1 00:00:00,833 --> 00:00:03,066 In the name of the Father, and of the 2 00:00:03,066 --> 00:00:05,266 Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. 3 00:00:06,966 --> 00:00:09,433 Well, first I think I owe the assembly a 4 00:00:09,433 --> 00:00:10,766 bit of a disclaimer. 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,300 In spite of appearances, I am not, in 6 00:00:14,300 --> 00:00:17,233 fact, here early for the Vocazio High 7 00:00:17,233 --> 00:00:18,633 School retreat, 8 00:00:19,533 --> 00:00:22,566 and I promise I am old enough to do this. 9 00:00:23,933 --> 00:00:26,100 Now that we have that out of the way, 10 00:00:26,100 --> 00:00:28,333 when my wife Emily and I had our first 11 00:00:28,333 --> 00:00:29,133 child about 12 00:00:29,133 --> 00:00:31,066 six years ago, it's when I first 13 00:00:31,066 --> 00:00:33,333 discovered the concept known as object 14 00:00:33,333 --> 00:00:34,166 permanence. 15 00:00:34,966 --> 00:00:36,200 Have you ever heard of that before? 16 00:00:37,666 --> 00:00:40,033 It's simply the knowledge that even when 17 00:00:40,033 --> 00:00:42,400 you can't see something or hear it, that 18 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:42,866 thing 19 00:00:42,866 --> 00:00:44,500 still exists. 20 00:00:45,666 --> 00:00:49,066 So for instance, if I ask our colleague, 21 00:00:49,066 --> 00:00:52,200 Reverend Craig Ryder, to stand up and 22 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:53,666 leave the nave 23 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:55,900 of the nave, Pastor Ryder, you can leave 24 00:00:55,900 --> 00:00:56,166 now. 25 00:00:59,133 --> 00:01:01,700 You all know he's still here even if you 26 00:01:01,700 --> 00:01:03,733 can't see or hear him, right? 27 00:01:04,333 --> 00:01:05,900 Unless he leaves and doesn't want to hear 28 00:01:05,900 --> 00:01:07,300 the rest of my sermon, then that's a 29 00:01:07,300 --> 00:01:07,766 different 30 00:01:07,766 --> 00:01:08,233 case. 31 00:01:09,266 --> 00:01:11,533 But my two-month-old son Elias, if he 32 00:01:11,533 --> 00:01:13,966 were here, would probably think that our 33 00:01:13,966 --> 00:01:14,933 dear Reverend 34 00:01:14,933 --> 00:01:17,033 Ryder has disappeared forever. 35 00:01:18,133 --> 00:01:20,133 Pastor Ryder, you can come back now if 36 00:01:20,133 --> 00:01:20,833 you'd like. 37 00:01:22,166 --> 00:01:24,966 So, research suggests that kids tend to 38 00:01:24,966 --> 00:01:27,733 develop object permanence by about the 39 00:01:27,733 --> 00:01:28,733 age of four 40 00:01:28,733 --> 00:01:31,766 months or seven months, somewhere in that 41 00:01:31,766 --> 00:01:32,266 span. 42 00:01:33,633 --> 00:01:35,733 And yet, I'm not convinced as they grow 43 00:01:35,733 --> 00:01:37,700 older that they completely have this 44 00:01:37,700 --> 00:01:38,566 concept down. 45 00:01:39,100 --> 00:01:42,233 For example, one night last week, between 46 00:01:42,233 --> 00:01:45,500 the hours of 2 and 4 a.m., I was summoned 47 00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:48,533 three times by one of our children to his 48 00:01:48,533 --> 00:01:49,266 bedroom. 49 00:01:50,266 --> 00:01:53,066 I won't name names, Jacob. 50 00:01:55,566 --> 00:01:57,700 So he calls, Daddy, Daddy. 51 00:01:57,966 --> 00:02:01,266 And so I get up and I'm kind of cranky. 52 00:02:01,366 --> 00:02:03,100 I rub my eyes and stagger down the 53 00:02:03,100 --> 00:02:05,133 hallway, a little bit grumpy, and go to 54 00:02:05,133 --> 00:02:05,900 his room and 55 00:02:05,900 --> 00:02:08,266 I ask, what's wrong, Jacob? 56 00:02:08,733 --> 00:02:10,566 I'm scared, he says. 57 00:02:11,533 --> 00:02:13,466 Why are you scared, Jacob? 58 00:02:14,433 --> 00:02:17,200 Because you're not here with me. 59 00:02:18,766 --> 00:02:21,533 Jacob needed that assurance that Mommy 60 00:02:21,533 --> 00:02:24,300 and Daddy were still present and there 61 00:02:24,300 --> 00:02:25,166 with him, 62 00:02:25,166 --> 00:02:27,633 even when he couldn't see us. 63 00:02:27,766 --> 00:02:29,700 You might say he needed parent 64 00:02:29,700 --> 00:02:30,533 permanence. 65 00:02:31,833 --> 00:02:33,666 Now a five-year-old like Jacob should 66 00:02:33,666 --> 00:02:34,733 know better, right? 67 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:36,866 The constant assurances that were there, 68 00:02:36,866 --> 00:02:38,966 the constant reminders of our presence. 69 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:42,566 And sure, maybe he should know better, 70 00:02:42,566 --> 00:02:44,866 but humans need not just permanence, but 71 00:02:44,866 --> 00:02:45,466 constant 72 00:02:45,466 --> 00:02:48,233 reminders of permanence. 73 00:02:49,033 --> 00:02:50,866 Jacob looks at this dark room, it's 74 00:02:50,866 --> 00:02:53,000 empty, he gets scared, and the only thing 75 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:53,533 I found 76 00:02:53,533 --> 00:02:56,966 alleviates his fear is a promise and then 77 00:02:56,966 --> 00:02:58,133 my presence. 78 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,900 I say, I'm here for you, and then I'm 79 00:03:00,900 --> 00:03:02,800 actually there with him. 80 00:03:05,433 --> 00:03:08,100 You know, I'd go as far as saying adults, 81 00:03:08,100 --> 00:03:10,933 even as they grow older, don't quite have 82 00:03:10,933 --> 00:03:13,300 object permanence down fully. 83 00:03:14,166 --> 00:03:16,400 At least that's the sense I get as I read 84 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:17,966 through the book of Exodus. 85 00:03:18,833 --> 00:03:21,633 The people of Israel struggle to develop 86 00:03:21,633 --> 00:03:24,366 what I describe as divine permanence. 87 00:03:25,233 --> 00:03:27,866 The confidence that even when you cannot 88 00:03:27,866 --> 00:03:30,466 see God and even when all circumstances 89 00:03:30,466 --> 00:03:31,133 suggest 90 00:03:31,133 --> 00:03:34,100 otherwise, the God of Abraham and Isaac 91 00:03:34,100 --> 00:03:36,800 and Jacob is still present with and 92 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:37,766 caring for 93 00:03:37,766 --> 00:03:38,900 His people. 94 00:03:39,533 --> 00:03:42,500 Now, if any group of people ought to know 95 00:03:42,500 --> 00:03:45,366 that, ought to know better, these people 96 00:03:45,366 --> 00:03:45,733 of 97 00:03:45,733 --> 00:03:47,500 Israel who have been the constant 98 00:03:47,500 --> 00:03:49,166 witnesses of God's mighty power, 99 00:03:49,166 --> 00:03:50,400 delivering them with 100 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,566 a mighty hand from Egypt, it should be 101 00:03:52,566 --> 00:03:53,366 them, right? 102 00:03:54,666 --> 00:03:57,000 But Israel tended to be prone to two 103 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:58,333 particular things. 104 00:03:58,433 --> 00:04:01,766 First, they would look for God in all the 105 00:04:01,766 --> 00:04:02,966 wrong places. 106 00:04:03,900 --> 00:04:06,466 And then second, when they couldn't find 107 00:04:06,466 --> 00:04:08,933 God, they tended to slide into not just 108 00:04:08,933 --> 00:04:09,900 hopelessness 109 00:04:09,900 --> 00:04:11,166 but sin. 110 00:04:12,366 --> 00:04:14,966 Look back through the book of Exodus for 111 00:04:14,966 --> 00:04:16,833 multiple examples of this. 112 00:04:16,899 --> 00:04:19,500 Exodus 14, you remember when Israel has 113 00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:21,966 left Egypt, God's delivered them, and 114 00:04:21,966 --> 00:04:22,700 then all 115 00:04:22,700 --> 00:04:25,133 of a sudden we hear that Pharaoh and 600 116 00:04:25,133 --> 00:04:27,466 chariots are on their heels and Israel 117 00:04:27,466 --> 00:04:28,700 cries out, Moses, 118 00:04:28,700 --> 00:04:30,433 is it because there are no graves in 119 00:04:30,433 --> 00:04:32,200 Egypt that you led us out here to the 120 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:32,866 wilderness? 121 00:04:34,033 --> 00:04:36,266 They did not look at God's promises. 122 00:04:36,433 --> 00:04:38,300 They didn't look at the pillar of cloud 123 00:04:38,300 --> 00:04:39,533 right there beside them. 124 00:04:39,566 --> 00:04:42,000 They looked instead at the danger and 125 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,366 concluded God must not be with us. 126 00:04:45,033 --> 00:04:47,133 And of course, He was right there, 127 00:04:47,133 --> 00:04:49,333 graciously present as he promised to 128 00:04:49,333 --> 00:04:50,566 deliver them with 129 00:04:50,566 --> 00:04:53,100 a mighty hand through the Red Sea. 130 00:04:54,100 --> 00:04:57,133 Or two chapters later, Exodus 16, there's 131 00:04:57,133 --> 00:05:00,100 an absence of food and Israel sees their 132 00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:00,766 hunger 133 00:05:00,766 --> 00:05:02,666 and nothing immediately in front of them. 134 00:05:02,766 --> 00:05:04,033 They say God must be gone. 135 00:05:05,266 --> 00:05:06,266 And what does God do? 136 00:05:06,366 --> 00:05:08,766 He is graciously present as he promised 137 00:05:08,766 --> 00:05:10,266 to deliver them manna. 138 00:05:11,333 --> 00:05:15,033 Or Exodus 17, an absence of water, and 139 00:05:15,033 --> 00:05:18,533 Israel concludes God must be gone. 140 00:05:19,533 --> 00:05:21,366 And of course, God is once again 141 00:05:21,366 --> 00:05:23,533 graciously present with His people and 142 00:05:23,533 --> 00:05:24,633 for them, giving 143 00:05:24,633 --> 00:05:26,666 them water through his servant Moses. 144 00:05:27,866 --> 00:05:30,733 And do you remember what Moses called the 145 00:05:30,733 --> 00:05:33,000 place where they were, Massah and 146 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:33,766 Meribah, 147 00:05:34,166 --> 00:05:36,266 because quote of the quarreling of the 148 00:05:36,266 --> 00:05:38,466 people of Israel and because they attest 149 00:05:38,466 --> 00:05:39,233 to the Lord 150 00:05:39,233 --> 00:05:44,066 by saying, is the Lord among us or not? 151 00:05:45,633 --> 00:05:48,166 And then we arrive at today's text right 152 00:05:48,166 --> 00:05:50,500 after this golden calf, this horrible 153 00:05:50,500 --> 00:05:51,266 incident, 154 00:05:52,700 --> 00:05:55,433 and God gives a message to Israel, sends 155 00:05:55,433 --> 00:05:58,233 them away from Sinai with this horrifying 156 00:05:58,233 --> 00:05:58,766 news, 157 00:05:58,966 --> 00:06:01,100 I will not be going with you. 158 00:06:01,666 --> 00:06:04,033 I'll send my messenger with you. 159 00:06:05,766 --> 00:06:07,766 And His explanation, well, you are 160 00:06:07,766 --> 00:06:10,100 stiff-necked people and if I went on the 161 00:06:10,100 --> 00:06:11,366 way, I would surely 162 00:06:11,366 --> 00:06:12,266 consume you. 163 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,900 And as Exodus 33 verse 4 says, this news 164 00:06:15,900 --> 00:06:18,633 is disastrous because the people of 165 00:06:18,633 --> 00:06:19,733 Israel knew 166 00:06:19,733 --> 00:06:23,533 if God is not present with us and for us, 167 00:06:23,533 --> 00:06:25,200 we have no hope. 168 00:06:26,366 --> 00:06:29,300 It's almost as though Israel had Psalm 169 00:06:29,300 --> 00:06:32,500 124 in mind years before King David wrote 170 00:06:32,500 --> 00:06:32,966 it. 171 00:06:33,266 --> 00:06:35,966 Quote, if it had not been the Lord who 172 00:06:35,966 --> 00:06:38,433 was on our side when people rose up 173 00:06:38,433 --> 00:06:39,433 against us, 174 00:06:39,433 --> 00:06:41,666 then they would have swallowed us up 175 00:06:41,666 --> 00:06:42,166 alive. 176 00:06:44,766 --> 00:06:49,333 Israel was terrified, but God abides with 177 00:06:49,333 --> 00:06:53,833 His sinful people even when they fail to 178 00:06:53,833 --> 00:06:54,733 abide 179 00:06:54,733 --> 00:06:55,366 with Him. 180 00:06:55,966 --> 00:06:58,366 And it's through this weak, frail 181 00:06:58,366 --> 00:07:01,366 intercessor, Moses, that God demonstrates 182 00:07:01,366 --> 00:07:02,433 that He does 183 00:07:02,433 --> 00:07:04,666 indeed abide with His sinful people. 184 00:07:05,666 --> 00:07:08,566 Listen again to Moses, first in chapter 185 00:07:08,566 --> 00:07:11,266 33 verse 13, where Moses says first, 186 00:07:11,266 --> 00:07:12,066 consider 187 00:07:12,066 --> 00:07:15,366 to that this nation is your people. 188 00:07:16,566 --> 00:07:18,766 God remember the people you created, who 189 00:07:18,766 --> 00:07:20,966 you redeemed with a mighty hand from the 190 00:07:20,966 --> 00:07:21,366 hand 191 00:07:21,366 --> 00:07:22,100 of the Egyptians. 192 00:07:23,166 --> 00:07:25,933 And then in verse 15, if your presence 193 00:07:25,933 --> 00:07:28,666 will not go with me, don't bring us up 194 00:07:28,666 --> 00:07:29,633 from here. 195 00:07:30,266 --> 00:07:32,166 For how shall it be that we are known? 196 00:07:32,966 --> 00:07:34,766 How shall it be known that I have found 197 00:07:34,766 --> 00:07:36,600 favor in your sight, I in your people? 198 00:07:37,233 --> 00:07:40,733 Is it not in your going with us? 199 00:07:41,566 --> 00:07:44,000 So that we are distinct, I and your 200 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,533 people from every other people on the 201 00:07:46,533 --> 00:07:47,500 face of the 202 00:07:47,500 --> 00:07:47,866 earth. 203 00:07:49,533 --> 00:07:51,966 Moses and Israel needed yet another 204 00:07:51,966 --> 00:07:54,466 promise and another example of God's 205 00:07:54,466 --> 00:07:55,266 presence. 206 00:07:55,266 --> 00:07:58,766 And so the Lord graciously answers, this 207 00:07:58,766 --> 00:08:02,266 very thing you have spoken, I will do. 208 00:08:03,466 --> 00:08:06,766 A promise, and then God's presence. 209 00:08:07,700 --> 00:08:10,066 The very next chapter he reestablishes 210 00:08:10,066 --> 00:08:12,533 His covenant to promise his people, not 211 00:08:12,533 --> 00:08:13,266 only will 212 00:08:13,266 --> 00:08:16,500 I be with you as you leave Sinai, I will 213 00:08:16,500 --> 00:08:18,166 always be with you. 214 00:08:19,166 --> 00:08:22,433 So in spite of all these circumstances, 215 00:08:22,433 --> 00:08:25,266 idolatry, rebellion, disaster, God 216 00:08:25,266 --> 00:08:27,333 promises to be present 217 00:08:27,333 --> 00:08:28,266 with Israel. 218 00:08:30,166 --> 00:08:32,666 And don't mistake this for God excusing 219 00:08:32,666 --> 00:08:33,633 Israel's sin. 220 00:08:34,433 --> 00:08:37,166 Because as he also says in chapter 34, 221 00:08:37,166 --> 00:08:39,266 God forgives the iniquity and 222 00:08:39,266 --> 00:08:40,733 transgression and 223 00:08:40,733 --> 00:08:43,166 sin of Israel, but will by no means clear 224 00:08:43,166 --> 00:08:45,566 the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the 225 00:08:45,566 --> 00:08:46,166 fathers 226 00:08:46,166 --> 00:08:48,533 on the children and the children's 227 00:08:48,533 --> 00:08:50,800 children to the third and fourth 228 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:51,766 generation. 229 00:08:52,733 --> 00:08:55,966 God doesn't excuse Israel's sin. 230 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,400 He confronts them and convicts them in 231 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:01,600 their sin because our sin hurts the 232 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:02,633 people around 233 00:09:02,633 --> 00:09:04,733 us and it hurts our trust in God. 234 00:09:04,766 --> 00:09:06,533 It is not neutral. 235 00:09:08,666 --> 00:09:11,533 And yet when God convicts us and Israel 236 00:09:11,533 --> 00:09:14,433 in our sin and brings about repentance, 237 00:09:14,433 --> 00:09:15,166 He also 238 00:09:15,166 --> 00:09:16,633 pardons our sin. 239 00:09:18,133 --> 00:09:20,600 Because this is the unmistakable truth of 240 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,166 our text and all of Scripture, God abides 241 00:09:23,166 --> 00:09:25,966 with His sinful people even when they do 242 00:09:25,966 --> 00:09:27,300 not abide in Him. 243 00:09:29,500 --> 00:09:32,566 When you want to know if God is present 244 00:09:32,566 --> 00:09:35,866 with you and for you, where do you look? 245 00:09:36,733 --> 00:09:40,800 Well, maybe as the great Obi-Wan Kenobi 246 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,866 says, you search your feelings and then 247 00:09:44,866 --> 00:09:46,133 you leave 248 00:09:46,133 --> 00:09:48,700 disappointed because you fail to find Him 249 00:09:48,700 --> 00:09:50,800 there all the time and God has not 250 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:51,500 promised 251 00:09:51,500 --> 00:09:54,700 to be found in your feelings, which can't 252 00:09:54,700 --> 00:09:56,266 always be trusted. 253 00:09:56,900 --> 00:09:58,866 Or maybe you look at something a little 254 00:09:58,866 --> 00:10:00,966 bit more tangible, like your good works. 255 00:10:00,966 --> 00:10:02,700 Maybe as you read through the service of 256 00:10:02,700 --> 00:10:04,466 prayer and preaching and you look through 257 00:10:04,466 --> 00:10:05,000 those Ten 258 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,133 Commandments, you think, I've been doing 259 00:10:07,133 --> 00:10:08,900 fairly well with some of these. 260 00:10:10,166 --> 00:10:12,166 But it can go both ways too. 261 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:15,433 Because if your good works tell you that 262 00:10:15,433 --> 00:10:17,566 God is with you and for you, then your 263 00:10:17,566 --> 00:10:18,233 sins will 264 00:10:18,233 --> 00:10:20,966 also tell you that God is absent or 265 00:10:20,966 --> 00:10:22,066 against you. 266 00:10:23,666 --> 00:10:26,033 And then you look at your circumstances 267 00:10:26,033 --> 00:10:28,500 in the world as fires and floods and wars 268 00:10:28,500 --> 00:10:29,033 ravage 269 00:10:29,033 --> 00:10:31,766 the earth and you see all these things 270 00:10:31,766 --> 00:10:34,100 and you start to wonder, has God 271 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:34,966 vanished? 272 00:10:36,133 --> 00:10:37,266 Does he love me? 273 00:10:39,133 --> 00:10:42,066 Dear saints in Christ, in spite of all 274 00:10:42,066 --> 00:10:44,533 these circumstances that suggest 275 00:10:44,533 --> 00:10:45,866 otherwise, God 276 00:10:45,866 --> 00:10:48,966 is with you and for you. 277 00:10:49,733 --> 00:10:50,933 He loves you. 278 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,033 He abides with His sinful people just 279 00:10:54,033 --> 00:10:56,700 like you and me even when we do not abide 280 00:10:56,700 --> 00:10:57,366 in Him. 281 00:10:57,366 --> 00:10:58,666 And how do I know this? 282 00:10:59,733 --> 00:11:02,433 It's because of another weak, frail 283 00:11:02,433 --> 00:11:05,066 intercessor, the Son of God, Jesus 284 00:11:05,066 --> 00:11:06,833 Christ, where we see 285 00:11:06,833 --> 00:11:10,133 the Lord abiding with His sinful people. 286 00:11:11,433 --> 00:11:14,000 Because Jesus came and did great, mighty 287 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:15,733 works among God's people. 288 00:11:15,833 --> 00:11:18,433 He was present with us, healing the sick 289 00:11:18,433 --> 00:11:21,000 and giving sight to the blind and making 290 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:21,733 the lame 291 00:11:21,733 --> 00:11:23,533 to walk, forgiving sins and raising 292 00:11:23,533 --> 00:11:24,700 people from the dead. 293 00:11:24,700 --> 00:11:26,200 And if anyone should have known that God 294 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:27,666 was with them, it should have been those 295 00:11:27,666 --> 00:11:28,033 people, 296 00:11:28,166 --> 00:11:28,433 right? 297 00:11:30,333 --> 00:11:33,333 But then, for the claim of being God's 298 00:11:33,333 --> 00:11:35,866 Son sent to redeem us, Jesus was 299 00:11:35,866 --> 00:11:37,066 crucified by 300 00:11:37,066 --> 00:11:39,633 these very people in our place. 301 00:11:41,033 --> 00:11:42,133 Can you just see Him there? 302 00:11:43,100 --> 00:11:45,400 Your great high priest, the greater than 303 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:47,766 Moses, interceding on your behalf when He 304 00:11:47,766 --> 00:11:48,666 says, Father, 305 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:51,266 forgive them, for they know not what they 306 00:11:51,266 --> 00:11:51,566 do. 307 00:11:51,566 --> 00:11:54,333 Almost like Moses saying, remember, this 308 00:11:54,333 --> 00:11:55,533 is your people. 309 00:11:55,666 --> 00:11:56,866 Have mercy, O Lord. 310 00:11:58,166 --> 00:12:00,866 And when Christ was placed in a tomb, His 311 00:12:00,866 --> 00:12:03,300 followers were once again like little 312 00:12:03,300 --> 00:12:04,033 children 313 00:12:04,900 --> 00:12:07,633 without object permanence because the 314 00:12:07,633 --> 00:12:10,333 object of their faith had been buried 315 00:12:10,333 --> 00:12:11,600 behind a stone 316 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:13,966 and they really thought He had vanished. 317 00:12:15,733 --> 00:12:19,000 But remember where we're supposed to look 318 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,000 for our Lord, where He has promised to 319 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:22,466 be. 320 00:12:23,566 --> 00:12:26,133 And Jesus made a promise in Matthew 18. 321 00:12:27,333 --> 00:12:29,133 In taking the twelve, He said to them, 322 00:12:29,133 --> 00:12:30,900 see, we are going up to Jerusalem and 323 00:12:30,900 --> 00:12:31,533 everything 324 00:12:31,533 --> 00:12:33,833 that is written about the Son of Man by 325 00:12:33,833 --> 00:12:36,266 the prophets will be accomplished, for He 326 00:12:36,266 --> 00:12:36,666 will 327 00:12:36,666 --> 00:12:39,200 be delivered over to the Gentiles and 328 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,000 will be mocked and shamefully treated and 329 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:42,466 spat 330 00:12:42,466 --> 00:12:46,000 upon and after flogging him, they will 331 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,433 kill him and on the third day he will 332 00:12:49,433 --> 00:12:50,166 rise. 333 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:53,366 And dear friends, Christ is risen. 334 00:12:57,033 --> 00:12:59,900 And when you want to know if God is with 335 00:12:59,900 --> 00:13:02,866 you and for you, do not look at your sins 336 00:13:02,866 --> 00:13:03,566 or your 337 00:13:03,566 --> 00:13:06,066 good works or the chaos of the world, 338 00:13:06,066 --> 00:13:08,600 look instead to the wonderful gifts of 339 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:09,666 God in Christ 340 00:13:09,666 --> 00:13:13,033 Jesus where God has promised to be and is 341 00:13:13,033 --> 00:13:15,566 present with you and for you. 342 00:13:16,500 --> 00:13:18,600 Remember how the absence of water caused 343 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,533 Israel to doubt God's presence in the 344 00:13:20,533 --> 00:13:21,266 wilderness? 345 00:13:22,433 --> 00:13:24,900 Well, now the presence of water with 346 00:13:24,900 --> 00:13:27,733 God's word in baptism, which saves you by 347 00:13:27,733 --> 00:13:28,433 bearing 348 00:13:28,433 --> 00:13:30,500 you with Christ and raising you to new 349 00:13:30,500 --> 00:13:32,566 life, these are a permanent assurance 350 00:13:32,566 --> 00:13:33,433 that the Lord 351 00:13:33,433 --> 00:13:35,966 is not just with us but for us. 352 00:13:36,900 --> 00:13:38,866 Do you remember how the absence of bread 353 00:13:38,866 --> 00:13:40,800 caused Israel to doubt God's presence in 354 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:41,666 the wilderness? 355 00:13:43,133 --> 00:13:45,533 Well now the Son of God in His supper is 356 00:13:45,533 --> 00:13:47,766 truly present in, with, and under the 357 00:13:47,766 --> 00:13:48,466 bread and 358 00:13:48,466 --> 00:13:52,200 wine there forgiving our sins, proving He 359 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:55,000 is indeed with us and for us. 360 00:13:55,933 --> 00:13:58,166 And do you remember how the absence of 361 00:13:58,166 --> 00:14:00,333 Moses at Sinai caused Israel to think 362 00:14:00,333 --> 00:14:01,233 that God had 363 00:14:01,233 --> 00:14:01,933 abandoned them? 364 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,833 Well now the daily intercession of Christ 365 00:14:04,833 --> 00:14:07,833 on our behalf who promises, I am with you 366 00:14:07,833 --> 00:14:10,833 always to the end of the age, is our 367 00:14:10,833 --> 00:14:13,233 comfort and fear and doubt. 368 00:14:15,833 --> 00:14:19,000 When you wish to know if God is present 369 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,700 with you and for you, look to the 370 00:14:21,700 --> 00:14:22,933 promises and 371 00:14:22,933 --> 00:14:26,433 gifts of God in Christ, places where God 372 00:14:26,433 --> 00:14:29,700 is always present for you in word, in 373 00:14:29,700 --> 00:14:30,833 sacrament, 374 00:14:30,833 --> 00:14:33,533 in the gathering of his people, because 375 00:14:33,533 --> 00:14:36,433 that's really what divine permanence is. 376 00:14:36,866 --> 00:14:39,633 Even when you cannot see Him, even when 377 00:14:39,633 --> 00:14:42,433 circumstances suggest otherwise, the God 378 00:14:42,433 --> 00:14:43,633 of Abraham and 379 00:14:43,633 --> 00:14:46,866 Isaac and Jacob is not absent. 380 00:14:47,566 --> 00:14:49,366 He has not abandoned you. 381 00:14:50,166 --> 00:14:53,000 He is truly present with you and for you 382 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,866 because God abides with His sinful people 383 00:14:55,866 --> 00:14:56,700 even when 384 00:14:56,700 --> 00:14:59,666 they fail to abide in Him, all for the 385 00:14:59,666 --> 00:15:02,066 sake of His Son Jesus Christ. 386 00:15:03,500 --> 00:15:06,033 May God grant us faith to trust this 387 00:15:06,033 --> 00:15:08,866 until our faith finally becomes sight. 388 00:15:10,133 --> 00:15:10,366 Amen. 389 00:15:11,666 --> 00:15:13,300 And the peace of God which passes 390 00:15:13,300 --> 00:15:15,033 all human understanding, keep your hearts 391 00:15:15,033 --> 00:15:15,300 and 392 00:15:15,300 --> 00:15:16,833 your minds in Christ Jesus. 393 00:15:17,833 --> 00:15:18,200 Amen. 394 00:15:19,233 --> 00:15:20,433 We continue with our hymn.