WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.040 with you all again. I'm particularly glad you saved the sunshine for me. I've been looking 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:09.339 for it for a few days. I bring you greetings from the brothers and sisters in Middleton 00:00:09.339 --> 00:00:14.240 who are constantly praying for you. If you'd like to open your Bibles and turn with me 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:26.539 to the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew chapter 1. Matthew chapter 1, and we'll start at verse 00:00:26.539 --> 00:00:33.979 1 and look at the first 17 verses. Here's my first challenge of the day, actually reading 00:00:33.979 --> 00:00:41.479 the text. So let's give it a go. Matthew 1, verse 1. A record of the genealogy of Jesus 00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:47.599 Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the 00:00:47.599 --> 00:00:53.100 father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez 00:00:53.100 --> 00:00:58.620 and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 00:00:59.060 --> 00:01:05.140 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nashon, Nashon the father of Salmon, Salmon 00:01:05.140 --> 00:01:10.200 the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, 00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:17.240 Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, 00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:23.500 whose mother had been Uriah's wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:30.079 of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:36.679 of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzzah, Uzzah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:42.619 Ahaz the father of Ezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Ammon, 00:01:42.620 --> 00:01:48.420 Ammon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the 00:01:48.420 --> 00:01:54.120 time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon, Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, 00:01:54.840 --> 00:02:00.760 Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, 00:02:01.380 --> 00:02:07.960 Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father 00:02:07.959 --> 00:02:14.139 of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matan, Matan the father of Jacob, 00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:20.019 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who was called 00:02:20.019 --> 00:02:27.319 Christ. Thus there were from fourteen generations in all, from Abraham to David, fourteen from David 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:32.539 to the exile in Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. Let's pray. 00:02:32.539 --> 00:02:42.139 Father, help us to remember this morning that all scripture is breathed out by you, 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:48.919 and is useful for teaching, correcting, rebuke, and training up in righteousness, so that the servant 00:02:48.919 --> 00:02:56.780 of God, your servant, would be fully complete and equipped for every good work. Help us to remember, 00:02:57.099 --> 00:03:01.639 Father, that there are parts of the Bible where maybe we feel we can skip over them, 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:07.339 because we don't know what they have to tell us, or they seem obscure, or they seem dry and historical, 00:03:07.799 --> 00:03:16.059 but Father, give us ears to hear, give us eyes to see, give us hearts to feel, brains to conceive. 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:23.719 Holy Spirit, be at work this morning among us. May your word be lifted up. Father, use my imperfections, 00:03:24.359 --> 00:03:30.419 and use my weaknesses, and channel your truth to your people. Whatever must be said, 00:03:30.419 --> 00:03:34.899 may it be said from you and not from me. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:03:36.979 --> 00:03:40.739 Anyone who knows me well, or even just a little bit, knows that I love reading about history. 00:03:41.479 --> 00:03:44.919 Some of you do as well. I know some of you, and I know some of you love history as well, 00:03:44.959 --> 00:03:49.379 and I've done a lot of reading about my own family's history. There's a lot I'm proud of 00:03:49.379 --> 00:03:54.639 to have in that lineage. There's my mother's uncle, who secretly smuggled weapons for the volunteers 00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:59.739 during the War of Independence, or his brother who fought and died in France during the Great War. 00:04:00.339 --> 00:04:06.299 My dad's grandfather, who was the first guy at the front of the convoy that crossed the river 00:04:06.299 --> 00:04:13.239 into what now is called Zambia. Seneca wins. One of her ancestors was the great American frontiersman 00:04:13.239 --> 00:04:19.259 Daniel Boone, a man of great adventure and courage and audacity, who explains, by the way, 00:04:19.259 --> 00:04:25.180 where my kids get it from. So I look at my family history, and I look at Seneca's, 00:04:26.019 --> 00:04:33.079 and I see certain characteristics in me and in her, and in our kids. The genes that our kids carry 00:04:33.079 --> 00:04:39.079 inside them, how they'll turn out, how it shapes them. But in front of us this morning is the ultimate 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:47.159 family history. It's not of an explorer, not of a soldier, and not of a preacher in Cork in the 21st 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:54.900 century. It's the family history, the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Now, first things 00:04:54.900 --> 00:04:59.800 first, let's put your mind at ease. We are not going verse by verse through the genealogy of Matthew. 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:04.379 Even if I hadn't been suffering with a chest cold for the last few weeks, there simply isn't enough 00:05:04.379 --> 00:05:10.680 breath in my lungs to get through that this morning. So here's the plan. Just as our family history 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:15.600 tells us about where we come from and who we are, we're going to have a look and see what the family 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:21.420 history of Jesus Christ tells us about the character of God. As the guy said, we're going to learn three 00:05:21.420 --> 00:05:25.740 characteristics of God. If you want to take notes, we're going to see three things. We're going to see 00:05:25.740 --> 00:05:32.580 that God is faithful, we're going to see that God is sovereign, and that God is gracious. He's faithful, 00:05:32.740 --> 00:05:37.600 he's sovereign, and he's gracious. Now, before we dive in, I have to deal with something that's maybe a 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:43.220 bit more apologetic in nature, because skeptics will often take this passage of scripture, and they'll 00:05:43.220 --> 00:05:48.500 compare it to the genealogy that Luke presents in his gospel, and they'll say, oh, well, you see, 00:05:48.580 --> 00:05:53.960 they're different. They're not the same. Different names, different links in the chain are supposed 00:05:53.960 --> 00:05:57.600 to be his family history, but if you read them side by side, you'll notice they're very different, 00:05:58.020 --> 00:06:03.900 and therefore, this proves the Bible can't be trusted. Well, that objection is fairly easy to answer. 00:06:04.100 --> 00:06:07.880 If anyone ever puts that thesis to you, you might actually respond to them with a question. 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:15.779 How many biological parents do you have? Two. You see, friends, the key distinction between the 00:06:15.779 --> 00:06:22.339 two accounts, Matthew traces Jesus' lineage back along through Joseph. Luke traces Jesus' lineage 00:06:22.339 --> 00:06:27.040 back along through Mary, because you have a family history, just like I do, that goes back through your 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:32.480 dad, and one that goes back through your mum, and you better hope those two lines aren't exactly the 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:37.740 same, otherwise you're in trouble. So you might also think to point out that even though Luke's 00:06:37.740 --> 00:06:43.180 genealogy goes all the way back to Adam, you can see here in Matthew, it only goes back as far as 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:48.720 Abraham. Now, the reason there is fairly simple. We know Joseph wasn't Jesus' biological father. 00:06:49.560 --> 00:06:55.579 He had one father, the Lord God Almighty himself, creator of heaven and earth, but Mary was Jesus' 00:06:55.699 --> 00:07:02.860 biological mother, so Luke traces his physical lineage back through his mother, whereas Matthew, 00:07:03.240 --> 00:07:07.680 on this side of it, traces it back through his father. Now, you might be aware of the fact 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:14.180 that at the time, a man's right to ownership or inheritance came through his father exclusively. 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:18.840 Now, this is very significant. It doesn't just give us the reason for this genealogy. 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:25.480 It gives us the reason for the entire gospel of Matthew. So take a look at verse 1, and again, 00:07:25.620 --> 00:07:31.680 we're not going verse by verse, so relax. Just verse 1 for now. A record, some of your Bibles say, 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:39.759 the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew has one purpose 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:45.379 in mind. Prompted by the working of the Holy Spirit in penning this family history, Matthew's purpose is 00:07:45.379 --> 00:07:53.740 to prove that Jesus is the legal heir to the promises made by God to David and the promises made by God to 00:07:53.740 --> 00:08:00.199 Abraham. Jesus is the one through whom God will fulfill the covenant given to David, and he's the 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:06.540 one through whom Abraham would see his promises completed. So that's where we'll pick things up. 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:11.420 Jesus is the son of Abraham. So let's tease that out. Turn with me in your Bibles all the way back 00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:18.019 to the beginning of history, to the book of Genesis. This is going to be a bit more like a Bible study 00:08:18.019 --> 00:08:24.560 than a sermon, so we'll hop around a little bit. So go to Genesis chapter 12. Now as you're turning 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:30.339 there to Genesis 12, I'll just note that in a number of instances throughout the Bible, God is 00:08:30.339 --> 00:08:36.699 referred to as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. These are the patriarchs, 00:08:37.319 --> 00:08:42.840 the fathers of the Jewish faith. They're the ones to whom the Jews looked as being the ones from whom 00:08:42.840 --> 00:08:49.120 all the blessings of the promises of God would flow. So it's crucially important at this point 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:56.639 to understand what is the Bible telling us about how Jesus, as a descendant of these patriarchs, 00:08:56.940 --> 00:09:00.720 fits into the promises of God. So Genesis 12 verse 1. 00:09:02.060 --> 00:09:07.680 The Lord said to Abraham, leave your country, your people, and your father's household, 00:09:08.139 --> 00:09:12.120 and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, 00:09:12.120 --> 00:09:19.679 and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:26.279 bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on the earth will be blessed through 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:32.279 you. Now that's one heck of a promise, isn't it? Ownership of land, it's hard enough getting a mortgage 00:09:32.279 --> 00:09:39.360 these days. Descendants carving out a nation for themselves, we're in the time of Brexit, and the 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:44.580 promise that Abraham himself would be the conduit through whom God would bless all people of the 00:09:44.580 --> 00:09:49.820 earth. Not just the Jews, all people. Now you all know this, but I have to hammer this point home. 00:09:50.180 --> 00:09:54.600 There's one other thing that I think makes this promise so incredible. Look at verse 4. 00:09:56.360 --> 00:10:05.820 Abraham was 75 years old when he set out from Haran. 75 years old. He's no spring chicken here, 00:10:05.820 --> 00:10:12.320 folks. He's advanced in age. He's well beyond the age of producing an heir, and here he is, called by 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:20.220 God to move from his household to a strange place, not having anything to rely upon except his faith 00:10:20.220 --> 00:10:26.920 in the promises of the Lord. As an aside, by the way, I read it wasn't uncommon in Haran. Haran is up by 00:10:26.920 --> 00:10:32.640 the border between what's now Turkey and Syria. It wasn't uncommon for those houses to have a basic form 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:41.000 central heating. So can you imagine leaving your nice, cozy, warm house at the age of 75 to go 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:46.419 literally God knows where? I mean, some of you have a hard enough time dragging yourselves in here on a 00:10:46.419 --> 00:10:51.240 Sunday morning when there's a mild frost on the ground. I know I do anyway, speaking for myself. 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:57.620 But the bottom line is this. There is no way that these promises to Abraham, land and nation, 00:10:57.620 --> 00:11:02.620 descendants, there's no way these promises are going to be fulfilled through the will of Abraham. 00:11:03.539 --> 00:11:10.580 He's old. He's got no kids. It's just not going to happen. Stay in Genesis, but skip forward a few 00:11:10.580 --> 00:11:18.179 pages to chapter 15. So we've had the initial call of Abraham. Now we're going to see the promise that 00:11:18.179 --> 00:11:23.919 God reiterates to him. Chapter 15 and in verse 2. Abraham actually gets the futility of his situation 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:27.539 here. He knows that this looks impossible. Look at verse 2. He says, 00:11:27.899 --> 00:11:34.799 Oh sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless? The one who will inherit my estate 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:40.479 is Eliezer of Damascus, one of his servants, because he had no kids. You've given me no children, 00:11:41.179 --> 00:11:48.039 so a servant in my household would be my heir. You haven't provided for me, Lord. How are you going 00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:54.480 to work out these things? Well, look at God's response in verses 4 and 5. This man, Eliezer, 00:11:55.019 --> 00:12:01.699 he will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body. He took him outside and said, 00:12:02.259 --> 00:12:10.079 Look up at the heavens and count the stars, if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be. 00:12:10.860 --> 00:12:16.799 Now I looked it up. With the naked eye, you might be able to see 8,000 stars and a completely pitch 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:22.819 black sky. According to National Geographic, I looked this up, there are at least 100 billion 00:12:22.819 --> 00:12:28.919 stars in our galaxy. Now don't read too much into the actual number, talking about Abraham's kids. 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:34.479 This is what God is saying. Abraham, you're right. You don't have a child. You are old. 00:12:35.859 --> 00:12:40.959 Politically correct moment there in the Old Testament. You lied to Pharaoh about Sarah being 00:12:40.959 --> 00:12:46.459 your wife to try and save your own skin. You're actually going to go to bed with a slave girl 00:12:46.460 --> 00:12:54.019 and try and produce your own dynasty. But you will have an heir. You will produce descendants. 00:12:54.460 --> 00:13:00.180 And through you, all the world will be blessed. And you know what? You have nothing to do with it. 00:13:00.920 --> 00:13:07.080 This is my unconditional promise to you. I, the Lord God Almighty, will do this. 00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:14.700 You know, Abraham was a dreadfully slow learner. As people whisper amen quietly under their breath. 00:13:15.340 --> 00:13:19.180 He's held up as some kind of hero. And I suppose in a way he's impressive, right? You know, he sets 00:13:19.180 --> 00:13:24.960 out nothing but a promise, nothing but a prayer. He pleads with God on behalf of his nephew and his 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:30.300 nephew's family. He rescues Lot, all of that kind of thing. He does trust God. For instance, 00:13:30.299 --> 00:13:37.819 we read that Genesis tells us he believed the Lord and it was credited to his account as righteousness. 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:44.039 It's the original justification by faith alone. But he suffered from the same thing that 00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:52.159 I'm fairly confident cripples so much of the Western modern church. He made an idol out of 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:58.899 self-sufficiency. You know what I mean? We have all of these promises made to us as the link, 00:13:58.899 --> 00:14:06.600 or individual links in the chain, fastening us to God throughout the entire history of his plan 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:14.539 to redeem his people. But we always try and come up with clever ways to do church or to do evangelism 00:14:14.539 --> 00:14:21.100 or to do discipleship because we think we've got a plan to build the church and make the church better. 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:28.240 Speaking as a man specifically, I'll leave the ladies out of this at the moment. Just speaking as a man, 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:34.060 we rely on our own strength a lot to get ourselves through tough times. We put up walls and we don't 00:14:34.060 --> 00:14:39.060 let people bear our burden in prayer the way we should. We say the phrase that I think says more 00:14:39.060 --> 00:14:43.820 about the psychology of people in this country than any other phrase. I'm grand, thanks. 00:14:45.100 --> 00:14:51.080 We try and do things by the strengths of our own efforts and that was Abraham. This is not a new 00:14:51.080 --> 00:14:58.360 problem, even to the point of doing really brainless, faithless, and downright stupid things. But even 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:05.480 through all that, Abraham has a son called Isaac. Isaac has a son called Jacob. And all the way down 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:11.020 through history to the lineage of Jesus Christ, about whom the apostle Paul says this. Don't turn to it, 00:15:11.060 --> 00:15:17.100 just listen. Galatians chapter 3. Consider Abraham. He believed God and it was credited to him as 00:15:17.100 --> 00:15:23.720 righteousness. Understand then that those who believe are children of Abraham. God redeemed us 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:30.120 so that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles, that's you and me, through Christ 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:38.139 Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. So who receives the promised 00:15:38.139 --> 00:15:44.700 blessing? You and me. How did that happen? Because the first thing we learn about God's character, 00:15:44.700 --> 00:15:51.940 God is faithful to the promises he makes. Despite these instances in Abraham's life, 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:59.140 of the faithlessness that he showed, God still kept true to his promise. Look at the stars, Abraham, 00:15:59.540 --> 00:16:05.180 and count them, if you could. Your offspring are going to be numbered as many as the ones that you can 00:16:05.179 --> 00:16:14.679 see, and even more beyond that. Light, by the way, is given off by stars. The very first act of creation 00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:20.699 in Genesis 1, therefore, when God said, let there be light, was the very source of all physical life. 00:16:21.319 --> 00:16:27.479 Even that physical act of creation pointed forward to the light of the world who would come in the 00:16:27.479 --> 00:16:32.759 person of his son, Jesus Christ, through whom we simply don't just gain physical life, 00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:40.240 but eternal, everlasting, spiritual life. You know, David wasn't perfect either. I'll go into that a bit 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:44.879 more later. But God still made him this promise. I'll just read it to you, 2 Samuel 7. 00:16:45.899 --> 00:16:52.659 The Lord will establish a house for you. By the way, this is David speaking to God, saying, you know, 00:16:52.700 --> 00:16:57.179 I'll build your temple, Lord. I'll make your temple the greatest of all of the temples in the world. 00:16:57.179 --> 00:17:03.000 And God says, oh, no, you won't. The Lord says, I will establish a house for you. When your days are 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:08.139 over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from 00:17:08.139 --> 00:17:14.240 your body, and I will establish his kingdom. But now it gets interesting. He is the one who will build a 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:21.480 house for me, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he 00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:30.519 will be my son. David had no idea that God did not mean Solomon, who would build the literal temple. 00:17:31.420 --> 00:17:38.980 David had no idea that he meant the Messiah, the anointed one, the one who would come and save his 00:17:38.980 --> 00:17:46.740 people from their sins, Jesus Christ himself. Numbers 23, 19, if you want to write that citation down, 00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:55.900 this is a good one to know. Numbers 23, 19, God is not a man that he should lie. God is not a man 00:17:55.900 --> 00:18:03.140 that he should lie. So when he wills it, it's done. When he makes a promise, he keeps it. 00:18:04.259 --> 00:18:10.880 Here's the point. His promise to you of everlasting life does not depend on the circumstances in which 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:16.720 you find yourself this morning. They do not depend on whether you're struggling with your health, 00:18:16.740 --> 00:18:23.700 whether you're struggling with bereavement, or childlessness, or unemployment, or anything like 00:18:23.700 --> 00:18:30.160 that. The things that happen to you cannot possibly, friends, cancel out the promises that God makes to 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:36.700 you. It's like saying you can take a garden hose and point it at the sky and somehow extinguish the sun. 00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:44.640 It's just not going to happen. Jesus said he wouldn't lose one of those whom the father had given him, 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:52.680 and that nothing would pluck them from his hand. For God so loved the world that he sent his only 00:18:52.680 --> 00:19:02.360 begotten son, that whomever believes in him would not perish, but would live forever. God is faithful 00:19:02.360 --> 00:19:09.280 to the promises he makes to his people. So that's the first thing that we learn. God is faithful. Let's 00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:15.059 look at the second one. He's sovereign. Now, we know what that word means, right? You know, he's sovereign 00:19:15.059 --> 00:19:18.859 over the universe in the sense that he not only knows everything that will come to pass, but in 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:23.960 fact, he purposes everything that comes to pass directly or indirectly. I'll give you a few verses 00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:32.759 if you want to write them down. Job 42.2. Job 42.2. I know that you can do all things and that no plan 00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:42.720 of yours can be thwarted. Daniel 4.35. The Lord does according to his will in the army of heaven 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:47.920 and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand. He's not just sovereign in heaven. 00:19:48.680 --> 00:19:54.480 He's sovereign here on earth as well. God sits on the throne of all creation, and here's my last one, 00:19:54.480 --> 00:20:03.079 Ephesians 1.11. He works all things according to the counsel of his will. All things according to the 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:08.960 counsel of his will. And you know, a lot of people have a major problem with the idea of God's 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:15.440 sovereignty, and I don't mean unbelievers. There are a huge number of Christians that seem to go to 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:20.860 great lengths to try and somehow argue that God's sovereignty is limited by what you or I do, 00:20:20.859 --> 00:20:27.219 is limited by human endeavors. Charles Spurgeon, the famous prince of preachers, he said this. This 00:20:27.219 --> 00:20:33.839 is amazing. This is, you know, 130 odd years ago. Spurgeon said, men will allow God to be everywhere 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:42.119 except on his throne. They will allow him to be in his workshop, to fashion worlds and make stars. 00:20:42.879 --> 00:20:48.459 They will allow him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars of the earth or light the lamps of 00:20:48.460 --> 00:20:54.799 heaven or rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean. But when God ascends his throne, his creatures 00:20:54.799 --> 00:21:02.519 gnash their teeth. I think that's because, as human beings, we don't like it when we're not in control. 00:21:04.180 --> 00:21:09.420 Amen? I mean, I know I don't. Let me give you a personal illustration. Our son Jack is autistic, 00:21:10.220 --> 00:21:15.220 and he goes to a preschool for kids on the spectrum, and he flourishes and he thrives there. 00:21:15.220 --> 00:21:20.500 And that'll see him through two years of preschool and junior infants and senior infants. But if we 00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:26.440 want him to have access to the same kind of care and support from first class to sixth class, 00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:32.960 we need an official diagnosis from the HSE. Now, any of you who's ever dealt with the HSE 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:39.360 for something like this, or just trying to see a specialist, you'll know that it's an exercise 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:45.839 and patience, isn't it? We've been waiting now for about 18 months. So we've made some headway 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:53.759 recently, but it's a painfully slow process. We are not in control of this situation. We're dependent 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:59.719 on the actions of people reviewing our applications and dealing with this case and acting on our behalf. 00:21:59.720 --> 00:22:06.819 That's incredibly frustrating, and it just annoys me because I have no control over that. 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:13.180 Somebody else is in control of this situation, and we don't like that. And that's how a lot of people 00:22:13.180 --> 00:22:19.519 react to God's sovereignty. They don't like the fact that God is in control over the course and 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:25.180 trajectory of human history. Well, let's take a look at what it means in Matthew 1 again, okay? 00:22:25.840 --> 00:22:31.180 His sovereignty means this. If you look at Matthew 1 from verses 6 to 11, we get a list of kings. 00:22:32.420 --> 00:22:36.740 Now, David and Solomon sat on the throne of Israel when it was one united country, 00:22:37.320 --> 00:22:43.279 and the rest of them from Rehoboam to Jeconiah down in verse 11, they were kings of Judah in the 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:48.759 south after the country split in two. It's all increasingly sounded like modern EU politics, 00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:54.779 isn't it? Now, what you have to remember about Israel's history is that for its entire 00:22:54.779 --> 00:23:01.059 history, it sat always in the midst of great and powerful empires. Pretty much everywhere all 00:23:01.059 --> 00:23:05.920 around it, north, south, east, and west, there were these other kingdoms vastly more powerful 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:11.259 than Israel was. It's like Ireland sitting in the midst of the British Empire, the French Empire, 00:23:11.399 --> 00:23:16.379 the Dutch Empire, the US, China, Russia, all of that kind of thing. The history of the Near East 00:23:16.380 --> 00:23:24.600 is one of geopolitical rivalry, political machination, and military conquest. Not much 00:23:24.600 --> 00:23:28.800 has changed in the Near East, has it? Now, we don't have time to go through everything. Here's 00:23:28.800 --> 00:23:33.860 the abridged version, okay? God brings his people out of Egypt, and like he promised to Abraham, 00:23:33.980 --> 00:23:39.720 he does set them up as a people in a land of their own with a nation of their own. After David and 00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:45.920 Solomon, internal rivalries spring up, and the kingdom splits in two. Some kings are good, some 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:51.240 kings are bad. But for over two centuries, there's the same problem in the land. No matter who is the 00:23:51.240 --> 00:23:58.440 king, the people do not honor God as they should. That sounds familiar too, doesn't it? Turn with me 00:23:58.440 --> 00:24:05.640 back into the Old Testament again. Go to the book of Isaiah, chapter 8. That, by the way, was the 00:24:05.640 --> 00:24:11.860 quickest history of the kingdom of Israel you're ever going to get in your lifetime. Isaiah, chapter 8. 00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:17.960 You know, actions have consequences. You teach that to your kids, don't you? You know, you try and get 00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:26.240 them to learn that if you do something bad, Jack, then the results are going to be bad. If you disobey me, 00:24:26.620 --> 00:24:31.620 then I have to discipline you, because I'm your father and I love you. That's my job, to discipline 00:24:31.619 --> 00:24:39.039 you lovingly. God sent Isaiah to give exactly the same message. Look at Isaiah 8, verse 6. 00:24:40.279 --> 00:24:47.019 Isaiah 8, verse 6. Because this people, Israel, has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shilohah, 00:24:47.679 --> 00:24:53.459 meaning they don't give me glory for the things I've given them, and they rejoice over Rezin and the son 00:24:53.459 --> 00:24:59.679 of Remaliah. In other words, they look to foreign gods. The Lord is about to bring against them the 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:06.200 mighty floodwaters of the river, the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow Assyria, 00:25:06.340 --> 00:25:12.180 all of its channels, run over all of its banks, and sweep onto Judah, swirling over it, passing 00:25:12.180 --> 00:25:18.279 through it, and reaching up to its neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:26.320 O Emmanuel. But now watch this in verse 9. Raise the war cry, you nations. He's talking to Assyria now. 00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:34.559 Raise the war cry and be shattered. Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle and be shattered. 00:25:35.179 --> 00:25:40.179 And he repeats it. Prepare for battle and be shattered. Devise your strategy. Go ahead and 00:25:40.179 --> 00:25:50.099 make your plans. But it will be thwarted. Propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us. 00:25:50.099 --> 00:25:56.480 Now, do you see the significance of that last bit? The major political player at this time is Assyria. 00:25:56.759 --> 00:26:02.480 And God is sending them, the Assyrian empire, to overrun and crush his disobedient people. But it is 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:09.559 not the plan of Assyria that comes to pass. The Assyrians think it is. In fact, if you go to London, 00:26:09.699 --> 00:26:14.480 you go to the British Museum, you can see all these stoneworks that are taken from the palace of 00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:22.140 King Sennacherib. And they boast of the victory over Israel and talk about how puny their God Yahweh is. 00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:31.160 Here's what happened. 722 BC, northern kingdom destroyed, off into exile. Land is plundered and 00:26:31.160 --> 00:26:37.019 the southern kingdom is occupied. They're now a slave state. Their leader, Ahaz, he's a wretched man. 00:26:37.019 --> 00:26:42.639 He worships idols, he dishonors God, and he willingly becomes a puppet king. But his son, 00:26:43.180 --> 00:26:49.139 Hezekiah, who we see in Jesus' lineage, he's a righteous man. You see, he sets about purifying the 00:26:49.139 --> 00:26:55.379 land, destroying the pagan idols that his father loved. He refuses to pay tribute to King Sennacherib 00:26:55.379 --> 00:27:01.139 and rebels against the Assyrian empire. I mean, man, talk about waving a red flag in front of a bull. 00:27:01.140 --> 00:27:07.180 It was inevitable what was going to happen. I'll read this for you. It's from 2 Kings 19. 00:27:07.880 --> 00:27:12.820 Turn there if you want, or I'll just read it. 2 Kings 19 tells us what happens. In 701 BC, 00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:17.520 the Assyrians show up. Hezekiah tries to pay him off. Here's the silver, here's the gold, 00:27:17.620 --> 00:27:22.360 just go away, leave us alone. But it's not enough. Sennacherib's pride is hurt at this stage. 00:27:22.580 --> 00:27:27.020 He's enraged, and he means business, and he's going to wipe the Jews off the face of the earth. 00:27:27.019 --> 00:27:31.440 How many times, by the way, have dictators throughout history said they were going to do that? 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:38.579 But look who's still here. Here stands at the gate of Jerusalem, an army that pledges to completely 00:27:38.579 --> 00:27:46.920 eradicate God's people who are standing now on the brink of genocide. So Hezekiah does the only thing I 00:27:46.920 --> 00:27:54.339 think he knows how to do. He goes to the temple, and he prays. And God sends word to him through Isaiah. 00:27:54.339 --> 00:27:57.939 He says this, if you're there in 2 Kings 19, it's verse 29. 00:27:58.919 --> 00:28:03.799 This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah. This year, you will eat what grows by itself. 00:28:04.439 --> 00:28:09.359 The second year, you will eat what springs from that. In the third year, you will sow, 00:28:09.779 --> 00:28:13.480 and you will reap, and you will plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. And once more, 00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:19.759 a remnant of the house of Judah will take root, and bear fruit. For out of Jerusalem will come a 00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:25.119 remnant. Out of Mount Zion will come a band of survivors, and the zeal of the Lord will accomplish 00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:30.500 this. Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria. He will not 00:28:30.500 --> 00:28:37.240 enter this city, or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield, or build a siege 00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:42.700 ramp against it. By the way, he came, he will return. He will not enter this city, declares the Lord. 00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:48.900 I will defend this city and save it, for my sake, and for the sake of David, my servant. 00:28:50.100 --> 00:28:57.660 And then this is stunning, verse 35. That night, the angel of the Lord went out and put to death 00:28:57.660 --> 00:29:07.140 185,000 men of the Assyrian army. I have a book in my library. It's called What If? It's a military 00:29:07.140 --> 00:29:12.580 history book. It's a book in which these scholars talk about alternate history. What would have 00:29:12.580 --> 00:29:17.780 happened if this had happened? And it gives our perspective on the outcome of certain battles 00:29:17.780 --> 00:29:23.720 in history. And the very first chapter in the book is about the destruction of Sennacherib's army 00:29:23.720 --> 00:29:30.520 outside Jerusalem. It's not a Christian book. It's a secular academic book. But here's some of what 00:29:30.519 --> 00:29:39.059 the author has to say. This battle is the greatest might have been of all military history. A secular 00:29:39.059 --> 00:29:46.259 historian saying that. He also says, Jerusalem's preservation from attack by the Assyrians shaped 00:29:46.259 --> 00:29:52.900 the history of the world more profoundly than any other military action. It's the most profoundly 00:29:52.900 --> 00:29:58.480 important battle in military history. And then he goes on and says this in conclusion, never before 00:29:58.480 --> 00:30:06.099 or since has so much depended on so few believing so wholly in their one true God. And in such, I love 00:30:06.099 --> 00:30:14.079 this, and in such bold defiance of common sense. There was no way this was going to end well for 00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:22.339 Jerusalem, surrounded by an army, cut off completely from any aid from the outside. Their allies, the 00:30:22.339 --> 00:30:29.579 Egyptians have abandoned them. So such bold defiance of common sense. And this historian, he doesn't even 00:30:29.579 --> 00:30:37.039 know the half of it, does he? God promised that from the seed of Abraham would come the one to bless 00:30:37.039 --> 00:30:43.959 the whole earth. God promised that from the seed of David would come the one who would sit on the throne. 00:30:43.960 --> 00:30:51.059 Now if the line of Abraham and David ends here in Jerusalem, 700 years before Christ is born, 00:30:51.960 --> 00:31:01.039 there's no more royal line. There's no more nation. There's no more seed. There's no church. There's no us. 00:31:02.120 --> 00:31:08.720 But Jerusalem stands. Hezekiah survives and the royal line keeps going. A hundred years later, 00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:15.620 God told King Jeconiah, Jeconiah, your kids will never sit on the throne. So that looked like the 00:31:15.620 --> 00:31:20.720 end of the line. And then the new conquerors on the block come in. The Babylonians of Nebuchadnezzar, 00:31:20.799 --> 00:31:25.559 you all know his name from the book of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar installs another king, but then 00:31:25.559 --> 00:31:32.460 steamrolls into Jerusalem in 586 BC, destroys the temple, destroys the city, captures Zedekiah, 00:31:32.460 --> 00:31:39.180 and murders his sons. And for all intents and purposes, that's the end of the royal line of 00:31:39.180 --> 00:31:48.019 Israel. But is the most important word in the history of God's plan for redemption. But Zedekiah 00:31:48.019 --> 00:31:56.559 had a brother. He had a son. He had another son. And after the exile in Babylon, that son, Zerubbabel, 00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:02.319 the rightful heir to the throne of David, was allowed to go home and bring his people with him. 00:32:03.500 --> 00:32:08.779 And by the way, the exile, since we're talking about sovereignty, lasted exactly as long as God 00:32:08.779 --> 00:32:16.259 said it would last. Jeremiah 25 11, you will be in exile for 70 years. God is not merely in control 00:32:16.259 --> 00:32:23.839 of history. God purposes history and his word bears forth that truth. So once again, God preserved the 00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:30.279 chain that would bring forth the Messiah, the one who would bless the earth. Friends, God is not just 00:32:30.279 --> 00:32:38.599 faithful in the promises he makes. He controls the movements of armies and empires and kings to such 00:32:38.599 --> 00:32:46.079 an extent that his purposes will always come to pass. The genealogy of Jesus Christ isn't just a dry list 00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:52.959 of dead kings and prophets and priests. It's a testimony to the all-powerful sovereign purposes of the one 00:32:52.960 --> 00:33:00.420 who raises up kings and lays them low. He does as he pleases in the heavens and on the earth, and he 00:33:00.420 --> 00:33:11.720 does it so that his plans are accomplished. You know, empires come and empires go. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, 00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:19.380 Persia, Greece, Rome, they've all had their day in the sun. The dark ages, the slave trade, 00:33:19.380 --> 00:33:29.360 World War I, World War II, the Holocaust, the atomic bomb, terrorism, Putin, Trump, Brexit, North Korea, 00:33:29.520 --> 00:33:35.760 all of these things seem like they overshadow the course of human history, and they cloud out the 00:33:35.760 --> 00:33:42.600 possibility of any divine involvement. And in 1966, you might be familiar with this, Time magazine in 00:33:42.599 --> 00:33:51.959 1966, ran an edition, and famously on the front page asked the question, is God dead? Now that came 00:33:51.959 --> 00:33:57.699 from a group of theologians, if you can call them that, and philosophers, who presented their view that 00:33:57.699 --> 00:34:03.819 God was no longer acting in human history. God is dead. He's not in control. One of the leaders of 00:34:03.819 --> 00:34:10.000 that movement was a guy called Thomas Altheiser. He died last December, and he's now more fully aware 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:17.980 than you were I, that God is very much alive. God is not dead. God is very much alive. So Christian, 00:34:18.059 --> 00:34:24.820 when you watch the news, when you read the paper, don't fall for the devil's lies. God is not asleep 00:34:24.820 --> 00:34:33.460 at the wheel. History marches inevitably and irreversibly towards the new heaven and the new earth, 00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:40.440 when Christ will ultimately reign on his throne forever. But look at what we've seen so far. 00:34:41.159 --> 00:34:49.079 Murder, enslavement, idolatry, bloodshed upon bloodshed, truly terrible events on massive scales 00:34:49.079 --> 00:34:55.800 that serves to keep and preserve the ancestral line that would give legitimacy to the heir of the throne 00:34:55.800 --> 00:35:03.700 of David and the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham. God used all these things in spite of 00:35:03.700 --> 00:35:09.920 their wickedness. And that leads me to the final point, the last thing the genealogy of Jesus tells 00:35:09.920 --> 00:35:18.340 us about the character of God. He is not just faithful. He is not just sovereign. He is also gracious. 00:35:18.340 --> 00:35:26.240 Take a quick survey of the people who appear in this history. Abraham, Jacob and Judah, they were all 00:35:26.240 --> 00:35:38.519 liars. Tamar seduced her father-in-law. She's in the line of Jesus. Rahab was a prostitute. She's in the 00:35:38.519 --> 00:35:45.680 line of Jesus. Ruth was an idol worshiper. She's in the line of Jesus. David got another man's wife 00:35:45.679 --> 00:35:52.940 pregnant and then had him killed to cover it up. The list of Israel's kings, friends, that reads like 00:35:52.940 --> 00:36:00.000 the cast of characters from Game of Thrones or something. And Mary, Mary, as we know, was pregnant 00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:07.559 outside of marriage. Now, you know, it's impossible for anyone who's physically born to have a family 00:36:07.559 --> 00:36:12.399 history that doesn't have sinners in it, isn't it? It's very, it's completely impossible. It's obviously 00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:18.500 true for all of us. The same actually went for Jesus. The family history that establishes his right 00:36:18.500 --> 00:36:24.280 to rule on the throne of David to inherit the promise of Abraham could never have been perfect. 00:36:24.579 --> 00:36:32.220 Now, we know he was perfect. He was the lamb without blemish. He was the one who knew no sin. He was the 00:36:32.220 --> 00:36:37.180 one who was the perfect sacrifice. But because he had to be born, he had to have a family history. 00:36:37.179 --> 00:36:45.259 And that family history is just filled with sinners. Some of the things here are dreadful. Murder, 00:36:46.279 --> 00:36:55.699 theft, incest, idolatry, prostitution. God used immoral acts and unclean, idolatrous people to 00:36:55.699 --> 00:37:02.460 preserve the bloodline. Think about this. He used unclean, idolatrous people to preserve the bloodline 00:37:02.460 --> 00:37:09.920 that would establish the coming of the Messiah to fulfill God's promises. You see, these things, 00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:15.220 they all pointed forward. They foreshadowed his physical conception. Conceived in a woman, 00:37:15.440 --> 00:37:21.840 not married to a man. Scandalous. Not befitting the promised Messiah. And here's the point. 00:37:22.720 --> 00:37:28.740 The people God used in the family history of Christ, they're exactly the kind of people that 00:37:28.739 --> 00:37:37.199 Jesus came to save. Jesus said, it is not the healthy who need a doctor. The sick need a doctor. 00:37:37.979 --> 00:37:46.819 I have not come to call the righteous. I have come to call sinners. Who did he eat with? Who did the 00:37:46.819 --> 00:37:55.479 Pharisees give him grief for eating with? Prostitutes. Pagans. Who did he call to follow him? Liars. 00:37:55.480 --> 00:38:03.420 Thieves. Thieves. Scoundrels. Criminals. Who did he say on the cross would be with him in paradise? 00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:14.260 A criminal justly executed for his crimes. Do you honestly think there is anything you have ever done 00:38:14.260 --> 00:38:24.019 that places you outside the possibility of God's mercy? Let me ask you this. Have you ever killed someone? 00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:34.400 God took a psychopathically zealous racist murderer named Paul and he turned him into the greatest 00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:41.059 missionary in the history of the church? Have you ever slept with someone to whom you weren't married? 00:38:42.500 --> 00:38:51.079 God looked at a lustful covetous hypocrite called David and said, your seed will give rise to the one 00:38:51.079 --> 00:38:58.819 who will save my people from their sins. Friend, while there is still breath in your lungs, 00:38:59.460 --> 00:39:09.079 Jesus is standing there, arms wide open, waiting to receive you if you call out to him. And if you call, 00:39:10.219 --> 00:39:18.619 he answers. If you seek forgiveness, you are forgiven. If you repent and believe, you are held in his hand 00:39:18.619 --> 00:39:26.900 and the door to mercy and grace is never locked. There's a thousand different things I could have 00:39:26.900 --> 00:39:32.779 done with that text. There are things I haven't talked about that I could be talking about for the 00:39:32.779 --> 00:39:39.920 next two weeks. But I wanted to spend time telling you, just like how I gave you an indication of what 00:39:39.920 --> 00:39:48.820 my family history says about me, what Christ's family history says about God himself. A.W. Pink was a 00:39:48.820 --> 00:39:55.519 faithful American preacher in the 20th century and he said this, an unknown God can neither be trusted, 00:39:56.480 --> 00:40:03.960 served, nor worshipped. An unknown God can neither be trusted, served, nor worshipped. 00:40:03.960 --> 00:40:11.780 This is what he meant. We need to know who God is if we're going to trust him as he should be trusted, 00:40:12.240 --> 00:40:19.800 as the faithful one. We need to know who God is if we're going to serve him as he should be served, 00:40:20.460 --> 00:40:27.280 the one who is all-powerful, all-sovereign in control of every situation in which you find yourself 00:40:27.280 --> 00:40:33.420 this morning. We need to know who God is if we're going to worship him as he should be worshipped, 00:40:33.420 --> 00:40:39.420 the God of grace and mercy, who before he even said, let there be light, had in mind with you an 00:40:39.420 --> 00:40:45.539 intimate relationship such that if you call on the name of Jesus Christ, you will not die, but will 00:40:45.539 --> 00:40:53.460 live forever. So when you witness to other people, remember these three things. The gospel is good news 00:40:53.460 --> 00:41:00.559 because God keeps his promises. The gospel is good news because God has purposed his plan 00:41:00.559 --> 00:41:06.759 for redeeming lost people and nothing will keep that from happening. The gospel is good news 00:41:06.759 --> 00:41:14.139 because it's open to all people who would come and call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 00:41:14.139 --> 00:41:20.960 because God is a God of grace who does not turn anyone away who seeks him and calls on his name. 00:41:20.960 --> 00:41:27.360 Now, as you know, I like to let scripture have the last word. So turn with me to the book of Jeremiah. 00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:35.280 Anything I've had to say to you this morning, God himself says it's so much better than I ever could. 00:41:37.679 --> 00:41:45.199 Jeremiah, speaking at a time when the people were about to go into exile, when things looked bleak 00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:50.659 and dark with no hope. Jeremiah chapter 9 verse 23. 00:41:54.659 --> 00:41:58.259 Jeremiah 9 23. This is what the Lord says. 00:41:59.579 --> 00:42:02.500 Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom 00:42:02.500 --> 00:42:06.399 or the strong man boast of his strength 00:42:06.399 --> 00:42:10.019 or the rich man boast of his riches 00:42:10.019 --> 00:42:13.359 but let him who boasts boast about this 00:42:13.360 --> 00:42:15.019 that he understands 00:42:15.019 --> 00:42:16.880 and knows me 00:42:16.880 --> 00:42:19.019 that I am the Lord 00:42:19.019 --> 00:42:21.039 who exercises kindness 00:42:21.039 --> 00:42:22.420 justice 00:42:22.420 --> 00:42:24.519 and righteousness on earth 00:42:24.519 --> 00:42:26.740 for in these I delight 00:42:26.740 --> 00:42:29.420 thus declares the Lord. 00:42:30.559 --> 00:42:32.200 Glory be to God. Amen. 00:42:33.200 --> 00:42:34.039 Let's pray. 00:42:41.160 --> 00:42:42.559 Father, what has been said 00:42:42.559 --> 00:42:46.340 we pray that it would be your word that would be raised up. 00:42:47.539 --> 00:42:49.799 If I've said anything, Father, that offends you 00:42:49.799 --> 00:42:51.440 or does not give you glory 00:42:51.440 --> 00:42:54.400 I pray you would blot it from our minds and be forgotten. 00:42:56.779 --> 00:42:57.179 Father, 00:42:58.219 --> 00:43:00.619 may your Holy Spirit be in work in us 00:43:00.619 --> 00:43:03.239 implanting and imprinting your truth 00:43:03.239 --> 00:43:04.860 on our hearts and minds. 00:43:05.900 --> 00:43:07.500 Thank you, Father, that you're a God 00:43:07.500 --> 00:43:09.539 who keeps his promises 00:43:09.539 --> 00:43:12.980 not just to your servant Abraham 00:43:12.980 --> 00:43:15.380 not just to your servant David 00:43:15.380 --> 00:43:17.480 but to us as well here 00:43:17.480 --> 00:43:18.480 in Carragalline 00:43:18.480 --> 00:43:20.539 in the 21st century. 00:43:22.219 --> 00:43:23.420 Thank you, Father, that 00:43:23.420 --> 00:43:26.820 you don't reject those 00:43:26.820 --> 00:43:27.860 who call out to you 00:43:27.860 --> 00:43:29.820 and that the promises you make 00:43:29.820 --> 00:43:30.699 to those who do 00:43:30.699 --> 00:43:31.679 are true 00:43:31.679 --> 00:43:34.940 that you will not lose one of us 00:43:34.940 --> 00:43:36.619 because you hold us in your hand. 00:43:37.719 --> 00:43:39.259 Father, we give you praise 00:43:39.259 --> 00:43:39.919 and glory 00:43:39.919 --> 00:43:42.059 you who created the heavens 00:43:42.059 --> 00:43:42.619 and the earth 00:43:42.619 --> 00:43:44.539 who has purposed 00:43:44.539 --> 00:43:46.000 before the foundations 00:43:46.000 --> 00:43:46.639 of the earth 00:43:46.639 --> 00:43:48.519 your plan for redeeming 00:43:48.519 --> 00:43:49.000 your people 00:43:49.000 --> 00:43:51.379 you who control armies 00:43:51.380 --> 00:43:52.420 and empires 00:43:52.420 --> 00:43:52.980 and kings 00:43:52.980 --> 00:43:53.579 and presidents 00:43:53.579 --> 00:43:54.480 and prime ministers. 00:43:55.900 --> 00:43:57.340 Help us to look to you, Lord, 00:43:57.420 --> 00:43:58.740 when the world seems harsh 00:43:58.740 --> 00:43:59.840 and cruel 00:43:59.840 --> 00:44:02.079 when it seems uncertain 00:44:02.079 --> 00:44:03.619 and we can worry 00:44:03.619 --> 00:44:04.440 about the future 00:44:04.440 --> 00:44:06.599 we can worry about the future 00:44:06.599 --> 00:44:07.220 our children 00:44:07.220 --> 00:44:08.880 will be facing into. 00:44:09.940 --> 00:44:11.260 Help us to latch on 00:44:11.260 --> 00:44:11.900 to your promise 00:44:11.900 --> 00:44:12.160 that 00:44:12.160 --> 00:44:13.800 you are the one 00:44:13.800 --> 00:44:14.640 who owns the cattle 00:44:14.640 --> 00:44:15.460 on a thousand hills. 00:44:16.480 --> 00:44:17.720 You do as you please 00:44:17.720 --> 00:44:18.820 in heaven 00:44:18.820 --> 00:44:20.039 and on earth. 00:44:20.039 --> 00:44:22.039 you cause all things 00:44:22.039 --> 00:44:22.920 to work for good 00:44:22.920 --> 00:44:24.559 for those who love you 00:44:24.559 --> 00:44:25.960 who are called 00:44:25.960 --> 00:44:27.000 according to your purpose. 00:44:27.699 --> 00:44:28.659 We give you glory 00:44:28.659 --> 00:44:29.440 and praise, Father 00:44:29.440 --> 00:44:30.360 and we give you 00:44:30.360 --> 00:44:31.440 great thanksgiving 00:44:31.440 --> 00:44:33.480 for your magnificent grace. 00:44:35.239 --> 00:44:36.219 Father, there's nothing 00:44:36.219 --> 00:44:36.880 we can do 00:44:36.880 --> 00:44:37.539 that will merit 00:44:37.539 --> 00:44:38.639 our standing in your eyes. 00:44:39.559 --> 00:44:40.920 There's nothing we can say 00:44:40.920 --> 00:44:43.119 no sacrifice we can make 00:44:43.119 --> 00:44:45.539 no words we can impart 00:44:45.539 --> 00:44:47.440 no ritual we can perform 00:44:47.440 --> 00:44:48.719 that can accomplish 00:44:48.719 --> 00:44:50.359 what's already been accomplished 00:44:50.359 --> 00:44:51.559 by the blood of your son 00:44:51.559 --> 00:44:52.159 on the cross. 00:44:53.480 --> 00:44:54.319 Father, thank you 00:44:54.319 --> 00:44:54.899 for the grace 00:44:54.899 --> 00:44:55.859 you show to your people. 00:44:56.819 --> 00:44:57.959 Be gracious to us 00:44:57.959 --> 00:44:59.619 as we seek to serve you 00:44:59.619 --> 00:45:00.480 and love you 00:45:00.480 --> 00:45:01.539 and we don't always know 00:45:01.539 --> 00:45:02.480 how to do that, Lord. 00:45:02.980 --> 00:45:03.980 But give us hearts 00:45:03.980 --> 00:45:05.459 like your servant David 00:45:05.459 --> 00:45:07.659 to be longing after you. 00:45:09.839 --> 00:45:10.699 We are coming in 00:45:10.699 --> 00:45:11.819 and we are going out. 00:45:11.820 --> 00:45:14.860 Be our Alpha 00:45:14.860 --> 00:45:15.920 our Omega 00:45:15.920 --> 00:45:18.059 be our everything, Lord. 00:45:18.980 --> 00:45:19.940 Bless our time 00:45:19.940 --> 00:45:21.320 of fellowship together 00:45:21.320 --> 00:45:22.660 for the rest of today. 00:45:23.860 --> 00:45:24.620 Rejuvenate us 00:45:24.620 --> 00:45:25.780 and strengthen us 00:45:25.780 --> 00:45:26.420 for the week ahead 00:45:26.420 --> 00:45:28.000 so that as we go to work 00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:28.960 and school 00:45:28.960 --> 00:45:29.559 and college 00:45:29.559 --> 00:45:30.860 and everywhere we go 00:45:30.860 --> 00:45:32.360 we might be 00:45:32.360 --> 00:45:33.960 strong, faithful witnesses 00:45:33.960 --> 00:45:35.200 for you 00:45:35.200 --> 00:45:36.559 to bring them 00:45:36.559 --> 00:45:37.000 the good news 00:45:37.000 --> 00:45:37.519 of your son 00:45:37.519 --> 00:45:38.320 Jesus Christ 00:45:38.320 --> 00:45:39.820 and be empowered 00:45:39.820 --> 00:45:41.019 by your Holy Spirit. 00:45:42.300 --> 00:45:43.160 And not our will, Lord 00:45:43.160 --> 00:45:44.340 but your perfect, 00:45:44.740 --> 00:45:45.720 holy and spotless 00:45:45.720 --> 00:45:46.240 will be done. 00:45:47.100 --> 00:45:47.900 In Jesus' name, 00:45:48.260 --> 00:45:48.480 Amen.