Mirror, Mirror
Series: All Your Life
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 6th February 2022
Passages:
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 So, good morning again, everyone.
00:00:03 --> 00:00:09 It was this time last year that I stood up and I launched Follow 25.
00:00:09 --> 00:00:19 It's our strategic plan, if you like, to shift the ministry culture of this church
00:00:19 --> 00:00:26 to a deliberate development of all of life disciples of Jesus Christ by the end of 2025.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:33 So, this is my, and I'm excited to be able to extend upon that now.
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 This is my 14th Vision Series here at St Paul's.
00:00:37 --> 00:00:42 I love Vision Series every year.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:48 And this particular one, when I launched it last year, I thought it was crucial
00:00:48 --> 00:00:53 in terms of where we are as a church and where our neighbourhood is and where our society is.
00:00:53 --> 00:01:01 That is, the audacious intent of Follow 25 is really simple.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:12 And that is to see the majority of us identifying much growth in faith in Jesus Christ
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 through the ministry of this church by the end of 2025.
00:01:15 --> 00:01:21 That is, my goal, our goal for each one of us and for us collectively as a church
00:01:21 --> 00:01:30 is that we would grow significantly in God confidence, even as our society's confidence in God declines.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:32 That's the intent of it.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:36 And it's a goal for us to grow together.
00:01:36 --> 00:01:44 Now, the reason we have this plan is because I am utterly convinced, utterly convinced,
00:01:45 --> 00:01:57 that we as human beings flourish in all of life to the degree that we walk in all of life with our Creator and our Saviour.
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 Without that, we don't flourish in life.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:07 And so, Follow 25 is about you and you flourishing in all of life.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:13 You having hope and joy and security, whatever the situation of life is.
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 Living life well forever.
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 That's the goal of Follow 25.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:24 And it's for you and it's for us together as we grow in God confidence.
00:02:24 --> 00:02:34 We are seeking to do this together in a neighbourhood that not only has little to no confidence in God,
00:02:34 --> 00:02:39 but also a neighbourhood that is so culturally diverse.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:46 And so, following Jesus together is not an easy thing to do.
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 There are a multitude of barriers to that.
00:02:49 --> 00:02:59 Nevertheless, we are seeking to be a church that, despite our cultural backgrounds, our ethnicities, our genders, our preferences,
00:03:00 --> 00:03:05 we are looking to make Jesus the main thing in life.
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 We're looking to look at Him and be united around Him.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 Now, our diversity can be a significant challenge.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:28 And so, in this vision series, I plan to take a look at a very complex issue that is rampant around our world.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:39 And it's the issue of racism, ethnocentricity, and how we're going to go about building an inclusive,
00:03:39 --> 00:03:43 multi-ethnic, multi-racial church, transcultural church here at St. Paul's.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:48 That is, the goal at the end of this, I suppose, is to understand ourselves a little bit better,
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 understand other people a little bit better,
00:03:53 --> 00:03:59 and then to be able to grow together in that understanding.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:02 So, that's where we're going.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:12 And to kick us off, I just got a whole, if you like, swag of things I want to say by way of introduction.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:17 For those of you who are keen Bible people,
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 please forgive me that I'm not jumping straight into the text,
00:04:22 --> 00:04:23 and I'm not getting straight to Jesus.
00:04:24 --> 00:04:24 Okay?
00:04:24 --> 00:04:35 View this message today as part one of a four- to five-part series on this initially,
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 in terms of the biblical unpacking of race and ethnicity.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:40 So, think of that first.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 This is the introduction to that.
00:04:44 --> 00:04:45 So, a number of things.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 Some preliminary thoughts about racism and ethnocentricity.
00:04:47 --> 00:04:51 If you've got the St. Paul's app, you will find this in the St. Paul's app.
00:04:51 --> 00:04:57 Firstly, defining racism and ethnocentricity is not easy.
00:04:58 --> 00:05:05 In most cases, when you read about this issue, those terms are used interchangeably.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:11 But I'm going to have a crack at it anyway, even though it's not easy to define.
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 So, here we go.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:20 Racism is an explicit or an implicit belief or practice
00:05:20 --> 00:05:28 that qualitatively distinguishes or values one race over another race.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:33 That's racism, as I see it.
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 Explicitly or implicitly a belief or a practice
00:05:36 --> 00:05:40 that qualitatively distinguishes or values one race over another race.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:48 Now, in that definition, I'm thinking of race primarily in terms of physical features.
00:05:50 --> 00:05:56 Racism, therefore, makes judgments based on physical appearance.
00:05:57 --> 00:06:03 And so, you see someone of some kind of physical makeup
00:06:03 --> 00:06:08 and then what you do is you make cultural assumptions about that person
00:06:08 --> 00:06:12 as a result of that, just by appearance.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 That's racism.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:18 Now, the focus of this definition is the heart and behaviour.
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 The heart that believes one race is more valuable than another
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 is a sinful heart.
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 That sin is called racism.
00:06:27 --> 00:06:31 The behaviour that distinguishes one race,
00:06:32 --> 00:06:33 owes more valuable than another,
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 is a sinful behaviour,
00:06:35 --> 00:06:36 and that sin is called racism.
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 And I want to say right up front,
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 it is always a sin.
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 Always a sin.
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 It is always wrong to treat a person
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 with any form of disrespect
00:06:52 --> 00:06:56 on the basis of their physical appearance.
00:06:58 --> 00:07:02 Now, ethnicity is slightly different.
00:07:04 --> 00:07:08 It's a term that's used to stress cultural
00:07:08 --> 00:07:12 rather than physical aspects of a group identity.
00:07:12 --> 00:07:16 Things like language and dress and food and customs and values
00:07:16 --> 00:07:17 and sometimes religion.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 The two are different,
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 but they're connected.
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 That is, when you see a person,
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 you then make ethnic assumptions about them.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 Now, where it's always wrong
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 to judge a person on their appearance,
00:07:36 --> 00:07:42 I think there are biblical and moral bounds,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:44 we are biblically and morally bound
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 to make some value judgments
00:07:47 --> 00:07:50 about ethnicities over others.
00:07:52 --> 00:07:52 That is,
00:07:54 --> 00:07:58 where those cultural assumptions of that group
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 is fundamentally unbiblical,
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 and that valuing of ethnicities
00:08:04 --> 00:08:08 is rooted in biblical teaching about good and evil.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 That should not be called racism at that point,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:16 when we are challenging cultural assumptions,
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 including our own.
00:08:22 --> 00:08:28 That is, there's aspect of every culture
00:08:28 --> 00:08:32 that is sinful and needs transforming.
00:08:33 --> 00:08:37 Every culture is sinful and needs transforming.
00:08:37 --> 00:08:42 Now, secondly,
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 why I think this series is important for us.
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 It's important for us
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 because of what we're seeking to do here
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 in building disciples of Christ in our neighbourhood.
00:08:51 --> 00:08:52 Let me just say that straight up.
00:08:53 --> 00:08:54 I also think it's important
00:08:54 --> 00:08:58 because we're doing that in a country
00:08:58 --> 00:09:02 that has traditionally struggled with multiculturalism.
00:09:02 --> 00:09:06 On the one hand,
00:09:06 --> 00:09:11 Australia has been remarkably hospitable,
00:09:12 --> 00:09:15 remarkably hospitable towards migrants.
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 But on the other hand,
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 traditional Australian attitude
00:09:22 --> 00:09:26 towards different races and ethnicities
00:09:26 --> 00:09:29 is that they should be assimilated
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 as quickly as possible.
00:09:30 --> 00:09:36 That means we are open-armed,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:40 we are welcoming for you,
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 wherever your background is,
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 on certain conditions.
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 And the general certain conditions are
00:09:47 --> 00:09:50 that you embrace the Australian way of life
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 and its values.
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 And values are the thing
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 that always underwrite a culture.
00:09:57 --> 00:10:02 So you need to accept our values.
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 It's essential that you learn the English language.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 It's essential as well
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 that you don't rob natural Australians
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 of jobs and other opportunities
00:10:13 --> 00:10:16 like healthcare and education
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 and so on and so forth.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 It's crucial that you leave
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 any of your racial and cultural tensions
00:10:21 --> 00:10:22 behind with you
00:10:22 --> 00:10:23 and don't import them here.
00:10:23 --> 00:10:27 It's crucial that you don't lower
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 the Australian standard of living
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 by imposing too much strain
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 on our infrastructure
00:10:33 --> 00:10:37 and certainly not on our welfare system.
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 So assimilation has been key
00:10:43 --> 00:10:48 to Australia's policy on multiculturalism.
00:10:48 --> 00:10:52 In fact, the term new Australians
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 was the term that came into vogue
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 in the 1950s and 60s.
00:10:58 --> 00:11:03 And the goal of that multiculturalism
00:11:03 --> 00:11:08 was to place your newfound Australian identity
00:11:08 --> 00:11:12 above any other identity you have.
00:11:12 --> 00:11:18 And so while Australia
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 has been incredibly hospitable and welcoming,
00:11:21 --> 00:11:26 we have struggled to fully embrace
00:11:26 --> 00:11:31 and also really struggled
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 to hand over any form of control,
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 power,
00:11:38 --> 00:11:39 or cultural influence
00:11:39 --> 00:11:42 to other ethnicities,
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 other cultural groups.
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 And you see this rampant
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 in the Western church,
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 not just in Australia,
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 but across the Western world,
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 where European culture
00:11:58 --> 00:12:02 has dominated church culture
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 in the Western world,
00:12:03 --> 00:12:07 even as those churches
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 are existing in neighbourhoods like ours
00:12:10 --> 00:12:13 that have become very racially diverse.
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 That's an ethnicity issue,
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 not a racial issue, per se.
00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 So in the next few weeks,
00:12:20 --> 00:12:21 I want to unpack
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 how that has impacted
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 the way that we do church
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 here at St Paul's
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 and explain some of the key moves
00:12:30 --> 00:12:31 that we've made
00:12:31 --> 00:12:34 and to what it looks like for us
00:12:34 --> 00:12:35 to continue to make those moves
00:12:35 --> 00:12:36 to be a church
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 that truly treasures Jesus together
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 and for the joy of all people.
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 Third introductory comment.
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 I'm acutely aware
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 of my own failure in this issue.
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 I grew up in a country town
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 dominated by white
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 country Australian culture.
00:12:54 --> 00:12:58 We had a Greek cafe,
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 which was run by the Greek family.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 We had a Chinese restaurant
00:13:03 --> 00:13:04 at the RSL
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 run by,
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 I hope it was a Chinese family.
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 The thing is,
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 I never saw them,
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 so I'm assuming they were Chinese
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 running that Chinese restaurant.
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 And we had,
00:13:16 --> 00:13:16 the other,
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 apart from us,
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 white farmers
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 was Aboriginals.
00:13:21 --> 00:13:21 And I had
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 Aboriginal friendships
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 as I grew up.
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 But I was fundamentally
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 racist towards them.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 I'll unpack that more
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 as I go along.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 So on one level,
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 I don't feel like
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 I'm the right guy
00:13:37 --> 00:13:37 to be up here
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 talking on this topic.
00:13:41 --> 00:13:42 There are people
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 who are much further advanced
00:13:44 --> 00:13:44 than I am
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 on this issue
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 in thinking and practice.
00:13:47 --> 00:13:51 I also want to acknowledge
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 the other reason
00:13:52 --> 00:13:52 why I think
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 I'm not the right guy
00:13:53 --> 00:13:54 to be up here
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 talking about this.
00:13:56 --> 00:13:59 There are people
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 in this room
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 and certainly people
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 that you are very aware of
00:14:03 --> 00:14:06 who live with racism
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 and ethnocentricity
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 in a way
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 that I just simply
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 never have.
00:14:13 --> 00:14:16 purely because
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 I represent
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 majority culture
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 in our society.
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 In fact,
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 I never even
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24 had to think
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 and I don't even
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 ever recall
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 ever thinking
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 about racism
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 and ethnocentricity
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 until I started
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 ministering
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 at St Paul's.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:36 I didn't even
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 have to think
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 about it
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 because everything
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 went my way
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 from workplaces
00:14:44 --> 00:14:46 to shopping centres
00:14:46 --> 00:14:50 to everything.
00:14:52 --> 00:14:53 As a member
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 of the western
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 white majority culture
00:14:55 --> 00:14:58 almost unaware
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 of these realities.
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 I've never known
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 the experience
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 of trying to understand
00:15:03 --> 00:15:04 another culture
00:15:04 --> 00:15:04 and race
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 in order
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 just to survive
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 day by day.
00:15:09 --> 00:15:11 It's only because
00:15:11 --> 00:15:11 of here
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 and this place
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 that I've had
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 to wrestle
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 with and learn
00:15:16 --> 00:15:16 about how
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 other people
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 groups
00:15:18 --> 00:15:19 understand
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 time,
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 the use of space
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 to think,
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 to solve problems,
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 to understand
00:15:25 --> 00:15:25 relationships
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 between individuals
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 and groups,
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 express emotions,
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 handle failures
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 and judge status.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:34 I suspect
00:15:34 --> 00:15:34 that nearly
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 every racial
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 minority group
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 in this country
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 understands
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 white Australian
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 culture
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 really well.
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 They're confronted
00:15:47 --> 00:15:47 with it
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 because it
00:15:49 --> 00:15:50 challenges
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 their ethnicity
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 every moment.
00:15:53 --> 00:15:56 but us
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 white Australians
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 are far more
00:15:58 --> 00:15:58 ignorant
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 of other
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 cultures
00:16:00 --> 00:16:00 and how they
00:16:00 --> 00:16:00 operate
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 simply because
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 we've never
00:16:02 --> 00:16:02 had to.
00:16:03 --> 00:16:03 You need
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 to do things
00:16:04 --> 00:16:05 our way.
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 So,
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 what that means
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 is
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 throughout this
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 time
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 I'm going to
00:16:14 --> 00:16:14 say some
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 wrong stuff.
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 I'm going to
00:16:17 --> 00:16:17 say some
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 silly stuff.
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 It's not
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 deliberate.
00:16:21 --> 00:16:25 It will
00:16:25 --> 00:16:25 potentially
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 even be
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 an inadvertent
00:16:27 --> 00:16:27 racism
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 and
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 ethnocentricity.
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 So,
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 please have
00:16:32 --> 00:16:32 patience with
00:16:32 --> 00:16:32 me
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 is what I'm
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 saying.
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 Fourthly,
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 this is
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 a really
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 hot issue
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 in our
00:16:42 --> 00:16:42 culture
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 right now.
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 It's a
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 hot issue
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 but most
00:16:46 --> 00:16:46 white Australians
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 aren't aware
00:16:47 --> 00:16:47 that it's a
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 hot issue.
00:16:48 --> 00:16:51 And I
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 think the
00:16:52 --> 00:16:52 Christian faith
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 has got
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 something very
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 significant to
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 contribute to
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 this issue
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 although I
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 suspect the
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 institutional church
00:17:02 --> 00:17:02 will not be
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 heard because of
00:17:03 --> 00:17:03 our abuses.
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 Australia's
00:17:06 --> 00:17:06 race
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 commissioner,
00:17:07 --> 00:17:07 race
00:17:07 --> 00:17:07 discrimination
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 commissioner
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 said around
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 six or seven
00:17:10 --> 00:17:10 years ago
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 that this is
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 the most
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 volatile time
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 of the past
00:17:14 --> 00:17:16 30 to 40
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 years of racial
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 tension in
00:17:18 --> 00:17:18 our country.
00:17:22 --> 00:17:24 This at a
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 time when
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 apparently we're
00:17:26 --> 00:17:26 growing more
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 tolerant with
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 one another.
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 There's an
00:17:29 --> 00:17:29 irony to that
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 comment.
00:17:31 --> 00:17:31 Now,
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 Christian faith
00:17:32 --> 00:17:32 has got
00:17:32 --> 00:17:32 something very
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 significant to
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 contribute here.
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 I want to
00:17:35 --> 00:17:35 give you an
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 example of
00:17:36 --> 00:17:36 what I
00:17:36 --> 00:17:36 mean.
00:17:37 --> 00:17:37 W.H.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:38 Auden,
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 one of the
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 most influential
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 writers of the
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 20th century,
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 was converted
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 from his
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 intellectual,
00:17:45 --> 00:17:48 secular humanism
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 to Christianity
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 in 1940.
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 So think of
00:17:52 --> 00:17:52 what's happening
00:17:52 --> 00:17:52 in the world
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 in 1940.
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 And he was
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 converted through
00:17:56 --> 00:17:56 one event,
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 one thing
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 radically changed
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 him.
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 And that was
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 he went to
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 the cinemas,
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 what we call
00:18:05 --> 00:18:05 the cinemas
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 now,
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 in Manhattan
00:18:07 --> 00:18:09 and he saw
00:18:09 --> 00:18:09 a movie
00:18:09 --> 00:18:11 that was
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 produced by
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 Hitler's
00:18:13 --> 00:18:13 Third Reich.
00:18:13 --> 00:18:13 book.
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 It was a
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 propaganda
00:18:16 --> 00:18:16 piece
00:18:16 --> 00:18:20 about their
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 conquering of
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 Poland.
00:18:23 --> 00:18:25 And Auden
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 said that in
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 the movie
00:18:27 --> 00:18:27 theater with
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 him were
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 many migrant
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31 Jews watching
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 this film.
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 And he said
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 when a
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 Polish person,
00:18:37 --> 00:18:37 a prisoner,
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 came up onto
00:18:39 --> 00:18:39 the screen,
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 he said the
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 audience
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 immediately
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 erupted
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 with,
00:18:46 --> 00:18:46 kill him,
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 kill him.
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 This is
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 1940 Manhattan
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 and they
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 weren't involved
00:18:53 --> 00:18:53 in the war
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 at this point.
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 He said
00:18:57 --> 00:18:57 he walked
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 out of the
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 movie theater
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 stunned,
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 stunned,
00:19:03 --> 00:19:05 because his
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 secular humanism
00:19:06 --> 00:19:09 was the
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 foundation of
00:19:10 --> 00:19:10 Nazi
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 secular
00:19:11 --> 00:19:11 humanism.
00:19:13 --> 00:19:13 He said
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 philosophically
00:19:14 --> 00:19:14 I sit on
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 the same
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 page as
00:19:16 --> 00:19:16 some of
00:19:16 --> 00:19:16 these
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 people.
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 And he
00:19:20 --> 00:19:20 said one
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 thought ran
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 through his
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 mind as he
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 walked out of
00:19:25 --> 00:19:25 the theater.
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 He says
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 what response
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 can my
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 enlightened
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 humanistic
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 tradition give
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 to those who
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 cry out for
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 the blood of
00:19:34 --> 00:19:34 innocent
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 victims?
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 He said
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 he's got no
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 response to
00:19:38 --> 00:19:38 that.
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 No
00:19:41 --> 00:19:41 response.
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 He saw
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 the bankruptcy
00:19:45 --> 00:19:47 of humanism,
00:19:47 --> 00:19:49 of secularism,
00:19:49 --> 00:19:49 and began to
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 sense that
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 the only
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 answer to
00:19:52 --> 00:19:54 evil can
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 be found
00:19:55 --> 00:19:55 in God.
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 He was
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 convicted,
00:20:00 --> 00:20:00 like,
00:20:00 --> 00:20:02 literally in
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 that moment
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 by God's
00:20:04 --> 00:20:04 grace,
00:20:05 --> 00:20:05 of God's
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 perfection and
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 holiness and
00:20:07 --> 00:20:07 his sinfulness,
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 1940 became a
00:20:09 --> 00:20:09 Christian.
00:20:12 --> 00:20:12 Now having
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 said that,
00:20:15 --> 00:20:18 I fully,
00:20:18 --> 00:20:18 it's great
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 having a story
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 like that,
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 but I fully
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21 acknowledge that
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 others have
00:20:22 --> 00:20:22 made the
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 exact opposite
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 journey.
00:20:24 --> 00:20:28 because of
00:20:28 --> 00:20:28 the awful
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 track record
00:20:29 --> 00:20:29 of the
00:20:29 --> 00:20:29 institutional
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 church on
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 this issue,
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 there have
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 been many,
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 many professing
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 Christians and
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 churches who
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 have long,
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 long held
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 membership in
00:20:39 --> 00:20:39 local people,
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 long held
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 membership in
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 local churches,
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 denominations,
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 stand up to
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 declare creeds,
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 stick to a
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 conservative,
00:20:48 --> 00:20:50 orthodox faith,
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 and at the
00:20:51 --> 00:20:53 same time hold
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 membership cards
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 in the Ku Klux
00:20:54 --> 00:20:54 Klan.
00:20:58 --> 00:20:58 So what do
00:20:58 --> 00:21:00 you do when
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 you find stories
00:21:01 --> 00:21:01 that give you
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 some comfort that
00:21:02 --> 00:21:04 Christianity has
00:21:04 --> 00:21:04 offered a solution
00:21:04 --> 00:21:06 to ethnic pride
00:21:06 --> 00:21:08 and other stories
00:21:08 --> 00:21:08 that show Christianity
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 is part of the
00:21:09 --> 00:21:09 problem?
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 What do you do
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 with that?
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 What you do is
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 you go to the
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 Bible and you
00:21:14 --> 00:21:14 ask whether they
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 got Christianity
00:21:15 --> 00:21:19 right or on
00:21:19 --> 00:21:19 the other hand
00:21:19 --> 00:21:21 they got humanism
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 right.
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 And when I ask
00:21:25 --> 00:21:25 those questions
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 I don't see
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 that secular
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 humanism as we
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 see particularly
00:21:29 --> 00:21:29 in our culture
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 today has got
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 any answers to
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 this solution.
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 I'll get to one
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 reason why that
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 is the case in a
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 moment.
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 Secondly,
00:21:41 --> 00:21:43 humanism does
00:21:43 --> 00:21:45 want to promote
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 a selfless
00:21:46 --> 00:21:49 morality and an
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 equality of all
00:21:50 --> 00:21:50 people.
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 you see that
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 all the time.
00:21:54 --> 00:21:54 It does
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 desire to have
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 a more humane
00:21:56 --> 00:21:59 society but I'm
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 not convinced
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 that you can
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 deliver on those
00:22:02 --> 00:22:05 goals for a
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 more equal
00:22:06 --> 00:22:08 humanity when
00:22:08 --> 00:22:10 you embrace an
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 atheistic
00:22:11 --> 00:22:13 evolutionary theory
00:22:13 --> 00:22:15 that suggests that
00:22:15 --> 00:22:17 humans come from
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 lower forms of
00:22:18 --> 00:22:18 life.
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22 If that's your
00:22:22 --> 00:22:24 foundation you
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 cannot hold at
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 the same time to
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 the supreme
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 dignity of all
00:22:28 --> 00:22:28 human beings.
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 It's
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 intellectually
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 incompatible.
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 When that is
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 your foundation,
00:22:38 --> 00:22:39 the view of the
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 human race, it
00:22:40 --> 00:22:42 is so easy to
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 fall into
00:22:42 --> 00:22:44 racism because
00:22:44 --> 00:22:44 the differences
00:22:44 --> 00:22:46 are explained by
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 saying that other
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 groups of people
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 are less
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 involved, are
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 less evolved.
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 And that is
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 what has happened
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 amongst academia
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 and now is
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 happening in our
00:22:57 --> 00:22:57 society.
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 You conservatives
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 down there, the
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 problem with you is
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 you just are not as
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 evolved as us
00:23:03 --> 00:23:05 modern people in
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 your thinking.
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 It's happening
00:23:07 --> 00:23:07 now.
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 So when I go to
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 the Bible, I see a
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 totally different
00:23:13 --> 00:23:15 thing than the
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 version of
00:23:16 --> 00:23:16 Christianity that
00:23:16 --> 00:23:18 supports racism and
00:23:18 --> 00:23:18 ethnic pride.
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 And I just think
00:23:21 --> 00:23:21 also we just need
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 to be honest about
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 our history, history
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 of the Christian
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 church, history of
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 the Christian church
00:23:26 --> 00:23:26 in the western
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 world and say that
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 the institutional
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 church has blown
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 it again and again
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 and again and again
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 on this issue.
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 Done some remarkably
00:23:34 --> 00:23:37 great stuff but we've
00:23:37 --> 00:23:37 also blown it.
00:23:38 --> 00:23:39 We've also blown it.
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 Almost I think every
00:23:42 --> 00:23:44 people group has got a
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 story to tell of the
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 failure of the
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 institutional church
00:23:47 --> 00:23:49 and I don't think I
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 want to even fight
00:23:50 --> 00:23:50 that.
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 Don't think I want to
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 argue against that.
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 I just want to say
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 yep, I know and I'm
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 sorry.
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 I'm sorry for what I've
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 done to contribute to
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 that.
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 Not all those who
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 profess to be followers
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 of Christ are
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 followers of Christ even
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 if they represent the
00:24:06 --> 00:24:08 church and those of us
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 who are are so
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 imperfect.
00:24:10 --> 00:24:10 perfect.
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 We will blow it
00:24:12 --> 00:24:12 too.
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 So can we just
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 please look at the
00:24:16 --> 00:24:19 Bible I think and
00:24:19 --> 00:24:21 look to Jesus and see
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 what they've got to
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 say here.
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 So how about we do
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 that now?
00:24:26 --> 00:24:28 And as I said this is
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 a journey over the
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 next number of years
00:24:30 --> 00:24:32 sorry next number of
00:24:32 --> 00:24:33 weeks.
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 It might feel like
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 years at the end of
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 it.
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 Next number of weeks
00:24:36 --> 00:24:39 and unpacking this
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 as we go along.
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 And really the point
00:24:41 --> 00:24:43 here is I want to
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 focus here on a core
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 creation foundation
00:24:45 --> 00:24:47 doctrine of the image
00:24:47 --> 00:24:47 of God.
00:24:48 --> 00:24:48 So let's jump into
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 there.
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 Over the next number
00:24:52 --> 00:24:52 of weeks I want to
00:24:52 --> 00:24:52 look at what the
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 Bible and the
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 Christian faith, the
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 core news of the
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 gospel local church
00:24:56 --> 00:24:56 has got this
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 contribution to make.
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 This is the
00:25:00 --> 00:25:00 foundation of what
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 we're seeking to be
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 and achieve here as a
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 church if you like.
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 So my plan is to
00:25:05 --> 00:25:07 trace out this issue
00:25:07 --> 00:25:10 of race and how it
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 develops in the
00:25:11 --> 00:25:11 Bible.
00:25:12 --> 00:25:12 We're going to begin
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 with creation.
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 I will get to Jesus
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 eventually.
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 Okay so we'll get
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 there eventually.
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 Let's begin with just
00:25:17 --> 00:25:19 a creation principle
00:25:19 --> 00:25:21 and how that flows
00:25:21 --> 00:25:21 from the Old
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 Testament into the
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 New Testament.
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 So the point I want
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 to make today is very
00:25:26 --> 00:25:28 significant because in
00:25:28 --> 00:25:28 dealing with race and
00:25:28 --> 00:25:30 ethnic pride even
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 before I get to
00:25:31 --> 00:25:35 Jesus this point is
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 crucial.
00:25:36 --> 00:25:38 Genesis chapter 1
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 verse 27
00:25:39 --> 00:25:42 God created
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 people.
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 He created man in
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 his own image.
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 In the image of God
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 he created him.
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 Male and female he
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 created them.
00:25:53 --> 00:25:55 That verse is utterly
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 profound,
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 significant,
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 packed full of
00:26:00 --> 00:26:00 implications.
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 And I'm not going to
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 hit all the
00:26:03 --> 00:26:05 implications in
00:26:05 --> 00:26:05 that,
00:26:06 --> 00:26:07 out of that verse.
00:26:08 --> 00:26:10 But simply to say
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 Adam and Eve is the
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 first human beings
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 were created in the
00:26:13 --> 00:26:14 image of God,
00:26:15 --> 00:26:17 different from all of
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 other creation.
00:26:19 --> 00:26:21 And every subsequent
00:26:21 --> 00:26:23 human being born from
00:26:23 --> 00:26:25 Adam and Eve also
00:26:25 --> 00:26:27 carry the image of God.
00:26:27 --> 00:26:27 God.
00:26:28 --> 00:26:32 So Genesis 5
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 verse 3,
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 when Adam had
00:26:34 --> 00:26:36 lived 130 years,
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 he had a son in
00:26:38 --> 00:26:40 his own likeness,
00:26:40 --> 00:26:42 in his own image,
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 and he named him
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 Seth.
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 The words likeness and
00:26:46 --> 00:26:47 image there are
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 exactly the same two
00:26:48 --> 00:26:50 words that are used in
00:26:50 --> 00:26:50 Genesis 1.
00:26:51 --> 00:26:53 And the point is that
00:26:53 --> 00:26:55 that image carries on.
00:26:55 --> 00:26:58 carries on through
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 people.
00:27:00 --> 00:27:02 The first pair are
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 not the only pair,
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 the only people in
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05 the image of God.
00:27:05 --> 00:27:07 Those who come from
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 them are all in the
00:27:08 --> 00:27:09 image of God too.
00:27:10 --> 00:27:11 So the implication
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 here is the
00:27:12 --> 00:27:14 unity of the
00:27:14 --> 00:27:16 human race.
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 Every human
00:27:17 --> 00:27:19 that flows from
00:27:19 --> 00:27:19 Adam and Eve,
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 which Acts 17
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 tells us is
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 everyone,
00:27:23 --> 00:27:25 is creating
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 the image of God.
00:27:27 --> 00:27:27 Now I don't want to
00:27:27 --> 00:27:29 go into every detail
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 of what that means
00:27:30 --> 00:27:32 in terms of what it
00:27:32 --> 00:27:32 means to be an image
00:27:32 --> 00:27:33 of God.
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 There's a whole list
00:27:34 --> 00:27:36 of attributes you
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 could go through it
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 in terms of listing
00:27:38 --> 00:27:38 them off and tick
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 it off what it
00:27:39 --> 00:27:39 means.
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 And I think it's
00:27:40 --> 00:27:41 collectively just take
00:27:41 --> 00:27:42 them all as done
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 dusted there.
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 One thing is very
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 significant though,
00:27:45 --> 00:27:47 is in Genesis 1
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 when it talks about
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 your job is to
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 rule over
00:27:50 --> 00:27:51 the created
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 order.
00:27:52 --> 00:27:53 It's the word
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 dominion there.
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 The word dominion
00:27:55 --> 00:27:57 means royalty.
00:27:58 --> 00:27:58 That is,
00:27:59 --> 00:27:59 there's something
00:27:59 --> 00:28:00 about the
00:28:00 --> 00:28:02 image of God
00:28:02 --> 00:28:02 that means that
00:28:02 --> 00:28:03 there's a royal
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 dignity.
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 For us who are
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 Westerners,
00:28:08 --> 00:28:09 who are
00:28:09 --> 00:28:10 English heritage
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 Westerners,
00:28:11 --> 00:28:11 that would be
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 significant in the
00:28:12 --> 00:28:14 70th year of
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 Queen Elizabeth's
00:28:16 --> 00:28:16 reign.
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 70 years.
00:28:18 --> 00:28:18 Amazing.
00:28:18 --> 00:28:20 dignity.
00:28:20 --> 00:28:21 And she carries
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 a dignity about
00:28:22 --> 00:28:22 her.
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 But there's a
00:28:24 --> 00:28:24 royal dignity
00:28:24 --> 00:28:26 attached to every
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 human being,
00:28:27 --> 00:28:28 whatever their
00:28:28 --> 00:28:29 status in life
00:28:29 --> 00:28:29 is.
00:28:30 --> 00:28:31 Now the
00:28:31 --> 00:28:31 unfortunate thing
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 is that Genesis
00:28:32 --> 00:28:33 1 doesn't give us
00:28:33 --> 00:28:34 a specific footnote
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 on what the image
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 of God means.
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 So rather than
00:28:37 --> 00:28:37 pick up one of
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 the wonderful
00:28:38 --> 00:28:40 human traits,
00:28:42 --> 00:28:45 I want to see
00:28:45 --> 00:28:47 image of God
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 as us
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 image
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 forth
00:28:50 --> 00:28:52 in God.
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 Bearing his
00:28:54 --> 00:28:55 image is
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 displaying his
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 image.
00:28:57 --> 00:28:58 Like nothing
00:28:58 --> 00:29:00 else in creation
00:29:00 --> 00:29:00 can.
00:29:01 --> 00:29:02 So being
00:29:02 --> 00:29:02 created in the
00:29:02 --> 00:29:03 image of God,
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 that means it
00:29:04 --> 00:29:04 has a purpose.
00:29:05 --> 00:29:06 It has a
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 mission to it.
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 Humans
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 have traits
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 like God
00:29:11 --> 00:29:13 that display
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14 God's
00:29:14 --> 00:29:15 magnificence,
00:29:15 --> 00:29:17 glory.
00:29:19 --> 00:29:19 So rather than
00:29:19 --> 00:29:20 argue about the
00:29:20 --> 00:29:21 details,
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 let's take it
00:29:23 --> 00:29:24 as image of
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 God here as
00:29:24 --> 00:29:25 being a
00:29:25 --> 00:29:25 mission.
00:29:27 --> 00:29:28 And that
00:29:28 --> 00:29:29 mission is to
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 mirror God,
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 to display his
00:29:32 --> 00:29:33 magnificence,
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 his beauty,
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 his royal
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 dignity, if you
00:29:36 --> 00:29:37 like, to
00:29:37 --> 00:29:39 display God,
00:29:39 --> 00:29:41 to live in such
00:29:41 --> 00:29:41 a way that we
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 reflect the
00:29:42 --> 00:29:43 character and the
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 quality of God.
00:29:43 --> 00:29:45 Now that is a
00:29:45 --> 00:29:45 massive calling,
00:29:46 --> 00:29:46 but I think
00:29:46 --> 00:29:47 that's the
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48 point of
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 Psalm 8,
00:29:49 --> 00:29:50 which we had
00:29:50 --> 00:29:50 read out to us.
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 If you want to
00:29:51 --> 00:29:52 flick your Bibles
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 to Psalm 8,
00:29:54 --> 00:29:54 let me just show
00:29:54 --> 00:29:55 you something
00:29:55 --> 00:29:55 really briefly.
00:29:56 --> 00:29:56 Psalm 8 is
00:29:56 --> 00:29:56 going to be
00:29:56 --> 00:29:57 unpacked for us
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 a little bit
00:29:58 --> 00:29:59 later in this
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 series,
00:29:59 --> 00:30:00 but I'm just
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 doing an
00:30:00 --> 00:30:01 introductory thing
00:30:01 --> 00:30:01 here,
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03 just to help
00:30:03 --> 00:30:03 James to set
00:30:03 --> 00:30:04 the framework
00:30:04 --> 00:30:04 for when he
00:30:04 --> 00:30:05 preaches it.
00:30:07 --> 00:30:08 Or not.
00:30:11 --> 00:30:12 Psalm 8 is
00:30:12 --> 00:30:13 interesting.
00:30:13 --> 00:30:14 It begins
00:30:14 --> 00:30:15 with,
00:30:15 --> 00:30:16 O Lord,
00:30:16 --> 00:30:17 our Lord,
00:30:17 --> 00:30:18 how majestic
00:30:18 --> 00:30:20 is your name
00:30:20 --> 00:30:21 in all the
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 earth.
00:30:23 --> 00:30:24 And it ends
00:30:24 --> 00:30:25 in exactly the
00:30:25 --> 00:30:25 same way,
00:30:25 --> 00:30:26 in verse 9.
00:30:27 --> 00:30:28 O Lord,
00:30:28 --> 00:30:29 our Lord,
00:30:29 --> 00:30:29 how majestic
00:30:29 --> 00:30:30 is your name
00:30:30 --> 00:30:32 in all the
00:30:32 --> 00:30:33 earth.
00:30:34 --> 00:30:35 Very significant.
00:30:36 --> 00:30:37 It's majestic
00:30:37 --> 00:30:38 in all the
00:30:38 --> 00:30:39 earth.
00:30:39 --> 00:30:42 God is
00:30:42 --> 00:30:42 majestic.
00:30:43 --> 00:30:43 That's the
00:30:43 --> 00:30:43 point.
00:30:43 --> 00:30:44 That's the
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 bookends of
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 Psalm 8.
00:30:46 --> 00:30:46 And so it's
00:30:46 --> 00:30:48 interesting how
00:30:48 --> 00:30:49 the rest of
00:30:49 --> 00:30:49 the Psalm
00:30:49 --> 00:30:52 connects to
00:30:52 --> 00:30:53 those bookends.
00:30:54 --> 00:30:54 You have set
00:30:54 --> 00:30:55 your glory above
00:30:55 --> 00:30:56 the heavens.
00:30:56 --> 00:30:56 From the lips
00:30:56 --> 00:30:57 of children and
00:30:57 --> 00:30:58 infants,
00:30:58 --> 00:30:59 you have ordained
00:30:59 --> 00:31:00 praise because of
00:31:00 --> 00:31:01 your enemies.
00:31:02 --> 00:31:03 To silence the
00:31:03 --> 00:31:04 foe and the
00:31:04 --> 00:31:05 avenger.
00:31:05 --> 00:31:06 When I consider
00:31:06 --> 00:31:07 your heavens,
00:31:07 --> 00:31:07 the work of
00:31:07 --> 00:31:08 your fingers,
00:31:08 --> 00:31:08 the moon,
00:31:08 --> 00:31:09 the stars,
00:31:09 --> 00:31:09 which you
00:31:09 --> 00:31:10 have set in
00:31:10 --> 00:31:10 place.
00:31:11 --> 00:31:12 What is
00:31:12 --> 00:31:13 man that you
00:31:13 --> 00:31:14 are mindful of
00:31:14 --> 00:31:16 him, the
00:31:16 --> 00:31:16 son of man
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 that you care
00:31:17 --> 00:31:17 for him?
00:31:19 --> 00:31:19 What's the
00:31:19 --> 00:31:20 answer to that
00:31:20 --> 00:31:21 question?
00:31:22 --> 00:31:22 What's the
00:31:22 --> 00:31:22 answer to
00:31:22 --> 00:31:23 specifically that
00:31:23 --> 00:31:23 question?
00:31:24 --> 00:31:25 You made him
00:31:25 --> 00:31:26 a little lower
00:31:26 --> 00:31:26 than the
00:31:26 --> 00:31:27 heavenly beings
00:31:27 --> 00:31:29 and you
00:31:29 --> 00:31:30 crowned him
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31 with glory
00:31:31 --> 00:31:32 and honour
00:31:32 --> 00:31:35 or possibly
00:31:35 --> 00:31:36 a slightly
00:31:36 --> 00:31:37 better
00:31:37 --> 00:31:38 understanding
00:31:38 --> 00:31:38 of that
00:31:38 --> 00:31:39 is you
00:31:39 --> 00:31:40 crowned
00:31:40 --> 00:31:40 him with
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 glory
00:31:41 --> 00:31:43 and majesty,
00:31:44 --> 00:31:45 royal
00:31:45 --> 00:31:46 dignity,
00:31:47 --> 00:31:48 dominion.
00:31:49 --> 00:31:50 And then
00:31:50 --> 00:31:50 the psalmist
00:31:50 --> 00:31:51 goes on to
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 describe the
00:31:52 --> 00:31:53 uniqueness of
00:31:53 --> 00:31:53 humanity.
00:31:54 --> 00:31:54 You made
00:31:54 --> 00:31:55 him ruler
00:31:55 --> 00:31:55 over the
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 works of
00:31:56 --> 00:31:56 your hands.
00:31:57 --> 00:31:57 You put
00:31:57 --> 00:31:58 everything under
00:31:58 --> 00:31:59 his feet or
00:31:59 --> 00:31:59 flocks and
00:31:59 --> 00:31:59 herds and
00:31:59 --> 00:32:00 beasts of
00:32:00 --> 00:32:00 the field,
00:32:00 --> 00:32:01 the birds of
00:32:01 --> 00:32:01 the air,
00:32:01 --> 00:32:02 the fish of
00:32:02 --> 00:32:02 the sea,
00:32:02 --> 00:32:03 all that
00:32:03 --> 00:32:04 swim the
00:32:04 --> 00:32:05 paths of
00:32:05 --> 00:32:06 the seas.
00:32:06 --> 00:32:06 That is,
00:32:07 --> 00:32:07 what we see
00:32:07 --> 00:32:08 in Psalm
00:32:08 --> 00:32:09 8 is
00:32:09 --> 00:32:10 clearly the
00:32:10 --> 00:32:11 psalmist has
00:32:11 --> 00:32:11 got Genesis
00:32:11 --> 00:32:12 1 open
00:32:12 --> 00:32:12 here,
00:32:13 --> 00:32:14 reflecting on
00:32:14 --> 00:32:15 Genesis 1.
00:32:17 --> 00:32:19 But the
00:32:19 --> 00:32:20 psalmist does
00:32:20 --> 00:32:21 not end
00:32:21 --> 00:32:22 with, as you
00:32:22 --> 00:32:23 would anticipate
00:32:23 --> 00:32:24 as you go
00:32:24 --> 00:32:24 through the
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 psalm,
00:32:26 --> 00:32:27 oh Lord,
00:32:27 --> 00:32:28 how majestic
00:32:28 --> 00:32:28 are human
00:32:28 --> 00:32:29 beings.
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 Doesn't do
00:32:32 --> 00:32:33 that, which
00:32:33 --> 00:32:34 you'd think he
00:32:34 --> 00:32:34 would.
00:32:36 --> 00:32:36 He did
00:32:36 --> 00:32:37 say it a
00:32:37 --> 00:32:37 little bit
00:32:37 --> 00:32:38 earlier, but
00:32:38 --> 00:32:39 it's not the
00:32:39 --> 00:32:40 point of
00:32:40 --> 00:32:40 the psalm.
00:32:42 --> 00:32:43 The psalm
00:32:43 --> 00:32:44 ends with,
00:32:44 --> 00:32:44 oh Lord,
00:32:44 --> 00:32:45 our Lord,
00:32:46 --> 00:32:46 how majestic
00:32:46 --> 00:32:48 is your
00:32:48 --> 00:32:49 name in
00:32:49 --> 00:32:50 all the
00:32:50 --> 00:32:50 earth.
00:32:52 --> 00:32:53 The psalm
00:32:53 --> 00:32:54 ends on the
00:32:54 --> 00:32:54 point of
00:32:54 --> 00:32:55 praise of
00:32:55 --> 00:32:56 God, which
00:32:56 --> 00:32:57 means the
00:32:57 --> 00:32:59 point of
00:32:59 --> 00:33:01 God's
00:33:01 --> 00:33:02 creation here
00:33:02 --> 00:33:02 according to
00:33:02 --> 00:33:03 Psalm 8 of
00:33:03 --> 00:33:04 everything,
00:33:04 --> 00:33:04 and particularly
00:33:04 --> 00:33:05 the dignity
00:33:05 --> 00:33:05 and the
00:33:05 --> 00:33:06 majesty of
00:33:06 --> 00:33:07 human beings,
00:33:07 --> 00:33:08 the point of
00:33:08 --> 00:33:09 our subordinated
00:33:09 --> 00:33:11 majesty above
00:33:11 --> 00:33:11 all the
00:33:11 --> 00:33:13 creatures is
00:33:13 --> 00:33:15 for the
00:33:15 --> 00:33:17 praise of
00:33:17 --> 00:33:17 God's name.
00:33:19 --> 00:33:20 It's for
00:33:20 --> 00:33:21 his glory.
00:33:22 --> 00:33:22 That means
00:33:22 --> 00:33:23 everything that
00:33:23 --> 00:33:24 we have received
00:33:24 --> 00:33:25 in image of
00:33:25 --> 00:33:26 God is for
00:33:26 --> 00:33:28 the glory of
00:33:28 --> 00:33:29 God, not for
00:33:29 --> 00:33:30 the praise and
00:33:30 --> 00:33:31 the majesty of
00:33:31 --> 00:33:32 humanity.
00:33:35 --> 00:33:36 But we're
00:33:36 --> 00:33:37 still glorious
00:33:37 --> 00:33:37 regardless,
00:33:38 --> 00:33:39 which at the
00:33:39 --> 00:33:40 very least,
00:33:40 --> 00:33:41 it means
00:33:41 --> 00:33:42 that if you
00:33:42 --> 00:33:44 demean or
00:33:44 --> 00:33:44 you belittle
00:33:44 --> 00:33:47 anyone created
00:33:47 --> 00:33:48 for that
00:33:48 --> 00:33:49 end,
00:33:53 --> 00:33:55 you in the
00:33:55 --> 00:33:55 end
00:33:55 --> 00:33:57 belittle,
00:33:58 --> 00:33:58 demean
00:33:58 --> 00:33:59 God.
00:34:00 --> 00:34:00 You
00:34:00 --> 00:34:01 rupture the
00:34:01 --> 00:34:02 purpose of
00:34:02 --> 00:34:03 all people
00:34:03 --> 00:34:04 created in
00:34:04 --> 00:34:05 the image of
00:34:05 --> 00:34:05 God to
00:34:05 --> 00:34:07 show his
00:34:07 --> 00:34:09 majesty to
00:34:09 --> 00:34:10 all people
00:34:10 --> 00:34:11 when you
00:34:11 --> 00:34:12 demean another
00:34:12 --> 00:34:13 human being.
00:34:14 --> 00:34:16 Now, this
00:34:16 --> 00:34:17 creation doctrine
00:34:17 --> 00:34:18 of the image of
00:34:18 --> 00:34:19 God, even
00:34:19 --> 00:34:20 apart from
00:34:20 --> 00:34:20 redemption in
00:34:20 --> 00:34:21 Jesus, and
00:34:21 --> 00:34:21 we will get
00:34:21 --> 00:34:22 there, even
00:34:22 --> 00:34:23 apart from
00:34:23 --> 00:34:24 redemption in
00:34:24 --> 00:34:25 Jesus, has
00:34:25 --> 00:34:26 got massive
00:34:26 --> 00:34:27 implications for
00:34:27 --> 00:34:29 us, even
00:34:29 --> 00:34:30 more so
00:34:30 --> 00:34:33 post-Jesus, but
00:34:33 --> 00:34:34 massive implications
00:34:34 --> 00:34:34 even without
00:34:34 --> 00:34:35 that.
00:34:37 --> 00:34:38 The horror
00:34:38 --> 00:34:40 of unjustly
00:34:40 --> 00:34:41 destroying or
00:34:41 --> 00:34:42 harming another
00:34:42 --> 00:34:43 human being in
00:34:43 --> 00:34:44 Genesis 9-6,
00:34:45 --> 00:34:46 whoever sheds
00:34:46 --> 00:34:47 the blood of
00:34:47 --> 00:34:48 man by man
00:34:48 --> 00:34:49 shall his
00:34:49 --> 00:34:50 blood be shed,
00:34:50 --> 00:34:51 for in the
00:34:51 --> 00:34:52 image of
00:34:52 --> 00:34:53 God has
00:34:53 --> 00:34:54 God made
00:34:54 --> 00:34:54 man.
00:34:54 --> 00:34:58 God has
00:34:58 --> 00:34:59 massive
00:34:59 --> 00:35:00 implications for
00:35:00 --> 00:35:00 even the way
00:35:00 --> 00:35:01 we speak to
00:35:01 --> 00:35:02 another human
00:35:02 --> 00:35:02 being.
00:35:04 --> 00:35:05 James 3,
00:35:06 --> 00:35:07 verses 9-10,
00:35:07 --> 00:35:08 James picks
00:35:08 --> 00:35:09 up a
00:35:09 --> 00:35:10 creation
00:35:10 --> 00:35:10 argument,
00:35:10 --> 00:35:11 not a
00:35:11 --> 00:35:12 redemption
00:35:12 --> 00:35:12 argument, a
00:35:12 --> 00:35:13 creation
00:35:13 --> 00:35:13 argument.
00:35:13 --> 00:35:15 with the
00:35:15 --> 00:35:16 we praise
00:35:16 --> 00:35:17 our Lord
00:35:17 --> 00:35:18 and Father
00:35:18 --> 00:35:19 and with
00:35:19 --> 00:35:20 it we curse
00:35:20 --> 00:35:21 men who
00:35:21 --> 00:35:22 have been
00:35:22 --> 00:35:23 made in
00:35:23 --> 00:35:24 God's
00:35:24 --> 00:35:24 likeness.
00:35:26 --> 00:35:26 Out of
00:35:26 --> 00:35:27 the same
00:35:27 --> 00:35:28 mouth come
00:35:28 --> 00:35:30 praise and
00:35:30 --> 00:35:30 cursing.
00:35:31 --> 00:35:31 My brothers,
00:35:32 --> 00:35:33 this should
00:35:33 --> 00:35:33 not be.
00:35:35 --> 00:35:36 Both of
00:35:36 --> 00:35:37 those arguments
00:35:37 --> 00:35:37 are straight
00:35:37 --> 00:35:38 from creation
00:35:38 --> 00:35:40 apart from
00:35:40 --> 00:35:41 redemption in
00:35:41 --> 00:35:41 Jesus.
00:35:41 --> 00:35:46 the image
00:35:46 --> 00:35:46 of God
00:35:46 --> 00:35:47 has massive
00:35:47 --> 00:35:48 implications for
00:35:48 --> 00:35:49 racial pride.
00:35:49 --> 00:35:50 In Acts 17,
00:35:50 --> 00:35:51 Paul makes
00:35:51 --> 00:35:51 the common
00:35:51 --> 00:35:52 origins of
00:35:52 --> 00:35:54 all human
00:35:54 --> 00:35:55 beings, the
00:35:55 --> 00:35:56 ground of
00:35:56 --> 00:35:58 equality and
00:35:58 --> 00:35:59 the end of
00:35:59 --> 00:35:59 ethnic
00:35:59 --> 00:36:00 arrogance.
00:36:02 --> 00:36:03 Paul is in
00:36:03 --> 00:36:04 Athens in
00:36:04 --> 00:36:05 Acts 17
00:36:05 --> 00:36:05 speaking to
00:36:05 --> 00:36:06 the Athenians.
00:36:07 --> 00:36:08 They were a
00:36:08 --> 00:36:09 very proud group
00:36:09 --> 00:36:09 of people,
00:36:09 --> 00:36:10 very proud.
00:36:10 --> 00:36:12 everyone else
00:36:12 --> 00:36:13 in their
00:36:13 --> 00:36:14 culture who
00:36:14 --> 00:36:14 was not
00:36:14 --> 00:36:16 Athenian was
00:36:16 --> 00:36:17 regarded as a
00:36:17 --> 00:36:17 barbarian.
00:36:19 --> 00:36:20 If you've
00:36:20 --> 00:36:20 watched any
00:36:20 --> 00:36:21 movie that's
00:36:21 --> 00:36:21 got barbarians
00:36:21 --> 00:36:22 in it,
00:36:22 --> 00:36:23 they are just
00:36:23 --> 00:36:24 a nasty group
00:36:24 --> 00:36:24 of people.
00:36:25 --> 00:36:25 That's just
00:36:25 --> 00:36:26 who they are.
00:36:27 --> 00:36:28 They don't even
00:36:28 --> 00:36:28 shower for
00:36:28 --> 00:36:29 goodness sake.
00:36:29 --> 00:36:30 They just
00:36:30 --> 00:36:30 come across
00:36:30 --> 00:36:31 nasty and
00:36:31 --> 00:36:32 dirty and
00:36:32 --> 00:36:32 horrible.
00:36:34 --> 00:36:34 Paul gets
00:36:34 --> 00:36:36 one sermon
00:36:36 --> 00:36:36 to this
00:36:36 --> 00:36:37 group,
00:36:37 --> 00:36:38 one sermon,
00:36:38 --> 00:36:39 and what
00:36:39 --> 00:36:39 does he say
00:36:39 --> 00:36:39 to them?
00:36:41 --> 00:36:42 He wants
00:36:42 --> 00:36:42 to pick
00:36:42 --> 00:36:43 on the
00:36:43 --> 00:36:44 racial pride
00:36:44 --> 00:36:44 issue.
00:36:45 --> 00:36:46 He says,
00:36:46 --> 00:36:46 the God
00:36:46 --> 00:36:46 who made
00:36:46 --> 00:36:47 the world
00:36:47 --> 00:36:47 and everything
00:36:47 --> 00:36:48 in it is
00:36:48 --> 00:36:48 the Lord
00:36:48 --> 00:36:49 of heaven
00:36:49 --> 00:36:50 and earth
00:36:50 --> 00:36:51 and does
00:36:51 --> 00:36:51 not live
00:36:51 --> 00:36:52 in temples
00:36:52 --> 00:36:52 built by
00:36:52 --> 00:36:53 hands.
00:36:54 --> 00:36:54 And he
00:36:54 --> 00:36:54 is not
00:36:54 --> 00:36:55 served by
00:36:55 --> 00:36:55 human hands
00:36:55 --> 00:36:56 as if he
00:36:56 --> 00:36:57 needed anything
00:36:57 --> 00:36:57 because he
00:36:57 --> 00:36:58 himself gives
00:36:58 --> 00:36:59 all men
00:36:59 --> 00:37:01 life and
00:37:01 --> 00:37:02 breath and
00:37:02 --> 00:37:03 everything else.
00:37:03 --> 00:37:04 From one
00:37:04 --> 00:37:05 man,
00:37:05 --> 00:37:06 he made
00:37:06 --> 00:37:08 every nation
00:37:08 --> 00:37:09 of men.
00:37:10 --> 00:37:10 Why does
00:37:10 --> 00:37:10 he say
00:37:10 --> 00:37:11 that?
00:37:13 --> 00:37:13 There's
00:37:13 --> 00:37:14 lots of
00:37:14 --> 00:37:14 other things
00:37:14 --> 00:37:14 he could
00:37:14 --> 00:37:15 have picked
00:37:15 --> 00:37:15 up in
00:37:15 --> 00:37:15 that culture.
00:37:16 --> 00:37:16 Why does
00:37:16 --> 00:37:16 he say
00:37:16 --> 00:37:16 that?
00:37:17 --> 00:37:18 From one
00:37:18 --> 00:37:18 man,
00:37:18 --> 00:37:19 he made
00:37:19 --> 00:37:21 every nation
00:37:21 --> 00:37:21 of men
00:37:21 --> 00:37:23 that they
00:37:23 --> 00:37:23 should inhabit
00:37:23 --> 00:37:24 the whole
00:37:24 --> 00:37:25 earth and
00:37:25 --> 00:37:26 he determined
00:37:26 --> 00:37:27 the times
00:37:27 --> 00:37:28 set for
00:37:28 --> 00:37:29 them and
00:37:29 --> 00:37:30 the exact
00:37:30 --> 00:37:31 places where
00:37:31 --> 00:37:31 they should
00:37:31 --> 00:37:32 live.
00:37:33 --> 00:37:34 See what he's
00:37:34 --> 00:37:34 saying here?
00:37:34 --> 00:37:35 Let me do
00:37:35 --> 00:37:35 the Steve
00:37:35 --> 00:37:36 Jeffrey version
00:37:36 --> 00:37:36 of Apostle
00:37:36 --> 00:37:37 Paul.
00:37:38 --> 00:37:39 You
00:37:39 --> 00:37:40 Athenians,
00:37:40 --> 00:37:40 you just
00:37:40 --> 00:37:40 think you
00:37:40 --> 00:37:41 are so
00:37:41 --> 00:37:41 special.
00:37:42 --> 00:37:43 You are
00:37:43 --> 00:37:44 so proud.
00:37:45 --> 00:37:45 You think
00:37:45 --> 00:37:46 you've got
00:37:46 --> 00:37:47 some unique
00:37:47 --> 00:37:48 origin direct
00:37:48 --> 00:37:49 from the
00:37:49 --> 00:37:49 soil.
00:37:49 --> 00:37:50 Everyone
00:37:50 --> 00:37:50 else are
00:37:50 --> 00:37:51 all connected
00:37:51 --> 00:37:51 but you're
00:37:51 --> 00:37:52 not.
00:37:52 --> 00:37:52 You've got
00:37:52 --> 00:37:53 this special
00:37:53 --> 00:37:53 boom where
00:37:53 --> 00:37:54 we're separate
00:37:54 --> 00:37:54 from everyone
00:37:54 --> 00:37:55 else.
00:37:57 --> 00:37:58 You think
00:37:58 --> 00:37:59 that everyone
00:37:59 --> 00:38:00 else is
00:38:00 --> 00:38:00 inferior.
00:38:00 --> 00:38:01 You call
00:38:01 --> 00:38:01 them barbarians.
00:38:02 --> 00:38:02 I got something
00:38:02 --> 00:38:03 to tell you.
00:38:03 --> 00:38:05 Let me tell
00:38:05 --> 00:38:05 you Athenians,
00:38:06 --> 00:38:08 you and the
00:38:08 --> 00:38:09 barbarians whom
00:38:09 --> 00:38:10 you hate,
00:38:11 --> 00:38:11 you've all got
00:38:11 --> 00:38:12 one daddy.
00:38:13 --> 00:38:13 Surprise,
00:38:13 --> 00:38:14 surprise,
00:38:14 --> 00:38:14 the DNA test
00:38:14 --> 00:38:15 has come out
00:38:15 --> 00:38:15 and you're
00:38:15 --> 00:38:16 all connected.
00:38:17 --> 00:38:18 All connected.
00:38:19 --> 00:38:21 And it's God
00:38:21 --> 00:38:21 who decides
00:38:21 --> 00:38:22 where you end
00:38:22 --> 00:38:23 up and where
00:38:23 --> 00:38:24 you live and
00:38:24 --> 00:38:24 the way you
00:38:24 --> 00:38:25 should look and
00:38:25 --> 00:38:26 the reason why
00:38:26 --> 00:38:26 you talk the
00:38:26 --> 00:38:27 way you talk.
00:38:29 --> 00:38:30 It's all
00:38:30 --> 00:38:31 God's gifting.
00:38:31 --> 00:38:31 diversity.
00:38:35 --> 00:38:36 Why?
00:38:37 --> 00:38:38 Why?
00:38:38 --> 00:38:39 Why has
00:38:39 --> 00:38:39 God done
00:38:39 --> 00:38:40 this according
00:38:40 --> 00:38:40 to Paul?
00:38:41 --> 00:38:41 What is
00:38:41 --> 00:38:42 God's goal
00:38:42 --> 00:38:42 in making
00:38:42 --> 00:38:43 all this
00:38:43 --> 00:38:43 diversity?
00:38:45 --> 00:38:46 God did
00:38:46 --> 00:38:47 this so
00:38:47 --> 00:38:48 that men
00:38:48 --> 00:38:49 would seek
00:38:49 --> 00:38:50 him and
00:38:50 --> 00:38:51 perhaps reach
00:38:51 --> 00:38:52 out for him
00:38:52 --> 00:38:52 and find
00:38:52 --> 00:38:54 him though
00:38:54 --> 00:38:54 he is not
00:38:54 --> 00:38:55 far from
00:38:55 --> 00:38:56 each of us.
00:38:56 --> 00:38:57 For in
00:38:57 --> 00:38:59 him we,
00:38:59 --> 00:39:00 everyone,
00:39:00 --> 00:39:01 live and
00:39:01 --> 00:39:01 move and
00:39:01 --> 00:39:02 have our
00:39:02 --> 00:39:03 being as
00:39:03 --> 00:39:04 some of
00:39:04 --> 00:39:04 our own,
00:39:04 --> 00:39:05 your own
00:39:05 --> 00:39:05 prophet,
00:39:06 --> 00:39:06 sorry,
00:39:07 --> 00:39:07 poets.
00:39:08 --> 00:39:09 I've had
00:39:09 --> 00:39:10 several weeks
00:39:10 --> 00:39:10 off.
00:39:11 --> 00:39:11 Some of
00:39:11 --> 00:39:12 your own
00:39:12 --> 00:39:13 poets have
00:39:13 --> 00:39:14 said we
00:39:14 --> 00:39:15 are his
00:39:15 --> 00:39:16 offspring.
00:39:18 --> 00:39:19 Against the
00:39:19 --> 00:39:19 claims of
00:39:19 --> 00:39:20 racial superiority,
00:39:21 --> 00:39:21 Paul here
00:39:21 --> 00:39:22 asserts the
00:39:22 --> 00:39:22 unity of all
00:39:22 --> 00:39:23 people,
00:39:23 --> 00:39:24 it is
00:39:24 --> 00:39:26 foundational,
00:39:26 --> 00:39:27 fundamental,
00:39:27 --> 00:39:29 to Pauline
00:39:29 --> 00:39:30 theology,
00:39:30 --> 00:39:31 the doctrine
00:39:31 --> 00:39:31 of creation.
00:39:33 --> 00:39:34 He is
00:39:34 --> 00:39:34 using this
00:39:34 --> 00:39:36 theology to
00:39:36 --> 00:39:37 undermine pride
00:39:37 --> 00:39:37 and arrogance
00:39:37 --> 00:39:38 and segregation,
00:39:39 --> 00:39:39 superiority,
00:39:41 --> 00:39:41 oppression,
00:39:42 --> 00:39:43 the assertion
00:39:43 --> 00:39:44 of preferences
00:39:44 --> 00:39:45 upon other
00:39:45 --> 00:39:46 people groups
00:39:46 --> 00:39:50 and instead
00:39:50 --> 00:39:51 to turn to
00:39:51 --> 00:39:53 unity in
00:39:53 --> 00:39:53 Christ.
00:39:53 --> 00:39:56 God wants
00:39:56 --> 00:39:56 all people
00:39:56 --> 00:39:57 to be
00:39:57 --> 00:39:58 unified in
00:39:58 --> 00:39:58 their seeking
00:39:58 --> 00:39:59 of him
00:39:59 --> 00:39:59 through the
00:39:59 --> 00:40:00 Lord Jesus.
00:40:01 --> 00:40:02 So my
00:40:02 --> 00:40:02 point simply
00:40:02 --> 00:40:03 today is
00:40:03 --> 00:40:04 that the
00:40:04 --> 00:40:04 Christian
00:40:04 --> 00:40:05 doctrine of
00:40:05 --> 00:40:05 creation
00:40:05 --> 00:40:06 itself,
00:40:06 --> 00:40:06 apart from
00:40:06 --> 00:40:07 redemption in
00:40:07 --> 00:40:07 Jesus,
00:40:08 --> 00:40:08 makes a
00:40:08 --> 00:40:09 very significant
00:40:09 --> 00:40:10 contribution to
00:40:10 --> 00:40:10 dealing with
00:40:10 --> 00:40:11 racism and
00:40:11 --> 00:40:12 ethnic pride.
00:40:12 --> 00:40:13 That is,
00:40:13 --> 00:40:13 if you like,
00:40:13 --> 00:40:14 the first
00:40:14 --> 00:40:15 foundational brick
00:40:15 --> 00:40:15 that we're
00:40:15 --> 00:40:16 going to build
00:40:16 --> 00:40:17 on in the
00:40:17 --> 00:40:18 coming weeks.
00:40:18 --> 00:40:20 God himself
00:40:20 --> 00:40:21 affirms that
00:40:21 --> 00:40:21 by coming
00:40:21 --> 00:40:22 into this
00:40:22 --> 00:40:23 creation,
00:40:23 --> 00:40:24 in the
00:40:24 --> 00:40:24 person of
00:40:24 --> 00:40:25 Jesus Christ,
00:40:26 --> 00:40:26 the perfect
00:40:26 --> 00:40:28 image bearer
00:40:28 --> 00:40:29 of the
00:40:29 --> 00:40:29 Father,
00:40:30 --> 00:40:31 to right the
00:40:31 --> 00:40:32 wrongs of our
00:40:32 --> 00:40:33 broken image
00:40:33 --> 00:40:33 because of
00:40:33 --> 00:40:34 sin.
00:40:35 --> 00:40:36 God
00:40:36 --> 00:40:37 himself
00:40:37 --> 00:40:39 became one
00:40:39 --> 00:40:39 of us.
00:40:42 --> 00:40:43 So for now,
00:40:43 --> 00:40:43 let me just
00:40:43 --> 00:40:44 very briefly go
00:40:44 --> 00:40:45 through some
00:40:45 --> 00:40:45 implications.
00:40:46 --> 00:40:47 Firstly,
00:40:48 --> 00:40:49 my vision
00:40:49 --> 00:40:50 for us is
00:40:50 --> 00:40:51 that we be
00:40:51 --> 00:40:51 a church
00:40:51 --> 00:40:52 that seeks
00:40:52 --> 00:40:53 to really
00:40:53 --> 00:40:54 know people,
00:40:55 --> 00:40:57 really know
00:40:57 --> 00:40:58 people rather
00:40:58 --> 00:40:59 than commodify
00:40:59 --> 00:41:01 them or put
00:41:01 --> 00:41:02 them into
00:41:02 --> 00:41:02 categories.
00:41:04 --> 00:41:05 Now that
00:41:05 --> 00:41:06 has multiple
00:41:06 --> 00:41:07 implications.
00:41:08 --> 00:41:10 It means
00:41:10 --> 00:41:11 not just
00:41:11 --> 00:41:13 knowing facts
00:41:13 --> 00:41:15 about people
00:41:15 --> 00:41:17 but actually
00:41:17 --> 00:41:18 walking in
00:41:18 --> 00:41:19 life with
00:41:19 --> 00:41:20 people.
00:41:21 --> 00:41:21 That's the
00:41:21 --> 00:41:22 difference.
00:41:24 --> 00:41:24 It's not
00:41:24 --> 00:41:24 just knowing
00:41:24 --> 00:41:25 facts about
00:41:25 --> 00:41:26 them but
00:41:26 --> 00:41:27 walking in
00:41:27 --> 00:41:28 life with
00:41:28 --> 00:41:28 them,
00:41:28 --> 00:41:29 together with
00:41:29 --> 00:41:29 them.
00:41:30 --> 00:41:30 It is
00:41:30 --> 00:41:31 typical for
00:41:31 --> 00:41:32 churches like
00:41:32 --> 00:41:33 society in
00:41:33 --> 00:41:34 general to
00:41:34 --> 00:41:35 value people
00:41:35 --> 00:41:36 and particularly
00:41:36 --> 00:41:36 in the western
00:41:36 --> 00:41:37 world to
00:41:37 --> 00:41:38 value people
00:41:38 --> 00:41:39 for what they
00:41:39 --> 00:41:40 do and
00:41:40 --> 00:41:41 not who
00:41:41 --> 00:41:42 they are.
00:41:42 --> 00:41:42 are.
00:41:45 --> 00:41:46 We get
00:41:46 --> 00:41:48 marinated in
00:41:48 --> 00:41:48 that culture.
00:41:49 --> 00:41:50 Every person
00:41:50 --> 00:41:52 from the
00:41:52 --> 00:41:52 womb to
00:41:52 --> 00:41:53 the tomb
00:41:53 --> 00:41:54 has a
00:41:54 --> 00:41:55 beauty and
00:41:55 --> 00:41:56 a value
00:41:56 --> 00:41:58 independent
00:41:58 --> 00:41:59 of their
00:41:59 --> 00:42:01 abilities or
00:42:01 --> 00:42:02 of what they
00:42:02 --> 00:42:02 produce.
00:42:02 --> 00:42:07 simply put,
00:42:08 --> 00:42:09 if I said
00:42:09 --> 00:42:10 to my
00:42:10 --> 00:42:11 wife Natalie
00:42:11 --> 00:42:12 tuning in
00:42:12 --> 00:42:13 right now,
00:42:13 --> 00:42:13 if I said
00:42:13 --> 00:42:14 to my
00:42:14 --> 00:42:14 wife Natalie
00:42:14 --> 00:42:16 I don't
00:42:16 --> 00:42:17 find you
00:42:17 --> 00:42:18 beautiful
00:42:18 --> 00:42:19 or majestic
00:42:19 --> 00:42:21 but I do
00:42:21 --> 00:42:21 find you
00:42:21 --> 00:42:22 useful,
00:42:23 --> 00:42:25 I'm
00:42:25 --> 00:42:26 confident
00:42:26 --> 00:42:27 I'd have a
00:42:27 --> 00:42:28 problem in
00:42:28 --> 00:42:28 the marriage.
00:42:28 --> 00:42:30 I'm
00:42:30 --> 00:42:30 confident of
00:42:30 --> 00:42:30 that.
00:42:32 --> 00:42:33 And yet
00:42:33 --> 00:42:33 in the
00:42:33 --> 00:42:34 western world
00:42:34 --> 00:42:34 that's what
00:42:34 --> 00:42:35 we do.
00:42:36 --> 00:42:37 It's so
00:42:37 --> 00:42:39 ingrained in
00:42:39 --> 00:42:40 us we don't
00:42:40 --> 00:42:40 even realise
00:42:40 --> 00:42:41 that's what
00:42:41 --> 00:42:41 we're doing.
00:42:42 --> 00:42:43 We value
00:42:43 --> 00:42:43 contribution.
00:42:47 --> 00:42:48 This church
00:42:48 --> 00:42:48 has done
00:42:48 --> 00:42:48 it.
00:42:50 --> 00:42:51 I've done
00:42:51 --> 00:42:51 it.
00:42:53 --> 00:42:54 My vision
00:42:54 --> 00:42:54 for us is
00:42:54 --> 00:42:55 to be a
00:42:55 --> 00:42:55 church that
00:42:55 --> 00:42:56 values people
00:42:56 --> 00:42:56 for who
00:42:56 --> 00:42:57 they are
00:42:57 --> 00:42:59 as image
00:42:59 --> 00:43:00 bearers of
00:43:00 --> 00:43:00 God more
00:43:00 --> 00:43:00 than what
00:43:00 --> 00:43:01 they contribute.
00:43:03 --> 00:43:04 Secondly,
00:43:04 --> 00:43:05 because there
00:43:05 --> 00:43:05 is a royal
00:43:05 --> 00:43:07 dignity imprinted
00:43:07 --> 00:43:07 on every
00:43:07 --> 00:43:08 person across
00:43:08 --> 00:43:09 race,
00:43:10 --> 00:43:10 ethnicity,
00:43:11 --> 00:43:11 class,
00:43:11 --> 00:43:12 education,
00:43:12 --> 00:43:12 age,
00:43:13 --> 00:43:13 ability,
00:43:13 --> 00:43:14 belief system
00:43:14 --> 00:43:14 and gender,
00:43:15 --> 00:43:15 then we
00:43:15 --> 00:43:16 ought to be
00:43:16 --> 00:43:16 free,
00:43:17 --> 00:43:17 a church
00:43:17 --> 00:43:19 free of
00:43:19 --> 00:43:19 favouritism
00:43:19 --> 00:43:22 and cliques
00:43:22 --> 00:43:23 as we build
00:43:23 --> 00:43:24 a multi-ethnic,
00:43:25 --> 00:43:26 multi-generational,
00:43:26 --> 00:43:26 multicultural
00:43:26 --> 00:43:27 church.
00:43:27 --> 00:43:29 thirdly,
00:43:30 --> 00:43:30 we are to
00:43:30 --> 00:43:31 be a
00:43:31 --> 00:43:31 church
00:43:31 --> 00:43:33 that
00:43:33 --> 00:43:34 embrace
00:43:34 --> 00:43:35 and care
00:43:35 --> 00:43:35 for the
00:43:35 --> 00:43:36 poor
00:43:36 --> 00:43:36 and the
00:43:36 --> 00:43:37 marginalised
00:43:37 --> 00:43:38 and the
00:43:38 --> 00:43:38 outcast
00:43:38 --> 00:43:39 of society.
00:43:41 --> 00:43:42 I'll make
00:43:42 --> 00:43:42 this point
00:43:42 --> 00:43:43 in a couple
00:43:43 --> 00:43:43 of weeks,
00:43:43 --> 00:43:44 I think.
00:43:45 --> 00:43:46 When you
00:43:46 --> 00:43:46 walk past
00:43:46 --> 00:43:47 someone in
00:43:47 --> 00:43:48 the mall
00:43:48 --> 00:43:49 at Chatswood
00:43:49 --> 00:43:49 who's sitting
00:43:49 --> 00:43:50 there begging,
00:43:51 --> 00:43:51 if you've got
00:43:51 --> 00:43:52 purely a secular
00:43:52 --> 00:43:53 mind on,
00:43:53 --> 00:43:54 you will go,
00:43:55 --> 00:43:55 that person
00:43:55 --> 00:43:56 is beneath
00:43:56 --> 00:43:56 me in
00:43:56 --> 00:43:57 some way
00:43:57 --> 00:43:57 and I'm
00:43:57 --> 00:43:58 here to
00:43:58 --> 00:43:58 contribute
00:43:58 --> 00:43:59 to you.
00:44:00 --> 00:44:00 I want to
00:44:00 --> 00:44:01 help you
00:44:01 --> 00:44:01 with your
00:44:01 --> 00:44:02 problem.
00:44:03 --> 00:44:04 What we
00:44:04 --> 00:44:04 need to do
00:44:04 --> 00:44:05 instead is
00:44:05 --> 00:44:06 because of
00:44:06 --> 00:44:06 the gospel,
00:44:06 --> 00:44:07 we need to
00:44:07 --> 00:44:07 see spiritually,
00:44:08 --> 00:44:08 that's me.
00:44:10 --> 00:44:11 That's actually
00:44:11 --> 00:44:11 me.
00:44:13 --> 00:44:13 That's who I
00:44:13 --> 00:44:14 am in God's
00:44:14 --> 00:44:14 eyes.
00:44:16 --> 00:44:16 And that
00:44:16 --> 00:44:16 person,
00:44:17 --> 00:44:17 just like me,
00:44:17 --> 00:44:18 is made in the
00:44:18 --> 00:44:18 image of God
00:44:18 --> 00:44:18 and has
00:44:18 --> 00:44:19 royal dignity.
00:44:20 --> 00:44:21 Fourthly,
00:44:22 --> 00:44:22 there is a
00:44:22 --> 00:44:23 royal dignity
00:44:23 --> 00:44:24 imprinted on
00:44:24 --> 00:44:25 every person
00:44:25 --> 00:44:28 and therefore
00:44:28 --> 00:44:28 Christians,
00:44:29 --> 00:44:30 this church,
00:44:30 --> 00:44:30 you as a
00:44:30 --> 00:44:31 Christian,
00:44:31 --> 00:44:32 are against
00:44:32 --> 00:44:33 and ought to
00:44:33 --> 00:44:33 be against
00:44:33 --> 00:44:34 abortion,
00:44:35 --> 00:44:36 but not
00:44:36 --> 00:44:37 merely in
00:44:37 --> 00:44:37 principle.
00:44:38 --> 00:44:39 Not merely
00:44:39 --> 00:44:39 in principle.
00:44:41 --> 00:44:41 From the
00:44:41 --> 00:44:42 very first
00:44:42 --> 00:44:43 days of the
00:44:43 --> 00:44:44 Christian church,
00:44:46 --> 00:44:47 it has been
00:44:47 --> 00:44:47 on the
00:44:47 --> 00:44:48 forefront of
00:44:48 --> 00:44:49 taking in
00:44:49 --> 00:44:50 and nurturing
00:44:50 --> 00:44:51 vulnerable,
00:44:51 --> 00:44:52 unwanted
00:44:52 --> 00:44:52 children,
00:44:52 --> 00:44:53 including those
00:44:53 --> 00:44:54 who are not
00:44:54 --> 00:44:54 yet born.
00:44:57 --> 00:44:57 As we
00:44:57 --> 00:44:58 launch into
00:44:58 --> 00:44:59 2022,
00:45:00 --> 00:45:00 it will be
00:45:00 --> 00:45:01 important for
00:45:01 --> 00:45:02 us to get
00:45:02 --> 00:45:03 the relationship
00:45:03 --> 00:45:04 between our
00:45:04 --> 00:45:06 words and
00:45:06 --> 00:45:07 our deeds
00:45:07 --> 00:45:07 right.
00:45:09 --> 00:45:10 Justice and
00:45:10 --> 00:45:11 mercy must
00:45:11 --> 00:45:12 never,
00:45:12 --> 00:45:13 ever replace
00:45:13 --> 00:45:14 evangelism.
00:45:15 --> 00:45:15 The
00:45:15 --> 00:45:16 proclamation
00:45:16 --> 00:45:17 of the
00:45:17 --> 00:45:18 gospel,
00:45:19 --> 00:45:19 of what
00:45:19 --> 00:45:20 Christ has
00:45:20 --> 00:45:20 done for
00:45:20 --> 00:45:20 you,
00:45:20 --> 00:45:21 must never
00:45:21 --> 00:45:21 replace
00:45:21 --> 00:45:22 that.
00:45:22 --> 00:45:23 But on
00:45:23 --> 00:45:23 the other
00:45:23 --> 00:45:23 hand,
00:45:24 --> 00:45:24 justice and
00:45:24 --> 00:45:26 mercy must
00:45:26 --> 00:45:26 not simply
00:45:26 --> 00:45:27 be an
00:45:27 --> 00:45:28 ends to a
00:45:28 --> 00:45:28 means in
00:45:28 --> 00:45:29 order to
00:45:29 --> 00:45:29 evangelize.
00:45:33 --> 00:45:34 There is a
00:45:34 --> 00:45:35 royal dignity
00:45:35 --> 00:45:36 imprinted on
00:45:36 --> 00:45:37 every single
00:45:37 --> 00:45:38 human being
00:45:38 --> 00:45:40 and so can I
00:45:40 --> 00:45:40 say,
00:45:40 --> 00:45:41 brothers and
00:45:41 --> 00:45:41 sisters,
00:45:41 --> 00:45:42 let that
00:45:42 --> 00:45:42 sink into
00:45:42 --> 00:45:43 your heart,
00:45:44 --> 00:45:44 let it sink
00:45:44 --> 00:45:45 into your
00:45:45 --> 00:45:46 minds,
00:45:46 --> 00:45:47 as you
00:45:47 --> 00:45:48 share communion
00:45:48 --> 00:45:48 and morning
00:45:48 --> 00:45:49 tea together
00:45:49 --> 00:45:50 this morning.
00:45:50 --> 00:45:51 Let's pray.
00:45:54 --> 00:45:55 Heavenly
00:45:55 --> 00:45:55 Father,
00:45:55 --> 00:45:56 burden us
00:45:56 --> 00:45:56 to look
00:45:56 --> 00:45:57 upon one
00:45:57 --> 00:45:58 another first
00:45:58 --> 00:45:58 with awe
00:45:58 --> 00:45:59 and reverence
00:45:59 --> 00:46:01 and not
00:46:01 --> 00:46:01 with difference
00:46:01 --> 00:46:02 and suspicion.
00:46:03 --> 00:46:04 I pray
00:46:04 --> 00:46:04 that as a
00:46:04 --> 00:46:05 result,
00:46:06 --> 00:46:07 your name
00:46:07 --> 00:46:07 would be
00:46:07 --> 00:46:08 exalted
00:46:08 --> 00:46:10 as relationships
00:46:10 --> 00:46:12 here between
00:46:12 --> 00:46:13 different groups
00:46:13 --> 00:46:13 and some
00:46:13 --> 00:46:14 Paul's
00:46:14 --> 00:46:15 deepen
00:46:15 --> 00:46:18 and sweeten.
00:46:19 --> 00:46:19 Amen.
00:46:19 --> 00:46:19 Amen.
00:46:19 --> 00:46:24 Number one
00:46:26 --> 00:46:41 to
00:46:41 --> 00:46:43 big