WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.219
 Father, we ask that your...

00:00:04.219 --> 00:00:07.040
 Well, Father, we give you thanks and praise for your common grace

00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:08.460
 given to human beings,

00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:13.220
 whereby we, even the worst of us,

00:00:13.300 --> 00:00:16.379
 manage to more or less live in the real world most of the time.

00:00:17.420 --> 00:00:21.260
 But, Father, you know how deeply we end up choosing pride

00:00:21.260 --> 00:00:24.000
 and self-centeredness and vanity

00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:29.859
 and other types of things that blind us to what we really are like

00:00:29.859 --> 00:00:32.460
 and who we really are and what the world is really like.

00:00:33.219 --> 00:00:36.659
 And, Father, you know that we're usually unconscious of this in ourselves,

00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:38.659
 even as we don't like it in others.

00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:41.200
 We ask, Father, that in your kindness

00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:43.560
 that you would pour out the Holy Spirit upon us

00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:45.500
 with might and power and deep conviction,

00:00:46.299 --> 00:00:48.159
 that your word would come into our heart,

00:00:48.260 --> 00:00:49.820
 your gospel would come into our heart,

00:00:49.820 --> 00:00:52.480
 that you would help us to see who we really are

00:00:52.480 --> 00:00:54.840
 in light of your existence and in light of the gospel,

00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:56.859
 and in seeing who we are,

00:00:56.960 --> 00:00:59.700
 that we would love the person and work of Jesus even more

00:00:59.700 --> 00:01:03.200
 and that we would, Father, allow your Holy Spirit

00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:05.000
 to help us live in the real world

00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:08.500
 where you are the creator and sovereign over all things.

00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:10.620
 And we ask this in the name of Jesus,

00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:11.840
 your Son and our Savior.

00:01:12.320 --> 00:01:12.620
 Amen.

00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:14.159
 Please be seated.

00:01:17.900 --> 00:01:21.120
 So I changed the introduction to my sermon slightly

00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:25.060
 because of what I was thinking about while I was driving in.

00:01:25.060 --> 00:01:28.540
 I think it's the case that five or ten years ago,

00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:30.140
 so sometimes I think to myself,

00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:32.600
 what could you say to a Canadian to insult them?

00:01:33.240 --> 00:01:37.340
 I mean, I managed to insult people without thinking about it far too often,

00:01:37.820 --> 00:01:40.180
 but if you actually wanted to insult a Canadian,

00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:42.859
 what were some of the ways that you could consult an average Canadian

00:01:42.859 --> 00:01:44.340
 and probably an average American?

00:01:45.060 --> 00:01:47.040
 And I think five or ten years ago,

00:01:47.420 --> 00:01:49.500
 a comment, if you were to say to a Canadian

00:01:49.500 --> 00:01:51.519
 that they do not live in the real world,

00:01:52.459 --> 00:01:55.079
 that they're not living in the real world,

00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:56.760
 that that would be an insult to them.

00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:00.239
 But I'm not sure if it would still be an insult to a lot of Canadians,

00:02:00.739 --> 00:02:01.739
 to tell you the truth.

00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:04.420
 I was thinking about it while I was driving in.

00:02:06.180 --> 00:02:07.060
 Now, you know, by the way,

00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:09.819
 to say that you're not living in the real world,

00:02:10.060 --> 00:02:12.439
 that doesn't mean, like in the real world,

00:02:12.539 --> 00:02:14.400
 it doesn't mean that there's not imagination

00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:17.960
 or whimsy or playfulness or hope.

00:02:19.060 --> 00:02:23.759
 But today, the idea that what matters is my reality,

00:02:24.920 --> 00:02:26.780
 what matters is my reality,

00:02:26.920 --> 00:02:28.360
 that's such a powerful idea

00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:30.260
 for a large number of people in our culture.

00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:32.560
 I don't know if it would actually be an insult to them

00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:34.599
 if you said to them that they're not living in the real world.

00:02:35.159 --> 00:02:37.240
 They might say, who cares about the real world?

00:02:37.300 --> 00:02:38.680
 What matters is my reality.

00:02:38.939 --> 00:02:40.360
 I don't know, you can talk about it over coffee,

00:02:40.460 --> 00:02:42.340
 whether, in fact, that's a thing,

00:02:42.340 --> 00:02:44.379
 and whether, in fact, even for people

00:02:44.379 --> 00:02:46.920
 who would very highly insist on the fact

00:02:46.920 --> 00:02:49.599
 that what matters isn't whatever reality is,

00:02:49.640 --> 00:02:51.819
 is my reality was what really, really matters.

00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:56.259
 The fact of the matter is,

00:02:56.340 --> 00:02:57.939
 is if I'm right that there are now,

00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:00.560
 that that wouldn't actually be an insult to a lot of Canadians.

00:03:02.340 --> 00:03:04.500
 Christianity very clearly comes down to

00:03:04.500 --> 00:03:06.460
 on one side of that particular issue.

00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:09.300
 I mean, it might be a surprise.

00:03:09.300 --> 00:03:11.800
 There was a long op-ed piece

00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:17.100
 in the National Post a week or so ago,

00:03:17.219 --> 00:03:18.240
 two Saturdays ago,

00:03:18.380 --> 00:03:20.340
 sort of perpetuating this idea

00:03:20.340 --> 00:03:22.560
 that people like Christians are opposed to reason

00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:23.860
 and science and knowledge

00:03:23.860 --> 00:03:24.900
 and all of that type of stuff.

00:03:25.040 --> 00:03:29.439
 It was a remarkably uninformed piece

00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:32.300
 written by a retired university president.

00:03:33.600 --> 00:03:36.040
 But it might be a surprise to people

00:03:36.039 --> 00:03:37.799
 to know that Christianity comes down

00:03:37.799 --> 00:03:40.060
 very, very firmly and clearly on this side,

00:03:40.539 --> 00:03:41.699
 that people should want to know

00:03:41.699 --> 00:03:42.819
 what the real world is

00:03:42.819 --> 00:03:45.000
 and that we should want to try to live in the real world

00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:47.439
 and deal with the real world.

00:03:48.239 --> 00:03:49.500
 And so today we're going to look

00:03:49.500 --> 00:03:51.459
 at a very, very interesting story.

00:03:51.939 --> 00:03:53.239
 And the first part of the story

00:03:53.239 --> 00:03:54.219
 is one of those stories,

00:03:54.599 --> 00:03:55.620
 I'll just be very honest,

00:03:55.659 --> 00:03:57.000
 when I'm doing my devotions,

00:03:57.560 --> 00:03:59.639
 probably when I come to a story like this,

00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:01.739
 it's the first 10 verses

00:04:01.739 --> 00:04:04.939
 have the names of nine kings,

00:04:05.719 --> 00:04:08.019
 all of them unpronounceable names,

00:04:08.659 --> 00:04:10.939
 all unpronounceable people groups,

00:04:11.079 --> 00:04:12.739
 all things that you don't have any idea

00:04:12.739 --> 00:04:14.539
 really who they are other than the odd word.

00:04:15.059 --> 00:04:16.240
 And I'll just be honest,

00:04:16.259 --> 00:04:17.639
 if I was reading this in my devotions,

00:04:17.719 --> 00:04:19.560
 I'd sort of yada, yada, yada, yada, yada.

00:04:19.599 --> 00:04:21.719
 And by the time I actually got to the stuff

00:04:21.719 --> 00:04:23.439
 which is sort of just easy to follow,

00:04:23.579 --> 00:04:24.839
 I'd gotten so accustomed

00:04:24.839 --> 00:04:25.919
 to not really paying attention,

00:04:26.019 --> 00:04:26.699
 I might miss it.

00:04:26.699 --> 00:04:28.839
 But it's a very, very simple story

00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:30.240
 and very powerful story

00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:33.699
 that portrays two different ways to live,

00:04:34.219 --> 00:04:35.639
 living in the real world

00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:37.519
 and living not in the real world.

00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:40.039
 Because the fact of the matter is,

00:04:40.099 --> 00:04:41.759
 is that even for those of us

00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:43.279
 and those Canadians

00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:45.480
 who desire to want to live in the real world,

00:04:45.699 --> 00:04:46.579
 we would acknowledge

00:04:46.579 --> 00:04:48.300
 that it can sometimes be very hard

00:04:48.300 --> 00:04:49.439
 to live in the real world

00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:51.379
 because there are things

00:04:51.379 --> 00:04:52.599
 which are impediments

00:04:52.599 --> 00:04:54.139
 to living in the real world.

00:04:54.139 --> 00:04:56.300
 And so this is a very interesting story

00:04:56.300 --> 00:04:57.280
 that speaks directly

00:04:57.280 --> 00:04:58.879
 to this particular issue.

00:04:59.460 --> 00:05:00.660
 So we're going to look at it.

00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:01.600
 But now before I tell you

00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:02.660
 to turn in your Bibles,

00:05:03.280 --> 00:05:03.960
 well here, actually,

00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:04.960
 I'll just give you a sample.

00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:07.220
 This is how Genesis 14 begins.

00:05:07.780 --> 00:05:08.840
 It's not going to be on the screen.

00:05:09.259 --> 00:05:11.259
 In the days of Amraphel,

00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:12.300
 king of Shinar,

00:05:12.699 --> 00:05:14.580
 Ariarch, king of Elessar,

00:05:14.840 --> 00:05:16.580
 Chedilo, Omer, king of...

00:05:16.580 --> 00:05:18.180
 Okay, you're already gone to sleep, right?

00:05:18.259 --> 00:05:18.960
 You got my...

00:05:18.960 --> 00:05:21.139
 So here's what's going to go.

00:05:21.139 --> 00:05:23.419
 If you just put up Claire on the screen,

00:05:24.300 --> 00:05:29.120
 I paid thousands of dollars for this map,

00:05:29.259 --> 00:05:30.919
 just the licensing arrangements.

00:05:31.379 --> 00:05:32.659
 I wrote this myself.

00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:34.879
 Probably all of you can gather that.

00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:36.560
 And all of you will be saying,

00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:38.439
 George, don't quit your day job.

00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:40.479
 But simply put,

00:05:40.539 --> 00:05:42.060
 this map sort of helps you to understand

00:05:42.060 --> 00:05:44.039
 what the first part of Genesis 14 is saying.

00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:45.800
 And then we're going to turn to Genesis 11

00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:46.919
 to pick up the story.

00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:49.240
 And so basically what's talking about

00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:50.699
 is there's a group of four kings

00:05:50.699 --> 00:05:52.540
 and they're all from a people group

00:05:52.540 --> 00:05:54.300
 called Mesopotamia.

00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:56.600
 And that's at the very top of the map.

00:05:57.259 --> 00:05:59.720
 And Mesopotamia, in a sense, is off the map.

00:05:59.939 --> 00:06:01.819
 At the day we would know it as Turkey,

00:06:02.220 --> 00:06:03.160
 Iraq, Iran,

00:06:03.280 --> 00:06:06.639
 those countries sort of in that region

00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:08.040
 of what we now call Iran,

00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:09.000
 what we now call Iraq,

00:06:09.060 --> 00:06:09.939
 what we call Turkey,

00:06:10.100 --> 00:06:13.560
 that would, in the time of this history,

00:06:14.379 --> 00:06:15.800
 would have been known as Mesopotamia.

00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:17.800
 And that's a different people group,

00:06:17.960 --> 00:06:20.699
 a very ancient civilizations there.

00:06:21.259 --> 00:06:22.340
 And if you sort of look down,

00:06:22.420 --> 00:06:24.759
 there's a reddish circle with five X's.

00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:27.460
 Those are five city-states.

00:06:28.139 --> 00:06:29.180
 And sort of basically,

00:06:29.280 --> 00:06:30.520
 most of the things you see in the map

00:06:30.520 --> 00:06:32.540
 are what we would call Canaanites.

00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:35.019
 But these five kings

00:06:35.019 --> 00:06:36.800
 are the five kings that are mentioned.

00:06:36.960 --> 00:06:38.620
 That's sort of the area that they ruled.

00:06:39.280 --> 00:06:40.780
 And what's going on here

00:06:40.780 --> 00:06:43.420
 is something as old as the hills

00:06:43.420 --> 00:06:46.439
 and as modern as the daily news.

00:06:47.180 --> 00:06:49.520
 The empire, or the kings,

00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:51.000
 of Mesopotamia,

00:06:51.379 --> 00:06:52.660
 14 years prior,

00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:55.759
 have subjugated probably the area

00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:57.819
 just to the right of that line,

00:06:57.920 --> 00:06:59.420
 which is supposed to be the Jordan River,

00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.800
 including subjugating that area

00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:03.800
 with the five X's,

00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:05.100
 the five Canaanite kings.

00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:07.280
 They've subjugated it.

00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:09.000
 And so the people in that area,

00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:09.959
 in the red circle,

00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:11.519
 they have to be paying tribute

00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:14.119
 to the people up in Mesopotamia,

00:07:14.199 --> 00:07:15.079
 different people group.

00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:16.899
 And then after they've been doing that

00:07:16.899 --> 00:07:17.679
 for 12 years,

00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:18.539
 once again,

00:07:18.619 --> 00:07:20.619
 this is just like the modern news.

00:07:20.719 --> 00:07:21.079
 They say,

00:07:21.319 --> 00:07:22.899
 we're going to stop paying money for that.

00:07:23.579 --> 00:07:24.699
 You know, they're far away.

00:07:24.799 --> 00:07:25.579
 We can take them.

00:07:25.659 --> 00:07:26.659
 We can kick their butt

00:07:26.659 --> 00:07:28.059
 if they come back down here.

00:07:28.479 --> 00:07:30.039
 You know, lots of chest thumping

00:07:30.039 --> 00:07:31.579
 and all of that type of stuff.

00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:33.819
 And so they stop paying any money.

00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:35.399
 It takes a year for them to figure it out

00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:37.079
 because back then they didn't have CNN.

00:07:37.319 --> 00:07:38.479
 They didn't have Fox News.

00:07:38.579 --> 00:07:40.139
 They didn't have BBC World Report

00:07:40.139 --> 00:07:41.719
 or Twitter or Instagram.

00:07:41.979 --> 00:07:43.579
 So it took them a year to figure that out.

00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:45.919
 Takes them a while to get their army to come down.

00:07:46.019 --> 00:07:47.679
 And the guys up in Mesopotamia said,

00:07:47.799 --> 00:07:49.339
 we're going to recover that area

00:07:49.339 --> 00:07:50.679
 because we like getting tribute

00:07:50.679 --> 00:07:52.259
 and we like being in power

00:07:52.259 --> 00:07:53.359
 and we like being in control,

00:07:53.620 --> 00:07:54.919
 just like the news today, right?

00:07:55.219 --> 00:07:57.919
 So what they do is that long orange line.

00:07:58.759 --> 00:08:00.719
 They don't actually directly attack

00:08:00.719 --> 00:08:02.319
 the Canaanite kings first.

00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:04.139
 What they do is go slightly

00:08:04.139 --> 00:08:05.759
 to the east of them,

00:08:06.180 --> 00:08:07.819
 which is right for you folks.

00:08:08.360 --> 00:08:09.939
 And they go and then what you see

00:08:09.939 --> 00:08:11.399
 in the first part of Genesis 14

00:08:11.399 --> 00:08:12.439
 is they conquer,

00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:15.339
 they plunder and pillage

00:08:15.339 --> 00:08:17.599
 and war and defeat

00:08:17.599 --> 00:08:19.360
 a whole pile of people groups

00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:20.939
 and tribal groups

00:08:20.939 --> 00:08:23.199
 all the way down that orange line,

00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:24.240
 all the way to the south,

00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:25.219
 almost to Egypt.

00:08:25.699 --> 00:08:26.539
 And then they decide

00:08:26.539 --> 00:08:27.699
 they're going to start heading up

00:08:27.699 --> 00:08:29.560
 because now they're going to go

00:08:29.560 --> 00:08:30.740
 after the five guys

00:08:30.740 --> 00:08:32.639
 that they'd previously conquered

00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:34.860
 that were now trying to flex their muscles

00:08:34.860 --> 00:08:36.259
 and say they could just ignore

00:08:36.259 --> 00:08:38.199
 the people from Mesopotamia.

00:08:38.679 --> 00:08:40.000
 And hopefully you can see there,

00:08:40.059 --> 00:08:40.779
 I say battle,

00:08:40.899 --> 00:08:42.000
 hopefully you can see that.

00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:43.199
 The five kings,

00:08:43.319 --> 00:08:44.340
 they move sort of down

00:08:44.340 --> 00:08:45.840
 to meet the oncoming

00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:47.139
 Mesopotamian kings.

00:08:47.539 --> 00:08:48.679
 They fight a big battle,

00:08:49.199 --> 00:08:49.559
 right?

00:08:49.939 --> 00:08:51.179
 Where I say battle.

00:08:51.860 --> 00:08:53.659
 And as we're going to see in a moment,

00:08:53.939 --> 00:08:55.059
 the five kings,

00:08:55.179 --> 00:08:56.240
 they get their butts kicked.

00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.480
 They get very,

00:08:58.600 --> 00:08:59.539
 very clearly defeated.

00:08:59.639 --> 00:08:59.820
 In fact,

00:08:59.879 --> 00:09:00.519
 there's even a thing,

00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:03.379
 they talk about the tar pits being there

00:09:03.379 --> 00:09:05.840
 and even the natural environment

00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:07.860
 that I guess the kings had hoped

00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:08.980
 would work in their advantage

00:09:08.980 --> 00:09:10.600
 actually works to their disadvantage.

00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:12.960
 People die in those pits.

00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:13.919
 The kings flee.

00:09:15.320 --> 00:09:16.759
 I'm sort of jumping ahead a little bit

00:09:16.759 --> 00:09:17.600
 for a couple of verses.

00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:19.200
 What I don't show you here

00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:20.080
 because I couldn't figure out

00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:20.720
 how to draw it

00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:22.620
 is the kings from Mesopotamia,

00:09:22.620 --> 00:09:25.080
 then they go and they basically sack,

00:09:25.639 --> 00:09:26.039
 pillage,

00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:26.759
 and plunder

00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:29.120
 those five Canaanite cities, states.

00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:30.840
 But then rather than going

00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:31.919
 all up on north,

00:09:32.039 --> 00:09:32.480
 right there,

00:09:32.560 --> 00:09:33.879
 they sort of loop around

00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:34.659
 and go back

00:09:34.659 --> 00:09:36.759
 on the other side,

00:09:36.899 --> 00:09:39.340
 the left-hand side of that line,

00:09:39.419 --> 00:09:40.000
 the Jordan River,

00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:40.960
 and they start heading back

00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:41.899
 to Mesopotamia.

00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:43.580
 They'd obviously be moving slow

00:09:43.580 --> 00:09:45.100
 because they have lots of plunder,

00:09:45.539 --> 00:09:46.320
 lots of treasure,

00:09:46.620 --> 00:09:47.940
 lots of slaves.

00:09:48.820 --> 00:09:50.759
 Either people they're going to keep as slaves

00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:52.120
 or something that they would have done

00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:53.060
 back in those days.

00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:54.820
 If you found a rich person,

00:09:54.899 --> 00:09:55.919
 you would take them away

00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:57.080
 and hope that you could

00:09:57.080 --> 00:09:58.240
 have them,

00:09:58.759 --> 00:10:00.060
 sell them back for ransom

00:10:00.060 --> 00:10:00.940
 to their family.

00:10:01.419 --> 00:10:02.519
 So that's what they're all doing.

00:10:02.620 --> 00:10:03.399
 They've won the battle.

00:10:03.539 --> 00:10:04.299
 They're heading back.

00:10:04.379 --> 00:10:05.399
 You can see the green line

00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:06.500
 is where Abram lives,

00:10:06.539 --> 00:10:07.179
 is at the bottom.

00:10:07.820 --> 00:10:08.940
 And as you're going to see in a moment,

00:10:09.379 --> 00:10:11.000
 he's going to go back up

00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:11.860
 and there's going to be a battle

00:10:11.860 --> 00:10:13.759
 and that's sort of what's going on

00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:14.299
 in the story

00:10:14.299 --> 00:10:15.159
 without all the names.

00:10:15.700 --> 00:10:17.120
 So now let's look at the text.

00:10:17.700 --> 00:10:18.440
 Sorry, that was a long,

00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:20.279
 but one of the interesting things about it

00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:21.480
 is once you sort of get over

00:10:21.480 --> 00:10:22.860
 the problems with the names

00:10:22.860 --> 00:10:25.139
 is, as I said,

00:10:25.220 --> 00:10:26.659
 I mean, this is the Russian Ukraine.

00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:30.180
 This is China and Taiwan.

00:10:32.680 --> 00:10:34.820
 This is what's going on in Afghanistan.

00:10:35.139 --> 00:10:35.980
 It's what's going on

00:10:35.980 --> 00:10:37.200
 in the failed states

00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:39.360
 of Northern Africa

00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:40.740
 and the failed states

00:10:40.740 --> 00:10:41.340
 of the Middle East.

00:10:41.420 --> 00:10:42.259
 That's what's going on.

00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:43.440
 There's people, warlords,

00:10:43.560 --> 00:10:44.980
 who claim authority over others.

00:10:45.060 --> 00:10:45.860
 They're willing to go to war

00:10:45.860 --> 00:10:46.740
 and fight over it

00:10:46.740 --> 00:10:49.560
 and exercise their power and authority.

00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:52.079
 So this is a very, very ancient problem

00:10:52.079 --> 00:10:55.739
 and it's a very, very contemporary problem.

00:10:55.959 --> 00:10:57.319
 It's always been present.

00:10:58.059 --> 00:10:59.399
 It was present here

00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:01.279
 amongst the First Nations people groups

00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:01.759
 that were here

00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:03.739
 before those from Europe discovered it.

00:11:04.259 --> 00:11:05.500
 The First Nations tribes

00:11:05.500 --> 00:11:07.099
 fought battles against each other,

00:11:07.259 --> 00:11:09.019
 took plunder, took slaves.

00:11:09.579 --> 00:11:12.879
 It's a part of common human history.

00:11:14.199 --> 00:11:16.519
 And so what happens now?

00:11:16.659 --> 00:11:17.519
 Well, what happens now?

00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:18.939
 Let's begin reading at verse 11

00:11:18.939 --> 00:11:19.919
 and we'll sort of recap

00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:20.659
 some of that there.

00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:21.259
 Verse 11.

00:11:22.139 --> 00:11:23.500
 So the enemy,

00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:26.840
 that is the Mesopotamians,

00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:28.860
 took all the possessions

00:11:28.860 --> 00:11:30.299
 of Sodom and Gomorrah

00:11:30.299 --> 00:11:31.699
 and all their provisions

00:11:31.699 --> 00:11:33.259
 and went their way.

00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:35.539
 They also took Lot,

00:11:35.860 --> 00:11:37.199
 the son of Abram's brother,

00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:39.439
 who was dwelling in Sodom

00:11:39.439 --> 00:11:40.860
 and his possessions

00:11:40.860 --> 00:11:42.600
 and went their way.

00:11:42.600 --> 00:11:45.899
 So in the last story,

00:11:46.040 --> 00:11:48.399
 we see that Lot had separated from Abram

00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:49.700
 and lived near Sodom.

00:11:49.820 --> 00:11:51.100
 Now we discover that he'd gone

00:11:51.100 --> 00:11:52.180
 from living near Sodom

00:11:52.180 --> 00:11:53.180
 to living in Sodom.

00:11:53.920 --> 00:11:55.100
 And that's going to be important.

00:11:55.300 --> 00:11:56.779
 There's going to be two whole chapters

00:11:56.779 --> 00:11:57.620
 taken up later

00:11:57.620 --> 00:11:58.420
 with the whole issue

00:11:58.420 --> 00:11:59.560
 of Sodom and Gomorrah.

00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:01.100
 And for many of you,

00:12:01.180 --> 00:12:03.000
 whether you're watching this

00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:03.860
 and you have very little

00:12:03.860 --> 00:12:04.600
 Christian background,

00:12:04.700 --> 00:12:05.220
 you've probably heard

00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:06.200
 of Sodom and Gomorrah.

00:12:06.740 --> 00:12:08.060
 And we're going to be looking at

00:12:08.060 --> 00:12:09.379
 in a couple of weeks.

00:12:10.019 --> 00:12:10.799
 But that's what happened.

00:12:10.899 --> 00:12:11.960
 So now here's the sort of

00:12:11.960 --> 00:12:12.620
 the question.

00:12:12.740 --> 00:12:13.899
 I've given it away a little bit.

00:12:14.500 --> 00:12:15.679
 But what's Abram going to do

00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:17.100
 if he finds out about it?

00:12:17.100 --> 00:12:18.019
 Well, let's look.

00:12:18.120 --> 00:12:18.759
 Verse 13.

00:12:19.720 --> 00:12:22.100
 Then one who had escaped

00:12:22.100 --> 00:12:23.879
 came and told Abram the Hebrew,

00:12:24.460 --> 00:12:25.659
 who is living by the oaks

00:12:25.659 --> 00:12:27.279
 of Mamre, the Amorite,

00:12:27.559 --> 00:12:29.299
 brother of Eschol and Aner.

00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:31.580
 These were allies of Abram.

00:12:31.580 --> 00:12:33.759
 So what's Abram now finds out

00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:36.000
 that his nephew Lot's been captured.

00:12:36.860 --> 00:12:38.120
 Now what's going to happen here?

00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:42.700
 Now, here's one of the things

00:12:42.700 --> 00:12:44.480
 about this story.

00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:46.759
 If you go back

00:12:46.759 --> 00:12:47.960
 and you look at chapter 12

00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:48.639
 in particular,

00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:50.179
 but also chapter 13,

00:12:50.700 --> 00:12:53.279
 you'll see that Abram has been promised,

00:12:53.659 --> 00:12:55.080
 has been blessed by God.

00:12:56.019 --> 00:12:57.159
 Abram has been promised

00:12:57.159 --> 00:12:58.360
 that his offspring,

00:12:58.820 --> 00:12:59.539
 that he will produce

00:12:59.539 --> 00:13:00.279
 a mighty nation,

00:13:00.500 --> 00:13:02.360
 not that he will produce

00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:03.820
 a mighty nation, not Lot.

00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:05.340
 He, it will come from,

00:13:05.419 --> 00:13:07.060
 in a sense, him and Sarah

00:13:07.059 --> 00:13:08.659
 will be the source

00:13:08.659 --> 00:13:10.459
 of new life

00:13:10.459 --> 00:13:11.139
 that will create

00:13:11.139 --> 00:13:12.479
 many, many, many descendants

00:13:12.479 --> 00:13:13.559
 and that they will eventually

00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:14.559
 completely and utterly

00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:15.559
 possess the land.

00:13:16.099 --> 00:13:16.839
 And that blessing

00:13:16.839 --> 00:13:17.619
 has been promised

00:13:17.619 --> 00:13:18.519
 in chapter 12

00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:19.959
 and in chapter 13.

00:13:20.779 --> 00:13:21.619
 It's just going to be

00:13:21.619 --> 00:13:22.939
 his offspring.

00:13:24.219 --> 00:13:26.059
 And as well as that,

00:13:27.059 --> 00:13:27.959
 Lot had already

00:13:27.959 --> 00:13:29.179
 separated from Abram

00:13:29.179 --> 00:13:30.479
 and taken the best land.

00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:32.460
 And now he's sort of screwed up

00:13:32.460 --> 00:13:33.980
 and he's captured by

00:13:33.980 --> 00:13:36.399
 the forces of Mesopotamia.

00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:37.519
 So what's Abram going to do?

00:13:38.659 --> 00:13:39.480
 Now, one of the,

00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:43.440
 how can I put it?

00:13:43.460 --> 00:13:44.320
 Not stereotypes.

00:13:45.460 --> 00:13:46.659
 One of the concerns

00:13:46.659 --> 00:13:48.000
 that people have,

00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:50.460
 Canadians have,

00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:51.879
 when they hear about Christianity,

00:13:52.860 --> 00:13:54.220
 this idea that

00:13:54.220 --> 00:13:56.800
 if I give my life to Christ,

00:13:56.920 --> 00:13:58.100
 if I accept Christ

00:13:58.100 --> 00:13:59.180
 as my Savior and Lord,

00:13:59.179 --> 00:14:00.139
 that I'm going to go to heaven,

00:14:01.099 --> 00:14:01.799
 that, you know,

00:14:01.859 --> 00:14:02.679
 he's done everything

00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:04.500
 that has to be done for me

00:14:04.500 --> 00:14:06.099
 to make me right with God,

00:14:07.099 --> 00:14:08.219
 there's sort of the idea,

00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:09.719
 and it's also sort of common

00:14:09.719 --> 00:14:10.359
 with it,

00:14:10.379 --> 00:14:11.239
 because there's a very similar

00:14:11.239 --> 00:14:12.419
 type of idea here.

00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:13.239
 I just,

00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:16.039
 Abram hasn't done anything

00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:18.779
 to deserve this blessing.

00:14:19.359 --> 00:14:21.239
 He's not particularly special.

00:14:21.939 --> 00:14:23.399
 God just gives it to him.

00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:24.719
 And there's a very,

00:14:24.859 --> 00:14:26.120
 very common idea

00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:27.679
 that this idea

00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:29.419
 is going to produce

00:14:29.419 --> 00:14:31.340
 arrogance and indifference,

00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:32.960
 and maybe even violence.

00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:34.120
 I mean,

00:14:34.179 --> 00:14:36.320
 Abram's been promised by God,

00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:37.840
 the triune God,

00:14:38.560 --> 00:14:40.100
 that he's going to have

00:14:40.100 --> 00:14:41.379
 all these things happen to him,

00:14:41.419 --> 00:14:42.720
 the land's going to all have him.

00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:42.980
 Like,

00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:44.580
 how can that not,

00:14:44.659 --> 00:14:45.440
 people will think,

00:14:45.500 --> 00:14:46.919
 how can that not create

00:14:46.919 --> 00:14:47.820
 within the mind

00:14:47.820 --> 00:14:49.299
 of the people who hear that

00:14:49.299 --> 00:14:51.179
 a type of arrogance

00:14:51.179 --> 00:14:54.319
 and a type of self-centeredness

00:14:54.319 --> 00:14:55.959
 and an indifference

00:14:55.959 --> 00:14:57.679
 to those who are outside

00:14:57.679 --> 00:14:58.740
 of, in a sense,

00:14:58.839 --> 00:14:59.859
 your tribe.

00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:01.819
 And,

00:15:01.899 --> 00:15:03.399
 now,

00:15:03.859 --> 00:15:05.779
 part of the problem

00:15:05.779 --> 00:15:07.139
 when people think this

00:15:07.139 --> 00:15:08.279
 is they sort of forget

00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:08.899
 for a second

00:15:08.899 --> 00:15:09.879
 that arrogance

00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:10.979
 and indifference

00:15:10.979 --> 00:15:12.019
 is a human problem.

00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:14.679
 Like,

00:15:14.740 --> 00:15:15.699
 arrogance and indifference

00:15:15.699 --> 00:15:16.719
 is a human problem.

00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:17.759
 It's not as if

00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:19.700
 just people who understand

00:15:19.700 --> 00:15:20.480
 the Christian faith

00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:21.000
 have a problem

00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:22.100
 with arrogance and indifference

00:15:22.100 --> 00:15:23.259
 and the rest of the world

00:15:23.259 --> 00:15:24.100
 is free of it.

00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:24.800
 No,

00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:25.800
 the fact of the matter is

00:15:25.800 --> 00:15:27.060
 is that arrogance and indifference

00:15:27.060 --> 00:15:28.080
 is a human problem.

00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:29.060
 It's common

00:15:29.060 --> 00:15:30.060
 whether you're a Buddhist,

00:15:30.540 --> 00:15:31.060
 an atheist,

00:15:31.399 --> 00:15:31.899
 a Hindu,

00:15:32.100 --> 00:15:32.600
 a Muslim,

00:15:33.340 --> 00:15:34.639
 believe in some

00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:36.139
 ancient religion.

00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:37.300
 That really,

00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:38.779
 the question is,

00:15:39.860 --> 00:15:40.960
 does somehow or another

00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:43.060
 these Christian ideas

00:15:43.060 --> 00:15:44.180
 which are seen here,

00:15:44.800 --> 00:15:46.139
 does it make it worse?

00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:48.879
 Or is,

00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:49.580
 in fact,

00:15:49.680 --> 00:15:50.639
 the case that there's

00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:51.639
 something unique

00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:52.920
 about this idea

00:15:52.920 --> 00:15:54.040
 of blessing

00:15:54.040 --> 00:15:55.340
 that's seen here in Abram

00:15:55.340 --> 00:15:56.660
 and also seen in the Gospel

00:15:56.660 --> 00:15:58.639
 that actually works

00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:00.180
 against arrogance

00:16:00.180 --> 00:16:01.680
 and indifference

00:16:01.680 --> 00:16:02.420
 and violence?

00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:04.279
 So,

00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:05.580
 what happens?

00:16:05.700 --> 00:16:05.840
 Well,

00:16:05.920 --> 00:16:06.779
 if we look here at verse,

00:16:06.920 --> 00:16:08.139
 we've just heard that

00:16:08.139 --> 00:16:09.940
 Abram has now heard about it.

00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:12.320
 How is he going to react?

00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:13.740
 He remembers the blessing,

00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:15.660
 he remembers the grace,

00:16:15.659 --> 00:16:17.339
 he remembers the promise,

00:16:17.959 --> 00:16:19.199
 he's living at a place

00:16:19.199 --> 00:16:21.519
 where he has an altar,

00:16:22.219 --> 00:16:22.879
 and that means

00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:24.259
 he can regularly go

00:16:24.259 --> 00:16:25.779
 and worship the God

00:16:25.779 --> 00:16:26.439
 who's pronounced

00:16:26.439 --> 00:16:27.899
 these blessings over him.

00:16:28.019 --> 00:16:29.379
 He can be reminded of it,

00:16:29.419 --> 00:16:30.719
 he can recommit to it,

00:16:30.779 --> 00:16:32.240
 he can recommit to this God.

00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:33.059
 So,

00:16:33.059 --> 00:16:34.659
 what's Abram's response

00:16:34.659 --> 00:16:35.519
 to hearing about

00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:37.519
 the great destruction

00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:38.159
 that's happened

00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:39.779
 to these five pagan cities

00:16:39.779 --> 00:16:41.079
 and the other areas,

00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:42.080
 and the fact

00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:43.480
 that his nephew Lot

00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:44.200
 has been captured?

00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:44.420
 Well,

00:16:44.460 --> 00:16:44.960
 we find out

00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:45.980
 what his response is

00:16:45.980 --> 00:16:47.460
 in verse 14.

00:16:49.060 --> 00:16:50.080
 When Abram heard

00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:51.780
 that his kinsmen

00:16:51.780 --> 00:16:54.540
 had been taken captive,

00:16:55.420 --> 00:16:56.160
 he led forth

00:16:56.160 --> 00:16:57.300
 his trained men

00:16:57.300 --> 00:16:58.920
 born in his house,

00:16:59.660 --> 00:17:01.620
 318 of them.

00:17:02.280 --> 00:17:03.160
 Sort of curious.

00:17:03.860 --> 00:17:05.360
 It's not 315

00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:06.799
 or 319,

00:17:07.379 --> 00:17:08.579
 but 318.

00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:11.899
 He took the 318 of them

00:17:11.899 --> 00:17:13.279
 and he went in pursuit

00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:14.539
 as far as Dan.

00:17:15.579 --> 00:17:16.959
 And he divided his forces

00:17:16.959 --> 00:17:18.099
 against them by night,

00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:19.299
 he and his servants,

00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:20.539
 and he defeated

00:17:20.539 --> 00:17:21.639
 the Mesopotamians.

00:17:22.779 --> 00:17:23.740
 He defeats them.

00:17:24.719 --> 00:17:27.479
 This same four kings

00:17:27.479 --> 00:17:28.740
 who rule sort of

00:17:28.740 --> 00:17:30.079
 a very large empire,

00:17:30.699 --> 00:17:31.500
 who have defeated

00:17:31.500 --> 00:17:32.939
 all the people groups

00:17:32.940 --> 00:17:33.759
 to the east

00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:35.039
 and all the way

00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:35.700
 to the south

00:17:35.700 --> 00:17:36.420
 and then defeated

00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:37.900
 these five Canaanite kings

00:17:37.900 --> 00:17:40.140
 and then they've got

00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:40.820
 enough plunder,

00:17:40.980 --> 00:17:41.779
 they've made their point

00:17:41.779 --> 00:17:42.740
 with the Canaanite kings,

00:17:42.820 --> 00:17:44.380
 they now have more area.

00:17:45.840 --> 00:17:46.960
 Abram defeats them.

00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:49.420
 And not only does he defeat them,

00:17:50.279 --> 00:17:52.440
 he pursues them

00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:54.039
 to Hobah,

00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:55.360
 north of Damascus.

00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:57.420
 Then he brought back

00:17:57.420 --> 00:17:58.299
 all the possessions

00:17:58.299 --> 00:17:59.900
 and also brought back

00:17:59.900 --> 00:18:00.920
 his kinsmen Lot

00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:01.740
 with his possessions

00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:03.039
 and the women

00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:03.859
 and the people.

00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:05.819
 So once again,

00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:08.220
 these Mesopotamian kings

00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:09.539
 who plundered

00:18:09.539 --> 00:18:10.559
 and looted

00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:12.960
 all of these people groups,

00:18:13.019 --> 00:18:14.339
 including Sodom and Gomorrah,

00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:15.039
 Abram,

00:18:15.460 --> 00:18:16.539
 with these three other

00:18:16.539 --> 00:18:17.920
 allies of him,

00:18:18.579 --> 00:18:19.920
 a far smaller force,

00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:21.160
 were able to defeat

00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:22.319
 the Mesopotamians

00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:24.279
 and now they are taking

00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:25.539
 a slow journey back

00:18:25.539 --> 00:18:26.460
 with the animals

00:18:26.460 --> 00:18:27.319
 that have been captured,

00:18:28.120 --> 00:18:29.319
 the women and children

00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:30.500
 and some of the men

00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:31.440
 who've been captured,

00:18:31.740 --> 00:18:32.539
 and they're bringing

00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:33.660
 all of that back

00:18:33.660 --> 00:18:36.000
 towards where Abram lives

00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:36.759
 on the way

00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:37.460
 to these people

00:18:37.460 --> 00:18:38.960
 being able to be resettled

00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:40.660
 in their Canaanite

00:18:40.660 --> 00:18:43.039
 and pagan areas.

00:18:44.839 --> 00:18:47.299
 And you see,

00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:50.539
 one of the things,

00:18:50.620 --> 00:18:51.319
 if you just pause

00:18:51.319 --> 00:18:51.859
 for a second,

00:18:52.539 --> 00:18:53.960
 what you see

00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:54.720
 in this story

00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:55.319
 a little bit,

00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:56.059
 we're going to get

00:18:56.059 --> 00:18:57.420
 to the two different ways

00:18:57.420 --> 00:18:58.140
 to live

00:18:58.140 --> 00:18:58.680
 and whether you live

00:18:58.680 --> 00:18:59.380
 in the real world

00:18:59.380 --> 00:18:59.820
 or not,

00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:01.640
 but the point

00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:02.380
 of the blessing

00:19:02.380 --> 00:19:03.500
 that you go back,

00:19:03.560 --> 00:19:04.320
 if you read Genesis

00:19:04.320 --> 00:19:05.400
 chapter 12,

00:19:06.320 --> 00:19:07.640
 the verses 2 and 3,

00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:08.240
 and then you read

00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:08.820
 verse 7,

00:19:08.860 --> 00:19:09.320
 and you read

00:19:09.320 --> 00:19:12.140
 how this blessing,

00:19:12.560 --> 00:19:13.300
 this grace,

00:19:13.460 --> 00:19:14.560
 is sort of reinforced

00:19:14.560 --> 00:19:15.900
 and reenacted

00:19:15.900 --> 00:19:16.620
 and deepened

00:19:16.620 --> 00:19:17.220
 at the end

00:19:17.220 --> 00:19:18.380
 of chapter 13,

00:19:19.700 --> 00:19:21.060
 it's all completely,

00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:22.980
 it's not something

00:19:22.980 --> 00:19:23.960
 as a result

00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:25.200
 of what Abram's

00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:25.960
 accomplished.

00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:28.279
 The blessing

00:19:28.279 --> 00:19:29.299
 has no connection

00:19:29.299 --> 00:19:30.380
 to his accomplishments,

00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:31.660
 it's not earned,

00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:33.180
 it's undeserved.

00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:35.519
 And the fact

00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:35.880
 of the matter

00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:36.400
 is,

00:19:36.600 --> 00:19:38.019
 is it's the particular

00:19:38.019 --> 00:19:39.080
 nature of being

00:19:39.080 --> 00:19:39.980
 blessed by God

00:19:39.980 --> 00:19:40.400
 in a way

00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:41.640
 which is unearned,

00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:42.460
 undeserved,

00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:43.259
 has nothing to do

00:19:43.259 --> 00:19:44.279
 with your accomplishment,

00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:46.279
 that as that

00:19:46.279 --> 00:19:47.360
 becomes more real

00:19:47.360 --> 00:19:47.900
 to you,

00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:49.519
 as that becomes

00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:50.539
 more real to me,

00:19:51.080 --> 00:19:52.940
 it undermines

00:19:52.940 --> 00:19:54.480
 both pride

00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:55.640
 and religion.

00:19:57.660 --> 00:19:58.279
 You see,

00:19:58.400 --> 00:19:58.860
 religion,

00:19:59.759 --> 00:20:00.600
 all religion,

00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:01.660
 all spirituality,

00:20:02.140 --> 00:20:03.480
 is always based

00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:04.559
 on us

00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:05.799
 accomplishing something.

00:20:06.420 --> 00:20:07.380
 If you're a Buddhist,

00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:08.259
 you're going to accomplish

00:20:08.259 --> 00:20:09.500
 one set of things,

00:20:09.600 --> 00:20:10.279
 if you're a Hindu,

00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:11.059
 you'll accomplish

00:20:11.059 --> 00:20:12.559
 a different set of things,

00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:14.960
 if you're a Muslim,

00:20:15.100 --> 00:20:15.640
 you'll accomplish

00:20:15.640 --> 00:20:16.820
 a different set of things,

00:20:16.900 --> 00:20:17.580
 if you have your

00:20:17.580 --> 00:20:18.799
 bespoke spirituality

00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:20.200
 here in North America,

00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:21.420
 you'll have your own

00:20:21.420 --> 00:20:21.940
 set of things

00:20:21.940 --> 00:20:22.480
 that you have to

00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:22.980
 accomplish,

00:20:23.140 --> 00:20:24.299
 but you accomplish

00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:25.559
 certain types of things

00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:26.259
 to make yourself

00:20:26.259 --> 00:20:27.059
 right with God.

00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:29.160
 And that will always

00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:31.140
 coexist with pride.

00:20:32.900 --> 00:20:33.860
 Because good grief,

00:20:33.940 --> 00:20:34.519
 you've done it,

00:20:34.599 --> 00:20:35.059
 haven't you?

00:20:35.880 --> 00:20:36.680
 And it will often

00:20:36.680 --> 00:20:37.400
 go against,

00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:38.279
 it will often

00:20:38.279 --> 00:20:39.140
 connect with

00:20:39.140 --> 00:20:40.539
 not only pride,

00:20:40.700 --> 00:20:41.900
 but image management

00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:43.360
 and make-believe.

00:20:44.140 --> 00:20:44.940
 Because in your

00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:45.519
 heart of hearts,

00:20:45.620 --> 00:20:46.039
 you know that you

00:20:46.039 --> 00:20:46.680
 haven't accomplished

00:20:46.680 --> 00:20:47.440
 as much as you

00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:48.079
 think you have,

00:20:48.140 --> 00:20:48.900
 you're not quite as

00:20:48.900 --> 00:20:49.700
 good as you,

00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:50.920
 you actually aren't

00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:52.019
 really as good

00:20:52.019 --> 00:20:53.519
 as you like people

00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:54.359
 to think you are

00:20:54.359 --> 00:20:54.799
 and you want to

00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:56.000
 have God think you are.

00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:57.319
 So you become

00:20:57.319 --> 00:20:58.220
 very concerned,

00:20:58.759 --> 00:20:59.460
 even with whether

00:20:59.460 --> 00:21:00.000
 you're conscious

00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:00.859
 of it or not,

00:21:00.940 --> 00:21:02.139
 with image management.

00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:05.039
 And you sort of

00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:06.079
 might even deceive

00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:07.000
 yourself that you're

00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:07.819
 far better than you

00:21:07.819 --> 00:21:08.639
 actually are.

00:21:09.099 --> 00:21:10.019
 But when you come

00:21:10.019 --> 00:21:10.940
 across a blessing

00:21:10.940 --> 00:21:11.799
 like this and the

00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:12.680
 blessing of the gospel,

00:21:12.680 --> 00:21:13.359
 which is very,

00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:14.119
 very similar,

00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:15.700
 in a sense,

00:21:15.779 --> 00:21:16.759
 the blessing of Abraham

00:21:16.759 --> 00:21:17.779
 is looking forward

00:21:17.779 --> 00:21:18.799
 forward to this

00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:20.500
 profound act of

00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:21.539
 rescue that God

00:21:21.539 --> 00:21:22.079
 will do in the

00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:23.000
 person of his son,

00:21:23.859 --> 00:21:25.519
 which is Jesus'

00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:26.440
 death upon the

00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:26.859
 cross.

00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:29.339
 As the truth of

00:21:29.339 --> 00:21:30.259
 this blessing comes

00:21:30.259 --> 00:21:31.039
 home to you,

00:21:31.700 --> 00:21:33.039
 that I didn't earn

00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:33.319
 it,

00:21:33.980 --> 00:21:35.259
 I didn't accomplish

00:21:35.259 --> 00:21:35.700
 it,

00:21:36.339 --> 00:21:37.539
 I don't deserve

00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:38.000
 it,

00:21:38.879 --> 00:21:39.839
 and yet God has

00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:40.819
 given this to me

00:21:40.819 --> 00:21:41.539
 as a gift,

00:21:42.839 --> 00:21:43.740
 that in fact

00:21:43.740 --> 00:21:45.200
 begins to not

00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:46.100
 only undermine

00:21:46.100 --> 00:21:47.019
 pride,

00:21:49.080 --> 00:21:52.660
 but it

00:21:52.660 --> 00:21:53.100
 undermines

00:21:53.100 --> 00:21:53.680
 religion.

00:21:55.480 --> 00:21:56.200
 One of the

00:21:56.200 --> 00:21:56.980
 popular things

00:21:56.980 --> 00:21:57.640
 that go on in

00:21:57.640 --> 00:21:58.440
 our culture now

00:21:58.440 --> 00:21:59.120
 to deal with

00:21:59.120 --> 00:22:00.000
 our psychological

00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:01.120
 and other problems

00:22:01.120 --> 00:22:01.819
 is the practice

00:22:01.819 --> 00:22:02.519
 of mindfulness.

00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:04.000
 It's usually a

00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:04.980
 Western adaptation

00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:05.940
 of things come

00:22:05.940 --> 00:22:06.539
 from Buddhism.

00:22:07.180 --> 00:22:08.160
 It's often tried

00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:09.019
 to be taught now

00:22:09.019 --> 00:22:09.480
 in different

00:22:09.480 --> 00:22:10.180
 therapies,

00:22:10.380 --> 00:22:11.460
 and at the

00:22:11.460 --> 00:22:11.819
 heart of

00:22:11.819 --> 00:22:12.400
 mindfulness,

00:22:13.420 --> 00:22:13.700
 I mean,

00:22:13.740 --> 00:22:14.120
 there's different

00:22:14.120 --> 00:22:14.960
 aspects to it,

00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:16.080
 but part of

00:22:16.080 --> 00:22:16.759
 it is that

00:22:16.759 --> 00:22:17.019
 you,

00:22:17.500 --> 00:22:17.900
 in a sense,

00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:18.400
 try to

00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:19.180
 disconnect

00:22:19.180 --> 00:22:20.240
 from yourself

00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.080
 and get to

00:22:22.080 --> 00:22:22.740
 a place where

00:22:22.740 --> 00:22:23.279
 you can just

00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:24.420
 observe yourself,

00:22:24.620 --> 00:22:25.259
 observe the

00:22:25.259 --> 00:22:25.940
 flow of what's

00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:26.559
 going on,

00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:27.940
 and maybe as

00:22:27.940 --> 00:22:28.480
 you observe

00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:29.059
 what's going

00:22:29.059 --> 00:22:29.380
 on,

00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:30.100
 you'll follow

00:22:30.100 --> 00:22:30.640
 like some

00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:31.039
 of Jordan

00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:31.640
 Peterson's

00:22:31.640 --> 00:22:31.960
 advice,

00:22:32.080 --> 00:22:32.600
 not that he's

00:22:32.600 --> 00:22:33.080
 specifically

00:22:33.080 --> 00:22:33.819
 talking about

00:22:33.819 --> 00:22:34.880
 mindfulness,

00:22:35.700 --> 00:22:36.440
 but of being

00:22:36.440 --> 00:22:37.340
 friendly towards

00:22:37.340 --> 00:22:37.740
 yourself,

00:22:37.940 --> 00:22:38.680
 of wishing the

00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:39.140
 best for

00:22:39.140 --> 00:22:39.519
 yourself,

00:22:39.640 --> 00:22:40.580
 but you try

00:22:40.580 --> 00:22:41.180
 to go to a

00:22:41.180 --> 00:22:41.660
 place where

00:22:41.660 --> 00:22:42.180
 you can just

00:22:42.180 --> 00:22:43.019
 observe what's

00:22:43.019 --> 00:22:43.539
 happening in

00:22:43.539 --> 00:22:44.319
 your life from

00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:45.299
 a place

00:22:45.299 --> 00:22:46.099
 within you

00:22:46.099 --> 00:22:46.879
 to just

00:22:46.879 --> 00:22:47.359
 observe

00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:48.000
 yourself,

00:22:48.639 --> 00:22:49.139
 and watch

00:22:49.139 --> 00:22:49.980
 the flow of

00:22:49.980 --> 00:22:50.419
 what's going

00:22:50.419 --> 00:22:50.899
 through you

00:22:50.899 --> 00:22:51.200
 and your

00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:51.779
 thoughts and

00:22:51.779 --> 00:22:52.299
 your emotions

00:22:52.299 --> 00:22:53.079
 and stuff like

00:22:53.079 --> 00:22:53.439
 that.

00:22:55.059 --> 00:22:56.119
 But the big

00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:56.879
 problem with it,

00:22:56.939 --> 00:22:57.779
 I really became

00:22:57.779 --> 00:22:58.299
 aware of this,

00:22:58.379 --> 00:22:58.859
 believe it or not,

00:22:58.899 --> 00:22:59.919
 by reading a

00:22:59.919 --> 00:23:00.639
 non-Christian

00:23:00.639 --> 00:23:01.399
 writer by the

00:23:01.399 --> 00:23:01.980
 name of Peter

00:23:01.980 --> 00:23:02.539
 Robinson,

00:23:02.839 --> 00:23:04.019
 who talks about

00:23:04.019 --> 00:23:04.899
 this several

00:23:04.899 --> 00:23:05.619
 times in his

00:23:05.619 --> 00:23:05.939
 book,

00:23:06.519 --> 00:23:07.319
 where one of

00:23:07.319 --> 00:23:08.339
 the characters

00:23:08.339 --> 00:23:09.019
 in his book

00:23:09.019 --> 00:23:09.559
 is a person

00:23:09.559 --> 00:23:10.220
 who practices

00:23:10.220 --> 00:23:10.659
 this,

00:23:11.679 --> 00:23:13.159
 and Peter

00:23:13.159 --> 00:23:13.980
 Robinson has

00:23:13.980 --> 00:23:14.519
 his main

00:23:14.519 --> 00:23:15.460
 sort of hero

00:23:15.460 --> 00:23:16.339
 of the stories

00:23:16.339 --> 00:23:17.099
 talk about the

00:23:17.099 --> 00:23:17.779
 fact that she

00:23:17.779 --> 00:23:18.599
 used that

00:23:18.599 --> 00:23:20.259
 regularly to

00:23:20.259 --> 00:23:21.099
 give herself a

00:23:21.099 --> 00:23:22.859
 pass on the

00:23:22.859 --> 00:23:23.440
 things that she

00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:23.919
 had done to

00:23:23.919 --> 00:23:24.639
 hurt people,

00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:27.700
 to create

00:23:27.700 --> 00:23:28.299
 excuses.

00:23:29.019 --> 00:23:29.240
 See,

00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:29.899
 the problem

00:23:29.899 --> 00:23:30.720
 with it is

00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:31.480
 that if

00:23:31.480 --> 00:23:33.220
 yourself is

00:23:33.220 --> 00:23:34.279
 still proud

00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:36.359
 and prone

00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:37.539
 to self-deception,

00:23:38.539 --> 00:23:39.000
 then all

00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:39.680
 you've done

00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:40.579
 is created,

00:23:40.819 --> 00:23:41.240
 in a sense,

00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:42.160
 a place of

00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:43.019
 pride to

00:23:43.019 --> 00:23:43.639
 observe your

00:23:43.639 --> 00:23:44.079
 life,

00:23:45.399 --> 00:23:46.299
 a place to

00:23:46.299 --> 00:23:46.559
 sort of

00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:47.319
 separate the

00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:48.059
 real you,

00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:48.799
 the one who's

00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:49.559
 observing from

00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:50.019
 the you that

00:23:50.019 --> 00:23:50.740
 does things,

00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:51.039
 and it

00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:53.319
 ends up

00:23:53.319 --> 00:23:53.779
 actually,

00:23:53.940 --> 00:23:54.359
 it doesn't

00:23:54.359 --> 00:23:54.859
 end up really

00:23:54.859 --> 00:23:55.420
 dealing with

00:23:55.420 --> 00:23:55.960
 pride or

00:23:55.960 --> 00:23:56.839
 selfishness or

00:23:56.839 --> 00:23:57.759
 self-centeredness,

00:23:58.500 --> 00:23:59.660
 it becomes a

00:23:59.660 --> 00:24:00.460
 means by which

00:24:00.460 --> 00:24:01.059
 you can sort of

00:24:01.059 --> 00:24:01.740
 fool yourself

00:24:01.740 --> 00:24:02.259
 about what's

00:24:02.259 --> 00:24:02.700
 going on in

00:24:02.700 --> 00:24:03.200
 your life,

00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:04.700
 and your

00:24:04.700 --> 00:24:07.559
 responsibility for

00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:08.299
 what you've

00:24:08.299 --> 00:24:08.600
 done.

00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:10.460
 You see,

00:24:10.539 --> 00:24:11.120
 in a sense,

00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:11.500
 what it's

00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:12.279
 trying to do

00:24:12.279 --> 00:24:13.059
 is it's

00:24:13.059 --> 00:24:13.539
 trying to

00:24:13.539 --> 00:24:14.360
 create a

00:24:14.360 --> 00:24:15.180
 substitute for

00:24:15.180 --> 00:24:15.680
 the biblical

00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:16.380
 doctrine of

00:24:16.380 --> 00:24:16.740
 grace.

00:24:18.420 --> 00:24:18.759
 You see,

00:24:18.819 --> 00:24:19.400
 what grace

00:24:19.400 --> 00:24:20.279
 creates for

00:24:20.279 --> 00:24:20.580
 us,

00:24:20.660 --> 00:24:21.039
 if we

00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:21.799
 understand

00:24:21.799 --> 00:24:23.480
 that this

00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:24.580
 blessing that's

00:24:24.580 --> 00:24:25.200
 been promised

00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:26.080
 in Genesis

00:24:26.080 --> 00:24:27.000
 chapter 12,

00:24:27.299 --> 00:24:27.920
 that I'm

00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:28.420
 going to,

00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:28.779
 you know,

00:24:29.600 --> 00:24:30.680
 Abram,

00:24:30.819 --> 00:24:31.200
 you don't

00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:31.840
 deserve it,

00:24:31.940 --> 00:24:32.220
 you don't

00:24:32.220 --> 00:24:32.720
 merit it,

00:24:32.759 --> 00:24:33.039
 you have an

00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:33.480
 accomplished

00:24:33.480 --> 00:24:33.819
 anything,

00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:34.099
 I'm going

00:24:34.099 --> 00:24:34.299
 to give

00:24:34.299 --> 00:24:34.859
 my favor

00:24:34.859 --> 00:24:35.599
 upon you,

00:24:36.200 --> 00:24:37.420
 through you

00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:37.920
 and through

00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:39.460
 the seed,

00:24:39.559 --> 00:24:40.099
 so to speak,

00:24:40.180 --> 00:24:40.680
 the offspring

00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:41.119
 that come

00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:41.539
 from you,

00:24:41.619 --> 00:24:41.839
 there will

00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:42.339
 be some

00:24:42.339 --> 00:24:43.759
 offspring that

00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:44.119
 eventually

00:24:44.119 --> 00:24:44.539
 develop,

00:24:44.740 --> 00:24:45.759
 some means

00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:46.599
 by which all

00:24:46.599 --> 00:24:47.420
 of the world

00:24:47.420 --> 00:24:47.859
 will be

00:24:47.859 --> 00:24:48.240
 blessed,

00:24:48.339 --> 00:24:48.680
 that people

00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:49.180
 will bless

00:24:49.180 --> 00:24:49.859
 themselves for

00:24:49.859 --> 00:24:49.940
 you,

00:24:49.960 --> 00:24:50.159
 I'm going

00:24:50.159 --> 00:24:50.539
 to bless

00:24:50.539 --> 00:24:50.899
 you so

00:24:50.899 --> 00:24:51.159
 you're going

00:24:51.159 --> 00:24:51.420
 to be a

00:24:51.420 --> 00:24:51.779
 blessing,

00:24:52.180 --> 00:24:52.759
 it's completely

00:24:52.759 --> 00:24:53.379
 undeserved,

00:24:53.480 --> 00:24:53.799
 and that's

00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:54.579
 looking forward

00:24:54.579 --> 00:24:55.359
 to this day

00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:56.440
 down the road

00:24:56.440 --> 00:24:56.960
 which is now

00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:57.799
 past for us,

00:24:57.879 --> 00:24:58.420
 Abram in a

00:24:58.420 --> 00:24:59.079
 sense is looking

00:24:59.079 --> 00:24:59.899
 at it in

00:24:59.899 --> 00:25:00.480
 faith in the

00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:00.819
 future,

00:25:00.940 --> 00:25:01.619
 we now remember

00:25:01.619 --> 00:25:01.919
 it in the

00:25:01.919 --> 00:25:02.379
 past,

00:25:03.059 --> 00:25:03.599
 where when

00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:04.299
 Jesus dies

00:25:04.299 --> 00:25:04.739
 upon the

00:25:04.739 --> 00:25:05.319
 cross for

00:25:05.319 --> 00:25:05.579
 us,

00:25:06.259 --> 00:25:07.559
 every wrong

00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:08.119
 thing that I've

00:25:08.119 --> 00:25:08.839
 ever done has

00:25:08.839 --> 00:25:09.319
 been dealt

00:25:09.319 --> 00:25:10.179
 with by him,

00:25:10.639 --> 00:25:11.219
 and the life

00:25:11.219 --> 00:25:12.079
 that I wasn't

00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:12.799
 able to live,

00:25:13.419 --> 00:25:14.639
 he lives for

00:25:14.639 --> 00:25:14.939
 me,

00:25:15.059 --> 00:25:15.719
 and when I put

00:25:15.719 --> 00:25:16.339
 my hand in

00:25:16.339 --> 00:25:16.799
 his,

00:25:17.299 --> 00:25:17.879
 and trust him

00:25:17.879 --> 00:25:18.519
 as my savior

00:25:18.519 --> 00:25:19.019
 and lord,

00:25:19.139 --> 00:25:19.739
 in a sense the

00:25:19.739 --> 00:25:20.259
 life that I

00:25:20.259 --> 00:25:21.059
 couldn't live

00:25:21.059 --> 00:25:21.639
 but should have

00:25:21.639 --> 00:25:22.759
 lived becomes

00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:23.279
 mine,

00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:24.219
 and the

00:25:24.219 --> 00:25:25.959
 consequences of

00:25:25.959 --> 00:25:26.439
 my bad

00:25:26.439 --> 00:25:27.000
 actions,

00:25:27.179 --> 00:25:28.059
 which if you

00:25:28.059 --> 00:25:28.539
 add them all

00:25:28.539 --> 00:25:29.079
 up I can't

00:25:29.079 --> 00:25:29.960
 possibly pay

00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:30.439
 for them,

00:25:30.819 --> 00:25:31.619
 he pays the

00:25:31.619 --> 00:25:32.339
 price of that,

00:25:32.419 --> 00:25:32.819
 and I have

00:25:32.819 --> 00:25:33.899
 this gift of

00:25:33.899 --> 00:25:35.619
 righteousness and

00:25:35.619 --> 00:25:36.379
 being right with

00:25:36.379 --> 00:25:37.939
 God that comes

00:25:37.939 --> 00:25:39.500
 to me unmerited,

00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:40.500
 undeserved,

00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:41.799
 unearned,

00:25:42.359 --> 00:25:43.259
 and it comes to

00:25:43.259 --> 00:25:44.199
 me from the

00:25:44.199 --> 00:25:44.839
 God who knows

00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:45.699
 every single

00:25:45.699 --> 00:25:46.439
 thing there is

00:25:46.439 --> 00:25:47.079
 to know about

00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:47.240
 me,

00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:47.960
 he knows every

00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:48.759
 dream I have

00:25:48.759 --> 00:25:49.220
 at night that

00:25:49.220 --> 00:25:49.779
 I don't remember,

00:25:50.199 --> 00:25:50.939
 he knows every

00:25:50.939 --> 00:25:51.539
 mask,

00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:52.339
 every self

00:25:52.339 --> 00:25:52.960
 deception,

00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:53.759
 all the

00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:54.299
 unreality,

00:25:54.419 --> 00:25:55.099
 every single

00:25:55.099 --> 00:25:55.859
 thing about me

00:25:55.859 --> 00:25:57.500
 from the moment

00:25:57.500 --> 00:25:58.159
 that I can make

00:25:58.160 --> 00:25:59.000
 moral choices

00:25:59.000 --> 00:25:59.880
 to the moment

00:25:59.880 --> 00:26:00.340
 of my death,

00:26:00.420 --> 00:26:01.080
 all of those

00:26:01.080 --> 00:26:01.480
 are dealt

00:26:01.480 --> 00:26:01.980
 with in the

00:26:01.980 --> 00:26:02.360
 cross,

00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:03.860
 and it's as

00:26:03.860 --> 00:26:04.900
 that promise

00:26:04.900 --> 00:26:06.100
 grasps you,

00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:10.380
 that you begin

00:26:10.380 --> 00:26:11.120
 to have a place

00:26:11.120 --> 00:26:11.560
 where you can

00:26:11.560 --> 00:26:12.019
 look at your

00:26:12.019 --> 00:26:12.440
 life,

00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:17.040
 and you can

00:26:17.040 --> 00:26:17.640
 observe,

00:26:18.440 --> 00:26:18.980
 gosh I was

00:26:18.980 --> 00:26:19.960
 selfish yesterday,

00:26:20.220 --> 00:26:21.040
 or gosh I was

00:26:21.040 --> 00:26:21.700
 self-centered,

00:26:21.960 --> 00:26:23.500
 or gosh I just

00:26:23.500 --> 00:26:24.259
 don't want to

00:26:24.259 --> 00:26:24.600
 really,

00:26:25.120 --> 00:26:25.620
 gosh I'm

00:26:25.620 --> 00:26:26.180
 prayerless,

00:26:26.180 --> 00:26:28.420
 or gosh I'm

00:26:28.420 --> 00:26:29.100
 taking credit

00:26:29.100 --> 00:26:29.560
 for that,

00:26:29.620 --> 00:26:29.900
 and I don't

00:26:29.900 --> 00:26:30.380
 know where it

00:26:30.380 --> 00:26:31.019
 came from that

00:26:31.019 --> 00:26:31.340
 idea,

00:26:31.539 --> 00:26:32.160
 I should really

00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:32.500
 be giving,

00:26:32.620 --> 00:26:33.820
 like it provides

00:26:33.820 --> 00:26:34.380
 a place where

00:26:34.380 --> 00:26:35.080
 we can actually

00:26:35.080 --> 00:26:36.060
 look at ourselves

00:26:36.060 --> 00:26:38.259
 in the security

00:26:38.259 --> 00:26:41.060
 of God's grace

00:26:41.060 --> 00:26:41.680
 and blessing,

00:26:43.820 --> 00:26:44.940
 it can begin

00:26:44.940 --> 00:26:45.539
 to,

00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:47.420
 unlike

00:26:47.420 --> 00:26:48.019
 mindfulness

00:26:48.019 --> 00:26:48.660
 which can

00:26:48.660 --> 00:26:49.480
 actually just

00:26:49.480 --> 00:26:50.120
 create a type

00:26:50.120 --> 00:26:51.140
 of self-flattering,

00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:54.019
 grace can

00:26:54.019 --> 00:26:54.559
 place,

00:26:54.839 --> 00:26:55.460
 create a

00:26:55.460 --> 00:26:56.559
 humble place,

00:26:57.059 --> 00:26:58.759
 a humble

00:26:58.759 --> 00:26:59.259
 place,

00:26:59.319 --> 00:26:59.859
 not just a

00:26:59.859 --> 00:27:00.259
 place,

00:27:00.639 --> 00:27:01.160
 because you're

00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:01.680
 not just by

00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:02.180
 yourself,

00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:02.639
 you're with

00:27:02.639 --> 00:27:03.440
 him,

00:27:04.019 --> 00:27:04.500
 you're with

00:27:04.500 --> 00:27:05.039
 Christ,

00:27:05.700 --> 00:27:06.559
 in the power

00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:06.980
 of the Holy

00:27:06.980 --> 00:27:07.740
 Spirit to

00:27:07.740 --> 00:27:08.339
 observe

00:27:08.339 --> 00:27:10.339
 who you

00:27:10.339 --> 00:27:11.000
 really are,

00:27:11.779 --> 00:27:12.920
 and respond

00:27:12.920 --> 00:27:13.440
 then with

00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:14.000
 repentance,

00:27:14.299 --> 00:27:14.539
 or with

00:27:14.539 --> 00:27:15.000
 gratitude,

00:27:15.400 --> 00:27:15.680
 or with

00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:16.220
 praise.

00:27:16.220 --> 00:27:16.319
 grace.

00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:19.240
 Now,

00:27:20.440 --> 00:27:24.059
 this story

00:27:24.059 --> 00:27:24.779
 takes a

00:27:24.779 --> 00:27:25.620
 sudden turn,

00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:27.920
 I have to

00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:28.299
 watch my

00:27:28.299 --> 00:27:28.600
 time,

00:27:28.759 --> 00:27:29.400
 this story

00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:29.940
 takes a

00:27:29.940 --> 00:27:30.559
 sudden turn,

00:27:31.120 --> 00:27:31.559
 but it just

00:27:31.559 --> 00:27:32.160
 ended here,

00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:32.700
 I guess what I

00:27:32.700 --> 00:27:33.000
 was just

00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:33.319
 telling you,

00:27:33.360 --> 00:27:33.559
 that would

00:27:33.559 --> 00:27:33.880
 sort of be

00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:34.240
 the end of

00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:34.640
 the sermon,

00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:34.960
 but it

00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:35.440
 takes a

00:27:35.440 --> 00:27:36.079
 very,

00:27:36.220 --> 00:27:36.740
 very sudden

00:27:36.740 --> 00:27:37.180
 turn,

00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:37.640
 and it

00:27:37.640 --> 00:27:38.380
 shows before

00:27:38.380 --> 00:27:40.680
 us a

00:27:40.680 --> 00:27:41.299
 deepening of

00:27:41.299 --> 00:27:41.579
 what I've

00:27:41.579 --> 00:27:42.200
 just tried to

00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:42.940
 communicate to

00:27:42.940 --> 00:27:43.079
 you,

00:27:43.140 --> 00:27:43.839
 which is two

00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:44.700
 different ways

00:27:44.700 --> 00:27:45.279
 of living in

00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:45.759
 the world.

00:27:46.220 --> 00:27:47.759
 A world

00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:48.480
 where it's

00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:49.660
 pride-driven

00:27:49.660 --> 00:27:51.559
 self-deception

00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:53.579
 and self-centeredness,

00:27:53.900 --> 00:27:56.000
 or a way of

00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:56.680
 living which is

00:27:56.680 --> 00:27:57.200
 in the real

00:27:57.200 --> 00:27:57.740
 world,

00:27:58.500 --> 00:27:59.480
 which acknowledges

00:27:59.480 --> 00:28:00.400
 that God is

00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:01.140
 the creator and

00:28:01.140 --> 00:28:01.880
 possessor of all

00:28:01.880 --> 00:28:02.480
 things,

00:28:03.079 --> 00:28:05.079
 and that unless

00:28:05.079 --> 00:28:06.079
 he bestows upon

00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:06.759
 us grace and

00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:07.160
 blessing,

00:28:08.360 --> 00:28:09.720
 we can't really

00:28:09.720 --> 00:28:10.120
 live.

00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:11.620
 What do I

00:28:11.620 --> 00:28:11.799
 mean?

00:28:11.900 --> 00:28:12.000
 Well,

00:28:12.039 --> 00:28:13.019
 let's just

00:28:13.019 --> 00:28:13.620
 look at it.

00:28:13.700 --> 00:28:14.019
 Look at

00:28:14.019 --> 00:28:15.420
 verse 17.

00:28:16.220 --> 00:28:19.100
 So,

00:28:19.420 --> 00:28:20.220
 Abram has

00:28:20.220 --> 00:28:20.680
 defeated

00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:22.440
 these with

00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:23.400
 his 318

00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:23.980
 men and

00:28:23.980 --> 00:28:24.759
 his three

00:28:24.759 --> 00:28:25.539
 little allies.

00:28:25.799 --> 00:28:25.980
 They've

00:28:25.980 --> 00:28:26.539
 defeated the

00:28:26.539 --> 00:28:27.339
 Mesopotamian

00:28:27.339 --> 00:28:27.980
 kings that

00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:28.500
 have defeated

00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:30.700
 multiple people

00:28:30.700 --> 00:28:31.220
 groups and

00:28:31.220 --> 00:28:31.759
 these five

00:28:31.759 --> 00:28:32.259
 kings of

00:28:32.259 --> 00:28:32.680
 these city

00:28:32.680 --> 00:28:33.180
 states.

00:28:35.380 --> 00:28:36.100
 He's

00:28:36.100 --> 00:28:37.000
 acted with

00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:37.940
 the blessing

00:28:37.940 --> 00:28:38.640
 hasn't made

00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:39.240
 him indifferent

00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:40.000
 to Lot,

00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:42.259
 but made

00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:43.259
 him sacrificially

00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:43.980
 concerned to

00:28:43.980 --> 00:28:44.640
 rescue Lot.

00:28:45.339 --> 00:28:46.019
 The blessing

00:28:46.019 --> 00:28:46.640
 hasn't made

00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:47.359
 him indifferent

00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:48.819
 to the

00:28:48.819 --> 00:28:49.380
 pagans,

00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:50.240
 the Canaanites,

00:28:50.319 --> 00:28:50.700
 the people

00:28:50.700 --> 00:28:51.460
 very different

00:28:51.460 --> 00:28:52.059
 from him

00:28:52.059 --> 00:28:52.859
 who live in

00:28:52.859 --> 00:28:53.400
 the region.

00:28:55.079 --> 00:28:56.059
 The blessing

00:28:56.059 --> 00:28:56.660
 has made him

00:28:56.660 --> 00:28:57.240
 have a heart

00:28:57.240 --> 00:28:57.720
 for them,

00:28:58.460 --> 00:28:59.380
 to desire to

00:28:59.380 --> 00:29:00.200
 liberate them,

00:29:00.779 --> 00:29:01.519
 and to bring

00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:02.059
 them back to

00:29:02.059 --> 00:29:02.640
 where they live.

00:29:03.299 --> 00:29:04.299
 And that is

00:29:04.299 --> 00:29:04.599
 what has

00:29:04.599 --> 00:29:04.980
 happened.

00:29:04.980 --> 00:29:05.420
 And in

00:29:05.420 --> 00:29:06.220
 verse 17,

00:29:06.920 --> 00:29:07.420
 after his

00:29:07.420 --> 00:29:08.019
 return from

00:29:08.019 --> 00:29:08.620
 the defeat

00:29:08.620 --> 00:29:09.420
 of

00:29:09.420 --> 00:29:12.779
 King

00:29:12.779 --> 00:29:13.539
 C.H.

00:29:13.860 --> 00:29:14.460
 and the

00:29:14.460 --> 00:29:14.860
 kings who

00:29:14.860 --> 00:29:15.220
 were with

00:29:15.220 --> 00:29:15.400
 him,

00:29:16.259 --> 00:29:16.740
 the king

00:29:16.740 --> 00:29:17.420
 of Sodom

00:29:17.420 --> 00:29:18.259
 went out

00:29:18.259 --> 00:29:18.720
 to meet

00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:19.740
 Abram

00:29:19.740 --> 00:29:20.400
 at the

00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:20.980
 valley of

00:29:20.980 --> 00:29:21.640
 Shaveh,

00:29:21.980 --> 00:29:22.559
 that is the

00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:22.880
 king's

00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:23.200
 valley.

00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:24.240
 Now you

00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:24.680
 can't really

00:29:24.680 --> 00:29:25.299
 see this in

00:29:25.299 --> 00:29:25.660
 English,

00:29:26.180 --> 00:29:27.539
 but once you

00:29:27.539 --> 00:29:28.180
 go back in

00:29:28.180 --> 00:29:28.920
 a few verses

00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:29.299
 we're going to

00:29:29.299 --> 00:29:29.660
 read about

00:29:29.660 --> 00:29:30.920
 what the

00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:31.299
 king of

00:29:31.299 --> 00:29:31.620
 Sodom

00:29:31.620 --> 00:29:32.120
 says.

00:29:32.380 --> 00:29:32.579
 But in

00:29:32.579 --> 00:29:33.019
 the original

00:29:33.019 --> 00:29:33.680
 language,

00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:35.320
 there's a

00:29:35.320 --> 00:29:35.620
 way to

00:29:35.620 --> 00:29:36.039
 communicate

00:29:36.039 --> 00:29:37.480
 that he

00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:38.160
 is coming

00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:39.360
 not with

00:29:39.360 --> 00:29:39.920
 gratitude,

00:29:40.279 --> 00:29:40.620
 not with

00:29:40.620 --> 00:29:41.080
 humility,

00:29:41.539 --> 00:29:42.340
 not with

00:29:42.340 --> 00:29:43.039
 thankfulness,

00:29:43.140 --> 00:29:43.440
 but with

00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:43.920
 pride.

00:29:45.400 --> 00:29:46.039
 That's in

00:29:46.039 --> 00:29:46.420
 the original

00:29:46.420 --> 00:29:46.779
 language,

00:29:46.860 --> 00:29:47.299
 it can't be

00:29:47.299 --> 00:29:48.019
 communicated in

00:29:48.019 --> 00:29:48.299
 English,

00:29:48.460 --> 00:29:48.799
 but you're

00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:48.960
 going to

00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:49.700
 capture it

00:29:49.700 --> 00:29:50.140
 again in

00:29:50.140 --> 00:29:50.519
 a moment

00:29:50.519 --> 00:29:50.900
 when we

00:29:50.900 --> 00:29:51.320
 see the

00:29:51.320 --> 00:29:51.740
 things he

00:29:51.740 --> 00:29:52.120
 says.

00:29:52.980 --> 00:29:54.180
 But Abram

00:29:54.180 --> 00:29:54.620
 isn't just

00:29:54.620 --> 00:29:55.180
 met by the

00:29:55.180 --> 00:29:55.539
 king of

00:29:55.539 --> 00:29:56.000
 Sodom,

00:29:56.580 --> 00:29:57.240
 he's also

00:29:57.240 --> 00:29:57.880
 met by this

00:29:57.880 --> 00:29:58.880
 other mysterious

00:29:58.880 --> 00:30:00.400
 character that

00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:00.920
 just sort of

00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:01.759
 appears out of

00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:02.180
 nowhere,

00:30:02.180 --> 00:30:04.120
 disappears.

00:30:04.860 --> 00:30:05.360
 He'll be

00:30:05.360 --> 00:30:05.960
 mentioned in

00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:06.400
 a very,

00:30:06.560 --> 00:30:07.160
 very important

00:30:07.160 --> 00:30:07.840
 psalm called

00:30:07.840 --> 00:30:08.799
 Psalm 110,

00:30:09.700 --> 00:30:10.620
 which I think

00:30:10.620 --> 00:30:11.080
 is the most

00:30:11.080 --> 00:30:11.920
 quoted piece of

00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:12.580
 the Old Testament

00:30:12.580 --> 00:30:13.019
 in the New

00:30:13.019 --> 00:30:13.480
 Testament.

00:30:14.279 --> 00:30:14.560
 And in

00:30:14.560 --> 00:30:15.279
 Hebrews chapter

00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:15.880
 six and

00:30:15.880 --> 00:30:16.160
 seven,

00:30:16.320 --> 00:30:16.820
 the writer

00:30:16.820 --> 00:30:17.340
 will make a

00:30:17.340 --> 00:30:18.180
 big deal of

00:30:18.180 --> 00:30:18.820
 what goes on

00:30:18.820 --> 00:30:19.140
 here.

00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:20.240
 But in

00:30:20.240 --> 00:30:21.640
 verse 18,

00:30:21.860 --> 00:30:22.140
 the other

00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:22.820
 person who

00:30:22.820 --> 00:30:23.140
 meets,

00:30:23.259 --> 00:30:23.660
 comes to

00:30:23.660 --> 00:30:23.900
 meet,

00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:25.320
 they don't

00:30:25.320 --> 00:30:25.960
 travel together,

00:30:26.080 --> 00:30:26.820
 but he also

00:30:26.820 --> 00:30:27.440
 ends up meeting

00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:28.019
 Abram at the

00:30:28.019 --> 00:30:28.440
 same time.

00:30:28.519 --> 00:30:29.180
 Verse 18 is

00:30:29.180 --> 00:30:30.380
 Melchizedek,

00:30:30.539 --> 00:30:30.920
 king of

00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:31.360
 Salem.

00:30:32.180 --> 00:30:33.299
 And Melchizedek

00:30:33.299 --> 00:30:34.640
 means righteousness

00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:35.600
 or being right

00:30:35.600 --> 00:30:36.240
 with God.

00:30:36.740 --> 00:30:37.259
 And Salem

00:30:37.259 --> 00:30:39.940
 means peace.

00:30:41.480 --> 00:30:42.220
 And in

00:30:42.220 --> 00:30:42.860
 the ancient

00:30:42.860 --> 00:30:43.120
 world,

00:30:43.180 --> 00:30:43.480
 you can't

00:30:43.480 --> 00:30:43.860
 really have

00:30:43.860 --> 00:30:44.580
 peace unless

00:30:44.580 --> 00:30:44.840
 you have

00:30:44.840 --> 00:30:45.279
 peace with

00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:45.620
 God.

00:30:45.740 --> 00:30:45.920
 So you

00:30:45.920 --> 00:30:46.299
 have this

00:30:46.299 --> 00:30:47.460
 priest king.

00:30:49.340 --> 00:30:50.100
 Salem is

00:30:50.100 --> 00:30:50.720
 probably a

00:30:50.720 --> 00:30:51.440
 short form for

00:30:51.440 --> 00:30:51.980
 Jerusalem.

00:30:52.580 --> 00:30:53.279
 This priest

00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:53.960
 king from

00:30:53.960 --> 00:30:54.440
 a small

00:30:54.440 --> 00:30:55.160
 place called

00:30:55.160 --> 00:30:55.700
 Jerusalem,

00:30:56.560 --> 00:30:57.620
 who's named

00:30:57.620 --> 00:30:58.220
 righteousness,

00:30:58.660 --> 00:30:59.200
 and he's the

00:30:59.200 --> 00:30:59.539
 king of

00:30:59.539 --> 00:30:59.940
 peace.

00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:01.500
 and he

00:31:01.500 --> 00:31:02.160
 brings out

00:31:02.160 --> 00:31:02.680
 bread and

00:31:02.680 --> 00:31:03.120
 wine.

00:31:04.200 --> 00:31:04.500
 And bread

00:31:04.500 --> 00:31:05.080
 and wine is

00:31:05.080 --> 00:31:05.980
 a, sorry,

00:31:06.059 --> 00:31:06.620
 here's a geek

00:31:06.620 --> 00:31:07.059
 moment.

00:31:07.799 --> 00:31:08.720
 It's called a

00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:09.240
 merism.

00:31:10.460 --> 00:31:11.940
 It, sorry,

00:31:11.980 --> 00:31:12.480
 that's a geek

00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:12.799
 moment.

00:31:12.900 --> 00:31:13.360
 I put some

00:31:13.360 --> 00:31:13.680
 of you to

00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:13.920
 sleep.

00:31:14.019 --> 00:31:14.500
 It's like if

00:31:14.500 --> 00:31:15.480
 you say you're

00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:16.259
 searching high

00:31:16.259 --> 00:31:16.779
 and low,

00:31:17.820 --> 00:31:19.000
 high and low

00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:19.779
 is a merism.

00:31:19.980 --> 00:31:20.460
 It means that

00:31:20.460 --> 00:31:21.000
 you're searching

00:31:21.000 --> 00:31:21.740
 high, low,

00:31:21.799 --> 00:31:22.160
 and everywhere

00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:22.779
 in between.

00:31:23.700 --> 00:31:24.440
 And so when

00:31:24.440 --> 00:31:25.059
 it says bread

00:31:25.059 --> 00:31:25.539
 and wine,

00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:26.120
 it's the

00:31:26.120 --> 00:31:26.860
 language of a

00:31:26.860 --> 00:31:27.160
 feast.

00:31:27.160 --> 00:31:27.759
 In other

00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:27.960
 words,

00:31:28.060 --> 00:31:28.860
 everything from

00:31:28.860 --> 00:31:29.600
 the wine to

00:31:29.600 --> 00:31:30.060
 the simplest

00:31:30.060 --> 00:31:30.779
 little thing,

00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:31.540
 like the

00:31:31.540 --> 00:31:31.980
 bread to

00:31:31.980 --> 00:31:32.300
 the most

00:31:32.300 --> 00:31:33.300
 expensive wine

00:31:33.300 --> 00:31:33.740
 and everything

00:31:33.740 --> 00:31:34.420
 in between,

00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:35.480
 it's a way of

00:31:35.480 --> 00:31:36.120
 referring to a

00:31:36.120 --> 00:31:36.460
 banquet.

00:31:36.980 --> 00:31:37.420
 So this

00:31:37.420 --> 00:31:38.700
 mysterious king

00:31:38.700 --> 00:31:40.500
 of Salem,

00:31:40.860 --> 00:31:41.500
 whose name is

00:31:41.500 --> 00:31:42.300
 righteousness and

00:31:42.300 --> 00:31:42.940
 Salem means

00:31:42.940 --> 00:31:43.400
 peace,

00:31:43.900 --> 00:31:46.000
 he comes to

00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:47.200
 meet Abram and

00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:47.940
 he brings out

00:31:47.940 --> 00:31:48.720
 a feast.

00:31:49.680 --> 00:31:50.440
 And we also

00:31:50.440 --> 00:31:51.279
 discover that he

00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:52.200
 was priest of

00:31:52.200 --> 00:31:53.140
 God most high.

00:31:53.140 --> 00:31:54.440
 And in

00:31:54.440 --> 00:31:55.300
 verse 19,

00:31:56.440 --> 00:31:57.580
 this priest

00:31:57.580 --> 00:31:58.700
 blesses

00:31:58.700 --> 00:31:59.360
 Abraham.

00:32:00.060 --> 00:32:00.500
 In other

00:32:00.500 --> 00:32:00.740
 words,

00:32:00.840 --> 00:32:01.320
 he's going to

00:32:01.320 --> 00:32:02.360
 pronounce this

00:32:02.360 --> 00:32:03.440
 most high God's

00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:04.100
 name over

00:32:04.100 --> 00:32:04.620
 Abram.

00:32:05.100 --> 00:32:05.900
 And this

00:32:05.900 --> 00:32:07.980
 representative of

00:32:07.980 --> 00:32:08.600
 the most high

00:32:08.600 --> 00:32:09.680
 God is going to

00:32:09.680 --> 00:32:10.500
 explain what has

00:32:10.500 --> 00:32:11.140
 happened in the

00:32:11.140 --> 00:32:11.560
 story.

00:32:13.160 --> 00:32:14.000
 He's going to

00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:14.620
 reveal to

00:32:14.620 --> 00:32:16.320
 Abram what's

00:32:16.320 --> 00:32:17.040
 really happened.

00:32:17.980 --> 00:32:18.940
 And what we

00:32:18.940 --> 00:32:19.460
 see has really

00:32:19.460 --> 00:32:20.480
 happened is that

00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:21.220
 blessed be

00:32:21.220 --> 00:32:22.980
 Abram by God

00:32:22.980 --> 00:32:23.660
 most high,

00:32:24.740 --> 00:32:25.440
 possessor of

00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:25.819
 heaven and

00:32:25.819 --> 00:32:26.079
 earth.

00:32:26.819 --> 00:32:27.059
 And you'll,

00:32:27.120 --> 00:32:27.500
 some of your

00:32:27.500 --> 00:32:27.960
 Bibles,

00:32:28.220 --> 00:32:28.660
 if you have

00:32:28.660 --> 00:32:29.120
 your Bibles,

00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:29.440
 you'll see

00:32:29.440 --> 00:32:29.759
 there's a

00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:30.220
 little note.

00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:31.480
 There's no

00:32:31.480 --> 00:32:32.839
 single word

00:32:32.839 --> 00:32:33.400
 that you can

00:32:33.400 --> 00:32:34.220
 translate the

00:32:34.220 --> 00:32:35.360
 Hebrew into.

00:32:36.059 --> 00:32:36.460
 And so it

00:32:36.460 --> 00:32:36.940
 could either be

00:32:36.940 --> 00:32:37.620
 translated as

00:32:37.620 --> 00:32:38.380
 possessor of

00:32:38.380 --> 00:32:38.740
 heaven and

00:32:38.740 --> 00:32:39.039
 earth or

00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:39.700
 creator of

00:32:39.700 --> 00:32:40.039
 heaven and

00:32:40.039 --> 00:32:40.200
 earth.

00:32:40.259 --> 00:32:40.559
 It's the

00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:41.220
 same idea.

00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:42.160
 So there's

00:32:42.160 --> 00:32:42.559
 the God

00:32:42.559 --> 00:32:43.220
 most high,

00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:44.039
 who's both

00:32:44.039 --> 00:32:44.759
 created the

00:32:44.759 --> 00:32:45.279
 earth and

00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:46.000
 possesses it

00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:46.680
 currently,

00:32:47.440 --> 00:32:48.220
 everything from

00:32:48.220 --> 00:32:48.740
 the highest

00:32:48.740 --> 00:32:49.360
 heavens to

00:32:49.360 --> 00:32:49.759
 the lowest

00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:50.259
 earth, so

00:32:50.259 --> 00:32:50.920
 everything in

00:32:50.920 --> 00:32:51.559
 between, all

00:32:51.559 --> 00:32:52.259
 that exists,

00:32:52.259 --> 00:32:53.539
 this most

00:32:53.539 --> 00:32:54.200
 high God

00:32:54.200 --> 00:32:54.740
 who's created

00:32:54.740 --> 00:32:55.500
 all things and

00:32:55.500 --> 00:32:55.980
 possesses

00:32:55.980 --> 00:32:56.559
 everything.

00:32:56.940 --> 00:32:58.119
 He has

00:32:58.119 --> 00:32:58.759
 blessed

00:32:58.759 --> 00:32:59.720
 Abram.

00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:01.379
 And then

00:33:01.379 --> 00:33:02.039
 verse 20,

00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:02.700
 and blessed,

00:33:02.920 --> 00:33:03.259
 and probably

00:33:03.259 --> 00:33:03.599
 be more

00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:04.119
 accurate to

00:33:04.119 --> 00:33:04.559
 say, and

00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:06.539
 praise be

00:33:06.539 --> 00:33:07.440
 to God

00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:08.200
 most high.

00:33:08.940 --> 00:33:09.440
 Why?

00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:10.779
 He is the

00:33:10.779 --> 00:33:11.319
 one who has

00:33:11.319 --> 00:33:12.500
 delivered your

00:33:12.500 --> 00:33:13.140
 enemies into

00:33:13.140 --> 00:33:13.660
 your hand.

00:33:13.660 --> 00:33:13.700
 God.

00:33:14.920 --> 00:33:16.019
 Why is it

00:33:16.019 --> 00:33:17.259
 that you

00:33:17.259 --> 00:33:17.580
 could take

00:33:17.580 --> 00:33:19.279
 318 guys

00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:20.300
 and a

00:33:20.300 --> 00:33:20.660
 couple of

00:33:20.660 --> 00:33:21.180
 guys from

00:33:21.180 --> 00:33:21.660
 your buddies

00:33:21.660 --> 00:33:22.660
 and you

00:33:22.660 --> 00:33:23.300
 could defeat

00:33:23.300 --> 00:33:24.120
 the

00:33:24.120 --> 00:33:25.060
 Mesopotamian

00:33:25.060 --> 00:33:26.620
 war machine?

00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:28.680
 It wasn't

00:33:28.680 --> 00:33:29.259
 because you're

00:33:29.259 --> 00:33:29.620
 a brilliant

00:33:29.620 --> 00:33:30.140
 general.

00:33:30.600 --> 00:33:31.620
 It wasn't

00:33:31.620 --> 00:33:32.259
 because you're

00:33:32.259 --> 00:33:32.660
 a brilliant

00:33:32.660 --> 00:33:33.580
 strategist.

00:33:33.840 --> 00:33:34.680
 It wasn't

00:33:34.680 --> 00:33:35.220
 because you

00:33:35.220 --> 00:33:35.660
 had better

00:33:35.660 --> 00:33:36.480
 technology.

00:33:37.140 --> 00:33:37.460
 In fact,

00:33:37.540 --> 00:33:37.820
 actually,

00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:38.640
 archaeologically

00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:39.220
 speaking,

00:33:39.500 --> 00:33:39.940
 the Canada

00:33:39.940 --> 00:33:41.300
 areas were

00:33:41.299 --> 00:33:42.159
 technologically

00:33:42.159 --> 00:33:42.960
 behind

00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:44.180
 Mesopotamia.

00:33:44.299 --> 00:33:44.599
 That's what

00:33:44.599 --> 00:33:45.259
 archaeologists

00:33:45.259 --> 00:33:45.639
 would now

00:33:45.639 --> 00:33:46.180
 tell you.

00:33:46.359 --> 00:33:46.700
 It has

00:33:46.700 --> 00:33:47.200
 nothing to

00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:47.440
 do with

00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:47.659
 that.

00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:47.899
 Your

00:33:47.899 --> 00:33:48.339
 victory

00:33:48.339 --> 00:33:48.759
 was a

00:33:48.759 --> 00:33:49.099
 work of

00:33:49.099 --> 00:33:49.399
 God.

00:33:51.279 --> 00:33:51.839
 Your

00:33:51.839 --> 00:33:52.139
 victory

00:33:52.139 --> 00:33:52.519
 was a

00:33:52.519 --> 00:33:52.859
 work of

00:33:52.859 --> 00:33:53.159
 God.

00:33:54.799 --> 00:33:55.359
 You're

00:33:55.359 --> 00:33:55.740
 blessed

00:33:55.740 --> 00:33:56.399
 because God

00:33:56.399 --> 00:33:56.960
 used you.

00:33:57.099 --> 00:33:57.220
 You're

00:33:57.220 --> 00:33:57.579
 blessed

00:33:57.579 --> 00:33:58.279
 because you

00:33:58.279 --> 00:33:59.220
 understood

00:33:59.220 --> 00:34:00.240
 the blessing

00:34:00.240 --> 00:34:00.480
 and the

00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:00.859
 promise

00:34:00.859 --> 00:34:01.200
 doesn't

00:34:01.200 --> 00:34:01.680
 make you

00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:03.440
 prideful

00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:04.139
 and indifferent

00:34:04.139 --> 00:34:04.619
 to your

00:34:04.619 --> 00:34:05.059
 neighbors

00:34:05.059 --> 00:34:06.399
 or your

00:34:06.399 --> 00:34:07.039
 kinsmen.

00:34:08.219 --> 00:34:08.500
 And even

00:34:08.500 --> 00:34:09.099
 though your

00:34:09.099 --> 00:34:09.679
 neighbors and

00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:10.300
 your kinsmen

00:34:10.300 --> 00:34:10.679
 do not

00:34:10.679 --> 00:34:11.199
 acknowledge

00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:11.559
 God

00:34:11.559 --> 00:34:11.839
 most

00:34:11.839 --> 00:34:12.159
 high

00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:12.439
 or the

00:34:12.439 --> 00:34:12.759
 Lord,

00:34:12.919 --> 00:34:13.019
 you

00:34:13.019 --> 00:34:13.439
 understood

00:34:13.439 --> 00:34:13.939
 that the

00:34:13.939 --> 00:34:14.639
 blessing

00:34:14.639 --> 00:34:15.059
 of God

00:34:15.059 --> 00:34:15.299
 most

00:34:15.299 --> 00:34:15.519
 high

00:34:15.519 --> 00:34:15.879
 upon

00:34:15.879 --> 00:34:16.179
 you

00:34:16.179 --> 00:34:16.719
 has

00:34:16.719 --> 00:34:17.279
 motivated

00:34:17.279 --> 00:34:17.779
 you

00:34:17.779 --> 00:34:18.619
 to

00:34:18.619 --> 00:34:19.279
 take a

00:34:19.279 --> 00:34:20.659
 risk,

00:34:20.939 --> 00:34:22.239
 to pursue

00:34:22.239 --> 00:34:22.639
 them,

00:34:22.960 --> 00:34:23.679
 to defeat

00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:24.259
 the enemy,

00:34:24.539 --> 00:34:25.259
 to set

00:34:25.259 --> 00:34:25.739
 them free

00:34:25.739 --> 00:34:26.099
 and to

00:34:26.099 --> 00:34:26.539
 liberate

00:34:26.539 --> 00:34:26.819
 them.

00:34:27.399 --> 00:34:27.659
 And so

00:34:27.659 --> 00:34:28.319
 praise be

00:34:28.319 --> 00:34:28.599
 God

00:34:28.599 --> 00:34:28.859
 most

00:34:28.859 --> 00:34:29.119
 high,

00:34:29.179 --> 00:34:29.719
 verse 20,

00:34:29.819 --> 00:34:30.059
 who has

00:34:30.059 --> 00:34:30.579
 delivered

00:34:30.579 --> 00:34:31.980
 your enemies

00:34:31.980 --> 00:34:32.759
 into your

00:34:32.759 --> 00:34:33.219
 hand.

00:34:34.119 --> 00:34:34.919
 And Abram

00:34:34.919 --> 00:34:36.039
 gave him

00:34:36.039 --> 00:34:36.759
 a tenth

00:34:36.759 --> 00:34:37.819
 of everything.

00:34:37.820 --> 00:34:41.220
 it's an

00:34:41.220 --> 00:34:41.539
 act of

00:34:41.539 --> 00:34:42.080
 homage.

00:34:43.220 --> 00:34:43.800
 Homage is

00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:44.140
 a word

00:34:44.140 --> 00:34:44.460
 that not

00:34:44.460 --> 00:34:44.960
 many people

00:34:44.960 --> 00:34:45.600
 know anymore.

00:34:46.680 --> 00:34:47.160
 Homage

00:34:47.160 --> 00:34:48.059
 is an

00:34:48.059 --> 00:34:49.000
 act of

00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:49.420
 not only

00:34:49.420 --> 00:34:50.000
 worship,

00:34:50.120 --> 00:34:50.340
 but

00:34:50.340 --> 00:34:50.980
 acknowledgement

00:34:50.980 --> 00:34:52.059
 that there

00:34:52.059 --> 00:34:52.420
 is one

00:34:52.420 --> 00:34:52.720
 who is

00:34:52.720 --> 00:34:53.600
 superior to

00:34:53.600 --> 00:34:53.860
 you,

00:34:54.460 --> 00:34:55.519
 that you

00:34:55.519 --> 00:34:55.860
 are in a

00:34:55.860 --> 00:34:56.420
 relationship

00:34:56.420 --> 00:34:56.940
 with,

00:34:57.380 --> 00:34:58.120
 who cares

00:34:58.120 --> 00:34:58.720
 for you,

00:34:59.460 --> 00:35:02.340
 to whom

00:35:02.340 --> 00:35:02.640
 in a

00:35:02.640 --> 00:35:03.380
 sense you

00:35:03.380 --> 00:35:03.760
 owe

00:35:03.760 --> 00:35:04.500
 proper

00:35:04.500 --> 00:35:05.240
 obedience

00:35:05.239 --> 00:35:06.179
 and love

00:35:06.179 --> 00:35:06.779
 and affection

00:35:06.779 --> 00:35:07.179
 to.

00:35:08.859 --> 00:35:09.299
 And I

00:35:09.299 --> 00:35:09.539
 just sort

00:35:09.539 --> 00:35:09.719
 of want

00:35:09.719 --> 00:35:10.299
 to pause.

00:35:14.479 --> 00:35:14.879
 That's,

00:35:14.959 --> 00:35:15.179
 you see,

00:35:15.279 --> 00:35:15.579
 why.

00:35:15.839 --> 00:35:16.379
 So once

00:35:16.379 --> 00:35:16.579
 again,

00:35:16.619 --> 00:35:16.859
 if you're

00:35:16.859 --> 00:35:17.179
 here and

00:35:17.179 --> 00:35:17.679
 you haven't

00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:18.359
 given Christ,

00:35:18.579 --> 00:35:18.959
 you haven't

00:35:18.959 --> 00:35:19.439
 made Christ

00:35:19.439 --> 00:35:19.959
 your Savior

00:35:19.959 --> 00:35:20.259
 and your

00:35:20.259 --> 00:35:20.459
 Lord,

00:35:20.539 --> 00:35:20.919
 this is a

00:35:20.919 --> 00:35:21.419
 good reminder

00:35:21.419 --> 00:35:21.759
 to say,

00:35:21.839 --> 00:35:22.039
 we don't

00:35:22.039 --> 00:35:22.299
 want you

00:35:22.299 --> 00:35:22.559
 to give

00:35:22.559 --> 00:35:22.899
 us any

00:35:22.899 --> 00:35:23.179
 money.

00:35:24.259 --> 00:35:24.699
 We'd

00:35:24.699 --> 00:35:25.500
 rather give

00:35:25.500 --> 00:35:25.979
 you money.

00:35:26.359 --> 00:35:26.579
 We'd

00:35:26.579 --> 00:35:27.099
 rather bless

00:35:27.099 --> 00:35:27.379
 you.

00:35:27.899 --> 00:35:28.459
 But for

00:35:28.459 --> 00:35:28.939
 those of

00:35:28.939 --> 00:35:29.199
 us who

00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:29.339
 are

00:35:29.339 --> 00:35:29.859
 Christians,

00:35:30.259 --> 00:35:30.719
 this is

00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:31.159
 where this

00:35:31.159 --> 00:35:31.639
 idea of

00:35:31.639 --> 00:35:32.099
 the tithe

00:35:32.099 --> 00:35:32.939
 begins to

00:35:32.939 --> 00:35:33.479
 come into.

00:35:34.599 --> 00:35:35.199
 That for

00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:35.980
 a Christian

00:35:35.980 --> 00:35:36.879
 to give

00:35:36.879 --> 00:35:37.980
 back 10%

00:35:37.980 --> 00:35:38.439
 of your

00:35:38.439 --> 00:35:40.219
 money to

00:35:40.219 --> 00:35:40.539
 the Lord

00:35:40.539 --> 00:35:41.039
 God is

00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:41.339
 an act

00:35:41.339 --> 00:35:41.960
 of homage.

00:35:43.059 --> 00:35:43.839
 It's an

00:35:43.839 --> 00:35:44.299
 act of

00:35:44.299 --> 00:35:44.899
 acknowledging

00:35:44.899 --> 00:35:45.919
 that everything

00:35:45.919 --> 00:35:46.500
 you have

00:35:46.500 --> 00:35:47.359
 ultimately is

00:35:47.359 --> 00:35:47.980
 because of

00:35:47.980 --> 00:35:49.039
 your Lord

00:35:49.039 --> 00:35:49.899
 and Master,

00:35:50.779 --> 00:35:51.819
 that your

00:35:51.819 --> 00:35:52.359
 Lord and

00:35:52.359 --> 00:35:54.399
 Master loves

00:35:54.399 --> 00:35:54.859
 you and

00:35:54.859 --> 00:35:55.460
 cares for

00:35:55.460 --> 00:35:55.779
 you,

00:35:56.699 --> 00:35:58.319
 that he's

00:35:58.319 --> 00:35:58.980
 worthy of

00:35:58.980 --> 00:35:59.579
 trust and

00:35:59.579 --> 00:36:00.559
 obedience to,

00:36:01.639 --> 00:36:02.839
 that he

00:36:02.839 --> 00:36:03.460
 will see that

00:36:03.460 --> 00:36:03.960
 your needs

00:36:03.960 --> 00:36:04.460
 are met,

00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:06.139
 and the

00:36:06.139 --> 00:36:06.659
 giving of

00:36:06.659 --> 00:36:07.219
 money back

00:36:07.219 --> 00:36:07.719
 to him

00:36:07.719 --> 00:36:08.039
 and for

00:36:08.039 --> 00:36:08.579
 the cause

00:36:08.579 --> 00:36:09.059
 of his

00:36:09.059 --> 00:36:09.480
 kingdom

00:36:09.480 --> 00:36:11.139
 is an

00:36:11.139 --> 00:36:11.480
 act of

00:36:11.480 --> 00:36:11.939
 homage.

00:36:12.539 --> 00:36:12.799
 It's an

00:36:12.799 --> 00:36:13.139
 act of

00:36:13.139 --> 00:36:13.419
 worship.

00:36:14.619 --> 00:36:15.239
 It's why

00:36:15.239 --> 00:36:15.980
 it really

00:36:15.980 --> 00:36:16.399
 isn't a

00:36:16.399 --> 00:36:16.939
 wrong thing

00:36:16.939 --> 00:36:17.359
 to pass

00:36:17.359 --> 00:36:17.679
 a plate

00:36:17.679 --> 00:36:17.919
 in the

00:36:17.919 --> 00:36:18.319
 church.

00:36:19.859 --> 00:36:20.379
 It's

00:36:20.379 --> 00:36:21.000
 why it's

00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:21.779
 not wrong

00:36:21.779 --> 00:36:22.419
 for those

00:36:22.419 --> 00:36:22.980
 of us

00:36:22.980 --> 00:36:24.399
 who call

00:36:24.399 --> 00:36:24.739
 Jesus

00:36:24.739 --> 00:36:25.419
 Savior and

00:36:25.419 --> 00:36:26.119
 Lord to

00:36:26.119 --> 00:36:26.799
 move towards

00:36:26.799 --> 00:36:27.239
 a time

00:36:27.239 --> 00:36:27.639
 when we

00:36:27.639 --> 00:36:28.399
 can return

00:36:28.399 --> 00:36:29.079
 10%

00:36:29.079 --> 00:36:29.739
 of all

00:36:29.739 --> 00:36:30.039
 that we

00:36:30.039 --> 00:36:30.439
 have,

00:36:30.839 --> 00:36:31.339
 and all

00:36:31.339 --> 00:36:31.599
 that we

00:36:31.599 --> 00:36:32.059
 have is

00:36:32.059 --> 00:36:32.419
 due to

00:36:32.419 --> 00:36:33.000
 his grace

00:36:33.000 --> 00:36:33.500
 and mercy

00:36:33.500 --> 00:36:34.079
 and provision,

00:36:34.340 --> 00:36:34.880
 all things

00:36:34.880 --> 00:36:35.280
 come of

00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:35.539
 him and

00:36:35.539 --> 00:36:35.800
 of his

00:36:35.800 --> 00:36:36.139
 own have

00:36:36.139 --> 00:36:36.500
 we given

00:36:36.500 --> 00:36:36.820
 him,

00:36:37.219 --> 00:36:37.719
 to move

00:36:37.719 --> 00:36:38.000
 to the

00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:38.360
 point that

00:36:38.360 --> 00:36:38.679
 we would

00:36:38.679 --> 00:36:39.739
 turn 10%

00:36:39.739 --> 00:36:40.179
 to him,

00:36:40.699 --> 00:36:42.000
 or more.

00:36:45.079 --> 00:36:45.739
 But that's

00:36:45.739 --> 00:36:46.219
 one way of

00:36:46.219 --> 00:36:46.460
 living.

00:36:47.619 --> 00:36:48.000
 So what

00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:49.719
 this king,

00:36:50.059 --> 00:36:50.559
 who gives

00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:51.199
 this feast

00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:52.039
 and blesses,

00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:54.199
 this priest

00:36:54.199 --> 00:36:54.599
 king,

00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:55.559
 revealing to

00:36:55.559 --> 00:36:56.199
 Abram that

00:36:56.199 --> 00:36:57.780
 Abram did

00:36:57.780 --> 00:36:58.199
 the right

00:36:58.199 --> 00:36:59.159
 thing in

00:36:59.159 --> 00:36:59.880
 understanding

00:36:59.880 --> 00:37:00.420
 how the

00:37:00.420 --> 00:37:01.599
 blessing is

00:37:01.599 --> 00:37:02.099
 to cause

00:37:02.099 --> 00:37:03.099
 him to

00:37:03.099 --> 00:37:03.400
 have a

00:37:03.400 --> 00:37:03.960
 concern

00:37:03.960 --> 00:37:04.480
 for his

00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:04.900
 neighbors

00:37:04.900 --> 00:37:05.539
 who don't

00:37:05.539 --> 00:37:06.059
 share the

00:37:06.059 --> 00:37:06.599
 same worship

00:37:06.599 --> 00:37:06.920
 of the

00:37:06.920 --> 00:37:07.460
 same God,

00:37:07.539 --> 00:37:07.900
 in a sense

00:37:07.900 --> 00:37:08.319
 aren't even

00:37:08.319 --> 00:37:09.259
 covered directly

00:37:09.259 --> 00:37:09.759
 by that

00:37:09.759 --> 00:37:10.179
 blessing,

00:37:10.279 --> 00:37:11.239
 that that

00:37:11.239 --> 00:37:12.079
 blessing is

00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:13.019
 one that

00:37:13.019 --> 00:37:13.679
 should lead

00:37:13.679 --> 00:37:14.139
 him to

00:37:14.139 --> 00:37:14.659
 care for

00:37:14.659 --> 00:37:14.860
 his

00:37:14.860 --> 00:37:15.139
 neighbors.

00:37:15.380 --> 00:37:15.639
 And what

00:37:15.639 --> 00:37:15.960
 we see

00:37:15.960 --> 00:37:16.119
 here,

00:37:16.179 --> 00:37:16.339
 by the

00:37:16.339 --> 00:37:16.480
 way,

00:37:16.759 --> 00:37:16.960
 you see,

00:37:17.019 --> 00:37:17.259
 this is

00:37:17.259 --> 00:37:17.839
 what prepares

00:37:17.839 --> 00:37:18.219
 us for

00:37:18.219 --> 00:37:18.719
 the gospel.

00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:18.980
 When

00:37:18.980 --> 00:37:19.440
 Christians

00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:20.000
 read this,

00:37:20.079 --> 00:37:20.360
 what we're

00:37:20.360 --> 00:37:21.079
 also hearing

00:37:21.079 --> 00:37:21.579
 is this,

00:37:21.960 --> 00:37:22.299
 as we

00:37:22.299 --> 00:37:22.799
 read this,

00:37:23.139 --> 00:37:23.460
 if you go

00:37:23.460 --> 00:37:23.880
 back to

00:37:23.880 --> 00:37:24.460
 Galatians,

00:37:24.719 --> 00:37:25.739
 and Galatians

00:37:25.739 --> 00:37:26.360
 will say that

00:37:26.360 --> 00:37:26.900
 it's in

00:37:26.900 --> 00:37:27.480
 this story

00:37:27.480 --> 00:37:28.159
 that Abram

00:37:28.159 --> 00:37:28.579
 preaches

00:37:28.579 --> 00:37:29.239
 the gospel

00:37:29.239 --> 00:37:29.859
 to us.

00:37:30.599 --> 00:37:31.019
 And how

00:37:31.019 --> 00:37:31.539
 he preaches

00:37:31.539 --> 00:37:32.119
 the gospel

00:37:32.119 --> 00:37:32.599
 to us

00:37:32.599 --> 00:37:33.159
 is this,

00:37:33.759 --> 00:37:34.099
 is that

00:37:34.099 --> 00:37:36.219
 the great

00:37:36.219 --> 00:37:36.959
 Abram's

00:37:36.959 --> 00:37:37.379
 greater

00:37:37.379 --> 00:37:38.019
 offspring

00:37:38.019 --> 00:37:38.519
 is the

00:37:38.519 --> 00:37:39.119
 Lord Jesus

00:37:39.119 --> 00:37:39.759
 Christ.

00:37:40.319 --> 00:37:40.959
 And he

00:37:40.959 --> 00:37:42.079
 pursued you

00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:42.739
 and me,

00:37:43.059 --> 00:37:43.719
 even to the

00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:44.199
 point of

00:37:44.199 --> 00:37:44.779
 death upon

00:37:44.779 --> 00:37:45.439
 the cross,

00:37:45.639 --> 00:37:46.559
 and experiencing

00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:47.439
 all there is

00:37:47.439 --> 00:37:48.079
 to taste of

00:37:48.079 --> 00:37:48.339
 death.

00:37:48.559 --> 00:37:49.519
 He pursued

00:37:49.519 --> 00:37:50.419
 us all the

00:37:50.419 --> 00:37:50.879
 way to

00:37:50.879 --> 00:37:51.379
 death,

00:37:52.319 --> 00:37:53.500
 to liberate

00:37:53.500 --> 00:37:53.899
 us,

00:37:54.139 --> 00:37:54.879
 to set us

00:37:54.879 --> 00:37:56.039
 free from

00:37:56.039 --> 00:37:56.939
 our pride,

00:37:57.299 --> 00:37:58.319
 our presumption,

00:37:58.320 --> 00:37:59.440
 our greed,

00:37:59.900 --> 00:38:00.559
 our hatred,

00:38:00.860 --> 00:38:01.600
 our racism,

00:38:01.900 --> 00:38:02.539
 our envy,

00:38:02.980 --> 00:38:03.920
 our sins,

00:38:04.420 --> 00:38:06.120
 our serving

00:38:06.120 --> 00:38:06.920
 of idols,

00:38:08.120 --> 00:38:08.740
 our fear

00:38:08.740 --> 00:38:09.500
 of demons,

00:38:10.220 --> 00:38:10.780
 that he

00:38:10.780 --> 00:38:11.880
 pursues us

00:38:11.880 --> 00:38:12.780
 and deals

00:38:12.780 --> 00:38:13.260
 with all

00:38:13.260 --> 00:38:13.820
 that has to

00:38:13.820 --> 00:38:14.220
 be dealt

00:38:14.220 --> 00:38:14.620
 with so

00:38:14.620 --> 00:38:15.120
 that he

00:38:15.120 --> 00:38:15.980
 would rescue

00:38:15.980 --> 00:38:16.880
 us and

00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:17.300
 give us

00:38:17.300 --> 00:38:17.960
 the victory,

00:38:18.160 --> 00:38:18.760
 not because

00:38:18.760 --> 00:38:19.320
 of something

00:38:19.320 --> 00:38:19.700
 that we

00:38:19.700 --> 00:38:20.200
 have earned

00:38:20.200 --> 00:38:20.900
 or accomplished

00:38:20.900 --> 00:38:21.720
 or deserved,

00:38:21.880 --> 00:38:22.660
 but purely

00:38:22.660 --> 00:38:23.240
 and utterly

00:38:23.240 --> 00:38:23.880
 out of his

00:38:23.880 --> 00:38:24.519
 great love

00:38:24.519 --> 00:38:25.080
 for us.

00:38:25.519 --> 00:38:26.220
 He goes

00:38:26.220 --> 00:38:27.340
 to the depths

00:38:27.340 --> 00:38:28.019
 of where

00:38:28.019 --> 00:38:28.660
 we are

00:38:28.660 --> 00:38:29.620
 to find

00:38:29.620 --> 00:38:30.200
 us and

00:38:30.200 --> 00:38:30.820
 to rescue

00:38:30.820 --> 00:38:31.140
 us.

00:38:31.240 --> 00:38:31.400
 And when

00:38:31.400 --> 00:38:31.780
 we put

00:38:31.780 --> 00:38:32.220
 our faith

00:38:32.220 --> 00:38:32.680
 and trust

00:38:32.680 --> 00:38:33.120
 in him,

00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:34.320
 he transfers

00:38:34.320 --> 00:38:35.860
 us from

00:38:35.860 --> 00:38:36.320
 the kingdom

00:38:36.320 --> 00:38:36.980
 of lies

00:38:36.980 --> 00:38:37.360
 to the

00:38:37.360 --> 00:38:37.579
 kingdom

00:38:37.579 --> 00:38:38.100
 of truth,

00:38:38.200 --> 00:38:38.519
 from the

00:38:38.519 --> 00:38:38.740
 kingdom

00:38:38.740 --> 00:38:39.360
 of death

00:38:39.360 --> 00:38:39.880
 to the

00:38:39.880 --> 00:38:40.140
 kingdom

00:38:40.140 --> 00:38:40.720
 of life,

00:38:40.740 --> 00:38:40.980
 from the

00:38:40.980 --> 00:38:41.340
 kingdom

00:38:41.340 --> 00:38:42.460
 of darkness

00:38:42.460 --> 00:38:43.440
 to the

00:38:43.440 --> 00:38:43.700
 kingdom

00:38:43.700 --> 00:38:44.380
 of light,

00:38:44.780 --> 00:38:45.079
 from the

00:38:45.079 --> 00:38:45.460
 kingdom

00:38:45.460 --> 00:38:48.220
 of hatred

00:38:48.220 --> 00:38:48.680
 to the

00:38:48.680 --> 00:38:48.940
 kingdom

00:38:48.940 --> 00:38:49.559
 of love,

00:38:49.840 --> 00:38:50.700
 from the

00:38:50.700 --> 00:38:51.079
 kingdom

00:38:51.079 --> 00:38:52.000
 of vengeance

00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:52.480
 to the

00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:52.760
 kingdom

00:38:52.760 --> 00:38:53.380
 of mercy,

00:38:53.380 --> 00:38:55.500
 from the kingdom

00:38:55.500 --> 00:38:59.559
 hatred of beauty

00:38:59.559 --> 00:39:01.059
 to the kingdom of beauty

00:39:01.059 --> 00:39:03.840
 he transfers us when we put our faith

00:39:03.840 --> 00:39:04.619
 and trust in him

00:39:04.619 --> 00:39:11.920
 what is the problem with not living in the real world

00:39:11.920 --> 00:39:13.700
 I'm not going to try to prove in this sermon

00:39:13.700 --> 00:39:15.480
 that the triune God exists

00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:17.480
 that's a topic of other types of things

00:39:17.480 --> 00:39:19.380
 but for those of you who are watching

00:39:19.380 --> 00:39:20.380
 and don't know where you are

00:39:20.380 --> 00:39:22.180
 with the whole Christian faith

00:39:22.179 --> 00:39:23.960
 this is at least the Christian story

00:39:23.960 --> 00:39:27.639
 if there is in fact a God that does exist

00:39:27.639 --> 00:39:29.139
 to live in the world

00:39:29.139 --> 00:39:31.059
 as if that God exists

00:39:31.059 --> 00:39:33.219
 is in fact to be living in the real world

00:39:33.219 --> 00:39:35.119
 and to live in the world

00:39:35.119 --> 00:39:37.500
 where the God who's revealed in these scriptures

00:39:37.500 --> 00:39:39.079
 which is a God of rescue

00:39:39.079 --> 00:39:40.139
 a God of blessing

00:39:40.139 --> 00:39:41.159
 a God of grace

00:39:41.159 --> 00:39:42.419
 a God of mercy

00:39:42.419 --> 00:39:43.379
 a God of beauty

00:39:43.379 --> 00:39:45.000
 a God of life

00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:46.619
 a God of light

00:39:46.619 --> 00:39:48.059
 a God of truth

00:39:48.059 --> 00:39:52.139
 whose blessing to us is undeserved

00:39:52.139 --> 00:39:53.500
 and unwarranted

00:39:53.500 --> 00:39:54.839
 freely given

00:39:54.839 --> 00:39:57.339
 and received with open hands

00:39:57.599 --> 00:40:00.039
 which begins to form us in such a way

00:40:00.039 --> 00:40:01.900
 that as this story grips us

00:40:01.900 --> 00:40:04.579
 we begin to become freed

00:40:04.579 --> 00:40:06.199
 from those things which bind us

00:40:06.199 --> 00:40:08.379
 and be able to see ourselves as we really are

00:40:08.379 --> 00:40:10.960
 this is a story to invite us to live

00:40:10.960 --> 00:40:12.279
 in the real world

00:40:12.280 --> 00:40:15.019
 to fight our pride

00:40:15.019 --> 00:40:18.060
 well what about the other way of living

00:40:18.060 --> 00:40:19.260
 look at verse 21

00:40:19.260 --> 00:40:21.920
 and the king of Sodom

00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:23.320
 said to Abram

00:40:23.320 --> 00:40:24.700
 and it's in a sense

00:40:24.700 --> 00:40:25.660
 a type of command

00:40:25.660 --> 00:40:29.300
 give me the persons

00:40:29.300 --> 00:40:30.740
 but take the goods for yourself

00:40:30.740 --> 00:40:32.420
 now here's the problem

00:40:32.420 --> 00:40:36.820
 and this is just as contemporary

00:40:36.820 --> 00:40:37.800
 as our own lives

00:40:37.800 --> 00:40:39.060
 the lives of those we know

00:40:39.059 --> 00:40:40.279
 one moment

00:40:40.279 --> 00:40:41.820
 Sodom

00:40:41.820 --> 00:40:44.059
 got his butt kicked

00:40:44.059 --> 00:40:45.619
 Sodom

00:40:45.619 --> 00:40:47.000
 the king of Sodom

00:40:47.000 --> 00:40:47.719
 provoked

00:40:47.719 --> 00:40:50.799
 a terrible destructive war

00:40:50.799 --> 00:40:52.559
 out of his pride

00:40:52.559 --> 00:40:54.639
 he provoked

00:40:54.639 --> 00:40:55.299
 the war

00:40:55.299 --> 00:40:57.039
 second thing

00:40:57.039 --> 00:40:58.320
 he lost

00:40:58.320 --> 00:40:59.679
 third thing

00:40:59.679 --> 00:41:02.340
 rather than standing and fighting with his troops

00:41:02.340 --> 00:41:04.440
 if you go back and you read the earlier part

00:41:04.440 --> 00:41:05.880
 he fled to the hills

00:41:05.880 --> 00:41:07.220
 on top of that

00:41:07.220 --> 00:41:09.240
 he left his city

00:41:09.240 --> 00:41:10.760
 undefended

00:41:10.760 --> 00:41:13.820
 so the other army from Mesopotamia

00:41:13.820 --> 00:41:15.079
 can march right in

00:41:15.079 --> 00:41:16.940
 and pillage and plunder

00:41:16.940 --> 00:41:18.000
 his city

00:41:18.000 --> 00:41:21.460
 he was hiding in the hills in terror

00:41:21.460 --> 00:41:24.059
 not exercising his power

00:41:24.059 --> 00:41:25.220
 that he should as a king

00:41:25.220 --> 00:41:26.599
 to protect his own city

00:41:26.599 --> 00:41:28.780
 and now

00:41:28.780 --> 00:41:31.180
 that somebody else has defeated his enemy

00:41:31.180 --> 00:41:33.900
 he already in his mind

00:41:33.900 --> 00:41:35.800
 is trying to tell some other story

00:41:35.800 --> 00:41:36.820
 no no no

00:41:36.820 --> 00:41:37.660
 I didn't provoke it

00:41:37.660 --> 00:41:38.539
 it was all their fault

00:41:38.539 --> 00:41:39.000
 no no

00:41:39.000 --> 00:41:40.860
 I didn't actually lose the battle

00:41:40.860 --> 00:41:42.960
 I was actually just being very very smart

00:41:42.960 --> 00:41:44.060
 no no

00:41:44.060 --> 00:41:44.960
 I don't

00:41:44.960 --> 00:41:45.620
 I'm not the

00:41:45.620 --> 00:41:46.980
 I'm not the lord of somebody

00:41:46.980 --> 00:41:48.039
 that all my rich people

00:41:48.039 --> 00:41:48.880
 and powerful people

00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:49.500
 have been kidnapped

00:41:49.500 --> 00:41:50.380
 no no no no no

00:41:50.380 --> 00:41:51.560
 none of those things have gone on

00:41:51.560 --> 00:41:52.460
 I'm still the king

00:41:52.460 --> 00:41:53.620
 I'm in charge

00:41:53.620 --> 00:41:56.080
 and not only is he thinking that in his mind

00:41:56.080 --> 00:41:56.539
 Abram

00:41:56.539 --> 00:41:57.440
 as we're going to see in a moment

00:41:57.440 --> 00:41:58.080
 realizes

00:41:58.080 --> 00:41:59.440
 that this king

00:41:59.440 --> 00:42:00.840
 with his demands

00:42:00.840 --> 00:42:01.900
 and his pride

00:42:01.900 --> 00:42:04.440
 is not living in the real world

00:42:04.440 --> 00:42:07.240
 pride leads you to not live

00:42:07.240 --> 00:42:08.240
 in the real world

00:42:08.240 --> 00:42:10.700
 and he's already formulating a story

00:42:10.700 --> 00:42:11.579
 in his own mind

00:42:11.579 --> 00:42:12.940
 how the fact that Abram

00:42:12.940 --> 00:42:14.960
 who deserves all of the possessions

00:42:14.960 --> 00:42:16.260
 that actually

00:42:16.260 --> 00:42:17.059
 it's just because

00:42:17.059 --> 00:42:18.420
 King King Sodom

00:42:18.420 --> 00:42:19.440
 I'm making the kids cry

00:42:19.440 --> 00:42:19.980
 I'm sorry

00:42:19.980 --> 00:42:22.119
 that you know

00:42:22.119 --> 00:42:23.679
 it's really just because of his grace

00:42:23.679 --> 00:42:24.780
 and mercy that he's allowing

00:42:24.780 --> 00:42:27.220
 it's all a fantasy world

00:42:27.220 --> 00:42:29.760
 all of it's a fantasy world

00:42:29.760 --> 00:42:32.340
 he's a legend in his own mind

00:42:32.340 --> 00:42:34.280
 and a failure in real life

00:42:34.280 --> 00:42:36.820
 and he's not dealing with the real world

00:42:36.820 --> 00:42:40.360
 none of us have bosses

00:42:40.360 --> 00:42:42.400
 or underlings like this at all

00:42:42.400 --> 00:42:43.880
 none of us have neighbors or kids

00:42:43.880 --> 00:42:45.640
 and none of us have ever been like this ourselves

00:42:45.640 --> 00:42:47.360
 I stand condemned

00:42:47.360 --> 00:42:48.220
 I say that

00:42:48.220 --> 00:42:48.560
 I'm not

00:42:48.560 --> 00:42:49.520
 I'm not saying that

00:42:49.520 --> 00:42:51.580
 this is a human problem

00:42:51.580 --> 00:42:54.580
 so he makes this peremptory thing

00:42:54.580 --> 00:42:55.680
 give me the persons

00:42:55.680 --> 00:42:57.620
 and take the goods for yourself

00:42:57.619 --> 00:42:59.679
 well he doesn't get to

00:42:59.679 --> 00:43:02.779
 he can only come as a supplicant

00:43:02.779 --> 00:43:03.579
 he should be coming

00:43:03.579 --> 00:43:04.719
 thank you so much

00:43:04.719 --> 00:43:06.259
 and by the way Abram

00:43:06.259 --> 00:43:07.079
 I hope you don't mention

00:43:07.079 --> 00:43:07.859
 too many people

00:43:07.859 --> 00:43:09.239
 that I ran away and hid

00:43:09.239 --> 00:43:13.980
 but Abram said to the king of Sodom

00:43:13.980 --> 00:43:14.980
 you see grace

00:43:14.980 --> 00:43:16.819
 and blessing

00:43:16.819 --> 00:43:18.679
 the grace and blessing

00:43:18.679 --> 00:43:20.739
 that comes from the true and living God

00:43:20.739 --> 00:43:23.119
 forms you to live in the real world

00:43:23.119 --> 00:43:25.000
 and in the real world

00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:29.260
 you don't take the proud pronouncements

00:43:29.260 --> 00:43:31.699
 of those in power

00:43:31.699 --> 00:43:34.699
 as reflecting what's really going on

00:43:34.699 --> 00:43:37.940
 we need to learn that

00:43:37.940 --> 00:43:39.260
 when we look at the government

00:43:39.260 --> 00:43:40.360
 and the media

00:43:40.360 --> 00:43:41.420
 and the judiciary

00:43:41.420 --> 00:43:44.900
 they can say it

00:43:44.900 --> 00:43:46.179
 doesn't mean it's true

00:43:46.179 --> 00:43:47.480
 they can say it

00:43:47.480 --> 00:43:48.579
 doesn't mean it's real

00:43:48.579 --> 00:43:52.860
 they can say it over and over and over again

00:43:52.860 --> 00:43:54.400
 doesn't make it true

00:43:54.400 --> 00:43:59.880
 see we need to be so gripped with the gospel

00:43:59.880 --> 00:44:01.680
 and what Christ has done for us in the cross

00:44:01.680 --> 00:44:03.780
 so we understand that God is calling us to live

00:44:03.780 --> 00:44:04.800
 as people of the truth

00:44:04.800 --> 00:44:06.079
 and not as people of the lie

00:44:06.079 --> 00:44:07.440
 people of the beauty

00:44:07.440 --> 00:44:09.700
 and not of the people who hate beauty

00:44:09.700 --> 00:44:11.400
 people of the good

00:44:11.400 --> 00:44:12.320
 not people of

00:44:12.320 --> 00:44:14.139
 the evil

00:44:14.139 --> 00:44:15.980
 people of love

00:44:15.980 --> 00:44:17.160
 not the people of hatred

00:44:17.160 --> 00:44:19.519
 people of light and clarity

00:44:19.519 --> 00:44:20.539
 not darkness

00:44:20.539 --> 00:44:22.660
 and confusion

00:44:22.659 --> 00:44:26.480
 but Abram said to the king of Sodom

00:44:26.480 --> 00:44:28.199
 I have lifted my hand to the Lord

00:44:28.199 --> 00:44:29.139
 I have made a vow

00:44:29.139 --> 00:44:29.639
 a pledge

00:44:29.639 --> 00:44:30.639
 to God most high

00:44:30.639 --> 00:44:31.799
 Lord the God most high

00:44:31.799 --> 00:44:33.039
 possessor of heaven and earth

00:44:33.039 --> 00:44:34.119
 creator of heaven and earth

00:44:34.119 --> 00:44:36.559
 that I would not take a thread

00:44:36.559 --> 00:44:38.239
 or a sandal strap

00:44:38.239 --> 00:44:39.859
 or anything that is yours

00:44:39.859 --> 00:44:42.719
 lest you should say

00:44:42.719 --> 00:44:44.440
 I have made Abram rich

00:44:44.440 --> 00:44:47.960
 his fantasy world of pride

00:44:47.960 --> 00:44:50.800
 I will take nothing

00:44:50.800 --> 00:44:52.159
 but what the young men have eaten

00:44:52.159 --> 00:44:54.420
 and the share of the men

00:44:54.420 --> 00:44:55.300
 who have went with me

00:44:55.300 --> 00:44:57.059
 let Aner and Escol and Mamre

00:44:57.059 --> 00:44:57.980
 take their share

00:44:57.980 --> 00:45:01.579
 and so Abram is going to release

00:45:01.579 --> 00:45:03.639
 the plunder in the people

00:45:03.639 --> 00:45:05.440
 and take not himself

00:45:05.440 --> 00:45:07.639
 you see

00:45:07.639 --> 00:45:09.019
 the blessing

00:45:09.019 --> 00:45:10.559
 and the grace

00:45:10.559 --> 00:45:12.159
 that comes from the gospel

00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:13.500
 make forms us

00:45:13.500 --> 00:45:15.960
 and prepares us to live in the real world

00:45:15.960 --> 00:45:17.380
 and be generous

00:45:17.380 --> 00:45:19.420
 and to care

00:45:19.420 --> 00:45:21.139
 for our family

00:45:21.139 --> 00:45:22.119
 and our neighbors

00:45:22.119 --> 00:45:23.179
 in our world

00:45:23.179 --> 00:45:25.199
 it should form us

00:45:25.199 --> 00:45:27.240
 not to try to seek

00:45:27.240 --> 00:45:28.159
 the good of the city

00:45:28.159 --> 00:45:29.039
 of Ottawa

00:45:29.039 --> 00:45:30.460
 or the nation of Canada

00:45:30.460 --> 00:45:32.099
 as Ottawa and Canada

00:45:32.099 --> 00:45:33.099
 defines the good

00:45:33.099 --> 00:45:36.039
 but as the true and living God

00:45:36.039 --> 00:45:37.099
 defines the good

00:45:37.099 --> 00:45:39.059
 from that perspective

00:45:39.059 --> 00:45:41.400
 we should work on Parliament Hill

00:45:41.400 --> 00:45:42.880
 we should work in Apple

00:45:42.880 --> 00:45:43.599
 and in Facebook

00:45:43.599 --> 00:45:45.740
 we should work in small businesses

00:45:45.739 --> 00:45:48.059
 and we should work

00:45:48.059 --> 00:45:49.199
 in municipal politics

00:45:49.199 --> 00:45:50.059
 and we should work

00:45:50.059 --> 00:45:50.779
 in education

00:45:50.779 --> 00:45:51.699
 and we should work

00:45:51.699 --> 00:45:52.279
 in academia

00:45:52.279 --> 00:45:53.059
 and we should work

00:45:53.059 --> 00:45:53.719
 in the media

00:45:53.719 --> 00:45:55.099
 and we should work

00:45:55.099 --> 00:45:55.799
 in our neighborhood

00:45:55.799 --> 00:45:56.899
 to be good neighbors

00:45:56.899 --> 00:45:58.519
 who seek the true good

00:45:58.519 --> 00:45:59.279
 of our neighborhood

00:45:59.279 --> 00:45:59.959
 our city

00:45:59.959 --> 00:46:00.879
 and our nation

00:46:00.879 --> 00:46:01.379
 and the world

00:46:01.379 --> 00:46:03.799
 not from the city's perspective

00:46:03.799 --> 00:46:05.699
 but from God's perspective

00:46:05.699 --> 00:46:06.979
 the true good

00:46:06.979 --> 00:46:09.539
 the gospel forms us

00:46:09.539 --> 00:46:10.539
 to seek

00:46:10.539 --> 00:46:11.939
 the true good

00:46:11.940 --> 00:46:14.079
 open-handed

00:46:14.079 --> 00:46:15.039
 open-hearted

00:46:15.039 --> 00:46:16.179
 and generous

00:46:16.179 --> 00:46:19.119
 I invite you to stand

00:46:19.119 --> 00:46:27.380
 let's bow our heads

00:46:27.380 --> 00:46:27.880
 in prayer

00:46:27.880 --> 00:46:32.400
 Father if there are

00:46:32.400 --> 00:46:33.079
 any here

00:46:33.079 --> 00:46:33.900
 who have not yet

00:46:33.900 --> 00:46:34.519
 or watching

00:46:34.519 --> 00:46:35.500
 or will watch

00:46:35.500 --> 00:46:36.179
 in the months

00:46:36.179 --> 00:46:37.340
 or the days

00:46:37.340 --> 00:46:37.820
 or weeks

00:46:37.820 --> 00:46:38.280
 or months

00:46:38.280 --> 00:46:39.119
 or years to come

00:46:39.119 --> 00:46:39.759
 that are watching

00:46:39.759 --> 00:46:40.159
 Father

00:46:40.159 --> 00:46:41.539
 if they have not yet

00:46:41.539 --> 00:46:42.159
 given their life

00:46:42.159 --> 00:46:42.739
 to Christ

00:46:42.739 --> 00:46:43.239
 Father

00:46:43.239 --> 00:46:44.400
 and if they are feeling

00:46:44.400 --> 00:46:45.500
 a tug

00:46:45.500 --> 00:46:46.739
 in their heart

00:46:46.739 --> 00:46:47.480
 or their spirit

00:46:47.480 --> 00:46:48.480
 that they should open

00:46:48.480 --> 00:46:49.559
 themselves to Christ

00:46:49.559 --> 00:46:50.900
 and ask him

00:46:50.900 --> 00:46:51.619
 to be their Savior

00:46:51.619 --> 00:46:51.980
 and Lord

00:46:51.980 --> 00:46:52.579
 Father I ask

00:46:52.579 --> 00:46:53.299
 that the Holy Spirit

00:46:53.299 --> 00:46:54.339
 would move in their lives

00:46:54.339 --> 00:46:55.599
 and to help them

00:46:55.599 --> 00:46:57.519
 take that interior step

00:46:57.519 --> 00:46:59.659
 of committing themselves

00:46:59.659 --> 00:47:01.000
 of asking Jesus

00:47:01.000 --> 00:47:01.900
 to be their Savior

00:47:01.900 --> 00:47:02.400
 and Lord

00:47:02.400 --> 00:47:03.420
 to be their blessing

00:47:03.420 --> 00:47:04.859
 and to have his grace

00:47:04.859 --> 00:47:06.079
 come into their lives

00:47:06.079 --> 00:47:07.940
 and Father

00:47:07.940 --> 00:47:09.219
 I ask that the Holy Spirit

00:47:09.219 --> 00:47:10.299
 would help them

00:47:10.299 --> 00:47:12.980
 to just stop running

00:47:12.980 --> 00:47:15.779
 and stop keeping Christ

00:47:15.779 --> 00:47:16.360
 far away

00:47:16.360 --> 00:47:17.500
 but to open the door

00:47:17.500 --> 00:47:18.319
 and turn to him

00:47:18.319 --> 00:47:20.579
 and we thank you Father

00:47:20.579 --> 00:47:21.819
 that Jesus will come

00:47:21.819 --> 00:47:22.340
 into any

00:47:22.340 --> 00:47:24.139
 who calls to him

00:47:24.139 --> 00:47:24.920
 to be their Savior

00:47:24.920 --> 00:47:25.380
 and Lord

00:47:25.380 --> 00:47:26.619
 and Father

00:47:26.619 --> 00:47:27.519
 for those of us

00:47:27.519 --> 00:47:28.559
 here or online

00:47:28.559 --> 00:47:29.539
 who have given our lives

00:47:29.539 --> 00:47:30.139
 to Christ

00:47:30.139 --> 00:47:31.219
 Father

00:47:31.219 --> 00:47:32.519
 we give you thanks

00:47:32.519 --> 00:47:33.179
 and praise

00:47:33.179 --> 00:47:34.460
 that Christ died

00:47:34.460 --> 00:47:35.039
 for us

00:47:35.039 --> 00:47:37.000
 that the grace

00:47:37.000 --> 00:47:37.619
 and blessing

00:47:37.619 --> 00:47:38.820
 that he offers us

00:47:38.820 --> 00:47:40.139
 of being connected

00:47:40.139 --> 00:47:40.639
 to you

00:47:40.639 --> 00:47:41.119
 in a way

00:47:41.119 --> 00:47:41.980
 that will see us

00:47:41.980 --> 00:47:42.920
 spend in eternity

00:47:42.920 --> 00:47:43.659
 in the new heaven

00:47:43.659 --> 00:47:44.420
 and the new earth

00:47:44.420 --> 00:47:46.579
 that that grace

00:47:46.579 --> 00:47:47.320
 is something

00:47:47.320 --> 00:47:48.639
 bestowed upon us

00:47:48.639 --> 00:47:49.720
 which is unmerited

00:47:49.720 --> 00:47:50.699
 unaccomplished

00:47:50.699 --> 00:47:51.400
 undeserved

00:47:51.400 --> 00:47:52.260
 on our part

00:47:52.260 --> 00:47:53.780
 that is purely

00:47:53.780 --> 00:47:54.340
 and utterly

00:47:54.340 --> 00:47:55.480
 an accomplishment

00:47:55.480 --> 00:47:56.039
 of you

00:47:56.039 --> 00:47:57.139
 and a work of power

00:47:57.139 --> 00:47:57.679
 and love

00:47:57.679 --> 00:47:58.300
 from you

00:47:58.300 --> 00:48:00.139
 and we ask Father

00:48:00.139 --> 00:48:01.159
 that you would grip us

00:48:01.159 --> 00:48:02.099
 with these stories

00:48:02.099 --> 00:48:03.099
 and with the life

00:48:03.099 --> 00:48:04.099
 of Christ

00:48:04.099 --> 00:48:05.219
 the person of Christ

00:48:05.219 --> 00:48:05.980
 the accomplishment

00:48:05.980 --> 00:48:06.699
 of Christ

00:48:06.699 --> 00:48:09.019
 that as he

00:48:09.019 --> 00:48:09.940
 grips us

00:48:09.940 --> 00:48:10.900
 and what he has done

00:48:10.900 --> 00:48:11.380
 for us

00:48:11.380 --> 00:48:12.199
 grips us

00:48:12.199 --> 00:48:14.199
 that we can begin

00:48:14.199 --> 00:48:15.199
 to see the world

00:48:15.199 --> 00:48:16.079
 as it really is

00:48:16.079 --> 00:48:17.019
 and see our lives

00:48:17.019 --> 00:48:17.900
 as it really is

00:48:17.900 --> 00:48:18.559
 and respond

00:48:18.559 --> 00:48:19.319
 with gratitude

00:48:19.319 --> 00:48:20.139
 with thanks

00:48:20.139 --> 00:48:20.900
 with praise

00:48:20.900 --> 00:48:22.000
 with repentance

00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:24.579
 with amendment

00:48:24.579 --> 00:48:25.319
 of life

00:48:25.319 --> 00:48:26.940
 with sobriety

00:48:26.940 --> 00:48:28.299
 with soberness

00:48:28.300 --> 00:48:31.240
 as your grace

00:48:31.240 --> 00:48:32.720
 and your goodness

00:48:32.720 --> 00:48:33.940
 works in our lives

00:48:33.940 --> 00:48:34.960
 that you form us

00:48:34.960 --> 00:48:35.320
 Father

00:48:35.320 --> 00:48:36.780
 for a life

00:48:36.780 --> 00:48:37.420
 of freedom

00:48:37.420 --> 00:48:38.960
 in pursuit

00:48:38.960 --> 00:48:40.500
 of the truth

00:48:40.500 --> 00:48:41.420
 and of love

00:48:41.420 --> 00:48:42.039
 and of beauty

00:48:42.039 --> 00:48:43.460
 of goodness

00:48:43.460 --> 00:48:44.120
 and mercy

00:48:44.120 --> 00:48:45.480
 and we ask

00:48:45.480 --> 00:48:46.200
 all these things

00:48:46.200 --> 00:48:47.080
 in the name of Jesus

00:48:47.080 --> 00:48:47.580
 your Son

00:48:47.580 --> 00:48:48.220
 and our Savior

00:48:48.220 --> 00:48:49.220
 Amen

00:48:49.219 --> 00:48:50.219
 Amen