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 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast.

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 We're so glad you chose to listen today.

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 In this week's message, we delve into the story of Judah and Tamar from Genesis 38,

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 uncovering how God's sovereignty and purpose prevail, even through human failure.

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 Through this lineage, God fulfilled his promises,

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 leading to Jesus Christ and showing us that we can always trust his word,

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 no matter how broken the path may seem.

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 Thanks for listening.

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 Well, good morning.

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 If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join us in Genesis chapter 38,

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 is where we will be.

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 For all of our first-time guests, I want to echo what Berger said.

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 Thank you so much for being here and for worshiping with us.

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 One thing that I will ask from you is at the end of the service,

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 my wife and I will be back here to my left at this back table back there.

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 Here's what we would love.

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 We would love for you to come by so that we can meet you.

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 We don't think that we're anything special, but we think you're pretty special,

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 and we're super grateful that you're here and that you're worshiping with us.

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 And so if you would just stop by there at the end of the service, we'd love to learn your name,

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 to thank you for being here.

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 And if there's any questions you have about Willow Ridge Church,

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 we would love to be able to answer those for you.

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 There's a lot that's going on in the life of our church,

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 especially as Christmas season is approaching, right?

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 Sooner than later, Thanksgiving, we're still fighting for you, right?

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 To be recognized within there, as we're already seeing, like, people decorating their houses.

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 Not sure why you're getting the Christmas trees up this early, but you're doing that,

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 and that's the thing that you do, all right?

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 But it's coming.

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 There's a lot of things that we're doing around here that we're excited about.

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 Doe Holy Night was, I think, last year was our first year.

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 We did that with our kids and our kids' ministry and their families,

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 and just a wonderful time, right?

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 Talking about Jesus, eating some cookies, man, that is a good night together.

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 And then for a few years now, we've been gathering together in different capacities

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 to do our Christmas music thing that Brent Hawkins orchestrates.

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 This is like Brent's season, you know?

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 He's leading our trip to New York.

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 He's doing our Christmas musical thing.

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 And we call it, if you're unfamiliar with us,

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 we call it a Kanda Christmas Cantata.

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 Because I was talking to someone a few years ago,

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 and they said, well, what, I don't forget what we called it at that point in time,

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 but they were like, well, what are we, what are we doing?

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 It's like, well, what we have, you know, we don't have a choir or anything like that.

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 We got a lot of people at our church, students, gifts and talents with different things.

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 And so it's an opportunity to gather together as a church,

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 to listen, to sing Christmas songs together.

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 And they said, so it's a Christmas cantata.

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 And I went, kind of.

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 And if you've been to it before, you know, it's kind of.

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 But it's a wonderful, wonderful night of fun together.

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 And you will definitely want to be here for that.

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 Also, so this past week, so not this past week, the week before that,

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 a group of men and I went to Black Mountain.

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 I talked a little bit about that last week,

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 but I want to kind of give some more details before we get into our message time today.

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 First off, I want to thank you as our congregation for allowing, enabling, empowering

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 all of the things that you do to allow us to go across the world to do missions.

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 And you were able, through your giving and through your participation,

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 to mobilize very quickly.

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 You ended up being 21 men that went up to Black Mountain to serve at Black Mountain Children's Home.

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 And here's what we did.

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 We got to go up there.

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 A lot of different guys got to use a lot of different skill sets that they have.

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 Some guys that use skill sets that they didn't know that they had.

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 Most of them use skill sets that I didn't know that they had

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 to be able to serve the families and the organization that's there.

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 So to kind of give some of the layout of what happened up there as a whole,

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 the Swannanoa River during Hurricane Helene flooded.

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 That was problem number one.

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 If you've ever seen the Swannanoa River, especially in the Swannanoa community,

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 which is where the children's home is,

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 I would say that the river itself is not as wide as our auditorium, okay?

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 So it's not wide at all.

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 And if during the summer when we were there,

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 if I said we're going to walk across the river,

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 we don't need like a Jesus moment helping us do this, all right?

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 Water is very, very shallow in most of the areas that are there.

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 And you can just, man, take off your shoes, roll up your pants,

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 and you can walk right across it and be fine.

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 But because of the amount of rain that was all there, number one,

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 that river, it overflowed.

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 And when it overflowed, we were riding past one area,

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 and I'm terrible with estimating,

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 but just very high up the hillside,

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 like you could see where the water came.

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 And it moved over hundreds of feet past the banks

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 and flooded some of the areas of the children's homes.

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 That's number one of what the organization had to walk through.

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 The second thing that happened that most of you are aware of as well

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 was there was the mudslide that happened coming down off the mountain, okay?

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 And it was so large of the mudslide of where we were.

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 Pictures would not do it justice,

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 but we were a couple of miles away at a church.

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 We were feeding us lunch one morning or one afternoon,

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 and we were there standing out in the parking lot,

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 and we kind of looked to our left,

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 and we could see the mountain where it's located,

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 and you could see from miles away the difference in topography

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 as where was trees, there was no longer anything that was there.

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 If you've ever been to, like, the mountains and been far away

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 and seen, like, a ski resort without snow on it, you know,

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 and you can see that something's been cleared out there intentionally,

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 that's what it looked like.

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 But obviously, no one intentionally kind of went through and did that,

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 and it brought massive amounts of devastation.

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 The homes where the kids stay in, it was positioned in an area

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 where the floodwaters did not reach and the mudslide did not happen.

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 However, both the flood and where the mudslide happened took out a lot of their areas

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 where they used for rest and for rejuvenation for their staff and largely for those kids,

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 and also equipping and training these kids that are coming through this foster care process

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 to equip them and train them in careers that they can do once they turn 18 years old,

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 as well as some of the housing that the men and women who work for the organization for where they live.

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 So we came in ready to do whatever was asked of us,

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 and we ran chainsaws, we cleared earth.

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 There's no other way to describe some of these areas where you would walk through

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 and you would see what appeared to be like a beaver dam,

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 but there was no river or no pond.

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 It was just where that massive amount of earth had been moved off of a mountain.

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 And as you cut through, as you dug through, you would find telephone poles,

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 you'd find parts of cars, you'd find signs.

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 I found a softball, just like pieces of life that you'd seen for evidence that people had lived there and done.

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 It was just there.

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 And so we did a lot of that.

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 We did some plumbing work to work to help the houses there.

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 If you're not familiar with what's going on specifically right now,

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 in lots of areas that are there and in that area,

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 there is no or limited power in some areas.

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 We are fortunate that we had power in the area that we were.

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 A lot of the area does have running water now,

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 but in very few areas is that water drinkable.

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 And even in most of the areas,

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 the water is so contaminated,

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 they say that you can't even bathe with the water.

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 So basically, you could flush a toilet with it is what that water would be good for.

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 And so we were able to do some plumbing for some filtration systems that were donated

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 where they were able to come in to where they will not have to be dependent on the system that's there,

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 that these kids in their homes could have that that's there.

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 Did some electrical work in some of those areas and all of those things.

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 This was, I counted, this was about the 10th time that I've been to Black Mountain.

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 Aaron's been with me eight times to go up there and to serve.

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 And so usually when we go up there,

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 we go up there with a group of our middle schoolers is how it started.

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 And then became our middle schoolers and high schoolers.

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 And so it is very commonly known amongst the staff there and their communication to us.

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 And Rodney's never lied to me.

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 Elodie's never lied to me.

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 So I don't know why they would.

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 But they always say every year,

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 they kind of talk about all the different groups that come through.

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 And they say every year that the Willow Ridge Youth Group

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 is the hardest working team that comes there.

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 They don't complain.

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 They don't quit.

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 They just get it done, whatever it is.

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 So I give your youth a round of applause.

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 So the day that we were leaving, I said to the men,

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 I said, hey, here's your challenge.

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 I don't think you can beat the youth.

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 I've been up there with them.

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 I've seen them.

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 They don't need to take breaks as much as you do.

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 They're out there in the heat and the humidity.

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 And they're getting it done.

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 They don't necessarily have chainsaws.

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 They have handsaws, right?

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 And they're cranking it through and getting it done.

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 So I want to set us with a real expectation that we can meet.

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 I said, I want us to be the second best team, right?

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 In true University of South Carolina format, I am a Gamecock.

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 We cannot be the best.

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 But if we can be closer to the best, then we'll take it.

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 Then we heard some interesting information.

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 We found out that a couple days before we were supposed to get there,

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 that some heavy equipment showed up.

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 The men and women at Black Mountain didn't know where the equipment came from,

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 but it just appeared.

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 Parked right there and left on their property a bunch of skid steers.

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 And then a group of Amish, 40 Amish showed up, unannounced.

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 And they said, we're ready to work.

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 That's our equipment.

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 Which was a little confusing for me at the time when I heard that Amish had skid steers.

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 But they did.

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 Now, I'll be honest with you.

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 I believe in the work ethic of these 21 men.

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 But I thought these 40 Amish, they're probably going to whoop us.

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 You know what I mean?

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 Like, they got heavy equipment and that.

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 I don't know about that.

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 So we got there.

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 We get there, and we go down, and we start moving,

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 trying to move some of the things they have for us.

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 And it's not budging.

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 So we talked to Rodney.

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 Rodney says, hey, we've got these skid steers.

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 They're supposed to pick them up either this afternoon or tomorrow.

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 But if you want to use them, use them.

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 You've got them as long as they're here.

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 And, man, that mobilized our guys, right?

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 Joe Schmidt and Michael Brewer jumped right on and instantly.

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 And, man, we're working, and we're working, and we're working, and we're cleaning.

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 And I'm watching the things move away.

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 And every day, I'm like, Lord, just one more day with these skid steers.

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 Lord, one more day with these skid steers.

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 And the next day, they're still out there.

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 And they're like, are they going to get them today?

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 And I was like, don't ask that question.

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 Just get on them and go.

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 And they got on, and we cleared, and we cleared, and we cleared, and we cleared.

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 And the next day, they're supposed to get them yesterday.

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 Or were they going to get them today?

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 Like, again, let's not ask those questions.

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 Let's just go.

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 And those skid steers were available for every single day that we were there.

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 We get a phone call the day after we left, early that morning.

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 The moving company showed up, picked up the skid steers just in time, right?

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 We were already back home and back good.

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 Rodney was talking to Joel.

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 And Joel said, how did we do?

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 Well, fellas, guess what?

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 We didn't beat the youth group.

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 We didn't beat the youth group.

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 But he said, we outworked the Amish, right?

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 So we'll take it.

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 We'll take it.

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 In all seriousness, a story that just impacted my heart.

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 I shared with you guys last week about the church that served us when we were there to serve them.

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 But on the last day, one of the big highlights for our youth group to come there, they got a thrift store that's a part of the children's home that serves the children and the people in that community.

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 It's where children learn skills of retail and work ethic and so many different things.

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 And they raise money for the organization.

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 And it's where so many people in that town can come and get items that they need.

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 And our youth always go there and shop.

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 And Brent Hawkins was there with us.

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 And we found out that the thrift store was going to open up the day after we left.

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 Well, Brent is persuasive with words, right?

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 Those of you who know Brent.

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 And Brent was like, uh-uh.

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 I think we can get it open before we leave.

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 I was like, I don't know.

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 Brent is like, give me time.

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 Well, they opened it up the day that we were going to let.

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 They were going to let us come in and shop around and do some stuff.

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 And so we went in in typical thrift store fashion.

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 I walked away with a heater, a sander, two boat paddles, a sweatshirt, and a plastic crate, right?

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 And I come up, and the lady is there.

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 She lives in the community.

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 She works there.

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 She's not staff, but she works there at that thrift store.

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 And I said, thank you so much.

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 You know, I was viewing this as they called these men and women in on their day off to come and to serve.

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 To open this up for us so that we could.

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 And so I wanted her to know that I was grateful for her sacrifice.

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 I said, thank you for coming in when you didn't have to so that you can be in here with a bunch of men and serve us in this way.

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 And here's what she said to me, and this stuck with me, and this has changed my prayer for the people of Western North Carolina, of Eastern Tennessee.

00:14:42.620 --> 00:14:44.160
 She said, no, no, no, thank you.

00:14:47.420 --> 00:14:48.900
 She said, because this is normal.

00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:56.040
 And she said, this is the first piece of normal that I've had for a long, long time.

00:14:56.640 --> 00:14:57.180
 Thank you.

00:14:57.640 --> 00:14:58.080
 Thank you.

00:14:58.920 --> 00:15:02.880
 So just a reminder of all that's going on there in your prayers for that.

00:15:03.980 --> 00:15:05.100
 I spoke with Glenn Oob.

00:15:05.220 --> 00:15:06.380
 Glenn posted on Facebook.

00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:07.940
 Glenn's part of an organization.

00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:10.500
 Some of you have been asking, like, what are other things that we can do?

00:15:10.940 --> 00:15:12.680
 Glenn's part of an organization.

00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:15.080
 And I don't want to misspeak and give false details.

00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:20.420
 I'm going to give the best that I know that have been building these basically, like, tiny homes that can be taken up there

00:15:20.420 --> 00:15:26.040
 because there's so many people who lost everything, but they don't want to leave their property of what they have, okay?

00:15:26.260 --> 00:15:28.160
 Because that is their home, right?

00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:30.280
 And so they're living in tents right now.

00:15:30.660 --> 00:15:34.940
 And we know that cold is coming, we think, you know?

00:15:35.620 --> 00:15:42.480
 And so Glenn's part of an organization that's building some tiny homes to provide some shelter for them as this season approaches.

00:15:42.680 --> 00:15:47.160
 And I asked Glenn if he could be back in the back with us at the end of the service.

00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:52.460
 And so if you've got any questions, if you'd like to help, to assist, to be a part of that, Glenn will be back there

00:15:52.460 --> 00:15:55.340
 and be able to answer those questions for you as well, okay?

00:15:55.560 --> 00:15:57.380
 We are going to get into Genesis 38.

00:15:58.060 --> 00:16:03.440
 Before we do that, I want to read 2 Timothy 3, 16 through 17, and then pray.

00:16:04.300 --> 00:16:04.980
 God's Word says,

00:16:04.980 --> 00:16:18.700
 Would you pray with me?

00:16:19.400 --> 00:16:21.520
 God, I thank you for our time when we could be together.

00:16:22.280 --> 00:16:24.520
 Lord, I thank you, Lord, for this passage of Scripture.

00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:30.220
 God, I thank you for the struggle for me battling through that this week.

00:16:31.160 --> 00:16:34.440
 Lord, I thank you that you spoke and you were speaking.

00:16:35.340 --> 00:16:37.020
 God, today may we hear you.

00:16:37.780 --> 00:16:39.580
 God, today may we trust you.

00:16:40.940 --> 00:16:47.020
 God, today may we celebrate you in all that we do and in all that we say.

00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:48.960
 And it's in Jesus' name we pray.

00:16:49.900 --> 00:16:50.180
 Amen.

00:16:50.740 --> 00:16:50.980
 Amen.

00:16:51.640 --> 00:16:59.800
 Has someone ever told you something that you believed later in life to find out that it's not true?

00:17:02.340 --> 00:17:03.860
 They told you something.

00:17:04.900 --> 00:17:06.480
 You based actions.

00:17:06.760 --> 00:17:07.820
 You based character.

00:17:08.420 --> 00:17:09.800
 You based work ethic.

00:17:09.980 --> 00:17:14.560
 You based decisions off of this piece of advice.

00:17:15.380 --> 00:17:18.480
 And then later in life, you found out that it was not true.

00:17:19.320 --> 00:17:21.920
 That happened to me yesterday.

00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:23.940
 Yesterday.

00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:28.160
 I've heard a statement my whole life.

00:17:29.140 --> 00:17:32.680
 It's the story of the tortoise and the hare.

00:17:33.900 --> 00:17:36.460
 And that statement is this.

00:17:37.180 --> 00:17:40.400
 Slow and steady, what?

00:17:41.520 --> 00:17:42.520
 Wins the race.

00:17:43.860 --> 00:17:46.720
 Several months ago, Joel Van Ham came up to me and he said,

00:17:46.820 --> 00:17:47.980
 Hey, I'm running a half marathon.

00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:50.240
 Dawn and I are going to do it.

00:17:50.700 --> 00:17:52.560
 Would you like to run in it with us?

00:17:53.520 --> 00:17:54.960
 I don't know why y'all laughed.

00:17:55.300 --> 00:17:56.640
 That's not the punchline.

00:17:57.840 --> 00:17:59.200
 That is not encouraging.

00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:03.400
 I said, no, I would not.

00:18:04.540 --> 00:18:06.660
 He's like, well, there's a 5K and a 10K.

00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:08.340
 Would you like to do that?

00:18:09.320 --> 00:18:11.800
 And I was, man, I don't really know.

00:18:11.860 --> 00:18:12.820
 I don't think so.

00:18:13.460 --> 00:18:16.280
 Well, the next week, hey, man, why don't you run this with us?

00:18:16.680 --> 00:18:18.660
 The next week, why don't you run this with us?

00:18:18.700 --> 00:18:19.280
 We all know this.

00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:23.660
 Joel, like Brent, man, he's a persuasive guy.

00:18:24.420 --> 00:18:26.440
 So I thought I'll just say yes.

00:18:27.060 --> 00:18:29.280
 But then forget to register.

00:18:29.740 --> 00:18:30.780
 There's the confession.

00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:32.120
 There it is.

00:18:32.120 --> 00:18:36.120
 So about three weeks ago, Joel sends me a text message.

00:18:36.320 --> 00:18:37.780
 Hey, what's your shirt size?

00:18:38.420 --> 00:18:41.340
 I responded and then said, why?

00:18:41.900 --> 00:18:45.900
 And he said, because I just registered you for the 10K.

00:18:48.540 --> 00:18:54.880
 Well, at this point, it's like, well, I need to be proactive and start training.

00:18:55.300 --> 00:19:03.280
 But instead of being proactive, I thought, no, I'll just procrastinate and not do this.

00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:10.820
 So Saturday morning, I showed up for a 10K that I had not trained for, that I had not equipped myself for.

00:19:11.180 --> 00:19:15.180
 The previous night, I overloaded on Chinese food and sweet tea.

00:19:17.020 --> 00:19:24.740
 But I said to myself, slow and steady wins the race.

00:19:27.060 --> 00:19:28.500
 Got up to the start line.

00:19:29.300 --> 00:19:34.260
 One of the things that Grayson's cross-country coach has said to him to help motivate him during this difficult season.

00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:39.960
 It's Grayson, when you walk up to that line, I want you to identify one person on the other team.

00:19:40.620 --> 00:19:42.380
 Maybe that's got a faster time than you.

00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:44.660
 Maybe that beat you at the last race.

00:19:44.780 --> 00:19:45.660
 Grayson runs cross-country.

00:19:46.360 --> 00:19:48.880
 And he said to him, and I want you to go and beat him.

00:19:50.040 --> 00:19:53.660
 So I walk up to that start line, and I look around.

00:19:54.860 --> 00:20:00.480
 Standing beside me is a man wearing camouflage cargo denim.

00:20:02.060 --> 00:20:04.640
 And I thought, I'm going to beat him.

00:20:05.060 --> 00:20:05.180
 Right?

00:20:07.180 --> 00:20:12.200
 So I get up, slow and steady, slow and steady, slow and steady.

00:20:12.520 --> 00:20:13.440
 Boom, we take off.

00:20:13.620 --> 00:20:14.520
 And I will tell you this.

00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:17.740
 I was slow, and I was steady.

00:20:18.260 --> 00:20:20.780
 I did everything that I'd heard from that fable.

00:20:21.700 --> 00:20:22.500
 I endured.

00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:23.720
 I kept down.

00:20:24.080 --> 00:20:24.780
 I kept going.

00:20:25.140 --> 00:20:25.920
 I kept moving.

00:20:26.220 --> 00:20:27.400
 I was committed to this.

00:20:28.580 --> 00:20:29.840
 And I crossed the finish line.

00:20:31.520 --> 00:20:33.200
 I crossed the finish line in first place.

00:20:34.800 --> 00:20:36.200
 Why are y'all laughing, Leah?

00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:40.480
 Just because you ran track in college.

00:20:42.220 --> 00:20:45.560
 Jason, I came in first place.

00:20:52.560 --> 00:20:54.680
 I came in 200 in first place.

00:20:55.800 --> 00:20:58.680
 Which that is a kind of first place.

00:20:59.220 --> 00:20:59.420
 Right?

00:21:01.100 --> 00:21:02.280
 Yeah, my reality.

00:21:02.520 --> 00:21:03.040
 Thank you.

00:21:03.380 --> 00:21:03.900
 Thank you.

00:21:04.800 --> 00:21:07.640
 But I did beat the guy in the cargo denim, right?

00:21:08.360 --> 00:21:09.300
 I beat him.

00:21:09.660 --> 00:21:10.400
 I beat him.

00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:14.060
 Sometimes we find out that there's things that we've heard.

00:21:15.060 --> 00:21:16.960
 Truth that's been communicated to us.

00:21:17.400 --> 00:21:18.680
 And we just can't trust it.

00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:24.060
 The question, and before we dive into this, and this will be a little bit of a marathon

00:21:24.060 --> 00:21:26.280
 sprint for us to cover this passage this morning.

00:21:27.560 --> 00:21:29.760
 But the question I want to ask you this morning is this.

00:21:29.820 --> 00:21:30.820
 Can I trust God's word?

00:21:32.140 --> 00:21:33.320
 Can I trust God's word?

00:21:35.060 --> 00:21:42.500
 When I look at and examine, and I think this is a question both for believers and non-believers.

00:21:43.300 --> 00:21:47.400
 That I think it is a question that people ask themselves often whether they want to admit it or not.

00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:50.320
 But can I trust God's word?

00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:55.340
 We're given a passage of scripture this morning that is complicated.

00:21:56.100 --> 00:21:57.880
 And I'll explain a little bit of that at the end.

00:21:57.960 --> 00:22:00.320
 We're going to read all the way through Genesis 38.

00:22:01.180 --> 00:22:07.160
 But as I battled through that passage this week with understanding the truth of 2 Timothy 3,

00:22:08.040 --> 00:22:10.760
 This is the question that God kept laying on my mind.

00:22:11.420 --> 00:22:12.480
 Bo, you can trust my word.

00:22:12.580 --> 00:22:13.420
 You can trust my word.

00:22:13.520 --> 00:22:14.360
 You can trust my word.

00:22:15.860 --> 00:22:18.700
 But is everybody who's guided in here, do they believe that?

00:22:19.460 --> 00:22:21.380
 They believe that and they hold on to it.

00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:25.340
 So let's read Genesis chapter 38.

00:22:25.460 --> 00:22:28.340
 We're going to read all the way through the entire chapter.

00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:37.140
 It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Ajumalite whose name was Hurah.

00:22:38.020 --> 00:22:42.860
 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua.

00:22:43.660 --> 00:22:45.560
 And he married her and went into her.

00:22:46.140 --> 00:22:49.180
 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Ur.

00:22:50.080 --> 00:22:54.580
 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

00:22:55.420 --> 00:22:59.640
 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shua.

00:23:00.740 --> 00:23:03.300
 He was the Chezeb when she bore him.

00:23:03.480 --> 00:23:05.240
 He was at Chezeb when she bore him.

00:23:06.180 --> 00:23:11.800
 Then Judah took a wife for Ur, his first son, and her name was Tamar.

00:23:12.840 --> 00:23:17.400
 But Ur, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him.

00:23:18.500 --> 00:23:19.520
 And Judah said to Onan,

00:23:19.620 --> 00:23:23.400
 Go unto your brother's wife and marry her and raise up her heir to your brother.

00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:25.960
 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his.

00:23:26.060 --> 00:23:29.640
 And it came to pass, when he went into his brother's wife, that he admitted on the ground,

00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:32.400
 was he should give an heir to his brother.

00:23:33.400 --> 00:23:36.520
 And the thing which he did displeased the Lord.

00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:38.640
 Therefore, he killed him also.

00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:40.200
 Verse 11,

00:23:40.280 --> 00:23:42.720
 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law,

00:23:43.520 --> 00:23:47.340
 Remain a widow in your father's house till my son Shalaz groan.

00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:48.440
 For he said,

00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:53.080
 Lest he also die like his brothers.

00:23:54.200 --> 00:23:57.400
 And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

00:23:58.260 --> 00:24:01.900
 Now in the process of the time, the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died.

00:24:02.820 --> 00:24:04.040
 And Judah was comforted.

00:24:04.600 --> 00:24:08.100
 And went up to his sheep shearers at Timnah.

00:24:08.680 --> 00:24:11.860
 He and his friend Hira, the Ajumalite.

00:24:12.580 --> 00:24:14.340
 And it was told Tamar, saying,

00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:17.840
 Look, your father-in-law was going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.

00:24:18.460 --> 00:24:20.920
 So she took off her widow's garments,

00:24:21.600 --> 00:24:22.960
 covered herself with a veil,

00:24:23.600 --> 00:24:26.180
 and wrapped herself and sat in an open place,

00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:27.960
 which was on the way to Timnah.

00:24:28.380 --> 00:24:30.400
 For she saw that Shalaz was grown,

00:24:31.040 --> 00:24:34.240
 and she was not given to him as a wife.

00:24:35.140 --> 00:24:37.680
 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot,

00:24:38.100 --> 00:24:39.740
 because she had covered her face.

00:24:40.360 --> 00:24:42.880
 Then he turned to her by the way and said,

00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:45.020
 Please let me come into you.

00:24:45.600 --> 00:24:48.600
 For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.

00:24:49.380 --> 00:24:50.240
 So she said,

00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:52.960
 What will you give me that you may come into me?

00:24:53.600 --> 00:24:54.380
 And he said,

00:24:54.740 --> 00:24:56.720
 I will send a young goat from the flock.

00:24:57.340 --> 00:24:58.300
 So she said,

00:24:58.380 --> 00:25:00.980
 Will you give me a pledge till you send it?

00:25:01.620 --> 00:25:02.480
 And then he said,

00:25:02.540 --> 00:25:03.200
 Which pledge?

00:25:03.460 --> 00:25:05.200
 What pledge shall I give you?

00:25:06.140 --> 00:25:06.960
 So she said,

00:25:07.040 --> 00:25:11.080
 Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.

00:25:12.100 --> 00:25:14.920
 Then he gave them to her and went into her,

00:25:14.980 --> 00:25:16.260
 and she conceived by him.

00:25:17.060 --> 00:25:18.940
 So she arose and went away,

00:25:19.700 --> 00:25:23.040
 and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.

00:25:23.940 --> 00:25:26.900
 Then Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend,

00:25:27.300 --> 00:25:27.900
 the Junalite,

00:25:27.900 --> 00:25:31.600
 to receive his pledge from the woman's hand,

00:25:32.100 --> 00:25:33.080
 but he did not find her.

00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:35.740
 Then she asked the men of that place,

00:25:35.840 --> 00:25:36.080
 saying,

00:25:36.200 --> 00:25:40.160
 Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?

00:25:40.920 --> 00:25:41.860
 And they said,

00:25:41.900 --> 00:25:43.920
 There was no harlot in this place.

00:25:44.580 --> 00:25:46.820
 So she returned to Judah and said,

00:25:47.080 --> 00:25:48.080
 I cannot find her.

00:25:48.540 --> 00:25:51.740
 Also the men of the place said,

00:25:51.780 --> 00:25:53.420
 There was no harlot in this place.

00:25:54.220 --> 00:25:55.720
 Then Judah said,

00:25:55.720 --> 00:25:58.440
 Let her take them for herself,

00:25:58.620 --> 00:26:00.360
 lest we be shamed,

00:26:00.460 --> 00:26:02.300
 for I sent this young goat,

00:26:02.680 --> 00:26:04.160
 and you have not found her.

00:26:04.700 --> 00:26:06.820
 And it came to pass about three months after

00:26:06.820 --> 00:26:08.280
 that Judah was told,

00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:08.660
 saying,

00:26:08.820 --> 00:26:10.240
 Tamar, your daughter-in-law,

00:26:10.600 --> 00:26:12.160
 has played the harlot.

00:26:12.920 --> 00:26:13.400
 Furthermore,

00:26:14.080 --> 00:26:16.700
 she is with child by harlotry.

00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:18.220
 So Judah said,

00:26:18.320 --> 00:26:20.700
 Bring her out and let her be burned.

00:26:21.840 --> 00:26:23.200
 When she was brought out,

00:26:23.540 --> 00:26:25.120
 she sent to her father-in-law,

00:26:25.300 --> 00:26:25.620
 saying,

00:26:26.420 --> 00:26:28.700
 By the man whom these belong,

00:26:29.220 --> 00:26:30.240
 I am with child.

00:26:30.980 --> 00:26:31.800
 And she said,

00:26:32.260 --> 00:26:34.160
 Please determine whose these are,

00:26:34.700 --> 00:26:35.360
 the signet,

00:26:36.020 --> 00:26:36.640
 the cord,

00:26:37.220 --> 00:26:38.040
 and staff.

00:26:39.260 --> 00:26:43.700
 So Judah acknowledged them and said,

00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:47.200
 She has been more righteous than I,

00:26:47.720 --> 00:26:51.120
 because I did not give her to Shalah, my son.

00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:54.600
 And he never knew her again.

00:26:55.660 --> 00:26:58.260
 Now it came to pass at the time for giving birth

00:26:58.260 --> 00:26:58.680
 that behold,

00:26:58.800 --> 00:26:59.820
 twins were in her womb.

00:27:00.540 --> 00:27:02.360
 And so it was when she was giving birth

00:27:02.360 --> 00:27:04.340
 that the one put out his hand

00:27:04.340 --> 00:27:06.840
 and the midwife took the scarlet thread

00:27:06.840 --> 00:27:08.660
 and bound it on his hand,

00:27:08.760 --> 00:27:09.040
 saying,

00:27:09.560 --> 00:27:10.640
 This one came out first.

00:27:11.340 --> 00:27:13.580
 Then it happened as he drew back his hand

00:27:13.580 --> 00:27:15.100
 that his brother came out unexpectedly.

00:27:15.880 --> 00:27:16.440
 And she said,

00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:17.440
 How did you break through?

00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:19.200
 This breach be upon you.

00:27:19.640 --> 00:27:21.080
 Therefore, his name was Perez.

00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:23.680
 After his brother came out,

00:27:24.320 --> 00:27:26.040
 who had the scarlet thread on his hand,

00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:28.440
 and his name was Zerah.

00:27:29.320 --> 00:27:29.900
 So really quickly,

00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:30.760
 here's what's going on.

00:27:31.560 --> 00:27:33.580
 Judah, the fourthborn son of Jacob and Leah,

00:27:33.900 --> 00:27:35.820
 the brother that suggested that Joseph

00:27:35.820 --> 00:27:37.520
 be sold into slavery.

00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:42.120
 He breaks from the expectation of God

00:27:42.120 --> 00:27:44.360
 and of marriage amongst his people,

00:27:45.060 --> 00:27:46.820
 and he goes and he has babies.

00:27:48.080 --> 00:27:50.520
 He has, in a pagan, in a foreign land,

00:27:51.560 --> 00:27:54.740
 having babies with those

00:27:54.740 --> 00:27:56.200
 that he's not supposed to be with.

00:27:57.140 --> 00:27:58.960
 His firstborn son is named Ur.

00:27:59.620 --> 00:28:01.000
 Judah takes a bride for Ur.

00:28:01.100 --> 00:28:02.220
 Her name is Tamar.

00:28:02.320 --> 00:28:03.940
 She's also a Canaanite woman.

00:28:05.080 --> 00:28:05.900
 Ur dies,

00:28:05.960 --> 00:28:07.940
 and since he has not provided for his son,

00:28:08.140 --> 00:28:09.620
 it is the duty of the brother

00:28:09.620 --> 00:28:10.700
 to marry her,

00:28:10.800 --> 00:28:12.360
 the responsibility of Onan.

00:28:13.040 --> 00:28:16.440
 Onan was happy to use Tamar

00:28:16.440 --> 00:28:17.760
 for his selfishness,

00:28:18.100 --> 00:28:19.880
 but intentionally chose

00:28:19.880 --> 00:28:22.500
 not to provide her with any child.

00:28:23.560 --> 00:28:24.820
 And Ur and Onan,

00:28:25.320 --> 00:28:27.160
 in their disobedience to the Lord,

00:28:27.280 --> 00:28:29.880
 received judgment and died as well.

00:28:31.220 --> 00:28:32.440
 Judah says to Tamar,

00:28:32.600 --> 00:28:34.620
 well, then you're going to remain a widow

00:28:34.620 --> 00:28:37.480
 until my next son can marry you.

00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:40.380
 Not ideal for Tamar,

00:28:41.700 --> 00:28:42.620
 knowing,

00:28:43.320 --> 00:28:44.180
 as she finds out,

00:28:44.260 --> 00:28:46.860
 that Judah is not a man of his word

00:28:46.860 --> 00:28:47.720
 in this instance,

00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:50.380
 meaning that there's no hope

00:28:50.380 --> 00:28:51.620
 for her future,

00:28:52.500 --> 00:28:54.720
 no hope to be provided for.

00:28:55.540 --> 00:28:57.440
 So she decides to take matters

00:28:57.440 --> 00:28:58.560
 into her own hands.

00:28:59.160 --> 00:29:00.480
 She could not simply find

00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:01.980
 another man to marry

00:29:01.980 --> 00:29:03.780
 because she was a part of this family,

00:29:03.780 --> 00:29:05.660
 so she disguised herself

00:29:05.660 --> 00:29:06.780
 as a prostitute,

00:29:07.540 --> 00:29:09.820
 specifically to be with Judah.

00:29:11.860 --> 00:29:13.120
 Tamar and Judah

00:29:13.120 --> 00:29:15.540
 met together.

00:29:16.660 --> 00:29:17.060
 Judah,

00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:19.320
 not knowing who she is,

00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:21.240
 she conceived a child.

00:29:22.540 --> 00:29:23.880
 She put aside

00:29:23.880 --> 00:29:25.660
 the clothing

00:29:25.660 --> 00:29:27.040
 that would have been worn

00:29:27.040 --> 00:29:28.620
 by a prostitute,

00:29:28.620 --> 00:29:30.580
 went back to her stage in life.

00:29:30.700 --> 00:29:31.520
 Three months later,

00:29:32.140 --> 00:29:32.800
 she's pregnant,

00:29:32.920 --> 00:29:34.040
 word gets back to Judah.

00:29:34.600 --> 00:29:35.420
 He's angry

00:29:35.420 --> 00:29:37.560
 because of her actions,

00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:40.120
 but she shows the evidence,

00:29:40.920 --> 00:29:42.020
 and he knows

00:29:42.020 --> 00:29:43.000
 what has taken place.

00:29:44.340 --> 00:29:46.320
 We see this peace within him

00:29:46.320 --> 00:29:48.860
 of the harsh reality

00:29:48.860 --> 00:29:50.380
 of what he's done.

00:29:52.420 --> 00:29:53.880
 Tamar will give birth to twins,

00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:56.180
 Perez and Zerah.

00:29:57.400 --> 00:29:58.580
 And for right now,

00:29:59.300 --> 00:30:00.080
 that's all.

00:30:02.140 --> 00:30:03.440
 It's kind of a strange question

00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:03.960
 to ask you

00:30:03.960 --> 00:30:04.700
 from the very beginning.

00:30:05.840 --> 00:30:06.820
 Can I trust God's word?

00:30:08.080 --> 00:30:09.640
 If you're a non-believer

00:30:09.640 --> 00:30:10.620
 and you're here,

00:30:10.800 --> 00:30:12.520
 it's a very important question

00:30:12.520 --> 00:30:14.020
 that I hope you're asking.

00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:16.700
 If you're a non-believer,

00:30:16.920 --> 00:30:17.760
 especially if you're someone

00:30:17.760 --> 00:30:18.320
 who's unfamiliar

00:30:18.320 --> 00:30:19.460
 with Christianity,

00:30:19.780 --> 00:30:21.640
 I hope you're asking yourself

00:30:21.640 --> 00:30:22.080
 this question,

00:30:22.380 --> 00:30:23.140
 can I believe

00:30:23.700 --> 00:30:25.500
 the things that God's word

00:30:25.500 --> 00:30:26.260
 tells me,

00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:27.940
 the things that this church

00:30:27.940 --> 00:30:29.360
 is proclaiming to be true?

00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:30.880
 And we'd love to walk

00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:32.760
 on that journey with you,

00:30:32.980 --> 00:30:34.980
 both in testimony of evidence

00:30:34.980 --> 00:30:36.460
 and testimony of life

00:30:36.460 --> 00:30:37.320
 and transformation

00:30:37.320 --> 00:30:38.240
 of the gospel.

00:30:39.180 --> 00:30:40.420
 If you are a believer,

00:30:41.380 --> 00:30:42.620
 while I'm sure you may not

00:30:42.620 --> 00:30:44.020
 want to admit it,

00:30:44.540 --> 00:30:45.700
 this is a question

00:30:45.700 --> 00:30:46.780
 that you have probably

00:30:46.780 --> 00:30:47.760
 asked yourself.

00:30:47.980 --> 00:30:49.480
 Can I really trust

00:30:49.480 --> 00:30:51.420
 what this book is saying?

00:30:51.660 --> 00:30:52.880
 Or maybe specifically,

00:30:53.120 --> 00:30:54.200
 can I really trust

00:30:54.200 --> 00:30:56.020
 all that this book is saying?

00:30:57.480 --> 00:30:58.820
 Maybe we want to cut

00:30:58.820 --> 00:31:00.160
 and paste the things we like

00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:02.320
 and exclude the things

00:31:02.320 --> 00:31:03.580
 that we don't.

00:31:05.320 --> 00:31:07.080
 As I journeyed into this passage

00:31:07.080 --> 00:31:08.060
 this week,

00:31:08.580 --> 00:31:09.660
 what we find

00:31:09.660 --> 00:31:12.720
 is a very complex story.

00:31:13.760 --> 00:31:15.000
 Here's typically what I do

00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:15.840
 in my study

00:31:15.840 --> 00:31:17.640
 as I prepare for a message.

00:31:18.600 --> 00:31:19.300
 Each week,

00:31:19.380 --> 00:31:20.560
 I listen or read

00:31:20.560 --> 00:31:21.380
 two sermons

00:31:21.380 --> 00:31:23.000
 by a trusted pastor

00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:24.140
 that has preached

00:31:24.140 --> 00:31:25.840
 the passage of Scripture

00:31:25.840 --> 00:31:26.920
 that I plan on preaching

00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:28.220
 that Sunday.

00:31:29.180 --> 00:31:30.580
 I read a minimum

00:31:30.580 --> 00:31:32.520
 of three academically

00:31:32.520 --> 00:31:34.520
 sourced commentaries,

00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:35.780
 not blogs,

00:31:35.900 --> 00:31:36.500
 not thoughts,

00:31:36.600 --> 00:31:37.500
 not ideas,

00:31:38.060 --> 00:31:39.180
 but I want to see

00:31:39.180 --> 00:31:40.680
 that people have looked

00:31:40.680 --> 00:31:42.800
 at this in an academic sense

00:31:42.800 --> 00:31:44.620
 on each passage of Scripture.

00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:46.160
 The third thing

00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:46.920
 that I look to do

00:31:46.920 --> 00:31:47.640
 within this

00:31:47.640 --> 00:31:50.080
 is extensive word study

00:31:50.080 --> 00:31:51.620
 on the original language

00:31:51.620 --> 00:31:52.920
 so that I can understand

00:31:52.920 --> 00:31:53.520
 the culture

00:31:53.520 --> 00:31:54.460
 and the context

00:31:54.460 --> 00:31:55.540
 in which this is given.

00:31:55.860 --> 00:31:57.420
 All of this happening

00:31:57.420 --> 00:31:58.180
 under the leadership

00:31:58.180 --> 00:31:58.760
 and the guidance

00:31:58.760 --> 00:31:59.500
 of the Holy Spirit.

00:32:00.520 --> 00:32:01.360
 It doesn't make me special

00:32:01.360 --> 00:32:01.760
 or better.

00:32:01.880 --> 00:32:02.180
 It just means

00:32:02.180 --> 00:32:03.220
 this is the process

00:32:03.220 --> 00:32:05.040
 that God has walked me through

00:32:05.040 --> 00:32:06.020
 and His faithful men

00:32:06.020 --> 00:32:06.920
 have discipled me

00:32:06.920 --> 00:32:07.920
 in pastoring

00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:08.640
 and in preaching

00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:09.360
 and communicating.

00:32:09.740 --> 00:32:10.740
 This is the process

00:32:10.740 --> 00:32:12.640
 that God has given to me

00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:13.160
 that I do.

00:32:14.460 --> 00:32:15.920
 Here's what we find,

00:32:15.980 --> 00:32:16.100
 though,

00:32:16.140 --> 00:32:17.640
 in this passage

00:32:17.640 --> 00:32:18.420
 of Scripture.

00:32:19.420 --> 00:32:20.200
 When we read through

00:32:20.200 --> 00:32:20.760
 Pastor Dave,

00:32:20.860 --> 00:32:22.620
 talked through Genesis 37

00:32:22.620 --> 00:32:23.560
 last week,

00:32:24.380 --> 00:32:25.280
 we saw that it was

00:32:25.280 --> 00:32:26.660
 Joseph's dreams

00:32:26.660 --> 00:32:28.040
 of greatness

00:32:28.040 --> 00:32:29.720
 and it's being sold

00:32:29.720 --> 00:32:30.580
 into slavery

00:32:30.580 --> 00:32:32.200
 and then if you jump

00:32:32.200 --> 00:32:33.380
 to Genesis 39,

00:32:34.320 --> 00:32:35.740
 we see that we finally

00:32:35.740 --> 00:32:36.880
 pick up with Joseph

00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:38.980
 as a slave in Egypt

00:32:38.980 --> 00:32:40.880
 and this passage

00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:41.760
 doesn't fit

00:32:41.760 --> 00:32:43.260
 very neat.

00:32:44.540 --> 00:32:46.260
 in all of the sermons

00:32:46.260 --> 00:32:47.360
 that I search for

00:32:47.360 --> 00:32:48.220
 under the pastors

00:32:48.220 --> 00:32:49.320
 that I know

00:32:49.320 --> 00:32:50.340
 and that I trust

00:32:50.340 --> 00:32:51.640
 and I say no,

00:32:51.760 --> 00:32:52.540
 no of.

00:32:53.460 --> 00:32:54.020
 Some of them

00:32:54.020 --> 00:32:54.780
 I know personally,

00:32:54.920 --> 00:32:55.320
 many of them

00:32:55.320 --> 00:32:55.860
 I do not.

00:32:56.720 --> 00:32:57.660
 I found that there was

00:32:57.660 --> 00:32:58.780
 a guy who's passed away,

00:32:58.880 --> 00:32:59.640
 his name's Tim Keller.

00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:01.920
 He preached on this passage

00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:02.720
 one time.

00:33:03.840 --> 00:33:04.700
 Nobody else.

00:33:06.080 --> 00:33:07.180
 I found less

00:33:07.180 --> 00:33:08.800
 academic writing

00:33:08.800 --> 00:33:11.540
 on this passage

00:33:11.540 --> 00:33:12.520
 of Scripture

00:33:12.520 --> 00:33:14.360
 than I've seen

00:33:14.360 --> 00:33:15.260
 in any other

00:33:15.260 --> 00:33:16.440
 passage of Scripture

00:33:16.440 --> 00:33:18.220
 so far in Genesis

00:33:18.220 --> 00:33:19.800
 which includes

00:33:19.800 --> 00:33:20.600
 our favorite,

00:33:20.800 --> 00:33:21.720
 the genealogies.

00:33:22.740 --> 00:33:23.640
 We get the joy

00:33:23.640 --> 00:33:24.160
 of battling

00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:25.000
 through all those

00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:26.020
 wonderful,

00:33:26.220 --> 00:33:26.700
 hard to pronounce

00:33:26.700 --> 00:33:27.640
 names for me.

00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:29.260
 So I asked myself

00:33:29.260 --> 00:33:30.320
 this question this week.

00:33:30.800 --> 00:33:31.880
 Why is it here?

00:33:33.560 --> 00:33:34.980
 Do I skip it?

00:33:36.480 --> 00:33:37.180
 One of the pastors

00:33:37.180 --> 00:33:38.160
 that I've been listening to

00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:39.100
 and reading a lot

00:33:39.100 --> 00:33:39.640
 of his stuff,

00:33:39.920 --> 00:33:40.480
 he was working

00:33:40.480 --> 00:33:41.240
 through Genesis.

00:33:41.720 --> 00:33:43.540
 He got to Genesis 37.

00:33:43.940 --> 00:33:44.640
 Him and his church

00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:45.560
 walked through that.

00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:46.720
 Next Sunday

00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:47.840
 without skipping a beat,

00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:48.040
 man,

00:33:48.060 --> 00:33:48.580
 they just jumped

00:33:48.580 --> 00:33:50.280
 right into Genesis 39.

00:33:50.600 --> 00:33:51.300
 And I want to be honest

00:33:51.300 --> 00:33:51.580
 with you,

00:33:51.620 --> 00:33:52.100
 Monday morning

00:33:52.100 --> 00:33:52.760
 about 10 o'clock

00:33:52.760 --> 00:33:53.260
 at my house,

00:33:53.320 --> 00:33:53.980
 that idea sounded

00:33:53.980 --> 00:33:54.980
 really good.

00:33:57.480 --> 00:33:57.880
 But,

00:33:59.460 --> 00:34:00.540
 2 Timothy

00:34:00.540 --> 00:34:02.940
 3, 16 and 17,

00:34:04.200 --> 00:34:05.500
 a verse that I hold dear

00:34:05.500 --> 00:34:07.100
 as a pastor,

00:34:07.780 --> 00:34:08.420
 as a preacher.

00:34:09.420 --> 00:34:10.160
 All scripture

00:34:10.160 --> 00:34:10.820
 is breathed out

00:34:10.820 --> 00:34:11.220
 by God

00:34:11.220 --> 00:34:11.640
 and profitable

00:34:11.640 --> 00:34:12.140
 for teaching,

00:34:12.280 --> 00:34:12.740
 for reproof,

00:34:12.780 --> 00:34:13.260
 for correction,

00:34:13.560 --> 00:34:14.200
 and for training

00:34:14.200 --> 00:34:14.760
 in righteousness,

00:34:14.940 --> 00:34:15.560
 that the man

00:34:15.560 --> 00:34:16.660
 of God,

00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:17.480
 that me,

00:34:17.640 --> 00:34:18.220
 that you,

00:34:18.300 --> 00:34:18.800
 that we may be

00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:19.320
 complete,

00:34:19.700 --> 00:34:21.120
 equipped for every

00:34:21.120 --> 00:34:21.700
 good work.

00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:22.800
 And I was like,

00:34:22.860 --> 00:34:23.720
 but let's work,

00:34:24.120 --> 00:34:24.760
 let's work,

00:34:25.020 --> 00:34:25.700
 let's work.

00:34:27.060 --> 00:34:27.820
 And here's what I began

00:34:27.820 --> 00:34:28.820
 to see in this passage

00:34:28.820 --> 00:34:29.240
 of scripture.

00:34:30.240 --> 00:34:30.720
 So if I can,

00:34:31.120 --> 00:34:32.100
 in the remaining

00:34:32.100 --> 00:34:32.500
 of this message,

00:34:32.540 --> 00:34:33.100
 I just want to take you

00:34:33.100 --> 00:34:34.220
 through the journey

00:34:34.220 --> 00:34:35.380
 with me this week.

00:34:36.640 --> 00:34:38.240
 So I began to pray,

00:34:38.680 --> 00:34:39.640
 God, why?

00:34:40.060 --> 00:34:41.060
 God, what?

00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:42.520
 God, how?

00:34:42.840 --> 00:34:43.360
 Within this.

00:34:43.420 --> 00:34:43.960
 One of the beautiful

00:34:43.960 --> 00:34:45.900
 things that God does

00:34:45.900 --> 00:34:46.660
 in scripture

00:34:46.660 --> 00:34:47.700
 that God drew me to

00:34:47.700 --> 00:34:49.460
 was God's attention

00:34:49.460 --> 00:34:50.700
 to detail.

00:34:53.620 --> 00:34:54.640
 My wife will sometimes

00:34:54.640 --> 00:34:55.080
 ask me,

00:34:55.120 --> 00:34:55.400
 she's like,

00:34:55.440 --> 00:34:56.220
 hey, I tried to get

00:34:56.220 --> 00:34:56.760
 in touch with you

00:34:56.760 --> 00:34:57.980
 and I couldn't.

00:34:58.640 --> 00:34:59.280
 What were you doing?

00:34:59.320 --> 00:34:59.420
 I was like,

00:34:59.460 --> 00:35:00.240
 oh, I was on the phone

00:35:00.240 --> 00:35:00.760
 with my parents,

00:35:00.820 --> 00:35:01.340
 I was on the phone

00:35:01.340 --> 00:35:02.000
 with somebody,

00:35:02.120 --> 00:35:02.260
 you know,

00:35:02.520 --> 00:35:02.820
 I'll give her,

00:35:02.860 --> 00:35:02.980
 she's like,

00:35:03.000 --> 00:35:03.420
 oh, what did y'all

00:35:03.420 --> 00:35:03.860
 talk about?

00:35:03.860 --> 00:35:04.060
 I was like,

00:35:04.120 --> 00:35:04.260
 you know,

00:35:04.520 --> 00:35:05.000
 well, we talked

00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:05.640
 about this.

00:35:05.680 --> 00:35:06.000
 And she's like,

00:35:06.180 --> 00:35:07.020
 well, you're on the phone

00:35:07.020 --> 00:35:08.200
 for like 30 minutes,

00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:09.340
 like more had to be said

00:35:09.340 --> 00:35:09.880
 than that.

00:35:09.940 --> 00:35:10.180
 I'm like,

00:35:10.240 --> 00:35:10.740
 no, no, no,

00:35:10.760 --> 00:35:11.400
 it's just that.

00:35:11.520 --> 00:35:13.320
 Like, I'm bad at details.

00:35:14.080 --> 00:35:14.920
 Some of you are bad

00:35:14.920 --> 00:35:15.500
 at details.

00:35:16.200 --> 00:35:16.340
 I mean,

00:35:16.360 --> 00:35:18.220
 God's not bad

00:35:18.220 --> 00:35:19.280
 at details.

00:35:20.120 --> 00:35:20.860
 And throughout

00:35:20.860 --> 00:35:22.460
 God's word,

00:35:22.720 --> 00:35:23.540
 his attention

00:35:23.540 --> 00:35:25.200
 to detail

00:35:25.200 --> 00:35:26.540
 is splendid

00:35:26.540 --> 00:35:27.160
 of what we see

00:35:27.160 --> 00:35:27.620
 in his word.

00:35:28.440 --> 00:35:29.200
 And we see

00:35:29.200 --> 00:35:29.960
 in Genesis.

00:35:31.040 --> 00:35:31.620
 So Genesis,

00:35:31.620 --> 00:35:32.620
 from creation

00:35:33.280 --> 00:35:34.120
 to all the way

00:35:34.120 --> 00:35:34.280
 through,

00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:34.980
 we're going to see

00:35:34.980 --> 00:35:35.340
 as we work

00:35:35.340 --> 00:35:36.340
 through the life

00:35:36.340 --> 00:35:37.140
 of Joseph

00:35:37.140 --> 00:35:38.120
 roughly covers

00:35:38.120 --> 00:35:39.280
 2,400 years

00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:40.960
 of all

00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:41.760
 of the detail

00:35:41.760 --> 00:35:43.260
 of what God

00:35:43.260 --> 00:35:43.700
 could show.

00:35:45.180 --> 00:35:46.000
 And God

00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:46.900
 places

00:35:46.900 --> 00:35:48.780
 Genesis 38

00:35:48.780 --> 00:35:49.660
 here.

00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:51.640
 And as I began

00:35:51.640 --> 00:35:52.520
 to whiteboard out

00:35:52.520 --> 00:35:53.300
 things in my office,

00:35:53.380 --> 00:35:53.740
 as I began

00:35:53.740 --> 00:35:54.780
 to journal things

00:35:54.780 --> 00:35:56.440
 at my home,

00:35:56.700 --> 00:35:57.460
 I began to see

00:35:57.460 --> 00:35:58.320
 there's some things

00:35:58.320 --> 00:35:59.100
 that we can draw

00:35:59.100 --> 00:35:59.380
 out,

00:35:59.640 --> 00:36:00.080
 truths

00:36:00.080 --> 00:36:01.560
 that we can do

00:36:01.560 --> 00:36:02.480
 as we walk

00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:02.840
 through this.

00:36:03.040 --> 00:36:03.280
 We can talk

00:36:03.280 --> 00:36:03.780
 about sexual

00:36:03.780 --> 00:36:04.180
 purity.

00:36:04.440 --> 00:36:04.680
 We can talk

00:36:04.680 --> 00:36:05.120
 about role

00:36:05.120 --> 00:36:05.480
 of men

00:36:05.480 --> 00:36:05.920
 and our need

00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:06.220
 for them.

00:36:06.380 --> 00:36:06.940
 We hit that

00:36:06.940 --> 00:36:07.500
 up a few weeks

00:36:07.500 --> 00:36:07.920
 ago, guys.

00:36:08.160 --> 00:36:08.640
 We can talk

00:36:08.640 --> 00:36:09.720
 about being

00:36:09.720 --> 00:36:10.160
 a person

00:36:10.160 --> 00:36:10.840
 of our word.

00:36:11.080 --> 00:36:11.460
 We can talk

00:36:11.460 --> 00:36:12.160
 about generational

00:36:12.160 --> 00:36:12.620
 sin.

00:36:12.780 --> 00:36:13.220
 We can talk

00:36:13.220 --> 00:36:13.840
 about confession

00:36:13.840 --> 00:36:14.340
 and repentance.

00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:14.720
 We can talk

00:36:14.720 --> 00:36:15.200
 about our sin

00:36:15.200 --> 00:36:15.680
 finding us out.

00:36:15.920 --> 00:36:16.740
 All of these

00:36:16.740 --> 00:36:17.960
 things that we

00:36:17.960 --> 00:36:18.200
 have.

00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:18.780
 But here's what

00:36:18.780 --> 00:36:20.160
 began to burden

00:36:20.160 --> 00:36:21.260
 my heart with

00:36:21.260 --> 00:36:21.500
 this.

00:36:21.780 --> 00:36:22.420
 Here's where God

00:36:22.420 --> 00:36:22.720
 took my heart.

00:36:22.980 --> 00:36:24.020
 Can I trust

00:36:24.020 --> 00:36:24.560
 God?

00:36:26.160 --> 00:36:27.340
 Can I trust

00:36:27.340 --> 00:36:28.120
 God?

00:36:29.060 --> 00:36:30.060
 And I can.

00:36:31.260 --> 00:36:32.380
 I can trust

00:36:32.380 --> 00:36:33.680
 God because God

00:36:33.680 --> 00:36:34.960
 tells the story

00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:35.660
 of God,

00:36:35.780 --> 00:36:36.680
 which oftentimes

00:36:36.680 --> 00:36:37.900
 includes stories

00:36:37.900 --> 00:36:38.280
 that I would

00:36:38.280 --> 00:36:38.760
 leave out.

00:36:39.640 --> 00:36:40.080
 And so would

00:36:40.080 --> 00:36:40.240
 you.

00:36:41.080 --> 00:36:41.620
 So would you.

00:36:41.660 --> 00:36:42.060
 How do I know

00:36:42.060 --> 00:36:42.340
 this?

00:36:42.560 --> 00:36:43.220
 For all the married

00:36:43.220 --> 00:36:43.920
 people in the room.

00:36:45.060 --> 00:36:45.700
 Remember that first

00:36:45.700 --> 00:36:46.460
 date you had with

00:36:46.460 --> 00:36:47.120
 your future spouse?

00:36:47.200 --> 00:36:47.520
 You didn't know

00:36:47.520 --> 00:36:48.320
 their future spouse,

00:36:48.360 --> 00:36:48.720
 but you thought

00:36:48.720 --> 00:36:49.100
 they were good

00:36:49.100 --> 00:36:49.340
 looking.

00:36:49.540 --> 00:36:50.180
 You were like,

00:36:50.280 --> 00:36:50.540
 yep, yep,

00:36:50.580 --> 00:36:50.860
 yep, yep,

00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:51.840
 I like them.

00:36:52.060 --> 00:36:52.520
 And then you go

00:36:52.520 --> 00:36:52.980
 on your first

00:36:52.980 --> 00:36:53.280
 date.

00:36:54.020 --> 00:36:54.860
 And that first

00:36:54.860 --> 00:36:55.600
 date, if you're

00:36:55.600 --> 00:36:56.500
 really starting to

00:36:56.500 --> 00:36:57.120
 get to know each

00:36:57.120 --> 00:36:57.820
 other, there would

00:36:57.820 --> 00:36:58.780
 be a question or

00:36:58.780 --> 00:36:59.660
 something like this.

00:37:00.860 --> 00:37:02.000
 So tell me about

00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:02.600
 yourself.

00:37:04.460 --> 00:37:05.240
 And let's just say

00:37:05.240 --> 00:37:05.660
 this.

00:37:06.600 --> 00:37:07.820
 The Genesis 38

00:37:07.820 --> 00:37:08.580
 stories of your

00:37:08.580 --> 00:37:10.520
 life is not what

00:37:10.520 --> 00:37:11.240
 you're leading out

00:37:11.240 --> 00:37:11.660
 with.

00:37:12.620 --> 00:37:12.960
 Right?

00:37:13.520 --> 00:37:14.380
 You're not like,

00:37:14.560 --> 00:37:15.520
 I'm a horrible

00:37:15.520 --> 00:37:16.620
 human being till

00:37:16.620 --> 00:37:17.520
 about 9 a.m.

00:37:18.280 --> 00:37:18.740
 Right?

00:37:18.840 --> 00:37:19.780
 I can be really

00:37:19.780 --> 00:37:20.820
 grumpy and really

00:37:20.820 --> 00:37:21.840
 selfish sometimes.

00:37:22.440 --> 00:37:22.800
 Like, you know,

00:37:22.920 --> 00:37:23.860
 you're not walking

00:37:23.860 --> 00:37:24.760
 through, you're

00:37:24.760 --> 00:37:26.000
 painting the

00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:27.360
 positive picture of

00:37:27.360 --> 00:37:29.100
 you that you

00:37:29.100 --> 00:37:29.500
 want.

00:37:29.580 --> 00:37:30.600
 Or maybe,

00:37:31.240 --> 00:37:32.100
 maybe, do you

00:37:32.100 --> 00:37:32.500
 remember this

00:37:32.500 --> 00:37:32.960
 question?

00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:36.280
 So tell me about

00:37:36.280 --> 00:37:37.900
 your family.

00:37:39.200 --> 00:37:39.520
 Huh.

00:37:40.660 --> 00:37:41.720
 And you begin to

00:37:41.720 --> 00:37:42.240
 go through.

00:37:42.940 --> 00:37:43.460
 And you know

00:37:43.460 --> 00:37:43.940
 that, uncle.

00:37:44.460 --> 00:37:45.420
 You left him out

00:37:45.420 --> 00:37:46.120
 of the narrative a

00:37:46.120 --> 00:37:46.380
 little bit,

00:37:46.420 --> 00:37:46.700
 all right?

00:37:47.540 --> 00:37:49.120
 You paint the

00:37:49.120 --> 00:37:49.580
 picture.

00:37:49.860 --> 00:37:51.300
 You told some of

00:37:51.300 --> 00:37:51.820
 the truth.

00:37:51.820 --> 00:37:52.680
 you didn't tell

00:37:52.680 --> 00:37:53.380
 all of the

00:37:53.380 --> 00:37:53.660
 truth.

00:37:53.880 --> 00:37:54.320
 Why?

00:37:54.560 --> 00:37:55.060
 Because you

00:37:55.060 --> 00:37:56.920
 wanted them to

00:37:56.920 --> 00:37:57.740
 like you.

00:37:58.180 --> 00:37:59.000
 You wanted to

00:37:59.000 --> 00:38:00.380
 paint yourself in

00:38:00.380 --> 00:38:01.560
 the truth as you

00:38:01.560 --> 00:38:02.060
 saw it.

00:38:02.200 --> 00:38:02.760
 You wanted to

00:38:02.760 --> 00:38:03.960
 paint yourself in

00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:05.820
 these brushstrokes

00:38:05.820 --> 00:38:06.940
 that didn't deal

00:38:06.940 --> 00:38:07.840
 with the dirty,

00:38:08.080 --> 00:38:09.020
 that didn't deal

00:38:09.020 --> 00:38:09.980
 with the difficult.

00:38:10.260 --> 00:38:11.040
 But here's what

00:38:11.040 --> 00:38:11.820
 God does.

00:38:12.100 --> 00:38:13.340
 God tells the

00:38:13.340 --> 00:38:15.220
 truth from

00:38:15.220 --> 00:38:16.620
 Genesis to

00:38:16.620 --> 00:38:17.100
 Revelation.

00:38:18.100 --> 00:38:19.840
 every single

00:38:19.840 --> 00:38:21.160
 word of it

00:38:21.160 --> 00:38:22.140
 is true.

00:38:23.160 --> 00:38:24.280
 As we see

00:38:24.280 --> 00:38:25.280
 evidence in

00:38:25.280 --> 00:38:26.280
 this story

00:38:26.280 --> 00:38:27.760
 and as we'll

00:38:27.760 --> 00:38:28.400
 see evidence

00:38:28.400 --> 00:38:28.760
 throughout.

00:38:29.960 --> 00:38:30.420
 And there's

00:38:30.420 --> 00:38:31.880
 three, three

00:38:31.880 --> 00:38:32.640
 aspects of

00:38:32.640 --> 00:38:33.400
 biblical truth

00:38:33.400 --> 00:38:35.280
 that we see

00:38:35.280 --> 00:38:36.640
 from this

00:38:36.640 --> 00:38:37.760
 that we'll see

00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:38.200
 through all

00:38:38.200 --> 00:38:39.000
 throughout Scripture

00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:39.880
 that I want to

00:38:39.880 --> 00:38:40.440
 draw your attention

00:38:40.440 --> 00:38:40.680
 to.

00:38:41.360 --> 00:38:42.520
 To prove to

00:38:42.520 --> 00:38:44.060
 you whether

00:38:44.060 --> 00:38:44.520
 you're a

00:38:44.520 --> 00:38:45.300
 non-believer

00:38:45.300 --> 00:38:46.200
 or you're

00:38:46.200 --> 00:38:46.660
 a believer

00:38:46.660 --> 00:38:47.680
 that you can

00:38:47.680 --> 00:38:48.240
 trust God's

00:38:48.240 --> 00:38:48.460
 word.

00:38:49.200 --> 00:38:49.780
 That you can

00:38:49.780 --> 00:38:51.040
 trust every

00:38:51.040 --> 00:38:52.460
 word of

00:38:52.460 --> 00:38:53.080
 God's word.

00:38:53.340 --> 00:38:53.780
 The first one

00:38:53.780 --> 00:38:54.280
 is this.

00:38:54.840 --> 00:38:55.100
 Biblical

00:38:55.100 --> 00:38:55.560
 history.

00:38:56.400 --> 00:38:56.660
 Biblical

00:38:56.660 --> 00:38:57.120
 history.

00:38:59.240 --> 00:38:59.960
 And by

00:38:59.960 --> 00:39:00.720
 biblical history

00:39:00.720 --> 00:39:01.400
 let me just

00:39:01.400 --> 00:39:01.940
 say this.

00:39:02.600 --> 00:39:03.360
 Not biblical

00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:04.020
 history that

00:39:04.020 --> 00:39:04.780
 people on the

00:39:04.780 --> 00:39:05.260
 History Channel

00:39:05.260 --> 00:39:05.740
 make up.

00:39:07.460 --> 00:39:08.180
 But biblical

00:39:08.180 --> 00:39:08.800
 history that we

00:39:08.800 --> 00:39:09.200
 find in the

00:39:09.200 --> 00:39:09.380
 Bible.

00:39:11.060 --> 00:39:11.620
 And in

00:39:11.620 --> 00:39:12.880
 this, what's

00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:13.680
 amazing about

00:39:13.680 --> 00:39:14.380
 biblical history

00:39:14.380 --> 00:39:14.880
 is this.

00:39:15.160 --> 00:39:15.780
 That God

00:39:15.780 --> 00:39:16.520
 gives real

00:39:16.520 --> 00:39:17.700
 details about

00:39:17.700 --> 00:39:18.620
 real people

00:39:18.620 --> 00:39:20.120
 in real time

00:39:20.120 --> 00:39:21.240
 even when those

00:39:21.240 --> 00:39:22.080
 details are not

00:39:22.080 --> 00:39:22.680
 really great.

00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:24.760
 God gives real

00:39:24.760 --> 00:39:25.520
 details about

00:39:25.520 --> 00:39:26.460
 real people in

00:39:26.460 --> 00:39:27.560
 real time even

00:39:27.560 --> 00:39:27.960
 when those

00:39:27.960 --> 00:39:28.840
 details are not

00:39:28.840 --> 00:39:29.280
 really great.

00:39:29.360 --> 00:39:29.860
 Let's look at

00:39:29.860 --> 00:39:30.160
 some of those.

00:39:30.280 --> 00:39:30.920
 First family,

00:39:31.020 --> 00:39:31.580
 Adam and Eve,

00:39:31.640 --> 00:39:31.860
 right?

00:39:32.560 --> 00:39:32.760
 Right?

00:39:33.280 --> 00:39:34.000
 Here's sin,

00:39:34.120 --> 00:39:34.620
 thank you.

00:39:35.480 --> 00:39:36.080
 Their sons,

00:39:36.200 --> 00:39:36.840
 one murdered the

00:39:36.840 --> 00:39:37.040
 other.

00:39:37.120 --> 00:39:37.400
 Let's keep

00:39:37.400 --> 00:39:37.640
 going.

00:39:37.720 --> 00:39:38.460
 Noah, drunk.

00:39:39.400 --> 00:39:40.200
 Abraham lied

00:39:40.200 --> 00:39:40.800
 and was a coward

00:39:40.800 --> 00:39:41.140
 who didn't

00:39:41.140 --> 00:39:41.580
 protect his

00:39:41.580 --> 00:39:41.840
 wife.

00:39:42.620 --> 00:39:43.560
 Isaac, liar and

00:39:43.560 --> 00:39:43.940
 deceiver.

00:39:44.260 --> 00:39:44.920
 Jacob, followed

00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:45.300
 in family

00:39:45.300 --> 00:39:45.740
 footsteps.

00:39:46.100 --> 00:39:46.500
 We're really

00:39:46.500 --> 00:39:47.020
 hoping it gets

00:39:47.020 --> 00:39:47.580
 better, right?

00:39:47.720 --> 00:39:47.940
 Nope.

00:39:48.040 --> 00:39:49.460
 Moses, murderer.

00:39:49.900 --> 00:39:51.260
 Rahab, prostitute.

00:39:51.480 --> 00:39:52.280
 King David, too

00:39:52.280 --> 00:39:52.820
 many to list.

00:39:53.100 --> 00:39:53.680
 New Testament.

00:39:54.200 --> 00:39:55.140
 Paul, former

00:39:55.140 --> 00:39:56.140
 terrorist, orchestrated

00:39:56.140 --> 00:39:56.960
 the murder of many

00:39:56.960 --> 00:39:57.320
 Christians.

00:39:57.680 --> 00:39:58.820
 Peter, hothead who

00:39:58.820 --> 00:39:59.860
 struggled with racism

00:39:59.860 --> 00:40:01.080
 but at a very least

00:40:01.080 --> 00:40:01.560
 struggled with

00:40:01.560 --> 00:40:02.120
 favoritism.

00:40:04.220 --> 00:40:05.880
 Not cleaning it up,

00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:08.720
 allowing it to be in

00:40:08.720 --> 00:40:11.340
 there so that God

00:40:11.340 --> 00:40:13.200
 tells their stories

00:40:13.200 --> 00:40:14.620
 so that he can tell

00:40:14.620 --> 00:40:15.580
 his story.

00:40:16.260 --> 00:40:17.360
 Because the story

00:40:17.360 --> 00:40:18.180
 that we see in

00:40:18.180 --> 00:40:19.900
 Genesis 38 is God

00:40:19.900 --> 00:40:20.700
 not trying to tell a

00:40:20.700 --> 00:40:21.520
 neat story of him

00:40:21.520 --> 00:40:22.880
 but God telling a

00:40:22.880 --> 00:40:24.060
 dirty story of them

00:40:24.060 --> 00:40:25.000
 so that we can see

00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:26.180
 how God is going to

00:40:26.180 --> 00:40:27.660
 work, how God is

00:40:27.660 --> 00:40:28.720
 going to move, how

00:40:28.720 --> 00:40:29.660
 God is going to take

00:40:29.660 --> 00:40:31.040
 the story of Tamar

00:40:31.040 --> 00:40:32.700
 and Judah and use it

00:40:32.700 --> 00:40:33.600
 for his name and his

00:40:33.600 --> 00:40:33.940
 glory.

00:40:34.540 --> 00:40:35.660
 And I promise it's

00:40:35.660 --> 00:40:36.120
 going to happen.

00:40:37.020 --> 00:40:38.820
 I promise it's going

00:40:38.820 --> 00:40:39.200
 to happen.

00:40:39.840 --> 00:40:40.660
 The second thing that

00:40:40.660 --> 00:40:41.420
 we see from biblical

00:40:41.420 --> 00:40:42.560
 history is this, that

00:40:42.560 --> 00:40:43.560
 God tells the story of

00:40:43.560 --> 00:40:44.640
 the past so that he

00:40:44.640 --> 00:40:45.340
 can tell the story of

00:40:45.340 --> 00:40:45.720
 the future.

00:40:46.720 --> 00:40:47.540
 God tells the story of

00:40:47.540 --> 00:40:48.420
 the past so that God

00:40:48.420 --> 00:40:50.100
 can tell the story of

00:40:50.100 --> 00:40:50.460
 the future.

00:40:50.920 --> 00:40:51.620
 I want to tell you

00:40:51.620 --> 00:40:54.960
 this, nothing, nothing

00:40:54.960 --> 00:40:58.020
 in the Bible that has

00:40:58.020 --> 00:40:59.460
 ever been challenged

00:40:59.460 --> 00:41:01.560
 in an academic setting

00:41:01.560 --> 00:41:04.340
 or any other setting

00:41:04.340 --> 00:41:05.200
 has been defeated.

00:41:06.020 --> 00:41:06.340
 Nothing.

00:41:07.460 --> 00:41:08.200
 Now there are people

00:41:08.200 --> 00:41:08.740
 with thoughts and

00:41:08.740 --> 00:41:09.160
 opinions.

00:41:11.040 --> 00:41:11.640
 There are people who

00:41:11.640 --> 00:41:12.360
 can type things online

00:41:12.360 --> 00:41:13.000
 who can make videos

00:41:13.000 --> 00:41:13.460
 and post them on

00:41:13.460 --> 00:41:13.660
 YouTube.

00:41:14.860 --> 00:41:15.460
 There are people who

00:41:15.460 --> 00:41:16.740
 can create TV shows

00:41:16.740 --> 00:41:18.860
 and movements and

00:41:18.860 --> 00:41:20.880
 fill it with opinions.

00:41:21.360 --> 00:41:22.940
 But even those who

00:41:22.940 --> 00:41:24.680
 approach God's word at

00:41:24.680 --> 00:41:27.480
 an academic sense, who

00:41:27.480 --> 00:41:28.400
 are honest about

00:41:28.400 --> 00:41:30.460
 academic integrity of

00:41:30.460 --> 00:41:32.780
 what's there, have to

00:41:32.780 --> 00:41:33.440
 admit that every

00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:34.320
 challenge, the

00:41:34.340 --> 00:41:35.800
 challenge that is met

00:41:35.800 --> 00:41:36.940
 historically speaking for

00:41:36.940 --> 00:41:37.760
 them as they study that

00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:39.160
 in the Bible, is

00:41:39.160 --> 00:41:39.500
 defeated.

00:41:40.800 --> 00:41:41.700
 And so if the Bible

00:41:41.700 --> 00:41:45.140
 said it happened, here's

00:41:45.140 --> 00:41:45.800
 the beauty about history,

00:41:45.900 --> 00:41:46.720
 it points to the fact

00:41:46.720 --> 00:41:47.660
 that it actually did.

00:41:49.200 --> 00:41:50.200
 History in an academic

00:41:50.200 --> 00:41:51.500
 sense says that the

00:41:51.500 --> 00:41:52.400
 people in the Bible who

00:41:52.400 --> 00:41:54.180
 were real, they lived in

00:41:54.180 --> 00:41:55.080
 real places, they lived

00:41:55.080 --> 00:41:55.620
 in real time.

00:41:57.540 --> 00:41:59.780
 And in Scripture, God does

00:41:59.780 --> 00:42:00.600
 something that no other

00:42:00.600 --> 00:42:01.140
 text does.

00:42:02.080 --> 00:42:03.580
 He tells them not only

00:42:03.580 --> 00:42:05.800
 what the past was, so

00:42:05.800 --> 00:42:06.620
 that we look back and

00:42:06.620 --> 00:42:07.380
 that we can understand

00:42:07.380 --> 00:42:08.680
 and that we can know and

00:42:08.680 --> 00:42:09.840
 that we can see, and so

00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:11.060
 much of the Bible is that.

00:42:11.640 --> 00:42:12.820
 But God does something

00:42:12.820 --> 00:42:14.520
 else in His Scripture.

00:42:14.880 --> 00:42:16.340
 He tells them in the past

00:42:16.340 --> 00:42:17.620
 what's going to happen in

00:42:17.620 --> 00:42:18.080
 the future.

00:42:19.220 --> 00:42:20.520
 And we call that prophecy.

00:42:20.520 --> 00:42:23.600
 And here's the beauty of

00:42:23.600 --> 00:42:24.320
 God's prophecy.

00:42:25.360 --> 00:42:26.240
 God's never been wrong.

00:42:27.380 --> 00:42:28.280
 God's never been wrong.

00:42:29.440 --> 00:42:32.680
 Not one time has God

00:42:32.680 --> 00:42:35.140
 ever been wrong.

00:42:35.440 --> 00:42:36.560
 Here's our example, right?

00:42:36.980 --> 00:42:37.780
 Christmas is coming.

00:42:38.640 --> 00:42:39.380
 Christmas is coming.

00:42:40.280 --> 00:42:40.960
 If you don't believe me,

00:42:40.980 --> 00:42:41.860
 going to Lowe's, Walmart,

00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:43.780
 Dollar General, Christmas

00:42:43.780 --> 00:42:44.700
 is coming, right?

00:42:45.020 --> 00:42:46.580
 And then like January 3rd,

00:42:46.720 --> 00:42:47.540
 they'll have Easter stuff

00:42:47.540 --> 00:42:48.060
 out, all right?

00:42:48.980 --> 00:42:50.040
 In the Old Testament,

00:42:50.160 --> 00:42:51.140
 specifically the prophets,

00:42:51.860 --> 00:42:53.940
 just shrinking this down,

00:42:54.420 --> 00:42:55.200
 prove my point.

00:42:55.940 --> 00:42:56.860
 In the Old Testament,

00:42:57.020 --> 00:42:57.840
 specifically the prophets,

00:42:57.940 --> 00:42:58.760
 God says that there will

00:42:58.760 --> 00:43:00.040
 be a child that is born

00:43:00.040 --> 00:43:01.380
 to a virgin, and his name

00:43:01.380 --> 00:43:02.160
 should be called Emmanuel.

00:43:02.320 --> 00:43:03.380
 This child will be born

00:43:03.380 --> 00:43:04.400
 in Bethlehem.

00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:05.340
 This child will be carried

00:43:05.340 --> 00:43:06.540
 away into Egypt.

00:43:06.660 --> 00:43:07.440
 This child will be in

00:43:07.440 --> 00:43:08.000
 Nazarene.

00:43:09.080 --> 00:43:10.000
 The Old Testament, the

00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:11.020
 prophecy also talks about

00:43:11.020 --> 00:43:11.600
 his life.

00:43:12.300 --> 00:43:13.300
 Some of the details that

00:43:13.300 --> 00:43:14.280
 it points to in his life

00:43:14.280 --> 00:43:15.120
 is that he'll be rejected

00:43:15.120 --> 00:43:16.260
 by his own, that he'll

00:43:16.260 --> 00:43:17.460
 enter in Jerusalem onto a

00:43:17.460 --> 00:43:18.320
 donkey, that he'll be

00:43:18.320 --> 00:43:18.960
 betrayed by a

00:43:18.960 --> 00:43:19.880
 friend for 30 pieces

00:43:19.880 --> 00:43:20.800
 of silver, that he'll

00:43:20.800 --> 00:43:21.740
 die between criminals,

00:43:21.940 --> 00:43:22.640
 and that he would rise

00:43:22.640 --> 00:43:23.080
 from the dead.

00:43:24.940 --> 00:43:25.500
 All right?

00:43:28.960 --> 00:43:30.280
 That wasn't written a week

00:43:30.280 --> 00:43:31.020
 before those things

00:43:31.020 --> 00:43:31.380
 happened.

00:43:33.180 --> 00:43:34.060
 That was written

00:43:34.060 --> 00:43:35.360
 depending on who the

00:43:35.360 --> 00:43:36.740
 prophet was that wrote

00:43:36.740 --> 00:43:39.320
 it, 400 to 700 years

00:43:39.320 --> 00:43:40.860
 before it came to be.

00:43:41.980 --> 00:43:42.220
 And you're like,

00:43:42.300 --> 00:43:43.000
 well, Beau, that's just,

00:43:43.680 --> 00:43:44.140
 I mean, that's just

00:43:44.140 --> 00:43:45.140
 what the Bible says,

00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:46.680
 and you believe the

00:43:46.680 --> 00:43:46.940
 Bible.

00:43:47.320 --> 00:43:48.300
 Well, friend, if that's

00:43:48.300 --> 00:43:48.940
 where your heart is

00:43:48.940 --> 00:43:49.520
 right now, let me just

00:43:49.520 --> 00:43:49.980
 tell you that's a weak

00:43:49.980 --> 00:43:50.300
 argument.

00:43:51.660 --> 00:43:52.720
 Because the Bible tells

00:43:52.720 --> 00:43:53.380
 us that all of these

00:43:53.380 --> 00:43:55.040
 things came true, and

00:43:55.040 --> 00:43:56.680
 historical readings tell

00:43:56.680 --> 00:43:57.260
 us that as well.

00:43:58.100 --> 00:43:59.620
 Early historical writings

00:43:59.620 --> 00:44:01.120
 that are non-Christian

00:44:01.120 --> 00:44:03.660
 both speak to the life,

00:44:05.240 --> 00:44:07.380
 the death, and the

00:44:07.380 --> 00:44:08.440
 resurrection of Jesus.

00:44:09.700 --> 00:44:11.220
 The writings affirm

00:44:11.220 --> 00:44:14.280
 everything that we see

00:44:14.280 --> 00:44:16.060
 and that we have heard in the

00:44:16.060 --> 00:44:17.540
 Old Testament pointing to

00:44:17.540 --> 00:44:18.200
 that as Christ.

00:44:19.760 --> 00:44:22.920
 So you see, the past of

00:44:22.920 --> 00:44:23.640
 what he said would

00:44:23.640 --> 00:44:25.480
 happen, we also see

00:44:25.480 --> 00:44:27.280
 later on in the past

00:44:27.280 --> 00:44:28.380
 continue to be true.

00:44:28.920 --> 00:44:30.040
 This is so important for

00:44:30.040 --> 00:44:32.420
 us because the Bible also

00:44:32.420 --> 00:44:33.540
 speaks to other prophecy

00:44:33.540 --> 00:44:34.120
 that has not been

00:44:34.120 --> 00:44:34.620
 fulfilled yet.

00:44:35.420 --> 00:44:36.560
 The Bible spoke to

00:44:36.560 --> 00:44:38.300
 prophecy of things that

00:44:38.300 --> 00:44:39.860
 have happened, but now we

00:44:39.860 --> 00:44:41.440
 live in a gap of time that

00:44:41.440 --> 00:44:43.200
 those same prophets spoke

00:44:43.200 --> 00:44:44.280
 to things that would

00:44:44.280 --> 00:44:45.480
 come, and that we look

00:44:45.480 --> 00:44:47.720
 forward in Revelation to

00:44:47.720 --> 00:44:49.200
 another writer in John

00:44:49.200 --> 00:44:50.120
 that talks about the

00:44:50.120 --> 00:44:50.920
 events that would come.

00:44:52.900 --> 00:44:53.900
 One that says that Jesus

00:44:53.900 --> 00:44:54.600
 will return.

00:44:56.080 --> 00:44:57.020
 One that says that Jesus,

00:44:57.160 --> 00:44:57.960
 when he does, will bring

00:44:57.960 --> 00:45:00.760
 for himself his church to

00:45:00.760 --> 00:45:01.800
 reclaim what is his.

00:45:02.980 --> 00:45:04.620
 And here's what logic tells

00:45:04.620 --> 00:45:06.440
 me within this.

00:45:07.320 --> 00:45:08.440
 Here's what the diving into

00:45:08.440 --> 00:45:10.040
 Scripture tells me, that if

00:45:10.040 --> 00:45:11.060
 God has done all the

00:45:11.060 --> 00:45:11.840
 things that he said he

00:45:11.840 --> 00:45:12.800
 would do, and history

00:45:12.800 --> 00:45:14.000
 tells me that, why would

00:45:14.000 --> 00:45:15.160
 he not continue to do all

00:45:15.160 --> 00:45:15.720
 of the things that he

00:45:15.720 --> 00:45:16.420
 said he's going to do?

00:45:18.160 --> 00:45:19.000
 God does not break his

00:45:19.000 --> 00:45:19.280
 word.

00:45:20.540 --> 00:45:21.680
 Scripture points repeatedly

00:45:21.680 --> 00:45:23.840
 over and over and over

00:45:23.840 --> 00:45:24.220
 again.

00:45:24.800 --> 00:45:25.800
 So the first way that you

00:45:25.800 --> 00:45:27.180
 can know God's word is

00:45:27.180 --> 00:45:28.880
 true is biblical history.

00:45:29.080 --> 00:45:30.580
 The second is this,

00:45:31.180 --> 00:45:32.220
 biblical authority.

00:45:33.160 --> 00:45:34.060
 Biblical authority.

00:45:35.380 --> 00:45:36.580
 I'll be very honest with

00:45:36.580 --> 00:45:36.740
 you.

00:45:37.640 --> 00:45:39.960
 God's word gives very

00:45:39.960 --> 00:45:41.960
 specific demands.

00:45:43.580 --> 00:45:45.640
 We as Christians should

00:45:45.640 --> 00:45:48.260
 hold to and believe that

00:45:48.260 --> 00:45:50.120
 God's word is the truth.

00:45:51.220 --> 00:45:53.640
 That what God teaches us is

00:45:53.640 --> 00:45:55.620
 the truth of God about who

00:45:55.620 --> 00:45:57.360
 he is, about who we are,

00:45:57.920 --> 00:45:59.700
 about this world, about how

00:45:59.700 --> 00:46:01.020
 we relate to him, about how

00:46:01.020 --> 00:46:02.700
 we love others, about how we

00:46:02.700 --> 00:46:04.140
 care for our family, about

00:46:04.140 --> 00:46:06.760
 how we share with others of

00:46:06.760 --> 00:46:08.060
 his name, of how we live

00:46:08.060 --> 00:46:09.100
 our life, of what we do.

00:46:09.200 --> 00:46:10.080
 This is God's word.

00:46:10.260 --> 00:46:11.020
 This is truth.

00:46:11.920 --> 00:46:12.680
 And it's why it's different

00:46:12.680 --> 00:46:13.220
 than religion.

00:46:14.580 --> 00:46:15.480
 God's word is not about

00:46:15.480 --> 00:46:18.020
 your truth or my truth or

00:46:18.020 --> 00:46:19.160
 everyone else's truth.

00:46:19.900 --> 00:46:21.720
 God's word is about God's

00:46:21.720 --> 00:46:22.540
 truth.

00:46:25.040 --> 00:46:26.620
 And that's the authority of

00:46:26.620 --> 00:46:27.280
 what we see.

00:46:28.480 --> 00:46:29.680
 Back at this passage of

00:46:29.680 --> 00:46:31.780
 scripture, in the authority

00:46:31.780 --> 00:46:32.300
 of God.

00:46:32.920 --> 00:46:33.800
 God said, don't leave your

00:46:33.800 --> 00:46:34.060
 people.

00:46:35.140 --> 00:46:35.880
 Don't leave your people.

00:46:36.580 --> 00:46:37.320
 Don't do this.

00:46:37.760 --> 00:46:38.220
 Judah did.

00:46:39.280 --> 00:46:40.580
 God said, don't disobey me.

00:46:41.600 --> 00:46:42.720
 Don't step out of what I've

00:46:42.720 --> 00:46:43.100
 commanded.

00:46:43.740 --> 00:46:44.480
 Don't step out of the

00:46:44.480 --> 00:46:45.100
 expectation.

00:46:45.700 --> 00:46:46.400
 But Judah did.

00:46:46.720 --> 00:46:47.280
 Tamar did.

00:46:47.640 --> 00:46:48.180
 Onan did.

00:46:48.580 --> 00:46:48.960
 Ur did.

00:46:50.880 --> 00:46:52.360
 I think the difficult part

00:46:52.360 --> 00:46:53.480
 for us when we dive into

00:46:53.480 --> 00:46:55.280
 God's word, when we teach

00:46:55.280 --> 00:46:57.320
 God's word, when we live

00:46:57.320 --> 00:46:58.600
 with every moment of truth

00:46:58.600 --> 00:46:59.820
 in what we find in God's

00:46:59.820 --> 00:47:02.500
 word, is that God's word is

00:47:02.500 --> 00:47:03.780
 not a feel-good piece of

00:47:03.780 --> 00:47:04.600
 literature that's full of

00:47:04.600 --> 00:47:04.940
 advice.

00:47:07.260 --> 00:47:08.620
 God speaks in truth.

00:47:09.900 --> 00:47:13.300
 And friends, his truth is

00:47:13.300 --> 00:47:13.920
 authoritative.

00:47:15.040 --> 00:47:16.540
 And I think this is the part

00:47:16.540 --> 00:47:19.180
 that is the hardest for those

00:47:19.180 --> 00:47:20.400
 who call themselves

00:47:20.400 --> 00:47:21.180
 Christians.

00:47:22.240 --> 00:47:23.680
 Because if God's word is

00:47:23.680 --> 00:47:27.020
 true, and if God's word is

00:47:27.020 --> 00:47:30.160
 authority, then by the

00:47:30.160 --> 00:47:31.440
 definition of the authority,

00:47:31.440 --> 00:47:33.900
 by the expectation of the

00:47:33.900 --> 00:47:37.220
 Lord, you and I are called to

00:47:37.220 --> 00:47:37.980
 surrender to it.

00:47:39.960 --> 00:47:42.260
 We want to cling to passages,

00:47:42.260 --> 00:47:44.880
 and we do, that God wants to

00:47:44.880 --> 00:47:45.420
 bless us.

00:47:47.000 --> 00:47:48.800
 That God wants to, that God

00:47:48.800 --> 00:47:49.640
 will never leave us.

00:47:50.820 --> 00:47:53.220
 That God will provide, that God

00:47:53.220 --> 00:47:55.340
 will comfort all truths of God's

00:47:55.340 --> 00:47:55.540
 word.

00:47:56.540 --> 00:47:58.880
 But God also calls us in his

00:47:58.880 --> 00:48:00.980
 word to be a people of

00:48:00.980 --> 00:48:01.700
 sacrifice.

00:48:03.120 --> 00:48:04.980
 God calls us in his word to be

00:48:04.980 --> 00:48:06.000
 people of investment.

00:48:07.460 --> 00:48:09.620
 God calls us in his word to be

00:48:09.620 --> 00:48:10.680
 people of vulnerability.

00:48:12.080 --> 00:48:13.920
 God calls us in his word to be

00:48:13.920 --> 00:48:14.820
 people of faith.

00:48:16.460 --> 00:48:18.340
 God calls us in his word to be

00:48:18.340 --> 00:48:20.580
 people of obedience.

00:48:21.940 --> 00:48:23.180
 You see, friends, the truth is

00:48:23.180 --> 00:48:25.820
 God does not hold back, and he

00:48:25.820 --> 00:48:28.640
 says to us clearly, I'm on my

00:48:28.640 --> 00:48:30.880
 throne, and you've got to step

00:48:30.880 --> 00:48:33.220
 off yours, and you've got to

00:48:33.220 --> 00:48:35.880
 surrender yourself to me, for

00:48:35.880 --> 00:48:38.360
 this is who I am, and what I

00:48:38.360 --> 00:48:39.340
 desire to do in you.

00:48:40.620 --> 00:48:43.680
 So we see in Genesis 38, these

00:48:43.680 --> 00:48:44.280
 are real people.

00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:48.560
 We know from the pages of

00:48:48.560 --> 00:48:51.540
 history of the genealogy that we

00:48:51.540 --> 00:48:52.000
 speak to.

00:48:53.180 --> 00:48:54.840
 We know of the 12 tribes that

00:48:54.840 --> 00:48:55.880
 come from the 12 sons.

00:48:57.480 --> 00:49:00.040
 We know Jude was a man.

00:49:01.200 --> 00:49:03.400
 We know about Tamar.

00:49:04.440 --> 00:49:06.580
 We know that she bore a child.

00:49:07.920 --> 00:49:09.240
 She bore two children.

00:49:10.220 --> 00:49:12.720
 We see the history of the

00:49:12.720 --> 00:49:13.960
 Bible play out.

00:49:15.000 --> 00:49:16.860
 We understand, and what we've

00:49:16.860 --> 00:49:20.860
 seen, is that God's word is

00:49:20.860 --> 00:49:24.140
 authoritative, that God calls us

00:49:24.140 --> 00:49:26.140
 to be a people who respond to

00:49:26.140 --> 00:49:27.880
 him, that God calls us to be a

00:49:27.880 --> 00:49:30.180
 people who obey him, that God's

00:49:30.180 --> 00:49:32.860
 word demands from us, that God

00:49:32.860 --> 00:49:35.620
 saves us, God does the work, but

00:49:35.620 --> 00:49:37.400
 within this, there's a submission

00:49:37.400 --> 00:49:39.560
 of self, of who I am, and

00:49:39.560 --> 00:49:40.880
 surrender before him.

00:49:42.720 --> 00:49:45.300
 God's word is authoritative, and

00:49:45.300 --> 00:49:46.320
 God doesn't back down from

00:49:46.320 --> 00:49:46.580
 that.

00:49:47.660 --> 00:49:48.760
 And the last thing that we can

00:49:48.760 --> 00:49:52.180
 see in this, so that we can

00:49:52.180 --> 00:49:55.480
 appeal that I can trust God's

00:49:55.480 --> 00:49:58.420
 word, not with some, but with

00:49:58.420 --> 00:50:01.000
 all, is we see biblical

00:50:01.000 --> 00:50:01.900
 sovereignty.

00:50:03.380 --> 00:50:05.900
 We see biblical sovereignty.

00:50:07.220 --> 00:50:08.220
 Here's what we mean by

00:50:08.220 --> 00:50:08.540
 sovereign.

00:50:10.740 --> 00:50:14.040
 That God is all-powerful, and

00:50:14.040 --> 00:50:16.660
 that God works, and that God

00:50:16.660 --> 00:50:20.620
 moves in his power and in his

00:50:20.620 --> 00:50:23.800
 pleasure to accomplish what God

00:50:23.800 --> 00:50:25.920
 has said he will do.

00:50:27.140 --> 00:50:28.880
 That's why we cling to passages

00:50:28.880 --> 00:50:30.740
 when we walk through difficult

00:50:30.740 --> 00:50:33.680
 times of God saying, hey, hey,

00:50:33.680 --> 00:50:35.280
 trust me, like I'm at work.

00:50:36.340 --> 00:50:37.700
 Trust me, I'm moving.

00:50:38.980 --> 00:50:41.380
 And I think in those moments when

00:50:41.380 --> 00:50:43.200
 we're walking through those

00:50:43.200 --> 00:50:45.200
 levels of difficulty, when we're

00:50:45.200 --> 00:50:47.160
 walking through those levels of

00:50:47.160 --> 00:50:48.260
 suffering, when we're walking

00:50:48.260 --> 00:50:49.980
 through those levels of pain,

00:50:50.140 --> 00:50:51.680
 when we're walking through those

00:50:51.680 --> 00:50:53.700
 levels of hurt, we begin to

00:50:53.700 --> 00:50:55.620
 listen to the lie of Satan in our

00:50:55.620 --> 00:50:56.880
 mind and go, hey, God, where are

00:50:56.880 --> 00:50:57.340
 you now?

00:51:00.320 --> 00:51:03.320
 And God says, oh, I'm here, and I'm

00:51:03.320 --> 00:51:06.480
 working, and I'm moving, and I'm

00:51:06.480 --> 00:51:08.960
 doing things, and you can trust me

00:51:08.960 --> 00:51:10.200
 because I'm sovereign.

00:51:13.540 --> 00:51:16.880
 And that's kind of, for me, been a

00:51:16.880 --> 00:51:21.420
 lot of the journey of what we've

00:51:21.420 --> 00:51:25.160
 been on in Genesis, of looking and

00:51:25.160 --> 00:51:27.260
 seeing back from the very beginning

00:51:27.260 --> 00:51:34.780
 that God created, and that God gave

00:51:34.780 --> 00:51:40.380
 order, and that God will have for

00:51:40.380 --> 00:51:41.120
 himself a people.

00:51:42.920 --> 00:51:45.620
 We look back to where this started

00:51:45.620 --> 00:51:48.800
 with great-grandpa in Genesis

00:51:48.800 --> 00:51:54.360
 chapter 12, and God says that I'm

00:51:54.360 --> 00:51:57.480
 going to create for myself a

00:51:57.480 --> 00:51:57.780
 people.

00:51:59.160 --> 00:52:00.100
 God is.

00:52:01.560 --> 00:52:02.420
 Abraham's not.

00:52:03.920 --> 00:52:04.860
 Isaac's not.

00:52:06.340 --> 00:52:07.180
 Jacob's not.

00:52:08.260 --> 00:52:09.220
 God is.

00:52:10.900 --> 00:52:14.820
 In all of those instances, in all of

00:52:14.820 --> 00:52:17.840
 those pieces, in all of that

00:52:17.840 --> 00:52:22.020
 dysfunction, God's like, I'm

00:52:22.020 --> 00:52:26.120
 working, I'm working, you can't

00:52:26.120 --> 00:52:29.600
 override me, you can't hijack me,

00:52:30.260 --> 00:52:33.040
 you can't mess it up, I'm

00:52:33.040 --> 00:52:35.560
 working, I'm working, I'm

00:52:35.560 --> 00:52:35.900
 working.

00:52:38.300 --> 00:52:43.720
 And then we read passages like

00:52:43.720 --> 00:52:44.640
 Genesis 38.

00:52:46.020 --> 00:52:51.600
 And like, if Genesis 38 were a

00:52:51.600 --> 00:52:54.460
 short story found in a textbook

00:52:54.460 --> 00:52:57.800
 somewhere, I think we would all

00:52:57.800 --> 00:52:59.620
 walk away, like, scratching our

00:52:59.620 --> 00:52:59.960
 heads.

00:53:01.860 --> 00:53:02.780
 Like, what's the point?

00:53:04.200 --> 00:53:06.400
 I don't see, I don't understand it.

00:53:06.600 --> 00:53:10.500
 It's hard to draw a connection to it.

00:53:13.500 --> 00:53:14.600
 But it's not.

00:53:16.520 --> 00:53:19.960
 And that Genesis 38 is placed

00:53:19.960 --> 00:53:22.640
 exactly in the midst of the truth

00:53:22.640 --> 00:53:23.140
 of God.

00:53:26.220 --> 00:53:29.400
 And God's, I haven't forgotten about

00:53:29.400 --> 00:53:29.760
 this.

00:53:31.200 --> 00:53:33.140
 This isn't out of my hand.

00:53:34.440 --> 00:53:36.860
 This dysfunction is not too great.

00:53:38.920 --> 00:53:40.040
 I've got a purpose.

00:53:41.660 --> 00:53:42.540
 And I've got a reason.

00:53:44.560 --> 00:53:47.300
 I kind of joke, right, about our

00:53:47.300 --> 00:53:48.340
 genealogies, and it's been

00:53:48.340 --> 00:53:50.080
 fantastic seeing what God's done as

00:53:50.080 --> 00:53:51.200
 we study genealogies.

00:53:51.300 --> 00:53:52.720
 So I always recommend when you're

00:53:52.720 --> 00:53:53.720
 going through your daily reading

00:53:53.720 --> 00:53:55.960
 plan and a genealogy pops up,

00:53:56.060 --> 00:53:57.440
 like, just spend some time there

00:53:57.440 --> 00:53:58.440
 in the dependence of the Holy

00:53:58.440 --> 00:53:59.760
 Spirit, see what God's going to

00:53:59.760 --> 00:54:00.660
 do and see what God's going to

00:54:00.660 --> 00:54:01.040
 teach.

00:54:02.960 --> 00:54:03.760
 In Matthew.

00:54:05.760 --> 00:54:06.400
 In Matthew.

00:54:07.620 --> 00:54:09.240
 And so we're into the New Testament.

00:54:10.320 --> 00:54:12.040
 It begins with a genealogy.

00:54:15.260 --> 00:54:16.720
 So I'm going to read Matthew 1,

00:54:16.940 --> 00:54:17.800
 2 through 3.

00:54:20.760 --> 00:54:22.960
 Abraham begot Isaac.

00:54:25.140 --> 00:54:26.640
 Isaac begot Jacob.

00:54:29.020 --> 00:54:32.880
 Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.

00:54:35.020 --> 00:54:40.520
 And Judah begot Perez and Zerah

00:54:40.520 --> 00:54:42.240
 by Tamar.

00:54:43.940 --> 00:54:47.320
 And Perez begot Hezron.

00:54:48.600 --> 00:54:51.300
 And Hezron begot Ram.

00:54:52.980 --> 00:54:54.640
 You're like, well, that doesn't do

00:54:54.640 --> 00:54:55.040
 anything.

00:54:55.380 --> 00:54:55.660
 Okay.

00:54:56.060 --> 00:54:57.560
 Let's save a few verses and a little

00:54:57.560 --> 00:54:58.840
 bit of time for our kids' ministry.

00:54:59.640 --> 00:55:00.680
 Jump down to verse 16.

00:55:03.540 --> 00:55:04.920
 Continuation of the genealogy.

00:55:06.920 --> 00:55:09.740
 And Jacob begot Joseph.

00:55:11.680 --> 00:55:13.540
 The husband of Mary.

00:55:14.740 --> 00:55:20.120
 Of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

00:55:25.000 --> 00:55:27.380
 You think God can't work in your dysfunction?

00:55:28.980 --> 00:55:31.620
 You think God can't work in your mess up?

00:55:32.960 --> 00:55:35.940
 You think God can't work in your life?

00:55:37.800 --> 00:55:42.340
 The beauty, the beauty of God's word

00:55:42.340 --> 00:55:46.860
 is in the messiness of history, it's true.

00:55:47.920 --> 00:55:53.240
 In every difficult detail, God's laying out there for us.

00:55:55.320 --> 00:56:01.940
 The beauty of God's word is God's not trying to bait and switch.

00:56:03.800 --> 00:56:05.700
 God's word is authoritative.

00:56:07.000 --> 00:56:10.200
 Jesus Christ is Lord.

00:56:11.360 --> 00:56:15.180
 We are called to surrender ourselves to Him.

00:56:15.640 --> 00:56:18.260
 We were slaves to sin, and the Bible tells us now

00:56:18.260 --> 00:56:20.920
 that in Christ, we're slaves to righteousness.

00:56:22.000 --> 00:56:23.180
 It's authoritative.

00:56:23.900 --> 00:56:24.740
 It demands.

00:56:25.400 --> 00:56:27.480
 It uses phrases like counting the cost.

00:56:28.780 --> 00:56:30.120
 We can trust God's word.

00:56:33.480 --> 00:56:35.020
 And we can trust God's word

00:56:35.020 --> 00:56:38.100
 because of the sovereignty of God,

00:56:39.100 --> 00:56:40.260
 that God's always working.

00:56:41.400 --> 00:56:42.440
 And in your life,

00:56:43.520 --> 00:56:45.020
 for those reasons as well,

00:56:45.680 --> 00:56:46.720
 you can trust God.

00:56:48.960 --> 00:56:50.160
 God has wrote

00:56:50.160 --> 00:56:54.500
 the story of your life.

00:56:55.740 --> 00:56:56.520
 God's written

00:56:56.520 --> 00:56:58.300
 who you are,

00:56:58.460 --> 00:56:58.880
 your favorite.

00:56:59.020 --> 00:57:00.140
 God knows you.

00:57:02.640 --> 00:57:03.940
 God wants to be your king

00:57:03.940 --> 00:57:05.900
 and your savior.

00:57:07.000 --> 00:57:08.020
 And in the goodness,

00:57:08.400 --> 00:57:09.960
 in the sweetness of life,

00:57:10.260 --> 00:57:11.320
 you can surrender to Him.

00:57:12.540 --> 00:57:14.260
 And in His authority,

00:57:14.620 --> 00:57:15.820
 what Scripture tells us,

00:57:16.040 --> 00:57:16.940
 is guess what you'll find?

00:57:17.420 --> 00:57:17.860
 Rest.

00:57:19.200 --> 00:57:19.720
 Rest.

00:57:20.620 --> 00:57:22.000
 And our surrender to Him.

00:57:23.620 --> 00:57:25.100
 And in every moment of your life,

00:57:26.240 --> 00:57:27.360
 in the difficult,

00:57:28.160 --> 00:57:29.040
 and in the dark,

00:57:30.080 --> 00:57:30.940
 and oftentimes,

00:57:31.480 --> 00:57:32.460
 in our limitations,

00:57:33.000 --> 00:57:34.040
 we can't see how.

00:57:35.120 --> 00:57:35.780
 But friends,

00:57:36.780 --> 00:57:37.640
 God is working

00:57:37.640 --> 00:57:39.320
 and God is moving.

00:57:40.660 --> 00:57:40.840
 All right.

00:57:41.640 --> 00:57:42.300
 Would you pray with me?

00:57:47.920 --> 00:57:48.940
 God, I thank you,

00:57:50.240 --> 00:57:51.920
 Lord, for the work

00:57:51.920 --> 00:57:52.920
 that you are doing.

00:57:55.360 --> 00:57:55.800
 God,

00:57:55.840 --> 00:57:57.420
 I pray that resoundingly,

00:57:59.140 --> 00:58:00.640
 resoundingly,

00:58:02.680 --> 00:58:02.980
 Lord,

00:58:03.000 --> 00:58:03.660
 that we can trust

00:58:03.660 --> 00:58:04.260
 your word,

00:58:05.500 --> 00:58:05.780
 Lord,

00:58:05.820 --> 00:58:07.240
 the truth of who you are,

00:58:08.400 --> 00:58:08.880
 and Lord,

00:58:08.940 --> 00:58:10.360
 the desire that you have

00:58:10.360 --> 00:58:11.040
 for our life.

00:58:12.660 --> 00:58:13.100
 God,

00:58:13.140 --> 00:58:13.860
 that we can look

00:58:13.860 --> 00:58:15.940
 at our best day

00:58:15.940 --> 00:58:16.780
 and our worst

00:58:16.780 --> 00:58:19.260
 and know that you're still God.

00:58:20.460 --> 00:58:20.780
 Lord,

00:58:20.840 --> 00:58:21.540
 that we can look

00:58:21.540 --> 00:58:22.920
 at the inconsistency

00:58:22.920 --> 00:58:23.940
 that is us

00:58:23.940 --> 00:58:25.440
 and know that you

00:58:25.440 --> 00:58:26.180
 are still good.

00:58:28.160 --> 00:58:28.480
 Lord,

00:58:28.520 --> 00:58:29.060
 we can look

00:58:29.060 --> 00:58:29.860
 at the sin

00:58:29.860 --> 00:58:32.200
 and the destruction

00:58:32.200 --> 00:58:33.080
 and the pain

00:58:33.080 --> 00:58:34.520
 that we bring

00:58:34.520 --> 00:58:37.700
 and know

00:58:37.700 --> 00:58:38.800
 that you're a loving God

00:58:38.800 --> 00:58:41.280
 who's working

00:58:41.280 --> 00:58:42.940
 and who's moving.

00:58:45.800 --> 00:58:46.320
 God,

00:58:46.360 --> 00:58:47.460
 when we trust your word,

00:58:49.140 --> 00:58:50.360
 that means we trust you.

00:58:51.860 --> 00:58:52.700
 We trust you

00:58:52.700 --> 00:58:53.400
 with our life,

00:58:53.940 --> 00:58:56.580
 our physical being itself.

00:58:57.900 --> 00:58:58.660
 We trust you

00:58:58.660 --> 00:58:59.300
 with our family.

00:59:00.240 --> 00:59:00.920
 We trust you

00:59:00.920 --> 00:59:01.740
 with our finances.

00:59:03.080 --> 00:59:03.860
 We trust you

00:59:03.860 --> 00:59:05.080
 with what brings us joy.

00:59:06.000 --> 00:59:06.740
 We trust you

00:59:06.740 --> 00:59:07.600
 for our comfort.

00:59:09.640 --> 00:59:10.400
 We trust you

00:59:10.400 --> 00:59:11.300
 with our relationships.

00:59:11.620 --> 00:59:12.340
 We trust you

00:59:12.340 --> 00:59:13.080
 with our careers.

00:59:13.660 --> 00:59:14.280
 We trust you

00:59:14.280 --> 00:59:14.960
 with our today.

00:59:15.120 --> 00:59:15.460
 We trust you

00:59:15.460 --> 00:59:16.380
 with our tomorrow.

00:59:19.100 --> 00:59:19.740
 because Lord,

00:59:19.820 --> 00:59:21.360
 we trust who you are.

00:59:23.760 --> 00:59:24.600
 That Jesus,

00:59:25.320 --> 00:59:27.520
 you came

00:59:27.520 --> 00:59:30.060
 not to get

00:59:30.060 --> 00:59:31.160
 a bunch of

00:59:31.160 --> 00:59:33.120
 holy people

00:59:33.120 --> 00:59:34.580
 who have figured it all out,

00:59:34.940 --> 00:59:36.800
 but to die,

00:59:37.060 --> 00:59:39.280
 to die for the sins

00:59:39.280 --> 00:59:40.440
 of the world

00:59:40.440 --> 00:59:45.160
 so that there's a hope.

00:59:47.160 --> 00:59:48.140
 and your word

00:59:48.140 --> 00:59:48.140
 and your word

00:59:48.140 --> 00:59:48.940
 tells us

00:59:48.940 --> 00:59:50.800
 or to believe

00:59:50.800 --> 00:59:52.440
 and to confess

00:59:52.440 --> 00:59:54.380
 that we are sinners,

00:59:55.000 --> 00:59:55.560
 but Jesus,

00:59:56.000 --> 00:59:57.600
 that you are our savior.

00:59:59.900 --> 01:00:00.960
 And that in you,

01:00:02.100 --> 01:00:02.920
 in you,

01:00:03.880 --> 01:00:05.300
 there is life

01:00:05.300 --> 01:00:06.620
 and hope

01:00:06.620 --> 01:00:08.340
 not just for today,

01:00:08.820 --> 01:00:10.560
 not just for tomorrow,

01:00:11.660 --> 01:00:12.580
 but for an eternity.

01:00:14.560 --> 01:00:15.420
 God, thank you

01:00:15.420 --> 01:00:18.600
 for your love for us.

01:00:20.300 --> 01:00:21.160
 May our

01:00:21.160 --> 01:00:22.540
 sacrifice

01:00:22.540 --> 01:00:24.200
 of praise

01:00:24.200 --> 01:00:25.760
 be pleasing

01:00:25.760 --> 01:00:26.600
 to you.

01:00:28.200 --> 01:00:29.080
 It's in Jesus' name

01:00:29.080 --> 01:00:29.520
 we pray.

01:00:29.520 --> 01:00:30.760
 Amen.

01:00:36.620 --> 01:00:41.120
 That's it

01:00:41.120 --> 01:00:42.200
 for this week's message.

01:00:42.660 --> 01:00:43.580
 Be sure to check back

01:00:43.580 --> 01:00:44.180
 next week

01:00:44.180 --> 01:00:45.080
 for another episode.

01:00:45.840 --> 01:00:46.380
 In the meantime,

01:00:46.620 --> 01:00:47.500
 you can stay up to date

01:00:47.500 --> 01:00:48.500
 with everything happening

01:00:48.500 --> 01:00:49.180
 at Willow Ridge

01:00:49.180 --> 01:00:50.080
 by visiting us

01:00:50.080 --> 01:00:50.840
 on Facebook,

01:00:51.260 --> 01:00:51.660
 Instagram,

01:00:52.180 --> 01:00:52.460
 YouTube,

01:00:52.920 --> 01:00:53.680
 and online

01:00:53.680 --> 01:00:55.360
 at willowridgechurch.org.

01:00:55.720 --> 01:00:56.700
 Thanks again for listening.

01:00:56.700 --> 01:00:57.700
 Bye.