WEBVTT

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 We're reading Deuteronomy chapter 8, and we're reading through the whole chapter.

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 The whole commandment that I command you today, you shall be careful to do, that you may live

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 and multiply and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers.

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 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these 40 years

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 in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart,

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 whether you would keep his commandments or not.

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 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know,

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 nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone,

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 but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

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 Your clothing did not wear out on you, and your foot did not swell these 40 years.

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 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you.

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 So shall you keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.

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 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks, of water, of fountains and springs,

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 flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates,

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 a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity,

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 in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.

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 And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

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 Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes,

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 which I command you today.

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 Lest when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them,

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 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied,

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 then your heart will be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God,

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 who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,

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 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness,

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 with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty grounds where there was no water,

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 who brought you water out of the flinty rock,

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 who fed you in the wilderness with manner that your fathers did not know,

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 that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end.

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 Beware lest you say in your heart,

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 my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.

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 You shall remember that the Lord your God,

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 you shall remember the Lord your God,

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 for it is he who gives you power to get wealth,

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 that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers,

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 as it is this day.

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 And if you forget the Lord your God,

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 and go after other gods,

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 and serve them and worship them,

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 I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.

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 Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you,

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 so shall you perish,

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 because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

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 We're trying to walk through the book of Deuteronomy,

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 which is a big but very important book,

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 and if you were not here last night,

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 we looked at the first four chapters quite quickly,

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 where Moses does a recap of the travel

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 from Mount Sinai to the edge of the Promised Land.

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 And one of the things I tried to point out last night

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 is that the relationship between God and his people

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 is like father to son.

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 And it came up in the reading we just had,

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 that God is a father to his people.

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 He's not asking them to be obedient

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 so that one day they might enter the family.

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 He has brought them together as his family,

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 and now he's giving them wisdom

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 on how to live as members of the family.

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 So last night I said we could divide the book of Deuteronomy

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 into four parts,

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 which is the four talks for this weekend.

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 First four chapters is basically,

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 where have we come from?

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 Five to 11 is basically,

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 what's our relationship like?

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 12 to 26 is an unpacking of the Ten Commandments

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 in very practical detail.

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 And 27 to 34 is it's time to make a decision.

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 And this equates to the kind of treaty

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 that would be made

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 when a king would overtake another nation.

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 And the king would say,

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 here's a recap.

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 This is the relationship.

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 This is how you're to live.

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 You need to decide whether you're going to live or die.

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 But this, of course, is a friendly treaty

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 from God to his people.

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 So let's think carefully together

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 about what I've called

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 the seven diamonds on the covenant ring.

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 One of my favourite wedding stories,

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 which I often tell at a wedding,

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 is where a young man goes down to the coffee bar

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 and the lady behind the bar,

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 seeing the nice shiny ring on his finger,

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 says to him,

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 you must be on your honeymoon.

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 And he says, yes, I am.

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 She says, it's a funny thing, you know,

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 when I was on my honeymoon,

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 I was reading the book,

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 A Tale of Two Cities,

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 and within the year,

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 we were blessed with twins.

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 Nearby, there's a man sitting,

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 and he says,

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 that's a funny thing, he says,

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 my wife was reading The Three Musketeers,

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 and within the year,

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 we were blessed with triplets.

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 The young man goes very pale,

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 says, I've got to get back to my room.

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 My wife's reading Alibaba and the Forty Thieves.

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 So there is a guy

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 not wanting to be over-blessed.

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 But I want you to know

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 that as we look at what I've called

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 The Covenant Ring Between God and His People,

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 there are seven chapters to look at in this talk,

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 five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven.

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 And if you were to read them straight through,

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 you would say to yourself,

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 boy, there's a lot of repetition.

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 But actually, every chapter is different.

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 Every chapter is expressing

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 a different greatness of God

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 and a different expectation from God.

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 And that's why I've called it

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 Seven Diamonds on the Covenant Ring.

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 Is there a little bit of a buzz?

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 Can't do anything about it?

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 No? Okay.

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 As long as it doesn't irritate you,

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 it only mildly irritates me.

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 No, that's not true.

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 I'm okay.

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 So we come to chapters five to eleven.

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 This would be a great series for a sermon,

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 a series of seven,

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 but we're going to try and do it in one quick talk.

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 So let's look at chapter five.

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 And if you've got your outline there,

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 I have called this Rescued to Respond.

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 You'll see in chapter five, verse three,

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 if you were to open up Deuteronomy five, verse three,

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 that the covenant is meant to be a very long covenant.

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 This is what the Lord says.

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 The Lord did not make the covenant

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 just with our fathers,

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 but with us,

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 those who are here today.

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 In other words,

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 it is a long lasting covenant

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 for the people of God

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 in every generation.

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 And it's a covenant of grace

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 because in verse six,

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 we read,

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 and some of you will know this well,

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 I'm the Lord your God

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 who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

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 You shall have no other gods,

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 verse seven,

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 before me.

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 What's unusual about six before seven?

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 Anybody like to comment?

00:08:00.279 --> 00:08:00.959
 Thank you.

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 Relationship before law.

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 Salvation before stipulations.

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 Liberty before legalizing.

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 Yeah, relationship before rules.

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 The world gets this completely upside down.

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 If you were to ask a thousand people

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 why they thought they might go to heaven one day,

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 what will they do?

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 They'll talk law.

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 I've been good.

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 I've not been bad.

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 I've tried my best.

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 I've always.

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 But you see how the gospel works

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 in the Old and the New Testament.

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 Get saved.

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 Live well.

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 It's the sequence

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 which is absolutely vital.

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 And it's here in chapters five.

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 It's here in chapter five,

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 verses six and seven.

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 The commandments are mostly

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 a restatement of Exodus 20.

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 But the Sabbath is slightly changed

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 in Deuteronomy five

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 and looks now back to the Exodus.

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 Not back to the creation,

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 but looks back to salvation.

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 You'll notice in,

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 at Mount Sinai,

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 they were listening.

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 Verse 27,

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 if you go down to the end of the chapter.

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 Yes,

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 they were listening in Mount Sinai.

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 They heard the voice of God.

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 But verse 29 says,

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 Moses,

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 oh,

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 that they had a heart,

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 that they would respond.

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 In other words,

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 wouldn't it be great

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 if they were not just listening,

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 but were actually keen

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 and able to respond?

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 And Moses can only urge

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 this group to respond.

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 He has no power

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 to get into their hearts

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 and make them

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 a brand new people.

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 Only God can do that.

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 And down the track

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 of the Old Testament,

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 the new covenant

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 will come along

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 and it will change the heart

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 and make the person responsive

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 so you know what it's like

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 when a person is not a Christian

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 and you're trying

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 to get them to church.

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 It's just miserable

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 because there's no will

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 or the person

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 who doesn't want to read,

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 doesn't want to pray,

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 doesn't want to fellowship.

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 Making them from the outside

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 is such a miserable business

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 but when God changes the heart,

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 then there is something

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 that is willing.

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 So that's chapter five

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 very quickly.

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 Chapter six,

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 I've called welfare dangers

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 and at chapter six,

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 verse four,

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 if you have a look at six,

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 four,

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 we come to the famous

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 Shema,

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 which is the Hebrew word

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 for hear or listen.

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 Six,

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 four says,

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 hear,

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 listen,

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 O Israel,

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 the Lord our God,

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 the Lord is one.

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 You shall love the Lord your God

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 with all your heart,

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 soul and strength.

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 Yahweh is the one true God

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 to whom they belong

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 and there is a library

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 packed into this little sentence,

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 the Lord our God is one.

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 Let me mention some things.

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 First,

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 there's probably the doctrine

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 of the Trinity here

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 in embryo.

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 One God,

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 three persons.

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 Second,

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 there are no other gods.

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 Do you remember

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 when the prophets of Baal

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 on Mount Carmel

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 were calling to Baal

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 and eventually not getting anywhere

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 so they start slashing themselves?

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 Because they're just longing

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 for response

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 but there is nothing,

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 nothing,

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 nothing

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 because there's no Baal up there.

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 There's only one God.

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 Yahweh, therefore,

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 has everything

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 under his care and control.

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 You don't need to hedge your bets

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 when you get into the promised land.

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 You don't need to say,

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 well,

00:11:23.180 --> 00:11:25.060
 we'll trust Yahweh for salvation.

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 He was great

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 but we're going to trust Baal

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 for agriculture.

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 No, no.

00:11:29.460 --> 00:11:30.880
 Yahweh is the only God

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 and he has everything

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 under his control.

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 And therefore,

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 give him your heart,

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 mind,

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 soul and strength

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 because when you do,

00:11:39.060 --> 00:11:40.259
 you've brought yourself

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 into the harbour

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 of truth and peace.

00:11:44.740 --> 00:11:46.659
 If you divide your heart,

00:11:47.379 --> 00:11:48.920
 you are disintegrated

00:11:48.920 --> 00:11:51.399
 and we pay the price of that.

00:11:51.920 --> 00:11:53.159
 But if we bring to him

00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:53.500
 our heart,

00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:53.720
 mind,

00:11:53.800 --> 00:11:54.580
 soul and strength

00:11:54.580 --> 00:11:56.659
 with the help of God,

00:11:57.560 --> 00:11:58.340
 then of course,

00:11:59.039 --> 00:11:59.960
 we are integrated.

00:11:59.960 --> 00:12:01.160
 Well,

00:12:01.220 --> 00:12:01.800
 in chapter 6,

00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:02.340
 verse 2,

00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:04.160
 we're told that the children

00:12:04.160 --> 00:12:05.500
 and the grandchildren

00:12:05.500 --> 00:12:06.820
 are to be grounded

00:12:06.820 --> 00:12:08.080
 in the one God.

00:12:08.780 --> 00:12:09.639
 And verse 7,

00:12:09.900 --> 00:12:10.759
 they're to be taught

00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:12.500
 as you walk along the road

00:12:12.500 --> 00:12:13.300
 and as you sit

00:12:13.300 --> 00:12:14.060
 and as you lie.

00:12:14.500 --> 00:12:15.600
 And I honestly think

00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:17.280
 the families of churches

00:12:17.280 --> 00:12:18.580
 need to be helped

00:12:18.580 --> 00:12:19.600
 to know

00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:21.259
 that they can play

00:12:21.259 --> 00:12:23.060
 a fantastic role

00:12:23.060 --> 00:12:25.139
 in talking to their children

00:12:25.139 --> 00:12:26.300
 about God

00:12:26.300 --> 00:12:27.660
 and godly things

00:12:27.659 --> 00:12:29.279
 all through the week.

00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:32.799
 Not in an insensitive way,

00:12:32.919 --> 00:12:34.299
 not in an unhelpful way,

00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:36.240
 but I look back

00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:37.579
 to my long time,

00:12:37.719 --> 00:12:38.959
 30 years at North Sydney

00:12:38.959 --> 00:12:39.659
 and I just wonder

00:12:39.659 --> 00:12:41.000
 how many of those parents

00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:41.439
 thought,

00:12:42.219 --> 00:12:43.699
 I'm no good at this,

00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:44.399
 I'll just leave it

00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:45.659
 to the Sunday school teachers.

00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:47.860
 But the parents

00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:48.559
 are not to leave

00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:49.419
 the children's

00:12:49.419 --> 00:12:50.719
 spiritual welfare

00:12:50.719 --> 00:12:52.000
 to the Sunday school teachers.

00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:53.720
 The parents have got

00:12:53.720 --> 00:12:55.059
 a fantastic opportunity

00:12:55.059 --> 00:12:56.079
 to keep reminding

00:12:56.080 --> 00:12:56.759
 the children

00:12:56.759 --> 00:12:58.720
 of a very great saviour

00:12:58.720 --> 00:12:59.759
 and a very great God

00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:00.960
 and a very great creator

00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:02.800
 and a very great heavenly father

00:13:02.800 --> 00:13:03.480
 and that's what

00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:05.600
 Moses is talking about here.

00:13:05.660 --> 00:13:06.340
 When he talks about

00:13:06.340 --> 00:13:06.960
 having the law

00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:07.780
 on the hands

00:13:07.780 --> 00:13:09.060
 and the foreheads

00:13:09.060 --> 00:13:09.840
 and the door frames,

00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:10.700
 I'm pretty sure

00:13:10.700 --> 00:13:11.200
 that was meant

00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:11.940
 to be symbolic.

00:13:13.420 --> 00:13:14.540
 I know the Jewish people

00:13:14.540 --> 00:13:15.740
 then insisted

00:13:15.740 --> 00:13:17.240
 on having law

00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:18.259
 hanging from the

00:13:18.259 --> 00:13:19.840
 sides of the head

00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:21.120
 and law stuck

00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:21.960
 on the door frames,

00:13:22.100 --> 00:13:22.940
 but I'm pretty sure

00:13:22.940 --> 00:13:24.200
 what Moses meant was

00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:26.080
 it's to be in front of you,

00:13:26.160 --> 00:13:27.400
 it's to be a constant.

00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:29.520
 Now the dangers

00:13:29.520 --> 00:13:30.460
 in chapter 6

00:13:30.460 --> 00:13:31.480
 of having this great

00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:32.100
 one God

00:13:32.100 --> 00:13:32.820
 as your God

00:13:32.820 --> 00:13:34.759
 in verse 10, 14 and 16

00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:36.060
 are first of all

00:13:36.060 --> 00:13:36.920
 that you might fall

00:13:36.920 --> 00:13:37.620
 into the trap

00:13:37.620 --> 00:13:38.660
 of prosperity.

00:13:40.100 --> 00:13:40.740
 Woe to you

00:13:40.740 --> 00:13:41.900
 if you get too wealthy

00:13:41.900 --> 00:13:43.780
 because you're

00:13:43.780 --> 00:13:44.700
 in danger

00:13:44.700 --> 00:13:45.520
 of then thinking

00:13:45.520 --> 00:13:46.240
 I've got everything

00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:47.220
 solved myself.

00:13:48.280 --> 00:13:49.040
 Well the Lord

00:13:49.040 --> 00:13:50.000
 can bring that undone

00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:50.620
 very quickly.

00:13:51.620 --> 00:13:52.100
 Idolatry,

00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:53.340
 verse 14 and 15,

00:13:53.340 --> 00:13:54.040
 we talked about

00:13:54.040 --> 00:13:54.639
 last night.

00:13:55.220 --> 00:13:56.379
 This is the danger

00:13:56.379 --> 00:13:57.500
 of replacing God

00:13:57.500 --> 00:13:58.360
 with something else

00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:00.340
 and let me assure you

00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:01.259
 that when the Israelites

00:14:01.259 --> 00:14:02.379
 got into the promised land

00:14:02.379 --> 00:14:04.000
 the idols that were present

00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:04.980
 were not doping.

00:14:06.460 --> 00:14:07.560
 We might say

00:14:07.560 --> 00:14:08.660
 who'd be an idiot

00:14:08.660 --> 00:14:10.420
 and worship a pole

00:14:10.420 --> 00:14:13.240
 or a block of wood

00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:16.060
 but behind those idols

00:14:16.060 --> 00:14:17.460
 there was a huge amount

00:14:17.460 --> 00:14:18.340
 of pleasure offered

00:14:18.340 --> 00:14:20.420
 and a huge amount

00:14:20.420 --> 00:14:21.800
 of prosperity promised.

00:14:21.799 --> 00:14:24.179
 So we mustn't

00:14:24.179 --> 00:14:25.099
 fall into the trap

00:14:25.099 --> 00:14:26.000
 of thinking idols

00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:27.859
 are all unattractive.

00:14:28.059 --> 00:14:29.199
 Idols are incredibly

00:14:29.199 --> 00:14:29.740
 attractive.

00:14:31.459 --> 00:14:32.240
 The thing we need

00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:33.259
 to keep asking the Lord

00:14:33.259 --> 00:14:34.759
 is that he'd incline us

00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:35.459
 to him

00:14:35.459 --> 00:14:37.379
 so that we don't

00:14:37.379 --> 00:14:38.859
 get disinclined.

00:14:39.379 --> 00:14:40.019
 So prosperity

00:14:40.019 --> 00:14:40.599
 is a problem.

00:14:40.740 --> 00:14:41.279
 Chapter 6,

00:14:41.379 --> 00:14:42.419
 idolatry is a problem

00:14:42.419 --> 00:14:43.559
 and adversity

00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:44.359
 is a problem.

00:14:44.479 --> 00:14:45.159
 Verse 16,

00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:46.359
 Moses says,

00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:47.300
 remember how you were

00:14:47.300 --> 00:14:48.560
 tested in the wilderness.

00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:50.560
 You were tested

00:14:50.560 --> 00:14:51.460
 to see whether you

00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:52.879
 had a heart for God.

00:14:55.180 --> 00:14:56.220
 And we're told

00:14:56.220 --> 00:14:57.300
 in verse 620

00:14:57.300 --> 00:14:58.580
 that the call

00:14:58.580 --> 00:14:59.419
 is to obey

00:14:59.419 --> 00:15:00.659
 which is on the backdrop

00:15:00.659 --> 00:15:01.440
 verse 21

00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:02.480
 of salvation.

00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:04.440
 God brought us out

00:15:04.440 --> 00:15:05.259
 to bring us in

00:15:05.259 --> 00:15:05.899
 says Moses

00:15:05.899 --> 00:15:06.960
 in 623.

00:15:08.419 --> 00:15:08.879
 Well,

00:15:08.940 --> 00:15:09.500
 we need to keep

00:15:09.500 --> 00:15:10.360
 reminding ourselves

00:15:10.360 --> 00:15:11.159
 again and again

00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:11.879
 that the rescue

00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:12.779
 that we've received

00:15:12.779 --> 00:15:14.420
 outweighs the call

00:15:14.419 --> 00:15:15.519
 for faithfulness

00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:16.419
 that God gives us.

00:15:16.479 --> 00:15:17.019
 Do you ever fall

00:15:17.019 --> 00:15:17.620
 into the trap

00:15:17.620 --> 00:15:18.519
 of thinking

00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:19.259
 the Christian life

00:15:19.259 --> 00:15:20.099
 is so terrible

00:15:20.099 --> 00:15:21.459
 I think I'm actually

00:15:21.459 --> 00:15:23.179
 asked to produce

00:15:23.179 --> 00:15:24.179
 more than I'm given.

00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:26.120
 And we know

00:15:26.120 --> 00:15:26.639
 when we fall

00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:27.279
 into that trap

00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:28.000
 we really have

00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:28.799
 made a mistake.

00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:29.939
 We have received

00:15:29.939 --> 00:15:30.779
 infinitely

00:15:30.779 --> 00:15:32.819
 and we're called

00:15:32.819 --> 00:15:34.079
 to be responsive

00:15:34.079 --> 00:15:34.719
 to that.

00:15:36.779 --> 00:15:37.659
 Let's go to

00:15:37.659 --> 00:15:38.379
 chapter 7.

00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:40.159
 Racing along,

00:15:40.319 --> 00:15:40.919
 chapter 7

00:15:40.919 --> 00:15:42.179
 is what I've called

00:15:42.179 --> 00:15:42.799
 loved,

00:15:42.939 --> 00:15:43.919
 you're a loved people

00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:45.319
 so make a decision.

00:15:45.479 --> 00:15:46.199
 And chapter 7

00:15:46.199 --> 00:15:46.659
 verse 1

00:15:46.659 --> 00:15:47.779
 is a lovely verse

00:15:47.779 --> 00:15:48.939
 which says

00:15:48.939 --> 00:15:49.479
 when the Lord

00:15:49.479 --> 00:15:49.939
 your God

00:15:49.939 --> 00:15:50.399
 brings you

00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:51.019
 into the land

00:15:51.019 --> 00:15:51.559
 which you go

00:15:51.559 --> 00:15:51.959
 to possess

00:15:51.959 --> 00:15:53.679
 and has cast

00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:54.919
 out many nations

00:15:54.919 --> 00:15:55.699
 before you

00:15:55.699 --> 00:15:56.279
 and then there's

00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:57.439
 a list of 7

00:15:57.439 --> 00:15:58.919
 verse 2

00:15:58.919 --> 00:15:59.699
 then when the Lord

00:15:59.699 --> 00:16:00.039
 your God

00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:00.779
 delivers them

00:16:00.779 --> 00:16:02.019
 you shall conquer

00:16:02.019 --> 00:16:03.219
 and utterly destroy them.

00:16:03.339 --> 00:16:04.240
 Notice what he says

00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:05.919
 I'm going to go in

00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:07.319
 and fight for you.

00:16:08.139 --> 00:16:09.000
 Of course you're

00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:09.939
 going to have to fight

00:16:09.939 --> 00:16:11.319
 but I'm going to

00:16:11.319 --> 00:16:11.959
 fight for you

00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:12.820
 and that's why

00:16:12.820 --> 00:16:13.620
 you'll win

00:16:13.620 --> 00:16:14.379
 the fight.

00:16:15.019 --> 00:16:15.680
 And then very

00:16:15.680 --> 00:16:16.580
 serious verses

00:16:16.580 --> 00:16:17.480
 from verse 2

00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:17.940
 that you're to

00:16:17.940 --> 00:16:18.900
 make no treaty

00:16:18.900 --> 00:16:19.720
 with the idols

00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:20.440
 or gods

00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:21.540
 of the land.

00:16:22.460 --> 00:16:23.340
 In other words

00:16:23.340 --> 00:16:24.080
 you're not to leave

00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:25.660
 a trace of cancer

00:16:25.660 --> 00:16:26.480
 in the body.

00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:28.680
 You're not to leave

00:16:28.680 --> 00:16:29.519
 any drugs

00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:30.280
 in the house

00:16:30.280 --> 00:16:31.360
 all down the toilet.

00:16:32.220 --> 00:16:33.220
 You're not to

00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:34.519
 allow a stranger

00:16:34.519 --> 00:16:35.300
 to linger

00:16:35.300 --> 00:16:36.220
 in the school.

00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:37.080
 Get him out.

00:16:38.160 --> 00:16:39.420
 And that's what it's like

00:16:39.419 --> 00:16:40.240
 with idolatry

00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:40.679
 and that's why

00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:41.439
 Paul tells us

00:16:41.439 --> 00:16:42.439
 in Colossians 3

00:16:42.439 --> 00:16:43.500
 put it to death

00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:43.979
 and you'll know

00:16:43.979 --> 00:16:44.360
 if you've been

00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:44.740
 a Christian

00:16:44.740 --> 00:16:45.399
 for a while

00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:46.339
 that one of the best

00:16:46.339 --> 00:16:47.059
 things you can ever

00:16:47.059 --> 00:16:47.779
 do with a lingering

00:16:47.779 --> 00:16:49.279
 sin is just to say

00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:50.559
 get out of here

00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:52.379
 and move on.

00:16:52.459 --> 00:16:53.659
 You never regret that

00:16:53.659 --> 00:16:55.719
 but the lingering

00:16:55.719 --> 00:16:58.039
 is so tricky.

00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:00.120
 I remember my old boss

00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:00.819
 who I worked with

00:17:00.819 --> 00:17:01.319
 in the UK

00:17:01.319 --> 00:17:01.860
 he said

00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:02.799
 and this was

00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:03.659
 a great confession

00:17:03.659 --> 00:17:05.159
 and it did us

00:17:05.159 --> 00:17:05.759
 a lot of good

00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:06.359
 he said

00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:07.740
 he said

00:17:07.740 --> 00:17:08.399
 even when I'm

00:17:08.399 --> 00:17:09.039
 repenting

00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:10.500
 there's a part of me

00:17:10.500 --> 00:17:11.079
 which would like

00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:11.719
 to take down

00:17:11.719 --> 00:17:12.439
 the phone number

00:17:12.439 --> 00:17:13.000
 of the sin

00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:13.740
 so that we could

00:17:13.740 --> 00:17:14.639
 keep in touch.

00:17:15.979 --> 00:17:16.419
 I thought

00:17:16.419 --> 00:17:17.219
 gee what an honest

00:17:17.219 --> 00:17:17.979
 thing to say

00:17:17.979 --> 00:17:19.599
 and then he looked

00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:20.359
 at the rest of us

00:17:20.359 --> 00:17:20.839
 and he said

00:17:20.839 --> 00:17:21.679
 is that not you?

00:17:22.879 --> 00:17:23.479
 And of course

00:17:23.479 --> 00:17:24.159
 it was us

00:17:24.159 --> 00:17:24.579
 and he said

00:17:24.579 --> 00:17:25.240
 if it's not you

00:17:25.240 --> 00:17:25.899
 collect your wings

00:17:25.899 --> 00:17:26.500
 and go straight

00:17:26.500 --> 00:17:26.899
 to heaven

00:17:26.899 --> 00:17:28.019
 and I thought

00:17:28.019 --> 00:17:28.500
 it was a great

00:17:28.500 --> 00:17:29.619
 reminder to us

00:17:29.619 --> 00:17:30.279
 that we are

00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:30.839
 in a battle.

00:17:32.859 --> 00:17:33.359
 So that's

00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:35.059
 how chapter 7

00:17:35.059 --> 00:17:35.439
 begins.

00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:36.420
 Now why did God

00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:37.140
 choose us?

00:17:37.259 --> 00:17:37.940
 Chapter 7

00:17:37.940 --> 00:17:38.960
 verses 7 to 8

00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:39.860
 two of the loveliest

00:17:39.860 --> 00:17:40.799
 verses in the whole

00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:41.160
 Bible

00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:43.940
 and this is what

00:17:43.940 --> 00:17:44.640
 Moses says

00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:45.259
 in 7

00:17:45.259 --> 00:17:46.000
 7 to 8

00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:46.700
 Why did God

00:17:46.700 --> 00:17:47.420
 choose you?

00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:50.500
 The Lord did not

00:17:50.500 --> 00:17:51.740
 set his love on you

00:17:51.740 --> 00:17:52.500
 nor choose you

00:17:52.500 --> 00:17:53.360
 because you were

00:17:53.360 --> 00:17:54.240
 more attractive

00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:56.200
 more in number

00:17:56.200 --> 00:17:57.480
 more wealthy

00:17:57.480 --> 00:17:58.600
 had more potential

00:17:58.600 --> 00:17:59.640
 more sweet

00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:01.220
 for you are the

00:18:01.220 --> 00:18:02.380
 least of all peoples

00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:04.340
 but because the

00:18:04.340 --> 00:18:05.320
 Lord loves you

00:18:05.319 --> 00:18:07.019
 and because he

00:18:07.019 --> 00:18:07.720
 would keep the

00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:08.399
 oath which he

00:18:08.399 --> 00:18:09.000
 swore to your

00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:09.539
 fathers

00:18:09.539 --> 00:18:12.019
 Why did the

00:18:12.019 --> 00:18:12.659
 Lord love you?

00:18:13.099 --> 00:18:14.079
 Because he loved

00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:14.319
 you.

00:18:14.899 --> 00:18:15.480
 It was his

00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:16.039
 decision.

00:18:16.839 --> 00:18:17.519
 He didn't look

00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:18.139
 down and see

00:18:18.139 --> 00:18:18.799
 Simon Manchester

00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:19.859
 and say what

00:18:19.859 --> 00:18:20.720
 potential

00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:23.119
 or what a

00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:23.679
 past

00:18:23.679 --> 00:18:24.980
 such a winsome

00:18:24.980 --> 00:18:25.439
 guy

00:18:25.439 --> 00:18:26.819
 or where would

00:18:26.819 --> 00:18:27.539
 the kingdom be

00:18:27.539 --> 00:18:28.439
 without this guy?

00:18:28.539 --> 00:18:28.899
 How are we

00:18:28.899 --> 00:18:29.720
 possibly going to

00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:30.559
 make any progress

00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:31.559
 unless we quickly

00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:33.179
 rescue that guy?

00:18:33.180 --> 00:18:33.860
 Not at all.

00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:34.380
 He looked down

00:18:34.380 --> 00:18:35.060
 and saw somebody

00:18:35.060 --> 00:18:36.860
 hopeless, hopeless,

00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:38.640
 hopeless fixed his

00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:39.820
 love and said

00:18:39.820 --> 00:18:41.380
 we'll make something

00:18:41.380 --> 00:18:42.160
 of this guy.

00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:44.160
 That's what he's

00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:44.759
 done with you.

00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:45.820
 He's loved you

00:18:45.820 --> 00:18:47.000
 because he loved

00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:47.299
 you.

00:18:48.759 --> 00:18:49.480
 And therefore

00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:50.820
 chapter 7 verse 11

00:18:50.820 --> 00:18:51.660
 respond well

00:18:51.660 --> 00:18:52.400
 because he loves

00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:54.080
 you and he will

00:18:54.080 --> 00:18:54.700
 bless you.

00:18:55.660 --> 00:18:56.779
 And there's a list

00:18:56.779 --> 00:18:57.580
 of the blessings.

00:18:58.200 --> 00:18:58.799
 The Old Testament

00:18:58.799 --> 00:18:59.779
 blessings were much

00:18:59.779 --> 00:19:00.500
 more outward.

00:19:01.460 --> 00:19:02.240
 Crops and

00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:03.379
 children and

00:19:03.379 --> 00:19:05.279
 herds and

00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:06.119
 cattle and

00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:06.920
 sheep and all

00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:07.440
 the outward

00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:07.980
 blessings.

00:19:08.579 --> 00:19:09.279
 The New Testament

00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:10.279
 blessings are

00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:11.139
 inward and

00:19:11.139 --> 00:19:11.700
 eternal.

00:19:13.339 --> 00:19:14.200
 Let me tell you

00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:14.799
 that if you had a

00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:15.660
 choice of outward

00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:16.259
 Old Testament

00:19:16.259 --> 00:19:17.180
 blessings, outward

00:19:17.180 --> 00:19:19.220
 temporal or inward

00:19:19.220 --> 00:19:20.579
 eternal New Testament

00:19:20.579 --> 00:19:21.680
 blessings, go for the

00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:22.220
 inward and the

00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:22.579
 eternal.

00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:24.319
 They're much more

00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:25.500
 precious, much more

00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:25.819
 precious.

00:19:27.399 --> 00:19:28.399
 And therefore the

00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:29.540
 comfort in chapter 7

00:19:29.540 --> 00:19:30.340
 verse 17, the

00:19:30.340 --> 00:19:31.160
 Lord has loved you,

00:19:31.280 --> 00:19:31.940
 he's going to look

00:19:31.940 --> 00:19:32.840
 after you and

00:19:32.840 --> 00:19:33.960
 therefore don't fear

00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:35.120
 the battle, 7

00:19:35.120 --> 00:19:35.640
 17.

00:19:36.180 --> 00:19:37.320
 He's already won the

00:19:37.320 --> 00:19:38.860
 battle in Egypt, he'll

00:19:38.860 --> 00:19:39.880
 win the battle in the

00:19:39.880 --> 00:19:40.700
 promised land.

00:19:41.220 --> 00:19:41.860
 So there's a

00:19:41.860 --> 00:19:42.980
 beautiful balance in

00:19:42.980 --> 00:19:44.880
 chapter 7 of you're

00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.740
 loved, so respond

00:19:46.740 --> 00:19:47.060
 well.

00:19:47.140 --> 00:19:47.980
 How do we respond

00:19:47.980 --> 00:19:48.680
 well to God?

00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:49.740
 Well we might say I'm

00:19:49.740 --> 00:19:50.880
 deeply thankful for

00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:53.259
 Jesus, otherwise I

00:19:53.259 --> 00:19:53.860
 wouldn't have any

00:19:53.860 --> 00:19:54.220
 hope.

00:19:54.580 --> 00:19:55.860
 I'm amazed that you

00:19:55.860 --> 00:19:56.620
 would call me.

00:19:56.619 --> 00:19:58.619
 I'm amazed that you

00:19:58.619 --> 00:19:59.419
 would choose me.

00:20:00.239 --> 00:20:01.279
 Please help me to

00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:02.559
 respond well to you

00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:04.379
 because my inclination

00:20:04.379 --> 00:20:05.719
 is to go all over the

00:20:05.719 --> 00:20:06.159
 place.

00:20:07.179 --> 00:20:08.299
 So incline me to

00:20:08.299 --> 00:20:09.779
 yourself and then

00:20:09.779 --> 00:20:11.199
 work through me so

00:20:11.199 --> 00:20:12.159
 that my life is

00:20:12.159 --> 00:20:13.199
 pleasing to you,

00:20:13.299 --> 00:20:14.279
 helpful for others.

00:20:14.779 --> 00:20:15.539
 That's how we might

00:20:15.539 --> 00:20:16.479
 respond to this.

00:20:17.139 --> 00:20:17.899
 Have any of you heard

00:20:17.899 --> 00:20:19.739
 John Piper's I-O-U-S

00:20:19.739 --> 00:20:20.219
 before?

00:20:20.500 --> 00:20:21.239
 Anyone know what I'm

00:20:21.239 --> 00:20:21.779
 talking about?

00:20:22.459 --> 00:20:23.599
 He said it as an

00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:24.579
 aside once and I

00:20:24.579 --> 00:20:25.639
 found this incredibly

00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:26.380
 helpful in the

00:20:26.380 --> 00:20:26.720
 mornings.

00:20:27.340 --> 00:20:28.020
 He has a little

00:20:28.020 --> 00:20:30.520
 mnemonic called I-O-U-S

00:20:30.520 --> 00:20:33.040
 I-O-U-S and they're

00:20:33.040 --> 00:20:33.980
 four little phrases

00:20:33.980 --> 00:20:34.940
 from the Psalms.

00:20:35.080 --> 00:20:36.320
 Incline my heart to

00:20:36.320 --> 00:20:36.540
 you.

00:20:37.740 --> 00:20:38.960
 Open my mind to

00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:39.500
 your word.

00:20:40.580 --> 00:20:41.759
 Unite my will with

00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:42.259
 yours.

00:20:43.420 --> 00:20:44.780
 Satisfy my soul with

00:20:44.780 --> 00:20:45.220
 yourself.

00:20:46.220 --> 00:20:46.900
 I find this

00:20:46.900 --> 00:20:47.960
 tremendously helpful

00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:49.000
 because I get up in

00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:49.720
 the morning and I'm

00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:52.460
 disinclined and my

00:20:52.460 --> 00:20:54.180
 mind is closed and my

00:20:54.180 --> 00:20:55.880
 will is wayward and my

00:20:55.880 --> 00:20:57.279
 soul is dissatisfied.

00:20:58.680 --> 00:20:59.960
 And the I-O-U-S says

00:20:59.960 --> 00:21:01.060
 incline my heart to

00:21:01.060 --> 00:21:01.180
 you.

00:21:01.299 --> 00:21:02.980
 Open my mind to your

00:21:02.980 --> 00:21:03.299
 word.

00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:04.620
 Unite my will with

00:21:04.620 --> 00:21:05.100
 yours.

00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:07.560
 Satisfy my soul with

00:21:07.560 --> 00:21:08.080
 yourself.

00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:09.820
 Chapter 8.

00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:10.960
 This is what I've

00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:11.920
 called trained for

00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:12.140
 wisdom.

00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:12.960
 Are you still with me?

00:21:13.019 --> 00:21:13.759
 We're nearly through.

00:21:14.019 --> 00:21:14.480
 No we're not.

00:21:14.560 --> 00:21:15.460
 We're halfway through.

00:21:16.200 --> 00:21:17.100
 Stay with it.

00:21:17.220 --> 00:21:17.960
 Chapter 8.

00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:19.700
 Trained for wisdom.

00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:21.460
 Chapter 8 verse 2

00:21:21.460 --> 00:21:22.700
 which Jacob read for

00:21:22.700 --> 00:21:24.279
 us says that God has

00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:25.539
 led them and tested

00:21:25.539 --> 00:21:27.460
 them and the test was

00:21:27.460 --> 00:21:28.740
 to reveal the heart.

00:21:29.600 --> 00:21:31.579
 So when a trial comes

00:21:31.579 --> 00:21:32.700
 along in our life and

00:21:32.700 --> 00:21:34.000
 trials do come along all

00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:35.120
 the time they are

00:21:35.120 --> 00:21:36.700
 testing experiences.

00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:38.680
 If we begin at that

00:21:38.680 --> 00:21:40.319
 point to accuse God

00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:41.519
 ah there we are God

00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:43.420
 I was so great and you

00:21:43.420 --> 00:21:45.039
 failed me by bringing a

00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:45.500
 test.

00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:47.539
 That's very revealing

00:21:47.539 --> 00:21:48.180
 isn't it?

00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:50.779
 If we find a way of

00:21:50.779 --> 00:21:51.980
 saying to him this is a

00:21:51.980 --> 00:21:53.160
 very difficult test but

00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:54.060
 I'm not going to walk

00:21:54.060 --> 00:21:55.120
 away from you I'm

00:21:55.120 --> 00:21:55.960
 looking to you.

00:21:56.920 --> 00:21:58.200
 That's a very revealing

00:21:58.200 --> 00:21:59.200
 response as well.

00:21:59.820 --> 00:22:00.799
 And listen carefully to

00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:01.360
 this friends.

00:22:01.560 --> 00:22:03.140
 The Lord tests to

00:22:03.140 --> 00:22:04.120
 strengthen the

00:22:04.120 --> 00:22:04.539
 friendship.

00:22:05.940 --> 00:22:08.120
 The devil tempts to

00:22:08.120 --> 00:22:09.259
 stretch the friendship.

00:22:09.820 --> 00:22:10.700
 Can I say that again?

00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:12.900
 The Lord tests to

00:22:12.900 --> 00:22:13.840
 strengthen the

00:22:13.840 --> 00:22:14.220
 friendship.

00:22:14.220 --> 00:22:14.420
 friendship.

00:22:15.019 --> 00:22:16.259
 He's putting you in

00:22:16.259 --> 00:22:18.559
 deep water to build up

00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:19.740
 your spiritual muscles.

00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:20.940
 He's for you.

00:22:22.019 --> 00:22:23.600
 The devil tempts to

00:22:23.600 --> 00:22:24.660
 stretch the friendship

00:22:24.660 --> 00:22:26.500
 and cause you to want

00:22:26.500 --> 00:22:27.059
 to give up.

00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:29.160
 And there was an amazing

00:22:29.160 --> 00:22:30.339
 provision in the desert

00:22:30.339 --> 00:22:32.880
 chapter 8 verse 4 but

00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:34.120
 there were serious tests

00:22:34.120 --> 00:22:34.660
 as well.

00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:36.740
 And so the point in

00:22:36.740 --> 00:22:38.000
 chapter 8 verse 6 is to

00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:38.759
 be wise.

00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:41.259
 To give glory to God

00:22:41.259 --> 00:22:42.440
 who's looked after you.

00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:44.259
 And beware of self

00:22:44.259 --> 00:22:45.980
 congratulation of saying

00:22:45.980 --> 00:22:46.840
 gee you know the reason

00:22:46.840 --> 00:22:47.880
 I got all this is because

00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:48.840
 I was so great.

00:22:51.539 --> 00:22:54.940
 Well in Corinthians 1

00:22:54.940 --> 00:22:56.200
 Corinthians 4 verse 7

00:22:56.200 --> 00:22:57.100
 Paul says what do you

00:22:57.100 --> 00:22:58.100
 have you didn't receive?

00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:00.960
 I was just listening to

00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:02.460
 that violinist this

00:23:02.460 --> 00:23:03.940
 morning whose name is

00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:07.039
 and I was envying the

00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:08.259
 ability to do that.

00:23:08.620 --> 00:23:10.000
 Thinking how could I just

00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:10.799
 get that?

00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:12.639
 And of course God has

00:23:12.639 --> 00:23:13.619
 given him this great

00:23:13.619 --> 00:23:14.839
 ability and it blesses

00:23:14.839 --> 00:23:15.440
 the music.

00:23:16.200 --> 00:23:17.220
 And everything we've been

00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:18.700
 given is a blessing from

00:23:18.700 --> 00:23:19.019
 God.

00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:20.419
 All that we have we have

00:23:20.419 --> 00:23:21.220
 received from him.

00:23:21.339 --> 00:23:22.859
 So therefore we find it

00:23:22.859 --> 00:23:24.000
 hard to boast when we've

00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:25.899
 got our correct mind on

00:23:25.899 --> 00:23:26.659
 our heads.

00:23:28.919 --> 00:23:30.159
 That's chapter 8.

00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.279
 Let's go to chapter 9

00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:32.339
 what I've called success

00:23:32.339 --> 00:23:33.500
 and humility.

00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:37.339
 Chapter 9 verses 1 to 3.

00:23:37.339 --> 00:23:40.000
 God is going to enable the

00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:41.539
 entry to the promised land.

00:23:41.659 --> 00:23:42.799
 Hero Israel you're to

00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:44.740
 cross the Jordan and go

00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:46.539
 in to dispossess nations

00:23:46.539 --> 00:23:48.319
 greater and mightier than

00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:48.819
 yourself.

00:23:49.179 --> 00:23:50.379
 In other words humanly it's

00:23:50.379 --> 00:23:50.859
 impossible.

00:23:52.019 --> 00:23:54.399
 Cities great and fortified

00:23:54.399 --> 00:23:56.459
 are people great and tall

00:23:56.459 --> 00:23:57.439
 the descendants of the

00:23:57.439 --> 00:23:59.639
 Anakim and of whom you

00:23:59.639 --> 00:24:00.879
 heard it said who can stand

00:24:00.879 --> 00:24:03.519
 before the descendants of

00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:03.879
 Anak.

00:24:04.039 --> 00:24:04.919
 Therefore verse 3

00:24:04.920 --> 00:24:06.220
 therefore understand today

00:24:06.220 --> 00:24:07.980
 the Lord your God is he

00:24:07.980 --> 00:24:10.140
 who goes over before you

00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:11.440
 as a consuming fire.

00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:13.500
 He will destroy them and

00:24:13.500 --> 00:24:14.640
 bring them down before you

00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:15.600
 so you shall drive them

00:24:15.600 --> 00:24:16.700
 out and destroy them

00:24:16.700 --> 00:24:18.360
 quickly as the Lord has

00:24:18.360 --> 00:24:19.019
 said to you.

00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:20.779
 So God is the one who's

00:24:20.779 --> 00:24:21.660
 going to enable the

00:24:21.660 --> 00:24:22.779
 success of the entry to

00:24:22.779 --> 00:24:23.940
 the promised land and

00:24:23.940 --> 00:24:24.900
 therefore the people cannot

00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:26.080
 turn around they should

00:24:26.080 --> 00:24:27.620
 not turn around and say

00:24:27.620 --> 00:24:29.160
 we won this ourselves.

00:24:30.100 --> 00:24:31.580
 That would be insane.

00:24:32.620 --> 00:24:34.000
 Chapter 8 says don't boast

00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:35.880
 in your skills and chapter

00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:37.319
 9 says don't boast in

00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:37.859
 your goodness.

00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:40.319
 Now I don't know what

00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:41.579
 you make of pride and

00:24:41.579 --> 00:24:42.059
 humility.

00:24:42.460 --> 00:24:43.680
 Tim Keller says in one of

00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:44.559
 his books that in the

00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:45.880
 old days people used to

00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:48.839
 fear pride but you'll

00:24:48.839 --> 00:24:50.240
 notice today pride is

00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:53.059
 applauded and humility is

00:24:53.059 --> 00:24:53.960
 not so popular.

00:24:54.440 --> 00:24:56.259
 It's linked to low

00:24:56.259 --> 00:24:57.220
 self-esteem.

00:24:58.579 --> 00:25:00.019
 C.S. Lewis says pride is

00:25:00.019 --> 00:25:01.380
 the essential vice.

00:25:01.380 --> 00:25:03.500
 It's the chief cause of

00:25:03.500 --> 00:25:04.680
 misery since the world

00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:05.160
 began.

00:25:06.060 --> 00:25:07.280
 It's the one sin which

00:25:07.280 --> 00:25:08.640
 fractures friendships.

00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:11.440
 When people talk evil,

00:25:11.600 --> 00:25:12.660
 drink, sex, etc.

00:25:12.760 --> 00:25:13.980
 it can bring them together

00:25:13.980 --> 00:25:16.700
 with a lot of fun but pride

00:25:16.700 --> 00:25:17.560
 polarises.

00:25:19.260 --> 00:25:20.660
 And so notice in chapter 9

00:25:20.660 --> 00:25:22.420
 verse 7 how does Moses

00:25:22.420 --> 00:25:23.240
 drive this home?

00:25:23.320 --> 00:25:24.280
 He reminds them of the

00:25:24.280 --> 00:25:25.620
 incident in Exodus where

00:25:25.620 --> 00:25:28.040
 they built the golden calf.

00:25:28.039 --> 00:25:30.379
 Imagine you're Moses

00:25:30.379 --> 00:25:31.420
 talking to the people and

00:25:31.420 --> 00:25:32.059
 you're saying to them

00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:32.659
 you're about to go into

00:25:32.659 --> 00:25:34.359
 the promised land and I

00:25:34.359 --> 00:25:35.259
 want you to listen very

00:25:35.259 --> 00:25:36.460
 carefully because you know

00:25:36.460 --> 00:25:38.399
 at Mount Sinai God spoke

00:25:38.399 --> 00:25:40.379
 with tremendous power and

00:25:40.379 --> 00:25:43.759
 within hours the people of

00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:45.000
 God were committing adultery

00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:45.740
 on their honeymoon.

00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:49.180
 I remember meeting a girl

00:25:49.180 --> 00:25:50.420
 whose husband went off and

00:25:50.420 --> 00:25:52.059
 committed adultery on the

00:25:52.059 --> 00:25:52.379
 honeymoon.

00:25:52.380 --> 00:25:54.740
 and that's what the people

00:25:54.740 --> 00:25:55.340
 of God did.

00:25:57.340 --> 00:25:58.600
 Almost immediately after

00:25:58.600 --> 00:26:00.040
 hearing him speak at

00:26:00.040 --> 00:26:01.440
 Mount Sinai they went off

00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:02.600
 and they organised the

00:26:02.600 --> 00:26:03.340
 golden calf.

00:26:04.700 --> 00:26:05.860
 And so Moses is saying to

00:26:05.860 --> 00:26:06.720
 them I want you to realise

00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:07.340
 what you're like.

00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:08.080
 You're the sort of people

00:26:08.080 --> 00:26:09.320
 who can fall very quickly.

00:26:10.320 --> 00:26:11.620
 You're not a gold medal

00:26:11.620 --> 00:26:12.060
 people.

00:26:13.100 --> 00:26:14.520
 You're a gold calf people.

00:26:15.280 --> 00:26:16.660
 You can fall very quickly.

00:26:17.820 --> 00:26:19.240
 And therefore you need to

00:26:19.240 --> 00:26:20.760
 take seriously what's being

00:26:20.759 --> 00:26:21.460
 said to you.

00:26:22.539 --> 00:26:24.079
 Chapter 10 what I've called

00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:24.980
 mercy and fear.

00:26:26.140 --> 00:26:27.740
 In face of the golden calf

00:26:27.740 --> 00:26:29.400
 and that dreadful debacle

00:26:29.400 --> 00:26:31.799
 Moses realises of course

00:26:31.799 --> 00:26:33.799
 in Exodus that the only

00:26:33.799 --> 00:26:35.059
 hope is the mercy of God.

00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:35.579
 Do you remember that

00:26:35.579 --> 00:26:37.339
 lovely moment where Moses

00:26:37.339 --> 00:26:38.980
 says oh Lord here we are

00:26:38.980 --> 00:26:40.319
 we've all fallen on a heap.

00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:42.420
 Show me your glory.

00:26:43.720 --> 00:26:44.980
 And the Lord says come up

00:26:44.980 --> 00:26:45.420
 the mountain.

00:26:45.640 --> 00:26:46.420
 I'll hide you in the

00:26:46.420 --> 00:26:47.099
 cleft of the rock.

00:26:47.160 --> 00:26:47.700
 You remember this?

00:26:47.779 --> 00:26:48.759
 And I'll pass by.

00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:51.180
 And I'll show you my glory.

00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:52.059
 And he doesn't actually

00:26:52.059 --> 00:26:52.940
 show him the glory.

00:26:53.059 --> 00:26:54.220
 He declares the glory.

00:26:55.119 --> 00:26:56.680
 And he passes by and he

00:26:56.680 --> 00:26:58.099
 declares the Lord the Lord

00:26:58.099 --> 00:27:00.339
 gracious, merciful, slow to

00:27:00.339 --> 00:27:01.859
 anger, abounding in

00:27:01.859 --> 00:27:02.799
 steadfast love.

00:27:03.819 --> 00:27:05.039
 And it says in the original

00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:06.220
 Bible that I bought when I

00:27:06.220 --> 00:27:07.279
 was a boy and at this

00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:10.099
 Moses made haste to bow his

00:27:10.099 --> 00:27:12.700
 face towards the earth and he

00:27:12.700 --> 00:27:13.259
 worshipped.

00:27:14.500 --> 00:27:16.059
 Because he suddenly realised

00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:17.400
 that the answer to the

00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:19.540
 judgement of God was the

00:27:19.540 --> 00:27:20.440
 mercy of God.

00:27:21.620 --> 00:27:22.960
 The problem that would

00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:24.600
 drive you away from God

00:27:24.600 --> 00:27:28.259
 finds its solution in coming

00:27:28.259 --> 00:27:29.580
 back to him for mercy.

00:27:30.700 --> 00:27:31.880
 And that's what chapter 10

00:27:31.880 --> 00:27:32.540
 is all about.

00:27:32.660 --> 00:27:33.900
 There's going to be two new

00:27:33.900 --> 00:27:34.759
 stone tablets.

00:27:35.040 --> 00:27:36.460
 Chapter 10 verse 3.

00:27:37.740 --> 00:27:38.960
 Does anybody know why there

00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:40.140
 were two stone tablets?

00:27:40.140 --> 00:27:44.920
 We tend to think, don't we,

00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:46.120
 from church buildings that

00:27:46.120 --> 00:27:47.380
 one to five went on one of

00:27:47.380 --> 00:27:48.740
 them and six to ten went on

00:27:48.740 --> 00:27:49.080
 the other.

00:27:49.460 --> 00:27:50.980
 As if we never had room on

00:27:50.980 --> 00:27:52.000
 the tablets for Ten

00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:52.740
 Commandments.

00:27:53.580 --> 00:27:55.120
 But actually a treaty, you

00:27:55.120 --> 00:27:56.280
 see, had two parties.

00:27:57.820 --> 00:27:59.040
 And so when they drew up the

00:27:59.040 --> 00:28:01.100
 Ten Commandments, one copy

00:28:01.100 --> 00:28:03.900
 went to one half and one copy

00:28:03.900 --> 00:28:05.100
 went to the other half.

00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:07.320
 When God draws up his treaty

00:28:07.320 --> 00:28:08.520
 with his people in the Ten

00:28:08.519 --> 00:28:09.720
 Commandments, he doesn't need

00:28:09.720 --> 00:28:10.119
 a copy.

00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:13.119
 His copy can go into the tent.

00:28:14.059 --> 00:28:15.639
 And their copy goes into the

00:28:15.639 --> 00:28:15.879
 tent.

00:28:16.519 --> 00:28:17.740
 So they've got two copies.

00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:19.859
 It's a little bit like Jesus

00:28:19.859 --> 00:28:22.160
 saying, truly, truly, I say to

00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:23.819
 you, you've got double good

00:28:23.819 --> 00:28:26.180
 reason for taking seriously

00:28:26.180 --> 00:28:27.359
 what God says to you.

00:28:28.139 --> 00:28:30.059
 So the new two stone tablets

00:28:30.059 --> 00:28:32.180
 are being built because the

00:28:32.180 --> 00:28:33.099
 people have failed.

00:28:33.980 --> 00:28:36.039
 And Moses is reminding them on

00:28:36.039 --> 00:28:37.559
 the edge of the promised land.

00:28:38.519 --> 00:28:40.279
 And he says to the people, this

00:28:40.279 --> 00:28:42.299
 God, chapter 10, verse 12, is

00:28:42.299 --> 00:28:43.119
 massive.

00:28:44.180 --> 00:28:45.200
 Absolutely massive.

00:28:46.139 --> 00:28:48.139
 But he's also deeply interested

00:28:48.139 --> 00:28:51.839
 in the widow and the orphan and

00:28:51.839 --> 00:28:53.119
 the needs of your table.

00:28:53.299 --> 00:28:54.299
 That's the wonderful thing about

00:28:54.299 --> 00:28:54.539
 God.

00:28:54.619 --> 00:28:56.359
 He's transcendent and he's

00:28:56.359 --> 00:28:56.740
 imminent.

00:28:57.400 --> 00:28:59.000
 He's the God of the telescope and

00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:00.119
 he's the God of the microscope.

00:29:00.119 --> 00:29:03.139
 I heard a man say once that he had

00:29:03.139 --> 00:29:05.000
 small views of Jesus until he went

00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:06.539
 on a retreat like this.

00:29:07.139 --> 00:29:08.659
 And the speaker said, I want to ask

00:29:08.659 --> 00:29:10.479
 you to try and experiment.

00:29:10.639 --> 00:29:11.699
 You may have heard me say this

00:29:11.699 --> 00:29:12.139
 before.

00:29:12.639 --> 00:29:14.259
 And he said, the experiment is I want

00:29:14.259 --> 00:29:16.439
 you to make a model of the galaxy

00:29:16.439 --> 00:29:17.559
 that we live in.

00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:20.319
 And the scale of the galaxy is that

00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:21.859
 the distance between the earth and

00:29:21.859 --> 00:29:23.239
 the sun is going to be the thickness

00:29:23.239 --> 00:29:24.279
 of a piece of paper.

00:29:25.139 --> 00:29:26.460
 Okay, so here's a piece of paper.

00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:31.379
 Earth to sun is that far in your

00:29:31.379 --> 00:29:33.180
 model as you build a model of the

00:29:33.180 --> 00:29:33.559
 galaxy.

00:29:34.839 --> 00:29:36.960
 And then he said, how big a box do

00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:38.500
 you need to put the model of your

00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:39.359
 galaxy in?

00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:42.619
 And the answer is you need a box

00:29:42.619 --> 00:29:45.059
 that's 700 kilometres by 700

00:29:45.059 --> 00:29:48.160
 kilometres by 500 kilometres to put

00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:51.660
 the model of the galaxy in the

00:29:51.660 --> 00:29:52.059
 box.

00:29:52.059 --> 00:29:54.879
 And the speaker said, since the

00:29:54.879 --> 00:29:56.740
 Lord Jesus has made and governs

00:29:56.740 --> 00:29:59.899
 billions of galaxies, we don't get

00:29:59.899 --> 00:30:01.799
 to put him in our back pocket.

00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:04.159
 He is massive.

00:30:05.319 --> 00:30:07.259
 But he's also incredibly interested

00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:08.720
 in the minor details.

00:30:09.859 --> 00:30:11.539
 The tiny, tiny details.

00:30:11.899 --> 00:30:12.319
 Everything.

00:30:12.599 --> 00:30:13.519
 Nothing misses him.

00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:16.519
 And that's why we must respond to

00:30:16.519 --> 00:30:17.700
 him with great gratitude.

00:30:17.940 --> 00:30:20.279
 Merciful, but majestic as well.

00:30:20.279 --> 00:30:24.079
 Well, the last chapter, 11, is what

00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:25.359
 I've called grace and obedience.

00:30:26.700 --> 00:30:29.039
 And this is where God, again, reminding

00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:30.799
 them if his grace calls on them to be

00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:31.160
 obedient.

00:30:31.879 --> 00:30:33.119
 Now, I don't know how you think of

00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:34.440
 obedience in the Christian life.

00:30:34.500 --> 00:30:35.899
 You may think it's a miserable thing.

00:30:35.940 --> 00:30:37.099
 But let me give you an illustration

00:30:37.099 --> 00:30:38.460
 which may help you.

00:30:38.899 --> 00:30:40.579
 And that is that I think of obedience

00:30:40.579 --> 00:30:41.279
 like this.

00:30:41.319 --> 00:30:43.460
 When you're taking small children on a

00:30:43.460 --> 00:30:45.799
 holiday, some of you may identify with

00:30:45.799 --> 00:30:47.960
 this and some of you may identify in

00:30:47.960 --> 00:30:49.660
 the past, or you may at least be

00:30:49.660 --> 00:30:50.059
 familiar.

00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:52.079
 When you're taking children on a

00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:54.500
 holiday and you're going from A to B,

00:30:55.220 --> 00:30:59.620
 500 Ks, you do not put the security of

00:30:59.620 --> 00:31:01.759
 the trip in the hands of your children.

00:31:03.180 --> 00:31:04.640
 They get put in their seats.

00:31:04.779 --> 00:31:06.680
 They get their little seatbelts put on.

00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:07.740
 You close the door.

00:31:07.840 --> 00:31:08.700
 You take the wheel.

00:31:09.120 --> 00:31:11.160
 The security of the trip is in your

00:31:11.160 --> 00:31:12.360
 hands, not theirs.

00:31:12.359 --> 00:31:15.559
 But it is possible for them to

00:31:15.559 --> 00:31:17.479
 contribute to the joy of the journey.

00:31:17.639 --> 00:31:18.799
 I know that sounds ridiculous.

00:31:19.039 --> 00:31:20.899
 But it is possible for them to

00:31:20.899 --> 00:31:22.639
 contribute to the joy of the journey by

00:31:22.639 --> 00:31:24.139
 being cooperative in the back seat.

00:31:24.219 --> 00:31:25.179
 I know it's never happened.

00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:27.619
 But in theory, it's possible for them to

00:31:27.619 --> 00:31:29.059
 contribute to the joy of the journey.

00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:31.439
 And that's how obedience fits into the

00:31:31.439 --> 00:31:32.219
 Christian life.

00:31:33.500 --> 00:31:35.139
 It's pleasing to God.

00:31:35.679 --> 00:31:38.099
 And it contributes to the joy of the

00:31:38.099 --> 00:31:38.459
 journey.

00:31:38.459 --> 00:31:40.019
 But it's got nothing to do with the

00:31:40.019 --> 00:31:41.279
 security of the journey.

00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:45.099
 And that's why we give thanks for the

00:31:45.099 --> 00:31:46.559
 security that comes to us through

00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:47.000
 Jesus.

00:31:47.339 --> 00:31:49.480
 But the obedience will contribute to the

00:31:49.480 --> 00:31:49.859
 joy.

00:31:51.019 --> 00:31:53.559
 So in chapter 11, verse 2, if you just

00:31:53.559 --> 00:31:56.619
 look at 11, verse 2, the children who

00:31:56.619 --> 00:31:58.759
 are standing in front of Moses now, those

00:31:58.759 --> 00:32:00.680
 little kids, they were not there at

00:32:00.680 --> 00:32:01.539
 Mount Sinai.

00:32:02.299 --> 00:32:04.639
 And so the older people who are adults

00:32:04.639 --> 00:32:07.240
 who were children at Mount Sinai are

00:32:07.240 --> 00:32:09.799
 being told to help the younger ones to

00:32:09.799 --> 00:32:11.059
 know what took place.

00:32:11.279 --> 00:32:16.299
 And chapter 11, verse 10, the land which

00:32:16.299 --> 00:32:18.420
 you go to possess is not like the land of

00:32:18.420 --> 00:32:21.420
 Egypt from which you've come, where you

00:32:21.420 --> 00:32:23.819
 sowed your seed and watered it by foot.

00:32:25.299 --> 00:32:27.220
 But the land which you cross over to

00:32:27.220 --> 00:32:28.680
 possess is a land of hills and valleys

00:32:28.680 --> 00:32:30.759
 which drinks water from the rain of

00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:31.139
 heaven.

00:32:32.099 --> 00:32:34.019
 In other words, when you're in Egypt and

00:32:34.019 --> 00:32:36.160
 you had to get your rain by foot, that

00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:37.859
 either means you had to walk to get your

00:32:37.859 --> 00:32:40.240
 water or there was an irrigation system

00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:42.359
 where you pumped little planks with your

00:32:42.359 --> 00:32:45.539
 feet, but you had to work hard for water.

00:32:45.940 --> 00:32:47.299
 Well, it's not going to be like that in the

00:32:47.299 --> 00:32:48.519
 promised land, says the Lord.

00:32:48.700 --> 00:32:52.079
 The rain is going to be plentiful and is going

00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:55.220
 to come down as a mark of grace.

00:32:55.220 --> 00:33:02.440
 So therefore, the climax of the chapter, choose

00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:04.839
 carefully who you're going to serve because

00:33:04.839 --> 00:33:07.980
 God is this covenant God with all the blessings

00:33:07.980 --> 00:33:10.059
 and all the requests or obligations.

00:33:10.059 --> 00:33:15.779
 And we read at the end of chapter 5 from verse 26, there's going to be two

00:33:15.779 --> 00:33:17.679
 mountains as you enter the promised land.

00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:23.099
 Gerizim to announce the blessings, Ebal to announce the curses, and you've got to

00:33:23.099 --> 00:33:23.799
 make your choice.

00:33:23.879 --> 00:33:28.940
 Are you going to be a God following people or a God forgetting people?

00:33:29.519 --> 00:33:34.200
 If you're a God following people, well, of course, you'll be living under his joy,

00:33:34.539 --> 00:33:35.359
 favour, blessing.

00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:39.979
 If you're a God forgetting people, you'll be living under his discipline, not because

00:33:39.979 --> 00:33:42.000
 he doesn't love you, because he does love you.

00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:44.199
 It's just going to make it much awkward.

00:33:45.299 --> 00:33:49.639
 Now, friends, all of this is a great signpost to the Lord Jesus, because in the end, when

00:33:49.639 --> 00:33:55.199
 we think about the curses which could fall on people, the Lord Jesus, because of the

00:33:55.199 --> 00:34:00.719
 cross, has caused the curses that could fall on us to fall on him.

00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:07.880
 And that's the wonderful privilege of being a Christian, Galatians 3, that he took the

00:34:07.880 --> 00:34:10.820
 curses, that we might take the blessings.

00:34:11.720 --> 00:34:15.900
 So as we live with God in the world, we have this heavenly Father who's lifted the curses

00:34:15.900 --> 00:34:21.240
 off us, seeks, of course, to be gracious to us, always gracious.

00:34:21.500 --> 00:34:27.720
 But sometimes that grace will be seen in testing, strengthening, and when we fail, calling,

00:34:27.719 --> 00:34:34.419
 disciplining, but all the time, this gracious God is going to be at work again for his people.

00:34:35.419 --> 00:34:39.179
 Now, I thought I might just finish by reading something again from John Piper, who I haven't

00:34:39.179 --> 00:34:44.839
 read for a long time, but a long time ago, I read his little meditation on rain.

00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:49.859
 And since there has been a bit of rain lately, I don't know if you've noticed, but there has

00:34:49.859 --> 00:34:50.480
 been a bit of rain.

00:34:50.539 --> 00:34:53.339
 I thought I'd read to you as we close something about rain.

00:34:53.459 --> 00:34:55.099
 Have you heard this before?

00:34:55.099 --> 00:34:59.179
 This is a meditation by John Piper on the text from Job.

00:34:59.279 --> 00:35:01.440
 My God does great and unsearchable things.

00:35:01.559 --> 00:35:04.480
 He does wonders with a number like rain.

00:35:07.619 --> 00:35:10.960
 Piper says, is rain a great and unsearchable wonder?

00:35:12.639 --> 00:35:16.659
 Well, picture yourself as a farmer, far from any lake or stream.

00:35:17.719 --> 00:35:20.480
 A few wells keep the family and animals supplied.

00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:26.179
 But if the crops are to grow and the families to be fed, water has to come on the fields.

00:35:26.920 --> 00:35:27.780
 From where?

00:35:28.840 --> 00:35:29.880
 Well, the sky.

00:35:30.780 --> 00:35:31.559
 The sky.

00:35:32.460 --> 00:35:34.260
 Water will come out of the sky.

00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:42.000
 Water will have to be carried in the sky from the Mediterranean Sea over several hundred miles

00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:45.480
 and then poured out from the sky onto the fields.

00:35:47.159 --> 00:35:47.599
 Carried.

00:35:48.420 --> 00:35:49.519
 How much does it weigh?

00:35:49.980 --> 00:35:54.739
 Well, if one inch of rain falls on one square mile of farmland during the night,

00:35:54.840 --> 00:36:01.780
 that would be 27,878,400 cubic feet of water,

00:36:01.780 --> 00:36:07.220
 which is 206,300,160 gallons,

00:36:07.780 --> 00:36:11.280
 which is one, nearly two billion pounds of water.

00:36:13.380 --> 00:36:14.120
 That's heavy.

00:36:14.560 --> 00:36:17.580
 How does it get up in the sky and stay up if it's so heavy?

00:36:17.680 --> 00:36:19.720
 Well, it gets there by evaporation, really.

00:36:20.740 --> 00:36:21.740
 What does that mean?

00:36:21.800 --> 00:36:26.000
 It means the water stops being water for a while so it can go up, not down.

00:36:27.320 --> 00:36:28.760
 Then how does it get down?

00:36:28.760 --> 00:36:31.180
 Well, condensation happens.

00:36:31.640 --> 00:36:32.200
 What's that?

00:36:32.360 --> 00:36:36.320
 The water starts becoming water again by gathering around little particles

00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:42.600
 between 0.0001 and 0.0001 centimetres wide.

00:36:43.580 --> 00:36:44.760
 What about the salt?

00:36:45.180 --> 00:36:45.580
 Salt?

00:36:46.140 --> 00:36:48.780
 Yes, the Mediterranean Sea is salt water.

00:36:49.220 --> 00:36:50.400
 That would kill the crops.

00:36:50.980 --> 00:36:51.920
 What about the salt?

00:36:52.020 --> 00:36:53.700
 Well, the salt has to be taken out.

00:36:54.500 --> 00:36:57.700
 Oh, so the sky picks up a billion pounds of water from the sea,

00:36:57.699 --> 00:37:02.579
 takes out the salt and carries it for 300 miles and dumps it on the farm.

00:37:03.299 --> 00:37:04.519
 Well, it doesn't dump it.

00:37:04.599 --> 00:37:06.619
 If it dumped a billion pounds of water on the farm,

00:37:06.699 --> 00:37:07.679
 the wheat would be crushed.

00:37:08.059 --> 00:37:11.939
 So the sky dribbles the billion pounds of water down in little drops

00:37:11.939 --> 00:37:14.259
 and they have to be big enough to fall

00:37:14.259 --> 00:37:18.299
 and small enough to keep from crushing the wheat stalks.

00:37:18.960 --> 00:37:21.279
 How do all these microscopic specks of water

00:37:21.279 --> 00:37:23.519
 that weigh a billion pounds get heavy enough to fall?

00:37:23.879 --> 00:37:25.500
 Well, it's called coalescence.

00:37:25.939 --> 00:37:26.559
 What's that?

00:37:26.559 --> 00:37:29.759
 It means the specks of water start bumping into each other

00:37:29.759 --> 00:37:30.920
 and join up and get bigger.

00:37:31.019 --> 00:37:32.420
 And when they're big enough, they fall.

00:37:32.679 --> 00:37:33.440
 Just like that?

00:37:33.659 --> 00:37:34.400
 Well, not exactly,

00:37:34.480 --> 00:37:37.119
 because they would just bounce off each other instead of joining up.

00:37:37.279 --> 00:37:39.599
 If there were no electric field present, what?

00:37:39.719 --> 00:37:40.259
 Never mind.

00:37:40.639 --> 00:37:41.840
 Take my word for it.

00:37:42.519 --> 00:37:45.320
 I think that I will take Job's word for it.

00:37:45.380 --> 00:37:47.460
 I still don't see why drops ever get to the ground

00:37:47.460 --> 00:37:49.980
 because if they start falling as soon as they're heavier than air,

00:37:50.360 --> 00:37:53.000
 they would be too small not to evaporate on the way down.

00:37:53.000 --> 00:37:57.039
 But if they wait to come down, what holds them up till they're big enough not to evaporate?

00:37:57.039 --> 00:37:59.000
 Yes, I'm sure there's a name for that too.

00:37:59.059 --> 00:38:01.279
 But I'm satisfied now that by any name,

00:38:01.360 --> 00:38:03.579
 this is a great and unsearchable thing that God has done.

00:38:03.840 --> 00:38:05.940
 And I think I should be more thankful than I am.

00:38:06.380 --> 00:38:07.000
 Isn't that great?

00:38:08.619 --> 00:38:09.239
 Let's pray.

00:38:09.239 --> 00:38:14.939
 Our gracious God, thank you for your greatness and your goodness,

00:38:15.199 --> 00:38:18.199
 seen to your people and especially seen in the Lord Jesus.

00:38:18.979 --> 00:38:22.000
 And we pray that because our hearts are so wayward,

00:38:22.279 --> 00:38:23.979
 you would incline us to yourself.

00:38:24.739 --> 00:38:26.939
 You would keep opening our mind to your word.

00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:30.039
 You would keep uniting our wills with yours

00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:33.399
 and keep causing us to be satisfied with yourself.

00:38:33.579 --> 00:38:34.679
 For Jesus' sake.

00:38:35.119 --> 00:38:35.459
 Amen.

00:38:35.459 --> 00:38:35.619
 Amen.

00:38:39.239 --> 00:38:40.239
 Amen.