WEBVTT 00:00:04.708 --> 00:00:11.605 So I want to begin with a question, and the question is are you praying for something to change in your life? 00:00:11.605 --> 00:00:18.992 This is the question that the Lord laid on my heart this week earlier, and it's pretty amazing. 00:00:18.992 --> 00:00:21.390 I think this is what he's doing in this service already, isn't it? 00:00:21.390 --> 00:00:25.611 Are you praying for something to change in your life? 00:00:25.611 --> 00:00:27.484 That's the question. 00:00:27.484 --> 00:00:36.770 And most likely God wants to change us more than our circumstances. 00:00:36.770 --> 00:00:41.131 Sometimes he intervenes, remember. 00:00:41.131 --> 00:00:44.429 He comes in and does things we can't do. 00:00:44.429 --> 00:00:54.271 Sometimes he interacts, interacts, he works with us to do things, and sometimes he interacts, he works inside of us. 00:00:54.411 --> 00:01:04.867 Whether anything changes or not, something changes and our perspective changes, and what we're really talking about in this book of Nehemiah is really a process of change. 00:01:04.867 --> 00:01:05.971 How do things change? 00:01:05.971 --> 00:01:08.319 That's what we're really talking about in this book of Nehemiah is really a process of change. 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:10.781 How do things change? 00:01:10.781 --> 00:01:20.545 That's what we're talking about, and we've been through chapters one, through seven, and that was all about building a wall, and chapter eight began a different kind of construction project, and it's inside of God's people. 00:01:20.545 --> 00:01:22.248 And that's us, us right. 00:01:22.248 --> 00:01:30.305 So we had in chapter eight, we had the word of God rediscovered. 00:01:30.305 --> 00:01:39.103 In chapter nine, we had this change of heart, this repentance, and in chapter 10 we're going to see this fresh commitment to God. 00:01:39.103 --> 00:01:44.111 There's a there's a process. 00:01:44.111 --> 00:01:46.656 Okay, this happens in a certain order. 00:01:46.656 --> 00:02:00.013 So Kelly was great a few weeks ago teaching us about how the Word of God was rediscovered, and Ezra read the Word of God and the power and the Word of God that awakens our heart. 00:02:00.013 --> 00:02:01.665 The Word of God awakens our faith. 00:02:01.665 --> 00:02:14.971 It like wakes us up and it helps us to see clearly and it brings an encounter with God that changes us on the inside and then, as we are going to see today, it changes things on the outside as well. 00:02:14.971 --> 00:02:26.126 But what brings change is that the Word of God interacts with your heart and it brings repentance. 00:02:26.126 --> 00:02:27.370 It works in us. 00:02:27.370 --> 00:02:28.292 A repentant heart. 00:02:28.292 --> 00:02:29.502 It changes us. 00:02:29.502 --> 00:02:33.469 This is where every change happens. 00:02:33.469 --> 00:02:35.873 It starts here, it starts here and it comes out. 00:02:35.873 --> 00:02:37.282 Whatever it is you want to change. 00:02:37.282 --> 00:02:39.348 So the word of God. 00:02:39.348 --> 00:02:40.591 You know what the Bible says about. 00:02:40.872 --> 00:02:49.381 The Bible says about the Bible. 00:02:49.381 --> 00:02:50.645 It says that it's a hammer and it breaks in pieces the rocks. 00:02:50.645 --> 00:02:51.106 It says it's a sword. 00:02:51.106 --> 00:02:52.551 It's two edged and it doesn't matter which edge you're using. 00:02:52.551 --> 00:02:53.014 It cuts. 00:02:53.014 --> 00:03:05.931 It cuts all the way down to the thoughts and the intents of our heart, all the way into who we really are, because the core of our will and our decisions are what change our entire life. 00:03:05.931 --> 00:03:07.806 The Word of God goes down there. 00:03:07.806 --> 00:03:11.625 It's not here only, it's all the way down there. 00:03:11.625 --> 00:03:13.063 What's more important, by the way? 00:03:13.063 --> 00:03:14.710 Information or transformation? 00:03:14.710 --> 00:03:20.628 I think you're right, transformation, but you really can't have transformation without information. 00:03:20.628 --> 00:03:22.960 Right, so they go together. 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:27.585 But if you have information without transformation, what good is that? 00:03:27.585 --> 00:03:31.679 And so this is what we're talking about a process of change. 00:03:31.739 --> 00:03:36.573 The Bible says that the word of God reveals our hearts, it changes us. 00:03:36.573 --> 00:03:39.860 It says that it's perfect, it converts the soul. 00:03:39.860 --> 00:03:47.004 It says that it's forever settled in the heavens, it stands forever, it will never fade away. 00:03:47.004 --> 00:03:50.370 Jesus said sanctify them by your truth. 00:03:50.370 --> 00:03:51.504 Your word is truth. 00:03:51.504 --> 00:03:55.951 There's a sanctifying process that comes from here into us. 00:03:55.951 --> 00:03:56.781 In fact Jesus. 00:03:57.241 --> 00:04:03.574 In chapter 5 of Ephesians, paul says that Jesus washes his church with the water of the word. 00:04:03.574 --> 00:04:05.205 He's washing us. 00:04:05.205 --> 00:04:10.063 He's going to wash us this morning I think he already has washed us this morning and he's washing. 00:04:10.063 --> 00:04:10.826 This is what he's doing. 00:04:10.826 --> 00:04:11.508 He's cleansing us. 00:04:11.508 --> 00:04:19.206 And the psalmist says your word I've hid in my heart so that I may not sin against you. 00:04:19.206 --> 00:04:21.673 Do you get that? 00:04:21.673 --> 00:04:23.470 There's an object, the word, there's an action. 00:04:23.470 --> 00:04:23.651 I hid it. 00:04:23.651 --> 00:04:24.978 There's an object, the word, there's an action. 00:04:24.978 --> 00:04:25.160 I hit it. 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:26.665 There's a place in my heart. 00:04:26.665 --> 00:04:28.524 There's an outcome. 00:04:28.524 --> 00:04:30.528 The result is I won't sin against you. 00:04:30.528 --> 00:04:33.226 You see this process of change. 00:04:34.339 --> 00:04:36.809 God's word always does what he wants it to do. 00:04:36.809 --> 00:04:39.588 In fact, let me read this to you from Isaiah 55. 00:04:39.588 --> 00:05:06.701 He says this For, as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there, but waters, the earth he says this to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 00:05:06.701 --> 00:05:10.026 God's word always does what he wants it to do. 00:05:10.026 --> 00:05:15.120 It's doing that right now, this morning in my heart. 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:17.545 It's doing that this morning in your heart. 00:05:17.545 --> 00:05:22.283 It's powerful, it's living and it's powerful and it's doing something. 00:05:22.283 --> 00:05:26.264 Okay, so it starts with the word of God, chapter eight right, and what happened after that? 00:05:26.264 --> 00:05:28.771 You're praying for something to change in your life. 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:37.404 The word of God brings a repentant heart, it works in us a repentance heart, and repentance is the process of owning our sin. 00:05:37.404 --> 00:05:39.129 And that's what they did in chapter nine. 00:05:39.129 --> 00:05:40.713 And this is so great. 00:05:40.713 --> 00:05:47.230 What a great job that Scott did two weeks ago, talking to us about that in chapter 9. 00:05:47.230 --> 00:05:48.334 It was a response. 00:05:48.420 --> 00:05:54.646 The people understood this cycle of sin that had been going on in their forefathers for years and years, and they repented for it. 00:05:54.646 --> 00:05:57.449 They owned their sin, they came to God. 00:05:57.449 --> 00:06:08.877 They also saw not only the failure of their forefathers, but they saw the faithfulness and the kindness of God In the midst of all that. 00:06:08.877 --> 00:06:18.598 He's kind to us even when we fail, and his kindness leads us to repentance. 00:06:18.598 --> 00:06:22.680 This is beautiful. 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:23.502 This is the heart of our God here. 00:06:23.502 --> 00:06:25.444 It's not his condemnation leads us to repentance, it's his kindness. 00:06:25.444 --> 00:06:26.685 Our sin condemns us. 00:06:26.685 --> 00:06:28.088 We don't need a condemner. 00:06:28.088 --> 00:06:33.315 We have the devil and we have our own selves condemning ourselves. 00:06:33.315 --> 00:06:36.870 We have the word of God that shows us our heart. 00:06:36.870 --> 00:06:39.225 The kindness of God brings repentance. 00:06:39.225 --> 00:06:40.389 It's beautiful. 00:06:40.389 --> 00:06:49.790 So, by God's grace, they're able to get perspective and they're able to respond to that, and chapter 10 is the carrying out of that response. 00:06:50.521 --> 00:06:51.002 Word of God. 00:06:51.002 --> 00:06:52.507 Repentance, now what? 00:06:52.507 --> 00:06:53.569 Now what? 00:06:53.569 --> 00:06:55.908 Because the Bible says that repentance looks like something. 00:06:55.908 --> 00:07:02.093 It says bring forth fruit, works that are fruit, the fruit of repentance. 00:07:02.093 --> 00:07:03.605 Repentance looks like something. 00:07:03.605 --> 00:07:07.451 There's something that God is taking us into, not just out of. 00:07:07.451 --> 00:07:13.146 He wants to release this grip of sin in our life, take us out of this bondage. 00:07:13.146 --> 00:07:18.528 But there's a land he's taking us into, out of bondage, into something okay. 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:22.920 So here, chapter 10, this is that response. 00:07:22.920 --> 00:07:33.661 They're ready to enter into this covenant of repentance and this construction project is not only the walls surrounding the city but the hearts of his people. 00:07:33.661 --> 00:07:38.589 So are you aware that God is constantly doing construction? 00:07:38.589 --> 00:07:41.742 It's kind of like Alcoa Highway, I think. 00:07:41.742 --> 00:07:47.374 Basically it will be done, but maybe not in my lifetime. 00:07:47.374 --> 00:07:52.922 I think my grandchildren will see it Constant. 00:07:52.922 --> 00:08:00.209 There's like these orange barrels all over our hearts and God is like constantly big flashing signs. 00:08:00.209 --> 00:08:02.987 There's something going on here. 00:08:02.987 --> 00:08:09.810 Right, he's always doing it and he's doing it through the word of God and repentance, changing mind that changes our lives. 00:08:09.810 --> 00:08:11.701 Are you praying for something to change in your life? 00:08:11.701 --> 00:08:13.264 This is the way it happens. 00:08:14.807 --> 00:08:20.985 So in chapter nine, what we saw is that they're recounting the history of Israel. 00:08:20.985 --> 00:08:42.322 They recounted the calling of Abram, the covenant that God made with Abram and how God saw the affliction of the people in Egypt and drew them out, and the Mosaic covenant, the law and the sacrifice, because we couldn't keep the law and the choice to follow or not, all of those things. 00:08:42.322 --> 00:08:45.171 But their fathers did not follow. 00:08:45.171 --> 00:08:49.986 But God was ready to forgive and they turned away again. 00:08:49.986 --> 00:08:56.706 But God was patient and faithful to his promise and they turned away again and God restored them. 00:08:56.706 --> 00:08:59.149 And it's over and over and over. 00:08:59.801 --> 00:09:01.044 So now we come to chapter 10. 00:09:01.044 --> 00:09:05.789 Here we are, and chapter 10 starts with 27 verses of names. 00:09:05.789 --> 00:09:11.289 There are 84, as best I could count, 84 names. 00:09:11.289 --> 00:09:13.544 They're all very real. 00:09:13.544 --> 00:09:20.840 Go for it, I will not 84 names. 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:28.469 These are real people with real stories, real lives, and they're real important and their names are real hard to pronounce. 00:09:28.469 --> 00:09:32.490 So I'm going to let you go home and read those names if you want to. 00:09:32.490 --> 00:09:41.750 All those 27 verses I'm going to skip and I'm going to start at verse 28, if you'll read with me. 00:09:42.321 --> 00:09:43.403 The rest of the people. 00:09:43.403 --> 00:10:03.606 So all those names, all those names were the leaders of the priests and the Levites, but now the rest of the people, that's everybody the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God. 00:10:03.606 --> 00:10:25.510 Their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's law that was given by Moses, the servant of God, to observe and to do all the commandments of the Lord, our Lord, and his rules and his statutes. 00:10:25.510 --> 00:10:31.187 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. 00:10:31.187 --> 00:10:46.648 And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy it from them on the Sabbath day or on Holy Day and we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. 00:10:46.899 --> 00:11:09.150 We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God, for the showbread, the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering, for the Sabbath, new moons, the appointed feast, the holy things and all the sins offerings to make atonement for Israel, for holy things and all the sins offerings to make atonement for Israel for all of the work of the house of God. 00:11:09.150 --> 00:11:16.594 We, the priests, levites and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering to bring it. 00:11:16.594 --> 00:11:25.613 They're going to cut wood and bring it in, bring it to the house of God, according to our father's houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord, our God. 00:11:25.613 --> 00:11:38.432 As it is written in the law, we obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all the fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord. 00:11:38.432 --> 00:11:48.899 Also, to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and our, the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as written in the law, the firstborn of our herds and our flocks. 00:11:48.899 --> 00:12:01.649 To bring the first of our dough and our contributions of the fruit of every tree and the wine and the oil to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God. 00:12:01.649 --> 00:12:05.251 And to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it's the Levites who collect all the tithes in all of our God. 00:12:05.251 --> 00:12:08.815 And to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it's the Levites who collect all the tithes in all of our towns where we labor. 00:12:08.815 --> 00:12:34.629 And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of God, to the chambers of the storehouse for the people of Israel and for the sons of Levi, shall bring the contribution of grain and wine and oil to the chambers where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priestly minister and the gatekeepers and the singers. 00:12:34.629 --> 00:12:38.110 We will not neglect the house of our God. 00:12:38.110 --> 00:12:42.924 So help us, god. 00:12:45.265 --> 00:12:49.210 They drew up a covenant and they had all these leaders sign it. 00:12:49.210 --> 00:12:54.908 84 of them signed it, the leaders in the name of all the people of Israel. 00:12:54.908 --> 00:12:56.982 It's like a declaration of independence. 00:12:56.982 --> 00:12:58.426 Right, you got this. 00:12:58.426 --> 00:13:00.328 And down at the bottom, you got all the names. 00:13:00.328 --> 00:13:02.732 Right, they're signing it. 00:13:02.732 --> 00:13:04.826 This is it, this is our declaration. 00:13:04.826 --> 00:13:09.644 It's not a declaration of independence, it's a declaration of intention. 00:13:09.644 --> 00:13:13.272 We're going to do it. 00:13:15.537 --> 00:13:16.259 And look what they said. 00:13:16.259 --> 00:13:18.081 So if you look at, you kind of break this down. 00:13:18.081 --> 00:13:23.643 They basically what they were saying was every part of our lives we're going to give to you. 00:13:23.643 --> 00:13:28.162 The first thing they said is my relationships are submitted to God. 00:13:28.162 --> 00:13:34.044 Okay, so we're living with a mind toward the things that influence us. 00:13:34.044 --> 00:13:41.182 When they say we will not take the sons of the other lands or the daughters as our sons' wives. 00:13:41.182 --> 00:13:42.726 We'll not intermarry. 00:13:42.726 --> 00:13:51.203 What they're doing is they're saying we're going to be separate, we're going to be different people, we're going to live differently, we're not going to be influenced. 00:13:51.203 --> 00:13:57.842 That's what that was about Influence from other places. 00:13:57.842 --> 00:13:58.744 We're going to build a wall. 00:13:58.744 --> 00:14:01.508 We're going to build a wall, a big, beautiful wall. 00:14:01.508 --> 00:14:05.123 Sorry, I don't know, it just came into my head. 00:14:05.123 --> 00:14:07.062 That's not a political statement. 00:14:07.062 --> 00:14:09.724 We're going to build a wall around our hearts. 00:14:09.724 --> 00:14:12.860 Can we edit that? 00:14:12.860 --> 00:14:13.422 I'm just kidding. 00:14:13.422 --> 00:14:19.106 We're going to build a wall around our hearts so that influence doesn't come inside. 00:14:22.096 --> 00:14:27.565 Being careful what are you letting in your gate to influence you? 00:14:27.565 --> 00:14:28.839 That's what I'm asking this morning. 00:14:28.839 --> 00:14:29.721 What is it? 00:14:29.721 --> 00:14:30.885 What are the influences? 00:14:30.885 --> 00:14:33.080 What voices do you allow to speak into your life? 00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:39.303 Music, what podcasts are speaking into your life? 00:14:39.303 --> 00:14:43.048 What YouTube videos? 00:14:43.048 --> 00:14:44.595 What YouTube sermons? 00:14:44.595 --> 00:14:45.477 Lord have mercy. 00:14:45.477 --> 00:14:46.503 Some of those are not good either. 00:14:46.503 --> 00:14:52.663 You have to line it up beside this and say is it good or not? 00:14:52.663 --> 00:14:54.246 What is it? 00:14:54.246 --> 00:14:55.469 What kind of gossip? 00:14:55.469 --> 00:15:00.547 What things are you allowing to persuade your thinking and living other than the word of God? 00:15:00.547 --> 00:15:07.767 We're going to keep ourselves pure from sin and sinful influences. 00:15:07.767 --> 00:15:09.662 Okay, that's also that's part of it. 00:15:09.662 --> 00:15:14.566 Watching who is influencing my life, number one. 00:15:14.566 --> 00:15:17.784 Number two this also has to do with relationships. 00:15:17.784 --> 00:15:21.566 We're going to be careful to sanctify marriage. 00:15:21.566 --> 00:15:25.063 Marriage is crucial to God. 00:15:25.063 --> 00:15:31.587 This is God's first thought man, wife together, from that family, from that all of humanity. 00:15:31.587 --> 00:15:34.341 This is God's first thought. 00:15:34.341 --> 00:15:36.782 It's marriage, and so we're going to sanctify this thing. 00:15:36.782 --> 00:15:41.344 No intermarriage with pagan peoples. 00:15:41.344 --> 00:15:45.986 So we're going to be faithful in our romantic relationships. 00:15:45.986 --> 00:15:54.575 Interesting what Rodney said, what everyone said this morning, we're going to be faithful in our romantic relationships and our sons and daughters. 00:15:54.634 --> 00:16:01.145 This was addressed to the parents because in those days it was the parents who set up the relationships. 00:16:01.145 --> 00:16:03.099 Right, it still happens in some parts of the world. 00:16:03.099 --> 00:16:06.956 I was with, a few months ago, my friends in India and Sri Lanka. 00:16:06.956 --> 00:16:10.644 These pastors, every one of them, had arranged marriages. 00:16:10.644 --> 00:16:12.227 They did not choose their wife. 00:16:12.227 --> 00:16:20.269 Every one of them, their parents chose their wife for them and I don't know, from what I saw, it was working out pretty good. 00:16:20.269 --> 00:16:26.104 How much faith do you have in your parents? 00:16:26.104 --> 00:16:26.485 I don't know. 00:16:26.485 --> 00:16:28.359 I mean today, I mean our culture. 00:16:28.359 --> 00:16:31.086 Maybe they would have, maybe they would have. 00:16:31.086 --> 00:16:35.505 You know, this may have been addressed to the individual, but in that culture it was addressed to the parents. 00:16:35.505 --> 00:16:36.296 The parents. 00:16:36.296 --> 00:16:43.455 We will not let our, we will not give the people of other nations to our sons and daughters. 00:16:43.455 --> 00:16:44.476 Okay, you know. 00:16:44.937 --> 00:16:50.629 So what I'm saying is can we sanctify our romantic relationships? 00:16:50.629 --> 00:16:52.822 Can we sanctify our love life? 00:16:52.822 --> 00:17:00.455 I mean, it's something like you get baptized and you, like you, like you, just all of you are going under the ship. 00:17:00.455 --> 00:17:01.879 You're holding that one hand out. 00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:03.724 That ring finger ain't going under the water. 00:17:03.724 --> 00:17:09.548 It's like I'm going to hold the ring finger out of the water because I don't want to give that to Jesus. 00:17:09.548 --> 00:17:12.220 You can have it all, jesus. 00:17:12.220 --> 00:17:14.526 Have it all, except who I'm going to marry. 00:17:14.526 --> 00:17:18.215 Man. 00:17:18.215 --> 00:17:21.566 That's the beginning of a lot of woeful tales. 00:17:21.566 --> 00:17:26.942 Right there, my ring finger's going under the water too. 00:17:26.942 --> 00:17:37.039 One man, one woman, united in faith and values, coveting together forever. 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:38.243 That's marriage. 00:17:38.243 --> 00:17:42.444 Lord, we will sanctify marriage. 00:17:42.444 --> 00:17:42.976 That's the first thing. 00:17:42.976 --> 00:17:48.275 Second thing is we'll sanctify I'm going to sanctify my time and my business practices. 00:17:49.355 --> 00:17:50.737 They belong to God. 00:17:50.737 --> 00:17:53.298 We will not do business on the Sabbath. 00:17:53.298 --> 00:17:56.000 Two things, number one. 00:17:56.000 --> 00:18:05.345 Number one keeping the Sabbath, which is a commandment with a promise, which is the gift of God. 00:18:05.345 --> 00:18:15.971 Sabbath, sanctifying time to detach, to stop work, to rest in God, to delight in God. 00:18:15.971 --> 00:18:18.633 That's Sabbath and that is a gift. 00:18:18.633 --> 00:18:22.759 Man is not made for the Sabbath, the Sabbath is made for man. 00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:26.166 This is not a law, this is a blessing and we're going to sanctify it. 00:18:26.166 --> 00:18:27.497 That's what they say we're going to. 00:18:27.497 --> 00:18:28.558 We're going back to it. 00:18:28.558 --> 00:18:29.441 Sabbath holy. 00:18:29.441 --> 00:18:31.326 Sabbath is holy. 00:18:31.326 --> 00:18:35.219 Living in rest, living in margin Okay. 00:18:35.219 --> 00:18:37.582 So stopping to rest Okay. 00:18:37.582 --> 00:18:39.084 But this also speaks of business. 00:18:39.084 --> 00:18:40.365 We're not. 00:18:40.365 --> 00:18:45.419 If anybody wants to come and sell us their stuff on the Sabbath, we will not do it. 00:18:45.419 --> 00:18:49.219 This is their covenant, even if it makes no business sense. 00:18:49.219 --> 00:18:52.207 I'm going to honor God in my work. 00:18:54.435 --> 00:19:05.506 And here is where I have to throw some kudos to our friends Chick-fil-A, because this is not corporate sponsorship. 00:19:05.506 --> 00:19:06.680 We get no money from this, okay. 00:19:06.680 --> 00:19:18.946 But Chick-fil-A I just looked it up this week McDonald's has over 43,000 stores worldwide. 00:19:18.946 --> 00:19:19.468 They're everywhere. 00:19:19.468 --> 00:19:23.766 Chick-fil-a only has about 3,200, 3,200. 00:19:23.766 --> 00:19:34.284 So McDonald's makes more money overall, but Chick-fil-A's average unit volume, which is revenue per store, is way higher than McDonald's. 00:19:34.284 --> 00:19:36.356 They're killing it Almost three times higher. 00:19:36.356 --> 00:19:39.022 Revenue per store, okay. 00:19:39.022 --> 00:19:42.375 Per location, okay. 00:19:42.375 --> 00:19:43.903 So if you were going to? 00:19:43.903 --> 00:19:44.465 Okay. 00:19:44.486 --> 00:19:49.464 So if you're a banker and I'm a businessman, and I come to you and I say, hey, I got this great idea. 00:19:49.464 --> 00:19:52.403 I want to sell chicken sandwiches. 00:19:52.403 --> 00:19:58.646 By the way, chick-fil-a sold over half a billion chicken sandwiches last year. 00:19:58.646 --> 00:20:00.561 I don't know where the chickens come from. 00:20:00.561 --> 00:20:01.696 That's a whole other question. 00:20:01.696 --> 00:20:07.169 That's a lot of chicken man, I don't know. 00:20:07.169 --> 00:20:10.759 It kind of disturbs me to think about that. 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:11.359 I'm not sure. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:15.528 But okay, they sold, okay. 00:20:15.714 --> 00:20:19.951 So I've come to you and I'm going to say I've got this great business plan and this is it. 00:20:19.951 --> 00:20:20.617 Oh, it looks really good. 00:20:20.617 --> 00:20:21.342 Quality and service, and this is it. 00:20:21.342 --> 00:20:22.065 Oh, it looks really good. 00:20:22.065 --> 00:20:23.070 You know quality and service. 00:20:23.070 --> 00:20:23.875 And this is it. 00:20:23.875 --> 00:20:24.856 We're going to do this thing. 00:20:24.856 --> 00:20:30.438 Except, you know, I've got one thing that we really have as a value, and that is that we're going to. 00:20:30.438 --> 00:20:33.326 You know, for almost two months out of the year, we're shutting down. 00:20:33.326 --> 00:20:45.909 We're going to be a business that doesn't do business for 52 days out of the year. 00:20:45.909 --> 00:20:47.153 Are you going to lend me money for that business? 00:20:47.153 --> 00:20:53.027 I don't know, maybe not, but Chick-fil-A is killing it because God honors those who honor him. 00:20:53.027 --> 00:20:54.881 So you should try that. 00:20:55.015 --> 00:20:58.526 My time and my business practices are submitted to God. 00:20:58.526 --> 00:21:03.036 The last thing is all that I own is submitted to God. 00:21:03.036 --> 00:21:05.703 I'm going to bring, I'm going to live with open hands. 00:21:05.703 --> 00:21:06.665 That's really what they're saying. 00:21:06.665 --> 00:21:08.561 I'm going to live with generosity. 00:21:08.561 --> 00:21:10.869 I'm going to give to the house of God. 00:21:10.869 --> 00:21:12.476 That's what they're saying. 00:21:12.476 --> 00:21:15.363 This is their point of reference for serving God. 00:21:15.363 --> 00:21:21.765 They're going to bring it in freely, bring the first fruits of all that we have which comes from the Lord, which already comes from the Lord in the first place. 00:21:21.765 --> 00:21:23.207 He gave it all. 00:21:23.207 --> 00:21:24.797 We're just giving a little back to him. 00:21:24.797 --> 00:21:25.798 That's all. 00:21:25.798 --> 00:21:34.239 Produce, livestock, bread, fruit, wine, oil, everything, everything that we need to live. 00:21:34.239 --> 00:21:54.976 We're going to give back to God for the purpose of the house of God, for everything that's going on there, to support everything that's going on there the bread offering, the grain offering, the burnt, offering, the wood, the Sabbath, the new moons, the appointed feast, oil for the holy things, all of these things. 00:21:54.976 --> 00:21:57.380 And we're going to bring the tithes into the storehouse. 00:21:57.380 --> 00:22:02.890 We will not neglect the house of God, which is being rebuilt. 00:22:02.890 --> 00:22:06.286 First the walls, now the house of the Lord being rebuilt. 00:22:06.286 --> 00:22:10.944 So after the project, the wall is being built. 00:22:10.944 --> 00:22:11.826 That's done. 00:22:12.256 --> 00:22:16.126 After the project, we're going to continue in a long obedience. 00:22:16.126 --> 00:22:18.260 A long obedience. 00:22:18.260 --> 00:22:20.759 It's just not a project. 00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:21.623 This is our lives. 00:22:21.623 --> 00:22:22.565 We're giving it all. 00:22:22.565 --> 00:22:30.578 Okay, all right, we're going to give, submit to God, my relationships, my time, my business practices and everything I have. 00:22:30.578 --> 00:22:31.601 That's pretty good, isn't it? 00:22:31.601 --> 00:22:35.087 Is that something we should do? 00:22:35.087 --> 00:22:37.317 Yeah, it should. 00:22:37.317 --> 00:22:38.019 Yeah, it's great. 00:22:38.199 --> 00:22:41.066 They were literally promising to set apart everything to god. 00:22:41.066 --> 00:22:47.295 And they say at the end of chapter nine because of all this, we make a firm covenant in writing. 00:22:47.295 --> 00:22:50.881 We're gonna do it. 00:22:50.881 --> 00:22:52.544 We're gonna do it. 00:22:52.544 --> 00:22:55.269 Our fathers could do it, but we're gonna do it. 00:22:55.269 --> 00:23:00.486 We're writing this out, we're signing it with all of our leaders. 00:23:00.486 --> 00:23:03.138 We're making a solemn, solemn covenant with you. 00:23:03.138 --> 00:23:05.865 We are serious this time, god. 00:23:05.865 --> 00:23:07.667 This time we're gonna do it. 00:23:07.667 --> 00:23:26.445 It's a good thing, right, but realistically, does anybody really believe that it's going to change like that they're going to be any different from their fathers, that they could keep the commands that their fathers could not keep? 00:23:26.445 --> 00:23:28.679 I mean, was it real? 00:23:28.679 --> 00:23:29.923 Was that really doable? 00:23:29.923 --> 00:23:33.084 And in the end, they did exactly what their fathers did. 00:23:33.084 --> 00:23:40.301 They made a promise and they failed to keep not only their own expectations but the actual commands of God themselves. 00:23:40.855 --> 00:23:43.664 And there's not one of us in this room that can't relate to that. 00:23:43.664 --> 00:23:49.703 We all have experienced this kind of good intentions falling short. 00:23:49.703 --> 00:23:56.324 Right, all of us have, and sometimes it leads to frustration, like, why even try? 00:23:56.324 --> 00:23:59.401 It just keeps failing. 00:23:59.401 --> 00:24:00.203 Why should I even try? 00:24:00.203 --> 00:24:04.134 And even the apostle Paul felt this tension in himself. 00:24:04.616 --> 00:24:09.082 Let me read this to you, in Romans, chapter seven, for I do not understand my own actions. 00:24:09.082 --> 00:24:12.162 I love, I love Paul. 00:24:12.162 --> 00:24:13.285 He's real. 00:24:13.285 --> 00:24:23.539 This is a man who planted churches, who raised the dead, who healed the sick, who saw Jesus, who went to the third heaven, who saw things he couldn't even. 00:24:23.539 --> 00:24:24.281 This is him. 00:24:24.623 --> 00:24:33.288 I don't even understand my own actions, for I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 00:24:33.288 --> 00:24:39.018 Now, if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law that it is good. 00:24:39.018 --> 00:24:39.640 The law is good. 00:24:39.640 --> 00:24:43.467 So now it's no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 00:24:43.467 --> 00:24:53.298 That's the problem, for I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh, for I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 00:24:53.298 --> 00:24:57.163 For I do not do the good I want. 00:24:57.163 --> 00:25:00.607 But the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 00:25:00.607 --> 00:25:06.085 Now, if I do what I do not want, it's no longer I who do it, but it's sin that dwells in me. 00:25:06.085 --> 00:25:06.767 That's the problem. 00:25:06.767 --> 00:25:27.660 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand, for I delight in the law of God in my inner being, but I see in my members another law, waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 00:25:27.660 --> 00:25:28.502 That's the problem. 00:25:28.502 --> 00:25:34.467 Oh, what a wretched man that I am. 00:25:34.467 --> 00:25:37.442 Who will deliver me from this body of death? 00:25:37.442 --> 00:25:44.703 And it doesn't stop there, thank God, thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 00:25:44.703 --> 00:25:49.065 He's speaking, a reality for all of us. 00:25:49.065 --> 00:25:50.760 But we're not stuck there. 00:25:52.478 --> 00:26:05.164 You turn the page and chapter eight starts with this promise that, though the spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes us free from the law of sin and death, the spirit of God dwells in us, and so we can be free from that. 00:26:05.164 --> 00:26:09.787 So Romans 6 and Romans 8 show us the great news that we can be free from that. 00:26:09.787 --> 00:26:15.188 Romans 7 helps us to connect with it, because we all feel that frustration. 00:26:15.188 --> 00:26:22.904 And Paul is teaching there about a better covenant, the covenant that God makes with us. 00:26:22.904 --> 00:26:26.344 It's not our promise to do better. 00:26:26.344 --> 00:26:28.180 I'm going to do it this time. 00:26:28.180 --> 00:26:28.863 I'm going to do it. 00:26:28.863 --> 00:26:36.006 It's God's promise to change my heart, to deal with the sin, to change me inside and cause me to follow after him. 00:26:37.836 --> 00:26:47.144 And the writer of Hebrews says it this way this covenant I will make with the house of Israel, after that time declares the Lord God's making a covenant with us. 00:26:47.144 --> 00:26:52.541 I will put my laws in their minds, write them on their hearts. 00:26:52.541 --> 00:26:55.528 I will be their God, they will be my people. 00:26:55.528 --> 00:27:10.922 And then, in chapter nine, verse 14 and 15, how much more then, will the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal spirit, offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from the acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God? 00:27:10.922 --> 00:27:19.046 For this reason, christ is the mediator of a better covenant, and here's what I want you to get this morning. 00:27:26.784 --> 00:27:27.949 They wrote this down. 00:27:27.949 --> 00:27:34.299 They made a promise, they made an oath, they called a curse on themselves if they did not keep this promise. 00:27:34.299 --> 00:27:38.386 We're writing it down in ink, lord, before you were serious. 00:27:38.386 --> 00:27:39.633 Or whatever they wrote with. 00:27:39.633 --> 00:27:40.779 I don't know, was it ink, I don't know. 00:27:40.779 --> 00:27:41.803 Whatever it is. 00:27:41.803 --> 00:27:42.787 They wrote it down. 00:27:42.787 --> 00:27:45.145 It's something that passes away. 00:27:45.145 --> 00:27:48.223 I know that we're going to do it. 00:27:48.223 --> 00:27:49.007 Here it is. 00:27:49.007 --> 00:27:55.372 And God says I'm going to do some writing of my own. 00:27:55.372 --> 00:28:03.152 I'll cleanse you with the blood of my son, son, and I'll write my law on your hearts. 00:28:05.141 --> 00:28:06.143 You see, here's the problem. 00:28:06.143 --> 00:28:11.422 The covenant that they were making was based on what they would do, not on what God has done. 00:28:11.422 --> 00:28:18.810 It was signed by ink, by the authority of their own names and their own will. 00:28:18.810 --> 00:28:22.915 But listen to what happens through Christ. 00:28:22.915 --> 00:28:32.452 In the same way also, he took the cup after the supper saying this cup is a new covenant in my blood. 00:28:32.452 --> 00:28:45.752 This better covenant is a covenant that's written in blood, based on the works of the perfect one, jesus. 00:28:51.561 --> 00:28:53.288 Are you praying for something to change in your life? 00:28:53.288 --> 00:28:56.626 You may have to make a shift. 00:28:56.626 --> 00:29:04.229 The old covenant was based on our performance and our deserving. 00:29:04.229 --> 00:29:10.809 The better covenant, the new covenant, is based on the work of Jesus and it's about believing and receiving. 00:29:10.809 --> 00:29:15.960 It's really important this morning if you're praying for something to change in your life. 00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:19.068 So you see, god's covenant with Abram was that he would give him a land. 00:29:19.068 --> 00:29:24.412 That's covenant with Abram was that he would give him a land, that he would give him a name, he would give him a nation and a blessing. 00:29:24.412 --> 00:29:35.390 And he said you just had to walk before me, be separate, come apart and be holy, similar to these promises that these people made that we read about this morning. 00:29:36.101 --> 00:29:41.292 But it's important for us to understand that this covenant was a covenant that God made with Abraham. 00:29:41.292 --> 00:29:45.227 Abraham didn't come to God and say, hey, I got an idea. 00:29:45.227 --> 00:29:50.190 Nor did Moses, nor did David. 00:29:50.190 --> 00:29:52.487 They didn't come with their ideas. 00:29:52.487 --> 00:29:55.907 God initiated the covenant. 00:29:55.907 --> 00:30:01.748 What these people were recommitting to was not a relationship on their own terms. 00:30:01.748 --> 00:30:04.428 You don't negotiate your own covenant with God. 00:30:04.428 --> 00:30:08.509 You submit to the covenant that he offers you. 00:30:08.509 --> 00:30:14.571 We align with what he says, what he's established. 00:30:14.571 --> 00:30:29.373 So it's not me and God have our own thing going, man, when I hear that, I just think these people know nothing about God or the Bible, or themselves or human nature. 00:30:29.373 --> 00:30:32.386 They know nothing or they're not thinking about it at all. 00:30:32.386 --> 00:30:35.548 Me and God, we understand each other. 00:30:35.548 --> 00:30:39.904