,

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 and they're taken out of Egypt,

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 and saved.

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 Then they are taken to Mount Sinai,

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 and then they receive the Torah.

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 The Torah,

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 as Jewish people should know,

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 doesn't save you.

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 It is,

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 a covering.

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 What does it cover?

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 Lots of good stuff.

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 When God says,

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 thou shalt not steal,

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 why does he say that?

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 Because he doesn't like stealing.

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 So if God doesn't like stealing,

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 what are you going to do?

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 Not steal.

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 And so these,

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 these teachings,

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 and the guidance,

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 and the instructions,

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 are good for us.

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 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

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 It's a good one.

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 It's good for us.

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 Why?

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 Because it stops these,

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 when we try and have freedom,

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 of,

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 of,

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 of sexual expression,

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 all we end up doing,

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 is chaining ourselves,

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 with these really weird,

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 and strange relationships.

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 Instead of having,

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 our wives,

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 and being faithful to them.

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 These are good.

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 It's a good covering for us.

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 And it's one of the reasons,

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 why,

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 in the Gospel of John,

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 Nathanael is sitting,

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 under a fig tree,

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 and Jesus says,

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 I saw you,

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 when you were under the fig tree.

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 Because he says that,

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 Nathanael says,

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 oh,

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 you are the king of Israel,

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 the son of God.

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 Nathanael gets that,

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 within 10 seconds,

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 of meeting Jesus,

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 and it takes Peter,

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 three and a half years,

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 to finally get that right,

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 in Caesarea.

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 Because,

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 Nathanael's probably,

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 not sitting,

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 under a literal fig tree.

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 He's been sitting,

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 under the covering,

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 of the Torah.

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 He's been looking,

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 through the scriptures,

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 for the Messiah.

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 And Jesus says,

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 you know what,

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 I know,

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 you were looking for me,

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 because I was looking,

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 straight back.

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 And I know who you are.

00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:08.539
 You're a true Israelite.

00:12:09.100 --> 00:12:10.199
 And there's no deceit in you.

00:12:10.259 --> 00:12:10.919
 And he gets it.

00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:12.159
 Nathanael gets it,

00:12:12.199 --> 00:12:12.679
 right up front.

00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:13.500
 But here,

00:12:14.100 --> 00:12:15.100
 it's in the context,

00:12:15.220 --> 00:12:15.759
 of the temple.

00:12:16.620 --> 00:12:17.659
 And the authority,

00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:18.799
 of the temple,

00:12:18.939 --> 00:12:19.819
 and the temple teachers.

00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:21.579
 And Jesus has looked,

00:12:21.719 --> 00:12:22.399
 for fruit.

00:12:23.299 --> 00:12:24.039
 He has looked,

00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:25.079
 that the Torah,

00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:26.360
 the teaching,

00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:27.000
 the guidance,

00:12:27.079 --> 00:12:27.679
 and the instruction,

00:12:27.839 --> 00:12:28.579
 that should have been,

00:12:28.579 --> 00:12:29.639
 coming from the temple,

00:12:29.839 --> 00:12:30.779
 to the people,

00:12:31.079 --> 00:12:32.139
 and producing fruit,

00:12:32.299 --> 00:12:33.360
 didn't produce fruit.

00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:35.519
 It wasn't there.

00:12:36.839 --> 00:12:38.139
 And so he curses the tree.

00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:39.559
 He says,

00:12:39.879 --> 00:12:41.100
 I'm going to be giving,

00:12:41.339 --> 00:12:43.100
 the teaching to somebody else.

00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:45.240
 And then,

00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:46.680
 the teachers,

00:12:47.060 --> 00:12:47.800
 in Matthew,

00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:49.240
 the teachers in the temple,

00:12:49.379 --> 00:12:51.139
 they deliberately attack Jesus.

00:12:51.379 --> 00:12:52.440
 How do you do this?

00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:53.980
 Where do you get your authority from?

00:12:54.019 --> 00:12:55.220
 And Jesus asks them a question,

00:12:55.300 --> 00:12:55.779
 straight back.

00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:56.960
 That's the way you work,

00:12:57.060 --> 00:12:57.620
 in the Middle East.

00:12:58.040 --> 00:12:59.240
 If you ask me a question,

00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:00.680
 my answer is,

00:13:01.040 --> 00:13:01.800
 another question.

00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:04.100
 It's incredibly infuriating,

00:13:04.340 --> 00:13:05.659
 to us in the West.

00:13:06.100 --> 00:13:06.920
 Because you never,

00:13:07.060 --> 00:13:08.200
 actually get an answer.

00:13:09.660 --> 00:13:09.980
 Okay?

00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:11.420
 There's never a dot,

00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:12.779
 at the end of the sentence.

00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:14.759
 It just keeps going.

00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:16.120
 In fact,

00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:17.720
 there's a great little parable,

00:13:17.920 --> 00:13:18.460
 from a rabbi,

00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:19.740
 what's his name,

00:13:20.019 --> 00:13:20.899
 Avraham Herschel,

00:13:21.560 --> 00:13:22.420
 who once said,

00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:24.220
 you're closer to God,

00:13:24.340 --> 00:13:25.759
 when you're asking questions,

00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:26.460
 than when you think,

00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:27.180
 you have answers.

00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:29.240
 Because once you think,

00:13:29.340 --> 00:13:30.139
 you understand God,

00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:30.820
 that's when you truly,

00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:31.680
 don't understand God.

00:13:32.560 --> 00:13:33.240
 And it's in the,

00:13:33.259 --> 00:13:35.399
 in the idea of asking questions,

00:13:35.480 --> 00:13:36.159
 and the search,

00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:37.879
 you're constantly learning,

00:13:37.980 --> 00:13:38.580
 about him,

00:13:38.860 --> 00:13:39.519
 who he is,

00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:40.360
 who he is character,

00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:41.199
 and how to,

00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:43.179
 to behave,

00:13:43.379 --> 00:13:44.059
 in the world,

00:13:44.199 --> 00:13:45.220
 and vis-a-vis also,

00:13:45.480 --> 00:13:45.939
 each other.

00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:48.299
 So Jesus is asked,

00:13:49.059 --> 00:13:51.600
 where do you get your,

00:13:51.620 --> 00:13:52.500
 your authority from?

00:13:52.579 --> 00:13:52.879
 So he says,

00:13:52.939 --> 00:13:53.799
 what about John the Baptist?

00:13:53.879 --> 00:13:54.720
 Where did he come from?

00:13:55.079 --> 00:13:55.699
 Is he from heaven,

00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:56.559
 or is he from,

00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:57.899
 from somewhere else?

00:13:58.360 --> 00:13:59.439
 And they choose not to answer,

00:13:59.579 --> 00:14:00.919
 so Jesus doesn't have to give them,

00:14:00.939 --> 00:14:01.319
 an answer.

00:14:01.419 --> 00:14:02.500
 He outfoxes them.

00:14:03.419 --> 00:14:04.879
 Then he begins to teach,

00:14:05.460 --> 00:14:06.220
 in parables.

00:14:06.220 --> 00:14:13.680
 and he talks about this thing called the kingdom of heaven.

00:14:13.940 --> 00:14:17.360
 Now parables, as a teaching tool of the Second Temple period,

00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:18.660
 are not unique to Jesus.

00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:21.139
 He uses that vehicle.

00:14:21.740 --> 00:14:25.960
 There is over 5,000 parables in the Hebrew commentaries

00:14:25.960 --> 00:14:29.580
 and some of them are even in our New Testament.

00:14:30.580 --> 00:14:35.080
 And the point about parables is as part of the story,

00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:38.379
 which everyone should be familiar with, they have a shock to them.

00:14:39.259 --> 00:14:40.300
 Something that wakes you up.

00:14:40.980 --> 00:14:42.680
 Something that makes you start to question,

00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:44.540
 what is he talking about and why?

00:14:45.300 --> 00:14:48.480
 So he says, listen, I have a parable for you.

00:14:48.940 --> 00:14:50.400
 We want to talk about authority.

00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:52.280
 I would like to share a parable.

00:14:53.720 --> 00:14:54.759
 There is a landowner.

00:14:55.620 --> 00:14:57.120
 He has a vineyard. It is his.

00:14:57.879 --> 00:14:58.800
 It is a good vineyard.

00:14:59.320 --> 00:15:00.960
 He has guarded it with a watchtower.

00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:03.920
 He has surrounded and protected it with his walls.

00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:08.279
 He has prepared a place to produce fruit

00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:10.519
 and to get the juice from this fruit.

00:15:11.019 --> 00:15:12.319
 And we will make wine.

00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:13.659
 And wine is a symbol of joy.

00:15:13.839 --> 00:15:14.719
 It will be a good thing.

00:15:15.019 --> 00:15:15.860
 So I have some tenants.

00:15:16.059 --> 00:15:18.599
 Please work in my vineyard.

00:15:19.860 --> 00:15:21.459
 And when it is time for fruit,

00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:23.899
 because our God is a fruit inspector,

00:15:24.899 --> 00:15:26.219
 when it is time for some fruit,

00:15:26.539 --> 00:15:27.959
 he sends some of his servants.

00:15:28.620 --> 00:15:29.279
 And they're beaten.

00:15:30.259 --> 00:15:31.659
 And in some cases they're killed.

00:15:31.659 --> 00:15:32.740
 Nasty.

00:15:32.860 --> 00:15:33.699
 And they throw stones.

00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:38.100
 And the master does something very special.

00:15:38.199 --> 00:15:39.500
 He sends his son.

00:15:40.719 --> 00:15:44.419
 And the shock that the hearers are about to hear

00:15:44.419 --> 00:15:48.600
 is that, okay, they've already killed the guys previously,

00:15:48.699 --> 00:15:49.879
 so they'll probably kill the son too.

00:15:49.939 --> 00:15:50.500
 We get it.

00:15:50.919 --> 00:15:55.939
 But what is it that these tenants think is going to happen?

00:15:55.940 --> 00:16:01.180
 If we kill the son, we will get his inheritance.

00:16:02.740 --> 00:16:06.220
 On what planet does that ever happen?

00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:10.180
 You don't ever go to a lawyer and say,

00:16:10.280 --> 00:16:11.760
 listen, I know we're about to read the will,

00:16:11.880 --> 00:16:13.820
 but I've actually just offed the guy, okay?

00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:15.160
 So I'll take his place.

00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:15.760
 Is that all right?

00:16:16.840 --> 00:16:18.200
 It will never happen.

00:16:18.420 --> 00:16:20.280
 It won't happen in Jewish tradition.

00:16:20.600 --> 00:16:21.940
 It's not going to happen in,

00:16:22.280 --> 00:16:24.880
 even in corrupt societies that doesn't happen.

00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:25.559
 Well, maybe it does.

00:16:25.740 --> 00:16:26.340
 But it shouldn't.

00:16:27.220 --> 00:16:28.200
 But in the Jewish world,

00:16:28.220 --> 00:16:29.519
 there is no way that would happen.

00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:30.860
 It's a shock.

00:16:31.299 --> 00:16:32.399
 Who are these people?

00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:34.899
 And what do they think is going on in their brain?

00:16:35.139 --> 00:16:37.559
 How have they so twisted reality

00:16:37.559 --> 00:16:41.120
 that they would even think they could fool the master?

00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:43.259
 I'm working in his field.

00:16:43.379 --> 00:16:44.240
 I'll kill his son.

00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:45.379
 He won't bother us.

00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:46.779
 He'll give it to me now.

00:16:47.539 --> 00:16:50.360
 What madness have these people got?

00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:52.860
 That's the shock.

00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:57.019
 Now, the Pharisees and the chief priests,

00:16:57.240 --> 00:16:58.159
 the leaders of the temple,

00:16:58.259 --> 00:17:01.680
 they know that Yeshua is talking about them.

00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:05.700
 They know that he is talking about them

00:17:05.700 --> 00:17:08.420
 and their interpretation of the Torah

00:17:08.420 --> 00:17:11.079
 and the way that they should be caring for the people.

00:17:11.180 --> 00:17:12.620
 He is not talking about the people.

00:17:13.860 --> 00:17:14.599
 People love him.

00:17:15.460 --> 00:17:16.860
 They've just had the triumphal entry.

00:17:16.859 --> 00:17:19.539
 Some of them really do believe he is the Messiah.

00:17:20.619 --> 00:17:21.639
 They've shouted it out.

00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:22.839
 You are the son of David.

00:17:23.379 --> 00:17:24.599
 We know who you are.

00:17:25.679 --> 00:17:26.599
 It's fantastic.

00:17:27.919 --> 00:17:28.939
 Bring on the Redeemer.

00:17:30.399 --> 00:17:32.240
 But for the leaders,

00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:33.799
 they don't like this.

00:17:34.699 --> 00:17:36.659
 They want redemption to come from another way,

00:17:36.819 --> 00:17:37.599
 in their way.

00:17:39.339 --> 00:17:40.019
 And so Jesus,

00:17:40.639 --> 00:17:43.159
 he even gives them his proof text.

00:17:43.160 --> 00:17:45.380
 When he's ready to challenge and fight,

00:17:45.580 --> 00:17:47.880
 discuss with the Pharisees,

00:17:48.040 --> 00:17:49.420
 what verse does he bring?

00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:51.800
 It's not Micah 5.2.

00:17:51.900 --> 00:17:53.220
 By the way, I was born in Bethlehem,

00:17:53.259 --> 00:17:54.040
 just so you know.

00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:54.980
 Okay?

00:17:55.360 --> 00:17:56.360
 I am the Messiah.

00:17:56.519 --> 00:17:57.480
 And by the way, if you don't notice,

00:17:57.560 --> 00:17:58.400
 I'm riding on a donkey,

00:17:58.519 --> 00:17:59.660
 so I've just done Zechariah.

00:18:00.100 --> 00:18:00.420
 Okay?

00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:02.259
 You can call me Emmanuel if you like,

00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:04.140
 if anyone wants to read the book of Isaiah.

00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:05.680
 No, he goes to a psalm.

00:18:07.220 --> 00:18:09.800
 The psalms are the prayer life of the Jewish people.

00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:12.579
 If we were Jewish people,

00:18:12.700 --> 00:18:13.799
 we would gather in our synagogues

00:18:14.339 --> 00:18:14.980
 or in the temple,

00:18:15.099 --> 00:18:16.220
 and we would pray the psalms.

00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:20.259
 You think having a lectionary is a new invention?

00:18:20.500 --> 00:18:20.759
 No.

00:18:21.579 --> 00:18:23.440
 The Jewish people had it at the time of Jesus.

00:18:23.559 --> 00:18:24.980
 They read the Bible in three years.

00:18:25.919 --> 00:18:27.819
 Today, Jewish people read the Bible in one year,

00:18:27.899 --> 00:18:30.539
 but they changed that in the Middle Ages.

00:18:31.399 --> 00:18:32.579
 But at the time of Jesus,

00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:33.680
 you would read the whole Bible.

00:18:33.799 --> 00:18:34.559
 It would take you three years.

00:18:34.659 --> 00:18:35.599
 And oddly enough,

00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:38.119
 some churches still do that today.

00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:39.740
 And that's where they get that tradition from.

00:18:40.579 --> 00:18:40.680
 Okay?

00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:42.000
 The roots of our faith,

00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:44.720
 anybody who reads the text would know

00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:48.180
 that the roots of our faith

00:18:48.180 --> 00:18:50.419
 are steeped in Jewish,

00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:52.000
 in the Jewish people

00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:54.220
 and in the way that they did things.

00:18:55.159 --> 00:18:56.119
 So here, we would,

00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:57.659
 in the second table period,

00:18:57.740 --> 00:18:58.859
 we would pray the psalms.

00:18:59.500 --> 00:19:00.579
 They would be our prayers.

00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:01.500
 We would pray these.

00:19:01.940 --> 00:19:02.639
 Every month,

00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:04.079
 we would go through the entire psalms.

00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:07.139
 And there's commentaries to the psalms.

00:19:07.140 --> 00:19:08.060
 So when we pray,

00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:08.980
 we can actually sit down

00:19:08.980 --> 00:19:10.020
 and have a Bible discussion

00:19:10.020 --> 00:19:11.060
 about what it is we've prayed

00:19:11.060 --> 00:19:11.880
 and what it is we mean.

00:19:12.280 --> 00:19:12.780
 And he says,

00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:14.520
 the stone that the builders rejected

00:19:14.520 --> 00:19:17.360
 has become the capstone.

00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:18.800
 Okay?

00:19:18.860 --> 00:19:20.940
 Some translations will say the cornerstone.

00:19:22.540 --> 00:19:24.820
 But that's not quite literal.

00:19:25.020 --> 00:19:27.000
 The literal thing is the capstone.

00:19:27.080 --> 00:19:27.700
 And the capstone

00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:30.060
 is the part of the supporting arch

00:19:30.060 --> 00:19:31.660
 which has no mortar in it.

00:19:31.800 --> 00:19:34.080
 Each brick is just put side by side

00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:37.099
 and is the force of one brick against another

00:19:37.099 --> 00:19:37.859
 that actually holds

00:19:37.859 --> 00:19:38.839
 the whole structure together.

00:19:39.419 --> 00:19:40.220
 And the capstone

00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:41.439
 is the last bit you put in.

00:19:41.559 --> 00:19:43.139
 It is the most important stone

00:19:43.139 --> 00:19:43.919
 in the entire building.

00:19:44.279 --> 00:19:44.859
 Take that out

00:19:44.859 --> 00:19:45.539
 and the whole thing collapses.

00:19:46.619 --> 00:19:46.779
 Okay?

00:19:46.779 --> 00:19:47.639
 How many cornerstones

00:19:47.639 --> 00:19:49.480
 do you have in a building?

00:19:50.819 --> 00:19:51.220
 Four.

00:19:51.740 --> 00:19:51.960
 Okay?

00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:53.079
 How many Jesuses do we have?

00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:54.159
 Okay?

00:19:54.159 --> 00:19:54.539
 One.

00:19:54.779 --> 00:19:55.019
 Okay?

00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:56.699
 So he's the one up top.

00:19:57.799 --> 00:20:00.319
 And they have a little parable

00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:01.879
 that goes along with this psalm

00:20:01.879 --> 00:20:03.519
 that while they were building the temple,

00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:06.279
 because this parable

00:20:06.279 --> 00:20:07.159
 is in connection

00:20:07.159 --> 00:20:08.599
 to Jesus challenging

00:20:08.599 --> 00:20:10.079
 the temple authorities.

00:20:12.159 --> 00:20:13.159
 There's a parable

00:20:13.159 --> 00:20:14.419
 that when they were building the temple,

00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:17.299
 they were putting one stone upon another

00:20:17.299 --> 00:20:18.919
 and in large parts of the temple,

00:20:19.179 --> 00:20:20.119
 they weren't meant

00:20:20.119 --> 00:20:21.879
 to actually cut the stone.

00:20:21.960 --> 00:20:23.359
 It was meant to be a stone.

00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:25.899
 They just found a natural stone.

00:20:26.579 --> 00:20:27.720
 They find the stone

00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:28.679
 and they're trying to put it over here.

00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:29.619
 No, it doesn't fit.

00:20:30.059 --> 00:20:30.859
 So put it over here.

00:20:30.980 --> 00:20:32.220
 No, it doesn't fit.

00:20:32.659 --> 00:20:33.960
 Put it back over that way.

00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:34.879
 Turn it around.

00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:35.379
 Twist it.

00:20:35.480 --> 00:20:36.199
 No, it just doesn't fit.

00:20:37.099 --> 00:20:37.839
 So we throw it away.

00:20:38.699 --> 00:20:39.659
 It's a useless stone.

00:20:40.299 --> 00:20:41.399
 And they keep building the temple.

00:20:41.799 --> 00:20:42.720
 And then when they get

00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:44.079
 to the final stone

00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:45.240
 to put it all in place,

00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:48.079
 the force of one stone on another

00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:49.019
 will actually hold it.

00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:50.740
 They couldn't find a stone

00:20:50.740 --> 00:20:51.179
 that would fit.

00:20:52.460 --> 00:20:53.039
 They could see,

00:20:53.159 --> 00:20:54.179
 oh, look, there's this stone,

00:20:54.220 --> 00:20:55.159
 the one that we didn't want.

00:20:56.379 --> 00:20:57.359
 Let's try that one.

00:20:57.939 --> 00:20:58.599
 That one fits.

00:20:58.599 --> 00:21:00.859
 So when we talk about

00:21:00.859 --> 00:21:02.319
 the stone that the builders rejected,

00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:03.799
 they understand, again,

00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:04.679
 this is a temple,

00:21:05.459 --> 00:21:06.879
 a parable,

00:21:07.539 --> 00:21:08.799
 and I know he's talking

00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:10.379
 about us.

00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:13.579
 I tell you

00:21:13.579 --> 00:21:15.279
 that the kingdom of heaven,

00:21:15.419 --> 00:21:16.339
 the kingdom of God,

00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:17.859
 will be taken away

00:21:17.859 --> 00:21:19.819
 and given to somebody else.

00:21:20.779 --> 00:21:21.500
 The term,

00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:22.480
 the kingdom of God,

00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:24.139
 is a very Jewish term.

00:21:24.140 --> 00:21:26.920
 when Jesus always starts

00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:27.740
 all of his parables,

00:21:28.080 --> 00:21:28.860
 the kingdom of heaven

00:21:28.860 --> 00:21:29.380
 is like this.

00:21:29.800 --> 00:21:30.540
 The kingdom of heaven

00:21:30.540 --> 00:21:30.960
 is like that.

00:21:31.060 --> 00:21:31.820
 This is what it's like

00:21:31.820 --> 00:21:32.600
 to live in the kingdom

00:21:32.600 --> 00:21:33.640
 when I'm the king.

00:21:34.580 --> 00:21:35.420
 And the disciples

00:21:35.420 --> 00:21:36.920
 never stick their hands up

00:21:36.920 --> 00:21:37.420
 and say,

00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:38.280
 Lord,

00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:39.700
 what's the kingdom of heaven

00:21:39.700 --> 00:21:40.620
 because I don't understand.

00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:42.620
 The term,

00:21:42.700 --> 00:21:43.360
 the kingdom of heaven,

00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:44.500
 isn't in the Hebrew Bible.

00:21:45.100 --> 00:21:46.140
 It's not in the Old Testament.

00:21:47.140 --> 00:21:48.020
 It's in the New Testament.

00:21:48.580 --> 00:21:49.259
 It appears

00:21:49.259 --> 00:21:51.280
 in Jewish literature,

00:21:51.720 --> 00:21:52.480
 Jewish writings,

00:21:52.940 --> 00:21:54.120
 Jewish preaching traditions,

00:21:54.140 --> 00:21:55.520
 when we come back

00:21:55.520 --> 00:21:56.280
 from Babylon.

00:21:57.360 --> 00:21:59.200
 And they start asking themselves,

00:21:59.940 --> 00:22:01.460
 God is our king.

00:22:02.320 --> 00:22:04.460
 When did he become a king?

00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:07.500
 When did the kingdom of heaven start?

00:22:08.280 --> 00:22:09.220
 So when do you think?

00:22:09.940 --> 00:22:11.020
 When did God become a king?

00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:15.960
 At birth?

00:22:16.360 --> 00:22:17.460
 Well, God wasn't born,

00:22:17.560 --> 00:22:17.920
 but yes.

00:22:18.780 --> 00:22:19.600
 Some people will say,

00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:19.800
 okay,

00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:20.860
 at Pentecost.

00:22:21.500 --> 00:22:23.080
 Jesus starts the kingdom of heaven

00:22:23.080 --> 00:22:23.580
 at Pentecost.

00:22:23.579 --> 00:22:23.859
 Okay,

00:22:23.899 --> 00:22:24.839
 that's not bad.

00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:26.059
 Some people will say,

00:22:26.279 --> 00:22:27.039
 at creation,

00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:28.779
 when God made the world,

00:22:29.259 --> 00:22:29.960
 he became king.

00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:31.339
 You can't have a king

00:22:31.339 --> 00:22:32.199
 without people in it.

00:22:32.639 --> 00:22:32.899
 Right?

00:22:33.639 --> 00:22:34.639
 So you can't have

00:22:34.639 --> 00:22:35.279
 a king of nothing.

00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:36.819
 Somebody's got to be there,

00:22:36.899 --> 00:22:37.759
 so he makes the world

00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:38.879
 and God becomes a king.

00:22:39.259 --> 00:22:40.079
 It's also not bad.

00:22:40.159 --> 00:22:41.460
 That's actually one of the Jewish prayers

00:22:41.460 --> 00:22:42.399
 that we pray every day.

00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:43.840
 blessed are you,

00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:44.519
 the Lord our God,

00:22:44.660 --> 00:22:45.460
 king of the universe.

00:22:45.600 --> 00:22:46.900
 He's the king of the universe.

00:22:47.160 --> 00:22:49.080
 It's always linked to creation.

00:22:50.140 --> 00:22:51.860
 But in Jewish tradition,

00:22:51.980 --> 00:22:52.840
 the kingdom of heaven

00:22:52.840 --> 00:22:55.100
 starts when God himself

00:22:55.100 --> 00:22:55.700
 gets a people,

00:22:56.740 --> 00:22:58.120
 when he actually has people

00:22:58.120 --> 00:22:59.700
 who acknowledge his kingship,

00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:02.060
 and that's at Mount Sinai.

00:23:02.059 --> 00:23:02.960
 So,

00:23:04.279 --> 00:23:05.359
 the children of Israel

00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:08.039
 are in Egypt.

00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:09.859
 And the purpose

00:23:09.859 --> 00:23:10.799
 of the Exodus

00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:13.179
 is not to get a bunch of Hebrews

00:23:13.179 --> 00:23:14.700
 to the promised land.

00:23:15.700 --> 00:23:17.159
 Because if that was true,

00:23:18.220 --> 00:23:19.559
 then God would have given Moses

00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:20.519
 better directions.

00:23:20.519 --> 00:23:23.079
 He would have said,

00:23:23.220 --> 00:23:23.740
 okay, Moses,

00:23:24.180 --> 00:23:25.220
 you get these people

00:23:25.220 --> 00:23:25.920
 out of Egypt,

00:23:26.259 --> 00:23:27.980
 and then you turn left.

00:23:28.879 --> 00:23:29.740
 And then when you get

00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:30.440
 to the Mediterranean,

00:23:31.079 --> 00:23:32.359
 you turn right.

00:23:32.819 --> 00:23:33.819
 You can't miss it.

00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:35.059
 Left, right,

00:23:35.139 --> 00:23:35.500
 you're there.

00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:37.420
 But that was not

00:23:37.420 --> 00:23:38.500
 the purpose

00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:39.980
 of the Exodus.

00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:42.440
 What do the children

00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:43.240
 of Israel

00:23:43.240 --> 00:23:45.720
 know about God

00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:47.500
 when they're in Egypt?

00:23:48.500 --> 00:23:49.720
 They've been in Egypt

00:23:49.720 --> 00:23:51.400
 400 years.

00:23:52.519 --> 00:23:53.839
 What do they know

00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:55.380
 about God?

00:23:56.279 --> 00:23:56.920
 What do you think?

00:23:58.420 --> 00:23:59.460
 It's a very Jewish thing

00:23:59.460 --> 00:24:00.380
 to ask people questions.

00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:06.039
 Okay, he's got promises

00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:06.579
 to Abraham.

00:24:06.819 --> 00:24:07.600
 We know something

00:24:07.600 --> 00:24:08.860
 about a wandering nomad.

00:24:10.620 --> 00:24:12.100
 We don't have a Bible.

00:24:13.180 --> 00:24:14.380
 For 400 years,

00:24:14.460 --> 00:24:15.900
 we've been slaves in Egypt.

00:24:16.519 --> 00:24:17.700
 We don't have a Bible.

00:24:17.700 --> 00:24:20.600
 We don't have a prophet.

00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:22.779
 There's no one here

00:24:22.779 --> 00:24:24.319
 telling us stories

00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:25.860
 about what's going to happen.

00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:26.420
 Don't worry.

00:24:26.539 --> 00:24:26.920
 One day,

00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:27.740
 there'll be a Redeemer

00:24:27.740 --> 00:24:28.720
 and we'll get out of Egypt.

00:24:30.180 --> 00:24:31.360
 We don't have a temple.

00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:34.400
 We don't have a focal point

00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:36.080
 where we can say,

00:24:36.299 --> 00:24:37.900
 God is here.

00:24:38.940 --> 00:24:40.100
 That's one of the unique

00:24:40.100 --> 00:24:41.019
 distinctives

00:24:41.019 --> 00:24:42.720
 of the nation of Israel.

00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:45.339
 When God chose

00:24:45.339 --> 00:24:46.200
 the Jewish people,

00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:48.940
 he chose the smallest.

00:24:49.600 --> 00:24:49.900
 Yes?

00:24:50.740 --> 00:24:51.559
 The most insignificant.

00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:52.740
 Yes?

00:24:52.779 --> 00:24:53.620
 Not the most powerful.

00:24:54.519 --> 00:24:55.799
 But the unique thing

00:24:55.799 --> 00:24:56.720
 about Jewish people

00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:57.500
 is not

00:24:57.500 --> 00:24:58.539
 that they had

00:24:58.539 --> 00:24:59.960
 funny dietary laws.

00:25:00.420 --> 00:25:01.120
 That they couldn't go

00:25:01.120 --> 00:25:01.779
 to McDonald's

00:25:01.779 --> 00:25:02.519
 and have a hamburger

00:25:02.519 --> 00:25:03.259
 with cheese on it.

00:25:03.900 --> 00:25:04.920
 That wasn't special.

00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:06.059
 It's not that they had

00:25:06.059 --> 00:25:06.940
 to wear these special

00:25:06.940 --> 00:25:07.700
 funny clothes

00:25:07.700 --> 00:25:08.299
 and put things

00:25:08.299 --> 00:25:08.920
 on their heads.

00:25:09.940 --> 00:25:11.240
 Or they had to stop

00:25:11.240 --> 00:25:12.160
 one day of the week

00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:14.019
 and not work.

00:25:15.059 --> 00:25:16.380
 What was distinctive

00:25:16.380 --> 00:25:18.420
 about the people of Israel

00:25:18.420 --> 00:25:20.039
 is that their God

00:25:20.039 --> 00:25:20.779
 lived with them.

00:25:22.740 --> 00:25:24.140
 Everybody else's God

00:25:24.140 --> 00:25:25.359
 lived somewhere else.

00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:27.279
 Lived on a mountain

00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:28.819
 in Olympus.

00:25:29.559 --> 00:25:30.240
 Lived across

00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:31.579
 the Rainbow Bridge

00:25:31.579 --> 00:25:32.720
 in Asgard.

00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:34.579
 Was put

00:25:34.579 --> 00:25:35.660
 with oracles

00:25:35.660 --> 00:25:36.500
 and you had to go

00:25:36.500 --> 00:25:37.779
 so far away

00:25:37.779 --> 00:25:39.059
 to actually encounter

00:25:39.059 --> 00:25:39.599
 your God.

00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:42.000
 Israel's God

00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:42.559
 lived with them.

00:25:43.740 --> 00:25:44.400
 That's what made

00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:45.039
 them so special.

00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:47.140
 God has always

00:25:47.140 --> 00:25:47.500
 been wanting

00:25:47.500 --> 00:25:48.079
 to come and live

00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:48.380
 with them.

00:25:48.779 --> 00:25:49.460
 As soon as he got

00:25:49.460 --> 00:25:50.359
 his people out of Egypt

00:25:50.359 --> 00:25:50.660
 he says,

00:25:50.740 --> 00:25:51.759
 you build me a tabernacle.

00:25:52.420 --> 00:25:53.039
 Build me something

00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:53.940
 and I want to come

00:25:53.940 --> 00:25:54.599
 and dwell with you.

00:25:55.059 --> 00:25:55.400
 It's not that you

00:25:55.400 --> 00:25:56.160
 have to come up here.

00:25:56.640 --> 00:25:57.559
 I want to come down there.

00:25:58.259 --> 00:25:59.319
 I want to live with you.

00:26:00.620 --> 00:26:01.640
 We don't have a temple

00:26:01.640 --> 00:26:03.120
 so we have no focal point.

00:26:04.819 --> 00:26:05.880
 We don't have prophets

00:26:05.880 --> 00:26:06.539
 or priests.

00:26:07.859 --> 00:26:08.620
 So what do we know

00:26:08.620 --> 00:26:09.099
 about God?

00:26:09.099 --> 00:26:11.299
 We have the campfire stories.

00:26:12.019 --> 00:26:13.299
 We have the story

00:26:13.299 --> 00:26:14.079
 about that God

00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:14.759
 made the world

00:26:14.759 --> 00:26:15.980
 and it didn't work

00:26:15.980 --> 00:26:16.539
 out so well.

00:26:16.859 --> 00:26:17.619
 So then there was a guy

00:26:17.619 --> 00:26:18.299
 with a boat

00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:18.759
 and a rainbow.

00:26:19.619 --> 00:26:20.099
 Then there's this

00:26:20.099 --> 00:26:21.480
 wandering nomad thing

00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:22.480
 and suddenly we're here.

00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:24.819
 We don't know

00:26:24.819 --> 00:26:26.559
 anything about God.

00:26:27.919 --> 00:26:28.859
 And then God

00:26:28.859 --> 00:26:30.740
 whom we didn't know

00:26:30.740 --> 00:26:31.939
 while we were

00:26:31.939 --> 00:26:32.859
 in the land of darkness

00:26:32.859 --> 00:26:33.879
 with a mighty hand

00:26:33.879 --> 00:26:34.899
 and an outstretched arm

00:26:34.899 --> 00:26:35.799
 reached down

00:26:35.799 --> 00:26:37.259
 and took his people

00:26:37.259 --> 00:26:38.000
 out of Egypt.

00:26:39.940 --> 00:26:41.059
 And then what does he do?

00:26:41.879 --> 00:26:42.660
 He takes them

00:26:42.660 --> 00:26:43.480
 to Mount Sinai.

00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:45.299
 He brings them

00:26:45.299 --> 00:26:46.180
 to a mountain

00:26:46.180 --> 00:26:47.779
 and he comes down

00:26:47.779 --> 00:26:48.379
 and he says

00:26:48.379 --> 00:26:49.599
 I am the God

00:26:49.599 --> 00:26:50.140
 that took you

00:26:50.140 --> 00:26:50.740
 out of Egypt.

00:26:52.140 --> 00:26:53.759
 He introduces himself.

00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:56.160
 Redemption

00:26:56.160 --> 00:26:58.000
 always leads

00:26:58.000 --> 00:26:58.759
 to revelation.

00:26:59.900 --> 00:27:00.700
 What do we have

00:27:00.700 --> 00:27:01.339
 in the New Testament?

00:27:01.500 --> 00:27:02.599
 Exactly the same thing.

00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:04.700
 While I was a sinner

00:27:04.700 --> 00:27:06.620
 Christ died for me.

00:27:07.620 --> 00:27:08.360
 When I was in

00:27:08.360 --> 00:27:09.240
 the land of darkness

00:27:09.240 --> 00:27:10.240
 the Redeemer

00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:10.880
 died for me

00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:12.259
 and set me free

00:27:12.259 --> 00:27:13.980
 and he revealed himself.

00:27:14.380 --> 00:27:15.240
 I have my own personal

00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:15.779
 and you do too

00:27:15.779 --> 00:27:16.779
 your own personal

00:27:16.779 --> 00:27:18.240
 Mount Sinai experiences.

00:27:19.120 --> 00:27:20.100
 But for the Jewish people

00:27:20.100 --> 00:27:22.039
 we were in darkness

00:27:22.039 --> 00:27:23.240
 we didn't know God

00:27:23.240 --> 00:27:24.940
 and then he saved us

00:27:24.940 --> 00:27:25.559
 and he brought us

00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:26.340
 to Mount Sinai

00:27:26.340 --> 00:27:27.559
 and then he gave us

00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:28.000
 the Torah.

00:27:28.539 --> 00:27:30.819
 Then he revealed himself.

00:27:31.480 --> 00:27:32.460
 Then he became

00:27:32.460 --> 00:27:33.259
 a king.

00:27:33.259 --> 00:27:35.640
 So God becomes king

00:27:35.640 --> 00:27:36.740
 at Mount Sinai.

00:27:36.859 --> 00:27:38.079
 We accept his authority.

00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:39.980
 We don't have land.

00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:42.440
 That's not the issue.

00:27:43.500 --> 00:27:44.740
 The issue is

00:27:44.740 --> 00:27:46.140
 the kingdom of heaven.

00:27:46.680 --> 00:27:48.000
 That God is ruling

00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:48.720
 and reigning

00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:49.519
 in your life

00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:50.519
 and in your heart.

00:27:50.579 --> 00:27:51.160
 Because when you read

00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:51.900
 the Hebrew Bible

00:27:51.900 --> 00:27:53.460
 it's all about the heart.

00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:55.980
 Moses says

00:27:55.980 --> 00:27:57.680
 Deuteronomy 6.6

00:27:57.680 --> 00:27:59.099
 Write these laws

00:27:59.099 --> 00:27:59.680
 where?

00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:01.980
 On your heart.

00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:03.500
 Not on stone.

00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:04.779
 Not in a book.

00:28:05.640 --> 00:28:06.600
 Write it on your heart.

00:28:07.539 --> 00:28:08.500
 And in the Psalms

00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:09.820
 Create in me Lord

00:28:09.820 --> 00:28:10.600
 a clean hands

00:28:10.600 --> 00:28:11.500
 and clean heart.

00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:14.340
 Circumcise your heart

00:28:14.340 --> 00:28:15.200
 the prophets say.

00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:16.220
 I'll take out

00:28:16.220 --> 00:28:17.019
 your heart of stone

00:28:17.019 --> 00:28:17.680
 and I'll put in

00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:18.440
 a heart of flesh.

00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:19.759
 It's always been

00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:21.000
 about the intention

00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:22.240
 of the heart.

00:28:23.720 --> 00:28:24.340
 And here

00:28:24.340 --> 00:28:25.799
 the king

00:28:25.799 --> 00:28:27.160
 the king is ruling

00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:27.700
 and reigning

00:28:27.700 --> 00:28:28.279
 in your heart.

00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:29.580
 Where is the kingdom

00:28:29.580 --> 00:28:30.019
 of heaven?

00:28:30.819 --> 00:28:31.559
 Where is it?

00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:33.600
 As Jesus says

00:28:33.600 --> 00:28:34.100
 it's near.

00:28:35.019 --> 00:28:35.519
 Jesus says

00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:36.180
 it's within you.

00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:37.259
 Jesus says

00:28:37.259 --> 00:28:37.920
 it's here.

00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:39.860
 It's not the earth.

00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:41.580
 The earth

00:28:41.580 --> 00:28:42.600
 isn't the kingdom

00:28:42.600 --> 00:28:43.120
 of heaven.

00:28:43.580 --> 00:28:44.340
 We are the kingdom

00:28:44.340 --> 00:28:44.819
 of heaven.

00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:46.319
 The kingdom

00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:46.840
 of heaven

00:28:46.840 --> 00:28:48.180
 in Matthew

00:28:48.180 --> 00:28:49.240
 Matthew 11

00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:51.279
 since the days

00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:52.120
 of John the Baptist

00:28:52.120 --> 00:28:53.500
 until now

00:28:53.500 --> 00:28:54.360
 the kingdom

00:28:54.360 --> 00:28:54.759
 of heaven

00:28:54.759 --> 00:28:55.600
 is forcefully

00:28:55.600 --> 00:28:56.120
 advancing.

00:28:56.119 --> 00:28:58.359
 Some translations

00:28:58.359 --> 00:28:58.859
 I think we're

00:28:58.859 --> 00:28:59.619
 using the ESV

00:28:59.619 --> 00:29:00.239
 here right?

00:29:01.159 --> 00:29:01.599
 They'll say

00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:01.959
 the kingdom

00:29:01.959 --> 00:29:02.339
 of heaven

00:29:02.339 --> 00:29:02.839
 is suffering

00:29:02.839 --> 00:29:03.519
 violence.

00:29:04.919 --> 00:29:06.239
 But the NIV

00:29:06.239 --> 00:29:07.059
 says no

00:29:07.059 --> 00:29:07.699
 we're forcefully

00:29:07.699 --> 00:29:08.139
 advancing.

00:29:08.919 --> 00:29:09.559
 That's because

00:29:09.559 --> 00:29:10.039
 the Greek

00:29:10.039 --> 00:29:11.539
 the word is

00:29:11.539 --> 00:29:11.919
 biastes

00:29:11.919 --> 00:29:12.399
 and it can

00:29:12.399 --> 00:29:13.000
 either be read

00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:13.819
 passive or active

00:29:13.819 --> 00:29:14.559
 you get to pick.

00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:16.079
 And most

00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:16.899
 translations chose

00:29:16.899 --> 00:29:17.319
 the passive

00:29:17.319 --> 00:29:19.799
 but the NIV

00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:20.539
 went a bit more

00:29:20.539 --> 00:29:21.099
 aggressive

00:29:21.099 --> 00:29:23.059
 and the kingdom

00:29:23.059 --> 00:29:23.479
 of heaven

00:29:23.479 --> 00:29:24.019
 is forcefully

00:29:24.019 --> 00:29:24.339
 advancing

00:29:24.339 --> 00:29:24.639
 that even

00:29:24.639 --> 00:29:24.939
 the gates

00:29:24.939 --> 00:29:25.399
 of hell

00:29:25.400 --> 00:29:26.940
 won't withstand

00:29:26.940 --> 00:29:27.340
 it.

00:29:28.400 --> 00:29:29.019
 And the kingdom

00:29:29.019 --> 00:29:29.460
 of heaven

00:29:29.460 --> 00:29:30.280
 is slowly

00:29:30.280 --> 00:29:31.700
 but surely

00:29:31.700 --> 00:29:32.900
 building.

00:29:33.660 --> 00:29:34.500
 You and I

00:29:34.500 --> 00:29:35.019
 are members

00:29:35.019 --> 00:29:35.640
 of the biggest

00:29:35.640 --> 00:29:36.840
 gang in history.

00:29:38.120 --> 00:29:38.840
 There are over

00:29:38.840 --> 00:29:39.780
 two billion people

00:29:39.780 --> 00:29:40.100
 right

00:29:40.100 --> 00:29:41.740
 who call

00:29:41.740 --> 00:29:42.460
 Jesus Lord.

00:29:43.940 --> 00:29:45.040
 And in Israel

00:29:45.040 --> 00:29:46.060
 that

00:29:46.060 --> 00:29:47.080
 is

00:29:47.080 --> 00:29:47.720
 attractive.

00:29:48.860 --> 00:29:50.019
 Even though

00:29:50.019 --> 00:29:51.640
 the Torah

00:29:51.640 --> 00:29:52.460
 of the current

00:29:52.460 --> 00:29:53.160
 rabbis

00:29:53.160 --> 00:29:53.700
 forbid

00:29:53.700 --> 00:29:54.460
 Jewish people

00:29:54.460 --> 00:29:54.940
 from going

00:29:54.940 --> 00:29:55.759
 into a church

00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:57.040
 guess what

00:29:57.040 --> 00:29:57.560
 happens

00:29:57.560 --> 00:29:58.200
 every day

00:29:58.200 --> 00:29:58.820
 at Christchurch?

00:29:59.220 --> 00:29:59.920
 They come.

00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:01.740
 And at

00:30:01.740 --> 00:30:02.540
 Christmas Eve

00:30:02.540 --> 00:30:03.540
 they come

00:30:03.540 --> 00:30:04.620
 in huge

00:30:04.620 --> 00:30:05.080
 numbers.

00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:07.240
 So a couple

00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:08.660
 of months

00:30:08.660 --> 00:30:09.080
 ago

00:30:09.080 --> 00:30:10.240
 there was an

00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:11.080
 Orthodox group

00:30:11.080 --> 00:30:11.860
 that was inside

00:30:11.860 --> 00:30:12.400
 the church.

00:30:12.660 --> 00:30:12.940
 Orthodox.

00:30:13.840 --> 00:30:14.540
 Can you believe

00:30:14.540 --> 00:30:14.940
 that?

00:30:15.940 --> 00:30:16.480
 With the

00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:16.940
 payot

00:30:16.940 --> 00:30:17.759
 and the

00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:18.200
 tzitzit.

00:30:18.540 --> 00:30:18.900
 And we were

00:30:18.900 --> 00:30:19.759
 having a discussion

00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:21.200
 and we were

00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:21.720
 trying to

00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:23.339
 discern

00:30:23.339 --> 00:30:24.359
 some passages

00:30:24.359 --> 00:30:25.859
 from the

00:30:25.859 --> 00:30:26.200
 book of

00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:26.660
 Isaiah.

00:30:26.980 --> 00:30:27.859
 Isaiah 48.

00:30:28.500 --> 00:30:28.920
 And then in

00:30:28.920 --> 00:30:29.539
 walked a group

00:30:29.539 --> 00:30:30.859
 of secular

00:30:30.859 --> 00:30:31.200
 Jews.

00:30:31.779 --> 00:30:32.359
 So Jews

00:30:32.359 --> 00:30:32.640
 who

00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:35.039
 don't believe

00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:35.339
 in anything.

00:30:35.420 --> 00:30:35.799
 Atheists.

00:30:36.420 --> 00:30:37.339
 And the

00:30:37.339 --> 00:30:37.779
 first thing

00:30:37.779 --> 00:30:38.200
 they did

00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:38.599
 when they

00:30:38.599 --> 00:30:39.119
 saw some

00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:39.740
 Orthodox Jews

00:30:39.740 --> 00:30:40.319
 sitting inside

00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:40.740
 a church

00:30:40.740 --> 00:30:41.940
 they didn't

00:30:41.940 --> 00:30:43.299
 have any

00:30:43.299 --> 00:30:43.799
 clue of

00:30:43.799 --> 00:30:44.119
 talking to

00:30:44.119 --> 00:30:44.359
 me at

00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:44.559
 all.

00:30:45.079 --> 00:30:45.400
 They looked

00:30:45.400 --> 00:30:46.279
 at the

00:30:46.279 --> 00:30:46.740
 Orthodox and

00:30:46.740 --> 00:30:47.019
 said what

00:30:47.019 --> 00:30:47.200
 are you

00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:47.599
 doing here?

00:30:48.720 --> 00:30:49.140
 You're not

00:30:49.140 --> 00:30:49.420
 allowed to

00:30:49.420 --> 00:30:49.740
 be here.

00:30:50.539 --> 00:30:51.039
 I'm allowed

00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:51.440
 to be here.

00:30:51.500 --> 00:30:51.700
 You're not

00:30:51.700 --> 00:30:51.980
 allowed to

00:30:51.980 --> 00:30:52.259
 be here.

00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:53.240
 And so

00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:53.420
 what do

00:30:53.420 --> 00:30:53.759
 the Orthodox

00:30:53.759 --> 00:30:54.100
 do?

00:30:54.539 --> 00:30:54.779
 They started

00:30:54.779 --> 00:30:55.560
 arguing back

00:30:55.560 --> 00:30:55.800
 with the

00:30:55.800 --> 00:30:57.400
 secular people.

00:30:57.640 --> 00:30:58.039
 Don't you

00:30:58.039 --> 00:30:58.500
 tell me what

00:30:58.500 --> 00:30:58.980
 I can't do.

00:30:59.039 --> 00:30:59.300
 If I want

00:30:59.300 --> 00:30:59.480
 to be

00:30:59.480 --> 00:30:59.840
 inside a

00:30:59.840 --> 00:30:59.980
 church,

00:31:00.039 --> 00:31:00.240
 I can

00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:00.500
 be inside

00:31:00.500 --> 00:31:00.680
 a church.

00:31:00.740 --> 00:31:00.960
 If I

00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:01.160
 want to

00:31:01.160 --> 00:31:01.480
 take his

00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:01.759
 Bible,

00:31:01.880 --> 00:31:02.120
 I can

00:31:02.120 --> 00:31:02.480
 do that.

00:31:02.840 --> 00:31:03.140
 And I'm

00:31:03.140 --> 00:31:03.600
 just watching

00:31:03.600 --> 00:31:04.120
 this argument

00:31:04.120 --> 00:31:04.759
 happen and

00:31:04.759 --> 00:31:05.000
 thinking,

00:31:05.140 --> 00:31:05.240
 wow,

00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:05.440
 this is

00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:05.800
 great.

00:31:06.660 --> 00:31:07.019
 Awesome.

00:31:07.300 --> 00:31:07.480
 People

00:31:07.480 --> 00:31:07.640
 are getting

00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:07.860
 really

00:31:07.860 --> 00:31:08.300
 excited.

00:31:10.460 --> 00:31:10.940
 Israelis

00:31:10.940 --> 00:31:12.500
 often

00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:13.759
 ignore

00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:14.700
 or

00:31:14.700 --> 00:31:15.080
 currently

00:31:15.080 --> 00:31:15.740
 the Torah

00:31:15.740 --> 00:31:16.080
 of their

00:31:16.080 --> 00:31:16.820
 current rabbis.

00:31:17.539 --> 00:31:17.920
 Even though

00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:18.120
 they are

00:31:18.120 --> 00:31:18.300
 told,

00:31:18.440 --> 00:31:18.680
 don't do

00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:18.980
 this.

00:31:19.380 --> 00:31:19.519
 It's

00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:19.820
 forbidden.

00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:21.140
 Sometimes

00:31:21.140 --> 00:31:21.640
 that becomes

00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:22.039
 attractive.

00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:22.440
 You tell

00:31:22.440 --> 00:31:22.640
 people,

00:31:22.840 --> 00:31:23.019
 don't do

00:31:23.019 --> 00:31:23.279
 something,

00:31:23.380 --> 00:31:23.640
 they often

00:31:23.640 --> 00:31:23.900
 go and

00:31:23.900 --> 00:31:24.160
 do it.

00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:25.600
 So at

00:31:25.600 --> 00:31:25.840
 Christmas

00:31:25.840 --> 00:31:26.259
 Eve,

00:31:26.860 --> 00:31:27.420
 you would

00:31:27.420 --> 00:31:27.620
 think,

00:31:27.800 --> 00:31:28.340
 why do

00:31:28.340 --> 00:31:28.620
 Jewish

00:31:28.620 --> 00:31:29.140
 people want

00:31:29.140 --> 00:31:29.600
 to come

00:31:29.600 --> 00:31:30.300
 and see

00:31:30.300 --> 00:31:30.700
 what we

00:31:30.700 --> 00:31:30.940
 do at

00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:31.200
 Christmas?

00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:32.740
 You know,

00:31:32.779 --> 00:31:33.400
 this pagan

00:31:33.400 --> 00:31:34.360
 festival of

00:31:34.360 --> 00:31:35.000
 tree worship

00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:35.960
 and all this

00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:36.279
 kind of

00:31:36.279 --> 00:31:36.620
 stuff.

00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:37.940
 Oh,

00:31:38.080 --> 00:31:38.360
 man,

00:31:39.360 --> 00:31:39.759
 Israelis

00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:40.759
 love it.

00:31:41.560 --> 00:31:42.019
 So what

00:31:42.019 --> 00:31:42.400
 do we do

00:31:42.400 --> 00:31:42.740
 at Christ

00:31:42.740 --> 00:31:42.980
 Church?

00:31:43.259 --> 00:31:43.840
 We get

00:31:43.840 --> 00:31:44.259
 the biggest

00:31:44.259 --> 00:31:44.680
 tree we

00:31:44.680 --> 00:31:45.100
 can find.

00:31:45.099 --> 00:31:46.639
 We decorate

00:31:46.639 --> 00:31:47.119
 it up with

00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:47.619
 lights and

00:31:47.619 --> 00:31:47.899
 everything.

00:31:48.019 --> 00:31:48.119
 We put

00:31:48.119 --> 00:31:48.459
 presents

00:31:48.459 --> 00:31:48.839
 everywhere.

00:31:49.359 --> 00:31:49.779
 We get

00:31:49.779 --> 00:31:50.319
 Christmas

00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:51.399
 cookies and

00:31:51.399 --> 00:31:52.179
 mulled wine,

00:31:52.279 --> 00:31:52.619
 which is an

00:31:52.619 --> 00:31:52.899
 excellent

00:31:52.899 --> 00:31:53.619
 missionary tool,

00:31:53.779 --> 00:31:54.099
 by the way.

00:31:55.399 --> 00:31:57.779
 And you give

00:31:57.779 --> 00:31:58.319
 people a little

00:31:58.319 --> 00:31:58.779
 bit of a drink.

00:31:58.899 --> 00:31:59.059
 And then

00:31:59.059 --> 00:31:59.959
 Israelis would

00:31:59.959 --> 00:32:00.439
 gather in

00:32:00.439 --> 00:32:00.799
 groups of

00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:01.539
 50 and 60.

00:32:01.619 --> 00:32:01.839
 We'll have

00:32:01.839 --> 00:32:02.859
 2,500 of

00:32:02.859 --> 00:32:03.459
 them in that

00:32:03.459 --> 00:32:04.039
 one night.

00:32:04.740 --> 00:32:05.079
 We'll say,

00:32:05.159 --> 00:32:05.500
 guys,

00:32:06.139 --> 00:32:07.039
 what do you

00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:07.339
 want?

00:32:08.379 --> 00:32:08.879
 Do you want

00:32:08.879 --> 00:32:09.639
 the Maccabees or

00:32:09.639 --> 00:32:09.879
 do you want

00:32:09.879 --> 00:32:10.259
 the donuts?

00:32:10.740 --> 00:32:11.039
 Do you want

00:32:11.039 --> 00:32:12.199
 the fluff or

00:32:12.199 --> 00:32:12.439
 do you want

00:32:12.439 --> 00:32:13.219
 the real story?

00:32:14.059 --> 00:32:14.240
 And so,

00:32:14.279 --> 00:32:14.339
 no,

00:32:14.339 --> 00:32:14.779
 you tell us

00:32:14.779 --> 00:32:15.039
 the real

00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:15.399
 story.

00:32:16.299 --> 00:32:16.759
 You're great.

00:32:17.220 --> 00:32:17.539
 And I'm

00:32:17.539 --> 00:32:17.899
 going to tell

00:32:17.899 --> 00:32:18.359
 you a Jewish

00:32:18.359 --> 00:32:18.740
 story.

00:32:19.419 --> 00:32:19.740
 I'm not going

00:32:19.740 --> 00:32:20.119
 to tell you a

00:32:20.119 --> 00:32:20.740
 Christian story.

00:32:21.179 --> 00:32:21.679
 I'm going to

00:32:21.679 --> 00:32:22.099
 tell you a

00:32:22.099 --> 00:32:22.659
 Jewish story

00:32:22.659 --> 00:32:23.039
 about a

00:32:23.039 --> 00:32:23.639
 Jewish boy

00:32:23.639 --> 00:32:24.059
 born to

00:32:24.059 --> 00:32:24.759
 Jewish parents

00:32:24.759 --> 00:32:25.359
 in a

00:32:25.359 --> 00:32:25.959
 Jewish town

00:32:25.959 --> 00:32:26.319
 as the

00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:26.579
 promised

00:32:26.579 --> 00:32:26.879
 Jewish

00:32:26.879 --> 00:32:27.319
 Messiah.

00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:28.339
 And 2

00:32:28.339 --> 00:32:29.099
 billion people

00:32:29.099 --> 00:32:29.359
 are going

00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:29.799
 to read

00:32:29.799 --> 00:32:30.359
 this story

00:32:30.359 --> 00:32:30.559
 in the

00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:31.079
 next 24

00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:31.459
 hours.

00:32:31.859 --> 00:32:32.139
 You don't

00:32:32.139 --> 00:32:32.379
 want to

00:32:32.379 --> 00:32:32.740
 miss out,

00:32:32.799 --> 00:32:33.059
 do you?

00:32:33.240 --> 00:32:33.459
 No,

00:32:33.619 --> 00:32:33.799
 good,

00:32:33.859 --> 00:32:34.159
 here's the

00:32:34.159 --> 00:32:34.639
 gospel of

00:32:34.639 --> 00:32:34.939
 Luke in

00:32:34.939 --> 00:32:35.159
 Hebrew.

00:32:36.799 --> 00:32:37.199
 It's

00:32:37.199 --> 00:32:38.480
 fantastic.

00:32:38.619 --> 00:32:39.000
 The kingdom

00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:39.519
 of heaven

00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:40.559
 is growing

00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:41.339
 and building.

00:32:41.879 --> 00:32:42.220
 When you

00:32:42.220 --> 00:32:42.599
 look at the

00:32:42.599 --> 00:32:43.000
 Middle East,

00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:43.599
 it sometimes

00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:44.079
 looks pretty

00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:44.439
 bad.

00:32:45.439 --> 00:32:46.000
 And that's

00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:46.279
 because it's

00:32:46.279 --> 00:32:46.500
 true,

00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:46.859
 because it is

00:32:46.859 --> 00:32:47.259
 pretty bad.

00:32:48.199 --> 00:32:48.779
 And people

00:32:48.779 --> 00:32:49.059
 are being

00:32:49.059 --> 00:32:49.899
 killed for

00:32:49.899 --> 00:32:50.399
 their faith.

00:32:50.959 --> 00:32:51.359
 And even if

00:32:51.359 --> 00:32:51.539
 they don't

00:32:51.539 --> 00:32:51.759
 believe,

00:32:51.819 --> 00:32:52.000
 they're just

00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:52.319
 being killed

00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:52.699
 anyway,

00:32:52.959 --> 00:32:53.339
 because they're

00:32:53.339 --> 00:32:53.839
 not like

00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:54.079
 me.

00:32:55.240 --> 00:32:55.819
 And there

00:32:55.819 --> 00:32:56.240
 seems to be

00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:56.579
 lots of

00:32:56.579 --> 00:32:57.519
 darkness and

00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:58.000
 confusion,

00:32:58.599 --> 00:32:59.159
 death and

00:32:59.159 --> 00:32:59.879
 destruction and

00:32:59.879 --> 00:33:00.419
 hatred and

00:33:00.419 --> 00:33:00.779
 rage.

00:33:01.619 --> 00:33:02.159
 But in

00:33:02.159 --> 00:33:02.919
 other parts of

00:33:02.919 --> 00:33:03.219
 the Middle

00:33:03.219 --> 00:33:03.419
 East,

00:33:03.480 --> 00:33:04.179
 like Israel,

00:33:04.919 --> 00:33:05.859
 there are

00:33:05.859 --> 00:33:06.579
 more and more

00:33:06.579 --> 00:33:07.219
 people coming

00:33:07.219 --> 00:33:07.779
 to faith in

00:33:07.779 --> 00:33:08.279
 the Messiah.

00:33:08.279 --> 00:33:08.359
 Messiah.

00:33:09.399 --> 00:33:09.960
 And that

00:33:09.960 --> 00:33:10.420
 is good

00:33:10.420 --> 00:33:10.799
 news.

00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:11.899
 And that

00:33:11.899 --> 00:33:12.319
 includes

00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:12.960
 Arabs as

00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:13.339
 well as

00:33:13.339 --> 00:33:13.639
 Jews.

00:33:14.700 --> 00:33:15.319
 For Muslims,

00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:17.819
 often, when

00:33:17.819 --> 00:33:18.399
 their communities

00:33:18.399 --> 00:33:18.779
 are so

00:33:18.779 --> 00:33:19.559
 closed, Jesus

00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:20.119
 is still

00:33:20.119 --> 00:33:20.720
 reaching down

00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:21.000
 to them

00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:21.319
 into their

00:33:21.319 --> 00:33:21.639
 dreams.

00:33:22.859 --> 00:33:23.359
 And they

00:33:23.359 --> 00:33:23.720
 come to

00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:24.079
 Christ's

00:33:24.079 --> 00:33:24.519
 church dressed

00:33:24.519 --> 00:33:24.839
 in the

00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:25.680
 hijab, and

00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:26.079
 they say,

00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:27.899
 somebody came

00:33:27.899 --> 00:33:28.500
 to me last

00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:28.839
 night and

00:33:28.839 --> 00:33:29.240
 told me I

00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:29.619
 had to come

00:33:29.619 --> 00:33:29.899
 and talk

00:33:29.899 --> 00:33:30.180
 to you.

00:33:30.779 --> 00:33:31.139
 What have

00:33:31.139 --> 00:33:31.579
 you got to

00:33:31.579 --> 00:33:31.779
 say?

00:33:33.240 --> 00:33:33.660
 So we

00:33:33.660 --> 00:33:34.220
 see that the

00:33:34.220 --> 00:33:34.879
 kingdom of

00:33:34.879 --> 00:33:36.920
 God is

00:33:36.920 --> 00:33:37.960
 being given

00:33:37.960 --> 00:33:38.799
 not to

00:33:38.799 --> 00:33:39.120
 temple

00:33:39.120 --> 00:33:39.680
 authority,

00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:41.380
 but back

00:33:41.380 --> 00:33:41.700
 to the

00:33:41.700 --> 00:33:42.279
 followers of

00:33:42.279 --> 00:33:43.840
 Jesus, both

00:33:43.840 --> 00:33:44.340
 Jews and

00:33:44.340 --> 00:33:44.819
 Gentiles.

00:33:45.340 --> 00:33:46.279
 And it is a

00:33:46.279 --> 00:33:47.059
 marvelous thing

00:33:47.059 --> 00:33:48.039
 in our

00:33:48.039 --> 00:33:48.460
 eyes.

00:33:49.900 --> 00:33:50.740
 So what does

00:33:50.740 --> 00:33:51.400
 this tell me

00:33:51.400 --> 00:33:52.259
 about Jesus?

00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:54.039
 He has

00:33:54.039 --> 00:33:54.519
 authority.

00:33:55.579 --> 00:33:56.460
 He is the

00:33:56.460 --> 00:33:57.140
 one sitting on

00:33:57.140 --> 00:33:57.519
 the throne.

00:33:58.340 --> 00:33:59.059
 He can fight

00:33:59.059 --> 00:33:59.500
 back the

00:33:59.500 --> 00:33:59.819
 demons.

00:34:00.340 --> 00:34:00.819
 He has the

00:34:00.819 --> 00:34:01.480
 power over

00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:01.779
 death.

00:34:02.240 --> 00:34:02.759
 He can take

00:34:02.759 --> 00:34:03.460
 charge of

00:34:03.460 --> 00:34:03.799
 nature.

00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:05.640
 And he can

00:34:05.640 --> 00:34:06.400
 actually interpret

00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:06.819
 the Bible

00:34:06.819 --> 00:34:07.620
 correctly for

00:34:07.620 --> 00:34:07.900
 us.

00:34:08.760 --> 00:34:09.320
 He is the

00:34:09.320 --> 00:34:09.740
 one that has

00:34:09.740 --> 00:34:11.119
 authority to

00:34:11.119 --> 00:34:12.039
 teach and

00:34:12.039 --> 00:34:12.460
 to preach.

00:34:12.860 --> 00:34:13.619
 And we

00:34:13.619 --> 00:34:14.599
 should listen

00:34:14.599 --> 00:34:15.220
 to him.

00:34:16.780 --> 00:34:17.639
 When we have

00:34:17.639 --> 00:34:18.460
 the wise and

00:34:18.460 --> 00:34:19.440
 foolish builders

00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:20.420
 story, you

00:34:20.420 --> 00:34:21.139
 all know it,

00:34:21.340 --> 00:34:21.599
 yes?

00:34:22.579 --> 00:34:23.480
 The wise man

00:34:23.480 --> 00:34:23.960
 built his

00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:25.099
 house upon

00:34:25.099 --> 00:34:26.619
 the rock

00:34:26.619 --> 00:34:27.500
 and the

00:34:27.500 --> 00:34:28.000
 foolish man

00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:28.280
 built his

00:34:28.280 --> 00:34:28.699
 house upon

00:34:28.699 --> 00:34:30.079
 the sand.

00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:30.579
 And we all

00:34:30.579 --> 00:34:31.119
 forget the

00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:31.760
 very first

00:34:31.760 --> 00:34:32.720
 line of that

00:34:32.720 --> 00:34:33.300
 story.

00:34:34.300 --> 00:34:35.099
 Jesus says,

00:34:35.099 --> 00:34:36.259
 why do you

00:34:36.259 --> 00:34:36.699
 call me

00:34:36.699 --> 00:34:37.000
 Lord,

00:34:37.099 --> 00:34:37.299
 Lord,

00:34:37.380 --> 00:34:39.239
 and don't

00:34:39.239 --> 00:34:39.799
 do what I

00:34:39.799 --> 00:34:40.099
 say?

00:34:42.259 --> 00:34:43.759
 And so we

00:34:43.759 --> 00:34:44.139
 have a

00:34:44.139 --> 00:34:44.519
 master.

00:34:45.179 --> 00:34:45.960
 He is our

00:34:45.960 --> 00:34:46.339
 king.

00:34:46.639 --> 00:34:47.059
 And if the

00:34:47.059 --> 00:34:47.819
 king says to

00:34:47.819 --> 00:34:48.460
 do something,

00:34:49.239 --> 00:34:49.719
 you should do

00:34:49.719 --> 00:34:50.000
 it.

00:34:51.059 --> 00:34:52.519
 Not because

00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:53.279
 that gets you

00:34:53.279 --> 00:34:54.239
 in or out of

00:34:54.239 --> 00:34:54.679
 the kingdom,

00:34:54.679 --> 00:34:56.440
 because you're

00:34:56.440 --> 00:34:58.239
 already saved.

00:34:59.039 --> 00:35:00.179
 You were in

00:35:00.179 --> 00:35:00.599
 darkness.

00:35:00.799 --> 00:35:01.519
 You were in

00:35:01.519 --> 00:35:02.039
 the land of

00:35:02.039 --> 00:35:02.280
 Egypt.

00:35:02.380 --> 00:35:02.780
 But with a

00:35:02.780 --> 00:35:03.460
 mighty hand,

00:35:03.860 --> 00:35:04.920
 Jesus has

00:35:04.920 --> 00:35:05.840
 redeemed us.

00:35:06.599 --> 00:35:07.480
 He has become

00:35:07.480 --> 00:35:08.219
 our covering.

00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:09.119
 He has become

00:35:09.119 --> 00:35:10.759
 our protection.

00:35:11.059 --> 00:35:11.780
 He is the

00:35:11.780 --> 00:35:12.599
 Torah made

00:35:12.599 --> 00:35:13.559
 flesh.

00:35:14.679 --> 00:35:15.420
 You should do

00:35:15.420 --> 00:35:16.079
 what he says.

00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:18.759
 And what

00:35:18.759 --> 00:35:19.460
 should I do

00:35:19.460 --> 00:35:21.800
 as a follower

00:35:21.800 --> 00:35:22.500
 of the Messiah?

00:35:22.599 --> 00:35:23.000
 Well, I should

00:35:23.000 --> 00:35:24.219
 certainly take

00:35:24.219 --> 00:35:24.860
 pride away.

00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:26.519
 That pride of

00:35:26.519 --> 00:35:27.179
 inheritance.

00:35:28.519 --> 00:35:29.599
 Because I'm a

00:35:29.599 --> 00:35:30.059
 believer in

00:35:30.059 --> 00:35:30.639
 Jesus, he'll do

00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:31.400
 whatever I say.

00:35:31.519 --> 00:35:33.579
 And he'll just

00:35:33.579 --> 00:35:33.980
 give me whatever

00:35:33.980 --> 00:35:34.579
 I want.

00:35:35.780 --> 00:35:36.659
 It's the other

00:35:36.659 --> 00:35:37.239
 way around.

00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:39.300
 The Messiah has

00:35:39.300 --> 00:35:40.539
 given us his

00:35:40.539 --> 00:35:40.800
 kingdom.

00:35:40.920 --> 00:35:41.880
 He's invited us

00:35:41.880 --> 00:35:43.679
 into this eternal

00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:44.119
 life.

00:35:44.239 --> 00:35:44.900
 And there might

00:35:44.900 --> 00:35:45.719
 be bad news

00:35:45.719 --> 00:35:46.199
 out there.

00:35:47.380 --> 00:35:48.019
 And there

00:35:48.019 --> 00:35:48.800
 probably is.

00:35:50.280 --> 00:35:50.960
 When the

00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:51.639
 prophets say,

00:35:51.800 --> 00:35:52.719
 arise, shine,

00:35:52.820 --> 00:35:53.460
 for your light

00:35:53.460 --> 00:35:54.019
 has come,

00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:55.820
 the very next

00:35:55.820 --> 00:35:56.380
 sentence is,

00:35:56.460 --> 00:35:56.960
 and darkness

00:35:56.960 --> 00:35:58.280
 covers the

00:35:58.280 --> 00:35:58.519
 earth.

00:36:00.380 --> 00:36:01.360
 But the

00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:02.300
 light always

00:36:02.300 --> 00:36:03.019
 fights back

00:36:03.019 --> 00:36:04.000
 the darkness.

00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:05.880
 And so as

00:36:05.880 --> 00:36:06.579
 followers of the

00:36:06.579 --> 00:36:07.980
 Messiah, as a

00:36:07.980 --> 00:36:09.300
 teaching parable

00:36:09.300 --> 00:36:10.180
 from the

00:36:10.180 --> 00:36:11.320
 Messiah, let's

00:36:11.320 --> 00:36:11.960
 take away that

00:36:11.960 --> 00:36:13.420
 pride of

00:36:13.420 --> 00:36:15.539
 inheritance and

00:36:15.539 --> 00:36:16.380
 submit to the

00:36:16.380 --> 00:36:16.599
 king.

00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:17.740
 Because his

00:36:17.740 --> 00:36:18.680
 kingship is

00:36:18.680 --> 00:36:19.539
 good covering.

00:36:20.039 --> 00:36:20.980
 His kingship

00:36:20.980 --> 00:36:21.940
 leads to good

00:36:21.940 --> 00:36:22.420
 fruit.

00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:23.000
 And what is

00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:23.400
 the fruit?

00:36:25.019 --> 00:36:25.840
 Describe some of

00:36:25.840 --> 00:36:26.260
 what the fruit

00:36:26.260 --> 00:36:26.800
 looks like.

00:36:27.800 --> 00:36:28.320
 Peace.

00:36:28.320 --> 00:36:29.960
 patience.

00:36:30.920 --> 00:36:31.260
 Joy.

00:36:32.140 --> 00:36:32.840
 Self-control.

00:36:33.539 --> 00:36:34.300
 Imagine what the

00:36:34.300 --> 00:36:34.780
 Middle East would

00:36:34.780 --> 00:36:35.360
 look like if we

00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:35.720
 had more of

00:36:35.720 --> 00:36:35.960
 that.

00:36:37.559 --> 00:36:38.440
 Those are the

00:36:38.440 --> 00:36:39.120
 things we want.

00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:40.080
 Not the

00:36:40.080 --> 00:36:40.420
 hatred.

00:36:40.860 --> 00:36:41.660
 Not the rage.

00:36:42.019 --> 00:36:42.860
 Not people trying

00:36:42.860 --> 00:36:43.720
 to dominate the

00:36:43.720 --> 00:36:44.019
 earth.

00:36:44.580 --> 00:36:45.400
 But instead,

00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:46.900
 having the fruit

00:36:46.900 --> 00:36:47.900
 that the king

00:36:47.900 --> 00:36:49.039
 wants to inspect

00:36:49.039 --> 00:36:50.780
 in his tree.

00:36:51.420 --> 00:36:52.660
 And it can and

00:36:52.660 --> 00:36:54.180
 does and is

00:36:54.180 --> 00:36:54.960
 happening.

00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:56.440
 every day.

00:36:57.880 --> 00:36:58.840
 And for us in

00:36:58.840 --> 00:36:59.440
 the Middle East,

00:37:00.599 --> 00:37:01.280
 when we were

00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:02.599
 having rocket

00:37:02.599 --> 00:37:03.619
 attacks and

00:37:03.619 --> 00:37:05.199
 bus bombings and

00:37:05.199 --> 00:37:05.940
 things, you might

00:37:05.940 --> 00:37:06.380
 think that's pretty

00:37:06.380 --> 00:37:06.780
 dark.

00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:08.440
 But there's a

00:37:08.440 --> 00:37:09.079
 saying, there's no

00:37:09.079 --> 00:37:09.820
 atheists in

00:37:09.820 --> 00:37:10.320
 foxholes.

00:37:10.420 --> 00:37:10.840
 Have you heard of

00:37:10.840 --> 00:37:11.059
 that?

00:37:11.980 --> 00:37:12.720
 Yeah, everybody

00:37:12.720 --> 00:37:13.659
 talking about God.

00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:15.619
 You want to know

00:37:15.619 --> 00:37:17.139
 how you witness

00:37:17.139 --> 00:37:18.380
 for Jesus?

00:37:18.659 --> 00:37:19.579
 Just open the

00:37:19.579 --> 00:37:20.119
 door and start

00:37:20.119 --> 00:37:20.860
 walking on the

00:37:20.860 --> 00:37:21.119
 street.

00:37:21.960 --> 00:37:22.519
 And they say,

00:37:22.639 --> 00:37:23.400
 why are you still

00:37:23.400 --> 00:37:23.679
 here?

00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:25.159
 Why didn't you

00:37:25.159 --> 00:37:25.980
 run away, back

00:37:25.980 --> 00:37:26.599
 to Australia?

00:37:28.099 --> 00:37:28.919
 Because my

00:37:28.919 --> 00:37:29.759
 master told me I

00:37:29.759 --> 00:37:30.259
 couldn't leave.

00:37:31.059 --> 00:37:31.739
 Because I'm

00:37:31.739 --> 00:37:32.299
 supposed to be

00:37:32.299 --> 00:37:32.599
 here.

00:37:33.259 --> 00:37:34.039
 Because there's

00:37:34.039 --> 00:37:35.199
 something that we

00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:35.599
 have.

00:37:36.179 --> 00:37:36.960
 It's called hope.

00:37:37.960 --> 00:37:39.039
 When you pull

00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:41.199
 down all of the

00:37:41.199 --> 00:37:42.219
 Christian faith into

00:37:42.219 --> 00:37:42.980
 three words.

00:37:43.539 --> 00:37:44.239
 It's a very Jewish

00:37:44.239 --> 00:37:44.960
 thing to do, by the

00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:45.139
 way.

00:37:45.599 --> 00:37:46.679
 Paul says, three

00:37:46.679 --> 00:37:47.139
 words.

00:37:47.799 --> 00:37:49.299
 Faith, hope, and

00:37:49.299 --> 00:37:49.659
 love.

00:37:49.960 --> 00:37:50.619
 And the greatest

00:37:50.619 --> 00:37:51.359
 of these is?

00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:53.460
 Yeah, not faith.

00:37:53.679 --> 00:37:54.259
 For whatever

00:37:54.259 --> 00:37:54.599
 reason.

00:37:55.719 --> 00:37:56.980
 Hope is there.

00:37:59.219 --> 00:38:00.719
 And hope is

00:38:00.719 --> 00:38:01.419
 something we can

00:38:01.419 --> 00:38:02.639
 all share with

00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:03.579
 the world that

00:38:03.579 --> 00:38:05.059
 is hopeless.

00:38:06.940 --> 00:38:07.899
 When we go

00:38:07.899 --> 00:38:09.419
 outside, there's a

00:38:09.419 --> 00:38:10.099
 world out there

00:38:10.099 --> 00:38:10.799
 that if you don't

00:38:10.799 --> 00:38:12.460
 believe in God, if

00:38:12.460 --> 00:38:13.239
 this is all that

00:38:13.239 --> 00:38:15.219
 there is, it's

00:38:15.219 --> 00:38:15.679
 pretty bad.

00:38:16.359 --> 00:38:17.159
 It's pretty dark.

00:38:17.659 --> 00:38:18.480
 Because when the

00:38:18.480 --> 00:38:19.279
 lights go out,

00:38:19.559 --> 00:38:20.119
 that's it.

00:38:20.119 --> 00:38:22.119
 You take nothing

00:38:22.119 --> 00:38:22.639
 with you.

00:38:23.179 --> 00:38:24.119
 You leave nothing

00:38:24.119 --> 00:38:24.579
 behind.

00:38:25.299 --> 00:38:26.559
 That's hopeless.

00:38:27.759 --> 00:38:28.619
 But in your

00:38:28.619 --> 00:38:29.679
 eyes, people can

00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:30.119
 see hope.

00:38:30.219 --> 00:38:31.000
 In your eyes, they

00:38:31.000 --> 00:38:32.099
 can see the fire of

00:38:32.099 --> 00:38:32.679
 the kingdom of

00:38:32.679 --> 00:38:32.859
 heaven.

00:38:33.199 --> 00:38:33.960
 In your eyes, they

00:38:33.960 --> 00:38:35.219
 can see why are you

00:38:35.219 --> 00:38:35.500
 different?

00:38:35.579 --> 00:38:36.359
 Because you know

00:38:36.359 --> 00:38:37.579
 that the Messiah is

00:38:37.579 --> 00:38:38.059
 sitting on the

00:38:38.059 --> 00:38:38.239
 throne.

00:38:38.539 --> 00:38:39.699
 You know that God

00:38:39.699 --> 00:38:40.380
 is in control.

00:38:40.779 --> 00:38:41.880
 And you know that

00:38:41.880 --> 00:38:42.579
 the fruit of the

00:38:42.579 --> 00:38:43.420
 spirit is a

00:38:43.420 --> 00:38:45.559
 beautiful thing of

00:38:45.559 --> 00:38:46.380
 peace, love,

00:38:46.539 --> 00:38:47.460
 patience, joy, and

00:38:47.460 --> 00:38:48.000
 self-control.

00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:49.639
 And God's

00:38:49.639 --> 00:38:50.719
 kingdom doesn't

00:38:50.719 --> 00:38:51.139
 shrink.

00:38:51.980 --> 00:38:53.440
 He gets bigger and

00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:54.679
 bigger and bigger.

00:38:55.139 --> 00:38:55.920
 And that is good

00:38:55.920 --> 00:38:56.980
 news coming out of

00:38:56.980 --> 00:38:57.500
 the Middle East.

00:38:58.920 --> 00:38:59.639
 Shalom from

00:38:59.639 --> 00:39:00.039
 Jerusalem.