WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:00.880 Well, good morning. 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:18.879 So this week I watched the phenomenal film Heavyweights because our students had watched it on their student ministry uh retreat uh last weekend, and Rob told me how phenomenal this 1995 film is. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:29.199 Uh it got robbed at the Oscars, Four Scump one, but this film about overweight kids going to camp uh wasn't even mentioned at the Oscars that year, amazingly. 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.960 Uh it's completely juvenile, the whole the whole movie, right? 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:37.119 I mean, it is it let's just go ahead and raise your hands if you've seen heavyweights. 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:40.479 That's actually quite remarkable that that many people have seen it. 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:42.000 Because I had never even heard of it. 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:44.719 1995, Ben Stiller, uh, this movie. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:54.000 So all these kids go off to Camp Hope to have fun, summer of fun, and they're gonna learn some some about health, but a lot of fun. 00:00:54.159 --> 00:00:59.679 And here's what it's about: it's about these kids going to a place of acceptance. 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:07.359 It's owned by this older couple who just love these kids, counselors that love these kids, a place of acceptance. 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:12.799 And they're accepted before they look a certain way, like before they lose the weight, before they act a certain way. 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:18.239 You know, it's a place they can go to, and they're not going to be called names, they don't have to be good at sports. 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:21.040 Like this is this is their salvation, Camp Hope. 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:22.799 I mean, this is the place for them. 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:27.280 And then they get there and there's a new owner, Tony Perkis. 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:38.959 And so Tony Perkis is this character in the movie who he is narcissistic, he is the perfect specimen of health, although all that's coming out of his own hurt, his own issues. 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:48.879 And he is putting on top of them his health regiment that he is filming for Perka system, Perka, you remember? 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:49.439 Anybody? 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:50.159 Percosystem. 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:51.200 Perca system. 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:52.079 Thank you, Rob. 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:53.920 Rob's seen it 50 times. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:02:02.400 So uh perka system, which is his health, so he's putting it on these kids, and it's all it's all berating from Tony to the kids. 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:05.359 It's berating, it's judgment, it's condemnation. 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:07.359 And of course, you know what happens. 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:10.719 Because it's what happens anytime you're under judgment. 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:12.639 Rebellion. 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:13.120 Right? 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:18.080 You go, oh, you're you're gonna you're gonna judge me, you're gonna condemn me, you're gonna put that much demand on me. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.800 Well, I'll I'll rebel, I'll escape. 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:23.520 I'll even try to escape the camp at that point. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:26.960 But in all of it, there's this other character, and I'm not ruining the movie. 00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:30.319 If you start the movie, you know how the movie's gonna end, okay? 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:31.599 So you don't worry about it. 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:33.039 I'm not giving anything away. 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:36.000 There's one counselor named Pat. 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:45.120 And while Tony is this representation of what we would call in the scriptures the law or demand or condemnation, uh, you have Pat. 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:51.439 And Pat is this guy who's been at the camp forever and he just loves the kids. 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:54.800 And he is this symbol of unconditional love to them. 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:58.879 And I won't ruin the movie too much, but eventually Tony's not in charge. 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:08.319 And under the care of someone who loves them unconditionally, all of a sudden, all these kids begin to feel worthy. 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:11.520 And all of a sudden, they're joyful. 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:13.520 All of a sudden there's there's change. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:16.400 Isn't that interesting? 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:20.800 All the demand in the world to change doesn't create change in them. 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:30.000 The thing that creates change in them is for them to be loved and to be accepted, and then all of a sudden the heart's changed, and out of the heart comes behavior. 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:33.199 And that's why this movie is so so profound. 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:35.199 So profound. 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:40.400 Because being loved as you are, not as you should be, is the only thing that helps. 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:51.120 And this is what actually creates heart change, which is actually where obedience begins, which is what the New Testament talks about in terms of Christian obedience, is heart outward. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:54.479 And it's what we're talking about, it's what we talk about every week. 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:58.719 That being accepted as you are is the thing that creates change. 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:03.840 And so I'm going to reread some of these verses and make a few points as we go. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.080 Verses 1 and 2, Romans 5, 1 and 2. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:14.960 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:22.160 Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:26.160 And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:30.639 So a lot of theological stuff is going to happen this morning in the next 15 minutes. 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:32.079 A lot of theological words. 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:37.519 And I just want to say, it's not just for like head stuff, for us to feel smarter than other friends. 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:40.319 We can drop a couple theological words this week on them. 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:42.639 I mean, this has everything to do with you. 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:45.839 It has everything to do with tomorrow morning when you wake up. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:53.920 For me to say you're justified by faith should mean everything to you because it means you're not justified by your production in this world. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:55.519 That's incredibly freeing. 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:57.759 It means you're not justified by your weight. 00:04:57.839 --> 00:04:59.759 It means you're not justified by your income. 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:02.480 It means you're not even justified by how good your kids are. 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:04.399 This is incredibly freeing. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:09.120 Point number one, we are justified into peace with God. 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:15.040 We are justified into peace with God by God, not ourselves. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:19.279 I mean, just let that kind of wash over you out of all your self-effort and merit. 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:22.000 That you're you're justified into peace with God. 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:26.399 Position with God, secure forever position as his beloved. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:30.560 That is secured by God, not by you. 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:33.199 See, this is Reformation theology. 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:34.240 Some of you don't even care. 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:35.680 You're just going like, I just want to go to church. 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:42.319 It's Christian, like, not too messed up, you know, nobody living in compounds with a whole bunch of other people or long mandatory skirts. 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:44.560 Like outside of that, you're going like just Christian. 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:46.240 I'm good with Christian. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:51.360 But the problem is I've seen a lot of Christian faith that's actually uh burdensome. 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:53.680 I mean, maybe you've you've lived that. 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:54.800 I've I've lived that. 00:05:54.879 --> 00:06:02.639 Like, I I what I always say is I was in the dance by God's grace, but I thought I had to dance really well to stay in there. 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:08.160 And so I was waking up every day just trying to dance harder and harder and harder and harder. 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:10.720 And we do that in church, we do it in the faith world. 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:13.120 We do it just in the world. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:16.240 This week I was working out in the morning and I'm working out. 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:19.279 I'm there trying to self-justify, trying to put some muscle on my skinny frame. 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:24.480 I've been trying to do that for 30 years, still not working, still trying to self-justify myself in that gym. 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:30.319 And so I'm over there trying to work out and get some muscle, and I watch this lady walk up to a scale. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:32.800 They have a scale in the exercise room. 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:34.160 That's what how I felt about it. 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:35.040 I was like, really? 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:36.319 Like, we really need that? 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:37.839 Is that what everybody needs? 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:40.720 Is to step on a scale right after they exercise? 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:41.759 That's going to be really helpful. 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:43.600 Talk about Tony Perkis, right? 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:51.120 And so I watch her walk up to the scale, and she gets in front of it, and she just stops. 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:52.639 And she doesn't know anybody's watching her. 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:53.920 She just stops. 00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:57.519 And she just stands there for a while. 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:01.279 And she sort of looks at it, and she's sort of doing like this. 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:08.079 You know, like I'm I'm about to get up to courage. 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:12.160 And I'm I'm gonna step on this, and it's gonna, it's gonna tell me something. 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:17.759 Now what why does it take her that long to step onto the scale? 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:21.600 The same reason it takes all of us that long to step onto a scale. 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:28.959 It's gonna tell you something about yourself, and you're not quite sure if you want to hear it or to feel it. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:34.000 Because you're using that to for your value, you're using it for your for your justification. 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:36.560 As a human being, what's it gonna tell me? 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:44.800 And and today am I gonna be approved, or today am I gonna be disapproved based on what this scale tells me? 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:54.480 And you you can go your whole life standing in front of scale after scale after scale, waiting for it to say something back to you. 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:00.240 And the good news is you don't have to. 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:02.720 Like you don't have to live your life that way. 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:18.240 I mean, you are you are justified as a human being, created in the image of God, and then justified as a child of God, fully righteous by God's work for you, justified by faith, the gift of grace to you. 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:21.040 That's incredibly freeing. 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:23.680 And we do it in the faith realm, right? 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:25.120 We do the same thing in the faith realm. 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:28.160 We step up to that scale of like, hey, am I doing enough? 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:29.839 Am I doing enough today? 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:30.800 Like, is this enough? 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:32.159 Is that quiet time long enough? 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:33.039 Did I give enough money? 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:34.320 Am I showing up at church enough? 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:35.200 Like, is this enough? 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:35.679 Is this enough? 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:36.320 Is this enough? 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:38.559 And at what point do I feel righteous? 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:41.039 At what point do I feel secure with God? 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:43.759 At what point is this thing sealed? 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:56.559 And then you'll be mature, and then you'll be serious, and then you'll be passionate, and then whatever word you want to put on it, and the whole time you're already fully justified by faith. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:00.879 By God, by Jesus' word for you. 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:09.279 All your justification, your position before God as a person, it has nothing to do with you. 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:22.879 And those demands of Tony Perkins, right, that we put on ourselves or we receive from from church or we receive from the world, those demands of Tony Perkis, you know what they create? 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:24.480 Burden. 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:29.039 Moralism, escapism. 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:32.720 See, we don't need Tony, we need Pat, right? 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:36.000 Pat was the guy who just loved the kids. 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:46.480 And out of that love, there created heart change, and now all of a sudden these kids from their hearts begin to have some concern about their lives. 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:49.039 Justification is by God. 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:50.399 The story's not over, it keeps going. 00:09:50.480 --> 00:10:07.279 Verse 3 not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:09.600 So point number two, point number one is about justification. 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:13.840 Point number two, sanctification, another big, big theological word. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:18.000 And this is sanctification is the process of becoming holy. 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:21.039 What does that look like for me? 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:22.320 What does that look like? 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:26.799 Sanctification is not life getting endlessly better. 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:29.039 Right? 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:30.799 Maybe you believed that for a while. 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:33.120 Now your experience has been totally different. 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:36.240 Whether you're ready to be honest about that or not, I don't know. 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:38.639 But your life experience, this is true. 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:46.399 Sanctification is not life getting endlessly better, but you remembering your hope in Jesus. 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:48.240 There's sanctification. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:51.440 Okay, so let's follow the text here. 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:55.919 So suffering, all the difficulties, they keep coming, they don't go away. 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:57.600 You're justified by God. 00:10:57.759 --> 00:11:04.000 Still suffering, all the difficulties that keep coming, they produce endurance, being made strong, stronger. 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:09.360 And out of that produces character, attested personhood. 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:10.320 And we need it. 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:10.960 We need that. 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:12.240 These things are huge in life. 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:14.799 I want my kids to have endurance and character. 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:16.480 These things are good. 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:21.919 And there's a part of you that reads this and you kind of go, like, I kind of would have thought the train ended there. 00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:27.200 I kind of would have thought, like, sufferings, uh, endurance, character. 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:29.759 Like in the train, in the thought. 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:31.519 And Paul goes, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:33.360 It doesn't stop there. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:43.279 As important as endurance and character are in this world, and we need them, as important as they are, it keeps going to hope. 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:46.399 Like, like, like, what is that connection? 00:11:46.799 --> 00:11:48.320 Where did that connection come from? 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:55.759 And the connection is because when you live in endurance and character, you're still in the recognition that your endurance and character is not enough. 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:03.759 You know, even though they're incredibly important for your work life and your family life and your relationships, they're incredible. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:07.200 But you're still aware your character's not flawless. 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:10.399 Your character is not saving you out of all your anxiety. 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:12.399 Your character's not saving you out of all your fear. 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:13.919 It's not saving you out of all your shame. 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:18.960 You still have a compulsion inside of you to think things and do things that people knew. 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:22.720 Sometimes they're so silly and sometimes they're so grotesque. 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:27.759 Hope. 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:28.960 But what is that? 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:30.799 I mean, we throw that word around. 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:40.960 I mean, this week I I I wrote it in an email to a friend, and the the wife had been sick, and then the two kids had been sick, and I wrote, I hope, and a bunch of other stuff. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:43.039 I I hope you don't get sick. 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:45.120 Like I I hope you don't get sick. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.919 I hope I hope you have a good test this week. 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:49.360 Hope you're good. 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:50.879 Hope you're well. 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:53.759 Hope your haircut goes well. 00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:56.399 Hope you have a good trip. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.200 What are we saying? 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:02.080 We're not saying much, I mean we're saying something. 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:04.799 I mean, we're we're saying like I'm with you. 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:08.639 Like I'm for you, I'm for it going well, I love you. 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:12.320 So like it's a way of saying, I love, maybe we just just say that, like, I love you. 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:13.279 That would be probably better. 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:15.039 But we just say, hope it goes well. 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:17.120 And sort of like, it's kind of out there. 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:23.120 Because it doesn't really have to do, like me hoping your test goes well really has nothing to do with how well your test goes. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:27.840 But it's just me saying, like, I'm for you in your test. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:34.799 So we say it a lot, we're just like saying this word a lot, but it might not change the outcome. 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:36.799 So, what is hope? 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:58.879 So a month ago, I come in from work, I think it's like Monday or Tuesday, I come in, come in from work, uh, you know, busy day, you know, woke up early, stared at the gym, trying to self-justify myself, trying to get some muscles on my scrawny bones, and you know, in the office, I'm studying, preparing for a sermon, meeting with people, I have a lunch appointment, doing emails, doing other stuff. 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:07.360 Come home about five o'clock, I come into the kitchen, and Christy's there, and and she says, Oh, yeah, by the way, you know, Thursday night, um, we're going out with Chris and Katie. 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:08.320 It's great. 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:10.080 Okay, Thursday night's normal date night. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:12.080 I'm putting, you know, I'm putting my stuff on the counter. 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:20.639 Little girls are coming around, I'm hugging them, and she says, Yeah, by the way, um, we're gonna go to the uh Korean foot massage parlor and say, say what? 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:24.399 What was that? 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:33.120 We're going out with Chris and Katie, and then I was nodding along with that, and then say, say, we're going, where are we going? 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:50.080 Like uh like you and Katie are going to the Korean foot massage parlor, and Chris and I are going to a pub to watch football and uh you know do mainly grunting and things like that, or or oh, we're all we're all good. 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:53.200 Oh, you already made the reservation for four of us, okay. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:58.879 So all week, all week I'm nervous about this. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:04.240 And Christy, all my hopes in Christy, she's like, you're gonna love it. 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:05.440 You're gonna love it. 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:07.440 She's like, yeah, she's just telling me you're gonna love it. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:10.000 She I love the price,$30 for an hour, by the way. 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:10.960 That's amazing. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:11.919 That is amazing. 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:13.840 $30 for an hour. 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:16.639 It's down on Beauford Highway. 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:17.440 That scares me. 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:18.559 I'll just be honest. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:20.639 Just being honest. 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:23.279 There's some nice places down there. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:25.840 I'm not saying it's all bad, I'm just saying it's a mix. 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:27.279 That's what I'm saying. 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:29.679 I'm just saying you don't know what you're gonna get. 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:35.200 And so I'm not quite sure on Beauford Highway where it's gonna fit in. 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:40.399 And we get there, and some people in robes. 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:41.759 Isn't that strange? 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:45.759 Uh I didn't bring a robe, no robing going on here, just to say that. 00:15:45.840 --> 00:16:00.559 And there's soothing fountains, and it was nicer than I thought, and there was a mix of men and women, which made me, who's very um you know, nervous about all of this and concerned, that led me to some comfort. 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:15.840 And so we go into the room, and there's there's five recliners lined up against the wall, and the four so we we got the room covers, the four of us lined up, and I sit down in the last recliner, and uh in come our people. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:20.159 Because she had already told me that each you get one person, and that person stays with you. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:27.919 So in comes my person who walks to me, and the first thing is like a real hot bath for your feet, and you get your feet in there and it kind of warms them up. 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:32.080 And and so we're in there, I'm starting to calm down a little bit. 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:37.519 Uh and my lady's about 50 years old, she's little, she's serious, she's in charge. 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:38.480 She's in charge. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:39.679 I'm not in charge. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:42.399 I there's not a lot of conversation back and forth. 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:45.279 It's just one hour, she's in charge. 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:46.559 It's really, really clear. 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:49.279 Also, my hope is no longer in Christy. 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:58.720 My hope is in that lady right there, 50-year-old, really lovely but serious lady. 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:00.480 She's the boss. 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:03.120 This point, you need to know I have tender feet. 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:04.720 That might be too much information. 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:12.400 I think I crossed a barrier, but you need to know it because it has to play into the fact that that I how nervous I am. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:19.119 Because I got these tender feet out there, she's serious, there were robes out in the lobby. 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:21.119 So I'm just, it's uncomfortable. 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:22.480 It's uncomfortable for me. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:33.599 And she comes in, she's bringing oils in, you know, she's digging in, and then she has hot rocks, and then she has she at one point there's a little wooden hammer nailing my feet. 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:35.119 All of this, okay. 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:40.160 And my hope, the whole time, my hope is not aimless, right? 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.160 It's really clear where my hope is. 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:43.759 It is secured somewhere. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:45.039 It's in her. 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:50.480 It's in her ability to carry me through and to bring relief. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:51.440 That is the goal. 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:52.240 It's not pain. 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:53.680 The goal's not pain here. 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:55.680 The goal is for relief. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:59.359 And I'll just say, she was on that Achilles heel. 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:00.640 She was on she was on my heel. 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:05.359 She was working, she was working those ligaments and that toe and magic. 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:06.079 Magic. 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:08.240 I mean, unbelievable magic. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:10.240 I think I cried at one point. 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:13.519 I was emotions were coming out. 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:14.559 Here's the point. 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:18.880 Number one, you should go to the Korean foot massage parlor on the Beauford Highway. 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:22.880 Number two, more importantly, hope is not aimless. 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:23.920 It's not aimless. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:27.039 It's not like, oh, I hope hope is secured somewhere. 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:32.079 It's secured and it's got it's connected to something secure. 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:42.000 See, when we say our hope is in Jesus, that that is something secure and his ability to carry us through. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:43.279 Right? 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:51.920 Like he was fully righteous and took on the cross our sin and gives to us his righteousness. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:54.640 That is secure work. 00:18:56.400 --> 00:19:07.920 So now that's talking about some justification, and now talking about sanctification is growing in your awareness of how needy you are for that. 00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:17.039 And it's growing in that more and more and more because that affects the heart, which affects your life. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:18.880 Listen to verse five. 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:22.240 Hope does not put us to shame. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:31.519 Because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:35.599 Verses six through eleven. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:49.839 For, so he keeps going, he's just reasoning through this, for while we were still weak at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly, for one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die. 00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:56.559 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:07.440 Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood, not your work, by his work, his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:16.720 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life? 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:23.759 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through him we have now received reconciliation. 00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:25.440 So that means to be friends again. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:27.839 It's by his word, we're friends again. 00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:34.880 Okay, so the text says this for us, what it's calling us, it calls us weak. 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:40.079 It calls us sinners, it calls us enemies of God. 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:47.839 And let me just say that this is good news for you to hear this. 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:57.599 Because you can either pretend you're not that and waste your life exhausting yourself in that and pretending and performing. 00:20:58.160 --> 00:20:59.759 Or you can receive. 00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:05.279 You can receive what you are, what you've been experiencing your whole life. 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:14.000 You're rightful and you always want something you don't have. 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:19.519 And you love to use merit to feel justified rather than faith. 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:21.680 You love to self-save. 00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:25.599 And that's good news to receive that. 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:28.880 Point number three. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:34.240 A low anthropology creates a high Christology. 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:35.119 That's how I heard it. 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:37.039 I heard it this week, worded that way. 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:40.559 A low anthropology creates a high Christology. 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:44.079 So Christology is your view of Christ, your view of Jesus. 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:47.440 Anthropology is where you go to buy great clothes and overpriced furniture. 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:48.480 That's what anthropology. 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:49.440 No, I'm kidding. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:53.359 So anthropology is a way we think about people. 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:55.039 It's how you think about people. 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:58.160 Anthropology is the way you think about people. 00:21:58.400 --> 00:21:59.759 A low anthropology. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:04.319 Is to say, uh, we want to be good, but we'd never pull it off. 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:11.359 A high anthropology is to believe that people are inerrantly good and always getting better. 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:15.359 A high anthropology says people are always getting better. 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:23.599 Maybe you're here, you would say, oh, Russ, this whole idea of low anthropology, sure it's sure it's negative. 00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:25.119 Sure is negative. 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:27.279 You know, whoo, Debbie Downer. 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:32.079 Uh you might even think I'm ridiculous, but I think you're ridiculous and naive. 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:32.480 Right? 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:36.720 And so now we're both in judgment over each other, which then proves the fact that we all have low anthropology, right? 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:38.240 Like that, and that's my point. 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:40.240 And we can see it in Syria. 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:45.920 I mean, we could we could get like global, and we we could go like you see low anthropology in Syria. 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:49.119 Or we can see it in Tony Perkis. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:23:00.559 We can see it in the way that we live out Tony Perkis on ourselves, like just demanding ourselves constantly to be better, and we think that that's the thing that's gonna solve all of our problems. 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:01.759 That's self-saving. 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:03.680 It's low anthropology. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:07.920 Or you can just see it the way that you view other people. 00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:09.200 Right? 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:14.720 I mean, just how quickly you come to judgment over you know some somebody else's kids. 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:17.279 Or how you would do it, right? 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:21.599 Because you how you would how you would parent that kid, right? 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:24.000 Or you how you would coach that team. 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:26.000 Because you got it, you got it figured out. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:29.440 You know, that guy with 30 years of coaching experience, he doesn't know anything, but you do. 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:31.200 You you have it figured out. 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:38.160 You know, those parents that know that kid, you know, day in and day out, they don't they don't know, you you know, you know, right? 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:39.920 I mean, this is what we do. 00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:42.000 This is our low anthropology. 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:44.640 It's the stuff in the core of our beings. 00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:47.440 And sometimes it's the stuff out in the open. 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:54.480 And see, as you see your low anthropology, you can have a higher and higher Christology. 00:23:54.799 --> 00:24:01.359 Jesus can mean more and more and more and more, and you will see more and more ways you self-justify. 00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:06.480 More and more ways sanctification doesn't seem to be working itself out. 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:14.799 And then all of a sudden you're falling back on Jesus being bigger and bigger for you, which is actually sanctification, and your heart is changed. 00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:26.960 Pastor and author Steve Brown, he says it this way the only people who get better are people who know that if they never get better, God will love them anyway. 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:34.720 The only people who get better, like real better, like from the heart outward, not just like changing behaviors and manipulating stuff. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:35.839 Like heart change. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:40.160 The only people who get better are people who know that if they never get better, God will love them anyway. 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:45.680 See, then you start to get better from the heart outward, and all of it's important. 00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:47.920 The inward and the outward. 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:54.640 But you'll never know you're getting better because you're in touch with your low anthropology, which is sending you into high Christology. 00:24:57.759 --> 00:25:04.160 And that's why sanctification is growing in your awareness of your low anthropology and your high Christology. 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:09.359 A few weeks ago, Christy began uh listening to this podcast called Up and Vanished. 00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:13.359 So she started listening to this, and it's entertainment crack. 00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:16.559 I mean, this podcast is unbelievably addicting. 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:17.759 Take over your life. 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:20.400 Don't even get into it until you have a long road trip. 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:21.680 Just gonna go ahead and tell you that. 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:23.759 And so she was telling me about this. 00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:26.960 It's an 11-year-old cold case down in South Georgia. 00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:28.480 Talk about some low anthropology. 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:33.200 Sorry if you're from South Georgia, but it's not this is not a podcast promoting South Georgia, I'll let you know that. 00:25:33.440 --> 00:25:48.160 And so this small town, and something happens, and then the whole town is just clams up and we'll talk about it, and it's real interesting, and you get into it, and you are you you are in this small town, you know, it's just episode after episode, you're getting more and more addicted. 00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:52.319 So she's telling me about it, you gotta listen to it, you gotta listen to it, you know, I'm like, eh, or whatever, whatever. 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:54.880 And you know, finally I listen to it, and I'm like, that's amazing. 00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:56.400 That's how I we we always react. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:26:00.960 She tells me how good something is, act like it's not, and then I listen to it, and then it's amazing. 00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:08.960 And so finally I listen to it, and it it's like Friday, and I just start consuming. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:12.319 I mean, talk about my low anthropology for self-control. 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:13.519 That is out the window. 00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:14.559 I mean, it is gone. 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:15.839 I can't stop listening. 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:20.400 Last last Sunday, I'm like midway through the podcast. 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:22.880 You thought I was like present preaching? 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:23.440 No, no, no. 00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:37.920 I'm thinking about Tara and Marcus and Heath, and I don't know what's happening, and all that Heath, you know, like that's what I was thinking about literally last week, standing right here as I preach, because that podcast was all up inside my brain. 00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:39.680 Why does that happen? 00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:46.240 Why does that happen to you when you're reading a book and you go like, it's it's 12:30 at night. 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:48.160 Why can't I not just shut this thing? 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:50.079 Why can't I not just go to sleep? 00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:56.000 Like when you're watching the TV series and it's like next one begins in 10 seconds, and you're like, yeah, that's a great idea. 00:26:57.119 --> 00:26:58.640 It's not a great idea. 00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:00.400 Like, why can't you stop? 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:01.839 Why can't you stop? 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:03.119 Right? 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:07.440 Well, you can't stop because the story is active in you. 00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:09.119 That's why you can't stop. 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:11.279 The story is active in you. 00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:14.880 This is how God's grace works. 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:25.119 This unconditional love of God for you doesn't just justify you and free you and then like leave you alone and you just what you do whatever you want for the rest of your life. 00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:29.359 It is extravagant and it is active. 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:30.880 It is active. 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:37.279 It frees, and in the awareness of that freedom, it transforms. 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:40.400 And you'll probably never even know it. 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:47.519 Because you'll be in touch with your low anthropology, which is getting you in touch with high Christology. 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:52.480 So, my brothers and sisters, may you be weary of your self-saving. 00:27:53.119 --> 00:28:00.319 And may you know this love that is given and active in you by the grace of God, by the work of Jesus for you. 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:04.960 You are justified and you are being sanctified by his spirit in you. 00:28:05.200 --> 00:28:06.319 Let's pray together. 00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:12.880 God, thank you for the great gift of Jesus. 00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:17.839 Help us to live in confession and repentance in a greater way. 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:27.359 Would you give us by your grace, would you give us the courage to see the ways we self-save that we might live in confession and repentance? 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:34.319 And live in an admiration of Jesus. 00:28:36.319 --> 00:28:42.480 And would we live with open hands to say, Take my heart, take my life, may it honor you. 00:28:42.720 --> 00:28:43.920 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:44.640 Amen.