WEBVTT

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 Good morning. A quick word of prayer, and then we'll get into the text.

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 Lord, bless us as we open your word, as we meditate and dwell on your attributes, on your very essence.

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 Lord, we ask that you will open our eyes to your truth.

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 Help us to read your word in a more profound way with this truth in our hearts.

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 And Lord, help us to just focus this morning. In Jesus' name, amen.

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 You may be seated. It's really good to see you guys. It feels a bit more full than normal. It's very good.

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 So, like George mentioned, we're in this summer series. This is week two on the attributes of God.

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 And, you know, I'll be honest with you. It's been...

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 Normally, like George mentioned, we preach through books of the Bible, and it's not like I'm flippant when I prepare for a sermon.

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 But looking at the attributes of God has been a bit of a...

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 It's been a bit of a tough time because I am wanting to communicate the truth of God.

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 The creator of heaven and earth, the very one that spoke everything into existence.

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 And I don't want to get it wrong.

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 We come before the living God and his word, and we realize that he deserves all of the divine majesty and glory.

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 And we come before God, of course, through Jesus, knowing him and boldly coming before the throne of grace, calling God Father.

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 But he is also God. He is also a king. He is also the Lord.

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 And that's what we're going to be looking at.

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 George talked about God's sovereignty, but another way of understanding it is the lordship of God.

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 I wouldn't waltz my way into Windsor Castle and say, you know, what up, Liz?

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 There is this aspect where we ought to come with reverence before the living God, right?

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 So that's what we're going to be taking a look at this morning.

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 Just a bit of a story that kind of helps me understand it.

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 So all of these attributes are so interconnected.

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 We can't say of God that he is all-powerful, but say that somehow he doesn't know everything.

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 Or that he is everywhere, but, you know, he's actually, he's not in control of all of history.

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 All of these attributes are connected.

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 To take one away is to say that God is no longer God.

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 So here's a story.

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 In high school, I played basketball through high school, and we had this.

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 So when you play team sports, or if you've ever played, like, varsity sports in high school,

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 you have, like, the core guys that you play with.

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 And then there's always a couple guys that show up for one season.

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 They want to get in shape.

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 They ride the pine.

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 They're kind of like guys you beat up in practice and never, ever play.

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 One of those guys was this guy that I grew up with.

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 I don't, I haven't talked with him since.

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 I don't know if he would watch this, so I'll use his real name.

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 His name was Tommy.

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 And after a practice, we decided we were going to go to an all-you-can-eat buffet

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 because that's what we do when we're 16 and we have allowance or extra money.

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 So I ride with Tommy, and I get in his car, and he doesn't have side mirrors in his car.

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 And he doesn't have a rearview mirror.

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 And in fact, the seat that I'm sitting on is super wiggly.

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 The seatbelt, for sure, I mean, I put it on, but I'm almost convinced it didn't work.

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 This car rattled.

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 There was missing knobs all over the front dash.

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 And I was scared.

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 Tommy also didn't drive the speed limit.

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 Tommy also had a number of tickets.

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 He was a nice guy, very reckless guy.

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 Anyways, I was very nervous getting in his car.

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 But his car, although missing a bunch of parts, was still a car.

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 It didn't cease to be a car because it was missing its side mirrors and rearview mirror,

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 all these different knobs.

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 I mean, I'm almost, I'd be surprised if the lights worked at night.

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 I was glad we were driving in the day.

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 But it was still a car.

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 It was still a complete car.

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 We're going to be looking at the sovereignty of God.

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 And we're going to be looking at three things.

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 We're going to be looking at God's omniscience.

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 That is his complete and perfect knowledge of all things.

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 His omnipotence.

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 That's a way of just saying that God is completely powerful.

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 That he is in control of all things.

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 Unlimited power and influence.

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 And also, finally, very connected to these two is his omnipresence.

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 That is God being everywhere.

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 And unlike Tommy's car, you take one of these pieces away and God ceases to be God.

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 He's just not God.

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 You can't have God without omnipresence or omnipotence or omniscience.

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 So it's really important that we take a look at all three of these attributes.

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 And there are more.

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 We have a whole summer series on them.

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 But we're just looking at these three.

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 And how we look at them as individually, individual attributes, but never forgetting that they're interconnected to one another.

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 And that to put more emphasis on one than the other or neglect one at the expense of the other is to do a disservice to God.

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 And then we go back to why I had a bit of a tough week struggling through some of this.

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 Anyways, if you have your Bible, we're going to be all over the Bible today.

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 I think the majority, if not all, of the scripture references will be up on the screen.

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 It would be great if you guys had your Bible.

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 If you use a Bible app, that's fine as well.

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 We have Bibles up here you can grab.

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 But follow along with me.

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 So we're looking at first God's omniscience.

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 God knows everything.

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 There's nothing that can be known that he doesn't know.

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 It's not as though God is this studious, this big, beautiful mahogany desk surrounded by books, just studying everything.

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 He somehow has developed this incredible bank of knowledge.

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 God, just simply, by virtue of him being God, he knows everything.

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 There is an inability for God to forget.

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 It's not just that he knows everything, but it's impossible for him to forget something.

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 Every little molecule that has ever existed, every scientific law, every thought of the human heart, he knows.

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 There is nothing that you can think of that God doesn't know.

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 And not only that, but he knows it a lot better than you.

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 In fact, he knows everything exhaustively.

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 A story that might help.

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 So my brother-in-law, out in B.C., Christine's brother, is a birder.

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 I don't know if there's any birders here, but Joel is a birder, and he's an excellent birder.

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 So Christine, the kids, we're out for a walk.

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 I was like, hey, it was a pond.

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 Hey, there's a heron.

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 I was like, that's a blue heron, Christine.

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 She's like, actually, it's white, and I think that's a crane.

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 And so we were like, well, what is it?

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 It was kind of far off.

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 It wasn't like right there.

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 So what do we do?

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 We snap a picture.

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 We send it to Joel, and he goes, oh, that's a great egret, actually.

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 And so neither of us were right.

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 And I have never heard of an egret in my life.

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 It had a long neck.

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 It looked like a fancy kettle.

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 I don't know.

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 But Joel is a birder par excellence.

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 He's on all sorts of online forums, and nobody knows that he's like 20-something, but he's

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 this authority in his area.

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 And yet Joel will spend the rest of his life trying to knock off his bucket list, his life

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 list of birds to see.

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 And my guess is that he will end up at some weird, obscure corners of planet Earth with

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 a camera and binoculars trying to just glimpse at, I don't know, whatever birds.

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 See, I don't know birds.

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 Joel knows them.

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 But he's going to spend his life, and he's not going to see every single bird.

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 He will know all about avian taxonomy, but he will not know it exhaustively.

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 And he is like the expert that I know, anyways.

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 God's not like this.

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 He knows everything exhaustively.

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 It's not just that he knows all of the birds.

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 He knows what they've eaten that morning and what's about to eat them.

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 God knows everything exhaustively.

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 This might be a very comforting thing for you.

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 Because for God to know everything, it means that he knows some of the brokenness that you've

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 gone through, some of the secrets that you are embarrassed of.

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 The shame, some of the things that you're not willing to admit because you don't want to look weak.

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 He knows it all, and there is nothing that will surprise him in your life.

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 For those that are actually, that have gone through abuse and brokenness, those that have been neglected or misunderstood,

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 God doesn't misunderstand you.

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 He knows you exhaustively.

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 He knows your situation exhaustively.

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 And that's a great comfort.

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 It's a great comfort.

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 We'll see a bit later on and then in weeks to come.

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 I think Matt Usherwood is going to be speaking on God being love.

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 But because God, again, we don't talk about his different attributes apart from one another.

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 We know that because God knows us exhaustively, and he loves and he desires to bless and not curse, to redeem,

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 that that's a very, very comforting thing.

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 That whether in this life or the next, there is a, you will know redemption, you will know peace,

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 because God, who knows everything, is at work in your life to redeem and restore.

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 It's a wonderful, wonderful truth.

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 He's not ambivalent.

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 He's not ignorant of your sorrow.

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 He sees you.

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 He really does.

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 He knows your heart.

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 But if you're a proud person, and if you're egotistical,

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 and you've made it a bit of a thing to step on people to go hire yourself,

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 or you have a real history of belittling people,

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 abusing people, neglecting people, forgetting people,

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 this truth is less of a comfort.

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 It strikes fear in our hearts, in a sense, doesn't it?

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 Because you can hide over all sorts of different things.

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 If you are, you have enough clout, you can force people to sign, you know, very, very abusive,

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 non-disclosure agreements.

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 If you threaten people, whether that's, you know, a hardcore threat or soft threats.

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 You try to sweep things under the rug.

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 God sees it all.

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 He sees it all.

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 And in the same way that God is love, he is also justice.

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 And he will not let things go unpunished.

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 And if you, if you have been hurt by somebody,

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 and there is injustice in your life that, that, that you, you have not been hurt,

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 you, you are seen, and God will make everything right.

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 God knows all.

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 He sees all.

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 And it's exhaustively how he sees things.

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 It's, it really is something of a, to strike fear in the hearts of the proud and egotistical.

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 Hebrews chapter 4, verses 12 and 13, it says this.

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 I'm just going to read off of my notes.

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 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,

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 piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow.

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 And here it is, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

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 Verse 13, and no creature is hidden from his sight,

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 but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

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 And you will give account.

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 Not as comforting when we understand that God sees all.

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 Last week, George, one of the passages he preached on was the story of the paralytic being lowered through the roof.

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 And Jesus seeing the faith of the paralytic's friends,

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 forgiving their sins, healing the paralytic.

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 I just want to draw your attention to one thing here, because this is the attributes of God.

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 We must remember, as George preached on last week about the Trinity,

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 God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, three persons, one God,

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 that Jesus himself knows all exhaustively.

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 It says this in verse 21.

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 I actually forgot to...

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 Is it Mark, right?

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 Mark chapter 3 or Mark chapter 4?

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 Mark chapter 2?

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 I do not know the Bible exhaustively.

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 Verse 21 says,

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 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question Jesus,

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 or question, saying,

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 Who is this who speaks blasphemies?

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 Who can forgive sins but God alone?

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 Verse 22,

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 When Jesus perceived their thoughts,

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 he answered them,

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 Why do you question in your hearts?

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 And then he goes on.

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 Jesus perceived in their hearts.

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 It wasn't just...

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 You can't really read this and say,

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 Well, Jesus was great at body language.

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 He kind of knew what they were thinking.

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 He had a good guess.

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 A good educated guess.

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 He knew the hearts of them.

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 Why?

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 Because he is God.

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 Because he is omniscient.

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 He knows all.

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 Psalm 139 says this,

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 Verses 1 to 6,

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 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.

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 You know when I sit down, when I rise up.

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 You discern my thoughts from afar.

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 You search out my path and my lying down

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 and are acquainted with all my ways.

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 Even before a word is on my tongue,

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 behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

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 You hem me in behind and before

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 and lay your hand upon me.

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 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

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 It is high.

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 I cannot attain it.

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 God knows all.

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 So I talked about the comforting bits.

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 If you are a broken person,

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 if you have gone through abuse,

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 if you have been misunderstood, neglected,

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 and then the proud aspect of it.

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 But here is the thing.

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 Aren't we all mixed bags?

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 Aren't we people that have experienced hurt

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 but also hurt people?

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 Aren't we people that have been neglected

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 and then go ahead and neglect others?

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 Aren't we people that have been sinned against

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 and yet sinned so grievously?

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 Aren't we mixed bags?

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 In the comfort of knowing that God knows all

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 is also a great fear of ours that God knows all.

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 Because we are bent people, broken people,

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 a mixed bag, like I've said.

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 So what do we do?

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 God knows all.

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 And I think ultimately we need to remember

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 that the currency that,

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 if you want to use that term,

00:17:12.940 --> 00:17:15.819
 that we bring towards God is humility.

00:17:17.019 --> 00:17:22.519
 And wherever we are in the midst of the cycle of sin

00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:26.160
 and being sinned against abuse and being abused,

00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:28.740
 we come humbly before God.

00:17:29.160 --> 00:17:29.879
 And what do we do?

00:17:30.879 --> 00:17:33.220
 We throw ourselves at His feet.

00:17:33.379 --> 00:17:34.259
 You know all.

00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:35.960
 How can I run away from you?

00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:37.379
 Have mercy on me.

00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:40.599
 Confess your sins and pray

00:17:40.599 --> 00:17:42.240
 so that you may be healed.

00:17:42.579 --> 00:17:44.019
 Every single Sunday,

00:17:44.500 --> 00:17:45.759
 whether we do morning prayer,

00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:47.160
 whether we do Holy Communion,

00:17:47.319 --> 00:17:48.839
 we confess our sins together.

00:17:49.420 --> 00:17:50.180
 We do.

00:17:50.180 --> 00:17:52.460
 I would encourage you

00:17:52.460 --> 00:17:55.440
 to confess your sins personally every day.

00:17:56.460 --> 00:17:57.779
 Confess your sins to other people.

00:17:58.120 --> 00:17:59.880
 But more than anything else,

00:18:00.120 --> 00:18:02.480
 just confess your sins to God.

00:18:03.060 --> 00:18:05.039
 Throw yourself at His feet,

00:18:05.120 --> 00:18:05.900
 at His mercy.

00:18:06.320 --> 00:18:06.900
 And remember,

00:18:07.120 --> 00:18:10.660
 we don't pit one attribute against the other.

00:18:11.080 --> 00:18:12.279
 God is rich in mercy,

00:18:12.420 --> 00:18:13.940
 abounding in steadfast love.

00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:16.580
 He desires to pardon.

00:18:17.140 --> 00:18:18.680
 He desires to heal.

00:18:20.180 --> 00:18:22.759
 He knows it all.

00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:23.960
 Confess it.

00:18:24.080 --> 00:18:24.960
 Don't hide from God.

00:18:27.820 --> 00:18:29.500
 When we confess,

00:18:29.620 --> 00:18:31.180
 we can be sure that He hears us.

00:18:31.320 --> 00:18:31.560
 Why?

00:18:31.700 --> 00:18:33.259
 Because Jesus has died,

00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:35.240
 making a way,

00:18:35.740 --> 00:18:36.600
 dying on the cross,

00:18:37.060 --> 00:18:37.680
 being buried,

00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:38.680
 rising again,

00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:40.120
 so that through Him,

00:18:40.360 --> 00:18:42.000
 we might have access to God.

00:18:42.080 --> 00:18:43.080
 He hears our prayers.

00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:45.359
 He hears our prayers,

00:18:45.500 --> 00:18:46.339
 and He is just.

00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:48.740
 And it's important for us to understand

00:18:48.740 --> 00:18:50.139
 that as God is omniscient,

00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:51.339
 He understands everything,

00:18:51.859 --> 00:18:55.220
 that His knowledge is deeply connected

00:18:55.220 --> 00:18:56.619
 and rooted in His wisdom,

00:18:57.059 --> 00:18:58.199
 and in His justice,

00:18:58.339 --> 00:18:59.980
 and in His love.

00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:00.699
 It's not some,

00:19:00.819 --> 00:19:01.679
 like I've mentioned,

00:19:01.799 --> 00:19:03.299
 it's not just that God

00:19:03.299 --> 00:19:05.099
 would just kill it on

00:19:05.099 --> 00:19:06.079
 who wants to be a millionaire.

00:19:06.179 --> 00:19:07.599
 I don't know if the show exists anymore,

00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:09.419
 or Jeopardy.

00:19:09.420 --> 00:19:14.019
 It's not a trivia type of knowledge,

00:19:14.120 --> 00:19:16.519
 but it's rooted in Him as Creator,

00:19:17.259 --> 00:19:19.880
 Him being the very essence

00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:20.820
 of what truth is.

00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.460
 We can trust that He is not going to take

00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:29.039
 our confession and our lives,

00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:30.840
 the knowledge of our lives

00:19:30.840 --> 00:19:32.600
 that we're ashamed of,

00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:33.240
 afraid of,

00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:34.880
 and He's not going to abuse us with it.

00:19:36.580 --> 00:19:38.759
 He's going to help us to order our lives

00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:40.460
 according to His will,

00:19:40.539 --> 00:19:41.660
 which is excellent.

00:19:43.420 --> 00:19:45.299
 And this is connected, then,

00:19:45.379 --> 00:19:46.599
 with God's omnipotence,

00:19:46.660 --> 00:19:48.619
 because it's not just that God knows everything,

00:19:48.960 --> 00:19:49.960
 but He has, then,

00:19:50.019 --> 00:19:51.859
 the power over everything,

00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:53.940
 the control over everything.

00:19:54.019 --> 00:19:55.900
 And control, in many ways,

00:19:56.140 --> 00:19:58.319
 sounds kind of like a yucky word to us,

00:19:58.879 --> 00:20:00.240
 but it is not.

00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:00.980
 Why?

00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:02.279
 Because God knows everything,

00:20:02.359 --> 00:20:03.059
 and He is perfect.

00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:04.480
 We all of a sudden, again,

00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:05.559
 I'm saying it so much,

00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:07.519
 but we see how these attributes

00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:08.819
 are so interconnected,

00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:10.940
 and we can't talk about one without the other.

00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:14.240
 So let's take a look at God's omnipotence,

00:20:14.899 --> 00:20:16.519
 that God has complete control

00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:18.039
 over all of creation,

00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:19.879
 and also all of Himself.

00:20:20.619 --> 00:20:21.700
 He is fully in self,

00:20:21.960 --> 00:20:24.139
 it's perfect self-control,

00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:26.000
 if you want to use that term,

00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:28.659
 that there is no,

00:20:29.179 --> 00:20:31.359
 that God relies on nothing

00:20:31.359 --> 00:20:32.939
 for His own being.

00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:36.240
 He is self-existing.

00:20:36.839 --> 00:20:37.919
 That's going to be a topic

00:20:37.919 --> 00:20:39.019
 in the upcoming weeks.

00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:41.399
 There is nothing

00:20:41.399 --> 00:20:43.519
 that is over God

00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:44.699
 in terms of His control,

00:20:45.439 --> 00:20:46.379
 His ability,

00:20:47.059 --> 00:20:47.939
 His authority,

00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:50.839
 but that doesn't mean

00:20:50.839 --> 00:20:52.439
 God can just do anything.

00:20:54.299 --> 00:20:55.459
 God is limited,

00:20:56.379 --> 00:20:58.159
 but He's limited

00:20:58.159 --> 00:20:59.599
 in that He can't do anything

00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:00.939
 that's contrary to His will.

00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:02.319
 Or His character.

00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:04.099
 What does that mean?

00:21:04.199 --> 00:21:05.759
 It means God can't do evil.

00:21:07.219 --> 00:21:08.159
 He can't.

00:21:08.579 --> 00:21:09.459
 God can't lie.

00:21:11.419 --> 00:21:13.579
 It means God is completely consistent

00:21:13.579 --> 00:21:16.139
 in every aspect of who He is.

00:21:16.599 --> 00:21:17.859
 If He says something,

00:21:18.099 --> 00:21:19.199
 it's going to happen.

00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:23.099
 If He has promised something,

00:21:23.179 --> 00:21:24.259
 it will come to pass.

00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:28.399
 That God is trustworthy.

00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:31.400
 It means that we can put our hope,

00:21:31.580 --> 00:21:32.259
 ultimate hope,

00:21:32.360 --> 00:21:32.960
 in God

00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:36.480
 because He can only do

00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:38.080
 things that are consistent with Him.

00:21:38.100 --> 00:21:39.540
 It also means that God is rational.

00:21:41.500 --> 00:21:42.620
 He is logical.

00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:43.200
 Why?

00:21:43.320 --> 00:21:44.800
 Because He is the creator.

00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:46.080
 He created everything.

00:21:46.759 --> 00:21:48.600
 And everything is good,

00:21:48.660 --> 00:21:49.360
 He declared.

00:21:50.140 --> 00:21:50.400
 It is,

00:21:50.460 --> 00:21:50.820
 it is,

00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:51.320
 it,

00:21:51.460 --> 00:21:51.620
 it,

00:21:51.620 --> 00:21:52.840
 all of creation,

00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:53.600
 it works

00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:55.899
 so interconnectedly.

00:21:56.399 --> 00:21:56.559
 It's,

00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:58.279
 it's just a beautiful thing

00:21:58.279 --> 00:21:59.799
 that God has created everything

00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:02.079
 that works in the way it does.

00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:04.459
 He is a logical God.

00:22:04.539 --> 00:22:05.699
 He is a rational God.

00:22:05.700 --> 00:22:11.220
 It's important for us again

00:22:11.220 --> 00:22:14.400
 because we're going to come across

00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:17.960
 in the months and years to come,

00:22:18.279 --> 00:22:19.180
 Bible studies,

00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:21.279
 sermons,

00:22:21.799 --> 00:22:22.960
 personal devotions,

00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:25.080
 parts of Scripture

00:22:25.080 --> 00:22:27.380
 that seem to contradict that.

00:22:27.380 --> 00:22:29.880
 how is it that,

00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:32.320
 that Abraham somehow

00:22:32.320 --> 00:22:34.740
 has this ability

00:22:34.740 --> 00:22:36.140
 to change God's mind?

00:22:36.680 --> 00:22:38.280
 Or Moses for that matter?

00:22:39.660 --> 00:22:42.120
 What of these passages

00:22:42.120 --> 00:22:44.080
 where God seems to

00:22:44.080 --> 00:22:46.720
 come across as petty

00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:48.480
 or vengeful

00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:50.280
 or irrational?

00:22:51.800 --> 00:22:53.300
 What do we do

00:22:53.300 --> 00:22:54.260
 when we come across

00:22:54.260 --> 00:22:55.640
 those types of passages?

00:22:55.640 --> 00:22:56.980
 Well, this is why

00:22:56.980 --> 00:22:57.880
 a study,

00:22:58.180 --> 00:22:59.320
 a sermon series rather,

00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:00.200
 like what we're doing

00:23:00.200 --> 00:23:01.520
 is excellent and important

00:23:01.520 --> 00:23:03.080
 because it helps us

00:23:03.080 --> 00:23:03.940
 then read the Bible

00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:06.100
 properly.

00:23:06.320 --> 00:23:06.900
 We're not going to

00:23:06.900 --> 00:23:07.740
 read a passage

00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:10.520
 that makes God look

00:23:10.520 --> 00:23:12.380
 in a way

00:23:12.380 --> 00:23:13.300
 that would negate

00:23:13.300 --> 00:23:14.400
 the fact that He is God.

00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:15.720
 Then it forces us

00:23:15.720 --> 00:23:16.660
 to ask another question.

00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:17.460
 Well, what is God

00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:18.700
 really doing

00:23:18.700 --> 00:23:20.700
 when His mind

00:23:20.700 --> 00:23:21.580
 is changed

00:23:21.580 --> 00:23:22.460
 by Moses?

00:23:22.820 --> 00:23:24.320
 What's really going on

00:23:24.320 --> 00:23:24.960
 in the story?

00:23:25.640 --> 00:23:26.320
 What is God

00:23:26.320 --> 00:23:26.960
 really trying

00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:28.080
 to tease out?

00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:30.520
 How is God

00:23:30.520 --> 00:23:31.880
 incredibly relational

00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:33.980
 in this passage?

00:23:34.280 --> 00:23:35.140
 It forces us

00:23:35.140 --> 00:23:36.040
 to wrestle

00:23:36.040 --> 00:23:37.200
 with the passage

00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:37.600
 afresh

00:23:37.600 --> 00:23:38.900
 because if He's God,

00:23:39.120 --> 00:23:40.560
 He is all-powerful.

00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:42.320
 His mind can't change.

00:23:42.600 --> 00:23:43.680
 He can't be manipulated.

00:23:44.259 --> 00:23:45.259
 So it's really important

00:23:45.259 --> 00:23:46.040
 that we go through

00:23:46.040 --> 00:23:47.259
 a sermon series like this.

00:23:47.340 --> 00:23:47.940
 It's going to help us

00:23:47.940 --> 00:23:48.560
 to read the Bible

00:23:48.560 --> 00:23:49.540
 in greater ways.

00:23:49.620 --> 00:23:50.460
 But here's the thing.

00:23:50.900 --> 00:23:52.040
 God is indeed

00:23:52.040 --> 00:23:52.860
 all-powerful.

00:23:52.859 --> 00:23:55.359
 Nothing happens

00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:56.639
 apart from His knowledge

00:23:56.639 --> 00:23:57.359
 or His will.

00:23:57.479 --> 00:24:00.199
 So in Matthew 10, 29-31,

00:24:00.339 --> 00:24:01.139
 this is the passage

00:24:01.139 --> 00:24:02.899
 that George read.

00:24:03.539 --> 00:24:04.019
 Jesus says,

00:24:04.099 --> 00:24:05.299
 Are not two sparrows

00:24:05.299 --> 00:24:06.259
 sold for a penny

00:24:06.259 --> 00:24:07.759
 and not one of them

00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:09.079
 will fall to the ground

00:24:09.079 --> 00:24:10.579
 apart from your Father?

00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:12.059
 But even the hairs

00:24:12.059 --> 00:24:12.639
 of your head

00:24:12.639 --> 00:24:13.479
 are all numbered.

00:24:13.939 --> 00:24:14.559
 Fear not,

00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:15.219
 therefore,

00:24:15.379 --> 00:24:16.559
 you are more valuable

00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:17.919
 than many sparrows.

00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:18.860
 He knows

00:24:18.860 --> 00:24:20.759
 the minutiae

00:24:20.759 --> 00:24:21.640
 of creation.

00:24:22.700 --> 00:24:24.240
 He's in control of it.

00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:26.240
 But He's also in control

00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:27.580
 of the big aspects

00:24:27.580 --> 00:24:28.700
 of human history.

00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:30.840
 Acts chapter 17, 26,

00:24:30.940 --> 00:24:31.560
 it says this,

00:24:32.360 --> 00:24:35.840
 And He made from one man

00:24:35.840 --> 00:24:37.140
 every nation of mankind

00:24:37.140 --> 00:24:39.240
 to live on all the face

00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:39.779
 of the earth,

00:24:40.220 --> 00:24:41.019
 having determined

00:24:41.019 --> 00:24:42.320
 allotted periods

00:24:42.320 --> 00:24:43.160
 in the boundaries

00:24:43.160 --> 00:24:44.400
 of their dwelling place

00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:45.700
 that God has directed

00:24:45.700 --> 00:24:46.360
 human history.

00:24:46.820 --> 00:24:47.340
 He has.

00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:51.080
 There's a whole other

00:24:51.080 --> 00:24:52.000
 aspect to this

00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:53.640
 where we have to ask

00:24:53.640 --> 00:24:54.039
 the question,

00:24:54.180 --> 00:24:55.220
 well, why is there war?

00:24:56.060 --> 00:24:57.300
 Has God somehow

00:24:57.300 --> 00:25:00.340
 sanctioned evil

00:25:00.340 --> 00:25:01.039
 and genocide?

00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:01.980
 These are all really

00:25:01.980 --> 00:25:03.380
 important questions.

00:25:05.860 --> 00:25:07.820
 And the classic thing

00:25:07.820 --> 00:25:09.019
 is either God

00:25:09.019 --> 00:25:10.420
 is not all-powerful

00:25:10.420 --> 00:25:11.259
 or all-good

00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:12.440
 or all-knowing

00:25:12.440 --> 00:25:16.620
 or He's evil.

00:25:16.619 --> 00:25:18.039
 That's kind of like

00:25:18.039 --> 00:25:19.879
 the classic apologetic

00:25:19.879 --> 00:25:21.719
 pushback against God

00:25:21.719 --> 00:25:22.679
 being in charge

00:25:22.679 --> 00:25:23.219
 of everything.

00:25:24.759 --> 00:25:25.899
 And I would just say

00:25:25.899 --> 00:25:27.799
 that we do have

00:25:27.799 --> 00:25:28.479
 human agency

00:25:28.479 --> 00:25:29.379
 in all of this.

00:25:29.739 --> 00:25:30.319
 We're not going to get

00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:30.919
 into a discussion

00:25:30.919 --> 00:25:31.439
 right now

00:25:31.439 --> 00:25:32.379
 about free will

00:25:32.379 --> 00:25:33.599
 versus predestination.

00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:36.379
 But suffice it to say

00:25:36.379 --> 00:25:37.039
 that God

00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:39.119
 is in charge,

00:25:39.679 --> 00:25:40.819
 in authority,

00:25:41.500 --> 00:25:42.279
 wills everything

00:25:42.279 --> 00:25:42.919
 that happens,

00:25:42.920 --> 00:25:43.580
 and yet

00:25:43.580 --> 00:25:45.220
 we have agency.

00:25:45.620 --> 00:25:46.060
 We do.

00:25:46.700 --> 00:25:48.200
 Not in a libertarian

00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:49.980
 type of understanding

00:25:49.980 --> 00:25:50.700
 of free will,

00:25:51.060 --> 00:25:52.140
 but it's important

00:25:52.140 --> 00:25:52.840
 that we understand

00:25:52.840 --> 00:25:53.900
 that we have

00:25:53.900 --> 00:25:54.800
 our very beings,

00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:55.340
 that God,

00:25:55.740 --> 00:25:56.340
 He is the one

00:25:56.340 --> 00:25:57.360
 who animates us,

00:25:57.420 --> 00:25:59.080
 that we have agency

00:25:59.080 --> 00:26:00.160
 within Him,

00:26:00.539 --> 00:26:01.259
 but nevertheless,

00:26:01.700 --> 00:26:02.519
 we have agency.

00:26:02.519 --> 00:26:04.180
 So that's why

00:26:04.180 --> 00:26:06.279
 Genesis chapter 50,

00:26:06.619 --> 00:26:07.180
 the wonderful,

00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:07.859
 beautiful,

00:26:08.039 --> 00:26:09.000
 incredible story,

00:26:09.339 --> 00:26:09.900
 one of my favorite

00:26:09.900 --> 00:26:10.680
 stories in the Bible

00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:11.339
 of Joseph

00:26:11.339 --> 00:26:14.180
 being left for dead

00:26:14.180 --> 00:26:15.059
 by his brother,

00:26:15.200 --> 00:26:16.139
 sold into slavery,

00:26:16.599 --> 00:26:17.180
 somehow,

00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:18.420
 by God's

00:26:18.420 --> 00:26:19.299
 incredible

00:26:19.299 --> 00:26:20.960
 work,

00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:22.119
 he gets up to

00:26:22.119 --> 00:26:23.440
 essentially the second

00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:23.920
 in command

00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:25.079
 over all of Egypt,

00:26:26.039 --> 00:26:27.359
 saves his people,

00:26:27.639 --> 00:26:28.440
 and then at the end

00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:29.420
 when his father dies,

00:26:29.500 --> 00:26:30.099
 his brothers,

00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:31.039
 they're like,

00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:32.259
 Joseph's coming for revenge,

00:26:32.259 --> 00:26:32.960
 and what does he say

00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:34.299
 in Genesis 50,

00:26:34.440 --> 00:26:35.240
 verse 20?

00:26:35.660 --> 00:26:35.879
 He said,

00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:36.980
 for what you intended

00:26:36.980 --> 00:26:37.539
 for evil,

00:26:37.940 --> 00:26:39.000
 the Lord intended

00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:39.539
 for good,

00:26:40.299 --> 00:26:41.599
 that even his brothers,

00:26:42.379 --> 00:26:43.480
 their best efforts

00:26:43.480 --> 00:26:45.440
 to kill Joseph,

00:26:45.539 --> 00:26:46.660
 but really to stymie

00:26:46.660 --> 00:26:47.440
 God's will,

00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:50.960
 came to nothing.

00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:53.640
 Acts 2,

00:26:53.740 --> 00:26:54.500
 verse 23,

00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:56.220
 I'll read this one,

00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:57.599
 Acts 2,

00:26:57.660 --> 00:26:58.180
 verse 23,

00:26:58.279 --> 00:26:59.539
 this is the absolutely

00:26:59.539 --> 00:27:01.460
 incredible sermon

00:27:01.460 --> 00:27:02.840
 that Peter prays

00:27:02.840 --> 00:27:03.519
 at Pentecost

00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:06.420
 after the Holy Spirit

00:27:06.420 --> 00:27:06.799
 comes.

00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:08.299
 Verse 23,

00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:09.340
 it says this,

00:27:11.579 --> 00:27:13.019
 I'll read at verse 22,

00:27:13.160 --> 00:27:13.720
 men of Israel,

00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:14.680
 hear these words,

00:27:15.160 --> 00:27:16.120
 Jesus of Nazareth,

00:27:16.200 --> 00:27:17.600
 a man attested to you

00:27:17.600 --> 00:27:18.140
 by God

00:27:18.140 --> 00:27:19.000
 with mighty works

00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:19.759
 and wonders

00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:20.420
 and signs

00:27:20.420 --> 00:27:21.100
 that God did

00:27:21.100 --> 00:27:21.779
 through him

00:27:21.779 --> 00:27:22.840
 in your midst

00:27:22.840 --> 00:27:24.160
 as you yourselves know,

00:27:24.360 --> 00:27:24.940
 verse 23,

00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:27.120
 this Jesus delivered up

00:27:27.120 --> 00:27:27.940
 according to the

00:27:27.940 --> 00:27:29.440
 definite plan

00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:30.500
 and foreknowledge

00:27:30.500 --> 00:27:31.080
 of God,

00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:32.880
 you crucified

00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:33.460
 and killed

00:27:33.460 --> 00:27:34.019
 by the hands

00:27:34.019 --> 00:27:34.759
 of lawless men.

00:27:35.259 --> 00:27:36.580
 In the same breath,

00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:38.000
 God's plans

00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:38.940
 can't get destroyed,

00:27:39.400 --> 00:27:41.799
 but it's on you.

00:27:41.940 --> 00:27:43.900
 You guys,

00:27:44.120 --> 00:27:45.080
 you guys,

00:27:45.180 --> 00:27:46.299
 you guys sent Jesus

00:27:46.299 --> 00:27:47.000
 to the cross.

00:27:48.740 --> 00:27:49.920
 It's a problem.

00:27:50.180 --> 00:27:50.880
 That's a sin.

00:27:51.400 --> 00:27:52.420
 Human agency

00:27:52.420 --> 00:27:54.200
 at work

00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:55.380
 and yet God's plans

00:27:55.380 --> 00:27:56.340
 succeed everything.

00:27:57.059 --> 00:27:58.480
 It's this incredible tension

00:27:58.480 --> 00:27:59.500
 worth meditating on.

00:28:01.360 --> 00:28:02.180
 In the end,

00:28:02.279 --> 00:28:03.460
 it is still God

00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:04.740
 who gives us agency.

00:28:05.700 --> 00:28:06.700
 If you can put up

00:28:06.700 --> 00:28:07.840
 the picture,

00:28:09.720 --> 00:28:10.779
 I don't know if

00:28:10.779 --> 00:28:12.120
 we'll end up getting up.

00:28:12.220 --> 00:28:12.460
 Okay,

00:28:12.580 --> 00:28:13.380
 so I pulled this

00:28:13.380 --> 00:28:15.299
 from one of my textbooks

00:28:15.299 --> 00:28:16.700
 I took from seminary

00:28:16.700 --> 00:28:17.400
 and I like it.

00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:18.080
 On the left,

00:28:18.180 --> 00:28:18.840
 we see

00:28:18.840 --> 00:28:20.220
 kind of like a,

00:28:20.740 --> 00:28:21.940
 maybe,

00:28:21.940 --> 00:28:23.240
 maybe an understanding,

00:28:23.320 --> 00:28:24.240
 like a common understanding

00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:24.820
 of free will.

00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:26.740
 That God does his own thing,

00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:27.880
 we do our own thing

00:28:27.880 --> 00:28:28.680
 and there's these other

00:28:28.680 --> 00:28:29.940
 kind of natural factors

00:28:29.940 --> 00:28:30.940
 that influence us

00:28:30.940 --> 00:28:32.100
 or it's kind of,

00:28:32.180 --> 00:28:33.039
 but it's not really

00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:33.740
 kind of connected.

00:28:34.320 --> 00:28:35.700
 And in this scenario,

00:28:35.940 --> 00:28:37.080
 God's will bumps up

00:28:37.080 --> 00:28:38.880
 against our agency.

00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:40.019
 But on the right,

00:28:40.420 --> 00:28:41.160
 if we understand

00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:41.759
 that in,

00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:42.480
 that we have

00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:43.820
 a very being in God,

00:28:44.539 --> 00:28:45.779
 that God here,

00:28:46.519 --> 00:28:48.680
 we have our agency

00:28:48.680 --> 00:28:50.740
 within God's definite plan.

00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:51.759
 It's not as if

00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:54.500
 we have carte blanche

00:28:54.500 --> 00:28:56.079
 do whatever we want.

00:28:56.160 --> 00:28:57.180
 God has set up

00:28:57.180 --> 00:28:59.420
 within creation

00:28:59.420 --> 00:29:01.500
 like natural guardrails

00:29:01.500 --> 00:29:02.379
 to our agency

00:29:02.379 --> 00:29:03.460
 and yet we are still

00:29:03.460 --> 00:29:04.799
 responsible for our sin

00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:06.379
 and yet in this,

00:29:06.539 --> 00:29:07.599
 there's nothing we can do

00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:08.819
 to thwart the plan of God.

00:29:10.420 --> 00:29:11.619
 Thanks for putting that up.

00:29:15.700 --> 00:29:16.539
 And isn't this

00:29:16.539 --> 00:29:18.160
 the gospel itself,

00:29:18.279 --> 00:29:21.200
 a picture of God's omnipotence,

00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:22.200
 where

00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:25.039
 from all of,

00:29:25.180 --> 00:29:25.900
 from the beginning

00:29:25.900 --> 00:29:26.539
 of creation,

00:29:26.819 --> 00:29:28.000
 mankind sins

00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:29.200
 and God,

00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:31.019
 because of his all-knowing,

00:29:31.059 --> 00:29:31.960
 he knows this is going

00:29:31.960 --> 00:29:32.500
 to go down,

00:29:32.759 --> 00:29:34.140
 but then sets

00:29:34.140 --> 00:29:35.640
 it in motion

00:29:35.640 --> 00:29:37.200
 that Jesus

00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:38.700
 would die on the cross

00:29:38.700 --> 00:29:40.340
 for our sins

00:29:40.340 --> 00:29:42.420
 and God would delight

00:29:42.420 --> 00:29:43.799
 in his son

00:29:43.799 --> 00:29:44.700
 dying on the cross

00:29:44.700 --> 00:29:45.640
 for our sins.

00:29:45.640 --> 00:29:48.000
 that God,

00:29:48.620 --> 00:29:50.860
 he has this plan

00:29:50.860 --> 00:29:51.700
 from the very beginning,

00:29:51.800 --> 00:29:52.120
 by the way,

00:29:52.140 --> 00:29:52.980
 it's not a plan B,

00:29:53.060 --> 00:29:54.480
 it's always a plan A,

00:29:55.380 --> 00:29:57.000
 and all of the junk

00:29:57.000 --> 00:29:58.060
 in human history,

00:29:58.320 --> 00:29:59.460
 how it goes down

00:29:59.460 --> 00:30:01.180
 from genocides

00:30:01.180 --> 00:30:02.380
 to natural disasters

00:30:02.380 --> 00:30:03.300
 to wars

00:30:03.300 --> 00:30:06.320
 to infanticide

00:30:06.320 --> 00:30:07.820
 to all of this horrible things,

00:30:08.460 --> 00:30:09.340
 things that happen,

00:30:09.560 --> 00:30:10.640
 somehow God's plan

00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:11.560
 doesn't get thwarted

00:30:11.559 --> 00:30:13.159
 and Jesus himself,

00:30:13.220 --> 00:30:14.319
 he dies on the cross

00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:16.500
 as God foretold.

00:30:20.099 --> 00:30:22.379
 If God wasn't all-powerful,

00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:23.779
 he wouldn't be God

00:30:23.779 --> 00:30:24.919
 and if he wasn't God,

00:30:25.879 --> 00:30:27.179
 then all of the things

00:30:27.179 --> 00:30:28.099
 that he said

00:30:28.099 --> 00:30:28.839
 would come to pass

00:30:28.839 --> 00:30:29.879
 would not come to pass.

00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:33.119
 It would just be,

00:30:33.179 --> 00:30:33.919
 it would be chance.

00:30:34.460 --> 00:30:35.139
 It would be chance.

00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:36.599
 We'd leave it to the fates.

00:30:37.379 --> 00:30:38.460
 But that's not what happens.

00:30:38.460 --> 00:30:43.460
 God not only knows everything,

00:30:43.600 --> 00:30:45.100
 but is in control of everything,

00:30:45.539 --> 00:30:47.019
 and by virtue of his goodness

00:30:47.019 --> 00:30:47.960
 and his love

00:30:47.960 --> 00:30:48.880
 and his justice

00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:49.840
 and his mercy,

00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:51.600
 he redeems and restores

00:30:51.600 --> 00:30:52.559
 and he blesses

00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:53.660
 and he removes the curse,

00:30:53.819 --> 00:30:55.940
 he unites

00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:58.980
 all of the wonderful things

00:30:58.980 --> 00:30:59.819
 that we hope for.

00:31:00.279 --> 00:31:01.079
 That's what he does.

00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:05.860
 God knew that we would sin

00:31:05.859 --> 00:31:08.719
 and he set in plan

00:31:08.719 --> 00:31:09.539
 a motion

00:31:09.539 --> 00:31:11.779
 before we even sinned

00:31:11.779 --> 00:31:12.919
 to redeem us.

00:31:13.879 --> 00:31:15.179
 And it was never thwarted.

00:31:15.259 --> 00:31:17.119
 It was never thwarted.

00:31:21.159 --> 00:31:23.599
 So if God's knowledge

00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:24.699
 is everywhere

00:31:24.699 --> 00:31:26.599
 and God's power

00:31:26.599 --> 00:31:27.919
 is unending,

00:31:28.399 --> 00:31:29.759
 then it would lead us

00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:30.319
 to understand

00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:31.839
 that God is everywhere.

00:31:32.179 --> 00:31:33.439
 There's no place

00:31:33.439 --> 00:31:34.219
 where his presence

00:31:34.219 --> 00:31:35.199
 doesn't exist.

00:31:35.859 --> 00:31:38.039
 So we're going to look

00:31:38.039 --> 00:31:39.539
 at God's omnipresence

00:31:39.539 --> 00:31:40.500
 and again,

00:31:40.719 --> 00:31:42.259
 you can't take one

00:31:42.259 --> 00:31:43.019
 without the other.

00:31:43.439 --> 00:31:43.939
 So these,

00:31:44.139 --> 00:31:45.319
 God's omnipresence

00:31:45.319 --> 00:31:45.959
 is deeply,

00:31:46.119 --> 00:31:46.359
 deeply,

00:31:46.479 --> 00:31:47.279
 deeply rooted

00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:48.179
 in his omniscience

00:31:48.179 --> 00:31:52.199
 and his omnipotence.

00:31:52.659 --> 00:31:53.619
 So simply put,

00:31:53.719 --> 00:31:55.059
 if God is all-powerful

00:31:55.059 --> 00:31:57.279
 in every place,

00:31:57.339 --> 00:31:58.179
 in every situation,

00:31:58.299 --> 00:31:59.240
 if he has knowledge

00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:00.179
 of everything,

00:32:00.659 --> 00:32:02.179
 then he is,

00:32:02.179 --> 00:32:03.500
 by virtue of those two things,

00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:04.079
 he is there,

00:32:04.199 --> 00:32:04.919
 he is present.

00:32:04.920 --> 00:32:08.640
 Psalm 139 again,

00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:09.880
 verses 7 to 12,

00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:10.660
 it says this,

00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:12.980
 where shall I go

00:32:12.980 --> 00:32:13.860
 from your spirit

00:32:13.860 --> 00:32:15.580
 or where shall I flee

00:32:15.580 --> 00:32:16.440
 from your presence?

00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:18.160
 If I ascend to heaven,

00:32:18.300 --> 00:32:18.820
 you are there.

00:32:18.900 --> 00:32:19.759
 If I make my bed

00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:20.779
 in the grave,

00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:21.460
 you are there.

00:32:21.740 --> 00:32:22.820
 If I take the wings

00:32:22.820 --> 00:32:23.680
 of the morning

00:32:23.680 --> 00:32:25.180
 and dwell in the uttermost

00:32:25.180 --> 00:32:26.120
 part of the sea,

00:32:26.640 --> 00:32:28.000
 even there your hand

00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:28.820
 shall lead me

00:32:28.820 --> 00:32:29.860
 and your right hand

00:32:29.860 --> 00:32:30.980
 shall hold me.

00:32:31.140 --> 00:32:32.040
 If I say,

00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:33.019
 surely the darkness

00:32:33.019 --> 00:32:33.920
 shall cover me

00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:34.940
 and the light

00:32:34.940 --> 00:32:36.220
 about me by night,

00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:37.900
 even the darkness

00:32:37.900 --> 00:32:38.940
 is not dark to you,

00:32:38.940 --> 00:32:40.180
 the night is bright

00:32:40.180 --> 00:32:40.980
 as the day,

00:32:41.259 --> 00:32:41.920
 for darkness

00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:43.940
 is as light with you.

00:32:44.900 --> 00:32:46.299
 God created everything.

00:32:47.340 --> 00:32:48.880
 Time does not constrain

00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:49.680
 him nor place.

00:32:51.220 --> 00:32:52.759
 He is with you

00:32:52.759 --> 00:32:54.180
 in the darkest moments

00:32:54.180 --> 00:32:55.860
 of your life.

00:32:57.600 --> 00:32:58.740
 He is there.

00:32:59.740 --> 00:33:01.160
 He is not absent,

00:33:01.299 --> 00:33:02.380
 although it might feel

00:33:02.380 --> 00:33:03.039
 like that.

00:33:03.039 --> 00:33:05.500
 He is there.

00:33:07.059 --> 00:33:08.779
 He truly is everywhere

00:33:08.779 --> 00:33:09.759
 because he has created

00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:10.480
 all things,

00:33:11.079 --> 00:33:13.500
 but God's presence

00:33:13.500 --> 00:33:15.200
 isn't just talked about

00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:15.759
 in scriptures

00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:17.220
 as God's ubiquity

00:33:17.220 --> 00:33:18.920
 is being everywhere

00:33:18.920 --> 00:33:20.000
 in all places,

00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:21.460
 but his presence

00:33:21.460 --> 00:33:22.240
 is talked about

00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:23.960
 in terms of relationship

00:33:23.960 --> 00:33:24.759
 with his people.

00:33:27.259 --> 00:33:28.500
 From the garden

00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:30.440
 to the tabernacle,

00:33:30.700 --> 00:33:31.779
 to the temple,

00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:33.960
 to God himself

00:33:33.960 --> 00:33:35.000
 coming in the form

00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:36.380
 of man in the incarnation,

00:33:37.160 --> 00:33:38.940
 literally tabernacling

00:33:38.940 --> 00:33:40.259
 amongst us,

00:33:40.740 --> 00:33:41.740
 God desires

00:33:41.740 --> 00:33:42.619
 to be present

00:33:42.619 --> 00:33:43.380
 with his people.

00:33:44.980 --> 00:33:45.839
 And he is.

00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:46.380
 He's present.

00:33:46.519 --> 00:33:47.660
 He's present right here.

00:33:48.660 --> 00:33:49.579
 He is present

00:33:49.579 --> 00:33:50.259
 when you hear

00:33:50.259 --> 00:33:51.359
 the word proclaimed

00:33:51.359 --> 00:33:53.660
 and the Holy Spirit

00:33:53.660 --> 00:33:54.319
 is active

00:33:54.319 --> 00:33:54.940
 and at work

00:33:54.940 --> 00:33:55.559
 in your heart.

00:33:55.819 --> 00:33:56.940
 If you're not a Christian

00:33:56.940 --> 00:33:58.840
 and you call upon Jesus

00:33:58.840 --> 00:33:59.600
 to save you

00:33:59.600 --> 00:34:00.200
 from your sins,

00:34:00.620 --> 00:34:01.759
 he is with you

00:34:01.759 --> 00:34:02.900
 in a present

00:34:02.900 --> 00:34:03.960
 relational way

00:34:03.960 --> 00:34:09.240
 that is good pleasure.

00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:11.099
 It is God's good pleasure

00:34:11.099 --> 00:34:11.780
 to be present

00:34:11.780 --> 00:34:12.420
 with his people.

00:34:15.260 --> 00:34:16.559
 This is a wonderful thing

00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:17.320
 about these attributes

00:34:17.320 --> 00:34:18.740
 because the times

00:34:18.740 --> 00:34:19.380
 that we feel

00:34:19.380 --> 00:34:20.320
 like God is distant,

00:34:20.440 --> 00:34:21.780
 we know that he is present

00:34:21.780 --> 00:34:23.820
 and we can cry out to him.

00:34:23.820 --> 00:34:27.620
 Here's a thing

00:34:27.620 --> 00:34:29.100
 worth considering.

00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:33.660
 This idea

00:34:33.660 --> 00:34:35.360
 of an omnipotent God,

00:34:35.900 --> 00:34:36.860
 an omniscient God,

00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:38.019
 an omnipresent God,

00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:40.380
 I think this is something

00:34:40.380 --> 00:34:42.200
 that all human beings desire.

00:34:43.460 --> 00:34:44.840
 But as we,

00:34:45.160 --> 00:34:46.059
 as a society,

00:34:46.340 --> 00:34:47.059
 as individuals,

00:34:47.480 --> 00:34:47.940
 as country,

00:34:48.039 --> 00:34:48.380
 whatever,

00:34:49.600 --> 00:34:50.940
 when we deny

00:34:50.940 --> 00:34:52.200
 the existence of God,

00:34:52.199 --> 00:34:53.699
 when we deny

00:34:53.699 --> 00:34:56.460
 the very truth

00:34:56.460 --> 00:34:57.279
 of the scriptures,

00:34:57.859 --> 00:34:59.119
 we don't all of a sudden

00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:01.519
 become irreligious.

00:35:01.839 --> 00:35:03.099
 We just shift our religion

00:35:03.099 --> 00:35:03.980
 a little bit.

00:35:04.939 --> 00:35:06.039
 So all of a sudden

00:35:06.039 --> 00:35:07.159
 what we do is

00:35:07.159 --> 00:35:10.319
 we attribute

00:35:10.319 --> 00:35:11.799
 an omniscience

00:35:11.799 --> 00:35:14.659
 to other things.

00:35:15.079 --> 00:35:15.859
 Case in point,

00:35:16.339 --> 00:35:17.239
 this isn't a bash

00:35:17.239 --> 00:35:18.399
 against science one bit.

00:35:18.500 --> 00:35:19.159
 I think science

00:35:19.159 --> 00:35:20.159
 is fantastic.

00:35:20.159 --> 00:35:22.579
 We have the life

00:35:22.579 --> 00:35:23.119
 we have

00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:24.039
 because of scientific

00:35:24.039 --> 00:35:24.799
 advancements.

00:35:25.319 --> 00:35:26.299
 But scientists

00:35:26.299 --> 00:35:27.399
 aren't omniscient.

00:35:27.819 --> 00:35:28.359
 They aren't.

00:35:29.079 --> 00:35:30.539
 Some are very smart.

00:35:32.259 --> 00:35:33.699
 But it seems like

00:35:33.699 --> 00:35:35.059
 in the past while

00:35:35.059 --> 00:35:36.039
 we have put

00:35:36.039 --> 00:35:39.000
 scientists on a pedestal,

00:35:39.399 --> 00:35:39.920
 in a sense

00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:41.219
 deifying scientists.

00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:44.599
 And I'm not suggesting

00:35:44.599 --> 00:35:46.119
 we do the opposite

00:35:46.119 --> 00:35:47.039
 of kicking them

00:35:47.039 --> 00:35:47.539
 to the curb

00:35:47.539 --> 00:35:48.119
 and treating them

00:35:48.119 --> 00:35:48.599
 with contempt.

00:35:48.719 --> 00:35:50.079
 That's not what I'm saying.

00:35:50.159 --> 00:35:51.759
 But I'm saying

00:35:51.759 --> 00:35:52.399
 we have

00:35:52.399 --> 00:35:53.659
 disordered views

00:35:53.659 --> 00:35:55.179
 of life.

00:35:56.599 --> 00:35:57.319
 No scientist

00:35:57.319 --> 00:35:58.559
 is omniscient,

00:35:58.719 --> 00:35:59.539
 all-knowing.

00:36:01.339 --> 00:36:02.440
 Only God is.

00:36:04.460 --> 00:36:05.940
 No politician

00:36:05.940 --> 00:36:07.619
 is omnipotent.

00:36:08.759 --> 00:36:09.719
 No person

00:36:09.719 --> 00:36:10.619
 is omnipotent.

00:36:10.739 --> 00:36:11.420
 No thing

00:36:11.420 --> 00:36:12.500
 is omnipotent.

00:36:12.839 --> 00:36:14.039
 No job promotion

00:36:14.039 --> 00:36:14.920
 is omnipotent

00:36:14.920 --> 00:36:15.460
 as if we

00:36:15.460 --> 00:36:16.559
 would get it.

00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:17.699
 Like,

00:36:17.859 --> 00:36:18.940
 every roadblock

00:36:18.940 --> 00:36:19.880
 would be removed,

00:36:20.059 --> 00:36:21.320
 every red light

00:36:21.320 --> 00:36:22.220
 would turn green,

00:36:22.539 --> 00:36:22.880
 there would be

00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:23.679
 nothing impossible

00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:24.380
 for us.

00:36:27.500 --> 00:36:28.340
 Nothing is

00:36:28.340 --> 00:36:29.460
 omnipotent like that.

00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:31.320
 Everything will rust

00:36:31.320 --> 00:36:32.039
 and decay

00:36:32.039 --> 00:36:33.000
 or die

00:36:33.000 --> 00:36:34.480
 or come up short.

00:36:35.220 --> 00:36:35.860
 And that's not,

00:36:35.960 --> 00:36:36.860
 again,

00:36:37.519 --> 00:36:38.079
 a diss

00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:39.179
 to those things,

00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:40.079
 those people,

00:36:40.280 --> 00:36:41.000
 those situations.

00:36:41.000 --> 00:36:41.639
 There's nothing

00:36:41.639 --> 00:36:42.840
 wrong about getting

00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:43.440
 a promotion

00:36:43.440 --> 00:36:44.220
 and being excited

00:36:44.220 --> 00:36:44.740
 about it.

00:36:44.739 --> 00:36:46.899
 but all of those

00:36:46.899 --> 00:36:47.500
 things aren't

00:36:47.500 --> 00:36:48.199
 omnipotent.

00:36:48.500 --> 00:36:49.000
 They aren't.

00:36:51.819 --> 00:36:52.919
 All of these

00:36:52.919 --> 00:36:53.659
 things,

00:36:53.819 --> 00:36:56.019
 it's as if God

00:36:56.019 --> 00:36:56.979
 made us

00:36:56.979 --> 00:36:58.259
 to worship him.

00:36:59.439 --> 00:37:00.339
 And he put

00:37:00.339 --> 00:37:01.399
 desires that

00:37:01.399 --> 00:37:01.939
 would want

00:37:01.939 --> 00:37:02.619
 an omniscient

00:37:02.619 --> 00:37:02.979
 God,

00:37:03.159 --> 00:37:05.179
 an omnipotent

00:37:05.179 --> 00:37:05.519
 God,

00:37:05.719 --> 00:37:06.419
 and a God

00:37:06.419 --> 00:37:07.299
 that is everywhere.

00:37:07.919 --> 00:37:08.599
 It's like he

00:37:08.599 --> 00:37:09.519
 fashioned our hearts

00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:10.059
 to want that.

00:37:10.959 --> 00:37:11.739
 And that stuff

00:37:11.739 --> 00:37:12.519
 doesn't turn off

00:37:12.519 --> 00:37:13.419
 because we disregard

00:37:13.420 --> 00:37:13.840
 God.

00:37:16.579 --> 00:37:17.980
 He sees you,

00:37:18.260 --> 00:37:19.320
 he knows you,

00:37:19.680 --> 00:37:20.360
 he has the power

00:37:20.360 --> 00:37:21.240
 to save,

00:37:21.960 --> 00:37:23.420
 and we ought

00:37:23.420 --> 00:37:24.079
 to come humbly

00:37:24.079 --> 00:37:24.700
 before him.

00:37:25.059 --> 00:37:25.820
 We ought to,

00:37:25.920 --> 00:37:26.340
 we do.

00:37:27.940 --> 00:37:28.840
 Jesus is the

00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:29.480
 perfect picture

00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:30.440
 of God's sovereignty

00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:32.480
 because he is

00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:33.139
 all-knowing,

00:37:33.220 --> 00:37:33.880
 he is

00:37:33.880 --> 00:37:34.980
 all-powerful,

00:37:35.220 --> 00:37:36.820
 and he is

00:37:36.820 --> 00:37:37.380
 present

00:37:37.380 --> 00:37:37.960
 everywhere.

00:37:39.900 --> 00:37:40.820
 This is the

00:37:40.820 --> 00:37:41.619
 greatest longing

00:37:41.619 --> 00:37:42.400
 for our hearts,

00:37:42.400 --> 00:37:43.780
 our hearts

00:37:43.780 --> 00:37:44.099
 will be

00:37:44.099 --> 00:37:44.480
 restless

00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:45.000
 until they

00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:45.599
 find the

00:37:45.599 --> 00:37:46.820
 rest in

00:37:46.820 --> 00:37:47.280
 God,

00:37:48.099 --> 00:37:50.599
 until we

00:37:50.599 --> 00:37:51.700
 put ourselves

00:37:51.700 --> 00:37:52.200
 under the

00:37:52.200 --> 00:37:52.700
 sovereignty,

00:37:52.940 --> 00:37:53.400
 so to speak,

00:37:53.440 --> 00:37:54.900
 as if God

00:37:54.900 --> 00:37:55.599
 isn't sovereign

00:37:55.599 --> 00:37:56.320
 unless we

00:37:56.320 --> 00:37:57.240
 recognize him

00:37:57.240 --> 00:37:57.579
 as sovereign,

00:37:57.680 --> 00:37:58.700
 but if we

00:37:58.700 --> 00:38:00.019
 put ourselves

00:38:00.019 --> 00:38:00.460
 under the

00:38:00.460 --> 00:38:00.880
 sovereignty,

00:38:01.079 --> 00:38:01.760
 the lordship

00:38:01.760 --> 00:38:02.320
 of God,

00:38:03.559 --> 00:38:04.000
 we will,

00:38:04.039 --> 00:38:04.460
 we will,

00:38:04.460 --> 00:38:06.860
 we will not

00:38:06.860 --> 00:38:07.740
 know the

00:38:07.740 --> 00:38:08.920
 benefits and

00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:09.460
 the beauty

00:38:09.460 --> 00:38:10.000
 and the

00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:10.599
 truth and

00:38:10.599 --> 00:38:11.199
 the goodness

00:38:11.199 --> 00:38:12.280
 that is at

00:38:12.280 --> 00:38:12.940
 our fingertips.

00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:14.579
 We will

00:38:14.579 --> 00:38:15.280
 struggle with

00:38:15.280 --> 00:38:16.519
 the weight

00:38:16.519 --> 00:38:17.240
 of sin

00:38:17.240 --> 00:38:18.039
 and death

00:38:18.039 --> 00:38:19.420
 that hangs

00:38:19.420 --> 00:38:20.559
 over our

00:38:20.559 --> 00:38:21.099
 heads

00:38:21.099 --> 00:38:22.480
 all the time.

00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:23.240
 The guilty

00:38:23.240 --> 00:38:23.920
 consciences

00:38:23.920 --> 00:38:25.659
 that are

00:38:25.659 --> 00:38:26.980
 in this room,

00:38:27.220 --> 00:38:27.860
 and I say that

00:38:27.860 --> 00:38:28.320
 just because I

00:38:28.320 --> 00:38:28.860
 have it too,

00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:29.280
 I do,

00:38:29.380 --> 00:38:29.880
 I have a guilty

00:38:29.880 --> 00:38:30.360
 conscience,

00:38:31.039 --> 00:38:31.740
 it is like my

00:38:31.740 --> 00:38:32.260
 default,

00:38:32.260 --> 00:38:33.360
 I have other

00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:34.080
 bad defaults,

00:38:34.100 --> 00:38:34.480
 but that is a

00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:34.900
 big one.

00:38:36.920 --> 00:38:37.640
 All of the

00:38:37.640 --> 00:38:38.540
 guilty consciences

00:38:38.540 --> 00:38:39.140
 that could be

00:38:39.140 --> 00:38:41.120
 erased because

00:38:41.120 --> 00:38:42.200
 we don't

00:38:42.200 --> 00:38:43.680
 understand the

00:38:43.680 --> 00:38:44.280
 sovereignty of

00:38:44.280 --> 00:38:44.540
 God,

00:38:44.840 --> 00:38:45.720
 the lordship of

00:38:45.720 --> 00:38:46.000
 God,

00:38:46.460 --> 00:38:47.660
 the good rule

00:38:47.660 --> 00:38:48.280
 of God,

00:38:48.680 --> 00:38:49.260
 the healing

00:38:49.260 --> 00:38:49.740
 that is not

00:38:49.740 --> 00:38:50.520
 taking place,

00:38:51.820 --> 00:38:52.660
 the wayward

00:38:52.660 --> 00:38:53.980
 lives that are

00:38:53.980 --> 00:38:55.080
 being lived.

00:38:55.840 --> 00:38:56.160
 And that is not

00:38:56.160 --> 00:38:56.660
 to say that as

00:38:56.660 --> 00:38:57.060
 soon as you

00:38:57.060 --> 00:38:57.700
 put your,

00:38:58.560 --> 00:38:59.560
 you recognize

00:38:59.560 --> 00:39:00.120
 the lordship of

00:39:00.120 --> 00:39:00.280
 God,

00:39:00.340 --> 00:39:01.340
 things become

00:39:01.340 --> 00:39:01.920
 peachy,

00:39:02.260 --> 00:39:03.480
 and beautiful

00:39:03.480 --> 00:39:04.140
 immediately.

00:39:04.940 --> 00:39:05.760
 It is a process,

00:39:05.840 --> 00:39:06.260
 of course.

00:39:06.780 --> 00:39:08.020
 But this is what

00:39:08.020 --> 00:39:08.780
 we were designed

00:39:08.780 --> 00:39:09.180
 for.

00:39:09.580 --> 00:39:10.220
 We were designed

00:39:10.220 --> 00:39:11.180
 to be ruled

00:39:11.180 --> 00:39:13.520
 by God

00:39:13.520 --> 00:39:14.440
 in the most

00:39:14.440 --> 00:39:14.860
 loving,

00:39:15.060 --> 00:39:15.360
 just,

00:39:15.720 --> 00:39:16.140
 and incredible

00:39:16.140 --> 00:39:16.520
 way.

00:39:17.100 --> 00:39:17.780
 The end of

00:39:17.780 --> 00:39:18.720
 Romans chapter

00:39:18.720 --> 00:39:19.120
 11,

00:39:19.380 --> 00:39:19.980
 the big

00:39:19.980 --> 00:39:23.040
 three chapter

00:39:23.040 --> 00:39:24.900
 heavy weight

00:39:24.900 --> 00:39:27.160
 of a portion

00:39:27.160 --> 00:39:27.540
 of scripture

00:39:27.540 --> 00:39:28.240
 that talks of

00:39:28.240 --> 00:39:28.920
 God's sovereignty.

00:39:29.500 --> 00:39:29.980
 The apostle

00:39:29.980 --> 00:39:30.460
 Paul,

00:39:31.040 --> 00:39:31.620
 he says this,

00:39:31.660 --> 00:39:32.040
 and I'll just

00:39:32.039 --> 00:39:32.659
 say one thing

00:39:32.659 --> 00:39:33.360
 before I read

00:39:33.360 --> 00:39:34.119
 this portion

00:39:34.119 --> 00:39:34.639
 and then we'll

00:39:34.639 --> 00:39:35.619
 wrap things up.

00:39:37.619 --> 00:39:38.139
 Theology

00:39:38.139 --> 00:39:40.480
 has to lead

00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:41.340
 to doxology.

00:39:41.599 --> 00:39:42.119
 What do I mean

00:39:42.119 --> 00:39:42.579
 by this?

00:39:42.960 --> 00:39:43.800
 Knowing God

00:39:43.800 --> 00:39:44.980
 has to lead

00:39:44.980 --> 00:39:46.199
 us to praise

00:39:46.199 --> 00:39:46.539
 God.

00:39:47.460 --> 00:39:48.639
 If we understand

00:39:48.639 --> 00:39:49.480
 who God is

00:39:49.480 --> 00:39:50.300
 in light of

00:39:50.300 --> 00:39:51.139
 who we are,

00:39:51.539 --> 00:39:52.440
 how can we

00:39:52.440 --> 00:39:54.059
 not have a

00:39:54.059 --> 00:39:54.820
 burden lifted

00:39:54.820 --> 00:39:56.099
 and sing for joy,

00:39:56.300 --> 00:39:57.400
 whether that's

00:39:57.400 --> 00:39:58.320
 proverbially

00:39:58.320 --> 00:39:59.140
 or literally.

00:40:00.140 --> 00:40:00.860
 That something

00:40:00.860 --> 00:40:01.700
 excites you

00:40:01.700 --> 00:40:02.200
 in your heart

00:40:02.200 --> 00:40:02.820
 and you praise

00:40:02.820 --> 00:40:03.080
 God.

00:40:03.140 --> 00:40:03.800
 That theology

00:40:03.800 --> 00:40:04.539
 has to lead

00:40:04.539 --> 00:40:05.360
 to doxology.

00:40:05.940 --> 00:40:06.460
 And listen to

00:40:06.460 --> 00:40:06.760
 Paul.

00:40:06.880 --> 00:40:07.580
 After hammering

00:40:07.580 --> 00:40:07.960
 some of that

00:40:07.960 --> 00:40:08.740
 most thick

00:40:08.740 --> 00:40:09.620
 theology in

00:40:09.620 --> 00:40:10.220
 all of the

00:40:10.220 --> 00:40:10.559
 scriptures,

00:40:11.160 --> 00:40:12.000
 he ends

00:40:12.000 --> 00:40:13.240
 Romans 11

00:40:13.240 --> 00:40:14.200
 verses 33

00:40:14.200 --> 00:40:14.780
 to 36

00:40:14.780 --> 00:40:15.539
 by saying

00:40:15.539 --> 00:40:15.860
 this,

00:40:15.860 --> 00:40:16.960
 Oh, the

00:40:16.960 --> 00:40:17.519
 depth of

00:40:17.519 --> 00:40:17.980
 the riches

00:40:17.980 --> 00:40:18.820
 and wisdom

00:40:18.820 --> 00:40:19.720
 and knowledge

00:40:19.720 --> 00:40:20.380
 of God.

00:40:20.740 --> 00:40:21.720
 How unsearchable

00:40:21.720 --> 00:40:22.680
 are his judgments.

00:40:23.180 --> 00:40:23.920
 How unscrutable

00:40:23.920 --> 00:40:24.720
 his ways.

00:40:25.160 --> 00:40:25.760
 For who has

00:40:25.760 --> 00:40:26.640
 known the mind

00:40:26.640 --> 00:40:27.360
 of the Lord

00:40:27.360 --> 00:40:28.240
 or who has

00:40:28.240 --> 00:40:29.140
 been his

00:40:29.140 --> 00:40:29.579
 counselor

00:40:29.579 --> 00:40:30.620
 or who has

00:40:30.620 --> 00:40:31.300
 given him

00:40:31.300 --> 00:40:32.320
 or who has

00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:33.059
 given a gift

00:40:33.059 --> 00:40:33.480
 to him

00:40:33.480 --> 00:40:34.260
 that he might

00:40:34.260 --> 00:40:34.900
 be repaid.

00:40:35.380 --> 00:40:36.240
 For from him

00:40:36.240 --> 00:40:37.760
 and through him

00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:38.840
 and to him

00:40:38.840 --> 00:40:40.140
 are all things.

00:40:40.280 --> 00:40:41.079
 To him be

00:40:41.079 --> 00:40:42.120
 glory forever.

00:40:42.280 --> 00:40:42.539
 Amen.

00:40:45.860 --> 00:40:47.039
 When we know

00:40:47.039 --> 00:40:48.019
 God, we are

00:40:48.019 --> 00:40:49.120
 moved by God

00:40:49.120 --> 00:40:49.640
 when we truly

00:40:49.640 --> 00:40:50.140
 know him.

00:40:50.519 --> 00:40:51.519
 And as we grow

00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:52.180
 in our knowledge

00:40:52.180 --> 00:40:52.680
 of him,

00:40:53.700 --> 00:40:54.960
 we continue

00:40:54.960 --> 00:40:56.579
 to be moved

00:40:56.579 --> 00:40:56.860
 by him.

00:40:57.059 --> 00:40:57.579
 The things

00:40:57.579 --> 00:40:58.099
 that we found

00:40:58.099 --> 00:40:59.019
 palatable before

00:40:59.019 --> 00:41:00.059
 lose its taste.

00:41:00.800 --> 00:41:01.660
 We feast on

00:41:01.660 --> 00:41:02.079
 God.

00:41:02.200 --> 00:41:03.140
 That is the diet

00:41:03.140 --> 00:41:04.680
 that will satisfy

00:41:04.680 --> 00:41:05.260
 us.

00:41:06.860 --> 00:41:07.480
 If you

00:41:07.480 --> 00:41:10.780
 are a Christian

00:41:10.780 --> 00:41:11.800
 whose heart

00:41:11.800 --> 00:41:12.720
 has grown cold,

00:41:13.380 --> 00:41:14.700
 feast on God.

00:41:14.860 --> 00:41:15.440
 Feast on him.

00:41:16.420 --> 00:41:16.960
 Feast on the

00:41:16.960 --> 00:41:17.400
 fact that he

00:41:17.400 --> 00:41:17.920
 is sovereign

00:41:17.920 --> 00:41:18.640
 over your life,

00:41:18.700 --> 00:41:19.460
 that he knows

00:41:19.460 --> 00:41:19.820
 everything.

00:41:19.920 --> 00:41:20.720
 He's all powerful.

00:41:20.840 --> 00:41:21.500
 He is everywhere.

00:41:21.620 --> 00:41:22.360
 He is with you.

00:41:22.820 --> 00:41:23.599
 Feast on that.

00:41:24.599 --> 00:41:25.240
 Feast on it

00:41:25.240 --> 00:41:26.460
 until it warms

00:41:26.460 --> 00:41:26.980
 your heart.

00:41:27.660 --> 00:41:28.500
 If you're not

00:41:28.500 --> 00:41:29.000
 a Christian,

00:41:29.960 --> 00:41:31.500
 this is the

00:41:31.500 --> 00:41:32.579
 life worth

00:41:32.579 --> 00:41:32.920
 living.

00:41:33.340 --> 00:41:33.920
 It is.

00:41:34.559 --> 00:41:35.059
 And you will

00:41:35.059 --> 00:41:36.559
 try to find

00:41:36.559 --> 00:41:37.400
 it elsewhere.

00:41:38.620 --> 00:41:39.480
 And you will

00:41:39.480 --> 00:41:40.200
 try to find it

00:41:40.200 --> 00:41:40.740
 elsewhere because

00:41:40.740 --> 00:41:41.240
 that's the way

00:41:41.240 --> 00:41:41.860
 you were created.

00:41:42.280 --> 00:41:42.700
 But it will

00:41:42.700 --> 00:41:43.400
 come up short

00:41:43.400 --> 00:41:44.480
 because you

00:41:44.480 --> 00:41:45.380
 are designed

00:41:45.380 --> 00:41:46.660
 you are made,

00:41:46.760 --> 00:41:47.400
 you are fashioned,

00:41:47.500 --> 00:41:48.079
 your heart

00:41:48.079 --> 00:41:50.920
 beats to know

00:41:50.920 --> 00:41:51.840
 the sovereign

00:41:51.840 --> 00:41:53.260
 lordship of

00:41:53.260 --> 00:41:53.680
 God.

00:41:55.180 --> 00:41:56.099
 And today is a

00:41:56.099 --> 00:41:57.019
 great day to

00:41:57.019 --> 00:41:57.480
 come to know

00:41:57.480 --> 00:41:57.619
 him.

00:41:57.660 --> 00:41:58.019
 Let's pray.

00:41:58.019 --> 00:41:59.699
 heavenly father,

00:42:00.019 --> 00:42:01.559
 heavenly father, we

00:42:01.559 --> 00:42:02.320
 thank you that you

00:42:02.320 --> 00:42:03.480
 truly are lord of

00:42:03.480 --> 00:42:04.119
 all, that you are

00:42:04.119 --> 00:42:05.300
 sovereign over all.

00:42:05.940 --> 00:42:07.199
 And that means that

00:42:07.199 --> 00:42:07.980
 you know everything

00:42:07.980 --> 00:42:08.980
 exhaustively, that you

00:42:08.980 --> 00:42:10.719
 are all powerful, that

00:42:10.719 --> 00:42:11.420
 you are completely

00:42:11.420 --> 00:42:13.000
 consistent, that you

00:42:13.000 --> 00:42:14.000
 are everywhere, that

00:42:14.000 --> 00:42:14.980
 there's no place where

00:42:14.980 --> 00:42:17.719
 you don't exist, no

00:42:17.719 --> 00:42:19.139
 place that can shut

00:42:19.139 --> 00:42:19.679
 you out.

00:42:20.380 --> 00:42:21.400
 And lord, there are

00:42:21.400 --> 00:42:23.219
 people here this

00:42:23.219 --> 00:42:24.039
 morning from all

00:42:24.039 --> 00:42:24.699
 sorts of different

00:42:24.699 --> 00:42:26.159
 walks, people here

00:42:26.159 --> 00:42:26.940
 from all, that have

00:42:26.940 --> 00:42:27.619
 had all sorts of

00:42:27.619 --> 00:42:28.799
 different weeks, some

00:42:28.799 --> 00:42:29.579
 good, some bad.

00:42:30.039 --> 00:42:30.920
 Some people that are

00:42:30.920 --> 00:42:32.179
 watching online or

00:42:32.179 --> 00:42:33.699
 are here that have

00:42:33.699 --> 00:42:34.940
 cold hearts towards

00:42:34.940 --> 00:42:36.679
 you, where there once

00:42:36.679 --> 00:42:38.679
 was warm hearts, or

00:42:38.679 --> 00:42:39.839
 people that just have

00:42:39.839 --> 00:42:40.639
 never known your

00:42:40.639 --> 00:42:41.039
 goodness.

00:42:41.759 --> 00:42:42.940
 Lord, would you help

00:42:42.940 --> 00:42:44.599
 us to see that

00:42:44.599 --> 00:42:46.619
 knowing you is the

00:42:46.619 --> 00:42:48.159
 way we were meant to

00:42:48.159 --> 00:42:49.399
 live, that as we

00:42:49.399 --> 00:42:51.440
 engage in theology, we

00:42:51.440 --> 00:42:53.000
 will engage in true

00:42:53.000 --> 00:42:53.639
 doxology.

00:42:53.799 --> 00:42:54.719
 When we know you, we

00:42:54.719 --> 00:42:55.480
 will praise you.

00:42:57.099 --> 00:42:59.239
 Lord, help us, especially

00:42:59.239 --> 00:43:01.539
 this afternoon and the

00:43:01.539 --> 00:43:02.419
 days to come, because

00:43:02.419 --> 00:43:03.579
 we know that there is

00:43:03.579 --> 00:43:06.519
 our flesh, there is the

00:43:06.519 --> 00:43:07.379
 devil, there is the

00:43:07.379 --> 00:43:08.459
 world that would want

00:43:08.459 --> 00:43:10.259
 to rob us of this joy,

00:43:10.419 --> 00:43:11.299
 this truth of who you

00:43:11.299 --> 00:43:11.539
 are.

00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:13.259
 Help us to feast on you

00:43:13.259 --> 00:43:13.599
 daily.

00:43:14.159 --> 00:43:15.319
 Help us to humbly feast

00:43:15.319 --> 00:43:15.879
 on you daily.

00:43:16.019 --> 00:43:16.659
 In Jesus' name.

00:43:17.480 --> 00:43:17.759
 Amen.