so we have lots of very cute little kids in the church today which is very very it's a very good
thing and it's also Father's Day by the way which I guess I'll have to say Happy Father's Day in
case I forget to say it later on which would be quite likely to happen with me one of the things
which is interesting about young children obviously Caspar is not even close to that
is that at some point in time they start to become morally aware and are able to make wrong choices
like very self-consciously wrong choices I don't know and those of you who have parents of young
kids you can maybe have a bit of a discussion about when that comes I think of it somewhere in
their twos you'll have a time when the child is you know just playing around and and maybe there's a
something on a table or a counter that they're not supposed to touch and they go wandering over
to it and and you say to them we'll just call call it we'll pretend it's a boy and his name is Bobby
and you say to to say to Bobby Bobby you know you're not supposed to touch that and and here's the up
until then you know they just do whatever they're doing they're just little little tiny kids just
doing whatever sort of pops into their heads and sometimes weird things pop into their heads or cute
things but this time you say you know Bobby you know you're not supposed to touch that and Bobby
stops and looks at the parent like he he looks at the parent and you say again to the child Bobby
don't touch that you know you're not supposed to and Bobby looks at the parent and then Bobby touches the
object and you know that Bobby has chosen to do something which is wrong and that's something which
happens to every child in fact if you met a parent who said that never happened to my child
you might not say anything to the parent but inwardly you know that that parent's just deluded
because the fact of the matter is is that there always comes a time when a young child will
gratuitously no it's a big word but gratuitously freely just choose to do something that's wrong
now last week I said a couple of things about the problem of evil usually conceived as the problem
of why evil exists in the world and what God does about it but prior to that there's a far more there's
a far deeper profound human question that most of us turn our eyes away from in terms of thinking about
and that is why is it that you and I gratuitously choose to do things that are wrong
like if one of you says you don't do it that just shows you're not self-aware
but the fact the matter is is that every single one of us even the best
will have times when we know it's wrong there's no nothing forcing us it's not like you know I don't
know we have to steal because we're starving to death it's you know not because we have guns pointed
to our head and you know we have to make some terrible moral choice or anything like that
there are fact every single one of us have times where we just freely knowingly choose to do something
that's wrong we do why is that
what is it about human beings
that that is part of what makes a human being a human being at least today
part of the problem is that it's hard for us to think about this and come to an answer to it
without being demoralized without thinking that there's just it's it's hard for us to bear the
idea that there's just something in us which is just broken in a way like that and and so it's
demoralizing so we don't we don't think about it and most of the time what we just do is we
pretend it's not there it's not an elephant in the room and and or we pretend that it's not really
something that happens to us very often because we're very good at making excuses for the wrong
that we do and don't want to acknowledge that we have an opportunity to forgive and we choose not to
forgive we have an opportunity to let go of resentment and we choose not to let go of resentment we have a
chance to to to to help another person and we just choose not to do it and we don't like to
that's not something that we like to think about as being true to us the story that we're going to
look at today and it's so i invite you to turn in your bibles to genesis chapter 20 and as i i sort
of said in my prayer it's a on the surface it's a very very simple story but it's actually some simple
stories can be very deep and profound um i know i might be igniting a few people by saying this but
the fact the matter is is that depth psychologists like freud and and jung have often gone to some
of these very ancient stories in the book of genesis to mine their depths in modern days
jordan peterson's lectures on some of these stories have gotten in the millions in terms of views
have seen in a sense the profound depth in these very simple stories we're going to look at one of
these very simple stories and it points the way forward to thinking about the evil that we do the
wrong that we do in a way that won't lead us to pretend and won't demoralize us so if you turn in
your bibles to genesis chapter 20 and um last week i i borrowed something that i learned from an australian
anglican scholar by the name of john woodhouse telling the story in terms of scenes and i think i'm
going to do that again this week so scene number one trusting in lies to protect you that's what
scene number one is called trusting in lies to protect you verses one and two from there uh that is uh
where he'd been like by the tree and and sort of close to sodom and and gomorrah from there abraham
journeyed toward the territory of the negev uh he's sort of going south closer to egypt
from there abraham journeyed toward the territory of the negev and lived between kadesh and shir and he
sojourned in gerar which was an important uh center for caravan routes uh where there was water etc
and so people would stop there was an important uh resting spot in a in a city so but back so he he
sojourned in gerar and abraham said of sarah his wife she is my sister
and abimelech the king of gerar sent and took sarah so the implication here is that uh abimelech
uh takes sarah to be one of his wives to be in his harem and what we see here right off the bat
is that what abraham has done is he's lied in a way to protect himself we're going to discover in a
few scenes why it is that he in his own self-consciousness why he is that he chose to lie
but one of the things which is very interesting here i've talked to many people over the years
who've said you know if god really wanted me to know him why doesn't he just reveal himself to me
in a way which is very blatant and obvious and if he just revealed himself to me then i would believe in
him well the fact of the matter is is that the the bible shows time and time and time again that that
is rarely true what has just gone on before this is the most an un just a spectacular and in in many
ways horrific demonstration of the existence of of god with the destruction of sodom and gomorrah
with the land being destroyed and and the smoke going up into into the heavens and abraham
knew that god was going to do this and and god did it and and very few people on the history of
the planet have ever had a more remarkable demonstration of the existence of god and yet
very shortly after this abraham is not trusting in god to protect him but decides that he will trust in
lies and deception for him to be protected
and in fact one of many of us could start to wonder and this is going to be one of the main questions as
this story progresses if abraham lies and deceives to protect himself why on earth would god choose him
as somebody special
like why would god choose a liar
to be the the founder of the promised people like that
that is actually wrong like that's just wrong that god would do that
scene two the lord intervenes look at verse three
but god came to abimelech in a dream by night and said to him behold you are a dead man
because actually it's funny that like that's what it says in the in hebrew you are a dead man
because of the woman whom you have taken for she is a man's wife now abimelech had not approached her
in other words they hadn't had sexual relations so he said lord will you kill an innocent people
did he not himself say to me she is my sister and she herself said he is my brother
in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my and the innocence of my hands i have done this
so the lord intervenes to speak to abimelech in a dream and one of the things that we discover here
is that not only has abraham lied but sarah has lied they've been partners in lying and deceiving
now there's another big question here which some of you might not know but others
who've been following along knows and that is this sarah is 89 years old
now i hope to get to that age and probably in my own eyes i'm still going to be a good looking chap
at 89 but there's a type of obvious question why on earth did abimelech choose an 89 year old woman
to be his wife so just very very briefly a part of what's going on here in the story is this
the story is going to maintain time and time and time again that the birth of isaac in fulfillment
to the promises of god's saying that he's going to start to bless the nations through this line
it's going to be shown time and time again that abraham and sarah contributed nothing that is
completely and utterly a miracle of god in fact not only that that abraham and sarah continually
sabotage what god wants to do which is what they're doing right here that what's going to happen
abraham leaves and now he can't take his wife with him because now she's with abimelech how's how on
earth is isaac the promised child of abraham going to happen so they actually constantly act in ways
which undermines god doing something so it's going to be very very clear that only god was able to
accomplish this the second the second thing is and and this is probably part of it is that god's desiring
god's plan to create a line through which the entire world will be blessed and which salvation
will come he seems to have acted in a way so that many of these early patriarchs live far longer lives
than they normally had but there's still a bit of a mystery here the two stories pre previous to this
it takes very very clear that sarah has gotten too old she she know she's uh she's uh she's menopausal
post-menopausal she's she's old so i'm just going to suggest something here you can take with it as you
want you can discuss it over coffee you can think george is completely and utterly ridiculous that's
fine but abimelech wants to get married to sarah and i wonder if some of modern fiction is pointing to
what maybe has happened here that the miracle that's going on is god reverses sarah's aging
in the very next story the baby will be born and i wonder if what's happening is that sarah is in a
sense going backwards in time from 89 to looking young enough and being young enough to bear a child
that's pure speculation on my part you can do with it as you will all i'm trying to do is piece
together he chose a woman to marry and in the very next story she gives birth take with it as you want
the next scene is god's clear but confusing message verses six and seven then god said to abimelech in
the dream yes i know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart and it was i who kept you
from sinning against me therefore i did not let you touch her now then return the man's wife
here's the here's the here's the confusing bit for he is a prophet so that he will pray for you
and you shall live but if you do not return her know that you shall surely die you and all were yours
now i'm not going to spend very much time on it for some people it's a shock that god might do
something that might he might kill i guess all i want to do is that part of what's going on here
and it's going to continue throughout the rest of the bible is to try to help us to understand that
god is not a labradoodle
god is not a labradoodle he's not just a tame little pet that will follow you around god is a
consuming fire he creates all things out of nothing he sustains all things out of nothing
heaven and earth flees from his presence he is the transcendent and imminent god he is uncreated
and needs no environment and if god was to reveal himself fully and completely to us it would unmake us
and that is who the true and living god actually is
but the other part which is this is the prophet like how could god choose abraham to be a prophet
he lies he's not good does this mean that god sort of enables his favorites does god sort of reward
some people for living lies of deception and it's going to even get worse as the story progresses
the yuck factor of abraham and sarah is going to increase once we get a couple of scenes down
but first scene four the virtuous pagans look at verse eight so abimelech rose early in the morning
and called all his servants and told them all these things and the men were very much afraid
then abimelech called abraham and said to him what have you done to us and how have i sinned against you
that you have brought on me in my kingdom a great sin you have done to me things that ought not to be done
and abimelech said to abraham what did you see that you did this thing
now what abraham what abimelech is doing here is he's being very virtuous he in fact does fear god
to the extent that he understands god uh he's making clear that he would not have taken another man's wife
and he wants to make sure that there's a public airing of this so there is no appearance of evil
and there's going to be restitution now by the way this is something that we need desperately in our
country do we have in fact and i'm not picking on politics particular politicians do we have
a clear airing of things which they have done wrong i have done something which is wrong i apologize
and if necessary i will resign this is a consistent message to our country and it's not just to
politicians but to people in churches and business and communities where in fact you do not have this
very clear public acknowledgement that something has gone on and a desire to clear it to clear the air
to acknowledge responsibility to make restitution to make very clear what the right path is and what we
see here is that the pagans are virtuous and abraham and sarah are not
and we in canada today could learn from the virtuous pagans
in gerar
and once again we wondered to ourselves why didn't god choose abimelech rather than abraham
why didn't he choose a virtuous man
rather than abraham and sarah
well as i said it gets worse for abraham and sarah
next scene scene five is deception and blame shifting
verses 11 to 13
so abraham answers abimelech's questions abraham said i did it because i thought
there is no fear of god at all in this place
and they will kill me
because of my wife
besides
she is indeed my sister
the daughter of my father
though not the daughter of my mother
and she became my wife
and when god
caused me to wander from my father's house
i said to her
this is the kindness you must do to me
at every place
to which we come
say of me
he is my brother
we see here the seeds of prejudice
don't we
the problem with
i don't know
the irish
i'm irish
the problem with the irish
if you go to ireland
they're just always looking to try to steal your stuff
or take your stuff
or just just pick your
pick your racial group
or your ethnic group
or your
your your racial group
it's a standard part of prejudice
that everybody there
they're just going to want to rip you off
they're just going to take advantage of you
and here we see abraham's prejudice
despite the fact that the pagans in fact
are more virtuous
and the other thing is
it's not as
in in in the original language
when he says
and when god caused me to wander
what he's doing is blame shifting
he's saying listen
it's not my fault
god caused me to wander
and because god caused me to wander
i had to do all of these things
to protect myself
he's blame shifting
trying to pass away his responsibility
for his freely chosen
doing of something which is wrong
and now even when he's confronted
he doesn't accept responsibility
but in fact doubles down on it
and blames god for it
and then once again
how on earth could they pick
abraham and sarah
he married his sister
is the bible saying that's all right
like is the bible
saying it's all right
to marry your sister
you might not always have been clear about it
occasionally i've made these little references
like if you pick something like
the lord of the rings
it's six books
and if you were just to try to
to read one story
in the in the in the in the first book
and not read the rest of the story
you're not going to be able to interpret it correctly
uh... for instance
not giving any spoilers
if you just took
if you skip the beginning
and and end of book one
and you just read a few of boromer's speeches
you might understand
you might believe that he's a
a far better man than he actually was
but he actually does want to steal the ring
and and the understanding
that the depth of the problem
only becomes more clear
as you read all six books
and and genesis is book one
of a five book series
all written fundamentally
ultimately by moses
uh... genesis exodus leviticus numbers
and deuteronomy
are a five book series
and so if you just look at this story
if this was the only story
i'd have to say god says it's all right
for a man
for a guy to marry his sister
but if you read all five of the books
it becomes very clear
that what abraham and sarah had done
is wrong in god's eyes
i'm sorry it's not going to be up there on the thing
but if you have your own bibles
if you turn to leviticus
i'll just sort of show it to you
leviticus chapter 18
uh... verse 9
and verse 11
uh... it says this
leviticus uh... chapter 18
verse 9
um... you shall not uncover
the nakedness of your sister
your father's daughter
or your mother's daughter
whether brought up in the family
or another in another home
in other words
you shouldn't have
it's another way of saying
sexual relations
and then if you go down
to verse 11
you shall not uncover
the nakedness of your father's
wife's daughter
brought up in your father's family
since she is your sister
another language of sexual knowing
it's forbidden
and then again
in deuteronomy chapter 27
verse 22
deuteronomy chapter 27
verse 22
cursed be anyone who lies
with his sister
whether the daughter of his father
or the daughter of his mother
and all the people shall say
amen
so the bible makes it clear
that abraham
and sarah
are doing something
that is wrong
in god's eyes
once again
how on earth
are abraham and sarah worthy
like what's going on
with god
scene six
abimelech
makes
right
turn to
verses
14 to 16
then abimelech
took sheep
and oxen
and male servants
and female servants
and gave them to abraham
and returned sarah
his wife
to him
and abimelech said
behold my land is before you
dwell where it pleases you
to sarah he said
behold
now just notice this little dig
abimelech
is making
a very very
even though
he can argue
that he's not been guilty
of anything
he wants to make sure
there's no appearance
of evil
so he's going to make
a gift
of lots
of gold
and servants
and he's saying
there's no hard feelings
the whole land
is before you
I want you
to be able to stay
but he gets in
the little dig
notice the little dig
verse 15
behold the land
my land is before you
dwell where it pleases you
verse 16
to sarah
he said
behold I have given
your brother
not husband
I've given you
a brother
a thousand pieces
of silver
it is a sign
of your innocence
in the eyes of all
who are with you
and for everyone
that you
are vindicated
at the expense
to himself
he makes sure
the other person
is vindicated
once again
profound lessons
for how we should
live today
and then finally
the final scene
entitled
why on earth
Abraham
then verse 17
then Abraham
prayed to God
and God healed
Abimelech
and also healed
his wife
and female slaves
so that they
bore children
for the Lord
had closed all the
wombs of the house
of Abimelech
because of Abraham
Sarah's wife
Abraham's prayer
worked
in the sense
that Abraham
prayed
and God said
yes
occasionally
people
when they find out
I'm a minister
they might say
something like
we're having a picnic
this afternoon
if you could do
something
if you could pray
for good weather
I'd really appreciate it
and I always say
I'm in sales
not management
my prayers
don't work any better
than yours
and then I'll usually say
my wife is closer
to management
than I am
maybe you should ask
her to pray
so we tend to have
a thought here though
isn't it
that in fact
that
if we're closer
to God
God will answer
our prayers
so
what on earth
is going on here
in this particular story
he prays as a prophet
and God says yes
so
he
it's very easy
to look at this
and say
this is just the problem
with religion
and religious texts
that what goes on
in religion
is that there's
one rule for me
another for thee
that's not just
a problem for religion
it's a problem
in politics
it's a problem
in university faculties
it's a problem
in media establishments
and in businesses
one rule for me
another for thee
and I
as soon as I say that
all of you can think
of instances
where it's the case
but it seems to often
be the case
in religious institutions
one rule for me
another for thee
and how on earth
can you say
George
that God is showing
mercy and grace
to Abraham
if Abraham
has been doing
very very bad things
and it's not
mercy and grace
if it's unjust
or unfair
or wrong
Abraham is
undeserving
and if Abraham
is undeserving
then it's wrong
for God
to favor him
it's
you know
you can't have
mercy and grace
if there's injustice
if there's
favoritism
you can't just
sort of pick
it's just
George
you know
it was bad
if
when Trump
was leaving office
and he lets his crony
he gives last second
you know
get them
out of jail
and declares them
innocent for their cronies
and it'll be just as wrong
if Biden does it
at the end of his term
if in his final week
he just starts taking
all of the guys
who are his golfing buddies
and his campaign donors
and he just makes
their criminal charges
go away
and that's just wrong
and this seems like
that's what's going on here
and it's just wrong
George
and if after reading
the story
you think that
that's a good thing
so I just want to talk
about three types
of things
to try to help us
to understand
why this story
is deep and profound
why it's in the Bible
and here's the first thing
there is
this Bible text
reveals to you
and me
that there is
a natural
or common
there's a natural
spiritual imagination
where there's a natural
religious
intuition
there's something
which is common
to almost all
human beings
about how spiritual
and religious things
should work
it's how our imagination
works
it's a profound
institution
intuition
and it's common
to all
and it's common
to every religion
and in fact
many versions
of Christianity
are in fact
times when
people forget
what the gospel is
and just allow
the natural
religious
spiritual intuition
and imagination
re-read the text
and so Christianity
becomes a form
of this natural
imagination
about how
religion and spirituality
should work
and if you could put up
the first slide
that would be really good
hopefully you can see it
and those of you
watching online
it will be at the bottom
and here it is
I call it the
what do I call it here
I call it the
I think I have the
no I have the right thing
I call it the natural
spiritual imagination
I think I just called it that
and here's the thing
here's how it works
first of all
you start doing better
then you start
being spiritual
or engaging
in spiritual things
and then as you
proceed along
because you're doing
a better and better
you're living a better
and better life
and you're getting better
at doing spiritual
or religious things
you come to the point
where God accepts you
which I guess
we could call
salvation
and you see that
in Christians as well
you have a person
who used to be
a practicing Christian
and they have been
away for a long time
and they start to feel
like maybe they need
to get back to church
but they can't come
back to church
because they've been
living a very bad life
so they talk to you
and they say
you know I've been
living a very bad life
and normally I've been
living a bad life
often I've been
living an unsuccessful life
like my family's
a little bit messed up
my business is
a little bit messed up
and you know
frankly I have
some other problems
and so what we say is
well once I start
to do a little bit better
I'll come to church
and coming to church
and then doing it
and then maybe as well
they'll start to do
a few other things
like this is just
the Christian version
they'll start to read
the Bible
and they'll start to do
a few other types
of things
and then they're
sort of doing better
they're living a better life
and they're more
have a more successful life
and they're going to church
and doing religious things
regularly
and the sense is
that if you do those things
at some point in time
God accepts you
you're saved
and this is not just
this is like
it's the same
you know with
with you know
whether it's Hinduism
and the different types
of rules
that you need to follow
and getting your life
in order
and then the spiritual
practices
so that you're going
to do better
as a Hindu
you know
I've talked to some
people who grew up
Muslim
and they've left
they don't go to the mosque
or anything like that
and they like to drink a lot
which is wrong
and they eat pork sandwiches
which is wrong
and they sort of say
you know
I need to start getting
some of those things
under control
stop watching porn
and stop drinking beer
and once I do
maybe I'll start going
back to the mosque
and I start to do
those religious practices
and it's the common way
that the religious
imagination works
and it's the way
we judge Abraham
right
like how on earth
could Abraham
be God's prophet
why
well because the way
our mind naturally works
is that
if you're going to be
a prophet
like that's like
a really high level
acceptance by God
so surely you got
to get your life
in order
and then after that
you got to be doing
the religious practices
and if you're doing
all of those things
then eventually
you're going to be able
to be sort of
like a prophet
like high up
up here
because that's just
the way it works
you do
God
you don't choose
a prophet
a guy who
married his sister
like that's just
that will never happen
that's just
that goes against
how we understand
religion and spirituality
it goes against
our imagination
it goes against
our intuitions
it's just wrong
and it's wrong
whether it's
it's a bespoke
spirituality
you know
whether it's
it's a mystical thing
whether it's
Buddhism
Hinduism
whether it's
it's Islam
you know
whether it's
many forms
of Christianity
and and
and one of the
reasons in our
culture
many people
are rejecting
religion
is because
they look at
that
and and they
and they just
say
well this doesn't
just doesn't
work
you know
because fact
the matter
is
that
I know
because you see
there's an extra
thing to that
that this is
what should happen
in our culture
is that
okay
you know
I've lived a messy
type of life
and you know
my job's not going
very well
and my you know
there's problems
in my marriage
and all of that
I'm going to start
getting some control
over that
so I'm starting to do
better
now that I'm doing
better
I can go to the mosque
I can go to the temple
I can go to the church
and and after I start
to do that
and get involved
in that
now I'm actually
connected to God
and the result of that
is going to be
that God is now
going to take care
of me
and bless me
and what often
happens is
then you get
the cancer diagnosis
for your mom
then you don't get
the promotion
then you're
the stocks
that you invested
in go
go belly up
and and and now
you're mad at God
because good grief
God
I was doing
my part of the deal
I good grief
I stopped watching
the porn
I stopped drinking
the beer
I'm going to church
and now this happens
like
God
you let down
your part of the deal
the second thing
the problem
there's a big problem
and the big problem
is what I began
the sermon with
the mystery
of your wrongdoing
the mystery
of your wrongdoing
like
what
why is it
that you can
have an opportunity
you get a phone call
and somebody says
I'd really like
to take
pick you up
I'd love to treat
you to a good meal
buy a couple
of beers
have a really
good afternoon
and you say
no because
I'm going to
watch porn
like
I mean
you know
it's wrong
like
why would
you do that
like
good grief
you have
your good friend
just said
he'll take you out
pay for your meal
you'll have a really
good time
like that sounds
wonderful
like why would
you gratuitously
do the other thing
and you
you can multiply
like
why is it
that we do
things like that
but why is it
that the natural
religious
spiritual
imagination
pretends
that that
part of
our doing
wrong
doesn't exist
because the fact
the matter
is
that we
sometimes
gratuitously
choose
what is
wrong
and no
amount
of depth
therapy
changes
that
no
amount
of behavior
modification
changes
that
no amount
of finding
coaches
who can
give you
techniques
about
human
behavior
that
doesn't
change
it
no amount
of spiritual
practices
removes
it
and
given
the fact
that we
have a
part of
us
that just
gratuitously
do
something
which
is
wrong
it
means
that the
natural
spiritual
imagination
is
doomed
it
will
never
ever
work
to
my
Buddhist
friends
you
will
never
get
enlightenment
to
my
Hindu
friends
you
will
never
stop
the
cycle
of
life
and
rebirth
never
to
my
Muslim
friends
it
doesn't
work
you
choose
to
do
wrong
so
do
I
so
do
you
why
is it
that we
cling
to this
religious
model
and we
know
that we
choose
wrong
and you
see
what
happens
is
because
we
choose
wrong
what
do
we
do
we
have
one
rule
for
me
and
another
rule
for
thee
we
become
very
good
at
blame
shifting
we
become
very
good
at
pretend
and
what's
the
problem
with
blame
shifting
and
pretending
that
we're
far
more
righteous
far
more
together
I
mean
in
good
grief
if
there
is
ever
an
age
where
we
have
a
problem
with
this
is
people
don't
actually
want
to
eat
a
good
tasting
cupcake
they
even
if
the
cupcake
or
the
donut
at
Tim
Hortons
at
one
fifth
the
price
is
twenty
times
more
tasty
we
want
the
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
moment
to make
it
look
like
things
are
good
and
what
happens
it
makes
us
profoundly
insecure
it
makes
us
profoundly
insecure
and
we
reject
religion
because
it's
just
in
image
management
and
it's
hard
for
us
to
think
of
the
fact
that
we
do
things
which
are
wrong
without
being
profoundly
demoralizing
so the
first thing
is the
natural
way that
our
religious
and
spiritual
imagination
works
the
second
thing
is the
mystery
of our
wrongdoing
isn't that
what we
see in
the story
of
Abraham
we
evaluate
Abraham
as being
unworthy
because of
our
natural
religious
imagination
we
look at
Abraham
and see
that he
gratuitously
chose to
do what
was wrong
the third
and final
thing is
the subversive
fulfillment
of the
gospel
the subversive
fulfillment
of the
gospel
by that
I mean
is the
gospel
subverts
the
natural
religious
imagination
but it
fulfills
our
deeper
desire
to live
a life
that is
right
with God
that's
transparent
and honest
and doesn't
have to
pretend
that there's
not a
part of
us that
choose to
do
what's
wrong
it's
the
good
news
that
God
subverts
but he
actually
fulfills
at a
deeper
level
what we
desire
if you
could put
up the
final slide
the scandalous
grace of
the triune
God
and the
way the
gospel works
is there's
an announcement
Abraham
you are a
bad
man
George
you are
a bad
man
but it
begins
with God
accepting me
as his
child
by salvation
by grace
I'll explain
more about
that in a
moment
and then
it leads
from that
to begin
practicing
the means
of grace
which is
another way
a better
way
a gospel
way
of talking
about
religious
observance
it's not
religious
observance
it's
practicing
the means
of grace
and we
begin
with being
accepted
by God
completely
and utterly
undeserved
and it's
from that
place
that we
begin
to live
and practice
the means
of grace
and it's
from that
place
that we
become
more and
more convinced
that it's
important
that not only
do we do
things like
justice
and mercy
and compassion
but also
that we
write songs
that are
good
and dance
dances
that are
beautiful
and start
businesses
which are
successful
and rise
up in the
civil service
not as just
a person
who just
puts everybody
down
but to be
known as a
man and woman
of integrity
that we start
to do better
once again
I don't have
it in here
but remember
that we're
looking at the
stories of
Abraham
and within
the stories
of Abraham
itself
there is a
pointer at
the very
very end
a very
very famous
story
of Abraham
and we're
going to be
looking at it
in two weeks
time
and it's in
Genesis chapter
22 verse 8
and it's the
story of now
Abraham has his
child
and Ishmael
is gone
and it's
only Isaac
and God
says to
Abraham
I want you
to take
your son
your only
son whom
you love
your only
son whom
you love
and I want
you to
take him
up onto
the mountain
and I want
you to
kill him
as a
sacrifice
for me
and Abraham
goes
and does
it
and there's
this very
famous line
that as
they're going
up the
mountain
and he's
gotten rid
of the
servants
it's just
Abraham
and his
son Isaac
and Abraham
it's verse 8
of chapter 22
at verse 7
it goes
and Isaac
said to his
father Abraham
my father
and Abraham
said here I
am my son
and Isaac
says behold
the fire
and the wood
but where
is the lamb
for the burnt
offering
and Abraham's
famous answer
is God
will provide
for himself
the lamb
for the burnt
offering
my son
at the end
of the story
after Abraham
is going to
go ahead
and do it
there is a
ram that
is provided
and God
reveals to Abraham
he's not to
kill his son
and there's a
ram
not the
lamb
but a
ram
and then
in the
other stories
we're going
to discover
in the
book of
Exodus
and in
the book
of
Leviticus
and Numbers
and Deuteronomy
that there's
to be
the sacrifices
but as
the story
unfolds
because there's
books after
these first
five that
make up
the 39
books of
the Old
Testament
there is
this
realization
at a
deeper and
deeper
level
that the
mere sacrifice
of animals
for a
human being
is not
going to
be sufficient
and then
the very
first
historical
record we
have of
Jesus
is when
John the
Baptist
says at
the beginning
of Jesus'
ministry
behold
the lamb
of God
that takes
away
the sin
of the
world
Abraham's
not worthy
by the
religious
imagination
he does
wrong
he needs
grace
and he
needs
grace
that is
also
going
to be
at one
with
justice
and how
is that
the case
God looks
at you
and he
looks at
me
and I
cannot
be
perfect
I
choose
to do
wrong
at different
times
and so
God
provides
for me
in a way
that I
cannot
provide
for myself
he
provides
I am
made
in the
image
of God
he
takes
the one
of whom
every human
being is
made in
the image
of
and that
one
who
every one
of us
is in
the image
of
he takes
flesh
and becomes
human
being
and he
lives
amongst us
he becomes
my representative
who can
better be
my representative
than he
whose image
I am
made in
and he
comes and
dwells
amongst us
and knows
every trial
and temptation
that you
and I
do
only without
sin
he knows
the depth
of temptation
I give
in
he doesn't
give in
he identifies
with me
even more
deeply
than I am
able to
experience
myself
he my
representative
he identifies
with me
he chooses
to be my
substitute
to take
my place
so that the
wrongdoing
that I have
done is
dealt with
in him
and he can
do it
why
because he's
my representative
and he's
identified with
me
he knows
what he's
doing
and he
offers in
exchange
for him
taking
my
doom
the
destiny
which
he
deserves
there
is no
sacrificing
of God's
justice
but mercy
without
sacrificing
justice
is greater
than
justice
and that
is what
God
offers
us
in the
person
of
Christ
and
that's
why
the
gospel
subverts
this
but fulfills
the
religious
imagination
Jesus
knew
the wrong
that I
have done
and
every
wrong
that I
have
done
has been
dealt
with by
him
and my
standing
with him
is not
on me
being able
to do
right
and not
do
wrong
and it's
not by
having
one rule
for me
and another
rule
for other
people
and it's
not by
me being
really
really good
at jumping
at other
people
for having
specks
in their
eye
while I
have a
log
in mine
it's
by
me
understanding
that
God
knew
the
depth
of the
wrongdoing
and everything
about me
when he
died
for when
Jesus
died
for me
on the
cross
it's
all
been
dealt
with
and that
means
that
week
by
week
one
of
the
means
of
grace
is
that
I
can
gather
with
other
brothers
and
sisters
in
Christ
and we
can
gather
around
the
Lord's
table
and we
can
remember
that
Jesus
died
on the
cross
that
he
shed
his
blood
that
his
body
was
pierced
and he
did
this
knowing
the
truth
the
mystery
the
secret
the
riddle
the
enigma
of
who
I
am
and
who
you
are
and
he
knew
that
when
he
died
for
me
and
so
I
can
confess
my
sins
confident
in
his
forgiveness
I
am
not
going
to
unearth
anything
in
my
past
that
is
so
terrible
that
he
did
not
turn
away
from
me
but
he
died
for
me
and
so
I
have
a
place
where
I
don't
have
to
pretend
and
it's
really
hard
because
I
like
pretending
and I
like
having
different
rules
for
other
people
and
I
like
seeing
specks
in
other
people's
eyes
and
not
noticing
the
logs
of
mine
I'm
addicted
to
that
but
week
by
week
as
part
of
the
means
of
grace
I
loves
me
and
I
can
start
to
look
at
the
wrong
that
I've
done
and
said
that
is
wrong
that
is
gratuitous
and
I
can
start
to
have
the
self
possession
and
standing
in
Christ
to
say
yes
this
week
I've
done
this
and
yes
this
week
I've
done
this
and
I
can't
even
begin
to
count
them
and
I'm
sorry
for
them
but
I
am
so
thankful
for
grace
I'm
so
thankful
for
the
cross
I'm
so
thankful
for
Christ
I
thank
you
for
these
means
of
grace
of
reading
your
word
and
of
a
common
one
another
life
with
brothers
and
sisters
and
of
the
Lord's
table
and
of
the
songs
and
that
I
can
recommit
and
once
again
I
can
say
thank
you
Jesus
you
know
this
week
I
had
a
chance
to
do
justice
and
I
chose
to
be
silent
I
recommit
help
me
to
live
in
a
way
which
spreads
the
gospel
which
does
good
for
this
city
which
brings
you
glory
invite
you
to
stand
if
you're
here
or
you're
watching
and
if
you've
never
given
your
life
to
Christ
it's
no
better
time
right
now
to
say
Jesus
I
now
understand
what
it is
that
you've
done
for
me
on
the
cross
and
I'm
tired
of
being
demoralized
by my
wrongdoing
I'm
tired
of
play
acting
I'm
tired
of
pretending
I'm
glad
that I
can
be
honest
with
you
and
honestly
I
want
you
Jesus
to
be
my
savior
and
my
lord
and
I
thank
you
that
you
will
never
let
me
go
and
there's
no
better
time
than
today
to
say
quietness
of
my
heart
but
surrounded
by
my
brothers
and
sisters
there
will
be
a
time
for
me
later
to
say
that
I'm
sorry
for
what
I've
done
and
to
recommit
to
you
to
be
gripped
by
the
gospel
and
to
live
in a
way
that
brings
you
glory
and
recommit
to
the
means
of
grace
fellowship
with
other
believers
whether
it's
one
on
one
or
mentors
or
small
groups
and
weekly
meetings
that
I
recommit
thank
you
that
you
accept
me
Christ
thank
you
let's
bow
our
heads
in
prayer
father
pour
out
the
holy
spirit
upon
us
with
gentle
but
very
deep
and
penetrating
power
we
ask
that
you
would
help
us
to
put
to
death
our
natural
religious
imagination
and
intuition
that
you
would
grip
us
by
the
scandalous
nature
of
your
grace
that
we
would
learn
to
live
out
of
the
promise
of
the
scandalous
subversive
fulfillment
of
your
grace
offered
to
people
like
me
and
that
you
would
help
us
to
see
the
world
from
those
perspectives
and
those
eyes
and
we
ask
Lord
that
you
would
do
this
wonderful
work
we
thank
you
for
Jesus
and
we
ask
it
all
in
his
name
and
we
say
together
Amen