WEBVTT

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 Father, we ask that you would make us good soil.

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 Help us, Father, to ask good and honest questions of your word.

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 Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, Father,

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 so that we no longer deceive ourselves,

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 that we are aware of the things we say and the things we do and the things we believe.

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 Continue to pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, Father,

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 so that as you make us more honest about ourselves,

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 that we might more honestly come to your word.

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 And then continue to pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, Father,

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 so that as we more honestly come to your word,

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 that your word would come deeply and powerfully and fully into us,

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 so that in our day-to-day lives,

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 we will bear much fruit that brings not us glory, but you glory.

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

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 Amen.

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 Please be seated.

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 So, here's the problem.

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 If you think about it for a second,

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 there's passages in the Bible that when we read them or when they're said out loud,

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 we go, whoa!

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 And then there's other things in the Bible that when,

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 and I'm not talking about the genealogies, you know,

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 that, you know, and such and such begat such and such,

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 begat such and such,

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 and, you know, our eyes are just nodding,

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 and our, you know, our eyes are closing, and our head nods.

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 I'm just talking about it's really, you know, amazing that there'll be certain passages that are read,

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 and we basically just dismiss them.

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 That's, maybe I'm being too, well, you know, that's what we do,

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 but we're not aware that we do it.

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 And I don't mean to offend you,

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 but certain passages make our, raise our eyes, we open our eyes,

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 they might make our blood boil, we might feel very threatened by them.

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 Others, if we're honest, it just sounds like religion.

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 It just sounds like the sort of thing that spiritual people say.

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 So, for instance, the text that we're going to look at in a moment,

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 the opening of that text, which Laurier read,

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 that text goes against a huge,

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 the opening few words basically disagrees with probably 90% of the professors at the University of Ottawa.

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 But we don't go, whoa, that text is just completely and utterly rejecting behaviorism,

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 it's rejecting Machiavelli,

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 it's rejecting much of the advice in the business school,

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 it's rejecting Nietzsche, the patron saint of post-modernism,

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 it's rejecting all of these people.

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 We don't think that, do we?

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 Because it's just religion, just the way religious people talk.

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 So, let's look at it, because, you know, if we have that type of problem,

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 that we don't hear the Bible,

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 for the offense that it is,

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 then we're not really hearing the Bible.

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 So, let's look at the Bible text, it's Romans chapter 15.

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 Be a great help if you open the Bible yourselves and look as well,

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 that you join with me in looking at the text.

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 And we'll just, we'll read these first two verses,

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 I'm going to be looking at all 13 of the first verses in Romans 15,

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 we'll look at the rest in coming weeks.

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 But just look how it begins.

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 And listen to it again, and say to yourself,

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 okay, Father, I want you to help me right now,

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 not just to read the Bible the way Canadians read the Bible.

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 Because, you see, the problem with the way that we Canadians read the Bible

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 or hear religion and spirituality,

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 is that religion and spirituality is something private.

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 It's something personal.

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 It's basically analogous to sharing with people

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 your favorite flavor of ice cream.

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 And that's why we can listen to people say

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 all sorts of actually completely crazy and kooky things.

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 And it would be considered rude

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 if we were to attack a person,

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 not attack, just challenge them

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 for the crazy and kooky things they say of their religion.

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 Because if it gives them peace,

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 if it gives them some comfort, then that's fine.

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 It's just religion, just spirituality.

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 So, listen to this text.

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 First, we who are strong have an obligation

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 to bear with the failings of the weak

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 and not to please ourselves.

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 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good

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 to build him up.

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 Or in older translations,

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 which is actually more accurate,

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 to edify him or her.

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 Now just pause for a second.

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 You think, okay, George,

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 okay, what's the problem with that?

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 Well, Marx would say that's rubbish and bunk.

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 All Marxist theory would say that that's bunk.

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 Nietzsche would say that this is slave mentality.

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 This is one of the many reasons

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 why we should discount the Bible.

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 It's how slaves think.

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 It's how servants think.

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 It's not how the new man and the new woman thinks.

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 Ayn Rand would say this completely and utterly foolish.

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 Like even such popular things as the secret

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 or most management techniques,

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 they basically say that

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 how are we going to get more strong

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 and how are we going to use my strengths

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 to get what I want?

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 How am I going to organize the universe

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 to get what I want?

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 And even for many of us,

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 if we read Stephen Covey's

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 Seven Habits of Highly Successful

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 Effective People,

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 seek to understand before you're understood,

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 the fact of the matter is

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 is that we don't want to seek to understand

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 before we're understood.

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 So that we can really understand,

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 but so we can get what we want.

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 Because it's a way to manipulate people

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 and not give a gift to another,

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 the other person that we're understanding,

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 but ultimately give a gift to ourselves.

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 Because if we do that very well

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 in a management or an organizational context,

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 we get what we want.

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 We stay strong and the weak stays weak.

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 And we don't please them.

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 We get them to please us

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 thinking that they're pleasing themselves.

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 If you can fake sincerity,

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 you've got it made.

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 You can fake that you care about the other person.

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 If you fake that it really matters to you

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 what they think and say,

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 you've got it made.

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 It's all about faking.

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 But when we hear this text,

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 we just sort of say to ourselves,

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 oh yeah,

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 you know,

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 we are strong,

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 have an obligation to bear the whalings of the weak.

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 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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 Let's get to something a little bit more interesting.

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 But not realizing that this particular text

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 actually really strikes us

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 at the heart

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 and is basically viewed as nonsense

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 by the world.

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 And in fact,

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 if we're honest,

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 we actually sort of are,

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 if we actually start to really say,

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 one moment,

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 like,

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 okay,

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 like,

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 the Bible's serious about this?

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 Like,

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 it actually means this?

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 Like,

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 it means this in the same way

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 it means you shall not take innocent human life?

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 Or,

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 like,

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 it really means it?

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 And then we're going to get a bit frightened.

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 Because in fact,

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 the critiques of Nietzsche

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 and Marx

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 and all,

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 that it will lead to us being doormats,

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 becomes very,

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 very,

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 it becomes a threat to us.

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 And,

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 and,

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 and what's more,

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 it's not just something that describes

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 what goes on purely inside of the church,

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 just amongst Christians.

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 In fact,

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 you know,

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 this often happens.

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 I,

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 I often,

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 I get to a passage of the Bible.

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 Like,

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 if you go to,

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 one of the things that's so wonderful

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 about listening to megachurch passages,

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 pastors,

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 getting their blog,

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 you know,

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 listening to their sermons,

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 one of the things that's so wonderful about them

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 is that they can basically spend

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 20,

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 30,

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 35 hours a week

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 just working on their sermon.

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 Because they have other people

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 do all the other stuff in the church.

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 So,

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 you know,

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 in many of them,

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 they'll,

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 they'll read like three or four or five commentaries

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 and almost map out most of the book

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 before they actually work on a specific sermon.

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 I don't have that luxury.

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 I sort of just

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 deep,

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 dig with,

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 deal with each text as it comes.

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 So,

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 you know,

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 one of the things you can do for me

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 is just pray that I can open the Bible well.

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 And anyway,

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 one of the things is,

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 last week,

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 I,

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 I talked about the strong and the weak

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 and I,

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 I,

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 if I could go back in time,

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 I,

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 I would,

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 I would reuse,

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 I changed my language for last week.

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 Because I think chapter 14

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 was primarily talking about

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 what's life amongst,

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 for Christians.

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 And 15

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 is a bit how you live

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 both with Christians,

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 but more importantly,

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 how you live with the world.

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 And so last week,

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 really the whole contract,

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 you know,

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 those of you who weren't here,

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 you're just going to make any sense.

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 But really,

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 I should have said that

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 the difference was between,

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 you know,

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 a gospel mindset

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 and a legalistic mindset.

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 That's really what chapter 14

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 was going on.

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 And this week,

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 they use a different word

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 for weak here

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 in chapter 15

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 than they use in chapter 14.

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 And they bring this idea of strength.

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 And this now does sort of mean

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 what we understand generally by strength.

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 That in terms of some people

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 have just better looking,

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 they're stronger,

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 they have more economic resources,

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 their IQs are higher,

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 their EQs are better.

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 They've had better families,

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 better genetics,

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 better opportunities,

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 live in a better society,

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 have a whole pile of things.

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 And there's also weak people.

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 And how do strong people

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 deal with weak people?

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 And the key to the change

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 is that it uses the word neighbor.

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 And some of us remember

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 that famous parable by Jesus

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 when the Pharisee says,

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 but who is my neighbor?

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 And Jesus teaches us

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 that basically the neighbor

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 is every person we meet.

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 And that's what it says.

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 Look at it again.

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 We who are strong

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 have an obligation

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 to bear with the failings

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 of the weak

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 and not to please ourselves.

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 Let each of us

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 please his neighbor

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 for his good.

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 And actually,

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 it should probably be translated

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 for his the good,

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 which doesn't make good English,

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 but that's what the good

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 is mentioned

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 in the original language

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 to edify him.

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 So just before we get any further,

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 we're going to come back

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 to this text a little bit later

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 because it's of its significance.

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 The text here isn't telling people

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 who are strong

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 to become weak.

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 And it's not telling those of us

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 who have strengths

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 that we just become doormats.

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 It's actually telling us

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 something very profound

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 and powerful.

00:10:15.720 --> 00:10:17.120
 Because the normal way

00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:18.740
 that we always want to behave

00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:20.080
 is to please ourselves

00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:22.340
 and to make sure

00:10:22.340 --> 00:10:23.620
 that we're always cared for

00:10:23.620 --> 00:10:24.820
 and take care of ourselves,

00:10:25.020 --> 00:10:26.160
 that our needs are met.

00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:29.260
 And the stronger you are,

00:10:29.340 --> 00:10:30.020
 the easier it is

00:10:30.020 --> 00:10:31.580
 to make sure that that happens.

00:10:32.580 --> 00:10:34.220
 And the stronger you are,

00:10:34.220 --> 00:10:35.180
 the richer you are,

00:10:35.259 --> 00:10:36.139
 the easier it is

00:10:36.139 --> 00:10:37.240
 to completely and utterly

00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:38.500
 ignore those who are weak,

00:10:38.620 --> 00:10:39.840
 to try to step around them,

00:10:39.899 --> 00:10:41.160
 to try to step away from them,

00:10:41.220 --> 00:10:42.440
 to try to step on them,

00:10:42.800 --> 00:10:44.740
 to crush them,

00:10:45.100 --> 00:10:46.920
 because dang it,

00:10:46.980 --> 00:10:48.340
 they're irritating sometimes,

00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:48.800
 aren't they?

00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:51.519
 And that's the normal thing.

00:10:51.639 --> 00:10:52.940
 And so what's this text telling us?

00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:54.920
 It's telling us that

00:10:54.920 --> 00:10:57.040
 if we, in some of our areas,

00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:58.060
 are the strong,

00:10:59.700 --> 00:11:01.560
 we don't live to please ourselves.

00:11:02.259 --> 00:11:03.059
 That what's going on

00:11:03.059 --> 00:11:04.119
 with the people around us,

00:11:04.179 --> 00:11:05.219
 the people that are weak,

00:11:05.859 --> 00:11:08.079
 the people who are at a big reception,

00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:08.639
 you know,

00:11:08.659 --> 00:11:10.139
 in the government or in business,

00:11:10.939 --> 00:11:12.379
 that the no accounts,

00:11:12.659 --> 00:11:13.299
 the nobodies,

00:11:13.500 --> 00:11:14.899
 the ones who are off by the side,

00:11:14.979 --> 00:11:16.099
 not talking to anybody,

00:11:16.699 --> 00:11:18.119
 that we're not to go into the room

00:11:18.119 --> 00:11:18.939
 just looking to see

00:11:18.939 --> 00:11:20.779
 if we can spend some quality time

00:11:20.779 --> 00:11:22.119
 with the people who are above us

00:11:22.119 --> 00:11:23.859
 so we can kiss a little bit of butt

00:11:23.859 --> 00:11:25.339
 and get better known

00:11:25.339 --> 00:11:26.459
 and maybe get a promotion

00:11:26.459 --> 00:11:26.979
 and get ahead,

00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:28.620
 but we're actually to look at the weak,

00:11:28.940 --> 00:11:29.639
 look for them,

00:11:30.460 --> 00:11:32.340
 and that we're seeked to walk towards them,

00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:33.240
 not away from them.

00:11:33.860 --> 00:11:35.200
 And this whole area here,

00:11:35.259 --> 00:11:35.800
 what talks about

00:11:35.800 --> 00:11:37.120
 bearing up with their weaknesses,

00:11:38.220 --> 00:11:40.279
 it's another way of expressing

00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:42.019
 walking a mile in their shoes.

00:11:42.820 --> 00:11:44.259
 That not only is it telling us

00:11:44.259 --> 00:11:44.899
 that we're to,

00:11:45.100 --> 00:11:46.259
 rather than just please ourselves,

00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:47.779
 actually notice the weak

00:11:47.779 --> 00:11:50.000
 and be concerned for them,

00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:52.440
 but that in a sense,

00:11:52.539 --> 00:11:53.700
 we're to use our strength

00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:55.560
 to try to see the world

00:11:55.560 --> 00:11:56.460
 as they see it.

00:11:57.420 --> 00:11:58.720
 Now, it's not saying here

00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:00.080
 that the way the weak view the world

00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:01.000
 is always right.

00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:03.420
 It's not saying that.

00:12:05.960 --> 00:12:07.759
 They're sinful, fallen human beings

00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:08.800
 just like the strong.

00:12:09.980 --> 00:12:11.279
 But it's calling us,

00:12:11.560 --> 00:12:12.700
 the bearing of their weaknesses

00:12:12.700 --> 00:12:13.379
 is to,

00:12:14.039 --> 00:12:15.019
 let's just for a second,

00:12:15.379 --> 00:12:15.740
 George,

00:12:15.920 --> 00:12:17.000
 I know it might be hard,

00:12:17.159 --> 00:12:17.360
 you know,

00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:19.560
 but just look at the world

00:12:19.560 --> 00:12:21.480
 from the perspective

00:12:21.480 --> 00:12:22.940
 of a handicapped person,

00:12:24.100 --> 00:12:24.259
 you know,

00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.360
 physically or mentally handicapped

00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:28.060
 or a person who's just very poor

00:12:28.060 --> 00:12:29.279
 or a person who's had

00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:31.159
 unbelievably terrible things

00:12:31.159 --> 00:12:32.000
 happen in their lives.

00:12:32.039 --> 00:12:33.139
 Just for a moment,

00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:34.060
 before you judge,

00:12:34.180 --> 00:12:34.960
 before you ignore them,

00:12:35.060 --> 00:12:36.240
 before you step on them,

00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:38.600
 notice them.

00:12:39.899 --> 00:12:40.080
 And,

00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:40.940
 George,

00:12:41.139 --> 00:12:42.600
 they're walking around

00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:43.419
 bent over

00:12:43.419 --> 00:12:44.899
 with these burdens.

00:12:44.899 --> 00:12:49.840
 get under their burdens

00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:50.340
 as well.

00:12:50.899 --> 00:12:52.000
 How does the world look?

00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:54.539
 And then,

00:12:54.620 --> 00:12:55.699
 as you think about them,

00:12:56.279 --> 00:12:57.879
 what will actually

00:12:57.879 --> 00:12:59.199
 be for their good

00:12:59.199 --> 00:13:01.819
 that you have the power

00:13:01.819 --> 00:13:02.319
 to do?

00:13:03.720 --> 00:13:05.039
 Not what they want.

00:13:06.379 --> 00:13:06.659
 I mean,

00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:07.519
 street people,

00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:10.240
 to be honest,

00:13:10.299 --> 00:13:11.120
 if you give them money

00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:12.000
 in the city of Ottawa,

00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:13.000
 they want it

00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:13.639
 because they'd like

00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:14.460
 to get alcohol

00:13:14.460 --> 00:13:15.320
 or drugs.

00:13:17.419 --> 00:13:18.480
 To give them money

00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:19.940
 is actually not their good.

00:13:21.159 --> 00:13:22.080
 But to see them

00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:22.379
 and say,

00:13:22.460 --> 00:13:23.240
 I'm going to give money

00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:25.159
 to the Salvation Army

00:13:25.159 --> 00:13:26.779
 to help them,

00:13:27.159 --> 00:13:28.080
 that actually might be

00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:28.379
 their good.

00:13:28.419 --> 00:13:28.820
 Or it might be

00:13:28.820 --> 00:13:29.720
 that you actually buy them

00:13:29.720 --> 00:13:30.539
 something nutritious

00:13:30.539 --> 00:13:30.919
 to eat.

00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:31.460
 I'm not going to get

00:13:31.460 --> 00:13:32.159
 into all the details,

00:13:32.279 --> 00:13:32.740
 but you see what I mean?

00:13:32.759 --> 00:13:33.519
 That's the difference.

00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:36.519
 And not only that,

00:13:36.600 --> 00:13:37.679
 but to edify them,

00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:38.919
 which means to bring them

00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:39.700
 closer to God.

00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:41.559
 That's to be your heart.

00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:44.799
 And to do this

00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:45.819
 really for them,

00:13:46.259 --> 00:13:46.859
 not the way

00:13:46.859 --> 00:13:47.919
 I described earlier

00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:49.239
 where you can learn

00:13:49.239 --> 00:13:50.879
 a certain set of techniques.

00:13:51.539 --> 00:13:52.479
 One of those techniques

00:13:52.479 --> 00:13:53.439
 is that if you appear

00:13:53.439 --> 00:13:54.719
 to listen to a person,

00:13:55.239 --> 00:13:56.500
 if you learn how to make

00:13:56.500 --> 00:13:57.919
 the proper eye contact,

00:13:58.459 --> 00:13:59.579
 if you learn how to put

00:13:59.579 --> 00:14:00.839
 your hand on their shoulder

00:14:00.839 --> 00:14:01.699
 the right way,

00:14:02.019 --> 00:14:02.839
 or give them the right

00:14:02.839 --> 00:14:03.919
 type of handshake

00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:05.339
 and the right type of nod,

00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:06.439
 as if you're really

00:14:06.439 --> 00:14:07.239
 listening to them

00:14:07.239 --> 00:14:08.239
 and you're really concerned

00:14:08.239 --> 00:14:09.659
 and you really care for them,

00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:10.919
 but you're doing that

00:14:10.919 --> 00:14:11.639
 just as a matter

00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:12.339
 so you can make

00:14:12.339 --> 00:14:13.319
 your own pitch

00:14:13.319 --> 00:14:15.079
 to get them on your side,

00:14:15.339 --> 00:14:16.559
 when you do that,

00:14:16.740 --> 00:14:17.659
 you're giving a gift

00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:18.339
 to yourself.

00:14:21.439 --> 00:14:22.679
 You're using your strength

00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:23.339
 for yourself.

00:14:23.500 --> 00:14:24.860
 You're not using your strength

00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:26.559
 for the person who's weak.

00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:29.039
 That's the great challenge

00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:29.740
 of the text.

00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:31.719
 It's the great challenge

00:14:31.719 --> 00:14:32.379
 of the text.

00:14:32.379 --> 00:14:38.019
 Now, the question could be,

00:14:38.759 --> 00:14:39.820
 like I can just imagine,

00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:40.919
 the question would be,

00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:41.980
 okay, well, George,

00:14:42.019 --> 00:14:43.059
 that all sounds very,

00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:44.159
 very nice in principle,

00:14:44.299 --> 00:14:45.039
 but why, or should I

00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:45.799
 bother to do that?

00:14:47.580 --> 00:14:48.059
 I mean, George,

00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:49.700
 I have a lot of stress

00:14:49.700 --> 00:14:50.439
 in my life.

00:14:51.259 --> 00:14:51.820
 You know, frankly,

00:14:51.899 --> 00:14:53.200
 I deserve the good things

00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:53.500
 I've gotten.

00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:54.000
 In fact, isn't it

00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:55.059
 with the advertising things?

00:14:55.139 --> 00:14:56.279
 You know, you deserve this.

00:14:56.340 --> 00:14:57.399
 You deserve that car.

00:14:57.500 --> 00:14:58.620
 You deserve that holiday.

00:14:58.759 --> 00:14:59.679
 You deserve this.

00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:00.839
 You deserve that type

00:15:00.839 --> 00:15:02.019
 of experience.

00:15:02.339 --> 00:15:02.759
 Like, George,

00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:03.539
 why should I bother?

00:15:03.859 --> 00:15:04.819
 And here's part of the problem

00:15:04.819 --> 00:15:05.799
 that we as Christians have.

00:15:05.859 --> 00:15:06.759
 Maybe it's one of the reasons

00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:07.719
 why we feel a little bit

00:15:07.719 --> 00:15:08.819
 uncomfortable speaking

00:15:08.819 --> 00:15:09.839
 about these things

00:15:09.839 --> 00:15:11.679
 or even making a case

00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:12.620
 for such things

00:15:12.620 --> 00:15:14.179
 in the business school

00:15:14.179 --> 00:15:15.739
 or in the philosophy

00:15:15.739 --> 00:15:17.759
 or social sciences academy

00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:19.559
 because at the end of the day,

00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:20.819
 the primary reason

00:15:20.819 --> 00:15:22.000
 that they give in this text

00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:22.859
 to do this,

00:15:23.719 --> 00:15:24.279
 well, what is the text?

00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:24.979
 Let's look at it.

00:15:25.059 --> 00:15:26.199
 Verses three and four.

00:15:28.059 --> 00:15:28.219
 Why?

00:15:28.379 --> 00:15:28.959
 And notice how

00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:30.120
 in the English Standard Version

00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:31.300
 it uses the word for.

00:15:31.800 --> 00:15:32.259
 In other words,

00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:33.139
 like why?

00:15:33.259 --> 00:15:35.019
 It's answering the why question.

00:15:35.940 --> 00:15:38.200
 Like, why on earth do this?

00:15:39.460 --> 00:15:40.860
 Even if you've explained

00:15:40.860 --> 00:15:41.480
 what it means,

00:15:41.540 --> 00:15:42.560
 like why on earth bother?

00:15:43.500 --> 00:15:44.379
 Well, why?

00:15:45.100 --> 00:15:47.320
 For Christ did not please himself,

00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:49.400
 but as it is written,

00:15:50.100 --> 00:15:51.420
 the reproaches of those

00:15:51.420 --> 00:15:52.860
 who reproached you

00:15:52.860 --> 00:15:54.500
 fell on me.

00:15:55.280 --> 00:15:56.420
 For whatever was written

00:15:56.420 --> 00:15:57.320
 in former days

00:15:57.320 --> 00:15:58.840
 was written for our instruction,

00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:00.680
 that through endurance

00:16:00.680 --> 00:16:01.740
 and through the encouragement

00:16:01.740 --> 00:16:02.620
 of the scriptures,

00:16:03.400 --> 00:16:05.519
 we might have hope.

00:16:06.220 --> 00:16:07.240
 So the problem is,

00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:08.620
 to Nietzsche,

00:16:09.540 --> 00:16:11.080
 well, that's not what Jesus did

00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:11.519
 and that's not what

00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:12.300
 the Bible teaches.

00:16:12.300 --> 00:16:12.780
 Oh!

00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:18.639
 That's probably what people would do.

00:16:19.019 --> 00:16:19.500
 Oh!

00:16:20.840 --> 00:16:21.759
 If they're not going,

00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:22.519
 oh!

00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:26.679
 Like, that's the way

00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:27.639
 to end the conversation

00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:28.779
 at a cocktail party.

00:16:29.379 --> 00:16:30.179
 That's the way

00:16:30.179 --> 00:16:32.319
 to hear the whole class squirm

00:16:32.319 --> 00:16:33.860
 in, you know,

00:16:33.939 --> 00:16:34.899
 philosophy 101.

00:16:35.460 --> 00:16:35.899
 And, you know,

00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:36.720
 and of course,

00:16:36.759 --> 00:16:37.659
 you might have to be more,

00:16:37.779 --> 00:16:37.960
 you know,

00:16:38.019 --> 00:16:39.860
 as innocent as a dove

00:16:39.860 --> 00:16:40.899
 and as clever as a serpent

00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:42.179
 in terms of how you argue

00:16:42.179 --> 00:16:43.259
 these things in classes.

00:16:43.460 --> 00:16:44.279
 But, I mean,

00:16:44.319 --> 00:16:44.860
 the thing that will

00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:46.000
 immediately come back is,

00:16:46.100 --> 00:16:46.740
 well, gosh,

00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:47.740
 good grief,

00:16:47.899 --> 00:16:48.159
 George,

00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:48.919
 don't tell me

00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:50.500
 you're actually going to claim

00:16:50.500 --> 00:16:51.439
 that this is just because

00:16:51.439 --> 00:16:52.579
 of what the Bible teaches

00:16:52.579 --> 00:16:52.979
 and,

00:16:53.459 --> 00:16:53.759
 and,

00:16:53.839 --> 00:16:56.099
 George,

00:16:56.620 --> 00:16:57.279
 George,

00:16:57.439 --> 00:16:57.679
 George,

00:16:57.779 --> 00:16:58.120
 George.

00:16:58.579 --> 00:16:59.120
 Don't you know that?

00:16:59.379 --> 00:16:59.939
 The Bible,

00:17:00.379 --> 00:17:01.279
 like, you look at the Bible

00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:02.399
 more closely, George,

00:17:02.500 --> 00:17:02.759
 and don't,

00:17:02.839 --> 00:17:03.639
 when you look at the Bible

00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:04.460
 more closely,

00:17:04.619 --> 00:17:05.079
 like, you know,

00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:06.079
 you look at it, George,

00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:07.879
 it's filled with contradictions,

00:17:08.180 --> 00:17:09.079
 it's filled with all sorts

00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:10.059
 of confusing stuff,

00:17:10.139 --> 00:17:11.779
 people can hardly understand it,

00:17:12.220 --> 00:17:12.879
 doesn't give you

00:17:12.879 --> 00:17:13.599
 any encouragement,

00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:14.359
 like most people

00:17:14.359 --> 00:17:15.180
 when they read the Bible,

00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:16.139
 let's be honest, George,

00:17:16.200 --> 00:17:16.639
 most people,

00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:17.259
 even Christians,

00:17:17.339 --> 00:17:17.940
 when they read the Bible,

00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:18.799
 they don't get encouragement,

00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:19.019
 hope,

00:17:19.220 --> 00:17:21.019
 they're bored with it.

00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:24.220
 And now,

00:17:24.320 --> 00:17:25.380
 if you had done something

00:17:25.380 --> 00:17:26.380
 that you're all like me,

00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:28.259
 you want to sit

00:17:28.259 --> 00:17:29.160
 in that little chair,

00:17:29.640 --> 00:17:31.460
 pull yourself up

00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:32.000
 in a ball,

00:17:32.340 --> 00:17:33.080
 you get all red,

00:17:33.340 --> 00:17:33.740
 you don't know

00:17:33.740 --> 00:17:34.320
 what to say.

00:17:35.360 --> 00:17:35.900
 And I don't know

00:17:35.900 --> 00:17:36.620
 if I'm going to entirely

00:17:36.620 --> 00:17:37.140
 help you know

00:17:37.140 --> 00:17:37.560
 what to say,

00:17:37.620 --> 00:17:38.420
 but I want to,

00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:40.080
 here's one of the things

00:17:40.080 --> 00:17:41.080
 I pray for myself

00:17:41.080 --> 00:17:41.860
 every week

00:17:41.860 --> 00:17:42.320
 as I'm working

00:17:42.320 --> 00:17:42.880
 on the sermon.

00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:43.440
 One of the things

00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:44.500
 I pray for myself

00:17:44.500 --> 00:17:46.279
 is that I will actually

00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:47.180
 hear and understand

00:17:47.180 --> 00:17:47.779
 the questions

00:17:47.779 --> 00:17:48.500
 that people have

00:17:48.500 --> 00:17:49.599
 about the Bible text,

00:17:50.099 --> 00:17:52.240
 that I try to think

00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:54.099
 about some of the people

00:17:54.099 --> 00:17:54.900
 that I talk about

00:17:54.900 --> 00:17:56.259
 on the street

00:17:56.259 --> 00:17:57.640
 and in other places,

00:17:57.960 --> 00:17:58.660
 the objections

00:17:58.660 --> 00:17:59.519
 and the criticisms

00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:00.119
 that would have

00:18:00.119 --> 00:18:00.799
 about the Bible.

00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:02.420
 And I try to,

00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:03.640
 I pray that the Lord

00:18:03.640 --> 00:18:04.240
 would help me

00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:05.279
 to hear the questions

00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:06.200
 that people have,

00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:06.819
 the objections

00:18:06.819 --> 00:18:07.700
 that people have,

00:18:07.700 --> 00:18:08.960
 and then the very next

00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:09.779
 thing I pray

00:18:09.779 --> 00:18:11.440
 is that I would be

00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:12.680
 unashamed of the Bible,

00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:14.700
 that I would be

00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:15.840
 unashamed of the gospel,

00:18:16.380 --> 00:18:16.840
 that I would be

00:18:16.840 --> 00:18:17.460
 unashamed of the

00:18:17.460 --> 00:18:18.519
 whole counsel of God,

00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:20.000
 and that the Lord

00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:20.480
 would help me

00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:21.420
 to listen to the Bible

00:18:21.420 --> 00:18:21.880
 deeply.

00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:25.360
 Now, the Bible here

00:18:25.360 --> 00:18:27.180
 is making a huge claim.

00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:28.680
 Just think about it

00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:29.100
 for a second.

00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:30.160
 Look at this again,

00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:31.039
 verse 3 and 4.

00:18:31.600 --> 00:18:32.080
 Verse 3,

00:18:32.180 --> 00:18:33.059
 for Christ did not

00:18:33.059 --> 00:18:33.700
 please himself,

00:18:33.840 --> 00:18:34.779
 but as it is written.

00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:37.240
 So, Paul is making

00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:37.799
 a claim about

00:18:37.799 --> 00:18:38.639
 what Jesus did,

00:18:38.700 --> 00:18:39.139
 and now he's going

00:18:39.139 --> 00:18:39.859
 to quote the Bible.

00:18:39.980 --> 00:18:41.019
 The reproaches of those

00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:42.759
 who reproached you

00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:44.200
 fell on me.

00:18:44.980 --> 00:18:46.440
 And that's from Psalm 69.

00:18:47.180 --> 00:18:48.259
 And what he's doing,

00:18:48.539 --> 00:18:49.379
 Paul is saying

00:18:49.379 --> 00:18:50.839
 that that psalm,

00:18:51.500 --> 00:18:52.119
 that really,

00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:53.539
 when we read that psalm,

00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:54.059
 we're listening

00:18:54.059 --> 00:18:55.240
 to Jesus speak.

00:18:56.180 --> 00:18:57.279
 And that psalm

00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:57.700
 was written

00:18:57.700 --> 00:18:58.839
 maybe a thousand years

00:18:58.839 --> 00:18:59.639
 before Jesus,

00:18:59.819 --> 00:19:00.559
 but when we listen

00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:01.279
 to that psalm,

00:19:01.339 --> 00:19:01.720
 we're listening

00:19:01.720 --> 00:19:02.819
 to Jesus speak.

00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:04.539
 And then he's making

00:19:04.539 --> 00:19:05.460
 a very, very,

00:19:05.559 --> 00:19:06.740
 very big claim

00:19:06.740 --> 00:19:07.980
 for whatever was written

00:19:07.980 --> 00:19:09.059
 in former days,

00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:11.579
 a thousand years earlier,

00:19:11.899 --> 00:19:12.859
 and in our case now

00:19:12.859 --> 00:19:14.200
 three thousand years ago,

00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:14.980
 and in our case

00:19:14.980 --> 00:19:15.720
 in the book of Romans

00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:17.019
 two thousand years ago,

00:19:17.460 --> 00:19:19.200
 that that was written

00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:21.200
 for our instruction.

00:19:24.819 --> 00:19:26.119
 That when David

00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:26.819
 or whoever wrote

00:19:26.819 --> 00:19:27.619
 that psalm,

00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:28.659
 it not only ministered

00:19:28.659 --> 00:19:29.639
 to his generation,

00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:31.639
 but the people,

00:19:31.779 --> 00:19:32.579
 the next generation,

00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:33.500
 it was ministering

00:19:33.500 --> 00:19:33.839
 to them

00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:35.339
 and every generation,

00:19:35.779 --> 00:19:36.980
 including us,

00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:39.920
 in postmodern Ottawa,

00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:43.160
 that it was written

00:19:43.160 --> 00:19:45.299
 for our instruction

00:19:45.299 --> 00:19:47.640
 that through endurance

00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:48.759
 and through the encouragement

00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:49.640
 of the scriptures,

00:19:50.559 --> 00:19:51.599
 not just this text,

00:19:51.660 --> 00:19:52.660
 but all of the scriptures

00:19:52.660 --> 00:19:53.680
 that make up the Bible,

00:19:54.460 --> 00:19:57.000
 we might have hope.

00:19:57.779 --> 00:19:59.220
 This is a huge claim.

00:19:59.359 --> 00:19:59.500
 Andrew,

00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:00.059
 if you could put up

00:20:00.059 --> 00:20:00.819
 the first point,

00:20:02.059 --> 00:20:04.639
 only the God

00:20:04.639 --> 00:20:05.440
 who speaks

00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:07.099
 could create a book

00:20:07.099 --> 00:20:09.379
 that speaks instruction

00:20:09.379 --> 00:20:10.119
 and hope

00:20:10.119 --> 00:20:12.099
 to every people group

00:20:12.099 --> 00:20:13.480
 and every generation.

00:20:14.339 --> 00:20:15.440
 That's what the claim is

00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:16.039
 that's being made

00:20:16.039 --> 00:20:16.819
 here in the text.

00:20:19.500 --> 00:20:20.619
 Only God,

00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:22.039
 only a God who speaks,

00:20:22.220 --> 00:20:23.819
 only the God who speaks,

00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:25.220
 who is not silent,

00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:26.240
 a little bit of a nod

00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:27.220
 to Francis Schaeffer,

00:20:27.740 --> 00:20:29.779
 only he could create

00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:30.400
 a book

00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:31.940
 that speaks

00:20:31.940 --> 00:20:34.759
 instruction and hope

00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:36.539
 to every people group

00:20:36.539 --> 00:20:38.620
 and every generation.

00:20:39.500 --> 00:20:39.660
 See,

00:20:39.779 --> 00:20:41.019
 what the text is here,

00:20:41.079 --> 00:20:42.059
 and this is the consistent

00:20:42.059 --> 00:20:42.980
 message of the Bible,

00:20:43.120 --> 00:20:44.180
 it's the consistent message

00:20:44.180 --> 00:20:44.740
 of Jesus,

00:20:45.740 --> 00:20:47.819
 is that ultimately

00:20:47.819 --> 00:20:49.120
 God was responsible

00:20:49.120 --> 00:20:50.000
 for the creation

00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:50.680
 of the Bible.

00:20:51.579 --> 00:20:52.620
 He used many different

00:20:52.620 --> 00:20:53.240
 human authors,

00:20:53.539 --> 00:20:54.339
 he used many different

00:20:54.339 --> 00:20:55.259
 literary genres,

00:20:55.859 --> 00:20:56.899
 but ultimately

00:20:56.899 --> 00:20:58.099
 God was the one

00:20:58.099 --> 00:20:59.199
 who created the book

00:20:59.199 --> 00:21:01.500
 and God was the one

00:21:01.500 --> 00:21:02.299
 who caused it

00:21:02.299 --> 00:21:03.119
 to be recognized

00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:04.319
 as coming from him

00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:06.079
 and God is the one

00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:07.119
 who has preserved it.

00:21:08.399 --> 00:21:08.699
 Remember,

00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:09.939
 when Paul was writing this,

00:21:10.019 --> 00:21:10.799
 which has now also

00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:11.740
 become part of what

00:21:11.740 --> 00:21:12.379
 we understand

00:21:12.379 --> 00:21:13.079
 as the Bible,

00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:14.599
 the Christian faith

00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:15.500
 was an unbelievably

00:21:15.500 --> 00:21:16.779
 tiny minority

00:21:16.779 --> 00:21:17.619
 that was to suffer

00:21:17.619 --> 00:21:19.240
 horrendous persecutions

00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:20.059
 by the state,

00:21:20.939 --> 00:21:21.579
 and yet the Bible

00:21:21.579 --> 00:21:23.000
 has been preserved.

00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:24.819
 And what this text

00:21:24.819 --> 00:21:25.500
 is telling us

00:21:25.500 --> 00:21:26.319
 is that the Bible

00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:27.180
 is sufficient

00:21:27.180 --> 00:21:28.880
 to give us hope.

00:21:30.339 --> 00:21:31.259
 This is a great,

00:21:31.259 --> 00:21:32.839
 this is a great challenge

00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:33.599
 to us

00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:34.819
 because you see,

00:21:34.900 --> 00:21:35.559
 many Christians

00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:36.460
 don't believe

00:21:36.460 --> 00:21:37.180
 that the Bible

00:21:37.180 --> 00:21:37.799
 is sufficient

00:21:37.799 --> 00:21:38.700
 to give us hope.

00:21:39.059 --> 00:21:40.039
 We actually think

00:21:40.039 --> 00:21:40.900
 that if we get together

00:21:40.900 --> 00:21:41.480
 it would be better

00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:42.079
 to listen to,

00:21:42.200 --> 00:21:42.460
 I don't know,

00:21:42.539 --> 00:21:43.759
 like a famous speaker

00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:45.940
 or a couple of YouTube videos

00:21:45.940 --> 00:21:47.099
 or something like that

00:21:47.099 --> 00:21:47.740
 because, you know,

00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:48.220
 at the end of the day,

00:21:48.220 --> 00:21:48.980
 I don't know if the Bible

00:21:48.980 --> 00:21:50.160
 can actually give us hope

00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:50.720
 and encouragement

00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:51.619
 and endurance

00:21:51.619 --> 00:21:52.339
 because, you know what,

00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:53.679
 my words are better

00:21:53.679 --> 00:21:54.459
 or the words

00:21:54.459 --> 00:21:55.819
 of this particular poet

00:21:55.819 --> 00:21:56.779
 or singer,

00:21:57.099 --> 00:21:58.399
 they're actually better

00:21:58.399 --> 00:21:59.419
 at creating endurance

00:21:59.419 --> 00:22:00.019
 and hope,

00:22:00.299 --> 00:22:01.339
 but the Bible is saying

00:22:01.339 --> 00:22:02.019
 that it's the one

00:22:02.019 --> 00:22:02.699
 that's sufficient

00:22:02.699 --> 00:22:03.679
 to do that.

00:22:03.939 --> 00:22:04.639
 And this text

00:22:04.639 --> 00:22:05.179
 is telling us

00:22:05.179 --> 00:22:06.039
 that we can understand

00:22:06.039 --> 00:22:06.479
 the Bible,

00:22:06.779 --> 00:22:07.739
 that ordinary people

00:22:07.739 --> 00:22:08.719
 can understand the Bible.

00:22:08.819 --> 00:22:09.539
 They might have to be

00:22:09.539 --> 00:22:10.059
 in community,

00:22:10.359 --> 00:22:11.159
 we might have to learn

00:22:11.159 --> 00:22:11.699
 from each other,

00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:12.519
 we might have to listen

00:22:12.519 --> 00:22:13.719
 to those who've gone before us,

00:22:13.719 --> 00:22:15.079
 but that ordinary people

00:22:15.079 --> 00:22:16.579
 can understand the Bible.

00:22:16.939 --> 00:22:17.759
 And it's telling us

00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:19.239
 that everything in the Bible,

00:22:19.559 --> 00:22:20.259
 that God created

00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:21.779
 all of it to be written for us,

00:22:21.940 --> 00:22:22.819
 and that it all speaks

00:22:22.819 --> 00:22:23.559
 about Jesus.

00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:26.039
 That's a huge claim,

00:22:26.259 --> 00:22:26.980
 and that claim

00:22:26.980 --> 00:22:28.059
 can only be true

00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:29.480
 if God is the ultimate

00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:30.960
 author of it

00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:32.379
 in terms of having it created.

00:22:34.700 --> 00:22:36.440
 Now, just to note

00:22:36.440 --> 00:22:37.180
 before I go on

00:22:37.180 --> 00:22:38.119
 with some other objections

00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:38.700
 to it,

00:22:39.160 --> 00:22:40.099
 because there's a huge

00:22:40.099 --> 00:22:41.440
 objection in the modern

00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:42.480
 and post-modern mind

00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:43.339
 to the text,

00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:46.400
 and the objection is,

00:22:46.980 --> 00:22:47.559
 but George,

00:22:47.660 --> 00:22:48.599
 why is it that the Bible

00:22:48.599 --> 00:22:49.079
 is boring?

00:22:49.079 --> 00:22:49.259
 Why is it that the Bible

00:22:50.259 --> 00:22:52.000
 are you allowed

00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:52.819
 to say that in the church?

00:22:54.779 --> 00:22:55.019
 You know,

00:22:55.059 --> 00:22:56.019
 maybe I've surprised

00:22:56.019 --> 00:22:56.460
 some of you

00:22:56.460 --> 00:22:57.099
 because maybe

00:22:57.099 --> 00:22:58.599
 you've always read

00:22:58.599 --> 00:22:59.500
 every part of the Bible

00:22:59.500 --> 00:23:00.019
 and never found

00:23:00.019 --> 00:23:00.859
 a single bit boring.

00:23:01.019 --> 00:23:01.940
 Maybe I'm the only one.

00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:04.559
 Anyone who says that,

00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:05.240
 we're going to have

00:23:05.240 --> 00:23:06.480
 confession later,

00:23:06.579 --> 00:23:07.859
 not private confession,

00:23:08.019 --> 00:23:09.319
 but public confession,

00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:12.059
 because nobody here

00:23:12.059 --> 00:23:12.980
 would believe you.

00:23:16.579 --> 00:23:18.619
 And then the other thing

00:23:18.619 --> 00:23:20.579
 is that we hear

00:23:20.579 --> 00:23:22.219
 that God created the book,

00:23:22.939 --> 00:23:25.219
 but then we have

00:23:25.219 --> 00:23:26.259
 problems with it

00:23:26.259 --> 00:23:27.500
 because we expect

00:23:27.500 --> 00:23:29.039
 the book to be perfect.

00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:31.039
 Now, I'm not saying

00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:31.519
 that the Bible

00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:32.399
 is imperfect,

00:23:32.619 --> 00:23:33.439
 but what I'm saying

00:23:33.439 --> 00:23:34.199
 is that the Bible

00:23:34.199 --> 00:23:35.379
 doesn't measure up

00:23:35.379 --> 00:23:36.919
 to human standards

00:23:36.919 --> 00:23:39.579
 because God created it.

00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:41.579
 And human standards

00:23:41.579 --> 00:23:42.779
 change by culture.

00:23:42.859 --> 00:23:43.459
 Just think about it

00:23:43.459 --> 00:23:43.779
 for a second.

00:23:43.879 --> 00:23:44.479
 I don't know how many

00:23:44.479 --> 00:23:45.079
 of you can read

00:23:45.079 --> 00:23:46.899
 some 19th century novels,

00:23:47.259 --> 00:23:48.379
 but if you try to read

00:23:48.379 --> 00:23:49.679
 a book by Charles Dickens,

00:23:49.819 --> 00:23:50.599
 like it seems as if

00:23:50.599 --> 00:23:51.480
 Charles Dickens' books

00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:52.799
 are all like this fat.

00:23:55.139 --> 00:23:56.639
 They go on and on

00:23:56.639 --> 00:23:57.439
 and on and on

00:23:57.439 --> 00:23:58.579
 and on with descriptions.

00:23:59.539 --> 00:24:00.799
 And in the 19th century,

00:24:00.919 --> 00:24:01.699
 somebody who loves

00:24:01.699 --> 00:24:02.839
 a book that's this fat,

00:24:02.919 --> 00:24:03.639
 they'd look at the Bible

00:24:03.639 --> 00:24:03.859
 and say,

00:24:03.939 --> 00:24:04.720
 it's too short.

00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:07.879
 We like tweets.

00:24:09.220 --> 00:24:10.199
 We love Twitter.

00:24:10.299 --> 00:24:10.899
 We look at the Bible

00:24:10.899 --> 00:24:11.059
 and say,

00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:11.980
 it's so long.

00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:15.960
 Gosh, it's long.

00:24:16.940 --> 00:24:17.960
 You expect me to,

00:24:18.039 --> 00:24:18.319
 whoa.

00:24:22.420 --> 00:24:24.000
 And then we look at it

00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:24.400
 and okay,

00:24:24.519 --> 00:24:25.559
 and I'm like this as well.

00:24:25.620 --> 00:24:26.120
 You know what I love

00:24:26.120 --> 00:24:26.519
 in the paper?

00:24:26.579 --> 00:24:27.360
 I love in the paper

00:24:27.360 --> 00:24:27.860
 where there's

00:24:27.860 --> 00:24:28.799
 a complicated thing

00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:29.779
 and I can look

00:24:29.779 --> 00:24:30.400
 in the paper

00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:31.299
 for a diagram

00:24:31.299 --> 00:24:33.019
 with numbers

00:24:33.019 --> 00:24:34.240
 and arrows

00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:36.140
 that shows how

00:24:36.140 --> 00:24:37.160
 it begins here

00:24:37.160 --> 00:24:38.059
 at this time

00:24:38.059 --> 00:24:39.940
 and then Mr. Smith

00:24:39.940 --> 00:24:40.960
 and Mrs. Jones

00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:41.920
 walk from here

00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:42.320
 to there

00:24:42.320 --> 00:24:43.500
 and then they did this

00:24:43.500 --> 00:24:44.380
 and there's an arrow.

00:24:44.700 --> 00:24:45.820
 I love that.

00:24:47.640 --> 00:24:48.580
 But people read

00:24:48.580 --> 00:24:49.340
 the Gospels

00:24:49.340 --> 00:24:51.240
 and it doesn't do

00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:51.640
 like that.

00:24:51.700 --> 00:24:52.060
 Like you read

00:24:52.060 --> 00:24:52.680
 the Gospels

00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:53.660
 and it's,

00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:54.360
 you know one of the

00:24:54.360 --> 00:24:55.400
 problems with the Gospels?

00:24:56.400 --> 00:24:57.320
 That there's

00:24:57.320 --> 00:24:58.460
 four or five

00:24:58.460 --> 00:24:59.940
 or six different ways,

00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:00.840
 like just if you

00:25:00.840 --> 00:25:01.820
 take Jesus from,

00:25:01.900 --> 00:25:02.140
 you know,

00:25:02.220 --> 00:25:03.000
 him entering

00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:03.680
 into Jerusalem

00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:05.640
 and it's not

00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:06.180
 that the Bible

00:25:06.180 --> 00:25:07.340
 contradicts itself,

00:25:07.880 --> 00:25:08.740
 but there's

00:25:08.740 --> 00:25:09.640
 five or six

00:25:09.640 --> 00:25:10.040
 or seven

00:25:10.040 --> 00:25:11.200
 different ways

00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:12.740
 to draw a diagram

00:25:12.740 --> 00:25:13.240
 like that

00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:13.700
 that puts it

00:25:13.700 --> 00:25:14.240
 all together

00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:15.700
 and that drives

00:25:15.700 --> 00:25:16.600
 us mad.

00:25:18.100 --> 00:25:19.160
 Why couldn't

00:25:19.160 --> 00:25:20.000
 God do it?

00:25:20.040 --> 00:25:20.780
 The standards

00:25:20.780 --> 00:25:21.580
 that fit

00:25:21.580 --> 00:25:22.620
 with math

00:25:22.620 --> 00:25:23.240
 geek

00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:24.100
 types

00:25:24.100 --> 00:25:25.160
 like me.

00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:28.960
 And you know

00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:29.860
 what was a huge

00:25:29.860 --> 00:25:30.820
 offense for most

00:25:30.820 --> 00:25:31.920
 of the ages

00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:32.620
 that knew Greek?

00:25:32.619 --> 00:25:33.819
 the Bible

00:25:33.819 --> 00:25:34.259
 is written

00:25:34.259 --> 00:25:34.859
 in crappy

00:25:34.859 --> 00:25:35.359
 Greek.

00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:38.299
 It's written

00:25:38.299 --> 00:25:38.839
 in the type

00:25:38.839 --> 00:25:39.339
 of Greek

00:25:39.339 --> 00:25:40.299
 that,

00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:41.619
 you know those

00:25:41.619 --> 00:25:42.259
 people who

00:25:42.259 --> 00:25:42.759
 when they all

00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:43.359
 went to high

00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:44.219
 school and they

00:25:44.219 --> 00:25:44.879
 just all did

00:25:44.879 --> 00:25:45.500
 the applied

00:25:45.500 --> 00:25:46.099
 or lower

00:25:46.099 --> 00:25:47.519
 things and

00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:48.139
 then work in

00:25:48.139 --> 00:25:48.519
 service,

00:25:48.679 --> 00:25:49.039
 you know how

00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:49.679
 they speak?

00:25:49.899 --> 00:25:50.619
 That's how the

00:25:50.619 --> 00:25:51.439
 Bible's written.

00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:53.479
 It's not written

00:25:53.479 --> 00:25:54.239
 for posh,

00:25:54.339 --> 00:25:54.939
 it's not written

00:25:54.939 --> 00:25:55.559
 in the way that

00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:55.919
 really,

00:25:56.039 --> 00:25:56.579
 really highly

00:25:56.579 --> 00:25:57.579
 educated people

00:25:57.579 --> 00:25:58.899
 who went to

00:25:58.899 --> 00:25:59.559
 Oxford and

00:25:59.559 --> 00:26:00.619
 Cambridge speak.

00:26:00.619 --> 00:26:00.659
 Greek.

00:26:01.079 --> 00:26:02.000
 It was written

00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:03.239
 in lower

00:26:03.239 --> 00:26:04.299
 working class

00:26:04.299 --> 00:26:05.659
 slave Greek

00:26:05.659 --> 00:26:07.399
 and for many

00:26:07.399 --> 00:26:08.259
 centuries it

00:26:08.259 --> 00:26:09.099
 bugged the

00:26:09.099 --> 00:26:10.599
 heck out of

00:26:10.599 --> 00:26:11.279
 well-educated

00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:11.719
 people.

00:26:12.219 --> 00:26:12.779
 And if you read

00:26:12.779 --> 00:26:13.259
 it, it's all

00:26:13.259 --> 00:26:13.739
 filled with

00:26:13.739 --> 00:26:14.579
 broken sentences.

00:26:15.079 --> 00:26:15.879
 There's a part

00:26:15.879 --> 00:26:16.399
 of the psalm

00:26:16.399 --> 00:26:17.039
 where it's obvious

00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:17.599
 that he's doing

00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:18.279
 an anagram where

00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:18.959
 every verse

00:26:18.959 --> 00:26:19.639
 begins with the

00:26:19.639 --> 00:26:20.079
 right Hebrew

00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:20.839
 letter and

00:26:20.839 --> 00:26:21.399
 then all of a

00:26:21.399 --> 00:26:21.919
 sudden it just

00:26:21.919 --> 00:26:22.379
 doesn't work

00:26:22.379 --> 00:26:22.939
 because I guess

00:26:22.939 --> 00:26:23.279
 the writer

00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:23.859
 couldn't figure

00:26:23.859 --> 00:26:24.319
 out how to

00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:25.579
 make it work.

00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:26.779
 And it's in

00:26:26.779 --> 00:26:28.199
 the Bible and

00:26:28.199 --> 00:26:29.379
 that bugs us.

00:26:30.619 --> 00:26:31.899
 The Bible's not

00:26:31.899 --> 00:26:32.719
 making a claim

00:26:32.719 --> 00:26:33.799
 that it's perfect

00:26:33.799 --> 00:26:35.159
 by our cultural

00:26:35.159 --> 00:26:35.919
 standards.

00:26:36.139 --> 00:26:37.179
 It's making a

00:26:37.179 --> 00:26:38.439
 claim that the

00:26:38.439 --> 00:26:39.679
 God who speaks

00:26:39.679 --> 00:26:41.619
 has caused

00:26:41.619 --> 00:26:42.739
 his word to

00:26:42.739 --> 00:26:43.219
 be written

00:26:43.219 --> 00:26:45.500
 and that it

00:26:45.500 --> 00:26:46.559
 has the power

00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:47.199
 to give

00:26:47.199 --> 00:26:47.939
 encouragement,

00:26:48.299 --> 00:26:48.619
 endurance,

00:26:48.899 --> 00:26:50.179
 and hope to

00:26:50.179 --> 00:26:50.979
 every people

00:26:50.979 --> 00:26:52.319
 group in

00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:53.299
 every generation.

00:26:55.239 --> 00:26:55.559
 And here's

00:26:55.559 --> 00:26:55.919
 another thing.

00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:56.259
 You can put

00:26:56.259 --> 00:26:56.599
 up the next

00:26:56.599 --> 00:26:57.459
 point and I'm

00:26:57.459 --> 00:26:58.139
 not smart enough

00:26:58.139 --> 00:26:59.099
 to figure this

00:26:59.099 --> 00:26:59.519
 out myself.

00:26:59.519 --> 00:26:59.920
 It's an

00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:00.900
 adaptation from

00:27:00.900 --> 00:27:02.900
 a guy who

00:27:02.900 --> 00:27:03.319
 wrote over

00:27:03.319 --> 00:27:04.180
 500 years

00:27:04.180 --> 00:27:04.480
 ago.

00:27:05.480 --> 00:27:06.059
 God is the

00:27:06.059 --> 00:27:06.539
 source of

00:27:06.539 --> 00:27:07.200
 endurance and

00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:07.519
 hope.

00:27:08.639 --> 00:27:09.019
 He gives

00:27:09.019 --> 00:27:09.879
 both by his

00:27:09.879 --> 00:27:10.700
 Holy Spirit.

00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:11.319
 That's what

00:27:11.319 --> 00:27:12.579
 Romans 15 is

00:27:12.579 --> 00:27:13.160
 going to teach.

00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:14.900
 But he uses

00:27:14.900 --> 00:27:16.759
 his word as

00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:17.619
 his instrument.

00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:21.079
 Brothers and

00:27:21.079 --> 00:27:21.500
 sisters,

00:27:21.879 --> 00:27:22.339
 friends in

00:27:22.339 --> 00:27:22.720
 Christ,

00:27:23.720 --> 00:27:24.980
 we've got to

00:27:24.980 --> 00:27:27.440
 trust that if

00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:28.059
 we open the

00:27:28.059 --> 00:27:29.099
 Bible and pray

00:27:29.099 --> 00:27:29.599
 and read it

00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:30.719
 that God

00:27:30.719 --> 00:27:31.419
 does something.

00:27:33.299 --> 00:27:33.879
 And we've

00:27:33.879 --> 00:27:34.599
 got to trust

00:27:34.599 --> 00:27:35.339
 that we can

00:27:35.339 --> 00:27:36.639
 listen to the

00:27:36.639 --> 00:27:37.619
 accusations and

00:27:37.619 --> 00:27:38.480
 reproaches and

00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:39.279
 criticisms and

00:27:39.279 --> 00:27:40.299
 honest questions of

00:27:40.299 --> 00:27:40.740
 the world.

00:27:41.859 --> 00:27:43.119
 And we cry out to

00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:43.919
 God and say to

00:27:43.919 --> 00:27:44.500
 God, I don't have

00:27:44.500 --> 00:27:45.419
 the vaguest idea in

00:27:45.419 --> 00:27:46.059
 the world how to

00:27:46.059 --> 00:27:47.579
 answer this, but I

00:27:47.579 --> 00:27:48.459
 trust your word.

00:27:50.879 --> 00:27:52.179
 Help me to be

00:27:52.179 --> 00:27:53.039
 unashamed of the

00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:53.799
 gospel and to

00:27:53.799 --> 00:27:54.359
 listen to your

00:27:54.359 --> 00:27:55.759
 word and let your

00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:56.559
 word do its work

00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:57.039
 in my life.

00:27:57.039 --> 00:28:00.879
 One of the

00:28:00.879 --> 00:28:01.960
 reasons, I won't

00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:02.619
 go into it right

00:28:02.619 --> 00:28:03.159
 now, but one of

00:28:03.159 --> 00:28:03.879
 the reasons, because

00:28:03.879 --> 00:28:04.579
 somebody just this

00:28:04.579 --> 00:28:05.379
 week was asking me

00:28:05.379 --> 00:28:05.839
 why on earth you

00:28:05.839 --> 00:28:06.420
 should trust the

00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:07.440
 Bible and like very

00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:08.799
 simply it's like it's

00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:09.740
 there's a range of

00:28:09.740 --> 00:28:10.559
 reasons for it.

00:28:10.920 --> 00:28:12.119
 But the bottom line

00:28:12.119 --> 00:28:13.420
 reason for it is that

00:28:13.420 --> 00:28:14.779
 Jesus believed this.

00:28:16.019 --> 00:28:18.779
 And Jesus said that

00:28:18.779 --> 00:28:19.559
 he was going to die

00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:20.299
 and rise from the

00:28:20.299 --> 00:28:21.200
 dead and then he did

00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:22.379
 die and rise from the

00:28:22.379 --> 00:28:23.339
 dead and Jesus

00:28:23.339 --> 00:28:24.200
 vindicates the

00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:24.799
 teaching, the

00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:25.480
 resurrection of

00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:25.799
 Jesus.

00:28:26.380 --> 00:28:27.420
 Paul who wrote

00:28:27.420 --> 00:28:28.000
 this, he knows

00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:28.400
 that why?

00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:29.220
 Because he was an

00:28:29.220 --> 00:28:31.519
 eyewitness to the

00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:33.339
 fact that Jesus had

00:28:33.339 --> 00:28:34.640
 truly died, that the

00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:35.640
 grave was empty and

00:28:35.640 --> 00:28:36.380
 that he had risen from

00:28:36.380 --> 00:28:36.759
 the dead.

00:28:38.180 --> 00:28:39.259
 He was an eyewitness.

00:28:41.019 --> 00:28:42.160
 This is what Jesus

00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:42.660
 teaches.

00:28:43.400 --> 00:28:44.779
 And so Paul says,

00:28:44.860 --> 00:28:45.259
 you know what?

00:28:46.740 --> 00:28:48.099
 God has vindicated

00:28:48.099 --> 00:28:50.059
 Jesus and his

00:28:50.059 --> 00:28:50.500
 message.

00:28:50.500 --> 00:28:54.759
 Now, some of us,

00:28:55.339 --> 00:28:56.279
 the bigger problem

00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:57.160
 that many people in

00:28:57.160 --> 00:28:58.019
 our generation have

00:28:58.019 --> 00:28:58.900
 to do with this idea

00:28:58.900 --> 00:28:59.680
 that these are words

00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:00.460
 that God has written

00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:03.680
 is that they worry

00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:04.500
 that it becomes

00:29:04.500 --> 00:29:05.359
 permission for

00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:06.700
 unspeakable evil.

00:29:08.779 --> 00:29:09.720
 Like what was the

00:29:09.720 --> 00:29:10.819
 claim of many people

00:29:10.819 --> 00:29:11.720
 who worked in Nazi

00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:12.839
 Germany during the

00:29:12.839 --> 00:29:13.559
 Nazi era?

00:29:13.819 --> 00:29:14.279
 They were just

00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:15.079
 following orders.

00:29:15.940 --> 00:29:17.160
 What happens if God

00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:17.980
 gives you an order?

00:29:17.980 --> 00:29:19.779
 And aren't there,

00:29:19.940 --> 00:29:21.160
 in fact, all sorts of

00:29:21.160 --> 00:29:22.759
 psychopaths out there

00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:23.860
 who believes that God

00:29:23.860 --> 00:29:25.079
 has spoken to them so

00:29:25.079 --> 00:29:26.000
 they can go and behead

00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:28.019
 people and rape and

00:29:28.019 --> 00:29:28.740
 kill and murder?

00:29:28.839 --> 00:29:29.480
 Isn't that what's

00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:30.620
 behind a whole pile of

00:29:30.620 --> 00:29:31.360
 holy wars?

00:29:31.860 --> 00:29:32.519
 I mean, isn't that,

00:29:32.779 --> 00:29:33.440
 I mean, one of the

00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:35.140
 problems, this isn't,

00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:36.299
 no, okay, I won't go

00:29:36.299 --> 00:29:36.680
 there, sorry.

00:29:37.160 --> 00:29:38.660
 I mean, that's one of

00:29:38.660 --> 00:29:39.559
 the, aren't, isn't

00:29:39.559 --> 00:29:40.500
 that what often happens?

00:29:40.599 --> 00:29:41.360
 Isn't there profound

00:29:41.360 --> 00:29:42.420
 religious justification

00:29:42.420 --> 00:29:44.200
 for unspeakable evils?

00:29:44.620 --> 00:29:45.759
 And isn't the Bible

00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:47.259
 filled with unspeakable

00:29:47.259 --> 00:29:47.880
 evils?

00:29:47.980 --> 00:29:49.000
 And George, if you

00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:50.160
 actually hold something

00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:51.019
 like this, isn't this

00:29:51.019 --> 00:29:51.940
 going to lead you into

00:29:51.940 --> 00:29:53.660
 doing unspeakable evil

00:29:53.660 --> 00:29:55.099
 and then just say you're

00:29:55.099 --> 00:29:56.200
 just obeying orders?

00:29:56.599 --> 00:29:57.579
 Don't take it up with me,

00:29:57.660 --> 00:29:58.500
 take it up with the big

00:29:58.500 --> 00:29:58.740
 guy.

00:29:58.839 --> 00:30:00.360
 He told me to go and

00:30:00.360 --> 00:30:01.819
 to pillage and to rape

00:30:01.819 --> 00:30:02.980
 and to murder and to

00:30:02.980 --> 00:30:03.799
 steal and to kill.

00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:05.059
 And George, don't you

00:30:05.059 --> 00:30:05.900
 say to me that that

00:30:05.900 --> 00:30:06.740
 never happens with

00:30:06.740 --> 00:30:07.779
 religion or spirituality.

00:30:09.400 --> 00:30:10.380
 And you can't.

00:30:12.759 --> 00:30:13.539
 Although it's

00:30:13.539 --> 00:30:14.380
 interesting that the

00:30:14.380 --> 00:30:15.380
 way this whole text

00:30:15.380 --> 00:30:16.440
 begins and what the

00:30:16.440 --> 00:30:17.460
 text is grounding,

00:30:17.980 --> 00:30:19.420
 is the opposite of

00:30:19.420 --> 00:30:20.120
 that, isn't it?

00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:21.720
 How does the text

00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:22.079
 begin?

00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:23.019
 What's he trying to

00:30:23.019 --> 00:30:23.279
 ground?

00:30:23.500 --> 00:30:24.620
 We who are strong

00:30:24.620 --> 00:30:26.200
 have an obligation to

00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:27.059
 bear with the failings

00:30:27.059 --> 00:30:28.039
 of the weak and not to

00:30:28.039 --> 00:30:28.759
 please ourselves.

00:30:28.940 --> 00:30:30.500
 Let us please his

00:30:30.500 --> 00:30:32.079
 neighbor for his, the

00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:34.279
 good, to edify him or

00:30:34.279 --> 00:30:34.539
 her.

00:30:36.220 --> 00:30:37.079
 So I'm going to get

00:30:37.079 --> 00:30:37.819
 back to this.

00:30:38.500 --> 00:30:39.980
 But part of the way to

00:30:39.980 --> 00:30:40.960
 answer the question is

00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:41.740
 just to continue to

00:30:41.740 --> 00:30:41.900
 listen.

00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:43.099
 What follows from this

00:30:43.099 --> 00:30:43.759
 Bible teaching?

00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:44.360
 Like what, is the

00:30:44.360 --> 00:30:45.120
 Bible here actually

00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:46.039
 telling us to go and

00:30:46.039 --> 00:30:46.579
 rape and murder?

00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:47.619
 Well, look how it

00:30:47.619 --> 00:30:47.879
 begins.

00:30:48.059 --> 00:30:48.939
 The very next thing it

00:30:48.939 --> 00:30:50.079
 does is it tells us to

00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:50.339
 pray.

00:30:52.379 --> 00:30:53.379
 Now here's the thing

00:30:53.379 --> 00:30:54.000
 for this, and we're

00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:54.500
 going to put it up at

00:30:54.500 --> 00:30:55.179
 the end of the sermon.

00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:55.979
 I'll put it up on the

00:30:55.979 --> 00:30:56.319
 screen.

00:30:56.939 --> 00:30:57.739
 But look what verses

00:30:57.739 --> 00:30:58.759
 five and six are.

00:30:58.859 --> 00:30:59.799
 Verses five and six

00:30:59.799 --> 00:31:00.419
 are a prayer.

00:31:02.879 --> 00:31:04.659
 God wrote a prayer for

00:31:04.659 --> 00:31:05.179
 you and me.

00:31:06.399 --> 00:31:07.439
 Maybe we should pray

00:31:07.439 --> 00:31:07.659
 it.

00:31:09.339 --> 00:31:09.939
 I know.

00:31:09.939 --> 00:31:11.159
 I want to be the

00:31:11.159 --> 00:31:12.239
 master of the obvious.

00:31:12.240 --> 00:31:14.960
 The reason we have to

00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:15.859
 all be masters of the

00:31:15.859 --> 00:31:16.660
 obvious is that we

00:31:16.660 --> 00:31:17.720
 ignore the obvious.

00:31:18.400 --> 00:31:18.980
 Like this is really

00:31:18.980 --> 00:31:19.200
 cool.

00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:20.200
 Verses five and six,

00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:21.220
 God wrote us a prayer.

00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:23.059
 Listen how we, what

00:31:23.059 --> 00:31:24.019
 does he want us to

00:31:24.019 --> 00:31:24.220
 pray?

00:31:25.019 --> 00:31:26.019
 In light of all of

00:31:26.019 --> 00:31:27.180
 this, verse five and

00:31:27.180 --> 00:31:28.259
 six, here's the prayer.

00:31:28.779 --> 00:31:29.480
 May the God of

00:31:29.480 --> 00:31:30.200
 endurance and

00:31:30.200 --> 00:31:32.480
 encouragement grant,

00:31:32.819 --> 00:31:33.759
 that means he's going

00:31:33.759 --> 00:31:34.460
 to give it to us,

00:31:34.660 --> 00:31:35.559
 have mercy on his

00:31:35.559 --> 00:31:37.359
 father and grant this,

00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:39.240
 to live in such

00:31:39.240 --> 00:31:40.620
 harmony with one

00:31:40.619 --> 00:31:42.579
 another in accord

00:31:42.579 --> 00:31:43.679
 with Christ Jesus,

00:31:44.379 --> 00:31:45.219
 that together you

00:31:45.219 --> 00:31:46.319
 may with one voice

00:31:46.319 --> 00:31:47.679
 glorify the God and

00:31:47.679 --> 00:31:48.419
 father of our Lord

00:31:48.419 --> 00:31:49.139
 Jesus Christ.

00:31:50.639 --> 00:31:51.599
 So the thing, the

00:31:51.599 --> 00:31:52.579
 first thing is, is

00:31:52.579 --> 00:31:55.319
 not that the text is

00:31:55.319 --> 00:31:56.179
 giving us permission,

00:31:56.299 --> 00:31:57.179
 but if we take it to

00:31:57.179 --> 00:31:58.599
 do unspeakable evil,

00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:00.179
 but it's calling you

00:32:00.179 --> 00:32:01.099
 and me to pray a

00:32:01.099 --> 00:32:02.059
 particular prayer.

00:32:02.379 --> 00:32:03.199
 And it's very, very

00:32:03.199 --> 00:32:04.179
 interesting what it's

00:32:04.179 --> 00:32:05.099
 calling us to pray for.

00:32:05.159 --> 00:32:05.879
 Look at it again.

00:32:06.439 --> 00:32:07.059
 May the God of

00:32:07.059 --> 00:32:07.719
 endurance and

00:32:07.719 --> 00:32:08.599
 encouragement, and

00:32:08.599 --> 00:32:09.359
 don't we want that?

00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:10.079
 Don't we want to be

00:32:10.079 --> 00:32:10.879
 able to endure in

00:32:10.879 --> 00:32:11.379
 good things?

00:32:11.459 --> 00:32:11.979
 Don't we want to be

00:32:11.979 --> 00:32:12.599
 encouraged?

00:32:13.579 --> 00:32:14.759
 Like, the Bible here

00:32:14.759 --> 00:32:15.899
 is saying, call out to

00:32:15.899 --> 00:32:16.379
 God.

00:32:17.479 --> 00:32:18.959
 Get on your knees.

00:32:19.740 --> 00:32:21.039
 Fall on your face in

00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:21.500
 prayer.

00:32:23.079 --> 00:32:24.059
 Stand, if that's how

00:32:24.059 --> 00:32:25.799
 you like to pray, with

00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:27.979
 eyes open or closed and

00:32:27.979 --> 00:32:29.179
 your arms stretched out

00:32:29.179 --> 00:32:30.179
 to heaven like a

00:32:30.179 --> 00:32:31.579
 three-year-old child

00:32:31.579 --> 00:32:32.519
 wanting to be picked

00:32:32.519 --> 00:32:33.619
 up by his mommy,

00:32:33.779 --> 00:32:34.659
 because he loves his

00:32:34.659 --> 00:32:35.639
 mommy and he wants to

00:32:35.639 --> 00:32:36.579
 be held by his mommy.

00:32:36.699 --> 00:32:37.859
 Call out to God, our

00:32:37.859 --> 00:32:38.419
 Father.

00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:42.379
 And ask him to

00:32:42.379 --> 00:32:43.379
 grant us such

00:32:43.379 --> 00:32:44.159
 harmony with one

00:32:44.159 --> 00:32:45.659
 another in accord

00:32:45.659 --> 00:32:47.119
 with Christ Jesus.

00:32:48.639 --> 00:32:50.019
 This is so important

00:32:50.019 --> 00:32:50.500
 for us to hear.

00:32:50.779 --> 00:32:51.699
 So what is advice

00:32:51.699 --> 00:32:52.599
 about how to get

00:32:52.599 --> 00:32:53.379
 along with people?

00:32:53.719 --> 00:32:54.319
 If you go to a

00:32:54.319 --> 00:32:54.879
 party, what do they

00:32:54.879 --> 00:32:55.279
 tell you?

00:32:55.459 --> 00:32:56.179
 Don't bring up

00:32:56.179 --> 00:32:56.579
 religion.

00:32:57.899 --> 00:32:58.119
 Right?

00:32:58.699 --> 00:32:59.519
 In Canada, you want

00:32:59.519 --> 00:32:59.899
 to get along?

00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:00.579
 Don't bring up

00:33:00.579 --> 00:33:00.959
 religion.

00:33:02.199 --> 00:33:03.159
 And here's the great

00:33:03.159 --> 00:33:03.959
 problem that's always

00:33:03.959 --> 00:33:04.719
 been a problem in the

00:33:04.719 --> 00:33:04.919
 church.

00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:05.659
 It's the consistent

00:33:05.659 --> 00:33:06.179
 problem of the

00:33:06.179 --> 00:33:06.379
 church.

00:33:06.380 --> 00:33:08.400
 Churches can have

00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:09.700
 harmony around

00:33:09.700 --> 00:33:10.240
 idols.

00:33:11.840 --> 00:33:12.620
 Churches can have

00:33:12.620 --> 00:33:13.560
 harmony around the

00:33:13.560 --> 00:33:14.540
 idol of being of the

00:33:14.540 --> 00:33:15.620
 same social class.

00:33:15.840 --> 00:33:16.540
 We're all working

00:33:16.540 --> 00:33:17.040
 class here.

00:33:17.080 --> 00:33:17.420
 We don't have

00:33:17.420 --> 00:33:17.920
 anything to do with

00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:19.480
 those toffee-nosed

00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:20.300
 people who went to

00:33:20.300 --> 00:33:20.840
 Oxford and Cambridge.

00:33:21.100 --> 00:33:21.900
 We're all upper

00:33:21.900 --> 00:33:22.140
 class.

00:33:22.200 --> 00:33:22.480
 We don't have

00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:23.040
 anything to do with

00:33:23.040 --> 00:33:23.100
 it.

00:33:23.180 --> 00:33:23.840
 We're all white.

00:33:23.900 --> 00:33:24.260
 We don't have

00:33:24.260 --> 00:33:24.720
 anything to do with

00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:25.040
 the blacks.

00:33:25.240 --> 00:33:25.760
 We're all black.

00:33:25.820 --> 00:33:26.100
 We don't have

00:33:26.100 --> 00:33:26.540
 anything to do with

00:33:26.540 --> 00:33:26.940
 the whites.

00:33:27.180 --> 00:33:27.880
 We're all Asians.

00:33:27.880 --> 00:33:30.720
 It is possible for

00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:31.440
 churches to have

00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:32.560
 harmony around the

00:33:32.560 --> 00:33:33.320
 same views on

00:33:33.320 --> 00:33:34.920
 politics, the same

00:33:34.920 --> 00:33:36.220
 views on economics,

00:33:36.580 --> 00:33:37.060
 of being in the

00:33:37.060 --> 00:33:38.120
 same social class,

00:33:38.260 --> 00:33:40.560
 ethnic class, all

00:33:40.560 --> 00:33:41.520
 these things.

00:33:41.740 --> 00:33:42.780
 And it doesn't say

00:33:42.780 --> 00:33:43.740
 pray that you can

00:33:43.740 --> 00:33:44.920
 have harmony around

00:33:44.920 --> 00:33:45.580
 your idols.

00:33:47.020 --> 00:33:48.700
 It says pray that

00:33:48.700 --> 00:33:49.720
 you can have harmony

00:33:49.720 --> 00:33:51.200
 in accordance with

00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:52.120
 Christ Jesus.

00:33:53.760 --> 00:33:54.580
 Flee idols.

00:33:55.840 --> 00:33:56.840
 Flee these things

00:33:56.839 --> 00:33:58.059
 that cause so much

00:33:58.059 --> 00:33:59.139
 war and violence

00:33:59.139 --> 00:34:00.559
 and hatred in the

00:34:00.559 --> 00:34:00.959
 world.

00:34:02.639 --> 00:34:03.779
 To protect your

00:34:03.779 --> 00:34:04.240
 class.

00:34:04.539 --> 00:34:05.319
 To go after the

00:34:05.319 --> 00:34:06.359
 other social class.

00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:07.179
 To protect your

00:34:07.179 --> 00:34:08.000
 economic interest.

00:34:08.119 --> 00:34:08.880
 To go after the

00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:09.679
 economic interest.

00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:11.179
 To treat people of

00:34:11.179 --> 00:34:12.500
 a different color or

00:34:12.500 --> 00:34:13.400
 a different education

00:34:13.400 --> 00:34:14.340
 or a different

00:34:14.340 --> 00:34:15.679
 ethnicity or a

00:34:15.679 --> 00:34:17.159
 different, the one

00:34:17.159 --> 00:34:17.819
 you eat in different

00:34:17.819 --> 00:34:18.599
 ways as if they're

00:34:18.599 --> 00:34:19.400
 other, as if they're

00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:19.940
 people that we

00:34:19.940 --> 00:34:20.980
 should be afraid of.

00:34:22.199 --> 00:34:23.559
 Harmony in

00:34:23.559 --> 00:34:24.799
 accordance with

00:34:24.799 --> 00:34:25.519
 Christ Jesus.

00:34:25.880 --> 00:34:26.699
 That together,

00:34:26.840 --> 00:34:28.380
 you may with one

00:34:28.380 --> 00:34:28.660
 voice.

00:34:28.760 --> 00:34:29.260
 In the Greek, you

00:34:29.260 --> 00:34:29.620
 know what it says?

00:34:29.700 --> 00:34:30.480
 With one mouth.

00:34:32.240 --> 00:34:33.019
 One mouth.

00:34:35.600 --> 00:34:36.360
 One mouth.

00:34:37.900 --> 00:34:38.780
 Glorify the God

00:34:38.780 --> 00:34:39.559
 and Father of our

00:34:39.559 --> 00:34:40.460
 Lord Jesus Christ.

00:34:40.680 --> 00:34:41.740
 Therefore, welcome

00:34:41.740 --> 00:34:42.940
 one another as Christ

00:34:42.940 --> 00:34:43.700
 has welcomed you

00:34:43.700 --> 00:34:44.320
 for the glory of

00:34:44.320 --> 00:34:44.460
 God.

00:34:44.519 --> 00:34:44.880
 Can you just put

00:34:44.880 --> 00:34:45.340
 that up on the

00:34:45.340 --> 00:34:45.920
 screen, Andrew?

00:34:47.820 --> 00:34:48.519
 Look at the

00:34:48.519 --> 00:34:48.980
 therefore.

00:34:50.059 --> 00:34:50.460
 Therefore.

00:34:52.360 --> 00:34:53.680
 You know, don't

00:34:53.680 --> 00:34:54.360
 please yourself.

00:34:54.700 --> 00:34:55.500
 Look to the weak.

00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:56.700
 Think of Jesus.

00:34:57.559 --> 00:34:58.400
 Think of the Bible,

00:34:58.559 --> 00:34:59.200
 the hope and the

00:34:59.200 --> 00:35:00.059
 encouragement and

00:35:00.059 --> 00:35:01.019
 endurance that comes

00:35:01.019 --> 00:35:01.480
 from it.

00:35:02.019 --> 00:35:02.720
 Think of that.

00:35:03.260 --> 00:35:04.340
 Pray this prayer.

00:35:05.240 --> 00:35:06.360
 Therefore, welcome

00:35:06.360 --> 00:35:07.539
 one another as Christ

00:35:07.539 --> 00:35:08.760
 has welcomed you for

00:35:08.760 --> 00:35:09.420
 the glory of God.

00:35:09.700 --> 00:35:10.240
 And then the next

00:35:10.240 --> 00:35:10.680
 thing which we're

00:35:10.680 --> 00:35:11.059
 going to look at

00:35:11.059 --> 00:35:11.600
 very briefly.

00:35:11.720 --> 00:35:12.160
 You know what the

00:35:12.160 --> 00:35:12.960
 implication of these

00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:14.100
 next few verses is?

00:35:14.480 --> 00:35:15.480
 Here's the implication

00:35:15.480 --> 00:35:17.180
 that you and I should

00:35:17.180 --> 00:35:17.940
 be willing to get on

00:35:17.940 --> 00:35:18.900
 our knees and pray for

00:35:18.900 --> 00:35:19.660
 the day that there are

00:35:19.660 --> 00:35:20.559
 so many people who

00:35:20.559 --> 00:35:21.320
 come to Church of the

00:35:21.320 --> 00:35:22.280
 Messiah and call Church

00:35:22.280 --> 00:35:22.980
 of the Messiah their

00:35:22.980 --> 00:35:23.440
 church home.

00:35:23.760 --> 00:35:24.340
 There are so many

00:35:24.340 --> 00:35:25.120
 people who come to

00:35:25.119 --> 00:35:25.639
 this church whose

00:35:25.639 --> 00:35:26.420
 first name is

00:35:26.420 --> 00:35:26.920
 Mohammed.

00:35:28.920 --> 00:35:29.699
 That we have to

00:35:29.699 --> 00:35:30.960
 think of nicknames for

00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:32.079
 them to tell them

00:35:32.079 --> 00:35:32.400
 apart.

00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:36.199
 Because this text is

00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:36.980
 going to answer why

00:35:36.980 --> 00:35:38.000
 is it that God wants

00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:38.739
 us to share the

00:35:38.739 --> 00:35:40.960
 gospel across class

00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:43.179
 lines, across

00:35:43.179 --> 00:35:44.539
 educational lines,

00:35:45.059 --> 00:35:46.179
 ethnicity lines?

00:35:46.839 --> 00:35:47.480
 Why is it that he

00:35:47.480 --> 00:35:48.380
 wants to share the

00:35:48.380 --> 00:35:50.099
 gospel across lines of

00:35:50.099 --> 00:35:54.299
 sexuality, of politics,

00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:55.619
 of nation?

00:35:56.739 --> 00:35:58.880
 He wants more people

00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:02.539
 to know how good he is

00:36:02.539 --> 00:36:03.599
 and praise him.

00:36:06.319 --> 00:36:08.779
 He wants from every

00:36:08.779 --> 00:36:10.639
 social group, every

00:36:10.639 --> 00:36:12.339
 people group, every

00:36:12.339 --> 00:36:15.279
 ethnic group, he wants

00:36:15.279 --> 00:36:17.139
 people from every group

00:36:17.139 --> 00:36:20.839
 to know his goodness

00:36:20.839 --> 00:36:21.960
 and his mercy and

00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:22.619
 to praise him.

00:36:25.219 --> 00:36:25.819
 Listen to this.

00:36:25.920 --> 00:36:26.980
 He's going to tell you

00:36:26.980 --> 00:36:28.159
 now how God has kept

00:36:28.159 --> 00:36:29.319
 his word and he's

00:36:29.319 --> 00:36:29.940
 going to quote from

00:36:29.940 --> 00:36:31.179
 every major section of

00:36:31.179 --> 00:36:32.239
 the Tanakh, what we

00:36:32.239 --> 00:36:33.079
 call the Old Testament.

00:36:33.440 --> 00:36:34.159
 For I tell you that

00:36:34.159 --> 00:36:35.579
 Christ became a servant

00:36:35.579 --> 00:36:36.699
 of the circumcised to

00:36:36.699 --> 00:36:39.099
 show God's truthfulness

00:36:39.099 --> 00:36:40.920
 in order to confirm the

00:36:40.920 --> 00:36:42.000
 promises given to the

00:36:42.000 --> 00:36:43.500
 patriarchs and in order

00:36:43.500 --> 00:36:44.579
 that the Gentiles might

00:36:44.579 --> 00:36:45.799
 glorify God for his

00:36:45.799 --> 00:36:46.859
 mercy as it is written.

00:36:47.139 --> 00:36:48.440
 Therefore, I will praise

00:36:48.440 --> 00:36:49.519
 you among the pagans

00:36:49.519 --> 00:36:50.420
 and sing to your name.

00:36:50.739 --> 00:36:51.480
 And again, it is said,

00:36:51.579 --> 00:36:53.259
 rejoice, O pagans, with

00:36:53.259 --> 00:36:53.940
 his people.

00:36:54.259 --> 00:36:55.519
 And again, praise the

00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:57.079
 Lord, all you pagans, and

00:36:57.079 --> 00:36:57.940
 let all the peoples

00:36:57.940 --> 00:36:58.819
 extol him.

00:36:59.099 --> 00:37:00.239
 And again, Isaiah says,

00:37:00.299 --> 00:37:01.259
 the root of Jesse will

00:37:01.259 --> 00:37:02.719
 come, even he who

00:37:02.719 --> 00:37:03.900
 arises to rule the

00:37:03.900 --> 00:37:06.400
 pagans, and in him will

00:37:06.400 --> 00:37:07.239
 the pagans hope.

00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:09.099
 And then there's another

00:37:09.099 --> 00:37:09.599
 prayer.

00:37:10.500 --> 00:37:11.299
 I'm going to put up on

00:37:11.299 --> 00:37:11.980
 the screen later.

00:37:12.599 --> 00:37:13.400
 God's giving us another

00:37:13.400 --> 00:37:14.920
 prayer to pray, brothers

00:37:14.920 --> 00:37:15.539
 and sisters.

00:37:15.539 --> 00:37:18.059
 May the God of hope,

00:37:18.699 --> 00:37:19.639
 this is what we can pray

00:37:19.639 --> 00:37:20.699
 for each other, for

00:37:20.699 --> 00:37:21.900
 ourselves and for this

00:37:21.900 --> 00:37:22.279
 church.

00:37:22.779 --> 00:37:24.099
 May the God of hope fill

00:37:24.099 --> 00:37:25.559
 you with all joy and

00:37:25.559 --> 00:37:26.860
 peace in believing so

00:37:26.860 --> 00:37:28.079
 that by the power of the

00:37:28.079 --> 00:37:29.500
 Holy Spirit, you may

00:37:29.500 --> 00:37:30.480
 abound in hope.

00:37:34.199 --> 00:37:34.980
 You know what?

00:37:35.320 --> 00:37:36.739
 We can't have too much

00:37:36.739 --> 00:37:37.059
 hope.

00:37:38.599 --> 00:37:39.699
 We eat hope.

00:37:39.920 --> 00:37:40.940
 We drink hope.

00:37:40.940 --> 00:37:41.960
 We breathe hope.

00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:44.619
 And most of us are on a

00:37:44.619 --> 00:37:44.920
 diet.

00:37:46.500 --> 00:37:47.780
 We need more hope.

00:37:48.179 --> 00:37:49.900
 We need high-calorie,

00:37:50.099 --> 00:37:53.059
 sorry vegetarians, red-meated,

00:37:53.960 --> 00:37:56.059
 high-fat hope.

00:37:58.880 --> 00:38:00.119
 We need to breathe it.

00:38:02.360 --> 00:38:03.619
 The Bible is asking us to

00:38:03.619 --> 00:38:04.220
 pray for this.

00:38:05.179 --> 00:38:08.200
 Now what about this claim?

00:38:08.199 --> 00:38:09.159
 I mean, you can see a little

00:38:09.159 --> 00:38:10.179
 bit of why we don't have to

00:38:10.179 --> 00:38:10.939
 be worried that if you

00:38:10.939 --> 00:38:12.019
 understand what the Bible is

00:38:12.019 --> 00:38:13.659
 and who Jesus is, you don't

00:38:13.659 --> 00:38:14.519
 have to worry that the Bible is

00:38:14.519 --> 00:38:15.319
 going to tell you to do

00:38:15.319 --> 00:38:16.319
 unspeakable evil.

00:38:17.980 --> 00:38:21.319
 But the main reason is a part

00:38:21.319 --> 00:38:22.359
 that I hardly talked about at

00:38:22.359 --> 00:38:22.500
 all.

00:38:22.579 --> 00:38:23.559
 It's verses three and four.

00:38:23.639 --> 00:38:24.619
 Look at it again with me,

00:38:24.659 --> 00:38:24.980
 please.

00:38:25.919 --> 00:38:27.439
 For Christ did not please

00:38:27.439 --> 00:38:29.559
 himself, but as it is

00:38:29.559 --> 00:38:31.500
 written, the reproaches of

00:38:31.500 --> 00:38:33.079
 those who reproached you fell on

00:38:33.079 --> 00:38:33.239
 me.

00:38:33.399 --> 00:38:34.339
 Everything is going to fall,

00:38:34.439 --> 00:38:35.159
 everything about this,

00:38:35.159 --> 00:38:36.139
 looking from the strong to

00:38:36.139 --> 00:38:38.460
 the weak, for the basis of

00:38:38.460 --> 00:38:39.619
 prayer to understand the

00:38:39.619 --> 00:38:40.559
 scriptures, why we can

00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:41.039
 trust them.

00:38:41.099 --> 00:38:43.079
 They're all in a sense hinged

00:38:43.079 --> 00:38:44.460
 on Jesus and who he is and

00:38:44.460 --> 00:38:44.960
 what he did.

00:38:46.179 --> 00:38:47.039
 Look again.

00:38:48.239 --> 00:38:49.440
 For Christ did not please

00:38:49.440 --> 00:38:50.519
 himself, but as it is

00:38:50.519 --> 00:38:51.539
 written, the reproaches of

00:38:51.539 --> 00:38:53.339
 those who reproached you

00:38:53.339 --> 00:38:54.759
 fell on me.

00:38:55.480 --> 00:38:56.539
 If you're a non-Christian,

00:38:56.699 --> 00:38:57.599
 you hear one of the things

00:38:57.599 --> 00:38:58.420
 that you might not know

00:38:58.420 --> 00:38:59.779
 about Christians is that we

00:38:59.779 --> 00:39:01.199
 reproach God all the time.

00:39:01.199 --> 00:39:03.819
 You know what does

00:39:03.819 --> 00:39:04.579
 reproach mean?

00:39:06.079 --> 00:39:07.399
 Completely lost my place

00:39:07.399 --> 00:39:08.359
 in my notes, folks.

00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:09.119
 But anyway, there you go.

00:39:09.719 --> 00:39:12.419
 Reproach means to accuse

00:39:12.419 --> 00:39:15.379
 of moral failure, to express

00:39:15.379 --> 00:39:17.599
 disapproval, to express

00:39:17.599 --> 00:39:20.719
 disappointment, to blame,

00:39:21.399 --> 00:39:23.519
 to discredit, to rebuke.

00:39:24.599 --> 00:39:26.000
 God, I'm so disappointed you

00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:26.939
 didn't get me that job.

00:39:28.319 --> 00:39:29.359
 You know, I find the Bible

00:39:29.359 --> 00:39:29.799
 boring.

00:39:29.800 --> 00:39:31.600
 God, I blame you.

00:39:33.420 --> 00:39:34.420
 I mean, we might not come

00:39:34.420 --> 00:39:35.400
 out and say that, although

00:39:35.400 --> 00:39:37.000
 maybe we will, you know.

00:39:40.820 --> 00:39:41.860
 And the fact of the matter

00:39:41.860 --> 00:39:43.019
 is, is that the whole world

00:39:43.019 --> 00:39:44.620
 has reproaches and

00:39:44.620 --> 00:39:46.019
 accusations against God.

00:39:47.940 --> 00:39:50.800
 Imagine for a moment that

00:39:51.460 --> 00:39:52.840
 the world was to gather, all

00:39:52.840 --> 00:39:53.980
 the people were to gather

00:39:53.980 --> 00:39:55.560
 before God, before he does

00:39:55.560 --> 00:39:56.880
 his judgment on each human

00:39:56.880 --> 00:39:57.200
 being.

00:39:57.199 --> 00:39:59.919
 And they were to express

00:39:59.919 --> 00:40:02.259
 out loud their reproaches

00:40:02.259 --> 00:40:03.919
 against God and all of the

00:40:03.919 --> 00:40:05.119
 ways that God has failed,

00:40:05.559 --> 00:40:06.879
 that God can't possibly

00:40:06.879 --> 00:40:07.379
 understand.

00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:08.319
 And they might say, God,

00:40:08.399 --> 00:40:09.259
 how on earth could you

00:40:09.259 --> 00:40:10.399
 possibly understand what it

00:40:10.399 --> 00:40:11.099
 means to be human?

00:40:11.460 --> 00:40:12.099
 You're God.

00:40:12.259 --> 00:40:13.019
 You're up there.

00:40:13.099 --> 00:40:14.219
 You don't have bodily needs.

00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:15.279
 You can just do whatever you

00:40:15.279 --> 00:40:15.519
 want.

00:40:15.599 --> 00:40:16.659
 You can just, you can just

00:40:16.659 --> 00:40:17.460
 shut this down.

00:40:17.539 --> 00:40:18.659
 You can just raise this up.

00:40:18.980 --> 00:40:20.460
 You know, we can't, we can't

00:40:20.460 --> 00:40:21.319
 do anything to you.

00:40:21.359 --> 00:40:22.239
 We can't fight you.

00:40:22.239 --> 00:40:23.259
 We can't try to bring you

00:40:23.259 --> 00:40:23.639
 to court.

00:40:23.719 --> 00:40:24.379
 You can just do whatever

00:40:24.379 --> 00:40:24.719
 you want.

00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:25.759
 How on earth can you

00:40:25.759 --> 00:40:27.339
 possibly know what it

00:40:27.339 --> 00:40:27.699
 means?

00:40:28.159 --> 00:40:29.500
 And then maybe the cry would

00:40:29.500 --> 00:40:30.039
 go out.

00:40:30.559 --> 00:40:31.639
 And what does God know?

00:40:31.739 --> 00:40:32.979
 How on earth does he know

00:40:32.979 --> 00:40:33.279
 anything?

00:40:34.679 --> 00:40:36.759
 I wish that we could make

00:40:36.759 --> 00:40:38.479
 God to know these things.

00:40:38.959 --> 00:40:40.639
 Let him be the victim of

00:40:40.639 --> 00:40:42.359
 religious fanaticism, which

00:40:42.359 --> 00:40:43.719
 leads to lying and killing.

00:40:44.559 --> 00:40:45.579
 And then they, after they've

00:40:45.579 --> 00:40:46.559
 lied and they killed, they

00:40:46.559 --> 00:40:47.519
 wash their hands in

00:40:47.519 --> 00:40:47.799
 innocence.

00:40:48.199 --> 00:40:50.039
 Let him be born illegitimate.

00:40:50.039 --> 00:40:51.679
 Let him be born to a

00:40:51.679 --> 00:40:53.420
 despised subgroup in an

00:40:53.420 --> 00:40:54.840
 insignificant people group.

00:40:55.159 --> 00:40:56.300
 Let him be part of a

00:40:56.300 --> 00:40:57.519
 people group conquered by

00:40:57.519 --> 00:40:58.500
 an imperial power.

00:40:58.940 --> 00:41:00.579
 Let him not be well

00:41:00.579 --> 00:41:02.239
 educated or prosperous or

00:41:02.239 --> 00:41:02.920
 good looking.

00:41:03.380 --> 00:41:05.400
 Let him have to work at

00:41:05.400 --> 00:41:06.860
 poorly paid manual labor.

00:41:06.960 --> 00:41:08.139
 Let him lose his father

00:41:08.139 --> 00:41:08.519
 early.

00:41:08.820 --> 00:41:09.559
 Let him have a

00:41:09.559 --> 00:41:11.119
 dysfunctional family where

00:41:11.119 --> 00:41:12.400
 they do not support him or

00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:14.139
 believe in him like many of

00:41:14.139 --> 00:41:14.639
 us are.

00:41:15.739 --> 00:41:18.800
 Those who are, those who

00:41:18.800 --> 00:41:20.019
 find the whole sexuality

00:41:20.019 --> 00:41:20.900
 teaching so frustrating.

00:41:21.199 --> 00:41:24.380
 Let God, let him know what

00:41:24.380 --> 00:41:25.800
 it means to never know

00:41:25.800 --> 00:41:26.860
 sexual love.

00:41:28.300 --> 00:41:29.900
 Let him be rejected by his

00:41:29.900 --> 00:41:30.980
 half brothers and half

00:41:30.980 --> 00:41:31.420
 sisters.

00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:33.320
 Let him be misunderstood by

00:41:33.320 --> 00:41:33.559
 all.

00:41:33.880 --> 00:41:35.019
 Let him be hounded by

00:41:35.019 --> 00:41:36.360
 religious leaders and the

00:41:36.360 --> 00:41:37.340
 educational elite.

00:41:37.659 --> 00:41:38.860
 Let him be hounded by the

00:41:38.860 --> 00:41:39.280
 powerful.

00:41:39.699 --> 00:41:41.199
 Let him be arrested by the

00:41:41.199 --> 00:41:42.320
 authorities on trumped up

00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:42.679
 charges.

00:41:43.019 --> 00:41:44.360
 Let him be denied legal

00:41:44.360 --> 00:41:44.780
 counsel.

00:41:45.139 --> 00:41:46.759
 Let him be abandoned by his

00:41:46.759 --> 00:41:47.119
 friends.

00:41:47.440 --> 00:41:48.639
 Let him be beaten and

00:41:48.639 --> 00:41:48.980
 tortured.

00:41:48.980 --> 00:41:50.500
 Let him be publicly

00:41:50.500 --> 00:41:52.300
 humiliated, publicly made

00:41:52.300 --> 00:41:53.960
 naked, subject to public

00:41:53.960 --> 00:41:56.500
 ridicule, abuse and scarred.

00:41:56.820 --> 00:41:58.199
 Let him die of failure.

00:41:58.199 --> 00:42:05.259
 And then all the people would

00:42:05.259 --> 00:42:06.059
 be silenced.

00:42:13.980 --> 00:42:15.619
 The reproaches of those who

00:42:15.619 --> 00:42:19.159
 reproached you fell on me.

00:42:22.159 --> 00:42:23.480
 Andrew, could you put up Romans

00:42:23.480 --> 00:42:24.719
 1, 16 to 17?

00:42:28.619 --> 00:42:29.760
 Could you read it out loud?

00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:30.440
 I can't.

00:42:30.539 --> 00:42:31.559
 I'll try to read it with you.

00:42:32.219 --> 00:42:33.619
 For I am not ashamed of the

00:42:33.619 --> 00:42:34.079
 gospel.

00:42:34.860 --> 00:42:36.679
 For it is the power of God for

00:42:36.679 --> 00:42:38.400
 salvation to everyone who

00:42:38.400 --> 00:42:38.900
 believes.

00:42:39.460 --> 00:42:41.579
 To the Jew first and also to the

00:42:41.579 --> 00:42:41.860
 Greek.

00:42:42.380 --> 00:42:43.740
 For in the gospel the

00:42:43.740 --> 00:42:45.219
 righteousness of God is

00:42:45.219 --> 00:42:47.039
 revealed from faith to faith.

00:42:47.539 --> 00:42:48.960
 As it is written, the

00:42:48.960 --> 00:42:50.800
 righteous shall live by faith.

00:42:50.800 --> 00:42:55.800
 God does what is right to make

00:42:55.800 --> 00:42:57.800
 us right with himself.

00:43:00.680 --> 00:43:02.860
 And while human beings step on

00:43:02.860 --> 00:43:05.160
 the week, over the week, around

00:43:05.160 --> 00:43:08.120
 the week, away from the week, God

00:43:08.120 --> 00:43:11.860
 stepped towards us, weakened in

00:43:11.860 --> 00:43:13.740
 reproach, reproach and sin.

00:43:13.739 --> 00:43:16.779
 And he stepped towards us to

00:43:16.779 --> 00:43:18.199
 stoop to save us.

00:43:18.859 --> 00:43:21.299
 The same act by which he bore

00:43:21.299 --> 00:43:23.519
 our reproaches was the act by

00:43:23.519 --> 00:43:25.119
 which he bore our rebellion.

00:43:26.339 --> 00:43:28.279
 And took the doom which

00:43:28.279 --> 00:43:30.339
 properly belonged to each of us.

00:43:31.559 --> 00:43:34.339
 And dying and taking our doom, he

00:43:34.339 --> 00:43:37.519
 offered to us his destiny and his

00:43:37.519 --> 00:43:38.579
 place with the Father.

00:43:38.579 --> 00:43:42.579
 This act of human beings having

00:43:43.259 --> 00:43:46.019
 Jesus bear our reproach was the

00:43:46.019 --> 00:43:47.759
 means by which when we put our

00:43:47.759 --> 00:43:50.139
 faith and trust in Jesus, he

00:43:50.139 --> 00:43:51.900
 welcomes us.

00:43:53.340 --> 00:43:58.980
 That is his power to us if we

00:43:58.980 --> 00:44:00.159
 receive it by faith.

00:44:02.159 --> 00:44:03.480
 I'm just going to ask you all to

00:44:03.480 --> 00:44:03.819
 stand.

00:44:03.980 --> 00:44:07.579
 Andrew, could you put up the next

00:44:07.579 --> 00:44:08.739
 one?

00:44:11.699 --> 00:44:13.360
 It's the first prayer.

00:44:15.039 --> 00:44:16.699
 I'm going to invite you just to

00:44:16.699 --> 00:44:19.880
 Andrew's looking for it.

00:44:21.420 --> 00:44:23.000
 It's originally point six.

00:44:28.059 --> 00:44:29.900
 This is just an invitation to pray

00:44:29.900 --> 00:44:31.000
 these prayers with me.

00:44:31.719 --> 00:44:33.239
 I want to just encourage you right

00:44:33.239 --> 00:44:34.579
 now, if you've never given your

00:44:34.579 --> 00:44:37.259
 life to Jesus, there's no better

00:44:37.260 --> 00:44:38.920
 time than not to ignore in a sense

00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:40.360
 these prayers and just say,

00:44:40.680 --> 00:44:42.000
 Jesus, be my Savior.

00:44:42.660 --> 00:44:43.380
 Be my Lord.

00:44:44.160 --> 00:44:45.240
 I give myself to you.

00:44:45.340 --> 00:44:46.280
 Use your own words.

00:44:47.180 --> 00:44:48.360
 Your heart will lead you.

00:44:49.020 --> 00:44:50.420
 God's not looking for perfect

00:44:50.420 --> 00:44:50.880
 words.

00:44:51.560 --> 00:44:53.100
 But just say to him that you want to

00:44:53.100 --> 00:44:53.860
 be his.

00:44:54.200 --> 00:44:55.120
 And he'll take you.

00:44:55.200 --> 00:44:56.180
 He welcomes you.

00:44:56.740 --> 00:44:58.060
 He'll welcome you as his.

00:44:59.640 --> 00:45:01.200
 He turns no one away.

00:45:01.199 --> 00:45:04.019
 No matter how many reproaches you've

00:45:04.019 --> 00:45:06.779
 had against him, how successful or

00:45:06.779 --> 00:45:08.239
 broken your life, he will not turn you

00:45:08.239 --> 00:45:08.480
 away.

00:45:09.299 --> 00:45:10.480
 He will take you as his.

00:45:11.279 --> 00:45:12.199
 And you'll be his forever.

00:45:14.000 --> 00:45:16.099
 As we as a congregation, can we pray

00:45:16.099 --> 00:45:17.799
 these two prayers that God has written

00:45:17.799 --> 00:45:18.259
 for us?

00:45:18.339 --> 00:45:19.460
 Let's pray this first one.

00:45:20.139 --> 00:45:22.439
 God of endurance and encouragement,

00:45:23.099 --> 00:45:25.539
 please make us disciples of Jesus

00:45:25.539 --> 00:45:28.659
 gripped by the gospel who meditate upon

00:45:28.659 --> 00:45:29.639
 your word written.

00:45:30.399 --> 00:45:33.119
 Please grant us a Jesus-centered harmony

00:45:33.119 --> 00:45:36.000
 with one another, which flows into a

00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:38.639
 common praise of the God and Father of

00:45:38.639 --> 00:45:40.079
 our Lord Jesus Christ.

00:45:40.759 --> 00:45:42.019
 In Jesus' name, amen.

00:45:42.500 --> 00:45:45.119
 And the second prayer, God of hope,

00:45:45.599 --> 00:45:47.879
 please make us disciples of Jesus

00:45:47.879 --> 00:45:50.480
 gripped by the gospel who are filled

00:45:50.480 --> 00:45:52.859
 with joy and peace in knowing you.

00:45:53.539 --> 00:45:56.399
 Please help us to abound in hope by the

00:45:56.399 --> 00:45:57.899
 power of your Holy Spirit.

00:45:57.900 --> 00:46:00.420
 Father, pour out your Holy Spirit upon

00:46:00.420 --> 00:46:00.599
 us.

00:46:00.720 --> 00:46:02.220
 Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us.

00:46:02.320 --> 00:46:03.940
 Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us.

00:46:04.039 --> 00:46:06.680
 Draw, bring your word deeply into our

00:46:06.680 --> 00:46:07.019
 lives.

00:46:07.200 --> 00:46:09.599
 Father, help us to have the courage to be

00:46:09.599 --> 00:46:11.880
 honest with our questions and help us,

00:46:12.139 --> 00:46:14.740
 Father, to hear the cries of our city and

00:46:14.740 --> 00:46:16.980
 the cries of our nation, the cries of our

00:46:16.980 --> 00:46:19.320
 friends and the cries of our family.

00:46:19.760 --> 00:46:22.680
 Father, help us to hear their cries and be

00:46:22.680 --> 00:46:24.880
 unashamed of the gospel, unashamed of the

00:46:24.880 --> 00:46:28.660
 whole counsel of God, unashamed of you, to

00:46:28.660 --> 00:46:31.200
 pray for them, to lift them before you in

00:46:31.200 --> 00:46:33.800
 prayer, to share the gospel, to seek their

00:46:33.800 --> 00:46:34.059
 good.

00:46:35.079 --> 00:46:37.000
 Father, please use us in such a way.

00:46:37.539 --> 00:46:39.980
 And we ask this in the name of Jesus and all

00:46:39.980 --> 00:46:42.160
 God's people said, amen.

00:46:42.159 --> 00:46:42.319
 Amen.

00:46:42.320 --> 00:47:12.300
 Thank you.