[Music]
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[Music]
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I love the fact that we're
calling this Table Talk, uh,
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because this is a great way to
get into the Word of God and to
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invite other people to do the
same and to participate in this
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conversation.
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I think it would be, just to
jump in there, I think it would
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be helpful for our listeners to
know that when the cameras are
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off, the talk continues.
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In fact, you could probably
say...and even before they turn
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on, that's what I was gonna say.
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We've probably done half as
much or as much talking with the
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cameras off as with the cameras
on because that's the point.
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I'm surprised you're not hoarse.
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[laughter]
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Are you calling me a horse?
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Are you saying....at least you
didn't say I was stubborn as a
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mule.
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No, I wouldn't
compare percentages.
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I think I've talked
quite a bit too off camera.
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James definitely has been....
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Saving my
voice...saving my voice.
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Ok, so, Table Talk.
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I think it's a great concept.
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We're experiencing the
priesthood of all believers
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here.
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God wants us to study His word.
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He wants us to probe it's
content together so that the
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synergy of collective thought
brings new ideas and greater
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clarity to the table, so to
speak, and what we've been doing
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is moving through a series
that we've just kindof casually,
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tentatively, as we began to
formulate these ideas, what we
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called the Big Picture Series,
and it's a 13 part series, and
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we're coming to the crescendo.
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We're coming to the climax.
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Amen.
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This is number 10 in this
series, and we've come from some
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beautiful places in Scripture.
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We've been talking about for
example a concept that I'm super
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excited about in Genesis
3:15, the wounded warrior.
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That God made a promise, the
first Gospel promise, right in
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the presence of Adam and Eve,
directly after their fall, and
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speaking to the enemy
himself, God made a promise.
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I will put enmity between you
and the woman, between your seed
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and her seed, your lineage and
her lineage, and I'm telling you
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Satan, I'm telling you Satan,
he's going to crush your head.
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Yeah, you'll wound
his heel in the process.
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He will be wounded, but you're
going to be crushed and humanity
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is going to be
redeemed in the Messiah.
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And then we just kept
moving through the Old Testament
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scriptures, just into the
prophecies, and now we're coming
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to the New Testament, but where
do we want to emphasize that
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we're coming from?
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Genesis 3:15, anything else,
any other Old Testament concepts
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that we're building momentum
for into the New Testament
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fulfillment.
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Well, one of the things
that we've also talked about in
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addition to God' covenantal
faithfulness is the whole, we
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spent 2 or 3, at least 3
programs on the theodicy idea.
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God's toleration of
evil, God's allowance of evil.
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God's patience with evil and
evil doers, and that is not a
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separate thing from
God's covenantal faithfulness.
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That is, both of those are going
to be tied with a bow, the same
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bow, which is the
cross of Christ at the end.
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God is going to bear, He is
going to take upon Himself all
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of the evil, all of the
injustice, all of the iniquity.
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And so these things are
not 2 separate things, God's
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righteousness and covenantal
faithfulness, which is sort of
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like a conversation for
believers over here, those that
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have faith, and then, well, why
is there so much sickness, pain,
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suffering, and disease
in the world over here.
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These are the same, they're both
headed in the same direction.
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They're one conversation, so
it had to come to bear upon the
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entire discussion that we're
having about Scripture as a
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whole.
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It would not be an
oversimplification as we go into
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these last 4 conversations here,
to simplify and say that Jesus
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is the answer.
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You know we sing those old
songs, Jesus is the answer for
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the world....that, you know
I'm not a great singer, but...
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What's that song?
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You can carry a tune.
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You know that song.
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Jesus is the answer
for the world today.
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Above Him there's no other.
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Jesus is the way.
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You don't know that song?
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Ok, it's a great little song.
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Anyway...
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Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.
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I know that song.
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You know that one.
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But that little phrase there,
Jesus is the answer, is not just
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a cute, quaint little campfire
song, or just a little, you
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know...
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It's theologically rich.
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No, it's hugely rich!
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Jesus is the answer to theodicy.
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Jesus is the
answer to righteousness.
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Jesus is the answer to covenant.
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Jesus is the answer to prophecy.
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He...
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Not in a trite manner.
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NO!
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But with content.
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He solves all the problems.
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That's right.
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We sometimes fail to appreciate
or understand the hugeness of
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the fact that God,
infinite, illimitable, eternal,
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omnipotent, omnipresent,
omniscient God became a man.
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How could He not be the answer?
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Yeah, that's right.
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We're not dealing with a...no,
this is huge, and the fact that
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like a diamond, is multi-hughed
and multidimensional, Jesus is,
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if you look at him this
way, oh, there's prophecy.
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Oh, there's covenantal
faithfulness, there's theodicy,
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and we're doing that, and those
strings are being drawn here to
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a close.
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We have this saying where we
say, put your money where your
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mouth is.
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Isn't that what we always say?
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And it's a beautiful thing
because God makes all of these
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grandiose promises and you just
said, He becomes a man, and so
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God is basically putting
His money where His mouth is.
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His word means something,
and God is initiating and He's
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actually going to do something
about the stuff He's promised.
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That brings to mind
a New Testament text.
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A single line from the Apostle
Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 1
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and verse 20 that summarizes...
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2 Corinthians 1:20?
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Oh, second.
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2 Corinthians 1:20.
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2 Corinthians 1:20.
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At first I thought you were
going to 1 Corinthians 15 the
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second....
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No, no, no, no.
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Not yet.
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Ok, 2 Corinthians 1:20.
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2 Corinthians 1:20.
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It's this amazing statement that
encapsulates really what the
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whole Bible is about.
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And that's a high claim.
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That's a large claim, but just
listen to these words, and see
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what you think.
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For all the promises of God in
Him, in Christ, are yes, and in
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Him amen to the
glory of God through us.
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What do you think?
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No, absolutely.
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It's very definitive.
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In Jesus Christ, all
the promises of God...
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Are yes.
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They're yes.
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They're amen.
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It's saying God is making all
these promises and then Jesus
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shows and and God is like, amen.
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That's right.
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I like that!
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That's exactly
what I'm trying to say.
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That's the Miami
way of saying it.
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[laughter]
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The, the, the, what Jesus, what
God says about Christ just as he
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comes out of the waters
of baptism is exactly that.
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This is my beloved
Son in whom, this is Him.
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This is what I've been trying
to say for generations and
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generations.
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That's what I'm talking about.
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It's Jesus.
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It's the Hebrews 1 idea verses
1-3 that Jesus is God's final,
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definitive word and
revelation of Himself.
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The prophets have been the
conduit through which God has
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communicated down through
the ages, but now in these last
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days, finally, fully, God
has revealed the totality of His
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plan, His purpose, and
His character in Jesus Christ.
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This, um, this particular word
here in verse 20, for all the
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promises of God in Him are yes.
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One of your definitions, I think
it was both you and James, had
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this sort of covenantal
definition of God makes a
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promise, God fulfills a promise.
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He makes a promise.
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He fulfills a promise, and
Paul's point here is that every
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promise that God made in the
Old Testament to Israel, every
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promise that He made, that
we can go through, Malachi to
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Genesis, every one of those
promises is yes and amen in the
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person of Jesus.
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And there are, and that's
not just sort of ethereal,
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theological truth.
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There are very real senses in
which that's the case, so, for
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example, just a moment ago,
I thought you were going to 1
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Corinthians 15.
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In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul refers
to Jesus as the second Adam,
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right, or the last Adam.
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There's a very real sense
in which the Gospel of Matthew
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particularly and other Gospel
passages build Jesus as the new
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Israel, the real Israel, and
there's all of these parallels
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between Israel in the Old
Testament where a man named
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Joseph had dreams, and Jesus
father, earthly father, named
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Joseph had dreams.
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Isaiah actually, Messianic
prophecies name Jesus Israel and
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Jacob.
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And Hosea.
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So the point here, not to go
into the detail, we can do that
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later if we want, is that
God made these promises to Adam.
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You know, you'll
have eternal life.
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You can eat of the tree.
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You can expand the garden.
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And those promises, Adam failed
to meet the fulfillment of those
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promises, right?
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So, Jesus comes as the second
Adam, and He picks up the baton,
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to use a race
analogy, that Adam had left.
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And Israel, God had made a
number of promises to His people
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Israel, and then that baton was
dropped on many occasions and in
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many circumstances, and frankly,
we too have dropped the baton,
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so Jesus comes and He picks up
Adam's baton, He picks up, which
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is one and the same, Israel's
baton, and He crosses the finish
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line by His own faithfulness.
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And so Paul's point here in 2
Corinthians 1:20 is all of those
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promises that God made in the
Old Testament are yes in Christ.
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Can we say that God authored
those promises and God finished
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those promises.
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He is the Author...
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And the Finisher.
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Isn't that what Hebrews say?
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He's the Author
and the Finisher.
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You know, I like the context
of this 2 Corinthians statement
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that Ty brought
to our attention.
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2 Corinthians chapter 1.
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I wanna just start in verse 18
because the context of it even
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enriches the point
that's made there in verse 20.
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It says, but as God is faithful,
our word to you was not yes and
00:09:52.30\00:09:57.66
no, for the Son of God was
preached among you by us, by me,
00:09:57.66\00:10:03.70
by Silvanus, by Timothy, was not
yes and no, but in Him was yes.
00:10:03.70\00:10:09.53
That's it.
00:10:09.53\00:10:11.33
That's his point.
00:10:11.33\00:10:12.60
All the promises of God in Him
are yes and in Him, in Christ,
00:10:12.60\00:10:14.50
are yes and amen to the
glory of God through us.
00:10:14.50\00:10:17.20
Now He who establishes us with
you in Christ and has anointed
00:10:17.20\00:10:21.56
us is God.
00:10:21.56\00:10:22.86
He's the Author.
00:10:22.86\00:10:24.56
He's the Finisher.
00:10:24.56\00:10:25.43
He picks up...He
makes the promises.
00:10:25.43\00:10:27.50
He picks up the baton.
00:10:27.50\00:10:28.70
But isn't the verse the author
and finisher of our faith?
00:10:28.70\00:10:30.56
Yes.
00:10:30.56\00:10:31.70
The beginning and the
end, bringing it all together.
00:10:31.70\00:10:33.46
Wasn't that a verse you
shared yesterday in Hebrews 7?
00:10:33.46\00:10:35.60
Yeah, yeah, Hebrews 7:22 how
He's a surety, He's a guarantee
00:10:35.60\00:10:39.36
both on the divine
side and on the human side.
00:10:39.36\00:10:41.06
You know, I love this idea about
how it's all about how God has
00:10:41.06\00:10:45.30
been faithful.
00:10:45.30\00:10:46.56
You know, I was doing a meeting
in Canada, and outside of the
00:10:46.56\00:10:51.56
church building a lady came
up to me because the subject we
00:10:51.56\00:10:56.06
were talking about was baptism.
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This whole idea about public
confession, and getting married
00:10:57.70\00:11:02.46
to God, so to speak, announcing
to the world that you belong to
00:11:02.46\00:11:05.80
God, and you're entering into a
beautiful relationship with Him,
00:11:05.80\00:11:09.23
and she pulled me aside outside
of the church, and she was
00:11:09.23\00:11:12.33
weeping.
00:11:12.33\00:11:13.60
This was after the meeting, and
she said, I wanted with all of
00:11:13.60\00:11:16.73
my heart to respond and to say
that I want to get married with
00:11:16.73\00:11:21.10
God.
00:11:21.10\00:11:22.36
And I said, what's the problem,
I mean, what's the problem?
00:11:22.36\00:11:25.90
And she said, and she went
on to describe how she had been
00:11:25.90\00:11:30.26
divorced 2 or 3 times.
00:11:30.26\00:11:33.16
She had failed her husbands, and
she told me, I'm afraid that if
00:11:33.16\00:11:39.36
I get married to God and make it
official, I'm going to fail Him
00:11:39.36\00:11:42.40
the way I failed my husbands.
00:11:42.40\00:11:44.63
Wow.
00:11:44.63\00:11:45.30
That's intense.
00:11:45.30\00:11:46.56
And when I heard that, it was
like....because I come from a
00:11:46.56\00:11:47.96
broken family and the women,
my mother for example, has also
00:11:47.96\00:11:51.56
gone through some of
those struggles, and I remember
00:11:51.56\00:11:55.16
telling her, I said, the
beautiful thing with getting
00:11:55.16\00:11:58.83
married to God is that you may
fail Him, but He will never let
00:11:58.83\00:12:04.26
you go.
00:12:04.26\00:12:05.73
You base your relationship
with God on the fact that he is
00:12:05.73\00:12:08.80
faithful, and that He will never
fail you, and that you can cling
00:12:08.80\00:12:13.80
to that, and I remembered
that, and I thought, after the
00:12:13.80\00:12:17.00
conversation, that's so critical
to understand is that the
00:12:17.00\00:12:20.83
motivating factor is
that God is faithful.
00:12:20.83\00:12:24.03
And that's not just true in
isolated stories in people's
00:12:24.03\00:12:27.56
lives.
00:12:27.56\00:12:28.43
It's true as we're
talking about here.
00:12:28.43\00:12:29.86
The grand themes of scripture.
00:12:29.86\00:12:31.50
Go ahead.
00:12:31.50\00:12:32.60
Yeah, you brought up the
marriage idea, and what that
00:12:32.60\00:12:35.40
woman was experiencing, and I
feel that very deeply because I
00:12:35.40\00:12:39.30
also come from a similar
background with a broken home,
00:12:39.30\00:12:43.83
but here's a story.
00:12:43.83\00:12:45.43
Here's a covenant story in the
Old Testament in Ezekiel chapter
00:12:45.43\00:12:49.10
16, and God is the one telling
the story, and this is an
00:12:49.10\00:12:54.73
amazing thing that He comes
and He says, your birth and your
00:12:54.73\00:12:59.76
nativity and, excuse me, as for
your nativity on the day that
00:12:59.76\00:13:06.23
you were born, your naval cord
was not cut and you were not
00:13:06.23\00:13:10.23
washed with water nor cleansed.
00:13:10.23\00:13:12.96
You were not rubbed with
salt, nor wrapped in swaddling
00:13:12.96\00:13:16.96
clothes.
00:13:16.96\00:13:18.23
No eye pitied you to do any
of these things for you, to have
00:13:18.23\00:13:22.03
compassion on you.
00:13:22.03\00:13:24.00
But you were thrown out into
an open field when you yourself
00:13:24.00\00:13:32.23
were loathed on
the day of your birth.
00:13:32.23\00:13:35.86
So this is an abandoned
baby that God is describing.
00:13:35.86\00:13:38.13
And when I passed you by and
saw you struggling in your own
00:13:38.13\00:13:42.70
blood, I said to you
and your blood, live.
00:13:42.70\00:13:46.83
Yes, I said to you in your
blood, live, and I made you
00:13:46.83\00:13:51.96
thrive like a plant in the
field, and you grew and matured
00:13:51.96\00:13:56.60
and became very beautiful.
00:13:56.60\00:13:58.06
Your breasts were well formed
and your hair grew, but you were
00:13:58.06\00:14:03.06
naked and bare.
00:14:03.06\00:14:05.16
When I passed you by again
and looked upon you, indeed your
00:14:05.16\00:14:08.73
time was the time of love, so
I spread my wings over you and
00:14:08.73\00:14:12.46
covered your nakedness,
yes, I swore an oath to you, and
00:14:12.46\00:14:19.40
entered into a covenant with
you, and you became mine, says
00:14:19.40\00:14:22.93
the Lord.
00:14:22.93\00:14:24.83
Isn't that an amazing story?
00:14:24.83\00:14:27.80
It's one of my favorites.
00:14:27.80\00:14:29.23
I was a little staccato reading
it because I pretty much have
00:14:29.23\00:14:32.00
this memorized in a different
Bible version, and in that
00:14:32.00\00:14:34.86
version, verse 8 says, when I
passed you by again, and I saw
00:14:34.86\00:14:39.06
that it was time for you to
fall in love, and so I spread my
00:14:39.06\00:14:44.50
wings over you and made a
promise to you and entered into
00:14:44.50\00:14:48.46
a covenant relationship
with you and you became mine.
00:14:48.46\00:14:51.23
That's, that's the idea.
00:14:51.23\00:14:52.56
That's awesome.
00:14:52.56\00:14:53.93
Yeah, so God sees this abandoned
child, which epitomizes
00:14:53.93\00:14:57.23
humanity, and another version
says, where it says, you were
00:14:57.23\00:15:02.10
thrown into an open field and no
one had compassion on you, the
00:15:02.10\00:15:06.03
other version says, you were
abandoned, and no one loved you.
00:15:06.03\00:15:10.13
So, God is approaching humanity
in it's horrible fallen,
00:15:10.13\00:15:18.96
sinful...
00:15:18.96\00:15:19.93
Helplessness.
00:15:19.93\00:15:21.40
Helpless state, and God is
the one making the promises.
00:15:21.40\00:15:23.86
God is the one taking the
initiative, and this is an
00:15:23.86\00:15:28.60
amazing revelation, not only
of what God's intent is and what
00:15:28.60\00:15:32.20
He's doing, but
this reveals God's heart.
00:15:32.20\00:15:35.20
I want to enter into a
marriage relationship with you.
00:15:35.20\00:15:39.33
That woman, that woman
was feeling the sting of her
00:15:39.33\00:15:44.10
unfaithfulness, and what
she needed to encounter, and did
00:15:44.10\00:15:48.13
encounter no doubt,
was God's faithfulness.
00:15:48.13\00:15:51.43
Amen.
00:15:51.43\00:15:52.56
A lot of the Old Testament
points forward to Christ,
00:15:52.56\00:15:55.60
prophecies of Christ.
00:15:55.60\00:15:57.73
I think of Hosea chapter 2
verses 18 - 20, using the word
00:15:57.73\00:16:02.33
covenant and faithfulness and
love and compassion to describe
00:16:02.33\00:16:05.36
the relationship he's going
to have with a harlot, with an
00:16:05.36\00:16:11.46
unfaithful woman, and how He's
going to betroth her unto Him
00:16:11.46\00:16:14.50
and His righteousness and His
faithfulness even though she's
00:16:14.50\00:16:18.06
been unfaithful to Him.
00:16:18.06\00:16:19.33
And the whole book of Hosea, you
know that Hebrew word links to
00:16:19.33\00:16:23.53
Joshua which ties or connects to
Jesus in the New Testament, so
00:16:23.53\00:16:27.30
you see here the prophet is in a
way demonstrating, illustrating
00:16:27.30\00:16:33.43
the faithfulness of Christ to an
unfaithful woman in relation to
00:16:33.43\00:16:38.03
Christ being
faithful to Hosea, yeah.
00:16:38.03\00:16:40.73
It's beautiful, the
picture that we have.
00:16:40.73\00:16:42.60
Now, we go to the New Testament
and we see that fulfilled in
00:16:42.60\00:16:44.63
Jesus.
00:16:44.63\00:16:45.90
You see that beautiful picture
of the Old Testament fulfilled
00:16:45.90\00:16:48.90
in the faithfulness of Christ.
00:16:48.90\00:16:51.16
You know, we need to keep
pursuing this subject, and it's
00:16:51.16\00:16:54.10
a beautiful one.
00:16:54.10\00:16:55.46
We need to take a
break right now, though.
00:16:55.46\00:16:56.80
As we take that break, I think,
uh, I think that people are
00:16:56.80\00:17:02.33
going to be excited to learn
about Theresa who's somebody who
00:17:02.33\00:17:06.13
James and I met, actually,
in Zambia, and she has an
00:17:06.13\00:17:12.56
incredible story, an incredible
experience where she was
00:17:12.56\00:17:17.33
completely, um, terrified that
she was going to die due to a
00:17:17.33\00:17:25.76
particular tumor she had that
turned out to be benign, but she
00:17:25.76\00:17:29.26
didn't know that, and um, her
experience was such that through
00:17:29.26\00:17:34.00
a miraculous encounter, she
came across some literature from
00:17:34.00\00:17:38.20
Light Bearers, and as she read
that literature, it gave her
00:17:38.20\00:17:43.63
peace, and step by step let her
to the discovery of Jesus Christ
00:17:43.63\00:17:48.46
as her personal
savior, so Teresa's story.
00:17:48.46\00:17:51.96
Powerful.
00:17:51.96\00:17:53.66
[Music]
00:18:01.50\00:18:06.16
The Discover Bible Guides
are often people's first real
00:18:06.16\00:18:08.60
introduction to Christ.
00:18:08.60\00:18:10.40
The humble tracts act
as ambassadors for truth.
00:18:10.40\00:18:14.56
this is how a young woman named
Teresa found hope when she had
00:18:14.56\00:18:17.70
to deal with an abnormal
growth that was causing concern.
00:18:17.70\00:18:21.26
I had that growth in my
nose for more than 10 years.
00:18:21.26\00:18:31.40
My boss was like, Teresa, why
do you keep that thing in your
00:18:31.40\00:18:35.16
nose?
00:18:35.16\00:18:36.26
Don't you know that it's
dangerous to keep something
00:18:36.26\00:18:38.56
which is abnormal on your body.
00:18:38.56\00:18:41.33
It might have some deep roots
which might lead to cancer.
00:18:41.33\00:18:45.16
Just go to the doctor.
00:18:45.16\00:18:49.80
I really didn't know
what was gong to happen to me.
00:18:49.80\00:18:52.30
I was scared it might be cancer,
or maybe they just had to cut
00:18:52.30\00:18:55.56
off the whole nose.
00:18:55.56\00:18:59.36
Though frightened, Teresa took
her boss' advice and decided to
00:18:59.36\00:19:02.50
seek medical attention.
00:19:02.50\00:19:05.13
Even when I was going to
the doctor that day, I wasn't
00:19:05.13\00:19:07.33
myself.
00:19:07.33\00:19:08.06
I cried to God, why me?
00:19:08.06\00:19:10.86
Why do I have
this thing in my nose?
00:19:10.86\00:19:13.26
I had to board this bus, and in
that but I just found a heap of
00:19:13.26\00:19:23.30
I had to board this bus, and in
that but I just found a heap of
00:19:23.30\00:19:28.66
papers, Discover Guides,
and then of those papers I just
00:19:28.66\00:19:32.63
picked one.
00:19:32.63\00:19:34.53
Uh, it was Discover Guide 7,
it was saying something about
00:19:34.53\00:19:38.90
Nebuchadnezzar.
00:19:38.90\00:19:40.00
Who holds the future?
00:19:40.00\00:19:41.53
Who knows the future?
00:19:41.53\00:19:43.20
After reading that, I was
relaxed, and I just kept on
00:19:43.20\00:19:57.53
praying, hoping that God knows
everything, nothing bad would
00:19:57.53\00:20:00.60
happen to me.
00:20:00.60\00:20:02.20
I went to see the doctor.
00:20:02.20\00:20:03.73
He checked it, and it was like,
my dear girl, this is nothing,
00:20:03.73\00:20:08.80
and I just felt a peace in me.
00:20:08.80\00:20:10.73
The peace I'd been
waiting for all day long.
00:20:10.73\00:20:17.86
What I read in those papers, it
was so beautiful that my faith
00:20:17.86\00:20:22.06
for God grew big.
00:20:22.06\00:20:25.36
I couldn't even imagine it.
00:20:25.36\00:20:27.10
I've never
believed in God like that.
00:20:27.10\00:20:28.86
I believe that
He knows everything.
00:20:28.86\00:20:31.13
There is a
purpose why He created me.
00:20:31.13\00:20:32.63
I was feeling hazy when I
entered the hospital gate.
00:20:32.63\00:20:40.10
After reading the Discover
Guide, I felt light, as if ah,
00:20:40.10\00:20:43.46
something is just lifting me up.
00:20:43.46\00:20:46.76
That's how I felt.
00:20:46.76\00:20:49.23
I was, ah, like, thank God
it's not cancer, and thanks for
00:20:49.23\00:20:53.13
telling me about the future.
00:20:53.13\00:20:58.66
Jesus says that all of you who
are heavy laden, come to me, and
00:20:58.66\00:21:03.26
I will give you rest, and
I did find that rest in Him.
00:21:03.26\00:21:07.36
I'm now at peace.
00:21:07.36\00:21:09.30
To partner with Light Bearers in
spreading the Gospel, visit us
00:21:15.20\00:21:18.33
online at LightBearers.org
or call us toll free at
00:21:18.33\00:21:21.30
877.585.1111.
00:21:21.30\00:21:25.40
You can also write to us
at Light Bearers 37457 Jasper
00:21:25.40\00:21:30.46
Lowell Road, Jasper, OR, 97438.
00:21:30.46\00:21:35.30
Praise God for
transformed lives!
00:21:36.20\00:21:37.66
I love Teresa, and what a
privilege to know her as a
00:21:37.66\00:21:41.30
sister in Christ.
00:21:41.30\00:21:42.43
Great story!
00:21:42.43\00:21:43.20
Beautiful.
00:21:43.20\00:21:44.36
So, we're talking about
the fulfillment of all of the
00:21:44.36\00:21:46.13
covenant promises in
the person of Jesus Christ.
00:21:46.13\00:21:49.26
A great bridge into the New
Testament fulfillment is Luke
00:21:49.26\00:21:53.90
chapter 1.
00:21:53.90\00:21:55.30
Now, you guys, this
is a difficult passage.
00:21:55.30\00:21:57.60
We've all struggled with this
section of Scripture because
00:21:57.60\00:22:01.50
there are parts that we're
not sure at times whether we're
00:22:01.50\00:22:04.26
talking about John the Baptist
or Jesus, but we do know this,
00:22:04.26\00:22:06.90
this prophecy of Zacharias
is talking about both of them.
00:22:06.90\00:22:11.33
It's talking about the fact that
Jesus is now coming into the
00:22:11.33\00:22:15.80
world to redeem His people.
00:22:15.80\00:22:18.93
To be the redeemer of the human
race, in fact, and that John the
00:22:18.93\00:22:21.66
Baptist will be His forerunner,
so in verse 68, Blessed is the
00:22:21.66\00:22:27.53
Lord God of Israel, for He has
visited and redeemed His people
00:22:27.53\00:22:30.53
and has raised up a horn of
salvation for us in the house of
00:22:30.53\00:22:35.06
David.
00:22:35.06\00:22:36.33
So this is Zacharias telling
us that Jesus is now coming into
00:22:36.33\00:22:40.93
the world, and He's going
to be a horn of salvation.
00:22:40.93\00:22:44.40
In scripture...
00:22:44.40\00:22:45.60
A strength.
00:22:45.60\00:22:47.53
That's right, horns represent
strength and power, so Jesus is
00:22:47.53\00:22:50.30
coming into the world as
the strength of God's salvation.
00:22:50.30\00:22:54.16
And then in verse 70, as He
spoke by the mouth of His holy
00:22:54.16\00:23:00.20
prophets who have
been since the world began.
00:23:00.20\00:23:04.03
So here again we have the
idea that all the prophets are
00:23:04.03\00:23:07.96
foretelling one
person, Jesus Christ.
00:23:07.96\00:23:11.90
The messiah is coming.
00:23:11.90\00:23:13.13
Verse 71, that we should be
saved from our enemies and from
00:23:13.13\00:23:17.00
the hand of all who hate us.
00:23:17.00\00:23:18.86
Now, we need to remember that
in Jewish thinking of the time,
00:23:18.86\00:23:24.06
there is an expectation
of military and nationalistic
00:23:24.06\00:23:27.70
deliverance from political
enemies, but that deliverance is
00:23:27.70\00:23:34.36
merely something that the people
talk about with a veil before
00:23:34.36\00:23:39.40
their eyes, not realizing
that the salvation that will be
00:23:39.40\00:23:43.33
accomplished through
Christ transcends military and
00:23:43.33\00:23:46.53
political victory
over political enemies.
00:23:46.53\00:23:50.80
Alright, so verse 72, to perform
the mercy promised to our
00:23:50.80\00:23:55.70
fathers, and to
remember His holy covenant.
00:23:55.70\00:23:59.20
Now, that's where
we want to come to.
00:23:59.20\00:24:01.66
God is fulfilling His promises
in the Messiah for the express
00:24:01.66\00:24:06.66
purpose of performing His
mercy, that is, His hessed.
00:24:06.66\00:24:14.33
This is Greek, of course,
this is not the word hessed...
00:24:14.33\00:24:16.06
He's quoting that
from the Old Testament.
00:24:16.06\00:24:17.60
This is a parallel concept.
00:24:17.60\00:24:18.83
To perform His faithful love
promised to the fathers and to
00:24:18.83\00:24:23.33
remember His holy covenant.
00:24:23.33\00:24:25.86
Verse 73, the oath which He
swore to our father Abraham.
00:24:25.86\00:24:30.23
And then Zacharias is just
basically describing the fact
00:24:30.23\00:24:34.73
that his son, John the Baptist,
is going to be the one who is
00:24:34.73\00:24:38.26
going to prepare the way
and herald the coming of this
00:24:38.26\00:24:41.50
Messiah who is the fulfillment
of all the Old Testament
00:24:41.50\00:24:45.50
promises.
00:24:45.50\00:24:47.00
Awesome.
00:24:47.00\00:24:48.86
There was something
right in the midst of that.
00:24:48.86\00:24:50.26
I just have to throw this in.
00:24:50.26\00:24:51.53
I'd never seen this before, but
when it says there in Luke 1,
00:24:51.53\00:24:55.73
what is it, 69, where it
says He's raised up a horn of
00:24:55.73\00:24:59.56
salvation, of course, you know,
the Jews could see that whether
00:24:59.56\00:25:04.20
they were goats or rams or ibex,
or whatever they were, whenever
00:25:04.20\00:25:09.76
they would get into their
butting of heads in the mating
00:25:09.76\00:25:11.73
season that typically the
one with the bigger horns would
00:25:11.73\00:25:15.53
prevail.
00:25:15.53\00:25:16.66
So, very naturally,
very logically, horns came to
00:25:16.66\00:25:18.83
symbolize strength and might
and power, so check this out.
00:25:18.83\00:25:21.10
Just fast forwarding, don't turn
there, but just listen to this.
00:25:21.10\00:25:24.86
Revelation chapter 12 verse 10,
speaking of the coming of the
00:25:24.86\00:25:27.90
Messiah and the one
that casts down Satan.
00:25:27.90\00:25:31.63
We've talked about that.
00:25:31.63\00:25:32.66
We've actually talked
about this very verse.
00:25:32.66\00:25:34.20
Verse 9 the dragon is cast out
who deceives the whole world,
00:25:34.20\00:25:36.06
etcetera.
00:25:36.06\00:25:36.86
Now listen to this, verse 10.
00:25:36.86\00:25:38.20
Now I heard a loud voice saying
in heaven, now salvation and
00:25:38.20\00:25:40.90
strength and the kingdom of our
God and the power of His Christ
00:25:40.90\00:25:45.36
have come for the accuser of our
brethren who accused before our
00:25:45.36\00:25:47.43
God day and night
has been cast out.
00:25:47.43\00:25:48.63
I love that.
00:25:48.63\00:25:49.23
I love that!
00:25:49.23\00:25:49.93
That is powerful.
00:25:49.93\00:25:51.16
So, here, He has raised up a
horn of salvation, and now has
00:25:51.16\00:25:52.50
come not just salvation
but strength because we need
00:25:52.50\00:25:54.36
strength.
00:25:54.36\00:25:55.16
And power.
00:25:55.16\00:25:56.43
You closed the last session, the
both of you, between Hosea and
00:25:56.43\00:25:58.93
Ezekiel, and that little baby
that was cast out in the field,
00:25:58.93\00:26:02.66
wallowing in it's own blood,
umbilical cord still attached,
00:26:02.66\00:26:06.43
has no strength.
00:26:06.43\00:26:07.16
Left alone it's going to die.
00:26:07.16\00:26:08.76
It's, Ezekiel signifies
the helplessness of the human
00:26:08.76\00:26:11.83
condition, Hosea the
rebelliousness of the human
00:26:11.83\00:26:14.83
condition.
00:26:14.83\00:26:15.86
We need strength.
00:26:15.86\00:26:16.73
Yes.
00:26:16.73\00:26:17.50
I love that.
00:26:17.50\00:26:18.76
That woman that you discussed
in, that came to your meeting,
00:26:18.76\00:26:20.26
she'd been failure, failure,
failure in her marriages.
00:26:20.26\00:26:23.13
What did she need?
00:26:23.13\00:26:24.00
She wanted strength.
00:26:24.00\00:26:25.26
She needed somebody to do for
her what she had failed to do
00:26:25.26\00:26:27.66
for herself.
00:26:27.66\00:26:29.66
And I love this too because you
look at the context of this, and
00:26:29.66\00:26:31.83
Zachariah, it's a miracle.
00:26:31.83\00:26:33.90
What he's doing is actually
a miracle because Zachariah has
00:26:33.90\00:26:35.30
been on the longest time
out in the New Testament.
00:26:35.30\00:26:39.26
He's been on a 9 month time out.
00:26:39.26\00:26:41.06
He did not believe the words of
the angel that were promised to
00:26:41.06\00:26:44.66
Elizabeth that they would have a
child, and so the angel said to
00:26:44.66\00:26:49.23
him, you're not gonna speak
again until the child is born.
00:26:49.23\00:26:53.20
And so he has not
spoken for 9 months.
00:26:53.20\00:26:56.20
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it now.
00:26:56.20\00:26:57.46
Well, you go to the Old
Testament, you've got a longer
00:26:57.46\00:27:01.43
time out.
00:27:01.43\00:27:02.66
Nebuchadnezzar was
on a 7 year time out.
00:27:02.66\00:27:05.03
A 7 year time out.
00:27:05.03\00:27:06.43
But in the New Testament...
00:27:06.43\00:27:07.56
You never put your kids in
time out that long did you?
00:27:07.56\00:27:08.96
Not quite.
00:27:08.96\00:27:09.66
[laughter]
00:27:09.66\00:27:10.46
You can't talk until you're 13!
00:27:10.46\00:27:11.60
It mighta helped.
00:27:11.60\00:27:12.86
Uh, so, no one's heard him say
a word, so just the fact that he
00:27:12.86\00:27:20.16
opens his mouth and starts to
speak, but here's what's really
00:27:20.16\00:27:23.00
powerful.
00:27:23.00\00:27:24.33
He is speaking under the
influence and power of the Holy
00:27:24.33\00:27:27.00
Ghost.
00:27:27.00\00:27:27.86
He's filled with the Holy Ghost.
00:27:27.86\00:27:28.90
So this is prophecy.
00:27:28.90\00:27:30.23
So when you connect this to
Revelation chapter 12, there's a
00:27:30.23\00:27:33.33
direct connection there with
prophecy, and in that context,
00:27:33.33\00:27:36.50
he's talking, and I love this
because, Ty, you alluded to this
00:27:36.50\00:27:40.63
verse here in verse 71.
00:27:40.63\00:27:42.36
That the Jews were not, you
know, they were not necessarily
00:27:42.36\00:27:47.50
focusing on the spiritual
enemies, but they were focusing
00:27:47.50\00:27:50.26
on their literal enemies, but
truly, this was also a focus on
00:27:50.26\00:27:53.43
their spiritual enemies.
00:27:53.43\00:27:56.33
That we would be
saved from our enemies.
00:27:56.33\00:27:58.86
Now that's Revelation chapter
12 verse 10 because here's the
00:27:58.86\00:28:01.70
accuser!
00:28:01.70\00:28:02.56
He is the enemy...
00:28:02.56\00:28:03.83
Oh, that's awesome.
00:28:03.83\00:28:05.06
And so it's so beautiful to
see him prophesying under the
00:28:05.06\00:28:07.36
influence of the Holy Spirit,
not just talking about his son,
00:28:07.36\00:28:10.30
but also talking about Messiah
for whom his son would be the
00:28:10.30\00:28:14.70
forerunner.
00:28:14.70\00:28:15.73
I love that.
00:28:15.73\00:28:17.63
Beautiful.
00:28:17.63\00:28:18.20
Yeah, excellent.
00:28:18.20\00:28:18.83
So, that's a transition.
00:28:18.83\00:28:20.06
So now we're in, we're fully
ensconced, embedded in the New
00:28:20.06\00:28:22.40
Testament.
00:28:22.40\00:28:23.93
We spent time in
2 Corinthians 1:20.
00:28:23.93\00:28:25.23
For all the promises
of God are yes in Christ.
00:28:25.23\00:28:28.60
How do we, how would you
like to proceed from here?
00:28:28.60\00:28:32.36
Because in my mind, you know we
could talk about the Messianic
00:28:32.36\00:28:35.66
prophecies that, you know,
you have these Old Testament
00:28:35.66\00:28:39.20
glimpses.
00:28:39.20\00:28:40.46
He'll be born in Bethlehem and
none of His bones will be broken
00:28:40.46\00:28:43.66
and He'll be called a Nazarene,
and then the New Testament picks
00:28:43.66\00:28:47.13
these up and starts reading
Isaiah, Jeremiah, the prophets.
00:28:47.13\00:28:50.20
Well, here's a thought.
00:28:50.20\00:28:51.66
Go.
00:28:51.66\00:28:52.36
Here's a thought.
00:28:52.36\00:28:53.63
You shared an idea that there's
this Old Covenant faithfulness
00:28:53.63\00:28:56.40
and then there's a
covenant unfaithfulness.
00:28:56.40\00:28:59.53
This failure, this failure, this
failure, and that Jesus Christ
00:28:59.53\00:29:03.06
being the author and finisher.
00:29:03.06\00:29:04.56
Jesus Christ being the one who
connects the two, is the only
00:29:04.56\00:29:06.86
one that's been faithful, so
when you look at this, and I'm
00:29:06.86\00:29:09.93
just gonna give an
overview of Romans.
00:29:09.93\00:29:11.33
Romans chapter 1, Romans
chapter 2, Romans chapter 3.
00:29:11.33\00:29:14.50
Bad news.
00:29:14.50\00:29:15.66
All bad news.
00:29:15.66\00:29:17.40
But what Paul is
setting up there is this.
00:29:17.40\00:29:19.06
The Jews have been unfaithful.
00:29:19.06\00:29:21.60
The Gentiles
have been unfaithful.
00:29:21.60\00:29:23.90
There's nobody that's
actually seeking after God.
00:29:23.90\00:29:28.53
Romans chapter 3.
00:29:28.53\00:29:29.36
There is no one
that is actually...
00:29:29.36\00:29:30.66
The whole world is guilty.
00:29:30.66\00:29:31.66
The whole world
is guilty before God.
00:29:31.66\00:29:33.10
There's none that seek
after Him, no not one, as it is
00:29:33.10\00:29:35.36
written, there's none
righteous, no not one.
00:29:35.36\00:29:37.76
And this is Romans
chapter 3 verse 10.
00:29:37.76\00:29:40.53
This is kindof a summery
of Romans chapter 1 and Romans
00:29:40.53\00:29:43.50
chapter 2.
00:29:43.50\00:29:44.50
He's including the
whole world here under sin.
00:29:44.50\00:29:46.90
They've all gone,
there's none that understands.
00:29:46.90\00:29:49.33
There's none that
seeks after God, verse 11.
00:29:49.33\00:29:51.20
They've all gone out of the way.
00:29:51.20\00:29:53.13
They've altogether
become unprofitable.
00:29:53.13\00:29:54.43
There's none that
does good, no not one.
00:29:54.43\00:29:56.53
Ok, I see where you're going.
00:29:56.53\00:29:57.86
I hope it's where you're going.
00:29:57.86\00:29:58.76
Yes.
00:29:58.76\00:30:00.00
And so he comes down here to
this grand conclusion, and then
00:30:00.00\00:30:01.60
he says this, and this
is, we're looking right here.
00:30:01.60\00:30:05.03
Please tell me
you're going to verse 20.
00:30:05.03\00:30:06.33
Yes.
00:30:06.33\00:30:06.86
Ok.
00:30:06.86\00:30:07.73
Romans chapter 3
verses 19, 20 and 21.
00:30:07.73\00:30:09.70
It's so beautiful.
00:30:09.70\00:30:10.50
So, the law condemns us all.
00:30:10.50\00:30:13.00
We're all guilty before God.
00:30:13.00\00:30:15.06
We've all been
unfaithful to the covenant.
00:30:15.06\00:30:16.63
That's verse 19.
00:30:16.63\00:30:17.86
Yes, verse 19.
00:30:17.86\00:30:19.13
Now, verse 20, now by the deeds
of the law there shall no flesh
00:30:19.13\00:30:22.36
be justified in His sight, for
by the law is the knowledge of
00:30:22.36\00:30:26.40
sin, but now the righteousness
of God without the law is
00:30:26.40\00:30:31.36
manifested, being witnessed by
the law and the prophets, even
00:30:31.36\00:30:35.76
the righteousness of God
which is by faith in Jesus.
00:30:35.76\00:30:41.80
Now, that is the King James,
which is by the faith of Jesus
00:30:41.80\00:30:44.76
Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe, for there's
00:30:44.76\00:30:49.10
no difference.
00:30:49.10\00:30:50.76
Ok, we gotta spend
some time on this verse.
00:30:50.76\00:30:52.36
This is beautiful.
00:30:52.36\00:30:53.53
[laughter]
00:30:53.53\00:30:54.30
This opens it up.
00:30:54.30\00:30:55.43
You took us to, in my opinion,
exactly the right place.
00:30:55.43\00:30:58.20
So, with your guys permission,
lets just look at verse 21.
00:30:58.20\00:31:01.70
But now the righteousness of God
apart from the law is revealed.
00:31:01.70\00:31:05.16
First of all, we need to
pause and say, what is God's
00:31:05.16\00:31:07.23
righteousness?
00:31:07.23\00:31:09.00
It's his covenant faithfulness.
00:31:09.00\00:31:12.06
That's right.
00:31:12.06\00:31:13.73
That's exactly correct.
00:31:13.73\00:31:15.53
It's not some, you
know, airy, fairy...
00:31:15.53\00:31:16.90
God's morally pure.
00:31:16.90\00:31:17.90
God is morally pure.
00:31:17.90\00:31:19.13
God, in your words, Ty, from
several conversations ago, He
00:31:19.13\00:31:21.30
made a promise.
00:31:21.30\00:31:22.26
He kept a promise.
00:31:22.26\00:31:23.43
Well, I'm saying
the opposite, David.
00:31:23.43\00:31:26.76
The word right is there, yeah?
00:31:26.76\00:31:27.46
No, I'm not saying the opposite.
00:31:27.46\00:31:28.73
I'm saying it's not this very
simplistic, well God is morally
00:31:28.73\00:31:31.30
pure, or God just does right
things and He doesn't do wrong
00:31:31.30\00:31:35.66
things.
00:31:35.66\00:31:36.76
I mean, that's true too,
but this is a very specific
00:31:36.76\00:31:38.73
carryover from
the Old Testament.
00:31:38.73\00:31:41.40
this is a specific concept,
and the concept of God's
00:31:41.40\00:31:45.00
righteousness in Romans, well
in all of Paul, is the covenant
00:31:45.00\00:31:49.03
faithfulness of God to follow
through to keep His promises.
00:31:49.03\00:31:52.86
Because every promise
that He made, He fulfilled.
00:31:52.86\00:31:56.30
He fulfilled.
00:31:56.30\00:31:58.26
He fulfilled.
00:31:58.26\00:31:59.46
And we have incidences of
this just in the natural world.
00:31:59.46\00:32:00.46
The sun comes up every day.
00:32:00.46\00:32:02.23
The rain falls as it needs to.
00:32:02.23\00:32:03.86
Our hearts, bup bup
bup bup, still beat.
00:32:03.86\00:32:05.40
Our lungs still have air.
00:32:05.40\00:32:06.76
So, the righteousness of God,
the covenant faithfulness of
00:32:06.76\00:32:09.23
God, apart from
the law is revealed.
00:32:09.23\00:32:10.70
Now, the idea here of apart from
the law, many people are going
00:32:10.70\00:32:14.96
to read that and think, oh,
we don't need to keep the 10
00:32:14.96\00:32:17.13
commandments anymore!
00:32:17.13\00:32:18.03
Apart from the 10 commandments.
00:32:18.03\00:32:19.26
Apart from God's moral...but
that's not what Paul is saying.
00:32:19.26\00:32:21.10
He's saying that God covenant
faithfulness has been revealed
00:32:21.10\00:32:24.03
to us apart from our keeping
of all the writings of Moses.
00:32:24.03\00:32:28.43
In other words, God is faithful
regardless of the fact that
00:32:28.43\00:32:31.96
we're not.
00:32:31.96\00:32:32.63
That, that's the point.
00:32:32.63\00:32:34.10
And he says that.
00:32:34.10\00:32:35.26
Being witnessed by
the law and the prophets.
00:32:35.26\00:32:36.96
Now, that phrase there literally
means that this was the point of
00:32:36.96\00:32:39.80
the law and the
prophets all along.
00:32:39.80\00:32:41.23
The point of the law and the
prophets all along was to point
00:32:41.23\00:32:44.90
to the Messiah, not to point to
some rulebook whereby I'm going
00:32:44.90\00:32:48.33
to keep it myself in my
own power and my own strength.
00:32:48.33\00:32:51.23
I'm going to gain covenant
status because of what I have
00:32:51.23\00:32:54.33
done.
00:32:54.33\00:32:55.60
No, he says that the law and the
prophets all along pointing to
00:32:55.60\00:32:57.66
God's covenant faithfulness.
00:32:57.66\00:32:58.83
And can we add to that,
they were also pointing out our
00:32:58.83\00:33:00.40
inability.
00:33:00.40\00:33:01.43
That's right.
00:33:01.43\00:33:02.70
All the way along, God gave us
opportunity to see over and over
00:33:02.70\00:33:05.20
again, even with Abraham and
Sarah, over and over again that
00:33:05.20\00:33:07.13
we cannot do it in ourselves.
00:33:07.13\00:33:08.20
We're dependant on
Him and on His promises.
00:33:08.20\00:33:10.13
We're the baby wallowing in the
field, bathed in our own blood,
00:33:10.13\00:33:12.83
umbilical cord still attached.
00:33:12.83\00:33:14.16
What are you gonna do?
00:33:14.16\00:33:15.40
You're going to die.
00:33:15.40\00:33:17.10
So, the Bible really
nowhere is a white knuckle book.
00:33:17.10\00:33:19.16
It's no where a bootstrap book.
00:33:19.16\00:33:20.53
What does that mean?
00:33:20.53\00:33:22.13
It's nowhere a book in which the
onus of responsibility is on the
00:33:22.13\00:33:28.63
human being to git 'er done.
00:33:28.63\00:33:29.90
It' not...
00:33:29.90\00:33:30.86
Git 'er done.
00:33:30.86\00:33:31.96
[laughter]
00:33:31.96\00:33:33.16
It's not a matter of God
changing His mind along the way.
00:33:33.16\00:33:36.43
He didn't in the Old Testament
say, I'm gonna try to save these
00:33:36.43\00:33:39.73
guys by their law keeping.
00:33:39.73\00:33:42.93
I'm just gonna mandate and
I'm gonna require and I'm gonna
00:33:42.93\00:33:47.63
require.
00:33:47.63\00:33:48.86
I know they can do it if
they would just try hard enough.
00:33:48.86\00:33:51.50
So, what's the
white knuckle thing?
00:33:51.50\00:33:54.00
Mmmmmm.....
00:33:54.00\00:33:54.70
Oh, ok!
00:33:54.70\00:33:55.50
I got it.
00:33:55.50\00:33:56.13
Holding on for dear life.
00:33:56.13\00:33:57.16
And the bootstraps
thing, lifting yourself up.
00:33:57.16\00:33:58.30
Yeah, so in other words,
this idea that God in the Old
00:33:58.30\00:34:00.86
Testament was trying to save
people by law keeping, but that
00:34:00.86\00:34:04.23
didn't work, so
now I'll send Jesus.
00:34:04.23\00:34:05.93
No, God all along
intended to save through Christ.
00:34:05.93\00:34:10.63
Because Jesus is simply
the fulfillment of what God was
00:34:10.63\00:34:13.76
trying to do all along.
00:34:13.76\00:34:15.36
Yes.
00:34:15.36\00:34:16.23
That's right.
00:34:16.23\00:34:16.96
Exactly.
00:34:16.96\00:34:18.10
With your permission, I
wanna just finish verse 22.
00:34:18.10\00:34:19.73
Even the righteousness of God,
which we've defined here as His
00:34:19.73\00:34:22.70
faithfulness to the covenant,
through, and now, King James
00:34:22.70\00:34:26.16
here I think falls on it's face
a little bit here because it's,
00:34:26.16\00:34:29.03
New King James, excuse me,
because it says, through faith
00:34:29.03\00:34:31.43
in Christ.
00:34:31.43\00:34:32.36
Yeah, all versions
fall on their face here.
00:34:32.36\00:34:33.83
Yeah, but King James says the
faith of Christ, and not getting
00:34:33.83\00:34:38.73
into too Greek here, but the
phrase here is "pistus Christu"
00:34:38.73\00:34:41.96
which literally just
means "faith Christ."
00:34:41.96\00:34:44.03
And that can be rendered as
"faith in Christ" or, that's the
00:34:44.03\00:34:50.06
objective, or "the
faithfulness of Christ."
00:34:50.06\00:34:53.23
The faithfulness of the
subject of the sentence.
00:34:53.23\00:34:57.16
So that if we read it that way,
which I think is the correct
00:34:57.16\00:34:59.56
way, and it's the way
the King James renders it.
00:34:59.56\00:35:00.90
And there are a few translations
that get it right, just, but not
00:35:00.90\00:35:03.86
many.
00:35:03.86\00:35:05.13
Even the righteousness of God
through the faithfulness of the
00:35:05.13\00:35:08.03
Messiah, Jesus Christ.
00:35:08.03\00:35:09.86
Now watch this.
00:35:09.86\00:35:11.76
You have a redundancy here.
00:35:11.76\00:35:13.00
This is why we can be quite
certain that this translation is
00:35:13.00\00:35:14.90
the likely one, the faithfulness
of the Messiah because the
00:35:14.90\00:35:17.43
very next phrase says, to
all and on all who believe.
00:35:17.43\00:35:21.30
So, if he says, oh, we're
saved by faith in Christ, and we
00:35:21.30\00:35:24.80
believe in Christ.
00:35:24.80\00:35:25.86
It's redundant.
00:35:25.86\00:35:27.30
It's redundant.
00:35:27.30\00:35:28.56
But if it says we're saved by
the faithfulness of the Messiah,
00:35:28.56\00:35:30.16
and we believe it, now the
redundancy disappears, and the
00:35:30.16\00:35:33.80
locus or the place of salvation
is on Christ's faithfulness
00:35:33.80\00:35:39.80
and my response.
00:35:39.80\00:35:41.20
Not and my response.
00:35:41.20\00:35:42.73
And my response to Christ's
faithfulness is an act of joy,
00:35:42.73\00:35:46.23
and act of praise, and
act of worship, and an act of
00:35:46.23\00:35:49.33
obedience.
00:35:49.33\00:35:50.20
Now, I would add
something here, David.
00:35:50.20\00:35:51.53
You may not
agree with me on this.
00:35:51.53\00:35:53.03
This, there may be a difference
here in our understanding, but I
00:35:53.03\00:35:55.60
would say that, as Paul is
summarizing chapters 1 and 2,
00:35:55.60\00:35:59.73
verse 22 is critical because I
believe he's including 2 groups
00:35:59.73\00:36:02.86
of people here.
00:36:02.86\00:36:04.06
Ok.
00:36:04.06\00:36:05.13
And I think that's
brought out in verse 23 also.
00:36:05.13\00:36:06.73
Even the righteousness,
the faithfulness of God, the
00:36:06.73\00:36:10.93
covenant faithfulness of God
which is by the faith of Jesus
00:36:10.93\00:36:13.90
Christ unto all, everyone, and
upon all them that believe, for
00:36:13.90\00:36:19.93
there is no difference.
00:36:19.93\00:36:21.26
In other words, all of
us are in the same boat.
00:36:21.26\00:36:23.86
Jews and Gentiles, we've
all come short of God's glory.
00:36:23.86\00:36:26.60
None of us are seeking after
God, so Christ has been faithful
00:36:26.60\00:36:29.93
to all and those that believe.
00:36:29.93\00:36:34.20
In other words, you see here
that he has, the faith of Jesus
00:36:34.20\00:36:37.63
has come unto all,
otherwise none would exist.
00:36:37.63\00:36:40.13
None would breathe.
00:36:40.13\00:36:41.00
None would be alive.
00:36:41.00\00:36:42.13
And upon them that believe,
for there is no difference
00:36:42.13\00:36:44.40
between....
00:36:44.40\00:36:45.23
Yeah, I got no
problem with that.
00:36:45.23\00:36:47.96
Ok, so all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God being
00:36:47.96\00:36:49.76
justified freely by the grace,
through the redemption that is
00:36:49.76\00:36:52.33
in Christ Jesus.
00:36:52.33\00:36:53.10
That is in Christ Jesus.
00:36:53.10\00:36:54.80
It's not in us.
00:36:54.80\00:36:55.90
It's not in our faithfulness.
00:36:55.90\00:36:57.13
It's in His faithfulness.
00:36:57.13\00:36:58.23
Yeah.
00:36:58.23\00:36:59.43
The promises, the relationship
that God had with Abraham,
00:36:59.43\00:37:02.03
because all of this
goes back to Abraham.
00:37:02.03\00:37:04.13
Not all of it.
00:37:04.13\00:37:05.36
Some of it goes back to Adam
even of course before that, but
00:37:05.36\00:37:08.13
Abraham is this central figure
in the New Testament, in fact
00:37:08.13\00:37:10.10
when you were just reading in
Luke 1, one of the things that
00:37:10.10\00:37:12.33
it says is to perform
the covenant that He swore to
00:37:12.33\00:37:13.96
Abraham.
00:37:13.96\00:37:15.30
We have to disabuse our mind of
the idea that the covenant that
00:37:15.30\00:37:19.76
God made with Abraham was
primarily Abraham's promises to
00:37:19.76\00:37:24.26
God.
00:37:24.26\00:37:25.86
Oh, God if you lead there, I
will, and if you lead, then I
00:37:25.86\00:37:28.13
will do, and I will...the
locus, the primary point of the
00:37:28.13\00:37:32.30
covenant that God had with
Abraham was God's promises to
00:37:32.30\00:37:35.20
Abraham and Abraham's
response of believing it.
00:37:35.20\00:37:39.00
Yeah.
00:37:39.00\00:37:40.36
I believe that you
will give me the land.
00:37:40.36\00:37:41.73
I believe that you
will give me descendants.
00:37:41.73\00:37:43.03
I believe that you
will give me the Messiah.
00:37:43.03\00:37:44.56
And that's where the Old
Covenant came in as a type with
00:37:44.56\00:37:48.23
Hagar because up until that
point of belief, Abraham was
00:37:48.23\00:37:52.90
still dependant on himself,
so when he goes off with Hagar,
00:37:52.90\00:37:55.63
that's still not fully
believing what God has promised.
00:37:55.63\00:37:58.16
And to take it a step further,
Paul in Galatians, he actually
00:37:58.16\00:38:01.36
uses that relationship that
Abraham had with Hagar as the
00:38:01.36\00:38:04.70
type, the example
of trusting to self.
00:38:04.70\00:38:08.73
Old covenant.
00:38:08.73\00:38:09.83
Trusting to me.
00:38:09.83\00:38:11.50
My flesh.
00:38:11.50\00:38:12.63
Is that what the whole
circumcision thing was about as
00:38:12.63\00:38:14.30
well?
00:38:14.30\00:38:15.00
Of course.
00:38:15.00\00:38:15.63
Trusting in flesh.
00:38:15.63\00:38:16.90
Because he was trying to fulfill
god's promise to send a son, to
00:38:16.90\00:38:19.50
give him a heir,
through his own power.
00:38:19.50\00:38:22.66
Through his own genealogy.
00:38:22.66\00:38:23.96
Through his own means.
00:38:23.96\00:38:25.10
You know what's
really interesting?
00:38:25.10\00:38:26.16
Paul picks this up in
the next chapter in Romans.
00:38:26.16\00:38:29.16
Now just listen to
these two verses right here.
00:38:29.16\00:38:31.06
Of course, of course.
00:38:31.06\00:38:31.80
Right here he's talking about...
00:38:31.80\00:38:33.00
We need to do a
whole Table Talk on Romans.
00:38:33.00\00:38:34.40
No, I'm serious.
00:38:34.40\00:38:35.40
Chapter 1 is the first session.
00:38:35.40\00:38:37.26
We just need to go through it.
00:38:37.26\00:38:38.86
Look at these two verses.
00:38:38.86\00:38:40.66
In Romans chapter
4 verses 19 and 20.
00:38:40.66\00:38:45.10
He says, and this is right
in the midst of the story here.
00:38:45.10\00:38:47.93
I'll pick it up in verse 18, who
against hope believed in hope
00:38:47.93\00:38:50.60
that he might become the father
of many nations according to
00:38:50.60\00:38:53.50
that which was spoken, so shall
thy seed be, and being not weak
00:38:53.50\00:38:57.76
in faith, this is talking
about Abraham, being not weak in
00:38:57.76\00:39:00.70
faith, he considered not his own
body now dead, when he was about
00:39:00.70\00:39:05.36
100 years old, neither yet
the deadness of Sarah's womb.
00:39:05.36\00:39:08.16
He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief but was
00:39:08.16\00:39:12.13
strong in faith giving glory to
God being fully persuaded, verse
00:39:12.13\00:39:16.13
21, that what he had promised He
also would be able to perform.
00:39:16.13\00:39:20.43
That's the point.
00:39:20.43\00:39:21.96
Isn't that beautiful?
00:39:21.96\00:39:23.13
Other than the little hiccup
with Hagar, Abraham is the
00:39:23.13\00:39:25.90
blazing, incandescent example in
the New Testament of believing
00:39:25.90\00:39:30.80
the promises of God.
00:39:30.80\00:39:32.93
Can you say that one more time?
00:39:32.93\00:39:34.96
I love that.
00:39:34.96\00:39:35.73
Ok.
00:39:35.73\00:39:36.96
Other than the trip up with
Hagar, Abraham is the blazing,
00:39:36.96\00:39:38.16
incandescent example in the
New Testament of believing the
00:39:38.16\00:39:42.83
promises of God.
00:39:42.83\00:39:44.56
Has anyone ever told you
you have a way with words?
00:39:44.56\00:39:46.13
[laughter]
00:39:46.13\00:39:47.10
The blazing, incandescent...
00:39:47.10\00:39:48.26
Example.
00:39:48.26\00:39:49.63
Woo!
00:39:49.63\00:39:50.60
We need a couple
dictionaries on the table.
00:39:50.60\00:39:52.23
We actually need a break, is
what we need, so uh, we'll just
00:39:52.23\00:39:54.80
take a break and come back and
continue pursuing the subject in
00:39:54.80\00:39:57.46
our final segment.
00:39:57.46\00:39:59.26
Awesome.
00:39:59.26\00:40:00.76
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00:40:01.50\00:40:06.90
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00:40:06.90\00:40:11.03
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[Music]
00:40:52.10\00:40:58.00
We've been dropping some
pretty awesome stuff about the
00:40:58.00\00:41:00.40
faithfulness of God, and I think
one of the major distinctions
00:41:00.40\00:41:04.16
that was made in the last
conversation here was, faith in
00:41:04.16\00:41:07.46
Jesus or faith of
Jesus, and that's a dynamic.
00:41:07.46\00:41:12.90
That's a switch in dynamic
because the emphasis is on God's
00:41:12.90\00:41:17.10
covenant faithfulness, but
there's a thing here that I was
00:41:17.10\00:41:20.46
waiting to jump in and you guys
were so on fire that I didn't
00:41:20.46\00:41:23.86
want to interrupt the chemistry
here, but in Mark chapter 1,
00:41:23.86\00:41:27.16
there's another dynamic to this
and that is the fact that all of
00:41:27.16\00:41:35.06
this amazing stuff, we're not
simply asked to believe these
00:41:35.06\00:41:39.50
things without sufficient
reason to take it seriously.
00:41:39.50\00:41:43.43
I mean, let's be honest, there's
different world religions.
00:41:43.43\00:41:46.13
there's different worldviews.
00:41:46.13\00:41:47.73
There's a lot of things.
00:41:47.73\00:41:49.30
There's a lot of claims to
truth, but the beautiful thing
00:41:49.30\00:41:53.36
about the Christian
message in my conviction.
00:41:53.36\00:41:56.00
The Biblical message.
00:41:56.00\00:41:57.50
The Biblical message is God,
as I said earlier, put His money
00:41:57.50\00:42:01.73
where His mouth is.
00:42:01.73\00:42:03.10
He actually has acted on His
promises, but in Mark 1 there's
00:42:03.10\00:42:07.86
this bridge.
00:42:07.86\00:42:09.43
there's this breaking of
the silence between all of those
00:42:09.43\00:42:11.90
promises in the Old Testament,
and this is basically the first
00:42:11.90\00:42:14.63
time Jesus quote
unquote opens his mouth, yeah?
00:42:14.63\00:42:18.26
All this preparation in Mark
1, it says in verse 14, John is
00:42:18.26\00:42:24.20
thrown in prison, ok?
00:42:24.20\00:42:25.46
And Jesus comes to Galilee and
He's preaching the Gospel of the
00:42:25.46\00:42:31.86
kingdom of God, and this is His,
this is His choice for His first
00:42:31.86\00:42:36.90
sermon.
00:42:36.90\00:42:37.86
Verse 14.
00:42:37.86\00:42:38.66
And He says, the
time is fulfilled.
00:42:38.66\00:42:42.46
I want to emphasize that.
00:42:42.46\00:42:44.23
The time is fulfilled and
the kingdom of God is at hand.
00:42:44.23\00:42:47.26
Repent and
believe in the Gospel.
00:42:47.26\00:42:49.86
We keep talking about believing
in the faithfulness of God, so
00:42:49.86\00:42:53.86
the first sermon Jesus preaches
is calling our attention to the
00:42:53.86\00:42:58.36
fulfillment of a time, and in
a previous conversation we were
00:42:58.36\00:43:02.33
breaking down Daniel chapter 9,
and how, I remember Ty lit up in
00:43:02.33\00:43:07.93
Daniel chapter 9 when we
were talking about the coming
00:43:07.93\00:43:10.66
Messiah, and we were given a
specific segment of time where
00:43:10.66\00:43:16.83
the Messiah would come.
00:43:16.83\00:43:18.16
And so here, Jesus right on time
shows up and the first thing out
00:43:18.16\00:43:24.90
of His mouth is,
the time is fulfilled.
00:43:24.90\00:43:27.10
Why, the reason I'm so
excited about that is this.
00:43:27.10\00:43:30.03
I interact with a lot of people,
and you guys all do, you're on a
00:43:30.03\00:43:34.40
plane, you're in the airport,
you're, wherever you are, you're
00:43:34.40\00:43:37.00
interacting, rubbing shoulders
with people, many of which, do
00:43:37.00\00:43:40.33
not share our excitement about
the Bible and the Word of God.
00:43:40.33\00:43:46.30
There's a lot of skeptics
who question the validity of the
00:43:46.30\00:43:49.40
Bible, and I always like to
remind people that God does not
00:43:49.40\00:43:54.13
expect us to put our
brains in the, on the bookshelf.
00:43:54.13\00:43:56.36
In other words, you can
still use your brain and still
00:43:56.36\00:44:01.56
believe.
00:44:01.56\00:44:03.23
These are not fables.
00:44:03.23\00:44:04.53
These are not cute
children's stories.
00:44:04.53\00:44:06.83
These things are actually real.
00:44:06.83\00:44:08.76
There are reasons to believe
in our faith, so all of these
00:44:08.76\00:44:10.70
promises that God has made, when
they're fulfilled, it's God's
00:44:10.70\00:44:14.66
way of saying, I'm not
asking you to believe some
00:44:14.66\00:44:17.46
philosophical
proposition merely.
00:44:17.46\00:44:19.73
I'm asking you to believe.
00:44:19.73\00:44:22.43
I'm inviting you to believe and
to have confidence in the fact
00:44:22.43\00:44:26.96
that I don't just say things.
00:44:26.96\00:44:28.53
I'm stepping into time and space
and you will be able to see the
00:44:28.53\00:44:32.40
fulfillment of my promises.
00:44:32.40\00:44:35.90
There's evidence behind this.
00:44:35.90\00:44:37.60
There's evidence behind it.
00:44:37.60\00:44:38.76
Yeah.
00:44:38.76\00:44:40.00
Jeffrey, you're talking about
the fact that we meet people
00:44:40.00\00:44:41.63
with all kinds of world views.
00:44:41.63\00:44:42.90
It's interesting that people do
reject the Bible oftentimes, but
00:44:42.90\00:44:46.53
I think it's on a false premise
because the Bible is generally
00:44:46.53\00:44:51.23
perceived by people as an
ethical rulebook where God is
00:44:51.23\00:44:56.16
demanding something.
00:44:56.16\00:44:58.80
He's extracting.
00:44:58.80\00:45:00.33
He's requiring something, and,
excuse me, there are a lot of
00:45:00.33\00:45:04.10
rules there that He's imposing,
but the Bible isn't a book of
00:45:04.10\00:45:08.56
good moral advice.
00:45:08.56\00:45:10.90
It's a book of good news,
and there's a difference between
00:45:10.90\00:45:15.10
good advice and good news.
00:45:15.10\00:45:17.16
All the religious systems of
the world are claiming to offer
00:45:17.16\00:45:21.16
good, ethical, moral advice.
00:45:21.16\00:45:24.06
This is how you ought to live,
but the Bible is offering good
00:45:24.06\00:45:30.36
news.
00:45:30.36\00:45:31.56
It's telling us
something that God has done.
00:45:31.56\00:45:34.86
Something God is in His very
nature and character, and has
00:45:34.86\00:45:39.33
done for us in Himself.
00:45:39.33\00:45:42.60
That's the essence of
the good news of the gospel.
00:45:42.60\00:45:47.23
We're in Mark chapter 1.
00:45:47.23\00:45:48.46
We were in Romans, if you don't
mind just back in Romans, we
00:45:48.46\00:45:52.40
went straight to chapter 3, but
what about chapter 1 where Paul
00:45:52.40\00:45:54.96
says I'm not ashamed of the
Gospel of Christ in verse 16,
00:45:54.96\00:45:59.60
for it's the power of God unto
salvation, but check out verse
00:45:59.60\00:46:05.86
17.
00:46:05.86\00:46:07.43
In it.
00:46:07.43\00:46:08.43
In what?
00:46:08.43\00:46:09.56
The good news, the gospel,
the righteousness of God is
00:46:09.56\00:46:13.73
revealed.
00:46:13.73\00:46:14.96
That's the whole point.
00:46:14.96\00:46:16.10
We're interpreting, and
rightly so, righteousness, the
00:46:16.10\00:46:19.43
righteousness of the New
Testament, the righteousness of
00:46:19.43\00:46:21.93
God, as the
covenant faithfulness of God.
00:46:21.93\00:46:24.86
God following through to keep
all of His covenant promises, so
00:46:24.86\00:46:28.03
Paul explicitly says, I'm not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
00:46:28.03\00:46:31.86
It's the power of God
unto salvation to everyone who
00:46:31.86\00:46:35.40
believes, for in it, in
the gospel, God's covenant
00:46:35.40\00:46:39.06
faithfulness is revealed, and
that revelation in Christ is the
00:46:39.06\00:46:44.23
stimulus that arouses our
faith to action toward Him.
00:46:44.23\00:46:50.10
Now, I'm digging all that, but
it's in that that we find this
00:46:50.10\00:46:53.80
beautiful, ethical view of life.
00:46:53.80\00:46:58.16
that's the stimulus.
00:46:58.16\00:47:00.33
It flows from that.
00:47:00.33\00:47:01.60
That's the part where I'm saying
it stimulates response, so yeah,
00:47:01.60\00:47:03.40
there, the Bible does
convey a very high moral ideal.
00:47:03.40\00:47:08.70
Love.
00:47:08.70\00:47:09.56
Love is the ideal.
00:47:09.56\00:47:10.76
Love for God.
00:47:10.76\00:47:11.73
Love for man.
00:47:11.73\00:47:12.96
Yeah, but it's not conveying
that ideal as something that's
00:47:12.96\00:47:16.56
put on human beings as the
onus of responsibility's on you
00:47:16.56\00:47:20.90
because you need to get it done.
00:47:20.90\00:47:23.70
The white knuckle thing again.
00:47:23.70\00:47:24.70
You can't get it
done, hence the Messiah.
00:47:24.70\00:47:27.76
Hence the savior.
00:47:27.76\00:47:28.86
I got two thing
I wanna say here.
00:47:28.86\00:47:30.56
Part of the reason, Ty,
that that misunderstanding and
00:47:30.56\00:47:33.46
misapprehension of scripture
exists in much of popular
00:47:33.46\00:47:37.00
culture is that the church
has failed in that regard.
00:47:37.00\00:47:39.30
In other words, we have to, it's
very easy to keep the mirror on
00:47:39.30\00:47:42.66
the world.
00:47:42.66\00:47:43.96
Look at yourselves.
00:47:43.96\00:47:45.23
You misunderstand, but at some
point we have to turn and, oooh.
00:47:45.23\00:47:47.96
In other words, if people have
a misunderstanding of the Bible,
00:47:47.96\00:47:52.30
of scripture, and of the
Christian message, let it be
00:47:52.30\00:47:53.86
because, we have to own the fact
that at some level it's because
00:47:53.86\00:47:55.63
much "Christianity" is not
Biblical truth, let's be honest.
00:47:55.63\00:48:01.96
"Christianity" is not Biblical.
00:48:01.96\00:48:04.56
This is how deep
the misconceptions go.
00:48:04.56\00:48:07.70
As we pointed out a few moments
ago, even the Bible translations
00:48:07.70\00:48:12.93
that we have, the very way we
translate the scriptures misses
00:48:12.93\00:48:18.33
the intent of the gospel often.
00:48:18.33\00:48:20.86
Not always, and not every
translation, but it tends to put
00:48:20.86\00:48:25.23
the onus of responsibility of
the human being to do something
00:48:25.23\00:48:29.50
in order to
initiate response from God.
00:48:29.50\00:48:33.46
It's the opposite.
00:48:33.46\00:48:34.83
Yeah, but it's the opposite.
00:48:34.83\00:48:36.60
God's initiating it.
00:48:36.60\00:48:37.43
God's taking the initiative.
00:48:37.43\00:48:38.33
And it's there too, right?
00:48:38.33\00:48:39.40
He's the pursuer.
00:48:39.40\00:48:40.53
It's also there in the
text I just read, in Mark 1:15.
00:48:40.53\00:48:42.46
The time is fulfilled.
00:48:42.46\00:48:43.66
The kingdom of God is at
hand, but then comes repent and
00:48:43.66\00:48:46.83
believe in the gospel.
00:48:46.83\00:48:49.53
But even the word repent here is
not so much focused on the idea
00:48:49.53\00:48:55.80
repent, that is,
change your behavior.
00:48:55.80\00:48:58.53
Rectify yourself
ethically, morally.
00:48:58.53\00:49:00.90
The word here repent means
actually, change your way of
00:49:00.90\00:49:05.43
thinking, your entire paradigm,
your way of perceiving reality,
00:49:05.43\00:49:10.53
God and your
relationship to God.
00:49:10.53\00:49:12.03
Change on the inside.
00:49:12.03\00:49:14.83
Ty and I just
talked about this recently.
00:49:14.83\00:49:16.66
We were doing another set of
commentaries, and the word here
00:49:16.66\00:49:18.63
for repent here in the New
Testament is most often the word
00:49:18.63\00:49:20.86
metanoia.
00:49:20.86\00:49:22.23
Metanoia, which sounds
like the word paranoia, right?
00:49:22.23\00:49:24.73
And it comes from nous, which is
mind, and meta, in this context,
00:49:24.73\00:49:30.00
it means forth or afterward.
00:49:30.00\00:49:31.66
So the word literally mean, the
word repent, it means to think
00:49:31.66\00:49:35.40
differently from
this point forward.
00:49:35.40\00:49:36.76
So Jesus says, the
time is fulfilled...
00:49:36.76\00:49:38.86
Turn and do a 180.
00:49:38.86\00:49:40.96
...start thinking differently
because the kingdom of God is at
00:49:40.96\00:49:42.83
hand and believe the gospel.
00:49:42.83\00:49:44.13
And it's also because until
you do that you can't believe
00:49:44.13\00:49:47.60
because it's repent and believe
in the gospel, so there seems to
00:49:47.60\00:49:51.23
be a sequence there.
00:49:51.23\00:49:52.90
Now there's something I
just don't want to lose.
00:49:52.90\00:49:54.83
It goes back to something you
said, Jeffery, earlier, and it's
00:49:54.83\00:49:57.50
gonna, maybe we can hopefully
loop back to this conversation
00:49:57.50\00:50:00.00
about the covenant faithfulness
of God in Christ, but that is
00:50:00.00\00:50:02.63
that, you talk about God putting
His money where His mouth is.
00:50:02.63\00:50:05.63
I resonate so deeply with that
because James is a thinker, I'm
00:50:05.63\00:50:09.50
a thinker, Ty is a thinker,
you're a thinker, and many
00:50:09.50\00:50:11.66
people outside who look sort
of askance or with, you know,
00:50:11.66\00:50:18.00
suspicious eyes at Christianity
think that it's just pie in the
00:50:18.00\00:50:20.86
sky, fairytales,
Santa Clause, etcetera.
00:50:20.86\00:50:23.46
However, you know and I
know that there is fantastic
00:50:23.46\00:50:27.06
historical evidence, historical
data that corroborates the basic
00:50:27.06\00:50:32.36
picture of Jesus in the New
Testament, including but not
00:50:32.36\00:50:36.20
limited to extra Biblical
confirmations of a man named
00:50:36.20\00:50:38.96
Jesus who lived at about this
time, who did these things, who
00:50:38.96\00:50:41.16
suffered this death under these
circumstances, so this is not
00:50:41.16\00:50:44.30
just somebody said, hey let's
follow and they invent some
00:50:44.30\00:50:46.86
creature or man and they say he
did this, this, this, and this.
00:50:46.86\00:50:49.53
The Christian faith is an
historical faith and as such,
00:50:49.53\00:50:53.76
it's a risky
faith, in this sense.
00:50:53.76\00:50:55.93
Christianity has essentially put
its neck on the chopping block
00:50:55.93\00:51:01.93
by making certain historical
claims about Jesus, about the
00:51:01.93\00:51:04.13
nature of His resurrection,
about the nature of the times in
00:51:04.13\00:51:06.83
which He lived, and if the Bible
and the New Testament could be
00:51:06.83\00:51:10.63
shown to be historically
inaccurate or historically
00:51:10.63\00:51:12.96
manufactured, then the truth of
Christianity fails based on the
00:51:12.96\00:51:19.36
lack of historical
truth of Christianity.
00:51:19.36\00:51:21.70
All this covenant talk is
just a bunch of mumbo jumbo.
00:51:21.70\00:51:24.56
That's right.
00:51:24.56\00:51:25.83
Because if these things were not
historically true, because the
00:51:25.83\00:51:29.36
theology is growing
out of the historical.
00:51:29.36\00:51:31.90
That's the point.
00:51:31.90\00:51:34.40
That's my point.
00:51:34.40\00:51:35.66
Did God deliver the children of
Israel out of Egyptian bondage?
00:51:35.66\00:51:37.53
Did God actually
appear to Abraham?
00:51:37.53\00:51:40.63
Did God?
00:51:40.63\00:51:41.60
Did God?
00:51:41.60\00:51:42.33
Did God?
00:51:42.33\00:51:43.60
If He didn't, the covenant
is based on those actual events.
00:51:43.60\00:51:48.56
That's the whole
point That's powerful.
00:51:48.56\00:51:50.96
Paul's point in 1 Corinthians
15 is that if Christ didn't
00:51:50.96\00:51:53.80
literally rise from the
dead, our faith is empty.
00:51:53.80\00:51:56.80
It's a joke.
00:51:56.80\00:51:57.96
It's a faith in what?
00:51:57.96\00:51:59.10
In nothing.
00:51:59.10\00:52:00.40
In a really nice figure that
we've manufactured, so now even
00:52:00.40\00:52:01.76
for our skeptical friends, I'm
really interested what you think
00:52:01.76\00:52:05.60
about this, Ty, all
of us, but especially Ty.
00:52:05.60\00:52:07.40
Even for our skeptical friends,
I would hope that even if they
00:52:07.40\00:52:13.33
said I don't believe the Bible.
00:52:13.33\00:52:14.60
I don't believe in God, and I
don't accept it, they should be
00:52:14.60\00:52:17.13
able to say in their very next
breath, but man it's a beautiful
00:52:17.13\00:52:20.50
story.
00:52:20.50\00:52:21.86
That's right.
00:52:21.86\00:52:23.03
Yeah.
00:52:23.03\00:52:24.30
If they can't appreciate it
as truth and as the Word of God,
00:52:24.30\00:52:28.20
let our preaching be such
that they can appreciate it
00:52:28.20\00:52:30.66
aesthetically.
00:52:30.66\00:52:32.46
That's a great story.
00:52:32.46\00:52:34.00
So that they would
want to believe it.
00:52:34.00\00:52:35.53
That's the point.
00:52:35.53\00:52:36.66
Because at some point, you
and I know, the hard headed,
00:52:36.66\00:52:39.06
intellectual [punching sounds]
00:52:39.06\00:52:41.00
, and that works, and there's a
place for that, but if the story
00:52:41.00\00:52:44.60
is not attractive and beautiful
and if it's not deeply resonant
00:52:44.60\00:52:48.36
with the human condition...
00:52:48.36\00:52:50.63
Didn't you drop that from
Psalms, to behold the beauty of
00:52:50.63\00:52:54.00
the Lord.
00:52:54.00\00:52:55.23
But so much Christian preaching
does not make God beautiful.
00:52:55.23\00:52:57.50
I mean, we have to own that.
00:52:57.50\00:53:00.10
We have to own that
much of our preaching...
00:53:00.10\00:53:04.13
It hints at it, at a mental
level, at an intellectual level,
00:53:04.13\00:53:06.00
at a rational level, and
completely reframe the way we're
00:53:06.00\00:53:10.43
representing the character of
God from the get go, right from
00:53:10.43\00:53:13.36
the beginning, God needs to be
rightly represented, and if He's
00:53:13.36\00:53:17.36
rightly represented, He is
attractive in and of Himself.
00:53:17.36\00:53:21.40
We don't need to paint Him up.
00:53:21.40\00:53:22.70
We don't need to do
anything to help Him out.
00:53:22.70\00:53:23.93
We simply need to convey God
for who God really is, and He is
00:53:23.93\00:53:27.30
beautiful in the extreme.
00:53:27.30\00:53:29.23
It's the Lewis thing.
00:53:29.23\00:53:30.16
You go ahead.
00:53:30.16\00:53:30.60
You go ahead.
00:53:30.60\00:53:31.16
I won't lose my thing.
00:53:31.16\00:53:32.43
I was just thinking on what you
were saying, we have to own it.
00:53:32.43\00:53:33.96
It's the church's fault.
00:53:33.96\00:53:34.76
We need to repent.
00:53:34.76\00:53:35.93
Isn't that the great bulk
of what Jesus is doing in the
00:53:35.93\00:53:40.90
gospels?
00:53:40.90\00:53:42.03
When you look at Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus is
00:53:42.03\00:53:45.03
constantly boom, boom,
boom, boom with the religious
00:53:45.03\00:53:47.40
establishment of His day.
00:53:47.40\00:53:49.03
Jesus becomes the greatest,
outspoken critic of mainstream,
00:53:49.03\00:53:53.90
popular religious misconception,
so Jesus is always confronting
00:53:53.90\00:54:00.36
the scribes, the Pharisees, the
lawyers of the law and all of
00:54:00.36\00:54:02.96
this, and His message is, uh,
no, that's not what God is like.
00:54:02.96\00:54:09.16
God is like this.
00:54:09.16\00:54:10.73
So, it's powerful because that's
exactly, that's on the agenda.
00:54:10.73\00:54:13.80
God is like Jesus.
00:54:13.80\00:54:15.03
And going to the next level,
it's not just, that's not what
00:54:15.03\00:54:16.83
God is like and that's not what
the kingdom of God is like, it's
00:54:16.83\00:54:18.73
also, that's not
what the Bible's about.
00:54:18.73\00:54:20.36
The Bible
doesn't even teach that.
00:54:20.36\00:54:21.70
Yeah, yeah!
00:54:21.70\00:54:22.76
You don't understand the
scriptures, He would say.
00:54:22.76\00:54:24.13
You search the scriptures,
and in them you think you have
00:54:24.13\00:54:26.13
eternal life, but
you missed the story.
00:54:26.13\00:54:27.63
You read the words
and missed the story.
00:54:27.63\00:54:29.10
How's that possible?
00:54:29.10\00:54:30.36
Yeah, yeah.
00:54:30.36\00:54:31.50
These are they
which testify of Me.
00:54:31.50\00:54:33.50
You read the words
and you miss the story.
00:54:33.50\00:54:35.06
And then you said something
earlier that I just had to throw
00:54:35.06\00:54:37.20
out, you know that great Lewis
quote where he talks about how
00:54:37.20\00:54:39.56
does the Bible
need to be defended?
00:54:39.56\00:54:41.16
He said in the same way
that a caged lion is defended.
00:54:41.16\00:54:43.13
Just let it out.
00:54:43.13\00:54:44.56
[laughter]
00:54:44.56\00:54:46.36
How do we make God beautiful?
00:54:46.36\00:54:48.60
By just exposing
people to who He is.
00:54:48.60\00:54:51.10
We don't have to dress it up.
00:54:51.10\00:54:53.56
This idea, and this would be
a good place to land this plane,
00:54:53.56\00:54:57.20
is that Jesus actually
was foretold in all the Old
00:54:57.20\00:55:03.36
Testament prophecies.
00:55:03.36\00:55:04.60
In the New Testament is the
end to which all of that was
00:55:04.60\00:55:07.36
pointing.
00:55:07.36\00:55:08.60
This is a text in chapter 10
of Romans verse 4 that is often
00:55:08.60\00:55:12.16
misunderstood.
00:55:12.16\00:55:13.40
It says, Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to
00:55:13.40\00:55:16.40
everyone who believes, and
sometimes this is interpreted to
00:55:16.40\00:55:19.90
mean that the moral law of God,
that the 10 commandments is done
00:55:19.90\00:55:22.60
away with in Christ, but really
what's being described here, the
00:55:22.60\00:55:26.53
Greek word for end is telos,
like telescope, and the idea
00:55:26.53\00:55:31.60
here, like a slinky for example,
here's the Old Testament
00:55:31.60\00:55:36.66
scriptures...
00:55:36.66\00:55:37.53
Oh, he's working' the slinky.
00:55:37.53\00:55:39.06
I knew it'd
come in a some point.
00:55:39.06\00:55:41.60
The Old Testament scriptures
are moving forward, and the New
00:55:41.60\00:55:44.26
Testament is the
telos, Jesus is the telos.
00:55:44.26\00:55:48.40
He is the fulfillment of
everything that was foretold in
00:55:48.40\00:55:53.23
the Old Testament.
00:55:53.23\00:55:54.83
In other words, He's the end
in the sense that He's the...
00:55:54.83\00:55:58.00
Goal.
00:55:58.00\00:55:58.83
Goal.
00:55:58.83\00:55:59.80
Not the end in the
sense of the termination.
00:55:59.80\00:56:01.50
Not the termination, but
the goal of all of scripture is
00:56:01.50\00:56:04.83
Jesus Christ.
00:56:04.83\00:56:06.86
That's the point.
00:56:06.86\00:56:08.43
He is the, so you would render
that, you could translate that,
00:56:08.43\00:56:11.86
Christ is the goal of the law
of righteousness to everyone who
00:56:11.86\00:56:15.53
believes.
00:56:15.53\00:56:16.63
And law there is the
entire corpus of Old Testament
00:56:16.63\00:56:18.53
scripture.
00:56:18.53\00:56:19.83
And righteousness there
is covenant faithfulness.
00:56:19.83\00:56:21.90
His is the one by, Christ is the
one that shows us what covenant
00:56:21.90\00:56:25.66
faithfulness looks like.
00:56:25.66\00:56:26.83
Believe it.
00:56:26.83\00:56:27.53
That's what He said.
00:56:27.53\00:56:28.80
And that's good
news, by the way.
00:56:28.80\00:56:30.50
It's not good advice, it's good
news that stimulates response.
00:56:30.50\00:56:34.23
I love the distinction.
00:56:34.23\00:56:35.16
I love that distinction.
00:56:35.16\00:56:36.80
Let me just sort of speak
to this from my own story here.
00:56:36.80\00:56:40.03
We've talked in the past about
sort of our own maturation in
00:56:40.03\00:56:42.83
reading and our
maturation in faith.
00:56:42.83\00:56:44.33
Most people I think, and I may
be incorrect in this, but most
00:56:44.33\00:56:47.80
people that I've encountered
when they come into faith in
00:56:47.80\00:56:50.33
Christ, especially when you've
come from way out in, which you,
00:56:50.33\00:56:53.63
you, all of us
did at this table.
00:56:53.63\00:56:55.90
The temptation is to
swing toward the ethical, moral,
00:56:55.90\00:57:01.46
elements of the
Bible. We want concrete.
00:57:01.46\00:57:03.46
I'm gonna do this.
I'm not gonna do this.
00:57:03.46\00:57:05.46
I stopped doing
this. I gave up this.
00:57:05.46\00:57:06.80
I did and, ch, ch, ch...and
there's nothing wrong with that.
00:57:06.80\00:57:09.16
It's probably a necessary
corrective if you came out of
00:57:09.16\00:57:12.23
the world like we did, but
at some point in our development
00:57:12.23\00:57:16.80
and in the development of our
listeners, it has to move beyond
00:57:16.80\00:57:19.63
that.
00:57:19.63\00:57:20.73
It can't just be a
series of moral exhortations and
00:57:20.73\00:57:23.13
standards.
00:57:23.13\00:57:24.46
It swings to a
confidence in Christ.
00:57:24.46\00:57:28.73
That doesn't diminish the
ethical, but it contextualizes
00:57:28.73\00:57:32.96
why and who and
the attractiveness.
00:57:32.96\00:57:36.03
It brings a balance and frankly
it brings a Biblical grounding
00:57:36.03\00:57:39.90
to the story that's
not just rooted in lists.
00:57:39.90\00:57:42.13
I think it's a difference,
David, between saying that
00:57:42.13\00:57:44.83
obedience to
God's law is necessary.
00:57:44.83\00:57:48.86
Obedience to God's law
is inevitable in the right
00:57:48.86\00:57:54.80
framework and in the right...
00:57:54.80\00:57:56.50
And a privilege.
00:57:56.50\00:57:57.63
And a privilege, in the
framework of the faithfulness of
00:57:57.63\00:57:59.56
Christ.
00:57:59.56\00:58:00.86
You got me with
the word inevitable.
00:58:00.86\00:58:01.33
You got me.
00:58:01.33\00:58:02.16
I wanted to
argue, but you got me.
00:58:02.16\00:58:03.53
This has been a
really great discussion.
00:58:03.53\00:58:06.10
I've enjoyed it thoroughly, and
the bottom-line takeaway is that
00:58:06.10\00:58:10.50
the whole Bible is about God
making promises and then keeping
00:58:10.50\00:58:15.13
those promises in the
person of Jesus Christ.
00:58:15.13\00:58:18.10
Amen.
00:58:18.10\00:58:18.90
That's the bottom line.
00:58:18.90\00:58:20.70
Let's believe them.
00:58:20.70\00:58:22.80
[Music]
00:58:23.46\00:58:26.13
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