Video Transcript: Exile and the Promise of Restoration
David - This is the last lesson revolves around Old Testament. And if there's one thing that's clear from the beginning to the end of the Old Testament is, people do not deserve the love of God. Even those he has shown the most love to the people of Israel, they keep rebelling, they keep turning aside from him to false gods. And it's again, a mirror of ourselves, we all have this tendency to even to run from the God who loves us most or runs from the God who knows what is best for us. So that's clear all throughout the Old Testament, but at the same time, overriding that God is still thankful. To faithless people and unfaithful people. He continued, he's made covenant promises that he keeps, and that's what sustains our relationship with Him. Our relationship with Him is sustained by his faithfulness to us more than any stretch by our faithfulness to him.
Francis - Yeah, even when the people were disobedient. And he, there was a consequence, to the disobedience. And they're an exile, as you saw in the lesson, but God still had made a covenant, and he was going to keep that covenant. It's like what Paul tells Timothy because it is trustworthy statement. And at the end, he says, Even if we're faithless, he remains faithful. We cannot deny him something like, God is going to be faithful, regardless of our actions. And that's what you see all through your writings, all through the Old Testament. And what they were unfaithful man, but they did this man got through all this. And in some ways that that should be a comfort to us. Because sometimes we just feel like man, okay, this one, there's no way he'll forgive me now. But he does say, he goes, Look, if you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you your sins, and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. So it's a time to really soak in again, that faithfulness of God.
David - And to apply this in this discipling relationship, you've got another person or group of people decide disciple making is, is messy, painful, it's walking with somebody or some other people, through struggles with sins, or struggles with suffering in this life, so that it's not easy. It's not cut and dry. And if it hasn't been in the journey at this point, then you probably have missed the point like this is why as we share life with each other, we walk through all kinds of struggles with sin and suffering. But the beauty is, the promises of God, the faithfulness of God are what sustained throughout that whole picture. So you might even pause at this point in, in in some time with the people, you're discipling and just say, Let's praise God for His faithfulness to us. Or let's talk about even let's go back to areas of sin or struggle, whether or areas of suffering even though we're walking through our lives, things that we're really wrestling with, and let's just go what are the promises that God has given to us to overcome these struggles of sin? What are the promises that God's given to us to comfort us in the middle of suffering, just bring those to life in the hearts of the people that you're discipling,
pointing them to the faithfulness of God. And this is what sustains us as disciples is
Francis - restoration of just like, you know, Israel, I'm not done with you, you know, restore you. And same ways for people to understand this relationship can be restored, despite what they've done. You know, because at this length in time, you know, you've been with this person for a while. And they've probably gone through some things and felt the guilt over that and to restore that. But the other thing I like what you pointed out, I mean, we're supposed to represent God, and we see the way that he restores and forgives, and chances are at this point in your relationship with the people, you're discipling you've probably been offended. You know, when you're supposed to get it's so good to understand God's forgiveness, you have to get it and receive it so that you can become that person you got a clearer picture of it is what God does for me, is what he's forgiven me of. And so even though, you know, these people have offended me, it's okay, I see what God's done is he has been faithful and even there were consequences got messed up, but he restored me and I'm gonna do the same thing for you.
David - I'm gonna believe in God's grace in you and to not give up on people who are disciples.