WEBVTT

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 Good morning. My name is Alfie, and I help out with university students here at Watermark Church.

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 And today I'm going to be talking to you not about child sacrifice, well not mainly, mostly about ambition.

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 See, ambition is a very interesting thing. It takes us into all kinds of places.

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 Ambition gave us business class, and Facebook, and Wi-Fi, and lots of really great and convenient things.

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 When people talk about ambition, they almost talk about it as a good thing, almost always.

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 If you look at the newspapers recently, you'll see in the sports, the football team Arsenal has just hired a new goalkeeper,

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 and they have ambitions there of winning a trophy. And maybe one day they will.

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 Morocco is building a whole raft of five-star golf resorts, because they're hoping to bring people in,

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 and their ambition is to be a tourist destination.

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 Nokia and Facebook are teaming together to bring the internet to two-thirds of the world that doesn't have internet,

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 and the people say that is an ambitious goal, and it is a good goal.

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 You know, the ambitions of NASA got a rocket from our planet Earth all the way to Pluto.

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 And you see the picture of that, that's amazing, right?

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 Ambition does amazing, good things.

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 And whether you call it drive or desire or motivation,

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 you know, you'll find people saying good things about ambitions and people's goals

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 and, you know, what they do in pursuing them.

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 European emperor, French emperor Napoleon said that great ambition is the passion of great character.

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 But is ambition always good?

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 You know, right after saying that, Napoleon said,

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 those endowed with great ambition may perform very good or very bad acts,

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 and it all depends on the principles that direct them.

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 And the question I have is, is ambition good or is it bad?

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 Or maybe it's just the effects of ambition.

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 All right, ambition itself might be a good thing,

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 but the results of it could be good or bad,

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 depending on the person who has that ambition.

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 I think as much as ambition does great things that we see in the news,

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 it can lead to very disappointing things.

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 You know, I've been following the story of a couple of Chinese tech companies

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 who, after having been listed in the States for a while,

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 decided that they would, you know, exit the U.S. exchanges and go and list in China,

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 you know, only to arrive and to find the Chinese stock market collapsing.

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 You know, an economic analyst talked about Hong Kong

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 and said that Hong Kong's ambition and drive to do more and do better

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 is actually taking life out of its people,

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 and Hong Kong is seeing skill and talent leaking out of Hong Kong into China,

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 into the rest of Asia.

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 We see the ambitions of athletes destroy their bodies with drugs

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 and eventually their reputations and their careers.

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 We see conflicting ambitions causing tension between Hong Kong and Beijing.

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 And not too long ago, we saw the ambitions of the finance sector

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 bring, you know, the world economy to its knees.

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 There's an author, David Foster Wallace,

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 and in an interview he talked about his ambition and his desire for perfection.

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 And he said that his desire for perfection would kill him

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 because he would never be able to be or write as perfectly as he wanted to be.

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 The idea in his head would never make it onto paper.

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 And he said he hated it because it killed him and it hurt the people around him.

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 I think as much as ambition is a good thing,

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 it can be a dangerous thing.

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 It can hurt those around us.

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 It can kill us.

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 And ambition is what we see that hurts Israel and hurts Jephthah in this story.

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 So we're in the third week in a series we're doing in the book of Judges.

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 And I don't like the book of Judges.

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 I've hated it.

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 I always hated it.

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 I read it for the first time when I was in high school,

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 and I was frustrated because Israel was so stupid.

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 You know, God would say, don't worship these gods,

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 and they would go and worship those gods, and God would punish them.

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 And they'd come and they'd repent, and God would save them.

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 And you'd think, all right, they've got it.

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 You know, the rest of Israel's history is going to be great.

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 But they'd do it again and again and again.

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 It's like watching a horror movie, right?

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 You know, don't open that door.

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 There's a guy with a machete behind it.

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 But over and over again, they'd do it.

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 I hate Judges because I'm frustrated with Israel.

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 They don't seem to get the message.

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 They don't seem to see that God should be their goal

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 and not these other idols around them.

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 But then I stop, and I realize that the book of Judges is about me.

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 All right?

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 The book of Judges is about how I am a huge idiot,

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 and I'm always running away from God to worship other things.

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 You know?

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 I think sometimes I've barely finished praying a prayer of repentance,

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 and the next thing I know is I'm thinking about the next fabulous way I'm going to sin.

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 All right?

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 The book of Judges is about me and about how God continually comes to save me

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 and rescue me, even though I really,

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 at least my actions don't show that I want that.

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 When we started this series two weeks ago,

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 Eric talked about this, this way that we talk about the gospel,

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 two ways to live, and we have a diagram of it.

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 All right?

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 I'm going to run through it really quickly.

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 All right?

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 And so it's a way to talk about the gospel.

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 It's a way to show, you know, this is what the Bible story is about,

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 and this is how God goes about saving us.

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 All right?

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 And I want to go through it and talk a little bit about how that ties into this story,

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 how it ties into the story of Judges.

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 So in the first picture, we see God who's represented by the crown,

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 and he creates man to rule earth in his place.

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 All right?

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 And that's the good way that it's meant to be.

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 But in the second picture, we see that man rejects God's rule

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 and gives itself its own little crown.

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 All right?

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 And it fails to take care of the earth properly.

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 That's why it's off to the side and not standing on the earth.

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 And then we see that God won't let us continue to live like that,

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 that God will judge us,

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 that the consequence of this treason, this idolatry is death.

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 The good news of the gospel in that fourth picture is that God doesn't leave us like that.

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 He doesn't leave us to sit there and just be dead.

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 He gives us an opportunity for life.

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 He sends his son, Jesus, who did what we're supposed to do in the first place,

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 who lived under God's law, who obeyed and did all the things that we would not do.

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 And he died in our place.

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 And now in the fifth picture, we see that Jesus is in heaven.

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 He is raised up, and he is ruling over earth.

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 And at the end, we have two choices, two ways to live.

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 Jesus can be our king, or we can be our own kings.

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 Now, some of these pictures, I think, show the story of judges quite well.

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 There's the way that Israel is supposed to be, living under God's law.

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 But they reject God, and God punishes them.

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 Not with death.

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 He sends some enemy to oppress them.

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 And they call out to God, and God sends a judge to save them.

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 It's convenient.

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 The birth letter J, Jesus, judge.

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 And they're saved, but when it comes back to how they're going to live,

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 they go right back to the beginning.

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 And they choose to serve someone else.

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 And this goes on and on and on.

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 By the time we get to the story in Judges,

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 this is about the sixth cycle of them running away from God,

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 and God saving them.

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 It says that they go and they worship all these different gods,

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 the Baals and the Ashtoreths.

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 They worship the gods of Sidon and Syria and Moab and Ammon and the Philistines.

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 They worship seven different gods,

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 a god for every nation around them.

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 And it's interesting.

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 If you look at what biblical historians have to say about Israel during this time period,

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 it's amazing because we know Israel's there because people write about it.

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 The Bible writes about it.

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 Other historical documents write about it.

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 But if you were to look archaeologically, you would never know that Israel was a nation.

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 Because where Israel was supposed to be,

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 they didn't have the structures that would go around worshiping God.

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 They had all these other gods from these different nations around them.

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 Their idolatry was so widespread and complete that if you went into an Israelite house in this time,

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 you wouldn't know that they're Israelites.

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 You could usually mistake them for a Philistine or an Ammonite

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 because those are the gods that they kept in their house.

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 Those are the gods that they had around them.

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 You know, through their journey time and time again,

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 God tells the people of Israel,

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 this is not how I want you to worship.

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 You see these people and the way they sacrifice their children?

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 I don't want you to do that.

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 It says this is the right and proper way for you to worship me.

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 So, when Israel goes and they worship all these different gods,

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 he punishes them.

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 He sends the Ammonites and the Philistines to come and oppress them.

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 And the people come and they repent.

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 But when they go to God, they say,

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 Save us.

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 But God is fed up.

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 It says that he is weary of their misery.

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 He's tired of their false repentance.

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 He's tired of them coming and saying,

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 God save us, we'll worship you,

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 only for them to turn around and go right back to the gods

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 that they had been worshiping before.

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 And God says, you know what?

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 You chose these gods.

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 Let those gods serve you.

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 And for a moment, we think that Israel is going to go back to worshiping God

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 because they say, you know, God, we'll worship you,

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 do the punishment that you think is right.

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 And in this very same breath, they turn back and they say,

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 Oh, and if there's anybody here who can save us,

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 you know, you get to be our king.

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 You get to rule over us.

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 They don't get it.

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 They come and say, we need someone to save us.

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 God won't do it.

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 So we're going to find our own way.

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 And that's where we meet Jephthah.

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 Jephthah was a mighty warrior, but he wasn't always like that.

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 He started off as a baby.

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 He was born and his mother was a prostitute.

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 When he grew up, his brothers hated him and they cast him out.

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 And so Jephthah went off into the wilderness and he gathered a little gang around him

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 and they would go around raiding villages, causing mayhem.

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 And that's how he became a warrior.

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 He became a warrior because if you're not living in a city,

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 if you're not protected by the city, you need to know how to fight.

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 And so when Israel is in trouble, they're trying to think, who is going to save us?

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 And they say, oh, right, you know that guy Jephthah?

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 That guy we kicked out?

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 I heard he's been raiding villages.

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 He can fight.

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 We'll get him to save us.

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 And so they go to him and he says, no, I'm not going to just fight for you.

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 I don't want to be just a military leader.

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 I want to rule over you.

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 And Israel is desperate.

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 They want their freedom.

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 And they say, you know what?

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 You can rule over us.

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 You can rule over us if you save us.

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 And so Jephthah goes to fight.

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 Well, he doesn't fight first.

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 First he tries to negotiate.

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 He writes to the king of the Ammonites and he says, you know what?

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 This isn't really your land to begin with.

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 God gave us to us.

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 If you want a land, maybe your God can give you some land.

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 He tries to negotiate, but he's not a very skilled negotiator.

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 That or the king of the Ammonites really doesn't care.

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 And so he goes and we see for the first time God intervening in this story.

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 We see God coming and he sends his spirit on Jephthah.

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 Now, any other time in the book of Judges when we see God's spirit on a judge, they go to victory.

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 There's no question about that.

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 But Jephthah isn't really concerned about God's victory.

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 Jephthah is concerned about his own name.

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 He's been cast out of his community.

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 He's been left by the side.

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 He's been rejected.

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 He wants to be restored.

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 He wants to be a member of society in good standing.

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 He doesn't want to be just the son of a prostitute.

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 He doesn't want just to be a gang leader.

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 And so he goes to God and he makes a vow and he says,

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 God, you saving Israel isn't enough because I need to make sure my name is restored.

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 And so I'm going to give you something.

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 I'm going to give you a little bribe so that you guarantee my victory.

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 And he says, you know, the first thing that comes out of my house, I'll sacrifice that to you.

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 See, I don't know what Jephthah was thinking would come out of his house.

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 You don't normally keep animals inside your house.

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 I don't think he was expecting two sheeps and a bull to run out.

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 I think that Jephthah intended to offer a human sacrifice.

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 If you look at all the nations around them and the way that they worship their gods, that's what they did.

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 They would sacrifice their babies to their gods.

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 And so I think that Jephthah thought, you know, maybe a servant will come out of my house and I'll offer that to God.

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 I think it shows just how much Israel was lost in their idolatry.

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 Not only did they worship these false gods, they forgot the right way to worship God.

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 They forgot the things that God said were good and the things that are not good.

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 So Jephthah goes on and with God's power, he destroys the Ammonites.

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 He destroys their cities.

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 And everything seems great because Israel has what they want.

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 Israel has manufactured their own salvation.

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 Right?

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 They needed to be saved.

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 God wouldn't do it.

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 So they found someone who would do it for them.

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 Israel is happy.

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 Jephthah is happy because, you know, he's been restored.

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 He used to be the son of a prostitute, but now he's a ruler over Gilead.

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 He's a ruler over a part of Israel.

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 And he has status and he has his name restored to him.

00:15:10.279 --> 00:15:14.519
 He can now walk out in the city in pride because he has achieved something.

00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:20.300
 Israel can stand up in pride because they have achieved something.

00:15:20.299 --> 00:15:27.699
 And everything seems to be great, but very quickly it all falls apart.

00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:33.699
 Jephthah returns home and the first thing he sees coming out of his door isn't a servant.

00:15:34.599 --> 00:15:35.500
 It's his own daughter.

00:15:37.419 --> 00:15:40.099
 And he goes from the high of being a leader and he tells his daughter,

00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:41.799
 you've brought me very, very low.

00:15:43.179 --> 00:15:44.959
 Because, you know, when I made a promise to God,

00:15:45.779 --> 00:15:48.419
 I think you have to credit to Jephthah, he's a man of his word.

00:15:50.299 --> 00:15:52.159
 And the thing that he says he will do,

00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:54.979
 offer up his daughter as a burnt sacrifice, he does.

00:15:57.279 --> 00:15:58.879
 The next thing I find a bit strange,

00:15:59.359 --> 00:16:03.859
 because Ephraim, they pick a fight on a guy who's just had to sacrifice his daughter.

00:16:04.659 --> 00:16:07.359
 They come to him and say, you know, why didn't you take us to fight with you?

00:16:08.059 --> 00:16:09.620
 You know, we're great warriors. We're archers.

00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:12.859
 We could have been very useful in your fight against the Ammonites.

00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:20.279
 And they pick a fight with him and Jephthah isn't as diplomatic as Gideon was.

00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:23.439
 You know, Gideon also had an argument with the Ephraimites.

00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:28.740
 And instead, 42,000 of the Ephraimites die.

00:16:30.659 --> 00:16:31.959
 That's a lot of people, right?

00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:34.179
 42,000.

00:16:35.939 --> 00:16:39.620
 Just because of a little squabble over who got to fight the enemy.

00:16:39.620 --> 00:16:44.940
 See, this is a story of ambition gone wrong.

00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:48.500
 The ambitions of Israel to be a free nation,

00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:51.580
 the ambitions of Jephthah to be a man in good standing.

00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:55.840
 It didn't go wrong when he had to sacrifice his daughter.

00:16:55.920 --> 00:17:00.920
 It didn't go wrong when Jephthah killed 42,000 Ephraimites.

00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:03.240
 It went wrong right at the beginning.

00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:10.660
 When they said that my freedom, my reputation is more important than God.

00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:20.759
 It went wrong when they made their idol the thing that would drive and direct their ambition.

00:17:20.759 --> 00:17:23.400
 Israel wanted to be free.

00:17:25.420 --> 00:17:27.160
 But they weren't humble to do it God's way.

00:17:28.339 --> 00:17:29.599
 They had to do it for themselves.

00:17:31.420 --> 00:17:34.440
 Jephthah wanted to restore his reputation.

00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:37.279
 But he didn't want to do it God's way.

00:17:38.940 --> 00:17:40.059
 He wanted to do it himself.

00:17:41.660 --> 00:17:44.880
 I wonder what it would have been like for Israel to say,

00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:48.960
 God, this is the punishment you're giving us, and we deserve it.

00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:51.420
 And we're going to take it, and we're going to wait for you.

00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:52.940
 We're going to wait for you to save us.

00:17:54.460 --> 00:17:58.000
 I wonder what it would have been like for Jephthah to look at himself and say,

00:17:58.720 --> 00:17:59.620
 You know what?

00:18:00.620 --> 00:18:01.680
 I've been disinherited.

00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:09.820
 But I'm going to find my identity in God, and I'm going to get my salvation, my restoration God's way.

00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:16.279
 I think the amazing thing is that despite Israel's sinfulness,

00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:22.740
 despite Jephthah's pride, God saves Israel over and over again.

00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:28.539
 Even though they went about it the wrong way, God still used Jephthah to save Israel.

00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:42.779
 Neither of these people, neither the Israelites nor Jephthah, was willing to be humble before God.

00:18:45.580 --> 00:18:46.860
 And that was their undoing.

00:18:50.779 --> 00:18:54.360
 Because they looked and said that we want this.

00:18:55.140 --> 00:18:56.080
 We want our freedom.

00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:57.279
 We want our restoration.

00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:59.099
 We want our names to be restored.

00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:01.319
 And we're going to do it our way.

00:19:02.660 --> 00:19:03.839
 We're not going to do it God's way.

00:19:08.099 --> 00:19:11.180
 So I look at this story, and I think, what has this got to do with me?

00:19:12.700 --> 00:19:15.000
 Because you won't find little idols in my home.

00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:15.920
 You know?

00:19:16.059 --> 00:19:18.480
 I wouldn't be so stupid like the Israelites to worship another God.

00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:19.879
 All right?

00:19:19.879 --> 00:19:22.180
 I would never turn away from God to worship something else.

00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:22.980
 All right?

00:19:22.980 --> 00:19:23.720
 Maybe I do a little bit.

00:19:23.819 --> 00:19:24.420
 Just a little bit.

00:19:24.420 --> 00:19:26.000
 But when I do, I repent.

00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:26.900
 I'm good at that.

00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:28.160
 I'm very good at repenting.

00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:29.360
 All right?

00:19:31.580 --> 00:19:34.160
 And if God decides to punish me, he's God.

00:19:35.640 --> 00:19:36.500
 He can do that.

00:19:37.940 --> 00:19:38.300
 You know?

00:19:38.600 --> 00:19:41.259
 I think it's great because my ambitions are not selfish.

00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:45.400
 My ambitions are very, very godly.

00:19:47.320 --> 00:19:48.920
 But, you know, I still need to take care of business.

00:19:49.380 --> 00:19:49.519
 All right?

00:19:49.580 --> 00:19:50.700
 I've got rent to pay.

00:19:51.500 --> 00:19:53.000
 So I'm going to try and do that.

00:19:54.059 --> 00:19:55.039
 Hong Kong's not cheap.

00:19:55.680 --> 00:20:01.819
 And so, you know, where I try to get ahead, I'm justified in that because, you know, those are things that God would want me to do.

00:20:03.600 --> 00:20:08.279
 But most of all, I would never, ever let my ambitions get in the way of worshiping God.

00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:11.519
 I do.

00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:12.860
 I do all the time.

00:20:12.859 --> 00:20:23.779
 I think that I don't worship God the way I'm supposed to.

00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:26.859
 I don't let God drive my ambitions.

00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:30.740
 I think I have far too many things that I want, that I desire.

00:20:31.699 --> 00:20:35.839
 You know, I want to be an amazing dad.

00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:39.799
 I mean, I'm still quite aware from that.

00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:48.720
 But if you look at the books that I read and you think, yes, that's a good ambition.

00:20:49.159 --> 00:20:56.879
 But, you know, I also have this ambition of driving a 1988 Mercedes-Benz SL.

00:20:57.240 --> 00:20:58.279
 It's my most beautiful car.

00:20:58.500 --> 00:20:59.079
 I love it.

00:20:59.079 --> 00:20:59.519
 All right?

00:20:59.740 --> 00:21:05.240
 But, you know, every now and then I find that my desires are driven by those things.

00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:05.779
 All right?

00:21:05.799 --> 00:21:09.399
 I'm always looking in the newspaper to see if any of those, you know, that classic car is up for sale.

00:21:10.039 --> 00:21:10.240
 All right?

00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:16.740
 I'm always obsessed with how I can do things to make myself an amazing dad and a classic car owner.

00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:18.019
 All right?

00:21:19.899 --> 00:21:21.879
 And that definitely gets in the way of me worshiping God.

00:21:24.659 --> 00:21:26.559
 But, you know, I don't think ambition is a bad thing.

00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:29.659
 You know, I think God created ambition.

00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:30.960
 I think ambition is a good thing.

00:21:31.059 --> 00:21:34.619
 If you look at the book of Judges, it talks about people who have no ambition.

00:21:35.139 --> 00:21:36.559
 And it doesn't talk about them nicely.

00:21:37.799 --> 00:21:38.659
 Ambition is a good thing.

00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:41.759
 And God created us to be ambitious people.

00:21:42.119 --> 00:21:45.240
 To have high goals and big aspirations.

00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:51.240
 But where we go wrong is when we put our own desires.

00:21:52.299 --> 00:21:54.399
 And we make those things our driving ambitions.

00:21:54.400 --> 00:22:03.720
 And we take our idols of reputation, of money, of wealth, of being a good parent or a good spouse.

00:22:04.019 --> 00:22:05.780
 Or being good at your job.

00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:07.080
 Being liked by people.

00:22:07.780 --> 00:22:10.720
 And we make that the thing that drives our ambition instead of God.

00:22:13.500 --> 00:22:17.120
 You know, I think that God sees that and God knows that.

00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:20.479
 And I think we have a great example of good ambition.

00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:23.239
 I think we look at Jesus and we get to see someone who was ambitious.

00:22:24.639 --> 00:22:26.979
 Jesus had big aspirations and big goals.

00:22:27.099 --> 00:22:28.239
 He wanted to save humanity.

00:22:28.779 --> 00:22:30.599
 And he pursued that.

00:22:31.159 --> 00:22:32.219
 You look at the way that he spoke.

00:22:32.299 --> 00:22:34.579
 He said, you know, I need to be going about doing my father's business.

00:22:36.819 --> 00:22:39.000
 He said, I need to do these difficult things.

00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:44.579
 Because they're about honoring God and seeing God as the highest goal and my highest ambition.

00:22:46.619 --> 00:22:49.940
 But when we look around, we see people who say different things about ambition.

00:22:51.740 --> 00:22:56.720
 If you look at ancient Greek and Roman philosophy,

00:22:56.859 --> 00:22:59.200
 they would say that ambition is inherently selfish.

00:22:59.420 --> 00:23:00.259
 And that's not a good thing.

00:23:01.700 --> 00:23:04.000
 And we see Christianity coming and saying that,

00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:06.160
 yeah, selfish ambition probably isn't too good.

00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:08.400
 And we need to respond to that with humility.

00:23:09.080 --> 00:23:10.279
 But the Greeks say, no, no, no.

00:23:10.340 --> 00:23:11.340
 Humility is for slaves.

00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:14.220
 You know, we want some kind of community-mindedness.

00:23:14.900 --> 00:23:17.200
 Some, what's the word, altruism.

00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:19.540
 That should be what drives humanity.

00:23:21.040 --> 00:23:25.019
 You look at people in Hong Kong and in China.

00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:30.519
 20% of books sold in China are about entrepreneurship and business.

00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:34.580
 People look up to, you know, Jack Ma and Li Ka-shei,

00:23:34.579 --> 00:23:36.559
 and they say, those guys are great people.

00:23:36.779 --> 00:23:37.699
 Their ambition is good.

00:23:37.819 --> 00:23:41.059
 And we're going to buy books so we can figure out how we can be like him.

00:23:43.099 --> 00:23:45.480
 You look at some philosophers like Nietzsche,

00:23:45.659 --> 00:23:49.199
 and, you know, they would say that actually ambition is quite neutral.

00:23:50.379 --> 00:23:53.019
 And that it really depends on how you're using it.

00:23:54.019 --> 00:23:56.240
 You know, I don't agree with Ayn Rand on many things,

00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:59.980
 but she was spot on, I think, when she talked about ambition.

00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:07.740
 She said that ambition is the dedication to improvement in pursuit of a goal.

00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:15.779
 She said that ambition guided by an irrational standard does not lead to improvement,

00:24:16.440 --> 00:24:18.359
 but it leads to self-destruction.

00:24:18.359 --> 00:24:24.019
 She says ambition is not bad, but when your goal isn't quite right,

00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:25.959
 it's not going to improve you.

00:24:26.039 --> 00:24:27.899
 It's not going to help people around you.

00:24:27.919 --> 00:24:28.939
 It's going to destroy you.

00:24:30.199 --> 00:24:31.459
 It's going to hurt you.

00:24:32.639 --> 00:24:32.699
 Right?

00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:36.919
 And, you know, as Christians, we look at the Bible,

00:24:37.019 --> 00:24:40.839
 and we say that, you know, this is God's word for us on how to live.

00:24:41.399 --> 00:24:41.659
 Right?

00:24:42.300 --> 00:24:44.640
 And if we believe the things that it says,

00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:46.759
 then that has an impact on our lives.

00:24:46.820 --> 00:24:49.800
 It says that God is a creator, and he created us for a purpose.

00:24:50.040 --> 00:24:51.800
 He created us for himself, for his glory.

00:24:52.759 --> 00:24:52.940
 All right?

00:24:52.940 --> 00:24:54.920
 The Bible says that when we live our lives,

00:24:54.960 --> 00:25:00.259
 we should order it around pursuing God and his kingdom and his goals.

00:25:01.120 --> 00:25:05.360
 And so, you know, as a Christian, if you take other ambitions,

00:25:05.360 --> 00:25:07.800
 if you say that, you know, that's very nice,

00:25:08.420 --> 00:25:09.880
 but I'm going to have other ambitions,

00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:13.980
 that we're going to destroy ourselves,

00:25:14.080 --> 00:25:18.440
 that when we have ambitions other than what God has created us for,

00:25:19.300 --> 00:25:20.420
 we will be destroyed.

00:25:23.560 --> 00:25:28.380
 You know, I think that I don't really understand

00:25:28.380 --> 00:25:31.220
 how much my ambitions destroy and hurt me,

00:25:31.720 --> 00:25:33.320
 even the ambitions in the work that I do.

00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:38.680
 You know, I think this past year, about a year ago,

00:25:38.680 --> 00:25:42.100
 I decided that I would be good at my job.

00:25:43.560 --> 00:25:50.019
 I would be, it would be awesome if I could get just tons and tons of students

00:25:50.019 --> 00:25:52.400
 into the university ministry, into Watermark Church,

00:25:52.620 --> 00:25:53.740
 and it'll be great.

00:25:53.820 --> 00:25:56.480
 And so I went around and I tried to figure out,

00:25:56.740 --> 00:25:58.880
 how could I be awesome?

00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:00.860
 How could I, you know,

00:26:01.080 --> 00:26:03.860
 do things that would help this university ministry look good

00:26:03.859 --> 00:26:06.379
 and make me look good so that, you know,

00:26:06.500 --> 00:26:08.659
 when I talk about what I do,

00:26:08.719 --> 00:26:11.559
 I can talk about, ah, look at all these 150 students

00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:12.319
 who come to our fellowship.

00:26:13.019 --> 00:26:13.819
 Isn't that amazing?

00:26:14.199 --> 00:26:14.859
 Aren't I amazing?

00:26:15.779 --> 00:26:20.659
 And so I went and I knew a student who had lots and lots of friends,

00:26:20.740 --> 00:26:21.219
 and I said,

00:26:21.939 --> 00:26:25.019
 I'm going to make this student a leader

00:26:25.019 --> 00:26:27.919
 so that this student will bring all of his friends

00:26:27.919 --> 00:26:29.159
 to the university ministry,

00:26:29.160 --> 00:26:29.960
 and it'll be great.

00:26:30.820 --> 00:26:32.480
 And I did,

00:26:32.600 --> 00:26:36.200
 and what happened wasn't what I had hoped.

00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:40.340
 I think what happened is I spent a lot of time

00:26:40.340 --> 00:26:41.880
 being frustrated and angry

00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:43.540
 because this student didn't get it.

00:26:44.340 --> 00:26:45.380
 He wasn't on mission.

00:26:46.420 --> 00:26:49.220
 He didn't see that, you know,

00:26:50.600 --> 00:26:51.600
 the gospel was important.

00:26:51.720 --> 00:26:53.100
 It needed to be spread among his friends.

00:26:53.099 --> 00:26:56.559
 I became really angry and bitter,

00:26:56.740 --> 00:26:58.639
 and I spent a lot of time just trying to,

00:26:58.719 --> 00:27:00.219
 you know, trying to get him to do the things

00:27:00.219 --> 00:27:02.039
 that I wanted to do so that I would look good,

00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:03.639
 so that I could come before the church

00:27:03.639 --> 00:27:05.759
 and talk about how amazing the university ministry is.

00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:08.919
 But in the process,

00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:10.799
 I neglected the other leaders.

00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:13.279
 I neglected the other students who were there,

00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:15.719
 who were concerned about God's things.

00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:22.539
 You know, I think this past year

00:27:22.539 --> 00:27:24.519
 in the university ministry would be very different

00:27:24.519 --> 00:27:30.100
 if I was concerned about what God wanted

00:27:30.100 --> 00:27:32.839
 and not about what would make me look good.

00:27:35.339 --> 00:27:36.799
 I think it's hard to figure out

00:27:36.799 --> 00:27:39.400
 when our ambitions are good ambitions

00:27:39.400 --> 00:27:41.240
 and when they're bad ambitions,

00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:43.660
 when our ambitions are godly

00:27:43.660 --> 00:27:45.380
 and when they're selfish.

00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:48.059
 I think I don't realize often

00:27:48.059 --> 00:27:49.120
 until it's way too late,

00:27:50.339 --> 00:27:51.299
 until I've looked back

00:27:51.299 --> 00:27:53.740
 and I see people who I've hurt

00:27:53.740 --> 00:27:57.000
 and I see me failing

00:27:57.000 --> 00:27:59.539
 to do the things that God has called me to do.

00:28:02.940 --> 00:28:04.100
 How do we figure out

00:28:04.100 --> 00:28:06.940
 if we're following God?

00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:11.880
 How do we know if we are like Jesus,

00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:13.799
 if we're concerned about God's kingdom?

00:28:15.720 --> 00:28:18.299
 How do we know if our ambitions,

00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:20.120
 good as they may be,

00:28:20.180 --> 00:28:21.039
 are driven by idols?

00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:27.279
 I think we can ask some questions.

00:28:28.740 --> 00:28:30.059
 I think that if you see yourself

00:28:30.059 --> 00:28:31.019
 sacrificing your children,

00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:32.880
 you probably have bad ambitions.

00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:39.680
 But it could be something a bit less drastic.

00:28:42.740 --> 00:28:44.420
 What are the people that God has called you

00:28:44.420 --> 00:28:45.040
 to reach out to?

00:28:48.040 --> 00:28:48.900
 Are you doing that

00:28:48.900 --> 00:28:50.420
 or is something taking you away from that?

00:28:50.420 --> 00:28:58.400
 How do you relate to people?

00:29:01.240 --> 00:29:03.660
 I think that when I am driven

00:29:03.660 --> 00:29:04.980
 by my selfish ambitions,

00:29:05.980 --> 00:29:07.720
 I only like to talk to people

00:29:07.720 --> 00:29:09.220
 who are useful to me.

00:29:10.220 --> 00:29:11.200
 I like to hang around people

00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:11.940
 who will help me,

00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:13.080
 you know,

00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:14.200
 get my job done.

00:29:14.200 --> 00:29:17.180
 How much time do you spend

00:29:17.180 --> 00:29:17.819
 with people who

00:29:17.819 --> 00:29:19.840
 have nothing to offer you?

00:29:25.180 --> 00:29:26.319
 As your wife ever told you,

00:29:26.779 --> 00:29:27.860
 you don't listen to me anymore.

00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:30.080
 That might be a sign.

00:29:31.220 --> 00:29:32.600
 Or your friends wonder where you are

00:29:32.600 --> 00:29:34.660
 because they never see you.

00:29:36.140 --> 00:29:37.440
 Or you're the last one in the library

00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:38.660
 when all your friends have gone home.

00:29:38.660 --> 00:29:46.100
 Maybe you're too busy

00:29:46.100 --> 00:29:46.740
 or too tired

00:29:46.740 --> 00:29:49.300
 to spend time with your family.

00:29:50.740 --> 00:29:51.700
 Maybe you're too busy

00:29:51.700 --> 00:29:52.360
 or too tired

00:29:52.360 --> 00:29:53.759
 to serve

00:29:53.759 --> 00:29:55.600
 in your church.

00:29:58.920 --> 00:29:59.580
 Maybe you notice

00:29:59.580 --> 00:30:00.040
 that your kids

00:30:00.040 --> 00:30:00.880
 stop calling your mommy

00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:02.100
 and they call you

00:30:02.100 --> 00:30:02.779
 by your first name.

00:30:02.779 --> 00:30:08.740
 You know,

00:30:08.819 --> 00:30:10.399
 when you think about your job,

00:30:11.339 --> 00:30:12.539
 when you think about

00:30:12.539 --> 00:30:13.500
 changing your jobs,

00:30:14.180 --> 00:30:15.059
 maybe you're given a promotion,

00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:16.759
 how much of that

00:30:16.759 --> 00:30:18.000
 do you think about,

00:30:18.379 --> 00:30:19.059
 how's that going to affect

00:30:19.059 --> 00:30:19.779
 my community group?

00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:24.359
 How's that going to affect

00:30:24.359 --> 00:30:25.500
 my family?

00:30:25.720 --> 00:30:26.259
 How's that going to affect

00:30:26.259 --> 00:30:27.460
 my ability to serve?

00:30:31.759 --> 00:30:32.759
 What are the relationships

00:30:32.759 --> 00:30:34.759
 that you will sacrifice

00:30:34.759 --> 00:30:36.099
 to build other,

00:30:36.359 --> 00:30:37.420
 more useful relationships?

00:30:39.900 --> 00:30:40.259
 You know,

00:30:40.299 --> 00:30:41.400
 I think I can come here

00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:42.079
 and I can talk to you

00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:43.059
 about your work

00:30:43.059 --> 00:30:44.420
 and, you know,

00:30:44.440 --> 00:30:45.680
 what you should and shouldn't do

00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:46.779
 and, you know,

00:30:46.819 --> 00:30:47.539
 what jobs you should

00:30:47.539 --> 00:30:48.279
 and shouldn't take.

00:30:49.299 --> 00:30:49.839
 But, you know,

00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:50.200
 that,

00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:51.839
 I've got to be honest with you,

00:30:51.900 --> 00:30:53.000
 I've never had to wear

00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:53.599
 a tie to work.

00:30:54.379 --> 00:30:55.099
 I think every time

00:30:55.099 --> 00:30:55.640
 I work late

00:30:55.640 --> 00:30:56.559
 it's because I want to,

00:30:56.640 --> 00:30:57.460
 not because my boss

00:30:57.460 --> 00:30:58.019
 is making me.

00:30:59.240 --> 00:31:00.079
 I think that

00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:01.359
 I've had a very

00:31:01.359 --> 00:31:04.000
 different story of work.

00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:06.000
 But,

00:31:07.079 --> 00:31:07.359
 you know,

00:31:07.500 --> 00:31:08.819
 I know somebody

00:31:08.819 --> 00:31:09.819
 who does

00:31:09.819 --> 00:31:10.679
 have a good story

00:31:10.679 --> 00:31:11.139
 about work

00:31:11.139 --> 00:31:13.419
 and about ambition

00:31:13.419 --> 00:31:14.359
 and about

00:31:14.919 --> 00:31:17.219
 following God

00:31:17.219 --> 00:31:17.879
 with their ambitions.

00:31:18.659 --> 00:31:19.519
 The story's about my dad.

00:31:21.319 --> 00:31:22.539
 My dad came to Hong Kong

00:31:22.539 --> 00:31:23.399
 in the mid-80s

00:31:23.399 --> 00:31:24.539
 and

00:31:24.539 --> 00:31:26.759
 by the mid-90s

00:31:26.759 --> 00:31:28.179
 he'd met this guy

00:31:28.179 --> 00:31:28.699
 and they started up

00:31:28.699 --> 00:31:29.439
 this company together.

00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:31.759
 and they worked

00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:32.980
 and they did lots

00:31:32.980 --> 00:31:33.799
 of really cool things.

00:31:34.320 --> 00:31:35.059
 They made stupid toys

00:31:35.059 --> 00:31:35.660
 from McDonald's

00:31:35.660 --> 00:31:36.380
 and that was really awesome

00:31:36.380 --> 00:31:37.140
 for me as a kid

00:31:37.140 --> 00:31:38.559
 because I had all of them.

00:31:39.820 --> 00:31:39.980
 But,

00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:41.700
 my dad would work

00:31:41.700 --> 00:31:42.440
 and he would work hard

00:31:42.440 --> 00:31:42.880
 because,

00:31:43.440 --> 00:31:43.700
 you know,

00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:44.500
 he needed to

00:31:44.500 --> 00:31:45.880
 take care of his family.

00:31:46.039 --> 00:31:46.680
 He needed to

00:31:46.680 --> 00:31:47.620
 feed us

00:31:47.620 --> 00:31:47.840
 and,

00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:48.559
 you know,

00:31:48.600 --> 00:31:49.220
 my brother and I

00:31:49.220 --> 00:31:49.680
 eat a lot.

00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:51.000
 He needed to

00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:52.059
 pay for school fees

00:31:52.059 --> 00:31:53.240
 and that's not cheap

00:31:53.240 --> 00:31:54.100
 and rent isn't

00:31:54.100 --> 00:31:55.320
 cheap in Hong Kong

00:31:55.320 --> 00:31:55.660
 either.

00:31:55.660 --> 00:31:58.040
 And so,

00:31:58.279 --> 00:31:58.640
 he,

00:31:58.740 --> 00:32:00.920
 he would work

00:32:00.920 --> 00:32:01.400
 very hard

00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:01.640
 and,

00:32:01.980 --> 00:32:02.140
 you know,

00:32:02.180 --> 00:32:03.019
 one day he woke up

00:32:03.019 --> 00:32:03.759
 on a Sunday morning

00:32:03.759 --> 00:32:06.200
 and he was exhausted

00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:07.000
 and he couldn't get out

00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:07.279
 of bed.

00:32:09.880 --> 00:32:10.700
 And so,

00:32:10.800 --> 00:32:11.640
 he sent mom

00:32:11.640 --> 00:32:12.980
 with the three of us

00:32:12.980 --> 00:32:13.700
 kids to church

00:32:13.700 --> 00:32:15.519
 and in the afternoon

00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:16.300
 he woke up

00:32:16.300 --> 00:32:17.420
 and he prayed

00:32:17.420 --> 00:32:18.680
 and as he was praying

00:32:18.680 --> 00:32:19.160
 God said,

00:32:19.740 --> 00:32:20.220
 you need to change

00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:20.560
 something

00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:22.440
 because

00:32:22.440 --> 00:32:24.119
 the way that you're living

00:32:24.119 --> 00:32:25.220
 is not good.

00:32:26.299 --> 00:32:27.259
 It's going to kill you.

00:32:27.339 --> 00:32:28.119
 It's going to hurt your family.

00:32:29.379 --> 00:32:29.659
 So,

00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:31.079
 the next day,

00:32:31.159 --> 00:32:31.379
 Monday,

00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:32.000
 he went in

00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:32.599
 and talked to this

00:32:32.599 --> 00:32:33.079
 business partner

00:32:33.079 --> 00:32:33.779
 and they restructured

00:32:33.779 --> 00:32:34.700
 the company a little bit

00:32:34.700 --> 00:32:36.099
 so that my dad

00:32:36.099 --> 00:32:36.819
 could have more time

00:32:36.819 --> 00:32:37.240
 at home,

00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:38.559
 more free time

00:32:38.559 --> 00:32:39.460
 but,

00:32:40.460 --> 00:32:41.200
 you know,

00:32:41.259 --> 00:32:42.359
 it wasn't a couple more weeks

00:32:42.359 --> 00:32:43.139
 before he was back

00:32:43.139 --> 00:32:43.859
 to the same schedule.

00:32:45.299 --> 00:32:45.419
 And,

00:32:45.460 --> 00:32:46.240
 it wasn't just that,

00:32:46.279 --> 00:32:46.899
 it was other things,

00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:47.119
 right?

00:32:47.179 --> 00:32:48.359
 Because I stopped

00:32:48.359 --> 00:32:49.059
 calling my dad,

00:32:49.159 --> 00:32:49.379
 Daddy.

00:32:50.339 --> 00:32:50.519
 Right?

00:32:50.720 --> 00:32:51.679
 I never saw him.

00:32:52.839 --> 00:32:53.500
 I called him

00:32:53.500 --> 00:32:54.139
 by his first name.

00:32:57.359 --> 00:32:57.759
 And,

00:32:57.859 --> 00:32:58.480
 you know,

00:32:58.559 --> 00:32:59.740
 he looked at

00:32:59.740 --> 00:33:00.980
 his work

00:33:00.980 --> 00:33:01.659
 and he looked at

00:33:01.659 --> 00:33:02.200
 the people

00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:03.259
 that were working

00:33:03.259 --> 00:33:03.779
 for him.

00:33:04.399 --> 00:33:04.919
 He looked at his

00:33:04.919 --> 00:33:05.440
 business partner

00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:06.039
 and he realized

00:33:06.039 --> 00:33:07.599
 that these were

00:33:07.599 --> 00:33:08.099
 all relationships

00:33:08.099 --> 00:33:08.700
 that were

00:33:08.700 --> 00:33:10.240
 being broken down

00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:10.779
 and were being

00:33:10.779 --> 00:33:11.299
 destroyed.

00:33:11.460 --> 00:33:11.740
 And so,

00:33:12.079 --> 00:33:13.559
 one day he said,

00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:14.259
 you know what?

00:33:14.779 --> 00:33:15.440
 If I'm going to

00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:15.839
 follow God,

00:33:15.879 --> 00:33:16.259
 if I'm going to be

00:33:16.259 --> 00:33:17.480
 obedient to changing

00:33:17.480 --> 00:33:17.879
 things,

00:33:17.879 --> 00:33:18.440
 I need to do

00:33:18.440 --> 00:33:18.980
 something drastic.

00:33:19.599 --> 00:33:19.919
 And so,

00:33:19.920 --> 00:33:20.600
 without a plan,

00:33:20.700 --> 00:33:21.279
 my dad quit.

00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:24.660
 He had his partner,

00:33:25.500 --> 00:33:25.800
 you know,

00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:26.300
 say,

00:33:26.580 --> 00:33:27.900
 this is all yours now,

00:33:28.039 --> 00:33:29.060
 you run the company.

00:33:29.779 --> 00:33:30.140
 And so,

00:33:30.740 --> 00:33:31.820
 you know,

00:33:31.820 --> 00:33:32.519
 that meant big things

00:33:32.519 --> 00:33:33.019
 for our family.

00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:34.120
 It meant that

00:33:34.120 --> 00:33:35.700
 we moved from,

00:33:35.779 --> 00:33:36.039
 you know,

00:33:36.080 --> 00:33:36.580
 our big flat,

00:33:36.660 --> 00:33:37.140
 Poc Fulam,

00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:38.200
 to a tiny flat

00:33:38.200 --> 00:33:39.620
 in Taihang.

00:33:39.619 --> 00:33:42.199
 And I didn't really

00:33:42.199 --> 00:33:42.899
 notice it that much

00:33:42.899 --> 00:33:43.259
 as a kid.

00:33:43.939 --> 00:33:44.139
 You know,

00:33:44.179 --> 00:33:44.619
 it meant that

00:33:44.619 --> 00:33:45.159
 instead of,

00:33:45.159 --> 00:33:45.399
 you know,

00:33:45.459 --> 00:33:46.179
 walking all the way

00:33:46.179 --> 00:33:46.579
 over there

00:33:46.579 --> 00:33:47.259
 to get my toys,

00:33:47.359 --> 00:33:47.719
 they were just

00:33:47.719 --> 00:33:48.259
 like right here.

00:33:49.079 --> 00:33:50.979
 But for four years,

00:33:51.299 --> 00:33:53.679
 for four years,

00:33:54.539 --> 00:33:55.319
 our family struggled

00:33:55.319 --> 00:33:56.019
 because my dad

00:33:56.019 --> 00:33:57.039
 tried to,

00:33:57.039 --> 00:33:57.599
 you know,

00:33:57.639 --> 00:33:58.279
 get another business

00:33:58.279 --> 00:33:58.639
 together.

00:33:59.459 --> 00:33:59.639
 And,

00:33:59.719 --> 00:34:00.279
 you know,

00:34:00.299 --> 00:34:00.879
 my dad asked me

00:34:00.879 --> 00:34:01.379
 to say that

00:34:01.379 --> 00:34:02.299
 his wife was

00:34:02.299 --> 00:34:02.500
 very,

00:34:02.599 --> 00:34:03.019
 very important.

00:34:03.439 --> 00:34:03.919
 That my mom

00:34:03.919 --> 00:34:04.579
 was very important

00:34:04.579 --> 00:34:05.099
 in getting him,

00:34:05.539 --> 00:34:06.359
 getting us through that.

00:34:06.439 --> 00:34:07.199
 Just reminding him

00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:07.480
 that,

00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:08.480
 you know what,

00:34:08.500 --> 00:34:09.019
 if what the Bible

00:34:09.019 --> 00:34:09.559
 says is true

00:34:09.559 --> 00:34:10.599
 that God can provide,

00:34:11.320 --> 00:34:11.760
 if what the Bible

00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:12.360
 says is true

00:34:12.360 --> 00:34:13.840
 for pursuing after God,

00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:14.559
 God is going to

00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:15.320
 take care of us.

00:34:16.760 --> 00:34:18.519
 That he should be

00:34:18.519 --> 00:34:18.940
 concerned about

00:34:18.940 --> 00:34:19.639
 following God

00:34:19.639 --> 00:34:20.380
 and not about

00:34:20.380 --> 00:34:22.380
 trying to do

00:34:22.380 --> 00:34:23.220
 all the right things

00:34:23.220 --> 00:34:23.800
 and taking care

00:34:23.800 --> 00:34:24.320
 of his family.

00:34:25.220 --> 00:34:25.699
 That if

00:34:25.699 --> 00:34:28.639
 he takes care

00:34:28.639 --> 00:34:29.460
 of following God,

00:34:30.199 --> 00:34:30.800
 that God would

00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:31.400
 take care of it.

00:34:31.559 --> 00:34:31.740
 I mean,

00:34:31.760 --> 00:34:32.519
 it doesn't make it easy.

00:34:33.220 --> 00:34:34.000
 It meant for four years

00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:34.659
 it was tough.

00:34:35.320 --> 00:34:36.220
 It meant that for,

00:34:36.679 --> 00:34:37.059
 you know,

00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:38.699
 for a couple of years,

00:34:38.879 --> 00:34:39.139
 you know,

00:34:39.179 --> 00:34:40.559
 we didn't pay school fees

00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:41.079
 and the school

00:34:41.079 --> 00:34:41.639
 let us,

00:34:42.019 --> 00:34:42.379
 you know,

00:34:42.460 --> 00:34:43.259
 defer those payments

00:34:43.259 --> 00:34:44.319
 until we got

00:34:44.319 --> 00:34:45.739
 to a time that could.

00:34:46.199 --> 00:34:46.879
 It was difficult.

00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:48.359
 It was difficult

00:34:48.359 --> 00:34:48.980
 for my parents

00:34:48.980 --> 00:34:49.899
 and I didn't realize it

00:34:49.899 --> 00:34:50.259
 until,

00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:50.879
 you know,

00:34:50.939 --> 00:34:51.819
 much later looking back

00:34:51.819 --> 00:34:52.539
 just how much

00:34:52.539 --> 00:34:54.319
 we sacrificed

00:34:54.319 --> 00:34:56.879
 because my dad

00:34:56.879 --> 00:34:57.619
 thought that

00:34:57.619 --> 00:34:59.960
 following God

00:34:59.960 --> 00:35:01.659
 was important.

00:35:03.699 --> 00:35:04.659
 I look back

00:35:04.659 --> 00:35:05.500
 and I realize that

00:35:05.500 --> 00:35:06.760
 my life could be

00:35:06.760 --> 00:35:07.300
 very different.

00:35:08.260 --> 00:35:08.739
 My relationship

00:35:08.739 --> 00:35:09.340
 with my dad

00:35:09.340 --> 00:35:09.920
 could be very,

00:35:10.039 --> 00:35:10.460
 very different.

00:35:11.480 --> 00:35:12.260
 My relationship

00:35:12.260 --> 00:35:12.940
 with God

00:35:12.940 --> 00:35:15.019
 would be very different.

00:35:16.900 --> 00:35:17.800
 I don't think

00:35:17.800 --> 00:35:18.280
 that I would be

00:35:18.280 --> 00:35:18.900
 standing here.

00:35:20.659 --> 00:35:21.380
 I don't think

00:35:21.380 --> 00:35:22.059
 that I would have

00:35:22.059 --> 00:35:22.960
 my trust in God

00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:25.480
 if I didn't see

00:35:25.480 --> 00:35:26.079
 my dad

00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:27.320
 making sacrifices

00:35:27.320 --> 00:35:29.460
 of things

00:35:29.460 --> 00:35:29.920
 that are

00:35:29.920 --> 00:35:31.400
 really temporary

00:35:31.400 --> 00:35:32.119
 like,

00:35:32.200 --> 00:35:32.400
 you know,

00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:33.380
 a nice flat

00:35:33.380 --> 00:35:35.420
 and a stable job

00:35:35.420 --> 00:35:38.119
 because I saw my dad

00:35:38.119 --> 00:35:38.840
 making sacrifices

00:35:38.840 --> 00:35:39.660
 of those things

00:35:39.660 --> 00:35:41.000
 because he said

00:35:41.000 --> 00:35:41.519
 his relationship

00:35:41.519 --> 00:35:42.059
 with God

00:35:42.059 --> 00:35:42.960
 was more important

00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:44.000
 because he said

00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:45.720
 doing things God's way

00:35:45.720 --> 00:35:46.780
 was better

00:35:46.780 --> 00:35:47.400
 than doing it

00:35:47.400 --> 00:35:48.800
 my way.

00:35:51.160 --> 00:35:51.420
 You know,

00:35:51.440 --> 00:35:51.780
 I think

00:35:51.780 --> 00:35:54.119
 another way

00:35:54.119 --> 00:35:55.240
 that we can tell

00:35:55.240 --> 00:35:56.920
 if our ambitions

00:35:56.920 --> 00:35:57.500
 are about God

00:35:57.500 --> 00:35:58.300
 is the way

00:35:58.300 --> 00:35:58.800
 that we pray.

00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:02.640
 Tim Keller

00:36:02.640 --> 00:36:03.060
 wrote a book

00:36:03.060 --> 00:36:03.539
 about prayer

00:36:03.539 --> 00:36:05.160
 and I really enjoy it.

00:36:06.280 --> 00:36:07.200
 And in his book

00:36:07.200 --> 00:36:08.140
 he talks about

00:36:08.140 --> 00:36:09.120
 the things

00:36:09.120 --> 00:36:09.920
 that we pray about.

00:36:11.180 --> 00:36:11.600
 He says,

00:36:11.920 --> 00:36:12.980
 in our natural state

00:36:12.980 --> 00:36:13.940
 we pray to God

00:36:13.940 --> 00:36:14.700
 to get things.

00:36:15.580 --> 00:36:16.180
 We may believe

00:36:16.180 --> 00:36:16.640
 in God

00:36:16.640 --> 00:36:18.600
 but our deepest hopes

00:36:18.600 --> 00:36:19.260
 and happiness

00:36:19.260 --> 00:36:20.400
 reside in other things.

00:36:21.460 --> 00:36:22.360
 So we therefore pray

00:36:22.360 --> 00:36:22.960
 when our career

00:36:22.960 --> 00:36:23.560
 or finances

00:36:23.560 --> 00:36:24.860
 are in trouble

00:36:24.860 --> 00:36:25.840
 or when our relationships

00:36:25.840 --> 00:36:26.680
 are in jeopardy.

00:36:26.679 --> 00:36:28.919
 but

00:36:28.919 --> 00:36:31.000
 when things are going well

00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:32.299
 we don't pray.

00:36:34.639 --> 00:36:35.259
 You know,

00:36:35.339 --> 00:36:35.779
 our prayers

00:36:35.779 --> 00:36:37.159
 are pretty bland.

00:36:37.519 --> 00:36:38.219
 Usually you're asking

00:36:38.219 --> 00:36:38.879
 God for things

00:36:38.879 --> 00:36:39.419
 and occasionally

00:36:39.419 --> 00:36:40.059
 if you've sinned

00:36:40.059 --> 00:36:41.779
 we'll pray

00:36:41.779 --> 00:36:42.799
 a prayer of repentance

00:36:42.799 --> 00:36:43.259
 but

00:36:43.259 --> 00:36:44.299
 we

00:36:44.299 --> 00:36:46.579
 when our ambitions

00:36:46.579 --> 00:36:47.579
 are not on God

00:36:47.579 --> 00:36:48.799
 our prayers show that

00:36:48.799 --> 00:36:49.980
 because our prayers

00:36:49.980 --> 00:36:52.239
 are not about

00:36:52.239 --> 00:36:53.440
 God

00:36:53.440 --> 00:36:54.419
 and following him.

00:36:54.420 --> 00:36:55.420
 they're about God

00:36:55.420 --> 00:36:57.519
 giving us things.

00:36:59.700 --> 00:37:00.680
 Now I look around

00:37:00.680 --> 00:37:01.360
 and I think that

00:37:01.360 --> 00:37:04.920
 I don't know

00:37:04.920 --> 00:37:05.599
 a lot of you

00:37:05.599 --> 00:37:08.000
 as well as

00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:08.780
 I would

00:37:08.780 --> 00:37:09.659
 like to.

00:37:11.420 --> 00:37:13.119
 But I know

00:37:13.119 --> 00:37:13.980
 some of you

00:37:13.980 --> 00:37:14.300
 and

00:37:14.300 --> 00:37:16.360
 I know other people

00:37:16.360 --> 00:37:16.980
 around Hong Kong

00:37:16.980 --> 00:37:18.420
 and I would say that

00:37:18.420 --> 00:37:21.460
 ambition

00:37:21.460 --> 00:37:22.699
 ambition

00:37:22.699 --> 00:37:23.880
 for reputation

00:37:23.880 --> 00:37:24.699
 ambition

00:37:24.699 --> 00:37:25.400
 for wealth

00:37:25.400 --> 00:37:25.740
 ambition

00:37:25.740 --> 00:37:26.220
 to be

00:37:26.220 --> 00:37:27.599
 a good

00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:28.579
 parent

00:37:28.579 --> 00:37:29.840
 ambition

00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:30.539
 to be popular

00:37:30.539 --> 00:37:30.980
 ambition

00:37:30.980 --> 00:37:31.500
 to be a good

00:37:31.500 --> 00:37:32.139
 student

00:37:32.139 --> 00:37:33.840
 all those are

00:37:33.840 --> 00:37:34.380
 almost definitely

00:37:34.380 --> 00:37:35.099
 idols that

00:37:35.099 --> 00:37:36.480
 that we face.

00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:37.840
 All right

00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:38.780
 I don't want to sit here

00:37:38.780 --> 00:37:39.539
 and beat you up

00:37:39.539 --> 00:37:40.240
 about your ambitions

00:37:40.240 --> 00:37:41.000
 and tell you that

00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:41.699
 you know

00:37:41.699 --> 00:37:43.000
 you working your job

00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:44.960
 is bad

00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:47.280
 because it's not.

00:37:47.280 --> 00:37:48.900
 I think it's good

00:37:48.900 --> 00:37:49.440
 to work

00:37:49.440 --> 00:37:50.340
 and to have a job

00:37:50.340 --> 00:37:52.740
 but I think that

00:37:52.740 --> 00:37:55.519
 it's not enough

00:37:55.519 --> 00:37:55.940
 to just

00:37:55.940 --> 00:37:56.519
 you know

00:37:56.519 --> 00:37:57.080
 quit your job

00:37:57.080 --> 00:37:57.800
 and go

00:37:57.800 --> 00:37:58.460
 right

00:37:58.460 --> 00:37:59.000
 it's not enough

00:37:59.000 --> 00:37:59.440
 to move to the

00:37:59.440 --> 00:37:59.700
 countryside

00:37:59.700 --> 00:38:00.200
 and say that

00:38:00.200 --> 00:38:00.400
 we're going to

00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:01.140
 have a simple

00:38:01.140 --> 00:38:01.580
 life

00:38:01.580 --> 00:38:02.720
 because that's

00:38:02.720 --> 00:38:03.040
 what it means

00:38:03.040 --> 00:38:03.740
 to follow God.

00:38:04.740 --> 00:38:05.019
 Now I think

00:38:05.019 --> 00:38:05.460
 that the gospel

00:38:05.460 --> 00:38:06.019
 calls us

00:38:06.019 --> 00:38:06.840
 to a big

00:38:06.840 --> 00:38:07.700
 dynamic change

00:38:07.700 --> 00:38:08.460
 it calls us

00:38:08.460 --> 00:38:11.160
 to change

00:38:11.160 --> 00:38:11.400
 the thing

00:38:11.400 --> 00:38:12.040
 that we worship

00:38:12.040 --> 00:38:14.720
 to stop

00:38:14.720 --> 00:38:15.200
 worshiping

00:38:15.200 --> 00:38:15.780
 ourselves

00:38:15.780 --> 00:38:17.640
 and what

00:38:17.640 --> 00:38:18.320
 we could be

00:38:18.320 --> 00:38:20.220
 to stop

00:38:20.220 --> 00:38:20.760
 worshiping

00:38:20.760 --> 00:38:21.900
 our ideal

00:38:21.900 --> 00:38:23.140
 that we have

00:38:23.140 --> 00:38:23.600
 in our head

00:38:23.600 --> 00:38:24.100
 of being

00:38:24.100 --> 00:38:25.620
 a perfect parent

00:38:25.620 --> 00:38:27.060
 or an amazing

00:38:27.060 --> 00:38:27.460
 worker

00:38:27.460 --> 00:38:28.980
 or a perfect

00:38:28.980 --> 00:38:29.519
 student

00:38:29.519 --> 00:38:32.140
 to turn our

00:38:32.140 --> 00:38:32.940
 lives to

00:38:32.940 --> 00:38:35.040
 to worship

00:38:35.040 --> 00:38:35.420
 God

00:38:35.420 --> 00:38:37.600
 not

00:38:37.600 --> 00:38:37.740
 not

00:38:37.740 --> 00:38:37.900
 not

00:38:37.900 --> 00:38:38.860
 not with a part

00:38:38.860 --> 00:38:39.220
 of your life

00:38:39.220 --> 00:38:40.200
 not just on Sundays

00:38:40.200 --> 00:38:41.100
 but with everything

00:38:41.100 --> 00:38:44.340
 in the relationships

00:38:44.340 --> 00:38:45.140
 that you have

00:38:45.139 --> 00:38:47.659
 to worship

00:38:47.659 --> 00:38:48.000
 God

00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:48.440
 as you relate

00:38:48.440 --> 00:38:49.159
 to your friends

00:38:49.159 --> 00:38:49.980
 to worship

00:38:49.980 --> 00:38:50.440
 God

00:38:50.440 --> 00:38:51.319
 as you sit

00:38:51.319 --> 00:38:51.879
 in the office

00:38:51.879 --> 00:38:53.059
 to worship

00:38:53.059 --> 00:38:53.400
 God

00:38:53.400 --> 00:38:53.779
 as you

00:38:53.779 --> 00:38:55.299
 look for a job

00:38:55.299 --> 00:38:57.879
 it's not enough

00:38:57.879 --> 00:38:59.000
 to reject

00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:00.779
 worldly ambition

00:39:00.779 --> 00:39:04.039
 we need to set

00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:04.359
 our eyes

00:39:04.359 --> 00:39:04.839
 on God

00:39:04.839 --> 00:39:05.699
 we need to set

00:39:05.699 --> 00:39:06.039
 our eyes

00:39:06.039 --> 00:39:07.159
 on what

00:39:07.159 --> 00:39:07.759
 he has set

00:39:07.759 --> 00:39:08.400
 up for us

00:39:08.400 --> 00:39:09.739
 you know

00:39:09.739 --> 00:39:10.159
 we look at

00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:10.779
 Israel

00:39:10.779 --> 00:39:11.219
 and we see

00:39:11.219 --> 00:39:11.519
 that

00:39:11.519 --> 00:39:14.280
 their ambition

00:39:14.280 --> 00:39:14.900
 destroyed them

00:39:14.900 --> 00:39:15.280
 because

00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:16.940
 they were not

00:39:16.940 --> 00:39:17.360
 concerned about

00:39:17.360 --> 00:39:17.659
 God

00:39:17.659 --> 00:39:18.139
 they were concerned

00:39:18.139 --> 00:39:18.759
 about themselves

00:39:18.759 --> 00:39:21.500
 even when they

00:39:21.500 --> 00:39:22.119
 said God

00:39:22.119 --> 00:39:22.780
 you know

00:39:22.780 --> 00:39:23.440
 we're sorry

00:39:23.440 --> 00:39:24.079
 they weren't

00:39:24.079 --> 00:39:25.179
 sorry because

00:39:25.179 --> 00:39:26.460
 they worship

00:39:26.460 --> 00:39:26.980
 false gods

00:39:26.980 --> 00:39:27.460
 they were sorry

00:39:27.460 --> 00:39:28.300
 because they were

00:39:28.300 --> 00:39:29.719
 being oppressed

00:39:29.719 --> 00:39:30.280
 by this nation

00:39:30.280 --> 00:39:30.840
 and they wanted

00:39:30.840 --> 00:39:31.679
 to be freed

00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:33.340
 we look at

00:39:33.340 --> 00:39:33.639
 Jephthah

00:39:33.639 --> 00:39:34.940
 and Jephthah

00:39:34.940 --> 00:39:36.679
 is struggling

00:39:36.679 --> 00:39:38.219
 with his reputation

00:39:38.219 --> 00:39:38.559
 his

00:39:38.559 --> 00:39:39.539
 the way he's

00:39:39.539 --> 00:39:39.880
 perceived

00:39:39.880 --> 00:39:40.360
 in the eyes

00:39:40.360 --> 00:39:40.720
 of the people

00:39:40.720 --> 00:39:41.300
 around him

00:39:41.300 --> 00:39:43.460
 and the problem

00:39:43.460 --> 00:39:44.180
 wasn't that

00:39:44.180 --> 00:39:45.539
 being free

00:39:45.539 --> 00:39:46.280
 was bad

00:39:46.280 --> 00:39:46.720
 the problem

00:39:46.720 --> 00:39:47.400
 wasn't that

00:39:47.400 --> 00:39:48.940
 having good

00:39:48.940 --> 00:39:49.420
 standing

00:39:49.420 --> 00:39:50.039
 and community

00:39:50.039 --> 00:39:50.880
 was bad

00:39:50.880 --> 00:39:53.260
 their issue

00:39:53.260 --> 00:39:53.460
 was that

00:39:53.460 --> 00:39:53.820
 they worship

00:39:53.820 --> 00:39:54.539
 those things

00:39:54.539 --> 00:39:55.599
 above God

00:39:55.599 --> 00:40:00.539
 I think that

00:40:00.539 --> 00:40:01.440
 we should probably

00:40:01.440 --> 00:40:01.900
 have a look at

00:40:01.900 --> 00:40:02.140
 Jesus

00:40:02.140 --> 00:40:02.860
 and see what

00:40:02.860 --> 00:40:04.860
 his ambition

00:40:04.860 --> 00:40:05.539
 looked like

00:40:05.539 --> 00:40:07.039
 because we look

00:40:07.039 --> 00:40:07.340
 at Jesus

00:40:07.340 --> 00:40:07.800
 we see that

00:40:07.800 --> 00:40:08.980
 his ambition

00:40:08.980 --> 00:40:09.940
 was not an ambition

00:40:09.940 --> 00:40:11.079
 of personal gain

00:40:11.079 --> 00:40:11.699
 but an ambition

00:40:11.699 --> 00:40:12.559
 of sacrifice

00:40:12.559 --> 00:40:14.320
 it wasn't for

00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:15.019
 a kingdom here

00:40:15.019 --> 00:40:15.420
 on earth

00:40:15.420 --> 00:40:15.920
 it was for

00:40:15.920 --> 00:40:16.340
 a kingdom

00:40:16.340 --> 00:40:17.599
 in heaven

00:40:17.599 --> 00:40:20.880
 the way he lived

00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:21.260
 his life

00:40:21.260 --> 00:40:21.840
 wasn't about

00:40:21.840 --> 00:40:22.400
 things

00:40:22.400 --> 00:40:23.519
 that are here

00:40:23.519 --> 00:40:24.320
 and now

00:40:24.320 --> 00:40:26.059
 but he set

00:40:26.059 --> 00:40:26.480
 his life

00:40:26.480 --> 00:40:26.900
 on something

00:40:26.900 --> 00:40:27.380
 that is

00:40:27.380 --> 00:40:29.240
 for eternity

00:40:29.240 --> 00:40:33.240
 you know

00:40:33.240 --> 00:40:34.099
 I think that

00:40:34.099 --> 00:40:35.900
 Jephthah

00:40:35.900 --> 00:40:36.639
 saw

00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:38.599
 his reputation

00:40:38.599 --> 00:40:38.920
 as something

00:40:38.920 --> 00:40:39.219
 that would

00:40:39.219 --> 00:40:39.739
 save him

00:40:39.739 --> 00:40:40.679
 Israel saw

00:40:40.679 --> 00:40:41.099
 their freedom

00:40:41.099 --> 00:40:41.360
 as something

00:40:41.360 --> 00:40:41.619
 that would

00:40:41.619 --> 00:40:42.059
 save them

00:40:42.059 --> 00:40:43.420
 but those

00:40:43.420 --> 00:40:43.799
 are not

00:40:43.799 --> 00:40:44.619
 good saviors

00:40:44.619 --> 00:40:44.980
 they won't

00:40:44.980 --> 00:40:45.679
 save us

00:40:45.679 --> 00:40:46.500
 for eternity

00:40:46.500 --> 00:40:47.519
 they'll make

00:40:47.519 --> 00:40:48.559
 life a bit

00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:49.239
 nice now

00:40:49.239 --> 00:40:50.940
 but they

00:40:50.940 --> 00:40:51.139
 aren't

00:40:51.139 --> 00:40:51.539
 eternal

00:40:51.539 --> 00:40:52.079
 things

00:40:52.079 --> 00:40:55.400
 I think

00:40:55.400 --> 00:40:55.719
 that

00:40:55.719 --> 00:40:57.199
 when

00:40:57.199 --> 00:40:57.839
 we

00:40:57.839 --> 00:40:59.019
 transform

00:40:59.019 --> 00:41:00.059
 our

00:41:00.059 --> 00:41:00.940
 worship

00:41:00.940 --> 00:41:01.819
 from ourselves

00:41:01.820 --> 00:41:02.960
 and we turn

00:41:02.960 --> 00:41:03.360
 it towards

00:41:03.360 --> 00:41:03.760
 God

00:41:03.760 --> 00:41:04.519
 that we

00:41:04.519 --> 00:41:04.840
 have this

00:41:04.840 --> 00:41:05.160
 amazing

00:41:05.160 --> 00:41:05.559
 freedom

00:41:05.559 --> 00:41:06.320
 because

00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:07.140
 it means

00:41:07.140 --> 00:41:07.820
 that we

00:41:07.820 --> 00:41:08.740
 can be

00:41:08.740 --> 00:41:09.760
 an amazing

00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:10.280
 parent

00:41:10.280 --> 00:41:11.460
 it means

00:41:11.460 --> 00:41:12.200
 that we

00:41:12.200 --> 00:41:12.600
 can be

00:41:12.600 --> 00:41:13.320
 a good

00:41:13.320 --> 00:41:13.760
 student

00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:14.539
 it means

00:41:14.539 --> 00:41:14.780
 that we

00:41:14.780 --> 00:41:15.180
 can be

00:41:15.180 --> 00:41:15.700
 good

00:41:15.700 --> 00:41:16.160
 workers

00:41:16.160 --> 00:41:19.460
 and

00:41:19.460 --> 00:41:20.400
 we can

00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:20.660
 do that

00:41:20.660 --> 00:41:20.960
 well

00:41:20.960 --> 00:41:22.820
 because

00:41:22.820 --> 00:41:23.780
 our life

00:41:23.780 --> 00:41:24.380
 isn't about

00:41:24.380 --> 00:41:24.800
 being a

00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:25.120
 parent

00:41:25.120 --> 00:41:25.420
 or a

00:41:25.420 --> 00:41:25.640
 student

00:41:25.640 --> 00:41:26.480
 or a

00:41:26.480 --> 00:41:26.740
 worker

00:41:26.740 --> 00:41:28.720
 I think

00:41:28.720 --> 00:41:28.940
 when we

00:41:28.940 --> 00:41:29.160
 set our

00:41:29.160 --> 00:41:29.460
 ambitions

00:41:29.460 --> 00:41:30.100
 on Christ

00:41:30.100 --> 00:41:30.860
 it means

00:41:30.860 --> 00:41:31.200
 that we

00:41:31.200 --> 00:41:31.800
 can fail

00:41:31.800 --> 00:41:33.240
 we can

00:41:33.240 --> 00:41:33.600
 drop out

00:41:33.600 --> 00:41:33.960
 of school

00:41:33.960 --> 00:41:34.280
 we can

00:41:34.280 --> 00:41:34.460
 lose

00:41:34.460 --> 00:41:34.620
 our

00:41:34.620 --> 00:41:35.120
 jobs

00:41:35.120 --> 00:41:37.200
 and we

00:41:37.200 --> 00:41:37.539
 can still

00:41:37.539 --> 00:41:37.780
 worship

00:41:37.780 --> 00:41:38.220
 God

00:41:38.220 --> 00:41:40.400
 because

00:41:40.400 --> 00:41:41.100
 our

00:41:41.100 --> 00:41:41.280
 God

00:41:41.280 --> 00:41:41.500
 is a

00:41:41.500 --> 00:41:41.640
 God

00:41:41.640 --> 00:41:41.780
 who

00:41:41.780 --> 00:41:42.400
 promises

00:41:42.400 --> 00:41:42.660
 to

00:41:42.660 --> 00:41:43.000
 provide

00:41:43.000 --> 00:41:43.580
 for us

00:41:43.580 --> 00:41:44.680
 I

00:41:44.680 --> 00:41:44.940
 think

00:41:44.940 --> 00:41:45.220
 that

00:41:45.220 --> 00:41:46.300
 having

00:41:46.300 --> 00:41:46.660
 God

00:41:46.660 --> 00:41:46.940
 as our

00:41:46.940 --> 00:41:47.300
 ambition

00:41:47.300 --> 00:41:47.660
 is a

00:41:47.660 --> 00:41:47.840
 good

00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:48.200
 thing

00:41:48.200 --> 00:41:50.680
 because

00:41:50.680 --> 00:41:50.880
 when

00:41:50.880 --> 00:41:51.060
 God

00:41:51.060 --> 00:41:51.340
 is our

00:41:51.340 --> 00:41:51.780
 ambition

00:41:51.780 --> 00:41:53.539
 when

00:41:53.539 --> 00:41:53.900
 God

00:41:53.900 --> 00:41:54.160
 is the

00:41:54.160 --> 00:41:54.300
 center

00:41:54.300 --> 00:41:54.560
 of our

00:41:54.560 --> 00:41:54.940
 lives

00:41:54.940 --> 00:41:55.100
 the

00:41:55.100 --> 00:41:55.240
 center

00:41:55.240 --> 00:41:55.500
 of our

00:41:55.500 --> 00:41:55.800
 worship

00:41:55.800 --> 00:41:56.600
 we

00:41:56.600 --> 00:41:56.760
 can

00:41:56.760 --> 00:41:57.200
 see

00:41:57.200 --> 00:41:57.960
 that

00:41:57.960 --> 00:41:59.080
 things

00:41:59.080 --> 00:41:59.220
 are

00:41:59.220 --> 00:41:59.620
 probably

00:41:59.620 --> 00:41:59.860
 going to

00:41:59.860 --> 00:42:00.000
 be

00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:00.320
 difficult

00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:00.740
 here

00:42:00.739 --> 00:42:03.239
 but we

00:42:03.239 --> 00:42:03.619
 know that

00:42:03.619 --> 00:42:03.879
 we have

00:42:03.879 --> 00:42:04.000
 an

00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:04.399
 eternity

00:42:04.399 --> 00:42:04.659
 that

00:42:04.659 --> 00:42:04.799
 is

00:42:04.799 --> 00:42:05.179
 secure

00:42:05.179 --> 00:42:07.259
 we

00:42:07.259 --> 00:42:07.539
 know that

00:42:07.539 --> 00:42:07.799
 we may

00:42:07.799 --> 00:42:08.159
 have to

00:42:08.159 --> 00:42:08.619
 sacrifice

00:42:08.619 --> 00:42:08.979
 some

00:42:08.979 --> 00:42:09.219
 things

00:42:09.219 --> 00:42:09.679
 here

00:42:09.679 --> 00:42:11.439
 but we

00:42:11.439 --> 00:42:11.699
 know that

00:42:11.699 --> 00:42:12.279
 we gain

00:42:12.279 --> 00:42:12.739
 something

00:42:12.739 --> 00:42:14.079
 that we

00:42:14.079 --> 00:42:14.459
 can never

00:42:14.459 --> 00:42:14.979
 lose

00:42:14.980 --> 00:42:16.480
 you

00:42:16.480 --> 00:42:16.599
 know that

00:42:16.599 --> 00:42:16.639
 I

00:42:16.639 --> 00:42:16.780
 think

00:42:16.780 --> 00:42:17.219
 Jesus

00:42:17.219 --> 00:42:17.659
 is better

00:42:17.659 --> 00:42:17.880
 than

00:42:17.880 --> 00:42:18.240
 Jephthah

00:42:18.240 --> 00:42:18.659
 because

00:42:18.659 --> 00:42:19.719
 he

00:42:19.719 --> 00:42:20.199
 doesn't

00:42:20.199 --> 00:42:20.480
 just

00:42:20.480 --> 00:42:21.280
 save

00:42:21.280 --> 00:42:22.320
 us

00:42:22.320 --> 00:42:23.059
 from our

00:42:23.059 --> 00:42:23.300
 enemies

00:42:23.300 --> 00:42:23.639
 here

00:42:23.639 --> 00:42:24.099
 today

00:42:24.099 --> 00:42:25.940
 to a

00:42:25.940 --> 00:42:26.179
 freedom

00:42:26.179 --> 00:42:26.440
 that we

00:42:26.440 --> 00:42:26.940
 can lose

00:42:26.940 --> 00:42:27.179
 but he

00:42:27.179 --> 00:42:27.440
 gives us

00:42:27.440 --> 00:42:27.820
 a freedom

00:42:27.820 --> 00:42:28.260
 that lasts

00:42:28.260 --> 00:42:28.599
 forever

00:42:28.599 --> 00:42:31.360
 I

00:42:31.360 --> 00:42:31.539
 think

00:42:31.539 --> 00:42:31.800
 that

00:42:31.800 --> 00:42:34.139
 Jesus

00:42:34.139 --> 00:42:36.519
 gives

00:42:36.519 --> 00:42:36.679
 us

00:42:36.679 --> 00:42:36.800
 an

00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:37.219
 ambition

00:42:37.219 --> 00:42:38.719
 a

00:42:38.719 --> 00:42:39.240
 pursuit

00:42:39.240 --> 00:42:40.480
 something

00:42:40.480 --> 00:42:40.719
 that we

00:42:40.719 --> 00:42:41.260
 can chase

00:42:41.260 --> 00:42:41.719
 after

00:42:41.719 --> 00:42:43.239
 that

00:42:43.239 --> 00:42:43.439
 isn't

00:42:43.439 --> 00:42:43.659
 going to

00:42:43.659 --> 00:42:44.000
 destroy

00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:44.419
 us

00:42:44.419 --> 00:42:45.739
 or hurt

00:42:45.739 --> 00:42:46.039
 the people

00:42:46.039 --> 00:42:46.339
 around

00:42:46.339 --> 00:42:46.799
 us

00:42:46.799 --> 00:42:49.179
 but that

00:42:49.179 --> 00:42:49.459
 will put

00:42:49.459 --> 00:42:49.699
 us in

00:42:49.699 --> 00:42:49.859
 good

00:42:49.859 --> 00:42:50.239
 standing

00:42:50.239 --> 00:42:51.959
 with

00:42:51.959 --> 00:42:52.299
 God

00:42:52.299 --> 00:42:55.039
 that

00:42:55.039 --> 00:42:55.339
 when we

00:42:55.339 --> 00:42:55.779
 go and

00:42:55.779 --> 00:42:56.480
 we face

00:42:56.480 --> 00:42:56.779
 God

00:42:56.779 --> 00:42:57.079
 we can

00:42:57.079 --> 00:42:57.519
 say that

00:42:57.519 --> 00:42:59.259
 my faith

00:42:59.259 --> 00:42:59.579
 was in

00:42:59.579 --> 00:42:59.919
 Christ

00:42:59.919 --> 00:43:00.239
 and my

00:43:00.239 --> 00:43:00.559
 life

00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:01.079
 was about

00:43:01.079 --> 00:43:02.319
 obedience

00:43:02.319 --> 00:43:03.379
 to him

00:43:03.379 --> 00:43:04.419
 it was

00:43:04.419 --> 00:43:04.659
 about

00:43:04.659 --> 00:43:05.579
 doing

00:43:05.579 --> 00:43:06.059
 occasionally

00:43:06.059 --> 00:43:06.500
 difficult

00:43:06.500 --> 00:43:07.059
 things

00:43:07.059 --> 00:43:08.380
 because

00:43:08.380 --> 00:43:08.980
 God

00:43:08.980 --> 00:43:09.400
 was the

00:43:09.400 --> 00:43:09.539
 thing

00:43:09.539 --> 00:43:09.759
 that I

00:43:09.759 --> 00:43:09.900
 was

00:43:09.900 --> 00:43:10.299
 chasing

00:43:10.299 --> 00:43:17.599
 Judges

00:43:17.599 --> 00:43:17.900
 repeats

00:43:17.900 --> 00:43:18.159
 this

00:43:18.159 --> 00:43:18.539
 phrase

00:43:18.539 --> 00:43:19.019
 in those

00:43:19.019 --> 00:43:19.440
 days

00:43:19.440 --> 00:43:20.579
 there was

00:43:20.579 --> 00:43:20.980
 no king

00:43:20.980 --> 00:43:21.400
 in Israel

00:43:21.400 --> 00:43:22.599
 and everyone

00:43:22.599 --> 00:43:23.519
 did what was

00:43:23.519 --> 00:43:23.920
 right in

00:43:23.920 --> 00:43:24.259
 their own

00:43:24.259 --> 00:43:24.699
 eyes

00:43:24.699 --> 00:43:29.539
 what the

00:43:29.539 --> 00:43:30.019
 Bible tells

00:43:30.019 --> 00:43:30.639
 us is that

00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:32.199
 we do have

00:43:32.199 --> 00:43:32.559
 a king

00:43:32.559 --> 00:43:33.860
 his name

00:43:33.860 --> 00:43:34.279
 is Jesus

00:43:34.279 --> 00:43:35.440
 and that he

00:43:35.440 --> 00:43:36.139
 does give us

00:43:36.139 --> 00:43:36.699
 things to do

00:43:36.699 --> 00:43:37.299
 he directs

00:43:37.299 --> 00:43:37.639
 our life

00:43:37.639 --> 00:43:37.859
 and he

00:43:37.859 --> 00:43:38.159
 says

00:43:38.159 --> 00:43:40.019
 I'm not

00:43:40.019 --> 00:43:40.399
 wanting you

00:43:40.399 --> 00:43:40.659
 to do

00:43:40.659 --> 00:43:40.980
 the things

00:43:40.980 --> 00:43:41.139
 that are

00:43:41.139 --> 00:43:41.339
 right in

00:43:41.339 --> 00:43:41.579
 your own

00:43:41.579 --> 00:43:41.759
 eyes

00:43:41.759 --> 00:43:41.960
 I want

00:43:41.960 --> 00:43:42.119
 you to

00:43:42.119 --> 00:43:42.460
 do things

00:43:42.460 --> 00:43:42.639
 that are

00:43:42.639 --> 00:43:42.939
 good

00:43:42.939 --> 00:43:43.859
 in my

00:43:43.859 --> 00:43:44.279
 father's

00:43:44.279 --> 00:43:44.579
 eyes

00:43:44.579 --> 00:43:46.460
 I think

00:43:46.460 --> 00:43:47.039
 he did

00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:47.259
 that

00:43:47.259 --> 00:43:47.759
 he showed

00:43:47.759 --> 00:43:48.119
 us how

00:43:48.119 --> 00:43:48.359
 to do

00:43:48.359 --> 00:43:48.519
 that

00:43:48.519 --> 00:43:48.939
 he wants

00:43:48.939 --> 00:43:49.319
 us to

00:43:49.319 --> 00:43:49.619
 do that

00:43:49.619 --> 00:43:49.879
 too

00:43:49.879 --> 00:43:56.059
 so

00:43:56.059 --> 00:43:56.460
 ambition

00:43:56.460 --> 00:43:59.439
 what are

00:43:59.439 --> 00:43:59.799
 our

00:43:59.799 --> 00:44:00.359
 ambitions

00:44:00.359 --> 00:44:02.379
 are we

00:44:02.379 --> 00:44:02.679
 ambitious

00:44:02.679 --> 00:44:03.179
 for things

00:44:03.179 --> 00:44:03.480
 here

00:44:03.480 --> 00:44:03.739
 are we

00:44:03.739 --> 00:44:03.980
 ambitious

00:44:03.980 --> 00:44:04.419
 for

00:44:04.419 --> 00:44:05.519
 God's

00:44:05.519 --> 00:44:05.799
 kingdom

00:44:05.800 --> 00:44:08.640
 are we

00:44:08.640 --> 00:44:08.860
 going to

00:44:08.860 --> 00:44:09.240
 chase

00:44:09.240 --> 00:44:10.019
 after

00:44:10.019 --> 00:44:10.440
 security

00:44:10.440 --> 00:44:10.840
 here

00:44:10.840 --> 00:44:11.080
 or are we

00:44:11.080 --> 00:44:11.200
 going to

00:44:11.200 --> 00:44:11.460
 chase

00:44:11.460 --> 00:44:11.960
 after

00:44:11.960 --> 00:44:14.019
 eternity

00:44:14.019 --> 00:44:14.800
 with God

00:44:14.800 --> 00:44:18.800
 are we

00:44:18.800 --> 00:44:18.940
 going to

00:44:18.940 --> 00:44:19.180
 do the

00:44:19.180 --> 00:44:19.360
 right

00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:19.640
 things

00:44:19.640 --> 00:44:20.019
 the wrong

00:44:20.019 --> 00:44:20.320
 way

00:44:20.320 --> 00:44:20.680
 or are we

00:44:20.680 --> 00:44:20.840
 going to

00:44:20.840 --> 00:44:21.120
 do

00:44:21.120 --> 00:44:23.100
 things

00:44:23.100 --> 00:44:23.519
 God's

00:44:23.519 --> 00:44:24.320
 way

00:44:24.320 --> 00:44:26.120
 are we

00:44:26.120 --> 00:44:26.240
 going to

00:44:26.240 --> 00:44:26.360
 do

00:44:26.360 --> 00:44:26.760
 difficult

00:44:26.760 --> 00:44:27.380
 things

00:44:27.380 --> 00:44:28.720
 because

00:44:28.720 --> 00:44:29.060
 it means

00:44:29.060 --> 00:44:29.500
 obedience

00:44:29.500 --> 00:44:33.559
 are we

00:44:33.559 --> 00:44:33.739
 going to

00:44:33.739 --> 00:44:34.039
 choose the

00:44:34.039 --> 00:44:34.400
 easy way

00:44:34.400 --> 00:44:34.679
 out

00:44:34.679 --> 00:44:35.139
 because

00:44:35.139 --> 00:44:36.340
 that's

00:44:36.340 --> 00:44:36.659
 easier

00:44:36.659 --> 00:44:37.219
 for here

00:44:37.219 --> 00:44:38.179
 and now

00:44:38.179 --> 00:44:42.579
 the Bible

00:44:42.579 --> 00:44:43.019
 asks us

00:44:43.019 --> 00:44:43.480
 a question

00:44:43.480 --> 00:44:47.179
 it's a

00:44:47.179 --> 00:44:47.440
 question

00:44:47.440 --> 00:44:47.820
 that

00:44:47.820 --> 00:44:49.519
 Israel

00:44:49.519 --> 00:44:50.019
 and Jephthah

00:44:50.019 --> 00:44:50.480
 never quite

00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:51.000
 got right

00:44:51.000 --> 00:44:53.519
 who is

00:44:53.519 --> 00:44:53.940
 your king

00:44:53.940 --> 00:44:57.019
 are you

00:44:57.019 --> 00:44:57.139
 going to

00:44:57.139 --> 00:44:57.460
 choose your

00:44:57.460 --> 00:44:57.880
 own king

00:44:57.880 --> 00:44:58.360
 or is

00:44:58.360 --> 00:44:58.920
 God going

00:44:58.920 --> 00:44:59.079
 to be

00:44:59.079 --> 00:44:59.519
 your king

00:44:59.519 --> 00:45:04.800
 am I

00:45:04.800 --> 00:45:04.940
 going to

00:45:04.940 --> 00:45:05.200
 be my

00:45:05.200 --> 00:45:05.640
 own king

00:45:05.640 --> 00:45:08.200
 or is

00:45:08.200 --> 00:45:08.740
 my ambition

00:45:08.740 --> 00:45:09.160
 and my

00:45:09.160 --> 00:45:09.599
 life

00:45:09.599 --> 00:45:11.980
 going to

00:45:11.980 --> 00:45:12.420
 be centered

00:45:12.420 --> 00:45:12.720
 around

00:45:12.720 --> 00:45:13.160
 Jesus

00:45:13.160 --> 00:45:15.640
 am I

00:45:15.640 --> 00:45:15.740
 going to

00:45:15.740 --> 00:45:16.039
 let my

00:45:16.039 --> 00:45:16.420
 ambitions

00:45:16.420 --> 00:45:17.340
 be

00:45:17.340 --> 00:45:18.599
 about

00:45:18.599 --> 00:45:18.920
 God

00:45:18.920 --> 00:45:22.019
 let's

00:45:22.019 --> 00:45:22.240
 pray

00:45:22.239 --> 00:45:29.000
 father

00:45:29.000 --> 00:45:29.019
 father

00:45:29.019 --> 00:45:29.199
 god

00:45:29.199 --> 00:45:29.299
 I

00:45:29.299 --> 00:45:29.739
 confess

00:45:29.739 --> 00:45:30.000
 that

00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:32.979
 I

00:45:32.979 --> 00:45:33.159
 don't

00:45:33.159 --> 00:45:33.479
 get it

00:45:33.479 --> 00:45:34.079
 I don't

00:45:34.079 --> 00:45:34.299
 get it

00:45:34.299 --> 00:45:34.559
 right

00:45:34.559 --> 00:45:37.659
 that I

00:45:37.659 --> 00:45:37.919
 have set

00:45:37.919 --> 00:45:38.259
 up so

00:45:38.259 --> 00:45:38.479
 many

00:45:38.479 --> 00:45:38.939
 things

00:45:38.939 --> 00:45:39.179
 as

00:45:39.179 --> 00:45:39.459
 gods

00:45:39.459 --> 00:45:39.839
 before

00:45:39.839 --> 00:45:40.179
 you

00:45:40.179 --> 00:45:43.619
 that I

00:45:43.619 --> 00:45:43.939
 love

00:45:43.939 --> 00:45:44.799
 the idea

00:45:44.799 --> 00:45:45.139
 of being

00:45:45.139 --> 00:45:45.679
 seen as

00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:46.699
 a good

00:45:46.699 --> 00:45:47.019
 church

00:45:47.019 --> 00:45:47.259
 worker

00:45:47.259 --> 00:45:47.699
 more than

00:45:47.699 --> 00:45:48.199
 I love

00:45:48.199 --> 00:45:49.659
 obedience

00:45:49.659 --> 00:45:50.199
 to you

00:45:50.199 --> 00:45:53.719
 father

00:45:53.719 --> 00:45:54.039
 I

00:45:54.039 --> 00:45:56.960
 I pray

00:45:56.960 --> 00:45:57.299
 for us

00:45:57.299 --> 00:45:57.519
 as a

00:45:57.519 --> 00:45:57.899
 church

00:45:57.899 --> 00:46:01.079
 God that

00:46:01.079 --> 00:46:01.319
 you would

00:46:01.319 --> 00:46:01.739
 open up

00:46:01.739 --> 00:46:02.199
 our eyes

00:46:02.199 --> 00:46:02.619
 to see

00:46:02.619 --> 00:46:03.099
 our hearts

00:46:03.099 --> 00:46:04.159
 to split

00:46:04.159 --> 00:46:04.759
 those motives

00:46:04.759 --> 00:46:05.219
 to see

00:46:05.219 --> 00:46:05.659
 where it

00:46:05.659 --> 00:46:06.239
 is that

00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:08.000
 we have

00:46:08.000 --> 00:46:08.259
 valued

00:46:08.259 --> 00:46:08.659
 something

00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:09.239
 above you

00:46:09.239 --> 00:46:09.579
 and we're

00:46:09.579 --> 00:46:09.960
 worshipping

00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:10.319
 something

00:46:10.319 --> 00:46:10.799
 more

00:46:10.799 --> 00:46:11.879
 than you

00:46:11.879 --> 00:46:14.439
 God I

00:46:14.439 --> 00:46:14.779
 pray that

00:46:14.779 --> 00:46:15.139
 the story

00:46:15.139 --> 00:46:15.559
 of judges

00:46:15.559 --> 00:46:15.799
 wouldn't

00:46:15.799 --> 00:46:16.279
 frustrate

00:46:16.279 --> 00:46:16.679
 us

00:46:16.679 --> 00:46:17.739
 but remind

00:46:17.739 --> 00:46:18.179
 us that

00:46:18.179 --> 00:46:18.659
 when we

00:46:18.659 --> 00:46:19.079
 set our

00:46:19.079 --> 00:46:19.500
 eyes on

00:46:19.500 --> 00:46:19.799
 something

00:46:19.799 --> 00:46:20.319
 other than

00:46:20.319 --> 00:46:20.539
 you

00:46:20.539 --> 00:46:21.619
 that you

00:46:21.619 --> 00:46:22.079
 come back

00:46:22.079 --> 00:46:22.500
 to save

00:46:22.500 --> 00:46:23.099
 us over

00:46:23.099 --> 00:46:24.279
 and over

00:46:24.279 --> 00:46:24.639
 again

00:46:24.639 --> 00:46:27.399
 father God I

00:46:27.399 --> 00:46:27.819
 thank you for

00:46:27.819 --> 00:46:28.379
 Jesus and the

00:46:28.379 --> 00:46:29.099
 example that he

00:46:29.099 --> 00:46:29.480
 sent

00:46:29.480 --> 00:46:32.779
 to live a

00:46:32.779 --> 00:46:33.299
 life that is

00:46:33.299 --> 00:46:34.019
 focused on you

00:46:34.019 --> 00:46:34.399
 that is focused

00:46:34.399 --> 00:46:34.759
 on your

00:46:34.759 --> 00:46:35.079
 kingdom

00:46:35.079 --> 00:46:39.460
 I pray for us

00:46:39.460 --> 00:46:40.059
 I pray for our

00:46:40.059 --> 00:46:40.460
 church

00:46:40.460 --> 00:46:42.899
 that you would

00:46:42.899 --> 00:46:43.239
 be our

00:46:43.239 --> 00:46:43.500
 king

00:46:43.500 --> 00:46:46.460
 that you

00:46:46.460 --> 00:46:46.860
 would be the

00:46:46.860 --> 00:46:47.260
 center of our

00:46:47.260 --> 00:46:47.699
 worship

00:46:47.699 --> 00:46:49.159
 and you'd be the

00:46:49.159 --> 00:46:50.300
 direction that we

00:46:50.300 --> 00:46:50.960
 set our lives

00:46:50.960 --> 00:46:53.920
 we pray this

00:46:53.920 --> 00:46:54.920
 humbly in Christ's

00:46:54.920 --> 00:46:55.519
 precious name

00:46:55.519 --> 00:46:57.000
 amen