WEBVTT

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 Father, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us.

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 For some of us, these are very familiar stories.

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 For others, maybe they're new to us, Father.

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 But for each of us, Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would come deep within us

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 and write these stories in the command center of our lives

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 so that they affect our memories, our imagination, our will, and how we live our lives.

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

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 Please be seated.

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 Don't you think that if people had to follow what the Bible says about same-sex attraction,

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 that you're condemning same-sex attracted people to a life of loneliness?

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 The reason I say this is, well, first of all, believe it or not,

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 the scripture text that we have here today actually speaks very powerfully into this.

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 Some friends of mine and some friends of yours,

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 the church that they attended for many years,

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 is just beginning to go through potential denominational battles

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 over whether the church should provide marriage ceremonies for those who are same-sex attracted

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 so that a man can marry a man or a woman could marry a woman.

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 And one of the very moving arguments that was made as they're starting to look at this

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 is don't you think it's the case?

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 That why is it, you know, heterosexual people, they can potentially marry another person,

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 but for those who are same-sex attracted and if God doesn't heal them or change that in them after prayer,

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 aren't you condemning them to a life of loneliness?

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 Like, isn't it a matter of, I mean, how can you do that?

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 And if we're honest, this is a very powerful thing

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 because who amongst us wants to condemn anybody to loneliness?

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 And in fact, if our heart breaks even maybe at hearing something like this,

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 that this might be the case or the possibility.

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 So believe it or not, the text that we looked at, that I read just a few moments ago,

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 actually has something very powerful and formative to say about this.

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 So it'd be a great help to me.

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 You can see it's going to be the story of Jesus turning water into wine.

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 One of the things that we might be doing most Sundays when we preach on John

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 is if there's a good piece of artwork to go along with the story,

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 I'm going to put some of the artwork up on the screen

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 so that our eyes can also sort of enter in.

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 It helps us just enter in.

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 And so, by the way, if you folks, if you read ahead and see where I'm going,

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 I'd love it if you send me suggestions for the artwork, by the way.

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 That would be a great help.

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 Can't promise I'll always use it, but I'd love the suggestions.

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 So if you turn in your Bibles to John 2, verses 1 to 11,

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 John 2, 1 to 11, let's look at this first story,

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 the story of Jesus turning water into wine.

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 And here's how it goes.

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 On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.

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 Just sort of pause here for a second before we go any further.

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 On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.

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 You might remember that...

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 So John wrote a book, right?

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 So books have structures.

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 You know, they have ways that the author decided to write the book.

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 And the way that John is written, there's the first 18 verses

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 are sort of this big philosophical, almost mystical, theological,

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 cosmos view of Jesus and the gospel and what's going on.

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 And those are like the first 18 verses.

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 And it's all written in very simple English and simple Greek.

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 And then in verse 19, all of a sudden, it plunges into the world of history,

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 the world of time and space, the world that we're in right now ourselves.

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 And when this begins here on the third day,

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 John is going to keep reminding us as the gospel goes on

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 that he's now talking about something that happened to real people in a real time,

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 in a real culture, in a real place.

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 And it's just one of those...

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 We're going to see more aspects of it where John keeps saying,

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 this is something that happened.

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 You might think it's incredible.

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 You might not believe it.

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 You might not believe it.

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 But I'm bearing witness that this is what happened.

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 This is what took place.

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 So verse 1 again of chapter 2.

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 On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.

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 And the mother of Jesus was there.

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 And just sort of pause.

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 This is another very significant thing.

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 In the other three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke,

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 they all have...

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 Well, actually, Mark doesn't.

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 But Matthew and Luke, of course, have the story of the birth of Jesus.

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 And it's very interesting how John chooses to write, right?

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 So he has this...

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 You know, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

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 and the Word was God.

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 He was with God in the beginning.

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 You know, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

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 All these big, big, big ideas.

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 And then he comes into history with John the Baptist.

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 And now, like, how can you...

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 Is Jesus human?

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 I mean, that's a good question to ask.

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 And yet, you know, human beings have moms.

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 We have dads.

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 That's human beings, right?

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 Joseph's not mentioned.

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 It's believed by most people that Joseph must have died.

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 Quite a few years before this.

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 But it's just one of these...

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 You're going to see many other things here in the story

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 that just emphasize the fact that Jesus is human,

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 that it's in real time and a real place,

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 talking about things that really happen.

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 So, verse 2 again.

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 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.

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 When the wine ran out,

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 the mother of Jesus said to him,

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 they have no wine.

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 It probably means that Jesus' mom was related to the people

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 whose wedding it was.

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 In other words, Jesus had cousins.

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 And he had aunts and uncles,

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 because he's human.

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 Verse 4.

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 And Jesus said to her,

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 Woman,

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 what does this have to do with me?

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 My hour has not yet come.

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 And the language is,

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 it's not a put-down of his mom,

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 but it's a distancing language.

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 It's a polite way of speaking,

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 but it sort of is a bit of a shocking thing,

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 because usually a son would refer to his mother,

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 and there'd be some adjectives added to the word woman

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 to show closeness.

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 So it's a bit of a distancing language from his mom.

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 And in verse 5,

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 his mother said to the servants,

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 Do whatever he tells you.

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 Now, verse 6.

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 Now, there were six stone water jars there

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 for the Jewish rites of purification,

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 each holding 20 or 30 gallons.

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 And as I said,

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 that probably averages out to about 200 bottles of wine.

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 In fact,

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 I actually went looking for an image of a human being

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 standing with 200 bottles of wine,

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 but I couldn't find one.

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 And I don't have 200 bottles of wine,

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 so I couldn't take a picture of me standing with them.

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 And if I did have 200 bottles of wine,

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 you'd probably wonder about me.

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 But that's another.

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 I don't.

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 So I guess it'd be worse if I had 200 empties.

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 But anyway, verse 6.

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 Now, there were six stone water jars there

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 for the Jewish rites of purification,

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 each holding 20 or 30 gallons,

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 200 bottles of wine.

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 Jesus said to the servants,

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 Fill the jars with water.

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 And the servants filled them up to the brim.

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 And Jesus said to them,

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 Now, draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.

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 So they took it.

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 When the master of the feast tasted the water,

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 now become wine,

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 and did not know where it came from,

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 though the servants who had drawn the water knew,

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 the master of the feast called the bridegroom

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 and said to him,

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 Everyone serves the good wine first,

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 but when the people have drunk freely,

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 then the poor wine.

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 But you have kept the good wine until now.

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 Now, there's the first of his signs.

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 Jesus did it, Cana in Galilee.

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 Notice, John's making a claim.

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 This is a sign.

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 It's not just a miracle.

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 It's a sign.

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 Jesus did this.

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 He did it in a place called Cana,

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 in a place called Galilee,

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 and manifested his glory,

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 and his disciples believed in him.

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 So here's the first thing about this story

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 to see what's going on,

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 because we might not just quite grasp the full,

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 I mean, we don't grasp the significance.

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 If you could put up the first point,

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 that would be great.

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 Here's the first thing,

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 and we don't maybe notice it in the flow of the story,

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 but the fact of the matter is,

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 is that, I don't know,

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 probably some of us can give witness to miracles.

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 I have some things that I think I could say

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 were probably a miracle,

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 God acting miraculously to do something

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 that shouldn't have been able to happen.

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 But when that happens,

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 I pray to God

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 and ask him to work a miracle,

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 which God might or might not do.

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 I mean, God hears my prayer.

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 Sometimes he says yes.

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 Sometimes he says no.

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 Sometimes he says not yet.

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 But I pray to God

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 and ask God to work a miracle,

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 which he might or might not do.

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 But Jesus willed the miracle.

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 He just willed it.

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 He doesn't say a prayer.

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 He doesn't say any words.

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 He doesn't touch the water.

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 He doesn't do a religious ceremony.

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 In fact, if you think about it for a second,

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 maybe Mary was saying to Jesus,

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 Jesus, you're very religious.

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 They've run out of wine.

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 Do something.

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 And Jesus would do the typical religious thing.

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 He'd take up a collection.

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 Sorry, that joke didn't work as well

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 as I thought it would.

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 But anyway, I mean,

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 that's one of those,

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 you realize that,

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 whoa, that's right.

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 Jesus just willed it.

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 And then the other thing about it

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 is that the story

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 is emphasizing

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 that it's a real miracle.

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 Like if some of you are wondering,

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 well, George,

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 like, no, but the story emphasizes

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 it's a real miracle.

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 Like you look back at it

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 for a second here.

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 Jesus is,

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 if you look back in verse 3,

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 verse 3,

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 the wine runs out.

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 Jesus discovers

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 that the wines run out

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 when Mary tells him this.

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 And then in verse 4,

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 he says,

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 well, what am I,

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 you know,

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 my time's not come.

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 And Mary just says

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 to the servants,

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 do whatever he tells you.

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 There's no implication there

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 that Mary expects Jesus

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 to do a miracle.

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 In fact,

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 at the end of the story,

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 it basically is saying

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 that Jesus,

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 up until this point in time,

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 has never performed a miracle.

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 miracle.

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 And we don't know,

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 obviously,

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 what was going through Mary's.

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 John's just recorded

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 what Mary's actually told Jesus,

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 but I don't know,

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 maybe he just,

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 maybe she was thinking

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 he's just really competent.

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 He's always managed

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 to work things out

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 and help people

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 from embarrassing situations,

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 and he'll figure something out.

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 And then you notice here,

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 verse 6,

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 there's stone water jars.

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 It's not like there's clay

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 or something that,

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 you know,

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 is going to be keeping

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 lots of wine in them.

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 And they're there

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 for the rights of purification.

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 In other words,

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 there's stone jars

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 which are there

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 just to be used for water.

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 That's why they're there.

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 They're not used

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 for 53 different things.

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 They're just used for water.

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 And there's lots of it.

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 200 bottles of wine.

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 There's lots and lots of it.

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 And then Jesus just says

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 in verse 7,

00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:38.879
 fill the jars with water.

00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:40.500
 And then Jesus

00:11:40.500 --> 00:11:41.799
 doesn't touch the jars.

00:11:41.980 --> 00:11:43.039
 He doesn't bring the water.

00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:44.480
 He doesn't do any type of trick.

00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:46.340
 And then they even mentioned

00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:47.759
 that they filled them

00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:48.480
 to the brim.

00:11:49.160 --> 00:11:49.580
 In other words,

00:11:49.680 --> 00:11:50.720
 it isn't as if they said,

00:11:50.800 --> 00:11:50.879
 well,

00:11:50.940 --> 00:11:51.720
 they filled it

00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:52.980
 and they left like six inches

00:11:52.980 --> 00:11:53.560
 and then maybe

00:11:53.560 --> 00:11:54.379
 while everybody was

00:11:54.379 --> 00:11:55.399
 looking away,

00:11:55.560 --> 00:11:56.360
 Jesus had a couple

00:11:56.360 --> 00:11:57.759
 of really good bottles of wine,

00:11:58.259 --> 00:11:59.340
 like fortified wine,

00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:00.280
 and he poured it in

00:12:00.280 --> 00:12:01.639
 and it was able to blend up

00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:02.940
 so that it sort of

00:12:02.940 --> 00:12:04.000
 looked like weak wine.

00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:04.519
 No,

00:12:04.580 --> 00:12:05.080
 they emphasized

00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:06.240
 that it was filled

00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:07.060
 right up to the brim.

00:12:07.460 --> 00:12:08.100
 And then he says,

00:12:08.240 --> 00:12:09.019
 now draw some out

00:12:09.019 --> 00:12:10.060
 and take it to the master

00:12:10.060 --> 00:12:10.500
 of the feast.

00:12:10.580 --> 00:12:11.519
 And the implication is

00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:12.440
 is that when the servant

00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:12.920
 does this,

00:12:12.980 --> 00:12:13.340
 once again,

00:12:13.400 --> 00:12:14.400
 Jesus hasn't touched it,

00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:15.600
 that the servant

00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:16.440
 would have just looked

00:12:16.440 --> 00:12:17.220
 and it would have just

00:12:17.220 --> 00:12:18.420
 looked like water to him.

00:12:19.180 --> 00:12:19.800
 And in fact,

00:12:20.060 --> 00:12:20.879
 then it goes,

00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:21.740
 so they took it,

00:12:21.800 --> 00:12:22.639
 verse nine,

00:12:23.159 --> 00:12:23.820
 and when the master

00:12:23.820 --> 00:12:24.159
 of the feast

00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:24.840
 tasted the water

00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:25.720
 now become wine

00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:26.399
 and did not know

00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:27.399
 where it came from,

00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:29.040
 the master of the feast,

00:12:29.300 --> 00:12:29.920
 just skipping down,

00:12:30.019 --> 00:12:30.759
 called the bridegroom

00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:31.320
 and said to him,

00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:31.680
 verse 10,

00:12:31.740 --> 00:12:32.440
 everyone serves

00:12:32.440 --> 00:12:33.399
 the good wine first

00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:34.360
 and when people

00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:34.980
 have drunk freely

00:12:34.980 --> 00:12:35.740
 then the poor wine,

00:12:35.800 --> 00:12:36.340
 but you have kept

00:12:36.340 --> 00:12:37.540
 the good wine until now.

00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:38.580
 So the implication is

00:12:38.580 --> 00:12:39.840
 is that somewhere between

00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:42.200
 the person taking the ladle,

00:12:42.620 --> 00:12:43.740
 leaving the stone jars

00:12:43.740 --> 00:12:45.580
 and coming to the master

00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:46.019
 of the feast

00:12:46.019 --> 00:12:46.919
 that both the wine

00:12:46.919 --> 00:12:47.860
 and the water

00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:48.539
 and the jars

00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:49.159
 and the water

00:12:49.159 --> 00:12:49.720
 and the ladle

00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:51.799
 both had become wine

00:12:51.799 --> 00:12:53.500
 and because it's good wine

00:12:53.500 --> 00:12:54.299
 it means it really

00:12:54.299 --> 00:12:55.480
 tastes like good wine.

00:12:55.680 --> 00:12:56.960
 A lot of wine

00:12:56.960 --> 00:12:57.799
 in those days

00:12:57.799 --> 00:12:59.440
 was greatly watered down.

00:12:59.580 --> 00:13:00.139
 So whether it was

00:13:00.139 --> 00:13:01.120
 both cheap wine,

00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:02.419
 highly watered down,

00:13:02.940 --> 00:13:04.019
 which is what the master

00:13:04.019 --> 00:13:04.360
 of the feast

00:13:04.360 --> 00:13:04.899
 was expecting,

00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:05.500
 they said it tastes

00:13:05.500 --> 00:13:06.399
 like really good wine

00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:06.940
 so it couldn't have

00:13:06.940 --> 00:13:07.779
 been watered down.

00:13:08.139 --> 00:13:09.480
 Like the text emphasizes

00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:11.019
 that it's a miracle

00:13:11.019 --> 00:13:15.840
 and Jesus just wills it.

00:13:17.220 --> 00:13:19.159
 Jesus just wills it.

00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:21.600
 So some of you

00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.139
 might say

00:13:23.139 --> 00:13:25.279
 how is this possible?

00:13:25.340 --> 00:13:26.659
 I don't know if you're here

00:13:26.659 --> 00:13:27.620
 as a visitor

00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:29.639
 or maybe you've just

00:13:29.639 --> 00:13:30.560
 come out of curiosity

00:13:30.560 --> 00:13:31.700
 or you're maybe on a bit

00:13:31.700 --> 00:13:32.740
 of a religious quest

00:13:32.740 --> 00:13:33.820
 or a spiritual quest

00:13:33.820 --> 00:13:35.300
 and one of the things

00:13:35.300 --> 00:13:36.440
 that you might not know

00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:40.340
 is that there's whole legions

00:13:40.340 --> 00:13:41.600
 of Christian churches

00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:42.620
 in the first world

00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:43.240
 that don't believe

00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:44.240
 that miracles happened.

00:13:45.560 --> 00:13:46.300
 That they would just

00:13:46.300 --> 00:13:47.380
 interpret this as

00:13:47.380 --> 00:13:48.260
 I don't know what

00:13:48.260 --> 00:13:49.320
 they would interpret it as

00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:51.500
 as a sign of

00:13:51.500 --> 00:13:53.400
 the incoming of the kingdom

00:13:53.400 --> 00:13:54.940
 or just how

00:13:54.940 --> 00:13:55.520
 I mean they'd have

00:13:55.520 --> 00:13:56.480
 different ways of trying

00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:57.180
 but they don't actually

00:13:57.180 --> 00:13:58.520
 believe it's a miracle

00:13:58.520 --> 00:14:01.160
 but John has clearly

00:14:01.160 --> 00:14:02.440
 organized the story

00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:03.760
 to say this is a miracle

00:14:03.760 --> 00:14:05.360
 and it actually happened.

00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:07.460
 And so some of you

00:14:07.460 --> 00:14:09.100
 might say very reasonably

00:14:09.100 --> 00:14:10.700
 how on earth

00:14:10.700 --> 00:14:11.500
 could something like

00:14:11.500 --> 00:14:12.159
 that happen?

00:14:13.580 --> 00:14:16.259
 And how's it possible?

00:14:16.419 --> 00:14:18.180
 So here just before

00:14:18.180 --> 00:14:18.639
 I'm going to give you

00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:19.519
 three little things

00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:20.159
 about this

00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:22.259
 and here's the first thing.

00:14:24.899 --> 00:14:26.060
 One of the things

00:14:26.060 --> 00:14:27.500
 in some ways

00:14:27.500 --> 00:14:29.680
 I could validly say

00:14:29.680 --> 00:14:31.019
 that I don't

00:14:31.019 --> 00:14:31.700
 in Canada

00:14:31.700 --> 00:14:32.980
 I don't believe in God.

00:14:32.980 --> 00:14:35.639
 Some of you

00:14:35.639 --> 00:14:36.500
 who maybe came here

00:14:36.500 --> 00:14:37.279
 visiting from a

00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:38.159
 Pentecostal church

00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:38.980
 said I knew I shouldn't

00:14:38.980 --> 00:14:40.159
 come to an Anglican service

00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:41.019
 the minister doesn't

00:14:41.019 --> 00:14:41.720
 believe in God.

00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:43.779
 What I mean is

00:14:43.779 --> 00:14:44.879
 that probably

00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:46.120
 if I was to ask

00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:48.100
 the majority of Canadians

00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:49.019
 what they mean by God

00:14:49.019 --> 00:14:49.720
 I don't believe that

00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:50.300
 God exists

00:14:50.300 --> 00:14:51.539
 the way they describe God.

00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:54.379
 And I'm starting

00:14:54.379 --> 00:14:55.200
 it's starting to

00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:56.100
 dawn on me

00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:57.000
 that maybe what I have

00:14:57.000 --> 00:14:57.680
 to do when I talk

00:14:57.680 --> 00:14:58.279
 to Canadians

00:14:58.279 --> 00:14:58.899
 is saying

00:14:58.899 --> 00:14:59.980
 you know I don't believe

00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:00.940
 in the Canadian God

00:15:00.940 --> 00:15:01.760
 I only believe

00:15:01.760 --> 00:15:02.260
 in the God

00:15:02.260 --> 00:15:03.260
 that Jesus reveals.

00:15:05.900 --> 00:15:07.080
 I only believe

00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:07.580
 in the God

00:15:07.580 --> 00:15:08.740
 that Jesus reveals.

00:15:11.180 --> 00:15:12.180
 And in fact

00:15:12.180 --> 00:15:13.100
 if you go back

00:15:13.100 --> 00:15:13.920
 that's what John

00:15:13.920 --> 00:15:15.840
 says in his prologue.

00:15:15.900 --> 00:15:16.240
 In fact

00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:16.900
 in John

00:15:16.900 --> 00:15:18.060
 in those

00:15:18.060 --> 00:15:18.560
 you go back

00:15:18.560 --> 00:15:18.920
 and you look

00:15:18.920 --> 00:15:19.600
 in those verses

00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:22.520
 what John says

00:15:22.520 --> 00:15:23.380
 is that Jesus

00:15:23.380 --> 00:15:24.820
 is the exegesis

00:15:24.820 --> 00:15:25.380
 of God.

00:15:25.500 --> 00:15:26.700
 He's the one

00:15:26.700 --> 00:15:28.220
 who makes God

00:15:28.220 --> 00:15:29.060
 clear

00:15:29.060 --> 00:15:30.640
 and understandable

00:15:30.640 --> 00:15:31.460
 to people

00:15:31.460 --> 00:15:32.220
 the real God

00:15:32.220 --> 00:15:32.680
 not the

00:15:32.680 --> 00:15:33.480
 not the

00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:34.420
 not the idols

00:15:34.420 --> 00:15:36.400
 not the abstract gods

00:15:36.400 --> 00:15:37.080
 not the gods

00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:37.920
 of the philosophers

00:15:37.920 --> 00:15:38.879
 but the real God

00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:39.800
 who actually does exist

00:15:39.800 --> 00:15:40.320
 that Jesus

00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:40.980
 is going to make

00:15:40.980 --> 00:15:41.800
 this God known.

00:15:42.580 --> 00:15:44.200
 He's introducing God.

00:15:45.460 --> 00:15:46.300
 And so

00:15:46.300 --> 00:15:48.240
 I think increasingly

00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:49.160
 that what I have to say

00:15:49.160 --> 00:15:49.580
 to people

00:15:49.580 --> 00:15:50.420
 is that I don't believe

00:15:50.420 --> 00:15:50.840
 in God

00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:52.020
 as Canadians understand

00:15:52.020 --> 00:15:52.580
 but I believe

00:15:52.580 --> 00:15:53.160
 in the God

00:15:53.160 --> 00:15:54.840
 who's revealed

00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:55.940
 in Jesus.

00:15:56.700 --> 00:15:58.180
 And what

00:15:58.180 --> 00:15:59.200
 the God

00:15:59.200 --> 00:15:59.759
 who's revealed

00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:01.080
 in Jesus

00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:02.640
 what he's revealing

00:16:02.640 --> 00:16:03.120
 about God

00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:03.740
 is remember

00:16:03.740 --> 00:16:04.460
 how the

00:16:04.460 --> 00:16:05.240
 John's gospel

00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:06.280
 begins very famously

00:16:06.280 --> 00:16:06.780
 in the beginning

00:16:06.780 --> 00:16:07.400
 was the word

00:16:07.400 --> 00:16:07.879
 and the word

00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:08.520
 was with God

00:16:08.520 --> 00:16:08.900
 and the word

00:16:08.900 --> 00:16:09.580
 was God

00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:11.040
 he was in the beginning

00:16:11.040 --> 00:16:11.620
 with God

00:16:11.620 --> 00:16:12.680
 all things were made

00:16:12.680 --> 00:16:13.259
 through him

00:16:13.259 --> 00:16:13.900
 and without him

00:16:13.900 --> 00:16:14.620
 nothing was made

00:16:14.620 --> 00:16:15.280
 that was made

00:16:15.280 --> 00:16:16.660
 in him was life

00:16:16.660 --> 00:16:17.460
 and the life

00:16:17.460 --> 00:16:18.140
 was the light of men

00:16:18.140 --> 00:16:18.520
 that's how

00:16:18.520 --> 00:16:19.680
 it's introduced.

00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:20.680
 So if you could put up

00:16:20.680 --> 00:16:21.420
 the next point

00:16:21.420 --> 00:16:23.440
 here's what I would say

00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:24.140
 the second thing

00:16:24.140 --> 00:16:24.520
 is that

00:16:24.520 --> 00:16:25.940
 what Bible teaches

00:16:25.940 --> 00:16:26.560
 what Jesus

00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:27.279
 is introducing

00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:28.119
 us to God

00:16:28.119 --> 00:16:29.359
 is he's introducing

00:16:29.359 --> 00:16:30.019
 us to the fact

00:16:30.019 --> 00:16:30.539
 that God

00:16:30.539 --> 00:16:31.359
 created matter

00:16:31.359 --> 00:16:32.119
 out of nothing.

00:16:33.819 --> 00:16:35.000
 So how can miracles

00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:35.379
 happen?

00:16:35.500 --> 00:16:36.279
 Well because if you

00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:36.779
 have a God

00:16:36.779 --> 00:16:37.439
 who does exist

00:16:37.439 --> 00:16:38.159
 who created matter

00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:38.799
 out of nothing

00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:40.439
 he can change

00:16:40.439 --> 00:16:41.339
 one kind of matter

00:16:41.339 --> 00:16:41.959
 into another.

00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:44.259
 That's not a hard

00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:44.919
 thing for him.

00:16:46.379 --> 00:16:47.259
 If you can make

00:16:47.259 --> 00:16:48.259
 matter out of nothing

00:16:48.259 --> 00:16:49.739
 it's nothing

00:16:49.739 --> 00:16:50.500
 for him

00:16:50.500 --> 00:16:52.459
 I almost put that up

00:16:52.459 --> 00:16:53.279
 it's nothing

00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:53.860
 for him

00:16:53.860 --> 00:16:54.980
 to take

00:16:54.980 --> 00:16:55.620
 some matter

00:16:55.620 --> 00:16:56.539
 which he was

00:16:56.539 --> 00:16:57.039
 the inventor

00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:57.399
 of it

00:16:57.399 --> 00:16:58.019
 and turn that

00:16:58.019 --> 00:16:58.500
 matter into

00:16:58.500 --> 00:16:58.860
 a different

00:16:58.860 --> 00:16:59.519
 type of matter

00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:01.079
 turn water

00:17:01.079 --> 00:17:01.659
 into wine.

00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:04.379
 You see

00:17:04.379 --> 00:17:05.279
 and

00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:08.180
 so some of you

00:17:08.180 --> 00:17:08.500
 might say

00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:08.920
 okay George

00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:09.440
 are you saying

00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:09.940
 then that this

00:17:09.940 --> 00:17:10.460
 whole miracle

00:17:10.460 --> 00:17:11.740
 story depends

00:17:11.740 --> 00:17:12.599
 upon the God

00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:13.079
 that Jesus

00:17:13.079 --> 00:17:13.720
 is introducing

00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:15.639
 actually being

00:17:15.639 --> 00:17:16.099
 the God

00:17:16.099 --> 00:17:16.960
 who exists

00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:18.500
 and I would

00:17:18.500 --> 00:17:19.000
 say yes

00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:19.299
 in fact

00:17:19.299 --> 00:17:19.600
 I'm going to

00:17:19.600 --> 00:17:20.240
 double down

00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:20.660
 on it.

00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:22.019
 I'm going to

00:17:22.019 --> 00:17:22.680
 make it so

00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:23.299
 that the

00:17:23.299 --> 00:17:24.819
 choice is

00:17:24.819 --> 00:17:25.519
 actually seen

00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:26.579
 far more starkly.

00:17:26.660 --> 00:17:26.880
 If you could

00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:27.500
 put up the next

00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:28.720
 point that would

00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:29.279
 be great.

00:17:30.220 --> 00:17:30.559
 Oh sorry

00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:31.019
 there's a new

00:17:31.019 --> 00:17:31.240
 piece.

00:17:31.299 --> 00:17:31.799
 Go back there

00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:32.259
 a second there.

00:17:32.600 --> 00:17:32.920
 We're having

00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:33.640
 two pieces of

00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:33.900
 artwork.

00:17:34.140 --> 00:17:34.880
 The other one

00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:35.860
 I mean it sort

00:17:35.860 --> 00:17:36.279
 of looked like

00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:36.779
 it wasn't a

00:17:36.779 --> 00:17:37.519
 party did it?

00:17:37.600 --> 00:17:38.079
 I mean just

00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:38.500
 you know that

00:17:38.500 --> 00:17:39.160
 earlier piece

00:17:39.160 --> 00:17:39.579
 of artwork

00:17:39.579 --> 00:17:40.319
 it was as if

00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:41.200
 I don't know

00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:41.579
 it was as if

00:17:41.579 --> 00:17:42.220
 it was a wedding

00:17:42.220 --> 00:17:43.079
 and the bride

00:17:43.079 --> 00:17:43.380
 and groom

00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:43.960
 didn't like

00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:44.500
 each other

00:17:44.500 --> 00:17:44.980
 and they didn't

00:17:44.980 --> 00:17:45.360
 like their

00:17:45.360 --> 00:17:45.900
 family

00:17:45.900 --> 00:17:46.540
 and the two

00:17:46.540 --> 00:17:47.300
 families didn't

00:17:47.300 --> 00:17:47.840
 like each other

00:17:47.840 --> 00:17:48.560
 this is probably

00:17:48.560 --> 00:17:49.120
 more what it

00:17:49.120 --> 00:17:49.460
 looked like.

00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:49.860
 I mean maybe

00:17:49.860 --> 00:17:50.180
 it was.

00:17:50.280 --> 00:17:50.560
 I mean we've

00:17:50.560 --> 00:17:51.259
 all maybe we've

00:17:51.259 --> 00:17:51.700
 been to weddings

00:17:51.700 --> 00:17:52.259
 like that where

00:17:52.259 --> 00:17:52.840
 nobody likes

00:17:52.840 --> 00:17:53.300
 each other

00:17:53.300 --> 00:17:55.720
 and it's just

00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:56.900
 like really

00:17:56.900 --> 00:17:57.560
 interminable.

00:17:57.740 --> 00:17:58.100
 But you know

00:17:58.100 --> 00:17:58.920
 most of us hope

00:17:58.920 --> 00:17:59.500
 that if we had

00:17:59.500 --> 00:18:00.420
 a wedding I

00:18:00.420 --> 00:18:00.840
 mean I would

00:18:00.840 --> 00:18:01.300
 hope with my

00:18:01.300 --> 00:18:02.019
 kids that if

00:18:02.019 --> 00:18:02.500
 there's a wedding

00:18:02.500 --> 00:18:03.080
 that it looks

00:18:03.080 --> 00:18:04.060
 maybe a bit

00:18:04.060 --> 00:18:04.660
 more like that.

00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:05.780
 Anyway next

00:18:05.780 --> 00:18:06.420
 point Andrew

00:18:06.420 --> 00:18:08.220
 sorry only God

00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:08.880
 created all

00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:10.780
 things and

00:18:10.780 --> 00:18:11.720
 only the same

00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:13.380
 God who's

00:18:13.380 --> 00:18:13.900
 created all

00:18:13.900 --> 00:18:14.460
 things can

00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:15.880
 sustain his

00:18:15.900 --> 00:18:16.420
 creation

00:18:16.420 --> 00:18:17.040
 keep it in

00:18:17.040 --> 00:18:17.500
 existence

00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:19.220
 and only the

00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:19.960
 same God

00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:20.519
 who's created

00:18:20.519 --> 00:18:21.100
 all things

00:18:21.100 --> 00:18:21.740
 and sustains

00:18:21.740 --> 00:18:22.360
 all things

00:18:22.360 --> 00:18:23.240
 can reveal

00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:23.680
 himself.

00:18:23.940 --> 00:18:24.820
 If such a

00:18:24.820 --> 00:18:25.540
 God exists

00:18:25.540 --> 00:18:26.180
 who can create

00:18:26.180 --> 00:18:26.660
 all things

00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:27.180
 and sustain

00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:27.759
 all things

00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:29.280
 then I can't

00:18:29.280 --> 00:18:29.860
 reveal him

00:18:29.860 --> 00:18:30.660
 only he can

00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:31.600
 reveal himself

00:18:31.600 --> 00:18:33.640
 and only the

00:18:33.640 --> 00:18:34.500
 same God

00:18:34.500 --> 00:18:35.340
 can act

00:18:35.340 --> 00:18:36.160
 to redeem

00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:37.780
 his fallen

00:18:37.780 --> 00:18:39.320
 human creatures.

00:18:39.980 --> 00:18:41.019
 So what do we

00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:41.620
 see in this

00:18:41.620 --> 00:18:42.019
 story?

00:18:42.120 --> 00:18:42.680
 It's actually

00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:43.720
 quite an amazing

00:18:43.720 --> 00:18:44.300
 story.

00:18:44.299 --> 00:18:45.359
 what is being

00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:46.159
 seen in this

00:18:46.159 --> 00:18:47.500
 story is

00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:48.319
 that Jesus

00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:50.680
 wills

00:18:50.680 --> 00:18:52.680
 the changing

00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:54.399
 of one type

00:18:54.399 --> 00:18:54.919
 of matter

00:18:54.919 --> 00:18:55.779
 into another

00:18:55.779 --> 00:18:56.359
 type of

00:18:56.359 --> 00:18:56.680
 matter.

00:18:58.980 --> 00:19:00.240
 He's revealing

00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:01.159
 that he's

00:19:01.159 --> 00:19:01.539
 God.

00:19:04.059 --> 00:19:05.039
 Come to

00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:05.460
 reveal

00:19:05.460 --> 00:19:07.839
 God

00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:08.639
 himself

00:19:08.639 --> 00:19:10.700
 and reveal

00:19:10.700 --> 00:19:11.440
 the way the

00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:12.000
 world really

00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:12.720
 does work.

00:19:14.059 --> 00:19:14.620
 How

00:19:14.620 --> 00:19:16.380
 things really

00:19:16.380 --> 00:19:17.580
 exist.

00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:22.279
 Just,

00:19:22.460 --> 00:19:22.840
 you know,

00:19:24.440 --> 00:19:26.299
 just this

00:19:26.299 --> 00:19:26.820
 whole thing

00:19:26.820 --> 00:19:27.460
 about God

00:19:27.460 --> 00:19:27.799
 being the

00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:28.220
 creator of

00:19:28.220 --> 00:19:28.740
 all things,

00:19:29.059 --> 00:19:29.160
 just,

00:19:29.320 --> 00:19:30.140
 it's a whole

00:19:30.140 --> 00:19:30.759
 other sermon

00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:31.480
 but just very

00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:31.920
 briefly,

00:19:32.840 --> 00:19:33.660
 the choice

00:19:33.660 --> 00:19:34.220
 is never

00:19:34.220 --> 00:19:35.600
 between having

00:19:35.600 --> 00:19:36.600
 faith and

00:19:36.600 --> 00:19:37.180
 believing in

00:19:37.180 --> 00:19:37.779
 science.

00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:37.899
 faith.

00:19:40.139 --> 00:19:40.660
 That's

00:19:40.660 --> 00:19:41.220
 never the

00:19:41.220 --> 00:19:41.680
 choice.

00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:43.059
 People might

00:19:43.059 --> 00:19:43.700
 say that's

00:19:43.700 --> 00:19:44.099
 the choice

00:19:44.099 --> 00:19:44.480
 but it's

00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:44.899
 not the

00:19:44.899 --> 00:19:45.240
 choice.

00:19:45.379 --> 00:19:46.079
 The choice

00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:47.299
 is never

00:19:47.299 --> 00:19:48.299
 between science

00:19:48.299 --> 00:19:48.819
 and faith.

00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:49.399
 The choice

00:19:49.399 --> 00:19:50.000
 is between

00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:50.779
 two different

00:19:50.779 --> 00:19:51.559
 philosophies

00:19:51.559 --> 00:19:52.440
 to understand

00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:53.339
 the science.

00:19:55.700 --> 00:19:56.420
 And in

00:19:56.420 --> 00:19:57.819
 one type

00:19:57.819 --> 00:19:59.099
 of philosophy

00:19:59.099 --> 00:19:59.859
 to understand

00:19:59.859 --> 00:20:00.599
 the science,

00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:02.359
 what ultimately

00:20:02.359 --> 00:20:03.240
 exists is a

00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:03.539
 what?

00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:05.379
 Just matter,

00:20:05.539 --> 00:20:06.119
 just energy,

00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:06.859
 just time,

00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:07.660
 just chance.

00:20:08.359 --> 00:20:08.839
 Just how

00:20:08.839 --> 00:20:09.279
 matter and

00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:09.980
 energy works

00:20:09.980 --> 00:20:10.420
 because of

00:20:10.420 --> 00:20:10.599
 the way

00:20:10.599 --> 00:20:11.019
 matter and

00:20:11.019 --> 00:20:11.680
 energy is.

00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:12.779
 And the

00:20:12.779 --> 00:20:13.440
 other philosophy,

00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:14.359
 the only rival

00:20:14.359 --> 00:20:14.940
 in all the

00:20:14.940 --> 00:20:15.539
 world is the

00:20:15.539 --> 00:20:16.339
 Christian story,

00:20:16.460 --> 00:20:16.759
 is in the

00:20:16.759 --> 00:20:17.200
 beginning was

00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:17.599
 the word,

00:20:17.660 --> 00:20:18.019
 and the word

00:20:18.019 --> 00:20:18.440
 was with

00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:18.680
 God,

00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:19.059
 and the word

00:20:19.059 --> 00:20:19.639
 was God,

00:20:19.700 --> 00:20:20.059
 he was in

00:20:20.059 --> 00:20:20.379
 the beginning

00:20:20.379 --> 00:20:20.859
 with God,

00:20:20.920 --> 00:20:21.460
 all things

00:20:21.460 --> 00:20:21.879
 were made

00:20:21.879 --> 00:20:22.519
 through him,

00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:23.180
 and without

00:20:23.180 --> 00:20:23.660
 him nothing

00:20:23.660 --> 00:20:24.059
 was made

00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:24.279
 that was

00:20:24.279 --> 00:20:24.399
 made.

00:20:24.420 --> 00:20:24.720
 That's the

00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:25.579
 only option

00:20:25.579 --> 00:20:26.559
 to the

00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:27.079
 philosophy,

00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:29.019
 that there's

00:20:29.019 --> 00:20:29.660
 only time

00:20:29.660 --> 00:20:30.339
 and chance.

00:20:30.899 --> 00:20:31.119
 And in

00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:32.799
 that understanding,

00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:34.000
 it's a

00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:35.899
 who that is

00:20:35.899 --> 00:20:36.440
 created and

00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:37.000
 designed all

00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:37.480
 things.

00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:38.940
 Now,

00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:39.240
 just,

00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:39.819
 we're going

00:20:39.819 --> 00:20:40.039
 to move

00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:40.359
 on with

00:20:40.359 --> 00:20:40.559
 this.

00:20:41.019 --> 00:20:41.200
 Just,

00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:43.000
 here's the

00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:43.180
 thing,

00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:43.660
 this is,

00:20:43.799 --> 00:20:44.039
 you know,

00:20:44.680 --> 00:20:45.039
 one of the

00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:45.660
 things I pray

00:20:45.660 --> 00:20:46.279
 every week as

00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:46.819
 I'm working on

00:20:46.819 --> 00:20:47.279
 my sermon,

00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:57.059
 I pray that God

00:20:57.059 --> 00:20:57.839
 will speak to my

00:20:57.839 --> 00:20:58.139
 heart.

00:21:00.139 --> 00:21:00.399
 Like,

00:21:00.460 --> 00:21:01.000
 this isn't just

00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:01.579
 something where I

00:21:01.579 --> 00:21:02.039
 could come up

00:21:02.039 --> 00:21:02.579
 with some really

00:21:02.579 --> 00:21:03.859
 cool ideas and

00:21:03.859 --> 00:21:04.799
 share it with

00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:04.980
 you.

00:21:05.139 --> 00:21:05.680
 And the way

00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:06.440
 that God really

00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:07.139
 spoke to my

00:21:07.139 --> 00:21:07.299
 heart,

00:21:07.399 --> 00:21:07.940
 this has been a

00:21:07.940 --> 00:21:08.359
 constant,

00:21:08.539 --> 00:21:09.180
 this has been a

00:21:09.180 --> 00:21:09.839
 big issue in

00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:10.299
 my life,

00:21:10.779 --> 00:21:11.220
 especially,

00:21:11.740 --> 00:21:12.440
 I've become more

00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:13.420
 conscious of it as a

00:21:13.420 --> 00:21:14.139
 big issue in my

00:21:14.140 --> 00:21:14.860
 life over the last

00:21:14.860 --> 00:21:15.240
 few years.

00:21:15.340 --> 00:21:15.440
 But,

00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:16.160
 you know what,

00:21:16.200 --> 00:21:17.740
 if this story is

00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:18.180
 true,

00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:20.580
 then the world is

00:21:20.580 --> 00:21:21.440
 different than most

00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:22.800
 people understand and

00:21:22.800 --> 00:21:23.220
 believe.

00:21:23.900 --> 00:21:25.100
 If this is true,

00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:26.280
 if there really is a

00:21:26.280 --> 00:21:27.520
 God who does exist,

00:21:28.120 --> 00:21:29.280
 who created all things

00:21:29.280 --> 00:21:30.120
 and sustained all

00:21:30.120 --> 00:21:31.120
 things and contained

00:21:31.120 --> 00:21:32.640
 water into wine,

00:21:33.220 --> 00:21:34.160
 then the fact of the

00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:34.600
 matter is,

00:21:34.660 --> 00:21:35.420
 is that one of the

00:21:35.420 --> 00:21:36.720
 besetting problems I

00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:38.140
 have is it's easy for

00:21:38.140 --> 00:21:39.120
 me to slip into

00:21:39.120 --> 00:21:40.500
 living my life as if,

00:21:40.500 --> 00:21:42.779
 as if God is small

00:21:42.779 --> 00:21:44.240
 and everything else

00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:44.880
 is big.

00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:48.740
 But if this story is

00:21:48.740 --> 00:21:49.180
 true,

00:21:50.059 --> 00:21:51.720
 then I need to call

00:21:51.720 --> 00:21:52.819
 out to God and ask

00:21:52.819 --> 00:21:53.779
 him to work in my

00:21:53.779 --> 00:21:54.720
 life so that I start

00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:55.900
 to understand that God

00:21:55.900 --> 00:21:56.920
 is big and everything

00:21:56.920 --> 00:21:57.960
 I face is small.

00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:01.759
 Everything I face is

00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:02.859
 small because the God

00:22:02.859 --> 00:22:04.420
 who does exist creates

00:22:04.420 --> 00:22:05.960
 planets, changes human

00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:06.839
 history and changes

00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:07.660
 human lives.

00:22:10.500 --> 00:22:13.779
 Now, some of you

00:22:13.779 --> 00:22:14.079
 might say,

00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:14.599
 okay, George,

00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:15.400
 that's all very,

00:22:15.460 --> 00:22:16.079
 very, very, very

00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:16.519
 interesting.

00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:18.019
 But you hooked us at

00:22:18.019 --> 00:22:18.680
 the beginning by

00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:19.680
 talking about people

00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:20.480
 who are same-sex

00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:24.400
 attracted and whether

00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:28.119
 the Bible, if the

00:22:28.119 --> 00:22:29.140
 Bible is to believe

00:22:29.140 --> 00:22:31.279
 God is condemning

00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:33.079
 those who are same-sex

00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:34.299
 attracted to a life of

00:22:34.299 --> 00:22:35.160
 loneliness because

00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:35.900
 they're not allowed to

00:22:35.900 --> 00:22:36.160
 marry.

00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:39.180
 And George, did you

00:22:39.180 --> 00:22:40.000
 just sort of do that

00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:41.220
 like a bit of a cheesy

00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:42.200
 type of thing to get

00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:43.119
 our attention and now

00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:43.640
 you're going to just

00:22:43.640 --> 00:22:44.500
 ignore it and hope we

00:22:44.500 --> 00:22:45.460
 forgot how you began?

00:22:46.440 --> 00:22:47.180
 Not at all.

00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:49.859
 Not that I'm opposed to

00:22:49.859 --> 00:22:51.519
 being cheesy sometimes.

00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:56.880
 But, well, let's think

00:22:56.880 --> 00:22:58.059
 about this story for a

00:22:58.059 --> 00:22:58.660
 second because it

00:22:58.660 --> 00:22:59.619
 actually has something

00:22:59.619 --> 00:23:00.539
 which does directly

00:23:00.539 --> 00:23:01.880
 connect to this and

00:23:01.880 --> 00:23:03.019
 about the issues of

00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:03.940
 holiness.

00:23:05.180 --> 00:23:06.140
 One of the things that

00:23:06.140 --> 00:23:07.940
 this story shows is

00:23:07.940 --> 00:23:08.700
 that religion is

00:23:08.700 --> 00:23:09.480
 usually wrong.

00:23:10.779 --> 00:23:11.640
 Why is religion

00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:12.400
 usually wrong?

00:23:12.680 --> 00:23:13.319
 Okay, if you could put

00:23:13.319 --> 00:23:14.000
 up the next point,

00:23:14.100 --> 00:23:15.120
 Andrew, think about it

00:23:15.120 --> 00:23:15.580
 for a second.

00:23:15.740 --> 00:23:16.380
 If it was up to

00:23:16.380 --> 00:23:18.200
 religion, Jesus would

00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:18.900
 have turned the wine

00:23:18.900 --> 00:23:19.519
 into water.

00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:22.880
 Now, why are you

00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:23.940
 saying, some of you

00:23:23.940 --> 00:23:24.519
 might say, no, no.

00:23:25.140 --> 00:23:26.380
 Actually, I mean, the

00:23:26.380 --> 00:23:27.000
 story could have gone

00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:27.580
 very differently.

00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:28.299
 Couldn't you just think

00:23:28.299 --> 00:23:28.600
 about it?

00:23:28.600 --> 00:23:29.360
 If there's a whole pile

00:23:29.360 --> 00:23:30.640
 of really holy people,

00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:32.400
 whether they were, you

00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:33.759
 know, think about it

00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:34.039
 for a second.

00:23:34.180 --> 00:23:35.140
 Sean Turner did a

00:23:35.140 --> 00:23:36.259
 great sermon a couple

00:23:36.259 --> 00:23:37.160
 of weeks ago talking

00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:38.279
 about how the normal

00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:39.160
 way that we think

00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:39.980
 about things in the

00:23:39.980 --> 00:23:41.060
 world and religion is

00:23:41.060 --> 00:23:42.120
 that, you know, first

00:23:42.120 --> 00:23:42.759
 you have a time of

00:23:42.759 --> 00:23:43.820
 purification, then you

00:23:43.820 --> 00:23:44.400
 have a time of

00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:45.279
 illumination, then you

00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:46.340
 finally have union with

00:23:46.340 --> 00:23:47.040
 God, and the Bible

00:23:47.040 --> 00:23:48.540
 completely rejects that.

00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:50.060
 And you think about it

00:23:50.060 --> 00:23:50.460
 for a second.

00:23:50.580 --> 00:23:51.420
 In fact, when I was

00:23:51.420 --> 00:23:52.080
 looking for some of the

00:23:52.080 --> 00:23:53.460
 artwork, I was trying to

00:23:53.460 --> 00:23:54.560
 look for the source from

00:23:54.560 --> 00:23:54.640
 it.

00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:56.180
 It was a Christian

00:23:56.180 --> 00:23:57.480
 source about holiness,

00:23:57.880 --> 00:23:59.500
 and every picture of the

00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:00.100
 people who were

00:24:00.100 --> 00:24:02.019
 pursuing holiness looked

00:24:02.019 --> 00:24:03.759
 as if they had almost

00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:05.980
 looked as if they'd been

00:24:05.980 --> 00:24:07.519
 starving themselves for the

00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:08.819
 last 15 years of their

00:24:08.819 --> 00:24:09.140
 lives.

00:24:09.339 --> 00:24:10.680
 I mean, they made skinny

00:24:10.680 --> 00:24:11.779
 people look fat.

00:24:12.339 --> 00:24:13.640
 They looked completely and

00:24:13.640 --> 00:24:15.380
 utterly emaciated, and

00:24:15.380 --> 00:24:17.740
 they looked as if they had

00:24:17.740 --> 00:24:19.200
 diarrhea and were eating

00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:19.839
 prunes.

00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:22.640
 They looked really

00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:23.299
 ascetic.

00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:24.360
 But if you think about it

00:24:24.360 --> 00:24:25.360
 for a second, that's not

00:24:25.360 --> 00:24:27.200
 just how many Christians

00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:28.779
 portray holy people.

00:24:29.240 --> 00:24:30.360
 That's how Muslims

00:24:30.360 --> 00:24:31.400
 portray holy people.

00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:32.259
 That's how Buddhists

00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:33.180
 portray holy people.

00:24:33.180 --> 00:24:34.519
 That's how Hindus portray

00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:35.180
 holy people.

00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:37.019
 And that's how most of our

00:24:37.019 --> 00:24:38.519
 friends who hate religion

00:24:38.519 --> 00:24:40.000
 portray holy people, because

00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:41.840
 they think, do I really want

00:24:41.840 --> 00:24:42.980
 to look like I'm living on a

00:24:42.980 --> 00:24:44.700
 diet of prunes, and I've just

00:24:44.700 --> 00:24:45.940
 smelled a bad smell?

00:24:46.299 --> 00:24:46.779
 No.

00:24:48.180 --> 00:24:49.660
 What we want to do is watch

00:24:49.660 --> 00:24:51.160
 football and call up, could you

00:24:51.160 --> 00:24:52.720
 bring down more chips and more

00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:53.140
 beer?

00:24:56.019 --> 00:24:57.519
 Like, compared to looking like

00:24:57.519 --> 00:24:59.580
 that and watching a football

00:24:59.580 --> 00:25:02.279
 game with some chips and beer, a lot

00:25:02.279 --> 00:25:03.680
 of people in our culture say, I'm

00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:05.000
 choosing the chips and beer.

00:25:05.660 --> 00:25:06.720
 And then, of course, they do the

00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:08.420
 yoga and the Pilates and diet and

00:25:08.420 --> 00:25:09.680
 all that stuff to try to keep

00:25:09.680 --> 00:25:10.440
 their slim physique.

00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:11.619
 But that's a separate matter.

00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:13.599
 So you could easily see that if

00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:14.839
 religious people were giving

00:25:14.839 --> 00:25:16.440
 Jesus advice about how to work

00:25:16.440 --> 00:25:17.680
 this, it would go like this.

00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:20.119
 Mary comes to Jesus and says,

00:25:20.259 --> 00:25:21.500
 Jesus, there's a problem.

00:25:22.420 --> 00:25:23.660
 They've run out of wine.

00:25:24.220 --> 00:25:25.660
 And Jesus says, I know.

00:25:25.819 --> 00:25:27.440
 I turned all the wine into water.

00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:32.279
 And the religious people would be

00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:33.080
 very satisfied.

00:25:33.259 --> 00:25:34.640
 Yes, because, of course, real

00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:36.000
 holiness means to be very

00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:38.960
 ascetic, is to deny yourself.

00:25:39.140 --> 00:25:41.660
 That's what real holiness is.

00:25:42.660 --> 00:25:44.880
 But Jesus, could you put up the

00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:45.180
 picture?

00:25:48.779 --> 00:25:50.220
 Jesus, I mean, that's not a really

00:25:50.220 --> 00:25:50.880
 great picture.

00:25:51.100 --> 00:25:52.360
 One of you folks, maybe later on,

00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:53.559
 will want to draw a better picture

00:25:53.559 --> 00:25:54.880
 or paint a better picture, and we

00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:56.320
 can use it next time we preach on

00:25:56.319 --> 00:25:56.539
 this.

00:25:57.139 --> 00:25:58.039
 It's a party.

00:26:00.339 --> 00:26:04.579
 Jesus turned the water into wine.

00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:11.500
 And Jesus is introducing God.

00:26:12.279 --> 00:26:15.139
 And he's introducing God as the

00:26:15.139 --> 00:26:18.720
 source of pleasure and joy.

00:26:18.819 --> 00:26:20.039
 If you could put up the next point,

00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:21.579
 it's all I've done is just quoted

00:26:21.579 --> 00:26:23.099
 Psalm 16, verse 11.

00:26:23.939 --> 00:26:26.220
 You make known to me the path of

00:26:26.220 --> 00:26:26.660
 life.

00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:29.259
 In your presence there is fullness

00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:30.059
 of joy.

00:26:30.600 --> 00:26:33.299
 At your right hand are pleasures

00:26:33.299 --> 00:26:34.900
 forevermore.

00:26:34.900 --> 00:26:41.220
 You, the psalmist, is speaking to God.

00:26:42.019 --> 00:26:43.880
 And in fact, if you go back and see

00:26:43.880 --> 00:26:46.040
 Psalm 16, it's the culmination, it's

00:26:46.040 --> 00:26:46.980
 the end of the psalm.

00:26:47.060 --> 00:26:48.560
 It's the high point of the psalm.

00:26:48.680 --> 00:26:50.860
 It's the whole psalm is moving to this

00:26:50.860 --> 00:26:53.280
 declaration by the person who comes to

00:26:53.280 --> 00:26:54.340
 realize who is God.

00:26:54.840 --> 00:26:57.120
 God makes known to me the path of life.

00:26:57.640 --> 00:27:00.660
 God, in your presence, there is fullness

00:27:00.660 --> 00:27:01.200
 joy.

00:27:01.400 --> 00:27:04.640
 God, in your presence, are pleasures

00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:05.500
 forevermore.

00:27:05.740 --> 00:27:06.920
 This is the true God.

00:27:07.040 --> 00:27:07.900
 This is the real God.

00:27:08.040 --> 00:27:11.040
 This is the God that Jesus reveals.

00:27:11.039 --> 00:27:14.899
 And it's really interesting, as we'll see

00:27:14.899 --> 00:27:16.659
 in a moment, this is the first sign.

00:27:16.740 --> 00:27:18.159
 This is the foundation sign.

00:27:18.279 --> 00:27:21.039
 This is the ABC sign.

00:27:21.159 --> 00:27:23.159
 This is the beginning grammar sign.

00:27:23.160 --> 00:27:27.180
 This is the way that God, that himself, in

00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:29.100
 the person of his son, wants to introduce

00:27:29.100 --> 00:27:31.100
 himself to human beings by his first

00:27:31.100 --> 00:27:31.500
 miracle.

00:27:32.200 --> 00:27:34.620
 That, folks, you got it all wrong.

00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:36.800
 The devil did not create joy.

00:27:36.980 --> 00:27:39.019
 The devil did not create pleasure.

00:27:40.820 --> 00:27:43.240
 You know, in fact, what this text is

00:27:43.240 --> 00:27:47.100
 telling us is that, amongst other things,

00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:51.519
 is that God created a world where wine

00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:53.200
 could be invented and enjoyed.

00:27:54.379 --> 00:27:58.759
 Sin created drunkenness and alcoholism.

00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:03.000
 God didn't create drunkenness and alcoholism.

00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:05.079
 Sin created that.

00:28:05.900 --> 00:28:08.759
 But he made a world where there's pleasure

00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:10.180
 and where there's joy.

00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:12.700
 So how does this affect this whole issue

00:28:12.700 --> 00:28:13.619
 of the same-sex marriage?

00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:15.059
 You see, the fact of the matter is,

00:28:15.420 --> 00:28:17.200
 is that in our hearts of hearts,

00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:20.840
 we expect that to be really religious,

00:28:21.559 --> 00:28:23.880
 we expect, you see, there's a big part of us

00:28:23.880 --> 00:28:25.860
 that expects that God is the one who takes

00:28:25.860 --> 00:28:28.299
 away joy, that God is the one who takes

00:28:28.299 --> 00:28:31.140
 away pleasure, that really, really, God

00:28:31.140 --> 00:28:33.960
 would love me far more if I was about 50 pounds

00:28:33.960 --> 00:28:35.920
 lighter and I looked really emaciated

00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:39.580
 and I fasted four times a week and I hardly

00:28:39.580 --> 00:28:41.880
 got any sleep because I was up praying all the

00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:44.600
 time and I was wearing rags because I gave

00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:46.419
 all of my money away and if I was doing that,

00:28:46.500 --> 00:28:48.319
 then God would really love me a lot more

00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:50.619
 and in my heart of hearts, that's what I believe.

00:28:50.959 --> 00:28:52.779
 And so in my heart of hearts, when it comes

00:28:52.779 --> 00:28:55.519
 to issues of holiness, we think, yes,

00:28:55.939 --> 00:28:58.439
 that person's worries about somebody is

00:28:58.439 --> 00:28:59.799
 completely and utterly correct.

00:29:00.159 --> 00:29:01.399
 God takes pleasure away.

00:29:01.659 --> 00:29:02.799
 He takes joy away.

00:29:03.059 --> 00:29:04.919
 And this God who takes pleasure away and he

00:29:04.919 --> 00:29:07.839
 takes joy away, yes, he allows some people

00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:10.379
 to get married and now God's not allowing that

00:29:10.379 --> 00:29:12.279
 person to get married and all they're going

00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:15.160
 to be stuck with is a life of loneliness and

00:29:15.160 --> 00:29:18.440
 water, a life of no pleasure whatsoever.

00:29:19.740 --> 00:29:21.639
 Because that's what God is like.

00:29:22.220 --> 00:29:24.059
 And that's why it's so important for all of us.

00:29:24.180 --> 00:29:26.899
 It's what why might God suggest that we have

00:29:26.899 --> 00:29:27.339
 to tithe?

00:29:27.460 --> 00:29:29.180
 Well, at the end of the day, God doesn't like

00:29:29.180 --> 00:29:30.240
 you enjoying your money.

00:29:30.319 --> 00:29:32.339
 He doesn't want you to ever have pleasure.

00:29:32.859 --> 00:29:34.399
 You know, why is it that God wants you to

00:29:34.399 --> 00:29:34.799
 go to church?

00:29:34.879 --> 00:29:36.779
 Well, because he wants to ruin your Sundays.

00:29:36.920 --> 00:29:38.519
 He wants to ruin your weekends.

00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:41.160
 He takes your pleasures away from you.

00:29:41.160 --> 00:29:42.840
 Why do you want to read God's word?

00:29:42.920 --> 00:29:45.980
 Well, because it's boring and God wants to

00:29:45.980 --> 00:29:48.460
 bore you and he wants to tell you irrelevant

00:29:48.460 --> 00:29:50.279
 things and impossible things to accomplish.

00:29:50.440 --> 00:29:50.640
 Why?

00:29:50.759 --> 00:29:53.500
 Because in our heart of hearts, we worry that

00:29:53.500 --> 00:29:54.500
 God is like that.

00:29:54.600 --> 00:29:59.440
 We worry that he is not the one whose path

00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:00.800
 will lead us to life.

00:30:02.140 --> 00:30:04.300
 And that in his presence, there is the

00:30:04.300 --> 00:30:07.480
 fullness of joy and in his right hand, there

00:30:07.480 --> 00:30:09.180
 are pleasures forevermore.

00:30:09.180 --> 00:30:14.560
 And we don't believe in our heart of hearts

00:30:14.560 --> 00:30:16.820
 that the same God who created all things and

00:30:16.820 --> 00:30:18.960
 understands why things are created and

00:30:18.960 --> 00:30:21.240
 understands where our pleasure buttons and our

00:30:21.240 --> 00:30:23.600
 joy buttons are, that the same God who created

00:30:23.600 --> 00:30:25.880
 all things is also the one who has now come to

00:30:25.880 --> 00:30:30.039
 redeem us, to bring us back to the God in whose

00:30:30.039 --> 00:30:32.100
 presence there is a fullness of joy and at

00:30:32.100 --> 00:30:34.120
 right whose right hand is pleasures forevermore.

00:30:34.200 --> 00:30:36.799
 That in fact, in the new heaven and the new earth,

00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:38.940
 when Jesus comes a second time and there's the

00:30:38.940 --> 00:30:40.399
 judgment of the living and the dead and there's

00:30:40.399 --> 00:30:46.159
 the new heaven and the new earth, that the rumor

00:30:46.159 --> 00:30:55.180
 of a sniff of a distant smell of the pleasures of the

00:30:55.180 --> 00:30:59.019
 new heaven and the new earth would so overwhelm us, it

00:30:59.019 --> 00:31:02.799
 would destroy our minds and our bodies and our wills.

00:31:02.799 --> 00:31:07.019
 Because in the new heaven and the new earth, there will be joy and

00:31:07.019 --> 00:31:11.799
 pleasures that this fallen mortal body right now cannot

00:31:11.799 --> 00:31:15.279
 possibly enjoy without being unmade.

00:31:15.279 --> 00:31:20.500
 And when Jesus comes a second time and there is the, there is the

00:31:20.500 --> 00:31:24.539
 judging of the living and the dead and God says, come into my

00:31:24.539 --> 00:31:28.399
 kingdom, my well-beloved son, George, you are clothed in the

00:31:28.399 --> 00:31:29.519
 righteousness of Christ.

00:31:29.859 --> 00:31:33.039
 The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world has taken away

00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:33.680
 your sin.

00:31:34.079 --> 00:31:35.259
 The time has come.

00:31:35.339 --> 00:31:37.740
 The shadow lands are far gone.

00:31:38.119 --> 00:31:42.059
 You now will have your resurrection body come into this new heaven and

00:31:42.059 --> 00:31:42.639
 this new earth.

00:31:42.639 --> 00:31:47.259
 You will be like my son, Jesus, in terms of his resurrected body.

00:31:47.500 --> 00:31:53.159
 And I will enter into an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

00:31:53.740 --> 00:31:58.720
 And so my brothers and sisters, my friends, my seekers, so will you.

00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:03.879
 So will you.

00:32:03.880 --> 00:32:18.360
 Now some of you might say, George, um, well, but just, just one other thing.

00:32:18.500 --> 00:32:19.660
 I was, yeah, I have a few minutes.

00:32:19.780 --> 00:32:20.740
 Just one more thing before going.

00:32:21.140 --> 00:32:24.120
 See, the way to understand this story amongst other things is this.

00:32:25.620 --> 00:32:31.000
 So the, the guy who's organizing the wine, uh, the master of the ceremony, he

00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:32.039
 knows how life works.

00:32:32.980 --> 00:32:37.859
 He knows you blow your wad on a couple of good bottles of wine you have right at

00:32:37.859 --> 00:32:41.440
 first, and then you just keep getting cheaper and cheaper, and then you add

00:32:41.440 --> 00:32:44.960
 water, and it gets more and more watered down as, as the celebration goes on for

00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:45.819
 two or three days.

00:32:46.140 --> 00:32:49.359
 So you can well imagine that the guy who's organizing the wedding, he doesn't

00:32:49.359 --> 00:32:50.180
 know what's going on.

00:32:50.240 --> 00:32:51.500
 He doesn't know that the wine's run out.

00:32:51.799 --> 00:32:56.140
 He sees the servant coming with some wine to taste, and you can just picture him

00:32:56.140 --> 00:33:00.240
 going, oh, gosh, I have to taste this?

00:33:01.620 --> 00:33:03.759
 It's probably going to be really bad.

00:33:04.120 --> 00:33:05.680
 Like, this isn't a very rich couple?

00:33:06.780 --> 00:33:12.180
 And he's sort of bracing himself to, to drink something, and he takes, and he takes a sip,

00:33:12.420 --> 00:33:15.060
 and there'd probably be the look of shock on his face.

00:33:17.259 --> 00:33:24.680
 And then he takes a second sip, and it would be, wow, is this ever a good wine?

00:33:24.680 --> 00:33:31.060
 God, you know, our pleasures and our joys, they're disordered.

00:33:31.320 --> 00:33:32.860
 They need to be healed by God.

00:33:33.860 --> 00:33:39.759
 But friends, brothers and sisters, you know, if this afternoon you get a spectacular piece

00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:46.299
 of firm tofu, and that's what turns your crank, be grateful.

00:33:47.080 --> 00:33:49.120
 Say, God, thank you so much for making this.

00:33:49.539 --> 00:33:53.720
 You know, if it's a piece of nice big steak, a mousse steak, and you get to slice into it

00:33:53.720 --> 00:33:57.620
 with your fork and knife and put it in your mouth, and don't feel guilty.

00:33:58.640 --> 00:34:00.700
 Say, oh, God, thank you so much.

00:34:00.860 --> 00:34:04.960
 There is a world where there are pleasures like this.

00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:11.059
 Now, some of you might push back and say, George, okay, you say that, and that's good,

00:34:11.099 --> 00:34:14.880
 and I know your time's almost run out, but George, I don't know if that's, if, I don't

00:34:14.880 --> 00:34:19.019
 know if you've really been fair to the Bible stories there, because, George, the very next

00:34:19.019 --> 00:34:22.259
 story that takes place is Jesus driving people out of the market.

00:34:22.820 --> 00:34:25.780
 Now, George, I know maybe you're going to tell me there's something different culturally

00:34:25.780 --> 00:34:29.199
 about that, but generally, George, I love going to markets.

00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:32.360
 Like, markets are often fun.

00:34:33.420 --> 00:34:37.679
 Like, George, have you ever been to some of the markets, like in Halifax, on the waterfront,

00:34:37.759 --> 00:34:42.360
 and you go in there, and there's all these really great foods, and there's great things

00:34:42.360 --> 00:34:46.920
 to buy, and people are relaxed, and, you know, the water's there, and, you know, George,

00:34:46.980 --> 00:34:50.840
 have you been to the market on a really good day here in Ottawa, and, yeah, I know there

00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:53.519
 can be, you know, it can be a bit crowded and all that, but, you know, there's just a

00:34:53.519 --> 00:34:56.960
 sense of life and bustle, and Jesus goes and ruins it all.

00:34:57.700 --> 00:34:59.920
 Like, George, are you being consistent with what you say?

00:34:59.960 --> 00:35:00.579
 Well, let's look.

00:35:01.640 --> 00:35:04.079
 Let's look at what goes on here very briefly in closing.

00:35:04.640 --> 00:35:06.780
 It's a page, it's verse 13.

00:35:06.780 --> 00:35:13.000
 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and the temple

00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:17.900
 he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons and money changers sitting there,

00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:23.600
 and making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and oxen,

00:35:23.620 --> 00:35:28.180
 and he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and he told those

00:35:28.180 --> 00:35:34.300
 who sold the pigeons, take these things away, do not make my father's house a house of trade.

00:35:34.300 --> 00:35:39.400
 His disciples remembered that it was written, zeal for your house will consume me.

00:35:40.280 --> 00:35:42.960
 So, is Jesus here taking away fun?

00:35:43.060 --> 00:35:45.700
 No, he's introducing God in another way.

00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:49.080
 He's introducing God in another way.

00:35:50.860 --> 00:35:53.080
 That's a pretty amazing picture up there, eh?

00:35:54.080 --> 00:35:56.080
 There's Jesus over there with his whip.

00:35:57.480 --> 00:35:59.820
 He's introducing God in a different way.

00:36:01.680 --> 00:36:03.620
 Andrew, if you could put up the next point.

00:36:03.619 --> 00:36:08.299
 Remember that in last week, we talked about how the way that God begins to introduce himself

00:36:08.299 --> 00:36:13.940
 is by having Jesus be described as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:18.880
 And here we see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

00:36:19.339 --> 00:36:23.920
 He drives out all who keep pagans from coming to him.

00:36:25.699 --> 00:36:28.000
 See, because that's what's going on here in the story,

00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:31.019
 is that when Herod made his temple,

00:36:31.019 --> 00:36:33.639
 one of the things is that after the Babylonian,

00:36:33.719 --> 00:36:40.139
 after Jerusalem was destroyed in the 500s BCs,

00:36:40.559 --> 00:36:42.219
 the Jewish people were scattered.

00:36:42.599 --> 00:36:45.820
 And one of the byproducts of that is that many people who are pagans

00:36:45.820 --> 00:36:50.599
 started to become enchanted with the idea, with the God of Israel.

00:36:50.599 --> 00:36:52.920
 And they became God-fearers.

00:36:53.460 --> 00:36:56.920
 And for many of them, they didn't want to go the full distance of becoming Jews.

00:36:57.579 --> 00:36:58.480
 Let me just be honest.

00:36:58.539 --> 00:37:01.559
 If at my age, I want to become Jewish, I had to be circumcised.

00:37:02.259 --> 00:37:04.739
 I would think really long and hard about that.

00:37:05.960 --> 00:37:07.699
 Like, beyond long and hard.

00:37:07.860 --> 00:37:09.779
 In fact, if there was a God-fearer option,

00:37:10.319 --> 00:37:12.339
 that's what I would choose.

00:37:12.760 --> 00:37:15.059
 I know I'm not very holy, not very ascetic.

00:37:15.160 --> 00:37:17.019
 I just said I like beef and all that stuff.

00:37:17.480 --> 00:37:21.100
 But I would choose the non-circumcised route for me.

00:37:22.180 --> 00:37:26.140
 And so when Herod rebuilds the temple,

00:37:26.860 --> 00:37:28.780
 mindful of all of the Jewish scriptures,

00:37:29.180 --> 00:37:30.760
 the Old Testament scriptures,

00:37:30.900 --> 00:37:33.200
 that God wants the nations to come and worship them,

00:37:33.260 --> 00:37:35.079
 that the pagans are to know worship them,

00:37:35.079 --> 00:37:39.180
 he creates this whole area as part of the temple grounds,

00:37:39.300 --> 00:37:40.400
 but not the temple itself,

00:37:40.539 --> 00:37:42.280
 where pagans could come and pray.

00:37:43.340 --> 00:37:47.340
 They can't enter the actual temple building itself,

00:37:47.380 --> 00:37:48.900
 but they could come to pray.

00:37:49.019 --> 00:37:51.660
 And that's what was completely and utterly filled with animals

00:37:51.660 --> 00:37:53.400
 and money changers.

00:37:54.340 --> 00:37:56.880
 The pagans couldn't come to pray.

00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:04.280
 And so what we see here isn't that Jesus is a killjoy,

00:38:05.160 --> 00:38:08.440
 but we see that the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

00:38:08.440 --> 00:38:13.119
 drives out all who keep pagans from coming to him.

00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:15.800
 We see the loving heart of God.

00:38:16.559 --> 00:38:20.460
 It's why, you know, in a couple of weeks' time,

00:38:20.519 --> 00:38:22.480
 we're going to say Jeremy and Kendra,

00:38:22.539 --> 00:38:25.559
 who left our congregation to be missionaries in Zambia,

00:38:25.619 --> 00:38:26.480
 they're with us today,

00:38:26.599 --> 00:38:28.679
 but we're going to have early March.

00:38:28.720 --> 00:38:31.420
 We're going to have more times for us to spend about it.

00:38:31.420 --> 00:38:33.940
 But why do they leave here to go to Zambia?

00:38:34.059 --> 00:38:34.320
 Why?

00:38:34.440 --> 00:38:37.159
 Well, because there's Zambians that God wants to come

00:38:37.159 --> 00:38:39.039
 into a personal knowledge of himself.

00:38:40.039 --> 00:38:44.280
 Why is it that maybe in February,

00:38:44.519 --> 00:38:47.320
 we're going to bring in somebody and their family

00:38:47.320 --> 00:38:49.119
 who are going to go plant a church in Jerusalem?

00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:51.480
 Because God has people in Jerusalem

00:38:51.480 --> 00:38:55.900
 who he wants to have know Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

00:38:56.579 --> 00:39:01.119
 Why is it that we have sent out people to Asia and Central Asia?

00:39:01.400 --> 00:39:03.079
 Because there are people in those countries

00:39:03.079 --> 00:39:05.819
 that God wants to have come to a saving knowledge of himself.

00:39:06.420 --> 00:39:09.099
 Why is it that we have a ministry on campus?

00:39:09.639 --> 00:39:11.639
 It's because there are university students

00:39:11.639 --> 00:39:14.139
 that God wants to have know Jesus.

00:39:15.239 --> 00:39:18.980
 Why are we thinking of starting another congregation in Kanata

00:39:18.980 --> 00:39:19.840
 or Sunday evening?

00:39:19.840 --> 00:39:21.780
 Because God has more people in this city

00:39:21.780 --> 00:39:24.039
 that he wants to have come to him.

00:39:26.280 --> 00:39:30.559
 And this is showing the missionary loving heart of God.

00:39:32.019 --> 00:39:34.139
 So just sort of wrapping this up,

00:39:34.760 --> 00:39:36.199
 if you could put up the next point, please.

00:39:38.840 --> 00:39:39.500
 Oh, sorry.

00:39:39.780 --> 00:39:41.260
 Just while that point stays up there,

00:39:41.320 --> 00:39:43.199
 listen to what Jesus says after this,

00:39:43.280 --> 00:39:44.699
 he clears the temple.

00:39:45.519 --> 00:39:46.240
 Verse 18,

00:39:46.240 --> 00:39:47.619
 The Jews said to Jesus,

00:39:47.619 --> 00:39:49.880
 what sign do you show us for doing these things?

00:39:49.980 --> 00:39:50.759
 And Jesus said,

00:39:51.400 --> 00:39:52.639
 destroy this temple,

00:39:52.940 --> 00:39:55.099
 and in three days I will raise it up.

00:39:56.099 --> 00:39:57.859
 The Jewish leader said then,

00:39:58.079 --> 00:39:59.719
 basically full of scorn,

00:39:59.920 --> 00:40:00.619
 listen, Jesus,

00:40:00.779 --> 00:40:02.819
 46 years this work's been going on,

00:40:03.380 --> 00:40:04.299
 it's still not built,

00:40:04.639 --> 00:40:06.619
 you're going to raise it up in three days?

00:40:06.819 --> 00:40:07.679
 Like baloney.

00:40:08.759 --> 00:40:11.460
 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body.

00:40:11.460 --> 00:40:15.500
 And when therefore he was raised from the dead,

00:40:15.920 --> 00:40:18.139
 his disciples remembered that he had said this,

00:40:18.240 --> 00:40:20.420
 and they believed that the scriptures

00:40:20.420 --> 00:40:23.360
 and the word that Jesus had spoken.

00:40:24.639 --> 00:40:27.220
 The temple is where in Jesus' day,

00:40:27.300 --> 00:40:28.679
 I went to meet with God.

00:40:29.619 --> 00:40:33.420
 Jesus is revealing that he is now where I go

00:40:33.420 --> 00:40:34.579
 to meet with God.

00:40:35.539 --> 00:40:36.420
 Next point.

00:40:36.420 --> 00:40:41.360
 The temple in Jesus' day

00:40:41.360 --> 00:40:42.619
 is where I needed to go

00:40:42.619 --> 00:40:44.700
 and offer the necessary sacrifice

00:40:44.700 --> 00:40:46.519
 so that I could be near to God.

00:40:47.800 --> 00:40:50.559
 Jesus is the once for all sacrifice

00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:52.159
 provided by God himself

00:40:52.159 --> 00:40:54.559
 so that I can live at home

00:40:54.559 --> 00:40:57.019
 in God's presence into eternity.

00:40:57.460 --> 00:40:58.920
 See, that's why it's so significant

00:40:58.920 --> 00:41:01.780
 that he says,

00:41:01.940 --> 00:41:03.420
 he's first introduced in John 1

00:41:03.420 --> 00:41:04.139
 as the Lamb of God

00:41:04.139 --> 00:41:05.360
 who takes away the sin of the world.

00:41:05.360 --> 00:41:07.360
 The implication is that God himself

00:41:07.360 --> 00:41:10.760
 is providing a once for all means

00:41:10.760 --> 00:41:13.760
 by which we can be made right with him

00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:15.559
 if we receive it by faith.

00:41:16.400 --> 00:41:18.760
 And it's not just that Jesus does this

00:41:18.760 --> 00:41:19.780
 to make us right with God,

00:41:19.880 --> 00:41:22.320
 but Jesus is also where we go to meet with God.

00:41:22.420 --> 00:41:24.039
 He is both God's means

00:41:24.039 --> 00:41:26.440
 to make us right with him

00:41:26.440 --> 00:41:28.079
 and it's where we go to meet with God.

00:41:29.240 --> 00:41:30.660
 The final point, please.

00:41:30.659 --> 00:41:34.460
 And the resurrection of Jesus

00:41:34.460 --> 00:41:35.699
 is the game changer.

00:41:36.639 --> 00:41:38.379
 Jesus says it's the final sign.

00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:39.980
 If you go through and you read John's Gospel,

00:41:40.099 --> 00:41:41.059
 you're going to see that he keeps emphasizing

00:41:41.599 --> 00:41:43.779
 different signs that introduce God,

00:41:43.859 --> 00:41:45.859
 that point to God in very powerful ways.

00:41:46.440 --> 00:41:49.179
 Jesus reveals that the final sign

00:41:49.179 --> 00:41:51.239
 is his resurrection from the dead.

00:41:51.639 --> 00:41:53.319
 It vindicates who he is.

00:41:53.619 --> 00:41:56.159
 It vindicates the outrageous claim

00:41:56.159 --> 00:41:57.699
 that he is where human beings

00:41:57.699 --> 00:41:59.239
 can now go to meet with God,

00:41:59.319 --> 00:42:00.219
 that he is the one

00:42:00.219 --> 00:42:01.899
 who introduces God correctly.

00:42:02.500 --> 00:42:05.159
 It vindicates that he is, in fact,

00:42:05.219 --> 00:42:06.000
 the Lamb of God

00:42:06.000 --> 00:42:07.619
 who takes away the sin of the world.

00:42:08.460 --> 00:42:10.059
 And it vindicates

00:42:10.059 --> 00:42:11.759
 that he can still make people

00:42:11.759 --> 00:42:13.059
 like you and me right with him.

00:42:15.639 --> 00:42:17.399
 That for people like you and me,

00:42:17.739 --> 00:42:19.719
 living in Ottawa in 2018,

00:42:20.480 --> 00:42:22.119
 no matter how it is

00:42:22.119 --> 00:42:23.899
 that it seems that the culture is going,

00:42:23.900 --> 00:42:26.960
 that we can meet with Jesus,

00:42:27.460 --> 00:42:29.000
 we can be reconciled with God,

00:42:29.500 --> 00:42:31.619
 and as we go through our daily life,

00:42:31.720 --> 00:42:33.720
 we should not think that God is small

00:42:33.720 --> 00:42:36.160
 and that Ottawa is big,

00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:37.340
 Hollywood is big,

00:42:37.500 --> 00:42:38.599
 Trudeau is big,

00:42:38.900 --> 00:42:40.039
 Trump is big,

00:42:40.900 --> 00:42:42.039
 Apple is big,

00:42:43.440 --> 00:42:44.680
 secularism is big.

00:42:44.800 --> 00:42:46.800
 No, God is big.

00:42:48.680 --> 00:42:50.000
 He creates planets,

00:42:50.139 --> 00:42:51.200
 he holds them in his hands,

00:42:51.300 --> 00:42:52.519
 he changes human history,

00:42:52.519 --> 00:42:53.780
 he changes human hearts.

00:42:54.460 --> 00:42:55.320
 And I'm introduced

00:42:55.320 --> 00:42:56.780
 to be reconciled to God,

00:42:56.860 --> 00:42:58.059
 to live at home with God,

00:42:58.579 --> 00:43:00.519
 and live my day-to-day life

00:43:00.519 --> 00:43:02.280
 knowing that God is big,

00:43:02.780 --> 00:43:04.660
 and everything I face is small.

00:43:06.920 --> 00:43:07.780
 Please stand.

00:43:12.660 --> 00:43:15.380
 Just before I pray in closing,

00:43:15.639 --> 00:43:16.900
 just remind you that,

00:43:18.099 --> 00:43:18.680
 remember this,

00:43:18.800 --> 00:43:19.220
 one of the things

00:43:19.220 --> 00:43:20.559
 which is so wonderful

00:43:20.559 --> 00:43:22.500
 about the story of Jesus

00:43:22.500 --> 00:43:26.059
 throwing out the money changers

00:43:26.059 --> 00:43:27.880
 is that it's the Lamb of God

00:43:27.880 --> 00:43:29.320
 who takes away the sin of the world,

00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:30.940
 and he's the one

00:43:30.940 --> 00:43:32.579
 removing the barriers

00:43:32.579 --> 00:43:34.559
 so that pagans can come to know him.

00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:36.500
 If you have not given your life to Jesus,

00:43:36.759 --> 00:43:38.139
 he wants to know you.

00:43:38.219 --> 00:43:39.519
 He's not waiting for you

00:43:39.519 --> 00:43:41.000
 to lose weight.

00:43:41.079 --> 00:43:42.059
 He's not waiting for you

00:43:42.059 --> 00:43:43.019
 to become more ascetic.

00:43:43.119 --> 00:43:44.179
 He's not waiting for you

00:43:44.179 --> 00:43:45.199
 to become more holy.

00:43:45.199 --> 00:43:46.639
 He's the one

00:43:46.639 --> 00:43:47.439
 who's dealt with all

00:43:47.439 --> 00:43:48.679
 that keeps us far from God.

00:43:48.759 --> 00:43:50.239
 He's dealt with all of that,

00:43:50.599 --> 00:43:52.919
 and he longs for you

00:43:52.919 --> 00:43:54.319
 to bend the knee

00:43:54.319 --> 00:43:55.339
 and to call out to him

00:43:55.339 --> 00:43:55.639
 and say,

00:43:55.759 --> 00:43:56.039
 Jesus,

00:43:56.219 --> 00:43:57.519
 may you be for me

00:43:57.519 --> 00:43:59.579
 the Lamb of God

00:43:59.579 --> 00:44:01.439
 who takes away my sin.

00:44:02.139 --> 00:44:03.839
 May you be for me

00:44:03.839 --> 00:44:04.539
 the one

00:44:04.539 --> 00:44:07.119
 who makes me right with God.

00:44:07.239 --> 00:44:08.679
 May you be the one

00:44:08.679 --> 00:44:10.919
 by whom I can walk

00:44:10.919 --> 00:44:11.460
 and follow

00:44:11.460 --> 00:44:12.659
 and live my days

00:44:12.659 --> 00:44:14.179
 learning from you.

00:44:15.279 --> 00:44:16.699
 May you be the one

00:44:16.699 --> 00:44:18.440
 who is my Savior and my Lord.

00:44:18.539 --> 00:44:19.980
 There is no time better than today

00:44:19.980 --> 00:44:21.480
 to make such a call

00:44:21.480 --> 00:44:22.759
 and cry out to God.

00:44:23.239 --> 00:44:24.460
 Let's bow our heads in prayer.

00:44:26.099 --> 00:44:26.500
 Father,

00:44:26.639 --> 00:44:29.339
 we thank you for Jesus.

00:44:30.299 --> 00:44:30.619
 Father,

00:44:30.699 --> 00:44:32.059
 we confess before you

00:44:32.059 --> 00:44:35.019
 that we should know better,

00:44:35.159 --> 00:44:36.179
 but we slip into

00:44:36.179 --> 00:44:38.279
 thinking bad things about you,

00:44:38.280 --> 00:44:39.500
 wrong things about you,

00:44:39.620 --> 00:44:40.760
 untruths about you.

00:44:40.900 --> 00:44:41.040
 Father,

00:44:41.100 --> 00:44:42.820
 we slip into that so easily.

00:44:43.700 --> 00:44:46.360
 We project our hard-heartedness

00:44:46.360 --> 00:44:47.060
 onto you,

00:44:47.180 --> 00:44:48.500
 our anger-drivenness

00:44:48.500 --> 00:44:49.180
 onto you,

00:44:49.280 --> 00:44:50.380
 our lack of love

00:44:50.380 --> 00:44:51.380
 onto you,

00:44:51.440 --> 00:44:52.700
 our chaotic desires.

00:44:52.920 --> 00:44:53.080
 Father,

00:44:53.200 --> 00:44:56.180
 we put those on you,

00:44:56.320 --> 00:44:56.880
 but Father,

00:44:57.660 --> 00:44:59.340
 make us disciples of Jesus

00:44:59.340 --> 00:45:00.880
 who are gripped by the gospel

00:45:00.880 --> 00:45:02.140
 and are learning to know

00:45:02.140 --> 00:45:03.040
 who you are

00:45:03.040 --> 00:45:04.940
 as you've revealed yourself

00:45:04.940 --> 00:45:05.780
 through Jesus.

00:45:06.760 --> 00:45:07.320
 Father,

00:45:07.320 --> 00:45:08.039
 help us

00:45:08.039 --> 00:45:09.559
 to know you

00:45:09.559 --> 00:45:11.700
 through Jesus

00:45:11.700 --> 00:45:13.820
 and learn to live

00:45:13.820 --> 00:45:15.100
 knowing that you are

00:45:15.100 --> 00:45:16.039
 a big God,

00:45:16.160 --> 00:45:17.280
 bigger than our problems,

00:45:17.940 --> 00:45:19.100
 and freed up

00:45:19.100 --> 00:45:19.940
 to live for your glory.

00:45:20.059 --> 00:45:20.240
 Father,

00:45:20.300 --> 00:45:21.120
 we ask these things

00:45:21.120 --> 00:45:21.960
 in the name of Jesus,

00:45:22.100 --> 00:45:22.539
 your Son

00:45:22.539 --> 00:45:23.200
 and our Savior.

00:45:23.820 --> 00:45:24.200
 Amen.

00:45:24.200 --> 00:45:24.340
 Amen.

00:45:24.340 --> 00:45:24.380
 Amen.

00:45:24.380 --> 00:45:24.400
 Amen.

00:45:24.400 --> 00:45:24.420
 Amen.

00:45:24.420 --> 00:45:24.440
 Amen.

00:45:24.440 --> 00:45:24.500
 Amen.

00:45:24.500 --> 00:45:24.519
 Amen.

00:45:24.519 --> 00:45:24.539
 Amen.

00:45:24.539 --> 00:45:26.440
 Amen.

00:45:26.440 --> 00:45:28.440
 Amen.

00:45:28.440 --> 00:45:28.480
 Amen.

00:45:28.480 --> 00:45:28.500
 Amen.

00:45:28.500 --> 00:45:28.580
 Amen.

00:45:28.580 --> 00:45:28.620
 Amen.

00:45:28.620 --> 00:45:28.680
 Amen.

00:45:28.680 --> 00:45:32.420
 Amen.

00:45:32.420 --> 00:45:32.500
 Amen.

00:45:32.500 --> 00:45:33.640
 Amen.

00:45:33.640 --> 00:45:34.440
 Amen.

00:45:34.440 --> 00:45:34.460
 Amen.

00:45:34.460 --> 00:45:34.500
 Amen.

00:45:34.500 --> 00:45:34.559
 Amen.

00:45:34.559 --> 00:45:36.380
 Amen.

00:45:36.380 --> 00:45:36.400
 Amen.