WEBVTT

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 I'm going to read from God's word for us now.

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 We are in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7.

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 Matthew chapter 7, verses 1 to 6.

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 Why do you see the speck that's in your brother's eye,

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 but do not notice the log that's in your own eye?

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 Or how can you say to your brother,

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 let me take the speck out of your eye when there's a log in your own eye?

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 You hypocrite.

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 First, take the log out of your own eye,

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 and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

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 Do not give dogs what is holy,

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 and do not throw your pearls before pigs,

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 lest they trample them underfoot and attack you.

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 Amen.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Good evening.

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 If you have a Bible with you,

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 please do keep it open at Matthew 7, verses 1 to 6,

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 which Chris just read for us.

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 Cultures, even generations,

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 culture after culture within the same place,

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 have very different values on judging other people.

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 Way back, a long, long time ago,

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 when I was a teenager, back in the 1990s,

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 UK culture, and it was the same in US culture as well,

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 was all about not judging other people.

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 Don't be judgmental was the message of that age.

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 And that had all of its own values behind it.

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 The idea was nobody has the moral high ground over anyone else.

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 We're all trying to live life on our own terms,

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 so you just don't have the right to judge someone else.

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 But really, the thing that made that so normal

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 was the world's most popular TV show at the time,

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 which was called Friends.

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 Some of you are just old enough to remember it,

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 so I commiserate with you.

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 Some of you are too old or too young,

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 and you should count yourself blessed.

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 But when I was a teenager, this is what everyone watched.

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 It was about six young adults living in New York,

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 living life without any bigger moral framework,

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 all trying to make their own way in life.

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 And the big idea in that show with what it meant to be a friend

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 was that you were never judgmental of your friends.

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 You were always affirming, always supportive.

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 A friend would never say to one of their friends

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 that there's a connection between their actions

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 and the consequences of those actions.

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 That's not what friends were supposed to do.

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 So the worst thing that you could be was judgmental.

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 Nowadays, though, that has all flipped around.

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 And now we live in a culture in the West at large,

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 here in Edinburgh, that is pro-judgmental,

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 that's highly judgmental.

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 There's something wrong with you nowadays

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 if you don't judge people,

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 if you see evil in the world,

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 if you see evil in someone else's life,

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 when you don't call it out,

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 what do we say to that?

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 We say, silence is violence, right?

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 Who's the icon of our age?

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 It's not Joey and Chandler

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 not pointing out the consequences of their actions.

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 It's Greta Thunberg who's become a global celebrity

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 by going around saying,

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 how dare you?

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 Shame on you to everyone,

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 making us all feel really bad about ourselves.

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 And ours is the age that has given rise

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 to what gets called cancel culture,

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 which is a really deep rejection

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 of the kind of culture that I grew up in

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 in the 1990s,

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 which was only a firm culture.

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 So the question is,

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 if we think about these two cultures,

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 1990s culture, 2025 culture,

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 which one gets judgment right?

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 Because they can't both be true.

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 Let me say something

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 that's going to end in a prediction.

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 I don't claim to be a prophet

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 and we don't really do that

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 in a reformed church like this,

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 but a humble prediction.

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 The reason that the culture we have now,

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 at this moment,

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 which is so into being judgmental,

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 the reason for that is that

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 what came before that age of,

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 don't judge me,

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 don't make me face consequences

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 for my actions,

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 that way of living

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 just doesn't really work in real life

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 because actions do have consequences.

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 And even back in the 1990s,

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 nobody really believed

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 that we should never judge

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 another human being for anything ever.

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 Imagine you walk into your home

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 and you find someone burgling it

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 and you say,

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 stop, burglar, that's wrong.

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 And the guy turns around

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 and says to you,

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 don't judge me.

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 Did anyone ever say,

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 well, it is 1995,

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 so I suppose you're right.

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 People just didn't do that.

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 But what that culture back then

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 tried to hold on to,

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 we could put it in Christian terms,

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 was something like this.

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 show me grace,

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 but don't you dare tell me

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 I'm a sinner.

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 So, it was something like

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 grace without righteousness

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 and that doesn't work.

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 So, what our culture has done

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 is just to swap all of that around.

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 It inverted it.

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 And now we have the opposite.

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 I will condemn you

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 for being a sinner,

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 but there's no grace for you.

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 There's no redemption.

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 There's only shame.

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 And there's your cancellation.

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 And that doesn't work

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 in real life either.

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 That is a crushing way to live

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 because nobody is perfect.

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 And if the judgment turns on us,

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 there isn't a prospect of redemption.

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 So, then life becomes a game.

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 And the way that you play the game

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 is you keep the arrow of judgment

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 pointed away from yourself

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 as much as you can.

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 Always point it at someone else

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 because the moment it turns on you,

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 the game is up.

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 And you don't want anyone

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 to go looking for the skeletons

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 in your closet

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 and that motivates you

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 to look for them

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 in everyone else's.

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 Okay?

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 It's all a big game of distraction

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 away from ourselves.

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 And that's not satisfying either.

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 It's a really ugly way to live.

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 So, here's the prediction.

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 What will come next?

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 Well, eventually,

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 the culture we have now

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 will give up

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 on this way of being judgmental.

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 And what will come next?

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 Well, I think what we see now

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 is that it's changing already.

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 Our culture is really tribal

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 in lots of ways.

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 Identity, political groups,

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 all that kind of stuff.

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 And what people increasingly expect

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 is righteousness without grace

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 for whoever the opposite tribe

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 to mine is

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 and grace without righteousness

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 for me and my tribe.

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 Okay?

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 We want acceptance for ourselves

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 and condemnation for the other.

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 But those things are really separate.

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 But that doesn't work either.

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 Eventually, people will move on from that

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 because it's just another way

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 to shuffle around

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 the same set of options

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 that don't work.

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 Now, what I want us to see tonight

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 when we're looking at these verses

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 in Matthew 7

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 is that Christianity

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 offers us a way

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 to think about judgment

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 that you will not find

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 in the same holistic form,

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 the same true-to-life form,

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 the same true-to-God form.

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 You won't find that

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 in the culture around us.

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 However, the culture

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 tries to shift itself

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 unless our culture

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 were to be really deeply,

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 profoundly impacted

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 by the gospel.

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 So we're looking at verses 1 to 6.

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 And these are a really puzzling few verses,

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 a really puzzling unit

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 in the Sermon on the Mount.

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 So the Sermon on the Mount

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 is this big, long sermon

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 that Jesus preaches.

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 And this is a very strange part within it.

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 At least it seems like that

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 when we read it first.

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 Because it begins with Jesus saying,

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 don't judge other people,

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 verse 1.

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 But then in verse 6,

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 Jesus himself calls some people

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 pigs and dogs.

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 And which sounds like

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 he's judging them.

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 And in the middle of that,

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 there's this really puzzling story,

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 this parable,

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 about someone who has

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 a whole log of wood

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 stuck in his eye

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 and who can't see

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 that log of wood there.

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 And he's trying to take

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 a tiny splinter

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 out of someone else's eye.

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 So there's a lot going on

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 in these six verses.

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 And the big challenge

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 in reading them

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 is trying to work out

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 what verses 1 to 5,

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 don't judge people,

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 don't be a hypocrite,

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 you know,

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 with a plank of wood

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 in your eye,

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 what that has to do

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 with verse 6.

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 Don't cast your,

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 don't give what's holy

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 to the dogs,

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 don't cast your pearls

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 to pigs.

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 And it's such a strange

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 combination

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 that some scholars

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 on the Bible,

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 even some really good ones,

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 have thought

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 that they just,

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 that they can't be connected.

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 This can't really be

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 one whole idea

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 that Jesus has.

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 So even,

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 so John Calvin,

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 really great commentator

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 on the Bible,

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 thought that

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 when Matthew was writing down

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 Jesus' sermon,

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 these were simply

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 two different things

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 that Jesus was talking about.

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 And they follow one another

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 in what he writes down,

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 but they're not intended

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 to be read

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 as one whole unit.

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 But one scholar

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 who saw that they are connected,

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 I think he was right,

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 was John Stott,

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 a great preacher,

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 Bible commentator

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 in London.

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 And John Stott said that,

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 I think he was right on this,

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 that these verses,

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 one to six,

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 and actually even

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 what comes next as well,

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 are all one movement,

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 one idea,

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 because there's a thread

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 that runs through all of them,

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 and that is relationships.

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 So verses one to five,

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 if you are a Christian,

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 are about your relationships

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 to other Christians.

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 Verse six, then,

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 if you are a Christian,

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 is about your relationships

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 to some non-Christians.

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 And what comes next

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 from verse seven

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 is your relationship

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 to God.

00:10:21.580 --> 00:10:22.680
 Okay, so Stott saw

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 that these are all

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 different ways

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 that Jesus is addressing

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 how the gospel shapes

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 the relationships we have

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 to all these different,

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 these different people,

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 and then to God.

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 And when you read

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 the verses like that,

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 it makes a lot of sense,

00:10:36.680 --> 00:10:37.560
 not just of these verses,

00:10:37.800 --> 00:10:39.140
 but actually of what we see

00:10:39.140 --> 00:10:40.140
 throughout the gospels

00:10:40.140 --> 00:10:40.720
 at large,

00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:41.720
 and throughout the New Testament

00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:42.680
 at large.

00:10:42.679 --> 00:10:44.799
 Because when Jesus says,

00:10:45.479 --> 00:10:46.219
 don't judge,

00:10:47.239 --> 00:10:48.319
 he's not saying,

00:10:49.099 --> 00:10:51.299
 never use your critical faculties,

00:10:51.939 --> 00:10:52.079
 you know,

00:10:52.079 --> 00:10:53.899
 never form an opinion,

00:10:54.199 --> 00:10:55.179
 never reach a verdict

00:10:55.179 --> 00:10:56.819
 where you have to discern something.

00:10:57.459 --> 00:10:58.919
 Imagine you take your car

00:10:58.919 --> 00:10:59.539
 to the garage,

00:10:59.899 --> 00:11:00.019
 you know,

00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:00.719
 you're driving it,

00:11:01.099 --> 00:11:02.419
 something doesn't seem right,

00:11:02.620 --> 00:11:04.379
 and you think it needs looked at,

00:11:04.419 --> 00:11:05.279
 so you take it to the garage,

00:11:05.439 --> 00:11:06.879
 and you ask a mechanic,

00:11:07.299 --> 00:11:07.979
 have a look at it,

00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:08.379
 tell me,

00:11:08.500 --> 00:11:10.259
 is this car safe to drive or not?

00:11:10.259 --> 00:11:12.919
 And then the mechanic,

00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:13.860
 you know,

00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:15.860
 does what he does with the car,

00:11:15.939 --> 00:11:16.539
 but then he tells you,

00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:17.439
 I'm really sorry,

00:11:17.580 --> 00:11:19.139
 but I'm actually a Christian,

00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:20.379
 so I'm not allowed to make

00:11:20.379 --> 00:11:21.419
 that kind of judgment call.

00:11:21.700 --> 00:11:23.179
 That's not what Jesus is saying.

00:11:25.340 --> 00:11:27.360
 The word for judge here

00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:29.679
 comes up a lot in the gospels,

00:11:29.799 --> 00:11:31.019
 comes up a lot in Matthew's gospel,

00:11:31.419 --> 00:11:34.299
 and it's something that Jesus says,

00:11:34.379 --> 00:11:35.439
 God the Father does,

00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:38.840
 something Jesus says that he does,

00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:41.519
 and the word means specifically

00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.800
 someone who sits in judgment

00:11:43.800 --> 00:11:45.399
 over someone else

00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:47.420
 to discern the difference

00:11:47.420 --> 00:11:49.360
 between good and evil,

00:11:50.060 --> 00:11:50.200
 okay?

00:11:50.259 --> 00:11:52.080
 And now this is a really important point.

00:11:52.980 --> 00:11:55.180
 There are other places in the gospels

00:11:55.180 --> 00:11:57.180
 where Jesus tells his followers

00:11:57.180 --> 00:11:59.019
 that they should judge.

00:12:00.280 --> 00:12:02.060
 In John 7, he says,

00:12:02.560 --> 00:12:04.040
 do not judge by appearances,

00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:06.580
 but judge with right judgment.

00:12:06.580 --> 00:12:09.220
 In Luke 12, he asks a crowd of people,

00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:11.660
 why do you not judge for yourselves

00:12:11.660 --> 00:12:12.460
 what is right?

00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:16.360
 So what we have here in Matthew 7

00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:20.180
 is Jesus teaching on judgment done badly,

00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:20.800
 okay?

00:12:20.800 --> 00:12:21.320
 If it's possible,

00:12:21.420 --> 00:12:22.879
 if Jesus says judge with right judgment,

00:12:23.100 --> 00:12:24.500
 it's also possible to judge

00:12:24.500 --> 00:12:25.320
 with wrong judgment,

00:12:25.660 --> 00:12:27.639
 and that's what he's addressing here.

00:12:29.660 --> 00:12:32.000
 Judgment done badly between Christians,

00:12:32.220 --> 00:12:33.900
 people judging with wrong judgment,

00:12:33.899 --> 00:12:35.319
 and then after that,

00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:37.799
 Christians lacking good judgment

00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:40.620
 in how they relate to some non-Christians.

00:12:41.860 --> 00:12:42.500
 So there was a,

00:12:42.899 --> 00:12:43.980
 I already quoted John Stock,

00:12:44.139 --> 00:12:44.720
 pastor in London,

00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:45.980
 there was another pastor in London

00:12:45.980 --> 00:12:47.039
 called Charles Spurgeon,

00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:50.220
 and he had a really excellent insight

00:12:50.220 --> 00:12:52.379
 also on how these verses hold together.

00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:55.120
 And he said that if you really take

00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:57.079
 the Christian gospel to heart,

00:12:57.699 --> 00:12:59.500
 it will shape you in two ways.

00:12:59.819 --> 00:13:01.220
 It will make you a particular kind of person

00:13:01.220 --> 00:13:01.800
 in two ways.

00:13:03.060 --> 00:13:04.180
 On the one hand,

00:13:04.580 --> 00:13:07.279
 it will stop you from being censorious.

00:13:07.980 --> 00:13:09.259
 I'll explain what that means in a minute.

00:13:10.200 --> 00:13:11.100
 And on the other hand,

00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:12.180
 he said it will stop you

00:13:12.180 --> 00:13:13.279
 from being a simpleton,

00:13:13.620 --> 00:13:13.740
 okay?

00:13:13.740 --> 00:13:14.580
 And we could update the language.

00:13:14.660 --> 00:13:15.860
 It will stop you from being naive,

00:13:16.620 --> 00:13:16.800
 okay?

00:13:16.800 --> 00:13:18.440
 So it'll stop you from being censorious,

00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:20.279
 and the gospel will stop you

00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:21.440
 from being naive.

00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:26.300
 So I'm just plagiarizing Spurgeon entirely

00:13:26.300 --> 00:13:27.279
 because those are the two points

00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:28.040
 of the sermon, okay?

00:13:28.060 --> 00:13:29.180
 The two ways that the gospel

00:13:29.179 --> 00:13:30.599
 shapes you in your relationships,

00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:31.919
 as we think about judgment,

00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:33.739
 stops you from being censorious,

00:13:33.939 --> 00:13:34.299
 point one,

00:13:34.419 --> 00:13:35.879
 and it stops you from being naive,

00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:36.719
 point two.

00:13:37.659 --> 00:13:38.739
 So don't be censorious.

00:13:39.979 --> 00:13:42.779
 In our culture nowadays,

00:13:43.179 --> 00:13:45.120
 a lot of people confuse the word

00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:46.799
 censorious with censorship.

00:13:47.419 --> 00:13:48.000
 So if you look up,

00:13:48.079 --> 00:13:49.319
 if you Google censorious

00:13:49.319 --> 00:13:50.539
 and look at the news,

00:13:50.919 --> 00:13:52.959
 you'll find a lot of journalists saying,

00:13:53.059 --> 00:13:54.399
 we live in a censorious culture

00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:55.379
 when they're talking about,

00:13:55.459 --> 00:13:55.740
 you know,

00:13:55.799 --> 00:13:57.339
 books that get banned by libraries

00:13:57.340 --> 00:13:58.220
 or something like that.

00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:00.220
 But that's not what the word censorious

00:14:00.220 --> 00:14:02.160
 means, okay?

00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:04.220
 But in the way that I'm using it.

00:14:04.840 --> 00:14:07.080
 So someone who is censorious

00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:09.440
 is someone who is severely,

00:14:10.280 --> 00:14:12.180
 harshly critical of other people.

00:14:12.800 --> 00:14:12.879
 Okay?

00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:13.540
 John stopped,

00:14:13.899 --> 00:14:14.820
 defined it like this.

00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:20.100
 Censoriousness is a compound sin.

00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:22.759
 It's a sin made up of different parts.

00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:25.439
 It's a compound sin composed

00:14:25.439 --> 00:14:27.860
 of several unpleasant ingredients.

00:14:28.779 --> 00:14:31.019
 It does not mean to assess people critically,

00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:33.419
 but to judge them harshly.

00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:36.980
 The censorious critic is a fault finder

00:14:36.980 --> 00:14:39.039
 who is negative and destructive

00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:40.139
 towards other people

00:14:40.139 --> 00:14:43.819
 and enjoys actively seeking out their failings.

00:14:44.299 --> 00:14:46.159
 He puts the worst possible spin

00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:47.039
 on their motives,

00:14:47.740 --> 00:14:49.179
 pours cold water on their schemes,

00:14:49.179 --> 00:14:52.339
 and is ungenerous toward their mistakes.

00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:54.039
 So the thing is,

00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:55.919
 if you're a censorious person,

00:14:56.439 --> 00:14:59.139
 it means that you appoint yourself

00:14:59.139 --> 00:15:00.199
 the judge,

00:15:00.539 --> 00:15:01.120
 the jury,

00:15:01.299 --> 00:15:02.059
 and the executioner

00:15:02.779 --> 00:15:04.319
 for other people.

00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:05.819
 And deep down,

00:15:05.899 --> 00:15:07.199
 you actually enjoy it.

00:15:07.479 --> 00:15:08.879
 You like being the judge,

00:15:09.179 --> 00:15:10.479
 and you take it upon yourself

00:15:10.479 --> 00:15:12.120
 never to be the one who's judged.

00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:14.120
 You think that you belong

00:15:14.120 --> 00:15:15.439
 on the bench,

00:15:15.559 --> 00:15:16.579
 but not in the dock.

00:15:16.580 --> 00:15:20.740
 And here's where this is exactly,

00:15:21.180 --> 00:15:24.360
 why this is a very pervasive thing

00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:25.520
 in the culture that we live in,

00:15:25.580 --> 00:15:26.440
 why this is an idol

00:15:26.440 --> 00:15:28.320
 that's offered to us every day.

00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:32.660
 Our culture in Edinburgh today

00:15:32.660 --> 00:15:35.420
 believes in something like righteousness

00:15:35.420 --> 00:15:36.840
 and judgment,

00:15:37.960 --> 00:15:40.100
 but our culture doesn't really believe

00:15:40.100 --> 00:15:42.480
 very strongly in forgiveness or grace.

00:15:42.580 --> 00:15:43.860
 You know, we talk about karma

00:15:43.860 --> 00:15:45.080
 a lot nowadays,

00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:46.460
 but much less about grace.

00:15:47.940 --> 00:15:49.920
 And that means that in our culture,

00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:53.080
 to be judged by other people

00:15:53.080 --> 00:15:54.520
 is terrifying,

00:15:54.940 --> 00:15:55.780
 it's devastating,

00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:57.759
 because our culture can offer,

00:15:57.960 --> 00:15:59.060
 it can condemn us,

00:15:59.160 --> 00:16:00.800
 but it doesn't really have ways

00:16:00.800 --> 00:16:02.420
 to offer us a path back.

00:16:03.060 --> 00:16:05.420
 It can't offer us redemption.

00:16:06.259 --> 00:16:08.280
 And that means that we have an incentive

00:16:08.280 --> 00:16:10.300
 to judge other people.

00:16:10.299 --> 00:16:12.059
 And the more we do that,

00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:13.000
 the more we think

00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:14.359
 that we're protecting ourselves

00:16:14.359 --> 00:16:15.599
 from the judgment

00:16:15.599 --> 00:16:16.839
 ever turning on us.

00:16:17.179 --> 00:16:18.439
 And so we tell ourselves

00:16:18.439 --> 00:16:19.620
 that we are righteous,

00:16:19.779 --> 00:16:20.919
 that whatever the big issue is,

00:16:21.179 --> 00:16:22.819
 I am on the right side of history,

00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:24.459
 and other people

00:16:24.459 --> 00:16:25.799
 are the immoral ones,

00:16:25.899 --> 00:16:27.120
 and I rage against them.

00:16:28.579 --> 00:16:29.339
 But really,

00:16:29.500 --> 00:16:31.699
 we just become censorious,

00:16:32.219 --> 00:16:33.639
 which is a way of trying to hide

00:16:33.639 --> 00:16:35.339
 underneath all of that,

00:16:35.399 --> 00:16:36.659
 trying to hide from the judgment

00:16:36.659 --> 00:16:38.599
 ever pointing around to us.

00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:41.080
 So in real life,

00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:43.300
 if this is you,

00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:46.820
 maybe you are that person

00:16:46.820 --> 00:16:48.139
 in the staff room

00:16:48.139 --> 00:16:50.680
 who always likes to draw attention

00:16:50.680 --> 00:16:51.940
 to other people's failings.

00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:53.259
 You know, if you talk about a colleague,

00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:53.980
 it begins with,

00:16:54.180 --> 00:16:55.720
 you know, the problem with her is,

00:16:56.540 --> 00:16:57.860
 the issue with him is,

00:16:59.220 --> 00:17:00.879
 and maybe you enjoy the way

00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:02.300
 that you think it makes you

00:17:02.300 --> 00:17:03.240
 look better than them.

00:17:04.539 --> 00:17:05.519
 In real life,

00:17:05.700 --> 00:17:06.720
 maybe this means that

00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:08.319
 you're the person who lurks

00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:09.639
 on social media

00:17:09.639 --> 00:17:10.899
 waiting for one of the people

00:17:10.899 --> 00:17:12.259
 in the other tribe

00:17:12.259 --> 00:17:13.119
 to say something

00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:14.599
 that you can condemn them for,

00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:15.859
 and those are the comments

00:17:15.859 --> 00:17:16.579
 that you lead with.

00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:20.579
 And you express your righteous anger,

00:17:20.740 --> 00:17:21.539
 and you enjoy the,

00:17:21.659 --> 00:17:22.799
 all the wee dopamine hits

00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:23.960
 that come with everyone else

00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:25.200
 in your tribe liking it.

00:17:26.139 --> 00:17:27.279
 Or maybe you're the bully

00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:27.960
 in your playground,

00:17:28.759 --> 00:17:29.839
 and you love to point out

00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:30.639
 how rubbish

00:17:30.639 --> 00:17:32.500
 all the other kids are.

00:17:33.259 --> 00:17:34.319
 In the Sermon on the Mount,

00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:35.899
 if that's you,

00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:38.319
 Jesus' counsel to you is,

00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:40.599
 you need to live a different way.

00:17:41.220 --> 00:17:42.299
 Don't be censorious.

00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:44.740
 And he says that in a way

00:17:44.740 --> 00:17:46.619
 that speaks very directly

00:17:46.619 --> 00:17:47.539
 into our culture.

00:17:48.579 --> 00:17:50.379
 The reason that Jesus gives

00:17:50.379 --> 00:17:51.279
 for why you should not be

00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:52.599
 a censorious person

00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:54.700
 is that you can only pretend

00:17:54.700 --> 00:17:56.579
 to be the judge for so long.

00:17:57.079 --> 00:17:58.159
 You can't do it forever.

00:17:58.160 --> 00:17:58.880
 Eventually,

00:18:00.220 --> 00:18:01.960
 you must be the one

00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:03.279
 who also gets judged.

00:18:03.860 --> 00:18:04.980
 You can't put it off forever,

00:18:05.320 --> 00:18:06.540
 and when that happens,

00:18:06.860 --> 00:18:07.620
 you will be held

00:18:07.620 --> 00:18:09.779
 to the same merciless standard,

00:18:09.940 --> 00:18:11.680
 the same harshly critical standard,

00:18:12.100 --> 00:18:12.980
 that you've been dishing out

00:18:12.980 --> 00:18:13.759
 to everyone else.

00:18:15.600 --> 00:18:17.200
 It's exactly the same logic

00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:18.440
 as when Jesus said,

00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:19.779
 if you live by the sword,

00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:21.420
 you will die by the sword.

00:18:21.860 --> 00:18:23.720
 If you live by censoriousness,

00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:25.940
 you will die by censoriousness.

00:18:25.940 --> 00:18:28.140
 If you choose,

00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:29.900
 in a censorious culture,

00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:31.840
 to be a censorious person,

00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:33.420
 eventually,

00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:34.980
 well, that's the only game in town.

00:18:35.059 --> 00:18:35.779
 You will have to be

00:18:35.779 --> 00:18:36.900
 on the receiving end of it.

00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:38.240
 Eventually,

00:18:38.460 --> 00:18:40.100
 some other judgmental person

00:18:40.100 --> 00:18:41.220
 will shine a light

00:18:41.220 --> 00:18:42.779
 into the dark corners of your life

00:18:42.779 --> 00:18:43.960
 and show you no mercy.

00:18:44.420 --> 00:18:44.480
 Okay?

00:18:44.660 --> 00:18:45.860
 True story that many of you

00:18:45.860 --> 00:18:46.380
 will have read

00:18:46.380 --> 00:18:47.460
 in the newspapers

00:18:47.460 --> 00:18:48.900
 a week or so ago

00:18:48.900 --> 00:18:49.600
 here in Scotland.

00:18:50.140 --> 00:18:51.019
 There was a politician

00:18:51.019 --> 00:18:53.039
 who was doing moral grandstanding

00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:54.640
 against second homeowners.

00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:55.820
 Because we have

00:18:55.819 --> 00:18:56.579
 a housing crisis,

00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:57.339
 there are a lot of people

00:18:57.339 --> 00:18:58.079
 who really struggle

00:18:58.079 --> 00:18:59.579
 to find a place to live.

00:19:00.159 --> 00:19:01.439
 This politician was railing

00:19:01.439 --> 00:19:02.419
 against second homeowners

00:19:02.419 --> 00:19:03.740
 and how immoral this is.

00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:04.460
 And shame on you

00:19:04.460 --> 00:19:05.419
 if you have a second home.

00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:07.039
 Only for someone else

00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:08.119
 to do some digging on her

00:19:08.119 --> 00:19:08.599
 and it turned out

00:19:08.599 --> 00:19:09.859
 she has a second home in Scotland,

00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:11.379
 she has a third home in Spain

00:19:11.379 --> 00:19:12.279
 where the housing crisis

00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:13.299
 is much worse.

00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:15.700
 If you live by censoriousness,

00:19:15.740 --> 00:19:17.439
 you will die by censoriousness.

00:19:19.439 --> 00:19:20.379
 But the gospel

00:19:20.379 --> 00:19:21.799
 offers you

00:19:21.799 --> 00:19:23.159
 a different way to live.

00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:24.500
 It offers you the chance

00:19:24.500 --> 00:19:26.019
 to be a different kind of person.

00:19:27.380 --> 00:19:29.240
 If you've really taken it to heart,

00:19:30.420 --> 00:19:32.460
 then the gospel tells you

00:19:32.460 --> 00:19:33.900
 that before God

00:19:33.900 --> 00:19:35.820
 you were morally bankrupt.

00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:38.160
 You were spiritually empty.

00:19:38.920 --> 00:19:39.860
 And you were guilty

00:19:39.860 --> 00:19:41.140
 before God

00:19:41.140 --> 00:19:42.300
 as a rebel.

00:19:42.800 --> 00:19:43.860
 And you were his enemy

00:19:43.860 --> 00:19:44.600
 but he showed you

00:19:44.600 --> 00:19:46.560
 completely undeserved mercy

00:19:46.560 --> 00:19:47.420
 and he made you,

00:19:47.820 --> 00:19:48.800
 he put you in the category

00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:49.399
 a friend.

00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:52.259
 And he adopted you,

00:19:52.379 --> 00:19:53.319
 not just a friend,

00:19:53.579 --> 00:19:54.639
 he made you his child.

00:19:55.859 --> 00:19:57.159
 And he welcomed you

00:19:57.159 --> 00:19:57.700
 into that

00:19:57.700 --> 00:19:59.019
 and it was all

00:19:59.019 --> 00:20:00.599
 completely gratuitous.

00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:01.819
 And it was lavish

00:20:01.819 --> 00:20:03.740
 and you didn't deserve

00:20:03.740 --> 00:20:04.720
 any of it.

00:20:05.019 --> 00:20:06.099
 Not the tiniest speck.

00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:07.899
 And there's something

00:20:07.899 --> 00:20:09.659
 that just doesn't work

00:20:09.659 --> 00:20:10.940
 if you say,

00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:11.960
 I have received

00:20:11.960 --> 00:20:13.059
 all of that from God,

00:20:13.879 --> 00:20:15.180
 all that lavish forgiveness,

00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:16.079
 all that mercy,

00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:17.359
 and now when I turn around

00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:18.899
 to my fellow human being,

00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:21.720
 none of that flows through.

00:20:22.399 --> 00:20:23.220
 And I will show

00:20:23.220 --> 00:20:24.359
 other people no mercy.

00:20:25.079 --> 00:20:26.339
 And I'm only hard-hearted.

00:20:26.779 --> 00:20:27.439
 And I don't believe

00:20:27.439 --> 00:20:28.659
 in forgiveness for them.

00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:30.839
 And I actually really like

00:20:30.839 --> 00:20:31.759
 dragging them down.

00:20:32.299 --> 00:20:33.019
 I like seeing them

00:20:33.019 --> 00:20:34.019
 not being redeemed.

00:20:34.980 --> 00:20:35.319
 There's something

00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:36.000
 that just doesn't,

00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:38.339
 that doesn't work with that.

00:20:38.819 --> 00:20:38.939
 Okay?

00:20:39.059 --> 00:20:40.039
 And we see this,

00:20:40.419 --> 00:20:40.839
 if you read through

00:20:40.839 --> 00:20:42.759
 all of Matthew's gospel,

00:20:42.919 --> 00:20:44.299
 when you get to chapter 18,

00:20:44.299 --> 00:20:45.819
 Jesus tells a parable

00:20:45.819 --> 00:20:46.460
 about this.

00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:48.319
 About a king

00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:50.000
 who had a servant

00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:51.359
 who owed him

00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:52.579
 a massive debt.

00:20:52.859 --> 00:20:53.119
 You know,

00:20:53.159 --> 00:20:54.379
 up in the millions of pounds.

00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:56.220
 And he asked the king

00:20:56.220 --> 00:20:56.819
 for mercy.

00:20:57.460 --> 00:20:58.359
 And the king said,

00:20:58.680 --> 00:21:00.039
 I free you of the debt.

00:21:00.259 --> 00:21:01.059
 I'll show you mercy.

00:21:01.180 --> 00:21:01.940
 I forgive you.

00:21:02.700 --> 00:21:03.419
 And the servant

00:21:03.419 --> 00:21:04.599
 was delighted.

00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:05.779
 He goes off.

00:21:06.579 --> 00:21:07.440
 And then there's someone else

00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:08.440
 who owes that servant

00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:09.599
 a tiny sum of money.

00:21:10.039 --> 00:21:10.259
 You know,

00:21:10.519 --> 00:21:11.200
 ten pounds,

00:21:11.419 --> 00:21:12.099
 something like that.

00:21:12.200 --> 00:21:13.099
 And he can't repay it.

00:21:13.099 --> 00:21:14.619
 And he says to the servant,

00:21:14.919 --> 00:21:16.279
 I can't repay this.

00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:17.240
 I'm bankrupt.

00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:19.259
 I ask you for mercy.

00:21:19.959 --> 00:21:20.980
 And the servant

00:21:20.980 --> 00:21:23.279
 grabs him by the neck

00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:24.459
 and throttles him

00:21:24.459 --> 00:21:24.859
 and says,

00:21:25.019 --> 00:21:25.859
 no mercy for you.

00:21:25.879 --> 00:21:27.139
 And he throws him in prison.

00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:30.639
 He's happy to receive forgiveness,

00:21:30.939 --> 00:21:32.539
 but he does not pass on forgiveness.

00:21:32.719 --> 00:21:33.859
 He loves to get mercy,

00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:35.759
 but he does not love to give mercy.

00:21:36.599 --> 00:21:37.339
 And when the king

00:21:37.339 --> 00:21:38.139
 in Jesus' parable

00:21:38.139 --> 00:21:39.079
 hears about this,

00:21:39.619 --> 00:21:40.439
 the king is furious

00:21:40.439 --> 00:21:41.319
 with the servant

00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:43.879
 because although he received forgiveness,

00:21:44.019 --> 00:21:45.139
 he didn't show forgiveness.

00:21:45.779 --> 00:21:46.599
 And the king then

00:21:46.599 --> 00:21:47.779
 has him thrown in prison

00:21:47.779 --> 00:21:49.919
 and has the other man released.

00:21:51.740 --> 00:21:51.919
 See,

00:21:52.179 --> 00:21:53.740
 that is why

00:21:53.740 --> 00:21:56.000
 censoriousness

00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:57.359
 and the gospel

00:21:57.359 --> 00:21:58.899
 don't fit together.

00:21:59.539 --> 00:22:01.559
 They're like oil and water.

00:22:03.139 --> 00:22:03.879
 If anything,

00:22:04.059 --> 00:22:05.000
 believing the gospel

00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:07.139
 should make you less censorious

00:22:07.140 --> 00:22:08.259
 and certainly not more.

00:22:09.820 --> 00:22:10.080
 Now,

00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:11.340
 if you're listening to this,

00:22:11.700 --> 00:22:12.480
 maybe you're not a Christian,

00:22:12.580 --> 00:22:13.220
 maybe you're skeptical.

00:22:14.440 --> 00:22:15.940
 And in our kind of culture,

00:22:16.040 --> 00:22:17.100
 then maybe you're listening to this

00:22:17.100 --> 00:22:17.620
 and thinking,

00:22:18.660 --> 00:22:19.000
 you know,

00:22:19.060 --> 00:22:19.720
 in a silence

00:22:19.720 --> 00:22:20.660
 is violence culture,

00:22:20.740 --> 00:22:21.580
 where we do really believe

00:22:21.580 --> 00:22:22.300
 in righteousness

00:22:22.300 --> 00:22:23.320
 and there's a lot of evil

00:22:23.320 --> 00:22:23.780
 in the world

00:22:23.780 --> 00:22:24.720
 that needs to be called out

00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:25.180
 and challenged.

00:22:25.540 --> 00:22:26.440
 Maybe you're listening to this

00:22:26.440 --> 00:22:27.220
 so far and thinking,

00:22:27.820 --> 00:22:28.060
 okay,

00:22:28.120 --> 00:22:29.400
 so the Christian message

00:22:29.400 --> 00:22:30.140
 means

00:22:30.140 --> 00:22:32.460
 that people who believe it

00:22:32.460 --> 00:22:34.480
 become naive

00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:36.160
 to the evil in the world

00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:37.160
 and that's why,

00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:37.559
 you know,

00:22:37.579 --> 00:22:38.640
 they don't call it out

00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:39.319
 like I want to.

00:22:39.980 --> 00:22:41.299
 Or maybe

00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:42.360
 does Christianity

00:22:42.360 --> 00:22:43.779
 just dull your conscience

00:22:43.779 --> 00:22:44.880
 and make you passive

00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:45.579
 and you just learn

00:22:45.579 --> 00:22:46.240
 to tolerate

00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:47.460
 all the evil in the world?

00:22:48.019 --> 00:22:48.700
 In which case,

00:22:48.940 --> 00:22:50.279
 Christianity seems like a problem.

00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:52.079
 But that's not what

00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:52.900
 Jesus teaches here.

00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:53.880
 Not at all.

00:22:55.120 --> 00:22:55.480
 In fact,

00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:56.480
 look at what comes next

00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:57.220
 after he says

00:22:57.220 --> 00:22:58.079
 don't be censorious.

00:22:58.180 --> 00:22:59.519
 Look at verses 3 to 5

00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:01.599
 and the story

00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:02.420
 that Jesus tells.

00:23:02.420 --> 00:23:04.820
 He asks you

00:23:04.820 --> 00:23:05.960
 to imagine someone

00:23:05.960 --> 00:23:07.560
 who sees a problem

00:23:07.560 --> 00:23:09.019
 in someone else's life.

00:23:09.660 --> 00:23:10.480
 So there's something

00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:11.460
 to be corrected.

00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:12.519
 There's an evil

00:23:12.519 --> 00:23:13.220
 in someone's life,

00:23:13.320 --> 00:23:13.640
 let's say.

00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:15.480
 And there's a person

00:23:15.480 --> 00:23:15.860
 then who's trying

00:23:15.860 --> 00:23:16.600
 to correct that

00:23:16.600 --> 00:23:17.360
 in someone else.

00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:19.480
 And Jesus compares

00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:20.759
 that problem

00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:21.920
 to a tiny speck.

00:23:22.500 --> 00:23:23.779
 It's a splinter

00:23:23.779 --> 00:23:24.860
 in an eye.

00:23:25.600 --> 00:23:25.740
 Okay?

00:23:25.860 --> 00:23:26.400
 And if you have

00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:26.960
 a splinter in your eye,

00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:28.140
 you probably do want it removed.

00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:28.360
 I mean,

00:23:28.380 --> 00:23:29.120
 that's not a good thing.

00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:29.779
 It's not there

00:23:29.779 --> 00:23:30.680
 to be left in the eye.

00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:33.600
 But here's the issue.

00:23:34.360 --> 00:23:35.060
 The person who's trying

00:23:35.060 --> 00:23:36.440
 to take the splinter out

00:23:36.440 --> 00:23:37.580
 happens to have

00:23:37.580 --> 00:23:38.960
 an entire log,

00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:40.519
 a beam of wood.

00:23:41.220 --> 00:23:42.720
 So not just a little bit of wood,

00:23:42.820 --> 00:23:44.320
 but the word he uses

00:23:44.320 --> 00:23:45.120
 is the word for,

00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:45.320
 you know,

00:23:45.360 --> 00:23:46.580
 a rafter that you would have

00:23:46.580 --> 00:23:47.779
 from the roof of your house.

00:23:49.120 --> 00:23:49.779
 This person who's trying

00:23:49.779 --> 00:23:50.600
 to deal with the problem

00:23:50.600 --> 00:23:51.660
 has that sticking out

00:23:51.660 --> 00:23:52.240
 of his eye.

00:23:52.380 --> 00:23:52.519
 I mean,

00:23:52.539 --> 00:23:53.980
 it's meant to make you laugh.

00:23:54.039 --> 00:23:55.259
 It's a ridiculous image,

00:23:55.580 --> 00:23:57.000
 but this guy has that

00:23:57.000 --> 00:23:57.980
 sticking out of his eye,

00:23:58.100 --> 00:23:59.420
 and even more ridiculously,

00:23:59.420 --> 00:24:00.820
 he doesn't even see it.

00:24:00.940 --> 00:24:01.840
 He's completely blind

00:24:01.840 --> 00:24:02.539
 to this fact.

00:24:03.420 --> 00:24:04.720
 And the ridiculous picture

00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:04.980
 is, you know,

00:24:04.980 --> 00:24:05.519
 if you want to take

00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:06.539
 a splinter out of someone's eye,

00:24:06.600 --> 00:24:07.720
 you have to get quite close,

00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:08.840
 and you need to be able

00:24:08.840 --> 00:24:09.539
 to see it clearly.

00:24:10.779 --> 00:24:11.080
 If you,

00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:11.740
 I don't know,

00:24:11.800 --> 00:24:13.220
 I've never had a beam

00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:13.960
 stuck in my eye.

00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:14.940
 I can't imagine it would be easy

00:24:14.940 --> 00:24:16.259
 to get near someone else's head

00:24:16.259 --> 00:24:16.759
 doing that,

00:24:16.759 --> 00:24:17.920
 but that's what he's doing.

00:24:19.300 --> 00:24:20.740
 He's trying to fix something

00:24:20.740 --> 00:24:22.340
 in someone else's life,

00:24:23.060 --> 00:24:24.600
 all the while assuming

00:24:24.600 --> 00:24:25.759
 that his life

00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:26.700
 also doesn't need

00:24:26.700 --> 00:24:27.319
 to be fixed

00:24:27.319 --> 00:24:29.580
 in very fundamental ways.

00:24:31.160 --> 00:24:31.720
 And Jesus

00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:33.279
 calls it out.

00:24:33.840 --> 00:24:35.440
 There is no silence

00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:36.720
 is violence here,

00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:37.299
 but there's something

00:24:37.299 --> 00:24:37.940
 much better.

00:24:38.180 --> 00:24:38.740
 There is speech

00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:39.880
 that is redemptive.

00:24:40.860 --> 00:24:41.920
 Because Jesus here

00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:42.640
 says that the guy

00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:44.120
 with the beam in his eye

00:24:44.120 --> 00:24:44.920
 is a hypocrite.

00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:47.160
 He's looking at

00:24:47.160 --> 00:24:48.580
 someone else's life,

00:24:48.660 --> 00:24:49.259
 having forgotten

00:24:49.259 --> 00:24:50.519
 first to look at his own.

00:24:52.500 --> 00:24:52.660
 You know,

00:24:52.740 --> 00:24:54.160
 there's an Old Testament

00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:56.480
 story that teaches

00:24:56.480 --> 00:24:57.120
 the same thing.

00:24:57.519 --> 00:24:58.279
 And it's the story

00:24:58.279 --> 00:24:59.320
 of King David

00:24:59.320 --> 00:25:02.140
 where he abuses

00:25:02.140 --> 00:25:03.860
 his power as a king

00:25:03.860 --> 00:25:05.960
 to steal another man's wife.

00:25:06.540 --> 00:25:07.360
 And then he abuses

00:25:07.360 --> 00:25:08.180
 his power as king

00:25:08.180 --> 00:25:09.000
 to have that man

00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:09.880
 sent to the front line

00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:10.340
 of a battle

00:25:10.340 --> 00:25:11.580
 where he will certainly die.

00:25:11.740 --> 00:25:12.540
 And he does.

00:25:14.140 --> 00:25:15.519
 And he does all of this.

00:25:15.900 --> 00:25:18.440
 He has multiple beams

00:25:18.440 --> 00:25:19.220
 in his eye.

00:25:20.040 --> 00:25:21.320
 And then the prophet Nathan

00:25:21.320 --> 00:25:22.259
 comes to David

00:25:22.259 --> 00:25:23.039
 and says,

00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:24.359
 let me tell you a story.

00:25:25.460 --> 00:25:26.799
 Once there was a rich man

00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:28.960
 and there was a poor man.

00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:29.920
 And the rich man

00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:30.759
 had many sheep

00:25:30.759 --> 00:25:31.680
 and the poor man

00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:32.599
 only had one.

00:25:33.400 --> 00:25:34.119
 And the rich man

00:25:34.119 --> 00:25:35.180
 had to feed a guest.

00:25:36.119 --> 00:25:37.019
 But he didn't take

00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:37.859
 any of his own sheep.

00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:39.339
 Even though he had so many,

00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:40.740
 he took the poor man's

00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:41.339
 only sheep

00:25:41.339 --> 00:25:42.019
 and he slaughtered it

00:25:42.019 --> 00:25:43.079
 and he fed it to the guest.

00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:44.759
 And when David's hearing

00:25:44.759 --> 00:25:45.519
 the story at this point,

00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:46.579
 he becomes furious

00:25:46.579 --> 00:25:47.099
 and says,

00:25:47.180 --> 00:25:48.640
 that man deserves to die.

00:25:50.859 --> 00:25:52.140
 And Nathan says to him,

00:25:52.140 --> 00:25:52.480
 David,

00:25:52.860 --> 00:25:54.420
 you are the man.

00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:55.480
 Right?

00:25:55.920 --> 00:25:56.920
 The beam in his eye

00:25:56.920 --> 00:25:58.020
 that he could not see.

00:25:58.820 --> 00:25:58.960
 You're,

00:26:00.060 --> 00:26:01.500
 this story is about a,

00:26:01.500 --> 00:26:02.740
 is about a speck.

00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:03.620
 It's about a splinter.

00:26:03.820 --> 00:26:05.040
 It's about a sheep.

00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:06.759
 You are the one

00:26:06.759 --> 00:26:07.680
 who stole

00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:09.500
 another man's wife

00:26:09.500 --> 00:26:11.020
 and who had that man murdered,

00:26:11.540 --> 00:26:12.500
 who murdered that man

00:26:12.500 --> 00:26:13.080
 by arrangement.

00:26:13.740 --> 00:26:15.840
 And here you are feeling rage

00:26:15.840 --> 00:26:17.340
 about someone

00:26:17.340 --> 00:26:18.400
 who stole a sheep

00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:19.160
 because he was a bit

00:26:19.160 --> 00:26:20.100
 of a cheapskate.

00:26:20.099 --> 00:26:22.379
 So there,

00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:23.279
 David is like the guy

00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:24.519
 who doesn't see

00:26:24.519 --> 00:26:25.319
 that he has a plank

00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:25.859
 in his eye

00:26:25.859 --> 00:26:26.919
 when he's looking

00:26:26.919 --> 00:26:27.919
 at someone with a speck

00:26:27.919 --> 00:26:29.000
 in his eye.

00:26:30.439 --> 00:26:31.719
 And Jesus' judgment there

00:26:31.719 --> 00:26:31.939
 is,

00:26:32.819 --> 00:26:33.639
 you hypocrite.

00:26:33.819 --> 00:26:34.659
 But here's the thing

00:26:34.659 --> 00:26:35.980
 where Jesus doesn't fit

00:26:35.980 --> 00:26:37.199
 into our way

00:26:37.199 --> 00:26:37.619
 of doing this

00:26:37.619 --> 00:26:38.179
 in our culture.

00:26:39.480 --> 00:26:40.459
 Jesus' judgment

00:26:40.459 --> 00:26:42.139
 is redemptive.

00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:42.980
 It's not,

00:26:43.379 --> 00:26:44.199
 you hypocrite,

00:26:44.879 --> 00:26:45.359
 cancelled.

00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:48.459
 Jesus says,

00:26:48.699 --> 00:26:48.979
 first,

00:26:49.539 --> 00:26:50.099
 take the plank

00:26:50.099 --> 00:26:51.219
 out of your own eye.

00:26:52.099 --> 00:26:53.059
 Then you can actually

00:26:53.059 --> 00:26:54.399
 help get the speck

00:26:54.399 --> 00:26:55.619
 out of your brother's eye.

00:26:56.119 --> 00:26:57.019
 It's not that Christianity

00:26:57.019 --> 00:26:57.699
 doesn't,

00:26:58.299 --> 00:26:59.099
 it's not that Christianity

00:26:59.099 --> 00:26:59.839
 makes you naive

00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:00.599
 to the problems

00:27:00.599 --> 00:27:01.259
 in the world

00:27:01.259 --> 00:27:04.339
 or in other people's lives.

00:27:04.539 --> 00:27:05.459
 And it's not that Christianity

00:27:05.459 --> 00:27:06.959
 means you just tolerate it

00:27:06.959 --> 00:27:08.659
 and that you do nothing.

00:27:10.379 --> 00:27:10.859
 Instead,

00:27:11.019 --> 00:27:11.559
 it changes

00:27:11.559 --> 00:27:12.939
 how you respond

00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:14.759
 to these problems.

00:27:15.360 --> 00:27:16.100
 It means that now

00:27:16.100 --> 00:27:17.039
 you respond to them

00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:18.420
 with humility.

00:27:19.580 --> 00:27:20.480
 A kind of humility

00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:21.299
 that only the gospel

00:27:21.299 --> 00:27:22.240
 can form in you.

00:27:22.320 --> 00:27:23.039
 It means you respond

00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:24.000
 with gentleness

00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:25.340
 that only the gospel

00:27:25.340 --> 00:27:26.000
 can form in you.

00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:27.039
 It's not randomly

00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:28.019
 that Jesus chooses

00:27:28.019 --> 00:27:29.420
 for his story

00:27:29.420 --> 00:27:30.140
 an eye,

00:27:30.420 --> 00:27:30.920
 something that is

00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:31.700
 so sensitive

00:27:31.700 --> 00:27:32.680
 and that would feel

00:27:32.680 --> 00:27:33.860
 even a tiny splinter

00:27:33.860 --> 00:27:35.680
 and be irritated by it.

00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:38.039
 You can only take it out

00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:39.200
 with tremendous care

00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:40.740
 and gentleness.

00:27:41.340 --> 00:27:41.940
 And the gospel

00:27:41.940 --> 00:27:43.700
 shapes you like that.

00:27:43.779 --> 00:27:44.220
 It gives you

00:27:44.220 --> 00:27:44.960
 a new way

00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:46.860
 of judging others

00:27:46.860 --> 00:27:48.140
 that is grounded

00:27:48.140 --> 00:27:48.920
 in humility

00:27:48.920 --> 00:27:50.360
 because the gospel

00:27:50.360 --> 00:27:51.240
 says you sit

00:27:51.240 --> 00:27:52.539
 under the same judgment.

00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:55.200
 And that's

00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:56.460
 the real difference

00:27:56.460 --> 00:27:57.480
 between the gospel

00:27:57.480 --> 00:27:59.500
 and censoriousness.

00:28:00.460 --> 00:28:01.920
 If you're censorious,

00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:03.660
 you judge others

00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:04.580
 as though you don't

00:28:04.580 --> 00:28:05.420
 need redemption

00:28:05.420 --> 00:28:06.019
 yourself

00:28:06.019 --> 00:28:06.519
 and as though

00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:07.360
 there is no redemption

00:28:07.360 --> 00:28:08.620
 for the people you judge.

00:28:09.360 --> 00:28:10.140
 But if you believe

00:28:10.140 --> 00:28:10.720
 the gospel,

00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:12.040
 it's different.

00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:13.759
 If you judge

00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:14.660
 someone else,

00:28:14.700 --> 00:28:15.580
 you also recognize

00:28:15.580 --> 00:28:16.420
 that you stand

00:28:16.420 --> 00:28:17.340
 under the same judgment

00:28:17.340 --> 00:28:18.300
 and that you both

00:28:18.300 --> 00:28:19.500
 need the same redemption.

00:28:20.460 --> 00:28:20.580
 You know,

00:28:20.600 --> 00:28:21.220
 it's like the difference

00:28:21.220 --> 00:28:21.640
 between,

00:28:22.100 --> 00:28:22.460
 if you imagine

00:28:22.460 --> 00:28:23.160
 someone who just

00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:24.420
 lambasts someone

00:28:24.420 --> 00:28:25.120
 who struggles

00:28:25.120 --> 00:28:26.980
 with alcohol addiction

00:28:26.980 --> 00:28:28.580
 and writes

00:28:28.580 --> 00:28:29.500
 that person off,

00:28:29.660 --> 00:28:30.060
 the difference

00:28:30.060 --> 00:28:30.740
 between that kind

00:28:30.740 --> 00:28:31.140
 of person

00:28:31.140 --> 00:28:31.680
 and someone

00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:32.600
 who comes alongside

00:28:32.600 --> 00:28:33.259
 that person

00:28:33.259 --> 00:28:33.740
 and says,

00:28:33.980 --> 00:28:35.780
 I have the same struggle,

00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:36.920
 let's get you help.

00:28:37.300 --> 00:28:37.420
 Right?

00:28:37.420 --> 00:28:38.120
 Those are two

00:28:38.120 --> 00:28:39.519
 completely different things.

00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:41.920
 So,

00:28:42.039 --> 00:28:42.640
 that's the first thing.

00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:44.220
 The gospel shapes you

00:28:44.220 --> 00:28:44.980
 and says,

00:28:45.220 --> 00:28:45.960
 don't be censorious.

00:28:46.160 --> 00:28:46.759
 And the second is

00:28:46.759 --> 00:28:47.740
 that the gospel shapes you

00:28:47.740 --> 00:28:48.000
 and says,

00:28:48.100 --> 00:28:48.759
 don't be naive.

00:28:50.060 --> 00:28:50.259
 See,

00:28:50.360 --> 00:28:51.080
 the other effect

00:28:51.080 --> 00:28:51.600
 of the gospel

00:28:51.600 --> 00:28:53.460
 is that it changes

00:28:53.460 --> 00:28:55.140
 the kind of judgment

00:28:55.140 --> 00:28:56.140
 or discernment

00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:56.700
 you have

00:28:56.700 --> 00:28:57.700
 about people

00:28:57.700 --> 00:28:58.200
 who don't yet

00:28:58.200 --> 00:28:59.140
 believe the gospel.

00:29:00.300 --> 00:29:00.519
 So,

00:29:00.600 --> 00:29:00.860
 here,

00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:01.779
 in verse 6,

00:29:01.860 --> 00:29:02.560
 Jesus pivots

00:29:02.560 --> 00:29:03.460
 from talking about

00:29:03.460 --> 00:29:04.279
 people who do

00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:04.860
 share the faith

00:29:04.860 --> 00:29:05.279
 with you,

00:29:05.960 --> 00:29:06.960
 don't judge your brother,

00:29:07.420 --> 00:29:08.620
 to people who don't.

00:29:09.740 --> 00:29:10.039
 So,

00:29:10.180 --> 00:29:10.420
 now,

00:29:10.759 --> 00:29:11.320
 just like with

00:29:11.320 --> 00:29:11.940
 don't judge,

00:29:12.039 --> 00:29:12.960
 we have to read Jesus

00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:14.360
 here in the whole context

00:29:14.360 --> 00:29:15.120
 of the gospels.

00:29:15.640 --> 00:29:15.920
 So,

00:29:15.980 --> 00:29:17.060
 what you see in the gospels

00:29:17.060 --> 00:29:18.140
 more broadly

00:29:18.140 --> 00:29:19.420
 is that Jesus

00:29:19.420 --> 00:29:19.980
 talks about

00:29:19.980 --> 00:29:21.320
 the kingdom of heaven

00:29:21.320 --> 00:29:22.340
 as a pearl,

00:29:22.920 --> 00:29:24.180
 as a pearl of great price.

00:29:24.600 --> 00:29:24.900
 So,

00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:25.580
 there's another parable

00:29:25.580 --> 00:29:26.259
 also in Matthew

00:29:26.259 --> 00:29:27.620
 where he talks about

00:29:27.620 --> 00:29:28.080
 a merchant

00:29:28.080 --> 00:29:29.080
 who travels

00:29:29.080 --> 00:29:29.960
 the whole world

00:29:29.960 --> 00:29:30.840
 looking for

00:29:30.840 --> 00:29:31.740
 valuable pearls.

00:29:32.840 --> 00:29:33.120
 And

00:29:33.120 --> 00:29:35.300
 he finds

00:29:35.300 --> 00:29:36.519
 what he knows

00:29:36.519 --> 00:29:37.039
 instantly

00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:38.259
 is

00:29:38.259 --> 00:29:39.500
 the greatest

00:29:39.500 --> 00:29:40.319
 pearl that there

00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:41.099
 ever could be.

00:29:41.480 --> 00:29:41.980
 The pearl

00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:42.680
 of great price.

00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:44.059
 And he knew

00:29:44.059 --> 00:29:44.900
 how valuable it was

00:29:44.900 --> 00:29:45.279
 and he knew

00:29:45.279 --> 00:29:45.700
 it was actually

00:29:45.700 --> 00:29:46.240
 more valuable

00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:46.799
 than everything

00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:47.759
 else in his life.

00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:48.799
 So much so

00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:49.139
 that it would be

00:29:49.139 --> 00:29:49.740
 worth giving up

00:29:49.740 --> 00:29:50.139
 everything

00:29:50.139 --> 00:29:51.000
 to get this pearl.

00:29:51.579 --> 00:29:52.000
 So,

00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:52.460
 he sells

00:29:52.460 --> 00:29:53.119
 everything

00:29:53.119 --> 00:29:54.359
 to get the pearl

00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:55.079
 of great price.

00:29:56.519 --> 00:29:56.920
 So,

00:29:57.019 --> 00:29:58.019
 elsewhere in the gospels,

00:29:58.619 --> 00:29:59.619
 Jesus speaks about

00:29:59.619 --> 00:30:00.240
 how there are some

00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:01.099
 people in this world

00:30:01.099 --> 00:30:02.400
 who are looking

00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:03.059
 for goodness

00:30:03.059 --> 00:30:03.759
 and truth

00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:04.359
 and beauty

00:30:04.359 --> 00:30:05.440
 and they encounter

00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:06.039
 the gospel

00:30:06.039 --> 00:30:07.500
 and then somehow

00:30:07.500 --> 00:30:08.359
 it strikes them

00:30:08.359 --> 00:30:09.220
 down to the ground.

00:30:09.319 --> 00:30:09.779
 It strikes them

00:30:09.779 --> 00:30:10.559
 so powerfully

00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:12.379
 that they will

00:30:12.379 --> 00:30:13.200
 reorder their

00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:14.119
 entire lives.

00:30:14.220 --> 00:30:14.599
 They'll give up

00:30:14.599 --> 00:30:15.799
 anything to get this,

00:30:15.799 --> 00:30:16.599
 to get this Jesus.

00:30:17.140 --> 00:30:17.559
 It's what they've

00:30:17.559 --> 00:30:18.519
 always been looking for.

00:30:20.319 --> 00:30:21.740
 But here in Matthew 7

00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:22.460
 when he says

00:30:22.460 --> 00:30:23.299
 don't give what is

00:30:23.299 --> 00:30:24.200
 holy to the dogs,

00:30:24.359 --> 00:30:25.319
 don't cast your pearls

00:30:25.319 --> 00:30:26.039
 to pigs,

00:30:26.819 --> 00:30:27.640
 he's talking about

00:30:27.640 --> 00:30:28.599
 people who encounter

00:30:28.599 --> 00:30:29.200
 the gospel,

00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:30.559
 who are not looking

00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:31.200
 for truth.

00:30:31.700 --> 00:30:32.119
 They're more like

00:30:32.119 --> 00:30:32.839
 a stray dog

00:30:32.839 --> 00:30:33.539
 that scavenges

00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:34.179
 in the rubbish.

00:30:35.659 --> 00:30:35.919
 So,

00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:36.439
 Jesus says

00:30:36.439 --> 00:30:36.939
 don't throw

00:30:36.939 --> 00:30:37.739
 what is holy

00:30:37.739 --> 00:30:38.579
 and there he's

00:30:38.579 --> 00:30:39.139
 drawing on the idea

00:30:39.139 --> 00:30:40.399
 of holy bread

00:30:40.399 --> 00:30:40.979
 in the temple.

00:30:41.299 --> 00:30:41.779
 Don't throw

00:30:41.779 --> 00:30:42.699
 that holy food

00:30:42.699 --> 00:30:43.299
 to dogs

00:30:43.299 --> 00:30:44.059
 who will just

00:30:44.059 --> 00:30:44.439
 treat it

00:30:44.439 --> 00:30:44.699
 as though

00:30:44.699 --> 00:30:45.339
 it's any old

00:30:45.339 --> 00:30:46.239
 rubbish

00:30:46.239 --> 00:30:47.199
 in the scrap pile

00:30:47.199 --> 00:30:48.119
 and don't throw

00:30:48.119 --> 00:30:48.559
 your pearls

00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:49.199
 to pigs

00:30:49.199 --> 00:30:50.039
 who get all

00:30:50.039 --> 00:30:50.719
 the waste food

00:30:50.719 --> 00:30:51.239
 that the farmer

00:30:51.239 --> 00:30:51.959
 doesn't want

00:30:51.959 --> 00:30:53.000
 because that pig

00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:53.359
 will know

00:30:53.359 --> 00:30:53.939
 that the pearl

00:30:53.939 --> 00:30:55.279
 isn't that waste food

00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:55.619
 and the pig

00:30:55.619 --> 00:30:56.279
 will just trample

00:30:56.279 --> 00:30:56.659
 the pearl.

00:30:58.119 --> 00:30:58.299
 Now,

00:30:58.319 --> 00:30:58.839
 that maybe sounds

00:30:58.839 --> 00:30:59.699
 like a really

00:30:59.699 --> 00:31:00.799
 strange thing

00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:01.719
 for Jesus to say

00:31:01.720 --> 00:31:02.559
 after everything

00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:03.279
 that he said

00:31:03.279 --> 00:31:05.360
 in verses 3 to 5

00:31:05.360 --> 00:31:06.019
 about planks

00:31:06.019 --> 00:31:06.759
 and specks.

00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:08.339
 But here's why

00:31:08.339 --> 00:31:08.940
 I think Jesus

00:31:08.940 --> 00:31:10.120
 says this

00:31:10.120 --> 00:31:10.779
 in verse 6.

00:31:12.180 --> 00:31:13.839
 In verses 1 to 5,

00:31:14.339 --> 00:31:15.220
 he tells us

00:31:15.220 --> 00:31:16.400
 that we have

00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:17.460
 to go

00:31:17.460 --> 00:31:18.140
 into a

00:31:18.140 --> 00:31:19.460
 censorious world

00:31:19.460 --> 00:31:21.319
 as non-censorious

00:31:21.319 --> 00:31:21.860
 people

00:31:21.860 --> 00:31:24.779
 and we have

00:31:24.779 --> 00:31:25.240
 to do that

00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:25.620
 with a way

00:31:25.620 --> 00:31:26.220
 of living

00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:27.519
 in this world

00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:28.640
 that will be

00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:29.680
 deeply

00:31:29.680 --> 00:31:30.720
 counterintuitive

00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:32.740
 to the people

00:31:32.740 --> 00:31:33.420
 around us.

00:31:34.160 --> 00:31:34.759
 Some people,

00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:36.539
 when they

00:31:36.539 --> 00:31:38.039
 hear our gospel,

00:31:38.180 --> 00:31:38.600
 when they see

00:31:38.600 --> 00:31:39.259
 what it looks like

00:31:39.259 --> 00:31:40.059
 and how we live,

00:31:41.079 --> 00:31:41.839
 will think

00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:42.980
 they'll be like

00:31:42.980 --> 00:31:43.440
 the merchant

00:31:43.440 --> 00:31:44.480
 who finds

00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:44.880
 the pearl

00:31:44.880 --> 00:31:45.620
 of great price

00:31:45.620 --> 00:31:46.779
 and they'll see

00:31:46.779 --> 00:31:47.559
 our way of life

00:31:47.559 --> 00:31:48.880
 and the reason

00:31:48.880 --> 00:31:49.339
 for that

00:31:49.339 --> 00:31:50.079
 in the message

00:31:50.079 --> 00:31:50.620
 of the gospel

00:31:50.620 --> 00:31:51.319
 and be attracted

00:31:51.319 --> 00:31:51.720
 to it

00:31:51.720 --> 00:31:52.220
 and they will

00:31:52.220 --> 00:31:52.900
 join us.

00:31:54.539 --> 00:31:55.460
 But not everyone

00:31:55.460 --> 00:31:56.299
 will be like that.

00:31:57.000 --> 00:31:57.720
 Some people

00:31:57.720 --> 00:31:58.980
 will hear our message

00:31:58.980 --> 00:32:00.279
 and they'll hate it.

00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:01.880
 It's not

00:32:01.880 --> 00:32:02.420
 what they're

00:32:02.420 --> 00:32:03.240
 looking for.

00:32:05.460 --> 00:32:05.940
 So,

00:32:06.140 --> 00:32:07.140
 some people

00:32:07.140 --> 00:32:09.180
 will respond

00:32:09.180 --> 00:32:09.779
 like that.

00:32:10.839 --> 00:32:10.960
 Now,

00:32:10.980 --> 00:32:11.360
 to be sure

00:32:11.360 --> 00:32:11.860
 what Jesus

00:32:11.860 --> 00:32:12.720
 does not

00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:13.860
 mean here

00:32:13.860 --> 00:32:15.339
 is that we only

00:32:15.339 --> 00:32:15.940
 share the gospel

00:32:15.940 --> 00:32:16.420
 with people

00:32:16.420 --> 00:32:16.880
 who will

00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:18.000
 respond well,

00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:18.819
 like the merchant

00:32:18.819 --> 00:32:19.559
 looking for the pearl

00:32:19.559 --> 00:32:20.160
 of great price.

00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:22.220
 We can't do that

00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:22.940
 in any sense

00:32:22.940 --> 00:32:23.940
 because until you

00:32:23.940 --> 00:32:24.440
 share the gospel

00:32:24.440 --> 00:32:24.860
 with someone,

00:32:24.940 --> 00:32:25.319
 you don't know

00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:25.960
 how they'll respond.

00:32:26.660 --> 00:32:26.940
 So,

00:32:27.019 --> 00:32:27.299
 that's why

00:32:27.299 --> 00:32:28.279
 Matthew's gospel

00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:28.859
 ends with the

00:32:28.859 --> 00:32:29.359
 great commission.

00:32:29.579 --> 00:32:30.259
 Bring the gospel

00:32:30.259 --> 00:32:31.279
 to everyone.

00:32:34.379 --> 00:32:34.960
 And you just

00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:35.319
 don't know

00:32:35.319 --> 00:32:35.960
 when you do that

00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:37.200
 whether someone

00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:37.599
 will say,

00:32:37.720 --> 00:32:38.059
 finally,

00:32:38.220 --> 00:32:39.279
 this is the pearl

00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:40.139
 of great price

00:32:40.139 --> 00:32:41.740
 or,

00:32:42.440 --> 00:32:43.240
 why have you

00:32:43.240 --> 00:32:43.680
 given me

00:32:43.680 --> 00:32:44.200
 this round,

00:32:44.299 --> 00:32:44.519
 hard,

00:32:44.619 --> 00:32:45.240
 white ball?

00:32:45.460 --> 00:32:45.980
 I wanted

00:32:45.980 --> 00:32:47.359
 a rotten turnip

00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:48.559
 and I would

00:32:48.559 --> 00:32:49.059
 have just been

00:32:49.059 --> 00:32:49.579
 happy with that.

00:32:49.599 --> 00:32:49.940
 I don't want

00:32:49.940 --> 00:32:50.480
 what you offer.

00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:52.519
 You see,

00:32:52.579 --> 00:32:53.259
 you just don't

00:32:53.259 --> 00:32:54.339
 know in advance

00:32:54.339 --> 00:32:55.460
 and that's why

00:32:55.460 --> 00:32:56.000
 Jesus,

00:32:56.299 --> 00:32:56.759
 at the very end

00:32:56.759 --> 00:32:57.339
 of this gospel

00:32:57.339 --> 00:32:58.440
 tells his followers

00:32:58.440 --> 00:33:00.059
 that you must

00:33:00.059 --> 00:33:00.599
 share the gospel

00:33:00.599 --> 00:33:01.299
 with everyone.

00:33:02.839 --> 00:33:03.579
 But if you want

00:33:03.579 --> 00:33:03.940
 to understand

00:33:03.940 --> 00:33:04.980
 what Jesus means

00:33:04.980 --> 00:33:06.420
 here in Matthew 7

00:33:06.420 --> 00:33:07.220
 about not casting

00:33:07.220 --> 00:33:07.779
 your pearls

00:33:07.779 --> 00:33:09.000
 before swine,

00:33:09.819 --> 00:33:10.440
 you actually need

00:33:10.440 --> 00:33:10.920
 to think of

00:33:10.920 --> 00:33:11.519
 what happens

00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:12.200
 in a few chapters

00:33:12.200 --> 00:33:13.720
 time in Matthew 10

00:33:13.720 --> 00:33:15.180
 because that's

00:33:15.180 --> 00:33:15.559
 the chapter

00:33:15.559 --> 00:33:16.019
 where Jesus

00:33:16.019 --> 00:33:17.180
 takes his disciples

00:33:17.180 --> 00:33:18.619
 and he tells them

00:33:18.619 --> 00:33:19.140
 you are now

00:33:19.140 --> 00:33:19.839
 my apostles

00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:21.439
 and he sends

00:33:21.439 --> 00:33:21.740
 them out

00:33:21.740 --> 00:33:22.319
 to preach

00:33:22.319 --> 00:33:23.240
 to everyone

00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:23.720
 that they come

00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:24.059
 across

00:33:24.059 --> 00:33:25.619
 in the towns

00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:26.059
 and villages

00:33:26.059 --> 00:33:26.779
 around them

00:33:26.779 --> 00:33:30.059
 and he sends

00:33:30.059 --> 00:33:30.379
 them out

00:33:30.379 --> 00:33:31.099
 to give people

00:33:31.099 --> 00:33:31.959
 a deep,

00:33:32.299 --> 00:33:32.779
 remarkable,

00:33:33.659 --> 00:33:34.419
 life-changing

00:33:34.419 --> 00:33:35.279
 window

00:33:35.279 --> 00:33:36.359
 into the

00:33:36.359 --> 00:33:37.240
 kingdom of heaven.

00:33:38.259 --> 00:33:39.099
 So he tells them

00:33:39.099 --> 00:33:39.720
 as he sends them

00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:40.000
 out,

00:33:40.220 --> 00:33:40.480
 you are now

00:33:40.480 --> 00:33:41.000
 my apostles

00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:42.959
 and he sends

00:33:42.959 --> 00:33:43.159
 them out

00:33:43.159 --> 00:33:43.799
 to give people

00:33:43.799 --> 00:33:44.279
 this deep

00:33:44.279 --> 00:33:44.759
 exposure

00:33:44.759 --> 00:33:45.419
 to the

00:33:45.419 --> 00:33:46.619
 transformation

00:33:46.619 --> 00:33:47.339
 the gospel

00:33:47.339 --> 00:33:48.459
 will bring

00:33:48.459 --> 00:33:49.839
 to the world.

00:33:50.439 --> 00:33:51.119
 So he sends

00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:51.359
 them out

00:33:51.359 --> 00:33:51.659
 to heal

00:33:51.659 --> 00:33:52.159
 the sick,

00:33:52.639 --> 00:33:53.199
 to raise

00:33:53.199 --> 00:33:53.779
 the dead,

00:33:54.319 --> 00:33:54.919
 to cleanse

00:33:54.919 --> 00:33:55.319
 lepers,

00:33:55.739 --> 00:33:56.219
 to cast

00:33:56.219 --> 00:33:56.699
 out their

00:33:56.699 --> 00:33:57.159
 demons

00:33:57.159 --> 00:33:58.619
 and he sends

00:33:58.619 --> 00:33:58.919
 them out

00:33:58.919 --> 00:33:59.139
 saying,

00:33:59.359 --> 00:33:59.839
 and you won't

00:33:59.839 --> 00:34:00.519
 make a penny

00:34:00.519 --> 00:34:01.039
 from this,

00:34:01.099 --> 00:34:01.519
 you will not

00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:02.159
 ask anyone

00:34:02.159 --> 00:34:02.739
 for anything,

00:34:03.339 --> 00:34:03.819
 you will not

00:34:03.819 --> 00:34:04.519
 exploit anyone

00:34:04.519 --> 00:34:05.039
 financially,

00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:05.759
 you will not

00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:06.279
 make money,

00:34:06.519 --> 00:34:06.899
 in fact you

00:34:06.899 --> 00:34:07.299
 will give

00:34:07.299 --> 00:34:07.939
 lavishly

00:34:07.939 --> 00:34:08.559
 and you will

00:34:08.559 --> 00:34:09.039
 make their

00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:09.719
 lives better

00:34:09.719 --> 00:34:11.460
 and even

00:34:11.460 --> 00:34:11.900
 when you've

00:34:11.900 --> 00:34:12.519
 done all that

00:34:12.519 --> 00:34:14.420
 some people

00:34:14.420 --> 00:34:14.940
 will still

00:34:14.940 --> 00:34:15.719
 reject you

00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:16.879
 and everything

00:34:16.879 --> 00:34:17.259
 you've done

00:34:17.259 --> 00:34:17.739
 for them

00:34:17.739 --> 00:34:18.339
 and the message

00:34:18.339 --> 00:34:18.839
 at its heart

00:34:18.839 --> 00:34:19.319
 they will just

00:34:19.319 --> 00:34:21.059
 say is garbage

00:34:21.059 --> 00:34:24.759
 and when that

00:34:24.759 --> 00:34:25.099
 happens,

00:34:25.199 --> 00:34:25.819
 Jesus tells them

00:34:25.819 --> 00:34:26.459
 in Matthew 10,

00:34:27.079 --> 00:34:27.699
 after you've done

00:34:27.699 --> 00:34:28.759
 all that for them

00:34:28.759 --> 00:34:29.919
 then you shake

00:34:29.919 --> 00:34:30.419
 the dust off

00:34:30.419 --> 00:34:30.859
 your feet

00:34:30.859 --> 00:34:31.879
 and then you

00:34:31.879 --> 00:34:32.679
 bring the message

00:34:32.679 --> 00:34:33.159
 of the kingdom

00:34:33.159 --> 00:34:33.639
 of heaven

00:34:33.639 --> 00:34:34.959
 to other people

00:34:34.959 --> 00:34:37.519
 and that's

00:34:37.519 --> 00:34:37.939
 actually the

00:34:37.939 --> 00:34:38.639
 context where

00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:39.099
 when Jesus

00:34:39.099 --> 00:34:39.539
 is sending

00:34:39.539 --> 00:34:39.879
 them out

00:34:39.879 --> 00:34:40.339
 he tells

00:34:40.339 --> 00:34:40.919
 them I am

00:34:40.919 --> 00:34:41.539
 sending you

00:34:41.539 --> 00:34:42.919
 out as sheep

00:34:42.919 --> 00:34:43.879
 among wolves

00:34:43.879 --> 00:34:45.579
 so be as wise

00:34:45.579 --> 00:34:46.840
 as serpents

00:34:46.840 --> 00:34:47.900
 and as innocent

00:34:47.900 --> 00:34:49.179
 as doves

00:34:49.179 --> 00:34:51.159
 so you see

00:34:51.159 --> 00:34:52.619
 taking us back

00:34:52.619 --> 00:34:53.799
 to Matthew 7

00:34:53.799 --> 00:34:55.380
 if the gospel

00:34:55.380 --> 00:34:56.659
 has made you

00:34:56.659 --> 00:34:57.759
 or is making

00:34:57.759 --> 00:34:59.460
 you a non-censorious

00:34:59.460 --> 00:35:00.179
 person

00:35:00.179 --> 00:35:02.860
 in hyper-censorious

00:35:02.860 --> 00:35:03.799
 Edinburgh

00:35:03.799 --> 00:35:04.880
 2025

00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:07.299
 that means

00:35:07.299 --> 00:35:07.920
 that the gospel

00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:09.179
 is making you

00:35:09.179 --> 00:35:10.159
 the kind of person

00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:11.599
 who is

00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:13.219
 discerning enough

00:35:13.219 --> 00:35:15.159
 to see the speck

00:35:15.159 --> 00:35:16.480
 in someone's

00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:16.819
 eye

00:35:16.819 --> 00:35:18.239
 but it also

00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:18.739
 makes you

00:35:18.739 --> 00:35:19.259
 someone who

00:35:19.259 --> 00:35:20.759
 is gentle

00:35:20.759 --> 00:35:21.259
 enough

00:35:21.259 --> 00:35:22.399
 trustworthy

00:35:22.399 --> 00:35:23.179
 enough

00:35:23.179 --> 00:35:26.099
 non-pompous

00:35:26.099 --> 00:35:26.619
 enough

00:35:26.619 --> 00:35:27.759
 humble enough

00:35:27.759 --> 00:35:29.199
 honest enough

00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:29.859
 about the plank

00:35:29.859 --> 00:35:30.919
 in your own eye

00:35:30.919 --> 00:35:31.699
 that maybe

00:35:31.699 --> 00:35:32.859
 they'll trust you

00:35:32.859 --> 00:35:33.439
 to get close

00:35:33.439 --> 00:35:33.939
 enough to their

00:35:33.939 --> 00:35:34.480
 eye to help

00:35:34.480 --> 00:35:35.059
 them take the

00:35:35.059 --> 00:35:35.519
 speck out

00:35:35.519 --> 00:35:37.500
 but

00:35:37.500 --> 00:35:38.759
 if you're

00:35:38.759 --> 00:35:39.199
 doing that

00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:39.619
 you're doing

00:35:39.619 --> 00:35:40.139
 it as

00:35:40.139 --> 00:35:41.099
 sheep

00:35:41.099 --> 00:35:42.039
 among wolves

00:35:42.039 --> 00:35:43.619
 because the

00:35:43.619 --> 00:35:44.300
 gospel in a

00:35:44.300 --> 00:35:44.860
 censorious

00:35:44.860 --> 00:35:46.280
 culture

00:35:46.280 --> 00:35:47.139
 will divide

00:35:47.139 --> 00:35:47.559
 people

00:35:47.559 --> 00:35:49.079
 some people

00:35:49.079 --> 00:35:49.519
 will hear it

00:35:49.519 --> 00:35:49.900
 and think

00:35:49.900 --> 00:35:51.579
 finally this

00:35:51.579 --> 00:35:51.860
 is my

00:35:51.860 --> 00:35:52.420
 liberation

00:35:52.420 --> 00:35:52.920
 from

00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:54.059
 censoriousness

00:35:54.059 --> 00:35:54.539
 from this

00:35:54.539 --> 00:35:55.159
 world's

00:35:55.159 --> 00:35:55.480
 harsh

00:35:55.480 --> 00:35:56.460
 judgmentalism

00:35:56.460 --> 00:35:58.480
 but other

00:35:58.480 --> 00:35:59.099
 people will

00:35:59.099 --> 00:35:59.920
 hear the gospel

00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:00.599
 and see it

00:36:00.599 --> 00:36:00.920
 lived out

00:36:00.920 --> 00:36:01.259
 and think

00:36:01.259 --> 00:36:01.659
 I'm going

00:36:01.659 --> 00:36:01.920
 to be

00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:02.259
 you know

00:36:02.259 --> 00:36:02.360
 what

00:36:02.360 --> 00:36:02.559
 I'm going

00:36:02.559 --> 00:36:02.699
 to be

00:36:02.699 --> 00:36:02.900
 more

00:36:02.900 --> 00:36:03.500
 censorious

00:36:03.500 --> 00:36:03.960
 than ever

00:36:03.960 --> 00:36:04.480
 shame on

00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:04.599
 you

00:36:04.599 --> 00:36:04.980
 for bringing

00:36:04.980 --> 00:36:05.500
 this message

00:36:05.500 --> 00:36:05.900
 to me

00:36:05.900 --> 00:36:08.159
 and

00:36:08.159 --> 00:36:09.039
 that's why

00:36:09.039 --> 00:36:09.579
 if you want

00:36:09.579 --> 00:36:10.039
 to live

00:36:10.039 --> 00:36:10.739
 like this

00:36:10.739 --> 00:36:12.320
 you need

00:36:12.320 --> 00:36:12.699
 to be

00:36:12.699 --> 00:36:13.400
 as wise

00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:13.980
 as a serpent

00:36:13.980 --> 00:36:14.619
 and you need

00:36:14.619 --> 00:36:14.880
 to be

00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:15.420
 as innocent

00:36:15.420 --> 00:36:16.480
 as a dove

00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:17.940
 and that

00:36:17.940 --> 00:36:18.699
 is why

00:36:18.699 --> 00:36:19.400
 Jesus

00:36:19.400 --> 00:36:20.039
 follows

00:36:20.039 --> 00:36:21.119
 judge

00:36:21.119 --> 00:36:21.599
 not

00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:22.260
 do not

00:36:22.260 --> 00:36:22.719
 judge

00:36:22.719 --> 00:36:23.940
 with do

00:36:23.940 --> 00:36:24.380
 not cast

00:36:24.380 --> 00:36:24.940
 your pearls

00:36:24.940 --> 00:36:26.079
 before swine

00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:27.139
 amen

00:36:27.139 --> 00:36:28.119
 let me pray

00:36:28.119 --> 00:36:30.800
 our father

00:36:30.800 --> 00:36:31.179
 in heaven

00:36:31.179 --> 00:36:32.460
 we thank you

00:36:32.460 --> 00:36:33.300
 for your son

00:36:33.300 --> 00:36:34.019
 Jesus Christ

00:36:34.019 --> 00:36:35.180
 we thank you

00:36:35.180 --> 00:36:36.320
 for the

00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:37.500
 fathomless

00:36:37.500 --> 00:36:38.180
 wisdom

00:36:38.180 --> 00:36:38.600
 in his

00:36:38.600 --> 00:36:39.039
 teaching

00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:40.019
 we thank you

00:36:40.019 --> 00:36:40.500
 for his

00:36:40.500 --> 00:36:40.980
 perfect

00:36:40.980 --> 00:36:41.420
 judgment

00:36:41.420 --> 00:36:42.880
 of the

00:36:42.880 --> 00:36:43.160
 human

00:36:43.160 --> 00:36:43.539
 heart

00:36:43.539 --> 00:36:44.400
 of

00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:45.400
 the

00:36:45.400 --> 00:36:45.940
 goodness

00:36:45.940 --> 00:36:46.780
 and the

00:36:46.780 --> 00:36:47.100
 evil

00:36:47.100 --> 00:36:47.640
 in this

00:36:47.640 --> 00:36:48.039
 world

00:36:48.039 --> 00:36:49.080
 the goodness

00:36:49.080 --> 00:36:49.519
 that you

00:36:49.519 --> 00:36:50.080
 have made

00:36:50.080 --> 00:36:50.900
 the evil

00:36:50.900 --> 00:36:51.600
 that must

00:36:51.600 --> 00:36:52.180
 be redeemed

00:36:52.180 --> 00:36:53.640
 and we thank

00:36:53.640 --> 00:36:53.920
 you that

00:36:53.920 --> 00:36:54.180
 Jesus

00:36:54.180 --> 00:36:55.260
 has come

00:36:55.260 --> 00:36:55.680
 into our

00:36:55.680 --> 00:36:56.019
 world

00:36:56.019 --> 00:36:57.760
 the true

00:36:57.760 --> 00:36:58.200
 judge

00:36:58.200 --> 00:36:58.960
 who made

00:36:58.960 --> 00:36:59.440
 himself

00:36:59.440 --> 00:37:00.240
 the one

00:37:00.240 --> 00:37:00.580
 who was

00:37:00.580 --> 00:37:00.960
 judged

00:37:00.960 --> 00:37:02.000
 we thank

00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:02.340
 you that

00:37:02.340 --> 00:37:03.220
 when his

00:37:03.220 --> 00:37:04.099
 gospel

00:37:04.099 --> 00:37:04.500
 when his

00:37:04.500 --> 00:37:04.880
 perfect

00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:05.460
 person

00:37:05.460 --> 00:37:06.880
 when his

00:37:06.880 --> 00:37:07.519
 lavish love

00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:08.480
 confronts us

00:37:08.480 --> 00:37:09.380
 that it

00:37:09.380 --> 00:37:10.119
 shows us

00:37:10.119 --> 00:37:10.900
 ourselves

00:37:10.900 --> 00:37:11.599
 in a new

00:37:11.599 --> 00:37:11.960
 light

00:37:11.960 --> 00:37:13.320
 and that it

00:37:13.320 --> 00:37:13.900
 helps us

00:37:13.900 --> 00:37:14.840
 see the

00:37:14.840 --> 00:37:15.579
 the beam

00:37:15.579 --> 00:37:16.320
 in our

00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:16.820
 own eye

00:37:16.820 --> 00:37:18.300
 but also

00:37:18.300 --> 00:37:19.300
 that Jesus

00:37:19.300 --> 00:37:20.740
 is the one

00:37:20.740 --> 00:37:21.320
 who comes

00:37:21.320 --> 00:37:22.240
 to open

00:37:22.240 --> 00:37:22.920
 our eyes

00:37:22.920 --> 00:37:23.699
 to help us

00:37:23.699 --> 00:37:24.440
 see the truth

00:37:24.440 --> 00:37:25.179
 about himself

00:37:25.179 --> 00:37:26.340
 about yourself

00:37:26.340 --> 00:37:27.880
 about ourselves

00:37:27.880 --> 00:37:28.720
 we thank you

00:37:28.720 --> 00:37:29.140
 for his

00:37:29.140 --> 00:37:30.100
 great redeeming

00:37:30.100 --> 00:37:30.440
 love

00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:31.220
 for the way

00:37:31.220 --> 00:37:31.600
 that he

00:37:31.600 --> 00:37:32.120
 is patient

00:37:32.120 --> 00:37:32.660
 with us

00:37:32.660 --> 00:37:33.039
 that he

00:37:33.039 --> 00:37:33.600
 came to us

00:37:33.600 --> 00:37:33.860
 in all

00:37:33.860 --> 00:37:34.340
 humility

00:37:34.340 --> 00:37:35.640
 and gentleness

00:37:35.640 --> 00:37:36.740
 we pray

00:37:36.740 --> 00:37:37.940
 that in

00:37:37.940 --> 00:37:38.620
 small ways

00:37:38.620 --> 00:37:39.260
 day by day

00:37:39.260 --> 00:37:39.559
 you would

00:37:39.559 --> 00:37:40.079
 help us

00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:40.960
 to grow

00:37:40.960 --> 00:37:41.620
 more and

00:37:41.620 --> 00:37:41.900
 more

00:37:41.900 --> 00:37:43.360
 into being

00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:43.940
 like Jesus

00:37:43.940 --> 00:37:44.700
 in all

00:37:44.700 --> 00:37:45.059
 of those

00:37:45.059 --> 00:37:45.420
 ways

00:37:45.420 --> 00:37:46.220
 we pray

00:37:46.220 --> 00:37:46.600
 for your

00:37:46.600 --> 00:37:46.960
 forgiveness

00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:47.860
 for all

00:37:47.860 --> 00:37:48.280
 the ways

00:37:48.280 --> 00:37:49.019
 that we

00:37:49.019 --> 00:37:50.019
 are shaped

00:37:50.019 --> 00:37:50.380
 by the

00:37:50.380 --> 00:37:50.559
 world

00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:51.340
 around us

00:37:51.340 --> 00:37:53.420
 and all

00:37:53.420 --> 00:37:53.720
 the ways

00:37:53.720 --> 00:37:54.000
 that it

00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:54.460
 does not

00:37:54.460 --> 00:37:55.760
 resemble

00:37:55.760 --> 00:37:56.380
 your

00:37:56.380 --> 00:37:56.780
 gospel

00:37:56.780 --> 00:37:57.400
 and we

00:37:57.400 --> 00:37:57.659
 pray that

00:37:57.659 --> 00:37:57.860
 you would

00:37:57.860 --> 00:37:58.400
 help us

00:37:58.400 --> 00:37:59.300
 in this

00:37:59.300 --> 00:37:59.559
 world

00:37:59.559 --> 00:37:59.840
 then

00:37:59.840 --> 00:38:00.820
 to be

00:38:00.820 --> 00:38:01.119
 people

00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:01.340
 who

00:38:01.340 --> 00:38:01.599
 are

00:38:01.599 --> 00:38:03.099
 reworked

00:38:03.099 --> 00:38:04.079
 refashioned

00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:04.539
 by your

00:38:04.539 --> 00:38:04.880
 gospel

00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:05.699
 and because

00:38:05.699 --> 00:38:06.059
 of that

00:38:06.059 --> 00:38:06.500
 who are

00:38:06.500 --> 00:38:07.039
 sent out

00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:07.559
 as sheep

00:38:07.559 --> 00:38:07.840
 among

00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:08.260
 wolves

00:38:08.260 --> 00:38:09.300
 help us

00:38:09.300 --> 00:38:09.900
 to be

00:38:09.900 --> 00:38:11.039
 both wise

00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:11.599
 and innocent

00:38:11.599 --> 00:38:12.599
 in following

00:38:12.599 --> 00:38:13.300
 our saviour's

00:38:13.300 --> 00:38:13.599
 teaching

00:38:13.599 --> 00:38:14.280
 we pray

00:38:14.280 --> 00:38:14.740
 for this

00:38:14.740 --> 00:38:15.240
 in his

00:38:15.240 --> 00:38:15.480
 name

00:38:15.480 --> 00:38:16.199
 amen