WEBVTT

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 Father, we come to your word, and sometimes, Father, when we come to your word, we're afraid

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 to ask questions of your word, because we feel, Father, that it's maybe offensive to

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 you or maybe we're afraid of the answers.

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 We confess to you, Father, that sometimes we're afraid of the way others mock your word

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 or ask questions about your word that we don't know how to answer.

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 Father, we ask that you would pour out your Holy Spirit gently but deeply upon us at this

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 time and grant us a great confidence in you, a great confidence in your word.

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 And, Father, as we become more and more confident in your word, help us to listen to the Bible

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 ever more deeply.

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 And this we ask in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior.

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 Amen.

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 Please be seated.

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 So this isn't a test.

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 I don't know how carefully you were listening.

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 When Abby read the epistle, Romans 12, and in the epistle, towards the end of it, she said,

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 how did, what was it she said towards the end?

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 She said, if your enemy is hungry, feed him.

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 If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

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 So here's the question.

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 A couple of years ago, he wasn't part of our congregation at the time, but I got his permission

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 to say his name, by the way, just in case you're worried.

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 Oh, boy, is George going to use my name and me as an example in a sermon?

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 I got his permission.

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 A couple of years ago, just before he joined this congregation, a man who's part of our congregation,

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 Ross Allen, served a tour of duty six months in Afghanistan as part of Canada's fight against

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 the Taliban.

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 So the question is this.

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 Did he sin?

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 Did he sin to go to Afghanistan to be part of Canada's mission in fighting the Taliban?

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 Should he be repenting about it?

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 Should he come under church discipline?

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 Should we fight ISIS or feed ISIS?

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 Is that what the Bible text is saying?

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 So we're going to look at that.

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 It'd be a great help.

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 And that and a whole pile of other comments.

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 It'd be a great help then if you could turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 12, verse

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 9 and following.

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 Romans 12, 9 and following.

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 Because some of you might, especially those of you who are maybe guests and are seeking,

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 just trying to search out and seek out what's going on with the Christian faith or making

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 sense of your life.

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 And you might have had a whole range of comments about the moral list, the ethics list, the

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 virtues list that Abby read a little bit earlier.

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 And it's a very, very deep text, Romans 12, 9.

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 For some of us, it would be a great thing to take if we wanted to take an afternoon or a

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 couple of hours someday to just reflect upon our life.

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 It would be a great text to use to reflect upon our lives, Romans 12, 9 and following.

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 And let's just look at this whole question and we'll begin.

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 Actually, if you could put up the first verse on the screen, Andrew.

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 And we're going to camp here longer on this one verse than all of the other verses between

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 9 and 21.

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 And it's partially because in some ways this is a key text to make sense of all of the things

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 in verses 10 to 21.

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 This is like a key text that we have to sort of have in our mind.

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 It's the memory verse which I suggest for the week.

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 And if you could read it out loud with me.

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 Love without hypocrisy.

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 Abhor what is evil.

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 Cling to what is good.

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 Let's say it together again.

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 Love without hypocrisy.

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 Abhor what is evil.

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 Cling to what is good.

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 And some of you haven't the vaguest idea in the world what abhor means.

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 But we'll get to that in a second.

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 So here's the thing about this text.

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 And it looks very, very simple.

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 And in fact, we're going to talk about this more in a moment.

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 For some of us it even looks like it's commanding an emotion.

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 Because in our culture, love is often thought of as a very, very powerful and important,

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 not only an emotion but a disposition to act.

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 But it's often thought of as an emotion.

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 So here's the first thing about this text.

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 Which is, and it's going to be, you know, talking about this ISIS issue and all of it.

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 Unless we get this verse, the rest of it's going to be difficult to us to understand.

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 Some of you probably have no idea what abhor means.

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 And some of you are thinking, I think I know what inestimable meant.

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 But it's probably, if I asked you how many people used the word abhor or inestimable in the last six months,

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 probably nobody would put their hands up.

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 Maybe some of you English majors have used it.

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 But they're very uncommon words.

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 And one of the things which is very, very interesting about the Bible

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 is that when Paul would have written this to the church in Rome,

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 and it would have been in Greek in the original one,

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 a lot of the congregation probably scratched their heads

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 because they didn't know what he was talking about when he said that very first word, love.

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 Paul chose a very obscure word in Greek when he wrote this.

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 We're very common with the word now, but I mean the Greeks had other words that we now translate as love,

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 but this word agape was a very rare word in Greek literature prior to the New Testament.

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 The word agape, which is translated as love, is in the New Testament hundreds and hundreds of times,

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 but it was rare.

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 So virtually every time you read the word love in the New Testament,

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 you can imagine that the original hearers were scratching their heads,

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 especially guessing, saying, what on earth is that word?

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 And they have to go back to their equivalent of their dictionaries to figure it out.

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 And so the ancient Greeks, they were very familiar with the idea of what we would call brotherly affection,

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 the word Philadelphia, which is actually in the next verse.

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 And they were very, they knew about eros,

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 which is often, you know, sort of sexual attraction,

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 which is one of the main ways that we understand the word love.

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 And they were just, they were very familiar with the type of love between friends.

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 And they had words for all of this, but they had this rare word.

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 And this rare word means a self-giving,

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 self-sacrificing,

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 self-emptying

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 acts for the good of the other person.

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 I'll try to say that again.

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 I know it's not a lecture,

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 but this word agape means self-giving or self-emptying

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 or self-sacrificing

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 or putting yourself and your needs second

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 to act in a way which is good for somebody else.

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 And it was a rare word.

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 But for Christians, it's in a sense an obvious word.

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 Paul was a very, very learned man.

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 And probably, you know, he's maybe just reading,

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 you know, casually some Greek fiction or philosophy or something like that,

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 some Greek plays.

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 And he comes across that word and he says,

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 no, that exactly describes what Jesus did for us.

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 What a great word.

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 Agape.

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 It describes what Jesus did for us.

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 How he set aside his glory and his divine prerogatives

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 and his divine splendor,

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 his appearance as God,

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 the honor that was due to him as God,

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 the prerogatives that were due to him as God,

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 the worship and veneration and fear that was due to him as God.

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 He set all of that aside in obedience to the Father

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 and out of love for human beings

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 who were rebels and hated God in a sense

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 and were completely misled.

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 He set all of that aside

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 and he didn't stop being God,

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 but he takes into himself our human nature

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 and he comes and lives amongst us as a human being,

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 completely and utterly unrecognized,

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 eventually rejected by his people,

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 crucified upon a cross,

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 which is a shameful form of death.

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 Everything there is to taste of death.

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 You can't be poorer than dead.

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 He comes to be completely and utterly poor.

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 He rises from the dead.

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 He's vindicated, but he does all of that

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 because he loves human beings

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 and wants human beings to be reconciled to the Father.

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 There is no better word for love than agape.

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 And so it's almost any sense in our culture

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 that love involves a type of self-sacrifice

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 or putting yourself second

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 or that it's an action, not just a feeling.

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 It comes from Christianity.

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 It's from the Bible,

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 the Christian faith that it's had.

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 Whatever presence it has in the culture,

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 it comes from here.

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 And so this is really important

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 because in our culture we're losing this.

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 And it's really interesting.

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 Can you say this verse with me again, please?

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 Love without hypocrisy.

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 Abhor what is evil.

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 Cling to what is good.

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 In our culture,

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 we tend to think of love as primarily a feeling.

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 We don't tend to think of love as a verb,

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 as an action,

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 something that we actually do.

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 Even if we don't have a feeling of love

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 or affection or anything like that

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 or friendship,

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 that it's something,

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 things that we do.

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 And so in our culture,

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 increasingly it's a feeling.

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 And it's often seen,

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 it's funny,

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 in our culture,

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 increasingly,

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 if somebody says that there's something

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 which is good and evil,

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 which is coming up in a moment,

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 people say,

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 well, good and evil are relative.

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 It depends on if it's good for you or for me.

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 But if there's one absolute in our culture,

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 it's the absolute to love.

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 Like,

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 loving trumps all sorts of things.

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 And we know in our culture

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 that the experience of love in our culture

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 and in many other cultures,

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 it has a power to blind.

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 Like,

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 how many pop songs

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 and country and western songs

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 all go around the type of idea,

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 if loving you is wrong,

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 I don't want to be right.

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 You know?

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 And love, love, love,

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 all you need is love.

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 Like,

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 just constant

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 praise of love in our culture.

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 And the Bible here

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 isn't undermining the praise of love.

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 In fact,

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 I think that the Christian faith

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 teaches that love

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 is the soul's food.

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 We were made

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 at the very depth of who we are

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 as in souled bodies

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 is we hunger for love.

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 That is what our soul needs.

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 To thrive.

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 Because ultimately,

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 God made us for himself

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 and God is love.

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 And only the Christian account of God

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 makes sense of love.

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 Because from all eternity,

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 before any human beings existed

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 or before any angel existed,

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 the Father loved the Son.

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 And the Son loved the Father.

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 And in some scripture texts

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 it's described almost as if

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 the Holy Spirit's constant movement

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 between the Father and the Son

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 is the love of the Father and the Son.

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 And the Holy Spirit is love.

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 To have the Holy Spirit

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 be poured out into our hearts

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 is to have love poured out

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 into our hearts.

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 The Bible exalts

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 this self-sacrificing,

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 self-emptying,

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 self-giving love

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 as an action for the good

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 of the other person.

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 And it is our soul's food.

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 But it can blind.

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 It can mislead.

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 It can overwhelm common sense.

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 And it's not just an emotion.

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 But the very heart

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 of these Christian virtues

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 that all of the other virtues

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 that are going to follow it

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 begins with this three-legged stool.

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 The first part of it is

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 love without hypocrisy.

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 In other words,

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 it's to come from our heart.

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 It's not to just be something

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 we do to manipulate

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 the other person.

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 And it's connected

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 to these two other things.

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 One of them is the word abhor.

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 In the original language,

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 the word which is translated

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 as abhor,

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 it's the only time

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 in the New Testament

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 that this word is there.

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 And it's a word

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 that actually has

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 emotional connotations to it.

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 It actually sort of

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 is trying to say

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 to be the goal

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 that this verse

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 is launching us on a quest

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 in terms of

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 to live a life

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 that is actually sane,

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 intellectually, morally,

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 and relationally.

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 And at the heart

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 of this quest

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 is that we're going to try

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 to love without hypocrisy.

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 And we're going to abhor evil.

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 And that means

00:12:18.379 --> 00:12:21.000
 actually have a type of

00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:24.679
 physical and emotional

00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:27.340
 revulsion to it.

00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:28.939
 It would be as if

00:12:28.939 --> 00:12:29.700
 somebody said

00:12:29.700 --> 00:12:30.460
 they were going to give you

00:12:30.460 --> 00:12:32.360
 a tasty roast beef sandwich.

00:12:32.860 --> 00:12:33.500
 My apologies

00:12:33.500 --> 00:12:34.600
 to the vegetarians.

00:12:35.299 --> 00:12:36.980
 A tasty roast beef sandwich

00:12:36.980 --> 00:12:38.000
 or for the vegetarians,

00:12:38.100 --> 00:12:39.759
 a tasty tofu sandwich

00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:41.059
 if you're vegan.

00:12:41.580 --> 00:12:44.419
 And you get the roast beef

00:12:44.419 --> 00:12:45.799
 and there's maggots

00:12:45.799 --> 00:12:47.079
 and it's rotting

00:12:47.079 --> 00:12:48.620
 and you gag.

00:12:51.099 --> 00:12:51.919
 Harder to notice

00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:52.819
 maggots on tofu.

00:12:52.939 --> 00:12:54.179
 No, I shouldn't have said that.

00:12:56.979 --> 00:12:58.039
 Because it's white.

00:12:58.620 --> 00:12:59.039
 That's right.

00:12:59.079 --> 00:13:00.579
 Anyway, same type of idea.

00:13:01.179 --> 00:13:02.639
 And that's what this word is.

00:13:02.859 --> 00:13:03.500
 That as we,

00:13:03.839 --> 00:13:05.059
 that the Bible is calling us

00:13:05.059 --> 00:13:06.500
 to be launched on this quest

00:13:06.500 --> 00:13:07.479
 that's going to call us

00:13:07.479 --> 00:13:08.219
 to love,

00:13:08.599 --> 00:13:09.939
 that self-giving actions

00:13:09.939 --> 00:13:10.939
 for the good and benefit

00:13:10.939 --> 00:13:11.439
 of others

00:13:11.439 --> 00:13:13.179
 that comes from our heart,

00:13:13.179 --> 00:13:14.079
 that's consistent,

00:13:14.259 --> 00:13:15.359
 congruent with who we are.

00:13:15.659 --> 00:13:16.799
 And that part of that

00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:18.259
 is also going to be

00:13:18.259 --> 00:13:19.719
 that as we get closer

00:13:19.719 --> 00:13:21.039
 to loving people

00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:21.939
 and knowing God,

00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:23.099
 that there is this,

00:13:23.339 --> 00:13:24.059
 increasingly,

00:13:24.299 --> 00:13:25.179
 there will almost be

00:13:25.179 --> 00:13:26.000
 a revulsion,

00:13:26.199 --> 00:13:27.099
 a gagging,

00:13:27.179 --> 00:13:28.459
 as if somebody offers us

00:13:28.459 --> 00:13:29.059
 rotten meat

00:13:29.059 --> 00:13:30.099
 when we are invited

00:13:30.099 --> 00:13:30.599
 to do that,

00:13:30.659 --> 00:13:31.239
 which is wrong.

00:13:31.659 --> 00:13:32.500
 And the word here,

00:13:32.899 --> 00:13:33.739
 I think we try and,

00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:35.299
 I use in this version here,

00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:35.739
 cling,

00:13:36.500 --> 00:13:37.299
 to what is good.

00:13:37.879 --> 00:13:38.120
 There's,

00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:39.299
 the word that's translated

00:13:39.299 --> 00:13:40.179
 here is cling.

00:13:40.179 --> 00:13:41.099
 It's used in,

00:13:41.099 --> 00:13:41.339
 in,

00:13:41.339 --> 00:13:41.839
 in,

00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:42.979
 in several other places

00:13:42.979 --> 00:13:43.759
 in the New Testament.

00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:45.159
 We're not going to turn them

00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:45.459
 right now,

00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:46.059
 but if you go to

00:13:46.059 --> 00:13:47.359
 1 Corinthians 6,

00:13:47.620 --> 00:13:49.059
 and there's this passage

00:13:49.059 --> 00:13:50.079
 about why Christians

00:13:50.079 --> 00:13:50.879
 shouldn't sleep

00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:51.959
 with prostitutes.

00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:53.599
 And the word for being

00:13:53.599 --> 00:13:55.059
 united with a prostitute

00:13:55.059 --> 00:13:55.859
 in,

00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:57.000
 in sexual knowing

00:13:57.000 --> 00:13:57.679
 is the word

00:13:57.679 --> 00:13:58.679
 that we translate here

00:13:58.679 --> 00:13:59.139
 as cling.

00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:01.799
 And when it talks,

00:14:01.939 --> 00:14:03.339
 Jesus talks about

00:14:03.339 --> 00:14:04.679
 a union

00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:06.240
 of the husband

00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:06.879
 with the wife

00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:07.399
 that's a type

00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:08.399
 of sexual knowing,

00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:09.419
 that,

00:14:09.439 --> 00:14:09.600
 that,

00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:10.939
 that holding fast

00:14:10.939 --> 00:14:11.500
 to the,

00:14:11.539 --> 00:14:12.299
 to the wife

00:14:12.299 --> 00:14:13.319
 by the husband,

00:14:13.659 --> 00:14:15.199
 that's the word

00:14:15.199 --> 00:14:15.939
 which is translated

00:14:15.939 --> 00:14:16.699
 here as cling.

00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:18.720
 In other words,

00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:19.340
 that the,

00:14:19.620 --> 00:14:20.620
 this quest

00:14:20.620 --> 00:14:21.519
 for moral

00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:22.199
 and relational

00:14:22.199 --> 00:14:23.279
 intellectual sanity

00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:24.279
 is going to involve

00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:25.939
 that we have

00:14:25.939 --> 00:14:26.799
 this,

00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:29.699
 that we're propelled

00:14:29.699 --> 00:14:30.860
 to act

00:14:30.860 --> 00:14:31.379
 in a way

00:14:31.379 --> 00:14:31.980
 that is good

00:14:31.980 --> 00:14:33.179
 for the other person

00:14:33.179 --> 00:14:33.860
 that means

00:14:33.860 --> 00:14:35.220
 in potentially

00:14:35.220 --> 00:14:35.980
 putting ourselves

00:14:35.980 --> 00:14:36.460
 second.

00:14:36.460 --> 00:14:38.360
 and it's not

00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:38.860
 that love

00:14:38.860 --> 00:14:39.220
 is now

00:14:39.220 --> 00:14:39.759
 completely

00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:40.220
 and utterly

00:14:40.220 --> 00:14:40.800
 blind,

00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:41.639
 but you can't

00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:42.560
 love if you're

00:14:42.560 --> 00:14:43.400
 completely and utterly

00:14:43.400 --> 00:14:44.280
 ignorant of good

00:14:44.280 --> 00:14:44.800
 and evil.

00:14:46.580 --> 00:14:47.940
 And it's very obvious

00:14:47.940 --> 00:14:49.019
 from talking about this

00:14:49.019 --> 00:14:49.660
 that this means

00:14:49.660 --> 00:14:50.519
 that this opens up

00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:51.400
 a whole can of worms

00:14:51.400 --> 00:14:52.120
 in our culture,

00:14:52.580 --> 00:14:53.680
 which I don't have

00:14:53.680 --> 00:14:54.360
 time to go into,

00:14:54.460 --> 00:14:54.780
 but I just,

00:14:54.860 --> 00:14:55.920
 it needs to be seen here.

00:14:56.340 --> 00:14:56.920
 I'd say,

00:14:57.019 --> 00:14:57.300
 by the way,

00:14:57.340 --> 00:14:57.680
 that this,

00:14:57.800 --> 00:14:59.200
 this is deeply true.

00:14:59.580 --> 00:15:00.460
 This is deeply,

00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:00.960
 deeply,

00:15:01.139 --> 00:15:01.860
 deeply true.

00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:03.240
 That,

00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:05.060
 but in our culture,

00:15:05.059 --> 00:15:05.799
 we tend to think

00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:06.379
 of right and wrong

00:15:06.379 --> 00:15:07.000
 as relative,

00:15:07.259 --> 00:15:07.659
 that we tend

00:15:07.659 --> 00:15:08.199
 to think of it

00:15:08.199 --> 00:15:08.839
 in terms of,

00:15:08.959 --> 00:15:09.099
 sorry,

00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:09.879
 moment here,

00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:11.039
 big fancy word,

00:15:11.139 --> 00:15:12.119
 utilitarianism.

00:15:12.539 --> 00:15:13.339
 That's basically

00:15:13.339 --> 00:15:14.099
 how most people

00:15:14.099 --> 00:15:14.939
 think of right and wrong

00:15:14.939 --> 00:15:15.579
 in our culture.

00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:17.919
 And within utilitarianism,

00:15:18.059 --> 00:15:18.359
 it's the,

00:15:18.539 --> 00:15:18.759
 you know,

00:15:18.959 --> 00:15:19.879
 it's whatever's

00:15:19.879 --> 00:15:20.399
 going to cause

00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:21.019
 the least amount

00:15:21.019 --> 00:15:21.500
 of pain

00:15:21.500 --> 00:15:22.339
 or the most good

00:15:22.339 --> 00:15:23.199
 for the most people,

00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:23.859
 that's what you do

00:15:23.859 --> 00:15:24.500
 for an act.

00:15:25.179 --> 00:15:25.979
 But the problem,

00:15:26.079 --> 00:15:27.359
 there's huge problems

00:15:27.359 --> 00:15:27.819
 with that.

00:15:28.459 --> 00:15:28.859
 Utilitarianism

00:15:28.859 --> 00:15:30.239
 has no remedy

00:15:30.239 --> 00:15:31.539
 against selfishness.

00:15:32.699 --> 00:15:32.879
 I mean,

00:15:32.899 --> 00:15:33.939
 it sounds very good

00:15:33.940 --> 00:15:34.400
 that whenever

00:15:34.400 --> 00:15:34.680
 we're going

00:15:34.680 --> 00:15:35.260
 to do an act

00:15:35.260 --> 00:15:35.640
 that we should

00:15:35.640 --> 00:15:36.120
 think of what's

00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:36.560
 going to cause

00:15:36.560 --> 00:15:37.420
 the most harm

00:15:37.420 --> 00:15:38.260
 and the most good

00:15:38.260 --> 00:15:39.020
 for the most people

00:15:39.020 --> 00:15:39.500
 is some type

00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:39.960
 of Catholicism.

00:15:40.020 --> 00:15:41.180
 But here's the problem.

00:15:41.400 --> 00:15:41.840
 I'm going to be

00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:42.900
 blindingly honest

00:15:42.900 --> 00:15:43.400
 with you.

00:15:44.060 --> 00:15:45.280
 I don't weigh myself

00:15:45.280 --> 00:15:46.140
 the same as you.

00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:49.280
 And you don't do

00:15:49.280 --> 00:15:50.020
 that for me.

00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:53.380
 In fact,

00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:54.120
 isn't it very,

00:15:54.220 --> 00:15:54.900
 very common

00:15:54.900 --> 00:15:55.620
 for, let's say,

00:15:55.680 --> 00:15:56.500
 political leaders?

00:15:57.440 --> 00:15:57.640
 Like,

00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:59.620
 what went on

00:15:59.620 --> 00:16:00.260
 in the province

00:16:00.260 --> 00:16:01.120
 of Ontario

00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:02.940
 with a whole range

00:16:02.940 --> 00:16:04.120
 of political scandals?

00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:04.980
 Did the premier

00:16:04.980 --> 00:16:07.799
 calculate the greatest

00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:08.799
 good for the entire

00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:09.259
 province?

00:16:09.419 --> 00:16:10.200
 Or did he say

00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:10.679
 that the good

00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:11.360
 for himself

00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:11.860
 and a couple

00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:12.480
 of his friends

00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:13.220
 outweighed the

00:16:13.220 --> 00:16:14.399
 worth of

00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:16.179
 10 million people?

00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:19.500
 And I'm not

00:16:19.500 --> 00:16:20.179
 saying that to pick

00:16:20.179 --> 00:16:20.299
 on him.

00:16:20.299 --> 00:16:20.659
 I'm not trying

00:16:20.659 --> 00:16:21.299
 to make a political

00:16:21.299 --> 00:16:21.679
 point.

00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:22.159
 I'm just saying

00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:23.019
 that's the profound

00:16:23.019 --> 00:16:23.820
 problem with

00:16:23.820 --> 00:16:24.679
 utilitarianism.

00:16:24.779 --> 00:16:25.419
 The fact of the matter

00:16:25.419 --> 00:16:26.340
 is that every one

00:16:26.340 --> 00:16:26.879
 of us think

00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:28.940
 that we're

00:16:28.940 --> 00:16:29.460
 worth more

00:16:29.460 --> 00:16:29.899
 than the other

00:16:29.899 --> 00:16:30.300
 person.

00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:30.680
 You know,

00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:31.480
 it's going to

00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:32.220
 discomfort me

00:16:32.220 --> 00:16:32.780
 or discomfort

00:16:32.780 --> 00:16:33.600
 you or the

00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:34.240
 whole congregation.

00:16:34.540 --> 00:16:35.340
 I choose me.

00:16:35.800 --> 00:16:36.600
 That's how it weighs

00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:37.399
 out in the scale.

00:16:39.460 --> 00:16:40.120
 And the other

00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:40.740
 deep problem

00:16:40.740 --> 00:16:42.040
 with utilitarianism,

00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:42.519
 even though it

00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:43.300
 has, I mean,

00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:43.660
 you know,

00:16:43.740 --> 00:16:44.680
 partly that obviously

00:16:44.680 --> 00:16:45.460
 is part of moral

00:16:45.460 --> 00:16:45.940
 reflection,

00:16:46.139 --> 00:16:46.680
 but just not

00:16:46.680 --> 00:16:47.940
 as an overriding

00:16:47.940 --> 00:16:48.340
 rule,

00:16:48.899 --> 00:16:50.460
 is that utilitarianism

00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:51.620
 is what allowed

00:16:51.620 --> 00:16:52.860
 Stalin to kill

00:16:52.860 --> 00:16:54.220
 up to 50 million

00:16:54.220 --> 00:16:55.940
 people in Mao

00:16:55.940 --> 00:16:56.620
 to kill up

00:16:56.620 --> 00:16:57.340
 to 50 million

00:16:57.340 --> 00:16:57.800
 people,

00:16:58.260 --> 00:16:59.380
 and the rulers

00:16:59.380 --> 00:17:00.340
 of the Khmer Rouge

00:17:00.340 --> 00:17:01.140
 to kill a third

00:17:01.140 --> 00:17:02.060
 of the population

00:17:02.060 --> 00:17:03.540
 because to move

00:17:03.540 --> 00:17:04.440
 to a classless

00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:05.160
 society,

00:17:05.460 --> 00:17:06.460
 it's just

00:17:06.460 --> 00:17:07.240
 unfortunate that

00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:07.799
 a few people

00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:08.380
 have to die

00:17:08.380 --> 00:17:08.980
 along the way,

00:17:09.080 --> 00:17:09.880
 but the end

00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:11.019
 justifies the

00:17:11.019 --> 00:17:11.380
 means.

00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:13.120
 And the Bible

00:17:13.120 --> 00:17:13.640
 here,

00:17:13.840 --> 00:17:14.600
 when it's saying

00:17:14.600 --> 00:17:16.000
 love must be

00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.779
 love without

00:17:18.779 --> 00:17:19.580
 hypocrisy,

00:17:19.700 --> 00:17:20.380
 abhor what is

00:17:20.380 --> 00:17:20.640
 evil,

00:17:20.820 --> 00:17:21.500
 cling to what

00:17:21.500 --> 00:17:22.019
 is good,

00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:23.160
 it's picturing

00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:24.180
 that the good

00:17:24.180 --> 00:17:25.360
 is not relative,

00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:26.099
 that the end

00:17:26.099 --> 00:17:26.699
 does not

00:17:26.699 --> 00:17:27.500
 justify the

00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:27.839
 means,

00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:28.899
 that there's

00:17:28.899 --> 00:17:29.539
 the complete

00:17:29.539 --> 00:17:30.279
 opposite of

00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:30.979
 utilitarianism,

00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:31.519
 there is a

00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:32.759
 profound challenge

00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:34.059
 to selfishness.

00:17:34.579 --> 00:17:35.039
 And the fact

00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:35.399
 of the matter

00:17:35.399 --> 00:17:35.819
 is,

00:17:35.859 --> 00:17:36.959
 is that selfishness

00:17:36.959 --> 00:17:37.779
 is always the

00:17:37.779 --> 00:17:38.899
 barrier to love.

00:17:40.359 --> 00:17:41.000
 That at some

00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:41.679
 point in time

00:17:41.679 --> 00:17:42.479
 in a relationship

00:17:42.479 --> 00:17:43.099
 for a husband

00:17:43.099 --> 00:17:43.500
 and wife,

00:17:43.539 --> 00:17:44.179
 for the marriage

00:17:44.179 --> 00:17:44.939
 to last,

00:17:44.939 --> 00:17:45.679
 because both

00:17:45.679 --> 00:17:46.299
 are sinners,

00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:47.240
 I'm a sinner,

00:17:47.399 --> 00:17:48.219
 Louise is a sinner,

00:17:48.339 --> 00:17:49.159
 we're both sinners,

00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:51.879
 and at different

00:17:51.879 --> 00:17:52.719
 times in the marriage

00:17:52.719 --> 00:17:53.939
 you have to die

00:17:53.940 --> 00:17:54.620
 to yourself

00:17:54.620 --> 00:17:55.380
 and put yourself

00:17:55.380 --> 00:17:55.799
 second,

00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:56.640
 for the marriage

00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:57.080
 to go.

00:17:57.259 --> 00:17:57.680
 It's of the

00:17:57.680 --> 00:17:58.420
 very nature

00:17:58.420 --> 00:17:59.100
 of love,

00:17:59.340 --> 00:18:00.220
 real love,

00:18:00.340 --> 00:18:01.460
 the soul's

00:18:01.460 --> 00:18:01.900
 food,

00:18:02.299 --> 00:18:03.100
 is to be

00:18:03.100 --> 00:18:03.660
 willing to

00:18:03.660 --> 00:18:04.640
 die to self.

00:18:06.460 --> 00:18:07.400
 And it's

00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:08.220
 deeply connected

00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:09.100
 to recognizing

00:18:09.100 --> 00:18:09.660
 what's good

00:18:09.660 --> 00:18:10.160
 and what is

00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:10.500
 evil,

00:18:10.680 --> 00:18:11.240
 and the Bible

00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:11.580
 here is

00:18:11.580 --> 00:18:12.059
 obviously

00:18:12.059 --> 00:18:12.720
 portraying it,

00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:13.640
 not that it's

00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:14.519
 perfectly known

00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:15.180
 by any human

00:18:15.180 --> 00:18:15.420
 being,

00:18:15.500 --> 00:18:15.920
 but that there

00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:16.500
 is something

00:18:16.500 --> 00:18:16.900
 which is

00:18:16.900 --> 00:18:17.240
 really,

00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:18.180
 truly good,

00:18:18.580 --> 00:18:19.200
 and things

00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:19.640
 which are

00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:20.920
 truly evil,

00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:20.980
 evil,

00:18:21.560 --> 00:18:22.820
 and that

00:18:22.820 --> 00:18:23.740
 moral sanity

00:18:23.740 --> 00:18:24.440
 means that

00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:25.600
 we gag

00:18:25.600 --> 00:18:26.360
 at evil,

00:18:26.800 --> 00:18:28.539
 and we

00:18:28.539 --> 00:18:29.480
 want to

00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:30.160
 be as

00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:30.900
 close to

00:18:30.900 --> 00:18:31.500
 the good

00:18:31.500 --> 00:18:31.960
 as we

00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:32.940
 possibly can,

00:18:33.800 --> 00:18:34.460
 because using

00:18:34.460 --> 00:18:35.480
 old language,

00:18:36.259 --> 00:18:36.500
 you know,

00:18:36.620 --> 00:18:37.259
 every one of us

00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:37.940
 has a will,

00:18:39.259 --> 00:18:40.080
 the food

00:18:40.080 --> 00:18:41.320
 that our will

00:18:41.320 --> 00:18:42.160
 needs is

00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:42.560
 goodness,

00:18:43.019 --> 00:18:44.500
 is the good.

00:18:44.500 --> 00:18:46.700
 If our will

00:18:46.700 --> 00:18:47.220
 is given

00:18:47.220 --> 00:18:47.920
 over to

00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:48.380
 evil,

00:18:49.059 --> 00:18:50.519
 we shrivel

00:18:50.519 --> 00:18:51.140
 and die.

00:18:53.619 --> 00:18:54.660
 The will

00:18:54.660 --> 00:18:55.680
 feeds

00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:56.519
 on the good.

00:18:57.259 --> 00:18:57.880
 The soul,

00:18:58.000 --> 00:18:58.700
 the very bottom

00:18:58.700 --> 00:18:59.299
 of who we

00:18:59.299 --> 00:18:59.599
 are,

00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:01.259
 it feeds

00:19:01.259 --> 00:19:03.140
 on love.

00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:04.319
 The mind

00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:05.640
 feeds

00:19:05.640 --> 00:19:05.960
 on

00:19:05.960 --> 00:19:08.579
 truth.

00:19:10.660 --> 00:19:11.059
 And

00:19:11.059 --> 00:19:12.579
 the emotions,

00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:13.500
 the affections,

00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:13.920
 it feeds

00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:14.480
 on beauty.

00:19:14.500 --> 00:19:18.240
 That's the

00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:19.200
 heart of the

00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:20.559
 Christian mind

00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:20.839
 and the

00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:21.619
 Christian worldview,

00:19:21.779 --> 00:19:22.380
 and this text

00:19:22.380 --> 00:19:23.400
 is inviting us

00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:23.859
 to enter

00:19:23.859 --> 00:19:24.400
 into a

00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:24.940
 quest

00:19:24.940 --> 00:19:27.480
 that's

00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:27.880
 ultimately

00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:28.480
 an outline

00:19:28.480 --> 00:19:29.180
 of sanity.

00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:31.579
 The Bible

00:19:31.579 --> 00:19:32.059
 is inviting

00:19:32.059 --> 00:19:32.819
 us to be

00:19:32.819 --> 00:19:33.599
 sane

00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:35.599
 in every

00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:36.160
 culture

00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:37.079
 which has

00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:37.579
 elements

00:19:37.579 --> 00:19:38.259
 of insanity.

00:19:39.500 --> 00:19:40.440
 Some cultures

00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:41.039
 are way more

00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:41.599
 insane than

00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:41.960
 others.

00:19:41.960 --> 00:19:44.779
 Can you say

00:19:44.779 --> 00:19:45.180
 this verse

00:19:45.180 --> 00:19:45.519
 with me

00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:45.779
 again?

00:19:46.779 --> 00:19:47.120
 Love

00:19:47.120 --> 00:19:47.620
 without

00:19:47.620 --> 00:19:48.620
 hypocrisy,

00:19:49.079 --> 00:19:49.579
 abhor

00:19:49.579 --> 00:19:50.140
 what is

00:19:50.140 --> 00:19:50.600
 evil,

00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:51.900
 cling to

00:19:51.900 --> 00:19:52.400
 what is

00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:52.740
 good.

00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:55.340
 And here's a

00:19:55.340 --> 00:19:55.620
 prayer.

00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:56.440
 If you could put it up,

00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:56.740
 Andrew,

00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:57.240
 and just,

00:19:57.420 --> 00:19:57.700
 by the way,

00:19:57.740 --> 00:19:58.140
 I know that

00:19:58.140 --> 00:19:58.440
 these,

00:19:59.340 --> 00:20:00.059
 the other points

00:20:00.059 --> 00:20:00.579
 will move through

00:20:00.579 --> 00:20:00.980
 them a bit,

00:20:01.360 --> 00:20:01.680
 obviously,

00:20:01.740 --> 00:20:02.079
 a bit more

00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:02.460
 quickly,

00:20:02.539 --> 00:20:03.140
 otherwise it'll be

00:20:03.140 --> 00:20:03.680
 an 80-minute

00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:04.079
 sermon.

00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:06.879
 but these

00:20:06.879 --> 00:20:07.159
 points,

00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:07.759
 if you're

00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:08.359
 interested in

00:20:08.359 --> 00:20:08.460
 them,

00:20:08.639 --> 00:20:10.139
 all my

00:20:10.139 --> 00:20:10.659
 points this

00:20:10.659 --> 00:20:10.980
 morning are

00:20:10.980 --> 00:20:11.159
 just

00:20:11.159 --> 00:20:11.639
 invitations

00:20:11.639 --> 00:20:12.259
 to pray.

00:20:14.299 --> 00:20:15.220
 And it's

00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:15.740
 an invitation

00:20:15.740 --> 00:20:16.179
 to pray

00:20:16.179 --> 00:20:17.059
 because nobody's

00:20:17.059 --> 00:20:17.500
 arrived.

00:20:17.659 --> 00:20:18.059
 I need to

00:20:18.059 --> 00:20:18.439
 pray these

00:20:18.439 --> 00:20:18.879
 prayers.

00:20:19.879 --> 00:20:20.319
 You can

00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:20.699
 always have

00:20:20.699 --> 00:20:21.000
 more.

00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:21.960
 And they'll

00:20:21.960 --> 00:20:22.259
 all go on

00:20:22.259 --> 00:20:22.559
 the web

00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:23.000
 later on

00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:23.659
 if you're

00:20:23.659 --> 00:20:24.319
 curious about

00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:24.919
 trying to

00:20:24.919 --> 00:20:25.279
 use them

00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:25.619
 later on

00:20:25.619 --> 00:20:25.839
 in your

00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:26.419
 devotions.

00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:27.220
 Dear

00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:27.500
 Lord,

00:20:27.639 --> 00:20:28.240
 please make

00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:28.519
 me a

00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:29.220
 disciple of

00:20:29.220 --> 00:20:29.539
 Jesus

00:20:29.539 --> 00:20:30.119
 gripped by

00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:30.699
 the gospel

00:20:30.699 --> 00:20:31.399
 who loves

00:20:31.399 --> 00:20:31.819
 without

00:20:31.819 --> 00:20:32.679
 hypocrisy,

00:20:32.680 --> 00:20:33.779
 completely

00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:34.539
 rejects

00:20:34.539 --> 00:20:34.940
 evil,

00:20:35.640 --> 00:20:35.940
 and is

00:20:35.940 --> 00:20:37.240
 inseparably

00:20:37.240 --> 00:20:38.920
 glued to

00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:39.340
 what is

00:20:39.340 --> 00:20:39.660
 good,

00:20:39.840 --> 00:20:40.240
 all to

00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:40.720
 your glory.

00:20:41.940 --> 00:20:42.360
 That's what

00:20:42.360 --> 00:20:42.820
 this Bible

00:20:42.820 --> 00:20:43.240
 is inviting

00:20:43.240 --> 00:20:43.620
 us to

00:20:43.620 --> 00:20:43.820
 pray.

00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:44.900
 This text

00:20:44.900 --> 00:20:45.320
 is inviting

00:20:45.320 --> 00:20:45.680
 us to

00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:45.840
 pray.

00:20:48.039 --> 00:20:48.220
 Now,

00:20:48.340 --> 00:20:48.640
 there's

00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:48.980
 one,

00:20:49.600 --> 00:20:49.960
 some of

00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:50.180
 you might

00:20:50.180 --> 00:20:50.519
 be saying,

00:20:50.620 --> 00:20:51.220
 are you

00:20:51.220 --> 00:20:51.539
 George

00:20:51.539 --> 00:20:52.039
 saying that

00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:52.600
 Christians

00:20:52.600 --> 00:20:52.940
 are the

00:20:52.940 --> 00:20:54.600
 only ones

00:20:54.600 --> 00:20:54.940
 who know

00:20:54.940 --> 00:20:55.360
 what's

00:20:55.360 --> 00:20:55.740
 good?

00:20:56.200 --> 00:20:56.759
 That if

00:20:56.759 --> 00:20:56.980
 you don't

00:20:56.980 --> 00:20:57.380
 read the

00:20:57.380 --> 00:20:57.700
 Bible,

00:20:57.820 --> 00:20:58.080
 you don't

00:20:58.080 --> 00:20:58.580
 know what's

00:20:58.580 --> 00:20:58.880
 good?

00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:00.019
 That non-Christians

00:21:00.019 --> 00:21:00.680
 only love

00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:01.360
 evil things

00:21:01.360 --> 00:21:01.860
 and Christians

00:21:01.860 --> 00:21:02.340
 only love

00:21:02.339 --> 00:21:02.819
 good things.

00:21:02.919 --> 00:21:03.099
 George,

00:21:03.139 --> 00:21:03.339
 that's

00:21:03.339 --> 00:21:03.779
 completely

00:21:03.779 --> 00:21:04.199
 and utterly

00:21:04.199 --> 00:21:05.199
 ridiculous.

00:21:05.379 --> 00:21:05.639
 And some

00:21:05.639 --> 00:21:06.000
 of you are

00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:06.179
 saying,

00:21:06.279 --> 00:21:06.480
 George,

00:21:06.539 --> 00:21:06.799
 don't you

00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:07.119
 know that

00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:07.839
 what's

00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:08.119
 good and

00:21:08.119 --> 00:21:08.500
 evil is

00:21:08.500 --> 00:21:09.139
 often determined

00:21:09.139 --> 00:21:09.519
 by the

00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:09.980
 powerful?

00:21:10.699 --> 00:21:11.480
 ISIS thinks

00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:11.939
 it's doing

00:21:11.939 --> 00:21:12.759
 good things

00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:13.879
 when it

00:21:13.879 --> 00:21:14.919
 slaughters,

00:21:15.339 --> 00:21:16.399
 it kills

00:21:16.399 --> 00:21:17.659
 Christians and

00:21:17.659 --> 00:21:19.359
 Muslims who

00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:19.639
 aren't the

00:21:19.639 --> 00:21:20.199
 same type of

00:21:20.199 --> 00:21:20.919
 Muslims as

00:21:20.919 --> 00:21:21.459
 them and

00:21:21.459 --> 00:21:22.240
 destroys works

00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:22.579
 of art.

00:21:22.679 --> 00:21:23.000
 They think

00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:23.399
 they're doing

00:21:23.399 --> 00:21:24.059
 good things.

00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:25.720
 And George,

00:21:25.939 --> 00:21:26.599
 you haven't even

00:21:26.599 --> 00:21:27.019
 got to other

00:21:27.019 --> 00:21:27.559
 things in the

00:21:27.559 --> 00:21:28.159
 text which are

00:21:28.159 --> 00:21:28.759
 completely and

00:21:28.759 --> 00:21:29.579
 utterly ridiculous,

00:21:29.779 --> 00:21:30.259
 like the Bible

00:21:30.259 --> 00:21:30.759
 telling you how

00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:31.099
 to feel.

00:21:31.099 --> 00:21:32.399
 And there'll

00:21:32.399 --> 00:21:32.819
 be a lot of

00:21:32.819 --> 00:21:33.459
 pushback to

00:21:33.459 --> 00:21:34.139
 this, right?

00:21:34.740 --> 00:21:35.059
 I mean,

00:21:35.299 --> 00:21:36.419
 so often when I

00:21:36.419 --> 00:21:37.299
 think, when I'm

00:21:37.299 --> 00:21:37.740
 preparing my

00:21:37.740 --> 00:21:38.199
 sermon, I think

00:21:38.199 --> 00:21:39.259
 to myself, if I

00:21:39.259 --> 00:21:39.980
 was to say some

00:21:39.980 --> 00:21:40.659
 of these things in

00:21:40.659 --> 00:21:41.679
 my local Tim Hortons

00:21:41.679 --> 00:21:42.559
 or Starbucks, how

00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:43.639
 would people react?

00:21:44.639 --> 00:21:45.379
 Especially if they

00:21:45.379 --> 00:21:46.500
 were the majority and

00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:47.500
 I was the only one

00:21:47.500 --> 00:21:48.179
 reading the Bible.

00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:51.039
 But here's the

00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:51.799
 thing, and I know

00:21:51.799 --> 00:21:53.959
 sometimes, I've had

00:21:53.959 --> 00:21:54.919
 comments occasionally

00:21:54.919 --> 00:21:56.079
 that some people in

00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:56.959
 the congregation don't

00:21:56.959 --> 00:21:57.919
 appreciate it when I

00:21:57.919 --> 00:21:58.899
 ask the questions that

00:21:58.900 --> 00:22:00.140
 non-Christians ask.

00:22:02.380 --> 00:22:03.600
 And that's fine.

00:22:04.440 --> 00:22:05.440
 But here's the

00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:05.720
 thing.

00:22:08.320 --> 00:22:08.700
 Well, actually,

00:22:08.800 --> 00:22:11.280
 here, we can't

00:22:11.280 --> 00:22:12.820
 grow as Christians

00:22:12.820 --> 00:22:13.920
 without asking

00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:14.580
 questions.

00:22:15.700 --> 00:22:16.200
 Andrew, could you

00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:17.420
 put up the verse

00:22:17.420 --> 00:22:18.560
 Romans 12, 1 and

00:22:18.560 --> 00:22:18.720
 2?

00:22:19.940 --> 00:22:21.320
 All of the ethical

00:22:21.320 --> 00:22:22.220
 parts of the book

00:22:22.220 --> 00:22:23.400
 of Romans, in a

00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:24.080
 sense, it's an

00:22:24.080 --> 00:22:25.160
 unpacking of these

00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:26.120
 two verses which

00:22:26.120 --> 00:22:27.540
 are at a profound

00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:28.980
 heart of what it

00:22:28.980 --> 00:22:29.680
 means to be a

00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:30.559
 follower of Jesus.

00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:32.639
 Could you read it

00:22:32.639 --> 00:22:33.159
 out with me,

00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:33.519
 please?

00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:35.539
 I appeal to you

00:22:35.539 --> 00:22:36.460
 therefore, brothers

00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:38.000
 and sisters, by the

00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:39.659
 mercies of God, to

00:22:39.659 --> 00:22:40.839
 present your bodies

00:22:40.839 --> 00:22:42.519
 as a living sacrifice,

00:22:43.059 --> 00:22:44.440
 holy and pleasing to

00:22:44.440 --> 00:22:45.920
 God, which is your

00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:46.980
 rational worship.

00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:48.480
 Do not be

00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:49.559
 conformed to this

00:22:49.559 --> 00:22:50.859
 age, but be

00:22:50.859 --> 00:22:52.159
 transformed by the

00:22:52.159 --> 00:22:52.960
 renewal of your

00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:54.420
 mind, that by

00:22:54.420 --> 00:22:55.680
 testing you may

00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:56.960
 discern what is the

00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:58.380
 will of God, what

00:22:58.380 --> 00:22:59.259
 is good and

00:22:59.259 --> 00:23:00.079
 pleasing and

00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:00.440
 perfect.

00:23:00.620 --> 00:23:01.220
 You get nothing

00:23:01.220 --> 00:23:01.860
 else out of this,

00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:02.400
 you'll start to

00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:03.319
 memorize the Bible.

00:23:03.579 --> 00:23:04.299
 Better to know the

00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:05.000
 Bible than my

00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:05.380
 words.

00:23:05.980 --> 00:23:06.880
 Take that to the

00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:07.819
 bank, base your

00:23:07.819 --> 00:23:08.400
 life on it.

00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:09.400
 And you'll notice

00:23:09.400 --> 00:23:10.700
 in that text, on

00:23:10.700 --> 00:23:11.299
 one hand, there's

00:23:11.299 --> 00:23:12.319
 obviously things about

00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:13.200
 obedience, like

00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:14.319
 sometimes Christians

00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:15.039
 are threatened by

00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:15.759
 questions because

00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:16.279
 they say, George,

00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:16.840
 you just have to

00:23:16.840 --> 00:23:17.180
 obey.

00:23:17.860 --> 00:23:18.579
 And that's true.

00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:19.620
 This text tells us

00:23:19.620 --> 00:23:20.880
 that obedience is the

00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:21.700
 bottom line.

00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:23.019
 But it says

00:23:23.019 --> 00:23:23.720
 testing.

00:23:23.720 --> 00:23:27.579
 It says testing as

00:23:27.579 --> 00:23:28.200
 part of the renewal

00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:28.880
 of your mind.

00:23:29.640 --> 00:23:30.860
 And that both means

00:23:30.860 --> 00:23:32.279
 like in evangelism,

00:23:32.940 --> 00:23:34.259
 when you try to share

00:23:34.259 --> 00:23:35.180
 the gospel with other

00:23:35.180 --> 00:23:36.200
 people, people push

00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:37.299
 back and ask questions

00:23:37.299 --> 00:23:38.480
 and that's fine because

00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:39.480
 sometimes, here's the

00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:40.259
 thing, sometimes these

00:23:40.259 --> 00:23:41.519
 questions are very,

00:23:41.620 --> 00:23:42.640
 very, very, very

00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:43.660
 honest questions.

00:23:44.339 --> 00:23:44.900
 Sometimes the

00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:45.539
 questions aren't.

00:23:45.640 --> 00:23:46.140
 Sometimes the

00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:47.660
 questions, there's no

00:23:47.660 --> 00:23:49.019
 person, they're not

00:23:49.019 --> 00:23:50.140
 asking seriously, they're

00:23:50.140 --> 00:23:50.579
 just trying to

00:23:50.579 --> 00:23:51.299
 embarrass you.

00:23:51.579 --> 00:23:52.139
 They'll ask you a

00:23:52.139 --> 00:23:52.720
 question that makes

00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:53.319
 them sound like an

00:23:53.319 --> 00:23:54.019
 atheist and then as

00:23:54.019 --> 00:23:55.299
 if they're a Hindu and

00:23:55.299 --> 00:23:55.960
 then as if they're a

00:23:55.960 --> 00:23:57.240
 Buddhist and then as if

00:23:57.240 --> 00:23:58.399
 they're an agnostic and

00:23:58.399 --> 00:23:59.740
 then as if they're a

00:23:59.740 --> 00:24:00.740
 rationalist and then as

00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:02.139
 if they're an empiricist

00:24:02.139 --> 00:24:02.839
 and you don't know what

00:24:02.839 --> 00:24:03.619
 some of those words mean

00:24:03.619 --> 00:24:04.259
 but that's fine.

00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:05.119
 But the fact of the

00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:05.680
 matter is that they're

00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:06.519
 all contradictory.

00:24:09.019 --> 00:24:10.399
 And when people ask a

00:24:10.399 --> 00:24:11.019
 whole series of

00:24:11.019 --> 00:24:11.859
 questions like that, it

00:24:11.859 --> 00:24:12.779
 often means that they're

00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:13.759
 actually not serious,

00:24:13.879 --> 00:24:14.619
 they're not asking

00:24:14.619 --> 00:24:15.500
 honest questions.

00:24:15.779 --> 00:24:16.460
 But you read the

00:24:16.460 --> 00:24:17.779
 gospels, Jesus loves

00:24:17.779 --> 00:24:18.720
 honest questions.

00:24:19.019 --> 00:24:20.240
 He never is upset with

00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:21.200
 an honest question.

00:24:22.259 --> 00:24:23.399
 Dishonest questions, he

00:24:23.399 --> 00:24:24.819
 often tries to make them,

00:24:25.079 --> 00:24:28.339
 to flip it on them to

00:24:28.339 --> 00:24:29.579
 show their hypocrisy of

00:24:29.579 --> 00:24:30.079
 the question.

00:24:30.419 --> 00:24:31.379
 But honest questions,

00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:32.740
 Jesus loves honest

00:24:32.740 --> 00:24:33.159
 questions.

00:24:33.299 --> 00:24:34.159
 Christians should love

00:24:34.159 --> 00:24:34.899
 honest questions.

00:24:36.779 --> 00:24:38.599
 And honest questions is

00:24:38.599 --> 00:24:39.359
 how we grow.

00:24:41.079 --> 00:24:42.119
 Could you put up the

00:24:42.119 --> 00:24:43.799
 second prayer here,

00:24:43.980 --> 00:24:44.639
 Andrew, the second

00:24:44.639 --> 00:24:45.019
 point?

00:24:45.639 --> 00:24:46.440
 And it's just an

00:24:46.440 --> 00:24:47.440
 important thing for us

00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:48.519
 to pray, especially those

00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:48.779
 of us?

00:24:48.779 --> 00:24:50.940
 I know I don't

00:24:50.940 --> 00:24:51.839
 always like questions.

00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:52.960
 You know, I get into a

00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:53.920
 conversation with somebody

00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:54.500
 and they ask me a

00:24:54.500 --> 00:24:56.180
 question and I can just

00:24:56.180 --> 00:24:57.599
 feel my face going red

00:24:57.599 --> 00:24:59.500
 and I don't know how to

00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:00.500
 answer the question.

00:25:02.900 --> 00:25:03.839
 And, you know, maybe

00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:04.759
 there's a whole series of

00:25:04.759 --> 00:25:05.900
 I just get red, you know,

00:25:06.139 --> 00:25:07.339
 and I stand there feeling

00:25:07.339 --> 00:25:08.119
 a bit embarrassed.

00:25:08.980 --> 00:25:09.940
 And that's fine.

00:25:11.099 --> 00:25:11.920
 I mean, it's not, I don't

00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:12.639
 enjoy it.

00:25:13.259 --> 00:25:14.400
 But life goes on.

00:25:14.539 --> 00:25:15.680
 Sunrise is the next day.

00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:18.460
 And the good thing about

00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:20.060
 questions like that is it

00:25:20.060 --> 00:25:22.039
 can propel us to search

00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:23.500
 the scriptures and search

00:25:23.500 --> 00:25:25.640
 for wise Christians alive

00:25:25.640 --> 00:25:26.420
 today or who have been

00:25:26.420 --> 00:25:27.440
 alive before us who can

00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:28.400
 give us answers to the

00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:28.640
 question.

00:25:28.940 --> 00:25:29.960
 You will come across no

00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:31.779
 question at a Starbucks

00:25:31.779 --> 00:25:32.920
 or a Tim Hortons or a

00:25:32.920 --> 00:25:34.180
 Bridgehead that has not

00:25:34.180 --> 00:25:36.740
 been asked before that some

00:25:36.740 --> 00:25:38.240
 wise Christian hasn't

00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:39.140
 written an answer to.

00:25:40.759 --> 00:25:41.980
 So here's the second

00:25:41.980 --> 00:25:42.380
 point.

00:25:42.920 --> 00:25:44.600
 Dear Lord, please make me a

00:25:44.600 --> 00:25:45.620
 disciple of Jesus.

00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:46.440
 This is gripped by the

00:25:46.440 --> 00:25:48.980
 gospel who daily meditates

00:25:48.980 --> 00:25:51.640
 upon your word and asks

00:25:51.640 --> 00:25:53.980
 your word honest questions

00:25:53.980 --> 00:25:56.600
 so that you will renew my

00:25:56.600 --> 00:25:59.400
 mind to obey your word and

00:25:59.400 --> 00:26:00.380
 live for your glory.

00:26:01.160 --> 00:26:02.799
 For all of us who are afraid

00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:03.539
 of questions.

00:26:04.680 --> 00:26:05.580
 And, you know, when I began

00:26:05.580 --> 00:26:07.320
 this, you know, this question

00:26:07.320 --> 00:26:08.299
 about whether we should feed

00:26:08.299 --> 00:26:10.460
 ISIS or fight it, that's a

00:26:10.460 --> 00:26:11.160
 real question.

00:26:11.560 --> 00:26:12.600
 That's part of the difference

00:26:12.600 --> 00:26:13.640
 between Anglicans and

00:26:13.640 --> 00:26:14.560
 Anabaptists.

00:26:16.259 --> 00:26:17.400
 That's part of the difference

00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:19.420
 between an Anglican and a

00:26:19.420 --> 00:26:19.860
 Hutterite.

00:26:20.320 --> 00:26:21.540
 It's a real question.

00:26:22.080 --> 00:26:23.920
 It's a good question to ask

00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:26.300
 and to meditate upon.

00:26:26.299 --> 00:26:29.639
 And so this second point, a bit of a

00:26:29.639 --> 00:26:30.980
 challenge, especially for us

00:26:30.980 --> 00:26:31.399
 Christians.

00:26:31.579 --> 00:26:32.819
 I mean, it's a challenge for any

00:26:32.819 --> 00:26:35.680
 seekers who are here is, are you

00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:38.319
 asking honest questions or

00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:40.220
 questions to make yourself look

00:26:40.220 --> 00:26:41.720
 smart and other people look dumb?

00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:45.519
 Jesus loves honest questions.

00:26:46.819 --> 00:26:48.319
 And Christians should love honest

00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:48.799
 questions.

00:26:48.940 --> 00:26:50.460
 The truth is your friend.

00:26:50.460 --> 00:26:54.840
 Clarity that follows questions is

00:26:54.840 --> 00:26:55.420
 your friend.

00:26:57.900 --> 00:26:59.759
 So that's why I suggest that we

00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:01.019
 want to pray, Dear Lord, please

00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:02.819
 make me a disciple of Jesus gripped

00:27:02.819 --> 00:27:04.600
 by the gospel who daily meditates

00:27:04.600 --> 00:27:06.319
 upon your word, thinks about the

00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:08.700
 word, asks your word honest

00:27:08.700 --> 00:27:10.740
 questions so that you will renew my

00:27:10.740 --> 00:27:13.000
 mind to obey your word and live for

00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:13.440
 your glory.

00:27:15.059 --> 00:27:15.960
 So let's look.

00:27:16.519 --> 00:27:17.940
 We've spent a long time on one

00:27:17.940 --> 00:27:18.299
 verse.

00:27:18.700 --> 00:27:19.620
 We're going to look at the others.

00:27:20.440 --> 00:27:22.000
 And does the Bible command

00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:22.480
 emotions?

00:27:23.240 --> 00:27:24.779
 Does the Bible say that we should

00:27:24.779 --> 00:27:27.240
 feed ISIS rather than fight it?

00:27:29.460 --> 00:27:31.400
 Is the Bible being foolish and

00:27:31.400 --> 00:27:32.140
 impractical?

00:27:32.840 --> 00:27:35.620
 Is Nietzsche right that the Bible

00:27:35.620 --> 00:27:37.400
 reflects a slave mentality?

00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:38.799
 That's what Ayn Rand said.

00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:40.380
 Those of you university students

00:27:40.380 --> 00:27:42.059
 probably are familiar with Ayn Rand's

00:27:42.059 --> 00:27:42.340
 thinking.

00:27:42.860 --> 00:27:45.019
 Is it just reflect a type of slave

00:27:45.019 --> 00:27:47.920
 mentality, doormat mentality?

00:27:47.940 --> 00:27:50.660
 which isn't appropriate to the

00:27:50.660 --> 00:27:51.860
 dignity of human beings?

00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:53.519
 Is that what the Bible's teaching?

00:27:53.720 --> 00:27:54.320
 Well, let's look.

00:27:55.279 --> 00:27:56.600
 We'll read verse, I'll read verse

00:27:56.600 --> 00:27:58.380
 nine and then we'll keep going on.

00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:01.840
 Let love in, so love without

00:28:01.840 --> 00:28:03.539
 hypocrisy, abhor what is evil,

00:28:04.120 --> 00:28:05.259
 cling to what is good.

00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:08.740
 Love one another with brotherly

00:28:08.740 --> 00:28:09.400
 affection.

00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:13.380
 Outdo one another in showing honor.

00:28:13.640 --> 00:28:15.140
 Now just sort of pause here for a

00:28:15.140 --> 00:28:15.340
 second.

00:28:16.100 --> 00:28:18.580
 The first few verses, probably

00:28:18.580 --> 00:28:20.900
 verses 10 to 13, are really

00:28:20.900 --> 00:28:23.600
 talking a bit about continuing to

00:28:23.600 --> 00:28:24.680
 talk about life within the

00:28:24.680 --> 00:28:25.460
 Christian community.

00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:29.120
 But then in verses 14 to 16, it

00:28:29.120 --> 00:28:30.820
 branches into not only life with

00:28:30.820 --> 00:28:32.620
 our friends, like in our Christian

00:28:32.620 --> 00:28:34.740
 community, but our neighbors and our

00:28:34.740 --> 00:28:35.080
 enemies.

00:28:35.640 --> 00:28:37.500
 But these first ones in particular,

00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:39.640
 love one another with brotherly

00:28:39.640 --> 00:28:39.980
 affection.

00:28:40.120 --> 00:28:41.360
 It's specifically addressed to the

00:28:41.360 --> 00:28:41.700
 church.

00:28:41.700 --> 00:28:41.740
 church.

00:28:42.279 --> 00:28:43.900
 And it means that the type of

00:28:43.900 --> 00:28:45.059
 relations that we should have in

00:28:45.059 --> 00:28:46.059
 the church are the type of

00:28:46.059 --> 00:28:47.539
 relations we should have as if we

00:28:47.539 --> 00:28:48.400
 were a family.

00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:51.900
 Brothers and sisters, mothers and

00:28:51.900 --> 00:28:53.259
 fathers, aunties and uncles.

00:28:54.600 --> 00:28:56.240
 That's how we're to understand and

00:28:56.240 --> 00:28:58.720
 try to view the local church and

00:28:58.720 --> 00:29:00.759
 also the relations between churches.

00:29:00.920 --> 00:29:02.420
 One of the things we pray about at

00:29:02.420 --> 00:29:04.160
 the church prayer meetings and the

00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:05.539
 staff prayer meetings when we pray

00:29:05.539 --> 00:29:08.180
 for other churches is that there be a

00:29:08.180 --> 00:29:11.240
 growth of affection, brotherly and

00:29:11.240 --> 00:29:12.860
 sisterly affection between the

00:29:12.860 --> 00:29:13.180
 churches.

00:29:13.180 --> 00:29:14.700
 It's a good thing to pray for.

00:29:15.900 --> 00:29:19.799
 And it's also then, it's giving us a

00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:21.380
 bit of a sense now about what does it

00:29:21.380 --> 00:29:25.640
 mean to love as an action that is

00:29:25.640 --> 00:29:28.500
 putting ourselves second and is

00:29:28.500 --> 00:29:30.200
 seeking to do good for the other.

00:29:30.380 --> 00:29:31.920
 Well, it comes here with love one

00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:33.580
 another with brotherly affection in

00:29:33.580 --> 00:29:35.060
 terms of love each other as if we're

00:29:35.059 --> 00:29:37.639
 a family, outdo one another in

00:29:37.639 --> 00:29:38.460
 showing honor.

00:29:40.059 --> 00:29:42.200
 In other words, in much of the

00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:44.419
 world, we outdo one another in

00:29:44.419 --> 00:29:47.399
 trying to get promotions and trying

00:29:47.399 --> 00:29:48.179
 to get the credit.

00:29:48.759 --> 00:29:51.000
 How many of us work in situations

00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:53.099
 where if things go right, the boss

00:29:53.099 --> 00:29:55.960
 gets the credit, things go bad, who

00:29:55.960 --> 00:29:57.039
 gets the blame?

00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:00.359
 I know you can all share scars

00:30:00.359 --> 00:30:02.859
 afterwards during coffee from those

00:30:02.859 --> 00:30:05.699
 times when it just, you know, and

00:30:05.699 --> 00:30:07.179
 we've all worked with people who just

00:30:07.179 --> 00:30:09.259
 seem to be on one hand Teflon when it

00:30:09.259 --> 00:30:12.099
 comes to problems and magnets when it

00:30:12.099 --> 00:30:13.339
 comes time to compliments.

00:30:14.119 --> 00:30:15.639
 And the Bible says that's not the way

00:30:15.639 --> 00:30:16.339
 to live a life.

00:30:17.539 --> 00:30:19.959
 In the Christian community, we should

00:30:19.959 --> 00:30:21.159
 try to praise each other.

00:30:22.159 --> 00:30:25.899
 Verse 11, do not be slothful in zeal,

00:30:26.519 --> 00:30:30.159
 be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:32.160
 Just a bit of a pause here.

00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:36.500
 The sin of sloth is the sin of being

00:30:36.500 --> 00:30:39.200
 lazy about the things that matter to

00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:39.560
 God.

00:30:41.060 --> 00:30:43.279
 It's probably one of the biggest sins

00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:45.160
 for churches in the year, for

00:30:45.160 --> 00:30:50.200
 Christians in the year 2016, where we

00:30:50.200 --> 00:30:52.400
 can be so busy, like those of you who

00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:54.180
 are parents, you can be so busy taking

00:30:54.180 --> 00:30:57.220
 your kids to 63 different activities a

00:30:57.220 --> 00:30:59.819
 week, and you're both working on jobs, and

00:30:59.819 --> 00:31:01.480
 you're both really, really harried, and

00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:02.779
 before you know it, you've been really,

00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:04.480
 really busy doing really, really, really

00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:06.759
 culturally good things, and you haven't

00:31:06.759 --> 00:31:09.279
 prayed once all day, all week, all month,

00:31:09.339 --> 00:31:09.920
 all year.

00:31:12.420 --> 00:31:15.519
 And busyness is a sign of sloth.

00:31:16.460 --> 00:31:19.079
 Because sloth isn't laziness, it's

00:31:19.079 --> 00:31:21.420
 laziness and indifference to the things

00:31:21.420 --> 00:31:22.319
 that matter to God.

00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:28.359
 It's, you know, in a sense, saying, you

00:31:28.359 --> 00:31:30.779
 know, maybe as a parent, I should put my

00:31:30.779 --> 00:31:35.059
 kids in fewer activities, and just let

00:31:35.059 --> 00:31:38.419
 them play, and maybe take a few minutes

00:31:38.419 --> 00:31:42.059
 to pray and read God's Word, or have time

00:31:42.059 --> 00:31:46.359
 to do something loving for others, outside

00:31:46.359 --> 00:31:46.960
 of the family.

00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:52.000
 Verse 12, rejoice in hope, be patient in

00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:54.500
 tribulation, be constant in prayer.

00:31:55.460 --> 00:31:57.880
 It's very easy for people, and in fact,

00:31:58.079 --> 00:32:01.559
 this text has often been used to justify

00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:05.299
 people staying subservient, like in a

00:32:05.299 --> 00:32:06.319
 slave-like position.

00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:08.779
 It's not justifying that at all.

00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:12.720
 And, you know, because it, the other texts

00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:14.740
 are all full of action words, right?

00:32:14.740 --> 00:32:17.099
 It's filled with, is my mic going in and

00:32:17.099 --> 00:32:17.259
 out?

00:32:18.640 --> 00:32:19.000
 No?

00:32:19.120 --> 00:32:20.220
 Okay, it sounds like it's going in and out

00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:20.640
 to my ear.

00:32:23.240 --> 00:32:25.200
 So it's filled with action words.

00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:27.140
 It's not saying that you don't get out

00:32:27.140 --> 00:32:28.680
 of trouble, or you don't try to do what's

00:32:28.680 --> 00:32:30.440
 good, or it's not saying that you just

00:32:30.440 --> 00:32:32.519
 always let powerful people step on you.

00:32:32.579 --> 00:32:33.960
 That's not what it's saying here.

00:32:34.200 --> 00:32:35.660
 But it's talking about the fact is that

00:32:35.660 --> 00:32:37.079
 sometimes we just have lots of

00:32:37.079 --> 00:32:38.519
 tribulation in our lives, and there's

00:32:38.519 --> 00:32:39.980
 sometimes there's nothing you can do

00:32:39.980 --> 00:32:40.519
 about it.

00:32:41.220 --> 00:32:42.079
 There really isn't.

00:32:42.779 --> 00:32:44.160
 And you just have to be patient, and

00:32:44.160 --> 00:32:46.160
 you have to be present in those

00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:48.320
 difficult times, not with optimism,

00:32:48.980 --> 00:32:51.060
 because optimism tells us things are

00:32:51.060 --> 00:32:51.700
 going to get better.

00:32:51.800 --> 00:32:52.120
 You know what?

00:32:52.180 --> 00:32:53.500
 Sometimes things don't get better.

00:32:55.279 --> 00:32:57.360
 Sometimes the arthritis stays.

00:32:58.519 --> 00:33:02.300
 Sometimes the news of the cancer, it's

00:33:02.300 --> 00:33:03.240
 not going to be healed.

00:33:06.240 --> 00:33:09.200
 You know, sometimes you get the bad

00:33:09.200 --> 00:33:10.840
 news on the phone, and it's going to

00:33:10.840 --> 00:33:13.120
 describe an aspect of your life for the

00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:13.919
 rest of your life.

00:33:15.279 --> 00:33:17.259
 And the Bible here isn't telling us

00:33:17.259 --> 00:33:18.099
 about optimism.

00:33:18.359 --> 00:33:19.619
 It's telling us about hope.

00:33:20.379 --> 00:33:22.039
 And the difference between hope and

00:33:22.039 --> 00:33:24.559
 optimism is optimism is a worldly

00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:26.319
 belief that things will get better,

00:33:27.319 --> 00:33:28.819
 often by our own power.

00:33:30.119 --> 00:33:33.279
 Hope is saying yes to the promises that

00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:34.319
 God makes to us.

00:33:35.019 --> 00:33:36.639
 It's a very, very different thing.

00:33:36.699 --> 00:33:38.000
 It's similar, but very different.

00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:42.140
 And so the Bible here is encouraging us

00:33:42.140 --> 00:33:46.039
 to know the promises of God and read

00:33:46.039 --> 00:33:46.980
 them and pray them.

00:33:47.059 --> 00:33:48.819
 And even if we're saying, Father, I

00:33:48.819 --> 00:33:50.420
 believe in this promise, help my

00:33:50.420 --> 00:33:51.079
 unbelief.

00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:53.500
 So it's in the Bible.

00:33:53.680 --> 00:33:54.099
 Pray it.

00:33:55.140 --> 00:33:55.440
 You know?

00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:58.359
 And it's one thing to go through long

00:33:58.359 --> 00:34:01.480
 seasons of pain and long seasons of

00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:04.579
 having not much money or long seasons of

00:34:04.579 --> 00:34:06.259
 loneliness or a whole range of other

00:34:06.259 --> 00:34:06.939
 tribulations.

00:34:08.139 --> 00:34:10.460
 But to have a sense of the promises of

00:34:10.460 --> 00:34:10.799
 God.

00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:14.779
 That you're chosen by Jesus.

00:34:15.239 --> 00:34:17.119
 You might not be choice, but you're

00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:17.480
 chosen.

00:34:18.840 --> 00:34:20.139
 That he hears your prayer.

00:34:21.739 --> 00:34:24.500
 That there's a new heaven and a new

00:34:24.500 --> 00:34:24.819
 earth.

00:34:26.440 --> 00:34:29.159
 That there are things in your prayer life

00:34:29.159 --> 00:34:30.579
 that can make a difference for others,

00:34:30.579 --> 00:34:33.019
 even if it's just going to be an act of

00:34:33.019 --> 00:34:34.579
 love and put yourself second and people

00:34:34.579 --> 00:34:35.299
 don't even notice it.

00:34:35.319 --> 00:34:36.420
 And you can go on and on and on.

00:34:36.539 --> 00:34:39.460
 But it's an invitation, not just to

00:34:39.460 --> 00:34:40.679
 believe that things are going to get

00:34:40.679 --> 00:34:43.460
 better, but to believe that God has

00:34:43.460 --> 00:34:45.299
 made promises and he kept them in

00:34:45.299 --> 00:34:45.619
 Jesus.

00:34:45.940 --> 00:34:47.239
 He'll keep them for you.

00:34:48.819 --> 00:34:51.639
 And we can start to learn them and ask

00:34:51.639 --> 00:34:53.079
 that God would help us to believe them

00:34:53.079 --> 00:34:54.319
 in the midst of our troubles.

00:34:56.840 --> 00:34:58.059
 What verse was I on?

00:34:58.980 --> 00:35:00.319
 Just keep going through them.

00:35:00.579 --> 00:35:01.500
 Verse 13.

00:35:01.739 --> 00:35:03.159
 Contribute to the needs of the saints

00:35:03.159 --> 00:35:04.659
 and seek to show hospitality.

00:35:04.819 --> 00:35:05.960
 That's sort of an obvious one.

00:35:06.380 --> 00:35:07.980
 The main thing about hospitality is

00:35:07.980 --> 00:35:10.519
 hospitality in the New Testament is

00:35:10.519 --> 00:35:12.880
 dealing not with being hospitable to

00:35:12.880 --> 00:35:14.819
 your friends, but to strangers.

00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:16.819
 The other.

00:35:17.719 --> 00:35:19.539
 People who are different than you.

00:35:20.920 --> 00:35:23.219
 For a person who's involved in a

00:35:23.219 --> 00:35:24.559
 certain type of youth culture, maybe

00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:26.920
 with lots of tattoos and piercings, it's

00:35:26.920 --> 00:35:29.699
 being hospitable to old, to old,

00:35:29.699 --> 00:35:31.399
 middle-aged white guys like myself.

00:35:33.199 --> 00:35:34.179
 And vice versa.

00:35:35.219 --> 00:35:37.779
 It's the stranger, the other, which we're

00:35:37.779 --> 00:35:39.879
 to primarily show hospitality to.

00:35:41.179 --> 00:35:41.899
 Continue on.

00:35:41.960 --> 00:35:42.579
 Verse 14.

00:35:42.699 --> 00:35:44.359
 Bless those who persecute you.

00:35:44.899 --> 00:35:47.000
 Bless and do not curse them.

00:35:47.739 --> 00:35:50.039
 This is really inviting us to deal with

00:35:50.039 --> 00:35:51.859
 the problem we have with anger and

00:35:51.859 --> 00:35:52.239
 hatred.

00:35:52.239 --> 00:35:57.339
 That when people hurt us, our natural

00:35:57.339 --> 00:36:00.219
 reaction is to hate them, to be angry

00:36:00.219 --> 00:36:04.439
 at them, and want to not just see them

00:36:04.439 --> 00:36:07.979
 punished, but to see them obliterated.

00:36:07.980 --> 00:36:13.360
 How many people in the U.S.

00:36:13.360 --> 00:36:16.740
 want to see Trump be completely and utterly

00:36:16.740 --> 00:36:17.599
 obliterated?

00:36:19.159 --> 00:36:21.320
 How many Trump supporters would love to

00:36:21.320 --> 00:36:24.360
 see Hillary Clinton completely and utterly

00:36:24.360 --> 00:36:25.300
 obliterated?

00:36:25.300 --> 00:36:28.780
 I'm taking the U.S.

00:36:28.820 --> 00:36:30.920
 example, but I'm doing it because

00:36:30.920 --> 00:36:33.860
 we can get the point.

00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:36.460
 It's a natural part of being human

00:36:36.460 --> 00:36:39.600
 is that there are people that we hate,

00:36:39.700 --> 00:36:40.660
 that we're angry, that we want to

00:36:40.660 --> 00:36:41.340
 obliterate them.

00:36:41.380 --> 00:36:43.640
 And this text is directly challenging

00:36:43.640 --> 00:36:46.200
 that as the way to deal with human

00:36:46.200 --> 00:36:46.720
 beings.

00:36:48.180 --> 00:36:49.160
 Verse 15.

00:36:50.060 --> 00:36:51.740
 This is the one that some people would

00:36:51.740 --> 00:36:53.260
 say that it's commanding us to have an

00:36:53.260 --> 00:36:55.780
 emotion, rejoice with those who rejoice.

00:36:55.920 --> 00:36:57.840
 I mean, and people might say, well, how

00:36:57.840 --> 00:37:00.280
 silly is the Bible commanding us to

00:37:00.280 --> 00:37:00.700
 rejoice?

00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:02.880
 You can't command somebody to rejoice.

00:37:03.180 --> 00:37:04.480
 You can't command a feeling.

00:37:05.040 --> 00:37:07.040
 But if you look at the text again, and

00:37:07.040 --> 00:37:08.180
 you just think to yourself, well, maybe

00:37:08.180 --> 00:37:09.200
 the text isn't stupid.

00:37:09.320 --> 00:37:10.140
 Maybe it's smart.

00:37:11.040 --> 00:37:12.840
 Rejoice with those who rejoice.

00:37:14.280 --> 00:37:15.560
 Weep with those who weep.

00:37:16.120 --> 00:37:17.820
 It's calling us for empathy.

00:37:17.820 --> 00:37:23.260
 In a very, very concrete way, it's

00:37:23.260 --> 00:37:25.680
 calling us to try to look at the world,

00:37:26.740 --> 00:37:28.840
 walk a mile in somebody else's shoes.

00:37:31.140 --> 00:37:33.100
 To try to look at the world from their

00:37:33.100 --> 00:37:34.700
 perspective in their eyes.

00:37:34.860 --> 00:37:36.220
 Doesn't mean that everything they want

00:37:36.220 --> 00:37:37.880
 to do is right, or everything they want

00:37:37.880 --> 00:37:38.640
 to do is wrong.

00:37:39.700 --> 00:37:42.100
 But it's calling us to not put ourselves

00:37:42.100 --> 00:37:44.160
 first and see ourselves as the center of the

00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:48.519
 universe, but to actually try to look at the

00:37:48.519 --> 00:37:50.119
 world from another's point of view.

00:37:53.440 --> 00:37:54.779
 Verse 16.

00:37:56.039 --> 00:37:59.159
 This is a really important verse for those

00:37:59.159 --> 00:38:00.699
 of us who live in a government town,

00:38:01.199 --> 00:38:06.659
 where if you go into a meeting with

00:38:06.659 --> 00:38:09.619
 others, you know, maybe in politics, or I

00:38:09.619 --> 00:38:11.379
 guess in business as well, or a political

00:38:11.380 --> 00:38:13.980
 meeting, and the tendency is to want to

00:38:13.980 --> 00:38:16.200
 flock to the popular, the powerful, or the

00:38:16.200 --> 00:38:21.519
 up-and-coming, and treat as toxic those

00:38:21.519 --> 00:38:22.420
 on their way down.

00:38:24.059 --> 00:38:25.599
 You know, we've all been in those types of

00:38:25.599 --> 00:38:27.000
 receptions where their eyes are just

00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:28.680
 dancing around, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

00:38:28.680 --> 00:38:30.500
 but they're looking for somebody way more

00:38:30.500 --> 00:38:34.720
 important, or cool, or hip, or beneficial

00:38:34.720 --> 00:38:36.760
 to themselves to spend time with.

00:38:36.760 --> 00:38:41.660
 And this next verse is saying, notice the

00:38:41.660 --> 00:38:42.460
 wall weeds.

00:38:42.860 --> 00:38:45.300
 A wall weed is a wallflower, but not as

00:38:45.300 --> 00:38:45.640
 pretty.

00:38:47.500 --> 00:38:49.020
 Far more plain.

00:38:49.820 --> 00:38:52.420
 Notice the toxic, the wall toxic people,

00:38:52.500 --> 00:38:53.300
 the weak people.

00:38:54.400 --> 00:38:55.600
 Notice the servers.

00:38:56.820 --> 00:38:58.820
 Notice the waiters.

00:38:59.160 --> 00:39:00.220
 Notice the janitors.

00:39:00.219 --> 00:39:03.379
 And notice them.

00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:06.919
 And the working class and the lower

00:39:06.919 --> 00:39:07.939
 working class.

00:39:08.519 --> 00:39:09.299
 And notice them.

00:39:10.239 --> 00:39:12.419
 And walk towards them, not away from them.

00:39:13.519 --> 00:39:14.399
 Verse 16.

00:39:15.059 --> 00:39:16.859
 Sorry, I guess I skipped it.

00:39:16.959 --> 00:39:17.199
 Oh, yeah.

00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:19.399
 Live in harmony with one another.

00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:21.199
 Do not be haughty, which is excessive

00:39:21.199 --> 00:39:23.519
 pride, but associate with the lowly.

00:39:24.139 --> 00:39:25.899
 Never be wise in your own sight.

00:39:26.899 --> 00:39:28.799
 A major problem with all of us is that

00:39:28.800 --> 00:39:30.420
 we're legends in our own minds.

00:39:33.700 --> 00:39:35.900
 And most people don't share our own

00:39:35.900 --> 00:39:38.440
 legendary status in our own minds.

00:39:41.860 --> 00:39:43.360
 Now we're going to get to the part that

00:39:43.360 --> 00:39:43.980
 deals with ISIS.

00:39:44.180 --> 00:39:45.960
 And I see my time is running out.

00:39:46.220 --> 00:39:47.620
 I'll have to, we'll deal with this in a

00:39:47.620 --> 00:39:47.840
 sec.

00:39:47.960 --> 00:39:49.860
 But look at the ISIS thing here.

00:39:49.940 --> 00:39:51.740
 Repay no one evil for evil.

00:39:51.740 --> 00:39:52.680
 Verse 17.

00:39:53.980 --> 00:39:55.560
 But give thought to do what is honorable

00:39:55.560 --> 00:39:56.440
 in the sight of all.

00:39:56.440 --> 00:39:59.500
 If possible, so far as it depends on you,

00:39:59.579 --> 00:40:00.679
 live peaceably with all.

00:40:01.740 --> 00:40:03.380
 Beloved, never avenge yourselves,

00:40:03.480 --> 00:40:05.019
 but leave it to the wrath of God.

00:40:05.099 --> 00:40:06.659
 For it is written, vengeance is mine,

00:40:06.700 --> 00:40:08.059
 I will repay, says the Lord.

00:40:08.519 --> 00:40:10.519
 To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry,

00:40:10.720 --> 00:40:11.019
 feed him.

00:40:11.099 --> 00:40:12.900
 If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

00:40:13.440 --> 00:40:15.220
 For by so doing, you will heap burning

00:40:15.220 --> 00:40:16.200
 coals on his head.

00:40:16.840 --> 00:40:18.619
 Do not be overcome by evil,

00:40:19.059 --> 00:40:20.840
 but overcome evil with good.

00:40:20.840 --> 00:40:23.539
 And, um,

00:40:24.660 --> 00:40:29.059
 how do we understand this text?

00:40:31.559 --> 00:40:33.880
 You know, one of the problems we have,

00:40:33.960 --> 00:40:35.260
 this isn't a text,

00:40:35.380 --> 00:40:36.780
 remember I said at the very, very beginning

00:40:36.780 --> 00:40:38.900
 that it's verse 9 is sort of like the

00:40:38.900 --> 00:40:40.180
 toehold.

00:40:40.280 --> 00:40:42.460
 If you were rappelling down a mountain,

00:40:42.620 --> 00:40:44.880
 this is where you'd hammer something into the rock

00:40:44.880 --> 00:40:46.620
 so that you're not going to go crashing down

00:40:46.620 --> 00:40:48.920
 the mountainside when you go rappelling.

00:40:48.920 --> 00:40:51.519
 That the rappelling would actually work

00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:53.700
 because you have this firm anchor

00:40:53.700 --> 00:40:57.700
 in solid rock that helps you to understand things.

00:40:58.599 --> 00:41:01.820
 And the common human problem is,

00:41:02.220 --> 00:41:03.840
 in fact, which is often characterized,

00:41:03.940 --> 00:41:05.000
 not entirely fairly,

00:41:05.220 --> 00:41:06.380
 it's by the modern left,

00:41:06.460 --> 00:41:08.019
 but, you know, there's an element to it

00:41:08.019 --> 00:41:09.280
 that on one hand,

00:41:09.360 --> 00:41:11.360
 there's a whole way of thinking in the West

00:41:11.360 --> 00:41:13.599
 that people are basically good.

00:41:14.519 --> 00:41:15.480
 That, um,

00:41:15.980 --> 00:41:17.900
 what can be good for me can be,

00:41:17.900 --> 00:41:20.059
 you know, there's a type of moral relativism,

00:41:20.160 --> 00:41:21.599
 a type of belief that at the same time

00:41:21.599 --> 00:41:22.539
 it's a bit of contradictory

00:41:22.539 --> 00:41:24.139
 that things are right or wrong

00:41:24.139 --> 00:41:24.980
 depending on who you are,

00:41:25.300 --> 00:41:27.200
 but contradictorily we also believe

00:41:27.200 --> 00:41:28.639
 that people are basically good

00:41:28.639 --> 00:41:30.340
 and that it's basically that

00:41:30.340 --> 00:41:32.639
 the enemy needs a type of therapy

00:41:32.639 --> 00:41:33.800
 or a type of lesson

00:41:33.800 --> 00:41:36.280
 and it's very, very powerful,

00:41:36.460 --> 00:41:37.900
 especially in university settings

00:41:37.900 --> 00:41:38.980
 and people who have degrees.

00:41:39.220 --> 00:41:40.720
 It's a very, very common type of way

00:41:40.720 --> 00:41:41.440
 of viewing the world.

00:41:41.880 --> 00:41:43.440
 The other way of viewing the world,

00:41:43.539 --> 00:41:44.420
 which is very common,

00:41:44.420 --> 00:41:45.920
 is to basically see war

00:41:45.920 --> 00:41:46.980
 as a type of god,

00:41:47.099 --> 00:41:48.340
 like a love of violence.

00:41:48.820 --> 00:41:50.360
 In the time that Paul was writing,

00:41:50.559 --> 00:41:52.059
 there was actually a god of war.

00:41:53.159 --> 00:41:53.760
 Like, in fact,

00:41:53.860 --> 00:41:54.180
 that the,

00:41:54.420 --> 00:41:55.420
 many of the, um,

00:41:56.059 --> 00:41:57.320
 Roman, um,

00:41:57.500 --> 00:41:58.300
 like the armies,

00:41:58.460 --> 00:42:00.340
 they'd actually worship a god of war,

00:42:00.440 --> 00:42:01.539
 different gods of war,

00:42:01.619 --> 00:42:03.400
 and there can be a worshipping of violence

00:42:03.400 --> 00:42:04.539
 and a worshipping of war,

00:42:04.940 --> 00:42:06.000
 and the Bible here

00:42:06.000 --> 00:42:07.619
 is going in between the two of them.

00:42:07.680 --> 00:42:09.220
 In fact, interestingly enough,

00:42:09.280 --> 00:42:10.840
 the Bible isn't here saying something

00:42:10.840 --> 00:42:11.900
 which is black and white,

00:42:11.940 --> 00:42:13.100
 it's causing us

00:42:13.100 --> 00:42:14.780
 to take a step back

00:42:14.780 --> 00:42:15.559
 to try to say,

00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:17.360
 it's very, very obvious

00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:18.300
 from verse 9

00:42:18.300 --> 00:42:20.100
 that the Bible doesn't believe

00:42:20.100 --> 00:42:21.120
 that things are relative

00:42:21.120 --> 00:42:22.320
 and it doesn't believe

00:42:22.320 --> 00:42:23.780
 that, um,

00:42:23.880 --> 00:42:25.480
 that people are basically good.

00:42:25.480 --> 00:42:26.780
 And at the other hand,

00:42:27.120 --> 00:42:28.079
 it's also saying

00:42:28.079 --> 00:42:29.380
 that you definitely don't want,

00:42:29.420 --> 00:42:30.200
 you have to completely

00:42:30.200 --> 00:42:31.400
 and utterly dethrone

00:42:31.400 --> 00:42:33.000
 and take away as an idol

00:42:33.000 --> 00:42:34.640
 anything to do with war.

00:42:35.780 --> 00:42:37.400
 And it's definitely the case

00:42:37.400 --> 00:42:38.840
 that there are times

00:42:38.840 --> 00:42:40.660
 when a gentle answer

00:42:40.660 --> 00:42:41.740
 turns away wrath.

00:42:42.079 --> 00:42:42.760
 And if this was

00:42:42.760 --> 00:42:44.019
 the only text in the Bible,

00:42:44.100 --> 00:42:44.780
 it might be that

00:42:44.780 --> 00:42:45.920
 that's how we would view it,

00:42:45.940 --> 00:42:46.380
 that we should,

00:42:46.600 --> 00:42:47.280
 should just sort of

00:42:47.280 --> 00:42:47.980
 give in to ISIS.

00:42:48.160 --> 00:42:49.680
 But the very, very next verse,

00:42:49.740 --> 00:42:50.480
 which we're going to look at

00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:50.900
 next week,

00:42:50.960 --> 00:42:52.019
 talks about the state.

00:42:52.820 --> 00:42:53.820
 It talks about the role

00:42:53.820 --> 00:42:54.460
 of the state

00:42:54.460 --> 00:42:55.559
 in having the sword.

00:42:57.059 --> 00:42:57.500
 It's a,

00:42:57.500 --> 00:42:57.840
 it's a,

00:42:57.840 --> 00:42:59.120
 it's a complete rejection

00:42:59.120 --> 00:43:00.120
 of pacifism.

00:43:01.980 --> 00:43:03.600
 Although the type of pacifism

00:43:03.600 --> 00:43:04.840
 espoused by Hutterites

00:43:04.840 --> 00:43:06.160
 and certain Mennonites,

00:43:06.260 --> 00:43:07.340
 I think is very noble

00:43:07.340 --> 00:43:09.460
 because they would be willing

00:43:09.460 --> 00:43:10.500
 to be slaughtered.

00:43:11.820 --> 00:43:13.880
 And there's no naivete

00:43:13.880 --> 00:43:15.840
 about human beings

00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:17.220
 being basically good

00:43:17.220 --> 00:43:17.940
 or that ISIS

00:43:17.940 --> 00:43:19.280
 is basically good.

00:43:19.740 --> 00:43:20.760
 No naivete

00:43:20.760 --> 00:43:22.900
 in true Anabaptist thought.

00:43:23.900 --> 00:43:25.240
 But it's not

00:43:25.240 --> 00:43:26.440
 a biblical good

00:43:26.440 --> 00:43:29.559
 to allow innocent people

00:43:29.559 --> 00:43:30.600
 to be slaughtered.

00:43:31.860 --> 00:43:33.620
 It is a biblical good

00:43:33.620 --> 00:43:34.720
 to do what you can

00:43:34.720 --> 00:43:35.920
 to prevent the slaughter

00:43:35.920 --> 00:43:36.659
 of innocents.

00:43:36.860 --> 00:43:37.920
 Thou shalt not kill.

00:43:40.720 --> 00:43:41.619
 And it's,

00:43:41.680 --> 00:43:43.360
 it's not a biblical good

00:43:43.360 --> 00:43:44.360
 to allow yourself

00:43:44.360 --> 00:43:45.380
 to be slaughtered.

00:43:46.039 --> 00:43:47.320
 And the Bible here

00:43:47.320 --> 00:43:48.139
 is not saying

00:43:48.139 --> 00:43:48.700
 that the good

00:43:48.700 --> 00:43:49.579
 can be determined

00:43:49.579 --> 00:43:50.780
 by evil people

00:43:50.780 --> 00:43:51.700
 because obviously

00:43:51.700 --> 00:43:53.079
 from ISIS's point of view

00:43:53.079 --> 00:43:53.900
 it would be a good thing

00:43:53.900 --> 00:43:55.039
 if we laid down our arms

00:43:55.039 --> 00:43:55.599
 and allowed them

00:43:55.599 --> 00:43:56.579
 to walk over us.

00:43:57.360 --> 00:43:58.840
 But there's no real way

00:43:58.840 --> 00:43:59.559
 that you can understand

00:43:59.559 --> 00:44:00.400
 that that could ever

00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:02.380
 possibly be a positive good

00:44:02.380 --> 00:44:04.420
 to allow people

00:44:04.420 --> 00:44:05.300
 who would completely

00:44:05.300 --> 00:44:06.440
 and utterly suppress

00:44:06.440 --> 00:44:07.500
 religious freedom

00:44:07.500 --> 00:44:09.660
 and oppress women

00:44:09.660 --> 00:44:12.079
 and people who have

00:44:12.079 --> 00:44:13.480
 sexual orientations

00:44:13.480 --> 00:44:14.780
 which the Bible say

00:44:14.780 --> 00:44:15.119
 are wrong

00:44:15.119 --> 00:44:16.260
 but they're still human beings

00:44:16.260 --> 00:44:17.380
 for which God died

00:44:17.380 --> 00:44:18.220
 and there's no

00:44:18.220 --> 00:44:19.539
 biblical justification

00:44:19.539 --> 00:44:20.800
 to murder them

00:44:20.800 --> 00:44:22.260
 because of their

00:44:22.260 --> 00:44:23.360
 sexual orientation

00:44:23.360 --> 00:44:24.320
 or to hate them.

00:44:24.380 --> 00:44:25.500
 There's no biblical warrant

00:44:25.500 --> 00:44:26.420
 for any of that.

00:44:26.420 --> 00:44:28.700
 And it is not at all

00:44:28.700 --> 00:44:30.119
 even remotely loving

00:44:30.119 --> 00:44:31.940
 to see this text

00:44:31.940 --> 00:44:33.519
 as meaning a capitulation

00:44:33.519 --> 00:44:35.119
 to any type of responsibility

00:44:35.119 --> 00:44:36.240
 to defend the weak

00:44:36.240 --> 00:44:36.820
 and the innocent

00:44:36.820 --> 00:44:39.220
 and to defend

00:44:39.220 --> 00:44:40.039
 religious freedom

00:44:40.039 --> 00:44:40.780
 or prosperity.

00:44:42.440 --> 00:44:43.599
 So the text

00:44:43.599 --> 00:44:44.460
 is calling us

00:44:44.460 --> 00:44:45.180
 to a type of

00:44:45.180 --> 00:44:45.900
 in some ways

00:44:45.900 --> 00:44:47.700
 uncomfortable middle place

00:44:47.700 --> 00:44:49.680
 that calls for prayer

00:44:49.680 --> 00:44:50.340
 and reflection.

00:44:50.599 --> 00:44:51.380
 It's out of texts

00:44:51.380 --> 00:44:51.940
 like this

00:44:51.940 --> 00:44:53.119
 that this idea

00:44:53.119 --> 00:44:54.099
 that there can be

00:44:54.099 --> 00:44:54.860
 a just war

00:44:54.860 --> 00:44:55.420
 has developed

00:44:55.420 --> 00:44:55.740
 and I know

00:44:55.739 --> 00:44:56.639
 there's complications

00:44:56.639 --> 00:44:57.239
 with it

00:44:57.239 --> 00:44:59.579
 but it's vastly wiser

00:44:59.579 --> 00:45:01.819
 than naively believing

00:45:01.819 --> 00:45:02.699
 that human beings

00:45:02.699 --> 00:45:03.799
 are basically good

00:45:03.799 --> 00:45:05.539
 or worshipping

00:45:05.539 --> 00:45:06.219
 the idol

00:45:06.219 --> 00:45:07.599
 and the god of war.

00:45:11.419 --> 00:45:13.119
 I've gone beyond my time.

00:45:14.519 --> 00:45:15.959
 Let me just say

00:45:15.959 --> 00:45:16.979
 Andrew,

00:45:17.079 --> 00:45:17.639
 could you put up

00:45:17.639 --> 00:45:18.500
 the third prayer?

00:45:18.639 --> 00:45:19.379
 We'll do the last two

00:45:19.379 --> 00:45:20.039
 very quickly.

00:45:22.319 --> 00:45:23.119
 Dear Lord,

00:45:23.239 --> 00:45:24.259
 please make me

00:45:24.259 --> 00:45:25.479
 a disciple of Jesus

00:45:25.480 --> 00:45:26.900
 gripped by the gospel

00:45:26.900 --> 00:45:28.260
 who is dying

00:45:28.260 --> 00:45:29.659
 to all of the sloth,

00:45:30.159 --> 00:45:30.539
 envy,

00:45:30.860 --> 00:45:31.659
 unforgiveness,

00:45:32.119 --> 00:45:32.519
 greed,

00:45:32.900 --> 00:45:33.240
 anger,

00:45:33.240 --> 00:45:33.940
 and hate

00:45:33.940 --> 00:45:35.119
 in my life

00:45:35.119 --> 00:45:36.519
 which is why

00:45:36.519 --> 00:45:37.860
 Jesus died for me

00:45:37.860 --> 00:45:39.460
 and help me

00:45:39.460 --> 00:45:40.300
 to live free

00:45:40.300 --> 00:45:41.019
 and whole

00:45:41.019 --> 00:45:41.860
 for your glory.

00:45:43.460 --> 00:45:44.400
 That's what the Bible

00:45:44.400 --> 00:45:45.039
 wants us to do.

00:45:45.099 --> 00:45:46.119
 It's outlined insanity.

00:45:46.760 --> 00:45:47.880
 Here's this final thing

00:45:47.880 --> 00:45:48.559
 I was going to go through.

00:45:48.699 --> 00:45:49.420
 I don't have time

00:45:49.420 --> 00:45:49.719
 to do it

00:45:49.719 --> 00:45:50.480
 but there's another

00:45:50.480 --> 00:45:51.900
 powerful motivation

00:45:51.900 --> 00:45:52.519
 for a Christian

00:45:52.519 --> 00:45:53.440
 when they read this

00:45:53.440 --> 00:45:55.200
 because if we read

00:45:55.200 --> 00:45:56.240
 this script by the gospel

00:45:56.240 --> 00:45:57.280
 what do we understand?

00:45:58.500 --> 00:45:59.460
 Who showed love

00:45:59.460 --> 00:45:59.960
 to me

00:45:59.960 --> 00:46:00.960
 but Jesus?

00:46:01.900 --> 00:46:02.920
 Who died

00:46:02.920 --> 00:46:03.700
 on the cross

00:46:03.700 --> 00:46:04.280
 for me

00:46:04.280 --> 00:46:05.019
 bearing evil

00:46:05.019 --> 00:46:06.440
 because he hated evil?

00:46:07.000 --> 00:46:07.740
 That was Jesus.

00:46:08.700 --> 00:46:10.340
 Who died

00:46:10.340 --> 00:46:11.320
 clinging

00:46:11.320 --> 00:46:12.539
 to what was good

00:46:12.539 --> 00:46:13.900
 by obeying the Father

00:46:13.900 --> 00:46:15.079
 and seeing the good

00:46:15.079 --> 00:46:16.579
 that this was a good creation

00:46:16.579 --> 00:46:17.220
 worth dying for?

00:46:17.280 --> 00:46:18.059
 That was Jesus.

00:46:18.900 --> 00:46:19.599
 Who did not

00:46:19.599 --> 00:46:20.500
 repay evil fruit?

00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:21.460
 Like you go all the way

00:46:21.460 --> 00:46:22.240
 through this text

00:46:22.240 --> 00:46:24.420
 we have to read

00:46:24.420 --> 00:46:25.000
 this text

00:46:25.000 --> 00:46:25.679
 as a follower

00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:26.240
 of Jesus

00:46:26.240 --> 00:46:27.340
 understanding

00:46:27.340 --> 00:46:28.360
 what Jesus did

00:46:28.360 --> 00:46:29.240
 for us on the cross

00:46:29.240 --> 00:46:30.360
 and if you look

00:46:30.360 --> 00:46:31.000
 at this text

00:46:31.000 --> 00:46:32.119
 from a different thing

00:46:32.119 --> 00:46:32.539
 Jesus

00:46:32.539 --> 00:46:34.579
 blessed those

00:46:34.579 --> 00:46:35.500
 who persecuted him

00:46:35.500 --> 00:46:36.619
 we persecuted him

00:46:36.619 --> 00:46:37.619
 but he blessed us

00:46:37.619 --> 00:46:39.179
 he did not curse us

00:46:39.179 --> 00:46:40.159
 you know

00:46:40.159 --> 00:46:41.920
 he came to identify

00:46:41.920 --> 00:46:42.500
 with us

00:46:42.500 --> 00:46:43.579
 to take upon himself

00:46:43.579 --> 00:46:44.539
 our human nature

00:46:44.539 --> 00:46:44.980
 in a sense

00:46:44.980 --> 00:46:45.519
 to rejoice

00:46:45.519 --> 00:46:46.199
 with those who

00:46:46.199 --> 00:46:46.900
 rejoice

00:46:46.900 --> 00:46:47.380
 and weep

00:46:47.380 --> 00:46:48.199
 with those who weep

00:46:48.199 --> 00:46:49.199
 he died

00:46:49.199 --> 00:46:50.019
 so that we would be

00:46:50.019 --> 00:46:50.880
 at peace with God

00:46:50.880 --> 00:46:51.480
 because we were

00:46:51.480 --> 00:46:52.940
 enmity with him

00:46:52.940 --> 00:46:54.800
 he became humble

00:46:54.800 --> 00:46:55.700
 he was the opposite

00:46:55.700 --> 00:46:56.260
 of haughty

00:46:56.260 --> 00:46:56.860
 so that he would

00:46:56.860 --> 00:46:57.800
 die upon the cross

00:46:57.800 --> 00:46:59.099
 he associated

00:46:59.099 --> 00:46:59.860
 with me

00:46:59.860 --> 00:47:01.140
 when I was completely

00:47:01.140 --> 00:47:02.300
 and utterly lowly

00:47:02.300 --> 00:47:05.099
 he did

00:47:05.099 --> 00:47:05.800
 what was good

00:47:05.800 --> 00:47:06.460
 for all

00:47:06.460 --> 00:47:08.280
 could you put up

00:47:08.280 --> 00:47:08.960
 the final prayer

00:47:08.960 --> 00:47:09.360
 Andrew?

00:47:11.380 --> 00:47:11.800
 Dear Lord

00:47:11.800 --> 00:47:12.220
 please

00:47:12.220 --> 00:47:13.320
 sorry I have to

00:47:13.320 --> 00:47:13.860
 turn the page

00:47:13.860 --> 00:47:14.480
 Dear Lord

00:47:14.480 --> 00:47:15.539
 please help me

00:47:15.539 --> 00:47:16.160
 to remember

00:47:16.160 --> 00:47:17.160
 that in wrath

00:47:17.159 --> 00:47:18.940
 I treated you

00:47:18.940 --> 00:47:20.159
 as my enemy

00:47:20.159 --> 00:47:22.000
 please help me

00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:22.579
 to remember

00:47:22.579 --> 00:47:23.579
 that you showed

00:47:23.579 --> 00:47:24.379
 me mercy

00:47:24.379 --> 00:47:25.899
 when Jesus died

00:47:25.899 --> 00:47:26.779
 upon the cross

00:47:26.779 --> 00:47:28.039
 in my place

00:47:28.039 --> 00:47:29.859
 please help me

00:47:29.859 --> 00:47:30.420
 to live

00:47:30.420 --> 00:47:31.779
 in humble gratitude

00:47:31.779 --> 00:47:33.119
 to Jesus Christ

00:47:33.119 --> 00:47:33.759
 crucified

00:47:33.759 --> 00:47:35.719
 and then live

00:47:35.719 --> 00:47:36.460
 for the good

00:47:36.460 --> 00:47:37.059
 of people

00:47:37.059 --> 00:47:38.159
 and for your

00:47:38.159 --> 00:47:38.819
 great glory

00:47:38.819 --> 00:47:41.299
 this entire text

00:47:41.299 --> 00:47:42.159
 only makes

00:47:42.159 --> 00:47:43.480
 sense

00:47:43.480 --> 00:47:44.519
 to be launched

00:47:44.519 --> 00:47:45.380
 on a journey

00:47:45.380 --> 00:47:46.539
 on a quest

00:47:46.539 --> 00:47:47.840
 of moral sanity

00:47:47.840 --> 00:47:49.179
 understanding

00:47:49.179 --> 00:47:50.099
 what Jesus

00:47:50.099 --> 00:47:51.139
 did for us

00:47:51.139 --> 00:47:52.800
 we

00:47:52.800 --> 00:47:54.320
 were the violent

00:47:54.320 --> 00:47:54.860
 ones

00:47:54.860 --> 00:47:55.760
 we

00:47:55.760 --> 00:47:56.679
 were the ones

00:47:56.679 --> 00:47:57.380
 who clung

00:47:57.380 --> 00:47:57.980
 to evil

00:47:57.980 --> 00:47:59.900
 we were the ones

00:47:59.900 --> 00:48:00.719
 who wanted him

00:48:00.719 --> 00:48:01.219
 rejected

00:48:01.219 --> 00:48:02.860
 and he

00:48:02.860 --> 00:48:03.760
 died

00:48:03.760 --> 00:48:04.679
 for us

00:48:04.679 --> 00:48:06.000
 please stand

00:48:06.000 --> 00:48:23.440
 father we

00:48:23.440 --> 00:48:24.000
 ask that

00:48:24.000 --> 00:48:24.719
 your holy

00:48:24.719 --> 00:48:25.119
 spirit

00:48:25.119 --> 00:48:25.440
 would do

00:48:25.440 --> 00:48:25.860
 a deep

00:48:25.860 --> 00:48:26.179
 work

00:48:26.179 --> 00:48:26.840
 within us

00:48:26.840 --> 00:48:28.079
 that you

00:48:28.079 --> 00:48:28.519
 would deliver

00:48:28.519 --> 00:48:29.159
 us from

00:48:29.159 --> 00:48:29.940
 all fear

00:48:29.940 --> 00:48:30.559
 of honest

00:48:30.559 --> 00:48:31.119
 questions

00:48:31.119 --> 00:48:31.599
 that you

00:48:31.599 --> 00:48:32.000
 would deliver

00:48:32.000 --> 00:48:32.460
 us from

00:48:32.460 --> 00:48:32.820
 a fear

00:48:32.820 --> 00:48:33.159
 of the

00:48:33.159 --> 00:48:33.579
 truth

00:48:33.579 --> 00:48:35.039
 that you

00:48:35.039 --> 00:48:35.500
 would grant

00:48:35.500 --> 00:48:36.239
 to us

00:48:36.239 --> 00:48:36.619
 father

00:48:36.619 --> 00:48:37.219
 a love

00:48:37.219 --> 00:48:37.539
 of the

00:48:37.539 --> 00:48:37.920
 truth

00:48:37.920 --> 00:48:38.239
 a love

00:48:38.239 --> 00:48:39.000
 of clarity

00:48:39.000 --> 00:48:40.139
 a love

00:48:40.139 --> 00:48:40.699
 of honest

00:48:40.699 --> 00:48:41.380
 questions

00:48:41.380 --> 00:48:42.579
 that you

00:48:42.579 --> 00:48:43.000
 would grant

00:48:43.000 --> 00:48:43.500
 us father

00:48:43.500 --> 00:48:43.840
 a love

00:48:43.840 --> 00:48:44.159
 of your

00:48:44.159 --> 00:48:44.639
 word

00:48:44.639 --> 00:48:45.360
 but most

00:48:45.360 --> 00:48:45.699
 of all

00:48:45.699 --> 00:48:45.980
 father

00:48:45.980 --> 00:48:46.400
 we ask

00:48:46.400 --> 00:48:46.639
 that you

00:48:46.639 --> 00:48:46.960
 would make

00:48:46.960 --> 00:48:47.119
 us

00:48:47.119 --> 00:48:47.619
 disciples

00:48:47.619 --> 00:48:48.239
 of Jesus

00:48:48.239 --> 00:48:48.599
 who are

00:48:48.599 --> 00:48:48.860
 gripped

00:48:48.860 --> 00:48:49.219
 by the

00:48:49.219 --> 00:48:49.699
 gospel

00:48:49.699 --> 00:48:50.880
 who

00:48:50.880 --> 00:48:51.659
 father

00:48:51.659 --> 00:48:54.679
 live our

00:48:54.679 --> 00:48:55.119
 lives

00:48:55.119 --> 00:48:55.460
 out of

00:48:55.460 --> 00:48:55.920
 gratitude

00:48:55.920 --> 00:48:56.760
 for the

00:48:56.760 --> 00:48:57.079
 mercy

00:48:57.079 --> 00:48:57.579
 you showed

00:48:57.579 --> 00:48:57.760
 us

00:48:57.760 --> 00:48:58.000
 on the

00:48:58.000 --> 00:48:58.460
 cross

00:48:58.460 --> 00:49:00.340
 that you

00:49:00.340 --> 00:49:00.739
 father

00:49:00.739 --> 00:49:01.400
 would daily

00:49:01.400 --> 00:49:02.000
 humble

00:49:02.000 --> 00:49:02.360
 us

00:49:02.360 --> 00:49:02.840
 as we

00:49:02.840 --> 00:49:03.199
 meditate

00:49:03.199 --> 00:49:03.619
 upon

00:49:03.619 --> 00:49:03.840
 your

00:49:03.840 --> 00:49:04.280
 mercy

00:49:04.280 --> 00:49:04.719
 shown

00:49:04.719 --> 00:49:05.440
 to us

00:49:05.440 --> 00:49:06.059
 in the

00:49:06.059 --> 00:49:06.400
 person

00:49:06.400 --> 00:49:06.599
 of

00:49:06.599 --> 00:49:06.940
 Jesus

00:49:06.940 --> 00:49:08.579
 and as

00:49:08.579 --> 00:49:09.179
 father

00:49:09.179 --> 00:49:09.480
 your

00:49:09.480 --> 00:49:09.800
 holy

00:49:09.800 --> 00:49:10.340
 spirit

00:49:10.340 --> 00:49:11.019
 humbles

00:49:11.019 --> 00:49:11.440
 us

00:49:11.440 --> 00:49:12.340
 by

00:49:12.340 --> 00:49:12.740
 helping

00:49:12.740 --> 00:49:12.940
 us

00:49:12.940 --> 00:49:13.119
 to

00:49:13.119 --> 00:49:13.460
 meditate

00:49:13.460 --> 00:49:13.960
 upon

00:49:13.960 --> 00:49:14.280
 the

00:49:14.280 --> 00:49:14.720
 mercy

00:49:14.720 --> 00:49:15.179
 shown

00:49:15.179 --> 00:49:15.659
 to us

00:49:15.659 --> 00:49:16.260
 by

00:49:16.260 --> 00:49:16.820
 Jesus

00:49:16.820 --> 00:49:17.840
 help

00:49:17.840 --> 00:49:18.019
 us

00:49:18.019 --> 00:49:18.220
 to

00:49:18.220 --> 00:49:18.619
 live

00:49:18.619 --> 00:49:19.179
 for

00:49:19.179 --> 00:49:19.360
 the

00:49:19.360 --> 00:49:19.619
 good

00:49:19.619 --> 00:49:19.800
 of

00:49:19.800 --> 00:49:20.220
 people

00:49:20.220 --> 00:49:21.039
 and

00:49:21.039 --> 00:49:21.240
 for

00:49:21.240 --> 00:49:21.420
 your

00:49:21.420 --> 00:49:21.820
 glory

00:49:21.820 --> 00:49:22.360
 and

00:49:22.360 --> 00:49:22.500
 we

00:49:22.500 --> 00:49:22.740
 ask

00:49:22.740 --> 00:49:22.900
 this

00:49:22.900 --> 00:49:23.099
 in the

00:49:23.099 --> 00:49:23.240
 name

00:49:23.240 --> 00:49:23.420
 of

00:49:23.420 --> 00:49:23.720
 Jesus

00:49:23.720 --> 00:49:24.039
 your

00:49:24.039 --> 00:49:24.440
 son

00:49:24.440 --> 00:49:24.679
 and

00:49:24.679 --> 00:49:24.860
 our

00:49:24.860 --> 00:49:25.200
 savior

00:49:25.200 --> 00:49:26.260
 amen

00:49:26.260 --> 00:49:26.520
им

00:49:26.800 --> 00:49:27.340
 we

00:49:27.340 --> 00:49:27.520
 to

00:49:27.520 --> 00:49:28.160
 God

00:49:28.160 --> 00:49:29.460
 him

00:49:29.460 --> 00:49:30.240
 to

00:49:30.240 --> 00:49:31.920
 him

00:49:31.920 --> 00:49:32.460
 and

00:49:32.460 --> 00:49:51.880
 to