WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:03.040 Hey, guys, we're here for another episode of Bible Guys, 2 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:05.679 and it's also Super Bowl week. So today we'll be 3 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:08.880 talking about the Super Bowl. We're talking about persecution and 4 00:00:08.919 --> 00:00:10.960 then some really good news, some hope at the end 5 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:12.160 of today's message. 6 00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:14.560 Yeah. So he's Kyle and I'm Jeff, and we're the 7 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:15.160 Bible Guys. 8 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:31.600 Okay, So Jeff, this week is Super Bowl and we've 9 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:32.840 got the Chiefs. 10 00:00:32.520 --> 00:00:34.799 We've got the Eagles, and both of us will definitely be. 11 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:37.240 Watching the game. And so for our listeners, I actually 12 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:39.200 want to hear your prediction. I'm gonna give you mine, 13 00:00:39.240 --> 00:00:40.960 and then I also love to hear everybody else's prediction, 14 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:41.840 and we'll see who's right. 15 00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:46.880 I think I saw a thing here recently that in 16 00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:50.600 the in the championship level, not the Super Bowl, but 17 00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:54.159 in the you know, the the two divisional championships that 18 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:57.719 Brady and Mahomes have been in the last ten Wow, right, 19 00:00:57.840 --> 00:00:58.439 that's amazing. 20 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:00.799 Mahomes is the new is the new. 21 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:03.039 Go right, He's not the goat yet, but I mean, 22 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:09.359 but he's dominant. But this year, I think that the 23 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:12.599 Eagles are a stronger team all the way around than 24 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:13.400 Kansas City. 25 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:16.120 They've kind of just breezed through the last few I mean, 26 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:19.480 I know they've obviously had a couple injuries against players 27 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:21.959 again that they've played against, but it just doesn't seem 28 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:23.560 hard out there no past week. 29 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:25.359 They drove down the first drive and looked at Jalen. 30 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:28.040 They just made it look easy. They're super balanced. There's 31 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:30.799 a strong team on defense and offense. They've got some 32 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:34.079 real weapons. I'm just not sure. So the thing with 33 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:36.680 Kansas City is they put up a ton of points, right, 34 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:40.359 so if Mahomes being hurt, if he is healed up 35 00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:42.879 a little bit better and his mobile, I think that 36 00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:45.599 their offense is very dangerous. I just think their defense 37 00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:48.879 can stop Philadelphia. So I think it'll be a close game. 38 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:50.200 But I think Philadelphia is gonna win. 39 00:01:50.280 --> 00:01:51.599 But the only thing is I think it's going to win. 40 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:53.640 I would say I think the Chiefs have had more 41 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:56.400 experience offensively when it comes to these types of situations. 42 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:57.719 I think it's gonna be a high scoring game. 43 00:01:57.760 --> 00:01:59.319 I think it's going to be close, and I think 44 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:01.200 at the end, I'm going to go Chiefs only. 45 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:02.120 Because I think it's going to come now. 46 00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:03.560 I think it's going to come down to something close 47 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:04.719 to the end, and I'm going to be a gun 48 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:08.919 slinger game back Mahomes really against I mean, at the 49 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:09.199 end of the. 50 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:11.199 Game, he's he's the clutch that he has a will 51 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:12.439 to win, he said, kind of minds. 52 00:02:12.439 --> 00:02:14.879 Honestly, little Aaron Rodgers can't stand the guy, but lawyer Rodgers, 53 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:16.800 and in the game, you don't want him getting the 54 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:18.319 ball back. And then also the Eagles, I know they 55 00:02:18.360 --> 00:02:20.280 got some some veterans on defense, but I'm trying to 56 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:21.560 think about their do they have a lot of any 57 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:23.199 veterans on offense who've been there before. 58 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:25.759 I know they're in the Super Bowl f years back. 59 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:28.319 I'm trying to think there's any returning. I just think 60 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:30.719 they're so talented and fairly deep. Yeah, you know, in 61 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:33.879 the run game, the receiving game, they've got going to receivers. 62 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:34.360 Beat their teams up. 63 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:38.039 Okay, So my I'm going to go with oh man, 64 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:41.360 I'm going to go with thirty to twenty seven. 65 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:44.479 Oh about thirty to twenty seven Chiefs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 66 00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:46.400 So I think it's going to be a high scoring 67 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:48.479 game too. I just think that the Eagles are going 68 00:02:48.520 --> 00:02:51.199 to win. So I've got thirty five thirty one, Okay. 69 00:02:50.919 --> 00:02:52.080 Thirty five thirty one. 70 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:56.400 Okay, so it's going to be a gunslinger game, I think, yes, yeah, 71 00:02:56.520 --> 00:02:59.199 just because both sides have the ability to really put 72 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:00.000 that ball down the field. 73 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:00.319 Yes. 74 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:02.240 We'll then to ask you one before we get in 75 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:02.599 the bottle. 76 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:05.319 We're talking about football here. What's your go to like 77 00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:07.000 like when you think about Super Bowl? It's also super 78 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:10.080 snack time, right, Super th time? What's your like goach 79 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:12.039 when it comes to sitting owt watching football? What's your 80 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:12.319 go to? 81 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:13.639 Traditional? Wings? 82 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:15.400 Okay, phone in wings? Nice? 83 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:16.159 You gotta have them. 84 00:03:16.599 --> 00:03:16.960 I like it. 85 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:19.680 I actually just last couple of years I started barbecuing, 86 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.240 and I feel like if I can get anything in 87 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:24.240 the bar like wings, ribs, anything like that, that's money. 88 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:25.680 So I don't I haven't really planned that part of 89 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:27.240 it out yet, but definitely. 90 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:29.039 Looking for I think for us, we've got to fire 91 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:31.000 up the grill and make something happy good. 92 00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:31.360 Yeah. 93 00:03:31.400 --> 00:03:32.000 All right, So. 94 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:34.080 Today we're going to get into Romans eight and continue 95 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:37.479 on where we left off from yesterday's message. Here, I 96 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:41.280 just want to encourage you to interact with us on YouTube, Facebook, 97 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:43.080 give us comments, and also if you're not following our 98 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:44.719 Facebook page, one of the really cool things that we 99 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:48.360 do is we actually give daily content, daily scriptures, daily encouragement, 100 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:51.039 things inspire you. So if you're not following, make sure 101 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:52.360 liking our page, make sure to do it, and just 102 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:54.479 another thing to just walk you through your day. So 103 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:58.400 Romans eight, starting in verse eighteen, here is what Paul 104 00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:01.560 had to say. Yeah, what we suffer now is nothing 105 00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:03.879 compared to the glory He will reveal to us later. 106 00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:07.680 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day 107 00:04:07.719 --> 00:04:10.800 when God will reveal who his children really are. Against 108 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:14.199 its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But 109 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:16.839 with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day 110 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:19.480 when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from 111 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:22.399 death and decay. For we know that all creation has 112 00:04:22.439 --> 00:04:24.759 been groaning, as in the pains of childbirth, right up 113 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.040 to the present time, and we believers also grown even 114 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:30.040 though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a 115 00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:32.519 fore taste of future glory, or we long for our 116 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:35.319 bodies to be released from sin and suffering, We too 117 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:37.879 wait with eager hope for the day when God will 118 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:41.879 give us our full rights as adopted children, including the 119 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:44.600 new bodies He has promised us, which I'm looking forward 120 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:47.240 to We were given this hope when we were saved. 121 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:50.720 That says parenthesis. If we already have something, we don't 122 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:52.560 need to hope for it. But if we look forward 123 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:55.319 to something we don't have yet yet have, we must 124 00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:56.600 wait patiently and confidently. 125 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:58.800 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. 126 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:01.240 For example, we don't know what God wants us to 127 00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:03.879 pray for, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with 128 00:05:04.040 --> 00:05:08.279 groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father, 129 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:11.199 who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying. 130 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:14.120 For The Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with 131 00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:16.879 God's own will. And we know that God causes everything 132 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:19.000 to work together for the good of those who love 133 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:21.800 God on our call, according to His purpose for them. 134 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:24.399 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose 135 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:26.720 him become like his son, so that his son would 136 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:29.800 be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having 137 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:32.600 chosen them, he called them to come to him. And 138 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:35.480 having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. 139 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:38.639 And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. 140 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:41.439 And it says this, what shall we say about such 141 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:42.720 wonderful things as these? 142 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:45.839 If God is for us. Who can be against us? 143 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:48.319 Since He did not spare even his own son, but 144 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:51.079 gave him up for us all, won't he also give 145 00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:51.959 us everything? 146 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:52.279 Else? 147 00:05:52.920 --> 00:05:56.120 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his 148 00:05:56.199 --> 00:05:59.519 own no one? For God himself has given us right 149 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:02.720 standing with himself, Who then will condemn us? 150 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:03.759 No one? 151 00:06:03.959 --> 00:06:06.560 For Christ Jesus died for us and was raised delight 152 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:08.279 for us, and he is sitting in the place of 153 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:11.759 honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. Can anything 154 00:06:11.839 --> 00:06:14.480 ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He 155 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:16.920 no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, 156 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:20.120 or are persecuted or hungry or destitute, or in danger 157 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:23.480 or threatened with death as a scriptures say, for your sake, 158 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:26.240 we are killed every day. We are being slaughtered like sheep, 159 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:29.680 and he answers by saying no. Despite all these things, 160 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:34.759 overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And 161 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:37.399 I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from 162 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:41.000 God's love. Either death nor life, neither angels nor demons, 163 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:44.680 neither our fears for today, nor our worries about tomorrow. 164 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:47.600 Not even the powers of hell can separate us from 165 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:50.360 God's love. No power in the sky above or in 166 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:53.399 the earth below. Indeed, nothing in all creation will ever 167 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:55.439 be able to separate us from the love of God 168 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:58.439 that is revealed in Christ Jesus Our Lord. 169 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:01.560 Wow, I think that that stretch trait there's one of 170 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:03.360 my favorite passages in the whole Bible. 171 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:03.839 Here. 172 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:04.639 It fantastic. 173 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:05.800 I just want to see even as like a youth, 174 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.000 I just think back like youth pastor day. I mean 175 00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:09.639 not to say that this isn't something we go to 176 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:11.959 a lot, but it's such an encouragement to so many 177 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:13.720 people who are just feeling down and now just a 178 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:15.680 reminder or just wondering about whether or not they're loved, 179 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:17.120 or they're valued, or they matter. 180 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:21.240 So I agree, Well, it's such a great ending to 181 00:07:21.319 --> 00:07:24.920 the struggle that Paul's been articulating for several chapters. Yes, 182 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:28.360 between death and life, between the law and the spirit 183 00:07:28.439 --> 00:07:32.319 and the flesh and walking in God's spirit, all these things. 184 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:35.279 He literally says he's a miserable person. 185 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:35.639 Yep. 186 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:38.800 And then finally by the end of this chapter, at 187 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:40.879 the beginning he said there's no condemnation, and by the 188 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:43.000 end he's like, there's nothing that can separate me from 189 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:47.079 the love of God. It's absolute, total delight in the 190 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.160 fact that God loves him. He literally tells us in 191 00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:51.920 the last portion, Hey, we can go to him. He's 192 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:54.959 our abba father, he's our daddy. And if we can 193 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:58.240 just understand we're living in the struggle of this life. 194 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:03.160 But the promise, the hope that we have is total, absolute, 195 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:06.839 pure acceptance, love and joy, and nothing could ever separate 196 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:10.079 us from God's love. That's pretty powerful. So because of that, 197 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:12.160 nothing can never separate from God's love. Let me saying 198 00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:14.759 we can endure anything. We can go through anything. It 199 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:17.079 doesn't matter what the cost is, doesn't matter the crisis. 200 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:19.160 We can go through anything because this life is temporary. 201 00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:21.040 That's ready to you turn it. And that's ultimate trust 202 00:08:21.079 --> 00:08:22.160 you have. That's the hope you have. 203 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:25.319 That's that joy that goes beyond your circumstances. 204 00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:27.000 It's funny because we see that even in the Old Time. 205 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.360 We see so many people who displayed this trust in 206 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:31.959 God Old Testament through the New Testament. And you have Paul, 207 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:33.919 who you've just seen it all. He's seen a lot 208 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:35.120 and he's about to see a lot more. We'll talk 209 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:36.840 about persecution today. He's about to see a lot more. 210 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:38.600 And this is the hope that gets you through. This 211 00:08:38.679 --> 00:08:40.679 is the hope that people hold on to, that trust 212 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:41.519 in God. 213 00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:43.879 Well, he mentioned, we share his suffering in the last 214 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:46.480 you know, yesterday, and then today it picks up, and 215 00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:48.399 what we suffer is nothing compared to the glory that 216 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:51.759 he'll reveal to us later, you know, suffering, we think immediately. 217 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:57.279 Paul's talking in the context of the Roman persecution of Christians, 218 00:08:57.720 --> 00:09:03.879 also the Jewish persecution Christians at the time, and the misunderstanding, 219 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:08.360 the being ostracized, losing their businesses, sometimes being put in prison, 220 00:09:08.519 --> 00:09:13.200 being beaten, you know, being separated from family, all those things. 221 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:15.840 So that that's a big part of it. And even today, 222 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:20.039 according to there's several organizations that track global persecution. They're 223 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:22.559 saying that we're in a time right now where it's 224 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:26.960 one of the hottest times for persecution in Christian history. 225 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:30.399 And so there's a couple different organizations, the Voice of 226 00:09:30.440 --> 00:09:33.600 the Martyrs, Open Doors, a couple others that track that 227 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:37.679 kind of stuff. On Open Doors, they said, right now, 228 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:41.360 three hundred and sixty million Christians suffer high levels of 229 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:46.360 persecution and discrimination for their faith and sixty million that's 230 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:49.600 more people than live in the United States are suffering 231 00:09:49.639 --> 00:09:54.519 persecution today. And that persecution can range anywhere from just 232 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:58.559 full on ostracization, you know, from their family being banished 233 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:01.799 from their homes or whatever, to being beaten or being 234 00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:04.360 put in prison. To give put that in perspective, one 235 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:07.240 out of every seven Christians in the world are persecuted, 236 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:10.360 one out of every sin. Yeah, one out of five 237 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:16.600 Christians in Africa are persecuted often and regularly, whether violence 238 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:20.720 or legal persecution or whatever. Two out of five forty 239 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:24.679 percent of all Christians in Asia are living under persecution. 240 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:29.000 And you know, these persecutions can be over fifty six 241 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:32.720 hundred Christians were murdered last year only because they were Christians. 242 00:10:33.159 --> 00:10:38.600 There were over two thousand churches were attacked by you 243 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:42.840 know people, evil people that were trying to destroy those churches. 244 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:46.519 And most of those two thousand churches were attacked while 245 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:51.320 church services were going on, right, Bombs going off in 246 00:10:51.720 --> 00:10:55.080 northern Nigeria that came in and shot up the place, 247 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:58.519 and you know, stuff like that. And then over almost 248 00:10:58.519 --> 00:11:02.080 five thousand Christians were arrested last year only because they 249 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:07.240 were Christians, you know, put in prison. So that's pretty extraordinary. 250 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:11.879 Over any given season, there can be tens of thousands 251 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:15.399 of people that are being detained during the day being 252 00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:18.519 questioned why did you go there? Who are you talking to? 253 00:11:19.159 --> 00:11:21.679 You know, that kind of thing. It's just astounding. 254 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.279 And it's interesting because you've been around the world and 255 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:27.639 witness churches church movements, and I've had the privilege of 256 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:29.080 going to a few different countries and seeing things, and 257 00:11:29.080 --> 00:11:32.919 it's interesting the way people worship in those In those. 258 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:35.240 The joy and freedom in their worship is unblievable. 259 00:11:35.240 --> 00:11:37.200 And the way the preachers preach and the way they 260 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:41.360 talk about things like it's like people who legitimately feel 261 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:43.600 like their life is hanging on a rower at the 262 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:45.720 balance and on a rope and there, and so when 263 00:11:45.720 --> 00:11:47.120 you hear what they have to say, it's like it's 264 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:50.080 a completely different context than the types of preaching and 265 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:52.480 things that we worry about in this day and age. 266 00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:55.159 Right, And persecution is the norm for Christianity and has 267 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:58.799 been for two thousand years, right, So that's godly people, 268 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:01.399 people who are truly on God's word. There there have 269 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:04.559 been people who've claimed to represent God that also do 270 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:07.080 a lot of persecution or have done persecution in the past, 271 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:10.399 But for those that are truly christ centered, persecution has 272 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:14.480 always been a part of the Christian walk. It's kind 273 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:16.320 of an anomaly for those of us who live in 274 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:18.799 the West, particularly those who live in America, where we 275 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:21.240 live in peace. But what I have noticed is where 276 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:24.000 the Church is persecuted, the church is strong. Where the 277 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:27.000 Church is at peace and not prosecuted, church tends to 278 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:30.480 be pretty weak. That produces weak Christians that are self centered. 279 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:33.000 It's hard to be a self centered Christian when you 280 00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:35.200 know as soon as you go public with your faith, 281 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:37.399 you're probably going to be arrested or you're going to 282 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:38.039 be persecuted. 283 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:40.120 So there's no personal gain, right what I mean, it's 284 00:12:40.120 --> 00:12:41.480 like Jesus, he says, count the cost. 285 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:43.120 That's what for people. 286 00:12:43.159 --> 00:12:45.639 Hey count the cost, and it's like, hey, following him 287 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:47.840 there was going to require to lay down certain things, 288 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:50.080 and we see that right throughout the different countries where 289 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:51.799 they're laying it down. Therefore they're kind of the cost 290 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:53.519 and it honestly feels more real that. 291 00:12:53.879 --> 00:12:55.639 So that's part of the struggle, that's the part of 292 00:12:55.639 --> 00:12:58.120 the suffering. The other side of it, he pivots a 293 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:01.759 little bit away from persecution into just the normal struggles 294 00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:06.799 of light, and he says, he says, all creation is 295 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:09.279 waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal 296 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:13.240 whose children really are against its will. All creation was 297 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:14.360 subjected to God's curse. 298 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:15.879 I want to ask about that. What are your thoughts 299 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:16.360 on that part? 300 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:18.399 And then just a little further, it goes down and 301 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:24.240 it says, we know that all creation verse twenty three 302 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:27.159 has been groaning, as in the pains of childbirth, right 303 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:30.360 up to the present time. So because sin exists, so 304 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:33.919 God made everything perfect, and the Bible says, when it 305 00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:36.679 was all done, his six days of creation were done, 306 00:13:36.759 --> 00:13:39.720 he looked and he said, it is very good. There 307 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:45.240 was no disease, there was no violence, there was no brokenness, 308 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:49.120 there was no broken marriages or broken relationships, there was 309 00:13:49.159 --> 00:13:53.440 no fear, nothing. It was complete and total, perfect innocence. 310 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:59.480 And then sin broke it all. This self centeredness, this 311 00:14:00.440 --> 00:14:03.840 know it all kind of idea, going after you know, 312 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:07.039 wisdom and going after the knowledge of good and evil 313 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:12.279 destroyed everything. So now all of creation grows. There was 314 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:17.039 no death of any kind prior to sin, but now 315 00:14:17.159 --> 00:14:21.000 sin has broken everything. So it's not that God, you know, 316 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:24.799 sometimes we blame God for all the bad things that happen. Oh, 317 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:28.679 my grandma got cancer, and you know I had cancer, 318 00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:32.679 And it's natural for people to blame God for the 319 00:14:32.679 --> 00:14:35.240 diseases that happen in life. And God's like, I'm not 320 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:37.759 to blame, right. It's the sin that happened in the 321 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:43.200 world that created all of this brokenness, and it's the 322 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:46.919 fact that we're living under a curse. So we desire paradise. 323 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:49.799 That's why socially there's all these social engineers out there 324 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:52.519 trying to create a utopia. It's just not going to happen. 325 00:14:52.600 --> 00:14:55.320 It's not possible because we live in a sinful world, 326 00:14:55.399 --> 00:15:00.600 and so we desire paradise. But we broke paradise with 327 00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:03.360 our sin. But what God's promising, and this is the 328 00:15:03.399 --> 00:15:08.279 hope we have, is paradise restored in heaven, right, right, 329 00:15:08.440 --> 00:15:11.919 So he rescues us from this curse and brings us 330 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:15.039 into his blessing in favor. So it's not that God 331 00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:17.080 has done all these things to us. These are all 332 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:19.440 the consequences, all the horrible things that happen in like 333 00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:24.279 the suffering that we have. But he says, any kind 334 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:26.679 of suffering that we suffer now is nothing compared to 335 00:15:26.679 --> 00:15:29.399 the glory see late Maya. I have a ten year 336 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:31.360 old who she I mean, both my daughters are amazing. 337 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:34.519 She's just funny, funny, sense of humor, sassy, witty, all 338 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:36.879 that sort of those sorts of things. One thing she'll 339 00:15:36.919 --> 00:15:39.840 do is whenever she like maybe acts out of out 340 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:42.320 of line or gets you know, irritable and wants to apologize, 341 00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:44.159 one of the things she always says, she'll she'll be like, 342 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:46.279 you know, you're a walk away up, like, darn. 343 00:15:46.120 --> 00:15:49.840 You Eve, so Jesus, I'm like, that's right, remember, Like 344 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:52.440 we're like and it just remind her like we're gonna 345 00:15:52.440 --> 00:15:54.279 make mistakes, you know, we're sinful, and she's like, god, 346 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:55.799 darn you Eve, something goes wrong. 347 00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:57.879 I just laugh about that. And one of the other things, 348 00:15:58.759 --> 00:16:00.200 let me finish it before going that. 349 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:02.200 You know, I think one of the great fears that 350 00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:03.600 we have one of the reasons why we're so afraid 351 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:06.480 of suffering of any kind, whether it's persecution or whether 352 00:16:06.519 --> 00:16:10.840 it's it's uh, you know, disease or sickness or death. 353 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:14.639 We're afraid of death. Right, Paul writes in Corinthians, he said, 354 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:17.120 oh death, where's your sting? Where's your victory. There is 355 00:16:17.159 --> 00:16:20.639 no victory, but we're afraid of it. And what he's 356 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:24.960 saying is nothing that we go through even comes close 357 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:27.879 comparing to the glory that we can see in the future. 358 00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:30.720 God gives us grace even in our suffering. That's a 359 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:33.440 big part of Paul's theme. Remember when we were a 360 00:16:33.480 --> 00:16:35.600 couple weeks ago, Chris and I were talking about where 361 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:37.919 God said, my grace is sufficient for you. My grace 362 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:40.159 is enough. God gives us grace or those things. We 363 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:42.480 don't have to be afraid as we begin to face 364 00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:46.039 that He's delivered us from the terror and the fear 365 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:48.519 of death, and he has given us hope that goes 366 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:51.039 way beyond I just breathed my last breath here and 367 00:16:51.080 --> 00:16:54.559 I wake up in heaven, and that hope should supersede 368 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:57.000 any kind of fear of all these other struggles. So 369 00:16:57.919 --> 00:16:58.559 you're going to. 370 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:00.519 Want to something because I think so many people might 371 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:02.440 read twenty six Let's go to twenty six er. 372 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:04.759 A second Moly Spirit helps us in our weakness. 373 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:06.720 For example, we don't know what God wants to pray for, 374 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:09.279 but the Holy Spirit praise for us with groanings that 375 00:17:09.319 --> 00:17:11.440 cannot be expressed in words. Imagine somebody's hearing this for 376 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:13.279 the first time. You're like, what does that that's a 377 00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:13.759 new thought. 378 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:16.480 Well, I think for some Christians they're afraid to pray 379 00:17:16.680 --> 00:17:18.680 because they don't know how to pray. I hear it, 380 00:17:18.680 --> 00:17:20.119 I'll say, oh no, I don't want to pray. I 381 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:22.759 don't know how to pray or whatever. So like somehow 382 00:17:22.759 --> 00:17:26.720 you might mess it up. You know, maybe you watch 383 00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:29.880 some Halloween movie and somebody messes up some kind of 384 00:17:29.960 --> 00:17:33.599 witch's incantation and something bad happens. That's not what prayer is. 385 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:36.880 Prayer is not some kind of incantation that you have 386 00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:38.839 to say it exactly the right way, and if you 387 00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:41.240 mess it up, God's going to be mad. Instead, you 388 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:44.480 bring your needs and your desires, your fears, your brokenness, 389 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:47.160 all of your cares, and you bring them to him. 390 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:49.799 But we don't always know the way to pray. I 391 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:52.359 don't know what God's will is all the time. You know, 392 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:54.599 I know what the circumstances are. I sure would like 393 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:56.640 him to intervene and resolve it, but I don't know 394 00:17:56.680 --> 00:17:59.359 what the best resolution of everything is. So I don't 395 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:01.400 have to be afraid to messing it up. I can 396 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:05.519 bring my concerns my way, but the Holy Spirit translates 397 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:11.000 my words in ways that we can't comprehend, and he 398 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:14.680 then aligns it says that he brings these things the Father, 399 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:18.079 who knows all hearts, knows what the serious is saying. 400 00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:20.240 For the Spirit leads a believers in harmony with God's 401 00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:24.839