WEBVTT 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:02.000 I'm going to invite you to turn to Genesis chapter one. 00:00:02.920 --> 00:00:07.160 We're just going to do a skim of where we've been in the last seven weeks together. 00:00:07.160 --> 00:00:12.900 This is the seventh week on the topic of belief that we've discussed really the foundations of what Christianity is about. 00:00:13.280 --> 00:00:20.320 And so this will give us a summation of that passage of scripture and in our understanding of biblical truth as it comes forth in the book 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:20.840 of Genesis. 00:00:21.580 --> 00:00:28.660 And then we're going to make the application like the, so now what we've laid the foundation of what biblical Christianity is 00:00:28.660 --> 00:00:30.700 and why we believe what we believe. 00:00:30.700 --> 00:00:37.760 And hopefully you've enjoyed that journey together as we've looked at it, even just from the first three chapters of the Bible, how the pillars of Christianity are founded in the 00:00:37.780 --> 00:00:38.800 first three chapters of the Bible. 00:00:39.480 --> 00:00:43.140 And that theme of biblical truth continues throughout the rest of scripture. 00:00:43.680 --> 00:00:49.840 The picture we've painted together should help us have a lens and the way that we examined scripture and what God communicates to us. 00:00:50.840 --> 00:00:57.940 And so based on the last few weeks, if you've been on this journey with us together, we kicked off the series by just understanding who God is as he 00:00:57.940 --> 00:00:59.720 has revealed himself to us in scripture. 00:01:00.160 --> 00:01:05.319 Genesis chapter one starts in the very first verse in the beginning, God, and he talks about the creation of God. 00:01:05.319 --> 00:01:07.030 God created the heavens and the earth. 00:01:07.740 --> 00:01:13.760 Yahweh creates Barra, which is means out of nothing, X and healers, what they refer to in Latin. 00:01:14.080 --> 00:01:21.280 He creates out of nothing and we see the design of the first three chapters of the Bible as God creates, he creates intentionally, he creates 00:01:21.360 --> 00:01:25.240 with purpose, meaning everything he's designed has a specific reason for its existence. 00:01:25.700 --> 00:01:32.960 It's laid out for us beautifully as the Bible describes it poetically and God's creation over the seven days in which he creates God, speaks, life begins 00:01:32.960 --> 00:01:39.960 intelligent design creates with an intelligent designer, creates with an intelligent design, creating everything 00:01:39.960 --> 00:01:40.970 with a purpose. 00:01:41.320 --> 00:01:47.770 When God comes to mankind on the sixth day in which he creates us, the Bible does something unique in the design of mankind. 00:01:48.060 --> 00:01:49.360 When God designs us. 00:01:49.380 --> 00:01:56.520 It's as if God takes special attention to the creation of mankind in those moments while he's creating over the six days when he gets to 00:01:56.520 --> 00:02:03.840 mankind, he pauses, breathes into us the breath of life and formulates us or sculpts us from the earth and intricately 00:02:03.940 --> 00:02:10.979 takes the opportunity to design man and as God creates over those six days, seventh day resting, he says, 00:02:10.979 --> 00:02:11.540 it is good. 00:02:11.760 --> 00:02:12.320 It is good. 00:02:12.540 --> 00:02:16.980 It is good designs man and says it is very good. 00:02:17.700 --> 00:02:20.440 The pinnacle of creation was mankind. 00:02:21.140 --> 00:02:22.940 The purpose which God has created us. 00:02:22.940 --> 00:02:30.060 It tells us Genesis chapter one and verse seven 27 28 it says, God created man in his 00:02:30.060 --> 00:02:31.080 own image. 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:34.660 In the image of God, he created him, male and female. 00:02:34.740 --> 00:02:35.650 He created them. 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:40.340 God blessed them and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. 00:02:41.620 --> 00:02:44.820 So we reflect the image of our creator being made in his image. 00:02:44.820 --> 00:02:46.800 We can connect to him, we can relate to him. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:53.880 We can have a relationship with him because the image of when she placed upon us the characteristics of which we possess as mankind, God 00:02:53.880 --> 00:03:01.440 also possesses within his nature, meaning his communicable attributes, love, grace, goodness, long suffering, 00:03:01.640 --> 00:03:02.640 peace, patience. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:07.140 In our relationships on earth, we experienced those towards our relationship with God. 00:03:07.140 --> 00:03:08.800 We can connect with them in that way. 00:03:09.100 --> 00:03:16.240 God makes us in his image, the pinnacle of creation and therefore he says in verse 28 go into the world and subdue it 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:17.340 and multiply. 00:03:17.420 --> 00:03:18.020 Fill the earth. 00:03:18.920 --> 00:03:25.100 He's allowing us the opportunity being made in his image to express his glory by the way that we live our lives in this world. 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:31.940 We reflect the glory of God or are designed to reflect the glory of God. 00:03:32.180 --> 00:03:39.280 Genesis chapter three verse one as God creates us in his image for relationship, we find Genesis chapter three the introduction 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:43.400 of Eve with the serpent, the dialogue that takes place with the serpent. 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:49.160 We read in Isaiah chapter 14 that the serpent's desire was to be like God. 00:03:49.380 --> 00:03:56.380 Beginning in verse 12 to 15 of Isaiah chapter 14 his idea, his thought was he could become God and so 00:03:56.560 --> 00:04:01.240 therefore he's cast from heaven in the garden of Eden shares that same lie with Adam and Eve. 00:04:01.700 --> 00:04:09.220 You can become like God knowing good from evil and that dialogue takes place in Genesis chapter three when the 00:04:09.320 --> 00:04:16.480 serpent cast doubt into the mind of Eve, surely God didn't say that you could eat of the tree air if you ate of the tree that you 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:17.170 would die. 00:04:17.380 --> 00:04:19.079 Surely that's not what God meant. 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:20.180 You're the pinnacle of creation. 00:04:20.700 --> 00:04:24.480 What God's doing is keeping the best from you because he knows the moment you will, you will eat. 00:04:25.140 --> 00:04:27.780 You'll know the difference between good and evil in the Hebrew tax. 00:04:27.900 --> 00:04:32.900 That means not just knowing the difference between right and wrong, but rather declaring to God what is right. 00:04:32.940 --> 00:04:33.850 What is wrong? 00:04:33.940 --> 00:04:40.520 You and autonomy are separating yourself from God who created you from relationship and declaring yourself to be God. 00:04:41.420 --> 00:04:48.900 When Adam and Eve particular the fruit declaring themselves to be God, to be the ultimate authority, the Bible tells us that sin was introduced and 00:04:48.900 --> 00:04:51.860 through that sin, we are separated from our relationship with God. 00:04:53.080 --> 00:04:55.400 We dialogued over the idea of what sin is. 00:04:55.400 --> 00:04:56.800 Oftentimes we think about sin. 00:04:56.800 --> 00:05:02.380 What we relate to as being sin is really just a consequence of what the action of sin produces. 00:05:03.820 --> 00:05:11.180 But when we talk about what makes sense, sin, what really defines what is sin is that it violates the very nature of God. 00:05:12.260 --> 00:05:15.360 We use the example of murder and adultery. 00:05:15.700 --> 00:05:18.140 The idea, of, of adultery. 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:23.640 We often think about the repercussions of what adults would produce in harming relationships. 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:31.260 But what we're adultery finds itself in being sin is that is that God is pure and God is devoted and 00:05:31.260 --> 00:05:32.460 God is faithful. 00:05:33.880 --> 00:05:39.720 And so when we live contrary to that nature, it's given, it's given to us through the nature of God. 00:05:39.760 --> 00:05:42.860 We violate his nature, which is ultimately what sin is. 00:05:42.860 --> 00:05:49.080 And from that repercussions come man's sin against God. 00:05:51.400 --> 00:05:56.250 And the Bible tells us in Romans six 23 for the wages of sin is death. 00:05:57.460 --> 00:06:01.620 The Bible talks about sin literally means separation from God. 00:06:01.640 --> 00:06:05.450 It's not talking about ceasing to exist, but really death is separation. 00:06:05.880 --> 00:06:12.880 When we physically die as people, your body is separated from your spirit, but we are separated from God because the curse of 00:06:12.880 --> 00:06:13.700 sin is upon us. 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:21.320 Holy God, can't welcome sin into his presence and so the response of mankind to that we see from the beginning in Genesis 00:06:21.320 --> 00:06:28.340 chapter three Adam and Eve's response was to run and hide from God and cover themselves in fig leaves as if to say to God, God, 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:35.880 we're going to handle this son on our own and we're going to destroy it by our own power and what we learned together, Adam 00:06:35.880 --> 00:06:40.640 and Eve created the first manmade religion, the Bible. 00:06:40.640 --> 00:06:43.560 We reflected that to the law and the old Testament. 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:50.920 You find the law, the purpose of the law isn't to show you how you are Holy or how 00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:54.960 you can avail to God's grace or how you can make yourself acceptable to God. 00:06:55.340 --> 00:06:56.740 The purpose of law. 00:06:57.860 --> 00:07:05.240 It's condemnation in a very practical sense, relating it to the way we live in law today, that 00:07:05.520 --> 00:07:11.220 when a police officer pulls you over in society, it's not to tell you great job in obeying the law. 00:07:13.440 --> 00:07:16.880 When you get pulled over, it's because there is a violation of the law. 00:07:18.200 --> 00:07:22.520 The intentions of the law aren't to show you how great you are, but rather it's for condemnation. 00:07:24.420 --> 00:07:27.100 It's to show your need in guilt. 00:07:28.180 --> 00:07:35.480 And the same thing's true in Romans chapter three in Galatians chapter two and three, it tells us God's purpose for the law. 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:43.000 It was for recognizing our need for salvation, which is where Genesis chapter three 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:50.100 in verse nine picks up for us in scripture that after Adam and Eve sin, after they run and hide from God, that it is God that continues 00:07:50.100 --> 00:07:53.660 to pursue man because God created us for relationship in him. 00:07:53.920 --> 00:08:01.020 And while we couldn't reconcile ourselves back to God because of sin, Christ is the promise in Genesis chapter three who would come 00:08:01.020 --> 00:08:03.320 for the ultimate reconciliation for our lives? 00:08:03.320 --> 00:08:07.540 And so in verse nine of chapter three the Lord comes into the garden in search of Adam and Eve. 00:08:07.640 --> 00:08:10.520 He says, the Lord called to the man and said to him, where are you? 00:08:12.200 --> 00:08:19.380 Yeah, not that God didn't know where Adam and Eve is because he is, he is on mission or were Adam and Eve was because he is omniscient, but rather 00:08:19.380 --> 00:08:25.100 he's pointing out to Adam and Eve the distance that now exists between he and them because of the sin that has separated them. 00:08:26.880 --> 00:08:33.940 So in Genesis chapter three in verse 15 we give the first declaration of the gospel and scripture, which continues a theme throughout the entire Bible. 00:08:34.100 --> 00:08:41.799 The entire Bible is about God's redemption for mankind through Jesus Christ from 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:48.980 the beginning, from the destruction that takes place in sin, the promise in Genesis chapter three all the way to the end of revelation where God finally before his 00:08:48.980 --> 00:08:53.150 people wipes away all tears from their eyes where there's no more pain, no more suffering. 00:08:53.420 --> 00:08:56.820 Us enjoying our relationship with him in his kingdom for eternity. 00:08:58.020 --> 00:09:01.100 That is the theme of scripture from beginning to end. 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:08.340 God laying that out for us, how Christ would come for us, offering himself for us to redeem us from the curse of sin so that we can enjoy the relationship for 00:09:08.340 --> 00:09:12.890 which God has given to us by dying on the cross for our sins. 00:09:14.460 --> 00:09:21.640 Genesis chapter three in verse 15 and reference to the serpent, God says this, and I will put 00:09:21.640 --> 00:09:28.420 enmity talking to the serpent between you and the woman between your seed and her seat. 00:09:28.500 --> 00:09:35.580 And it says her seat in this passage of scripture because we know Christ was born of a Virgin and he shall bruise 00:09:36.060 --> 00:09:38.260 you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel. 00:09:39.740 --> 00:09:46.900 The reference to the bruising on the Hill is that to the crucifixion and the reference to the bruising on the head is the crushing of Satan's kingdom, which we looked 00:09:46.900 --> 00:09:54.020 at last week, that Christ would come and destroy his authority by establishing his kingdom, or excuse me as two weeks ago establishing his 00:09:54.020 --> 00:09:54.420 kingdom. 00:09:56.780 --> 00:10:00.610 The grace of God made known to us. 00:10:02.040 --> 00:10:09.400 So the point of the story of Genesis throughout the rest of scripture is as while we are incapable of reconciling 00:10:09.400 --> 00:10:10.320 ourselves to God. 00:10:10.580 --> 00:10:17.780 When we, no matter how many religions recreate, no matter how many fig leaves we try to cover ourselves with, when we were unable to rescue ourselves 00:10:17.780 --> 00:10:25.000 in our condition, God by his grace, while he didn't have to in his love, chooses to give his life 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:29.880 for our sins, to pay for the costs of sin. 00:10:30.900 --> 00:10:36.960 That is grace, unmerited favor that God has given us. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:45.270 That's why Paul says in Ephesians chapter two and verse eight and nine for by grace are you saved through faith, not of yourselves. 00:10:47.160 --> 00:10:52.980 It's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. 00:10:56.400 --> 00:11:03.460 Paul in reference to salvation is pointing to the beauty of it, that God would lavish his love on sinners 00:11:03.460 --> 00:11:10.560 while they didn't deserve Romans five eight for me is always the verse that 00:11:10.560 --> 00:11:15.140 just demonstrates that God demonstrates. 00:11:15.140 --> 00:11:22.520 It says, God literally demonstrates his love to us and while we were yet sinners, Christ died 00:11:22.520 --> 00:11:23.240 for us. 00:11:26.340 --> 00:11:30.640 Meaning you and the depth of whatever you think the worst is that has been of your life. 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:35.100 Jesus loved you enough to die for that. 00:11:36.360 --> 00:11:40.140 That God's love transcends beyond your lowest points. 00:11:42.920 --> 00:11:49.620 That is his grace oftentimes of Christianity. 00:11:49.620 --> 00:11:56.720 When we demonstrate the magnitude of God's grace, and the question then becomes, then 00:11:56.720 --> 00:11:58.220 why do anything right? 00:11:59.880 --> 00:12:00.000 Why? 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:01.160 Why live your life for God? 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:08.340 Then if Jesus just pays for it all, let's, let's just, let's, let's just live like hell because Christ paid for by his 00:12:08.340 --> 00:12:15.420 grace, he's paid the expense of the cross, so it doesn't matter what you do and people, people don't understand why you would choose to 00:12:15.420 --> 00:12:16.440 live for God. 00:12:16.520 --> 00:12:18.740 Then if Jesus pays it all being, what's the point? 00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:25.760 If you don't merit favor from God by earning his love, that's the question they 00:12:25.760 --> 00:12:31.150 pose as if to suggest that the entire point that we gather here for on Sunday is just say, thank you Jesus. 00:12:31.300 --> 00:12:33.500 Now let's all go out and live however we want, right? 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:34.200 Yeah. 00:12:34.340 --> 00:12:34.860 That's our point. 00:12:35.020 --> 00:12:36.240 We gathered together for nothing. 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:39.000 We just aimlessly do what we want. 00:12:39.060 --> 00:12:46.420 At this point, Paula even posed that question in Romans chapter six when you get an understanding of God's 00:12:46.420 --> 00:12:53.560 grace, that's where Romans chapter six remember I just quoted five, God demonstrates his love to us and while we were yet sinners, Christ died 00:12:53.560 --> 00:12:54.060 for us. 00:12:54.060 --> 00:13:01.160 That's Romans five verse eight and then in chapter six now if you're getting the picture of his grace, really what does grace has done 00:13:01.160 --> 00:13:01.600 for you? 00:13:02.460 --> 00:13:04.600 Paul then poses the question at the beginning of the chapter. 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:06.900 What shall we say then? 00:13:08.020 --> 00:13:08.530 Are we continue? 00:13:09.260 --> 00:13:12.380 Are we to continue in sin so that Grace May increase? 00:13:13.700 --> 00:13:15.310 Well, let's let's, what about this idea? 00:13:15.460 --> 00:13:22.620 Let's go out and live as simply as we can just to show how much Jesus, his death really covers our 00:13:22.620 --> 00:13:29.900 sinfulness and Paul in Romans six just walks through the answer to that question, but he begins 00:13:29.900 --> 00:13:30.700 with this. 00:13:30.740 --> 00:13:39.200 He says, may it never be, how shall we who died to sin live in it or 00:13:39.280 --> 00:13:43.000 do you not know that all of all of us, I've been baptized into Christ. 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:45.660 Jesus had been baptized into his death. 00:13:49.160 --> 00:13:56.360 Paul's pointing back to the identity that we had before Jesus and the identity that you have now 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:57.430 that you're in Jesus. 00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:03.440 This is if he's saying in this verse, why would you do that? 00:14:05.520 --> 00:14:07.780 Why would you choose to live in sin? 00:14:10.380 --> 00:14:13.800 Do you remember the kind of person you were before cries? 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:23.780 You couldn't rescue yourself, you were condemned, but Jesus 00:14:23.780 --> 00:14:28.040 rescued you from the kingdom of darkness, from the Prince of the power of the air, from the ruler of this world. 00:14:28.400 --> 00:14:32.760 That's Satan and he brought you into his kingdom. 00:14:35.020 --> 00:14:36.720 You've been advertised in Christ. 00:14:36.780 --> 00:14:38.580 That means immersed into Jesus. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:43.260 Your identity now is his identity, your kingdom. 00:14:43.260 --> 00:14:50.380 Now as his kingdom, Paul goes on and argues that it's you've been bought with a price by the precious blood 00:14:50.380 --> 00:14:50.880 of the lamb. 00:14:53.020 --> 00:14:55.160 You consider the magnitude of that sacrifice. 00:14:57.700 --> 00:15:05.560 What the Bible refers to that when Jesus paid his life for us as this is, this is a covenantal relationship, a 00:15:05.760 --> 00:15:06.600 covenantal love. 00:15:09.500 --> 00:15:16.520 When we began to get a picture or understanding of what it means to live in covenant with God, it helps us understand that what we are to 00:15:16.560 --> 00:15:24.240 do is not not to go live in sin so that his Grace May be a bounding and we can brag about the extent of God's grace, but rather reciprocate 00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:27.750 in the relationship of covenant to love or covenantal relationship. 00:15:30.280 --> 00:15:37.360 Let me explain a little bit of just when we use the word covenantal relationship, what that means in scripture because when it comes 00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:45.360 to Christianity, in our society today, we live in, operate often in contractual 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:52.360 relationships or contractual connections, but covenantal relationship, covenantal 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:53.140 love. 00:15:53.180 --> 00:15:56.960 It runs deeper than just a contractual relationship. 00:15:57.260 --> 00:16:04.340 And let me, let me give a backdrop to understanding the difference between covenantal relationship, which is what Jesus did 00:16:04.340 --> 00:16:12.600 for us in contractual relationship, which I believe is what religion is about, covenantal relationship. 00:16:12.800 --> 00:16:19.820 Genesis chapter three verse 15 it's going to be, it's promised in Christ and when she would give his life for us, that theme 00:16:19.820 --> 00:16:21.160 continues throughout scripture. 00:16:21.180 --> 00:16:24.350 In fact, the reason we refer to the Bible is old and new Testament. 00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:26.010 It's really old and new covenant. 00:16:26.640 --> 00:16:32.320 Janice or Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 31 to 34 we, we've looked at that together a couple of times throughout the series. 00:16:32.400 --> 00:16:39.620 What it means that the Bible tells us in Jeremiah 31 31 that Christ is coming to establish a new covenant, which is the same promise he gave in Genesis 00:16:39.620 --> 00:16:44.580 three the idea of that covenant continues throughout the rest of the Bible. 00:16:45.280 --> 00:16:51.160 It's quoted in Hebrews eight Hebrews 10 that same passage in Jeremiah 31 but the idea of covenant. 00:16:51.680 --> 00:16:58.920 When we began to grab the understanding of what covenant means, it really, it really starts to add and condense itself 00:16:59.070 --> 00:17:01.830 and paint itself in such a beautiful way. 00:17:01.900 --> 00:17:08.180 And Genesis chapter 15 with Abraham, Genesis chapter 15 Abraham's at a place where he's doubting. 00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:10.410 He's later in years. 00:17:11.760 --> 00:17:19.000 Genesis end of chapter 11 God calls Abraham's family out of the land of the cow DNS in Iraq into 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:26.000 the promised land in Canaan, and he tells them in Genesis chapter 12 Genesis chapter 15 Genesis chapter 17 that through him, 00:17:26.380 --> 00:17:33.420 all nations of the world would be blessed even in Genesis chapter 18 I think in verse 18 through Abraham, all the nations of the world would be blessed. 00:17:34.680 --> 00:17:41.460 When you get to Genesis chapter 15 though, there's an important picture that takes place because at the beginning of this chapter, Abraham's doubting like, God, are you really gonna do this? 00:17:42.280 --> 00:17:46.860 Or you really threw me this older man who's passes years to have children. 00:17:47.380 --> 00:17:49.080 I mean, nearing 100 are you? 00:17:49.700 --> 00:17:56.860 Are you really gonna use me to create a another child and through that child, 00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:01.540 bless all nations and God's identifying through Abraham. 00:18:01.560 --> 00:18:05.740 That's where Jesus would come through the people of Israel that would begin with Abraham. 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:07.380 That's where Jesus would come. 00:18:07.380 --> 00:18:10.240 And so he starting Genesis 15 God, are you really going to do that? 00:18:12.040 --> 00:18:13.600 And God tells Abraham mutton some. 00:18:13.600 --> 00:18:19.180 I'm going to do it so much so that you're not even going to be able to count the number of people that are blessed. 00:18:19.280 --> 00:18:20.720 Are you the number of people that come through? 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:24.400 You look at the stars of the sky more numerous than the stars in the sky. 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:31.540 That's how many people will be blessed through, through what I want to do through youth of the covenant that's going to come through and so he tells Abraham to 00:18:31.540 --> 00:18:37.440 go go gather animals and he's going to make a covenant with him and Abraham gathers the animals and brings them and then it says this. 00:18:37.460 --> 00:18:44.480 Then he brought all these to him and cut them into and laid each half opposite the other, but he did 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:45.460 not cut the birds. 00:18:47.040 --> 00:18:51.760 Meaning what God is doing with Abraham here is it's traditional to what it means to make a covenant. 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:54.270 It's literally in the Hebrew text means cutting a covenant. 00:18:54.520 --> 00:18:55.560 Abraham kills an animal. 00:18:55.840 --> 00:19:03.200 He lays either animal on either side and when they would make a covenant, two people would pass through the middle of this animal that was cut to saying, if we don't uphold 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:09.200 the obligations to this covenant, that may what happened to the, these animals happen to us. 00:19:10.180 --> 00:19:10.600 This is sacred. 00:19:10.920 --> 00:19:11.350 This is important. 00:19:11.860 --> 00:19:12.440 This is life. 00:19:13.560 --> 00:19:18.120 And so Abraham cuts these animals into and once to pass through them as the tradition is. 00:19:18.120 --> 00:19:20.520 And in verse 11 the birds of the prey came down upon the carcasses. 00:19:20.700 --> 00:19:22.040 Abraham drove them away. 00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:27.100 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon a Brommer. 00:19:27.760 --> 00:19:31.140 Abraham behold terror and great darkness fell upon him. 00:19:32.620 --> 00:19:39.900 Came about when the sun had set and it was very dark and behold there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch 00:19:39.900 --> 00:19:41.040 which passed between these pieces. 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:50.220 On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham when the story as Abraham lays these animals 00:19:50.220 --> 00:19:55.100 aside, the Bible tells us, God calls a deep sleep to fall on Abraham. 00:19:57.220 --> 00:19:58.340 Well, Abraham is asleep. 00:19:58.340 --> 00:20:01.480 A representation that has God, which is which is a smoking oven. 00:20:01.540 --> 00:20:03.100 A flaming torch passed between these pieces. 00:20:03.560 --> 00:20:10.920 This is, this is the same manifestation that God used for Israel as he's leading them through the wilderness, wandering through the wilderness under 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:14.660 Moses as they came out of Egypt, a flame by night. 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:16.760 This cloud by day. 00:20:18.260 --> 00:20:25.440 And what is saying in this passage is the presence of God makes this covenant with Abraham, but God doesn't require Abraham to make 00:20:25.540 --> 00:20:26.890 this covenant with him. 00:20:26.980 --> 00:20:28.640 All right? 00:20:29.180 --> 00:20:29.760 It's on the Lord. 00:20:32.780 --> 00:20:37.340 It's a picture of his grace again, the coming of Jesus. 00:20:39.620 --> 00:20:44.260 It's not by your merit and the gift of eternal life. 00:20:46.120 --> 00:20:53.140 It's not by what earned, but rather while we are sinners, Christ died for us. 00:20:54.920 --> 00:21:02.600 The picture of Abraham Abraham's not passing through this cabinet because God wants to demonstrate that it's by his grace that he is offering 00:21:02.600 --> 00:21:04.100 this to us. 00:21:05.880 --> 00:21:13.820 And so it's important to understand the difference between what it is to live in a covenant relationship and a contractual relationship in 00:21:13.820 --> 00:21:15.640 our contractual society. 00:21:16.540 --> 00:21:23.560 We make contracts to obligate us and you think anything that you do these days, you sign your name here 00:21:23.560 --> 00:21:25.160 or you click yes here. 00:21:25.160 --> 00:21:29.280 If you agree with the terms is all based on contract. 00:21:31.140 --> 00:21:38.240 The idea of contract is that when you fail in the contract, therefore you must pay to make restitution for the failure 00:21:38.280 --> 00:21:44.760 for the contract that you agreed to a pole, but in a relationship that understands covenant. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:53.900 When you fail, there's forgiveness in a contractual 00:21:53.900 --> 00:21:55.100 relationship. 00:21:55.180 --> 00:22:02.240 We seek people to get, we look at people as a means for our own self, but 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:09.940 in a covenantal relationship we seek to give covenantal love recognizes 00:22:09.940 --> 00:22:13.980 that people will fail and we serve for their benefit. 00:22:16.820 --> 00:22:18.160 Contractual a relationship. 00:22:18.580 --> 00:22:25.660 If people fail, they must make amends and the contractual relationship and 00:22:25.660 --> 00:22:32.840 then even if you bring this into marriage relationship, if it's just a contractual binding to you see the other person as the one that 00:22:32.840 --> 00:22:34.500 is intended to make you happy. 00:22:37.120 --> 00:22:39.180 Their obligation is to your happiness. 00:22:39.180 --> 00:22:46.340 But in covenantal relationship you see that relationship as an opportunity to get beneath the person to serve them so 00:22:46.340 --> 00:22:53.360 that they may become, but they are called to be before the Lord and in that covenantal 00:22:53.360 --> 00:22:57.840 relationship in Christ Christ gives of his life. 00:22:57.840 --> 00:23:04.220 Not contractually because he wasn't obligated to, but covenantal, he serves for us to the point of death. 00:23:04.260 --> 00:23:10.780 So the him, we might experience the newness of life in that we find the health of the relationship for which we were created in Christ. 00:23:13.380 --> 00:23:21.000 So ultimately in contractual relationships, when 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:28.340 both people seek the other person just to make themselves happy, what often happens in those relationships is when they win, when 00:23:28.340 --> 00:23:35.520 they fail, you certainly aren't happy, but often and only looking at that relationship for the purpose of making you happy, you find yourself 00:23:35.520 --> 00:23:37.560 very self self focused in that. 00:23:37.600 --> 00:23:42.470 And ultimately neither person ends up happy in that party because they're all about trying to get what they can from the other individual. 00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:53.560 But in the covenantal relationship, when you serve to the blessing of each other, see 00:23:53.560 --> 00:24:00.730 the other purse becoming the person for which God has created them to be. 00:24:03.120 --> 00:24:09.480 Both people are blessed in that relationship. 00:24:10.440 --> 00:24:17.580 Covenantal love goes beyond contractual love because contractual love only holds you to an obligation, but covenantal love is about serving 00:24:17.580 --> 00:24:18.540 beneath them. 00:24:19.120 --> 00:24:23.180 Even in failure. 00:24:23.600 --> 00:24:30.720 You think in a, in a, in a basic sense, when you make a phone call to a doctor's office and you want to go in for an appointment, if you don't 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:34.950 show up for that appointment, the doctor to them, they just move on to the next patient. 00:24:35.020 --> 00:24:35.220 Why? 00:24:35.220 --> 00:24:41.630 Because this is a contractual agreement that you have established and so they have no need to then call and say, Hey, you missed your appointment. 00:24:41.800 --> 00:24:42.460 Are you doing okay? 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:43.100 Where were you? 00:24:43.320 --> 00:24:48.520 But covenantal love in that sense, because it's not contractual because the interest is for the benefit of the other person. 00:24:48.820 --> 00:24:54.860 When the obligation is that hell, you continue to seek after them to encourage them wherever they are in their lives, whatever we need. 00:24:55.100 --> 00:25:01.600 So covenantal love runs deeper than just contractual love because it's thought is for the wellbeing of the other person. 00:25:05.380 --> 00:25:08.040 That is what Jesus establishes with us. 00:25:10.060 --> 00:25:16.860 That's why in Genesis 1818 when he's talking to Abraham, he says, Abraham will surely become a great nation and might a nation. 00:25:16.860 --> 00:25:21.800 And in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed because the obligation isn't up to Abraham. 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:30.480 It was a covenant established in Christ and 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:31.720 it's in that relationship. 00:25:36.040 --> 00:25:42.960 When in your weakness, God still pursues you and then your sin. 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:50.560 God still pursues you because God is seeking you and 00:25:51.400 --> 00:25:57.780 for the reason he has created you, which is in relationship with him and in that relationship the best which God has created you as found. 00:26:01.020 --> 00:26:08.440 It's when you experience that love and you're served in that way, that 00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:15.520 your co fills in him to be able to look at the rest of the world and get beneath those 00:26:15.520 --> 00:26:22.940 around you and serve them because Christ has demonstrated 00:26:22.940 --> 00:26:24.850 his love for you. 00:26:26.500 --> 00:26:32.480 That's why the Bible tells us in Corinthians that you are a new creation. 00:26:34.420 --> 00:26:35.400 Old things have passed. 00:26:35.480 --> 00:26:42.620 All things have become new because the covenantal relationship of Jesus's love has been extended to you in such a 00:26:42.740 --> 00:26:50.230 way that it has transformed your life and Jesus knowing this and 00:26:50.290 --> 00:26:54.990 to his covenantal community says, Matthew 16 I will build my church. 00:26:55.130 --> 00:27:01.530 And then he says to them in acts chapter one you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and Judea and Sumeria and even the remotest parts of the earth. 00:27:03.430 --> 00:27:10.810 This covenant to love is to be, to be declared and shared and emulated in his people because that love 00:27:10.810 --> 00:27:17.930 that Christ has given to us builds us up 00:27:18.930 --> 00:27:23.730 in such a way that we're able to serve those around us because we have been served by such a glorious scheme. 00:27:28.490 --> 00:27:34.410 Romans six when Paul says, then shall we go on sending that Grace May abound the answer to that. 00:27:34.670 --> 00:27:41.810 Absolutely not because we've never been loved in such a way that God himself would give 00:27:41.810 --> 00:27:49.570 his life on our behalf and in this covenantal relationship that we've been invited to see 00:27:49.570 --> 00:27:53.920 for a Christian to ask the question, how close can we live to the edge? 00:27:54.470 --> 00:27:59.890 How close can we walk the line of sin with without getting in trouble with God? 00:27:59.890 --> 00:28:04.630 If you're even beginning to ask that question, it's such an unhealthy question. 00:28:04.630 --> 00:28:08.470 It's so far, so far removed from the relationship which God has called you to. 00:28:08.510 --> 00:28:15.710 Because the question shouldn't be how close to the edge can I live my life, but rather how close can I get to Christ to enjoy that relationship 00:28:15.710 --> 00:28:18.490 in him for which he has lavished his love on me. 00:28:25.610 --> 00:28:27.050 We understand covenant to love. 00:28:30.550 --> 00:28:35.610 We find that the Christian life, it's not about inviting God into my kingdom. 00:28:37.550 --> 00:28:44.710 What is it about me joining him in his to connect with such a King 00:28:44.710 --> 00:28:49.250 that is extended his love in such a glorious way? 00:28:49.250 --> 00:28:56.250 And if you think about this for a minute, this covenantal love invites us into relationship at a, 00:28:56.590 --> 00:28:58.630 at a death, quite a depth. 00:28:58.630 --> 00:29:05.350 Quite frankly, you've never experienced in any other relationship because no one has ever loved you the way that Jesus has loved you. 00:29:10.650 --> 00:29:15.950 Now you think about covenantal relationship and connection to your own individuality for a moment. 00:29:18.010 --> 00:29:21.570 Genesis three the story of the serpent unfolds. 00:29:23.930 --> 00:29:27.670 The problem in Eve step is that she is in pursuit of Rona autonomy. 00:29:30.430 --> 00:29:31.530 It's a God. 00:29:31.570 --> 00:29:34.530 Y'all always the only being that finds the purpose of existence in himself. 00:29:34.630 --> 00:29:37.490 Everything else created funds the purpose for the existence outside of themselves. 00:29:37.970 --> 00:29:45.050 Yet in the garden, in Genesis, when Eve is having conversation with the serpent, she's developing her identity separate from God 00:29:45.050 --> 00:29:50.710 in their own autonomy, which is serpent says, Charlie, surely you won't die when you partake of the fruit. 00:29:50.710 --> 00:29:57.850 The only reason God doesn't want you to have it is because you're going to become like him and knowing good from evil, and the serpent waits until 00:29:57.850 --> 00:30:05.110 Eve is by herself and her own autonomy to share about this autonomy that you will become like God and you will declare what's right and wrong 00:30:05.110 --> 00:30:09.570 and then that sin is born. 00:30:11.390 --> 00:30:17.810 But you know when you consider the covenantal relationship as explained throughout the rest of the Bible, what God calls us for an relationship. 00:30:18.530 --> 00:30:22.200 Oftentimes we read the word you in scripture, we just think about ourselves. 00:30:22.430 --> 00:30:29.430 But when the Bible really refers to the word you generally most of the time, or a lot of the time, it's an expression to the entire body of Jesus 00:30:29.430 --> 00:30:35.290 or of Christ and Janice or Jeremiah chapter 30 it says this, you shall be my people. 00:30:35.290 --> 00:30:35.890 Plurality. 00:30:35.890 --> 00:30:38.710 All of you will be my people and I will be your God. 00:30:40.290 --> 00:30:47.530 In Romans chapter 12 one of the most famous verses I think Christians often quote it says, I urge you brothers, by the mercy of God, 00:30:47.530 --> 00:30:55.210 that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship when 00:30:55.210 --> 00:30:57.890 it's talking about you giving your life to God. 00:30:57.950 --> 00:31:02.790 And Romans chapter 12 look at it's talking in the plurality of who we are as a body. 00:31:03.270 --> 00:31:09.790 You brethren, you in the plurality, this covenantal community in service to one another for the glory of God. 00:31:10.810 --> 00:31:13.670 And first Corinthians three 16 you are the temple of God. 00:31:13.670 --> 00:31:15.560 This idea of you again is plural. 00:31:16.290 --> 00:31:18.130 You all are the temple of God. 00:31:19.310 --> 00:31:24.730 And Ephesians chapter two in verse 22 you also are being built together into a dwelling of God. 00:31:24.810 --> 00:31:25.510 In the spirit. 00:31:25.510 --> 00:31:26.950 It's all of us together. 00:31:26.950 --> 00:31:30.350 It's not this individual identity, but it's what God is working in. 00:31:30.450 --> 00:31:37.490 In our midst as a group called to him saying this covenantal 00:31:37.490 --> 00:31:44.870 community, it's not about the individual, about the entire community that's described 00:31:44.870 --> 00:31:46.180 as the body of Christ. 00:31:48.010 --> 00:31:55.330 What we become in Jesus, we become together, God as his body, 00:31:55.670 --> 00:31:58.030 as Jesus has emulated for us. 00:31:58.190 --> 00:32:02.810 This covenantal sacrificial life for our benefit. 00:32:03.150 --> 00:32:10.230 God's calling to his people and being a light to this world is that his covenantal community within demonstrate that love, 00:32:10.450 --> 00:32:13.910 that Jesus has demonstrated to us by the way that we serve one another. 00:32:15.450 --> 00:32:19.550 It is foreign to the idea that you live your Christian life by yourself. 00:32:20.110 --> 00:32:20.950 Yeah. 00:32:20.950 --> 00:32:28.170 That if you understand what Jesus has done for you, the pursuit of your life would be the can think about other people and how you could use what God has 00:32:28.170 --> 00:32:33.310 given to you to serve them for the benefit of the body that God has called us to be. 00:32:33.550 --> 00:32:35.890 Collectively what we become, we become together. 00:32:38.570 --> 00:32:45.650 It's to go so far as to say, just simply saying, you belong to Jesus. 00:32:47.230 --> 00:32:47.590 Yeah. 00:32:47.670 --> 00:32:48.690 Doing nothing about. 00:32:49.950 --> 00:32:54.090 It begs the question, do you belong to Jesus? 00:32:56.690 --> 00:33:03.770 Cause those, that entrance, that covenantal community, what to display the covenantal love of 00:33:03.770 --> 00:33:04.130 Christ. 00:33:07.130 --> 00:33:13.130 I recognize and saying that at some points in our lives religiously or not, somewhere at some point we may have been burned. 00:33:13.230 --> 00:33:20.370 Maybe we've stuck her head out and we got into groups and we've been mistreated or things didn't go the way that we wanted to, 00:33:20.370 --> 00:33:27.630 but can I tell you that if you live Christian life in autonomy, 00:33:30.730 --> 00:33:32.230 Satan still wins. 00:33:36.010 --> 00:33:40.450 The Bible tells us in Ephesians chapter two eight and nine by grace, you're saved through faith, not of yourselves. 00:33:40.610 --> 00:33:47.750 It's the gift of God, but intend you're created in Christ Jesus for good works and now what Jesus has done in you, 00:33:47.750 --> 00:33:55.090 he wants to reflect the beauty of that in this world, that more than anything, what Satan would desire to do is as 00:33:55.160 --> 00:34:02.610 regardless if you belonged to Jesus or not, it's just to stop the living of that Christian community in your life to 00:34:02.610 --> 00:34:08.889 make you so individualistic that you don't see how you can bless the world through what Christ has done in you. 00:34:13.010 --> 00:34:20.230 Hebrews, the book of Hebrews, I think fights against that thought, but in our sinful nature 00:34:20.230 --> 00:34:23.449 we want to seclude ourselves and we want to isolate ourselves. 00:34:23.550 --> 00:34:30.630 But the Hebrews three 13 that says this, but encourage one another day after day, as long as it's still called today so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness 00:34:30.630 --> 00:34:31.250 of sin. 00:34:33.530 --> 00:34:38.429 Well, what this verse isn't saying is now go freak out about not sending. 00:34:38.630 --> 00:34:38.790 Okay? 00:34:39.870 --> 00:34:44.230 Like the point of this passage isn't, so you walk around and be like, Oh, that's a sin. 00:34:44.230 --> 00:34:44.409 No. 00:34:44.630 --> 00:34:45.150 Oh, that's a sin. 00:34:45.150 --> 00:34:54.130 Oh, that's 00:34:54.290 --> 00:34:55.350 a sin. 00:34:55.350 --> 00:34:55.350 But rather the point of this passage is simply to say what God's interested in is who you're becoming. 00:34:55.350 --> 00:34:57.190 God's called you for a relationship in him. 00:34:57.350 --> 00:34:59.380 The Christian life isn't about avoiding sin. 00:35:00.730 --> 00:35:04.590 It's not about asking the question, how close can you get to the boundary before God considers it wrong? 00:35:06.130 --> 00:35:13.910 Rather, the question is, how can you get closer to the covenant of love in which Jesus is expressed toward you every 00:35:13.910 --> 00:35:14.390 day? 00:35:14.390 --> 00:35:15.670 How can you experience this? 00:35:17.110 --> 00:35:20.850 And the point of this passage is to say, sometimes we live in our own little bubble. 00:35:20.870 --> 00:35:27.010 In our own little world, we become blind to the things that are, that are separating us and our relationship with God. 00:35:27.890 --> 00:35:34.890 But it's when you live that out in community that people can encourage you and call you out and hold you accountable and lift you up and build you up 00:35:34.890 --> 00:35:38.220 so that you can continue to pursue that which Christ has created. 00:35:41.690 --> 00:35:44.080 Hebrews 10 the thought continues on, but let us hold fast. 00:35:44.350 --> 00:35:51.210 The confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful and let us consider how to stimulate one another. 00:35:51.210 --> 00:35:56.930 To love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together as the habit of his, of some, but encouraging one another. 00:35:58.210 --> 00:35:59.880 Look, we're not here because it's an obligation. 00:36:01.730 --> 00:36:04.870 We're here because this is the place where the extent of God's love is magnified. 00:36:05.730 --> 00:36:10.190 The church proclaims not contractual law, that obligation, but covenant love in Christ. 00:36:11.250 --> 00:36:13.790 This is the place where that is proclaimed in the world. 00:36:14.350 --> 00:36:18.830 This is the place where people can come to gather and finally for the first time in the lives, maybe even experience. 00:36:18.830 --> 00:36:27.170 What love truly is, that it's not something that's married to but it's in essence, it's extended to you not 00:36:27.170 --> 00:36:31.610 because of you, because the goodness of your God. 00:36:34.270 --> 00:36:41.490 One of the reasons that we want to end with this and the believes series together is because for the first six weeks we laid the foundation of what Christianity is 00:36:41.490 --> 00:36:48.590 and validated why it's good to believe in the truth of what Christianity is so that with comfort and security you 00:36:48.590 --> 00:36:58.610 could see the foundation of your gods so that when you put this kind of trusting God, no, he's dependable, that 00:36:58.690 --> 00:37:06.030 we in the not forsaking the beauty of what Christ has done, but earnestly 00:37:06.030 --> 00:37:12.070 seeking to gather together, holding the confession of our hope without wavering because of the extent of God's love. 00:37:19.080 --> 00:37:26.220 Pauline Galatians two verses where I'm going to end in the book of Galatians, but in Galatians 00:37:26.220 --> 00:37:33.920 chapter five and verse one and recognizing what Jesus did, it says this, it 00:37:33.920 --> 00:37:34.620 was for freedom. 00:37:36.310 --> 00:37:39.900 Christ set us free. 00:37:41.840 --> 00:37:43.300 Contractually, we were in bonded. 00:37:45.100 --> 00:37:46.920 We were bound to darkness. 00:37:47.300 --> 00:37:51.280 We are bound to sin, are bound to another kingdom. 00:37:55.080 --> 00:38:02.900 Jesus has set you free, free to an eternity with him, free 00:38:02.900 --> 00:38:05.430 to experience the life for which he created mankind. 00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:09.820 In the book of Genesis, you're free. 00:38:11.580 --> 00:38:14.880 When Paul is writing this passage, he's writing on the backdrop of religion. 00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:23.020 He's telling the people, don't be bound to the idea of religion, the contractual yoke it brings rather understand 00:38:23.020 --> 00:38:32.780 this covenant to love Jesus has set you free and then in verse 13 he says this would 00:38:32.780 --> 00:38:39.980 be the word for you were to freedom brothers only do not turn your freedom into 00:38:39.980 --> 00:38:46.860 an opportunity for the flash which is talking about religion again but through look, love, serve one another. 00:38:49.460 --> 00:38:52.050 That's covenant to language. 00:38:54.380 --> 00:38:58.640 Then in Jesus's community the question is not how can I serve you so I get what I want? 00:39:00.660 --> 00:39:05.080 How can I serve you so that we together can become who God has called us to be? 00:39:07.040 --> 00:39:15.320 I'll tell you one of the draining things in church communities when we don't understand covenant to love over contractual love or 00:39:15.720 --> 00:39:22.980 covenant to relationship over contractual relationship because the idea will become while I come to church on Sunday 00:39:22.980 --> 00:39:27.020 because I owe God this favor and I did my favorites of God would be happy with me. 00:39:27.040 --> 00:39:31.170 That's contractual or you're walking in the building. 00:39:31.220 --> 00:39:38.220 You see people as their job is to serve you, to fill you up, but you'd never see the idea of God's covenant to 00:39:38.220 --> 00:39:45.460 love and how you can engage in community to love them the way that Jesus has loved you and they the same and 00:39:45.460 --> 00:39:46.200 it becomes draining. 00:39:47.780 --> 00:39:53.320 Cause what happens in an environment like that is there are people that will get covenant to love and they will give and they will give and they will give. 00:39:53.420 --> 00:39:54.630 But it's never reciprocated. 00:39:58.890 --> 00:40:06.700 But when the body understands what covenantal love is among itself, and 00:40:06.720 --> 00:40:14.320 they begin to live that love for one another, they also demonstrate that love outside of their gathering places 00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:21.360 and others find that attractive, that in the midst of their sin, in the midst of their brokenness, in the midst of nothing to 00:40:21.360 --> 00:40:28.260 offer, still someone would come to them and someone would love them and someone would care about them and someone would seek the best for them. 00:40:29.140 --> 00:40:29.960 And why would you do that? 00:40:32.420 --> 00:40:39.520 It's not because you're obligated, but it's because you've been loved in such a way that this love has 00:40:39.520 --> 00:40:40.560 set you free. 00:40:42.020 --> 00:40:45.360 And therefore in verse 13 you were called the freedom brother. 00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:50.080 And then do not turn your freedom and opportunity for flip for the flesh but through love serve one another. 00:40:51.340 --> 00:40:59.720 That's one of the most attractive things I think about about soldiers in service who give their lives for other people putting 00:40:59.720 --> 00:41:06.960 their lives on the line that they are put in positions to rescue someone from a circumstance they're laying their lives down for 00:41:06.960 --> 00:41:08.060 the benefit of another. 00:41:12.900 --> 00:41:16.180 You consider these thoughts for a moment. 00:41:19.020 --> 00:41:19.780 What about failure? 00:41:23.630 --> 00:41:31.660 Cause I can tell you in a covenantal community, the only one perfect is Jesus and 00:41:31.660 --> 00:41:38.720 in serving one another, that sense we might expect someone in 00:41:38.720 --> 00:41:40.490 that community would fail the other person. 00:41:43.220 --> 00:41:49.860 But that is the point of covenantal love and our failures. 00:41:53.080 --> 00:41:54.740 We still care for one another. 00:41:57.220 --> 00:42:03.240 When you think about covenantal community relationship to Jesus, Jesus compares our relationship to him to that of marriage. 00:42:05.760 --> 00:42:12.250 Let's to be honest, none of us can be the perfect spouse Jesus needs, needs us to be. 00:42:16.200 --> 00:42:23.220 And then that moment when you consider the fact that when Jesus calls you to be his bride and you can't be that perfect spouse, you have 00:42:23.220 --> 00:42:24.060 two choice. 00:42:25.960 --> 00:42:35.180 You can run away from the idea a failure or you can comfort yourself, but 00:42:35.180 --> 00:42:42.320 the character of the one you have married, which is Christ, none 00:42:42.320 --> 00:42:44.310 of us can do what God's called us to be. 00:42:46.980 --> 00:42:49.600 That's really what makes this journey with Jesus so great. 00:42:52.640 --> 00:43:00.640 It's not because we're worthy, but because he is and 00:43:00.780 --> 00:43:07.780 even in my failures and even when I might feel like I should run and hide and I can't be the 00:43:07.780 --> 00:43:10.120 bride that Jesus has called me to be in him. 00:43:11.720 --> 00:43:18.720 He still loves and he still pursues and his interest is the still a giving of his 00:43:18.720 --> 00:43:25.840 life so that you can become that for which he has called you to in him that 00:43:25.840 --> 00:43:26.940 type of love. 00:43:26.980 --> 00:43:28.720 When it is displayed, it is healing. 00:43:29.000 --> 00:43:30.060 It is life giving. 00:43:30.060 --> 00:43:30.590 It is beautiful. 00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:33.120 It is what the body of Christ is about. 00:43:37.000 --> 00:43:45.460 That's what God sends us into this world, to represent a bride, preparing herself for 00:43:45.460 --> 00:43:52.620 her groom us this morning, his body believers, we should understand better 00:43:52.620 --> 00:44:02.260 than anyone that the reason Christ has come for us to set us free Jesus and 00:44:02.360 --> 00:44:04.480 pursuing you is after one thing. 00:44:04.660 --> 00:44:09.140 Your relationship in him made available through what he has given to you. 00:44:11.400 --> 00:44:12.130 What we become. 00:44:13.840 --> 00:44:21.020 We become together, not obligated contractually, the 00:44:21.120 --> 00:44:25.170 covenantal he invited in at the extent of his grace.