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Your Move with Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley - Under The Circumstances (Part 2)

August 2, 2025 | 30:10

Andy Stanley - Under The Circumstances (Part 2)
Your Move with Andy Stanley — to help people make better decisions and live with fewer regrets.
#RelationshipwithGod #Inspirational #Bible #WalkwithGod #Pastors

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Your Move with Andy Stanley | Andy Stanley - Under The Circumstances (Part 2) | August 2, 2025
  • ...
  • 00:00:00.633 --> 00:00:00.051
  • Andy stanley: hey, everybody.
  • 00:00:00.819 --> 00:00:01.519
  • Welcome to "your move," where we help you make better
  • 00:00:01.653 --> 00:00:02.887
  • Decisions and live with fewer regrets.
  • 00:00:03.021 --> 00:00:04.255
  • I'm andy stanley and i'll be your guide.
  • 00:00:04.389 --> 00:00:06.458
  • So think about this: one of the many criticisms of christianity
  • 00:00:06.558 --> 00:00:09.594
  • Is that it's not fair, which is true, but that's actually good
  • 00:00:09.694 --> 00:00:13.331
  • News for you and for me, and if you stick around, i will tell
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  • You why, right here on "your move."
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  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:00:18.670 --> 00:00:20.638
  • Andy: today, we're in part 2 of our series, "under the
  • 00:00:24.709 --> 00:00:26.878
  • Circumstances: holding on to god when it appears that god is no
  • 00:00:26.878 --> 00:00:30.315
  • Longer holding on to you," and you may be in those
  • 00:00:30.315 --> 00:00:33.218
  • Circumstances right now.
  • 00:00:33.218 --> 00:00:34.652
  • You're trying to hold on to god, you're trying to maintain your
  • 00:00:34.652 --> 00:00:37.021
  • Faith, or you're trying to get your faith back when it appears
  • 00:00:37.021 --> 00:00:39.891
  • That god is not responding and god doesn't even seem to know
  • 00:00:39.891 --> 00:00:42.560
  • What's going on in your life.
  • 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:44.529
  • And the question that we're exploring is what do we do?
  • 00:00:44.529 --> 00:00:47.699
  • What do we do when our circumstances seem to point to a
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  • God that's not there?
  • 00:00:50.702 --> 00:00:52.036
  • Or how do we, you know, how do we interpret circumstances when
  • 00:00:52.036 --> 00:00:54.839
  • It seems like god's not there, god doesn't care, the presence
  • 00:00:54.839 --> 00:00:58.076
  • Of god is, you know, in question, the existence of god
  • 00:00:58.076 --> 00:01:01.446
  • May be in question?
  • 00:01:01.446 --> 00:01:02.814
  • And we're all tempted.
  • 00:01:02.814 --> 00:01:04.149
  • I mean, me included, we are all tempted to jump to conclusions
  • 00:01:04.149 --> 00:01:07.051
  • About god based on our circumstances or, really, our
  • 00:01:07.051 --> 00:01:10.255
  • Ability or inability to interpret circumstances, and to
  • 00:01:10.255 --> 00:01:13.791
  • Kind of try to line up our circumstances with the existence
  • 00:01:13.791 --> 00:01:16.461
  • Or the presence or the faithfulness of god.
  • 00:01:16.461 --> 00:01:19.097
  • Positive circumstances and negative, our circumstances and
  • 00:01:19.097 --> 00:01:23.067
  • Other people's circumstances.
  • 00:01:23.067 --> 00:01:24.402
  • I mean, your faith may have taken its biggest hit, not
  • 00:01:24.402 --> 00:01:27.739
  • Because of something that happened to you, but because of
  • 00:01:27.739 --> 00:01:29.974
  • Something that happened to someone you love, someone you
  • 00:01:29.974 --> 00:01:32.343
  • Were raising, someone you were married to, someone you grew up
  • 00:01:32.343 --> 00:01:34.779
  • Around, or maybe a group of people that went through
  • 00:01:34.779 --> 00:01:37.115
  • Extraordinary heartache and you began to doubt god based on what
  • 00:01:37.115 --> 00:01:40.852
  • They were going through.
  • 00:01:40.852 --> 00:01:42.620
  • And when things are up and to the right, you know, we all
  • 00:01:42.620 --> 00:01:45.623
  • Assume, "isn't god good?"
  • 00:01:45.623 --> 00:01:47.058
  • Things are going great at work, things are going great at home,
  • 00:01:47.058 --> 00:01:49.594
  • Things are going great in our marriage, things are going great
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  • In the nation.
  • 00:01:51.396 --> 00:01:52.764
  • You know, god is good.
  • 00:01:52.764 --> 00:01:54.098
  • Look at god go.
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  • Go, god, go, right?
  • 00:01:55.433 --> 00:01:56.801
  • And then when things are down to the right, it's, "where is god?
  • 00:01:56.801 --> 00:01:59.537
  • What did i do wrong?"
  • 00:01:59.537 --> 00:02:00.905
  • And then there's this question, okay, this is what really drives
  • 00:02:00.905 --> 00:02:03.575
  • Us crazy is this one.
  • 00:02:03.575 --> 00:02:04.943
  • It's, "hey, and why is god blessing everybody else?
  • 00:02:04.943 --> 00:02:08.346
  • I mean, i don't wanna be critical but she is-- she's not
  • 00:02:08.346 --> 00:02:11.316
  • Near as nice a person as i am.
  • 00:02:11.316 --> 00:02:13.117
  • And her life is, like, perfect and i'm, like, the best person
  • 00:02:13.117 --> 00:02:15.787
  • And-- okay, i'm one of the best people i know and my life is not
  • 00:02:15.787 --> 00:02:19.457
  • Going so great, you know?"
  • 00:02:19.457 --> 00:02:21.125
  • Why-- david and-- the psalmist, he asked the question this way.
  • 00:02:21.125 --> 00:02:24.762
  • He was more blunt.
  • 00:02:24.762 --> 00:02:26.130
  • He said, "god, why do the wicked prosper?"
  • 00:02:26.130 --> 00:02:30.301
  • And you think about somebody at work or somebody in your
  • 00:02:30.301 --> 00:02:32.337
  • Neighborhood and you wouldn't call them wicked.
  • 00:02:32.337 --> 00:02:33.972
  • But in your prayer life, you can use that language and david
  • 00:02:33.972 --> 00:02:36.874
  • Used it.
  • 00:02:36.874 --> 00:02:38.243
  • "why do the wicked-- why do the bad people get all the breaks?"
  • 00:02:38.243 --> 00:02:40.912
  • Now, part of the reason-- part of the reason that this is so
  • 00:02:40.912 --> 00:02:44.182
  • Confusing for christians and people really of all faith
  • 00:02:44.182 --> 00:02:47.051
  • Traditions, but for christians in particular, is well, it's
  • 00:02:47.051 --> 00:02:51.022
  • What you hear from people in my position, from pastors.
  • 00:02:51.022 --> 00:02:54.659
  • As i said a few minutes ago, we have a tendency and i try hard
  • 00:02:54.659 --> 00:02:58.529
  • Not to do this and we're gonna talk about why in a minute.
  • 00:02:58.529 --> 00:03:00.698
  • But pastors, preachers, have a tendency to sign god's name to
  • 00:03:00.698 --> 00:03:05.336
  • Promises that god never made.
  • 00:03:05.336 --> 00:03:08.906
  • And part of the reason they do this and the reason that they
  • 00:03:08.906 --> 00:03:11.743
  • Slip into this is the way that they use and the way that they
  • 00:03:11.743 --> 00:03:15.079
  • Approach and the way that they understand the bible.
  • 00:03:15.079 --> 00:03:20.118
  • They, pastors, preachers, priests, because of their
  • 00:03:20.118 --> 00:03:23.421
  • Understanding of the bible, they blend and i'll explain what i
  • 00:03:23.421 --> 00:03:26.524
  • Mean by this language in just a minute.
  • 00:03:26.524 --> 00:03:27.992
  • They blend the covenants.
  • 00:03:27.992 --> 00:03:32.597
  • Here's what i mean.
  • 00:03:31.262 --> 00:03:33.965
  • Your bible, your english bible, the christian bible, as you
  • 00:03:33.965 --> 00:03:36.567
  • Know, is divided into two parts: the old testament and, yeah,
  • 00:03:36.567 --> 00:03:41.239
  • That was-- that should have been an easy question.
  • 00:03:41.239 --> 00:03:42.874
  • Old testament and the new testament, okay?
  • 00:03:42.874 --> 00:03:44.575
  • And unfortunately, the word "testament" should have never
  • 00:03:44.575 --> 00:03:47.145
  • Been used, but nobody asked me, okay?
  • 00:03:47.145 --> 00:03:48.880
  • It should say the old covenant and the new covenant because
  • 00:03:48.880 --> 00:03:51.382
  • That's what the word "testament" means.
  • 00:03:51.382 --> 00:03:52.817
  • It's referring to a covenant: the old covenant and the
  • 00:03:52.817 --> 00:03:55.553
  • New covenant.
  • 00:03:55.553 --> 00:03:56.921
  • So those are the two parts of the bible.
  • 00:03:56.921 --> 00:03:58.389
  • The old covenant, not the entire old testament literature, but
  • 00:03:58.389 --> 00:04:02.860
  • The old covenant that is contained in what we would call
  • 00:04:02.860 --> 00:04:05.496
  • The old testament, the first part of the bible, is a covenant
  • 00:04:05.496 --> 00:04:09.000
  • Relationship between god and ancient israel and god's-- this
  • 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:13.838
  • Is so important.
  • 00:04:13.838 --> 00:04:15.173
  • A little technical, but we're gonna get practical in a minute.
  • 00:04:15.173 --> 00:04:16.674
  • God's arrangement or god's covenant with ancient israel
  • 00:04:16.674 --> 00:04:21.612
  • Was, in fact, 100% an "if i do, god must" arrangement.
  • 00:04:21.612 --> 00:04:27.752
  • It is absolutely in there.
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  • Or more precisely, "if we do, god will" arrangement.
  • 00:04:29.620 --> 00:04:35.126
  • The old covenant, the covenant between god and ancient israel
  • 00:04:35.126 --> 00:04:38.262
  • Was not an arrangement or a contract or a covenant between
  • 00:04:38.262 --> 00:04:41.332
  • God and individuals.
  • 00:04:41.332 --> 00:04:42.967
  • This is so important.
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  • It was a covenant or contract between god and an entire
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  • Nation, the nation of israel.
  • 00:04:47.772 --> 00:04:49.774
  • And when israel's leaders who set the direction, when israel's
  • 00:04:49.774 --> 00:04:53.644
  • Leaders got it right, when they were faithful to god, when they
  • 00:04:53.644 --> 00:04:56.547
  • Kept his commands, god blessed the entire nation.
  • 00:04:56.547 --> 00:05:00.451
  • But, and you can read this, i mean, this is all laid out for
  • 00:05:00.451 --> 00:05:02.854
  • You in, you know, what we would call the old testament.
  • 00:05:02.854 --> 00:05:04.655
  • But when the leaders disobeyed god and worshiped other gods and
  • 00:05:04.655 --> 00:05:08.659
  • Were unfaithful to god, when they broke the terms of the
  • 00:05:08.659 --> 00:05:10.995
  • Contract, when they broke the terms of the covenant, then god
  • 00:05:10.995 --> 00:05:14.599
  • Judged and punished everybody.
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  • Not just the wicked and not just the ones that broke the rules,
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  • Everybody suffered when the leaders disobeyed god and led
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  • The nation astray.
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  • And he judged and he judged them militarily, economically,
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  • Geographically, all kinds of ways.
  • 00:05:32.784 --> 00:05:36.320
  • And, this is so important, because of this contract or this
  • 00:05:36.320 --> 00:05:39.690
  • Covenant between god and a nation, ancient israel-- ancient
  • 00:05:39.690 --> 00:05:45.630
  • Israel knew they were on good terms with god by looking at
  • 00:05:45.630 --> 00:05:50.902
  • Their circumstances.
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  • That's how they knew.
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  • Things are going great: our leaders must be keeping
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  • God's contract.
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  • Things are not going so great: what are our leaders up to?
  • 00:05:56.974 --> 00:06:00.378
  • But us new covenant people, and i'll explain what i mean
  • 00:06:00.378 --> 00:06:04.549
  • In a minute.
  • 00:06:04.549 --> 00:06:05.883
  • Those of us who aren't part of that national contract between
  • 00:06:05.883 --> 00:06:08.453
  • God and ancient israel, those of us who actually accepted god's
  • 00:06:08.453 --> 00:06:11.722
  • Invitation to participate in the covenant that jesus established.
  • 00:06:11.722 --> 00:06:16.027
  • We don't look to circumstances to determine where we stand
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  • With god.
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  • Let me say that again.
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  • We don't look to circumstances to determine where we stand
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  • With god.
  • 00:06:25.970 --> 00:06:27.338
  • We don't look to circumstances to determine whether or not god
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  • Loves us, whether or not god is with us, and whether or not god
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  • Cares for us.
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  • Do you know where we look?
  • 00:06:33.544 --> 00:06:36.447
  • We look to a single event that took place on a hill outside the
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  • Walls of jerusalem.
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  • That's where we look.
  • 00:06:45.156 --> 00:06:48.159
  • Where god sent his son to pay for all of your sin and all of
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  • My sin.
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  • And that was his way of saying, i have removed every obstacle
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  • Between you and your heavenly father so that you can have
  • 00:06:58.636 --> 00:07:02.173
  • Fellowship with god and god can love you unconditionally, and
  • 00:07:02.173 --> 00:07:05.743
  • God can hear your prayers regardless of your sin, and god
  • 00:07:05.743 --> 00:07:09.647
  • Can intervene if he chooses not to, and god can comfort if
  • 00:07:09.647 --> 00:07:12.650
  • That's what he chooses to do.
  • 00:07:12.650 --> 00:07:14.085
  • But you are in a right relationship with god and you
  • 00:07:14.085 --> 00:07:17.488
  • Never ever, ever, ever, ever have to wonder if god loves you,
  • 00:07:17.488 --> 00:07:23.160
  • If god cares about you or if god is with you.
  • 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:28.332
  • But when preachers mix and match the covenants, the old testament
  • 00:07:28.332 --> 00:07:34.605
  • Covenants made between israel and god, and the new testament
  • 00:07:34.605 --> 00:07:38.209
  • Covenant between god and the entire human race.
  • 00:07:38.209 --> 00:07:41.946
  • When preachers mix these up, christians have a tendency to
  • 00:07:41.946 --> 00:07:45.750
  • Begin doing what israel was supposed to do.
  • 00:07:45.750 --> 00:07:50.955
  • We begin looking at our circumstances.
  • 00:07:50.955 --> 00:07:53.858
  • But what's interesting, and if you read the new testament, this
  • 00:07:53.858 --> 00:07:56.360
  • Is so clear, this isn't buried somewhere, okay?
  • 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:59.096
  • Jesus and the apostle paul, in particular-- jesus and the
  • 00:07:59.096 --> 00:08:02.767
  • Apostle paul in particular are very clear about the
  • 00:08:02.767 --> 00:08:05.603
  • Relationship between god's covenant with israel and god's
  • 00:08:05.603 --> 00:08:09.173
  • Covenant with the human race through jesus.
  • 00:08:09.173 --> 00:08:11.542
  • Jesus made this so clear during his final passover.
  • 00:08:11.542 --> 00:08:14.111
  • He's gathered with his apostles.
  • 00:08:14.111 --> 00:08:15.646
  • This is his last passover meal.
  • 00:08:15.646 --> 00:08:17.715
  • He's gonna be arrested in a few hours.
  • 00:08:17.715 --> 00:08:19.550
  • He's gonna be crucified the next day.
  • 00:08:19.550 --> 00:08:21.385
  • He says this: "in the same way, after the passover supper jesus
  • 00:08:21.385 --> 00:08:25.690
  • Took the cup, saying," here it is, "'this cup,'" in my hand.
  • 00:08:25.690 --> 00:08:29.827
  • In other words, this is an event that's being established right
  • 00:08:29.827 --> 00:08:32.196
  • Now in front of you guys.
  • 00:08:32.196 --> 00:08:33.564
  • "'this cup is the new covenant,'" the new contract,
  • 00:08:33.564 --> 00:08:36.901
  • The new arrangement, "'in my blood,'" all that that other
  • 00:08:36.901 --> 00:08:41.105
  • Contract, that other covenant that god established with the
  • 00:08:41.105 --> 00:08:43.541
  • Nation of israel, it was-- it was inaugurated and remembered
  • 00:08:43.541 --> 00:08:47.111
  • With the blood of animals.
  • 00:08:47.111 --> 00:08:49.013
  • He's like, this is brand new and it is being established
  • 00:08:49.013 --> 00:08:53.084
  • Right now.
  • 00:08:53.084 --> 00:08:54.418
  • And tomorrow, when i'm arrested and tomorrow, when i'm crucified
  • 00:08:54.418 --> 00:08:57.288
  • And a couple of days later, when i'm raised from the dead, it is
  • 00:08:57.288 --> 00:08:59.790
  • Being established right now.
  • 00:08:59.790 --> 00:09:01.192
  • "'the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you,'"
  • 00:09:01.192 --> 00:09:04.562
  • Or poured out for all of you.
  • 00:09:04.562 --> 00:09:08.265
  • In other words, the old covenant between god and ancient israel
  • 00:09:08.265 --> 00:09:14.472
  • Had an expiration date.
  • 00:09:14.472 --> 00:09:16.440
  • It was perfect for what it was designed for.
  • 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:19.243
  • It was a means to an end.
  • 00:09:19.243 --> 00:09:22.380
  • And the apostle paul constantly, like in-- throughout all of his
  • 00:09:22.380 --> 00:09:25.783
  • Letters, constantly reminded gentiles, us non-jewish people,
  • 00:09:25.783 --> 00:09:29.086
  • That we weren't included in god's covenant with israel.
  • 00:09:29.086 --> 00:09:32.556
  • It's not our covenant, or to be specific, those old covenant
  • 00:09:32.556 --> 00:09:38.396
  • Promises are not your promises.
  • 00:09:38.396 --> 00:09:43.000
  • You weren't included.
  • 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.303
  • Your promises are better promises.
  • 00:09:46.303 --> 00:09:50.174
  • That's what we're gonna talk about in a minute.
  • 00:09:50.174 --> 00:09:51.509
  • But on the surface, our promises don't seem as promising in terms
  • 00:09:51.509 --> 00:09:56.747
  • Of this life, but they are better promises because jesus
  • 00:09:56.747 --> 00:10:00.985
  • Promised something that torah didn't promise.
  • 00:10:00.985 --> 00:10:03.621
  • In fact, torah didn't even explore.
  • 00:10:03.621 --> 00:10:06.090
  • Jesus promised eternal life and eternal fellowship with god,
  • 00:10:06.090 --> 00:10:12.763
  • Your father.
  • 00:10:12.763 --> 00:10:14.665
  • Here's what the author of hebrews says.
  • 00:10:14.665 --> 00:10:16.367
  • Now hebrews is an interesting part of the new testament.
  • 00:10:16.367 --> 00:10:18.769
  • Hebrews is like a sermon.
  • 00:10:18.769 --> 00:10:20.104
  • We call it a book of the bible.
  • 00:10:20.104 --> 00:10:21.472
  • It's-- and it is, you know, one of the parts of the new
  • 00:10:21.472 --> 00:10:23.641
  • Testament, but it's like a sermon and we don't know who
  • 00:10:23.641 --> 00:10:25.409
  • Wrote it.
  • 00:10:25.409 --> 00:10:26.744
  • But here's what the author of hebrews writes.
  • 00:10:26.744 --> 00:10:28.112
  • We're gonna come back to this in a minute.
  • 00:10:28.112 --> 00:10:29.480
  • He says, "for this reason christ is the--" here it is again.
  • 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:33.217
  • I mean, this is buried in plain sight.
  • 00:10:33.217 --> 00:10:35.152
  • Here-- "for this reason, christ is the mediator of a new
  • 00:10:35.152 --> 00:10:38.222
  • Covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised
  • 00:10:38.222 --> 00:10:42.660
  • Eternal inheritance."
  • 00:10:42.660 --> 00:10:45.496
  • That your promises and my promises are better promises
  • 00:10:45.496 --> 00:10:49.734
  • Because they are eternal promises.
  • 00:10:49.734 --> 00:10:52.203
  • And here's the shocker.
  • 00:10:52.203 --> 00:10:53.904
  • God's covenant with israel did not promise eternal life.
  • 00:10:53.904 --> 00:10:59.844
  • In fact, may be shocked to know that most ancient jews did not
  • 00:10:59.844 --> 00:11:04.982
  • Believe in an afterlife at all because their scriptures never
  • 00:11:04.982 --> 00:11:10.688
  • Mentioned it in any significant way and didn't teach that there
  • 00:11:10.688 --> 00:11:14.091
  • Was such a thing.
  • 00:11:14.091 --> 00:11:15.493
  • There were all kinds of theories and by the time jesus came along
  • 00:11:15.493 --> 00:11:18.062
  • In the first century, there were multiple theories about what
  • 00:11:18.062 --> 00:11:20.765
  • Happens to the righteous when they die.
  • 00:11:20.765 --> 00:11:22.933
  • But the--even the experts, even the experts in the synagogues
  • 00:11:22.933 --> 00:11:25.669
  • And at the temple, they did not agree because they didn't have
  • 00:11:25.669 --> 00:11:28.339
  • Anything to refer back to in the old covenant teaching that god
  • 00:11:28.339 --> 00:11:31.842
  • Gave to moses on mount sinai.
  • 00:11:31.842 --> 00:11:34.245
  • And then jesus comes along and what does he talk about almost
  • 00:11:34.245 --> 00:11:36.580
  • All the time?
  • 00:11:36.580 --> 00:11:37.915
  • Eternal life with the father in heaven, who's paved the way and
  • 00:11:37.915 --> 00:11:43.654
  • Who would pave the way through sending his son to remove every
  • 00:11:43.654 --> 00:11:46.757
  • Obstacle to you having eternal fellowship and fellowship now,
  • 00:11:46.757 --> 00:11:50.694
  • With god your father.
  • 00:11:50.694 --> 00:11:53.397
  • Our promises are anchored to jesus's new covenant, which
  • 00:11:53.397 --> 00:11:57.168
  • Means if you can't find it there, if you can't find it in
  • 00:11:57.168 --> 00:12:00.504
  • The new testament, in terms of a promise, be careful
  • 00:12:00.504 --> 00:12:02.840
  • Looking elsewhere.
  • 00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:04.175
  • Otherwise you run the risk of being disappointed by god's
  • 00:12:04.175 --> 00:12:08.612
  • Unwillingness to keep a promise he never made to you.
  • 00:12:08.612 --> 00:12:16.654
  • You will be tempted to do what ancient israel was supposed
  • 00:12:16.654 --> 00:12:21.859
  • To do.
  • 00:12:21.859 --> 00:12:23.194
  • You will be tempted to judge god's presence by your
  • 00:12:23.194 --> 00:12:26.664
  • Circumstances, which is what they were supposed to do, but
  • 00:12:26.664 --> 00:12:29.533
  • What not-- but you're not supposed to do, because of
  • 00:12:29.533 --> 00:12:32.670
  • The cross.
  • 00:12:32.670 --> 00:12:34.038
  • You'll be tempted to judge god's faithfulness by your
  • 00:12:34.038 --> 00:12:36.674
  • Circumstances, which you aren't supposed to do, which is what
  • 00:12:36.674 --> 00:12:40.044
  • Israel had to do because it's all they had to go on.
  • 00:12:40.044 --> 00:12:42.780
  • Because again, we don't look to circumstances to determine where
  • 00:12:42.780 --> 00:12:47.785
  • We stand with god.
  • 00:12:47.785 --> 00:12:49.119
  • We look to a single event that took place outside the walls of
  • 00:12:49.119 --> 00:12:54.258
  • Jerusalem when god allowed his son to die, to pay for your sin,
  • 00:12:54.258 --> 00:13:00.231
  • To assure you, you are and can be in right standing with god.
  • 00:13:00.231 --> 00:13:08.205
  • Now, switching gears a little bit.
  • 00:13:08.205 --> 00:13:10.407
  • But, but, but, but, but, but there is one old testament
  • 00:13:10.407 --> 00:13:15.646
  • Promise, a promise that shows up in our old testament, but not in
  • 00:13:15.646 --> 00:13:18.182
  • The new covenant.
  • 00:13:18.182 --> 00:13:19.550
  • It's two different things.
  • 00:13:19.550 --> 00:13:20.885
  • I know it's kind of confusing, but you get the point.
  • 00:13:20.885 --> 00:13:22.353
  • The whole old testament, then within that is this covenant or
  • 00:13:22.353 --> 00:13:23.821
  • Contract god made with israel.
  • 00:13:23.821 --> 00:13:25.456
  • There is a promise in our old testament that does apply
  • 00:13:25.456 --> 00:13:28.893
  • To you.
  • 00:13:28.893 --> 00:13:30.227
  • It's not a promise that was made to you, but it applies to you
  • 00:13:30.227 --> 00:13:33.631
  • And it preceded god's covenant with israel by hundreds and
  • 00:13:33.631 --> 00:13:36.834
  • Hundreds of years.
  • 00:13:36.834 --> 00:13:38.202
  • And i'm talking about god's promise to abraham.
  • 00:13:38.202 --> 00:13:41.171
  • A quick little timeline might help.
  • 00:13:41.171 --> 00:13:42.873
  • I like timelines, right?
  • 00:13:42.873 --> 00:13:44.208
  • 2000 bc, god calls abraham and says, "i want you to go
  • 00:13:44.208 --> 00:13:47.378
  • Somewhere you've never been before.
  • 00:13:47.378 --> 00:13:48.746
  • I'm gonna do something i've never done before."
  • 00:13:48.746 --> 00:13:51.181
  • 1400 bc, hundreds of years later, god establishes his
  • 00:13:51.181 --> 00:13:55.286
  • Covenant with israel through moses.
  • 00:13:55.286 --> 00:13:59.723
  • But god made abraham a promise, a promise he did not fulfill
  • 00:13:59.723 --> 00:14:05.296
  • Here, a promise that he fulfilled 2000 years later, when
  • 00:14:05.296 --> 00:14:09.700
  • A king was born, when messiah was born, when jesus was born.
  • 00:14:09.700 --> 00:14:15.606
  • And the author of hebrews, this is so amazing.
  • 00:14:15.606 --> 00:14:17.942
  • This is why we're gonna look at this passage real quick.
  • 00:14:17.942 --> 00:14:19.843
  • The author of hebrews, going back to hebrews, the author of
  • 00:14:19.843 --> 00:14:22.046
  • Hebrews speaks directly to the issue of how new covenant people
  • 00:14:22.046 --> 00:14:26.083
  • Know that god is with us.
  • 00:14:26.083 --> 00:14:27.885
  • He speaks directly to this issue because he knew he had many
  • 00:14:27.885 --> 00:14:31.322
  • People in his jewish audience.
  • 00:14:31.322 --> 00:14:32.656
  • In fact, the reason it's called the book of hebrews is because
  • 00:14:32.656 --> 00:14:34.825
  • It was written to jewish christians, and he knew he was
  • 00:14:34.825 --> 00:14:37.294
  • Talking to a group of people that were accustomed to looking
  • 00:14:37.294 --> 00:14:39.830
  • At circumstances to determine if god was with them, and their
  • 00:14:39.830 --> 00:14:43.167
  • Circumstances were bad.
  • 00:14:43.167 --> 00:14:45.502
  • And consequently, they're like, "i don't know if we've done the
  • 00:14:45.502 --> 00:14:47.671
  • Right thing.
  • 00:14:47.671 --> 00:14:49.006
  • I don't, you know, we kinda wanna go back to egypt.
  • 00:14:49.006 --> 00:14:50.474
  • We wanna go back to the old ways.
  • 00:14:50.474 --> 00:14:51.809
  • We're wondering is god with us."
  • 00:14:51.809 --> 00:14:53.143
  • And the author of hebrews is saying, "absolutely god is with
  • 00:14:53.143 --> 00:14:56.213
  • You, but you don't look to circumstances to determine that.
  • 00:14:56.213 --> 00:14:59.316
  • You look to jesus."
  • 00:14:59.316 --> 00:15:01.318
  • And this is important for all of us because life happens, and
  • 00:15:01.318 --> 00:15:05.589
  • Life is life.
  • 00:15:05.589 --> 00:15:07.324
  • Here's what the author says.
  • 00:15:07.324 --> 00:15:09.493
  • He says, "i don't-- i wish i did, but i do not have time to
  • 00:15:09.493 --> 00:15:13.530
  • Tell you about everybody in this long litany of stories
  • 00:15:13.530 --> 00:15:17.401
  • And people.
  • 00:15:17.401 --> 00:15:18.769
  • I don't have time to tell you about gideon.
  • 00:15:18.769 --> 00:15:20.104
  • There's a whole story about barak, about samson, about david
  • 00:15:20.104 --> 00:15:22.406
  • And samuel and the prophets, who-- all of them who, through
  • 00:15:22.406 --> 00:15:25.976
  • Faith," he said, "i could, you know, these-- each of these are
  • 00:15:25.976 --> 00:15:28.345
  • Multi-layered stories, but all of these through faith,
  • 00:15:28.345 --> 00:15:31.115
  • Conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was
  • 00:15:31.115 --> 00:15:35.052
  • Promised to them in that era, who shut the mouths of lions."
  • 00:15:35.052 --> 00:15:38.655
  • We know who he's talking about.
  • 00:15:38.655 --> 00:15:39.990
  • "quenched the fury of the flames."
  • 00:15:39.990 --> 00:15:41.892
  • We know who he's talking about, "and escaped the edge of the
  • 00:15:41.892 --> 00:15:44.995
  • Sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became
  • 00:15:44.995 --> 00:15:47.998
  • Powerful in battle and routed foreign armies."
  • 00:15:47.998 --> 00:15:50.968
  • And see, when i read that, i'm like, "that's yeah.
  • 00:15:50.968 --> 00:15:53.504
  • Yeah, that's what i wanna be.
  • 00:15:53.504 --> 00:15:54.872
  • That's what i-- i wanna do something and god do something.
  • 00:15:54.872 --> 00:15:57.207
  • I wanna do something big and god does something bigger."
  • 00:15:57.207 --> 00:15:59.343
  • And it's like, "hey, i was part of what god did.
  • 00:15:59.343 --> 00:16:01.011
  • I--" you know, this is all up and to the right.
  • 00:16:01.011 --> 00:16:02.880
  • You know, that's what we love.
  • 00:16:02.880 --> 00:16:04.214
  • We love the up and to the right days, right?
  • 00:16:04.214 --> 00:16:06.884
  • And then he turns a corner.
  • 00:16:06.884 --> 00:16:08.252
  • He's like, "yeah, but it wasn't like that for everybody."
  • 00:16:08.252 --> 00:16:11.188
  • In fact, throughout this story, it wasn't like that for the
  • 00:16:11.188 --> 00:16:13.457
  • People who were part of this long story arc between abraham
  • 00:16:13.457 --> 00:16:16.860
  • And jesus.
  • 00:16:16.860 --> 00:16:18.228
  • He says this: "there were others," who didn't win, who
  • 00:16:18.228 --> 00:16:23.634
  • Weren't victorious.
  • 00:16:23.634 --> 00:16:25.235
  • There were-- there were others and there was no bow on
  • 00:16:25.235 --> 00:16:27.337
  • Their story.
  • 00:16:27.337 --> 00:16:28.672
  • There was no happy ending.
  • 00:16:28.672 --> 00:16:30.040
  • There was no smooth landing for others.
  • 00:16:30.040 --> 00:16:32.443
  • "they were tortured, and they refused to be released," they
  • 00:16:32.443 --> 00:16:35.679
  • Refused to lie, they refused to recant, "so that they might gain
  • 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:38.916
  • An even better resurrection.
  • 00:16:38.916 --> 00:16:42.286
  • Some faced jeers and flogging, and chains and imprisonment.
  • 00:16:42.286 --> 00:16:50.194
  • Some," he says, "were put to death by stoning.
  • 00:16:50.194 --> 00:16:54.865
  • Some of them were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.
  • 00:16:54.865 --> 00:17:01.472
  • They were destitute."
  • 00:17:01.472 --> 00:17:02.840
  • They were so destitute, they had nothing to show for it and they
  • 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:06.343
  • Had nothing.
  • 00:17:06.343 --> 00:17:07.678
  • "they went about in sheepskins," that's all they had for
  • 00:17:07.678 --> 00:17:09.012
  • Clothing, "and goatskins, destitute, persecuted
  • 00:17:09.012 --> 00:17:13.450
  • And mistreated."
  • 00:17:13.450 --> 00:17:14.985
  • And then my favorite part, this is-- this should-- there should
  • 00:17:14.985 --> 00:17:18.589
  • Be, like, music behind this, this is so powerful.
  • 00:17:18.589 --> 00:17:21.391
  • It's like he's-- because he-- i'm just reading part of it.
  • 00:17:21.391 --> 00:17:24.528
  • He's gone through all these people, all these stories
  • 00:17:24.528 --> 00:17:26.697
  • Leading up from abraham all the way to the coming of jesus, and
  • 00:17:26.697 --> 00:17:29.700
  • He-- it's like he puts his quill down or his pen down and he just
  • 00:17:29.700 --> 00:17:33.537
  • Stops and takes a deep breath and there are tears in his eyes.
  • 00:17:33.537 --> 00:17:36.840
  • And he picks it back up and he writes these words.
  • 00:17:36.840 --> 00:17:40.777
  • "the world was not worthy of them."
  • 00:17:40.777 --> 00:17:46.917
  • They endured in spite of, to be a part of what god was up to and
  • 00:17:46.917 --> 00:17:54.191
  • They never doubted that god was up to something, in spite of
  • 00:17:54.191 --> 00:17:57.394
  • What they experienced.
  • 00:17:57.394 --> 00:18:00.497
  • "these were all--" he goes on to say, "these were all commended
  • 00:18:00.497 --> 00:18:03.600
  • For their faith," their confidence in god, their "in
  • 00:18:03.600 --> 00:18:09.173
  • Spite of circumstance" confidence in god, "yet none of
  • 00:18:09.173 --> 00:18:13.310
  • Them," this is amazing.
  • 00:18:13.310 --> 00:18:14.645
  • "yet none of them received what had been promised," promised
  • 00:18:14.645 --> 00:18:18.182
  • To abraham.
  • 00:18:18.182 --> 00:18:19.583
  • "yet none of them received what had been promised, since god had
  • 00:18:19.583 --> 00:18:22.519
  • Planned something," and here it is.
  • 00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:25.856
  • If you haven't been paying attention, come on back, this
  • 00:18:25.856 --> 00:18:28.225
  • Is important.
  • 00:18:28.225 --> 00:18:30.060
  • All of this was building, building, building,
  • 00:18:30.060 --> 00:18:32.429
  • Building, building.
  • 00:18:32.429 --> 00:18:33.764
  • Some were victorious, some suffered, some were victorious
  • 00:18:33.764 --> 00:18:36.233
  • For a while, but everybody died, everybody's body decayed.
  • 00:18:36.233 --> 00:18:39.503
  • It all ended the same for everybody, regardless of
  • 00:18:39.503 --> 00:18:41.805
  • Their circumstance.
  • 00:18:41.805 --> 00:18:43.173
  • He said, and all of this built and built and built, "since god
  • 00:18:43.173 --> 00:18:47.044
  • Had planned something better for us."
  • 00:18:47.044 --> 00:18:53.884
  • Better for you, better for me, better for those of us who have
  • 00:18:53.884 --> 00:19:00.657
  • Embraced and accepted jesus's invitation to participate in the
  • 00:19:00.657 --> 00:19:05.062
  • New covenant between god and the human race.
  • 00:19:05.062 --> 00:19:10.400
  • He says, "now," in light of all that, because of all that,
  • 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.403
  • Having said all that, "therefore, since," now he-- now
  • 00:19:13.403 --> 00:19:16.740
  • He asked us to use our imagination.
  • 00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:18.542
  • He says, "now, therefore, since we are all surrounded by such a
  • 00:19:18.542 --> 00:19:22.446
  • Great cloud of witnesses," he says, imagine somewhere in
  • 00:19:22.446 --> 00:19:25.515
  • Heaven are all these people i just listed who were faithful,
  • 00:19:25.515 --> 00:19:28.619
  • Faithful, faithful, some of them submitted, all of them sinned.
  • 00:19:28.619 --> 00:19:31.054
  • All of them were unfaithful at times, but they maintained their
  • 00:19:31.054 --> 00:19:33.590
  • Faith in god.
  • 00:19:33.590 --> 00:19:34.958
  • Even when they departed from god, they came back to god,
  • 00:19:34.958 --> 00:19:36.660
  • Maintained their faith in god, were part of the story.
  • 00:19:36.660 --> 00:19:39.029
  • Since we're surrounded by these extraordinary, extraordinary
  • 00:19:39.029 --> 00:19:43.100
  • People, men and women who kept trusting and following and
  • 00:19:43.100 --> 00:19:45.802
  • Believing, who did not interpret hardship-- who did not interpret
  • 00:19:45.802 --> 00:19:49.573
  • Hardship as god's absence.
  • 00:19:49.573 --> 00:19:52.309
  • Since that is the backdrop of our faith, how should i respond
  • 00:19:52.309 --> 00:19:56.713
  • To hardship?
  • 00:19:56.713 --> 00:19:58.081
  • How should you respond to hardship?
  • 00:19:58.081 --> 00:20:00.050
  • How should i, how should we, respond to circumstances that
  • 00:20:00.050 --> 00:20:03.754
  • Seem to say god is foreign, god is absent, god's not
  • 00:20:03.754 --> 00:20:06.123
  • Paying attention?
  • 00:20:06.123 --> 00:20:07.758
  • He says here's how.
  • 00:20:07.758 --> 00:20:09.993
  • "therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud
  • 00:20:09.993 --> 00:20:12.896
  • Of witnesses," ready?
  • 00:20:12.896 --> 00:20:14.231
  • "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so
  • 00:20:14.231 --> 00:20:20.304
  • Easily entangles."
  • 00:20:20.304 --> 00:20:23.473
  • He says anything that would mitigate against you
  • 00:20:23.473 --> 00:20:26.743
  • Understanding and trusting that god is faithful and with you
  • 00:20:26.743 --> 00:20:29.613
  • Through this, he says, you just disentangle yourself from
  • 00:20:29.613 --> 00:20:32.382
  • Those thoughts.
  • 00:20:32.382 --> 00:20:33.750
  • You cast that away.
  • 00:20:33.750 --> 00:20:35.085
  • Don't allow, he mentioned sin, don't allow the difficult times
  • 00:20:35.085 --> 00:20:38.522
  • To cause you to depart from god because when you depart from
  • 00:20:38.522 --> 00:20:41.692
  • God, it does not make your life better.
  • 00:20:41.692 --> 00:20:43.660
  • It just-- it's just gonna make your life more complicated.
  • 00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:46.430
  • And he says, "let me give you a word picture, and i want you
  • 00:20:46.430 --> 00:20:48.665
  • To-- i want you to run," he says, "and let us run-- run with
  • 00:20:48.665 --> 00:20:52.936
  • Perseverance the race marked out for each of us."
  • 00:20:52.936 --> 00:21:02.946
  • So let's talk about this.
  • 00:21:02.946 --> 00:21:05.215
  • See, right now, you might be in the section of the race that's
  • 00:21:05.215 --> 00:21:10.120
  • The downhill section.
  • 00:21:10.120 --> 00:21:11.822
  • It's the easy section.
  • 00:21:11.822 --> 00:21:13.190
  • It's the wrinkle-free section.
  • 00:21:13.190 --> 00:21:14.691
  • Everybody's in school, everybody's dating somebody you
  • 00:21:14.691 --> 00:21:17.194
  • Like, you know, you got a bonus.
  • 00:21:17.194 --> 00:21:18.795
  • Things are good, you know, your lawn even looks great.
  • 00:21:18.795 --> 00:21:21.298
  • Your grass survived, you know, all, you know, just-- i mean,
  • 00:21:21.298 --> 00:21:23.934
  • It's just-- it's just good.
  • 00:21:23.934 --> 00:21:26.503
  • He says you need to make sure you persevere through the good
  • 00:21:26.503 --> 00:21:29.773
  • Times because in the good times you will be tempted to abandon
  • 00:21:29.773 --> 00:21:33.243
  • Your heavenly father because you won't sense or see a need.
  • 00:21:33.243 --> 00:21:40.250
  • For others of you, that's not the stretch of the race you're
  • 00:21:40.250 --> 00:21:43.620
  • In, right?
  • 00:21:43.620 --> 00:21:44.988
  • You're in the-- you're in the divorce stretch of your race and
  • 00:21:44.988 --> 00:21:52.462
  • You've been married 25, 26 years and suddenly he or she decides,
  • 00:21:52.462 --> 00:21:55.399
  • "hey, i'm done, i'm out."
  • 00:21:55.399 --> 00:21:57.434
  • You only been married 3 years and all of a sudden you
  • 00:21:57.434 --> 00:22:00.404
  • Discover, you discover something about her, about him, and it's
  • 00:22:00.404 --> 00:22:02.973
  • Like, "oh, no."
  • 00:22:02.973 --> 00:22:04.708
  • And you just-- you just never saw this coming.
  • 00:22:04.708 --> 00:22:08.044
  • Or maybe you're in the health crisis stretch of your race, and
  • 00:22:08.044 --> 00:22:13.483
  • You're too young to have to deal with what you're dealing with.
  • 00:22:13.483 --> 00:22:16.153
  • And there's no good answer, there's no good treatment, and
  • 00:22:16.153 --> 00:22:19.423
  • The doctors kind of scratch their head and they try to sound
  • 00:22:19.423 --> 00:22:21.458
  • Confident and you get in the car and you realize they don't know.
  • 00:22:21.458 --> 00:22:24.761
  • Or they prescribe something that's, like, months and at the
  • 00:22:24.761 --> 00:22:28.765
  • End of those months, "we hope it works out."
  • 00:22:28.765 --> 00:22:32.803
  • And that's the season you're in.
  • 00:22:32.803 --> 00:22:34.204
  • Or maybe it's the job loss or the job loss again or a
  • 00:22:34.204 --> 00:22:37.908
  • Financial pressure or bankruptcy season.
  • 00:22:37.908 --> 00:22:40.544
  • Whatever it is, you didn't choose it.
  • 00:22:40.544 --> 00:22:43.346
  • You're just running your race and you came around the bend and
  • 00:22:43.346 --> 00:22:47.717
  • There it was, and you wonder, "where's god?"
  • 00:22:47.717 --> 00:22:54.691
  • Peter, the apostle paul, john who brought us the story we
  • 00:22:54.691 --> 00:22:59.162
  • Talked about last week, would say to you, "okay, before you
  • 00:22:59.162 --> 00:23:03.066
  • Panic, before you hit 'eject,' before you hit, 'i don't
  • 00:23:03.066 --> 00:23:06.503
  • Believe,' fix your eyes, make sure you're looking in the
  • 00:23:06.503 --> 00:23:10.474
  • Right direction."
  • 00:23:10.474 --> 00:23:11.842
  • He says-- let me just say it for you.
  • 00:23:11.842 --> 00:23:13.176
  • "the race marked out for you," regardless of what that race
  • 00:23:13.176 --> 00:23:14.811
  • Looks like, "fixing," focusing, "your eyes," not on your
  • 00:23:14.811 --> 00:23:18.215
  • Circumstances, not on the person who hurt you, not on the doctors
  • 00:23:18.215 --> 00:23:23.887
  • Who just don't seem to co-operate and don't seem to
  • 00:23:23.887 --> 00:23:25.822
  • Care as much as you think they ought to care.
  • 00:23:25.822 --> 00:23:27.457
  • "fixing your eyes on jesus."
  • 00:23:27.457 --> 00:23:32.295
  • And to address what i'm sure somebody out there is thinking
  • 00:23:32.295 --> 00:23:35.198
  • Or somebody in here is thinking, this is not just preacher talk,
  • 00:23:35.198 --> 00:23:37.467
  • This is not just theory.
  • 00:23:37.467 --> 00:23:38.802
  • I have seen it over and over and over.
  • 00:23:38.802 --> 00:23:41.104
  • I've sat with, i've wept with, people for whom there was
  • 00:23:41.104 --> 00:23:44.508
  • No bow.
  • 00:23:44.508 --> 00:23:46.076
  • There wasn't gonna be a happy ending.
  • 00:23:46.076 --> 00:23:47.511
  • There wasn't gonna be a safe landing, walking through the
  • 00:23:47.511 --> 00:23:50.413
  • Valley of the shadow of death.
  • 00:23:50.413 --> 00:23:51.748
  • In fact, some of you are there right now.
  • 00:23:51.748 --> 00:23:54.351
  • I would say about you what the author of hebrews said about the
  • 00:23:54.351 --> 00:23:57.320
  • Men and women he wrote about: "the world-- the world is not
  • 00:23:57.320 --> 00:24:04.461
  • Worthy of you."
  • 00:24:04.461 --> 00:24:09.032
  • Because when i sit with you and i pray with you and my heart
  • 00:24:09.032 --> 00:24:12.168
  • Breaks with you, my faith gets bigger because i am-- i'm
  • 00:24:12.168 --> 00:24:18.575
  • Reminded, as many of you have been reminded when you've been
  • 00:24:18.575 --> 00:24:21.011
  • In situations like that with believers who were hanging on
  • 00:24:21.011 --> 00:24:23.580
  • And believing any way, i'm reminded, there is-- this is
  • 00:24:23.580 --> 00:24:27.250
  • The promise.
  • 00:24:27.250 --> 00:24:28.585
  • There is a grace, there is a strength, there is a power,
  • 00:24:28.585 --> 00:24:32.355
  • There is an energy, there's a something that you won't
  • 00:24:32.355 --> 00:24:36.459
  • Experience until you need it, but it is there when you
  • 00:24:36.459 --> 00:24:40.130
  • Need it.
  • 00:24:40.130 --> 00:24:42.666
  • Back to the author of hebrews, he says, "and let us run with
  • 00:24:42.666 --> 00:24:45.869
  • Perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on
  • 00:24:45.869 --> 00:24:48.805
  • Jesus, the leader and the completer," the author and the
  • 00:24:48.805 --> 00:24:52.275
  • Perfecter, "of our faith."
  • 00:24:52.275 --> 00:24:55.545
  • He's the reason we can have confidence.
  • 00:24:55.545 --> 00:24:58.582
  • The author's point is fix your eyes on jesus and not on
  • 00:24:58.582 --> 00:25:02.285
  • Your circumstances.
  • 00:25:02.285 --> 00:25:03.620
  • Not preacher talk.
  • 00:25:03.620 --> 00:25:04.955
  • This is how you lean in and experience the power and the
  • 00:25:04.955 --> 00:25:07.924
  • Presence of god in the midst of circumstances you didn't choose.
  • 00:25:07.924 --> 00:25:11.294
  • They just showed up in the course of your race.
  • 00:25:11.294 --> 00:25:16.266
  • Who, he says, "for the joy set before him endured," something
  • 00:25:16.266 --> 00:25:22.439
  • You will not have to endure, although it may feel like it at
  • 00:25:22.439 --> 00:25:24.975
  • The time.
  • 00:25:24.975 --> 00:25:26.343
  • "who endured the cross," for you, "scorning its shame."
  • 00:25:26.343 --> 00:25:28.878
  • This is such a powerful word.
  • 00:25:28.878 --> 00:25:30.413
  • I wish i could spend more time on it.
  • 00:25:30.413 --> 00:25:32.048
  • It's as if jesus is hanging on the cross saying, "is that all
  • 00:25:32.048 --> 00:25:35.952
  • You got?
  • 00:25:35.952 --> 00:25:37.420
  • Is that all you got?
  • 00:25:37.420 --> 00:25:39.089
  • When you see what's waiting for me on the other side of this,
  • 00:25:39.089 --> 00:25:42.926
  • This is nothing."
  • 00:25:42.926 --> 00:25:46.496
  • And the author of hebrews says, "and after he died and rose from
  • 00:25:46.496 --> 00:25:50.033
  • The dead, he went and sat down at the right hand of the throne
  • 00:25:50.033 --> 00:25:54.237
  • Of god."
  • 00:25:54.237 --> 00:25:55.605
  • And he says, come on, come on, come on, come on, consider him,
  • 00:25:55.605 --> 00:25:58.608
  • Consider him, "consider him who endured such opposition
  • 00:25:58.608 --> 00:26:02.245
  • From sinners."
  • 00:26:02.245 --> 00:26:03.613
  • Why?
  • 00:26:03.613 --> 00:26:04.948
  • "so that--" here it is.
  • 00:26:04.948 --> 00:26:06.416
  • "so that you will not grow weary," so that you will not
  • 00:26:06.416 --> 00:26:10.253
  • Lose faith, so that you will not lose confidence.
  • 00:26:10.253 --> 00:26:13.923
  • "so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
  • 00:26:13.923 --> 00:26:18.094
  • And then earlier, he says this, here's the invitation.
  • 00:26:18.094 --> 00:26:20.563
  • I want you to approach.
  • 00:26:20.563 --> 00:26:22.365
  • He says, i know you're not perfect.
  • 00:26:22.365 --> 00:26:24.000
  • I know you got stuff.
  • 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:25.335
  • But come on, come on, i want you to 'approach.'
  • 00:26:25.335 --> 00:26:26.836
  • "let us then approach-- let us then approach god's throne of
  • 00:26:26.836 --> 00:26:31.274
  • Grace with confidence."
  • 00:26:31.274 --> 00:26:33.009
  • And why can you approach god's throne of grace with confidence?
  • 00:26:33.009 --> 00:26:35.478
  • Don't miss this.
  • 00:26:35.478 --> 00:26:36.813
  • Because what has he just told us?
  • 00:26:36.813 --> 00:26:38.181
  • Because sitting next to your heavenly father is the son who
  • 00:26:38.181 --> 00:26:41.785
  • Endured such opposition and such pain.
  • 00:26:41.785 --> 00:26:44.320
  • He knows, he feels it, he felt it.
  • 00:26:44.320 --> 00:26:46.756
  • And he is there seated by the father, interceding for you
  • 00:26:46.756 --> 00:26:51.127
  • Because he cares, your "been there, felt that,
  • 00:26:51.127 --> 00:26:59.202
  • Faced that" savior.
  • 00:26:59.202 --> 00:27:03.740
  • And then here's the kicker.
  • 00:27:03.740 --> 00:27:05.075
  • Here's the promise, because there's a promise.
  • 00:27:05.075 --> 00:27:07.010
  • So that-- so that we may receive and here it is.
  • 00:27:07.010 --> 00:27:11.948
  • Do you know what you can bank on?
  • 00:27:11.948 --> 00:27:13.783
  • Do you know what you can count on?
  • 00:27:13.783 --> 00:27:15.118
  • Do you know what you can hold god accountable to?
  • 00:27:15.118 --> 00:27:17.320
  • This is-- this is the part where you can say, "heavenly father,
  • 00:27:17.320 --> 00:27:20.323
  • You promised me."
  • 00:27:20.323 --> 00:27:22.926
  • This is your promise.
  • 00:27:22.926 --> 00:27:24.294
  • This is my promise.
  • 00:27:24.294 --> 00:27:25.628
  • This is the new covenant promise and certainly there is more, but
  • 00:27:25.628 --> 00:27:28.064
  • This is the core: "that you may receive with confidence, mercy
  • 00:27:28.064 --> 00:27:34.971
  • And find grace to help in your time of need."
  • 00:27:34.971 --> 00:27:40.443
  • Because he sees, he knows, he cares, his grace
  • 00:27:40.443 --> 00:27:44.114
  • And his strength are available to those of us
  • 00:27:44.114 --> 00:27:46.950
  • Who lean in and ask for it.
  • 00:27:46.950 --> 00:27:50.320
  • Andy: hey everybody, thank you so much for tuning in.
  • 00:27:50.386 --> 00:27:52.422
  • If you'd like to watch this episode again or share it with a
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  • Friend, head on over to the website at the bottom of
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  • The screen.
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  • The website is the best place for you to find other "your
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  • Move" episodes, access additional resources, and learn
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  • More about our mission to engage culture with the teaching of
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  • Jesus because we're convinced following jesus will make your
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  • Life better and make the world a better place,
  • 00:28:10.373 --> 00:28:13.276
  • And now it's your move.
  • 00:28:13.276 --> 00:28:15.011
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:28:15.011 --> 00:28:22.085
  • ...
  • 00:28:25.321 --> 00:28:25.321