1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,440 We're going to pick up on our sermon series from the beginning to the end. 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:16,160 The last time I was here we looked at anthropology arithmetic and we got that from Genesis chapter 3 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:17,160 2. 4 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:21,820 We basically covered all of Genesis chapter 2 in one sermon. 5 00:00:21,820 --> 00:00:24,080 We obviously didn't cover every detail. 6 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:31,280 There's more there to have dug into but we focused on the creation of man and woman and 7 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:40,960 what we learned with God's ideal, God's purpose, God's design when he created first Adam and 8 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:42,800 then Eve. 9 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:48,680 And putting it in the context of arithmetic we learned that God does work in objectives, 10 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,280 objective truths, things that are repeatable and it's one right after the other and it 11 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:57,440 doesn't end even if sometimes people think that they can rework that equation. 12 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:59,480 That equation is still steady today. 13 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:04,480 For example, God took the dirt and shaped the body of Adam and then he breathed into 14 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:10,240 that lifeless form the breath of life and then it became a living being. 15 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:17,000 So in other words the material world, dirt plus the breath of life equals a living being, 16 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:18,720 a human. 17 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:24,360 Then we looked at how God said for the first time in the creation account that it's not 18 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,160 good that man should be alone. 19 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:33,440 Up until then everything was good, good and very good but then Adam comes along and Adam 20 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:40,360 has a job to do and even before Adam starts to do that job naming the animals, God declares 21 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,640 it's not good that man should be alone. 22 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,720 So the equation was one plus zero equals zero, not good. 23 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:51,800 Man plus nobody else is not good. 24 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:56,640 In other words God created humans to be social creatures. 25 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:02,960 We need that social interaction, the communion, the conversations face to face and I'm glad 26 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,880 that we have technology where we can talk to people around the globe or in different 27 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:14,600 time zones or whatever interrupts us and keeps us from one another but it's not an exact 28 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:18,000 replacement for person to person interactions. 29 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:24,480 We're social creatures and so we should be invested in that, that hasn't changed. 30 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:31,200 And then we also looked at the creation of man and woman because Eve comes along at the 31 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:38,640 end of chapter two and Adam himself declared how joyful he was in all of this. 32 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:42,980 He said this is at last his bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. 33 00:02:42,980 --> 00:02:48,040 She shall be called woman because she was taken of man and then we have there the original 34 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:51,800 equation for the nuclear family. 35 00:02:51,800 --> 00:03:00,680 The base social unit if you will is man plus woman equals family. 36 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:06,820 God didn't intend everybody to always be single forever and it's good to have our marriages 37 00:03:06,820 --> 00:03:13,840 and it's good to have the offspring that comes from it and it's good that man and woman interact 38 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:17,640 and work together because we know that there are different strengths and weaknesses and 39 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:19,520 we need each other. 40 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:20,760 I can't do it all. 41 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:27,560 I'm glad God saw fit to send a woman my way who's a perfect compliment to me and I pray 42 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,440 that I am to her as well. 43 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:38,120 So we saw that with the anthropology discussion in Genesis chapter two and we drove home the 44 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:42,880 point that hasn't actually ended. 45 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:49,120 There have been attempts to disrupt it always to ill effects because when God sets something 46 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:54,760 in place and designs something with that purpose if you try to interrupt that purpose it doesn't 47 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,000 work out generally speaking. 48 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,200 I don't know many instances where it has. 49 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:07,640 Today we will pick up our journey through Genesis the first couple of chapters and we 50 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:16,720 will look at Genesis chapter three the first several verses before we do that though before 51 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:22,040 we dig into the word of God we're going to look at a couple of other words that were 52 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:29,760 spoken and written and are they might be well known to you they were semi new to me in preparation 53 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:37,520 for this but if you'll bear with me one more brief word of prayer and then we'll dig in 54 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:42,560 loving Heavenly Father we thank you for these inspired words of yours and so many millennia 55 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:48,800 ago but not having lost any effect for us today when I pray that as we open up your 56 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:54,640 word that we would eat and see that it is sweet to the taste that we would drink it 57 00:04:54,640 --> 00:05:00,840 deeply of these words of life that we would find you in it and your purpose for us as 58 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:07,400 we pray in your name amen amen. 59 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:17,960 In 1968 while the Vietnam War was going on presidential hopeful presidential candidate 60 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:27,560 Robert F. Kennedy had what has now become to some people he presented a speech to the 61 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:36,840 University of Kansas on March 18 1968 if you look up this speech some people listed among 62 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:43,960 some of the top speeches on leadership that we have on record and while he was doing his 63 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:49,280 usual thank yous and gratitudes and you can tell if you read the transcript he's making 64 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:55,560 some jokes along the way and and so on and so forth he gets into what is probably more 65 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,880 or less a stump speech for him because he was of course at that time a presidential 66 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:07,020 candidate so in typical stump speech fashion he's bemoaning the conditions of the nation 67 00:06:07,020 --> 00:06:11,920 or how the previous or current administration has been doing things and he's saying I can 68 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:17,920 do better he spends a great deal of time talking about the Vietnam War and how if he were in 69 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,640 charge he would run it differently and how leadership should be able to make those hard 70 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:27,480 decisions even if it's unpopular he was talking about the state of the cities and the crime 71 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:33,520 and the the family structure was breaking down and how how the the predominantly black 72 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:39,560 communities were finding themselves in hard times in the late 60s and if he were in charge 73 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:46,960 he could do better leadership could do better under his administration and then he get towards 74 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:54,760 the end of it and this quote rang out and for a presidential candidate it's a great 75 00:06:54,760 --> 00:07:05,280 quote it's a good quote it sends home the point that he's trying to make he says this 76 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:14,580 some people see things as they are and say why I dream things that never were and say 77 00:07:14,580 --> 00:07:22,320 why not have we heard that before if you have have you wondered what it meant in that context 78 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:29,400 or if you're hearing it now consider what it could mean well in the context of the nation 79 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:38,520 is not good as it is and I can do better that statement can simply be imagine imagine what 80 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:44,120 it would be like if it weren't the way that it is it's so rough it could be better we 81 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:50,200 can improve we can elevate ourselves we can change the course of the trajectory of our 82 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:57,200 nation as a people we can we need to stop just wondering and worrying over the status 83 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:04,800 quo and the present and what's going on and oh it's so frustrating but instead think big 84 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,680 and think into the future and think what we could change and doesn't that sound awesome 85 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:19,800 and imaginative and adventurous some people see things as they are and say why I dreamed 86 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:31,920 things that never were and say why not sounds good it does sound good presidential hopeful 87 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:40,960 Robert F Kennedy was quoting from the playwright George Bernard Shaw in that quote not an 88 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:48,920 exact quote not word for word but he got the essence of it word for word it's something 89 00:08:48,920 --> 00:09:01,960 more like this when you and Adam talk I hear you say why always why you see things and 90 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:14,360 you say why but I dream things that never were and I say why not in close pretty close 91 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:21,360 in the play back to Methuselah George Bernard Shaw though gave those words to the serpent 92 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:28,400 in the Garden of Eden leading up to it Adam and Eve are having their own conversation 93 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:32,480 as they walk through the garden and they're just kind of going back and forth and and 94 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:38,200 Eve is talking to him like he needs to he needs her help so that he can be taking better 95 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:42,880 care of himself and and he does things this way and she would do this and they're they're 96 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:50,880 having this conversation with each other but then the serpent whispers to Eve and it startles 97 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:56,920 her and the stirp the serpent says that I've been watching you I've been hiding I've been 98 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:03,440 listening to you and Eve recognizes that that was clever the serpent goes I'm the most subtle 99 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:10,000 of all the creatures of the field and she comments on how lovely the hood of the serpent 100 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:20,960 was the serpent says I adore you Eve Eve is obviously being taken in by the kind words 101 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:29,240 the adoration given to her by the serpent in the plane the snake says in answer to her 102 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:34,440 that she's a little startled that the snake can talk to her and now she's saying I might 103 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:40,960 never be alone if I have another companion to talk to the snake says I can talk of many 104 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:47,680 things I am very wise it was I who whispered the word to you that you did not know death 105 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:54,760 and she asks more about it and how it was an unhappy thought that she didn't completely 106 00:10:54,760 --> 00:11:01,080 understand and the serpent says death is not an unhappy thing when you've learned how to 107 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:11,920 conquer it starting to ring familiar to us Eve goes how can I conquer it the serpent 108 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:19,240 says by another thing called birth and she asked what is birth and the serpent says the 109 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:25,240 serpent never dies someday you shall see me come out of this beautiful skin a new skin 110 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:33,920 with a new and lovelier skin that is birth I've seen that Eve says it's wonderful and 111 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:42,000 then we get what we've just quoted if I can do that what can I not do the serpent says 112 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:48,160 I tell you I am very subtle when you and Adam talk I hear you say why always why you see 113 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:54,820 things and you say why but I dream things that never were and I say why not I made the 114 00:11:54,820 --> 00:12:02,600 word dead to describe my old skin that I cast when I am renewed I call that renewal being 115 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:12,800 born while it sounds great to a presidential candidate in its context from its source how 116 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:19,720 do we think of that quote now and what could it mean if we think of it in that context 117 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:27,440 because in essence that is what the serpent in the Garden of Eden essentially said if 118 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:33,580 you have your Bible still open to Genesis chapter 3 we'll look at it again beginning 119 00:12:33,580 --> 00:12:37,280 with verse 1 now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the 120 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:44,980 Lord God had made and he said to the woman did God in my version adds I like this did 121 00:12:44,980 --> 00:12:56,120 God actually say did God actually say what I'm about to quote you shall not eat of any 122 00:12:56,120 --> 00:13:04,240 tree in the garden hath God said did he actually say it are you sure you heard correctly or 123 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:13,760 for us down the road did you read correctly hath God said is it actually there that is 124 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:28,660 such a powerful question because out the gate it does one significant thing out the gate 125 00:13:28,660 --> 00:13:39,420 it causes doubt did God actually say it are you sure you got it correct what do we do 126 00:13:39,420 --> 00:13:46,380 with our doubt though have you ever had those moments where you read the word of God and 127 00:13:46,380 --> 00:13:51,080 you and you just wondered is this actually mean what it mean have you been confused as 128 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:57,020 you've studied the word of God and then maybe you read a commentary from someone else and 129 00:13:57,020 --> 00:14:03,820 they don't really line up I've come across a few where I read the plain writing of the 130 00:14:03,820 --> 00:14:09,380 Bible and then someone's comments on it and there is hundred and eighty degrees from each 131 00:14:09,380 --> 00:14:19,160 other as I could imagine or one says do and the other comment says don't very different 132 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:25,040 well in those moments what do you do what do you ask how do you respond did God actually 133 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:35,020 say it did he actually mean it there are I don't want to get into too much of it I can 134 00:14:35,020 --> 00:14:43,820 be on private conversation there are many conversations right now where members of the 135 00:14:43,820 --> 00:14:50,440 church are being told in one way or another in your own study you might read the Bible 136 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:57,540 this way but you don't actually know the Greek or the Hebrew and so allow the educated to 137 00:14:57,540 --> 00:15:05,740 tell you what it actually means and in our description the conclusion is not what you've 138 00:15:05,740 --> 00:15:14,260 read on your own there's quite a few topics on that going on currently even inside our 139 00:15:14,260 --> 00:15:22,940 own church not in competing denominations so what do you do well maybe you respond like 140 00:15:22,940 --> 00:15:28,020 Eve or Eve said to the serpent we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden but 141 00:15:28,020 --> 00:15:33,240 God said you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden 142 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:45,220 neither shall you touch it lest you die read back through the second chapter of Genesis 143 00:15:45,220 --> 00:15:53,260 and find don't touch it now you could make the point that God said don't eat of it and 144 00:15:53,260 --> 00:15:58,500 then some time passed and maybe in an unrecorded conversation God also warned don't go near 145 00:15:58,500 --> 00:16:08,580 it don't do this don't but God said don't eat it and Eve quoting God adds an element 146 00:16:08,580 --> 00:16:20,220 to it that we don't find in inspired writing not further the problem of doubt can that 147 00:16:20,220 --> 00:16:27,820 further us a little bit farther away from taking God as he says can that encourage us 148 00:16:27,820 --> 00:16:35,700 to play with the words of God and think that we can mold them and shape them and add to 149 00:16:35,700 --> 00:16:42,420 or remove from so that they align a little closer to what we perceive rather than what 150 00:16:42,420 --> 00:16:51,500 he says how many of us have been guilty of that at times I can raise my hand I can certainly 151 00:16:51,500 --> 00:16:58,820 raise my hand I have a very clear memory in my younger years where where I was trying 152 00:16:58,820 --> 00:17:04,060 to answer for something coming my way and I didn't like what was coming my way but I 153 00:17:04,060 --> 00:17:08,460 was going to prove them wrong and of course when you're trying to prove someone wrong 154 00:17:08,460 --> 00:17:14,220 in a Christian debate you get out the Bible and you go searching for what supports your 155 00:17:14,220 --> 00:17:22,500 side right you don't read it looking for the will of God if you're trying to win the conversation 156 00:17:22,500 --> 00:17:31,220 you read the Bible so you can come out on top I've done that more than once and in 157 00:17:31,220 --> 00:17:38,540 this very particular memory of mine I was certainly guilty of mishandling of misappropriating 158 00:17:38,540 --> 00:17:48,500 misinterpreting the will of God to my end when I wanted what I thought God wanted rather 159 00:17:48,500 --> 00:17:58,660 than what God actually wanted for me and it caused doubt and it hurt relationships and 160 00:17:58,660 --> 00:18:05,320 drove me farther apart. 161 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:15,700 This idea of asking the question and how George Bernard Shaw phrased it with the serpent I 162 00:18:15,700 --> 00:18:26,320 I dreamed things that never were and say why not I can I can picture that being implied 163 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:32,380 in Genesis chapter three because when the serpent gets back to it and he's saying no 164 00:18:32,380 --> 00:18:38,020 you will not surely die in verse four for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes 165 00:18:38,020 --> 00:18:45,860 will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil. 166 00:18:45,860 --> 00:18:53,380 God's holding you back God doesn't mean what he says God selfish and he's oppressive and 167 00:18:53,380 --> 00:19:01,260 he's restrictive and he wants to keep all of the good imaginations to himself and what 168 00:19:01,260 --> 00:19:06,900 he can do with the future and you're just kind of a pawn in all of it he's repressing 169 00:19:06,900 --> 00:19:17,940 you all of that is there all of that is insinuated with his statement with the snakes statement. 170 00:19:17,940 --> 00:19:26,100 One God flat lied to you you won't die and if the serpent is in the tree and the serpent 171 00:19:26,100 --> 00:19:33,140 is moving around through the forbidden tree and caressing the fruit that's on the tree 172 00:19:33,140 --> 00:19:41,260 touching it not dying talking that might have thrown Eve for a little bit of a surprise. 173 00:19:41,260 --> 00:19:47,140 A lot of these are suggestions that if I'm doing what God has said you shouldn't do look 174 00:19:47,140 --> 00:19:49,820 how much better I am for it. 175 00:19:49,820 --> 00:19:55,900 Why are you stuck in the here and now don't you want to question and doubt God and let 176 00:19:55,900 --> 00:20:02,300 your own imaginations lead you into the future isn't that a better form of progressivism 177 00:20:02,300 --> 00:20:11,560 than what God has just stuck you with. 178 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:16,300 God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God do 179 00:20:16,300 --> 00:20:18,620 we do this today. 180 00:20:18,620 --> 00:20:25,300 Do we read the word of God and say he didn't actually mean it. 181 00:20:25,300 --> 00:20:30,220 It's not true for us it might only be true for them. 182 00:20:30,220 --> 00:20:35,460 Does God still intend for things to be followed. 183 00:20:35,460 --> 00:20:39,740 There's an exhaustive list where people actually they do ask these questions and play this 184 00:20:39,740 --> 00:20:42,660 game and come up with those kinds of answers. 185 00:20:42,660 --> 00:20:48,380 One does God still mean for men to be men and women to be women and you can't swap back 186 00:20:48,380 --> 00:20:50,820 and forth. 187 00:20:50,820 --> 00:20:56,180 Yes but that question is being asked and answered on the other side. 188 00:20:56,180 --> 00:21:03,180 Does God still intend for us to come together and set aside a sanctified 24 hour period 189 00:21:03,180 --> 00:21:10,540 that he determined for worship and fellowship and and coming together in praise. 190 00:21:10,540 --> 00:21:18,300 Yes somewhere along the line someone said did God actually say that or in our imaginations 191 00:21:18,300 --> 00:21:20,900 can we make it better. 192 00:21:20,900 --> 00:21:23,620 Is he holding us back. 193 00:21:23,620 --> 00:21:29,780 Did God actually say that when you die your breath returns to its source life just returns 194 00:21:29,780 --> 00:21:34,580 and you rest and you sleep and you don't know and you don't return to your house anymore 195 00:21:34,580 --> 00:21:39,600 and you don't talk and you have no emotions and did God actually say all of that. 196 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:42,660 Yes he did. 197 00:21:42,660 --> 00:21:52,820 Well in my imaginations and how I rework the word of God. 198 00:21:52,820 --> 00:21:54,860 No we are duelists. 199 00:21:54,860 --> 00:22:01,500 We are a shell with an inherited conscious spirit or soul. 200 00:22:01,500 --> 00:22:09,620 Did God actually say how many things can we think of where people use that. 201 00:22:09,620 --> 00:22:18,980 I'm sure the list can go on because our sinful human nature wants us to imagine more than 202 00:22:18,980 --> 00:22:21,140 God. 203 00:22:21,140 --> 00:22:32,540 That original temptation of did God actually say because you yourselves can be gods. 204 00:22:32,540 --> 00:22:38,460 That still runs so true for us today. 205 00:22:38,460 --> 00:22:46,620 To manipulate the word of God is to play God to say that the prophecies won't occur even 206 00:22:46,620 --> 00:22:56,220 though God has said is to play God to change anthropology equations is to play God to decide 207 00:22:56,220 --> 00:23:04,700 that the creation account isn't how it's recorded by our maker is to play God to upset 208 00:23:04,700 --> 00:23:09,060 how men and women should interact with each other or how parents should raise their kids 209 00:23:09,060 --> 00:23:18,420 or how kids should honor and respect their parents to upset all of that is to play God. 210 00:23:18,420 --> 00:23:23,540 You ever imagine or or think that you've fallen into the trap. 211 00:23:23,540 --> 00:23:33,260 I dream of things that have not or are not or were not and ask why not. 212 00:23:33,260 --> 00:23:39,100 Are you content with what God has instructed for you. 213 00:23:39,100 --> 00:23:43,500 Do we think that God changes. 214 00:23:43,500 --> 00:23:58,340 Let's look at whether or not God changes for a moment Malachi chapter three and verse six. 215 00:23:58,340 --> 00:24:09,700 Malachi chapter three and verse six this is if you read before it a quote from God to 216 00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:18,260 the prophet Malachi and because we see that there are lots of quotes because we understand 217 00:24:18,260 --> 00:24:26,660 that this is God coming through a human agent we know that the words are God's and you 218 00:24:26,660 --> 00:24:34,180 should take them as such because he says for I the Lord Malachi three verse six do not 219 00:24:34,180 --> 00:24:36,860 change. 220 00:24:36,860 --> 00:24:42,180 Therefore you oh children of Jacob are not consumed. 221 00:24:42,180 --> 00:24:47,940 He's talking about drawing near to them for judgment he'll be a swift witness and so on 222 00:24:47,940 --> 00:24:50,420 and so forth. 223 00:24:50,420 --> 00:24:55,100 I the Lord do not change. 224 00:24:55,100 --> 00:25:01,020 Has God ever changed his mind or changed his approach to things. 225 00:25:01,020 --> 00:25:11,020 Yes we can see that Jonah declares over Nineveh God's going to destroy you in 40 days. 226 00:25:11,020 --> 00:25:14,900 Did God destroy Nineveh at the end of those 40 days. 227 00:25:14,900 --> 00:25:16,660 Famously not. 228 00:25:16,660 --> 00:25:19,780 Jonah was very upset about that. 229 00:25:19,780 --> 00:25:24,180 God changed if you will in that moment. 230 00:25:24,180 --> 00:25:32,100 God changed or was willing to have the conversation with Abraham over Sodom and Gomorrah a beautiful 231 00:25:32,100 --> 00:25:39,540 conversation on intercession and Abraham is a type of Christ in that. 232 00:25:39,540 --> 00:25:43,820 God says I'm going to go destroy the cities they're wicked beyond belief they've passed 233 00:25:43,820 --> 00:25:48,220 their threshold and he says would you destroy it for the righteous and he goes well I wouldn't 234 00:25:48,220 --> 00:25:51,120 okay would you destroy it for so many. 235 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:55,540 No I wouldn't and Abraham says would you destroy it for so many it's a smaller number and he 236 00:25:55,540 --> 00:26:04,900 keeps going smaller and smaller until he gets down to how many 10 10 would you destroy two 237 00:26:04,900 --> 00:26:15,540 significant cities if only 10 righteous people were found in it and the Lord says I won't. 238 00:26:15,540 --> 00:26:22,360 Now we know that there weren't 10 people in those two cities that conversation has been 239 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:31,300 lifted up as God changing that conversation is best understood as God being gracious which 240 00:26:31,300 --> 00:26:36,140 means he doesn't change because that is his character. 241 00:26:36,140 --> 00:26:44,260 God is love and he is gracious and destruction of the wicked God calls his strange act he 242 00:26:44,260 --> 00:26:53,220 doesn't want to do it but because his character is also just he has to. 243 00:26:53,220 --> 00:27:00,540 So even in that God doesn't change and in Jonah God doesn't actually change because 244 00:27:00,540 --> 00:27:11,460 God always responds to repentance and confession and a turning away from sin he always responds 245 00:27:11,460 --> 00:27:18,540 to that that's his nature to do so and so when these evil wicked debaucherous people 246 00:27:18,540 --> 00:27:28,300 in Nineveh did that he had to respond like he always would he doesn't change. 247 00:27:28,300 --> 00:27:37,140 Jesus in giving the sermon on the mount says think not that I have come to change or do 248 00:27:37,140 --> 00:27:46,900 away with the law and the prophets I have not come to change or to do away but to fulfill. 249 00:27:46,900 --> 00:27:54,220 Don't think that one dot or one cross or one title or the smallest mark on any letter will 250 00:27:54,220 --> 00:27:59,460 be changed in the law until all things are fulfilled right. 251 00:27:59,460 --> 00:28:05,060 Jesus himself says nothing is changing. 252 00:28:05,060 --> 00:28:10,940 Many have made the point that he was there to upend things he was there to set it right 253 00:28:10,940 --> 00:28:14,540 because man and women had gotten it wrong. 254 00:28:14,540 --> 00:28:20,900 We had tried to change it and he was putting it back in its proper place. 255 00:28:20,900 --> 00:28:23,140 What about in our church today. 256 00:28:23,140 --> 00:28:33,380 I may not be talking about us if this applies to you then this applies to you but one example 257 00:28:33,380 --> 00:28:39,020 and we can pray for people who think this way we can pray for these views and we can 258 00:28:39,020 --> 00:28:44,140 pray that they be limited in scope. 259 00:28:44,140 --> 00:28:52,140 An Adventist pastor wrote for one of our publications it has been said that the Lord does not change 260 00:28:52,140 --> 00:29:00,300 and he mentions Malachi 3 6 we just read it likely quote likely this was an over enthusiastic 261 00:29:00,300 --> 00:29:09,020 observation by a spokesperson untroubled by putting words in God's mouth. 262 00:29:09,020 --> 00:29:14,260 Very different approach to the inspired words of God. 263 00:29:14,260 --> 00:29:18,940 A different writer credited the same God with pledging to visit the iniquity of the fathers 264 00:29:18,940 --> 00:29:24,140 upon the children under the third and fourth generation and so on. 265 00:29:24,140 --> 00:29:30,380 Many hoops are jumped through to make God changeable and his theology changeable and 266 00:29:30,380 --> 00:29:37,100 everything that has stood the test of time and has been for the moral and ethical good 267 00:29:37,100 --> 00:29:39,100 of humanity. 268 00:29:39,100 --> 00:29:45,980 This author looks to say no with each generation we should be willing to imagine something 269 00:29:45,980 --> 00:29:47,580 different. 270 00:29:47,580 --> 00:29:54,420 We should be willing to undo and rewrite the theology based on what is now and answering 271 00:29:54,420 --> 00:29:57,820 the question why not. 272 00:29:57,820 --> 00:30:06,540 It's a rather insidious question because doubting God and his word really gets in you 273 00:30:06,540 --> 00:30:12,060 and then it can be shared like a virus and then it can affect a host of people and next 274 00:30:12,060 --> 00:30:19,180 thing you know you have thrown so many things to the wind. 275 00:30:19,180 --> 00:30:23,620 So what is the solution to the problem. 276 00:30:23,620 --> 00:30:29,460 What do we do when those thoughts of doubts or imaginations come our way either on our 277 00:30:29,460 --> 00:30:35,220 own or encouraged by others like Eve from the serpent. 278 00:30:35,220 --> 00:30:37,260 What do we do with it. 279 00:30:37,260 --> 00:30:40,380 How do we respond. 280 00:30:40,380 --> 00:30:44,260 Is it sinful to ask questions of God and his word. 281 00:30:44,260 --> 00:30:47,500 Let's start there. 282 00:30:47,500 --> 00:30:58,620 No ask the questions ask does God say this and then study farther looking at the word 283 00:30:58,620 --> 00:31:06,340 of God praying about it inviting the Holy Spirit to guide you through sometimes complex 284 00:31:06,340 --> 00:31:09,400 writings. 285 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:16,740 When you read something and it steps on your toe and I know I've been there. 286 00:31:16,740 --> 00:31:22,620 God's word does step on our toes. 287 00:31:22,620 --> 00:31:28,060 It makes us confront things we don't want to look at and it asks us to change things 288 00:31:28,060 --> 00:31:29,560 about ourselves. 289 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:33,420 We might not want to change. 290 00:31:33,420 --> 00:31:39,620 Everybody asks does God actually mean this because it means I've really got to change 291 00:31:39,620 --> 00:31:40,620 a lot. 292 00:31:40,620 --> 00:31:43,860 What do you do then. 293 00:31:43,860 --> 00:31:50,380 Pray pray that you get it right pray that the same God that inspired it will also help 294 00:31:50,380 --> 00:31:55,700 you understand it and then pray that the same God who helps you understand it helps you 295 00:31:55,700 --> 00:31:59,820 apply it. 296 00:31:59,820 --> 00:32:05,580 Pray that God will let you see the fault in your own character in your own ways in your 297 00:32:05,580 --> 00:32:12,620 own actions or your treatments of others and then really pray that he can help you be humble 298 00:32:12,620 --> 00:32:15,340 in your response. 299 00:32:15,340 --> 00:32:20,860 As you can see you need to change not God. 300 00:32:20,860 --> 00:32:27,900 You are the one that needs to be humble and be molded by him who first molded the dirt 301 00:32:27,900 --> 00:32:30,760 into Adam. 302 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:38,620 We are the clay in his hands and it's not the other way around my friends. 303 00:32:38,620 --> 00:32:43,140 Where you have already done that and you are living inside of the will of God and you're 304 00:32:43,140 --> 00:32:50,820 certain of it and another option comes along like even Adam had. 305 00:32:50,820 --> 00:32:55,780 No one since then has been living perfectly inside of the will of God like they did until 306 00:32:55,780 --> 00:32:57,140 that moment. 307 00:32:57,140 --> 00:33:02,780 I can't imagine what that was like but I'm looking forward to it in the near future. 308 00:33:02,780 --> 00:33:10,320 But when a new option comes your way what do you do. 309 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:15,820 You submit yourselves to the word of God. 310 00:33:15,820 --> 00:33:23,180 You repress the carnal desire to do otherwise. 311 00:33:23,180 --> 00:33:30,300 You keep your body in check and by that we mean though the warring carnal and spiritual 312 00:33:30,300 --> 00:33:32,400 cells. 313 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:39,700 You keep that in check and you seek after what God wants you to do. 314 00:33:39,700 --> 00:33:44,900 If it's worship on the Sabbath and you would much rather find out how your favorite college 315 00:33:44,900 --> 00:33:54,980 team is doing repress the desire for the college team and seek a holy God who is looking to 316 00:33:54,980 --> 00:33:58,260 get you to eternity. 317 00:33:58,260 --> 00:34:02,180 The college team ain't going to be here for eternity my friends. 318 00:34:02,180 --> 00:34:07,740 Some of them barely make it out of the first part of the season. 319 00:34:07,740 --> 00:34:14,900 If your desire leads you into darker corners and it's going to upset your marriage it's 320 00:34:14,900 --> 00:34:21,040 going to get you addicted to something because boy that high feels good in the moment. 321 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:26,740 If you think that that this isn't going to harm me even though it's harmed everybody 322 00:34:26,740 --> 00:34:30,360 else but I'm OK I got this. 323 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:37,780 It is a positive good thing to repress those carnal desires and pray for the victory. 324 00:34:37,780 --> 00:34:45,580 It is a positive good thing to seek after he who says I love you. 325 00:34:45,580 --> 00:34:48,900 I care about you more than the sparrows. 326 00:34:48,900 --> 00:34:54,500 I know the numbers of the hair on your head and I clothe the lilies with beauty and as 327 00:34:54,500 --> 00:35:00,620 small as they are aren't you more significant than them. 328 00:35:00,620 --> 00:35:09,340 Seek after him when you read the word of God and the word of God says thou shalt not or 329 00:35:09,340 --> 00:35:14,400 thou shalt or someday I will return so be ready. 330 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:18,980 Take it at his word. 331 00:35:18,980 --> 00:35:26,420 We have many warnings for this acts in Chapter 13 Paul preaching in I believe Ephesus. 332 00:35:26,420 --> 00:35:31,020 No Antioch and Pisidia he's preaching to the people and he's saying beware therefore lest 333 00:35:31,020 --> 00:35:33,560 what is said in the prophets should come about. 334 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:38,460 Look you scoffers be astounded and perish for I am doing a work in your days a work 335 00:35:38,460 --> 00:35:43,380 that you will not believe even if one tells it to you. 336 00:35:43,380 --> 00:35:49,440 I know of conversations in the Adventist Church looking to up end our prophetic understanding 337 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:55,180 of the end times that God didn't actually mean that there's going to be enforced worship. 338 00:35:55,180 --> 00:36:00,480 God doesn't actually mean that there's going to be an attack on buying and selling and 339 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:04,860 liberty unless you do what the elites tell you to do. 340 00:36:04,860 --> 00:36:08,820 God didn't actually say that we're going to have an increase in natural disasters. 341 00:36:08,820 --> 00:36:12,500 He doesn't mean that those have always been. 342 00:36:12,500 --> 00:36:21,100 And that certainly won't be the catalyst for his return Adventists are saying this. 343 00:36:21,100 --> 00:36:23,500 It makes me pray. 344 00:36:23,500 --> 00:36:30,760 It makes me pray hard that the Holy Spirit would help me not slip away from the sure 345 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:33,580 word of God. 346 00:36:33,580 --> 00:36:42,080 We know that there will be scoffers even if people tell them Peter says as such in his 347 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:44,620 second letter. 348 00:36:44,620 --> 00:36:49,520 He's stirring up the minds of the readers that they should remember the predictions 349 00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:54,780 of the Holy Prophets the commandment of the Lord and Savior through the Apostles. 350 00:36:54,780 --> 00:36:59,600 So predictions and commandments. 351 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:05,060 Knowing this first of all that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing following 352 00:37:05,060 --> 00:37:07,420 their own sinful desires. 353 00:37:07,420 --> 00:37:11,500 They will say where is the promise of his coming forever since the fathers fell asleep 354 00:37:11,500 --> 00:37:16,300 all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. 355 00:37:16,300 --> 00:37:19,640 Do we hear those rumblings today. 356 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:20,820 Have you read it. 357 00:37:20,820 --> 00:37:21,820 Have you heard it. 358 00:37:21,820 --> 00:37:25,100 Have you thought it. 359 00:37:25,100 --> 00:37:35,560 Today from the beginning to the end we know that God did actually say a great many things. 360 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:39,560 And when God actually says it he means it. 361 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:48,940 And when God means it he intends for you to follow it to live it to apply it and where 362 00:37:48,940 --> 00:37:56,620 it's challenging to keep searching to pray to come to have a study partner two minds 363 00:37:56,620 --> 00:38:01,820 can go over difficult things together. 364 00:38:01,820 --> 00:38:13,460 If God said well back in Genesis chapter three that question was asked and Eve our first 365 00:38:13,460 --> 00:38:25,380 mother and Adam our first father should have taken that as the red flag it was and walked 366 00:38:25,380 --> 00:38:35,060 away or simply said yes he did end of sentence. 367 00:38:35,060 --> 00:38:43,300 Today because we worship a God who does not change regardless of the blowing winds regardless 368 00:38:43,300 --> 00:38:51,380 of the moving tides in our society regardless of how good it sounds. 369 00:38:51,380 --> 00:39:01,500 If God said unless it leads you to an affirmative God did say I would encourage you to hang 370 00:39:01,500 --> 00:39:04,420 your doubts on some other hook. 371 00:39:04,420 --> 00:39:08,140 Don't hang your doubts on the word of God. 372 00:39:08,140 --> 00:39:10,440 God is consistent. 373 00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:12,500 God is true. 374 00:39:12,500 --> 00:39:19,380 God does not change and he will work it out according to his will in the end. 375 00:39:19,380 --> 00:39:24,660 And I am thankful for that and I praise him for it. 376 00:39:24,660 --> 00:39:32,740 If only our first parents and so many generations after that had listened to the word of God 377 00:39:32,740 --> 00:39:41,380 and said thank you and yes we will and yes you have said I believe we'd be in a lot 378 00:39:41,380 --> 00:39:44,780 less of a mess than we currently are. 379 00:39:44,780 --> 00:39:47,020 God wants good for you. 380 00:39:47,020 --> 00:39:52,220 He wants to lead you into a righteous life and ultimately he wants to get you to heaven. 381 00:39:52,220 --> 00:39:56,180 When he says he loves you and when he says keep my commandments and when he says I'm 382 00:39:56,180 --> 00:40:04,020 coming soon take him at his word and today submit to follow that word until he does come 383 00:40:04,020 --> 00:40:06,540 and take you home. 384 00:40:06,540 --> 00:40:08,180 Let's pray. 385 00:40:08,180 --> 00:40:11,820 Heavenly Father we thank you again for the surety of your word. 386 00:40:11,820 --> 00:40:16,700 We thank you for its stability and we thank you for its clarity. 387 00:40:16,700 --> 00:40:24,660 We thank you that where in our limited abilities we are unsure of what you're saying we thank 388 00:40:24,660 --> 00:40:31,440 you that you have promised the Holy Spirit to guide us through all truths to lead us 389 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:36,500 into truth and especially to lead us to Jesus. 390 00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:39,580 Lord I pray that that would be true for each one of us. 391 00:40:39,580 --> 00:40:45,260 I pray that each time that we open up your word or we listen to it being proclaimed I 392 00:40:45,260 --> 00:40:51,420 pray that you would inspire us to understand and apply in the same way that you inspired 393 00:40:51,420 --> 00:40:53,700 the authors and the speakers. 394 00:40:53,700 --> 00:41:01,660 Lord I pray that where we have gone astray or where we might be encouraged to go astray 395 00:41:01,660 --> 00:41:07,780 and in those moments Lord I pray that conviction would come home and come strong that you would 396 00:41:07,780 --> 00:41:13,620 lead us back onto the right path that you would lift us up again and you would encourage 397 00:41:13,620 --> 00:41:18,940 us to always keep our eyes fixed on Christ who is leading us home. 398 00:41:18,940 --> 00:41:21,500 Or we thank you for hearing our prayers. 399 00:41:21,500 --> 00:41:26,660 We thank you that you turn your attention to us and you look upon us with favor and 400 00:41:26,660 --> 00:41:36,420 you do it because Christ saw fit to shed his blood to die the death we deserve to be our 401 00:41:36,420 --> 00:41:40,340 to be our substitute in this great controversy. 402 00:41:40,340 --> 00:41:44,220 We thank you that it is by his righteousness and his merits that we can come before you 403 00:41:44,220 --> 00:41:45,220 today. 404 00:41:45,220 --> 00:42:10,980 Amen.