WEBVTT 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:04.240 Thanks for listening to the His Hands Church podcast. 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:12.800 If you're using the His Hands Church mobile app, please turn off the auto lock on your phone's general settings so that you can listen to the message uninterrupted. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:15.919 And thank you for being part of what God is doing at His Hands. 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:18.879 We just want more of Him, more of Him in our lives. 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:20.559 That's all we need, that's all we want. 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:24.800 And so let's just pray together this morning and ask Him to give as much as He wants to. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:26.879 Lord Jesus, we love you so much. 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:33.359 And we are just a group of people that are broken, that are in need of you and more of you. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:37.439 And there's not enough of you that we could have where we would say, Enough. 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:38.560 We're good. 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:46.799 So, Lord, just through your word this morning, through uh through our interactions together, the love that we have for one another, the love that you have for us, I pray that you would just give us more. 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:50.799 And uh and don't stop because we we don't ever want it to, Lord Jesus, and we're glad we don't have to. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:52.479 Uh we ask all this in your name. 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:53.359 Amen. 00:00:54.159 --> 00:00:55.200 Well, welcome this morning. 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:57.280 We uh we're gonna have such a great time together. 00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:02.399 We already are today, but even for the next little season that we have coming up, there's just so much going on right now. 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:03.920 Uh so many good things. 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:08.000 First of all, Easter Sunday is three weeks from this morning. 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:13.359 And uh three of you are excited. 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:14.959 Man, but that's okay. 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:15.519 You know why? 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:21.040 Here's here's the thing: every single Sunday is important, every single Sunday is extremely important. 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:23.120 The Holy Spirit's here every single Sunday, right? 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:27.120 And so it's okay for us, it is okay for us to get more excited about Easter. 00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:31.920 Because I just have this sneaking suspicion that God is a big fan of Easter. 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:41.920 That it's an important day to him, that it's okay for him to be like, hey, I love every Sunday, but there is something about that day that I got back up that I want everyone to celebrate, right? 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:46.239 And so Easter is a day that we should be excited about, we should be looking forward to. 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:48.480 Yes. 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:54.480 Pandering, it always works to some degree. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:02:00.319 No, seriously, though, uh, we are excited because that's the day that everything changed in history. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:03.439 It's a day that we want to celebrate, and uh and we're gonna have a lot going on. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:05.519 We're gonna be having two worship get-togethers. 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:07.120 We're gonna do 8:30 a.m. 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:08.719 and 10 o'clock in the morning. 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:09.840 Each will be an hour long. 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:12.800 I want to ask a few things from you if you're willing to help out. 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:14.479 Number one is just help spread the word. 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:15.599 There's a few ways you can do that. 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:17.599 You can walk up to someone and be like, hey, what's up? 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:19.280 You want to come to my church at Easter? 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:20.000 Done. 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:22.719 They they might say no, and you go, okay, fine then. 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:24.800 Whatever you want to say, you can just do it that way. 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:25.919 You can invite friends and family. 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:29.840 You can get on our website, hishandschurch.com, and go to our event page for Easter. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:31.039 You'll see it right on our homepage. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:34.879 And they've got little buttons that you can click to share it on Facebook or Twitter or via email. 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:35.919 Just spread the word. 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:40.400 Number two is especially if you're coming to the 10 o'clock, parking. 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:45.520 Lowe's is generous enough to let us use their parking lot whenever we need to. 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:51.439 And I remember a few Christmases ago, I was helping people cross Molly Lane from the Lowe's parking lot to be safe. 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:54.240 And that's the first time I ever realized this is a five-lane road. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:56.719 Like, this is terrifying. 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:59.599 I have this orange vest on and I don't feel safe at all. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:03.919 So, you know, here we are, you're going, hey, park at Lowe's, and then just run, right? 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:04.879 Just run. 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:06.719 Because they'll see you. 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:17.360 So, what I want to let you know is that is that from now on, when we have a big morning where we expect a lot of extra spaces needed, is we'll have we'll have police officers that are controlling traffic to help us cross safely. 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:22.000 And so if you're willing, especially at that 10 o'clock, to drop your family off and park at Lowe's, that would be huge. 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:24.000 Free up as many spaces here as possible. 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:28.560 And finally, if you're on a team, if you could help that morning and just pick one of the two. 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:36.080 I know it's a big morning, but but man, people are gonna come here for the first time and experience that love that all of us know, and and it's gonna be really huge. 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:37.680 We need as much help as we can get. 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:47.120 So if you're willing to help out, especially if you work in a kid's area, not not, I'm just saying, we had 175 first or fifth graders two years ago, and it was awesome. 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:47.919 It was amazing. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:50.400 And so if you can help out with that, that would be that would be huge. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:52.560 But after Easter, we have a lot of other things coming up too. 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:54.639 Bless the bikes is the very next Sunday. 00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:55.919 That's always a fun event. 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:56.879 That's right. 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:02.000 Last year we had baptism of the bikes because it rained that day, and so we didn't really get to do it. 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:04.319 But uh, it's a lot of motorcycles. 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:08.400 We get to stay afterwards and uh and hang out together, eat together. 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:11.840 It's just a big reason to stay a little longer and have a little bit of fun together. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:15.039 And then after that, and then I promise I'm done. 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:19.279 After that, May 9th is Ken Kington's ultimate comedy night here. 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:20.319 Yes. 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:30.560 Sometimes it gets really awkward when you set the precedent for woos and then you say things, and then you just have to wait for the woos. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:31.839 That's I just realized that. 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:35.600 So uh, but but that is going to be an incredibly great night. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:37.439 Uh, number one, it's just gonna be fun. 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:40.240 Ken is is a really funny guy, he's a really funny comedian. 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:47.600 I actually started hanging out with Ken outside of church a few years ago every once in a while, and I kind of expected him to tell jokes all the time because he's a comedian, and it really bothered me that he didn't. 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:54.000 So I would, you know, we'd be playing basketball or something, and something would happen, and I'm like, Ken, come on, like make us laugh. 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:54.800 You're that guy. 00:04:54.959 --> 00:04:55.759 And he just never does. 00:04:55.839 --> 00:05:00.800 He's a really normal guy, but he is a very gifted, very successful comedian, and we're blessed to have him as part of our teaching team. 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:07.199 Tickets are on sale for that, they're$10 here at his hands, or$15 outside of that, uh, but only through the month of April. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.879 And uh, and what he's actually doing is filming a brand new comedy special here. 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:12.319 So it's a live filming. 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:13.680 I've never been part of something like that. 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:14.879 It's gonna be a lot of fun. 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:16.720 Uh, if you can come, just buy a ticket. 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:19.600 Maybe think about buying a ticket for a friend and just inviting someone. 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:22.639 What a great opportunity and an easy ass to invite. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:23.759 Hey, do you like to laugh? 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:24.160 No? 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:27.120 Okay, well, if you do, you know, come. 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:28.240 I have a ticket for you. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:31.040 It's 10 bucks, it's less than the price of a movie ticket, usually. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:32.959 And uh, and they're gonna have an amazing time. 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:34.879 So that's Friday, May 9th. 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:35.839 A lot of things going on. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:38.319 Also, want to say a big thank you to everyone that helps us giving-wise. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:40.560 God's using it, he's doing great things, we appreciate it. 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:43.439 There's four columns at the back, and you can do that there. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:44.800 Alright, we're done. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:45.279 We're good. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:47.279 I mean, we're not done, but we're done with that part. 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:49.519 So now we're we're we're just actually getting started. 00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:52.879 So, Noah, did anyone get a chance to see the Noah movie that came out this week? 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:53.279 Anyone? 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:54.240 Show of hands? 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:54.800 Okay. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:57.040 I haven't seen it yet. 00:05:57.439 --> 00:05:58.399 Don't spoil it for me. 00:05:58.480 --> 00:05:59.439 I don't want to spoiler alert. 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:00.160 I've heard some things. 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:01.120 Does it rain? 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:01.839 That's all I want to know. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:02.800 Those of you who've seen it. 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:03.759 Does it does it rain? 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:05.360 All right, they got part of it right. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:06.000 Then there you go. 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:07.279 That's a major plot point. 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:09.519 I was hoping they would stick to the script at least there. 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:15.199 Um, we've kind of used the fact that this movie's coming out to talk about the story of Noah for the last several weeks. 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:17.839 In fact, the last three weeks we've we've done the story of Noah. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.600 Ben pointed out last week, and this wasn't on purpose, you can just blame the Holy Spirit, I guess, but I I talked for two weeks, just setting up the story of Noah. 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:32.800 And then Ben got to it last week, and he's like, dang it, Justin, I have to tell the entire story of Noah, which is a pretty involved story in one week. 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:33.680 Thanks for that. 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:35.360 Uh, and he did a great job, though. 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:48.560 Anyone that can weave in Star Trek The Next Generation, The Princess Bride, and the Highlander television series, which is pretty, you know, that's like a subgenre in culture there, into a story about the flood deserves some recognition or some help or some prayer or something. 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:55.519 So, but it really is an amazing story. 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:05.199 You know, and the the gist of it so far is that the the earth has become so wicked and so completely evil and corrupt that God has no choice but to start fresh. 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:08.720 He's gotta wipe it clean and start completely new. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:10.079 And it breaks his heart to do it. 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:11.199 We talked about that a few weeks ago. 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:21.519 It completely breaks God's heart, but he has to do it because he cannot let that much evil and that much just pure and total corruption go on. 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:28.000 And so he he destroys the earth, but he saves Noah and Noah's sons and their wives and their family. 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:32.319 And this is a big deal because death is the justifiable outcome of sin. 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:36.879 The flood was a justifiable outcome for the sin of the world at that time. 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:40.319 It may not seem like that to us, but God was really clear with Adam and Eve in the garden. 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:44.560 He said, Hey, if you sin, if you eat from this tree that I told you not to eat from, you will die. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:49.360 And like we said a few weeks ago, this was not a situation where we have a parent threatening their child. 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:51.439 If you do this, I will spank you. 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:55.439 This is a parent saying, if you touch that hot stove, it will burn you. 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:58.560 He's saying this is the natural result of sin. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:07:59.839 It will lead to death. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:09.759 So the flood was a justifiable outcome for the sin of the world, but God spared Noah and his family, and in doing so, he spared all of humanity. 00:08:10.560 --> 00:08:15.839 And that meant that he's saving the ultimate price for sin for himself. 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:20.720 Because had he let everyone die, he would have dealt with sin then and there, it would have been done. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:26.319 But no, no, he's saving the total price and payment for sin for his son, for Jesus. 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:31.120 So this is not just a story of God's judgment, it's a story of his self-sacrifice. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:33.120 And man, what an incredible story it is. 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:35.360 He tells Noah to build an ark. 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:36.960 And this is no small task. 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:40.480 The ark was as tall as the ceiling in this room, really, really close, actually. 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:46.639 It was the width of the stage all the way to the back wall, and it was the length of one and a half football fields together. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:48.000 That's what Ben told us last week. 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:49.279 In fact, we kind of measured it out. 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:57.200 If you walk out the main doors this morning, look over to the Lowe's parking lot, and the entrance to Lowe's, the main doors to go into Lowe's, that is the distance. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:08:58.720 That is how long the ark was. 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:01.200 And God's like, hey, build that. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:02.879 All right. 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:05.440 I could only do that with IKEA. 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.039 That's the only chance I would have. 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:12.639 And Noah had like a hundred something years, I would need three times that with the instructions included. 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:14.080 I'm not good at those kinds of things. 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:17.039 Noah builds this, he has a lot of time to do it. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:21.840 He builds the ark, God sends two of every kind of animal on the earth at that time. 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:25.759 And they get on the ark and it rains for 40 days and 40 nights. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:32.000 That means that if today was the last day of the rain, it would have started raining on February 18th and hadn't stopped since. 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:43.200 And then after that, it takes over 300 days for the waters to completely recede, for the ground to dry, and for conditions to become right for Noah, his family, all the animals to exit the ark. 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:45.919 And when they do, they burn a sacrifice to God. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:48.799 A thank you that they survived, that they were rescued. 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:53.519 And the Bible says that the smell of that sacrifice was a pleasing aroma to God. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:58.080 And so he created a new covenant with people and said, I'll never again flood the earth. 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:02.480 And he gave them a rainbow as the sign and the symbol of that covenant. 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:07.840 And this is just a side note, but the Bible says that we are created in God's image. 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:17.519 And I'm speaking at least for myself and a lot of other men that I know, but I think it's interesting that the smell of burning meat was so good to God that he's like, I'm gonna make rainbows after this. 00:10:17.759 --> 00:10:20.080 That's how good of a mood he was in. 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:24.480 And I agree, when I smell meat on a grill, I'm like, all right, if I can make a rainbow, I'd make one now. 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:26.159 Because this is awesome. 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:31.919 And so he makes this rainbow and he says, I'm never again gonna flood the earth. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:36.240 And it's interesting, it's a really interesting thought. 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:43.120 Because God has a fresh start, it's almost like a new earth. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:45.679 He has a do-over of sorts. 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:51.840 It's a chance to begin anew, it's a chance to make sure that things go differently this time around. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:54.879 And when those sorts of opportunities come up in life, we have to take them. 00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:55.360 Right? 00:10:55.440 --> 00:11:00.080 We'd be fools not to learn from our past mistakes and to do things a little bit differently. 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:05.039 Anytime we have an opportunity for that, we we have to take it because those don't come around all the time. 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:10.080 Einstein said that insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results. 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:11.679 And he was fairly intelligent. 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:14.240 That's what he said, doing the same thing and expecting different results. 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:15.120 I know I've learned from that. 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:19.200 Last year, for example, my wife and I bought a toy for my son's birthday. 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:24.559 And uh it was a toy that required some significant assembly, and like I just said, that is not my thing. 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:31.759 So the night before his birthday, we put him to bed, my wife went to bed, and I decided about 10 o'clock, all right, let's put this thing together. 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:35.200 It was a tricycle, uh, not that hard, you would think. 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:38.720 And I opened it up, it had a few more parts than I thought it would have. 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:46.080 And I got to like part three, step three, which was attaching the front wheel to the body of the tricycle, a pretty important step. 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:48.480 And I got stuck. 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:52.080 I had this one piece, this one, it was a Fisher Price toy. 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:59.759 I had this one piece, and in the instructions, and you know, it's got the guy smiling, he just puts it in, done, and I'm I'm putting it in, and I'm it won't fit. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:08.960 And I become like a toddler when you give them those toys that have different shapes, and you just kind of turn it until it fits, and I'm like flipping it upside down, I'm doing everything I can, it still won't fit. 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:12.399 I'm stuck, and I've only been doing it for 15 minutes, I'm on step three. 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:16.720 This goes on for about 30, 40 minutes, and eventually I go to this one last resort. 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:17.759 This is a true story. 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:24.159 I have a rubber mallet, and it was passed down to me from my father when I got married. 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:26.639 This has been a tool in our family for a lot of years. 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:28.159 I have two sections of tools. 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:30.879 My friends that have been in my house can can attest to this. 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:32.559 I have labels on two shelves. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:35.679 There is common tools and there are not so common tools. 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:36.879 Those are the labels. 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:39.759 That is that is how mechanically gifted I am. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:47.519 And a lot of you that are good at those kinds of things, like my father-in-law, can build stuff, you know, a lot of the things in my not-so-common tools are in the common tool. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:49.919 If I don't know the name of it, it's in a not-so-common tool. 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:52.159 The rubber mallet, that is a common tool. 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:57.360 Because that is designed to make something fit when it's not supposed to, and that is what we use it for. 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:04.559 And so my dad gave it to me when we got married, and he had inscribed on the handle, this is true, when all else fails. 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:16.080 And so I grab this rubber mallet, I still have it to this day, I grab it and I pound away at this part, and nothing, it will not go. 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:21.360 And at this point, it's almost midnight, and I am I'm literally freaking out because his birthday is the next day. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:27.600 This is our gift, and I'm walking around our living room at midnight, and I'm doing this thing, you've probably done this before, it's called whisper screaming. 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:37.360 It's where emotionally you are screaming at the top of your lungs because you are that enraged, but you don't want to wake up your kids, and so you're just like, what is wrong? 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:39.440 What is this is crazy? 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:42.080 I'm kicking things, I'm just going nuts. 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:49.759 I sit down for a little while at 1 a.m., I wake up my wife, and I said, Megan, I need your help. 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:52.159 Putting a tricycle together. 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:55.600 And she came downstairs, and I'm not lying, 10 minutes she had the thing put together. 00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:57.120 It was like 10 minutes. 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:01.600 So, yes. 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:11.120 So here's the thing uh my son's birthday is next weekend, and we have once again purchased a gift for him that requires significant assembly. 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:13.039 More so than last year. 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:14.320 And I'm not crazy. 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:16.480 I believe in Einstein's definition of insanity. 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:19.360 I am not going to take the same approach this year. 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:22.559 I'm not doing the same thing and expecting different results. 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:25.039 I've learned from last year, it's a fresh start, and guess what? 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:26.799 This year, I'm not putting it together. 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:28.320 I'm not gonna do it. 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:34.639 I will help, I will hold things, I will lift things, I will say, yes, dear, where would you like me to put this? 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:38.720 Okay, but I'm not putting it together. 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:42.000 It's a fresh start, I'm taking a new approach. 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:52.159 So when we have a chance to do something again, something that we did before and it didn't go so well, a new approach is warranted. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:58.399 We get to see God's approach with Noah and his family after the flood in Genesis chapter 9. 00:14:58.559 --> 00:14:59.919 It's interesting, this is what he says. 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:01.519 Genesis 9 1. 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:08.320 It says, Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth. 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:16.559 All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:19.200 I have placed them in your power. 00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:22.720 Fill the earth, be fruitful and multiply. 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:24.480 Just you're in charge, reign over the earth. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:28.720 Now, to my knowledge, God has never asked me for advice. 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:32.799 He has never come to me and said, Justin, I'm stuck, I need some help. 00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:34.559 He's never woken me up at 1 a.m. 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:36.159 and said, I need you. 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:42.159 And so I don't want to overstep my bounds and suggest that maybe God hasn't thought this through. 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:45.919 But every once in a while, as a human being, there will be things that God does in his word. 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:53.279 I read it in the Bible, or things that he's doing in life that I think he's doing, and I'm like, God, I I just think you might want to rethink this. 00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:56.720 From my perspective, I'm just saying. 00:15:56.960 --> 00:15:59.840 And I look at these instructions, and they're they're good. 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:02.000 They're very simple, they're very clear. 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:07.440 I had a good friend recently tell me that one of the great keys to leading is to give simple, clear expectations. 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:08.720 These are simple and clear. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:10.399 Be fruitful and multiply. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:12.159 Fill the earth, reign over it. 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:15.200 But there's a problem with these instructions. 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:17.360 There's a big problem. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:18.480 I'll tell you what it is. 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:20.799 Go back to Genesis 1, verse 28. 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:23.840 These are God's instructions to Adam and Eve. 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:26.960 Then God blessed them and said, Be fruitful and multiply. 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:28.399 Fill the earth and govern it. 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:33.200 Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground. 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:35.120 That's what he said to Adam and Eve. 00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:36.639 And it did not go well. 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:40.720 To the point that God has to destroy the entire earth and start fresh. 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:44.879 And then, with this fresh start, he looks at Noah and his family, and what does he say? 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:46.879 The exact same thing. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.039 Almost verbatim. 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:51.360 Be fruitful and multiply. 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:54.720 Fill the earth and reign over it. 00:16:54.879 --> 00:17:02.240 I don't know if you've ever had a situation in life where you gave someone very simple, clear instructions, but maybe they weren't specific enough. 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:07.519 And so the results of them following your instructions were not what you had in mind. 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:11.039 And you had to follow it up with more, more specific instructions. 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:12.799 Has anyone ever been in that situation before? 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:13.279 Yeah. 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:14.559 If you have kids, you have. 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:16.319 And so I had one a few years ago. 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:17.599 It was my son's first birthday. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:19.680 If you've noticed, there's a trend around birthdays. 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:24.559 Um and we had a party and we had a baked potato bar for this party. 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:26.240 Now, just party advice. 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:29.279 Baked potato bars are great because everyone gets to make their own thing. 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:33.119 You know, they all feel like little chefs, it's fantastic, and potatoes are cheap. 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:35.200 So we had a baked potato bar. 00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:42.640 And I don't know if it was a loaves and fishes situation or if it's just that when you buy potatoes and they come in big bags, it's really easy to go, oh, just get an extra bag. 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:44.559 We had like 70 extra potatoes. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:45.519 I don't know how it happened. 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:46.720 And I'm not exaggerating. 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:48.160 There were people in this room that were there. 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:54.240 We had a ton of extra potatoes, and I'm not gonna throw them away because I love potatoes, and you can have twice baked potatoes and mashed potatoes. 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:56.319 There's all there's endless possibilities. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:03.279 We're gonna eat these for weeks, but who has enough Tupperware or sandwich bags to store 70 baked potatoes? 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:04.240 No one. 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:09.759 If you do, you need to readjust some things because that you should not. 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:12.880 You should not have, you'd be like, oh hey, no problem. 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:14.559 So I'm stuck, right? 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:15.839 We gotta store these potatoes. 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:16.559 What are we gonna do? 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:19.599 Well, uh, my my good friend Matt Simmons, a lot of you guys know Matt. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:25.599 He uh he's in our worship team, uh helps lead the youth in a lot of ways, just one of my best friends, smart, fantastic guy. 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:26.720 He's he's like my right hand. 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:29.359 And and Matt was he was around, and so I called out to Matt. 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:32.880 I came out of the kitchen and said, Matt, I have a mission for you. 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:35.839 I've depended on you before, and you've always come through. 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:41.039 I need you to go to Target, and I need you to get the largest Ziploc bags you can find. 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:43.680 And so Matt says, I'm on this. 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:44.559 I'm your man. 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:48.799 And he goes to Target and he comes back 15 minutes later. 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:50.880 I actually have one of the actual bags. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:54.480 This is literally, this is I didn't go buy this, this is from that time. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:02.079 This is what Matt brings me. 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:06.000 Now, at first I thought he was joking, I was like, that's hysterical. 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:07.119 So where are the bags? 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:08.160 He's like, No. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:12.720 I went to the guy at Target, I said, Where are the largest Ziploc bags you have? 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:14.319 And this is what he brought me. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:16.160 And there they are Ziploc bags. 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:20.799 There's the logo right there, and here's the thing. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:29.119 Matt, Matt followed my directions very, very well. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:34.160 Because it wasn't his fault. 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:35.440 He didn't know they were for food. 00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:37.119 I hadn't given him those details. 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:40.160 I had just come from the kitchen and was like, Matt, I need giant Ziploc bags. 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:40.640 Can you do this? 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:41.279 He's like, Yeah. 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:44.079 And he did exactly what I asked, and he brought those back. 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:53.279 And I'm trying to store food in a refrigerator, not clothes in an attic, so I'm like, I I don't have a drawer in my fridge that big. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:55.200 I we gotta do this differently. 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:56.799 And so what did I do? 00:19:56.960 --> 00:19:59.039 I gave him more specific instructions. 00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:00.960 I said, Matt, I need you to go to Target. 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:04.079 I need you to get the largest Ziploc food bags. 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:05.759 I want you to stick to the food aisle. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:07.680 If they're not on the food aisle, I don't want them. 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:13.119 But he came back with decent, large, not I didn't even know they made those bags. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:15.440 And we saved the potatoes, all was wonderful. 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:17.519 We threw out most of them, but we ate a few. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:19.200 So here's the thing. 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:25.039 I know it's kind of a silly story, but here God is with a fresh start. 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:28.160 Things went terribly wrong before. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:35.440 And he gives the exact same instructions, word for word. 00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:38.000 And it's like, what is he thinking? 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:39.279 What is God thinking? 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:46.400 Maybe this time around it's gonna go better because it's Noah that he's giving these instructions to, and Noah is the best of the best. 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:50.880 I mean, he's the lone holdout for God in a world that's gone down the tube. 00:20:50.960 --> 00:20:59.519 So maybe these simple, clear instructions in the hands of Noah versus Adam and Eve are gonna produce completely different results. 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:01.119 But that is not the case. 00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:05.359 Things start to go downhill pretty quickly, and ironically, it begins with Noah. 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:13.119 And so a little bit later in Genesis 9, it says the sons of Noah who came out of the boat with their father were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:16.240 Side note, Ham and Noah have a falling out. 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:26.400 And I don't know if this is true, but God adopts a pretty stringent no port policy a little bit afterwards, and I just wonder if it has to do with Ham and I see I had to say that. 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:27.599 I had to. 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:34.079 I knew that was so cheesy, and I even told three of my friends, I'm gonna say this, no one's gonna laugh, but I okay, anyway. 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:38.799 It says, From these three sons of Noah came all the people who now populate the earth. 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:42.160 After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground and he planted a vineyard. 00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:47.680 One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:52.400 So here we have Noah, the guy that God looks at and says, Yes, we're saving you. 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:54.480 Passed out drunk, naked in a tent. 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:59.759 Again, I'm not God, but if I'm envisioning the new start for humanity, this is not what I have in mind. 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:05.599 And it doesn't get much better. 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:09.680 The next big story, the next big story in the Bible is the story of the Tower of Babel. 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:18.480 And if you know that story, it's people have come together and they're like, we're going to build a city, we're going to build a tower so tall it reaches into the heavens, and we're all going to stay in this area. 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:19.440 We're all going to stay together. 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:22.079 Anyone who sees it will be drawn to this place. 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:25.200 And they're doing it so that they stay together, but there's a problem. 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:31.519 God's instructions were very clear be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and reign over it. 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:32.799 And they're like, we're not going to fill the earth. 00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:33.680 We're going to stay here. 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:35.039 And God says, no. 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:37.279 So he scatters everyone. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:40.079 And then a few hundred years later, we get to Abraham. 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:43.759 Abraham lived about 200 years after the death of Noah. 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:45.279 By this time, people have scattered. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:47.759 They have begun cultures and nations. 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:54.400 And as you see Abraham travel and his sons travel and interact with these cultures, they don't seem like they're very interested in following God. 00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:56.720 They don't even seem to really know much about God. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:58.319 It's like they've forgotten completely. 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:03.039 A lot of them seem like they would have fit in very well with the people before the flood. 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:05.119 We see Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:06.640 That's in Abraham's time. 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:08.000 We talked about it a few weeks ago. 00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:12.240 It's a nation that is so horribly evil, God has to surgically remove them from the earth. 00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:14.559 It's like a small version of what he did with the flood. 00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:18.400 And so here we have the same trend happening. 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:24.480