1 00:00:00,650 --> 00:00:04,290 Again, and we're going to read first of 2 00:00:04,290 --> 00:00:06,470 all in Psalm 12. 3 00:00:09,110 --> 00:00:11,790 I want to spend some time thinking with 4 00:00:11,790 --> 00:00:16,390 you about the subject of commitment and faithfulness. 5 00:00:25,490 --> 00:00:29,890 So, Lord willing, tonight and tomorrow night and 6 00:00:29,890 --> 00:00:33,530 Friday night we'll be looking at the theme 7 00:00:33,530 --> 00:00:36,570 of commitment and faithfulness. 8 00:00:37,430 --> 00:00:40,050 Psalm 12, verse 1. 9 00:00:41,870 --> 00:00:48,750 Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases, for 10 00:00:48,750 --> 00:00:55,010 the faithful fail from among the children of 11 00:00:55,010 --> 00:00:55,270 men. 12 00:00:56,330 --> 00:00:59,230 This is actually an urgent appeal. 13 00:01:00,790 --> 00:01:04,650 The word help, Lord, is literally save, Lord. 14 00:01:06,070 --> 00:01:11,190 Save us, rescue us, for the godly man 15 00:01:11,190 --> 00:01:17,330 ceases, for the faithful fail from among the 16 00:01:17,330 --> 00:01:19,230 children of men. 17 00:01:20,870 --> 00:01:23,430 So I want to think with you about 18 00:01:23,430 --> 00:01:28,870 the condition that we find ourselves in today 19 00:01:28,870 --> 00:01:29,670 as Christians. 20 00:01:31,910 --> 00:01:36,370 I've been serving the Lord full-time since 21 00:01:36,370 --> 00:01:42,030 1980 and I guess I would call myself 22 00:01:42,030 --> 00:01:43,570 one of those who were born and raised 23 00:01:43,570 --> 00:01:47,730 in a gospel hall, saved when I was 24 00:01:47,730 --> 00:01:48,450 eight years old. 25 00:01:48,790 --> 00:01:52,910 So I've been around assembly life virtually from 26 00:01:52,910 --> 00:01:55,830 the time that I could see or hear 27 00:01:55,830 --> 00:01:56,190 anything. 28 00:01:57,810 --> 00:02:02,050 And there's something that has changed commonly among 29 00:02:02,050 --> 00:02:03,030 assemblies. 30 00:02:04,310 --> 00:02:08,710 And this is a very superficial observation and 31 00:02:08,710 --> 00:02:10,190 it may not be entirely fair. 32 00:02:11,390 --> 00:02:13,230 But it used to be, at least where 33 00:02:13,230 --> 00:02:19,070 I grew up, that the same number of 34 00:02:19,070 --> 00:02:22,710 people were there Sunday morning, Sunday night, and 35 00:02:22,710 --> 00:02:25,110 Tuesday or Wednesday night, whatever the midweek night 36 00:02:25,110 --> 00:02:25,490 was. 37 00:02:26,510 --> 00:02:29,070 And if there was a series of meetings, 38 00:02:29,890 --> 00:02:31,070 well, we were there. 39 00:02:33,070 --> 00:02:35,070 I grew up on a dairy farm and 40 00:02:35,070 --> 00:02:37,330 we had sort of what I call a 41 00:02:37,330 --> 00:02:38,230 working relationship. 42 00:02:38,650 --> 00:02:40,770 We didn't know too much about fun and 43 00:02:40,770 --> 00:02:41,130 games. 44 00:02:41,910 --> 00:02:43,370 We did a lot of work. 45 00:02:44,550 --> 00:02:49,070 But something that is imprinted upon my consciousness 46 00:02:49,070 --> 00:02:52,250 is that nothing kept us from meeting. 47 00:02:54,490 --> 00:02:57,770 It didn't matter if it was spring seeding 48 00:02:57,770 --> 00:03:00,190 or haying time or fall harvest. 49 00:03:01,050 --> 00:03:04,730 When the time for meeting came, the machinery 50 00:03:04,730 --> 00:03:07,990 was shut down and it had to be 51 00:03:07,990 --> 00:03:10,790 a dire emergency to keep us from meeting. 52 00:03:11,950 --> 00:03:13,930 And I don't look at that, I don't 53 00:03:13,930 --> 00:03:15,770 think of it as being some kind of 54 00:03:15,770 --> 00:03:19,210 a legalistic framework in which we lived, but 55 00:03:19,210 --> 00:03:23,210 simply it was a matter of commitment, a 56 00:03:23,210 --> 00:03:24,190 matter of priority. 57 00:03:27,150 --> 00:03:29,850 And that's something that has changed. 58 00:03:31,730 --> 00:03:34,570 And I don't know how your experience is 59 00:03:34,570 --> 00:03:38,310 here, so I'm not judging you, but commonly 60 00:03:38,310 --> 00:03:42,790 when I move among God's people, there might 61 00:03:42,790 --> 00:03:45,790 be about half of the assembly present at 62 00:03:45,790 --> 00:03:47,610 most of the other meetings other than Sunday 63 00:03:47,610 --> 00:03:47,890 morning. 64 00:03:49,150 --> 00:03:51,430 And that's quite a distinct change. 65 00:03:52,110 --> 00:03:54,290 In fact, it's become a real issue for 66 00:03:54,290 --> 00:03:58,450 many assemblies when a series of ministry meetings 67 00:03:58,450 --> 00:04:03,190 is conducted even, that it's such a challenge 68 00:04:03,190 --> 00:04:05,270 just to get the whole assembly there to 69 00:04:05,270 --> 00:04:06,510 hear the teaching. 70 00:04:07,870 --> 00:04:09,790 And the same thing is true for the 71 00:04:09,790 --> 00:04:11,590 regular teaching meetings. 72 00:04:12,090 --> 00:04:18,190 I remember in Timmins pondering this problem, that 73 00:04:18,190 --> 00:04:20,670 there were saints among us who were never 74 00:04:20,670 --> 00:04:23,130 there for a Bible reading. 75 00:04:23,510 --> 00:04:26,390 On Sunday mornings we had switched to ministry, 76 00:04:27,110 --> 00:04:30,110 and there were believers who were never being 77 00:04:30,110 --> 00:04:34,530 exposed to the consecutive verse-by-verse Bible 78 00:04:34,530 --> 00:04:35,550 exposition. 79 00:04:36,830 --> 00:04:41,010 And one couple in particular who eventually dropped 80 00:04:41,010 --> 00:04:45,090 out, the husband ran into some very significant 81 00:04:45,090 --> 00:04:46,930 spiritual problems. 82 00:04:47,910 --> 00:04:52,690 And those actual exact problems were things that 83 00:04:52,690 --> 00:04:55,570 were taken up in the Bible studies in 84 00:04:55,570 --> 00:04:57,510 those months when he was going through those 85 00:04:57,510 --> 00:04:59,530 problems, but he wasn't there to hear it. 86 00:05:00,450 --> 00:05:04,510 And so that's just one little glimpse of 87 00:05:04,510 --> 00:05:07,490 what I see just among us as Christians. 88 00:05:08,450 --> 00:05:10,770 And so I'm going to consider the fact 89 00:05:10,770 --> 00:05:15,170 that we are in a society that is 90 00:05:15,170 --> 00:05:15,970 deteriorating. 91 00:05:17,030 --> 00:05:19,930 It's breaking down, and we could almost say 92 00:05:19,930 --> 00:05:22,550 it has almost totally disintegrated. 93 00:05:23,230 --> 00:05:27,210 And one of the key elements that is 94 00:05:27,210 --> 00:05:31,850 involved in that breakdown is the destruction of 95 00:05:31,850 --> 00:05:36,950 commitment, the lack of commitment or faithfulness. 96 00:05:37,610 --> 00:05:39,530 And so I want to think with you 97 00:05:39,530 --> 00:05:42,310 about that, and I'll just give you some 98 00:05:42,310 --> 00:05:44,510 stats which probably you already know anyway. 99 00:05:45,850 --> 00:05:52,110 Just in general relationship terms, in 1960 the 100 00:05:52,110 --> 00:05:55,230 divorce rate was about 10% here in 101 00:05:55,230 --> 00:06:00,150 this country, and the ratio of single adults 102 00:06:00,150 --> 00:06:01,710 was about six and a half percent. 103 00:06:02,550 --> 00:06:05,490 By 1980 the divorce rate had jumped to 104 00:06:05,490 --> 00:06:06,290 50%. 105 00:06:06,290 --> 00:06:11,230 So there's obviously a tremendous social revolution taking 106 00:06:11,230 --> 00:06:15,110 place in that generation in those 20 years. 107 00:06:17,930 --> 00:06:21,290 And meanwhile the percentage of single adults had 108 00:06:21,290 --> 00:06:22,530 risen to 20%. 109 00:06:22,530 --> 00:06:26,910 In 2009 its divorce rate is just about 110 00:06:26,910 --> 00:06:29,870 the same, 50%, but the percentage of single 111 00:06:29,870 --> 00:06:31,630 adults is about 30%. 112 00:06:31,630 --> 00:06:34,370 So from about six and a half percent 113 00:06:34,370 --> 00:06:35,450 to 30%. 114 00:06:35,450 --> 00:06:41,250 So there's a very significant change of thinking, 115 00:06:42,230 --> 00:06:48,150 of lifestyle, and the basic change that that 116 00:06:48,150 --> 00:06:56,510 reflects is towards individualism, lack of commitment to 117 00:06:56,510 --> 00:06:58,090 relationship, and so on. 118 00:06:58,910 --> 00:07:02,150 Now I noticed in Canada that the divorce 119 00:07:02,150 --> 00:07:04,090 rate had actually gone down in the last 120 00:07:04,090 --> 00:07:07,250 year or so, from I'm not sure when 121 00:07:07,250 --> 00:07:11,010 that was basing it on, and so that 122 00:07:11,010 --> 00:07:14,190 sounds a bit encouraging, but actually it's not 123 00:07:14,190 --> 00:07:18,370 because people are being more faithful today, it's 124 00:07:18,370 --> 00:07:19,910 just fewer people are getting married. 125 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:25,660 You know what the average lifespan of a 126 00:07:25,660 --> 00:07:26,920 common-law marriage is? 127 00:07:28,220 --> 00:07:29,300 Five years. 128 00:07:32,060 --> 00:07:35,080 So that's a pretty high-stakes game, isn't 129 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:35,340 it? 130 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,860 To enter into a relationship that will have 131 00:07:39,860 --> 00:07:43,320 a profound effect upon your being, your well 132 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,460 -being, and to say, well give it five 133 00:07:46,460 --> 00:07:46,800 years. 134 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,540 That's an average lifespan of common-law marriage. 135 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,600 And one of the interesting things I found 136 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,940 in the statistics of Stats Canada is called, 137 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,740 they keep record of marriage and divorces and 138 00:08:00,740 --> 00:08:04,820 of common-law marriage stats, but they don't 139 00:08:04,820 --> 00:08:08,420 keep track of common-law marriage breakdowns. 140 00:08:11,220 --> 00:08:13,980 And so I guess what I would like 141 00:08:13,980 --> 00:08:19,420 you to think about is, is that tendency, 142 00:08:19,780 --> 00:08:26,640 that trend, that characteristic, is it seeping into 143 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:34,220 our souls, in our Christian life, in our 144 00:08:34,220 --> 00:08:36,740 marriages, in our assembly life? 145 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:41,100 A breakdown of sense of commitment. 146 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,800 Well I want to take you back to 147 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:47,000 the Scriptures and to try to get back 148 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,220 to the source of commitment. 149 00:08:50,780 --> 00:08:52,820 I want to look, first of all, just 150 00:08:52,820 --> 00:08:55,360 a little bit of word study, and we're 151 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:58,240 going to notice some of the words that 152 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,820 are used in the New Testament, particularly for 153 00:09:00,820 --> 00:09:02,560 commitment and faithfulness. 154 00:09:02,620 --> 00:09:04,960 I'm going to give you a few well 155 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:05,600 -known verses. 156 00:09:05,900 --> 00:09:19,480 John chapter 2, John chapter 157 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:24,760 2 and verse 23 to the verse 25, 158 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:26,560 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the 159 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:29,540 Passover, in the feast day, many believed in 160 00:09:29,540 --> 00:09:31,640 his name when they saw the miracles which 161 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:32,100 he did. 162 00:09:32,860 --> 00:09:36,920 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, 163 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,560 because he knew all men. 164 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:45,960 Now you've probably heard this commented on, that 165 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,740 the word believe and the word commit here 166 00:09:49,740 --> 00:09:51,120 are exactly the same word. 167 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,420 And so in a significant number of cases 168 00:09:56,420 --> 00:10:00,600 in the New Testament, the word to commit 169 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:06,200 to and the word that is translated to 170 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:12,280 believe in the passive sense, what's the word 171 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:13,740 believe passive. 172 00:10:14,780 --> 00:10:18,580 To believe on somebody is the active form 173 00:10:18,580 --> 00:10:20,200 of trusting someone. 174 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:28,020 The word faithful is someone who is worthy 175 00:10:28,020 --> 00:10:28,640 of trust. 176 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,960 Somebody that you can put your confidence in. 177 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,140 And so the word believe and the word 178 00:10:40,140 --> 00:10:43,320 faithful are actually the same word. 179 00:10:43,860 --> 00:10:45,840 One is simply active, one is passive. 180 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:50,700 And in many verses in the New Testament, 181 00:10:51,140 --> 00:10:56,420 sometimes the word faith or faithfulness could be 182 00:10:56,420 --> 00:10:59,060 used depending on the context. 183 00:10:59,660 --> 00:11:01,020 And I'll give you a couple of examples 184 00:11:01,020 --> 00:11:01,720 of that. 185 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:06,060 But just to emphasize this, that the word 186 00:11:06,060 --> 00:11:13,860 for faith, faithfulness, and commitment are all intertwined. 187 00:11:14,540 --> 00:11:17,320 Just different forms of exactly the same word 188 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:18,940 in many cases in the New Testament. 189 00:11:19,220 --> 00:11:20,380 I'm going to quote you a few of 190 00:11:20,380 --> 00:11:21,740 them, you don't have to turn to them. 191 00:11:22,340 --> 00:11:25,520 Luke chapter 16 and verse 12, in the 192 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:30,380 context of stewardship, the parable of the unjust 193 00:11:30,380 --> 00:11:33,380 steward, Luke 16 and 12, if you have 194 00:11:33,380 --> 00:11:39,280 not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who 195 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:43,680 will commit to your trust the true riches? 196 00:11:44,260 --> 00:11:47,880 Again, there's two expressions here that are exactly 197 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:48,580 the same word. 198 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,020 If you have not been faithful. 199 00:11:52,700 --> 00:11:57,520 And then, who will commit to your trust? 200 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,040 Commit to your trust, that whole expression is 201 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,820 the same word again, just in the active 202 00:12:04,820 --> 00:12:05,360 sense. 203 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:09,980 1st Thessalonians 2 and verse 4, Paul speaks 204 00:12:09,980 --> 00:12:13,080 of being allowed of God to be put 205 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:16,040 in trust with the gospel. 206 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,680 Again, 1st Timothy 1 and 11, the gospel 207 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:22,220 committed to my trust. 208 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:25,560 And the next verse, 1st Timothy 1 and 209 00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:30,440 12, he counted me faithful, putting me into 210 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:31,500 the ministry. 211 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:35,660 Titus 1 and 3, the preaching of the 212 00:12:35,660 --> 00:12:38,300 gospel, committed unto me. 213 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:45,920 Now there are two other words in the 214 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:49,360 New Testament that are also translated commit. 215 00:12:50,980 --> 00:12:53,960 And I'll give you a couple of examples 216 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:54,880 of those as well. 217 00:12:55,620 --> 00:12:59,080 And again, these words are fairly self-evident. 218 00:13:00,700 --> 00:13:03,560 I bank at a bank in Canada called 219 00:13:03,560 --> 00:13:04,940 TD Canada Trust. 220 00:13:06,220 --> 00:13:09,820 And that word trust is very familiar in 221 00:13:09,820 --> 00:13:11,160 the banking system. 222 00:13:15,630 --> 00:13:17,490 So what do you do when you go 223 00:13:17,490 --> 00:13:17,990 to the bank? 224 00:13:18,590 --> 00:13:22,270 Well, sometimes we are withdrawing money, but that 225 00:13:22,270 --> 00:13:23,250 only lasts so long. 226 00:13:23,470 --> 00:13:25,150 You have to deposit money. 227 00:13:25,870 --> 00:13:29,030 And when you deposit money, you are placing 228 00:13:29,030 --> 00:13:32,310 with them your money. 229 00:13:33,050 --> 00:13:36,670 And that's literally what this word is in 230 00:13:36,670 --> 00:13:38,930 Luke chapter 23 and verse 46. 231 00:13:39,250 --> 00:13:42,590 Father, into thy hands I commend. 232 00:13:42,830 --> 00:13:43,630 It's really commit. 233 00:13:44,130 --> 00:13:45,850 I commit my spirit. 234 00:13:46,830 --> 00:13:50,550 And that is to place with, as entrusting 235 00:13:50,550 --> 00:13:54,710 as a deposit, into the care of someone. 236 00:13:55,690 --> 00:13:58,350 2nd Timothy chapter 1 and verse 12 and 237 00:13:58,350 --> 00:14:03,610 14, another familiar little section where Paul says, 238 00:14:03,850 --> 00:14:06,970 I know whom I have believed and am 239 00:14:06,970 --> 00:14:11,830 persuaded that he is able to keep that 240 00:14:11,830 --> 00:14:14,590 which I have committed unto him against that 241 00:14:14,590 --> 00:14:14,910 day. 242 00:14:15,870 --> 00:14:16,890 And then a little further down he says, 243 00:14:16,950 --> 00:14:18,870 that good thing which was committed unto thee 244 00:14:18,870 --> 00:14:21,690 keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in 245 00:14:21,690 --> 00:14:22,050 us. 246 00:14:23,330 --> 00:14:26,830 So again, these words to commit is to, 247 00:14:26,830 --> 00:14:29,750 as we would say, to deposit with, to 248 00:14:29,750 --> 00:14:33,370 put on deposit, which is really to entrust 249 00:14:33,370 --> 00:14:34,350 with. 250 00:14:35,950 --> 00:14:38,470 Again in 2nd Timothy 2 and verses 1 251 00:14:38,470 --> 00:14:41,250 and 2, the things that thou hast heard 252 00:14:41,250 --> 00:14:43,290 of me are from me among many witnesses, 253 00:14:43,530 --> 00:14:46,710 the same commit thou to faithful men who 254 00:14:46,710 --> 00:14:49,330 shall be able to teach others also. 255 00:14:50,730 --> 00:14:53,090 You know, when you start looking at all 256 00:14:53,090 --> 00:14:56,690 the different references to the idea of faithfulness, 257 00:14:57,170 --> 00:15:01,950 committing, you can see how characteristic it is 258 00:15:01,950 --> 00:15:04,190 of God's things. 259 00:15:06,170 --> 00:15:10,210 God entrusts us with his work. 260 00:15:11,130 --> 00:15:14,070 God entrusts us with his truth. 261 00:15:15,070 --> 00:15:18,410 He commits it to us and we are 262 00:15:18,410 --> 00:15:21,070 entrusted with it, to care for it and 263 00:15:21,070 --> 00:15:22,510 to do something with it. 264 00:15:23,030 --> 00:15:25,950 Now the third word that is used is 265 00:15:25,950 --> 00:15:28,390 found in 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 23, 266 00:15:29,010 --> 00:15:32,770 where the Lord Jesus in the trial, he 267 00:15:32,770 --> 00:15:36,510 committed himself unto him that judges righteously. 268 00:15:36,790 --> 00:15:39,630 And again 1st Peter 4 and 19, wherefore 269 00:15:39,630 --> 00:15:41,650 let them that suffer according to the will 270 00:15:41,650 --> 00:15:45,890 of God commit the keeping of their soul 271 00:15:45,890 --> 00:15:50,710 unto him as unto a faithful creator. 272 00:15:51,710 --> 00:15:54,230 And this word is really a word that 273 00:15:54,230 --> 00:15:58,210 is more often used in a sense of 274 00:15:58,210 --> 00:16:04,370 at court or military term of handing over, 275 00:16:05,330 --> 00:16:12,890 surrendering, delivering up, releasing to, relinquishing to, into 276 00:16:12,890 --> 00:16:15,550 the authority or power of someone else. 277 00:16:16,270 --> 00:16:21,670 And so if we are suffering, he says 278 00:16:21,670 --> 00:16:25,950 you commit yourself to God as a faithful 279 00:16:25,950 --> 00:16:26,890 creator. 280 00:16:27,550 --> 00:16:31,270 Commit your soul into the keeping of God. 281 00:16:33,130 --> 00:16:36,230 So if we were to have a definition 282 00:16:36,230 --> 00:16:37,770 for commitment, what would it be? 283 00:16:41,830 --> 00:16:44,170 What does it, what are we really saying? 284 00:16:45,930 --> 00:16:52,830 Well, commitment is the choice to give or 285 00:16:52,830 --> 00:16:58,130 to devote yourself to the support and promotion 286 00:16:58,130 --> 00:17:01,450 of a cause or the protection and care 287 00:17:01,450 --> 00:17:02,030 of a person. 288 00:17:03,750 --> 00:17:08,230 It's accepting responsibility for something or for someone 289 00:17:08,230 --> 00:17:12,390 as a steward of God. 290 00:17:16,890 --> 00:17:18,650 So I guess we need to ask ourselves 291 00:17:18,650 --> 00:17:27,190 the question, are we committed in God's things? 292 00:17:27,450 --> 00:17:30,030 Are we committed as Christians and does it 293 00:17:30,030 --> 00:17:30,270 matter? 294 00:17:31,230 --> 00:17:34,170 I want to take you back to the 295 00:17:34,170 --> 00:17:37,810 source of commitment and this to me is 296 00:17:37,810 --> 00:17:44,870 very, very important because in our culture, commitment 297 00:17:44,870 --> 00:17:49,370 and faithfulness are being looked at as being 298 00:17:49,370 --> 00:17:56,510 a couple of old-fashioned virtues that really 299 00:17:56,510 --> 00:17:58,150 aren't too relevant anymore. 300 00:17:59,190 --> 00:18:03,790 They belong to that culture where people were 301 00:18:03,790 --> 00:18:04,330 stuck. 302 00:18:06,370 --> 00:18:10,910 They thought they had to stay married or 303 00:18:10,910 --> 00:18:14,990 they thought they had to be loyal to 304 00:18:14,990 --> 00:18:18,570 the company or they thought they had to 305 00:18:18,570 --> 00:18:21,390 endure their hardships. 306 00:18:22,490 --> 00:18:24,610 And today we think differently. 307 00:18:25,290 --> 00:18:27,510 That was then, this is now. 308 00:18:29,190 --> 00:18:31,310 And so really we need to examine this 309 00:18:31,310 --> 00:18:35,870 whole thing and ask ourselves, is commitment and 310 00:18:35,870 --> 00:18:39,450 faithfulness really just kind of an old-fashioned 311 00:18:39,450 --> 00:18:40,870 way of doing things? 312 00:18:43,250 --> 00:18:45,710 Or is it something bigger than that? 313 00:18:47,230 --> 00:18:49,130 I'm going to suggest to you that it's 314 00:18:49,130 --> 00:18:51,470 not just a good old-fashioned virtue. 315 00:18:52,270 --> 00:18:56,630 It is an eternal virtue because it is 316 00:18:56,630 --> 00:18:58,510 founded in God himself. 317 00:18:59,050 --> 00:19:01,390 I want to take you back through the 318 00:19:01,390 --> 00:19:04,250 Bible to a number of passages that speak 319 00:19:04,250 --> 00:19:05,690 about the faithfulness of God. 320 00:19:05,790 --> 00:19:07,450 So let's look first of all in Deuteronomy 321 00:19:07,450 --> 00:19:09,390 chapter 6. 322 00:19:12,550 --> 00:19:15,170 So we are really looking now at the 323 00:19:15,170 --> 00:19:19,790 idea of where does faithfulness come from? 324 00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:32,460 Deuteronomy chapter 7 rather. 325 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:38,740 Verse 6, For thou art an holy people 326 00:19:38,740 --> 00:19:40,260 unto the Lord thy God. 327 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,800 The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to 328 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,160 be a special people unto himself above all 329 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:48,860 people that are upon the face of the 330 00:19:48,860 --> 00:19:49,180 earth. 331 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,480 The Lord did not set his love upon 332 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,400 you nor choose you because you were more 333 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,000 in number than any people, for you were 334 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,060 the fewest of all people, but because the 335 00:20:02,060 --> 00:20:05,700 Lord loved you and because he would keep 336 00:20:05,700 --> 00:20:08,100 the oath which he has sworn unto your 337 00:20:08,100 --> 00:20:10,760 fathers has the Lord brought you out with 338 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,000 a mighty hand and redeemed you out of 339 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:15,940 the house of bondmen from the hand of 340 00:20:15,940 --> 00:20:16,980 Pharaoh, king of Egypt. 341 00:20:17,580 --> 00:20:23,060 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he 342 00:20:23,060 --> 00:20:28,280 is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenant 343 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:32,040 and mercy with them that love him and 344 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:36,860 keep his commandments to a thousand generations. 345 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:44,510 You know, we get so used to the 346 00:20:44,510 --> 00:20:50,690 idea that God is interested in us and 347 00:20:50,690 --> 00:20:55,550 that God is absolutely faithful to us that 348 00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:04,040 we hardly are able to step back and 349 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:08,760 contemplate how ridiculous the idea actually sounds. 350 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:15,820 That the God who created the universe, of 351 00:21:17,190 --> 00:21:19,390 whom it says that the the heavens and 352 00:21:19,390 --> 00:21:24,310 the earth cannot contain him, and it's a 353 00:21:24,310 --> 00:21:29,990 condescension for him, he humbles himself to even 354 00:21:29,990 --> 00:21:35,450 notice his creation and to think that he's 355 00:21:35,450 --> 00:21:39,470 interested in you or me and that he 356 00:21:39,470 --> 00:21:45,980 would be so interested in us that he 357 00:21:45,980 --> 00:21:50,020 is more committed to us that any person 358 00:21:50,020 --> 00:21:55,480 that we know, that he's more loyal to 359 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:59,600 us, he loves us more deeply, he is 360 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:04,040 more determined to care for us than anyone 361 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:05,100 else on earth. 362 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:12,440 Isn't that just sheer absurdity? 363 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:19,420 And here's this little group of people who 364 00:22:19,420 --> 00:22:25,000 found themselves slaves in Egypt and God rescues 365 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:29,280 them out of Egypt in this awesome shattering 366 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:34,320 way, basically destroys the most powerful nation on 367 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,180 earth at that time and brings these people 368 00:22:37,180 --> 00:22:40,580 out and claims them for himself. 369 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,660 And he says, I didn't love you, I 370 00:22:44,660 --> 00:22:47,580 didn't set my love upon you because you 371 00:22:47,580 --> 00:22:50,380 were the most important people on earth, you 372 00:22:50,380 --> 00:22:53,780 were really just the smallest, but because I 373 00:22:53,780 --> 00:22:54,160 love you. 374 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,300 You know, this is one of the best 375 00:22:58,300 --> 00:23:02,060 defensive moves for any husband if he gets 376 00:23:02,060 --> 00:23:04,300 quizzed by his wife. 377 00:23:06,300 --> 00:23:08,220 I hope you do tell your wife that 378 00:23:08,220 --> 00:23:11,240 you love her, if you don't, shame on 379 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:11,400 you. 380 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:16,400 I met a man this summer who professed 381 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:17,820 to be saved and we believe he really 382 00:23:17,820 --> 00:23:19,520 did get saved in tent meetings this summer 383 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,940 and unfortunately he lost his wife and children 384 00:23:22,940 --> 00:23:27,280 in the springtime through his own failure. 385 00:23:28,260 --> 00:23:29,940 And one of the things that he admitted 386 00:23:29,940 --> 00:23:34,160 to me is that he never told his 387 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:35,100 wife he loved her. 388 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,240 I can't fathom that. 389 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:43,720 I don't know what kind of relationship they 390 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:44,040 had. 391 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:50,380 So it's a long uphill battle to regain 392 00:23:50,380 --> 00:23:51,420 what he's lost. 393 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:56,420 What incentive does she have to bring him 394 00:23:56,420 --> 00:23:56,780 back? 395 00:23:57,900 --> 00:24:00,920 Well, hopefully she will see a change in 396 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:04,340 him, that there'll be a new man. 397 00:24:06,980 --> 00:24:10,780 But the Lord has set his love upon 398 00:24:10,780 --> 00:24:11,540 us as his people. 399 00:24:12,780 --> 00:24:14,940 And he says, I did it because I 400 00:24:14,940 --> 00:24:15,320 love you. 401 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:21,840 And I know it's one of those things 402 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,500 that ladies like to ask, well, why do 403 00:24:24,500 --> 00:24:25,000 you love me? 404 00:24:26,300 --> 00:24:27,360 Now, you know, you're going to get in 405 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:27,660 trouble. 406 00:24:30,220 --> 00:24:32,020 So the best thing is just say, I 407 00:24:32,020 --> 00:24:33,660 love you because I love you. 408 00:24:34,620 --> 00:24:37,060 And then think up all the good reasons 409 00:24:37,060 --> 00:24:37,520 afterwards. 410 00:24:41,020 --> 00:24:42,740 What is he saying here? 411 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,340 The reason is within himself. 412 00:24:48,420 --> 00:24:52,220 But not only because he is love and 413 00:24:52,220 --> 00:24:54,500 he has chosen to set his love upon 414 00:24:54,500 --> 00:24:58,260 us, which is because he would keep his 415 00:24:58,260 --> 00:25:01,320 promise, his oath, his covenant. 416 00:25:03,100 --> 00:25:05,880 And so we have this character of God, 417 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:11,640 God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and 418 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:11,940 mercy. 419 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:14,080 And I would like you just to think 420 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,160 for a moment about a thousand generations. 421 00:25:18,140 --> 00:25:21,180 Now, I don't know how long you evaluate 422 00:25:21,180 --> 00:25:22,260 a generation to be. 423 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:26,760 If we say 40 years, what's a thousand 424 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:27,360 generations? 425 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:30,520 Longer than the history of the earth. 426 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:40,500 To a thousand generations, you might as well 427 00:25:40,500 --> 00:25:41,060 say forever. 428 00:25:43,340 --> 00:25:46,880 And so here is a God who is 429 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,060 the essence of faithfulness. 430 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:53,220 I've made a promise and I will keep 431 00:25:53,220 --> 00:25:57,040 my promise to a thousand generations. 432 00:25:59,180 --> 00:26:03,680 Isn't that wonderful that we have this kind 433 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:07,340 of God to know, to be secured in. 434 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:14,160 Now let's go to Lamentations chapter 3, another 435 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:15,540 quite familiar verse. 436 00:26:17,180 --> 00:26:21,920 And the context here is really challenging. 437 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,800 Lamentations chapter 3 and we'll start at verse 438 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:28,460 22. 439 00:26:32,020 --> 00:26:35,480 It is of the Lord's mercies that we 440 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:40,260 are not consumed because his compassions fail not. 441 00:26:41,460 --> 00:26:43,700 They are new every morning. 442 00:26:45,120 --> 00:26:48,880 Great is thy faithfulness. 443 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:54,820 What's the context? 444 00:26:56,020 --> 00:26:58,860 You know, if you didn't know the context 445 00:26:58,860 --> 00:27:00,820 of this passage, you could imagine that this 446 00:27:00,820 --> 00:27:04,100 would be someone who is out contemplating the 447 00:27:04,100 --> 00:27:08,300 sunset or the sunrise and just thinking about 448 00:27:08,300 --> 00:27:12,320 the beauty of creation, the majesty of God, 449 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,160 the faithfulness of the way he has ordered 450 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:15,620 everything. 451 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,980 Or just looking back over a very happy, 452 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,540 prosperous time of life and just being so 453 00:27:23,540 --> 00:27:25,380 grateful for the God who has been so 454 00:27:25,380 --> 00:27:27,060 good for so many years. 455 00:27:28,380 --> 00:27:29,880 And that would be true. 456 00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:35,680 But the context is a desolated city, a 457 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:42,800 burned out city, the temple destroyed, dead bodies 458 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:43,480 everywhere. 459 00:27:46,220 --> 00:27:51,980 And here's the prophet Jeremiah acknowledging that God 460 00:27:51,980 --> 00:27:57,300 has been faithful, exceedingly faithful. 461 00:27:58,100 --> 00:28:04,250 He acknowledges, first of all, that this is 462 00:28:04,250 --> 00:28:05,170 not God's fault. 463 00:28:07,030 --> 00:28:11,210 The devastation that has come over us is 464 00:28:11,210 --> 00:28:12,670 not God's fault. 465 00:28:16,210 --> 00:28:20,850 If they had been obedient, he would never 466 00:28:20,850 --> 00:28:23,810 have allowed the enemy to come in and 467 00:28:23,810 --> 00:28:24,390 destroy them. 468 00:28:25,750 --> 00:28:27,930 He would have been faithful to protect them. 469 00:28:28,970 --> 00:28:30,690 But I want you to think about this 470 00:28:30,690 --> 00:28:36,070 in the context of God's discipline, God's judgment 471 00:28:36,070 --> 00:28:37,450 in our lives. 472 00:28:39,050 --> 00:28:43,730 Even in judgment, God is faithful. 473 00:28:46,670 --> 00:28:51,110 And so Jeremiah acknowledges it is of the 474 00:28:51,110 --> 00:28:53,530 Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. 475 00:28:54,730 --> 00:28:59,930 We could have been wiped out, obliterated, finished. 476 00:29:00,950 --> 00:29:06,250 And though it was so devastating, he acknowledges 477 00:29:06,250 --> 00:29:10,630 because God had given to Jeremiah the prophecy 478 00:29:10,630 --> 00:29:13,790 that this desolation of Jerusalem would last for 479 00:29:13,790 --> 00:29:14,770 70 years. 480 00:29:15,990 --> 00:29:17,370 And then God was going to bring them 481 00:29:17,370 --> 00:29:17,730 back. 482 00:29:18,610 --> 00:29:21,710 So God was still faithful to his promise 483 00:29:21,710 --> 00:29:25,690 to his people, even though he was judging 484 00:29:25,690 --> 00:29:26,970 them so harshly. 485 00:29:29,530 --> 00:29:31,790 And I hope that we can recognize this 486 00:29:31,790 --> 00:29:37,610 for ourselves, whether individually or as assemblies, or 487 00:29:37,610 --> 00:29:39,470 even as we might think of the culture 488 00:29:39,470 --> 00:29:41,110 in which we are in, that we are 489 00:29:41,110 --> 00:29:41,790 a part of. 490 00:29:43,370 --> 00:29:49,170 When God judges, it doesn't change his faithfulness. 491 00:29:50,730 --> 00:29:54,370 And so he says, therefore, have I hope. 492 00:29:56,570 --> 00:30:00,090 This means there is always hope in God. 493 00:30:00,990 --> 00:30:06,130 There's always hope in God, even though judgment 494 00:30:06,130 --> 00:30:07,610 comes for evil. 495 00:30:08,730 --> 00:30:12,110 Let's come into the New Testament to 1st 496 00:30:12,110 --> 00:30:13,590 Corinthians chapter 1. 497 00:30:15,150 --> 00:30:17,970 And this will be more directly to us 498 00:30:17,970 --> 00:30:18,870 and our calling. 499 00:30:20,170 --> 00:30:22,270 God is faithful to his calling. 500 00:30:22,530 --> 00:30:23,870 1st Corinthians 1. 501 00:30:25,790 --> 00:30:27,210 Notice verse 4. 502 00:30:28,110 --> 00:30:30,770 He says, I thank my God always on 503 00:30:30,770 --> 00:30:33,930 your behalf for the grace of God, which 504 00:30:33,930 --> 00:30:37,130 is given you by Jesus Christ, that in 505 00:30:37,130 --> 00:30:39,790 everything you are enriched by him in all 506 00:30:39,790 --> 00:30:42,810 utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony 507 00:30:42,810 --> 00:30:45,810 of Christ was confirmed in you. 508 00:30:46,750 --> 00:30:49,130 Verse 8 says, who shall also confirm you 509 00:30:49,130 --> 00:30:51,210 unto the end that you may be blameless 510 00:30:51,210 --> 00:30:54,650 in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 511 00:30:55,450 --> 00:30:59,850 God is faithful by whom ye were called 512 00:30:59,850 --> 00:31:05,430 unto the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ, 513 00:31:06,210 --> 00:31:06,810 our Lord. 514 00:31:09,010 --> 00:31:11,010 Now there's another verse I could maybe just 515 00:31:11,010 --> 00:31:12,010 read here as well. 516 00:31:12,270 --> 00:31:17,270 1st Thessalonians chapter five, where the word calling 517 00:31:17,270 --> 00:31:18,870 is given again. 518 00:31:19,690 --> 00:31:23,290 1st Thessalonians five, verse 23, and the very 519 00:31:23,290 --> 00:31:25,670 God of peace sanctify you wholly. 520 00:31:27,050 --> 00:31:33,090 And I pray God, your whole spirit and 521 00:31:33,090 --> 00:31:36,290 soul and body be preserved blameless unto the 522 00:31:36,290 --> 00:31:38,650 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 523 00:31:38,990 --> 00:31:43,890 Faithful is he that calleth you who also 524 00:31:43,890 --> 00:31:45,770 will do it. 525 00:31:50,390 --> 00:31:53,010 Again, when you know what Corinth is all 526 00:31:53,010 --> 00:31:56,790 about, when you know the failings that he 527 00:31:56,790 --> 00:31:59,050 is going to have to address in that 528 00:31:59,050 --> 00:32:03,970 assembly, this is an amazing confirmation of God's 529 00:32:03,970 --> 00:32:04,650 faithfulness. 530 00:32:05,870 --> 00:32:08,050 Here's an assembly that has sunk about as 531 00:32:08,050 --> 00:32:12,250 low as an assembly could without being wiped 532 00:32:12,250 --> 00:32:12,610 out. 533 00:32:14,410 --> 00:32:18,170 There wasn't a lot of resemblance to the 534 00:32:18,170 --> 00:32:20,850 character of Christ going on in that assembly. 535 00:32:22,530 --> 00:32:25,590 But he says this, God is faithful to 536 00:32:25,590 --> 00:32:26,090 his calling. 537 00:32:26,990 --> 00:32:30,330 He has called you to the fellowship of 538 00:32:30,330 --> 00:32:30,950 his son. 539 00:32:32,010 --> 00:32:32,930 Now what does that mean? 540 00:32:35,130 --> 00:32:38,250 He's made you a companion of Christ. 541 00:32:40,010 --> 00:32:43,710 He has made you a partner with Christ 542 00:32:43,710 --> 00:32:44,990 for his kingdom. 543 00:32:47,290 --> 00:32:52,270 And God is faithful to fit you, to 544 00:32:52,270 --> 00:32:56,790 equip you, to enable you to fulfill this 545 00:32:56,790 --> 00:33:01,070 calling, to not only be saved from hell, 546 00:33:02,470 --> 00:33:05,710 to be rescued from judgment, but to be 547 00:33:05,710 --> 00:33:12,590 fitted to be a servant of Christ for 548 00:33:12,590 --> 00:33:13,570 the ages to come. 549 00:33:15,150 --> 00:33:17,330 Because this is looking not just at our 550 00:33:17,330 --> 00:33:21,170 present Christian life individually and as an assembly. 551 00:33:21,790 --> 00:33:24,310 He speaks in verse six, as the testimony 552 00:33:24,310 --> 00:33:26,510 of Christ was confirmed in you. 553 00:33:27,030 --> 00:33:32,110 In other words, there was established in Corinth 554 00:33:32,110 --> 00:33:38,510 a testimony for Christ, a testimony that upheld 555 00:33:38,510 --> 00:33:43,270 the name of Christ, that brought Christ to 556 00:33:43,270 --> 00:33:43,870 the community. 557 00:33:44,870 --> 00:33:47,270 And that was the people of the assembly 558 00:33:47,270 --> 00:33:47,950 in Corinth. 559 00:33:48,870 --> 00:33:51,310 And even though they had failed, they had 560 00:33:51,310 --> 00:33:54,610 fallen, and they were no longer reflecting that 561 00:33:54,610 --> 00:33:57,470 as they should have been, yet he is 562 00:33:57,470 --> 00:34:01,550 expressing a confidence in God that God was 563 00:34:01,550 --> 00:34:03,910 still committed to making this thing work. 564 00:34:04,670 --> 00:34:06,390 Have you ever thought that the assembly isn't 565 00:34:06,390 --> 00:34:06,990 going to make it? 566 00:34:09,570 --> 00:34:12,330 Have you ever been in such distress over 567 00:34:12,330 --> 00:34:16,489 the conditions, the conflicts, the problems going on 568 00:34:16,489 --> 00:34:20,449 that you thought this thing isn't going to 569 00:34:20,449 --> 00:34:20,730 survive? 570 00:34:23,110 --> 00:34:25,730 That's when we have to lay hold of 571 00:34:25,730 --> 00:34:26,929 the faithful God. 572 00:34:28,389 --> 00:34:29,630 God is faithful. 573 00:34:30,830 --> 00:34:34,210 And God is committed to what belongs to 574 00:34:34,210 --> 00:34:36,870 his Son, what is for the honor of 575 00:34:36,870 --> 00:34:37,350 his Son. 576 00:34:38,469 --> 00:34:39,730 And so this gives me a lot of 577 00:34:39,730 --> 00:34:45,610 encouragement that even when believers in the assembly, 578 00:34:46,030 --> 00:34:47,690 and I don't know anything about your conditions 579 00:34:47,690 --> 00:34:50,550 here, so I'm not talking about you, but 580 00:34:50,550 --> 00:34:55,989 I have sat across from believers saying, concerning 581 00:34:55,989 --> 00:34:58,090 the assembly that they were in, this is 582 00:34:58,090 --> 00:34:59,050 not an assembly. 583 00:35:00,930 --> 00:35:03,130 This is not a church of God. 584 00:35:04,250 --> 00:35:06,510 They thought that there had been so much 585 00:35:06,510 --> 00:35:10,270 failure, and especially in the leadership of the 586 00:35:10,270 --> 00:35:13,630 assembly, that God couldn't possibly own it. 587 00:35:14,930 --> 00:35:16,070 Well, I think they're wrong. 588 00:35:18,510 --> 00:35:22,970 Not because there wasn't some validity to their 589 00:35:22,970 --> 00:35:26,870 charges, but because they don't know how faithful 590 00:35:26,870 --> 00:35:27,550 God is. 591 00:35:29,210 --> 00:35:34,570 How committed he is to upholding, to restoring, 592 00:35:35,050 --> 00:35:39,030 to recovering what belongs to Christ. 593 00:35:40,010 --> 00:35:43,090 And if there's one thing that we must 594 00:35:43,090 --> 00:35:48,210 grasp, is that no matter what combination of 595 00:35:48,210 --> 00:35:52,690 failing exists among us as individuals, and even 596 00:35:52,690 --> 00:35:57,230 collectively in assembly testimony, an assembly of God 597 00:35:57,230 --> 00:36:01,710 is more than just the individuals in it. 598 00:36:03,310 --> 00:36:05,310 It is something of Christ. 599 00:36:06,850 --> 00:36:07,690 It is his. 600 00:36:08,750 --> 00:36:11,630 And God, in his faithfulness to us personally 601 00:36:11,630 --> 00:36:16,770 and collectively, will work in all his faithfulness 602 00:36:16,770 --> 00:36:20,770 to bring us to conformity to the Lord 603 00:36:20,770 --> 00:36:21,090 Jesus. 604 00:36:22,030 --> 00:36:25,630 God is faithful, who has called you unto 605 00:36:25,630 --> 00:36:29,990 the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, our 606 00:36:29,990 --> 00:36:30,390 Lord. 607 00:36:31,510 --> 00:36:34,590 Looking at a little further in 1 Corinthians 608 00:36:34,590 --> 00:36:40,450 chapter 10, 1 Corinthians chapter 10, here we 609 00:36:40,450 --> 00:36:46,150 have the context of temptation, of failure, and 610 00:36:46,150 --> 00:36:48,430 it's going back to the history of Israel 611 00:36:48,430 --> 00:36:51,010 and the many failings that were seen during 612 00:36:51,010 --> 00:36:52,230 the wilderness experience. 613 00:36:52,830 --> 00:36:55,010 Verse 11 says, now all these things happen 614 00:36:55,010 --> 00:36:57,890 to them for examples or types. 615 00:36:58,590 --> 00:37:01,430 They are written for our admonition, upon whom 616 00:37:01,430 --> 00:37:03,110 the ends of the world are come. 617 00:37:03,850 --> 00:37:06,310 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take 618 00:37:06,310 --> 00:37:07,390 heed lest he fall. 619 00:37:08,330 --> 00:37:10,890 There has no temptation taken you but such 620 00:37:10,890 --> 00:37:12,970 as is common to man. 621 00:37:13,750 --> 00:37:17,390 But God is faithful, who will not suffer 622 00:37:17,390 --> 00:37:20,210 or allow you to be tempted above that 623 00:37:20,210 --> 00:37:23,470 you are able, but will with the temptation 624 00:37:23,470 --> 00:37:26,610 also make a way to escape that you 625 00:37:26,610 --> 00:37:28,710 may be able to bear it. 626 00:37:30,610 --> 00:37:34,430 You know, God's permission of evil is one 627 00:37:34,430 --> 00:37:37,390 of the mysteries in our present creation, in 628 00:37:37,390 --> 00:37:38,190 the present world. 629 00:37:39,230 --> 00:37:42,450 A good God and an evil world. 630 00:37:43,990 --> 00:37:48,070 A sovereign God and evil running rampant. 631 00:37:48,990 --> 00:37:51,870 This is one of the struggles for faith 632 00:37:51,870 --> 00:37:55,530 and one of the triggers of unbelief in 633 00:37:55,530 --> 00:37:56,150 our world. 634 00:37:57,130 --> 00:38:00,730 But what we have here is the faithfulness 635 00:38:00,730 --> 00:38:03,890 of God to protect from evil. 636 00:38:05,860 --> 00:38:10,060 Yes, he has permitted evil to exist. 637 00:38:10,660 --> 00:38:14,160 He has permitted it to be active in 638 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:16,060 the world that surrounds us. 639 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:19,200 He has even permitted it to still exist 640 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:23,760 within us, but not so that it destroys 641 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:24,200 us. 642 00:38:26,910 --> 00:38:29,850 He is still monitoring and the emphasis that 643 00:38:29,850 --> 00:38:33,990 is here is that the sovereign God super 644 00:38:33,990 --> 00:38:39,330 intends every temptation and every trial that he 645 00:38:39,330 --> 00:38:41,410 permits to touch our experience. 646 00:38:44,570 --> 00:38:47,250 So you better believe it that God is 647 00:38:47,250 --> 00:38:51,230 interested in you and in your life and 648 00:38:51,230 --> 00:38:54,190 that he is watching you very, very carefully. 649 00:38:55,190 --> 00:38:57,970 He's monitoring the pressure points. 650 00:38:58,370 --> 00:39:03,190 He's monitoring those weaknesses, those areas of vulnerability. 651 00:39:03,350 --> 00:39:06,290 And it says this, there has no temptation 652 00:39:06,290 --> 00:39:08,770 taken you but such as is common to 653 00:39:08,770 --> 00:39:09,070 man. 654 00:39:10,030 --> 00:39:13,110 We might think that nobody else has quite 655 00:39:13,110 --> 00:39:15,170 gone through what we are going through. 656 00:39:17,190 --> 00:39:18,970 You know, it's actually one of the, in 657 00:39:18,970 --> 00:39:20,770 a strange way, one of the most comforting 658 00:39:20,770 --> 00:39:23,190 things when you find out that other people 659 00:39:23,190 --> 00:39:25,690 have been through what you have gone through. 660 00:39:26,690 --> 00:39:30,550 Somehow it strengthens us or helps us to 661 00:39:30,550 --> 00:39:32,470 feel that we're not so much alone. 662 00:39:33,610 --> 00:39:37,050 There are others who have gone similar circumstances. 663 00:39:37,810 --> 00:39:41,430 But even more importantly than that is the 664 00:39:41,430 --> 00:39:45,270 fact that God is interested in bringing us 665 00:39:45,270 --> 00:39:49,190 through without being overtaken by evil. 666 00:39:49,910 --> 00:39:51,710 And that is very critical for us to 667 00:39:51,710 --> 00:39:52,190 appreciate. 668 00:39:52,710 --> 00:39:54,710 What is God being faithful to? 669 00:39:54,810 --> 00:39:58,870 He's being faithful to his own character of 670 00:39:58,870 --> 00:39:59,350 goodness. 671 00:40:00,170 --> 00:40:03,070 And the fact that he is bringing us 672 00:40:03,070 --> 00:40:07,210 to that character, that is his work in 673 00:40:07,210 --> 00:40:10,170 us to bring us to likeness to himself. 674 00:40:11,190 --> 00:40:13,470 And so in his faithfulness to the calling 675 00:40:13,470 --> 00:40:20,090 of bringing us to perfection of goodness, he 676 00:40:20,090 --> 00:40:21,390 is not going to hand us over to 677 00:40:21,390 --> 00:40:21,630 evil. 678 00:40:23,150 --> 00:40:26,470 He is not going to capitulate and just 679 00:40:26,470 --> 00:40:28,050 let evil take over. 680 00:40:29,710 --> 00:40:31,570 And one of the things that I would 681 00:40:31,570 --> 00:40:37,970 gather from this passage is simply this, if 682 00:40:37,970 --> 00:40:42,370 I am willing to be preserved, if I 683 00:40:42,370 --> 00:40:47,030 want to be preserved from sin, God is 684 00:40:47,030 --> 00:40:48,430 willing to keep me. 685 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:55,840 God is always willing to deliver. 686 00:40:57,660 --> 00:41:01,380 It says this, he will not allow you 687 00:41:01,380 --> 00:41:04,060 to be tempted above what you are able, 688 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:07,680 but will with the temptation provide a way 689 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:08,300 to escape. 690 00:41:09,100 --> 00:41:11,460 Now, this is where we need to be 691 00:41:11,460 --> 00:41:16,840 in touch with God, to be sensitive to 692 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:19,120 God, to the warnings that he gives. 693 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:22,740 For myself, I have learned, and I do 694 00:41:22,740 --> 00:41:24,700 have to learn this over and over again 695 00:41:24,700 --> 00:41:25,300 through life. 696 00:41:26,620 --> 00:41:31,400 Whenever evil approaches, whenever I am being drawn 697 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:34,780 by evil, there is a warning from the 698 00:41:34,780 --> 00:41:35,600 Spirit of God. 699 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,200 And that's when I need to respond to 700 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:44,020 it, not to toy with it, play with 701 00:41:44,020 --> 00:41:45,200 it, allow it. 702 00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:47,860 Maybe I can go a little further before 703 00:41:47,860 --> 00:41:52,420 I'll go over the edge, but to turn 704 00:41:52,420 --> 00:41:55,020 from it, respond to the warning. 705 00:41:56,080 --> 00:42:00,120 So he governs the circumstances. 706 00:42:01,740 --> 00:42:03,940 He strengthens us internally. 707 00:42:04,700 --> 00:42:07,000 He enables us to overcome. 708 00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:10,160 That is his commitment to us, to protect 709 00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:12,100 us from evil. 710 00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:14,760 Along with that, we have reference to the 711 00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:17,460 Lord Jesus in Hebrews as a merciful and 712 00:42:17,460 --> 00:42:20,800 faithful high priest, and that certainly is aspect 713 00:42:20,800 --> 00:42:21,400 of it. 714 00:42:22,140 --> 00:42:25,920 1 John 1, what about when we do 715 00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:32,100 fail and sin despite all of that protective 716 00:42:32,100 --> 00:42:34,500 care and interest that God has in us? 717 00:42:34,700 --> 00:42:44,240 1 John 1, verse 9, if we 718 00:42:44,240 --> 00:42:50,100 confess our sins, he is faithful and just 719 00:42:50,100 --> 00:42:53,360 to forgive us our sins and to cleanse 720 00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:56,180 us from all unrighteousness. 721 00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:01,220 I think sometimes we learn the truth of 722 00:43:01,220 --> 00:43:01,980 God backwards. 723 00:43:03,300 --> 00:43:06,000 We learn it from failing. 724 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:12,600 And I remember as a young Christian, failing 725 00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:14,680 in the same kind of thing over and 726 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:19,940 over again, and gradually coming to appreciate that 727 00:43:19,940 --> 00:43:22,980 no matter how many times I failed, God 728 00:43:22,980 --> 00:43:24,860 was still willing to forgive. 729 00:43:25,660 --> 00:43:28,300 That was an amazing thing to appreciate. 730 00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:33,600 But at the same time, I thought, wouldn't 731 00:43:33,600 --> 00:43:35,100 it be better if I could be preserved 732 00:43:35,100 --> 00:43:37,100 from failing in the first place? 733 00:43:38,140 --> 00:43:40,300 And that's when I began to appreciate 1 734 00:43:40,300 --> 00:43:41,520 Corinthians 10. 735 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:46,080 But let's just look at this and think 736 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:46,700 about this. 737 00:43:47,460 --> 00:43:51,320 Even when we have failed, we have sinned, 738 00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:56,640 he is still faithful to us. 739 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:03,620 And he still invites us back to reach 740 00:44:03,620 --> 00:44:07,200 out to him, to simply be honest before 741 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:10,600 him and acknowledge our failing. 742 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:16,060 And if we will simply be honest, he 743 00:44:16,060 --> 00:44:18,680 will forgive. 744 00:44:19,820 --> 00:44:24,020 And not only forgive, he will cleanse. 745 00:44:24,700 --> 00:44:28,740 And that is equally important, to cleanse us 746 00:44:28,740 --> 00:44:33,480 from unrighteousness so that our inner being is 747 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:36,940 again brought back into touch and harmony with 748 00:44:36,940 --> 00:44:37,660 God himself. 749 00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:42,660 And so we have through these scriptures, and 750 00:44:42,660 --> 00:44:44,220 there's no doubt others that we could look 751 00:44:44,220 --> 00:44:47,880 at, that would give to us this very 752 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:53,420 compelling portrait of God, of someone who is 753 00:44:53,420 --> 00:45:00,780 totally devoted to us, completely faithful, completely committed 754 00:45:00,780 --> 00:45:04,780 to our well-being and our eternal blessing. 755 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:08,160 Now, I'm going to try to give you, 756 00:45:09,240 --> 00:45:12,440 in the last few minutes, what is really 757 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:13,900 the response to that? 758 00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:21,380 What gives commitment its power or its force 759 00:45:21,380 --> 00:45:22,440 in our lives? 760 00:45:23,220 --> 00:45:26,380 What will create commitment within me? 761 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:28,160 What gives it its force? 762 00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:29,060 What compels it? 763 00:45:30,380 --> 00:45:32,300 And I'm going to start at the bottom 764 00:45:32,300 --> 00:45:35,180 level, and I hope you won't mind me 765 00:45:35,180 --> 00:45:36,980 speaking of it this way. 766 00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:41,540 Let's go to 1 Timothy 1 verse 15. 767 00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:43,840 I'm just going to try to give you 768 00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:45,040 a few references quickly. 769 00:45:47,400 --> 00:45:50,060 Interestingly enough, this verse has faithful in it 770 00:45:50,060 --> 00:45:50,580 as well. 771 00:45:51,360 --> 00:45:53,280 1 Timothy 1 and 15, this is a 772 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:56,980 faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation that 773 00:45:56,980 --> 00:46:00,080 Christ Jesus came into the world to save 774 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:03,360 sinners of whom I am chief. 775 00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:09,000 The most basic reason is that we need 776 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:09,240 him. 777 00:46:10,300 --> 00:46:13,200 Why should I be committed to God? 778 00:46:14,260 --> 00:46:16,540 Why should I be committed to the Savior? 779 00:46:18,380 --> 00:46:19,940 Because I need him. 780 00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:25,740 He rescued me when I was totally helpless 781 00:46:25,740 --> 00:46:28,280 and totally hopeless. 782 00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:31,240 He rescued me from eternal judgment. 783 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:36,920 He saved me as a sinner, and I 784 00:46:36,920 --> 00:46:38,820 still need him just as much today. 785 00:46:41,080 --> 00:46:48,160 You know, in any relationship, the person who 786 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:52,740 needs the other the least controls the relationship, 787 00:46:53,340 --> 00:46:59,910 and it should be clear to us who 788 00:46:59,910 --> 00:47:02,310 controls the relationship between us and God. 789 00:47:04,810 --> 00:47:06,710 He does not need us. 790 00:47:09,710 --> 00:47:13,390 His interest in us is not because he 791 00:47:13,390 --> 00:47:17,470 needs us in some sort of personal way, 792 00:47:18,130 --> 00:47:21,270 or that he is dependent upon our help. 793 00:47:22,590 --> 00:47:25,970 It flows out out of his own goodness, 794 00:47:26,550 --> 00:47:27,650 but we need him. 795 00:47:29,450 --> 00:47:33,770 Now, need, this sense of need, and I 796 00:47:33,770 --> 00:47:35,650 call this need love. 797 00:47:37,330 --> 00:47:39,710 I'm going to try to put love with 798 00:47:39,710 --> 00:47:42,930 most of these, all of them actually, but 799 00:47:42,930 --> 00:47:46,070 we could, I could admit that in some 800 00:47:46,070 --> 00:47:50,090 cases that need arises out of fear, and 801 00:47:50,090 --> 00:47:52,530 some people will stay in a relationship because 802 00:47:52,530 --> 00:47:55,470 they are afraid of the consequences if they 803 00:47:55,470 --> 00:47:57,330 lose or walk out of that relationship. 804 00:47:58,410 --> 00:48:00,630 Some people stay with the same company even 805 00:48:00,630 --> 00:48:04,130 though they hate their job because of fear 806 00:48:04,130 --> 00:48:11,030 of losing their financial security, and we could 807 00:48:11,030 --> 00:48:19,630 go on, but we also should recognize whether 808 00:48:19,630 --> 00:48:22,310 it's in our marriages, whether it is in 809 00:48:22,310 --> 00:48:24,890 the assembly, we need each other. 810 00:48:26,110 --> 00:48:30,230 We need the Lord, and we need each 811 00:48:30,230 --> 00:48:39,410 other, and that is one fundamental reason to 812 00:48:39,410 --> 00:48:43,810 be involved, to be there, to be committed 813 00:48:43,810 --> 00:48:47,150 to it, to belong, to be part of 814 00:48:47,150 --> 00:48:47,330 it. 815 00:48:49,830 --> 00:48:53,470 Now, the second one which is a little 816 00:48:53,470 --> 00:48:57,330 higher motivation is appreciation love. 817 00:48:58,570 --> 00:49:00,970 Now let's look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 818 00:49:00,970 --> 00:49:10,340 and verse 14, another familiar verse, for the 819 00:49:10,340 --> 00:49:13,420 love of Christ constraineth us because we thus 820 00:49:13,420 --> 00:49:16,020 judge that if one died for all then 821 00:49:16,020 --> 00:49:18,360 we're all dead, that he died for all 822 00:49:18,360 --> 00:49:21,980 that they which live should not henceforth or 823 00:49:21,980 --> 00:49:23,900 from now on live unto themselves but unto 824 00:49:23,900 --> 00:49:27,560 him who died for them and rose again. 825 00:49:27,780 --> 00:49:31,460 Now this puts it very clearly, and I'm 826 00:49:31,460 --> 00:49:33,660 going to just suggest an interpretation here. 827 00:49:33,800 --> 00:49:37,260 I know that the love of Christ constraining 828 00:49:37,260 --> 00:49:39,860 us can be interpreted in two ways. 829 00:49:40,480 --> 00:49:42,760 It can be interpreted in the sense that 830 00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:45,560 the love of Christ has become within us, 831 00:49:45,780 --> 00:49:49,960 and his love at work in us is 832 00:49:49,960 --> 00:49:53,940 constraining us to live the Christian life and 833 00:49:53,940 --> 00:49:58,700 to serve and to save others, see others 834 00:49:58,700 --> 00:49:59,580 saved, and so on. 835 00:50:00,040 --> 00:50:02,460 And that's perfectly true, and I wouldn't have 836 00:50:02,460 --> 00:50:05,480 any problems if that's how you understand this 837 00:50:05,480 --> 00:50:05,840 passage. 838 00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:09,060 But I've come to appreciate it in just 839 00:50:09,060 --> 00:50:11,600 a little different setting, a different way of 840 00:50:11,600 --> 00:50:13,120 looking at it, and that is this, that 841 00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:15,780 Paul is here stepping back. 842 00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:19,620 He is looking at the big picture, and 843 00:50:19,620 --> 00:50:24,920 he is contemplating a man who has given 844 00:50:24,920 --> 00:50:30,320 his life to save the world, because the 845 00:50:30,320 --> 00:50:35,440 context of this passage is the reconciliation of 846 00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:38,560 which God is reconciling the world to himself, 847 00:50:39,440 --> 00:50:41,560 and has committed to us a ministry of 848 00:50:41,560 --> 00:50:47,200 reconciliation, that God would embrace the whole world 849 00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:53,640 if they would come, because Christ paid that 850 00:50:53,640 --> 00:50:58,240 almost infinite debt for every human being. 851 00:51:01,270 --> 00:51:04,330 And Paul is standing back, and he is 852 00:51:04,330 --> 00:51:08,930 looking at that love of a man upon 853 00:51:08,930 --> 00:51:12,430 whom death had no claim, who could have 854 00:51:12,430 --> 00:51:17,930 ascended back to heaven in perfect acceptance by 855 00:51:17,930 --> 00:51:21,550 his God, having lived a pure and perfect 856 00:51:21,550 --> 00:51:26,510 life, but instead he yielded at a sacrifice 857 00:51:26,510 --> 00:51:29,030 to atone for us. 858 00:51:30,670 --> 00:51:34,770 And he says he died for all, and 859 00:51:34,770 --> 00:51:39,210 that love, he says, constrains me to preach, 860 00:51:39,690 --> 00:51:40,790 to testify. 861 00:51:41,790 --> 00:51:43,630 I can't be quiet. 862 00:51:44,510 --> 00:51:48,590 I can't be silent when I know that 863 00:51:48,590 --> 00:51:51,190 there is a love that could save every 864 00:51:51,190 --> 00:51:54,510 human being and bring them to God. 865 00:51:56,110 --> 00:52:00,630 That love constrains me to speak. 866 00:52:02,270 --> 00:52:06,730 And so appreciation for the love of Christ 867 00:52:06,730 --> 00:52:11,990 should make it impossible for us to be 868 00:52:11,990 --> 00:52:19,790 apathetic in a Christian life, to just let 869 00:52:19,790 --> 00:52:23,810 the world go by, or to live our 870 00:52:23,810 --> 00:52:28,230 lives indifferently for ourselves, because notice what it 871 00:52:28,230 --> 00:52:31,850 says, he died for all so that they 872 00:52:31,850 --> 00:52:34,730 who live, that's those who really get saved, 873 00:52:35,630 --> 00:52:38,450 who become alive to God, verse 15, should 874 00:52:38,450 --> 00:52:43,050 no longer live unto themselves, because that's what 875 00:52:43,050 --> 00:52:46,630 was wrong with us, living for ourselves, living 876 00:52:46,630 --> 00:52:50,750 to please ourselves, living to glorify ourselves. 877 00:52:52,030 --> 00:52:56,030 What is the love of Christ directed to? 878 00:52:57,070 --> 00:52:59,830 To reconcile us back to God, to put 879 00:52:59,830 --> 00:53:01,290 us in harmony with God. 880 00:53:02,530 --> 00:53:03,910 And the way that's going to be accomplished 881 00:53:03,910 --> 00:53:09,290 is by living unto him, living for him, 882 00:53:09,510 --> 00:53:11,790 living with him as the object of our 883 00:53:11,790 --> 00:53:13,330 interest and desire. 884 00:53:14,390 --> 00:53:16,550 Now, my time is almost gone. 885 00:53:16,610 --> 00:53:17,950 There's a couple of others. 886 00:53:18,810 --> 00:53:21,910 One that I suppose in one sense, maybe 887 00:53:21,910 --> 00:53:23,750 goes higher than that even is in second 888 00:53:23,750 --> 00:53:27,570 Timothy two, verses 11 to 13, where we 889 00:53:27,570 --> 00:53:29,390 have what I call covenant love. 890 00:53:31,710 --> 00:53:33,690 Again, we have a faithful saying, it is 891 00:53:33,690 --> 00:53:36,850 a faithful saying, for if we be dead 892 00:53:36,850 --> 00:53:38,290 with him, or if we died with him, 893 00:53:38,330 --> 00:53:39,510 we shall also live with him. 894 00:53:39,950 --> 00:53:41,990 If we suffer, we shall also reign with 895 00:53:41,990 --> 00:53:42,230 him. 896 00:53:42,830 --> 00:53:45,030 If we deny him, he also will deny 897 00:53:45,030 --> 00:53:45,530 us. 898 00:53:46,090 --> 00:53:50,590 If we believe not, yet he abides faithful, 899 00:53:50,930 --> 00:53:52,990 he cannot deny himself. 900 00:53:53,670 --> 00:53:56,790 I'm thinking of verse 13, particularly, and here's 901 00:53:56,790 --> 00:54:01,790 one of those examples where, if we believe 902 00:54:01,790 --> 00:54:06,530 not, may not be the active sense, it 903 00:54:06,530 --> 00:54:09,410 could be translated or interpreted in the passive 904 00:54:09,410 --> 00:54:11,290 sense, and I'll just put it that way, 905 00:54:11,550 --> 00:54:12,210 so you can see. 906 00:54:12,750 --> 00:54:20,610 If we are unfaithful, if we are unfaithful 907 00:54:20,610 --> 00:54:27,990 to him, yet he remains faithful, because he 908 00:54:27,990 --> 00:54:29,250 cannot deny himself. 909 00:54:33,470 --> 00:54:35,830 So you can either take this section as 910 00:54:35,830 --> 00:54:39,730 being very, very comforting, or very confronting, depending 911 00:54:39,730 --> 00:54:41,230 on how you look at some of these 912 00:54:41,230 --> 00:54:41,690 words. 913 00:54:45,070 --> 00:54:46,530 But isn't this wonderful to know? 914 00:54:48,510 --> 00:54:53,490 Even if we are fickle, even if we 915 00:54:53,490 --> 00:54:59,150 are faltering, if our light flickers on and 916 00:54:59,150 --> 00:55:01,770 off like a light bulb just about shorting 917 00:55:01,770 --> 00:55:11,530 out, yet he remains entirely faithful, because that's 918 00:55:11,530 --> 00:55:12,190 what he is. 919 00:55:14,290 --> 00:55:15,690 Covenant love. 920 00:55:16,470 --> 00:55:18,150 He has committed himself. 921 00:55:19,070 --> 00:55:20,810 He has given his promise. 922 00:55:21,370 --> 00:55:22,990 He remains faithful. 923 00:55:24,110 --> 00:55:27,090 You know, I would just like to appeal 924 00:55:27,090 --> 00:55:33,130 to you, if there's anyone here tonight who's 925 00:55:33,130 --> 00:55:37,650 wondering about even sticking around, wondering whether you 926 00:55:37,650 --> 00:55:40,670 should just forget about it, leave the assembly, 927 00:55:41,650 --> 00:55:42,910 leave this work. 928 00:55:44,890 --> 00:55:48,710 Sometimes there's not much holding us. 929 00:55:51,710 --> 00:55:54,510 Here's a reason to continue. 930 00:55:56,990 --> 00:56:01,530 When you are disappointed in other people, when 931 00:56:01,530 --> 00:56:06,430 you are disappointed in the assembly, and you 932 00:56:06,430 --> 00:56:09,910 can't find a reason in the people, or 933 00:56:09,910 --> 00:56:12,470 in the assembly per se, to keep going 934 00:56:12,470 --> 00:56:15,970 on, remember that it is of God to 935 00:56:15,970 --> 00:56:16,490 be faithful. 936 00:56:17,590 --> 00:56:20,970 It is of God to be committed, and 937 00:56:20,970 --> 00:56:24,710 to continue on even though bitterly disappointed. 938 00:56:27,640 --> 00:56:29,660 He cannot deny himself. 939 00:56:30,700 --> 00:56:33,880 So may God grant to us to be 940 00:56:33,880 --> 00:56:36,860 faithful, to correspond to what he is. 941 00:56:36,960 --> 00:56:38,280 There's a couple of others I have, but 942 00:56:38,280 --> 00:56:40,960 I'll leave them and maybe mention them tomorrow 943 00:56:40,960 --> 00:56:41,260 night. 944 00:56:42,060 --> 00:56:44,800 I want to look tomorrow night at some 945 00:56:44,800 --> 00:56:48,440 of the patterns of faithfulness of the Lord 946 00:56:48,440 --> 00:56:51,420 Jesus and assembly truth that is given to 947 00:56:51,420 --> 00:56:54,200 us in the New Testament, and really the 948 00:56:54,200 --> 00:56:57,000 challenge of commitment and faithfulness in God's work, 949 00:56:57,000 --> 00:56:57,600 shall we pray. 950 00:57:00,180 --> 00:57:05,900 Our Father, we are thankful that as we 951 00:57:05,900 --> 00:57:11,600 can look to thee, we are absolutely confident 952 00:57:11,600 --> 00:57:17,880 that thou art faithful, that thy promises are 953 00:57:17,880 --> 00:57:21,980 true and can be depended upon, and that 954 00:57:21,980 --> 00:57:26,540 we are safe in thy salvation, that we 955 00:57:26,540 --> 00:57:30,000 can look forward to eternity in thy presence, 956 00:57:30,840 --> 00:57:32,300 because thou art faithful. 957 00:57:33,660 --> 00:57:36,360 Our Father, we cry to thee that there 958 00:57:36,360 --> 00:57:40,580 might be instilled within our hearts a response 959 00:57:40,580 --> 00:57:44,600 in recognition of the deep need that we 960 00:57:44,600 --> 00:57:51,240 have of thee, of the appreciation that we 961 00:57:51,240 --> 00:57:54,580 ought to have for all that is for 962 00:57:54,580 --> 00:57:58,240 us in our Lord Jesus, that we might 963 00:57:58,240 --> 00:58:00,020 share in thy faithfulness. 964 00:58:01,900 --> 00:58:04,780 O God, we cry to thee that we 965 00:58:04,780 --> 00:58:07,040 might be able to stand for thee and 966 00:58:07,040 --> 00:58:09,860 with thee, and to uphold the name of 967 00:58:09,860 --> 00:58:12,980 our Lord Jesus, even in this day. 968 00:58:13,540 --> 00:58:15,480 We ask thee for this in the precious 969 00:58:15,480 --> 00:58:17,660 name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 970 00:58:18,160 --> 00:58:18,420 Amen.