1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,960 So last week we preached about goboki. 2 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:10,720 Today we're going to preach about Passover. 3 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:15,680 The arse faller in English. Beware of the asphalt. 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,200 This exact translation. So we're looking at Genesis, 5 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,400 we're looking at Abraham, and we're looking at Abraham the 6 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,920 friend of God and looking at some things of friendship. 7 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,440 And one of the amazing thing that the book of John says in 8 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:36,960 John chapter 2, it says many people trusted Jesus, but he did 9 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,920 not trust them because he knew what was in the heart of a man. 10 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,200 So we can actually trust Jesus and Jesus doesn't trust us. 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,440 So the Bible says. And then in John 15, he says, I 12 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,640 no longer call you disciples, but now I call you my friends 13 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,960 for the things that my father has taught me, I have taught 14 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,280 you. And so one of the ways you know 15 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,800 that somebody is a friend of God is that you'll hear things 16 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,040 coming out of their mouth that you've never heard from anybody 17 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,160 else, not contrary to the Scripture, always in line with 18 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,440 the Scripture. But you'll hear little snippets 19 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,040 of truth or little secrets that God has shared with them in 20 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,160 their quiet time. Just little values and little 21 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,200 ways they treat their wives and ways they bring up their kids 22 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:19,240 and. Think wow. 23 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,200 God has actually trusted them with some amazing things. 24 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,520 So let's look to Genesis 15, and I really want to do a sermon 25 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:32,080 called Be Careful of the Vultures, chapter 15, and we'll 26 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,680 go a little bit about what we went last week after this, say 27 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:40,560 after this, say after this. So many people say it's because 28 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,120 of the war that he had fought. I think it's because he had just 29 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,800 tired. So you're just tired. 30 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,720 You'd stepped out, you'd given 10% and actually became scared. 31 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,560 Money and God and situations and circumstances are very scary 32 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,280 things. So don't worry, we're not going 33 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:59,720 to take up an offering. Later the word of the Lord came 34 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,080 to Abraham in a vision. Do not be afraid of Abraham. 35 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,400 I'm your shield, your protection, your very great 36 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,480 reward, your provision. But Abraham said, O sovereign 37 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,000 Lord, what can you give me since I remained childless? 38 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,720 And the one who will inherit my state is Eliezer of Damascus. 39 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,200 And Abraham said, you have given me no children, so a servant in 40 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,200 my household will be my heir. And the word of the Lord came to 41 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:21,720 him. This man will not be your heir, 42 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,400 but a sun coming from your own body will be your heir. 43 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,000 He's 100 years old, eh? Look at your body. 44 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,120 Some of us, it's more scarier than others, eh? 45 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:35,280 Look at it. He's 100 years old. 46 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:40,000 His wife is 90. They lived in the desert. 47 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,200 Can you imagine what she looked like? 48 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,160 You go to King's Meet, you'll probably find what she looked 49 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,880 like. I mean a licker drawn piece of 50 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:59,440 drew, a horse made harder. So like this, you, Abraham and 51 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,040 that cheeky wiki of yours are going to have a baby. 52 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:12,840 My baby. He took him outside and he said, 53 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,320 look up at the heavens and count the stars, and I hope you've 54 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,200 been doing that this week. If indeed you can't count them. 55 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,880 Then he said to him, so shall your offspring be. 56 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:32,840 Abraham believed the Lord. Abraham believed the Lord. 57 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,400 Say that Abraham believe the Lord. 58 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:38,960 How do we become friends with God? 59 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:40,840 We believe him. How do we become friends with 60 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:42,440 each other? We believe each other. 61 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:50,520 Abraham believed the Lord and he credited it to him as 62 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:52,080 righteousness. Say credited to him. 63 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,720 Keep please close your eyes. I want to read Romans 4 over 64 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:57,120 you. You can go and read it a bit 65 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,080 later. Close your eyes everybody. 66 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:04,680 This is Romans 4 verse 8. It's not going on the screen. 67 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:10,520 Just close your eyes against all hope, against all hope. 68 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,880 After this, after what? After 2025, after your divorce, 69 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:20,440 after the loss of your child, against all hope. 70 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:30,400 Abraham in hope believed. Keep your eyes closed. 71 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:32,760 I've just spoken to a lady in this church. 72 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:38,400 Four years ago, she dug the ground of a dream, and that 73 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,920 dream died a long, slow, painful death. 74 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,920 But against all hope in hope she believed. 75 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,440 And this week she moves in to her new property. 76 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:50,400 Against all hope. And hope believed. 77 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:53,400 Why are you sitting here? Just to remind you that against 78 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:58,160 all hope in hope believed. And so became the father of many 79 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,840 nations. Just as it had been said of him, 80 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:08,760 so shall your offspring be. Without weakening his faith, he 81 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,960 faced the fact that his body was as good as dead. 82 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:21,480 So knees, so ankles, so back, so shoulders, so system, so 83 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:26,800 everything. Without weakening in his faith, 84 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,400 he faced the fact that his body was as good as this since he was 85 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:38,200 about 100 years old, and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 90 86 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,760 years old. Menopause. 40 years before dead, 87 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:47,120 Her womb was dead. No more periods, no more living 88 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:54,200 organisms inside of her, no more cells dead. 89 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:01,320 Yet He did not waver through unbelief regarding the promises 90 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,880 of God, but was strengthened in his faith. 91 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:09,920 And he gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had 92 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,000 power to do what He had promised. 93 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,000 I'm not sure why you're here, but I want to tell you this. 94 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:23,640 I am fully persuaded that God is able to do what He has promised. 95 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,440 This is why. This is why it was credited. 96 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:32,160 Say credited, eyes closed, credited. 97 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,680 The way we build friendship is by giving each other credits. 98 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,640 It was credited to Him as righteousness. 99 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:46,000 The words it was credited to Him were written not for him alone, 100 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:53,480 but also for us to whom God will credit righteousness, for us who 101 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,080 believe in Him who raised Jesus. Our Lord. 102 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:01,440 From the dead, say this, I am credited. 103 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,160 Good morning, let's keep reading. 104 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:14,080 He also said to him, I am the Lord who brought you out of the 105 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:17,400 air of the Chaldeans. He also said to him, I am the 106 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,320 Lord who bought you. I say bought you out. 107 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,320 Keep the scripture up there. Every about four times a year 108 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:25,160 I'll meet with the legends of the city. 109 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,360 There's a man who decided that he wanted to honor the fathers 110 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,080 of the city. So men like Dirkie Funder Spay, 111 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,920 who was from interim Arletta, and Neville Norden from Lebanon 112 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:36,240 Worth. And a very beautiful man called 113 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,920 Doctor Isaac Burger, who was the head of the AFM, the Archaeus. 114 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,400 When I was a 28 year old pastor going through a really tough 115 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,520 time, I was at a conference with a whole lot of just all these 116 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:48,200 hotshot guys. I think I was the youngest guy. 117 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,160 I was sitting at a table and Doctor Issaq Bridgar came and 118 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:52,920 sat next to me and said, are you all right young man? 119 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:56,760 I said, hey doctor, it's tough. And I remember him grabbing my 120 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:58,440 arm and praying for me in Afrikaans. 121 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,000 Here, Mulsa father, here, Mulsa father. 122 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:04,800 I'd breakfast to them this week. Amazing just to sit to these men 123 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:06,880 and they talk about what God has done in Pretoria. 124 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,560 But I met a man called Martin Smith from a church called Ibaka 125 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,760 this week. They baptized 650 people. 126 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:24,560 Let's thank God I'm the only English out there. 127 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,600 He said if he had Rory, what's Muttala 8 fights. 128 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,640 Muttala inset was one of eight fights. 129 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,440 And I Muttala inset and I said don't fight Martin. 130 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:40,159 He said don't steer. Look at that. 131 00:08:40,159 --> 00:08:41,640 I am the Lord who brought you out. 132 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,240 Say I'm the Lord who brought you out. 133 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,600 What friendship does it brings us out of anything that 134 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,760 captivates us or kept holds us captive to anything. 135 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:55,520 The first thing God does, he brings us out out of sin, out of 136 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:59,880 religion, out of bad habits, out of our disqualification. 137 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,160 And he. Takes us into that which he has 138 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,360 for us. And what we go into is it's just 139 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,440 as important as what we come out of because there's no point in 140 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:11,320 coming out of sin and going into a religious system that keeps 141 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:17,040 you captive. I was sitting recently in a 142 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,960 church with people and we were talking and there's a Deacon who 143 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,960 lives about an hour away. And the pastor said, I said, how 144 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:24,200 you doing and how do you get there? 145 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,040 I said, sometimes it takes me an hour and 20 minutes. 146 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,080 And the pastor said, I wish you would come to more Sunday 147 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:30,400 services. I said, why don't you just leave 148 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:32,760 him? Because not his attendance at 149 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,440 Sunday services, it's actually his heart commitment to the 150 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:37,360 things of God. And I'm sure he'll get there 151 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,160 when he wants to. Because you can't come to church 152 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:43,440 because somebody's expecting you to come to church, or somebody's 153 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,440 ticking off a box to come to church or so. 154 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:47,560 Because you can't come out of a system that's holding you 155 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:50,480 captive into another system that's holding you captive. 156 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,800 That's not friendship. You come out of a system into 157 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:56,960 freedom. And in that freedom you start to 158 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:01,360 learn to obey God. But it's not obedience that gets 159 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:03,520 us the pleasure with God. It's the finished work of 160 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,840 Christ. Does that make sense to you, 161 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:07,480 friends? So come out. 162 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:11,320 Come out of your staff, come out of your religious practices. 163 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,320 That's all. When people call me pastor said 164 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,360 don't come out of that stuff. It's a system. 165 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:22,040 I'm Rory, come out of your stuff and let's operate in complete 166 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:26,000 freedom. So God knows I'm the Lord who 167 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:29,000 brought you out of I'm the Lord who brought you out of. 168 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,440 Close your eyes and say, what does God need to bring you out 169 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:41,600 of habits, traditions, sin. I am the Lord who brought you 170 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,320 out of out of. If we are true friends, we would 171 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:48,920 bring each other out of anything that stops us from fulfilling 172 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:51,440 the call of God in our lives or living in the fullness of what 173 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,520 God has designed us for. We've got to pull people out of. 174 00:10:54,520 --> 00:11:04,470 We've got to rescue people. Some of you know this story, but 175 00:11:04,710 --> 00:11:09,230 I have a watch, gold watch that my dad gave me that was given to 176 00:11:09,230 --> 00:11:13,200 him by a man called Ian Duggan. There was a flood in in in East 177 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,480 London and and Mr. Duggan, who my dad worked for his wife got 178 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,920 stuck on the top of a roof of a double story house with a river 179 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,160 raging through people getting washed down. 180 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,280 People got washed out to sea. And this woman was stuck on a 181 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:27,880 double story roof. And my dad and his friend went 182 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:31,920 in a canoe 1 kilometer upriver and they went in and they got 183 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,440 washed down by this flood, got to his house, put his wife in 184 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,040 the boat and brought her out there. 185 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:38,720 I thought if that my dad can get her out of that mess. 186 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,560 Can you imagine what my heavenly Father can do and every now and 187 00:11:42,560 --> 00:11:44,120 again I just hold that watch in my hand. 188 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:47,320 It's a bit outdated now, but and the backer says to Ian love the 189 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:51,080 Duggan family. Thank you and I think he just 190 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:58,120 got it out of must remember this God gets us out of anything that 191 00:11:58,120 --> 00:11:59,560 stops his. Purpose on our lives. 192 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:02,200 Particularly the habits. Of sin. 193 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:04,400 I was looking at 1 John chapter 3. 194 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,400 If you walk with God, you cannot keep. 195 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:13,240 On sinning. You cannot, it's impossible, for 196 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,440 then you have neither seen him. Or know him. 197 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:23,120 But Abraham said, O sovereign Lord. 198 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:24,800 How? Can I know? 199 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:28,080 O Sovereign Lord, how can I know? 200 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:32,280 We're talking about Christmas. We're talking about how can you 201 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:36,320 know that God is going to do everything that he? 202 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:37,040 Said he's. Going to do. 203 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:40,040 For you. How can you know? 204 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,680 How can you honestly sit here with deep assurance in your 205 00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:47,160 heart while all the people are outside there? 206 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:48,960 Can you imagine the atheist at Christmas time? 207 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,840 Who do they say thank you to? They feel so thankful, but who 208 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:57,840 do they thank? How do you know that I will gain 209 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:00,280 possession of it? So the Lord said to him, bring 210 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:05,240 me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with 211 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,480 a dove and a young pigeon. Abraham bought all of these to 212 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:12,080 him, cut them in two and arranged the horse opposite each 213 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:13,840 other. The birds IEB did not cut in 214 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:17,400 two. Can you imagine, friends, what a 215 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:19,600 mess that is? I mean, let's just read it. 216 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,880 Ah, that sounds awesome. Have you ever seen an animal get 217 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:24,480 cut? Ever said the sheep get cut? 218 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:34,520 The cutter. That's when you cut its neck in 219 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:36,040 heart. When you cut it in two. 220 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:42,440 Can you imagine that? Didn't have chainsaws just with 221 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:44,200 a saw. I wonder when you stopped at the 222 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:45,920 top or the bottom. I know if you started the head 223 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:47,720 or the BEP. Imagine that. 224 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,440 Blood spurting everywhere. We're about to enter covenant. 225 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,440 We're about to go into covenant. I was at a wedding the other 226 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:01,600 day. Beautiful virgin bride, 227 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,560 beautiful white dress, beautiful white cake. 228 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,800 I looked at it and thought if God did this, he would just cut 229 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,200 the cough in half. Can you imagine that? 230 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:20,660 Then it goes one of the worst things of my life. 231 00:14:21,340 --> 00:14:23,780 I've given money to the Anton Fonvo Trust. 232 00:14:23,780 --> 00:14:29,560 I know some of you are Voki's, so sorry about that, but the 233 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,160 Anton front row trust have a fundraiser every year. 234 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,600 It's like you're gonna buffle quip a kind of glutter buffle 235 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,480 quip. May buffle is crutter as yo 236 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:44,920 buffle and next song near Batal for may buffle as Jason Batal 237 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:52,440 for yo buffle buffle. But I'm standing there, the only 238 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,520 English oak for about 100. Miles. 239 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:57,440 And they bring a sheep head that's been. 240 00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:01,720 Split in half. And they give me a knife and I 241 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:06,440 look at that, I think, yeah, what must I do with that? 242 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,840 So you want? Them yet which part? 243 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,760 The eye, the tongue, the brain, and can you? 244 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:16,800 Imagine he cuts this thing in half. 245 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,360 And there's just guts and brains and. 246 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:22,440 Eyes. And tongue, tongue. 247 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:25,800 You actually eat tongue. You're Afrikaner smoked tongue. 248 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,200 Calm down my Hastings Hunbiki Tong. 249 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:32,800 Yet it's like, goodness gracious me, I cannot taste anything that 250 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:36,480 can taste me back. Can you? 251 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:41,360 Can you possibly, can you possibly imagine as it's going 252 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:50,280 down, it's like and I think it's sitting in my tummy and it's 253 00:15:50,280 --> 00:16:02,080 sort of licking the inside. But he's saying I'm going to 254 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:09,080 enter a covenant and it's going to be a covenant of blood and be 255 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:11,800 a covenant of blood. And what you should actually do 256 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:15,880 is take the groom and the bride and actually walk them amongst 257 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:19,800 the entrails and the guts and the blood in that beautiful 258 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:20,640 white. Dress. 259 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,800 So when they walk in the car, they will realize that not only 260 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,720 in covenant with each other, but they're in covenant with God, 261 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:28,800 splattered with the blood of the sacrifice. 262 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,120 And sometimes we whiten everything down to a little 263 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,920 sheet of paper to say actually, we're going to enter a covenant 264 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,280 and and actually just please hold on because the past. 265 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,840 Is going to sign the covenant and the two people are going to 266 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,680 sign the covenant. Becomes a very clean thing. 267 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:46,320 It wasn't. That clean in the Old Testament, 268 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:48,240 it was quite. Gory. 269 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:51,520 It was quite. Sacrificial, but but Abraham 270 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,560 understood it. It's very open. 271 00:17:01,610 --> 00:17:04,730 Then birds of prey. He put that picture up. 272 00:17:04,730 --> 00:17:15,930 Ricks. Then birds of prey came. 273 00:17:15,930 --> 00:17:19,290 Down to the carcasses. But Sophie asked Will. 274 00:17:20,849 --> 00:17:22,849 Because the moment. You enter into covenant. 275 00:17:25,130 --> 00:17:30,130 The vultures will come and take away that which is vital. 276 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:32,160 To your well-being, you put it up. 277 00:17:38,210 --> 00:17:48,720 It's quite hectic. Then birds of prey came down on 278 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,240 the Caucasus, but Abraham drove them away. 279 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,320 Who's the father of our faith? What did he get happened? 280 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:57,600 He got credited with righteousness. 281 00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,200 You and I have been credited with righteousness. 282 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:01,240 But what happens after credited with righteousness? 283 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:05,360 The vultures come down. The vultures. 284 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:09,680 Circle in December. The Voltzer Circle in December. 285 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:14,840 Just waiting. For a little gap when we take 286 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:17,760 the eye off the ball so they. Can come down. 287 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:25,400 You see, Stephen and I are in covenant. 288 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,880 Inside of that covenant is Lovejoy, peace, patience, 289 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:31,840 kindness, gentleness. Self-control. 290 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:36,680 And if we just take our eye off the ball for a little bit and 291 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:40,440 the Vulture comes and takes patience away, just takes 292 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:43,200 patience away, sits in the tree and eats the liver of patience 293 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:48,480 or the kidney of patience, our friendship is fine as long as 294 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:53,080 there's love and peace. And joy. 295 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:57,760 But when you need to exercise patience and that piece of the 296 00:18:57,760 --> 00:18:59,120 sacrifice is. Gone. 297 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:00,920 You've got to be. Very careful. 298 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:06,560 December is when things go funny. 299 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:10,280 After this, after this busy year, you must know we are in 300 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:11,760 covenant and covenant will protect us. 301 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:19,960 But be careful because the vultures are circulating. 302 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:25,960 The vultures are circulating, but Abraham drove them away. 303 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:31,240 As the sun was setting, Abraham fell into a deep sleep and a 304 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,920 thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 305 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,080 The Lord said to him, know for certain, how must I know? 306 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,120 Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in 307 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:44,520 a country not their own and they will be enslaved and mistreated 308 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:46,560 400 years. But I will punish the nation 309 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:48,800 they serve as slaves. And afterwards say afterwards, 310 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,240 didn't doesn't it start with after this, starts with after 311 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,960 this, and it says afterwards. But actually the sacrifice 312 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:58,880 happens before they go into Egypt. 313 00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:02,280 So you think, is that afterwards or was it before? 314 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,200 Well, if we understand friendship, it's afterwards and 315 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,280 before. So before they go into Egypt, 316 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:12,080 the sacrifice has taken place and afterwards they put the door 317 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,000 on the posts, the blood on the posts. 318 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,760 So we are absolutely locked in the covenant of God. 319 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:20,680 Let me explain it to you like this without taking up an 320 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,360 offering. You think that I've been in the 321 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:27,400 church for 30-4 years, that the biggest month financing in the 322 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,480 church should be December because that's when everybody 323 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:31,160 gets bonuses. But it's the worst. 324 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,080 It's the worst month. Why? 325 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,120 Christmas? Busyness, Presents. 326 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,040 Not all sorts of things. School. 327 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:42,240 Fees, all sorts of things. But this is how it goes. 328 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,240 Before December, we are in covenant. 329 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,960 After December, we are in covenant. 330 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,720 If you don't tithe, you're still in covenant. 331 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:02,800 You're still in covenant because our covenant is not dependent on 332 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:06,880 our obedience. Our obedience is dependent on 333 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,520 the covenant. You understand that, friends? 334 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,680 And when January starts, before January starts, we are in 335 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:19,720 covenant. And after January ends, we are 336 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,800 still in covenant. And So what happens, Rory, if I 337 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:25,520 miss two months of tithing? You're still in covenant. 338 00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:32,520 No one's checking, but be careful the vultures, because 339 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:37,280 they can steal with you what's absolutely important to live in 340 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:39,760 fullness. You understand I'm free, but 341 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,680 there's also robbery. Understand that. 342 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:44,760 And in that. Place we find. 343 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:54,980 Unbelievable freedom. You are able to go to your 344 00:21:54,980 --> 00:21:58,380 father's in peace and be buried at a good old age in the 4th 345 00:21:58,380 --> 00:22:00,140 generation. Your descendants will come back 346 00:22:00,140 --> 00:22:02,180 here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached 347 00:22:02,180 --> 00:22:04,380 this full measure when the sun had set and. 348 00:22:04,380 --> 00:22:07,400 Darkness had fallen. A smoking fire pot with a 349 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,080 blazing torch. Appeared and passed. 350 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,680 Between the pieces on that day the Lord made a covenant and 351 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:16,080 said to your descendants, I'll give this land from the river of 352 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:19,120 Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates, the land of the 353 00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:21,360 Kenneth Skinnerzides, Cadmanites, Hittites, 354 00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:25,720 Pirozzites, Riphites, Amorites, Canonites, Gigazites, Jebusites 355 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:33,280 and Stillbiites. You know how God cut the? 356 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:37,120 Covenant. He put Abraham to sleep. 357 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:42,040 You and I have got absolutely no role. 358 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:46,160 In the covenant. It's made by him and it's kept 359 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:50,080 by him even when we don't keep it and he. 360 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,200 Says I'm going to give. You a piece of land from here to 361 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,480 here to here to here. And no. 362 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:57,920 One can steal that land. Away from you. 363 00:22:58,560 --> 00:22:59,960 Said What happens if I'm sleeping, Lord? 364 00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:02,800 He said I'm going to do it. While you're sleeping and what 365 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:06,120 he's basically saying how covenant works is if I don't 366 00:23:06,120 --> 00:23:10,880 keep my end, I'll end up like these animals dead and people 367 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,720 enter covenant in marriage and I think when the pressure. 368 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:15,200 Gets tough. They just say cheers guys. 369 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:16,600 I'm out of here. That little piece of white 370 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,000 paper, No, friends. That little piece of white paper 371 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,360 is actually. Animals cut in half and 372 00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:22,920 eventually. Because it becomes very. 373 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:24,720 Dark. It's fast. 374 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:27,480 Asleep eventually, God says in order to implement. 375 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:29,160 This. Now I'm going to have to do this 376 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:30,960 in the New Testament. I'm going to have to make 377 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,600 everything dark and I'm going to have to cut my son. 378 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:43,720 The blood of the new Covenant, The blood of the. 379 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,800 New Covenant. You see, friends, we we enter 380 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:50,600 into Covenant very quickly. Say what they do in the gangs, 381 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:52,280 they cut here, they cut here and they say. 382 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:54,920 We Blood Brothers. And then you've got to keep the 383 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:56,880 covenant. But God said, I tell you what, 384 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,800 I'm going to cut my son. And that blood is going to. 385 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:02,000 Be enough after. This. 386 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:04,760 And before this. And after this. 387 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,800 And before this. And after this and before this 388 00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:10,880 and after this, and before this and after this and before this 389 00:24:11,120 --> 00:24:13,800 and after this and before this and after this and before this 390 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:17,080 and after this and before this. And you're saying, what about if 391 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:21,440 I mess up December and January? Then may the brackets of the 392 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:27,440 credited covenant of God cover you. 393 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:32,800 But remember. Be careful, the vultures. 394 00:24:34,120 --> 00:24:34,480 Thank you.