WEBVTT

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 I occasionally get to speak on Parliament Hill and I went to speak on

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 Parliament Hill on Friday to some of the staff for the MPs, some of the staff are

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 the senators and some of the permanent employees on Parliament Hill and I was

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 there on Friday and of course for many of them they were in complete and utter

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 shock because even those who worked on Parliament Hill were caught completely

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 and utterly by surprise with what happened on Thursday with Andrew Scheer

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 resigning as leader of the Conservative Party. You know you can think you know how

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 things are going to unfold and how what's going to be happening next and when

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 there'll be reviews and you just think you can know the future but in fact you

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 really can't. Monday night of the same week I met with the council of the church

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 and one of the things we did was look at the first draft of our budget for 2020

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 and at the heart of looking at a budget of course is trying to have a bit of a

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 sense as to how much money you're going to receive in the coming year. If you

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 don't have any idea about the money that's going to come in it's sort of hard to

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 hard to make some type of a budget. This church doesn't make any money from

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 rentals or sales or anything like that. We're completely not really dependent upon

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 the support of people who who make this their church home and of course you don't

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 really know. It's a very human problem on one hand or very human part of the human

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 condition to want to know the future. It's part of the human condition to sort

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 of think you do know the future in some way but the fact of the matter is is that

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 we don't know the future and every single one of us when we have coffee after the

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 service we can probably tell often in tragic terms how you think something's

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 going to happen or something's going to unfold only to be completely and utterly

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 blindsided by something that you had not anticipated had never dreamed would

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 happen and completely and utterly changes how your afternoon your day your

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 week that next month is going to be. It's a very very human aspect that we both want

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 to control think we can control but reality keeps showing us we can't control

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 the future and we don't know the future. The text that we're going to look at in a

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 moment is actually a text that in an odd way speaks into this human condition in a

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 very very powerful way. I'm beginning a new sermon series if you go and listen to

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 the whole of Handel's Messiah there's four different passages from the book of

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 Isaiah that talk about Jesus in the book of Isaiah and I'm going to look at one

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 each week. In this particular week I'm going to look at a prophecy made some

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 somewhere between 735 or 734 BC about the birth of Jesus. 735 years, 735

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 before Jesus was born a man by the name of Isaiah living in Jerusalem made a

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 prophecy about his birth. We're going to look at that this morning. For Christians

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 it's a very very well-known verse. So if you have your Bibles, those of you don't

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 have your Bibles I'll put it up on the screen and here's how Isaiah chapter 7

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 verses 1, how this sort of how it gets into this particular type of prophecy.

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 And just before we start to read it, just a couple of things. Some of you are maybe

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 aware of the fact that there's a couple of huge controversies around this. One of the

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 controversies is whether or not Matthew, when he quotes and talks about Matthew, I'm

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 sorry, when Matthew talks, when the early Christians talk about Jesus and the virgin

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 birth, whether they get it right. Whether in fact Isaiah did talk about a virgin birth.

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 There's a big controversy about that. There's whole books written on it. I'm not going to

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 talk about it other than to say that I'm aware of it. I've studied it. I think at the end of

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 the day, those who hold to the traditional interpretation of it meaning virgin, I think

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 they won the exegetical argument. I think they won the argument in terms of the ancient

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 documents and the meaning of the ancient words, but I'm not going to get into it. There's also

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 a big controversy as to whether Isaiah would have written this in 735 or 734 BC. There's a whole

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 pile of people who think that it wasn't written until the 400 BCs, but I'm not going to address

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 that either other than to say that if in fact, on one level for our topic, if in 430 BC they

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 predicted a virgin birth, that's still a pretty big prophecy 430 years in advance. So I'm not

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 going to get into those dating issues. I'm just going to take it as it's been traditionally

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 understood. If you went to a traditional Jewish family, they would understand that this text was

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 written in 734 or 735 BC, and we're just going to look at it. And here's how the text begins.

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 It starts like this. I should be better if I actually had it in my Bible. You folks can see it.

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 Isaiah chapter 7 is where it begins. Isaiah chapter 7. Here's how the text begins.

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 In the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin, the king of Syria,

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 and Pekah, the son of Hermaliah, the king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it,

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 but could not yet mount an attack against it. When the house of David, that's the royal family,

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 was told, Syria is in league with Ephraim, the heart of Ahaz, that's the king, and the heart of

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 his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. And I'm just going to pause there

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 for a second. You know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, names, names, names, right? Well,

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 this is, interestingly enough, this is all historical stuff. These are people who, outside of the words

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 of the Bible, there's lots of historical records that all of these people existed, and the events which

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 are being talked about here are events which are talked about in many pagan and other sources.

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 And what's going on is this. First of all, you have to remember that, I mean, we talk about a two-state

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 solution nowadays for Israel. Back at this time, there was a two-state solution to a big problem,

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 but that two-state solution was that there were two Jewish nations. There is a Jewish nation in the

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 south whose capital was Jerusalem, and Ahaz is the king of that. That's usually referred to as Judah

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 at this time period. There's another Jewish nation in the north. That's sometimes called Israel.

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 Sometimes it's called Ephraim. That's what it's called here. And the king of that northern kingdom

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 in their capital was a city called Samaria. That's mentioned here. He's the son of Hermalia. He's Pekah,

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 the son of Hermalia. That's that king.

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 So what's going on is this. Assyria has started to arise with a desire to be an empire,

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 and they're conquering nations all over the place as their empire expands. And so as the power of

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 Assyria is rising, the king of Syria and the king of Israel get very worried. And they come and they

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 want to invade Israel. They want to invade Judah. They want to take over Jerusalem. And the reason is this.

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 It's a very simple reason. They think that a three-nation alliance might be able to resist

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 the growing Assyrian power. And Ahaz is terrified of Assyria, and he's also terrified of fighting Assyria

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 with Israel and Syria. And that's why he's torn. And because the king of Jerusalem doesn't want to join

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 the alliance, the other two countries, say, listen, all we do, we go, we take Jerusalem, we kill the king,

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 we put in our puppet, and he's in charge of the armed forces. We have a three-nation alliance. We go and fight

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 Assyria. And that's what's going on. Ahaz has rejected the offer to join an alliance. He's terrified of being

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 invaded by the Assyrians and Israel. And he's terrified of the Assyrians. And that's the context. So what happens?

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 What happens is next in verse 3. Now, one of the things you need to understand is in those days,

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 Jewish people had prophets. And if you read through all of, for our Jewish friends who might be here

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 today, it's called, they would refer to it as the Tanakh. And for Christians, we would refer to it as

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 the Old Testament. And if you read through that, you'll see that there's this phenomenon in Israel

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 known as prophets. And a way to understand what a prophet is, is a prophet is God's mouth.

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 That's a simple way to understand what a prophet is. A prophet is God's mouth. God speaks through the prophet,

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 and he speaks usually in one of two ways. He speaks directly into the situation that the people in front of him

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 are dealing with. And sometimes he speaks about the future and something which is going to happen down the road.

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 And in this particular case, Isaiah is a prophet centered in Jerusalem, the southern kingdom.

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 And here's what happens. And the Lord said to Isaiah, verse 3,

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 Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shir Jashub, your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool

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 on the highway to the washer's field. And just sort of pause there for a second.

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 Isaiah's son is sort of like a walking prophecy. His name, the name means a remnant will return.

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 And that means it's on one hand, he's a bit of like a warning of God's judgment,

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 because a remnant happens when everybody gets, almost everybody is destroyed and there's only a remnant left.

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 But it's also sort of an oracle of hope that the remnant will return to what Jewish people call the promised land.

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 And so Isaiah's son, he would have introduced him to Ahaz, and Ahaz would have thought,

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 Oh, that's like a bit of in my face type of way to name your son and to bring him.

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 And Ahaz is studying the water supply because he's worried about the invasion and he knows there'll be a siege.

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 And he's studying the water supply and he's worried.

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 But Isaiah has come because God wants him to say something to the king.

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 And here's what he says. Verse 4,

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 God says to Isaiah,

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 Say to him, that's Ahaz, the king of Jerusalem,

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 Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint

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 because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands

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 at the fierce anger of Rezan and Syria and the son of Remaliah.

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 Because Syria with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah has devised evil against you,

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 saying, let us go up against Judah and terrify it and let us conquer it for ourselves

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 and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it.

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 So that's the first part of this message that Isaiah comes to deliver to Ahaz.

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 And the first part of it isn't so much don't worry.

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 Those odd little bits about, in the original language,

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 be careful, be quiet, is really don't do anything.

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 Like in a sense he's saying to Ahaz,

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 you can go back in, don't look at the water supply, don't worry about it.

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 And then he uses a very, God uses a derogatory way

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 of referring to the northern kingdom, Israel, and to Syria.

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 He compares them to a force which is spent.

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 It's as if you had a log and the log burned,

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 and now everything in the log that is burned has been burned up,

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 and all you have left is just the remnants.

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 This has a little bit of a heat left to it.

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 It's just smoldering, but it's a completely and utterly spent force.

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 And God says to Ahaz, that's how you have to understand.

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 Don't do anything.

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 And Ahaz is probably thinking, well, you know,

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 this is very easy for you to say just to do nothing,

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 but Isaiah has a bit of another message for him.

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 The reason he's to do nothing is seen in verse 7, which is this.

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 Thus says the Lord God, it shall not stand, it shall not come to pass.

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 In other words, it's not going to happen.

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 Now, remember, this is being written in 735 or 734 B.C.,

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 and Isaiah says, God has said to you that you aren't going to be invaded,

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 and so all of your preparations are worthless,

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 and even part of your fear is worthless because they're not going to invade.

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 Now, he predicts that there'll be no invasion.

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 He continues on with his prediction in a very, very interesting way in verses 8 and 9.

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 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin.

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 And within 65 years, Ephraim, that's the northern kingdom,

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 will be shattered from being a people.

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 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Hermaliah.

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 If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.

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 Now, in fact, what we know from history is this.

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 Shortly after this, of 735 or 734 B.C., shortly after this, Assyria invades Syria.

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 And because Assyria invades Syria,

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 the alliance between Syria and Israel breaks,

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 and they don't, in fact, invade the southern kingdom.

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 And, in fact, we know from history that in 732 B.C.,

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 the Syrian nation falls to the Assyrian Empire

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 and is completely and utterly gobbled up.

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 And in that same move of gobbling up Syria,

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 they gobble up the northern part of,

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 large parts of the northern part of Israel.

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 But northern Israel was able to keep fighting for a little bit of a longer time,

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 even though they were constantly harassed with battles by Assyria.

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 And in 722 B.C., the capital of Israel falls.

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 And the nation of Israel falls to Assyria.

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 And Assyria was a very, very, very, very brutal empire.

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 And one of the things that the Assyrians did to trouble some nations

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 is that they would start to have these forced marches

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 to force the people to migrate to different parts of the world

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 where they weren't native.

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 And they would also take another area,

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 and they would take some of the people from that,

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 and they'd have a forced migration, a forced march.

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 And, of course, the Assyrians wouldn't care

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 if many, many people died in the way.

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 And they'd force them to relocate in another land.

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 And shortly after Assyria took over the northern kingdom,

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 they began these forced migrations of the Jewish people

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 living in what we now know of as northern Israel.

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 And, in fact, these were to go on in waves of forced migrations

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 and waves and waves and waves.

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 And by the year 670 B.C.,

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 all the Jewish people in northern Israel were gone.

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 And, in fact, not only were they gone,

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 they completely vanished from history.

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 If you have a Jewish friend,

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 not a single one of your Jewish friends

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 is descended from the northern kingdom of Israel.

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 Not one.

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 Every one of those Jewish people completely vanished from history.

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 And every Jewish person that you know

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 is descended from the southern kingdom of Judah,

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 whose capital was Jerusalem.

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 In fact, if you know a little bit about Mormons,

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 one of the Mormon beliefs is that all those lost,

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 what they're sometimes called as the lost tribes of Israel,

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 ten and a half tribes,

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 they somehow got to North America,

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 became what we now know of as First Nations people.

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 And there's a whole pile of Mormon mythology around that.

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 And those of us who are older might remember

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 there used to be a weird religion in England

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 called British Israelism.

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 And they believed that all of those northern tribes

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 ended up in the British Isles.

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 And so those of us who are English and Scottish and Irish and Welch

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 are really Jewish.

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 And that's an old, weird thing that died years and years ago

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 but was held for quite a while.

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 But the northern kingdom completely vanishes.

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 In other words, this prophecy ends up happening.

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 Assyria doesn't invade.

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 Assyria no longer becomes a threat.

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 And within 65 years of this prophecy,

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 the northern kingdom doesn't exist at all.

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 It's quite a remarkable prophecy.

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 So, how does Ahaz react to this?

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 I mean, one of the things which is very surprising to people

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 when they start reading the Bible for the first time

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 is you expect that the Bible is going to be talking regularly about faith.

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 It's going to be talking about people following God.

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 It's going to talk about people following the Lord

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 and paying attention to his word and obeying it.

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 And that's sort of what we think is going to happen.

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 But actually what happens regularly when you read the Bible

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 is that that's not what happens at all.

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 People do the opposite.

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 So, what happens is if you look at the next few verses,

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 if you start reading again at verse 9,

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 at verse 10,

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 there's a period of time which passes

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 and God says to Isaiah,

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 you've got to go speak Dehaz again.

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 There's been a period of time that's taken place.

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 The siege of Jerusalem never happened.

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 The invasion doesn't happen.

00:17:39.700 --> 00:17:42.539
 But what did Ahaz do when God spoke,

00:17:42.619 --> 00:17:44.779
 even as he sees these prophecies being fulfilled?

00:17:45.980 --> 00:17:47.319
 We'll look at verse 10.

00:17:49.139 --> 00:17:50.559
 Again, that's later on.

00:17:50.740 --> 00:17:52.779
 Some of your translations might say later.

00:17:52.779 --> 00:17:55.779
 The Lord spoke to Ahaz.

00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:58.480
 And this is what he says.

00:17:59.079 --> 00:18:00.500
 Do I have the right text up here?

00:18:00.619 --> 00:18:02.379
 Yeah, again, the Lord spoke to Ahaz.

00:18:03.879 --> 00:18:05.779
 Ask a sign of the Lord your God.

00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:10.940
 Let it be as deep as Sheol or high as heaven.

00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:12.220
 But Ahaz said,

00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:13.079
 I will not ask.

00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:15.279
 I will not put the Lord to the test.

00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:20.819
 And then the Lord says through Isaiah to the king,

00:18:21.400 --> 00:18:22.740
 here then, O house of David,

00:18:23.600 --> 00:18:27.059
 is it too little for you to weary men and women

00:18:27.059 --> 00:18:30.759
 that you weary my God also?

00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:35.740
 Now, there's lots of things

00:18:35.740 --> 00:18:37.180
 which are very, very curious,

00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:38.960
 you know, about this text.

00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:42.900
 Some of you, your ears might have pricked up.

00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:44.079
 Or if you look up there again,

00:18:44.360 --> 00:18:45.600
 look at verse 11 again.

00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:45.920
 It says,

00:18:46.259 --> 00:18:47.880
 Ask a sign of the Lord your God.

00:18:48.579 --> 00:18:51.240
 Let it be as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.

00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:54.579
 I've had many, many, many, many, many people

00:18:54.579 --> 00:18:56.039
 over the years tell me

00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:58.460
 they're not a Christian

00:18:58.460 --> 00:19:00.559
 and at a very, very low time in their life

00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:02.200
 they ask God to give them a sign.

00:19:02.299 --> 00:19:04.400
 And they've said that if you just give me a sign

00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:06.460
 and I know you exist,

00:19:06.539 --> 00:19:07.420
 then I'll believe in you.

00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:08.200
 And they'll tell me,

00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:09.000
 and I asked for that

00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:10.279
 and I asked very, very sincerely

00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:11.279
 and nothing happened.

00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:15.180
 Like, if God wants me to be a Christian,

00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:16.539
 why didn't he give me a sign?

00:19:18.100 --> 00:19:20.500
 Like, I've had many, many, many people tell me that.

00:19:21.640 --> 00:19:24.000
 And many Christians as well

00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:25.319
 have asked over the years

00:19:25.319 --> 00:19:27.620
 for some type of a sign from God

00:19:27.620 --> 00:19:30.700
 and often nothing happens

00:19:30.700 --> 00:19:32.420
 when they ask for a sign for God.

00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:34.559
 And so there's a very, very curious thing here,

00:19:34.600 --> 00:19:34.900
 isn't it?

00:19:34.900 --> 00:19:39.019
 That here God actually says to the king,

00:19:39.980 --> 00:19:40.900
 I'm going to give this,

00:19:41.100 --> 00:19:42.160
 I'm going to give you an opportunity.

00:19:42.280 --> 00:19:43.320
 Ask me a sign

00:19:43.320 --> 00:19:45.660
 and I'll give you the sign

00:19:45.660 --> 00:19:47.340
 so that you know that I exist.

00:19:47.980 --> 00:19:49.140
 And then it's really funny

00:19:49.140 --> 00:19:50.080
 because Ahaz says,

00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:51.620
 no, no, it sounds very, very pious.

00:19:51.780 --> 00:19:52.780
 No, no, no, no, no, no.

00:19:53.340 --> 00:19:54.480
 No, no, no, no, no, no.

00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:56.120
 I'm not going to ask you

00:19:56.120 --> 00:19:57.480
 of a sign of you, Lord.

00:19:58.039 --> 00:19:59.240
 And it sounds very pious.

00:19:59.940 --> 00:20:02.240
 But then there's this surprising response

00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:05.759
 where the Lord, through Isaiah, says,

00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:07.920
 why are you wearying me

00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:09.420
 and wearying men?

00:20:11.380 --> 00:20:12.660
 Like, why is it

00:20:12.660 --> 00:20:15.660
 that Ahaz's pious response

00:20:15.660 --> 00:20:18.940
 makes the Lord angry?

00:20:18.940 --> 00:20:22.400
 And that's because

00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:23.640
 there's something significant.

00:20:24.320 --> 00:20:25.019
 And if you read

00:20:25.019 --> 00:20:26.720
 the other different historical accounts,

00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:28.039
 you know what it was

00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:28.880
 as to why it is

00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:30.059
 that he didn't want to give,

00:20:30.580 --> 00:20:31.700
 ask the Lord for a sign.

00:20:32.759 --> 00:20:33.779
 It's because

00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:35.980
 the king of,

00:20:36.140 --> 00:20:37.680
 the king, Ahaz,

00:20:38.279 --> 00:20:39.799
 has already made a deal

00:20:39.799 --> 00:20:40.700
 with Assyria.

00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:43.820
 In other words,

00:20:43.880 --> 00:20:45.440
 even though the Lord said,

00:20:45.559 --> 00:20:46.420
 you don't have to worry,

00:20:47.019 --> 00:20:48.440
 the invasion is going to happen,

00:20:48.940 --> 00:20:50.180
 and even though

00:20:50.180 --> 00:20:51.340
 Ahaz could see

00:20:51.340 --> 00:20:52.860
 that the invasion didn't happen,

00:20:54.019 --> 00:20:54.840
 and even though

00:20:54.840 --> 00:20:55.580
 he starts to have

00:20:55.580 --> 00:20:56.279
 a bit of a sense

00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:57.920
 of Assyria attacking Syria

00:20:57.920 --> 00:20:58.600
 because he would have had

00:20:58.600 --> 00:20:59.660
 spies and messengers,

00:20:59.840 --> 00:21:00.840
 even at all of those times,

00:21:00.900 --> 00:21:01.940
 he doesn't believe the Lord,

00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:02.880
 even though he's Jewish.

00:21:03.180 --> 00:21:04.400
 He doesn't trust his word.

00:21:04.460 --> 00:21:05.460
 He doesn't believe his prophet.

00:21:05.960 --> 00:21:06.539
 He says,

00:21:06.620 --> 00:21:07.259
 I'm going to solve

00:21:07.259 --> 00:21:08.380
 this problem myself.

00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:09.140
 And what I'm going to do

00:21:09.140 --> 00:21:09.720
 is I'm going to take

00:21:09.720 --> 00:21:10.480
 a whole pile of money

00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:11.600
 and I'm going to go to Assyria

00:21:11.600 --> 00:21:13.360
 and I'm going to offer

00:21:13.360 --> 00:21:14.779
 to be their vassal

00:21:14.779 --> 00:21:16.380
 so they don't invade me.

00:21:16.380 --> 00:21:19.460
 And so Ahaz

00:21:19.460 --> 00:21:20.560
 has put his faith

00:21:20.560 --> 00:21:21.120
 and trust

00:21:21.120 --> 00:21:22.200
 in power politics.

00:21:22.380 --> 00:21:23.120
 He's put his faith

00:21:23.120 --> 00:21:23.720
 and trust

00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:25.160
 in his ability

00:21:25.160 --> 00:21:26.520
 to manipulate events.

00:21:27.760 --> 00:21:28.940
 He's put his faith

00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:29.620
 and trust

00:21:29.620 --> 00:21:30.940
 in having Assyria

00:21:30.940 --> 00:21:31.980
 as his Lord.

00:21:34.740 --> 00:21:35.860
 And now,

00:21:36.860 --> 00:21:38.260
 Isaiah goes ahead

00:21:38.260 --> 00:21:39.380
 and asks Ahaz

00:21:40.020 --> 00:21:41.280
 a very, very, very,

00:21:41.340 --> 00:21:42.380
 very uncomfortable question.

00:21:42.380 --> 00:21:47.020
 You see,

00:21:47.100 --> 00:21:47.960
 what happens

00:21:47.960 --> 00:21:50.380
 if Ahaz

00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:52.420
 asks for a sign

00:21:52.420 --> 00:21:54.100
 and the Lord

00:21:54.100 --> 00:21:55.100
 keeps his word

00:21:55.100 --> 00:21:55.960
 just like he kept

00:21:55.960 --> 00:21:56.660
 his other word

00:21:56.660 --> 00:21:58.140
 and actually gives the sign?

00:22:01.340 --> 00:22:02.500
 And then the fact

00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:03.340
 of the matter is

00:22:03.340 --> 00:22:04.380
 that he has not

00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:05.820
 trusted the Lord before,

00:22:06.740 --> 00:22:07.480
 that he's given

00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:08.380
 a whole pile of money

00:22:08.380 --> 00:22:09.240
 to Assyria,

00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:11.160
 that he's put his faith

00:22:11.160 --> 00:22:11.580
 and trust

00:22:11.580 --> 00:22:11.900
 and hope

00:22:11.900 --> 00:22:12.500
 in Assyria,

00:22:12.580 --> 00:22:13.660
 that will come out.

00:22:15.040 --> 00:22:15.960
 And it will come out

00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:17.220
 in a very awkward way.

00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:19.920
 Like, you see,

00:22:20.019 --> 00:22:21.080
 what would actually happen

00:22:21.080 --> 00:22:21.980
 if Ahaz had asked

00:22:21.980 --> 00:22:22.360
 for a sign

00:22:22.360 --> 00:22:22.820
 and had come?

00:22:23.360 --> 00:22:23.920
 Does that mean

00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:24.580
 he's going to go back

00:22:24.580 --> 00:22:25.140
 to Assyria

00:22:25.140 --> 00:22:26.300
 and ask for the money back?

00:22:28.680 --> 00:22:29.480
 Is he going to have

00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:29.920
 to reveal

00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:31.000
 to everybody

00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:31.700
 that he's made

00:22:31.700 --> 00:22:32.960
 Israel,

00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:33.920
 Judah,

00:22:34.040 --> 00:22:34.820
 a vassal state

00:22:34.820 --> 00:22:35.420
 of Assyria?

00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:36.920
 He doesn't want

00:22:36.920 --> 00:22:37.820
 a sign to be true.

00:22:37.819 --> 00:22:40.519
 Because a sign

00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:41.079
 to be true

00:22:41.079 --> 00:22:41.759
 would actually

00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:43.059
 screw up his life.

00:22:47.019 --> 00:22:48.159
 Now, I can't speak

00:22:48.159 --> 00:22:48.879
 for all of you

00:22:48.879 --> 00:22:49.379
 who are here

00:22:49.379 --> 00:22:49.960
 and there might be

00:22:49.960 --> 00:22:50.759
 very many of you

00:22:50.759 --> 00:22:51.259
 who are here

00:22:51.259 --> 00:22:53.019
 who have asked

00:22:53.019 --> 00:22:53.980
 the Lord for a sign

00:22:53.980 --> 00:22:54.480
 and the sign

00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:55.079
 didn't come.

00:22:56.879 --> 00:22:58.240
 But I want to just say

00:22:58.240 --> 00:22:58.960
 a couple of things

00:22:58.960 --> 00:22:59.359
 about it

00:22:59.359 --> 00:22:59.919
 if we just want

00:22:59.919 --> 00:23:00.799
 to be really honest

00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:01.720
 about it for a second.

00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:03.379
 Like, first of all,

00:23:03.419 --> 00:23:03.799
 there's a very,

00:23:03.919 --> 00:23:05.099
 very general problem.

00:23:05.099 --> 00:23:07.779
 Let's say

00:23:07.779 --> 00:23:08.079
 that you were

00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:08.839
 in a plane

00:23:08.839 --> 00:23:09.939
 going up north

00:23:09.939 --> 00:23:11.599
 and a storm comes

00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:13.859
 and the first blast

00:23:13.859 --> 00:23:14.419
 of the storm

00:23:14.419 --> 00:23:15.599
 knocks out your radio

00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:18.299
 and it drives you

00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:18.919
 way, way, way

00:23:18.919 --> 00:23:19.319
 and you know

00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:19.919
 that you're

00:23:19.919 --> 00:23:20.480
 with the pilot.

00:23:20.619 --> 00:23:21.059
 He lets you know

00:23:21.059 --> 00:23:21.639
 you're being driven

00:23:21.639 --> 00:23:22.359
 way, way, way,

00:23:22.419 --> 00:23:23.279
 way off course

00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:24.059
 and then finally

00:23:24.059 --> 00:23:25.099
 the plane succumbs

00:23:25.099 --> 00:23:25.819
 to the storm

00:23:25.819 --> 00:23:27.279
 and there's a forced

00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:28.500
 landing in the water

00:23:28.500 --> 00:23:29.740
 and in the process

00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:30.679
 of the forced landing

00:23:30.679 --> 00:23:31.240
 in the water

00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:32.919
 the plane is destroyed.

00:23:33.099 --> 00:23:33.679
 You're battered

00:23:33.679 --> 00:23:34.139
 and bruised

00:23:34.140 --> 00:23:34.900
 but you survived

00:23:34.900 --> 00:23:35.840
 the plane crash

00:23:35.840 --> 00:23:37.100
 and you're able

00:23:37.100 --> 00:23:37.680
 to swim

00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:38.620
 even though it's in

00:23:38.620 --> 00:23:39.360
 you know

00:23:39.360 --> 00:23:40.680
 the late spring

00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:41.460
 or something like that

00:23:41.460 --> 00:23:42.220
 and the water is cold

00:23:42.220 --> 00:23:43.040
 you're able to swim

00:23:43.040 --> 00:23:43.580
 to shore

00:23:43.580 --> 00:23:46.100
 and you huddle

00:23:46.100 --> 00:23:46.740
 on the side

00:23:46.740 --> 00:23:47.400
 you had some

00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:48.180
 waterproof matches

00:23:48.180 --> 00:23:48.960
 you make a fire

00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:50.360
 and you just worry

00:23:50.360 --> 00:23:51.280
 about how long

00:23:51.280 --> 00:23:51.900
 you'll have to

00:23:51.900 --> 00:23:53.240
 be there on this

00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:54.500
 piece of land

00:23:54.500 --> 00:23:55.500
 before some help

00:23:55.500 --> 00:23:55.980
 will come

00:23:55.980 --> 00:23:57.100
 and you're there

00:23:57.100 --> 00:23:58.040
 for 24 hours

00:23:58.040 --> 00:23:58.360
 you're there

00:23:58.360 --> 00:23:59.400
 for 36 hours

00:23:59.400 --> 00:24:00.300
 you don't want to leave

00:24:00.300 --> 00:24:01.620
 and nothing's happening

00:24:01.620 --> 00:24:02.860
 and so you make

00:24:02.860 --> 00:24:03.840
 some type of a sign

00:24:03.839 --> 00:24:04.539
 you think to yourself

00:24:04.539 --> 00:24:04.899
 well you know

00:24:04.899 --> 00:24:05.299
 who knows

00:24:05.299 --> 00:24:06.139
 we could be stuck

00:24:06.139 --> 00:24:07.240
 here on this beach

00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:08.699
 and if we maybe

00:24:08.699 --> 00:24:09.559
 just walked a couple

00:24:09.559 --> 00:24:09.959
 of miles

00:24:09.959 --> 00:24:10.779
 like maybe somebody

00:24:10.779 --> 00:24:11.399
 even lives

00:24:11.399 --> 00:24:12.399
 a couple of miles away

00:24:12.399 --> 00:24:13.480
 and it would be so dumb

00:24:13.480 --> 00:24:14.220
 just to be here

00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:14.819
 on the beach

00:24:14.819 --> 00:24:16.220
 when there's help

00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:17.779
 just a little while away

00:24:17.779 --> 00:24:19.659
 and so you make

00:24:19.659 --> 00:24:20.559
 some type of a note

00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:21.619
 on the side

00:24:21.619 --> 00:24:23.059
 so that if rescuers

00:24:23.059 --> 00:24:23.639
 do come

00:24:23.639 --> 00:24:24.179
 they could see

00:24:24.179 --> 00:24:24.819
 that you'd been there

00:24:24.819 --> 00:24:25.839
 and you start going along

00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:27.240
 and everything you see

00:24:27.240 --> 00:24:27.980
 just lets you know

00:24:27.980 --> 00:24:28.579
 that the island

00:24:28.579 --> 00:24:29.259
 is completely

00:24:29.259 --> 00:24:30.359
 and utterly uninhabited

00:24:30.359 --> 00:24:31.219
 but all of a sudden

00:24:31.219 --> 00:24:32.539
 you come to a spot

00:24:32.539 --> 00:24:33.500
 right by the water

00:24:33.500 --> 00:24:34.879
 and you see

00:24:34.879 --> 00:24:36.519
 two stones

00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:38.240
 on end

00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:39.919
 and on top of it

00:24:39.919 --> 00:24:40.839
 you see a stone

00:24:40.839 --> 00:24:43.779
 and on top of that

00:24:43.779 --> 00:24:44.899
 you see

00:24:44.899 --> 00:24:48.740
 another stone balanced

00:24:48.740 --> 00:24:50.379
 and on top of that stone

00:24:50.379 --> 00:24:51.719
 you see another stone balanced

00:24:51.719 --> 00:24:53.439
 five stones balanced

00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:57.779
 now what every single

00:24:57.779 --> 00:24:58.640
 one of us would know

00:24:58.640 --> 00:24:59.279
 is this

00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:02.180
 human beings

00:25:02.180 --> 00:25:02.799
 have been here

00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:06.200
 human beings

00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:06.759
 have been here

00:25:06.759 --> 00:25:08.200
 because who other

00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:09.000
 than a human being

00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:10.400
 could have five stones

00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:11.880
 so clearly set

00:25:11.880 --> 00:25:12.519
 and balanced

00:25:12.519 --> 00:25:13.559
 on top of each other

00:25:13.559 --> 00:25:14.000
 and designed

00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:14.700
 we would all know

00:25:14.700 --> 00:25:15.620
 that that was created

00:25:15.620 --> 00:25:16.480
 by human beings

00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:17.700
 that human beings

00:25:17.700 --> 00:25:18.480
 have been here

00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:20.080
 and instantly

00:25:20.080 --> 00:25:20.680
 your hopes

00:25:20.680 --> 00:25:21.519
 would be lifted

00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:22.200
 that this isn't

00:25:22.200 --> 00:25:23.019
 maybe a completely

00:25:23.019 --> 00:25:23.500
 and utterly

00:25:23.500 --> 00:25:24.700
 unvisited island

00:25:24.700 --> 00:25:25.579
 up in the north

00:25:25.579 --> 00:25:26.859
 or a piece of land

00:25:26.859 --> 00:25:27.799
 that maybe if I keep

00:25:27.799 --> 00:25:28.960
 walking along the beach

00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:30.319
 I'll find the kids

00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:30.759
 who did it

00:25:30.759 --> 00:25:31.480
 or the teenagers

00:25:31.480 --> 00:25:32.139
 or the adults

00:25:32.139 --> 00:25:32.639
 who did it

00:25:32.639 --> 00:25:33.700
 or maybe I can just

00:25:33.700 --> 00:25:35.119
 trust that fairly soon

00:25:35.119 --> 00:25:36.039
 there'll be some hunters

00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:37.440
 or some fishermen

00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:38.259
 or something like that

00:25:38.259 --> 00:25:39.000
 who are going to come here

00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:40.000
 but a second you see

00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:41.039
 five stones

00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:42.779
 just five simple stones

00:25:42.779 --> 00:25:43.559
 by the water

00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:45.099
 you instantly know

00:25:45.099 --> 00:25:46.559
 that human beings

00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:46.879
 are here

00:25:46.879 --> 00:25:47.700
 you instantly know

00:25:47.700 --> 00:25:48.460
 that every one of us

00:25:48.460 --> 00:25:49.139
 would know that

00:25:49.139 --> 00:25:51.700
 well how can

00:25:51.700 --> 00:25:52.599
 how

00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:53.779
 how is it

00:25:53.779 --> 00:25:55.559
 that we look

00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:56.459
 at the universe

00:25:56.459 --> 00:25:58.279
 how is it

00:25:58.279 --> 00:25:58.699
 that you look

00:25:58.699 --> 00:25:59.379
 at a cell

00:25:59.379 --> 00:26:00.980
 which is vastly

00:26:00.980 --> 00:26:02.019
 more complicated

00:26:02.019 --> 00:26:03.319
 than five stones

00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:03.980
 balanced

00:26:03.980 --> 00:26:05.779
 how is it

00:26:05.779 --> 00:26:06.359
 you look at

00:26:06.359 --> 00:26:06.779
 DNA

00:26:06.779 --> 00:26:08.199
 which is vastly

00:26:08.199 --> 00:26:09.219
 more complicated

00:26:09.219 --> 00:26:10.219
 than five stones

00:26:10.219 --> 00:26:10.839
 balanced

00:26:10.839 --> 00:26:12.659
 and don't see design

00:26:12.659 --> 00:26:19.439
 how can that be

00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:23.279
 and if you

00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:24.279
 as a human being

00:26:24.279 --> 00:26:27.140
 can look at the

00:26:27.140 --> 00:26:29.240
 all of the miraculous

00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:30.460
 things in nature

00:26:30.460 --> 00:26:31.440
 and how it's so

00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:32.360
 unbelievably

00:26:32.360 --> 00:26:33.720
 interconnected

00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:34.779
 in ways

00:26:34.779 --> 00:26:36.539
 that the adaptation

00:26:36.539 --> 00:26:37.960
 of genetic changes

00:26:37.960 --> 00:26:38.799
 can't account

00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:39.460
 just everything

00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:40.440
 from the gravity

00:26:40.440 --> 00:26:41.320
 the atmosphere

00:26:41.320 --> 00:26:42.400
 everything about

00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:44.059
 human life

00:26:44.059 --> 00:26:44.759
 on this planet

00:26:44.759 --> 00:26:45.799
 just screams

00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:46.620
 design

00:26:46.619 --> 00:26:52.159
 and how could

00:26:52.159 --> 00:26:53.000
 God give you

00:26:53.000 --> 00:26:53.699
 a sign

00:26:53.699 --> 00:26:55.579
 if you can't

00:26:55.579 --> 00:26:56.359
 see design

00:26:56.359 --> 00:26:59.259
 like how would

00:26:59.259 --> 00:26:59.899
 that work

00:26:59.899 --> 00:27:04.519
 and that

00:27:04.519 --> 00:27:05.339
 that fits in

00:27:05.339 --> 00:27:05.819
 with an even

00:27:05.819 --> 00:27:07.039
 deeper problem

00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:09.039
 how in many ways

00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:09.559
 even though

00:27:09.559 --> 00:27:10.299
 we're

00:27:10.299 --> 00:27:12.879
 2800 years

00:27:12.879 --> 00:27:14.219
 2900 years

00:27:14.219 --> 00:27:15.000
 after Ahaz

00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:15.500
 there's still

00:27:15.500 --> 00:27:15.940
 something

00:27:15.940 --> 00:27:16.559
 very very

00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:17.299
 very serious

00:27:17.299 --> 00:27:18.119
 in our lives

00:27:18.119 --> 00:27:18.480
 you see

00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:19.259
 the fact

00:27:19.259 --> 00:27:19.640
 the matter

00:27:19.640 --> 00:27:20.160
 is

00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:21.140
 is that

00:27:21.140 --> 00:27:21.720
 if Ahaz

00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:22.160
 had asked

00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:22.799
 for a sign

00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:23.359
 and God

00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:23.759
 had given

00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:24.559
 them the sign

00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:25.119
 then that

00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:25.599
 would just

00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:26.180
 mess up

00:27:26.180 --> 00:27:26.960
 his life

00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:28.200
 because the

00:27:28.200 --> 00:27:28.819
 last thing

00:27:28.819 --> 00:27:29.380
 you want

00:27:29.380 --> 00:27:29.819
 is an

00:27:29.819 --> 00:27:30.500
 untamed

00:27:30.500 --> 00:27:31.160
 God

00:27:31.160 --> 00:27:32.579
 messing around

00:27:32.579 --> 00:27:33.680
 in your

00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:34.339
 affairs

00:27:34.339 --> 00:27:39.359
 you see

00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:39.700
 the fact

00:27:39.700 --> 00:27:40.059
 the matter

00:27:40.059 --> 00:27:40.519
 is

00:27:40.519 --> 00:27:42.059
 is that

00:27:42.059 --> 00:27:42.480
 when a

00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:42.819
 person

00:27:42.819 --> 00:27:43.500
 asks that

00:27:43.500 --> 00:27:43.720
 God

00:27:43.720 --> 00:27:44.039
 would give

00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:44.599
 them a sign

00:27:44.599 --> 00:27:44.939
 so they

00:27:44.939 --> 00:27:45.119
 would

00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:45.759
 believe

00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:48.619
 and I'm

00:27:48.619 --> 00:27:48.719
 not

00:27:48.719 --> 00:27:48.959
 maybe

00:27:48.959 --> 00:27:49.339
 you're

00:27:49.339 --> 00:27:49.500
 all

00:27:49.500 --> 00:27:49.899
 different

00:27:49.899 --> 00:27:50.659
 for those

00:27:50.659 --> 00:27:50.919
 of you

00:27:50.919 --> 00:27:51.119
 who've

00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:51.279
 gone

00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:51.519
 through

00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:51.839
 that

00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:52.879
 but I

00:27:52.879 --> 00:27:53.079
 think

00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:53.480
 for many

00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:53.699
 many

00:27:53.699 --> 00:27:53.919
 many

00:27:53.919 --> 00:27:54.359
 people

00:27:54.359 --> 00:27:54.819
 they do

00:27:54.819 --> 00:27:54.980
 it

00:27:54.980 --> 00:27:55.899
 knowing

00:27:55.899 --> 00:27:56.219
 that it

00:27:56.219 --> 00:27:56.339
 will

00:27:56.339 --> 00:27:56.759
 fail

00:27:56.759 --> 00:27:57.919
 so they

00:27:57.919 --> 00:27:58.299
 can say

00:27:58.299 --> 00:27:58.879
 people like

00:27:58.879 --> 00:27:59.240
 me

00:27:59.240 --> 00:27:59.939
 to people

00:27:59.939 --> 00:28:00.359
 like me

00:28:00.359 --> 00:28:00.839
 why doesn't

00:28:00.839 --> 00:28:01.259
 God give

00:28:01.259 --> 00:28:01.699
 me a sign

00:28:01.699 --> 00:28:01.959
 that I

00:28:01.959 --> 00:28:02.099
 will

00:28:02.099 --> 00:28:02.559
 believe

00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:05.619
 and I

00:28:05.619 --> 00:28:05.980
 think

00:28:05.980 --> 00:28:06.599
 that often

00:28:06.599 --> 00:28:07.159
 many other

00:28:07.159 --> 00:28:07.519
 people

00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:07.939
 even though

00:28:07.939 --> 00:28:08.319
 they might

00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:08.759
 on one

00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:09.000
 level

00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:09.699
 be emotionally

00:28:09.699 --> 00:28:10.319
 very very

00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:10.819
 distraught

00:28:10.819 --> 00:28:11.279
 and they

00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:11.699
 might on

00:28:11.699 --> 00:28:12.099
 one level

00:28:12.099 --> 00:28:12.779
 really think

00:28:12.779 --> 00:28:13.199
 they want

00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:13.620
 a sign

00:28:13.620 --> 00:28:14.220
 from God

00:28:14.220 --> 00:28:14.720
 that will

00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.580
 help them

00:28:15.580 --> 00:28:15.840
 to know

00:28:15.840 --> 00:28:16.319
 that he's

00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:16.660
 real

00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:18.019
 and exist

00:28:18.019 --> 00:28:18.960
 and you

00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:19.580
 have to ask

00:28:19.580 --> 00:28:19.940
 yourself

00:28:19.940 --> 00:28:21.259
 is that what

00:28:21.259 --> 00:28:21.740
 you really

00:28:21.740 --> 00:28:22.400
 want

00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:24.640
 like if that

00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:25.100
 happened

00:28:25.100 --> 00:28:25.620
 does that mean

00:28:25.620 --> 00:28:26.000
 you're going to

00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:26.640
 tell all of your

00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:27.360
 friends that you've

00:28:27.360 --> 00:28:28.140
 become a Christian

00:28:28.140 --> 00:28:30.120
 does that mean

00:28:30.120 --> 00:28:30.920
 you're going to

00:28:30.920 --> 00:28:32.360
 tell your

00:28:32.360 --> 00:28:33.279
 family that you've

00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:33.960
 become a Christian

00:28:33.960 --> 00:28:34.500
 does that mean

00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:34.960
 you're going to

00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:36.019
 change your life

00:28:36.019 --> 00:28:38.160
 as if the

00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:38.759
 Christian faith

00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:39.400
 is true

00:28:39.400 --> 00:28:41.879
 like do you

00:28:41.879 --> 00:28:42.359
 really think

00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:42.799
 you would do

00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:43.259
 all of that

00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:43.980
 stuff if the

00:28:43.980 --> 00:28:44.379
 sign was

00:28:44.379 --> 00:28:44.779
 answered

00:28:44.779 --> 00:28:50.240
 and I

00:28:50.240 --> 00:28:50.700
 think many

00:28:50.700 --> 00:28:51.180
 times

00:28:51.180 --> 00:28:53.059
 we don't

00:28:53.059 --> 00:28:54.099
 actually want

00:28:54.099 --> 00:28:54.420
 to have

00:28:54.420 --> 00:28:55.000
 anything like

00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:55.579
 that happen

00:28:55.579 --> 00:28:56.799
 we're actually

00:28:56.799 --> 00:28:57.480
 sort of almost

00:28:57.480 --> 00:28:58.319
 relieved that

00:28:58.319 --> 00:28:58.859
 God doesn't

00:28:58.859 --> 00:28:59.619
 give us a sign

00:28:59.619 --> 00:29:00.299
 and then we

00:29:00.299 --> 00:29:00.879
 have a reason

00:29:00.879 --> 00:29:01.759
 for unbelief

00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:04.339
 and for many

00:29:04.339 --> 00:29:04.879
 of us if we

00:29:04.879 --> 00:29:05.480
 even had the

00:29:05.480 --> 00:29:05.940
 sign it would

00:29:05.940 --> 00:29:06.400
 just be one of

00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:06.980
 those curious

00:29:06.980 --> 00:29:07.559
 things that we

00:29:07.559 --> 00:29:07.940
 would talk

00:29:07.940 --> 00:29:08.640
 about over beer

00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:09.000
 with our

00:29:09.000 --> 00:29:09.320
 buddies

00:29:09.320 --> 00:29:11.740
 but that there's

00:29:11.740 --> 00:29:12.519
 in fact a deep

00:29:12.519 --> 00:29:13.299
 part of a

00:29:13.299 --> 00:29:13.980
 human being

00:29:13.980 --> 00:29:15.759
 that doesn't

00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:16.559
 want God to

00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:17.059
 give them a

00:29:17.059 --> 00:29:17.360
 sign

00:29:17.360 --> 00:29:19.500
 and is quite

00:29:19.500 --> 00:29:20.160
 happy with

00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:20.940
 having eyes

00:29:20.940 --> 00:29:22.539
 closed to

00:29:22.539 --> 00:29:23.900
 design in

00:29:23.900 --> 00:29:24.340
 the world

00:29:24.340 --> 00:29:29.880
 so God

00:29:29.880 --> 00:29:30.420
 goes ahead and

00:29:30.420 --> 00:29:30.880
 does something

00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:31.400
 which is very

00:29:31.400 --> 00:29:32.340
 surprising he

00:29:32.340 --> 00:29:33.160
 says well I'm

00:29:33.160 --> 00:29:33.920
 not going to

00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:34.980
 you didn't want

00:29:34.980 --> 00:29:35.580
 to choose a

00:29:35.580 --> 00:29:36.140
 sign I'm going

00:29:36.140 --> 00:29:36.680
 to give you a

00:29:36.680 --> 00:29:37.680
 sign and

00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:38.120
 here's where

00:29:38.120 --> 00:29:38.360
 we're going

00:29:38.360 --> 00:29:38.680
 to wrap

00:29:38.680 --> 00:29:39.060
 up with

00:29:39.060 --> 00:29:39.480
 this very

00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:40.019
 just brief

00:29:40.019 --> 00:29:40.660
 examination

00:29:40.660 --> 00:29:41.120
 of what the

00:29:41.120 --> 00:29:41.720
 sign actually

00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:43.640
 is look

00:29:43.640 --> 00:29:44.740
 at verse 14

00:29:44.740 --> 00:29:46.259
 therefore the

00:29:46.259 --> 00:29:47.039
 Lord himself

00:29:47.039 --> 00:29:48.519
 will give you

00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:49.460
 a sign behold

00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:50.080
 the virgin

00:29:50.080 --> 00:29:50.940
 shall conceive

00:29:50.940 --> 00:29:51.519
 a bearish

00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:52.500
 son and

00:29:52.500 --> 00:29:52.820
 you shall

00:29:52.820 --> 00:29:53.420
 call his

00:29:53.420 --> 00:29:53.840
 name

00:29:53.840 --> 00:29:54.980
 Emmanuel

00:29:54.980 --> 00:29:56.140
 and you

00:29:56.140 --> 00:29:56.620
 shall call

00:29:56.620 --> 00:29:57.240
 his name

00:29:57.240 --> 00:29:58.360
 Emmanuel

00:29:58.360 --> 00:30:00.940
 now the

00:30:00.940 --> 00:30:01.400
 word for

00:30:01.400 --> 00:30:01.860
 virgin

00:30:01.860 --> 00:30:04.320
 usually means

00:30:04.320 --> 00:30:05.740
 virgin but

00:30:05.740 --> 00:30:05.980
 it can

00:30:05.980 --> 00:30:06.480
 also mean

00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:06.740
 young

00:30:06.740 --> 00:30:07.079
 maiden

00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:11.539
 and I'm

00:30:11.539 --> 00:30:11.900
 not going

00:30:11.900 --> 00:30:12.180
 to read the

00:30:12.180 --> 00:30:12.559
 rest of the

00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:12.940
 stuff that

00:30:12.940 --> 00:30:13.620
 goes on with

00:30:13.620 --> 00:30:14.160
 the rest of

00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:14.779
 the context

00:30:14.779 --> 00:30:15.180
 of it because

00:30:15.180 --> 00:30:15.680
 we just need

00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:16.599
 to sort of

00:30:16.599 --> 00:30:17.299
 focus in on

00:30:17.299 --> 00:30:18.620
 this it's very

00:30:18.620 --> 00:30:19.339
 interesting that

00:30:19.339 --> 00:30:19.960
 the rest of the

00:30:19.960 --> 00:30:20.799
 prophecy and

00:30:20.799 --> 00:30:21.380
 most of the

00:30:21.380 --> 00:30:22.160
 other prophecies

00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:22.700
 in the book of

00:30:22.700 --> 00:30:23.319
 Isaiah it's very

00:30:23.319 --> 00:30:24.059
 clear how they

00:30:24.059 --> 00:30:24.779
 were fulfilled in

00:30:24.779 --> 00:30:26.559
 this time this

00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:27.059
 would be one of

00:30:27.059 --> 00:30:27.660
 those things that's

00:30:27.660 --> 00:30:28.279
 even said in a

00:30:28.279 --> 00:30:28.940
 very very odd

00:30:28.940 --> 00:30:29.660
 way it said in

00:30:29.660 --> 00:30:30.759
 Hebrew you're not

00:30:30.759 --> 00:30:31.559
 sure whether in

00:30:31.559 --> 00:30:32.200
 Hebrew it should be

00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:33.000
 translated in the

00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:33.859
 present tense or the

00:30:33.859 --> 00:30:35.240
 future tense but

00:30:35.240 --> 00:30:35.759
 it's very very

00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:36.579
 telling that about

00:30:36.579 --> 00:30:38.339
 250 years after

00:30:38.339 --> 00:30:39.619
 this Jewish

00:30:39.619 --> 00:30:40.379
 scholars were

00:30:40.379 --> 00:30:41.339
 translating the

00:30:41.339 --> 00:30:42.879
 Hebrew Old

00:30:42.879 --> 00:30:43.799
 Testament into

00:30:43.799 --> 00:30:45.759
 Greek and the

00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:46.559
 Jewish scholars

00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:47.379
 would have looked

00:30:47.379 --> 00:30:48.159
 and seen all of

00:30:48.159 --> 00:30:48.939
 the different ways

00:30:48.939 --> 00:30:49.500
 that the book of

00:30:49.500 --> 00:30:50.219
 Isaiah had been

00:30:50.219 --> 00:30:51.319
 the prophecies had

00:30:51.319 --> 00:30:52.199
 been fulfilled and

00:30:52.199 --> 00:30:52.839
 fulfilled and

00:30:52.839 --> 00:30:53.439
 fulfilled and

00:30:53.439 --> 00:30:54.039
 fulfilled and

00:30:54.039 --> 00:30:54.740
 fulfilled but when

00:30:54.740 --> 00:30:55.319
 they came to this

00:30:55.319 --> 00:30:56.759
 particular one they

00:30:56.759 --> 00:30:57.419
 would have said to

00:30:57.419 --> 00:30:58.139
 themselves that

00:30:58.139 --> 00:30:58.559
 we've never

00:30:58.559 --> 00:30:59.859
 particularly seen

00:30:59.859 --> 00:31:00.939
 how that particular

00:31:00.939 --> 00:31:01.779
 prophecy was

00:31:01.779 --> 00:31:02.899
 fulfilled and

00:31:02.899 --> 00:31:03.479
 therefore it's

00:31:03.480 --> 00:31:03.920
 something that

00:31:03.920 --> 00:31:04.720
 still has to be

00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:05.339
 fulfilled in the

00:31:05.339 --> 00:31:06.480
 future and they

00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:07.360
 understood that it

00:31:07.360 --> 00:31:08.339
 was referring to a

00:31:08.339 --> 00:31:09.140
 virgin which is how

00:31:09.140 --> 00:31:10.019
 it's translated into

00:31:10.019 --> 00:31:10.799
 Greek which is how

00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:11.700
 it makes it into our

00:31:11.700 --> 00:31:13.180
 New Testament but

00:31:13.180 --> 00:31:13.839
 it's a very very

00:31:13.839 --> 00:31:15.099
 very very interesting

00:31:15.099 --> 00:31:17.660
 prophecy that a day

00:31:17.660 --> 00:31:19.440
 will come when a

00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:20.420
 virgin while remaining

00:31:20.420 --> 00:31:21.759
 a virgin will give

00:31:21.759 --> 00:31:23.339
 birth to a baby boy

00:31:23.339 --> 00:31:25.160
 and he will be

00:31:25.160 --> 00:31:26.799
 known as Emmanuel

00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:27.839
 which means God

00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:28.400
 with us

00:31:28.400 --> 00:31:31.440
 God with us

00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:38.100
 and Christians

00:31:38.100 --> 00:31:41.759
 believe that an

00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:42.640
 angel came to

00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:47.299
 Mary and asked

00:31:47.299 --> 00:31:48.519
 Mary on God's

00:31:48.519 --> 00:31:50.480
 behalf whether she

00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:51.340
 would be willing to

00:31:51.340 --> 00:31:52.240
 be that virgin

00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:54.039
 whether she

00:31:54.039 --> 00:31:55.039
 remaining a virgin

00:31:55.039 --> 00:31:56.180
 would be willing to

00:31:56.180 --> 00:31:57.400
 let God do a miracle

00:31:57.400 --> 00:31:59.320
 within her womb so

00:31:59.320 --> 00:32:00.160
 that a baby would be

00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:03.220
 born and Christians

00:32:03.220 --> 00:32:05.180
 believe that Mary

00:32:05.180 --> 00:32:06.279
 said yes to that

00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:08.840
 and then because

00:32:08.840 --> 00:32:10.019
 Joseph understood how

00:32:10.019 --> 00:32:10.940
 babies are made

00:32:10.940 --> 00:32:12.900
 was going to divorce

00:32:12.900 --> 00:32:14.480
 his fiancee

00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:16.759
 and so an angel came

00:32:16.759 --> 00:32:17.779
 and spoke on God's

00:32:17.779 --> 00:32:18.800
 behalf and spoke to

00:32:18.800 --> 00:32:20.660
 Joseph and made

00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:22.220
 clear that in fact

00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:23.060
 God had done a

00:32:23.060 --> 00:32:23.920
 miracle within the

00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:25.160
 womb of Mary

00:32:25.160 --> 00:32:28.600
 and that that

00:32:28.600 --> 00:32:29.279
 which was in the

00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:29.960
 womb of Mary

00:32:29.960 --> 00:32:30.519
 that little

00:32:30.519 --> 00:32:31.200
 zygote

00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:33.519
 was actually God

00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:34.660
 himself coming to

00:32:34.660 --> 00:32:35.240
 live within

00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:36.820
 among us

00:32:36.820 --> 00:32:40.380
 and the reason that

00:32:40.380 --> 00:32:41.259
 Christians believe

00:32:41.259 --> 00:32:41.920
 that anything like

00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:42.700
 this is true

00:32:42.700 --> 00:32:44.500
 is all because

00:32:44.500 --> 00:32:45.360
 Jesus changes

00:32:45.360 --> 00:32:45.900
 everything

00:32:45.900 --> 00:32:48.920
 I mean those are

00:32:48.920 --> 00:32:49.980
 just weird stories

00:32:49.980 --> 00:32:50.779
 and most of us

00:32:50.779 --> 00:32:51.620
 would just discount

00:32:51.620 --> 00:32:51.940
 them

00:32:51.940 --> 00:32:53.400
 but the thing

00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:53.920
 which is so

00:32:53.920 --> 00:32:54.440
 unique and

00:32:54.440 --> 00:32:55.180
 powerful about

00:32:55.180 --> 00:32:55.600
 Jesus

00:32:55.600 --> 00:32:58.160
 I talk about a

00:32:58.160 --> 00:32:58.680
 little bit in the

00:32:58.680 --> 00:32:59.480
 blog which is in

00:32:59.480 --> 00:33:00.039
 your bulletins

00:33:00.039 --> 00:33:00.360
 today

00:33:00.360 --> 00:33:02.460
 is that Jesus

00:33:02.460 --> 00:33:03.420
 lived a very very

00:33:03.420 --> 00:33:04.580
 particular type of

00:33:04.580 --> 00:33:04.980
 life

00:33:04.980 --> 00:33:06.519
 where he did

00:33:06.519 --> 00:33:08.420
 undeniable miracles

00:33:08.420 --> 00:33:09.460
 even as enemies

00:33:09.460 --> 00:33:10.120
 and opponents

00:33:10.120 --> 00:33:11.799
 even the pagan

00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:13.320
 writers who wrote

00:33:13.320 --> 00:33:13.920
 about Jesus

00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:14.519
 afterward

00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:15.559
 acknowledged that

00:33:15.559 --> 00:33:16.660
 Jesus is a man

00:33:16.660 --> 00:33:17.860
 who was supposed

00:33:17.860 --> 00:33:18.620
 to have performed

00:33:18.619 --> 00:33:19.239
 miracles

00:33:19.239 --> 00:33:21.299
 and he comes

00:33:21.299 --> 00:33:22.939
 and he predicts

00:33:22.939 --> 00:33:23.819
 that he's going to

00:33:23.819 --> 00:33:25.299
 die a death by

00:33:25.299 --> 00:33:26.159
 crucifixion

00:33:26.159 --> 00:33:26.959
 he predicts he's

00:33:26.959 --> 00:33:27.559
 going to die a

00:33:27.559 --> 00:33:28.119
 form of death

00:33:28.119 --> 00:33:28.739
 that he can't

00:33:28.739 --> 00:33:29.179
 control

00:33:29.179 --> 00:33:29.739
 he could have

00:33:29.739 --> 00:33:30.179
 said I'm going

00:33:30.179 --> 00:33:31.359
 to kill myself

00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:31.819
 or I'm going to

00:33:31.819 --> 00:33:32.479
 jump off of a

00:33:32.479 --> 00:33:33.259
 cliff or something

00:33:33.259 --> 00:33:33.699
 like that

00:33:33.699 --> 00:33:35.179
 but actually predicting

00:33:35.179 --> 00:33:35.799
 that he's going to

00:33:35.799 --> 00:33:36.759
 die in a way that

00:33:36.759 --> 00:33:37.399
 only the Roman

00:33:37.399 --> 00:33:38.519
 authorities can kill

00:33:38.519 --> 00:33:39.259
 him is part of his

00:33:39.259 --> 00:33:39.719
 prediction

00:33:39.719 --> 00:33:40.819
 and he predicts

00:33:40.819 --> 00:33:41.419
 that he's going to

00:33:41.419 --> 00:33:42.659
 die by crucifixion

00:33:42.659 --> 00:33:43.699
 and he predicts

00:33:43.699 --> 00:33:44.139
 that he's going to

00:33:44.139 --> 00:33:45.000
 rise from the dead

00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:46.259
 and he says that

00:33:46.259 --> 00:33:48.440
 my prediction of

00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:49.180
 my death by

00:33:49.180 --> 00:33:50.359
 crucifixion and

00:33:50.359 --> 00:33:51.579
 my true and real

00:33:51.579 --> 00:33:52.539
 resurrection will

00:33:52.539 --> 00:33:53.539
 vindicate everything

00:33:53.539 --> 00:33:54.379
 that I have said

00:33:54.379 --> 00:33:57.259
 it'll vindicate who

00:33:57.259 --> 00:33:58.720
 I am and what I've

00:33:58.720 --> 00:33:59.259
 come to do

00:33:59.259 --> 00:34:03.339
 and there is very

00:34:03.339 --> 00:34:04.240
 very very very

00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:05.259
 very large and

00:34:05.259 --> 00:34:06.279
 significant evidence

00:34:06.279 --> 00:34:09.539
 in fact if there's

00:34:09.539 --> 00:34:11.039
 one thing which

00:34:11.039 --> 00:34:11.679
 even the most

00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:12.380
 skeptical

00:34:12.380 --> 00:34:13.579
 atheist

00:34:13.579 --> 00:34:15.139
 scholar accepts

00:34:15.139 --> 00:34:15.780
 is that Jesus

00:34:15.780 --> 00:34:17.120
 died by crucifixion

00:34:17.120 --> 00:34:17.660
 under Rome

00:34:17.660 --> 00:34:21.440
 and there's very

00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:22.480
 very very strong

00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:23.060
 evidence

00:34:23.060 --> 00:34:26.420
 that Jesus really

00:34:26.420 --> 00:34:27.360
 did rise from the

00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:28.000
 dead on the third

00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:28.280
 day

00:34:28.280 --> 00:34:32.800
 and if a man

00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:33.780
 is able to

00:34:33.780 --> 00:34:34.600
 predict such a

00:34:34.600 --> 00:34:35.080
 thing and in

00:34:35.080 --> 00:34:35.960
 fact rise from

00:34:35.960 --> 00:34:36.400
 the dead

00:34:36.400 --> 00:34:38.240
 surely he's a

00:34:38.240 --> 00:34:38.700
 man who's

00:34:38.700 --> 00:34:39.360
 completely and

00:34:39.360 --> 00:34:40.140
 utterly trustworthy

00:34:40.140 --> 00:34:41.360
 to listen to

00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:44.600
 and so it is

00:34:44.600 --> 00:34:45.280
 completely and

00:34:45.280 --> 00:34:46.180
 utterly valid to

00:34:46.180 --> 00:34:48.340
 believe that

00:34:48.340 --> 00:34:49.360
 Jesus in fact was

00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:50.260
 the fulfillment of

00:34:50.260 --> 00:34:51.280
 this prophecy made

00:34:51.280 --> 00:34:53.420
 735 years earlier

00:34:53.420 --> 00:34:56.240
 that a virgin would

00:34:56.240 --> 00:34:57.100
 give birth to a

00:34:57.100 --> 00:34:58.340
 son and that he

00:34:58.340 --> 00:34:59.320
 would be God with

00:34:59.320 --> 00:35:02.420
 us and it's very

00:35:02.420 --> 00:35:03.300
 interesting because

00:35:03.300 --> 00:35:04.100
 one of the reasons

00:35:04.100 --> 00:35:06.420
 that we don't want to

00:35:06.420 --> 00:35:08.160
 have God with us is

00:35:08.160 --> 00:35:09.000
 we think that God

00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:09.780
 will mess up our

00:35:09.780 --> 00:35:13.000
 lives but the way

00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:14.059
 that we actually see

00:35:14.059 --> 00:35:16.039
 God with us isn't

00:35:16.039 --> 00:35:18.880
 the way that we

00:35:18.880 --> 00:35:19.780
 fear he would be

00:35:19.780 --> 00:35:24.239
 with us he's born

00:35:24.239 --> 00:35:25.760
 of lower working

00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:28.079
 class parents he

00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:29.360
 lives a working

00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:31.980
 class life he has

00:35:31.980 --> 00:35:33.159
 virtually no

00:35:33.159 --> 00:35:36.119
 possessions he lives

00:35:36.119 --> 00:35:37.280
 amongst a conquered

00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:40.460
 people he has no

00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:42.480
 particular academic

00:35:42.480 --> 00:35:44.280
 credentials or

00:35:44.280 --> 00:35:46.220
 beauty or wisdom

00:35:46.220 --> 00:35:48.559
 or power or

00:35:48.559 --> 00:35:49.360
 privilege that

00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:50.460
 would draw us to

00:35:50.460 --> 00:35:53.240
 him all we have

00:35:53.240 --> 00:35:54.780
 is the depth of

00:35:54.780 --> 00:35:56.179
 his teaching and

00:35:56.179 --> 00:35:57.079
 the insight into

00:35:57.079 --> 00:35:58.079
 human condition

00:35:58.079 --> 00:36:00.139
 all we have is

00:36:00.139 --> 00:36:02.440
 his miracles that

00:36:02.440 --> 00:36:04.019
 heal people and

00:36:04.019 --> 00:36:04.780
 deliver them from

00:36:04.780 --> 00:36:06.179
 demons and

00:36:06.179 --> 00:36:06.920
 deliver them from

00:36:06.920 --> 00:36:09.220
 sickness that give

00:36:09.219 --> 00:36:10.379
 people life and

00:36:10.379 --> 00:36:13.099
 purpose he comes

00:36:13.099 --> 00:36:13.939
 to people and

00:36:13.939 --> 00:36:14.959
 comes to us in

00:36:14.959 --> 00:36:15.859
 the midst of all

00:36:15.859 --> 00:36:16.699
 of the mess of our

00:36:16.699 --> 00:36:19.319
 lives and he is

00:36:19.319 --> 00:36:20.659
 with us in the

00:36:20.659 --> 00:36:22.239
 midst of normal

00:36:22.239 --> 00:36:23.299
 human life and

00:36:23.299 --> 00:36:24.379
 he's even with us

00:36:24.379 --> 00:36:25.279
 to the point that

00:36:25.279 --> 00:36:27.239
 we he himself said

00:36:27.239 --> 00:36:27.959
 that he would be

00:36:27.959 --> 00:36:29.299
 with us so closely

00:36:29.299 --> 00:36:30.359
 and so intensely

00:36:30.359 --> 00:36:33.079
 that the death he

00:36:33.079 --> 00:36:34.619
 dies would be the

00:36:34.619 --> 00:36:35.159
 death that we

00:36:35.159 --> 00:36:36.219
 deserve and

00:36:36.219 --> 00:36:39.839
 and that in his

00:36:39.839 --> 00:36:40.719
 dying the death

00:36:40.719 --> 00:36:41.679
 that we deserve

00:36:41.679 --> 00:36:43.480
 in a sense taking

00:36:43.480 --> 00:36:44.559
 upon himself the

00:36:44.559 --> 00:36:45.639
 doom that we

00:36:45.639 --> 00:36:47.539
 deserve he would

00:36:47.539 --> 00:36:48.839
 offer us the

00:36:48.839 --> 00:36:50.579
 destiny that he

00:36:50.579 --> 00:36:55.039
 deserves that he's

00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:57.679
 with us even to the

00:36:57.679 --> 00:36:58.919
 point of the evil in

00:36:58.919 --> 00:36:59.819
 our lives and the

00:36:59.819 --> 00:37:00.939
 failure of our lives

00:37:00.940 --> 00:37:02.599
 and he's with us

00:37:02.599 --> 00:37:05.200
 even to our death

00:37:05.200 --> 00:37:07.240
 and he's with us

00:37:07.240 --> 00:37:11.159
 he's with us

00:37:11.159 --> 00:37:12.420
 he's with us

00:37:12.420 --> 00:37:14.079
 and he dies with us

00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:14.880
 that we might be his

00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:16.400
 children that he

00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:17.480
 might live with us

00:37:17.480 --> 00:37:20.280
 and this is how an

00:37:20.280 --> 00:37:21.240
 ending I'll circle

00:37:21.240 --> 00:37:21.780
 around to the

00:37:21.780 --> 00:37:22.280
 beginning of the

00:37:22.280 --> 00:37:22.700
 story

00:37:22.700 --> 00:37:26.679
 the fact the matter

00:37:26.679 --> 00:37:27.519
 is is we as a

00:37:27.519 --> 00:37:28.240
 church when we make

00:37:28.240 --> 00:37:29.960
 a budget I try to

00:37:29.960 --> 00:37:30.760
 remember it remind

00:37:30.760 --> 00:37:31.680
 the council this we

00:37:31.680 --> 00:37:32.360
 have the vaguest

00:37:32.360 --> 00:37:33.100
 idea in the world

00:37:33.100 --> 00:37:33.940
 how much money will

00:37:33.940 --> 00:37:34.600
 come in in this

00:37:34.600 --> 00:37:36.360
 coming year not the

00:37:36.360 --> 00:37:36.980
 vaguest I mean we

00:37:36.980 --> 00:37:38.100
 have some ideas about

00:37:38.100 --> 00:37:39.620
 trends and all that

00:37:39.620 --> 00:37:40.920
 but we don't know

00:37:40.920 --> 00:37:42.000
 we don't know

00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:45.120
 we can pray and

00:37:45.120 --> 00:37:46.020
 make the best

00:37:46.020 --> 00:37:46.700
 attempt that we

00:37:46.700 --> 00:37:47.580
 really can but you

00:37:47.580 --> 00:37:48.280
 see here's the thing

00:37:48.280 --> 00:37:48.960
 which is really the

00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:50.080
 most significant thing

00:37:50.080 --> 00:37:51.460
 about every single

00:37:51.460 --> 00:37:52.380
 one of us who wants

00:37:52.380 --> 00:37:53.120
 to know the future

00:37:53.120 --> 00:37:54.300
 who wishes that we

00:37:54.300 --> 00:37:55.200
 could know the future

00:37:55.200 --> 00:37:56.500
 who are the fact

00:37:56.500 --> 00:37:57.040
 have lots of

00:37:57.040 --> 00:37:58.480
 experience why about

00:37:58.480 --> 00:37:59.480
 things that will come

00:37:59.480 --> 00:38:00.360
 completely not really

00:38:00.360 --> 00:38:01.760
 out of the blue is

00:38:01.760 --> 00:38:02.460
 that for us as a

00:38:02.460 --> 00:38:03.400
 church what matters

00:38:03.400 --> 00:38:04.940
 is is that Jesus is

00:38:04.940 --> 00:38:08.220
 with us that every

00:38:08.220 --> 00:38:09.500
 single day that comes

00:38:09.500 --> 00:38:10.740
 before me is not a

00:38:10.740 --> 00:38:11.579
 day that I have to

00:38:11.579 --> 00:38:13.099
 live and try to deal

00:38:13.099 --> 00:38:14.300
 with all on my own

00:38:14.300 --> 00:38:16.320
 and that he knows the

00:38:16.320 --> 00:38:19.559
 future and that whether

00:38:19.559 --> 00:38:20.460
 there will be things

00:38:20.460 --> 00:38:21.700
 that come next week

00:38:21.700 --> 00:38:23.000
 next month next year

00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:24.019
 which are a very very

00:38:24.019 --> 00:38:27.800
 severe blow because

00:38:27.800 --> 00:38:29.100
 Jesus is with me

00:38:29.100 --> 00:38:31.360
 through faith I don't

00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:32.160
 face it alone

00:38:32.160 --> 00:38:35.680
 and the language of

00:38:35.680 --> 00:38:37.260
 God being with us is

00:38:37.260 --> 00:38:38.400
 not just a language of

00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:39.760
 him being with us just

00:38:39.760 --> 00:38:41.460
 to be with us but it's

00:38:41.460 --> 00:38:42.600
 also part of the

00:38:42.600 --> 00:38:43.760
 language of God having

00:38:43.760 --> 00:38:44.980
 a call for us

00:38:44.980 --> 00:38:48.019
 that God has a purpose

00:38:48.019 --> 00:38:49.680
 or a plan for us

00:38:49.680 --> 00:38:51.700
 and God is with us

00:38:51.700 --> 00:38:53.060
 Jesus is with us to

00:38:53.060 --> 00:38:54.600
 fulfill that purpose or

00:38:54.599 --> 00:39:00.339
 that plan and the

00:39:00.339 --> 00:39:01.199
 wonderful wonderful

00:39:01.199 --> 00:39:02.159
 wonderful wonderful

00:39:02.159 --> 00:39:02.880
 wonderful wonderful

00:39:02.880 --> 00:39:05.639
 thing about us is that

00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:06.839
 Jesus came and lived

00:39:06.839 --> 00:39:08.099
 amongst us to die for

00:39:08.099 --> 00:39:09.119
 us in such a way that

00:39:09.119 --> 00:39:10.279
 when we put our faith

00:39:10.279 --> 00:39:11.360
 and trust in him he

00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:12.500
 comes to live with us

00:39:12.500 --> 00:39:14.119
 again even in the

00:39:14.119 --> 00:39:15.219
 midst of whatever pain

00:39:15.219 --> 00:39:16.319
 we might have to face

00:39:16.319 --> 00:39:17.360
 whatever disappointment

00:39:17.360 --> 00:39:18.500
 we might have to face

00:39:18.500 --> 00:39:19.659
 whatever setbacks we

00:39:19.659 --> 00:39:20.440
 might have to face

00:39:20.440 --> 00:39:21.920
 whatever triumphs and

00:39:21.920 --> 00:39:23.000
 good things we might have

00:39:23.000 --> 00:39:24.559
 to face that he is he is

00:39:24.559 --> 00:39:28.440
 with us is he is with

00:39:28.440 --> 00:39:31.320
 us as part of us

00:39:31.320 --> 00:39:33.099
 entering into the fact

00:39:33.099 --> 00:39:34.460
 that God has called us

00:39:34.460 --> 00:39:37.000
 to be his children and

00:39:37.599 --> 00:39:39.039
 that when Jesus is with

00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:41.000
 us and we are with him

00:39:41.519 --> 00:39:44.380
 the final word about any

00:39:44.380 --> 00:39:46.420
 human being who is with

00:39:46.420 --> 00:39:50.099
 him is never failure it's

00:39:50.099 --> 00:39:52.000
 never disappointment it's

00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:55.380
 it's never loser it's

00:39:55.380 --> 00:39:57.980
 never hopeless it's

00:39:57.980 --> 00:40:02.579
 never any foul word that

00:40:02.579 --> 00:40:04.780
 when we are with Jesus and

00:40:04.780 --> 00:40:08.199
 he is with us we are with

00:40:08.199 --> 00:40:11.179
 him because God's call is

00:40:11.179 --> 00:40:12.260
 being made real in our

00:40:12.260 --> 00:40:15.900
 lives and in him the final

00:40:15.900 --> 00:40:18.300
 word about any human being

00:40:18.300 --> 00:40:25.640
 is welcome home child my

00:40:25.640 --> 00:40:28.980
 beloved child whom I love for

00:40:28.980 --> 00:40:32.240
 any person in Jesus that is

00:40:32.240 --> 00:40:35.300
 the final determinate word about

00:40:36.080 --> 00:40:41.720
 you and with Jesus we can live

00:40:41.720 --> 00:40:44.000
 and face the things that come

00:40:44.000 --> 00:40:46.760
 our way day by day knowing that

00:40:46.760 --> 00:40:48.760
 he will never abandon us and

00:40:49.340 --> 00:40:51.500
 that he is with us so that

00:40:51.500 --> 00:40:54.260
 that call that final word about

00:40:54.260 --> 00:40:56.640
 us can become more and more

00:40:56.640 --> 00:40:59.500
 real in our lives as we are

00:40:59.500 --> 00:41:02.340
 gripped by the wonder that Jesus

00:41:02.340 --> 00:41:06.580
 is with us as Savior and Lord and

00:41:06.580 --> 00:41:10.220
 friend I invite you to stand

00:41:10.219 --> 00:41:27.939
 for any single one of us for those of

00:41:27.939 --> 00:41:30.039
 us who are in Christ it's a very

00:41:30.039 --> 00:41:32.859
 very appropriate Sunday morning to

00:41:32.859 --> 00:41:36.039
 say Jesus help me to know that you

00:41:36.039 --> 00:41:40.279
 are always with me make the gospel

00:41:40.279 --> 00:41:42.239
 more and more and more real to me

00:41:42.239 --> 00:41:44.820
 make those final words that God will

00:41:44.820 --> 00:41:47.480
 speak over me more and more and

00:41:47.480 --> 00:41:51.360
 more real to me so that I am able to

00:41:51.360 --> 00:41:54.279
 face the things which I need to face

00:41:54.279 --> 00:41:56.019
 today and tomorrow and the day after

00:41:56.019 --> 00:41:58.320
 that and the day after that make who

00:41:58.320 --> 00:42:00.599
 Jesus is so real to me and what he did

00:42:00.599 --> 00:42:02.639
 for me so real to me and those final

00:42:02.639 --> 00:42:05.319
 words so real to me and his presence

00:42:05.319 --> 00:42:07.579
 more and more real to me that I

00:42:07.579 --> 00:42:12.239
 might live each day well in light of

00:42:12.239 --> 00:42:14.920
 that and if you were here and you've

00:42:14.920 --> 00:42:16.679
 never asked Christ into your life

00:42:16.679 --> 00:42:18.339
 there's no better time now than just

00:42:18.339 --> 00:42:21.579
 in your own words to say Jesus I want

00:42:21.579 --> 00:42:23.400
 you to be with me I want you to be

00:42:23.400 --> 00:42:25.299
 with me as my Savior I want you to be

00:42:25.299 --> 00:42:29.159
 with me as my Lord I want you to be

00:42:29.159 --> 00:42:32.199
 with me in my plans I want you to be

00:42:32.199 --> 00:42:36.339
 with me in all my undertakings and not

00:42:36.339 --> 00:42:38.440
 just be with me as a pet or an

00:42:38.440 --> 00:42:40.139
 adornment but to be with me as my

00:42:40.139 --> 00:42:41.639
 Savior and my Lord there's no better

00:42:41.639 --> 00:42:44.159
 time than today to just say that to

00:42:44.159 --> 00:42:47.379
 Jesus in your own words Jesus be with

00:42:47.379 --> 00:42:52.179
 me as Savior and Lord and because of

00:42:52.179 --> 00:42:54.940
 this prophecy 735 years before the

00:42:54.940 --> 00:42:56.879
 birth of Jesus that a virgin will be

00:42:56.880 --> 00:42:59.579
 give birth to a son and his name will

00:42:59.579 --> 00:43:01.740
 be Emmanuel which means God with us it

00:43:01.740 --> 00:43:04.180
 means that God gave a sign that he

00:43:04.180 --> 00:43:08.039
 wants to be with you and if you say to

00:43:08.039 --> 00:43:13.860
 Jesus be with me he will never say no and

00:43:13.860 --> 00:43:16.079
 if you think does he know what I'm like

00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:17.640
 the answer is yes

00:43:17.640 --> 00:43:22.780
 if you say how on earth could he want to

00:43:22.780 --> 00:43:24.539
 be with me if he really knew what I was

00:43:24.539 --> 00:43:29.639
 like then all I can say is he made that

00:43:29.639 --> 00:43:32.559
 prophecy 735 years into the future he

00:43:32.559 --> 00:43:34.900
 knows perfectly all about you and he

00:43:34.900 --> 00:43:37.420
 God would not make any promise like that

00:43:37.420 --> 00:43:39.420
 if he did not want to keep it he kept

00:43:39.420 --> 00:43:43.480
 that promise and he will keep the promise

00:43:43.480 --> 00:43:46.159
 to enter into you and to be with you he

00:43:46.159 --> 00:43:49.360
 will keep that promise he will never say

00:43:49.360 --> 00:43:52.780
 no he will be your Savior and your Lord

00:43:52.780 --> 00:43:56.559
 let's bow our heads in prayer

00:43:56.559 --> 00:44:06.000
 father we've seen the glory of the dance

00:44:06.000 --> 00:44:08.980
 we've heard the glory of the music we've

00:44:08.980 --> 00:44:11.099
 heard Andrew Peterson saying that Jesus

00:44:11.099 --> 00:44:14.340
 is worthy we've heard of your scripture

00:44:14.340 --> 00:44:17.220
 we've heard of your promise we've heard

00:44:17.219 --> 00:44:19.959
 of this spectacular prophecy that you

00:44:19.959 --> 00:44:22.639
 would cause a miracle within the womb of

00:44:22.639 --> 00:44:25.719
 a virgin so that a boy would be born and

00:44:25.719 --> 00:44:28.000
 that he would be known as God with us and

00:44:28.000 --> 00:44:30.359
 we have been told how he comes to be with

00:44:30.359 --> 00:44:35.279
 us not to punish us not to destroy us not

00:44:35.279 --> 00:44:39.439
 to unmake us but to actually die our death

00:44:39.439 --> 00:44:41.919
 for us that he is with us even to the

00:44:41.919 --> 00:44:43.799
 point of the evil in our lives and the

00:44:43.799 --> 00:44:46.039
 death in our lives to make us your child

00:44:46.039 --> 00:44:48.279
 by adoption and grace father we have been

00:44:48.279 --> 00:44:50.500
 told those things and we ask that the

00:44:50.500 --> 00:44:52.279
 Holy Spirit would move with might and

00:44:52.279 --> 00:44:54.039
 power and deep conviction within us that

00:44:54.679 --> 00:44:56.679
 we might be gripped more and more by the

00:44:56.679 --> 00:44:59.659
 truth of the gospel that every day we

00:44:59.659 --> 00:45:02.019
 will remember what your final word will

00:45:02.019 --> 00:45:06.279
 be over us when our days are over not

00:45:06.279 --> 00:45:08.639
 because of anything brilliant or wonderful

00:45:08.639 --> 00:45:10.619
 or powerful about us but because of

00:45:10.619 --> 00:45:13.539
 Jesus and that he is with us and he will

00:45:13.539 --> 00:45:16.699
 help us and guarantee that that call that

00:45:16.699 --> 00:45:19.779
 you have to come home and be with you and

00:45:19.779 --> 00:45:22.759
 know that we are your beloved child by

00:45:22.759 --> 00:45:25.380
 faith and adoption that that will be the

00:45:25.380 --> 00:45:29.199
 final word spoken over us father grip us

00:45:29.199 --> 00:45:31.239
 with the gospel that we might be gripped

00:45:31.239 --> 00:45:33.699
 with your final words about us when we put

00:45:33.699 --> 00:45:35.779
 our faith and trust in Jesus that we might

00:45:35.779 --> 00:45:38.199
 live every day and face every problem and

00:45:38.199 --> 00:45:40.739
 every opportunity in light of that profound

00:45:40.739 --> 00:45:44.579
 truth and all God's people said amen

00:45:44.579 --> 00:45:46.579
 you