WEBVTT

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 Father, thank you that it wasn't as if just it goes up to the book of Acts and then nobody's a Christian until us.

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 We thank you, Father, that you have maintained your church in every generation from the death and resurrection of Jesus and his ascension in the day of Pentecostal today.

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 You have maintained your church.

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 And in every generation there have been people who have loved you and praised you.

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 Father, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us that we might be faithful in our generation.

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 Father, send out laborers into the harvest.

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 This harvest, you have a harvest in Ottawa.

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 And Father, send laborers into the harvest.

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 Use us.

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 But now we ask, Father, that your Holy Spirit would calm and settle our souls so that as we read your word written and hear your word, that you will come and minister deep within.

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

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 This is the year 5,777 if you are an Orthodox Jew.

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 5,777.

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 And Orthodox Jews have calculated this date.

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 It's the number of years that everything has existed.

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 They go back through what we call the Old Testament.

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 They call the Tanakh and have calculated that the world is 5,777 years old.

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 And we're just finishing up a series.

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 Today is the last Sunday of my series of going through the first 11 chapters of Genesis.

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 Genesis.

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 And so one of the things is, you know, do Christians have to believe that the world is 5,777 years old?

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 Or is there a little bit of variation that is in that?

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 How do we read the Bible?

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 One of the things that people have asked me is, George, do you read the Bible literally?

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 And so this last of Sundays on Genesis 11, I've sort of said a little bit about it before, but it's actually an appropriate time, especially given what happens in Abram and especially given the spiritual needs that we have, to actually take a time just for a second and consider this question.

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 Do Christians have to believe that the world is 5,777 years old?

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 So if you have your Bibles, Genesis chapter 10, and we're going to, Genesis 11, sorry.

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 And we're going to just look at verse 10, which gives us another one of those genealogies.

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 And it's a genealogy with ages.

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 And we'll just start reading.

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 And when I move, we'll just start reading.

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 And then I just want to make a few comments about it.

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 And here it goes.

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 First chapter 11, verse 10.

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 And these are the generations of Shem.

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 When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpashad two years after the flood.

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 And Shem lived after he fathered Arpashad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

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 When Arpashad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah.

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 And Arpashad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

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 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber.

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 And I'm not going to keep reading.

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 You get the idea.

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 So here's the thing.

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 First of all, if you want to really know some of how I've been trying to understand the age of the earth, etc., etc., which I'm not going to reiterate.

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 I just encourage you to go back and listen to some of my sermons.

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 The first one on Genesis 1-1 and how I talked about historical Adam and how I talked about knowing the flood.

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 I'm not going to reiterate those things.

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 I just want to look at a very particular way of actually listening to what the Bible says and what the Bible doesn't say.

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 And what it actually says here in Hebrews, in Hebrew means that we actually can't really calculate the age of the earth from this.

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 Because the genealogy doesn't work like a combination, the numbers in a combination lock where everything is just one number after another.

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 And it's like a mechanical type of order.

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 The word fathered just can also mean ancestor of.

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 And instantly I can feel certain people feeling a little bit antsy.

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 But here, could you put up the first point, Andrew?

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 This is going to be my big, this is really a far more important point than maybe most of us realize.

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 Let God be God and let his word written be his word to us.

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 Let God be God and let his word written be his word to us.

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 When scholars study the Bible, not just this one bit, but when they study the whole Bible from cover to cover,

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 one of the things they notice when they study the Bible from cover to cover

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 is that the biblical writers don't treat genealogies in a, like the way you treat instructions to fix something in your computer

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 or instructions on a bank machine or combinations in a combination lock.

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 So for instance, if you read the same genealogy in the book of Luke,

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 you'll discover that in fact,

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 I have to make sure I get the names right here.

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 If you study the same genealogy in Luke,

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 you'll discover that

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 Shelah,

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 if you look down here,

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 you know how it says verse 12,

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 when Arpashad had lived 35 years,

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 he fathered Shelah.

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 If you read the same genealogy in Luke,

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 you'll discover that Shelah is Arpashad's grandson.

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 So does this mean the Bible's...

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 No, what...

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 They didn't write genealogies

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 to try to communicate this type of historical knowledge.

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 You can skip generations.

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 That's not me saying this because I'm some liberal.

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 It's actually because

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 if you read all of the Bible

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 and just see how it is that the Bible

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 is trying to communicate,

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 you realize that they don't...

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 They use...

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 One of the things they do with genealogies,

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 I think is in the Indiana Jones movies

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 or some of those other older movies,

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 he has to go on a trip from wherever he is in California or whatever,

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 and he has to go to some other place in the world,

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 and all of a sudden you see a map,

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 and maybe you see like a picture of a plane

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 moving across the ocean and landing places,

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 and then maybe like a picture of a camel or a balloon or something

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 as it goes from place to place to place.

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 Part of the way that the Bible uses genealogies

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 is to just show a connection between one group and another.

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 Part of what it's talking about

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 is it's trying to communicate who's significant.

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 And part of what it's trying to communicate

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 is if you actually count up the ages,

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 and this is another reason for you to understand

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 that just the way they use it,

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 it's like the significant person

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 that is the ancestor of this person,

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 is if you add up the ages,

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 then Shem, right,

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 who's one of the sons of Noah,

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 who was in the ark,

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 if you add up the ages,

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 Shem outlives Abraham by 35 years.

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 And yet there's no record wherever in the Bible

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 that when Abraham's going around

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 that Shem is around

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 or some of these other people on the list.

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 If you add up the ages,

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 Shem and Abraham's grandson Jacob

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 would have been able to hang out together.

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 And Jacob would have been able to talk to Shem

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 for 35 years after his grandfather had died.

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 See, here's the real big significance to this.

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 Let God be God and let his word written

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 be his word to us.

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 Like a lot of us,

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 when we hear things like this,

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 we say, well, that's not fair.

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 Why doesn't the Bible just say what it means?

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 But what we're doing when we say that

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 is we're not actually saying,

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 why doesn't the Bible just say what it means?

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 What we're actually saying is,

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 God, we think our ways of writing

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 are the way that you should have written.

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 How dare you not write the way we write?

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 Like, how dare you not write

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 the way we write newspapers

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 or we write academic papers?

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 Like, if you want to speak to us,

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 speak in the type of ways

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 that we understand things.

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 God, like, how dare you just...

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 Hold on a moment.

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 Like, for a committed Christian,

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 like, what's going on there?

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 See, here's one of the other things about this.

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 Like, when I was growing up,

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 and I still see it so many times

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 when I listen to different speakers

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 and I go to different conferences

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 and I get involved in different debates,

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 that a lot of people,

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 what they think of is somebody

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 who takes the Bible literally,

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 who finds one simple text

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 and uses it to shout down

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 every other text

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 and every other type of idea of nuance

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 and just uses it like a battering ram.

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 I'm not going to get into a discussion

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 about baptism,

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 but I was just listening to something

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 and a guy went on and on and on

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 and on and on

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 about how he believed the Bible

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 and the Bible's view on baptism.

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 And he just went on and on and on

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 and he kept quoting this one verse.

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 And what you'd never know

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 if you listen to him

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 is that there's 88 different passages

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 in the New Testament

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 that talk about baptism.

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 88 different passages.

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 I'll say it again,

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 88 different verses.

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 And this guy,

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 who for a lot of us,

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 we think of,

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 that's a strong Bible man.

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 He's a Bible teacher.

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 He doesn't just sort of give,

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 you know, blah, blah, blah, blah.

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 He teaches the Bible.

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 He gives you the Bible.

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 It's simple.

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 It's clear.

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 But he actually isn't giving you the Bible.

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 He made no attempt

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 to talk about 87 other verses.

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 He made no attempt whatsoever

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 to try to say,

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 well, you know,

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 if you look at all of these verses together

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 and listen to all that God says,

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 this is what God says.

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 And one of the very hard things

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 for Bible-believing churches

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 and for Bible-believing Christians

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 is a lot of times

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 we don't actually believe the Bible

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 and we don't actually listen to the Bible.

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 So what we want to do

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 is we want to find one simple verse

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 that we can use

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 like a club

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 or a battering ram

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 to knock everybody else out of the way

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 or we want to use it

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 like a megaphone

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 to shout everybody down

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 and we pick a verse

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 which is sort of the way that we think.

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 But the whole point

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 of listening to the Bible

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 and listening to God

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 is to try to figure out

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 how he thinks

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 because he's smarter than us.

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 He's wiser than us.

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 He's God.

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 And so scholars

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 who study the Bible

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 very, very carefully

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 and don't just read this one little bit

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 but read it from cover to cover

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 have understood

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 that the way the Bible uses genealogies,

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 the way that God chose

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 to reveal his word

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 actually preserves mystery

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 about calculating certain things.

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 And if we say

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 that God can't do that

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 we say,

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 whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,

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 what do you mean God can't do that?

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 Really?

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 He can't?

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 Well, suck it up.

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 He did.

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 That's what he did.

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 Like get over yourself.

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 Like let God be God

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 and let his word written

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 be his word to us.

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 And don't just harp on one verse

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 but have a deep commitment

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 to read the Bible

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 from cover to cover

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 and to just really listen deeply

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 to all that God wants to say to us.

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 And then as he speaks to us

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 throughout all of scripture

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 and we are humbled before it

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 we can say,

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 isn't that very interesting?

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 Is it God uses genealogies?

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 He chose a time

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 when genealogies were used

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 and it was fine for people

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 to skip one generation,

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 two, five,

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 who knows how many generations

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 to just show the significant thing.

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 And you know,

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 here's the thing

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 which is really interesting

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 is that we get so caught up,

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 those of us

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 in a more evangelical

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 type of tradition,

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 we get so caught up

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 with these types

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 of very, very

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 like an attempt

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 to, I don't know,

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 defend the Bible

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 but we actually miss

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 what the other thing

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 which is really going on

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 in the Bible

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 because here's the thing

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 which is also so significant

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 about this text

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 is that just before this text,

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 just before this genealogy,

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 we have the story

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 of the Tower of Babel

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 which I talked about last week.

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 That God comes down

00:13:23.259 --> 00:13:25.720
 and as part of God's grace to us,

00:13:25.779 --> 00:13:26.620
 when he judges,

00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:28.100
 he judges in mercy

00:13:28.100 --> 00:13:29.360
 and part of his mercy

00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:30.740
 is he scatters people

00:13:30.740 --> 00:13:31.899
 throughout the entire face

00:13:31.899 --> 00:13:32.439
 of the earth.

00:13:33.380 --> 00:13:34.920
 They want to do a great evil.

00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:36.480
 They want to remove all barriers.

00:13:36.660 --> 00:13:37.920
 They want to remove all limits.

00:13:38.040 --> 00:13:39.360
 They want to pretend to themselves

00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:40.640
 that they've become gods.

00:13:41.040 --> 00:13:41.620
 They want to do

00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:42.820
 whatever a god can do

00:13:42.820 --> 00:13:44.100
 because in the ancient world,

00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:45.180
 just as we on one level

00:13:45.180 --> 00:13:46.140
 implicitly think,

00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:47.140
 the ancient world gods

00:13:47.140 --> 00:13:48.040
 can do whatever they

00:13:48.040 --> 00:13:50.080
 dang well feel like doing

00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:51.400
 and that's what human beings

00:13:51.400 --> 00:13:51.920
 want to become.

00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:53.140
 They want to become like gods,

00:13:53.220 --> 00:13:54.320
 do whatever they dang well

00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:55.260
 feel they can do

00:13:55.260 --> 00:13:57.080
 and God in his mercy

00:13:57.080 --> 00:13:57.860
 scatters them

00:13:57.860 --> 00:13:58.740
 throughout the whole face

00:13:58.740 --> 00:13:59.120
 of the earth

00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:00.880
 so then immediately after that

00:14:00.880 --> 00:14:01.880
 what he does

00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:03.399
 is he shows these

00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:04.899
 significant people going along

00:14:04.899 --> 00:14:06.399
 and what he's saying to us is

00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:08.820
 on the ground

00:14:08.820 --> 00:14:11.259
 it looks like God

00:14:11.259 --> 00:14:12.439
 is out of control.

00:14:13.019 --> 00:14:13.700
 I mean the world

00:14:13.700 --> 00:14:14.539
 is out of control

00:14:14.539 --> 00:14:15.700
 that God has not

00:14:15.700 --> 00:14:17.019
 remembered his promise

00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:19.620
 to send a person

00:14:19.620 --> 00:14:21.179
 who would destroy

00:14:21.179 --> 00:14:21.899
 the serpent

00:14:21.899 --> 00:14:24.379
 and open the way

00:14:24.379 --> 00:14:25.500
 back to the garden

00:14:25.500 --> 00:14:26.039
 of Eden

00:14:26.039 --> 00:14:27.360
 in fellowship with God

00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:30.620
 and what this genealogy

00:14:30.620 --> 00:14:31.700
 does amongst other things

00:14:31.700 --> 00:14:32.120
 is say,

00:14:32.220 --> 00:14:32.740
 look at that,

00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:34.200
 throughout all of the changes

00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:36.080
 and chances of this fleeting world

00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:38.000
 God has not forgotten

00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:38.720
 his promise

00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:42.039
 and time after time

00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:43.639
 there's a significant person

00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:45.100
 and every time you see

00:14:45.100 --> 00:14:46.399
 this significant person

00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:48.039
 you are being reminded

00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:49.039
 that God has not

00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:50.460
 forgotten his promise.

00:14:51.139 --> 00:14:52.779
 There is going to come one

00:14:52.779 --> 00:14:54.879
 who will slay the serpent

00:14:54.879 --> 00:15:01.120
 and be used by God

00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:02.559
 to make us right with God again.

00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:05.679
 That's what God is doing.

00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:07.939
 It's really important for us

00:15:07.939 --> 00:15:11.000
 who live as Christendom

00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:13.720
 increasingly lies in ruins

00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:14.399
 around us

00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:15.899
 and we live amidst the ruins

00:15:15.899 --> 00:15:16.699
 and the fragments

00:15:16.700 --> 00:15:18.440
 of Christendom

00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:20.460
 to remember that God

00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:22.180
 is still sovereign

00:15:22.180 --> 00:15:23.280
 and in control

00:15:23.280 --> 00:15:24.220
 and remembers

00:15:24.220 --> 00:15:25.480
 and is committed

00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:26.400
 to his promises.

00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:29.140
 We have to let God

00:15:29.140 --> 00:15:30.000
 be God

00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:32.920
 and let his word

00:15:32.920 --> 00:15:34.220
 be his word to us

00:15:34.220 --> 00:15:36.860
 because we follow God

00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:37.879
 with our ears.

00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:41.480
 We follow Jesus

00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:44.080
 with our ears

00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:46.480
 by listening to him.

00:15:47.020 --> 00:15:48.400
 We come to faith

00:15:48.400 --> 00:15:50.680
 by our ears.

00:15:52.259 --> 00:15:53.480
 Not by our ability

00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:54.500
 to see the future.

00:15:55.139 --> 00:15:56.240
 Not by our ability

00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:57.560
 to control the future.

00:15:58.120 --> 00:15:59.520
 But we follow Jesus

00:15:59.520 --> 00:16:01.660
 with our ears.

00:16:04.400 --> 00:16:04.879
 Now,

00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:07.160
 some of you might say,

00:16:07.259 --> 00:16:07.879
 okay, George,

00:16:08.620 --> 00:16:12.259
 that's a very interesting thing

00:16:12.259 --> 00:16:13.680
 to get out of a genealogy.

00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:17.639
 And I have to confess,

00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:19.280
 I sort of don't really,

00:16:20.060 --> 00:16:20.259
 you know,

00:16:20.300 --> 00:16:20.820
 those of us

00:16:20.820 --> 00:16:21.360
 who maybe aren't

00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:22.660
 from evangelical backgrounds,

00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:23.180
 we might say,

00:16:23.259 --> 00:16:23.759
 yeah, George,

00:16:23.820 --> 00:16:26.060
 you get those Bible-believing guys,

00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:26.720
 you know,

00:16:27.220 --> 00:16:28.360
 take them down a peg or two.

00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:29.080
 And for those of us

00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:30.259
 who are from Bible-believing

00:16:30.259 --> 00:16:31.379
 that type of backgrounds,

00:16:31.520 --> 00:16:32.000
 we might say,

00:16:32.040 --> 00:16:32.139
 well,

00:16:32.160 --> 00:16:33.040
 it's a bit of a surprise

00:16:33.040 --> 00:16:33.720
 to maybe think

00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:36.000
 that some of those people

00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:37.160
 that we like to listen to

00:16:37.160 --> 00:16:38.060
 who are really harangue

00:16:38.060 --> 00:16:38.840
 on one verse

00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:39.640
 that they might actually

00:16:39.640 --> 00:16:40.820
 not be listening to the Bible

00:16:40.820 --> 00:16:42.460
 and it's a very humbling

00:16:42.460 --> 00:16:43.320
 thing for us

00:16:43.320 --> 00:16:45.379
 to try to get our mind

00:16:45.379 --> 00:16:46.180
 around some of these

00:16:46.180 --> 00:16:47.080
 types of things.

00:16:48.280 --> 00:16:48.360
 But,

00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:52.300
 okay,

00:16:52.420 --> 00:16:53.580
 so God is keeping

00:16:53.580 --> 00:16:54.980
 his eye on the ball.

00:16:55.940 --> 00:16:57.340
 He's going to send a promise

00:16:57.340 --> 00:16:58.940
 and it all comes down

00:16:58.940 --> 00:16:59.480
 to Abram.

00:16:59.520 --> 00:17:00.820
 I think that's what John said

00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:01.540
 if I just read

00:17:01.539 --> 00:17:04.759
 and I guess it comes down

00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:05.500
 to this hero,

00:17:05.639 --> 00:17:05.980
 doesn't it?

00:17:05.980 --> 00:17:07.000
 This hero of faith,

00:17:07.139 --> 00:17:08.279
 this father of three

00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:09.299
 of the great religions

00:17:09.299 --> 00:17:10.019
 on the planet,

00:17:10.159 --> 00:17:10.559
 Christianity,

00:17:10.779 --> 00:17:11.119
 Judaism,

00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:12.399
 and Islam,

00:17:12.619 --> 00:17:14.139
 all trace back

00:17:14.139 --> 00:17:15.399
 the significance of Abraham.

00:17:15.619 --> 00:17:16.619
 And so I guess you're right.

00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:18.159
 This genealogy comes

00:17:18.159 --> 00:17:19.240
 and it ends with Abraham,

00:17:19.460 --> 00:17:20.440
 this really,

00:17:20.539 --> 00:17:20.759
 really,

00:17:20.879 --> 00:17:21.099
 really,

00:17:21.180 --> 00:17:22.119
 really great man.

00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:23.960
 And as soon as we start

00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:24.279
 to think,

00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:24.399
 yeah,

00:17:24.420 --> 00:17:25.339
 I guess it does come down

00:17:25.339 --> 00:17:25.859
 to this really,

00:17:25.980 --> 00:17:26.740
 really great man,

00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:28.240
 and I guess I am listening

00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:28.899
 to the Bible,

00:17:29.099 --> 00:17:29.420
 George,

00:17:29.420 --> 00:17:30.400
 that's where we have

00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:30.820
 to say,

00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:33.220
 time out.

00:17:34.220 --> 00:17:35.320
 It doesn't come down

00:17:35.320 --> 00:17:36.140
 to a great man.

00:17:39.560 --> 00:17:41.500
 It doesn't come down

00:17:41.500 --> 00:17:42.160
 to a great man.

00:17:44.380 --> 00:17:45.700
 It comes to a guy

00:17:45.700 --> 00:17:46.580
 with no hope

00:17:46.580 --> 00:17:47.600
 who worships the moon.

00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:50.060
 Can you put up

00:17:50.060 --> 00:17:50.560
 the next point?

00:17:53.560 --> 00:17:55.539
 God does not build elites.

00:17:56.300 --> 00:17:57.820
 He calls and blesses

00:17:57.820 --> 00:17:58.380
 the hopeless.

00:17:59.420 --> 00:18:03.160
 You see,

00:18:03.340 --> 00:18:04.600
 here's this other thing

00:18:04.600 --> 00:18:06.440
 in terms of our own thinking

00:18:06.440 --> 00:18:07.620
 and the way we sort of

00:18:07.620 --> 00:18:08.560
 just assume

00:18:08.560 --> 00:18:09.259
 that the Bible

00:18:09.259 --> 00:18:10.019
 is going to match

00:18:10.019 --> 00:18:10.800
 with our thinking

00:18:10.800 --> 00:18:11.600
 rather than listening

00:18:11.600 --> 00:18:12.300
 to the Bible.

00:18:13.800 --> 00:18:15.279
 And in our thinking,

00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:15.720
 I don't know,

00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:17.019
 you get education

00:18:17.019 --> 00:18:18.420
 so you can become

00:18:18.420 --> 00:18:18.900
 like more,

00:18:19.180 --> 00:18:19.360
 you know,

00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:20.440
 you can get a better job,

00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:21.300
 you can have,

00:18:21.740 --> 00:18:22.720
 you can get promotions.

00:18:23.120 --> 00:18:24.300
 I remember a few years ago

00:18:24.300 --> 00:18:25.000
 I asked somebody

00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:25.700
 what was the difference

00:18:25.700 --> 00:18:26.380
 between somebody

00:18:26.380 --> 00:18:27.519
 who got a computer

00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:28.380
 engineering degree

00:18:28.380 --> 00:18:29.660
 and a computer science degree

00:18:29.660 --> 00:18:30.100
 and they said

00:18:30.100 --> 00:18:32.000
 $20,000 a year in salary.

00:18:33.840 --> 00:18:35.400
 The engineer getting more money

00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:37.120
 than the computer scientist.

00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:39.320
 And I don't know

00:18:39.320 --> 00:18:39.940
 if that's true,

00:18:40.040 --> 00:18:40.980
 it's just what they said.

00:18:41.100 --> 00:18:41.960
 And we're just used

00:18:41.960 --> 00:18:42.860
 to the fact that,

00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:43.200
 you know,

00:18:43.820 --> 00:18:45.120
 that we try to become

00:18:45.120 --> 00:18:46.200
 more and more powerful.

00:18:46.400 --> 00:18:47.400
 We try to become

00:18:47.400 --> 00:18:48.520
 better and better and better

00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:49.379
 and surely then

00:18:49.379 --> 00:18:50.279
 the way God is going

00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:50.660
 to work

00:18:50.660 --> 00:18:51.339
 is if he's going

00:18:51.339 --> 00:18:52.200
 to be keeping

00:18:52.200 --> 00:18:53.200
 his eye on the ball

00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:53.960
 and if you're going

00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:54.660
 to have a great man

00:18:54.660 --> 00:18:55.079
 of faith

00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:55.759
 that it's all about

00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:57.980
 God just building up

00:18:57.980 --> 00:18:59.059
 this thing

00:18:59.059 --> 00:19:00.200
 to getting to this point

00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:01.079
 where Abraham

00:19:01.079 --> 00:19:02.259
 has it all together,

00:19:02.460 --> 00:19:03.440
 like where he's,

00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:05.420
 he just has this great faith

00:19:05.420 --> 00:19:07.920
 and God recognizes

00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:08.799
 his great faith

00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:10.200
 and he has all this potential

00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:11.639
 and that's what God recognizes,

00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:12.559
 but that's not what

00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:13.940
 the genealogy says at all.

00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:14.940
 Like,

00:19:14.980 --> 00:19:16.299
 look what it actually says.

00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:17.700
 Verse 27.

00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:18.799
 Now,

00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:19.720
 these are the generations

00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:20.480
 of Terah.

00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:22.779
 Terah fathered Abram.

00:19:23.180 --> 00:19:23.559
 Later on,

00:19:23.579 --> 00:19:24.779
 his name becomes Abraham.

00:19:25.339 --> 00:19:26.720
 Nahor and Haran.

00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:28.879
 And Haran fathered Lot.

00:19:30.180 --> 00:19:30.539
 Okay,

00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:31.420
 so there's this guy,

00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:31.879
 Terah.

00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:33.000
 He has three sons.

00:19:34.059 --> 00:19:36.139
 Haran died in the presence

00:19:36.139 --> 00:19:36.779
 of his father,

00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:37.379
 Terah,

00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:39.139
 in the land of his kindred

00:19:39.139 --> 00:19:40.680
 in Ur of the Chaldeans.

00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:42.119
 Now,

00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:42.920
 there's only Terah

00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:43.619
 and two boys.

00:19:46.519 --> 00:19:47.539
 And Abram

00:19:47.539 --> 00:19:49.180
 and Nahor took wives.

00:19:50.119 --> 00:19:51.599
 The name of Abram's wife

00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:52.399
 was Sarai

00:19:52.399 --> 00:19:55.019
 and the name of Nahor's wife,

00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:56.019
 Milcah,

00:19:56.639 --> 00:19:58.059
 the daughter of Haran,

00:19:58.639 --> 00:20:00.119
 the father of Milcah

00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:01.000
 and Iscah.

00:20:01.799 --> 00:20:02.059
 Now,

00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:02.799
 just pause.

00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:04.039
 We know from

00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:05.799
 archaeological evidence

00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:07.519
 that in Ur

00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:08.940
 of the Chaldeans

00:20:08.940 --> 00:20:10.539
 that they worshiped

00:20:10.539 --> 00:20:11.180
 the moon god.

00:20:11.180 --> 00:20:14.380
 and people

00:20:14.380 --> 00:20:15.240
 who know Hebrew

00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:16.840
 say that both

00:20:16.840 --> 00:20:18.039
 Sarah and Milcah

00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:18.980
 are named

00:20:18.980 --> 00:20:20.400
 after aspects

00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:21.680
 of the gods

00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:22.740
 and goddesses

00:20:22.740 --> 00:20:23.960
 under the panoply

00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:25.620
 of the moon god.

00:20:30.180 --> 00:20:31.900
 God is calling people

00:20:31.900 --> 00:20:32.980
 who worship the moon.

00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:36.839
 The whole genealogy

00:20:36.839 --> 00:20:37.640
 has come down

00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:38.319
 to one guy,

00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:38.740
 Terah,

00:20:38.779 --> 00:20:39.759
 who has three sons.

00:20:39.860 --> 00:20:40.819
 One son dies.

00:20:41.860 --> 00:20:43.660
 The two remaining sons' wives

00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:44.620
 who become important

00:20:44.620 --> 00:20:45.680
 are both named

00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:47.420
 after goddesses

00:20:47.420 --> 00:20:49.660
 in the moon god's

00:20:49.660 --> 00:20:50.720
 pantheon.

00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:53.579
 We know actually

00:20:53.579 --> 00:20:54.279
 from other places

00:20:54.279 --> 00:20:54.920
 in the Bible

00:20:54.920 --> 00:20:55.860
 where it tells us

00:20:55.860 --> 00:20:56.779
 that in fact Abraham

00:20:56.779 --> 00:20:58.000
 before God's call

00:20:58.000 --> 00:20:59.319
 worshipped other gods,

00:20:59.380 --> 00:21:00.019
 not the true

00:21:00.019 --> 00:21:00.700
 and living God.

00:21:02.740 --> 00:21:04.039
 And then a verse

00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:04.860
 which is going to be

00:21:04.860 --> 00:21:06.600
 unbelievably important

00:21:06.600 --> 00:21:08.380
 in a couple.

00:21:08.860 --> 00:21:09.920
 Look at verse 30.

00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:12.380
 Now Sarai,

00:21:12.660 --> 00:21:13.839
 that's the wife of Abraham,

00:21:14.120 --> 00:21:14.860
 was barren.

00:21:15.539 --> 00:21:16.660
 She had no child.

00:21:18.460 --> 00:21:20.160
 So as God formed an elite,

00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:23.000
 it's come down to Terah,

00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:24.180
 has three sons,

00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:25.000
 one dies,

00:21:25.380 --> 00:21:26.000
 two left,

00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:27.600
 and one of the sons,

00:21:28.019 --> 00:21:29.300
 his wife has no children.

00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:34.580
 These aren't the powerful elite,

00:21:35.100 --> 00:21:35.960
 at least not the way

00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:37.240
 Christians and Jewish people

00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:38.220
 would understand it.

00:21:40.320 --> 00:21:40.960
 You see,

00:21:41.040 --> 00:21:42.100
 one of the things we have,

00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:43.300
 one of the problems we have

00:21:43.300 --> 00:21:44.759
 with thinking that God calls

00:21:44.759 --> 00:21:45.860
 and forms elites

00:21:45.860 --> 00:21:47.700
 is that it does

00:21:47.700 --> 00:21:49.160
 several things within us.

00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:50.840
 it either means

00:21:50.840 --> 00:21:51.640
 that we become

00:21:51.640 --> 00:21:52.080
 very,

00:21:52.180 --> 00:21:52.400
 very,

00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:53.380
 very proud

00:21:53.380 --> 00:21:56.600
 because obviously

00:21:56.600 --> 00:21:57.340
 he's coming

00:21:57.340 --> 00:21:58.700
 and dealing with us.

00:21:58.900 --> 00:21:59.740
 So obviously,

00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.160
 like I'm going to have faith

00:22:01.160 --> 00:22:01.720
 like Abraham,

00:22:01.880 --> 00:22:03.320
 obviously I'm part of the elite.

00:22:04.600 --> 00:22:06.320
 Or it lets us off the hook

00:22:06.320 --> 00:22:08.060
 from having to follow God

00:22:08.060 --> 00:22:08.779
 because we say,

00:22:08.900 --> 00:22:09.040
 well,

00:22:09.140 --> 00:22:09.420
 you know,

00:22:09.480 --> 00:22:10.140
 I'm not like,

00:22:10.220 --> 00:22:11.900
 I'm not like Abraham.

00:22:13.019 --> 00:22:13.660
 You know,

00:22:13.740 --> 00:22:15.259
 I'm not very well educated.

00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:16.640
 I don't have that many abilities.

00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:17.820
 I'm not a great at praying,

00:22:17.960 --> 00:22:18.140
 you know,

00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:19.180
 whatever it is.

00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:20.759
 So I'm sort of off the hook.

00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:22.860
 But the whole point

00:22:22.860 --> 00:22:23.680
 of this text

00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:25.800
 is it's all setting us up

00:22:25.800 --> 00:22:28.040
 to the hopelessness

00:22:28.040 --> 00:22:30.720
 of the line

00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:34.140
 and how God speaks

00:22:34.140 --> 00:22:35.400
 into hopelessness,

00:22:35.960 --> 00:22:37.920
 how God speaks

00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:38.900
 into this mixture

00:22:38.900 --> 00:22:39.840
 of strength

00:22:39.840 --> 00:22:40.600
 and frailty

00:22:40.600 --> 00:22:41.500
 and weakness,

00:22:41.500 --> 00:22:44.960
 and how

00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:45.880
 in the midst

00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:46.680
 of something

00:22:46.680 --> 00:22:47.779
 which looks completely

00:22:47.779 --> 00:22:48.859
 and utterly unworthy

00:22:48.859 --> 00:22:50.319
 and utterly helpless,

00:22:51.319 --> 00:22:54.259
 God's commitment

00:22:54.259 --> 00:22:54.920
 and promise,

00:22:55.140 --> 00:22:56.180
 God being God

00:22:56.180 --> 00:22:57.460
 and God speaking

00:22:57.460 --> 00:22:59.900
 creates things

00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:02.220
 when people listen

00:23:02.220 --> 00:23:04.480
 and say yes.

00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:10.920
 You see,

00:23:11.019 --> 00:23:12.360
 if God actually works

00:23:12.360 --> 00:23:13.099
 through both

00:23:13.099 --> 00:23:13.960
 the hopeless

00:23:13.960 --> 00:23:15.480
 and people

00:23:15.480 --> 00:23:16.420
 who have excellency

00:23:16.420 --> 00:23:17.140
 and stuff like that,

00:23:17.180 --> 00:23:17.579
 in fact,

00:23:17.620 --> 00:23:18.500
 it's all about God

00:23:18.500 --> 00:23:19.720
 and not about us,

00:23:20.420 --> 00:23:22.720
 then there's nothing

00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:24.220
 to ever be proud about

00:23:24.220 --> 00:23:26.720
 if you're a Christian.

00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:29.819
 Nor is there ever

00:23:29.819 --> 00:23:30.620
 any reason

00:23:30.620 --> 00:23:32.319
 why we should think

00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:33.480
 that it can't be us,

00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:34.680
 that God is calling.

00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:40.819
 Look down to chapter 12,

00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:41.819
 verses 1 to 3.

00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:44.299
 And actually,

00:23:44.460 --> 00:23:45.700
 just a pause here.

00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:46.220
 Could you put up

00:23:46.220 --> 00:23:46.980
 the next point, Andrew?

00:23:47.740 --> 00:23:48.400
 Here's the thing

00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:48.960
 which is going to be

00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:50.579
 really, really amazing

00:23:50.579 --> 00:23:51.620
 is that one of the things

00:23:51.620 --> 00:23:52.160
 that characters

00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:53.000
 is if you study

00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:54.720
 ancient paganism

00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:56.279
 and even modern paganism,

00:23:56.360 --> 00:23:57.220
 the gods are fickle.

00:23:58.120 --> 00:23:59.160
 One day they wake up,

00:23:59.420 --> 00:24:00.240
 they don't like you.

00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:01.579
 Don't like you,

00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:02.240
 don't like you,

00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:02.960
 don't like you.

00:24:02.960 --> 00:24:04.220
 But they like you,

00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:05.079
 you, and you.

00:24:05.400 --> 00:24:05.960
 Next day,

00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:07.660
 sucks to be the first group.

00:24:07.840 --> 00:24:08.860
 I like a different group.

00:24:09.299 --> 00:24:10.340
 The gods are fickle.

00:24:11.740 --> 00:24:13.180
 You have to sort of figure out

00:24:13.180 --> 00:24:14.559
 maybe what you've done.

00:24:16.019 --> 00:24:17.180
 And a lot of times

00:24:17.180 --> 00:24:17.720
 it hasn't been

00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:18.660
 that you've done anything,

00:24:18.819 --> 00:24:19.640
 it's just that the gods

00:24:19.640 --> 00:24:20.900
 are fighting with each other,

00:24:21.019 --> 00:24:21.759
 that the gods,

00:24:21.880 --> 00:24:23.039
 many wives or lovers

00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:23.819
 have gotten jealous

00:24:23.819 --> 00:24:24.559
 with each other

00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:25.059
 and they've just

00:24:25.059 --> 00:24:26.240
 zapped a few of you

00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:27.460
 or blessed a few of you

00:24:27.460 --> 00:24:29.059
 and it's the gods fighting

00:24:29.059 --> 00:24:29.579
 and we're just

00:24:29.579 --> 00:24:30.759
 their little pawns.

00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:31.900
 And that's the world

00:24:31.900 --> 00:24:33.160
 that Abram grows up in.

00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:36.200
 In a world

00:24:36.200 --> 00:24:37.759
 of fickle gods,

00:24:38.460 --> 00:24:39.359
 the true God

00:24:39.359 --> 00:24:40.759
 commits promises

00:24:40.759 --> 00:24:41.960
 and keeps his word.

00:24:42.099 --> 00:24:42.839
 Look at what happens

00:24:42.839 --> 00:24:43.759
 in chapter 12

00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:44.839
 verses 1 to 4.

00:24:45.400 --> 00:24:46.519
 Now the Lord said

00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:47.220
 to Abram,

00:24:48.220 --> 00:24:49.460
 go from your country

00:24:49.460 --> 00:24:50.279
 and your kindred

00:24:50.279 --> 00:24:51.240
 and your father's house

00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:51.759
 to the land

00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:52.660
 that I will show you

00:24:52.660 --> 00:24:53.619
 and I will make you

00:24:53.619 --> 00:24:54.400
 a great nation.

00:24:54.879 --> 00:24:56.000
 I will bless you

00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.579
 and make your name great

00:24:57.579 --> 00:24:58.339
 so that you will be

00:24:58.339 --> 00:24:58.779
 a blessing.

00:24:58.779 --> 00:25:00.379
 I will bless those

00:25:00.379 --> 00:25:01.099
 who bless you

00:25:01.099 --> 00:25:02.599
 and him who dishonors you

00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:03.420
 I will curse

00:25:03.420 --> 00:25:04.279
 and in you

00:25:04.279 --> 00:25:05.200
 all the families

00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:05.740
 of the earth

00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:06.619
 shall be blessed.

00:25:07.099 --> 00:25:08.259
 So Abram went

00:25:08.259 --> 00:25:09.079
 as the Lord

00:25:09.079 --> 00:25:09.899
 had told him

00:25:09.899 --> 00:25:11.819
 and Lot went with him.

00:25:12.259 --> 00:25:14.220
 Abram was 75 years old

00:25:14.220 --> 00:25:14.859
 when he departed

00:25:14.859 --> 00:25:15.480
 from Haran

00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:16.220
 and if you go back

00:25:16.220 --> 00:25:16.680
 and if you go

00:25:16.680 --> 00:25:17.259
 and read more

00:25:17.259 --> 00:25:18.220
 of the story of Abraham

00:25:18.220 --> 00:25:18.899
 you'll discover

00:25:18.899 --> 00:25:19.460
 that his wife

00:25:19.460 --> 00:25:20.379
 was 10 years younger

00:25:20.379 --> 00:25:20.799
 than him.

00:25:21.420 --> 00:25:22.240
 That means

00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:24.079
 that when Abram

00:25:24.079 --> 00:25:24.920
 goes out

00:25:24.920 --> 00:25:27.619
 he's 75 years old

00:25:27.619 --> 00:25:29.199
 he has a wife

00:25:29.199 --> 00:25:30.719
 who's 65 years old

00:25:30.719 --> 00:25:32.139
 and his wife

00:25:32.139 --> 00:25:33.139
 has never had a baby.

00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:36.319
 His wife

00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:37.759
 has never had a baby.

00:25:41.379 --> 00:25:42.019
 And yet

00:25:42.019 --> 00:25:43.139
 look what he says

00:25:43.139 --> 00:25:44.139
 to Abram.

00:25:45.339 --> 00:25:46.619
 Go from your country

00:25:46.619 --> 00:25:47.319
 and your kindred

00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:48.159
 verse 1 again

00:25:48.159 --> 00:25:49.699
 and your father's house

00:25:49.699 --> 00:25:50.159
 to the land

00:25:50.159 --> 00:25:51.099
 that I will show you

00:25:51.099 --> 00:25:51.699
 verse 2

00:25:51.699 --> 00:25:53.059
 and I will make you

00:25:53.059 --> 00:25:54.079
 a great nation.

00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:57.399
 I will make you

00:25:57.399 --> 00:25:58.000
 a great nation.

00:25:58.099 --> 00:25:59.740
 He's 75 years old

00:25:59.740 --> 00:26:00.299
 he's going out

00:26:00.299 --> 00:26:02.019
 with a 65 year old wife

00:26:02.019 --> 00:26:03.099
 who's never had a baby

00:26:03.099 --> 00:26:05.699
 and God says to him

00:26:05.699 --> 00:26:06.439
 I will make you

00:26:06.439 --> 00:26:07.220
 a great nation

00:26:07.220 --> 00:26:09.579
 and I will bless you

00:26:09.579 --> 00:26:10.199
 and I will make

00:26:10.199 --> 00:26:11.000
 your name great

00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:11.619
 so that you will

00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:12.220
 be a blessing.

00:26:12.419 --> 00:26:13.240
 I will bless those

00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:13.899
 who bless you

00:26:13.899 --> 00:26:15.019
 and him who dishonors you

00:26:15.019 --> 00:26:15.679
 I will curse

00:26:15.679 --> 00:26:16.519
 and in you

00:26:16.519 --> 00:26:18.199
 all the families

00:26:18.199 --> 00:26:18.919
 of the earth

00:26:18.919 --> 00:26:20.399
 shall be blessed.

00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:25.380
 If you could put up

00:26:25.380 --> 00:26:26.259
 the next point Andrew

00:26:26.259 --> 00:26:27.320
 that would be very helpful.

00:26:30.940 --> 00:26:31.940
 God's commitment

00:26:31.940 --> 00:26:33.120
 and promises

00:26:33.120 --> 00:26:35.400
 engender faith.

00:26:37.060 --> 00:26:38.019
 I know that's a bit

00:26:38.019 --> 00:26:39.019
 of a complicated word

00:26:39.019 --> 00:26:39.500
 that some of you

00:26:39.500 --> 00:26:40.400
 have never heard before

00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:43.440
 but no one's faith

00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:45.360
 causes God

00:26:45.360 --> 00:26:46.240
 to commit

00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:47.480
 and promise.

00:26:48.180 --> 00:26:49.300
 What you're seeing

00:26:49.300 --> 00:26:50.259
 here in the Bible

00:26:50.259 --> 00:26:51.759
 is the great divide

00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:53.839
 between the true God

00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:54.920
 and all idols.

00:26:55.680 --> 00:26:56.759
 What you see here

00:26:56.759 --> 00:26:57.920
 is the great divide

00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:58.940
 to how the Bible

00:26:58.940 --> 00:27:00.660
 describes the gospel

00:27:00.660 --> 00:27:01.359
 and what God

00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:03.460
 wants to do

00:27:03.460 --> 00:27:04.099
 for people

00:27:04.099 --> 00:27:05.220
 and all religion

00:27:05.220 --> 00:27:06.420
 and all spirituality

00:27:06.420 --> 00:27:08.240
 and all irreligion.

00:27:09.539 --> 00:27:10.460
 If you go along

00:27:10.460 --> 00:27:11.740
 the Trans-Canada Highway

00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:12.599
 from Ottawa

00:27:12.599 --> 00:27:13.299
 as if you're going

00:27:13.299 --> 00:27:14.140
 up to North Bay

00:27:14.140 --> 00:27:15.119
 and somewhere along

00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:15.599
 the trip

00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:16.000
 as you're going

00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:16.960
 on the Trans-Canada

00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:17.619
 to go west

00:27:17.619 --> 00:27:18.660
 there's a sign

00:27:18.660 --> 00:27:19.619
 on the side of the road

00:27:19.619 --> 00:27:20.679
 and on the side

00:27:20.679 --> 00:27:21.359
 of the road

00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:22.179
 the sign says

00:27:22.179 --> 00:27:23.539
 that from this point on

00:27:23.539 --> 00:27:24.739
 all the rivers

00:27:24.739 --> 00:27:25.859
 that you see

00:27:25.859 --> 00:27:27.379
 flow north.

00:27:29.539 --> 00:27:30.979
 They all flow north

00:27:30.979 --> 00:27:32.739
 to the Arctic Ocean

00:27:32.739 --> 00:27:33.919
 to Hudson's Bay.

00:27:35.699 --> 00:27:36.619
 Before that

00:27:36.619 --> 00:27:37.639
 the waters flowed

00:27:37.639 --> 00:27:38.659
 in a different direction.

00:27:38.879 --> 00:27:39.519
 After that

00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:40.179
 they flow

00:27:40.179 --> 00:27:41.359
 in a different direction.

00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:43.519
 and basically

00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:44.639
 every religion

00:27:44.639 --> 00:27:46.199
 every spirituality

00:27:46.199 --> 00:27:49.839
 and part of the reason

00:27:49.839 --> 00:27:50.639
 that people say

00:27:50.639 --> 00:27:51.879
 that they can't be religious

00:27:51.879 --> 00:27:53.359
 or they can't be spiritual

00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:55.079
 is at the heart

00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:56.399
 of all of these systems

00:27:56.399 --> 00:27:57.019
 of thought

00:27:57.019 --> 00:27:58.699
 is the belief

00:27:58.699 --> 00:28:00.639
 that I have faith

00:28:00.639 --> 00:28:03.759
 or I do rituals

00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:09.420
 or I learn yoga

00:28:09.420 --> 00:28:11.559
 or I learn

00:28:11.559 --> 00:28:12.079
 how to say

00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:12.980
 the Lord's Prayer

00:28:12.980 --> 00:28:14.680
 or I get confirmed

00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:16.779
 or I pray to Allah

00:28:16.779 --> 00:28:18.000
 five times a day

00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:19.480
 or I make my pilgrimage

00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:20.720
 to Mecca

00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:22.420
 or I learn

00:28:22.420 --> 00:28:23.099
 all of the right

00:28:23.099 --> 00:28:24.079
 praise songs

00:28:24.079 --> 00:28:24.700
 or memorize

00:28:24.700 --> 00:28:25.700
 part of the Bible

00:28:25.700 --> 00:28:28.019
 or I sacrifice

00:28:28.019 --> 00:28:28.740
 to the right

00:28:28.740 --> 00:28:29.779
 Hindu gods

00:28:29.779 --> 00:28:30.660
 and goddesses

00:28:30.660 --> 00:28:31.119
 or the right

00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:32.019
 Buddhist gods

00:28:32.019 --> 00:28:32.879
 and goddesses

00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:33.440
 and I follow

00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:34.340
 the right practices

00:28:34.340 --> 00:28:35.740
 and if I follow

00:28:35.740 --> 00:28:36.720
 the right practices

00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:38.020
 then God will commit

00:28:38.020 --> 00:28:38.580
 to me

00:28:38.580 --> 00:28:40.000
 and make promises

00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:40.540
 to me

00:28:40.540 --> 00:28:42.440
 and that's how

00:28:42.440 --> 00:28:43.240
 all religion

00:28:43.240 --> 00:28:44.340
 and all spirituality

00:28:44.340 --> 00:28:45.220
 works

00:28:45.220 --> 00:28:47.260
 but look at

00:28:47.260 --> 00:28:48.300
 how it works here

00:28:48.300 --> 00:28:49.820
 God takes someone

00:28:49.820 --> 00:28:50.640
 who worships

00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:51.140
 the moon

00:28:51.140 --> 00:28:53.860
 and he's not

00:28:53.860 --> 00:28:55.340
 even very swift

00:28:55.340 --> 00:28:57.080
 in listening

00:28:57.080 --> 00:28:57.640
 to God

00:28:57.640 --> 00:28:58.620
 some of you

00:28:58.620 --> 00:28:59.440
 are using versions

00:28:59.440 --> 00:28:59.980
 of the Bible

00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:00.600
 that when I read

00:29:00.600 --> 00:29:01.300
 chapter 12

00:29:01.300 --> 00:29:01.820
 verse 1

00:29:01.820 --> 00:29:02.800
 in my version

00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:03.159
 it says

00:29:03.159 --> 00:29:03.740
 now the Lord

00:29:03.740 --> 00:29:04.700
 said to Abram

00:29:04.700 --> 00:29:05.960
 and some of your

00:29:05.960 --> 00:29:07.019
 versions of the Bible

00:29:07.019 --> 00:29:07.819
 said the Lord

00:29:07.819 --> 00:29:09.339
 had said to Abram

00:29:09.339 --> 00:29:10.899
 and in Hebrew

00:29:10.899 --> 00:29:12.500
 like they're both

00:29:12.500 --> 00:29:13.299
 good translations

00:29:13.299 --> 00:29:14.000
 had said

00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:14.519
 is probably

00:29:14.519 --> 00:29:15.059
 a little bit

00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:15.759
 more accurate

00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:17.379
 what it's saying

00:29:17.379 --> 00:29:18.220
 is that while

00:29:18.220 --> 00:29:19.259
 Abram

00:29:19.259 --> 00:29:20.440
 was still in Ur

00:29:20.440 --> 00:29:21.379
 of the Chaldeans

00:29:21.379 --> 00:29:22.879
 God had called him

00:29:22.879 --> 00:29:24.159
 and he continued

00:29:24.159 --> 00:29:25.220
 to call him

00:29:25.220 --> 00:29:26.419
 and Abram

00:29:26.419 --> 00:29:27.339
 sort of started

00:29:27.339 --> 00:29:28.079
 to obey

00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:29.079
 what had to be done

00:29:29.079 --> 00:29:29.839
 but he didn't really

00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:30.779
 obey what had to be done

00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:31.299
 he left Ur

00:29:31.299 --> 00:29:31.920
 of the Chaldeans

00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:32.319
 but he left

00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:33.000
 with his dad

00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:33.619
 and his brothers

00:29:33.619 --> 00:29:34.660
 and he goes

00:29:34.660 --> 00:29:35.740
 to another place

00:29:35.740 --> 00:29:36.639
 and it's only

00:29:36.639 --> 00:29:38.339
 after the person

00:29:38.339 --> 00:29:39.059
 dies there

00:29:39.059 --> 00:29:39.700
 in fact he goes

00:29:39.700 --> 00:29:40.359
 to another place

00:29:40.359 --> 00:29:41.200
 which is prosperous

00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:41.940
 and another place

00:29:41.940 --> 00:29:42.680
 which worships

00:29:42.680 --> 00:29:43.119
 the moon

00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:44.279
 and God

00:29:44.279 --> 00:29:45.599
 has been calling him

00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:46.319
 and calling him

00:29:46.319 --> 00:29:47.259
 and calling him

00:29:47.259 --> 00:29:48.940
 the moon god worshiper

00:29:48.940 --> 00:29:50.299
 and he hasn't responded

00:29:50.299 --> 00:29:51.339
 until finally

00:29:51.339 --> 00:29:52.220
 the time comes

00:29:52.220 --> 00:29:54.099
 after many calls

00:29:54.099 --> 00:29:56.699
 that he responds

00:29:56.699 --> 00:29:57.819
 and in God's

00:29:57.819 --> 00:29:58.539
 look how it goes

00:29:58.539 --> 00:29:59.559
 the Lord said

00:29:59.559 --> 00:30:00.199
 to Abram

00:30:00.199 --> 00:30:02.259
 go from your country

00:30:02.259 --> 00:30:03.039
 and your kindred

00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:03.980
 and your father's house

00:30:03.980 --> 00:30:04.480
 to the land

00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:05.319
 that I will show you

00:30:05.319 --> 00:30:06.599
 and I will make you

00:30:06.599 --> 00:30:07.319
 a great nation

00:30:07.319 --> 00:30:09.099
 I will bless you

00:30:09.099 --> 00:30:11.039
 I will make your name great

00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:12.299
 so that you will be a blessing

00:30:12.299 --> 00:30:13.779
 I will bless those

00:30:13.779 --> 00:30:14.480
 who bless you

00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:15.599
 and him who dishonors you

00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:16.659
 I will curse

00:30:16.659 --> 00:30:17.459
 and in you

00:30:17.459 --> 00:30:18.159
 all of the families

00:30:18.159 --> 00:30:18.480
 of the earth

00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:19.000
 shall be blessed

00:30:19.000 --> 00:30:19.799
 it's all

00:30:19.799 --> 00:30:20.839
 God will do it

00:30:20.839 --> 00:30:21.619
 God will do it

00:30:21.619 --> 00:30:22.839
 and he says to Abraham

00:30:22.839 --> 00:30:24.279
 I am calling you

00:30:24.279 --> 00:30:25.359
 from worshiping the moon

00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:26.439
 I am calling you

00:30:26.439 --> 00:30:26.959
 even though

00:30:26.959 --> 00:30:27.919
 on a certain

00:30:27.919 --> 00:30:28.839
 on a human level

00:30:28.839 --> 00:30:30.059
 you are lacking

00:30:30.059 --> 00:30:30.659
 and respecting

00:30:30.659 --> 00:30:31.379
 you have no hope

00:30:31.379 --> 00:30:32.759
 I am calling you

00:30:32.759 --> 00:30:33.879
 I am committing to you

00:30:33.879 --> 00:30:35.039
 I am promising

00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:36.699
 these mighty things

00:30:36.699 --> 00:30:37.259
 to you

00:30:37.259 --> 00:30:39.399
 I will do these things

00:30:39.399 --> 00:30:40.019
 to you

00:30:40.019 --> 00:30:40.899
 if you go

00:30:40.899 --> 00:30:44.339
 the promise

00:30:44.339 --> 00:30:45.199
 the commitment

00:30:45.199 --> 00:30:46.500
 the promise

00:30:46.500 --> 00:30:47.359
 the commitment

00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:48.119
 the promise

00:30:48.119 --> 00:30:48.859
 the commitment

00:30:48.859 --> 00:30:51.759
 and then in verse 4

00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:54.299
 so Abraham

00:30:54.299 --> 00:30:55.140
 went

00:30:55.140 --> 00:30:56.140
 as the Lord

00:30:56.140 --> 00:30:57.299
 told him

00:30:57.299 --> 00:30:59.240
 you see

00:30:59.240 --> 00:31:00.400
 God commits

00:31:00.400 --> 00:31:01.119
 to Abraham

00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:02.440
 he promises

00:31:02.440 --> 00:31:04.180
 to Abraham

00:31:04.180 --> 00:31:05.960
 and it's God's

00:31:05.960 --> 00:31:06.519
 commitment

00:31:06.519 --> 00:31:07.599
 and promises

00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:09.140
 which engender

00:31:09.140 --> 00:31:09.700
 faith

00:31:09.700 --> 00:31:13.460
 he doesn't look down

00:31:13.460 --> 00:31:14.119
 and say to Abraham

00:31:14.119 --> 00:31:15.680
 gosh you were so

00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:16.200
 faithful

00:31:16.200 --> 00:31:17.440
 gosh

00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:18.400
 you're just like

00:31:18.400 --> 00:31:18.740
 Andrew

00:31:18.740 --> 00:31:19.859
 you have 10 kids

00:31:19.859 --> 00:31:21.139
 great kids

00:31:21.139 --> 00:31:22.159
 I'm going to do

00:31:22.159 --> 00:31:23.419
 spectacular things

00:31:23.419 --> 00:31:24.039
 through you

00:31:24.039 --> 00:31:25.019
 get ready

00:31:25.019 --> 00:31:25.959
 you know

00:31:25.959 --> 00:31:28.000
 hang on

00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:29.639
 you're going to go

00:31:29.639 --> 00:31:30.199
 on an adventure

00:31:30.199 --> 00:31:30.919
 because you're so

00:31:30.919 --> 00:31:31.399
 faithful

00:31:31.399 --> 00:31:32.419
 you're so smart

00:31:32.419 --> 00:31:33.259
 you're good looking

00:31:33.259 --> 00:31:34.099
 all of those types

00:31:34.099 --> 00:31:34.639
 of things

00:31:34.639 --> 00:31:34.939
 you're

00:31:34.939 --> 00:31:35.919
 look whoa

00:31:35.919 --> 00:31:36.619
 wow

00:31:36.619 --> 00:31:37.979
 the theology

00:31:37.979 --> 00:31:38.519
 you know

00:31:38.519 --> 00:31:39.179
 whoa

00:31:39.179 --> 00:31:40.419
 you know

00:31:40.419 --> 00:31:41.019
 I can hardly

00:31:41.019 --> 00:31:41.559
 look down

00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:42.319
 at your halo

00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:43.099
 so bright

00:31:43.099 --> 00:31:43.659
 no

00:31:43.659 --> 00:31:45.479
 you worship

00:31:45.479 --> 00:31:46.119
 the moon

00:31:46.119 --> 00:31:47.500
 your situation

00:31:47.500 --> 00:31:48.119
 is hopeless

00:31:48.119 --> 00:31:49.420
 I've been calling

00:31:49.420 --> 00:31:50.019
 you for years

00:31:50.019 --> 00:31:50.619
 and you haven't

00:31:50.619 --> 00:31:51.420
 said yes

00:31:51.420 --> 00:31:54.000
 God commits

00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:55.279
 God promises

00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:58.420
 that's what

00:31:58.420 --> 00:31:58.940
 engenders

00:31:58.940 --> 00:31:59.380
 faith

00:31:59.380 --> 00:32:04.539
 that's what

00:32:04.539 --> 00:32:05.039
 engenders

00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:05.400
 faith

00:32:05.400 --> 00:32:05.720
 you see

00:32:05.720 --> 00:32:06.119
 that's one of

00:32:06.119 --> 00:32:06.480
 the reasons

00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:07.099
 why the mission

00:32:07.099 --> 00:32:07.740
 statement of this

00:32:07.740 --> 00:32:08.079
 church

00:32:08.079 --> 00:32:08.880
 is

00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:10.720
 making disciples

00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:11.700
 gripped by the

00:32:11.700 --> 00:32:12.200
 gospel

00:32:12.200 --> 00:32:14.099
 learning to live

00:32:14.099 --> 00:32:15.119
 for God's glory

00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:18.559
 making disciples

00:32:18.559 --> 00:32:19.799
 gripped by the

00:32:19.799 --> 00:32:20.259
 gospel

00:32:20.259 --> 00:32:21.739
 learning to live

00:32:21.739 --> 00:32:23.239
 for God's glory

00:32:23.239 --> 00:32:24.679
 because

00:32:24.679 --> 00:32:26.159
 we live

00:32:26.159 --> 00:32:27.679
 if you put up

00:32:27.679 --> 00:32:28.199
 the next point

00:32:28.199 --> 00:32:28.599
 that would be

00:32:28.599 --> 00:32:28.899
 great

00:32:28.899 --> 00:32:31.079
 God's promises

00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:31.719
 to Abraham

00:32:31.719 --> 00:32:33.819
 are spectacularly

00:32:33.819 --> 00:32:34.239
 kept

00:32:34.239 --> 00:32:35.459
 in the incarnation

00:32:35.459 --> 00:32:35.979
 birth

00:32:35.979 --> 00:32:36.299
 life

00:32:36.299 --> 00:32:36.639
 death

00:32:36.639 --> 00:32:37.719
 and resurrection

00:32:37.719 --> 00:32:38.259
 of Jesus

00:32:38.259 --> 00:32:38.899
 Messiah

00:32:38.899 --> 00:32:40.179
 I mean one of the

00:32:40.179 --> 00:32:40.959
 amazing things

00:32:40.959 --> 00:32:41.539
 about all of this

00:32:41.539 --> 00:32:42.119
 remember I said

00:32:42.119 --> 00:32:42.699
 that we follow

00:32:42.699 --> 00:32:43.719
 God with our ears

00:32:43.719 --> 00:32:44.619
 we follow Jesus

00:32:44.619 --> 00:32:45.399
 with our ears

00:32:45.399 --> 00:32:46.439
 not with our eyes

00:32:46.439 --> 00:32:49.119
 the text goes ahead

00:32:49.119 --> 00:32:49.659
 and says that

00:32:49.659 --> 00:32:50.699
 God's going to show

00:32:50.699 --> 00:32:52.000
 Abraham these things

00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:53.839
 all Abraham has

00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:55.000
 is God's voice

00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:56.199
 and God's promise

00:32:56.199 --> 00:32:57.599
 to go

00:32:57.599 --> 00:33:01.000
 God makes this promise

00:33:01.000 --> 00:33:03.159
 God makes this commitment

00:33:03.159 --> 00:33:05.479
 Abraham's response

00:33:05.479 --> 00:33:07.419
 is to respond in faith

00:33:07.419 --> 00:33:09.500
 and do what he says

00:33:09.500 --> 00:33:16.500
 God makes this promise

00:33:16.500 --> 00:33:20.720
 God makes this promise

00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:21.880
 he makes this commitment

00:33:21.880 --> 00:33:23.140
 we begin

00:33:23.140 --> 00:33:24.539
 not just to trust

00:33:24.539 --> 00:33:25.160
 God

00:33:25.160 --> 00:33:26.079
 but to trust

00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:27.059
 in what he says

00:33:27.059 --> 00:33:28.420
 because it's when we

00:33:28.420 --> 00:33:29.559
 trust in what he says

00:33:29.559 --> 00:33:30.500
 that we're really

00:33:30.500 --> 00:33:31.279
 trusting him

00:33:31.279 --> 00:33:33.700
 and so we hear

00:33:33.700 --> 00:33:34.619
 with our ears

00:33:34.619 --> 00:33:37.039
 we hear with our ears

00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:39.019
 faith comes from hearing

00:33:39.019 --> 00:33:40.559
 we hear with our ears

00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:41.940
 and we step out

00:33:41.940 --> 00:33:42.500
 in faith

00:33:42.500 --> 00:33:44.299
 and as we step out

00:33:44.299 --> 00:33:44.819
 in faith

00:33:44.819 --> 00:33:46.259
 God will show us

00:33:46.259 --> 00:33:47.059
 from day to day

00:33:47.059 --> 00:33:48.200
 what we need to be seen

00:33:48.200 --> 00:33:48.960
 but primarily

00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:50.019
 we follow him

00:33:50.019 --> 00:33:50.879
 with our ears

00:33:50.879 --> 00:33:52.200
 and Abraham

00:33:52.200 --> 00:33:53.399
 did not know

00:33:53.399 --> 00:33:55.220
 that this

00:33:55.220 --> 00:33:57.700
 him finally responding

00:33:57.700 --> 00:33:59.200
 as he finally comes

00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:00.279
 the Bible doesn't tell us

00:34:00.279 --> 00:34:01.720
 why exactly it is

00:34:01.720 --> 00:34:02.759
 that Abraham

00:34:02.759 --> 00:34:04.039
 finally believed

00:34:04.039 --> 00:34:04.740
 and trusted

00:34:04.740 --> 00:34:05.379
 what God

00:34:05.379 --> 00:34:05.899
 was saying

00:34:05.899 --> 00:34:06.420
 to him

00:34:06.420 --> 00:34:07.180
 and I think

00:34:07.180 --> 00:34:07.559
 the reason

00:34:07.559 --> 00:34:07.980
 the Bible

00:34:07.980 --> 00:34:08.759
 doesn't tell us

00:34:08.759 --> 00:34:09.480
 that is because

00:34:09.480 --> 00:34:10.500
 that was something

00:34:10.500 --> 00:34:11.199
 unique to him

00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:11.719
 what we need

00:34:11.719 --> 00:34:12.279
 to listen to

00:34:12.279 --> 00:34:12.739
 is the rest

00:34:12.739 --> 00:34:13.279
 of the Bible

00:34:13.279 --> 00:34:15.460
 we need to see

00:34:15.460 --> 00:34:16.380
 the trustworthiness

00:34:16.380 --> 00:34:17.179
 of God's word

00:34:17.179 --> 00:34:17.739
 the wisdom

00:34:17.739 --> 00:34:18.519
 of his laws

00:34:18.519 --> 00:34:19.179
 we need to see

00:34:19.179 --> 00:34:19.739
 the wisdom

00:34:19.739 --> 00:34:20.460
 of the story

00:34:20.460 --> 00:34:21.000
 the beauty

00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:21.619
 of the story

00:34:21.619 --> 00:34:22.360
 we need to see

00:34:22.360 --> 00:34:22.980
 Jesus

00:34:22.980 --> 00:34:24.099
 we need to see

00:34:24.099 --> 00:34:24.539
 Jesus

00:34:24.539 --> 00:34:26.179
 dying upon the cross

00:34:26.179 --> 00:34:26.880
 as the perfect

00:34:26.880 --> 00:34:27.420
 revelation

00:34:27.420 --> 00:34:28.420
 of God's love

00:34:28.420 --> 00:34:29.840
 we need to understand

00:34:29.840 --> 00:34:30.679
 how God

00:34:30.679 --> 00:34:31.279
 has been keeping

00:34:31.279 --> 00:34:31.900
 his promises

00:34:31.900 --> 00:34:32.599
 from the time

00:34:32.599 --> 00:34:33.500
 of Abraham on

00:34:33.500 --> 00:34:34.519
 we need to see

00:34:34.519 --> 00:34:35.079
 how God

00:34:35.079 --> 00:34:35.659
 has been keeping

00:34:35.659 --> 00:34:36.340
 his promises

00:34:36.340 --> 00:34:37.559
 even to Adam

00:34:37.559 --> 00:34:37.860
 and Eve

00:34:37.860 --> 00:34:38.320
 that he would

00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:39.039
 send one

00:34:39.039 --> 00:34:39.360
 who would

00:34:39.360 --> 00:34:40.139
 slay the serpent

00:34:40.139 --> 00:34:41.440
 we need to see

00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:43.139
 how the tomb

00:34:43.139 --> 00:34:43.739
 is empty

00:34:43.739 --> 00:34:44.360
 and after

00:34:44.360 --> 00:34:45.280
 the tomb

00:34:45.280 --> 00:34:45.719
 is empty

00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:46.320
 and they cannot

00:34:46.320 --> 00:34:47.219
 find the body

00:34:47.219 --> 00:34:47.900
 and because

00:34:47.900 --> 00:34:49.019
 Jesus is risen

00:34:49.019 --> 00:34:49.719
 and the body

00:34:49.719 --> 00:34:50.500
 is not there

00:34:50.500 --> 00:34:51.579
 and thousands

00:34:51.579 --> 00:34:52.260
 and thousands

00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:52.760
 of people

00:34:52.760 --> 00:34:53.260
 who can just

00:34:53.260 --> 00:34:53.960
 walk down

00:34:53.960 --> 00:34:54.579
 to the grave

00:34:54.579 --> 00:34:55.940
 and see the body

00:34:55.940 --> 00:34:56.559
 of Jesus

00:34:56.559 --> 00:34:57.619
 believe that

00:34:57.619 --> 00:34:58.619
 Jesus has risen

00:34:58.619 --> 00:34:59.280
 from the dead

00:34:59.280 --> 00:35:00.320
 that he's no longer

00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:00.639
 there

00:35:00.639 --> 00:35:01.860
 that God

00:35:01.860 --> 00:35:02.800
 has vindicated

00:35:02.800 --> 00:35:03.300
 Jesus

00:35:03.300 --> 00:35:03.980
 as the one

00:35:03.980 --> 00:35:04.800
 who can slay

00:35:04.800 --> 00:35:05.360
 the serpent

00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:06.460
 and make human

00:35:06.460 --> 00:35:07.080
 beings right

00:35:07.080 --> 00:35:07.720
 with God

00:35:07.720 --> 00:35:08.920
 and we need

00:35:08.920 --> 00:35:09.660
 to see all

00:35:09.660 --> 00:35:10.300
 of these things

00:35:10.300 --> 00:35:11.340
 and have a new

00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:12.420
 certain ground

00:35:12.420 --> 00:35:13.019
 of hope

00:35:13.019 --> 00:35:14.320
 based on how

00:35:14.320 --> 00:35:15.300
 God has kept

00:35:15.300 --> 00:35:16.000
 his promises

00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:17.580
 that for every

00:35:17.580 --> 00:35:19.380
 single human being

00:35:19.380 --> 00:35:19.880
 and planet

00:35:19.880 --> 00:35:20.420
 on the earth

00:35:20.420 --> 00:35:21.160
 that God

00:35:21.160 --> 00:35:22.160
 has a call

00:35:22.160 --> 00:35:22.720
 to them

00:35:22.720 --> 00:35:23.280
 to come

00:35:23.280 --> 00:35:23.800
 to be made

00:35:23.800 --> 00:35:24.620
 right with him

00:35:24.620 --> 00:35:25.260
 through putting

00:35:25.260 --> 00:35:25.740
 their faith

00:35:25.740 --> 00:35:26.180
 and trust

00:35:26.180 --> 00:35:26.660
 in Jesus

00:35:26.660 --> 00:35:27.320
 and we need

00:35:27.320 --> 00:35:27.960
 to be gripped

00:35:27.960 --> 00:35:28.840
 with this story

00:35:28.840 --> 00:35:31.980
 we don't need

00:35:31.980 --> 00:35:32.780
 praise songs

00:35:32.780 --> 00:35:33.660
 to pump us up

00:35:33.660 --> 00:35:34.400
 we don't need

00:35:34.400 --> 00:35:35.600
 Bach

00:35:35.600 --> 00:35:37.120
 to make us

00:35:37.120 --> 00:35:37.519
 just think

00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:38.120
 how beautiful

00:35:38.120 --> 00:35:38.800
 and melodic

00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:39.220
 things are

00:35:39.220 --> 00:35:39.800
 we don't need

00:35:39.800 --> 00:35:40.460
 great art

00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:40.960
 I mean those

00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:41.740
 things are wonderful

00:35:41.740 --> 00:35:42.440
 when they come

00:35:42.440 --> 00:35:43.340
 we don't need

00:35:43.340 --> 00:35:44.280
 to have

00:35:44.280 --> 00:35:46.400
 spectacular rhetoric

00:35:46.400 --> 00:35:47.260
 we need to be

00:35:47.260 --> 00:35:47.800
 gripped with

00:35:47.800 --> 00:35:48.820
 God's promises

00:35:48.820 --> 00:35:51.360
 and gripped

00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:52.220
 by the gospel

00:35:52.219 --> 00:35:54.859
 and as we are

00:35:54.859 --> 00:35:55.419
 gripped by

00:35:55.419 --> 00:35:56.439
 God's promises

00:35:56.439 --> 00:35:58.179
 that's how

00:35:58.179 --> 00:35:58.959
 faith grows

00:35:58.959 --> 00:35:59.679
 within us

00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:02.059
 and the wonderful

00:36:02.059 --> 00:36:03.219
 thing about the gospel

00:36:03.219 --> 00:36:04.919
 the wonderful thing

00:36:04.919 --> 00:36:05.799
 that all of these

00:36:05.799 --> 00:36:06.299
 promises

00:36:06.299 --> 00:36:07.299
 when they culminate

00:36:07.299 --> 00:36:07.839
 in the coming

00:36:07.839 --> 00:36:08.299
 and the death

00:36:08.299 --> 00:36:08.779
 and resurrection

00:36:08.779 --> 00:36:09.480
 of Jesus

00:36:09.480 --> 00:36:11.159
 is we understand

00:36:11.159 --> 00:36:12.339
 in a far deeper

00:36:12.339 --> 00:36:12.859
 way

00:36:12.859 --> 00:36:14.039
 what God is going

00:36:14.039 --> 00:36:14.819
 to do to slay

00:36:14.819 --> 00:36:15.339
 the serpent

00:36:15.339 --> 00:36:16.599
 in a far deeper

00:36:16.599 --> 00:36:17.039
 way

00:36:17.039 --> 00:36:17.879
 what God is going

00:36:17.879 --> 00:36:18.659
 to do to make

00:36:18.659 --> 00:36:19.519
 us right with him

00:36:19.519 --> 00:36:21.119
 how Jesus

00:36:21.119 --> 00:36:22.679
 God the son of God

00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:23.380
 when he dies

00:36:23.380 --> 00:36:24.299
 upon the cross

00:36:24.299 --> 00:36:25.059
 that he's dying

00:36:25.059 --> 00:36:26.059
 upon the cross

00:36:26.059 --> 00:36:27.659
 and he is able

00:36:27.659 --> 00:36:28.259
 to die

00:36:28.259 --> 00:36:29.400
 and bear the punishment

00:36:29.400 --> 00:36:30.119
 and the shame

00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:31.420
 of every single

00:36:31.420 --> 00:36:32.519
 thing that we have

00:36:32.519 --> 00:36:33.400
 ever done wrong

00:36:33.400 --> 00:36:35.059
 every accusation

00:36:35.059 --> 00:36:35.920
 in our head

00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:37.719
 every accusation

00:36:37.719 --> 00:36:38.779
 by our loved ones

00:36:38.779 --> 00:36:40.119
 every accusation

00:36:40.119 --> 00:36:40.819
 by coaches

00:36:40.819 --> 00:36:41.940
 or bosses

00:36:41.940 --> 00:36:43.279
 by demons

00:36:43.279 --> 00:36:44.380
 or by the world

00:36:44.380 --> 00:36:45.480
 or by our own conscience

00:36:45.480 --> 00:36:47.099
 every accusation

00:36:47.099 --> 00:36:48.099
 all of those

00:36:48.099 --> 00:36:48.900
 accusations

00:36:48.900 --> 00:36:49.839
 against us

00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:51.640
 fall on him

00:36:51.640 --> 00:36:52.460
 and are dealt

00:36:52.460 --> 00:36:53.579
 with by him

00:36:53.579 --> 00:36:55.079
 and all of the things

00:36:55.079 --> 00:36:56.120
 that we cannot do

00:36:56.120 --> 00:36:57.100
 that Jesus

00:36:57.100 --> 00:36:58.300
 we not only have

00:36:58.300 --> 00:36:59.340
 Jesus taken away

00:36:59.340 --> 00:37:00.200
 all of the bad

00:37:00.200 --> 00:37:00.800
 things we've done

00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:01.460
 all of the things

00:37:01.460 --> 00:37:02.280
 that we are ashamed

00:37:02.280 --> 00:37:02.559
 of

00:37:02.559 --> 00:37:03.559
 all of our weakness

00:37:03.559 --> 00:37:04.380
 not only have

00:37:04.380 --> 00:37:05.220
 all of those things

00:37:05.220 --> 00:37:06.400
 dealt with by Jesus

00:37:06.400 --> 00:37:08.420
 but his actual ability

00:37:08.420 --> 00:37:10.019
 to obey the father

00:37:10.019 --> 00:37:11.720
 and to live a life

00:37:11.720 --> 00:37:12.680
 of obedience

00:37:12.680 --> 00:37:13.500
 where even though

00:37:13.500 --> 00:37:14.100
 he is tempted

00:37:14.100 --> 00:37:14.800
 in every way

00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:15.780
 as we are without sin

00:37:15.780 --> 00:37:17.079
 that he has not sinned

00:37:17.079 --> 00:37:18.400
 his perfect life

00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:19.780
 standing for me

00:37:19.780 --> 00:37:25.000
 when I get in him

00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:26.420
 by faith

00:37:26.420 --> 00:37:30.080
 made right with God

00:37:30.080 --> 00:37:31.560
 by faith

00:37:31.560 --> 00:37:34.300
 if I preach

00:37:34.300 --> 00:37:36.000
 the most spectacular sermon

00:37:36.000 --> 00:37:37.300
 that has ever been preached

00:37:37.300 --> 00:37:38.519
 in the history of the world

00:37:38.519 --> 00:37:39.260
 next Sunday

00:37:39.260 --> 00:37:41.500
 it does not add anything

00:37:41.500 --> 00:37:42.980
 to what Jesus does for me

00:37:42.980 --> 00:37:44.780
 and God does not love me

00:37:44.780 --> 00:37:46.120
 one iota more

00:37:46.119 --> 00:37:48.880
 if next Sunday

00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:50.359
 I preach the worst sermon

00:37:50.359 --> 00:37:51.839
 of my entire life

00:37:51.839 --> 00:37:56.099
 God will not love me less

00:37:56.099 --> 00:37:57.599
 it doesn't take away

00:37:57.599 --> 00:37:58.739
 from what Christ has done

00:37:58.739 --> 00:38:01.219
 my hope is built

00:38:01.219 --> 00:38:02.279
 on nothing less

00:38:02.279 --> 00:38:03.980
 than Jesus' blood

00:38:03.980 --> 00:38:05.259
 and righteousness

00:38:05.259 --> 00:38:07.819
 I dare not trust

00:38:07.819 --> 00:38:09.019
 the sweetest frame

00:38:09.019 --> 00:38:10.920
 but wholly lean

00:38:10.920 --> 00:38:12.400
 on Jesus' name

00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:13.819
 that's what we sang earlier

00:38:13.820 --> 00:38:15.260
 that's the promise

00:38:15.260 --> 00:38:15.960
 of the gospel

00:38:15.960 --> 00:38:20.000
 and as it grips

00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:20.980
 as faith grows

00:38:20.980 --> 00:38:23.740
 just wind up

00:38:23.740 --> 00:38:24.720
 with a couple of things

00:38:24.720 --> 00:38:25.380
 if you could put up

00:38:25.380 --> 00:38:26.039
 the next point

00:38:26.039 --> 00:38:29.200
 the mind matters

00:38:29.200 --> 00:38:31.340
 but we must obey

00:38:31.340 --> 00:38:32.880
 our way to clarity

00:38:32.880 --> 00:38:35.559
 the mind matters

00:38:35.559 --> 00:38:37.340
 don't kiss your brains goodbye

00:38:37.340 --> 00:38:38.440
 but we obey our ways

00:38:38.440 --> 00:38:39.000
 to clarity

00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:43.440
 you know

00:38:43.440 --> 00:38:45.000
 when we began

00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:45.680
 my wife and I

00:38:45.680 --> 00:38:46.559
 began the adventure

00:38:46.559 --> 00:38:47.480
 of trying to actually

00:38:47.480 --> 00:38:49.260
 give away 10% of our money

00:38:49.260 --> 00:38:50.480
 to God's work or more

00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:54.599
 I wish I could tell you

00:38:54.599 --> 00:38:55.200
 that we had such

00:38:55.200 --> 00:38:56.240
 unbelievable faith

00:38:56.240 --> 00:38:56.940
 in God's word

00:38:56.940 --> 00:38:57.579
 that we just went

00:38:57.579 --> 00:38:58.780
 from what we were

00:38:58.780 --> 00:38:59.920
 which was virtually nothing

00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:02.480
 to giving 10% of our income

00:39:02.480 --> 00:39:03.360
 but no what we did

00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:05.039
 is we trusted God

00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:06.280
 for 10 more dollars

00:39:06.280 --> 00:39:09.079
 and you know what

00:39:09.079 --> 00:39:10.659
 the sky didn't fall in

00:39:10.659 --> 00:39:11.940
 we didn't go hungry

00:39:11.940 --> 00:39:14.199
 God met our needs

00:39:14.199 --> 00:39:14.960
 so we trusted him

00:39:14.960 --> 00:39:16.039
 for 10 dollars more

00:39:16.039 --> 00:39:18.920
 the sky didn't fall in

00:39:18.920 --> 00:39:19.880
 we didn't go hungry

00:39:19.880 --> 00:39:21.340
 we trusted him

00:39:21.340 --> 00:39:22.940
 for 10 dollars more

00:39:22.940 --> 00:39:24.940
 until we could trust him

00:39:24.940 --> 00:39:25.400
 with it all

00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:28.900
 because you know

00:39:28.900 --> 00:39:29.400
 we tithe

00:39:29.400 --> 00:39:30.400
 because we want to trust

00:39:30.400 --> 00:39:32.219
 that God is our Jehovah Jireh

00:39:32.219 --> 00:39:34.159
 because

00:39:34.159 --> 00:39:36.339
 giving is the highest

00:39:36.339 --> 00:39:37.259
 form of living

00:39:37.259 --> 00:39:40.179
 you know

00:39:40.179 --> 00:39:41.719
 with sexual faithfulness

00:39:41.719 --> 00:39:43.179
 with working on your marriage

00:39:43.179 --> 00:39:45.459
 with trusting God's word

00:39:45.459 --> 00:39:46.599
 about miracles

00:39:46.599 --> 00:39:48.339
 trusting God's word

00:39:48.339 --> 00:39:48.939
 about miracles

00:39:48.939 --> 00:39:49.799
 makes you smarter

00:39:49.799 --> 00:39:50.439
 not dumber

00:39:50.439 --> 00:39:53.019
 trusting God's word

00:39:53.019 --> 00:39:53.879
 makes you wiser

00:39:53.879 --> 00:39:55.039
 and so you don't fear

00:39:55.039 --> 00:39:56.059
 what the world fears

00:39:56.059 --> 00:39:56.839
 and you don't trust

00:39:56.839 --> 00:39:57.839
 what the world trusts

00:39:57.839 --> 00:39:58.679
 but you start to have

00:39:58.679 --> 00:39:59.619
 a type of balance

00:39:59.619 --> 00:40:00.199
 and wisdom

00:40:00.199 --> 00:40:00.859
 that comes

00:40:00.859 --> 00:40:02.500
 not from being ashamed

00:40:02.500 --> 00:40:03.259
 of God's word

00:40:03.259 --> 00:40:04.699
 but from trusting God's word

00:40:04.699 --> 00:40:05.500
 that's how it is

00:40:05.500 --> 00:40:06.659
 that our minds

00:40:06.659 --> 00:40:07.299
 get renewed

00:40:07.299 --> 00:40:08.859
 we got to obey

00:40:08.859 --> 00:40:09.699
 our way to clarity

00:40:09.699 --> 00:40:13.079
 it's when you bear witness

00:40:13.079 --> 00:40:13.639
 to Jesus

00:40:13.639 --> 00:40:15.019
 and people make fun of you

00:40:15.019 --> 00:40:15.679
 and they beat you

00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:16.199
 in arguments

00:40:16.199 --> 00:40:17.139
 but you bear witness

00:40:17.139 --> 00:40:17.679
 to Jesus

00:40:17.679 --> 00:40:18.920
 and you call out to him

00:40:18.920 --> 00:40:19.500
 and say Lord

00:40:19.500 --> 00:40:20.139
 help me to know

00:40:20.139 --> 00:40:20.699
 what to say

00:40:20.699 --> 00:40:21.920
 I want to trust your word

00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:22.440
 I want to be able

00:40:22.440 --> 00:40:23.019
 to bear witness

00:40:23.019 --> 00:40:24.239
 that's how you learn

00:40:24.239 --> 00:40:25.079
 that's how you grow

00:40:25.079 --> 00:40:27.400
 that's how God's word

00:40:27.400 --> 00:40:28.440
 becomes more precious

00:40:28.440 --> 00:40:30.039
 and deep to you

00:40:30.039 --> 00:40:32.679
 use our minds

00:40:32.679 --> 00:40:33.880
 but you obey

00:40:33.880 --> 00:40:34.699
 your way to clarity

00:40:34.699 --> 00:40:36.259
 we just want to use

00:40:36.259 --> 00:40:36.719
 our minds

00:40:36.719 --> 00:40:37.380
 until we've had it

00:40:37.380 --> 00:40:38.019
 all figured out

00:40:38.019 --> 00:40:38.679
 but we obey

00:40:38.679 --> 00:40:40.079
 our way to clarity

00:40:40.079 --> 00:40:41.420
 and here's the really

00:40:41.420 --> 00:40:42.019
 big thing

00:40:42.019 --> 00:40:42.679
 in closing

00:40:42.679 --> 00:40:43.239
 if you could put up

00:40:43.239 --> 00:40:43.900
 the final point

00:40:43.900 --> 00:40:45.440
 I follow my

00:40:45.440 --> 00:40:46.480
 I follow Jesus

00:40:46.480 --> 00:40:47.699
 with my ears open

00:40:47.699 --> 00:40:48.900
 and my eyes closed

00:40:48.900 --> 00:40:53.400
 you see in a sense

00:40:53.400 --> 00:40:54.159
 that's what Abraham

00:40:54.159 --> 00:40:54.759
 had to do

00:40:54.759 --> 00:40:55.679
 isn't it

00:40:55.679 --> 00:40:57.219
 okay

00:40:57.219 --> 00:40:58.199
 Abraham

00:40:58.199 --> 00:40:59.399
 you're 75 years old

00:40:59.399 --> 00:41:00.519
 you have a 65 year old

00:41:00.519 --> 00:41:00.719
 wife

00:41:00.719 --> 00:41:01.599
 you've never had a child

00:41:01.599 --> 00:41:02.239
 I'm going to make you

00:41:02.239 --> 00:41:03.440
 into a great nation

00:41:03.440 --> 00:41:06.319
 go

00:41:06.319 --> 00:41:10.319
 I'm going to go

00:41:10.319 --> 00:41:10.920
 to a high school

00:41:10.920 --> 00:41:12.000
 graduation ceremony

00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:13.019
 on Thursday

00:41:13.019 --> 00:41:13.899
 I can tell you

00:41:13.899 --> 00:41:14.519
 right now

00:41:14.519 --> 00:41:15.519
 one of the main things

00:41:15.519 --> 00:41:16.059
 we're going to say

00:41:16.059 --> 00:41:17.679
 in the graduation ceremony

00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:18.559
 what are they going to say

00:41:18.559 --> 00:41:19.239
 we all probably know

00:41:19.239 --> 00:41:20.859
 follow your dreams

00:41:20.859 --> 00:41:23.759
 follow your dreams

00:41:23.760 --> 00:41:25.720
 don't let any other people

00:41:25.720 --> 00:41:26.840
 tell you what your dreams are

00:41:26.840 --> 00:41:28.300
 follow your dreams

00:41:28.300 --> 00:41:30.320
 one of the things

00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:31.020
 that you know

00:41:31.020 --> 00:41:32.680
 the wardens and I say

00:41:32.680 --> 00:41:33.100
 when we

00:41:33.100 --> 00:41:33.740
 every fall

00:41:33.740 --> 00:41:34.380
 when we come down

00:41:34.380 --> 00:41:35.160
 to make our budget

00:41:35.160 --> 00:41:36.420
 one of the things

00:41:36.420 --> 00:41:37.040
 we say is

00:41:37.040 --> 00:41:37.360
 we say

00:41:37.360 --> 00:41:38.200
 we want to try to live

00:41:38.200 --> 00:41:38.940
 in the real world

00:41:38.940 --> 00:41:39.920
 and in the real world

00:41:39.920 --> 00:41:40.900
 how does the real world

00:41:40.900 --> 00:41:42.640
 work in the fall of 2017

00:41:42.640 --> 00:41:43.620
 when we sit down

00:41:43.620 --> 00:41:45.120
 we don't say

00:41:45.120 --> 00:41:46.420
 follow our dreams

00:41:46.420 --> 00:41:47.680
 we say

00:41:47.680 --> 00:41:47.980
 you know what

00:41:47.980 --> 00:41:48.720
 only God knows

00:41:48.720 --> 00:41:49.200
 the future

00:41:49.199 --> 00:41:52.819
 we have no idea

00:41:52.819 --> 00:41:53.839
 how much money

00:41:53.839 --> 00:41:54.739
 God will provide

00:41:54.739 --> 00:41:55.259
 for us

00:41:55.259 --> 00:41:56.219
 in the next year

00:41:56.219 --> 00:41:59.939
 now that doesn't

00:41:59.939 --> 00:42:00.960
 sound as sexy

00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:02.299
 and as moving

00:42:02.299 --> 00:42:03.339
 as follow your dream

00:42:03.339 --> 00:42:04.439
 but which one's real

00:42:04.439 --> 00:42:10.799
 every human being

00:42:10.799 --> 00:42:11.719
 goes into the future

00:42:11.719 --> 00:42:12.859
 with their eyes closed

00:42:12.860 --> 00:42:19.400
 no human being

00:42:19.400 --> 00:42:20.760
 not the smartest person

00:42:20.760 --> 00:42:21.260
 in the world

00:42:21.260 --> 00:42:22.480
 not the greatest musician

00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:23.539
 not the greatest poet

00:42:23.539 --> 00:42:24.780
 not the greatest mystic

00:42:24.780 --> 00:42:26.300
 no human being

00:42:26.300 --> 00:42:28.059
 by their own power

00:42:28.059 --> 00:42:29.420
 knows what will happen

00:42:29.420 --> 00:42:30.780
 in three minutes

00:42:30.780 --> 00:42:32.480
 in two minutes

00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:34.180
 in one minute

00:42:34.180 --> 00:42:37.120
 every single one of us

00:42:37.120 --> 00:42:38.059
 walks into the future

00:42:38.059 --> 00:42:39.160
 with our eyes closed

00:42:39.159 --> 00:42:43.199
 see the Bible

00:42:43.199 --> 00:42:43.859
 brings us

00:42:43.859 --> 00:42:45.039
 to the real world

00:42:45.039 --> 00:42:46.039
 and the real state

00:42:46.039 --> 00:42:46.719
 of our heart

00:42:46.719 --> 00:42:48.739
 and in the real world

00:42:48.739 --> 00:42:49.699
 and in the real state

00:42:49.699 --> 00:42:50.339
 of our world

00:42:50.339 --> 00:42:51.179
 the real state

00:42:51.179 --> 00:42:51.599
 of our heart

00:42:51.599 --> 00:42:52.579
 I am not a god

00:42:52.579 --> 00:42:54.000
 I am not a goddess

00:42:54.000 --> 00:42:55.500
 sorry the movie

00:42:55.500 --> 00:42:56.099
 Arrival

00:42:56.099 --> 00:42:57.139
 spoiler alert

00:42:57.139 --> 00:42:57.940
 is completely

00:42:57.940 --> 00:42:58.960
 and utterly wrong

00:42:58.960 --> 00:43:00.359
 learning a new language

00:43:00.359 --> 00:43:01.639
 will not allow you

00:43:01.639 --> 00:43:02.559
 to know the future

00:43:02.559 --> 00:43:03.559
 like you're a god

00:43:03.559 --> 00:43:05.699
 it's a dumb idea

00:43:05.699 --> 00:43:08.719
 like it's dumb

00:43:08.719 --> 00:43:11.259
 but it appeals

00:43:11.259 --> 00:43:12.179
 to our pride

00:43:12.179 --> 00:43:15.359
 nobody knows

00:43:15.359 --> 00:43:15.959
 the future

00:43:15.959 --> 00:43:17.339
 the Bible

00:43:17.339 --> 00:43:18.359
 is both

00:43:18.359 --> 00:43:19.359
 unbelievably

00:43:19.359 --> 00:43:20.599
 on one level

00:43:20.599 --> 00:43:22.119
 depressingly realistic

00:43:22.119 --> 00:43:22.939
 but it's not

00:43:22.939 --> 00:43:24.139
 depressingly realistic

00:43:24.139 --> 00:43:25.699
 it's realistic

00:43:25.699 --> 00:43:26.659
 and God says

00:43:26.659 --> 00:43:28.000
 I know the future

00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:29.419
 follow me

00:43:29.419 --> 00:43:30.259
 with your ears

00:43:30.259 --> 00:43:34.319
 and George

00:43:34.319 --> 00:43:35.079
 when you follow me

00:43:35.079 --> 00:43:35.919
 with your ears

00:43:35.919 --> 00:43:37.899
 what have I told you

00:43:37.900 --> 00:43:40.519
 I have told you

00:43:40.519 --> 00:43:41.519
 George

00:43:41.519 --> 00:43:44.619
 that 4,000 years ago

00:43:44.619 --> 00:43:45.680
 I spoke to a man

00:43:45.680 --> 00:43:46.160
 Abraham

00:43:46.160 --> 00:43:47.960
 about how I would

00:43:47.960 --> 00:43:48.980
 bless every family

00:43:48.980 --> 00:43:49.700
 on the earth

00:43:49.700 --> 00:43:50.700
 through him

00:43:50.700 --> 00:43:52.099
 and George

00:43:52.099 --> 00:43:53.300
 I kept that promise

00:43:53.300 --> 00:43:54.760
 2,000 years later

00:43:54.760 --> 00:43:55.740
 I never forgot it

00:43:55.740 --> 00:43:56.820
 I kept that promise

00:43:56.820 --> 00:43:57.940
 I sent my son

00:43:57.940 --> 00:43:59.599
 he died upon the cross

00:43:59.599 --> 00:44:00.500
 George

00:44:00.500 --> 00:44:01.460
 follow me

00:44:01.460 --> 00:44:02.320
 with your ears

00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:03.639
 and George

00:44:03.639 --> 00:44:04.619
 as you follow me

00:44:04.619 --> 00:44:05.139
 with your ears

00:44:05.139 --> 00:44:06.240
 listen to what I say

00:44:06.239 --> 00:44:07.739
 that I tell you

00:44:07.739 --> 00:44:08.899
 that my son died

00:44:08.899 --> 00:44:09.500
 on the cross

00:44:09.500 --> 00:44:09.979
 for you

00:44:09.979 --> 00:44:12.259
 that when my son

00:44:12.259 --> 00:44:13.239
 died upon the cross

00:44:13.239 --> 00:44:14.099
 you are seeing

00:44:14.099 --> 00:44:15.679
 the perfect picture

00:44:15.679 --> 00:44:16.359
 of me

00:44:16.359 --> 00:44:17.299
 and of my love

00:44:17.299 --> 00:44:18.359
 and of my concern

00:44:18.359 --> 00:44:18.899
 for you

00:44:18.899 --> 00:44:21.199
 you see that I desire

00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:21.899
 to bless you

00:44:21.899 --> 00:44:22.859
 that I will bring you

00:44:22.859 --> 00:44:23.599
 to the new heaven

00:44:23.599 --> 00:44:24.439
 and the new earth

00:44:24.439 --> 00:44:25.539
 and that when you

00:44:25.539 --> 00:44:26.859
 merely reach up your hand

00:44:26.859 --> 00:44:27.799
 not that you can reach

00:44:27.799 --> 00:44:28.219
 to me

00:44:28.219 --> 00:44:29.579
 but I can reach down

00:44:29.579 --> 00:44:29.939
 to you

00:44:29.939 --> 00:44:30.799
 that I will reach

00:44:30.799 --> 00:44:31.699
 my son's hand

00:44:31.699 --> 00:44:32.319
 will reach to you

00:44:32.319 --> 00:44:33.019
 and his hand

00:44:33.019 --> 00:44:34.219
 will never let you go

00:44:34.219 --> 00:44:36.179
 and that I don't

00:44:36.179 --> 00:44:36.839
 you do not know

00:44:36.839 --> 00:44:37.179
 George

00:44:37.179 --> 00:44:38.059
 whether you will be rich

00:44:38.059 --> 00:44:38.599
 you do not know

00:44:38.599 --> 00:44:39.659
 whether you will be successful

00:44:39.659 --> 00:44:40.319
 you do not know

00:44:40.319 --> 00:44:41.139
 any of these things

00:44:41.139 --> 00:44:41.980
 but you can know

00:44:41.980 --> 00:44:42.919
 that when you put

00:44:42.919 --> 00:44:43.959
 your hand up to mine

00:44:43.959 --> 00:44:45.819
 and Jesus reaches down

00:44:45.819 --> 00:44:46.480
 and grabs it

00:44:46.480 --> 00:44:47.039
 and he has died

00:44:47.039 --> 00:44:48.059
 on the cross for you

00:44:48.059 --> 00:44:48.819
 he is

00:44:48.819 --> 00:44:49.539
 his righteousness

00:44:49.539 --> 00:44:50.359
 covers you

00:44:50.359 --> 00:44:51.879
 he will never let you go

00:44:51.879 --> 00:44:52.419
 and you will be

00:44:52.419 --> 00:44:53.039
 in the new heaven

00:44:53.039 --> 00:44:53.819
 and the new earth

00:44:53.819 --> 00:44:55.239
 and I love you

00:44:55.239 --> 00:44:56.459
 and I care for you

00:44:56.459 --> 00:44:58.079
 I love you

00:44:58.079 --> 00:44:59.319
 and I care for you

00:44:59.319 --> 00:45:00.959
 follow me

00:45:00.959 --> 00:45:01.739
 with your ears

00:45:01.739 --> 00:45:04.639
 let God be God

00:45:04.639 --> 00:45:07.639
 listen to his word

00:45:07.639 --> 00:45:09.319
 from cover to cover

00:45:09.319 --> 00:45:10.779
 follow me

00:45:10.779 --> 00:45:11.699
 with your ears

00:45:11.699 --> 00:45:13.879
 I will never let you go

00:45:13.879 --> 00:45:15.059
 please stand

00:45:15.059 --> 00:45:21.399
 Father help us

00:45:21.399 --> 00:45:23.139
 to listen to your word

00:45:23.139 --> 00:45:25.299
 help us to be honest

00:45:25.299 --> 00:45:26.039
 with ourselves

00:45:26.039 --> 00:45:26.419
 Father

00:45:26.419 --> 00:45:27.399
 when your word

00:45:27.399 --> 00:45:29.519
 bugs us

00:45:29.519 --> 00:45:32.980
 and it irritates us

00:45:32.980 --> 00:45:34.679
 but Father

00:45:34.679 --> 00:45:35.579
 help us to have

00:45:35.579 --> 00:45:36.199
 our bugging

00:45:36.199 --> 00:45:37.159
 and our irritation

00:45:37.159 --> 00:45:38.280
 come to you

00:45:38.280 --> 00:45:40.039
 help us to lay it

00:45:40.039 --> 00:45:40.679
 at your feet

00:45:40.679 --> 00:45:42.420
 humbly

00:45:42.420 --> 00:45:44.199
 help us to let you

00:45:44.199 --> 00:45:44.920
 be you

00:45:44.920 --> 00:45:47.079
 to let you choose

00:45:47.079 --> 00:45:47.579
 the words

00:45:47.579 --> 00:45:48.579
 you want to choose

00:45:48.579 --> 00:45:50.800
 and

00:45:50.800 --> 00:45:52.480
 because it's your word

00:45:52.480 --> 00:45:53.619
 and Father

00:45:53.619 --> 00:45:54.659
 help us to follow you

00:45:54.659 --> 00:45:55.480
 with our ears

00:45:55.480 --> 00:45:57.900
 help us to follow you

00:45:57.900 --> 00:45:58.739
 with our ears

00:45:58.739 --> 00:46:00.539
 Father

00:46:00.539 --> 00:46:01.519
 we so desperately

00:46:01.519 --> 00:46:02.179
 want to know

00:46:02.179 --> 00:46:02.799
 the future

00:46:02.799 --> 00:46:03.839
 we so desperately

00:46:03.839 --> 00:46:04.439
 want to be able

00:46:04.439 --> 00:46:05.019
 to describe

00:46:05.019 --> 00:46:05.739
 what we see

00:46:05.739 --> 00:46:06.819
 we so desperately

00:46:06.819 --> 00:46:07.559
 want to be able

00:46:07.559 --> 00:46:08.159
 to do that

00:46:08.159 --> 00:46:08.539
 Father

00:46:08.539 --> 00:46:09.919
 but we cannot

00:46:09.919 --> 00:46:12.500
 but you have said

00:46:12.500 --> 00:46:12.959
 you will never

00:46:12.959 --> 00:46:13.379
 leave us

00:46:13.379 --> 00:46:14.139
 or forsake us

00:46:14.139 --> 00:46:14.859
 that your word

00:46:14.859 --> 00:46:15.459
 will lead us

00:46:15.459 --> 00:46:16.119
 to yourself

00:46:16.119 --> 00:46:17.799
 that your word

00:46:17.799 --> 00:46:18.439
 and your son

00:46:18.439 --> 00:46:19.139
 will bless us

00:46:19.139 --> 00:46:19.579
 so Father

00:46:19.579 --> 00:46:20.679
 help us to follow you

00:46:20.679 --> 00:46:21.459
 with our ears

00:46:21.459 --> 00:46:24.099
 follow you

00:46:24.099 --> 00:46:24.899
 with our ears

00:46:24.899 --> 00:46:25.939
 Father

00:46:25.939 --> 00:46:26.939
 if there is one here

00:46:26.939 --> 00:46:27.619
 who has not yet

00:46:27.619 --> 00:46:28.359
 put their trust

00:46:28.360 --> 00:46:28.700
 in you

00:46:28.700 --> 00:46:29.019
 Father

00:46:29.019 --> 00:46:30.380
 may this be the Sunday

00:46:30.380 --> 00:46:31.220
 where they call out

00:46:31.220 --> 00:46:31.480
 to you

00:46:31.480 --> 00:46:31.820
 and say

00:46:31.820 --> 00:46:33.059
 Jesus be my Savior

00:46:33.059 --> 00:46:33.680
 and my Lord

00:46:33.680 --> 00:46:36.019
 for what you have done

00:46:36.019 --> 00:46:36.860
 for me on the cross

00:46:36.860 --> 00:46:37.640
 be my Savior

00:46:37.640 --> 00:46:38.260
 and my Lord

00:46:38.260 --> 00:46:38.880
 Father

00:46:38.880 --> 00:46:39.780
 make us disciples

00:46:39.780 --> 00:46:40.360
 of Jesus

00:46:40.360 --> 00:46:41.019
 who are gripped

00:46:41.019 --> 00:46:41.840
 by the gospel

00:46:41.840 --> 00:46:43.420
 learning to be

00:46:43.420 --> 00:46:45.099
 to follow you

00:46:45.099 --> 00:46:46.019
 with our ears

00:46:46.019 --> 00:46:48.120
 as you free us up

00:46:48.120 --> 00:46:49.320
 so we will live

00:46:49.320 --> 00:46:49.940
 for your glory

00:46:49.940 --> 00:46:51.519
 and all this we ask

00:46:51.519 --> 00:46:52.380
 in the name of Jesus

00:46:52.380 --> 00:46:52.940
 your Son

00:46:52.940 --> 00:46:53.599
 and our Savior

00:46:53.599 --> 00:46:54.620
 Amen

00:46:54.619 --> 00:46:56.019
 the Son

00:46:56.019 --> 00:46:56.380
 and Your Amen

00:46:56.380 --> 00:47:10.440
 A

00:47:10.440 --> 00:47:10.679
 Man