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.