1 00:00:07,490 --> 00:00:13,490 I am delighted to be here again. You know, when you come to WA, 2 00:00:13,490 --> 00:00:18,650 it's like no place on earth. And I've been to a lot of 3 00:00:18,650 --> 00:00:23,650 places. Just as Pastor Keith said, just 4 00:00:23,650 --> 00:00:27,250 last month I was in Israel for a short visit. 5 00:00:28,090 --> 00:00:31,410 We had some issues there that we're trying to deal with and 6 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,680 I'll be speaking more about that tonight about what's going on in 7 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,680 Israel and my perspective and also what's going on with our 8 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:44,480 ministries there and also bringing a message about how 9 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:48,360 good our loving Father is talking about our Father. 10 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:55,360 Just before I start this morning, excuse me, I have a 11 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:56,880 couple of things that I brought here for you. 12 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:02,120 As I did last year, I bought actually my, my wood maker is 13 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,400 back in business. So I brought you some really 14 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,920 better crosses than I did last year up here and a little prayer 15 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,560 card. And please help yourself after 16 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:13,200 the service on the condition that you take this. 17 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,360 So that and you'll keep it somewhere that you'll pray for 18 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,760 Israel. And that's kind of our heart is 19 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,240 that we just get people just to pray for Israel. 20 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,240 It is the only really, really viable. 21 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,000 Solution. Also there there's a few maps of 22 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,920 Israel and a few little gifts that we had I brought for the 23 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,720 people that are interested in going on the Israel tour that we 24 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,760 couldn't be here yesterday. And please come talk to me 25 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:38,800 afterwards. I'll be glad to give you any 26 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,240 information as far as our feelings about going to Israel. 27 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,120 I have a tour in Israel right now as we speak. 28 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,120 I just talked to Garrett this morning. 29 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:50,440 They're having a wonderful time. The weather is beautiful and 30 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:52,960 they feel that they're supposed to be there. 31 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,880 So that group is doing well. So you can see that there's 32 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:01,400 there's some movement forward. Your past is looking at a trip 33 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:05,120 for January 27. And you know, by that time 34 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,199 certainly we'll know what what's really going on in Israel and 35 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:12,760 what it would look like. For me, it's been a busy year 36 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,880 this year. Ever since October 7th, I've 37 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:23,200 really been called to really try to communicate about Israel more 38 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:24,600 and more. I mean, I love to teach the 39 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:29,160 Bible as, as, as a coward Chapel verse by verse, but I like to, I 40 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,120 feel the Lord's really leading me to do what I'm doing here 41 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,360 today. Your pastors have invited me to 42 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:40,440 do specifically what I'm doing today and I'm really encouraged 43 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,320 to be able to do that because I just feel that it's just so 44 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:48,400 important that we understand why Israel, you know, and my, my 45 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,800 title for you today is actually why Israel and the purpose of 46 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,520 Israel, because I think the purpose of Israel has a great 47 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,760 purpose for all of us as believers in Jesus Christ. 48 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,320 Before I start, I want to just thank you so much for your 49 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:05,680 commitment to us and to our our well to be a partner with us in 50 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,520 our ministry, your commitment to us, to inviting me here, your 51 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,880 commitment to us and your support of our ministry, our 52 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,080 vision, our purpose. It means a great deal to us. 53 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,200 And believe me, it really does. I look forward to and we're 54 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,240 developing kind of some ideas or maybe doing some other things 55 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,320 together in the next couple of years. 56 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,200 So we're looking forward to that opportunity and maybe I'll 57 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,760 bring. Some more charming personalities 58 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:37,840 than myself. The anti Semitic anti Israel 59 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,920 sentiments have been growing rapidly it. 60 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,840 Seems monthly. The attitudes are changing every 61 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,560 day. I spent about 45 minutes kind of 62 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:51,400 reading the papers from from Germany to England to New York 63 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:55,360 to Los Angeles and to Asia and, and you can see that there is a 64 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,200 thread in there of anti Semitic sentiment that is pretty 65 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,440 incredible and I'll talk to you more about that this morning and 66 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:07,280 why that has come about. I'll be speaking more directly 67 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,640 about what we're doing and what we can do this evening. 68 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,960 I want to mention to you as I begin this morning that in my 36 69 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:18,279 years in ministry, difficult times and situations seem to 70 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,640 come to me quite often. But you know, for me, I have 71 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,920 never seen these these situations or circumstances as 72 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,800 nothing more than opportunities, opportunities to proclaim the 73 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,840 message of an endlessly loving God, opportunities to to 74 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,760 communicate that are loving. Saving is the premise and the 75 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,400 priority of life. And the Holy Spirit will always 76 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:46,560 allow us to be everything we could never be in a very 77 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,400 complicated world. And I think that's the problem 78 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,520 from the mental gymnastics that go on in our world today with 79 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,320 the current events is just incredible. 80 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,120 And I spend much, much of my time speaking to people. 81 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,320 About that but. Hopefully, I'm always bringing 82 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,600 it back to the beacon. The beacon is right here in the 83 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,280 Word of God. So why Israel and the purpose of 84 00:05:10,280 --> 00:05:12,800 Israel? And my message today is I've 85 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:16,000 been encouraging it pastors, many pastors, to really address 86 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,560 this and use this title. For the message. 87 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,360 It's a little controversial in our culture, but it's something 88 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,920 that basically the church, it needs to address. 89 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,960 It's essential for us as believers to really understand 90 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,640 this issue that has become so prominent and basically. 91 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,880 Is kind of a runaway issue is I would define it. 92 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,880 We need to remember and understand that Israel with a 93 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:45,240 clear and concise narrative. It's not just a land that's 94 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,120 unique, it's a people. That are unique. 95 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,720 And most of what I'm going to say today is it's, it's not from 96 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:56,040 my tiny brain, but it's from a lot of study, a lot of research, 97 00:05:56,120 --> 00:06:00,600 listening to a lot of people. I, I really try to digest all 98 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,920 that's going on and come to some conclusions that are accurate, 99 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,120 number one. But #2 follow along with what 100 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,440 the Word of God would say about these issues that have become 101 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,640 such a problem. History can give us nothing that 102 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:18,320 is even remotely comparable to the history of the Jews. 103 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,320 It is one of wonder. It is one of tragedy. 104 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,720 It is one of defying worldly expectations. 105 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,200 Let me give you a reminder and I will do that several times this 106 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,720 morning because we need to remember what we're talking 107 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,440 about here. Stretching back 4000 years to 108 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:41,800 the patriarch Abraham, it traced forwards in time through his son 109 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:46,240 Isaac, his grandson Jacob, then Jacob's twelve sons, the years 110 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,840 of slavery in Egypt, the wilderness wanderings unto 111 00:06:48,840 --> 00:06:53,520 Moses, the taking of the promised land under Josiah, the 112 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,760 rise of the monarchy under Saul and David, the splitting of the 113 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:01,200 kingdoms N Israel and S Judah, the Assyrian, Babylonian 114 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:06,320 captivities, and the long waited return to the land under Asia 115 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,200 and Nehemiah. The unbroken story of the Jewish 116 00:07:09,280 --> 00:07:12,800 people continued and continued into the days of the Maccabees 117 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,160 and the heroic fight for freedom. 118 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,160 Then came the mighty Roman Empire. 119 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:22,080 Yet still the Jews remain. During the Roman occupation, as 120 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,400 we all know very well, the birth, death, and resurrection 121 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:27,280 of our precious Jesus took place. 122 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,480 The story continues with the great Jewish Revolt of AD 70, 123 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,120 when the Temple was destroyed and the Jewish people were 124 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:38,520 scattered throughout the world. Yet unlike many nations in 125 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,120 history who have been conquered, who have been exiled among the 126 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:46,360 nations, the Jewish people maintained and basically kept 127 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,040 their distinct identities wherever they went. 128 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:53,680 The story continues throughout the worldwide diaspora at times 129 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:56,760 of the great sages of Israel into the Talmudic era. 130 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:01,320 And now we continue to witness today the story this day with 131 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:05,400 the reestablishment of the state of Israel in 1948 after nearly 132 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:11,480 1900 years of exile and the regathering of Jews from the 133 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:14,880 Diaspora is nothing short of miraculous. 134 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,280 If you kind of look at that timeline all the way from 135 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:25,200 Abraham right here into 2025, there is no precedent in history 136 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,840 for something like this. In fact, there are really no 137 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:34,120 earthly explanations, no earthly explanation how this happened 138 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,240 other than the God of heaven is in charge. 139 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:40,039 God made a covenant with Abraham. 140 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,760 God made a covenant with Abraham all those ages ago, and that 141 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:48,200 covenant stands to this day. And we'll talk about that today. 142 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,320 Why is it Israel, as I said, is a title that I encourage. 143 00:08:52,680 --> 00:08:56,200 I've seen so many passes being able to do this, embrace this 144 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,680 idea, and really have rectified a lot of questions within 145 00:08:59,680 --> 00:09:02,960 congregations. I don't believe that we're 146 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,760 trying to be anybody that's divisive, but we're trying to 147 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:07,680 be. We're trying to be people of God 148 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:10,440 that would follow the Word of God and try to understand what 149 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:14,200 the Word of God says about this very complicated issue. 150 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,360 It shouldn't. It certainly should cause us to 151 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:22,320 pause and again to consider the powerful truth that we can find 152 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,360 in this word regarding this issue that has become so 153 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:30,480 prominent in all our cultures. Paul writes to us in Romans 11, 154 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:34,880 and my message today will be from Romans 11 chapter, verses 155 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,400 24 to 29. He write. 156 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:41,760 Paul writes to us in Romans 11. I say then, God has not rejected 157 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:46,320 his people, has he? May it never be Romans 11/1. 158 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:50,760 The gentle, the Gentile church needs to understand that this 159 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:55,440 present state of hardening, the hardening that you see and 160 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:59,000 people talk so much about in Israel was necessary, is 161 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,720 necessary for the salvation to come to the Gentiles. 162 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,120 Given this situation that Gentiles must be careful not to 163 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:12,400 become foolish or arrogant about this as we see today as many are 164 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:16,840 embracing the culture, many are embracing progressive thought 165 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,760 and thinking towards those natural branches. 166 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,240 You know just. Let me a little little. 167 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,520 Side thing here, we got bad people. 168 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:29,120 We got bad people everywhere. I'm a history nut. 169 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,160 We have bad people since the days of Cain and Abel. 170 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:36,800 And we can't, because bad people are bad today. 171 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:41,520 We can't basically dismiss everything that God says about 172 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:43,040 them. There's bad people within 173 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,520 Judaism, lots of bad people in our history. 174 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,120 You see, the Jews are here for God, then here for God, here for 175 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,600 God, then here for God. But that's, that's who we are. 176 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:55,080 That's who we are. Think about us. 177 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:57,240 Think about Christendom for the last 2000 years. 178 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:01,280 That's who man is. The heart of man is exceedingly 179 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,000 wicked and deceitful, says the word of the Lord. 180 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:07,440 That isn't that isn't just say speak about us. 181 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,400 It speaks about all, all men, including Israel. 182 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,800 So it's important to understand that Israel is the apple of 183 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:18,760 God's eye, and understanding and accepting the fact needs to 184 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:23,000 provoke a response from unbelieving Israel and make them 185 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,160 jealous. You know, because of our 186 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,240 intimate relationship with the loving God, they think they're 187 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:30,160 the only. Ones that have that intimate, 188 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:32,760 intimate relationship. And I'll speak a little bit more 189 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,720 about that in a moment, but look at 11, Romans 11 and 11 when 190 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,560 when Paul says that, he clearly speaks it out. 191 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:47,440 Romans 1111 say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? 192 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,680 Certainly not. But through their fall to 193 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:56,200 provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the 194 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:58,480 Gentiles. You, you see this whole thing 195 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,920 and, and it is a reality. It just is a reality today. 196 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:05,680 I mean, all my life, going to Israel, living, growing up as a 197 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:09,200 Jew, but as a believer in the last 30 years going to Israel, 198 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:14,080 I'll tell you, I could feel the antagonism 30 years ago. 199 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,840 I'm a believer. You're what, what would your 200 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,720 grandmother say type of thing. But now, and I really am 201 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:23,080 purposeful of trying to find Jewish people. 202 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:26,920 When I'm in Jerusalem, I find 1 taxi driver that I feel I can 203 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,360 connect with. And with that taxi driver, 204 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,960 basically, we eventually get to, you know, if you're a Jew, 205 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,400 where's your mother from, Where's your grandmother from? 206 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:38,160 Where do they start to live? It's a very common thing. 207 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:40,840 And then eventually we get to the fact that I'm a believer. 208 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:47,200 The openness today is 180° to what it was 30 years ago. 209 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:49,560 And pretty much across the board. 210 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:54,920 I can talk to hyper religious Jews, black hats, little curls. 211 00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:59,160 I can. And they and they talked to me. 212 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:02,040 I sat with next to one on an aeroplane 2 trips ago. 213 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:06,400 We talked the entire time about his faith and my faith. 214 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,720 Never before have we seen this. But basically what what? 215 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:12,400 Is this it? Is this jealousy? 216 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:15,960 That Paul has talked about is this jealousy because you have 217 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,200 to be blind to see, not to see what's going on in the world of 218 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:21,960 Christendom today. I mean, there is a revival going 219 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:24,960 on in the world today. Everywhere I go in Germany, in 220 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,120 our congregations, I see it in churches and what it is, it's 221 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:30,320 young people. Young people like this are 222 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:34,520 finally seeing that this world is hopeless and Jesus can bring 223 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,160 the response with this response in mind. 224 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,160 What Paul was just saying, it's important to understand how the 225 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:44,800 church has become foolish against the natural branches 226 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:49,280 because Israel in their unbelief has caused them to think they 227 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:51,480 don't exist, they don't matter anymore. 228 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:57,160 And this actively promotes a theology that is anti Semitic, 229 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,920 stands little chance of provoking Israel in a state of 230 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:03,760 jealousy. You know, Pastor Keith was 231 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,480 telling me this this week that you know what's happening, What, 232 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:08,600 what, what that is. And there's many, many 233 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:12,080 congregations in my city. We have 160 congregation. 234 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:18,240 I would say that basically 90% of not not pro Israel, 90% are 235 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:20,960 either pro Palestinian or don't want to talk about the issue 236 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,040 anymore. They're totally replacement 237 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:26,560 theology. It's interesting how often 238 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,880 unintentionally we don't as a body of Christ recognise these 239 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,440 issues. We just turn a blind eye to it. 240 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:37,600 And this jealousy, basically this jealousy of the Jews is 241 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,960 part of end time scenario. It will usher in, as I would 242 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:44,040 demonstrate this morning, it will usher in the Kingdom. 243 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:49,200 And yet the church has some for some reason taken this position 244 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,920 that is really very problematic. Israel that remains at the elect 245 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:58,120 nation beloved by God for the sake of the fathers on account 246 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,800 of the promises of God were made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 247 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:08,040 The dual status of Israel is key to understanding the the mystery 248 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,280 that we talked about in the Scripture. 249 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,200 Let me give you a couple of wonderful quotes that I 250 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:17,120 discovered Mark Twain. I don't know if you in Australia 251 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,720 you know Mark Twain, but he's one of the phenomenal writers of 252 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,560 of my lifetime. I maybe one of some of you young 253 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:28,240 people don't connect with Mark Twain, but I would suggest he 254 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,360 wrote some things that would really, really delight you. 255 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:35,440 Mark Twain. Miss Arthur wrote the Egyptian, 256 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,760 the Babylonian and the Persian rose, filled the planet with 257 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:43,720 sound and splendour, then faded to a past dream and passed away 258 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:47,080 to nothing. The Greek and the Roman followed 259 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,600 and made a very vast noise, and they are gone. 260 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,240 Other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a 261 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:58,600 time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or 262 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,160 have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them 263 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:06,400 all, and is now what the Jew always was exploiting, 264 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:10,800 exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening 265 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:14,800 of its parts, no slowing of its energies, no dulling of his 266 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:19,200 alertness and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the 267 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,840 Jew. All other forces passed, but he 268 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,400 remains. What is the secret of this 269 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,280 immortality? We will consider this today 270 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:30,680 because I think we need to really understand these people 271 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:34,280 have been around for 4000 years and my friends, I will tell you 272 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:38,040 these people will be around till the day that the Lord comes back 273 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:42,640 and claims His Church. The controversy surrounding is 274 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:48,840 it will continue, it will continue in a world and it will 275 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,320 continue in the church. This I can tell you. 276 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,760 I'm not a prophet, but I can tell you it will continue. 277 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,760 Politically, the nation of Israel remains in a very 278 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:02,840 precarious position, surrounded by all sides, by those who want 279 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,960 to eradicate them. We see that Israel is surrounded 280 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,480 by hundreds of millions of people who desire this 281 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:13,079 eradication. And Israel still stands as a 282 00:17:13,079 --> 00:17:18,079 nation with only 7 million Jewish people in this country. 283 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:22,560 The remainder is 8 million Jewish people around the world. 284 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,359 So we have a world today that has 15,000,000 Jewish people. 285 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,760 Friends, this is extraordinary. We live in a world today with 286 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:37,200 8.26 billion people. You can never pick up the news 287 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:40,000 any day. You could not pick up the news 288 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:42,440 where there's something isn't about Israel. 289 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,560 I was talking to one of your cognizants outside before and 290 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,040 they said show me that I just picked up. 291 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,360 I had this this thing on my phone which has a headlines of 292 00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:53,600 that day. Two things about Israel in there 293 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,960 8.26 billion people 15,000,000 people. 294 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:03,600 Why is this such a such a prominent issue in our news 295 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:05,960 religiously within Jerusalem's wall. 296 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,000 They are eclectic mix of ancient traditions. 297 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:13,280 Jerusalem is the epicentre of three monolithic faith and the 298 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:18,040 home of a largely secular population who simply desire to 299 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,360 live in peace with all their neighbours. 300 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:25,680 We need to clearly understand that the security concerns are 301 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:30,320 enormous and basically the attempted political situations 302 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:37,200 are enormous, the solutions are not coming and the inevitable 303 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,040 clashes from time to time. Will continue. 304 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:42,840 This I'm sure of. I've seen it for 30 years. 305 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:45,640 We've gone here, we've gone here, we've gone here, we've 306 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,400 gone here. The influence of opinions, of 307 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:52,120 people's opinions matter. But there is something here far 308 00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:56,400 larger than man can control that doesn't actually make sense. 309 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,000 And I'll talk more about that tonight. 310 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:00,440 What is the essential task of the church? 311 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:04,360 It's to make sure that we can see all this with spiritual 312 00:19:04,360 --> 00:19:08,680 eyes, and it means that we understand the role of Israel is 313 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:12,280 to play in God's larger redemptive plan for the 314 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:15,920 nation's. Only then can we truly interpret 315 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,680 the world around us and basically what Scripture is 316 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,120 trying to tell us. Let me just remind you again 317 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,920 what Moses said in God's Word about Israel in Deuteronomy 318 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:28,720 11/8. Observe therefore, all the 319 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,520 commands I have given you today, so that you may have the 320 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,000 strength to go in and take over the land you are crossing the 321 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:39,280 Jordan to possess, and so that you may live long in the lands 322 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:43,040 of the Lord, swore to your ancestors to give to them and 323 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,800 their descendants a land flowing with milk and honey. 324 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,640 The land you are entering to take over is not like the land 325 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,960 of Egypt in which you have come when you planted seeds and 326 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:55,160 irrigated it by food, as in a vegetable garden. 327 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:59,440 But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take is in 328 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,560 possession of its land. There are mountains and valleys, 329 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,640 and that drink the reign of heaven. 330 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:07,920 It is the land of the Lord your God. 331 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,400 And the land the Lord your God cares for, the eyes of the Lord 332 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:15,280 your God are continuously honoured from the beginning of 333 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:17,320 the year till the end of the year. 334 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:21,560 And I would suggest to you the eyes of the Lord on that land 335 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:25,920 from the beginning of the time of Abraham till the end of all 336 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:28,680 time as we know it. There's another powerful 337 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:29,880 statement that I'll share with you. 338 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,760 I don't know if you have ever read Leon Tolstoy. 339 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:40,800 He's a quite a renowned Russian author and it's I was kind of 340 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,200 digging around looking to many, many different things, but I 341 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:49,240 found this very interesting and so complementary with his 342 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,560 perspective. He says the Jew is the sacred 343 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:57,680 being who has brought, who has, who has been brought down from 344 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:01,800 heaven, the everlasting fire and has illuminated it with the 345 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,760 entire world. He is the religious source, the 346 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,880 spring, the fountain out of which all the rest of the 347 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:12,000 peoples have drawn their beliefs and their religions. 348 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,800 The quote from Tosa basically praises Jewish people for 349 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,120 several quantities, qualities that we need to really think 350 00:21:18,120 --> 00:21:20,680 about. The source of divinity describes 351 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:25,040 a Jew as a sacred being who was brought down from heaven, like 352 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:28,120 everlasting fire to illuminate the world. 353 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,920 The moral source It portrays Jews as a religious spring from 354 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,400 which other people have drawn their beliefs. 355 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,120 A symbol of eternity. The text emphasises the Jewish 356 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:42,040 nation was a remarkable nation that would survive despite 357 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:45,680 centuries of persecution, murder and oppression. 358 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,240 A guardian of prophecy. It highlights the role of the 359 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:53,480 Jewish people in persevering and transmitting prophetic messages. 360 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:56,480 Now I'm going to given a great deal of thought to people's 361 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,040 writing and people's opinion. I've given, given a great deal 362 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:03,200 of thought to toast those words. And I was thinking where, where 363 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,360 does he come from this? Where does that all come from? 364 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,840 Well, obviously it's not all inclusive, we know that. 365 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:14,600 But it was his observation with a very large, large Jewish 366 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:18,440 communities within the Russians. He observed this, what he 367 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:22,880 observed in those communities, many dating back all the way to 368 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:26,880 the diaspora in 70 AD. So this morning I'm going to 369 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,920 focus on 4 verses. This is the biblical theology of 370 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:36,160 Israel in my opinions, Romans 1125 to 29 Romans 11/25. 371 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:39,840 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of 372 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:43,680 this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion. 373 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:47,880 The blindness in part has happened to is until the 374 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:52,320 fullness of the Gentiles has come. 26 And so we all, and so 375 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:56,600 all Israel will be saved, as it is written, The Deliverer will 376 00:22:56,600 --> 00:23:01,080 come out of Zion, and he will turn away ungodliness from 377 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:05,640 Jacob. 27 For this is my covenant with them when I take 378 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:10,760 away their sins. 28 Considering the gospel, they are enemies for 379 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:15,600 your sake, but concerning the election, they are beloved for 380 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,360 the sake of the fathers or the patriarchs. 381 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:23,840 And finally, 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are 382 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:30,000 irrevocable. 29 The gifts and the calling of God are 383 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:32,880 irrevocable. This section of Romans is the 384 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,440 final. Portion of a much larger. 385 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:41,440 Communication through chapters 9 through 11, which expounds on 386 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:43,800 the subject of God's dealing with Israel. 387 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:47,360 But let's consider these 4 verses quickly this morning, 388 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:50,960 verse 25, and I will read this a few times because I think it's 389 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,640 pretty predominant in these 4 verses. 390 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,160 For I do not desire whether that you should be ignorant of this 391 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:02,000 mystery. Let's you should be wise in your 392 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,840 own opinion. The blindness in part has 393 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:08,600 happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has 394 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,480 come. Excuse me? 395 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:15,480 As I mentioned before, the text states that the Church must be 396 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,640 careful not to display an attitude of ignorance concerning 397 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,200 Israel's current position of blindness. 398 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,040 Now are we to allow this position on an attitude? 399 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,320 To show us that we're superior, that we have some kind of 400 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:31,920 knowledge with God that basically they've lost. 401 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,960 No, never be its soul. Unfortunately, today as far as 402 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:40,160 Israel's concerned, the ugly mixture in my opinion of 403 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,320 foolishness, arrogance and ignorance is part of this. 404 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:46,680 The attitude of the church with Israel. 405 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:51,960 Much of history indicating that Paul's writings here in these 4 406 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:57,000 verses have basically gone unheeded and you can see that if 407 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,520 you study church history. The theologic position that 408 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:04,200 replacement theology has been a majority view. 409 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:09,000 Since the 4th century. Creating quite a problem within 410 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,480 Christendom. This changed around the 8th 411 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:15,360 century and now basically the idea that the Church has 412 00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:20,520 replaced Israel in the future of God's plans is a debate with 413 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:24,400 many, many congregations and many, many congregations are 414 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:28,800 going on the move that the Church has replaced Israel. 415 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,200 Those who hold this view believe that the promises regarding 416 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:39,200 Israel's future has been transferred to the Church or the 417 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:43,080 of Christendom. It has become the new spiritual 418 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,360 Israel. The position quickly became 419 00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:50,880 dominant in the stance post Apostolic times and the 420 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:54,880 influence of super replacement theology gurus. 421 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:59,080 They brought it into a shameful legacy of Christian anti 422 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:03,440 semitism that persisted and some would say culminated in the 423 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,680 terrible events of the 20 and 21st century. 424 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:11,760 Confronting the theological anti semitism today is a very big 425 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:17,440 issue, for it tells us especially that there is trouble 426 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,760 here. See it, there is trouble here. 427 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:24,680 If you're a war student, there is trouble here. 428 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:29,400 And for messianic believers like myself and Jewish believers, we 429 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:34,120 see trouble, we feel trouble. It's it's it's disheartening. 430 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:41,880 It would not be accurate to characterization to imply that 431 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,800 everyone who holds some sort of replacement theology is guilty 432 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:49,480 of anti Semitism. This is definitely not the case. 433 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,720 Yet at the same time, as biblical scholar Michael Vlog 434 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:59,800 concludes, it's undeniable that anti Jewish bias has gone often 435 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:03,760 hand in hand with replacements theology views. 436 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:09,000 As Jewish authors Prager and Toskan have written no, 437 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,720 Christianity did not create the Holocaust, but it made it 438 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:17,720 possible. Without Christian anti Semitism, 439 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:21,720 the Holocaust would have been inconceivable. 440 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:28,000 They continued that for nearly 2000 years the Christian world 441 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:32,880 dehumanised the Jew, ultimately helping lay the groundwork for 442 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:36,160 the Holocaust. Much of the external imagery 443 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:40,440 that is associated with traditional anti Semitic actions 444 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,520 are a tragedy, but they owe their origins to the Third Reich 445 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,600 and the Muftis, the Islamic Jewish but not the church. 446 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,080 We have a wonderful ministry in Germany. 447 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:56,400 I love it. I I revived it in my January is 448 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:01,520 my 2520 fifth year at AEBM and over the years I've been able to 449 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:05,160 revive that ministry. It was really big pre World War 450 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,200 2 and we have a wonderful ministry there now. 451 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:12,600 But what's incredible to me as I travel and see the endless 452 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:17,200 number of cities around Germany as we minister to is the endless 453 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:20,200 number of churches. There are churches. 454 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:25,480 Practically on every square mile you'll find a church, old 455 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:28,320 churches, church buildings that have been there forever. 456 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:32,080 And you have to ask yourself, and I do often, what happened 457 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:39,040 for nearly 25 years, 1923 to 1947, for 25 years. 458 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:43,720 Whatever was going on in those churches seem to change in a way 459 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:48,200 that should be very sobering for us as we Live Today. 460 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:54,240 The ghettos in reinforce the meaning of what it meant to be a 461 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:58,880 Jew, the yellow star. And by the way, let me just show 462 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:02,480 you something. I brought this the yellow star 463 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:05,760 was a badge that you were Jew and you would separated from 464 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:10,200 society. Here's one my mother's and 465 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:15,080 before the yellow star there was this emblem was before this 466 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:19,040 became the prominent symbol. But they still had to wear this 467 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:24,040 before that, and I bought that because I want to really speak 468 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:27,760 to Holocaust deniers. You cannot deny the Holocaust 469 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:30,880 when you see this. And when you touch it, you'll, 470 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:34,320 when you see it, you'll see that it is 70 years old. 471 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,720 What went on after that? Pointed hats? 472 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,760 Segregation banishment, job restrictions? 473 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:47,840 Synagogue booth burnings all had distressing historical 474 00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:51,000 precedence throughout Christendom, but it happened 475 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:56,240 slowly, slowly, slowly. It progressed from 1923 until 476 00:29:56,240 --> 00:30:00,160 the horrors of the late the mid 1940s. 477 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,480 After the tragic events of the Holocaust, many churches 478 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:09,000 actively sought to remove any trace of replacement theology 479 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,720 from their myths, and in the most part, they let a successful 480 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:17,400 reappraisal of Christian theology in many areas. 481 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:21,680 However, Christians need to be aware that there is a new form 482 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:25,840 of replacement theology and it's gaining popularity all over the 483 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:29,560 world and especially in the evangelical church in recent 484 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,800 times. They run the risk of reviving, 485 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:38,560 as I said, the shameful legacy of Christian anti Semitism which 486 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:43,800 will affect the entire world. One social commentator suggests 487 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:48,200 that the ancient doctrine of superseding, superseding Israel, 488 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:52,400 which has only been suppressed after the Holocaust, has now 489 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:56,680 been revised under the influence of the Middle East conflict. 490 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:58,360 And that's the elephant in the room. 491 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:02,880 The Middle East conflict, the resurgence has been inflamed by 492 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:07,400 the ongoing Israeli Palestinian conflict and the support of 493 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:13,080 those advocates imposing social justice and a narrow social 494 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:17,400 justice narrative that basically supersedes scripture. 495 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:21,240 It puts it portrays the Palestinians as helpless 496 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:26,600 underdogs trying to resist the mighty power of Israel and their 497 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,400 imperialist overlords. In Israel. 498 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:35,440 The moment the movement is known as the new superseding Israel 499 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:40,280 and fuses together traditional replacement documents with 500 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:45,240 Palestinian nationalism and Palestinian liberation theology. 501 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:49,120 The move is unapologetically anti Zionist. 502 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:53,000 It is politics and their new problems have arisen. 503 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:57,200 Listen, I work with Arabs, we work with a lot of Arabs. 504 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:01,240 We have a big heart for Arabs. I work in Jordan, I work in 505 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:03,760 Syria, I have friends in Saudi Arabia. 506 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:07,400 I'm not an anti Arab Jew. I love Arabs. 507 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:11,680 I preach in Arab churches. They welcome me, but there is a 508 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:16,600 big, big issue going on here, not only with the idea of what's 509 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:20,240 going on in Palestine, but what's going on in the world 510 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:24,320 around us as we see this. But there are many, many Arabs 511 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,720 that we need to really, really be sensitive to, and that is the 512 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:31,600 Christian Arabs. They have the worst of the 513 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:33,960 worst. The majority of the help that we 514 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:38,800 were able to provide this lat this last two years went to Arab 515 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:42,400 congregations because that's where we felt the majority of 516 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,840 the need was. Because in Israel, the Arab 517 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:47,920 congregations that we work for, and I've been working with some 518 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:52,880 of these congregations for 15 years, the Jews hate them, the 519 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:55,960 Muslims hate them, and the secular people hate them. 520 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:59,440 So they get hate them. They get 33 bangs. 521 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:02,520 And hopefully I'm going to be taking your pastor to Israel 522 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:03,960 soon. I'm going to have them teach at 523 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:06,320 the biggest Arab congregation in Jerusalem. 524 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:12,000 These people love Jesus, but the politics of course is something 525 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:17,160 that makes life very messy. The line between anti Zionism 526 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:22,400 and anti semitism has quickly become blurred and dangerous. 527 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:25,360 Too often the 2 are seen as one in the same. 528 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:29,480 My cousins in England were very prominent Jewish people. 529 00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:32,000 In London they could see that there was always a big 530 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:34,640 difference between the whole position about Israel and 531 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:38,200 Zionism and them as Jews. Now it's all in one. 532 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:43,000 Basically, they are enabled just as well as anybody in Israel 533 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:47,400 regarding those issues today. Anti Semitism sheltering under 534 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:53,400 the banner of anti Zionism is now referred to as the New Anti 535 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:56,600 Semitism. Israel is now seen as the 536 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:01,960 collection of Jews that can be hated there or anywhere in the 537 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:05,360 world. This is not my opinion, this is 538 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:08,440 a general consensus among those I read. 539 00:34:08,639 --> 00:34:11,760 The late Professor Robert Welsh Dick was the world's foremost 540 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,920 authority on anti Semitism as the head of the International 541 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:17,560 Centre of Anti Semitism at Hebrew University. 542 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:21,120 Here's the way he put it. You have the denial for 543 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,820 instance, that there is any relationship between the so 544 00:34:23,820 --> 00:34:26,440 called criticism of Israel and anti Semitism. 545 00:34:26,639 --> 00:34:30,679 But in fact, most of what goes by the name of criticism of 546 00:34:30,679 --> 00:34:35,960 Israel is feeding on a daily basis the growing demonization 547 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:40,040 of the Jewish state and Jewish people, which in turn spills 548 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:45,760 over, I would say, almost with mathematical inevitable 549 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:51,800 inevitability into the form of dislike, of hostility, and even 550 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:56,080 today of loathing of Jews. But regardless of this, 551 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:58,680 regardless of the culture, regardless of progressive 552 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:02,680 thoughts and thinking, God's plan for Israel includes the 553 00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:08,640 restoration of Israel. Psalm 251125 to 27 says that the 554 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:11,160 promises for that all Israel will be saved. 555 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:14,360 Again. Romans 11/25 For I do not 556 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,000 desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this 557 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:23,200 mystery, mystery, let, lest you should be wise in your own 558 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:25,360 opinion. The blindness in part has 559 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:29,360 happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has 560 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:33,440 come in, and so all Israel will be saved as it's written. 561 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:37,080 Isaiah wrote that so clearly in Isaiah 5920. 562 00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:40,160 The delivery will come out of Zion, and he will turn away 563 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:44,320 ungodliness from Jacob for this. This is my covenant with them 564 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:49,120 when I take away their sins. Looking at these few verses, 565 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,640 let's just unpack them a little bit more. 566 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:55,240 But think about this, lest you be wise in your own opinion. 567 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:59,640 This is a warning. It's a warning to be sober as 568 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,920 Christians, and we must not be ignorant of this mystery, 569 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:06,320 because it is. It is a mystery, and we need to 570 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,200 really consider it and think about it. 571 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:12,200 We live in a world today which is driven by events, which is 572 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:15,920 driven by this. What happened October 7th has 573 00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:20,800 forever, forever changed the feelings about Israel and the 574 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:24,160 Middle East. For the rest of my life. 575 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:28,840 The entire question of the Israel Palestinian conflict is a 576 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:32,320 monster. The first week of that horrific 577 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:38,840 event, many comments I made to Israel, to others. 578 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:42,840 Here's my heart. I am the son of a survivor. 579 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:46,640 I have lived with the memories of what these people went 580 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:51,280 through my whole life, killed 13150 Jews. 581 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:57,120 Hell will visit you because as I told you, the population 582 00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:01,160 numbers, just think of what 13150 represent to that 583 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:05,360 population number. And secondly, the majority of 584 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:08,000 the people that make the decisions in Israel are me. 585 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:12,680 They're children of survivors and I don't want to go into the 586 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:16,480 whole thing, but being a child of a survivor was not an easy 587 00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:19,320 life. My sister and I am the only 588 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,440 believer in my family. My sister and brother, they 589 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:28,040 still live in the bitterness of our childhood to this day, 70 590 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:33,480 years later. So we need to understand that 591 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:39,160 these people that are making these decisions are people that 592 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:43,840 are products of parents who've suffered under the Third Reich. 593 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:47,440 I have lived and heard so much of the strong sentiments of my 594 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:49,600 life. It is really big. 595 00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:55,000 And I also will say the response from Israel was also horrific 596 00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:59,880 and has renewed a hate for Israel and Jews, which is 597 00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:04,000 considered unprecedented since the 1930s. 598 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:09,560 We as believers must embrace this precious word regardless of 599 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:13,160 the world events. That never changes God's plan 600 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:17,640 for Israel and for Jews. In spite of the foolishness of 601 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:19,880 man. The Scripture goes on to tell us 602 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:22,760 blindness in part has happened to Israel. 603 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:26,800 Paul summarises this in Romans 1111 through 24. 604 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:30,680 God's purpose for allowing blindness in part to come to 605 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:34,240 Israel is for the fullness of us, for the fullness of the 606 00:38:34,240 --> 00:38:39,360 Gentiles to come in. And I love what the pastor Keith 607 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:42,400 was telling me this week, but he could considers as there are 608 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:45,320 those that are for and those that are against and this this 609 00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:48,840 is really setting the stage for what it's basically talking 610 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:51,520 about in my opinion, in New Omens 11. 611 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:55,320 In part the idea of temporary blindness is there. 612 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:59,320 It's temporary blindness. One day the Jew will realise 613 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:03,040 that their blindness and folly and they will accept Jesus 614 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:06,960 Christ as Lord and Saviour and the the glorious national 615 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,680 restoration that is written here in the word will bring about the 616 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:13,640 Kingdom age. So the more we understand these 617 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:18,280 things, we're moving forward the Kingdom age, the more I think we 618 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:21,960 what are we doing? Going the other way is a good 619 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:24,160 question that we should ask yourself. 620 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:28,920 So until the fullness of the Gentiles has come at that time, 621 00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:32,640 God will once again restore Israel to his attention. 622 00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:36,040 Think about this. God's full attention will be on 623 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:39,800 these people for His plan for the ages, specifically for 624 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:42,560 Israel again, so that all Israel will be saved. 625 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:47,960 Basically, we need to see that God has a plan for Israel and 626 00:39:47,960 --> 00:39:51,320 the Jews will be saved. We read in the text that in the 627 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:53,000 text that all Israel will be saved. 628 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:56,040 This all is not spiritual Israel. 629 00:39:56,160 --> 00:40:00,080 It isn't spiritual Israel as we read in Romans 1125. 630 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:02,160 You have heard this verse many times. 631 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:05,400 It's purposeful that I read it to you, that it speaks loudly 632 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:09,720 for our, for our attention. For I do not desire, brother, 633 00:40:09,720 --> 00:40:12,600 that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be 634 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:17,280 wise. In your own opinion, that 635 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:20,880 blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of 636 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:24,320 the Gentiles has come. We can see so clearly because 637 00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:27,800 Israel is spiritually blind. They are spiritually blind. 638 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,600 You know the way I love the Lord with all my heart. 639 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:35,440 I love the Lord. I could never be here today 640 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:38,360 without the Lord. I can't imagine what I who I 641 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:42,960 would have been. And my family sees this always. 642 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:50,960 We have we go to annual Shabbat celebrations in London blind, 643 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:55,760 blind, blind. It just is like these verses 644 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:59,520 come alive. Woman's 1126. 645 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,560 The delivery will come out of time and he will turn away 646 00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:03,920 unguarded. This from Jacob. 647 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:08,400 This is a distinction between national and ethnic Israel and 648 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:12,360 spiritual Israel. Paul makes it clear in Galatians 649 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:15,200 37. Therefore, know that only those 650 00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:18,760 who are faith are sons of Abraham, and we see this in 651 00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:20,840 Paul's writing and other passages. 652 00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:25,960 Nonetheless, God, God still has a purpose and a plan for ethnic 653 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:29,560 Israel and salvation for them all. 654 00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:35,440 We also note that the spiritual Israel, because Paul says that 655 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:40,720 it is a mystery, it's a mystery and it is now mystery that 656 00:41:40,720 --> 00:41:43,240 basically spiritual Israel will be saved. 657 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:46,960 We don't know. Speaking of all Israel, it was a 658 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:51,240 view of Calvin, for example, that the entire company of the 659 00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:55,840 redeem, both Jew and Gentile, is intended but Israel. 660 00:41:56,240 --> 00:41:59,840 And as you read the Scripture, it's not use of Gentiles. 661 00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:02,480 It's basically Paul's talking to Jews. 662 00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:05,120 These chapters in the Scripture are to Jews. 663 00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:08,200 And such is the case in the majority of Paul's writing. 664 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:11,080 He's not talking to Gentiles. The no Gentiles. 665 00:42:11,240 --> 00:42:15,520 It's practically at that time it's impossible to entertain the 666 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:18,640 idea that the X to Jesus understands Israel in a 667 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:23,480 different sense that we read again and again from Romans 668 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:28,480 1125. So they will be saved as we 669 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:30,040 finish here today. Think of this. 670 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:34,440 This states clearly for us that God is not finished with Israel. 671 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:37,960 And if you don't leave with anything else here today, leave 672 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:41,920 with that. God is not finished with Israel 673 00:42:43,240 --> 00:42:46,560 as a nation or as a distinct ethnic group. 674 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:49,320 And I know it. I mean, it's hard. 675 00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:51,280 You watch these things that are going on. 676 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:54,040 It's hard. But if you want to put some 677 00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:59,480 credibility to it all, start watching some of the October 7th 678 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:04,200 clips that are coming out and watch it this way. 679 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:06,520 I've seen clips from October 7th. 680 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:12,680 I don't wish anybody to ever see never you want to see. 681 00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:15,960 But look at those clips for one reason. 682 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:20,720 Your parents, you have brothers, you have sisters, you have 683 00:43:20,720 --> 00:43:24,800 mothers, you have grandmothers. Look at those clips and just 684 00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:30,560 imagine what that would do to your heart and your mind and put 685 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:36,200 on top of that 70 years of life that has been less than 686 00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:44,680 wonderful as a result of the last great horror to God has 687 00:43:44,680 --> 00:43:48,720 turned His focus on saving mercies from us right now. 688 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:53,960 Israel specifically will be saved because He will turn them 689 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:59,360 back as He says in His Word. The simple passage refuses those 690 00:43:59,360 --> 00:44:03,480 who insist that God is forever done with Israel, and basically 691 00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:05,400 it is. But let me remind you just one 692 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:10,200 more time before we finish it today in Genesis 1315, for all 693 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:13,960 the land which you see is given to you and your descendants 694 00:44:14,720 --> 00:44:19,520 forever. Secondly, Romans 17, seven and 695 00:44:19,520 --> 00:44:23,320 eight, and I will establish my covenant between me and your 696 00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:28,920 descendants after you in their generation, for an everlasting 697 00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:33,200 covenant to be God, to be God to you and your descendants after 698 00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:35,400 you. Also, I give to you and your 699 00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:39,160 descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger. 700 00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:43,960 All the land of Canaan has an everlasting possession, and I 701 00:44:43,960 --> 00:44:48,240 will be their God. God is not finished with Israel. 702 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:51,920 Israel is not spiritualized as the church. 703 00:44:52,080 --> 00:44:56,680 What we see and rejoice in God's continuing work in the church, 704 00:44:56,960 --> 00:45:02,400 God will do such a marvellous work with Israel that it will be 705 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:08,440 incredible in Matthew 2329. For I say to you, you shall see 706 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:12,560 me no more till I say, blessed he who comes in the name of the 707 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:14,600 Lord. And basically the Scripture is 708 00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:18,320 telling us that until these things happen, we won't see him, 709 00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:22,320 we won't see Jesus. And we need to really consider 710 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:26,680 what's our role in this. Zechariah 12/10 and 12 says, And 711 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:30,040 I will pour out on the House of David and the inhabitants of 712 00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:33,480 Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication. 713 00:45:33,760 --> 00:45:37,840 When they look on me whom they pierced, we're talking about 714 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:42,640 Jesus whom they Pierce. Yes, they will mourn for him as 715 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:47,240 one mourns for his Son, and grieve for him as one grieves 716 00:45:47,240 --> 00:45:52,720 for a new first born. And verse 11, In that day there 717 00:45:52,720 --> 00:45:56,400 should be a great morning in Jerusalem, like the morning of 718 00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:59,160 Haddad Haman and the plain of Megiddo. 719 00:45:59,800 --> 00:46:03,960 Jesus will not return again until God turns the focus of 720 00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:09,160 saving mercies on Israel again. And Israel responds only one 721 00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:10,600 way. Only one way. 722 00:46:10,600 --> 00:46:14,280 Not this religious Israel, only one way. 723 00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:20,000 Salvation only comes through God, through the salvation of 724 00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:23,880 our Lord Jesus Christ. They must confess Jesus as 725 00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:27,000 Deliverer. The Deliverer will come out of 726 00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:29,080 Zion is a scripture that we've had. 727 00:46:29,280 --> 00:46:33,640 The questions from Israel show that God has a redeeming work to 728 00:46:33,640 --> 00:46:37,600 accomplish yet in Israel and it will not be left undone. 729 00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:41,880 Finally, Romans 11/28 and 29 for God's love and calling for 730 00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:45,480 Israel is still endures. Considering the gospel, they are 731 00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:48,960 the enemies of the gospel. I would suggest these guys that 732 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:53,560 talk to me most are secular. They're the enemies. 733 00:46:54,640 --> 00:46:57,080 They just want to know they they're jealous. 734 00:46:57,080 --> 00:47:00,640 They want to know how we can live this kind of life when they 735 00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:04,600 don't see it within Judaism, this kind of life. 736 00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:10,960 But they're the enemies for your sake, considering the election. 737 00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:15,200 They are the beloved for the sake of the fathers, for the 738 00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:17,320 sake of the patriots. We can never forget. 739 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:21,440 They are the beloved for the gifts of calling of and calling 740 00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:23,960 of God are certainly irrevocable. 741 00:47:26,040 --> 00:47:33,240 So what should we do? Well, let me share with you, I 742 00:47:33,240 --> 00:47:36,680 think it's imperative that the church models the heart of the 743 00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:42,880 Apostle Paul for Israel. And listen what Paul said. 744 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:47,000 Do you know that in Romans 9, three, he said, for the sake of 745 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:53,400 my brethren, cut my, cut me off, God be done with me for the sake 746 00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:55,960 of Israel. I mean, think about that. 747 00:47:56,880 --> 00:48:01,600 He he offered to separate himself for the love of God, for 748 00:48:01,600 --> 00:48:05,600 the sake of Israel. In the same way that Jesus wept 749 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:08,600 over his people's unbelief in Jerusalem in the Mount of 750 00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:13,720 Olives, we should weep over unbelieving Israel at this time. 751 00:48:14,600 --> 00:48:18,160 The Church should have a theology that acknowledges the 752 00:48:18,160 --> 00:48:23,040 future role of Israel in the plan of God and actively 753 00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:27,960 promotes Jewish evangelism while simultaneously standing against 754 00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:31,680 both theological and political anti Semitism. 755 00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:36,200 A rich, robust theology needs to take place and it will 756 00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:40,000 contribute to the global health of the Church of Jesus Christ, 757 00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:42,960 which is a larger picture of what will happen. 758 00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:48,200 How can you bless Israel? The Gospel in light of theology 759 00:48:48,200 --> 00:48:51,760 is what I discussed today. It is important that the Church 760 00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:56,480 thinks clearly of what it means to probably bless Israel and the 761 00:48:56,480 --> 00:49:00,040 people of Israel. Unfortunately, we've seen this 762 00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:05,400 command as simply a call to support Jewish charities, many 763 00:49:05,400 --> 00:49:09,000 secular, many secular initiatives. 764 00:49:11,600 --> 00:49:17,200 This may be commendable. It causes many worthy of worthy 765 00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:22,080 support that they cannot be seen as the primary fulfilment of 766 00:49:22,080 --> 00:49:24,560 what the Church needs to do to bless Israel. 767 00:49:25,080 --> 00:49:29,880 We must avoid any simplistic understanding which causes some 768 00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:33,880 kind of blind allegiance, that everything that is overtly, 769 00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:37,760 overtly Jewish. As often is the case with many 770 00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:41,640 evangelical churches supporting causes in Israel that have 771 00:49:41,640 --> 00:49:44,960 nothing to do with the gospel and Jesus Christ. 772 00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:47,960 We need to be clear that the greatest need for the people of 773 00:49:47,960 --> 00:49:52,440 Israel is only one need. We will always have the hungry. 774 00:49:52,480 --> 00:49:56,720 We will always have the poor. But the one need that we need to 775 00:49:56,760 --> 00:50:00,040 recognise is we need to recognise the people of Israel 776 00:50:00,040 --> 00:50:03,280 need the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah. 777 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:06,600 That was the heart of Paul and that's what he said in Romans 778 00:50:06,600 --> 00:50:09,800 10/1. My hearts desire and my prayer 779 00:50:10,000 --> 00:50:12,560 to God for them is for their salvation. 780 00:50:13,160 --> 00:50:16,160 They should not be our attitude. That would entail 781 00:50:16,360 --> 00:50:20,120 acknowledgement of rabbinic or Talmudic Judaism. 782 00:50:20,360 --> 00:50:24,040 It's not sufficient. This religion, Israel, is not 783 00:50:24,040 --> 00:50:27,080 sufficient. The Rabbi and the Talmud, 784 00:50:27,160 --> 00:50:30,440 Talmudic scholars will not bring Jesus in. 785 00:50:31,560 --> 00:50:35,560 We will bring Jesus to them. We have the message, the only 786 00:50:35,560 --> 00:50:37,760 clear message. That means that the church 787 00:50:37,760 --> 00:50:41,440 should be supporting those ministry who are actively 788 00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:46,120 involved in taking the good news of the Messiah in, even in the 789 00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:48,400 sense of their humanitarian help. 790 00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:52,160 Listen, we've given a tonne of humanitarian help for this over 791 00:50:52,160 --> 00:50:55,120 20 years, once a year we do it, we do. 792 00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:56,560 It's what it's called our food project. 793 00:50:57,000 --> 00:51:02,480 But every bit of food, every cent we give goes with the fact 794 00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:08,720 this is from believers in Jesus Christ, with tracts, with 795 00:51:08,720 --> 00:51:11,600 survivals at times. We don't want to alienate that. 796 00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:15,440 We've been able to penetrate places in Israel that you would 797 00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:19,560 think it was an exaggeration if I told you this morning. 798 00:51:20,160 --> 00:51:23,680 So this is a biblical mandate. It's a biblical mandate for 799 00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:27,160 supporting Israel. We see that in Romans 15 as we 800 00:51:27,160 --> 00:51:30,160 see the contributions that came from Macedonia for the poor 801 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:33,280 Saints of Jerusalem. And believe me, the Saints in 802 00:51:33,280 --> 00:51:36,480 Jerusalem, the Saints in Israel are persecuted for the cause of 803 00:51:36,480 --> 00:51:38,560 the gospel. This is a good model. 804 00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:41,520 Thank you. I went a little over, sorry. 805 00:51:42,040 --> 00:51:43,640 Thank you for honouring me this morning. 806 00:51:44,360 --> 00:51:46,960 Thank you for invited me again this year. 807 00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:48,880 It's really a pleasure, a delight. 808 00:51:48,880 --> 00:51:51,000 I'd love to be here, love to be here. 809 00:51:51,200 --> 00:51:54,320 There's nothing as peaceful for me as being here. 810 00:51:54,720 --> 00:51:57,760 This is just WA is like Chillville. 811 00:51:59,840 --> 00:52:04,120 It's it's it's very, very nice just to be down about four 812 00:52:04,120 --> 00:52:07,880 level. Very dear to my heart to be 813 00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:11,120 here, but very dear to my heart to be able to share with you 814 00:52:11,360 --> 00:52:13,320 this message. And thank you, Pastor Keith and 815 00:52:13,320 --> 00:52:15,520 Pastor Israel for inviting me to TUSO. 816 00:52:15,520 --> 00:52:18,800 I basically told them that this is kind of what it was my 817 00:52:18,800 --> 00:52:21,800 thinking before I did. So I hope that you can really 818 00:52:21,800 --> 00:52:25,320 understand that what I'm trying to bring is the gospel of Jesus 819 00:52:25,320 --> 00:52:27,360 Christ. In the midst of all this 820 00:52:27,360 --> 00:52:29,640 confusion. I just want to share with you 821 00:52:29,640 --> 00:52:35,360 that the Lord has shown me, my wife and with the blessings of 822 00:52:35,360 --> 00:52:39,960 our Governing Board of ABM, that I will continue in this message 823 00:52:40,720 --> 00:52:45,800 and will continue to teach His precious word until I fail or 824 00:52:45,800 --> 00:52:48,680 have my last breath. Let's pray. 825 00:52:54,210 --> 00:52:56,610 Father, thank you for your love today. 826 00:53:02,640 --> 00:53:05,440 Thank you for for your mercy for each one of us today. 827 00:53:09,240 --> 00:53:12,720 Thank you, Lord, that you, you, you sought us, Lord, if you, you 828 00:53:12,720 --> 00:53:17,520 found us, Lord, then Lord, we're, we're, we're yours, Lord, 829 00:53:17,640 --> 00:53:21,400 we belong to you. We belong to the Kingdom of God. 830 00:53:23,640 --> 00:53:28,640 And Lord, thank you that we can address these complicated 831 00:53:28,640 --> 00:53:31,720 issues. And our heart, Lord, is that 832 00:53:31,720 --> 00:53:33,320 just? Lord, your word would speak to 833 00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:42,520 us the truth, and Lord, we would not be impacted or moved by the 834 00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:53,440 world that endlessly promoting culture in a way that conflicts 835 00:53:53,440 --> 00:53:56,760 with you. So, Lord, I pray for each one 836 00:53:56,760 --> 00:53:59,400 here today. Lord, I pray that you've spoken 837 00:53:59,400 --> 00:54:01,280 to them in some way in this issue. 838 00:54:01,280 --> 00:54:04,760 Lord, I pray you just give them wisdom and guidance. 839 00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:07,880 Fill them with your spirit. Lord, I pray for each one in 840 00:54:07,880 --> 00:54:09,520 this congregation. Lord, bless them. 841 00:54:09,520 --> 00:54:12,280 Lord, bless. Bless this congregation as they 842 00:54:12,280 --> 00:54:14,560 move forward. Lord, bless them in their plans 843 00:54:14,560 --> 00:54:16,760 for their expansion. Lord, bless them in their 844 00:54:16,760 --> 00:54:18,800 ministry. Lord, bless them, especially 845 00:54:18,800 --> 00:54:21,160 Lord, as they bring the good news to children. 846 00:54:21,160 --> 00:54:30,480 Father, Lord, thank you. Thank you for Calvary Chapel WA 847 00:54:30,480 --> 00:54:34,440 Lord, give them, give them, give them the power to make a 848 00:54:34,440 --> 00:54:39,240 difference in their community. We love you in Jesus name, Amen.