WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:12.480 This podcast is brought to you by Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:17.920 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit GrandProquay.org. 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:20.160 Let's pray together. 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:31.359 We've gathered to remind ourselves that yes, uh, to to say, oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, to acknowledge the fact that you came before and you're gonna come again. 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:33.280 Love came down to find us. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:34.320 You came on a mission. 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:38.000 The Bible says in Luke that you came to seek and save that which is lost. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:46.399 You didn't just come to make a visit, you came hurtling out of eternity into time like a meat meteor, and boom, you set it down. 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.880 And the world has been on fire ever since. 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:50.240 It's never been the same. 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:56.159 We changed the calendar, we changed the time we reckon and measure time because of the incarnation. 00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:58.560 So we never want to get over this. 00:00:58.799 --> 00:01:06.640 So, Holy Spirit calls us to think in ways that we don't normally think today, so we can live in ways that we don't normally live. 00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:12.239 Not as a one-off, but as a daily experience of the life that Jesus came to make available. 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:14.319 This is why you came. 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:15.840 There is no other reason. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.439 You came so we could have life and have it to the full. 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:30.959 This life is available. 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:33.920 It's not religion, it's relationship. 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:45.200 So thank you that you left the sanctity of heaven that came to the depravity of earth for sinners like me, so that we could find our way out of the darkness into this light. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:47.599 We have hope today, Lord. 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:50.400 Remind us of that from your word and by your spirit. 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:52.560 We pray in Jesus' name when everyone said. 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:53.519 Amen. 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:53.920 Amen. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:54.560 You can have a seat. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:57.439 If you got a Bible, I invite you to take it and open up to Hebrews chapter 6. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:58.560 Hebrews chapter 6. 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:01.200 If you're our guest today, let me explain what you're seeing down here. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:03.040 Today's the first Sunday of Advent. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:07.120 Advent is from a is from a Latin word called Adventist, which means coming or arrival. 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:14.080 And Advent commemorates the the first uh coming of Jesus, the incarnation, baby Jesus in the manger, but also the second coming. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:23.199 We're kind of stuck in between uh this first coming and the second coming, and we want to live with intentionality uh uh uh uh between those two realities. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:28.159 And so each Sunday of Advent, today's the first Sunday, each Sunday, let me ask a practical question. 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:30.080 Is my microphone loud? 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:33.039 Yeah, I sound like I'm yelling at you, don't I? 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:35.919 I want to yell at you later, so we'll turn that down a little bit. 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:36.879 There we go. 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:40.800 Uh, so anyway, each Sunday has a theme, and like today's theme is hope. 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:45.840 And so I want to talk to you about this simple statement, which I said to a friend of mine, and he laughed out loud in my face. 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:48.560 He said, What are you gonna talk about in Advent, the first Sunday of Advent? 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:54.479 I said, Um, I said the last time I preached, I talked about uh the final judgment, a bright, happy sunshine topic. 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:59.599 And this time I want to talk about how to be hopeful to the very end, how to be hopeful to the end. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:02.479 And he was like, dude, do you realize what the world's like? 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:03.680 And I said, Yes. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:06.319 Uh but we don't take our cues from the world. 00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:15.599 Because the problem for many of us, and my friend has this problem as well, uh, the problem is by the time we're 16, we're so disappointed by people in life that we're pretty much hopeless. 00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:19.039 Uh, not that we don't want to have hope, but we can't take any more disappointment. 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:26.400 And so, you know, matter of fact, you would be surprised how many people feel a deep sense of hopelessness, not just during the holidays, but but but all year round. 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:35.759 Matter of fact, you would be even more surprised that you're sitting probably around people right now, they're like, I don't think I'm hopeless, but I don't have the hope that the Bible talks about. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:40.960 And so this is why I want to talk about how to be hopeful to the end, because the Bible is very clear, okay? 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:43.039 It is very clear and very obvious. 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:48.719 And I want to show you that this morning, but before I do, I want to give you a definition for what I call hopelessness, okay? 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:52.000 This is what hopelessness, when I say hopelessness, this is what I mean. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:59.280 Hopelessness is a feeling of despair or a lack of hope that life can feel better than it that it has been. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:01.039 Hopelessness. 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:03.120 This is an epidemic in America. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:08.479 It is a feeling of despair or a lack of hope that life can feel better than it has been. 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:11.120 Now, there's a people progression to hopelessness. 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:12.400 You say, what do you mean? 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:13.919 Uh a people progression. 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:19.120 It starts off with parents and then peers and ourselves and then God, then it ends up in a state no one wants to be in. 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:20.160 So let me just back up. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:21.120 It'll come up on the screen. 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:21.680 What do I mean? 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:22.720 It starts with parents. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:24.240 Here's how it spools out in your life. 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:28.319 You have faith in your parents, and then you get to be a certain age and you think, man, my parents are lame. 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:29.199 I don't trust them. 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:32.000 This is what I refer to as the eye-rolling stage. 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:33.759 If you're on bomb, you know this. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:37.040 You say things to your kid, they just roll it like, okay, whatever, mother. 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:44.079 Uh and so uh you're disillusioned because they aren't what you need them to be, that don't let you do what you want, they don't let you do what you want to do. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:48.160 So you lose hope in them, and then it moves from parents, you turn to your peer group. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:51.920 It starts happening about 12 to 14 years old, depending on the circumstances. 00:04:52.079 --> 00:05:02.319 This feels great in the beginning, but it only takes a little bit of time for you to realize, uh-oh, I can't put a lot of hope in these people because this is like Lord of the Flies, okay? 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:09.600 If I disappoint them, they will slander me on social media, they will say things about me that aren't true, they'll lie, they'll stab me in the back. 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:11.120 I can't put any faith in them. 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:20.000 Uh, and so uh by the time you're about 16, 17 years old, you're very aware of the fact that the world's full of people who have left you feeling unsafe. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:32.879 And over time, you have this kind of lingering sense of hopelessness or this this feeling of despair, or that hey, that life is not gonna feel much better going forward as it has been in the past. 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:35.360 Uh and that's a very real uh feeling. 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:43.519 So, parents, peers, self, uh I almost forgot that somewhere along the way you just kind of look around, you think, hey, the only person I can really trust in is myself. 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:51.600 And while this sounds good and some days it feels good, uh here's the reality that dawns on you one day in the shower when you're about 16. 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:52.959 You're like, you know what? 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:56.879 Things that I said I would never do, I've actually done. 00:05:57.120 --> 00:06:00.000 So I kind of have this low-grade sadness about myself. 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:04.000 Uh, I'm kind of disappointed, and I feel for the most part a little bit hopeless. 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:06.399 And then we begin to project on to God. 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:11.600 The final expression of hopelessness is that we apply to God uh what what we feel about ourselves. 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:18.399 I'm pretty disappointed in myself, and we project onto God because I'm so disappointed in myself, you probably are disappointed too. 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:31.360 This is kind of the passive expression, the active expression of this posture towards God is simply this thought that, hey, I can't really reconcile the existence of a God who is good with a world that is so bad. 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:33.439 So, how can God be really good? 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:38.879 How can God be real and be good if the world is so bad and I feel so bad? 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.759 Doesn't God care that I feel the way that I feel? 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:49.839 And then you progress through all these people, and then parents, peers, yourself, God, and then you get to the state of what's called nihilism. 00:06:49.920 --> 00:07:04.160 Okay, nihilism is very popular uh uh in counseling because basically it's this it's a rejection of all religious and moral principles in the belief that life has no meaning and therefore it's hopeless. 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:11.839 And you would be surprised the number of adults and students who get to this place of this nihilism, hey, it just doesn't matter. 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:16.240 And so you say nihilism is a bit clinical like sign uh definition. 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:21.839 And some of you are like, dude, I got my family here, they still for Thanksgiving, and you're dropping this on us, okay? 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:24.240 Stay with me because I want to be very hopeful today. 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:26.720 But here's what nihilism looks like in your kids. 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:27.360 Look at me. 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:28.160 It looks like this. 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:32.399 You you say something to them, they just kind of they just kind of shrug. 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:34.480 It's kind of like, I oh, okay. 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:35.839 I want that to be true. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:37.199 I hope that's true. 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:48.959 But by the time they're about 16, they're so disillusioned and let down by people and themselves that they have a real first name basis relationship with this thing called hopelessness. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:50.480 And along comes the Bible. 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:56.560 This is what I mean when I say uh where I get the idea of about, hey, I want to talk about how to be hopeful to the end. 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:58.319 This is Hebrews chapter 6. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:07:59.759 I'll start reading verse 10. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:08.319 The Bible says this for God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints as you still do. 00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:20.000 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness, to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:23.439 The Bible is unblushing in what it says. 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:26.800 Hear that last part again, verse 12, so that you may not be sluggish. 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:28.079 That means lazy. 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:34.240 So you may not be sluggish, but you imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:38.960 Then you say, Who are those who have faith and patience and inherit the promise? 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:49.840 Well, verse 13 picks it right up, and he says, This for when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, Surely I will bless you and multiply you. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:53.279 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:59.360 For my people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes, an oath is final for confirmation. 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:16.960 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:34.159 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the place behind the curtain, that enters into the inner place behind the curtain where Jesus is gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever, after the order of Melchazadek. 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:36.080 Now, you say, okay, you got all that. 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:37.679 You made a case for hopelessness. 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:38.720 Now, what do you mean? 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:41.120 The Bible, go back up if you would, verse 11. 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:46.639 He says, and we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness, to have full assurance of hope to the end. 00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:51.039 The same earnestness to have not just hope, but a full assurance of hope. 00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:52.320 What do you mean a full assurance? 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:56.159 That means you have a sense of certainty about this thing that you have hope in. 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:58.000 Our hope is not in hope, okay? 00:09:58.159 --> 00:09:59.279 Hope has a name. 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:02.000 And we'll get to that towards the end this morning. 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:07.360 But when I say hope, I'm not talking about an emotional, positive, mental frame of reference. 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:09.440 I'm talking about a person. 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:10.240 Does that make sense? 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:11.279 Say amen. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:14.799 And so I just basically, here's what the Bible says. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:21.600 The Bible says that, hey, uh that we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness, to have full assurance of hope until the end. 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:22.159 Why? 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:27.679 So that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promise. 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:31.600 There's two things the Bible says here, and here's the only two things I want to talk about this morning, okay? 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:34.879 That's most of my sermons, short, sweet, and to the point. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:35.679 Amen. 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:39.279 Why are you laughing? 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:40.639 Two things. 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:43.440 He says, through faith and patience. 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:46.240 Through faith and patience, you inherit the promises. 00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:49.279 And then he talks about Abraham is an example of this. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:51.039 So I just want to talk about two things today. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:53.679 Uh hey, this is how you have faith to the end. 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:55.279 You number one, you gotta have faith. 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:56.879 Now, a few thoughts about faith. 00:10:56.960 --> 00:10:58.960 Uh, I just want to take off four things about faith. 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:01.440 Number one, our faith is not in our faith. 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:05.120 Our faith is not in our faith, or what some people call our religious tradition. 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:06.720 You say, Well, I would never say that. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:07.360 Sure, you would. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:12.559 If you ever just talk to people and you say, Well, I'm Baptist, your faith is in your faith. 00:11:12.799 --> 00:11:14.159 Or you say, I'm Catholic. 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:17.200 Like this is a get out of spiritual conversations free card. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:18.799 Your faith is in your faith, okay? 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:21.840 If you say I'm Methodist, I'm Presbyterian, whatever. 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:25.440 Our faith is not in our faith or our religious tradition. 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:28.720 Here's the second thing about faith: our faith is not in ourselves. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:31.600 This is where hopelessness begins. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:35.679 You you look to your parents and you roll your eyes like, whatever, mother. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:39.600 And you look to your peers and you realize, oh my gosh, I cannot trust these people. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:45.279 They are as dishonest and deceitful as I feared they might be. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:47.600 And so our faith is not in ourselves. 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:48.879 That's not a good place to put your faith. 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:50.879 Thirdly, our faith is a verb. 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:58.720 If your faith is a noun, if it's this proper noun, this person, place, or thing, it never invades the reality you call life. 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:00.399 Here's the fourth thing I want to say about faith. 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:01.600 Our faith is in God. 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:07.440 So I want to remind you of some of the things about our God while we can have certain hope to the end, okay? 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:09.440 Our faith is in God. 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:15.120 If your faith is not in God, then your hope kind of goes up and down like the stock market. 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:25.840 It's got if your faith is not in God, if your faith is in anything but God, if your faith is in a relationship, if your faith is in, as someone said to me, Oh, I said, now what are you where are you in premarital counsel? 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:27.279 I said, Where are you and your fiance? 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:29.519 What do you really build and bank your life on? 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:32.799 And this person said, Oh, my faith is in him. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:38.480 These are women that are married, that are groaning right now. 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:42.960 And I said, Can I just suggest that that's not a good place to put your faith? 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:44.320 Oh, he's a good man. 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:47.440 I'm I don't doubt that. 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:48.720 I think that's great. 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:53.039 And I think he's gonna be a great husband, but he is you don't want to put your faith in him. 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:55.120 Well, I put all my faith in him. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:58.320 And I looked at him and I just said, You feel okay about that? 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:00.480 And he said, Most days. 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:03.919 Okay, because here's the thing about putting your faith in him. 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:07.600 You need him to be what only God can be for you. 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:10.799 And that's a lot of pressure to put on him. 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:16.799 So he says, Hey, you become imitators of people who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:21.600 How do you experience when the Bible says inherit the promises, how do I experience the things the Bible talks about? 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:23.200 Through faith and patience. 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:51.840 Faith, where you gotta have you, I want you to understand some things about the God that you have faith in that the Bible calls and commands us to have faith in because this is what allows you to have this certain hope all the way to the end, not just during the holidays, not just when things are good, but regardless of what's happening around you, your faith is unchanged because your faith is not in people, your faith is not in yourself, your faith is not in your circumstances, your faith is not in your boyfriend or your fiance or your husband or your wife, or your faith is not in your kids. 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:54.639 Uh-oh. 00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:58.240 Because they will disappoint you. 00:13:59.200 --> 00:13:59.840 Yes. 00:14:00.799 --> 00:14:08.080 So, what should you know about this God that allows you to have this certain hope all the way to the end? 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:09.840 Let me tick off three things this morning. 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:14.080 Number one, his promise is rooted in surely I will. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:15.279 Look at verse 13. 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:25.279 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, Surely I will bless you and multiply you. 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:32.720 The promise of God to Abraham and to you and I by extension, because we are the heirs of the promise, is rooted in, surely I will. 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:35.840 It's not rooted in surely you will, or surely you shouldn't. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:38.000 He is not a God of behavior modification. 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:40.720 He is a God that says, Listen, just hear this again. 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:41.840 The Bible just said it. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:48.559 Hey, since he felt that since there was no one greater by whom for him to swear by, he swore by himself. 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:50.879 Can you imagine somebody doing that? 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:55.120 You know, we testify in court, you haven't put your hand on the Bible, raise your right hand, repeat after me. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:57.039 Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give? 00:14:57.120 --> 00:14:58.559 Is the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth? 00:14:58.799 --> 00:14:59.360 Help you, God. 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:00.960 God doesn't put his hand on the Bible. 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:04.159 God puts his hand on himself and says, I swear by myself. 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:06.960 Because I can't find anybody greater than me to swear by. 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:15.440 Don't miss this part down here where it says in verse 16, for people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes, an oath is final for confirmation. 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:17.039 So this is what people do. 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:19.279 So God says, you know what, since this is what people do. 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:23.279 I didn't realize this until I was in the third grade and we were playing football at recess. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:24.639 Uh, do they have recess anymore? 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:26.240 I don't think they do have recess in school. 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:28.879 But we used to have recess where kids went and got physical activity. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:30.480 And so we always played football. 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:36.559 Uh, and and there was a kind of, I mean, we would the big discussions or fights in football would be about the out of bounds. 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:37.519 Did you go out of bounds? 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:38.639 Did you step over the sideline? 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:42.320 This imaginary line from that corner of that building to the corner of that building. 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:46.480 And when I was in the third grade, there was a kid in my school, and his name was Thomas Matoulis. 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:48.799 And I just thought, what is up with your name, bro? 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:50.000 He was Italian. 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:56.799 And here's how I do he was Italian, and I think he was in the mob because he caught a pass and he was running, he ran way out there. 00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:57.919 We're like, dude, you're out of bounds. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:58.559 You can start with it. 00:15:58.639 --> 00:15:59.360 He goes, No, no, no. 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:02.240 I swear on my on my mother's eyes. 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:06.639 And I remember the third grade thinking, what did you say? 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:10.240 And he goes, I swear on my mother's eyes, I wasn't out of bounds. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:14.320 Now remember, the Bible says, hey, people swear by something greater than themselves. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:16.720 And this kind of ends the argument. 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:20.960 And I remember thinking, I don't know your mom, but please don't bring up her eyes ever again. 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:23.039 And then we went back in and Mrs. 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:23.919 Peoples, Mrs. 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:26.720 People said to us, Boys and girls, how was recessed? 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:30.000 And somebody raised their hand and said, Thomas swore on his mother's eyes. 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:30.720 And Mrs. 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:32.240 People said, shouldn't do that. 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:35.440 And I remember thinking, I think he's in the mob. 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:37.440 I think his family's somehow connected. 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:38.879 But see, here's the thing about God. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:45.600 When I say our faith is in God, one of the reasons you you you should have great confidence about the fact that your faith is in God. 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:49.840 You shouldn't look around the world today and think, hey, we're kind of the moral minority. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:55.840 No, you should have this incredible faith because his promise is rooted in surely I will. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.360 He doesn't just say I will. 00:16:57.600 --> 00:16:59.200 He says, Surely. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:00.960 Absolutely. 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:03.519 Is there anything you're waiting on God to do? 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:08.000 And you're just kind of like, God, I don't know if you got any surely left in you with my name on it. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:10.160 But God says, Surely I will. 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:13.200 Not just I will, but are you kidding me? 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:16.720 Have you lost sight of who I am and how I operate? 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:18.480 Our faith is in God. 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:26.960 And so one of the things that should kind of reorient us back around, reorient us back around God is that his promise is rooted in surely I will. 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:30.400 And his promise is as certain as his nature. 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:32.160 This is why he swears by himself. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:34.799 He looks around and says, You know what? 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:43.279 I want to, since you people do it this way, I want to accommodate and I want to make an oath, but I got nobody I can swear by because there's nobody greater than me. 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:48.960 Here's the second thing that ought to cause you and I to have this increasing sense of faith in this God. 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:50.559 His purpose hasn't changed. 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:51.839 Look at verse 16. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:53.680 What do you mean his purpose hasn't changed? 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:59.119 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes, an oath is final for confirmation. 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:02.720 So when God desired to show more convincingly, did you hear that? 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:04.880 Verse 16 says, this is what people do. 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:11.680 Verse 17, he says, So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise, who are the heirs of the promise? 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:13.920 Hello? 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:15.119 You. 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:17.920 You're the heirs of the promise, okay? 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:28.079 He says, so when God desired to show more convincingly, the Bible is not just written like it's not a history book, written for people back then, and we gathered on Sundays to appreciate their lives. 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:30.880 It is written to you and I. 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:39.279 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath. 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:45.920 So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, you know what's impossible for God to lie? 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:49.279 You want to see how how outlandish that sounds? 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:53.599 Can you imagine a politician going on TV tomorrow and saying, by the way, it's impossible for me to lie? 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:55.119 You shouldn't let me. 00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:59.119 Yeah, it doesn't happen. 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:11.039 So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope that is set before us. 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:14.880 When I say his purpose hasn't changed, you say, What do you mean? 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.759 The Bible says that in verse 16, for people swear. 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:24.240 So when God desired to demonstrate, hey, this the unchangeable character of his purpose. 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:26.559 I do not change my mind. 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:37.119 I want you to know, I want you to be very convinced that the unchangeable character of my purpose, there's nothing in the world that changes who God is and how God is, okay? 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:39.039 His purpose hasn't changed. 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:41.839 You missed, if you miss this, you miss the whole point. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:46.319 So God comes to us, He said, in ways that are familiar, he says, Oh, you guys like to swear an oath? 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:47.599 And that kind of settles it. 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:48.160 Okay. 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:53.759 I'll swear by myself because I want you to know that my purpose is unchangeable. 00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:57.200 And so then the question becomes so what is God's purpose for your life? 00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:03.839 If you want to have an interesting conversation, ask somebody sometime, hey man, what do you think is God's purpose for your life? 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:12.079 I ask people this sometimes in counseling settings when I feel like, hey, I don't think you got some wrong thoughts about God. 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:15.200 And so I just take notes, I just write them down, things they say. 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:19.839 So I just ask people, hey, uh, what do you think is God's purpose for your life? 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:22.319 And here's some of the answers that I get. 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:24.079 Uh, target practice? 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:27.759 So the guy told me, I said, excuse me. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:29.680 He said, Yeah, I just think target practice. 00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:33.759 I think if anything's bad is gonna happen, it's gonna land on me. 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:37.759 I said, dude, you're kind of like Wiley Coyote, just waiting for that. 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:40.480 He said, Yeah, that's pretty pretty much what my life feels like. 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:43.359 Here's another one to show people how not to live. 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:46.160 Excuse me. 00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:50.319 Yes, a person said out of their mouth, I said, What is God's purpose for your life? 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:52.160 Show people how not to live. 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:57.759 My favorite one was a young man said, so people can learn from my mistakes. 00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:01.039 I said, Do you think that's why God brought you into the world? 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:02.319 He said, Pretty much. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:04.960 And at that moment, I felt hopeless. 00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:07.759 I was like, Oh my gosh, this is so sad. 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:10.319 So let me answer the question for all of us this morning. 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:12.000 See, because the Bible's very clear. 00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:13.200 Look at verse 17. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:20.160 He makes it very so when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise, that's you and I, in unchangeable character of his purpose. 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:23.680 What is that, what is unchangeable about God's purpose? 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:26.640 So, what is his purpose that he guarantees it with an oath? 00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:28.319 So by two unchangeable things. 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:34.720 By the way, if you're a Bible nerd and you like fun facts, the two unchangeable things are God's promise and his oath. 00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:38.000 God's promise and his oath. 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:44.559 God made a promise to this guy named Abraham way back in Genesis, says, Sure, I'll bless you, I'll make you the father of many nations. 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:45.839 And he laughed. 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:49.359 He and his wife Sarai laughed in response because he was old. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:52.240 He's like, Dude, are you kidding me? 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:54.000 That ain't never gonna happen. 00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:58.480 God says, Hey, I'm not looking at this through the lens of you, I'm looking at this through the lens of me. 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:01.519 It's how it Nothing's impossible with God. 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:03.519 I'm the Lord God of all flesh. 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:07.039 Is anything too difficult for me? 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:16.319 Now, way back then, he wanted you and I to have strong encouragement to hold on to the hope that is set before us right now, December the 1st. 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:18.240 By the way, it's December today. 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:21.119 Yeah. 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:22.880 It moves quickly. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:23.839 Yes. 00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:26.880 Way back then, this is what the Bible says. 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:28.240 Look at verse 17. 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:35.039 So when God desired to show more convincing to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, by the way, what's his purpose? 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:37.839 His purpose is not, he didn't create you for talk practice. 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:40.799 He didn't create you so that your life is an example to everybody else. 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:41.279 Okay? 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:42.400 Get off the cross. 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:43.279 You're not a martyr. 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:44.880 Somebody else needs the wood. 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:46.799 Here's what I'm saying to you today. 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:50.480 If you're a student, especially hear this, because I meet so many students. 00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:55.359 I mean, I'm talking, I'm not talking old people like you, you people that watch Fox News, okay? 00:22:55.440 --> 00:23:03.119 I'm talking 14, 15, 16, 17-year-olds are kind of like, I just, I mean, I hope my life is gets better eventually. 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:04.960 And I'm like, it does get better. 00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:05.920 Hang in there. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:08.079 And one kid said to me, How do you know? 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:09.119 I said, look at me. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:11.759 I'm 60 and I'm awesome. 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:16.720 I don't walk in the room and think, is my wife in here? 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:18.319 Is my future maid in here? 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:19.920 Am I looking good today? 00:23:20.240 --> 00:23:23.440 No, I wear the same clothes sometimes, one day to the other. 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:25.039 I don't care that much. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:27.599 And this girl looked at me and she clutched her pearls. 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:30.240 She went, Are you being serious right now? 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:31.680 I said, Yes. 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:32.240 Yes. 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:34.000 I just pick it up and it smells clean. 00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:35.279 I put it back on. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:40.240 No, seriously, are you being I'm being serious? 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:41.359 And you know what? 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:42.640 I don't care. 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:46.400 And she's like, How long have you been this way? 00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:48.720 Like I had a disease. 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:50.720 Like, are you terminal or something? 00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:51.359 No. 00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:52.079 No. 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:53.440 But see, here's the thing. 00:23:53.519 --> 00:24:00.319 If you take your cues for the culture, you look around, by the time you're 16, I promise you, you got some level of hopelessness operating in you. 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:04.799 You got to either keep it at bay or you just cave into it and be like, okay, whatever. 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:05.359 Mm-hmm. 00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:08.559 Two unchangeable things, God's promise and his oath. 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:11.039 And by the way, here's his purpose for your life. 00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:12.400 Okay, don't miss this. 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:14.240 He wants to bless you. 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:18.000 That's what the Bible says. 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:20.079 By two unchangeable things. 00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:23.200 You got to ask yourself, now, what would it look like for God to bless you? 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:24.799 He wants to bless you. 00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:28.640 I'm not talking if you're Vincent Day, we're not a prosperity gospel church. 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:30.720 I don't know what bless you looks like. 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:34.079 But God says, hey, I'm still the God that wants to bless you. 00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:37.359