WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.260 Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:25.880 This is where you can find audio for our current and past sermons. 00:00:26.080 --> 00:00:30.420 We hope that you enjoy this week's installment, and be sure to check back next week to hear 00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:31.260 the latest message. 00:00:31.680 --> 00:00:32.460 Thanks for listening. 00:00:46.160 --> 00:00:47.100 Well, good morning. 00:00:47.980 --> 00:00:53.260 Glad that you guys are here with us on campus, and glad that you are joining in with us online. 00:00:53.260 --> 00:00:57.500 If you've got your Bibles, go ahead and open up to Judges chapter 17. 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:02.400 As you turn there, I want to share something with you that I'm very excited about. 00:01:02.520 --> 00:01:05.340 I think it'll add to all of our Christmas seasons. 00:01:06.200 --> 00:01:12.160 God burdened my heart some time ago to create, to come up with a Christmas devotional. 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:17.040 And so, been praying about that for a while, kind of working through the details of that. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:22.740 And what we're going to do as a church is we're going to make available a special Christmas 00:01:22.740 --> 00:01:28.560 devotional starting on December 1st and running through Christmas Day, December 25th. 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:30.060 All right, and here's what it's going to look like. 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:33.340 It's going to be written by Willow Ridge family. 00:01:33.500 --> 00:01:35.440 All right, some of us are staff, some of us are not. 00:01:35.780 --> 00:01:41.500 And everybody has a passage of Scripture that in some way, shape, or form connects to the 00:01:41.500 --> 00:01:43.940 Christmas story, the Christmas season. 00:01:44.340 --> 00:01:49.440 And so, they will be writing through their own personality and their gifts, what God calls 00:01:49.440 --> 00:01:50.940 them and challenges them to write. 00:01:51.260 --> 00:01:55.920 And then what we will do is every single day from December 1st until December 25th is we 00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:57.420 will make that available for you. 00:01:57.660 --> 00:01:59.240 Now, here's how we're going to do that. 00:01:59.240 --> 00:02:03.380 The easiest way, probably for most of us, is it'll be on Facebook. 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:08.840 And so, if you're following us or liked us or whatever it is with the Willow Ridge Church 00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:11.500 Facebook page, you'll be able to get those through that. 00:02:11.800 --> 00:02:17.240 But another way, and probably a more efficient way of getting it every single day, is Dave is 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:19.680 going to be sending that out in a daily email. 00:02:19.940 --> 00:02:24.000 And so, if you're already getting the church emails, then you'll get that daily devotional 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:25.380 every single day. 00:02:25.380 --> 00:02:29.280 If you currently do not get the church emails, write two things. 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:33.840 Number one, if you don't get it, check your junk folder, because a lot of times that's 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:37.340 where ours goes, unfortunately, right through the filtering system that they have. 00:02:37.580 --> 00:02:38.100 Check there. 00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:44.960 But if you're not getting them, email Pastor Dave at david.allen at willowridgechurch.org, 00:02:45.060 --> 00:02:49.700 and he will get you taken care of so that you can join us and be a part of that. 00:02:49.700 --> 00:02:56.200 And I'm excited to see what God is going to share and how God is going to use men and women 00:02:56.200 --> 00:03:01.520 of this church to just kind of remind us why we celebrate Christmas, but not just Christmas, 00:03:01.640 --> 00:03:03.440 but every day of our life. 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:06.400 And so, I'm really, really looking forward to that. 00:03:06.700 --> 00:03:12.660 Now, before we get into our Christmas series in two weeks, we're going to wrap up over the 00:03:12.660 --> 00:03:14.640 next couple weeks, we're going to wrap up Judges. 00:03:14.640 --> 00:03:21.420 Now, I want to kind of explain to you, because Judges, as it's written, can feel broken, 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:21.900 all right? 00:03:22.140 --> 00:03:27.340 And so, what happens, what I mean by that is Judges chapter 1 and Judges chapter 2 are 00:03:27.340 --> 00:03:28.520 a double introduction. 00:03:28.760 --> 00:03:32.180 So, the same thing is said twice in different ways, right? 00:03:32.200 --> 00:03:34.300 Because they know that we need that to get it, right? 00:03:34.420 --> 00:03:40.700 So, Judges 1, Judges 2, the same thing written in a double form so that we can get the introduction 00:03:40.700 --> 00:03:41.660 of what's happening. 00:03:41.660 --> 00:03:46.180 And then Judges 3 through Judges 16 tells the story of the judges. 00:03:46.700 --> 00:03:50.580 And as you were reading this with us, like, you know what that looks like. 00:03:50.660 --> 00:03:52.980 Like, some people, like Samson, right? 00:03:53.140 --> 00:03:55.060 Like, we got a lot about Samson. 00:03:55.160 --> 00:03:58.300 We got a lot of information about the details of his life. 00:03:58.580 --> 00:04:02.780 And then other judges, it would just be a very quick snippet of them saying something like, 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:07.000 and this judge ruled over Israel for X amount of years. 00:04:07.040 --> 00:04:08.240 And that's what we would see. 00:04:08.300 --> 00:04:13.940 But what we're coming to, starting in chapter 17 of Judges, is a different kind of journey, okay? 00:04:14.200 --> 00:04:18.720 So, from chapter 3 to chapter 16, it was written in chronological order. 00:04:19.020 --> 00:04:22.600 So, this judge was after this judge was after this judge, and that's what we see. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:26.980 But Judges 17 through the end of it is not going to be that way. 00:04:27.300 --> 00:04:32.800 And what it's going to help us kind of dig into is every single time we met a new judge, right? 00:04:32.860 --> 00:04:37.180 We get those verses, and Israel did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. 00:04:37.580 --> 00:04:40.760 And we could speak to general instances of what that looked like. 00:04:40.820 --> 00:04:47.620 So, we talked about idolatry and rebellion and what that begins to look like as God's people abandon their faith to pursue other things. 00:04:47.820 --> 00:04:56.320 But there's not necessarily, outside of the life of the particular judge, a whole lot of stories that help explain what that looks like in Israel. 00:04:56.540 --> 00:04:58.460 Like, how does that practically play out? 00:04:58.840 --> 00:05:09.540 So, starting in chapter 17, what we are going to see is the individuals in Israel, their sin, their sin pattern, and what that looks like. 00:05:09.540 --> 00:05:15.740 So, that we can get some more clarity to what does it mean that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:21.560 And what we're going to see from this is we're going to see kind of a theme that is arched. 00:05:21.620 --> 00:05:28.880 I feel like it culminated a lot in the life of Samson is this concept of Israel and compromise. 00:05:29.620 --> 00:05:34.980 That that's what we find, that time and time again, God's people, in spite of knowing God's standard for them, 00:05:35.280 --> 00:05:40.780 God's people, in spite of knowing who God is, they compromised and they compromised and they compromised. 00:05:41.200 --> 00:05:46.160 And when they compromised, short of God's standard, that's the sin that they commit. 00:05:46.580 --> 00:05:50.100 And so, we're going to get to see what some of that looks like in Israel. 00:05:50.100 --> 00:05:57.600 But again, like, we don't want to just cast the stones at Israel from our 2020 perspective and think, man, we're not that bad. 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:03.380 We've got it all figured out because what we'll find is the same dysfunction of the sin of their heart, right? 00:06:03.460 --> 00:06:09.620 That's the same dysfunction of the sin of the heart that you and I, that we wrestle with, that we battle with. 00:06:09.880 --> 00:06:13.480 And it's going to come out of this notion of compromise. 00:06:13.820 --> 00:06:15.300 And that's hard for us, right? 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:20.220 Because compromise is generally a positive thing. 00:06:20.320 --> 00:06:23.620 Like, my wife is here in the service with us this morning. 00:06:23.620 --> 00:06:30.840 And what I've learned in a marriage, right, what I've learned in parenting, right, is that we work toward compromise. 00:06:31.220 --> 00:06:32.260 I've got my perspective. 00:06:32.380 --> 00:06:33.340 She's got her perspective. 00:06:33.460 --> 00:06:34.060 We come at this. 00:06:34.300 --> 00:06:38.020 And then we compromise for the path going forward of what's best for our family. 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:44.780 And so, what we can see oftentimes in our spiritual walk is that we approach God the exact same way, right? 00:06:44.960 --> 00:06:46.340 Well, God, I've got my perspective. 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:47.580 God, I've got my standard. 00:06:48.200 --> 00:06:56.340 But our perspective, in light of the grace of God of who he is, our standard in light of the same, we have to understand that ours is broken. 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:00.780 That every part of who we are in creation is broken. 00:07:00.960 --> 00:07:03.380 That the only thing that's not broken is the creator. 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:10.000 So, anytime we bring compromise into this with the Lord, right, we are in sin. 00:07:10.060 --> 00:07:12.220 And this is what we see with Israel. 00:07:12.380 --> 00:07:13.600 So, let's jump right in. 00:07:13.640 --> 00:07:15.160 Chapter 17, verse 1. 00:07:16.420 --> 00:07:16.720 It says, 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:21.780 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. 00:07:22.440 --> 00:07:23.900 And he said to his mother, 00:07:24.820 --> 00:07:33.060 The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it into my ears. 00:07:33.460 --> 00:07:36.200 Behold, the silver is with me. 00:07:36.460 --> 00:07:37.400 I took it. 00:07:37.460 --> 00:07:37.640 All right. 00:07:37.720 --> 00:07:41.860 So, here's what we're going to be introduced to this guy named Micah and his mom. 00:07:42.500 --> 00:07:48.000 And they are going to consist of an extremely dysfunctional relationship. 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:51.000 A dysfunctional family. 00:07:51.500 --> 00:07:59.700 And what they're going to tiptoe in a little bit is kind of common practices of worshiping the Lord. 00:07:59.700 --> 00:08:03.400 But they're going to allow compromise to invade within there. 00:08:03.460 --> 00:08:07.420 And in these first, really, two and a half verses, we begin to see this. 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:07.840 Right? 00:08:07.900 --> 00:08:08.960 So, here's what happened. 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:10.940 Micah stole from his mom. 00:08:11.820 --> 00:08:14.980 He stole eleven hundred pieces of silver. 00:08:15.660 --> 00:08:16.800 Now, you can do the math. 00:08:16.880 --> 00:08:19.900 Later on, Micah's going to offer a guy a job. 00:08:20.200 --> 00:08:23.900 And his yearly salary is going to be ten pieces of silver. 00:08:24.300 --> 00:08:24.480 Right? 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:26.940 So, Micah stole a lot of money. 00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:35.740 Now, he hears his mom placing a curse on whoever stole the money from her. 00:08:35.980 --> 00:08:36.840 Now, number two. 00:08:37.020 --> 00:08:38.480 Like, that's not biblical. 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:40.380 Like, we as Christians don't do that. 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:40.740 All right? 00:08:41.140 --> 00:08:44.840 So, here you see theft come in. 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:47.580 You hear mom placing a curse. 00:08:47.720 --> 00:08:53.480 But kind of maybe in a good fear, he's like, I know what kind of crazy my mom can call down on me. 00:08:53.540 --> 00:08:53.760 Right? 00:08:53.900 --> 00:08:55.200 She's placing this curse. 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:59.520 I better come and confess and bring the money back to her. 00:09:00.420 --> 00:09:02.580 And so, continue on in verse two. 00:09:03.280 --> 00:09:08.140 And his mother said, blessed be my son by the Lord. 00:09:08.700 --> 00:09:13.180 And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:22.660 And his mother said, I dedicated the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son to make a carved image and a metal image. 00:09:23.460 --> 00:09:27.020 Now, therefore, I will restore it to you. 00:09:27.520 --> 00:09:38.100 So, when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith who made it into a carved image and a metal image. 00:09:38.260 --> 00:09:41.440 And it was in the house of Micah. 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:44.900 So, the sinful pattern of the family is going to continue. 00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:47.980 Son comes to mom, confesses. 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:51.440 Mom revokes her curse. 00:09:52.220 --> 00:09:57.240 And instead begins to pray to God and says, hey, bless him now. 00:09:57.520 --> 00:10:04.300 Now that he's come clean, now that he's brought this, bless him in this. 00:10:04.500 --> 00:10:11.280 And then she takes the eleven hundred pieces of silver and says, God, I dedicate them to you. 00:10:11.380 --> 00:10:13.280 But here's how I'm going to dedicate them to you. 00:10:13.400 --> 00:10:16.420 I'm going to dedicate them to you by violating your standard for my life. 00:10:16.820 --> 00:10:32.300 And so, she takes the eleven hundred and says, I give them all to you, but then puts nine hundred of them away and takes two hundred pieces and gives them to a silversmith and says, hey, make a graven image for me. 00:10:33.500 --> 00:10:37.260 This is how I'm going to honor God. 00:10:38.260 --> 00:10:40.700 I'm going to create an idol. 00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:57.940 And so, verse five, and the man Micah had a shrine and he made an ephod and household gods and ordained one of his sons who became his priest. 00:10:59.080 --> 00:11:01.760 In those days, there was no king in Israel. 00:11:01.980 --> 00:11:04.980 Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. 00:11:05.460 --> 00:11:16.920 So, Micah takes this statue, this idol that she's made of God, and he makes a shrine to it. 00:11:17.680 --> 00:11:20.160 And then he brings in other gods. 00:11:21.040 --> 00:11:28.840 And then he goes to one of his sons and says, look, I know you're not in the lineage of what God has chosen to be a priest, 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:36.280 but I'm going to ordain you to be our family religion priest of what we have. 00:11:36.420 --> 00:11:41.700 So, we've got our sinful shrine to God, right? 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:46.020 They created an image of God to contain him in that. 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:47.180 We're going to get this to a second. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:49.840 To bow down and worship him through this. 00:11:49.960 --> 00:11:55.920 And then we are going to bring other gods that were here, and we're going to place them in this as well. 00:11:55.920 --> 00:12:00.700 And verse 6 says, everyone did what was right in his own eyes. 00:12:01.700 --> 00:12:04.300 And this is this man, Micah, and his mom. 00:12:05.300 --> 00:12:06.340 Look at verse 7. 00:12:07.460 --> 00:12:13.320 Now, there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite. 00:12:14.060 --> 00:12:15.280 And he sojourned there. 00:12:15.880 --> 00:12:21.700 And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. 00:12:22.060 --> 00:12:28.880 And after he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. 00:12:29.380 --> 00:12:32.140 And Micah said to him, where do you come from? 00:12:32.400 --> 00:12:39.980 And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I'm going to sojourn where I can find a place. 00:12:39.980 --> 00:12:53.180 And Micah said to him, stay with me to be a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, and a suit of clothes, and your living. 00:12:53.580 --> 00:12:55.140 And the Levite went in. 00:12:55.740 --> 00:13:02.100 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became like one of his sons. 00:13:02.640 --> 00:13:09.600 And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 00:13:09.940 --> 00:13:17.780 Then Micah said, now I know the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as a priest. 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:22.220 So we're going to talk a lot about the priest in kind of the second half of this message. 00:13:22.420 --> 00:13:23.780 But here's what's going on. 00:13:23.780 --> 00:13:28.520 Now, this priest, he's a Levite, which means he's called by God to be a priest. 00:13:28.660 --> 00:13:34.720 And within that, God gives some expectations and standards of where they are to be a priest. 00:13:34.860 --> 00:13:37.160 And you're supposed to stay in your hometown. 00:13:37.920 --> 00:13:42.860 And so he shares, right, that he has left his hometown, that he is seeking to be a priest. 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:45.460 He is looking somewhere else to stay. 00:13:45.460 --> 00:13:48.020 And so Micah sees this. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:54.680 Micah realizes, hey, I can give some credibility to my little family religion that we have going on here. 00:13:54.840 --> 00:14:03.400 So, hey, buddy, if I give you some money, if I give you some clothes, if I give you a place to stay and food to eat, 00:14:03.400 --> 00:14:08.200 can you now come no longer be God's priest, but you're now my priest? 00:14:08.800 --> 00:14:09.560 And he's like, sure. 00:14:11.040 --> 00:14:14.700 And this is the story of compromise. 00:14:15.460 --> 00:14:24.940 This is what it looks like when men and women of God begin to wander away from God and God's standard for their life. 00:14:25.560 --> 00:14:33.640 And what we find in this, in this whole concept of creating God and making these images and bow down to them, 00:14:33.800 --> 00:14:38.080 what we see here are people filtering God. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:42.380 Now, I want to explain what I mean by filtering God. 00:14:43.140 --> 00:14:52.320 Over this past year, actually for the last maybe two or three years, Aaron and I have kind of taken on a hobby for the two of us to do together. 00:14:52.700 --> 00:14:54.660 And we garden in our backyard. 00:14:55.460 --> 00:14:59.600 We do spring, summer, fall, and winter all year long. 00:14:59.680 --> 00:15:00.500 There's something growing. 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:02.220 Like we got a bunch going on right now. 00:15:02.280 --> 00:15:06.040 We got lemon and collard greens and a ton of stuff that's going on in the garden. 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:10.520 But kind of like my thing that I like to grow is I like to grow peppers. 00:15:11.220 --> 00:15:12.300 I like to grow hot peppers. 00:15:12.380 --> 00:15:14.340 I like to make hot sauce out of them. 00:15:14.820 --> 00:15:17.920 And I've been making all different kinds of hot sauce. 00:15:18.540 --> 00:15:23.200 And the last batch that I made was some ghost pepper hot sauce. 00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:24.900 So here's what I did. 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:29.420 I took this big jar that we had and I had two ghost pepper plants. 00:15:29.420 --> 00:15:33.340 And every time that a ghost pepper would come off of the plant. 00:15:33.420 --> 00:15:40.200 Now, I had to wear gloves because even to take them off and get them near my hands would cause my hands to burn. 00:15:41.040 --> 00:15:45.540 And so I'd take them and I would put them in a jar and I would add vinegar and salt and seasoning to them. 00:15:45.660 --> 00:15:49.040 And I'd let them stay in that jar and let them build until the jar was full. 00:15:49.960 --> 00:16:02.440 And then with a mask and goggles on, right, outdoors, I boiled them, broke them down, and then continued outdoors. 00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:15.620 And I brought a food processor out there and I blended them up and I poured them back in the jar and I put them into the refrigerator where they sat for approximately six weeks. 00:16:16.420 --> 00:16:21.020 Just fermenting and getting all the seasoning and all the heat out of it. 00:16:22.160 --> 00:16:25.600 And then a few days ago, I opened it for the first time. 00:16:26.860 --> 00:16:34.940 And the smell of the heat in the jar about knocked me out, right? 00:16:35.420 --> 00:16:36.360 So I called a neighbor down. 00:16:36.400 --> 00:16:37.480 I'm like, hey man, will you taste this? 00:16:37.660 --> 00:16:38.440 He loves hot sauce. 00:16:38.500 --> 00:16:39.540 He was like, absolutely. 00:16:39.860 --> 00:16:40.940 Nothing bothers me. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:42.300 He touched it to his tongue. 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:43.860 Immediately he needed milk, right? 00:16:43.900 --> 00:16:44.760 I had to get this taken care of. 00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:48.100 But not just with the ghost pepper, but with any hot sauce, here's what you do. 00:16:48.680 --> 00:16:52.420 The very last thing that you do, before you put it in the bottle, you filter it. 00:16:53.460 --> 00:16:54.300 You filter it. 00:16:54.800 --> 00:17:01.980 And whether it's jalapenos, whether it's Tabascos, whether it's habaneros, whether it's Carolina Reapers or ghost peppers, right? 00:17:01.980 --> 00:17:08.020 When you're making hot sauce, what you do is you run it through a filter and you do it over and over again. 00:17:08.020 --> 00:17:10.580 And each time you're tasting it. 00:17:11.320 --> 00:17:13.600 And what's left in the filter, you throw away. 00:17:14.260 --> 00:17:15.400 Because you don't need it anymore. 00:17:16.100 --> 00:17:26.320 And you keep filtering the hot sauce until you get the color, the consistency, and the taste that you want. 00:17:27.280 --> 00:17:31.680 And once you've decided, this is what I want, then your hot sauce is ready. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:34.780 Ready to be eaten, given away, whatever you want to do. 00:17:34.920 --> 00:17:37.140 You've now done what you want to do. 00:17:38.280 --> 00:17:40.840 When it comes to filtering God, this is what we do with God. 00:17:42.040 --> 00:17:47.140 We take God and we run Him through a filter of what we've determined. 00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:59.200 So that we can eliminate all of the things that we don't like, that we disagree with, that make us uncomfortable, that we don't understand, or that we don't know about. 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:10.680 And we take all of these things that were there and we cast them to the side until what we have is contained in a nice, pretty package, the image of God that we want. 00:18:11.620 --> 00:18:19.400 And so when Micah and his mom, when they make this idol, this is exactly what they are doing. 00:18:19.600 --> 00:18:26.640 I read a story that it was customary during the time of the Israelites for them during a season of crops. 00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:31.480 What they would do is they would make an idol of the crop that they wanted to grow. 00:18:32.280 --> 00:18:34.780 And they would place it down before them. 00:18:35.260 --> 00:18:37.600 And they would address, so let's say it's corn. 00:18:37.800 --> 00:18:40.020 So they'd have a statue of corn that was there. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:43.980 And then they would address it like the corn was the Lord. 00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:49.200 Because for them, what benefited them was for the corn to grow. 00:18:50.380 --> 00:18:55.280 And so time and time again, they would say, this is not what I need. 00:18:55.380 --> 00:18:56.320 This is what I want. 00:18:56.320 --> 00:18:59.860 So this is what I will form God to be like. 00:19:00.840 --> 00:19:11.720 When we read the second commandment, when it says, you shall not make a graven image into worship, God's not just talking about the little gods of other religions. 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:21.160 He's saying, even when it's me, do not make an image out of me that you can try to use to control and manipulate. 00:19:21.160 --> 00:19:24.700 Because you and I, I don't care how artistic we are. 00:19:24.700 --> 00:19:32.160 We cannot take the full capacity of God and place it into a physical image. 00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:40.580 And when we do that, what we're doing is trying to control, to use, and to manipulate God. 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:45.200 So the question I have for us this morning is, do we do this? 00:19:46.340 --> 00:19:47.260 Do we do this? 00:19:48.100 --> 00:19:50.080 And on the surface, no. 00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:51.820 Like, that's crazy. 00:19:52.560 --> 00:19:57.320 Like, no one walks into anyone's house and they're like, oh, by the way, you haven't been here before. 00:19:57.620 --> 00:19:58.620 Here's my dining room. 00:19:58.740 --> 00:19:59.680 Here's my living room. 00:19:59.780 --> 00:20:00.960 Here's our idol of Jesus. 00:20:01.300 --> 00:20:01.420 Right? 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:02.660 Like, we don't do that, right? 00:20:03.520 --> 00:20:05.260 But practically speaking, we do. 00:20:06.280 --> 00:20:18.480 Practically speaking, in our hearts, in a spiritual sense, we filter God out of who he fully is so that we can embrace the parts that we like and say, this is my God. 00:20:19.700 --> 00:20:26.140 And so what we are doing is not only do we say, my God, but we say, my standard. 00:20:27.420 --> 00:20:29.300 My God must fit my standard. 00:20:30.180 --> 00:20:32.060 My God must fit my expectation. 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:39.620 And in that, we are no different than Micah and his mom that we see here in chapter 17. 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:42.600 So what does this begin to look like? 00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:49.040 You and I, spiritually speaking, we want to pick and choose the attributes of God that we like. 00:20:49.700 --> 00:20:51.340 And that we're comfortable with. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:53.680 And so we focus on those. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:59.260 This was probably about nine years ago, ten years ago. 00:20:59.840 --> 00:21:01.740 Serving at a different church. 00:21:02.600 --> 00:21:04.380 And I'm walking out of our worship service. 00:21:04.420 --> 00:21:06.440 And we had a worship leader named Mark there. 00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:10.160 And Mark had just got done leading a song to close out the service. 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:14.060 And it talked about the wrath of God in the song. 00:21:15.320 --> 00:21:19.320 And I'm standing there, and we've got kind of a foyer area like we have here. 00:21:19.320 --> 00:21:20.960 And I see someone. 00:21:21.980 --> 00:21:26.000 I think you guys know what this feels like when they're taking that aggressive walk towards you. 00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:26.600 Right? 00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:30.720 Like you're like, yep, we're about to have one of those really fun conversations. 00:21:30.980 --> 00:21:31.140 You know? 00:21:31.760 --> 00:21:34.080 It's like, you're kind of looking around like you're looking for them. 00:21:34.120 --> 00:21:35.660 And they're like, uh-uh, I'm coming right at you. 00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:35.900 Right? 00:21:36.840 --> 00:21:38.680 So she comes walking up to me. 00:21:39.800 --> 00:21:43.420 And she said, I don't think we should do that last song ever again. 00:21:44.700 --> 00:21:45.780 I said, cool. 00:21:46.180 --> 00:21:46.460 Why? 00:21:47.460 --> 00:21:48.240 Tell me why. 00:21:48.320 --> 00:21:48.960 I'm curious. 00:21:50.120 --> 00:21:53.440 And she said, you know, it talked about the wrath of God. 00:21:54.380 --> 00:21:57.660 And while I know that that's in the Bible, 00:21:58.340 --> 00:22:02.080 it's not an attribute of God that I'm comfortable with. 00:22:02.920 --> 00:22:04.660 And so I don't think we should sing about it. 00:22:06.580 --> 00:22:07.060 Okay. 00:22:08.060 --> 00:22:11.200 Well, no, we're not going to do that. 00:22:12.020 --> 00:22:13.100 And you're wrong. 00:22:14.020 --> 00:22:15.540 And we had a conversation about it. 00:22:16.860 --> 00:22:20.580 In one of my classes for school over the last four weeks, 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:26.000 we've been talking about end times, revelation, and the wrath of God. 00:22:26.560 --> 00:22:33.760 For the last four weeks, hours of this professor who knows way, way more than I know, 00:22:33.860 --> 00:22:39.420 walking through every verse, every word in Revelation as we talk about end times. 00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:42.260 And he spent four weeks talking about the wrath of God. 00:22:42.580 --> 00:22:46.840 And I want to be honest with you, like sitting there for hours and listening to it, 00:22:46.840 --> 00:22:50.400 at some points in time, it's just like, I just want to bang my head. 00:22:50.620 --> 00:22:52.600 Can we move on to something else? 00:22:52.740 --> 00:22:57.480 It kind of feels like at the end of it, there's this Debbie Downer kind of moment for us. 00:22:57.940 --> 00:23:01.400 And then last week, or two weeks ago, he said something very interesting. 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:06.780 And it caused me to write this down, because this isn't something that we're going to be tested on. 00:23:07.080 --> 00:23:09.160 It's just a perspective of us as believers. 00:23:10.360 --> 00:23:11.300 And here's what he said. 00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:17.140 You cannot understand the love of God without the wrath of God. 00:23:18.140 --> 00:23:21.440 Because when you understand the wrath of God, 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:26.020 then you understand what you deserve and how much God loves you. 00:23:27.540 --> 00:23:31.860 You see, without the wrath of God, without something we're uncomfortable with, 00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:34.980 that we don't like, that's like, I don't know about that. 00:23:35.120 --> 00:23:37.520 I never understand the love that God has for me. 00:23:38.220 --> 00:23:41.120 Because without the wrath of God, I don't know about the condition that I'm in. 00:23:41.600 --> 00:23:44.280 Without the wrath of God, I don't know what Jesus came to save me from. 00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:46.760 Without the wrath of God, there's this partial peace. 00:23:46.760 --> 00:23:52.000 But I can understand the love of God, because not only did Jesus save me from the wrath of God, 00:23:52.340 --> 00:23:56.000 Jesus took on the wrath of God in my place. 00:23:56.460 --> 00:23:56.580 Right? 00:23:56.640 --> 00:23:58.400 My punishment wasn't thrown away. 00:23:58.620 --> 00:24:00.200 My punishment was poured out on him. 00:24:00.540 --> 00:24:06.940 So without understanding the wrath of God, I can never understand the love of God. 00:24:07.720 --> 00:24:09.100 So we can't filter him out. 00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:11.900 We can't throw away the parts that we don't like. 00:24:13.080 --> 00:24:14.440 We also want to revise God. 00:24:15.280 --> 00:24:16.540 We want to revise him. 00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:20.140 We want to use phrases, and we hear him all the time. 00:24:21.260 --> 00:24:22.260 Well, I'm a Christian. 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:25.020 I know what the Bible says, but I don't know. 00:24:25.600 --> 00:24:27.560 I just don't believe in a God like that. 00:24:29.020 --> 00:24:36.360 You know, I know this is how God is, but I don't want to think of him that way. 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:39.320 I just want to think of him this way. 00:24:40.660 --> 00:24:45.080 And in that, we try to filter God out. 00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:52.680 We try to take God and shape God to fit our season of time and our culture. 00:24:53.780 --> 00:24:57.720 And that's something that I think every generation picks on the current generation and says, 00:24:57.880 --> 00:25:01.240 look at what you do as you try to mold God into a 2020 form. 00:25:01.940 --> 00:25:09.000 But the truth is, they did that in 1920, in 1820, in 1720, in 1620, in every generation before. 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:15.520 And it's why when Jesus came, in those early moments in Jerusalem, 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:20.260 that so many who should have been looking for the Messiah, 00:25:20.720 --> 00:25:27.700 they looked at him and said, it can't be you because you don't fit the form of what we're looking for. 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:31.640 You see, when we begin to filter God out, 00:25:32.540 --> 00:25:37.980 when we begin to remove the parts that we don't like, 00:25:38.180 --> 00:25:40.960 we miss the heart of who God is. 00:25:42.020 --> 00:25:46.140 And what we do in that is we reveal who we really are. 00:25:47.120 --> 00:25:50.240 We reveal our nature, our worship. 00:25:51.280 --> 00:25:54.560 So when we try to control him, when we try to shape him, 00:25:54.780 --> 00:25:55.980 when we try to conform him, 00:25:56.220 --> 00:25:59.780 what we see, what you and I reveal in that moment, 00:25:59.960 --> 00:26:01.760 is what our true heart worship is. 00:26:02.460 --> 00:26:05.080 Because it's not about worshiping him for who he is, 00:26:05.080 --> 00:26:07.620 it's about worshiping him for who we can manipulate, 00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:08.760 and who we can cause, 00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:12.900 and who we can create him to be in that moment. 00:26:13.020 --> 00:26:14.760 Like my hot sauce, 00:26:15.860 --> 00:26:17.220 captured in a jar, 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:21.460 that I can control everything about it. 00:26:22.460 --> 00:26:24.000 And that's what God begins for us. 00:26:24.800 --> 00:26:27.280 And Micah reveals this aspect of himself. 00:26:28.280 --> 00:26:31.420 I want you to look back at chapter 17, verse 13. 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:34.300 Then Micah said, 00:26:35.260 --> 00:26:38.500 now I know that the Lord will prosper me, 00:26:38.740 --> 00:26:42.120 because I have a Levite as a priest. 00:26:43.120 --> 00:26:44.860 What did Micah struggle with from the beginning? 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:46.060 Greed. 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:47.360 Greed. 00:26:48.080 --> 00:26:49.260 He stole from his mom. 00:26:50.360 --> 00:26:51.240 His mom. 00:26:52.280 --> 00:26:54.380 And it wasn't a wrestle of conscience. 00:26:54.900 --> 00:26:57.100 It wasn't a wrestle of morality. 00:26:57.560 --> 00:27:01.040 It was out of fear of the curse that she could put on him, 00:27:01.140 --> 00:27:02.020 that he came clean. 00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:04.400 And what do we see here? 00:27:05.100 --> 00:27:09.080 His true heart worship that now, 00:27:09.260 --> 00:27:11.560 that now God will prosper him, 00:27:11.840 --> 00:27:15.740 because now he has a priest for himself. 00:27:16.160 --> 00:27:18.160 Micah's not seeking to glorify God. 00:27:18.520 --> 00:27:21.240 Instead, he's seeking to glorify himself. 00:27:22.140 --> 00:27:24.520 And what we see in the heart of Micah, 00:27:24.520 --> 00:27:26.660 what we see in the heart of the priest 00:27:26.660 --> 00:27:28.420 that we're going to look at in just a second, 00:27:28.560 --> 00:27:31.260 is this sin that honestly you and I face, 00:27:31.320 --> 00:27:32.980 and you and I battle as well. 00:27:33.120 --> 00:27:34.900 And it's the sin of self-interest. 00:27:35.960 --> 00:27:37.400 The sin of self-interest. 00:27:38.300 --> 00:27:40.240 That you and I, when it boils down to it, 00:27:40.360 --> 00:27:43.460 we have a tendency to look out for number one. 00:27:44.080 --> 00:27:47.400 That you and I have a tendency to look out for ourselves 00:27:47.400 --> 00:27:49.140 first and foremost. 00:27:49.400 --> 00:27:52.380 And so what drives us is how does this affect me? 00:27:52.380 --> 00:27:54.640 Now here's how this is difficult for us. 00:27:55.220 --> 00:27:56.740 We get this in two different ways. 00:27:57.120 --> 00:27:59.880 Number one, it's ingrained within our culture. 00:28:00.700 --> 00:28:01.260 It is. 00:28:01.800 --> 00:28:06.380 In your career, in school, in every aspect of our life. 00:28:06.380 --> 00:28:08.580 We may cover it with other words, 00:28:08.840 --> 00:28:12.300 but at the core value, what we make so many decisions on 00:28:12.300 --> 00:28:14.160 is how does this affect you, 00:28:14.280 --> 00:28:19.400 and you need to choose what will best affect you. 00:28:20.200 --> 00:28:21.800 But also from the very beginning, 00:28:21.900 --> 00:28:23.440 it's the bent of the sinful heart. 00:28:24.360 --> 00:28:25.600 I'm looking out for me. 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:28.280 I'm looking out for what I want from the very beginning 00:28:28.280 --> 00:28:31.920 of even Eve and Adam in the garden. 00:28:32.420 --> 00:28:33.660 What did Satan appeal to? 00:28:34.320 --> 00:28:35.200 What do you want? 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:36.860 What do you want? 00:28:37.680 --> 00:28:38.520 What do you want? 00:28:39.520 --> 00:28:41.200 And then when God confronts them, 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:43.400 what does Adam reveal? 00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:46.020 Nah, it's her. 00:28:46.600 --> 00:28:47.580 And it's you. 00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:48.700 Right? 00:28:49.140 --> 00:28:50.680 The self-interest. 00:28:51.200 --> 00:28:52.920 So I want to give some warning signs 00:28:52.920 --> 00:28:56.260 of the sins of self-interest for our life 00:28:56.260 --> 00:28:58.220 that we see in this passage of Scripture. 00:28:58.860 --> 00:29:02.620 Number one, sin of self-interest oftentimes is financially based. 00:29:04.080 --> 00:29:05.080 Financially based. 00:29:05.860 --> 00:29:08.520 And we're going to pick on the priest for this section. 00:29:08.660 --> 00:29:10.960 Everybody in this is going to follow in this, 00:29:11.020 --> 00:29:12.380 but we're going to look primarily at the priest. 00:29:13.120 --> 00:29:17.040 In Judges 17.10, in Micah's encounter with him, 00:29:17.500 --> 00:29:18.280 he said to him, 00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:22.460 stay with me and be to me a father and a priest, 00:29:22.820 --> 00:29:26.140 and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year 00:29:26.140 --> 00:29:28.580 and a suit of clothes and your living. 00:29:28.860 --> 00:29:31.340 And the Levite went in. 00:29:31.760 --> 00:29:31.900 Right? 00:29:31.900 --> 00:29:33.560 So Micah comes to him. 00:29:33.860 --> 00:29:35.980 Obviously, this is an impressive house 00:29:35.980 --> 00:29:40.800 that they have to access to them this many years' wages. 00:29:41.180 --> 00:29:42.780 This is a wealthy family. 00:29:43.120 --> 00:29:44.420 The Levite sees it. 00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:46.020 He's drawn toward it. 00:29:46.320 --> 00:29:48.220 Micah says, you want some of this? 00:29:48.380 --> 00:29:49.640 Then here's what I'm going to give you. 00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:50.920 Ten pieces of silver. 00:29:51.160 --> 00:29:52.960 I'm going to take care of your money. 00:29:53.140 --> 00:29:54.940 I'm going to take care of your clothes. 00:29:55.160 --> 00:29:56.400 I'm going to take care of your food. 00:29:56.580 --> 00:29:57.960 I'm going to take care of your housing. 00:29:58.320 --> 00:29:59.560 Everything that you do. 00:29:59.560 --> 00:30:01.440 And so Micah gives this to him. 00:30:01.780 --> 00:30:04.940 And very simply, in the weakness of the priest, 00:30:05.140 --> 00:30:07.100 the scripture just says, and he went in. 00:30:08.800 --> 00:30:09.560 And he went in. 00:30:10.760 --> 00:30:11.900 He didn't ponder it. 00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:14.120 He didn't wrestle with it. 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:19.980 It was financially a no-brainer for him. 00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:21.420 Sure. 00:30:22.420 --> 00:30:25.640 And he walks right in. 00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:29.160 Staying with Micah went against his calling. 00:30:29.580 --> 00:30:31.000 It went against God's word. 00:30:31.320 --> 00:30:33.680 It had been everything that he would have been taught 00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:35.540 from a child, as a child, 00:30:35.640 --> 00:30:36.900 but he did not care 00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:40.480 because it financially benefited him. 00:30:41.160 --> 00:30:43.340 Now, I'm not going to read the whole thing, 00:30:43.420 --> 00:30:44.660 but in verse 18, 00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:46.120 there's going to be more of this 00:30:46.120 --> 00:30:47.600 that comes out in the priest. 00:30:48.260 --> 00:30:51.620 The tribe of Dan is going to encounter him. 00:30:51.900 --> 00:30:54.020 And when the tribe of Dan meets him, 00:30:54.080 --> 00:30:55.340 they're an Israelite tribe. 00:30:55.540 --> 00:30:56.500 When they meet him, 00:30:56.580 --> 00:30:59.280 they are looking for some land to call their own. 00:30:59.420 --> 00:31:01.720 Now, if you remember all the way back to Judges 1, 00:31:01.780 --> 00:31:03.280 I believe verse 34, 00:31:03.480 --> 00:31:06.180 it tells us the reason why they're looking for land 00:31:06.180 --> 00:31:07.760 is because they disobeyed God. 00:31:07.760 --> 00:31:11.580 And so God would not give them what they wanted. 00:31:11.920 --> 00:31:14.560 So instead, they are walking around 00:31:14.560 --> 00:31:17.900 trying to find this land that they can take. 00:31:18.280 --> 00:31:20.280 And they see off in the distance, 00:31:20.780 --> 00:31:24.100 Micah and his great, glorious house of worship. 00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:26.300 And they're drawn to it. 00:31:27.140 --> 00:31:30.660 And so they go there and they meet the priest. 00:31:31.400 --> 00:31:33.200 And they see all that is going 00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:34.660 and all that is happening. 00:31:34.660 --> 00:31:36.400 And they say to the priest, 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:40.160 we cannot find our land of what we have. 00:31:40.420 --> 00:31:42.300 Can you find the land? 00:31:42.420 --> 00:31:44.920 Can you cry out to God for us? 00:31:45.080 --> 00:31:47.420 Is this going to be blessed by him? 00:31:48.340 --> 00:31:49.860 And what we see in the priest, 00:31:50.940 --> 00:31:52.600 in the sin of self-interest, 00:31:53.460 --> 00:31:55.500 he's not God-minded first. 00:31:56.160 --> 00:31:57.160 He's people-minded. 00:31:58.280 --> 00:31:59.300 He's people-minded. 00:32:00.380 --> 00:32:01.260 Well, I've got this moment. 00:32:01.360 --> 00:32:03.360 I've got this tribe of people who are coming. 00:32:04.500 --> 00:32:05.640 They know what they want. 00:32:05.700 --> 00:32:06.900 I better watch what I say. 00:32:07.860 --> 00:32:09.280 I can't cling to truth. 00:32:09.340 --> 00:32:11.280 Or maybe he's drifted so far from it 00:32:11.280 --> 00:32:13.000 that he's forgotten what it is to begin with. 00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:15.660 And look at what the priest said to him. 00:32:16.040 --> 00:32:17.800 Verse 6 of chapter 18. 00:32:18.680 --> 00:32:19.040 He says, 00:32:19.140 --> 00:32:21.520 Go in peace. 00:32:21.520 --> 00:32:22.940 The journey on which you go 00:32:22.940 --> 00:32:26.120 is under the eye of the Lord. 00:32:27.120 --> 00:32:27.620 They say, 00:32:27.740 --> 00:32:28.740 Will you pray for us? 00:32:29.540 --> 00:32:30.360 No need. 00:32:30.780 --> 00:32:31.460 God's with you. 00:32:31.800 --> 00:32:32.060 Go. 00:32:32.340 --> 00:32:33.760 Because that's what you really want to hear. 00:32:34.820 --> 00:32:37.060 And when we're living in the sin 00:32:37.060 --> 00:32:39.140 of being of self-interest, 00:32:39.280 --> 00:32:41.580 what we become is not God-minded, 00:32:41.800 --> 00:32:43.640 but we become people-minded. 00:32:44.260 --> 00:32:45.180 And so they go. 00:32:45.500 --> 00:32:47.420 They go feeling and being told 00:32:47.420 --> 00:32:48.220 that what they're doing 00:32:48.220 --> 00:32:50.200 is right in the eyes of God. 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:51.660 And so they find some land 00:32:51.660 --> 00:32:52.780 and they want to take it. 00:32:53.160 --> 00:32:54.180 But before they do that, 00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:55.180 they get more men 00:32:55.180 --> 00:32:56.240 and more weapons 00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:58.380 and they set back out 00:32:58.380 --> 00:32:59.460 to take the land 00:32:59.460 --> 00:33:01.840 and they come by Micah's house again 00:33:01.840 --> 00:33:03.300 and they think to themselves, 00:33:03.640 --> 00:33:03.960 you know, 00:33:04.040 --> 00:33:05.520 before we go into the land, 00:33:05.780 --> 00:33:07.340 before we take this to ourselves, 00:33:07.520 --> 00:33:09.180 I know that we've rebelled against God. 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:10.680 What we really need 00:33:10.680 --> 00:33:12.200 more than anything else 00:33:12.200 --> 00:33:14.500 is that idol that's in there. 00:33:15.340 --> 00:33:16.820 Is that idol that's in there. 00:33:17.220 --> 00:33:19.280 So they go and they take it. 00:33:20.080 --> 00:33:21.220 And on their way out, 00:33:21.300 --> 00:33:23.420 the priest comes running out 00:33:23.420 --> 00:33:25.140 and he stops them. 00:33:25.900 --> 00:33:26.280 And he says, 00:33:26.320 --> 00:33:26.820 No, no, no, no, no. 00:33:26.940 --> 00:33:28.440 You can't take that. 00:33:28.660 --> 00:33:30.080 That's not yours. 00:33:31.340 --> 00:33:32.720 But he begins to fall 00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:33.800 into another pattern 00:33:33.800 --> 00:33:35.400 which is the sin 00:33:35.400 --> 00:33:36.360 of the next best thing. 00:33:37.340 --> 00:33:40.540 The sin of the next best thing. 00:33:41.520 --> 00:33:42.380 Look at verse 19. 00:33:44.020 --> 00:33:44.900 And they said to him, 00:33:45.840 --> 00:33:46.560 Keep quiet. 00:33:47.860 --> 00:33:49.360 Put your hand on your mouth 00:33:49.360 --> 00:33:50.420 and come with us 00:33:50.420 --> 00:33:51.880 and be to us 00:33:51.880 --> 00:33:53.200 a father and a priest. 00:33:54.540 --> 00:33:55.820 Is it better for you 00:33:55.820 --> 00:33:56.440 to be a priest 00:33:56.440 --> 00:33:58.000 to the house of one man 00:33:58.000 --> 00:33:59.580 or to be priest 00:33:59.580 --> 00:34:01.020 to a tribe and a clan 00:34:01.020 --> 00:34:01.720 in Israel 00:34:01.720 --> 00:34:03.780 and the priest's heart 00:34:03.780 --> 00:34:04.420 was glad. 00:34:05.620 --> 00:34:06.600 He took the ephod 00:34:06.600 --> 00:34:08.060 and the household gods 00:34:08.060 --> 00:34:10.580 and the carved image 00:34:10.580 --> 00:34:12.580 and went along 00:34:12.580 --> 00:34:13.580 with the people. 00:34:14.620 --> 00:34:15.760 It's the next best thing. 00:34:17.040 --> 00:34:18.220 Don't take that. 00:34:18.880 --> 00:34:19.780 Oh, you want me 00:34:19.780 --> 00:34:20.600 to come with you? 00:34:22.060 --> 00:34:23.000 Don't take that. 00:34:23.080 --> 00:34:24.680 Oh, I cannot just be a priest 00:34:24.680 --> 00:34:25.920 to a family 00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:27.640 but I can be 00:34:27.640 --> 00:34:28.720 the priest 00:34:28.720 --> 00:34:29.820 for a tribe. 00:34:29.820 --> 00:34:32.220 Look what this does 00:34:32.220 --> 00:34:33.480 for me. 00:34:34.340 --> 00:34:35.660 And he gets farther 00:34:35.660 --> 00:34:38.100 and farther away 00:34:38.100 --> 00:34:39.440 from what God 00:34:39.440 --> 00:34:40.820 had for him. 00:34:41.640 --> 00:34:42.040 You see, 00:34:42.120 --> 00:34:43.960 the sin of self-interest 00:34:43.960 --> 00:34:45.580 takes us down a path. 00:34:46.580 --> 00:34:47.380 And we're going to see 00:34:47.380 --> 00:34:48.600 a breaking point here 00:34:48.600 --> 00:34:50.120 from Micah. 00:34:51.180 --> 00:34:51.860 We're going to see 00:34:51.860 --> 00:34:53.220 a moment of reality 00:34:53.220 --> 00:34:54.380 where he begins 00:34:54.380 --> 00:34:55.060 to see 00:34:55.060 --> 00:34:56.220 and understand 00:34:56.220 --> 00:34:57.660 that this religion 00:34:57.660 --> 00:34:58.740 that he's created 00:34:58.740 --> 00:34:59.920 has fallen apart. 00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:01.020 Verse 22, 00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:02.820 when they had gone 00:35:02.820 --> 00:35:04.040 a distance from the home 00:35:04.040 --> 00:35:04.680 of Micah, 00:35:04.840 --> 00:35:05.820 the men who were 00:35:05.820 --> 00:35:06.460 in the houses 00:35:06.460 --> 00:35:07.780 near Micah's house 00:35:07.780 --> 00:35:08.620 were called out 00:35:08.620 --> 00:35:10.380 and they overtook 00:35:10.380 --> 00:35:11.480 the people of Dan 00:35:11.480 --> 00:35:12.380 and they shouted 00:35:12.380 --> 00:35:14.000 to the people of Dan 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:15.620 who turned around 00:35:15.620 --> 00:35:16.560 and said to Micah, 00:35:17.040 --> 00:35:18.100 what is the matter 00:35:18.100 --> 00:35:18.580 with you 00:35:18.580 --> 00:35:20.080 that you come 00:35:20.080 --> 00:35:21.100 with such company? 00:35:21.860 --> 00:35:22.860 And he said, 00:35:23.420 --> 00:35:24.620 you take my gods 00:35:24.620 --> 00:35:26.200 that I made 00:35:26.200 --> 00:35:27.740 and the priests 00:35:27.740 --> 00:35:29.100 and go away 00:35:29.100 --> 00:35:31.760 and what have I left? 00:35:32.020 --> 00:35:33.760 How then do you ask me 00:35:33.760 --> 00:35:35.020 what is the matter 00:35:35.020 --> 00:35:35.580 with you? 00:35:36.460 --> 00:35:37.600 And the people of Dan 00:35:37.600 --> 00:35:38.320 said to him, 00:35:39.000 --> 00:35:40.540 do not let your voice 00:35:40.540 --> 00:35:42.220 be heard among us 00:35:42.220 --> 00:35:44.060 unless angry fellows 00:35:44.060 --> 00:35:45.280 fall upon you 00:35:45.280 --> 00:35:48.360 and you lose your life 00:35:48.360 --> 00:35:49.760 with the lives 00:35:49.760 --> 00:35:50.680 of your household. 00:35:51.580 --> 00:35:52.680 Then the people of Dan 00:35:52.680 --> 00:35:53.240 went away 00:35:53.240 --> 00:35:55.440 and when Micah saw 00:35:55.440 --> 00:35:55.920 that they were 00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:57.080 too strong for him, 00:35:57.720 --> 00:35:58.620 he turned 00:35:58.620 --> 00:35:59.880 and went back 00:35:59.880 --> 00:36:00.880 to his home. 00:36:02.140 --> 00:36:03.160 And I can imagine 00:36:03.160 --> 00:36:04.540 that as Micah saw 00:36:04.540 --> 00:36:05.560 them going off, 00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:07.500 as they disappeared 00:36:07.500 --> 00:36:08.540 into the distance, 00:36:09.500 --> 00:36:10.400 what he saw 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:11.360 was the religion 00:36:11.360 --> 00:36:12.800 that he created, 00:36:13.520 --> 00:36:14.860 the picture of God 00:36:14.860 --> 00:36:15.740 that he wanted 00:36:15.740 --> 00:36:17.420 was fading quickly. 00:36:18.720 --> 00:36:19.420 In the end, 00:36:19.540 --> 00:36:20.480 Micah's life, 00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:22.440 Micah's self-made religion 00:36:22.440 --> 00:36:23.400 had failed him. 00:36:24.140 --> 00:36:25.120 He had put his faith 00:36:25.120 --> 00:36:25.740 in an idol 00:36:25.740 --> 00:36:26.420 that had placed 00:36:26.420 --> 00:36:27.200 in his home 00:36:27.200 --> 00:36:28.500 and with a priest 00:36:28.500 --> 00:36:29.560 that he had called 00:36:29.560 --> 00:36:31.040 and that he had created. 00:36:31.480 --> 00:36:32.300 And in this, 00:36:32.560 --> 00:36:34.440 it always fails. 00:36:34.700 --> 00:36:34.900 Church, 00:36:34.980 --> 00:36:36.360 I need us to understand this. 00:36:36.560 --> 00:36:37.900 The part of the fall, 00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:39.520 the part of sin 00:36:39.520 --> 00:36:40.460 and depravity 00:36:40.460 --> 00:36:41.360 that affects 00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:43.860 all of us 00:36:43.860 --> 00:36:44.440 is this. 00:36:45.060 --> 00:36:46.900 Everything that is created 00:36:46.900 --> 00:36:48.180 will fail. 00:36:48.820 --> 00:36:50.060 That's what death is. 00:36:51.080 --> 00:36:52.340 At some point in time, 00:36:52.860 --> 00:36:54.760 my body will fail me 00:36:54.760 --> 00:36:56.040 and fail my wife 00:36:56.040 --> 00:36:57.060 and fail my son 00:36:57.060 --> 00:36:57.900 and I'll breathe 00:36:57.900 --> 00:36:58.840 my last breath 00:36:58.840 --> 00:36:59.740 and my heart 00:36:59.740 --> 00:37:00.580 will stop beating 00:37:00.580 --> 00:37:01.520 and I'll be done. 00:37:01.780 --> 00:37:02.280 One day, 00:37:02.420 --> 00:37:03.100 this building 00:37:03.100 --> 00:37:04.200 will cease 00:37:04.200 --> 00:37:05.300 to exist 00:37:05.300 --> 00:37:06.940 as it's been created 00:37:06.940 --> 00:37:08.520 by human hands 00:37:08.520 --> 00:37:10.340 to do a godly work 00:37:10.340 --> 00:37:11.620 but it is created 00:37:11.620 --> 00:37:13.320 and when you and I, 00:37:13.540 --> 00:37:14.320 when we take 00:37:14.320 --> 00:37:15.140 these images 00:37:15.140 --> 00:37:16.720 of what we want God to be 00:37:16.720 --> 00:37:18.040 and we force them 00:37:18.040 --> 00:37:19.320 into something, 00:37:19.720 --> 00:37:20.660 what we see 00:37:20.660 --> 00:37:22.380 is a created thing 00:37:22.380 --> 00:37:23.660 that will fail, 00:37:23.900 --> 00:37:25.160 it will fall apart 00:37:25.160 --> 00:37:26.200 and there's one 00:37:26.200 --> 00:37:26.880 that won't 00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:27.640 and it's not 00:37:27.640 --> 00:37:28.340 the created, 00:37:28.660 --> 00:37:30.080 it's the creator. 00:37:31.260 --> 00:37:32.520 It's the creator 00:37:32.520 --> 00:37:35.520 that can't be captured, 00:37:36.460 --> 00:37:38.180 that can't be bottled, 00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:41.880 that can't be contained 00:37:41.880 --> 00:37:44.500 and so it fades quickly 00:37:44.500 --> 00:37:46.600 and so the people 00:37:46.600 --> 00:37:47.140 of Dan, 00:37:47.620 --> 00:37:49.300 they create a temple, 00:37:50.540 --> 00:37:51.640 they put the priest 00:37:51.640 --> 00:37:53.400 over all of it 00:37:53.400 --> 00:37:55.540 and look at verse 31. 00:37:58.060 --> 00:37:59.160 So they set up 00:37:59.160 --> 00:38:00.660 Micah's carved image 00:38:00.660 --> 00:38:02.100 that he made 00:38:02.100 --> 00:38:04.580 as long as the house 00:38:04.580 --> 00:38:05.180 of God 00:38:05.180 --> 00:38:06.880 was at Shiloh. 00:38:08.340 --> 00:38:09.520 So why does this matter? 00:38:10.220 --> 00:38:11.240 What is verse 31? 00:38:12.120 --> 00:38:13.300 Especially that last part. 00:38:14.160 --> 00:38:14.440 So yeah, 00:38:14.460 --> 00:38:15.340 so they set up the temple, 00:38:15.480 --> 00:38:17.100 they had Micah's carved image 00:38:17.100 --> 00:38:17.520 in there 00:38:17.520 --> 00:38:18.540 but what does this mean? 00:38:18.580 --> 00:38:19.520 As long as the house 00:38:19.520 --> 00:38:20.020 of God 00:38:20.020 --> 00:38:21.200 was at Shiloh 00:38:21.200 --> 00:38:23.420 because here's the deal. 00:38:24.760 --> 00:38:25.540 The presence 00:38:25.540 --> 00:38:26.880 of God 00:38:26.880 --> 00:38:28.040 was there 00:38:28.040 --> 00:38:29.000 for them. 00:38:30.060 --> 00:38:30.860 The presence 00:38:30.860 --> 00:38:31.600 of God 00:38:31.600 --> 00:38:32.940 had not abandoned them. 00:38:33.680 --> 00:38:34.200 The presence 00:38:34.200 --> 00:38:34.800 of God 00:38:34.800 --> 00:38:35.880 was there 00:38:35.880 --> 00:38:36.480 for them 00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:37.720 just like it was 00:38:37.720 --> 00:38:39.360 for all of Israel 00:38:39.360 --> 00:38:40.860 but they didn't want 00:38:40.860 --> 00:38:41.620 the presence 00:38:41.620 --> 00:38:42.200 of God. 00:38:42.560 --> 00:38:43.420 Micah didn't want it. 00:38:43.620 --> 00:38:44.240 The priest 00:38:44.240 --> 00:38:45.060 didn't want it. 00:38:45.240 --> 00:38:45.700 The people 00:38:45.700 --> 00:38:46.360 of Dan, 00:38:46.600 --> 00:38:47.660 they didn't want it 00:38:47.660 --> 00:38:48.600 and so instead 00:38:48.600 --> 00:38:50.160 of seeking after 00:38:50.160 --> 00:38:51.260 who he is 00:38:51.260 --> 00:38:52.040 they sought 00:38:52.040 --> 00:38:53.380 to create it 00:38:53.380 --> 00:38:54.540 for himself. 00:38:56.140 --> 00:38:57.300 And as we close 00:38:57.300 --> 00:38:58.040 within this 00:38:58.040 --> 00:39:00.080 I want us 00:39:00.080 --> 00:39:00.900 to talk about 00:39:00.900 --> 00:39:02.340 the tabernacle. 00:39:03.860 --> 00:39:04.500 You can see 00:39:04.500 --> 00:39:05.640 for Israel 00:39:05.640 --> 00:39:07.380 the presence 00:39:07.380 --> 00:39:07.920 of God 00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:08.320 was not 00:39:08.320 --> 00:39:09.140 to be found 00:39:09.140 --> 00:39:10.740 in your home 00:39:10.740 --> 00:39:11.440 in a statue. 00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:13.020 The presence 00:39:13.020 --> 00:39:13.620 of God 00:39:13.620 --> 00:39:14.040 was not 00:39:14.040 --> 00:39:14.860 to be found 00:39:14.860 --> 00:39:15.600 in some 00:39:15.600 --> 00:39:16.660 offshoot 00:39:16.660 --> 00:39:17.880 religious practices 00:39:17.880 --> 00:39:18.520 that you 00:39:18.520 --> 00:39:19.000 just decided 00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:19.480 to come 00:39:19.480 --> 00:39:20.200 and adapt 00:39:20.200 --> 00:39:20.920 for yourself. 00:39:20.920 --> 00:39:21.620 The presence 00:39:21.620 --> 00:39:22.260 of God 00:39:22.260 --> 00:39:22.820 was not 00:39:22.820 --> 00:39:23.040 supposed 00:39:23.040 --> 00:39:23.640 to be found 00:39:23.640 --> 00:39:24.320 in you 00:39:24.320 --> 00:39:24.900 going out 00:39:24.900 --> 00:39:25.320 and finding 00:39:25.320 --> 00:39:26.260 your own priest 00:39:26.260 --> 00:39:27.140 and having him here. 00:39:27.340 --> 00:39:27.840 The presence 00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:28.460 of God 00:39:28.460 --> 00:39:29.060 was where 00:39:29.060 --> 00:39:29.760 God said 00:39:29.760 --> 00:39:30.340 he would be 00:39:30.340 --> 00:39:30.880 which was 00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:32.000 in the tabernacle 00:39:32.000 --> 00:39:32.880 and so when you 00:39:32.880 --> 00:39:33.360 would go 00:39:33.360 --> 00:39:34.320 to worship him 00:39:34.320 --> 00:39:35.060 and this doesn't 00:39:35.060 --> 00:39:35.680 mean that God 00:39:35.680 --> 00:39:36.340 was contained 00:39:36.340 --> 00:39:37.000 because we've 00:39:37.000 --> 00:39:37.460 seen even 00:39:37.460 --> 00:39:38.020 from Samson 00:39:38.020 --> 00:39:38.580 last week 00:39:38.580 --> 00:39:39.020 that it said 00:39:39.020 --> 00:39:39.440 the spirit 00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:39.840 of God 00:39:39.840 --> 00:39:40.340 was with him 00:39:40.340 --> 00:39:40.840 but when it 00:39:40.840 --> 00:39:41.400 came to your 00:39:41.400 --> 00:39:41.940 interaction 00:39:41.940 --> 00:39:42.280 with him 00:39:42.280 --> 00:39:42.900 and my 00:39:42.900 --> 00:39:43.340 interaction 00:39:43.340 --> 00:39:43.700 with him 00:39:43.700 --> 00:39:44.140 we would 00:39:44.140 --> 00:39:44.640 not set 00:39:44.640 --> 00:39:45.000 our eyes 00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:45.440 on anything 00:39:45.440 --> 00:39:45.800 else 00:39:45.800 --> 00:39:46.360 but we would 00:39:46.360 --> 00:39:47.540 set our eyes 00:39:47.540 --> 00:39:48.620 on the tabernacle 00:39:48.620 --> 00:39:49.280 and God 00:39:49.280 --> 00:39:50.060 was there 00:39:50.060 --> 00:39:50.600 with them 00:39:50.600 --> 00:39:51.200 and this is 00:39:51.200 --> 00:39:51.480 where they 00:39:51.480 --> 00:39:51.880 could go 00:39:51.880 --> 00:39:52.280 for them 00:39:52.280 --> 00:39:53.160 but in order 00:39:53.160 --> 00:39:53.640 for that 00:39:53.640 --> 00:39:54.200 to happen 00:39:54.200 --> 00:39:55.660 they had 00:39:55.660 --> 00:39:56.220 to remove 00:39:56.220 --> 00:39:57.100 their eyes 00:39:57.100 --> 00:39:58.560 from what 00:39:58.560 --> 00:39:58.960 they had 00:39:58.960 --> 00:40:00.580 set in place 00:40:00.580 --> 00:40:02.700 and they had 00:40:02.700 --> 00:40:03.240 to focus 00:40:03.240 --> 00:40:03.900 instead 00:40:03.900 --> 00:40:05.720 on who 00:40:05.720 --> 00:40:06.800 God 00:40:06.800 --> 00:40:07.880 is 00:40:07.880 --> 00:40:09.260 and that 00:40:09.260 --> 00:40:09.680 he 00:40:09.680 --> 00:40:11.000 was there 00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:11.960 for him 00:40:11.960 --> 00:40:14.040 this 00:40:14.040 --> 00:40:14.960 time 00:40:14.960 --> 00:40:15.380 of the 00:40:15.380 --> 00:40:15.720 year 00:40:15.720 --> 00:40:16.300 or maybe 00:40:16.300 --> 00:40:16.660 after 00:40:16.660 --> 00:40:17.180 Thanksgiving 00:40:17.180 --> 00:40:17.540 right 00:40:17.540 --> 00:40:17.960 we truly 00:40:17.960 --> 00:40:18.380 hit into 00:40:18.380 --> 00:40:18.800 this time 00:40:18.800 --> 00:40:19.180 of year 00:40:19.180 --> 00:40:20.320 of Christmas 00:40:20.320 --> 00:40:20.840 there's a lot 00:40:20.840 --> 00:40:21.560 of catchphrases 00:40:21.560 --> 00:40:22.280 that we use 00:40:22.280 --> 00:40:24.140 centered around 00:40:24.140 --> 00:40:24.660 and based 00:40:24.660 --> 00:40:25.300 in the thought 00:40:25.300 --> 00:40:26.800 of God 00:40:26.800 --> 00:40:27.320 with us 00:40:27.320 --> 00:40:29.060 it's what we 00:40:29.060 --> 00:40:29.560 celebrate 00:40:29.560 --> 00:40:30.380 we'll see 00:40:30.380 --> 00:40:31.240 songs about it 00:40:31.240 --> 00:40:32.200 we'll talk 00:40:32.200 --> 00:40:32.920 about the fact 00:40:32.920 --> 00:40:33.600 of divinity 00:40:33.600 --> 00:40:34.680 taking on flesh 00:40:34.680 --> 00:40:35.960 God in flesh 00:40:35.960 --> 00:40:36.760 in the form 00:40:36.760 --> 00:40:37.780 of a child 00:40:37.780 --> 00:40:39.180 that will 00:40:39.180 --> 00:40:40.020 be here 00:40:40.020 --> 00:40:41.240 with us 00:40:41.240 --> 00:40:42.360 that will 00:40:42.360 --> 00:40:42.800 come to 00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:43.460 save us 00:40:43.460 --> 00:40:44.980 in John 00:40:44.980 --> 00:40:45.760 chapter 1 00:40:45.760 --> 00:40:47.700 John talks 00:40:47.700 --> 00:40:48.340 about this 00:40:48.340 --> 00:40:50.020 and I want 00:40:50.020 --> 00:40:50.520 to read to you 00:40:50.520 --> 00:40:51.400 John 1 14 00:40:51.400 --> 00:40:52.160 a verse many 00:40:52.160 --> 00:40:52.600 of you have 00:40:52.600 --> 00:40:53.080 heard before 00:40:53.080 --> 00:40:55.120 John writes 00:40:55.120 --> 00:40:55.480 and he says 00:40:55.480 --> 00:40:56.180 and the word 00:40:56.180 --> 00:40:57.540 became flesh 00:40:57.540 --> 00:40:59.240 and dwelt 00:40:59.240 --> 00:41:00.120 among us 00:41:00.120 --> 00:41:01.500 and we have 00:41:01.500 --> 00:41:02.440 seen his 00:41:02.440 --> 00:41:02.980 glory 00:41:02.980 --> 00:41:04.300 glory 00:41:04.300 --> 00:41:05.420 as of the 00:41:05.420 --> 00:41:06.240 only son 00:41:06.240 --> 00:41:06.840 from the 00:41:06.840 --> 00:41:07.260 father 00:41:07.260 --> 00:41:08.080 full 00:41:08.080 --> 00:41:09.320 of grace 00:41:09.320 --> 00:41:10.320 and truth 00:41:10.320 --> 00:41:11.940 and I want 00:41:11.940 --> 00:41:12.220 to talk 00:41:12.220 --> 00:41:12.620 about this 00:41:12.620 --> 00:41:13.120 word 00:41:13.120 --> 00:41:14.280 dwelt 00:41:14.280 --> 00:41:16.280 because in 00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:17.100 we have 00:41:17.100 --> 00:41:17.840 translations 00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:18.720 to help 00:41:18.720 --> 00:41:19.600 us understand 00:41:19.600 --> 00:41:21.080 and you 00:41:21.080 --> 00:41:21.460 and I 00:41:21.460 --> 00:41:22.020 know that 00:41:22.020 --> 00:41:22.480 dwelt 00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:22.920 means that 00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:23.360 he came 00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:23.700 in that 00:41:23.700 --> 00:41:24.400 he lived 00:41:24.400 --> 00:41:24.740 here 00:41:24.740 --> 00:41:25.900 but to 00:41:25.900 --> 00:41:26.260 get an 00:41:26.260 --> 00:41:26.760 accurate 00:41:26.760 --> 00:41:27.780 translation 00:41:27.780 --> 00:41:29.120 for us 00:41:29.120 --> 00:41:30.120 to understand 00:41:30.120 --> 00:41:31.040 what this 00:41:31.040 --> 00:41:31.400 means 00:41:31.400 --> 00:41:31.980 is this 00:41:31.980 --> 00:41:32.840 and the 00:41:32.840 --> 00:41:33.220 word 00:41:33.220 --> 00:41:33.800 became 00:41:33.800 --> 00:41:34.600 flesh 00:41:34.600 --> 00:41:35.860 and 00:41:35.860 --> 00:41:37.020 tabernacled 00:41:37.020 --> 00:41:39.000 among us 00:41:39.000 --> 00:41:40.700 that he 00:41:40.700 --> 00:41:42.080 tabernacled 00:41:42.080 --> 00:41:43.940 that God's 00:41:43.940 --> 00:41:44.840 very presence 00:41:44.840 --> 00:41:45.740 of who he 00:41:45.740 --> 00:41:46.780 is was not 00:41:46.780 --> 00:41:47.640 to be sought 00:41:47.640 --> 00:41:49.380 in a religious 00:41:49.380 --> 00:41:49.940 pursuit 00:41:49.940 --> 00:41:51.680 that it was not 00:41:51.680 --> 00:41:52.240 to be sought 00:41:52.240 --> 00:41:52.880 in a temple 00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:54.440 but that when 00:41:54.440 --> 00:41:55.680 John tells us 00:41:55.680 --> 00:41:56.600 that God 00:41:56.600 --> 00:41:58.080 tabernacled 00:41:58.080 --> 00:41:59.480 among us 00:41:59.480 --> 00:42:00.140 what that 00:42:00.140 --> 00:42:00.680 means is 00:42:00.680 --> 00:42:01.380 for you 00:42:01.380 --> 00:42:01.920 and I 00:42:01.920 --> 00:42:02.640 to see 00:42:02.640 --> 00:42:03.820 for you 00:42:03.820 --> 00:42:04.240 and I 00:42:04.240 --> 00:42:05.260 to understand 00:42:05.260 --> 00:42:05.940 for you 00:42:05.940 --> 00:42:06.420 and I 00:42:06.420 --> 00:42:07.020 to draw 00:42:07.020 --> 00:42:07.560 close 00:42:07.560 --> 00:42:08.040 to the 00:42:08.040 --> 00:42:08.740 very presence 00:42:08.740 --> 00:42:09.280 of God 00:42:09.280 --> 00:42:09.860 it is not 00:42:09.860 --> 00:42:10.300 found in 00:42:10.300 --> 00:42:10.800 any of 00:42:10.800 --> 00:42:11.380 these things 00:42:11.380 --> 00:42:12.000 but it is 00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:12.400 found in 00:42:12.400 --> 00:42:12.780 Jesus 00:42:12.780 --> 00:42:14.040 and in 00:42:14.040 --> 00:42:14.300 Jesus 00:42:14.300 --> 00:42:14.800 alone 00:42:14.800 --> 00:42:16.400 and so 00:42:16.400 --> 00:42:16.920 the word 00:42:16.920 --> 00:42:17.340 became 00:42:17.340 --> 00:42:18.080 flesh 00:42:18.080 --> 00:42:19.240 and 00:42:19.240 --> 00:42:20.080 tabernacled 00:42:20.080 --> 00:42:21.380 among us 00:42:21.380 --> 00:42:22.840 the very 00:42:22.840 --> 00:42:23.320 presence 00:42:23.320 --> 00:42:24.340 of God 00:42:24.340 --> 00:42:26.140 the divinity 00:42:26.140 --> 00:42:26.680 of God 00:42:26.680 --> 00:42:27.340 found 00:42:27.340 --> 00:42:29.680 in a man 00:42:29.680 --> 00:42:31.420 free of 00:42:31.420 --> 00:42:31.740 sin 00:42:31.740 --> 00:42:33.480 Jesus 00:42:33.480 --> 00:42:35.900 but that 00:42:35.900 --> 00:42:36.400 man 00:42:36.400 --> 00:42:38.220 is the 00:42:38.220 --> 00:42:38.640 reason when 00:42:38.640 --> 00:42:38.940 we talk 00:42:38.940 --> 00:42:39.260 about the 00:42:39.260 --> 00:42:39.520 hope that 00:42:39.520 --> 00:42:40.040 we have 00:42:40.040 --> 00:42:41.760 because he 00:42:41.760 --> 00:42:42.140 did he 00:42:42.140 --> 00:42:42.640 dwelt 00:42:42.640 --> 00:42:44.460 among us 00:42:44.460 --> 00:42:45.740 he 00:42:45.740 --> 00:42:46.820 tabernacled 00:42:46.820 --> 00:42:48.800 among us 00:42:48.800 --> 00:42:50.480 so that 00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:51.040 he 00:42:51.040 --> 00:42:52.760 could grow 00:42:52.760 --> 00:42:53.300 older 00:42:53.300 --> 00:42:55.120 and stand 00:42:55.120 --> 00:42:56.760 in the 00:42:56.760 --> 00:42:57.220 wrath of 00:42:57.220 --> 00:42:57.620 God 00:42:57.620 --> 00:42:59.000 to take 00:42:59.000 --> 00:42:59.620 your place 00:42:59.620 --> 00:43:01.180 and mine 00:43:01.180 --> 00:43:03.200 and then 00:43:03.200 --> 00:43:03.460 he would 00:43:03.460 --> 00:43:03.960 ascend 00:43:03.960 --> 00:43:05.480 to heaven 00:43:05.480 --> 00:43:07.480 and the 00:43:07.480 --> 00:43:07.860 process 00:43:07.860 --> 00:43:08.360 of the 00:43:08.360 --> 00:43:09.060 tabernacle 00:43:09.060 --> 00:43:10.440 wouldn't 00:43:10.440 --> 00:43:10.920 end 00:43:10.920 --> 00:43:12.420 because 00:43:12.420 --> 00:43:13.140 see now 00:43:13.140 --> 00:43:14.380 he would 00:43:14.380 --> 00:43:14.900 send his 00:43:14.900 --> 00:43:15.320 spirit 00:43:15.320 --> 00:43:16.900 so that 00:43:16.900 --> 00:43:17.300 he no 00:43:17.300 --> 00:43:17.620 longer 00:43:17.620 --> 00:43:18.460 tabernacles 00:43:18.460 --> 00:43:20.180 among us 00:43:20.180 --> 00:43:21.860 but he 00:43:21.860 --> 00:43:22.500 tabernacles 00:43:22.500 --> 00:43:23.860 with us 00:43:23.860 --> 00:43:25.600 so that 00:43:25.600 --> 00:43:26.200 you and 00:43:26.200 --> 00:43:26.960 I right 00:43:26.960 --> 00:43:27.540 now in 00:43:27.540 --> 00:43:28.220 this moment 00:43:28.220 --> 00:43:30.360 we live 00:43:30.360 --> 00:43:31.640 in the 00:43:31.640 --> 00:43:32.060 very 00:43:32.060 --> 00:43:33.200 presence 00:43:33.200 --> 00:43:34.120 of God 00:43:34.120 --> 00:43:37.100 don't 00:43:37.100 --> 00:43:37.420 try to 00:43:37.420 --> 00:43:38.020 filter it 00:43:38.020 --> 00:43:39.740 don't 00:43:39.740 --> 00:43:40.040 try to 00:43:40.040 --> 00:43:40.600 filter him 00:43:40.600 --> 00:43:40.820 don't 00:43:40.820 --> 00:43:41.160 try to 00:43:41.160 --> 00:43:42.020 manipulate 00:43:42.020 --> 00:43:42.440 don't 00:43:42.440 --> 00:43:42.760 try to 00:43:42.760 --> 00:43:43.580 take out 00:43:43.580 --> 00:43:44.440 and discard 00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:46.380 what we 00:43:46.380 --> 00:43:46.500 don't 00:43:46.500 --> 00:43:47.100 understand 00:43:47.100 --> 00:43:48.600 what we 00:43:48.600 --> 00:43:48.820 can't 00:43:48.820 --> 00:43:49.260 comprehend 00:43:49.260 --> 00:43:50.900 what we 00:43:50.900 --> 00:43:51.100 don't 00:43:51.100 --> 00:43:51.580 like 00:43:51.580 --> 00:43:52.980 that doesn't 00:43:52.980 --> 00:43:53.540 appeal to 00:43:53.540 --> 00:43:53.900 us 00:43:53.900 --> 00:43:55.660 instead 00:43:55.660 --> 00:43:57.300 set 00:43:57.300 --> 00:43:58.580 your eyes 00:43:58.580 --> 00:43:59.620 on him 00:43:59.620 --> 00:44:00.500 and him 00:44:00.500 --> 00:44:00.840 alone 00:44:00.840 --> 00:44:01.700 would you 00:44:01.700 --> 00:44:02.000 pray with 00:44:02.000 --> 00:44:02.200 me 00:44:02.200 --> 00:44:07.700 God we 00:44:07.700 --> 00:44:08.240 thank you 00:44:08.240 --> 00:44:08.800 for this 00:44:08.800 --> 00:44:10.220 story 00:44:10.220 --> 00:44:13.360 Lord we 00:44:13.360 --> 00:44:13.980 look at 00:44:13.980 --> 00:44:14.240 and we 00:44:14.240 --> 00:44:14.620 see the 00:44:14.620 --> 00:44:15.280 brokenness 00:44:15.280 --> 00:44:15.580 that's 00:44:15.580 --> 00:44:15.940 found 00:44:15.940 --> 00:44:18.340 we see 00:44:18.340 --> 00:44:18.540 the 00:44:18.540 --> 00:44:19.100 dysfunction 00:44:19.100 --> 00:44:19.640 that's 00:44:19.640 --> 00:44:20.160 found in 00:44:20.160 --> 00:44:20.700 the home 00:44:20.700 --> 00:44:22.760 the pattern 00:44:22.760 --> 00:44:23.320 of sin 00:44:23.320 --> 00:44:23.980 in the lives 00:44:23.980 --> 00:44:24.260 of the 00:44:24.260 --> 00:44:24.720 individuals 00:44:24.720 --> 00:44:25.180 who were 00:44:25.180 --> 00:44:25.560 there 00:44:25.560 --> 00:44:28.600 but Lord 00:44:28.600 --> 00:44:29.320 remind us 00:44:29.320 --> 00:44:29.680 of the 00:44:29.680 --> 00:44:30.280 redemptive 00:44:30.280 --> 00:44:30.740 hope 00:44:30.740 --> 00:44:31.840 that we 00:44:31.840 --> 00:44:32.380 have 00:44:32.380 --> 00:44:34.560 because while 00:44:34.560 --> 00:44:34.940 this has 00:44:34.940 --> 00:44:35.540 taken place 00:44:35.540 --> 00:44:36.000 Lord you 00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:37.240 are still 00:44:37.240 --> 00:44:38.440 there 00:44:38.440 --> 00:44:41.280 where do we 00:44:41.280 --> 00:44:41.900 find our 00:44:41.900 --> 00:44:42.720 lives at a 00:44:42.720 --> 00:44:43.100 different 00:44:43.100 --> 00:44:43.800 journeys 00:44:43.800 --> 00:44:44.940 different phases 00:44:44.940 --> 00:44:46.680 words 00:44:46.680 --> 00:44:47.200 it's easy 00:44:47.200 --> 00:44:47.700 to cast 00:44:47.700 --> 00:44:47.900 our 00:44:47.900 --> 00:44:48.400 stones 00:44:48.400 --> 00:44:48.720 toward 00:44:48.720 --> 00:44:49.180 the 00:44:49.180 --> 00:44:49.720 micas 00:44:49.720 --> 00:44:50.060 of the 00:44:50.060 --> 00:44:50.380 world 00:44:50.380 --> 00:44:50.600 who 00:44:50.600 --> 00:44:51.520 blatantly 00:44:51.520 --> 00:44:51.780 do 00:44:51.780 --> 00:44:52.040 these 00:44:52.040 --> 00:44:52.520 things 00:44:52.520 --> 00:44:54.280 Lord 00:44:54.280 --> 00:44:54.580 but if 00:44:54.580 --> 00:44:54.780 we're 00:44:54.780 --> 00:44:55.140 honest 00:44:55.140 --> 00:44:55.620 with you 00:44:55.620 --> 00:44:56.220 and honest 00:44:56.220 --> 00:44:56.380 in 00:44:56.380 --> 00:44:57.020 ourselves 00:44:57.020 --> 00:45:02.320 Lord 00:45:02.320 --> 00:45:02.680 we've 00:45:02.680 --> 00:45:03.040 we've 00:45:03.040 --> 00:45:03.400 cast 00:45:03.400 --> 00:45:03.920 aside 00:45:03.920 --> 00:45:04.140 the 00:45:04.140 --> 00:45:04.600 aspects 00:45:04.600 --> 00:45:04.960 of you 00:45:04.960 --> 00:45:05.260 we don't 00:45:05.260 --> 00:45:05.520 like 00:45:05.520 --> 00:45:05.700 for 00:45:05.700 --> 00:45:06.120 years 00:45:06.120 --> 00:45:09.160 Lord 00:45:09.160 --> 00:45:09.460 in our 00:45:09.460 --> 00:45:09.920 attempt 00:45:09.920 --> 00:45:10.540 to 00:45:10.540 --> 00:45:13.960 control 00:45:13.960 --> 00:45:16.760 as 00:45:16.760 --> 00:45:17.440 creation 00:45:17.440 --> 00:45:19.120 tries to 00:45:19.120 --> 00:45:19.620 take over 00:45:19.620 --> 00:45:19.840 the 00:45:19.840 --> 00:45:20.380 creator 00:45:20.380 --> 00:45:28.300 so 00:45:28.300 --> 00:45:28.460 Lord 00:45:28.460 --> 00:45:28.620 this 00:45:28.620 --> 00:45:28.940 morning 00:45:28.940 --> 00:45:29.300 as we 00:45:29.300 --> 00:45:29.700 wrap up 00:45:29.700 --> 00:45:29.900 this 00:45:29.900 --> 00:45:30.480 service 00:45:30.480 --> 00:45:33.500 Lord 00:45:33.500 --> 00:45:33.640 here's 00:45:33.640 --> 00:45:33.840 my 00:45:33.840 --> 00:45:34.280 prayer 00:45:34.280 --> 00:45:34.540 for 00:45:34.540 --> 00:45:34.780 each 00:45:34.780 --> 00:45:35.000 one 00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:35.140 of 00:45:35.140 --> 00:45:35.520 us 00:45:35.520 --> 00:45:36.960 that 00:45:36.960 --> 00:45:37.080 we 00:45:37.080 --> 00:45:37.280 look 00:45:37.280 --> 00:45:37.360 at 00:45:37.360 --> 00:45:37.500 our 00:45:37.500 --> 00:45:37.920 life 00:45:37.920 --> 00:45:40.040 and 00:45:40.040 --> 00:45:40.200 we 00:45:40.200 --> 00:45:40.520 ask 00:45:40.520 --> 00:45:40.700 the 00:45:40.700 --> 00:45:41.200 question 00:45:41.200 --> 00:45:42.880 where 00:45:42.880 --> 00:45:43.120 has 00:45:43.120 --> 00:45:43.720 compromise 00:45:43.720 --> 00:45:45.040 invaded 00:45:45.040 --> 00:45:47.520 where 00:45:47.520 --> 00:45:47.780 have 00:45:47.780 --> 00:45:48.040 we 00:45:48.040 --> 00:45:48.600 said 00:45:48.600 --> 00:45:49.440 that 00:45:49.440 --> 00:45:49.700 my 00:45:49.700 --> 00:45:50.160 faith 00:45:50.160 --> 00:45:50.340 is 00:45:50.340 --> 00:45:50.840 my 00:45:50.840 --> 00:45:51.260 God 00:45:51.260 --> 00:45:51.460 and 00:45:51.460 --> 00:45:51.680 my 00:45:51.680 --> 00:45:52.180 standard 00:45:52.180 --> 00:45:54.320 and 00:45:54.320 --> 00:45:54.420 that 00:45:54.420 --> 00:45:54.540 we 00:45:54.540 --> 00:45:54.680 would 00:45:54.680 --> 00:45:55.100 leave 00:45:55.100 --> 00:45:55.480 here 00:45:55.480 --> 00:45:56.560 broken 00:45:56.560 --> 00:46:00.200 for 00:46:00.200 --> 00:46:00.540 our 00:46:00.540 --> 00:46:00.900 sin 00:46:00.900 --> 00:46:01.620 and 00:46:01.620 --> 00:46:02.220 filled 00:46:02.220 --> 00:46:03.020 with 00:46:03.020 --> 00:46:03.220 the 00:46:03.220 --> 00:46:03.640 hope 00:46:03.640 --> 00:46:04.680 that 00:46:04.680 --> 00:46:04.800 you 00:46:04.800 --> 00:46:05.040 give 00:46:05.040 --> 00:46:05.420 us 00:46:05.420 --> 00:46:07.880 is 00:46:07.880 --> 00:46:08.160 found 00:46:08.160 --> 00:46:08.340 in 00:46:08.340 --> 00:46:08.880 redemption 00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:09.240 and 00:46:09.240 --> 00:46:09.740 grace 00:46:09.740 --> 00:46:10.340 and 00:46:10.340 --> 00:46:10.920 life 00:46:10.920 --> 00:46:11.100 and 00:46:11.100 --> 00:46:11.660 meaning 00:46:11.660 --> 00:46:20.080 Jesus 00:46:20.080 --> 00:46:20.540 thank you 00:46:20.540 --> 00:46:20.860 for your 00:46:20.860 --> 00:46:21.060 love 00:46:21.060 --> 00:46:21.760 for us 00:46:21.760 --> 00:46:24.020 in your name 00:46:24.020 --> 00:46:24.480 we pray 00:46:24.480 --> 00:46:25.580 amen 00:46:25.580 --> 00:46:31.200 where 00:46:31.200 --> 00:46:31.500 where has 00:46:31.500 --> 00:46:32.500 compromise 00:46:32.500 --> 00:46:34.320 consumed 00:46:34.320 --> 00:46:34.620 you 00:46:34.620 --> 00:46:38.280 your 00:46:38.280 --> 00:46:38.680 compromise 00:46:38.680 --> 00:46:39.140 may have 00:46:39.140 --> 00:46:39.240 been 00:46:39.240 --> 00:46:39.760 logical 00:46:39.760 --> 00:46:41.300 it may 00:46:41.300 --> 00:46:41.440 have 00:46:41.440 --> 00:46:41.600 been 00:46:41.600 --> 00:46:42.160 beneficial 00:46:42.160 --> 00:46:46.060 it may 00:46:46.060 --> 00:46:46.340 have been 00:46:46.340 --> 00:46:46.940 recommended 00:46:46.940 --> 00:46:47.180 and 00:46:47.180 --> 00:46:47.820 encouraged 00:46:47.820 --> 00:46:50.380 but where 00:46:50.380 --> 00:46:50.580 have you 00:46:50.580 --> 00:46:51.280 compromised 00:46:51.280 --> 00:46:53.940 know 00:46:53.940 --> 00:46:53.940 know 00:46:53.940 --> 00:46:54.100 that 00:46:54.100 --> 00:46:54.200 when 00:46:54.200 --> 00:46:54.340 we 00:46:54.340 --> 00:46:54.640 walk 00:46:54.640 --> 00:46:54.840 out 00:46:54.840 --> 00:46:54.940 of 00:46:54.940 --> 00:46:55.180 here 00:46:55.180 --> 00:46:56.380 this 00:46:56.380 --> 00:46:56.740 morning 00:46:56.740 --> 00:46:57.880 because 00:46:57.880 --> 00:46:58.080 the 00:46:58.080 --> 00:46:58.400 grace 00:46:58.400 --> 00:46:58.600 of 00:46:58.600 --> 00:46:58.940 God 00:46:58.940 --> 00:46:59.120 we 00:46:59.120 --> 00:46:59.220 don't 00:46:59.220 --> 00:46:59.320 have 00:46:59.320 --> 00:46:59.420 to 00:46:59.420 --> 00:46:59.900 live 00:46:59.900 --> 00:47:00.340 in 00:47:00.340 --> 00:47:00.540 the 00:47:00.540 --> 00:47:00.960 failure 00:47:00.960 --> 00:47:01.420 of 00:47:01.420 --> 00:47:01.580 our 00:47:01.580 --> 00:47:02.100 sin 00:47:02.100 --> 00:47:02.520 and 00:47:02.520 --> 00:47:02.680 our 00:47:02.680 --> 00:47:03.200 compromise 00:47:03.200 --> 00:47:03.900 but we 00:47:03.900 --> 00:47:04.340 can walk 00:47:04.340 --> 00:47:04.640 out 00:47:04.640 --> 00:47:04.800 of 00:47:04.800 --> 00:47:05.080 here 00:47:05.080 --> 00:47:07.440 for the 00:47:07.440 --> 00:47:07.740 glory 00:47:07.740 --> 00:47:07.920 of 00:47:07.920 --> 00:47:08.280 God 00:47:08.280 --> 00:47:10.360 embraced 00:47:10.360 --> 00:47:10.560 in 00:47:10.560 --> 00:47:10.740 his 00:47:10.740 --> 00:47:11.200 forgiveness 00:47:11.200 --> 00:47:12.660 receiving 00:47:12.660 --> 00:47:13.000 his 00:47:13.000 --> 00:47:13.460 grace 00:47:13.460 --> 00:47:14.560 and 00:47:14.560 --> 00:47:14.840 living 00:47:14.840 --> 00:47:15.020 in 00:47:15.020 --> 00:47:15.180 his 00:47:15.180 --> 00:47:15.480 truth 00:47:15.480 --> 00:47:16.660 would 00:47:16.660 --> 00:47:16.780 you 00:47:16.780 --> 00:47:17.100 stand 00:47:17.100 --> 00:47:17.620 as 00:47:17.620 --> 00:47:17.740 we 00:47:17.740 --> 00:47:17.980 worship 00:47:17.980 --> 00:47:18.280 him 00:47:18.280 --> 00:47:33.600 thanks 00:47:33.600 --> 00:47:33.880 again 00:47:33.880 --> 00:47:34.080 for 00:47:34.080 --> 00:47:34.400 listening 00:47:34.400 --> 00:47:34.760 to the 00:47:34.760 --> 00:47:35.200 Willow Ridge 00:47:35.200 --> 00:47:35.540 Church 00:47:35.540 --> 00:47:35.900 weekly 00:47:35.900 --> 00:47:36.320 podcast 00:47:36.320 --> 00:47:37.260 we hope 00:47:37.260 --> 00:47:37.500 that you 00:47:37.500 --> 00:47:37.840 enjoyed 00:47:37.840 --> 00:47:38.160 listening 00:47:38.160 --> 00:47:38.540 to this 00:47:38.540 --> 00:47:38.800 week's 00:47:38.800 --> 00:47:39.140 message 00:47:39.140 --> 00:47:39.860 if 00:47:39.860 --> 00:47:40.040 you'd 00:47:40.040 --> 00:47:40.160 like 00:47:40.160 --> 00:47:40.320 to 00:47:40.320 --> 00:47:40.460 learn 00:47:40.460 --> 00:47:40.700 more 00:47:40.700 --> 00:47:40.960 about 00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:41.140 who 00:47:41.140 --> 00:47:41.300 we 00:47:41.300 --> 00:47:41.540 are 00:47:41.540 --> 00:47:41.860 or 00:47:41.860 --> 00:47:42.200 explore 00:47:42.200 --> 00:47:42.620 additional 00:47:42.620 --> 00:47:43.160 resources 00:47:43.160 --> 00:47:43.940 visit 00:47:43.940 --> 00:47:44.160 us 00:47:44.160 --> 00:47:44.640 online 00:47:44.640 --> 00:47:44.940 at 00:47:44.940 --> 00:47:48.200 www.willowridgechurch.com 00:47:48.200 --> 00:47:49.100 or by 00:47:49.100 --> 00:47:49.660 searching for 00:47:49.660 --> 00:47:50.420 Willow Ridge Church 00:47:50.420 --> 00:47:51.040 on Facebook 00:47:51.040 --> 00:47:51.780 and Instagram