WEBVTT

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 Father, we confess before you that we can get very impatient with you.

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 Father, we confess before you that in our culture, we like snappy slogans and really

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 easy to digest phrases and things that just make it, Father, so that we can at least think

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 we understand very quickly and easily without having to think.

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 And Father, we confess before you that that's what we're like.

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 That's partially how our culture has formed us.

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 And so, Father, we acknowledge that when we come to your word, that often we find it hard

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 to understand and difficult to understand.

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 And we confess before you, Father, that we're not patient with that and we're not humbled

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 by it, but we get frustrated with you.

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 And maybe, Father, we confess that we just skip over all those parts until we find a quote

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 we like that's easy for us to understand.

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 And we confess before you, Father, that we do this without even being aware that we

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 do it.

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 So, Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would gently humble us and grant us penitent hearts,

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 Father.

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 Help us, Father, to be willing to have your word form us, that we might be made in the

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 image of Jesus as we dwell on your word.

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 And forgive us, Father, for trying to tame you and make you our pocket God that does what

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 we want when we want it.

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 So, Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would do this work in our lives as we open your word

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 now.

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 And this we ask in Jesus' name.

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 Amen.

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 Please be seated.

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 Is my battery dying, Andrew?

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 No?

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 Okay.

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 Okay.

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 So, just a bit of an aside.

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 You know, sometimes it can be odd for me.

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 This has nothing ever to do with the sound guys.

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 In fact, we should, after the service, I'll give the sound guy like a big round of applause

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 or offer to buy him a free coffee or something like that.

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 But sometimes what I hear is different from what you're hearing.

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 And that can sometimes just throw me off a little bit.

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 And obviously, anyway, there you go.

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 So, this week, you know, it's really funny.

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 I always pray every day for my sermon.

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 And I pray as I'm reading the Bible.

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 And I ask God to help me to understand the Bible.

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 And this week, actually, the text which Laurie just read a few moments ago, I found it to

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 be quite a hard text to understand.

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 I'll be honest with you.

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 I found it hard to understand.

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 And, like, about two or three weeks ago, I had to talk about one of the clearest texts

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 about homosexuality in the Bible.

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 And actually, ironically, that text was really, really, really, really easy to understand.

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 But it required lots of thought in terms of how I would talk about it in a place like

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 Ottawa in 2015.

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 But this text was just hard to understand.

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 And then, in the process of trying to understand, something odd happened to me this week.

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 I don't know if you notice it, but when I come up to the front, I have this, like, journal

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 notebook.

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 And I do all my notes.

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 If you were to come and see me working on my sermon, you'd see me with a pen.

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 I know it's very, very old-fashioned, but a pen in this book.

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 And you'd see me reading and making these handwritten scrawls here.

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 So on Saturday, when I was coming in to do some more work on my sermon, and I was in

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 a Starbucks, this couple looked like they were in their late 30s, early 40s.

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 They'd looked like they'd maybe just, one of them looked like they'd come maybe from a

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 yoga workout, because they had, or maybe Pilates or something.

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 They had the yoga mat.

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 And so they sit beside me, and the woman sees me with a journal like this.

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 And I'm, you know, looking out the window, and I'm thinking, and I'm writing things down.

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 And she said, wow, that's really neat that you don't see many people anymore who actually

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 just use pen and paper and write in journals like this.

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 Like, that's really neat.

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 Like, what are you doing?

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 Like, what are you writing about?

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 Now, here's what goes through my mind.

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 Like, she's paying me a compliment, right?

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 Like, she's basically saying, you must be deep.

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 Like, you're not like all these other people just with their computers.

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 Like, you're deep, thinking deep things, probably getting in touch with your feelings or your past.

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 And so I have to confess that it's a great temptation to say, oh, you know, I'm just really trying to think through things in life.

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 And I just like working with pen and paper.

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 And who knows, we'd have a conversation, and she'd go away thinking, wow, that's a deep man.

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 And I struggle because, you know, in fact, I'm looking at the Bible text, and I'm thinking about Romans 1, 16 to 17, and I'm going to preach a sermon.

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 And I struggle.

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 I have to confess that it was very powerful temptation for me to not say that I was working on a sermon.

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 And I was, it's funny, you know, it's almost like I'm going in slow motion, because the whole thing, she wouldn't have even noticed a pause.

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 But inside of me, I can feel this huge pressure not to say that I'm working on a sermon, but to try to have her think, and the fellow think very well of me, have the two of them think well of me.

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 And so I say, well, I'm, actually, all week I've been reading the Bible, and I'm sort of reading the Bible now, and I have, I make notes as I try to think through what the Bible is teaching me,

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 because I'm going to preach a sermon tomorrow, and I'm trying to work on my sermon.

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 That's what I said to her, to the couple.

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 And as soon as I said that, you could see the light in their eyes and their facial expression change.

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 Like, it was like, oh, you're one of those.

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 And I, and off you go.

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 I mean, and then the conversation ended.

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 In fact, to tell somebody that you're reading the Bible and want to preach a sermon is often how you stop conversations, not how you start them.

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 Not all the time, obviously, as you know.

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 And I mention that because it struck me that, that in some ways, God, I think, orchestrated that conversation to have that couple sit beside me.

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 And it both reveals my own heart, how I desire to be flattered and to be thought well of of the world, and how I can start to be ashamed of the gospel.

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 And it's a telling moment about myself.

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 But it's, the fact of the matter is, is that, you know, for many people in our culture, people who go to church, that's not a, not often a sign of, of health and maturity.

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 That people want to emulate us.

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 Now, you're probably saying, George, this is Thanksgiving Sunday.

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 You've just depressed the heck out of us.

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 Like, here we are in here.

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 And, by the way, I, I, I understand increasingly in our culture, I appreciate every person who's come on a Sunday morning.

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 You make big choices.

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 There's lots of other things.

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 And there's lots of easy drifts in our culture to do something else.

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 So I'm very, very appreciative of the fact that, that we're all here together this morning to be able to meet with Jesus in the presence of his people.

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 But we know that many people in our culture see the church and the Bible as something toxic, not as something healthy.

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 And it's interesting that this odd Bible text, which probably, as you were listening to it, you're thinking, what on earth is he talking about?

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 That, in fact, this Bible text is a warning from the Bible about how the Bible and Bible knowledge and baptism and church attendance can, in fact, be toxic.

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 That there's, in fact, ways of being involved in all of these things that act to immunize us against God.

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 And immunize us against God in, in a form of self-justification and self-righteousness that people will find abhorrent and poisonous and want to run from.

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 That's, in fact, what the text is largely about.

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 So it'd be a great help to me if you were to get your Bibles and turn in them to, to Romans.

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 Actually, and while you're turning to Romans chapter 2, Andrew, could you put up Romans 1 for, for us?

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 I'm going to have you, if you could read this with me in a moment.

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 Those of you who've been coming here regularly, the way the book of Romans is written is the first seven verses sort of talk about a lot of the themes in the book.

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 And then Paul has some very personal types of comments.

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 And then it's almost as if in verse 16 and 17, those of you who are in university or have to read university papers,

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 it's almost as if Paul gives an abstract of the entire book in two verses.

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 And so week in, week out, we're going to keep sort of cycling back to this verse because it helps us to understand what's going on in the book.

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 If we realize that everything in the book is unpacking and helping us to understand these two verses.

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 So if you would read them with me, that would be great.

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 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

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 For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.

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 As it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.

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 So now, if you have your Bibles open, let's hear what Paul says in Romans 2.

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 Mindful that somehow or another, this that we're reading here, somehow or another serves Romans 1, 16 to 17.

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 So Romans chapter 2, beginning at verse 17.

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 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent,

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 because you're instructed from the law,

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 And if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

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 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth.

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 One second, just want to pause here for a second.

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 I'm going to go back and we're going to reread this.

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 I'm going to read it again a second time.

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 But one of the things that we have to do to help us to understand what Paul is saying is we have to make a word substitution here.

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 And I'm not saying this because I'm trying to devalue people who are Jewish,

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 but this text doesn't have any sting to us.

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 And the text is supposed to have some sting.

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 And in fact, for some of us who are anti-Semitic, it's just, oh yeah, those Jewish people.

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 Yeah, yeah, Paul.

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 Yeah, you know, yeah, Bible.

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 Get on those Jewish people.

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 And so for some people, it ends up just being something that allows us to point fingers at somebody else.

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 And the Bible is never written so that we can point a finger at somebody else.

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 It's never written for us to point fingers.

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 And so we need to have a bit of a sense here about what Paul's doing.

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 And so we're going to make a word substitution because Paul is talking about how good things that God has actually provided get twisted by us

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 and end up making us abhorrent to people outside and end up actually keeping God far away.

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 It's like those of you who took the early alpha courses.

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 And so we're going to make a word for us.

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 It ends up just being a way to keep God at a distance.

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 So what we're going to do is that when we read the word Jew, I'm going to say Anglican.

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 And if you're a guest here this morning, you're Roman Catholic, what you should do is you should say Roman Catholic.

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 And if you're a guest here this morning and you're from a Pentecostal church, you should say Pentecostal to yourself.

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 And if you're Baptist, you should say Baptist.

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 And if you think that your denomination doesn't fit here, then this text is really for you.

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 Like God has led you here this morning just to realize that, you know, Reformed Presbyterian can't put that in.

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 Yes, you've got to put in Reformed Presbyterian, whatever it is.

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 I'm going to say Anglican because it would actually be really rude for me to say Baptist when I'm an Anglican.

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 So I'm going to say Anglican.

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 So now listen to this text now in light of this.

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 It will actually start to make a little bit more.

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 It's still going to be confusing, a bit dark, but it will make a bit more sense.

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 So Romans 2, 17.

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 But if you call yourself an Anglican and rely on the Bible and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent because you are instructed from the Bible.

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 And if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the Bible the embodiment of knowledge and truth.

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 You then who teach others.

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 Do you not teach yourself while you preach against stealing?

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 Do you steal?

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 You who say that one must not commit adultery.

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 Do you commit adultery?

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 You who abhor idols.

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 Do you rob temples?

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 You who boast in the Bible dishonor God by breaking what the Bible says.

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 For as it is written, the name of God is blasphemed amongst people who hang out in bars because of you.

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 Now that's in terms of a bit of a different text and some of us might be a little bit insulted by it.

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 But it becomes a different text when we put ourselves into it rather than thinking about how it refers to somebody else.

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 Andrew, could you put up the first point for me, please?

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 Baptism, church attendance, and Bible knowledge can immunize me against God.

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 Baptism, church attendance, and Bible knowledge can immunize me against God.

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 See, part of the problem with this text is, like, many of the things in this text are good things.

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 Like, shouldn't we rely on the Bible?

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 And shouldn't we try to know what his will is?

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 And shouldn't we try to approve what is excellent?

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 And shouldn't we be instructed by the Bible?

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 And if we've done that, shouldn't we be willing to talk to the blind and try to bring light into darkness?

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 And shouldn't we try to be a teacher of the foolish and a teacher of children?

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 And shouldn't we acknowledge that the Bible is the embodiment of knowledge and truth?

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 Like, George, isn't that what it's supposed to be?

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 Well, it is.

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 And part of the key in the text is the two things.

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 It's how the text ends and how the text begins.

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 You see, the fact of the matter is that sometimes the Bible really is very hard for us to understand.

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 Like, the Bible isn't just put out by some slick marketing guy or gal who's trying to figure out how to get a good Twitter thing that will be in 120 characters so that it can be retweeted and easily digestible.

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 And the fact that some parts of the Bible just require us to really think about it.

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 And sometimes it requires us to seek, like I had to seek the guidance of older, wiser Christians who knew the languages and all to try to get a bit of a handle on what it's talking about.

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 But it can be very, very, it can be difficult.

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 But in the beginning of the text, it talks about relying on the Bible and boasting in God.

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 And at the end of the text, it obviously is the case that they're relying on the Bible and boasting in God in a way that it shouldn't be.

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 And so here's a little bit about what it's a very, very fine line.

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 It's as if you're going along a mountain ridge and you can go down one side or the other.

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 And it makes a big difference whether you're going down one side or the other.

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 Maybe one side is into the wilderness where you'll get lost and end up suffering grievous harm.

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 And the other side is where you'll go back to where your campsite is and you'll have a wonderful meal with your friends and just be so happy that you've had a wonderful day.

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 And, you know, it's a little bit of a way to maybe get at it is two different ways to boast in your wife.

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 I'm going to use that as an example because I'm a man.

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 I am so grateful that Louise has put up with me for 34 years.

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 In a couple of weeks, we'll have our 34th anniversary.

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 In late September, 40 years ago in late September was the first time I ever laid eyes on her.

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 And I thought she was the most lovely person I'd ever seen.

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 And I really wanted to meet her.

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 And I still think she's the most lovely person.

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 And I'm just so glad that she's married to me and she's put up with me.

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 And it fills me with gratitude.

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 It really does.

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 And I've probably embarrassed her and she'll be upset with me afterwards.

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 But hopefully she's not too upset because it's true and it's heartfelt.

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 How does a man with a trophy wife talk about his wife?

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 Very, very different.

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 A rich man with a trophy wife will boast in his wife in a very, very, very different way.

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 Both will talk about how excellent their wives are.

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 But everything about it is completely different.

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 And, you know, relying on the law and relying on the Bible.

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 See, here's the thing that the Bible is going to get.

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 I'm going to try to give you another illustration about this.

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 Imagine for a second that I was to write out for my kids.

00:18:02.140 --> 00:18:06.579
 Louise and I, let's say, we're going to be gone for, let's say we're going for a month or two.

00:18:07.339 --> 00:18:11.740
 And, like, when we were in our previous church, we lived in a rectory.

00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:15.460
 And so people would drop around all, you know, would drop around.

00:18:15.799 --> 00:18:17.140
 And quite a bit.

00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:21.059
 In fact, sometimes they would just come and walk into our house without knocking.

00:18:21.379 --> 00:18:22.640
 But that's a separate story.

00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:23.680
 Louise would come downstairs.

00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:26.420
 There's somebody sitting in our living room.

00:18:26.779 --> 00:18:28.100
 But that's a whole other story.

00:18:28.460 --> 00:18:35.600
 Anyway, so imagine that we sit down and we write out a list of instructions about how it is that you handle guests.

00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:38.500
 And the kids get all excited.

00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:41.759
 And every day they read the instructions about handle guests.

00:18:41.940 --> 00:18:47.000
 And every day they go through brief ceremonies or rituals about how to handle guests.

00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:48.420
 I'll be the guest.

00:18:48.580 --> 00:18:49.440
 This is what you say.

00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:50.500
 And then you say this.

00:18:50.600 --> 00:18:51.120
 And I say this.

00:18:51.180 --> 00:18:51.620
 And you say this.

00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:52.140
 And I say this.

00:18:52.460 --> 00:18:55.740
 And actually, it becomes, in a sense, part of their identity.

00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:58.720
 It's something that helps to form and structure their day.

00:18:58.819 --> 00:19:05.400
 That every day they read about from the letter from dad and mom about how to handle guests and what to do when guests come.

00:19:05.400 --> 00:19:09.440
 But then when a guest actually comes, they might hate it.

00:19:10.820 --> 00:19:13.080
 Because guests are messy.

00:19:13.300 --> 00:19:14.740
 They don't follow the script.

00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:15.840
 They show up.

00:19:15.940 --> 00:19:17.080
 They sit in your room.

00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:22.839
 You know, it's a lot easier just to read the instructions about handling guests.

00:19:23.859 --> 00:19:28.199
 And having ritual and reenacting how you should handle guests.

00:19:28.659 --> 00:19:32.039
 For some people, it becomes that that's what they really like.

00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:36.659
 But actually, having a guest is a pain in the butt.

00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:41.319
 And that's what can happen with God.

00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:48.099
 You know, it can be, and I'm going to use an Anglican example, that Anglicans can get all caught up.

00:19:48.179 --> 00:19:58.259
 You would not believe the controversies that can happen about, you know, in the Lord's Supper and what words you should say after the words of institution.

00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:01.839
 And whether the Gloria, we don't do the Gloria, so some of you don't even know what that is.

00:20:02.159 --> 00:20:07.779
 Whether the Gloria for a communion service should be at the beginning of the service or whether it should be at the end.

00:20:07.779 --> 00:20:14.059
 And whether you should wear this robe or that robe, or whether you should lift your hands this much or this much, or not lift your hands at all.

00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:16.299
 Or whether you should bow or never bow.

00:20:16.379 --> 00:20:18.660
 And there's a whole pile of big things about it.

00:20:18.700 --> 00:20:23.339
 But the fact of the matter is, why did Jesus institute baptism?

00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:24.940
 I mean, sorry, the Lord's Supper.

00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:26.160
 Why did he institute Lord's Supper?

00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:34.379
 It was the whole, if you read the whole gospel, the implication is that when we celebrate communion later on, that Jesus is present.

00:20:34.379 --> 00:20:36.119
 The Bible says that we're two or more present.

00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:37.359
 Jesus is in their midst.

00:20:37.779 --> 00:20:42.259
 It's all about, we gather to be present with Jesus in the company of his people.

00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:47.139
 And you do communion to remember that Jesus died on the cross for us.

00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:55.519
 That when we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we enter into a covenant that Jesus has made available for people like us to enter into a covenant.

00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:58.519
 And that God will never let us go and that Jesus is coming back.

00:20:58.599 --> 00:20:59.720
 And it's all about Jesus.

00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:04.660
 It's not just about us following instructions about it.

00:21:04.660 --> 00:21:07.380
 Like, in a sense, it's all about being open to God.

00:21:08.980 --> 00:21:10.940
 That God might actually show up.

00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:14.960
 That God might actually be real.

00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:18.920
 And so what this text is saying is that there's ways.

00:21:19.259 --> 00:21:22.680
 And in fact, actually, later on in Romans chapter 10, you can look at it if you want.

00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:24.100
 Romans chapter 10, verse 4.

00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:27.740
 Paul, in fact, like, because he keeps following up his argument.

00:21:27.860 --> 00:21:31.100
 He says that Christ is the end of the law.

00:21:31.180 --> 00:21:34.440
 That everything in the Old Testament is pointing to Jesus.

00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:39.420
 Everything in the Old Testament is pointing to the fact that God would send a deliverer and that that's Jesus.

00:21:39.600 --> 00:21:43.000
 Everything is all about that and receiving him.

00:21:43.080 --> 00:21:48.120
 Not just going through ceremonies to enact what happens when the Messiah comes,

00:21:48.220 --> 00:21:51.660
 but that when the Messiah comes that you recognize him and you receive him.

00:21:52.620 --> 00:21:54.700
 The guest shows up.

00:21:55.360 --> 00:21:57.620
 And he's sovereign and he's messy.

00:21:58.360 --> 00:22:00.120
 But everything's about him.

00:22:02.259 --> 00:22:03.400
 Everything's about him.

00:22:04.440 --> 00:22:11.059
 And so this Bible text is saying that, you know, we can be baptized, we can attend church,

00:22:11.140 --> 00:22:17.820
 and we can know the Bible, and there's ways of doing that that actually immunize us against God.

00:22:18.279 --> 00:22:26.640
 That it ends up being that the Bible and baptism and church attendance ends up becoming a way of justifying yourself

00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:30.519
 and me justifying myself, and it's all about my self-righteousness,

00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:35.259
 and it's all about me being moral and me being moral in the ways that I want to be moral,

00:22:35.779 --> 00:22:39.940
 and it ends up sort of being all about me or my tribe

00:22:39.940 --> 00:22:43.619
 and not about God.

00:22:43.619 --> 00:22:48.839
 And this is true of liberal churches, which have their own problems,

00:22:48.839 --> 00:22:53.779
 but it's also, it can end up being in Orthodox churches.

00:22:55.139 --> 00:22:56.479
 Like, it's really odd.

00:22:56.559 --> 00:22:59.779
 Like, in many Reform-type churches, which talk about election,

00:23:00.399 --> 00:23:04.839
 and election is this wonderful truth that God actually calls us.

00:23:04.839 --> 00:23:09.220
 It's that when we, like, if today the Holy Spirit is putting a pressure on you

00:23:09.220 --> 00:23:11.879
 and you realize that it's time for you to give your life to Jesus,

00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:15.359
 it's never that you think of this before God does,

00:23:15.459 --> 00:23:17.439
 but that God is always calling you.

00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:19.660
 That every single person you meet today,

00:23:20.519 --> 00:23:24.660
 even if they complete, even if the mention of God makes them fly into a rage,

00:23:24.660 --> 00:23:27.220
 that you will not meet a single person today

00:23:27.220 --> 00:23:30.920
 that God, in a sense, is not right beside them saying,

00:23:31.400 --> 00:23:33.660
 I've sent my son to die for you.

00:23:34.220 --> 00:23:37.980
 I'm really hoping that you will turn to him and come to me

00:23:37.980 --> 00:23:41.980
 so that you can be my adopted child and I can be your heavenly father.

00:23:42.059 --> 00:23:45.259
 You will not meet a single person that God is not calling that to.

00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:50.860
 But for some people, the doctrine of election ends up becoming something

00:23:50.860 --> 00:23:53.059
 that you have to try to figure out what you have to do

00:23:53.059 --> 00:23:55.720
 to show that you're elected or have a particular feeling.

00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:59.279
 And in an odd way, that whole doctrine of election

00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:01.720
 ends up being a way to immunize us against God,

00:24:01.820 --> 00:24:05.320
 to sort of justify us doing all sorts of things

00:24:05.320 --> 00:24:08.539
 that we just completely miss it.

00:24:08.660 --> 00:24:10.759
 But it becomes a way of keeping God distant

00:24:10.759 --> 00:24:14.420
 because we're looking for the proof of it or something,

00:24:14.600 --> 00:24:15.799
 or we have to feel it,

00:24:15.799 --> 00:24:17.779
 or we have to be worthy of it,

00:24:17.799 --> 00:24:19.500
 and it has nothing to do with worthiness,

00:24:19.579 --> 00:24:21.839
 has nothing to do with any of those things,

00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:24.539
 and it becomes a doctrine that keeps us far from God.

00:24:24.759 --> 00:24:26.639
 You could go on and on and on and on,

00:24:26.720 --> 00:24:29.059
 that unless you have the certain feelings and certain,

00:24:29.460 --> 00:24:30.379
 you know, in certain traditions,

00:24:30.460 --> 00:24:33.259
 I was at a Christian weekend a couple of weeks,

00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:34.399
 a couple of years ago,

00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:36.720
 and it really struck me that people there,

00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:39.159
 unless they felt they had an emotional experience

00:24:39.159 --> 00:24:40.220
 that involved tears,

00:24:40.220 --> 00:24:43.420
 that they could not know that God loved them

00:24:43.420 --> 00:24:44.940
 or that Jesus was their Savior.

00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:48.539
 And it ended up being a very odd type of time

00:24:48.539 --> 00:24:50.839
 where you could really see that they spent the whole time

00:24:50.839 --> 00:24:53.660
 trying to work up certain experiences and feelings.

00:24:56.039 --> 00:24:58.140
 And they might be horrified to think

00:24:58.140 --> 00:24:59.819
 that they've taken the Bible

00:24:59.819 --> 00:25:01.120
 and their confidence in the Bible

00:25:01.120 --> 00:25:03.900
 and used it in such a way to actually keep God distant.

00:25:03.900 --> 00:25:07.640
 Now they're looking for a certain experience,

00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:08.720
 not Jesus,

00:25:10.040 --> 00:25:12.560
 not God.

00:25:14.380 --> 00:25:16.580
 And in fact, they'd look down their noses

00:25:16.580 --> 00:25:19.800
 at people who say that they've come to trust Jesus

00:25:19.800 --> 00:25:21.220
 as their Savior and their Lord,

00:25:21.380 --> 00:25:24.920
 who haven't wept those tears or had that experience.

00:25:25.360 --> 00:25:27.780
 It would lead them to feel superior

00:25:27.780 --> 00:25:29.480
 and look down their nose.

00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:32.540
 Just as many Anglicans will look down their nose

00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:34.119
 and feel superior at others

00:25:34.119 --> 00:25:35.359
 because they don't wear the robes,

00:25:35.420 --> 00:25:36.200
 they don't have the liturgy,

00:25:36.279 --> 00:25:36.779
 they don't have this.

00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:38.599
 There's an old joke that we Anglicans

00:25:38.599 --> 00:25:39.879
 are very, very open-minded.

00:25:41.180 --> 00:25:44.079
 We understand that many people worship God

00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:45.700
 in whatever way that they choose

00:25:45.700 --> 00:25:48.240
 and we worship whatever way that makes right to them

00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:49.399
 and we worship God in the way

00:25:49.399 --> 00:25:52.000
 that he's told us to worship God.

00:25:52.899 --> 00:25:54.159
 So, you know, we're following God

00:25:54.159 --> 00:25:55.319
 and the rest just are following their own.

00:25:55.659 --> 00:25:57.220
 It's all sorts of ways

00:25:57.220 --> 00:26:00.079
 to look down your nose at other people

00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:04.339
 and therefore, you're actually hearing the Bible

00:26:04.339 --> 00:26:07.259
 and using church membership

00:26:07.259 --> 00:26:09.939
 and good Bible knowledge to be superior,

00:26:10.159 --> 00:26:11.619
 to make yourself right with God,

00:26:11.699 --> 00:26:13.139
 to look down the nose of others

00:26:13.139 --> 00:26:14.839
 and keep God distant.

00:26:14.839 --> 00:26:23.779
 So, some of you might say,

00:26:25.299 --> 00:26:25.819
 oh, by the way,

00:26:25.899 --> 00:26:27.159
 just that one little phrase

00:26:27.159 --> 00:26:28.899
 about robbing temples,

00:26:29.859 --> 00:26:32.699
 what that's all about is

00:26:32.699 --> 00:26:37.279
 that we know,

00:26:37.919 --> 00:26:38.899
 we all know

00:26:38.899 --> 00:26:41.879
 that we shouldn't have an idol up here.

00:26:41.959 --> 00:26:43.259
 We shouldn't have Venus

00:26:43.259 --> 00:26:44.539
 or Zeus

00:26:44.539 --> 00:26:46.259
 or Hermes

00:26:46.259 --> 00:26:47.720
 or Adonis

00:26:47.720 --> 00:26:49.759
 or any of these other Greek gods

00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:50.759
 and goddesses up here.

00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:51.740
 We all know that that's,

00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:52.839
 we should never have that.

00:26:53.700 --> 00:26:55.259
 But how many of us

00:26:55.259 --> 00:26:56.140
 throughout the week

00:26:56.140 --> 00:26:58.359
 worship Venus?

00:27:00.259 --> 00:27:02.039
 I mean, what's pornography about

00:27:02.039 --> 00:27:04.599
 other than worshipping the goddess Venus

00:27:04.599 --> 00:27:05.759
 and the goddess Eros

00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:08.500
 and paying them homage

00:27:08.500 --> 00:27:11.420
 and serving them?

00:27:11.420 --> 00:27:14.960
 And we would never have a statue

00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:16.060
 for mammon up here,

00:27:16.140 --> 00:27:16.960
 but how many of us,

00:27:16.980 --> 00:27:17.700
 and it's not necessarily

00:27:17.700 --> 00:27:18.759
 the people with more money,

00:27:18.840 --> 00:27:19.980
 how many of us, in fact,

00:27:20.500 --> 00:27:24.180
 worship the god mammon

00:27:24.180 --> 00:27:25.900
 and pay him homage?

00:27:25.900 --> 00:27:28.200
 One of the guys

00:27:28.200 --> 00:27:30.300
 that gives me a hard time

00:27:30.300 --> 00:27:31.080
 at Starbucks,

00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:33.820
 he, whenever I see him

00:27:33.820 --> 00:27:35.940
 with his Lotto 649 tickets,

00:27:36.420 --> 00:27:38.840
 you can see why I don't make any,

00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:40.240
 nobody comes to faith through me,

00:27:40.500 --> 00:27:41.259
 I say to him,

00:27:41.300 --> 00:27:42.320
 ah, you're worshipping

00:27:42.320 --> 00:27:43.720
 the goddess Fortune today,

00:27:44.300 --> 00:27:45.280
 paying her homage

00:27:45.280 --> 00:27:48.940
 with your Lotto 649 tickets.

00:27:49.759 --> 00:27:51.460
 And he gets grumpy

00:27:51.460 --> 00:27:52.559
 and he'll come back at me

00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:53.600
 later on about something,

00:27:53.740 --> 00:27:56.819
 but we don't go to temples

00:27:56.819 --> 00:27:57.680
 to worship them,

00:27:57.740 --> 00:27:58.579
 but do we secretly

00:27:58.579 --> 00:27:59.759
 come in to rob them

00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:01.120
 so that in the secret places

00:28:01.120 --> 00:28:01.779
 of our heart

00:28:01.779 --> 00:28:02.860
 we worship those idols?

00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:05.100
 You see,

00:28:05.180 --> 00:28:06.319
 in all of these things,

00:28:06.500 --> 00:28:07.360
 what Paul,

00:28:07.460 --> 00:28:09.120
 this is all part of a long argument

00:28:09.120 --> 00:28:09.840
 from Paul,

00:28:10.600 --> 00:28:11.539
 and a long argument

00:28:11.539 --> 00:28:12.259
 from Paul

00:28:12.259 --> 00:28:14.220
 is that we need

00:28:14.220 --> 00:28:15.600
 a righteousness from God

00:28:15.600 --> 00:28:17.059
 that will make us right with God,

00:28:17.140 --> 00:28:18.700
 that we need God to act

00:28:18.700 --> 00:28:21.080
 because we can't fix ourselves

00:28:21.080 --> 00:28:22.880
 to make ourselves right with God.

00:28:23.080 --> 00:28:25.240
 We need God to act.

00:28:25.440 --> 00:28:26.660
 There is no way

00:28:26.660 --> 00:28:28.120
 that we can make ourselves

00:28:28.120 --> 00:28:28.880
 right with God,

00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:30.600
 and that that's not only true

00:28:30.600 --> 00:28:31.840
 for people who are part

00:28:31.840 --> 00:28:33.200
 of the gay pride parade,

00:28:33.600 --> 00:28:34.580
 and it's not only true

00:28:34.580 --> 00:28:36.319
 for people who are,

00:28:36.620 --> 00:28:37.940
 every night they're closing the bar

00:28:37.940 --> 00:28:39.259
 and they stagger home drunk,

00:28:39.319 --> 00:28:40.340
 but it's also true

00:28:40.340 --> 00:28:41.000
 for people who go

00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:42.559
 to Reformed Presbyterian churches

00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:43.840
 and Pentecostal churches

00:28:43.840 --> 00:28:44.880
 and Vineyard churches

00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:46.340
 and Anglican churches,

00:28:46.339 --> 00:28:49.259
 that everybody

00:28:49.259 --> 00:28:50.339
 has to understand

00:28:50.339 --> 00:28:51.319
 that they need God

00:28:51.319 --> 00:28:52.759
 and they have to receive

00:28:52.759 --> 00:28:54.079
 something that only God

00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:55.119
 can do for them.

00:28:57.220 --> 00:28:58.159
 Everybody has to,

00:28:58.199 --> 00:28:59.299
 and that's what Paul's trying to,

00:28:59.339 --> 00:28:59.939
 he's going through

00:28:59.939 --> 00:29:00.779
 a whole series

00:29:00.779 --> 00:29:02.019
 of different scenarios,

00:29:02.639 --> 00:29:04.039
 trying to leave nobody out,

00:29:04.639 --> 00:29:05.279
 that they will come

00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:06.819
 to realize that unless God

00:29:06.819 --> 00:29:09.079
 acts with effective power

00:29:09.079 --> 00:29:10.439
 in a way that's right,

00:29:10.679 --> 00:29:12.259
 we can't be right with God.

00:29:12.419 --> 00:29:13.659
 God has to act

00:29:13.659 --> 00:29:15.079
 with effective power

00:29:15.079 --> 00:29:16.220
 in a way that is right,

00:29:16.339 --> 00:29:17.879
 to make us right with himself,

00:29:18.259 --> 00:29:20.359
 and he's done it in Jesus.

00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:23.099
 So some of you might say,

00:29:23.139 --> 00:29:23.740
 George, this is,

00:29:24.139 --> 00:29:24.899
 okay, well,

00:29:24.959 --> 00:29:26.480
 this is a different take,

00:29:26.899 --> 00:29:28.059
 and I know you're going to talk

00:29:28.059 --> 00:29:29.099
 about the next few verses,

00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:29.659
 but George,

00:29:29.699 --> 00:29:30.639
 are you saying

00:29:30.639 --> 00:29:32.339
 that you sin less

00:29:32.339 --> 00:29:33.179
 than other people?

00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:34.740
 Like, you're talking

00:29:34.740 --> 00:29:35.779
 as if you understand

00:29:35.779 --> 00:29:36.519
 this text,

00:29:36.939 --> 00:29:38.139
 and you've seen

00:29:38.139 --> 00:29:39.240
 through what's going on.

00:29:40.079 --> 00:29:40.720
 Are you saying

00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:41.419
 you're superior

00:29:41.419 --> 00:29:42.220
 because you've seen

00:29:42.220 --> 00:29:43.039
 what's going on?

00:29:43.579 --> 00:29:44.420
 That's, by the way,

00:29:44.579 --> 00:29:45.779
 always a great temptation

00:29:45.779 --> 00:29:46.339
 for us.

00:29:47.039 --> 00:29:48.099
 It's one of the things

00:29:48.099 --> 00:29:49.019
 that just shows us

00:29:49.019 --> 00:29:50.139
 the depth of our sin

00:29:50.139 --> 00:29:52.240
 is that even at moments

00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:52.980
 when we have

00:29:52.980 --> 00:29:54.460
 a real aha moment

00:29:54.460 --> 00:29:55.819
 and breakthrough with God

00:29:55.819 --> 00:29:56.460
 that instantly

00:29:56.460 --> 00:29:57.599
 we can feel better

00:29:57.599 --> 00:29:58.819
 than other people.

00:29:59.899 --> 00:30:01.319
 Lord, have mercy.

00:30:02.039 --> 00:30:03.279
 Lord, have mercy.

00:30:05.200 --> 00:30:06.500
 But are you saying, George,

00:30:06.579 --> 00:30:07.920
 that you sin less?

00:30:08.820 --> 00:30:09.420
 Or that people

00:30:09.420 --> 00:30:10.100
 who hear this sermon

00:30:10.100 --> 00:30:11.220
 are going to sin less

00:30:11.220 --> 00:30:12.519
 than other people?

00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:16.380
 And if I'm reading

00:30:16.380 --> 00:30:16.779
 this correctly,

00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:17.560
 isn't the Bible

00:30:17.560 --> 00:30:18.779
 warning people against you?

00:30:19.460 --> 00:30:20.000
 In fact, George,

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:20.500
 are you saying

00:30:20.500 --> 00:30:21.080
 that the Bible

00:30:21.080 --> 00:30:21.620
 is one of those

00:30:21.620 --> 00:30:23.220
 really, really cynical texts

00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:24.740
 that warns people

00:30:24.740 --> 00:30:25.759
 against itself

00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:28.279
 and is sort of like

00:30:28.279 --> 00:30:29.200
 just a really cynical

00:30:29.200 --> 00:30:29.920
 type of thing?

00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:32.000
 No, that's...

00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:34.019
 This is where

00:30:34.019 --> 00:30:37.400
 seeing the really weird thing,

00:30:37.400 --> 00:30:38.519
 because this was already...

00:30:38.519 --> 00:30:39.740
 The first few verses

00:30:39.740 --> 00:30:40.720
 are just puzzling.

00:30:41.160 --> 00:30:42.440
 But all of a sudden,

00:30:42.560 --> 00:30:43.300
 it seems to us

00:30:43.300 --> 00:30:44.360
 that out of the blue,

00:30:45.120 --> 00:30:46.060
 God's...

00:30:46.060 --> 00:30:47.940
 Paul's talking about circumcision.

00:30:48.940 --> 00:30:50.940
 How does circumcision

00:30:50.940 --> 00:30:53.019
 help this text,

00:30:53.300 --> 00:30:54.140
 this dilemma?

00:30:55.080 --> 00:30:55.519
 And it's like

00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:56.680
 a puzzling type of thing.

00:30:56.840 --> 00:30:57.400
 And it's...

00:30:57.400 --> 00:30:58.180
 Here's one of those things

00:30:58.180 --> 00:31:00.080
 where the parts of the Bible

00:31:00.080 --> 00:31:01.759
 sometimes that are most weird

00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:04.140
 can often be the type

00:31:04.140 --> 00:31:04.940
 that the texts

00:31:04.940 --> 00:31:07.060
 that are actually going to help us

00:31:07.059 --> 00:31:08.460
 to get to understand

00:31:08.460 --> 00:31:10.039
 if we're patient with them.

00:31:10.919 --> 00:31:12.579
 So let's look at Romans.

00:31:13.319 --> 00:31:13.639
 This...

00:31:13.639 --> 00:31:14.039
 What happens?

00:31:14.099 --> 00:31:14.759
 So Paul's...

00:31:14.759 --> 00:31:16.079
 Romans 17 to 24,

00:31:16.200 --> 00:31:16.639
 chapter 2,

00:31:16.700 --> 00:31:18.099
 now verse 25 and following,

00:31:18.200 --> 00:31:19.419
 where he talks about circumcision.

00:31:19.980 --> 00:31:20.819
 It goes like this.

00:31:21.220 --> 00:31:22.399
 For circumcision...

00:31:22.399 --> 00:31:22.960
 So it's just gone

00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:23.559
 verse 24.

00:31:23.679 --> 00:31:23.859
 Remember,

00:31:23.980 --> 00:31:24.639
 for as it is written,

00:31:24.740 --> 00:31:25.319
 the name of God

00:31:25.319 --> 00:31:25.980
 is blasphemed

00:31:25.980 --> 00:31:26.819
 among the Gentiles

00:31:26.819 --> 00:31:27.339
 because of you.

00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:28.960
 That's one of the literary clues

00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:30.019
 to help us to understand

00:31:30.019 --> 00:31:31.000
 that all those good things

00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:31.940
 that he was talking about,

00:31:32.279 --> 00:31:33.619
 that somehow these good things

00:31:33.619 --> 00:31:34.519
 have gotten rotten.

00:31:34.519 --> 00:31:36.220
 they've gone putrid,

00:31:36.700 --> 00:31:37.980
 that there's something in there

00:31:37.980 --> 00:31:38.920
 which is of death

00:31:38.920 --> 00:31:40.379
 because, you know,

00:31:40.420 --> 00:31:41.359
 the Bible's telling him

00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:42.559
 to re-look at these things

00:31:42.559 --> 00:31:44.099
 and try to understand these things

00:31:44.099 --> 00:31:45.079
 because verse 24,

00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:46.379
 and he quotes the Bible

00:31:46.379 --> 00:31:47.059
 to let us know

00:31:47.059 --> 00:31:47.920
 that this is the case.

00:31:48.339 --> 00:31:49.400
 And so verse 25,

00:31:49.480 --> 00:31:50.079
 he continues,

00:31:50.339 --> 00:31:51.420
 for...

00:31:51.420 --> 00:31:51.839
 In other words,

00:31:51.879 --> 00:31:53.339
 it's following on from this.

00:31:53.980 --> 00:31:55.460
 For circumcision indeed

00:31:55.460 --> 00:31:56.180
 is a value

00:31:56.180 --> 00:31:57.279
 if you obey the law.

00:31:58.180 --> 00:31:59.599
 But if you break the law,

00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:00.579
 your circumcision

00:32:00.579 --> 00:32:02.099
 becomes uncircumcision.

00:32:03.019 --> 00:32:03.859
 But one moment,

00:32:03.980 --> 00:32:05.039
 just before we read any further,

00:32:05.159 --> 00:32:06.519
 we already understand

00:32:06.519 --> 00:32:07.839
 that nobody keeps the law.

00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:08.399
 Does that mean

00:32:08.399 --> 00:32:10.139
 that everybody's uncircumcised?

00:32:11.500 --> 00:32:12.099
 That everybody...

00:32:13.179 --> 00:32:14.139
 And maybe here,

00:32:14.579 --> 00:32:15.459
 if you're gonna...

00:32:15.459 --> 00:32:16.240
 And later on we'll see,

00:32:16.679 --> 00:32:17.079
 but...

00:32:17.079 --> 00:32:17.639
 Well, I'll just read

00:32:17.639 --> 00:32:18.259
 with circumcision,

00:32:18.379 --> 00:32:19.219
 but you might want to put

00:32:19.219 --> 00:32:20.399
 in the word baptism there

00:32:20.399 --> 00:32:21.500
 rather than circumcision.

00:32:22.639 --> 00:32:23.459
 So if a man

00:32:23.459 --> 00:32:24.539
 who is uncircumcised,

00:32:24.619 --> 00:32:25.299
 verse 26,

00:32:25.480 --> 00:32:27.199
 keeps the precepts of the law,

00:32:27.419 --> 00:32:29.219
 will not his uncircumcision

00:32:29.219 --> 00:32:30.859
 be regarded as circumcision?

00:32:31.719 --> 00:32:32.919
 Then he who is physically

00:32:32.919 --> 00:32:34.099
 uncircumcised

00:32:34.099 --> 00:32:34.939
 but keeps the law

00:32:34.939 --> 00:32:35.759
 will condemn

00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:37.899
 you who have the written code.

00:32:38.659 --> 00:32:39.559
 And here what this word

00:32:39.559 --> 00:32:40.579
 condemn means is

00:32:40.579 --> 00:32:42.419
 not that they're a judge,

00:32:42.519 --> 00:32:44.399
 but that they give evidence.

00:32:45.139 --> 00:32:46.159
 That's what it means here.

00:32:46.919 --> 00:32:47.379
 In other words,

00:32:47.419 --> 00:32:48.819
 it would be as if...

00:32:48.819 --> 00:32:51.559
 One of the things,

00:32:51.699 --> 00:32:51.899
 if you...

00:32:51.899 --> 00:32:52.559
 I don't know how many of you

00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:53.039
 have ever lived

00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:54.279
 in really small towns,

00:32:54.500 --> 00:32:55.559
 like really small towns.

00:32:55.740 --> 00:32:56.779
 When we lived in Eganville,

00:32:56.839 --> 00:32:57.679
 I think they advertised

00:32:57.679 --> 00:32:59.419
 a population of 2,000,

00:32:59.500 --> 00:32:59.919
 but it was probably

00:32:59.919 --> 00:33:00.559
 less than that.

00:33:00.859 --> 00:33:02.299
 And there was this young guy

00:33:02.299 --> 00:33:04.179
 that our family knew,

00:33:04.719 --> 00:33:06.319
 and he was getting a little bit,

00:33:06.599 --> 00:33:07.459
 putting on a little bit of weight.

00:33:07.599 --> 00:33:09.379
 He was only like 13 or 12

00:33:09.379 --> 00:33:10.139
 or something like that.

00:33:10.179 --> 00:33:11.339
 And his parents told him

00:33:11.339 --> 00:33:11.859
 that he wasn't allowed

00:33:11.859 --> 00:33:12.659
 to eat potato chips

00:33:12.659 --> 00:33:13.579
 and other types of things.

00:33:13.659 --> 00:33:14.599
 And I guess all the time

00:33:14.599 --> 00:33:15.399
 they would tell him,

00:33:15.859 --> 00:33:16.219
 you're not allowed

00:33:16.219 --> 00:33:16.979
 to eat these things

00:33:16.979 --> 00:33:17.659
 after school.

00:33:18.159 --> 00:33:18.899
 So one day,

00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:19.699
 he'd bought himself

00:33:19.699 --> 00:33:21.079
 a big bag of potato chips.

00:33:21.740 --> 00:33:24.119
 And on his way home,

00:33:24.539 --> 00:33:25.399
 he stopped,

00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:26.559
 and it was a nice sunny day,

00:33:26.579 --> 00:33:27.439
 and he stopped at a bench

00:33:27.439 --> 00:33:28.119
 and he ate the bag

00:33:28.119 --> 00:33:28.779
 of potato chips.

00:33:28.779 --> 00:33:29.619
 He didn't realize

00:33:29.619 --> 00:33:31.240
 that a photographer

00:33:31.240 --> 00:33:32.700
 from the Eganville Leader

00:33:32.700 --> 00:33:34.720
 took a picture of him

00:33:34.720 --> 00:33:37.059
 eating a bag of potato chips

00:33:37.059 --> 00:33:39.899
 on a sunny spring afternoon.

00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:40.700
 I think it was spring.

00:33:41.539 --> 00:33:42.480
 And so, you know,

00:33:42.500 --> 00:33:43.379
 he's like an 11-year-old,

00:33:43.460 --> 00:33:43.740
 12-year-old,

00:33:43.779 --> 00:33:44.220
 whatever he was.

00:33:44.220 --> 00:33:45.599
 He never read

00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:46.399
 the Eganville Leader.

00:33:47.039 --> 00:33:47.920
 And so, you know,

00:33:48.019 --> 00:33:48.700
 the Eganville Leader

00:33:48.700 --> 00:33:49.599
 comes out a couple of days

00:33:49.599 --> 00:33:50.019
 from now,

00:33:50.059 --> 00:33:50.920
 and his mom says,

00:33:51.059 --> 00:33:52.139
 oh, I almost said

00:33:52.139 --> 00:33:52.799
 the guy's name,

00:33:52.859 --> 00:33:53.420
 which would be bad.

00:33:53.420 --> 00:33:55.860
 Oh, son,

00:33:56.360 --> 00:33:57.660
 you know we've told you

00:33:57.660 --> 00:33:58.840
 not to eat bags

00:33:58.840 --> 00:33:59.620
 of potato chips

00:33:59.620 --> 00:34:00.320
 on your way home.

00:34:00.360 --> 00:34:01.000
 You don't do that.

00:34:01.080 --> 00:34:01.920
 No, no, mom.

00:34:01.940 --> 00:34:03.180
 I don't do that at all.

00:34:05.019 --> 00:34:06.300
 Well, look what's here

00:34:06.300 --> 00:34:07.360
 in the Eganville Leader.

00:34:09.480 --> 00:34:10.480
 Who's this person

00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:11.860
 eating potato chips

00:34:11.860 --> 00:34:12.980
 in the afternoon

00:34:12.980 --> 00:34:13.840
 on their way home?

00:34:14.340 --> 00:34:15.559
 So this, in a sense,

00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:17.420
 that picture condemns him.

00:34:18.180 --> 00:34:18.559
 In other words,

00:34:18.599 --> 00:34:19.440
 by giving evidence.

00:34:20.139 --> 00:34:21.360
 And that's what's meant here.

00:34:22.260 --> 00:34:23.120
 Okay, that's how

00:34:23.120 --> 00:34:24.260
 you have to understand it.

00:34:24.820 --> 00:34:26.140
 So when it says here

00:34:26.140 --> 00:34:27.400
 in verse 27,

00:34:28.099 --> 00:34:30.099
 so verse 26,

00:34:30.200 --> 00:34:30.700
 so if a man

00:34:30.700 --> 00:34:31.880
 who is uncircumcised

00:34:31.880 --> 00:34:32.820
 keeps the precepts

00:34:32.820 --> 00:34:33.059
 of the law,

00:34:33.140 --> 00:34:34.800
 will not his uncircumcision

00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:36.180
 be regarded as circumcision?

00:34:36.260 --> 00:34:36.880
 We'll talk about that

00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:37.220
 in a moment.

00:34:37.340 --> 00:34:38.320
 But then verse 27,

00:34:38.420 --> 00:34:39.539
 then he who is physically

00:34:39.539 --> 00:34:40.380
 uncircumcised

00:34:40.380 --> 00:34:41.140
 but keeps the law

00:34:41.140 --> 00:34:42.240
 will condemn

00:34:42.240 --> 00:34:43.200
 you who have

00:34:43.200 --> 00:34:43.940
 the written code

00:34:43.940 --> 00:34:45.380
 and uncircumcision

00:34:45.380 --> 00:34:46.940
 but break the law.

00:34:46.980 --> 00:34:47.400
 In other words,

00:34:47.500 --> 00:34:48.539
 what it's saying here

00:34:48.539 --> 00:34:49.680
 is that in heaven,

00:34:49.760 --> 00:34:50.579
 there'll be lots of people

00:34:50.579 --> 00:34:51.079
 in heaven

00:34:51.079 --> 00:34:52.880
 who've given their lives

00:34:52.880 --> 00:34:53.360
 to Jesus

00:34:53.360 --> 00:34:53.980
 but they've never

00:34:53.980 --> 00:34:54.619
 been baptized.

00:34:57.340 --> 00:34:58.340
 Okay, and in heaven

00:34:58.340 --> 00:34:59.480
 and in hell,

00:34:59.679 --> 00:35:00.599
 there'll be lots of people

00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:01.259
 who are baptized

00:35:01.259 --> 00:35:02.099
 but haven't given

00:35:02.099 --> 00:35:02.940
 their life to Jesus.

00:35:04.199 --> 00:35:04.920
 That's to sort of

00:35:04.920 --> 00:35:05.840
 make it a little bit more

00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:07.420
 like relevant to us.

00:35:07.779 --> 00:35:08.500
 If you've given

00:35:08.500 --> 00:35:09.299
 your life to Jesus,

00:35:09.400 --> 00:35:10.259
 you should be baptized,

00:35:10.500 --> 00:35:10.840
 by the way.

00:35:10.920 --> 00:35:12.579
 You should seek

00:35:12.579 --> 00:35:13.799
 to be obedient to baptism.

00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:15.000
 But there'll be people

00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:15.340
 in heaven

00:35:15.340 --> 00:35:16.079
 who've given their lives

00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:16.440
 to Jesus,

00:35:16.539 --> 00:35:17.099
 never got around

00:35:17.099 --> 00:35:17.599
 to baptism

00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:18.579
 or whatever happened,

00:35:18.980 --> 00:35:19.799
 just didn't happen,

00:35:19.800 --> 00:35:20.700
 but they're in heaven

00:35:20.700 --> 00:35:21.840
 because the key thing

00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:23.100
 is something that went on

00:35:23.100 --> 00:35:23.620
 in the center

00:35:23.620 --> 00:35:24.300
 of who you are.

00:35:25.140 --> 00:35:25.840
 Not whether or not

00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:26.900
 water got,

00:35:27.019 --> 00:35:27.180
 you know,

00:35:27.220 --> 00:35:27.940
 not whether or not,

00:35:28.060 --> 00:35:28.500
 oh, you know,

00:35:28.539 --> 00:35:29.360
 you weren't really baptized

00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:30.240
 because you got baptized

00:35:30.240 --> 00:35:30.940
 as an infant

00:35:30.940 --> 00:35:31.900
 because you didn't go

00:35:31.900 --> 00:35:32.760
 underneath the water

00:35:32.760 --> 00:35:33.760
 the proper way

00:35:33.760 --> 00:35:34.620
 or, you know,

00:35:34.660 --> 00:35:35.780
 like it's not about

00:35:35.780 --> 00:35:37.100
 somehow getting the water

00:35:37.100 --> 00:35:38.240
 thing right

00:35:38.240 --> 00:35:39.240
 or even the water

00:35:39.240 --> 00:35:39.980
 itself

00:35:39.980 --> 00:35:41.920
 that the relevance of that

00:35:41.920 --> 00:35:42.640
 has to do with

00:35:42.640 --> 00:35:43.720
 something internal.

00:35:43.900 --> 00:35:44.519
 That's what the Bible

00:35:44.519 --> 00:35:45.260
 is trying to get at.

00:35:46.100 --> 00:35:46.880
 Verse 28,

00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:48.780
 for no one is a Jew,

00:35:48.900 --> 00:35:50.160
 no one is an Anglican

00:35:50.160 --> 00:35:52.960
 who is merely one outwardly,

00:35:53.180 --> 00:35:55.220
 nor is circumcision

00:35:55.220 --> 00:35:56.280
 or baptism

00:35:56.280 --> 00:35:57.880
 outward and physical,

00:35:58.500 --> 00:35:59.500
 but an Anglican

00:35:59.500 --> 00:36:01.240
 is one inwardly,

00:36:02.240 --> 00:36:03.420
 but actually here really

00:36:03.420 --> 00:36:04.800
 a member of the covenant people,

00:36:04.880 --> 00:36:05.420
 that's here where

00:36:05.420 --> 00:36:06.240
 it breaks down,

00:36:06.599 --> 00:36:07.500
 is one inwardly

00:36:07.500 --> 00:36:08.420
 and circumcision

00:36:08.420 --> 00:36:09.180
 or baptism

00:36:09.180 --> 00:36:11.000
 is a matter of the heart

00:36:11.000 --> 00:36:12.720
 by the Holy Spirit,

00:36:13.300 --> 00:36:14.300
 not by the letter.

00:36:14.300 --> 00:36:16.660
 His and her praise

00:36:16.660 --> 00:36:18.780
 is not from human beings

00:36:18.780 --> 00:36:20.100
 but from God.

00:36:21.220 --> 00:36:21.980
 So here,

00:36:22.080 --> 00:36:22.519
 if you could put up

00:36:22.519 --> 00:36:23.360
 the next point, Andrew,

00:36:24.980 --> 00:36:25.920
 my heart

00:36:25.920 --> 00:36:28.120
 needs to be circumcised

00:36:28.120 --> 00:36:29.000
 and baptized.

00:36:30.060 --> 00:36:31.019
 The Bible says,

00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:32.820
 my heart

00:36:32.820 --> 00:36:34.980
 needs to be circumcised

00:36:34.980 --> 00:36:36.260
 and baptized.

00:36:37.700 --> 00:36:38.760
 And by the way,

00:36:38.880 --> 00:36:40.700
 Paul will later on

00:36:40.700 --> 00:36:41.480
 in Romans 6

00:36:41.480 --> 00:36:42.500
 make this connection

00:36:42.500 --> 00:36:43.380
 between baptism

00:36:43.380 --> 00:36:44.880
 and circumcision himself.

00:36:45.139 --> 00:36:46.360
 But as you'll see

00:36:46.360 --> 00:36:46.880
 in a moment,

00:36:48.199 --> 00:36:49.119
 it's saying that

00:36:49.119 --> 00:36:50.039
 my heart

00:36:50.039 --> 00:36:51.960
 needs to be circumcised.

00:36:52.079 --> 00:36:52.860
 My heart

00:36:52.860 --> 00:36:54.360
 needs to be baptized.

00:36:54.360 --> 00:37:02.240
 but when I say this,

00:37:02.400 --> 00:37:03.420
 remember I began

00:37:03.420 --> 00:37:03.820
 this sermon

00:37:03.820 --> 00:37:04.599
 with the story

00:37:04.599 --> 00:37:06.039
 of me in the Starbucks

00:37:06.039 --> 00:37:07.039
 and this couple,

00:37:07.300 --> 00:37:08.160
 both but 40,

00:37:08.680 --> 00:37:09.320
 yoga mats

00:37:09.320 --> 00:37:11.780
 and sort of

00:37:11.780 --> 00:37:12.820
 complimenting me

00:37:12.820 --> 00:37:13.700
 in a sense,

00:37:14.340 --> 00:37:14.740
 wanting to start

00:37:14.740 --> 00:37:15.579
 a conversation with me

00:37:15.579 --> 00:37:16.840
 because I must be deep

00:37:16.840 --> 00:37:19.480
 and more authentic

00:37:19.480 --> 00:37:20.960
 because I'm writing

00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:21.519
 in a journal

00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:22.160
 with a pen.

00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:22.199
 pen,

00:37:22.819 --> 00:37:23.980
 I just can't type

00:37:23.980 --> 00:37:24.539
 actually.

00:37:25.980 --> 00:37:27.819
 I do like paper

00:37:27.819 --> 00:37:28.259
 and pen

00:37:28.259 --> 00:37:29.379
 and that's partially

00:37:29.379 --> 00:37:30.099
 because I'm old

00:37:30.099 --> 00:37:31.420
 and I can't type.

00:37:34.960 --> 00:37:36.339
 So is this text

00:37:36.339 --> 00:37:36.619
 saying,

00:37:36.899 --> 00:37:37.159
 George,

00:37:37.259 --> 00:37:37.699
 you've just got

00:37:37.699 --> 00:37:39.000
 to be more deep?

00:37:39.599 --> 00:37:40.199
 You've got to be

00:37:40.199 --> 00:37:40.920
 more deep.

00:37:41.299 --> 00:37:42.139
 But that's what it means

00:37:42.139 --> 00:37:43.000
 when I say that

00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:44.299
 my heart needs

00:37:44.299 --> 00:37:45.219
 to be circumcised

00:37:45.219 --> 00:37:45.839
 and baptized.

00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:47.259
 Is that just saying

00:37:47.259 --> 00:37:48.299
 that you can't be

00:37:48.299 --> 00:37:49.420
 just focused on externals?

00:37:49.480 --> 00:37:50.379
 It is partially saying that

00:37:50.380 --> 00:37:51.340
 but you've got to be deeper

00:37:51.340 --> 00:37:52.119
 as a person

00:37:52.119 --> 00:37:53.660
 and you've got to get

00:37:53.660 --> 00:37:54.880
 in touch with your feelings

00:37:54.880 --> 00:37:56.519
 and maybe get in touch

00:37:56.519 --> 00:37:57.320
 with your body

00:37:57.320 --> 00:37:58.840
 and you've got to be

00:37:58.840 --> 00:38:00.119
 in touch with your history

00:38:00.119 --> 00:38:01.400
 and you've got to be

00:38:01.400 --> 00:38:02.320
 more reflective

00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:03.700
 and you've got to think

00:38:03.700 --> 00:38:04.460
 about your family

00:38:04.460 --> 00:38:05.160
 of origin

00:38:05.160 --> 00:38:06.280
 and is that what

00:38:06.280 --> 00:38:07.400
 this text is saying?

00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:08.860
 Not at all.

00:38:09.740 --> 00:38:10.860
 Not even remotely.

00:38:11.640 --> 00:38:13.360
 Not even remotely.

00:38:14.740 --> 00:38:15.019
 Andrew,

00:38:15.079 --> 00:38:15.599
 could you put up

00:38:15.599 --> 00:38:17.380
 the next point?

00:38:17.380 --> 00:38:20.420
 The first point

00:38:20.420 --> 00:38:20.760
 was that

00:38:20.760 --> 00:38:21.940
 the point just before this

00:38:21.940 --> 00:38:22.720
 was that my heart

00:38:22.720 --> 00:38:23.840
 needs to be circumcised

00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:24.360
 and baptized

00:38:24.360 --> 00:38:25.940
 but the text

00:38:25.940 --> 00:38:26.760
 is trying to get us

00:38:26.760 --> 00:38:27.500
 to understand

00:38:27.500 --> 00:38:29.220
 that only the Holy Spirit

00:38:29.220 --> 00:38:31.360
 can circumcise

00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:32.340
 and baptize

00:38:32.340 --> 00:38:33.200
 my heart.

00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:37.480
 A journal and a pen

00:38:37.480 --> 00:38:38.820
 doesn't baptize

00:38:38.820 --> 00:38:39.320
 my heart.

00:38:40.760 --> 00:38:41.920
 A yoga mat

00:38:41.920 --> 00:38:43.400
 doesn't baptize

00:38:43.400 --> 00:38:43.900
 my heart.

00:38:43.900 --> 00:38:46.680
 taking communion

00:38:46.680 --> 00:38:49.320
 in and of itself

00:38:49.320 --> 00:38:50.740
 doesn't baptize

00:38:50.740 --> 00:38:51.360
 my heart.

00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:53.039
 Doesn't circumcise

00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:53.940
 my heart.

00:38:57.019 --> 00:38:58.400
 Look at verse 29

00:38:58.400 --> 00:38:58.780
 again.

00:38:58.880 --> 00:38:59.480
 But a Jew

00:38:59.480 --> 00:39:00.420
 or an Anglican

00:39:00.420 --> 00:39:01.119
 or a Christian

00:39:01.119 --> 00:39:03.000
 is one inwardly

00:39:03.000 --> 00:39:04.500
 and circumcision

00:39:04.500 --> 00:39:05.700
 is a matter of the heart

00:39:05.700 --> 00:39:07.139
 by the Holy Spirit

00:39:07.139 --> 00:39:08.740
 not by the letter.

00:39:09.380 --> 00:39:10.059
 His praise

00:39:10.059 --> 00:39:11.460
 is not from man

00:39:11.460 --> 00:39:12.960
 or human beings

00:39:12.960 --> 00:39:14.199
 but from God.

00:39:16.199 --> 00:39:16.639
 See,

00:39:16.740 --> 00:39:17.420
 we have to understand

00:39:17.420 --> 00:39:18.099
 the heart

00:39:18.099 --> 00:39:19.199
 here doesn't mean

00:39:19.199 --> 00:39:19.960
 feelings.

00:39:21.380 --> 00:39:21.980
 I've heard

00:39:21.980 --> 00:39:22.840
 lots of Christians

00:39:22.840 --> 00:39:23.800
 say that the biggest

00:39:23.800 --> 00:39:24.900
 journey in the

00:39:24.900 --> 00:39:25.679
 Christian faith

00:39:25.679 --> 00:39:26.860
 I should have

00:39:26.860 --> 00:39:27.320
 measured it.

00:39:27.380 --> 00:39:27.800
 I can't remember

00:39:27.800 --> 00:39:28.860
 if it's 12 inches

00:39:28.860 --> 00:39:29.740
 from here to here

00:39:29.740 --> 00:39:30.599
 or 18 inches.

00:39:30.699 --> 00:39:31.240
 I know some people

00:39:31.240 --> 00:39:32.300
 have really long necks

00:39:32.300 --> 00:39:33.559
 but whatever

00:39:33.559 --> 00:39:34.579
 some people

00:39:34.579 --> 00:39:35.280
 I don't know

00:39:35.280 --> 00:39:35.980
 is that a foot

00:39:35.980 --> 00:39:36.599
 or 18 inches?

00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:37.579
 Well, I'll say a foot

00:39:37.579 --> 00:39:38.760
 but maybe it's more.

00:39:39.220 --> 00:39:39.900
 They say the longest

00:39:39.900 --> 00:39:41.179
 journey in the Christian faith

00:39:41.179 --> 00:39:42.059
 where the Christian faith

00:39:42.059 --> 00:39:42.900
 begins is where

00:39:42.900 --> 00:39:44.980
 the 12 inch journey

00:39:44.980 --> 00:39:45.900
 from here to here

00:39:45.900 --> 00:39:46.440
 and what they mean

00:39:46.440 --> 00:39:47.420
 is that you have feelings.

00:39:48.920 --> 00:39:50.199
 That's not reading

00:39:50.199 --> 00:39:51.219
 the text correctly.

00:39:52.099 --> 00:39:53.099
 It's not telling you

00:39:53.099 --> 00:39:54.039
 to have certain feelings.

00:39:56.320 --> 00:39:57.059
 That's actually

00:39:57.059 --> 00:39:58.320
 sort of a real trap

00:39:58.320 --> 00:39:59.199
 that a lot of Christians

00:39:59.199 --> 00:39:59.759
 fall into

00:39:59.759 --> 00:40:00.279
 to try to have

00:40:00.279 --> 00:40:01.199
 the right feelings.

00:40:03.139 --> 00:40:03.920
 The heart

00:40:03.920 --> 00:40:04.579
 in the Bible

00:40:04.579 --> 00:40:05.619
 is always the command

00:40:05.619 --> 00:40:06.840
 center of who you are.

00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:09.139
 The command center

00:40:09.139 --> 00:40:10.619
 of who you are.

00:40:11.579 --> 00:40:12.019
 And, you know,

00:40:12.059 --> 00:40:13.119
 that command center

00:40:13.119 --> 00:40:14.159
 it's partially

00:40:14.159 --> 00:40:14.859
 it's, you know,

00:40:14.879 --> 00:40:15.759
 how you understand

00:40:15.759 --> 00:40:16.339
 what to do

00:40:16.339 --> 00:40:16.940
 is partially

00:40:16.940 --> 00:40:17.699
 from feelings

00:40:17.699 --> 00:40:18.759
 partially from

00:40:18.759 --> 00:40:20.019
 you know,

00:40:20.059 --> 00:40:20.519
 emotions

00:40:20.519 --> 00:40:21.379
 partially from

00:40:21.379 --> 00:40:22.359
 a sense of beauty

00:40:22.359 --> 00:40:24.119
 or a sense of love

00:40:24.119 --> 00:40:24.920
 and partially

00:40:24.920 --> 00:40:25.920
 sometimes it's a matter

00:40:25.920 --> 00:40:26.440
 of thinking

00:40:26.440 --> 00:40:27.379
 sometimes it's a matter

00:40:27.379 --> 00:40:27.739
 of knowing

00:40:27.739 --> 00:40:28.519
 what's right and wrong.

00:40:28.619 --> 00:40:29.199
 There's a variety

00:40:29.199 --> 00:40:29.879
 of things that

00:40:29.879 --> 00:40:31.519
 work at the command center

00:40:31.519 --> 00:40:32.099
 of who we are

00:40:32.099 --> 00:40:32.819
 because human beings

00:40:32.819 --> 00:40:33.900
 are deep and complex

00:40:33.900 --> 00:40:36.940
 and emotions

00:40:36.940 --> 00:40:38.900
 and the mind

00:40:38.900 --> 00:40:39.860
 and morals

00:40:39.860 --> 00:40:40.559
 and beauty

00:40:40.559 --> 00:40:42.200
 all have an impact

00:40:42.200 --> 00:40:42.860
 in terms of us

00:40:42.860 --> 00:40:43.639
 making decisions

00:40:43.639 --> 00:40:44.280
 but the heart

00:40:44.280 --> 00:40:45.280
 doesn't refer to

00:40:45.280 --> 00:40:45.920
 a certain type

00:40:45.920 --> 00:40:46.420
 of feeling

00:40:46.420 --> 00:40:47.380
 it's always referring

00:40:47.380 --> 00:40:48.539
 to the command center

00:40:48.539 --> 00:40:49.740
 of who we are.

00:40:50.480 --> 00:40:51.360
 And this image

00:40:51.360 --> 00:40:52.340
 of circumcision

00:40:52.340 --> 00:40:53.920
 which is so weird

00:40:53.920 --> 00:40:55.000
 so it's seen

00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:56.519
 that the command center

00:40:56.519 --> 00:40:58.000
 of who Sinclair is

00:40:58.000 --> 00:40:59.840
 has to be circumcised.

00:41:00.599 --> 00:41:01.920
 In the ancient world

00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:03.139
 when the Jewish people

00:41:03.139 --> 00:41:03.879
 were first given

00:41:03.879 --> 00:41:05.000
 the right of circumcision

00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:05.920
 there were other

00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:06.759
 ancient peoples

00:41:06.759 --> 00:41:08.159
 that practiced circumcision

00:41:08.159 --> 00:41:09.299
 pagans who practiced

00:41:09.299 --> 00:41:09.920
 circumcision

00:41:09.920 --> 00:41:11.139
 and when they practiced

00:41:11.139 --> 00:41:11.920
 circumcision

00:41:11.920 --> 00:41:13.079
 I mean scholars

00:41:13.079 --> 00:41:14.219
 now looking back on it

00:41:14.219 --> 00:41:14.719
 and trying to read

00:41:14.719 --> 00:41:15.259
 the documents

00:41:15.259 --> 00:41:16.500
 think that it symbolized

00:41:16.500 --> 00:41:17.480
 one of two things.

00:41:17.879 --> 00:41:18.859
 It symbolized

00:41:18.859 --> 00:41:19.460
 in a sense

00:41:19.460 --> 00:41:21.420
 a token of human sacrifice

00:41:21.420 --> 00:41:24.079
 that when that part

00:41:24.079 --> 00:41:24.879
 of the male anatomy

00:41:24.879 --> 00:41:26.019
 was cut off

00:41:26.019 --> 00:41:27.519
 it's symbolizing

00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:30.179
 that a human being

00:41:30.179 --> 00:41:31.359
 has died for you

00:41:31.359 --> 00:41:32.019
 and sometimes

00:41:32.019 --> 00:41:32.920
 it was used

00:41:32.920 --> 00:41:33.659
 to symbolize

00:41:33.659 --> 00:41:34.119
 they think

00:41:34.119 --> 00:41:35.300
 that the power

00:41:35.300 --> 00:41:36.019
 of life

00:41:36.019 --> 00:41:38.300
 that that's sacrificed

00:41:38.300 --> 00:41:39.400
 on your behalf.

00:41:40.179 --> 00:41:41.440
 But for the Jewish people

00:41:41.440 --> 00:41:42.420
 when they're given

00:41:42.420 --> 00:41:43.599
 the right of circumcision

00:41:43.599 --> 00:41:45.739
 in Genesis chapter 17

00:41:45.739 --> 00:41:46.559
 and then later on

00:41:46.559 --> 00:41:47.059
 in the law

00:41:47.059 --> 00:41:48.179
 they're given

00:41:48.179 --> 00:41:49.239
 the right of circumcision

00:41:49.239 --> 00:41:50.480
 and it's all

00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:51.159
 from a different

00:41:51.159 --> 00:41:51.980
 it's all within

00:41:51.980 --> 00:41:52.599
 the context

00:41:52.599 --> 00:41:53.259
 of a covenant

00:41:53.259 --> 00:41:54.679
 and it's very interesting

00:41:54.679 --> 00:41:55.340
 it's in your groin

00:41:55.340 --> 00:41:55.659
 and grace

00:41:55.659 --> 00:41:56.139
 if you look at

00:41:56.139 --> 00:41:56.900
 Genesis 15

00:41:56.900 --> 00:41:57.380
 and then read

00:41:57.380 --> 00:41:58.159
 Genesis 17

00:41:58.159 --> 00:41:59.139
 you get both

00:41:59.139 --> 00:42:00.019
 aspects of it

00:42:00.019 --> 00:42:01.019
 but it's as if

00:42:01.019 --> 00:42:02.079
 God enters into

00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:02.859
 a relationship

00:42:02.859 --> 00:42:03.759
 with the people

00:42:03.759 --> 00:42:04.279
 of Israel

00:42:04.279 --> 00:42:06.199
 and within this

00:42:06.199 --> 00:42:06.639
 relationship

00:42:06.639 --> 00:42:07.079
 he says

00:42:07.079 --> 00:42:07.920
 I will be your God

00:42:07.920 --> 00:42:08.420
 and you will be

00:42:08.420 --> 00:42:09.039
 my people

00:42:09.039 --> 00:42:10.199
 and if you

00:42:10.199 --> 00:42:11.759
 don't act

00:42:11.759 --> 00:42:12.659
 as my people

00:42:12.659 --> 00:42:13.299
 then there's going

00:42:13.299 --> 00:42:14.400
 to be these punishments

00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:15.000
 these things

00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:15.980
 that will befall you

00:42:15.980 --> 00:42:16.519
 if you break

00:42:16.519 --> 00:42:17.079
 a covenant

00:42:17.079 --> 00:42:17.719
 with me

00:42:17.719 --> 00:42:18.239
 if you break

00:42:18.239 --> 00:42:19.359
 the ten commandments

00:42:19.359 --> 00:42:20.039
 if you break

00:42:20.039 --> 00:42:20.699
 them with me

00:42:20.699 --> 00:42:22.039
 and there's this scene

00:42:22.039 --> 00:42:23.000
 in Genesis 15

00:42:23.000 --> 00:42:24.279
 where an animal

00:42:24.279 --> 00:42:24.859
 is killed

00:42:24.859 --> 00:42:26.119
 and the parts

00:42:26.119 --> 00:42:26.639
 of the animal

00:42:26.639 --> 00:42:27.699
 are set in both sides

00:42:27.699 --> 00:42:28.379
 and then you have

00:42:28.379 --> 00:42:29.000
 this symbolic

00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:29.819
 acting out

00:42:29.819 --> 00:42:32.219
 as if they walk

00:42:32.219 --> 00:42:33.579
 between the killed

00:42:33.579 --> 00:42:34.639
 parts of the animal

00:42:34.639 --> 00:42:37.079
 and then in Genesis 17

00:42:37.079 --> 00:42:37.839
 it's all come

00:42:37.839 --> 00:42:38.639
 to a conclusion

00:42:38.639 --> 00:42:39.579
 as circumcision

00:42:39.579 --> 00:42:40.319
 is given to them

00:42:40.319 --> 00:42:41.699
 and circumcision

00:42:41.699 --> 00:42:42.579
 is in a sense

00:42:42.579 --> 00:42:43.399
 an acting out

00:42:43.399 --> 00:42:44.019
 of the covenant

00:42:44.019 --> 00:42:46.480
 that if you fail

00:42:46.480 --> 00:42:47.480
 to keep this covenant

00:42:47.480 --> 00:42:48.059
 with God

00:42:48.059 --> 00:42:49.519
 you are circumcised

00:42:49.519 --> 00:42:49.799
 to say

00:42:49.799 --> 00:42:50.379
 I will enter

00:42:50.379 --> 00:42:50.859
 into covenant

00:42:50.859 --> 00:42:51.359
 with you God

00:42:51.359 --> 00:42:52.139
 you will be my God

00:42:52.139 --> 00:42:53.179
 I will be your child

00:42:53.179 --> 00:42:54.079
 and I know

00:42:54.079 --> 00:42:54.819
 that you will provide

00:42:54.819 --> 00:42:55.119
 for me

00:42:55.119 --> 00:42:55.799
 and you will do this

00:42:55.799 --> 00:42:56.639
 and if I break

00:42:56.639 --> 00:42:57.179
 the covenant

00:42:57.179 --> 00:42:58.619
 I will be cut off

00:42:58.619 --> 00:43:00.639
 I will be like

00:43:00.639 --> 00:43:01.559
 this dead animal

00:43:01.559 --> 00:43:02.239
 that's killed

00:43:02.239 --> 00:43:08.000
 and

00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:13.259
 actually

00:43:13.259 --> 00:43:13.859
 could you put up

00:43:13.859 --> 00:43:15.259
 Romans 1 16 to 17

00:43:15.259 --> 00:43:16.000
 you want to say this

00:43:16.000 --> 00:43:16.839
 with me please

00:43:16.839 --> 00:43:18.519
 this is where

00:43:18.519 --> 00:43:19.279
 we have to understand

00:43:19.279 --> 00:43:20.480
 now why the circumcision

00:43:20.480 --> 00:43:21.319
 image comes here

00:43:21.319 --> 00:43:22.679
 I know it's 40 minutes

00:43:22.679 --> 00:43:23.679
 I have to wrap this up

00:43:23.679 --> 00:43:24.679
 could you read this

00:43:24.679 --> 00:43:25.119
 with me

00:43:25.119 --> 00:43:27.139
 for I am not ashamed

00:43:27.139 --> 00:43:27.960
 of the gospel

00:43:27.960 --> 00:43:29.539
 for it is the power

00:43:29.539 --> 00:43:30.139
 of God

00:43:30.139 --> 00:43:31.039
 for salvation

00:43:31.039 --> 00:43:31.940
 to everyone

00:43:31.940 --> 00:43:32.980
 who believes

00:43:32.980 --> 00:43:34.539
 to the Jew first

00:43:34.539 --> 00:43:36.000
 and also to the Greek

00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:37.519
 for in the gospel

00:43:37.519 --> 00:43:38.380
 the righteousness

00:43:38.380 --> 00:43:39.059
 of God

00:43:39.059 --> 00:43:39.759
 is revealed

00:43:39.759 --> 00:43:40.539
 from faith

00:43:40.539 --> 00:43:41.139
 to faith

00:43:41.139 --> 00:43:42.519
 as it is written

00:43:42.519 --> 00:43:43.480
 the righteous

00:43:43.480 --> 00:43:44.279
 shall live

00:43:44.279 --> 00:43:44.900
 by faith

00:43:44.900 --> 00:43:46.039
 so what we see

00:43:46.039 --> 00:43:46.719
 in this text

00:43:46.719 --> 00:43:47.219
 is that

00:43:47.219 --> 00:43:48.299
 it is the power

00:43:48.299 --> 00:43:48.920
 of God

00:43:48.920 --> 00:43:49.639
 that God

00:43:49.639 --> 00:43:50.480
 needs to act

00:43:50.480 --> 00:43:51.759
 with effective power

00:43:51.760 --> 00:43:53.540
 and he needs

00:43:53.540 --> 00:43:53.960
 to act

00:43:53.960 --> 00:43:55.180
 with effective power

00:43:55.180 --> 00:43:55.660
 in a way

00:43:55.660 --> 00:43:56.440
 that's right

00:43:56.440 --> 00:43:58.060
 and he has to act

00:43:58.060 --> 00:43:59.080
 with effective power

00:43:59.080 --> 00:43:59.560
 in a way

00:43:59.560 --> 00:44:00.160
 that's right

00:44:00.160 --> 00:44:01.060
 to make us

00:44:01.060 --> 00:44:02.160
 right with him

00:44:02.160 --> 00:44:04.080
 and we're going

00:44:04.080 --> 00:44:05.420
 to understand

00:44:05.420 --> 00:44:06.620
 and receive this

00:44:06.620 --> 00:44:07.360
 by faith

00:44:07.360 --> 00:44:08.420
 in other words

00:44:08.420 --> 00:44:09.220
 not by anything

00:44:09.220 --> 00:44:09.840
 that we've done

00:44:09.840 --> 00:44:10.920
 but by God

00:44:10.920 --> 00:44:11.600
 doing something

00:44:11.600 --> 00:44:12.020
 for us

00:44:12.020 --> 00:44:12.580
 that we can't

00:44:12.580 --> 00:44:13.240
 do ourselves

00:44:13.240 --> 00:44:14.600
 so what is it

00:44:14.600 --> 00:44:15.380
 that we understand

00:44:15.380 --> 00:44:16.080
 about the person

00:44:16.080 --> 00:44:16.580
 of Jesus

00:44:16.580 --> 00:44:17.540
 person of Jesus

00:44:17.540 --> 00:44:18.320
 is he's come

00:44:18.320 --> 00:44:19.000
 from God

00:44:19.000 --> 00:44:20.780
 and he gets

00:44:20.780 --> 00:44:21.860
 cut off

00:44:21.860 --> 00:44:23.440
 on our behalf

00:44:23.440 --> 00:44:25.059
 in a sense

00:44:25.059 --> 00:44:26.260
 he

00:44:26.260 --> 00:44:27.739
 circumcision

00:44:27.739 --> 00:44:28.639
 is like reading

00:44:28.639 --> 00:44:29.760
 the instructions

00:44:29.760 --> 00:44:30.559
 of the coming

00:44:30.559 --> 00:44:31.380
 of the guests

00:44:31.380 --> 00:44:33.500
 but when Jesus

00:44:33.500 --> 00:44:34.920
 dies upon the cross

00:44:34.920 --> 00:44:35.900
 before that

00:44:35.900 --> 00:44:36.780
 in John's gospel

00:44:36.780 --> 00:44:37.360
 he's introduced

00:44:37.360 --> 00:44:38.400
 as the Lamb of God

00:44:38.400 --> 00:44:39.139
 who takes away

00:44:39.139 --> 00:44:40.019
 the sin of the world

00:44:40.019 --> 00:44:41.860
 and on the cross

00:44:41.860 --> 00:44:42.840
 Jesus cries out

00:44:42.840 --> 00:44:43.360
 my God

00:44:43.360 --> 00:44:43.880
 my God

00:44:43.880 --> 00:44:44.639
 why hast thou

00:44:44.639 --> 00:44:45.519
 forsaken me

00:44:45.519 --> 00:44:47.159
 and Jesus

00:44:47.159 --> 00:44:48.420
 is cut off

00:44:48.420 --> 00:44:49.380
 from God

00:44:49.380 --> 00:44:50.400
 not because of

00:44:50.400 --> 00:44:51.400
 what he has done

00:44:51.400 --> 00:44:52.460
 in and of himself

00:44:52.460 --> 00:44:54.159
 but he dies

00:44:54.159 --> 00:44:55.720
 in my place

00:44:55.720 --> 00:44:57.860
 I deserve

00:44:57.860 --> 00:44:59.059
 to be cut off

00:44:59.059 --> 00:44:59.860
 from God

00:44:59.860 --> 00:45:01.240
 because I have

00:45:01.240 --> 00:45:02.539
 broken and violated

00:45:02.539 --> 00:45:03.579
 his moral laws

00:45:03.579 --> 00:45:04.720
 I have used

00:45:04.720 --> 00:45:05.680
 even the Bible

00:45:05.680 --> 00:45:06.300
 in a way

00:45:06.300 --> 00:45:07.180
 to further

00:45:07.180 --> 00:45:08.500
 my self-righteousness

00:45:08.500 --> 00:45:09.280
 and my boasting

00:45:09.280 --> 00:45:09.980
 in myself

00:45:09.980 --> 00:45:11.039
 and I have used

00:45:11.039 --> 00:45:11.559
 the Bible

00:45:11.559 --> 00:45:12.559
 even the good things

00:45:12.559 --> 00:45:13.240
 that come from him

00:45:13.240 --> 00:45:14.139
 in such a way

00:45:14.139 --> 00:45:15.539
 and I deserve

00:45:15.539 --> 00:45:16.639
 to be cut off

00:45:16.639 --> 00:45:17.119
 from God

00:45:17.119 --> 00:45:18.320
 I am cut off

00:45:18.320 --> 00:45:18.860
 from God

00:45:18.860 --> 00:45:19.860
 and Jesus

00:45:19.860 --> 00:45:21.380
 is cut off

00:45:21.380 --> 00:45:22.260
 from God

00:45:22.260 --> 00:45:23.340
 in my stead

00:45:23.340 --> 00:45:24.840
 so that when I put

00:45:24.840 --> 00:45:25.860
 my faith and trust

00:45:25.860 --> 00:45:26.380
 in Jesus

00:45:26.380 --> 00:45:27.600
 he took

00:45:27.600 --> 00:45:29.039
 my cut offness

00:45:29.039 --> 00:45:31.320
 and in exchange

00:45:31.320 --> 00:45:32.200
 offers me

00:45:32.200 --> 00:45:33.200
 his status

00:45:33.200 --> 00:45:34.840
 as God's child

00:45:34.840 --> 00:45:35.860
 God's son

00:45:35.860 --> 00:45:39.980
 and what he does

00:45:39.980 --> 00:45:40.320
 for me

00:45:40.320 --> 00:45:41.140
 in the cross

00:45:41.140 --> 00:45:42.600
 has to be applied

00:45:42.600 --> 00:45:43.380
 to me

00:45:43.380 --> 00:45:44.600
 only God can do it

00:45:44.600 --> 00:45:45.680
 and the Holy Spirit

00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:46.299
 does it

00:45:46.299 --> 00:45:47.460
 by in a sense

00:45:47.460 --> 00:45:48.500
 circumcising

00:45:48.500 --> 00:45:49.440
 my heart

00:45:49.440 --> 00:45:51.299
 what he does

00:45:51.299 --> 00:45:51.799
 for me

00:45:51.799 --> 00:45:53.000
 enters into me

00:45:53.000 --> 00:45:53.719
 as I enter

00:45:53.719 --> 00:45:54.239
 into him

00:45:54.239 --> 00:45:56.399
 what's the symbolism

00:45:56.399 --> 00:45:57.259
 of baptism

00:45:57.259 --> 00:45:58.719
 the symbolism

00:45:58.719 --> 00:45:59.599
 of baptism

00:45:59.599 --> 00:46:01.039
 which takes

00:46:01.039 --> 00:46:01.500
 the place

00:46:01.500 --> 00:46:02.319
 of circumcision

00:46:02.319 --> 00:46:04.059
 is that

00:46:04.059 --> 00:46:05.799
 I deserve

00:46:05.799 --> 00:46:06.259
 death

00:46:06.259 --> 00:46:08.579
 I will die

00:46:08.579 --> 00:46:09.440
 and I deserve

00:46:09.440 --> 00:46:09.960
 to die

00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:11.500
 and I am

00:46:11.500 --> 00:46:12.419
 separate from God

00:46:12.420 --> 00:46:13.320
 and I deserve

00:46:13.320 --> 00:46:14.159
 to be eternally

00:46:14.159 --> 00:46:15.079
 separate from God

00:46:15.079 --> 00:46:16.340
 and I can't fix

00:46:16.340 --> 00:46:17.099
 that myself

00:46:17.099 --> 00:46:18.619
 and most of the time

00:46:18.619 --> 00:46:19.700
 I don't even want

00:46:19.700 --> 00:46:20.380
 to fix it

00:46:20.380 --> 00:46:22.880
 and Jesus

00:46:22.880 --> 00:46:24.440
 takes my death

00:46:24.440 --> 00:46:25.619
 and my doom

00:46:25.619 --> 00:46:26.880
 and dies

00:46:26.880 --> 00:46:27.780
 my death

00:46:27.780 --> 00:46:28.800
 and my doom

00:46:28.800 --> 00:46:30.579
 and if I put

00:46:30.579 --> 00:46:31.659
 my arms out

00:46:31.659 --> 00:46:32.059
 to him

00:46:32.059 --> 00:46:33.079
 he reaches down

00:46:33.079 --> 00:46:33.579
 from heaven

00:46:33.579 --> 00:46:34.320
 and takes me

00:46:34.320 --> 00:46:34.960
 to himself

00:46:34.960 --> 00:46:36.639
 and in that

00:46:36.639 --> 00:46:38.300
 unbelievable exchange

00:46:38.300 --> 00:46:38.840
 of faith

00:46:38.840 --> 00:46:39.680
 because I can't

00:46:39.680 --> 00:46:40.300
 even reach up

00:46:40.300 --> 00:46:40.740
 to Jesus

00:46:40.739 --> 00:46:41.799
 my arms are way

00:46:41.799 --> 00:46:42.500
 too small

00:46:42.500 --> 00:46:44.379
 but he can reach

00:46:44.379 --> 00:46:44.739
 me

00:46:44.739 --> 00:46:46.199
 and when he

00:46:46.199 --> 00:46:47.079
 reaches me

00:46:47.079 --> 00:46:48.699
 he takes

00:46:48.699 --> 00:46:49.559
 the death

00:46:49.559 --> 00:46:50.199
 and the doom

00:46:50.199 --> 00:46:51.500
 that I deserve

00:46:51.500 --> 00:46:53.500
 and on the cross

00:46:53.500 --> 00:46:54.399
 he dies

00:46:54.399 --> 00:46:55.079
 my death

00:46:55.079 --> 00:46:57.679
 he takes

00:46:57.679 --> 00:46:58.579
 upon himself

00:46:58.579 --> 00:46:59.299
 my doom

00:46:59.299 --> 00:47:00.759
 and as he

00:47:00.759 --> 00:47:01.619
 holds me

00:47:01.619 --> 00:47:02.939
 he gives me

00:47:02.939 --> 00:47:03.779
 his life

00:47:03.779 --> 00:47:05.000
 and his status

00:47:05.000 --> 00:47:06.000
 as God's child

00:47:06.000 --> 00:47:06.399
 forever

00:47:06.399 --> 00:47:08.439
 and that has

00:47:08.439 --> 00:47:08.919
 to come

00:47:08.920 --> 00:47:10.440
 only God

00:47:10.440 --> 00:47:11.460
 can do that

00:47:11.460 --> 00:47:12.240
 and put that

00:47:12.240 --> 00:47:13.139
 into the command

00:47:13.139 --> 00:47:14.260
 center of my life

00:47:14.260 --> 00:47:14.860
 the center

00:47:14.860 --> 00:47:15.700
 of who I am

00:47:15.700 --> 00:47:18.900
 Andrew

00:47:18.900 --> 00:47:20.000
 could you put up

00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:20.720
 the fourth point

00:47:20.720 --> 00:47:21.119
 please

00:47:21.119 --> 00:47:24.880
 having a circumcised

00:47:24.880 --> 00:47:25.360
 heart

00:47:25.360 --> 00:47:26.539
 does not mean

00:47:26.539 --> 00:47:27.639
 that I sin less

00:47:27.639 --> 00:47:28.680
 than other people

00:47:28.680 --> 00:47:30.559
 it means that I

00:47:30.559 --> 00:47:32.099
 by sheer grace

00:47:32.099 --> 00:47:33.559
 have been made

00:47:33.559 --> 00:47:34.800
 right with God

00:47:34.800 --> 00:47:36.180
 through Jesus Christ

00:47:36.179 --> 00:47:40.339
 having a circumcised

00:47:40.339 --> 00:47:40.859
 heart

00:47:40.859 --> 00:47:42.159
 does not mean

00:47:42.159 --> 00:47:43.239
 that I sin less

00:47:43.239 --> 00:47:44.139
 than other people

00:47:44.139 --> 00:47:46.099
 it means that I

00:47:46.099 --> 00:47:47.460
 by sheer grace

00:47:47.460 --> 00:47:48.559
 have been made

00:47:48.559 --> 00:47:49.739
 right with God

00:47:49.739 --> 00:47:51.019
 through Jesus Christ

00:47:51.019 --> 00:47:53.319
 God acts

00:47:53.319 --> 00:47:54.059
 with effective

00:47:54.059 --> 00:47:54.579
 power

00:47:54.579 --> 00:47:55.099
 in a way

00:47:55.099 --> 00:47:55.819
 that is right

00:47:55.819 --> 00:47:56.960
 to make me

00:47:56.960 --> 00:47:58.219
 right with himself

00:47:58.219 --> 00:48:01.399
 and as the gospel

00:48:01.399 --> 00:48:02.359
 grips us

00:48:02.359 --> 00:48:03.719
 this deep

00:48:03.719 --> 00:48:04.199
 seated

00:48:04.199 --> 00:48:05.019
 temptation

00:48:05.019 --> 00:48:05.980
 within us

00:48:05.980 --> 00:48:07.380
 to justify

00:48:07.380 --> 00:48:08.280
 ourselves

00:48:08.280 --> 00:48:08.880
 to keep

00:48:08.880 --> 00:48:09.340
 God

00:48:09.340 --> 00:48:10.239
 at a distance

00:48:10.239 --> 00:48:11.380
 you see the problem

00:48:11.380 --> 00:48:12.420
 is that when

00:48:12.420 --> 00:48:13.179
 religion

00:48:13.179 --> 00:48:14.159
 becomes

00:48:14.159 --> 00:48:14.980
 when church

00:48:14.980 --> 00:48:15.500
 membership

00:48:15.500 --> 00:48:16.159
 and baptism

00:48:16.159 --> 00:48:16.820
 in the Bible

00:48:16.820 --> 00:48:17.639
 all ends up

00:48:17.639 --> 00:48:18.480
 becoming a means

00:48:18.480 --> 00:48:19.059
 by which

00:48:19.059 --> 00:48:20.199
 we in a sense

00:48:20.199 --> 00:48:20.940
 are trying to

00:48:20.940 --> 00:48:21.719
 make ourselves

00:48:21.719 --> 00:48:22.860
 right with God

00:48:22.860 --> 00:48:24.559
 then when

00:48:24.559 --> 00:48:25.239
 sin

00:48:25.239 --> 00:48:26.599
 comes before us

00:48:26.599 --> 00:48:27.159
 well we're

00:48:27.159 --> 00:48:27.920
 completely and

00:48:27.920 --> 00:48:28.880
 utterly caught

00:48:28.880 --> 00:48:31.219
 because it

00:48:31.219 --> 00:48:32.119
 means that our

00:48:32.119 --> 00:48:32.880
 whole status

00:48:32.880 --> 00:48:33.500
 with God

00:48:33.500 --> 00:48:34.180
 is completely

00:48:34.180 --> 00:48:34.579
 and utterly

00:48:34.579 --> 00:48:35.240
 in question

00:48:35.240 --> 00:48:35.840
 and ruined

00:48:35.840 --> 00:48:37.579
 so we pretend

00:48:37.579 --> 00:48:38.280
 that we don't

00:48:38.280 --> 00:48:39.840
 we deny

00:48:39.840 --> 00:48:41.460
 we explain away

00:48:41.460 --> 00:48:42.360
 we ignore

00:48:42.360 --> 00:48:43.700
 we repress

00:48:43.700 --> 00:48:44.440
 we do all of

00:48:44.440 --> 00:48:45.019
 those types of

00:48:45.019 --> 00:48:45.460
 things because

00:48:45.460 --> 00:48:46.280
 we can't actually

00:48:46.280 --> 00:48:47.160
 face the fact

00:48:47.160 --> 00:48:47.700
 that we're doing

00:48:47.700 --> 00:48:48.119
 wrong

00:48:48.119 --> 00:48:48.800
 and that our

00:48:48.800 --> 00:48:49.519
 whole project

00:48:49.519 --> 00:48:50.059
 of trying to

00:48:50.059 --> 00:48:50.619
 make ourselves

00:48:50.619 --> 00:48:51.559
 right with God

00:48:51.559 --> 00:48:53.539
 is doomed

00:48:53.539 --> 00:48:54.300
 to failure

00:48:54.300 --> 00:48:58.320
 but as the gospel

00:48:58.320 --> 00:48:59.280
 grips us

00:48:59.280 --> 00:49:00.099
 there's this

00:49:00.099 --> 00:49:01.160
 odd dynamic

00:49:01.159 --> 00:49:01.839
 that can go

00:49:01.839 --> 00:49:02.440
 on in our

00:49:02.440 --> 00:49:02.719
 lives

00:49:02.719 --> 00:49:03.619
 as the gospel

00:49:03.619 --> 00:49:04.460
 grips us

00:49:04.460 --> 00:49:05.679
 as it grips

00:49:05.679 --> 00:49:06.119
 us

00:49:06.119 --> 00:49:07.279
 that we can

00:49:07.279 --> 00:49:08.000
 never make

00:49:08.000 --> 00:49:08.440
 ourselves

00:49:08.440 --> 00:49:08.980
 right with

00:49:08.980 --> 00:49:09.299
 God

00:49:09.299 --> 00:49:10.019
 that our

00:49:10.019 --> 00:49:10.859
 sanctification

00:49:10.859 --> 00:49:11.960
 is not our

00:49:11.960 --> 00:49:12.500
 justification

00:49:12.500 --> 00:49:13.159
 that we're

00:49:13.159 --> 00:49:13.679
 justified

00:49:13.679 --> 00:49:14.960
 and that only

00:49:14.960 --> 00:49:15.940
 God can make

00:49:15.940 --> 00:49:16.440
 us right with

00:49:16.440 --> 00:49:16.719
 himself

00:49:16.719 --> 00:49:17.779
 as that grips

00:49:17.779 --> 00:49:18.119
 us

00:49:18.119 --> 00:49:18.940
 that nothing

00:49:18.940 --> 00:49:19.719
 in my hands

00:49:19.719 --> 00:49:20.239
 I bring

00:49:20.239 --> 00:49:21.039
 simply to the

00:49:21.039 --> 00:49:21.879
 cross I cling

00:49:21.879 --> 00:49:23.079
 as that grips

00:49:23.079 --> 00:49:23.519
 us

00:49:23.519 --> 00:49:25.199
 and as people

00:49:25.199 --> 00:49:25.579
 point out

00:49:25.579 --> 00:49:26.039
 George you're

00:49:26.039 --> 00:49:26.399
 a sinner

00:49:26.399 --> 00:49:26.759
 do you know

00:49:26.759 --> 00:49:27.259
 what you did

00:49:27.259 --> 00:49:27.539
 do you know

00:49:27.539 --> 00:49:28.460
 whatever that

00:49:28.460 --> 00:49:29.359
 thought or that

00:49:29.359 --> 00:49:29.859
 thing that you

00:49:29.859 --> 00:49:30.179
 said

00:49:30.179 --> 00:49:31.279
 I mean part

00:49:31.279 --> 00:49:31.719
 of me wants

00:49:31.719 --> 00:49:32.199
 to deny

00:49:32.199 --> 00:49:32.859
 part of me

00:49:32.859 --> 00:49:33.219
 wants to

00:49:33.219 --> 00:49:33.699
 repress

00:49:33.699 --> 00:49:34.119
 part of me

00:49:34.119 --> 00:49:34.559
 but as the

00:49:34.559 --> 00:49:35.419
 gospel grips

00:49:35.419 --> 00:49:36.639
 me I can

00:49:36.639 --> 00:49:37.299
 say yes

00:49:37.299 --> 00:49:39.059
 I did that

00:49:39.059 --> 00:49:40.599
 that's why I

00:49:40.599 --> 00:49:41.219
 need a savior

00:49:41.219 --> 00:49:44.039
 that's why I

00:49:44.039 --> 00:49:44.679
 need a savior

00:49:44.679 --> 00:49:46.440
 and I am so

00:49:46.440 --> 00:49:47.679
 glad I am so

00:49:47.679 --> 00:49:49.019
 grateful that my

00:49:49.019 --> 00:49:50.139
 right standing

00:49:50.139 --> 00:49:50.879
 with God does

00:49:50.879 --> 00:49:51.839
 not depend upon

00:49:51.839 --> 00:49:52.500
 what I've done

00:49:52.500 --> 00:49:53.539
 I know it can

00:49:53.539 --> 00:49:54.460
 be hard for my

00:49:54.460 --> 00:49:55.119
 ego to be

00:49:55.119 --> 00:49:55.899
 acknowledged once

00:49:55.899 --> 00:49:56.480
 again that I've

00:49:56.480 --> 00:49:56.899
 done wrong

00:49:56.899 --> 00:49:57.859
 but there can be

00:49:57.859 --> 00:49:58.500
 this on one

00:49:58.500 --> 00:49:59.639
 hand desire to

00:49:59.639 --> 00:50:00.480
 make myself

00:50:00.480 --> 00:50:01.379
 to say to

00:50:01.379 --> 00:50:01.819
 God I'm

00:50:01.819 --> 00:50:02.420
 sorry but at

00:50:02.420 --> 00:50:03.119
 the same time

00:50:03.119 --> 00:50:03.559
 a growing

00:50:03.559 --> 00:50:05.319
 confidence that

00:50:05.319 --> 00:50:06.179
 that is yet

00:50:06.179 --> 00:50:07.639
 again proof that

00:50:07.639 --> 00:50:08.500
 I need a savior

00:50:08.500 --> 00:50:10.440
 that I'm gripped

00:50:10.440 --> 00:50:12.619
 by Jesus when I'm

00:50:12.619 --> 00:50:13.339
 gripped by the

00:50:13.339 --> 00:50:13.819
 gospel

00:50:13.819 --> 00:50:15.480
 let's stand

00:50:15.480 --> 00:50:15.879
 please

00:50:15.880 --> 00:50:28.559
 I meant what I

00:50:28.559 --> 00:50:29.300
 said earlier

00:50:29.300 --> 00:50:30.559
 we'll talk in a

00:50:30.559 --> 00:50:31.099
 couple of weeks

00:50:31.099 --> 00:50:31.539
 about the

00:50:31.539 --> 00:50:32.019
 doctrine of

00:50:32.019 --> 00:50:33.500
 election but the

00:50:33.500 --> 00:50:34.180
 way to understand

00:50:34.180 --> 00:50:34.840
 the doctrine of

00:50:34.840 --> 00:50:35.599
 election is that

00:50:35.599 --> 00:50:36.480
 every single

00:50:36.480 --> 00:50:37.360
 person that you

00:50:37.360 --> 00:50:38.000
 meet today

00:50:38.000 --> 00:50:39.780
 every single

00:50:39.780 --> 00:50:41.880
 person God is

00:50:41.880 --> 00:50:42.660
 in a sense right

00:50:42.660 --> 00:50:43.500
 beside them

00:50:43.500 --> 00:50:44.960
 talking to them

00:50:44.960 --> 00:50:46.460
 and say I

00:50:46.460 --> 00:50:48.679
 so long for

00:50:48.679 --> 00:50:50.260
 you to get

00:50:50.260 --> 00:50:51.099
 off of trying

00:50:51.099 --> 00:50:51.860
 to make yourself

00:50:51.860 --> 00:50:52.579
 righteous I

00:50:52.579 --> 00:50:54.340
 long for you to

00:50:54.340 --> 00:50:55.039
 come with empty

00:50:55.039 --> 00:50:55.980
 hands to your to

00:50:55.980 --> 00:50:57.659
 my son so that I

00:50:57.659 --> 00:50:58.519
 will be your God

00:50:58.519 --> 00:50:59.320
 and you will be my

00:50:59.320 --> 00:51:00.860
 people I so long

00:51:00.860 --> 00:51:02.800
 for you to call

00:51:02.800 --> 00:51:03.539
 out to me to do

00:51:03.539 --> 00:51:04.519
 what only I can

00:51:04.519 --> 00:51:05.679
 do and I will

00:51:05.679 --> 00:51:07.159
 baptize the command

00:51:07.159 --> 00:51:08.059
 center the center

00:51:08.059 --> 00:51:08.880
 of who you are

00:51:08.880 --> 00:51:11.519
 I will circumcise

00:51:11.519 --> 00:51:13.039
 I will deal with

00:51:13.039 --> 00:51:13.980
 all of that I

00:51:13.980 --> 00:51:15.000
 will do that and

00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:15.960
 there is no person

00:51:15.960 --> 00:51:16.900
 that we meet today

00:51:16.900 --> 00:51:18.599
 that God is not

00:51:18.599 --> 00:51:19.820
 already calling to

00:51:19.820 --> 00:51:20.380
 them and he's

00:51:20.380 --> 00:51:21.200
 calling to you

00:51:21.200 --> 00:51:23.160
 and if you've been

00:51:23.160 --> 00:51:24.260
 trying to keep God

00:51:24.260 --> 00:51:25.160
 at a distance there's

00:51:25.160 --> 00:51:26.280
 no better time than

00:51:26.280 --> 00:51:27.300
 right now to rather

00:51:27.300 --> 00:51:28.119
 than keeping him at

00:51:28.119 --> 00:51:29.000
 a distance but to

00:51:29.000 --> 00:51:29.820
 stand with empty

00:51:29.820 --> 00:51:30.640
 hands and say

00:51:30.640 --> 00:51:33.420
 father with empty

00:51:33.420 --> 00:51:34.340
 hands I come

00:51:34.340 --> 00:51:37.460
 please baptize

00:51:37.460 --> 00:51:39.019
 with your

00:51:39.019 --> 00:51:40.240
 but may your

00:51:40.240 --> 00:51:40.860
 Holy Spirit

00:51:40.860 --> 00:51:42.039
 baptize my heart

00:51:42.039 --> 00:51:42.700
 may your Holy

00:51:42.700 --> 00:51:43.840
 Spirit circumcise

00:51:43.840 --> 00:51:44.800
 my heart may what

00:51:44.800 --> 00:51:45.800
 Jesus has done for

00:51:45.800 --> 00:51:46.620
 me on the cross

00:51:46.620 --> 00:51:50.160
 may that come

00:51:50.160 --> 00:51:52.079
 and define now

00:51:52.079 --> 00:51:52.660
 who I am

00:51:52.660 --> 00:51:53.579
 whatever your words

00:51:53.579 --> 00:51:54.940
 are even if it's

00:51:54.940 --> 00:51:56.160
 just you just say

00:51:56.160 --> 00:51:57.300
 Romans 1 16 to

00:51:57.300 --> 00:51:58.300
 17 again and then

00:51:58.300 --> 00:51:59.039
 say father make

00:51:59.039 --> 00:52:00.240
 that real in me

00:52:00.240 --> 00:52:01.740
 today there's no

00:52:01.740 --> 00:52:02.380
 better time than

00:52:02.380 --> 00:52:03.180
 today to do that

00:52:03.179 --> 00:52:04.719
 let's bow our

00:52:04.719 --> 00:52:05.299
 heads in prayer

00:52:05.299 --> 00:52:08.919
 father thank you

00:52:08.919 --> 00:52:09.619
 for the baptism

00:52:09.619 --> 00:52:10.219
 of the Holy

00:52:10.219 --> 00:52:11.699
 Spirit thank you

00:52:11.699 --> 00:52:12.179
 that the Holy

00:52:12.179 --> 00:52:12.799
 Spirit will

00:52:12.799 --> 00:52:13.719
 circumcise all

00:52:13.719 --> 00:52:14.579
 who call to you

00:52:14.579 --> 00:52:16.219
 in faith humbly

00:52:16.219 --> 00:52:17.199
 coming to you to

00:52:17.199 --> 00:52:18.079
 ask you to do

00:52:18.079 --> 00:52:18.940
 what only you can

00:52:18.940 --> 00:52:20.719
 do thank you for

00:52:20.719 --> 00:52:21.919
 Jesus thank you

00:52:21.919 --> 00:52:22.460
 for his death

00:52:22.460 --> 00:52:23.319
 upon the cross

00:52:23.319 --> 00:52:24.679
 thank you that you

00:52:24.679 --> 00:52:26.219
 will respond to

00:52:26.219 --> 00:52:27.039
 all who call

00:52:27.039 --> 00:52:27.779
 thank you father

00:52:27.779 --> 00:52:28.919
 that we don't

00:52:28.919 --> 00:52:29.759
 have to wait to

00:52:29.759 --> 00:52:30.480
 feel that we're

00:52:30.480 --> 00:52:31.319
 the elect we

00:52:31.319 --> 00:52:31.899
 don't have to

00:52:31.899 --> 00:52:33.039
 feel wait until

00:52:33.039 --> 00:52:33.779
 we feel that

00:52:33.779 --> 00:52:34.659
 we've that we're

00:52:34.659 --> 00:52:35.420
 good enough that

00:52:35.420 --> 00:52:35.960
 we're together

00:52:35.960 --> 00:52:36.920
 enough that we

00:52:36.920 --> 00:52:37.539
 don't have to

00:52:37.539 --> 00:52:38.800
 wait until we

00:52:38.800 --> 00:52:39.460
 were able to

00:52:39.460 --> 00:52:40.340
 fool people about

00:52:40.340 --> 00:52:41.119
 what our past

00:52:41.119 --> 00:52:42.320
 was like or what

00:52:42.320 --> 00:52:43.000
 our present is

00:52:43.000 --> 00:52:43.619
 like father we

00:52:43.619 --> 00:52:44.500
 are so grateful

00:52:44.500 --> 00:52:45.340
 that we can come

00:52:45.340 --> 00:52:46.139
 to you right now

00:52:46.139 --> 00:52:47.860
 in a sense naked

00:52:47.860 --> 00:52:48.820
 before you and

00:52:48.820 --> 00:52:49.579
 that we can come

00:52:49.579 --> 00:52:50.279
 to you and call

00:52:50.279 --> 00:52:51.360
 out to you and

00:52:51.360 --> 00:52:52.500
 ask maybe for the

00:52:52.500 --> 00:52:53.179
 first time in our

00:52:53.179 --> 00:52:54.039
 life that that the

00:52:54.039 --> 00:52:54.880
 Holy Spirit would

00:52:54.880 --> 00:52:56.159
 come and baptize

00:52:56.159 --> 00:52:57.840
 our heart circumcise

00:52:57.840 --> 00:52:58.460
 our heart that

00:52:58.460 --> 00:52:59.380
 Jesus would be our

00:52:59.380 --> 00:53:00.139
 Savior and Lord

00:53:00.139 --> 00:53:01.460
 and father for those

00:53:01.460 --> 00:53:02.000
 of us who've

00:53:02.000 --> 00:53:02.800
 already made that

00:53:02.800 --> 00:53:03.780
 transaction father

00:53:03.780 --> 00:53:05.199
 thank you that you

00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:06.559
 remind us again that

00:53:06.559 --> 00:53:08.019
 we need Jesus that

00:53:08.019 --> 00:53:09.199
 we need grace that

00:53:09.199 --> 00:53:10.460
 it's all grace

00:53:10.460 --> 00:53:12.300
 father forgive us for

00:53:12.300 --> 00:53:13.340
 our self-righteousness

00:53:13.340 --> 00:53:14.880
 and boasting thank

00:53:14.880 --> 00:53:15.900
 you father for what

00:53:15.900 --> 00:53:17.000
 Jesus has done for us

00:53:17.000 --> 00:53:17.720
 on the cross

00:53:17.720 --> 00:53:20.720
 make me make us

00:53:20.720 --> 00:53:21.960
 disciples of Jesus

00:53:21.960 --> 00:53:22.740
 gripped by the

00:53:22.740 --> 00:53:23.699
 gospel who live for

00:53:23.699 --> 00:53:24.240
 your glory

00:53:24.240 --> 00:53:26.260
 humbly facing

00:53:26.260 --> 00:53:27.280
 ourselves in light of

00:53:27.280 --> 00:53:27.820
 the cross

00:53:27.820 --> 00:53:29.360
 this we ask in

00:53:29.360 --> 00:53:30.199
 Jesus's name

00:53:30.199 --> 00:53:31.099
 amen