WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:07.419 Father, your word is written, and Lord, you've given us minds and hearts to feel and to think, 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:13.460 to rationalize. Lord, help us to come to your word in honesty. Help us to be true about ourselves 00:00:13.460 --> 00:00:19.859 so that we can come to you in truth. And Lord, would you give us grace this morning? In Jesus' name, 00:00:20.679 --> 00:00:20.900 Amen. 00:00:20.899 --> 00:00:30.019 Amen. So I'm guessing that probably a certain amount of people here, a good number of you have 00:00:30.019 --> 00:00:35.460 grown up in an Anglican setting. And if you're familiar with the Anglican setting, for you, 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:44.759 seeing images like this of Jesus is fine. But for some people who are newer to the Anglican way, 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:51.599 if you're like me, you walked in this church and you saw these images and you're wondering what is 00:00:51.599 --> 00:01:01.079 going on. Like, isn't that what the second commandment forbids us to do? And so what I did, 00:01:01.159 --> 00:01:05.560 I saw that, but I just, you know, I said, you know what, I'll just stick it through. They teach the 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:12.019 Bible here. So like, I don't know, it's evangelical. They believe the Bible. So I'll just stay here for 00:01:12.019 --> 00:01:17.439 a few other weeks, but there's something about these images. So with the text that we're going 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:23.780 to look at today, we're going to have some indication as to what we should do with these 00:01:23.780 --> 00:01:29.879 images. Should we repent as a church for having images like that, or is it okay? So if you have 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:37.759 your Bibles with you, you can turn to Deuteronomy chapter 5, and we'll read from verse, I'll start at 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:44.540 verse 8. So this is the second commandment, and this is the second week of our series for the 00:01:44.540 --> 00:01:51.060 10 commandments. So the second commandment starts in verse 8. You shall not make for yourself a 00:01:51.060 --> 00:01:57.620 carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or 00:01:57.620 --> 00:02:03.760 that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, the Lord, 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:10.460 your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and 00:02:10.460 --> 00:02:16.319 fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:24.000 and keep my commandments. So this is the commandment, that we shouldn't make a carved image, and the 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:33.060 implication here is that it's a carved image of God. So as Christians, we believe that Jesus is God, 00:02:33.060 --> 00:02:39.800 and here we have an image that was created by human hands and that we set up every week. 00:02:40.699 --> 00:02:46.199 Is that a sin against the second commandment? Is that what the second commandment forbids? 00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:54.300 Well, in the Protestant tradition, we believe that the Word of God is at the center of worship, 00:02:54.300 --> 00:03:02.219 and let's just kind of take a look at verses 1 all the way through verse 7, and we'll see the 00:03:02.219 --> 00:03:10.120 importance of God's Word, or actually 1 to 5. So, and Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, 00:03:10.620 --> 00:03:17.400 Hear, O Israel. So there's the Word. God is speaking through his servant Moses, and the first word comes 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:24.520 to them saying, Hear, hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak, 00:03:25.020 --> 00:03:32.939 that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn to do them and be careful to do them. 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:39.520 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:48.580 but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain. 00:03:49.020 --> 00:03:53.700 And here, face to face, it's not saying literally face to face. God was not literally face to face, 00:03:53.760 --> 00:03:59.780 but God was in their presence, and it was in an intimate setting, face to face at the mountain, 00:04:00.060 --> 00:04:04.900 out of the midst of the fire. And out of the midst of the fire is talking in terms of, 00:04:04.900 --> 00:04:08.599 it's a language to communicate that God's presence was consuming like a fire. 00:04:10.920 --> 00:04:16.240 While I stood between the Lord and you at that time to declare to you the word of the Lord, 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:21.340 for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:29.699 So, here we have in the opening verses of the chapter, the emphasis is on the Word of God. 00:04:30.019 --> 00:04:34.620 Do we hear God's Word? And when we hear God's Word that God declared, that God spoke, 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:40.239 what is going to happen? Are we going to obey? And this theme is something that we see all the way, 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:47.579 starting with Adam in the garden, Adam and Eve hearing God's Word and disobeying God's Word. 00:04:48.299 --> 00:04:53.099 And then we see later on with Abraham. Abraham heard the word of the Lord, he trusted in the Lord, 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:59.819 and his faith in God's Word was counted to him as righteousness. Now we have Israel hearing God's 00:04:59.819 --> 00:05:04.879 Word, establishing a new covenant, and the fulfillment is found in Jesus, who is the Word of God. 00:05:04.899 --> 00:05:12.060 God become flesh. So, here's the theme is really, really important of the Word of God, 00:05:12.659 --> 00:05:18.359 and that's what is central in our Protestant understanding of worship, because it seems like 00:05:18.359 --> 00:05:24.120 that's what the Bible is making central. So, the question remains, are we sinning corporately every 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:30.939 week by limiting and containing Jesus in these images? Is that what the church has done for so many 00:05:30.939 --> 00:05:37.959 years in history? Well, let's take a look at the second commandment again, just at the very beginning. 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:42.279 It says, you shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything, 00:05:42.779 --> 00:05:46.699 and anything going on, saying anything that is of a creature nature. 00:05:46.699 --> 00:05:58.399 And the point of this is to say that we cannot hold God or contain God in this image, in an image of 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:05.680 worship. And that's what we call a New Testament. In Greek, we have the word icon, and it's similar to 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:11.180 what we have on your phones or on your computer. The icon of, say, Google or Facebook or something, 00:06:11.180 --> 00:06:18.060 you click on it, and then you have access to all of Google, all of Facebook, all of whatever icon 00:06:18.060 --> 00:06:23.720 you have on your computer. Now, is this what we have here? Do we come here and experience the 00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:32.800 fullness of Jesus by looking at these images and by engaging with these images? Just like in Exodus, 00:06:32.960 --> 00:06:40.319 we have the story of Israel making a carved image out of gold and saying, when Aaron said, 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:47.139 this is your God, Israel, who delivered you out of Egypt, are we saying, church of the Messiah, 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:53.439 this is your God who saved you from your sins? Or do we say, when we have the wooden cross set up 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:58.240 here usually, do we say, this is the cross that you need to hold on to, you need to physically hold 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:03.579 on to this cross because they will carry you all the way to heaven? Or do we say, when we have a 00:07:03.579 --> 00:07:09.639 worship experience with music, with song, that when we have the right instruments, the right voice 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:15.979 singing, and we have the slides are changing perfectly on cue, and the lighting is just right, 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:21.259 and that's when the Holy Spirit comes. The Holy Spirit is in the room. It's just, it's tangible. 00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:29.060 Is that what we're saying? The answer is no. That's not what we're saying. We don't believe 00:07:29.060 --> 00:07:34.319 that we can manipulate God, that we can play with God in such a way that we'll activate him, 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:40.259 kind of like rubbing stones on a piece of wood and creating a fire. That's not what we're saying. 00:07:40.660 --> 00:07:45.759 But what we are saying is that these images here serve a different purpose, that we don't come here 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:52.740 to engage with God, like with an idol, like the second commandment is prohibiting. But these images 00:07:52.740 --> 00:07:59.040 serve to tell a story. So they communicate a story that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, 00:07:59.060 --> 00:08:06.040 he was crucified, and he was raised from the dead. They tell a story. They move us away from the 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:11.360 pictures. They're not meant to be accurate in and of themselves, but they're meant to tell us of a 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:17.019 story, of a story that the word encapsulates. And so even with words, we can create imagination. 00:08:17.180 --> 00:08:25.459 With words, we can tell stories. And this is what the images are doing as well. So here's the big 00:08:25.459 --> 00:08:32.960 question. Why does God command us to not make images of him? Why does he command us to not make 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:38.879 images of him? I answered that a little bit already. But the first reason, which I believe, is that 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:46.139 God reveals himself. When we create objects of something, it derives from our imagination. 00:08:46.139 --> 00:08:54.199 I recently had a conversation with a friend who, it was an acquaintance I haven't seen in a little 00:08:54.199 --> 00:08:59.460 while. And I mean, it was an acquaintance. We met a few times. We talked a bit, but that was a couple 00:08:59.460 --> 00:09:04.679 years ago. I just saw him last week. And he said, Jonathan, I thank you so much. Thank you so much 00:09:04.679 --> 00:09:11.200 for the blog post that you put on the internet and how like, yeah, you're engaging with culture and 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:16.120 showing a really good Christian view on how to engage with that. And I said, oh, that's great. 00:09:16.780 --> 00:09:21.800 But it's not me. Like, I didn't write those. I don't do blogs. You're probably thinking of someone 00:09:21.800 --> 00:09:27.520 else. And then I was able to clarify with him verbally that, yeah, in fact, it was not me. It 00:09:27.520 --> 00:09:33.700 was another Jonathan. And I kind of looked like him, but it was not me. So with my words, I provided 00:09:33.700 --> 00:09:39.180 clarity. I revealed to him who I am and corrected him. And he was thankful. It was a bit awkward, 00:09:39.179 --> 00:09:44.120 but he was very thankful that we're able to continue. And he has a right perception of who 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:50.479 I am. And that way we can engage in truth. So is it possible that we do that with God? 00:09:52.500 --> 00:10:01.059 Is it possible that we come to God with a perception that is not of God, that is of our own doing? 00:10:03.199 --> 00:10:08.959 Now, this is, I think, what the commandment is first trying to drive home. We have the first 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:13.200 commandment, which we looked at last week. It talks about having God in our relationship, 00:10:13.340 --> 00:10:18.500 a unique relationship, that he is our God, we are his people, and we are to put him first in our lives, 00:10:18.680 --> 00:10:24.879 that God is to be preeminent in our lives. And now we come to the second commandment, 00:10:25.100 --> 00:10:32.120 which talks about having a right understanding of God, that God is transcendent. God in his nature 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:39.519 is holy. He's uncreated. And so this is, in having a relationship with someone, you want to have 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:44.980 a right understanding of them, a right knowing of them, if you're going to have a truthful relationship 00:10:44.980 --> 00:10:54.360 with them. When I first started my relationship, another relationship analogy, please bear with me, 00:10:54.360 --> 00:11:05.940 my girlfriend, now fiance, we had, we really liked one another. And we read a really helpful marriage 00:11:05.940 --> 00:11:11.379 book that said that what we really liked was our perception of one another, because we didn't 00:11:11.379 --> 00:11:16.960 actually get to know each other yet. We only knew a little bit of ourselves, of one another. And what 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:24.120 we really liked was an image, a fantasy of the other person. And then as the more we get to know 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:30.360 each other, the more we're able to clarify that this is who I am, this is who you are. And that way, 00:11:30.420 --> 00:11:34.820 we were able to have a true relationship where we actually get to know each other more and more. 00:11:34.980 --> 00:11:40.100 And as we know each other more and more, we're able to love each other more and more. And so this is, 00:11:40.100 --> 00:11:45.900 I think, the idea that God is trying to show here. Let's read verse four again. So 00:11:45.899 --> 00:11:55.519 just to get a real drive home, just to drive home the point that God has revealed himself. So 00:11:55.519 --> 00:12:00.879 chapter five, verse four, the Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:08.100 the fire, while I stood between the Lord and you at that time to declare to you the word of the Lord. 00:12:08.100 --> 00:12:18.480 So the Bible says that God has revealed himself. And with that revelation, when we come into a 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:26.159 relationship with God, we need to continually test our perception of God so that we come into a right 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:29.940 understanding. So Andrew, can I have my first point, please? 00:12:29.940 --> 00:12:39.500 So to understand God apart from his revelation in his word written is to not understand him. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:43.980 It is a good and fearful thing that God has revealed himself. 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:50.460 Now, you might be thinking here, maybe you're not a Christian and maybe you are a Christian, 00:12:50.560 --> 00:12:55.840 but you're not too sure about this whole revelation thing. And you might be wondering, 00:12:55.840 --> 00:13:02.740 don't all religions start with someone inventing a deity and calling it God? Like, isn't that how 00:13:02.740 --> 00:13:09.639 religions start? Like, isn't that how Christianity started? Like, just somebody who decided to make a 00:13:09.639 --> 00:13:16.300 story and that is where, that is what religion is and that's what all religions are. Like, isn't that, 00:13:17.019 --> 00:13:23.259 isn't Christianity just the retelling of pagan stories through history that, and just to try to 00:13:23.259 --> 00:13:32.819 explain the inexplicable? So the question, are all religions the same? Well, no, they're not. But 00:13:32.819 --> 00:13:38.460 the reason why people make that claim is because, and there is some truth to that, is that yes, they 00:13:38.460 --> 00:13:43.960 usually start with one person making a claim about God, but that's not the case with Christianity. 00:13:44.500 --> 00:13:49.539 And no, they're not the same. No, the religions are not the same because they're not all about 00:13:49.539 --> 00:13:56.099 explaining the inexplicable. See, religions and worldviews have things superficially in common. 00:13:56.259 --> 00:14:01.599 So in the surface of things, they look alike. Usually religions and worldviews will tend to provide 00:14:01.599 --> 00:14:08.019 for us a framework on, on how we ought to live. They'll give us instructions on how to be a better 00:14:08.019 --> 00:14:14.539 person, for instance. But where they differ completely is either in the reality that they are part of, 00:14:14.539 --> 00:14:22.620 of history, if it's experiential. But most importantly is how do we get to that, to do the 00:14:22.620 --> 00:14:27.980 right things? How do we get to follow that religion? Is it because we see that it's a good thing, 00:14:28.299 --> 00:14:32.620 that it would be better for us to do because we would become better persons? We might become more 00:14:32.620 --> 00:14:41.179 successful. We'll make friends by doing it. Or is it because this God whom we worship interrupted 00:14:41.179 --> 00:14:48.559 human history, while he has created it, comes into history, reveals himself, and to not believe him 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:55.799 is to deny reality? Is that really what it's about? So here's the thing. Christianity is not a religion 00:14:55.799 --> 00:15:02.579 that tries to give answers for the unknown. It's a reliable account of history, and it's even a 00:15:02.579 --> 00:15:10.959 biography of the true and living God dealing with humanity. So this leads us to the fact that having a 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:16.280 right information about God is important because so far we've come to understand that God created 00:15:16.280 --> 00:15:21.920 all things, we live in this world, and God has revealed himself. And so to have a right relationship 00:15:21.920 --> 00:15:29.820 with God, we need to have a right knowledge of God. Just last week I had a conversation with one of my 00:15:29.820 --> 00:15:36.540 brothers. He's a pilot, and he's been a pilot for a long time, and he's known a lot of pilots who've 00:15:36.539 --> 00:15:44.059 unfortunately lost their lives in flying airplanes. And he said what happened was that these pilots, 00:15:44.179 --> 00:15:52.039 they would follow their radars, and the radar would only be so accurate to tell them that there's a 00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:56.959 mountain coming ahead, but it wasn't accurate enough to tell how high the mountain was. So a lot of these 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:05.180 pilots were flying into clouds and hit right in the mountain and died. And so the reason I'm sharing 00:16:05.180 --> 00:16:11.480 this is because having the right information about something can have some pretty serious consequences, 00:16:11.680 --> 00:16:16.960 or not having the right information of something can have some pretty serious ramifications. And so we 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:27.540 want to have a right knowledge of God. So if I were to summarize in one statement the idea that to have 00:16:27.540 --> 00:16:34.280 a right information of God is to seek to know his essence, his nature, and that they are different 00:16:34.280 --> 00:16:41.680 than creation. They are different than the created order. And the second commandment is telling us that 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:48.899 we cannot think of God, Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel, in terms of Egyptian and Canaanite worship, 00:16:49.019 --> 00:16:54.899 which is what is primarily trying to address here, that we cannot think in those terms, where God is 00:16:54.899 --> 00:17:02.679 one with and part of creation, and he is not a creature like a fish or a bird or any animal. 00:17:03.659 --> 00:17:08.179 He's different from them, and he cannot be represented by such images. 00:17:08.180 --> 00:17:19.160 So, why is this relevant to me and you? Why does all of this matter? Why does God's character matter? 00:17:20.100 --> 00:17:26.640 Well, let's look at verse 9. Continue here at verse 9. It says, 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:32.400 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:40.540 So, it's saying here that we should not bow down to these images and serve them. And what it's really 00:17:40.540 --> 00:17:50.680 picking up on is that human beings are creatures of worship, that if we don't have a tangible revelation 00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:57.720 of the true and living God, we'll turn to other things and we'll worship. And we'll worship when that 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:01.540 thing fails, we'll worship something else. And we'll keep going and worshiping and worshiping, 00:18:01.539 --> 00:18:08.379 because it's part of us. And what, if I were to define worship just in a very simple statement, 00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:16.839 I would say that worship is a service to and an intimate identification with the object of our 00:18:16.839 --> 00:18:26.180 affection. So, we tend to seek something that is greater in life, something that is more powerful in 00:18:26.180 --> 00:18:34.500 life. We tend to say words like, thank goodness. Well, who's goodness? Who's that? But for some 00:18:34.500 --> 00:18:39.980 reason, we're thankful to something greater. We're thankful to something that might have provided 00:18:39.980 --> 00:18:45.180 goodness. And in some ways, if you're familiar with your Bible, in the book of Acts, there's the 00:18:45.180 --> 00:18:51.259 altar to the unknown God. And that's basically what it is. Thank goodness for this. And I say it. I'm not 00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:56.519 saying that it's a bad thing to say, but I'm just kind of pointing something out. So, here it says, 00:18:56.599 --> 00:19:01.740 verse 9, you shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. 00:19:03.339 --> 00:19:07.539 And now you're thinking in your seats, I don't have to worry about that. I don't have to worry about 00:19:07.539 --> 00:19:13.579 bowing down to an image or serving an image. That's an ancient thing. These people were not 00:19:13.579 --> 00:19:20.720 intelligent enough to know the difference. Well, here's what it's trying to say. When it's talking 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:26.399 about bowing down, we need to understand the principle behind that. When we bow down, we show 00:19:26.399 --> 00:19:36.179 honor, we show respect, we show allegiance to a king. We say, my liege, and we bow. And in doing that, 00:19:36.419 --> 00:19:43.419 we show that this is something that is of great importance. And so, whether it's the true and living 00:19:43.420 --> 00:19:48.600 God or if it's other things, this is what it's trying to draw here. And then when it talks about 00:19:48.600 --> 00:19:54.960 serving, it's talking about worship. Worship that demonstrates our love. So, when we love something, 00:19:55.200 --> 00:20:01.680 we want to dedicate ourselves to it. If it's a good cause, if it's a political party, if it's a 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:06.100 cultural norm, we want to invest ourselves in it. And that is what worship is getting to. 00:20:06.820 --> 00:20:11.800 And so, whether it is politics or good causes or culture, as Canadians, we love to invest ourselves 00:20:11.799 --> 00:20:19.700 and to identify with these things. And those are things that the Bible is trying to show here, 00:20:19.779 --> 00:20:26.980 that we are worshipers and we serve, we bow down to these things, and we let them influence us and 00:20:26.980 --> 00:20:31.859 change us in a way that will serve their purpose. 00:20:31.859 --> 00:20:40.139 So, here it says that God is jealous. In verse 9, 00:20:40.839 --> 00:20:46.759 you shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. 00:20:48.159 --> 00:20:56.779 Why is he jealous? Well, these things are not God. Our political party, whether it's the old 00:20:56.779 --> 00:21:01.160 political party or the one that was right now, however we feel about them, they're not God. 00:21:01.879 --> 00:21:06.759 Our culture does not define what is right and wrong. God defines what is right and wrong. 00:21:09.799 --> 00:21:15.660 And these are images that we have in our culture that we try to attribute deity to. 00:21:15.660 --> 00:21:18.540 So, now, Andrew, can I have my second point? 00:21:23.800 --> 00:21:30.560 We are image bearers of God, image bearers who chose selfishness over a glorious relationship 00:21:30.560 --> 00:21:32.519 with our loving creator. 00:21:36.040 --> 00:21:42.160 So, this is the second reason, I would believe, that God commands us to not make carved images of him. 00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:49.440 When we read, we'll go back to verse 8, and we'll read the words here that are really important, 00:21:49.560 --> 00:21:52.340 that are resonating, something that was spoken of before. 00:21:53.560 --> 00:21:54.420 So, verse 8, 00:21:54.840 --> 00:22:02.700 you shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, and so on. 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:10.660 So, the two words here, image and likeness, are seen in juxtaposition in Genesis chapter 1, 00:22:10.660 --> 00:22:13.100 verse 27, 00:22:13.660 --> 00:22:14.580 when God says, 00:22:15.220 --> 00:22:16.920 let us make man in our image, 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:18.660 after our likeness, 00:22:19.620 --> 00:22:21.759 and let them have dominion over all the earth. 00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:23.779 See, in Genesis 1, 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:26.080 it is God who created man. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:28.400 God created man in his image, 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:29.220 in his likeness. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:31.240 Now, after the fall, 00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:34.279 it is man who tries to create God 00:22:34.279 --> 00:22:35.180 in his image. 00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:37.840 He tries to create God in his likeness. 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:40.959 And this is what this commandment is trying to say. 00:22:41.559 --> 00:22:43.539 Look, this is an error. 00:22:43.639 --> 00:22:44.519 You can't do that. 00:22:44.899 --> 00:22:46.079 God is self-sustaining. 00:22:46.199 --> 00:22:47.039 He's self-sufficient, 00:22:47.339 --> 00:22:49.139 self-existent from all eternity. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:51.659 And we are mere creatures. 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:53.659 How can we think that we can 00:22:53.659 --> 00:22:55.679 arrive at a conclusion, 00:22:55.799 --> 00:22:56.859 we can create God 00:22:56.859 --> 00:22:57.919 and contain him 00:22:57.919 --> 00:23:00.439 and put him in such an image? 00:23:00.440 --> 00:23:04.640 So we see a reversal of roles 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:06.460 in the mind of human beings. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:09.279 And what this does, 00:23:09.640 --> 00:23:10.779 let's just read that again. 00:23:10.860 --> 00:23:12.340 We are image bearers of God, 00:23:12.740 --> 00:23:14.539 image bearers who chose selfishness 00:23:14.539 --> 00:23:16.640 over a glorious relationship with our creator. 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:19.220 What I'm trying to communicate here 00:23:19.220 --> 00:23:21.559 is that we, 00:23:21.980 --> 00:23:22.759 in our sinfulness, 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:24.160 in our sinful inclinations, 00:23:24.500 --> 00:23:28.160 to create a subversion image of God, 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:29.900 is that we want to cut off 00:23:29.900 --> 00:23:32.680 any type of accountability with God 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:36.519 by pretending that God is sculpted 00:23:36.519 --> 00:23:38.580 by human imagination and human hands. 00:23:40.100 --> 00:23:42.519 But the truth is that human beings like God 00:23:42.519 --> 00:23:44.940 are not statues that are static 00:23:44.940 --> 00:23:47.560 and have no moral responsibility. 00:23:49.259 --> 00:23:50.480 We are dynamic, 00:23:50.779 --> 00:23:54.960 and our actions have moral ramifications. 00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:57.059 So here we see, 00:23:57.160 --> 00:23:58.220 at the height of human sin 00:23:58.220 --> 00:23:59.620 and arrogance and pride 00:23:59.620 --> 00:24:01.579 is a willful ignorance 00:24:01.579 --> 00:24:04.819 of God's existence and person. 00:24:05.940 --> 00:24:07.440 Andrew, can we have the second point? 00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:15.460 Our imagination is a sacred, 00:24:15.900 --> 00:24:17.000 God-given gift 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:18.400 that we must shepherd. 00:24:19.120 --> 00:24:21.180 Either we imagine rightly about God 00:24:21.180 --> 00:24:22.980 and thereby cultivate humility, 00:24:22.980 --> 00:24:25.740 or we imagine falsely about God 00:24:25.740 --> 00:24:27.440 and foster pride. 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:31.460 Our imagination is a mechanism 00:24:31.460 --> 00:24:32.839 that God has given us 00:24:32.839 --> 00:24:34.059 so that we can see something 00:24:34.059 --> 00:24:36.799 that is not present tangibly. 00:24:37.660 --> 00:24:39.319 So he gives us this imagination 00:24:39.319 --> 00:24:41.779 so that we can create wonderful things 00:24:41.779 --> 00:24:43.160 like art, like music, 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:45.720 like do scientific experiments, 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:47.799 that we can tell stories, 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:49.259 that we can do poetry, 00:24:49.400 --> 00:24:50.980 all to help demonstrate 00:24:50.980 --> 00:24:52.620 his character and his purpose 00:24:52.620 --> 00:24:53.400 and his goodness 00:24:53.400 --> 00:24:56.059 to all of creation. 00:24:57.079 --> 00:24:58.500 And so we need to use our imaginations 00:24:58.500 --> 00:25:00.920 to ponder about God 00:25:00.920 --> 00:25:02.500 and ponder about his goodness 00:25:02.500 --> 00:25:04.299 and render back, 00:25:04.420 --> 00:25:05.640 give thanks and worship God 00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:06.599 with our imaginations. 00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:08.039 But the problem is that 00:25:08.039 --> 00:25:09.099 we use our imaginations 00:25:09.099 --> 00:25:11.220 to ponder how we can gain power, 00:25:11.680 --> 00:25:13.339 how we can gain success, 00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:15.480 how we can scheme our way 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:16.539 up the ladder. 00:25:16.539 --> 00:25:18.700 And in doing that, 00:25:19.139 --> 00:25:21.099 we often betray 00:25:21.099 --> 00:25:22.480 our fellow human beings. 00:25:24.639 --> 00:25:26.659 So we create another image of God, 00:25:27.019 --> 00:25:27.799 a worship idol, 00:25:27.859 --> 00:25:30.480 to pretend that we are not image bearers 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:32.259 and let ourselves off the hook 00:25:32.259 --> 00:25:34.000 when we sin. 00:25:35.659 --> 00:25:37.099 Andrew, can we have the next point? 00:25:37.099 --> 00:25:43.179 With our nature bent towards sin, 00:25:43.539 --> 00:25:45.139 we deflect responsibility 00:25:45.139 --> 00:25:46.480 and moral accountability. 00:25:47.240 --> 00:25:49.139 We hide behind the fig leaves 00:25:49.139 --> 00:25:51.000 of philosophy and modern thought, 00:25:51.939 --> 00:25:52.879 claiming innocence 00:25:52.879 --> 00:25:54.459 from our wrongdoings. 00:25:55.899 --> 00:25:57.519 Isn't it common that we just think 00:25:57.519 --> 00:25:58.939 we brush religion off 00:25:58.939 --> 00:26:00.359 or at least Christianity off? 00:26:00.399 --> 00:26:01.980 We say, oh, that's just an old book. 00:26:02.459 --> 00:26:05.459 That's just an old fairy tale. 00:26:05.460 --> 00:26:08.019 Well, and we just dismiss it, right? 00:26:09.779 --> 00:26:12.259 And in creating an image of God 00:26:12.259 --> 00:26:13.500 that's saying that God 00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:14.819 is smaller than he is, 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:17.160 that God is maybe very, very loving, 00:26:17.420 --> 00:26:18.799 we tend to give ourselves 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:19.799 the license to say, 00:26:20.039 --> 00:26:22.319 well, maybe the way 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:24.980 that I treat my employees at work 00:26:24.980 --> 00:26:25.840 doesn't actually matter. 00:26:25.960 --> 00:26:27.920 I can do this and it'll be fine. 00:26:28.259 --> 00:26:28.940 Or maybe the way 00:26:28.940 --> 00:26:30.860 that we treat our sexuality 00:26:30.860 --> 00:26:32.039 in such a way 00:26:32.039 --> 00:26:34.480 we can say that actually 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:36.120 God created me this way 00:26:36.120 --> 00:26:38.000 and he's fine with it. 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:39.720 I can do what I want with it. 00:26:40.360 --> 00:26:41.759 And we reduce God 00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:43.140 in a smaller God 00:26:43.140 --> 00:26:45.779 so that we can hide ourselves 00:26:45.779 --> 00:26:48.180 behind the fig leaves 00:26:48.180 --> 00:26:49.960 of philosophy and modern thought. 00:26:53.120 --> 00:26:55.620 So here's the thing. 00:26:55.779 --> 00:26:57.079 Our pride feels safe 00:26:57.079 --> 00:26:58.420 when there is a God 00:26:58.420 --> 00:26:59.759 limited by our imagination. 00:27:00.900 --> 00:27:01.720 And worshiping it 00:27:01.720 --> 00:27:02.759 makes me look pious. 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:06.880 We like to look like 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:08.120 we're doing good things 00:27:08.120 --> 00:27:09.620 as Canadians. 00:27:09.740 --> 00:27:10.539 We like to look like 00:27:10.539 --> 00:27:13.100 when we give a good amount 00:27:13.100 --> 00:27:13.740 of money 00:27:13.740 --> 00:27:16.980 to a certain resource organization 00:27:16.980 --> 00:27:19.240 or we give our time. 00:27:19.880 --> 00:27:20.920 We tend to do this 00:27:20.920 --> 00:27:22.140 so that people will look at us 00:27:22.140 --> 00:27:22.579 and say, 00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:24.319 oh, look at him. 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:25.100 Look at Jonathan. 00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:26.420 Look at the way 00:27:26.420 --> 00:27:28.779 that he serves his church. 00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:29.920 Look at the way 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:31.300 that he serves his neighbors 00:27:31.300 --> 00:27:32.740 in his neighborhood. 00:27:33.140 --> 00:27:34.080 Or we look at 00:27:34.080 --> 00:27:35.200 different 00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:37.019 maybe missionaries 00:27:37.019 --> 00:27:38.160 who go to do missions. 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:41.060 And it's maybe because, 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:41.320 you know, 00:27:41.340 --> 00:27:41.840 look at me. 00:27:42.019 --> 00:27:42.560 Look at the way 00:27:42.560 --> 00:27:43.240 that I'm doing this. 00:27:43.320 --> 00:27:44.860 Or we try to work 00:27:44.860 --> 00:27:46.740 in a good environment 00:27:46.740 --> 00:27:47.720 to make lots of money 00:27:47.720 --> 00:27:48.340 really quickly 00:27:48.340 --> 00:27:49.480 and maybe even 00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:50.920 unethically 00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:52.759 so that, 00:27:53.080 --> 00:27:53.320 you know, 00:27:53.360 --> 00:27:54.220 we can help the church. 00:27:54.420 --> 00:27:55.039 We can help 00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:56.339 our family. 00:27:56.940 --> 00:27:57.480 And so here, 00:27:57.639 --> 00:27:58.920 this is what's important 00:27:58.920 --> 00:27:59.759 is that we have 00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:00.599 a right understanding 00:28:00.599 --> 00:28:01.079 of God, 00:28:01.399 --> 00:28:02.180 a right understanding 00:28:02.180 --> 00:28:03.339 that God is 00:28:03.339 --> 00:28:04.559 who he revealed himself 00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:06.019 to be. 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:08.539 So let's look back. 00:28:08.980 --> 00:28:09.659 We'll read verses 00:28:09.659 --> 00:28:10.379 8 to 10, 00:28:10.700 --> 00:28:11.480 which is the whole 00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:12.159 second commandment. 00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:14.240 It says, 00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:15.140 You shall not make 00:28:15.140 --> 00:28:15.640 for yourself 00:28:15.640 --> 00:28:16.460 a carved image 00:28:16.460 --> 00:28:17.559 or any likeness 00:28:17.559 --> 00:28:18.120 of anything 00:28:18.120 --> 00:28:19.099 that is in heaven above 00:28:19.099 --> 00:28:21.259 or that is on the earth beneath 00:28:21.259 --> 00:28:22.700 or that is in the water 00:28:22.700 --> 00:28:23.420 under the earth. 00:28:23.880 --> 00:28:24.839 You shall not bow down 00:28:24.839 --> 00:28:26.059 to them or serve them. 00:28:26.460 --> 00:28:26.980 For I, 00:28:27.099 --> 00:28:28.000 the Lord your God, 00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:29.059 am a jealous God, 00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:30.740 visiting the iniquity 00:28:30.740 --> 00:28:32.680 of the fathers 00:28:32.680 --> 00:28:34.700 on the children 00:28:34.700 --> 00:28:35.240 to the third 00:28:35.240 --> 00:28:36.099 and fourth generation 00:28:36.099 --> 00:28:37.059 of those who hate me, 00:28:37.500 --> 00:28:38.859 but showing steadfast love 00:28:38.859 --> 00:28:41.160 to thousands of those 00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:42.039 who love me 00:28:42.039 --> 00:28:43.359 and keep my commandments. 00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:47.160 So, so far, 00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:48.160 we see that we can't 00:28:48.160 --> 00:28:48.799 contain God. 00:28:49.259 --> 00:28:50.359 We can't bind him 00:28:50.359 --> 00:28:51.680 in our attempts 00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:52.440 to control him. 00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:54.120 And it's also telling us 00:28:54.120 --> 00:28:55.099 that we are God's images 00:28:55.099 --> 00:28:55.740 in creation, 00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:57.480 that we're meant 00:28:57.480 --> 00:28:58.819 to reflect his character, 00:28:59.120 --> 00:29:00.079 that we are accountable 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:01.140 in the actions 00:29:01.140 --> 00:29:01.660 that we do. 00:29:02.039 --> 00:29:02.380 And so, 00:29:02.539 --> 00:29:03.480 in being created 00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:04.099 in his image, 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:05.599 we ought to reflect him 00:29:05.599 --> 00:29:06.299 in creation. 00:29:08.120 --> 00:29:09.680 And it's also talking 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:10.220 about how God 00:29:10.220 --> 00:29:10.720 is jealous 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:11.720 over human beings 00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:13.380 for our unique privilege 00:29:13.380 --> 00:29:14.840 as his image bearers 00:29:14.840 --> 00:29:16.080 who seek 00:29:16.080 --> 00:29:17.020 their own advancement. 00:29:19.100 --> 00:29:20.000 So, whether you're 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:21.020 a Christian or not, 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:23.100 we tend to think 00:29:23.100 --> 00:29:23.840 that God 00:29:23.840 --> 00:29:25.080 is either good 00:29:25.080 --> 00:29:25.620 and nice. 00:29:26.200 --> 00:29:26.420 You know, 00:29:26.420 --> 00:29:26.960 he's kind of 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:28.160 the old grandpa 00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:29.560 God 00:29:29.560 --> 00:29:30.520 who will accept 00:29:30.520 --> 00:29:31.020 everything 00:29:31.020 --> 00:29:31.980 and 00:29:31.980 --> 00:29:33.840 he'll just be 00:29:33.840 --> 00:29:34.380 very nice 00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:35.440 to his grandchildren. 00:29:35.620 --> 00:29:35.980 He'll give them 00:29:35.980 --> 00:29:36.560 a lot of gifts. 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:37.799 So, we tend to think 00:29:37.799 --> 00:29:38.200 of God 00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:39.039 either like that 00:29:39.039 --> 00:29:40.399 or we think 00:29:40.399 --> 00:29:41.139 of God 00:29:41.139 --> 00:29:41.740 as the 00:29:41.740 --> 00:29:43.579 merciless bear 00:29:43.579 --> 00:29:44.460 who's just hungry 00:29:44.460 --> 00:29:45.700 and wants to shed blood 00:29:45.700 --> 00:29:46.960 and who wants 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:47.740 to destroy us 00:29:47.740 --> 00:29:48.200 off the face 00:29:48.200 --> 00:29:48.659 of the earth. 00:29:50.859 --> 00:29:51.879 But here's the question. 00:29:52.019 --> 00:29:52.500 Who does God 00:29:52.500 --> 00:29:53.099 say he is? 00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:55.240 Who does God 00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:56.039 say he is? 00:29:56.319 --> 00:29:56.940 Let's look back 00:29:56.940 --> 00:29:57.559 at verse 9. 00:30:00.940 --> 00:30:01.700 It says, 00:30:01.700 --> 00:30:04.500 For I, the Lord, 00:30:04.580 --> 00:30:04.960 your God, 00:30:05.039 --> 00:30:05.920 am a jealous God 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:07.319 visiting the iniquity 00:30:07.319 --> 00:30:07.860 of the Father. 00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:08.640 So, here it's talking 00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:09.240 about God 00:30:09.240 --> 00:30:11.319 bringing judgment, 00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:12.779 holy judgment, 00:30:12.920 --> 00:30:13.279 a judgment 00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:14.200 that is set apart 00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:16.100 because there is 00:30:16.100 --> 00:30:16.559 a purpose 00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:17.380 that isn't met. 00:30:17.860 --> 00:30:18.779 There isn't love 00:30:18.779 --> 00:30:19.279 that's rendered 00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:20.039 back to God. 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:20.920 People, 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:23.000 in their pride, 00:30:23.539 --> 00:30:25.080 in our sinful nature, 00:30:25.220 --> 00:30:26.580 we tend to think 00:30:26.580 --> 00:30:28.180 badly about God 00:30:28.180 --> 00:30:29.000 and we don't want 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:29.420 to have anything 00:30:29.420 --> 00:30:30.000 to do with God. 00:30:30.299 --> 00:30:31.380 So, God brings judgment 00:30:31.380 --> 00:30:32.980 to bring order 00:30:32.980 --> 00:30:33.720 back again 00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:34.760 in the hope 00:30:34.760 --> 00:30:35.520 that they will repent. 00:30:36.720 --> 00:30:38.320 And here's the second thing, 00:30:38.540 --> 00:30:39.740 but showing steadfast love 00:30:39.740 --> 00:30:41.280 to those who love me 00:30:41.280 --> 00:30:42.300 and keep my commandments. 00:30:43.300 --> 00:30:44.380 And so, God's love, 00:30:44.860 --> 00:30:46.600 God reveals that he's just 00:30:46.600 --> 00:30:47.960 in his judgment 00:30:47.960 --> 00:30:48.820 and now his love. 00:30:48.900 --> 00:30:50.060 He's steadfast in his love. 00:30:50.620 --> 00:30:52.760 His love endures forever. 00:30:53.300 --> 00:30:54.140 It's saying to a thousand 00:30:54.140 --> 00:30:55.120 generations, 00:30:55.240 --> 00:30:55.500 I believe, 00:30:55.580 --> 00:30:56.440 in the Exodus 00:30:56.440 --> 00:30:58.720 or here as well 00:30:58.720 --> 00:30:59.800 in verse 10, 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:01.360 but showing steadfast 00:31:01.359 --> 00:31:02.099 love to thousands 00:31:02.099 --> 00:31:02.699 of those 00:31:02.699 --> 00:31:03.579 who love me 00:31:03.579 --> 00:31:04.319 and keep my commandments. 00:31:04.500 --> 00:31:05.459 And the word thousands 00:31:05.459 --> 00:31:06.039 is just trying 00:31:06.039 --> 00:31:07.579 to paint the picture 00:31:07.579 --> 00:31:09.719 that it's so much love 00:31:09.719 --> 00:31:10.679 and God wants 00:31:10.679 --> 00:31:11.159 to show 00:31:11.159 --> 00:31:12.500 his steadfast love 00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:13.000 to those 00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:14.059 who love him 00:31:14.059 --> 00:31:14.859 and keep his commandments. 00:31:15.859 --> 00:31:16.559 And he's jealous 00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:17.059 over them. 00:31:17.240 --> 00:31:18.699 He shows jealous love 00:31:18.699 --> 00:31:19.959 because there's 00:31:19.959 --> 00:31:22.019 an intimate relationship 00:31:22.019 --> 00:31:22.379 there 00:31:22.379 --> 00:31:23.399 that is supposed 00:31:23.399 --> 00:31:23.819 to be, 00:31:25.039 --> 00:31:25.639 that's supposed 00:31:25.639 --> 00:31:26.339 to happen 00:31:26.339 --> 00:31:27.279 with human beings 00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:27.740 and God. 00:31:27.740 --> 00:31:27.779 God. 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:30.160 And so, 00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:30.720 here's the thing. 00:31:31.099 --> 00:31:31.740 When we think 00:31:31.740 --> 00:31:32.420 of God 00:31:32.420 --> 00:31:33.039 in these terms 00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:34.500 that he's both 00:31:34.500 --> 00:31:35.500 just 00:31:35.500 --> 00:31:37.039 and he's both 00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:38.160 loving, 00:31:39.180 --> 00:31:40.140 he judges 00:31:40.140 --> 00:31:41.220 and he shows 00:31:41.220 --> 00:31:42.099 grace and mercy, 00:31:42.900 --> 00:31:44.859 this tells us, 00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:46.519 at least in the ancient days, 00:31:46.779 --> 00:31:47.259 nowadays, 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:48.059 it's hard to tell 00:31:48.059 --> 00:31:50.420 because I even struggle 00:31:50.420 --> 00:31:50.759 with that, 00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:51.920 to think of God 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:53.500 as a God 00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:54.319 who shows mercy 00:31:54.319 --> 00:31:55.019 because I tend 00:31:55.019 --> 00:31:55.379 to think 00:31:55.379 --> 00:31:56.639 in an entitled way. 00:31:57.039 --> 00:31:57.259 To think, 00:31:57.359 --> 00:31:57.680 of course, 00:31:57.879 --> 00:31:58.779 he owes me love, 00:31:58.879 --> 00:31:59.740 he owes me grace, 00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:00.639 he owes me mercy. 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:01.460 But here, 00:32:01.740 --> 00:32:02.799 it's so unique 00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:03.319 of God 00:32:03.319 --> 00:32:04.480 that he's 00:32:04.480 --> 00:32:05.920 a just judge 00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:07.519 and at the same time 00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:08.299 a loving, 00:32:08.619 --> 00:32:09.180 loving God. 00:32:09.579 --> 00:32:10.139 And we see 00:32:10.139 --> 00:32:11.180 the clearest picture 00:32:11.180 --> 00:32:11.900 of all this 00:32:11.900 --> 00:32:12.859 when God sent 00:32:12.859 --> 00:32:13.339 his son 00:32:13.339 --> 00:32:15.039 to die 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:15.779 on our behalf, 00:32:15.879 --> 00:32:16.779 to die on the cross, 00:32:17.259 --> 00:32:17.859 when Jesus 00:32:17.859 --> 00:32:19.059 offered himself 00:32:19.059 --> 00:32:21.400 to be crucified 00:32:21.400 --> 00:32:22.139 at the hands 00:32:22.139 --> 00:32:22.759 of people 00:32:22.759 --> 00:32:23.720 who would reject God. 00:32:23.720 --> 00:32:25.940 So, let's just 00:32:25.940 --> 00:32:26.900 have our next slide, 00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:29.380 which is essentially 00:32:29.380 --> 00:32:29.940 the gospel. 00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:32.180 So, we are 00:32:32.180 --> 00:32:33.240 image bearers of God, 00:32:33.839 --> 00:32:34.620 image bearers 00:32:34.620 --> 00:32:36.880 who chose selfishness 00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:37.819 over a glorious 00:32:37.819 --> 00:32:38.400 relationship 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:39.279 with our creator. 00:32:40.220 --> 00:32:41.279 Christ is the perfect 00:32:41.279 --> 00:32:42.299 image of God 00:32:42.299 --> 00:32:43.839 who chose to suffer 00:32:43.839 --> 00:32:44.519 and die 00:32:44.519 --> 00:32:45.920 at human hands 00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:47.480 and who was raised 00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:48.259 to eternal life 00:32:48.259 --> 00:32:49.100 to make things right 00:32:49.100 --> 00:32:49.799 between us 00:32:49.799 --> 00:32:50.839 and God. 00:32:50.839 --> 00:32:50.879 God. 00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:53.319 So, if this is 00:32:53.319 --> 00:32:54.259 actually the first time 00:32:54.259 --> 00:32:54.759 that you come 00:32:54.759 --> 00:32:56.159 to somebody 00:32:56.159 --> 00:32:58.419 sharing the gospel 00:32:58.419 --> 00:32:58.899 with you, 00:32:59.039 --> 00:32:59.899 that maybe this is 00:32:59.899 --> 00:33:02.419 the only explanation 00:33:02.419 --> 00:33:03.279 that you've had 00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:04.480 about the gospel, 00:33:04.959 --> 00:33:05.819 this is really 00:33:05.819 --> 00:33:06.759 what it's all about. 00:33:06.879 --> 00:33:07.539 It's God showing 00:33:07.539 --> 00:33:08.159 his love 00:33:08.159 --> 00:33:09.199 and showing 00:33:09.199 --> 00:33:10.119 his wrath, 00:33:10.279 --> 00:33:11.240 pouring it on Jesus, 00:33:11.720 --> 00:33:12.059 the wrath 00:33:12.059 --> 00:33:13.419 that sinful people 00:33:13.419 --> 00:33:14.619 like you and me 00:33:14.619 --> 00:33:15.379 should have 00:33:15.379 --> 00:33:16.740 borne ourselves. 00:33:16.740 --> 00:33:17.960 So, God shows 00:33:17.960 --> 00:33:18.539 his justice 00:33:18.539 --> 00:33:20.039 that he pours 00:33:20.039 --> 00:33:20.620 his anger 00:33:20.620 --> 00:33:22.019 against sin 00:33:22.019 --> 00:33:22.960 and our sinfulness 00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:23.900 on Jesus 00:33:23.900 --> 00:33:25.720 and he shows 00:33:25.720 --> 00:33:27.759 his steadfast love 00:33:27.759 --> 00:33:28.920 by sending Jesus 00:33:28.920 --> 00:33:30.240 so that his arms 00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:30.880 are wide open 00:33:30.880 --> 00:33:31.559 and he's asking 00:33:31.559 --> 00:33:32.500 you to trust in him. 00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:34.140 In the service 00:33:34.140 --> 00:33:34.480 so far, 00:33:34.579 --> 00:33:34.920 we've looked, 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:35.940 we've said 00:33:35.940 --> 00:33:36.940 the words 00:33:36.940 --> 00:33:38.259 that God said 00:33:38.259 --> 00:33:38.960 in the Bible 00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:39.759 that he does not 00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:40.539 desire the death 00:33:40.539 --> 00:33:41.500 of the wicked 00:33:41.500 --> 00:33:42.160 or of the sinner 00:33:42.160 --> 00:33:43.759 but that they would 00:33:43.759 --> 00:33:45.000 turn from their 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:45.380 wickedness 00:33:45.380 --> 00:33:45.740 and live. 00:33:46.280 --> 00:33:47.240 This is God's heart. 00:33:47.980 --> 00:33:49.080 This is God's revelation. 00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:51.080 I don't want to have 00:33:51.080 --> 00:33:51.760 anything to do 00:33:51.760 --> 00:33:52.500 with a God 00:33:52.500 --> 00:33:53.280 who's not like that. 00:33:53.460 --> 00:33:54.140 I'm too sinful. 00:33:54.660 --> 00:33:55.360 I need a God 00:33:55.360 --> 00:33:56.360 who shows mercy, 00:33:56.500 --> 00:33:57.620 who shows steadfast love. 00:34:00.080 --> 00:34:01.120 I don't want a God 00:34:01.120 --> 00:34:02.160 who flatters me, 00:34:02.960 --> 00:34:03.920 who makes me think 00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:05.160 better of myself 00:34:05.160 --> 00:34:05.980 than I actually am 00:34:05.980 --> 00:34:06.500 so that I 00:34:06.500 --> 00:34:08.160 hurt people 00:34:08.160 --> 00:34:08.800 that are around me. 00:34:09.280 --> 00:34:10.059 No, I need a God 00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:11.119 who deals 00:34:11.119 --> 00:34:12.519 rightly with sin 00:34:12.519 --> 00:34:13.960 and who deals 00:34:13.960 --> 00:34:14.579 mercifully 00:34:14.579 --> 00:34:15.200 with a sinner. 00:34:16.260 --> 00:34:17.220 And that's Jesus. 00:34:18.700 --> 00:34:19.700 And that's Jesus. 00:34:23.200 --> 00:34:24.180 So here's the thing. 00:34:24.539 --> 00:34:25.320 Everyone here 00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:26.880 has sin in their lives 00:34:26.880 --> 00:34:28.019 that separate us 00:34:28.019 --> 00:34:28.480 from God. 00:34:29.640 --> 00:34:30.960 And our only hope 00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:33.640 is to trust in Jesus 00:34:33.640 --> 00:34:35.140 and to confess 00:34:35.140 --> 00:34:36.119 our sins 00:34:36.119 --> 00:34:37.539 so to receive 00:34:37.539 --> 00:34:38.079 the pardon 00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:38.920 for our offenses 00:34:38.920 --> 00:34:40.920 and power 00:34:40.920 --> 00:34:41.940 by the Holy Spirit 00:34:41.940 --> 00:34:43.800 to live a new life. 00:34:44.180 --> 00:34:44.780 Please stand. 00:34:45.380 --> 00:34:56.180 Father, 00:34:56.380 --> 00:34:57.940 as much as we 00:34:57.940 --> 00:34:59.960 on a daily basis 00:34:59.960 --> 00:35:01.680 want to think 00:35:01.680 --> 00:35:02.340 of you differently, 00:35:02.500 --> 00:35:03.980 if it was for my will 00:35:03.980 --> 00:35:05.360 and Lord, 00:35:05.420 --> 00:35:06.880 I would make things differently. 00:35:07.019 --> 00:35:07.360 But Lord, 00:35:07.700 --> 00:35:08.260 you are the God 00:35:08.260 --> 00:35:08.820 who is holy. 00:35:08.820 --> 00:35:09.519 You're the God 00:35:09.519 --> 00:35:10.099 who's eternal. 00:35:10.099 --> 00:35:11.239 You're the God 00:35:11.239 --> 00:35:11.900 who knows 00:35:11.900 --> 00:35:13.179 and sees all things. 00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:14.059 You're the God 00:35:14.059 --> 00:35:15.079 who sees 00:35:15.079 --> 00:35:16.880 every thought 00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:17.599 in the imagination 00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:18.420 of my heart. 00:35:19.299 --> 00:35:19.639 And yet, 00:35:19.799 --> 00:35:20.199 God, 00:35:20.279 --> 00:35:21.079 you show love. 00:35:21.319 --> 00:35:21.980 You show mercy. 00:35:22.519 --> 00:35:23.659 You bring things 00:35:23.659 --> 00:35:25.159 to a right end. 00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:25.839 And Lord, 00:35:25.900 --> 00:35:26.579 this is the hope 00:35:26.579 --> 00:35:27.420 that we have in you, 00:35:27.779 --> 00:35:28.599 that you would make 00:35:28.599 --> 00:35:29.559 things right 00:35:29.559 --> 00:35:30.179 in the end. 00:35:30.179 --> 00:35:31.779 that it does not 00:35:31.779 --> 00:35:32.879 depend on us 00:35:32.879 --> 00:35:34.839 who made things wrong 00:35:34.839 --> 00:35:36.739 and now have to 00:35:36.739 --> 00:35:37.359 make things right. 00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:37.659 No, 00:35:37.819 --> 00:35:38.899 it's you, 00:35:39.059 --> 00:35:39.139 Lord, 00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:40.179 who's shown it to us. 00:35:40.899 --> 00:35:42.159 You've shown how 00:35:42.159 --> 00:35:44.299 you want us 00:35:44.299 --> 00:35:44.919 to be made right 00:35:44.919 --> 00:35:45.359 with you. 00:35:45.739 --> 00:35:46.139 And Lord, 00:35:46.199 --> 00:35:47.000 this is our hope 00:35:47.000 --> 00:35:47.919 that you will make 00:35:47.919 --> 00:35:48.579 things finally 00:35:48.579 --> 00:35:50.000 right with you. 00:35:51.279 --> 00:35:51.679 Lord, 00:35:51.759 --> 00:35:52.279 would you give us 00:35:52.279 --> 00:35:53.039 grace this day 00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:54.879 to continue our lives 00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:56.660 in light of this gospel. 00:35:56.800 --> 00:35:57.440 In Jesus' name, 00:35:58.260 --> 00:35:58.519 Amen.