WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.280
 Hi. You can all hear me?

00:00:03.839 --> 00:00:04.400
 Great.

00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:05.960
 My name's Alistair.

00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:10.099
 If I haven't met you before, I'm one of the pastors here at Watermark.

00:00:10.660 --> 00:00:12.939
 And I especially look after the university ministry

00:00:12.939 --> 00:00:15.919
 that we run out of Hong Kong University.

00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:18.500
 So hello to all you students out there.

00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:21.539
 It's an international Christian fellowship that we run

00:00:21.539 --> 00:00:25.100
 for international students who come from all over the world

00:00:25.100 --> 00:00:27.440
 to Hong Kong, to the university there.

00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:32.079
 And we meet as a Christian fellowship to encourage one another.

00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:40.760
 My relative recently bought an iPhone

00:00:40.760 --> 00:00:44.939
 through a service in the U.S. known as Craigslist.

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 And when she bought it, she kind of paid the money

00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:56.359
 and received the phone by mail and then opened it up,

00:00:56.359 --> 00:01:00.939
 tried to use it, only to find that it seemed to be locked.

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 And nothing that she could do could unlock this phone.

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 And so she tried to ask friends.

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 She tried to ask the Apple store.

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 And they said that she had to go and find something called

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 the activation lock ID from the owner of the phone.

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 And when she emailed the seller to ask for it,

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 they told her to get lost in not so many words.

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 She had bought a stolen phone.

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 And there's something that Apple does now for phones,

00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:41.840
 like I think iPhone 4S and later,

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 that is called activation lock,

00:01:44.859 --> 00:01:48.740
 where they will lock the phone remotely from their server

00:01:48.740 --> 00:01:50.879
 so that you cannot use it as a phone

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 until the original person who has the ID locked to that phone

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 puts their ID password in.

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 And so a stolen phone is basically a brick or a doorstop

00:02:02.059 --> 00:02:03.459
 and cannot be used.

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 She trusted in the wrong thing, in the wrong person.

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 She felt that this seller, whoever it was,

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 was a reputable person.

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 But instead, she was sold a stolen phone,

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 which was unable to be used.

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 I don't know if you're thinking of buying a phone.

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 Maybe some of you are.

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 And of course, here in Hong Kong,

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 there's maybe a couple of different ways

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 in which you could do that.

00:02:35.780 --> 00:02:37.439
 I see that on the streets,

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 there's always somebody selling an iPhone

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 of some description just with a whole batch of them,

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 a whole box of them.

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 And maybe they can offer you a discount.

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 Maybe it comes from Shenzhen.

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 I don't know where it comes from.

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 But you could do that,

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 or you could go to the Apple Store

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 and buy it from there.

00:03:01.099 --> 00:03:01.980
 Who would you trust?

00:03:05.180 --> 00:03:07.180
 We're going to be talking about trust this morning

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 because the passage that we read out before

00:03:09.560 --> 00:03:10.800
 talks about faith,

00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:13.460
 specifically the faith of Abraham,

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 but also faith more generally.

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 And so today, I'm going to talk about three things,

00:03:19.920 --> 00:03:22.400
 three questions that this passage raises for us.

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 The first one is,

00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:24.960
 what is faith?

00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:25.680
 What is faith?

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 And what is not faith?

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 The second question is,

00:03:32.860 --> 00:03:34.860
 well then, who should we trust?

00:03:34.860 --> 00:03:35.880
 Who should we have faith in?

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 What kind of person

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 would be worthy of having our faith?

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 And the third question I'm going to look at is,

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 how do we strengthen our faith?

00:03:50.060 --> 00:03:51.160
 How do we strengthen our faith?

00:03:53.200 --> 00:03:54.300
 Okay, so first of all,

00:03:55.020 --> 00:03:55.980
 what is faith?

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 What is faith after all?

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 And I'm going to say that faith is,

00:04:00.659 --> 00:04:05.060
 faith is not like a fluffy bunny,

00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:08.419
 but instead we should have faith

00:04:08.419 --> 00:04:10.560
 a little bit more like an astronaut.

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 I'm going to explain that.

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 Okay, this is what faith is not.

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 Faith is not what our world,

00:04:20.459 --> 00:04:22.899
 our society normally thinks that faith is,

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 which is a kind of a wishful thinking,

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 a vague hope,

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 a fuzzy feeling.

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 It's like a fluffy bunny version of faith,

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 because a fluffy bunny is cute,

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 it's comforting,

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 it's nice,

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 but it can't really help you.

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 It can't really do anything for you

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 if you are in trouble.

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 If you leave your keys

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 locked inside the house

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 and your bunny is in there,

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 then it can't get them for you.

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 It can't help you.

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 Our world thinks that faith means

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 something like this definition that I read,

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 to accept or believe something

00:05:00.359 --> 00:05:03.000
 on the basis of little or no evidence.

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 For example,

00:05:05.179 --> 00:05:06.319
 to take something on faith.

00:05:07.119 --> 00:05:08.779
 Please try to believe what I'm telling you.

00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:10.219
 Just take it on faith.

00:05:12.459 --> 00:05:15.079
 It's the kind of faith that is blind,

00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:16.959
 the kind of faith that doesn't care

00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:18.359
 about evidence or reality.

00:05:21.379 --> 00:05:23.099
 How different a picture of faith

00:05:23.099 --> 00:05:24.199
 we see in the Bible

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 when we see that Jesus

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 and the apostles

00:05:27.539 --> 00:05:30.180
 continue to exhort those listening

00:05:30.180 --> 00:05:31.959
 to believe on the basis

00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:33.299
 of the evidence that's presented.

00:05:33.699 --> 00:05:35.199
 Whether it's the miracles

00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:36.839
 that people saw Jesus do

00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:37.899
 with their very own eyes,

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 or the witness of the apostles

00:05:40.719 --> 00:05:42.919
 who saw Jesus die

00:05:42.919 --> 00:05:43.779
 and then rise again

00:05:43.779 --> 00:05:44.919
 with their very own eyes.

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 That's the evidence that's presented.

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 John calls it,

00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:50.000
 what our eyes have seen

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 and what our hands have touched.

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 This is what we declare to you.

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 A better modern word

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 to describe what faith is,

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 I think,

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 would be reliance.

00:06:06.460 --> 00:06:06.900
 Reliance.

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 Faith is relying on somebody

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 or something.

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 The Apollo 13 mission

00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:20.300
 in 1970

00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:22.240
 went to the moon,

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 or was scheduled

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 to go to the moon,

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 and it was aborted

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 when an oxygen tank exploded

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 and vented all of the oxygen

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 in that part of the spacecraft

00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:35.399
 out into space.

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 And so,

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 with the main section damaged,

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 the astronauts

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 had to trust

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 the ground crew

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 and the engineers

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 that they were there,

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 that they were doing

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 all the correct calculations

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 needed

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 to bring them home.

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 And at the same time,

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 the crew had to trust

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 what the astronauts

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 were reporting,

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 that they would keep calm

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 and continue to work,

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 knowing

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 that one mistake,

00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:01.659
 and they would never

00:07:01.659 --> 00:07:02.500
 be coming home again.

00:07:02.500 --> 00:07:07.139
 The astronauts

00:07:07.139 --> 00:07:08.079
 had faith

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 in their instruments,

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 as well as in

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 the engineers

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 and the ground crew

00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:14.819
 back home.

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 And this faith

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 that they had

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 wasn't a wishful thinking,

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 a vague hope

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 kind of faith.

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 No, their faith

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 in the engineering crew

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 was complete.

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 In fact,

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 they trusted them

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 with their lives.

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 Sometimes we

00:07:31.060 --> 00:07:32.019
 spiritualize faith.

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 But,

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 and when we

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 spiritualize faith,

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 we think that it means

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 that we don't have

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 to act

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 or do anything.

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 And that God

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 does the acting

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 for us.

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 But actually,

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 God has given us

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 lives to live.

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 Hands

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 that work

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 and brains

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 and minds

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 that think

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 and to make decisions.

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 And often what we want

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 is life to be easy

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 and for God

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 to make the decision

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 for us

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 so that I don't

00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:02.360
 have to choose.

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 But what God

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 wants

00:08:05.340 --> 00:08:05.879
 is for us

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 to make decisions

00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:07.639
 in line

00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:08.300
 with faith.

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 Us to make decisions

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 in accordance

00:08:11.740 --> 00:08:12.660
 with His will.

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 The astronauts

00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:17.160
 had faith

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 in ground control

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 and

00:08:19.579 --> 00:08:21.000
 what they did

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 with that faith

00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:22.160
 was they didn't

00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:22.639
 just kind of

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 sit back

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 and expect

00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:26.560
 the shuttlecraft

00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:27.060
 to take them

00:08:27.060 --> 00:08:27.860
 back by themselves,

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 by itself.

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 No,

00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:30.859
 they listened.

00:08:30.979 --> 00:08:31.680
 They took that faith

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 and they put it

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 into action

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 by listening

00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:35.879
 to what was said

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 and then acting on it.

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 And we'll see

00:08:39.699 --> 00:08:40.659
 that Abraham

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 has the same kind of faith.

00:08:42.299 --> 00:08:43.039
 He does the same thing.

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 But now we're

00:08:45.059 --> 00:08:45.740
 in a better position,

00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:46.059
 I think,

00:08:46.100 --> 00:08:46.759
 to understand

00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:47.899
 why Paul writes

00:08:47.899 --> 00:08:48.759
 in Romans 4,

00:08:49.379 --> 00:08:50.240
 verse 13,

00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:52.419
 for the promise

00:08:52.419 --> 00:08:52.860
 to Abraham

00:08:52.860 --> 00:08:54.060
 and his offspring

00:08:54.060 --> 00:08:55.519
 that he would be

00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:56.740
 heir of the world

00:08:56.740 --> 00:08:58.120
 did not come

00:08:58.120 --> 00:08:58.659
 through law

00:08:58.659 --> 00:08:59.899
 but through

00:08:59.899 --> 00:09:00.399
 the righteousness

00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:01.019
 of faith.

00:09:02.340 --> 00:09:03.500
 And then in verse 16,

00:09:03.899 --> 00:09:04.259
 he writes,

00:09:04.860 --> 00:09:05.399
 this is why

00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:06.620
 it depends on faith

00:09:06.620 --> 00:09:07.919
 in order that

00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:08.379
 the promise

00:09:08.379 --> 00:09:09.600
 may rest on grace

00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:10.740
 and be guaranteed

00:09:10.740 --> 00:09:11.919
 to all his offspring.

00:09:14.980 --> 00:09:15.899
 Did you hear that?

00:09:15.899 --> 00:09:16.379
 Well,

00:09:16.819 --> 00:09:17.759
 the reason

00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:18.899
 why

00:09:18.899 --> 00:09:20.139
 it,

00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:20.740
 the promise,

00:09:20.959 --> 00:09:21.879
 depends on faith

00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:22.980
 is in order

00:09:22.980 --> 00:09:23.519
 that the promise

00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:24.539
 may rest on grace

00:09:24.539 --> 00:09:25.639
 and be guaranteed

00:09:25.639 --> 00:09:27.259
 to all his offspring.

00:09:29.939 --> 00:09:30.759
 A guarantee

00:09:30.759 --> 00:09:32.699
 is a promise

00:09:32.699 --> 00:09:33.899
 with certainty.

00:09:35.059 --> 00:09:35.620
 In our world,

00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:36.000
 it's often

00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:37.159
 something that's

00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:37.679
 written out.

00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:39.519
 in Australia,

00:09:39.959 --> 00:09:40.839
 where I come from,

00:09:42.059 --> 00:09:42.319
 the,

00:09:42.319 --> 00:09:42.620
 the,

00:09:42.620 --> 00:09:43.819
 the,

00:09:43.939 --> 00:09:46.379
 housing situation,

00:09:46.459 --> 00:09:46.879
 I know it's,

00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:47.259
 it's bad

00:09:47.259 --> 00:09:47.539
 talking about

00:09:47.539 --> 00:09:48.059
 housing situation

00:09:48.059 --> 00:09:48.459
 for you guys

00:09:48.459 --> 00:09:48.819
 here in Hong Kong

00:09:48.819 --> 00:09:49.500
 is the same as well

00:09:49.500 --> 00:09:50.299
 but the housing situation

00:09:50.299 --> 00:09:50.899
 is so bad

00:09:50.899 --> 00:09:51.299
 in Australia

00:09:51.299 --> 00:09:51.939
 that most

00:09:51.939 --> 00:09:53.439
 people cannot afford,

00:09:53.539 --> 00:09:54.000
 most young people

00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:54.479
 cannot afford

00:09:54.479 --> 00:09:55.500
 to buy their own house

00:09:55.500 --> 00:09:56.639
 and so

00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:57.819
 they don't,

00:09:57.819 --> 00:09:58.839
 they don't even

00:09:58.839 --> 00:09:59.459
 earn enough

00:09:59.459 --> 00:10:00.679
 to get a loan

00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:01.659
 big enough

00:10:01.659 --> 00:10:02.459
 to get

00:10:02.459 --> 00:10:03.599
 their first place,

00:10:03.740 --> 00:10:04.240
 their first property

00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:05.479
 and so

00:10:05.479 --> 00:10:06.479
 what is a common practice

00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:07.740
 is that

00:10:07.740 --> 00:10:08.539
 the parents

00:10:08.539 --> 00:10:09.560
 will

00:10:09.560 --> 00:10:10.620
 guarantee

00:10:10.620 --> 00:10:11.779
 the loan

00:10:11.779 --> 00:10:13.920
 and so

00:10:13.920 --> 00:10:14.460
 enable

00:10:14.460 --> 00:10:15.659
 their children

00:10:15.659 --> 00:10:16.279
 to be able

00:10:16.279 --> 00:10:16.840
 to borrow more

00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:17.220
 than they would

00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:18.200
 otherwise be able to

00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:18.840
 to be able to

00:10:18.840 --> 00:10:19.519
 pay off the loan

00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:20.759
 and that guarantee

00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:21.200
 has

00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:22.860
 the written force

00:10:22.860 --> 00:10:23.279
 of law.

00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:25.180
 As they write it,

00:10:25.300 --> 00:10:26.120
 as the parents

00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:26.899
 write that down,

00:10:27.500 --> 00:10:27.899
 a guarantee

00:10:27.899 --> 00:10:28.480
 for their children,

00:10:28.580 --> 00:10:29.620
 they are guaranteeing

00:10:29.620 --> 00:10:30.920
 to pay

00:10:30.920 --> 00:10:32.240
 if

00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:33.659
 their children

00:10:33.659 --> 00:10:34.000
 cannot

00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:35.519
 and the bank

00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:36.000
 takes that

00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:37.139
 and trust them

00:10:37.139 --> 00:10:37.820
 because

00:10:37.820 --> 00:10:38.720
 they have assets

00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:39.899
 that can be

00:10:39.899 --> 00:10:40.759
 sold

00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:41.120
 and all that

00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:41.440
 kind of thing.

00:10:42.539 --> 00:10:43.139
 So that's what

00:10:43.139 --> 00:10:43.840
 a guarantee is.

00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:44.860
 It's something that is,

00:10:44.980 --> 00:10:45.659
 it's a promise

00:10:45.659 --> 00:10:47.379
 that is made

00:10:47.379 --> 00:10:47.899
 certain.

00:10:50.259 --> 00:10:50.759
 So

00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:53.179
 can faith

00:10:53.179 --> 00:10:54.679
 really

00:10:54.679 --> 00:10:55.679
 provide

00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:56.480
 that kind of guarantee?

00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:00.620
 if we think of faith

00:11:00.620 --> 00:11:01.200
 as believing

00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:02.080
 something with

00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:03.440
 little or no evidence

00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:05.200
 or something

00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:06.000
 that we just

00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:06.779
 kind of take on

00:11:06.779 --> 00:11:07.399
 as faith,

00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:08.500
 then no,

00:11:08.620 --> 00:11:09.300
 because that kind

00:11:09.300 --> 00:11:09.779
 of faith

00:11:09.779 --> 00:11:10.519
 doesn't guarantee

00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:10.879
 anything.

00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:12.100
 That's the wishful

00:11:12.100 --> 00:11:12.560
 thinking,

00:11:13.680 --> 00:11:14.060
 fluffy bunny

00:11:14.060 --> 00:11:14.639
 kind of faith.

00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:17.980
 The reason,

00:11:18.139 --> 00:11:18.360
 though,

00:11:19.060 --> 00:11:19.879
 the reason why

00:11:19.879 --> 00:11:20.600
 faith is able

00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:21.159
 to guarantee

00:11:21.159 --> 00:11:21.740
 the promise

00:11:21.740 --> 00:11:22.300
 to us

00:11:22.299 --> 00:11:24.099
 is precisely

00:11:24.099 --> 00:11:24.819
 because

00:11:24.819 --> 00:11:26.279
 it doesn't

00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:26.979
 rely on us.

00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:28.459
 You see,

00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:29.299
 that kind of

00:11:29.299 --> 00:11:30.120
 wishful thinking

00:11:30.120 --> 00:11:30.559
 faith

00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:32.240
 relies on

00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:34.000
 you as a person.

00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:35.679
 Your faith

00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:36.500
 and what you

00:11:36.500 --> 00:11:37.859
 think

00:11:37.859 --> 00:11:38.620
 or what you hope

00:11:38.620 --> 00:11:39.359
 or what you wish

00:11:39.359 --> 00:11:40.519
 would happen.

00:11:42.219 --> 00:11:42.959
 The faith the Bible

00:11:42.959 --> 00:11:43.620
 is talking about

00:11:43.620 --> 00:11:44.599
 is a faith

00:11:44.599 --> 00:11:45.339
 on something

00:11:45.339 --> 00:11:46.279
 external.

00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:49.799
 faith

00:11:49.799 --> 00:11:50.839
 on something

00:11:50.839 --> 00:11:51.639
 that is bigger

00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:52.419
 than you.

00:11:54.079 --> 00:11:54.860
 If faith

00:11:54.860 --> 00:11:56.220
 rested upon us,

00:11:57.500 --> 00:11:58.220
 then no,

00:11:58.299 --> 00:11:58.559
 it wouldn't

00:11:58.559 --> 00:11:59.179
 be a guarantee

00:11:59.179 --> 00:11:59.620
 of anything.

00:12:00.919 --> 00:12:01.539
 But in the Bible,

00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:02.759
 faith rests

00:12:02.759 --> 00:12:03.379
 upon God

00:12:03.379 --> 00:12:05.559
 and God

00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:07.299
 is the guarantor

00:12:07.299 --> 00:12:09.199
 of the promise.

00:12:10.919 --> 00:12:11.579
 Think again

00:12:11.579 --> 00:12:12.199
 about the astronauts.

00:12:12.959 --> 00:12:13.879
 They had to trust

00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:14.639
 ground control.

00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:16.080
 If they wanted

00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:16.659
 to get home,

00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:18.639
 then they were told

00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:19.159
 that they had to

00:12:19.159 --> 00:12:20.039
 fire the engines

00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:21.259
 at an exact

00:12:21.259 --> 00:12:22.419
 point in time

00:12:22.419 --> 00:12:23.340
 for exactly

00:12:23.340 --> 00:12:24.340
 four minutes

00:12:24.340 --> 00:12:25.559
 and 24 seconds.

00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:27.600
 Not one second

00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:27.879
 more,

00:12:28.419 --> 00:12:28.960
 not one second

00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:29.220
 less.

00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:32.279
 And they took

00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:33.399
 that advice

00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:34.679
 and they put it

00:12:34.679 --> 00:12:35.100
 into action.

00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:36.139
 And they fired

00:12:36.139 --> 00:12:36.600
 the engines

00:12:36.600 --> 00:12:37.699
 for that amount

00:12:37.699 --> 00:12:38.000
 of time

00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:38.419
 and it was so

00:12:38.419 --> 00:12:38.720
 accurate,

00:12:39.299 --> 00:12:39.759
 they only needed

00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:40.679
 two minor adjustments

00:12:40.679 --> 00:12:41.519
 afterwards

00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:42.720
 to be able

00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:43.080
 to make it

00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:43.600
 home safely.

00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:48.139
 let me tell you

00:12:48.139 --> 00:12:48.480
 a secret

00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:49.039
 about faith.

00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:51.360
 Faith is only

00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:52.199
 as strong

00:12:52.199 --> 00:12:53.500
 as its object.

00:12:55.699 --> 00:12:56.779
 Or faith

00:12:56.779 --> 00:12:57.539
 receives its

00:12:57.539 --> 00:12:58.039
 strength

00:12:58.039 --> 00:12:59.199
 from the strength

00:12:59.199 --> 00:12:59.860
 of its object.

00:13:00.899 --> 00:13:01.379
 That is,

00:13:01.500 --> 00:13:01.960
 you can have

00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:02.919
 a great faith

00:13:02.919 --> 00:13:05.419
 in something

00:13:05.419 --> 00:13:06.379
 that could

00:13:06.379 --> 00:13:06.939
 let you down

00:13:06.939 --> 00:13:08.759
 because it's

00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:09.220
 inherently

00:13:09.220 --> 00:13:09.980
 untrustworthy.

00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:13.259
 in Australia

00:13:13.259 --> 00:13:13.759
 just like in

00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:14.039
 Hong Kong

00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:14.480
 many people

00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:14.980
 read the

00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:15.440
 horoscopes

00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:16.960
 and consult

00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:17.220
 them

00:13:17.220 --> 00:13:18.580
 week after

00:13:18.580 --> 00:13:18.899
 week.

00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:19.639
 Maybe like

00:13:19.639 --> 00:13:20.039
 two-thirds

00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:20.399
 of people

00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:20.820
 read them

00:13:20.820 --> 00:13:21.320
 and consult

00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:21.539
 them.

00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:22.700
 And they

00:13:22.700 --> 00:13:23.060
 have great

00:13:23.060 --> 00:13:23.440
 faith in

00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:23.620
 them.

00:13:24.740 --> 00:13:25.159
 And they

00:13:25.159 --> 00:13:25.440
 might even

00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:25.759
 live their

00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:26.180
 lives by

00:13:26.180 --> 00:13:26.360
 them.

00:13:27.980 --> 00:13:28.639
 But does it

00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:28.980
 make any

00:13:28.980 --> 00:13:29.399
 difference to

00:13:29.399 --> 00:13:29.639
 them?

00:13:30.420 --> 00:13:30.940
 Or does it

00:13:30.940 --> 00:13:31.220
 help them

00:13:31.220 --> 00:13:31.480
 in any

00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:31.680
 way?

00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:36.079
 having faith

00:13:36.079 --> 00:13:37.500
 in a promise

00:13:37.500 --> 00:13:38.199
 is about

00:13:38.199 --> 00:13:38.599
 trusting

00:13:38.599 --> 00:13:39.179
 someone's

00:13:39.179 --> 00:13:39.419
 word.

00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:39.719
 So that

00:13:39.719 --> 00:13:40.419
 leads us

00:13:40.419 --> 00:13:40.679
 to the

00:13:40.679 --> 00:13:40.839
 second

00:13:40.839 --> 00:13:41.219
 question

00:13:41.219 --> 00:13:41.620
 that I

00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:41.979
 asked.

00:13:43.019 --> 00:13:43.359
 Who should

00:13:43.359 --> 00:13:43.939
 we trust?

00:13:45.099 --> 00:13:45.519
 What kind

00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:46.059
 of a person

00:13:46.059 --> 00:13:47.120
 is worthy

00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:47.500
 of our

00:13:47.500 --> 00:13:47.759
 faith?

00:13:49.399 --> 00:13:50.079
 If having

00:13:50.079 --> 00:13:50.579
 faith in a

00:13:50.579 --> 00:13:50.959
 promise is

00:13:50.959 --> 00:13:51.359
 about trusting

00:13:51.359 --> 00:13:51.739
 someone's

00:13:51.739 --> 00:13:52.120
 word,

00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:54.679
 then we

00:13:54.679 --> 00:13:55.199
 know if

00:13:55.199 --> 00:13:55.579
 someone's

00:13:55.579 --> 00:13:55.899
 word is

00:13:55.899 --> 00:13:56.219
 trustworthy

00:13:56.219 --> 00:13:57.120
 based on

00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:57.379
 their

00:13:57.379 --> 00:13:57.899
 character.

00:13:59.659 --> 00:14:00.240
 What did

00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:00.579
 the astronauts

00:14:00.579 --> 00:14:01.000
 have to do?

00:14:01.059 --> 00:14:01.500
 They had to

00:14:01.500 --> 00:14:02.480
 trust the

00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:03.659
 word, the

00:14:03.659 --> 00:14:04.200
 calculations,

00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:05.279
 the instructions

00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:05.700
 that they were

00:14:05.700 --> 00:14:06.740
 given from

00:14:06.740 --> 00:14:07.220
 ground control.

00:14:08.700 --> 00:14:09.500
 And why did

00:14:09.500 --> 00:14:09.899
 they trust

00:14:09.899 --> 00:14:10.100
 them?

00:14:11.019 --> 00:14:11.580
 Well, because

00:14:11.580 --> 00:14:12.639
 they knew

00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:12.860
 them.

00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:13.899
 They knew

00:14:13.899 --> 00:14:14.419
 their character.

00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:15.379
 They knew

00:14:15.379 --> 00:14:15.840
 the training

00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:16.200
 that they'd

00:14:16.200 --> 00:14:16.519
 had with

00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:16.720
 them.

00:14:17.539 --> 00:14:18.279
 And they

00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:18.639
 knew their

00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:19.299
 track record

00:14:19.299 --> 00:14:19.720
 as well.

00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:20.700
 They knew

00:14:20.700 --> 00:14:20.940
 that they

00:14:20.940 --> 00:14:21.220
 weren't the

00:14:21.220 --> 00:14:21.620
 first people

00:14:21.620 --> 00:14:22.019
 to go to

00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:22.320
 the moon

00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:22.600
 and come

00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:23.059
 back safely.

00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:24.919
 And so

00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:25.899
 they trusted

00:14:25.899 --> 00:14:26.740
 the information

00:14:26.740 --> 00:14:26.980
 they were

00:14:26.980 --> 00:14:27.179
 given.

00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:30.840
 The kind

00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:31.320
 person

00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:31.920
 who can

00:14:31.920 --> 00:14:32.340
 be trusted

00:14:32.340 --> 00:14:32.700
 to keep

00:14:32.700 --> 00:14:33.200
 his promise

00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:34.460
 or her

00:14:34.460 --> 00:14:34.720
 promise

00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:35.360
 is someone

00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:36.000
 who makes

00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:37.379
 worthy promises

00:14:37.379 --> 00:14:37.899
 carefully,

00:14:38.780 --> 00:14:39.120
 deliberately,

00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:40.460
 and then

00:14:40.460 --> 00:14:41.200
 keeps them,

00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:43.060
 even at

00:14:43.060 --> 00:14:43.860
 great personal

00:14:43.860 --> 00:14:44.340
 cost.

00:14:47.540 --> 00:14:48.899
 Robertson McQuilken

00:14:48.899 --> 00:14:50.080
 served as the

00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:51.160
 president of

00:14:51.160 --> 00:14:52.100
 Columbia Bible

00:14:52.100 --> 00:14:52.500
 College.

00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:54.300
 And he was a

00:14:54.300 --> 00:14:55.379
 successful speaker

00:14:55.379 --> 00:14:56.019
 and writer

00:14:56.019 --> 00:14:57.340
 and was in

00:14:57.340 --> 00:14:57.740
 the heights

00:14:57.740 --> 00:14:58.139
 of his

00:14:58.139 --> 00:14:59.039
 career as

00:14:59.039 --> 00:14:59.419
 the president.

00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:01.659
 And when he

00:15:01.659 --> 00:15:02.779
 discovered that

00:15:02.779 --> 00:15:03.299
 his wife,

00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:04.659
 Muriel, was

00:15:04.659 --> 00:15:05.080
 in the early

00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:06.019
 stages of

00:15:06.019 --> 00:15:06.759
 Alzheimer's

00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:08.439
 disease, then

00:15:08.439 --> 00:15:08.939
 he took on

00:15:08.939 --> 00:15:09.559
 more and more

00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:10.240
 of Muriel's

00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:11.139
 care as she

00:15:11.139 --> 00:15:11.659
 felt secure

00:15:11.659 --> 00:15:12.379
 only with him

00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:13.620
 until he

00:15:13.620 --> 00:15:13.939
 ended up

00:15:13.939 --> 00:15:14.340
 resigning

00:15:14.340 --> 00:15:14.700
 from his

00:15:14.700 --> 00:15:15.080
 position,

00:15:15.939 --> 00:15:16.399
 walking away

00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:16.860
 from his

00:15:16.860 --> 00:15:17.259
 power,

00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:17.840
 prestige,

00:15:18.419 --> 00:15:18.879
 his ministry,

00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:19.419
 his wealth,

00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:21.360
 and became a

00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:21.679
 full-time

00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:22.179
 carrier for

00:15:22.179 --> 00:15:22.379
 her.

00:15:22.379 --> 00:15:24.720
 And he

00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:25.799
 says, he

00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:26.159
 talks about

00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:26.639
 this decision,

00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:27.740
 and he

00:15:27.740 --> 00:15:27.939
 says,

00:15:28.500 --> 00:15:30.259
 this decision

00:15:30.259 --> 00:15:30.779
 was made,

00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:31.399
 in a way,

00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:32.559
 42 years

00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:33.320
 ago, when

00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:33.679
 I promised

00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:34.259
 to care for

00:15:34.259 --> 00:15:34.820
 Muriel in

00:15:34.820 --> 00:15:35.240
 sickness and

00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:35.639
 in health,

00:15:36.259 --> 00:15:36.720
 till death

00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:37.320
 do us part.

00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:39.519
 So, as a

00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:39.899
 matter of my

00:15:39.899 --> 00:15:41.059
 word, integrity

00:15:41.059 --> 00:15:41.600
 has something to

00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:41.980
 do with it.

00:15:42.939 --> 00:15:43.500
 But so does

00:15:43.500 --> 00:15:43.799
 fairness.

00:15:44.939 --> 00:15:45.460
 She has cared

00:15:45.460 --> 00:15:45.960
 for me fully

00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:46.720
 and sacrificially

00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:47.259
 all these

00:15:47.259 --> 00:15:47.620
 years.

00:15:48.580 --> 00:15:49.299
 If I cared

00:15:49.299 --> 00:15:49.659
 for her for

00:15:49.659 --> 00:15:50.139
 the next 40

00:15:50.139 --> 00:15:50.519
 years, I

00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:50.860
 would not be

00:15:50.860 --> 00:15:51.159
 out of her

00:15:51.159 --> 00:15:51.379
 debt.

00:15:52.379 --> 00:15:53.019
 Duty can

00:15:53.019 --> 00:15:53.360
 be grim

00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:53.860
 and stoic,

00:15:54.179 --> 00:15:54.639
 but there's

00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:54.919
 more.

00:15:55.620 --> 00:15:56.000
 I love

00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:56.299
 Muriel.

00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:56.939
 She is a

00:15:56.939 --> 00:15:57.340
 delight to

00:15:57.340 --> 00:15:57.480
 me.

00:15:58.159 --> 00:15:58.480
 I don't

00:15:58.480 --> 00:15:58.919
 have to

00:15:58.919 --> 00:15:59.200
 care for

00:15:59.200 --> 00:15:59.419
 her.

00:15:59.740 --> 00:16:00.139
 I get

00:16:00.139 --> 00:16:00.340
 to.

00:16:01.259 --> 00:16:01.620
 It is a

00:16:01.620 --> 00:16:02.179
 high honor

00:16:02.179 --> 00:16:02.820
 to care

00:16:02.820 --> 00:16:03.120
 for so

00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:03.639
 wonderful a

00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:03.939
 person.

00:16:06.840 --> 00:16:07.200
 Robertson

00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:07.820
 McCorken is

00:16:07.820 --> 00:16:08.200
 someone who

00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:08.720
 takes his

00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:09.360
 promise to

00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:09.899
 his wife

00:16:09.899 --> 00:16:11.480
 to the

00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:11.720
 utmost

00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:12.279
 seriousness.

00:16:13.059 --> 00:16:13.240
 He

00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:13.659
 promised to

00:16:13.659 --> 00:16:13.919
 love her

00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:14.259
 for better

00:16:14.259 --> 00:16:14.720
 or for

00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:14.980
 worse,

00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:15.720
 in sickness

00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:16.460
 and in

00:16:16.460 --> 00:16:16.740
 health.

00:16:17.700 --> 00:16:18.440
 And he

00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:18.740
 didn't do

00:16:18.740 --> 00:16:19.360
 it grudgingly,

00:16:19.860 --> 00:16:20.700
 but joyfully,

00:16:20.700 --> 00:16:22.040
 even at

00:16:22.040 --> 00:16:22.900
 great personal

00:16:22.900 --> 00:16:23.560
 cost.

00:16:24.740 --> 00:16:25.460
 It's a man

00:16:25.460 --> 00:16:25.740
 who keeps

00:16:25.740 --> 00:16:26.100
 his word.

00:16:29.060 --> 00:16:29.900
 Does God

00:16:29.900 --> 00:16:30.540
 keep his

00:16:30.540 --> 00:16:31.140
 promise to

00:16:31.140 --> 00:16:32.420
 us, even

00:16:32.420 --> 00:16:33.080
 at great

00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:34.120
 personal cost?

00:16:36.180 --> 00:16:36.900
 He did.

00:16:36.899 --> 00:16:40.579
 as he

00:16:40.579 --> 00:16:41.139
 saw and

00:16:41.139 --> 00:16:41.519
 looked and

00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:41.899
 saw a

00:16:41.899 --> 00:16:42.539
 world that

00:16:42.539 --> 00:16:43.120
 was lost,

00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:45.279
 without God,

00:16:45.379 --> 00:16:45.959
 without hope,

00:16:46.059 --> 00:16:46.699
 without love,

00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:48.899
 he comes to

00:16:48.899 --> 00:16:50.059
 Abraham and

00:16:50.059 --> 00:16:50.399
 makes a

00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:50.879
 promise to

00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:51.399
 him to

00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:52.039
 bless the

00:16:52.039 --> 00:16:52.699
 world through

00:16:52.699 --> 00:16:52.959
 him.

00:16:55.480 --> 00:16:56.179
 And in

00:16:56.179 --> 00:16:56.679
 order to

00:16:56.679 --> 00:16:57.199
 keep that

00:16:57.199 --> 00:16:58.559
 promise to

00:16:58.559 --> 00:16:59.939
 Abraham, to

00:16:59.939 --> 00:17:01.240
 bring blessing

00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:02.199
 to the world

00:17:02.199 --> 00:17:03.500
 through Abraham's

00:17:03.500 --> 00:17:05.359
 line, his

00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:06.839
 own son was

00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:07.500
 born into

00:17:07.500 --> 00:17:08.000
 that line,

00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:09.459
 born to

00:17:09.459 --> 00:17:10.039
 die for the

00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:10.459
 children of

00:17:10.459 --> 00:17:10.839
 earth so

00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:11.259
 that a new

00:17:11.259 --> 00:17:11.679
 people might

00:17:11.679 --> 00:17:12.039
 be born,

00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:13.359
 the people

00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:13.699
 of the

00:17:13.699 --> 00:17:14.019
 promise.

00:17:16.500 --> 00:17:17.079
 In the

00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:17.419
 garden of

00:17:17.419 --> 00:17:17.879
 Gethsemane,

00:17:18.539 --> 00:17:19.259
 where Jesus

00:17:19.259 --> 00:17:22.000
 was, the

00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:22.559
 night before

00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:23.559
 he was

00:17:23.559 --> 00:17:23.919
 betrayed,

00:17:25.740 --> 00:17:27.599
 Gethsemane

00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:28.579
 tells us that

00:17:28.579 --> 00:17:29.720
 it was of

00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:30.779
 great personal

00:17:30.779 --> 00:17:32.279
 cost to

00:17:32.279 --> 00:17:32.539
 God.

00:17:33.699 --> 00:17:34.379
 The eternal

00:17:34.379 --> 00:17:35.199
 relationship between

00:17:35.199 --> 00:17:36.099
 father and son was

00:17:36.099 --> 00:17:36.619
 about to be

00:17:36.619 --> 00:17:37.479
 ripped apart in a

00:17:37.479 --> 00:17:38.199
 way that even

00:17:38.199 --> 00:17:38.979
 Jesus feared.

00:17:39.819 --> 00:17:40.179
 And so he

00:17:40.179 --> 00:17:40.859
 prayed to the

00:17:40.859 --> 00:17:41.659
 father to take

00:17:41.659 --> 00:17:42.479
 this cup from

00:17:42.479 --> 00:17:44.519
 him, the cup of

00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:45.179
 suffering, to

00:17:45.179 --> 00:17:45.659
 take it away.

00:17:47.859 --> 00:17:48.719
 But because God

00:17:48.719 --> 00:17:50.239
 was committed to

00:17:50.239 --> 00:17:50.779
 keeping that

00:17:50.779 --> 00:17:53.639
 promise, he

00:17:53.639 --> 00:17:55.359
 continued with

00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:56.359
 the plan.

00:17:56.919 --> 00:17:58.259
 Because Jesus

00:17:58.259 --> 00:17:59.759
 was committed to

00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:00.279
 keeping that

00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:02.319
 promise, he

00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:02.779
 went to the

00:18:02.779 --> 00:18:04.459
 cross, carrying

00:18:04.460 --> 00:18:05.740
 our unrighteousness

00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:06.779
 so that we

00:18:06.779 --> 00:18:07.400
 might be made

00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:07.799
 righteous.

00:18:09.400 --> 00:18:10.340
 This is what the

00:18:10.340 --> 00:18:10.779
 Bible calls

00:18:10.779 --> 00:18:11.200
 grace.

00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:12.920
 That God would

00:18:12.920 --> 00:18:14.299
 make and keep

00:18:14.299 --> 00:18:15.220
 his promise to

00:18:15.220 --> 00:18:17.279
 us and

00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:18.120
 rescue us from

00:18:18.120 --> 00:18:20.000
 our sins at

00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:21.620
 great personal

00:18:21.620 --> 00:18:22.259
 cost.

00:18:23.860 --> 00:18:24.880
 And so we learn

00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:25.380
 something of the

00:18:25.380 --> 00:18:26.319
 character of God

00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:27.019
 here.

00:18:27.120 --> 00:18:27.680
 This is the kind

00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:28.740
 of God who keeps

00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:30.000
 his promises.

00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:30.160
 promises.

00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:33.359
 And this is

00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:34.539
 why faith in

00:18:34.539 --> 00:18:36.140
 God is the

00:18:36.140 --> 00:18:37.059
 guarantee of

00:18:37.059 --> 00:18:37.559
 that promise.

00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:39.279
 Because God

00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:40.099
 guarantees his

00:18:40.099 --> 00:18:40.420
 promise.

00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:41.599
 God is our

00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:41.920
 guarantee.

00:18:44.099 --> 00:18:45.059
 I said before,

00:18:45.220 --> 00:18:45.839
 the reason why

00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:46.660
 faith is able to

00:18:46.660 --> 00:18:47.119
 guarantee the

00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:47.920
 promise to us is

00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:49.039
 precisely because it

00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:50.180
 does not rely on

00:18:50.180 --> 00:18:50.539
 us.

00:18:53.180 --> 00:18:54.240
 And so we don't

00:18:54.240 --> 00:18:55.819
 rely on ourselves.

00:18:56.099 --> 00:18:56.920
 In fact, that is

00:18:56.920 --> 00:18:57.559
 what Paul has been

00:18:57.559 --> 00:18:58.420
 talking about for the

00:18:58.420 --> 00:18:59.519
 first three chapters

00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:00.480
 of the book of

00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:00.840
 Romans.

00:19:03.340 --> 00:19:05.140
 Those who rely on

00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:06.880
 themselves, on

00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:07.360
 their own good

00:19:07.360 --> 00:19:08.880
 works, on their

00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:11.320
 law keeping, they

00:19:11.320 --> 00:19:13.100
 are the ones who

00:19:13.100 --> 00:19:13.779
 are headed for

00:19:13.779 --> 00:19:14.279
 disaster.

00:19:16.600 --> 00:19:17.800
 The law of Moses

00:19:17.800 --> 00:19:19.300
 cannot guarantee

00:19:19.300 --> 00:19:20.860
 the way to God.

00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:23.820
 That's the way that

00:19:23.820 --> 00:19:24.900
 the Jews were

00:19:24.900 --> 00:19:25.200
 following.

00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:28.500
 The way of

00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:29.880
 Islam, too, which

00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:30.400
 teaches that a

00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:30.920
 Muslim must do

00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:32.059
 certain works, the

00:19:32.059 --> 00:19:32.880
 five pillars, to

00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:33.360
 gain as much

00:19:33.360 --> 00:19:33.880
 blessings as

00:19:33.880 --> 00:19:34.720
 possible, to be

00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:35.680
 acceptable for God,

00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:37.380
 cannot guarantee

00:19:37.380 --> 00:19:37.779
 the way.

00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:40.100
 Because it's all

00:19:40.100 --> 00:19:41.380
 dependent on

00:19:41.380 --> 00:19:42.380
 whether you do

00:19:42.380 --> 00:19:42.880
 the works.

00:19:43.299 --> 00:19:43.700
 And if your

00:19:43.700 --> 00:19:44.160
 heart isn't

00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:46.380
 right, you

00:19:46.380 --> 00:19:46.799
 won't make it.

00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:50.019
 Following our,

00:19:50.460 --> 00:19:51.860
 having faith in

00:19:51.860 --> 00:19:53.940
 our own, our own

00:19:53.940 --> 00:19:54.460
 talents and

00:19:54.460 --> 00:19:55.380
 gifts, well, that's

00:19:55.380 --> 00:19:55.940
 the way of our

00:19:55.940 --> 00:19:56.799
 society as well,

00:19:57.539 --> 00:19:58.340
 which teaches us

00:19:58.340 --> 00:19:59.420
 that to truly

00:19:59.420 --> 00:20:00.600
 succeed in

00:20:00.600 --> 00:20:01.980
 society today, we

00:20:01.980 --> 00:20:03.100
 must work and

00:20:03.100 --> 00:20:04.039
 achieve greatness by

00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:04.980
 our gifts, our

00:20:04.980 --> 00:20:06.480
 talents, and our

00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:06.779
 efforts.

00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:09.840
 What do you rely

00:20:09.840 --> 00:20:10.059
 on?

00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:11.120
 Who do you rely

00:20:11.120 --> 00:20:11.320
 on?

00:20:13.100 --> 00:20:14.240
 In your day-to-day

00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:15.720
 walk, do you rely

00:20:15.720 --> 00:20:18.259
 on your abilities,

00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:19.100
 your gifts, your

00:20:19.100 --> 00:20:19.500
 strengths?

00:20:19.500 --> 00:20:24.299
 Christianity says

00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:25.720
 that if righteousness

00:20:25.720 --> 00:20:26.720
 had to come through

00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:27.500
 adherence to the

00:20:27.500 --> 00:20:29.119
 law, then no one

00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:30.039
 would be saved,

00:20:30.599 --> 00:20:31.380
 because through the

00:20:31.380 --> 00:20:32.740
 law came judgment

00:20:32.740 --> 00:20:34.099
 and condemnation.

00:20:35.900 --> 00:20:36.940
 The promise

00:20:36.940 --> 00:20:38.599
 instead comes

00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:39.259
 through grace,

00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:42.619
 guaranteed because

00:20:42.619 --> 00:20:43.299
 it doesn't rely on

00:20:43.299 --> 00:20:43.579
 us.

00:20:43.579 --> 00:20:45.319
 If it did rely

00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:46.199
 on us, then

00:20:46.199 --> 00:20:49.000
 we are

00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:49.559
 unreliable.

00:20:50.059 --> 00:20:50.759
 Our good works

00:20:50.759 --> 00:20:51.579
 are unreliable.

00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:52.599
 Our hearts

00:20:52.599 --> 00:20:54.439
 are unreliable.

00:20:55.139 --> 00:20:55.839
 We know that

00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:56.339
 even within

00:20:56.339 --> 00:20:56.740
 ourselves.

00:20:58.740 --> 00:20:59.460
 So don't

00:20:59.460 --> 00:20:59.799
 trust in

00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:00.659
 yourself, in

00:21:00.659 --> 00:21:01.319
 your efforts and

00:21:01.319 --> 00:21:01.839
 your works.

00:21:02.379 --> 00:21:02.879
 If you do

00:21:02.879 --> 00:21:03.259
 trust in

00:21:03.259 --> 00:21:03.919
 yourself, in

00:21:03.919 --> 00:21:04.240
 your own

00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:05.079
 goodness, to

00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:05.539
 get right with

00:21:05.539 --> 00:21:06.599
 God, then God

00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:07.399
 will judge you

00:21:07.399 --> 00:21:09.159
 according to your

00:21:09.159 --> 00:21:09.759
 goodness, and he

00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:10.319
 will judge it

00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:11.099
 against his

00:21:11.099 --> 00:21:11.579
 holiness.

00:21:11.579 --> 00:21:14.819
 But if you

00:21:14.819 --> 00:21:15.299
 have faith in

00:21:15.299 --> 00:21:16.939
 Jesus, then he

00:21:16.939 --> 00:21:17.559
 stands in front

00:21:17.559 --> 00:21:17.819
 of you.

00:21:18.879 --> 00:21:19.439
 His righteous

00:21:19.439 --> 00:21:20.579
 life covers

00:21:20.579 --> 00:21:20.839
 you.

00:21:22.399 --> 00:21:24.139
 And God, whose

00:21:24.139 --> 00:21:24.619
 standard of

00:21:24.619 --> 00:21:26.279
 holiness is

00:21:26.279 --> 00:21:28.319
 perfection, is

00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:29.439
 satisfied with

00:21:29.439 --> 00:21:30.179
 his righteousness,

00:21:30.859 --> 00:21:31.359
 with his

00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:31.740
 sacrifice.

00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:34.000
 If you have

00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:34.599
 faith in Jesus,

00:21:34.919 --> 00:21:35.299
 then you're

00:21:35.299 --> 00:21:35.960
 included in it.

00:21:36.679 --> 00:21:37.199
 You're included

00:21:37.199 --> 00:21:38.059
 in his

00:21:38.059 --> 00:21:38.419
 righteousness.

00:21:38.420 --> 00:21:38.560
 righteousness.

00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:42.300
 And so I

00:21:42.300 --> 00:21:43.320
 hope that what

00:21:43.320 --> 00:21:43.539
 I've been

00:21:43.539 --> 00:21:45.519
 saying will

00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:46.240
 help you to

00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:47.600
 understand that

00:21:47.600 --> 00:21:50.039
 faith is a

00:21:50.039 --> 00:21:51.800
 reliance on

00:21:51.800 --> 00:21:52.440
 something that

00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:52.980
 is much bigger

00:21:52.980 --> 00:21:53.400
 than us.

00:21:54.660 --> 00:21:55.259
 In fact, we

00:21:55.259 --> 00:21:56.019
 don't even rely

00:21:56.019 --> 00:21:56.980
 on faith.

00:21:57.519 --> 00:21:58.400
 We rely on

00:21:58.400 --> 00:21:58.640
 God.

00:21:58.860 --> 00:21:59.200
 That's what

00:21:59.200 --> 00:21:59.660
 faith is.

00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:03.180
 Who would you

00:22:03.180 --> 00:22:03.519
 rather have

00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:03.900
 faith in?

00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:05.060
 A street

00:22:05.060 --> 00:22:05.519
 seller who

00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:05.900
 might sell

00:22:05.900 --> 00:22:06.340
 you a stolen

00:22:06.340 --> 00:22:06.640
 phone?

00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:09.920
 or someone

00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:11.120
 who actually

00:22:11.120 --> 00:22:11.520
 works at the

00:22:11.520 --> 00:22:11.940
 Apple store?

00:22:14.660 --> 00:22:15.259
 Do you have

00:22:15.259 --> 00:22:15.600
 faith in your

00:22:15.600 --> 00:22:16.440
 own ability to

00:22:16.440 --> 00:22:16.980
 be good enough

00:22:16.980 --> 00:22:17.620
 for God?

00:22:18.900 --> 00:22:19.580
 I tell you,

00:22:19.640 --> 00:22:20.040
 I don't.

00:22:21.300 --> 00:22:21.940
 But I do

00:22:21.940 --> 00:22:22.840
 have faith that

00:22:22.840 --> 00:22:24.200
 God will keep

00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:24.780
 his promise,

00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:26.640
 the promise

00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:26.980
 that he's

00:22:26.980 --> 00:22:27.360
 guaranteed.

00:22:28.020 --> 00:22:28.320
 He will

00:22:28.320 --> 00:22:29.900
 fulfill it and

00:22:29.900 --> 00:22:30.440
 bring me safely

00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:30.860
 to him.

00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:35.020
 Let's get to

00:22:35.020 --> 00:22:35.320
 my third

00:22:35.320 --> 00:22:35.660
 question.

00:22:35.660 --> 00:22:37.660
 how do we

00:22:37.660 --> 00:22:38.580
 get a

00:22:38.580 --> 00:22:38.920
 stronger

00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:39.380
 faith?

00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:43.320
 Don Carson

00:22:43.320 --> 00:22:43.720
 tells this

00:22:43.720 --> 00:22:44.660
 story of

00:22:44.660 --> 00:22:47.740
 a boat

00:22:47.740 --> 00:22:48.840
 that is

00:22:48.840 --> 00:22:49.920
 ready to

00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:50.420
 cross this

00:22:50.420 --> 00:22:51.220
 river to

00:22:51.220 --> 00:22:51.519
 get to the

00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:51.940
 other side.

00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:53.100
 There's two

00:22:53.100 --> 00:22:53.820
 men, they're

00:22:53.820 --> 00:22:54.620
 journeying, and

00:22:54.620 --> 00:22:54.920
 they want to

00:22:54.920 --> 00:22:55.279
 get to the

00:22:55.279 --> 00:22:56.040
 inn, which is

00:22:56.040 --> 00:22:56.360
 on the other

00:22:56.360 --> 00:22:56.720
 side of the

00:22:56.720 --> 00:22:56.920
 river.

00:22:58.960 --> 00:22:59.820
 They get to

00:22:59.820 --> 00:23:00.300
 the boat, and

00:23:00.300 --> 00:23:00.860
 one of them

00:23:00.860 --> 00:23:01.460
 says,

00:23:01.560 --> 00:23:02.660
 we're heading

00:23:02.660 --> 00:23:02.940
 up.

00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:05.120
 It's a

00:23:05.120 --> 00:23:05.700
 stormy night,

00:23:06.040 --> 00:23:06.220
 and it's

00:23:06.220 --> 00:23:07.259
 windy, and

00:23:07.259 --> 00:23:09.720
 the storm's

00:23:09.720 --> 00:23:11.200
 buffeting, but

00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:11.660
 the guy says,

00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:12.460
 don't worry, I

00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:13.019
 know this guy,

00:23:13.120 --> 00:23:13.440
 he's going to

00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:13.880
 have a boat

00:23:13.880 --> 00:23:14.580
 ready for us.

00:23:15.360 --> 00:23:15.880
 He's done this

00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:16.600
 many times before,

00:23:17.040 --> 00:23:17.840
 and we'll be

00:23:17.840 --> 00:23:18.080
 able to get

00:23:18.080 --> 00:23:18.600
 across safely.

00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:19.040
 And so they

00:23:19.040 --> 00:23:19.860
 get there, and

00:23:19.860 --> 00:23:20.360
 when they see it,

00:23:20.380 --> 00:23:21.759
 they see this boat

00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:24.320
 tied to the

00:23:24.320 --> 00:23:25.519
 jetty there,

00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:26.960
 and it's being

00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:27.720
 rocked about by

00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:28.339
 all the waves,

00:23:28.440 --> 00:23:29.000
 the wind, and

00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:29.259
 everything.

00:23:29.460 --> 00:23:29.740
 And the other

00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:30.160
 guy says, are

00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:30.859
 you sure?

00:23:31.400 --> 00:23:33.740
 Like, I'm a

00:23:33.740 --> 00:23:35.940
 little scared,

00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:36.339
 actually.

00:23:37.379 --> 00:23:37.900
 Will we

00:23:37.900 --> 00:23:38.460
 actually make it

00:23:38.460 --> 00:23:39.220
 across if we

00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:39.940
 jump on this

00:23:39.940 --> 00:23:40.160
 boat?

00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:41.119
 And the guy

00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:41.559
 says, no, no,

00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:41.859
 look, don't

00:23:41.859 --> 00:23:42.139
 worry, don't

00:23:42.139 --> 00:23:42.259
 worry.

00:23:42.599 --> 00:23:43.599
 This guy, he's

00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:44.519
 an expert boat

00:23:44.519 --> 00:23:44.799
 builder.

00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:45.960
 His boat has

00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:46.579
 survived many

00:23:46.579 --> 00:23:47.460
 storms, and it

00:23:47.460 --> 00:23:47.940
 will survive this

00:23:47.940 --> 00:23:48.660
 one as well.

00:23:50.059 --> 00:23:51.480
 And the second

00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:52.720
 guy says, well,

00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:54.119
 okay, I really

00:23:54.119 --> 00:23:54.539
 don't know about

00:23:54.539 --> 00:23:55.000
 this, but

00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:56.220
 we don't have

00:23:56.220 --> 00:23:56.720
 any choice, let's

00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:56.880
 go.

00:23:57.299 --> 00:23:57.720
 So then they

00:23:57.720 --> 00:23:58.200
 both get on

00:23:58.200 --> 00:23:59.599
 the boat, and

00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:00.740
 the boat makes

00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:01.299
 it safely to the

00:24:01.299 --> 00:24:01.720
 other side, through

00:24:01.720 --> 00:24:02.940
 the storm, and

00:24:02.940 --> 00:24:03.359
 they both get

00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:03.559
 off.

00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:05.119
 Now, Don

00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:05.599
 Carson asks a

00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:06.180
 question at this

00:24:06.180 --> 00:24:06.380
 point.

00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:07.440
 He says, which

00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:08.059
 man had the

00:24:08.059 --> 00:24:08.619
 stronger faith?

00:24:10.579 --> 00:24:11.319
 And it's clear.

00:24:11.740 --> 00:24:12.500
 It was the first

00:24:12.500 --> 00:24:13.640
 man who knew the

00:24:13.640 --> 00:24:14.220
 owner of the

00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:14.900
 boat and was

00:24:14.900 --> 00:24:15.579
 confident in the

00:24:15.579 --> 00:24:16.119
 boat, and he

00:24:16.119 --> 00:24:16.720
 got on without

00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:16.960
 a worry.

00:24:17.019 --> 00:24:17.420
 The other guy

00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:18.180
 was scared, he

00:24:18.180 --> 00:24:19.680
 wasn't sure, and

00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:19.980
 so on.

00:24:22.039 --> 00:24:22.759
 And then Don

00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:23.480
 asks a second

00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:23.819
 question.

00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:25.799
 Which man made

00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:26.420
 it across to

00:24:26.420 --> 00:24:26.660
 the other

00:24:26.660 --> 00:24:26.920
 side?

00:24:29.059 --> 00:24:30.660
 Well, it was

00:24:30.660 --> 00:24:31.460
 the ones who

00:24:31.460 --> 00:24:31.799
 got in the

00:24:31.799 --> 00:24:32.779
 boat, both

00:24:32.779 --> 00:24:33.059
 of them.

00:24:34.299 --> 00:24:35.500
 Because what

00:24:35.500 --> 00:24:36.880
 saved them was

00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:38.279
 not the quality

00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:38.940
 or the strength

00:24:38.940 --> 00:24:39.539
 of their faith.

00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:40.940
 What saved them

00:24:40.940 --> 00:24:41.599
 was the quality

00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:42.240
 and workmanship

00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:43.000
 of the boat,

00:24:43.220 --> 00:24:44.299
 which enabled

00:24:44.299 --> 00:24:44.859
 them to get to

00:24:44.859 --> 00:24:45.420
 the other side.

00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:48.279
 That's how it

00:24:48.279 --> 00:24:49.720
 is with us and

00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:50.660
 faith and God.

00:24:50.660 --> 00:24:50.700
 God.

00:24:52.300 --> 00:24:53.320
 It's not the

00:24:53.320 --> 00:24:54.800
 quality and the

00:24:54.800 --> 00:24:55.740
 strength of faith

00:24:55.740 --> 00:24:57.060
 that I might

00:24:57.060 --> 00:24:58.519
 have that enables

00:24:58.519 --> 00:24:58.920
 me to do

00:24:58.920 --> 00:24:59.680
 wonderful things.

00:25:00.820 --> 00:25:02.620
 It is the God

00:25:02.620 --> 00:25:03.980
 that we serve, the

00:25:03.980 --> 00:25:05.540
 God who came and

00:25:05.540 --> 00:25:06.120
 died for us, the

00:25:06.120 --> 00:25:07.220
 God whose character

00:25:07.220 --> 00:25:07.960
 is revealed to

00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:08.300
 us.

00:25:09.500 --> 00:25:10.340
 It's because of

00:25:10.340 --> 00:25:12.100
 him and his

00:25:12.100 --> 00:25:13.460
 character and his

00:25:13.460 --> 00:25:15.960
 glory that we can

00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:16.340
 get to the other

00:25:16.340 --> 00:25:16.560
 side.

00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:18.099
 So then, how

00:25:18.099 --> 00:25:18.720
 is it that one

00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:19.279
 man had stronger

00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:19.619
 faith?

00:25:20.019 --> 00:25:21.859
 Well, he knew

00:25:21.859 --> 00:25:23.500
 the boatmaker

00:25:23.500 --> 00:25:23.740
 better.

00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:28.139
 How did Abraham

00:25:28.139 --> 00:25:29.039
 strengthen his

00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:29.359
 faith?

00:25:31.399 --> 00:25:32.139
 We read the

00:25:32.139 --> 00:25:33.599
 answer in

00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:36.960
 verse 20,

00:25:37.779 --> 00:25:39.240
 hang on,

00:25:39.639 --> 00:25:39.980
 where are we?

00:25:40.099 --> 00:25:43.019
 Verse 19 and

00:25:43.019 --> 00:25:43.259
 20.

00:25:43.259 --> 00:25:47.640
 See, verse 19

00:25:47.640 --> 00:25:48.200
 says, he didn't

00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:48.799
 weaken in faith

00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:49.259
 when he

00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:51.119
 considered his

00:25:51.119 --> 00:25:52.660
 circumstances, his

00:25:52.660 --> 00:25:53.759
 own body, his

00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:54.579
 wife, his aged

00:25:54.579 --> 00:25:54.900
 wife.

00:25:56.619 --> 00:25:59.079
 But instead, he

00:25:59.079 --> 00:26:00.400
 grew strong in

00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:01.099
 his faith, verse

00:26:01.099 --> 00:26:02.319
 20, as he gave

00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:03.619
 glory to God.

00:26:04.579 --> 00:26:05.480
 In other words,

00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:07.359
 he grew strong in

00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:08.079
 his faith as he

00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:09.019
 knew God better

00:26:09.019 --> 00:26:09.980
 and better and

00:26:09.980 --> 00:26:11.279
 gave the glory to

00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:11.579
 him.

00:26:13.259 --> 00:26:14.140
 What it meant

00:26:14.140 --> 00:26:14.819
 for Abraham to

00:26:14.819 --> 00:26:15.960
 grow strong in

00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:17.000
 his faith was

00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:17.539
 to learn to

00:26:17.539 --> 00:26:18.420
 trust and rely

00:26:18.420 --> 00:26:20.859
 and to see that

00:26:20.859 --> 00:26:21.879
 God was one who

00:26:21.879 --> 00:26:22.619
 kept his promises.

00:26:23.180 --> 00:26:23.839
 God promised to

00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:25.000
 bless Abraham, to

00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:25.940
 look after him, to

00:26:25.940 --> 00:26:27.500
 give him land,

00:26:27.720 --> 00:26:29.279
 nation, and

00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:30.559
 people.

00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:33.000
 And Abraham

00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:33.660
 watched those

00:26:33.660 --> 00:26:34.579
 promises come true

00:26:34.579 --> 00:26:35.240
 one by one.

00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:37.099
 And as he did, he

00:26:37.099 --> 00:26:38.539
 kept walking in

00:26:38.539 --> 00:26:39.960
 that way, walking

00:26:39.960 --> 00:26:41.019
 in those footsteps to

00:26:41.019 --> 00:26:43.079
 continue to trust,

00:26:43.259 --> 00:26:44.240
 in God.

00:26:46.140 --> 00:26:47.759
 And that's why his

00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:49.379
 faith grew stronger

00:26:49.379 --> 00:26:50.019
 over time.

00:26:53.460 --> 00:26:55.059
 Abraham kept

00:26:55.059 --> 00:26:56.119
 exercising the

00:26:56.119 --> 00:26:56.700
 faith muscle.

00:26:58.000 --> 00:26:58.720
 He kept having

00:26:58.720 --> 00:26:59.319
 faith.

00:27:00.420 --> 00:27:01.420
 And in all those

00:27:01.420 --> 00:27:02.099
 years, you know,

00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:02.759
 Abraham waited a

00:27:02.759 --> 00:27:03.799
 really long time.

00:27:04.019 --> 00:27:04.579
 I don't know how

00:27:04.579 --> 00:27:06.079
 long you think

00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:07.019
 you've waited for a

00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:07.240
 prayer.

00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:07.299
 prayer.

00:27:09.140 --> 00:27:10.160
 But it was 25

00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:11.859
 years between

00:27:11.859 --> 00:27:13.539
 when God told

00:27:13.539 --> 00:27:15.539
 Abraham that he

00:27:15.539 --> 00:27:16.620
 would have many

00:27:16.620 --> 00:27:17.519
 children and when

00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:18.960
 he actually had the

00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:19.559
 son of the

00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:20.460
 promise, Isaac.

00:27:20.460 --> 00:27:20.600
 back.

00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:23.100
 And in all those

00:27:23.100 --> 00:27:23.920
 years, Abraham was

00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:25.680
 walking faithfully, in

00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:26.340
 step with God.

00:27:28.620 --> 00:27:29.299
 And it would have

00:27:29.299 --> 00:27:30.539
 been hard for him to

00:27:30.539 --> 00:27:31.019
 have faith.

00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:32.180
 And yet, by

00:27:32.180 --> 00:27:33.079
 exercising that

00:27:33.079 --> 00:27:34.019
 faith muscle,

00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:35.480
 Abraham's faith

00:27:35.480 --> 00:27:37.620
 grew and then

00:27:37.620 --> 00:27:38.480
 kept growing.

00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:39.500
 And then he saw

00:27:39.500 --> 00:27:40.259
 that God was

00:27:40.259 --> 00:27:42.019
 faithful and he

00:27:42.019 --> 00:27:42.440
 grew again.

00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:47.160
 We grow in faith

00:27:47.160 --> 00:27:47.759
 when we go

00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:48.140
 through trials.

00:27:48.259 --> 00:27:49.640
 When do you

00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:50.500
 find it the most

00:27:50.500 --> 00:27:51.259
 difficult to have

00:27:51.259 --> 00:27:51.500
 faith?

00:27:54.600 --> 00:27:56.600
 For me, I think

00:27:56.600 --> 00:27:57.240
 I find it the

00:27:57.240 --> 00:27:59.180
 hardest when I

00:27:59.180 --> 00:28:00.340
 feel disappointed

00:28:00.340 --> 00:28:01.080
 by life.

00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:03.660
 And by

00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:04.000
 extension,

00:28:04.140 --> 00:28:04.960
 disappointed in

00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:05.519
 God as well.

00:28:05.900 --> 00:28:06.400
 Because he didn't

00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:07.279
 give me the life

00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:07.740
 that I wanted.

00:28:09.559 --> 00:28:11.860
 And we

00:28:11.859 --> 00:28:13.079
 grow in our

00:28:13.079 --> 00:28:14.039
 faith when we

00:28:14.039 --> 00:28:14.779
 go through trials.

00:28:16.299 --> 00:28:16.659
 And in my

00:28:16.659 --> 00:28:18.919
 story, when life

00:28:18.919 --> 00:28:19.699
 wasn't going well,

00:28:20.979 --> 00:28:23.259
 when I'd land

00:28:23.259 --> 00:28:23.679
 in...

00:28:23.679 --> 00:28:24.379
 To understand

00:28:24.379 --> 00:28:25.079
 something about

00:28:25.079 --> 00:28:27.019
 how Sydney works,

00:28:27.159 --> 00:28:29.079
 it's a big place.

00:28:29.559 --> 00:28:30.839
 It's four times the

00:28:30.839 --> 00:28:31.619
 size of Hong Kong

00:28:31.619 --> 00:28:32.439
 by land mass.

00:28:32.979 --> 00:28:34.219
 Ten times if you

00:28:34.219 --> 00:28:35.379
 count in the

00:28:35.379 --> 00:28:36.299
 mountains, regions

00:28:36.299 --> 00:28:36.799
 and so on.

00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:38.359
 So it's like several

00:28:38.359 --> 00:28:39.079
 cities at once.

00:28:39.219 --> 00:28:39.919
 And so when I was

00:28:39.919 --> 00:28:41.019
 posted in different

00:28:41.019 --> 00:28:41.479
 places,

00:28:41.859 --> 00:28:43.139
 what I didn't

00:28:43.139 --> 00:28:44.139
 realise was that

00:28:44.139 --> 00:28:44.919
 it was like moving

00:28:44.919 --> 00:28:45.539
 to another city.

00:28:46.699 --> 00:28:47.399
 And I didn't realise

00:28:47.399 --> 00:28:47.959
 that it would mean

00:28:47.959 --> 00:28:48.599
 that I'd be cut off

00:28:48.599 --> 00:28:49.339
 from all of my

00:28:49.339 --> 00:28:50.539
 friends and

00:28:50.539 --> 00:28:52.039
 connections and so

00:28:52.039 --> 00:28:52.199
 on.

00:28:53.879 --> 00:28:55.899
 And so when I was

00:28:55.899 --> 00:28:56.539
 in a place,

00:28:58.259 --> 00:28:58.759
 isolated,

00:28:59.539 --> 00:28:59.879
 alone,

00:29:00.879 --> 00:29:01.419
 unsupported,

00:29:02.539 --> 00:29:03.679
 feeling only kind

00:29:03.679 --> 00:29:05.439
 of the difficulty

00:29:05.439 --> 00:29:06.399
 of working in a new

00:29:06.399 --> 00:29:07.879
 environment and

00:29:07.880 --> 00:29:10.960
 I'd been told

00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:11.560
 quite often

00:29:11.560 --> 00:29:13.520
 that when you go

00:29:13.520 --> 00:29:14.160
 into work in

00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:14.520
 ministry,

00:29:15.040 --> 00:29:16.200
 that persecution

00:29:16.200 --> 00:29:16.700
 will come.

00:29:17.660 --> 00:29:18.200
 It's just that

00:29:18.200 --> 00:29:19.100
 you don't expect it

00:29:19.100 --> 00:29:19.500
 to come from

00:29:19.500 --> 00:29:20.220
 within the church.

00:29:21.660 --> 00:29:23.300
 So when that

00:29:23.300 --> 00:29:24.100
 all happened,

00:29:24.940 --> 00:29:26.080
 then I became

00:29:26.080 --> 00:29:26.800
 convinced that I

00:29:26.800 --> 00:29:27.780
 was abandoned

00:29:27.780 --> 00:29:29.380
 by my friends,

00:29:29.580 --> 00:29:30.640
 the diocese that

00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:31.280
 I was a part of,

00:29:31.340 --> 00:29:32.160
 even by God.

00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:34.759
 And I found it

00:29:34.759 --> 00:29:35.700
 nearly impossible

00:29:35.700 --> 00:29:36.300
 to pray,

00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:37.340
 except for just

00:29:37.340 --> 00:29:38.400
 this one prayer.

00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:39.940
 God, get me out

00:29:39.940 --> 00:29:40.160
 of here.

00:29:43.840 --> 00:29:44.480
 And so,

00:29:44.940 --> 00:29:45.200
 you know,

00:29:45.259 --> 00:29:46.519
 I fell into this

00:29:46.519 --> 00:29:47.640
 deep, dark depression

00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:48.620
 and when life

00:29:48.620 --> 00:29:49.160
 is not going well,

00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:50.000
 you ask God,

00:29:50.080 --> 00:29:50.840
 what are you doing?

00:29:51.480 --> 00:29:52.240
 Like the psalmist,

00:29:52.360 --> 00:29:52.840
 I cried out,

00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:53.640
 how long, O Lord?

00:29:55.320 --> 00:29:56.200
 And in that moment,

00:29:57.040 --> 00:29:58.240
 your faith is shaken.

00:29:58.360 --> 00:29:58.920
 You aren't sure

00:29:58.920 --> 00:29:59.840
 whether God loves you.

00:29:59.980 --> 00:30:00.580
 You aren't sure

00:30:00.580 --> 00:30:01.240
 whether He even

00:30:01.240 --> 00:30:01.820
 remembers you.

00:30:03.019 --> 00:30:03.440
 And a friend

00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:04.380
 asked me at that time,

00:30:04.800 --> 00:30:05.340
 what do you think

00:30:05.340 --> 00:30:06.180
 God is teaching you

00:30:06.180 --> 00:30:06.820
 through this time?

00:30:08.540 --> 00:30:09.279
 Apart from wanting

00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:10.360
 to punch Him

00:30:10.360 --> 00:30:10.700
 in the nose,

00:30:11.180 --> 00:30:13.000
 I couldn't think

00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:13.740
 of a possible reason.

00:30:13.820 --> 00:30:14.660
 That's the whole point

00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:15.460
 why I was

00:30:15.460 --> 00:30:16.680
 feeling that way.

00:30:17.940 --> 00:30:18.620
 I couldn't think

00:30:18.620 --> 00:30:19.320
 of a possible reason

00:30:19.320 --> 00:30:20.140
 for God to put me

00:30:20.140 --> 00:30:21.000
 through that situation.

00:30:21.460 --> 00:30:21.900
 That might be

00:30:21.900 --> 00:30:22.480
 your situation.

00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:26.100
 How would Abraham

00:30:26.100 --> 00:30:26.540
 have felt

00:30:26.540 --> 00:30:27.360
 in the long years

00:30:27.360 --> 00:30:27.860
 while he waited

00:30:27.860 --> 00:30:28.680
 for God to fulfill

00:30:28.680 --> 00:30:29.180
 his promise?

00:30:29.960 --> 00:30:30.640
 Five years,

00:30:30.779 --> 00:30:31.380
 ten years,

00:30:31.380 --> 00:30:32.140
 fifteen years,

00:30:32.220 --> 00:30:32.820
 twenty years.

00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:34.420
 You know,

00:30:34.460 --> 00:30:35.840
 God only spoke

00:30:35.840 --> 00:30:36.180
 to Abraham

00:30:36.180 --> 00:30:36.940
 three times

00:30:36.940 --> 00:30:37.920
 in those years,

00:30:38.100 --> 00:30:39.220
 including his initial call.

00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:41.180
 And the fourth time

00:30:41.180 --> 00:30:42.960
 was after twenty-four years

00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:43.960
 when he told him,

00:30:44.060 --> 00:30:44.300
 finally,

00:30:44.660 --> 00:30:45.700
 this is when

00:30:45.700 --> 00:30:46.600
 it's going to happen.

00:30:46.599 --> 00:30:50.399
 the key is

00:30:50.399 --> 00:30:52.859
 to see your life

00:30:52.859 --> 00:30:54.559
 as an interconnected

00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:55.019
 whole

00:30:55.019 --> 00:30:58.379
 that God cares about.

00:30:59.339 --> 00:31:00.619
 The key is to understand

00:31:00.619 --> 00:31:01.179
 and to remember

00:31:01.179 --> 00:31:02.159
 God's character,

00:31:03.559 --> 00:31:04.879
 who He is

00:31:04.879 --> 00:31:06.099
 and what He's done

00:31:06.099 --> 00:31:06.919
 and the promise

00:31:06.919 --> 00:31:08.339
 that He makes

00:31:08.339 --> 00:31:09.000
 and that He keeps.

00:31:11.199 --> 00:31:11.879
 Paul Miller,

00:31:11.980 --> 00:31:12.279
 in a book,

00:31:12.279 --> 00:31:13.180
 He talks about

00:31:13.180 --> 00:31:15.180
 how to see

00:31:15.180 --> 00:31:15.599
 your life

00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:16.460
 as an interconnected

00:31:16.460 --> 00:31:16.879
 whole

00:31:16.879 --> 00:31:18.359
 and how you

00:31:18.359 --> 00:31:19.619
 deal with

00:31:19.619 --> 00:31:20.299
 disappointment.

00:31:21.099 --> 00:31:21.839
 And he's faced that

00:31:21.839 --> 00:31:22.680
 because he had

00:31:22.680 --> 00:31:23.519
 a disabled daughter

00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:25.460
 and it's a 25-year

00:31:25.460 --> 00:31:26.059
 journey for him

00:31:26.059 --> 00:31:26.440
 as well

00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:27.299
 with her.

00:31:28.460 --> 00:31:29.460
 And he says this,

00:31:30.460 --> 00:31:31.460
 first of all,

00:31:31.680 --> 00:31:32.279
 don't demand

00:31:32.279 --> 00:31:32.720
 that the story

00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:33.399
 goes your way.

00:31:35.460 --> 00:31:36.000
 Secondly,

00:31:36.619 --> 00:31:38.440
 look for the storyteller

00:31:38.440 --> 00:31:39.180
 in your story.

00:31:40.380 --> 00:31:41.299
 And thirdly,

00:31:41.940 --> 00:31:43.240
 stay in the story.

00:31:44.140 --> 00:31:45.039
 Don't shut down

00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:45.519
 when it goes

00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:46.180
 the wrong way.

00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:50.220
 What he's saying is,

00:31:50.600 --> 00:31:51.059
 for him,

00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:51.779
 when he grappled

00:31:51.779 --> 00:31:52.779
 with having

00:31:52.779 --> 00:31:53.840
 a disabled daughter,

00:31:53.940 --> 00:31:54.480
 first of all,

00:31:54.740 --> 00:31:55.640
 he felt

00:31:55.640 --> 00:31:56.680
 kind of anger

00:31:56.680 --> 00:31:57.360
 and denial

00:31:57.360 --> 00:31:58.320
 that this was

00:31:58.320 --> 00:31:58.799
 really happening.

00:31:59.900 --> 00:32:00.380
 And then,

00:32:00.700 --> 00:32:01.240
 he tried to do

00:32:01.240 --> 00:32:02.019
 everything that he could

00:32:02.019 --> 00:32:02.600
 in his power

00:32:02.600 --> 00:32:04.180
 to fix her,

00:32:04.740 --> 00:32:05.799
 to help her recover,

00:32:06.019 --> 00:32:06.960
 to do all these,

00:32:07.180 --> 00:32:08.180
 to do what he could.

00:32:09.140 --> 00:32:09.400
 And then,

00:32:09.500 --> 00:32:10.519
 when that failed,

00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:12.059
 because he'd been

00:32:12.059 --> 00:32:13.080
 relying on himself,

00:32:13.680 --> 00:32:14.539
 he fell into despair.

00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:18.100
 It was only after

00:32:18.100 --> 00:32:19.340
 many years,

00:32:19.840 --> 00:32:20.519
 as he and his wife

00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:21.340
 continued to pray,

00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:22.480
 continued to trust God,

00:32:22.880 --> 00:32:23.720
 they began to see

00:32:23.720 --> 00:32:26.420
 answers to their prayers,

00:32:26.519 --> 00:32:26.980
 not in,

00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:29.380
 not in a miraculous

00:32:29.380 --> 00:32:29.920
 kind of healing,

00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:31.460
 but in little steps,

00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:33.380
 being able to talk,

00:32:33.740 --> 00:32:34.680
 being able to function,

00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:35.380
 and so on.

00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:36.420
 But also,

00:32:36.660 --> 00:32:37.160
 in the growth

00:32:37.160 --> 00:32:37.820
 that they personally

00:32:37.820 --> 00:32:38.420
 experienced,

00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:39.940
 of seeing

00:32:39.940 --> 00:32:41.259
 their daughter

00:32:41.259 --> 00:32:42.660
 grow

00:32:42.660 --> 00:32:44.180
 and develop,

00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:45.000
 slowly.

00:32:46.220 --> 00:32:47.059
 And they said

00:32:47.059 --> 00:32:47.740
 that she's taught her

00:32:47.740 --> 00:32:48.960
 more than

00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:50.460
 having kind of

00:32:50.460 --> 00:32:51.420
 a normal family

00:32:51.420 --> 00:32:52.019
 could ever have.

00:32:52.140 --> 00:32:53.380
 The normal family

00:32:53.380 --> 00:32:54.400
 just got completely

00:32:54.400 --> 00:32:55.539
 kind of trashed

00:32:55.539 --> 00:32:56.400
 and ruined,

00:32:57.080 --> 00:32:57.820
 so they say.

00:32:59.160 --> 00:33:00.420
 But it enabled them

00:33:00.420 --> 00:33:00.960
 to trust

00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:01.720
 and to lean

00:33:01.720 --> 00:33:02.940
 on God

00:33:02.940 --> 00:33:04.100
 and to stop

00:33:04.100 --> 00:33:04.580
 believing

00:33:04.580 --> 00:33:05.400
 that they were

00:33:05.400 --> 00:33:06.140
 the saviors

00:33:06.140 --> 00:33:06.880
 of their own lives.

00:33:09.720 --> 00:33:10.480
 I think something

00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:10.880
 similar

00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:11.720
 has happened

00:33:11.720 --> 00:33:12.460
 in my life.

00:33:13.220 --> 00:33:14.340
 I still don't know

00:33:14.340 --> 00:33:16.140
 what God was doing,

00:33:16.600 --> 00:33:17.240
 putting me

00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:18.380
 through that situation.

00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:20.240
 But one thing

00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:20.620
 that's different

00:33:20.620 --> 00:33:22.120
 is I want to find out.

00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:23.680
 I'm excited

00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:24.279
 to find out,

00:33:24.500 --> 00:33:25.779
 to see what God

00:33:25.779 --> 00:33:27.460
 has in store for me

00:33:27.460 --> 00:33:28.360
 as I think

00:33:28.360 --> 00:33:29.000
 about my life,

00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:29.700
 not just in

00:33:29.700 --> 00:33:30.400
 compartments

00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:31.519
 that are disconnected

00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:32.140
 to one another,

00:33:32.259 --> 00:33:33.480
 but as a whole

00:33:33.480 --> 00:33:34.420
 kind of life story

00:33:34.420 --> 00:33:35.640
 that God is weaving

00:33:35.640 --> 00:33:37.100
 through my life.

00:33:40.519 --> 00:33:41.380
 So for you,

00:33:42.700 --> 00:33:43.100
 consider

00:33:43.100 --> 00:33:44.420
 God's character.

00:33:46.700 --> 00:33:47.500
 I think about

00:33:47.500 --> 00:33:48.380
 the way that God

00:33:48.380 --> 00:33:49.779
 was abandoned

00:33:49.779 --> 00:33:50.779
 for me.

00:33:52.980 --> 00:33:53.920
 And so that meant

00:33:53.920 --> 00:33:54.420
 that I would never

00:33:54.420 --> 00:33:54.880
 be abandoned.

00:33:57.200 --> 00:33:58.559
 Make your faith

00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:00.119
 like that

00:34:00.119 --> 00:34:00.720
 of an astronaut

00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:03.200
 where they knew

00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:04.399
 and trusted

00:34:04.399 --> 00:34:06.319
 the instruments

00:34:06.319 --> 00:34:07.559
 and the people

00:34:07.559 --> 00:34:08.239
 that were back home

00:34:08.239 --> 00:34:10.400
 and they continued on

00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:12.860
 and they carried out

00:34:12.860 --> 00:34:13.259
 their mission.

00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:15.199
 Don't be

00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:16.559
 a fluffy astronaut.

00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:18.519
 Be instead

00:34:18.519 --> 00:34:19.739
 one who

00:34:19.739 --> 00:34:21.500
 continues on

00:34:21.500 --> 00:34:22.119
 and

00:34:22.119 --> 00:34:23.960
 trusts

00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:26.280
 and

00:34:26.280 --> 00:34:29.240
 continues

00:34:29.240 --> 00:34:29.920
 to grasp

00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:30.619
 and to grip

00:34:30.619 --> 00:34:31.280
 hold of

00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:32.960
 the grace

00:34:32.960 --> 00:34:33.320
 of God.

00:34:34.519 --> 00:34:35.159
 At work,

00:34:36.039 --> 00:34:36.840
 you might get

00:34:36.840 --> 00:34:37.220
 persecuted

00:34:37.220 --> 00:34:38.380
 for being a Christian.

00:34:39.220 --> 00:34:39.720
 Maybe your boss

00:34:39.720 --> 00:34:40.159
 wants you to do

00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:40.619
 something you know

00:34:40.619 --> 00:34:41.099
 isn't right

00:34:41.099 --> 00:34:41.860
 and in faith

00:34:41.860 --> 00:34:42.519
 you say no

00:34:42.519 --> 00:34:43.900
 and you're mistreated

00:34:43.900 --> 00:34:44.460
 because of it

00:34:44.460 --> 00:34:45.820
 or worse,

00:34:46.059 --> 00:34:46.800
 you get fired

00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:47.980
 and you ask,

00:34:48.119 --> 00:34:48.940
 what is God doing?

00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:51.300
 Is he trying to teach

00:34:51.300 --> 00:34:52.000
 me something in this?

00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:54.260
 Faith looks

00:34:54.260 --> 00:34:55.179
 beyond the short term

00:34:55.179 --> 00:34:55.960
 to see what God

00:34:55.960 --> 00:34:56.300
 is doing

00:34:56.300 --> 00:34:57.139
 in the bigger

00:34:57.139 --> 00:34:57.800
 picture

00:34:57.800 --> 00:34:59.559
 because in the short run

00:34:59.559 --> 00:35:00.880
 there is pain

00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:02.380
 but in the long run

00:35:02.380 --> 00:35:04.139
 we know that people

00:35:04.139 --> 00:35:05.159
 with integrity

00:35:05.159 --> 00:35:06.440
 are valued

00:35:06.440 --> 00:35:08.380
 and people want to do

00:35:08.380 --> 00:35:09.039
 business with people

00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:09.699
 with integrity

00:35:09.699 --> 00:35:12.059
 or if you're in a school

00:35:12.059 --> 00:35:13.340
 where it's definitely

00:35:13.340 --> 00:35:13.800
 not cool

00:35:13.800 --> 00:35:14.420
 to be a Christian,

00:35:15.420 --> 00:35:16.340
 people laugh at you

00:35:16.340 --> 00:35:17.320
 or think you're crazy

00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:18.340
 or you're stuck up

00:35:18.340 --> 00:35:19.519
 and yet

00:35:19.519 --> 00:35:21.380
 you stick to your guns,

00:35:21.480 --> 00:35:22.240
 you stick to your beliefs

00:35:22.240 --> 00:35:22.760
 and eventually

00:35:22.760 --> 00:35:23.800
 God shows you

00:35:23.800 --> 00:35:24.860
 who your true friends are,

00:35:25.200 --> 00:35:26.559
 the ones who stick with you

00:35:26.559 --> 00:35:27.340
 through good and bad.

00:35:29.079 --> 00:35:30.140
 Watch the stories

00:35:30.140 --> 00:35:31.340
 that God is weaving

00:35:31.340 --> 00:35:32.059
 into your life.

00:35:33.940 --> 00:35:34.380
 Remember,

00:35:34.780 --> 00:35:35.640
 don't demand the story

00:35:35.640 --> 00:35:36.240
 goes your way.

00:35:37.420 --> 00:35:38.440
 Look for the storyteller

00:35:38.440 --> 00:35:39.079
 in your life

00:35:39.079 --> 00:35:41.260
 and stay in the story.

00:35:42.559 --> 00:35:43.740
 If things go wrong,

00:35:44.180 --> 00:35:44.700
 we're so tempted

00:35:44.700 --> 00:35:45.480
 to just check out

00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:46.619
 and think,

00:35:47.019 --> 00:35:47.240
 well,

00:35:48.280 --> 00:35:48.940
 God obviously

00:35:48.940 --> 00:35:49.699
 has abandoned me,

00:35:50.099 --> 00:35:50.420
 he obviously

00:35:50.420 --> 00:35:51.139
 doesn't care for me,

00:35:51.559 --> 00:35:52.159
 I'm just going to do

00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:52.579
 my own thing

00:35:52.579 --> 00:35:53.119
 from now on.

00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:56.019
 That is not

00:35:56.019 --> 00:35:58.159
 a true picture

00:35:58.159 --> 00:35:59.360
 of the character of God.

00:35:59.460 --> 00:35:59.960
 The true picture

00:35:59.960 --> 00:36:00.860
 of the character of God

00:36:00.860 --> 00:36:02.679
 comes from the cross

00:36:02.679 --> 00:36:04.820
 where we see

00:36:04.820 --> 00:36:05.320
 that God

00:36:05.320 --> 00:36:07.019
 kept his promise

00:36:07.019 --> 00:36:08.039
 even at great

00:36:08.039 --> 00:36:08.679
 personal cost

00:36:08.679 --> 00:36:09.219
 to himself.

00:36:11.079 --> 00:36:12.079
 And so as we remember that,

00:36:13.280 --> 00:36:14.780
 then that encourages us

00:36:14.780 --> 00:36:16.260
 or let us encourage

00:36:16.260 --> 00:36:16.700
 one another

00:36:16.700 --> 00:36:18.400
 to continue

00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:20.680
 to stick with God

00:36:20.680 --> 00:36:21.660
 the way that he

00:36:21.660 --> 00:36:22.560
 has stuck with us.

00:36:22.920 --> 00:36:23.400
 Let's pray.

00:36:31.400 --> 00:36:31.960
 Father,

00:36:32.040 --> 00:36:32.580
 we ask that

00:36:32.580 --> 00:36:33.480
 you would help us

00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:34.720
 to be like you

00:36:34.720 --> 00:36:37.720
 in your faithfulness.

00:36:39.140 --> 00:36:40.280
 We ask that

00:36:40.280 --> 00:36:41.260
 you would help us

00:36:41.260 --> 00:36:42.300
 to understand

00:36:42.300 --> 00:36:43.160
 and know more

00:36:43.159 --> 00:36:43.859
 of your character,

00:36:44.980 --> 00:36:46.239
 to get to know you more

00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:48.000
 so that we can

00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:49.199
 trust and love you more.

00:36:50.039 --> 00:36:50.799
 We think of Abraham

00:36:50.799 --> 00:36:52.199
 who,

00:36:52.839 --> 00:36:53.719
 for 25 years,

00:36:54.500 --> 00:36:55.359
 was wandering

00:36:55.359 --> 00:36:58.859
 through the hills

00:36:58.859 --> 00:36:59.319
 and the desert

00:36:59.319 --> 00:37:01.500
 trusting in your word,

00:37:02.199 --> 00:37:03.179
 trusting in your promise

00:37:03.179 --> 00:37:05.519
 and that you came

00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:06.019
 through for him.

00:37:06.019 --> 00:37:08.460
 and we think of

00:37:08.460 --> 00:37:10.280
 Jesus

00:37:10.280 --> 00:37:11.719
 who,

00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:13.039
 because he wanted

00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:13.880
 to fulfill

00:37:13.880 --> 00:37:14.840
 that promise,

00:37:15.400 --> 00:37:16.039
 went to the cross

00:37:16.039 --> 00:37:16.780
 for our sakes

00:37:16.780 --> 00:37:18.460
 and took our

00:37:18.460 --> 00:37:19.500
 unrighteousness

00:37:19.500 --> 00:37:21.300
 and made us righteous.

00:37:23.179 --> 00:37:23.820
 And Father,

00:37:23.900 --> 00:37:25.179
 in our own lives,

00:37:25.800 --> 00:37:26.820
 we know that there are

00:37:26.820 --> 00:37:28.659
 many things that hurt

00:37:28.659 --> 00:37:30.619
 and can damage us

00:37:30.619 --> 00:37:32.099
 and yet we look to you

00:37:32.099 --> 00:37:34.440
 as one who's promised

00:37:34.440 --> 00:37:35.179
 to bring us

00:37:35.179 --> 00:37:37.079
 to greater and greater glory.

00:37:38.139 --> 00:37:38.980
 And so we ask that

00:37:38.980 --> 00:37:39.639
 you would help us

00:37:39.639 --> 00:37:40.639
 to trust in you,

00:37:41.599 --> 00:37:43.059
 to look to you,

00:37:43.799 --> 00:37:44.719
 to be the one

00:37:44.719 --> 00:37:46.299
 who weaves our story together.

00:37:47.420 --> 00:37:48.539
 And so we ask that

00:37:48.539 --> 00:37:49.500
 you would help us

00:37:49.500 --> 00:37:51.599
 then to trust

00:37:51.599 --> 00:37:52.719
 and rely not in ourselves,

00:37:53.799 --> 00:37:54.659
 not on our strength,

00:37:55.259 --> 00:37:55.819
 but in yours.

00:37:56.779 --> 00:37:57.059
 Amen.