1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:00,780 Pray with me. 2 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:02,760 We've got an easy text to deal with 3 00:00:02,760 --> 00:00:03,019 today. 4 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,100 This is one of those seeker sensitive passages 5 00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:10,320 of scripture, you know. 6 00:00:12,740 --> 00:00:15,120 We submit to the lectionary, right, so that 7 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,240 we don't avoid certain passages of scripture. 8 00:00:17,380 --> 00:00:18,840 There's a lot of those to avoid if, 9 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:21,240 you know, if we're insecure about the original 10 00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:23,200 intent of what scripture is saying. 11 00:00:23,380 --> 00:00:24,440 And that's what we want to get out 12 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:24,740 today. 13 00:00:24,860 --> 00:00:26,700 So pray with me that I would hit 14 00:00:26,700 --> 00:00:30,040 that original intent that Jesus, I believe, is 15 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:31,360 getting at in these passages. 16 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,700 So Lord, may the words of my mouth 17 00:00:34,700 --> 00:00:39,060 and the meditation of my heart, that which 18 00:00:39,060 --> 00:00:42,220 you have poured into me this morning, sitting 19 00:00:42,220 --> 00:00:45,100 before you, that you would pour it out 20 00:00:45,100 --> 00:00:47,600 this morning to nurture us, build us up 21 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,880 in the faith, to encourage us, to let 22 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:52,540 us know that you are a holy and 23 00:00:52,540 --> 00:00:53,320 gracious father. 24 00:00:54,220 --> 00:00:57,320 And in your infinite love, you made us 25 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:58,220 for yourself. 26 00:00:59,240 --> 00:00:59,760 Amen. 27 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:02,480 We can go home knowing that. 28 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:05,820 In his infinite love, he made us for 29 00:01:05,820 --> 00:01:06,260 himself. 30 00:01:08,420 --> 00:01:09,400 It's a good father, right? 31 00:01:09,820 --> 00:01:11,060 Father's a good word, too. 32 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:12,240 Mother's a good word. 33 00:01:13,020 --> 00:01:14,060 It's not our idea. 34 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:15,200 It's the father's idea. 35 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,680 We're also dealing with wrong views of God 36 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,300 coming at us and screaming within us sometimes, 37 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:23,020 right? 38 00:01:23,580 --> 00:01:27,880 Coming from that wrong place that is disordered 39 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:29,480 through sin and death. 40 00:01:30,260 --> 00:01:34,540 The good news is that Jesus Christ came 41 00:01:34,540 --> 00:01:39,830 to reconcile us back to the father, the 42 00:01:39,830 --> 00:01:40,910 God and father of all. 43 00:01:41,250 --> 00:01:41,410 Amen. 44 00:01:42,430 --> 00:01:43,830 So we're going to be dealing with some 45 00:01:43,830 --> 00:01:46,410 of the issues in between that we all 46 00:01:46,410 --> 00:01:49,250 struggle with between the first coming and the 47 00:01:49,250 --> 00:01:50,390 second coming of Christ. 48 00:01:51,210 --> 00:01:54,330 Living in this present evil age, we all 49 00:01:54,330 --> 00:01:59,430 are, but we're receiving a kingdom that cannot 50 00:01:59,430 --> 00:01:59,970 be shaken. 51 00:02:00,390 --> 00:02:03,210 The writer of Hebrews says in this kingdom 52 00:02:03,210 --> 00:02:04,570 is coming at us in so many different 53 00:02:04,570 --> 00:02:07,550 ways, but it's embodied in Jesus Christ in 54 00:02:07,550 --> 00:02:08,270 his resurrection. 55 00:02:09,750 --> 00:02:13,070 And in Christ now, he is our hope 56 00:02:13,070 --> 00:02:17,610 of glory because it's Christ in you, the 57 00:02:17,610 --> 00:02:20,130 hope of Christ in you. 58 00:02:20,970 --> 00:02:23,250 So that's kind of the agenda today is 59 00:02:23,250 --> 00:02:25,350 how do we live out of Christ in 60 00:02:25,350 --> 00:02:28,810 us when the spirit and the flesh are 61 00:02:28,810 --> 00:02:33,410 still warring against the full intent and the 62 00:02:33,410 --> 00:02:35,930 original intent of why we were created? 63 00:02:37,070 --> 00:02:38,610 He created us for himself. 64 00:02:39,350 --> 00:02:41,070 We're really fighting for that. 65 00:02:42,390 --> 00:02:43,310 That's a battle. 66 00:02:44,250 --> 00:02:45,550 That Jesus is one. 67 00:02:46,410 --> 00:02:49,770 And in our unity, as we cling on 68 00:02:49,770 --> 00:02:51,830 to him, we get a glimpse of that, 69 00:02:52,490 --> 00:02:54,990 but we're still fighting, we're still wrestling with 70 00:02:54,990 --> 00:02:57,510 principalities and powers and with the flesh and 71 00:02:57,510 --> 00:03:00,610 the lust, the flesh and the boastful pride 72 00:03:00,610 --> 00:03:01,110 of life. 73 00:03:03,450 --> 00:03:06,970 Another writer, John, gives it to us that 74 00:03:06,970 --> 00:03:07,210 way. 75 00:03:08,730 --> 00:03:11,130 We're dealing with Matthew five, beginning with verse 76 00:03:11,130 --> 00:03:11,790 twenty one. 77 00:03:12,790 --> 00:03:15,370 We've been walking our way through the Sermon 78 00:03:15,370 --> 00:03:15,850 on the Mount. 79 00:03:16,590 --> 00:03:19,310 We are beginning a new section in chapter 80 00:03:19,310 --> 00:03:21,650 five, beginning with verse twenty one, where Jesus 81 00:03:21,650 --> 00:03:27,330 begins to address common misinterpretations of the law 82 00:03:27,330 --> 00:03:29,410 in the previous verses. 83 00:03:29,570 --> 00:03:31,550 Jesus clearly says that he has not come 84 00:03:31,550 --> 00:03:35,270 to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. 85 00:03:35,970 --> 00:03:40,550 To perfectly satisfy its demands by accomplishing and 86 00:03:40,550 --> 00:03:43,970 enacting all that was spoken of him in 87 00:03:43,970 --> 00:03:45,570 the law, the Psalms and the prophets. 88 00:03:46,530 --> 00:03:49,750 He thus meets the demands of God's righteousness 89 00:03:49,750 --> 00:03:55,350 as the second Adam and through his whole 90 00:03:55,350 --> 00:04:04,290 life, incarnation, birth, life, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. 91 00:04:05,630 --> 00:04:07,290 You see, our redemption is tied up in 92 00:04:07,290 --> 00:04:08,850 all of that, not just the cross. 93 00:04:09,410 --> 00:04:11,850 He does meet the demands of God's righteousness 94 00:04:11,850 --> 00:04:14,430 as the second Adam, the second human being. 95 00:04:14,590 --> 00:04:15,990 It's really how you want to hear that 96 00:04:15,990 --> 00:04:19,910 through his whole life, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension 97 00:04:19,910 --> 00:04:21,130 reconciles us. 98 00:04:21,210 --> 00:04:22,910 He reconciles us to the father. 99 00:04:23,970 --> 00:04:27,830 By sharing his life in us. 100 00:04:35,670 --> 00:04:40,950 In Christ, therefore, becomes the new status shorthand 101 00:04:40,950 --> 00:04:41,950 in Christ. 102 00:04:42,530 --> 00:04:43,910 Paul uses it all the time. 103 00:04:44,610 --> 00:04:46,490 I'm glad that he found something that was 104 00:04:46,490 --> 00:04:48,690 shorthand because some of those paragraphs that Paul 105 00:04:48,690 --> 00:04:52,130 uses with no commas or anything run on 106 00:04:52,130 --> 00:04:53,870 sentences and everything like the first chapter of 107 00:04:53,870 --> 00:04:54,250 Ephesians. 108 00:04:54,350 --> 00:04:56,130 I'm glad it's not always like that, that 109 00:04:56,130 --> 00:04:57,810 he can boil all that down to a 110 00:04:57,810 --> 00:04:57,910 single sentence. 111 00:04:57,910 --> 00:04:59,970 And say, no, all of that is in 112 00:04:59,970 --> 00:05:00,410 Christ. 113 00:05:01,990 --> 00:05:04,290 In Christ becomes the new status for the 114 00:05:04,290 --> 00:05:07,750 people of God, in Christ becomes the new 115 00:05:07,750 --> 00:05:09,530 status of the people of God. 116 00:05:10,030 --> 00:05:14,930 Savor that shorthand for the story of redemption. 117 00:05:16,090 --> 00:05:19,090 And he gives us what was mentioned in 118 00:05:19,090 --> 00:05:24,350 the preceding verses as an exceeding righteousness, unless 119 00:05:24,350 --> 00:05:27,390 your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and 120 00:05:27,390 --> 00:05:29,810 the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom 121 00:05:29,810 --> 00:05:30,270 of heaven. 122 00:05:30,710 --> 00:05:31,890 What is that all about? 123 00:05:33,570 --> 00:05:37,910 How does this exceeding righteousness as salt of 124 00:05:37,910 --> 00:05:40,270 the earth, light of the world and a 125 00:05:40,270 --> 00:05:41,490 city on a hill manifest? 126 00:05:43,130 --> 00:05:45,950 Well, he begins to clear up common rabbinic 127 00:05:45,950 --> 00:05:49,830 misinterpretations of the law in this verse, 21 128 00:05:49,830 --> 00:05:51,690 and following six of them. 129 00:05:51,830 --> 00:05:53,390 I'm sure there's many more, but he only 130 00:05:53,390 --> 00:05:55,010 chose six on the Sermon on the Mount. 131 00:05:56,250 --> 00:05:57,370 What do I mean? 132 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,000 Jesus does not begin with the common phrase, 133 00:06:02,180 --> 00:06:04,420 it is written that I say to you. 134 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:07,440 So he's not contradicting the law. 135 00:06:09,740 --> 00:06:11,680 This is a clue, along with the string 136 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:13,700 of references to the teaching of the scribes 137 00:06:13,700 --> 00:06:15,180 and Pharisees throughout this sermon. 138 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,200 Makes mention of them, and at the end, 139 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:21,600 Jesus, I believe, is addressing an oral tradition 140 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,100 and wants to correct it in these six 141 00:06:24,100 --> 00:06:24,560 verses. 142 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,760 The scribes and the Pharisees teaching would always 143 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:33,020 reference a certain rabbinic school of interpretation, Hillel 144 00:06:33,020 --> 00:06:36,560 and all of these contemporaries of Jesus. 145 00:06:37,660 --> 00:06:40,300 And they had their own little school and 146 00:06:40,300 --> 00:06:43,100 ways of interpreting the law, and most of 147 00:06:43,100 --> 00:06:45,240 them really made it easier to do the 148 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:45,600 law. 149 00:06:45,820 --> 00:06:47,860 Of course, it's not doing the law that 150 00:06:47,860 --> 00:06:48,120 way. 151 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:51,500 And so everybody knows this. 152 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:52,980 Jesus is the only one that could fulfill 153 00:06:52,980 --> 00:06:53,400 it anyway. 154 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:53,760 Right. 155 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:55,200 I intend to abolish it. 156 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:56,340 I came to fulfill it. 157 00:06:57,360 --> 00:06:58,960 And the scribes and the Pharisees were trying 158 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,820 to lessen the demands in order to fulfill 159 00:07:01,820 --> 00:07:02,100 it. 160 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:03,380 But that was impossible. 161 00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:05,480 And so the scribes and Pharisees, they would 162 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:07,900 always quote their sources as a means of 163 00:07:07,900 --> 00:07:08,680 their authority. 164 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:09,160 Right. 165 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:11,740 And this is why, upon hearing Jesus teaching 166 00:07:11,740 --> 00:07:14,400 at the end, the hearers conclude with amazement. 167 00:07:14,820 --> 00:07:19,720 This man teaches with authority, not like the 168 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:21,340 scribes and the Pharisees. 169 00:07:22,300 --> 00:07:25,760 Who quote every other rabbi to make their 170 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:26,040 point. 171 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,340 Jesus is the new rabbi, the last rabbi. 172 00:07:31,460 --> 00:07:34,040 And he's come to set it straight, all 173 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,320 the false teaching, all the misinterpretations. 174 00:07:37,660 --> 00:07:40,060 You have heard that it was said, not 175 00:07:40,060 --> 00:07:41,300 you've heard it's written. 176 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,140 You've heard that it was said that I 177 00:07:44,140 --> 00:07:46,820 say to you, OK, that's that's my understanding 178 00:07:46,820 --> 00:07:49,120 of where we're going and why Jesus is 179 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:49,700 doing this. 180 00:07:50,470 --> 00:07:53,340 He chooses six misunderstandings of the law and 181 00:07:53,340 --> 00:07:57,080 seeks to correct and clarify their original intent. 182 00:07:58,020 --> 00:08:00,840 And so this homily will consider the first 183 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:05,700 four, not in any way attempting to expound 184 00:08:05,700 --> 00:08:08,240 on these four areas. 185 00:08:08,620 --> 00:08:10,300 We would never be able to do that 186 00:08:10,300 --> 00:08:11,420 satisfactorily. 187 00:08:12,260 --> 00:08:14,400 You could do a whole course or you 188 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,320 could get a Ph.D. in anger. 189 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:16,880 Right. 190 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,160 And emotional disorders and all of that. 191 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:19,380 Right. 192 00:08:19,900 --> 00:08:22,180 From a psychological or a theological perspective. 193 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:25,100 We just know what anger is. 194 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:25,980 We know what murder is. 195 00:08:26,020 --> 00:08:27,540 I don't have to spend much time on 196 00:08:27,540 --> 00:08:27,720 that. 197 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:27,960 Right. 198 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:29,180 We get it. 199 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:30,880 But rather, I want to place all these 200 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:31,299 things. 201 00:08:31,580 --> 00:08:34,039 Anger, murder, lust, adultery, divorce and oath taking, 202 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,679 which is assuming that we lie. 203 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:39,740 I want to place them within the larger 204 00:08:39,740 --> 00:08:41,919 story of redemption. 205 00:08:42,100 --> 00:08:43,740 This is where I was going as I 206 00:08:43,740 --> 00:08:45,340 was reading and preparing for this. 207 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:47,660 This sermon, I just said, Lord, this is 208 00:08:47,660 --> 00:08:49,100 a 15, 20 minute thing. 209 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,080 And so how do you do this? 210 00:08:55,220 --> 00:08:57,840 Anger, murder, anger and murder go together. 211 00:08:58,580 --> 00:08:59,840 Lust and adultery go together. 212 00:09:01,020 --> 00:09:05,400 Divorce and then assuming adultery go together and 213 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:06,220 oaths. 214 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:10,280 He begins with murder and then it leads 215 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:13,140 to the foundation of murder, which is he 216 00:09:13,140 --> 00:09:14,960 begins to address anger. 217 00:09:15,500 --> 00:09:17,460 What we want to do is set this 218 00:09:17,460 --> 00:09:19,620 in a liturgical context because that's what we're 219 00:09:19,620 --> 00:09:20,360 here for today. 220 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,100 And it's all about reconciliation and how to 221 00:09:24,100 --> 00:09:26,720 live a reconciled life because we don't get 222 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:27,160 along. 223 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:30,620 Only in Christ we can get along. 224 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,940 It's hard for human beings to live through 225 00:09:33,940 --> 00:09:34,880 the covenant of marriage. 226 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,800 It's hard for Christians to to love each 227 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:39,040 other. 228 00:09:39,220 --> 00:09:39,400 Right. 229 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:42,720 I mean, the New Testament's just it explodes 230 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:44,180 with all of the stuff. 231 00:09:44,180 --> 00:09:45,600 That's why we have the New Testament. 232 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,380 I mean, it's what Paul's addressing is most 233 00:09:48,380 --> 00:09:51,060 of our problems of not being able to 234 00:09:51,060 --> 00:09:54,400 get along or living disordered of passions and 235 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:54,840 desires. 236 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:55,140 Right. 237 00:09:55,180 --> 00:09:58,240 He's addressing that disorder and he's always bringing 238 00:09:58,240 --> 00:09:59,340 us back to the indicative. 239 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:01,780 But this is who you are. 240 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:04,740 You're struggling with lust, but this is who 241 00:10:04,740 --> 00:10:05,300 you are. 242 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,020 You're about to divorce, but this is who 243 00:10:08,020 --> 00:10:08,460 you are. 244 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:09,120 Right. 245 00:10:10,180 --> 00:10:11,320 I know you're angry. 246 00:10:12,100 --> 00:10:14,120 You could actually look at the structure of 247 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,680 this where a lot of relationships enter into 248 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:21,200 matrimony, not with anger, lust and divorce, but 249 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:25,740 with lust, anger and then divorce. 250 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,500 That's kind of the sequence of the erosion. 251 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:29,940 Right. 252 00:10:30,660 --> 00:10:33,400 Lust can bring us together, but it won't 253 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:34,160 keep us together. 254 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,440 And then the anger starts and we start 255 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:39,220 blame shifting, just like right back in the 256 00:10:39,220 --> 00:10:39,580 garden. 257 00:10:40,100 --> 00:10:43,160 It's this woman you have given me and 258 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:44,760 this woman has been talking to snakes. 259 00:10:45,780 --> 00:10:47,200 This is the human condition. 260 00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:50,620 And this is what the liturgy, this Eucharistic 261 00:10:50,620 --> 00:10:52,820 prayer, if you want to memorize it, it 262 00:10:52,820 --> 00:10:57,820 is powerful, holy and gracious father. 263 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:03,260 To savor that, because he must for God 264 00:11:03,260 --> 00:11:04,580 to be God, he must be holy and 265 00:11:04,580 --> 00:11:05,680 he must be gracious. 266 00:11:06,340 --> 00:11:09,160 We've got to believe that and experience that 267 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,120 a holy and gracious father. 268 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:17,600 In your infinite love, who God is out 269 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,920 of his being, out of himself, in your 270 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:25,040 infinite love, you made us for yourself. 271 00:11:26,460 --> 00:11:28,260 I mean, gosh, man, I could just stop 272 00:11:28,260 --> 00:11:28,680 right there. 273 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:30,680 And if we could sign off on that 274 00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:33,320 and go, I'm convinced we're convinced. 275 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,200 But then we get jostled a bit in 276 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,080 the real world or in our relationships or 277 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:39,220 in our marriages or whatever. 278 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,660 And at work, we're challenged to hold our 279 00:11:42,660 --> 00:11:45,040 profession of faith right to to really like 280 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,120 I am living into this in your infinite 281 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:48,560 love. 282 00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:50,580 You made us for yourself. 283 00:11:51,140 --> 00:11:54,720 But when we had fallen into sin in 284 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,180 the garden and become subject to evil and 285 00:11:58,180 --> 00:11:58,880 death. 286 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:06,400 You, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your 287 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:10,680 only and eternal son, to share our human 288 00:12:10,680 --> 00:12:16,440 nature, to live and die as one of 289 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:16,800 us. 290 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:23,460 Therefore, to reconcile us, to reconcile us to 291 00:12:23,460 --> 00:12:24,220 you. 292 00:12:25,420 --> 00:12:29,380 Here it is again, the God and father 293 00:12:29,380 --> 00:12:30,920 of all. 294 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:33,740 That's the big story. 295 00:12:34,900 --> 00:12:36,060 Where are we in that? 296 00:12:38,170 --> 00:12:40,530 God created us for himself. 297 00:12:41,710 --> 00:12:44,810 To use the Latin word to adore him, 298 00:12:45,730 --> 00:12:51,650 adore, adore to the mouth, that's what adoration 299 00:12:51,650 --> 00:12:53,810 means in Latin, and that's where we get 300 00:12:53,810 --> 00:12:55,450 all kinds of terminology, right? 301 00:12:56,450 --> 00:12:58,450 Oral hygiene, all of that, you know, the 302 00:12:58,450 --> 00:13:01,650 mouth, it's all about the mouth to the 303 00:13:01,650 --> 00:13:04,330 mouth, mouth to mouth. 304 00:13:05,330 --> 00:13:11,540 God gives us mouth to mouth resuscitation, eyelash 305 00:13:11,540 --> 00:13:12,420 to eyelash. 306 00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:13,900 You see, when you're mouth to mouth, your 307 00:13:13,900 --> 00:13:15,900 eyelash to eyelash, that's another image. 308 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:18,660 And that's what Adam and Eve were doing 309 00:13:18,660 --> 00:13:19,220 in the garden. 310 00:13:21,450 --> 00:13:24,210 It wasn't resuscitation, it was communion, mouth to 311 00:13:24,210 --> 00:13:26,650 mouth communion with their creator. 312 00:13:27,590 --> 00:13:31,650 No conflict, no lust, no disorder desires. 313 00:13:32,550 --> 00:13:36,230 And they were listening to their father coming 314 00:13:36,230 --> 00:13:37,830 in the cool of the day, in the 315 00:13:37,830 --> 00:13:39,730 cool of the evening, and they would walk 316 00:13:39,730 --> 00:13:42,730 together in some way of fellowship and communion. 317 00:13:42,990 --> 00:13:43,650 That's the picture. 318 00:13:44,350 --> 00:13:49,590 And so this adore, who wants to be 319 00:13:49,590 --> 00:13:51,970 adored otherwise in the garden where there's this 320 00:13:51,970 --> 00:13:54,970 creature who can't stand human beings and he 321 00:13:54,970 --> 00:13:58,310 and he has fallen from grace and he 322 00:13:58,310 --> 00:14:00,450 and he's present some way in the form 323 00:14:00,450 --> 00:14:03,190 of a serpent or an image of a 324 00:14:03,190 --> 00:14:03,450 serpent. 325 00:14:03,630 --> 00:14:04,970 That's the image of evil. 326 00:14:05,770 --> 00:14:09,450 And he begins to pull human beings away 327 00:14:09,450 --> 00:14:13,470 from mouth to mouth with God, adoring God, 328 00:14:13,670 --> 00:14:17,630 worshiping because he knows that orthodoxy, which is 329 00:14:17,630 --> 00:14:23,270 right worship, produces orthopraxy, right living. 330 00:14:24,530 --> 00:14:26,990 And so he comes to disorder their worship. 331 00:14:28,330 --> 00:14:31,470 As God said, and, you know, the rest 332 00:14:31,470 --> 00:14:34,370 of the story, when we had fallen into 333 00:14:34,370 --> 00:14:36,770 sin and become subject to evil and death, 334 00:14:37,350 --> 00:14:40,210 these four things and many other things that 335 00:14:40,210 --> 00:14:43,910 anger, murder, lust, adultery, divorce and oath keeping, 336 00:14:44,190 --> 00:14:46,090 you know, I swear by heaven, I swear 337 00:14:46,090 --> 00:14:48,170 by the temple, you know, all this stuff, 338 00:14:48,370 --> 00:14:52,050 all of this has come in as a 339 00:14:52,050 --> 00:14:54,950 result of that back story. 340 00:14:55,720 --> 00:15:00,730 We must live into the second human being, 341 00:15:00,890 --> 00:15:04,230 the second Adam, our redeemer, our reconciler, in 342 00:15:04,230 --> 00:15:07,790 order to live in this present evil age, 343 00:15:08,090 --> 00:15:11,970 as it were, naked and without shame, without 344 00:15:11,970 --> 00:15:12,530 shame. 345 00:15:13,650 --> 00:15:17,210 That was the original intent, to live openly 346 00:15:17,210 --> 00:15:19,270 and naked before God and without shame. 347 00:15:20,050 --> 00:15:23,410 It's interesting that Jesus is talking about anger 348 00:15:23,410 --> 00:15:26,330 and alter and murder in the passage. 349 00:15:27,670 --> 00:15:29,670 You have heard that it was said to 350 00:15:29,670 --> 00:15:31,730 those of old, you shall not commit murder. 351 00:15:32,430 --> 00:15:34,390 Whoever murders will be liable to the judgment 352 00:15:34,390 --> 00:15:36,370 that I say to you, that everyone who 353 00:15:36,370 --> 00:15:38,410 is angry with his brother or sister, I'd 354 00:15:38,410 --> 00:15:40,770 say, will be liable to judgment. 355 00:15:40,950 --> 00:15:43,150 Whoever insults his brother will be liable to 356 00:15:43,150 --> 00:15:45,430 the council and whoever says you fool be 357 00:15:45,430 --> 00:15:46,950 liable to the hell of fire. 358 00:15:46,950 --> 00:15:50,150 And then he brings in this thing. 359 00:15:50,670 --> 00:15:52,890 So if you're offering your gift at the 360 00:15:52,890 --> 00:15:53,370 altar. 361 00:15:54,510 --> 00:15:57,370 And there, remember, your brother has something against 362 00:15:57,370 --> 00:16:00,430 you, leave your gift there before the altar 363 00:16:00,430 --> 00:16:05,570 and go first be reconciled, first be reconciled 364 00:16:05,570 --> 00:16:08,810 or you won't have orthodoxy, which is right 365 00:16:08,810 --> 00:16:09,210 worship. 366 00:16:10,110 --> 00:16:14,150 What biblical passage could Jesus be alluding to 367 00:16:14,150 --> 00:16:16,490 in anger, murder, alter? 368 00:16:17,670 --> 00:16:19,610 Cain and Abel, absolutely. 369 00:16:20,670 --> 00:16:22,890 And it's the first murder in the Bible. 370 00:16:23,790 --> 00:16:27,630 And it was all about anger because there 371 00:16:27,630 --> 00:16:30,990 was heterodoxy and orthodoxy involved. 372 00:16:32,070 --> 00:16:36,750 Bad worship, heterodoxy and orthodoxy, right worship. 373 00:16:38,010 --> 00:16:40,330 And the guy who did it right got 374 00:16:40,330 --> 00:16:40,830 snuffed. 375 00:16:42,130 --> 00:16:42,850 Righteous Abel. 376 00:16:43,850 --> 00:16:46,210 And it's mysterious, but he offered from the 377 00:16:46,210 --> 00:16:50,450 flocks of his herds, the shedding of blood. 378 00:16:51,790 --> 00:16:56,050 The backstory is not told, but it still 379 00:16:56,050 --> 00:17:00,170 Cain couldn't understand why isn't my offering acceptable? 380 00:17:01,470 --> 00:17:04,210 And the Lord says sin is crouching at 381 00:17:04,210 --> 00:17:06,690 the door and it seeks to master you. 382 00:17:07,950 --> 00:17:09,890 But you must master it. 383 00:17:10,849 --> 00:17:13,630 Well, thanks be to God, the greater righteousness 384 00:17:13,630 --> 00:17:15,430 that Jesus is talking about. 385 00:17:17,089 --> 00:17:21,290 And sin itself and death itself got mastered 386 00:17:21,290 --> 00:17:22,470 in Jesus. 387 00:17:23,430 --> 00:17:26,369 Yeah, I think that's an allusion to Cain 388 00:17:26,369 --> 00:17:29,410 and Abel, which speaks so much about what 389 00:17:29,410 --> 00:17:34,010 God wants is reconciliation and reconciliation in worship. 390 00:17:34,010 --> 00:17:35,210 They're inseparable. 391 00:17:35,670 --> 00:17:39,150 OK, so now we're looking at murder, anger, 392 00:17:39,990 --> 00:17:44,930 lust, adultery, divorce, oaths, so on and so 393 00:17:44,930 --> 00:17:45,290 forth. 394 00:17:46,450 --> 00:17:50,230 Jesus doesn't give us a laid out theology 395 00:17:50,230 --> 00:17:55,260 like Paul does about Paul lets us know 396 00:17:55,260 --> 00:17:58,900 that in this big story, he says a 397 00:17:58,900 --> 00:18:01,820 part of it is that we have crucified 398 00:18:01,820 --> 00:18:03,240 the flesh. 399 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,000 We have crucified the flesh, what? 400 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,620 With its passions and desires. 401 00:18:10,340 --> 00:18:11,560 I have been crucified. 402 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:13,580 I no longer live. 403 00:18:13,820 --> 00:18:15,680 I live by faith in the son of 404 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:17,140 God who gave himself up for me. 405 00:18:17,380 --> 00:18:19,560 It's an exchanged life now. 406 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:23,620 And the more we're struggling with anger, murder, 407 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:26,140 lust, adultery. 408 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:29,500 Pornography, whatever, all of that. 409 00:18:29,940 --> 00:18:30,960 This is why I don't even have to 410 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,340 emphasize that stuff, because that's what we've been 411 00:18:34,340 --> 00:18:35,380 delivered from. 412 00:18:36,220 --> 00:18:38,820 And it's through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 413 00:18:39,500 --> 00:18:42,360 I have crucified the flesh, that part of 414 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:44,580 me that wants to draw in and give 415 00:18:44,580 --> 00:18:48,560 attention to my lust and my disordered desires. 416 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:52,180 This is the difference between a Christian on 417 00:18:52,180 --> 00:18:54,720 the way and a Christian in bondage. 418 00:18:55,820 --> 00:18:59,060 Stuck in sin and not knowing how to 419 00:18:59,060 --> 00:18:59,440 get out. 420 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:02,420 And when I say stuck in sin, I 421 00:19:02,420 --> 00:19:04,660 mean the statistics that so many are stuck 422 00:19:04,660 --> 00:19:06,780 in with pornography. 423 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:11,940 Leading to adultery and feeding lust, and so 424 00:19:11,940 --> 00:19:13,720 the original intent is what? 425 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:14,900 Sexual purity. 426 00:19:15,820 --> 00:19:16,900 That's the original intent. 427 00:19:16,900 --> 00:19:18,600 And that's what we're dealing with today, not 428 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:24,740 disordered sexual relationships, but a healed, reconciled, in 429 00:19:24,740 --> 00:19:28,820 Christ perspective of who you are in Jesus 430 00:19:28,820 --> 00:19:29,340 Christ. 431 00:19:29,860 --> 00:19:33,300 Taking authority over lust because it's a powerful 432 00:19:33,300 --> 00:19:36,880 principality, taking authority over all of these things 433 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,080 because he's given it to you in Jesus. 434 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,580 All authority has been given to me. 435 00:19:42,300 --> 00:19:44,680 Get out there in that place where it's 436 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:45,420 going to be tough. 437 00:19:45,740 --> 00:19:47,560 Go into all the world. 438 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:49,920 And boy, Paul did that and the disciples 439 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:50,460 did that. 440 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:55,280 They took the nations with that single focus 441 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,680 of adoration to God. 442 00:19:59,140 --> 00:20:03,420 They went forth mouth to mouth with God. 443 00:20:04,460 --> 00:20:06,820 We can choose who we will worship and 444 00:20:06,820 --> 00:20:07,300 adore. 445 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:10,940 And I would just say this morning, there 446 00:20:10,940 --> 00:20:13,600 is God's voice is calling us all to 447 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:14,360 adore him. 448 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:19,020 And if you've not been adoring him, this 449 00:20:19,020 --> 00:20:21,840 is the time to re up because we're 450 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:22,800 going to confess our sins. 451 00:20:23,820 --> 00:20:25,820 And we do we confess our sins every 452 00:20:25,820 --> 00:20:29,200 day and in all the liturgical gatherings, because 453 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,020 it presupposes that we struggle with sin and 454 00:20:32,020 --> 00:20:32,900 we're sinners, right? 455 00:20:33,580 --> 00:20:35,060 That's no surprise to us. 456 00:20:35,450 --> 00:20:38,940 That's the means of grace to be reconciled 457 00:20:38,940 --> 00:20:39,960 with God. 458 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,340 Holy and gracious father in your infinite love, 459 00:20:43,820 --> 00:20:45,220 you made us for yourself. 460 00:20:46,670 --> 00:20:49,620 Holy and gracious father in your infinite love, 461 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,680 made us for yourself. 462 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:55,300 And when we had fallen into sin and 463 00:20:55,300 --> 00:20:59,420 become subject to evil and death, you, in 464 00:20:59,420 --> 00:21:04,040 your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and 465 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:04,900 eternal son. 466 00:21:06,340 --> 00:21:09,000 To share our human nature, to live and 467 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,080 die as one of us and to reconcile 468 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:11,920 us to you. 469 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:14,840 But I have all of these desires, right? 470 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:17,060 And C.S. Lewis addresses that, and I 471 00:21:17,060 --> 00:21:18,460 brought the book today so I don't have 472 00:21:18,460 --> 00:21:19,260 to botch the quote. 473 00:21:19,660 --> 00:21:21,360 The thing is, is that desire is a 474 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:21,880 good thing. 475 00:21:22,500 --> 00:21:25,060 Disordered desire is what we're dealing with today. 476 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:27,720 When we had fallen into sin and become 477 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:29,920 subject to evil and death, does that mean 478 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:31,480 the eradication of desire? 479 00:21:31,740 --> 00:21:31,920 No. 480 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:39,100 One thing I desire that will I seek, 481 00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:40,660 David said. 482 00:21:42,260 --> 00:21:46,040 It's refocusing our disordered desires and passions back 483 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,940 to God's original intent that draws us near 484 00:21:49,940 --> 00:21:50,400 to him. 485 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:54,200 Cleanses us, reconciles us and just baptizes us 486 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,620 in his love, because that's who God is 487 00:21:56,620 --> 00:21:58,440 so good. 488 00:21:58,660 --> 00:22:00,840 But sometimes it's so hard to receive. 489 00:22:01,540 --> 00:22:02,320 You get it? 490 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:03,920 It's hard to receive sometimes. 491 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:05,420 It's hard to press into it. 492 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:06,660 It's always there, though. 493 00:22:06,700 --> 00:22:07,500 I want you to know that. 494 00:22:07,900 --> 00:22:09,140 And I want you to know, yeah, it's 495 00:22:09,140 --> 00:22:11,160 hard sometimes to receive it and press into 496 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:11,420 it. 497 00:22:11,900 --> 00:22:12,820 Yeah, I get it. 498 00:22:13,300 --> 00:22:14,140 But we press in. 499 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,180 We still march into the truth and we 500 00:22:16,180 --> 00:22:20,240 still proclaim the truth against our disordered desire. 501 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,760 In affections that are pulling us, as it 502 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,580 were, like gravity back into bondage. 503 00:22:26,940 --> 00:22:27,160 No. 504 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:27,920 OK. 505 00:22:28,020 --> 00:22:31,700 And so C.S. Lewis addresses this and 506 00:22:31,700 --> 00:22:33,340 he says, we're not trying to kill our 507 00:22:33,340 --> 00:22:33,800 desires. 508 00:22:33,940 --> 00:22:36,000 That would be more from Kant and the 509 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,180 Stoics and is no part of the Christian 510 00:22:38,180 --> 00:22:38,520 faith. 511 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:42,680 Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of 512 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:47,280 reward, the promises of reward and the staggering 513 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:51,260 nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, 514 00:22:51,940 --> 00:22:54,320 it would seem that our Lord finds our 515 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:55,880 desires not too strong. 516 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,640 But too weak, we are half hearted creatures 517 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,940 fooling about with drink and sex and ambition 518 00:23:03,940 --> 00:23:07,220 when infinite joy is offered us. 519 00:23:07,740 --> 00:23:12,280 We're half hearted creatures fooling around with drink 520 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:16,000 and sex and ambition when infinite joy is 521 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:16,820 offered us. 522 00:23:17,860 --> 00:23:20,280 Like an ignorant child who wants to go 523 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:24,260 on making mud pies in a slum because 524 00:23:24,260 --> 00:23:27,700 he cannot imagine what is meant by the 525 00:23:27,700 --> 00:23:30,320 offer of a holiday at the sea. 526 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,560 We are too easily pleased. 527 00:23:34,420 --> 00:23:36,520 This is the war, the battle, this is 528 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:38,280 the fight we need to encourage each other 529 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:39,980 in knowing this, right? 530 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,020 We're all in the same boat, G.K. 531 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,140 Chesterton says, and we're all seasick. 532 00:23:46,140 --> 00:23:47,500 Here's the deal. 533 00:23:48,100 --> 00:23:52,480 Rather than lustful intent and anger and all 534 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:54,680 of this disordered passion, it sounds really right. 535 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:56,220 Who wants to go to that party? 536 00:23:56,820 --> 00:24:00,120 C.S. Lewis ends in his great sermon, 537 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:01,320 The Weight of Glory. 538 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,920 He basically says that if we could only 539 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:09,400 understand the person sitting next to us and 540 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,500 the glory to be revealed, we would be 541 00:24:13,500 --> 00:24:16,120 tempted to fall down in worship. 542 00:24:16,140 --> 00:24:21,520 That person, and this is what Paul means 543 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:23,880 when he says, we no longer know each 544 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:27,680 other after the flesh, lust, anger, ambition. 545 00:24:29,220 --> 00:24:32,760 But now we no longer know each other 546 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:33,800 after the flesh. 547 00:24:34,020 --> 00:24:35,920 You don't know your wife after the flesh. 548 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:37,680 You don't know your husband after the flesh. 549 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,200 You don't know your brothers and sisters after 550 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:40,860 the flesh. 551 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:44,140 After the flesh, what does that mean? 552 00:24:44,140 --> 00:24:47,160 That old creation that's been, you know, full 553 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:48,440 of evil and sin and death.