WEBVTT

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 Good morning.

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 For those of you who don't know me, my name is Eric.

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 I'm one of the guys on staff here at Watermark Church.

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 It's great to be here with you today.

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 And if you've been here the past few weeks,

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 you're probably wondering, why are we not in 1 Corinthians still?

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 And basically what's going on is we've spent the past couple months

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 looking at the book of 1 Corinthians,

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 and it was a really messed up church.

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 They had lots of issues, and Paul was writing this letter to them,

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 saying, like, you're doing this wrong, you're doing this wrong,

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 you're doing this wrong.

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 And we figured it would be a good idea to actually look at,

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 from the positive side, what is a healthy church?

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 Because we've been talking about it from the negative side for so long

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 that we figured it would be worthwhile to take a couple weeks

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 to talk about, from the positive side,

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 like, not just what shouldn't we be doing,

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 but what should we be doing as a church

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 if we're going to be a healthy church.

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 So today we're looking at the concept of community

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 and membership.

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 And the big question I want us to ask ourselves today

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 is what does the cross have to do with our community?

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 What does the cross have to do with our community?

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 And I think we live in a very individualistic society,

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 a very me-focused world.

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 And the church, in many ways, has gone along with this

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 and said, you know, my walk with God is about me and God.

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 And it's all about me trusting in Jesus,

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 me becoming a Christian,

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 me going to church,

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 me reading my Bible.

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 But if we look at the Bible and what it says,

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 what we'll notice is that actually,

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 it's about us as well.

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 That God doesn't just save us as individuals,

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 but God saves us to form us into a community

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 that is his people.

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 And that as we are shaped into this community,

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 that our community must be shaped by the cross.

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 And that just as Jesus loved us

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 and showed us his love sacrificially on the cross,

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 that he calls us, if we are his people,

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 to live life in a sacrificial community together,

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 loving one another as he has loved us.

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 And so to see that,

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 we're going to look at the book of Ephesians, chapter 2.

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 Ephesians is another letter

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 that the Apostle Paul wrote to a church

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 in a city called Ephesus.

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 And one of his big goals in writing this letter

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 is to help them see the importance of community

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 in life as a church.

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 And in today's passage,

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 he's going to have them remember

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 their past circumstances,

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 recognize their present condition,

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 and then re-evaluate their projected course

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 based on what they've remembered

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 and recognized about where they are now.

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 And so the first step

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 is to remember their past circumstances.

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 Paul starts out this passage pretty bleak, right?

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 He says,

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 They had three really big problems.

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 Problem number one,

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 they were separated from God.

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 If you follow the storyline of the Bible,

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 basically,

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 God created man

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 to live in a relationship with him.

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 This is supposed to be

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 the ultimate power source for our life,

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 this relationship with God.

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 And if you follow the storyline of the Bible

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 a little further,

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 it tells us that all of us

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 have rebelled against God.

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 All of us have cut ourselves off

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 from that relationship

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 that we were created to have.

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 And all of us,

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 in doing that,

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 have cut ourselves off

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 from that power source

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 of that relationship with God

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 that's supposed to give us the strength

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 to go throughout life.

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 And he's saying,

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 this is the past condition

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 of the people in this church.

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 And not just of them,

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 but also,

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 if we're Christians,

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 of us here today.

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 That this is our past reality.

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 Not only are they separated from God,

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 they're also,

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 he says,

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 alienated from the commonwealth of Israel.

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 Now,

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 back in the day,

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 Israel was God's chosen people.

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 They were the special ones

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 who had God's revelation

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 and no one else did.

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 They had received messages from God

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 about what it means to follow him

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 and how he wants us to follow him.

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 And they were special.

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 They were privileged.

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 And they kind of let everyone else know it.

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 And everyone else

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 didn't really appreciate that.

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 Everyone else

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 fought back against that.

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 And there were some ethnic tensions

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 going on in the world.

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 And what Paul is saying is

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 the people he's writing to

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 were not Jews.

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 They were not part

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 of that special people

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 that God had called as his own.

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 They had no special standing

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 that could help them

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 get to this relationship with God.

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 And so,

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 there was a separation

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 that they were not only

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 separated from God,

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 but they were separated

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 from God's people.

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 And ethnic tensions,

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 you know,

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 it's not just something

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 from the world then,

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 but it's something that we see

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 in the world

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 all the time today.

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 If you follow the news at all,

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 you've probably heard stories

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 the past few months

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 about black versus white tensions

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 in the States

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 and all the violence

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 that's going on with that.

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 But it's also something

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 that happens here

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 on this side of the world as well.

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 About a month and a half ago,

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 I think,

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 we had a holiday.

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 The rest of the world

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 calls it the anniversary

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 of the end of World War II.

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 The Chinese government

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 decides to call it

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 the anniversary

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 of the Chinese people's

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 war of rebellion

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 against Japanese aggression.

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 Ignore the fact

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 that the whole rest of the world

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 was also involved

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 in this war.

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 Ignore the fact

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 that, you know,

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 the Communist Party

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 could never have gotten

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 into power in China

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 in the first place

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 if that hadn't happened.

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 But they want

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 to take all this aggression

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 and point it

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 against the Japanese people.

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 They want to take

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 this ethnic division

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 and push it

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 onto their people.

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 We live in a broken world

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 where there are ethnic tensions

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 around us all the time.

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 Also, if you think back

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 about a year ago,

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 there was a lot of tension

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 between Hong Kong

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 and the mainland.

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 I know it's all Chinese,

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 but there was still

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 a tension between

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 different groups

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 of Chinese people.

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 There was a professor

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 in the mainland

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 who called the Hong Kong people

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 dogs of the British.

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 And so a group

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 of Hong Kongers

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 went out

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 and hired a page

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 in the front page

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 of a local newspaper

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 depicting a locust

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 overlooking the city

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 and basically said,

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 if you are a mainlander,

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 this is what you do

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 to our city.

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 You come in,

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 you wreck it,

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 you destroy it,

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 we want nothing

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 to do with you.

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 And there were protests

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 and clashes

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 of people

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 who just did not

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 get along.

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 In HKU,

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 there was a student

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 who posted

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 on their democracy wall.

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 He said,

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 to,

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 what's the exact quote,

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 to you brainwashed,

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 commie-loving mainlanders,

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 we despise you.

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 We live in a world

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 that is full

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 of alienation

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 from God.

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 We live in a world

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 that is full

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 of alienation

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 from each other.

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 And it makes sense

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 because when we

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 cut ourselves off

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 from this relationship

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 with God,

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 the next logical step

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 is to cut ourselves off

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 from people

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 who are made

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 in God's image.

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 One person summarized,

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 he said,

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 the attitude of the world

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 in our fallen state

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 is best expressed

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 in the phrase,

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 you're different

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 from me

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 and I resent you

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 for that.

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 You're different

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 from me

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 and I resent you

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 from that.

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 And so,

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 the past condition

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 of this church

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 that Paul is saying

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 they had,

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 they're separated

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 from God,

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 they're cut off

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 from the power source

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 that they're supposed

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 to have for life,

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 they're separated

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 from God's people,

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 they're alienated,

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 they're estranged,

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 and there's this

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 sense of isolation.

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 Something has gone

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 horribly, horribly wrong.

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 And not only that,

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 but he says

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 that they were

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 strangers

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 to the covenants

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 of promise.

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 This is that God

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 had appeared

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 and he had told people

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 about a promise

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 that he would

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 restore people

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 to himself,

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 that he would come

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 and he would

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 rescue us.

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 And yet,

00:09:00.740 --> 00:09:01.620
 these promises

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 had come only

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 to the Israelites.

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 And so,

00:09:03.940 --> 00:09:05.659
 Paul's people

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 who were receiving

00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:06.879
 this letter

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 didn't have

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 these promises.

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 They were broken

00:09:10.460 --> 00:09:11.259
 in their relationship

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 with God.

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 They were broken

00:09:12.920 --> 00:09:13.779
 in their relationship

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 with others

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 and they had

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 no way

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 to fix it.

00:09:19.139 --> 00:09:20.060
 And he says

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 that these three

00:09:21.019 --> 00:09:21.759
 problems led

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 to two devastating

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 effects.

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 They were without

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 hope

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 and they were

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 without God

00:09:28.180 --> 00:09:29.279
 in the world.

00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:31.960
 They were hopeless

00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:32.700
 and they had

00:09:32.700 --> 00:09:33.560
 no way

00:09:33.560 --> 00:09:34.460
 to fix

00:09:34.460 --> 00:09:35.680
 their situation.

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 And Paul wants

00:09:39.460 --> 00:09:40.560
 them to remember

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 this

00:09:41.019 --> 00:09:42.840
 because Paul

00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:44.440
 has amazing

00:09:44.440 --> 00:09:45.620
 good news

00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:46.080
 for them.

00:09:47.100 --> 00:09:48.519
 But this good news

00:09:48.519 --> 00:09:49.700
 looks far

00:09:49.700 --> 00:09:50.420
 more beautiful

00:09:50.420 --> 00:09:51.720
 when seen

00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:52.720
 against the bad

00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:53.500
 news that it

00:09:53.500 --> 00:09:54.379
 contrasts with.

00:09:54.820 --> 00:09:55.040
 And so,

00:09:55.100 --> 00:09:55.360
 he says,

00:09:55.460 --> 00:09:56.040
 take a minute,

00:09:56.379 --> 00:09:56.980
 step back,

00:09:57.259 --> 00:09:58.379
 remember who

00:09:58.379 --> 00:09:59.780
 you used to be.

00:09:59.779 --> 00:10:01.439
 remember what

00:10:01.439 --> 00:10:02.179
 God has saved

00:10:02.179 --> 00:10:02.679
 you from

00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:03.240
 because when you

00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:04.019
 see what God

00:10:04.019 --> 00:10:04.620
 has saved you

00:10:04.620 --> 00:10:05.019
 from,

00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:06.519
 what he has

00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:07.199
 saved you to

00:10:07.199 --> 00:10:07.980
 will look

00:10:07.980 --> 00:10:09.019
 far more

00:10:09.019 --> 00:10:09.480
 beautiful.

00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:13.159
 And for us

00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:13.480
 today,

00:10:13.579 --> 00:10:13.839
 if we're

00:10:13.839 --> 00:10:14.199
 Christians,

00:10:14.419 --> 00:10:15.059
 this is our

00:10:15.059 --> 00:10:15.779
 past as well,

00:10:15.939 --> 00:10:16.639
 separated from

00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:16.939
 God,

00:10:17.159 --> 00:10:17.959
 alienated from

00:10:17.959 --> 00:10:18.319
 others,

00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:19.360
 without any

00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:20.199
 way to fix

00:10:20.199 --> 00:10:20.759
 ourselves,

00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:21.799
 without hope,

00:10:22.079 --> 00:10:22.459
 and without

00:10:22.459 --> 00:10:23.240
 God in the

00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:23.500
 world.

00:10:24.299 --> 00:10:25.039
 We need to see

00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:25.819
 this and recognize

00:10:25.819 --> 00:10:26.360
 this if we're

00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:27.379
 going to appreciate

00:10:27.379 --> 00:10:28.960
 what God calls

00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:29.840
 us to in terms

00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:30.580
 of our life

00:10:30.580 --> 00:10:31.220
 and community.

00:10:34.019 --> 00:10:34.500
 Now,

00:10:34.519 --> 00:10:35.019
 the good news

00:10:35.019 --> 00:10:35.720
 is the story

00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:36.379
 doesn't end

00:10:36.379 --> 00:10:36.659
 there.

00:10:37.220 --> 00:10:37.960
 If you look at

00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:38.679
 verse 13,

00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:39.519
 it says,

00:10:39.860 --> 00:10:40.340
 but now,

00:10:41.559 --> 00:10:42.559
 something is

00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:42.879
 different,

00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:43.399
 something has

00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:43.879
 changed.

00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:44.500
 The past

00:10:44.500 --> 00:10:45.379
 condition is no

00:10:45.379 --> 00:10:46.179
 longer our

00:10:46.179 --> 00:10:47.340
 present condition.

00:10:48.340 --> 00:10:48.799
 Once we've

00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:49.580
 remembered our

00:10:49.580 --> 00:10:50.299
 past condition,

00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:51.159
 he wants us

00:10:51.159 --> 00:10:52.019
 to move on

00:10:52.019 --> 00:10:52.759
 and recognize

00:10:52.759 --> 00:10:53.539
 our current

00:10:53.539 --> 00:10:54.139
 circumstances

00:10:54.139 --> 00:10:54.820
 and realize

00:10:54.820 --> 00:10:55.899
 that they are

00:10:55.899 --> 00:10:57.039
 totally night

00:10:57.039 --> 00:10:57.500
 and day

00:10:57.500 --> 00:10:58.159
 opposite.

00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:01.939
 If you look

00:11:01.939 --> 00:11:02.799
 at verses 1

00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:03.219
 through 10

00:11:03.219 --> 00:11:03.819
 of this chapter,

00:11:03.899 --> 00:11:04.259
 he's talking

00:11:04.259 --> 00:11:04.699
 about our

00:11:04.699 --> 00:11:05.419
 relationship with

00:11:05.419 --> 00:11:05.719
 God,

00:11:05.779 --> 00:11:06.299
 and he talks

00:11:06.299 --> 00:11:06.759
 about how

00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:07.500
 desperate our

00:11:07.500 --> 00:11:08.179
 relationship with

00:11:08.179 --> 00:11:08.639
 God was.

00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:09.419
 He says we

00:11:09.419 --> 00:11:10.120
 were dead in

00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:10.819
 our trespasses

00:11:10.819 --> 00:11:11.360
 and sins.

00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:13.919
 He said that

00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:15.980
 we were basically

00:11:15.980 --> 00:11:16.779
 the enemies of

00:11:16.779 --> 00:11:17.219
 God, that we

00:11:17.219 --> 00:11:17.980
 were children of

00:11:17.980 --> 00:11:18.639
 wrath, that

00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:19.419
 everything was

00:11:19.419 --> 00:11:20.319
 going wrong for

00:11:20.319 --> 00:11:20.639
 us.

00:11:20.959 --> 00:11:21.500
 But then,

00:11:21.899 --> 00:11:22.419
 he says,

00:11:22.579 --> 00:11:23.279
 but God,

00:11:23.860 --> 00:11:25.120
 being rich in

00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:25.459
 mercy,

00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:26.799
 because of the

00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:27.319
 great love

00:11:27.319 --> 00:11:28.120
 with which he

00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:28.819
 loved us,

00:11:29.139 --> 00:11:30.319
 made us alive

00:11:30.319 --> 00:11:31.000
 in Christ

00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:31.379
 Jesus.

00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:33.599
 He says that

00:11:33.599 --> 00:11:34.259
 when everything

00:11:34.259 --> 00:11:35.019
 was wrong in

00:11:35.019 --> 00:11:35.579
 our relationship

00:11:35.579 --> 00:11:36.120
 with God,

00:11:36.319 --> 00:11:37.359
 God stepped in

00:11:37.359 --> 00:11:37.939
 and God

00:11:37.939 --> 00:11:38.539
 rescued us

00:11:38.539 --> 00:11:39.019
 and God

00:11:39.019 --> 00:11:39.659
 changed us

00:11:39.659 --> 00:11:40.339
 and God

00:11:40.339 --> 00:11:41.039
 made us

00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:43.240
 alive and

00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:43.899
 gave us a

00:11:43.899 --> 00:11:44.740
 relationship with

00:11:44.740 --> 00:11:45.019
 God.

00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:46.679
 And now,

00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:47.259
 he's looking

00:11:47.259 --> 00:11:47.979
 not at our

00:11:47.979 --> 00:11:48.919
 relationship with

00:11:48.919 --> 00:11:49.679
 God primarily,

00:11:49.819 --> 00:11:50.059
 but our

00:11:50.059 --> 00:11:50.719
 relationship with

00:11:50.719 --> 00:11:51.079
 each other.

00:11:51.139 --> 00:11:51.559
 And he says,

00:11:51.859 --> 00:11:52.539
 in the same way,

00:11:52.740 --> 00:11:53.639
 you were alienated,

00:11:53.839 --> 00:11:54.679
 you were cut off,

00:11:54.939 --> 00:11:55.779
 things were going

00:11:55.779 --> 00:11:56.220
 wrong,

00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:57.279
 but now,

00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:00.899
 something has

00:12:00.899 --> 00:12:01.459
 changed.

00:12:02.299 --> 00:12:03.419
 Just as your

00:12:03.419 --> 00:12:04.079
 relationship with

00:12:04.079 --> 00:12:04.679
 God has been

00:12:04.679 --> 00:12:05.620
 transformed by

00:12:05.620 --> 00:12:06.459
 what Jesus did

00:12:06.459 --> 00:12:07.059
 on the cross,

00:12:07.339 --> 00:12:08.240
 your relationship

00:12:08.240 --> 00:12:09.419
 with others and

00:12:09.419 --> 00:12:10.159
 in this community

00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:11.220
 needs to be

00:12:11.220 --> 00:12:12.679
 transformed by

00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:13.579
 what Jesus has

00:12:13.579 --> 00:12:15.120
 done on the

00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:15.519
 cross.

00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:17.299
 But now,

00:12:17.459 --> 00:12:18.199
 in Christ Jesus,

00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:19.299
 you who were

00:12:19.299 --> 00:12:20.199
 once far off

00:12:20.199 --> 00:12:21.159
 have been brought

00:12:21.159 --> 00:12:22.659
 near by the

00:12:22.659 --> 00:12:23.360
 blood of Christ,

00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:24.620
 for he himself

00:12:24.620 --> 00:12:25.840
 is our peace,

00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:27.000
 who has broken

00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:29.200
 down in his

00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:29.919
 flesh the

00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:30.639
 dividing wall

00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:31.820
 of hostility

00:12:31.820 --> 00:12:33.320
 by abolishing

00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:33.800
 the law of

00:12:33.800 --> 00:12:34.159
 commandments

00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:34.800
 expressed in

00:12:34.800 --> 00:12:35.860
 ordinances that

00:12:35.860 --> 00:12:36.460
 he might create

00:12:36.460 --> 00:12:37.399
 in himself one

00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:38.379
 new man in

00:12:38.379 --> 00:12:38.879
 place of the

00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:39.899
 two, so

00:12:39.899 --> 00:12:40.980
 making peace.

00:12:42.519 --> 00:12:43.080
 He's saying

00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:44.240
 that Jesus came

00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:44.840
 not just to

00:12:44.840 --> 00:12:45.379
 create peace

00:12:45.379 --> 00:12:45.860
 between us

00:12:45.860 --> 00:12:46.200
 and God,

00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:46.779
 but between

00:12:46.779 --> 00:12:47.539
 us and each

00:12:47.539 --> 00:12:48.200
 other as well.

00:12:48.779 --> 00:12:50.000
 If you were

00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:50.659
 alive in that

00:12:50.659 --> 00:12:51.120
 day and you

00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:51.639
 had ever been

00:12:51.639 --> 00:12:52.300
 to the temple

00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:52.959
 in Jerusalem,

00:12:54.099 --> 00:12:54.639
 there was this

00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:55.279
 wall called

00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:56.099
 the Gentiles

00:12:56.099 --> 00:12:56.419
 wall.

00:12:57.459 --> 00:12:57.899
 And basically,

00:12:58.079 --> 00:12:58.399
 there was a

00:12:58.399 --> 00:12:59.099
 courtyard area

00:12:59.099 --> 00:12:59.839
 outside that

00:12:59.839 --> 00:13:00.439
 where any

00:13:00.439 --> 00:13:01.339
 Gentile,

00:13:01.459 --> 00:13:02.259
 any non-Jew

00:13:02.259 --> 00:13:02.899
 who worshipped

00:13:02.899 --> 00:13:03.779
 God could go

00:13:03.779 --> 00:13:04.620
 to worship

00:13:04.620 --> 00:13:05.179
 God, and

00:13:05.179 --> 00:13:05.459
 then there

00:13:05.459 --> 00:13:06.000
 was a wall.

00:13:07.079 --> 00:13:07.620
 And the only

00:13:07.620 --> 00:13:08.599
 people allowed

00:13:08.599 --> 00:13:09.419
 beyond that

00:13:09.419 --> 00:13:10.819
 wall were

00:13:10.819 --> 00:13:11.159
 the Jewish

00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:11.500
 people.

00:13:12.339 --> 00:13:12.819
 And there

00:13:12.819 --> 00:13:13.479
 were signs

00:13:13.479 --> 00:13:14.079
 along the

00:13:14.079 --> 00:13:14.299
 wall.

00:13:14.959 --> 00:13:15.439
 And they

00:13:15.439 --> 00:13:15.779
 said,

00:13:16.079 --> 00:13:16.719
 if you are

00:13:16.719 --> 00:13:17.359
 a Gentile

00:13:17.359 --> 00:13:17.839
 and you

00:13:17.839 --> 00:13:18.500
 cross this

00:13:18.500 --> 00:13:18.799
 wall,

00:13:19.059 --> 00:13:19.519
 you are

00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:19.979
 responsible

00:13:19.979 --> 00:13:20.500
 for your

00:13:20.500 --> 00:13:21.039
 own death.

00:13:22.299 --> 00:13:23.039
 There was

00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:23.799
 hatred and

00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:24.639
 strife between

00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:25.599
 these two

00:13:25.599 --> 00:13:26.379
 ethnic groups,

00:13:26.719 --> 00:13:27.299
 and Paul is

00:13:27.299 --> 00:13:28.219
 saying that

00:13:28.219 --> 00:13:28.959
 no longer

00:13:28.959 --> 00:13:29.939
 has a place

00:13:29.939 --> 00:13:30.659
 among God's

00:13:30.659 --> 00:13:30.959
 people,

00:13:31.159 --> 00:13:31.979
 because Jesus

00:13:31.979 --> 00:13:32.620
 has come,

00:13:32.899 --> 00:13:33.399
 Jesus has

00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:34.299
 torn down

00:13:34.299 --> 00:13:34.879
 the wall

00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:35.439
 that divides

00:13:35.439 --> 00:13:35.599
 us,

00:13:35.740 --> 00:13:36.159
 and Jesus

00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:36.679
 has taken

00:13:36.679 --> 00:13:37.079
 the two

00:13:37.079 --> 00:13:37.719
 groups and

00:13:37.719 --> 00:13:38.179
 made us

00:13:38.179 --> 00:13:39.099
 one in

00:13:39.099 --> 00:13:39.319
 him.

00:13:41.939 --> 00:13:42.679
 And so

00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:43.199
 the old

00:13:43.199 --> 00:13:43.919
 things that

00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:44.279
 used to

00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:44.740
 divide us

00:13:44.740 --> 00:13:45.879
 have no

00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:47.539
 place among

00:13:47.539 --> 00:13:48.179
 us anymore.

00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:48.819
 If you are

00:13:48.819 --> 00:13:49.339
 a Christian,

00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:50.319
 then Jesus

00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:51.720
 died to

00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:52.280
 unite you

00:13:52.280 --> 00:13:53.080
 to every

00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:53.560
 other

00:13:53.560 --> 00:13:54.120
 Christian

00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:54.960
 who has

00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:56.000
 ever lived.

00:13:58.180 --> 00:13:59.160
 That God

00:13:59.160 --> 00:13:59.780
 cares

00:13:59.780 --> 00:14:00.760
 desperately

00:14:00.760 --> 00:14:02.180
 about our

00:14:02.180 --> 00:14:03.180
 life as

00:14:03.180 --> 00:14:03.820
 a community.

00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:05.300
 Here at

00:14:05.300 --> 00:14:05.620
 Watermark,

00:14:05.680 --> 00:14:06.140
 we talk about

00:14:06.140 --> 00:14:06.740
 community all

00:14:06.740 --> 00:14:07.080
 the time.

00:14:07.160 --> 00:14:07.520
 We have it

00:14:07.520 --> 00:14:08.640
 on the stage

00:14:08.640 --> 00:14:09.320
 written every

00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:09.540
 week,

00:14:09.680 --> 00:14:09.960
 gospel,

00:14:10.140 --> 00:14:10.460
 community,

00:14:10.640 --> 00:14:10.900
 mission.

00:14:12.580 --> 00:14:13.040
 And most

00:14:13.040 --> 00:14:13.320
 of us,

00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:13.780
 I hope,

00:14:13.980 --> 00:14:14.500
 like hanging

00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:14.820
 out with

00:14:14.820 --> 00:14:15.220
 each other,

00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:16.360
 but that's

00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:16.680
 not the

00:14:16.680 --> 00:14:17.420
 primary reason

00:14:17.420 --> 00:14:17.780
 why we

00:14:17.780 --> 00:14:18.140
 emphasize

00:14:18.139 --> 00:14:19.000
 community.

00:14:19.500 --> 00:14:20.179
 We emphasize

00:14:20.179 --> 00:14:21.159
 it because

00:14:21.159 --> 00:14:21.840
 God

00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:22.779
 emphasizes it.

00:14:23.740 --> 00:14:24.519
 We emphasize

00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:25.759
 living together

00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:26.460
 and serving

00:14:26.460 --> 00:14:27.080
 one another

00:14:27.080 --> 00:14:27.919
 because the

00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:28.620
 Bible says

00:14:28.620 --> 00:14:29.159
 that if we

00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:29.840
 are Christians,

00:14:30.259 --> 00:14:30.980
 that is

00:14:30.980 --> 00:14:31.480
 vitally

00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:32.100
 important

00:14:32.100 --> 00:14:33.220
 to our

00:14:33.220 --> 00:14:33.580
 lives.

00:14:36.259 --> 00:14:36.819
 That God

00:14:36.819 --> 00:14:37.299
 wants us

00:14:37.299 --> 00:14:37.639
 to be a

00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:38.080
 people who

00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:38.960
 reflect his

00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:40.000
 love to

00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:40.899
 the world.

00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:42.120
 And so

00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:42.700
 we cannot

00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:44.039
 separate our

00:14:44.039 --> 00:14:44.819
 salvation and

00:14:44.819 --> 00:14:45.379
 our relationship

00:14:45.379 --> 00:14:46.279
 with God

00:14:46.279 --> 00:14:47.939
 from our

00:14:47.939 --> 00:14:48.759
 life in

00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:49.240
 community

00:14:49.240 --> 00:14:50.139
 as a

00:14:50.139 --> 00:14:50.679
 part of

00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:51.240
 his body.

00:14:52.539 --> 00:14:53.220
 He says

00:14:53.220 --> 00:14:54.139
 that Christ's

00:14:54.139 --> 00:14:54.720
 work is so

00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:55.720
 extreme that

00:14:55.720 --> 00:14:56.220
 he takes

00:14:56.220 --> 00:14:57.519
 the two

00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:58.100
 different groups

00:14:58.100 --> 00:14:58.519
 and makes

00:14:58.519 --> 00:14:59.419
 one new

00:14:59.419 --> 00:15:00.139
 man out

00:15:00.139 --> 00:15:00.360
 of the

00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:00.579
 two.

00:15:01.199 --> 00:15:01.579
 You can

00:15:01.579 --> 00:15:01.819
 think of

00:15:01.819 --> 00:15:02.019
 it as

00:15:02.019 --> 00:15:02.259
 sort of

00:15:02.259 --> 00:15:02.539
 like a

00:15:02.539 --> 00:15:03.279
 third race.

00:15:03.799 --> 00:15:04.039
 You've

00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:04.319
 got the

00:15:04.319 --> 00:15:04.659
 Jews,

00:15:04.959 --> 00:15:05.139
 you've

00:15:05.139 --> 00:15:05.379
 got the

00:15:05.379 --> 00:15:05.939
 Gentiles,

00:15:06.059 --> 00:15:06.480
 and then

00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:06.620
 you've

00:15:06.620 --> 00:15:07.039
 got something

00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:07.419
 different.

00:15:07.639 --> 00:15:07.819
 You've

00:15:07.819 --> 00:15:08.439
 got Christians.

00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:09.799
 And Paul's

00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:10.079
 saying in

00:15:10.079 --> 00:15:10.439
 the early

00:15:10.439 --> 00:15:10.899
 church,

00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:11.679
 you could

00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:12.059
 be a

00:15:12.059 --> 00:15:12.459
 Jew and

00:15:12.459 --> 00:15:12.720
 you could

00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:13.220
 become a

00:15:13.220 --> 00:15:13.459
 Jewish

00:15:13.459 --> 00:15:13.899
 Christian.

00:15:14.100 --> 00:15:14.319
 You could

00:15:14.319 --> 00:15:14.559
 be a

00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:15.220
 Gentile and

00:15:15.220 --> 00:15:16.000
 become a

00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:16.440
 Gentile

00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:16.820
 Christian.

00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:17.259
 But whether

00:15:17.259 --> 00:15:17.620
 you're a

00:15:17.620 --> 00:15:17.820
 Jewish

00:15:17.820 --> 00:15:18.419
 Christian or

00:15:18.419 --> 00:15:18.960
 a Gentile

00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:19.379
 Christian,

00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:20.220
 the most

00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:21.100
 important thing

00:15:21.100 --> 00:15:21.980
 is that you're

00:15:21.980 --> 00:15:22.419
 a Christian,

00:15:22.620 --> 00:15:23.279
 not that you're

00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:23.639
 a Jew or

00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:24.059
 Gentile.

00:15:24.820 --> 00:15:25.320
 Today we

00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:25.700
 might think

00:15:25.700 --> 00:15:26.299
 you can be

00:15:26.299 --> 00:15:27.480
 a Chinese

00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:28.080
 Christian or

00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:28.500
 an American

00:15:28.500 --> 00:15:28.960
 Christian.

00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:30.000
 The most

00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:30.860
 important thing

00:15:30.860 --> 00:15:31.639
 is that you're

00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:32.059
 a Christian,

00:15:32.220 --> 00:15:32.679
 not that you're

00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:33.740
 Chinese or

00:15:33.740 --> 00:15:34.279
 American,

00:15:34.460 --> 00:15:35.240
 because Christ

00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:36.200
 has died to

00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:37.159
 make one

00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:38.399
 new group

00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:39.779
 out of all

00:15:39.779 --> 00:15:40.139
 the other

00:15:40.139 --> 00:15:40.940
 groups that

00:15:40.940 --> 00:15:41.320
 existed

00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:41.820
 beforehand.

00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:43.659
 It doesn't

00:15:43.659 --> 00:15:44.220
 mean that our

00:15:44.220 --> 00:15:45.320
 previous identities

00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:45.900
 are totally

00:15:45.900 --> 00:15:46.520
 wiped out,

00:15:46.940 --> 00:15:47.280
 but it

00:15:47.280 --> 00:15:47.980
 means that

00:15:47.980 --> 00:15:48.480
 the identity

00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:48.820
 that we

00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:49.460
 now have

00:15:49.460 --> 00:15:49.879
 as a

00:15:49.879 --> 00:15:50.200
 Christian

00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:51.060
 is far,

00:15:51.260 --> 00:15:51.560
 far,

00:15:51.760 --> 00:15:52.340
 far more

00:15:52.340 --> 00:15:52.960
 foundational

00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:54.100
 than any

00:15:54.100 --> 00:15:55.260
 identity that

00:15:55.260 --> 00:15:55.940
 we otherwise

00:15:55.940 --> 00:15:56.540
 could hold.

00:15:57.700 --> 00:15:58.320
 I was

00:15:58.320 --> 00:15:59.120
 listening to

00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:00.560
 a pastor

00:16:00.560 --> 00:16:01.240
 from Washington,

00:16:01.420 --> 00:16:01.820
 D.C.

00:16:01.820 --> 00:16:02.680
 do a talk

00:16:02.680 --> 00:16:02.960
 here in

00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:03.320
 Hong Kong

00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:03.780
 this week,

00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:04.940
 and he

00:16:04.940 --> 00:16:05.360
 said,

00:16:05.920 --> 00:16:06.240
 you know,

00:16:06.800 --> 00:16:08.100
 someone who's

00:16:08.100 --> 00:16:08.580
 a Christian

00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:09.140
 living in

00:16:09.140 --> 00:16:09.520
 Washington,

00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:10.080
 D.C.

00:16:10.540 --> 00:16:11.460
 has far

00:16:11.460 --> 00:16:11.920
 more in

00:16:11.920 --> 00:16:12.720
 common with

00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:13.180
 a Christian

00:16:13.179 --> 00:16:14.059
 living in

00:16:14.059 --> 00:16:14.559
 Nigeria

00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:16.079
 than they

00:16:16.079 --> 00:16:16.479
 do with

00:16:16.479 --> 00:16:16.620
 their

00:16:16.620 --> 00:16:17.139
 non-Christian

00:16:17.139 --> 00:16:17.500
 neighbor

00:16:17.500 --> 00:16:18.759
 in D.C.,

00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:19.459
 because the

00:16:19.459 --> 00:16:20.059
 things that

00:16:20.059 --> 00:16:20.620
 unite us

00:16:20.620 --> 00:16:21.139
 in Christ

00:16:21.139 --> 00:16:21.919
 are far

00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:22.699
 more

00:16:22.699 --> 00:16:23.859
 important

00:16:23.859 --> 00:16:24.500
 to who

00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:25.079
 we are

00:16:25.079 --> 00:16:27.179
 than being

00:16:27.179 --> 00:16:27.620
 American

00:16:27.620 --> 00:16:28.139
 or than

00:16:28.139 --> 00:16:28.679
 having the

00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:28.919
 same

00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:29.279
 background

00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:29.799
 culture.

00:16:31.539 --> 00:16:32.279
 If you

00:16:32.279 --> 00:16:32.579
 are a

00:16:32.579 --> 00:16:32.939
 Christian,

00:16:33.479 --> 00:16:33.899
 the Bible

00:16:33.899 --> 00:16:34.479
 says your

00:16:34.479 --> 00:16:35.000
 most

00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:35.779
 foundational

00:16:35.779 --> 00:16:36.979
 identity

00:16:36.979 --> 00:16:38.159
 is your

00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:38.599
 identity

00:16:38.599 --> 00:16:40.299
 as a

00:16:40.299 --> 00:16:40.759
 person

00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:41.779
 in God's

00:16:41.779 --> 00:16:42.099
 family.

00:16:42.100 --> 00:16:42.180
 family.

00:16:43.620 --> 00:16:43.879
 I have

00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:45.000
 two stories

00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:45.560
 to sort of

00:16:45.560 --> 00:16:46.240
 illustrate this

00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:46.779
 from opposite

00:16:46.779 --> 00:16:47.200
 angles.

00:16:48.139 --> 00:16:48.720
 I have one

00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:48.980
 friend,

00:16:49.460 --> 00:16:50.379
 he's Chinese,

00:16:50.940 --> 00:16:51.480
 his parents

00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:51.980
 are Christians,

00:16:52.180 --> 00:16:52.500
 he's a

00:16:52.500 --> 00:16:52.840
 Christian,

00:16:53.500 --> 00:16:54.100
 and he

00:16:54.100 --> 00:16:54.420
 told me

00:16:54.420 --> 00:16:54.940
 one time

00:16:54.940 --> 00:16:55.340
 that his

00:16:55.340 --> 00:16:55.700
 parents

00:16:55.700 --> 00:16:56.180
 one time

00:16:56.180 --> 00:16:56.639
 sat him

00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:56.899
 down,

00:16:57.940 --> 00:16:58.259
 and they

00:16:58.259 --> 00:16:58.519
 had a

00:16:58.519 --> 00:16:58.899
 talk with

00:16:58.899 --> 00:16:59.120
 him,

00:16:59.680 --> 00:17:00.080
 and they

00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:00.360
 said,

00:17:00.460 --> 00:17:00.680
 son,

00:17:01.639 --> 00:17:02.600
 if you

00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:03.659
 honor us

00:17:03.659 --> 00:17:04.779
 in the

00:17:04.779 --> 00:17:05.079
 way that

00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:05.599
 the Bible

00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:06.319
 says to

00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:06.759
 honor your

00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:07.220
 father and

00:17:07.220 --> 00:17:07.480
 mother,

00:17:08.059 --> 00:17:08.559
 you will

00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:08.920
 marry an

00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:09.120
 Asian

00:17:09.120 --> 00:17:09.380
 girl.

00:17:09.380 --> 00:17:12.200
 not a

00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:12.480
 joke.

00:17:14.300 --> 00:17:15.040
 But here's

00:17:15.040 --> 00:17:15.320
 the thing,

00:17:15.420 --> 00:17:15.860
 Paul is

00:17:15.860 --> 00:17:16.280
 saying that

00:17:16.280 --> 00:17:16.840
 has no

00:17:16.840 --> 00:17:17.680
 place in

00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:18.180
 the church.

00:17:19.780 --> 00:17:20.260
 Paul is

00:17:20.260 --> 00:17:20.700
 saying that

00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:21.960
 attitude has

00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:23.500
 no place

00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:25.440
 in light of

00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:26.000
 what Christ

00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:26.640
 has done for

00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:26.960
 us because

00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:27.780
 Christ came

00:17:27.780 --> 00:17:28.800
 to tear down

00:17:28.800 --> 00:17:29.380
 our divisions

00:17:29.380 --> 00:17:30.200
 and to make

00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:30.960
 us one

00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:32.080
 new people.

00:17:33.460 --> 00:17:34.140
 That your

00:17:34.140 --> 00:17:34.940
 identity as a

00:17:34.940 --> 00:17:35.720
 Christian is

00:17:35.720 --> 00:17:36.560
 far more

00:17:36.560 --> 00:17:37.660
 important than

00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:38.340
 the color of

00:17:38.339 --> 00:17:38.919
 your skin or

00:17:38.919 --> 00:17:39.359
 the country

00:17:39.359 --> 00:17:39.639
 that you

00:17:39.639 --> 00:17:39.980
 were born

00:17:39.980 --> 00:17:40.179
 in.

00:17:41.639 --> 00:17:42.199
 The other

00:17:42.199 --> 00:17:42.659
 story, I

00:17:42.659 --> 00:17:42.939
 have a

00:17:42.939 --> 00:17:43.459
 friend who's

00:17:43.459 --> 00:17:43.839
 Japanese.

00:17:44.959 --> 00:17:45.619
 He has a

00:17:45.619 --> 00:17:46.059
 son, I

00:17:46.059 --> 00:17:46.339
 think the

00:17:46.339 --> 00:17:46.659
 son is

00:17:46.659 --> 00:17:47.039
 older than

00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:48.319
 me, but

00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:48.939
 obviously the

00:17:48.939 --> 00:17:49.480
 son is also

00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:49.980
 Japanese.

00:17:51.199 --> 00:17:51.879
 And the

00:17:51.879 --> 00:17:53.000
 son, when

00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:53.539
 he was in

00:17:53.539 --> 00:17:54.179
 his 20s,

00:17:54.199 --> 00:17:54.699
 went out and

00:17:54.699 --> 00:17:55.039
 he met

00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:55.599
 this girl,

00:17:56.019 --> 00:17:56.519
 this Korean

00:17:56.519 --> 00:17:57.000
 girl, they

00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:57.599
 started dating,

00:17:57.740 --> 00:17:58.220
 they fell in

00:17:58.220 --> 00:17:58.519
 love.

00:17:59.139 --> 00:17:59.559
 The Korean

00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:00.019
 girl went

00:18:00.019 --> 00:18:00.399
 home and

00:18:00.399 --> 00:18:00.799
 she told

00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:01.299
 her parents,

00:18:01.399 --> 00:18:01.619
 I have

00:18:01.619 --> 00:18:02.039
 met this

00:18:02.039 --> 00:18:02.879
 boy, he's

00:18:02.879 --> 00:18:04.019
 wonderful, he's

00:18:04.019 --> 00:18:05.159
 amazing, I

00:18:05.159 --> 00:18:05.759
 love him, I

00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:06.179
 think I want

00:18:06.179 --> 00:18:06.779
 to marry him, and

00:18:06.779 --> 00:18:07.119
 oh by the

00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:07.459
 way, he's

00:18:07.459 --> 00:18:07.779
 Japanese.

00:18:08.339 --> 00:18:10.319
 And her

00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:11.259
 dad's response

00:18:11.259 --> 00:18:12.359
 was, do you

00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:13.439
 know what his

00:18:13.439 --> 00:18:14.539
 people did to

00:18:14.539 --> 00:18:15.179
 our people?

00:18:17.879 --> 00:18:18.659
 They have

00:18:18.659 --> 00:18:19.500
 attacked us,

00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:20.099
 they have

00:18:20.099 --> 00:18:21.139
 hurt us, they

00:18:21.139 --> 00:18:21.799
 have destroyed

00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:28.220
 us, but you

00:18:28.220 --> 00:18:30.199
 love Jesus, and

00:18:30.199 --> 00:18:31.019
 he loves

00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:31.379
 Jesus.

00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:33.259
 And there's

00:18:33.259 --> 00:18:34.139
 something about

00:18:34.139 --> 00:18:34.779
 your core

00:18:34.779 --> 00:18:36.139
 identity that

00:18:36.139 --> 00:18:37.079
 has changed so

00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:37.659
 that we cannot

00:18:37.659 --> 00:18:38.319
 define this

00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:39.639
 boy by what

00:18:39.639 --> 00:18:41.019
 his nation

00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:41.700
 has done to

00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:42.200
 our nation.

00:18:44.279 --> 00:18:44.619
 And her

00:18:44.619 --> 00:18:45.279
 parents said,

00:18:45.939 --> 00:18:46.799
 we approve

00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:47.339
 of you

00:18:47.339 --> 00:18:48.039
 marrying this

00:18:48.039 --> 00:18:48.619
 boy, even

00:18:48.619 --> 00:18:49.720
 though we

00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:50.799
 as Koreans

00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:51.539
 have been so

00:18:51.539 --> 00:18:52.159
 hurt by the

00:18:52.159 --> 00:18:52.919
 Japanese people

00:18:52.919 --> 00:18:53.639
 in the past.

00:18:54.679 --> 00:18:55.259
 There is a

00:18:55.259 --> 00:18:56.159
 new identity

00:18:56.159 --> 00:18:57.259
 that's a part

00:18:57.259 --> 00:18:58.000
 of you and a

00:18:58.000 --> 00:18:58.519
 new identity

00:18:58.519 --> 00:18:59.179
 that is part

00:18:59.179 --> 00:18:59.619
 of him.

00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:00.899
 And because

00:19:00.899 --> 00:19:01.399
 you are both

00:19:01.399 --> 00:19:02.119
 Christians, the

00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:02.500
 things that

00:19:02.500 --> 00:19:03.099
 unite you are

00:19:03.099 --> 00:19:03.659
 so much

00:19:03.659 --> 00:19:04.619
 stronger than

00:19:04.619 --> 00:19:05.279
 the things that

00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:05.779
 would divide

00:19:05.779 --> 00:19:06.480
 you as

00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:07.240
 Koreans and

00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:07.660
 Japanese.

00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:09.779
 And my

00:19:09.779 --> 00:19:10.680
 Japanese friend's

00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:11.279
 son married

00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:12.099
 this Korean

00:19:12.099 --> 00:19:12.680
 girl with the

00:19:12.680 --> 00:19:13.359
 blessing of

00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:13.940
 her parents.

00:19:14.779 --> 00:19:15.500
 And that is

00:19:15.500 --> 00:19:16.220
 what Paul is

00:19:16.220 --> 00:19:17.259
 saying Jesus

00:19:17.259 --> 00:19:17.920
 came to

00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:18.440
 accomplish.

00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:19.059
 Something

00:19:19.059 --> 00:19:19.619
 beautiful,

00:19:20.119 --> 00:19:20.579
 something that

00:19:20.579 --> 00:19:21.240
 in the world's

00:19:21.240 --> 00:19:22.220
 eyes is

00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:23.000
 different and

00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:24.839
 crazy, but

00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:25.420
 something that

00:19:25.420 --> 00:19:26.019
 shows a

00:19:26.019 --> 00:19:27.259
 radical, radical

00:19:27.259 --> 00:19:28.039
 transformative

00:19:28.039 --> 00:19:29.559
 power at

00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:30.460
 work in

00:19:30.460 --> 00:19:31.539
 our lives.

00:19:33.340 --> 00:19:34.579
 And why is

00:19:34.579 --> 00:19:35.200
 this transformation

00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:35.759
 happening?

00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:37.900
 Well, Paul

00:19:37.900 --> 00:19:38.680
 says that what's

00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:39.700
 happened is that

00:19:39.700 --> 00:19:40.620
 in Christ all

00:19:40.620 --> 00:19:41.340
 of us are being

00:19:41.340 --> 00:19:42.620
 brought near to

00:19:42.620 --> 00:19:42.940
 God.

00:19:43.600 --> 00:19:44.380
 So if we look

00:19:44.380 --> 00:19:44.840
 over there and

00:19:44.840 --> 00:19:45.440
 we see like

00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:46.220
 Bernard sitting

00:19:46.220 --> 00:19:46.640
 over in the

00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:47.840
 corner, hi.

00:19:48.500 --> 00:19:49.200
 And we look

00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:49.640
 over there and

00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:50.019
 we see like

00:19:50.019 --> 00:19:50.900
 David sitting in

00:19:50.900 --> 00:19:51.600
 the corner, hi.

00:19:52.500 --> 00:19:53.240
 What Paul is

00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:54.120
 saying is that

00:19:54.120 --> 00:19:55.120
 previously all of

00:19:55.120 --> 00:19:56.500
 us are far away

00:19:56.500 --> 00:19:57.180
 from each other.

00:19:58.180 --> 00:19:59.259
 But in Christ,

00:19:59.539 --> 00:20:00.299
 God is drawing

00:20:00.299 --> 00:20:01.220
 us near to

00:20:01.220 --> 00:20:01.559
 himself.

00:20:01.700 --> 00:20:02.299
 So if God

00:20:02.299 --> 00:20:03.700
 was like here

00:20:03.700 --> 00:20:05.039
 and the Jews

00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:05.559
 were way over

00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:06.180
 where David is

00:20:06.180 --> 00:20:06.819
 and the Gentiles

00:20:06.819 --> 00:20:07.240
 were way over

00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:08.059
 where Bernard is

00:20:08.059 --> 00:20:08.960
 and each of

00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.399
 them stood up

00:20:10.399 --> 00:20:11.019
 and took five

00:20:11.019 --> 00:20:11.559
 steps towards

00:20:11.559 --> 00:20:13.139
 God, not only

00:20:13.139 --> 00:20:13.599
 are each of

00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:14.299
 them five steps

00:20:14.299 --> 00:20:14.960
 closer to God,

00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:15.740
 they're also ten

00:20:15.740 --> 00:20:16.519
 steps closer to

00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:16.899
 each other.

00:20:18.399 --> 00:20:19.059
 And Paul is

00:20:19.059 --> 00:20:19.779
 saying the

00:20:19.779 --> 00:20:20.740
 closer we get

00:20:20.740 --> 00:20:21.339
 to God, the

00:20:21.339 --> 00:20:22.220
 closer we as

00:20:22.220 --> 00:20:22.879
 his people will

00:20:22.879 --> 00:20:23.399
 get to each

00:20:23.399 --> 00:20:23.659
 other.

00:20:23.859 --> 00:20:24.700
 Because if we

00:20:24.700 --> 00:20:25.759
 are all drawing

00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:26.480
 near to God,

00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:27.159
 then the

00:20:27.159 --> 00:20:27.980
 proximity that we

00:20:27.980 --> 00:20:28.659
 have to God

00:20:28.659 --> 00:20:29.519
 will bring us

00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:30.680
 close to one

00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:31.319
 another as

00:20:31.319 --> 00:20:31.579
 well.

00:20:31.779 --> 00:20:32.279
 And as we

00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:33.019
 come close to

00:20:33.019 --> 00:20:33.660
 one another as

00:20:33.660 --> 00:20:34.279
 God's people,

00:20:34.460 --> 00:20:35.119
 we need to

00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:35.759
 interact with

00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:36.099
 love.

00:20:37.619 --> 00:20:38.420
 We need to

00:20:38.420 --> 00:20:39.900
 interact sacrificially.

00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:40.579
 We need to

00:20:40.579 --> 00:20:41.059
 have our

00:20:41.059 --> 00:20:42.059
 interaction be

00:20:42.059 --> 00:20:42.879
 shaped and

00:20:42.879 --> 00:20:44.180
 marked by the

00:20:44.180 --> 00:20:44.599
 cross.

00:20:46.359 --> 00:20:47.279
 Paul goes on

00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:47.920
 and he continues

00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:49.000
 to say that

00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:49.879
 God is building

00:20:49.879 --> 00:20:51.440
 us into a

00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:52.119
 temple for

00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:52.619
 himself.

00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:55.119
 Now a

00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:56.379
 temple is a

00:20:56.379 --> 00:20:57.160
 place where

00:20:57.160 --> 00:20:58.360
 God lives.

00:21:00.420 --> 00:21:01.320
 What Paul is

00:21:01.320 --> 00:21:01.900
 saying is that

00:21:01.900 --> 00:21:02.880
 God wants to

00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:03.740
 live among

00:21:03.740 --> 00:21:04.680
 us, not just

00:21:04.680 --> 00:21:05.660
 within us as

00:21:05.660 --> 00:21:06.560
 individuals, but

00:21:06.560 --> 00:21:07.820
 among us as a

00:21:07.820 --> 00:21:08.480
 group as a

00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:08.720
 whole.

00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:11.800
 It's God's

00:21:11.800 --> 00:21:12.240
 temple, not

00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:12.800
 ours, so he

00:21:12.800 --> 00:21:13.540
 gets to decide

00:21:13.540 --> 00:21:14.540
 who's in it and

00:21:14.540 --> 00:21:14.960
 what it looks

00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:15.279
 like.

00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:17.680
 What he says

00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:18.860
 is that God

00:21:18.860 --> 00:21:20.140
 wants to join

00:21:20.140 --> 00:21:22.680
 us together so

00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:23.519
 that as we

00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:24.360
 come together,

00:21:24.359 --> 00:21:25.139
 there is a

00:21:25.139 --> 00:21:25.740
 beautiful,

00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:27.039
 beautiful place

00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:28.139
 for him to

00:21:28.139 --> 00:21:29.419
 dwell in our

00:21:29.419 --> 00:21:29.919
 midst.

00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:31.959
 And this has

00:21:31.959 --> 00:21:33.459
 huge, huge

00:21:33.459 --> 00:21:34.740
 implications for

00:21:34.740 --> 00:21:35.579
 our life in

00:21:35.579 --> 00:21:36.000
 community.

00:21:37.299 --> 00:21:37.619
 You know, it's

00:21:37.619 --> 00:21:38.139
 one thing to

00:21:38.139 --> 00:21:38.599
 say that we're

00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:39.939
 equal and I'm

00:21:39.939 --> 00:21:40.439
 no better than

00:21:40.439 --> 00:21:40.859
 you and you're

00:21:40.859 --> 00:21:41.359
 no better than

00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:41.539
 me.

00:21:42.979 --> 00:21:43.899
 It means that I

00:21:43.899 --> 00:21:44.539
 can't mistreat

00:21:44.539 --> 00:21:44.799
 you.

00:21:45.539 --> 00:21:46.240
 It means that I

00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:46.779
 can't really look

00:21:46.779 --> 00:21:47.379
 down on you, but

00:21:47.379 --> 00:21:49.199
 it doesn't force me

00:21:49.199 --> 00:21:49.899
 to be nice to

00:21:49.899 --> 00:21:50.059
 you.

00:21:50.979 --> 00:21:51.859
 I can just stay

00:21:51.859 --> 00:21:52.500
 neutral towards

00:21:52.500 --> 00:21:52.919
 you if we're

00:21:52.919 --> 00:21:53.159
 equal.

00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:55.220
 But if we're

00:21:55.220 --> 00:21:55.940
 joined together,

00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:57.640
 then something

00:21:57.640 --> 00:21:58.620
 different is going

00:21:58.620 --> 00:21:59.040
 on there.

00:21:59.840 --> 00:21:59.920
 Right?

00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:00.560
 Justine and I,

00:22:00.660 --> 00:22:01.040
 we're married.

00:22:01.320 --> 00:22:01.800
 We're joined

00:22:01.800 --> 00:22:02.759
 together for life.

00:22:04.019 --> 00:22:04.720
 And so that

00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:05.700
 means that the

00:22:05.700 --> 00:22:06.160
 way that I

00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:07.120
 treat her has

00:22:07.120 --> 00:22:07.820
 much bigger

00:22:07.820 --> 00:22:08.779
 implications than

00:22:08.779 --> 00:22:09.279
 they would if we

00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:10.080
 were just equals.

00:22:11.040 --> 00:22:12.640
 That if I serve

00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:13.560
 her and love her

00:22:13.560 --> 00:22:14.300
 and she feels

00:22:14.300 --> 00:22:15.860
 loved, then that's

00:22:15.860 --> 00:22:16.300
 going to have an

00:22:16.300 --> 00:22:16.960
 impact on the way

00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:17.500
 that she treats

00:22:17.500 --> 00:22:17.680
 me.

00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:18.480
 And if I ignore

00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:19.160
 her and neglect

00:22:19.160 --> 00:22:19.759
 her and she

00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:20.279
 doesn't feel

00:22:20.279 --> 00:22:21.320
 loved, that also

00:22:21.320 --> 00:22:21.960
 is going to have

00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:22.480
 a reciprocal

00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:23.019
 effect.

00:22:23.160 --> 00:22:24.019
 Back on me.

00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:25.240
 When we are

00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:25.940
 joined together,

00:22:26.140 --> 00:22:26.860
 then our actions

00:22:26.860 --> 00:22:27.440
 towards one

00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:28.680
 another impact

00:22:28.680 --> 00:22:30.140
 much further

00:22:30.140 --> 00:22:31.160
 down the road

00:22:31.160 --> 00:22:33.120
 than just that

00:22:33.120 --> 00:22:33.900
 one relationship.

00:22:35.380 --> 00:22:36.060
 And Paul is

00:22:36.060 --> 00:22:36.660
 saying that we

00:22:36.660 --> 00:22:37.740
 are being joined

00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:40.940
 together into a

00:22:40.940 --> 00:22:41.900
 place for God

00:22:41.900 --> 00:22:42.380
 to live.

00:22:44.540 --> 00:22:45.380
 And that we,

00:22:45.840 --> 00:22:46.300
 because we're

00:22:46.300 --> 00:22:46.940
 part of God's

00:22:46.940 --> 00:22:47.700
 people, have to

00:22:47.700 --> 00:22:48.980
 form this building

00:22:48.980 --> 00:22:49.740
 in a way that is

00:22:49.740 --> 00:22:50.519
 honoring to God,

00:22:50.580 --> 00:22:51.240
 not in the way

00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:52.539
 necessarily that we

00:22:52.539 --> 00:22:53.200
 want to do it,

00:22:53.660 --> 00:22:54.480
 but in the way

00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:55.700
 that God wants

00:22:55.700 --> 00:22:56.339
 us to do it.

00:22:57.019 --> 00:22:57.799
 And he tells us

00:22:57.799 --> 00:22:59.680
 that Jesus is the

00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:00.259
 cornerstone.

00:23:00.339 --> 00:23:01.240
 Now the cornerstone

00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:02.420
 in ancient

00:23:02.420 --> 00:23:04.279
 architecture is a

00:23:04.279 --> 00:23:05.440
 huge rock.

00:23:06.220 --> 00:23:06.960
 And they would

00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:08.200
 cut all the angles

00:23:08.200 --> 00:23:08.839
 and the sides

00:23:08.839 --> 00:23:10.500
 perfectly, and they

00:23:10.500 --> 00:23:11.440
 would place it in

00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:12.440
 one of the corners

00:23:12.440 --> 00:23:13.200
 of the foundation

00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:13.819
 of the building,

00:23:13.819 --> 00:23:14.900
 and all of the

00:23:14.900 --> 00:23:15.559
 measurements of the

00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:16.380
 building would be

00:23:16.380 --> 00:23:17.460
 made based on the

00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:18.240
 measurements of that

00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:18.579
 rock.

00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:20.220
 So if the rock

00:23:20.220 --> 00:23:21.319
 points in this way,

00:23:21.779 --> 00:23:22.200
 then they would

00:23:22.200 --> 00:23:22.940
 extend that line

00:23:22.940 --> 00:23:23.539
 out and they would

00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:24.440
 build the wall in a

00:23:24.440 --> 00:23:24.960
 straight line,

00:23:25.079 --> 00:23:25.880
 perfectly in line

00:23:25.880 --> 00:23:26.740
 with the cornerstone.

00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:29.120
 If the line goes

00:23:29.120 --> 00:23:29.759
 this way, they'd

00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:30.700
 point it out and

00:23:30.700 --> 00:23:31.779
 build the building

00:23:31.779 --> 00:23:32.599
 that way in the

00:23:32.599 --> 00:23:33.079
 direction of the

00:23:33.079 --> 00:23:33.579
 cornerstone.

00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:35.200
 And every measurement

00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:36.759
 in the building was

00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:38.059
 made against the

00:23:38.059 --> 00:23:39.120
 measurements of the

00:23:39.120 --> 00:23:39.700
 cornerstone.

00:23:40.420 --> 00:23:41.420
 So when Paul says

00:23:41.420 --> 00:23:42.339
 that Jesus is the

00:23:42.339 --> 00:23:43.620
 cornerstone, he says

00:23:43.620 --> 00:23:45.259
 everything about the

00:23:45.259 --> 00:23:46.160
 life of the church

00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:47.420
 must be built on

00:23:47.420 --> 00:23:48.779
 and modeled on who

00:23:48.779 --> 00:23:50.220
 Jesus is for us,

00:23:50.300 --> 00:23:51.620
 who Jesus is in us,

00:23:51.860 --> 00:23:53.120
 how Jesus commands

00:23:53.120 --> 00:23:54.120
 us to live as a

00:23:54.120 --> 00:23:55.300
 community, and that

00:23:55.300 --> 00:23:56.259
 is our standard.

00:23:57.840 --> 00:23:59.060
 Society's norms cannot

00:23:59.060 --> 00:23:59.779
 be our standard.

00:24:01.840 --> 00:24:03.240
 What we feel like in

00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:04.180
 our heart might be the

00:24:04.180 --> 00:24:04.779
 right thing to do

00:24:04.779 --> 00:24:05.800
 cannot be our

00:24:05.800 --> 00:24:06.140
 standard.

00:24:06.420 --> 00:24:08.259
 We must allow Jesus

00:24:08.259 --> 00:24:10.320
 himself to be our

00:24:10.320 --> 00:24:10.820
 standard.

00:24:13.460 --> 00:24:14.880
 And so we have now

00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:16.320
 recognized, or we've

00:24:16.320 --> 00:24:17.000
 now remembered,

00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:18.360
 our previous

00:24:18.360 --> 00:24:18.900
 conditions.

00:24:19.060 --> 00:24:20.740
 We've recognized the

00:24:20.740 --> 00:24:23.560
 present state that

00:24:23.560 --> 00:24:24.600
 we're in, and we

00:24:24.600 --> 00:24:25.860
 must now, in light of

00:24:25.860 --> 00:24:29.279
 that, re-evaluate our

00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:29.620
 future.

00:24:30.560 --> 00:24:31.620
 We must think, what

00:24:31.620 --> 00:24:32.860
 must we do?

00:24:32.940 --> 00:24:33.980
 How must our lives be

00:24:33.980 --> 00:24:35.180
 different because of

00:24:35.180 --> 00:24:36.120
 these truths, because of

00:24:36.120 --> 00:24:37.620
 this radical change that

00:24:37.620 --> 00:24:38.500
 has happened where God

00:24:38.500 --> 00:24:39.880
 has brought us near not

00:24:39.880 --> 00:24:41.340
 only to himself, but

00:24:41.340 --> 00:24:43.180
 also to each other?

00:24:43.180 --> 00:24:46.640
 my first application

00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:49.019
 point here, I think, is

00:24:49.019 --> 00:24:50.019
 aimed primarily at

00:24:50.019 --> 00:24:50.820
 non-Christians.

00:24:52.620 --> 00:24:53.700
 You know, if you're here

00:24:53.700 --> 00:24:54.620
 today and you're a

00:24:54.620 --> 00:24:56.480
 non-Christian, then these

00:24:56.480 --> 00:24:58.480
 past things that we're

00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:00.060
 supposed to remember are

00:25:00.060 --> 00:25:01.400
 still a present reality

00:25:01.400 --> 00:25:01.900
 for you.

00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.039
 Separation from God,

00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:05.320
 separation from God's

00:25:05.320 --> 00:25:07.380
 people without hope and

00:25:07.380 --> 00:25:08.620
 without God in the world.

00:25:08.619 --> 00:25:10.119
 I know that sounds

00:25:10.119 --> 00:25:12.619
 harsh of me to say, but

00:25:12.619 --> 00:25:14.099
 if the Bible is true,

00:25:15.659 --> 00:25:16.779
 then telling you that is

00:25:16.779 --> 00:25:17.839
 the most loving thing

00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:19.019
 that I can do today.

00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:22.819
 because God offers you a

00:25:22.819 --> 00:25:24.139
 chance for that to not be

00:25:24.139 --> 00:25:25.279
 your reality anymore.

00:25:26.779 --> 00:25:28.900
 God offers to come and

00:25:28.900 --> 00:25:31.000
 rescue you, to give you a

00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:32.400
 new relationship with

00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:33.779
 himself, to give you a new

00:25:33.779 --> 00:25:35.160
 relationship with his

00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:36.759
 people, and he wants that

00:25:36.759 --> 00:25:37.700
 to happen today.

00:25:38.339 --> 00:25:39.819
 So if you're here today and

00:25:39.819 --> 00:25:41.539
 you're not a Christian, my

00:25:41.539 --> 00:25:42.900
 plea to you is that you

00:25:42.900 --> 00:25:44.779
 would trust in Jesus, that

00:25:44.779 --> 00:25:46.559
 you would see how amazing

00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:47.900
 and wonderful and beautiful

00:25:47.900 --> 00:25:49.280
 the salvation he offers

00:25:49.280 --> 00:25:50.840
 to us is, and that you

00:25:50.840 --> 00:25:52.360
 would accept that as your

00:25:52.360 --> 00:25:53.220
 own today.

00:25:55.660 --> 00:25:57.120
 If you don't quite

00:25:57.120 --> 00:25:58.600
 understand all of what

00:25:58.600 --> 00:26:00.660
 that implies, find one of

00:26:00.660 --> 00:26:01.620
 us and talk to us after

00:26:01.620 --> 00:26:02.040
 service.

00:26:02.180 --> 00:26:03.060
 Turn and ask the person

00:26:03.060 --> 00:26:03.920
 next to you when we're

00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:05.700
 done, because this is

00:26:05.700 --> 00:26:06.440
 important.

00:26:08.780 --> 00:26:09.960
 If we are a Christian

00:26:09.960 --> 00:26:12.960
 today, this also has

00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:14.000
 implications for our

00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:14.360
 lives.

00:26:15.280 --> 00:26:16.720
 The first one, I think,

00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:17.860
 applies to some of us,

00:26:17.900 --> 00:26:19.140
 not necessarily all of us,

00:26:19.600 --> 00:26:21.400
 but an amazing first step

00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:22.680
 towards living as the

00:26:22.680 --> 00:26:24.140
 people of God is being

00:26:24.140 --> 00:26:25.540
 willing to identify

00:26:25.540 --> 00:26:27.440
 yourself as part of the

00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:28.519
 people of God through

00:26:28.519 --> 00:26:29.040
 baptism.

00:26:30.540 --> 00:26:31.180
 You know, we're having a

00:26:31.180 --> 00:26:31.860
 baptism today.

00:26:31.980 --> 00:26:33.340
 It's an exciting and

00:26:33.340 --> 00:26:34.180
 awesome time.

00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:36.060
 It's a time for people to

00:26:36.060 --> 00:26:37.860
 publicly declare that they

00:26:37.860 --> 00:26:39.519
 are part of God's family.

00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:41.380
 It doesn't have any special

00:26:41.380 --> 00:26:42.960
 power to save them or to

00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:45.120
 change them or to earn them

00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:45.919
 points in heaven.

00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:49.039
 But it does have an amazing

00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:50.939
 ability to declare to the

00:26:50.939 --> 00:26:53.239
 world that they are part of

00:26:53.239 --> 00:26:54.339
 this family.

00:26:55.739 --> 00:26:57.639
 And if God calls us to live

00:26:57.639 --> 00:26:58.359
 the way that we've been

00:26:58.359 --> 00:26:59.779
 talking about as a family

00:26:59.779 --> 00:27:02.579
 today, but we're not willing

00:27:02.579 --> 00:27:03.799
 to identify ourselves

00:27:03.799 --> 00:27:05.339
 publicly as part of that

00:27:05.339 --> 00:27:07.000
 family, we're going to have a

00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:08.619
 really tough time living

00:27:08.619 --> 00:27:10.079
 properly as part of that

00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:10.379
 family.

00:27:10.380 --> 00:27:10.460
 family.

00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:12.980
 You know, when Justine and

00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:14.100
 I got married, we gave each

00:27:14.100 --> 00:27:14.780
 other these rings.

00:27:16.060 --> 00:27:17.180
 I know the ring is a

00:27:17.180 --> 00:27:18.280
 cultural thing, so not

00:27:18.280 --> 00:27:19.440
 everyone here necessarily

00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:20.300
 wears them, but in the

00:27:20.300 --> 00:27:21.320
 culture that we come from,

00:27:21.600 --> 00:27:23.220
 a ring is very important

00:27:23.220 --> 00:27:25.320
 for signifying that you are

00:27:25.320 --> 00:27:26.220
 married to one another.

00:27:27.860 --> 00:27:29.000
 And if I just went up to

00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:30.080
 Justine one day and I said,

00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:31.660
 hey, babe, I know we're

00:27:31.660 --> 00:27:33.900
 married, but I don't want to

00:27:33.900 --> 00:27:34.860
 wear this ring anymore.

00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:35.900
 You know, I don't want to

00:27:35.900 --> 00:27:37.460
 make too big of a deal about

00:27:37.460 --> 00:27:38.560
 the fact that we're married.

00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:40.720
 If people ask me about it,

00:27:40.740 --> 00:27:42.139
 I won't lie about it, but I

00:27:42.139 --> 00:27:43.200
 just don't feel the need to

00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:45.619
 like promote it.

00:27:46.759 --> 00:27:48.019
 That would mean something was

00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:49.359
 wrong with my marriage.

00:27:51.619 --> 00:27:53.559
 Because although the sign has

00:27:53.559 --> 00:27:54.940
 no power to make me her

00:27:54.940 --> 00:27:58.319
 husband, it's a symbol to the

00:27:58.319 --> 00:27:59.919
 world of the fact that I am

00:27:59.919 --> 00:28:01.179
 her husband, and it shows

00:28:01.179 --> 00:28:02.960
 others that I love her and

00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:04.259
 that I'm married to her and

00:28:04.259 --> 00:28:05.319
 that I care about her.

00:28:06.159 --> 00:28:08.179
 In the same way, baptism is a

00:28:08.180 --> 00:28:09.799
 sign to the world of the fact

00:28:09.799 --> 00:28:11.000
 that we are a part of God's

00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:11.259
 family.

00:28:11.360 --> 00:28:12.640
 It's an act of obedience to

00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:15.120
 God to declare to the members

00:28:15.120 --> 00:28:16.259
 of the church and the people

00:28:16.259 --> 00:28:17.960
 outside the church that God

00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:19.400
 has done something amazing in

00:28:19.400 --> 00:28:20.820
 our lives, and God has made us

00:28:20.820 --> 00:28:22.880
 a part of his family, and we

00:28:22.880 --> 00:28:25.019
 want to celebrate and rejoice in

00:28:25.019 --> 00:28:25.580
 that fact.

00:28:27.180 --> 00:28:28.480
 And so if you're here today and

00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:29.600
 you're a Christian and you have

00:28:29.600 --> 00:28:31.140
 not been baptized yet, I

00:28:31.140 --> 00:28:33.519
 encourage you, get baptized.

00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:36.900
 Declare to the church that you

00:28:36.900 --> 00:28:39.960
 are one of us, that you're in

00:28:39.960 --> 00:28:40.740
 for this thing.

00:28:41.420 --> 00:28:43.180
 Declare to the world around you

00:28:43.180 --> 00:28:45.579
 that there's been a change in

00:28:45.579 --> 00:28:47.180
 your life and that you are now a

00:28:47.180 --> 00:28:48.299
 part of God's people.

00:28:49.639 --> 00:28:51.799
 That's a vital first step to

00:28:51.799 --> 00:28:55.099
 living properly in life like Paul

00:28:55.099 --> 00:28:56.420
 tells us to live it here.

00:28:57.559 --> 00:28:59.980
 A second step would be getting

00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:02.400
 deeply involved in each other's

00:29:02.400 --> 00:29:02.720
 lives.

00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:05.779
 And I know we have a tendency to

00:29:05.779 --> 00:29:07.319
 like group with people who are

00:29:07.319 --> 00:29:08.740
 similar to us, whether that's by

00:29:08.740 --> 00:29:11.680
 age or by socioeconomic status or

00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:15.440
 stage in life or however, but get

00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:16.819
 deeply involved in each other's

00:29:16.819 --> 00:29:18.839
 lives with people like you and

00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:20.400
 with people different from you.

00:29:21.380 --> 00:29:23.700
 Because Jesus died not only to

00:29:23.700 --> 00:29:25.160
 unite us with people like us in

00:29:25.160 --> 00:29:27.380
 the church, but also so that we

00:29:27.380 --> 00:29:29.180
 would love and interact with

00:29:29.180 --> 00:29:31.500
 people who we have nothing in

00:29:31.500 --> 00:29:32.960
 common with except for Jesus.

00:29:35.840 --> 00:29:38.220
 Jesus wants our community to be

00:29:38.220 --> 00:29:39.580
 something that the world looks at

00:29:39.580 --> 00:29:40.340
 and goes, huh?

00:29:42.160 --> 00:29:44.200
 Because it doesn't make sense to

00:29:44.200 --> 00:29:44.460
 them.

00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:46.740
 Because they look at this person

00:29:46.740 --> 00:29:47.980
 and this person and this person

00:29:47.980 --> 00:29:50.140
 and there is no logical reason why

00:29:50.140 --> 00:29:51.720
 they should be hanging out or like

00:29:51.720 --> 00:29:52.240
 each other.

00:29:53.360 --> 00:29:54.620
 And yet they do.

00:29:56.060 --> 00:29:57.620
 And the world looks at this and

00:29:57.620 --> 00:29:59.019
 they're like, what is different?

00:29:59.019 --> 00:30:00.299
 What is going on here?

00:30:02.139 --> 00:30:03.400
 And it gives us an amazing

00:30:03.400 --> 00:30:05.720
 opportunity to show the world how

00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:08.119
 Jesus has transformed our community.

00:30:09.119 --> 00:30:10.619
 Here at Watermark, we have community

00:30:10.619 --> 00:30:12.680
 groups that are encouraged, that are

00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:14.180
 intended to create this type of

00:30:14.180 --> 00:30:14.480
 community.

00:30:15.220 --> 00:30:16.859
 We try and do community groups

00:30:16.859 --> 00:30:18.680
 geographically based as much as

00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:20.940
 possible so that you're forced to be

00:30:20.940 --> 00:30:22.039
 with people who are different than

00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:22.240
 you.

00:30:22.879 --> 00:30:23.940
 Because if we didn't do it

00:30:23.940 --> 00:30:25.839
 geographically based, then all the

00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:27.059
 young people would go together, all the

00:30:27.059 --> 00:30:28.819
 old people would go together and all

00:30:28.819 --> 00:30:30.240
 the parents with teenage kids would

00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:30.759
 group together.

00:30:31.099 --> 00:30:33.099
 But geographically based means that in

00:30:33.099 --> 00:30:34.359
 my community group, there are people

00:30:34.359 --> 00:30:35.539
 old enough to be my parents.

00:30:36.079 --> 00:30:37.279
 And there are people old enough to be my

00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:37.599
 grandparents.

00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:40.639
 And there are people with young kids

00:30:40.639 --> 00:30:42.259
 and people with no kids and single

00:30:42.259 --> 00:30:42.599
 people.

00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:45.599
 And am I going to get in trouble for

00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:45.919
 that one?

00:30:49.059 --> 00:30:49.459
 Maybe.

00:30:49.639 --> 00:30:50.459
 Maybe I will.

00:30:50.559 --> 00:30:51.059
 It's okay.

00:30:53.480 --> 00:30:55.719
 There are people from all different

00:30:55.719 --> 00:30:56.579
 walks of life.

00:30:56.899 --> 00:31:01.039
 There are people who are retired, people

00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:02.819
 who are just starting out, and people

00:31:02.819 --> 00:31:03.819
 who are still studying.

00:31:04.299 --> 00:31:06.719
 There are people who are Western, people

00:31:06.719 --> 00:31:09.879
 who are Asian, people, you name it, we've

00:31:09.879 --> 00:31:11.099
 got all this variety.

00:31:11.099 --> 00:31:12.539
 And if you were to look at our group

00:31:12.539 --> 00:31:14.859
 gathered on a Thursday night and say,

00:31:15.139 --> 00:31:17.779
 why are all these people brought

00:31:17.779 --> 00:31:18.099
 together?

00:31:18.219 --> 00:31:20.759
 There is no earthly explanation that

00:31:20.759 --> 00:31:24.879
 you could give other than the fact that

00:31:24.879 --> 00:31:27.039
 something has changed inside of us, that

00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:29.079
 there is a God who has loved us and who

00:31:29.079 --> 00:31:31.099
 has transformed us and who has created

00:31:31.099 --> 00:31:34.079
 us into this community who can love one

00:31:34.079 --> 00:31:34.359
 another.

00:31:35.719 --> 00:31:37.699
 And the amazing thing is that coming

00:31:37.699 --> 00:31:39.339
 from different backgrounds allows us

00:31:39.339 --> 00:31:41.039
 when we interact to see things in each

00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:42.240
 other's lives that we would never

00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:43.019
 otherwise see.

00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:46.000
 It allows us to give help to one

00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:47.679
 another in ways that we could never

00:31:47.679 --> 00:31:49.679
 help one another if we were all just a

00:31:49.679 --> 00:31:50.459
 homogenous group.

00:31:51.199 --> 00:31:53.699
 And so it actually does have beautiful

00:31:53.699 --> 00:31:57.079
 side effects in a positive way in this

00:31:57.079 --> 00:31:57.579
 world.

00:31:59.099 --> 00:32:01.220
 But even if it didn't, it's a way of

00:32:01.220 --> 00:32:03.319
 showing the world around us the amazing,

00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:05.899
 wonderful love that God has shown to us.

00:32:06.099 --> 00:32:07.879
 And for that, it is worth it.

00:32:07.880 --> 00:32:09.880
 So please, if you're not in a community

00:32:09.880 --> 00:32:11.860
 group, join a community group.

00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:15.640
 And a third way that I think this should

00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:17.380
 impact our lives is membership.

00:32:18.080 --> 00:32:20.220
 Now, I know Paul doesn't talk explicitly

00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:22.600
 about membership in this passage or really

00:32:22.600 --> 00:32:23.560
 anywhere in the New Testament.

00:32:24.060 --> 00:32:26.780
 But remember, Paul lived in a different

00:32:26.780 --> 00:32:27.800
 world than we do.

00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:29.880
 In Paul's day, becoming a Christian and

00:32:29.880 --> 00:32:31.700
 getting baptized was basically putting

00:32:31.700 --> 00:32:32.580
 your life on the line.

00:32:33.220 --> 00:32:35.180
 If you were to become a Christian in the

00:32:35.180 --> 00:32:37.420
 time when Paul was writing and you were

00:32:37.420 --> 00:32:39.840
 to get baptized, there was a very real

00:32:39.840 --> 00:32:42.140
 risk that you were going to be burned

00:32:42.140 --> 00:32:43.759
 alive or have your head chopped off

00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:44.320
 because of it.

00:32:45.480 --> 00:32:47.860
 And so in that world, in that situation,

00:32:48.240 --> 00:32:50.400
 when you get baptized, you are committed.

00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:51.299
 You are in.

00:32:51.420 --> 00:32:53.380
 There are no questions about whether you're

00:32:53.380 --> 00:32:55.060
 really in on this thing.

00:32:55.059 --> 00:32:58.399
 In our world today, people are transient.

00:32:58.539 --> 00:32:59.599
 They come and go from the city.

00:32:59.700 --> 00:33:01.059
 They jump around from church to church

00:33:01.059 --> 00:33:01.700
 while they're here.

00:33:02.220 --> 00:33:05.220
 People, you know, who might not actually

00:33:05.220 --> 00:33:07.159
 care about having a relationship with

00:33:07.159 --> 00:33:09.000
 Jesus or people in the church label

00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:10.779
 themselves as Christians to get networking

00:33:10.779 --> 00:33:11.319
 connections.

00:33:12.399 --> 00:33:14.960
 It's a lot harder to tell whether people

00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:16.419
 are committed or not today.

00:33:17.700 --> 00:33:19.779
 And in a church like Watermark, where people

00:33:19.779 --> 00:33:22.819
 are constantly coming and going, we have a

00:33:22.819 --> 00:33:25.799
 group of men called elders who are

00:33:25.799 --> 00:33:28.039
 responsible for the spiritual oversight

00:33:28.039 --> 00:33:29.799
 of this church community.

00:33:31.240 --> 00:33:34.279
 And in order to oversee the spiritual life

00:33:34.279 --> 00:33:36.480
 of our community, something very important

00:33:36.480 --> 00:33:38.359
 for them is just knowing who is a part of

00:33:38.359 --> 00:33:38.919
 that community.

00:33:40.460 --> 00:33:43.200
 And so becoming a member is a great way of

00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:45.119
 saying to the elders, you know, we're in.

00:33:45.339 --> 00:33:46.460
 We're committed to this church.

00:33:46.700 --> 00:33:47.639
 We're with you guys.

00:33:47.819 --> 00:33:49.259
 We want you to hold us accountable.

00:33:49.439 --> 00:33:51.619
 And we're going to commit to holding up our

00:33:51.619 --> 00:33:53.739
 friend of making this church work as well.

00:33:55.199 --> 00:33:57.799
 It's not something that necessarily Paul

00:33:57.799 --> 00:33:59.439
 talks about here, but I think it's right

00:33:59.439 --> 00:34:01.500
 in line with what Paul is talking about.

00:34:02.039 --> 00:34:03.819
 This commitment to God's people.

00:34:04.259 --> 00:34:08.059
 This willingness to sacrifice for the good

00:34:08.059 --> 00:34:08.619
 of the whole.

00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:11.579
 And maybe you're here today and you say,

00:34:11.659 --> 00:34:12.799
 hey Eric, I'm already a Christian.

00:34:13.099 --> 00:34:13.900
 I'm already baptized.

00:34:14.199 --> 00:34:16.059
 I'm in a community group and I'm a member

00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.319
 here.

00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:17.039
 I've got it all.

00:34:17.299 --> 00:34:17.639
 We're good.

00:34:17.639 --> 00:34:21.219
 My challenge to you would be sometime this

00:34:21.219 --> 00:34:22.980
 week, read through this passage again.

00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:25.339
 And as you do, think to yourself,

00:34:25.539 --> 00:34:27.679
 who are the people in the church that I find

00:34:27.679 --> 00:34:28.599
 it hard to love?

00:34:30.879 --> 00:34:33.319
 And how would properly understanding this

00:34:33.319 --> 00:34:35.920
 passage transform the way that I interact

00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:36.319
 with them?

00:34:38.259 --> 00:34:40.379
 Because I know for me, I'm a member.

00:34:40.519 --> 00:34:40.940
 I'm baptized.

00:34:41.279 --> 00:34:42.639
 I'm in a community group.

00:34:42.639 --> 00:34:47.519
 But this passage still has a lot to say to me

00:34:47.519 --> 00:34:50.359
 about the way that I interact with people

00:34:50.359 --> 00:34:52.059
 in the church and about the way that I see

00:34:52.059 --> 00:34:53.420
 others who are different than me.

00:34:55.059 --> 00:34:57.059
 It tells me that I can't think of myself as

00:34:57.059 --> 00:34:57.859
 better than anyone.

00:34:58.859 --> 00:35:01.579
 I can't even think of myself as separated from

00:35:01.579 --> 00:35:03.039
 anyone, separate but equal.

00:35:03.299 --> 00:35:04.940
 It doesn't work in the body of Christ.

00:35:05.659 --> 00:35:07.139
 Because we are joined together.

00:35:07.980 --> 00:35:10.179
 And the way that we interact with each other

00:35:10.179 --> 00:35:12.599
 within the church must be marked by the same

00:35:12.599 --> 00:35:15.440
 type of sacrificial love that Jesus showed

00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:16.879
 to us on the cross.

00:35:18.519 --> 00:35:22.559
 And so Paul wants us to remember who we used

00:35:22.559 --> 00:35:22.899
 to be.

00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:26.639
 He wants us to recognize what Christ has done

00:35:26.639 --> 00:35:27.099
 for us.

00:35:27.299 --> 00:35:30.339
 And he wants us to re-evaluate where we're

00:35:30.339 --> 00:35:32.639
 going based on those truths.

00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:37.539
 Are we going to be a church that lets the cross

00:35:37.539 --> 00:35:38.359
 shape our community?

00:35:38.360 --> 00:35:44.960
 Or are we going to be a church that says,

00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:46.780
 no, I want it to be just about me.

00:35:47.420 --> 00:35:48.420
 Maybe me and God.

00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:53.039
 Are we going to be a church that allows our

00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:55.400
 community to be a light to the world around us

00:35:55.400 --> 00:35:57.900
 of how beautiful and amazing our God's love is

00:35:57.900 --> 00:35:58.420
 for us?

00:36:01.059 --> 00:36:02.360
 I hope the answer is yes.

00:36:03.579 --> 00:36:04.160
 Let's pray.

00:36:05.039 --> 00:36:07.400
 Father, we thank you so much for your love for us.

00:36:07.400 --> 00:36:11.420
 We thank you that when we were undeserving and we

00:36:11.420 --> 00:36:15.480
 were helpless and we were unable to do anything to

00:36:15.480 --> 00:36:18.700
 change our state, that you sent Jesus down to rescue

00:36:18.700 --> 00:36:19.260
 us.

00:36:20.240 --> 00:36:22.280
 Now, you didn't just rescue us to give us a

00:36:22.280 --> 00:36:24.619
 relationship with yourself, but you rescued us to

00:36:24.619 --> 00:36:27.880
 transform us into a community of people who love you

00:36:27.880 --> 00:36:28.460
 together.

00:36:28.460 --> 00:36:43.039
 God, I pray that we would be willing to identify ourselves as

00:36:43.039 --> 00:36:46.500
 part of your people, that we'd be willing to sacrifice for one

00:36:46.500 --> 00:36:50.679
 another, that we'd be willing to do hard things for the good of

00:36:50.679 --> 00:36:51.900
 others within this body.

00:36:53.840 --> 00:36:57.619
 We thank you again for your love for us, for your grace towards

00:36:57.619 --> 00:36:57.960
 us.

00:36:58.239 --> 00:37:00.739
 We pray that you would give us the strength to live as the people

00:37:00.739 --> 00:37:02.059
 that you have called us to be.

00:37:03.159 --> 00:37:04.800
 In Jesus' name, amen.

00:37:04.800 --> 00:37:04.840
 Amen.