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Good morning. How are you all doing today? Excellent. Hey, we like to start our

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services here by saying welcome to anybody that's here in our sanctuary for

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the first time or if you're joining us online for the first time, welcome. We're

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so glad you're here to worship with us today. I am Pastor Nathan and this

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morning we're going to be looking at the time leading up to the great flood, a

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time of great sin, great wickedness, and we're going to be dealing with some

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mysteries today like who the sons of God are, who are what the Nephilim are, what

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they might be, but I think the bigger thing we're going to be looking at today is

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the grief of our Creator, the grief he had at the very sad state of his beloved

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creation. You know, we all remember back in the beginning of Genesis God created

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a perfect paradise, a perfect biosphere ruled over by his crowning creation, man

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and woman who were created in his image, and there was an image that that allowed

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us, unlike the animals and plants and everything else other than the angels,

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allowed us to be able to hear his voice through his own speaking, through his

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word, to even see his existence in what he has created. It also allowed us to

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understand his word and then to live according to his word. But the choice

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that mankind made to disobey God's one and only commandment, which introduced

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the full knowledge of good and evil into man's heart, led to a steady degradation

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of man's morality. As first, evil became an option, and then as we're going to see

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today, the preference of mankind. All a growing cancer that escalated moral

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decline through the generations that followed after Adam and Eve. Now as

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mankind pursued deeper and deeper wickedness, expressed among other things

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in the perversion of marriage and the celebration of violence, God's heart was

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filled with more and more sorrow. Now there were temporary spiritual boosts

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during this time, namely with a man named Enoch, who we looked at last time and

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said he walked with God. And his testimony, I believe, surely led to many

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people during those times to come to faithfulness and belief in God their

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creator. But after he was taken, without ever having to experience physical

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death, I believe that as hundreds of years passed and as discussions were had

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by many about who he was in the life he lived, the majority of people, the memory

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of Enoch, began to fade. Say, well that was so long ago. You know, it was a

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different time then, are things they might have said when people would bring

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up Enoch in his life and his testimony. And so the pre-flood culture just

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continued and really began a serious headlong plunge into depravity that was

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so deep that it deserved to die. Now the account recorded here in the beginning

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of Genesis 6 is appalling, but it should also be sobering to us because what we

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see here in all of this, what we see like in most of the record of the sad and

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depressing and just horrible decline of mankind, we see that there is still grace

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from a personal God who is intimately connected, who cares about us, who knows

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about us, who watches us and desires the best for us. A personal God who is

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grieved when we sin, but also a personal God who loves us so much that he

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provided the way to salvation. And all that reminds us as we look at these

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scriptures today that as our modern-day culture marches deeper and deeper into

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depravity, even though we, mankind as a whole, his creation grieve him more and

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more, there is still grace to be found for those who find favor with the Lord.

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Let's pray. Father, we love you. God, we're so grateful for who you are. God, we know

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that the number of days we have on this earth are limited. And God, every day we

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have on this earth is an opportunity to live in faith and belief in who you are.

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Lord, those of us that know you as our personal Lord and Savior, God, our lives

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have been changed. But Lord, we live today in a day of wickedness. God, as we look

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around our culture and we just see the the perversion of marriage and the

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depravity and sexuality and the celebration of violence. Lord, as we look

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at all of this, we say, Lord, come quickly. But at the same time, God, there are those

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out there who don't yet know you, Lord. And you are patient and long

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suffering that they would have the opportunity to hear your gospel and

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respond. But Lord, like Enoch and Noah, we as your people, we're called to be the

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preachers of righteousness, to live righteousness, to share righteousness, to

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share with people not only the promises of God but the warnings of God that

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judgment is coming. And so God, may we be encouraged today to be who you've

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created us to be, Lord. As we look at the parallels between the days of Noah and

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the days we live in. God, as we see the great wickedness that was taking place,

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Lord, and see the parallels in our day, we would be reminded, Lord, that as Noah

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found favor in the sight of the Lord, so do all who call upon the name of Jesus

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Christ. Lord, speak to us today. God, we want to start by worshiping you because

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Lord, you have saved us. Lord, we have salvation from the judgment to come. We

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have salvation from the power and effect of sin in our own lives. And

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God, it's not because of anything we did but because of what you did. And we have

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faith in that, Lord. We celebrate you. We praise you. We love you, God. Lord, be

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blessed as we worship you and speak to us today in your word. It's in Jesus' name

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we pray, amen. We are in Genesis chapter 6. We're gonna be looking at verses 1

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through 8 today. And this whole section is really a what the world looked like

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before the flood, right? This is the what happened right before the flood. This is

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the story of what God did, how he led Noah to build the ark, and all of that.

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But these first eight verses we're looking at are what set the scene. They

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set the scene of how bad things were at that time. Now the contrast that is

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pretty interesting because chapter 5 of Genesis ended on a very hopeful note. We

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had the genealogy of Seth and the last person in that genealogy was Noah. And so

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Lamech gave birth to Noah and his sons and and that was a very hopeful moment

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there because of course we know the end of the story, right? We know Noah means

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the ark and salvation and humanity goes on but the point of that is to show us

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that there is hope there. Now the hope was really big because in chapter 4 it

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says that Seth gave birth to Enosh and his line were the ones that began to

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call upon the name of the Lord. So we get to his genealogy and we're like oh

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everything got better, right? You know there's Christians in the world,

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everything changed, right? Well when we open this chapter it comes to a very

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bleak description of the condition of mankind. This is where we transition into

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what's called the flood narrative and what we're gonna see here is a condition

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of the world right before the flood happened and we're gonna see some very

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interesting parallels that the condition of the world then is very very much like

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the condition of the world today. But before we get there I want you to

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understand that the reason we see parallels between this is because Jesus

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in Luke chapter 17 verse 26 said this, just as it was in the days of Noah so it

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will be in the days of the Son of Man. People went on eating and drinking and

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marrying and being given in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark and

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then the flood came and destroyed them all. What we're gonna see today is that

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the days of Noah are a time where mankind was completely totally depraved.

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Sin had just consumed everything and they were just pursuing wickedness and

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just debauchery and they didn't care about it and that is the defining

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characteristic. You see this is a time where God and his judgment wasn't a

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thought in their mind nor a care of their heart. But even worse than that is

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that I believe that they knew of God and they knew of God's warnings and they

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simply didn't care. I don't care if God is real or not I'm gonna pursue whatever

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I want to pursue. Yeah but I don't care. I just want to pursue whatever I want, my

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pleasures, my own stuff and that's what we're gonna see today. Throughout today's

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text as I said we're gonna see many parallels to our modern culture as it

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marches towards destruction and the story here opens up with what many agree

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is the most debated text in Genesis and it demonstrates the first two parallels

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to our world today. One being the increase dramatic increase in world

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population and increasing sexual depravity and so please read with me in

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Genesis chapter 6 starting in verse 1. It says when mankind began to multiply on

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the earth and daughters were born to them the sons of God saw that the

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daughters of mankind were beautiful and they took any they chose as wives for

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themselves and the Lord said my spirit will not remain with mankind forever

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because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years. The Nephilim were on the

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earth both in those days and afterward when the sons of God came to the

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daughters of mankind who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of

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old, the famous men. And so the chapter opens up they're telling us that man was

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multiplying when man began to multiply right. This could be referring to just

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everything back from the beginning or it's referring that at this moment right

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as the genealogies are developing mankind was developed or multiplying

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rapidly and under we can understand that it was due mainly to the longevity of

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human lives right. You know how many babies can you have in 900 years right.

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People have a lot of babies in 80 years and you know you have those people that

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have like 12 kids and 15 kids and you're like you know do you sleep right and

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it's like but but that's in the lifespans we have today but imagine

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living hundreds and hundreds of years and how many kids one could have. You

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know there was a book written by John Whitcomb and Harry Morris called the

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Genesis Flood and they were scientists who did a scientific analysis of the

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first 11 chapters of Genesis from a creationist point of view and among all

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of their stuff in that book they actually did what was called like a

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population study to estimate how many people were on the earth during the

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pre-flood times and leading up to the flood. And what they found is is they

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they tried to figure out what might be the average number of children in each

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generation going through you know the the generation of Seth and stuff and the

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numbers they came up with said this that they estimated that by the time we got

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to Genesis 6 1 there was 774 million people on earth. That's a lot of babies.

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Then they estimated that at the rate of growth by the time the flood actually

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hit there was actually 1 billion people upon the earth. Now by the time the flood

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hit there had only been about 2,000 years of history but again with each

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generation multiplying and then their kids multiplying as the previous

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generation is still alive multiplying and on and on and on and on a lot of

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people were on the earth at that time. Now how long did it take mankind to get

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back to a billion people after the flood right? We know that life spans decreased

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radically and it's estimated that during the time of Jesus there was about 250

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million people on the planet. It wasn't until the 1800s that the population of

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earth reached 1 billion people. That was a long time. But then 1927 we hit 2 billion.

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1960 we hit 3 billion. 1975 we hit 4 billion. 1988 we hit 5 billion. Ten years

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later in 98-99 we hit 6 billion. 2011 we hit 7 billion and in 2022 we hit 8

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billion people on planet earth. You know that's just exponential multiplication

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because you'll notice the time between each new milestone got shorter and

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shorter and shorter and this is happening even with our society murdering 50

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million children before they're even born. And so we see that just like in the

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days of Noah the population was booming radically and faster and faster. The

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second parallel we see from the story to today is this increasing sexual

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perversion and deviancy. You see we have these interesting details in the

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beginning here that the sons of God saw the sons of daughters or the daughters

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of mankind that they were beautiful and they took them as wives. They took any

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they chose and so that and another piece of scripture we're gonna look at

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a little bit later give the idea that this wasn't a friendly marrying of

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people. That it was kind of brutal and it was just taking. There was sexual

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violence here as we're gonna see in a little bit but this these pieces of the

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scripture here are hotly debated by people you know because people want to

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know what are the sons of God? What are the daughters of men? And then the answer

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to that question has effect on the answer to the next question who are the

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Nephilim and what are they and what's that all about? And so I want to dig

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through this a little bit for you just to tell you this we don't know. Okay

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there's speculation and I'm gonna address some of those you know because

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this stuff comes up in conversation periodically with people but ultimately

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we're not a hundred percent sure okay so when it comes to the sons of God people

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go who are they? There's three major interpretations of this. The one first

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major interpretation is that the sons of God are the the people born of the

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Sethite line and the daughters of mankind are the people born of the

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Cainites right? And so it was these two people that that that married together

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and so on and so forth and the supporters of that interpretation look

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at the context of chapter 4 and chapter 5 right? They go chapter 4 we had the line

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of Cain, chapter 5 we had the line of Seth and so therefore the people getting

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married here the context stipulates that it's those two groups of people

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possible. The second major interpretation is that the sons of God is referring to

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powerful human rulers right? Warlords and in people that would just kind of

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dominate and then the daughters of mankind were simply daughters of

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mankind and this was the beginning of of harems and that type of thing because

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what they what people who support that interpretation they go back to you know

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we were told in Cain's line you had this man Lamech who really introduced

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polygamy and multiple wives thing a violation of what God intended for

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marriage and so we see that going on here and the reason people some people

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support that is there's some ancient Eastern non biblical manuscripts where

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sometimes great rulers and powerful men are referred to as sons of the gods. So

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people grab that and they go oh that's what it means in the Bible. Problem is is

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there not very many places in the Bible that take a secular definition of things

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and go yeah that's what it means in God's Word. It's usually the other way

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around or it's a perversion so but people do hold to that and then the

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third major translation or interpretation is that the sons of God

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here are fallen angels demons as the New Testament calls them and these are

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fallen angels who then go on to procreate with human women. Now again

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challenging the first two interpretations is that Genesis 6 the

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beginning here is really setting the table setting the scene for why God

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flooded the whole planet right that's a pretty extreme judgment and so

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something really bad had to have been happening on earth to do that well up to

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this point in Scripture we have read no specific prohibition by God that says

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hey Sethites you cannot marry Canaanites right no prohibition here it doesn't

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mean it wasn't there but it's not recorded in Scripture for us and so what

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we see here is its humans marrying humans if you ascribe to the first two

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interpretations of what the sons of God's are now it's humans marrying

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humans having kids that's what God wanted us to do that was the the

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beginning be fruitful multiply right so it's it's hard for me to go well there

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are humans marrying humans whether they were Sethite Canaanite or otherwise

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having children and there was something so bad about that that God flooded the

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entire world it seems to be pretty extreme and to me it seems to be that

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the sin that was taking place here was was uniquely greater than than that

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suggestion additionally when you read verse 1 you see the sons of God are

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contrasted with the daughters of mankind the word mankind there is Adam

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okay it's the name of Adam and it just means human humankind humans and so

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verse 1 is saying the sons of God married the daughters of humans and that

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seems to suggest that the sons of God are something other than human and then

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on top of that that phrase son of God's in the original Hebrew is bene Elohim

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and it's only used four times in the Old Testament it's used here where it's not

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really defined for us but then it's used in the book of Job three times in

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chapter 1 verse 6 chapter 2 verse 1 and chapter 38 verse 7 now in all three of

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those places in the book of Job the phrase sons of God refers to angelic

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beings supernatural beings so it's it's not difficult to go well the phrase

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means this over here so then this place where it's not specifically defined for

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us can likely mean the same thing and then on top of that there's some New

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Testament writings that seem to indicate that the possibility that these sons of

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God here were fallen angels because in 1st Peter chapter 3 verse 19 we read

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this it tells us that Jesus made proclamation to the spirits in prison

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who in the past were disobedient when God patiently waited in the days of Noah

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while the ark was being prepared and in that ark a few that is eight people were

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saved through water so in Peter there when it says spirits in prison that word

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spirits is the Greek word new Mata and that word is only used in the Bible to

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refer to supernatural beings it's never used to refer to men okay so these

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spirits in prison are supernatural beings that are locked up somehow now

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they're linked to the days of Noah so what it's saying is that these spirits

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these supernatural beings Peter is saying did something in the days of Noah

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leading up to the flood that was so bad God locked them up in prison okay then

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in 2nd Peter chapter 2 verses 4 and 5 and 9 and 10 Peter says this again for

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if God didn't spare the angels who sinned but cast them into hell and

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delivered them in chains of utter darkness to be kept for judgment sounds

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like prison and if he didn't spare the ancient world but protected Noah a

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preacher of righteousness and seven others when he brought the flood on the

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world of the ungodly and then he says some other things but in verse 9 he goes

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then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the

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unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment especially those who follow

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the polluting desires of the flesh and despise authority so again in 2nd Peter

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Peter is linking these angels to the days of Noah and he's using them as an

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example of people who follow the polluting desires of the flesh and

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despise authority so in both of those places we see that that some

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supernatural beings linked to the day of Noah did something really bad right

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and so additionally the phrase son of God sons of God referring to angels or

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fallen angels as the New Testament calls them demons really is the oldest view of

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Genesis 6 2 that's been the interpretation the oldest interpretation

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and so all that to say it's not a case closed type of thing but I do lean

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towards the side that these sons of God were demons were fallen angels now some

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have issue with this because the first question is how do angels have sex with

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human women I don't know neither do I know how the Trinity works neither do I

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understand the complete and total nature of God outside of what he's revealed to

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me in the word and I just encourage you as Christians you know get past the idea

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that unless our limited human mind could understand the depth and complexity of

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God it must not be true then we got to get past that right but I will say this

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that in Genesis chapter 18 and 19 we read the Sodom when Sodom read the story

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when two angels came to Sodom and Gomorrah you guys remember that and they

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came to the town and then they went to Lot's house and Lot hid them in his room

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and you guys remember what happened there it said the men of the place

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demanded that Lot let the angels out so they could have sex with them what that

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tells us is that there was something about the form of these angels

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something about their appearance something about how they moved and acted

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that led the men of Sodom to believe we can physically engage with them that we

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could do this terrible thing and there's other places too where the angels appear

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physically to us but we also know that they can be invisible and all that right

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but some people will use Matthew chapter 22 verse 30 to refute to the idea that

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the sons of God are angels because there Jesus is talking about in the

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resurrection there's no marriage right people don't get married in the

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resurrection in heaven it's gonna be a completely different paradigm you will

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still know your spouse and they will still know you and I believe you'll even

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have memory of the good times and stuff and all that but but you guys will be

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brothers and sisters in heaven before Almighty God so different paradigm

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however Jesus tells the people that are asking this question they need in heaven

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they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in

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heaven now some people read that and they go aha angels are sexless there's

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no way they could procreate to which I go where in that verse did you see that

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it said angels have no gender all it says is that angels don't marry in heaven

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and then on top of that he's referring to angels in heaven not fallen angels on

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earth who don't give a rip about what God says they're just gonna do whatever

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they want so again I lean towards the fact that these are fallen angels of

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some kind and their offspring were something of an abomination we'll get

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to that in a little bit and and that leads to why God had to wipe out the

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entire planet but scripture does actually never specify whether angels

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are or aren't male or female or whether or not they can take a physical form and

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procreate it never talks about that but it is interesting that every single time

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the Bible talks about angels it refers to them with a male pronoun and a male

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name so do with that what you will on top of that there are other writings

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that support this idea that these sons of God were indeed fallen angels they're

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called apocryphal writings or pseudo pseudo pigrophil writings no idea if I

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pronounced that right but basically there's writings out there that aren't

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considered scripture that that contain biblical stories biblical things when I

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say biblical I mean historically biblical things but they're not

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considered God's Word they're not considered canonized one of those books

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is the book of Enoch that you've heard about before pastor Gary talked about it

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a lot in the past and the book of Enoch is a book that is attributed to Enoch

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but everybody knows Enoch didn't write it and that's why it's like considered

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well we're gonna set it aside however the first part of this book of Enoch

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really talks about the sons of God and daughters of man time it really

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embellishes it it kind of makes it a big comic book style story but my point is

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this it references the sons of God being angels and typically we would say well

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that's not a canonized book who cares it has nothing to say that is true except

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for the fact that Jude quotes from the book of Enoch and God included that in

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his holy word so what that tells us is at least some of what is in Enoch even

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though it was written by a false author somebody who claimed to be some in there

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they weren't at least some of what's in the book of Enoch is true right so it

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just adds a little bit of credibility to this idea that people always understood

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that sons of God meant fallen angels now this is a topic that has no definitive

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answer or evidence but the sons of God being fallen angels I believe has strong

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contextual and grammatical and historical support how they were able to

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procreate with human women we don't know it's not stated and really because I

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don't believe it's important what's important here is to understand that the

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days of Noah were incredibly wicked that even a group of angels were doing what

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was not allowed not permitted by God that they were going outside of their

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order outside of their place and something was just coming from this that

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was in terribly terribly terribly wicked there was sexual perversion going on

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marriage was being demonized if you will and all of it was outside of God's

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created order that is what we're being told here so not only was a marriage

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being demonized but the entire culture was demonized and it was really nothing

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than a takeover by Satan and his hosts many would say that's what we're

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watching happen today in our world as people in power are getting more and more

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wicked and evil and marriage has been more and more devalued and demonized and

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the idea of doing what what God really blessed humanity to do to be fruitful

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multiply is is more and more like that's not important that's stupid that's a

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waste of your life and then we see violence being idolized which is the

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next thing we're gonna look at as people are just you know running down the

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street punching people in the face for no reason and just videotaping it so

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they could get cloud online and it's just ridiculous so the next thing

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violence becoming idolized we're gonna skip to verse 4 real quick it says the

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Nephilim were here on the earth but in those days are both in those days and

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afterward when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind who bore

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children to them they were the powerful men of old the famous men now the reason

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I say that this is showing us that violence was idolized in this time is

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we're referencing again the sons of God coming to the daughters of mankind who

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bore children to them now that phrase came to the sons of God came to the

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daughters of man in the original language it suggests it suggests sexual

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violence all right the idea is that this this isn't wasn't necessarily

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consensual relationships here we know in ancient times daughters were given away

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in marriage right dads gave them away there wasn't so much of a choice in that

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type of situation we already read that the sons of God took any that they

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wanted and so there's this this idea of sexual violence happening during this

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time which would include everything from rape and dominance and you know the

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whole polygamy thing and women just being used and abused is really

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terrible but we have this word Nephilim connected to all of this here and

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Nephilim always brings up another important question or a curious question

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I should say that has no definitive answer but who or what are the Nephilim

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right if you look at some of the movies Hollywood has made you see the Nephilim

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are angels encased in rock with Russell Crowe fighting against them right and

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that's that's not really biblical right there's all kinds of theories and you

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know some of them are interesting or not there's a lot of debate but we have to

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start with understanding this the word Nephilim is a transliteration not a

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translation now explain what that means when there's a Hebrew word and then we

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translate it into an English word that's called a translation Nephilim is a Hebrew

356
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word that nobody knows the meaning to and so what they do is they take the

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Hebrew letters and then they rewrite it in English letters that's called a

358
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transliteration so Nephilim is actually the Hebrew word for whatever these

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creatures are now I said nobody knows what it means definitively but they

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think it means fallen ones so it could be referring to people falling into sin

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it could be referring to fallen angels it could be referring to whatever fallen

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ones could refer to right now the idea is that the people people have gotten

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their idea of what Nephilim are through scripture itself and it's traditionally

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been translated as giants if you have a King James Bible or a New King James

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Bible you'll see the word giants here instead of Nephilim and the reason they

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did that is because in Numbers chapter 13 verse 33 when Israel was going into

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the land to spy the land right Israel was about to move into the promised land

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they sent 12 spies and they all came back and ten of them except Joshua and

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Caleb they were the only ones that were faithful ten of them came back and they

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say this numbers 1333 we even saw the Nephilim there the descendants of Anak

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come from the Nephilim to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers and we must

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have seen the same to them so what the spies are saying is we went into the

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land and we saw people that were so big it made us feel like grasshoppers

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compared to their size and then of course years later because Israel didn't

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go into the land they got scared God had him wander the wilderness for a while

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and then in Deuteronomy 9 2 years later when they were going in Moses addressed

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them and said look the people there are strong and tall the descendants of

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Anakim so the description of Nephilim according to the conquest of Joshua's

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time is that they were these giant people and so what traditional translators

380
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did is they said well if they're giants we're gonna take it over here to Genesis

381
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6 4 and put in the word giants right but there is this reference to the fact that

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that whoever these Nephilim were they were big tall strong people now if the

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sons of God truly is fallen angels then that would mean that the Nephilim as

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their offspring would be half demon half human there'd be some type of some type

385
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of weird hybrid creature now that could account for the fact that they were

386
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giant in stature that they probably had you know what what was thought to be

387
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superhuman strength it would explain why they're why they're called here the

388
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powerful men of old and then they're also called the famous ones that word

389
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famous also can be rendered heroes that they are the heroes of old the heroes of

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the thing and it tells us that these big mighty giant sized people that later on

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in scripture we learn are wicked and stand against God that here before the

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flood they were idolized as heroes by the culture and it would also explain

393
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too why in so many cultures in our world today the cultures have legends of what

394
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they call demigods right where did the Greek get the idea of Hercules a half

395
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God half man where did other cultures throughout the world get this idea of

396
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that there was creatures on earth that were insanely strong and powerful who

397
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are hybrids of these supernatural creatures in mankind that lends credence

398
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to the fact that it's possible something like that existed at one time on earth

399
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and then it also explains why God had to destroy the whole world and put these

400
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sons of God in prison because there was this an abomination that was probably

401
00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:18,000
created by their line now people ask well why would demons do this one their

402
00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:22,120
demons they're wicked they're evil they hate everything God stands for they hate

403
00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:28,720
God's creation but to I personally believe that this that the sons of God

404
00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:32,680
being fallen angels mating with humans was an attempt by Satan to pollute the

405
00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:37,480
genetic line of mankind you guys remember what God said to Eve your

406
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:46,060
offspring is going to crush the head of the serpent your offspring now if I was

407
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Satan I'd be like well if I could corrupt the genetic line so that the

408
00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:55,760
offspring could never be born poof I win now that is a theory but it is a theory

409
00:32:55,760 --> 00:33:00,240
that I do ascribe to that that was a part of why this was happening now again

410
00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:06,600
if these Nephilim were half angel and half mankind hybrids then they had to

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have been wiped out in the flood because it was only Noah and his sons and their

412
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wives that survived on the ark right but then people go well if that's the case

413
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why do we read about Nephilim in the conquest of Joshua why do we read about

414
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that in numbers 1333 well there's a couple possible answers to that one of

415
00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:27,640
them is that Noah who was of the Sethite line was righteous his kids were the

416
00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:30,840
Sethite line and they were righteous but it says that it was Noah and his kids

417
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:36,240
and their wives and we don't have any information about their wives so some

418
00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:40,280
postulate that hey the wives had Nephilim genetics within them and then

419
00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:43,520
when the flood came and then they went to populate the earth then you know

420
00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:48,200
Nephilim genetics continued through that's one possibility that people put

421
00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:53,080
out the other one is that Nephilim isn't describing a race of peoples per se it's

422
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just a descriptor right it's just that there was anybody that was giant and

423
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powerful and huge they were called Nephilim meaning that Nephilim wasn't

424
00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:06,220
connected to sons of God at all there were sons of God fallen angels mating

425
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with humans there was also these giant people that existed that were powerful

426
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:16,160
heroes of old and that would tie into the idea that Goliath he was a giant he

427
00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:20,080
was ten feet tall the Bible references these people called the Anakites and the

428
00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:25,320
Rephaim that are referenced as being giant people in the Old Testament you

429
00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:29,880
have the story about King Og of the Bashan and it's telling about this king

430
00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:33,280
he's wicked he's evil and then it includes this really odd detail that

431
00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:36,680
you're like why would why would they include this detail this is what they

432
00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:44,000
say his bed was 13 and a half feet long and six feet wide why include that

433
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:49,760
detail about this king because if you went how big was his bed that was a big

434
00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:55,280
dude that was a really big dude and and and these people that we see referenced

435
00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:59,640
throughout Genesis and even the Old Testament is that they were large

436
00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:03,400
people they built cities that that the Israelites said it looks like the city

437
00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:08,520
walls touched the sky there's actually been discoveries recently in Israel where

438
00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:12,760
they've discovered what they think is ancient gas and in this city as they're

439
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:17,240
uncovering and getting this stuff out they're finding these these foundations

440
00:35:17,240 --> 00:35:22,400
of houses that are giant sized foundations of walls and structures are

441
00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:27,800
like this is way too big for for normal sized people to live in right so there's

442
00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,800
there's some support there and then of course some people want to try and

443
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:34,680
debunk all that and I'll let you deal with that on your own but here's the

444
00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:38,960
point what we can be sure of scripturally is that there were in the

445
00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:46,320
past people who were incredibly tall and strong possibly what we would call

446
00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:53,200
giants 10 feet 15 feet both before the flood and after because that's what it

447
00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,800
says there right they were on the earth both in those days and afterward now

448
00:35:56,800 --> 00:36:01,920
they may or may not have been demon hybrids they may or may not have been

449
00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:08,520
just big people or they were both do you see why the answer is we don't know okay

450
00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:14,280
so so yeah it's an interesting thing to talk about all this but ultimately it's

451
00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:18,320
it's not really relevant to the point what is relevant to the story here is

452
00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:23,160
their character those that are referred to as Nephilim both before the flood and

453
00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:27,160
after or people connected to those that are called Nephilim they are always

454
00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:33,440
characterized as wicked evil violent and just against God in his ways in every

455
00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:38,640
way okay and so in verse 3 we're gonna look at that right now where John or God

456
00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:42,880
generalizes mankind of this time in the days of Noah including those that he

457
00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:47,240
calls Nephilim or that are called Nephilim he says they're corrupt they're

458
00:36:47,240 --> 00:36:51,120
all corrupt look at verse 3 and the Lord said my spirit will not remain with

459
00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:57,520
mankind forever because they are corrupt their days will be 120 years now the

460
00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:00,440
first thing I noticed there when I was studying this is it says that the spirit

461
00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:05,480
the Holy Spirit was at work in the world during this time he says my spirit will

462
00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:08,840
not remain with mankind forever which means his spirit was there working in

463
00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:13,280
the world and that was interesting to me because what is the Holy Spirit doing

464
00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:17,840
today in the world the Bible tells us that he is here working convicting the

465
00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:22,240
world of sin and righteousness and judgment to come how is he doing that

466
00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:26,120
he's moving on men's hearts he's also moving through his church that preaches

467
00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:31,080
the gospel to the nations and it was the same thing going on in these days that

468
00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:35,920
the Holy Spirit was working through men like Enoch and Noah who it tells us not

469
00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:39,680
only lived righteousness but preached righteousness the Holy Spirit was there

470
00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:43,440
working in the world and it says God says my spirit will not remain with

471
00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:48,280
mankind forever that word remain is not a positional type of thing like he's not

472
00:37:48,280 --> 00:37:52,720
gonna stay here he's gonna leave the word remain means to argue or to judge

473
00:37:52,720 --> 00:37:58,920
or to contend so what this is saying is God is look my saying my spirit is not

474
00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:04,360
gonna keep making the case to the world that they are sinners and that without

475
00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:08,360
God without giving their life to God judgment is gonna come right he says my

476
00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:14,800
spirit's not gonna be doing that forever and today God's spirit won't be doing

477
00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:20,120
that forever that right now we're in the time of grace and patience just like

478
00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:25,120
they were in the days of Noah and God is using his people to preach

479
00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:30,040
righteousness and to plead with humanity to to trust in him to put faith in him

480
00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:38,600
that they would escape judgment and sadly just like today we see that many

481
00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:45,920
just rejected that rejected that message and so he goes on to say that their days

482
00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:50,600
will be 120 years there's two interpretations to this some go oh see

483
00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:56,220
God limited the lifespan of humans right humans were living 900 years and so he's

484
00:38:56,220 --> 00:39:01,360
like I'm gonna limit their lifespan so they can't multiply so fast so their

485
00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:06,560
years are 120 the problem with that is when we get past the flood we see people

486
00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:10,840
like Abraham and others that lived way longer than 120 years so it's like

487
00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,880
either God lied God was wrong or he's being metaphorical right the other

488
00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:19,000
possibility and I ascribed to this one is that when God said their days will be

489
00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:23,400
120 years he was talking specifically of the days of that time or the people of

490
00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:28,240
that time their days will be 120 years meaning they got 120 years left before

491
00:39:28,240 --> 00:39:37,440
judgment comes so anyways moving on to verse 5 we see that God responds to what

492
00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:43,400
is taking place here in the world in a very real and emotional way see back in

493
00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:46,840
creation when God created things he kept saying it was good there was light and

494
00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,440
it was good there was animals it was good there was this it was good it was

495
00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:52,760
good it was good then he gets to the sixth day and he makes man and woman he

496
00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:57,800
goes wow it's very good right look what he says here when the Lord saw that

497
00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:00,920
human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the

498
00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:07,760
human mind was nothing but evil all the time he then regretted that he made man

499
00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:12,260
on the earth now this is the third parallel to our modern culture increased

500
00:40:12,260 --> 00:40:17,480
population increased perversion sexual perversion and wickedness there and then

501
00:40:17,480 --> 00:40:22,800
here it's just widespread wickedness not only were the outward actions of

502
00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:26,720
mankind wicked and evil but but it's referring to their thought life that all

503
00:40:26,720 --> 00:40:30,280
they thought about was bad things and sinful things and wicked things and

504
00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:33,760
selfish things and really that's where sin starts right starts in our mind

505
00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:38,960
starts in our heart then it comes out in our actions but it says that it was all

506
00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:45,080
the time nothing but evil all the time that that they didn't ever stop and go

507
00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:50,080
oh am I doing what is am I doing something wrong they didn't even go hey

508
00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:55,320
what about what Noah said can we talk about that it's just it was devoid from

509
00:40:55,320 --> 00:41:00,520
their minds it says that the human wickedness was widespread on the earth

510
00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:05,040
that word means that the wickedness got super wicked right you ever heard that

511
00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:10,840
phrase it went from bad to worse it was bad now it's super bad right that is the

512
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:15,720
idea here Paul was talking about this type of thing happened in these type of

513
00:41:15,720 --> 00:41:19,000
people when he was in his time writing to the Romans and he was talking about

514
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,480
those that that are supposedly enlightened right and know they're know

515
00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:26,880
that that you know it's all about them and they reject God this is what he said

516
00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:31,800
in Romans 1 21 that their thinking became worthless and their senseless

517
00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:38,320
hearts were darkened that's what happens when we reject God we keep rejecting God

518
00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:41,360
our hearts get darker and darker and darker and our thinking becomes more

519
00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:48,000
ridiculous right how ridiculous is it to think that no there is no male and

520
00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:55,600
female there's an infinite amount of genders it's just insane but how else

521
00:41:55,600 --> 00:42:01,040
are they gonna justify their sexual perversion and sin unless they come up

522
00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:08,400
with these silly silly things and that's why it's like I genuinely believe that

523
00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:14,040
that that type of thinking it's it's a mental health issue it's an issue of

524
00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:18,280
mental health that there's there's deception and it's that's what happens

525
00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:23,920
with sin though and even Paul talked about it then so it gives a good

526
00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:28,040
description of what was taking place in the days of Noah and in the days of Paul

527
00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:33,120
and it's a good description of where we're headed today the idea is that the

528
00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:37,240
depravity wasn't a season it wasn't a phase it was it was it wasn't a

529
00:42:37,240 --> 00:42:41,720
temporary condition that it was it was absolute that there was no backing off

530
00:42:41,720 --> 00:42:45,540
no repenting no hesitating with the sin and the pursuit of sin and the thinking

531
00:42:45,540 --> 00:42:49,400
up new ways to sin it was that lust and personal desire and pleasure and

532
00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:53,400
personal wants were the goal and violence was the method of attaining

533
00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:59,840
that goal total depravity and now we see what God feels about that verse 6 the

534
00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:05,360
Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth and he was deeply grieved

535
00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:09,440
then the Lord said I will wipe mankind whom I created off the face of the earth

536
00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:12,800
together with the animals and the creatures that crawl on the birds of the

537
00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:21,480
sky for I regret that I made them can God make a mistake

538
00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:31,200
no he can't God is perfect God knows all things he's everywhere at all times he

539
00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:35,760
can accomplish and do all things you know some silly people go okay well then

540
00:43:35,760 --> 00:43:43,120
can God make a rock so big he can't lift it you'll run across that talking with

541
00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:47,480
atheists and stuff and it's a silly question it's just a silly question

542
00:43:47,480 --> 00:43:52,520
because it's sidestepping the issue you know but when you ask him God make a

543
00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:56,840
mistake the answer clearly biblically is no God does not and cannot make

544
00:43:56,840 --> 00:44:00,920
mistakes he is perfect so then the question is well what does it mean then

545
00:44:00,920 --> 00:44:06,120
that he regretted that he made man like people will point this out to you and go

546
00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:13,680
see God makes mistakes because when when we use the word regret in our English

547
00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:17,600
language it's usually like I wish I didn't do that right that's kind of the

548
00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:22,000
way we use it right I made a mistake I regret that I you know that's how we use

549
00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:25,640
it and so we read it here and of course it's it's translated different ways in

550
00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:30,080
different different translations of the Bible but the idea here is that when

551
00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:34,480
people read this type of thing in English ago aha God made a mistake we

552
00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:39,800
have to understand that the Hebrew word for regretted here simply means to be

553
00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:49,360
caused to feel sorrow that God felt sorrow that he made mankind on earth it's

554
00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:56,320
not that he messed up it's just that he was sad that this is what they have come

555
00:44:56,320 --> 00:45:00,280
to it's like he's saying I feel sorrow and grief that this is where man has

556
00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:07,480
ended up you can do something and know the outcome and allow it to happen and

557
00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:15,800
still feel grief at what's taking place sometimes as parents you get to a point

558
00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:19,040
where as your kids are getting older and teenagers and starting to get in

559
00:45:19,040 --> 00:45:22,760
adulthood where where you're like oh we got we got to let them go a little bit

560
00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:29,160
and let them make a mistake so they learn sometimes it's like well if you

561
00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:33,440
let the kid touch the hot pot on the stove they won't touch it again don't do

562
00:45:33,440 --> 00:45:38,240
that but still but the idea is as you let them suffer and you go oh my heart

563
00:45:38,240 --> 00:45:42,320
breaks right disciplining your kids you know some parents you know when when

564
00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:46,240
they're like hey I've got a discipline my child and spank them and the parents

565
00:45:46,240 --> 00:45:49,960
tear up and cry over that because they feel so bad that they're but but they do

566
00:45:49,960 --> 00:45:53,040
it anyways because you know it's good for them right this is what's happening

567
00:45:53,040 --> 00:45:56,680
here is that God is allowing and has allowed mankind to make its choices

568
00:45:56,680 --> 00:46:00,360
throughout the whole time gracefully warning them of the consequences of

569
00:46:00,360 --> 00:46:04,680
those choices through those that he's preaching through but God knew it was

570
00:46:04,680 --> 00:46:10,560
gonna happen just like he knew Adam and Eve were gonna sin but because God loved

571
00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:17,240
us so much he had to allow free will like if God made us love him then we're

572
00:46:17,240 --> 00:46:22,560
just robots so God allowed the choice it was one choice in the garden disobey

573
00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:28,840
God or not you have every blessing in in creation don't do this one thing well

574
00:46:28,840 --> 00:46:34,360
what did mankind do I want to do the one thing right when you see a sign on a

575
00:46:34,360 --> 00:46:39,800
bench that says wet paint what do you want to do touch it stay off the grass

576
00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:44,360
well that's an invitation to run across it maybe that's just me with attention

577
00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:49,360
deficit disorder but you know there's just this thing in us and when somebody

578
00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:54,640
says don't do that you're like that's all I want to do now it's a sin nature

579
00:46:54,640 --> 00:47:01,480
it's rebellion and so God let man do what he was gonna do but we've already

580
00:47:01,480 --> 00:47:05,760
seen in the in the story with Adam and Eve although God knew they were gonna

581
00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:09,960
sin he needed to let them exercise their free will that it would be a free will

582
00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:13,520
choice to love him he knew they were gonna eat of the tree anyways so when

583
00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:20,000
they did they suffered the consequences but not the full consequences he let

584
00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:22,320
him keep living he covered him with animal skins and then he gave him his

585
00:47:22,320 --> 00:47:30,120
prophecy hey Eve your offspring is gonna take care of this sin issue but as it

586
00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:36,200
was all playing out as God was watching it play out his heart was broken he was

587
00:47:36,200 --> 00:47:41,120
deeply grieved at what man was doing and this just shows us that God is not a

588
00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:47,320
passive observer of humanity right God just did not start evolution and then go

589
00:47:47,320 --> 00:47:57,240
on vacation God is not without concern and care and compassion and emotion and

590
00:47:57,240 --> 00:48:07,320
grief over what sin and wickedness does to us God sees you and he sees the sin

591
00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:14,520
that you commit me too and it grieves him when we do that because sin wrecks

592
00:48:14,520 --> 00:48:21,600
lives sin destroys and it breaks God's heart when he watches us take the free

593
00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:27,040
will he's given us and use it to do something wicked and bad and evil it

594
00:48:27,040 --> 00:48:33,760
doesn't mean he stops us from doing it it breaks his heart and that's what's

595
00:48:33,760 --> 00:48:40,480
happening here now of course Moses is using human words to describe something

596
00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:44,640
that I think is beyond our human comprehension to understand right you

597
00:48:44,640 --> 00:48:48,520
know God's eternal joy and happiness cannot be disturbed in any way God is

598
00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:53,320
perfect and holy and all that yet God who is perfectly and always content and

599
00:48:53,320 --> 00:48:57,360
satisfied in himself and full of joy and happiness can simultaneously feel grief

600
00:48:57,360 --> 00:49:07,280
and sorrow and due to the depth of mankind's depravity at this point where

601
00:49:07,280 --> 00:49:13,480
all of mankind had turned from God didn't care about God the judgment would

602
00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:17,520
only would involve a total and complete erasure of mankind and all he was to

603
00:49:17,520 --> 00:49:22,120
rule over and this is the fourth parallel to a modern world population

604
00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:27,120
explosion increased sexual perversion widespread wickedness what's the fourth

605
00:49:27,120 --> 00:49:34,480
parallel judgment on sin has been declared and is coming this shows us

606
00:49:34,480 --> 00:49:39,000
then and now and in the future there are no half measures when God comes to when

607
00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:43,840
it comes to God dealing with sin no half measures he's gonna deal with it fully

608
00:49:43,840 --> 00:49:48,800
and completely the fact that he's waiting patiently is grace that's what

609
00:49:48,800 --> 00:49:53,560
Paul said don't don't think that God's slacking off because he hasn't judged

610
00:49:53,560 --> 00:49:56,560
everybody yet because when he judges it's gonna be a complete and thorough

611
00:49:56,560 --> 00:50:01,960
judgment and this terrible solution that was flooding the world and doing away

612
00:50:01,960 --> 00:50:06,040
with all of mankind was grounded in that promise that he made to Eve her

613
00:50:06,040 --> 00:50:10,400
offspring was gonna crush the serpent's head and mankind had gotten to a place

614
00:50:10,400 --> 00:50:17,000
where they couldn't possibly give birth to an offspring that would fulfill God's

615
00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:24,280
will thus humanity needed to be destroyed however verse 8 this is where

616
00:50:24,280 --> 00:50:32,800
we'll end today Noah however found favor with the Lord you know this is Genesis

617
00:50:32,800 --> 00:50:41,200
to me bad bad man bad man wicked man evil man grace man you're done you screwed

618
00:50:41,200 --> 00:50:49,960
up you made bad choices grace bad bad right over and over and over again we do

619
00:50:49,960 --> 00:50:56,760
bad God extends grace we're dumb God extends grace I'm so thankful for that

620
00:50:56,760 --> 00:51:01,360
because I've probably made dumb decisions a hundred times by now today

621
00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:08,440
and we do it every day it's just like really drive in here you know someone

622
00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:10,880
cuts me off and you know that thought goes through my mind I just want to bump

623
00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:16,840
them off the road and then I'm like whoa Lord where'd that come from I can't do

624
00:51:16,840 --> 00:51:24,880
it with this car right it's just it's in our nature so what does it mean here no

625
00:51:24,880 --> 00:51:28,200
Noah found favor with the Lord right it's telling us that Noah had responded

626
00:51:28,200 --> 00:51:33,480
to God the way Enoch had and we know this because in verse 9 we're gonna deal

627
00:51:33,480 --> 00:51:38,240
with this next time but it says Noah was a righteous man blameless among his

628
00:51:38,240 --> 00:51:43,660
contemporaries Noah walked with God that's the same exact phrase God used to

629
00:51:43,660 --> 00:51:47,880
describe Enoch that Enoch walked with God and because Enoch walked with God he

630
00:51:47,880 --> 00:51:51,400
was not he wasn't there anymore because God took him right we talked about that

631
00:51:51,400 --> 00:51:55,960
in our last study that that idea that he believed God is and thus he believed

632
00:51:55,960 --> 00:51:59,440
God's promises and God's warnings it's like if God said it I believe it that

633
00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:05,280
ends it there's no discussion no argument he believed him he walked with

634
00:52:05,280 --> 00:52:08,720
God the way Enoch did and like I said we'll talk about that more next time but

635
00:52:08,720 --> 00:52:14,640
suffice to say that he found favor with God not because of any works on his own

636
00:52:14,640 --> 00:52:19,600
but by faith because when we go to the New Testament we look in Hebrews again

637
00:52:19,600 --> 00:52:25,440
the same same place where it said by faith Enoch didn't die it also says by

638
00:52:25,440 --> 00:52:31,840
faith Noah meaning that it was by faith trusting in God's existence trusting

639
00:52:31,840 --> 00:52:35,600
that God is trusting that God is who he says he is and his promises are true and

640
00:52:35,600 --> 00:52:40,640
his warnings are true because he believed that it tells us that he found

641
00:52:40,640 --> 00:52:45,280
favor in the eyes of the Lord he received the fruit of that trust which

642
00:52:45,280 --> 00:52:52,880
is salvation you see that's a tough one for us isn't it you just have to believe

643
00:52:52,880 --> 00:52:55,840
in Jesus Christ that he is God that he died for you that he rose from the dead

644
00:52:55,840 --> 00:53:02,400
and people go it can't be that easy you don't know what I've done God knows what

645
00:53:02,400 --> 00:53:05,760
you have done and still died on the cross for you 2,000 years ago and so he

646
00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:09,080
still says yeah I know everything you've done and if you just put your faith in

647
00:53:09,080 --> 00:53:15,360
me no I need to atone for my own sin somehow you can't that is the point

648
00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:25,620
you're wicked God atoned for your sins and you just believe in that you mean

649
00:53:25,620 --> 00:53:34,800
it's just faith yes yeah I don't have to do 50 kumbayahs no I don't have to carry

650
00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:40,680
around a 50 pound Bible to be more spiritual than everybody else no I don't

651
00:53:40,680 --> 00:53:45,600
have to be in church you know 17 times a week you don't have to it might be good

652
00:53:45,600 --> 00:53:52,720
for you but no you just put faith in Jesus Christ you put trust in God you

653
00:53:52,720 --> 00:53:58,120
say I believe him I believe he is who he says I believe everything he says his

654
00:53:58,120 --> 00:54:06,360
promises and his warnings and Moses or Moses Noah did that just like Enoch and

655
00:54:06,360 --> 00:54:11,800
it was his faith it was directly opposed to the world of his time it was directly

656
00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:14,880
opposed to the morality of his time and we're experiencing that in today's world

657
00:54:14,880 --> 00:54:19,120
right the very tenets of our Christian faith and the things we believe in are

658
00:54:19,120 --> 00:54:24,600
becoming more and more intolerant and more and more racist and more and more

659
00:54:24,600 --> 00:54:31,520
bigoted and and just because I disagree with you people are like you should be

660
00:54:31,520 --> 00:54:36,800
burned you should be killed you should be cast out Wow when did it get to the

661
00:54:36,800 --> 00:54:41,960
point where we simply just can't disagree anymore but we're at that place

662
00:54:41,960 --> 00:54:45,720
in our world and so now I'm not saying Noah was a perfect man he was born into

663
00:54:45,720 --> 00:54:51,040
sin just like Enoch was right he was born tainted with the stain of corruption

664
00:54:51,040 --> 00:55:00,080
just like Enoch was he had the the same nature that the rest of the world had

665
00:55:00,080 --> 00:55:05,520
and he bore the image of God just like the rest of the world did but the

666
00:55:05,520 --> 00:55:10,360
difference was instead of rejecting God and dismissing God's warnings and

667
00:55:10,360 --> 00:55:17,880
pursuing sin at all cost he believed God and thus he found favor in the eyes of

668
00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:25,640
the Lord so today like then I believe our world rightly sits under judgment we

669
00:55:25,640 --> 00:55:29,280
may not be a completely demonized world or a completely demonized culture yet

670
00:55:29,280 --> 00:55:36,360
but we're heading that way you just look at our culture today like sex trafficking

671
00:55:36,360 --> 00:55:44,720
is bigger than it's ever been organ harvesting is bigger than it's ever been

672
00:55:44,720 --> 00:55:50,280
the drug epidemic wiping out entire cities San Francisco is just falling into

673
00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:56,760
a hole the violence that is celebrated as I mentioned earlier I just saw a

674
00:55:56,760 --> 00:56:01,040
video this morning some kid running down the street and the ladies just standing

675
00:56:01,040 --> 00:56:03,800
there minding their own business he walks in me just clocks her in the head and keeps

676
00:56:03,800 --> 00:56:12,680
running and I'm like whoever's filming that why aren't you doing something and

677
00:56:12,680 --> 00:56:20,560
it's probably somebody with the kid it's just the deviancy the violence the

678
00:56:20,560 --> 00:56:26,680
atrocities in our culture and then like the Nephilim so many of the famous men

679
00:56:26,680 --> 00:56:31,400
in our culture are just wicked evil people aren't they the celebrities that

680
00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:36,400
are worshiped the ones paid millions and millions of dollars to go make terrible

681
00:56:36,400 --> 00:56:40,120
movies about terrible things and people go wow they're so great let's celebrate

682
00:56:40,120 --> 00:56:47,120
them they're the heroes of our time but scripture tells us very clearly and

683
00:56:47,120 --> 00:56:52,800
repeatedly that our condition without Christ is hopeless you see in Romans

684
00:56:52,800 --> 00:56:58,080
chapter 3 Paul wrote this where he said without Christ this is the state of the

685
00:56:58,080 --> 00:57:04,160
world a completely corrupt soul speaking only corrupt words doing only corrupt

686
00:57:04,160 --> 00:57:09,360
deeds this is what he said there is no one righteous not even one there is no

687
00:57:09,360 --> 00:57:13,280
one who understands there is no one who seeks God all have turned away all alike

688
00:57:13,280 --> 00:57:20,720
have become worthless there is no one who does what is good not even one this

689
00:57:20,720 --> 00:57:27,080
is mankind without God we attained the knowledge of good and evil in the garden

690
00:57:27,080 --> 00:57:32,400
instead of doing all the good what we did is pursued all the evil Paul goes

691
00:57:32,400 --> 00:57:35,880
on to say their throat is an open grave they deceive with their tongues vipers

692
00:57:35,880 --> 00:57:41,160
venom is under their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness our souls

693
00:57:41,160 --> 00:57:43,920
are corrupt our words are corrupt and then he goes on to say their feet are

694
00:57:43,920 --> 00:57:47,760
swift to shed blood ruin and wretchedness are in their paths and the

695
00:57:47,760 --> 00:57:53,000
path of peace they have not known there is no fear of God before their eyes

696
00:57:53,000 --> 00:57:57,880
that's what was happening in Noah's world I believe it had gone from no

697
00:57:57,880 --> 00:58:02,320
there's no God let me argue with about that God isn't real to the point where

698
00:58:02,320 --> 00:58:06,020
people said even if God is real I don't care and I believe that's what's

699
00:58:06,020 --> 00:58:11,720
happening today that's the direction our world is headed I'm finding more and

700
00:58:11,720 --> 00:58:15,040
more people when you want to tell them about God there they don't argue any

701
00:58:15,040 --> 00:58:21,640
more about is he real they argue about does it matter if they follow him or

702
00:58:21,640 --> 00:58:26,920
not because there's no fear of God before their eyes truly as Jesus said

703
00:58:26,920 --> 00:58:30,040
just as it was in the days of Noah so it will be in the days of the Son of Man

704
00:58:30,040 --> 00:58:33,320
people went on eating and drinking and marrying and being given to marriage

705
00:58:33,320 --> 00:58:38,280
until the day Noah boarded the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all

706
00:58:38,280 --> 00:58:44,360
our only hope individually and our world's only hope is in the amazing grace

707
00:58:44,360 --> 00:58:51,560
of God to find favor in his eyes through faith through trust believing in who he

708
00:58:51,560 --> 00:58:55,480
is that he is who he says he is and therefore his word is true and his

709
00:58:55,480 --> 00:59:00,200
promises are true and his warnings are true the only hope of salvation is to

710
00:59:00,200 --> 00:59:03,920
trust in what he did for you

711
00:59:04,280 --> 00:59:09,960
Ephesians 2 says you are saved by grace through faith this is not of yourselves

712
00:59:09,960 --> 00:59:17,760
it is a gift from God not from works so that no one can boast and then Titus

713
00:59:17,760 --> 00:59:22,040
3 5 says he saved us not by works of righteousness that we had done but

714
00:59:22,040 --> 00:59:25,160
according to his mercy through the washing of regeneration and the renewal

715
00:59:25,160 --> 00:59:33,800
by the Holy Spirit God truly grieves at what sin does to his people he grieves

716
00:59:33,800 --> 00:59:40,400
at the wickedness that is consuming mankind he grieves every time someone is

717
00:59:40,400 --> 00:59:46,560
hurt someone is wounded someone is simply taken advantage of he grieves

718
00:59:46,560 --> 00:59:55,000
every time but the Holy Spirit is in the world working today speaking today

719
00:59:55,000 --> 00:59:59,440
hoping to work through every single one of us that call ourselves Christians to

720
00:59:59,440 --> 01:00:05,760
go out into the world and say judgment is coming judgment is coming but

721
01:00:05,760 --> 01:00:12,480
regeneration and renewal salvation is available today all you have to do is

722
01:00:12,480 --> 01:00:17,720
believe in him put your faith in him believe in who he is and what he did for

723
01:00:17,720 --> 01:00:26,200
you by faith except that his death on the cross atoned for everything bad

724
01:00:26,200 --> 01:00:30,560
you've ever done it and everything you ever will do because that is the truth

725
01:00:30,560 --> 01:00:38,800
the offspring the promise indeed came it was Jesus Christ he defeated death he

726
01:00:38,800 --> 01:00:42,600
defeated the power of sin and he offers salvation to all who would call upon his

727
01:00:42,600 --> 01:00:48,840
name but if you don't take it you reject it you go on eating and drinking and

728
01:00:48,840 --> 01:00:52,360
marrying and giving in marriage and and just not even thinking about God one day

729
01:00:52,360 --> 01:01:01,000
judgments gonna come and when judgment hits it'll be too late for you it's

730
01:01:01,000 --> 01:01:07,080
gonna get worse than it is today infinitely worse so much worse and God

731
01:01:07,080 --> 01:01:19,680
wants to save you he's speaking to you right now father we trust you we believe

732
01:01:19,680 --> 01:01:24,600
your word God Lord do we see this picture of how bad the world got before

733
01:01:24,600 --> 01:01:32,720
the flood Lord that it was so wicked God very possibly that it was this weird

734
01:01:32,720 --> 01:01:37,160
spiritual wickedness of fallen angels and humans and offspring being these

735
01:01:37,160 --> 01:01:43,960
weird powerful giant people or none of that at all Lord either way it was

736
01:01:43,960 --> 01:01:50,000
wickedness and evil that was pursued that the thoughts and the inclinations

737
01:01:50,000 --> 01:01:54,360
of the human mind were nothing but evil all the time and Lord our world is

738
01:01:54,360 --> 01:01:59,360
quickly headed that same direction and yet God your spirit is in the world

739
01:01:59,360 --> 01:02:04,000
today just like it was then and I believe it is still doing that work

740
01:02:04,000 --> 01:02:09,160
today that it did then to convict of sin and righteousness and judgment to come

741
01:02:09,160 --> 01:02:13,760
that Lord as you have saved some of us we have a call like Enoch and Noah to go

742
01:02:13,760 --> 01:02:18,840
out into this world and to share with people that we have found favor in the

743
01:02:18,840 --> 01:02:24,320
eyes of the Lord not because of our actions and not because of earning it

744
01:02:24,320 --> 01:02:28,280
but simply because God you loved us and we put our faith and trust in you in

745
01:02:28,280 --> 01:02:33,200
your word and that we'd be people who share that truth with this world that is

746
01:02:33,200 --> 01:02:41,960
heading rapidly towards destruction but God regardless of how bad it gets we're

747
01:02:41,960 --> 01:02:47,120
always gonna see grace until you're done and here we see that there was grace

748
01:02:47,120 --> 01:02:51,680
even in this time as your word says while you were patiently waiting while

749
01:02:51,680 --> 01:02:57,200
Noah built the ark that you commanded him to build and so Lord we ask that

750
01:02:57,200 --> 01:03:02,400
that you would continue to be patient that we would be able to share hope with

751
01:03:02,400 --> 01:03:07,000
more people that we would be able to bring that hope to those that don't know

752
01:03:07,000 --> 01:03:11,240
you that God even those that that are in that place of saying I don't even care

753
01:03:11,240 --> 01:03:14,520
if there is a God Lord that that we would still share with them and love them

754
01:03:14,520 --> 01:03:17,160
and demonstrate the gospel to them through our words and through our

755
01:03:17,160 --> 01:03:21,200
actions and how we live ourselves Lord that we wouldn't live hypocritically

756
01:03:21,200 --> 01:03:28,160
damaging the gospel but instead as Noah did to live righteously and Lord we

757
01:03:28,160 --> 01:03:32,000
know we can only do that through your spirit we could only do that through

758
01:03:32,000 --> 01:03:36,800
your power we cannot do it on our own Lord and so I Lord please fill us with

759
01:03:36,800 --> 01:03:44,840
your spirit please continue to guide us and to lead us and to teach us please

760
01:03:44,840 --> 01:03:49,360
God remind us in the very moment of sin that we could just bring you into that

761
01:03:49,360 --> 01:03:56,080
moment say God please come now and deal with this temptation Lord and you do so

762
01:03:56,080 --> 01:04:00,080
so that Lord we would with good conscience be able to go tell people

763
01:04:00,080 --> 01:04:06,040
about you and what you've done in our lives that they would experience the

764
01:04:06,040 --> 01:04:09,920
same while we're praying with heads bowed I just want to give a quick

765
01:04:09,920 --> 01:04:12,920
invitation if anybody is in this room and you do not know Jesus Christ is your

766
01:04:12,920 --> 01:04:16,880
Lord and Savior or you're watching online and you don't know Jesus Christ is

767
01:04:16,880 --> 01:04:21,320
your Lord and Savior you are here today you are hearing this message today by

768
01:04:21,320 --> 01:04:24,800
the grace of God that the Holy Spirit has brought you here to hear this

769
01:04:24,800 --> 01:04:29,840
warning today that without Christ you will perish in judgment because God's

770
01:04:29,840 --> 01:04:36,880
judgment is coming but right now this moment he is still waiting for you he

771
01:04:36,880 --> 01:04:42,920
is still waiting for you to to believe that he is God that you've sinned

772
01:04:42,920 --> 01:04:51,880
against him in his holiness that the penalty of that sin is death physical

773
01:04:51,880 --> 01:04:55,200
death yeah we're all gonna die but spiritual death permanent separation

774
01:04:55,200 --> 01:05:02,240
from God's suffering in hell forever but God loved you so much that he sent his

775
01:05:02,240 --> 01:05:08,720
only begotten son that if you would believe in him you would not perish but

776
01:05:08,720 --> 01:05:12,840
have everlasting life if God is speaking to you in this room while we're praying

777
01:05:12,840 --> 01:05:15,160
with heads bowed I just want you to raise your hand and say I need to

778
01:05:15,160 --> 01:05:19,280
receive Jesus Christ today if you're watching online and God is speaking to

779
01:05:19,280 --> 01:05:23,520
you just type into the chat there and say I need to receive Jesus I want to

780
01:05:23,520 --> 01:05:27,880
be saved because there's no other important decision you will ever make no

781
01:05:27,880 --> 01:05:32,680
more important decision will ever be than the one you make to say God saved

782
01:05:32,680 --> 01:05:36,600
my soul anybody in this room just raise your hand where I could see it let me

783
01:05:36,600 --> 01:05:42,440
pray with you today if you're online just type it into the chat all right

784
01:05:42,440 --> 01:05:48,640
father God we trust you and we pray God that your spirit speaks to the people

785
01:05:48,640 --> 01:05:53,640
Lord that you are drawing people to you that you're convicting of sin our lack

786
01:05:53,640 --> 01:05:56,880
of righteousness Lord and the judgment that's gonna come upon those who don't

787
01:05:56,880 --> 01:06:01,480
know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior God I pray that that all those

788
01:06:01,480 --> 01:06:07,440
Lord who know they need you would call out to you and say Jesus saved my soul

789
01:06:07,440 --> 01:06:17,000
change my heart I believe you I believe your word for no other reason than you

790
01:06:17,000 --> 01:06:25,920
are God and it's what you said and I believe you when you say you'll save me

791
01:06:25,920 --> 01:06:34,520
if I trust in you so I put my faith in you today God change my life teach me

792
01:06:34,520 --> 01:06:39,760
how to live for you and use me as a light to those who still don't know you

793
01:06:39,760 --> 01:06:45,640
and thank you for loving me so much it's in Jesus name I pray amen

794
01:06:45,640 --> 01:06:49,920
well church I pray that God will keep ministering among your hearts and keep

795
01:06:49,920 --> 01:06:53,620
encouraging you to be about the work that God has called us to do because the

796
01:06:53,620 --> 01:06:59,560
days are short the time is coming and if you're one of those people that say oh

797
01:06:59,560 --> 01:07:02,400
that but they've been saying that for thousands of years guess what then

798
01:07:02,400 --> 01:07:06,780
you're gonna be the one that goes oh dang it just happened I missed it we're

799
01:07:06,780 --> 01:07:09,920
called to be ready at every moment of every day because he'd come at any time

800
01:07:09,920 --> 01:07:13,680
and if you still have people you love and care about that don't know Jesus

801
01:07:13,680 --> 01:07:20,380
Christ tell them about your hope tell them about your Savior amen all right God

802
01:07:20,380 --> 01:07:32,960
bless you guys