WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.320 I think it's fitting and appropriate that Psalm 51 is our lectionary psalm for this week. 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:11.700 ! Because I think the events of this past week should bring us to our knees. 00:00:11.700 --> 00:00:19.699 ! I think the assassination of Charlie Kirk should bring our nation to our knees. 00:00:19.699 --> 00:00:26.640 You know, whatever you think about his politics, that's immaterial. 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:38.340 The fact that you have a man who is a man of faith, who was engaging in the free exchange of ideas on a university campus, 00:00:38.340 --> 00:00:44.900 and that man is gunned down, presumably because of his beliefs. 00:00:46.140 --> 00:00:48.519 I think that should bring us to our knees. 00:00:48.659 --> 00:00:52.620 I think it asks very real questions about the state of our country, 00:00:52.619 --> 00:00:57.079 where that kind of political violence is becoming more and more normal. 00:00:58.959 --> 00:01:01.739 And of course, that wasn't the only shooting that day. 00:01:01.739 --> 00:01:06.200 There was another shooting in Colorado at Evergreen High School. 00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:11.019 A young man who had been radicalized online. 00:01:12.900 --> 00:01:16.079 You know, a good friend of ours was a graduate of that high school. 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:17.739 That hit hard for her. 00:01:17.739 --> 00:01:23.060 Not to mention there's anxiety in our city. 00:01:23.459 --> 00:01:27.119 There's tremendous anxiety in our city right now. 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:31.159 Frequently, there's an ICE checkpoint two blocks from our house. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:36.319 And we have people we know and love who are no longer leaving their homes 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:41.079 because they're afraid if they do, they will get detained. 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:44.479 There's a lot more I could say. 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:49.460 Secondly, my point is not to keep on the negativity here. 00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:55.180 It's to say this, is that I believe that this is a time when we desperately need hope. 00:01:57.180 --> 00:01:59.219 It is a time when we need reassurance. 00:02:00.980 --> 00:02:04.840 It is a time when I believe we need to come together as a church. 00:02:06.580 --> 00:02:08.719 It is a time for us to seek unity. 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:15.639 And it is a time for us to step up and to step into this moment. 00:02:17.180 --> 00:02:21.579 And it's a time for us as a church to be reminded fundamentally of what is true. 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:25.680 Because it is so easy to get disoriented and lose perspective. 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:31.599 That's why as I was reflecting on the lectionary passages for this week, 00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:37.780 the words that the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy in this passage in 1 Timothy, 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:40.120 to me these words were such a gift. 00:02:40.459 --> 00:02:43.180 I hope they are similarly a gift to you. 00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:48.019 Because this is a place where Timothy is facing all kinds of challenges, 00:02:48.599 --> 00:02:52.620 the kinds of things that would make him probably prone to feel very discouraged, 00:02:53.019 --> 00:02:55.740 very hopeless, and like maybe it's not even worth the effort. 00:02:55.740 --> 00:03:02.480 And Paul is writing this letter to encourage him as he does the hard work of ministry in Ephesus, 00:03:02.760 --> 00:03:05.900 where there is an enormous amount of confusion and hostility. 00:03:07.420 --> 00:03:12.420 And Paul is essentially writing to tell him to keep going, to fight the good fight. 00:03:13.500 --> 00:03:18.700 And he begins in the letter by reminding him and reminding us 00:03:18.700 --> 00:03:24.140 that when everything else seems uncertain, there is one unshakable foundation, 00:03:24.139 --> 00:03:26.979 and that is the grace of God in Jesus Christ. 00:03:28.339 --> 00:03:31.019 So that's what we're going to be talking about this morning, 00:03:31.179 --> 00:03:38.919 specifically the depth, the breadth, and the ultimate purpose of the grace of Christ. 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:39.459 Let's pray. 00:03:42.199 --> 00:03:50.199 Our Lord, we strongly desire to have the kind of encouragement that Paul offers here. 00:03:50.339 --> 00:03:53.879 We desire to receive it, and we desire to know what this means for us, Lord. 00:03:54.139 --> 00:03:58.039 How do we live in the face of these atrocities? 00:03:59.059 --> 00:04:01.299 Lord, there's so many more things we could list, 00:04:01.419 --> 00:04:05.299 so many more reasons that we might be coming here this morning feeling anxiety, 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:08.039 or maybe even feeling hopelessness. 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:12.579 Lord, please, based on your promises to us, 00:04:13.139 --> 00:04:16.839 on the power of the Holy Spirit and the name of Jesus Christ, 00:04:17.500 --> 00:04:19.279 make your word known to us this morning. 00:04:20.039 --> 00:04:20.639 Nourish us. 00:04:20.860 --> 00:04:21.500 Strengthen us. 00:04:21.500 --> 00:04:23.920 It's in the name of your Son that we pray. 00:04:24.139 --> 00:04:24.379 Amen. 00:04:27.779 --> 00:04:30.100 So first of all, the depth of God's grace. 00:04:30.819 --> 00:04:33.319 If you know Paul's story at all, 00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:35.839 you know that he gained early notoriety 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:40.120 as a star pupil among the Pharisees. 00:04:40.120 --> 00:04:47.639 He gained further notoriety and began to build his career as a zealous persecutor of Christians. 00:04:47.899 --> 00:04:52.040 He describes his work doing this in Acts chapter 22. 00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:53.819 This is Paul speaking. 00:04:53.980 --> 00:04:54.240 He says, 00:04:54.240 --> 00:05:10.579 He refers to himself as someone who persecuted Christians to the death. 00:05:10.579 --> 00:05:12.879 If we look at verse 13, he says, 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:14.240 I was a blasphemer. 00:05:14.379 --> 00:05:15.399 I was a persecutor. 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:16.980 I was an insolent opponent. 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:22.459 What's interesting about that is blasphemer, that's sins of speech. 00:05:22.579 --> 00:05:25.560 He denied Jesus and said horrible things about Jesus. 00:05:27.100 --> 00:05:30.500 Persecutor, those were the actions that Paul committed against other Christians. 00:05:30.500 --> 00:05:36.740 But insolent opponent, that Greek word is very interesting. 00:05:36.920 --> 00:05:40.000 And commentators say that really gets at the heart of it. 00:05:42.019 --> 00:05:46.939 That's actually where Paul is saying to translate it into a more approachable language. 00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:49.680 Not only did I do these things, 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:55.839 but deep down in me there was a part of myself that enjoyed doing these things. 00:05:56.799 --> 00:06:03.479 I got something out of it, a certain amount of satisfaction from doing this to these Christians. 00:06:05.039 --> 00:06:10.379 Now that's a very, very vulnerable thing for the Apostle Paul to admit. 00:06:11.019 --> 00:06:14.620 I was a violent person is another way that's sometimes translated. 00:06:16.099 --> 00:06:17.779 So we ask, what is Paul's point? 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:23.620 Well, in this passage, he famously refers to himself, 00:06:23.620 --> 00:06:27.699 not only as a sinner, but as the foremost sinner. 00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:31.879 Or as it's sometimes translated, the chief of sinners. 00:06:32.420 --> 00:06:33.699 The worst of the worst. 00:06:34.840 --> 00:06:37.500 So what is Paul's point in sharing this story? 00:06:38.060 --> 00:06:39.259 Here it is in verse 16. 00:06:39.579 --> 00:06:42.240 He says, I received mercy for this reason. 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:44.579 Here's why he's being so vulnerable. 00:06:44.579 --> 00:06:50.620 That in me, as the foremost, foremost sinner, 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:54.859 Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience 00:06:54.859 --> 00:07:01.000 as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 00:07:02.500 --> 00:07:03.680 So what's he saying there? 00:07:04.919 --> 00:07:07.579 He says these things happened as an example. 00:07:07.699 --> 00:07:08.779 As an example for whom? 00:07:08.779 --> 00:07:14.479 As an example for the people who would one day come to believe the gospel. 00:07:14.599 --> 00:07:16.079 People including, by the way, us. 00:07:16.199 --> 00:07:18.039 As an example for all people for all time. 00:07:18.259 --> 00:07:20.719 And what's the example that he thinks is being said here? 00:07:22.679 --> 00:07:24.639 If there's hope for someone like me, 00:07:25.919 --> 00:07:27.659 then there's hope for someone like you. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:29.839 That's his point. 00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:35.779 You know, this reminds me of the testimony of the late Chuck Colson. 00:07:35.779 --> 00:07:37.859 Many of you familiar with him. 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:40.739 He was a political operative under Nixon 00:07:40.739 --> 00:07:45.019 who ended up doing time in federal prison after the Watergate scandal. 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:49.459 Just like Paul, he encountered the grace of Jesus 00:07:49.459 --> 00:07:54.479 during that season of his life, and it radically changed his life. 00:07:55.659 --> 00:07:58.359 And he ended up founding Prison Fellowship International. 00:07:58.579 --> 00:08:01.039 Some of you, many of you are not only familiar, 00:08:01.179 --> 00:08:03.899 but maybe you've worked for that organization 00:08:03.899 --> 00:08:05.739 or ministries connected to it, 00:08:06.219 --> 00:08:08.179 dedicated to sharing the gospel with prisoners 00:08:08.179 --> 00:08:09.359 and supporting their families 00:08:09.359 --> 00:08:11.219 and promoting restorative justice. 00:08:11.419 --> 00:08:12.679 But listen to what he says here. 00:08:13.379 --> 00:08:14.359 I love this from him. 00:08:15.659 --> 00:08:18.439 He says, this is Colson talking about his own life. 00:08:18.939 --> 00:08:20.659 The great paradox of my life 00:08:20.659 --> 00:08:22.500 is that every time I walk into a prison 00:08:22.500 --> 00:08:24.739 and see the faces of men and women 00:08:24.739 --> 00:08:27.919 who have been transformed by the power of the living God, 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:33.180 I realize that the thing God has chosen to use in my life 00:08:33.180 --> 00:08:38.980 is none of the successes, achievements, degrees, awards, honors, 00:08:39.139 --> 00:08:41.480 or cases I won before the Supreme Court. 00:08:42.940 --> 00:08:45.759 That's not what God's using in my life. 00:08:46.980 --> 00:08:47.560 Listen to this. 00:08:47.820 --> 00:08:49.360 What God is using in my life 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:51.940 to touch the lives of literally thousands of other people 00:08:51.940 --> 00:08:54.140 is the fact that I was a convict 00:08:54.140 --> 00:08:56.160 and went to prison. 00:08:57.260 --> 00:08:59.020 That was my great defeat. 00:08:59.800 --> 00:09:03.160 The only thing in my life I didn't succeed in. 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:09.560 I mean, just let that sit with you for just a minute. 00:09:10.920 --> 00:09:13.520 Oh, room full of accomplished, amazing people. 00:09:15.460 --> 00:09:18.660 Just let that marinate for a little while. 00:09:18.659 --> 00:09:19.100 Right? 00:09:20.059 --> 00:09:20.899 Think about that. 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:24.459 My goodness, we're an impressive bunch. 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:27.500 We have all of our accomplishments, 00:09:27.719 --> 00:09:28.480 all of our talents, 00:09:28.620 --> 00:09:29.519 all of our credentials, 00:09:29.699 --> 00:09:30.740 all of our accolades. 00:09:32.959 --> 00:09:34.839 And God is the kind of God 00:09:34.839 --> 00:09:41.039 who loves to look past all of those things. 00:09:41.139 --> 00:09:41.839 He sort of, you know, 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:43.539 moves the degree out of the way, 00:09:43.699 --> 00:09:44.839 moves the promotion, 00:09:44.839 --> 00:09:48.000 and moves the advancement, 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:50.620 and this credential and that credential. 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:52.240 And he gets all the way down, 00:09:53.139 --> 00:09:55.759 and there's that low point. 00:09:56.539 --> 00:09:58.940 There's that moment that we hope 00:09:58.940 --> 00:10:00.580 nobody ever finds out about. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:02.940 There's that thing that keeps us awake 00:10:02.940 --> 00:10:04.299 at four o'clock in the morning 00:10:04.299 --> 00:10:06.100 because we would give anything to go back 00:10:06.100 --> 00:10:08.120 and do it over a different way. 00:10:08.200 --> 00:10:09.980 That thing that we're ashamed of, 00:10:10.059 --> 00:10:12.879 that thing that made us feel worse than worse. 00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:15.360 And God's the kind of God 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:16.740 who shuffles all the stuff out of the way. 00:10:16.740 --> 00:10:18.440 He points down to that thing, 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:19.080 and He goes, 00:10:19.419 --> 00:10:20.419 I can use that. 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:23.460 That's what I'm going to use. 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:25.279 That's how I'm going to make my name known. 00:10:25.460 --> 00:10:27.080 That's how I'm going to glorify myself. 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:29.039 That's how I'm going to change the lives 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:30.220 of the people around you. 00:10:30.299 --> 00:10:31.560 It's through that thing, 00:10:32.460 --> 00:10:33.399 the thing that right now 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:34.200 you're trying to hide. 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:36.919 Pretend it never happened. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:40.539 That's the kind of God we worship, friends. 00:10:40.539 --> 00:10:43.839 A God who delights in using the least likely people 00:10:43.839 --> 00:10:45.559 to do the most amazing things. 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:49.360 A God who is able to use our weaknesses 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:52.079 and our failure to glorify Himself 00:10:52.079 --> 00:10:53.439 and make His strength known. 00:10:54.699 --> 00:10:57.620 The kind of God who can bring victory out of defeat. 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:01.379 The kind of God who can bring life out of death. 00:11:01.959 --> 00:11:03.159 If we ever forget that, 00:11:03.199 --> 00:11:05.039 we have only to look to the cross. 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:07.899 I'm nervous about the cross falling over. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:08.740 I'm going to do this. 00:11:13.480 --> 00:11:14.939 We're having stand issues. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:16.039 If any carpenters are out there 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:17.339 who can build a stand for the cross, 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:19.439 we'd appreciate you. 00:11:21.399 --> 00:11:23.319 But this is the kind of God we worship. 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:25.699 So, friends, 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:28.339 for those of us who feel right now weak, 00:11:29.799 --> 00:11:31.860 hopeless, insecure, anxious, 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:34.819 if we're tempted to look around in our world 00:11:34.820 --> 00:11:35.500 or our city 00:11:35.500 --> 00:11:37.940 and feel like everything's falling apart 00:11:37.940 --> 00:11:39.060 and wonder, 00:11:39.260 --> 00:11:40.060 is God even there? 00:11:40.180 --> 00:11:40.920 Does God care? 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:42.200 Is God doing anything? 00:11:43.500 --> 00:11:45.120 This is the kind of God we worship. 00:11:45.260 --> 00:11:46.000 This is His heart. 00:11:46.180 --> 00:11:47.060 This is His character. 00:11:48.760 --> 00:11:51.340 I actually think that this time of hardship 00:11:51.340 --> 00:11:55.120 is going to be used 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:59.320 in the same way that God used Paul's weakness. 00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:02.240 In the same way that God used 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:04.280 Chuck Colson's weakness. 00:12:05.560 --> 00:12:07.540 So, to the extent that we are struggling 00:12:07.540 --> 00:12:09.940 or to the extent that we feel weak right now, 00:12:10.680 --> 00:12:13.600 what story might you one day tell 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:15.500 about this time of your life? 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:18.540 How might God use this 00:12:18.540 --> 00:12:20.500 to work not only in you 00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:21.440 but through you? 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:22.800 I believe, if nothing else, 00:12:22.860 --> 00:12:23.860 God is going to use this 00:12:23.860 --> 00:12:25.360 to soften our hearts, 00:12:25.700 --> 00:12:27.260 to teach us about His grace, 00:12:27.460 --> 00:12:28.980 and to glorify Himself. 00:12:28.980 --> 00:12:33.039 That is the depth of God's grace. 00:12:33.180 --> 00:12:33.639 Paul says, 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:34.600 if there's hope for me, 00:12:34.680 --> 00:12:35.740 there's hope for anyone. 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:40.840 The breadth of God's grace 00:12:40.840 --> 00:12:42.300 is equally striking. 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:43.139 In verse 15, 00:12:43.259 --> 00:12:44.240 the saying is trustworthy 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:45.740 and deserving of full acceptance. 00:12:46.420 --> 00:12:49.180 Paul has roughly five times 00:12:49.180 --> 00:12:50.720 in his pastoral letters 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:54.960 where he refers to a trustworthy saying. 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:56.940 We can reasonably assume 00:12:56.940 --> 00:12:59.120 that these were little summaries 00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:00.460 of gospel truth 00:13:00.460 --> 00:13:02.440 that were already in circulation 00:13:02.440 --> 00:13:04.440 in the church at this time. 00:13:04.800 --> 00:13:06.200 Part of the catechesis 00:13:06.200 --> 00:13:07.700 or the education reformation 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:08.460 of believers 00:13:08.460 --> 00:13:11.660 involved these little nuggets of truth, 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:13.560 distillations of gospel truth. 00:13:13.720 --> 00:13:15.519 And so, he refers to one of those here. 00:13:15.940 --> 00:13:16.399 He says, 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:17.779 this saying is trustworthy 00:13:17.779 --> 00:13:19.220 and deserving of full acceptance, 00:13:19.579 --> 00:13:21.799 that Christ Jesus came into the world 00:13:21.799 --> 00:13:23.740 to save sinners, 00:13:24.139 --> 00:13:27.240 of whom I'm the foremost. 00:13:29.480 --> 00:13:31.679 So, not only can God save 00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:33.000 and restore anyone, 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.620 His grace, Paul says, 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:37.519 is available to everyone. 00:13:38.100 --> 00:13:39.860 It is available to everyone. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:42.639 And he says down in chapter 2, verse 4, 00:13:43.139 --> 00:13:45.639 God desires all people to be saved. 00:13:45.639 --> 00:13:48.279 And to come to the knowledge of the truth. 00:13:50.139 --> 00:13:51.439 The key here, 00:13:51.799 --> 00:13:52.879 if we are paying attention 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:53.720 to what it says is, 00:13:54.600 --> 00:13:57.539 do we believe that we need grace? 00:13:57.840 --> 00:13:58.899 That's the real key. 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:00.860 God's grace is available to everyone. 00:14:00.980 --> 00:14:02.039 His desire is for everyone 00:14:02.039 --> 00:14:03.179 to come to saving knowledge 00:14:03.179 --> 00:14:04.279 of the truth. 00:14:06.039 --> 00:14:07.939 But Jesus came to save 00:14:07.939 --> 00:14:09.259 a certain kind of person. 00:14:11.019 --> 00:14:13.080 Someone who knows they are a sinner. 00:14:13.080 --> 00:14:17.080 Someone who knows they need grace. 00:14:18.379 --> 00:14:19.400 It's available to people 00:14:19.400 --> 00:14:20.100 who know they're sinners. 00:14:20.259 --> 00:14:22.300 Now, admitting that you are a sinner 00:14:22.300 --> 00:14:23.680 is not just about admitting, 00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:25.500 yeah, here and there I mess up, 00:14:25.540 --> 00:14:26.220 I make mistakes, 00:14:26.340 --> 00:14:27.259 I do things I regret, 00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:28.860 I do the bad things, 00:14:28.920 --> 00:14:30.139 and I know I should do the good things. 00:14:30.580 --> 00:14:31.900 But sometimes I do the bad things. 00:14:32.740 --> 00:14:34.139 That's not really what it's about. 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:35.320 Objectively, 00:14:35.560 --> 00:14:37.120 you might actually do a lot of good 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:37.540 in the world. 00:14:37.640 --> 00:14:38.600 By most people's standards, 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:40.040 if we look at your life, 00:14:40.039 --> 00:14:41.719 you might actually live a good life, 00:14:41.740 --> 00:14:43.199 and you might actually do a lot of good 00:14:43.199 --> 00:14:44.439 and make a difference in the world. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:47.059 That's a misunderstanding 00:14:47.059 --> 00:14:48.539 of the concept of sin. 00:14:48.719 --> 00:14:49.099 Sin, 00:14:49.959 --> 00:14:52.219 in the words of Alexander Schmemann, 00:14:53.299 --> 00:14:54.939 is our lack of hunger 00:14:54.939 --> 00:14:56.159 for God and God alone. 00:14:58.019 --> 00:14:59.199 That's a much better way 00:14:59.199 --> 00:15:00.000 of thinking about it. 00:15:00.339 --> 00:15:02.000 It is our lack of hunger 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:03.299 for God 00:15:03.299 --> 00:15:04.740 and God alone. 00:15:04.939 --> 00:15:05.839 It is, in other words, 00:15:05.899 --> 00:15:07.179 our ability to live 00:15:07.179 --> 00:15:08.639 in the world that God made 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:10.559 as though God doesn't exist. 00:15:11.319 --> 00:15:12.120 It is the fact 00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:12.779 that that is 00:15:12.779 --> 00:15:15.439 frighteningly easy to do. 00:15:16.299 --> 00:15:16.799 In fact, 00:15:16.859 --> 00:15:18.079 it is our default, 00:15:18.779 --> 00:15:19.879 is to live in the world 00:15:19.879 --> 00:15:20.599 that God made 00:15:20.599 --> 00:15:22.319 as though God doesn't exist. 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:23.979 That is sin. 00:15:24.859 --> 00:15:26.059 And for that reason, 00:15:27.299 --> 00:15:29.019 it is often the good people, 00:15:29.959 --> 00:15:31.620 it is often the people 00:15:31.620 --> 00:15:32.199 who are, 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:34.059 the world would look at 00:15:34.059 --> 00:15:34.539 and say, 00:15:34.779 --> 00:15:36.219 that person has it all together, 00:15:36.220 --> 00:15:38.480 it's often those people 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:40.420 who are the most 00:15:40.420 --> 00:15:41.519 closed off to grace, 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:42.660 who are the most resistant 00:15:42.660 --> 00:15:43.840 to the power of grace. 00:15:45.899 --> 00:15:46.940 The people who do 00:15:46.940 --> 00:15:47.860 a lot of good in the world, 00:15:47.980 --> 00:15:49.139 the people who are successful, 00:15:49.340 --> 00:15:50.259 the people who have 00:15:50.259 --> 00:15:52.000 the things that they need, 00:15:52.100 --> 00:15:53.379 the people who are well-liked 00:15:53.379 --> 00:15:54.279 and respected 00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:55.259 and have friends 00:15:55.259 --> 00:15:56.920 and a network of support. 00:15:58.180 --> 00:15:59.480 A person like that 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:01.700 can live their entire life 00:16:01.700 --> 00:16:03.759 completely oblivious 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.159 to the fact that God 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:07.000 made them after 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:07.799 his own heart 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:11.000 and that their entire purpose, 00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:12.399 the reason they are here 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:13.419 and actually the purpose 00:16:13.419 --> 00:16:14.700 of creation itself 00:16:14.700 --> 00:16:17.139 is to glorify God. 00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:20.740 If you live a good, 00:16:20.840 --> 00:16:21.080 happy, 00:16:21.179 --> 00:16:21.960 self-sufficient life, 00:16:21.980 --> 00:16:22.819 you can go your whole life 00:16:22.819 --> 00:16:23.679 and never even ask 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:24.240 the questions 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:25.120 that might lead you 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:25.899 down that path. 00:16:25.899 --> 00:16:30.000 To put it another way, 00:16:30.579 --> 00:16:31.579 the greatest obstacle 00:16:31.579 --> 00:16:33.079 to the work of God's grace 00:16:33.079 --> 00:16:33.939 in our lives 00:16:33.939 --> 00:16:36.379 is our self-sufficiency 00:16:36.379 --> 00:16:37.240 and our, 00:16:37.379 --> 00:16:37.959 at the end of the day, 00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:38.759 our pride. 00:16:39.439 --> 00:16:40.340 It is our pride. 00:16:41.579 --> 00:16:42.959 The reason Paul 00:16:42.959 --> 00:16:44.899 has such a tremendous grasp 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:46.879 of God's grace 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:50.240 is because his pride 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:51.419 has been stripped away. 00:16:51.419 --> 00:16:54.679 It's because he has 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:56.120 a tremendous grasp 00:16:56.120 --> 00:16:58.579 of his own sin. 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:01.519 That's what goes together, 00:17:02.099 --> 00:17:02.379 right? 00:17:02.599 --> 00:17:03.459 You may have heard 00:17:03.459 --> 00:17:04.039 that if you, 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:04.899 it's interesting, 00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:06.519 if you look at Paul's letters 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:08.099 as they were written 00:17:08.099 --> 00:17:08.960 chronologically, 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:12.220 you can see how he refers 00:17:12.220 --> 00:17:13.519 to himself over time 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:14.539 because the letters 00:17:14.539 --> 00:17:15.399 in the New Testament 00:17:15.399 --> 00:17:16.139 aren't necessarily 00:17:16.139 --> 00:17:17.279 in chronological order. 00:17:18.819 --> 00:17:20.539 So in one of the earlier letters, 00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:21.240 1 Corinthians, 00:17:22.259 --> 00:17:23.460 Paul refers to himself 00:17:23.460 --> 00:17:24.120 as, quote, 00:17:24.340 --> 00:17:25.380 least of the apostles. 00:17:25.740 --> 00:17:26.400 I'm an apostle, 00:17:26.920 --> 00:17:27.519 but I'm the least 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:28.080 of the apostles. 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:29.080 He was kind of added on 00:17:29.080 --> 00:17:30.060 at the end, you know. 00:17:31.420 --> 00:17:32.580 And he used to be, you know. 00:17:33.700 --> 00:17:34.600 Then in Ephesians, 00:17:34.660 --> 00:17:35.220 which is written 00:17:35.220 --> 00:17:36.580 after 1 Corinthians, 00:17:37.300 --> 00:17:38.340 he refers to himself 00:17:38.340 --> 00:17:40.820 as less than the least 00:17:40.820 --> 00:17:41.700 of the saints. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:44.200 So he's not referring 00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:45.480 even to his apostleship anymore. 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:46.240 He's referring to 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:48.220 just among all Christians. 00:17:49.220 --> 00:17:50.060 Forget apostles. 00:17:50.259 --> 00:17:51.380 I'm less of the least. 00:17:52.320 --> 00:17:53.720 And then here in 1 Timothy, 00:17:53.840 --> 00:17:55.039 which is one of his final letters, 00:17:55.100 --> 00:17:55.840 we can assume that Paul 00:17:55.840 --> 00:17:57.000 was probably an old man 00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:57.580 at this point. 00:17:59.700 --> 00:18:00.920 He refers to himself 00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:01.940 as the foremost sinner. 00:18:04.100 --> 00:18:06.100 His trajectory of growth, 00:18:07.380 --> 00:18:08.759 the evidence in the sign 00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:10.340 of maturity in Paul's life, 00:18:11.259 --> 00:18:13.560 is that as he grew more mature, 00:18:14.140 --> 00:18:15.180 his pride, 00:18:15.539 --> 00:18:16.720 his self-sufficiency, 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:19.400 his sense of his own greatness, 00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:20.400 diminished. 00:18:21.460 --> 00:18:23.660 And his awareness of his sin 00:18:23.660 --> 00:18:24.779 increased. 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:26.380 And as his awareness 00:18:26.380 --> 00:18:28.240 of his own sin increased, 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:30.660 his experience of God's grace 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:31.620 increased. 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:34.799 This is what Christian maturity 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:35.440 looks like. 00:18:36.120 --> 00:18:39.160 It is gradually over time 00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:41.380 peeling back the onion layers 00:18:41.380 --> 00:18:42.140 of our heart, 00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:44.700 recognizing just how deep sin goes, 00:18:44.700 --> 00:18:46.059 just how easy it is 00:18:46.059 --> 00:18:47.940 for us to functionally deny 00:18:47.940 --> 00:18:49.160 the Lord in the way we live, 00:18:50.180 --> 00:18:51.700 to forget that we were created 00:18:51.700 --> 00:18:53.000 to hunger for him and him alone, 00:18:53.660 --> 00:18:55.140 and to realize more and more 00:18:55.140 --> 00:18:55.759 how that, 00:18:56.420 --> 00:18:56.799 in a sense, 00:18:56.900 --> 00:18:59.519 infects every aspect of our lives. 00:19:00.080 --> 00:19:01.500 And the more we realize that, 00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:03.340 the bigger the cross gets, 00:19:04.180 --> 00:19:05.759 the bigger grace becomes, 00:19:05.819 --> 00:19:07.220 and the more we experience it. 00:19:07.220 --> 00:19:10.380 So Christian growth 00:19:10.380 --> 00:19:11.079 is in many ways 00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:12.019 growth downward. 00:19:13.180 --> 00:19:14.339 It's growth in humility. 00:19:17.360 --> 00:19:18.720 If you want a litmus test 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:19.920 for your own heart 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:21.140 to know whether pride 00:19:21.140 --> 00:19:22.120 and self-sufficiency 00:19:22.120 --> 00:19:23.900 are issues for you, 00:19:25.380 --> 00:19:26.380 and I spent some time thinking, 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:26.579 like, 00:19:26.620 --> 00:19:27.980 what are some good indicators 00:19:27.980 --> 00:19:29.400 in my life 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:31.640 that pride has taken hold 00:19:31.640 --> 00:19:32.600 in a given situation? 00:19:34.100 --> 00:19:35.039 Here's one test 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:36.000 that might work for you. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:37.140 How quick are you 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:37.940 to take offense? 00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:41.779 Are you someone 00:19:41.779 --> 00:19:43.059 who is easily offended? 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:46.000 That's certainly 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:47.240 a giveaway in my life. 00:19:48.740 --> 00:19:49.559 I want to be clear, 00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:50.200 being offended 00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:51.059 is not the same thing 00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:51.660 as being hurt. 00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:53.380 You know, 00:19:53.420 --> 00:19:53.920 being hurt 00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:54.519 is not something 00:19:54.519 --> 00:19:55.599 we can always control. 00:19:56.619 --> 00:19:57.740 If someone says 00:19:57.740 --> 00:19:58.259 or does something 00:19:58.259 --> 00:19:58.900 that's hurtful, 00:20:00.220 --> 00:20:00.640 I can't, 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:01.259 I didn't, 00:20:01.539 --> 00:20:02.599 that pain just happens. 00:20:02.660 --> 00:20:03.240 It's a response 00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:03.720 to the hurt. 00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:06.559 But being offended 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:07.360 is a choice. 00:20:09.140 --> 00:20:09.839 Being offended 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:10.259 is something 00:20:10.259 --> 00:20:11.299 we choose to do. 00:20:12.339 --> 00:20:13.480 And I think that often 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:14.519 when we choose 00:20:14.519 --> 00:20:15.720 to become offended, 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:18.319 it's a self-protective mechanism. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:22.539 we're responding 00:20:22.539 --> 00:20:24.319 by putting up walls 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:25.839 because being hurt 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:27.119 makes us feel vulnerable, 00:20:27.539 --> 00:20:28.599 it makes us feel weak 00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:29.179 and powerless. 00:20:29.679 --> 00:20:30.819 Those are bad feelings. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:33.159 But being offended, 00:20:33.439 --> 00:20:35.059 that makes me feel righteous. 00:20:35.419 --> 00:20:36.980 That makes me feel impervious. 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:38.980 That makes me feel untouchable. 00:20:39.059 --> 00:20:39.740 I'm offended. 00:20:39.740 --> 00:20:41.059 You know, 00:20:41.099 --> 00:20:42.019 so righteous anger 00:20:42.019 --> 00:20:42.859 feels good 00:20:42.859 --> 00:20:43.400 and powerful. 00:20:44.380 --> 00:20:45.259 It feels good 00:20:45.259 --> 00:20:46.079 to turn ourselves 00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:46.779 into victims 00:20:46.779 --> 00:20:47.799 and other people 00:20:47.799 --> 00:20:48.620 into villains. 00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:50.620 It feels good 00:20:50.620 --> 00:20:51.440 to see the world 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:52.579 that clearly. 00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:53.440 That's comforting. 00:20:53.859 --> 00:20:54.620 It feels safe. 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:57.440 If we find ourselves 00:20:57.440 --> 00:20:58.599 being easily offended, 00:20:58.740 --> 00:21:00.039 that usually means 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:01.740 that we have 00:21:01.740 --> 00:21:02.740 an inflated view 00:21:02.740 --> 00:21:03.380 of ourselves. 00:21:04.420 --> 00:21:05.019 You know, 00:21:05.059 --> 00:21:05.700 we're sort of living 00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:06.400 our lives 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:07.880 like overfilled balloons. 00:21:07.880 --> 00:21:10.000 You know, 00:21:10.040 --> 00:21:11.020 you fill a balloon up 00:21:11.020 --> 00:21:11.720 too much 00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:13.180 and it becomes 00:21:13.180 --> 00:21:14.880 extremely fragile. 00:21:16.040 --> 00:21:16.280 You know, 00:21:16.420 --> 00:21:18.540 someone comes along 00:21:18.540 --> 00:21:19.820 and just brushes up 00:21:19.820 --> 00:21:20.360 against you 00:21:20.360 --> 00:21:21.360 ever so slightly 00:21:21.360 --> 00:21:23.300 with a comment, 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:25.380 something they did 00:21:25.380 --> 00:21:26.060 or didn't do, 00:21:26.180 --> 00:21:27.960 some little perceived slight, 00:21:29.080 --> 00:21:29.360 right? 00:21:29.420 --> 00:21:30.140 And that's all it takes, 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:31.560 just the slightest friction 00:21:31.560 --> 00:21:32.800 and you blow up 00:21:32.800 --> 00:21:34.880 because you're 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:35.720 an overfilled balloon. 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:37.340 It doesn't matter 00:21:37.339 --> 00:21:38.019 if it's intentional 00:21:38.019 --> 00:21:38.799 or unintentional, 00:21:38.879 --> 00:21:39.799 you burst over it. 00:21:40.959 --> 00:21:42.599 I would say by contrast, 00:21:44.059 --> 00:21:45.740 I think that Christians 00:21:45.740 --> 00:21:46.699 by and large 00:21:46.699 --> 00:21:49.039 should be completely 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:49.839 unoffendable. 00:21:51.199 --> 00:21:52.179 I think that we should 00:21:52.179 --> 00:21:52.919 live our lives 00:21:52.919 --> 00:21:55.179 and be completely 00:21:55.179 --> 00:21:56.259 unoffendable. 00:21:58.619 --> 00:21:59.419 Number one, 00:21:59.500 --> 00:22:00.199 because we know 00:22:00.199 --> 00:22:01.059 first and foremost 00:22:01.059 --> 00:22:02.819 that every legitimate wrong 00:22:02.819 --> 00:22:03.699 that is committed 00:22:03.699 --> 00:22:04.419 against us, 00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:05.619 even the legitimate ways 00:22:05.619 --> 00:22:06.819 that people sin against us, 00:22:07.459 --> 00:22:10.219 are also 00:22:10.219 --> 00:22:10.739 and ultimately 00:22:10.739 --> 00:22:11.799 committed against Jesus. 00:22:12.779 --> 00:22:12.939 You know, 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:13.359 that's, 00:22:13.579 --> 00:22:16.239 that's the curious thing 00:22:16.239 --> 00:22:17.079 that Jesus says 00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:17.519 to Paul 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:18.419 when he encounters him 00:22:18.419 --> 00:22:19.359 on the Damascus Road. 00:22:22.179 --> 00:22:22.599 Saul, 00:22:22.719 --> 00:22:23.059 Saul, 00:22:23.459 --> 00:22:25.559 why are you 00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:26.379 persecuting me? 00:22:28.459 --> 00:22:29.639 Saul was persecuting 00:22:29.639 --> 00:22:30.079 Christians, 00:22:30.199 --> 00:22:30.779 not Jesus. 00:22:30.779 --> 00:22:32.660 Jesus says, 00:22:32.779 --> 00:22:33.460 when you did that 00:22:33.460 --> 00:22:33.879 to them, 00:22:33.960 --> 00:22:34.740 you did it to me. 00:22:37.619 --> 00:22:38.779 The worst offense 00:22:38.779 --> 00:22:40.879 that Paul ever committed 00:22:40.879 --> 00:22:42.539 was the fact 00:22:42.539 --> 00:22:43.480 that as he persecuted 00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:43.960 Christians, 00:22:44.059 --> 00:22:45.500 he was persecuting 00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:46.319 Jesus himself. 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:47.539 Jesus says, 00:22:47.619 --> 00:22:48.359 that's how closely 00:22:48.359 --> 00:22:49.059 connected I am 00:22:49.059 --> 00:22:49.680 to my followers. 00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:51.879 So anytime 00:22:51.879 --> 00:22:53.079 someone wrongs us 00:22:53.079 --> 00:22:53.660 as Christians, 00:22:54.539 --> 00:22:55.460 they sin against us, 00:22:55.500 --> 00:22:55.859 they're actually 00:22:55.859 --> 00:22:57.039 sinning against Jesus. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:59.119 and Jesus doesn't 00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:00.139 respond by getting 00:23:00.139 --> 00:23:00.559 offended 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:01.819 and getting filled 00:23:01.819 --> 00:23:03.000 with righteous indignation. 00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:04.659 Doesn't respond 00:23:04.659 --> 00:23:05.279 like a victim. 00:23:06.259 --> 00:23:06.899 Doesn't respond 00:23:06.899 --> 00:23:07.819 by hurling it back 00:23:07.819 --> 00:23:08.659 in people's faces. 00:23:11.859 --> 00:23:12.759 He responds 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:13.279 with mercy 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:14.480 and grace. 00:23:16.980 --> 00:23:17.460 Right? 00:23:17.500 --> 00:23:17.899 He has more 00:23:17.899 --> 00:23:18.180 of a right 00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:18.619 to be offended 00:23:18.619 --> 00:23:19.099 than anyone. 00:23:20.920 --> 00:23:21.599 So that's 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:22.159 the first reason 00:23:22.159 --> 00:23:22.680 I think we should 00:23:22.680 --> 00:23:23.279 be unoffendable. 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:24.039 The second reason 00:23:24.039 --> 00:23:25.559 is if we think 00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:26.180 of ourselves 00:23:26.180 --> 00:23:27.339 the way Paul does, 00:23:28.279 --> 00:23:30.259 if I really 00:23:30.259 --> 00:23:31.159 think of myself 00:23:31.159 --> 00:23:32.500 as not only 00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:32.940 a sinner, 00:23:34.399 --> 00:23:35.680 but on par 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:36.799 probably the foremost 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:38.099 or among the foremost, 00:23:38.659 --> 00:23:39.839 if anybody really knew, 00:23:42.059 --> 00:23:43.079 if I really 00:23:43.079 --> 00:23:43.819 thought of myself 00:23:43.819 --> 00:23:44.559 the way Paul does, 00:23:44.599 --> 00:23:45.180 and if I'm seeking 00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:45.700 to be mature 00:23:45.700 --> 00:23:46.200 as a Christian, 00:23:46.299 --> 00:23:46.920 that's the direction 00:23:46.920 --> 00:23:47.579 I want to go. 00:23:49.019 --> 00:23:50.059 If I really thought 00:23:50.059 --> 00:23:50.379 that, 00:23:51.399 --> 00:23:51.659 you know, 00:23:51.779 --> 00:23:52.339 then if somebody 00:23:52.339 --> 00:23:53.000 comes at you, 00:23:53.079 --> 00:23:53.819 if you think that 00:23:53.819 --> 00:23:54.099 and somebody 00:23:54.099 --> 00:23:54.639 comes at you 00:23:54.639 --> 00:23:55.099 and say they 00:23:55.099 --> 00:23:56.379 directly accuse you 00:23:56.379 --> 00:23:57.639 and hurl all kinds 00:23:57.639 --> 00:23:58.379 of accusations 00:23:58.379 --> 00:23:59.019 at you, 00:23:59.980 --> 00:24:00.839 and you did this 00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:01.460 and you did that, 00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:02.079 and say they're just 00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:02.619 coming at you 00:24:02.619 --> 00:24:02.960 with everything 00:24:02.960 --> 00:24:03.439 they've got. 00:24:04.700 --> 00:24:05.679 Even if all 00:24:05.679 --> 00:24:06.779 of those particular 00:24:06.779 --> 00:24:07.460 accusations 00:24:07.460 --> 00:24:08.299 are completely 00:24:08.299 --> 00:24:09.119 off base and wrong, 00:24:09.179 --> 00:24:09.740 even if they have 00:24:09.740 --> 00:24:10.439 no idea what 00:24:10.439 --> 00:24:11.079 they're talking about, 00:24:11.139 --> 00:24:11.960 and it's all smoke, 00:24:12.099 --> 00:24:13.819 and it's all hot air, 00:24:13.919 --> 00:24:14.720 there's no substance 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:15.159 to it. 00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:17.639 Because I'm 00:24:17.639 --> 00:24:18.619 a foremost 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:19.240 of sinners, 00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:20.379 I know how easily 00:24:20.379 --> 00:24:21.220 it is for me 00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:22.159 to be self-deceived, 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:23.600 I know how easy 00:24:23.600 --> 00:24:24.320 it is for there 00:24:24.320 --> 00:24:25.080 to be blind spots 00:24:25.080 --> 00:24:25.720 in my life, 00:24:26.340 --> 00:24:27.160 I know how many 00:24:27.160 --> 00:24:28.100 times I thought 00:24:28.100 --> 00:24:28.980 an area of my life 00:24:28.980 --> 00:24:29.800 was free from sin 00:24:29.800 --> 00:24:30.680 only to realize 00:24:30.680 --> 00:24:31.180 there's sin 00:24:31.180 --> 00:24:31.800 all over it, 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:33.460 I've had enough 00:24:33.460 --> 00:24:34.220 experiences of being 00:24:34.220 --> 00:24:34.880 humbled and have 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:35.920 to confess things 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:37.580 that I didn't see 00:24:37.580 --> 00:24:38.259 until somebody 00:24:38.259 --> 00:24:39.019 pointed it out, 00:24:40.140 --> 00:24:40.980 that even if I think 00:24:40.980 --> 00:24:41.540 that person is 00:24:41.540 --> 00:24:42.840 completely off base, 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:43.460 even if I think 00:24:43.460 --> 00:24:44.880 there's nothing here, 00:24:46.360 --> 00:24:47.720 we should always 00:24:47.720 --> 00:24:48.860 pause and ask 00:24:48.860 --> 00:24:49.440 ourselves, 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:51.160 is there some 00:24:51.160 --> 00:24:51.840 little kernel 00:24:51.840 --> 00:24:52.519 of truth 00:24:52.519 --> 00:24:53.680 here, 00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:55.580 something in my 00:24:55.580 --> 00:24:56.380 heart that I do 00:24:56.380 --> 00:24:56.960 need to pay 00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:57.620 attention to? 00:24:58.880 --> 00:24:59.759 And maybe this 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:00.460 person is coming 00:25:00.460 --> 00:25:01.180 with the worst 00:25:01.180 --> 00:25:02.039 possible motives 00:25:02.039 --> 00:25:02.559 and intentions, 00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:03.420 it's not really 00:25:03.420 --> 00:25:04.019 about them. 00:25:06.059 --> 00:25:06.779 Is this an 00:25:06.779 --> 00:25:07.759 opportunity for me 00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:08.340 to do a little 00:25:08.340 --> 00:25:09.380 deeper self-reflection? 00:25:09.500 --> 00:25:09.980 Is there some 00:25:09.980 --> 00:25:10.880 nugget or kernel 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:12.460 that I need to be 00:25:12.460 --> 00:25:13.100 aware of and I 00:25:13.100 --> 00:25:13.940 need to repent of? 00:25:16.080 --> 00:25:17.200 So you say, 00:25:17.460 --> 00:25:17.600 thank you, 00:25:17.660 --> 00:25:18.299 I'll take that 00:25:18.299 --> 00:25:19.000 into consideration. 00:25:19.559 --> 00:25:20.279 I'm going to spend 00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:20.980 some time reflecting 00:25:20.980 --> 00:25:21.339 on that. 00:25:21.399 --> 00:25:21.779 I'm going to pray 00:25:21.779 --> 00:25:22.279 about that. 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:23.379 And I'm going to 00:25:23.379 --> 00:25:24.419 ask what Psalm 51 00:25:24.419 --> 00:25:27.359 says, that I want 00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:28.119 God to renew me 00:25:28.119 --> 00:25:28.839 from the inside out, 00:25:28.879 --> 00:25:29.480 to make me aware 00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:30.039 of the things that 00:25:30.039 --> 00:25:30.899 I need to repent of, 00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:32.059 to create a clean 00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:33.000 heart inside me. 00:25:34.879 --> 00:25:36.539 So pride, that was 00:25:36.539 --> 00:25:39.159 a little excursus 00:25:39.159 --> 00:25:40.759 into the world of 00:25:40.759 --> 00:25:42.000 the offense culture 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:42.799 that we live in, 00:25:42.899 --> 00:25:44.119 but it is directly 00:25:44.119 --> 00:25:45.279 connected to pride. 00:25:46.039 --> 00:25:46.980 And pride is the 00:25:46.980 --> 00:25:48.000 great obstacle to 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:48.380 grace. 00:25:49.220 --> 00:25:50.319 So growing in grace 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:51.539 means doing away 00:25:51.539 --> 00:25:52.799 with pride and 00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:53.680 growing in humility. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:56.519 So when we are 00:25:56.519 --> 00:25:57.839 wronged and slighted, 00:25:57.839 --> 00:25:58.779 instead of choosing 00:25:58.779 --> 00:26:00.539 offense, I think we 00:26:00.539 --> 00:26:01.140 see those as 00:26:01.140 --> 00:26:01.920 opportunities for 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:02.620 spiritual growth. 00:26:04.059 --> 00:26:05.099 That's a great way 00:26:05.099 --> 00:26:06.720 to get back at 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:07.539 somebody who comes 00:26:07.539 --> 00:26:08.059 at you. 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:10.980 Thank you. 00:26:11.819 --> 00:26:12.640 This is a great 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:13.360 opportunity for me 00:26:13.360 --> 00:26:14.059 to grow in grace. 00:26:14.059 --> 00:26:14.119 grace. 00:26:15.700 --> 00:26:16.700 So if we looked at 00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:17.539 the depth of grace, 00:26:17.619 --> 00:26:18.200 we've looked at the 00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:19.019 breadth of grace, 00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:20.759 finally we need to 00:26:20.759 --> 00:26:21.500 remember what is all 00:26:21.500 --> 00:26:22.460 this for, the purpose 00:26:22.460 --> 00:26:22.960 of grace. 00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:25.319 As Paul reflects on 00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:26.440 the grace in his own 00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:27.119 life that he's 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:28.500 experienced, it moves 00:26:28.500 --> 00:26:29.259 him to worship. 00:26:30.779 --> 00:26:31.720 And it's almost as 00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:32.359 though he's writing 00:26:32.359 --> 00:26:34.059 this, he just sort 00:26:34.059 --> 00:26:36.059 of spontaneously breaks 00:26:36.059 --> 00:26:37.119 out into praise. 00:26:38.440 --> 00:26:39.099 There's a good chance 00:26:39.099 --> 00:26:39.819 maybe that actually 00:26:39.819 --> 00:26:40.440 Luke was his 00:26:40.440 --> 00:26:41.879 secretary and Luke's 00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:43.800 writing this as Paul 00:26:43.800 --> 00:26:44.400 is dictating, 00:26:44.600 --> 00:26:45.360 which is commonly 00:26:45.360 --> 00:26:46.840 the way letters like 00:26:46.840 --> 00:26:47.200 this would be 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:47.420 written. 00:26:48.620 --> 00:26:50.920 And I love to 00:26:50.920 --> 00:26:51.840 imagine Paul sitting 00:26:51.840 --> 00:26:52.900 there dictating Luke's 00:26:52.900 --> 00:26:54.960 writing, and Paul 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:55.860 just spontaneously, 00:26:56.180 --> 00:26:57.120 he's talking about 00:26:57.120 --> 00:26:57.880 the grace of God in 00:26:57.880 --> 00:26:58.980 his life, even though 00:26:58.980 --> 00:26:59.420 he's the foremost 00:26:59.420 --> 00:27:00.120 sinner, and then he 00:27:00.120 --> 00:27:01.120 spontaneously breaks 00:27:01.120 --> 00:27:01.760 into these words. 00:27:02.140 --> 00:27:02.820 To the king of the 00:27:02.820 --> 00:27:03.600 ages, immortal, 00:27:03.760 --> 00:27:04.840 invisible, the only 00:27:04.840 --> 00:27:05.780 God, be honor and 00:27:05.780 --> 00:27:06.560 glory forever and 00:27:06.560 --> 00:27:07.140 ever, amen. 00:27:07.520 --> 00:27:08.380 And I can imagine him 00:27:08.380 --> 00:27:09.400 doing that and Luke 00:27:09.400 --> 00:27:10.000 kind of turning around 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:11.500 and being like, do 00:27:11.500 --> 00:27:12.059 you want me to write 00:27:12.059 --> 00:27:13.019 that down too, or are 00:27:13.019 --> 00:27:13.519 you just having a 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:14.079 moment, you know? 00:27:14.819 --> 00:27:15.599 And Paul says, no, 00:27:15.660 --> 00:27:16.220 write it down. 00:27:16.980 --> 00:27:17.559 Write it down. 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:19.900 There's this moment 00:27:19.900 --> 00:27:20.940 where it all seems to 00:27:20.940 --> 00:27:23.180 well up in Paul, and 00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:24.059 then he breaks out 00:27:24.059 --> 00:27:24.740 into spontaneous 00:27:24.740 --> 00:27:25.359 praise. 00:27:25.740 --> 00:27:26.420 And I think, you 00:27:26.420 --> 00:27:27.180 know, for all of us 00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:28.200 who feel like the 00:27:28.200 --> 00:27:28.799 world is falling 00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:30.980 apart, we desperately, 00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:32.039 friends, need a new 00:27:32.039 --> 00:27:32.579 perspective. 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:35.519 We need a God-centered 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:36.680 perspective, and that 00:27:36.680 --> 00:27:37.680 can only be gained 00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:38.299 through worship. 00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:40.460 It can only be gained 00:27:40.460 --> 00:27:41.079 through worship. 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:43.839 And look at what Paul 00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:45.500 praises about God and 00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:46.879 what it reminds us of 00:27:46.879 --> 00:27:47.919 when we think of God. 00:27:47.980 --> 00:27:48.700 If you look at verse 00:27:48.700 --> 00:27:50.960 17 and what he says, he 00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:51.879 says, first of all, that 00:27:51.879 --> 00:27:53.240 God is the king of the 00:27:53.240 --> 00:27:53.579 ages. 00:27:54.759 --> 00:27:56.079 He is completely in 00:27:56.079 --> 00:27:56.559 control. 00:27:57.019 --> 00:27:58.240 He's in control of the 00:27:58.240 --> 00:27:58.599 past. 00:27:58.859 --> 00:27:59.740 He's in control of the 00:27:59.740 --> 00:28:00.019 present. 00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:01.180 He's in control of the 00:28:01.180 --> 00:28:01.559 future. 00:28:01.859 --> 00:28:02.940 It may not feel like it 00:28:02.940 --> 00:28:04.799 or look like it, but God 00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:05.399 is in control. 00:28:06.200 --> 00:28:06.919 And nothing that is 00:28:06.919 --> 00:28:07.779 happening now is not 00:28:07.779 --> 00:28:08.819 outside of his grasp. 00:28:09.960 --> 00:28:11.039 And then Paul says, God 00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:11.599 is immortal. 00:28:12.619 --> 00:28:13.879 He's not subject to 00:28:13.879 --> 00:28:16.299 decay and entropy and 00:28:16.299 --> 00:28:16.759 death. 00:28:17.359 --> 00:28:18.759 And one day, in fact, he's 00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:19.879 going to bring an end to 00:28:19.879 --> 00:28:20.619 decay and death. 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:22.519 He says, God is 00:28:22.519 --> 00:28:22.960 invisible. 00:28:23.539 --> 00:28:24.799 He's not like the gods 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:25.700 that we make. 00:28:25.859 --> 00:28:26.940 He's not like our idols 00:28:26.940 --> 00:28:28.359 that we make out of wood 00:28:28.359 --> 00:28:30.399 or stone or plastic or 00:28:30.399 --> 00:28:31.200 metal or silicon. 00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:37.220 He's the God who makes 00:28:37.220 --> 00:28:38.740 himself known through the 00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:40.340 mountains, through the 00:28:40.340 --> 00:28:41.759 oceans, through the 00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:42.299 forests. 00:28:42.840 --> 00:28:43.420 Look around. 00:28:43.819 --> 00:28:45.980 Everything you see, all of 00:28:45.980 --> 00:28:47.720 the beauty of creation, that 00:28:47.720 --> 00:28:49.340 is how God makes himself 00:28:49.340 --> 00:28:49.700 known. 00:28:49.980 --> 00:28:51.100 His fingerprints are 00:28:51.100 --> 00:28:51.740 everywhere. 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:53.940 There's no possible way you 00:28:53.940 --> 00:28:54.880 could make something out of 00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:56.819 stone or wood or metal that 00:28:56.819 --> 00:28:58.000 could encapsulate that, 00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:00.759 unless by chance, unless you 00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:02.440 were to look at your fellow 00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:03.039 human being. 00:29:03.819 --> 00:29:05.420 If you want to see an image 00:29:05.420 --> 00:29:07.660 of the invisible God, it is 00:29:07.660 --> 00:29:10.000 reflected and refracted 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:11.339 through human beings. 00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:13.400 If you want to see it in its 00:29:13.400 --> 00:29:15.740 ultimate expression, we see it 00:29:15.740 --> 00:29:16.900 in the face of Jesus Christ. 00:29:19.579 --> 00:29:21.180 And then he goes on, God is 00:29:21.180 --> 00:29:22.000 the only God. 00:29:23.160 --> 00:29:24.200 He has no rivals. 00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:26.539 There are no competitors. 00:29:27.620 --> 00:29:29.120 There is no epic battle of 00:29:29.120 --> 00:29:30.140 good and evil, and I hope God 00:29:30.140 --> 00:29:30.519 wins. 00:29:33.539 --> 00:29:34.840 God has no rivals. 00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:36.080 There is only one God. 00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:39.799 Anyone or anything we build our 00:29:39.799 --> 00:29:41.360 life on apart from him is 00:29:41.360 --> 00:29:43.600 inferior and will crumble. 00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:47.660 So when we focus on ourselves, 00:29:47.840 --> 00:29:48.759 when we focus on our 00:29:48.759 --> 00:29:50.420 circumstances, when we read the 00:29:50.420 --> 00:29:51.559 latest headlines and the 00:29:51.559 --> 00:29:53.380 atrocities that they contain, 00:29:54.340 --> 00:29:56.260 anxiety and fear grow. 00:29:57.260 --> 00:29:58.620 We should read the headlines. 00:29:59.120 --> 00:30:00.320 We should be engaged and know 00:30:00.320 --> 00:30:01.440 what's happening in the world. 00:30:01.560 --> 00:30:02.620 We should be involved in doing 00:30:02.620 --> 00:30:05.580 what we can to bring goodness 00:30:05.580 --> 00:30:06.900 and truth into the world. 00:30:07.400 --> 00:30:09.380 But when we focus only on those 00:30:09.380 --> 00:30:11.560 things, anxiety and fear grow. 00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:13.380 Worship is meant to reorient 00:30:14.040 --> 00:30:17.640 us back to what is true, back 00:30:17.640 --> 00:30:19.000 to the God who created all of 00:30:19.000 --> 00:30:19.300 this. 00:30:19.780 --> 00:30:21.420 So in worship, we are reminded 00:30:21.420 --> 00:30:22.140 what is true. 00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:24.380 Through worship, we're able to 00:30:24.380 --> 00:30:25.940 see the world the way it really 00:30:25.940 --> 00:30:26.519 is. 00:30:28.120 --> 00:30:29.759 And the purpose of grace is to 00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:30.759 bring us back to worship. 00:30:31.779 --> 00:30:33.600 So often, friends, God will 00:30:33.600 --> 00:30:35.460 allow us to experience hard 00:30:35.460 --> 00:30:38.400 things, to bring us to our knees, 00:30:39.080 --> 00:30:41.940 to remind us that we need to come 00:30:41.940 --> 00:30:42.820 back to him and worship. 00:30:42.819 --> 00:30:47.119 So we take the New York Times and we 00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:51.359 take the Atlantic and we take all the 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:53.480 news articles that we're reading and we 00:30:53.480 --> 00:30:54.619 take all of the things that are 00:30:54.619 --> 00:30:55.000 happening. 00:30:55.099 --> 00:30:56.759 We take all of that and we bring it to 00:30:56.759 --> 00:30:57.259 the cross. 00:30:57.259 --> 00:30:59.700 And we bring it before the Lord. 00:31:00.359 --> 00:31:02.099 And we say, we can't make sense of this. 00:31:02.180 --> 00:31:03.319 We don't know how to fix it. 00:31:05.140 --> 00:31:06.119 But you do. 00:31:06.500 --> 00:31:07.339 And you will. 00:31:07.819 --> 00:31:09.879 We come back to God because only God can 00:31:09.879 --> 00:31:12.579 make sense of and offer hope to a world 00:31:12.579 --> 00:31:13.160 like ours. 00:31:14.259 --> 00:31:16.339 So as I said at the beginning, things are 00:31:16.339 --> 00:31:17.900 hard right now in our society. 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:18.920 There's a lot of anxiety. 00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:22.380 I think there's a tremendous opportunity 00:31:22.380 --> 00:31:23.539 here for the church. 00:31:24.259 --> 00:31:25.480 A tremendous opportunity. 00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:27.620 Especially the church in the West. 00:31:28.519 --> 00:31:30.500 If you've been reading the articles and 00:31:30.500 --> 00:31:31.860 headlines and looking at the statistics 00:31:31.860 --> 00:31:34.220 and the numbers, in places like the 00:31:34.220 --> 00:31:37.279 U.S., in places like the U.K., there 00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:39.620 looks to be a kind of quiet revival 00:31:39.620 --> 00:31:40.100 happening. 00:31:41.900 --> 00:31:44.980 People by the hundreds, by the thousands 00:31:44.980 --> 00:31:47.680 are coming back to faith and they are 00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:48.820 coming back to the church. 00:31:48.920 --> 00:31:53.759 People are saying, has secularism, the 00:31:53.759 --> 00:31:55.100 march of secularism stopped? 00:31:55.980 --> 00:31:57.240 Are things turning around? 00:31:58.240 --> 00:31:59.900 And it seems to be that that is the 00:31:59.900 --> 00:32:00.160 case. 00:32:00.259 --> 00:32:02.100 I believe it's because the empty promises 00:32:02.100 --> 00:32:05.779 of secularism are not delivering the 00:32:05.779 --> 00:32:09.640 peace and security and meaning and hope 00:32:09.640 --> 00:32:11.440 that people want and need. 00:32:12.860 --> 00:32:15.560 Instead, we have more violence and 00:32:15.560 --> 00:32:18.000 division and nihilism. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:19.460 No way to make sense of it all. 00:32:20.700 --> 00:32:22.839 So I think there's a tremendous opportunity 00:32:22.839 --> 00:32:24.380 for the grace of Christ. 00:32:25.339 --> 00:32:27.099 And I think that we're called to be people 00:32:27.099 --> 00:32:29.319 of grace who live out that grace and put 00:32:29.319 --> 00:32:30.720 that grace on display. 00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:34.980 To remember, as we said, the depth of grace 00:32:34.980 --> 00:32:36.839 means that God can use the most hopeless 00:32:36.839 --> 00:32:40.680 situations, the people we least expect, 00:32:40.680 --> 00:32:43.140 to do the most amazing things. 00:32:44.019 --> 00:32:46.620 So what does it look like for us to make our 00:32:46.620 --> 00:32:48.660 weakness available for God to use? 00:32:50.019 --> 00:32:52.519 The breadth of grace extends to the whole world, 00:32:52.600 --> 00:32:54.840 but we need to be humbled in order to receive it. 00:32:55.880 --> 00:32:58.660 You know, may we be people who are marked by humility. 00:32:59.060 --> 00:33:01.100 The world does not need more pundits. 00:33:01.099 --> 00:33:04.379 The world needs more people pointing to Christ. 00:33:05.459 --> 00:33:08.459 And then the purpose of grace is to remind us why we're here, 00:33:09.019 --> 00:33:12.199 to worship and glorify the God who has made us. 00:33:14.399 --> 00:33:15.199 Let's pray. 00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:22.840 Our Father in heaven, we thank you that all of this is true 00:33:22.840 --> 00:33:25.880 regardless of how we feel in the moment. 00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:31.400 That these are the bedrock truths upon which reality itself rests. 00:33:32.279 --> 00:33:35.920 And these are things that will be true long after all of these 00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:37.960 present realities are forgotten. 00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:40.779 Lord, your word is eternal. 00:33:41.860 --> 00:33:42.880 Your grace is eternal. 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:46.060 And Lord, because you have made us, we are eternal. 00:33:46.900 --> 00:33:48.920 So we will be there in that place, 00:33:48.940 --> 00:33:52.560 but all of the present struggles, to quote your apostle, 00:33:53.140 --> 00:33:54.980 will be like a light momentary affliction 00:33:54.980 --> 00:33:57.360 compared to the weight of that eternal glory. 00:33:58.180 --> 00:33:59.800 Lord, we pray that you would give us the strength 00:33:59.800 --> 00:34:02.140 and the courage to be people of grace here and now, 00:34:03.000 --> 00:34:04.560 pointing to that time yet to come 00:34:04.560 --> 00:34:06.740 until Christ comes again. 00:34:07.040 --> 00:34:08.180 In his name, amen.