WEBVTT 00:00:00.700 --> 00:00:05.419 Good morning, Watermark. My name's Graham, and I'm one of the elders here. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:12.099 My wife and I, we serve in the Sunday school class teaching the surf kids, 00:00:12.179 --> 00:00:15.200 and those are kids between age 9 and 11. 00:00:15.620 --> 00:00:19.300 And that can be challenging and quite fun at times. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:21.980 And it's fun because they ask a lot of questions, 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:26.440 and they seem to ask me two questions rather regularly. 00:00:26.440 --> 00:00:32.420 And the first one is, why did your parents call you gray ham? 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:36.439 Why not blue ham or pink ham? 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:42.200 And I've tried to explain to them, you know, it's not actually gray ham, it's Graham. 00:00:42.620 --> 00:00:44.359 But they said, no, no, it's there in black and white. 00:00:44.420 --> 00:00:45.579 We can see the ham. 00:00:45.680 --> 00:00:47.859 They don't seem to have any problem with the ham. 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:50.820 It's just the color that really disturbs them. 00:00:51.299 --> 00:00:53.740 And no matter how much I try to explain to them, 00:00:53.740 --> 00:00:58.020 I think I will be always known as the weird colored ham in their eyes. 00:00:58.760 --> 00:01:03.040 Another question that they ask me is, how old are you? 00:01:03.859 --> 00:01:07.640 Now, they're very clever because they never ask my wife that question. 00:01:08.219 --> 00:01:09.159 Only me. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:13.579 And so I decided today I'm going to tell you how old I am, 00:01:13.620 --> 00:01:19.560 but I'm going to do it indirectly by mentioning a TV show that I kind of grew up watching. 00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:24.420 Now, if you know this TV show, you will have a good idea of how old I am. 00:01:25.180 --> 00:01:28.640 And the TV show was called This Is Your Life. 00:01:29.299 --> 00:01:30.620 Has anyone heard of that show? 00:01:31.640 --> 00:01:33.000 Okay, that's very discouraging. 00:01:33.659 --> 00:01:33.780 Okay. 00:01:35.100 --> 00:01:39.320 All right, I've just got to clarify one thing here for the two people that did put up their hand. 00:01:39.780 --> 00:01:42.400 The show originally ran in the 1950s. 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:44.099 I'm not referring to then. 00:01:44.579 --> 00:01:47.000 It also ran a little bit more recently. 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:51.799 Now, the premise of the show was that they would sneak up on a celebrity, 00:01:52.540 --> 00:01:56.620 grab them, and say, this is your life, and take them into the studio. 00:01:56.859 --> 00:01:59.439 And there they would have a whole lot of friends waiting for them, 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:03.219 maybe a kindergarten teacher, and maybe an old report card. 00:02:03.260 --> 00:02:05.260 And they would kind of talk about their life, you know, 00:02:05.319 --> 00:02:09.180 mainly a lot of the good things that they had done and some of the funny things. 00:02:09.740 --> 00:02:15.520 But my favorite episode would be when they got an ordinary person, not a celebrity. 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:18.980 They would sneak up on them and say, this is your life, 00:02:19.040 --> 00:02:23.500 and then take them into the studio and have people waiting for them. 00:02:23.560 --> 00:02:29.040 And they intentionally picked people who had done a lot of good with their life. 00:02:29.100 --> 00:02:30.180 And I think that's great, right? 00:02:30.200 --> 00:02:33.240 Let's give the ordinary people some recognition. 00:02:33.240 --> 00:02:38.280 So usually they would just talk about all the good things they had done. 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:45.260 But one thing that the investigators of the show found out was there was actually a whole lot of stuff 00:02:45.260 --> 00:02:51.300 in each and every person's life that wasn't so good to share. 00:02:51.719 --> 00:02:54.140 And they had to kind of hide it from everyone. 00:02:54.139 --> 00:02:59.439 And, you know, I kind of think, what happens if they were secretly investigating my life? 00:02:59.779 --> 00:03:04.719 What are the things that they would find out about me that they would have to hide from the show? 00:03:05.239 --> 00:03:07.839 But really, they were creating an image. 00:03:07.979 --> 00:03:10.899 You know, these are good people and they're bad people, right? 00:03:10.899 --> 00:03:12.199 But let's just focus on the good people. 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:17.919 Maybe a modern example would be something like Facebook, okay? 00:03:18.079 --> 00:03:19.979 I have to include myself in this, right? 00:03:19.979 --> 00:03:27.479 But generally, when people put a post on Facebook, it is to make themselves look good, okay? 00:03:27.519 --> 00:03:30.159 An example would be, these are my amazing kids. 00:03:30.500 --> 00:03:31.819 Look what they can do, right? 00:03:31.899 --> 00:03:36.079 And another one, this is probably very common at the moment, is, I'm on holiday. 00:03:37.359 --> 00:03:38.199 You know, you're not. 00:03:38.280 --> 00:03:39.219 You're still at work. 00:03:39.899 --> 00:03:41.399 But look at my amazing holiday. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:42.399 They're great. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:43.399 We're sitting at the beach. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:45.139 We're drinking a pina colada. 00:03:45.319 --> 00:03:46.419 And you're still at work. 00:03:46.419 --> 00:03:52.179 But Facebook, essentially, it creates an image we want to portray. 00:03:53.139 --> 00:03:54.339 It's usually a good image, right? 00:03:54.379 --> 00:04:00.979 I've yet to see a comment that says something like, I was a real jerk today, you know? 00:04:01.399 --> 00:04:03.799 I was really short with my kids. 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:04.699 I lost patience. 00:04:04.859 --> 00:04:06.899 I was quite rude to my wife. 00:04:07.739 --> 00:04:08.899 Have you seen any of those comments? 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:12.500 Yeah, they're not all that common, right? 00:04:12.500 --> 00:04:12.580 All right. 00:04:16.019 --> 00:04:21.399 Oliver Cromwell was an English politician in about the mid-1600s. 00:04:21.560 --> 00:04:26.300 So the youth will be totally shocked at this, but there were no cameras back then, right? 00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:28.819 So you couldn't take a photo of them. 00:04:28.899 --> 00:04:31.819 You actually had to get an artist to do their portrait. 00:04:31.819 --> 00:04:38.120 So there was an artist brought in called John Lilley, and he had to do the portrait of Oliver Cromwell. 00:04:38.839 --> 00:04:43.959 And John Lilley's getting ready to paint, and he looks over at Oliver Cromwell, and he's a little bit hesitant. 00:04:44.500 --> 00:04:48.579 You see, because Oliver Cromwell wasn't that good looking. 00:04:49.459 --> 00:04:55.060 In fact, he was rather ugly, and he had a whole lot of warts all over his face. 00:04:55.899 --> 00:05:00.000 And John Lilley said, how would you like me to do this? 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:02.939 And Oliver Cromwell said, don't hide anything. 00:05:03.819 --> 00:05:06.439 Paint me warts and all. 00:05:07.180 --> 00:05:08.240 Don't hide anything. 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:14.040 Paint me as I really am, with all my physical imperfections. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:18.199 So if you've ever heard of the phrase warts and all, that's where it comes from. 00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:20.560 And that's exactly what the Bible does, right? 00:05:20.579 --> 00:05:21.540 It's not a Facebook. 00:05:21.779 --> 00:05:23.240 It's not a this is your life. 00:05:23.480 --> 00:05:26.560 It's as we really are. 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:29.879 So we're going to look at a character today called Gideon. 00:05:29.959 --> 00:05:32.480 Now, when I was in Sunday school, Gideon was a hero, right? 00:05:32.540 --> 00:05:33.920 He was a guy who led an army. 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:34.980 Very cool. 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:40.340 But we're going to take another look at him, warts and all. 00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:47.759 Now, when we first meet Gideon, an angel comes to him, and he is threshing wheat. 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:51.719 Okay, now in those days, the threshing floor was dug out, so it couldn't be seen. 00:05:52.719 --> 00:05:59.819 Now, the reason Gideon is hiding away is because it says this, and it comes again and again in the book of Judges. 00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:05.379 It says, they did what they thought was right in their own eyes. 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:07.659 Not in the Lord's eyes, but in their own eyes. 00:06:07.779 --> 00:06:09.300 You know, we get to make the rules. 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:11.000 What's right for you is right for you. 00:06:11.060 --> 00:06:12.099 What's wrong for you is wrong for you. 00:06:12.100 --> 00:06:15.300 There was no absolute truth. 00:06:16.460 --> 00:06:21.260 And when there's no absolute truth, it very quickly leads to idolatry. 00:06:21.500 --> 00:06:25.560 And idolatry is essentially a wrong view of God. 00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:32.240 And when we have a wrong view of God, it very quickly leads to a wrong view of people. 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:37.400 We begin to treat people as something we can use or an object. 00:06:37.760 --> 00:06:41.900 And when that happens, it very quickly leads to immorality. 00:06:41.899 --> 00:06:46.139 And that is exactly where Israel finds themselves. 00:06:47.299 --> 00:06:53.079 But God loves them far too much to leave them there, so he sends something bad. 00:06:53.339 --> 00:06:55.060 In this case, it's the Midianites. 00:06:55.179 --> 00:07:01.179 Now, the Midianites were particularly cunning because they would wait until Israel had started planting their crops, 00:07:01.239 --> 00:07:03.599 and they were just starting to die, and then they would invade the land, 00:07:03.699 --> 00:07:06.620 and they would wipe out all the agriculture, all the livestock, 00:07:06.620 --> 00:07:15.560 and essentially leaving the Israelites to starve so they would have to hide away and grow their food in secret, 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:18.220 which is what Gideon was doing. 00:07:18.220 --> 00:07:25.860 So God sends an angel to talk to Gideon, and the most amazing conversation between them takes place. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:29.820 Now, when he finds Gideon, he is threshing wheat. 00:07:30.380 --> 00:07:32.060 He's not lifting iron. 00:07:32.340 --> 00:07:34.340 He's not even a soldier in the army. 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:37.280 He's not even a star on a sports team. 00:07:37.460 --> 00:07:39.960 He is threshing wheat. 00:07:39.959 --> 00:07:42.099 Now, have you ever seen someone thresh wheat? 00:07:43.259 --> 00:07:44.180 It looks like this. 00:07:45.919 --> 00:07:48.539 It's not really that impressive, right? 00:07:48.620 --> 00:07:50.620 Nobody gets to work on a Monday morning and says, 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:54.259 did you see the National Wheat Threshing Championship yesterday? 00:07:54.339 --> 00:07:55.219 It was just amazing. 00:07:55.299 --> 00:07:57.060 Did you see how that guy did that the whole time? 00:07:57.299 --> 00:07:59.099 It's not that impressive. 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:03.639 But this is where God comes, and he meets Gideon, threshing wheat. 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:09.139 And the angel says to him, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior. 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:14.439 Now, just between you and me, that would be pretty cool, right? 00:08:14.719 --> 00:08:18.479 You're threshing wheat, and the angel says, you're a mighty warrior. 00:08:19.819 --> 00:08:25.860 But Gideon's reaction is, pardon me, but you got it wrong. 00:08:26.599 --> 00:08:30.620 And he uses the moment to essentially blame God. 00:08:30.620 --> 00:08:37.019 He says, listen, you know, really, God can't be with us because this bad stuff wouldn't be happening. 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:38.259 And actually, it's a lot worse. 00:08:38.740 --> 00:08:41.700 God has just flat out abandoned us. 00:08:42.500 --> 00:08:51.700 Now, Gideon has conveniently forgotten that God had sent a prophet to tell them exactly why they were in the mess that they were in. 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:56.860 And the prophet reminded them that he had saved them out of Egypt with miraculous signs and wonders. 00:08:57.080 --> 00:08:59.620 And he said, I'm going to give you a land flowing with milk and honey. 00:08:59.620 --> 00:09:07.940 I just don't want you to worship foreign gods because it will destroy you, and it will destroy the people around you. 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:10.159 Gideon's forgotten that, right? 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:20.399 And actually, Gideon knew a little bit more than that because his own family was involved with worshiping Baal. 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:28.959 But behind it, what Gideon is really saying is that, God, I don't think you should be acting that way. 00:09:29.199 --> 00:09:31.240 Simply, I know better. 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:35.779 You know, what you should be doing is just blessing us. 00:09:36.819 --> 00:09:38.360 You know, never be just. 00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:44.860 Just only do good to us and just turn a blind eye to the bad stuff that you don't really like. 00:09:44.860 --> 00:09:49.620 And the sad thing is, nothing has changed in 3,000 years. 00:09:50.139 --> 00:09:53.379 We still think God should do it our way. 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:57.759 We have a better idea of how to do things with God. 00:09:57.759 --> 00:10:06.059 We have this crazy idea sometimes when things suddenly go bad in our life that God has forgotten it. 00:10:06.100 --> 00:10:08.039 We kind of love it when things are going well. 00:10:08.100 --> 00:10:10.740 But soon as we hit a bump in the road, that's it. 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:13.700 God has abandoned us. 00:10:16.980 --> 00:10:17.919 Here's a question. 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:30.759 Could it be that God is intentionally using something we don't like happening in our lives to get our attention, to focus on Him, 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:35.679 so that He can use that to refine us and change us? 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.679 It says, right, this was what it says in the passage. 00:10:39.860 --> 00:10:40.039 It says, 00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:45.599 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:52.300 Now, reading between the lines, if they hadn't so impoverished the Israelites, 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:56.240 they would have just carried on doing what they were doing. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:00.700 And they would have essentially hurt everyone around them. 00:11:00.800 --> 00:11:05.659 Because one of the reasons that God chose the Israelites and said, 00:11:05.740 --> 00:11:13.120 I'm going to make you a holy nation, was to show the nations around them what God was like. 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:21.639 So if He had left them as they are, they would have continued to hurt themselves, hurt each other, 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:30.000 and ultimately hurt the nations around them by giving them a wrong picture of what God was like. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:34.340 Now, God is incredibly patient and kind with Gideon. 00:11:34.420 --> 00:11:36.420 He listens to Gideon have this little moan. 00:11:36.419 --> 00:11:41.399 And then He says to him, Gideon, all right, all right, just go in the strength you have. 00:11:41.539 --> 00:11:48.179 Trust me with the little that you do, and you're going to save Israel out of Midian's hands. 00:11:48.279 --> 00:11:51.919 And then Gideon opens his mouth again. 00:11:53.559 --> 00:11:54.399 Pardon me. 00:11:54.659 --> 00:11:58.860 Now, I am convinced that Chris Thornton is a descendant of Gideon. 00:11:58.860 --> 00:12:01.580 Because he is so polite. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:03.039 He's very British. 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:04.320 Pardon me. 00:12:05.180 --> 00:12:08.720 Okay, you know, if it had been a South African, we would have just gone, huh? 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:11.720 Or, you know, if you're a Canadian, it would have gone, hey. 00:12:12.379 --> 00:12:13.759 But he didn't. 00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:14.560 Pardon me. 00:12:14.680 --> 00:12:19.860 And then, actually, he's just using it to start with the excuses. 00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:22.419 He says, listen, you've actually, you've got the wrong guy. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:25.839 Again, it's Gideon thinking, I know better than you, God. 00:12:25.899 --> 00:12:31.099 Because, actually, I come from a little, it's a small tribe. 00:12:31.179 --> 00:12:32.419 It's not a really important tribe. 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:36.079 And even in my family, I'm pretty much a nobody. 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:38.659 And he's actually in pretty good company. 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:40.919 Because Moses did the same thing. 00:12:41.259 --> 00:12:42.740 God asked Moses to do something. 00:12:42.839 --> 00:12:44.419 Moses, hey, I've got the wrong guy. 00:12:45.419 --> 00:12:49.159 And what they're doing it out of is a sense of fear. 00:12:50.179 --> 00:12:51.099 They are afraid. 00:12:51.100 --> 00:12:52.620 And let's be honest, right? 00:12:52.639 --> 00:13:00.540 If we were choosing someone to lead a battle, we'd probably also choose someone who's strong, brave, well-known. 00:13:01.019 --> 00:13:03.379 You know, maybe he's got an Oxford or Yale degree. 00:13:04.100 --> 00:13:09.080 At least he's got some good financial connections, has a good family background. 00:13:09.920 --> 00:13:11.899 But God doesn't choose that way. 00:13:12.899 --> 00:13:18.340 It says, I choose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. 00:13:18.340 --> 00:13:21.840 And I choose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise. 00:13:21.940 --> 00:13:25.420 You see, God knows what he's doing. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:26.399 And he says, Gideon, listen. 00:13:27.180 --> 00:13:28.680 You're not listening. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:33.519 You're only hearing the second part of the sentence. 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:37.399 Which is, you will strike down the Midians. 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:40.980 And that is scaring the pants off you. 00:13:43.379 --> 00:13:46.120 You're not listening to the first part of the sentence. 00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:48.720 Which says, the Lord will be with you. 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:51.980 The Lord will be with you. 00:13:52.539 --> 00:13:53.960 The Lord will be with you. 00:13:53.960 --> 00:14:00.160 We do the same thing, right? 00:14:00.280 --> 00:14:02.240 Maybe God says the same thing to us. 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:04.440 The Lord will be with you. 00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:08.720 And I want you to be a witness for me in the workplace. 00:14:09.280 --> 00:14:10.800 The Lord will be with you. 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:13.440 And I want you to teach Sunday school. 00:14:13.740 --> 00:14:14.860 The Lord will be with you. 00:14:15.300 --> 00:14:17.360 And I want you to be a lawyer. 00:14:17.920 --> 00:14:19.259 The Lord will be with you. 00:14:19.259 --> 00:14:22.240 And I want you to plant a church. 00:14:22.899 --> 00:14:25.259 You see, we need to get this. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:30.120 Because if we only focus on the second part of the sentence, 00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:32.120 one of two things will happen. 00:14:33.179 --> 00:14:37.019 One is that we'll either start trusting in ourselves, 00:14:37.159 --> 00:14:38.460 in our own ability, thinking, 00:14:38.819 --> 00:14:41.220 I'm actually pretty special that God chose me. 00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:43.539 And God is actually pretty lucky to get me. 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:49.240 Or we'll be so scared that we'll run away like Gideon. 00:14:50.100 --> 00:14:55.860 See, God does not require you to do anything without Him there. 00:14:58.019 --> 00:14:59.159 I've mentioned this before, 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:01.639 but I went to an all-boys school in South Africa. 00:15:01.740 --> 00:15:03.720 And it was quite a tough rugby school. 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:08.460 And there was a story in our school about a young guy 00:15:08.460 --> 00:15:09.919 who just started high school. 00:15:10.120 --> 00:15:11.100 He was 13. 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:14.519 And he got home, and his mom saw him. 00:15:14.580 --> 00:15:17.399 He was looking a little bit flustered and irritated, 00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:18.840 more than usual for a teenager. 00:15:19.659 --> 00:15:23.580 And she walked up to him, and she noticed his shirt had been ripped. 00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:26.279 And she asked him what happened, and then it all came out. 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:29.639 One of the bigger boys at school had been bullying him 00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:33.860 and had finished with holding him up by the shirt against the wall 00:15:33.860 --> 00:15:35.700 and had ripped his shirt. 00:15:37.019 --> 00:15:39.139 And anyway, his mother was comforting him. 00:15:39.319 --> 00:15:41.700 And she says, you know, you need to stand up to bullies. 00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:42.980 And he's like, I can't, Mom. 00:15:43.020 --> 00:15:43.940 This guy's huge. 00:15:43.980 --> 00:15:44.500 He's big. 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:47.500 But he had an older brother. 00:15:48.280 --> 00:15:51.540 And his older brother was in the bedroom listening to this conversation. 00:15:51.800 --> 00:15:55.879 And the older brother was actually a member of the first team rugby. 00:15:55.879 --> 00:15:59.100 And he came into the room, and he said, 00:15:59.539 --> 00:16:01.419 you are going to go to that guy tomorrow, 00:16:01.419 --> 00:16:04.980 and you are going to give him your shirt and tell him he needs to repair it. 00:16:05.139 --> 00:16:06.419 He said, no way. 00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:08.360 He just says to him one thing. 00:16:09.080 --> 00:16:10.259 I will be with you. 00:16:10.259 --> 00:16:11.539 Okay. 00:16:12.659 --> 00:16:15.600 So the next day, he proudly goes there, 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:18.259 walks up to this guy with his brother behind him, 00:16:18.580 --> 00:16:19.500 taps him on the shoulder. 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:21.379 Guy turns around quite smugly, 00:16:21.899 --> 00:16:23.439 sees him, sees his older brother. 00:16:23.539 --> 00:16:24.439 His face drops. 00:16:24.919 --> 00:16:25.700 He hands him the shirt. 00:16:26.379 --> 00:16:29.600 You need to get this repaired and have it back to me by tomorrow. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:34.200 Who does that little guy have his confidence in? 00:16:35.100 --> 00:16:36.179 Is it in himself? 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:39.340 Would he have done that without his brother there? 00:16:40.259 --> 00:16:40.879 No, right? 00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:44.200 He's got confidence in because of who is with him. 00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:46.259 It's not about you. 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:49.200 It's about who is with you. 00:16:50.980 --> 00:16:51.080 Okay. 00:16:51.100 --> 00:16:53.080 Now Gideon hears this again, 00:16:53.179 --> 00:16:54.799 and Gideon opens his mouth, and he says, 00:16:55.740 --> 00:16:57.000 okay, it sounds great, 00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:01.960 but can I get a sign about this whole thing just to make sure it's really you? 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:05.240 And I just can't imagine God looking down. 00:17:05.299 --> 00:17:06.879 Okay, Gideon, what do you want me to do? 00:17:07.500 --> 00:17:08.440 So Gideon runs off. 00:17:08.539 --> 00:17:10.099 He gets a little sacrifice, brings it back. 00:17:10.980 --> 00:17:15.339 God burns it up in a flame, and Gideon finally gets it. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:19.140 But he freaks out, totally freaks out, right? 00:17:20.359 --> 00:17:22.480 And he does what Christians never do. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:23.879 He just over-exaggerates. 00:17:23.980 --> 00:17:24.839 I'm going to die. 00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:29.199 But the angel says, listen, relax, relax. 00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:30.119 You're not going to die. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:33.819 I've just told you God wants to use you to deliver you out of the Midians. 00:17:34.139 --> 00:17:35.319 Why would he kill you? 00:17:36.759 --> 00:17:37.059 Okay. 00:17:37.059 --> 00:17:44.259 You see, Gideon, at the heart of it, still doesn't really believe that God is with him. 00:17:44.579 --> 00:17:48.599 And he doesn't believe that God is good and that God can be trusted. 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:52.359 God says to him, okay, Gideon, there's one thing I do want you to do. 00:17:52.779 --> 00:17:58.359 I want you to go and remove the idols from your own family. 00:17:58.359 --> 00:18:05.619 Because Gideon's family had gotten mixed up with idol worship as well. 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:10.699 And the culture had convinced them that in order to succeed in life, 00:18:10.699 --> 00:18:15.139 you needed to offer sacrifices to Baal and Asherah. 00:18:15.140 --> 00:18:18.820 And, you know, a similar thing has happened in our world. 00:18:18.940 --> 00:18:24.680 You know, we might not physically have an altar that we go and offer sacrifices to, 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:27.140 but we do have our gods. 00:18:27.560 --> 00:18:29.820 They're just a little bit more subtle. 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:35.680 And maybe they are the gods of consumerism and wealth, 00:18:36.600 --> 00:18:39.620 the gods of pleasure and ease, 00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:44.280 the god of self-interest and status. 00:18:45.140 --> 00:18:53.360 And culture still is trying to convince us that we need these things in order to be a success. 00:18:53.500 --> 00:18:56.280 And, you know, we can get caught up in this as well. 00:18:56.280 --> 00:18:58.780 And we can pursue these things as well. 00:18:58.980 --> 00:19:06.560 So it really wouldn't hurt sometimes for us to look at our own home situation 00:19:06.560 --> 00:19:11.860 before we go off pointing fingers at anyone else. 00:19:11.859 --> 00:19:17.659 Okay, now Gideon actually once just shuts up and he does the right thing. 00:19:17.719 --> 00:19:18.979 He does what he's told, 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:27.399 but he does it at night because he's scared of the people. 00:19:27.899 --> 00:19:31.240 Now, I can relate to Gideon at this point. 00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:38.559 Back in South Africa, we used to have community group Bible study on a Thursday night. 00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:42.460 So every Thursday night, I would pick up two girls. 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:44.620 Okay, that doesn't sound right. 00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:47.000 Let me just say that. 00:19:47.620 --> 00:19:49.299 Honey, I didn't pick up two girls. 00:19:49.299 --> 00:19:54.139 What I meant to say was that every Thursday night, there were two girls, 00:19:54.819 --> 00:19:58.519 and they were first-year students at university, 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:00.659 and I had a car and I would give them a lift. 00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:01.680 I didn't pick them up. 00:20:02.059 --> 00:20:04.359 I just gave them a lift to community group. 00:20:04.419 --> 00:20:07.819 And they were two lovely girls, really strong in their faith. 00:20:08.460 --> 00:20:09.960 And one of the girls, her name was Jenny, 00:20:10.859 --> 00:20:12.659 gets in the car one night and she says, 00:20:12.660 --> 00:20:14.160 I'm in love. 00:20:15.100 --> 00:20:16.820 I've met the guy of my dreams. 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:17.920 He's wonderful, right? 00:20:17.960 --> 00:20:21.759 And she goes on and on about how amazing this guy is. 00:20:21.940 --> 00:20:25.120 And anyway, we get to community group and she does the same story again. 00:20:25.220 --> 00:20:26.620 And eventually, someone asks her, 00:20:26.620 --> 00:20:29.000 well, does he share your faith? 00:20:29.080 --> 00:20:31.500 Is he a Christian too? 00:20:31.840 --> 00:20:32.720 And she says, no. 00:20:33.140 --> 00:20:34.779 Oh, but he's so close. 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:35.660 So close. 00:20:35.700 --> 00:20:37.840 You know, the classic deception in our mind, 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:41.620 flirt and convert or date to save, as they say it. 00:20:41.619 --> 00:20:43.739 She had started thinking about it. 00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:48.099 And, you know, he would come to community group with her, 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:52.239 but soon as she went away on holiday, he would disappear. 00:20:52.479 --> 00:20:56.259 And you know when you can see that it's just not right? 00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:58.099 Okay, there's just something wrong, 00:20:58.179 --> 00:20:59.359 and you know you need to say something? 00:20:59.419 --> 00:21:01.039 I think in Kento you say, 00:21:01.459 --> 00:21:02.199 I'm key. 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:04.339 Okay, you got that right? 00:21:04.959 --> 00:21:07.599 I was practicing that this morning. 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:09.359 Okay, they're just not clicking. 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:12.559 And I knew I had to say something, 00:21:12.959 --> 00:21:15.299 but I just thought, well, somebody else will say it. 00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:16.339 Not me, right? 00:21:16.399 --> 00:21:17.479 Somebody else will say it. 00:21:17.939 --> 00:21:19.419 So I kept quiet. 00:21:20.379 --> 00:21:21.619 And the more I look, it's just, 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:23.240 it's really something's odd there. 00:21:23.379 --> 00:21:25.379 And I came up with this great idea. 00:21:25.459 --> 00:21:26.319 You know what I'm going to do? 00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:29.199 I'm going to prepare a Bible study on dating. 00:21:30.019 --> 00:21:30.419 Okay? 00:21:30.579 --> 00:21:32.819 There's 10 people in the community group. 00:21:32.979 --> 00:21:34.500 Only one of them's dating. 00:21:34.500 --> 00:21:36.700 I'm going to prepare a Bible study on it. 00:21:36.759 --> 00:21:40.940 Now, by the way, that's a really dumb move. 00:21:41.380 --> 00:21:41.480 Okay? 00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:44.119 It's not the way to deal with the situation. 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:45.819 But the saddest part is, 00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:50.240 actually, I never got to deliver that Bible study at all, 00:21:50.299 --> 00:21:54.180 because she fell pregnant in her first year 00:21:54.180 --> 00:21:55.779 as an occupational therapist. 00:21:55.779 --> 00:22:00.859 And she faced a lot of tough years as a single mom, 00:22:01.059 --> 00:22:02.619 trying to finish university, 00:22:03.399 --> 00:22:07.759 deal with the social stigma of being a mom at 19. 00:22:08.859 --> 00:22:11.319 And I don't know if I had said something, 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:13.420 if it would have changed anything. 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:17.619 And God is more than able to redeem any situation. 00:22:17.779 --> 00:22:20.619 But I know, essentially, what held me back is fear. 00:22:20.619 --> 00:22:23.939 I did it because I was afraid, right? 00:22:23.979 --> 00:22:25.419 Afraid to spoil her fun. 00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:28.959 Afraid to think that I would be the bad guy. 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:33.619 Okay, now, we have to think back to Gideon. 00:22:34.259 --> 00:22:36.699 Why would God even ask Gideon to do this? 00:22:36.759 --> 00:22:39.439 Isn't this just simply wasting time, right? 00:22:39.500 --> 00:22:41.899 Gideon, I want you to save the nation of Israel. 00:22:43.319 --> 00:22:44.359 That's the big battle. 00:22:44.439 --> 00:22:45.219 That's the big job. 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:49.439 But, you know, we'll go and deal with your family first, right? 00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:52.880 Isn't it just wasting time to deal with the small matters? 00:22:53.900 --> 00:22:56.480 But actually, God is teaching him something very profound. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:59.880 He's teaching Gideon that when he acts, 00:23:00.940 --> 00:23:02.680 God will bring him success. 00:23:02.680 --> 00:23:06.360 And when he acts, he will actually inspire others. 00:23:06.660 --> 00:23:09.080 If you look at Gideon's father's reaction, 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:15.559 this was a guy who was guilty of offering sacrifices to Baal. 00:23:16.259 --> 00:23:18.480 Suddenly, he's defending his son, 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:21.920 and he is cursing Baal. 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:23.299 It inspires others. 00:23:23.360 --> 00:23:26.140 And he's showing Gideon, listen, you're not alone. 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:29.640 There are others who care about serving God. 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:32.099 But essentially, he's teaching him something. 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:34.099 Be faithful. 00:23:34.860 --> 00:23:37.620 Be full of integrity in the small things. 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:39.680 And then you will be ready, 00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:42.059 and I will give you the big things. 00:23:42.059 --> 00:23:46.220 So Gideon's faith and his courage grow, right? 00:23:46.299 --> 00:23:47.659 It's the same with us. 00:23:47.700 --> 00:23:49.299 The more we trust God with a little thing, 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:52.720 he does it, our faith grows, right? 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:58.539 But the sad thing is Gideon's brave action that he does is very soon undone, 00:23:58.539 --> 00:24:02.500 and his faith fails him, and he needs a sign. 00:24:02.700 --> 00:24:03.059 Again. 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:06.379 And he says, okay, God, listen, 00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:08.359 what I'm going to do is I'm going to put out a fleece, 00:24:08.399 --> 00:24:10.259 which is essentially a sheepskin, right? 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:14.899 And one day, I want you to make the sheepskin wet and the ground dry, 00:24:15.099 --> 00:24:16.420 and then God does it. 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:18.799 And he says, okay, do it again, but switch it around. 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:24.379 And, you know, I've heard a lot of people come up and say, 00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:29.460 oh, we've put out a fleece as a way of kind of determining God's will. 00:24:29.859 --> 00:24:32.799 You know, there must be a lot of naked sheep out there 00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:35.519 because there's a lot of fleeces being put out. 00:24:35.720 --> 00:24:41.460 But actually, it's not really the best thing to be saying 00:24:41.460 --> 00:24:44.619 because it really ignores the facts of the situation. 00:24:44.740 --> 00:24:47.440 I'm going to give you three reasons why I don't think it's such a good idea. 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:51.120 Number one is that it's a one-off event. 00:24:51.480 --> 00:24:53.220 It's the only time you see it in the Bible. 00:24:53.840 --> 00:24:57.360 So to make a model out of gardens from a one-off event 00:24:57.360 --> 00:24:59.140 is probably not the best idea. 00:24:59.580 --> 00:25:04.220 The second one is this happened under the old covenant, right? 00:25:04.299 --> 00:25:07.539 Before Pentecost, before the Holy Spirit. 00:25:07.700 --> 00:25:09.100 And Jesus promised us, he said, 00:25:09.100 --> 00:25:14.880 the Holy Spirit will lead you into all wisdom and truth. 00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:18.460 And thirdly, and this is probably the most important point, 00:25:18.520 --> 00:25:24.340 is actually the fleece wasn't a way of determining God's will at all. 00:25:24.620 --> 00:25:27.100 See, Gideon already knew what God wanted him to do. 00:25:27.540 --> 00:25:30.280 He wasn't putting it out to find out what God wanted him to do. 00:25:30.320 --> 00:25:31.020 He already knew. 00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:34.440 What he was doing it for is because he wanted reassurance 00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:37.820 that God would really do what he said. 00:25:37.819 --> 00:25:41.579 So in fact, by saying, I'm going to put out a fleece, 00:25:41.679 --> 00:25:46.759 it is a sign of the weakness of his faith. 00:25:47.439 --> 00:25:50.200 You know, the very fact that God actually does what he's asked to 00:25:50.200 --> 00:25:56.919 is more a credit to God that God can be so patient and kind with him. 00:25:56.919 --> 00:25:58.779 And he's patient and kind with us too. 00:25:58.779 --> 00:26:05.480 God goes on to teach Gideon amazing things, 00:26:05.539 --> 00:26:08.980 just how good he is and about his power. 00:26:09.559 --> 00:26:13.920 Because he reduces Gideon's army that he assembles down to 300. 00:26:14.940 --> 00:26:19.899 With 300 men, Gideon is able to overcome the Midianites 00:26:19.899 --> 00:26:22.319 and he rescues Israel. 00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:27.660 So he finally achieves what the Lord told him he wanted to do. 00:26:27.660 --> 00:26:29.860 He rescues Israel. 00:26:30.840 --> 00:26:33.779 And after the battle, all the celebrations are going on. 00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:36.940 Gideon does one really good thing 00:26:36.940 --> 00:26:41.700 and then he immediately undoes it with a couple of really dumb things. 00:26:42.300 --> 00:26:45.460 Now the good thing he did was the people came to him 00:26:45.460 --> 00:26:47.860 and they said, Gideon, you saved us. 00:26:47.960 --> 00:26:48.740 You're amazing. 00:26:48.860 --> 00:26:50.100 We want you to be our king. 00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:52.680 They had the same problem as Gideon. 00:26:52.740 --> 00:26:54.980 They were focusing on the second part of the sentence. 00:26:55.500 --> 00:26:57.540 You saved us from the Midianites. 00:26:58.040 --> 00:26:59.960 And Gideon actually does the right thing. 00:27:00.080 --> 00:27:02.720 He points them and he says, actually, it's not me. 00:27:02.820 --> 00:27:03.560 It was God. 00:27:03.660 --> 00:27:05.440 He used me, but it was God. 00:27:05.580 --> 00:27:06.940 He is your king. 00:27:07.600 --> 00:27:09.640 He's the one who deserves the glory. 00:27:09.740 --> 00:27:10.860 So I'm not going to be your king. 00:27:12.600 --> 00:27:13.940 But then the people, I guess, 00:27:14.040 --> 00:27:15.759 maybe were a little bit disappointed by that. 00:27:15.800 --> 00:27:16.660 So Gideon looks out at them. 00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:18.160 He says, okay, but I'll tell you one thing. 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:22.800 How about we all throw in a little bit of the jewelry we got from the Midianites 00:27:22.800 --> 00:27:23.980 and he puts it all together. 00:27:26.060 --> 00:27:29.420 And he makes an idol. 00:27:29.420 --> 00:27:38.720 The very thing God asked him to not do, the very thing that got them into the mess in the first place, 00:27:38.840 --> 00:27:41.300 Gideon takes them back there. 00:27:41.299 --> 00:27:46.819 Has anyone been to the central ferry piers? 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:50.559 Have you seen they put up this big Ferris wheel? 00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:53.599 Has anyone been on the Ferris wheel? 00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:54.460 No. 00:27:54.599 --> 00:27:55.940 I'd love to go one day. 00:27:56.099 --> 00:27:57.279 It looks great. 00:27:57.420 --> 00:28:03.039 But with a Ferris wheel, you get on and then you go up, up, up, up, up, 00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:03.940 and you get to the top. 00:28:04.039 --> 00:28:07.059 And I can imagine on a clear day like today, it must be beautiful. 00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:09.039 You get the stunning view of Hong Kong. 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:10.899 And then you go down, down, down, down, down, 00:28:10.899 --> 00:28:15.160 and you get off exactly the same place you got on. 00:28:15.420 --> 00:28:17.420 It feels like you should have gone somewhere, right? 00:28:17.460 --> 00:28:21.339 You spent all that time, but in fact, you just went around in a circle. 00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:25.660 And that's exactly like Gideon's life. 00:28:25.660 --> 00:28:28.680 He got off exactly the same place he got on. 00:28:28.940 --> 00:28:34.480 Israel started with idolatry, and they finished with idolatry. 00:28:36.779 --> 00:28:43.400 The second thing Gideon does that's really not the brightest thing is that he names his son, 00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:45.080 one of his sons, Abimelech. 00:28:46.180 --> 00:28:49.500 Now, Abimelech means son of the king. 00:28:49.500 --> 00:28:55.640 He has a guy who's just told everyone, I don't want to be king. 00:28:55.880 --> 00:28:56.880 I'm not your king. 00:28:57.079 --> 00:29:00.339 And then the very next thing he does, son of the king. 00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:09.200 Pride had crept into his heart, and he wanted a little bit of that glory for himself. 00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:16.019 You know, the saddest part is the effect it had on Israel. 00:29:16.900 --> 00:29:20.340 You know, Israel went right back as well to where it started. 00:29:21.620 --> 00:29:25.940 Now, Gideon had taken them to the hearts of 40 years of peace, 00:29:26.360 --> 00:29:30.779 but he brought them back to the same point that he had found them. 00:29:31.019 --> 00:29:34.680 And to be honest, there are many people where we can have that effect, right? 00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:40.759 We sin, we mess up, we get into a mess, we ask for forgiveness, we get forgiven, we sin, 00:29:40.840 --> 00:29:46.720 we get into a mess, we ask for forgiveness, and the pattern just goes round and round. 00:29:49.620 --> 00:29:53.360 I like to read biographies or autobiographies. 00:29:53.360 --> 00:29:58.380 And I read one about a few years back, maybe three years ago, 00:29:58.680 --> 00:30:02.279 by a British Bible teacher called David Pawson. 00:30:02.279 --> 00:30:08.839 And he entitled his biography, Not as Bad as the Truth. 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:15.379 Now, that seems a bit of a strange title, but the reason he did that was because at some point in his ministry, 00:30:16.119 --> 00:30:18.980 rumors were being spread about him. 00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:23.519 And they were talking about things that he did, which he didn't do, 00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:27.299 and things that he taught, which he didn't talk, and he was really quite hurt and upset by it. 00:30:27.299 --> 00:30:32.339 So he went to God in prayer over it, and he felt God say, 00:30:32.460 --> 00:30:39.240 David, the worst that they can possibly say about you is not as bad as the truth. 00:30:40.339 --> 00:30:45.059 And David, he writes in the book, he actually says when he got that, he laughed, right? 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:47.079 Because he realized it's true. 00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:56.679 And then God went on to add, he said, but I know the worst about you, and I still love you, and I still use you. 00:30:57.119 --> 00:31:00.419 You see, that's also true for us as well, right? 00:31:02.179 --> 00:31:06.599 We are essentially a lot worse than we think we are. 00:31:06.599 --> 00:31:15.839 We just tend to have an upward comparison financially and usually a downward comparison morally, right? 00:31:15.939 --> 00:31:17.579 That's how we justify it. 00:31:17.579 --> 00:31:20.240 But we are essentially a lot worse than we think we are. 00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:26.219 But God is a lot better than we think he is. 00:31:27.899 --> 00:31:33.679 You see, because we are incomplete, Gideon was incomplete. 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:37.259 The people of Israel were incomplete. 00:31:37.580 --> 00:31:46.580 Only Jesus is complete, and only he could be, because he was the only one who was perfect and sinless. 00:31:46.680 --> 00:31:52.720 It says, he who knew no sin became sin for us. 00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:58.060 Only in Jesus can that pattern be broken. 00:31:59.380 --> 00:32:03.019 You see, Jesus was everything Gideon wasn't. 00:32:03.019 --> 00:32:04.960 Gideon was afraid of people. 00:32:05.059 --> 00:32:06.420 He needed to please people. 00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:10.259 Jesus was only interested in pleasing his father. 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:14.240 Gideon doubted. 00:32:14.299 --> 00:32:15.339 He was confused. 00:32:15.940 --> 00:32:18.839 Jesus trusted always in his father. 00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:22.980 Gideon wanted to seek some of the glory for himself. 00:32:23.160 --> 00:32:25.379 Jesus only wanted to glorify the father. 00:32:26.619 --> 00:32:30.059 Gideon got distracted from his purpose and his mission. 00:32:30.059 --> 00:32:34.980 And Jesus was never distracted from his purpose and mission. 00:32:35.139 --> 00:32:43.639 You see, the whole point of the book of Judges is it is pointing us to the fact that we need a perfect Savior. 00:32:44.899 --> 00:32:51.440 Otherwise, we just get wrapped up in a pattern of incomplete Saviors. 00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:54.420 Let's just say you're single, right? 00:32:54.420 --> 00:33:01.240 When I meet Mr. Right or Mrs. Right, then my life will be perfect, right? 00:33:01.259 --> 00:33:05.340 Then my life will have purpose and meaning and I will be happy and content. 00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:08.700 And when we get that, yeah, no, it doesn't. 00:33:10.600 --> 00:33:13.140 Or maybe we think, okay, I need that education. 00:33:13.320 --> 00:33:16.920 When I graduate from the top university and I get my master's and my PhD, 00:33:16.920 --> 00:33:20.300 then my life will have meaning, purpose, and status. 00:33:20.420 --> 00:33:22.980 And then we get it and no, it doesn't. 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:26.960 Or maybe what I really need is the perfect job. 00:33:27.180 --> 00:33:29.060 I really need a good job, good status. 00:33:29.259 --> 00:33:32.480 And I get it and then, no, it doesn't. 00:33:35.539 --> 00:33:40.340 Because when the gloss wears off, it's just a short-term Savior. 00:33:40.339 --> 00:33:44.319 And we need something else to keep filling it up with. 00:33:44.399 --> 00:33:45.379 But listen to Jesus. 00:33:45.539 --> 00:33:49.659 He says, I am the Alpha and the Omega. 00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:52.099 I'm the beginning and the end. 00:33:53.500 --> 00:33:55.459 I'm a complete Savior. 00:33:56.039 --> 00:33:57.279 I'm not going to fade. 00:34:00.220 --> 00:34:06.079 You know, one thing I do know is that we don't like to think about this too often, 00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:08.519 but one day my life will end. 00:34:08.980 --> 00:34:12.279 And one day everyone in this room, your life will end. 00:34:12.340 --> 00:34:16.319 We don't know who will be next, but that's what we do know. 00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:21.079 And we will stand before God. 00:34:21.380 --> 00:34:23.779 And I'm sure a book's going to be open, and it's going to be called, 00:34:23.900 --> 00:34:24.699 This Is Your Life. 00:34:25.659 --> 00:34:28.860 And it's not going to be just all the nice bits. 00:34:28.860 --> 00:34:35.700 It's going to be everything you've ever thought, done, or said. 00:34:36.519 --> 00:34:41.039 And you're not going to have any family or friends there to put in a good word for you. 00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:46.180 You're going to stand before a holy and just God. 00:34:47.420 --> 00:34:50.420 And that, quite frankly, is scary, right? 00:34:51.800 --> 00:34:57.140 And if that's where it ended, that would be really bad for me. 00:34:57.139 --> 00:35:00.779 But there is another book, right? 00:35:00.859 --> 00:35:03.699 It's a book called The Book of Life. 00:35:04.759 --> 00:35:08.339 And in The Book of Life, it will just be a book with names in it. 00:35:08.900 --> 00:35:16.699 And it will be the names of people who have put their trust and their hope in Jesus Christ 00:35:16.699 --> 00:35:20.299 to redeem them, save them, and change them. 00:35:20.300 --> 00:35:27.660 It will be people who realize they cannot make themselves righteous. 00:35:28.700 --> 00:35:34.380 Because, you see, the harder we try to be righteous, and the closer we get to it, 00:35:34.420 --> 00:35:40.880 what it really does is fill us with self-righteousness and pride and contempt for others 00:35:40.880 --> 00:35:43.600 who maybe don't look as righteous as we are. 00:35:43.599 --> 00:35:47.360 But essentially, it leaves us incomplete. 00:35:48.519 --> 00:35:53.719 No matter how close we get there, we never quite get to where as good as we want to be. 00:35:54.699 --> 00:35:58.559 I've yet to meet anyone when you ask them the question, 00:35:58.679 --> 00:36:01.839 are you as good as you want to be, that have said yes. 00:36:02.699 --> 00:36:07.799 I think deep down in the human heart, all of us want to be better than we are. 00:36:07.800 --> 00:36:11.120 Jesus offers that. 00:36:12.180 --> 00:36:16.280 It's also going to be filled with names of people who have said, 00:36:17.019 --> 00:36:18.100 hey, I can't do this. 00:36:18.880 --> 00:36:21.580 You know, I'm just going to do what's right in my own eyes. 00:36:21.660 --> 00:36:25.539 I can never be 100% righteous, so I'm just going to give up. 00:36:26.420 --> 00:36:30.620 The good news is, is that Jesus can be. 00:36:31.440 --> 00:36:32.820 And Jesus says this to us. 00:36:32.820 --> 00:36:38.980 He says, give me your sin and I will give you my righteousness. 00:36:40.320 --> 00:36:41.100 What a deal. 00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:42.240 What a deal, right? 00:36:42.280 --> 00:36:46.900 Now, if you explain that to any businessman, they would say you're crazy 00:36:46.900 --> 00:36:52.940 because that kind of deal only suits one party. 00:36:53.980 --> 00:36:56.780 But love is not a business deal. 00:36:56.780 --> 00:37:01.600 There's a lovely verse in Romans 8. 00:37:01.720 --> 00:37:02.880 It says something like this. 00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:10.140 It says, if God is for us, who can stand against us? 00:37:11.180 --> 00:37:13.280 And honestly, it's a question. 00:37:13.700 --> 00:37:15.240 And the answer is quite simple. 00:37:15.800 --> 00:37:18.360 The answer is nobody. 00:37:19.280 --> 00:37:19.780 Nothing. 00:37:19.780 --> 00:37:25.180 And if that is true and we really believe it, 00:37:25.780 --> 00:37:32.900 then that's the reason we don't need to trust in incomplete saviors. 00:37:35.120 --> 00:37:41.960 That's the reason we don't need to be afraid of people or what they think of us. 00:37:44.980 --> 00:37:48.420 My preparing this, I just thought, how would I close? 00:37:48.420 --> 00:37:55.260 But really what I want us to do is think about, is that true in our lives? 00:37:55.420 --> 00:38:01.820 Do we really believe that God is with us and that he's good 00:38:01.820 --> 00:38:07.159 and he wants the best for you and he plans to use you? 00:38:12.519 --> 00:38:14.200 Can we stand and pray? 00:38:18.420 --> 00:38:33.119 Lord Jesus, we come before you and we offer you thanksgiving and praise. 00:38:33.559 --> 00:38:37.039 We thank you for your mercy and your grace. 00:38:37.300 --> 00:38:41.360 We thank you that you know everything about us 00:38:41.360 --> 00:38:45.860 and yet you loved us while we were still sinners. 00:38:45.860 --> 00:38:52.059 Lord, I pray that you will remind me and that you will remind all of us here 00:38:52.059 --> 00:38:54.700 that you are good 00:38:54.700 --> 00:39:00.380 and that you care about people and you care about our lives 00:39:00.380 --> 00:39:02.960 and you want to change us. 00:39:04.059 --> 00:39:06.440 But you don't ask us ever to walk alone. 00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:10.740 You do it with us, with you by our sides. 00:39:10.739 --> 00:39:12.779 And we thank you for that. 00:39:13.279 --> 00:39:17.579 Lord, I pray that you forgive us where we stumble and fall and we blow it. 00:39:17.579 --> 00:39:20.939 We thank you that your grace and mercy is enough 00:39:20.939 --> 00:39:22.539 and that you do not leave us there. 00:39:23.439 --> 00:39:25.000 You desire to change us. 00:39:25.439 --> 00:39:29.579 I pray that as we go out from here and we go to our families 00:39:29.579 --> 00:39:31.879 and our workplaces or our holidays, 00:39:32.439 --> 00:39:34.419 that you will be with us 00:39:34.419 --> 00:39:38.259 and that you will remind us what it is you want to do with our lives. 00:39:38.260 --> 00:39:42.800 Lord, I thank you that you are the only one worthy of praise 00:39:42.800 --> 00:39:44.360 because by worshiping you, 00:39:45.380 --> 00:39:48.080 we only get to be more like you 00:39:48.080 --> 00:39:49.600 and we will not be destroyed. 00:39:50.740 --> 00:39:53.460 We do not give our souls to another but to you. 00:39:54.740 --> 00:39:55.840 We love you. 00:39:56.320 --> 00:39:57.940 In Jesus' name, amen.