WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:00.880 Good morning. 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:05.360 My name's Brian Robinson, and I'm one of the elders here at Christ the Redeemer. 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:12.400 And I am here teaching because we believe at this church that one of the roles of an elder is to teach. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.439 Scripture says that in Timothy and in Titus. 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:17.199 So that is why I'm here. 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:20.960 We also believe that it's healthy for our pastor to have some rest. 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:25.839 And we believe that it's healthy for our church to not be focused on one guy. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:28.000 So that's why I'm here this morning. 00:00:28.480 --> 00:00:30.160 I'd like to start with a prayer. 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:32.159 If you'll bow your heads with me. 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:36.240 Heavenly Father, I'm so grateful for a beautiful fall morning. 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:39.600 Thankful for what you're doing in Marietta. 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:47.679 I pray that you would be with our church friends on the square in Marietta and throughout the city and throughout the state and the country. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:54.240 I pray that your name, that your son's name, would be glorified and brought high this morning. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:01:01.840 And I pray that you would speak through me clearly so that we would all know you, not just in our heads, but in our hearts. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:04.319 I pray these things in Jesus' name. 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:05.280 Amen. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:12.239 So I have, we've been going, Russ has been teaching through Matthew chapter 5, which is Sermon on the Mount. 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:13.439 And I'm going to continue. 00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:16.239 This is the last five verses in Matthew. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:21.040 And the verses are about loving your neighbor and even loving your enemy. 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:28.480 And I have some personal experience with having a difficult time loving one of my neighbors. 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:33.040 And this is a rather, please laugh at my expense of this story. 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:36.239 This is, I can't believe I'm going to tell this story at church, but I am. 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:51.599 So my across the street neighbor puts out food for cats, okay, on his front steps, and has been doing this for several years, about since we've lived in this house, and does not do anything to control the pet population. 00:01:52.159 --> 00:01:58.159 So we have about 20 feral, we're down to about 20 feral cats in our neighborhood. 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:00.799 And that brings with it some problems. 00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:03.760 I have a daughter that's allergic to cats. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:06.879 And also my entire yard is a litter box. 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:09.919 It smells like cat poop. 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:10.479 Is poop? 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:11.599 It smells like cat poop. 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:13.039 Poop is a safe word here. 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:14.879 It smells like cat poop. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:16.080 The whole yard. 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:28.000 And so I have a lot of anger in my heart towards my neighbor when I open and go sit on my front porch swing and I want to read a book, and it just reeks of cat poop. 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:28.479 Okay? 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:30.000 So then I'm angry. 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:36.000 When I'm mowing the lawn and I mow over a pile, I have anger in my heart. 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:38.080 It smells horrible. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:40.800 Um, I have even, well, let me back up. 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:47.840 My daughter has stepped in cat poop on her way to get in a c in carpool, in another person's car. 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:50.719 She tracked cat poop all in the car. 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:52.159 I got to call at work. 00:02:52.400 --> 00:03:03.439 Mandy's calling me asking me if I know of any mobile car cleaners that we can help clean this poor guy's car because of my neighbor that is um feeding the cats. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:11.280 Um it it came to a head, I think I was at my low point when I got on Amazon.com. 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:16.560 I've done a lot of researching on Google as to how you get rid of these cats in my yard. 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:19.439 And uh I'm gonna have a confession. 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:24.960 I got on Amazon.com and I ordered a product called Coyote Urine. 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:25.439 Okay? 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:26.319 That's what I bought. 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:29.439 I bought Coyote Urine on Amazon.com. 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:36.560 You should if for a laugh check out the customer the customer reviews of coyote urine are fantastic. 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:38.879 Um they're very funny. 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:40.879 Um I digress. 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:50.560 Um the coyote urine helped for about a day repelling the cats, but more so repelled any human being that was near our house. 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:54.319 Um my daughter was on a walk and she had to cross the street. 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:57.199 It smelled so bad in my yard. 00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:03.280 Um all that to say, um, I have a problem loving my neighbor, even. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:04.159 Uh so. 00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:16.000 Um anyway, as I've prepared for this talk, um I've read that the Beatitudes are some of the most misunderstood and mistaught verses in the entire Bible. 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:18.000 So everyone just relax. 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:24.959 You have a dentist who's just confessed to ordering coyote urine that's going to try to teach these verses to you. 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:27.120 So buckle up. 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:29.839 Um, we'll get into the verses. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:41.759 First, before I do that, I want to talk about the Beatitudes, and Russ has taught it this way, but just in case you haven't been here, I think the primary purpose of these verses are to drive us to Christ. 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:46.079 They're to show us that we cannot do these things on our own. 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:47.360 We need help. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:52.879 I think there is a secondary purpose that these verses can direct us in Christ. 00:04:53.040 --> 00:05:00.959 Once we realize that we need a Savior, now we can go back over this and look and see a description of what God wants for us. 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:04.480 And that can be very practical to us. 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:07.680 So, some context for chapter 5. 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:14.160 This is Jesus going up onto a mountain and reciting parts of the Old Testament law to his followers. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:15.680 He's saying, You've heard it said. 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:18.639 His audience would have immediately thought of Moses. 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:22.399 Um, and Jesus is asserting his authority here. 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:24.560 He's saying, but I say to you. 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:27.839 He's saying, You've heard it said, but I say to you. 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:31.279 And I think it's also something we need to note. 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:35.759 He's not contradicting the Old Testament and what Moses said. 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:43.360 Verses 17 through 20 in this chapter say, I've not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:45.199 And I think he makes it very clear. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:47.759 He says, You have heard that it was said. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:50.000 He doesn't say, It was said. 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:57.279 So Jesus is calling out the scribes and the Pharisees that were teaching the law this way, in such a way that we could do it. 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:04.240 Matthew 43 and 44, I'm just going to go verse by verse and teach through this passage. 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:10.000 Um, you have heard that it was said, you shall love your enemy, you love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:15.040 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:20.720 So he's referring back to Leviticus 19, 18, you shall love your neighbor. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:29.040 And humans have added this unwritten companion, hate your enemy, because we want to be able to accomplish the law. 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:38.079 Jesus is teaching here that loving your enemy is actually the fulfillment of what it means to love your neighbor. 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:46.720 I think it's important also to note, right after he says, to love your enemy, he says, pray for them. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:49.120 And I don't believe that that's coincidence. 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:53.120 I believe when we pray for our enemies, that's the beginning of love. 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:59.839 I want y'all to think about, not just like loving your enemies, you know, I don't want this to be just some ambiguous talk about enemies. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:04.240 Think about someone that you have had real anger at as an enemy. 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:09.759 And if someone tells us to love that person, that's usually just not there. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:13.279 But I believe it can start when we pray for those. 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:16.399 Praying for them can bring about love. 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:38.079 And I think that happens because we begin to see them as we pray to a sovereign God that we know is in control under that umbrella of God's sovereignty, instead of this us and them, when I have an enemy, usually it's me and them, and God is it becomes a very just God, and his justice is usually on my side of the fence. 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:45.439 Um, I think when we pray for our enemies, we we go under his umbrella of sovereignty. 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:49.279 And that breaks the cycle that Russ was talking about last week. 00:07:49.439 --> 00:08:00.000 Um, I don't think we should pretend that's easy, and I don't think that God is as concerned with the result of that as much as he is with the process of that. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:11.120 I can become very concerned with, I want to get there and kind of blast through the process, and I think God wants us to walk with him through the process of loving our enemy. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:17.680 Umce for all of that has to be Jesus' love for us. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:24.959 Paul says in Romans 5.8, while we were his enemies, Christ, he died for us. 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:33.360 So not only has he been an example for us in this passage, he is also our motive as Christians. 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:34.720 He lives inside us. 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:39.360 He allows us to do this, he empowers us to do it, not allows us to do it. 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:43.759 I'm gonna tell a story that I think illustrates this point well. 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:47.600 Um you may have heard of a girl named Ruby Bridges. 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:58.240 Well, she was a young black girl, and in 1960, she was six years old, and she was the first black girl to go to an all-white school called the William France School in Louisiana. 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:04.720 And uh she arrived at school her first day, and there were there was a mob basically of people. 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:13.279 The federal government had mandated that they desegregate the school, and she arrived at the school, and she said, as she drove there, she thought it was Marty Girl, because there were so many people there. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:14.559 She had no idea. 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:20.000 She got there, and it was pretty much the worst of humanity, the worst that we have to offer. 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:27.200 People were screaming things at her, um, just horrible, horrible things that shouldn't be said. 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:35.440 And her mom even remembers what affected her most was someone had brought, I have a six-year-old son, so this is powerful to me. 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:44.720 Someone had brought a coffin that they made and put a black baby inside a coffin to show her that's how much they didn't want her to come to school there. 00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:46.559 Well, there was a counselor there. 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:50.320 She was going through, walking through this with a counselor and her parents. 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:58.159 Her parents could not read or write, and her counselor was asking her, she noticed that Ruby one day was saying something to the people. 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:01.840 And she said, Ruby, what were you saying to them? 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:08.320 And uh Ruby Bridges said, I wasn't talking to them, I was saying a prayer for them. 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:10.960 And uh the counselor said, Why? 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:13.919 And she said, because they needed praying for. 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:16.399 And she said, Well, what were you praying? 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:24.159 And she said, These are the words of Christ, please, dear God, forgive them because they don't know what they're doing. 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:39.120 Now, as an adult, they asked Ruby Bridges about this, and uh she said, Um, and remember, her parents were couldn't read or write, and they asked her why she's well how she did that. 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:45.200 And she said, I had heard that someplace before, and it silenced me. 00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:48.879 That that's powerful. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:52.559 Um verse 45, let's move on. 00:10:52.799 --> 00:11:04.879 So that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven, for he makes his son rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:09.360 So here Jesus is saying, so that you may be sons of your father in heaven. 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:14.639 Does this mean that I love if I love in this way, I'll be accepted by God? 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:16.879 No, I don't believe it means that. 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:25.759 The phrase son of is a language idiom, which is kind of a cultural reference that they would have understood at that time, that means exhibiting the character of. 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:40.480 So, what Jesus is actually saying is as I begin to live in a way that I'm trusting him and praying for my enemy, even when I don't want to, I begin to exhibit the character of the Father who is in heaven. 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:46.559 He goes on to talk about the rain and the sun are both gifts from God, and he's giving to the just and the unjust. 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:50.080 I think he's making the point here that we don't earn his blessing. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:52.960 Our God gives us love because he's a loving God. 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:59.679 It's not something that he is choosing to give to these people because they've earned it, and these people because they haven't. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:02.240 Verse 46 and 47. 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:06.799 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:10.159 Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:14.639 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:17.440 Do not even the Gentiles do the same. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:26.720 And I think what Jesus is saying here is if you love people that are kind to you, basically people with no morality can do this. 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:36.799 Um and when we th when we do that, when the Pharisees and the scribes were teaching that, we're shrinking God's call of love down to something that's totally doable. 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:41.120 Um, this is also called a low view of the law or cheap law. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:53.360 And I think we do this today when something that comes naturally to us we can do, and it brings about a lot of pride in our hearts and judgment towards others that can't do it. 00:12:53.519 --> 00:13:00.480 Um I think it's important to note that we're I and you are guilty of a low view of the law. 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:04.399 One of my favorite quotes is in your bulletin, it's kind of long, so bear with me. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:10.000 It's from a friend named John Dink, and he talks about cheap law. 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:21.679 He says, cheap law weakens God's demand for perfection, and in doing so breathes life into our quest for a righteousness of our own making. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:29.039 It creates people of great zeal, but they lack knowledge concerning the question, what would Jesus do? 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:31.200 Here's the costly answer. 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:36.320 Jesus would do it all perfectly, and that's game over for you. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:41.440 The Father is not grooming you to be a replacement for his beloved son. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:47.519 He is announcing that there is a blessing for those who take shelter in his beloved son. 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:51.440 Cheap law tells us that we've fallen, but there's good news. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:52.879 You can get back up again. 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:55.759 Therein lies the heresy of cheap law. 00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:57.679 It is a false gospel. 00:13:57.840 --> 00:13:58.879 It cheapens. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:01.919 No, it nullifies grace. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:12.080 So the final verse in this chapter, uh, verse 48, you therefore must be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:14.559 So this is how he concludes the whole chapter. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:21.679 All the things that Russ has been teaching, um, he is um he's teaching that we have to be perfect. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:32.559 And this is the verse that I struggle with the most, honestly, is why is God, who knows our hearts and knows that we are imperfect beings, giving us a command to be perfect. 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:39.679 Um, one thing I think is clear that we can all agree on is God's standard is perfection. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:50.720 Um I think when we see this and realize that on our own efforts, on our own human efforts, we can't do this and we need his help. 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:54.000 That is where godly righteousness starts. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:59.840 I've heard someone say, true righteousness begins at the end of yourself. 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:04.960 So can you think of a time where you have truly been at the end of yourself? 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.120 It might be this morning. 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:14.799 Um there's a great example in a book uh Watchman Nee wrote of a swimmer that's drowning. 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:23.039 So he tells a story about his friend is swimming in a river, and um he has a cramp in his leg, and this and he starts to struggle. 00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:27.360 And there's a lifeguard nearby, and he calls to the lifeguard, go help, go help him. 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:29.200 And the lifeguard just sits there. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:41.200 And uh he watches his friend just just flailing around, um struggling for his life for several minutes, and the lifeguard just sits there, and eventually the flailing starts to weaken. 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:46.720 And as he kind of takes his last move, the lifeguard goes out, grabs him, and brings him in. 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:48.879 And he says, Why did you wait? 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:51.679 You could have lessened my anxiety. 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:54.399 He he could have been safe a long time ago. 00:15:54.639 --> 00:16:07.200 And the lifeguard said to him, A drowning man cannot be saved until he is utterly exhausted and ceases to make the slightest effort to save himself. 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:09.440 And that's us. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:14.000 We need help from another from outside of ourselves. 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:20.879 The problem with the righteousness of the Pharisees is that it needed no divine help. 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:24.399 It was humanly conceived and humanly doable. 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:29.360 Jesus did not have to die and come back from the dead for any of those things. 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:34.639 So the Lord brings us to a place where we realize we can't do it on our own. 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:36.559 But guess what? 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:37.759 There's no power there. 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:40.639 There's no power at the end of yourself. 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:43.759 Uh the power is in Jesus. 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:48.399 He lives in us as Christians, and he is all we need. 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:56.080 Often I find myself praying for like, give me a little bit more patience today, give me a little bit more courage today, give me a little bit more. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:59.200 And I don't think that's a proper way to pray. 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:19.039 Another quote from Watchman Me, he says, um, he is not a retailer dispensing grace to us in packets, measuring out some patience to the impatient, some love to the unloving, some meekness to the proud, in quantities that we take and work on as a kind of capital. 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:26.880 He has given only one gift to meet all our needs: His Son, Christ Jesus. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:31.920 And that's what's glorious about the call of the kingdom of God. 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:34.240 It will drive you to the end of yourself. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:41.119 It will drive you to say the best words that you can ever say, which are, I want to, but I can't. 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:43.519 Jesus, you must. 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:46.799 So how do we do these things? 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:50.160 These are very church words and I'm all over the place. 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:58.960 So how how do you do this Tuesday morning when you go to work or when your baby's crying in the middle of the night on Thursday night, or when you have a test on Friday morning, or whenever? 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.079 How how what does this look like on the ground practically? 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:08.160 Um I'm gonna read another quote from the Green Letters, um, and it's it's a book I've been reading. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:11.200 The author of this quote is a man named Norman Dowdy. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:16.720 And the Green Letters is a book that talks a lot about um not I but Christ. 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:20.799 And in this section, he is talking about the word behold. 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:26.079 If I am to be like him, then God in his grace must do it. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:34.000 And the sooner I come to recognize it, the sooner I will be delivered from another form of bondage. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:38.000 Throw down every endeavor and say, I cannot do it. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:41.839 The more I try, the farther I get from his likeness. 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:43.359 What shall I do? 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:46.720 The Holy Spirit says, You cannot do it. 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:47.920 Just withdraw. 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:48.960 Come out of it. 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:50.640 You have been in the arena. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:52.319 Come and just sit down. 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:55.279 And as you sit there, behold him. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:56.640 Look at him. 00:18:57.039 --> 00:18:58.640 Don't try to be like him. 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:00.160 Just look at him. 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:02.640 Just be occupied with him. 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:05.440 Forget about trying to be like him. 00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:10.400 Instead of letting that fill your mind and heart, let him fill it. 00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:12.079 Just behold him. 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:14.160 Look upon him through the word. 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:18.880 Come to the word for one purpose, and that is to meet the Lord. 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:25.440 Not to get your mind crammed full of things about the sacred word, but come to it to meet the Lord. 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:32.240 Make it to be a medium, not of biblical scholarship, but of fellowship with Christ. 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:34.720 Behold the Lord. 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:39.920 So the word behold, not a very American idea. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:45.359 I don't really like it a whole lot because I'm not in control of that and I'm passive. 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:50.880 But I think it's it's very healthy and it's very good for us. 00:19:51.119 --> 00:20:05.039 So this week, I would encourage you, I'm gonna give you three verses here that I think have helped me to behold the Lord more instead of just rushing through a quiet time or whatever it is that you do. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:06.799 Maybe don't do any of that. 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:15.599 But I think these verses help us to know who God is, and it takes the spotlight off of the Christian and puts it more on the Christ. 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:17.279 And there's hope there. 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:26.240 Um, Isaiah 40, 11 and 12, and just listen, this talks about he is our creator and he cares about us. 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:38.480 Isaiah 40, 11 and 12, he will tend his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:53.759 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:59.359 So next verse, verses I want you to just focus on maybe this week. 00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:07.440 Romans 8, 38 and 39 talks about how God feels about us and what he has done for us through Jesus. 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:28.079 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:40.160 And the last verse, um, and this is actually my 13-year-old Meg, this um since she's been a little girl, this has been her favorite verse, and it has become one of mine. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:42.160 Matthew 28, 20. 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:45.759 That's the last thing Jesus says in the book of Matthew. 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:52.720 And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:55.440 This is good news for us. 00:21:55.920 --> 00:22:00.720 And like Ruby Bridges, it has the power to silence us. 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:02.960 Let's pray. 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:14.079 Heavenly Father, um, we're just so grateful that you love us as we are, not as we should be, because none of us are as we should be. 00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:21.839 I pray that um we would be drawn by you uh to know your heart and to know you more. 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:27.920 We pray that we would know that you live inside us, and that is all that we need. 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:29.839 And we're so grateful for that. 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:31.359 In your son's name I pray. 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:31.839 Amen.