WEBVTT

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When the best of me is barely breathing When

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I'm not somebody I believe in Hold on to me When

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I'm missing light, the night is starting When

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I'm slamming all the doors you open He's listening

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to your prayers right now. Hold on to me when

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it's too dark to see you. When I am sure I have

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reached the end. Hold on to me when I forget

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I need you. When I let go of me, I could rest

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in peace. Because I know nobody loves me better.

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Hold on to me. Hold on to me. We are working

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through the book of Judges, and we're just going

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to kind of give a quick synopsis of where we've

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been. So as we look at the story of Gideon, Another

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judge, a deliverer, a savior, if you will, for

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Israel. He is being called up because the country

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is being so heavily persecuted by the Midianites,

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formerly an ally, going back far enough, formerly

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an ally. But in this day and age, they have been

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sweeping in the land with a bunch of Eastern

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peoples, Amalekites and others, and they come

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in and there's so many of them that they're literally

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taking everything. They're taking all the crops

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as they're about to be harvested. They're taking

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all the money. They're taking all the women,

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taking children into slavery. I mean, it's just

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a complete... Complete overrun, basically. And

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this is happening, we have heard in the scripture,

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because God's people have drifted from worshiping

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only God, and they have begun to worship the

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peoples of the land, some of which are the gods

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of the land, some of which are pretty vicious.

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They're all wrong, but some of them are pretty

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vicious. For example, the god Molech, who had

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that rite where if you burn the firstborn child

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in the fire alive as a child, then they would

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be... you would receive blessings on your house

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ongoing. And so they were worshiping the god

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Molech and that kind of thing was happening.

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It's kind of hard to believe. And then it's kind

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of hard to believe that as they are doing that

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and they cry out to God for help from the Midianites,

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that God is going to give them a deliverer, a

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savior in the form of Gideon. But as God begins

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to work in Gideon's life, there's a prophet,

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there's an angel, there's some miraculous consumption

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of his sacrifice, which we saw last week. And

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as all that happens, Gideon is having a little

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trouble believing the amazing things that God

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is doing in his day. And that's kind of where

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we pick up the story. And give me a little who

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to holler amen as we go to Judges chapter 6.

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This is God's word. And we're just going to read.

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Eight verses of it. And so it'll go by moderately

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quickly. And then the points are relatively brief.

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But the action is significant. So stick with

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me and be prepared to adjust. Verse 25. Now the

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same night. So this is after he constructed the

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altar to God in that place where he'd been having

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the interaction with God. It says, Now the same

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night it came about that the Lord said to him,

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Take your father's bull and a second bull, seven

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years old, and pull down the altar of Baal, which

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belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah

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that is beside it, and build an altar to the

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Lord on the top of this stronghold in an orderly

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manner. Take a second bull and offer a burnt

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offering with the wood of the Asherah, which

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you shall cut down. Okay, so that's a big, kind

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of like a long run -on explanation of what God

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wants him to do. We're going to break it down

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for a second. So first of all, remember that

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as we're looking at the book of Judges and throughout

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this book, even in this chapter, there is some

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very old Hebrew language that goes way back.

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And so theologians struggle a little bit with

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some of the translation. And so the phrase where

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it says, take your father's bull and a second

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bull, there is a word there which kind of gives

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you the and a second part of it. that's challenging

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to translate from Hebrew into English. And so

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if you go reading on this, you'll see in a variety

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of commentaries, whatever, if you would do that,

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that they kind of debate whether there was a

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second bull or not. Not a problem for the story.

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What is important is that a seven -year -old

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bull, that part is easily translated, or relatively

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everybody translates it the same anyway. A seven

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-year -old bull was in the mix. It may have been

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one bull, and it was a clarification that bull

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needed to be seven years old. This is a mature

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bull, strong enough to tear down the altars,

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right? So that work was going to be done. And

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even with men pushing or whatever, it was going

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to be a major job to tear down the altar. And

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also at the same time, it's a full, high -quality

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piece of livestock. And so they were going to

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kill his dads, prized bull as a sacrifice. They

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were not only going to kill him, but they were

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going to kill him to sacrifice him on the altar.

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They were going to sacrifice him on the altar

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that they would build in the place of the altar

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of Baal and Asherah, which was on his dad's land.

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Now understand, if the altar was there, so what

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goes on on the altar is people leave their sacrifices.

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Okay? Now because Baal is not a real god, those

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sacrifices are not consumed. Right? They don't

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go up in smoke or nothing happens. Right? And

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so the sacrifices that are left, who do you think

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gets them then? Well, it would be Gideon's dad.

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That's their property. This altar that is on

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their property, the Baal and Asherah, is somewhat

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their sustenance. They have made a ton of money

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and a ton of wealth and animals and whatever.

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when animal sacrifice lay there bleeding out

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or whatever, that's just meat, but it's still

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meat, right? Who wouldn't like to, somebody come

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back from hunting and say, hey, you need a deer?

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I killed a deer. I'll give you 300 pounds of

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hamburger, right? Who wouldn't want that? Most

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people, if you're willing to eat it, that's awesome.

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That's a huge blessing. So this was going on

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on his property all the while he was receiving

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resources because they had this altar there.

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And now God is calling Gideon to shut that all

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down. and in the process to take his father's

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prized bull, full -grown, perfect, without blemish,

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bull, and sacrifice it on the newly created altar

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to God. This is an extreme betrayal. It's as

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if you became an adult at 25 years old, and you

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went into your dad's work where he worked for

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30 years, and you kicked his boss into private,

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and you beat him in the face and threw him all

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across the desk, and you told him that your dad

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told you to do it. And the next day, your dad's

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going to be in hot water, probably lose his job,

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and now his family loses all of his financial

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sustenance. It's like that. It's that kind of

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thing. Or you just go up to the police station

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where your dad works, he's a cop, and you start

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spray painting all the cars. That's the kind

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of thing we're talking about. He is damaging

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this line of revenue, this wealth. It's going

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to be gone. Unless the people will adjust, and

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we already know that people kind of don't want

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to adjust. We've had plenty of opportunities

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to do so. Unless they would adjust and leave

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their offerings for God. And the problem is,

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a lot of times the offerings for God would be

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consumed. And so that would not be adding wealth

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to the family, just glorifying God. So he gets

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this kind of long, drawn out command to go and

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cut down the Asherah pole that's next to the

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altar of all, cut them both down, get rid of

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them. Tear down the altar, which probably made

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of stone, and then cut down the pole and get

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rid of it, use a seven -year -old bull to do

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so. That's what's important in the story so far.

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Notice that he was to construct atop that a stronghold.

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Atop that stronghold would be in an orderly manner,

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to do it all in an orderly manner, to tear them

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down and construct the new altar in an orderly

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manner, and that's significant. sacrificed the

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bull on the wood of the Asherah pole that he

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cut down. 27. Then Gideon took ten men of his

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servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him.

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And it came about because he was too afraid of

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his father's household and the men of the city

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to do it by day that he did it by night. So he

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goes into the barracks where the men are sleeping

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or whatever or they're getting ready to go to

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bed and he gathers ten servants. This guy, his

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father's pretty wealthy. He gathers ten servants

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and he says, come on, we got a job to do. They

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go get... The bull, one or two bulls, whatever

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it was, and they go out there and they tear it

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down and they construct the new altar just the

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way that God commanded in an orderly fashion.

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A little further. When the men of the city arose

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early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal

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was torn down and the Asherah, which was beside

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it, was cut down. And the second bull was offered

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on the altar, which had been built. And again,

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there is enough struggle in the Hebrew. was it

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a second bull or the bull of priority, the most

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important bull, whatever, was offered on the

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altar which had been built. And they said to

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one another, who did this thing? And when they

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searched about and inquired, they said, Gideon,

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the son of Joash, did this thing. So they basically

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informed a committee, or they made up a committee

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to inquire who did it. They had some people investigate

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it, right? And they found out it was Gideon,

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son of Joash, that did it. Not too hard, because

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if you have ten co -conspirators, the secret

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usually gets out. So he had ten servants. It

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probably wasn't going to be retained. Even in

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the middle of the night, people probably saw

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what was going on. A lot of noise being made.

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Then the men of the city said to Joash, Bring

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out your son that he may die. For he has torn

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down the altar of Baal, and indeed he has cut

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down the Asherah which was beside it. But Joash

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said to all who stood against him, Will you contend

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for Baal? In other words, that word there means

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to fight or war on the behalf of. So you're going

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to go to war on behalf of Baal, is what he's

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asking them. Or will you deliver him? In other

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words, are you going to save Baal, the false

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god? Do you have the strength, the authority

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to save the false god, Baal? Whoever will plead

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for him shall be put to death by morning. Now

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this is an interesting turn of events for Joash,

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who is the one who had the altars on his land.

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Right? So he's now saying that if anyone will

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plead on behalf of Baal, he'll be put to death

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by morning. In the Bible, not to get ahead, in

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Deuteronomy 13, Moses leaves instructions with

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the Israelites that anyone who pleads with the

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people to worship a false god should be put to

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death. If it was your mother, your father, your

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brother, your son, your grandfather, your co

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-worker, Doesn't matter. Anybody that pleads

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with you to worship, you report them to the authorities

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and that person is put to death if they're pleading

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with you to worship a false god. That is a very

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stark command. And now Joash was instead himself

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leading people to worship. But now here, when

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now his son has torn down the altars, he now

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says, if you plead for Baal, we'll put that person

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to death by morning. He says, if he is a god,

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let him contend, and there's that same word there

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that means fight on behalf, let him contend for

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himself, because someone has torn down his altar.

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Therefore, on that day, he named him Jeroboam.

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That is to say, let Baal contend against him.

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So the term Jeroboam, which is his new kind of

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battle name, if you will, or his activist name,

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if you will, means... Baal can contend against

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him if he wants to, but everybody else is kind

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of like out of the mix. Let Baal contend against

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him because he had torn down his altar. That

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ends our text for the day. There's a few things

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in here that I want you to see. They're kind

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of obvious, but then the implications are not

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as obvious. The first thing is that God wants

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us to emphatically remove idol worship from our

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courts. Okay, so now we need to break that down

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a little bit. So emphatically means purposefully,

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forcefully, one direction. Well, one purpose

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in mind. We're going to emphasize doing that

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over anything else. Okay, and then idol worship

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is when you worship something, you declare the

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worth of something or someone, and you set that

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person or thing up in your life in a way that

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they're going to get your attention. Okay, so

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for example, when Jesus says a man cannot worship

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both God and mammon. Okay, mammon being money

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or wealth. And so when you put money in a position

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in your life that it's going to kind of get a

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little control over you, it's going to get your

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focus, it's going to get your emphasis. When

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that happens, you have created an idol out of

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money. And the system that we live under, capitalism,

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kind of does that automatically. If you're not

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intentional about it, it kind of just happens

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because you need money to pay your bills and

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so on. Right? So you're just kind of like, well,

00:13:44.539 --> 00:13:46.419
I've got to make a priority of it, so I've got

00:13:46.419 --> 00:13:48.519
to go work for the man, and I've got to do that

00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:51.120
even if I don't really want to. You get out of

00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:53.159
bed and you're not feeling well, you really would

00:13:53.159 --> 00:13:54.919
rather do something else, but you still go in

00:13:54.919 --> 00:13:56.759
to get paid. But then you get out of bed on a

00:13:56.759 --> 00:13:58.179
Sunday morning, for example, and you're not feeling

00:13:58.179 --> 00:14:00.120
well, and you don't really want to, and you don't

00:14:00.120 --> 00:14:03.860
go to church. So the idols slide up and down,

00:14:03.940 --> 00:14:07.799
and pretty soon money is above God. And it could

00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:09.399
be anything. It can be any form of entertainment.

00:14:09.460 --> 00:14:12.179
It can be health or wealth or relationships or

00:14:12.179 --> 00:14:14.039
whatever. And so people make idols out of all

00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:16.840
kinds of things. But God wants us to emphatically,

00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:19.500
with emphasis, it's an important thing. It is

00:14:19.500 --> 00:14:21.940
probably the number one thing that we need to

00:14:21.940 --> 00:14:23.960
be focused on as Christians is removing idol

00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:26.600
worship from our courts. Now, what do I mean

00:14:26.600 --> 00:14:30.419
when I say our courts? So in the Bible, there's

00:14:30.419 --> 00:14:35.620
kind of a principle. There's your house, right?

00:14:36.110 --> 00:14:39.509
There's your tents. So your tents is your larger

00:14:39.509 --> 00:14:44.350
family, your children, maybe cousins that live

00:14:44.350 --> 00:14:46.149
under your roof or whatever, your larger family.

00:14:46.389 --> 00:14:49.269
And then there's your courts. And your courts

00:14:49.269 --> 00:14:52.690
is wherever you have influence. So that would

00:14:52.690 --> 00:14:56.409
be on the job, at school, at your boyfriend or

00:14:56.409 --> 00:14:59.470
girlfriend's house, wherever you go and you have

00:14:59.470 --> 00:15:01.929
influence. If you're in the room and people look

00:15:01.929 --> 00:15:06.240
to you, for guidance, direction, opinion, or

00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:10.240
whatever, you must emphatically tear down idols.

00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:13.879
So people say, well, I'm struggling with money,

00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:16.460
and they start to ask you how to budget, how

00:15:16.460 --> 00:15:18.220
to plan, how do I get my electric bill paid,

00:15:18.419 --> 00:15:21.879
things like that, then your response must include

00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:27.159
an intentional removal of money as an idol. So

00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:29.480
first thing we need to realize is you don't really

00:15:29.480 --> 00:15:32.440
need money. In fact, Money really is nothing.

00:15:32.539 --> 00:15:36.019
It's literally only paper. And that's why it's

00:15:36.019 --> 00:15:38.200
possible in a capitalistic economy or whatever

00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:40.600
for money to lose all of its value. Because once

00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:43.159
upon a time, it represented gold or silver. There

00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:45.080
was actual value attached to it. But now the

00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:47.139
government can just print more anytime they want

00:15:47.139 --> 00:15:48.899
because there's nothing actually attached to

00:15:48.899 --> 00:15:51.600
it. Not even the labor. Nothing is attached to

00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:53.620
it. So it's just paper that we pass around or

00:15:53.620 --> 00:15:55.059
getting to the point now where it's not even

00:15:55.059 --> 00:15:59.039
that. It's binary code, right? It's your money

00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:01.570
moved from account to account. And so it really

00:16:01.570 --> 00:16:04.789
is worth nothing. Your labor is worth something

00:16:04.789 --> 00:16:06.690
and you're trading your labor for money, which

00:16:06.690 --> 00:16:08.730
is worth nothing. But then someone else will

00:16:08.730 --> 00:16:11.269
trade their goods also for money, which is worth

00:16:11.269 --> 00:16:13.230
nothing. And so you're able to trade your labor

00:16:13.230 --> 00:16:17.539
for their goods using the medium of money. And

00:16:17.539 --> 00:16:19.320
so the truth is you don't need money. You do

00:16:19.320 --> 00:16:21.639
need a house. You do need clothing. You need

00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:24.179
food. You want to buy birthday gifts for your

00:16:24.179 --> 00:16:26.580
kids when they are growing up. There are things

00:16:26.580 --> 00:16:29.600
that you want to have, but you don't need money

00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:31.860
to do that. And there are people in the world

00:16:31.860 --> 00:16:34.799
who don't have anywhere near as much money as

00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:38.740
we have on a regular basis. In fact, all of the

00:16:38.740 --> 00:16:42.419
per capita income For households in the world,

00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:45.559
United States people on disability make more

00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:49.620
than 96 % of people in the world. So all they

00:16:49.620 --> 00:16:51.379
get is $1 ,000 a month or whatever for their

00:16:51.379 --> 00:16:53.639
disability, and they make more than 96 % of the

00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:55.679
people that live in the world. Not the U .S.,

00:16:55.679 --> 00:17:00.279
the world. And then people like Elon Musk or

00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:02.100
Donald Trump or their billionaires or whatever,

00:17:02.259 --> 00:17:05.059
they're in like the 98th percentile. So all the

00:17:05.059 --> 00:17:06.779
struggling that Americans are doing are between

00:17:06.779 --> 00:17:09.980
the 96th and 98th percentile, essentially. Don't

00:17:09.980 --> 00:17:11.440
quote me on those exact numbers, but it's right

00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:14.480
in that area. Okay. And so the bottom line is

00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:17.940
there are people out there living in squalor

00:17:17.940 --> 00:17:20.720
compared to what we are living in. And yet they

00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:22.359
still have birthday gifts on birthdays. They

00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:24.359
still have food on the table. They still survive.

00:17:24.460 --> 00:17:26.480
They're surviving. They may go hungry some days,

00:17:26.500 --> 00:17:29.099
but they are surviving. And so what I'm saying

00:17:29.099 --> 00:17:34.720
is we think we need the money. We idolize it.

00:17:34.779 --> 00:17:37.380
We need to, in our courts, inside our influence,

00:17:37.579 --> 00:17:39.680
wherever we can spread our influence, we need

00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:42.759
to remove it as an idol. And social media and

00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:46.640
TV and jobs and better clothing and better looks

00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:49.240
and better entertainment and take all of it out.

00:17:49.339 --> 00:17:52.380
See, wherever there is an idol, they'll make

00:17:52.380 --> 00:17:55.720
a commercial to strum it, to make it vibrate,

00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:57.640
so you'll pay attention to it. So if you think

00:17:57.640 --> 00:17:59.420
you need to lose weight, then when a commercial

00:17:59.420 --> 00:18:03.279
comes on TV about losing weight, They're trying

00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.380
to trigger you, trying to get you to pay attention

00:18:05.380 --> 00:18:07.460
to their message, and so on. The list goes on.

00:18:07.579 --> 00:18:09.779
If you think you need to be entertained, then

00:18:09.779 --> 00:18:12.220
when a commercial comes on TV or streaming or

00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:13.920
social media or whatever that looks entertaining,

00:18:14.200 --> 00:18:16.680
then that strums your idol so that you will go

00:18:16.680 --> 00:18:20.500
after that thing. And what God is asking Christians,

00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:23.500
in particular in this text, men and their sons,

00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:26.339
but it's all Christians to do, is to emphatically

00:18:26.339 --> 00:18:29.579
remove idol worship from our courts, from our

00:18:29.579 --> 00:18:32.759
area of influence. Listen, it's not... Gideon's

00:18:32.759 --> 00:18:39.220
house. It's Joash's house. They're not Gideon's

00:18:39.220 --> 00:18:43.359
servants. They're Joash's servants. They're not

00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:47.420
Gideon's bull or bulls. They're Joash's bull

00:18:47.420 --> 00:18:50.859
or bulls. But Gideon has influence in his house.

00:18:51.619 --> 00:18:57.339
And so when God activates him, he moves. We already

00:18:57.339 --> 00:19:00.140
know he's a skeptic. It says right in the text

00:19:00.140 --> 00:19:03.200
that he was afraid. Right? He was afraid of the

00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:09.720
response. And so he did it at night. Jesus, in

00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:12.180
the Sermon on the Mount, says, in the same way,

00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:14.660
let your light shine before others that they

00:19:14.660 --> 00:19:17.599
may see your good deeds and glorify your Father

00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:20.619
in heaven. He's talking about in your courts,

00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:22.460
let your light shine, in your area of influence,

00:19:22.619 --> 00:19:25.680
let it shine so that they will look to God as

00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:29.940
the one true God and glorify him. In 1 Peter,

00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:33.240
it says, live such good lives among the pagans

00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:35.660
that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they

00:19:35.660 --> 00:19:38.680
may see your good deeds and glorify God on the

00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:43.579
day he visits us. These verses emphasize the

00:19:43.579 --> 00:19:46.759
power of a life lived with integrity to influence

00:19:46.759 --> 00:19:51.200
non -believers. You can, through whatever means

00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:55.019
you have, Fight idol worship in your influence.

00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:58.660
Now, if you want to spread your influence, fine.

00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:00.819
If you want to go somewhere that you've never

00:20:00.819 --> 00:20:03.640
been or begin to speak somewhere you never have,

00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:06.619
that's all good. Just make sure that your emphasis

00:20:06.619 --> 00:20:13.039
is on removing idol worship. In the Ten Commandments,

00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:14.759
the first of the Ten Commandments says, you shall

00:20:14.759 --> 00:20:19.160
have no other gods before me. And it means that

00:20:19.160 --> 00:20:22.700
God, Yahweh, is to be the one true deity worshipped

00:20:22.700 --> 00:20:25.460
and acknowledged rather than any other beings

00:20:25.460 --> 00:20:28.119
or idols. And as I mentioned before in Deuteronomy

00:20:28.119 --> 00:20:30.700
13, he says anyone who would attempt to lead

00:20:30.700 --> 00:20:33.900
you, family member, friend, whatever, at that

00:20:33.900 --> 00:20:36.539
time would be killed. Because as a people, they

00:20:36.539 --> 00:20:39.180
only had God. And they should have all known.

00:20:39.240 --> 00:20:41.180
They saw the miraculous interventions of God.

00:20:41.940 --> 00:20:44.809
And so while we don't kill anybody, for disagreeing

00:20:44.809 --> 00:20:46.289
with us. We don't kill anybody for trying to

00:20:46.289 --> 00:20:49.769
lead us astray. We don't do that. We should be

00:20:49.769 --> 00:20:52.970
ready to put an emphasis on shutting down idol

00:20:52.970 --> 00:20:55.009
worship. So when you're trying to follow God

00:20:55.009 --> 00:20:56.309
and somebody else is trying to talk to you about

00:20:56.309 --> 00:20:58.369
what else is going on, you say, why are we talking

00:20:58.369 --> 00:21:00.589
about football instead of talking about God?

00:21:00.789 --> 00:21:03.890
Why are we talking about camping instead of talking

00:21:03.890 --> 00:21:06.269
about God? Why are we talking about sports instead

00:21:06.269 --> 00:21:08.569
of talking about God? Why is God not the main

00:21:08.569 --> 00:21:11.849
focus of our football, camping, and sports instead

00:21:11.849 --> 00:21:14.369
of the other way around? God did not give you

00:21:14.369 --> 00:21:15.950
freedom so that you could spend your freedom

00:21:15.950 --> 00:21:19.190
on an idol that will enslave you. Rather, he

00:21:19.190 --> 00:21:21.369
wants you to emphatically remove idol worship

00:21:21.369 --> 00:21:26.009
from your courts, not just your tents or your

00:21:26.009 --> 00:21:28.569
house, or his house really, but your courts,

00:21:28.589 --> 00:21:31.029
wherever you have influence. The second thing

00:21:31.029 --> 00:21:34.869
to see there is that fear is a real thing. It's

00:21:34.869 --> 00:21:36.630
not going away. It's going to be here for as

00:21:36.630 --> 00:21:37.829
long as you have flesh, as long as you have a

00:21:37.829 --> 00:21:42.740
heart, blood, veins, brains, right? And it has

00:21:42.740 --> 00:21:47.079
a place, especially cut out in the life of an

00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:49.920
unbeliever, of a person who has not accepted

00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:52.019
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, of a person

00:21:52.019 --> 00:21:54.299
who has not begun a personal relationship with

00:21:54.299 --> 00:21:57.180
the God of the universe through Jesus. And the

00:21:57.180 --> 00:22:00.799
place is this. Fear is the beginning of wisdom.

00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:05.259
Or, as Job said, fear is wisdom. In Job 28, 28,

00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:11.279
he says, the fear of the Lord is wisdom. And

00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:14.819
to depart from evil is understanding. Proverbs

00:22:14.819 --> 00:22:17.299
1 .7 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning

00:22:17.299 --> 00:22:20.660
of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

00:22:23.819 --> 00:22:27.099
Proverbs 9 says this, Give instruction to a wise

00:22:27.099 --> 00:22:30.359
man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous

00:22:30.359 --> 00:22:33.400
man, and he will increase his learning. The fear

00:22:33.400 --> 00:22:35.900
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the

00:22:35.900 --> 00:22:38.859
knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For

00:22:38.859 --> 00:22:41.480
by me your days will be multiplied and the years

00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:45.180
of life will be added to you. If you are wise,

00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:48.319
you are wise for yourself. And if you scoff,

00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:52.700
you alone will bear it. The bottom line is this.

00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:57.819
Fear has a place. You should fear walking away

00:22:57.819 --> 00:23:01.880
from God. You should fear offending God. It is

00:23:01.880 --> 00:23:05.160
a terrible thing to fall into the hands of a

00:23:05.160 --> 00:23:08.259
vengeful God. But Baal is not a vengeful god.

00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:11.200
Baal is no god at all. Asherah, not a vengeful

00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:14.000
god. Allah is not the god of heaven that we know

00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:16.960
and worship. He is nothing. At best, he is a

00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:20.279
demon, probably higher up in the ranks. But still,

00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:23.960
no god. There are beings in the universe, both

00:23:23.960 --> 00:23:25.960
positive and negative, those on our side and

00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:27.740
those against us, that if you met them personally,

00:23:27.779 --> 00:23:30.160
you would think of them as a god. A demon that

00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:31.960
can disappear in one place, appear in another,

00:23:32.099 --> 00:23:34.599
inhabit a human being, warp your mind, speak

00:23:34.599 --> 00:23:37.359
into your brain. If you met a human being that

00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:38.740
could do that, you would begin to wonder, are

00:23:38.740 --> 00:23:41.079
they a demon? If you met a human being or a demon,

00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:42.539
you'd begin to wonder, are they a superhero?

00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:45.220
Superheroes are real? Supervillain? Whatever?

00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:49.200
Is it a god? This thing that can speak into my

00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:53.619
head? But they are weak. Nothing compared to

00:23:53.619 --> 00:23:55.960
the god of the universe. They cannot speak creation

00:23:55.960 --> 00:23:59.000
into existence or destroy it as he could. They

00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:01.019
cannot renew it, regenerate it, or save a soul.

00:24:01.450 --> 00:24:03.470
And ultimately, they will spend eternity locked

00:24:03.470 --> 00:24:05.029
away. In fact, in some sense, they're locked

00:24:05.029 --> 00:24:07.910
away now, many of them. And so the point is,

00:24:07.970 --> 00:24:11.289
there are beings that could be recognized as

00:24:11.289 --> 00:24:14.630
quote -unquote gods, but they are not. And we

00:24:14.630 --> 00:24:18.950
should have fear, healthy fear, of God if we

00:24:18.950 --> 00:24:21.349
are not walking with him and in his strength

00:24:21.349 --> 00:24:24.710
and by the Lord. And if we don't do that, we're

00:24:24.710 --> 00:24:29.799
missing the point of fear. And so when Gideon

00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:32.480
is afraid of the men in the town, and he does

00:24:32.480 --> 00:24:35.039
this thing by night, we learn another valuable

00:24:35.039 --> 00:24:38.920
lesson. And that is this, that overcoming fear

00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:43.220
and acting in obedience starts at home, in the

00:24:43.220 --> 00:24:47.539
dark, and with help. The truth is, when I was

00:24:47.539 --> 00:24:49.900
becoming a Christian, I was attending East Toledo

00:24:49.900 --> 00:24:51.519
Baptist Church, and I was questioning everything

00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:54.269
about Christianity. I went through all the different

00:24:54.269 --> 00:24:56.369
theories. I read some books, a lot of secular

00:24:56.369 --> 00:24:58.130
books, of things of why Christianity wasn't real

00:24:58.130 --> 00:25:00.049
and stuff like that. I never read cover to cover,

00:25:00.150 --> 00:25:02.950
but I read excerpts and articles and stuff like

00:25:02.950 --> 00:25:05.690
that for six months as I was searching it out.

00:25:05.809 --> 00:25:08.250
And once God had called upon my heart to accept

00:25:08.250 --> 00:25:11.450
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I kind of knew

00:25:11.450 --> 00:25:13.970
two things at once. And one of them was that

00:25:13.970 --> 00:25:16.049
I would never do it. I knew that I would never

00:25:16.049 --> 00:25:17.730
become a Christian in the traditional sense of

00:25:17.730 --> 00:25:20.650
the word because I could not walk forward in

00:25:20.650 --> 00:25:23.579
the room. I could not stand in front of 125,

00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:27.460
150 people, 95 % of which were strangers. I could

00:25:27.460 --> 00:25:29.119
not stand in front of them and say that I was

00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:31.220
going to live for Jesus. I didn't know for sure

00:25:31.220 --> 00:25:33.180
that they were. Many of them, I had heard their

00:25:33.180 --> 00:25:34.839
profession. Some of them sang in the choir, sang

00:25:34.839 --> 00:25:36.819
songs about Jesus. We all sang worship together.

00:25:37.099 --> 00:25:38.680
I had heard a few of them preach. I heard the

00:25:38.680 --> 00:25:40.559
pastor preach. I knew some of them were professing

00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:42.339
to be Christians. I didn't know who was a Christian

00:25:42.339 --> 00:25:44.839
and who wasn't, but I knew for a fact. Number

00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:47.339
one, I would never be one. I would never come

00:25:47.339 --> 00:25:49.180
forward in a church service. That's not who I

00:25:49.180 --> 00:25:51.500
am. I would never stand up and boldly say, I

00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:53.579
know who I am and who I'm living for. I knew

00:25:53.579 --> 00:25:56.160
I could never do that. And at the same time,

00:25:56.180 --> 00:25:59.500
I knew I could not not do it. I knew I could

00:25:59.500 --> 00:26:02.960
not continue as I was. I was terrified of the

00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:05.319
God of the universe and his, if he would ever

00:26:05.319 --> 00:26:09.180
become unwilling, that he would ever become not

00:26:09.180 --> 00:26:14.059
for me, but somehow against me. I eventually

00:26:14.059 --> 00:26:16.940
discovered Ephesians 2, which is to say that

00:26:16.940 --> 00:26:18.980
he was already essentially against me. You were

00:26:18.980 --> 00:26:21.519
once objects of wrath means that doesn't mean

00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:24.720
he hates you. He still loves you, but he's against

00:26:24.720 --> 00:26:27.339
you and he opposes your course of action unless

00:26:27.339 --> 00:26:30.400
you have committed yourself to be 100 % for him.

00:26:30.440 --> 00:26:33.640
If you're 99 % for God. then you're 100 % against

00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:35.640
him and he's 100 % against you and everything

00:26:35.640 --> 00:26:37.700
that you're doing and your finances will suffer

00:26:37.700 --> 00:26:39.140
and your health will suffer and your jobs will

00:26:39.140 --> 00:26:40.759
suffer and your mouth will suffer and your mind

00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:42.880
won't work the way you want it to and so on and

00:26:42.880 --> 00:26:45.160
so on and so on. And you may stomach it. You

00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:48.480
may survive it for weeks, months, years, decades.

00:26:48.859 --> 00:26:51.460
Some people make it a whole life and then lay

00:26:51.460 --> 00:26:53.680
on their bed preparing to meet their maker and

00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:58.519
scream and cry, oh, what have I done? Some of

00:26:58.519 --> 00:27:01.210
the most famous... atheists and agnostics out

00:27:01.210 --> 00:27:03.210
there who did not believe in God on their deathbed

00:27:03.210 --> 00:27:06.269
said, oh, I go to meet my maker. Now what have

00:27:06.269 --> 00:27:12.450
I done? And so you can cope and survive by pushing

00:27:12.450 --> 00:27:15.730
fear of God out of your life, but the actual

00:27:15.730 --> 00:27:18.589
overcoming of fear and acting in obedience starts

00:27:18.589 --> 00:27:21.630
at home, in the dark, without help. Where was

00:27:21.630 --> 00:27:24.670
he? He was at home. on his dad's property. He

00:27:24.670 --> 00:27:26.690
wasn't called to take down somebody else's false.

00:27:26.730 --> 00:27:28.549
There were lots of them, right? It could have

00:27:28.549 --> 00:27:30.150
been a neighbor. It could have been in the next

00:27:30.150 --> 00:27:32.349
town. He could have been sent somewhere where

00:27:32.349 --> 00:27:34.289
he could go out there, do it, and disappear before

00:27:34.289 --> 00:27:36.309
anybody ever knew what happened. An investigation

00:27:36.309 --> 00:27:38.230
might not have yielded anything. I always wonder,

00:27:38.269 --> 00:27:40.150
boy, if you're going to rob a convenience store,

00:27:40.230 --> 00:27:42.289
would you ever do it anywhere near home, right?

00:27:42.430 --> 00:27:44.490
That would be dumb. But that's what people do.

00:27:45.329 --> 00:27:48.490
And God called him to tear down an altar on his

00:27:48.490 --> 00:27:51.230
dad's property. So who was he hurting the most?

00:27:52.420 --> 00:27:56.279
His dad, his family, it was at his home. And

00:27:56.279 --> 00:28:02.559
then, to us, at home is where you live. It's

00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:06.299
where you have peace and safety. It's where you're

00:28:06.299 --> 00:28:08.680
okay getting away. So you say something harsh

00:28:08.680 --> 00:28:11.259
to your wife, to your kids, or to your husband,

00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:16.059
right? Or to a guest. But it's your house. You

00:28:16.059 --> 00:28:19.299
can do it. It's your house, right? And you feel

00:28:19.299 --> 00:28:22.670
safe doing that. But let me ask you, Is your

00:28:22.670 --> 00:28:25.450
house a mess? If your house is a mess, your life

00:28:25.450 --> 00:28:28.269
is a mess. If your time at home is focused on

00:28:28.269 --> 00:28:30.509
entertainment rather than growing in faithfulness

00:28:30.509 --> 00:28:32.589
and following the Lord, then you will not be

00:28:32.589 --> 00:28:34.829
found faithful when you are out and about. There's

00:28:34.829 --> 00:28:36.470
those that can't share the gospel at the grocery

00:28:36.470 --> 00:28:38.470
store, at a restaurant, on the job, where they

00:28:38.470 --> 00:28:41.029
work, where they go to school. And when you go

00:28:41.029 --> 00:28:43.269
home, you find them playing video games, watching

00:28:43.269 --> 00:28:45.230
their TV, doing things. Maybe their house is

00:28:45.230 --> 00:28:47.809
a mess or they're projecting, cleaning up, fixing

00:28:47.809 --> 00:28:51.230
things and whatever. But their house is not about

00:28:51.230 --> 00:28:53.869
God. And if your house is not about God, that's

00:28:53.869 --> 00:28:56.130
where fear ends. When your house is about God,

00:28:56.250 --> 00:29:00.470
that's where fear is overcome. So if everything,

00:29:00.670 --> 00:29:02.470
all the language in your house is about God,

00:29:02.569 --> 00:29:04.609
then when you go out and you're called to emphatically

00:29:04.609 --> 00:29:07.569
remove idol worship from your courts, which is

00:29:07.569 --> 00:29:09.690
where you have influence, wherever that may be,

00:29:09.950 --> 00:29:14.250
then you have your home behind you. You have

00:29:14.250 --> 00:29:17.250
your family behind you. You can always retreat

00:29:17.250 --> 00:29:21.220
to a place of safety if it doesn't go well. At

00:29:21.220 --> 00:29:27.180
home, we have to make a concerted effort truly

00:29:27.180 --> 00:29:30.380
in the face of worldly opposition, of worldly

00:29:30.380 --> 00:29:33.740
distraction, to make a concerted effort to place

00:29:33.740 --> 00:29:35.920
an emphasis on removing idol worship and focusing

00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:40.180
on the Lord. And realize that if you do not make

00:29:40.180 --> 00:29:44.079
God the king of your house, you create a hive

00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:48.559
of fear. And you'll feel like, well, why can't

00:29:48.559 --> 00:29:51.630
I get my kids to do? Why won't my parents do?

00:29:51.869 --> 00:29:54.529
Why doesn't it go the way I want? Why don't my

00:29:54.529 --> 00:29:56.650
bills? Why don't my money? Why don't my relationship?

00:29:56.910 --> 00:29:59.130
And you'll always have nagging in the back of

00:29:59.130 --> 00:30:01.210
your mind that idea that you're really not right

00:30:01.210 --> 00:30:05.230
with God. God is not first in your house. I want

00:30:05.230 --> 00:30:09.190
you to think about your house. Because that's

00:30:09.190 --> 00:30:11.630
where overcoming in fear and acting in obedience

00:30:11.630 --> 00:30:15.009
starts. It starts at home. Next, it starts in

00:30:15.009 --> 00:30:17.589
the dark. It starts when you can get away with

00:30:17.589 --> 00:30:20.359
it. When you're not risking being opposed. So

00:30:20.359 --> 00:30:23.779
when I was first teaching after we got saved

00:30:23.779 --> 00:30:25.619
and Sherry kind of like talked me into teaching

00:30:25.619 --> 00:30:27.279
Sunday school even though I thought I would never

00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:29.259
do that. I did a lot of nevers when I was a young

00:30:29.259 --> 00:30:31.180
Christian. I still do them today as a matter

00:30:31.180 --> 00:30:34.380
of fact. And I was teaching Sunday school and

00:30:34.380 --> 00:30:36.539
we would teach the Sunday school lesson. We didn't

00:30:36.539 --> 00:30:37.960
really prepare it in advance because we didn't

00:30:37.960 --> 00:30:39.299
know any better but we would teach the Sunday

00:30:39.299 --> 00:30:40.880
school lesson and we would tell people about

00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:42.480
Jesus in Sunday school. And if we had visitors

00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:44.180
we would share the gospel. If it was part of

00:30:44.180 --> 00:30:46.210
the message we would do that. But I never did

00:30:46.210 --> 00:30:48.369
it on my job. I never did it on the parking lot.

00:30:48.470 --> 00:30:51.369
I remember hanging my head in shame as the pastor

00:30:51.369 --> 00:30:53.230
shared the gospel in the parking lot. Not because

00:30:53.230 --> 00:30:54.769
I was praying. I wanted everybody to think I

00:30:54.769 --> 00:30:56.250
was praying. But I was hanging my head in shame.

00:30:57.509 --> 00:31:01.369
Because I had only been able to share the gospel

00:31:01.369 --> 00:31:05.369
and fight idol worship in the dark. Where I could

00:31:05.369 --> 00:31:07.529
get away with it. Where there was no question

00:31:07.529 --> 00:31:09.069
that people were going to oppose my point of

00:31:09.069 --> 00:31:13.289
view. So when I first told Sherry that I was

00:31:13.289 --> 00:31:14.970
going to get saved, she didn't immediately go,

00:31:15.049 --> 00:31:17.130
oh, me too. I love this idea. Let's do this.

00:31:17.230 --> 00:31:18.829
She said, well, you do what you got to do and

00:31:18.829 --> 00:31:21.509
I'll do what I got to do. And I didn't know exactly

00:31:21.509 --> 00:31:23.950
what the matter. I was afraid to ask, but I knew

00:31:23.950 --> 00:31:25.569
I was screwing up my marriage. I was a horrible

00:31:25.569 --> 00:31:31.049
husband and a pretty bad father. And when I was

00:31:31.049 --> 00:31:33.369
first guy, I put it off two weeks to tell her

00:31:33.369 --> 00:31:35.230
about my possible decision that what I might

00:31:35.230 --> 00:31:36.990
do because I was afraid I might be opposed by

00:31:36.990 --> 00:31:41.019
her, my wife. I wasn't afraid. to oppose her

00:31:41.019 --> 00:31:42.900
or be opposed by her when I wanted to spend my

00:31:42.900 --> 00:31:44.519
Saturday night some certain way, or I wanted

00:31:44.519 --> 00:31:46.779
to change the schedule without asking her, or

00:31:46.779 --> 00:31:48.680
I wanted to bang the pots and pans in the kitchen

00:31:48.680 --> 00:31:50.180
because I was ticked off at her because she said

00:31:50.180 --> 00:31:51.579
something, and she's in the living room going,

00:31:51.680 --> 00:31:54.119
oh no, now what did I do? I wasn't afraid to

00:31:54.119 --> 00:31:55.980
be a complete jerk most of the time, but when

00:31:55.980 --> 00:31:57.700
it came to talking about Jesus, I was afraid

00:31:57.700 --> 00:31:59.759
to say I wanted to follow Jesus with my whole

00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:01.799
heart, my whole life, and I wanted our house

00:32:01.799 --> 00:32:03.640
to be like that, and then she didn't give me

00:32:03.640 --> 00:32:05.359
any real immediate hope that she was going to

00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:09.700
do the same thing. So if we can't live for Jesus

00:32:09.700 --> 00:32:12.039
when there is no risk of us being opposed, if

00:32:12.039 --> 00:32:13.900
He's not going to be first, and our emphasis

00:32:13.900 --> 00:32:16.200
is not going to be wiping out idols, we have

00:32:16.200 --> 00:32:18.400
no healthy fear of the Lord when we're safe.

00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:23.200
How are we going to do anything out there where

00:32:23.200 --> 00:32:26.500
it's not safe? If you can't stand for God in

00:32:26.500 --> 00:32:29.680
the dark, you can't stand for God when the chips

00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:37.750
are down. And then, lastly, Acting in obedience

00:32:37.750 --> 00:32:41.289
starts at home, in the dark, and with help. He

00:32:41.289 --> 00:32:44.849
didn't go alone. Now God didn't tell him to take

00:32:44.849 --> 00:32:47.589
ten servants to tear down the altar or cut down

00:32:47.589 --> 00:32:49.750
the Asherah pole. He didn't tell him to do that.

00:32:49.849 --> 00:32:53.549
He told him to take an ox. And probably Gideon

00:32:53.549 --> 00:32:55.410
and the ox together could have done all the work

00:32:55.410 --> 00:32:57.970
and the ten servants when they needed to be there,

00:32:57.990 --> 00:33:02.000
but he didn't go alone. He took the ox and he

00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:04.059
took ten servants. He took ten of his dad's servants.

00:33:04.099 --> 00:33:06.220
He had a right to do that, being one of the sons

00:33:06.220 --> 00:33:07.940
in the house. Now he was the youngest son, so

00:33:07.940 --> 00:33:10.319
maybe ten was stretching it for him. Maybe he

00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:13.180
only sort of had the authority to do that. But

00:33:13.180 --> 00:33:15.480
he did, and they went, and they did it. He didn't

00:33:15.480 --> 00:33:19.299
do it alone. If you won't be bold, firm, and

00:33:19.299 --> 00:33:21.960
decisive when you have troops, when we're in

00:33:21.960 --> 00:33:26.039
here in church, if you are intimidated to sing,

00:33:26.220 --> 00:33:29.059
if you are intimidated to share, If you're intimidated

00:33:29.059 --> 00:33:31.339
to share, if you're afraid to come forward to

00:33:31.339 --> 00:33:32.619
the altar when you know you need to repent of

00:33:32.619 --> 00:33:33.980
sin or you need to accept Jesus Christ as your

00:33:33.980 --> 00:33:35.839
Lord and Savior or join the church or be baptized

00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:37.680
or something like that, if you won't do it here

00:33:37.680 --> 00:33:40.819
where everybody in this room is yearning to see

00:33:40.819 --> 00:33:43.019
you, each one of us is yearning to see everyone

00:33:43.019 --> 00:33:44.940
else that's supposed to be like that in the room

00:33:44.940 --> 00:33:47.319
activated for Jesus, if you won't do it when

00:33:47.319 --> 00:33:51.359
you have troops with you, in his case servants

00:33:51.359 --> 00:33:54.500
of his dad's, then what happens when you have

00:33:54.500 --> 00:33:58.250
to go it alone? If you'll only profess Christ

00:33:58.250 --> 00:34:01.710
in here, but truly mean it, that would be plenty.

00:34:01.789 --> 00:34:04.470
You'll go to heaven when the time comes. But

00:34:04.470 --> 00:34:07.289
if you'll only ever profess Christ in here, how

00:34:07.289 --> 00:34:09.670
will you ever overcome fear? How will you ever

00:34:09.670 --> 00:34:11.989
turn your fear to be the one good thing that

00:34:11.989 --> 00:34:13.650
it's supposed to be? You're always going to struggle

00:34:13.650 --> 00:34:18.590
with it. Always be tied up in it. Notice that

00:34:18.590 --> 00:34:21.510
there's a 3B. That was three. Overcoming fear

00:34:21.510 --> 00:34:24.050
and acting in obedience starts at home in the

00:34:24.050 --> 00:34:28.409
dark and with help. But there's a 3B. The results

00:34:28.409 --> 00:34:31.389
of overcoming fear and acting in obedience stand

00:34:31.389 --> 00:34:36.849
in the daylight. If you truly in this room accept

00:34:36.849 --> 00:34:38.469
Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, commit yourself

00:34:38.469 --> 00:34:40.210
to follow Him, and you really are living for

00:34:40.210 --> 00:34:42.570
Jesus, or you go to camp, and at camp you say,

00:34:42.610 --> 00:34:44.510
I'm really living for the Lord, then when you

00:34:44.510 --> 00:34:46.030
get home from camp or when you get home from

00:34:46.030 --> 00:34:48.789
church, the results of what you did, they'll

00:34:48.789 --> 00:34:53.039
show. The change will be exhibited. The effect

00:34:53.039 --> 00:34:57.320
will be ongoing. They got up in the morning and

00:34:57.320 --> 00:35:00.960
God's altar had replaced the altar and the Asherah

00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:05.539
pole. The results stand in the daylight when

00:35:05.539 --> 00:35:09.480
they are genuine results. And so I'm asking you,

00:35:09.539 --> 00:35:15.679
if you have taken a stand in here, then take

00:35:15.679 --> 00:35:18.320
a stand out there. Take a stand everywhere. Get

00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:20.199
your mouth under control and speak for the Lord

00:35:20.199 --> 00:35:24.280
and be bold, but be loving and kind. Be willing

00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:26.679
that a lost person might be forgiven even when,

00:35:26.679 --> 00:35:30.079
by all accounts, they don't deserve it. Because

00:35:30.079 --> 00:35:33.139
we didn't deserve it either. That brings us to

00:35:33.139 --> 00:35:36.559
our conclusion. Recapping the three points. Before

00:35:36.559 --> 00:35:37.920
we're done with this conclusion, I'm going to

00:35:37.920 --> 00:35:39.820
kind of offend the men in the room a little bit.

00:35:39.880 --> 00:35:41.719
And I apologize in advance, so please bear with

00:35:41.719 --> 00:35:46.019
me. God wants us to emphatically remove idol

00:35:46.019 --> 00:35:50.949
worship from our courts. Fear is a real thing

00:35:50.949 --> 00:35:54.010
and it has a place in the life of an unbeliever.

00:35:54.489 --> 00:36:01.269
But with God, that fear is cast out. And experiencing

00:36:01.269 --> 00:36:06.130
his perfect love, it doesn't have a place. And

00:36:06.130 --> 00:36:08.409
then overcoming fear and acting in obedience

00:36:08.409 --> 00:36:12.110
starts at home in the dark with help. But the

00:36:12.110 --> 00:36:16.070
results stand in the daylight if they were genuine.

00:36:16.670 --> 00:36:18.969
Brings us to a conclusion. So here's what I think

00:36:18.969 --> 00:36:20.909
God is calling us to do. Number one, he's telling

00:36:20.909 --> 00:36:24.369
us to take a stand. I want you to take a stand.

00:36:25.329 --> 00:36:28.389
If you don't believe in anything enough to take

00:36:28.389 --> 00:36:32.010
a stand, then you need to do an internal survey

00:36:32.010 --> 00:36:34.670
and figure out what you believe in enough to

00:36:34.670 --> 00:36:39.170
take a stand. Maybe you just believe that a person

00:36:39.170 --> 00:36:41.250
ought to be paid well for an honest day's wage,

00:36:41.329 --> 00:36:42.989
and that is the most significant belief that

00:36:42.989 --> 00:36:45.829
you have. Then stand for that. It ain't much.

00:36:46.860 --> 00:36:50.420
It's not eternal. It may or may not be world

00:36:50.420 --> 00:36:52.559
-changing. It's not going to save a soul for

00:36:52.559 --> 00:36:55.360
sure, but it's something. You ought to have something

00:36:55.360 --> 00:36:57.579
to take a stand for. And by taking a stand, I

00:36:57.579 --> 00:36:59.380
don't mean whip up your cuss words or raise your

00:36:59.380 --> 00:37:03.900
voice. I mean speak out in what you believe and

00:37:03.900 --> 00:37:06.400
try to convince others to believe similarly.

00:37:07.699 --> 00:37:10.039
Not in a hurtful way, but try to convince them

00:37:10.039 --> 00:37:11.380
to believe what you believe. And in the process,

00:37:11.400 --> 00:37:14.880
be prepared that your own decision might be informed.

00:37:15.710 --> 00:37:19.090
but take some kind of a stand. Own the ground

00:37:19.090 --> 00:37:23.449
under your own feet. Take a stand. Brace yourself

00:37:23.449 --> 00:37:26.050
so that when life gets rough, you can still be

00:37:26.050 --> 00:37:27.550
standing. Now in the scripture, we know that

00:37:27.550 --> 00:37:29.329
that surrounds the name of Jesus and he that

00:37:29.329 --> 00:37:31.050
is in us is greater than he that's in the world.

00:37:31.090 --> 00:37:33.530
And you can take a stand in the day of evil and

00:37:33.530 --> 00:37:35.570
then you can still be found standing if you will

00:37:35.570 --> 00:37:40.969
armor up with God's armor. Take a stand. Secondly,

00:37:41.050 --> 00:37:45.900
unleash your family, your children, your spouse,

00:37:46.179 --> 00:37:49.800
whoever it is, those closest to you, unleash

00:37:49.800 --> 00:37:53.820
them. Tell them. Tell them that it is your intention

00:37:53.820 --> 00:37:59.320
that we are going to live for God. That our house,

00:37:59.400 --> 00:38:04.300
the center of our house, the highest point, the

00:38:04.300 --> 00:38:08.860
attention getter, the thing, the person, the

00:38:08.860 --> 00:38:13.460
being that we serve is God. Tell them. That God

00:38:13.460 --> 00:38:17.599
is the one. Not you. Not mom. Not dad. Not money.

00:38:17.619 --> 00:38:19.800
Not entertainment. Not sweets. Not food. Not

00:38:19.800 --> 00:38:24.739
fun. Nothing. Nothing should rise above anything

00:38:24.739 --> 00:38:28.179
else. Everything else is kind of even. And God

00:38:28.179 --> 00:38:33.360
is on top. Tell them. With your mouth. Say, I

00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:39.579
want our house to be first and foremost God's

00:38:39.579 --> 00:38:46.090
house. Unleash your family. Tell them. Then support

00:38:46.090 --> 00:38:50.889
them. Step up. When the world comes against them

00:38:50.889 --> 00:38:54.150
to stop them standing firmly for the Lord as

00:38:54.150 --> 00:38:56.869
you have encouraged them to do, you be there.

00:38:58.190 --> 00:39:01.150
When Joash said, anybody that comes after him

00:39:01.150 --> 00:39:04.230
to contend for Baal will die in the morning.

00:39:04.889 --> 00:39:08.389
That's a pretty bold statement. And I submit

00:39:08.389 --> 00:39:11.329
to you, he was going to back it up. Where are

00:39:11.329 --> 00:39:13.730
you in the lives of your children? Where are

00:39:13.730 --> 00:39:15.369
you in the lives of your teenage? Where are you

00:39:15.369 --> 00:39:17.349
in the lives of your close friends or family

00:39:17.349 --> 00:39:19.150
members or those that you act as an uncle to

00:39:19.150 --> 00:39:23.789
or an aunt to? Where are you? Have you taken

00:39:23.789 --> 00:39:26.590
a stand and then unleashed them by telling them

00:39:26.590 --> 00:39:29.269
and supporting them so that if they do indeed

00:39:29.269 --> 00:39:33.150
run that race and it starts to get ugly that

00:39:33.150 --> 00:39:38.210
you will be there? Provide the resources for

00:39:38.210 --> 00:39:43.670
the race by God's grace. Bring in the word. Financial,

00:39:43.690 --> 00:39:47.110
if necessary. That was Joash's seven -year -old

00:39:47.110 --> 00:39:52.750
bull. That was Joash's livelihood. That was Joash's

00:39:52.750 --> 00:39:56.010
servants. And when they came against Gideon to

00:39:56.010 --> 00:39:59.190
kill him, the would -be, eventually, savior of

00:39:59.190 --> 00:40:03.389
the nation, Joash said, I know I've worshipped

00:40:03.389 --> 00:40:06.960
Baal and Asherah. profited very much by this

00:40:06.960 --> 00:40:10.519
altar that's been on my land. But would you contend

00:40:10.519 --> 00:40:12.659
for Baal? Would you protect Baal? If Baal's a

00:40:12.659 --> 00:40:16.659
god, then let God protect himself. Let him come

00:40:16.659 --> 00:40:18.260
against Gideon. But if any of you come against

00:40:18.260 --> 00:40:26.239
my son, I'll kill you dead by dawn. Where is

00:40:26.239 --> 00:40:31.599
that? That's the kind of people that we are called

00:40:31.599 --> 00:40:34.820
to be. And provide the resources by God's grace

00:40:34.820 --> 00:40:38.219
as he provides them to us so that they may partake

00:40:38.219 --> 00:40:41.760
in the warfare. That they can be then influencing

00:40:41.760 --> 00:40:45.929
their courts. That they can go out and do what

00:40:45.929 --> 00:40:48.250
it is they need to do. Take a stand and support

00:40:48.250 --> 00:40:51.210
their family and provide the resources by God's

00:40:51.210 --> 00:40:53.710
grace to continue generation after generation.

00:40:54.030 --> 00:40:57.150
This faith must be populated by men and where

00:40:57.150 --> 00:40:59.349
men will not step up by women and where men and

00:40:59.349 --> 00:41:01.210
women step up together, that's when it works

00:41:01.210 --> 00:41:02.989
the best. I understand, but if there's only one,

00:41:03.090 --> 00:41:04.570
then that person, whoever's the leader of that

00:41:04.570 --> 00:41:07.550
household, has to be the one. to tell them, to

00:41:07.550 --> 00:41:10.050
support them, to provide the resources by God's

00:41:10.050 --> 00:41:13.170
grace, to counsel with them with regard to fear

00:41:13.170 --> 00:41:15.429
and say, look, you really have nothing to fear.

00:41:16.230 --> 00:41:19.369
If, God forbid, somebody takes your life because

00:41:19.369 --> 00:41:20.989
you're doing what it is that God has called you

00:41:20.989 --> 00:41:22.769
to, you'll go straight to heaven. Let's talk

00:41:22.769 --> 00:41:25.190
about what that looks like for a minute. You

00:41:25.190 --> 00:41:29.170
don't have to fear that. But if you will walk

00:41:29.170 --> 00:41:31.010
away from the Lord, if you're only half in, man,

00:41:31.050 --> 00:41:32.750
the worst thing you could possibly do is being

00:41:32.750 --> 00:41:36.340
half in because you'll be ripped in half. And

00:41:36.340 --> 00:41:39.219
possibly not be saved when the time comes. Devote

00:41:39.219 --> 00:41:41.440
yourself to God. Let me tell you what it feels

00:41:41.440 --> 00:41:43.260
like to be afraid of the living God. Because

00:41:43.260 --> 00:41:46.280
we know the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

00:41:47.119 --> 00:41:50.980
There is a place for fear. And we ought to stand

00:41:50.980 --> 00:41:53.880
firm in the day of evil. And if you won't, then

00:41:53.880 --> 00:42:01.500
be prepared that they may. Did you hear me? If

00:42:01.500 --> 00:42:05.280
you won't stand up for God, if you won't tell

00:42:05.280 --> 00:42:07.000
them, support them, and provide the resources

00:42:07.000 --> 00:42:09.699
by God's grace, and stand firm in the day of

00:42:09.699 --> 00:42:11.500
evil, if you won't do that, then be prepared

00:42:11.500 --> 00:42:14.679
that your children may do it without you, and

00:42:14.679 --> 00:42:19.119
it will cost you. Maybe everything. Maybe them.

00:42:20.940 --> 00:42:24.019
Maybe your very own soul. Because when your child

00:42:24.019 --> 00:42:26.460
steps up to follow God the way you never did

00:42:26.460 --> 00:42:30.119
or would, when they truly become a Christian,

00:42:31.879 --> 00:42:34.119
the way God called us to be, if you have not

00:42:34.119 --> 00:42:37.760
done so, one day you will die and go to hell

00:42:37.760 --> 00:42:41.139
and they will die and go to heaven. And you'll

00:42:41.139 --> 00:42:43.940
go, wow, their faith is so, they love the Lord

00:42:43.940 --> 00:42:45.659
so much. They're doing everything that they think

00:42:45.659 --> 00:42:47.960
God wants them to do. And it's crazy how committed

00:42:47.960 --> 00:42:50.059
they are. And you'll be like in the wings, like,

00:42:50.119 --> 00:42:51.980
oh, it's so exciting, so exciting, whatever.

00:42:52.920 --> 00:42:54.820
Never thinking about the fact that you never

00:42:54.820 --> 00:42:59.820
really did that. They need to step up. God deserves

00:42:59.820 --> 00:43:04.239
their allegiance. Even if he doesn't fully have

00:43:04.239 --> 00:43:08.000
yours, God deserved Gideon's allegiance even

00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:12.619
though he did not have Joash's allegiance. The

00:43:12.619 --> 00:43:17.260
story's not about Joash. But Joash knew the Bible.

00:43:17.980 --> 00:43:21.739
Gideon knew the Bible. And when Gideon stood

00:43:21.739 --> 00:43:26.820
up and did what God wanted him to do, Joash backed

00:43:26.820 --> 00:43:32.869
his play. How about you? Would you make this

00:43:32.869 --> 00:43:36.510
commitment? I'm going to start with this. This

00:43:36.510 --> 00:43:38.489
is obviously Joash and Gideon. These are men.

00:43:39.650 --> 00:43:42.969
The men in this room. Would you make this commitment

00:43:42.969 --> 00:43:45.869
that as far as is under your control, as far

00:43:45.869 --> 00:43:49.190
as God allows you to do, would you say, as for

00:43:49.190 --> 00:43:53.190
me and my house, we will serve the Lord? That

00:43:53.190 --> 00:43:56.550
God will be first? As much as is under my control,

00:43:56.889 --> 00:44:01.579
we will live for God? Even when we are afraid,

00:44:01.719 --> 00:44:04.420
we still choose God and serve Him and worship

00:44:04.420 --> 00:44:06.820
Him more than anyone or anything else in this

00:44:06.820 --> 00:44:08.920
world. Would you make that commitment? For your

00:44:08.920 --> 00:44:11.860
house? For the single men in this room? Can you

00:44:11.860 --> 00:44:13.739
make that commitment for what goes on inside

00:44:13.739 --> 00:44:16.739
the four walls of your office? Will you make

00:44:16.739 --> 00:44:18.980
that commitment that if you're on the job and

00:44:18.980 --> 00:44:22.159
the opportunity arises, you will tear down idols

00:44:22.159 --> 00:44:25.719
as God has called us to do? Will you make that

00:44:25.719 --> 00:44:30.780
commitment? When you say, we will locate and

00:44:30.780 --> 00:44:33.119
tear down anything that stands in our way to

00:44:33.119 --> 00:44:36.139
honor God. That's the beauty of the freedom of

00:44:36.139 --> 00:44:37.940
religion in the United States, is that if anyone

00:44:37.940 --> 00:44:40.559
does anything to stop you from fully honoring

00:44:40.559 --> 00:44:47.039
God, that's against the law. They can't do that.

00:44:48.159 --> 00:44:50.619
And yet, in a country where no one is allowed

00:44:50.619 --> 00:44:53.840
to do that, we do not see people stepping up

00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:57.079
to do that. Even people who claim the name of

00:44:57.079 --> 00:45:01.690
Jesus sometimes. Will you say to your children,

00:45:01.809 --> 00:45:03.730
to those that you have influence over, will you

00:45:03.730 --> 00:45:06.230
say to them, I want you to learn to listen to

00:45:06.230 --> 00:45:09.130
God and do what He says even if you don't think

00:45:09.130 --> 00:45:11.510
I will support you or if you think the world

00:45:11.510 --> 00:45:13.590
will come against you? Are you ready for that?

00:45:14.530 --> 00:45:16.130
Chris, are you ready for your girls to come to

00:45:16.130 --> 00:45:17.630
you one day and say, yeah, Dad, I hear what you're

00:45:17.630 --> 00:45:19.030
saying, but I've got to do what God wants me

00:45:19.030 --> 00:45:25.449
to do? Aaron? Are you ready for Caitlin to come

00:45:25.449 --> 00:45:27.110
to you one day and say, I hear what you're saying?

00:45:27.599 --> 00:45:29.539
But I really got to do what God wants me to do?

00:45:30.500 --> 00:45:35.099
RJ? Are you ready for that? Kenny? You ready

00:45:35.099 --> 00:45:38.079
for that? She's young, but it could be coming.

00:45:39.500 --> 00:45:42.099
This is what I'm talking about. This is what

00:45:42.099 --> 00:45:47.739
we're called to. Nothing less. We have to be

00:45:47.739 --> 00:45:49.980
able to say to them that they have to be able

00:45:49.980 --> 00:45:52.440
to overcome their fear. They have to want to

00:45:52.440 --> 00:45:54.599
learn and to listen to God and do what He says,

00:45:54.719 --> 00:45:56.599
even if they don't think that you will support

00:45:56.599 --> 00:45:59.630
them. Or even if they think that the world will

00:45:59.630 --> 00:46:03.289
come against them. Today, this morning, Charlie

00:46:03.289 --> 00:46:06.130
Kirk is better off than millions of people who

00:46:06.130 --> 00:46:08.730
woke up and moved one step closer to being a

00:46:08.730 --> 00:46:16.250
billionaire. Because he's with God. By his profession.

00:46:17.889 --> 00:46:21.929
You can be courageous and overcome your fear

00:46:21.929 --> 00:46:24.769
and do what's right. Through God and His Son,

00:46:24.809 --> 00:46:27.550
Jesus Christ. Are you willing to deliver that

00:46:27.550 --> 00:46:34.750
message to your house? We're not going to have

00:46:34.750 --> 00:46:37.610
a traditional invitation today. But we've got

00:46:37.610 --> 00:46:38.769
a little bit of business we're going to conduct

00:46:38.769 --> 00:46:43.909
first. And then we're going to have an activity

00:46:43.909 --> 00:46:47.250
to fill in the gap. And then we'll call the children

00:46:47.250 --> 00:46:53.860
in. Are you with me, Ricky? Here we go. First

00:46:53.860 --> 00:46:58.420
of all, if you're in this room and this version

00:46:58.420 --> 00:47:01.300
of Christianity that I'm talking about today

00:47:01.300 --> 00:47:06.320
is foreign to you. If you cannot say that before

00:47:06.320 --> 00:47:09.039
today you have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord,

00:47:09.119 --> 00:47:10.500
that means he tells you what to do when you do

00:47:10.500 --> 00:47:13.320
it. And that could include sacrificing your life

00:47:13.320 --> 00:47:15.699
if necessary. And it definitely includes turning

00:47:15.699 --> 00:47:18.059
your house over to the Lord and tearing down

00:47:18.059 --> 00:47:23.409
idols and idol worship. If this version of Christianity

00:47:23.409 --> 00:47:25.190
is foreign to you, then I'm asking you right

00:47:25.190 --> 00:47:27.409
now to accept Jesus Christ as Lord. Oh, in the

00:47:27.409 --> 00:47:28.809
world, there's a whole bunch of people who take

00:47:28.809 --> 00:47:30.969
Jesus Christ as Savior and never take him as

00:47:30.969 --> 00:47:32.909
Lord. But the Bible doesn't say that you get

00:47:32.909 --> 00:47:35.030
saved by taking Jesus Christ as Savior alone.

00:47:36.630 --> 00:47:40.250
It says you get saved by calling him Lord. Jesus

00:47:40.250 --> 00:47:43.010
is Lord and recognizing that God raised him from

00:47:43.010 --> 00:47:47.949
the dead. Romans 10, which he did do. If you

00:47:47.949 --> 00:47:50.150
have not accepted Jesus that way, then do it

00:47:50.150 --> 00:47:53.280
right now. It's an instantaneous thing. He is

00:47:53.280 --> 00:47:55.500
literally waiting. The God of the universe is

00:47:55.500 --> 00:47:58.599
waiting on the edge of your willingness. All

00:47:58.599 --> 00:48:00.340
you have to do is say, yes, that's me right now.

00:48:00.340 --> 00:48:02.300
Just say, yes, that's me to yourself, in yourself,

00:48:02.440 --> 00:48:07.139
in the dark, right where you are. Say, okay,

00:48:07.260 --> 00:48:11.139
I'm going to do it for real right now. Go ahead,

00:48:11.179 --> 00:48:14.320
God, do what you want to do. Is that you? And

00:48:14.320 --> 00:48:16.079
now we're not going to have a song of invitation.

00:48:16.619 --> 00:48:18.800
We're not going to. Ask anybody to walk forward.

00:48:18.840 --> 00:48:20.239
So this is as easy as it's ever going to get

00:48:20.239 --> 00:48:23.199
for you. If you have said today, I realize I

00:48:23.199 --> 00:48:25.920
have never accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and

00:48:25.920 --> 00:48:28.380
Savior that way. I've never let him be in charge

00:48:28.380 --> 00:48:30.099
of my life and whatever sacrifice is necessary

00:48:30.099 --> 00:48:32.599
and stepped out of my box and said, I'm living

00:48:32.599 --> 00:48:34.480
for Jesus. If that's you, but you're starting

00:48:34.480 --> 00:48:36.440
to do that today, then I want you to raise your

00:48:36.440 --> 00:48:44.199
hand right where you're at. Anybody else? It

00:48:44.199 --> 00:48:45.519
doesn't matter who you are or where you're at.

00:48:46.860 --> 00:48:50.760
Right now. Going once. Father in heaven, bless

00:48:50.760 --> 00:48:54.039
us as we stand firm together. That Jesus would

00:48:54.039 --> 00:48:58.980
be Lord of our house, of our tents, of our courts,

00:48:59.159 --> 00:49:01.519
and anywhere we put our feet, that we would take

00:49:01.519 --> 00:49:04.280
a firm stand and stand up for what is right.

00:49:04.940 --> 00:49:08.619
That we would not fear and realize that fear

00:49:08.619 --> 00:49:12.679
only has one place in us. And that one place

00:49:12.679 --> 00:49:16.809
is when we cross you. And that We commit ourselves

00:49:16.809 --> 00:49:21.610
to never do. In Jesus' name, amen. Now maybe

00:49:21.610 --> 00:49:23.329
you're here today and you've been listening to

00:49:23.329 --> 00:49:24.630
the message and you say you're a Christian. Now

00:49:24.630 --> 00:49:25.769
there could be those in the room, I understand,

00:49:25.849 --> 00:49:27.530
you're in the room and you're not a Christian.

00:49:28.030 --> 00:49:30.849
And you just had your opportunity to change that.

00:49:31.030 --> 00:49:33.110
You still can do it while I'm talking, but there's

00:49:33.110 --> 00:49:35.670
not going to be another invitation. But you can

00:49:35.670 --> 00:49:39.150
still do it. God's always asking. But if you're

00:49:39.150 --> 00:49:42.250
in the room and you're a man and you're a leader

00:49:42.250 --> 00:49:46.619
of the house that you lead, Then I'm asking you

00:49:46.619 --> 00:49:53.099
to commit to do this, to set this standard for

00:49:53.099 --> 00:49:57.340
your house and say, we will live for God. Even

00:49:57.340 --> 00:50:00.179
when we are afraid, we will choose him and serve

00:50:00.179 --> 00:50:02.639
him and worship him more than anyone or anything

00:50:02.639 --> 00:50:07.880
else. Locate and tear down anything that stands

00:50:07.880 --> 00:50:12.360
in our way of honoring him. And then you say

00:50:12.360 --> 00:50:14.389
to, if you have a child, Or someone who is under

00:50:14.389 --> 00:50:16.429
your wife, for example, you say, I want you to

00:50:16.429 --> 00:50:19.610
learn to listen to God and do what he says, even

00:50:19.610 --> 00:50:21.570
if you don't think I'll support you or if you

00:50:21.570 --> 00:50:25.989
think the world will come against you. You can

00:50:25.989 --> 00:50:28.670
be courageous and overcome your fear and do what's

00:50:28.670 --> 00:50:34.769
right through God and Jesus. That is the commitment

00:50:34.769 --> 00:50:37.070
that I am asking leaders of household. You may

00:50:37.070 --> 00:50:38.530
be a woman in the room and you might be the leader

00:50:38.530 --> 00:50:41.460
of your household. If you're a man in the room

00:50:41.460 --> 00:50:43.519
and you're willing to say that to your family

00:50:43.519 --> 00:50:49.500
before we call the kids in, we're going to do

00:50:49.500 --> 00:50:54.679
that now. If you're here and you know that you're

00:50:54.679 --> 00:50:58.880
responsible for that, then you go get that group

00:50:58.880 --> 00:51:00.699
together if you're willing to do that and have

00:51:00.699 --> 00:51:03.179
that conversation right now. I told you I was

00:51:03.179 --> 00:51:07.619
going to offend you. So that means, RJ, if you're

00:51:07.619 --> 00:51:09.440
making that commitment today, You're going to

00:51:09.440 --> 00:51:11.360
get together with Jason, Caleb, and Zayden. Get

00:51:11.360 --> 00:51:13.679
Zayden out of class right now and have that conversation.

00:51:16.400 --> 00:51:17.920
Ken, if you're making that commitment today,

00:51:18.000 --> 00:51:19.300
then you get together with your daughter and

00:51:19.300 --> 00:51:20.719
you'd have that conversation. Ricky, you get

00:51:20.719 --> 00:51:22.579
Kyler and Carson right now and have that conversation.

00:51:22.780 --> 00:51:24.300
Aaron, you talk with Caitlin right now. This

00:51:24.300 --> 00:51:26.840
is interactive. Chris, you get together with

00:51:26.840 --> 00:51:29.800
your girls and your wife right now. And I understand

00:51:29.800 --> 00:51:32.059
some of us don't. So if you're here and you have

00:51:32.059 --> 00:51:34.079
a son or a daughter that's not currently here,

00:51:34.599 --> 00:51:37.019
You're going to have this, if you want to, right

00:51:37.019 --> 00:51:41.380
now, you can call them on the phone. Curtis,

00:51:41.440 --> 00:51:46.420
obviously, you would go with your dad. So Alicia's

00:51:46.420 --> 00:51:49.019
going to play some music. We've got like five

00:51:49.019 --> 00:51:51.860
to eight minutes, however long it takes. You

00:51:51.860 --> 00:51:54.579
blow this off if you want. You can not do it

00:51:54.579 --> 00:51:58.800
if you want. That's entirely up to you. But I'm

00:51:58.800 --> 00:52:04.900
going to do it. I'm going to go get Ariana. And

00:52:04.900 --> 00:52:06.619
get to a sherry and we're going to have this

00:52:06.619 --> 00:52:09.360
conversation. For the rest of you, you have this

00:52:09.360 --> 00:52:11.059
five to eight minutes to do whatever you feel

00:52:11.059 --> 00:52:12.719
God would want you to do. But I would ask you

00:52:12.719 --> 00:52:15.099
to search your soul and prepare yourself because

00:52:15.099 --> 00:52:19.199
someday you're going to be responsible. And if

00:52:19.199 --> 00:52:20.800
you're a single man, you're already responsible

00:52:20.800 --> 00:52:25.679
for your own house. If you're a single woman,

00:52:25.760 --> 00:52:27.139
you're already responsible for your own house

00:52:27.139 --> 00:52:29.280
now. So the music's going to play for the next

00:52:29.280 --> 00:52:31.289
five to eight minutes. I'm going to pray briefly

00:52:31.289 --> 00:52:33.070
that we'll be bold, and then I'm going to go

00:52:33.070 --> 00:52:36.469
get my crew together. Father in heaven, we praise

00:52:36.469 --> 00:52:38.789
you and thank you for this recognition that we

00:52:38.789 --> 00:52:41.769
must live for you, that as leaders of our households,

00:52:41.869 --> 00:52:44.809
we must decide to live for you, and that even

00:52:44.809 --> 00:52:47.349
when we are afraid, we must still choose you

00:52:47.349 --> 00:52:50.050
and serve you and worship you more than anything

00:52:50.050 --> 00:52:52.570
or anyone else in the world. God, I pray that

00:52:52.570 --> 00:52:53.650
we will stand up.