WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:04.160 So we are working our way through the book of Ecclesiastes. 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:06.879 This is King Solomon's life. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.560 He's at the end of his life. 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:13.599 If you've been with us, we've been talking about how it might not have been King Solomon who wrote the book. 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:19.280 It might have been somebody else who wrote the book in King Solomon's voice about Solomon's life. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:20.960 He's at the end of his life. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:22.719 He's a little disillusioned. 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:26.000 He's not always writing what's right and wrong. 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:27.679 It's very philosophical. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:29.359 It's very ranting at times. 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:32.960 And then he kind of comes back to his senses at other times. 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:36.399 And so he's telling us what living in this world is like. 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:40.799 And we get to chapter 5, and finally he takes his shot at religion, right? 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:46.000 I mean, it's only a matter of time if you're ranting that you're eventually going to get to religion or politics, one of those two. 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:50.000 And so finally in chapter five, he begins in on religion. 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:58.399 And so I'll reread some of these verses as we go and make four different points as we make our way through these verses in Ecclesiastes 5. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:00:59.280 Here's verse 1. 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:02.640 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:12.319 To draw near, to listen, is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:25.680 So the first point here, sort of an overarching point for this passage, is we should draw near to God not to prove ourselves with our words, but to receive his words to us. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:31.680 So we draw near to God not to prove ourselves with our words, but to receive his words to us. 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:46.000 And maybe you grew up in a culture where you felt like you had to use certain words and make more and more and more religious promises to try to maintain some status with God. 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:58.159 Or maybe you felt like you needed to impress God with your words or your next promise, and then you didn't do too great on that promise, so make another promise and another promise and another promise and more words and more words. 00:01:58.239 --> 00:02:05.120 And eventually it doesn't have much to do with the heart, it just has to do with a whole bunch of religious jargon at a certain point. 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:18.639 And maybe this is even tied into sort of like looking around to other people around you, different Christians, different people, and you're going, well, they look like this and they sound like this, and I'm gonna use those words, and I'm gonna kind of fit in like this, and this is what my faith is gonna look like. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:20.960 And this becomes incredibly exhausting. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:31.439 And it becomes exhausting because it's not from your heart, it's it's not it's not you, it's not an expression of what God has done in your life coming back to him. 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:35.840 It's just about your effort. 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:46.000 It's just about your words and your promises, not about his words to you, which births something, which births devotion and words back to him. 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:47.599 Verses two and three. 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:48.960 I think that'll make more sense as we go. 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:50.159 Verses two and three. 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:57.439 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God. 00:02:57.759 --> 00:02:59.599 For God is in heaven and you are on earth. 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:01.919 So he's saying, Hey, be careful here. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:04.159 Uh remember who you are and who God is. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:08.639 And you know, God is great and glorious and holy and perfect and just, and remember who you are. 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:16.400 You are you are his creation, fallen, imperfect, sinful, means you don't get everything right. 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:19.520 So remember, remember here who you're speaking to. 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:20.800 Remember this. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:24.719 Therefore, let your words be few. 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:29.680 For a dream comes with much busyness and a fool's voice with many words. 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:31.280 And this is point number two. 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:35.439 Our words toward God fall short of God's greatness. 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:36.319 They just do. 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:38.800 They always do, they always will. 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:47.360 Our little one, our smallest one, turned four this past week, and we had a party. 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:48.879 We had a My Little Pony party. 00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:51.840 There's a four-foot My Little Pony in my den right now. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:55.360 That's a lot of fun to have flying around when you're trying to watch TV. 00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:56.479 Love that. 00:03:56.879 --> 00:04:04.560 One of the great gifts that we gave our four-year-old was a uh Moana doll. 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:10.000 We thought this was a great gift until we realized what she does. 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:17.759 Do you know this? 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:19.120 Does anybody know this? 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:24.560 The first time you hear it, the first, the first time you hear it, you're you're at Moana, that's right. 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:26.959 And the first time you hear it, you're inspired. 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:28.959 We saw it in the theater. 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:30.959 I saw it in the theater, not once. 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:32.319 I saw it twice. 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:34.879 Just to let that out there, just to let y'all know. 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:39.120 I saw this movie twice in the theater, Super Dad. 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:41.279 I get some award for that at some point. 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:42.480 I don't know when. 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:43.759 I it should come. 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:48.959 And so the first time I heard her sing this song, I'm a glory story guy. 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:56.000 I cried in the rookie when he came out of the dugout and into the movie, and I'm like, he's made it, he's gonna throw some pitches in the major leagues. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:56.879 I'm crying. 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:58.879 I'm a glory story guy. 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:08.959 She's on her boat, she's singing this song, she's gonna restore the heart of Tahiti, and she's singing this, and I I'm in this, I'm in this. 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:12.240 And then this doll's been in my house for a week. 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:14.720 And I'm waking up to this. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:25.040 This noise, these words, they're they're in the den, they're in the kitchen, they're in the playroom, they're in my bedroom, they're in the hallway, they're in the bathroom, they're they're everywhere. 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:27.439 At one point they meant something to me, right? 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:29.759 And I may have teared up in the theater, I may have. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:32.639 I'm not I'm not willing to say anything, I'm not willing to commit anything. 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:36.240 Could have been some dust or some butter off of the uh popcorn. 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:41.680 I'm not sure, but it meant something to me, and now I'm waking up to this over and over and over again. 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:46.560 And these words now aren't from like a loved one to my heart. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:48.720 Uh they're just robotic words, right? 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:54.800 Like out of a doll, just digital, empty words that I want to run over with a lawnmower. 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:55.759 Is what I want to do. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:05:59.199 Look, this doll may not make it back from this building back to my house. 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:02.560 That could happen, may get lost on the way back, not sure. 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:06.800 But it's just there's been this movement with these words. 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:10.560 We we know when these movements occur with words, right? 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:31.759 Because you were dating that person and you you were into that person, and you were using the love word with that person, and you were telling that person that you love them, and then some things happen, and you're not feeling it so much, but you don't really want to be single again, and so you just keep using the words, and you know it, and they know it. 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:34.560 You're using the same words, right? 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:40.319 Same words, but they're just robotic now, they're just empty now. 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:51.680 Or your your friend comes to you, and they're they're they tell you, you know, they're gonna move to Los Angeles and they're gonna pursue their music career, and you say, you know what, you can accomplish your dream. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:57.199 I believe your voice is incredible, and you're going, no, and in the back of your mind, you're going, she's horrible. 00:06:57.439 --> 00:06:58.480 She's really not good. 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:00.240 This is a horrible idea. 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:01.680 But you just say it, right? 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:04.800 And it's just empty words, it's just robotic. 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:10.079 It made me think of this passage in Amos in this old test, in the Old Testament, this prophet. 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:12.480 This one verse stuck out to me. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:16.480 This is this prophet speaking for God, to God's people. 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:22.560 And in Amos 5, 23, take away from me the noise of your songs. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:25.920 So take away, Moana, off you go, right? 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:26.879 Off you go. 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:33.600 Robotic, digital, empty words, to the melody of your harps, I will not listen. 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:35.199 Right? 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:39.759 So our words should mean something, but they don't always mean something. 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:44.560 But God's calling us for our words to mean something. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:47.360 All right, that sounds a little down. 00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:48.800 We'll work our way out of that. 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:52.560 So Monday, Sam and I huddled around this passage. 00:07:52.879 --> 00:08:02.639 In our office, we read it, read it again, read it a couple times, we just sort of looked at each other and go, uh, this is gonna take a couple days. 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:09.759 Like this is not an easy passage that it's not like the book of James, just flat out tells you exactly what you need to know, and right away you know. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:12.560 This is this is poetry, is what this is. 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:17.279 I mean, it takes some, it takes some digging, it takes some sitting a little bit. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:26.319 And by writing it this way, by writing it this way, it demands you to deal with it the very thing it's asking of you, right? 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:28.720 Verse one, slow down. 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:32.639 Just quietly draw near. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:42.960 And by writing it this way, in this poetic form, by writing it this way, it demands you, you you can't figure out poetry quickly. 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:47.759 It demands you to stop and slow down and sit with it and take it in. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:51.919 This made more sense to me this week as I ran into a quote by Eugene Peterson. 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:54.320 Eugene Peterson's a pastor. 00:08:54.559 --> 00:09:04.720 Uh, for 40, 50 years, he was a pastor, he's a writer, he wrote, he translated the Bible into the version called the message, uh, huge influence, incredible guy. 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:10.720 He says, No mis there's no mistake that the psalmists and the prophets and the wisdom writers of the scriptures were poets. 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:12.000 It's not a mistake. 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:24.159 And here's what he says: here's the quote: a good poet may draw you into multi-level reality, rhythm, silence, a metaphor that may carry five different experiences at the same time. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.600 A metaphor is a terrible way to tell somebody something. 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:30.000 You will probably misunderstand. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:42.639 The poet doesn't care because the concern is not to tell you something, but to get you involved in a cluster of words and images that radiate truth and actuality. 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:55.519 All right, so I get this feeling from Peterson's thoughts on poetry, and then we're reading some poetry here in Ecclesiastes, and this text, and saying, don't rush into this text. 00:09:55.840 --> 00:10:00.480 Don't rush into the, don't, don't rush in with all your religious words, right? 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:05.840 I mean, even the way he's writing teaches us something about the very thing he's saying. 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:08.320 Draw, draw near quietly. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:11.039 I mean, it's not a line at Kroger, right? 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:20.000 It's not a line at Kroger that you're trying to find the fastest lane and get up there and you're gonna pay with the thing that you're gonna pay, with what your words and your effort. 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:26.000 No, this is about slowing down and quieting yourself so you might hear something. 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:29.039 So you might hear God's word to you. 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:35.679 The text continues, verses four down through six. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.440 Down through seven, sorry, four through seven. 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:43.039 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it. 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:45.120 For he has no pleasure in fools. 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:46.799 Pay what you vow. 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:51.440 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:56.080 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. 00:10:56.320 --> 00:11:00.240 Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.679 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there's vanity. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:06.000 But God is the one you must fear. 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:17.600 He's saying, don't just show up at worship, make all these promises, just religious words, you're just making all these promises, and then you go off and you have no intention to do them, or maybe even no ability to do them. 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:27.440 So point number three, our promises to God fall short due to our inability to live up to them. 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:29.039 Just a reality check. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:29.519 Okay? 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:47.440 Our promises to God, as noble and sincere even that they are, I'm not saying they're all vanity, as noble and sincere even that our good promises to God are, they fall short due to our inability, us in and of ourselves, our inability to live up to them. 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:50.080 We need outside help when it comes to this. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:52.639 This is why we need an outside savior. 00:11:53.679 --> 00:12:00.080 So it sounds like bad news, but it's actually the best news if you begin to understand, because it's just true. 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:00.960 It's true. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:02.799 We need outside help. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:10.080 Now, in the past we've talked about, we talk about it repeatedly, there's this difference between the ideal self and the real self. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:12.799 Or the ideal self and the actual self. 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:24.240 The ideal self loves to make vows, loves to make promises, loves to use words, and then the temple messenger shows up and says, Hey, are you gonna pay up on that vow? 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:35.919 And you're like, oh, now I'm living in my real self, and I'm not, yeah, that's not playing out exactly how that ideal self made that promise in that moment back there. 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:40.879 You know what I'm talking about because at some point you vowed to start start a Bible reading plan. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:43.759 You ever done one of those yearly Bible reading plans? 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:45.120 How are you doing? 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:47.039 Doing okay on that? 00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:49.919 I'd say about 3% of you do well on that. 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:51.120 Just a guess. 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:52.399 3% of you? 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:54.639 Great, highly disciplined, good for you. 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:55.759 We want to be you. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:57.759 The rest of us, we know the feeling. 00:12:57.919 --> 00:12:59.679 It's not working out too well. 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:03.759 Or maybe you've you've you said, you know what? 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:07.279 Jim at the office, I need to do better loving him. 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:08.879 God, he drives me crazy. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:10.559 I'm so impatient with him. 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:14.639 I passively, I do things against him, I work around him. 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:18.559 Or Jerry next door, you know, oh, Jerry next door. 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:20.480 I've got, you know, I'm gonna love them more. 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:21.600 I'm gonna love my neighbor. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:23.759 I'm called as a Christian to love my neighbor. 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:25.039 I'm gonna love Jim. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:31.759 I'm gonna love Jerry and you're make these promises, and you're promising, and even you mean it, even if you mean it. 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:36.720 And there always comes a moment where that vow doesn't carry itself out. 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:44.720 And it's not to say that the vow is wrong, and it's not to say that we don't re vow and try again. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:50.879 It's just to say our promises to God fall short of our ability to live up to them. 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:53.919 We have an inability to live up to them. 00:13:55.600 --> 00:14:11.600 Or you overeat again, or you don't eat again, or you look at that image again, or you overwork again, or you lose your temper again, or you live in anxiety again, or discontentment again, and you go, I don't want to do this, I don't want to do this, I'm not gonna do this, I'm not gonna do it, I'm not gonna do this anymore. 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:19.600 And you just vow and vow and words and words, but but maybe you never quiet yourself. 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:31.120 Like truly quiet yourself over time, over and over and over again to hear his words to you about that. 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:36.240 Because you're always using your words to him about it. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:41.840 See, it's it's not about whether you should vow or not or make promises or not. 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:44.639 It's about how do you think this has actually happened? 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:48.080 How do you think transformation actually happens? 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:51.519 Draw near and be quiet. 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:54.879 Don't let your words be many, let them be few. 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:57.279 You might hear something. 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:01.679 So has it been a week? 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:03.679 Are we ready to talk about it? 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:06.639 I watched it. 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:14.639 I'm not a Falcons fan. 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:17.200 Not, never was. 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:22.399 I don't think I watched a game all season, but I'm in for the city. 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:25.120 I'm in, I'm supporting them. 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:26.000 I'm in. 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:28.639 I don't own a Falcons piece of apparel. 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:31.039 I haven't been to a game in years. 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:35.440 I don't know much of anything about them, but I'm in, I'm watching it. 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:37.840 I want them to win for the city. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:39.919 Fan, let's let's fight. 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:41.919 And it's going so good. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:45.600 I mean, this is ideal, right? 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:47.360 You want to talk about ideal. 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:50.000 We are running the field. 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:52.960 Our defense is shutting them down. 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:54.799 This is amazing. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:56.720 Lady Gaga comes out. 00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:57.679 It's great. 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:00.399 She's flying down from the sky. 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:08.000 And then the Patriots come back out, and our ideal begins to slip away. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:09.519 We perk up a little bit. 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:12.559 And then when you sat up a little bit, got off your phones. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:13.360 You did. 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:14.080 I know you did. 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:16.000 That's what happened in our house. 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:18.720 And the ideal was gone, right? 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:21.200 And all that's left is the actual. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:26.960 And we have that ideal self, who we want to be. 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:29.600 I'm always content. 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:32.559 In my ideal self, I'm always content. 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:34.639 I'm patient with my children. 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:39.600 I affirm my wife daily, multiple times a day. 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:48.080 People revere me for all that I accomplish, and I have a whole bunch of other accomplishments I don't even feel the urge to share because I'm so humble. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:51.039 This is my ideal self. 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:55.919 I only eat tuna and almonds, and of course, like we've talked about many times, kale. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.120 I only eat kale. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:02.399 I always look tan without the danger of skin cancer. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:06.240 Basically, I look like Tom Brady, is what it is. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:07.599 Basically. 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:10.799 And this week I Googled to see what his houses look like. 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:11.759 And don't do it. 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:13.440 It's not helpful to you. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:20.079 Forbes has a great article on the homes, in case you're wondering, but don't do it. 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:21.759 It will not help you. 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:27.440 And why does one human being get all that? 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:28.559 Him. 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:29.200 Tom. 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:31.359 Why does he get all of this? 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:33.839 And then he's crying with his sick mom. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:35.519 This is not helping, right? 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:37.519 Because you want to hate the guy. 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:41.599 And you can't, because you want to be him, because he's incredible. 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:44.960 And women, you know what I'm talking about, because you've seen his wife. 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:46.160 I didn't notice his wife. 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:47.599 I didn't notice his wife. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:49.440 You saw his wife. 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:52.880 And who looks like the two of those? 00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:56.319 I mean, this is ridiculous ideal. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:05.759 And Tom and his wife, I can't pronounce her name, whatever it is, I don't even know who she is. 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:23.759 Is this ideal that you can look up to in any ideal, uh, the worldly Tom and beautiful wife, or uh or the law, who we should be as Christians in our perfect Christian life. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:34.880 If we live in law without the grace of God to cover this differential between the real self and the ideal self, you will be crushed by the law. 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:36.480 You will be exhausted more and more. 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:39.920 And what you'll find is you just have to you'll have to use more and more religious words. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:42.559 You'll never be able to draw near quietly. 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:45.039 Just more words, more promises. 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:55.599 Out of yourself, out of yourself, but never hearing the word of grace and the person of Jesus for you. 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:03.440 That we are made righteous apart from the law by Jesus' work for us. 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:07.680 This reminds me of a story in the New Testament in Luke 18. 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:09.359 So Jesus tells the story of two men. 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:10.319 Maybe you remember the story. 00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:12.319 Two men they're going up to the temple to pray. 00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:16.240 The first guy goes up, he's a religious guy, very proud of himself. 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:23.200 He marches right up to the temple and he says this in Luke 18 God, I thank you that I am not like other men. 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:29.440 Extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector, this lowly other guy back here. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:32.480 I mean, what, I mean, what a religious punk. 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:35.119 I mean, just absolutely like he's so different. 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:36.400 He's got it all together. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:37.440 And he keeps on going. 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:38.559 He says, Here's his vows. 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:39.839 He says, Look what I've done. 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:41.200 I've fast twice a week. 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:43.279 I give tithes of everything I get. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:45.200 And then there's this other guy. 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:50.640 A lowlife in the realm of social and religious status. 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:53.839 And he starts talking, he's way off. 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:54.880 He's way off. 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:58.240 He did not just march in to this presence of God. 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:01.119 He is way off, and he won't even lift his head. 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:06.480 And all all he says, all he says is, God, be merciful on me, a sinner. 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:11.599 And Jesus says, that's the man who leaves justifying. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:13.440 It's that guy. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:15.279 A few words. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:17.599 Quietly drawing near. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:19.839 All he had was brokenness. 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:37.200 But he had a right view of his condition and who God was, and who held the power here to deem him righteous and justified and free him, and who held the power to help create transformation from his heart outward. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:45.119 I mean, amidst all the performance Christianity that we can get into, and let's just call it that. 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:57.200 Performance Christianity, more words and more words, and more promises and more promises and more of me and how I'm going to live up to it, rather than a quieting of the self, a dying of the self to put on Christ. 00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:10.319 See, Jesus is always the great word spoken to us, which brings us absolution and forgiveness and life. 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:12.720 And that's where we're found. 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:19.359 And we're found by His God's covenant to us, but not all of our covenants to him. 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:23.119 And this is point number four, last point. 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:34.160 We are graced, blessed to live as a quiet presence in God's perfect love for us. 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:41.759 We are graced to live as a quiet presence in God's perfect love for us. 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:49.599 This changes everything for your heart to grow quiet and for you to hear what God has to say for you about who you are. 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:51.759 This creates transformation. 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:56.000 This creates empowerment for any change in your life. 00:21:56.240 --> 00:22:02.960 So, my brothers and sisters, may you quietly draw near to God who is sufficient for you and is all satisfying. 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:04.240 Let's pray together. 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:15.519 God, we thank you that you are sufficient and you are satisfying. 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:32.559 Forgive us for trying to use our words and our promises to be redeemed or feel redeemed or feel to feel like we've maintained some status with you today rather than to trust in Jesus' word for us. 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:38.160 And we know this is the source of our exhaustion, this is the source of our self-righteousness, and forgive us for this. 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:39.359 Forgive us. 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:48.319 God, would you help us to see this huge difference between the real self and the actual self just so that we might live in a state of confession? 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:52.160 That we are not perfect and we need Jesus. 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:54.960 Would we receive your word to us? 00:22:55.200 --> 00:23:01.039 Would we receive your words to us, who you call us, what you deem us. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:15.519 And from such grace and empowerment from our inner self, would there be great change in our hearts and lives that honor you? 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:16.880 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:17.680 Amen.