[MUSIC]
00:00:00.20\00:00:00.40
>> FROM ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA,
"THE CARTER REPORT" PRESENTS,
00:00:08.00\00:00:11.33
"THE LIVING WORD
AROUND THE WORLD."
00:00:11.33\00:00:12.20
>> HELLO FRIEND,
00:00:12.20\00:00:17.53
I'M JOHN CARTER.
00:00:18.26\00:00:20.33
"THE CARTER REPORT" TEAM IS
GOING TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS
00:00:20.33\00:00:24.00
TO PREACH CHRIST.
00:00:24.00\00:00:26.06
WE'RE GOING THIS SEPTEMBER 2011.
00:00:26.06\00:00:30.60
WE'VE JUST PURCHASED
10,000 OF THESE BIBLES HERE
00:00:30.60\00:00:34.33
IN THE UNITED STATES.
00:00:34.33\00:00:35.80
WE'RE SHIPPING THEM
OUT TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.
00:00:35.80\00:00:39.13
WE ARE TAKING THE
ENTIRE "CARTER REPORT" TEAM.
00:00:39.13\00:00:42.06
WE ARE HIRING
AN OUTDOOR STADIUM.
00:00:42.06\00:00:45.13
THEY SAY THOUSANDS, MAYBE TENS
OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE GOING
00:00:45.13\00:00:48.80
TO COME EVERY NIGHT
TO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD.
00:00:48.80\00:00:52.86
THE NEED IS DESPERATE
IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.
00:00:52.86\00:00:58.13
I NEED YOUR PRAYERS.
00:00:58.13\00:00:59.60
I NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
00:00:59.60\00:01:01.60
I NEED YOUR PARTNERSHIP
AS WE GO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.
00:01:01.60\00:01:05.20
MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS
GROWING UP IN AUSTRALIA, I MET A
00:01:05.20\00:01:09.53
MAN FROM THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.
00:01:09.53\00:01:10.46
HIS NAME WAS
PASTOR CARTER ANGUS O.
00:01:10.46\00:01:13.46
HE TOLD ME THE STORIES OF THE
HEADHUNTERS, THE CANNIBALS, AND
00:01:13.46\00:01:16.93
THE COMING OF THE
MISSIONARIES WHO CAME TO PREACH
00:01:16.93\00:01:21.40
THE WORD OF THE LIVING GOD.
00:01:21.40\00:01:23.00
THAT IS WHY WE ARE
GOING TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS,
00:01:23.00\00:01:27.06
TO FINISH THE WORK THAT
GOD HAS CALLED US TO DO.
00:01:27.06\00:01:31.13
I WANT YOU TO BE MY
PARTNER IN THIS TREMENDOUS WORK.
00:01:31.13\00:01:35.46
I WANT YOU TO
COME AS A VOLUNTEER.
00:01:35.46\00:01:38.20
I NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
00:01:38.20\00:01:39.20
I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU TODAY.
00:01:39.20\00:01:42.06
PLEASE WRITE TO ME, JOHN
CARTER, POST OFFICE BOX 1900,
00:01:42.06\00:01:46.60
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA.
00:01:46.60\00:01:47.53
WRITE TO ME PLEASE IN TERRIGAL,
NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.
00:01:47.53\00:01:52.53
THE HOUR IS LATE.
00:01:52.53\00:01:56.13
JESUS SAID,
"WORK WHILE IT IS DAY.
00:01:56.13\00:02:02.33
THE NIGHT IS COMING
WHEN NO MAN CAN WORK."
00:02:02.33\00:02:06.06
JOIN ME PLEASE IN
THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.
00:02:06.06\00:02:11.20
[MUSIC]
00:02:11.20\00:02:19.73
[MUSIC] ? AMAZING GRACE, ?
00:02:19.80\00:02:33.70
? HOW SWEET THE
SOUND ? ? THAT SAVED ?
00:02:33.70\00:02:44.46
? A WRETCH LIKE ME.
? ? I ONCE WAS LOST, ?
00:02:44.46\00:03:01.90
? BUT NOW I AM FOUND. ? ?
WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE. ?
00:03:01.90\00:03:22.66
? AMAZING GRACE, ? ?
HOW SWEET THE SOUND ?
00:03:22.66\00:03:36.23
? THAT SAVED ? ?
A WRETCH LIKE ME. ?
00:03:36.23\00:03:46.90
? OH, I ONCE WAS LOST,
? ? BUT NOW I'M FOUND. ?
00:03:46.90\00:04:02.96
? WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I
SEE. ? ? AND WITH THAT I SAY ?
00:04:02.96\00:04:16.86
? HOW GREAT IS OUR
GOD. ? ? SING WITH ME ?
00:04:16.86\00:04:26.16
? HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD.
? ? OH, SING HOW GREAT, ?
00:04:26.16\00:04:38.46
? HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD. ?
? OH, HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD. ?
00:04:38.46\00:04:59.10
? SING WITH ME ? ?
HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD. ?
00:04:59.10\00:05:07.70
? AND I WILL SING HOW GREAT,
? ? HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD. ?
00:05:07.70\00:05:22.10
? OH, OH. ??
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
00:05:22.10\00:05:35.23
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
00:05:35.23\00:05:37.06
IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE HERE IN
THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, ISN'T IT,
00:05:37.06\00:05:40.60
AND TO WORSHIP HIM?
00:05:40.60\00:05:42.60
AND TODAY, I ALSO WANT TO
WELCOME ALL OF OUR DEAR FRIENDS
00:05:42.60\00:05:45.93
WATCHING ON 3ABN
AROUND THE WORLD.
00:05:45.93\00:05:49.50
TODAY, WE HAVE A VERY
SPECIAL GUEST, PASTOR TY GIBSON,
00:05:49.50\00:05:53.83
WHO IS THE PRESIDENT
OF LIGHTBEARERS MINISTRY
00:05:53.83\00:05:56.93
OUT OF JASPER, OREGON.
00:05:56.93\00:05:59.53
NOW, LIGHTBEARERS MINISTRY
DOES A WONDERFUL WORK AROUND THE
00:05:59.53\00:06:03.00
WORLD BY GIVING AND
SENDING CHRISTIAN LITERATURE.
00:06:03.00\00:06:08.16
AND MILLIONS HAVE BEEN
BLESSED THROUGH THEIR MINISTRY.
00:06:08.16\00:06:12.00
AND THEY ALSO, OF COURSE, PREACH
THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL.
00:06:12.00\00:06:16.40
PLEASE WELCOME PASTOR TY GIBSON.
00:06:16.40\00:06:19.40
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
>> WELL, GOOD MORNING,
00:06:19.40\00:06:26.13
EVERYBODY.
00:06:26.13\00:06:27.70
ARE YOU HAVING A
FABULOUS DAY SO FAR?
00:06:27.70\00:06:30.56
DID YOU NOTICE THE TITLE OF
THE MESSAGE IN YOUR BULLETIN?
00:06:30.56\00:06:35.00
ANYBODY NOTICE THE TITLE?
00:06:35.00\00:06:36.60
IS IT A PROVOCATIVE TITLE?
00:06:36.60\00:06:38.86
IS IT A TITLE THAT SEEMS A
LITTLE AMBITIOUS FOR 46 MINUTES?
00:06:38.86\00:06:43.63
THE TITLE OF OUR
MESSAGE THIS MORNING IS
00:06:43.63\00:06:46.43
"A BRIEF HISTORY OF GOD."
00:06:46.43\00:06:50.93
A WHAT OF WHO?
00:06:50.93\00:06:52.96
A BRIEF HISTORY OF WHO?
00:06:52.96\00:06:56.30
OF GOD.
00:06:56.30\00:06:57.26
BUT I WANT TO POINT OUT
THAT GOD'S HISTORY IS ANYTHING
00:06:57.26\00:07:01.53
BUT BRIEF.
00:07:01.53\00:07:03.96
I MEAN, IF WE WERE TO SAY GOD'S
HISTORY IS LONG, THAT WOULD BE A
00:07:03.96\00:07:09.43
GROSS UNDERSTATEMENT.
00:07:09.43\00:07:12.03
IT IS VERY INTERESTING
TO THINK OF THE REALITY
00:07:12.03\00:07:16.46
OF GOD'S EXISTENCE.
00:07:16.46\00:07:19.20
FOR EXAMPLE, IN DANIEL 7, DON'T
TURN THERE FOR THE SAKE OF TIME,
00:07:19.20\00:07:24.60
BUT IN DANIEL 7:9, GOD IS
GIVEN A VERY SPECIFIC TITLE.
00:07:24.60\00:07:31.56
HE IS CALLED THERE,
"THE ANCIENT OF DAYS."
00:07:31.56\00:07:34.96
ISN'T THAT AN INTERESTING TITLE?
00:07:34.96\00:07:36.40
WHAT ARE SYNONYMS THAT
COME TO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU THINK
00:07:36.40\00:07:38.56
OF THE WORD ANCIENT?
00:07:38.56\00:07:39.56
IF YOU WERE TO GO ON GOOGLE
AND TYPE IN ANCIENT AND LOOK FOR
00:07:39.56\00:07:43.13
SYNONYMS IN SOME ONLINE
THESAURUS, WHAT KIND OF WORDS
00:07:43.13\00:07:46.70
WOULD COME UP DO YOU THINK
IF YOU TYPE IN THE WORD ANCIENT?
00:07:46.70\00:07:50.50
OLD.
00:07:50.50\00:07:51.40
IS GOD OLD?
00:07:51.40\00:07:54.40
YES?
00:07:54.40\00:07:56.03
IS THAT AN UNDERSTATEMENT?
00:07:56.03\00:07:57.96
OKAY, GOD IS OLD.
00:07:57.96\00:07:59.50
IS GOD ELDERLY?
00:07:59.50\00:08:01.76
DOES HE HAVE HIS
TEETH IN A JAR BY THE BED?
00:08:01.76\00:08:04.90
IS HE LOSING HIS HAIR?
00:08:04.90\00:08:07.50
ANY WRINKLES?
00:08:07.50\00:08:08.83
I MEAN, IF YOU WERE TO
MEET GOD FACE TO FACE--THIS IS
00:08:08.83\00:08:11.50
HYPOTHETICAL, OF
COURSE, AND SOMEDAY, ACCORDING
00:08:11.50\00:08:13.50
TO REVELATION 22:4, WE
WILL SEE HIM FACE TO FACE.
00:08:13.50\00:08:17.70
NOW I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE THAT.
00:08:17.70\00:08:18.96
YOU SEE GOD FACE TO FACE FOR
THE FIRST TIME AND HE PLAYS THIS
00:08:18.96\00:08:22.30
LITTLE GAME WITH US THAT WE
SOMETIMES PLAY WITH ONE ANOTHER.
00:08:22.30\00:08:26.73
AND GOD SAYS,
"HEY, HEY, GUESS MY AGE."
00:08:26.73\00:08:31.10
WE STOP PLAYING THAT
GAME, DON'T WE, AFTER ABOUT 40?
00:08:31.10\00:08:35.26
WE DON'T WANT ANYONE GUESSING
OUR AGE ANYMORE, BUT WHAT IF GOD
00:08:35.26\00:08:39.00
SAID, "GUESS MY AGE
JUST FROM APPEARANCES."
00:08:39.00\00:08:43.70
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
00:08:43.70\00:08:46.80
NOT FROM WHAT YOU KNOW OF
HIS ETERNAL EXISTENCE, BUT FROM
00:08:46.80\00:08:53.06
VISUAL CONTACT WITH HIS PERSON.
00:08:53.06\00:08:57.40
I THINK WE MIGHT LOOK AT
GOD AND SAY, "I DON'T KNOW,
00:08:57.40\00:08:59.40
MAYBE 25, 26."
00:08:59.40\00:09:04.86
NO SIGNS OF AGING.
00:09:04.86\00:09:07.13
GOD'S NOT ELDERLY, IS HE?
00:09:07.13\00:09:09.90
HE'S ETERNALLY YOUNG, ISN'T HE?
00:09:09.90\00:09:14.60
GOD IS YOUNG IN APPEARANCE,
BUT HE HAS BEEN AROUND
00:09:14.60\00:09:20.63
FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
00:09:20.63\00:09:24.83
HOW LONG EXACTLY?
00:09:24.83\00:09:26.56
TITUS 1:2 SAYS
SOMETHING INTERESTING.
00:09:26.56\00:09:29.70
IT SAYS THAT GOD WAS
ACTUALLY DOING THINGS.
00:09:29.70\00:09:32.43
NOTICE THIS
LANGUAGE, BEFORE TIME BEGAN.
00:09:32.43\00:09:38.43
BEFORE WHAT BEGAN?
00:09:38.43\00:09:40.30
BEFORE TIME.
00:09:40.30\00:09:40.86
WHAT IS TIME?
00:09:40.86\00:09:43.03
WELL, IT'S SUCCESSION, ISN'T IT?
00:09:43.03\00:09:44.66
IT'S HISTORY.
00:09:44.66\00:09:45.36
IT'S ONE EVENT
FOLLOWING ANOTHER, RIGHT?
00:09:45.36\00:09:50.33
NOW THIS SCRIPTURE SAYS
THAT GOD ACTUALLY EXISTED BEFORE
00:09:50.33\00:09:56.03
TIME BEGAN.
00:09:56.03\00:09:58.80
I GUESS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO
IMAGINE SOME NON-TIME REGION OF
00:09:58.80\00:10:03.96
REALITY, BUT WE CAN'T GRASP
THAT AS HUMAN BEINGS, CAN WE?
00:10:03.96\00:10:08.10
ALL WE KNOW IS SUCCESSION.
00:10:08.10\00:10:10.23
ALL WE KNOW IS HISTORY.
00:10:10.23\00:10:11.53
ALL WE KNOW IS ONE
EVENT FOLLOWING ANOTHER,
00:10:11.53\00:10:15.06
BUT GOD TRANSCENDS ALL OF THAT.
00:10:15.06\00:10:19.30
GOD MADE TIME AND SPACE, AND
THEREFORE IN SOME SENSE THAT WE
00:10:19.30\00:10:24.90
COULD NEVER FULLY GRASP, GOD
MUST TRANSCEND TIME AND SPACE.
00:10:24.90\00:10:29.60
ARE YOU WITH ME?
00:10:29.60\00:10:30.80
SO GOD HAS BEEN AROUND
NOT JUST FOR A LONG TIME.
00:10:30.80\00:10:35.30
GOD'S NOT JUST ANCIENT.
00:10:35.30\00:10:38.06
GOD, IN SOME AMAZING, WONDERFUL
SENSE THAT IS BEYOND OUR
00:10:38.06\00:10:43.73
COMPREHENSION, JUST OUTSIDE OF
OUR INTELLECTUAL ORBIT, OUTSIDE
00:10:43.73\00:10:47.26
OF ANYTHING WE KNOW OR
COMPREHEND, GOD HAS ALWAYS
00:10:47.26\00:10:52.30
EXISTED, WHATEVER THAT MEANS.
00:10:52.30\00:10:56.50
AND WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW
SCRIPTURE THIS MORNING TO
00:10:56.50\00:10:59.30
ACTUALLY PAINT A PICTURE FOR US
OF WHAT GOD WAS DOING, WHAT GOD
00:10:59.30\00:11:04.86
WAS UP TO BEFORE TIME BEGAN,
BEFORE HUMAN BEINGS AND ANGELS
00:11:04.86\00:11:11.53
AND OTHER CONTINGENT
CREATURES WERE CREATED.
00:11:11.53\00:11:15.46
BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WANT TO
TAKE NOTE OF THE FACT THAT OTHER
00:11:15.46\00:11:20.73
BRIEF HISTORIES OF REALITY, OF
SPACE AND TIME HAVE BEEN TOLD.
00:11:20.73\00:11:26.50
YOU HAVE NO DOUBT HEARD
OF THE VERY POPULAR PHYSICIST
00:11:26.50\00:11:33.06
STEPHEN HAWKING.
00:11:33.06\00:11:35.06
HE IS THE--HE IS THE BRAINY
SCIENTIFIC DUDE THAT SITS IN THE
00:11:35.06\00:11:38.26
WHEELCHAIR AND THEN THROUGH
LITTLE MICRO-MOVEMENTS OF SOME
00:11:38.26\00:11:42.00
HIGH-TECH DEVICE ON
HIS WHEELCHAIR, HE SOMEHOW
00:11:42.00\00:11:44.83
COMMUNICATES AND WORDS
APPEAR ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN.
00:11:44.83\00:11:47.03
YOU KNOW THE GUY I'M
TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT?
00:11:47.03\00:11:48.86
OKAY, WELL STEPHEN HAWKING,
HE WROTE A BOOK BACK IN 1988.
00:11:48.86\00:11:53.43
IT IS THE MOST
POPULAR, BESTSELLING SCIENTIFIC
00:11:53.43\00:11:56.86
BOOK OF ALL TIME.
00:11:56.86\00:11:58.46
CERTAINLY YOU'VE READ IT.
00:11:58.46\00:12:00.56
IT IS CALLED "A BRIEF
HISTORY OF," DOES ANYBODY KNOW?
00:12:00.56\00:12:03.63
"A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME."
00:12:03.63\00:12:05.83
I MEAN, 10 MILLION OF
THEM ARE IN CIRCULATION.
00:12:05.83\00:12:08.30
YOU CAN GET THEM AT
GOODWILL, ALL RIGHT?
00:12:08.30\00:12:12.06
THEY'RE OUT THERE.
00:12:12.06\00:12:13.03
YOU CAN LAY HANDS ON A COPY.
00:12:13.03\00:12:14.73
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO
READ "A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME."
00:12:14.73\00:12:18.63
AND WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER IS
THAT ACCORDING TO THIS BRILLIANT
00:12:18.63\00:12:22.43
ASTROPHYSICIST, THE GUY WHO
IS HEIR TO THE POSITION IN THE
00:12:22.43\00:12:28.43
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY OF
ALBERT EINSTEIN NO LESS.
00:12:28.43\00:12:31.33
THIS IS THE GUY, LAST 25 YEARS,
THE MOST BRILLIANT HUMAN BEING.
00:12:31.33\00:12:35.66
HIS IQ MEASURES OFF THE CHARTS.
00:12:35.66\00:12:39.30
THIS IS STEPHEN
HAWKING AND HERE'S HIS BRIEF
00:12:39.30\00:12:43.00
HISTORY OF TIME.
00:12:43.00\00:12:45.06
I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU EVEN MORE
BRIEF THAN HE GAVE IT TO YOU.
00:12:45.06\00:12:48.56
ACCORDING TO HIM, APPROXIMATELY
13.9 BILLION YEARS AGO, GIVE
00:12:48.56\00:12:55.36
OR TAKE A FEW YEARS, ALL
OF REALITY, ALL OF MATTER AND
00:12:55.36\00:13:02.20
ENERGY WAS COMPRESSED, GET
THIS, INTO THE SPACE THAT WAS NO
00:13:02.20\00:13:12.13
BIGGER THAN THE PERIOD
AT THE END OF A SENTENCE.
00:13:12.13\00:13:17.33
EVERYTHING JUST RIGHT THERE.
00:13:17.33\00:13:18.70
HOW LONG HAD IT BEEN
COMPRESSED IN THAT STATE?
00:13:18.70\00:13:22.70
JUST FOREVER, I GUESS.
00:13:22.70\00:13:26.56
AND THEN SUDDENLY,
13.9 BILLION YEARS AGO,
00:13:26.56\00:13:29.76
THERE WAS A MASSIVE WHAT?
00:13:29.76\00:13:32.06
EXPLOSION.
00:13:32.06\00:13:33.60
BANG, AND ALL OF THE THINGS, THE
PEOPLE, EVERYTHING THAT WE SEE
00:13:33.60\00:13:41.96
AROUND US THROUGH MICROSCOPE,
THROUGH TELESCOPE AS WE PROBE,
00:13:41.96\00:13:46.96
THE COSMOS AROUND
US, EVERYTHING EMERGED.
00:13:46.96\00:13:52.13
EVERYTHING BEGAN TO EXPAND
OUTWARD AND TAKE SHAPE THROUGH
00:13:52.13\00:13:57.23
EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS, RIGHT?
00:13:57.23\00:14:00.16
AND FOR 13.9 BILLION YEARS, THAT
PROCESS HAS BEEN HAPPENING UNTIL
00:14:00.16\00:14:04.00
FINALLY, FINALLY, HUMAN BEINGS
BEGAN TO EMERGE ON THE SCENE
00:14:04.00\00:14:11.66
OF THE HISTORY OF TIME.
00:14:11.66\00:14:13.46
WE KIND OF GRADUALLY CRAWLED OUT
OF SOME KIND OF MICROBIOTIC SOUP
00:14:13.46\00:14:20.80
OF SOME KIND.
00:14:20.80\00:14:22.76
AND WE BEGAN TO EXIST IN
EARLY FORMS, AND THEN THE
00:14:22.76\00:14:28.80
DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS WENT ON
UNTIL FINALLY, HERE WE ARE THIS
00:14:28.80\00:14:33.63
MORNING, THINKING
ABOUT, WONDERING ABOUT, CURIOUS
00:14:33.63\00:14:38.36
ABOUT WHO WE ARE.
00:14:38.36\00:14:41.60
AND THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION,
WHO ARE WE, IN THAT BRIEF
00:14:41.60\00:14:45.06
HISTORY OF TIME IS
NOBODY AND NOTHING.
00:14:45.06\00:14:51.80
UTTER AND
COMPLETE INSIGNIFICANCE.
00:14:51.80\00:14:55.73
THERE IS ONLY ONE THING GOING
ON IN THE UNIVERSE, AND THAT IS
00:14:55.73\00:15:02.56
BIOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL
EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS.
00:15:02.56\00:15:07.76
THAT'S IT.
00:15:07.76\00:15:08.83
THAT'S ALL THAT'S GOING ON.
00:15:08.83\00:15:10.40
AND THEN, ACCORDING TO
STEPHEN HAWKINGS, HISTORY IS
00:15:10.40\00:15:14.50
GOING TO KEEP MOVING IN THAT
EVOLUTIONARY, EVER EXPANDING
00:15:14.50\00:15:18.83
OUTWARD DIRECTION UNTIL
ONE OF TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN.
00:15:18.83\00:15:23.30
EITHER THE UNIVERSE WILL
BURN OUT INTO UTTER DARKNESS AND
00:15:23.30\00:15:29.10
NOTHINGNESS, OR IT WILL BEGIN TO
CONTRACT AND IMPLODE UPON ITSELF
00:15:29.10\00:15:37.33
UNTIL IT IS BACK TO WHERE
IT BEGAN, THE PERIOD AT THE
00:15:37.33\00:15:41.26
END OF A SENTENCE.
00:15:41.26\00:15:44.26
THAT'S ONE STORY BEING TOLD.
00:15:44.26\00:15:47.46
THAT IS A BRIEF
HISTORY OF REALITY, OF TIME.
00:15:47.46\00:15:52.03
AND IT IS A HISTORY
THAT INCLUDES YOU AND ME.
00:15:52.03\00:15:56.53
AND IT COMMUNICATES TO US THAT
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO MEANING
00:15:56.53\00:16:02.66
WHATSOEVER TO LIFE.
00:16:02.66\00:16:05.60
THERE'S NO MEANING TO
ANY OF YOUR RELATIONSHIPS.
00:16:05.60\00:16:07.80
YOU THINK YOU
LOVE YOUR CHILDREN.
00:16:07.80\00:16:09.53
YOU THINK YOU LOVE YOUR SPOUSE.
00:16:09.53\00:16:11.80
YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE PURSUING
DEEDS AND COURSES OF ACTION THAT
00:16:11.80\00:16:17.53
HAVE IMPACT, BUT IN THE LARGER
SCHEME OF THINGS, NONE OF IT
00:16:17.53\00:16:22.90
WILL AMOUNT TO ANYTHING.
00:16:22.90\00:16:26.56
THERE IS NO MEANING TO LIFE.
00:16:26.56\00:16:28.86
BUT IT'S VERY INTERESTING
BECAUSE THE BIBLE PAINTS
00:16:28.86\00:16:32.40
A DIFFERENT PICTURE ENTIRELY.
00:16:32.40\00:16:34.00
YOU WILL NOTICE IN HAWKING'S
"BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME" AND WHAT
00:16:34.00\00:16:37.53
IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY
THE POPULAR VIEW OF REALITY AND
00:16:37.53\00:16:41.66
HUMAN EXISTENCE, YOU WILL
NOTICE IN THAT VIEW THERE IS
00:16:41.66\00:16:45.10
NO PERSONAL ELEMENT.
00:16:45.10\00:16:47.50
THERE IS NO WHAT, EVERYBODY?
00:16:47.50\00:16:49.36
NO PERSONAL ELEMENT.
00:16:49.36\00:16:51.00
THERE IS NO
RELATIONAL DIMENSION.
00:16:51.00\00:16:55.83
WE ARE MERELY
BIOLOGICAL CREATURES.
00:16:55.83\00:16:59.00
THERE IS NO SPIRITUAL DIMENSION,
THERE IS NO MORAL DIMENSION, AND
00:16:59.00\00:17:03.03
THEREFORE THERE IS NO RELATIONAL
DIMENSION TO HUMAN EXISTENCE.
00:17:03.03\00:17:10.46
THE BIBLE TELLS AN ENTIRELY
DIFFERENT STORY AND BEGINS
00:17:10.46\00:17:15.00
BY CONVEYING TO US THE MOST
BREATHTAKING OF ALL PICTURES
00:17:15.00\00:17:20.56
IMAGINABLE IN THE
OPENING TEXT OF SCRIPTURE.
00:17:20.56\00:17:24.63
WOULD YOU LOOK AT IT WITH ME?
00:17:24.63\00:17:25.96
GENESIS 1:1, THIS IS WHERE
THE STORY BEGINS IN OUR BRIEF
00:17:25.96\00:17:31.13
HISTORY OF GOD.
00:17:31.13\00:17:33.46
AND OURS IS NOT A BRIEF
HISTORY OF TIME, AS IF TIME WERE
00:17:33.46\00:17:37.56
ULTIMATE, BECAUSE
TIME IS NOT ULTIMATE.
00:17:37.56\00:17:42.66
OURS IS A BRIEF HISTORY OF
GOD BECAUSE GOD IS ULTIMATE.
00:17:42.66\00:17:49.50
AND WE WANT TO KNOW WHO THIS GOD
IS AND WHAT HE'S BEEN UP TO IN
00:17:49.50\00:17:56.16
ALL ETERNITY PAST AND WHAT HE'S
UP TO NOW AND WHAT HE WILL BE
00:17:56.16\00:18:00.66
ENGAGED IN FOR ETERNITY FUTURE.
00:18:00.66\00:18:02.76
NOTICE IN THIS FIRST
STATEMENT OF SCRIPTURE, "IN THE
00:18:02.76\00:18:06.70
BEGINNING," WHAT, EVERYBODY?
00:18:06.70\00:18:08.60
"IN THE BEGINNING, GOD."
00:18:08.60\00:18:10.80
AND THEN IT GOES ON TO SAY THAT
THIS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS
00:18:10.80\00:18:14.13
AND THE EARTH.
00:18:14.13\00:18:16.03
BUT BEFORE YOU HAVE CREATION,
NOTICE THAT IN THE CHRONOLOGY,
00:18:16.03\00:18:22.26
GOD IS A FIXTURE.
00:18:22.26\00:18:26.33
HE IS THE ONLY FIXTURE IN
REALITY BEFORE HE CREATES.
00:18:26.33\00:18:31.03
NOW THINK VERY CAREFULLY
WITH ME HERE FOR A MOMENT.
00:18:31.03\00:18:34.43
CREATION BY DEFINITION
HAS A POINT OF BEGINNING.
00:18:34.43\00:18:41.86
ON A VERY SIMPLISTIC LEVEL,
EVERYBODY SITTING HERE THIS
00:18:41.86\00:18:44.73
MORNING, YOU ALL
HAD A BEGINNING, RIGHT?
00:18:44.73\00:18:47.06
THERE WAS A POINT AT WHICH
YOU BEGAN TO EXIST, YES OR NO?
00:18:47.06\00:18:50.96
YES.
00:18:50.96\00:18:51.76
WHICH MEANS THAT BEFORE THAT
POINT THAT YOU BEGAN TO EXIST,
00:18:51.76\00:18:55.13
YOU DIDN'T WHAT?
00:18:55.13\00:18:57.30
EXIST.
00:18:57.30\00:18:58.06
HOW LONG HAD YOU NOT EXISTED?
00:18:58.06\00:19:01.86
FOR ALL ETERNITY.
00:19:01.86\00:19:03.53
BUT IF YOU GO BACK,
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN
00:19:03.53\00:19:05.13
YOUR PARENTS DIDN'T EXIST.
00:19:05.13\00:19:06.76
AM I CORRECT?
00:19:06.76\00:19:08.00
AND YOUR GREAT-GRANDPARENTS AND
YOUR GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS.
00:19:08.00\00:19:11.66
AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR TOTALLY,
TOTALLY, TOTALLY, TOTALLY
00:19:11.66\00:19:14.56
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS,
ADAM AND EVE?
00:19:14.56\00:19:17.26
WERE THEY CREATED
BY GOD, YES OR NO?
00:19:17.26\00:19:19.73
YES, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU
GO BACK JUST ONE MOMENT BEFORE
00:19:19.73\00:19:24.66
THEIR CREATION, WERE
THERE ANY HUMAN BEINGS ANYWHERE
00:19:24.66\00:19:28.23
TO BE FOUND IN THE
UNIVERSE, YES OR NO?
00:19:28.23\00:19:30.86
NO HUMAN BEINGS ANYWHERE IN THE
UNIVERSE JUST ONE MOMENT BEFORE
00:19:30.86\00:19:36.53
GOD CREATED HUMAN BEINGS.
00:19:36.53\00:19:39.23
NO HUMAN BEINGS ANYWHERE.
00:19:39.23\00:19:42.20
BUT, ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE,
THERE WERE OTHER KINDS
00:19:42.20\00:19:44.63
OF BEINGS IN EXISTENCE
BEFORE HUMAN BEINGS EXISTED.
00:19:44.63\00:19:48.20
AND THEY'RE CALLED ANGELS.
00:19:48.20\00:19:50.73
WE KNOW, AND I DON'T HAVE TIME
TO DEMONSTRATE THIS FOR YOU, BUT
00:19:50.73\00:19:53.46
WE KNOW ACCORDING
TO THE BOOK OF JOB THAT
00:19:53.46\00:19:56.20
CHRONOLOGICALLY,
ANGELS PREDATE HUMAN BEINGS IN
00:19:56.20\00:19:59.66
EXISTENCE BECAUSE IN THE BOOK
OF JOB 38, WE'RE TOLD THAT WHEN
00:19:59.66\00:20:04.23
HUMAN BEINGS WERE CREATED,
THE ANGELS SHOUTED FOR JOY.
00:20:04.23\00:20:07.76
THEY SANG WHEN WE WERE CREATED.
00:20:07.76\00:20:10.30
THAT MEANS THEY CHRONOLOGICALLY
EXISTED BEFORE PLANET EARTH WAS
00:20:10.30\00:20:15.33
BROUGHT INTO BEING, YES OR NO?
00:20:15.33\00:20:17.96
YES.
00:20:17.96\00:20:19.06
SO THESE ANGELS
ARE THERE BEFORE US.
00:20:19.06\00:20:21.50
BUT BEFORE THE
ANGELS, WHAT WAS THERE?
00:20:21.50\00:20:24.06
BECAUSE THERE IS THIS REGION
OF REALITY BEFORE THE ANGELS,
00:20:24.06\00:20:29.33
RIGHT?
00:20:29.33\00:20:30.63
BIOLOGICAL DEDUCTION,
SHERLOCK HOLMES STYLE.
00:20:30.63\00:20:34.23
IF ANGELS ARE ALSO
CREATED BEINGS, RIGHT, THERE HAD
00:20:34.23\00:20:39.70
TO BE A POINT AT
WHICH THEY BEGAN TO EXIST.
00:20:39.70\00:20:45.76
AND BEFORE THAT, THEY DIDN'T
EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE.
00:20:45.76\00:20:49.23
WE HAVE A HINT IN SCRIPTURE
AS TO WHO THE FIRST ANGEL WAS
00:20:49.23\00:20:54.53
THAT GOD EVER MADE.
00:20:54.53\00:20:56.16
WE MIGHT CALL HIM, "THE SUM
TOTAL OF ANGELIC PERFECTION,"
00:20:56.23\00:20:59.36
IN THE WORDS OF EZEKIEL
28, THE SUM OF PERFECTION.
00:21:02.06\00:21:07.40
HIS NAME IN ISAIAH 14
IS LUCIFER, WHICH MEANS
00:21:07.40\00:21:11.56
SON OF THE DAWN.
00:21:11.56\00:21:13.46
THE DAWN OF WHAT?
00:21:13.46\00:21:15.13
JUNE 22ND, 1988?
00:21:15.13\00:21:19.00
NO, THE DAWN OF CREATION.
00:21:19.00\00:21:23.16
LUCIFER, BY IMPLICATION
IN SCRIPTURE, IS THE FIRST
00:21:23.16\00:21:27.50
CONTINGENT BEING
EVER MADE BY GOD.
00:21:27.50\00:21:31.70
AND THEN ALL THE OTHER
ANGELS WERE MADE ON THE TEMPLATE
00:21:31.70\00:21:34.36
OF THIS ONE ANGEL.
00:21:34.36\00:21:35.93
HE WAS PERFECT IN WISDOM AND
BEAUTY, AND HE WAS THE FIRST.
00:21:35.93\00:21:40.66
AND ALL OF THESE ANGELS THAT
GOD HAS MADE, ACCORDING TO THE
00:21:40.66\00:21:45.60
SEVENTH CHAPTER OF DANIEL,
THEY NUMBER IN THE 10,000 TIMES
00:21:45.60\00:21:50.26
10,000, AND
THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS.
00:21:50.26\00:21:53.43
IN THE BOOK OF HEBREWS,
THEY ARE CALLED, "AN INNUMERABLE
00:21:53.43\00:21:56.00
COMPANY OF ANGELS."
00:21:56.00\00:21:57.13
HOW MANY ANGELS ARE THERE?
00:21:57.13\00:21:59.16
I DON'T KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW.
00:21:59.16\00:22:00.50
WE KNOW THERE ARE
6.8 BILLION HUMAN BEINGS
00:22:00.50\00:22:02.80
ON THE PLANET, RIGHT?
00:22:02.80\00:22:04.73
AND WE KNOW ACCORDING
TO MATTHEW 18 THAT EVERY
00:22:04.73\00:22:07.03
HUMAN BEING IS ASSIGNED
A GUARDIAN ANGEL AT BIRTH.
00:22:07.03\00:22:11.46
SO THERE ARE
LOTS OF ANGELS, RIGHT?
00:22:11.46\00:22:14.93
BUT WAS THERE A TIME
WHEN ANGELS DIDN'T EXIST?
00:22:14.93\00:22:19.03
YES.
00:22:19.03\00:22:20.10
LET ME ASK MY VERY, VERY
STRANGE AND ODD QUESTION AGAIN.
00:22:20.10\00:22:24.86
HOW LONG HAD THEY NOT EXISTED?
00:22:24.86\00:22:29.83
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO
COMPREHEND WHAT IT MEANS FOR GOD
00:22:29.83\00:22:35.03
TO HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED,
BUT NOW WE'RE FACE TO FACE
00:22:35.03\00:22:37.23
WITH SOMETHING.
00:22:37.23\00:22:38.56
NO HUMAN BEINGS IN
OUR REASONING PROCESS.
00:22:38.56\00:22:40.66
THEY DON'T EXIST YET.
00:22:40.66\00:22:42.53
NO ANGELS, THEY DON'T EXIST YET.
00:22:42.53\00:22:44.70
SO WHERE ARE WE?
00:22:44.70\00:22:45.66
WE ARE FACE TO FACE WITH THE
MOST SUBLIME OF ALL REALITIES.
00:22:45.66\00:22:49.50
GOD AND GOD ALONE.
00:22:49.50\00:22:55.40
IN SOME AMAZING SENSE,
GOD ALONE IS THE ONE IN WHOM
00:22:55.40\00:23:01.63
THERE IS IMMORTALITY,
TO QUOTE PAUL, RIGHT?
00:23:01.63\00:23:05.13
IN SOME AMAZING SENSE, GOD ALONE
IS ETERNAL AND SELF-EXISTENT.
00:23:05.13\00:23:11.56
SELF WHAT?
00:23:11.56\00:23:12.66
EXISTENT.
00:23:12.66\00:23:13.83
HE DID NOT COME INTO EXISTENCE
BY ANY EXTERNAL FORCES, BUT HAD
00:23:13.83\00:23:21.23
ALWAYS EXISTED, THIS GOD.
00:23:21.23\00:23:26.03
NOW WE'RE CURIOUS CREATURES, AND
AT THIS POINT WE CAN'T HELP BUT
00:23:26.03\00:23:29.40
WONDER, "WELL, GOD, IF HE
HAD ALWAYS EXISTED, I MEAN, THAT
00:23:29.40\00:23:33.56
SOUNDS KIND OF--ETERNITY?
00:23:33.56\00:23:35.73
JUST GOD, NO HUMANS, NO ANGELS.
00:23:35.73\00:23:37.46
THAT SOUNDS KIND
OF--" WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
00:23:37.46\00:23:39.63
BORING?
00:23:39.63\00:23:41.96
LONG?
00:23:41.96\00:23:43.80
IS HE TWIDDLING HIS THUMBS?
00:23:43.80\00:23:46.30
IS HE GOLFING?
00:23:46.30\00:23:49.76
SOMEONE SAYS AMEN.
00:23:49.76\00:23:51.20
I THINK NOT.
00:23:51.20\00:23:52.03
WHAT WAS HE DOING
FOR ALL ETERNITY PAST?
00:23:52.03\00:23:55.90
GENESIS 1:1, IN THE BEGINNING,
THIS IS BEFORE CREATION.
00:23:55.90\00:24:00.26
IN THE BEGINNING, WHAT IS THERE?
00:24:00.26\00:24:02.63
WHO IS THERE?
00:24:02.63\00:24:03.23
JUST GOD, THAT'S IT.
00:24:03.23\00:24:05.60
GOD, BUT LISTEN CAREFULLY NOW.
00:24:05.60\00:24:07.66
IN THE ENGLISH
VERSION, IT'S GOD.
00:24:07.66\00:24:11.80
AND THAT SOUNDS KIND OF GENERIC.
00:24:11.80\00:24:16.10
BUT IN THE HEBREW, IT'S A NAME.
00:24:16.10\00:24:20.00
AND THE NAME IS ELOHIM.
00:24:20.00\00:24:21.86
THE NAME IS WHAT?
00:24:21.86\00:24:22.96
ELOHIM.
00:24:22.96\00:24:24.13
IT'S A VERY ODD NAME
BECAUSE IT IS A PLURAL NOUN.
00:24:24.13\00:24:30.30
THAT WOULD BE LIKE
ME INTRODUCING MYSELF
00:24:30.30\00:24:32.43
TO YOU AS TYS.
00:24:32.43\00:24:33.96
PLEASED TO MEET YOU, I'M TYS.
00:24:33.96\00:24:36.46
YOU WOULD THINK HE'S EITHER
MAKING A VERY, VERY SLOPPY USE
00:24:36.46\00:24:39.16
OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE OR
MAYBE HE THINKS THERE'S ANOTHER
00:24:39.16\00:24:42.86
ONE OF HIM.
00:24:42.86\00:24:44.86
BUT YOU WOULDN'T TAKE A
PLURAL INTRODUCTION SERIOUSLY,
00:24:44.86\00:24:48.06
WOULD YOU?
00:24:48.06\00:24:49.43
SOMETHING'S WRONG
IN MY INTRODUCTION.
00:24:49.43\00:24:51.66
I'M NOT A PLURAL BEING,
AND THEREFORE I MUST INTRODUCE
00:24:51.66\00:24:55.93
MYSELF TO YOU IN A
VERY SINGULAR SENSE.
00:24:55.93\00:24:58.66
PLEASED TO MEET YOU, I'M TY.
00:24:58.66\00:25:01.13
BUT LISTEN, THERE IS
SOME SENSE IN WHICH GOD EXISTS
00:25:01.13\00:25:05.00
IN PLURALITY.
00:25:05.00\00:25:07.36
AND THAT'S WHERE THE
SECRET LIES OF GOD'S EXISTENCE
00:25:07.36\00:25:13.90
AND WHO GOD IS.
00:25:13.90\00:25:15.80
GOD IS PLURAL IN SOME SENSE.
00:25:15.80\00:25:17.66
WELL, IN WHAT
SENSE IS GOD PLURAL?
00:25:17.66\00:25:21.13
IN THIS VERY SIMPLE
AND WONDERFUL SENSE.
00:25:21.13\00:25:24.23
GOD IS LOVE.
00:25:24.23\00:25:27.36
GOD AT THE MOST ESSENTIAL
LEVEL OF OUR GRASP OF WHO HE IS,
00:25:27.36\00:25:36.63
JUST RIGHT AT THE
BEDROCK FOUNDATION
00:25:36.63\00:25:39.46
OF REALITY, GOD IS LOVE.
00:25:39.46\00:25:42.80
WHICH BASICALLY MEANS GOD
IS WITHIN HIMSELF, WITHIN THE
00:25:42.80\00:25:48.16
PARAMETERS OF DIVINITY ITSELF,
WITHOUT HUMANS, WITHOUT ANGELS,
00:25:48.16\00:25:52.10
WITHOUT ANY OTHER
CREATED BEINGS, JUST WITHIN THE
00:25:52.10\00:25:55.03
PARAMETERS OF DIVINITY
ITSELF, GOD IS BOTH SELF
00:25:55.03\00:26:00.06
AND OTHER IN RELATIONSHIP.
00:26:00.06\00:26:04.33
GOD IS ENGAGED WITH OTHERS.
00:26:04.33\00:26:08.20
AND WHO ARE THE OTHERS
THAT GOD IS ENGAGED WITH?
00:26:08.20\00:26:11.90
GOD.
00:26:11.90\00:26:13.80
GOD THE FATHER IS ENGAGED IN
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE SON
00:26:13.80\00:26:18.13
AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
00:26:18.13\00:26:19.03
AND GOD THE SON IS ENGAGED IN
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE FATHER
00:26:19.03\00:26:22.40
AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
00:26:22.40\00:26:23.53
AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ENGAGED
IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE
00:26:23.53\00:26:26.36
HOLY SPIRIT AND GOD THE
FATHER, OR GOD THE FATHER
00:26:26.36\00:26:28.53
AND GOD THE SON.
00:26:28.53\00:26:31.83
THERE IS A
RELATIONSHIP THAT IS OCCURRING.
00:26:31.83\00:26:34.66
AT THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL,
AT THE FOUNDATION OF REALITY, WE
00:26:34.66\00:26:41.26
HAVE FATHER, WHO IS REACHING OUT
IN LOVE TO THE SON, WHO IS IN
00:26:41.26\00:26:49.26
TURN REACHING OUT IN LOVE
TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, REACHING
00:26:49.26\00:26:54.96
INTO THE FATHER.
00:26:54.96\00:26:58.83
THIS IS THE NUCLEAR
CORE, IF YOU WILL, OF REALITY.
00:26:58.83\00:27:04.56
THIS IS WHERE IT ALL BEGAN.
00:27:04.56\00:27:06.60
IN ETERNITY PAST,
WHAT WAS GOING ON?
00:27:06.60\00:27:09.03
WHAT WAS GOD DOING
FOR ALL ETERNITY PAST?
00:27:09.03\00:27:12.13
WAS HE TWIDDLING HIS THUMBS?
00:27:12.13\00:27:13.46
WAS HE PLAYING GOLF?
00:27:13.46\00:27:15.00
GOD WAS ENGAGED IN
A LOVE RELATIONSHIP.
00:27:15.00\00:27:19.90
GOD IS A SOCIAL
BEING, A COMMUNITARIAN BEING.
00:27:19.90\00:27:27.73
GOD IS, IN A SENSE, A
FAMILY UNIT, FATHER, SON,
00:27:27.73\00:27:33.76
AND HOLY SPIRIT.
00:27:33.76\00:27:35.30
AND THIS LOVE RELATIONSHIP, THIS
CIRCUIT OF BENEFICENCE, THIS
00:27:35.30\00:27:39.90
CIRCLE OF OTHER-CENTERED,
SELF-GIVING LOVE, THIS IS
00:27:39.90\00:27:45.20
WHERE THE STORY BEGINS.
00:27:45.20\00:27:47.96
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO
CALL THE PRE-CREATION COVENANT.
00:27:47.96\00:27:55.36
THE
PRE-CREATION WHAT, EVERYBODY?
00:27:55.36\00:27:58.00
COVENANT.
00:27:58.00\00:27:59.30
THAT IS THE PRE-CREATION
AGREEMENT, RELATIONSHIP.
00:27:59.30\00:28:06.50
THIS IS WHERE REALITY BEGINS.
00:28:06.50\00:28:09.53
GOD IS LOVE, OTHER-CENTERED,
SELF-GIVING, OUTGOING LOVE.
00:28:09.53\00:28:21.10
AND THEN THIS GOD
EMBARKED UPON AN AMAZING THING.
00:28:21.10\00:28:27.10
WHAT A VENTURE.
00:28:27.10\00:28:30.93
YOU'RE IN GENESIS 1,
SO LOOK DOWN AT VERSE 26.
00:28:30.93\00:28:35.23
"AND THEN GOD SAID," WHO SAID?
00:28:35.23\00:28:38.53
WHO'S SPEAKING HERE?
00:28:38.53\00:28:39.90
"GOD SAID, 'LET US MAKE
MAN IN OUR,'" WHAT DOES IT SAY?
00:28:39.90\00:28:48.50
"'IMAGE,
ACCORDING TO OUR LIKENESS.'"
00:28:48.50\00:28:50.93
AGAIN, WHO'S
DOING THE SPEAKING HERE?
00:28:50.93\00:28:53.56
GOD SPEAKING TO WHOM?
00:28:53.56\00:28:57.13
GOD IS SPEAKING TO GOD.
00:28:57.13\00:28:58.53
WE'RE OVERHEARING A
CONVERSATION THAT IS OCCURRING
00:28:58.53\00:29:00.80
WITHIN DIVINITY, RIGHT?
00:29:00.80\00:29:04.93
WHO IS THE OUR?
00:29:04.93\00:29:05.96
WHO IS THE US?
00:29:05.96\00:29:07.33
GOD.
00:29:07.33\00:29:08.76
WE DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE OF THE
THREE IS DOING THE ARTICULATING
00:29:08.76\00:29:12.80
AT THIS MOMENT, BUT ONE OF THEM,
LET'S JUST SAY IT'S GOD THE
00:29:12.80\00:29:15.96
FATHER, GOD THE FATHER SAYS
TO THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT,
00:29:15.96\00:29:21.13
"HEY, I HAVE AN IDEA."
00:29:21.13\00:29:23.40
AND THAT'S VERY STRANGE TO
SAY ABOUT GOD BECAUSE THINGS
00:29:23.40\00:29:27.43
DON'T EVER OCCUR TO GOD.
00:29:27.43\00:29:29.06
GOD IS OMNISCIENT.
00:29:29.06\00:29:30.23
THAT MEANS GOD KNOWS
EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME,
00:29:30.23\00:29:32.23
SIMULTANEOUSLY, RIGHT?
00:29:32.23\00:29:34.23
GOD NEVER HAS AN AHA MOMENT.
00:29:34.23\00:29:36.23
"WHOA, I NEVER
THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE EVER."
00:29:36.23\00:29:40.36
BUT WE'RE SPEAKING IN
ANTHROPOMORPHIC TERMS.
00:29:40.36\00:29:45.00
AS HUMAN BEINGS, WE ARE SPEAKING
OF GOD AND WE CAN IMAGINE THAT
00:29:45.00\00:29:50.10
AT SOME POINT, GOD THE
FATHER SAID TO THE SON AND THE
00:29:50.10\00:29:53.70
HOLY SPIRIT, "HEY, HEY,
LET'S MAKE OTHERS LIKE US."
00:29:53.70\00:30:02.70
AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN
IN THE CONTEXT OF VERSE 1?
00:30:02.70\00:30:05.80
IN THE BEGINNING, ELOHIM.
00:30:05.80\00:30:08.33
IN THE BEGINNING--THE FIRST
LINE OF SCRIPTURE IS OUR FIRST
00:30:08.33\00:30:12.16
INTRODUCTION TO THE IDENTITY
OF THE GOD OF SCRIPTURE.
00:30:12.16\00:30:16.30
AND THAT FIRST LINE OF SCRIPTURE
WHISPERS INTO OUR CONSCIOUSNESS,
00:30:16.30\00:30:20.56
GOD IS LOVE.
00:30:20.56\00:30:23.13
GOD IS SOCIAL,
OTHER-CENTERED, FRIENDSHIP LOVE.
00:30:23.13\00:30:27.30
AND THIS GOD OF
OTHER-CENTEREDNESS SAID,
00:30:27.30\00:30:32.60
"LET'S MAKE OTHERS LIKE US.
00:30:32.60\00:30:36.76
LET'S REPLICATE
WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING.
00:30:36.76\00:30:40.50
LET'S REPRODUCE WHAT IT IS THAT
WE HAVE GOING ON BETWEEN US."
00:30:40.50\00:30:44.90
WHAT WAS GOING ON
BETWEEN THEM AGAIN?
00:30:44.90\00:30:47.36
GOD IS LOVE, FRIENDSHIP
LOVE, OTHER-CENTERED LOVE.
00:30:47.36\00:30:52.13
AND GOD SAYS, "LET US
MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE."
00:30:52.13\00:30:54.36
AND IN THAT CONTEXT, WHAT IS
IT THAT GOD IS EMBARKING UPON?
00:30:54.36\00:30:58.80
WE'RE GOING TO CALL IT
THE COVENANT OF CREATION.
00:30:58.80\00:31:03.80
IT IS, IN FACT, A COVENANT.
00:31:03.80\00:31:05.40
THE LANGUAGE BEARS THAT OUT.
00:31:05.40\00:31:07.73
IT IS AN AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE THREE OF THEM.
00:31:07.73\00:31:09.96
"LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE.
00:31:09.96\00:31:11.96
HEY, LET'S DO SOMETHING, AGREED?
00:31:11.96\00:31:14.63
AGREED.
00:31:14.63\00:31:15.96
OKAY, HOW SHALL WE BEGIN?
00:31:15.96\00:31:19.20
WELL, LET'S DO IT IN 6 DAYS.
00:31:19.20\00:31:23.53
AND WE'LL COME TO THE CLIMACTIC
CROWN OF CREATION, THE CRESCENDO
00:31:23.53\00:31:28.73
POINT ON THE SIXTH DAY,
AND THAT'S WHEN WE'LL MAKE
00:31:28.73\00:31:31.90
THE MAN AND THE WOMAN.
00:31:31.90\00:31:33.66
THERE WON'T BE ONE OF THEM;
THERE WILL BE TWO OF THEM,"
00:31:33.66\00:31:36.86
BECAUSE GOD IS IN THE
PROCESS OF REPLICATING HIS LOVE.
00:31:36.86\00:31:40.83
AND LOVE CANNOT
OCCUR IN A VACUUM.
00:31:40.83\00:31:44.56
GOD IS LOVE, WHICH MEANS GOD
IS PLURAL, BOTH SELF AND OTHER
00:31:44.56\00:31:49.40
IN A RELATIONAL SENSE.
00:31:49.40\00:31:51.20
THEREFORE, FOR GOD TO CREATE HIS
IMAGE EXTERNAL TO HIMSELF, TO
00:31:51.20\00:31:55.53
REPLICATE HIS IMAGE, THAT IMAGE
MUST INVOLVE MORE THAN ONE.
00:31:55.53\00:32:01.16
YOU CAN'T GO IN A BATHROOM,
LOCK THE DOOR, AND STAY THERE
00:32:01.16\00:32:04.90
FOR THE REST OF YOUR
LIFE AND EXPERIENCE LOVE.
00:32:04.90\00:32:07.80
YOU'VE GOT TO COME OUT AND
HAVE INTERACTION WITH OTHERS.
00:32:07.80\00:32:12.96
LOVE BY BIBLICAL DEFINITION
IS OTHER-CENTEREDNESS.
00:32:12.96\00:32:18.00
THEREFORE, THERE MUST
BE SOME OTHER TO LOVE.
00:32:18.00\00:32:22.80
WITHIN GOD'S REALITY,
FOR EACH OF THE THREE THERE
00:32:22.80\00:32:27.03
ARE THE OTHER TWO.
00:32:27.03\00:32:29.66
AND THAT'S WHY GOD IS LOVE.
00:32:29.66\00:32:31.83
THEN GOD SAYS, "HEY, LET'S
CREATE OTHERS IN OUR IMAGE,"
00:32:31.83\00:32:37.16
WHICH MEANS WHAT
NOW IN OUR CONTEXT?
00:32:37.16\00:32:39.06
"LET'S CREATE OTHERS
WHO HAVE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
00:32:39.06\00:32:42.13
AND THE EMOTIONAL
CAPACITY TO LOVE LIKE WE LOVE.
00:32:42.13\00:32:47.43
LET'S CREATE OTHERS WHO
HAVE THE ABILITY TO REACH OUT OF
00:32:47.43\00:32:52.73
THEMSELVES INTO OTHERS, AND THEN
TO RECEIVE FROM THOSE OTHERS
00:32:52.73\00:32:59.00
BACK INTO THEMSELVES IN THIS
BEAUTIFUL CIRCLE OF BENEFICENCE.
00:32:59.00\00:33:04.60
NOT A LINEAR
EXISTENCE OF SELFHOOD.
00:33:04.60\00:33:08.93
NOT A LINEAR
EXISTENCE OF ME, MYSELF, AND I.
00:33:08.93\00:33:13.16
NOT A LINEAR EXISTENCE OF
LOOKING OUT FOR NUMBER ONE, BUT
00:33:13.16\00:33:19.63
LET'S CREATE OTHER BEINGS WHO
WILL BE SHARERS, PARTICIPANTS IN
00:33:19.63\00:33:26.86
THE BEAUTIFUL, INTERACTIVE,
DYNAMIC, RELATIONAL LOVE THAT WE
00:33:26.86\00:33:33.36
HAVE GOING ON RIGHT
HERE AMONG OURSELVES."
00:33:33.36\00:33:37.00
THIS IS THE
COVENANT OF CREATION.
00:33:37.00\00:33:41.93
GOD BRINGS HUMAN
BEINGS INTO EXISTENCE.
00:33:41.93\00:33:46.23
BUT THEN GOD, IN CREATING HUMAN
BEINGS IN HIS OWN IMAGE, FOUND
00:33:46.23\00:33:52.80
IT NECESSARY THAT THEY
WOULD EXIST WITH THIS REMARKABLE
00:33:52.80\00:33:58.40
ABILITY CALLED FREE WILL.
00:33:58.40\00:34:03.53
NOW, THIS IS VERY
SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND.
00:34:03.53\00:34:06.13
IT'S VERY LOGICAL TO GRASP
BECAUSE IF GOD IS CREATING IN
00:34:06.13\00:34:10.80
HIS OWN IMAGE, RIGHT, WHICH
IS TO SAY GOD IS CREATING OTHERS
00:34:10.80\00:34:14.70
WHO CAN LOVE LIKE GOD LOVES, IT
IS NECESSARY THAT THOSE BEINGS,
00:34:14.70\00:34:21.50
THOSE INDIVIDUALS, HAVE
WHAT WE CALL FREE MORAL AGENCY
00:34:21.50\00:34:25.96
BECAUSE LOVE BY DEFINITION
IS OTHER-CENTEREDNESS.
00:34:25.96\00:34:31.96
IT IS THE VOLUNTARY ACTION OF
ONE INDIVIDUAL TO REACH OUT OF
00:34:31.96\00:34:37.23
SELF TO MINISTER
HAPPINESS AND JOY TO OTHERS.
00:34:37.23\00:34:43.00
IT'S A VOLUNTARY
ACTION BY DEFINITION.
00:34:43.00\00:34:46.40
IF I POINTED A GUN OUT AT YOU
THIS MORNING AND I SAID TO YOU
00:34:46.40\00:34:51.20
WITH ALL DEAD SERIOUSNESS--
AND I PROBABLY COULDN'T.
00:34:51.20\00:34:53.70
I WOULD CRACK A SMILE
AND YOU'D KNOW I WAS JOKING.
00:34:53.70\00:34:55.93
BUT IF I TRIED REALLY HARD TO
BE SERIOUS AND I POINTED THE GUN
00:34:55.93\00:34:58.36
AND I SAID, "STAND
UP," WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
00:34:58.36\00:35:01.50
YOU'D STAND UP.
00:35:01.50\00:35:02.53
IF I SAID, "SIT
DOWN," YOU'D SIT DOWN.
00:35:02.53\00:35:05.30
IF I SAID, "STAND ON
YOUR HEAD," YOU'D TRY, RIGHT?
00:35:05.30\00:35:09.43
AND YOU WOULD IMMEDIATELY
UNDERSTAND THAT WITH AN
00:35:09.43\00:35:12.20
IMPLEMENT OF FORCE, I
COULD CONTROL YOUR BEHAVIOR.
00:35:12.20\00:35:16.06
BUT WHAT IF IN THE NEXT MOMENT I
POINTED THAT GUN OUT AT YOU AND
00:35:16.06\00:35:20.16
I SAID, "NOW WHAT I
WANT YOU TO DO IS LOVE ME.
00:35:20.16\00:35:26.73
I WANT YOU TO TRUST ME.
00:35:26.73\00:35:28.40
IN FACT, I WANT YOU TO FEEL
FEELINGS OF LOYALTY TOWARD ME.
00:35:28.40\00:35:33.10
GO AHEAD, FEEL 'EM NOW!"
00:35:33.10\00:35:36.13
CAN YOU FEEL LOYALTY?
00:35:36.13\00:35:37.73
CAN YOU FEEL TRUST?
00:35:37.73\00:35:41.03
YOU COULD ONLY LOVE ME IN THE
SENSE THAT THE BIBLE SAYS, "LOVE
00:35:41.03\00:35:43.60
YOUR ENEMIES," BUT YOU COULDN'T
LOVE ME IN ANY KIND OF TRUSTING,
00:35:43.60\00:35:48.73
LOYAL SENSE, COULD YOU?
00:35:48.73\00:35:50.90
NO, BECAUSE FORCE AND LOVE
ARE MUTUALLY--WHAT DO WE SAY?
00:35:50.90\00:35:55.93
MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
00:35:55.93\00:35:57.16
THEY CAN'T COEXIST IN
THE SAME PSYCHOLOGICAL SPACE.
00:35:57.16\00:36:02.50
YOU CAN'T EXPERIENCE BOTH OF
THOSE THINGS, FORCE AND LOVE,
00:36:02.50\00:36:06.00
SIMULTANEOUSLY.
00:36:06.00\00:36:07.53
THE MOMENT FORCE IS INTRODUCED
INTO THE PICTURE, LOVE BEGINS
00:36:07.53\00:36:10.60
TO RECEDE, RIGHT?
00:36:10.60\00:36:14.10
AND SO LOVE CAN ONLY EXIST
IN A SOCIAL CLIMATE OF FREEDOM.
00:36:14.10\00:36:19.43
THERE HAS TO BE LIBERTY.
00:36:19.43\00:36:20.70
SO GOD--THINK THIS THROUGH.
00:36:20.70\00:36:22.40
GOD, HAVING CREATED HUMAN BEINGS
IN HIS IMAGE WITH THE CAPACITY
00:36:22.40\00:36:26.13
FOR LOVE, KNOWS THAT HE HAS
CREATED BEINGS WHO NOT ONLY HAVE
00:36:26.13\00:36:32.33
THE CAPACITY FOR LOVE, BUT
THEY ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL
00:36:32.33\00:36:35.16
FOR REBELLION AND SIN.
00:36:35.16\00:36:38.46
AND THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO
NOT LOVE, BUT TO LIVE FOR SELF.
00:36:38.46\00:36:46.40
AND SO WAY BACK IN THE FAR
REACHES OF ETERNITY PAST, THE
00:36:46.40\00:36:52.10
BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD THE FATHER,
SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT, THEY
00:36:52.10\00:36:56.16
CONCEIVED OF WHAT THE BIBLE
CALLS THE COVENANT OF PEACE.
00:36:56.16\00:37:02.30
WE BEGAN WITH THE PRE-CREATION
COVENANT, THE LOVE RELATIONSHIP
00:37:02.30\00:37:07.23
THAT EXISTED IN ALL ETERNITY
PAST BETWEEN FATHER, SON,
00:37:07.23\00:37:10.33
AND HOLY SPIRIT.
00:37:10.33\00:37:11.66
AND THEN OUT OF THAT REALITY
OF THE PRE-CREATION COVENANT
00:37:11.66\00:37:16.50
BETWEEN THE MEMBERS OF
THE GODHEAD WE TALKED ABOUT
00:37:16.50\00:37:21.33
THE COVENANT OF CREATION.
00:37:21.33\00:37:25.06
BUT IN THE COVENANT OF CREATION,
GOD KNEW IN HIS INFINITE WISDOM
00:37:25.06\00:37:29.26
THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR LOVE ALSO
HAS THE DOWNSIDE POTENTIAL FOR
00:37:29.26\00:37:34.70
ANTI-LOVE, FOR HATE,
FOR SELF-CENTEREDNESS.
00:37:34.70\00:37:40.70
AND SO GOD CONCEIVED, ACCORDING
TO SCRIPTURE, WHAT IS CALLED THE
00:37:40.70\00:37:44.86
COVENANT OF PEACE.
00:37:44.86\00:37:47.50
THAT IS TO SAY THAT GOD THE
FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT
00:37:47.50\00:37:50.56
AGREED BETWEEN THEMSELVES THAT
IF HUMANITY SHOULD REBEL AND SIN
00:37:50.56\00:38:00.53
AND CEASE TO LOVE LIKE WE
LOVE, WE WILL GIVE OURSELVES
00:38:00.53\00:38:09.56
IN INFINITE
SACRIFICE TO WIN THEM BACK.
00:38:09.56\00:38:14.93
LOOK AT IT WITH ME IN ISAIAH 54.
00:38:14.93\00:38:17.93
LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE OF THE
COVENANT OF PEACE, ISAIAH 54:10.
00:38:17.93\00:38:25.70
THIS IS GOD SPEAKING,
AND NOTICE HIS LANGUAGE.
00:38:25.70\00:38:28.03
HE SAYS, "'FOR THE MOUNTAINS
SHALL DEPART AND THE HILLS BE
00:38:28.03\00:38:34.33
REMOVED, BUT MY KINDNESS
SHALL NOT DEPART FROM YOU,
00:38:34.33\00:38:41.80
NOR SHALL MY COVENANT
OF,'" WHAT, EVERYBODY?
00:38:41.80\00:38:45.40
"'PEACE BE REMOVED,' SAYS
THE LORD, WHO HAS MERCY ON YOU."
00:38:45.40\00:38:51.23
THE COVENANT OF WHAT?
00:38:51.23\00:38:52.86
OF PEACE.
00:38:52.86\00:38:54.23
THIS IS GOD SAYING, "I
WILL NOT ALTER MY ATTITUDE,
00:38:54.23\00:39:00.70
MY POSITION TOWARD YOU.
00:39:00.70\00:39:03.43
YOU MAY ALTER YOUR
POSITION TOWARD ME."
00:39:03.43\00:39:07.26
BUT WHAT IS JAMES 1
SAYING, DESCRIBING GOD?
00:39:07.26\00:39:11.53
I THINK IT'S AROUND VERSE 17.
00:39:11.53\00:39:13.43
IT SAYS OF THIS GOD, "EVERY
GOOD GIFT AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT
00:39:13.43\00:39:18.33
COMES DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF
LIGHTS, WITH WHOM THERE IS NO--"
00:39:18.33\00:39:23.13
DO YOU KNOW THE LANGUAGE?
00:39:23.13\00:39:23.93
"WITH WHOM THERE IS NO
VARIABLENESS NOR SHADOW
00:39:23.93\00:39:28.80
OF TURNING."
00:39:28.80\00:39:31.66
WHAT IS THIS SAYING
ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF GOD?
00:39:31.66\00:39:34.03
GOD IS CHANGELESS IN
HIS GOODNESS, IN HIS LOVE.
00:39:34.03\00:39:41.06
HE'S UNALTERABLE IN THE
WAY HE THINKS AND FEELS TOWARD
00:39:41.06\00:39:45.33
YOU AND ME.
00:39:45.33\00:39:46.50
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO
MAKE GOD LOVE YOU MORE THAN HE
00:39:46.50\00:39:49.20
ALREADY DOES BECAUSE HE ALREADY
LOVES YOU WITH ALL HIS LOVE.
00:39:49.20\00:39:53.90
PEDAL TO THE METAL, FULL
THROTTLE, TOTAL LOVE FIXED UPON
00:39:53.90\00:39:59.66
YOU WITHOUT
VARIATION OR SHADOW OF TURNING.
00:39:59.66\00:40:04.50
THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO
MAKE GOD LOVE YOU LESS BECAUSE
00:40:04.50\00:40:07.93
HIS LOVE IS NOT DEPENDENT
ON WHAT'S HAPPENING EXTERNAL
00:40:07.93\00:40:13.30
TO HIMSELF.
00:40:13.30\00:40:14.46
OUR REBELLION, OUR SIN DOES NOT
TURN GOD'S LOVE AWAY FROM US.
00:40:14.46\00:40:22.60
GOD IS UNALTERABLE IN HIS LOVE.
00:40:22.60\00:40:25.63
THIS IS WHAT SCRIPTURE
CALLS THE COVENANT OF PEACE.
00:40:25.63\00:40:32.13
THIS IS GOD DETERMINING TO LOVE
YOU AND ME ALL THE WAY THROUGH
00:40:32.13\00:40:40.76
TO THE POINT OF INFINITE
SELF-SACRIFICE IF THAT'S
00:40:40.76\00:40:44.13
WHAT IT TAKES.
00:40:44.13\00:40:46.13
GOD COULD NO MORE CEASE
LOVING YOU AND ME THAN GOD
00:40:46.13\00:40:50.96
COULD CEASE TO EXIST.
00:40:50.96\00:40:53.70
GOD IS LOVE.
00:40:53.70\00:40:55.43
IT IS THE VERY
FABRIC OF HIS NATURE.
00:40:55.43\00:40:59.80
HE CARES FOR US
MORE THAN HIS OWN LIFE.
00:40:59.80\00:41:06.26
THIS IS THE COVENANT OF PEACE.
00:41:06.26\00:41:08.63
FATHER, SON, AND HOLY
SPIRIT SAID, "LET US MAKE MAN
00:41:08.63\00:41:12.76
IN OUR OWN IMAGE.
00:41:12.76\00:41:14.66
BUT IF THEY
REBEL, WHAT WILL WE DO?
00:41:14.66\00:41:17.90
SNUFF THEM OUT IN AN INSTANT?
00:41:17.90\00:41:21.10
SPEAK A WORD OVER THEM TO
CAUSE THEM TO CEASE EXISTING?
00:41:21.10\00:41:27.13
WHAT WILL WE DO IF THEY REBEL?
00:41:27.13\00:41:28.90
WE WILL KEEP ON LOVING
THEM AT ANY COST TO OURSELVES."
00:41:28.90\00:41:37.03
THIS IS THE LOVE OF
GOD, AND HE FOLLOWS THROUGH.
00:41:37.03\00:41:42.16
THE REBELLION DOES OCCUR.
00:41:42.16\00:41:44.20
SIN ENTERS HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
00:41:44.20\00:41:46.43
YOU KNOW THE STORY AS IT
IS RECORDED IN GENESIS 3.
00:41:46.43\00:41:51.33
AND AFTER THE SIN PROBLEM BEGINS
TO UNFOLD WITH ALL OF ITS UGLY
00:41:51.33\00:41:58.00
HORROR, ADAM AND EVE NOW
FILLED WITH PHOBIA, FEAR OF GOD,
00:41:58.00\00:42:04.13
AND THEY RUN AND THEY HIDE.
00:42:04.13\00:42:05.76
AND NOW THEY HAVE ENTERED INTO
A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL
00:42:05.76\00:42:09.30
PATTERN OF BLAMING
ONE ANOTHER, YOU REMEMBER.
00:42:09.30\00:42:13.76
AND ALL OF THAT CONDEMNATION
THAT IS WELLING UP IN THEIR
00:42:13.76\00:42:16.46
HEARTS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND
ULTIMATELY TOWARD GOD AND THE
00:42:16.46\00:42:20.26
IMPULSE TO HIDE IS GREETED
WITH A COVENANT OF PEACE, WITH A
00:42:20.26\00:42:27.00
PROMISE IN GENESIS 3:15.
00:42:27.00\00:42:32.20
THIS IS THE FIRST PROMISE OF
COVENANT, THE FIRST PROMISE OF
00:42:32.20\00:42:39.80
GOD'S UNBROKEN, CHANGELESS LOVE
TOWARD HUMANITY AFTER THE FALL.
00:42:39.80\00:42:48.10
AND HE'S SPEAKING TO THE SERPENT
IN THE PRESENCE OF ADAM AND EVE.
00:42:48.10\00:42:52.53
THEY ARE
OVERHEARING THIS CONVERSATION.
00:42:52.53\00:42:55.96
THE PROMISE IS MADE IN
THEIR HEARING TO THE SERPENT.
00:42:55.96\00:43:00.66
AND IT SAYS IN VERSE 15, GOD
SPEAKING, "I WILL PUT ENMITY,"
00:43:00.66\00:43:05.16
THAT IS I WILL PUT HOSTILITY,
"BETWEEN YOU," THAT IS WHO?
00:43:05.16\00:43:12.73
THE SERPENT.
00:43:12.73\00:43:13.60
THIS IS SATAN, THE FALLEN ANGEL.
00:43:13.60\00:43:16.30
"I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN
YOU AND THE WOMAN, BETWEEN YOUR
00:43:16.30\00:43:20.50
SEED," THAT IS YOUR
OFFSPRING, "AND HER SEED."
00:43:20.50\00:43:26.13
IT'S A CAPITAL S IN MY VERSION.
00:43:26.13\00:43:29.60
"AND HE," THAT IS THIS SEED,
CAPITAL S SEED, "HE SHALL,"
00:43:29.60\00:43:36.16
WHAT DOES IT SAY?
00:43:36.16\00:43:37.93
"HE SHALL--" WHAT
DOES YOUR VERSION SAY?
00:43:37.93\00:43:40.00
SOMEBODY SAID CRUSH.
00:43:40.00\00:43:41.70
I LIKE THAT.
00:43:41.70\00:43:42.73
MINE SAYS BRUISE.
00:43:42.73\00:43:44.86
THE LANGUAGE IS
ACTUALLY STRONGER.
00:43:44.86\00:43:47.00
"HE WILL CRUSH YOUR HEAD,
AND IN THE PROCESS YOU," SATAN,
00:43:47.00\00:43:53.96
"WILL BRUISE,
INJURE, DAMAGE," HIS WHAT?
00:43:53.96\00:43:59.66
HIS HEEL.
00:43:59.66\00:44:00.53
THE VERY
IMPLEMENT OF YOUR CRUSHING.
00:44:00.53\00:44:04.10
IN THE PROCESS OF YOUR DEFEAT,
YOU WILL INJURE THIS ONE,
00:44:04.10\00:44:11.33
THIS SEED WHO IS COMING.
00:44:11.33\00:44:14.13
AND I WISH WE HAD TIME,
BUT WE DON'T, TO EXPLORE
00:44:14.13\00:44:17.43
THAT ETERNAL INJURY.
00:44:17.43\00:44:19.93
THERE IS A VERY REAL SENSE
IN SCRIPTURE IN WHICH JESUS HAS
00:44:19.93\00:44:25.46
SUSTAINED ETERNAL INJURY
AND DAMAGE AND PAIN THAT HE WILL
00:44:25.46\00:44:34.76
SUSTAIN FOREVER AND EVER
IN ORDER TO SAVE YOU AND ME.
00:44:34.76\00:44:40.06
I'LL GIVE YOU A HINT.
00:44:40.06\00:44:41.40
ACCORDING TO PAUL'S THEOLOGY,
JESUS BECAME A HUMAN BEING,
00:44:41.40\00:44:46.23
OUR BROTHER IN THE FLESH,
AND WILL RETAIN HIS HUMANITY
00:44:46.23\00:44:51.10
FOR ALL ETERNITY.
00:44:51.10\00:44:54.06
ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE,
HE BEARS SCARS IN HIS HANDS
00:44:54.06\00:44:58.56
FOR ALL OF ETERNITY.
00:44:58.56\00:45:02.06
YOU WILL BE CRUSHED BY HIS HEEL
AND YOU WILL INJURE HIM IN THE
00:45:02.06\00:45:09.66
PROCESS, BUT HE WILL BE VICTOR.
00:45:09.66\00:45:12.06
HE WILL DEFEAT YOU.
00:45:12.06\00:45:13.36
THIS IS, OF COURSE, THE
FIRST PROMISE IN SCRIPTURE
00:45:13.36\00:45:15.93
OF THE COMING SAVIOR.
00:45:15.93\00:45:18.30
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT GOD
IS TELLING ADAM AND EVE, "I'M
00:45:18.30\00:45:23.36
GOING TO SEND A WARRIOR WHO IS
GOING TO DEFEND YOU AGAINST THIS
00:45:23.36\00:45:30.63
ENEMY WHO HAS NOW COME
AGAINST YOU AND LED YOU
00:45:30.63\00:45:33.26
INTO REBELLION AGAINST ME.
00:45:33.26\00:45:35.86
A WAR HAS BEGUN, BUT THERE
WILL BE A SAVIOR, A DELIVERER,
00:45:35.86\00:45:43.00
A LIBERATOR.
00:45:43.00\00:45:43.96
HE'S COMING WITH CRUSHING FORCE
AND HE WILL BE INJURED IN THE
00:45:43.96\00:45:49.63
PROCESS OF YOUR DELIVERANCE."
00:45:49.63\00:45:51.73
THIS IS THE
FIRST GOSPEL PROMISE.
00:45:51.73\00:45:54.36
THIS IS THE FIRST COVENANTAL
PROMISE GIVEN IN SCRIPTURE.
00:45:54.36\00:46:00.80
"HE'S COMING; WATCH FOR HIM."
00:46:00.80\00:46:03.93
AND THEN, AS SCRIPTURE UNFOLDS,
THE ENTIRE OLD TESTAMENT IS
00:46:03.93\00:46:10.93
ESSENTIALLY A COVENANT DOCUMENT.
00:46:10.93\00:46:15.16
THE WHOLE OLD TESTAMENT IS
BASICALLY A PROMISE WITH VARIOUS
00:46:15.16\00:46:19.36
FEATURES AND DIMENSIONS.
00:46:19.36\00:46:21.40
THERE IS THE COVENANT PEOPLE,
WHO ARE INITIATED WITH ABRAHAM.
00:46:21.40\00:46:29.00
WITH ABRAHAM, GOD SAYS, "I'M
GOING TO START A GREAT NATION
00:46:29.00\00:46:34.76
WITH YOU, AND YOUR OFFSPRING
WILL BE AS THE SANDS OF THE SEA.
00:46:34.76\00:46:38.03
AND ULTIMATELY, IN YOU," THAT
IS IN YOUR LINEAGE, "ABRAHAM,
00:46:38.03\00:46:43.20
ALL THE PEOPLE OF
EARTH WILL BE BLESSED."
00:46:43.20\00:46:48.10
WHAT IS THAT PROMISE ALL ABOUT?
00:46:48.10\00:46:50.46
"ABRAHAM, WITH YOU I AM
BEGINNING A LINEAGE THROUGH WHOM
00:46:50.46\00:46:55.83
ULTIMATELY THE ONE I PROMISED
BACK IN GENESIS 3:15 WILL EMERGE
00:46:55.83\00:47:00.33
ON THE SCENE OF HUMAN HISTORY."
00:47:00.33\00:47:02.33
THE SAVIOR WILL
COME THROUGH ABRAHAM.
00:47:02.33\00:47:07.86
THAT'S THE PROMISE.
00:47:07.86\00:47:09.53
AND AS GOD ENTERS INTO
THIS COVENANTAL PROMISE WITH THE
00:47:09.53\00:47:14.73
HUMAN RACE THROUGH ABRAHAM, HE
SAYS IN CHAPTER 15 OF GENESIS,
00:47:14.73\00:47:19.60
"I WANT YOU TO DO SOMETHING,
ABRAHAM, IN ORDER TO SEAL THIS
00:47:19.60\00:47:23.96
AGREEMENT THAT I'M MAKING,
THIS PROMISE THAT I'M MAKING.
00:47:23.96\00:47:27.20
I WANT YOU TO
TAKE THREE ANIMALS.
00:47:27.20\00:47:28.73
I WANT YOU TO
SEVER THEM IN HALF.
00:47:28.73\00:47:30.23
I WANT YOU TO LAY THEM
ACROSS ONE FROM ANOTHER, FORMING
00:47:30.23\00:47:33.13
A PATH BETWEEN THEM."
00:47:33.13\00:47:35.46
AND THEN, AS ABRAHAM OBEYED THE
COMMAND AND SEVERED THE ANIMALS
00:47:35.46\00:47:40.40
IN TWO, EACH HALF MIRRORING
THE OTHER HALF, AS ABRAHAM
00:47:40.40\00:47:47.30
ENVISIONED THAT EVENING WITH
THE SACRIFICE LAID OUT ON THE
00:47:47.30\00:47:51.93
GROUND, HE SAW IN VISION
SOMETHING LIKE A TORCH OF FIRE
00:47:51.93\00:47:58.06
PASSED BETWEEN THE PIECES.
00:47:58.06\00:48:01.53
AND THIS WAS GOD IN
SYMBOL ACTING OUT THE TERMS
00:48:01.53\00:48:08.10
OF HIS COVENANTAL LOVE.
00:48:08.10\00:48:10.80
THIS WAS GOD SAYING, "I MAKE
AN OATH, I MAKE A PLEDGE, I MAKE
00:48:10.80\00:48:16.03
A COVENANT TO SAVE YOU.
00:48:16.03\00:48:18.66
AND I WILL FOLLOW THROUGH TO
SAVE YOU AT ANY COST TO MYSELF.
00:48:18.66\00:48:23.30
MAY IT BE DONE TO ME AS IS DONE
TO THOSE ANIMAL SACRIFICES, MAY
00:48:23.30\00:48:29.80
IT BE DONE TO ME AS DONE TO THIS
SACRIFICE IN ORDER TO SAVE YOU.
00:48:29.80\00:48:35.96
I WILL NOT STOP LOVING YOU.
00:48:35.96\00:48:37.96
I WILL FOLLOW THROUGH.
00:48:37.96\00:48:39.83
I PROMISE YOU I WILL
PASS BETWEEN THE PIECES
00:48:39.83\00:48:45.23
OF THIS INFINITE SACRIFICE."
00:48:45.23\00:48:48.06
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THIS WAS
THE FIRST FORESHADOWING OF THE
00:48:48.06\00:48:53.66
SEPARATION THAT WOULD OCCUR,
THE SEVERING THAT WOULD OCCUR
00:48:53.66\00:48:56.83
BETWEEN FATHER, SON, AND
HOLY SPIRIT TO SAVE YOU AND ME.
00:48:56.83\00:49:01.30
WHEN FINALLY JESUS HUNG UPON THE
CROSS AND HE CRIED OUT, "MY GOD,
00:49:01.30\00:49:04.86
MY GOD, WHY HAVE
YOU FORSAKEN ME?"
00:49:04.86\00:49:08.93
JESUS FELT THAT
SEVERING OF THE PIECES.
00:49:08.93\00:49:13.93
THE FATHER, SON, AND
HOLY SPIRIT, WHO HAD EXISTED
00:49:13.93\00:49:16.03
TOGETHER FOR ALL ETERNITY
PAST IN INTIMATE UNITY, THAT
00:49:16.03\00:49:22.63
RELATIONSHIP WAS NOW SEVERED AND
BROKEN APART IN THE INCARNATION
00:49:22.63\00:49:28.60
AND SACRIFICE OF CHRIST.
00:49:28.60\00:49:30.76
AND IT WAS ALL DEPICTED IN THAT
EARLY SACRIFICIAL SERVICE IN
00:49:30.76\00:49:35.83
WHICH GOD SAID TO ABRAHAM,
"ABRAHAM, I'M GOING TO SAVE THE
00:49:35.83\00:49:39.80
HUMAN RACE THROUGH YOUR LINEAGE.
00:49:39.80\00:49:42.90
I'M SENDING A SAVIOR.
00:49:42.90\00:49:45.40
NOW ACT OUT THE SACRIFICE
THAT WILL HAVE TO BE MADE.
00:49:45.40\00:49:49.23
SEVER THE ANIMALS IN TWO."
00:49:49.23\00:49:51.50
AND GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE
SON, AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
00:49:51.50\00:49:55.86
EXPERIENCED THAT SEVERING,
THAT SENSE OF SEPARATION.
00:49:55.86\00:50:01.70
AND WHEN JESUS HUNG UPON THE
CROSS, THAT SACRIFICE THAT WAS
00:50:01.70\00:50:05.93
MADE FOR YOU AND ME WAS THE
FINAL SEALING OF THE COVENANT.
00:50:05.93\00:50:14.13
IT WAS GOD'S PLEDGE AND OATH OF
LOVE FOLLOWING STRAIGHT THROUGH
00:50:14.13\00:50:18.40
TO CONCLUSION TO SAY, "I
LOVE YOU MORE THAN MY OWN LIFE."
00:50:18.40\00:50:25.66
AND THE SACRIFICE WAS MADE AND
THE NEW TESTAMENT IS ESSENTIALLY
00:50:25.66\00:50:31.20
THE COVENANT PROMISE FULFILLED.
00:50:31.20\00:50:34.73
THE OLD TESTAMENT IS
THE COVENANT PROMISE MADE
00:50:34.73\00:50:38.80
WITH ALL ITS VARIOUS FEATURES.
00:50:38.80\00:50:41.16
THE NEW TESTAMENT IS THE
COVENANT PROMISE FULFILLED.
00:50:41.16\00:50:44.86
IT'S CALLED THE OLD
COVENANT AND THE NEW COVENANT.
00:50:44.86\00:50:47.70
IT IS A PROMISE AND
A PROMISE FULFILLED.
00:50:47.70\00:50:53.26
THROUGHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT,
THERE IS ONE WORD THAT EMERGES.
00:50:53.26\00:50:58.66
IT IS USED MORE FREQUENTLY THAN
ANY OTHER WORD TO DESCRIBE GOD'S
00:50:58.66\00:51:03.60
COVENANTAL LOVE FOR YOU AND ME.
00:51:03.60\00:51:05.80
IT IS A HEBREW WORD
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD BEFORE.
00:51:05.80\00:51:08.66
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE
FAMILIAR WITH IT, BUT IT IS
00:51:08.66\00:51:10.86
THE HEBREW WORD HESED.
00:51:10.86\00:51:16.43
EVERYBODY SAY HESED.
00:51:16.43\00:51:19.16
HESED.
00:51:19.16\00:51:20.30
THIS IS THE OLD TESTAMENT
WORD THAT OCCURS MORE THAN
00:51:20.30\00:51:22.80
ANY OTHER WORD TO
DESCRIBE THE CHARACTER OF GOD.
00:51:22.80\00:51:26.96
YOU FIND IT IN PLACES,
FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ARE FAMILIAR
00:51:26.96\00:51:29.83
TO US, LIKE PSALM 23.
00:51:29.83\00:51:32.56
"THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD.
00:51:32.56\00:51:33.53
I SHALL NOT WANT," ET CETERA.
00:51:33.53\00:51:35.23
AND IT COMES TO THE CONCLUSION
AND THEN IT SAYS, "SURELY
00:51:35.23\00:51:38.20
GOODNESS AND MERCY," THAT IS
HESED, "WILL FOLLOW ME, PURSUE
00:51:38.20\00:51:44.13
ME, CHASE ME ALL
THE DAYS OF MY LIFE."
00:51:44.13\00:51:47.93
GOD WILL PURSUE ME TO THE POINT
OF HIS OWN PAIN AND SACRIFICE,
00:51:47.93\00:51:53.56
BUT HE WILL NOT LET ME GO.
00:51:53.56\00:51:55.43
THIS IS HESED.
00:51:55.43\00:51:56.60
IT OCCURS IN OUR COVENANT TEXT
THAT WE READ, WHERE GOD SAYS
00:51:56.60\00:52:00.80
THAT HE WILL BE FAITHFUL TO
FULFILL HIS COVENANT IN MERCY
00:52:00.80\00:52:06.73
TOWARD YOU AND ME.
00:52:06.73\00:52:07.40
AGAIN, THE WORD IS HESED.
00:52:07.40\00:52:10.93
IT IS A WORD THAT IS TRANSLATED
THROUGHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT
00:52:10.93\00:52:13.80
SOMETIMES AS FAITHFUL LOVE,
SOMETIMES AS UNCHANGING LOVE.
00:52:13.80\00:52:19.73
SOMETIMES IT'S JUST
TRANSLATED AS MERCY.
00:52:19.73\00:52:22.30
IN EVERY INSTANCE, IT MEANS
THAT GOD IS THE KIND OF GOD WHO
00:52:22.30\00:52:29.20
MAKES AND KEEPS HIS PROMISE.
00:52:29.20\00:52:34.96
WHEN THE BIBLE SAYS GOD IS LOVE,
IT DOESN'T MEAN GOD IS LOVE IN
00:52:34.96\00:52:39.13
THE SILLY, SENTIMENTAL,
COTTON CANDY, SWEET HOLLYWOOD
00:52:39.13\00:52:42.80
KIND OF LOVE.
00:52:42.80\00:52:44.83
"I LOVE YOU.
00:52:44.83\00:52:45.63
WHY DO I LOVE YOU?
00:52:45.63\00:52:46.63
OH, BECAUSE YOU'RE HOT."
00:52:46.63\00:52:48.93
RIGHT?
00:52:48.93\00:52:49.70
THAT'S HOLLYWOOD LOVE.
00:52:49.70\00:52:50.80
"I LOVE YOU BECAUSE
OF WHAT YOU DO FOR ME."
00:52:50.80\00:52:54.20
SO REALLY OUR POP CULTURE
KIND OF LOVE ISN'T LOVE AT ALL.
00:52:54.20\00:52:57.50
IT'S SELFISHNESS.
00:52:57.50\00:53:00.76
BUT GOD'S LOVE IS
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.
00:53:00.76\00:53:03.33
WHEN THE BIBLE SAYS GOD
IS LOVE, IT ESSENTIALLY MEANS
00:53:03.33\00:53:05.43
GOD IS FAITHFUL.
00:53:05.43\00:53:09.50
GOD FOLLOWS THROUGH TO
LOVE YOU AND ME AT ANY AND ALL
00:53:09.50\00:53:16.63
COST TO HIMSELF.
00:53:16.63\00:53:20.43
WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW AND
TO EXPERIENCE FOR ALL ETERNITY
00:53:20.43\00:53:25.53
FUTURE THAT KIND OF LOVE?
00:53:25.53\00:53:28.66
STEPHEN HAWKINGS CLOSES HIS
BOOK IN A VERY INTERESTING WAY,
00:53:28.66\00:53:31.90
"A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME."
00:53:31.90\00:53:33.96
HE SAYS, LAST SENTENCE OF
THE BOOK, "IF WE FIND A UNIFIED
00:53:33.96\00:53:40.40
THEORY OF EVERYTHING," THAT'S
WHAT SCIENTISTS AT THE MOST
00:53:40.40\00:53:44.23
ELITE LEVEL ARE REALLY AFTER,
A UNIFIED THEORY OF EVERYTHING.
00:53:44.23\00:53:48.46
"IF WE FIND A UNIFIED THEORY
OF EVERYTHING," THAT IS IF WE
00:53:48.46\00:53:52.00
FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN
THE UNIVERSE, "THAT WOULD BE THE
00:53:52.00\00:53:56.50
ULTIMATE TRIUMPH," HE
SAYS, "FOR THEN WE WOULD KNOW
00:53:56.50\00:54:02.83
THE MIND OF GOD."
00:54:02.83\00:54:05.53
BUT HERE'S THE
THING THAT HAWKING MISSED.
00:54:05.53\00:54:10.53
WE DO KNOW THE MIND OF GOD.
00:54:10.53\00:54:12.70
IT IS PUT ON VIVID DISPLAY FOR
US IN CHRIST BLEEDING OUT HIS
00:54:12.70\00:54:19.60
LIFE ON CALVARY TO SAVE YOU
AND ME AT ANY COST TO HIMSELF.
00:54:19.60\00:54:30.16
THAT IS THE MIND OF GOD.
00:54:30.16\00:54:31.83
THAT IS THE UNIFIED
THEORY OF EVERYTHING.
00:54:31.83\00:54:34.63
GOD IS LOVE AND HE LOVES
YOU MORE THAN HIS OWN LIFE.
00:54:34.63\00:54:42.43
PRAISE HIM THIS MORNING.
00:54:42.43\00:54:45.33
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
00:54:45.33\00:54:47.33
>> THERE ARE TWO THINGS
00:54:50.53\00:54:50.60
THAT A PASTOR SHOULDN'T DO.
00:54:51.20\00:54:53.93
HE SHOULDN'T TELL LIES AND HE
SHOULDN'T RETIRE, THAT'S WHY I
00:54:53.93\00:54:59.80
PLAN TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON WHILE
GOD CAN STILL USE ME, WHILE
00:54:59.80\00:55:04.26
THESE LUNGS ARE WORKING AND
WHILE THIS MOUTH IS TALKING AND
00:55:04.26\00:55:07.53
WHILE JESUS IS STILL ALIVE
AND I'M STILL ALIVE, I PLAN
00:55:07.53\00:55:12.86
TO KEEP ON PREACHING
THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL.
00:55:12.86\00:55:15.20
WILL YOU PRAY FOR ME?
00:55:15.20\00:55:16.73
WILL YOU SUPPORT
US IN THIS GREAT WORK?
00:55:16.73\00:55:18.60
LISTEN, WE HAVE
RECEIVED AN URGENT INVITATION
00:55:18.60\00:55:23.66
FROM THE CHURCH IN INDIA.
00:55:23.66\00:55:24.30
THEY'RE SAYING,
"COME OVER AND HELP US."
00:55:24.30\00:55:27.86
WHAT A CHALLENGE, MY FRIEND.
00:55:27.86\00:55:29.40
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE
LIVE IN THE LAND OF INDIA?
00:55:29.40\00:55:33.20
MORE THAN A THOUSAND MILLION
PEOPLE, AND THE PLACE IS FULL OF
00:55:33.20\00:55:37.86
DEMONS AND EVIL SPIRITS.
00:55:37.86\00:55:40.20
THEY DON'T WANT THIS CAMPAIGN,
THOSE EVIL SPIRITS, BUT I WANT
00:55:40.20\00:55:44.66
YOU KNOW JESUS IS
STRONGER THAN THE EVIL SPIRITS.
00:55:44.66\00:55:48.60
LAST TIME WE WENT TO INDIA,
WE HAD TREMENDOUS OPPOSITION AND
00:55:48.60\00:55:51.86
LIVES WERE THREATENED, BUT
BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE'RE GOING
00:55:51.86\00:55:56.06
TO GO BACK BECAUSE
JESUS HAS CALLED US TO GO.
00:55:56.06\00:55:59.40
WHEN WE WENT THERE LAST TIME, WE
SAW THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COMING
00:55:59.40\00:56:02.80
TO CHRIST, ONE NIGHT
30,000 PEOPLE CAME TO CHRIST,
00:56:02.80\00:56:06.06
HINDUS AND MUSLIMS.
00:56:06.06\00:56:08.53
WE'RE PRAYING,
JESUS, DO IT AGAIN.
00:56:08.53\00:56:12.26
PLEASE SUPPORT US.
00:56:12.26\00:56:13.86
PLEASE WRITE TO ME, JOHN
CARTER, POST OFFICE BOX 1900,
00:56:13.86\00:56:17.73
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA 91358.
00:56:17.73\00:56:22.06
IN AUSTRALIA, WRITE TO ME
PLEASE AT BEAUTIFUL TERRIGAL.
00:56:22.06\00:56:26.13
THE ADDRESS IS
RIGHT THERE ON THE SCREEN.
00:56:26.13\00:56:28.60
LISTEN, MY FRIEND,
I NEED YOUR PRAYERS.
00:56:28.60\00:56:32.33
I NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
00:56:32.33\00:56:34.26
PLEASE PRAY FOR US.
00:56:34.26\00:56:35.53
I'LL BE PRAYING FOR YOU.
00:56:35.53\00:56:36.30
WRITE TODAY AND GOD BLESS YOU.
00:56:36.30\00:56:40.80
[MUSIC]
00:56:40.80\00:56:47.46
[MUSIC] ? AND I KNOW THAT ?
00:56:50.80\00:56:57.53
? THERE ARE
ANGELS ? ? ALL AROUND. ?
00:56:57.53\00:57:11.16
? SO LET'S JUST
PRAISE, ? ? OH, JESUS NOW. ?
00:57:11.16\00:57:29.26
? FOR WE ARE STANDING
? ? IN HIS PRESENCE. ?
00:57:29.26\00:57:38.33
? FOR WE ARE STANDING ? ?
IN HIS ALMIGHTY PRESENCE, ?
00:57:38.33\00:57:48.16
? ON HOLY GROUND. ?
00:57:48.16\00:57:53.46
CC BY ABERDEEN CAPTIONING
1-800-688-6621 WWW.ABERCAP.COM
00:57:55.00\00:57:59.26