1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:03,100 Please have your bibles open at Micah Chapter Two 2 00:00:03,100 –> 00:00:09,420 as we continue our series entitled Close Encounters with the Living God. 3 00:00:09,420 –> 00:00:13,260 Now we saw last week that the God of the Bible is sovereign. 4 00:00:13,260 –> 00:00:17,620 What that means is that he is not overwhelmed by evil. 5 00:00:17,620 –> 00:00:20,900 The disasters of life and of this world, in other words, 6 00:00:20,900 –> 00:00:23,240 cannot overwhelm his purpose. 7 00:00:23,240 –> 00:00:27,180 He is in control of history and he is moving it 8 00:00:27,180 –> 00:00:32,040 towards its climactic moment when Jesus Christ will be revealed. 9 00:00:32,040 –> 00:00:34,980 And he is in control of your life. 10 00:00:34,980 –> 00:00:38,680 He will use every experience, both the good and the bad, 11 00:00:38,680 –> 00:00:44,480 to advance his purpose, which is that a true reflection of his son, Jesus Christ, 12 00:00:44,480 –> 00:00:50,160 will be formed in you and will therefore reflect his glory for all eternity. 13 00:00:50,160 –> 00:00:51,959 Now this is good news. 14 00:00:51,959 –> 00:00:54,380 There may be many things in our lives 15 00:00:54,380 –> 00:00:57,139 that are not as we would want them to be right now 16 00:00:57,459 –> 00:01:00,240 but they are not there by random chance. 17 00:01:00,240 –> 00:01:06,300 And God is at work in every circumstance of your life. 18 00:01:06,300 –> 00:01:13,199 So we concluded last week that therefore, the God of the Bible is worth knowing. 19 00:01:13,199 –> 00:01:18,500 This God who can bring great good out of even the worst disasters 20 00:01:18,500 –> 00:01:21,180 is the God I need to know. 21 00:01:21,180 –> 00:01:26,900 Living in this world, I need to have a close encounter with him. 22 00:01:26,959 –> 00:01:31,720 Now the obvious question that follows from that then is well how is that possible? 23 00:01:31,720 –> 00:01:38,180 How can I know this sovereign God of the Bible? 24 00:01:38,180 –> 00:01:39,199 How can I know God? 25 00:01:39,199 –> 00:01:45,040 That really is the most fundamental question a human being can ever ask, isn’t it? 26 00:01:45,040 –> 00:01:47,199 How can I know him? 27 00:01:47,199 –> 00:01:54,139 I mean, God is invisible, we can’t see Him, hear Him, touch Him, taste Him or smell Him. 28 00:01:54,220 –> 00:01:57,040 And more than that, God is incomprehensible. 29 00:01:57,040 –> 00:02:05,000 I mean, how could I, a small part of this creation in a tiny capsule of time ever expect 30 00:02:05,000 –> 00:02:08,300 to know the Creator who is eternal? 31 00:02:08,300 –> 00:02:13,119 How is that possible? 32 00:02:13,119 –> 00:02:21,979 I have a rechargeable electric shaver, or at least I did until I took it over to Britain, 33 00:02:22,080 –> 00:02:28,820 found an adapter and plugged it into the 240 volt electric supply, and you know what happened? 34 00:02:28,820 –> 00:02:29,820 It fried. 35 00:02:29,820 –> 00:02:36,740 Now, you see if you were to take all the power and glory of the eternal God and try to communicate 36 00:02:36,740 –> 00:02:41,940 it down to this tiny little brain, that is exactly what would happen. 37 00:02:41,940 –> 00:02:46,020 I mean, a storm of thunder and lightning is overwhelming to us. 38 00:02:46,520 –> 00:02:54,619 much more the infinite glory of the eternal creator, God. 39 00:02:54,619 –> 00:02:56,460 So how can I know God? 40 00:02:56,460 –> 00:02:59,639 There really are two approaches. 41 00:02:59,639 –> 00:03:00,740 One that works and one that doesn’t. 42 00:03:00,740 –> 00:03:03,440 We’re going to take a few moments to look at them both. 43 00:03:03,440 –> 00:03:06,539 Two ways in which people attempt to know God. 44 00:03:06,539 –> 00:03:07,800 One that works one that doesn’t. 45 00:03:07,800 –> 00:03:10,979 Let’s start with the one that doesn’t. 46 00:03:10,979 –> 00:03:12,820 And that is speculation. 47 00:03:13,539 –> 00:03:17,779 Now very simply, a large part of the world’s religion 48 00:03:17,779 –> 00:03:22,660 is simply human speculation about the nature of God. 49 00:03:22,660 –> 00:03:25,020 Men and women, though frankly it has to be said, 50 00:03:25,020 –> 00:03:28,820 mainly men, have thought and talked and meditated 51 00:03:28,820 –> 00:03:32,899 and written about what they think God is like. 52 00:03:33,779 –> 00:03:38,660 And the 21st century secularists are picking up on this. 53 00:03:38,979 –> 00:03:43,979 They’re making the point that a large part of religion 54 00:03:44,660 –> 00:03:49,220 is really only a projection of people’s own ideas, 55 00:03:49,220 –> 00:03:51,740 which reflect, of course, their own prejudices 56 00:03:51,740 –> 00:03:53,380 and their own limited point of view. 57 00:03:53,380 –> 00:03:56,419 And therefore, that we should not be bound by this. 58 00:03:57,300 –> 00:04:02,259 21st century secularists are saying very clearly in our day 59 00:04:02,259 –> 00:04:07,259 that we can gain light, we can gain inspiration 60 00:04:07,460 –> 00:04:09,720 from great religious thinkers and teachers, 61 00:04:09,720 –> 00:04:12,279 but what really matters is not what they said, 62 00:04:12,279 –> 00:04:14,880 but what it means to you today. 63 00:04:14,880 –> 00:04:17,239 What do you think about God? 64 00:04:17,239 –> 00:04:20,220 What is your experience about God? 65 00:04:20,220 –> 00:04:22,220 What do you feel about faith? 66 00:04:24,140 –> 00:04:25,320 Now, I want to suggest to you today 67 00:04:25,320 –> 00:04:27,579 that any approach to knowing God 68 00:04:27,579 –> 00:04:32,579 that begins with our speculation will lead to idolatry. 69 00:04:32,779 –> 00:04:35,200 Any approach to knowing God 70 00:04:35,200 –> 00:04:39,260 that begins with our speculation will lead to idolatry, 71 00:04:39,260 –> 00:04:43,480 and idol, of course, is simply my idea of what God is like, 72 00:04:43,480 –> 00:04:45,600 and in ancient times, of course, 73 00:04:45,600 –> 00:04:49,059 and still in a large part of the East today, 74 00:04:49,059 –> 00:04:54,059 idols were fashioned out of wood, stone, metal. 75 00:04:55,239 –> 00:05:00,019 In modern times, and in most of the West today, 76 00:05:00,019 –> 00:05:03,359 idols are not metal, but they are mental. 77 00:05:04,359 –> 00:05:07,980 They are constructed not in a workshop, but in a classroom. 78 00:05:08,959 –> 00:05:11,899 I like to think of God like this, we say, 79 00:05:11,899 –> 00:05:15,799 and then proceed to lay out our own speculation. 80 00:05:16,679 –> 00:05:20,480 Now, an idol is simply my idea of what God is like, 81 00:05:20,480 –> 00:05:22,640 and any approach to knowing God 82 00:05:22,640 –> 00:05:26,519 that begins with our speculation will lead to idolatry. 83 00:05:26,519 –> 00:05:27,899 That’s what it is. 84 00:05:29,040 –> 00:05:31,940 Now, it has to be said that, around the world, 85 00:05:31,959 –> 00:05:34,660 religion that is based on speculation 86 00:05:34,660 –> 00:05:39,559 can bring to a person some strength and comfort. 87 00:05:39,559 –> 00:05:41,540 Let me tell you how. 88 00:05:41,540 –> 00:05:45,779 Some years ago, some friends of ours were taking a vacation 89 00:05:45,779 –> 00:05:49,799 and we had their little boy to stay with us 90 00:05:49,799 –> 00:05:52,980 over the weekend while they were gone. 91 00:05:52,980 –> 00:05:55,500 And just before the parents left, 92 00:05:55,500 –> 00:05:57,220 the little lad’s mother said to us, 93 00:05:57,440 –> 00:06:02,440 by the way, you need to know that he has an imaginary cat. 94 00:06:04,739 –> 00:06:07,140 So if he starts, as he’s going up to bed, 95 00:06:07,140 –> 00:06:10,459 talking to the cat, don’t worry about it. 96 00:06:10,459 –> 00:06:12,779 That’s what he does every night. 97 00:06:12,779 –> 00:06:15,420 It seems to comfort him, 98 00:06:15,420 –> 00:06:17,839 and sure enough, that’s exactly what happened. 99 00:06:18,859 –> 00:06:21,059 Now in the same way, 100 00:06:21,059 –> 00:06:25,820 an imaginary God may be of great comfort to many. 101 00:06:26,660 –> 00:06:30,940 But an imaginary God cannot save you. 102 00:06:32,220 –> 00:06:36,839 An imaginary God cannot reach with power into your life 103 00:06:36,839 –> 00:06:38,899 when it something is overwhelming you. 104 00:06:38,899 –> 00:06:41,320 An imaginary God can’t do that. 105 00:06:42,339 –> 00:06:44,440 A God who is merely a projection 106 00:06:44,440 –> 00:06:46,899 of your own thoughts and feelings 107 00:06:46,899 –> 00:06:50,119 is simply an extension of yourself, 108 00:06:51,899 –> 00:06:53,980 and so when you’re in trouble, 109 00:06:54,059 –> 00:06:57,500 an extension of yourself can’t do anything about it. 110 00:06:58,940 –> 00:07:02,559 If that is your God, you are ultimately on your own. 111 00:07:04,140 –> 00:07:05,619 So it becomes quite clear, then, 112 00:07:05,619 –> 00:07:09,200 that you cannot come to know the Living God 113 00:07:09,200 –> 00:07:11,299 by speculation. 114 00:07:11,299 –> 00:07:13,660 So we come back to our question. 115 00:07:13,660 –> 00:07:15,299 How then can I know God? 116 00:07:16,579 –> 00:07:18,459 If speculation won’t work, 117 00:07:18,459 –> 00:07:20,140 if it can’t just be an extension 118 00:07:20,140 –> 00:07:22,720 and or expression of my thoughts and my feelings 119 00:07:22,779 –> 00:07:24,839 and my experiences, 120 00:07:24,839 –> 00:07:26,480 then how can I come to know God? 121 00:07:27,859 –> 00:07:29,519 Here’s the answer that will work. 122 00:07:30,440 –> 00:07:31,880 Revelation. 123 00:07:31,880 –> 00:07:33,459 Revelation. 124 00:07:33,459 –> 00:07:35,940 Now this is a word that we use to describe 125 00:07:35,940 –> 00:07:38,920 how the invisible and incomprehensible God 126 00:07:38,920 –> 00:07:41,220 has made himself known. 127 00:07:41,220 –> 00:07:44,119 You can come to know the Living God 128 00:07:44,119 –> 00:07:47,540 not through your own speculation, ideas, or feelings 129 00:07:47,540 –> 00:07:48,920 about what he may be like, 130 00:07:48,920 –> 00:07:53,380 but through his own revelation of himself. 131 00:07:53,380 –> 00:07:55,239 You say, well, how has God revealed himself? 132 00:07:55,239 –> 00:07:56,339 Through ways. 133 00:07:56,339 –> 00:07:59,420 By words and by deeds, 134 00:07:59,420 –> 00:08:03,359 by speaking and by acting. 135 00:08:03,359 –> 00:08:04,899 You say, well, what are God’s actions? 136 00:08:04,899 –> 00:08:06,920 Well, he created the world. 137 00:08:06,920 –> 00:08:09,220 He sent his son into the world. 138 00:08:09,220 –> 00:08:11,019 Jesus died on the cross. 139 00:08:11,019 –> 00:08:14,079 On the third day, the tomb was empty. 140 00:08:15,079 –> 00:08:17,380 But alongside God’s actions 141 00:08:17,380 –> 00:08:20,320 there are also God’s words, 142 00:08:20,320 –> 00:08:22,820 and it’s very important that the two come together. 143 00:08:23,880 –> 00:08:28,880 We often say actions speak louder than words, 144 00:08:29,220 –> 00:08:30,239 and that’s true. 145 00:08:31,200 –> 00:08:36,200 But it is also true that words speak clearer than actions. 146 00:08:38,599 –> 00:08:40,799 Let me try and illustrate that for you. 147 00:08:40,799 –> 00:08:42,679 I recently saw a documentary 148 00:08:42,760 –> 00:08:45,960 about the events of September the 11th, 149 00:08:45,960 –> 00:08:48,159 the story being told from the perspective 150 00:08:48,159 –> 00:08:50,280 of the Vice President. 151 00:08:50,280 –> 00:08:52,679 And he told about how at one point 152 00:08:52,679 –> 00:08:55,039 during that dreadful morning, 153 00:08:55,039 –> 00:08:59,059 two men from the Secret Service came into his office 154 00:08:59,059 –> 00:09:03,400 to take him to the undisclosed location. 155 00:09:04,380 –> 00:09:07,080 He described the incident. 156 00:09:07,080 –> 00:09:08,559 Sir, these two men said, 157 00:09:08,559 –> 00:09:10,359 there is a threat to the White House, 158 00:09:10,359 –> 00:09:12,159 we must leave immediately. 159 00:09:13,080 –> 00:09:15,039 And the Vice President responded to this 160 00:09:15,039 –> 00:09:17,280 apparently by some comment to the effect 161 00:09:17,280 –> 00:09:19,200 that he would just finish what he was doing. 162 00:09:19,200 –> 00:09:20,520 Only to hear the words, 163 00:09:20,520 –> 00:09:23,119 Sir, we must leave now. 164 00:09:24,940 –> 00:09:27,479 With this, the Vice President said, 165 00:09:27,479 –> 00:09:32,380 the two men literally took him from his chair. 166 00:09:32,380 –> 00:09:35,979 And with one either side holding him by the arms, 167 00:09:35,979 –> 00:09:40,619 literally man handled the Vice President 168 00:09:40,619 –> 00:09:43,919 of the United States out of his office. 169 00:09:44,979 –> 00:09:46,900 Now that action, 170 00:09:48,479 –> 00:09:50,900 I want you to imagine what it would have been like 171 00:09:50,900 –> 00:09:52,659 without words. 172 00:09:53,580 –> 00:09:55,840 I mean, what if these two men from the Secret Service 173 00:09:55,840 –> 00:09:58,419 have simply stormed into the office of the Vice President 174 00:09:58,419 –> 00:10:00,859 of the United States and without saying a word 175 00:10:00,859 –> 00:10:01,960 had come around his desk, 176 00:10:01,960 –> 00:10:05,039 grabbed him and taken him out with no words at all. 177 00:10:06,219 –> 00:10:09,359 How could the Vice President possibly have understood 178 00:10:09,359 –> 00:10:10,340 what was happening? 179 00:10:11,380 –> 00:10:15,919 You see, actions without words 180 00:10:15,919 –> 00:10:17,559 are often ambiguous. 181 00:10:18,840 –> 00:10:21,440 When the Secret Service men said, 182 00:10:21,440 –> 00:10:24,460 the White House is under attack, 183 00:10:24,460 –> 00:10:26,280 we must leave now, 184 00:10:26,280 –> 00:10:29,820 their words made sense 185 00:10:29,820 –> 00:10:31,340 of their actions. 186 00:10:32,479 –> 00:10:36,599 So it is a wonderful thing that God speaks in actions, 187 00:10:36,599 –> 00:10:40,140 but it is also a wonderful thing that He speaks in words, 188 00:10:40,159 –> 00:10:42,320 because if He spoke in actions only, 189 00:10:42,320 –> 00:10:45,359 we would have no way of knowing what these actions mean. 190 00:10:46,739 –> 00:10:49,099 Now that is precisely where a lot of people are today, 191 00:10:49,099 –> 00:10:49,940 you see. 192 00:10:51,039 –> 00:10:52,960 There are many, and this is a wonderful thing, 193 00:10:52,960 –> 00:10:55,039 in the scientific community today 194 00:10:55,039 –> 00:10:56,960 who are opening up to the idea 195 00:10:56,960 –> 00:11:01,859 that the world bears the marks of intelligent design. 196 00:11:01,859 –> 00:11:02,799 That’s good. 197 00:11:04,440 –> 00:11:09,039 But even if there is intelligence behind the universe, 198 00:11:09,080 –> 00:11:11,359 what difference does that make to my life? 199 00:11:13,559 –> 00:11:16,900 That action of intelligence is meaningless to me 200 00:11:16,900 –> 00:11:19,200 unless it is explained in words. 201 00:11:20,880 –> 00:11:23,159 So, Jesus claimed to be the son of God 202 00:11:23,159 –> 00:11:24,219 and died on the cross, 203 00:11:24,219 –> 00:11:25,479 what difference in all the world 204 00:11:25,479 –> 00:11:26,840 is that gonna make to me? 205 00:11:29,500 –> 00:11:33,159 See, if you want to understand God’s action, 206 00:11:34,500 –> 00:11:37,359 you need to listen to God’s word. 207 00:11:38,200 –> 00:11:40,280 What does the cross have to do with you? 208 00:11:40,280 –> 00:11:44,000 God’s words tell you the son of God loved you 209 00:11:44,000 –> 00:11:46,080 and gave himself for you. 210 00:11:47,580 –> 00:11:50,159 That’s why, though it was 2,000 years ago, 211 00:11:50,159 –> 00:11:52,640 it speaks right into your life today. 212 00:11:53,479 –> 00:11:58,299 He died for your sins, according to the scripture. 213 00:11:59,419 –> 00:12:03,919 God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for you 214 00:12:03,919 –> 00:12:06,599 so that in Him you might become 215 00:12:06,599 –> 00:12:08,359 the very righteousness of God. 216 00:12:09,719 –> 00:12:11,559 That’s what it’s got to do with you. 217 00:12:13,280 –> 00:12:15,119 God speaks. 218 00:12:17,179 –> 00:12:20,000 And His words give meaning to His actions 219 00:12:20,000 –> 00:12:24,179 and His actions give substance to His words. 220 00:12:26,880 –> 00:12:28,840 And you can have a close encounter 221 00:12:28,840 –> 00:12:32,979 with a living eternal God because He has made Himself known. 222 00:12:32,979 –> 00:12:35,940 He has made Himself known in words and deeds 223 00:12:35,940 –> 00:12:37,679 that are found in the Scriptures 224 00:12:37,679 –> 00:12:40,700 that everywhere point you to Jesus Christ. 225 00:12:40,700 –> 00:12:42,940 That’s revelation. 226 00:12:45,000 –> 00:12:45,840 Now you’re saying, 227 00:12:45,840 –> 00:12:47,460 this is sounding like an extremely long introduction, 228 00:12:47,460 –> 00:12:49,700 what has it got to do with Micah chapter two? 229 00:12:49,700 –> 00:12:51,460 Well, I hope you still have Micah chapter two 230 00:12:51,460 –> 00:12:52,900 open in front of you 231 00:12:52,900 –> 00:12:54,059 because we’re now going to see 232 00:12:54,059 –> 00:12:58,700 that this entire chapter is about speculation 233 00:12:58,700 –> 00:13:00,679 and revelation. 234 00:13:00,679 –> 00:13:02,780 What we find here is, first, 235 00:13:02,780 –> 00:13:06,919 speculation that is offered to the community 236 00:13:06,919 –> 00:13:10,159 of those who believe by false prophets 237 00:13:10,159 –> 00:13:13,780 and then revelation that is offered to the same community 238 00:13:13,780 –> 00:13:16,340 by the very words of God. 239 00:13:16,340 –> 00:13:18,340 Let’s look at God’s revelation first 240 00:13:18,340 –> 00:13:20,099 beginning in verse one. 241 00:13:20,099 –> 00:13:21,679 Let’s look at what God says. 242 00:13:22,880 –> 00:13:26,320 “‘Woe to those who plan iniquity, 243 00:13:26,320 –> 00:13:30,419 “‘to those who plot evil on their beds.’” 244 00:13:30,440 –> 00:13:34,359 Now, here God is speaking through the prophet Micah 245 00:13:34,359 –> 00:13:38,140 who received, remember, directly the word of the Lord. 246 00:13:38,140 –> 00:13:40,340 He’s speaking to people who are intentionally 247 00:13:40,340 –> 00:13:42,059 pursuing the wrong path. 248 00:13:43,059 –> 00:13:45,700 The aims of these people who take the name 249 00:13:45,700 –> 00:13:47,239 of being believers 250 00:13:47,239 –> 00:13:49,679 and think of themselves as being righteous, 251 00:13:49,679 –> 00:13:53,179 the aim of their plans is to make money 252 00:13:53,179 –> 00:13:56,359 by taking advantage of vulnerable people. 253 00:13:57,400 –> 00:13:59,119 Verse two, they covet fields. 254 00:13:59,119 –> 00:14:01,260 He seized them and houses and take them 255 00:14:01,260 –> 00:14:02,799 and they defraud a man of his home 256 00:14:02,799 –> 00:14:05,679 and the fellow man of his inheritance. 257 00:14:06,559 –> 00:14:08,159 Of course in farming communities 258 00:14:08,159 –> 00:14:09,799 the land was everything. 259 00:14:09,799 –> 00:14:11,280 If you lost your land, 260 00:14:11,280 –> 00:14:13,599 you lost your means of income. 261 00:14:13,599 –> 00:14:15,039 And that is why the Old Testament 262 00:14:15,039 –> 00:14:18,179 had special laws that were about protecting the land 263 00:14:18,179 –> 00:14:20,380 so that even if you were faced 264 00:14:20,380 –> 00:14:22,599 with great financial difficulty and had to sell it, 265 00:14:22,599 –> 00:14:24,400 the land would revert either to you 266 00:14:24,400 –> 00:14:27,419 or to your children after a period of years. 267 00:14:27,419 –> 00:14:28,260 In other words, 268 00:14:28,700 –> 00:14:31,440 it was to be sold on a leasehold basis, never freehold. 269 00:14:32,539 –> 00:14:34,700 These land laws in the Old Testament 270 00:14:34,700 –> 00:14:37,260 were intended to put a break 271 00:14:37,260 –> 00:14:39,219 on the process by which the rich become richer 272 00:14:39,219 –> 00:14:40,760 and the poor become poorer 273 00:14:40,760 –> 00:14:43,960 that is otherwise seen throughout society. 274 00:14:44,900 –> 00:14:46,500 But of course implementing the law 275 00:14:46,500 –> 00:14:48,580 was in the hands of the powerful 276 00:14:48,580 –> 00:14:50,380 who also happened to be the rich 277 00:14:50,380 –> 00:14:52,940 and therefore these laws were not in the interests 278 00:14:52,940 –> 00:14:54,880 of those who were supposed to implement the laws 279 00:14:54,880 –> 00:14:57,260 and so they were simply ignored. 280 00:14:58,260 –> 00:15:00,260 But God has something to say about that. 281 00:15:01,599 –> 00:15:03,679 Micah chapter two makes it very clear 282 00:15:03,679 –> 00:15:08,219 that God is interested in how you make your money. 283 00:15:10,200 –> 00:15:12,859 He’s not very interested in the amount of money you have 284 00:15:12,859 –> 00:15:15,460 but he’s very interested in how you made it. 285 00:15:18,580 –> 00:15:20,679 So let’s take a moment to think about that. 286 00:15:24,400 –> 00:15:27,520 Is it something that contributes to the community? 287 00:15:29,239 –> 00:15:34,239 Or do you make your money by taking advantage 288 00:15:34,859 –> 00:15:37,000 of the misfortune of others. 289 00:15:39,179 –> 00:15:41,859 What Micah chapter two is saying is that God, 290 00:15:41,859 –> 00:15:46,200 the God of the Bible, is angered by business schemes 291 00:15:46,200 –> 00:15:51,000 that take money simply by exploiting the weakness 292 00:15:51,000 –> 00:15:52,640 of vulnerable people. 293 00:15:54,400 –> 00:15:57,260 How is that loving your neighbor? 294 00:15:59,119 –> 00:16:01,719 Now in Micah’s state this sort of thing 295 00:16:01,719 –> 00:16:04,140 happened a great deal it seems by those 296 00:16:04,140 –> 00:16:07,320 who would make loans and then foreclose on the loans, 297 00:16:07,320 –> 00:16:09,119 moving people out of their homes, 298 00:16:09,119 –> 00:16:14,119 seizing their property at a fraction of it’s real value. 299 00:16:14,280 –> 00:16:17,400 And of course, the same thing can happen today. 300 00:16:17,400 –> 00:16:19,580 In our time, we have other expressions of it. 301 00:16:19,580 –> 00:16:22,359 In the abuse of our court system 302 00:16:22,359 –> 00:16:25,000 so full of people attempting to destroy 303 00:16:25,020 –> 00:16:28,739 each other financially, grasping opportunities 304 00:16:28,739 –> 00:16:31,140 at the slightest pretext to bring 305 00:16:31,140 –> 00:16:34,260 a lawsuit in order to gain money. 306 00:16:36,200 –> 00:16:37,679 And of course it’s the same spirit 307 00:16:37,679 –> 00:16:39,820 that has led to the multiplication 308 00:16:39,820 –> 00:16:44,460 of lotteries and gambling in our culture. 309 00:16:46,460 –> 00:16:51,460 If your only question is how can I make money here, 310 00:16:51,479 –> 00:16:54,179 if that’s the only question you ask, 311 00:16:54,179 –> 00:16:55,400 not a wrong question to ask, 312 00:16:55,400 –> 00:16:57,960 but if that’s the only question you ask 313 00:16:59,640 –> 00:17:01,219 and you do not think about the effect 314 00:17:01,219 –> 00:17:04,000 of what you’re doing on the lives of other people 315 00:17:04,000 –> 00:17:06,839 and especially perhaps those who are vulnerable, 316 00:17:08,939 –> 00:17:10,640 then you will very soon find yourself 317 00:17:10,640 –> 00:17:12,680 in some scheme that takes advantage 318 00:17:12,680 –> 00:17:14,500 of the weakest people in society. 319 00:17:16,900 –> 00:17:19,739 I often think about this when I see adverts on television 320 00:17:19,739 –> 00:17:23,040 for ways of making fantastic amounts of money, 321 00:17:23,800 –> 00:17:26,219 through repossessed property that can be bought 322 00:17:26,219 –> 00:17:28,660 at a fraction of the cost with no money down. 323 00:17:30,239 –> 00:17:34,859 God is very interested in how you make your money. 324 00:17:36,199 –> 00:17:37,699 Where did it come from? 325 00:17:39,260 –> 00:17:40,800 How did you get it? 326 00:17:43,199 –> 00:17:44,599 Was it earned by something 327 00:17:44,599 –> 00:17:46,780 that contributed to the community? 328 00:17:48,880 –> 00:17:51,439 Or did you get it by taking advantage 329 00:17:51,439 –> 00:17:52,780 of the most vulnerable? 330 00:17:54,020 –> 00:17:56,819 Now this pattern, you see, 331 00:17:56,819 –> 00:17:59,380 of taking advantage of the most vulnerable in society 332 00:17:59,380 –> 00:18:03,300 had become endemic in Israel, in Micah’s day, 333 00:18:03,300 –> 00:18:04,739 and therefore, verse three, 334 00:18:04,739 –> 00:18:07,500 notice, God speaks about it, 335 00:18:07,500 –> 00:18:11,300 therefore the LORD says. 336 00:18:11,300 –> 00:18:13,219 The name there is the name Yahweh, 337 00:18:13,219 –> 00:18:15,400 four capital letters for Lord. 338 00:18:15,400 –> 00:18:20,300 God’s distinct personal name given in the Old Testament, 339 00:18:20,300 –> 00:18:22,420 therefore YAHWEH says. 340 00:18:22,500 –> 00:18:26,060 God is speaking and he explains the action 341 00:18:26,060 –> 00:18:27,579 that he is about to take 342 00:18:28,660 –> 00:18:31,199 towards those who have taken advantage 343 00:18:31,199 –> 00:18:32,339 of the most vulnerable. 344 00:18:32,339 –> 00:18:34,040 Verse three here’s what God says, 345 00:18:34,040 –> 00:18:37,099 I’m planning disaster against this people 346 00:18:37,099 –> 00:18:40,020 from which you cannot save yourselves. 347 00:18:40,020 –> 00:18:41,660 Now of course, this is precisely what happened 348 00:18:41,660 –> 00:18:45,979 sometime later 586 years before the birth of Jesus. 349 00:18:45,979 –> 00:18:48,739 Nebuchadnezzar’s armies came to Jerusalem 350 00:18:48,739 –> 00:18:50,520 and there was dreadful destruction. 351 00:18:51,520 –> 00:18:55,079 A society that follows the path of exploitation 352 00:18:55,079 –> 00:18:57,020 will not survive, period. 353 00:18:58,780 –> 00:19:00,199 Those who have taken the land, 354 00:19:00,199 –> 00:19:02,459 God says, will be removed from the land. 355 00:19:04,079 –> 00:19:05,739 This is precisely what happened 356 00:19:05,739 –> 00:19:08,060 in both the Northern and the Southern Kingdom. 357 00:19:08,060 –> 00:19:10,939 This is really just the New Testament principle 358 00:19:10,939 –> 00:19:14,260 that you will reap what you sow. 359 00:19:15,920 –> 00:19:19,760 That those who live by the sword will die by the sword. 360 00:19:21,060 –> 00:19:23,439 That those who have exploited others 361 00:19:23,439 –> 00:19:26,699 will in the end themselves be exploited. 362 00:19:26,699 –> 00:19:30,760 That every sin has its own wages, 363 00:19:31,780 –> 00:19:34,239 therefore do to others 364 00:19:35,739 –> 00:19:39,000 as you would have them do to you. 365 00:19:39,000 –> 00:19:42,119 That’s a most fundamental principle 366 00:19:42,119 –> 00:19:43,300 of Christian living, 367 00:19:44,359 –> 00:19:46,319 and especially in business. 368 00:19:46,319 –> 00:19:51,319 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 369 00:19:53,660 –> 00:19:55,359 So God says I’m planning disaster, 370 00:19:55,359 –> 00:19:56,560 that’s the first thing, verse three, 371 00:19:56,560 –> 00:20:00,119 here’s the second, I will gather a remnant, verse 12. 372 00:20:00,119 –> 00:20:02,280 This is what God says in his revelation. 373 00:20:02,280 –> 00:20:05,339 Verse 12, I will surely gather all of you, o Jacob, 374 00:20:05,339 –> 00:20:10,339 I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. 375 00:20:10,599 –> 00:20:12,579 And if you know the Old Testament story 376 00:20:12,579 –> 00:20:14,060 you may remember how this happened, 377 00:20:14,119 –> 00:20:18,000 that when the great disaster came Nebuchadnezzar’s armies 378 00:20:18,000 –> 00:20:22,079 560 years before the birth of Jesus, 379 00:20:22,079 –> 00:20:24,719 so many lost their lives in that dreadful, 380 00:20:24,719 –> 00:20:26,800 dreadful scenario. 381 00:20:26,800 –> 00:20:31,800 And a small community was taken off to exile in Babylon 382 00:20:33,479 –> 00:20:35,880 but God’s hand was upon that small community 383 00:20:35,880 –> 00:20:38,000 and they stayed there for the next 70 years 384 00:20:38,000 –> 00:20:40,520 and then this remaining group, 385 00:20:40,520 –> 00:20:43,000 that is why they’re called the remnant, 386 00:20:43,000 –> 00:20:46,760 the group that remained out of all this disaster, 387 00:20:46,760 –> 00:20:48,719 they were brought back 70 years later 388 00:20:48,719 –> 00:20:51,979 to rebuild Jerusalem in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. 389 00:20:52,920 –> 00:20:55,319 So very simply then if we were to say what does God say 390 00:20:55,319 –> 00:21:00,000 God’s word is a message about judgment and salvation, 391 00:21:00,000 –> 00:21:02,800 it’s about accountability for the way 392 00:21:02,800 –> 00:21:05,140 that you and I have lived our lives 393 00:21:05,140 –> 00:21:08,219 and it is about His ability to save people 394 00:21:08,219 –> 00:21:12,280 who would not stand otherwise in the Great Judgment. 395 00:21:12,280 –> 00:21:14,959 He will bring disaster because of the evil 396 00:21:14,959 –> 00:21:17,920 that has gripped society but out of that disaster 397 00:21:17,920 –> 00:21:20,119 He will gather a community. 398 00:21:20,119 –> 00:21:20,959 Verse 12. 399 00:21:20,959 –> 00:21:23,680 I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, 400 00:21:23,680 –> 00:21:25,760 like a flock in its pasture, 401 00:21:25,760 –> 00:21:28,959 the place will throng with people. 402 00:21:28,959 –> 00:21:30,219 So this is encouraging. 403 00:21:30,219 –> 00:21:33,000 It will not just be a small community this remnant, 404 00:21:33,000 –> 00:21:34,959 it will be a great company of people. 405 00:21:35,920 –> 00:21:38,219 And the privilege of this great company of people 406 00:21:38,219 –> 00:21:41,479 is that God will be their Shepherd. 407 00:21:41,520 –> 00:21:44,599 They are His sheep, they will hear His voice 408 00:21:44,599 –> 00:21:46,800 and they will follow Him. 409 00:21:47,719 –> 00:21:49,439 And of course we cannot read these verses, 410 00:21:49,439 –> 00:21:51,199 this side of the coming of Jesus, 411 00:21:51,199 –> 00:21:53,380 without seeing in these words a reference 412 00:21:53,380 –> 00:21:56,560 to the great Shepherd who surely fulfills them. 413 00:21:57,459 –> 00:21:59,920 He is indeed, if you look at verse 13, 414 00:21:59,920 –> 00:22:03,359 He is the one who breaks open the way 415 00:22:03,359 –> 00:22:04,959 and goes before his people. 416 00:22:04,959 –> 00:22:08,839 Think of an icebreaker ship going through frozen waters, 417 00:22:08,900 –> 00:22:13,719 making a path so that other ships can follow behind. 418 00:22:13,719 –> 00:22:17,000 This is a great title for the Messiah. 419 00:22:17,000 –> 00:22:19,699 Christ is the breaker, 420 00:22:19,699 –> 00:22:22,239 He’s the one who breaks open a way 421 00:22:22,239 –> 00:22:25,719 that otherwise would be closed for you and for me. 422 00:22:25,719 –> 00:22:27,280 And in following Him, 423 00:22:27,280 –> 00:22:31,280 He leads us where we could not otherwise go. 424 00:22:31,280 –> 00:22:33,839 Ezra and Nehemiah did this a little bit 425 00:22:33,839 –> 00:22:36,520 in leading the people back to Jerusalem, 426 00:22:36,520 –> 00:22:38,239 but they only foreshadowed 427 00:22:38,660 –> 00:22:42,939 Jesus Christ who breaks us out of sin 428 00:22:42,939 –> 00:22:45,420 and death and hell 429 00:22:45,420 –> 00:22:50,060 and can break you out of patterns of compulsive behavior 430 00:22:50,060 –> 00:22:51,739 as we’ve been hearing today. 431 00:22:53,459 –> 00:22:55,739 He will break open the way for you 432 00:22:55,739 –> 00:22:59,260 into life in this world and life for eternity. 433 00:23:00,459 –> 00:23:03,119 He is the king who passes before us 434 00:23:03,119 –> 00:23:07,060 and He is the Lord who is at our head. 435 00:23:08,880 –> 00:23:11,400 Now, that’s what God says. 436 00:23:11,400 –> 00:23:14,599 That’s the revelation in Micah chapter 2. 437 00:23:14,599 –> 00:23:17,560 It’s a message about judgment and salvation 438 00:23:17,560 –> 00:23:19,800 and what is said in this one chapter 439 00:23:19,800 –> 00:23:21,719 is really a pretty good summary 440 00:23:21,719 –> 00:23:24,520 of what God says throughout the whole Bible, 441 00:23:24,520 –> 00:23:29,520 judgment, salvation in Jesus Christ. 442 00:23:32,560 –> 00:23:33,560 Now, in contrast to that, 443 00:23:33,560 –> 00:23:35,199 and let’s just look at this briefly, 444 00:23:35,300 –> 00:23:38,280 you find an alternative message 445 00:23:38,280 –> 00:23:42,079 to the word of God revealed in the scripture, 446 00:23:42,079 –> 00:23:44,099 and it’s the message of the false prophets 447 00:23:44,099 –> 00:23:45,880 and you’ll see it in verse six. 448 00:23:46,800 –> 00:23:49,180 Let’s look for a moment at their message. 449 00:23:49,180 –> 00:23:51,119 When Micah spoke this word of God 450 00:23:51,119 –> 00:23:52,520 about judgment and salvation, 451 00:23:52,520 –> 00:23:55,020 there were strong voices in the community 452 00:23:55,020 –> 00:23:57,300 that did not want to hear it. 453 00:23:57,300 –> 00:23:58,719 So verse six, 454 00:23:58,719 –> 00:24:02,280 do not prophesy these prophets, 455 00:24:02,280 –> 00:24:05,000 that is the false prophets say. 456 00:24:05,739 –> 00:24:08,239 Don’t prophesy about these things. 457 00:24:08,239 –> 00:24:11,420 Disgrace well not overtake us. 458 00:24:12,680 –> 00:24:16,079 Micah, you talk about judgment coming from God 459 00:24:16,079 –> 00:24:19,119 because of the way that money has been made 460 00:24:19,119 –> 00:24:21,099 by praying on the vulnerable. 461 00:24:21,099 –> 00:24:23,119 How can that possibly be? 462 00:24:23,119 –> 00:24:24,819 I mean, we are the most blessed people 463 00:24:24,819 –> 00:24:26,000 on the nation of the earth. 464 00:24:26,000 –> 00:24:27,739 Don’t talk like that. 465 00:24:29,560 –> 00:24:33,119 So the false prophets brought an alternative message 466 00:24:33,979 –> 00:24:36,920 that proved attractive to many people. 467 00:24:37,819 –> 00:24:41,819 By the way, the first mark of the false prophet 468 00:24:41,819 –> 00:24:44,540 is that he or she brings comfort 469 00:24:44,540 –> 00:24:47,739 to people who are still in their sins. 470 00:24:48,880 –> 00:24:50,959 Disgrace will not overtake us. 471 00:24:52,140 –> 00:24:54,180 Carry on doing what you’re doing. 472 00:24:54,180 –> 00:24:55,300 It doesn’t matter. 473 00:24:56,699 –> 00:24:57,939 That’s the false prophet. 474 00:24:59,180 –> 00:25:00,619 The second mark of the false prophet, 475 00:25:00,619 –> 00:25:02,619 you’ll see in verse 11. 476 00:25:02,680 –> 00:25:05,160 If a liar or deceiver comes and says 477 00:25:05,160 –> 00:25:10,099 I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer, 478 00:25:10,099 –> 00:25:14,339 he would be just the prophet for this people. 479 00:25:14,339 –> 00:25:15,280 We’re talking about a message 480 00:25:15,280 –> 00:25:18,780 that would be easily welcomed and accepted. 481 00:25:20,859 –> 00:25:23,739 My father was on the phone as he regularly is, 482 00:25:23,739 –> 00:25:25,260 but in a recent conversation, 483 00:25:26,719 –> 00:25:28,339 he was telling me about a conversation he had 484 00:25:28,339 –> 00:25:32,819 with a man in a shop in a small town in Scotland. 485 00:25:34,780 –> 00:25:36,719 The man had a loose connection with a church 486 00:25:36,719 –> 00:25:39,180 that had a very liberal tradition. 487 00:25:39,180 –> 00:25:40,819 The conversation that was struck up 488 00:25:40,819 –> 00:25:42,619 between our father and this man 489 00:25:42,619 –> 00:25:45,339 led the man to make a comment about his pastor, 490 00:25:45,339 –> 00:25:47,099 who he thought was wonderful. 491 00:25:49,239 –> 00:25:53,280 He’s just the kind of minister I like said the man. 492 00:25:54,280 –> 00:25:56,680 He enjoys a good pint of beer 493 00:25:56,680 –> 00:25:58,560 and he doesn’t talk about God. 494 00:26:02,319 –> 00:26:05,979 Now you know that is precisely the kind of pastor 495 00:26:05,979 –> 00:26:07,680 that many people are looking for. 496 00:26:09,540 –> 00:26:13,079 A religious leader who will enjoy a pint of beer 497 00:26:13,079 –> 00:26:15,060 and not talk too much about God. 498 00:26:16,760 –> 00:26:18,579 Who will run the public services, 499 00:26:18,579 –> 00:26:21,359 do the baptisms the weddings and the funerals, 500 00:26:21,420 –> 00:26:25,479 affirm us all on our pathway through life 501 00:26:25,479 –> 00:26:28,520 but don’t do anything to disturb me 502 00:26:28,520 –> 00:26:30,239 by talking about God. 503 00:26:32,239 –> 00:26:36,260 And on no account, on no account 504 00:26:36,260 –> 00:26:39,880 suggest that there may be something 505 00:26:39,880 –> 00:26:44,020 that I have to deal with before God. 506 00:26:44,439 –> 00:26:45,280 Amen. 507 00:26:48,439 –> 00:26:51,760 So now you can see two entirely different voice in this 508 00:26:51,760 –> 00:26:52,920 one chapter, can’t you? 509 00:26:57,000 –> 00:27:00,239 God who speaks about judgment and salvation 510 00:27:03,219 –> 00:27:08,160 and the false prophet who brings comfort to the wicked, 511 00:27:08,160 –> 00:27:13,160 verse six, and deceives the complacent, verse 11. 512 00:27:14,020 –> 00:27:19,020 Now you folks see the scene today, 513 00:27:19,420 –> 00:27:21,520 you know that the voice of the false prophet 514 00:27:21,520 –> 00:27:26,280 can be clearly heard in churches in our country today. 515 00:27:27,660 –> 00:27:30,540 And the tragedy of the false prophet is that he or she 516 00:27:30,540 –> 00:27:34,839 actually leads a person away from God. 517 00:27:37,900 –> 00:27:40,579 Now, we started out with a question, 518 00:27:41,479 –> 00:27:44,020 how can I know God? 519 00:27:45,900 –> 00:27:46,979 And we’ve seen the answer, 520 00:27:46,979 –> 00:27:49,920 you can know him because he speaks. 521 00:27:51,640 –> 00:27:53,599 The way in which you hear God speaking 522 00:27:53,599 –> 00:27:56,339 is not by listening to kind of voices in your own head, 523 00:27:56,339 –> 00:27:57,760 it’s not by speculation, 524 00:27:57,760 –> 00:27:59,939 that’s the way of the false prophets 525 00:27:59,939 –> 00:28:02,099 who just spout their own ideas 526 00:28:02,099 –> 00:28:04,380 and confirm people in complacency. 527 00:28:05,500 –> 00:28:07,459 No, the way in which you hear the voice of God 528 00:28:07,500 –> 00:28:11,719 is by his revelation which is in the scriptures. 529 00:28:13,359 –> 00:28:16,540 He is the God who speaks for himself, 530 00:28:16,540 –> 00:28:18,239 he doesn’t leave it up to us to project 531 00:28:18,239 –> 00:28:20,500 our own ideas as to what he might be saying. 532 00:28:21,819 –> 00:28:24,420 He has made himself known 533 00:28:24,420 –> 00:28:26,859 in words and in deeds. 534 00:28:28,540 –> 00:28:31,780 And you can come to a close encounter with him 535 00:28:31,780 –> 00:28:33,099 in the scriptures 536 00:28:33,099 –> 00:28:37,219 that will point you to faith in Jesus Christ. 537 00:28:38,180 –> 00:28:43,180 Last Wednesday, I really enjoyed a visit 538 00:28:45239 –> 00:28:47,439 to Trinity International University. 539 00:28:49,939 –> 00:28:54,000 There was a lecture being given by Professor Don Carson, 540 00:28:55,359 –> 00:28:57,800 and in the lecture he told a story 541 00:28:57,800 –> 00:29:00,420 about a meeting at which he’d been asked 542 00:29:00,420 –> 00:29:03,800 to speak in Cambridge University, in England. 543 00:29:04,780 –> 00:29:08,680 The hall was packed with students and with faculty 544 00:29:08,680 –> 00:29:11,619 from Cambridge University, as Don gave his presentation, 545 00:29:11,619 –> 00:29:14,079 which was all about Biblical Christianity. 546 00:29:15,680 –> 00:29:18,000 And when he had finished, one of the faculty 547 00:29:18,000 –> 00:29:21,400 sitting just a few feet from him on the platform 548 00:29:21,400 –> 00:29:23,359 got up to ask the question. 549 00:29:24,400 –> 00:29:26,280 It sounded something like this. 550 00:29:26,319 –> 00:29:29,719 What to do with it? 551 00:29:29,719 –> 00:29:34,520 So what you’re saying is, what you mean is 552 00:29:35,800 –> 00:29:40,579 that if God is a talking God, that changes everything. 553 00:29:44,280 –> 00:29:46,280 Now two comments about that. 554 00:29:46,280 –> 00:29:47,119 First, 555 00:29:49,599 –> 00:29:54,599 here was a brilliant, highly educated 556 00:29:55,400 –> 00:29:58,300 Don in Cambridge University 557 00:30:00,239 –> 00:30:02,780 who had obviously never once 558 00:30:02,780 –> 00:30:04,920 encountered biblical Christianity. 559 00:30:07,319 –> 00:30:12,319 And the very idea that there might be a God who speaks 560 00:30:14,479 –> 00:30:16,000 had completely blown him away. 561 00:30:17,640 –> 00:30:18,760 Never occurred to him. 562 00:30:22,199 –> 00:30:23,020 Second, 563 00:30:23,939 –> 00:30:27,359 in his surprise the Cambridge Don offered 564 00:30:27,359 –> 00:30:32,319 a quite brilliant summary of Biblical Christianity. 565 00:30:32,319 –> 00:30:33,160 He got it. 566 00:30:35,099 –> 00:30:40,099 If God is a talking God, that changes everything. 567 00:30:43,619 –> 00:30:45,979 Think about it, in these closing moments. 568 00:30:47,839 –> 00:30:51,619 If God has spoken, 569 00:30:52,380 –> 00:30:55,660 you can know him, you can know him. 570 00:30:57,839 –> 00:30:59,479 Frankly, if he has not spoken, 571 00:30:59,479 –> 00:31:01,079 you can forget about knowing him, 572 00:31:01,079 –> 00:31:03,699 you’re just stuck in a world of speculation 573 00:31:03,699 –> 00:31:05,599 and you’re living with your own ideas. 574 00:31:05,599 –> 00:31:08,680 But if God has spoken, that changes everything. 575 00:31:10,959 –> 00:31:15,540 He has spoken because he wants you to know him. 576 00:31:17,160 –> 00:31:21,020 And since He has spoken to you in his word, 577 00:31:21,680 –> 00:31:25,079 you can speak to him, he invites you to do so. 578 00:31:26,420 –> 00:31:29,500 You can respond to him in faith and in obedience, 579 00:31:29,500 –> 00:31:31,640 you can enter a relationship 580 00:31:31,640 –> 00:31:35,199 in which you can experience his love! 581 00:31:36,660 –> 00:31:39,599 And it will not be the comfort of an imaginary friend, 582 00:31:41,180 –> 00:31:43,959 it will be the embrace of an almighty creator 583 00:31:43,959 –> 00:31:47,079 who reaches out to you in Jesus Christ. 584 00:31:47,079 –> 00:31:50,359 That changes everything, you can know him. 585 00:31:52,579 –> 00:31:55,339 Not only that, you can know the truth! 586 00:31:57,319 –> 00:32:00,540 See, if God has not spoken, 587 00:32:00,540 –> 00:32:02,979 then the postmodernists is right. 588 00:32:04,060 –> 00:32:07,300 If God has not spoken, then you have your opinion 589 00:32:07,300 –> 00:32:10,420 and I have my opinion and we must live together in harmony 590 00:32:10,420 –> 00:32:12,619 but there’s no way in which any of us 591 00:32:12,619 –> 00:32:14,319 can know who is right. 592 00:32:14,319 –> 00:32:16,939 And certainly no way that anyone could ever know 593 00:32:16,939 –> 00:32:18,479 that anyone was wrong. 594 00:32:18,479 –> 00:32:21,979 You cannot know what is finally true if God has not spoken. 595 00:32:23,560 –> 00:32:28,560 But if God has spoken, that changes everything. 596 00:32:28,880 –> 00:32:29,939 It really does! 597 00:32:31,180 –> 00:32:34,979 If God speaks, then his word 598 00:32:34,979 –> 00:32:37,439 will be our yardstick for truth. 599 00:32:38,819 –> 00:32:43,060 If God has spoken, his word is the truth 600 00:32:43,060 –> 00:32:47,859 against which all our opinions must always be measured. 601 00:32:49,479 –> 00:32:53,239 If God speaks, then you can know the truth. 602 00:32:53,239 –> 00:32:56,239 There is a foundation on which you can live your life 603 00:32:56,239 –> 00:32:57,119 and build it. 604 00:32:57,119 –> 00:32:59,619 There are some things you can know for sure 605 00:32:59,619 –> 00:33:01,319 because God has said them. 606 00:33:02,239 –> 00:33:03,540 That’s good news! 607 00:33:04,800 –> 00:33:06,420 The apostle Paul was able to say, 608 00:33:06,420 –> 00:33:10,800 “‘I know whom I have believed,’ 609 00:33:10,800 –> 00:33:15,140 and I’m persuaded that he can keep what I’ve trusted to him 610 00:33:15,140 –> 00:33:17,699 against that day, the day when I will stand before him. 611 00:33:17,839 –> 00:33:20,800 I’ve committed my days, my life, my soul, 612 00:33:20,800 –> 00:33:22,599 my eternity to Jesus Christ, 613 00:33:22,599 –> 00:33:24,400 and I know that I can trust him.” 614 00:33:24,400 –> 00:33:25,239 Why? 615 00:33:25,239 –> 00:33:27,839 Because I rest on his Word. 616 00:33:27,839 –> 00:33:31,439 Not on the undulating circumstances of my life 617 00:33:32,640 –> 00:33:35,920 but on the solid foundation of his promise. 618 00:33:38,719 –> 00:33:40,300 There are many things I don’t know 619 00:33:40,300 –> 00:33:42,119 but I do know I can trust him, 620 00:33:42,819 –> 00:33:47,819 and when it comes to the great issues of life and eternity, 621 00:33:48,699 –> 00:33:48,800 there’s no reason for you to be guessing. 622 00:33:48,800 –> 00:33:50,560 there’s no reason for you to be guessing. 623 00:33:51,560 –> 00:33:53,300 God has spoken. 624 00:33:53,300 –> 00:33:55,020 That changes everything. 625 00:33:55,020 –> 00:33:57,420 You can rest on his Word. 626 00:34:01,939 –> 00:34:03,880 Finally, if God has spoken, 627 00:34:05,760 –> 00:34:07,219 you must listen to what he says. 628 00:34:07,219 –> 00:34:08,060 You really must. 629 00:34:08,060 –> 00:34:09,959 If God has spoken, 630 00:34:12,219 –> 00:34:13,860 See, if God didn’t speak, 631 00:34:13,860 –> 00:34:16,040 then how you live is obviously up to you. 632 00:34:17,739 –> 00:34:19,719 If it feels good, do it. 633 00:34:21,419 –> 00:34:25,459 But if God has spoken, that changes everything, obviously. 634 00:34:27,419 –> 00:34:30,379 If God has spoken, you must listen to what he says. 635 00:34:30,379 –> 00:34:31,719 Is that what you’re doing? 636 00:34:32,959 –> 00:34:37,439 Is that how you’re shaping your life around what he says? 637 00:34:39,860 –> 00:34:41,699 He taken his word seriously. 638 00:34:42,020 –> 00:34:44,439 Have you taken in and heard 639 00:34:44,439 –> 00:34:46,919 that there will be a day of judgment 640 00:34:46,919 –> 00:34:49,139 and you must live in the light of it? 641 00:34:52,879 –> 00:34:54,580 Including how you make your money. 642 00:34:57,379 –> 00:34:58,760 Have you heard his word that says, 643 00:34:58,760 –> 00:35:03,139 Jesus Christ has come because you are a sinner. 644 00:35:03,139 –> 00:35:05,320 There’s not a debate about that, you are. 645 00:35:07,159 –> 00:35:08,520 And you need a savior. 646 00:35:09,600 –> 00:35:11,419 And his blood can cleanse you 647 00:35:11,419 –> 00:35:13,260 and he wants to embrace you. 648 00:35:15,939 –> 00:35:17,419 You listening to his word? 649 00:35:20,560 –> 00:35:25,280 Or are you living in the La La land of the false prophet. 650 00:35:28,060 –> 00:35:30,860 Let’s bow in God’s presence in prayer together, shall we? 651 00:35:35,020 –> 00:35:38,760 He speaks, and listening to his voice, 652 00:35:38,760 –> 00:35:42,000 a new life the dead receive. 653 00:35:43,780 –> 00:35:46,719 The mournful, broken hearts rejoice and 654 00:35:46,719 –> 00:35:48,620 the humble poor believe. 655 00:35:51,620 –> 00:35:53,159 Thank you that you have spoken. 656 00:35:55,000 –> 00:35:57,100 Thank you that you have made yourself known 657 00:35:57,100 –> 00:35:58,179 that we may know you. 658 00:36:00,300 –> 00:36:02,760 Thank you that all your actions give substance 659 00:36:02,760 –> 00:36:06,379 to your words and your words give meaning to your actions. 660 00:36:06,620 –> 00:36:07,459 Thank you. 661 00:36:08,699 –> 00:36:11,280 Thank you that you have spoken in Jesus Christ, 662 00:36:11,280 –> 00:36:13,500 your son, the word made flesh. 663 00:36:14,560 –> 00:36:16,860 And that your word is full of grace and truth. 664 00:36:19,100 –> 00:36:24,100 Deliver me from the seductive lies of false prophets. 665 00:36:27,100 –> 00:36:29,959 Make me one who hears and responds 666 00:36:29,959 –> 00:36:32,419 to your word in Jesus Christ. 667 00:36:32,719 –> 00:36:37,719 Give me strength to follow that word in faith and obedience 668 00:36:39,780 –> 00:36:44,159 so that I too may become one of your sheep. 669 00:36:45,860 –> 00:36:50,860 Following the good shepherd, into everlasting life 670 00:36:53,260 –> 00:36:55,280 through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 671 00:36:57,199 –> 00:36:58,040 Amen.