WEBVTT

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 So let's read about the gospel now in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 1-11.

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 Paul writes this,

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 That he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,

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 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

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 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time,

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 most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

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 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

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 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

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 For I am the least of all the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle,

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 because I persecuted the church of God.

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 But by the grace of God, I am what I am.

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 And his grace towards me was not in vain.

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 On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them,

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 though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

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 Whether then it was I or they,

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 so we preach, and so you believed.

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 This is God's holy word.

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 All right, we're going to take the next three weeks

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 to look at 1 Corinthians 15 in the run-up to Easter Sunday.

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 1 Corinthians 15 is Paul's argument for believing in the resurrection.

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 And he starts out not with focusing on the resurrection itself,

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 but focusing on the gospel.

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 And then he's going to, in the next two weeks,

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 going to show us how the resurrection fits in with the gospel

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 and what it means for the whole of the gospel.

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 Now, the problem that he deals with

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 at the very beginning of this chapter

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 is a problem of memory.

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 So he says, I'm here to remind you, brothers and sisters.

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 So it's an issue of forgetting.

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 I don't know how often you forget things.

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 Lately, I have resorted to really, really, really

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 intensifying my commitment to Google Calendar

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 because of missed appointments, missed visits to the doctor,

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 whatever it may be.

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 And if I have missed something that I told you I was going to be at,

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 I'm sorry about that.

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 Google Calendar is here to help all of us.

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 Our heads are leaky buckets,

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 and so we've got to write stuff down,

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 and we've got to constantly remind ourselves

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 of what's happening every day.

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 Paul's coming to say that the memory you struggle with

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 where somebody at St. Columbus tells you their name,

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 and then they walk away,

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 and seven seconds later, you cannot remember it.

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 Our hearts have an even bigger problem with forgetting.

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 So the head has a leaky bucket problem,

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 but the heart is a leaky bucket as well.

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 And that's what he's really dealing with

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 is a memory issue deep down in the soul

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 that we forget the gospel.

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 And so let's get right into it.

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 What is it that we've forgotten,

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 and how is it that we forget?

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 And then secondly, what is the gospel?

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 That's really the question Paul's answering for us.

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 So let's think about those two things.

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 First, what is it that they've forgotten,

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 and how did they forget it?

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 So verse 1, you'll see down in verse 1,

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 he says,

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 Now I would remind you.

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 So the Greek word there,

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 there's a phrase there for remind,

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 and it really translates something like,

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 I need to re-explain it.

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 So he's saying,

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 I've got to explain it over and over again to you,

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 because you're so prone to forget.

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 And so that's why it's translated remind here.

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 But you see just before that in verse 1,

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 the very first word is,

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 Now I would re-explain the gospel.

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 And the word now,

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 that conjunction there,

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 he's connecting what he's going to do

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 in 1 Corinthians 15 to the rest of the letter.

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 And that's a really important moment,

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 because 1 Corinthians 15 is sort of a moment

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 where Paul stops and takes a breath,

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 and says,

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 Okay, now we've gotten to the big thing,

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 the most important thing.

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 And the reason it's just now getting there,

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 after 14 chapters,

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 is he's been,

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 for the first 14 chapters,

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 basically giving case studies

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 of all the problems

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 that have been happening in the Corinthian church.

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 So Corinth is a port city,

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 and it's very cosmopolitan,

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 in the first century,

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 very urban,

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 a center for the Roman Empire,

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 in the west,

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 in the eastern side of the Roman Empire.

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 And Corinth is the kind of place

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 where you could say,

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 What happens in Corinth,

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 stays in Corinth.

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 It's a party city,

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 for sure.

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 And what's happened is,

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 Paul planted the Corinthian church

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 in Acts chapter 18.

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 You can go read all about it there.

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 He was with them for 18 months,

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 and he's been gone for a few years,

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 but he's heard,

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 through other letters

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 that have been sent to him,

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 things are not going well at all

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 in the Corinthian church.

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 And basically,

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 what happens in Corinth

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 stays in Corinth,

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 and the Corinthian culture

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 has gotten into the church

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 a good bit.

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 And so,

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 1 Corinthians was really

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 a set of case studies

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 on all the big problems

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 in the church.

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 And if you've read it,

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 you'll know that

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 one of the problems was,

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 as soon as Paul left,

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 people started creating factions

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 around celebrity ministers.

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 So they said,

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 you know,

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 I followed,

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 I was baptized by Apollos,

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 and Apollos is a far better speaker

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 than Paul.

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 He's a better preacher.

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 And so they were latching themselves

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 on to who discipled who.

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 You know,

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 they were saying,

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 you know,

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 I knew Tim Keller,

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 and my grandfather was baptized

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 by Martin Lloyd-Jones,

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 and so that makes me better

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 than the rest of you,

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 and all this kind of thing.

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 Right?

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 So they took the gospel,

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 and they turned it into

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 celebrity preacher culture.

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 And then the next thing

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 we read about

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 is constant scandals.

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 So there was big time scandals

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 in the church,

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 things that Paul says

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 not even the pagan,

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 in the pagan temples

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 would have been tolerated.

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 Very embarrassing.

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 Very big acts of public shame,

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 and nobody was dealing with it.

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 Big sin.

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 Scandal.

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 Real scandal in the church,

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 and nobody was saying

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 a word about it.

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 And he goes on from there

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 and talks about

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 all sorts of other issues,

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 like in worship,

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 it was total chaos.

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 Everybody was speaking

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 over each other,

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 and you know,

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 it would be like some of you

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 standing up right now

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 and saying,

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 hold on a second,

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 I would be far better

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 at explaining this

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 than you are,

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 and you try to trade places

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 with me,

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 and maybe you probably would be.

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 But that's exactly

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 the kind of thing

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 that was happening

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 all the time

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 in the Corinthian church.

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 And so he goes case study

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 by case study

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 of these big issues,

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 and then finally,

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 when you get to chapter 15,

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 he says,

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 now.

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 Okay.

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 How are we going

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 to deal with this?

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 It's not,

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 and what does he do?

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 He doesn't go

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 for behavior modification.

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 He doesn't say,

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 stop it,

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 stop it,

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 stop it.

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 Though that matters.

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 What he does is he says,

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 what you need

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 is to refill

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 your leaky hearts

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 with the gospel.

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 You need the gospel

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 over and over and over again,

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 plunged down into your soul.

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 Now look,

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 the central message

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 of the Christian,

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 the Christian message,

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 the core,

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 is the gospel.

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 Paul says,

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 the most important thing

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 I can say to you

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 is to repeat the gospel.

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 And what he's telling us

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 is that whether you're

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 a first century Corinthian

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 or a 21st century

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 Edinburgh citizen,

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 resident,

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 or from somewhere else

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 in the world,

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 if you have believed

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 the gospel

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 because you heard it preached,

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 he says,

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 I preached it to you,

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 you believed it,

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 you stood in it,

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 you put it on

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 like it was your armor,

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 and you've forgotten

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 about it.

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 He's saying that

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 every single one of us

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 struggles to remember

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 and live out of the resources

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 of the gospel.

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 And it could be

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 that you do

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 what the Corinthians do.

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 When churches,

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 local institutions,

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 and Christians

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 get the gospel

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 into their hands and hearts,

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 they often,

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 we will often distort it.

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 And one of the ways

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 we distort it

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 is we do what

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 the Corinthians did.

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 We say,

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 the gospel's all about grace,

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 it's all grace,

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 and so I can live

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 in any way I want.

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 This is what was happening

00:08:02.719 --> 00:08:03.100
 in Corinth.

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 And they say,

00:08:04.199 --> 00:08:05.560
 we call this antinomianism,

00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:06.240
 cheap grace.

00:08:06.360 --> 00:08:07.219
 So we take the gospel,

00:08:07.339 --> 00:08:08.040
 we distort it

00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:08.879
 by saying,

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 if it really is all grace,

00:08:10.519 --> 00:08:11.319
 if I can be forgiven

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 for anything,

00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:13.680
 then I can do anything

00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:14.139
 I want,

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 and it's all fine.

00:08:15.819 --> 00:08:16.420
 Another way

00:08:16.420 --> 00:08:17.199
 they were distorting

00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:17.519
 the gospel

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 is they were saying,

00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:20.139
 I was baptized by Apollos.

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 And we say,

00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:23.219
 boy, I came in

00:08:23.219 --> 00:08:23.699
 by the gospel,

00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:24.379
 but I really want

00:08:24.379 --> 00:08:25.199
 to get a seat at the table

00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:26.159
 with that celebrity Christian.

00:08:26.620 --> 00:08:27.420
 Some of us struggle

00:08:27.420 --> 00:08:27.740
 with that.

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 And another way

00:08:29.139 --> 00:08:29.899
 we distort the gospel

00:08:29.899 --> 00:08:31.300
 is we say the gospel

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 is just a starting point.

00:08:33.460 --> 00:08:35.259
 1 Corinthians 12 and 13,

00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:36.720
 you might remember,

00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:37.799
 is all about gifts.

00:08:38.759 --> 00:08:39.899
 And people are saying,

00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:40.139
 you know,

00:08:40.139 --> 00:08:40.960
 yeah, I entered in

00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:41.559
 by the gospel,

00:08:41.779 --> 00:08:43.159
 but the real measure

00:08:43.159 --> 00:08:43.639
 in the church

00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:44.860
 of who's really a Christian

00:08:44.860 --> 00:08:45.799
 is the people

00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:46.960
 that have achieved

00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:47.399
 the ability

00:08:47.399 --> 00:08:48.199
 to speak in tongues.

00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:49.100
 Right?

00:08:49.139 --> 00:08:49.699
 And so they said,

00:08:49.799 --> 00:08:50.860
 you get in by the gospel,

00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:51.980
 but you level up

00:08:51.980 --> 00:08:52.699
 with gifts,

00:08:52.779 --> 00:08:53.379
 and so the gospel

00:08:53.379 --> 00:08:55.419
 becomes this hierarchical platform.

00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:56.439
 You start at level one

00:08:56.439 --> 00:08:57.059
 and you've got to get

00:08:57.059 --> 00:08:57.960
 more and more gifts

00:08:57.960 --> 00:08:58.480
 along the way.

00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:00.240
 And you remember

00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:01.460
 in Paul's other letters

00:09:01.460 --> 00:09:02.519
 like Galatians,

00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:04.559
 the people had received

00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:05.759
 the gospel in Galatians,

00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:06.220
 but he says,

00:09:06.259 --> 00:09:07.120
 what they did was they said,

00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:08.860
 Jesus is just a starting point,

00:09:08.860 --> 00:09:10.700
 but if you want to stay

00:09:10.700 --> 00:09:11.360
 a Christian,

00:09:11.620 --> 00:09:12.580
 you have to obey

00:09:12.580 --> 00:09:13.879
 all the religious traditions

00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:14.519
 of our culture.

00:09:15.180 --> 00:09:16.180
 So we take the gospel

00:09:16.180 --> 00:09:16.779
 and we turn it

00:09:16.779 --> 00:09:18.159
 into religious behaviorism.

00:09:18.700 --> 00:09:19.460
 That's another way

00:09:19.460 --> 00:09:20.019
 we distort it.

00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:22.060
 When the gospel

00:09:22.060 --> 00:09:23.639
 gets into sinners' hands,

00:09:24.820 --> 00:09:26.460
 we often forget about it

00:09:26.460 --> 00:09:27.220
 and we twist it

00:09:27.220 --> 00:09:28.080
 and we distort it,

00:09:28.419 --> 00:09:29.539
 and so we could spend

00:09:29.539 --> 00:09:30.360
 all day talking

00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:31.060
 about the fact

00:09:31.060 --> 00:09:32.279
 that we have often

00:09:32.279 --> 00:09:33.100
 turned the gospel

00:09:33.100 --> 00:09:34.480
 into a money-making opportunity.

00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:34.920
 prosperity,

00:09:34.920 --> 00:09:35.960
 we talk about

00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:37.000
 the health and wealth gospel,

00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:38.060
 the prosperity gospel,

00:09:38.220 --> 00:09:39.000
 the social gospel,

00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:40.080
 the therapeutic gospel,

00:09:40.379 --> 00:09:41.200
 the moralist gospel,

00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:42.080
 the churchless gospel,

00:09:42.180 --> 00:09:43.039
 the activist gospel.

00:09:44.100 --> 00:09:45.300
 All the different ways

00:09:45.300 --> 00:09:46.100
 right now

00:09:46.100 --> 00:09:47.500
 the gospel is being twisted

00:09:47.500 --> 00:09:48.039
 and distorted

00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:48.940
 and forgotten about.

00:09:49.820 --> 00:09:51.259
 One that's a little more subtle

00:09:51.259 --> 00:09:53.139
 that gets into the bones

00:09:53.139 --> 00:09:54.360
 of the evangelical world

00:09:54.360 --> 00:09:55.860
 is the gospel message

00:09:55.860 --> 00:09:56.320
 that says,

00:09:56.680 --> 00:09:58.220
 if I prayed a prayer

00:09:58.220 --> 00:09:59.500
 at one time in my life,

00:09:59.620 --> 00:10:01.080
 I now am free

00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:02.279
 from the possibility of hell.

00:10:02.279 --> 00:10:04.839
 a mere get-out-of-hell-free gospel,

00:10:05.079 --> 00:10:06.379
 and that's a distortion

00:10:06.379 --> 00:10:07.139
 of the gospel too.

00:10:08.139 --> 00:10:09.319
 And Paul says,

00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:10.379
 I preached it to you,

00:10:10.419 --> 00:10:11.120
 you believed it,

00:10:11.179 --> 00:10:11.879
 you stood in it

00:10:11.879 --> 00:10:12.679
 like it was armor,

00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:15.519
 and you've let your heart,

00:10:15.779 --> 00:10:16.399
 you've let the gospel

00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:17.279
 just kind of seep away

00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:18.299
 and you've forgotten about it.

00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:19.980
 And what he says

00:10:19.980 --> 00:10:21.220
 to a very messy

00:10:21.220 --> 00:10:22.000
 Corinthian church

00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:23.879
 is not get your life together,

00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:25.139
 behave yourselves.

00:10:26.059 --> 00:10:27.000
 He says you need

00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:28.419
 to hear the gospel again.

00:10:29.179 --> 00:10:29.879
 You need to hear it,

00:10:29.899 --> 00:10:30.779
 you need to let it soak down

00:10:30.779 --> 00:10:31.819
 in your heart again.

00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:33.379
 At St. Columbus,

00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:35.299
 this is simple,

00:10:35.620 --> 00:10:36.299
 this is basic,

00:10:36.439 --> 00:10:36.720
 I know,

00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:37.500
 this is old hat

00:10:37.500 --> 00:10:38.319
 to many of you,

00:10:38.740 --> 00:10:39.559
 but at St. Columbus,

00:10:40.199 --> 00:10:43.439
 we want to be so committed

00:10:43.439 --> 00:10:45.839
 to never graduating

00:10:45.839 --> 00:10:46.600
 from the gospel

00:10:46.600 --> 00:10:48.579
 that people get tired

00:10:48.579 --> 00:10:49.360
 of how much we say

00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:50.059
 the word gospel.

00:10:51.100 --> 00:10:52.100
 And sometimes people

00:10:52.100 --> 00:10:53.000
 do talk about gospel,

00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:53.659
 gospel, gospel,

00:10:53.819 --> 00:10:55.000
 all you say is gospel,

00:10:55.339 --> 00:10:56.459
 all we say is gospel.

00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:56.919
 And yes,

00:10:57.379 --> 00:10:58.339
 we want to be gospel-centered

00:10:58.339 --> 00:10:59.240
 in every way,

00:11:00.139 --> 00:11:01.139
 but that's what Paul does,

00:11:01.139 --> 00:11:01.399
 you see?

00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:03.039
 He says it's not about

00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:03.840
 behavior modification,

00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:05.139
 it's that deep change

00:11:05.139 --> 00:11:05.960
 actually comes out

00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:06.480
 of the resources

00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:07.139
 of the gospel.

00:11:08.279 --> 00:11:09.159
 And so what is it?

00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:10.799
 That's the question,

00:11:11.139 --> 00:11:11.639
 point two.

00:11:12.100 --> 00:11:12.899
 What is the gospel?

00:11:14.179 --> 00:11:15.659
 You might be here today

00:11:15.659 --> 00:11:16.819
 and you think,

00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:18.720
 I genuinely don't know

00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:19.620
 what the gospel is.

00:11:20.679 --> 00:11:21.779
 You might be here today

00:11:21.779 --> 00:11:22.259
 and say,

00:11:22.740 --> 00:11:24.360
 I do have a pretty good grasp

00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:25.080
 on being able

00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:26.200
 to articulate the gospel,

00:11:26.200 --> 00:11:27.660
 or somewhere in between

00:11:27.660 --> 00:11:29.000
 and wherever you are,

00:11:29.140 --> 00:11:29.980
 from whatever background

00:11:29.980 --> 00:11:30.400
 you come,

00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:32.340
 Paul says you need

00:11:32.340 --> 00:11:33.020
 to be reminded,

00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:33.940
 no matter what condition

00:11:33.940 --> 00:11:34.379
 you're in,

00:11:34.800 --> 00:11:35.660
 of what the gospel is.

00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:36.600
 And so let's think about that.

00:11:36.660 --> 00:11:37.140
 What's the gospel?

00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:39.300
 Let me give you four elements

00:11:39.300 --> 00:11:39.940
 of the gospel

00:11:39.940 --> 00:11:41.180
 that Paul draws out

00:11:41.180 --> 00:11:42.220
 for us here.

00:11:42.520 --> 00:11:43.280
 And the first is

00:11:43.280 --> 00:11:44.379
 the word gospel.

00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:46.360
 He calls the message

00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:46.980
 of Christianity

00:11:46.980 --> 00:11:48.120
 the gospel.

00:11:49.160 --> 00:11:49.820
 So if you look down

00:11:49.820 --> 00:11:50.280
 at verse three,

00:11:50.340 --> 00:11:50.879
 you can see

00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:52.040
 what he says about it.

00:11:52.100 --> 00:11:53.060
 He says that,

00:11:53.059 --> 00:11:53.599
 when I was here

00:11:53.599 --> 00:11:54.619
 and I planted this church,

00:11:54.939 --> 00:11:56.159
 I delivered to you

00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:57.879
 what is of first importance.

00:11:58.059 --> 00:11:59.299
 So the word first there,

00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:00.779
 the most important,

00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:01.899
 the first thing,

00:12:02.219 --> 00:12:04.299
 is not a chronology word.

00:12:04.459 --> 00:12:05.819
 So there are multiple words

00:12:05.819 --> 00:12:07.039
 in Greek for first.

00:12:07.599 --> 00:12:09.319
 But this one is not chronology.

00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:10.019
 So it's not,

00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:11.839
 I gave you the first thing

00:12:11.839 --> 00:12:12.759
 on the path.

00:12:12.959 --> 00:12:14.639
 You learn the gospel first,

00:12:14.699 --> 00:12:15.599
 but then there's other things

00:12:15.599 --> 00:12:16.339
 you graduate to.

00:12:16.739 --> 00:12:17.759
 The word first there

00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:18.579
 is quality.

00:12:18.859 --> 00:12:19.679
 It's a quality word.

00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:22.139
 So the most important thing.

00:12:22.659 --> 00:12:23.039
 Quality.

00:12:23.059 --> 00:12:24.459
 The most important thing.

00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:25.459
 So what he's saying here is

00:12:25.459 --> 00:12:27.459
 I could say a lot more

00:12:27.459 --> 00:12:28.139
 about the gospel

00:12:28.139 --> 00:12:29.139
 than I'm about to say.

00:12:29.699 --> 00:12:30.500
 But what I want to do

00:12:30.500 --> 00:12:31.939
 is take the qualitatively

00:12:31.939 --> 00:12:32.939
 most important things

00:12:32.939 --> 00:12:34.059
 I must say about it,

00:12:34.439 --> 00:12:35.719
 the bullseye of the gospel,

00:12:35.839 --> 00:12:36.659
 the very dead center,

00:12:36.819 --> 00:12:37.899
 and communicate that to you.

00:12:38.199 --> 00:12:39.259
 So what we're about to get

00:12:39.259 --> 00:12:40.500
 is the bullseye,

00:12:40.679 --> 00:12:40.839
 you know,

00:12:40.899 --> 00:12:41.599
 the dead center

00:12:41.599 --> 00:12:42.579
 of what the gospel is.

00:12:42.939 --> 00:12:44.419
 The gospel has rings

00:12:44.419 --> 00:12:45.299
 and rings and rings.

00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:46.339
 It goes out.

00:12:46.419 --> 00:12:47.179
 It's so expansive.

00:12:47.799 --> 00:12:48.899
 But what he's saying here is

00:12:48.899 --> 00:12:49.859
 right now,

00:12:49.899 --> 00:12:50.699
 I just want to give you

00:12:50.699 --> 00:12:51.879
 the absolute center

00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:53.279
 of what the gospel

00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:53.860
 is all about.

00:12:54.220 --> 00:12:55.899
 So he uses this word gospel

00:12:55.899 --> 00:12:56.639
 and gospel

00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:58.340
 is not a Christian word

00:12:58.340 --> 00:12:58.799
 originally.

00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:00.679
 The word gospel

00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:01.720
 was borrowed

00:13:01.720 --> 00:13:02.399
 by Christians

00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:04.120
 from the Greco-Roman culture

00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:05.340
 that they lived in.

00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:06.080
 It was a word

00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:06.600
 that was used

00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:08.019
 all across the Roman Empire

00:13:08.019 --> 00:13:09.480
 for just good news.

00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:10.480
 So you know

00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:11.379
 this word gospel.

00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:13.639
 The Greek word gospel

00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:14.939
 is the word evangel.

00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:17.399
 And it's got two parts.

00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:18.480
 The back half

00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:19.139
 of the word gospel

00:13:19.139 --> 00:13:20.199
 is the word angel.

00:13:21.659 --> 00:13:22.240
 And angel

00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:23.199
 isn't just

00:13:23.199 --> 00:13:25.019
 a spiritual being

00:13:25.019 --> 00:13:25.720
 that lives in heaven.

00:13:26.179 --> 00:13:27.039
 The word angel

00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:27.500
 in Greek

00:13:27.500 --> 00:13:28.799
 also just means message.

00:13:29.799 --> 00:13:31.019
 And the front half

00:13:31.019 --> 00:13:31.799
 of the word gospel

00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:33.199
 has the little prefix

00:13:33.199 --> 00:13:33.179
!

00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:33.799
 EV

00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:35.199
 or EU

00:13:35.199 --> 00:13:36.579
 and that just means good.

00:13:37.139 --> 00:13:37.759
 So when we say

00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:39.240
 the gospel is good news

00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:40.360
 or a good message,

00:13:40.840 --> 00:13:42.000
 it's just the literal

00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:42.860
 transliteration

00:13:42.860 --> 00:13:43.539
 of exactly

00:13:43.539 --> 00:13:44.399
 what those two

00:13:44.399 --> 00:13:45.139
 little words mean.

00:13:45.740 --> 00:13:46.179
 Evangel,

00:13:46.179 --> 00:13:47.259
 the good news.

00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:48.620
 That means

00:13:48.620 --> 00:13:49.179
 that when Paul

00:13:49.179 --> 00:13:50.279
 chooses this word,

00:13:50.579 --> 00:13:52.059
 he's communicating something.

00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:53.139
 He uses this word

00:13:53.139 --> 00:13:54.959
 about 70 times

00:13:54.959 --> 00:13:55.739
 across his letters.

00:13:56.599 --> 00:13:57.699
 And he's communicating

00:13:57.699 --> 00:13:58.579
 something really important

00:13:58.579 --> 00:13:59.179
 and it's this.

00:13:59.779 --> 00:14:00.859
 The Christian gospel

00:14:00.859 --> 00:14:02.459
 is more like

00:14:02.459 --> 00:14:04.139
 opening today's newspaper

00:14:04.139 --> 00:14:06.120
 and reading the headlines

00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:07.239
 than it is

00:14:07.239 --> 00:14:08.539
 going to talk to a pastor

00:14:08.539 --> 00:14:09.679
 about your circumstances

00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:10.139
 in life

00:14:10.139 --> 00:14:10.779
 to get advice.

00:14:11.779 --> 00:14:12.759
 The Christian gospel

00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:13.879
 is more like

00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:14.959
 reading the Wall Street Journal

00:14:14.959 --> 00:14:15.839
 or the Times

00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:16.780
 whatever your favorite

00:14:16.780 --> 00:14:17.519
 newspaper is.

00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:19.899
 It's more like

00:14:19.899 --> 00:14:20.620
 reading the newspaper

00:14:20.620 --> 00:14:21.399
 than it is

00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:22.259
 going to a therapist

00:14:22.259 --> 00:14:22.820
 for advice.

00:14:22.940 --> 00:14:24.340
 The gospel is news

00:14:24.340 --> 00:14:25.519
 not advice.

00:14:26.340 --> 00:14:28.300
 The gospel is a proclamation

00:14:28.300 --> 00:14:29.660
 of a history

00:14:29.660 --> 00:14:32.060
 not good advice

00:14:32.060 --> 00:14:32.940
 to get your life better.

00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:35.680
 The gospel is not a command.

00:14:36.780 --> 00:14:38.660
 The gospel is a pronouncement

00:14:38.660 --> 00:14:40.720
 of what has happened

00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:42.120
 in the middle of history.

00:14:42.740 --> 00:14:43.960
 What is that pronouncement?

00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:46.019
 Christ died

00:14:46.019 --> 00:14:47.800
 Christ was buried

00:14:47.800 --> 00:14:49.360
 Christ was raised.

00:14:50.400 --> 00:14:51.360
 That's the history

00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:52.120
 that's the news.

00:14:52.660 --> 00:14:53.620
 The gospel is like

00:14:53.620 --> 00:14:54.480
 if you were there

00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:55.500
 on Easter Sunday

00:14:55.500 --> 00:14:57.420
 the Jerusalem Times

00:14:57.420 --> 00:14:58.920
 on the front page

00:14:58.920 --> 00:14:59.500
 would have said

00:14:59.500 --> 00:15:00.660
 Christ died

00:15:00.660 --> 00:15:01.840
 Christ was buried

00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:02.780
 Christ is risen

00:15:02.780 --> 00:15:03.340
 from the dead

00:15:03.340 --> 00:15:04.840
 and that is the gospel.

00:15:04.940 --> 00:15:05.980
 The gospel is a history.

00:15:06.940 --> 00:15:07.440
 So what is

00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:08.460
 the core message

00:15:08.460 --> 00:15:09.220
 of Islam?

00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:11.600
 What is Islamic salvation?

00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:12.360
 What's the core message?

00:15:12.460 --> 00:15:13.759
 The core message

00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:14.600
 to Islam is

00:15:14.600 --> 00:15:16.259
 surrender your will

00:15:16.259 --> 00:15:16.840
 to Allah

00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:19.159
 and seek

00:15:19.159 --> 00:15:20.220
 His righteousness

00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:21.480
 in your own behavior

00:15:21.480 --> 00:15:22.379
 through the five pillars.

00:15:23.500 --> 00:15:24.420
 So the core message

00:15:24.420 --> 00:15:24.820
 of Islam

00:15:24.820 --> 00:15:26.139
 is a command to you

00:15:26.139 --> 00:15:27.700
 pursue the righteousness

00:15:27.700 --> 00:15:28.200
 of Allah

00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:29.340
 and hope

00:15:29.340 --> 00:15:30.399
 that you will achieve it.

00:15:30.820 --> 00:15:31.779
 What is the core message

00:15:31.779 --> 00:15:32.279
 of Buddhism?

00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:32.920
 The core message

00:15:32.920 --> 00:15:33.540
 of Buddhism

00:15:33.540 --> 00:15:34.879
 is embrace

00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:35.879
 the fourfold

00:15:35.879 --> 00:15:37.560
 the four noble truths

00:15:37.560 --> 00:15:38.899
 and live your life

00:15:38.899 --> 00:15:40.139
 on the eightfold path

00:15:40.139 --> 00:15:40.759
 to enlightenment

00:15:40.759 --> 00:15:42.039
 to get beyond suffering.

00:15:42.460 --> 00:15:43.620
 So what's the core message

00:15:43.620 --> 00:15:44.080
 of Buddhism?

00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:44.980
 It's a command.

00:15:46.139 --> 00:15:46.659
 Behave

00:15:46.659 --> 00:15:47.679
 along the lines

00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:48.639
 of the eightfold path

00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:49.199
 and maybe

00:15:49.199 --> 00:15:50.539
 you can achieve enlightenment.

00:15:52.220 --> 00:15:52.740
 Christianity's

00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:53.519
 core message

00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:54.379
 is not a command

00:15:54.379 --> 00:15:55.199
 it's not advice

00:15:55.199 --> 00:15:56.600
 it is a pronouncement

00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:57.600
 that God

00:15:57.600 --> 00:15:58.559
 has done it all

00:15:58.559 --> 00:15:59.120
 for you.

00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:01.120
 It's different

00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:01.860
 than every other

00:16:01.860 --> 00:16:02.480
 world religion

00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:03.519
 every other philosophy

00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:04.360
 that's ever existed

00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:05.460
 in human history.

00:16:06.439 --> 00:16:07.340
 This week

00:16:07.340 --> 00:16:08.759
 the latest issue

00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:09.840
 of the New Yorker

00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:10.379
 came out

00:16:10.379 --> 00:16:11.220
 New Yorker magazine

00:16:11.220 --> 00:16:12.319
 and in it

00:16:12.319 --> 00:16:13.059
 there was an article

00:16:13.059 --> 00:16:13.980
 by a writer

00:16:13.980 --> 00:16:15.019
 named Adam Gopnik

00:16:15.019 --> 00:16:16.480
 and Adam Gopnik

00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:18.500
 wrote an article

00:16:18.500 --> 00:16:19.019
 by the title

00:16:19.019 --> 00:16:20.399
 We're Still Not Done

00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:20.899
 With Jesus

00:16:20.899 --> 00:16:22.700
 and it was about

00:16:22.700 --> 00:16:23.819
 the scholarly debates

00:16:23.819 --> 00:16:24.580
 going on right now

00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:25.919
 in the New Testament

00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:26.539
 academy

00:16:26.539 --> 00:16:27.899
 around the origins

00:16:27.899 --> 00:16:28.580
 of Christianity

00:16:28.580 --> 00:16:29.899
 and in this

00:16:29.899 --> 00:16:31.059
 he gives you

00:16:31.059 --> 00:16:32.019
 all the different

00:16:32.019 --> 00:16:33.340
 very predominant

00:16:33.340 --> 00:16:34.340
 perspectives right now.

00:16:35.159 --> 00:16:36.580
 So the spectrums

00:16:36.580 --> 00:16:37.500
 where did Christianity

00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:38.120
 come from?

00:16:38.820 --> 00:16:39.620
 How did we get

00:16:39.620 --> 00:16:40.460
 the stories of Jesus

00:16:40.460 --> 00:16:41.139
 that we have?

00:16:41.259 --> 00:16:41.620
 That's what he's

00:16:41.620 --> 00:16:42.060
 dealing with.

00:16:42.620 --> 00:16:43.159
 And he says

00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:43.799
 on the one hand

00:16:43.799 --> 00:16:44.539
 there's Catherine

00:16:44.539 --> 00:16:45.840
 Nixie's recent book

00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:47.659
 which she argues

00:16:47.659 --> 00:16:49.580
 that the gospel stories

00:16:49.580 --> 00:16:50.659
 1 Corinthians 15

00:16:50.659 --> 00:16:51.700
 the message of the gospel

00:16:51.700 --> 00:16:53.720
 arose out of a

00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:54.840
 Jewish interpretation

00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:56.080
 of Greek mythology.

00:16:56.840 --> 00:16:57.560
 So Catherine Nixie

00:16:57.560 --> 00:16:59.019
 suggests that

00:16:59.019 --> 00:17:00.060
 the gospel stories

00:17:00.060 --> 00:17:00.639
 are just

00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:02.000
 re-mythologizations

00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:02.960
 of Greek myths

00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:04.759
 based in Jewish culture

00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:05.960
 about some man

00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:06.480
 named Jesus.

00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:08.279
 In the middle

00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:09.039
 of this spectrum

00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:09.640
 there's a woman

00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:10.740
 named Elaine Pagels

00:17:10.740 --> 00:17:11.740
 who wrote a book

00:17:11.740 --> 00:17:12.460
 where she says

00:17:12.460 --> 00:17:13.420
 something more

00:17:13.420 --> 00:17:14.360
 traditional in the academy

00:17:14.360 --> 00:17:14.920
 she says

00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:16.160
 the stories of Jesus

00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:17.059
 are mixtures

00:17:17.059 --> 00:17:18.500
 of real history

00:17:18.500 --> 00:17:19.279
 about this man

00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:19.660
 Jesus

00:17:19.660 --> 00:17:21.380
 but also an evolution

00:17:21.380 --> 00:17:22.539
 of legendary fables.

00:17:22.539 --> 00:17:24.639
 on the extreme side

00:17:24.639 --> 00:17:25.399
 he quoted

00:17:25.399 --> 00:17:26.299
 Richard C. Miller

00:17:26.299 --> 00:17:27.639
 who wrote a book

00:17:27.639 --> 00:17:28.299
 in 2017

00:17:28.299 --> 00:17:29.680
 very rare

00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:30.180
 that anybody

00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:31.139
 would argue this today

00:17:31.139 --> 00:17:32.059
 but Richard C. Miller

00:17:32.059 --> 00:17:33.119
 still argues

00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:33.759
 that Jesus

00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:34.720
 never existed

00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:35.899
 he wasn't even

00:17:35.899 --> 00:17:36.779
 a historical figure.

00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:37.559
 Right?

00:17:37.659 --> 00:17:38.519
 So in this article

00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:39.099
 Adam Gopnik

00:17:39.099 --> 00:17:40.000
 takes the origins

00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:40.559
 of Christianity

00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:41.159
 and he puts it

00:17:41.159 --> 00:17:41.759
 on the spectrum

00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:42.619
 and he says

00:17:42.619 --> 00:17:43.480
 these are basically

00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:44.200
 the three views.

00:17:44.779 --> 00:17:45.480
 Now what's the one

00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:46.019
 thing missing?

00:17:46.940 --> 00:17:48.039
 The one thing missing

00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:49.559
 is the simplest

00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:50.159
 explanation

00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:51.840
 and that's the

00:17:51.840 --> 00:17:52.880
 simple explanation

00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:53.980
 that what the

00:17:53.980 --> 00:17:54.740
 gospels record

00:17:54.740 --> 00:17:55.600
 and what Paul says

00:17:55.600 --> 00:17:56.259
 here about the history

00:17:56.259 --> 00:17:56.580
 of Jesus

00:17:56.580 --> 00:17:57.600
 actually happened.

00:17:58.360 --> 00:17:59.060
 The one thing

00:17:59.060 --> 00:17:59.600
 that Gopnik

00:17:59.600 --> 00:18:00.240
 and the New Yorker

00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:00.660
 this week

00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:01.360
 would not allow

00:18:01.360 --> 00:18:03.560
 and what I want

00:18:03.560 --> 00:18:04.279
 to say about this

00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:05.200
 today is simply this

00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:05.640
 and we're going

00:18:05.640 --> 00:18:05.940
 to be talking

00:18:05.940 --> 00:18:06.920
 about the historicity

00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:07.440
 of the resurrection

00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:07.960
 the next couple

00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:08.300
 of weeks

00:18:08.300 --> 00:18:10.800
 but the one thing

00:18:10.800 --> 00:18:12.120
 you cannot do

00:18:12.120 --> 00:18:12.740
 is you cannot come

00:18:12.740 --> 00:18:13.100
 to Paul

00:18:13.100 --> 00:18:14.700
 and put him

00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:15.840
 on this spectrum.

00:18:17.460 --> 00:18:18.279
 Paul's view

00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:19.120
 Paul's view

00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:20.559
 was that Jesus

00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:21.359
 Christ really

00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:22.379
 did die

00:18:22.379 --> 00:18:23.439
 was really dead

00:18:23.439 --> 00:18:24.279
 and was really

00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:25.239
 raised from the dead

00:18:25.239 --> 00:18:26.559
 in real life history

00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:27.399
 that's the gospel

00:18:27.399 --> 00:18:28.659
 and so you can come

00:18:28.659 --> 00:18:29.179
 and look at that

00:18:29.179 --> 00:18:30.359
 and you can reject it

00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:32.119
 that's an option

00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:33.659
 but you can't treat it

00:18:33.659 --> 00:18:34.639
 as anything else

00:18:34.639 --> 00:18:35.339
 but a mere

00:18:35.339 --> 00:18:36.319
 historical claim.

00:18:37.659 --> 00:18:38.299
 Paul is saying

00:18:38.299 --> 00:18:39.079
 this happened

00:18:39.079 --> 00:18:40.939
 and that is the gospel.

00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:42.299
 Now secondly

00:18:42.299 --> 00:18:42.739
 of four

00:18:42.739 --> 00:18:43.699
 and I have to hurry

00:18:43.699 --> 00:18:45.359
 what does he say

00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:45.639
 from there?

00:18:45.699 --> 00:18:46.079
 He says

00:18:46.079 --> 00:18:47.279
 that means

00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:47.940
 the gospel

00:18:47.940 --> 00:18:49.799
 is not about you

00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:51.519
 it's about Jesus

00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:53.359
 it's about his history

00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:55.259
 but the gospel

00:18:55.259 --> 00:18:56.440
 is for you

00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:57.619
 that's the next thing

00:18:57.619 --> 00:18:58.180
 he tells us

00:18:58.180 --> 00:18:59.200
 and so if you look down

00:18:59.200 --> 00:18:59.539
 again

00:18:59.539 --> 00:19:00.799
 at verse 3

00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:01.099
 he says

00:19:01.099 --> 00:19:01.720
 I delivered you

00:19:01.720 --> 00:19:02.779
 the most important thing

00:19:02.779 --> 00:19:03.680
 the gospel

00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:05.399
 that Christ died

00:19:05.399 --> 00:19:06.500
 real life history

00:19:06.500 --> 00:19:07.940
 then there's the preposition

00:19:07.940 --> 00:19:10.379
 for our sins

00:19:10.379 --> 00:19:11.899
 the gospel is not about you

00:19:11.899 --> 00:19:12.740
 but it is for you

00:19:12.740 --> 00:19:15.339
 and that little word

00:19:15.339 --> 00:19:16.000
 for there

00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:17.200
 is such an important

00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:17.740
 preposition

00:19:17.740 --> 00:19:19.819
 in the Greek New Testament

00:19:19.819 --> 00:19:21.319
 the Greek language

00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:21.960
 that this Bible

00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:22.620
 was written in

00:19:22.620 --> 00:19:23.579
 there are only

00:19:23.579 --> 00:19:24.779
 18 prepositions

00:19:24.779 --> 00:19:26.180
 in English

00:19:26.180 --> 00:19:27.279
 we have 150

00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:30.220
 so the 18 prepositions

00:19:30.220 --> 00:19:30.740
 in Greek

00:19:30.740 --> 00:19:31.900
 do a lot of work

00:19:31.900 --> 00:19:33.140
 they carry a lot

00:19:33.140 --> 00:19:33.480
 of weight

00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:33.920
 and meaning

00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:34.779
 and you have to discern

00:19:34.779 --> 00:19:35.440
 really carefully

00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:36.000
 what they mean

00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:37.819
 the scholarly consensus

00:19:37.819 --> 00:19:39.099
 on this preposition

00:19:39.099 --> 00:19:39.720
 for

00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:40.759
 is really

00:19:40.759 --> 00:19:41.460
 really clear

00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:42.700
 what does it mean

00:19:42.700 --> 00:19:43.539
 this little preposition

00:19:43.539 --> 00:19:44.940
 for our sins

00:19:44.940 --> 00:19:46.759
 translate it like this

00:19:46.759 --> 00:19:47.720
 he died

00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:49.240
 on behalf of

00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:50.240
 our sin

00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:51.700
 so

00:19:51.700 --> 00:19:52.819
 this preposition

00:19:52.819 --> 00:19:53.700
 for is saying

00:19:53.700 --> 00:19:55.140
 Jesus Christ died

00:19:55.140 --> 00:19:56.960
 in your place

00:19:56.960 --> 00:19:58.400
 as your substitute

00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:00.000
 taking on

00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:00.819
 your sin

00:20:00.819 --> 00:20:01.519
 in himself

00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:02.740
 that's what the

00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:03.119
 for there

00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:04.119
 on behalf of

00:20:04.119 --> 00:20:04.900
 in our stead

00:20:04.900 --> 00:20:05.379
 in our place

00:20:05.379 --> 00:20:05.599
 now

00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:07.279
 what this is telling us

00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:08.980
 is something so important

00:20:08.980 --> 00:20:10.039
 so important

00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:12.019
 it's asking you

00:20:12.019 --> 00:20:12.779
 do you know

00:20:12.779 --> 00:20:13.960
 what the gospel

00:20:13.960 --> 00:20:15.139
 really came to do

00:20:15.139 --> 00:20:16.259
 really came to fix

00:20:16.259 --> 00:20:17.119
 what is the greatest

00:20:17.119 --> 00:20:18.139
 problem we face

00:20:18.139 --> 00:20:19.019
 and Paul says

00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:19.700
 the greatest problem

00:20:19.700 --> 00:20:20.180
 we face

00:20:20.180 --> 00:20:21.720
 is our sin

00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:24.779
 our sin

00:20:24.779 --> 00:20:26.099
 our choice

00:20:26.099 --> 00:20:27.319
 to trespass

00:20:27.319 --> 00:20:27.940
 against

00:20:27.940 --> 00:20:28.940
 who God

00:20:28.940 --> 00:20:29.779
 made us to be

00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:30.879
 and to merit

00:20:30.879 --> 00:20:32.059
 guilt before God

00:20:32.059 --> 00:20:32.940
 that's what sin does

00:20:32.940 --> 00:20:33.779
 that's what sin is

00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:34.299
 he's saying

00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:34.879
 what is the greatest

00:20:34.879 --> 00:20:35.819
 problem you face today

00:20:35.819 --> 00:20:37.259
 that you

00:20:37.259 --> 00:20:38.399
 you have merited

00:20:38.399 --> 00:20:39.200
 guilt

00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:40.620
 before the living God

00:20:40.620 --> 00:20:41.360
 and you are not

00:20:41.360 --> 00:20:41.840
 in a state

00:20:41.840 --> 00:20:42.580
 of communion

00:20:42.580 --> 00:20:43.000
 with him

00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:43.759
 apart from the gospel

00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:45.340
 Paul says

00:20:45.340 --> 00:20:46.519
 that is the greatest issue

00:20:46.519 --> 00:20:48.080
 so he comes

00:20:48.080 --> 00:20:48.460
 and tells us

00:20:48.460 --> 00:20:49.140
 something so important

00:20:49.140 --> 00:20:51.200
 Philip Reif

00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:52.240
 is a 20th century

00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:52.980
 sociologist

00:20:52.980 --> 00:20:54.860
 that wrote

00:20:54.860 --> 00:20:55.600
 a couple of books

00:20:55.600 --> 00:20:56.640
 about the transition

00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:58.140
 from pre-modern people

00:20:58.140 --> 00:20:58.960
 to modern people

00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:00.539
 and in it

00:21:00.539 --> 00:21:01.340
 he talks about

00:21:01.340 --> 00:21:01.940
 the distinction

00:21:01.940 --> 00:21:03.220
 between what he calls

00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:05.200
 pre-modern man

00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:06.360
 quote unquote

00:21:06.360 --> 00:21:07.580
 as religious man

00:21:07.579 --> 00:21:08.779
 man by the way

00:21:08.779 --> 00:21:09.279
 there means

00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:09.839
 men and women

00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:10.639
 that's just the old way

00:21:10.639 --> 00:21:11.399
 of using that word

00:21:11.399 --> 00:21:11.980
 he says

00:21:11.980 --> 00:21:12.939
 there's religious man

00:21:12.939 --> 00:21:13.659
 the pre-modern man

00:21:13.659 --> 00:21:14.139
 and then he calls

00:21:14.139 --> 00:21:14.779
 modern people

00:21:14.779 --> 00:21:15.899
 psychological man

00:21:15.899 --> 00:21:17.399
 what does he mean by that

00:21:17.399 --> 00:21:17.839
 he says

00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:19.299
 the pre-modern person

00:21:19.299 --> 00:21:20.679
 across all cultures

00:21:20.679 --> 00:21:21.659
 all times

00:21:21.659 --> 00:21:23.079
 saw themselves

00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:24.259
 as people

00:21:24.259 --> 00:21:25.559
 in a state of guilt

00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:27.419
 searching for the hope

00:21:27.419 --> 00:21:27.960
 of salvation

00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:29.519
 and then he says

00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:30.679
 but modern man

00:21:30.679 --> 00:21:32.019
 is psychological man

00:21:32.019 --> 00:21:33.179
 and he says

00:21:33.179 --> 00:21:33.919
 we have transitioned

00:21:33.919 --> 00:21:35.039
 we don't see ourselves

00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:35.679
 as people

00:21:35.679 --> 00:21:36.379
 in the state of guilt

00:21:36.380 --> 00:21:37.180
 seeking salvation

00:21:37.180 --> 00:21:38.220
 and said

00:21:38.220 --> 00:21:39.120
 we think of ourselves

00:21:39.120 --> 00:21:39.840
 in what state

00:21:39.840 --> 00:21:41.380
 the state of pain

00:21:41.380 --> 00:21:42.320
 seeking pleasure

00:21:42.320 --> 00:21:43.760
 he says

00:21:43.760 --> 00:21:44.300
 modern man

00:21:44.300 --> 00:21:45.060
 thinks of himself

00:21:45.060 --> 00:21:46.140
 as the state of

00:21:46.140 --> 00:21:47.500
 in the state of boredom

00:21:47.500 --> 00:21:48.420
 seeking entertainment

00:21:48.420 --> 00:21:50.280
 constantly needing

00:21:50.280 --> 00:21:51.240
 that dopamine hit

00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:51.680
 you know

00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:54.440
 and if you read

00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:54.800
 a book like

00:21:54.800 --> 00:21:55.880
 Neil Postman's book

00:21:55.880 --> 00:21:57.300
 Amusing Ourselves to Death

00:21:57.300 --> 00:21:57.660
 he says

00:21:57.660 --> 00:21:58.440
 the key issue

00:21:58.440 --> 00:21:59.600
 in that transition

00:21:59.600 --> 00:22:01.320
 from thinking about

00:22:01.320 --> 00:22:02.340
 ourselves as guilty

00:22:02.340 --> 00:22:03.220
 in need of salvation

00:22:03.220 --> 00:22:04.640
 to bored

00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:05.620
 in need of entertainment

00:22:05.619 --> 00:22:06.459
 to pain

00:22:06.459 --> 00:22:06.859
 bearing

00:22:06.859 --> 00:22:07.699
 in need of pain

00:22:07.699 --> 00:22:08.179
 freedom

00:22:08.179 --> 00:22:09.199
 he says

00:22:09.199 --> 00:22:10.379
 Neil Postman says

00:22:10.379 --> 00:22:11.319
 the biggest transition

00:22:11.319 --> 00:22:12.159
 is the screen

00:22:12.159 --> 00:22:13.899
 so he argues

00:22:13.899 --> 00:22:15.159
 in Amusing Ourselves to Death

00:22:15.159 --> 00:22:16.139
 that the reason

00:22:16.139 --> 00:22:17.079
 we think like that

00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:18.579
 is because the screen

00:22:18.579 --> 00:22:19.699
 turned everything

00:22:19.699 --> 00:22:20.919
 into pleasure

00:22:20.919 --> 00:22:21.799
 seeking entertainment

00:22:21.799 --> 00:22:22.459
 he says

00:22:22.459 --> 00:22:23.479
 even when TVs

00:22:23.479 --> 00:22:24.279
 came out

00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:25.239
 and the news

00:22:25.239 --> 00:22:26.059
 would be put up

00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:26.679
 on the television

00:22:26.679 --> 00:22:28.039
 the news became

00:22:28.039 --> 00:22:28.599
 entertainment

00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:30.039
 politics became

00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:30.599
 entertainment

00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:31.639
 everything became

00:22:31.639 --> 00:22:32.119
 entertainment

00:22:32.119 --> 00:22:33.119
 and that created

00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:33.839
 an entire culture

00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:34.299
 where we're

00:22:34.299 --> 00:22:35.099
 entertaining ourselves

00:22:35.099 --> 00:22:35.500
 to death

00:22:35.500 --> 00:22:37.279
 now

00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:38.279
 friend

00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:39.959
 your greatest

00:22:39.959 --> 00:22:40.459
 problem

00:22:40.459 --> 00:22:42.179
 is not

00:22:42.179 --> 00:22:42.899
 that you have

00:22:42.899 --> 00:22:43.259
 pain

00:22:43.259 --> 00:22:43.919
 and need pleasure

00:22:43.919 --> 00:22:44.379
 not

00:22:44.379 --> 00:22:45.939
 that you're bored

00:22:45.939 --> 00:22:46.359
 and you need

00:22:46.359 --> 00:22:46.879
 to be entertained

00:22:46.879 --> 00:22:47.799
 our greatest problem

00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:48.559
 is that we have guilt

00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:50.179
 we bear guilt

00:22:50.179 --> 00:22:51.359
 we've accrued guilt

00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:51.879
 and I think

00:22:51.879 --> 00:22:52.779
 as a pastor

00:22:52.779 --> 00:22:53.939
 in my time

00:22:53.939 --> 00:22:54.500
 as a pastor

00:22:54.500 --> 00:22:55.699
 I've gotten to talk

00:22:55.699 --> 00:22:56.480
 to enough people

00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:57.119
 from all sorts

00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:58.039
 of different backgrounds

00:22:58.039 --> 00:22:59.459
 that they know

00:22:59.459 --> 00:23:00.339
 subconsciously

00:23:00.339 --> 00:23:00.819
 they know

00:23:00.819 --> 00:23:01.639
 deep down within

00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:03.860
 that over

00:23:03.860 --> 00:23:04.400
 the course

00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:04.900
 of a life

00:23:04.900 --> 00:23:05.300
 oh boy

00:23:05.300 --> 00:23:05.900
 think about it

00:23:05.900 --> 00:23:06.660
 year on year

00:23:06.660 --> 00:23:07.520
 day on day

00:23:07.520 --> 00:23:08.500
 week on week

00:23:08.500 --> 00:23:10.020
 how many things

00:23:10.020 --> 00:23:11.180
 we have said

00:23:11.180 --> 00:23:12.620
 and left unsaid

00:23:12.620 --> 00:23:14.800
 how many things

00:23:14.800 --> 00:23:15.540
 we have done

00:23:15.540 --> 00:23:16.460
 against others

00:23:16.460 --> 00:23:17.560
 and not done

00:23:17.560 --> 00:23:18.180
 for others

00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:19.040
 how many things

00:23:19.040 --> 00:23:20.180
 we have thought

00:23:20.180 --> 00:23:21.300
 how many things

00:23:21.300 --> 00:23:21.940
 we have acted

00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:22.540
 and enacted

00:23:22.540 --> 00:23:23.259
 against God

00:23:23.259 --> 00:23:24.020
 we know

00:23:24.020 --> 00:23:24.500
 deep down

00:23:24.500 --> 00:23:24.880
 in ourselves

00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:25.980
 we have accrued

00:23:25.980 --> 00:23:27.200
 a great debt

00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:27.540
 of guilt

00:23:27.540 --> 00:23:28.220
 before the Lord

00:23:28.220 --> 00:23:29.299
 before God

00:23:29.299 --> 00:23:30.019
 that is our

00:23:30.019 --> 00:23:30.579
 greatest problem

00:23:30.579 --> 00:23:31.519
 that is what

00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:31.920
 the gospel

00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:32.819
 came to deal with

00:23:32.819 --> 00:23:33.460
 and what we're

00:23:33.460 --> 00:23:34.240
 being told here

00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:35.500
 of something

00:23:35.500 --> 00:23:36.000
 so important

00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:37.120
 how is a human

00:23:37.120 --> 00:23:38.000
 being saved

00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:38.700
 from this great

00:23:38.700 --> 00:23:39.299
 sin problem

00:23:39.299 --> 00:23:40.059
 this great guilt

00:23:40.059 --> 00:23:40.860
 problem

00:23:40.860 --> 00:23:42.360
 Jesus Christ

00:23:42.360 --> 00:23:43.160
 died

00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:44.640
 in your place

00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:45.480
 on behalf

00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:46.180
 of your sins

00:23:46.180 --> 00:23:47.839
 taking your guilt

00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:48.779
 into himself

00:23:48.779 --> 00:23:50.120
 and paying the punishment

00:23:50.120 --> 00:23:50.819
 that you deserved

00:23:50.819 --> 00:23:51.640
 that's what we're told

00:23:51.640 --> 00:23:53.019
 now that means

00:23:53.019 --> 00:23:53.720
 you can come today

00:23:53.720 --> 00:23:54.279
 and say

00:23:54.279 --> 00:23:56.100
 the gospel

00:23:56.100 --> 00:23:57.620
 does not first

00:23:57.619 --> 00:23:58.679
 bullseye

00:23:58.679 --> 00:23:59.459
 does not first

00:23:59.459 --> 00:24:00.439
 come to deal

00:24:00.439 --> 00:24:01.179
 with our sadness

00:24:01.179 --> 00:24:02.459
 the gospel

00:24:02.459 --> 00:24:03.479
 does not first

00:24:03.479 --> 00:24:04.619
 come to deal

00:24:04.619 --> 00:24:05.559
 with our mental health

00:24:05.559 --> 00:24:07.259
 the gospel

00:24:07.259 --> 00:24:08.000
 does not come

00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:09.299
 first to be therapy

00:24:09.299 --> 00:24:09.799
 for us

00:24:09.799 --> 00:24:10.500
 the gospel

00:24:10.500 --> 00:24:11.179
 does not come

00:24:11.179 --> 00:24:11.779
 first

00:24:11.779 --> 00:24:13.099
 to deal with

00:24:13.099 --> 00:24:13.799
 our circumstantial

00:24:13.799 --> 00:24:14.139
 problems

00:24:14.139 --> 00:24:14.899
 the first

00:24:14.899 --> 00:24:15.459
 and boy

00:24:15.459 --> 00:24:15.879
 it will

00:24:15.879 --> 00:24:16.339
 it will deal

00:24:16.339 --> 00:24:16.799
 with all that

00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:18.139
 but the first

00:24:18.139 --> 00:24:18.719
 thing the gospel

00:24:18.719 --> 00:24:19.519
 does is it comes

00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:20.000
 to deal

00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:20.679
 with the fact

00:24:20.679 --> 00:24:21.719
 that we owe

00:24:21.719 --> 00:24:22.739
 that we have

00:24:22.739 --> 00:24:23.419
 merited guilt

00:24:23.419 --> 00:24:24.279
 before God the Father

00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:25.119
 that's the first

00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:25.519
 thing it comes

00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:25.779
 to do

00:24:25.779 --> 00:24:27.700
 that means

00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:29.359
 you are not

00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:29.960
 saved

00:24:29.960 --> 00:24:32.240
 by the power

00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:32.879
 of your faith

00:24:32.879 --> 00:24:33.200
 today

00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:34.720
 if you're a Christian

00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:35.460
 you're not saved

00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:37.000
 by the beauty

00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:37.819
 of your trust

00:24:37.819 --> 00:24:38.259
 today

00:24:38.259 --> 00:24:39.500
 you're not saved

00:24:39.500 --> 00:24:40.359
 by anything

00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:41.859
 that you do

00:24:41.859 --> 00:24:42.359
 in your mind

00:24:42.359 --> 00:24:42.839
 or your heart

00:24:42.839 --> 00:24:43.740
 to latch on

00:24:43.740 --> 00:24:44.160
 to the gospel

00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:44.799
 you're not actually

00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:45.440
 saved by that

00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:46.299
 what are you saved

00:24:46.299 --> 00:24:46.599
 by?

00:24:47.879 --> 00:24:48.680
 Christ alone

00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:50.940
 his substitutionary

00:24:50.940 --> 00:24:51.539
 work on the cross

00:24:51.539 --> 00:24:52.139
 that's it

00:24:52.140 --> 00:24:53.220
 imagine

00:24:53.220 --> 00:24:55.480
 imagine that

00:24:55.480 --> 00:24:55.840
 you're in the

00:24:55.840 --> 00:24:56.640
 highlands of Scotland

00:24:56.640 --> 00:24:57.360
 as I was

00:24:57.360 --> 00:24:58.000
 a couple weeks ago

00:24:58.000 --> 00:24:59.220
 and you're

00:24:59.220 --> 00:25:00.020
 walking

00:25:00.020 --> 00:25:00.660
 you're hill walking

00:25:00.660 --> 00:25:01.740
 and you fall

00:25:01.740 --> 00:25:03.620
 terrible thing to imagine

00:25:03.620 --> 00:25:04.600
 you fall off a cliff

00:25:04.600 --> 00:25:06.040
 and you're

00:25:06.040 --> 00:25:06.860
 barreling down

00:25:06.860 --> 00:25:07.460
 a ravine

00:25:07.460 --> 00:25:08.080
 you know

00:25:08.080 --> 00:25:09.340
 20 meters

00:25:09.340 --> 00:25:09.920
 30 meters

00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:10.420
 40 meters

00:25:10.420 --> 00:25:11.020
 50 meters

00:25:11.020 --> 00:25:13.320
 my illustration

00:25:13.320 --> 00:25:14.160
 probably breaks down

00:25:14.160 --> 00:25:14.700
 because you're going

00:25:14.700 --> 00:25:15.220
 too fast

00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:15.720
 to do anything

00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:16.200
 at this point

00:25:16.200 --> 00:25:16.500
 but

00:25:16.500 --> 00:25:18.240
 you're falling

00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:20.280
 and there's a branch

00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:21.039
 one branch

00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:21.759
 that you can latch

00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:22.039
 onto

00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:24.500
 and do you sit

00:25:24.500 --> 00:25:25.119
 there and say

00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:26.339
 you know

00:25:26.339 --> 00:25:27.000
 I don't know

00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:27.920
 how much faith

00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:28.720
 I have in this

00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:29.500
 branch right now

00:25:29.500 --> 00:25:30.240
 you know

00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:31.039
 and do you evaluate

00:25:31.039 --> 00:25:31.619
 and think

00:25:31.619 --> 00:25:32.339
 syllogistically

00:25:32.339 --> 00:25:33.220
 through reason

00:25:33.220 --> 00:25:34.519
 can I really

00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:35.160
 trust

00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:36.879
 that this branch

00:25:36.879 --> 00:25:37.579
 is meaningful

00:25:37.579 --> 00:25:38.740
 and will give me

00:25:38.740 --> 00:25:39.180
 the identity

00:25:39.180 --> 00:25:39.899
 that I seek in life

00:25:39.899 --> 00:25:41.019
 no

00:25:41.019 --> 00:25:41.660
 what do you do

00:25:41.660 --> 00:25:42.220
 if you're following

00:25:42.220 --> 00:25:42.980
 50 flights

00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:43.819
 you reach out

00:25:43.819 --> 00:25:44.279
 and you grab

00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:45.000
 hold of the branch

00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:46.859
 and you don't know

00:25:46.859 --> 00:25:47.480
 a lot

00:25:47.480 --> 00:25:47.980
 there's a lot

00:25:47.980 --> 00:25:48.619
 you don't know

00:25:48.619 --> 00:25:49.740
 but you just rest

00:25:49.740 --> 00:25:50.119
 on it

00:25:50.119 --> 00:25:50.619
 and you hope

00:25:50.619 --> 00:25:50.979
 that it's going

00:25:50.979 --> 00:25:51.459
 to save you

00:25:51.459 --> 00:25:52.799
 the branch

00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:53.439
 of Jesse

00:25:53.439 --> 00:25:54.879
 Jesus Christ

00:25:54.879 --> 00:25:56.179
 he saves

00:25:56.179 --> 00:25:57.579
 your falling

00:25:57.579 --> 00:25:58.179
 on that branch

00:25:58.179 --> 00:25:59.339
 does not save you

00:25:59.339 --> 00:26:01.739
 no

00:26:01.739 --> 00:26:02.859
 falling on the branch

00:26:02.859 --> 00:26:03.279
 is just how

00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:04.199
 you receive

00:26:04.199 --> 00:26:04.979
 his salvation

00:26:04.979 --> 00:26:06.579
 your faith

00:26:06.579 --> 00:26:07.819
 is falling

00:26:07.819 --> 00:26:08.639
 upon that branch

00:26:08.639 --> 00:26:09.259
 your trust

00:26:09.259 --> 00:26:09.659
 is falling

00:26:09.659 --> 00:26:10.399
 upon that branch

00:26:10.399 --> 00:26:11.539
 it's not your faith

00:26:11.539 --> 00:26:12.079
 that saves you

00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:12.279
 boy

00:26:12.279 --> 00:26:12.819
 you've got

00:26:12.819 --> 00:26:14.299
 83% faith

00:26:14.299 --> 00:26:14.659
 right now

00:26:14.659 --> 00:26:14.939
 while you're

00:26:14.939 --> 00:26:15.619
 sitting in the pew

00:26:15.619 --> 00:26:16.099
 on a Sunday

00:26:16.099 --> 00:26:17.059
 but tomorrow

00:26:17.059 --> 00:26:17.679
 it's going to go

00:26:17.679 --> 00:26:18.359
 down to 43

00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:18.779
 right

00:26:18.779 --> 00:26:20.180
 and it's going

00:26:20.180 --> 00:26:20.579
 to go up

00:26:20.579 --> 00:26:20.839
 and down

00:26:20.839 --> 00:26:21.259
 all the time

00:26:21.259 --> 00:26:21.839
 it's not the power

00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:22.220
 of your faith

00:26:22.220 --> 00:26:22.660
 that saves you

00:26:22.660 --> 00:26:23.579
 it's the object

00:26:23.579 --> 00:26:25.920
 he is for you

00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:26.759
 he is on your behalf

00:26:26.759 --> 00:26:27.379
 now thirdly

00:26:27.379 --> 00:26:29.579
 how does this work

00:26:29.579 --> 00:26:30.059
 exactly

00:26:30.059 --> 00:26:31.379
 I wish I had more time

00:26:31.379 --> 00:26:32.539
 but we'll work

00:26:32.539 --> 00:26:33.039
 on this the next

00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:33.599
 couple of weeks

00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:35.160
 how does this work

00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:35.960
 let me say this

00:26:35.960 --> 00:26:36.960
 as brief as I can

00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:37.579
 because sometimes

00:26:37.579 --> 00:26:38.660
 we miss

00:26:38.660 --> 00:26:40.339
 the mechanics

00:26:40.339 --> 00:26:41.139
 of the gospel

00:26:41.139 --> 00:26:42.819
 how does the gospel

00:26:42.819 --> 00:26:43.619
 actually work

00:26:43.619 --> 00:26:44.339
 let me put it

00:26:44.339 --> 00:26:44.679
 like this

00:26:44.679 --> 00:26:45.739
 how can

00:26:45.739 --> 00:26:47.339
 a first century

00:26:47.339 --> 00:26:47.859
 man

00:26:47.859 --> 00:26:49.319
 a carpenter

00:26:49.319 --> 00:26:50.199
 born of

00:26:50.199 --> 00:26:51.119
 a backwater town

00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:51.859
 like Nazareth

00:26:51.859 --> 00:26:52.739
 a Bethlehem

00:26:52.739 --> 00:26:53.199
 in Nazareth

00:26:53.199 --> 00:26:55.219
 matter for you

00:26:55.219 --> 00:26:56.000
 in 2025

00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:58.599
 so the Christian

00:26:58.599 --> 00:26:59.199
 gospel says it

00:26:59.199 --> 00:26:59.519
 does

00:26:59.519 --> 00:26:59.939
 but how

00:26:59.939 --> 00:27:00.639
 how could a man

00:27:00.639 --> 00:27:01.859
 in 33 AD

00:27:01.859 --> 00:27:03.239
 mean anything

00:27:03.239 --> 00:27:04.039
 for me

00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:05.159
 salvation

00:27:05.159 --> 00:27:05.819
 for me

00:27:05.819 --> 00:27:06.379
 in 2025

00:27:06.379 --> 00:27:07.039
 and here's how

00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:07.379
 it works

00:27:07.379 --> 00:27:08.159
 I can say it

00:27:08.159 --> 00:27:08.599
 very briefly

00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:09.139
 number one

00:27:09.139 --> 00:27:10.179
 Paul says

00:27:10.180 --> 00:27:11.620
 Christ died

00:27:11.620 --> 00:27:12.720
 for your sins

00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:15.060
 because Jesus Christ

00:27:15.060 --> 00:27:15.880
 is a human

00:27:15.880 --> 00:27:17.259
 he could stand

00:27:17.259 --> 00:27:17.900
 in your place

00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:19.519
 for a human

00:27:19.519 --> 00:27:21.320
 because Jesus Christ

00:27:21.320 --> 00:27:22.019
 is God

00:27:22.019 --> 00:27:23.140
 he could die

00:27:23.140 --> 00:27:23.960
 in your place

00:27:23.960 --> 00:27:24.740
 and merit

00:27:24.740 --> 00:27:26.340
 infinite value

00:27:26.340 --> 00:27:28.100
 to pay the debt

00:27:28.100 --> 00:27:28.740
 of many

00:27:28.740 --> 00:27:29.960
 that spans

00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:31.140
 across every century

00:27:31.140 --> 00:27:31.840
 backward and forward

00:27:31.840 --> 00:27:33.320
 because he's human

00:27:33.320 --> 00:27:33.799
 he can stand

00:27:33.799 --> 00:27:34.279
 in your place

00:27:34.279 --> 00:27:35.420
 because he's God

00:27:35.420 --> 00:27:36.539
 his value

00:27:36.539 --> 00:27:37.700
 can span

00:27:37.700 --> 00:27:38.539
 every century

00:27:38.539 --> 00:27:39.840
 as one who has

00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:40.379
 paid the debt

00:27:40.379 --> 00:27:41.399
 for all sin

00:27:41.399 --> 00:27:42.899
 number two

00:27:42.899 --> 00:27:43.220
 he says

00:27:43.220 --> 00:27:43.980
 he was buried

00:27:43.980 --> 00:27:45.459
 Paul says

00:27:45.459 --> 00:27:46.000
 how does the gospel

00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:46.339
 work

00:27:46.339 --> 00:27:47.259
 Jesus Christ

00:27:47.259 --> 00:27:47.899
 when he was buried

00:27:47.899 --> 00:27:48.099
 he

00:27:48.099 --> 00:27:48.939
 it's saying

00:27:48.939 --> 00:27:49.740
 that he really

00:27:49.740 --> 00:27:50.559
 did die

00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:52.019
 so Paul's

00:27:52.019 --> 00:27:52.459
 trying to get you

00:27:52.459 --> 00:27:52.859
 to see the

00:27:52.859 --> 00:27:53.779
 preposterousness

00:27:53.779 --> 00:27:54.279
 of this

00:27:54.279 --> 00:27:55.459
 how in the world

00:27:55.459 --> 00:27:56.500
 could we imagine

00:27:56.500 --> 00:27:57.419
 that God

00:27:57.419 --> 00:27:58.039
 the creator

00:27:58.039 --> 00:27:59.000
 would now be

00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:00.579
 buried in a tomb

00:28:00.579 --> 00:28:02.699
 but what is he saying

00:28:02.699 --> 00:28:02.980
 he's saying

00:28:02.980 --> 00:28:04.619
 he really was dead

00:28:04.619 --> 00:28:06.039
 so much so

00:28:06.039 --> 00:28:07.359
 that the debt

00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:08.699
 of your sin

00:28:08.699 --> 00:28:09.740
 really was paid

00:28:09.740 --> 00:28:11.079
 if Christ

00:28:11.079 --> 00:28:11.839
 almost died

00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:12.240
 then the debt

00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:12.660
 wasn't paid

00:28:12.660 --> 00:28:13.099
 but he really

00:28:13.099 --> 00:28:13.640
 was dead

00:28:13.640 --> 00:28:14.240
 and so the debt

00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:14.680
 was paid

00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:15.799
 thirdly he says

00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:16.880
 he was raised

00:28:16.880 --> 00:28:17.539
 from the dead

00:28:17.539 --> 00:28:18.779
 and appeared alive

00:28:18.779 --> 00:28:19.440
 to more than 500

00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:19.880
 people

00:28:19.880 --> 00:28:21.480
 this is where

00:28:21.480 --> 00:28:22.200
 now this

00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:23.200
 if you don't listen

00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:23.880
 to anything else

00:28:23.880 --> 00:28:24.700
 just try to

00:28:24.700 --> 00:28:25.519
 come with me

00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:25.819
 on this

00:28:25.819 --> 00:28:26.440
 and grasp hold

00:28:26.440 --> 00:28:26.720
 of this

00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:27.299
 because this is

00:28:27.299 --> 00:28:28.180
 where the mechanics

00:28:28.180 --> 00:28:29.259
 how the gospel

00:28:29.259 --> 00:28:29.720
 works

00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:30.519
 is so important

00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:31.400
 and sometimes

00:28:31.400 --> 00:28:32.120
 this piece

00:28:32.120 --> 00:28:32.700
 is missed

00:28:32.700 --> 00:28:35.259
 in Romans 425

00:28:35.259 --> 00:28:36.359
 Paul explains it

00:28:36.359 --> 00:28:37.279
 in one little line

00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:37.859
 he says

00:28:37.859 --> 00:28:39.359
 he was delivered

00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:40.079
 to death

00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:41.599
 for our sins

00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:42.319
 we've talked

00:28:42.319 --> 00:28:42.799
 about that

00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:44.439
 he was delivered

00:28:44.439 --> 00:28:44.919
 to death

00:28:44.919 --> 00:28:45.839
 on my behalf

00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:48.019
 paying the price

00:28:48.019 --> 00:28:48.839
 for my sin

00:28:48.839 --> 00:28:49.379
 my guilt

00:28:49.379 --> 00:28:50.699
 but then he says

00:28:50.699 --> 00:28:51.659
 he was raised

00:28:51.659 --> 00:28:52.179
 to life

00:28:52.179 --> 00:28:54.099
 for our justification

00:28:54.099 --> 00:28:56.619
 and that's the completion

00:28:56.619 --> 00:28:57.179
 of the gospel

00:28:57.179 --> 00:28:59.179
 if Jesus Christ

00:28:59.179 --> 00:29:00.259
 was still dead

00:29:00.259 --> 00:29:01.500
 there is no forgiveness

00:29:01.500 --> 00:29:02.079
 of sins

00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:03.899
 but he says

00:29:03.899 --> 00:29:04.500
 he was raised

00:29:04.500 --> 00:29:04.819
 to life

00:29:04.819 --> 00:29:05.619
 for our justification

00:29:05.619 --> 00:29:06.439
 what does that mean

00:29:06.439 --> 00:29:07.759
 it means this

00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:08.459
 to be justified

00:29:08.459 --> 00:29:10.899
 is to be pronounced

00:29:10.899 --> 00:29:11.899
 guilt free

00:29:11.899 --> 00:29:13.099
 your greatest problem

00:29:13.099 --> 00:29:14.119
 your guilt before the Lord

00:29:14.119 --> 00:29:14.879
 to be justified

00:29:14.879 --> 00:29:16.559
 is when God the Father

00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:17.139
 says

00:29:17.139 --> 00:29:18.399
 you're guilt free

00:29:18.399 --> 00:29:19.339
 you're cleansed

00:29:19.339 --> 00:29:19.799
 you're forgiven

00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:20.579
 there is no guilt

00:29:20.579 --> 00:29:21.319
 hanging over you

00:29:21.319 --> 00:29:22.479
 any longer forever

00:29:22.479 --> 00:29:23.779
 how does this work

00:29:23.779 --> 00:29:24.459
 the resurrection

00:29:24.459 --> 00:29:25.659
 of Jesus

00:29:25.659 --> 00:29:27.659
 was the justification

00:29:27.659 --> 00:29:30.319
 of Jesus Christ himself

00:29:30.319 --> 00:29:32.019
 okay

00:29:32.019 --> 00:29:33.179
 the resurrection of Jesus

00:29:33.179 --> 00:29:34.099
 was the justification

00:29:34.099 --> 00:29:35.299
 of Jesus

00:29:35.299 --> 00:29:36.019
 what does that mean

00:29:36.019 --> 00:29:37.419
 when Jesus rose

00:29:37.419 --> 00:29:38.079
 from the dead

00:29:38.079 --> 00:29:39.819
 God pronounced

00:29:39.819 --> 00:29:41.219
 Jesus guilt free

00:29:41.219 --> 00:29:42.839
 why

00:29:42.839 --> 00:29:44.079
 because Jesus

00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:46.059
 carried all of our sin

00:29:46.059 --> 00:29:47.599
 in his death

00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:50.139
 but when he was resurrected

00:29:50.139 --> 00:29:50.879
 God is saying

00:29:50.879 --> 00:29:51.959
 he's vindicated

00:29:51.959 --> 00:29:53.399
 he really did

00:29:53.399 --> 00:29:54.939
 completely pay

00:29:54.939 --> 00:29:56.719
 for every single sin

00:29:56.719 --> 00:29:57.599
 that has ever been

00:29:57.599 --> 00:29:58.699
 accrued in this world

00:29:58.699 --> 00:30:00.899
 he paid for it

00:30:00.899 --> 00:30:01.799
 the debt has been paid

00:30:01.799 --> 00:30:02.279
 it's over

00:30:02.279 --> 00:30:02.519
 you know

00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:03.219
 when a person

00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:03.839
 when a prisoner

00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:05.299
 pays their sentence

00:30:05.299 --> 00:30:07.259
 that they give their time

00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:07.799
 for the crime

00:30:07.799 --> 00:30:08.279
 they've committed

00:30:08.279 --> 00:30:09.420
 what happens next

00:30:09.420 --> 00:30:10.799
 they're released

00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:12.200
 you see

00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:13.420
 in the resurrection

00:30:13.420 --> 00:30:14.120
 it's saying

00:30:14.120 --> 00:30:15.120
 Jesus Christ

00:30:15.120 --> 00:30:16.200
 really did pay

00:30:16.200 --> 00:30:16.940
 for everything

00:30:16.940 --> 00:30:18.700
 so he deserves

00:30:18.700 --> 00:30:19.600
 to be raised

00:30:19.600 --> 00:30:20.579
 he deserves

00:30:20.579 --> 00:30:21.279
 to be released

00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:21.839
 he deserves

00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:22.799
 to be vindicated

00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:24.420
 and so Paul says

00:30:24.420 --> 00:30:25.180
 here's the gospel

00:30:25.180 --> 00:30:26.259
 here's the gospel

00:30:26.259 --> 00:30:27.720
 God

00:30:27.720 --> 00:30:28.480
 who stands

00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:29.480
 outside of space

00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:30.000
 and time

00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:31.220
 can say

00:30:31.220 --> 00:30:32.519
 of you today

00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:33.539
 in any century

00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:34.359
 whether it's

00:30:34.359 --> 00:30:35.559
 5th century BC

00:30:35.559 --> 00:30:37.339
 21st century AD

00:30:37.339 --> 00:30:39.039
 51st century

00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:40.140
 so long from now

00:30:40.140 --> 00:30:41.259
 any person

00:30:41.259 --> 00:30:42.200
 across space and time

00:30:42.200 --> 00:30:42.920
 that because

00:30:42.920 --> 00:30:43.920
 Jesus Christ

00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:44.579
 is God

00:30:44.579 --> 00:30:45.240
 and human

00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:46.140
 and has stood

00:30:46.140 --> 00:30:46.660
 in the place

00:30:46.660 --> 00:30:47.759
 of all the sins

00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:48.240
 of the world

00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:49.460
 God can say

00:30:49.460 --> 00:30:50.619
 by his justification

00:30:50.619 --> 00:30:52.519
 I gift you

00:30:52.519 --> 00:30:53.220
 justification

00:30:53.220 --> 00:30:55.339
 I can take

00:30:55.339 --> 00:30:56.279
 what he earned

00:30:56.279 --> 00:30:57.400
 and I can apply

00:30:57.400 --> 00:30:58.319
 it to your account

00:30:58.319 --> 00:30:59.220
 no matter what

00:30:59.220 --> 00:31:00.039
 century you live in

00:31:00.039 --> 00:31:01.799
 and that's how

00:31:01.799 --> 00:31:02.559
 the gospel works

00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:03.920
 God today

00:31:03.920 --> 00:31:04.480
 can take

00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:05.240
 what he earned

00:31:05.240 --> 00:31:06.380
 and apply it to you

00:31:06.380 --> 00:31:07.700
 right now

00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:08.100
 in the middle

00:31:08.100 --> 00:31:08.600
 of history

00:31:08.600 --> 00:31:11.220
 J.I. Packer

00:31:11.220 --> 00:31:12.360
 in his book

00:31:12.360 --> 00:31:13.460
 one of his books

00:31:13.460 --> 00:31:14.640
 he talks about

00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:15.480
 the gospel

00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:16.720
 and this idea

00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:17.480
 that Christ

00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:18.900
 sacrificed himself

00:31:18.900 --> 00:31:19.600
 for us

00:31:19.600 --> 00:31:20.319
 in our place

00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:22.039
 so that in his resurrection

00:31:22.039 --> 00:31:23.240
 we might be vindicated

00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:24.279
 we might be justified

00:31:24.279 --> 00:31:26.799
 and he deals

00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:27.759
 with a problem

00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:29.599
 that a lot of us

00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:30.279
 in the modern world

00:31:30.279 --> 00:31:31.039
 have with this

00:31:31.039 --> 00:31:31.899
 we look at that

00:31:31.899 --> 00:31:32.339
 and we say

00:31:32.339 --> 00:31:33.960
 is this not just

00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:35.359
 the same thing

00:31:35.359 --> 00:31:36.319
 as pagan

00:31:36.319 --> 00:31:37.859
 ritual sacrifice

00:31:37.859 --> 00:31:40.119
 is this not just

00:31:40.119 --> 00:31:40.759
 the same thing

00:31:40.759 --> 00:31:41.639
 as what many

00:31:41.639 --> 00:31:41.960
 have called

00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:42.519
 in the modern world

00:31:42.519 --> 00:31:43.799
 cosmic child abuse

00:31:43.799 --> 00:31:45.319
 God the Father

00:31:45.319 --> 00:31:46.379
 sacrificing a son

00:31:46.379 --> 00:31:46.899
 is this not just

00:31:46.899 --> 00:31:47.420
 a big account

00:31:47.420 --> 00:31:48.619
 of cosmic child abuse

00:31:48.619 --> 00:31:49.619
 and he goes through

00:31:49.619 --> 00:31:50.139
 and he shows

00:31:50.139 --> 00:31:50.379
 yeah

00:31:50.379 --> 00:31:51.539
 think about it

00:31:51.539 --> 00:31:52.579
 in every world religion

00:31:52.579 --> 00:31:53.259
 throughout history

00:31:53.259 --> 00:31:53.899
 the pagans

00:31:53.899 --> 00:31:54.940
 no matter what world religion

00:31:54.940 --> 00:31:56.960
 people come to the temple

00:31:56.960 --> 00:31:58.680
 and they give sacrifices

00:31:58.680 --> 00:31:59.399
 to the gods

00:31:59.399 --> 00:32:00.460
 trying to mollify

00:32:00.460 --> 00:32:01.559
 trying to pacify

00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:02.559
 trying to deal

00:32:02.559 --> 00:32:03.559
 with the guilt problem

00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:04.559
 they have with the gods

00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:05.379
 that's everywhere

00:32:05.379 --> 00:32:06.740
 why

00:32:06.740 --> 00:32:08.220
 every human

00:32:08.220 --> 00:32:09.119
 every society

00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:09.819
 recognizes

00:32:09.819 --> 00:32:10.899
 that that's our problem

00:32:10.899 --> 00:32:12.680
 so all religions

00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:13.920
 tend to manifest that

00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:14.559
 in some way

00:32:14.559 --> 00:32:16.119
 we need to pacify the gods

00:32:16.119 --> 00:32:17.119
 mollify the gods

00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:18.139
 propitiate

00:32:18.139 --> 00:32:18.839
 turn the wrath

00:32:18.839 --> 00:32:19.299
 of the gods

00:32:19.299 --> 00:32:20.079
 away from us

00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:21.379
 and J.I. Packer

00:32:21.379 --> 00:32:21.699
 writes this

00:32:21.699 --> 00:32:22.399
 what is different

00:32:22.399 --> 00:32:23.000
 in Christianity

00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:24.039
 there is something

00:32:24.039 --> 00:32:24.659
 similar there

00:32:24.659 --> 00:32:25.319
 a recognition

00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:25.779
 of guilt

00:32:25.779 --> 00:32:27.259
 but what is different

00:32:27.259 --> 00:32:27.879
 in Christianity

00:32:27.879 --> 00:32:30.439
 in all the world religions

00:32:30.439 --> 00:32:32.099
 in all of paganism

00:32:32.099 --> 00:32:33.039
 man

00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:33.839
 humans

00:32:33.839 --> 00:32:35.460
 try to propitiate

00:32:35.460 --> 00:32:36.279
 or satisfy

00:32:36.279 --> 00:32:37.539
 their guilt

00:32:37.539 --> 00:32:38.439
 themselves

00:32:38.439 --> 00:32:41.539
 man tries to propitiate

00:32:41.539 --> 00:32:42.159
 his God

00:32:42.159 --> 00:32:43.460
 Packer says

00:32:43.460 --> 00:32:44.579
 in Christianity

00:32:44.579 --> 00:32:45.879
 God

00:32:45.879 --> 00:32:47.159
 propitiates

00:32:47.160 --> 00:32:47.900
 God

00:32:47.900 --> 00:32:49.240
 God

00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:49.740
 satisfies

00:32:49.740 --> 00:32:50.160
 the wrath

00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:50.519
 of God

00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:51.560
 God

00:32:51.560 --> 00:32:52.220
 turns away

00:32:52.220 --> 00:32:52.720
 the wrath

00:32:52.720 --> 00:32:53.160
 the guilt

00:32:53.160 --> 00:32:54.279
 that we owe

00:32:54.279 --> 00:32:55.140
 the judgment

00:32:55.140 --> 00:32:56.040
 that we deserve

00:32:56.040 --> 00:32:56.900
 God does it

00:32:56.900 --> 00:32:57.759
 to God

00:32:57.759 --> 00:32:59.380
 and this is

00:32:59.380 --> 00:33:00.019
 the heart of

00:33:00.019 --> 00:33:01.140
 God's radical love

00:33:01.140 --> 00:33:01.700
 that for

00:33:01.700 --> 00:33:02.740
 that on behalf of

00:33:02.740 --> 00:33:04.259
 God did it

00:33:04.259 --> 00:33:04.620
 to God

00:33:04.620 --> 00:33:05.500
 God died

00:33:05.500 --> 00:33:06.360
 unto God

00:33:06.360 --> 00:33:07.360
 so that we might

00:33:07.360 --> 00:33:07.940
 be made alive

00:33:07.940 --> 00:33:09.279
 it's different

00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:10.200
 than every other message

00:33:10.200 --> 00:33:11.519
 all of other world religions

00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:13.100
 and so let me close

00:33:13.100 --> 00:33:13.680
 with this word

00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:15.200
 the very last thing

00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:16.220
 that happens in this passage

00:33:16.220 --> 00:33:17.140
 verse 8 to 11

00:33:17.140 --> 00:33:18.860
 Paul

00:33:18.860 --> 00:33:19.779
 just simply

00:33:19.779 --> 00:33:20.460
 very simple

00:33:20.460 --> 00:33:21.240
 Paul just simply

00:33:21.240 --> 00:33:23.860
 tells his story

00:33:23.860 --> 00:33:26.100
 and at the very end

00:33:26.100 --> 00:33:26.600
 of this passage

00:33:26.600 --> 00:33:27.220
 he says

00:33:27.220 --> 00:33:29.880
 I was on my way

00:33:29.880 --> 00:33:31.200
 to murder Christians

00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:33.460
 and Jesus showed up

00:33:33.460 --> 00:33:34.059
 in my life

00:33:34.059 --> 00:33:36.519
 and God showed me

00:33:36.519 --> 00:33:37.759
 that Christ

00:33:37.759 --> 00:33:38.539
 at the cross

00:33:38.539 --> 00:33:39.380
 was for me

00:33:39.380 --> 00:33:42.120
 and all he does

00:33:42.120 --> 00:33:42.799
 in verse 8 to 11

00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:43.660
 is write his testimony

00:33:43.660 --> 00:33:44.220
 and he says

00:33:44.220 --> 00:33:45.120
 now I know

00:33:45.120 --> 00:33:45.940
 that I'm the least

00:33:45.940 --> 00:33:46.720
 of all the apostles

00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:47.759
 I'm not worthy

00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:48.799
 to be called

00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:49.799
 one of God's children

00:33:49.799 --> 00:33:51.079
 but by grace

00:33:51.079 --> 00:33:52.200
 today I stand here

00:33:52.200 --> 00:33:53.019
 and I am what I am

00:33:53.019 --> 00:33:53.660
 remember

00:33:53.660 --> 00:33:55.519
 Paul was a murderous

00:33:55.519 --> 00:33:57.779
 hate filled

00:33:57.779 --> 00:33:58.900
 racist

00:33:58.900 --> 00:34:01.039
 that was going

00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:01.759
 to murder

00:34:01.759 --> 00:34:02.920
 anybody he could

00:34:02.920 --> 00:34:03.620
 that followed Jesus

00:34:03.620 --> 00:34:04.900
 who hated the Gentiles

00:34:04.900 --> 00:34:06.440
 Paul

00:34:06.440 --> 00:34:07.779
 by his religion

00:34:07.779 --> 00:34:08.179
 said

00:34:08.179 --> 00:34:09.019
 I am better

00:34:09.019 --> 00:34:09.840
 than all of these

00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:10.780
 people around me

00:34:10.780 --> 00:34:11.679
 and he said

00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:12.619
 when I encountered

00:34:12.619 --> 00:34:13.900
 the truth about Jesus

00:34:13.900 --> 00:34:15.599
 I realized

00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:17.059
 what do people want

00:34:17.059 --> 00:34:17.539
 in the modern world

00:34:17.539 --> 00:34:18.660
 they want equality

00:34:18.660 --> 00:34:20.700
 boy

00:34:20.700 --> 00:34:22.440
 Paul found

00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:24.320
 real equality

00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:24.720
 he said

00:34:24.720 --> 00:34:25.680
 in the gospel

00:34:25.680 --> 00:34:26.500
 I learned

00:34:26.500 --> 00:34:27.539
 that everybody

00:34:27.539 --> 00:34:29.039
 is equally a sinner

00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:30.079
 in need

00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:30.800
 of God's grace

00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:31.940
 he realized

00:34:31.940 --> 00:34:32.559
 he said

00:34:32.559 --> 00:34:32.820
 you know

00:34:32.820 --> 00:34:33.300
 I thought

00:34:33.300 --> 00:34:33.980
 I was better

00:34:33.980 --> 00:34:34.559
 than everybody else

00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:35.059
 around me

00:34:35.059 --> 00:34:36.240
 but then when I found

00:34:36.240 --> 00:34:36.680
 the gospel

00:34:36.680 --> 00:34:37.360
 I realized

00:34:37.360 --> 00:34:38.180
 that I'm the least

00:34:38.180 --> 00:34:38.980
 I'm the worst

00:34:38.980 --> 00:34:40.679
 the gospel

00:34:40.679 --> 00:34:41.920
 is so humanizing

00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:43.599
 it's so impartial

00:34:43.599 --> 00:34:44.400
 it brings such

00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:45.300
 radical equality

00:34:45.300 --> 00:34:45.900
 to all people

00:34:45.900 --> 00:34:46.460
 because it says

00:34:46.460 --> 00:34:47.260
 to every one of us

00:34:47.260 --> 00:34:49.199
 you're a sinner

00:34:49.199 --> 00:34:50.400
 in need of grace

00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:52.840
 all of us equal

00:34:52.840 --> 00:34:53.539
 all of us

00:34:53.539 --> 00:34:54.280
 in the same position

00:34:54.280 --> 00:34:54.719
 you know

00:34:54.719 --> 00:34:55.820
 if you make your God

00:34:55.820 --> 00:34:57.699
 a political agenda

00:34:57.699 --> 00:34:59.260
 if you make

00:34:59.260 --> 00:35:00.039
 your God

00:35:00.039 --> 00:35:01.659
 the self-salvation

00:35:01.659 --> 00:35:03.019
 seeking of your career

00:35:03.019 --> 00:35:03.719
 and your successes

00:35:03.719 --> 00:35:04.740
 if you make your God

00:35:04.740 --> 00:35:05.780
 a football team

00:35:05.780 --> 00:35:07.680
 yeah

00:35:07.680 --> 00:35:08.720
 if you make your God

00:35:08.720 --> 00:35:09.480
 nationalism

00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:10.240
 a country

00:35:10.240 --> 00:35:11.500
 saying I just want

00:35:11.500 --> 00:35:11.960
 everybody to know

00:35:11.960 --> 00:35:12.460
 that my country

00:35:12.460 --> 00:35:12.860
 is better than

00:35:12.860 --> 00:35:13.360
 the next country

00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:14.700
 if you make your God

00:35:14.700 --> 00:35:15.740
 any of these things

00:35:15.740 --> 00:35:16.680
 you will always

00:35:16.680 --> 00:35:17.600
 look out and say

00:35:17.600 --> 00:35:19.380
 I am positioning myself

00:35:19.380 --> 00:35:20.160
 as better than

00:35:20.160 --> 00:35:20.720
 the next person

00:35:20.720 --> 00:35:21.380
 somehow someway

00:35:21.380 --> 00:35:23.780
 I must be

00:35:23.780 --> 00:35:24.480
 my goal in life

00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:25.560
 is to have a better

00:35:25.560 --> 00:35:25.920
 career

00:35:25.920 --> 00:35:26.800
 a better nation

00:35:26.800 --> 00:35:28.040
 a better football team

00:35:28.040 --> 00:35:28.660
 a better this

00:35:28.660 --> 00:35:29.280
 a better that

00:35:29.280 --> 00:35:31.000
 and Paul said

00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:32.320
 that's who I was

00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:33.360
 but then I realized

00:35:33.360 --> 00:35:35.200
 I'm just a sinner

00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:37.039
 in need of grace

00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:39.019
 that's all of us

00:35:39.019 --> 00:35:39.859
 do you have a testimony

00:35:39.859 --> 00:35:42.319
 do you have a testimony

00:35:42.319 --> 00:35:43.099
 that can say

00:35:43.099 --> 00:35:44.699
 I'm just a sinner

00:35:44.699 --> 00:35:46.439
 in need of God's

00:35:46.439 --> 00:35:47.319
 precious grace

00:35:47.319 --> 00:35:49.119
 you can have a testimony

00:35:49.119 --> 00:35:51.779
 let us pray

00:35:51.779 --> 00:35:52.119
 Father

00:35:52.119 --> 00:35:54.939
 give us a testimony today

00:35:54.939 --> 00:35:56.599
 of the power

00:35:56.599 --> 00:35:57.099
 of the gospel

00:35:57.099 --> 00:35:57.899
 in our lives

00:35:57.899 --> 00:35:58.599
 that Christ

00:35:58.599 --> 00:36:01.019
 Christ died

00:36:01.019 --> 00:36:01.759
 on our behalf

00:36:01.759 --> 00:36:03.939
 thank you Lord Jesus

00:36:03.940 --> 00:36:05.579
 we want grateful hearts

00:36:05.579 --> 00:36:06.039
 this morning

00:36:06.039 --> 00:36:07.599
 teach us

00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:08.619
 the power of the gospel

00:36:08.619 --> 00:36:09.539
 remind us today

00:36:09.539 --> 00:36:09.980
 of the gospel

00:36:09.980 --> 00:36:11.320
 help us to never forget

00:36:11.320 --> 00:36:12.360
 the gospel

00:36:12.360 --> 00:36:14.639
 so Lord

00:36:14.639 --> 00:36:15.740
 send us today

00:36:15.740 --> 00:36:16.420
 into our city

00:36:16.420 --> 00:36:17.679
 living out of the resources

00:36:17.679 --> 00:36:18.220
 of the gospel

00:36:18.220 --> 00:36:18.700
 we pray

00:36:18.700 --> 00:36:19.780
 in Jesus name

00:36:19.780 --> 00:36:20.420
 Amen