WEBVTT

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 Thank you.

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 And we're going to look at the first 12 verses.

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 So Peter writes,

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 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

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 to God's elect exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus,

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 Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

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 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father

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 through the sanctifying work of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ

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 and sprinkled with his blood.

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 Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

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 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 In his great mercy, he has given us new birth

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 into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

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 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade.

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 This inheritance is kept in heaven for you who, through faith,

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 are shielded by God's power

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 until the coming of the salvation that is to be ready to be revealed in the last time.

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 In all of this, you greatly rejoice,

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 though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief

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 in all kinds of trials.

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 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith,

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 of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire,

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 may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

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 Though you have not seen him, you love him.

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 And even though you do not see him now, you believe in him

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 and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.

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 For you are receiving the end result of your faith,

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 the salvation of your souls.

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 Concerning this salvation,

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 the prophets who spoke of the grace that was to come to you

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 searched intently and with the greatest care,

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 trying to find out the time and circumstances

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 to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing

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 when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah

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 and the glories that would follow.

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 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves,

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 but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you

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 by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit

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 sent from heaven.

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 Even angels long to look into these things.

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 Let's pray once more.

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 Father, thank you for the privilege to gather in your name

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 and be with us, Holy Spirit,

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 as we continue our time of worship through the word.

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 Unlock the meaning of the text to us, Lord.

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 May your words be lifted up.

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 May what I have to say die.

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 And may it be your truths that are implanted

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 on the hearts and minds of your people.

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 So speak to us this morning, Lord,

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 and lift our eyes to heaven.

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 In Jesus' name, amen.

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 Those of us with any kind of theological training

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 have had to read people like Calvin, Luther, Spurgeon,

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 great theologians and preachers over the centuries

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 who have really captured the essence of what it means

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 to be a person in this world that we live in

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 where sometimes things go well

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 and sometimes things go badly.

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 But outside of guys like that,

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 who would have thought that one of the key theologians

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 of our time would be Frank Sinatra,

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 who had these famous words to say,

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 which I won't sing, don't worry.

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 We've had to struggle through that enough

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 for my own voice this morning,

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 so I'll just speak it for you.

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 Frank said this,

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 that's life.

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 That's what all the people say.

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 Riding high in April,

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 shot down in May.

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 But I know I'm going to change that tune

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 when I'm back on top in June.

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 Now it's simple,

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 but that song sums up a lot of the human experience.

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 Sometimes life is easy.

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 Family is healthy.

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 House is comfortable.

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 No one left the immersion on

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 when you left the house this morning.

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 You've got a good job, which pays well.

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 Loads of friends.

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 You're the star of the school of rugby team.

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 Life is good,

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 and you expect life to be good

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 and to keep going

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 and to be easy and comfortable.

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 But then, just like that,

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 things fall apart.

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 Sickness,

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 poverty,

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 even homelessness,

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 as we were talking about,

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 unemployment,

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 loneliness.

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 Maybe things get better.

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 Maybe they don't get better.

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 Maybe you look around

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 and you see other people

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 whose lives are together.

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 Other people who maybe

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 don't love the Lord

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 in the way you do.

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 Who don't serve the Lord

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 in the way you do.

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 And maybe you start to think,

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 like I have,

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 things like this.

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 Lord, it's not fair.

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 Did I do something wrong?

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 Is God punishing me?

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 In fact,

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 where is God?

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 Now this isn't a subject

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 we can ignore.

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 Suffering is part of the human experience,

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 and indeed is part of the Christian experience.

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 The Lord himself said this,

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 in this world,

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 you will have trouble.

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 If they hated me,

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 they will hate you.

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 Blessed are you,

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 when,

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 not if,

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 when people insult you,

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 persecute you,

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 and falsely say

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 all kinds of evil

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 against you because of me.

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 Rejoice and be glad,

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 because great is your reward

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 in heaven.

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 Now the letter of 1 Peter,

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 which we'll see over the coming weeks,

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 addresses this subject

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 of suffering.

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 Not the kind that would come later

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 when the Roman emperor

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 decided to blame Christians

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 for burning down Rome.

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 Not imprisonment,

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 not torture,

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 not execution,

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 not the kinds of things

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 that you see in China

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 and Pakistan

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 and Saudi Arabia

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 and places around the world

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 where our brothers and sisters

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 are suffering.

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 Nothing specific,

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 but this general,

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 all-encompassing kind of suffering.

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 Now we'll see,

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 as we go through the letter,

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 Peter talks about things like

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 insults,

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 mockery,

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 intimidation,

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 harassment,

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 bullying.

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 He talks about the workplace,

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 what it means to be

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 a Christian employee.

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 What does it mean

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 to be a public citizen?

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 What does it mean

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 to be a husband,

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 a wife,

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 a father,

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 a mother?

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 What does it mean

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 to minister to one another

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 in the church

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 in light of all these things

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 that go on around us?

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 So Peter is concerned,

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 first and foremost,

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 with what is the daily conduct

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 of the Christian

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 in the midst of suffering.

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 So he wrote this letter

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 basically

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 to encourage

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 and to comfort

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 the believers

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 as they experience

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 these trials.

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 In the text today,

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 he lays the foundation

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 and we're going to build

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 on that foundation

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 over the coming weeks.

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 And in doing so,

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 he doesn't dismiss

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 the church's suffering.

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 He doesn't say,

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 pull your socks up,

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 build a bridge,

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 get over it,

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 get your act together.

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 He doesn't do that.

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 He encourages the believers

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 by reminding them

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 of their living hope.

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 It's not vain hope.

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 It's not like,

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 yesterday I had hoped

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 that Ireland would make

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 a decent fist

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 at playing the All Blacks

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 and that kind of fell apart

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 after the first 30 seconds,

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 but there we go.

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 That happens sometimes.

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 Not speculative hope.

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 Literally,

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 hope that lives.

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 Assurance that will never die.

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 But this letter,

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 it doesn't just apply.

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 If you're one of the ones

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 reading this in Greek,

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 I say that personally.

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 My Greek is terrible,

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 by the way.

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 It applies wherever you live.

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 Whether you live in Carragalline,

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 Middleton,

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 Cork City,

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 anywhere else,

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 this letter is for all of us

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 because at some point

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 or another,

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 if you haven't found

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 life difficult,

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 I can assure you,

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 you will at some point

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 because as Frank says,

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 that's life.

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 So we can look

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 to the same living hope

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 as the original readers

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 of this letter.

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 So I've broken up the text

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 into three points.

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 If you have one of the sheets,

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 I apologize,

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 there's probably not enough

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 of them to go around,

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 but if you're taking notes,

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 I've broken up the text

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 into three points.

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 Peter says three things

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 about this living hope.

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 One,

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 it is predestined.

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 Two,

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 it is precious.

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 And three,

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 it is prophetic.

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 So this living hope

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 is predestined.

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 It is precious

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 and it is prophetic.

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 My particular cross to bear

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 is a compulsion

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 towards alliteration,

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 as you can see,

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 but nevertheless,

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 bear with me,

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 I plead you.

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 Let's take a look

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 at the first one.

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 Believer's living hope

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 is predestined.

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 Verse one,

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 Peter describes the Christians

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 to whom he's writing

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 as elect.

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 Now that's a word

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 that means chosen.

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 In fact,

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 verse two says,

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 Christians have been chosen

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 according to the

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 foreknowledge of God.

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 Some of your Bibles

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 might say something

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 like God's chosen people,

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 elect exiles,

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 those who are chosen.

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 In any event,

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 it means exactly

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 the same thing.

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 The Taoiseach

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 who we were just praying for

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 has announced

00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:19.900
 we're likely to have

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 an election in May.

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 That is,

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 when we will elect

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 or choose

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 our next government.

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 So that's just

00:09:26.640 --> 00:09:27.440
 another word for it.

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 To elect is to choose.

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 To choose is to elect.

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 We all know

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 what that word means.

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 There's no confusion

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 about it.

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 So what Peter's picking up here

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 is what we've come to call

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 this doctrine

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 of predestination.

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 Or election.

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 Now that is,

00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:40.620
 you're a believer

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 not because of something

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 you have done,

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 of something that made

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 you please God,

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 but because of something

00:09:47.740 --> 00:09:49.460
 God was pleased to do.

00:09:49.920 --> 00:09:50.500
 Now I need to be

00:09:50.500 --> 00:09:51.420
 really clear on this.

00:09:51.700 --> 00:09:52.360
 And don't worry,

00:09:52.460 --> 00:09:53.260
 this is not going to turn

00:09:53.260 --> 00:09:54.400
 into a theological lecture.

00:09:54.400 --> 00:09:55.180
 You can do that

00:09:55.180 --> 00:09:55.900
 on Tuesday night

00:09:55.900 --> 00:09:56.520
 or Wednesday night,

00:09:56.600 --> 00:09:57.520
 whenever your home group is.

00:09:58.120 --> 00:09:59.160
 But I need to be clear on this

00:09:59.160 --> 00:09:59.900
 because this subject

00:09:59.900 --> 00:10:01.340
 has been very poorly taught

00:10:01.340 --> 00:10:03.620
 and very badly misunderstood

00:10:03.620 --> 00:10:05.000
 and distorted

00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:06.480
 and taken out of context.

00:10:06.800 --> 00:10:08.240
 A kind of a caricature

00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:09.159
 you might have heard this.

00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:11.740
 God chooses who gets saved

00:10:11.740 --> 00:10:12.299
 and who doesn't

00:10:12.299 --> 00:10:12.799
 so therefore,

00:10:13.060 --> 00:10:13.519
 what's the point

00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:14.680
 in evangelizing to people?

00:10:16.100 --> 00:10:16.500
 Or,

00:10:16.919 --> 00:10:18.560
 if you're part of the elect,

00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:19.060
 that is,

00:10:19.100 --> 00:10:19.759
 if I'm chosen,

00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:21.460
 well I can do whatever it is

00:10:21.460 --> 00:10:22.360
 I want to do anyway

00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:24.419
 and damn the consequences.

00:10:24.899 --> 00:10:25.840
 Deliberate choice of words.

00:10:27.139 --> 00:10:27.539
 Or,

00:10:27.899 --> 00:10:29.240
 if God just turned us

00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:30.000
 into robots,

00:10:31.100 --> 00:10:31.700
 what's the point

00:10:31.700 --> 00:10:32.279
 in worshipping

00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:33.019
 on Sunday morning?

00:10:34.100 --> 00:10:34.680
 What's the point

00:10:34.680 --> 00:10:35.419
 in giving thanks?

00:10:35.860 --> 00:10:36.459
 There's a phrase

00:10:36.459 --> 00:10:37.299
 for people like that.

00:10:37.339 --> 00:10:37.799
 If you came out

00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:38.959
 of a Presbyterian background,

00:10:39.379 --> 00:10:39.939
 you might have been

00:10:39.939 --> 00:10:40.500
 at some point

00:10:40.500 --> 00:10:41.139
 referred to as

00:10:41.139 --> 00:10:41.979
 the frozen chosen.

00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:43.779
 That's what that means.

00:10:45.459 --> 00:10:46.979
 But this predestination thing

00:10:46.979 --> 00:10:48.819
 is anything but ice cold.

00:10:49.459 --> 00:10:49.860
 In fact,

00:10:49.939 --> 00:10:50.620
 it's red hot.

00:10:50.699 --> 00:10:51.439
 Look at verse 2.

00:10:52.099 --> 00:10:53.019
 Those who believe

00:10:53.019 --> 00:10:54.059
 are chosen

00:10:54.059 --> 00:10:55.139
 according to the

00:10:55.139 --> 00:10:55.959
 foreknowledge

00:10:55.959 --> 00:10:57.439
 of God the Father.

00:10:57.539 --> 00:10:58.099
 Now that's a funny

00:10:58.099 --> 00:10:58.719
 sounding word,

00:10:58.799 --> 00:10:59.099
 isn't it?

00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:00.039
 So literally,

00:11:00.199 --> 00:11:00.759
 to be foreknown

00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:01.439
 just means to be

00:11:01.439 --> 00:11:02.360
 known in advance.

00:11:02.360 --> 00:11:02.659
 Now,

00:11:02.779 --> 00:11:03.639
 we're not talking

00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:04.320
 about knowledge

00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:04.639
 like,

00:11:05.220 --> 00:11:06.139
 I know

00:11:06.139 --> 00:11:07.279
 that the sky is blue.

00:11:08.300 --> 00:11:08.740
 Or,

00:11:08.940 --> 00:11:10.100
 it's going to rain tomorrow.

00:11:10.980 --> 00:11:11.340
 Or,

00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:12.560
 when I try and put

00:11:12.560 --> 00:11:13.399
 Alice to bed tonight,

00:11:13.460 --> 00:11:14.019
 she's going to scream

00:11:14.019 --> 00:11:14.560
 her lungs out

00:11:14.560 --> 00:11:15.139
 for 10 minutes.

00:11:15.419 --> 00:11:16.100
 You got a

00:11:16.100 --> 00:11:17.840
 preliminary look

00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:18.139
 at that

00:11:18.139 --> 00:11:18.899
 this morning.

00:11:19.680 --> 00:11:20.740
 This kind of known

00:11:20.740 --> 00:11:22.200
 is very different.

00:11:22.659 --> 00:11:23.120
 You don't have to

00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:23.680
 turn to it,

00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:25.120
 but Genesis 4

00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:25.820
 says this,

00:11:26.779 --> 00:11:27.159
 Adam

00:11:27.159 --> 00:11:27.920
 knew

00:11:27.920 --> 00:11:28.659
 his wife.

00:11:29.860 --> 00:11:30.539
 Then what happened?

00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:32.339
 She gave birth

00:11:32.339 --> 00:11:33.519
 to their son,

00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:34.019
 Cain.

00:11:34.779 --> 00:11:35.559
 I remember the first

00:11:35.559 --> 00:11:36.259
 time I read that

00:11:36.259 --> 00:11:37.539
 and I just thought,

00:11:37.719 --> 00:11:38.199
 just from Adam

00:11:38.199 --> 00:11:38.899
 knowing the girl?

00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:40.759
 That's some

00:11:40.759 --> 00:11:41.419
 powerful knowledge.

00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:42.860
 Thinking,

00:11:42.980 --> 00:11:43.500
 Adam's son,

00:11:43.599 --> 00:11:44.259
 be careful who you

00:11:44.259 --> 00:11:44.779
 know if that's

00:11:44.779 --> 00:11:45.279
 all it takes.

00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:46.919
 But of course,

00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:47.399
 we know it's a

00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:47.919
 euphemism,

00:11:48.299 --> 00:11:48.579
 right?

00:11:49.139 --> 00:11:49.819
 Just like when the

00:11:49.819 --> 00:11:50.779
 angel Gabriel said

00:11:50.779 --> 00:11:51.279
 to Mary,

00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:51.899
 Mary,

00:11:51.980 --> 00:11:52.219
 you're going to

00:11:52.219 --> 00:11:52.699
 have a son.

00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:54.480
 And you remember

00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:55.199
 what Mary said?

00:11:56.079 --> 00:11:56.719
 How is that

00:11:56.719 --> 00:11:57.079
 possible?

00:11:57.959 --> 00:11:58.679
 I have never

00:11:58.679 --> 00:11:59.379
 known a man.

00:11:59.379 --> 00:12:00.779
 And again,

00:12:00.860 --> 00:12:01.080
 I thought,

00:12:01.139 --> 00:12:01.200
 well,

00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:01.559
 she must have

00:12:01.559 --> 00:12:02.200
 known some men.

00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:02.700
 The poor girl

00:12:02.700 --> 00:12:03.159
 wasn't hiding

00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:03.759
 under a rock

00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:04.879
 her entire life.

00:12:04.939 --> 00:12:05.360
 But of course,

00:12:05.399 --> 00:12:06.279
 what it means is,

00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:07.419
 I have never

00:12:07.419 --> 00:12:08.080
 been intimate

00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:08.899
 with a man.

00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:11.320
 So this picture

00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:13.100
 of love,

00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:14.379
 not the act itself,

00:12:14.439 --> 00:12:15.019
 but this picture

00:12:15.019 --> 00:12:15.580
 of love that

00:12:15.580 --> 00:12:16.480
 lies behind it,

00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:17.659
 this is the same

00:12:17.659 --> 00:12:18.740
 thing that Peter

00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:19.539
 is talking about

00:12:19.539 --> 00:12:19.759
 here.

00:12:20.439 --> 00:12:21.939
 God has known

00:12:21.939 --> 00:12:23.879
 you in advance.

00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:25.039
 So what does

00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:25.419
 that mean?

00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:26.559
 God loved you

00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:27.600
 before you ever

00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:28.299
 loved him,

00:12:28.299 --> 00:12:29.539
 is what that

00:12:29.539 --> 00:12:29.799
 means.

00:12:30.120 --> 00:12:30.699
 God has had

00:12:30.699 --> 00:12:31.299
 in mind for

00:12:31.299 --> 00:12:32.459
 you an intimate

00:12:32.459 --> 00:12:33.599
 relationship with

00:12:33.599 --> 00:12:35.759
 you since way

00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:37.120
 before the

00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:37.699
 commencement of

00:12:37.699 --> 00:12:38.439
 history, way

00:12:38.439 --> 00:12:39.039
 before you were

00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:39.699
 ever even born.

00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:40.439
 And on the

00:12:40.439 --> 00:12:41.379
 basis of that

00:12:41.379 --> 00:12:42.979
 relationship in

00:12:42.979 --> 00:12:43.740
 which you didn't

00:12:43.740 --> 00:12:44.599
 even know God,

00:12:45.319 --> 00:12:46.059
 but God knew

00:12:46.059 --> 00:12:47.879
 you, God

00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:49.279
 elected you,

00:12:49.939 --> 00:12:50.979
 God chose

00:12:50.979 --> 00:12:51.199
 you.

00:12:51.819 --> 00:12:52.519
 Now think about

00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:52.819
 this.

00:12:53.099 --> 00:12:53.740
 This isn't just

00:12:53.740 --> 00:12:54.179
 theology.

00:12:54.379 --> 00:12:54.859
 Why is Peter

00:12:54.859 --> 00:12:55.699
 talking about this?

00:12:55.740 --> 00:12:56.159
 It's the first

00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:56.679
 thing he does.

00:12:56.679 --> 00:12:57.639
 The readers of

00:12:57.639 --> 00:12:58.479
 the letter are

00:12:58.479 --> 00:12:58.919
 going through

00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:00.419
 hardship and

00:13:00.419 --> 00:13:01.379
 persecution and

00:13:01.379 --> 00:13:01.779
 suffering.

00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:02.639
 They're wondering,

00:13:02.779 --> 00:13:03.299
 just like I was

00:13:03.299 --> 00:13:03.779
 asking at the

00:13:03.779 --> 00:13:04.559
 beginning, have we

00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:05.120
 done something

00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:05.559
 wrong?

00:13:05.899 --> 00:13:06.439
 Have we done

00:13:06.439 --> 00:13:06.959
 something to

00:13:06.959 --> 00:13:07.899
 displease God?

00:13:08.199 --> 00:13:08.759
 When we look

00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:09.319
 around and we

00:13:09.319 --> 00:13:09.779
 see all the

00:13:09.779 --> 00:13:10.279
 suffering and

00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:10.879
 all the pain,

00:13:11.500 --> 00:13:12.299
 what's going on?

00:13:12.359 --> 00:13:12.939
 Where is God

00:13:12.939 --> 00:13:13.500
 in all this?

00:13:13.799 --> 00:13:14.139
 And they're

00:13:14.139 --> 00:13:15.039
 wondering, has

00:13:15.039 --> 00:13:15.579
 he forgotten

00:13:15.579 --> 00:13:15.939
 us?

00:13:16.239 --> 00:13:16.919
 And Peter wants

00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:17.439
 to encourage

00:13:17.439 --> 00:13:17.699
 him.

00:13:17.979 --> 00:13:18.620
 And he does

00:13:18.620 --> 00:13:19.739
 that in no

00:13:19.739 --> 00:13:20.599
 better way than

00:13:20.599 --> 00:13:21.519
 by pointing to

00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:22.819
 the fact that

00:13:22.819 --> 00:13:23.679
 this living hope,

00:13:24.319 --> 00:13:25.319
 this assurance of

00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:26.360
 salvation is

00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:27.720
 grounded not in

00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:28.220
 something that

00:13:28.220 --> 00:13:28.920
 they have done,

00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:30.720
 but in something

00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:32.940
 God did before

00:13:32.940 --> 00:13:33.740
 the ages even

00:13:33.740 --> 00:13:34.140
 began.

00:13:35.100 --> 00:13:35.780
 Something he

00:13:35.780 --> 00:13:36.980
 purposed long

00:13:36.980 --> 00:13:38.520
 ago before any

00:13:38.520 --> 00:13:39.160
 of them was even

00:13:39.160 --> 00:13:39.580
 alive.

00:13:39.740 --> 00:13:40.440
 And not just

00:13:40.440 --> 00:13:41.040
 because of some

00:13:41.040 --> 00:13:42.560
 dry, stale,

00:13:42.940 --> 00:13:44.080
 cold, impersonal

00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:44.879
 sense of doctrine

00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:46.020
 that you only find

00:13:46.020 --> 00:13:46.760
 in dusty old

00:13:46.760 --> 00:13:48.120
 books, but a

00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:49.440
 people who were

00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:50.620
 chosen by God

00:13:50.620 --> 00:13:52.340
 according to his

00:13:52.340 --> 00:13:53.120
 foreknowledge,

00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:55.679
 desire to enter

00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:56.879
 into relationship

00:13:56.879 --> 00:13:58.159
 with you.

00:13:58.899 --> 00:13:59.639
 In the same

00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:00.919
 way, a man

00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:01.440
 knows his

00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:01.759
 wife.

00:14:02.899 --> 00:14:04.299
 A woman knows

00:14:04.299 --> 00:14:04.799
 her husband.

00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:05.679
 They have an

00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:06.659
 intimate relationship

00:14:06.659 --> 00:14:08.120
 that nobody else

00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:09.259
 will ever have

00:14:09.259 --> 00:14:10.259
 with them.

00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:11.840
 In the same

00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:13.080
 way, God

00:14:13.080 --> 00:14:14.500
 knows us.

00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:16.080
 And he makes

00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:16.679
 this visible,

00:14:17.159 --> 00:14:18.620
 not just, again,

00:14:18.740 --> 00:14:19.879
 dry theology or

00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:20.220
 philosophy.

00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:20.740
 He makes this

00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:22.080
 visible, verse 2,

00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:23.100
 by sending us

00:14:23.100 --> 00:14:23.900
 the Holy Spirit

00:14:23.900 --> 00:14:25.620
 to sanctify us.

00:14:26.060 --> 00:14:26.720
 That means to

00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:27.740
 purify us, to

00:14:27.740 --> 00:14:28.120
 give us the

00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:29.620
 ability to kill

00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:30.460
 those parts of

00:14:30.460 --> 00:14:31.460
 our flesh that

00:14:31.460 --> 00:14:32.360
 don't give God

00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:32.780
 glory.

00:14:34.160 --> 00:14:34.680
 And look at what

00:14:34.680 --> 00:14:35.040
 it says.

00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:36.340
 He did this so

00:14:36.340 --> 00:14:36.920
 that we would be

00:14:36.920 --> 00:14:38.220
 obedient to

00:14:38.220 --> 00:14:39.139
 Jesus Christ.

00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:41.040
 That means walk

00:14:41.040 --> 00:14:42.200
 in a manner like

00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:42.840
 the manner in

00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:43.720
 which he walked,

00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:44.660
 humble,

00:14:45.920 --> 00:14:46.400
 faithful,

00:14:47.520 --> 00:14:48.220
 devoted to the

00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:48.879
 things of heaven.

00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:49.540
 You know, when I

00:14:49.540 --> 00:14:50.200
 hear people talk

00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:51.600
 about election or

00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:52.280
 predestination,

00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:53.000
 sometimes there's

00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:53.820
 this arrogance that

00:14:53.820 --> 00:14:54.500
 can come across

00:14:54.500 --> 00:14:55.500
 when people talk

00:14:55.500 --> 00:14:55.900
 about it.

00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:56.680
 But those of us

00:14:56.680 --> 00:14:57.320
 who hold to this

00:14:57.320 --> 00:14:57.940
 doctrine should be

00:14:57.940 --> 00:14:58.879
 the humblest people

00:14:58.879 --> 00:14:59.780
 in the world,

00:14:59.920 --> 00:15:00.700
 because we had

00:15:00.700 --> 00:15:01.600
 nothing to do with

00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:01.820
 this.

00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:03.200
 This is all the

00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:04.040
 work of God in

00:15:04.040 --> 00:15:05.040
 our lives, which

00:15:05.040 --> 00:15:06.060
 would lead us to

00:15:06.060 --> 00:15:06.980
 live lives like

00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:08.379
 Christ, humble and

00:15:08.379 --> 00:15:09.720
 faithful and devoted

00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:10.220
 to God.

00:15:10.640 --> 00:15:11.379
 And because of all

00:15:11.379 --> 00:15:12.360
 of this, the text

00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:13.860
 says, we have been

00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:15.360
 sprinkled with his

00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:15.660
 blood.

00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:16.700
 Not literally, that

00:15:16.700 --> 00:15:17.280
 would be quite

00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:18.120
 gross, but

00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:18.819
 metaphorically,

00:15:19.539 --> 00:15:21.779
 pardoned, ransomed,

00:15:22.379 --> 00:15:23.799
 healed, restored,

00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:24.759
 forgiven.

00:15:25.179 --> 00:15:26.079
 No wonder, look at

00:15:26.079 --> 00:15:27.159
 verse 3, no wonder

00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:29.220
 it says, praise be to

00:15:29.220 --> 00:15:30.459
 the God and Father

00:15:30.459 --> 00:15:31.919
 of our Lord Jesus

00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:32.379
 Christ.

00:15:33.059 --> 00:15:33.579
 He could have

00:15:33.579 --> 00:15:34.179
 finished the letter

00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:35.399
 at that point, and

00:15:35.399 --> 00:15:35.799
 that would have been

00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:36.379
 enough for me.

00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:37.899
 But he goes on.

00:15:39.819 --> 00:15:41.500
 And you know, one of

00:15:41.500 --> 00:15:42.720
 the people that I find

00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:43.379
 the most fascinating

00:15:43.379 --> 00:15:44.240
 is Winston Churchill,

00:15:44.439 --> 00:15:45.059
 and he once said

00:15:45.059 --> 00:15:46.220
 this, if you're going

00:15:46.220 --> 00:15:48.420
 through hell, keep

00:15:48.420 --> 00:15:48.779
 going.

00:15:50.100 --> 00:15:50.920
 Don't stop.

00:15:51.100 --> 00:15:51.720
 When you find

00:15:51.720 --> 00:15:52.600
 yourself feeling the

00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:54.540
 pressure, when life

00:15:54.540 --> 00:15:56.519
 knocks you for six, I've

00:15:56.519 --> 00:15:57.240
 gone on to the cricket

00:15:57.240 --> 00:15:58.160
 metaphors because the

00:15:58.160 --> 00:15:58.940
 rugby is done and

00:15:58.940 --> 00:15:59.740
 dusted as far as I'm

00:15:59.740 --> 00:16:00.060
 concerned.

00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:01.840
 When you get the

00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:03.940
 diagnosis, when the

00:16:03.940 --> 00:16:05.040
 mortgage is overdue,

00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:07.040
 when you can't face

00:16:07.040 --> 00:16:08.160
 going home because the

00:16:08.160 --> 00:16:09.120
 house is like a war

00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:10.800
 zone, whatever life

00:16:10.800 --> 00:16:12.879
 throws at you, fix

00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:15.259
 your eyes on 1 Peter

00:16:15.259 --> 00:16:17.279
 chapter 1, verses 1

00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:17.759
 to 2.

00:16:18.419 --> 00:16:19.639
 And remind yourself,

00:16:20.200 --> 00:16:20.960
 you are not alone.

00:16:22.259 --> 00:16:23.039
 You're not just some

00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:24.720
 isolated speck of dust

00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:26.340
 in this vast universe.

00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:28.319
 You have been chosen

00:16:28.319 --> 00:16:29.100
 by God.

00:16:29.879 --> 00:16:31.279
 Verse 4, God's own

00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:32.439
 son conquered death by

00:16:32.439 --> 00:16:33.600
 his resurrection and

00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:34.519
 has guaranteed this

00:16:34.519 --> 00:16:36.559
 inheritance that can

00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:38.720
 never perish, spoil,

00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:39.220
 or fade.

00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:40.039
 It will never die.

00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:42.019
 It will never go out of

00:16:42.019 --> 00:16:42.720
 existence.

00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:44.220
 It will never be

00:16:44.220 --> 00:16:44.680
 invisible.

00:16:45.899 --> 00:16:47.379
 Remind yourself when

00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:48.000
 you go through these

00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:48.860
 times that your

00:16:48.860 --> 00:16:50.540
 suffering cannot and

00:16:50.540 --> 00:16:52.399
 will not cancel out

00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:53.639
 this living hope.

00:16:54.440 --> 00:16:55.879
 Verse 5, you are

00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:57.940
 shielded through this

00:16:57.940 --> 00:16:58.300
 faith.

00:16:58.500 --> 00:16:59.220
 You remember the full

00:16:59.220 --> 00:17:00.820
 armor of God in

00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:01.580
 Ephesians 6?

00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:03.480
 Take up the shield of

00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:05.920
 faith with which you

00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:07.360
 can extinguish all the

00:17:07.360 --> 00:17:09.039
 flaming arrows of the

00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:09.579
 evil one.

00:17:09.579 --> 00:17:12.000
 shield is the best

00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:13.919
 weapon you have in

00:17:13.919 --> 00:17:14.699
 this fight against

00:17:14.699 --> 00:17:15.099
 suffering.

00:17:15.819 --> 00:17:16.899
 So when the arrows of

00:17:16.899 --> 00:17:18.579
 hardship and suffering

00:17:18.579 --> 00:17:20.379
 come at you, lift up

00:17:20.379 --> 00:17:22.279
 the shield as high as

00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:23.460
 you can possibly lift it

00:17:23.460 --> 00:17:25.220
 and just let it do its

00:17:25.220 --> 00:17:25.519
 work.

00:17:26.599 --> 00:17:27.740
 Take comfort in the

00:17:27.740 --> 00:17:29.379
 fact that your faith,

00:17:29.899 --> 00:17:31.179
 your living hope, is

00:17:31.179 --> 00:17:31.779
 predestined.

00:17:32.699 --> 00:17:33.679
 So that's the first one.

00:17:33.859 --> 00:17:34.259
 Let's look at the

00:17:34.259 --> 00:17:34.779
 second one.

00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:36.199
 Our living hope is

00:17:36.199 --> 00:17:36.639
 precious.

00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:39.000
 Look at verse 6.

00:17:39.400 --> 00:17:40.440
 Even though we rejoice

00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:41.300
 in these great truths,

00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:42.080
 you know, being chosen,

00:17:42.280 --> 00:17:43.180
 God's foreknowledge, all

00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:44.200
 of that kind of thing, it

00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:45.200
 doesn't mean that the

00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:46.200
 sufferings and trials

00:17:46.200 --> 00:17:46.860
 disappear.

00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:48.480
 So even though we

00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:49.420
 belong to God, we're not

00:17:49.420 --> 00:17:50.980
 always going to fly over

00:17:50.980 --> 00:17:51.500
 the storm.

00:17:51.740 --> 00:17:53.320
 I was listening to a

00:17:53.320 --> 00:17:54.160
 worship song the other

00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:55.280
 day and it was talking

00:17:55.280 --> 00:17:56.460
 about how we fly with

00:17:56.460 --> 00:17:57.480
 God over the storm.

00:17:58.280 --> 00:17:59.380
 But that's not always

00:17:59.380 --> 00:17:59.680
 true.

00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:02.100
 In fact, a lot of the

00:18:02.100 --> 00:18:04.060
 time, we sail right

00:18:04.060 --> 00:18:04.780
 into the storm.

00:18:04.779 --> 00:18:06.899
 Look at verse 7.

00:18:07.139 --> 00:18:08.200
 It's not unavoidable.

00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:09.460
 It's not accidental.

00:18:11.139 --> 00:18:12.420
 These trials have come,

00:18:12.700 --> 00:18:14.960
 verse 7, so that the

00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:16.160
 proven genuineness of

00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:17.559
 your faith of greater

00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:18.539
 worth than gold, which

00:18:18.539 --> 00:18:19.940
 perishes even though

00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:21.980
 refined by fire, may

00:18:21.980 --> 00:18:23.559
 result in praise and

00:18:23.559 --> 00:18:24.879
 glory and honor when

00:18:24.879 --> 00:18:26.160
 Jesus is revealed.

00:18:26.379 --> 00:18:27.359
 So I was reading a lot

00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:28.980
 about gold in preparation

00:18:28.980 --> 00:18:30.180
 for this sermon.

00:18:30.899 --> 00:18:31.980
 We all know what it is,

00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:33.279
 what it looks like,

00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:34.359
 what it's worth.

00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:35.179
 Many of us have it in

00:18:35.179 --> 00:18:36.979
 our fingers or around

00:18:36.979 --> 00:18:38.399
 our necks, in your

00:18:38.399 --> 00:18:38.959
 earlobes.

00:18:39.539 --> 00:18:40.240
 Some of you might have

00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:41.119
 it in your teeth, but

00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:42.000
 keep that to yourself

00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:43.159
 for the time being.

00:18:43.719 --> 00:18:44.459
 And I looked it up.

00:18:44.599 --> 00:18:45.559
 Right now, gold is

00:18:45.559 --> 00:18:46.959
 worth about 40 euro a

00:18:46.959 --> 00:18:47.279
 gram.

00:18:48.359 --> 00:18:49.199
 Now, to put that into

00:18:49.199 --> 00:18:50.859
 context, take a bag of

00:18:50.859 --> 00:18:51.099
 sugar.

00:18:52.339 --> 00:18:53.000
 Empty the bag.

00:18:53.679 --> 00:18:54.719
 If you want to fill that

00:18:54.719 --> 00:18:55.919
 bag back up with gold,

00:18:56.099 --> 00:18:56.859
 it's going to cost you

00:18:56.859 --> 00:18:57.479
 20 grand.

00:18:58.639 --> 00:18:59.399
 It would be nice.

00:19:00.479 --> 00:19:01.059
 It's a valuable,

00:19:01.299 --> 00:19:01.919
 precious metal.

00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:02.459
 It's been used for

00:19:02.460 --> 00:19:03.600
 everything from currency

00:19:03.600 --> 00:19:05.279
 to electronics to

00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:06.100
 religious idols.

00:19:06.840 --> 00:19:07.700
 And we watch movies

00:19:07.700 --> 00:19:08.740
 about it, like Indiana

00:19:08.740 --> 00:19:09.100
 Jones.

00:19:10.019 --> 00:19:11.220
 We create myths about

00:19:11.220 --> 00:19:12.259
 it, like the lost city

00:19:12.259 --> 00:19:13.220
 of El Dorado, which is

00:19:13.220 --> 00:19:14.200
 supposedly the city in

00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:15.340
 South America that was

00:19:15.340 --> 00:19:16.259
 made entirely out of

00:19:16.259 --> 00:19:17.079
 gold, which is

00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:18.059
 completely true, by the

00:19:18.059 --> 00:19:18.220
 way.

00:19:19.319 --> 00:19:20.880
 In 19th century America,

00:19:21.019 --> 00:19:21.920
 to immigrants in New

00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:22.840
 York, they said that the

00:19:22.840 --> 00:19:23.819
 streets of New York are

00:19:23.819 --> 00:19:25.440
 paved with gold, something

00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:26.460
 which also turned out not

00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:27.160
 to be quite true.

00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:29.680
 In the Bible, if you read

00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:30.580
 the book of Daniel, you

00:19:30.580 --> 00:19:31.320
 can read about the king

00:19:31.320 --> 00:19:32.660
 of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar,

00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:33.660
 and he built this statue

00:19:33.660 --> 00:19:35.220
 90 feet high in the middle

00:19:35.220 --> 00:19:36.440
 of the desert, totally

00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:37.400
 overlaid with gold.

00:19:37.500 --> 00:19:38.539
 You could see it for miles

00:19:38.539 --> 00:19:39.920
 around and said, this

00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:41.519
 represents me and how

00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:42.660
 valuable and precious I

00:19:42.660 --> 00:19:42.840
 am.

00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:43.880
 You will bow down to this

00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:44.220
 statue.

00:19:46.060 --> 00:19:46.799
 The Ark of the

00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:49.060
 Covenant and the temple,

00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:50.299
 in fact, were completely

00:19:50.299 --> 00:19:51.400
 decorated with gold.

00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:53.180
 So whether as a means for

00:19:53.180 --> 00:19:55.160
 greedy men to celebrate

00:19:55.160 --> 00:19:56.759
 themselves or in the

00:19:56.759 --> 00:19:57.779
 worship of the one true

00:19:57.779 --> 00:19:59.359
 God, gold has always

00:19:59.359 --> 00:19:59.899
 been valued.

00:20:00.539 --> 00:20:01.599
 It's always been sought

00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:01.920
 after.

00:20:02.019 --> 00:20:03.079
 It's always been precious.

00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:05.180
 Say, all right, thanks for

00:20:05.180 --> 00:20:05.920
 the lecture about gold,

00:20:06.019 --> 00:20:06.119
 Dan.

00:20:06.119 --> 00:20:06.660
 What's your point?

00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:08.660
 Well, this is the most

00:20:08.660 --> 00:20:09.799
 valuable thing Peter can

00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:10.240
 think of.

00:20:11.319 --> 00:20:12.779
 So what he's describing is

00:20:12.779 --> 00:20:14.319
 how precious is this faith,

00:20:14.399 --> 00:20:15.379
 how precious is this

00:20:15.379 --> 00:20:16.879
 living hope that believers

00:20:16.879 --> 00:20:18.240
 in Jesus Christ have.

00:20:18.420 --> 00:20:19.619
 This faith that's ordained

00:20:19.619 --> 00:20:21.899
 by the Father, that is

00:20:21.899 --> 00:20:24.059
 enabled by the Spirit, for

00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:25.359
 the purpose of obeying the

00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:25.599
 Son.

00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:27.180
 Faith is not bronze.

00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:29.099
 It's not silver.

00:20:29.639 --> 00:20:30.279
 It's gold.

00:20:30.859 --> 00:20:31.720
 First place.

00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:33.440
 Pole position.

00:20:34.119 --> 00:20:35.779
 Medal of champions, kings

00:20:35.779 --> 00:20:36.460
 and emperors.

00:20:36.619 --> 00:20:37.660
 It's the most valuable

00:20:37.660 --> 00:20:39.359
 possession that the

00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:40.039
 believer owns.

00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:41.980
 It's a medal that, as

00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:43.160
 Peter refers to here, it's

00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:44.220
 purified by being put

00:20:44.220 --> 00:20:44.779
 through fire.

00:20:45.379 --> 00:20:46.500
 Now, I won't go through

00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:47.460
 it in detail, but it's an

00:20:47.460 --> 00:20:48.220
 interesting process.

00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:49.599
 Basically, to get rid of

00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:51.079
 all of the junk and all of

00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:52.619
 the rubbish and gold, you

00:20:52.619 --> 00:20:55.319
 heat it to 1,064 degrees

00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:57.359
 Celsius, which is 10 times

00:20:57.359 --> 00:20:58.959
 hotter than boiling water.

00:20:59.379 --> 00:21:01.979
 The point is, this is not

00:21:01.979 --> 00:21:03.059
 like gently reheating

00:21:03.059 --> 00:21:03.479
 soup.

00:21:04.779 --> 00:21:07.299
 This is violent, high

00:21:07.299 --> 00:21:09.059
 energy, testing, using

00:21:09.059 --> 00:21:10.019
 extreme heat.

00:21:10.979 --> 00:21:12.579
 In other words, trials that

00:21:12.579 --> 00:21:15.539
 are difficult to bear, cause

00:21:15.539 --> 00:21:17.899
 great pain, but which have

00:21:17.899 --> 00:21:18.399
 a purpose.

00:21:19.159 --> 00:21:21.259
 Now, I've burned myself a few

00:21:21.259 --> 00:21:22.159
 times, not while refining

00:21:22.159 --> 00:21:23.579
 gold, but usually while

00:21:23.579 --> 00:21:25.759
 cooking, like maybe many of

00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:26.359
 you have as well.

00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:27.659
 One of them was

00:21:27.659 --> 00:21:28.419
 particularly bad.

00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:29.319
 In fact, it was recent.

00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:30.419
 I was just there cooking,

00:21:30.579 --> 00:21:31.559
 minding my own business, when

00:21:31.559 --> 00:21:32.759
 this sauce decided to attack

00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:33.939
 me from the pot.

00:21:34.419 --> 00:21:35.899
 The ungrateful sauce, but

00:21:35.899 --> 00:21:36.119
 anyway.

00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:37.799
 The skin in my fingers

00:21:37.799 --> 00:21:40.240
 scorched and blistered and

00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:41.179
 did everything else they do

00:21:41.179 --> 00:21:42.579
 when human skin gets burned.

00:21:43.480 --> 00:21:44.559
 And they were very sensitive

00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:45.059
 to the touch.

00:21:45.099 --> 00:21:46.599
 I couldn't touch anything for

00:21:46.599 --> 00:21:47.599
 quite a while afterwards.

00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:50.659
 But over time, they recovered.

00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:53.039
 And the skin got stronger.

00:21:54.339 --> 00:21:55.859
 So the next time, and there

00:21:55.859 --> 00:21:58.059
 was a next time, it didn't

00:21:58.059 --> 00:21:59.059
 hurt as much.

00:21:59.919 --> 00:22:00.799
 You see, my skin had

00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:01.980
 developed, it had toughened.

00:22:02.579 --> 00:22:04.259
 It could still get burned, and

00:22:04.259 --> 00:22:05.619
 it can still get burned, and it

00:22:05.619 --> 00:22:06.619
 will still get burned.

00:22:07.059 --> 00:22:08.779
 But the pain isn't the same.

00:22:09.779 --> 00:22:14.019
 So now, when I burn myself, I

00:22:14.019 --> 00:22:15.779
 kind of don't notice it in the

00:22:15.779 --> 00:22:16.519
 same spot anymore.

00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:18.839
 My skin has developed to the

00:22:18.839 --> 00:22:20.420
 point where it just simply

00:22:20.420 --> 00:22:21.500
 doesn't register the pain.

00:22:22.839 --> 00:22:24.039
 That's kind of what Peter is

00:22:24.039 --> 00:22:24.259
 saying.

00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:25.960
 That's the purpose of

00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:26.279
 suffering.

00:22:27.160 --> 00:22:28.519
 Talking about gold again, there

00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:29.680
 was a Roman philosopher called

00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:31.379
 Pliny, and he wrote this at the

00:22:31.379 --> 00:22:32.859
 same time as Peter's letter.

00:22:32.980 --> 00:22:34.660
 He said this, gold is the only

00:22:34.660 --> 00:22:36.139
 thing that doesn't lose any

00:22:36.139 --> 00:22:37.799
 substance by the action of

00:22:37.799 --> 00:22:38.039
 fire.

00:22:38.579 --> 00:22:39.720
 You throw anything else into a

00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:41.460
 fire, and it's gone in a

00:22:41.460 --> 00:22:42.059
 matter of seconds.

00:22:42.139 --> 00:22:43.339
 But gold doesn't lose any

00:22:43.339 --> 00:22:43.680
 substance.

00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:45.180
 He goes on to say, as a

00:22:45.180 --> 00:22:46.500
 matter of fact, it improves

00:22:46.519 --> 00:22:48.900
 in quality, the more often

00:22:48.900 --> 00:22:50.440
 you put it in the fire.

00:22:51.299 --> 00:22:53.400
 And fire, here's the point,

00:22:53.940 --> 00:22:56.000
 serves as a test of the

00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:57.039
 gold's goodness.

00:22:58.339 --> 00:22:59.519
 That's what Peter is saying.

00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:01.799
 Just like these trials have

00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:03.220
 come to the church to purify the

00:23:03.220 --> 00:23:04.900
 faith of the believers, the fire

00:23:04.900 --> 00:23:07.799
 tests the gold to strengthen its

00:23:07.799 --> 00:23:08.180
 purity.

00:23:09.180 --> 00:23:10.779
 And apparently, Peter says, so do

00:23:10.779 --> 00:23:13.099
 things like bullying, mockery,

00:23:13.099 --> 00:23:16.519
 gossip, harassment, so do all of

00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:19.079
 these things toughen and strengthen

00:23:19.079 --> 00:23:20.759
 the faith of the Christian.

00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:23.039
 The point of the fire, Peter is

00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:24.759
 saying, is that it's not there to

00:23:24.759 --> 00:23:25.879
 punish you for something.

00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:29.599
 The fire is there to develop your

00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:30.639
 Christian character.

00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:33.240
 Because it's really easy to be a

00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:34.500
 Christian when life is going well.

00:23:35.259 --> 00:23:37.359
 When you've got the job, when you've

00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:39.759
 got the house, when college is good,

00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:41.660
 when no one is gossiping about you,

00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:44.000
 but the proof of the pudding is in

00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:44.379
 the eating.

00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:47.740
 It's when things go bad, what way is

00:23:47.740 --> 00:23:48.160
 your faith?

00:23:48.900 --> 00:23:50.319
 It's so that when the world looks at

00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:52.680
 you, when the church looks at you,

00:23:53.140 --> 00:23:55.099
 and when the Lord looks at you, you

00:23:55.099 --> 00:23:57.740
 see someone whose faith, or they see

00:23:57.740 --> 00:24:00.339
 someone whose faith is true and pure,

00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:03.019
 because it's been tested by fire.

00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:07.140
 To paraphrase verses 7 and 8, it's so

00:24:07.140 --> 00:24:09.840
 that when Jesus comes back, or you go

00:24:09.840 --> 00:24:12.440
 to meet him, but when he separates

00:24:12.440 --> 00:24:15.720
 the sheep from the goats, you find

00:24:15.720 --> 00:24:16.940
 yourself in the right pasture.

00:24:18.380 --> 00:24:19.860
 That's how serious this is.

00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:23.100
 Because you love him, and you believe

00:24:23.100 --> 00:24:25.120
 in him, that fire will have resulted

00:24:25.120 --> 00:24:27.560
 in the salvation of your soul, Peter

00:24:27.560 --> 00:24:27.960
 says.

00:24:28.420 --> 00:24:30.340
 It is a means of grace.

00:24:31.800 --> 00:24:33.220
 We'll get more into this in chapters

00:24:33.220 --> 00:24:35.440
 2 and 3, but here's some ways in which

00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:36.660
 the fire can test your faith.

00:24:37.259 --> 00:24:39.380
 Maybe you're a student, whatever age

00:24:39.380 --> 00:24:40.240
 you are, maybe you're a student.

00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:41.980
 When your classmates call you names,

00:24:43.100 --> 00:24:45.539
 or they mock you because of your faith,

00:24:46.539 --> 00:24:47.500
 do you respond?

00:24:48.920 --> 00:24:50.240
 Or do you turn the other cheek?

00:24:51.820 --> 00:24:53.700
 If you're an employee, when your boss

00:24:53.700 --> 00:24:55.980
 rebukes you under false pretenses, as

00:24:55.980 --> 00:24:58.100
 has happened to me before, unheard of

00:24:58.100 --> 00:24:59.180
 in the civil service, I know.

00:24:59.480 --> 00:25:01.259
 But when your boss rebukes you for

00:25:01.259 --> 00:25:04.000
 something you haven't done, do you

00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:06.299
 shout and scream?

00:25:07.500 --> 00:25:08.579
 Threaten to go on strike?

00:25:10.039 --> 00:25:12.779
 Or do you just calmly and respectfully

00:25:12.779 --> 00:25:15.819
 conduct yourself as a model employee

00:25:15.819 --> 00:25:18.460
 and let your life speak for itself?

00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:20.720
 How about this one?

00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:23.359
 This will make me very popular by

00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:23.960
 bringing this up.

00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:25.980
 We're all citizens.

00:25:25.980 --> 00:25:29.380
 When the government requires us to pay

00:25:29.380 --> 00:25:32.740
 for our water, do we disobey?

00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:35.420
 Do we refuse?

00:25:36.980 --> 00:25:38.740
 Or do we render unto Caesar

00:25:38.740 --> 00:25:41.039
 as Jesus commanded us?

00:25:41.860 --> 00:25:43.960
 Friend, the fire is not there to punish you.

00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:46.640
 The fire is there, ultimately,

00:25:46.860 --> 00:25:48.920
 to make you more like Christ.

00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:50.860
 Because think about this.

00:25:50.859 --> 00:25:53.079
 Christ who didn't open his mouth

00:25:53.079 --> 00:25:54.879
 to defend himself.

00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:56.859
 Who went willingly

00:25:56.859 --> 00:25:58.500
 like a lamb to the slaughter.

00:25:59.959 --> 00:26:01.240
 Christ who could have said,

00:26:01.559 --> 00:26:02.759
 I'm not putting up with all of this.

00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:05.419
 I'm not putting up with being beaten

00:26:05.419 --> 00:26:06.579
 and mocked and scorned

00:26:06.579 --> 00:26:07.719
 and harassed and intimidated.

00:26:08.539 --> 00:26:09.699
 Christ who could have called down

00:26:09.699 --> 00:26:11.179
 twelve legions of angels

00:26:11.179 --> 00:26:12.459
 for protection,

00:26:13.139 --> 00:26:14.059
 but instead,

00:26:14.939 --> 00:26:15.259
 willingly,

00:26:15.879 --> 00:26:16.879
 went to the cross.

00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:19.380
 Christ who even on that cross

00:26:19.380 --> 00:26:21.060
 bled for the ones

00:26:21.060 --> 00:26:22.540
 who nailed him to the cross.

00:26:23.220 --> 00:26:24.560
 The ones who beat him

00:26:24.560 --> 00:26:25.760
 and whipped him

00:26:25.760 --> 00:26:27.120
 and scourged him.

00:26:28.100 --> 00:26:28.940
 And remember what he prayed?

00:26:29.080 --> 00:26:29.380
 Father,

00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:31.020
 forgive them.

00:26:31.900 --> 00:26:33.280
 They don't know what they're doing.

00:26:34.680 --> 00:26:35.600
 John puts it this way.

00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:36.520
 You don't have to turn to it,

00:26:36.560 --> 00:26:37.760
 but this is from 1 John 3.

00:26:38.040 --> 00:26:38.760
 Dear friends,

00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:40.420
 now we are children of God.

00:26:41.220 --> 00:26:42.480
 What we will be

00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:44.780
 has not yet been made known.

00:26:45.360 --> 00:26:46.780
 But we know that when Christ

00:26:46.779 --> 00:26:47.319
 appears,

00:26:48.279 --> 00:26:49.899
 we'll be like him.

00:26:50.700 --> 00:26:51.879
 For we shall see him

00:26:51.879 --> 00:26:53.299
 as he is.

00:26:53.619 --> 00:26:54.200
 And that,

00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:55.859
 Peter says in verse 8,

00:26:56.619 --> 00:26:57.940
 ought to fill us with joy.

00:26:59.019 --> 00:27:00.279
 Because our trials, friends,

00:27:00.460 --> 00:27:01.680
 are not interruptions

00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:02.779
 in our Christian walk.

00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:03.920
 They're not these things

00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:04.619
 that happen to us

00:27:04.619 --> 00:27:06.299
 that distract from being Christian.

00:27:06.639 --> 00:27:07.700
 Our trials, friends,

00:27:07.700 --> 00:27:09.779
 they are our Christian walk.

00:27:10.740 --> 00:27:12.420
 That's when we prove our faith.

00:27:12.680 --> 00:27:13.660
 Our trials are there

00:27:13.660 --> 00:27:15.240
 to make us more like Christ.

00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:16.980
 And in them,

00:27:17.079 --> 00:27:17.539
 verse 9,

00:27:17.700 --> 00:27:18.779
 even though we suffer,

00:27:19.660 --> 00:27:20.640
 and even though we don't

00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:21.519
 always see God,

00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:22.620
 we are receiving

00:27:22.620 --> 00:27:23.640
 the end result

00:27:23.640 --> 00:27:24.620
 of our faith.

00:27:25.160 --> 00:27:26.140
 The end result

00:27:26.140 --> 00:27:26.940
 that is guaranteed

00:27:26.940 --> 00:27:29.339
 because of this living hope.

00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:30.900
 The living hope

00:27:30.900 --> 00:27:32.339
 that is precious

00:27:32.339 --> 00:27:34.019
 because it is refined

00:27:34.019 --> 00:27:34.980
 by fire.

00:27:34.980 --> 00:27:36.900
 So,

00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:37.680
 our living hope

00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:38.319
 is predestined,

00:27:39.220 --> 00:27:39.640
 precious,

00:27:39.880 --> 00:27:40.400
 and lastly,

00:27:40.920 --> 00:27:41.240
 prophetic.

00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:43.440
 Now, it's very easy.

00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:44.220
 I wonder about this

00:27:44.220 --> 00:27:45.000
 sometimes myself

00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:46.180
 when I teach this stuff.

00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:47.160
 It's very easy

00:27:47.160 --> 00:27:48.019
 and understandable

00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:48.640
 to wonder,

00:27:49.360 --> 00:27:49.940
 why do we bother

00:27:49.940 --> 00:27:50.819
 reading the Old Testament?

00:27:51.779 --> 00:27:52.259
 It doesn't look

00:27:52.259 --> 00:27:53.259
 very relevant to us.

00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:53.519
 I mean,

00:27:53.559 --> 00:27:54.700
 this kind of strange

00:27:54.700 --> 00:27:55.640
 collection of books

00:27:55.640 --> 00:27:56.519
 of history

00:27:56.519 --> 00:27:57.180
 and poetry

00:27:57.180 --> 00:27:58.220
 and law

00:27:58.220 --> 00:27:59.700
 seems to apply

00:27:59.700 --> 00:28:00.660
 to this group of people

00:28:00.660 --> 00:28:01.700
 in ancient Palestine.

00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:02.779
 It doesn't seem

00:28:02.779 --> 00:28:03.339
 to have a whole lot

00:28:03.339 --> 00:28:04.099
 of relevance to me

00:28:04.099 --> 00:28:04.960
 living in East Cork

00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:06.019
 in the 21st century.

00:28:06.859 --> 00:28:07.359
 And sometimes,

00:28:07.660 --> 00:28:08.740
 I'm guilty of this,

00:28:08.879 --> 00:28:09.819
 we can take the stories

00:28:09.819 --> 00:28:11.039
 of Joseph and Daniel

00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:12.099
 and Moses and all of them

00:28:12.099 --> 00:28:12.839
 and we can kind of take

00:28:12.839 --> 00:28:15.480
 life lessons for us.

00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:16.759
 And that's not wrong,

00:28:17.160 --> 00:28:17.660
 necessarily,

00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:19.559
 but it's not the point

00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:20.819
 of the Old Testament.

00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:21.079
 You see,

00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:22.200
 the point of the whole Bible

00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:23.160
 is that it's part

00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:24.259
 of this one big story.

00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:25.859
 And the story goes

00:28:25.859 --> 00:28:26.619
 something like this.

00:28:26.940 --> 00:28:27.700
 God created

00:28:27.700 --> 00:28:28.680
 a perfect universe.

00:28:29.799 --> 00:28:30.539
 Through mankind,

00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:31.740
 sin came in

00:28:31.740 --> 00:28:33.079
 and corrupted it.

00:28:33.700 --> 00:28:34.400
 And one day,

00:28:34.980 --> 00:28:36.019
 God will restore

00:28:36.019 --> 00:28:36.720
 the universe

00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:38.339
 to the way it was

00:28:38.339 --> 00:28:39.359
 in the very beginning.

00:28:39.620 --> 00:28:40.440
 That's the whole Bible

00:28:40.440 --> 00:28:41.000
 in a nutshell.

00:28:41.660 --> 00:28:42.400
 It's not much more

00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:43.279
 complicated than that.

00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:44.880
 Basically,

00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:46.839
 the Bible is a story

00:28:46.839 --> 00:28:48.079
 about how God

00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:49.380
 is going to sort out sin.

00:28:50.180 --> 00:28:50.940
 And all of these parts

00:28:50.940 --> 00:28:51.640
 of the Old Testament,

00:28:52.200 --> 00:28:52.400
 you know,

00:28:52.740 --> 00:28:53.700
 Exodus from Egypt,

00:28:53.880 --> 00:28:54.620
 the Promised Land,

00:28:54.759 --> 00:28:55.039
 Moses,

00:28:55.240 --> 00:28:55.960
 the Kingdom of David,

00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:56.940
 all of these things,

00:28:57.240 --> 00:28:57.980
 they're pictures

00:28:57.980 --> 00:28:59.880
 which point forwards

00:28:59.880 --> 00:29:01.060
 to what it's going

00:29:01.060 --> 00:29:01.820
 to look like

00:29:01.820 --> 00:29:03.140
 at the very end

00:29:03.140 --> 00:29:03.940
 when this sin

00:29:03.940 --> 00:29:04.740
 is eradicated.

00:29:05.340 --> 00:29:06.320
 And none of these things

00:29:06.320 --> 00:29:07.120
 were going to get rid

00:29:07.120 --> 00:29:07.640
 of this sin.

00:29:08.460 --> 00:29:08.860
 Ultimately,

00:29:09.100 --> 00:29:10.260
 there was only one way

00:29:10.260 --> 00:29:11.720
 in which this sin

00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:12.820
 was going to be destroyed.

00:29:13.500 --> 00:29:14.480
 And verse 10 says

00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:15.180
 the prophets,

00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:17.120
 the guys in the Old Testament

00:29:17.120 --> 00:29:19.060
 who spoke the words of God,

00:29:19.220 --> 00:29:20.580
 they searched intently

00:29:20.580 --> 00:29:21.140
 for this.

00:29:21.660 --> 00:29:22.660
 They wanted to know,

00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:23.660
 they yearned to know,

00:29:23.660 --> 00:29:25.200
 how was this going to happen?

00:29:25.760 --> 00:29:27.080
 What's it going to look like?

00:29:27.179 --> 00:29:28.399
 When is the Messiah coming?

00:29:28.759 --> 00:29:29.859
 What's he going to do?

00:29:30.859 --> 00:29:32.179
 And they wrote things like this.

00:29:32.839 --> 00:29:33.819
 Isaiah said this,

00:29:34.039 --> 00:29:34.919
 The Lord himself

00:29:34.919 --> 00:29:35.980
 will give you a sign,

00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:36.519
 O Israel.

00:29:36.939 --> 00:29:37.460
 Behold,

00:29:37.980 --> 00:29:38.679
 which just means,

00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:39.220
 look,

00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:40.579
 the virgin

00:29:40.579 --> 00:29:41.639
 will give birth

00:29:41.639 --> 00:29:42.519
 to a child.

00:29:43.839 --> 00:29:44.319
 Jeremiah,

00:29:44.980 --> 00:29:46.519
 I will set up over them

00:29:46.519 --> 00:29:47.139
 one shepherd,

00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:49.819
 and he shall feed them

00:29:49.819 --> 00:29:51.000
 and be

00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:52.679
 the good shepherd.

00:29:54.119 --> 00:29:54.639
 Micah,

00:29:55.579 --> 00:29:56.639
 you, Bethlehem,

00:29:57.079 --> 00:29:58.179
 from you

00:29:58.179 --> 00:29:59.159
 will come forth

00:29:59.159 --> 00:29:59.579
 for me

00:29:59.579 --> 00:30:00.539
 one who is to be

00:30:00.539 --> 00:30:01.059
 the ruler

00:30:01.059 --> 00:30:01.939
 in Israel.

00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:04.079
 Zechariah,

00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:05.279
 behold,

00:30:05.419 --> 00:30:06.039
 that word again,

00:30:06.220 --> 00:30:06.500
 look,

00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:08.659
 your king is coming to you,

00:30:09.199 --> 00:30:09.539
 righteous

00:30:09.539 --> 00:30:11.000
 and having salvation,

00:30:11.519 --> 00:30:11.859
 humble

00:30:11.859 --> 00:30:13.159
 and mounted

00:30:13.159 --> 00:30:14.480
 on a donkey.

00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:16.500
 David,

00:30:17.179 --> 00:30:18.559
 I looked for pity,

00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:20.639
 but there was none.

00:30:21.599 --> 00:30:22.500
 For my thirst

00:30:22.500 --> 00:30:23.079
 they gave me

00:30:23.079 --> 00:30:23.939
 sour wine

00:30:23.939 --> 00:30:24.740
 to drink.

00:30:25.480 --> 00:30:26.480
 Now those are five.

00:30:27.220 --> 00:30:28.319
 One source I read

00:30:28.319 --> 00:30:29.339
 said there are over

00:30:29.339 --> 00:30:31.059
 350 prophecies

00:30:31.059 --> 00:30:31.900
 in the Old Testament

00:30:31.900 --> 00:30:33.720
 that are directly fulfilled

00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:35.360
 by Jesus Christ.

00:30:35.960 --> 00:30:36.440
 350.

00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:37.660
 Those are just five.

00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:38.980
 And the prophets

00:30:38.980 --> 00:30:40.099
 only saw these things

00:30:40.099 --> 00:30:40.880
 through the lens

00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:41.720
 of their own time

00:30:41.720 --> 00:30:42.579
 and their own experience,

00:30:42.940 --> 00:30:44.440
 but we have the benefit

00:30:44.440 --> 00:30:44.960
 of history.

00:30:45.579 --> 00:30:46.599
 So we know

00:30:46.599 --> 00:30:47.880
 Jesus was born

00:30:47.880 --> 00:30:48.440
 of a virgin.

00:30:49.400 --> 00:30:50.200
 We know

00:30:50.200 --> 00:30:51.160
 he was the good shepherd

00:30:51.160 --> 00:30:52.039
 who quite literally

00:30:52.039 --> 00:30:53.400
 fed the sheep.

00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:53.460
 sheep.

00:30:54.259 --> 00:30:55.140
 We know

00:30:55.140 --> 00:30:55.680
 he was born

00:30:55.680 --> 00:30:56.300
 in Bethlehem.

00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:57.560
 We know

00:30:57.560 --> 00:30:58.519
 he entered Jerusalem

00:30:58.519 --> 00:30:59.540
 riding on a donkey.

00:31:00.519 --> 00:31:01.120
 And we know

00:31:01.120 --> 00:31:01.700
 that the Romans

00:31:01.700 --> 00:31:02.900
 gave him sour wine

00:31:02.900 --> 00:31:03.400
 to drink

00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:04.300
 when he was hanging

00:31:04.300 --> 00:31:04.940
 on the cross.

00:31:05.660 --> 00:31:06.640
 And these are things

00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:07.620
 that are not accidents.

00:31:08.280 --> 00:31:09.160
 They are the fulfillment

00:31:09.160 --> 00:31:10.060
 of thousands

00:31:10.060 --> 00:31:10.720
 of years

00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:11.900
 of biblical prophecy

00:31:11.900 --> 00:31:13.759
 of God's plan.

00:31:14.120 --> 00:31:14.759
 And we know

00:31:14.759 --> 00:31:15.480
 verse 12

00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:16.840
 that these prophets

00:31:16.840 --> 00:31:17.720
 were not serving

00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:18.320
 themselves,

00:31:18.319 --> 00:31:20.019
 but they were

00:31:20.019 --> 00:31:20.639
 serving us.

00:31:21.740 --> 00:31:22.559
 That's you and me.

00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:24.159
 That's the people

00:31:24.159 --> 00:31:24.599
 who live

00:31:24.599 --> 00:31:25.599
 on this side

00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:26.179
 of Calvary.

00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:26.500
 You see,

00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:27.000
 the prophets,

00:31:27.179 --> 00:31:27.359
 friends,

00:31:27.619 --> 00:31:28.659
 their very words

00:31:28.659 --> 00:31:29.839
 were pointing

00:31:29.839 --> 00:31:31.000
 towards a picture

00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:32.139
 of the fulfillment

00:31:32.139 --> 00:31:33.279
 of Jesus Christ,

00:31:33.639 --> 00:31:34.359
 God's plan

00:31:34.359 --> 00:31:35.639
 to send his own son

00:31:35.639 --> 00:31:36.339
 into the world

00:31:36.339 --> 00:31:37.200
 to purchase

00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:37.779
 for himself

00:31:37.779 --> 00:31:38.359
 a people,

00:31:39.119 --> 00:31:39.720
 a bride.

00:31:39.939 --> 00:31:40.639
 And that bride

00:31:40.639 --> 00:31:41.480
 is the church.

00:31:42.539 --> 00:31:43.659
 Not just abstract,

00:31:43.879 --> 00:31:44.279
 by the way.

00:31:44.659 --> 00:31:45.359
 This church,

00:31:46.099 --> 00:31:46.480
 here,

00:31:47.059 --> 00:31:47.619
 this morning,

00:31:48.399 --> 00:31:49.379
 in this literal room,

00:31:49.899 --> 00:31:50.939
 with this literal people,

00:31:51.359 --> 00:31:52.059
 listening to this

00:31:52.059 --> 00:31:52.819
 literal sermon,

00:31:53.559 --> 00:31:54.439
 this living hope,

00:31:54.599 --> 00:31:54.799
 friends,

00:31:54.859 --> 00:31:55.379
 that you have,

00:31:55.739 --> 00:31:56.539
 this is not God

00:31:56.539 --> 00:31:57.819
 reacting to something.

00:31:58.459 --> 00:31:59.299
 He's not reacting

00:31:59.299 --> 00:31:59.859
 to Brexit.

00:32:00.879 --> 00:32:01.719
 He's not reacting

00:32:01.719 --> 00:32:02.739
 to Islamic State.

00:32:03.079 --> 00:32:03.939
 He's not reacting

00:32:03.939 --> 00:32:05.159
 to all of the other

00:32:05.159 --> 00:32:05.979
 things that go on

00:32:05.979 --> 00:32:06.459
 in the world

00:32:06.459 --> 00:32:07.259
 that make us

00:32:07.259 --> 00:32:08.179
 really uncomfortable

00:32:08.179 --> 00:32:09.179
 and make us wonder

00:32:09.179 --> 00:32:10.379
 what's going on,

00:32:10.479 --> 00:32:10.639
 Lord.

00:32:11.399 --> 00:32:12.359
 This is something

00:32:12.359 --> 00:32:13.359
 that stretches back

00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:14.979
 hundreds and hundreds

00:32:14.979 --> 00:32:15.739
 of years before

00:32:15.739 --> 00:32:16.299
 the prophets

00:32:16.299 --> 00:32:17.519
 to the Garden

00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:18.319
 of Eden itself,

00:32:18.579 --> 00:32:19.839
 where God promised,

00:32:20.139 --> 00:32:20.680
 one day,

00:32:21.099 --> 00:32:21.740
 from the seed

00:32:21.740 --> 00:32:22.279
 of the woman,

00:32:22.920 --> 00:32:23.980
 will come the one

00:32:23.980 --> 00:32:24.980
 who will crush

00:32:24.980 --> 00:32:25.759
 the head

00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:26.639
 of the snake,

00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:28.139
 the one who would

00:32:28.139 --> 00:32:28.900
 destroy sin,

00:32:29.940 --> 00:32:30.660
 the one who would

00:32:30.660 --> 00:32:31.460
 conquer death.

00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:33.319
 We should read

00:32:33.319 --> 00:32:33.859
 the Old Testament,

00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:34.319
 friends,

00:32:34.779 --> 00:32:36.099
 because these things

00:32:36.099 --> 00:32:36.859
 remind us

00:32:36.859 --> 00:32:38.940
 God is in control,

00:32:39.900 --> 00:32:40.980
 even when things

00:32:40.980 --> 00:32:41.859
 don't go the way

00:32:41.859 --> 00:32:42.859
 we want them to go.

00:32:42.859 --> 00:32:45.419
 when we lose our job,

00:32:46.419 --> 00:32:47.339
 when we're sick,

00:32:48.379 --> 00:32:49.359
 when my two-year-old

00:32:49.359 --> 00:32:50.099
 daughter is screaming

00:32:50.099 --> 00:32:51.139
 here on my first Sunday

00:32:51.139 --> 00:32:51.779
 in Carragalline,

00:32:52.099 --> 00:32:52.679
 when all of these

00:32:52.679 --> 00:32:53.459
 things happen

00:32:53.459 --> 00:32:54.559
 that don't go

00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:55.519
 according to plan,

00:32:56.579 --> 00:32:57.619
 God's plan

00:32:57.619 --> 00:32:59.479
 will not get interrupted.

00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:01.359
 That's why we should

00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:02.179
 read the Old Testament.

00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:03.619
 And here's what Peter

00:33:03.619 --> 00:33:04.519
 is basically saying.

00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:05.519
 Brothers and sisters,

00:33:05.740 --> 00:33:06.679
 I know you're feeling

00:33:06.679 --> 00:33:07.059
 the heat.

00:33:07.979 --> 00:33:08.479
 So am I.

00:33:09.439 --> 00:33:10.139
 So is Paul.

00:33:10.980 --> 00:33:11.720
 So are all the other

00:33:11.720 --> 00:33:12.060
 apostles.

00:33:12.259 --> 00:33:12.759
 So are all the other

00:33:12.759 --> 00:33:13.100
 believers.

00:33:13.580 --> 00:33:14.020
 But friends,

00:33:14.120 --> 00:33:14.520
 long ago,

00:33:14.580 --> 00:33:15.240
 and in many ways,

00:33:15.320 --> 00:33:16.800
 Hebrews 1 verse 1 says,

00:33:17.100 --> 00:33:17.920
 God spoke to us

00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:19.120
 through those prophets

00:33:19.120 --> 00:33:20.580
 who we just read about.

00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:22.720
 But in these last days,

00:33:23.180 --> 00:33:24.520
 he has spoken to us,

00:33:24.660 --> 00:33:24.800
 who?

00:33:25.140 --> 00:33:25.980
 Through his son,

00:33:27.040 --> 00:33:27.840
 whom he has appointed

00:33:27.840 --> 00:33:28.340
 heir,

00:33:28.940 --> 00:33:29.320
 king,

00:33:29.880 --> 00:33:30.320
 emperor,

00:33:30.780 --> 00:33:31.080
 ruler,

00:33:31.080 --> 00:33:32.540
 over all things.

00:33:33.520 --> 00:33:34.180
 And Peter says,

00:33:34.660 --> 00:33:35.480
 this is astounding,

00:33:35.960 --> 00:33:36.940
 even angels

00:33:36.940 --> 00:33:38.600
 long to look

00:33:38.600 --> 00:33:40.060
 into these things

00:33:40.059 --> 00:33:40.859
 you can read a lot

00:33:40.859 --> 00:33:41.440
 about angels.

00:33:42.299 --> 00:33:43.339
 They're stronger

00:33:43.339 --> 00:33:43.940
 than we are.

00:33:44.480 --> 00:33:44.940
 They're smarter

00:33:44.940 --> 00:33:45.579
 than we are.

00:33:45.960 --> 00:33:46.639
 They're better looking

00:33:46.639 --> 00:33:47.159
 than we are,

00:33:47.259 --> 00:33:47.980
 according to the Bible.

00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:50.480
 But even angels

00:33:50.480 --> 00:33:52.460
 long to look

00:33:52.460 --> 00:33:53.859
 into these promises

00:33:53.859 --> 00:33:55.639
 made to you and me.

00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:56.980
 Because even the most

00:33:56.980 --> 00:33:57.440
 beautiful,

00:33:57.619 --> 00:33:58.359
 the most strong,

00:33:58.980 --> 00:34:00.240
 the most angelic angel

00:34:00.240 --> 00:34:02.500
 is still not

00:34:02.500 --> 00:34:04.119
 one of the people

00:34:04.119 --> 00:34:05.399
 about whom the prophets

00:34:05.399 --> 00:34:06.419
 were speaking,

00:34:06.980 --> 00:34:07.639
 whom the prophets

00:34:07.639 --> 00:34:08.219
 were serving.

00:34:09.019 --> 00:34:09.799
 That's you and me.

00:34:09.800 --> 00:34:10.519
 And that's incredible.

00:34:11.880 --> 00:34:13.000
 So don't stop witnessing.

00:34:14.200 --> 00:34:15.280
 Don't stop loving

00:34:15.280 --> 00:34:15.760
 one another.

00:34:16.680 --> 00:34:17.840
 Don't stop serving

00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:18.320
 one another.

00:34:19.120 --> 00:34:19.560
 Husband,

00:34:20.100 --> 00:34:21.420
 keep on being gentle.

00:34:23.320 --> 00:34:23.840
 Wife,

00:34:24.080 --> 00:34:24.980
 keep on loving.

00:34:25.980 --> 00:34:26.380
 Parent,

00:34:26.640 --> 00:34:27.840
 keep on being devoted.

00:34:28.840 --> 00:34:29.320
 Employee,

00:34:29.539 --> 00:34:30.760
 keep on being faithful.

00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:31.720
 Master,

00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:33.280
 keep on being kind.

00:34:34.060 --> 00:34:34.940
 Be the light

00:34:34.940 --> 00:34:35.600
 of the gospel.

00:34:35.599 --> 00:34:37.299
 as in really

00:34:37.299 --> 00:34:38.559
 be that light

00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:39.420
 by nature

00:34:39.420 --> 00:34:40.119
 of your life

00:34:40.119 --> 00:34:41.000
 in a world

00:34:41.000 --> 00:34:42.079
 of darkness

00:34:42.079 --> 00:34:43.559
 that desperately

00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:44.819
 needs that light.

00:34:45.319 --> 00:34:46.299
 Because Christ

00:34:46.299 --> 00:34:47.839
 has destroyed death.

00:34:49.119 --> 00:34:49.920
 And Christ

00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:51.599
 will bring us

00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:52.019
 to him

00:34:52.019 --> 00:34:53.000
 one day.

00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:54.219
 It's not up for debate.

00:34:54.920 --> 00:34:55.719
 It's done.

00:34:55.719 --> 00:34:57.559
 It's been purposed

00:34:57.559 --> 00:34:58.119
 long ago

00:34:58.119 --> 00:34:59.719
 and now we know

00:34:59.719 --> 00:35:00.219
 it for real.

00:35:01.559 --> 00:35:02.439
 Now I suggest

00:35:02.439 --> 00:35:03.319
 when you're at home

00:35:03.319 --> 00:35:03.959
 later today,

00:35:04.759 --> 00:35:05.519
 take this out

00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:07.219
 and read it again.

00:35:08.179 --> 00:35:09.500
 And just soak in

00:35:09.500 --> 00:35:10.379
 what Peter writes

00:35:10.379 --> 00:35:10.839
 to people

00:35:10.839 --> 00:35:11.500
 who are suffering.

00:35:12.139 --> 00:35:13.139
 And wrap your arms

00:35:13.139 --> 00:35:14.319
 around the full weight

00:35:14.319 --> 00:35:15.019
 of his encouragement.

00:35:15.539 --> 00:35:16.439
 And then go back

00:35:16.439 --> 00:35:18.000
 and read the first

00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:18.539
 three chapters

00:35:18.539 --> 00:35:19.379
 of the book of Job.

00:35:19.380 --> 00:35:21.480
 You know what

00:35:21.480 --> 00:35:22.039
 the most helpful

00:35:22.039 --> 00:35:23.079
 thing Job's friends

00:35:23.079 --> 00:35:23.579
 did was?

00:35:24.320 --> 00:35:24.820
 The most helpful

00:35:24.820 --> 00:35:25.400
 thing they said

00:35:25.400 --> 00:35:25.740
 was?

00:35:26.480 --> 00:35:27.320
 Absolutely nothing.

00:35:28.420 --> 00:35:29.200
 They came,

00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:30.480
 they sat down,

00:35:31.039 --> 00:35:31.480
 they didn't say

00:35:31.480 --> 00:35:32.220
 anything for a week

00:35:32.220 --> 00:35:32.800
 and that was

00:35:32.800 --> 00:35:33.460
 the most helpful

00:35:33.460 --> 00:35:34.200
 thing they did

00:35:34.200 --> 00:35:35.460
 in that entire book.

00:35:36.539 --> 00:35:36.960
 And then they

00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:37.559
 started talking

00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:39.220
 and the wheels

00:35:39.220 --> 00:35:39.840
 kind of came

00:35:39.840 --> 00:35:40.300
 off the wagon

00:35:40.300 --> 00:35:41.539
 at that point.

00:35:41.800 --> 00:35:42.260
 And they started

00:35:42.260 --> 00:35:42.780
 to say things

00:35:42.780 --> 00:35:43.260
 like this.

00:35:43.559 --> 00:35:43.860
 Job,

00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:44.960
 stop and think.

00:35:46.180 --> 00:35:46.640
 Do innocent

00:35:46.640 --> 00:35:47.420
 people die?

00:35:47.420 --> 00:35:49.460
 When have the

00:35:49.460 --> 00:35:50.519
 upright been punished?

00:35:52.460 --> 00:35:52.760
 Job,

00:35:52.840 --> 00:35:53.420
 you withheld

00:35:53.420 --> 00:35:54.440
 food from the hungry.

00:35:55.760 --> 00:35:56.380
 That is why

00:35:56.380 --> 00:35:56.840
 you suffer.

00:35:58.519 --> 00:35:59.099
 Job,

00:35:59.260 --> 00:35:59.860
 your children

00:35:59.860 --> 00:36:01.019
 sinned against God.

00:36:02.000 --> 00:36:02.639
 That's why

00:36:02.639 --> 00:36:03.240
 he gave them

00:36:03.240 --> 00:36:04.639
 over to death.

00:36:06.380 --> 00:36:06.940
 Unloving,

00:36:08.220 --> 00:36:08.880
 ungracious,

00:36:10.039 --> 00:36:10.619
 unhelpful.

00:36:11.360 --> 00:36:12.059
 They probably

00:36:12.059 --> 00:36:12.800
 meant well

00:36:12.800 --> 00:36:14.079
 because most

00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:14.579
 people do.

00:36:15.740 --> 00:36:16.480
 They were trying

00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:17.059
 to comfort

00:36:17.059 --> 00:36:18.400
 like Peter

00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:19.420
 but unlike

00:36:19.420 --> 00:36:19.820
 Peter

00:36:19.820 --> 00:36:20.779
 they ended

00:36:20.779 --> 00:36:21.119
 up doing

00:36:21.119 --> 00:36:21.779
 more harm

00:36:21.779 --> 00:36:22.239
 than good.

00:36:23.440 --> 00:36:24.159
 So here's

00:36:24.159 --> 00:36:24.659
 the pastoral

00:36:24.659 --> 00:36:25.159
 application.

00:36:26.440 --> 00:36:27.019
 Is that us?

00:36:28.679 --> 00:36:29.360
 When our

00:36:29.360 --> 00:36:29.840
 brothers and

00:36:29.840 --> 00:36:30.360
 sisters are

00:36:30.360 --> 00:36:30.799
 going through

00:36:30.799 --> 00:36:31.159
 pain

00:36:31.159 --> 00:36:32.960
 and suffering

00:36:32.960 --> 00:36:33.480
 what do we

00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:33.820
 say?

00:36:34.920 --> 00:36:35.539
 What do we

00:36:35.539 --> 00:36:35.820
 do?

00:36:37.299 --> 00:36:38.259
 Are my words

00:36:38.259 --> 00:36:38.759
 unkind?

00:36:40.420 --> 00:36:41.320
 Do I try

00:36:41.320 --> 00:36:41.699
 and find

00:36:41.699 --> 00:36:42.119
 fault?

00:36:43.279 --> 00:36:44.079
 Do I try

00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:44.420
 and give

00:36:44.420 --> 00:36:45.360
 a doctrinal

00:36:45.360 --> 00:36:46.000
 explanation

00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:46.719
 for suffering?

00:36:47.059 --> 00:36:47.880
 But all

00:36:47.880 --> 00:36:48.299
 I end up

00:36:48.299 --> 00:36:49.279
 doing is

00:36:49.279 --> 00:36:49.719
 ignoring

00:36:49.719 --> 00:36:51.360
 or blaming

00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:51.880
 the victim.

00:36:53.019 --> 00:36:53.759
 I personally

00:36:53.759 --> 00:36:54.299
 know several

00:36:54.299 --> 00:36:55.739
 people who

00:36:55.739 --> 00:36:56.779
 have confided

00:36:56.779 --> 00:36:57.119
 in other

00:36:57.119 --> 00:36:58.279
 believers about

00:36:58.279 --> 00:36:59.679
 suffering and

00:36:59.679 --> 00:36:59.920
 they've been

00:36:59.920 --> 00:37:00.599
 told things like

00:37:00.599 --> 00:37:00.860
 this.

00:37:00.940 --> 00:37:01.159
 Well,

00:37:01.900 --> 00:37:02.139
 Jim,

00:37:02.340 --> 00:37:02.940
 not his real

00:37:02.940 --> 00:37:03.139
 name,

00:37:03.219 --> 00:37:03.440
 but well,

00:37:03.500 --> 00:37:03.719
 Jim,

00:37:04.460 --> 00:37:05.239
 you wouldn't

00:37:05.239 --> 00:37:05.679
 have

00:37:05.679 --> 00:37:08.039
 leukemia if

00:37:08.039 --> 00:37:08.480
 you had more

00:37:08.480 --> 00:37:08.799
 faith.

00:37:11.480 --> 00:37:12.039
 Mary,

00:37:12.219 --> 00:37:12.639
 not her real

00:37:12.639 --> 00:37:13.079
 name again,

00:37:13.320 --> 00:37:13.639
 Mary,

00:37:13.639 --> 00:37:14.900
 your marriage

00:37:14.900 --> 00:37:15.339
 wouldn't be

00:37:15.339 --> 00:37:16.000
 falling apart

00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:17.099
 if you had

00:37:17.099 --> 00:37:17.859
 more faith

00:37:17.859 --> 00:37:18.099
 when you

00:37:18.099 --> 00:37:18.559
 were younger.

00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:20.500
 Or I've

00:37:20.500 --> 00:37:21.019
 personally been

00:37:21.019 --> 00:37:21.339
 told,

00:37:21.739 --> 00:37:21.940
 you know,

00:37:21.980 --> 00:37:22.159
 Dan,

00:37:22.239 --> 00:37:22.739
 Jack probably

00:37:22.739 --> 00:37:23.079
 wouldn't be

00:37:23.079 --> 00:37:23.799
 autistic if you

00:37:23.799 --> 00:37:24.239
 hadn't got him

00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:24.719
 vaccinated.

00:37:26.379 --> 00:37:26.719
 Now,

00:37:26.759 --> 00:37:27.219
 comments like

00:37:27.219 --> 00:37:27.400
 that,

00:37:27.440 --> 00:37:27.819
 they don't make

00:37:27.819 --> 00:37:28.259
 me angry,

00:37:28.859 --> 00:37:29.460
 they just make

00:37:29.460 --> 00:37:29.900
 me sad.

00:37:29.900 --> 00:37:30.019
 death.

00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:31.559
 But they're

00:37:31.559 --> 00:37:32.059
 nothing new.

00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:33.500
 They're as

00:37:33.500 --> 00:37:33.960
 old as the

00:37:33.960 --> 00:37:34.240
 book of

00:37:34.240 --> 00:37:34.579
 Job.

00:37:35.619 --> 00:37:36.139
 So the

00:37:36.139 --> 00:37:36.700
 next time,

00:37:37.260 --> 00:37:37.680
 and again,

00:37:37.740 --> 00:37:38.000
 here's the

00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:38.480
 application,

00:37:39.280 --> 00:37:39.960
 the next time

00:37:39.960 --> 00:37:40.820
 you're comforting

00:37:40.820 --> 00:37:41.280
 somebody,

00:37:41.720 --> 00:37:42.280
 don't look to

00:37:42.280 --> 00:37:42.900
 Job's friends.

00:37:43.780 --> 00:37:44.320
 Look to

00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:44.579
 Peter.

00:37:45.980 --> 00:37:46.460
 Don't

00:37:46.460 --> 00:37:47.119
 minimize their

00:37:47.119 --> 00:37:47.480
 suffering.

00:37:48.900 --> 00:37:49.559
 Empathize with

00:37:49.559 --> 00:37:49.720
 them.

00:37:50.720 --> 00:37:51.180
 Acknowledge,

00:37:51.320 --> 00:37:51.500
 yes,

00:37:51.579 --> 00:37:52.200
 I know things

00:37:52.200 --> 00:37:52.680
 are difficult.

00:37:53.360 --> 00:37:54.160
 And it's okay

00:37:54.160 --> 00:37:54.960
 to say that

00:37:54.960 --> 00:37:55.340
 things are

00:37:55.340 --> 00:37:55.680
 difficult.

00:37:56.099 --> 00:37:56.599
 Life isn't

00:37:56.599 --> 00:37:57.240
 always easy,

00:37:57.720 --> 00:37:58.139
 and it's not

00:37:58.139 --> 00:37:58.599
 going to be

00:37:58.599 --> 00:37:58.920
 easy.

00:37:59.760 --> 00:38:00.180
 Don't

00:38:00.180 --> 00:38:00.940
 rationalize

00:38:00.940 --> 00:38:01.079
 their

00:38:01.079 --> 00:38:01.460
 suffering,

00:38:01.820 --> 00:38:02.320
 or explain

00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:02.720
 it away.

00:38:02.960 --> 00:38:03.539
 Just point

00:38:03.539 --> 00:38:04.500
 them towards

00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:05.180
 the assurance

00:38:05.180 --> 00:38:05.659
 of their

00:38:05.659 --> 00:38:06.180
 salvation.

00:38:07.539 --> 00:38:08.180
 Point them

00:38:08.180 --> 00:38:09.039
 towards the

00:38:09.039 --> 00:38:09.860
 divine plan

00:38:09.860 --> 00:38:10.440
 of redemption

00:38:10.440 --> 00:38:11.680
 that began

00:38:11.680 --> 00:38:12.980
 long before

00:38:12.980 --> 00:38:14.059
 God ever

00:38:14.059 --> 00:38:14.320
 said,

00:38:14.440 --> 00:38:14.820
 let there be

00:38:14.820 --> 00:38:15.119
 light.

00:38:16.280 --> 00:38:16.880
 Fix their

00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:17.440
 eyes on the

00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:17.880
 glory of

00:38:17.880 --> 00:38:18.159
 God,

00:38:19.099 --> 00:38:19.780
 the gentle

00:38:19.780 --> 00:38:20.260
 love of

00:38:20.260 --> 00:38:20.579
 Jesus,

00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:21.960
 and the

00:38:21.960 --> 00:38:22.500
 Holy Spirit

00:38:22.500 --> 00:38:23.000
 who keeps

00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:23.599
 them secure.

00:38:24.599 --> 00:38:25.099
 And when

00:38:25.099 --> 00:38:25.680
 you find

00:38:25.680 --> 00:38:26.240
 yourself in

00:38:26.240 --> 00:38:26.599
 the valley,

00:38:27.119 --> 00:38:27.539
 and you

00:38:27.539 --> 00:38:27.820
 will,

00:38:28.240 --> 00:38:28.539
 if you

00:38:28.539 --> 00:38:28.800
 haven't

00:38:28.800 --> 00:38:29.160
 already,

00:38:30.320 --> 00:38:30.960
 look up

00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:32.220
 to the

00:38:32.220 --> 00:38:32.500
 top of

00:38:32.500 --> 00:38:32.860
 the mountain,

00:38:33.539 --> 00:38:34.280
 to the

00:38:34.280 --> 00:38:34.940
 shining city

00:38:34.940 --> 00:38:35.620
 on the

00:38:35.620 --> 00:38:35.820
 hill,

00:38:36.760 --> 00:38:37.519
 and head

00:38:37.519 --> 00:38:37.880
 straight

00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:38.500
 towards it.

00:38:39.580 --> 00:38:40.000
 Keep

00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:41.340
 going when

00:38:41.340 --> 00:38:41.660
 you're going

00:38:41.660 --> 00:38:42.120
 through hell,

00:38:42.600 --> 00:38:43.120
 just keep

00:38:43.120 --> 00:38:44.360
 going towards

00:38:44.360 --> 00:38:44.760
 that living

00:38:44.760 --> 00:38:45.120
 hope,

00:38:46.360 --> 00:38:46.980
 that assurance

00:38:46.980 --> 00:38:47.760
 of salvation

00:38:47.760 --> 00:38:48.840
 that will

00:38:48.840 --> 00:38:49.460
 never die.

00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:50.700
 Amen.

00:38:51.580 --> 00:38:52.320
 Let's pray.

00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:52.380
 Amen.

00:38:52.380 --> 00:38:52.440
 Amen.

00:38:52.440 --> 00:38:52.539
 Amen.

00:38:52.539 --> 00:38:52.600
 Amen.

00:38:52.600 --> 00:38:52.620
 Amen.

00:38:52.620 --> 00:38:52.640
 Amen.

00:38:52.640 --> 00:38:52.660
 Amen.

00:38:52.660 --> 00:38:52.980
 Amen.

00:38:52.980 --> 00:38:53.100
 Amen.

00:38:53.100 --> 00:38:53.160
 Amen.

00:38:53.160 --> 00:38:53.220
 Amen.

00:38:53.220 --> 00:38:53.560
 Amen.

00:38:53.560 --> 00:38:54.480
 Amen.

00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:54.539
 Amen.

00:38:54.539 --> 00:38:54.560
 Amen.

00:38:54.560 --> 00:38:55.060
 Amen.

00:38:55.060 --> 00:38:55.100
 Amen.

00:38:55.100 --> 00:38:55.600
 Amen.

00:38:55.600 --> 00:38:56.460
 Amen.

00:38:56.460 --> 00:38:56.600
 Amen.

00:38:56.600 --> 00:38:58.780
 Amen.