WEBVTT

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 A very warm thank you again for having me.

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 It's a real privilege to be here.

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 And if you want to have Ezra 5 open in front of you,

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 that'd be a help.

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 Just before I pray for us, let me...

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 I preach this as part of a sermon series in Ezra,

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 but I believe you've not been having a sermon series in Ezra.

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 So if you're slightly rusty on your Ezra,

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 let me just give you a little recap.

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 Ezra is one of the post-exilic books,

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 which means it's about sort of 600 years,

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 500 years before...

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 No, more like 500 years before Christ.

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 And it's just after the people have suffered this great exile.

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 They've been taken into Babylon for their sins.

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 They were there for 70 years.

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 The Lord has brought them back.

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 And Ezra's the story of the first returnees

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 and the way that they come back.

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 They're a little sort of suffering people,

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 but they're getting on, building the temple,

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 that sort of thing.

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 And largely after the sort of horrors

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 of the pre-exile people of God

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 and all their unfaithfulness,

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 Ezra's a very positive book.

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 Right at the end, chapters 9 and 10,

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 you see a sort of fairly big sin.

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 Some people have been sinning,

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 but even there, they do really well

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 in dealing with it.

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 And we're going to see some of that sort of positivity

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 in these two verses.

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 Let me pray for us now.

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 Blessed are you, O Lord.

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 Teach us your statutes.

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 You are good.

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 You are good.

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 And you do good.

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 Teach us your statutes.

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 Open our eyes that we might see wonderful things

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 in your word.

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 In the name of Christ we pray.

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 Amen.

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 So having given an overall introduction to Ezra,

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 let's just zoom in on these two verses.

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 What's been going on here is that in chapter 4,

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 opposition has arisen to the rebuilding of the temple.

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 The whole first half of Ezra is about the rebuilding

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 of the temple.

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 Oppositions are arisen.

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 At the end of chapter 4,

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 people have come with messages from the emperor

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 saying you have to stop doing this work.

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 And so they have to down tool.

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 They're compelled by force to do that.

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 And in that context,

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 you get chapter 5,

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 verses 1 and 2.

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 Now the prophets Haggai and Zechariah,

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 the son of Iddo,

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 prophesied to the Jews who are in Judah and Jerusalem

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 in the name of the God of Israel who are over them.

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 Then Zerubbabel,

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 the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua,

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 the son of Jezodak,

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 the sort of descendant of David and the priest,

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 arose and began to rebuild the house of God

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 that is in Jerusalem.

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 And the prophets of God were with them,

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 supporting them.

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 So here we are again.

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 I've been saying they're doing pretty well.

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 Here they are doing pretty well.

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 They face serious opposition.

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 People have come to them and stopped them building.

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 But the prophets spur them on

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 and they respond well to that spurring on

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 and they rebuild.

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 And God is with them.

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 Their hands are strengthened.

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 But there is a very strange silence

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 going on in these verses.

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 There's something that God is not saying here

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 that he doesn't mention.

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 And I want to take you to the prophet Haggai.

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 The prophets Haggai and Zechariah,

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 the ones who are prophesying.

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 And this is one of those places

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 where we know what they said.

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 We know exactly what they said to people

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 because they wrote it down in their books.

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 You don't actually have to turn there in your Bibles

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 because all the passages I'm going to look at

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 are in your service sheets,

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 although you're very welcome to turn there in the Bibles

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 and check that I'm not making things up

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 on your service sheets.

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 It's very striking having read Ezra,

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 where they do so well,

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 and it's so positive,

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 to go and read what Haggai actually said to them.

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 Here's how Haggai starts.

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 In the second year of Darius the king,

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 in the sixth month,

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 on the first day of the month,

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 the word of the Lord came

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 by the hand of Haggai the prophet

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 to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,

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 governor of Judah,

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 and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak,

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 the high priest.

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 Thus says the Lord of hosts,

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 these people say the time has not yet come

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 to rebuild the house of the Lord.

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 Then the word of the Lord came

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 by the hand of Haggai the prophet.

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 Is it a time for yourselves

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 to dwell in your panelled houses

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 while this house lies in ruins?

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 That's a rebuke, isn't it?

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 God says to them through Haggai,

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 you guys are busy with your own houses,

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 your own projects.

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 You've given up building my house.

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 You've got your excuses.

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 And if you read Ezra,

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 the excuses are pretty strong.

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 They were compelled by force

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 to stop building.

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 But God says to them through the prophet Haggai,

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 you've got your excuses.

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 It's not the right time,

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 but the basic fact is

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 that you've abandoned me.

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 You're turning away to your own comfort.

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 And it's so serious

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 that God says

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 he's started disciplining the people.

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 They've had bad harvests

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 because of their disobedience.

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 Here's verse 9.

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 You looked for much

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 and behold it came to little

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 and when you brought it home

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 I blew it away.

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 Why, declares the Lord of hosts,

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 because of my house

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 that lies in ruins

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 while each of you

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 busies himself with his own house.

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 You've been disobeying me.

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 You've been neglecting my glory.

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 And I have already been disciplining you.

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 That is the message

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 that Haggai brings to the people.

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 So when the people listen to Haggai

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 and seek the Lord

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 and do the work,

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 it's not simply

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 that they've been doing really well

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 and then here they continue to do well

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 or maybe shift up a gear.

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 No, this is repentance.

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 This is turning around.

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 They were sinning.

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 And they leave their sin

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 and they seek God

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 and they serve him.

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 Well, we have all the dates for this

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 because Haggai and Zechariah

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 date their prophecies very carefully.

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 Haggai preaches in the 6th month.

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 They start building in the 7th month.

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 How about Zechariah?

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 We've got two prophets

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 in Ezra, chapter 5.

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 Haggai and Zechariah both come.

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 Zechariah starts preaching

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 a little bit later

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 in the 8th month.

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 They've already restarted work.

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 They've been going for a month now.

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 So you might expect

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 just pretty solid encouragement

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 from Zechariah.

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 Well done.

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 You've repented.

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 Now keep going in that repentance.

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 But no, this is the way

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 Zechariah starts.

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 In the 8th month,

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 in the 2nd year of Darius,

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 the word of the Lord

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 came to the prophet Zechariah,

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 the son of Berechiah,

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 the son of Iddo,

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 saying,

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 The Lord was very angry

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 with your fathers.

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 Therefore say to them,

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 thus declares the Lord of hosts,

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 return to me,

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 says the Lord of hosts,

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 and I will return to you,

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 says the Lord of hosts.

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 In the 8th month,

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 they've been building for a month,

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 Zechariah comes to them

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 with another message

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 of repentance.

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 You are away from me,

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 as your fathers were.

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 You must still return to me.

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 They've already started again

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 on the temple,

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 but clearly there's

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 some repentance to go.

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 They've sort of done

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 some of that external work

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 to turn around,

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 but their hearts

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 aren't quite right yet.

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 Zechariah doesn't beat

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 around the bush.

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 Repent.

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 Return.

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 And he says it pretty strongly.

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 Very angry.

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 In the life of that,

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 doesn't Ezra 5

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 seem rather remarkable?

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 All Ezra says

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 is that Haggai and Zechariah

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 prophesied,

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 and the people rose up to build,

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 and the prophets are there

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 supporting them.

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 There's no mention of rebuke.

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 There's no mention of repentance.

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 It's just really positive.

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 You're reading right through

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 the book of Ezra.

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 You've been feeling

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 really positive so far.

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 Ezra wants you to carry on

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 feeling positive about

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 everything the people are doing.

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 What do we do with that?

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 Arguments from silence

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 can be dangerous,

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 can't they?

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 I'm about to give you

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 an argument from silence

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 that I sort of want to warn you

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 against most of them.

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 Anytime you say anything,

00:07:12.139 --> 00:07:12.479
 there's a sort of

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 billion and one things

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 you haven't said.

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 If I tell you that

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 God loves you,

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 and you go,

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 well, he didn't say anything

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 about the price of tea in China,

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 and so that proves that

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 theology doesn't say anything

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 about Chinese home economics.

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 So if you want to be

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 a theologian,

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 you have to leave

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 those things behind.

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 No tea for you.

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 Well, that's nonsense,

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 isn't it?

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 I just wasn't talking

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 about that thing.

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 But sometimes,

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 silence is significant.

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 And what I want to do,

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 really,

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 in the rest of our time,

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 I sort of want to use

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 this thing in Ezra 5

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 as a springboard.

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 Because the silence

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 that happens here

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 is the silence that happens

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 over and over again

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 in Scripture.

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 A kind of quietness

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 from the Lord

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 that I want to draw

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 your attention to.

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 I want to give,

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 in detail,

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 a couple more examples.

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 First of all,

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 King David.

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 King David,

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 probably one of the most

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 famous Old Testament figures.

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 He's famous for

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 all sorts of things.

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 He killed a giant

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 once with a stone.

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 You might have heard about that.

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 He wrote a whole bunch

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 of psalms.

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 Probably sung some of them.

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 He's also famous,

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 isn't he,

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 for the time he committed adultery

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 and lied about it

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 and committed murder

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 to cover it up.

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 Nine months,

00:08:20.779 --> 00:08:21.139
 that was,

00:08:21.179 --> 00:08:22.439
 of hard-hearted rebellion

00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:23.179
 against God.

00:08:23.799 --> 00:08:25.299
 The worst abuse

00:08:25.299 --> 00:08:26.099
 of kingly power.

00:08:26.259 --> 00:08:27.219
 It was the absolute pits.

00:08:28.739 --> 00:08:29.500
 Perhaps you know the story.

00:08:29.579 --> 00:08:30.059
 The prophet Nathan

00:08:30.059 --> 00:08:30.659
 comes to him

00:08:30.659 --> 00:08:32.019
 and confronts him

00:08:32.019 --> 00:08:33.699
 and David finally

00:08:33.699 --> 00:08:34.980
 recognises his sin

00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:35.419
 and goes,

00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:36.059
 I've sinned.

00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:38.199
 And wonderfully,

00:08:38.339 --> 00:08:39.019
 immediately,

00:08:39.199 --> 00:08:40.179
 the prophet Nathan says,

00:08:40.259 --> 00:08:40.819
 the Lord's taken away

00:08:40.819 --> 00:08:41.740
 the guilt of your sins.

00:08:41.779 --> 00:08:42.120
 You're forgiven.

00:08:42.220 --> 00:08:42.759
 Just like that.

00:08:44.019 --> 00:08:45.199
 What happens next

00:08:45.199 --> 00:08:46.779
 in David's life?

00:08:46.779 --> 00:08:48.299
 Well, two very important things.

00:08:48.980 --> 00:08:50.059
 On the one hand,

00:08:50.839 --> 00:08:51.279
 Nathan says,

00:08:51.339 --> 00:08:51.639
 you're forgiven,

00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:52.120
 but there's still

00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:52.839
 going to be consequences.

00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:55.399
 You've brought sexual sin

00:08:55.399 --> 00:08:56.600
 and murder into your house.

00:08:57.439 --> 00:08:58.059
 Those things are not

00:08:58.059 --> 00:08:59.039
 going to leave your house.

00:08:59.500 --> 00:09:00.480
 Those things don't go away

00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:00.839
 quickly.

00:09:01.539 --> 00:09:02.399
 And the rest of the book

00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:03.399
 of Samuel covers

00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:05.139
 the horrible fruit of that.

00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:07.860
 David's baby son dies.

00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:09.539
 His other son

00:09:09.539 --> 00:09:11.179
 does something awful

00:09:11.179 --> 00:09:11.879
 that I won't mention

00:09:11.879 --> 00:09:12.579
 in a sort of

00:09:12.579 --> 00:09:13.799
 all-age group like this.

00:09:14.019 --> 00:09:14.939
 And that leads to murder

00:09:14.939 --> 00:09:16.279
 and eventually to civil war.

00:09:16.779 --> 00:09:17.500
 The consequences

00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:18.399
 of David's sin

00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:19.759
 spiral on and on.

00:09:19.839 --> 00:09:20.480
 I think it's fair to say

00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:20.919
 if you put the books

00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:22.439
 of Samuel and Kings together,

00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:23.000
 that's the sort of

00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:24.439
 400, 500 years

00:09:24.439 --> 00:09:25.559
 of Israel's history.

00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:28.259
 That end in the division

00:09:28.259 --> 00:09:30.419
 of north and south

00:09:30.419 --> 00:09:31.059
 and then exile

00:09:31.059 --> 00:09:31.779
 of both of them.

00:09:32.579 --> 00:09:33.039
 And you can say

00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:34.600
 all of that disaster

00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:36.240
 right down to the exile

00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:36.879
 has its roots

00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:37.919
 in David's sin.

00:09:38.059 --> 00:09:38.879
 It's big stuff.

00:09:38.959 --> 00:09:39.360
 The consequences

00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:40.220
 are really painful.

00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:43.240
 That's one thing.

00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:46.799
 And the other thing

00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:48.700
 is that even as

00:09:48.700 --> 00:09:49.720
 all those consequences

00:09:49.720 --> 00:09:50.680
 to David's sin

00:09:50.680 --> 00:09:51.720
 are playing out,

00:09:52.259 --> 00:09:54.000
 we stop

00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:55.680
 talking about

00:09:55.680 --> 00:09:56.279
 David's sin.

00:09:58.519 --> 00:09:59.740
 It stops being mentioned.

00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:02.019
 You can read about it

00:10:02.019 --> 00:10:02.820
 in the Psalms

00:10:02.820 --> 00:10:03.980
 where he confesses to God,

00:10:04.539 --> 00:10:05.860
 but the narratives

00:10:05.860 --> 00:10:07.620
 don't talk about it anymore.

00:10:07.620 --> 00:10:10.200
 They don't say

00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:11.600
 and this bad thing

00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:12.340
 happened because

00:10:12.340 --> 00:10:13.139
 of David's sin.

00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:14.179
 That one too,

00:10:14.259 --> 00:10:15.100
 that's also David's fault.

00:10:15.179 --> 00:10:15.820
 See this bad thing?

00:10:15.860 --> 00:10:16.379
 Remember David?

00:10:16.500 --> 00:10:16.659
 Listen,

00:10:17.259 --> 00:10:18.000
 don't commit adultery.

00:10:19.779 --> 00:10:20.460
 If you've read

00:10:20.460 --> 00:10:21.340
 One Kings recently,

00:10:21.419 --> 00:10:22.240
 you might have noticed

00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:23.560
 that over and over again

00:10:23.560 --> 00:10:24.620
 they do pick up

00:10:24.620 --> 00:10:25.899
 Jeroboam's sin.

00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:26.419
 Jeroboam,

00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:27.279
 the unrepentant

00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:28.139
 king of Israel

00:10:28.139 --> 00:10:29.000
 committed a great sin,

00:10:29.060 --> 00:10:29.940
 led people into idolatry

00:10:29.940 --> 00:10:30.899
 and they bang

00:10:30.899 --> 00:10:31.980
 on and on about that.

00:10:32.060 --> 00:10:32.620
 There's hardly a king

00:10:32.620 --> 00:10:33.240
 goes by

00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:34.139
 who's a bad king

00:10:34.139 --> 00:10:34.639
 where they don't go

00:10:34.639 --> 00:10:35.200
 and he's sinned

00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:36.279
 the sin of Jeroboam

00:10:36.279 --> 00:10:37.059
 and they're constantly

00:10:37.059 --> 00:10:38.019
 bringing you back to it.

00:10:38.899 --> 00:10:40.439
 They really could go,

00:10:41.319 --> 00:10:41.500
 oh,

00:10:41.579 --> 00:10:42.579
 he followed in the footsteps

00:10:42.579 --> 00:10:43.059
 of David.

00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:45.819
 But instead of that,

00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:46.860
 there's silence

00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:47.419
 and actually there's

00:10:47.419 --> 00:10:48.220
 more than silence.

00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:49.059
 I've put in

00:10:49.059 --> 00:10:50.059
 your sheets

00:10:50.059 --> 00:10:50.620
 another verse

00:10:50.620 --> 00:10:51.839
 from One Kings.

00:10:52.860 --> 00:10:54.059
 God says to Solomon,

00:10:55.319 --> 00:10:56.120
 David your father

00:10:56.120 --> 00:10:56.620
 walked

00:10:56.620 --> 00:10:58.139
 with integrity

00:10:58.139 --> 00:10:58.799
 of heart

00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:00.600
 and uprightness

00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:02.980
 doing according

00:11:02.980 --> 00:11:03.659
 to all that I've

00:11:03.659 --> 00:11:04.299
 commanded you

00:11:04.299 --> 00:11:07.019
 keeping my statutes

00:11:07.019 --> 00:11:08.419
 and my rules.

00:11:10.139 --> 00:11:11.379
 And I think we read that.

00:11:11.939 --> 00:11:13.299
 I think I've been in groups

00:11:13.299 --> 00:11:13.839
 where we've read

00:11:13.839 --> 00:11:14.899
 that passage

00:11:14.899 --> 00:11:15.579
 and people have gone,

00:11:16.579 --> 00:11:18.279
 hang on a second.

00:11:19.179 --> 00:11:20.059
 I can think of two

00:11:20.059 --> 00:11:20.819
 quite big statutes

00:11:20.819 --> 00:11:21.740
 that David didn't keep.

00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:23.819
 What's this talking about?

00:11:25.019 --> 00:11:25.759
 But there it is.

00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:26.159
 God says,

00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:27.259
 David did all I commanded.

00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:29.699
 Or a couple of chapters later

00:11:29.699 --> 00:11:30.339
 when Solomon,

00:11:30.979 --> 00:11:31.399
 David's son,

00:11:31.500 --> 00:11:31.899
 screws up

00:11:31.899 --> 00:11:32.519
 and turns away

00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:33.960
 instead of saying,

00:11:34.079 --> 00:11:35.139
 oh, just like his dad.

00:11:35.259 --> 00:11:36.279
 We get 1 Kings 11

00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:37.000
 verse 4.

00:11:38.199 --> 00:11:39.120
 For when Solomon was old,

00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:40.039
 his wives turned away

00:11:40.039 --> 00:11:41.039
 his heart after other gods

00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:42.240
 and his heart was not

00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:43.579
 wholly true

00:11:43.579 --> 00:11:44.519
 to the Lord his God

00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:45.199
 as was the heart

00:11:45.199 --> 00:11:46.079
 of David his father.

00:11:47.419 --> 00:11:47.919
 And again,

00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:48.600
 we want to go,

00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:49.439
 well, David's heart

00:11:49.439 --> 00:11:50.379
 was wholly true

00:11:50.379 --> 00:11:51.039
 to the Lord his God.

00:11:51.299 --> 00:11:52.659
 Where does nine months

00:11:52.659 --> 00:11:53.299
 of rebellion

00:11:53.299 --> 00:11:54.019
 and adultery murder

00:11:54.019 --> 00:11:54.759
 fit into that?

00:11:56.879 --> 00:11:57.360
 When you read

00:11:57.360 --> 00:11:58.199
 the book of 1 Chronicles,

00:11:58.319 --> 00:11:58.740
 by the way,

00:11:58.960 --> 00:11:59.659
 it's even worse.

00:12:00.379 --> 00:12:01.159
 1 Chronicles goes back

00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:02.120
 over David's life again,

00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:03.279
 sort of retells the story

00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:04.879
 and just leaves out

00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:05.419
 the sin

00:12:05.419 --> 00:12:06.500
 and its consequences

00:12:06.500 --> 00:12:07.719
 entirely.

00:12:08.779 --> 00:12:09.779
 It just presents David

00:12:09.779 --> 00:12:10.439
 as this righteous

00:12:10.439 --> 00:12:11.159
 glowing figure.

00:12:11.219 --> 00:12:11.919
 Go and read 1 Chronicles.

00:12:11.980 --> 00:12:12.360
 You're not going to find

00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:13.360
 anything bad said about him.

00:12:14.459 --> 00:12:14.779
 Well, actually,

00:12:14.899 --> 00:12:15.939
 you'll find a different story

00:12:15.939 --> 00:12:16.399
 about a census.

00:12:17.019 --> 00:12:17.199
 You're like,

00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:17.879
 why does it care about that?

00:12:17.959 --> 00:12:18.079
 Anyway,

00:12:18.179 --> 00:12:19.019
 that's not the topic

00:12:19.019 --> 00:12:19.360
 of this evening.

00:12:20.299 --> 00:12:21.179
 So you get these

00:12:21.179 --> 00:12:23.120
 two things.

00:12:23.179 --> 00:12:23.879
 On the one hand,

00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:24.319
 real,

00:12:24.439 --> 00:12:25.559
 ongoing consequences

00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:26.039
 for sin.

00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:29.100
 On the other hand,

00:12:29.159 --> 00:12:30.720
 this strange silence.

00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:33.340
 almost as if

00:12:33.340 --> 00:12:35.440
 God couldn't see

00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:36.160
 David's sin anymore.

00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:39.000
 As if it had been covered.

00:12:41.060 --> 00:12:41.779
 Another example,

00:12:42.420 --> 00:12:42.980
 before I kind of

00:12:42.980 --> 00:12:43.440
 try and draw

00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:44.200
 these threads together.

00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:44.660
 Lot,

00:12:44.840 --> 00:12:45.600
 Abraham's nephew,

00:12:46.220 --> 00:12:46.680
 Lot.

00:12:46.860 --> 00:12:47.300
 If you read

00:12:47.300 --> 00:12:47.840
 the book of Genesis,

00:12:47.940 --> 00:12:48.300
 you come across

00:12:48.300 --> 00:12:49.060
 Lot several times

00:12:49.060 --> 00:12:50.340
 and

00:12:50.340 --> 00:12:52.200
 I'm not sure

00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:52.980
 if I should really say this

00:12:52.980 --> 00:12:54.740
 about a righteous man

00:12:54.740 --> 00:12:55.379
 in Scripture,

00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:56.820
 but most times

00:12:56.820 --> 00:12:57.180
 you meet him

00:12:57.180 --> 00:12:57.740
 in the book of Genesis,

00:12:58.060 --> 00:12:59.460
 you kind of want to

00:12:59.460 --> 00:13:00.100
 shake him

00:13:00.100 --> 00:13:00.639
 a little bit

00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:01.080
 and go,

00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:02.620
 you are such a chump.

00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:04.019
 Stop being

00:13:04.019 --> 00:13:05.220
 such a chump.

00:13:06.019 --> 00:13:06.500
 He's the guy

00:13:06.500 --> 00:13:08.340
 who picks where he lives

00:13:08.340 --> 00:13:09.180
 by what looks good,

00:13:09.220 --> 00:13:10.000
 not by God's promise.

00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:11.639
 Genesis 13,

00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:13.460
 he goes and lives near Sodom,

00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:14.680
 famous for his wickedness.

00:13:14.740 --> 00:13:15.399
 Then he ends up living

00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:16.820
 in Sodom.

00:13:17.259 --> 00:13:18.100
 And in Genesis 14,

00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:18.700
 he's captured

00:13:18.700 --> 00:13:20.680
 by another king.

00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:21.300
 His uncle Abraham

00:13:21.300 --> 00:13:21.639
 saves him.

00:13:21.700 --> 00:13:22.600
 He has this golden opportunity

00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:22.980
 to go out.

00:13:23.019 --> 00:13:23.700
 That was kind of a stupid

00:13:23.700 --> 00:13:24.060
 thing to do.

00:13:24.059 --> 00:13:24.759
 But instead,

00:13:24.959 --> 00:13:25.619
 he goes back

00:13:25.619 --> 00:13:26.379
 and lives in Sodom

00:13:26.379 --> 00:13:27.379
 again.

00:13:28.479 --> 00:13:29.139
 He becomes,

00:13:29.259 --> 00:13:29.379
 in fact,

00:13:29.399 --> 00:13:30.439
 a significant figure there.

00:13:30.579 --> 00:13:31.199
 He's sort of sitting

00:13:31.199 --> 00:13:32.000
 in the town gate

00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:33.419
 as one of their elders,

00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:33.939
 I guess.

00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:35.739
 And when God

00:13:35.739 --> 00:13:36.379
 sends angels

00:13:36.379 --> 00:13:37.539
 to destroy the town

00:13:37.539 --> 00:13:37.819
 of Sodom

00:13:37.819 --> 00:13:38.619
 for its wickedness,

00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:40.579
 Lot hosts those angels

00:13:40.579 --> 00:13:41.079
 in his house.

00:13:41.199 --> 00:13:41.959
 That's a good thing to do.

00:13:42.239 --> 00:13:42.899
 And when townsfolk

00:13:42.899 --> 00:13:43.699
 come and attack the angels,

00:13:43.899 --> 00:13:45.639
 Lot offers his own

00:13:45.639 --> 00:13:46.579
 daughters to them.

00:13:47.579 --> 00:13:48.559
 It's horrible,

00:13:49.179 --> 00:13:50.139
 horrible stuff.

00:13:50.199 --> 00:13:50.619
 When the angels

00:13:50.619 --> 00:13:51.219
 tell him to flee,

00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:51.879
 he can't even make up

00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:52.480
 his mind to do that.

00:13:52.539 --> 00:13:53.000
 He hesitates.

00:13:53.059 --> 00:13:53.519
 The angels have to

00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:54.539
 drag him out of the city.

00:13:54.939 --> 00:13:55.740
 His wife dies

00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:56.360
 under God's judgment.

00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:57.279
 His daughters,

00:13:57.500 --> 00:13:57.700
 again,

00:13:57.779 --> 00:13:58.299
 awful wickedness.

00:13:58.340 --> 00:13:58.759
 I'm not going to go

00:13:58.759 --> 00:13:59.799
 into it in an all-age service.

00:14:00.279 --> 00:14:01.179
 And that is the end

00:14:01.179 --> 00:14:01.879
 of Lot's story

00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:02.500
 in the Old Testament.

00:14:02.700 --> 00:14:04.340
 He loses everything he has.

00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:05.419
 His wife and his whole family

00:14:05.419 --> 00:14:06.399
 end up under God's judgment.

00:14:06.580 --> 00:14:07.240
 All he saves

00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:08.059
 is his own skin.

00:14:08.700 --> 00:14:09.320
 The consequences,

00:14:09.740 --> 00:14:09.960
 again,

00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:10.939
 we have consequences

00:14:10.939 --> 00:14:12.299
 to Lot's foolishness.

00:14:12.460 --> 00:14:13.659
 They are very severe.

00:14:15.580 --> 00:14:16.240
 And yet,

00:14:17.379 --> 00:14:18.360
 when we get to

00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:18.820
 the New Testament,

00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:20.340
 we find a very strange

00:14:20.340 --> 00:14:20.980
 passage.

00:14:20.980 --> 00:14:21.899
 2 Peter,

00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:23.460
 chapter 2,

00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:24.539
 verses 7 and 8,

00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:28.080
 which says that he,

00:14:28.220 --> 00:14:28.779
 which is God,

00:14:28.980 --> 00:14:30.720
 rescued righteous Lot,

00:14:31.899 --> 00:14:32.659
 greatly distressed

00:14:32.659 --> 00:14:33.759
 by the sensual conduct

00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:34.200
 of the wicked.

00:14:35.700 --> 00:14:36.899
 For as that righteous man

00:14:36.899 --> 00:14:37.460
 lived among them

00:14:37.460 --> 00:14:37.980
 day after day,

00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:38.920
 he was tormenting

00:14:38.920 --> 00:14:39.759
 his righteous soul

00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:40.840
 over the lawless deeds

00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:42.440
 that he saw

00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:43.259
 and heard.

00:14:43.259 --> 00:14:48.039
 And that is all

00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:49.480
 that the New Testament

00:14:49.480 --> 00:14:51.379
 says about Lot.

00:14:53.659 --> 00:14:54.480
 Doesn't mention

00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:55.139
 his folly

00:14:55.139 --> 00:14:56.679
 and his sin.

00:14:57.539 --> 00:14:58.000
 It's one point

00:14:58.000 --> 00:14:59.039
 where Jesus mentions

00:14:59.039 --> 00:14:59.519
 his wife,

00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:00.639
 but doesn't ascribe

00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:01.139
 that to him.

00:15:02.360 --> 00:15:03.139
 Peter here

00:15:03.139 --> 00:15:04.480
 zeroes in on pretty much

00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:05.559
 the one good thing

00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:06.439
 you could say

00:15:06.439 --> 00:15:06.980
 about Lot,

00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:07.519
 which is that when

00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:08.100
 he saw the evil

00:15:08.100 --> 00:15:08.480
 around him,

00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:09.139
 he didn't like it.

00:15:09.139 --> 00:15:11.419
 That's honestly

00:15:11.419 --> 00:15:12.399
 not a very high bar,

00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:12.960
 you'd think.

00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:14.639
 The evil around him

00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:15.159
 distressed him.

00:15:15.259 --> 00:15:15.759
 But Peter

00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:18.039
 takes that one thing

00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:19.259
 and holds it up

00:15:19.259 --> 00:15:19.759
 to us

00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:21.120
 that we might honour it,

00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:22.240
 ignoring all the

00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:22.919
 sin and folly

00:15:22.919 --> 00:15:23.519
 around it,

00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:24.699
 and calls him

00:15:24.699 --> 00:15:26.519
 righteous Lot.

00:15:29.179 --> 00:15:30.259
 Righteous Lot.

00:15:30.259 --> 00:15:33.620
 Something remarkable

00:15:33.620 --> 00:15:33.840
 there,

00:15:33.879 --> 00:15:34.159
 isn't there?

00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:38.519
 That is not a one-off.

00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:40.220
 You will search

00:15:40.220 --> 00:15:42.299
 very high and wide

00:15:42.299 --> 00:15:43.080
 to find the New Testament

00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:44.960
 criticising any

00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:45.919
 faithful Old Testament

00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:46.360
 figure.

00:15:47.860 --> 00:15:48.379
 Wicked people,

00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:50.000
 like Cain and Esau,

00:15:50.059 --> 00:15:50.799
 they get criticised,

00:15:50.860 --> 00:15:51.240
 they're held up as

00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:52.019
 negative examples,

00:15:52.100 --> 00:15:52.659
 don't be like them.

00:15:53.059 --> 00:15:53.639
 Unfaithful Israel

00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:55.000
 as a nation is criticised,

00:15:55.080 --> 00:15:56.019
 that's held up as an

00:15:56.019 --> 00:15:56.419
 example,

00:15:56.539 --> 00:15:57.159
 don't be like the

00:15:57.159 --> 00:15:58.620
 unfaithful generation

00:15:58.620 --> 00:15:59.200
 that came out of Egypt,

00:15:59.279 --> 00:15:59.580
 for example.

00:15:59.580 --> 00:16:00.200
 But the faithful

00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:00.759
 individuals,

00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:03.240
 not so much.

00:16:04.259 --> 00:16:04.879
 I think there's

00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:05.600
 maybe one time

00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:06.340
 where it mentions

00:16:06.340 --> 00:16:06.720
 that Aaron

00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:08.460
 did the golden calf thing.

00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:10.120
 That's about it.

00:16:11.060 --> 00:16:11.980
 It would be so easy,

00:16:12.040 --> 00:16:12.220
 wouldn't it,

00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:12.560
 for the New Testament

00:16:12.560 --> 00:16:13.520
 to hold up David

00:16:13.520 --> 00:16:14.100
 and go,

00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:15.540
 don't commit adultery

00:16:15.540 --> 00:16:16.200
 like David did,

00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:16.720
 the consequences

00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:17.480
 were really bad.

00:16:17.620 --> 00:16:18.180
 That seems like a

00:16:18.180 --> 00:16:19.160
 really obvious example

00:16:19.160 --> 00:16:19.879
 to hold up,

00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:20.960
 but it never happens.

00:16:22.400 --> 00:16:23.520
 Lot is not criticised,

00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:25.340
 Moses is not criticised,

00:16:26.460 --> 00:16:27.420
 but the closest we get

00:16:27.420 --> 00:16:28.379
 is in Jesus'

00:16:28.580 --> 00:16:29.060
 genealogy.

00:16:29.580 --> 00:16:31.040
 where it just mentions

00:16:31.040 --> 00:16:33.420
 who Solomon's mum was,

00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:34.680
 the wife of Uriah.

00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:35.480
 You can kind of

00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:36.320
 put that one together.

00:16:37.660 --> 00:16:38.620
 You can marvel from that

00:16:38.620 --> 00:16:39.560
 that Jesus came from

00:16:39.560 --> 00:16:40.240
 a family full of sin,

00:16:40.300 --> 00:16:41.500
 but it's not held up,

00:16:41.540 --> 00:16:41.720
 is it?

00:16:41.720 --> 00:16:43.220
 As a David did this bad thing,

00:16:43.320 --> 00:16:44.020
 look at that bad thing,

00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:44.560
 don't do it.

00:16:45.560 --> 00:16:46.500
 You read the Old Testament,

00:16:46.580 --> 00:16:46.940
 you've got all these

00:16:46.940 --> 00:16:47.879
 messy characters,

00:16:47.980 --> 00:16:48.500
 and you get to the New Testament

00:16:48.500 --> 00:16:49.420
 and it looks back at them

00:16:49.420 --> 00:16:51.360
 over and over and over again

00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:53.100
 as heroes.

00:16:53.100 --> 00:16:57.000
 What's going on?

00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:00.300
 And the answer,

00:17:00.860 --> 00:17:01.460
 brothers and sisters,

00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:02.100
 is very simple.

00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:04.740
 The answer is atonement.

00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:07.559
 In the Bible,

00:17:07.660 --> 00:17:09.039
 the word for atonement

00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:11.279
 comes from the word

00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:12.120
 for covering.

00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:15.839
 When God forgives a sin,

00:17:17.219 --> 00:17:18.599
 he covers it.

00:17:20.199 --> 00:17:21.299
 He covers it

00:17:21.299 --> 00:17:23.459
 with the blood of Christ.

00:17:24.539 --> 00:17:26.259
 And the point of covering it

00:17:26.259 --> 00:17:28.879
 is that you can't see it anymore.

00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:33.400
 We say so often,

00:17:33.460 --> 00:17:33.620
 don't we,

00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:34.720
 words along the lines of

00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:36.060
 he remembers our sins no more.

00:17:38.260 --> 00:17:40.200
 He removes them from us

00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:41.240
 as far as east is

00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:42.200
 from the west.

00:17:44.340 --> 00:17:45.020
 They're covered.

00:17:46.380 --> 00:17:47.900
 We often say those words,

00:17:47.980 --> 00:17:48.720
 we often read them

00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:49.460
 in our Bibles,

00:17:49.600 --> 00:17:49.940
 and yet,

00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:52.900
 I found it so striking

00:17:52.900 --> 00:17:54.520
 to see the application

00:17:54.520 --> 00:17:55.240
 of that covering

00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:56.520
 is that God stops

00:17:56.520 --> 00:17:58.220
 talking about our sins.

00:17:58.220 --> 00:17:59.579
 He really does

00:17:59.579 --> 00:18:00.440
 remember them no more.

00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:01.339
 It's not just poetry.

00:18:02.120 --> 00:18:03.640
 Sin has consequences, yes,

00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:05.460
 but constant reminders,

00:18:05.700 --> 00:18:06.860
 no, it's gone.

00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:09.680
 David's heart was wholly true

00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:10.579
 to the Lord his God,

00:18:11.019 --> 00:18:11.420
 says God,

00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:12.039
 without winking.

00:18:14.100 --> 00:18:15.000
 Righteous lot,

00:18:15.420 --> 00:18:15.900
 says Peter,

00:18:16.620 --> 00:18:17.640
 without blushing.

00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:20.079
 In Ezra,

00:18:20.180 --> 00:18:20.720
 Ezra says,

00:18:20.819 --> 00:18:22.339
 the people rose and worked

00:18:22.339 --> 00:18:22.900
 and the prophets

00:18:22.900 --> 00:18:23.600
 supported them,

00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:24.620
 and that is all I need

00:18:24.620 --> 00:18:25.519
 to say about that.

00:18:26.120 --> 00:18:27.059
 Well done them.

00:18:28.220 --> 00:18:30.500
 Have you seen

00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:31.120
 those three examples?

00:18:31.180 --> 00:18:31.720
 There's so many more

00:18:31.720 --> 00:18:32.259
 that we could see.

00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:33.779
 The Lord recorded

00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:34.500
 those sins in Scripture

00:18:34.500 --> 00:18:35.200
 for us to learn from.

00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:35.839
 You can go and read

00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:36.460
 about David's sin,

00:18:36.500 --> 00:18:36.940
 you can go and read

00:18:36.940 --> 00:18:37.660
 about Lot's sin,

00:18:37.740 --> 00:18:38.680
 but he also recorded

00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:39.759
 his silence in Scripture

00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:40.660
 for us to learn from.

00:18:41.360 --> 00:18:42.259
 You go past Genesis,

00:18:42.779 --> 00:18:43.539
 you never hear another

00:18:43.539 --> 00:18:44.400
 bad word about Lot.

00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:46.299
 The book of Haggai

00:18:46.299 --> 00:18:47.180
 mentions the sin,

00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:49.299
 in order to write down

00:18:49.299 --> 00:18:49.600
 his prophecy,

00:18:49.740 --> 00:18:50.279
 but the book of Ezra

00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:51.019
 covers it over.

00:18:51.120 --> 00:18:52.039
 He remembers those sins

00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:52.539
 no more.

00:18:53.079 --> 00:18:53.799
 And I want in the time

00:18:53.799 --> 00:18:54.160
 we have left

00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:55.140
 just to reflect on this

00:18:55.140 --> 00:18:56.140
 in two ways.

00:18:57.100 --> 00:18:57.440
 First,

00:18:57.540 --> 00:18:58.280
 for our encouragement,

00:18:59.780 --> 00:19:00.440
 I'd just like to

00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:01.680
 sort of press in

00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:02.540
 for you this evening

00:19:02.540 --> 00:19:04.280
 that that is the way

00:19:04.280 --> 00:19:05.540
 the Lord treats you.

00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:07.560
 And then second,

00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:08.240
 for our instruction,

00:19:09.360 --> 00:19:09.880
 I'd like to spend

00:19:09.880 --> 00:19:10.560
 just a little bit of time

00:19:10.560 --> 00:19:11.320
 pressing in that this is

00:19:11.320 --> 00:19:11.800
 the way we're called

00:19:11.800 --> 00:19:12.560
 to treat one another.

00:19:13.900 --> 00:19:14.380
 First then,

00:19:14.420 --> 00:19:15.800
 the way the Lord

00:19:15.800 --> 00:19:17.180
 treats you.

00:19:17.180 --> 00:19:21.759
 We often find it hard

00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:23.039
 to believe

00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:24.680
 that the Lord

00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:26.080
 really forgives us.

00:19:31.140 --> 00:19:31.820
 We sin.

00:19:32.180 --> 00:19:33.440
 Maybe it's a smaller sin,

00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:34.200
 it's a bit of laziness,

00:19:34.320 --> 00:19:34.880
 it's a crossword.

00:19:37.080 --> 00:19:38.120
 Maybe it's a bigger sin.

00:19:40.320 --> 00:19:41.060
 An abortion,

00:19:41.259 --> 00:19:42.259
 maybe many years ago.

00:19:43.600 --> 00:19:44.320
 Perhaps years where

00:19:44.320 --> 00:19:44.960
 you walked away

00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:45.680
 from the Lord

00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:49.340
 and big or small,

00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:50.140
 we come to the Lord,

00:19:50.220 --> 00:19:50.400
 don't we,

00:19:50.420 --> 00:19:51.440
 and we confess that sin,

00:19:51.539 --> 00:19:51.980
 we repent,

00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:53.180
 we seek his forgiveness.

00:19:53.980 --> 00:19:54.700
 If there's restitution

00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:55.120
 to make,

00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:55.960
 we try and make it.

00:19:58.019 --> 00:19:58.340
 And yet,

00:19:58.380 --> 00:19:58.940
 I wonder if you know

00:19:58.940 --> 00:19:59.720
 this experience

00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:03.820
 that in that sort of

00:20:03.820 --> 00:20:05.480
 process of repenting,

00:20:05.580 --> 00:20:06.200
 there's a weight

00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:06.779
 in your stomach,

00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:07.259
 there's an ache

00:20:07.259 --> 00:20:07.720
 in your heart,

00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:09.180
 and they're lifted

00:20:09.180 --> 00:20:09.700
 wonderfully.

00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:12.680
 And then sometimes

00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:13.320
 they reappear.

00:20:14.460 --> 00:20:15.340
 You feel that.

00:20:16.539 --> 00:20:17.519
 Ache once again.

00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:20.700
 You pray,

00:20:20.840 --> 00:20:21.620
 and yet you still feel

00:20:21.620 --> 00:20:22.360
 like you might be

00:20:22.360 --> 00:20:23.920
 unclean.

00:20:25.600 --> 00:20:26.519
 Perhaps you're still

00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:27.299
 living day by day

00:20:27.299 --> 00:20:28.100
 with the consequences

00:20:28.100 --> 00:20:29.180
 of your sin,

00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:30.580
 daily reminders of it.

00:20:31.080 --> 00:20:32.320
 So many sins leave us

00:20:32.320 --> 00:20:32.900
 with consequences

00:20:32.900 --> 00:20:33.600
 for the rest of our lives,

00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:33.960
 don't they?

00:20:35.420 --> 00:20:36.220
 Perhaps every time

00:20:36.220 --> 00:20:37.220
 you're reminded of

00:20:37.220 --> 00:20:38.500
 that sin,

00:20:38.580 --> 00:20:39.259
 whatever it was,

00:20:40.259 --> 00:20:41.720
 that pit comes back again.

00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:44.120
 And I want to say

00:20:44.120 --> 00:20:44.519
 to you this evening,

00:20:44.620 --> 00:20:45.200
 brothers and sisters,

00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:45.960
 take heart.

00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:48.220
 There may well be

00:20:48.220 --> 00:20:48.700
 consequences,

00:20:49.819 --> 00:20:50.920
 but when the Lord

00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:52.220
 covers a sin,

00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:54.920
 he really covers it.

00:20:58.059 --> 00:20:59.079
 If I can put it this way,

00:20:59.120 --> 00:20:59.900
 when God speaks of you

00:20:59.900 --> 00:21:00.480
 to his angels,

00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:03.620
 he doesn't refer to you

00:21:03.620 --> 00:21:04.460
 by your sin.

00:21:04.460 --> 00:21:08.420
 He's not thinking about it.

00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:12.460
 He's not talking about it.

00:21:14.259 --> 00:21:15.720
 He's not planning to bring it up.

00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:18.960
 When Paul describes love

00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:19.920
 in 1 Corinthians 13,

00:21:20.059 --> 00:21:20.500
 he says

00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:22.740
 that love does not

00:21:22.740 --> 00:21:24.200
 count up wrongdoing.

00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:25.980
 It keeps no record

00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:27.059
 of wrongs.

00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:28.660
 And your God

00:21:28.660 --> 00:21:29.360
 who is love

00:21:29.360 --> 00:21:30.420
 keeps no record

00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:31.799
 of your wrongs.

00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:35.500
 If you are his,

00:21:35.579 --> 00:21:36.360
 seeking his mercy,

00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:37.039
 seeking his grace,

00:21:37.100 --> 00:21:37.860
 he's not written down

00:21:37.860 --> 00:21:38.539
 your sins.

00:21:39.299 --> 00:21:40.559
 When his books are opened,

00:21:41.779 --> 00:21:42.700
 they won't be found there.

00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:45.500
 More than that,

00:21:45.500 --> 00:21:46.079
 can I say,

00:21:46.180 --> 00:21:47.420
 from Ezra,

00:21:47.559 --> 00:21:48.119
 from Lot,

00:21:48.259 --> 00:21:48.980
 from David,

00:21:49.140 --> 00:21:49.700
 it's not just

00:21:49.700 --> 00:21:51.319
 that various moments,

00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:52.339
 days, years of your life

00:21:52.339 --> 00:21:53.460
 get kind of blotted out.

00:21:53.940 --> 00:21:55.039
 And so we just don't think

00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:57.220
 about 2014

00:21:57.220 --> 00:21:58.480
 or whatever it was.

00:21:59.859 --> 00:22:01.440
 It's more that they get

00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:02.480
 looked at

00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:05.039
 through the lens of love

00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:06.960
 and the lens of grace.

00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:09.200
 Put it this way,

00:22:09.220 --> 00:22:09.900
 if you were to remember

00:22:09.900 --> 00:22:10.960
 one episode

00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:11.980
 in Lot's life,

00:22:11.980 --> 00:22:15.200
 probably the one

00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:16.039
 he wouldn't want you

00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:16.440
 to remember

00:22:16.440 --> 00:22:17.220
 of all,

00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:18.420
 rank them all.

00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:19.200
 Probably the one

00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:19.620
 he wouldn't want you

00:22:19.620 --> 00:22:19.839
 to remember

00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:21.000
 is that one awful night

00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:21.400
 when he offers

00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:22.259
 his daughters to the mob

00:22:22.259 --> 00:22:23.240
 and he nearly misses out

00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:23.799
 on God's grace

00:22:23.799 --> 00:22:24.360
 by dithering.

00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:26.539
 And yet that is where

00:22:26.539 --> 00:22:27.960
 the apostle Peter goes,

00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:29.880
 not to blame him,

00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:30.640
 but in the middle

00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:31.779
 of all that foolishness

00:22:31.779 --> 00:22:32.160
 and sin,

00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:32.839
 to pull out

00:22:32.839 --> 00:22:34.079
 the one little seed

00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:34.720
 of righteousness,

00:22:35.420 --> 00:22:36.039
 that Lot at least

00:22:36.039 --> 00:22:37.079
 hated the evil around him,

00:22:37.220 --> 00:22:38.039
 and he pulls that out

00:22:38.039 --> 00:22:39.220
 and focuses your attention

00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:39.779
 on it.

00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:41.480
 It doesn't matter

00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:41.960
 that that diamond

00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:42.880
 was found in a dunghill.

00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:43.960
 Look how good

00:22:43.960 --> 00:22:44.880
 that diamond is.

00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:47.360
 Why on earth

00:22:47.360 --> 00:22:48.000
 would we talk about

00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:48.440
 the muck,

00:22:48.539 --> 00:22:48.839
 the sin?

00:22:48.900 --> 00:22:49.519
 That's covered.

00:22:50.220 --> 00:22:51.259
 But that little righteousness,

00:22:51.460 --> 00:22:51.960
 so small,

00:22:52.019 --> 00:22:52.799
 so easily overlooked,

00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:53.860
 God prizes that

00:22:53.860 --> 00:22:55.039
 and he calls us around

00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:55.620
 to look at it

00:22:55.620 --> 00:22:56.259
 and to marvel.

00:22:59.240 --> 00:22:59.880
 And the Lord

00:22:59.880 --> 00:23:01.380
 treats you that way too.

00:23:03.660 --> 00:23:04.420
 On judgment day,

00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:04.839
 the Lord Jesus

00:23:04.839 --> 00:23:05.440
 tells us it will be

00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:06.160
 exactly the same.

00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:08.940
 As he tells the parable

00:23:08.940 --> 00:23:09.519
 of the sheep

00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:10.019
 and the goats,

00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:11.340
 remarkable in many ways.

00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:12.840
 He speaks to the goats,

00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:13.440
 I never knew you,

00:23:13.500 --> 00:23:14.059
 they're amazed.

00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:15.660
 Terrifying words.

00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:17.960
 But he speaks

00:23:17.960 --> 00:23:18.580
 to his sheep

00:23:18.580 --> 00:23:19.880
 and he praises them.

00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:21.539
 He welcomes them

00:23:21.539 --> 00:23:22.240
 into his glory

00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:23.019
 and their response

00:23:23.019 --> 00:23:23.460
 is to go,

00:23:23.559 --> 00:23:25.279
 hang on a second,

00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:27.200
 when did we do all that?

00:23:27.380 --> 00:23:28.500
 When were we half

00:23:28.500 --> 00:23:29.039
 as righteous

00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:30.080
 as you're making out?

00:23:31.620 --> 00:23:32.420
 And he draws

00:23:32.420 --> 00:23:33.000
 their attention

00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:34.799
 to their little

00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:35.920
 righteousnesses,

00:23:36.779 --> 00:23:38.120
 their little kindnesses

00:23:38.120 --> 00:23:38.680
 to the poor,

00:23:38.940 --> 00:23:39.820
 that they had forgotten

00:23:39.820 --> 00:23:40.460
 all about.

00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:42.460
 But the Lord Jesus

00:23:42.460 --> 00:23:43.120
 had not forgotten.

00:23:44.600 --> 00:23:45.440
 He had treasured

00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:46.039
 those things up.

00:23:47.360 --> 00:23:48.500
 He wanted to reward them

00:23:48.500 --> 00:23:49.380
 eternally for them.

00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:52.799
 If you are in Christ

00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:53.559
 seeking the Lord

00:23:53.559 --> 00:23:54.080
 in humility,

00:23:54.259 --> 00:23:55.000
 not only does he keep

00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:56.460
 no record of your wrongs,

00:23:56.920 --> 00:23:58.860
 he treasures up

00:23:58.860 --> 00:24:01.340
 your righteous deeds

00:24:01.340 --> 00:24:02.820
 that you rightly look at

00:24:02.820 --> 00:24:03.120
 and go,

00:24:03.259 --> 00:24:04.100
 how insignificant,

00:24:04.740 --> 00:24:05.920
 how mixed up with sin.

00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:07.580
 he treasures them up

00:24:07.580 --> 00:24:09.680
 and rejoices over them.

00:24:13.259 --> 00:24:14.519
 How rich his grace

00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:15.039
 to us is,

00:24:15.080 --> 00:24:15.500
 don't you think?

00:24:17.560 --> 00:24:19.120
 How remarkable he is.

00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:23.420
 And then I want to say,

00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:24.380
 if this is the way

00:24:24.380 --> 00:24:25.160
 the Lord treats us,

00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:25.980
 then this is also

00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:27.019
 how we should treat

00:24:27.019 --> 00:24:27.740
 each other.

00:24:28.039 --> 00:24:28.700
 You know this,

00:24:28.840 --> 00:24:29.120
 I hope,

00:24:29.259 --> 00:24:30.279
 from your Bibles.

00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:32.160
 Forgive as the Lord

00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:32.940
 forgave you.

00:24:32.940 --> 00:24:34.700
 And the very simple

00:24:34.700 --> 00:24:35.519
 point I want to make here

00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:36.880
 is that forgiving someone

00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:39.140
 means covering over

00:24:39.140 --> 00:24:39.740
 their sin.

00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:42.200
 Now just like with God,

00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:42.940
 that does not mean

00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:43.960
 no consequences.

00:24:46.019 --> 00:24:46.779
 If someone's been

00:24:46.779 --> 00:24:47.340
 stealing money

00:24:47.340 --> 00:24:48.039
 from the church,

00:24:48.320 --> 00:24:49.120
 you forgive them

00:24:49.120 --> 00:24:49.820
 if they're repentant.

00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:51.039
 You don't make them

00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:51.840
 treasure it, right?

00:24:51.900 --> 00:24:52.779
 There are consequences.

00:24:55.360 --> 00:24:56.539
 But there's also covering.

00:24:58.380 --> 00:24:59.700
 When we forgive one another,

00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:01.080
 except for the very rare

00:25:01.080 --> 00:25:02.019
 occasions when it might

00:25:02.019 --> 00:25:03.960
 be necessary or helpful,

00:25:05.160 --> 00:25:07.099
 that means we just

00:25:07.099 --> 00:25:07.940
 don't even talk about

00:25:07.940 --> 00:25:08.460
 that anymore.

00:25:09.099 --> 00:25:09.879
 We don't have to

00:25:09.879 --> 00:25:10.440
 bring it up.

00:25:11.660 --> 00:25:12.359
 It's gone.

00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:16.420
 I want to say that

00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:17.319
 should be true of big

00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:18.920
 things, but also of

00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:19.460
 little things.

00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:20.319
 And let's just discuss

00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:21.039
 the little things for a

00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:21.279
 moment.

00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:22.539
 Might let it slip under

00:25:22.539 --> 00:25:23.319
 our radar with little

00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:23.599
 things.

00:25:23.740 --> 00:25:24.819
 I wonder whether,

00:25:25.579 --> 00:25:26.339
 perhaps this is just

00:25:26.339 --> 00:25:27.240
 a couple of things I've

00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:28.059
 seen and I'm extrapolating

00:25:28.059 --> 00:25:28.579
 out too widely,

00:25:28.619 --> 00:25:29.139
 but I wonder whether

00:25:29.139 --> 00:25:29.799
 in our culture,

00:25:30.279 --> 00:25:31.359
 it's fairly common in

00:25:31.359 --> 00:25:32.000
 families,

00:25:32.339 --> 00:25:33.240
 in friendship groups,

00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:34.719
 to keep talking about

00:25:34.719 --> 00:25:37.240
 someone's sin or folly

00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:38.879
 as a kind of joke,

00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:40.319
 as banter.

00:25:41.779 --> 00:25:42.819
 Particularly when we

00:25:42.819 --> 00:25:43.879
 think it's such a small

00:25:43.879 --> 00:25:44.699
 sin that, you know,

00:25:44.740 --> 00:25:45.479
 who cares?

00:25:47.199 --> 00:25:48.079
 Do you remember that

00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:48.899
 stupid thing you did?

00:25:49.419 --> 00:25:50.199
 What a chump you were.

00:25:50.919 --> 00:25:51.299
 Ho, ho.

00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:53.019
 Do you remember how

00:25:53.019 --> 00:25:53.779
 you were like that for

00:25:53.779 --> 00:25:54.299
 five years?

00:25:54.379 --> 00:25:55.519
 Oh, man, what an idiot.

00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:58.539
 And the poor,

00:25:58.720 --> 00:25:59.819
 unforgiven sinner

00:25:59.819 --> 00:26:00.460
 laughs along

00:26:00.460 --> 00:26:01.319
 unconvincingly.

00:26:04.119 --> 00:26:04.700
 As I was saying,

00:26:04.779 --> 00:26:05.519
 if you were given to

00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:06.139
 that kind of humour,

00:26:07.879 --> 00:26:08.779
 it's just time to cut

00:26:08.779 --> 00:26:09.139
 that out.

00:26:10.500 --> 00:26:11.299
 It's an old English

00:26:11.299 --> 00:26:11.859
 proverb, many are

00:26:11.859 --> 00:26:12.960
 truths spoken in jest.

00:26:13.579 --> 00:26:14.579
 A good rule of thumb

00:26:14.579 --> 00:26:16.119
 is, was there anything

00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:17.400
 to forgive in the thing

00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:18.019
 I'm making a joke

00:26:18.019 --> 00:26:18.319
 about?

00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:20.900
 Was there sin in it?

00:26:20.900 --> 00:26:24.600
 If so, that's not

00:26:24.600 --> 00:26:25.180
 really a fit subject

00:26:25.180 --> 00:26:25.700
 for a joke.

00:26:26.780 --> 00:26:27.420
 Far better just to

00:26:27.420 --> 00:26:27.780
 leave it.

00:26:28.200 --> 00:26:28.900
 The Lord has covered

00:26:28.900 --> 00:26:29.660
 over your much

00:26:29.660 --> 00:26:30.540
 bigger sins.

00:26:31.700 --> 00:26:32.200
 Find something better

00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:32.759
 to laugh about.

00:26:34.780 --> 00:26:35.740
 It's true for big

00:26:35.740 --> 00:26:36.300
 things as well.

00:26:37.620 --> 00:26:38.519
 If you're holding a

00:26:38.519 --> 00:26:39.480
 grudge, if there's

00:26:39.480 --> 00:26:40.200
 someone that you feel

00:26:40.200 --> 00:26:41.140
 bitter towards,

00:26:41.860 --> 00:26:42.660
 perhaps they well

00:26:42.660 --> 00:26:43.440
 deserved it.

00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:47.140
 We sin against each

00:26:47.140 --> 00:26:47.840
 other in such huge

00:26:47.840 --> 00:26:48.320
 ways, don't we,

00:26:48.340 --> 00:26:48.660
 sometimes?

00:26:49.960 --> 00:26:50.800
 And yet the Lord

00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:52.000
 calls you to

00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:54.200
 cover it.

00:26:58.299 --> 00:26:58.960
 Highly recommend

00:26:58.960 --> 00:26:59.659
 here a little article

00:26:59.659 --> 00:27:00.240
 called How to be

00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:01.019
 free from bitterness.

00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:02.240
 American evangelist

00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:02.819
 called Jim Wilson

00:27:02.819 --> 00:27:03.419
 who died a few years

00:27:03.419 --> 00:27:03.639
 ago.

00:27:03.879 --> 00:27:04.539
 It's only eight pages.

00:27:04.700 --> 00:27:05.399
 I would say personally

00:27:05.399 --> 00:27:06.559
 some of the most

00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:07.259
 fruitful eight pages

00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:07.899
 that I've read.

00:27:08.579 --> 00:27:09.180
 Well worth reading

00:27:09.180 --> 00:27:09.740
 the whole thing.

00:27:10.379 --> 00:27:11.000
 Here's a little quote.

00:27:11.899 --> 00:27:12.240
 He says,

00:27:12.299 --> 00:27:12.839
 How can we tell

00:27:12.839 --> 00:27:13.319
 if we're bitter?

00:27:14.399 --> 00:27:15.339
 One good rule of

00:27:15.339 --> 00:27:15.879
 thumb is this,

00:27:16.099 --> 00:27:16.419
 bitterness

00:27:16.419 --> 00:27:17.619
 remembers

00:27:17.619 --> 00:27:18.720
 details.

00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:20.700
 You've had

00:27:20.700 --> 00:27:21.319
 thousands of

00:27:21.319 --> 00:27:21.920
 conversations in

00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:22.259
 your life,

00:27:22.319 --> 00:27:22.700
 most of which

00:27:22.700 --> 00:27:23.120
 you've forgotten,

00:27:23.519 --> 00:27:24.319
 but this one took

00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:24.960
 place five years

00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:25.480
 ago and you

00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:25.900
 remember every

00:27:25.900 --> 00:27:26.519
 single word

00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:28.380
 and his intonation

00:27:28.380 --> 00:27:29.900
 and the inflection

00:27:29.900 --> 00:27:30.400
 of every part of

00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:30.720
 his voice.

00:27:30.819 --> 00:27:31.440
 You know exactly

00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:31.980
 what happened

00:27:31.980 --> 00:27:33.319
 and that means

00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:33.700
 you're bitter.

00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:36.299
 He's right,

00:27:36.339 --> 00:27:36.660
 isn't he?

00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:39.160
 Unforgiveness,

00:27:39.299 --> 00:27:39.579
 bitterness

00:27:39.579 --> 00:27:40.579
 remembers,

00:27:41.500 --> 00:27:41.880
 forgiveness

00:27:41.880 --> 00:27:43.880
 forgets.

00:27:44.660 --> 00:27:45.260
 So let me say

00:27:45.260 --> 00:27:46.320
 that there may

00:27:46.320 --> 00:27:46.920
 well be in a room

00:27:46.920 --> 00:27:47.220
 this size,

00:27:47.280 --> 00:27:47.860
 I imagine there

00:27:47.860 --> 00:27:47.980
 is,

00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:48.320
 I don't know

00:27:48.320 --> 00:27:49.480
 this congregation,

00:27:49.820 --> 00:27:50.260
 but I imagine

00:27:50.260 --> 00:27:52.480
 there is bitterness

00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:53.220
 in some hearts

00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:53.380
 here,

00:27:53.460 --> 00:27:53.940
 unforgiveness.

00:27:55.320 --> 00:27:55.800
 The Lord is

00:27:55.800 --> 00:27:56.400
 calling you right

00:27:56.400 --> 00:27:57.200
 now to deal

00:27:57.200 --> 00:27:57.600
 with him,

00:27:59.260 --> 00:28:00.060
 to forgive,

00:28:00.180 --> 00:28:00.680
 to cover that

00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:01.060
 sin over,

00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:01.800
 to leave it.

00:28:01.840 --> 00:28:02.260
 Don't let it

00:28:02.260 --> 00:28:02.920
 roll around in

00:28:02.920 --> 00:28:03.280
 your mind.

00:28:03.340 --> 00:28:03.520
 When you're

00:28:03.520 --> 00:28:04.060
 tempted to chew

00:28:04.060 --> 00:28:04.360
 over it,

00:28:04.380 --> 00:28:04.800
 go to God

00:28:04.800 --> 00:28:05.600
 in prayer instead.

00:28:06.080 --> 00:28:06.620
 Don't keep

00:28:06.620 --> 00:28:07.180
 prodding that

00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:07.760
 sore spot.

00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:08.440
 Cover it.

00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:12.240
 The Lord

00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:12.660
 covered your

00:28:12.660 --> 00:28:12.920
 sin.

00:28:13.140 --> 00:28:13.360
 The Lord

00:28:13.360 --> 00:28:13.700
 will judge

00:28:13.700 --> 00:28:14.640
 that sin

00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:14.940
 in his

00:28:14.940 --> 00:28:15.260
 wisdom.

00:28:15.780 --> 00:28:16.480
 You cover

00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:16.820
 it.

00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:20.740
 And I

00:28:20.740 --> 00:28:21.480
 want to say

00:28:21.480 --> 00:28:21.880
 to you,

00:28:22.980 --> 00:28:23.500
 there is

00:28:23.500 --> 00:28:24.200
 on offer,

00:28:24.320 --> 00:28:26.040
 it tastes

00:28:26.040 --> 00:28:27.020
 bitter to

00:28:27.020 --> 00:28:27.520
 swallow your

00:28:27.520 --> 00:28:27.780
 bitterness.

00:28:28.320 --> 00:28:28.760
 Obviously it

00:28:28.760 --> 00:28:29.060
 does.

00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:32.540
 It's hard.

00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:35.140
 But there

00:28:35.140 --> 00:28:35.920
 is such

00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:36.800
 sweetness in

00:28:36.800 --> 00:28:37.600
 the aftertaste

00:28:37.600 --> 00:28:38.320
 once it's

00:28:38.320 --> 00:28:38.880
 gone down

00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:39.160
 and it's

00:28:39.160 --> 00:28:39.500
 not there

00:28:39.500 --> 00:28:39.840
 anymore.

00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:44.660
 You know

00:28:44.660 --> 00:28:45.460
 that because

00:28:45.460 --> 00:28:45.840
 you know

00:28:45.840 --> 00:28:46.160
 that it is

00:28:46.160 --> 00:28:46.520
 a sweet

00:28:46.520 --> 00:28:46.900
 thing,

00:28:47.480 --> 00:28:48.380
 that the

00:28:48.380 --> 00:28:48.600
 Lord has

00:28:48.600 --> 00:28:49.200
 forgiven you

00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:51.000
 and it

00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:51.200
 is a

00:28:51.200 --> 00:28:51.540
 wonderful

00:28:51.540 --> 00:28:52.280
 thing to

00:28:52.280 --> 00:28:52.620
 take his

00:28:52.620 --> 00:28:52.980
 grace and

00:28:52.980 --> 00:28:53.280
 use it to

00:28:53.280 --> 00:28:53.880
 forgive others.

00:28:55.360 --> 00:28:55.840
 God

00:28:55.840 --> 00:28:56.520
 loves

00:28:56.520 --> 00:28:58.080
 mercy.

00:28:59.480 --> 00:29:00.340
 He loves

00:29:00.340 --> 00:29:00.800
 to show

00:29:00.800 --> 00:29:01.080
 it to

00:29:01.080 --> 00:29:01.420
 you.

00:29:02.400 --> 00:29:02.920
 He shows

00:29:02.920 --> 00:29:03.240
 it to you

00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:04.300
 more richly

00:29:04.300 --> 00:29:05.360
 than you

00:29:05.360 --> 00:29:05.740
 believe he

00:29:05.740 --> 00:29:06.080
 does.

00:29:07.600 --> 00:29:08.140
 And he

00:29:08.140 --> 00:29:08.880
 loves

00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:10.580
 when you

00:29:10.580 --> 00:29:10.980
 show mercy

00:29:10.980 --> 00:29:11.560
 to others.

00:29:12.360 --> 00:29:12.640
 It

00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:13.060
 pleases

00:29:13.060 --> 00:29:13.380
 him.

00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:15.420
 So seek

00:29:15.420 --> 00:29:15.720
 him while

00:29:15.720 --> 00:29:15.920
 he may

00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:16.360
 be found

00:29:16.360 --> 00:29:18.720
 and rejoice

00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:19.040
 in his

00:29:19.040 --> 00:29:20.640
 grace and

00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:21.700
 forgive your

00:29:21.700 --> 00:29:21.960
 brother.

00:29:22.980 --> 00:29:23.260
 Let me

00:29:23.260 --> 00:29:23.620
 pray for us

00:29:23.620 --> 00:29:23.820
 now.