1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,600 So if you are a guest with us this morning or maybe this is your second time here, first 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:10,840 time was last week, the beginning of the new year we started a new sermon series called 3 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:12,980 Who's Sermon Is It Anyway? 4 00:00:12,980 --> 00:00:16,000 And this is a little bit of the background for this. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:17,920 I have improv in my background. 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,680 I was part of an improv troupe in college and one of the greatest, kind of most fun 7 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:26,160 games we would play when we would do an improv show is Scenes from a Hat. 8 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:30,960 And this is when people would come in and they would write down a different scene or 9 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,320 a saying or something. 10 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,600 Jess Fisher knows what that is as a fellow improvist, right? 11 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:38,760 You want to come up and do that right now? 12 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:40,280 Just kidding, we're not going to do that. 13 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:41,520 As fun as that would be. 14 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,480 And then you would kind of work a scene in. 15 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:49,120 I kind of thought to myself, what would that look like if you all kind of wrote down some 16 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:56,280 prompts and ideas of areas of the Bible, of culture, of faith, of theology, of kind of 17 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,440 DLV above, not because I don't have the material, believe me. 18 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,080 We have sermon series done now through the beginning of 2029. 19 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:05,680 But I thought it would be a lot of fun. 20 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:06,680 There's six weeks before Lent. 21 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,640 This would be a great way to start off 2024. 22 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:15,280 After I got all of your responses, I looked at it and said, what a giant mistake I have 23 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:16,280 made. 24 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,720 But I have already put it out to you that I'm going to do it and I can't take it back. 25 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:21,880 So actually it's been a lot of fun. 26 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,880 But we're going to come into, we have four more weeks. 27 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:30,080 We're going to come into the next three weeks really looking at, and I hate to say it this 28 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,800 way, controversial topics. 29 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:39,040 Always super exciting to preach on controversy because I know that, you know, the, I don't 30 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:44,440 know, almost 200 families that call Buster Church home, we don't all land on the same 31 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:45,920 spot. 32 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:51,520 And some of us do a really good job in coming together in gracious disagreement. 33 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,400 And if we're going to be honest, some of you are terrible at it. 34 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:59,280 And it is something that we need to learn the art of discussion, the art of disagreement. 35 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:04,520 Again, like we talked about last week, some of us are really good at being people of wrath. 36 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:06,760 And I don't think that's the way of Jesus. 37 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,040 But hear me, Jesus did teach. 38 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:11,700 Jesus did rebuke. 39 00:02:11,700 --> 00:02:13,700 Jesus did correct. 40 00:02:13,700 --> 00:02:19,560 Jesus saw when things were not going right or they were going in a sinful way and he 41 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:21,160 corrected them. 42 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:26,760 But understand, and a lot of us that maybe have kids or have ever babysat, you can do 43 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,920 a lot with a look, right? 44 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:32,800 Max in your household, well actually let me talk to Evie. 45 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:33,800 Is Evie here? 46 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,040 No, okay, I'll talk to you. 47 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,560 You probably with your sons and your kids, you probably had a look that would kind of 48 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,440 put them in their place, right? 49 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,000 And Evie would have a look for you that would put you in your place. 50 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,520 Many times over, still to this day. 51 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,040 So you could do a lot with a look, right? 52 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:55,320 Boys, whose look do you think is more, I'm not even going to ask that question. 53 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,160 But we can do a lot with a look. 54 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:03,040 We can do a lot with a very stern voice, right? 55 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:04,920 Danica is not here. 56 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:07,960 Kayden, when dad uses a stern voice, right? 57 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:12,040 In my mind when Brad disciplines you, it's not like high up like this, like hey Kayden, 58 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:13,040 go to your room. 59 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,320 Like I don't think Brad's ever said it that way. 60 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,640 But he probably has a deep voice and you know that he means business, right? 61 00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:21,400 Yes, absolutely. 62 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:25,160 But we also know that there are other forms of discipline, right? 63 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:30,560 Some of you may have been growing up with something called the belt, right? 64 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,520 And I feel almost like I have to say that so cautiously in 2024, like someone's going 65 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,220 to call somebody on me for bringing that up. 66 00:03:37,220 --> 00:03:40,920 But that was a very big form of discipline growing up. 67 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:46,480 Being in a single, having a single mom for a while, my papa would discipline me and it 68 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:52,600 would be the belt that also had the giant, what is that called? 69 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:54,240 Thank you, Joey, belt buckle. 70 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,400 He would not take that off. 71 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,000 Yeah, let that sink in. 72 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,420 And those aren't made of felt, right? 73 00:04:02,420 --> 00:04:04,560 Those are big giant belt buckles. 74 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,160 And I was like you grew up in Blue Island. 75 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:07,480 Why do you have that? 76 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:08,960 You're not a cowboy. 77 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:09,960 But I never have. 78 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:11,640 I can say that now because he's in heaven. 79 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:17,200 But understand, we all grew up with different forms of discipline. 80 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,260 Jesus was about discipline. 81 00:04:19,260 --> 00:04:20,260 He was. 82 00:04:20,260 --> 00:04:22,880 And a lot of us don't like that. 83 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:24,160 But we got to get over ourselves. 84 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:25,600 He was. 85 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,080 That is we are and he was because his father was. 86 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:30,560 God was about discipline. 87 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:32,400 We learned that in the Hebrew series. 88 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,240 God chides those that he loves. 89 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:39,600 Discipline is active discipline with the lens of the gospel. 90 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:40,920 With the lens of love. 91 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:46,000 That you can lovingly discipline people. 92 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,120 Parents to kids, all of those things. 93 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:52,280 Now, you know, I don't know if any of you have ever said as you're maybe spanking your 94 00:04:52,280 --> 00:04:57,920 kid or if you're my grandma popping in the mouth because it didn't leave a mark. 95 00:04:57,920 --> 00:04:58,920 We've already talked about that. 96 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,800 I don't know how many of you said this hurts me more than it hurts you. 97 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,440 Which is such a lie. 98 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:06,080 An absolute lie. 99 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,280 I think that's just guilt for the parent, you know, and all of those things. 100 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:12,560 Or maybe it actually does for you because you actually have a heart. 101 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,320 But for me, I don't think that way when I discipline my kids. 102 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:17,520 Right? 103 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,240 But God always does. 104 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,600 God always has intention with his discipline. 105 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,400 God does not do anything just on a whim. 106 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:28,240 We've talked about that many times. 107 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:33,400 The same goes for the things we're going to talk about this week, next week, and the following 108 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:38,120 week and then we're going to end with a really fun sermon series that's going to be on something 109 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:42,280 that a lot of us don't really think about day to day except our small group, one of 110 00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:43,760 the small groups that meet here at night. 111 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:44,760 They think about it a lot. 112 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:45,760 It's going to be a lot of fun. 113 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,840 But we got a couple weeks until then. 114 00:05:48,840 --> 00:05:54,560 I entitled this sermon The Scale because the entire time as I'm reading about 13 of the 115 00:05:54,560 --> 00:06:01,920 prompts that you all gave had something to do with the sanctity of life. 116 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:08,920 Or had something to do with murdering, which believe me, I noted that and who I think wrote 117 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,520 them. 118 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,000 Life means something to you guys. 119 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,320 And I think that's good because life means something to the life giver. 120 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,960 I think that's fairly obvious. 121 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:30,280 The one that breathed into dust and created life, I think God cares about the subject 122 00:06:30,280 --> 00:06:33,880 of life. 123 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:39,480 And it's sad that I have to say that somewhat qualified that I know that it's a controversial 124 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,800 topic. 125 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:51,720 Step back with me for a minute and think how sad it is that the idea of life is controversial. 126 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,580 But who made it controversial? 127 00:06:54,580 --> 00:07:01,480 If I, dimes to dollars, some of you blame God for that because some of the prompts were 128 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:06,800 if God cares about life so much then why in the world would he have the Israelites eliminate 129 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,000 an entire group of people? 130 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:14,720 Men, women, children, livestock, all of those things. 131 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:21,760 And the human side of me almost wants to agree with you and go, yeah, God, what's that about? 132 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:27,320 But then if I understand the faith side of me, I go, huh, I probably shouldn't ask that 133 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,160 question. 134 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:34,280 Because God, as we talked about, if you remember God behaving badly series, we did that like 135 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:41,520 three years ago maybe, that God in his infinite wisdom and his infinite ways, and we're going 136 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:46,920 to talk about it, God opposes the wicked. 137 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,060 He opposes the wicked. 138 00:07:49,060 --> 00:07:52,720 And what is the greatest way God can oppose the wicked? 139 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,640 The one that calls all life into account. 140 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:03,360 And we have to submit to this the God that also takes life. 141 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:05,560 And I know a bunch of you just got uncomfortable. 142 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:09,280 A bunch of you wish you would have watched online today because you could have just turned 143 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:10,280 it off. 144 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:13,800 But we have to wrestle with that. 145 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,320 If you all didn't write about it, I wouldn't be preaching about it today. 146 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:22,620 So in essence, what I'm trying to say is it's your fault. 147 00:08:22,620 --> 00:08:27,380 And so understand, we have to work through this, and there's a tension here. 148 00:08:27,380 --> 00:08:33,920 And there's a tension here because of how we've built this polarizing group in the United 149 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:36,680 States and really in the world. 150 00:08:36,680 --> 00:08:44,200 That there are these two polarizing groups that are completely politically driven about 151 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:50,160 money and power and authority and all manmade, I'm going to call it, for what it is appropriately 152 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:56,720 junk that we are dealing with every day. 153 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:02,280 Now there is a rated R version of this sermon. 154 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:03,980 I'm not going to give that one. 155 00:09:03,980 --> 00:09:08,840 I'm going to give PG from the 1970s. 156 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,840 Because PG then to PG now is very different. 157 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,820 If you are confused about it, Google it when you get home. 158 00:09:14,820 --> 00:09:22,080 But understand that there are, straight from this book, there is a very graphic understanding 159 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:26,720 of the life that is given and the life that is taken away. 160 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:34,680 But the umbrella that we ended with last week holds true that we are a people, and maybe 161 00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:39,040 you're not, maybe today you're not here, maybe there's somebody here that does not claim 162 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:43,320 what I'm about to give of Lord's Day One. 163 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:50,920 What is your only comfort in life and in death is that I'm not my own, but I belong to Christ 164 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,760 in life and in death. 165 00:09:53,760 --> 00:10:00,480 A proper understanding of that allows you to rejoice when life is born. 166 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,320 Oh my heavens, we rejoice. 167 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:08,560 We rejoice so much that we, as a church, we buy you all junk for your baby in the back. 168 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:09,760 We want to rejoice with you. 169 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:11,160 It's not junk, it's really good stuff. 170 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,400 And we do a good job with that. 171 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:21,960 But we also need to mourn then when life is no longer there, but if Christ is in the midst 172 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:27,320 of this, then like all of those that came yesterday to celebrate the life of Reverend 173 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:32,160 Besine, though we're sad, we can mourn with hope. 174 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:37,680 A world devoid of Jesus, no wonder we make a mess of it. 175 00:10:37,680 --> 00:10:44,360 Because there is no comfort, there is no hope, there is no understanding, there is no peace. 176 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:51,560 And that is so difficult in a world where at times it doesn't really care about life 177 00:10:51,560 --> 00:10:55,280 or it cares about it in a very inappropriate way. 178 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:56,760 But life means something. 179 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:02,280 There's a scale, that's why I called it the scale, that we weigh things in our lives. 180 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:06,800 We hopefully, the wise person, weighs the outcomes. 181 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,120 Or before they make a decision, they discern, they weigh. 182 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:14,640 And it got me thinking of kind of that lawyer scale, you know, the idea of weighing someone's 183 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:19,080 guilt to someone's not guilt, I guess. 184 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,200 Don't ask me to talk to Sarah or Garrett, they know more about that as they're in that 185 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:23,200 profession. 186 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,240 But that we weigh things all the time. 187 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:26,600 We weigh decisions. 188 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:34,440 But in the world we live in, the weight of life is always a topic of conversation. 189 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:35,440 How do I know? 190 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:41,600 There may be some prompts, eight of them had to do with life, some aspect of life. 191 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:49,560 So clearly it's on your heart, it's on your mind, so we need to set kind of a standard 192 00:11:49,560 --> 00:11:53,200 of talking about it. 193 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:57,680 And I understand that there are going to be times you may not agree with everything that 194 00:11:57,680 --> 00:12:00,720 I say or things that I don't say that you wish I said. 195 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,800 I touched on this two weeks ago. 196 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:05,080 That's okay. 197 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:07,040 We are two different people. 198 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:13,200 I don't have the exact same mind of you, you don't have the exact same mind of me, be thankful. 199 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,400 You don't want to get in here. 200 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:21,600 Understand that we can look at something very differently in scripture, it's called interpretation. 201 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:29,880 However, when the interpretation contradicts what is written, then we get into a lot of 202 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:31,560 issues. 203 00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:36,760 And I know, looking out at all of you, there are differences of opinion and differences 204 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:40,760 of interpretation when it comes to this book. 205 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:48,800 And of the things that are non-salvitic, meaning Christ died, crucified, died, buried, and 206 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:56,640 resurrected of salvation, there is some room for disagreement. 207 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:57,880 Understand that. 208 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:01,640 But understand there is right interpretations. 209 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:05,480 There are, there is a heartbeat to this book. 210 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:10,560 And if we are about the heartbeat of this book, then even in our disagreements, we can 211 00:13:10,560 --> 00:13:13,040 still sit down and have a cup of coffee. 212 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:16,780 We can still sit down and worship in church together. 213 00:13:16,780 --> 00:13:22,800 We can still go and bring the gospel, the good news of life beyond life in Jesus to 214 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:25,080 other people. 215 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:32,360 One of the things I adore about this church is that we don't have a cultural uniformity. 216 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:35,100 That we all are different. 217 00:13:35,100 --> 00:13:37,560 We all come with different experiences. 218 00:13:37,560 --> 00:13:42,560 We all come with different stories, with different testimonies that in some ways or in a lot 219 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:48,520 of ways lead us, carve out for us why we think certain things. 220 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:53,560 And the biggest no-no or the biggest issue I see in our church is when we don't take 221 00:13:53,560 --> 00:14:01,800 the time to get to know the story, the why, someone might believe what they do. 222 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:06,400 Or might they think or camp in a certain camp and all of those things. 223 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,360 So this is my encouragement for all of us. 224 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:15,360 I do not want to be a church that throws or lobs grenades over the aisle. 225 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:16,480 That's not a church. 226 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:18,080 We talked about that last week. 227 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:23,220 Jesus says, the world will know you're my disciples by how you wrath and judge other 228 00:14:23,220 --> 00:14:24,220 people. 229 00:14:24,220 --> 00:14:27,520 No, how you love one for another. 230 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:31,520 Even in our differences, we can come to a place of love. 231 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:36,200 However, the Bible also corrects. 232 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:40,040 Just because you want to believe it, just because it feels good for you and that's how 233 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,440 I want to do it, doesn't mean you're right. 234 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:45,600 It's the same way when we're kids. 235 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:52,480 Well, you know, I may or may not have an 11-year-old that doesn't think he needs a bedtime. 236 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:54,120 He does. 237 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:55,840 And we all do. 238 00:14:55,840 --> 00:15:02,120 But maybe in his mind, he doesn't believe he does, but he does. 239 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:07,520 That his mom and dad do know better and we know what it's like when he doesn't get good 240 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:08,520 sleep. 241 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:10,800 So it's more of an idea of preservation. 242 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:17,600 But understand that we can believe something so hard, so deep, so often without being checked 243 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:24,400 on it that we believe it's true, though it may go in direct conflict with this book. 244 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:31,800 The last thing I'm going to say before I start my sermon is the understanding that our place 245 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,460 is never to judge. 246 00:15:34,460 --> 00:15:36,240 We aren't. 247 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:41,840 It is not our place to cast the judgment of salvation on somebody else. 248 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:43,400 Oh, they believe that. 249 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,320 They're going to hell. 250 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,440 That should not be our place. 251 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:53,440 Because what you're doing at that point is you're disengaging, you're not loving, and 252 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:59,920 you're not, if you believe that, if you truly believe that someone is going to be spending 253 00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:08,960 eternity in the fiery abyss and you go, I'm okay with that, you need to check your heart 254 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:12,280 because you don't value life the way God does. 255 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:18,760 If you are okay with someone's damnation, that's a problem. 256 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:23,240 And I put all this for this week and the next two weeks because we are going to talk about 257 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:24,400 certain things. 258 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:30,200 We're going to talk about topics that have been made in the political arena something 259 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:35,720 ugly, something far away from God that God ever really wanted to be. 260 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:37,880 And some of you are like, well, then why is it there? 261 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:39,320 Because of sin. 262 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:45,480 Because though God has foreordained the world and predestined, the friction of sin is still 263 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:46,520 there. 264 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:47,760 We know that. 265 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:52,620 Turn the news on for two minutes and you understand. 266 00:16:52,620 --> 00:16:58,400 And then if you're really struggling with it, what are you actually struggling with? 267 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,800 Well then God just wipe them all out. 268 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:02,800 He did that once. 269 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:06,680 He said He's not going to do it again via water, but is that really the desire of your 270 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:09,060 heart? 271 00:17:09,060 --> 00:17:15,520 Because if that's the desire of your heart, then I hope and pray you're perfect. 272 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,860 Because then whatever comes, that angel of death, maybe you'll be passed over. 273 00:17:19,860 --> 00:17:20,860 Maybe you won't. 274 00:17:20,860 --> 00:17:21,900 I don't know. 275 00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:26,200 But we know that in the end, those in the Lord are going to be in the Lord. 276 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:31,160 And part of that is how you preserve life itself. 277 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:32,160 So let's dive in. 278 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:36,060 It gets very, very easy, right? 279 00:17:36,060 --> 00:17:37,060 It's very easy. 280 00:17:37,060 --> 00:17:38,060 We started in Exodus. 281 00:17:38,060 --> 00:17:41,240 We're going to read it next week, but we're going to read it also today. 282 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:46,280 Honor your father and your mother that you may have a long good life in the land that 283 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:48,480 the Lord your God is giving you. 284 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:55,800 You must not do this. 285 00:17:55,800 --> 00:18:03,640 But I'm going to ask you to. 286 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,280 You must not steal. 287 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:06,880 You must not lie. 288 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:12,520 You must not be envious of your neighbor's house or want to sleep with his wife or want 289 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:19,000 to own his slaves, oxen, donkeys, or anything else he has. 290 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:24,120 What's the word, maybe why I like it written that way? 291 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:26,400 What? 292 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,760 Must. 293 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:41,300 That is a understanding of a verbal commitment that to do what is right, this is a requirement. 294 00:18:41,300 --> 00:18:46,760 You must turn in your homework in order to pass the class. 295 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,660 Now Mandy, I think you and I can both groan over that in 2024. 296 00:18:49,660 --> 00:18:52,240 That's actually not a thing anymore. 297 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:53,240 Participation trophies. 298 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:57,280 But understand that there is a requirement here. 299 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:02,240 My boys must do their chores in order to get allowance. 300 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:08,640 Yes, even the one that asked to be shown grace for when he didn't want to do his chores yet 301 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:12,200 still wanted his allowance. 302 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:14,120 And that's where I said God gives grace. 303 00:19:14,120 --> 00:19:15,320 Today I don't. 304 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:22,880 And so understanding that there is a requirement here, the must here, and I love how it's written. 305 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:29,080 The must here is that you value people's lives. 306 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:33,240 You must, you must, you must, you must. 307 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:39,840 If you're going to say the way Reverend Besine did for over what, 50 years in the ministry, 308 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:47,520 love God, love people, then you must uphold God's laws and you must value life. 309 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,960 Valuing life is loving people. 310 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:56,360 You can't say I'm a believer, I love Jesus, but I'm going to dishonor my father and my 311 00:19:56,360 --> 00:19:58,320 mother. 312 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:02,760 I love Jesus, but I'm going to murder a little. 313 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:07,640 I love Jesus, but I sure love to commit adultery. 314 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,960 I love Jesus, but I'm going to steal all day every day. 315 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:13,880 You see where I'm going. 316 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:21,560 The world doesn't like this because this puts the world in order because God is a God of 317 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:23,120 order. 318 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:24,240 It's beautiful. 319 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,240 He's laid it out. 320 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:31,820 But the world, right, the prince of darkness taking over, he loves chaos. 321 00:20:31,820 --> 00:20:33,680 But it's pretty clear. 322 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:38,000 So let's just center on the one I want to do today, right, and that's going to be verse 323 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,480 13. 324 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:41,000 You shall not murder. 325 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,000 This is the ESV. 326 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,120 This is what I preach out of. 327 00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:47,700 So you have, you must not murder. 328 00:20:47,700 --> 00:20:49,400 You shall not murder. 329 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:51,800 One seems to be the requirement. 330 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,000 One is the expectation. 331 00:20:54,000 --> 00:21:00,160 Funny how we can look at the same verse with a different connotation. 332 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:05,880 You are required not to murder if you're going to be a believer. 333 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:12,120 The expectation of every believer is that they shall not murder. 334 00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:18,080 I had that on Tuesday, blew my mind in the fact of not only is it the expectation, it 335 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:22,240 is the requirement of the same thing. 336 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:30,160 Now, we think very differently about this and I don't think that's a good thing. 337 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:34,600 I think that's where the difference is we struggle with. 338 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:38,240 And some of you know exactly where we're going to go by the end of this and a little bit 339 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:40,080 more next week. 340 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:46,220 But understand that the Hebrew from this means zero, you shall not kill. 341 00:21:46,220 --> 00:21:48,320 You shall not murder. 342 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:52,900 Well, I already know and I probably know who you are. 343 00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:57,080 You're already in the camp going, but God did. 344 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:58,600 God did all day. 345 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:00,640 That's the Old Testament, all day. 346 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,760 Well, let me ask you a question. 347 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:04,480 Who are these commandments for? 348 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,840 Kenny, who are these commandments for? 349 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:08,600 Just say your name. 350 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:10,800 Who are these for Kenny? 351 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:11,800 Right? 352 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,200 Reina, who are these commandments for? 353 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:15,200 Just say your name. 354 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:16,200 You said Alyssa. 355 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:17,200 That was mean. 356 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:18,200 Just kidding. 357 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:19,200 No, you said Reina. 358 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:20,200 Yeah, you said Reina. 359 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,880 Understand, are these for God? 360 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:25,360 No. 361 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:26,600 Yep. 362 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,020 We want to say, well, no, thank God's in this with us. 363 00:22:29,020 --> 00:22:31,560 If we can't do this, God can't do that. 364 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:36,440 Who in the world do you think you are? 365 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:42,880 Just like one of my boys turning around saying, then Dad, you do your chores. 366 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:44,360 They have not done that. 367 00:22:44,360 --> 00:22:47,040 Just so you know, they have not done that. 368 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:51,000 But notice how you all attach to that. 369 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:52,000 Right? 370 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:56,640 Paul, how would that have looked in your world if Justin, Steve, or Amber would have said, 371 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,280 well, Paul, you do your chores. 372 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:04,340 Now, not well at all. 373 00:23:04,340 --> 00:23:09,120 But isn't that funny how we are reacting that way, yet we still get uncomfortable because 374 00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:11,320 God is saying this? 375 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:15,400 Friends, stop putting yourself on God's level. 376 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:19,680 Because if you are going to try to put yourself on God's level, then God's salvation doesn't 377 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:21,800 mean anything to you. 378 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:28,160 Then God's foreordained, preordained, predestined plan for Jesus to die, to save us from our 379 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:33,600 sins means absolutely nothing to you because you don't value life. 380 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:38,800 And if you don't value life, then you don't value the life of Jesus. 381 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,280 Yet you'll take his salvation. 382 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:43,880 You can't have your cake and eat it too. 383 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:50,640 This is part of submitting to the requirement and the expectation of God himself. 384 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,460 And I think we do a good job of living. 385 00:23:53,460 --> 00:23:57,560 I think the Israelites, though they messed it up from time to time, and so do we, I think 386 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:05,040 these ten commandments and the six hundred other ones helps us be a good society. 387 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:09,760 A society where there is no murder, a society where there is no stealing, a society where 388 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,520 there is no coveting, there is no adultery. 389 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,520 How many people want to live in that? 390 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:17,760 Why isn't all of your hands up? 391 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:25,920 Some of you are like, well, maybe because you are okay with sin. 392 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:28,040 Sinning? 393 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:29,880 We shouldn't be. 394 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:33,520 Sin grieves God's heart. 395 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:38,360 If it doesn't grieve your heart, it's time to check that. 396 00:24:38,360 --> 00:24:40,160 It's time to dive in. 397 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:47,600 What sin are you so in love with that you're willing to not value the life of Christ? 398 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:55,760 Understand as, oh gosh, I just forgot, he was a theologian in England, Jonathan Edwards. 399 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:56,760 Thank you. 400 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:04,120 One of the greatest quotes ever, the only part or the only thing you bring to your salvation 401 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:05,600 is your sin. 402 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,800 Let me say that again. 403 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:13,600 The only thing that you bring, the only thing you are accounted for in your salvation, the 404 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:19,340 only part you ever play, the only thing you could say, yeah, I had a part of my salvation 405 00:25:19,340 --> 00:25:22,880 is your sin. 406 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:23,880 Are you still celebrating? 407 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,520 Are you still going, yeah, look at me. 408 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,000 No, you would be a fool. 409 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:31,880 The world loves to do that. 410 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:35,280 The world absolutely adores to do that. 411 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:39,080 Let's go to Genesis 1, 26. 412 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:43,640 Then God said, let us make man in our image, in our likeness, let them have dominion over 413 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:48,200 the fish of the sea, over the birds in the heavens and over the livestock and over all 414 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:50,880 the earth, the creeping things that creep on the earth. 415 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:53,000 We are going to pause there. 416 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,440 This might be the first time he ever does this. 417 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:58,480 Jeff Naderberg, can I get an amen from you? 418 00:25:58,480 --> 00:25:59,480 There you go. 419 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:00,680 You may be wondering like why? 420 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:01,680 Jeff wasn't there. 421 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:02,920 Like, he wasn't. 422 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:04,720 But Jeff is one of our fellow hunters. 423 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:07,640 I can say that now because I got my first deer this year. 424 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:08,640 Okay? 425 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:10,240 Clearly doesn't make me a hunter. 426 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:11,680 Colin knows it was all luck. 427 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:14,620 But understand, he has given us dominion. 428 00:26:14,620 --> 00:26:18,120 We have dominion. 429 00:26:18,120 --> 00:26:22,040 Purposeful dominion over everything on earth. 430 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:26,360 Now, that doesn't mean we get to go on a firing spree. 431 00:26:26,360 --> 00:26:33,640 But what that means is we are to be good stewards of the other living things on the earth. 432 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:36,000 God did not create them by accident. 433 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,840 God did not create them to go, eh, no. 434 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:43,400 He created them with purpose because God is a purposeful God and he has set us to have 435 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:44,960 dominion. 436 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:51,520 And some of you love that word way too much. 437 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,320 Dominion doesn't mean control. 438 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,600 Dominion doesn't mean authority. 439 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:01,320 Do you want to have authority over all of the living things on the world? 440 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:02,760 No. 441 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:06,960 There are days you don't want to have authority over your family, let alone all the living 442 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:08,500 things of the world. 443 00:27:08,500 --> 00:27:16,560 But Adam and Eve were set to have dominion over them to be good stewards of the world. 444 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,320 I could turn this into a pollution sermon. 445 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,200 I can turn this into apartheid sermon. 446 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,000 I could turn this into live aid. 447 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:32,560 This can go everywhere because it has to do with life itself. 448 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,040 So God created man in his own image. 449 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:37,200 In the image of God, he created them. 450 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,840 Male and female, he created them. 451 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:42,880 I would love it if we could keep it that simple. 452 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:46,900 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed. 453 00:27:46,900 --> 00:27:47,900 This is Genesis 9. 454 00:27:47,900 --> 00:27:50,080 A lot of you are like, that's not what it says next. 455 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:51,720 But this is Genesis 9. 456 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,420 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed. 457 00:27:55,420 --> 00:27:58,060 For God made man in his own image. 458 00:27:58,060 --> 00:28:01,800 Life matters to God. 459 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:04,200 He mourned over Cain and Abel. 460 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:08,960 He mourned over the senseless killing that was taking place. 461 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:13,360 He mourned it so much, and a bunch of you are going to be uncomfortable with this, but 462 00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:14,480 I think it's good. 463 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:20,880 He mourned it so much that he wiped out 99% of it. 464 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:22,960 He sent the flood. 465 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,800 And the only one left was who? 466 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:28,240 Noah. 467 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:30,720 Because he was righteous. 468 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:37,120 Not because he was perfect, but he understood the value of life. 469 00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:44,440 How bad what the world must be, or must have been, for one person in his family to be the 470 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:48,160 only one that valued life. 471 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:54,000 And understand, this is God setting the stage for creation itself. 472 00:28:54,000 --> 00:29:03,220 And if we take two steps back, we have to understand that life is predicated on something. 473 00:29:03,220 --> 00:29:05,840 Life is guarded by the life giver. 474 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,120 That life is protected. 475 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:12,000 There's a divine protection for life. 476 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:18,360 God has set a world, he wants a world where you will not look at somebody and go, man, 477 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,180 I wish they were dead. 478 00:29:21,180 --> 00:29:24,800 Because Jesus even says the thought of that is murder as well. 479 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:29,560 Yet we do it all the time. 480 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:35,800 I know I have said it, and there are aspects of this I believe, and this is my road, right? 481 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:39,800 I, you know, when it comes to like the death penalty and all of those things, told you 482 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:41,760 we were going to talk about controversy, right? 483 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:45,080 The Bible actually makes it very clear about that. 484 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:49,840 That there is a protection of life, and as we see throughout the Old Testament, there 485 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,920 is a protection for the camp. 486 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,440 There's protection for the people. 487 00:29:55,440 --> 00:30:01,560 Anybody that goes and tries to affect negatively the camp or the people, Old Testament law, 488 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,760 Levitical law, they should be put to death. 489 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:08,520 And there is a massive list of those. 490 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:10,480 Kids in the room, listen up. 491 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:16,560 One of the first ones in there, a way to try to destroy the camp or destroy the people 492 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:22,880 or destroy the congregation or destroy the whatever, the nation, is disrespecting your 493 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:24,880 parents. 494 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:29,880 Parents, feel free to use that the next time you have to have disciplinary conversations. 495 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:33,900 Like, thank God we don't live in Old Testament times. 496 00:30:33,900 --> 00:30:35,880 I told you to shovel the driveway. 497 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:36,880 Gone. 498 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:37,880 No, just kidding. 499 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:38,880 I mean, don't do that. 500 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:39,880 Don't do that. 501 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:40,880 That might have been an Old Testament thing. 502 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:41,880 Don't do that now. 503 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:43,320 DCS will be called. 504 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:50,840 And so understand that there is a value and a protection done by God over his people. 505 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:52,560 Why? 506 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,280 And hear this please. 507 00:30:55,280 --> 00:31:04,280 Each person belongs to God and God alone determines the matter of life and death. 508 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:11,640 Well, Jim, how can you feel good about shooting a deer? 509 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,080 He was delicious, by the way. 510 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:15,920 Because we have dominion over it. 511 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:17,880 It was done in a proper way. 512 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:20,440 And it wasn't a person. 513 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:22,620 Deers are not made in God's image. 514 00:31:22,620 --> 00:31:28,760 And if you want to learn about the awesome stewardship of hunting, and babe, this is 515 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:33,720 not my way of coming out that I am going to be a hunter, but understand, I mean, talk 516 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:35,640 to Jeff, talk to Colin, talk to her. 517 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:43,520 It is amazing the responsibility and the respect for the life of the animals in that whole 518 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:44,520 world. 519 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:46,520 I forgot half of what Colin told me. 520 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:48,340 But it's fascinating. 521 00:31:48,340 --> 00:31:53,400 But still someone was like, how can you respect an animal by shooting it? 522 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:55,080 Talk to Colin and talk to Jeff. 523 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:57,000 I'm passing that buck to them. 524 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:02,680 But understand that there is a divine protection on human beings. 525 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,440 God is the one because you belong to him. 526 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,240 He values you. 527 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:12,480 Jesus says, how many of you, if a son or a daughter asks for bread, you are going to 528 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:14,580 give him a snake. 529 00:32:14,580 --> 00:32:15,640 Jesus is right there. 530 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:23,320 The son and the father, same will, same protection on human life. 531 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:26,920 Jeremiah 1.5 speaks to this. 532 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,200 Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. 533 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:33,280 And before you were born, I consecrated you. 534 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,520 I have appointed you a prophet over the nation. 535 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:37,400 This is what he is saying to Jeremiah. 536 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:39,560 Leave that one up. 537 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:43,480 Because it also goes into Psalm 139. 538 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,680 Let me put the Psalm 139 one up. 539 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:48,240 We'll dive into that one. 540 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:50,680 This is God to you. 541 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:55,520 Whether it is a baby in the womb, whether it's Archie Besine at 97 and a half years 542 00:32:55,520 --> 00:33:02,720 old, I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 543 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,440 This is God's revelation to the Psalmist. 544 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:13,160 This is someone praising for the intricate nature. 545 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:17,000 But before I keep going, there is a third of you that just maybe tuned me out because 546 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:22,920 I said the word womb. 547 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:24,920 And I understand why. 548 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:29,640 I understand the political nature of that discussion. 549 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:34,400 Go talk to Cheyenne who is just down at the, or over in Washington at the Right to Life 550 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:35,760 March. 551 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:39,200 There are aspects of that whole movement I love. 552 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:42,680 I can't stand the politics of it. 553 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:44,400 And then you also have the pro-choice movement. 554 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:48,080 Told you it was going to be controversial. 555 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:55,880 But understand, right, one is based, I believe on godly things and one basis is not. 556 00:33:55,880 --> 00:34:01,280 But understand that there is still a through line of life. 557 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:05,080 Because I don't know if I've ever met a believer that is pro-abortion. 558 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:07,720 Right? 559 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:12,440 I don't believe that's a thing in my world. 560 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:14,880 Maybe you know them and maybe you need to have a conversation. 561 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:20,320 And putting a sign up and a megaphone reminding them of all of their sin, probably not the 562 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:22,800 best way to do it, just saying. 563 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:27,360 But walking alongside them and caring for all. 564 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:31,360 Why do you think we do TMC? 565 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:39,240 Because so many churches will tout that pro-life, pro-life, pro-life. 566 00:34:39,240 --> 00:34:42,880 And then do that when things get real. 567 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:44,960 I can't lead a church that way. 568 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:47,480 Monster Church is stepping toward that. 569 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:50,720 Saying, let us love you in this. 570 00:34:50,720 --> 00:34:53,220 Let us walk alongside you in this. 571 00:34:53,220 --> 00:34:57,120 And I understand there's a whole medical conversation that has to do with that. 572 00:34:57,120 --> 00:35:00,080 And if I had more time, we'd go into that. 573 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:03,280 But understand, God values why? 574 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:08,000 Because we're fearfully, we're wonderfully made. 575 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:09,960 Keep going. 576 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:12,080 Or is that it? 577 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:14,920 I praise you for I'm fearfully and wonderfully made. 578 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:15,920 Wonderful are your works. 579 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:19,720 My soul knows that all too well. 580 00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:26,200 That this process set forth by God in creation, it's not by happenstance. 581 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:27,640 It's not by coincidence. 582 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:32,240 It's not because of a mistake one night. 583 00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:36,640 That God is involved in all of this. 584 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:42,800 And I understand we have an opportunity to walk alongside all of those people. 585 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,120 All of those people struggling. 586 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:52,760 All of those people that have come to a decision and maybe made more of a negative one. 587 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:56,240 Maybe ended a life. 588 00:35:56,240 --> 00:36:01,060 Are we there to just throw those grenades? 589 00:36:01,060 --> 00:36:05,640 Are we going to be a people of wrath to remind other people of their sin? 590 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:11,320 Because if that's the case, then get in line so we can remind you about yours. 591 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:14,680 I'll be right in there, you can remind me about mine. 592 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:20,000 Thank God, Romans says, while we will sinners, Christ died for you and me. 593 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:22,760 He died for those moments in those clinics. 594 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:25,160 He's died for those moments in Israel. 595 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:31,800 He has died for those moments throughout biblical history. 596 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:41,480 And I can only imagine that God's up there sitting on his throne just doing one of these. 597 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:46,480 And some of you want to say, then God do something about it. 598 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:49,240 Wow. 599 00:36:49,240 --> 00:36:52,200 Who are we to tell God to do that? 600 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:56,080 And who are we to think that God's not doing something? 601 00:36:56,080 --> 00:37:00,760 Who are we to think that God is an absent God when he has told us, and has told us a 602 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:05,000 hundred times over, he is not. 603 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:13,160 But until we understand that we are not our own, we need to have better stewardship of 604 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:16,040 life itself. 605 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:21,100 Because life in this world is going to be messy. 606 00:37:21,100 --> 00:37:24,760 Life in this world is going to be dark. 607 00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:28,760 In this world, I'll close with this. 608 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:32,040 In this world, friends, you're going to have trouble. 609 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:33,960 You're going to have trouble in some of your thoughts. 610 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:38,880 You're going to struggle on what side of things you are. 611 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:49,000 Take a step back over the next ten months and see how divided this country is going 612 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,560 to get. 613 00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:57,520 Just take a step back and just see how divided it's going to get. 614 00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:59,360 I think we'd all call that trouble. 615 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:01,760 At least we should. 616 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:11,200 And thank God when Jesus is sitting with his disciples before his life is about to be taken, 617 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:16,920 reminds us in this world, you will have trouble. 618 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:18,480 Is that a question? 619 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:19,520 No. 620 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:21,440 Is that a, oh, you might? 621 00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:22,440 No. 622 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:24,440 You will have trouble. 623 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:33,880 The Munster Church, yes, this morning, those online, Jesus continues and says, take heart. 624 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:37,160 I have overcome the world. 625 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:38,800 More on that next week. 626 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:55,680 And may God keep you in good health forever. 627 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:57,860 Amen. 628 00:38:57,860 --> 00:39:02,660 Thank you.