WEBVTT 00:00:00.650 --> 00:00:06.710 We are continuing our Christian Foundations series 00:00:06.710 --> 00:00:12.349 that began with Psalm 37, Trust God and Do Good. 00:00:12.970 --> 00:00:17.170 Today the title of our sermon is Life -Centered 00:00:17.170 --> 00:00:21.550 and Rooted. Life -Centered and Rooted. And it 00:00:21.550 --> 00:00:24.890 will go through Genesis, part of Genesis chapter 00:00:24.890 --> 00:00:31.739 1 and chapters 2 today. Let us pray. Our God 00:00:31.739 --> 00:00:34.460 and our Father, we thank you for sending the 00:00:34.460 --> 00:00:37.320 Spirit to give us life and to empower us for 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:40.460 the call you have given us to carry your words 00:00:40.460 --> 00:00:43.539 of life to the ends of the earth. Please allow 00:00:43.539 --> 00:00:46.520 the words of my mouth and the meditations of 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:49.640 all our hearts to be acceptable in your sight, 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:53.079 O Lord, our rock and nearest kinsman, Redeemer, 00:00:53.479 --> 00:00:59.789 Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen. Our text 00:00:59.789 --> 00:01:03.109 today is found in Genesis chapter 1 beginning 00:01:03.109 --> 00:01:09.109 in verse 26. Then God said, let us make man in 00:01:09.109 --> 00:01:12.269 our image according to our likeness. Let them 00:01:12.269 --> 00:01:14.689 have dominion over the fish of the sea, over 00:01:14.689 --> 00:01:17.629 the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and 00:01:17.629 --> 00:01:20.989 over all the earth, and over every creeping thing 00:01:20.989 --> 00:01:24.569 that creeps on the earth. So God created man 00:01:24.569 --> 00:01:27.609 in his own image. In the image of God he created 00:01:27.609 --> 00:01:32.799 them. male and female. He created them. Then 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:36.159 God blessed them and God said to them, be fruitful 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:39.140 and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Have 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:41.280 dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:44.260 of the air, and over every living thing that 00:01:44.260 --> 00:01:48.180 moves on earth. These are the words of Almighty 00:01:48.180 --> 00:01:57.599 God. Receive them in your hearts. As a reminder, 00:01:57.819 --> 00:02:01.579 Sometime on Saturday evening I send out on the 00:02:01.579 --> 00:02:05.540 realm the listing of these three points and then 00:02:05.540 --> 00:02:08.639 the supporting verses either directly spoken 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:11.680 of although sometimes just for your information 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:14.560 There's a longer passage there that kind of gives 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:18.060 greater and more full context that I don't always 00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:21.479 get into all the details on a Sunday morning 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:24.099 So I encourage you to look on the realm look 00:02:24.099 --> 00:02:27.960 check your email box for those things So the 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:30.159 three things that I want us to see through this 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:35.560 passage today are this. We are created for worship. 00:02:36.659 --> 00:02:44.180 We are created for worship. God made all people, 00:02:45.060 --> 00:02:49.000 every single one of us, either male or female. 00:02:49.780 --> 00:02:57.460 God made all people either male or female. And 00:02:57.460 --> 00:03:01.039 there is but one mission. Final thing, there 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:05.340 is but one mission. Before we go all the way 00:03:05.340 --> 00:03:07.680 into this, I just want to say this. One of our 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:11.599 problems is we do not have a united mission a 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:14.759 lot of times in our churches and many times in 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:17.659 our households. We have to have a united mission. 00:03:17.699 --> 00:03:19.280 There's one mission. We're going to talk about 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:23.180 that today. And all of this is from a life centered 00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:28.379 from worship. rooted in creation life centered 00:03:28.379 --> 00:03:33.780 from worship and rooted in creation Satan is 00:03:33.780 --> 00:03:37.539 the enemy to truth and therefore an enemy of 00:03:37.539 --> 00:03:42.840 Christ and if an enemy of Christ then an enemy 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:47.580 to the bride of Christ the church as one commentator 00:03:47.580 --> 00:03:52.340 puts it Satan is destitute of truth his interest 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:57.750 in the world is supported by lies and falsehoods. 00:03:57.930 --> 00:04:03.289 Jesus himself said in John 844 that Satan was 00:04:03.289 --> 00:04:06.110 a murderer from the beginning and does not stand 00:04:06.110 --> 00:04:09.650 in the truth because there is no truth in him. 00:04:10.330 --> 00:04:15.210 When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own 00:04:15.210 --> 00:04:19.269 resources for he is a liar and the father of 00:04:19.269 --> 00:04:24.259 it. Those who would follow the father of lies 00:04:24.259 --> 00:04:28.120 and falsely shepherd God's people Jesus spoke 00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:31.680 of those folks in this way in John 10 that they're 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:35.680 a thief and that thief does not come except to 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:41.879 steal kill and destroy I This is Jesus speaking. 00:04:42.019 --> 00:04:45.939 I have come that they may have life and that 00:04:45.939 --> 00:04:51.290 they may have it more abundantly So the contrast 00:04:51.290 --> 00:04:57.610 is between lies, death, and destruction in Satan 00:04:57.610 --> 00:05:01.949 and his children or abundant life found only 00:05:01.949 --> 00:05:05.689 in Christ Jesus and by the power of the Spirit 00:05:05.689 --> 00:05:11.290 in this church. We are surrounded by a great 00:05:11.290 --> 00:05:17.069 many lies. I imagine even without the big things 00:05:17.069 --> 00:05:20.939 that have happened If you are 10 years older 00:05:20.939 --> 00:05:23.839 today, there were things that 10 years ago you 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:30.259 took for granted as truth. And then here you 00:05:30.259 --> 00:05:33.920 are 10 years later and you understand truth in 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:38.839 a very different fashion. We are surrounded by 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:42.360 a great many lies. Satan has more and more loudly 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:47.240 perpetuated lies about what we are made for and 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:52.170 our mission. in the world. And because all these 00:05:52.170 --> 00:05:57.889 lies are out there, and he brings lies, death, 00:05:57.990 --> 00:06:04.649 and destruction, confusion, anger, despair, and 00:06:04.649 --> 00:06:08.089 depression are the emotional and intellectual 00:06:08.089 --> 00:06:13.009 realities of our time. If we do not know who 00:06:13.009 --> 00:06:17.769 we are or what we are or what we are made for, 00:06:18.509 --> 00:06:23.209 We live a stymied and frustrating life Satan 00:06:23.209 --> 00:06:27.250 desires to steal kill and destroy mankind by 00:06:27.250 --> 00:06:32.329 countering God's design and mission for us Since 00:06:32.329 --> 00:06:35.430 we were made male and female and for dominion 00:06:35.430 --> 00:06:39.790 and fruitfulness all ideas and actions that strive 00:06:39.790 --> 00:06:44.589 to make people androgynous That's a big word 00:06:44.589 --> 00:06:47.500 kids out there. You're going Well, there goes 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:49.740 Pastor again saying something else I don't know. 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:57.339 So to be androgynous is in all things to be genderless. 00:06:57.819 --> 00:07:00.699 That is saying that, doesn't matter if you're 00:07:00.699 --> 00:07:05.740 male and female, all things are suitable. And 00:07:05.740 --> 00:07:10.360 this is counter to our God -given creational 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:16.490 identities and callings. To be androgynous, is 00:07:16.490 --> 00:07:20.490 defined as neutered. That is to say, you're not 00:07:20.490 --> 00:07:26.529 male or female. In being neutered, fruitfulness 00:07:26.529 --> 00:07:33.629 and dominion is taken away. It takes both sexes, 00:07:33.629 --> 00:07:38.509 male and female, to be fruitful and to take dominion 00:07:38.509 --> 00:07:41.790 as God has given it to you. It is no wonder that 00:07:41.790 --> 00:07:45.160 there is so much angst in the world. Satan has 00:07:45.160 --> 00:07:50.860 sold the lie of autonomy from God, escaping from 00:07:50.860 --> 00:07:56.100 the things that God has bound us with. Satan 00:07:56.100 --> 00:08:00.220 has sold that lie on every street corner and 00:08:00.220 --> 00:08:04.199 sometimes, yes, even sometimes in the church. 00:08:05.620 --> 00:08:10.310 So what are we made for and who are we? We are 00:08:10.310 --> 00:08:13.069 first created as worshippers of the Almighty 00:08:13.069 --> 00:08:17.250 Triune God. Dearly beloved, as the Word of God 00:08:17.250 --> 00:08:20.610 proclaims in so many places, starting in the 00:08:20.610 --> 00:08:25.250 Garden of Eden, we were made for face -to -face 00:08:25.250 --> 00:08:28.930 relationship with God with joyful obedience, 00:08:30.149 --> 00:08:34.730 melodic song, gratitude, humility, and a true 00:08:34.730 --> 00:08:40.580 table of breaking bread in His presence. This 00:08:40.580 --> 00:08:43.740 of course was disrupted by sin in the fall But 00:08:43.740 --> 00:08:47.019 God has been working his plan of reconciliation 00:08:47.019 --> 00:08:50.580 and redemption through his son Since the first 00:08:50.580 --> 00:08:54.440 Adam's fall and this was fulfilled in Christ 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:58.580 Jesus death on the cross resurrection Ascension 00:08:58.580 --> 00:09:02.539 and in ascending of the promised Holy Spirit 00:09:02.539 --> 00:09:06.879 To the earth to hover over his people and the 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:11.490 waters of baptism to transform our hearts, minds, 00:09:12.009 --> 00:09:17.110 affections, and actions. If we do not make Lord's 00:09:17.110 --> 00:09:20.289 Day worship and fellowship the center of our 00:09:20.289 --> 00:09:24.669 lives, everything else will be off and out of 00:09:24.669 --> 00:09:27.990 calibration. If we forsake the assembling of 00:09:27.990 --> 00:09:30.570 ourselves with God's people on the Lord's Day 00:09:30.570 --> 00:09:36.090 in worship, joyfully receiving His call, confessing 00:09:36.090 --> 00:09:39.899 our sins, being consecrated. Children, you know 00:09:39.899 --> 00:09:45.879 this. Being consecrated by the word sung, read, 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:51.080 and preached. Which is God, of course, changing 00:09:51.080 --> 00:09:54.179 us and turning us into a living sacrifice by 00:09:54.179 --> 00:09:57.700 His word, cutting us up, rearranging us, casting 00:09:57.700 --> 00:10:02.679 some things off, and then conforming us to Christ 00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:08.169 Jesus. And by being transformed by the fire of 00:10:08.169 --> 00:10:11.350 the Spirit, we are able to join the table of 00:10:11.350 --> 00:10:14.429 fellowship with God the Father through the Son 00:10:14.429 --> 00:10:21.250 by the power of the Spirit. This gracious unity 00:10:21.250 --> 00:10:25.269 with the Father and the whole congregation sets 00:10:25.269 --> 00:10:30.549 us up to be commissioned, flowing with the Spirit 00:10:30.549 --> 00:10:34.919 as the river of life to our separate posts. The 00:10:34.919 --> 00:10:39.139 river of life is flowing out into the world and 00:10:39.139 --> 00:10:42.860 you all have been given your outposts that is 00:10:42.860 --> 00:10:45.679 centered on the church and in worship and in 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:48.759 Christian fellowship and it is flowing out to 00:10:48.759 --> 00:10:57.899 your post. There we will produce fruit all year 00:10:57.899 --> 00:11:02.100 round transforming the nations. We must acknowledge 00:11:02.100 --> 00:11:05.379 that to take dominion and to be fruitful cannot 00:11:05.379 --> 00:11:11.860 be done in isolation from God or our fellow Christians. 00:11:12.980 --> 00:11:17.159 Our lives must be centered from worship. This 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:21.240 alone changes us and the world. You know, we 00:11:21.240 --> 00:11:29.399 often lack faith, stressing. Having difficulty 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:33.340 really believing that simply doing what God says 00:11:33.340 --> 00:11:39.360 and how he says it Will right the ship and see 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:43.940 the nations converted confessing Christ and Worshipping 00:11:43.940 --> 00:11:49.320 God and in all things living for him and his 00:11:49.320 --> 00:11:55.019 glory You know, especially for men we're doers 00:11:55.019 --> 00:11:58.240 right women are glorifiers men are doers We want 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:00.340 to get out there and we want to wrestle the world, 00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:01.899 and there's a place for that. We're going to 00:12:01.899 --> 00:12:06.500 get to that. But we have the tendency to want 00:12:06.500 --> 00:12:14.360 to fix everything. God reminds us that unless 00:12:14.360 --> 00:12:18.559 he builds the house, unless he builds the world, 00:12:19.940 --> 00:12:21.940 that is through his spirit, through his church, 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:25.600 through his people, that the laborers labor in 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:31.129 vain. I pray every morning that each of your 00:12:31.129 --> 00:12:33.450 mornings, you are praying, asking God to bless 00:12:33.450 --> 00:12:38.909 you, to build the house through you in morning 00:12:38.909 --> 00:12:41.009 prayers. And then reflecting at night, giving 00:12:41.009 --> 00:12:47.149 him thanksgiving and praise and assessing his 00:12:47.149 --> 00:12:56.419 work through you. The triune God created the 00:12:56.419 --> 00:12:59.100 heavens and the earth, not as something to be 00:12:59.100 --> 00:13:05.299 consumed, but as a tutor and a mission. In creation, 00:13:06.620 --> 00:13:12.240 we learn of God, Romans 1, and ourselves. Later 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:16.620 on in Romans 1, we learn all about how sinful 00:13:16.620 --> 00:13:19.720 and corrupt we are. And you know what else we 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:22.700 find in the scriptures? We find our mission. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:26.399 I'm going to list off a few scriptures here for 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:28.980 you, but we see our mission defined in Genesis 00:13:28.980 --> 00:13:38.100 1 28 Genesis 2 15 Genesis 9 1 Leviticus 26 19 00:13:38.100 --> 00:13:46.340 Matthew 6 10 and Matthew 28 18 through 20 and 00:13:46.340 --> 00:13:49.960 that's just to name a few I Know it doesn't seem 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:52.639 like for you But go read those. And again, I 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:57.000 sent that out to you. Go read it. The Christian 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:02.279 life is not merely intellectual or some kind 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:06.139 of spiritually, ethereal, mystical thing. This 00:14:06.139 --> 00:14:10.860 is the error of Gnosticism. You see, the heresy 00:14:10.860 --> 00:14:14.340 of Gnosticism is this, that our goal in life 00:14:14.340 --> 00:14:20.480 is to become so spiritual in some thing outside 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:28.919 of us, it's out there. But not to have it impact 00:14:28.919 --> 00:14:34.059 the world in which we live in. That soil outside, 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:39.700 our households, our buildings, everything that 00:14:39.700 --> 00:14:43.240 we do. God has a call for us and our mission 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:48.620 in all of those things. It's not simply out there. 00:14:48.990 --> 00:14:52.990 God made all things in his creation. And what 00:14:52.990 --> 00:14:57.889 did he do? He declared it good. And on the sixth 00:14:57.889 --> 00:15:01.750 day when he made man, he declared it what? Very 00:15:01.750 --> 00:15:08.070 good. God has been actively involved with his 00:15:08.070 --> 00:15:11.840 creation. God didn't just, okay. He created the 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:13.980 world, and He spun it out there, and it's just 00:15:13.980 --> 00:15:16.659 working, and He's way back here. No, He's been 00:15:16.659 --> 00:15:18.940 involved with this creation, especially men, 00:15:19.379 --> 00:15:23.139 since day one, and will be active in it with 00:15:23.139 --> 00:15:28.100 men throughout all of history and even throughout 00:15:28.100 --> 00:15:31.580 eternity. God the Father sent the Son into the 00:15:31.580 --> 00:15:33.480 world, and we see this magnified in this, that 00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:36.139 God the Father sent the Son into the world as 00:15:36.139 --> 00:15:39.929 a man in flesh, who as Titus 2 says, concerning 00:15:39.929 --> 00:15:45.830 our Savior, the God -man Jesus, who gave himself 00:15:45.830 --> 00:15:49.029 for us that he might redeem us from every lawless 00:15:49.029 --> 00:15:53.750 deed and purify for himself his own special people. 00:15:53.850 --> 00:15:58.830 And we could stop right there. Oh man, work of 00:15:58.830 --> 00:16:04.009 Christ for me. So good for the internal me. But 00:16:04.009 --> 00:16:06.389 it doesn't stop there. It says, zealous for good 00:16:06.389 --> 00:16:14.429 works. Trust God and do good God made all peoples 00:16:14.429 --> 00:16:19.470 from one man and one woman God created us in 00:16:19.470 --> 00:16:24.129 his image a relational creative and glorifying 00:16:24.129 --> 00:16:30.230 image As you know God took that which was Darkness 00:16:30.230 --> 00:16:34.429 formless and void and he filled it incrementally 00:16:34.429 --> 00:16:40.220 making it increasingly glorious and good each 00:16:40.220 --> 00:16:45.639 day. Now this is really important. Moms and dads, 00:16:46.200 --> 00:16:49.600 even moms and dads of older children, you look 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:52.860 at your children and you say, they're not done 00:16:52.860 --> 00:16:57.919 yet and they're wearing me out. You ever think 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:02.950 that? All right. Now, I hope you're not telling 00:17:02.950 --> 00:17:05.109 them that, but children, it is a reality. And 00:17:05.109 --> 00:17:07.549 so part of what you're supposed to do is joyfully 00:17:07.549 --> 00:17:10.769 obey your parents. Ask clarifying questions in 00:17:10.769 --> 00:17:14.309 a respectful manner. But you are glorifying God 00:17:14.309 --> 00:17:16.809 in your attitude towards your parents. Parents, 00:17:16.950 --> 00:17:19.490 your attitude towards everything you're doing. 00:17:19.769 --> 00:17:22.710 And I know, it feels like, oh, when they just 00:17:22.710 --> 00:17:26.809 get older. Well, I have children. My youngest 00:17:26.809 --> 00:17:31.250 turns 20 this week. Up to 35, and you know there's 00:17:31.250 --> 00:17:35.329 a mess of them. I see continuously areas they 00:17:35.329 --> 00:17:37.589 need to grow. It's not done. I'm praying. I'm 00:17:37.589 --> 00:17:41.670 working. My active work in it on a daily basis 00:17:41.670 --> 00:17:45.269 is significantly different. Actually, I think 00:17:45.269 --> 00:17:48.569 it takes even more prayer and more faith in God, 00:17:48.950 --> 00:17:51.650 more pleading with God when you have to step 00:17:51.650 --> 00:17:55.089 back from it than when you're actually in the 00:17:55.089 --> 00:18:00.500 midst of it. Turn to Jesus. lean on him, but 00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:04.740 understand that in God's instructions, what he 00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:07.299 teaches us, that he made things incrementally 00:18:07.299 --> 00:18:12.500 better over time, making it more and more glorious, 00:18:13.059 --> 00:18:16.759 more and more in some ways gratuitous. He could 00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:20.480 have given us food that was bland, but no, he 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:22.799 gave us this idea we make it incrementally better. 00:18:23.460 --> 00:18:26.920 What do animals do? They go and they just eat 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:31.829 their food. What do we do? We cook it. We season 00:18:31.829 --> 00:18:34.450 it. We figure out different ways to cook it and 00:18:34.450 --> 00:18:37.130 season it. We're constantly making it, changing 00:18:37.130 --> 00:18:43.829 it, glorifying it. When you get wore out in your 00:18:43.829 --> 00:18:48.650 marriages, child rearing, your vocations, and 00:18:48.650 --> 00:18:53.990 all the work in this world, ordinarily, what 00:18:53.990 --> 00:18:58.470 God is doing is teaching us that changes happen 00:18:58.599 --> 00:19:03.740 incrementally over time. Be patient. Be long 00:19:03.740 --> 00:19:09.039 -suffering. Be understanding. Be joyful in the 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:13.920 slow process. And I know, moms, dads, you're 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:18.900 thinking, this is the thousandth time. All right, 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:22.519 maybe it's the 888th time. But that I have told 00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:30.240 my child this. Trust God. Do good remain steady 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:39.559 and steadfast Do not be dismayed or disheartened 00:19:39.559 --> 00:19:43.640 or frustrated Be faithful trust God and do good 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:49.819 and watch what God does Slowly over time in every 00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:54.809 area of your life When God got to the sixth day 00:19:54.809 --> 00:19:58.329 his crowning creation was to make man And to 00:19:58.329 --> 00:20:02.650 make him in his image and to make them male and 00:20:02.650 --> 00:20:08.049 female There are only two genders male and female 00:20:08.049 --> 00:20:12.029 God by a sovereign will Chose for each one of 00:20:12.029 --> 00:20:15.009 you that you would either be male or female Children 00:20:15.009 --> 00:20:17.769 look up here look up here. This is really important. 00:20:17.789 --> 00:20:21.230 You have no idea the chaos That's going on in 00:20:21.230 --> 00:20:27.539 the world out there God sovereignly before the 00:20:27.539 --> 00:20:32.640 foundations of the world chose that you would 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:36.019 either be a girl or a boy. Don't wish you were 00:20:36.019 --> 00:20:40.839 a boy. Don't wish you were a girl. God made you 00:20:40.839 --> 00:20:45.819 this. Be joyfully content in it and find God's 00:20:45.819 --> 00:20:50.900 grace and glory for you in this of being male 00:20:50.900 --> 00:20:55.660 or female. For we are not to think that it would 00:20:55.660 --> 00:20:58.619 be better to reject what God has assigned us 00:20:58.619 --> 00:21:02.059 remember when we reject what God has given us 00:21:02.059 --> 00:21:08.000 We are charging God that he is sinned Lord have 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:17.380 mercy Rejoice in it being made male or female 00:21:17.380 --> 00:21:20.799 embrace your God given differences as men and 00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:26.589 women as they are glorious and yes, also important. 00:21:27.769 --> 00:21:29.750 We're gonna step a little deeper and look at 00:21:29.750 --> 00:21:33.630 the creational implications of this. In Genesis 00:21:33.630 --> 00:21:36.589 chapter two, beginning of verse 18, it says this, 00:21:37.170 --> 00:21:41.089 and Yahweh God said, it is not good that man 00:21:41.089 --> 00:21:43.869 should be alone. I will make him a helper comparable 00:21:43.869 --> 00:21:48.859 to him out of the ground. Yahweh, God, formed 00:21:48.859 --> 00:21:51.059 every beast of the field, every bird of the air, 00:21:51.099 --> 00:21:54.119 and brought them to Adam to see what he would 00:21:54.119 --> 00:21:57.119 call them. And whatever Adam called them, each 00:21:57.119 --> 00:22:01.019 living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave 00:22:01.019 --> 00:22:06.019 names to all the cattle, the birds of the air, 00:22:06.339 --> 00:22:09.359 and every beast of the field. But for Adam, there 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:16.960 was not found a helper comparable to him. The 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:18.680 first thing that we have to notice here is that 00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:21.599 God said it was not good for man to be alone 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:28.119 Okay, now we need to recognize That being made 00:22:28.119 --> 00:22:33.200 in his image the triune God Is three persons 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:38.019 distinct from one another Yet they are a perfect 00:22:38.019 --> 00:22:42.039 society of love who are distinct and yet submits 00:22:42.039 --> 00:22:44.700 to each other for the glory and benefit of others 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:49.500 having made man in their image, they see that 00:22:49.500 --> 00:22:55.940 man and his aloneness is not good. God brings 00:22:55.940 --> 00:23:00.759 all the animals who come from the same ground 00:23:00.759 --> 00:23:04.180 as Adam. This becomes very important, right? 00:23:04.279 --> 00:23:07.079 And so he does this. When God does this, he brings 00:23:07.079 --> 00:23:11.119 all the animals before him. Adam begins his place 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:15.670 of taking dominion. You see, naming things is 00:23:15.670 --> 00:23:18.890 Dominion over it. Have you ever driven by and 00:23:18.890 --> 00:23:22.529 seen a street name that had like a family name? 00:23:23.049 --> 00:23:26.029 Joe Carter Road. Ever seen something like that? 00:23:26.750 --> 00:23:28.630 It's like that all over the South, if it's not 00:23:28.630 --> 00:23:31.250 like that around here. I know in the city of 00:23:31.250 --> 00:23:33.789 Annapolis, you might not recognize it, they might 00:23:33.789 --> 00:23:35.730 not have the first name, but there's a lot of 00:23:35.730 --> 00:23:37.849 streets over there that are named after family 00:23:37.849 --> 00:23:41.230 names. That's not uncommon. Why do people do 00:23:41.230 --> 00:23:46.400 that? That's our street. We made that. We built 00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:49.539 that. We did those things. So here Adam is naming 00:23:49.539 --> 00:23:52.619 all the animals. He is taking dominion. When 00:23:52.619 --> 00:23:56.140 your parents name you children, names matter, 00:23:56.759 --> 00:24:01.940 and they chose your name. This is important. 00:24:03.339 --> 00:24:06.500 But you see, none of the animals were found as 00:24:06.500 --> 00:24:09.720 a comparable helper. Adam could guard and tend 00:24:09.720 --> 00:24:12.619 the garden. But he could not complete the task 00:24:12.619 --> 00:24:17.380 of fruitlessness or fruitless being fruit, fruitfulness. 00:24:17.900 --> 00:24:21.400 He could not complete the task of being fruitful 00:24:21.400 --> 00:24:25.279 and taking dominion over the whole earth alone. 00:24:26.619 --> 00:24:29.240 So God did something radically different to solve 00:24:29.240 --> 00:24:32.480 Adam's dilemma. God made the animals and Adam 00:24:32.480 --> 00:24:37.380 both from the dust of the earth. Adam. was different 00:24:37.380 --> 00:24:39.720 than the animals, and that God was intimate with 00:24:39.720 --> 00:24:42.980 him, and that he breathed his own breath into 00:24:42.980 --> 00:24:48.920 man. But his origin was still of the dust of 00:24:48.920 --> 00:24:53.839 the earth. In Genesis 221, we see this, and Yahweh 00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:57.339 God caused a deep sleep to fall on to Adam, and 00:24:57.339 --> 00:25:00.460 he slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed 00:25:00.460 --> 00:25:03.640 up the flesh in its place. And then the rib which 00:25:03.640 --> 00:25:06.599 Yahweh God had taken from the man, He made into 00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:10.859 a woman and He brought her to the man. God put 00:25:10.859 --> 00:25:14.579 Adam in a death sleep. And during this death 00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:19.019 sleep, God tore Adam open. That's what that word 00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:23.259 means. It's literally the word tear, tear open. 00:25:23.720 --> 00:25:27.180 These are the same words that are used for the 00:25:27.180 --> 00:25:30.140 sacrifices in the Old Testament where they tear 00:25:30.140 --> 00:25:37.799 an animal. in half. God tears him. And he took 00:25:37.799 --> 00:25:40.460 a piece of his side and made woman who would 00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:44.680 be his helper or easer, which is not like, you 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:48.200 know, you're on a carpentry work site, right? 00:25:48.940 --> 00:25:51.700 And you got the finished carpenter and he's doing 00:25:51.700 --> 00:25:54.480 all this. And you know, what does the helper 00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:56.779 do? He picks all the trash up off the ground. 00:25:57.140 --> 00:26:00.220 That's not a helper like that. This is a helper 00:26:00.220 --> 00:26:03.440 that helps him complete his mission in a glorious 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:09.779 fashion, in a distinctive way, as a woman. You 00:26:09.779 --> 00:26:12.720 know, God even uses this same word, helper, to 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:16.440 describe himself with covenant Israel. Happier 00:26:16.440 --> 00:26:19.859 you, O Israel, who was like you, a people saved 00:26:19.859 --> 00:26:23.960 by Yahweh, the shield of your help and a sword 00:26:23.960 --> 00:26:27.049 of your majesty. I'm certainly not saying that 00:26:27.049 --> 00:26:30.210 in this way God made woman comparable to himself, 00:26:30.890 --> 00:26:35.809 but that it is a glorious help. It's a help in 00:26:35.809 --> 00:26:41.509 a way in which a man cannot do on his own. Another 00:26:41.509 --> 00:26:44.329 reference for this is Psalm 146 .5. Happy is 00:26:44.329 --> 00:26:48.569 he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose 00:26:48.569 --> 00:26:51.990 hope is in Yahweh, his God. This helper for Adam 00:26:51.990 --> 00:26:56.369 is glorious and an end. A genuine need for him 00:26:56.369 --> 00:26:59.809 to be fruitful and take dominion. She is different 00:26:59.809 --> 00:27:04.029 from Adam, not just physically, but also in origin 00:27:04.029 --> 00:27:08.289 and purpose. God gives the man to the woman. 00:27:08.589 --> 00:27:14.190 And in verse 23 of chapter two, Adam says, this 00:27:14.190 --> 00:27:17.410 is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. 00:27:18.049 --> 00:27:20.509 She shall be called woman because she was taken 00:27:20.509 --> 00:27:23.779 out of man. Therefore a man shall leave his father 00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:25.660 or mother and be joined to his wife and they 00:27:25.660 --> 00:27:32.000 shall become one flesh Where we hear Adam first 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:38.059 speak it is in glorious poetic prose He didn't 00:27:38.059 --> 00:27:44.259 just speak it. It was a poetic prose Glorifying 00:27:44.259 --> 00:27:49.079 his words and thankfulness to God towards that 00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:57.380 woman Now Adam, which means from the ground or 00:27:57.380 --> 00:28:02.819 soil or Adama, right, he gets that name, that 00:28:02.819 --> 00:28:08.160 first name. He also has a second name, man, or 00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:12.279 ish. Adam's first name is rooted in his origin 00:28:12.279 --> 00:28:14.819 and his task to till the earth, to take dominion 00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:22.019 over the earth. And his new name, man, originates 00:28:22.019 --> 00:28:26.140 from his relationship or relation to his wife. 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:30.539 Two orientations, one for the task and one for 00:28:30.539 --> 00:28:35.779 his relationship with his wife. The woman also 00:28:35.779 --> 00:28:40.400 has two names. Isha, her name, that name being 00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:45.500 an origin out of man. That is to say, from man, 00:28:45.700 --> 00:28:50.150 woman. And of course later she gets Eve as relating 00:28:50.150 --> 00:28:57.069 to her orientation towards her children. They 00:28:57.069 --> 00:29:01.690 have one mission, to be fruitful, multiply, to 00:29:01.690 --> 00:29:06.049 take dominion to the earth. Now listen, I'm not 00:29:06.049 --> 00:29:10.250 talking about, not any couple in here. is set 00:29:10.250 --> 00:29:13.230 forth to rule the whole earth. That is Christ's 00:29:13.230 --> 00:29:16.210 job. But God has given you a particular place 00:29:16.210 --> 00:29:20.049 of responsibility, a particular patch of dirt, 00:29:20.869 --> 00:29:23.349 a particular vocation, a particular thing that 00:29:23.349 --> 00:29:28.269 He has called you and your household to. And 00:29:28.269 --> 00:29:30.890 that is your unified mission. If you have a divided 00:29:30.890 --> 00:29:36.789 mission, wife one way, man this way, in the larger 00:29:36.789 --> 00:29:40.400 mission goal, Your household's divided and cannot 00:29:40.400 --> 00:29:47.480 stand. That's what the scriptures teach us. They 00:29:47.480 --> 00:29:50.759 have one mission that's gloriously and radically 00:29:50.759 --> 00:29:53.980 different orientations in that united mission. 00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:59.240 God created Adam and Eve and so all mankind in 00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:03.660 His image and male and female. Even in the fall, 00:30:04.579 --> 00:30:08.359 the curses of sin are linked. to their pre -fall 00:30:08.359 --> 00:30:11.940 orientations. And I know you're saying, Pastor, 00:30:12.099 --> 00:30:14.960 this is probably getting complicated. Hang with 00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:19.480 me because this is important. Here's what God 00:30:19.480 --> 00:30:21.740 said after the fall. I will greatly multiply 00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:25.299 your sorrow to the woman, and your conception 00:30:25.299 --> 00:30:27.279 in pain you shall bring forth children, and your 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:29.859 desire shall be for your husband, and he shall 00:30:29.859 --> 00:30:33.420 rule over you. Those curses are tied to what? 00:30:34.600 --> 00:30:38.380 Her orientations of her names who she is She 00:30:38.380 --> 00:30:42.880 came from man desire for her husband Childbirth 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:46.740 her orientation towards her children's her origin 00:30:46.740 --> 00:30:51.700 and orientation and to the man he says this Cursed 00:30:51.700 --> 00:30:54.559 is the ground for your sake and toil you shall 00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:57.339 eat it all the days of your life Both thorns 00:30:57.339 --> 00:31:00.400 and thistles shall bring forth for you and you 00:31:00.400 --> 00:31:03.240 shall eat the herb of the field and in the sweat 00:31:03.240 --> 00:31:05.660 of your face you shall eat the bread till you 00:31:05.660 --> 00:31:08.460 return to the ground. For out of it you were 00:31:08.460 --> 00:31:14.000 taken, for dust you are, and dust you shall return." 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:17.400 The point of all this is to point out that for 00:31:17.400 --> 00:31:20.740 every man and woman there are in God's creation 00:31:20.740 --> 00:31:24.460 order not only differences physically, but also 00:31:24.460 --> 00:31:28.140 differences in orientation. God has made men 00:31:28.140 --> 00:31:31.670 and women for different things. And when wicked 00:31:31.670 --> 00:31:35.250 men and gullible women attempt to change what 00:31:35.250 --> 00:31:38.890 God has sovereignly proclaimed in both creation 00:31:38.890 --> 00:31:44.170 and his revealed word, it brings hardship and 00:31:44.170 --> 00:31:49.569 destruction to all people and the whole world. 00:31:50.849 --> 00:31:53.369 There is something else of note here and that 00:31:53.369 --> 00:31:57.440 is, That there are obviously built -in potential 00:31:57.440 --> 00:32:03.259 struggles in balancing dual orientations Okay 00:32:03.259 --> 00:32:09.200 By that I mean if the man's orientation is towards 00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:13.059 his labor and vocation and towards his wife and 00:32:13.059 --> 00:32:19.160 his wife's orientation Excuse me to her husband 00:32:19.160 --> 00:32:24.140 and to her children right There are built -in 00:32:24.140 --> 00:32:26.779 tensions. You don't have to add any sin in it. 00:32:27.339 --> 00:32:29.420 There's just built -in tensions there. Am I right? 00:32:30.299 --> 00:32:31.740 If you've been married a little while, you know 00:32:31.740 --> 00:32:38.400 that's true. Here's the thing. This is a feature 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:42.900 and not a bug, as these were put in place before 00:32:42.900 --> 00:32:47.880 sin entered the world. God did this when He created 00:32:47.880 --> 00:32:51.319 all of these things and people in this way. And 00:32:51.319 --> 00:32:56.880 he said it was very good. So by God's design, 00:32:57.180 --> 00:33:01.680 there is a built -in sinless strife and conflict 00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:06.359 so that we may mature to greater glory in imaging 00:33:06.359 --> 00:33:11.920 our God. Don't try to make your wife like a man 00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:15.779 or your husband like a woman. Or for that matter, 00:33:16.339 --> 00:33:18.880 don't mess around with your children in that 00:33:18.880 --> 00:33:23.069 same way. Mothers. Don't try to turn your boys 00:33:23.069 --> 00:33:27.529 into little girls. That's usually the problem 00:33:27.529 --> 00:33:30.950 that we have, but also don't turn your girls 00:33:30.950 --> 00:33:37.170 into boys. We talked about this strife just a 00:33:37.170 --> 00:33:39.089 little bit. Have you ever thought to yourself, 00:33:39.789 --> 00:33:43.250 husbands, why does she have so many words, so 00:33:43.250 --> 00:33:47.450 many details, so many things? I wish you'd just 00:33:47.450 --> 00:33:51.470 get to the point. So I could tell her how to 00:33:51.470 --> 00:33:56.730 solve it Okay, or on the other side of it wives 00:33:56.730 --> 00:33:59.390 have you ever thought to your husband? Why is 00:33:59.390 --> 00:34:02.890 he so obtuse and mysterious and not really saying 00:34:02.890 --> 00:34:06.029 what's on his mind and? When he does it comes 00:34:06.029 --> 00:34:11.409 out like a hammer Am I speaking reality here 00:34:11.409 --> 00:34:18.469 So some of that is built in by God's design and 00:34:18.469 --> 00:34:21.860 it isn't sin You have to recognize that you have 00:34:21.860 --> 00:34:26.159 these dual orientations. Now, here's the thing. 00:34:27.019 --> 00:34:31.699 In our sinfulness, we often default to dealing 00:34:31.699 --> 00:34:34.460 with those things in very sinful ways towards 00:34:34.460 --> 00:34:40.940 one another. Am I telling the truth? Discontent, 00:34:41.320 --> 00:34:47.179 anger, impatience. But what God has done here, 00:34:47.690 --> 00:34:51.110 is He has given us a way to mature. And we can 00:34:51.110 --> 00:34:54.650 do it in a God -honoring way, glorifying and 00:34:54.650 --> 00:34:57.030 being thankful for these wonderful differences. 00:34:57.750 --> 00:34:59.730 I'm just going to tell you, if I had to mother 00:34:59.730 --> 00:35:01.769 my children, if my wife would have died after 00:35:01.769 --> 00:35:04.969 child number eight was born, I didn't need help. 00:35:06.429 --> 00:35:09.590 It had been a wreck. Praise God for His sustenance 00:35:09.590 --> 00:35:18.139 in that. I'm not fit and cut out to mother. You 00:35:18.139 --> 00:35:22.639 see, all of this is for our Christian maturity. 00:35:23.039 --> 00:35:26.119 This becomes like two voices singing in harmony, 00:35:26.719 --> 00:35:31.420 or two dancers who flow about in glorious choreography 00:35:31.420 --> 00:35:37.519 developed incrementally over many years. By God's 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:40.300 design and marriage, we radiate God's image in 00:35:40.300 --> 00:35:44.119 a way that cannot be done without both one man 00:35:44.119 --> 00:35:48.510 and one woman. So we are able to complete our 00:35:48.510 --> 00:35:53.809 mission given to us by God That is taking dominion 00:35:53.809 --> 00:35:56.010 and being fruitful and multiplying filling the 00:35:56.010 --> 00:36:02.530 earth In God's image taking the area of responsibility 00:36:02.530 --> 00:36:06.050 in our realm given to us by God and Rearranging 00:36:06.050 --> 00:36:08.630 it so that God's will in heaven is done here 00:36:08.630 --> 00:36:12.670 on earth When this happens we are truly fulfilling 00:36:12.670 --> 00:36:16.650 Matthew chapter 5 where Jesus says You are the 00:36:16.650 --> 00:36:20.110 light of the world a city set on a hill cannot 00:36:20.110 --> 00:36:24.230 be hidden Listen when we live as Christian families 00:36:24.230 --> 00:36:27.889 as we live as a unified Christian church When 00:36:27.889 --> 00:36:30.409 we have a centralized mission of worshipping 00:36:30.409 --> 00:36:34.170 God and flowing out from that Living as God has 00:36:34.170 --> 00:36:41.699 designed us to live and taught us to live Right? 00:36:41.900 --> 00:36:46.539 It is radically different. And people see that 00:36:46.539 --> 00:36:49.500 and go, what is that? And Peter tells us, what? 00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:54.679 Be prepared for the answer when they ask you. 00:36:55.980 --> 00:36:58.679 It also says, do they not light a lamp and put 00:36:58.679 --> 00:37:01.139 it under a basket? No, but on a lamp stand. And 00:37:01.139 --> 00:37:04.400 it gives light to all who are in the house. Let 00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:07.139 your light so shine before men that they may 00:37:07.139 --> 00:37:11.920 see your what? Your good works. On your inside, 00:37:12.139 --> 00:37:14.380 internalized, that are never shared with anyone 00:37:14.380 --> 00:37:18.519 else, know in every aspect and every area of 00:37:18.519 --> 00:37:25.800 your life. See your good works and glorify your 00:37:25.800 --> 00:37:29.719 Father in heaven. This is converting the nations. 00:37:30.900 --> 00:37:33.099 Now for those who are single, there are several 00:37:33.099 --> 00:37:37.360 things to know. Yes, God's ordinary means for 00:37:37.360 --> 00:37:41.559 transformation of the world is worship. and marriage. 00:37:43.599 --> 00:37:47.440 And this can be a hard thing because some of 00:37:47.440 --> 00:37:50.380 us are having difficulty finding a partner. Some 00:37:50.380 --> 00:37:53.420 of you may be widowed. Some of you may have some 00:37:53.420 --> 00:37:57.440 type of hardship that is preventing you. Now 00:37:57.440 --> 00:38:02.159 Jesus says this in Matthew 19 in a discussion 00:38:02.159 --> 00:38:05.039 with his disciples after speaking to some lawyers. 00:38:05.820 --> 00:38:08.860 Right on marriage and divorce and he says this 00:38:08.860 --> 00:38:11.179 when he's speaking about the challenges of marriage 00:38:11.179 --> 00:38:14.219 And I say to you whoever divorces his wife except 00:38:14.219 --> 00:38:16.639 for sexual immorality and marries another commits 00:38:16.639 --> 00:38:19.480 adultery and whoever marries her who is divorced 00:38:19.480 --> 00:38:23.400 commits adultery and in this point where Jesus 00:38:23.400 --> 00:38:27.679 is talking about faithfulness fidelity and particularized 00:38:27.679 --> 00:38:34.900 reasons For divorce not easy divorce Not just 00:38:34.900 --> 00:38:36.480 because we don't feel like we want to work on 00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:40.780 it anymore. His disciples said to him, if such 00:38:40.780 --> 00:38:44.960 is the case of the man with his wife, it is better 00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:49.019 not to marry. They're like, man, if this is the 00:38:49.019 --> 00:38:52.579 burden, maybe it's just better not to get married. 00:38:54.280 --> 00:38:58.960 Jesus responded and said to them, all cannot 00:38:58.960 --> 00:39:01.260 accept the saying, but only those whom it has 00:39:01.260 --> 00:39:05.489 been given. So there's a norm and there are a 00:39:05.489 --> 00:39:08.429 select few that are given this or sometimes it's 00:39:08.429 --> 00:39:11.130 for a period of time For there are eunuchs who 00:39:11.130 --> 00:39:14.750 were born thus from their mother's womb and it 00:39:14.750 --> 00:39:18.869 could be disease or malformity or other sovereignly 00:39:18.869 --> 00:39:21.610 arranged things by God and there are eunuchs 00:39:21.610 --> 00:39:25.630 who were made eunuchs by men mutilation and There 00:39:25.630 --> 00:39:27.449 are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs 00:39:27.449 --> 00:39:30.510 for the kingdom of heaven's sake he who is able 00:39:30.510 --> 00:39:33.880 to accept it Let him accept it. Now listen to 00:39:33.880 --> 00:39:38.139 me for just a moment here. Jesus is talking about 00:39:38.139 --> 00:39:40.559 a very small narrow, even for those that are 00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:43.500 dedicated themselves to God. This is a very small 00:39:43.500 --> 00:39:45.980 narrow thing. There's a lot of bad teaching on 00:39:45.980 --> 00:39:48.119 this. They're telling young people, oh, go live 00:39:48.119 --> 00:39:51.639 your life. Go figure it out. Have children later. 00:39:51.679 --> 00:39:55.659 Get married later. No, no. No, no. God has made 00:39:55.659 --> 00:39:59.340 you for this. This is part of his working in 00:39:59.340 --> 00:40:03.570 your life. Seek marriage, seek the good things. 00:40:05.869 --> 00:40:11.050 And for those who are in a difficult spot, sovereignly 00:40:11.050 --> 00:40:14.469 administered to by God, be joyfully content, 00:40:14.610 --> 00:40:17.130 keep asking him for relief, keep working through 00:40:17.130 --> 00:40:22.849 these things. And in the meantime, understand 00:40:22.849 --> 00:40:27.010 that God does call a few and he has a plan for 00:40:27.010 --> 00:40:31.929 them to be fruitful. Where do we see this? Acts 00:40:31.929 --> 00:40:37.449 chapter 8 with the Ethiopian eunuch, right? He 00:40:37.449 --> 00:40:40.909 is saved, and he carried back the gospel and 00:40:40.909 --> 00:40:44.750 established the church in Ethiopia. We could 00:40:44.750 --> 00:40:47.050 certainly say Paul, who at least at the time 00:40:47.050 --> 00:40:48.989 that he was writing that, had not been married 00:40:48.989 --> 00:40:50.969 or was not married at that time. We don't know 00:40:50.969 --> 00:40:53.170 what happened beforehand, and he never speaks 00:40:53.170 --> 00:40:56.570 to it. But by the Spirit, he certainly speaks 00:40:56.570 --> 00:40:58.489 with a lot of wisdom to married folk, I'll tell 00:40:58.489 --> 00:41:02.630 you that. We also see in Jeremiah 11, this is 00:41:02.630 --> 00:41:05.389 where it's, again, very narrow, where God actually 00:41:05.389 --> 00:41:08.130 tells the prophet not to get married and not 00:41:08.130 --> 00:41:10.710 to have children, and yet through the prophet 00:41:10.710 --> 00:41:16.010 of Jeremiah, many were saved, edified, and blessed 00:41:16.010 --> 00:41:22.469 by his work for the kingdom of heaven. These 00:41:22.469 --> 00:41:27.190 are special circumstances and not the norm. Do 00:41:27.190 --> 00:41:30.260 not become discouraged. no matter which side 00:41:30.260 --> 00:41:34.559 you're on here, whatever your circumstances you're 00:41:34.559 --> 00:41:38.460 in, joyfully accept that you were made male or 00:41:38.460 --> 00:41:43.760 female, joyfully and obediently love one another, 00:41:44.360 --> 00:41:48.719 serve Christ, be a blessing. And of course, all 00:41:48.719 --> 00:41:51.559 of this, we say like, this stuff is just beyond 00:41:51.559 --> 00:41:55.920 me. I'm having so much difficulty carrying the 00:41:55.920 --> 00:41:59.619 load of these things. Well remember and I don't 00:41:59.619 --> 00:42:01.699 want to belabor it I keep bringing it up almost 00:42:01.699 --> 00:42:04.039 every single week since we started this series 00:42:04.039 --> 00:42:10.679 in John 14 Right We're not left to make bricks 00:42:10.679 --> 00:42:13.820 without straw. We are not orphans because Jesus 00:42:13.820 --> 00:42:18.420 Always keeps his word He says this if you love 00:42:18.420 --> 00:42:21.599 me keep my commandments And I will pray the father 00:42:21.599 --> 00:42:25.159 and he will give you another helper and he that 00:42:25.159 --> 00:42:28.440 he may abide with you forever the spirit of truth, 00:42:28.780 --> 00:42:31.539 whom the world cannot receive because it neither 00:42:31.539 --> 00:42:34.880 sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for 00:42:34.880 --> 00:42:38.599 he dwells with you and will be in you. I will 00:42:38.599 --> 00:42:42.199 not leave you as orphans. I will come to you." 00:42:42.199 --> 00:42:45.340 That should encourage us. It is the work of Christ 00:42:45.340 --> 00:42:48.099 that reconciles us to the Father and the power 00:42:48.099 --> 00:42:51.099 of the Spirit that enables us to do all of these 00:42:51.099 --> 00:42:54.920 things. Because of our loving Father sent the 00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:58.119 Son to die, and rise again we are delivered from 00:42:58.119 --> 00:43:01.380 our sins and now the Holy Spirit proceeds from 00:43:01.380 --> 00:43:05.139 the Father and the Son and in that we can know 00:43:05.139 --> 00:43:08.800 that we are created for worship and that God 00:43:08.800 --> 00:43:11.780 has sovereignly made all people male or female 00:43:11.780 --> 00:43:15.780 and so we can live out our one mission a life 00:43:15.780 --> 00:43:20.760 centered on worship and rooted in creation. Let 00:43:20.760 --> 00:43:25.199 us pray. Our God and our Father we give you thanks. 00:43:25.280 --> 00:43:28.420 for the revelation of your word. We praise you 00:43:28.420 --> 00:43:30.760 that you have created the universe and made us 00:43:30.760 --> 00:43:34.860 uniquely in your image and male and female. With 00:43:34.860 --> 00:43:37.820 joyful and humble gratitude, we thank you for 00:43:37.820 --> 00:43:42.079 making us men and women and the glorious and 00:43:42.079 --> 00:43:44.980 gloriously found in our radical differences in 00:43:44.980 --> 00:43:48.019 our singular mission. Help us, we pray, to embrace 00:43:48.019 --> 00:43:50.980 the truths of Your Word and stand to our assigned 00:43:50.980 --> 00:43:54.179 post, trusting in You and joyfully doing good. 00:43:54.699 --> 00:43:57.059 We ask all this for the sake of Jesus Christ, 00:43:57.139 --> 00:44:00.239 Your Son, who reigns with You in the Holy Spirit, 00:44:00.599 --> 00:44:01.579 world without end.