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So last time I told you about

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this short story by

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Henri DuVernay,

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Frenchman. Now,

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I've got a French phrase for you

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which I'm really fond of.

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It's a 

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raison d'être literally reason

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for being. It's your purpose.

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It's your reason for being.

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It's why you exist.

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It's what you're here for.

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People spend a long time often

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trying to figure out their

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raison d'être.

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And some people never

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get an answer.

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They just don't know what

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the reason for being is.

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One of the really exciting

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things about being a Christian

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is that you don't have to

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wonder. Personally,

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I found this always to be a

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rather significant factor in the

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Christian confession is that we

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don't have to guess the

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purpose of life.

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We don't have to wonder about

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what's it all about.

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God tells us.

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He tells you who you are.

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You're His created child,

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and he tells you what

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you're here to do,

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which is to fulfill

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His purposes,

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to do His will in the world,

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to fulfill His law.

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So what is actually the

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content of that? Well,

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it's the whole natural law,

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right?

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But what's interesting is this.

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This actually shows up in the

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Genesis creation account,

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where you have God telling the

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story of creation or Moses

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telling the story about God's

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creation in Genesis one and two.

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And in Genesis one,

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it tells us that God created

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man in His own image,

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male and female

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He created them.

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And then He places them

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in the garden,

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and then He speaks to

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them and He says,

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I want you now to take care

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of this creation.

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I want you to have dominion

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over this creation,

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which means you're the

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responsible one.

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You're in the position that I

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have of being the boss over the

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whole thing. That's your job,

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man.

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I want you to have dominion

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over this creation.

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You're in the godspot,

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and I want you to be fruitful,

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to multiply and have dominion

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over the fish of this sea and

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over the birds of the sky and

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over everything that creeps on

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the land. You're responsible.

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It's been said, and I think,

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rightly,

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that this is the first

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great commission.

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This is when God is saying,

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you're human.

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What it means for you to be

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human is to be taking

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care of my creation.

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You're supposed to be having

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dominion. That's your job.

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So this is significant because

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what this tells us is that the

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reason for being that we have as

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a human being is simply to do

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what God put us here to do,

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which is take care of the

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creation, watch over it,

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care for it, tend it,

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have responsibility for it.

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This has big implications for

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how we think about what

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it means to be human.

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Now we know how the story goes.

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Adam and Eve are given this job,

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and it doesn't take long.

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Luther thought it was the very

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next day for everything to fall

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apart when the serpent comes and

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tempts them to disobey God's

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clear command. And they do.

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And then everything falls apart.

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And we're told at this point

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that now nothing is

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right anymore.

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The relationship between

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Adam and God shot,

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the relationship between

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Adam and Eve,

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that's all fraught with

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difficulty and challenges.

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It's not pleasant.

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And the relationship between

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Adam, the rest of creation,

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that's out of whack too.

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Everything is broken and put

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out of sync with the Fall.

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And tragedy comes to the world.

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And a promise. Genesis three.

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God's handing down the curses

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as he speaks to the serpent.

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He also adds the first

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promise of hope,

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that the seed of the serpent and

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the seed of the woman

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will be at enmity,

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and the seed of the woman will

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crush the serpent's seed.

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That's good news.

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That's the gospel.

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That's the promise that there's

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going to be salvation.

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And of course,

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we know as Christians that

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Christ is the one who

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brings that promise,

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who crushes the serpent's head.

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And it takes place through

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his perfect life,

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his perfect death and his

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perfect resurrection.

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Satan is crushed under the

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heel of the Messiah.

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And that's why St.

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Paul and all through the

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Scriptures, you hear this,

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the reference to Jesus as the

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new Adam, the second Adam,

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the perfect man. Now,

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what I want you to do is I want

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you to kind of get a picture for

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the big plan that God has here.

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God creates his creation.

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It's a perfect world,

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and he delights in it.

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It's wonderful.

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Why does he create it?

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That's what God does.

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And he simply wants to share his

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gifts and he shares them

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with his creation.

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He makes a perfect world,

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puts Adam and Eve and

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says it's great.

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The creation rebels against Him,

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or part of it does.

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The lead part of it does.

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And so the creation's

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out of whack.

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He doesn't just wash his hands

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of it and say, I'm done.

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Instead,

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he decides to redeem it.

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He determines to do this,

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and the process begins.

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The process which plays out

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through the history of Israel

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and through their fall and

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through their exile

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for their return.

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And then it finally comes to the

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culmination in the gift

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of Jesus Christ,

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who is God Himself present,

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accomplishing what needs to be

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done for the redemption

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of his creation.

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So why did Jesus come?

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Jesus did not come just to

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save a few lucky people.

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He did not come for

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only a handful.

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He came for the whole creation.

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As Isaiah says,

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it's too small a thing that

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you've come only for Israel.

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It's all all creation as the

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target of God's activity.

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God wants to redeem everything,

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and in Christ,

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he does redeem everything.

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So what Jesus does is he

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accomplishes what Adam didn't?

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Jesus comes and lives rightly

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before God and before the

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rest of creation,

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functioning exactly the way

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that God wants him to.

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Doing what God has

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willed him to do,

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which means living in the world,

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being obedient to his parents.

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We're told that being obedient

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to the law that God has given,

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sharing God's grace with those

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around them and speaking God's

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truth to people around Him.

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Jesus does it all perfectly.

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He accomplishes what

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Adam could not do.

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That's why he is the new Adam

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or the second Adam.

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So Adam's reason for being,

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which was to care for

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the creation,

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was lost with the fall

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or made difficult.

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So what Jesus does is he comes

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to put things right,

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to restore us.

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And he does that by completely

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doing what God wants him to do,

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fulfilling God's purposes

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as the second Adam.

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So when he does that and

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he makes things right,

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he now puts us on a right

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footing and he returns us back

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to the center of God's will.

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And he says, Now,

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I want you to do what you

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were created to do.

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And what you're created to do is

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to get out there in the world

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and do the things that God has

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given you to do and fulfill his

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purposes in the creation.

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You're redeemed for the sake

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of the world around you.

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You are redeemed,

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restored for the sake of serving

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those around you.

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That's the whole plan of God.

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That's this beautiful,

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wonderful narrative of salvation

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that God has come and

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redeemed this world.

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And God is going to fulfill his

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redemption at the last day

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at the consummation.

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And that's what we're

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looking forward to.

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And so now we begin to

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see this wonderful,

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grand sweep of God's creation

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and God's care for the world and

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God's fulfillment to the world

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all the way from creation to

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consummation at Christ's

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second coming.

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That's the story that

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God is telling.

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And you now are living

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in that story,

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and you're living as a person of

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character, redeemed by Christ.

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Part now of God's work.

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All of God's gifts have

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been given to you,

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and all of Christ's restoration

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is directed to you.

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You have been restored and put

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back to what God wants you

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to do. So now what?

293
00:07:59,989 --> 00:08:00,373
Well,

294
00:08:00,373 --> 00:08:01,917
now you do what God

295
00:08:01,917 --> 00:08:03,109
created you to do.

296
00:08:03,109 --> 00:08:04,853
You fulfill the first

297
00:08:04,853 --> 00:08:05,806
great commission.

298
00:08:05,806 --> 00:08:07,894
You fulfill the mandate.

299
00:08:07,894 --> 00:08:09,433
You do what God put human

300
00:08:09,433 --> 00:08:10,097
beings here to do,

301
00:08:10,097 --> 00:08:12,258
which is care for the creation,

302
00:08:12,258 --> 00:08:13,457
have dominion over it,

303
00:08:13,457 --> 00:08:14,642
be fruitful and multiply,

304
00:08:14,642 --> 00:08:16,233
and have dominion over all

305
00:08:16,233 --> 00:08:17,257
the things in the world.

306
00:08:17,257 --> 00:08:18,657
That's what you do.

307
00:08:18,657 --> 00:08:20,245
So how do you do that?

308
00:08:20,245 --> 00:08:21,797
Do you have to go out and buy

309
00:08:21,797 --> 00:08:23,062
some land and start growing

310
00:08:23,062 --> 00:08:25,222
crops? Not necessarily.

311
00:08:25,222 --> 00:08:27,462
What you do is you fulfill God's

312
00:08:27,462 --> 00:08:29,749
purposes for you by doing your

313
00:08:29,749 --> 00:08:32,645
vocations well. Vocations,

314
00:08:32,645 --> 00:08:33,421
you maybe heard this

315
00:08:33,421 --> 00:08:33,909
term before.

316
00:08:33,909 --> 00:08:34,757
It's getting a little more

317
00:08:34,757 --> 00:08:35,890
airplay in the church,

318
00:08:35,890 --> 00:08:37,433
which is a really good thing.

319
00:08:37,433 --> 00:08:39,313
Vocation is nothing more than

320
00:08:39,313 --> 00:08:41,257
the tasks that God has given to

321
00:08:41,257 --> 00:08:43,441
you as a creature in this world.

322
00:08:43,441 --> 00:08:44,992
And most of our vocations are

323
00:08:44,992 --> 00:08:46,113
simply given to us from

324
00:08:46,113 --> 00:08:47,010
relationships.

325
00:08:47,010 --> 00:08:49,777
So I have a vocation as a son.

326
00:08:49,777 --> 00:08:51,514
I have a vocation as a husband.

327
00:08:51,514 --> 00:08:52,874
I have a vocation as a father

328
00:08:52,874 --> 00:08:54,162
and as a grandfather.

329
00:08:54,162 --> 00:08:55,729
I have a vocation in my

330
00:08:55,729 --> 00:08:56,497
situation right now,

331
00:08:56,497 --> 00:08:58,001
as a professor, I teach.

332
00:08:58,001 --> 00:08:59,910
I have a vocation as a citizen

333
00:08:59,910 --> 00:09:01,250
of St. Louis.

334
00:09:01,250 --> 00:09:02,706
And so I need to be aware

335
00:09:02,706 --> 00:09:03,473
of what's going on.

336
00:09:03,473 --> 00:09:04,762
I need to vote as a citizen

337
00:09:04,762 --> 00:09:05,537
of this country.

338
00:09:05,537 --> 00:09:07,066
I have all these vocations.

339
00:09:07,066 --> 00:09:08,594
I don't have one vocation.

340
00:09:08,594 --> 00:09:10,106
My task,

341
00:09:10,106 --> 00:09:11,746
what I get paid for teaching

342
00:09:11,746 --> 00:09:12,473
at the seminary,

343
00:09:12,473 --> 00:09:14,137
is just one of those lots of

344
00:09:14,137 --> 00:09:15,017
other vocations which

345
00:09:15,017 --> 00:09:16,217
are very important.

346
00:09:16,217 --> 00:09:18,319
And in those vocations,

347
00:09:18,319 --> 00:09:19,737
I'm doing what God has

348
00:09:19,737 --> 00:09:21,224
given me to do.

349
00:09:21,224 --> 00:09:22,977
People around me,

350
00:09:22,977 --> 00:09:24,082
fellow creatures,

351
00:09:24,082 --> 00:09:26,321
rely on me to my vocations well.

352
00:09:26,321 --> 00:09:27,489
And when I'm doing them,

353
00:09:27,489 --> 00:09:29,274
I'm fulfilling my purpose.

354
00:09:29,274 --> 00:09:31,800
I'm doing my raison d'être.

355
00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:33,217
I'm accomplishing what God has

356
00:09:33,217 --> 00:09:35,274
given me to do in the creation.

357
00:09:35,274 --> 00:09:36,162
And that's what Adam

358
00:09:36,162 --> 00:09:36,985
was supposed to do,

359
00:09:36,985 --> 00:09:38,002
fulfill his purpose

360
00:09:38,002 --> 00:09:38,730
in the creation.

361
00:09:38,730 --> 00:09:40,274
And then Jesus came to fulfill

362
00:09:40,274 --> 00:09:41,711
what Adam didn't and then to

363
00:09:41,711 --> 00:09:42,997
restore his creation and to

364
00:09:42,997 --> 00:09:44,974
put me back in that spot.

365
00:09:44,974 --> 00:09:45,429
Now,

366
00:09:45,429 --> 00:09:47,053
the day is going to come when

367
00:09:47,053 --> 00:09:48,078
the full consummation

368
00:09:48,078 --> 00:09:48,605
will happen,

369
00:09:48,605 --> 00:09:50,365
when Christ comes in glory and

370
00:09:50,365 --> 00:09:51,837
everything will be put back,

371
00:09:51,837 --> 00:09:53,245
sin will be wiped out,

372
00:09:53,245 --> 00:09:54,762
and all that is evil and opposed

373
00:09:54,762 --> 00:09:56,050
to God will be put aside.

374
00:09:56,050 --> 00:09:57,321
And at that point,

375
00:09:57,321 --> 00:09:58,762
then everything will be fully

376
00:09:58,762 --> 00:10:00,041
restored and all of creation

377
00:10:00,041 --> 00:10:01,416
will be redeemed from

378
00:10:01,416 --> 00:10:02,178
its groaning.

379
00:10:02,178 --> 00:10:03,361
And Paul describes this in

380
00:10:03,361 --> 00:10:05,066
Romans eight beautifully,

381
00:10:05,066 --> 00:10:06,470
about how the whole creation

382
00:10:06,470 --> 00:10:08,877
waits in eager expectation for

383
00:10:08,877 --> 00:10:10,630
the sons of God to be revealed

384
00:10:10,630 --> 00:10:11,726
at the resurrection,

385
00:10:11,726 --> 00:10:13,221
so that the whole creation can

386
00:10:13,221 --> 00:10:14,613
be put back into right

387
00:10:14,613 --> 00:10:15,628
relationship and everything

388
00:10:15,628 --> 00:10:16,237
functioning the way

389
00:10:16,237 --> 00:10:16,905
it's supposed to.

390
00:10:16,905 --> 00:10:18,193
That's the coming day.

391
00:10:18,193 --> 00:10:20,354
And so Christ as the second Adam

392
00:10:20,354 --> 00:10:21,697
has big implications for

393
00:10:21,697 --> 00:10:22,920
that fulfillment.

394
00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,346
But Christ as the second Adam

395
00:10:25,346 --> 00:10:27,130
also has big implications

396
00:10:27,130 --> 00:10:29,445
for how I live today,

397
00:10:29,445 --> 00:10:31,501
today, right now.

398
00:10:31,501 --> 00:10:33,509
Because now I realize that when

399
00:10:33,509 --> 00:10:35,350
I'm doing my vocation,

400
00:10:35,350 --> 00:10:36,597
I'm actually doing what

401
00:10:36,597 --> 00:10:38,141
God created me to do.

402
00:10:38,141 --> 00:10:40,589
I'm fulfilling my raison d'être,

403
00:10:40,589 --> 00:10:41,509
my reason for being.

404
00:10:41,509 --> 00:10:42,437
I'm doing what God put

405
00:10:42,437 --> 00:10:43,123
me here to do.

406
00:10:43,123 --> 00:10:44,962
I'm accomplishing his purposes

407
00:10:44,962 --> 00:10:47,081
here, now, in this world,

408
00:10:47,081 --> 00:10:49,177
at this time and at this place.

409
00:10:49,177 --> 00:10:51,553
So when I love my wife well and

410
00:10:51,553 --> 00:10:52,537
when I care for my kids

411
00:10:52,537 --> 00:10:53,242
and my grandkids,

412
00:10:53,242 --> 00:10:54,273
and when I put my best

413
00:10:54,273 --> 00:10:55,354
effort into teaching,

414
00:10:55,354 --> 00:10:56,297
I'm doing what God has

415
00:10:56,297 --> 00:10:56,989
given me to do.

416
00:10:56,989 --> 00:10:57,973
And the creatures around

417
00:10:57,973 --> 00:10:59,165
me are well served.

418
00:10:59,165 --> 00:11:00,814
Think back to our two kinds

419
00:11:00,814 --> 00:11:01,829
of righteousness,

420
00:11:01,829 --> 00:11:02,966
or our three kinds

421
00:11:02,966 --> 00:11:03,829
of righteousness.

422
00:11:03,829 --> 00:11:05,197
So when I'm doing what God

423
00:11:05,197 --> 00:11:06,357
has given me to do,

424
00:11:06,357 --> 00:11:08,505
because he has redeemed me

425
00:11:08,505 --> 00:11:09,537
in Christ and I have

426
00:11:09,537 --> 00:11:10,306
his forgiveness,

427
00:11:10,306 --> 00:11:11,729
and I'm serving those around me,

428
00:11:11,729 --> 00:11:13,682
I'm fulfilling my horizontal

429
00:11:13,682 --> 00:11:14,298
righteousness,

430
00:11:14,298 --> 00:11:15,898
that third kind of righteousness

431
00:11:15,898 --> 00:11:16,650
of the Christian.

432
00:11:16,650 --> 00:11:17,831
I'm doing that,

433
00:11:17,831 --> 00:11:19,837
and I am serving well

434
00:11:19,837 --> 00:11:21,125
those around me.

435
00:11:21,125 --> 00:11:22,998
That's why I'm redeemed.

436
00:11:22,998 --> 00:11:25,773
So God has actually given me his

437
00:11:25,773 --> 00:11:28,333
grace in Christ so that I can do

438
00:11:28,333 --> 00:11:30,941
this. That's the whole point.

439
00:11:30,941 --> 00:11:33,014
So Jesus is the second Adam,

440
00:11:33,014 --> 00:11:34,673
so restoring his creation and

441
00:11:34,673 --> 00:11:36,057
restoring me as a part of that

442
00:11:36,057 --> 00:11:37,337
creation so I can do what

443
00:11:37,337 --> 00:11:38,937
God has called me to do.

444
00:11:38,937 --> 00:11:40,825
And I carry this out.

445
00:11:40,825 --> 00:11:42,433
The first great commission was

446
00:11:42,433 --> 00:11:44,329
never rescinded. God didn't say,

447
00:11:44,329 --> 00:11:45,538
well, that was great for Adam.

448
00:11:45,538 --> 00:11:46,241
Now you don't have to

449
00:11:46,241 --> 00:11:47,169
worry about that.

450
00:11:47,169 --> 00:11:49,754
Christians are not just marking

451
00:11:49,754 --> 00:11:52,066
time waiting to die or waiting

452
00:11:52,066 --> 00:11:53,265
for Christ to come back,

453
00:11:53,265 --> 00:11:54,442
or not just going to church

454
00:11:54,442 --> 00:11:54,965
and then

455
00:11:54,965 --> 00:11:55,961
wasting time the rest of the

456
00:11:55,961 --> 00:11:56,953
week trying to make some money

457
00:11:56,953 --> 00:11:58,017
so we can give more to the

458
00:11:58,017 --> 00:11:59,975
church. That's not the point.

459
00:11:59,975 --> 00:12:01,873
The point is to live all of your

460
00:12:01,873 --> 00:12:03,769
life, all 24 hours a day,

461
00:12:03,769 --> 00:12:04,969
all seven days a week,

462
00:12:04,969 --> 00:12:06,074
as God's creature,

463
00:12:06,074 --> 00:12:07,281
doing what God put you here to

464
00:12:07,281 --> 00:12:08,320
do in every single one

465
00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:09,202
of your vocations,

466
00:12:09,202 --> 00:12:10,937
serving those things well that

467
00:12:10,937 --> 00:12:12,153
God has given you to do.

468
00:12:12,153 --> 00:12:14,032
And when you're doing that,

469
00:12:14,032 --> 00:12:15,162
that's what character

470
00:12:15,162 --> 00:12:16,105
looks like.

471
00:12:16,105 --> 00:12:17,361
And when you have character that

472
00:12:17,361 --> 00:12:18,697
has been well formed and well

473
00:12:18,697 --> 00:12:19,970
shaped and well cultivated,

474
00:12:19,970 --> 00:12:21,498
you do those vocations

475
00:12:21,498 --> 00:12:23,097
even better.

476
00:12:23,097 --> 00:12:24,513
Think about the best people

477
00:12:24,513 --> 00:12:25,609
you know.

478
00:12:25,609 --> 00:12:27,385
What usually makes them so good

479
00:12:27,385 --> 00:12:29,057
is that they are faithful and

480
00:12:29,057 --> 00:12:29,705
they do what they've

481
00:12:29,705 --> 00:12:30,529
been given to do.

482
00:12:30,529 --> 00:12:31,809
And you can count on them.

483
00:12:31,809 --> 00:12:33,041
They're reliable because they're

484
00:12:33,041 --> 00:12:34,073
digging in and doing

485
00:12:34,073 --> 00:12:35,089
their vocations.

486
00:12:35,089 --> 00:12:36,153
They're not always doing

487
00:12:36,153 --> 00:12:37,201
extraordinary things.

488
00:12:37,201 --> 00:12:38,416
It's often the people who are

489
00:12:38,416 --> 00:12:39,842
just doing the mundane routines

490
00:12:39,842 --> 00:12:41,501
of life well that make the

491
00:12:41,501 --> 00:12:42,797
most impression on us.

492
00:12:42,797 --> 00:12:44,676
And that's attainable by

493
00:12:44,676 --> 00:12:45,893
every single one of us,

494
00:12:45,893 --> 00:12:47,126
by God's grace,

495
00:12:47,126 --> 00:12:48,102
because the Holy Spirit's

496
00:12:48,102 --> 00:12:48,981
at work in us,

497
00:12:48,981 --> 00:12:50,517
helping us to do this kind

498
00:12:50,517 --> 00:12:51,254
of righteousness,

499
00:12:51,254 --> 00:12:52,690
fulfilling God's purposes,

500
00:12:52,690 --> 00:12:53,713
looking more and more

501
00:12:53,713 --> 00:12:54,562
like Jesus,

502
00:12:54,562 --> 00:12:56,537
accomplishing his purpose and

503
00:12:56,537 --> 00:12:58,272
doing what he's given me to do.

504
00:12:58,272 --> 00:12:59,969
And Jesus is the standard.

505
00:12:59,969 --> 00:13:01,433
Jesus is the example.

506
00:13:01,433 --> 00:13:03,966
So Christ is the goal.

507
00:13:03,966 --> 00:13:06,134
I want to be like Jesus.

508
00:13:06,134 --> 00:13:08,125
But a little caution here.

509
00:13:08,125 --> 00:13:09,845
I'm not trying to do everything

510
00:13:09,845 --> 00:13:12,438
Jesus did because the vocation

511
00:13:12,438 --> 00:13:14,710
that Jesus had isn't

512
00:13:14,710 --> 00:13:15,814
my vocation.

513
00:13:15,814 --> 00:13:17,078
The vocation of Jesus

514
00:13:17,078 --> 00:13:18,662
was messiah.

515
00:13:18,662 --> 00:13:20,193
There's only one of those.

516
00:13:20,193 --> 00:13:22,416
So Jesus alone went and

517
00:13:22,416 --> 00:13:23,233
died on the cross.

518
00:13:23,233 --> 00:13:24,681
Jesus alone was able to do the

519
00:13:24,681 --> 00:13:25,649
kinds of things he did.

520
00:13:25,649 --> 00:13:27,033
And just because Jesus did

521
00:13:27,033 --> 00:13:27,833
something doesn't mean

522
00:13:27,833 --> 00:13:28,969
I should do it.

523
00:13:28,969 --> 00:13:30,873
What I need to do is figure out

524
00:13:30,873 --> 00:13:32,197
what God has called me to do in

525
00:13:32,197 --> 00:13:34,237
my vocation and do that well,

526
00:13:34,237 --> 00:13:35,717
and do it with the kind of

527
00:13:35,717 --> 00:13:36,694
character that Jesus

528
00:13:36,694 --> 00:13:37,502
exemplified.

529
00:13:37,502 --> 00:13:39,286
Because the character of Jesus

530
00:13:39,286 --> 00:13:40,617
is the character of

531
00:13:40,617 --> 00:13:41,442
the Christian.

532
00:13:41,442 --> 00:13:43,354
It's a person who is fully

533
00:13:43,354 --> 00:13:46,033
conformed to God's purposes and

534
00:13:46,033 --> 00:13:48,377
who is willing to do what

535
00:13:48,377 --> 00:13:49,697
God wants them to do.

536
00:13:49,697 --> 00:13:53,442
To God's law is the guide.

537
00:13:53,442 --> 00:13:54,978
So when I have the character

538
00:13:54,978 --> 00:13:55,673
of Christ,

539
00:13:55,673 --> 00:13:57,204
I am not doing everything

540
00:13:57,204 --> 00:13:57,868
Jesus did,

541
00:13:57,868 --> 00:13:59,597
but I'm living as an

542
00:13:59,597 --> 00:14:00,798
obedient creature,

543
00:14:00,798 --> 00:14:02,293
doing what God put me here to do

544
00:14:02,293 --> 00:14:03,670
and fulfilling the vocations

545
00:14:03,670 --> 00:14:04,885
he has given to me,

546
00:14:04,885 --> 00:14:06,061
whatever those might be.

547
00:14:06,061 --> 00:14:06,877
And they're not the same

548
00:14:06,877 --> 00:14:07,877
for any of us.

549
00:14:07,877 --> 00:14:09,469
So what someone else is doing,

550
00:14:09,469 --> 00:14:10,689
maybe you shouldn't be doing.

551
00:14:10,689 --> 00:14:11,401
But what you need to

552
00:14:11,401 --> 00:14:12,128
be doing is saying,

553
00:14:12,128 --> 00:14:13,362
I need to fulfill God's

554
00:14:13,362 --> 00:14:14,841
purposes in my life.

555
00:14:14,841 --> 00:14:15,922
I need to be obedient

556
00:14:15,922 --> 00:14:17,025
to his law,

557
00:14:17,025 --> 00:14:18,737
make sure I'm not violating any

558
00:14:18,737 --> 00:14:19,721
of the things he's told me I

559
00:14:19,721 --> 00:14:20,591
should be doing or shouldn't be

560
00:14:20,591 --> 00:14:22,149
doing. And as I'm doing that,

561
00:14:22,149 --> 00:14:23,693
I need to be serving well those

562
00:14:23,693 --> 00:14:26,005
around me, caring for my family,

563
00:14:26,005 --> 00:14:27,061
loving my children,

564
00:14:27,061 --> 00:14:27,950
loving my wife,

565
00:14:27,950 --> 00:14:29,677
serving those around me well,

566
00:14:29,677 --> 00:14:30,910
giving of my gifts.

567
00:14:30,910 --> 00:14:32,121
And as I'm doing that,

568
00:14:32,121 --> 00:14:33,434
that's where character becomes

569
00:14:33,434 --> 00:14:35,082
more and more exemplified.

570
00:14:35,082 --> 00:14:36,513
We begin to see, then,

571
00:14:36,513 --> 00:14:38,018
that the reason for Christ's

572
00:14:38,018 --> 00:14:40,529
work is exactly this,

573
00:14:40,529 --> 00:14:42,346
that I would be conformed

574
00:14:42,346 --> 00:14:43,874
to his purposes,

575
00:14:43,874 --> 00:14:45,073
and it would show up

576
00:14:45,073 --> 00:14:46,321
in how I live.

577
00:14:46,321 --> 00:14:48,450
This is a rather noble goal,

578
00:14:48,450 --> 00:14:49,953
and it's a rather exciting one,

579
00:14:49,953 --> 00:14:50,385
I think.

580
00:14:50,385 --> 00:14:52,057
We're not simply trying to

581
00:14:52,057 --> 00:14:53,521
emulate great saints who have

582
00:14:53,521 --> 00:14:54,409
gone before us because

583
00:14:54,409 --> 00:14:55,281
they're great saints,

584
00:14:55,281 --> 00:14:56,393
but we're trying to be what God

585
00:14:56,393 --> 00:14:57,737
has given me to do today.

586
00:14:57,737 --> 00:14:59,137
And I find inspiration in

587
00:14:59,137 --> 00:14:59,990
those great saints.

588
00:14:59,990 --> 00:15:01,257
And I find inspiration in

589
00:15:01,257 --> 00:15:02,849
Christ's obedience and in Peters

590
00:15:02,849 --> 00:15:04,066
and Paul's and Timothy's

591
00:15:04,066 --> 00:15:04,738
and David's.

592
00:15:04,738 --> 00:15:06,281
They all inspire me to say,

593
00:15:06,281 --> 00:15:08,040
look, I can do this in my day.

594
00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,176
And I can and you can.

595
00:15:10,176 --> 00:15:11,393
And that's what God has

596
00:15:11,393 --> 00:15:12,529
called us to do.

597
00:15:12,529 --> 00:15:13,656
We're waiting for the

598
00:15:13,656 --> 00:15:15,729
consummation. It will come.

599
00:15:15,729 --> 00:15:16,682
But while we're waiting,

600
00:15:16,682 --> 00:15:17,656
we're not just twiddling our

601
00:15:17,656 --> 00:15:18,761
thumbs and killing time.

602
00:15:18,761 --> 00:15:20,137
We're busy doing what God has

603
00:15:20,137 --> 00:15:22,465
given us to do right now, today.

604
00:15:22,465 --> 00:15:24,057
Get busy doing what God has

605
00:15:24,057 --> 00:15:25,777
given you to do. Rejoice that

606
00:15:25,777 --> 00:15:27,233
He's given you clear vocations.

607
00:15:27,233 --> 00:15:28,674
He's given you an explicit

608
00:15:28,674 --> 00:15:30,130
raison d'être.

609
00:15:30,130 --> 00:15:32,121
You're his own child.

610
00:15:32,121 --> 00:15:33,337
Delight in that.

611
00:15:33,337 --> 00:15:34,977
And don't sit back now and

612
00:15:34,977 --> 00:15:36,338
just kind of coast,

613
00:15:36,338 --> 00:15:38,953
but embrace that reality and dig

614
00:15:38,953 --> 00:15:40,017
in and do what God has

615
00:15:40,017 --> 00:15:40,801
called you to do.

616
00:15:40,801 --> 00:15:42,306
Be a person of character

617
00:15:42,306 --> 00:15:43,257
in your life,

618
00:15:43,257 --> 00:15:44,233
in the lives of those

619
00:15:44,233 --> 00:15:44,769
around you,

620
00:15:44,769 --> 00:15:45,800
and make the difference that

621
00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:47,105
God has called you to make.

622
00:15:47,105 --> 00:15:48,930
God bless you in your endeavor.