{"id":1519,"date":"2026-08-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodchristadelphiantalks.com\/index.php\/podcast\/413-sam-snelling-exhortation-known-by-god-redeemed-by-christ-and-examined-by-the-word\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T10:24:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T10:24:12","slug":"413-sam-snelling-exhortation-known-by-god-redeemed-by-christ-and-examined-by-the-word","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/goodchristadelphiantalks.com\/index.php\/podcast\/413-sam-snelling-exhortation-known-by-god-redeemed-by-christ-and-examined-by-the-word\/","title":{"rendered":"413: Sam Snelling – Exhortation: Known by God, Redeemed by Christ and Examined by the Word"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week’s talk is an exhortation by Brother Sam Snelling titled “Known by God, Redeemed by Christ and Examined by the Word”, given at the Brighton Ecclesia in Australia, on June 21st, 2026.<\/p>\n

We hope this strengthens your Faith and brightens your day!<\/p>\n

Thank you for listening, God bless, and talk to you next week.<\/p>\n

Send talk suggestions or comments to: \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060GoodChristadelphianTalks@gmail.com\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060<\/a><\/p>\n

For Show Notes, visit our website: \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060GoodChristadelphianTalks.com\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060<\/a><\/p>\n

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1
\n00:00:03,920 –> 00:00:05,400
\nWelcome to good Christophian
\ntalks. <\/p>\n

2
\n00:00:05,880 –> 00:00:07,960
\nThank you for.
\nJoining us this week on this <\/p>\n

3
\n00:00:07,960 –> 00:00:11,720
\npodcast, we select one talk a
\nweek to help us get the Bible in<\/p>\n

4
\n00:00:11,720 –> 00:00:15,920
\nour Daily News feed.
\nEach week we post a talk that we<\/p>\n

5
\n00:00:15,920 –> 00:00:18,960
\npreviewed from suggestions sent
\nin by listeners from around the <\/p>\n

6
\n00:00:18,960 –> 00:00:21,520
\nworld.
\nThen we record a short intro <\/p>\n

7
\n00:00:21,520 –> 00:00:24,960
\nbeforehand as a personalized
\nrecommendation to you on why we <\/p>\n

8
\n00:00:24,960 –> 00:00:27,920
\nare sharing the talk.
\nAnd now let’s talk more about <\/p>\n

9
\n00:00:27,920 –> 00:00:34,200
\nthis week’s talk.
\nHello, it’s Levi. <\/p>\n

10
\n00:00:35,320 –> 00:00:38,440
\nI’m really excited to share
\nBrother Sam Stelling’s <\/p>\n

11
\n00:00:38,760 –> 00:00:42,320
\nexhortation Known by God,
\nredeemed by Christ, and examined<\/p>\n

12
\n00:00:42,320 –> 00:00:46,200
\nby the Word.
\nBrother Sam presented this on <\/p>\n

13
\n00:00:46,200 –> 00:00:49,520
\nJune 21st of this year and that
\ndate’s kind of important because<\/p>\n

14
\n00:00:49,520 –> 00:00:52,760
\nhe does actually refer to all
\nthree of the daily readings in <\/p>\n

15
\n00:00:52,760 –> 00:00:57,120
\nhis exhortation, Ruth, Isaiah
\nand Revelation. <\/p>\n

16
\n00:00:57,120 –> 00:01:00,560
\nAnd I really enjoyed that.
\nI maybe it’s just, you know, <\/p>\n

17
\n00:01:00,560 –> 00:01:04,000
\nbeing old fashioned, but I do
\nenjoy when all of the by <\/p>\n

18
\n00:01:04,000 –> 00:01:07,000
\nreadings are included.
\nThis was a really excellent <\/p>\n

19
\n00:01:07,000 –> 00:01:10,640
\nexhortation.
\nBrother Sam is a doctor and he <\/p>\n

20
\n00:01:10,680 –> 00:01:15,600
\nhas lots of kind of doctor’s
\nnotes in the exhort as well as <\/p>\n

21
\n00:01:16,000 –> 00:01:17,760
\njust a lot of really great one
\nliners. <\/p>\n

22
\n00:01:17,760 –> 00:01:21,360
\nIt’s a very well written exhort.
\nHe talks about how the God who <\/p>\n

23
\n00:01:21,360 –> 00:01:24,800
\nexamines is also the God who
\nsaves. <\/p>\n

24
\n00:01:25,240 –> 00:01:28,120
\nHe talks about how we are known
\nand used by God whether or not <\/p>\n

25
\n00:01:28,120 –> 00:01:31,000
\nwe want to comply, like Cyrus in
\nIsaiah. <\/p>\n

26
\n00:01:31,560 –> 00:01:36,000
\nSo really great excitation.
\nAgain, very memorable. <\/p>\n

27
\n00:01:36,040 –> 00:01:39,840
\nReally excited to to share it.
\nI wanted to thank all of our Co <\/p>\n

28
\n00:01:39,840 –> 00:01:43,360
\nhosts through the summer,
\nbrother Bryan Adams, Gideon <\/p>\n

29
\n00:01:43,360 –> 00:01:47,280
\nRyan, Reuben Norton, Adam Stark,
\nLevi McKinley and St. <\/p>\n

30
\n00:01:47,280 –> 00:01:48,840
\nNeal.
\nIt was so it’s it’s always a <\/p>\n

31
\n00:01:48,840 –> 00:01:53,360
\ntreat to kind of lay down the
\nresponsibility of finding a talk<\/p>\n

32
\n00:01:53,800 –> 00:01:55,600
\nand and pass it on.
\nI mean, I don’t know. <\/p>\n

33
\n00:01:55,760 –> 00:01:58,920
\nIt’s so much easier now that we
\nhave I only go every six weeks <\/p>\n

34
\n00:01:58,920 –> 00:02:00,280
\nthan I used to go every two
\nweeks. <\/p>\n

35
\n00:02:00,280 –> 00:02:05,960
\nBut still very thankful to the
\nto the brothers who who helped <\/p>\n

36
\n00:02:05,960 –> 00:02:07,640
\nus out through the summer.
\nSo thank you to them. <\/p>\n

37
\n00:02:07,920 –> 00:02:11,680
\nSo here is known by God,
\nredeemed by Christ, examined by <\/p>\n

38
\n00:02:11,680 –> 00:02:13,240
\nthe Word, by Brother Sam
\nSnelling. <\/p>\n

39
\n00:02:15,080 –> 00:02:18,120
\nGood morning my dear brothers
\nand sisters, It’s lovely to be <\/p>\n

40
\n00:02:18,160 –> 00:02:22,400
\nback with you.
\nHave you ever experienced that <\/p>\n

41
\n00:02:22,400 –> 00:02:25,920
\nstrange moment when someone
\nknows your name and you have <\/p>\n

42
\n00:02:25,920 –> 00:02:30,280
\nabsolutely no idea who they are?
\nPerhaps you’ve been walking <\/p>\n

43
\n00:02:30,280 –> 00:02:33,680
\nthrough a shopping centre
\nperhaps, and someone smiles <\/p>\n

44
\n00:02:33,680 –> 00:02:35,240
\nwarmly and says in my case it
\nwill be. <\/p>\n

45
\n00:02:35,240 –> 00:02:39,120
\nHello Sam.
\nAnd immediately your mind starts<\/p>\n

46
\n00:02:39,120 –> 00:02:41,760
\nracing.
\nHow do they know me? <\/p>\n

47
\n00:02:42,960 –> 00:02:45,880
\nWhere have I met them?
\nIs that someone I know from <\/p>\n

48
\n00:02:45,920 –> 00:02:47,920
\nschool?
\nIs that someone I know from the <\/p>\n

49
\n00:02:47,920 –> 00:02:50,720
\ninclusion environment?
\nIs that is that a patient I <\/p>\n

50
\n00:02:50,720 –> 00:02:53,120
\ntreated once?
\nOr is that someone from the <\/p>\n

51
\n00:02:53,120 –> 00:02:55,680
\nhospital environment?
\nI can’t place them. <\/p>\n

52
\n00:02:56,240 –> 00:02:59,840
\nAnd while you’re desperately
\ntrying to remember, they’re <\/p>\n

53
\n00:02:59,840 –> 00:03:03,200
\ncontinuing the conversation with
\nyou very nicely, as though <\/p>\n

54
\n00:03:03,200 –> 00:03:05,320
\nyou’ve been known to each other
\nfor years. <\/p>\n

55
\n00:03:07,960 –> 00:03:10,760
\nThere’s something remarkable
\nabout being known. <\/p>\n

56
\n00:03:11,760 –> 00:03:17,240
\nNot simply recognised, not
\nsimply seen, but known. <\/p>\n

57
\n00:03:18,920 –> 00:03:21,960
\nBecause being known means that
\nsomeone has paid attention to <\/p>\n

58
\n00:03:21,960 –> 00:03:24,840
\nyou.
\nThey have remembered. <\/p>\n

59
\n00:03:24,840 –> 00:03:29,320
\nThey have taken notice.
\nIn this example, perhaps you’ve <\/p>\n

60
\n00:03:29,320 –> 00:03:32,720
\nnot taken notice of them.
\nBut the point remains that being<\/p>\n

61
\n00:03:32,720 –> 00:03:36,720
\nknown means that someone has
\npaid attention. <\/p>\n

62
\n00:03:39,040 –> 00:03:41,440
\nAnd the remarkable truth which
\nis running through all of our <\/p>\n

63
\n00:03:41,440 –> 00:03:45,680
\ndaily readings today is that God
\nknows people. <\/p>\n

64
\n00:03:46,920 –> 00:03:52,440
\nNot generally, not collectively,
\npersonally. <\/p>\n

65
\n00:03:54,400 –> 00:03:59,920
\nIsaiah 45 in our reading today
\nopens with God calling Cyrus by <\/p>\n

66
\n00:03:59,920 –> 00:04:02,600
\nname over a century before his
\nbirth. <\/p>\n

67
\n00:04:04,400 –> 00:04:08,240
\nRuth, chapters 3 and 4, they
\ngive us a story where God is <\/p>\n

68
\n00:04:08,240 –> 00:04:13,320
\nquietly guiding the life of a
\nwidowed foreigner who probably <\/p>\n

69
\n00:04:13,320 –> 00:04:18,360
\nfelt entirely insignificant.
\nAnd our readings in Revelation <\/p>\n

70
\n00:04:18,360 –> 00:04:22,200
\nopen with the Lord Jesus Christ
\nwalking amongst the lampstands, <\/p>\n

71
\n00:04:22,440 –> 00:04:27,840
\nsaying repeatedly, I know, I
\nknow thy works, I know thy <\/p>\n

72
\n00:04:27,840 –> 00:04:31,160
\ntribulation, I know where thou
\ndwellest, I know. <\/p>\n

73
\n00:04:31,160 –> 00:04:38,480
\nAnd perhaps there’s no greater
\ncomfort and no greater challenge<\/p>\n

74
\n00:04:40,200 –> 00:04:47,040
\nthen that simple truth.
\nGod knows, and it’s interesting <\/p>\n

75
\n00:04:48,200 –> 00:04:51,640
\nfor us to think about that that
\nGod knows before we do. <\/p>\n

76
\n00:04:52,480 –> 00:04:55,360
\nAnd so with that, in the back of
\nour minds, when we consider <\/p>\n

77
\n00:04:55,360 –> 00:04:59,080
\nIsaiah 45, we can conclude that
\nthis is one of the most <\/p>\n

78
\n00:04:59,080 –> 00:05:01,360
\nastonishing chapters in the
\nwhole of Scripture. <\/p>\n

79
\n00:05:02,720 –> 00:05:04,840
\nImagine when you’re reading
\nIsaiah 45. <\/p>\n

80
\n00:05:04,840 –> 00:05:07,560
\nYou’re a a Jewish captive in
\nBabylon. <\/p>\n

81
\n00:05:07,720 –> 00:05:11,880
\nJerusalem lies in ruins, the
\ntemple’s been destroyed, the <\/p>\n

82
\n00:05:11,880 –> 00:05:14,760
\nthrone of David is empty, and
\neverything which God has <\/p>\n

83
\n00:05:14,800 –> 00:05:21,240
\npromised seems impossible.
\nThen the words which Isaiah <\/p>\n

84
\n00:05:21,240 –> 00:05:26,480
\nrecords spoken by Yahweh about
\n150 years before the events <\/p>\n

85
\n00:05:26,480 –> 00:05:29,200
\noccur, says in verse one of
\nIsaiah 45. <\/p>\n

86
\n00:05:29,400 –> 00:05:32,800
\nThus saith the Lord to his
\nanointed, to Cyrus, whose right <\/p>\n

87
\n00:05:32,800 –> 00:05:35,880
\nhand I have Holden to subdue
\nnations before him. <\/p>\n

88
\n00:05:37,200 –> 00:05:43,440
\nImagine hearing that not merely
\nthat a deliverer will come, but <\/p>\n

89
\n00:05:43,440 –> 00:05:48,880
\nthat God already knew His name.
\nIt’s too. <\/p>\n

90
\n00:05:48,880 –> 00:05:50,960
\nI will go before thee, he says,
\nand make the crooked places <\/p>\n

91
\n00:05:50,960 –> 00:05:53,000
\nstraight.
\nI’ll break in pieces the gates <\/p>\n

92
\n00:05:53,000 –> 00:05:55,200
\nof brass, and cut in sunder are
\nthe bars of iron. <\/p>\n

93
\n00:05:55,360 –> 00:05:58,120
\nAnd I’ll give thee the treasures
\nof darkness, and hidden riches, <\/p>\n

94
\n00:05:58,120 –> 00:06:01,960
\nand secret places, that thou
\nmayest know that I the Lord will<\/p>\n

95
\n00:06:01,960 –> 00:06:06,320
\ncall thee by thy name, and the
\nGod of Israel for Jacob my <\/p>\n

96
\n00:06:06,320 –> 00:06:08,520
\nservant’s sake, and Israel mine
\nelect. <\/p>\n

97
\n00:06:08,960 –> 00:06:11,200
\nI have even called thee by thy
\nname. <\/p>\n

98
\n00:06:11,520 –> 00:06:14,480
\nI have surnamed thee, though
\nthou hast not known me. <\/p>\n

99
\n00:06:15,000 –> 00:06:16,600
\nI am Yahweh, and there is none
\nelse. <\/p>\n

100
\n00:06:16,720 –> 00:06:20,280
\nThere is no God beside me.
\nI girded thee, though thou hast <\/p>\n

101
\n00:06:20,280 –> 00:06:25,720
\nnot known me.
\nAnd that word elect in verse 4 <\/p>\n

102
\n00:06:25,800 –> 00:06:33,680
\nis chosen or selected in Hebrew.
\nAnd the word for called in verse<\/p>\n

103
\n00:06:33,680 –> 00:06:37,040
\n4 is the Hebrew word Cara, which
\nmeans to address by name. <\/p>\n

104
\n00:06:37,080 –> 00:06:40,120
\nI have called thee.
\nIt means more than simply <\/p>\n

105
\n00:06:40,240 –> 00:06:43,200
\nidentifying someone.
\nIt carries the sense of <\/p>\n

106
\n00:06:43,200 –> 00:06:47,160
\nappointing them, summoning,
\nsummoning them, assigning them a<\/p>\n

107
\n00:06:47,160 –> 00:06:49,840
\npurpose.
\nGod is effectively saying, <\/p>\n

108
\n00:06:49,960 –> 00:06:54,120
\nCyrus, before you exist, I know
\nwho you are, and I know why <\/p>\n

109
\n00:06:54,120 –> 00:06:58,040
\nyou’re here.
\nOh, Cyrus certainly didn’t know <\/p>\n

110
\n00:06:58,040 –> 00:06:59,560
\nthat.
\nHe had no idea. <\/p>\n

111
\n00:07:00,880 –> 00:07:04,520
\nHe believed he was building an
\nempire, conquering nations, <\/p>\n

112
\n00:07:04,640 –> 00:07:09,600
\nexpanding influence.
\nYet Heaven saw something <\/p>\n

113
\n00:07:09,600 –> 00:07:14,280
\nentirely different, as it says
\nin four and five, though thou <\/p>\n

114
\n00:07:14,280 –> 00:07:18,280
\nhast not known me.
\nAnd one of the most striking <\/p>\n

115
\n00:07:18,280 –> 00:07:23,360
\naspects of Isaiah 45 is that in
\nthe contrast there between God <\/p>\n

116
\n00:07:23,920 –> 00:07:28,000
\nand his knowledge of Cyrus, on
\nthe other hand, is Cyrus’s <\/p>\n

117
\n00:07:28,120 –> 00:07:32,840
\nignorance of God.
\nI girded thee, though thou hast <\/p>\n

118
\n00:07:32,840 –> 00:07:36,400
\nnot known me.
\nAnd the Hebrew word for known <\/p>\n

119
\n00:07:36,400 –> 00:07:39,360
\nyadah often implies more than
\nsimple awareness. <\/p>\n

120
\n00:07:39,600 –> 00:07:44,080
\nIt speaks of relationship.
\nIt speaks of recognition, of <\/p>\n

121
\n00:07:44,080 –> 00:07:48,640
\npersonal knowledge.
\nCyrus was known by God long <\/p>\n

122
\n00:07:48,640 –> 00:07:50,440
\nbefore he knew anything of
\nYahweh. <\/p>\n

123
\n00:07:50,920 –> 00:07:55,000
\nIn fact, God had named him,
\nraised him up, directed his path<\/p>\n

124
\n00:07:57,400 –> 00:07:59,320
\nway more than a century before
\nhis birth. <\/p>\n

125
\n00:07:59,800 –> 00:08:03,880
\nAnd it’s a powerful reminder to
\nus, isn’t it, that God is often <\/p>\n

126
\n00:08:03,880 –> 00:08:10,120
\nat work in human lives long
\nbefore we recognise his hand. <\/p>\n

127
\n00:08:11,560 –> 00:08:14,480
\nLooking back in our lives, many
\nof us can see moments where God <\/p>\n

128
\n00:08:14,480 –> 00:08:19,560
\nwas quietly shaking, shaping
\ncircumstance, opening doors, <\/p>\n

129
\n00:08:20,200 –> 00:08:23,200
\nguiding events, before we fully
\nunderstood his purpose. <\/p>\n

130
\n00:08:23,720 –> 00:08:28,000
\nThe phrase I girded thee is
\nequally significant. <\/p>\n

131
\n00:08:28,640 –> 00:08:31,280
\nThe Hebrew word there conveys
\nthe idea of equipping or <\/p>\n

132
\n00:08:31,280 –> 00:08:35,640
\nstrengthening or fastening on a
\nwarrior’s belt before battle. <\/p>\n

133
\n00:08:38,159 –> 00:08:44,920
\nCyrus to the world appeared as a
\nself-made conqueror, but Yahweh <\/p>\n

134
\n00:08:45,440 –> 00:08:50,240
\ndeclares him that he is the
\nprovider of every victory. <\/p>\n

135
\n00:08:50,760 –> 00:08:54,480
\nHe gave him the opportunity.
\nHe gave him the ability to do <\/p>\n

136
\n00:08:54,480 –> 00:08:59,320
\nwhat he did, and the lesson is a
\nhumbling one for us. <\/p>\n

137
\n00:09:00,280 –> 00:09:03,720
\nHuman achievements can often
\nfoster self-reliance. <\/p>\n

138
\n00:09:04,520 –> 00:09:09,720
\nYet God reminds us, He reminds
\nCyrus, that all strength and <\/p>\n

139
\n00:09:09,720 –> 00:09:13,680
\nopportunity originate with him.
\nThe victories of nations and the<\/p>\n

140
\n00:09:13,680 –> 00:09:17,960
\nexperiences of individuals alike
\nalike are under God’s control. <\/p>\n

141
\n00:09:20,960 –> 00:09:23,800
\nThere’s also a sobering contrast
\nin the life of Cyrus. <\/p>\n

142
\n00:09:24,760 –> 00:09:28,280
\nHe was chosen by God.
\nHe was empowered by God. <\/p>\n

143
\n00:09:29,280 –> 00:09:31,840
\nHe was used mightily in God’s
\npurpose. <\/p>\n

144
\n00:09:32,720 –> 00:09:38,560
\nYet there’s little evidence that
\nhe ever truly came to know the <\/p>\n

145
\n00:09:38,560 –> 00:09:43,360
\nGod who is directing his life.
\nThere’s a stark reality, <\/p>\n

146
\n00:09:43,360 –> 00:09:49,680
\nbrothers and sisters, that it’s
\npossible to experience God’s <\/p>\n

147
\n00:09:49,680 –> 00:09:52,680
\nProvidence without fully
\nresponding to his calling. <\/p>\n

148
\n00:09:53,840 –> 00:10:00,440
\nCyrus was an instrument in God’s
\nhand, but we as believers, we’re<\/p>\n

149
\n00:10:00,440 –> 00:10:03,560
\ncalled to something greater than
\nusefulness alone. <\/p>\n

150
\n00:10:03,960 –> 00:10:07,120
\nWe’re invited into a
\nrelationship with our God, our <\/p>\n

151
\n00:10:07,120 –> 00:10:10,800
\nheavenly Father.
\nThe challenge of the verse is <\/p>\n

152
\n00:10:11,000 –> 00:10:15,680
\ntherefore personal.
\nIt’s not simply whether God’s <\/p>\n

153
\n00:10:15,680 –> 00:10:19,680
\nbeen working in our lives, but
\nwhether we’ve come to truly know<\/p>\n

154
\n00:10:19,840 –> 00:10:22,320
\nthe God who has been working in
\nour lives all along. <\/p>\n

155
\n00:10:24,000 –> 00:10:28,600
\nGod can still use us whether we
\nchoose to respond or not. <\/p>\n

156
\n00:10:31,360 –> 00:10:34,520
\nSo in summary, the remarkable
\nthing is that Cyrus is moving <\/p>\n

157
\n00:10:34,520 –> 00:10:36,440
\naccording to a purpose he cannot
\nsee. <\/p>\n

158
\n00:10:37,720 –> 00:10:40,040
\nAnd brothers and sisters, it’s
\ntrue, Isn’t ourselves most in <\/p>\n

159
\n00:10:40,040 –> 00:10:42,480
\nour lives?
\nMost of us would love a road <\/p>\n

160
\n00:10:42,480 –> 00:10:44,280
\nmap.
\nWe would love God to tell us <\/p>\n

161
\n00:10:44,280 –> 00:10:47,600
\nwhat’s going to happen next
\nweek, next month, next year, the<\/p>\n

162
\n00:10:47,600 –> 00:10:50,520
\nnext decade.
\nWhere will we be? <\/p>\n

163
\n00:10:50,520 –> 00:10:53,880
\nWhat difficulties might arise?
\nWhat opportunities might arrive <\/p>\n

164
\n00:10:53,880 –> 00:10:56,200
\nin our lives?
\nWho will we meet? <\/p>\n

165
\n00:10:56,200 –> 00:10:59,280
\nWhat relationships will develop?
\nWhat will happen with our <\/p>\n

166
\n00:10:59,280 –> 00:11:00,520
\nchildren?
\nWill we have children? <\/p>\n

167
\n00:11:00,520 –> 00:11:02,000
\nWhat will happen as they grow
\nup? <\/p>\n

168
\n00:11:02,760 –> 00:11:05,000
\nTheir careers, our careers, life
\nevents? <\/p>\n

169
\n00:11:05,280 –> 00:11:09,000
\nWhat Providence’s are unfolding?
\nWe would love to know all of <\/p>\n

170
\n00:11:09,000 –> 00:11:18,000
\nthat, but instead God gives us
\njust enough, just enough light <\/p>\n

171
\n00:11:18,000 –> 00:11:20,640
\nfor the next step, not the whole
\njourney. <\/p>\n

172
\n00:11:22,280 –> 00:11:28,720
\nAnd that’s where faith lives.
\nFaith lives in taking that next <\/p>\n

173
\n00:11:28,840 –> 00:11:36,040
\nstep.
\nAnd Isaiah 45 then goes on to <\/p>\n

174
\n00:11:36,040 –> 00:11:41,440
\nestablish this almighty divine
\ncreator and it’s narrative. <\/p>\n

175
\n00:11:41,720 –> 00:11:43,840
\nAnd then we’re introduced in
\nverse 15. <\/p>\n

176
\n00:11:43,840 –> 00:11:46,840
\nCome there with me.
\nOne of the most profound <\/p>\n

177
\n00:11:46,840 –> 00:11:53,840
\nobservations in Scripture.
\nVerily, thou art a God that <\/p>\n

178
\n00:11:53,840 –> 00:11:57,400
\nhidest thyself, oh God of
\nIsrael, the Saviour. <\/p>\n

179
\n00:11:58,480 –> 00:12:03,240
\nAnd that word hidest is the
\nHebrew Hebrew word sotha, which <\/p>\n

180
\n00:12:03,240 –> 00:12:09,080
\nmeans to conceal or to hide.
\nA God who conceals himself, a <\/p>\n

181
\n00:12:09,080 –> 00:12:12,720
\nGod who works behind the
\ncurtain, a God whose <\/p>\n

182
\n00:12:12,840 –> 00:12:16,440
\nfingerprints are everywhere but
\nwhose hand is rarely seen <\/p>\n

183
\n00:12:16,440 –> 00:12:21,880
\ndirectly.
\nAs a doctor, one of the things <\/p>\n

184
\n00:12:21,880 –> 00:12:27,960
\nwhich constantly amazes me is
\nhow much happens inside of each <\/p>\n

185
\n00:12:27,960 –> 00:12:31,920
\nand every one of our bodies
\nright now, completely unseen. <\/p>\n

186
\n00:12:34,280 –> 00:12:36,960
\nIt’s interesting because we
\noften spend a lot of time in our<\/p>\n

187
\n00:12:36,960 –> 00:12:38,920
\nlives developing the things we
\ncan control. <\/p>\n

188
\n00:12:38,920 –> 00:12:43,960
\nWe practice a sport, we learn an
\ninstrument, we improve our <\/p>\n

189
\n00:12:43,960 –> 00:12:48,400
\nfitness, we refine a skill at
\nwork, and perhaps after years of<\/p>\n

190
\n00:12:48,400 –> 00:12:51,240
\neffort, we become quite
\naccomplished at those things. <\/p>\n

191
\n00:12:52,320 –> 00:12:56,120
\nIt’s easy to feel that successes
\ncome from our own determination <\/p>\n

192
\n00:12:56,120 –> 00:13:01,040
\nand ability.
\nYet all the while, for each and <\/p>\n

193
\n00:13:01,040 –> 00:13:05,280
\nevery one of us, there is
\nsomething far more remarkable <\/p>\n

194
\n00:13:05,920 –> 00:13:08,680
\ngoing on in the background right
\nnow. <\/p>\n

195
\n00:13:08,680 –> 00:13:11,360
\nAll of you sitting here, me
\nstanding here. <\/p>\n

196
\n00:13:12,240 –> 00:13:14,720
\nWe’re not consciously telling
\nour heart to beat. <\/p>\n

197
\n00:13:15,160 –> 00:13:18,600
\nWe’re not consciously telling
\nour lungs to breathe or our <\/p>\n

198
\n00:13:18,600 –> 00:13:23,000
\ndigestive system to work.
\nWe’ve got what is known as the <\/p>\n

199
\n00:13:23,040 –> 00:13:26,640
\nautonomic nervous system, which
\ncarries out its work quietly in <\/p>\n

200
\n00:13:26,640 –> 00:13:28,840
\nthe background.
\nAutonomic just means that the <\/p>\n

201
\n00:13:28,840 –> 00:13:32,560
\nbodily functions are going on
\nspontaneously, without our <\/p>\n

202
\n00:13:32,560 –> 00:13:35,520
\nconscious control.
\nMoment by moment, whether we <\/p>\n

203
\n00:13:35,520 –> 00:13:37,520
\nthink about them or not, we
\nhardly notice it. <\/p>\n

204
\n00:13:37,520 –> 00:13:41,200
\nDay in, day out, it continues
\nkeeping you alive. <\/p>\n

205
\n00:13:43,040 –> 00:13:45,840
\nWe simply assume it will be
\nthere tomorrow as it was today. <\/p>\n

206
\n00:13:45,840 –> 00:13:47,800
\nPerhaps you’ve never even
\nthought about it. <\/p>\n

207
\n00:13:49,080 –> 00:13:52,920
\nBut if that hidden system were
\nto fail, suddenly all those <\/p>\n

208
\n00:13:52,920 –> 00:13:56,160
\nskills we spent years perfecting
\nbecome irrelevant. <\/p>\n

209
\n00:13:56,680 –> 00:13:58,720
\nThe table tennis bat gets put
\ndown. <\/p>\n

210
\n00:13:58,720 –> 00:14:01,920
\nThe instrument falls silent.
\nThe gym routine stops. <\/p>\n

211
\n00:14:01,920 –> 00:14:06,440
\nThe office desk becomes empty.
\nEverything we proudly control <\/p>\n

212
\n00:14:06,640 –> 00:14:10,560
\ndepends entirely on something we
\ndon’t control at all. <\/p>\n

213
\n00:14:12,320 –> 00:14:14,840
\nAnd there’s a spiritual lesson
\nin us, in this, for us. <\/p>\n

214
\n00:14:14,840 –> 00:14:19,520
\nBecause God so often works in
\nways that are hidden from view, <\/p>\n

215
\n00:14:21,000 –> 00:14:25,120
\nwe can become so absorbed in the
\nphysical parts of life, on the <\/p>\n

216
\n00:14:25,120 –> 00:14:28,560
\nvisible parts of life, the plans
\nwe make, the achievements we <\/p>\n

217
\n00:14:28,560 –> 00:14:32,400
\npursue, the problems we solve.
\nYet behind it all is that <\/p>\n

218
\n00:14:32,400 –> 00:14:38,120
\nsustaining hand of God.
\nAs Paul tells the Athenians, in <\/p>\n

219
\n00:14:38,120 –> 00:14:40,720
\nhim we live and move and have
\nour being. <\/p>\n

220
\n00:14:43,400 –> 00:14:46,760
\nThe autonomic nervous system is
\na quiet reminder that the most <\/p>\n

221
\n00:14:46,760 –> 00:14:49,560
\nimportant things are not always
\nthe most visible. <\/p>\n

222
\n00:14:50,320 –> 00:14:55,240
\nJust as our bodies depend every
\nsecond on processes we can’t, or<\/p>\n

223
\n00:14:55,240 –> 00:15:01,480
\nwe rarely notice, our lives
\ndepend every day on a God who <\/p>\n

224
\n00:15:01,480 –> 00:15:05,240
\nremains unseen.
\nAnd that’s not a discouraging <\/p>\n

225
\n00:15:05,240 –> 00:15:06,560
\nthought.
\nIt’s a comforting 1. <\/p>\n

226
\n00:15:07,320 –> 00:15:11,520
\nThe God who sustains us is at
\nwork even when we’re not <\/p>\n

227
\n00:15:11,520 –> 00:15:14,280
\nthinking about him.
\nWe like to think we’re thinking <\/p>\n

228
\n00:15:14,280 –> 00:15:15,720
\nabout God all the time, but
\nwe’re not. <\/p>\n

229
\n00:15:17,560 –> 00:15:22,040
\nHis care for us is far more
\nconstant than our awareness of <\/p>\n

230
\n00:15:22,040 –> 00:15:26,000
\nit.
\nSo we can be encouraged that <\/p>\n

231
\n00:15:26,000 –> 00:15:29,240
\nwhat is invisible is often far
\nmore important than that which <\/p>\n

232
\n00:15:29,240 –> 00:15:33,760
\nis visible.
\nAnd Providence often works out <\/p>\n

233
\n00:15:34,520 –> 00:15:38,200
\nin exactly the same way.
\nWe usually only see the symptoms<\/p>\n

234
\n00:15:38,200 –> 00:15:42,640
\nof Providence.
\nGod sees and develops the entire<\/p>\n

235
\n00:15:42,640 –> 00:15:46,360
\nprocesses and the underlying
\n’cause we see the immediate <\/p>\n

236
\n00:15:46,360 –> 00:15:48,800
\nproblem, God sees the final
\noutcome. <\/p>\n

237
\n00:15:49,800 –> 00:15:52,400
\nWe see chapter 1 and God sees
\nchapter 40. <\/p>\n

238
\n00:15:54,840 –> 00:15:57,000
\nAnd nowhere is that more
\nbeautifully illustrated than our<\/p>\n

239
\n00:15:57,000 –> 00:15:59,840
\nreadings and Ruth.
\nCome back to Ruth chapter 1. <\/p>\n

240
\n00:15:59,840 –> 00:16:03,200
\nSo yesterday’s readings, Ruth
\nchapter 1 and 2, Today’s <\/p>\n

241
\n00:16:03,200 –> 00:16:06,480
\nreadings, Ruth chapter 3 and 4.
\nBut let’s just get to the start <\/p>\n

242
\n00:16:06,480 –> 00:16:22,360
\nof the story and Ruth.
\nNaomi could not see chapter 40. <\/p>\n

243
\n00:16:22,520 –> 00:16:25,600
\nShe could barely survive chapter
\n1. <\/p>\n

244
\n00:16:27,480 –> 00:16:29,400
\nLet’s just remind ourselves what
\nhappens because it says in <\/p>\n

245
\n00:16:29,400 –> 00:16:31,520
\nchapter 1, verse one.
\nNow it came to pass in the days <\/p>\n

246
\n00:16:31,520 –> 00:16:34,160
\nwhen the judges ruled that there
\nwas a famine in the land and a <\/p>\n

247
\n00:16:34,160 –> 00:16:36,960
\ncertain man of Bethlehem, Judah
\nwent to dwell in the country of <\/p>\n

248
\n00:16:36,960 –> 00:16:38,960
\nMoab, he and his wife and his
\ntwo sons. <\/p>\n

249
\n00:16:39,120 –> 00:16:40,440
\nThe name of that man was
\nElimelech. <\/p>\n

250
\n00:16:40,440 –> 00:16:43,000
\nIn the name of his wife was
\nNaomi, and the names of his two <\/p>\n

251
\n00:16:43,000 –> 00:16:46,400
\nsons were Malhan and Chilion,
\nEphrathites of Bethlehem, Judah.<\/p>\n

252
\n00:16:47,280 –> 00:16:49,440
\nAnd they went to the country of
\nMoab and remained there. <\/p>\n

253
\n00:16:49,920 –> 00:16:54,400
\nThen Elimelech Naomi’s husband
\ndied, and she was left, and her <\/p>\n

254
\n00:16:54,400 –> 00:16:56,720
\ntwo sons.
\nNow they took wives of the women<\/p>\n

255
\n00:16:56,720 –> 00:16:58,880
\nof Moab.
\nThe name of 1 was Orpa, and the <\/p>\n

256
\n00:16:58,880 –> 00:17:02,200
\nname of the other Ruth, and they
\ndwelt there about 10 years. <\/p>\n

257
\n00:17:02,800 –> 00:17:05,880
\nThen the brother, then both
\nMahon and Chilian also died. <\/p>\n

258
\n00:17:06,240 –> 00:17:09,480
\nSo the women survived her two
\nsons and her husband. <\/p>\n

259
\n00:17:11,720 –> 00:17:17,680
\nSo her husband dies, her sons
\ndie, her security disappears, <\/p>\n

260
\n00:17:17,680 –> 00:17:22,240
\nher future seems hopeless.
\nAnd eventually we read in, in <\/p>\n

261
\n00:17:22,240 –> 00:17:25,760
\nverse 20, she’s come back to
\nBethlehem saying call me Mara, <\/p>\n

262
\n00:17:25,760 –> 00:17:29,640
\ncall me bitter.
\nImagine the emotional burden <\/p>\n

263
\n00:17:29,720 –> 00:17:31,960
\nshe’s faced to get to that
\nmoment of declaration. <\/p>\n

264
\n00:17:33,280 –> 00:17:38,520
\nImagine the questions, the
\nprayers at night which seem <\/p>\n

265
\n00:17:38,520 –> 00:17:41,680
\nunanswered, the Knights
\nwondering why? <\/p>\n

266
\n00:17:41,680 –> 00:17:47,240
\nWhy is this happening to me?
\nLord help me. <\/p>\n

267
\n00:17:49,440 –> 00:17:52,360
\nAnd many of you here will have
\nknown similar moments. <\/p>\n

268
\n00:17:53,120 –> 00:17:56,520
\nThe loss of health, the loss of
\na loved one, the loss of <\/p>\n

269
\n00:17:56,520 –> 00:18:00,080
\ncertainty.
\nAnd perhaps like Naomi, we’ve, <\/p>\n

270
\n00:18:00,280 –> 00:18:03,600
\nwe’ve wondered where was God?
\nWhere are you? <\/p>\n

271
\n00:18:05,640 –> 00:18:08,480
\nPerhaps we’ve we’ve felt bitter.
\nPerhaps we’ve called ourselves <\/p>\n

272
\n00:18:08,480 –> 00:18:12,560
\nbitter.
\nYet the extraordinary thing here<\/p>\n

273
\n00:18:12,560 –> 00:18:15,720
\nabout the story of Ruth is that
\nwhile Naomi is feeling <\/p>\n

274
\n00:18:15,720 –> 00:18:20,880
\nabandoned, the God behind the
\ncurtain is orchestrating <\/p>\n

275
\n00:18:20,880 –> 00:18:24,840
\nredemption.
\nEvery event is moving towards a <\/p>\n

276
\n00:18:24,840 –> 00:18:28,800
\npurpose that she cannot see yet.
\nAnd that’s the Providence we <\/p>\n

277
\n00:18:28,800 –> 00:18:33,000
\noften miss and come to chapter
\n2, one of those beautiful <\/p>\n

278
\n00:18:33,000 –> 00:18:39,840
\nphrases there and verse 3, she
\nhappened, Ruth happened to come <\/p>\n

279
\n00:18:39,840 –> 00:18:45,000
\nto the field of Boaz or Hap, you
\nknow, in the King James humanly <\/p>\n

280
\n00:18:45,000 –> 00:18:50,440
\nspeaking, coincidence,
\nbiblically speaking, Providence.<\/p>\n

281
\n00:18:52,520 –> 00:18:55,040
\nNow I remember speaking to a
\nbrother many years ago who’s <\/p>\n

282
\n00:18:55,040 –> 00:18:59,320
\nreflecting on his baptism.
\nHe told me about a seemingly <\/p>\n

283
\n00:18:59,880 –> 00:19:03,520
\nordinary day in his life when he
\nmissed a train and he was <\/p>\n

284
\n00:19:03,520 –> 00:19:06,080
\nfrustrated.
\nHe was waiting on the platform, <\/p>\n

285
\n00:19:06,080 –> 00:19:08,600
\nsitting down sometimes, looking
\nat the screen, trying to work <\/p>\n

286
\n00:19:08,600 –> 00:19:10,640
\nout what he was going to do.
\nThis isn’t the days before <\/p>\n

287
\n00:19:10,880 –> 00:19:13,360
\neveryone had a mobile phone,
\nunaware what to do. <\/p>\n

288
\n00:19:15,160 –> 00:19:18,760
\nUnaware that what felt like an
\ninconvenience at the time would <\/p>\n

289
\n00:19:18,760 –> 00:19:20,320
\nbecome a turning point in his
\nlife. <\/p>\n

290
\n00:19:21,440 –> 00:19:23,800
\nBecause while he waited, he
\nstruck up a conversation with a <\/p>\n

291
\n00:19:23,800 –> 00:19:27,680
\nsister lasted about 10:15
\nminutes. <\/p>\n

292
\n00:19:27,680 –> 00:19:29,560
\nNothing dramatic happened.
\nThere was no miracle. <\/p>\n

293
\n00:19:29,560 –> 00:19:32,800
\nThere was no sudden train which
\nappeared, no vision, no voice <\/p>\n

294
\n00:19:32,800 –> 00:19:35,240
\nfrom heaven.
\nJust a simple conversation <\/p>\n

295
\n00:19:36,040 –> 00:19:39,400
\nbetween two people.
\nYet that brief encounter led to <\/p>\n

296
\n00:19:39,400 –> 00:19:42,840
\nan invitation to a Bible class.
\nAnd Bible classes led to a <\/p>\n

297
\n00:19:42,840 –> 00:19:44,320
\ngrowing understanding of the
\ntruth. <\/p>\n

298
\n00:19:45,400 –> 00:19:46,960
\nThat understanding led to
\nbaptism. <\/p>\n

299
\n00:19:46,960 –> 00:19:51,000
\nAnd a baptism led to embarking
\non a lifetime of service to God.<\/p>\n

300
\n00:19:52,200 –> 00:19:54,800
\nAnd many years later he was
\nlooking back over the path his <\/p>\n

301
\n00:19:54,800 –> 00:19:57,640
\nlife had taken.
\nAnd he said at that time I <\/p>\n

302
\n00:19:57,640 –> 00:19:59,440
\nthought I’d missed my train that
\nday. <\/p>\n

303
\n00:20:00,000 –> 00:20:03,640
\nBut then he smiled and added it
\nturned out that God had a <\/p>\n

304
\n00:20:03,640 –> 00:20:05,240
\ndifferent journey planned for
\nme. <\/p>\n

305
\n00:20:06,720 –> 00:20:09,800
\nWhat appeared to be a missed
\nconnection was in reality a <\/p>\n

306
\n00:20:09,800 –> 00:20:13,520
\ndivine appointment.
\nWhat seemed like a chance hap <\/p>\n

307
\n00:20:14,360 –> 00:20:18,160
\nwas Providence.
\nLooking back, he could see that <\/p>\n

308
\n00:20:18,160 –> 00:20:21,600
\nGod had been quietly directing
\nevents long before he recognised<\/p>\n

309
\n00:20:21,600 –> 00:20:24,080
\nhis hand.
\nAnd that is the story of Ruth, <\/p>\n

310
\n00:20:24,080 –> 00:20:28,320
\nbrothers and sisters.
\nOrdinary decisions, ordinary <\/p>\n

311
\n00:20:28,320 –> 00:20:34,320
\nencounters, ordinary days, yet
\nbehind them all is the unseen <\/p>\n

312
\n00:20:34,320 –> 00:20:36,880
\nhand of God, guiding events
\ntowards his purpose. <\/p>\n

313
\n00:20:36,880 –> 00:20:41,760
\nAnd perhaps that’s true for us
\nin many ways. <\/p>\n

314
\n00:20:41,760 –> 00:20:44,040
\nWe often ask, why is this
\nhappening to me? <\/p>\n

315
\n00:20:45,160 –> 00:20:47,760
\nYet years later, we look back
\nand realise the better question <\/p>\n

316
\n00:20:47,760 –> 00:20:53,600
\nwas what was God doing for me?
\nFor while we saw coincidence or <\/p>\n

317
\n00:20:53,680 –> 00:20:57,240
\ndisappointment or delay, our
\nFather may have been gently <\/p>\n

318
\n00:20:57,240 –> 00:21:00,800
\nleading us towards a destination
\nfar greater than the one we had <\/p>\n

319
\n00:21:00,800 –> 00:21:04,880
\nplanned ourselves.
\nBut as the story of Ruth <\/p>\n

320
\n00:21:04,880 –> 00:21:07,400
\nunfolds, Ruth arrives at the
\nfeet of Boaz. <\/p>\n

321
\n00:21:07,400 –> 00:21:09,520
\nVaried.
\nThe language is full of covenant<\/p>\n

322
\n00:21:09,520 –> 00:21:13,480
\nsignificance when here in Ruth
\nchapter 2 verse 20, Naomi <\/p>\n

323
\n00:21:13,480 –> 00:21:18,080
\nrecognises that he’s a a close
\nrelative with a right to redeem <\/p>\n

324
\n00:21:18,080 –> 00:21:21,760
\ntheir their family inheritance.
\nHe says the man is a near kin <\/p>\n

325
\n00:21:21,760 –> 00:21:24,160
\nunto US, one of our next
\nkinsmen. <\/p>\n

326
\n00:21:24,520 –> 00:21:27,880
\nHe becomes what is known as the
\ngoel in Hebrew, the kinsman <\/p>\n

327
\n00:21:28,200 –> 00:21:32,600
\nRedeemer, the one who’s willing
\nand able to restore what has <\/p>\n

328
\n00:21:32,600 –> 00:21:36,440
\nbeen lost.
\nAnd that word is beautiful. <\/p>\n

329
\n00:21:36,440 –> 00:21:39,240
\nThe Hebrew word is not really a
\nrescuer, not merely a <\/p>\n

330
\n00:21:39,240 –> 00:21:42,400
\nbenefactor.
\nHe’s a family Redeemer. <\/p>\n

331
\n00:21:44,440 –> 00:21:46,920
\nAnd the theme with the goel
\ndevelops through the book, <\/p>\n

332
\n00:21:46,920 –> 00:21:50,320
\nparticularly in in Ruth chapter
\n3 and verse 9 where Ruth asked <\/p>\n

333
\n00:21:50,320 –> 00:21:54,400
\nBoaz to spread thy skirt.
\nAnd that that Hebrew word there <\/p>\n

334
\n00:21:54,400 –> 00:21:59,320
\nfor skirt in chapter 3 verse 9
\nis the Hebrew word kenaf or <\/p>\n

335
\n00:21:59,320 –> 00:22:03,000
\nwing.
\nSpread it over her because He is<\/p>\n

336
\n00:22:03,000 –> 00:22:07,080
\nthe goel and that that connects
\ndirectly to Ruth 2, verse 12, <\/p>\n

337
\n00:22:07,080 –> 00:22:10,360
\nwhere Boaz has commended Ruth
\nfor seeking refuge under <\/p>\n

338
\n00:22:10,360 –> 00:22:13,480
\nYahweh’s wings, the the same
\nHebrew word, Kanath. <\/p>\n

339
\n00:22:15,440 –> 00:22:20,560
\nRuth first sought shelter under
\nGod’s wings, and then God <\/p>\n

340
\n00:22:21,120 –> 00:22:24,840
\nprovided refuge through Boaz,
\nhis chosen Redeemer. <\/p>\n

341
\n00:22:26,560 –> 00:22:29,680
\nAnd by Ruth chapter 4, Boaz
\nformally fulfills that role of <\/p>\n

342
\n00:22:29,680 –> 00:22:32,520
\nthe Goel, the Redeemer,
\nredeeming both the inheritance <\/p>\n

343
\n00:22:32,760 –> 00:22:35,720
\nand Ruth herself.
\nAnd we know it in that way. <\/p>\n

344
\n00:22:35,720 –> 00:22:39,480
\nHe’s a powerful type of Christ
\nthrough whom God’s redeeming <\/p>\n

345
\n00:22:39,480 –> 00:22:44,840
\ncare is ultimately revealed.
\nOur minds are drawn to someone <\/p>\n

346
\n00:22:44,840 –> 00:22:48,600
\nwho enters into your problem,
\nalthough it was his own. <\/p>\n

347
\n00:22:49,880 –> 00:22:53,520
\nOur minds are drawn to Christ
\nbecause that’s exactly what he <\/p>\n

348
\n00:22:53,520 –> 00:22:56,720
\ndid.
\nHebrews we know very well, tells<\/p>\n

349
\n00:22:56,720 –> 00:23:02,400
\nus He shared our nature.
\nFor as much then as the children<\/p>\n

350
\n00:23:02,400 –> 00:23:05,200
\nare partakers of flesh and
\nblood, He also Himself likewise <\/p>\n

351
\n00:23:05,440 –> 00:23:07,920
\ntook part of the same, that
\nthrough death He might destroy <\/p>\n

352
\n00:23:07,920 –> 00:23:11,200
\nHim that had the power of death.
\nThat is the devil. <\/p>\n

353
\n00:23:13,960 –> 00:23:16,280
\nThis 18 of that same chapter in
\nHebrews Feridnad. <\/p>\n

354
\n00:23:16,280 –> 00:23:19,720
\nHe Himself hath suffered being
\ntempted, He is able to succor <\/p>\n

355
\n00:23:19,720 –> 00:23:23,480
\nthem that are tempted.
\nChrist experienced our <\/p>\n

356
\n00:23:23,480 –> 00:23:27,280
\nweaknesses, He faced our
\ntemptations, He bore our <\/p>\n

357
\n00:23:27,280 –> 00:23:29,880
\nburdens.
\nHe became our near kinsman so <\/p>\n

358
\n00:23:29,880 –> 00:23:31,440
\nthat he might become our
\nRedeemer. <\/p>\n

359
\n00:23:33,640 –> 00:23:37,720
\nAnd with the background concept
\nof being known, having a God who<\/p>\n

360
\n00:23:37,720 –> 00:23:41,320
\nnotices, who knows us.
\nThere’s something else beautiful<\/p>\n

361
\n00:23:41,320 –> 00:23:44,200
\nabout Boaz because he notices
\nRuth. <\/p>\n

362
\n00:23:45,440 –> 00:23:50,240
\nOthers saw a poor widow, a
\nforeigner, A Moabite S, someone <\/p>\n

363
\n00:23:50,760 –> 00:23:57,840
\ngathering scraps.
\nBut Boaz, he saw faith, he saw <\/p>\n

364
\n00:23:57,880 –> 00:24:02,160
\ncharacter, he saw integrity.
\nAnd brothers and sisters, <\/p>\n

365
\n00:24:02,160 –> 00:24:04,720
\nPerhaps one of the greatest
\nneeds in our age is to remember <\/p>\n

366
\n00:24:04,720 –> 00:24:07,400
\nthat God notices things the
\nworld doesn’t. <\/p>\n

367
\n00:24:08,200 –> 00:24:10,560
\nThe world around us notices
\nbeauty. <\/p>\n

368
\n00:24:11,120 –> 00:24:16,320
\nIt notices success, influence,
\npopularity, self proclamation. <\/p>\n

369
\n00:24:17,920 –> 00:24:22,720
\nBut our God notices
\nfaithfulness, kindness, <\/p>\n

370
\n00:24:23,600 –> 00:24:29,960
\npatience, quiet service,
\nintegrity, the things that are <\/p>\n

371
\n00:24:29,960 –> 00:24:33,280
\noften overlooked by everyone
\nelse, the quiet attitude of <\/p>\n

372
\n00:24:33,280 –> 00:24:36,360
\nservice, dedication to our
\necclesia. <\/p>\n

373
\n00:24:37,480 –> 00:24:39,800
\nPerhaps you’re raising a family
\nand you’re exhausted. <\/p>\n

374
\n00:24:39,920 –> 00:24:43,560
\nYou’ve struggled to get up today
\nbecause all night you’ve been <\/p>\n

375
\n00:24:43,560 –> 00:24:46,080
\nawake with a child.
\nYou’ve managed to get the kids <\/p>\n

376
\n00:24:46,080 –> 00:24:48,640
\nready to go to the ecclesia and
\nyou just about make it. <\/p>\n

377
\n00:24:49,160 –> 00:24:52,080
\nBut perhaps you’ve had to run
\nout with the little one, most of<\/p>\n

378
\n00:24:52,080 –> 00:24:56,240
\nthe talk, or most of their
\nmeeting, and you’ve just about <\/p>\n

379
\n00:24:56,240 –> 00:24:59,120
\nmade it.
\nAnd you’re there in the lobby, <\/p>\n

380
\n00:24:59,440 –> 00:25:03,040
\nthe classically cramped cry room
\nperhaps from most of our halls, <\/p>\n

381
\n00:25:03,040 –> 00:25:06,800
\nand you’re trying your best.
\nAnd yet you feel like that. <\/p>\n

382
\n00:25:06,800 –> 00:25:09,480
\nTimes whizzed by in an absolute
\nblur. <\/p>\n

383
\n00:25:10,040 –> 00:25:12,760
\nYou’ve barely heard the talk,
\nyou had little interaction, and <\/p>\n

384
\n00:25:12,760 –> 00:25:17,920
\nthen you’ve headed home.
\nYou may understandably sometimes<\/p>\n

385
\n00:25:17,920 –> 00:25:23,920
\nask, was it even worth it?
\nWell, the simple answer is yes, <\/p>\n

386
\n00:25:24,480 –> 00:25:27,040
\nbecause these moments are not
\nmissed by God. <\/p>\n

387
\n00:25:27,680 –> 00:25:29,840
\nPerhaps you’ve got older
\nchildren and the weight of <\/p>\n

388
\n00:25:29,840 –> 00:25:33,080
\nconcern for them leaves you
\nweary and anxious about what <\/p>\n

389
\n00:25:33,080 –> 00:25:36,960
\nchallenges are coming in your
\nlife or going on right now. <\/p>\n

390
\n00:25:37,240 –> 00:25:40,760
\nPerhaps you’re carrying health
\nworries, financial pressures, <\/p>\n

391
\n00:25:41,760 –> 00:25:44,240
\nemotional burdens that seem
\noverwhelming. <\/p>\n

392
\n00:25:44,920 –> 00:25:50,440
\nMaybe loneliness has settled in,
\nand coming along to the ecclesia<\/p>\n

393
\n00:25:50,440 –> 00:25:55,640
\nitself feels difficult from a
\nplace of isolation. <\/p>\n

394
\n00:25:57,640 –> 00:26:00,560
\nYou may be troubled by choices
\nbeing made around you. <\/p>\n

395
\n00:26:01,520 –> 00:26:05,920
\nYou feel disappointed,
\nconflicted, discouraged. <\/p>\n

396
\n00:26:06,800 –> 00:26:10,800
\nAnd so the question arises,
\nshould I stay home or should I <\/p>\n

397
\n00:26:10,800 –> 00:26:15,040
\ngo?
\nYet it’s often those very days <\/p>\n

398
\n00:26:15,040 –> 00:26:19,560
\nwhen attendance feels hardest
\nthat we actually need the <\/p>\n

399
\n00:26:19,560 –> 00:26:22,000
\nfellowship of God’s family the
\nmost. <\/p>\n

400
\n00:26:24,120 –> 00:26:27,520
\nThe Father sees the struggle
\nthat others cannot see. <\/p>\n

401
\n00:26:27,960 –> 00:26:31,120
\nHe knows the effort that it’s
\ntaken for you to be present here<\/p>\n

402
\n00:26:31,120 –> 00:26:34,960
\ntoday.
\nHe knows you like Ruth, gleaning<\/p>\n

403
\n00:26:34,960 –> 00:26:40,480
\nfaithfully one day at a time.
\nGod notices those quiet acts of <\/p>\n

404
\n00:26:40,480 –> 00:26:47,040
\nservice in your life.
\nHe delights in those who <\/p>\n

405
\n00:26:47,040 –> 00:26:50,440
\ncontinue to seek Him even when
\nthe path is difficult. <\/p>\n

406
\n00:26:51,240 –> 00:26:53,160
\nThese actions are not missed by
\nGod. <\/p>\n

407
\n00:26:53,400 –> 00:26:57,000
\nHe knows who we are and who we
\nserve. <\/p>\n

408
\n00:26:59,240 –> 00:27:02,040
\nAnd as we live our lives in our
\neccleses, we’re reminded in our <\/p>\n

409
\n00:27:02,040 –> 00:27:05,120
\nreadings in Revelation 1:00 and
\n2:00 today that Christ is <\/p>\n

410
\n00:27:05,120 –> 00:27:08,160
\nwalking among the lampstands.
\nLet’s come to our final reading <\/p>\n

411
\n00:27:08,200 –> 00:27:15,080
\ntoday in Revelation chapter 1,
\nbecause here we’re reminded that<\/p>\n

412
\n00:27:15,080 –> 00:27:18,840
\nthose types of the ecclesias,
\nand they’re so relevant for us <\/p>\n

413
\n00:27:18,840 –> 00:27:22,960
\nnow in our lives, that in
\nRevelation chapter 1, John <\/p>\n

414
\n00:27:23,040 –> 00:27:26,880
\nturns, we read, and he sees
\nChrist, not the suffering <\/p>\n

415
\n00:27:26,880 –> 00:27:31,080
\nservant, not as the man hanging
\non a cross, but this glorified, <\/p>\n

416
\n00:27:31,080 –> 00:27:34,600
\nmajestic, powerful Christ.
\nAnd where is He? <\/p>\n

417
\n00:27:36,040 –> 00:27:38,280
\nHe’s among the lampstands, among
\nthe ecclesias. <\/p>\n

418
\n00:27:38,280 –> 00:27:40,480
\nLet’s read from verses 12 and
\n13. <\/p>\n

419
\n00:27:40,480 –> 00:27:44,320
\nAnd he says, I turned to see the
\nvoice that spake with me, and <\/p>\n

420
\n00:27:44,320 –> 00:27:47,920
\nbeing turned, I saw 7 golden
\ncandlesticks, And in the midst <\/p>\n

421
\n00:27:47,920 –> 00:27:50,640
\nof the seven candlesticks one
\nlike unto the Son of Man, <\/p>\n

422
\n00:27:50,880 –> 00:27:53,880
\nclothed with a garment down to
\nthe foot, and girt about the <\/p>\n

423
\n00:27:53,880 –> 00:27:59,200
\npaps with a golden girdle.
\nAnd that image should be deeply <\/p>\n

424
\n00:27:59,200 –> 00:28:02,720
\ncomforting to us.
\nBrothers and sisters, Christ is <\/p>\n

425
\n00:28:02,720 –> 00:28:07,760
\nnot distant, He’s not detached,
\nHe’s not uninterested in what <\/p>\n

426
\n00:28:07,760 –> 00:28:09,560
\nhappens right here in your
\necclesia. <\/p>\n

427
\n00:28:11,040 –> 00:28:15,080
\nHe walks amongst his people.
\nAnd seven times I alluded to it <\/p>\n

428
\n00:28:15,080 –> 00:28:20,880
\nbefore, but in chapters 2 and
\nthree he says I know, I know, I <\/p>\n

429
\n00:28:20,880 –> 00:28:29,680
\nknow, I know, I know, I know, I
\nknow. 7 times not I’ve heard or <\/p>\n

430
\n00:28:29,680 –> 00:28:32,640
\nI suspect or I’ve been informed
\nor I’ve been told. <\/p>\n

431
\n00:28:32,640 –> 00:28:38,880
\nHe knows, and the Greek word for
\nno implies complete knowledge, <\/p>\n

432
\n00:28:39,160 –> 00:28:41,920
\nperfect awareness.
\nNothing is hidden from Him. <\/p>\n

433
\n00:28:42,200 –> 00:28:44,280
\nNothing is overlooked.
\nNothing is forgotten. <\/p>\n

434
\n00:28:44,640 –> 00:28:48,680
\nWhich means that Christ knows.
\nEvery struggle that never <\/p>\n

435
\n00:28:48,680 –> 00:28:51,720
\nappears in a prayer request
\nbecause we’re too ashamed to say<\/p>\n

436
\n00:28:51,720 –> 00:28:55,400
\nit.
\nEvery anxiety that nobody talks <\/p>\n

437
\n00:28:55,400 –> 00:28:59,280
\nabout, every private battle
\nwe’ve got going on in our life <\/p>\n

438
\n00:28:59,280 –> 00:29:02,200
\nright now.
\nEvery act of faithfulness that <\/p>\n

439
\n00:29:02,200 –> 00:29:06,760
\nnobody ever notices or
\nacknowledges, every quiet <\/p>\n

440
\n00:29:06,760 –> 00:29:11,080
\nkindness, every hidden sacrifice
\nthat we make, He knows. <\/p>\n

441
\n00:29:12,480 –> 00:29:15,840
\nAnd these lampstands are His
\necclesias. <\/p>\n

442
\n00:29:16,520 –> 00:29:20,400
\nAnd wherever our corner of the
\nvineyard is, we need to make <\/p>\n

443
\n00:29:20,400 –> 00:29:24,640
\nsure we are keeping our
\nlampstand burning, shining as <\/p>\n

444
\n00:29:24,640 –> 00:29:30,160
\nlights in a World of Darkness.
\nAnd because He knows everything,<\/p>\n

445
\n00:29:31,680 –> 00:29:35,160
\nwe need to make sure we’re
\nallowing ourselves to use the <\/p>\n

446
\n00:29:35,160 –> 00:29:40,760
\nmind of Christ to guide our
\npaths, to help us make decisions<\/p>\n

447
\n00:29:40,760 –> 00:29:42,760
\nin our lives.
\nWe need to examine ourselves <\/p>\n

448
\n00:29:42,760 –> 00:29:45,720
\nwith God’s Word.
\nAnd this is where conscience <\/p>\n

449
\n00:29:45,720 –> 00:29:50,720
\nbecomes so important because
\nconscience is the internal <\/p>\n

450
\n00:29:50,720 –> 00:29:53,920
\nwitness that reminds us that we
\nlive before God. <\/p>\n

451
\n00:29:55,200 –> 00:29:59,520
\nConscience is like a compass.
\nA compass doesn’t decide or <\/p>\n

452
\n00:29:59,520 –> 00:30:04,600
\ncreate where north is.
\nA compass simply points to <\/p>\n

453
\n00:30:04,600 –> 00:30:09,520
\nnorth.
\nSimilarly, conscience doesn’t <\/p>\n

454
\n00:30:09,520 –> 00:30:14,280
\ncreate truth, it responds to the
\ntruth that God has revealed, <\/p>\n

455
\n00:30:16,120 –> 00:30:19,280
\nPaul writes in Romans 2.
\nFor when the Gentiles, which do <\/p>\n

456
\n00:30:19,280 –> 00:30:22,040
\nnot have the law, do by nature
\nthe things contained in the law,<\/p>\n

457
\n00:30:22,320 –> 00:30:24,960
\ntheir conscience bears and
\nwitness. <\/p>\n

458
\n00:30:26,000 –> 00:30:30,240
\nSo our conscience, conscience
\nbears US witness. <\/p>\n

459
\n00:30:30,240 –> 00:30:34,120
\nIt bears witness to us, it
\ntestifies and it reminds us. <\/p>\n

460
\n00:30:35,920 –> 00:30:40,760
\nBut just like a physical
\ncompass, it can be damaged, it <\/p>\n

461
\n00:30:40,760 –> 00:30:44,600
\ncan be misaligned.
\nOur conscience can become weak, <\/p>\n

462
\n00:30:44,880 –> 00:30:48,080
\nignored, or distorted.
\nMaybe there’s some magnetic <\/p>\n

463
\n00:30:48,080 –> 00:30:50,600
\nfield we’re influencing our
\ncompass with, with our own <\/p>\n

464
\n00:30:50,600 –> 00:30:55,360
\nideologies.
\nThat’s why we’ve must use and <\/p>\n

465
\n00:30:55,360 –> 00:30:58,480
\neducate our conscience through
\nGod’s Word. <\/p>\n

466
\n00:30:58,520 –> 00:31:02,360
\nWe need to make sure we’re
\npointing to God’s truth, not our<\/p>\n

467
\n00:31:02,360 –> 00:31:06,480
\ntruth.
\nOnce again, as a doctor, one of <\/p>\n

468
\n00:31:06,480 –> 00:31:08,920
\nthe most useful things in
\nmedicine is an early warning <\/p>\n

469
\n00:31:08,920 –> 00:31:12,240
\nsign, a sign that something’s
\ngoing wrong. <\/p>\n

470
\n00:31:13,240 –> 00:31:16,920
\nPerhaps you’re coming in with
\nchest pain, or a fever, or loss <\/p>\n

471
\n00:31:16,920 –> 00:31:19,240
\nof sensation or shortness of
\nbreath. <\/p>\n

472
\n00:31:19,680 –> 00:31:23,960
\nSymptoms to me are gifts.
\nThe symptom to you may be <\/p>\n

473
\n00:31:23,960 –> 00:31:28,400
\nunpleasant, but it alerts us to
\nsomething deeper going on, <\/p>\n

474
\n00:31:28,840 –> 00:31:32,000
\nbecause the real danger is not
\nthe pain, it’s not the symptom. <\/p>\n

475
\n00:31:32,400 –> 00:31:35,520
\nThe real danger is when the pain
\nor the symptom disappears <\/p>\n

476
\n00:31:36,000 –> 00:31:39,840
\nbecause the warning system is
\ngone and the problem becomes <\/p>\n

477
\n00:31:39,840 –> 00:31:43,080
\nmuch worse.
\nWhen there’s no warning signals,<\/p>\n

478
\n00:31:43,200 –> 00:31:49,080
\neventually disaster occurs.
\nConscience works the same way. <\/p>\n

479
\n00:31:50,360 –> 00:31:53,640
\nConscience is one of God’s early
\nwarning systems and when <\/p>\n

480
\n00:31:53,720 –> 00:31:57,000
\nfunctioning properly alerts us
\nto what we should be doing <\/p>\n

481
\n00:31:57,000 –> 00:31:59,480
\nbefore we drift too far from
\nGod. <\/p>\n

482
\n00:32:00,640 –> 00:32:04,720
\nPaul says in Acts herein do I
\nexercise myself to always have a<\/p>\n

483
\n00:32:04,720 –> 00:32:08,600
\nconscience void of offence
\ntowards God and towards men. <\/p>\n

484
\n00:32:08,600 –> 00:32:13,200
\nActs 24 verse 16 he says he
\ndoesn’t hope for a good <\/p>\n

485
\n00:32:13,200 –> 00:32:16,400
\nconscience.
\nHe doesn’t just wait for it, he <\/p>\n

486
\n00:32:16,560 –> 00:32:20,720
\nexercises himself.
\nIt requires effort, it requires <\/p>\n

487
\n00:32:20,720 –> 00:32:24,120
\ntraining, it requires practice
\nand deliberate choices in your <\/p>\n

488
\n00:32:24,120 –> 00:32:27,240
\nlife.
\nAnd the same is true for us. <\/p>\n

489
\n00:32:28,520 –> 00:32:33,240
\nThe discomfort we feel before a
\nsin is often a mercy. <\/p>\n

490
\n00:32:34,880 –> 00:32:37,000
\nThe danger is not hearing a
\nconscience. <\/p>\n

491
\n00:32:37,000 –> 00:32:39,000
\nThe danger is no longer hearing
\nit. <\/p>\n

492
\n00:32:40,800 –> 00:32:42,920
\nIf you notice when you hear a
\nloud noise, it grabs your <\/p>\n

493
\n00:32:42,920 –> 00:32:46,440
\nattention, but after repeatedly
\nhearing it, you start to stop <\/p>\n

494
\n00:32:46,960 –> 00:32:49,600
\nhearing it, stop noticing it,
\nyou habituate to it. <\/p>\n

495
\n00:32:50,320 –> 00:32:55,240
\nConscience works similarly.
\nMaybe a first lie feels <\/p>\n

496
\n00:32:55,240 –> 00:32:59,120
\nuncomfortable, the second is
\neasier, but eventually the <\/p>\n

497
\n00:32:59,120 –> 00:33:02,760
\ndiscomfort fades and it no
\nlonger bothers us because the <\/p>\n

498
\n00:33:02,760 –> 00:33:06,200
\nconscience is distorted and
\nwe’re warned about that. <\/p>\n

499
\n00:33:06,680 –> 00:33:09,280
\nIn First Timothy 4, verse 2,
\nPaul warned the people, saying <\/p>\n

500
\n00:33:09,280 –> 00:33:12,320
\nthey’re in the last days.
\nThis Is Us brothers and sisters <\/p>\n

501
\n00:33:12,800 –> 00:33:16,240
\nhaving their conscience seared
\nwith a hot iron. <\/p>\n

502
\n00:33:17,640 –> 00:33:20,640
\nWhat does that mean?
\nWell, essentially we have seared<\/p>\n

503
\n00:33:22,080 –> 00:33:26,000
\nour skin, our nerves.
\nIt becomes numb, numb and <\/p>\n

504
\n00:33:26,000 –> 00:33:31,680
\ninsensitive and able to respond.
\nSo a seared conscience loses <\/p>\n

505
\n00:33:31,920 –> 00:33:35,080
\nresponsiveness.
\nThe danger isn’t merely <\/p>\n

506
\n00:33:35,080 –> 00:33:38,840
\ncommitting one wrong act.
\nThe danger is becoming <\/p>\n

507
\n00:33:38,840 –> 00:33:42,000
\ncomfortable with it, and we no
\nlonger even know it’s wrong. <\/p>\n

508
\n00:33:43,720 –> 00:33:47,920
\nMedically speaking, when you see
\nyourself with an iron, losing <\/p>\n

509
\n00:33:47,920 –> 00:33:50,240
\nsensation is one of the things
\nyou see. <\/p>\n

510
\n00:33:50,240 –> 00:33:52,080
\nWe think of burns in the old
\nage. <\/p>\n

511
\n00:33:52,080 –> 00:33:54,520
\nWe used to talk about them as
\nfirst, second and third degree, <\/p>\n

512
\n00:33:54,960 –> 00:33:56,680
\nmaybe more.
\nNow partial thickness and <\/p>\n

513
\n00:33:57,240 –> 00:34:01,200
\nsuperficial and full thickness.
\nA shallow burn may affect the <\/p>\n

514
\n00:34:01,200 –> 00:34:06,640
\nsensation, it might cause
\ntingling, affect how we respond <\/p>\n

515
\n00:34:06,640 –> 00:34:09,120
\nto our how our nerves respond to
\nstimulus. <\/p>\n

516
\n00:34:09,960 –> 00:34:14,560
\nBut if we leave the iron on
\nthere for a long, long time, we <\/p>\n

517
\n00:34:14,560 –> 00:34:18,000
\nresult in a full thickness burn
\nand from that the nerves may <\/p>\n

518
\n00:34:18,000 –> 00:34:22,639
\nnever recover.
\nFollowing a burn, you get a <\/p>\n

519
\n00:34:22,639 –> 00:34:27,159
\nscar.
\nWe have to choose how we’re <\/p>\n

520
\n00:34:27,159 –> 00:34:31,360
\ngoing to try and restore our
\nintegrity of the scar. <\/p>\n

521
\n00:34:31,360 –> 00:34:36,280
\nMaybe you’re going to need to
\nmanipulate it, massage it, put <\/p>\n

522
\n00:34:36,280 –> 00:34:39,159
\nspecial oils and creams on it.
\nIf you have got a full thickness<\/p>\n

523
\n00:34:39,159 –> 00:34:44,040
\nscar there.
\nEvery time we ignore our <\/p>\n

524
\n00:34:44,040 –> 00:34:47,080
\nconscience, we make it easier to
\nignore the next time. <\/p>\n

525
\n00:34:47,719 –> 00:34:51,480
\nAnd spiritual numbness is every
\nbit as dangerous as physical <\/p>\n

526
\n00:34:51,480 –> 00:34:54,719
\nnumbers.
\nThe challenge today is we live <\/p>\n

527
\n00:34:54,719 –> 00:34:57,760
\nin a world which aggressively
\nshapes our conscience. <\/p>\n

528
\n00:34:58,240 –> 00:35:00,680
\nThere’s a battle for our our
\nidentity. <\/p>\n

529
\n00:35:01,600 –> 00:35:04,040
\nEveryday voices compete for our
\nattention. <\/p>\n

530
\n00:35:04,520 –> 00:35:09,000
\nAdvertisements, politics, media,
\nsocial media, entertainment, <\/p>\n

531
\n00:35:09,440 –> 00:35:12,520
\nalgorithms.
\nThey’re designed to influence <\/p>\n

532
\n00:35:12,520 –> 00:35:14,600
\nhow we think, particularly our
\nyoung people. <\/p>\n

533
\n00:35:15,840 –> 00:35:21,000
\nThe world constantly says follow
\nyour heart, but Scripture says <\/p>\n

534
\n00:35:21,000 –> 00:35:26,520
\nthat let this mind be in you.
\nThe world says express yourself,<\/p>\n

535
\n00:35:27,360 –> 00:35:31,920
\nbut Christ says deny yourself.
\nThe world says become who you <\/p>\n

536
\n00:35:31,920 –> 00:35:38,440
\nwant to be, but God says become
\nwho I am shaping you to be. <\/p>\n

537
\n00:35:39,120 –> 00:35:42,360
\nAnd those are fundamentally
\ndifferent ideologies, different <\/p>\n

538
\n00:35:42,360 –> 00:35:45,960
\nideas.
\nAnd every day we choose whose <\/p>\n

539
\n00:35:45,960 –> 00:35:51,400
\nvoice we’re going to follow.
\nBecause small decisions build <\/p>\n

540
\n00:35:51,400 –> 00:35:53,840
\ncharacter.
\nAnd it’s important to remember <\/p>\n

541
\n00:35:54,000 –> 00:35:57,680
\nthat most spiritual failures
\ndon’t begin with a dramatic <\/p>\n

542
\n00:35:58,400 –> 00:36:02,560
\nrebellion.
\nThey begin with tiny, tiny <\/p>\n

543
\n00:36:02,880 –> 00:36:05,760
\ncompromises.
\nA neglected prayer. <\/p>\n

544
\n00:36:05,800 –> 00:36:12,360
\nPerhaps a missed reading, a
\ntolerated attitude, a private <\/p>\n

545
\n00:36:12,520 –> 00:36:16,920
\ninternal rationalisation, A
\ngradual decline in our physical <\/p>\n

546
\n00:36:16,960 –> 00:36:22,600
\necclesial attendance.
\nAnd if we think of conscience, <\/p>\n

547
\n00:36:22,600 –> 00:36:25,680
\nlike the monitoring alarms in
\nperhaps the intensive care unit,<\/p>\n

548
\n00:36:25,840 –> 00:36:29,360
\ninitially every abnormality
\ntriggers a reaction, an <\/p>\n

549
\n00:36:29,360 –> 00:36:32,040
\nattention.
\nBut if the alarms are constantly<\/p>\n

550
\n00:36:32,040 –> 00:36:36,880
\nsounding and ignored, eventually
\npeople stop responding to them. <\/p>\n

551
\n00:36:38,160 –> 00:36:40,680
\nThe alarm isn’t changing, but
\nthe listener has. <\/p>\n

552
\n00:36:41,720 –> 00:36:44,040
\nThe same thing can happen happen
\nto us spiritually. <\/p>\n

553
\n00:36:45,000 –> 00:36:46,880
\nThe first compromise troubles
\nus. <\/p>\n

554
\n00:36:47,360 –> 00:36:50,520
\nThe second troubles us less.
\nEventually we stop hearing that <\/p>\n

555
\n00:36:50,520 –> 00:36:52,920
\nwarning and we carry on
\nregardless. <\/p>\n

556
\n00:36:53,400 –> 00:36:56,280
\nAnd sometimes, in our journey of
\nconvincing ourselves, we create <\/p>\n

557
\n00:36:56,280 –> 00:37:00,440
\na whole new narrative, often
\ndirectly impacted by secular <\/p>\n

558
\n00:37:00,440 –> 00:37:03,560
\nsociety, and we frame ourselves
\nto that metric. <\/p>\n

559
\n00:37:04,320 –> 00:37:07,440
\nAnd we can be guilty of
\nforgetting that we are to be <\/p>\n

560
\n00:37:07,440 –> 00:37:12,440
\nfitly framed to Christ as the
\ncornerstone, not with new <\/p>\n

561
\n00:37:12,440 –> 00:37:18,200
\nadjusted moral relativity based
\noff our lived experience or our <\/p>\n

562
\n00:37:18,320 –> 00:37:22,280
\nvalue system.
\nWe are fitly framed to the <\/p>\n

563
\n00:37:22,280 –> 00:37:27,080
\ncornerstone.
\nWhich is why Scripture <\/p>\n

564
\n00:37:27,080 –> 00:37:32,200
\nrepeatedly says today, if you
\nwill hear his voice today, not <\/p>\n

565
\n00:37:32,200 –> 00:37:37,320
\ntomorrow, today hear his voice,
\nnot ours, not yours. <\/p>\n

566
\n00:37:39,080 –> 00:37:43,920
\nWe have to frame ourself to Him,
\nnot to any new age ideology. <\/p>\n

567
\n00:37:45,320 –> 00:37:48,200
\nAnd that’s why I keep
\nreferencing that Philippians <\/p>\n

568
\n00:37:48,200 –> 00:37:52,360
\nverse, Philippians 2, verse 5.
\nLet this mind be in you, which <\/p>\n

569
\n00:37:52,360 –> 00:37:56,920
\nwas also in Christ Jesus,
\nbecause developing a conscience <\/p>\n

570
\n00:37:56,920 –> 00:37:58,720
\nis about developing the mind of
\nChrist. <\/p>\n

571
\n00:37:59,920 –> 00:38:01,920
\nAnd we think about Christ every
\ntime he was tempted in the <\/p>\n

572
\n00:38:01,920 –> 00:38:04,000
\nwilderness.
\nHe didn’t rely on his feelings. <\/p>\n

573
\n00:38:04,000 –> 00:38:05,960
\nHe didn’t rely on lived
\nexperience. <\/p>\n

574
\n00:38:05,960 –> 00:38:09,520
\nHe relied on Scripture.
\nEvery temptations written, <\/p>\n

575
\n00:38:09,600 –> 00:38:14,240
\nanswered with it is written.
\nHis thinking had been shaped <\/p>\n

576
\n00:38:14,240 –> 00:38:18,320
\nentirely by God’s Word.
\nAnd that’s why daily reading of <\/p>\n

577
\n00:38:18,320 –> 00:38:22,480
\nthe Bible matters so much.
\nNot because we’re ticking a box,<\/p>\n

578
\n00:38:23,280 –> 00:38:26,600
\nnot because we’re trying to
\nimpress God, but because our <\/p>\n

579
\n00:38:26,600 –> 00:38:31,280
\nconscience cannot be stronger
\nthan the truth we place into it.<\/p>\n

580
\n00:38:32,600 –> 00:38:35,800
\nThe more we let Scripture fill
\nour minds, the more accurately <\/p>\n

581
\n00:38:35,800 –> 00:38:39,800
\nour conscience can guide us.
\nAnd the simplest reason we have <\/p>\n

582
\n00:38:39,800 –> 00:38:44,680
\na conscience is because our
\nfaith, because of our faith. <\/p>\n

583
\n00:38:45,320 –> 00:38:48,920
\nAnd we know from the Bible that
\nthat faith comes by hearing, and<\/p>\n

584
\n00:38:48,920 –> 00:38:53,880
\nhearing by the Word of God.
\nSo for our final verse, come <\/p>\n

585
\n00:38:53,880 –> 00:39:01,360
\nback with me to Isaiah 45
\nbecause it concludes with this <\/p>\n

586
\n00:39:01,360 –> 00:39:11,250
\nremarkable Kingdom vision.
\nIt says in the middle of verse <\/p>\n

587
\n00:39:11,250 –> 00:39:16,770
\n21, There is no God else beside
\nme, a just God and a Saviour. <\/p>\n

588
\n00:39:16,770 –> 00:39:21,610
\nThere is none else beside me.
\nLook unto me and be ye saved all<\/p>\n

589
\n00:39:21,610 –> 00:39:25,650
\nthe ends of the earth, for I am
\nGod, and there is none else I <\/p>\n

590
\n00:39:25,650 –> 00:39:29,250
\nhave sworn by myself.
\nThe word is gone out of my mouth<\/p>\n

591
\n00:39:29,250 –> 00:39:33,640
\nin righteousness, and shall not
\nreturn, that unto me shall every<\/p>\n

592
\n00:39:33,640 –> 00:39:36,360
\nknee bow, every tongue shall
\nswear. <\/p>\n

593
\n00:39:37,600 –> 00:39:40,120
\nAnd Paul applies those words
\ndirectly to Christ also. <\/p>\n

594
\n00:39:40,240 –> 00:39:43,440
\nThe same Christ who walks
\namongst the lampstands today, <\/p>\n

595
\n00:39:43,520 –> 00:39:48,200
\nthe same Christ who knows our
\nworks today, the same Christ who<\/p>\n

596
\n00:39:48,200 –> 00:39:53,800
\nexamines our conscience today,
\nwill one day stand openly as <\/p>\n

597
\n00:39:53,800 –> 00:39:59,400
\nking over all the earth.
\nAnd when that day comes, nobody <\/p>\n

598
\n00:39:59,400 –> 00:40:01,200
\nwill wonder who controls
\nhistory. <\/p>\n

599
\n00:40:01,840 –> 00:40:04,080
\nNobody will doubt God’s
\nProvidence. <\/p>\n

600
\n00:40:04,720 –> 00:40:06,800
\nNobody will question His
\npurpose. <\/p>\n

601
\n00:40:07,600 –> 00:40:10,760
\nEverything will be revealed.
\nEvery hidden thread, every <\/p>\n

602
\n00:40:10,760 –> 00:40:13,800
\nunseen Providence, every
\nfaithful act, every answered <\/p>\n

603
\n00:40:13,800 –> 00:40:16,000
\nprayer, every deliverance,
\neverything. <\/p>\n

604
\n00:40:17,120 –> 00:40:20,760
\nAnd perhaps we can picture Naomi
\nherself will stand in the <\/p>\n

605
\n00:40:20,760 –> 00:40:23,160
\nKingdom and finally see what God
\nwas doing all along. <\/p>\n

606
\n00:40:25,720 –> 00:40:28,800
\nSo today, as we come to our
\nmemorial emblems this morning, <\/p>\n

607
\n00:40:29,560 –> 00:40:34,800
\nlet’s remember three things.
\nLike Cyrus, we are known by God <\/p>\n

608
\n00:40:35,160 –> 00:40:37,360
\nbefore we fully understand his
\npurpose. <\/p>\n

609
\n00:40:37,760 –> 00:40:41,960
\nLike Ruth, we’re redeemed by
\ngrace through a greater Boaz. <\/p>\n

610
\n00:40:42,600 –> 00:40:45,880
\nAnd like the ecclesias of
\nRevelation, we live before the <\/p>\n

611
\n00:40:45,880 –> 00:40:50,480
\neyes of the risen Christ.
\nAnd because he knows us, let us <\/p>\n

612
\n00:40:50,480 –> 00:40:54,280
\ncultivate hearts and minds that
\nrespond quickly when our <\/p>\n

613
\n00:40:54,280 –> 00:40:58,040
\nconscience speaks.
\nLet us keep our spiritual senses<\/p>\n

614
\n00:40:58,400 –> 00:41:02,440
\nsensitive, let us continue
\nshaping our minds through <\/p>\n

615
\n00:41:02,440 –> 00:41:05,440
\nScripture.
\nLet us remember that Christ <\/p>\n

616
\n00:41:05,440 –> 00:41:08,000
\nwalks among the lampstands
\nstill. <\/p>\n

617
\n00:41:08,760 –> 00:41:11,120
\nAnd let us take comfort in this
\nwonderful truth. <\/p>\n

618
\n00:41:12,280 –> 00:41:16,640
\nThe God who calls by name, the
\nGod who guides through hidden <\/p>\n

619
\n00:41:16,640 –> 00:41:22,720
\nProvidence, the God who redeems,
\nthe God who examines, is also <\/p>\n

620
\n00:41:23,080 –> 00:41:28,040
\nthe God who saves.
\nAnd one day every knee shall <\/p>\n

621
\n00:41:28,040 –> 00:41:33,280
\nbow, every tongue shall confess,
\nand every hidden purpose will be<\/p>\n

622
\n00:41:33,280 –> 00:41:49,570
\nrevealed to His glory.
\nThank you for listening to the <\/p>\n

623
\n00:41:49,570 –> 00:41:51,170
\ngood Chris Adelphian Talks
\npodcast. <\/p>\n

624
\n00:41:51,970 –> 00:41:54,450
\nWe hope this talk helped you in
\nyour walk and brightened your <\/p>\n

625
\n00:41:54,450 –> 00:41:56,810
\nday.
\nIf you would like to hear more, <\/p>\n

626
\n00:41:56,810 –> 00:41:58,570
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\n00:41:59,000 –> 00:42:02,200
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628
\n00:42:03,320 –> 00:42:05,800
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629
\n00:42:05,800 –> 00:42:07,720
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630
\n00:42:08,640 –> 00:42:11,320
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631
\n00:42:11,320 –> 00:42:15,240
\nourwebsite@goodchristadelphiantalks.com
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636
\n00:42:27,680 –> 00:42:29,400
\nwell.
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637
\n00:42:29,400 –> 00:42:32,080
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640
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\nThank you for listening. <\/p>\n

641
\n00:42:41,600 –> 00:42:43,560
\nGod bless and talk to you next
\nweek.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This week’s talk is an exhortation by Brother Sam Snelling titled “Known by God, Redeemed by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/anchor.fm\/s\/6d15708\/podcast\/play\/124220261\/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-14%2F9fef5f94-93b6-8050-b0c9-2042191fbfd5.m4a","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:42:55","filesize":"80.62M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"tags":[],"series":[25],"class_list":["post-1519","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","series-gct"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t