WEBVTT 00:00:28.639 --> 00:00:35.520 Y 'all, it is a Thursday. It is July the 30th. 00:00:36.780 --> 00:00:39.500 And everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:41.560 I can't find my microphones, so I don't even 00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:43.399 know if you can hear me. Probably hear the fan 00:00:43.399 --> 00:00:47.399 in the background. I know I brought them home 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:49.640 from Irvin. I just don't know which bag I put 00:00:49.640 --> 00:00:52.619 them in. And we were cutting it close getting 00:00:52.619 --> 00:00:54.939 home, so I apologize. Can you hear me all right? 00:00:56.100 --> 00:00:59.780 I don't know if you can or not. Let me get situated. 00:01:02.750 --> 00:01:13.030 Just needed a minute. Welcome to the porch. You're 00:01:13.030 --> 00:01:14.510 a little tall. Let's put you down a little bit. 00:01:21.090 --> 00:01:28.629 Hey there, porch. I'm mighty glad that y 'all 00:01:28.629 --> 00:01:34.400 are here tonight. I truly am. Go ahead and grab 00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:36.620 your Bible and something to write with and your 00:01:36.620 --> 00:01:38.659 favorite drink and, you know, maybe light yourself 00:01:38.659 --> 00:01:40.879 a cigarette or a candle. You know, if that's 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:44.700 your thing. Pet the dog. Shoo the chicken off 00:01:44.700 --> 00:01:49.859 the porch. Again. And let's just settle in together. 00:01:53.500 --> 00:01:55.939 If you're brand new to the porch, welcome home. 00:01:57.079 --> 00:02:00.319 We're glad you're here. Around here, we don't 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:02.140 pretend like we have life figured out. We just 00:02:02.140 --> 00:02:04.670 don't. You could probably tell that by looking 00:02:04.670 --> 00:02:08.349 at me. We don't clean ourselves up and pretend 00:02:08.349 --> 00:02:11.469 in front of God. We don't try to put on airs. 00:02:12.509 --> 00:02:17.090 We bring Him the mess. We bring Him the tears. 00:02:17.669 --> 00:02:21.289 We bring Him the questions. We bring Him the 00:02:21.289 --> 00:02:24.449 victories and the failures. That's what we do. 00:02:25.110 --> 00:02:30.520 And we just come as we are. We come as we are 00:02:30.520 --> 00:02:32.780 because that's, I believe, exactly like Jesus 00:02:32.780 --> 00:02:40.240 likes it. So, that's what I think. So, if you're 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:42.020 brand new, welcome. Let's have a word of prayer 00:02:42.020 --> 00:02:45.659 before we get started tonight. You want to? Good 00:02:45.659 --> 00:02:52.080 day, Lord. Heavenly Father, we thank you for 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:57.180 another day. You didn't have to give us not another 00:02:57.180 --> 00:02:59.490 day, but you did. And we're thankful for it. 00:03:00.789 --> 00:03:04.409 Thank you for every single person you've gathered 00:03:04.409 --> 00:03:08.090 on this porch tonight. Lord, you know every single 00:03:08.090 --> 00:03:10.949 burden before we even speak it. You know the 00:03:10.949 --> 00:03:13.969 ones that are really grieving. The ones who are 00:03:13.969 --> 00:03:20.009 lonely. The ones who are angry. The ones who 00:03:20.009 --> 00:03:23.210 are exhausted, Lord. The ones who are wondering 00:03:23.210 --> 00:03:28.159 if you still see us. Tonight, please quiet every 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:32.360 voice except for yours and let your word do what 00:03:32.360 --> 00:03:37.979 only your word can do. If we need convicting, 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:40.080 Lord, let us be convicted. If we need comforting, 00:03:40.219 --> 00:03:43.400 Lord, please let us be comforted. If we need 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:44.860 to be corrected, Lord, just please let us be 00:03:44.860 --> 00:03:47.360 corrected and remind us that no matter what battle 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:52.900 we're facing, you've never lost one. Bless the 00:03:52.900 --> 00:03:56.629 reading of this word tonight, Lord. Let me be 00:03:56.629 --> 00:03:59.310 an instrument for your voice. Let me say and 00:03:59.310 --> 00:04:01.250 do the right things and bring someone closer 00:04:01.250 --> 00:04:06.669 to you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Well hello 00:04:06.669 --> 00:04:11.889 friends. Can I just be real honest with y 'all? 00:04:12.689 --> 00:04:17.589 I mean I always have been but I almost didn't 00:04:17.589 --> 00:04:23.930 do a Bible study tonight. Not because I didn't 00:04:23.930 --> 00:04:27.120 have something to say. Because you know I always 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:29.279 have something to say. And not because I didn't 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:31.240 have something to teach. Because the Bible always 00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:35.300 has something for us to learn. But because I 00:04:35.300 --> 00:04:41.819 was pretty sure I didn't have nothing left. Have 00:04:41.819 --> 00:04:47.040 you ever had one of those days where your body 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:55.639 isn't what's tired but your soul is? That's where 00:04:55.639 --> 00:04:57.199 I've been this week. That's what I've been doing 00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:01.579 today. I've cried today. I've prayed today. I've 00:05:01.579 --> 00:05:07.879 questioned things today. And I realized something 00:05:07.879 --> 00:05:10.180 while I was sitting with the Lord this afternoon. 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:16.560 Sometimes the enemy doesn't attack with catastrophe. 00:05:18.860 --> 00:05:24.519 Sometimes he just keeps poking the bruise. He 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:29.060 knows exactly where you're tender. Maybe you've 00:05:29.060 --> 00:05:34.939 been there. Somebody says one sentence and it 00:05:34.939 --> 00:05:38.639 lives in your head for three days. Somebody questions 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:41.839 your motives and suddenly you're questioning 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:47.060 them too. Somebody doesn't believe in what God's 00:05:47.060 --> 00:05:51.459 doing in your life. And before long, you're wondering 00:05:51.459 --> 00:05:57.959 if you imagined the whole thing. I'm going to 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:02.899 say this very carefully. This is not a Bible 00:06:02.899 --> 00:06:09.180 study about blaming anybody. Although we'll talk 00:06:09.180 --> 00:06:11.139 about honoring your parents this evening, this 00:06:11.139 --> 00:06:13.420 is not about my parents. I love my parents with 00:06:13.420 --> 00:06:16.819 all my heart. They raised me in church. They 00:06:16.819 --> 00:06:18.560 taught me about God. They taught me about Jesus. 00:06:19.660 --> 00:06:24.420 They taught me to love God's Word. And for that, 00:06:24.420 --> 00:06:26.500 I will be grateful until the day I get to go 00:06:26.500 --> 00:06:31.379 home to him. We don't see eye to eye on everything. 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:39.360 And that's okay. I honor them. I respect them. 00:06:42.180 --> 00:06:45.740 But today reminded me that sometimes the hardest 00:06:45.740 --> 00:06:50.240 spiritual battles aren't with strangers. Sometimes 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:55.379 they're with the people that we love. Not because 00:06:55.379 --> 00:06:57.660 they're evil. They're not evil. And not because 00:06:57.660 --> 00:07:01.560 they're our enemies. Because they're not. It's 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:04.500 because sincere people can sincerely disagree. 00:07:07.740 --> 00:07:09.959 And when the people whose approval you've wanted 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:12.560 your whole life don't understand something God 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:20.779 is doing in you, it hurts. Some of y 'all know 00:07:20.779 --> 00:07:25.319 exactly what I'm talking about. Maybe it's your 00:07:25.319 --> 00:07:30.680 husband. Maybe it's your wife. Maybe it's your 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:35.540 kids. Maybe it's your mama. Maybe it's your daddy. 00:07:37.459 --> 00:07:40.060 Maybe it's somebody at work. Maybe it's somebody 00:07:40.060 --> 00:07:45.660 at church. Maybe it's the folks who know your 00:07:45.660 --> 00:07:49.759 past and can imagine God using somebody like 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:57.370 you. Can I tell you something? You're in a real 00:07:57.370 --> 00:08:04.290 good company. Because nearly every single person 00:08:04.290 --> 00:08:07.649 that God ever used was somebody who didn't understand 00:08:07.649 --> 00:08:16.449 what they were doing. Tonight isn't about proving 00:08:16.449 --> 00:08:20.069 ourselves right. It's about learning how to keep 00:08:20.069 --> 00:08:25.420 our hearts soft. And our minds clear. And our 00:08:25.420 --> 00:08:28.620 eyes fixed on Jesus. Even when the rest of the 00:08:28.620 --> 00:08:34.899 world gets really, really loud. I've been studying 00:08:34.899 --> 00:08:36.360 in Isaiah this week. So that's what we're going 00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:38.679 to do together. Let's all go to Isaiah chapter 00:08:38.679 --> 00:08:42.500 26. Look what I did. Now I can find stuff quicker. 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:50.460 Look right there he is. I found him. Isaiah 26 00:08:50.460 --> 00:09:06.700 is where we're starting tonight. Alright. We're 00:09:06.700 --> 00:09:08.120 going to camp out here for just a little bit, 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:14.000 okay? Isaiah is writing during one of the most 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:19.769 unstable periods in Judah's entire history. Just 00:09:19.769 --> 00:09:23.990 to give you a little context. The Assyrian Empire 00:09:23.990 --> 00:09:26.090 is threatening literally every single nation 00:09:26.090 --> 00:09:28.029 around them right now. Where we are in this book. 00:09:29.169 --> 00:09:34.590 If you've ever read Isaiah. Isaiah, 66 chapters 00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:36.710 long. Just like the book, how many books are 00:09:36.710 --> 00:09:39.990 in the Bible? 66 chapters. It was written between 00:09:39.990 --> 00:09:45.769 740 and about 680 BC. So, the kingdom of Judah 00:09:45.769 --> 00:09:49.049 and Israel. Or who he's talking to with his audience. 00:09:49.309 --> 00:09:51.309 It's also prophetic because we know Isaiah was 00:09:51.309 --> 00:09:53.549 a prophet. But just so you see what's going on. 00:09:53.649 --> 00:09:58.549 The Assyrian Empire is threatening to just disrupt 00:09:58.549 --> 00:10:01.309 all the nations around them. And people are afraid. 00:10:02.690 --> 00:10:06.690 And the climate's very unstable. And leaders 00:10:06.690 --> 00:10:10.149 are making super questionable decisions. Does 00:10:10.149 --> 00:10:13.190 that sound familiar? Under the advice of counsel. 00:10:13.370 --> 00:10:18.480 Anyway. So. Isaiah keeps pointing God's people 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:24.759 back to one simple truth. Your peace is not found 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:34.039 in your circumstances. It's found in God. So, 00:10:34.100 --> 00:10:37.240 let's read together, starting with verse 1. I 00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:39.440 am in the Message Bible, Contemporary English 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:42.740 Version. We are in Isaiah 26. I'm going to read 00:10:42.740 --> 00:10:47.350 to you. At that time, this song will be sung 00:10:47.350 --> 00:10:50.309 in the country of Judah. We have a strong city, 00:10:50.450 --> 00:10:52.750 salvation city, built and fortified with salvation. 00:10:53.409 --> 00:10:56.289 Throw wide the gates, so good and true people 00:10:56.289 --> 00:10:59.649 can enter. People with their minds set on you, 00:10:59.669 --> 00:11:02.350 you keep completely whole, steady on their feet, 00:11:02.470 --> 00:11:06.889 because they keep at it and don't quit. Depend 00:11:06.889 --> 00:11:08.870 on God and keep at it, because in the Lord God 00:11:08.870 --> 00:11:12.850 you have a sure thing. Those who lived high and 00:11:12.850 --> 00:11:14.809 mighty will be knocked off their high horse. 00:11:15.450 --> 00:11:17.909 He used the city built on a hill as field for 00:11:17.909 --> 00:11:22.669 the marshes. All the exploited and outcasted 00:11:22.669 --> 00:11:25.049 peoples build their lives on the reclaimed land. 00:11:26.070 --> 00:11:28.309 The path of the right living people is level. 00:11:28.710 --> 00:11:31.269 The leveler evens the road for the right living. 00:11:31.529 --> 00:11:34.570 We're in no hurry, God. We're content to linger 00:11:34.570 --> 00:11:38.190 in the path signposted with your decisions. Who 00:11:38.190 --> 00:11:41.149 you are and what you've done are all we'll ever 00:11:41.149 --> 00:11:45.690 want. Through the night, my soul longs for you. 00:11:45.870 --> 00:11:48.470 Deep from within me, my spirit reaches out to 00:11:48.470 --> 00:11:50.809 you. When your decisions are on public display, 00:11:51.169 --> 00:11:54.370 everyone learns how to live right. If the wicked 00:11:54.370 --> 00:11:58.049 are shown grace, they don't seem to get it. In 00:11:58.049 --> 00:11:59.970 the land of right living, they persist in wrong 00:11:59.970 --> 00:12:02.730 living, blind to the splendor of God. You hold 00:12:02.730 --> 00:12:04.809 your hand up high, God, but they don't see it. 00:12:06.470 --> 00:12:09.250 Open their eyes to what you do, to see your zealous 00:12:09.250 --> 00:12:12.490 love for your people. Shame them. Light a fire 00:12:12.490 --> 00:12:17.990 under them. Get the attention of these enemies 00:12:17.990 --> 00:12:23.049 of yours. God, order a peaceful and whole life 00:12:23.049 --> 00:12:25.549 for us because everything we've done, you've 00:12:25.549 --> 00:12:34.309 done for us. Oh God, our God, we've had other 00:12:34.309 --> 00:12:37.289 masters try to rule us. We're the only master 00:12:37.289 --> 00:12:41.809 we've ever known. The dead don't talk. Ghosts 00:12:41.809 --> 00:12:45.090 don't walk. Because you've said, enough. That's 00:12:45.090 --> 00:12:48.799 all for you. and wiped them from the books. But 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:51.860 the living you make larger than life. The more 00:12:51.860 --> 00:12:53.600 life you give, the more glory you display and 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:55.700 stretch the borders to accommodate more living. 00:12:55.940 --> 00:12:58.139 Oh God, they begged you for help when they were 00:12:58.139 --> 00:12:59.899 in trouble. When your discipline was so heavy, 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:02.379 they could barely whisper a prayer. Like a woman 00:13:02.379 --> 00:13:04.460 having a baby, writhing in distress, screaming 00:13:04.460 --> 00:13:06.740 her pain as the baby is being born. That's how 00:13:06.740 --> 00:13:10.539 we were because of you, oh God. We were pregnant 00:13:10.539 --> 00:13:13.539 full term. We writhed in labor, but bore no baby. 00:13:14.730 --> 00:13:17.710 We gave birth to wind, and nothing came of our 00:13:17.710 --> 00:13:21.090 labor. We produced nothing living. We couldn't 00:13:21.090 --> 00:13:24.409 save the world. But friends, your dead will live. 00:13:24.470 --> 00:13:26.289 Your corpses will get to their feet. All you 00:13:26.289 --> 00:13:30.049 dead and buried, wake up! Sing! Your due is morning 00:13:30.049 --> 00:13:31.970 due, catching the first rays of the sun, and 00:13:31.970 --> 00:13:33.850 the earth is bursting with life, giving birth 00:13:33.850 --> 00:13:38.029 to the dead. Come, my people. Go home and shut 00:13:38.029 --> 00:13:41.169 yourselves in. Go into seclusion for a while 00:13:41.169 --> 00:13:42.889 until the punishing wrath has passed because 00:13:42.889 --> 00:13:46.169 God is sure to come from his place to punish 00:13:46.169 --> 00:13:48.750 the wrong of the people of the earth. Earth itself 00:13:48.750 --> 00:13:50.970 will point out the bloodstains. It will show 00:13:50.970 --> 00:13:58.750 where the murdered have been hidden away. Verse 00:13:58.750 --> 00:14:04.669 3. Listen to this. I keep a King James Version 00:14:04.669 --> 00:14:08.070 near me too because I know we all have different 00:14:08.070 --> 00:14:11.269 versions. versions that we like to read but in 00:14:11.269 --> 00:14:14.690 the king james in 26 3 it says thou will keep 00:14:14.690 --> 00:14:18.370 him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on 00:14:18.370 --> 00:14:30.809 thee because he trusted in thee people with their 00:14:30.809 --> 00:14:33.730 minds set on you lord you keep completely whole 00:14:33.730 --> 00:14:35.629 and steady on their feet because they keep at 00:14:35.629 --> 00:14:40.629 it and they don't quit I love that phrase, perfect 00:14:40.629 --> 00:14:47.690 peace. In Hebrew, Isaiah repeats the same word 00:14:47.690 --> 00:14:51.830 twice. It's literally peace, peace in Hebrew. 00:14:52.009 --> 00:14:54.070 So when the Hebrew writers wanted to emphasize 00:14:54.070 --> 00:14:56.730 something, they usually repeated it. Holy of 00:14:56.730 --> 00:15:00.029 holies, king of kings, lord of lords, peace, 00:15:00.210 --> 00:15:08.950 peace. Not because the world got quiet. Because 00:15:08.950 --> 00:15:13.169 God is still faithful. I want you to notice something 00:15:13.169 --> 00:15:16.490 else here. Isaiah doesn't say God will keep everybody 00:15:16.490 --> 00:15:18.769 in perfect peace. No, no, no, no, no. There's 00:15:18.769 --> 00:15:20.409 a condition. There's a condition right here. 00:15:20.549 --> 00:15:26.330 Whose mind is stayed on thee. Stayed. That means 00:15:26.330 --> 00:15:29.970 fixed. Established. Leaning against. Anchored 00:15:29.970 --> 00:15:33.210 in. Okay? Are you listening? Do you know why 00:15:33.210 --> 00:15:38.019 that's important? Because our minds have a real 00:15:38.019 --> 00:15:46.879 bad habit of wandering. We replay conversations. 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:55.639 We imagine arguments. We rehearse tomorrow's 00:15:55.639 --> 00:15:57.639 disasters. You ever do that on the way to work? 00:16:04.809 --> 00:16:06.409 And Stephanie, your Bible can't be that far off 00:16:06.409 --> 00:16:09.889 of mine. It was written by the same God. Just 00:16:09.889 --> 00:16:14.590 in a different translation. We can still remember 00:16:14.590 --> 00:16:17.710 what somebody said in 1998. I know I can. I hate 00:16:17.710 --> 00:16:20.470 it about myself. I hate having an eidetic memory. 00:16:20.649 --> 00:16:22.950 I can remember the weirdest stuff forever. And 00:16:22.950 --> 00:16:27.350 I don't know why. We carry words that people 00:16:27.350 --> 00:16:35.940 spoke over us from 20 years ago. The enemy doesn't 00:16:35.940 --> 00:16:37.899 even have to tell you lies. Do you understand 00:16:37.899 --> 00:16:43.440 this? Sometimes he just hits replay. And before 00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:45.700 long, we're exhausted. We're stuck in Groundhog 00:16:45.700 --> 00:16:48.480 Day living the same thing over and over and over 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:51.460 again, and we're just exhausted. Not because 00:16:51.460 --> 00:16:53.340 we've been digging ditches, but because we're 00:16:53.340 --> 00:16:55.620 carrying things that God never asked us to carry. 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:04.900 I'm going to have to get me a Kleenex. One thing 00:17:04.900 --> 00:17:11.319 I've learned, the devil doesn't always need your 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:15.859 obedience. Sometimes he's just satisfied with 00:17:15.859 --> 00:17:20.019 a little bit of your attention. If he can keep 00:17:20.019 --> 00:17:22.819 you focused on fear, if he can keep your attention 00:17:22.819 --> 00:17:25.900 there, you'll miss God's promises every time. 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:32.059 If he can keep your attention on criticism, you'll 00:17:32.059 --> 00:17:37.470 forget you're calling. If he can keep your attention 00:17:37.470 --> 00:17:42.430 on one person's opinion, you'll stop listening 00:17:42.430 --> 00:17:49.990 for God's voice. How many of us have spent hours 00:17:49.990 --> 00:17:52.869 worrying about a conversation that lasted 30 00:17:52.869 --> 00:17:58.049 seconds? Some of y 'all have argued with somebody 00:17:58.049 --> 00:18:00.630 in the shower that wasn't even there. Or in the 00:18:00.630 --> 00:18:02.930 car, or in the bedroom, or out in the yard. Just 00:18:02.930 --> 00:18:08.039 arguing. And I would have told him. Don't look 00:18:08.039 --> 00:18:11.220 at your spouse right now. Don't do it. You know 00:18:11.220 --> 00:18:18.059 it's true. You've done it. We'll all rehearse 00:18:18.059 --> 00:18:21.740 what we should have said. We'll imagine what 00:18:21.740 --> 00:18:25.140 they're thinking about us. We'll replay every 00:18:25.140 --> 00:18:27.660 single facial expression, every single minute 00:18:27.660 --> 00:18:30.119 of it, every single outburst. And by bedtime, 00:18:30.339 --> 00:18:32.500 we have fought in an imaginary battle that has 00:18:32.500 --> 00:18:37.210 never happened. The enemy is... perfectly happy 00:18:37.210 --> 00:18:38.990 to let us just completely exhaust ourselves. 00:18:41.670 --> 00:18:44.650 Now, let's switch gears a little bit. Flip over 00:18:44.650 --> 00:18:46.950 to John chapter 15 with me. That's in the New 00:18:46.950 --> 00:18:56.170 Testament. John chapter 15. There's a fan behind 00:18:56.170 --> 00:18:57.609 me and it's making it hard to turn my pages. 00:19:00.430 --> 00:19:10.799 John 15. I'm going to pick up here in verse 18. 00:19:11.140 --> 00:19:13.039 Okay? John 15, 18. That's where we're going to 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:17.500 start. If you find the godless world is hating 00:19:17.500 --> 00:19:23.920 you, remember, it got to start hating me. If 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:25.680 you lived on the world's terms, the world would 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:29.920 love you as one of their own. But since I picked 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:33.259 you to live on God's terms and no longer on the 00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:36.640 world's terms, the world is going to hate you. 00:19:38.779 --> 00:19:44.680 When this happens, remember this. Servants don't 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:48.240 get better treatment than their masters. If they 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:50.460 beat on me, they will certainly beat on you. 00:19:51.559 --> 00:19:54.220 If they did what I told them, they will do what 00:19:54.220 --> 00:19:57.319 you tell them. They're going to do all these 00:19:57.319 --> 00:19:59.220 things to you because of the way they treated 00:19:59.220 --> 00:20:02.160 me. Because they don't know the one who sent 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:07.470 me. If I hadn't come and told them all this in 00:20:07.470 --> 00:20:12.210 plain language, it wouldn't be so bad. As it 00:20:12.210 --> 00:20:17.150 is, they have no excuse. Hate me. Hate my father. 00:20:18.269 --> 00:20:23.470 It's all the same. If I hadn't done what I have 00:20:23.470 --> 00:20:26.269 done among them, works no one has ever done, 00:20:26.549 --> 00:20:31.410 they wouldn't be to blame. But they saw the God 00:20:31.410 --> 00:20:34.549 signs and hated me anyway. Both me and my father. 00:20:36.829 --> 00:20:38.910 Interesting. They have verified the truth of 00:20:38.910 --> 00:20:40.410 their own scriptures where it is written they 00:20:40.410 --> 00:20:43.789 hated me for no good reason. When the friend 00:20:43.789 --> 00:20:46.670 I plan to send you from the Father comes, the 00:20:46.670 --> 00:20:48.670 spirit of truth issuing from the Father, he will 00:20:48.670 --> 00:20:51.849 confirm everything about me. You too, from your 00:20:51.849 --> 00:20:54.970 side, must give your confirmation and your confirming 00:20:54.970 --> 00:20:57.789 evidence since you are in this with me from the 00:20:57.789 --> 00:21:04.130 beginning. If you're following Jesus because 00:21:04.130 --> 00:21:06.849 you think everybody's going to applaud you, Jesus 00:21:06.849 --> 00:21:11.309 has some bad news here. In the King James Version, 00:21:11.470 --> 00:21:13.869 he says, If the world hate you, you know that 00:21:13.869 --> 00:21:19.609 it hated me before it hated you. Just let that 00:21:19.609 --> 00:21:27.970 settle a second. If they criticized Jesus, why 00:21:27.970 --> 00:21:35.690 are we surprised that they criticize us? Jesus 00:21:35.690 --> 00:21:38.450 healed blind people, fed hungry people, raised 00:21:38.450 --> 00:21:41.569 dead people, loved sinners, spoke truth, never 00:21:41.569 --> 00:21:47.470 sinned, not once. And they still nailed him to 00:21:47.470 --> 00:21:56.809 a cross. So maybe criticism isn't always evidence 00:21:56.809 --> 00:22:00.670 that you're doing something wrong. Sometimes 00:22:00.670 --> 00:22:02.549 it's evidence that you're following somebody 00:22:02.549 --> 00:22:08.619 that the world has always resisted. Think about 00:22:08.619 --> 00:22:13.059 the people that God used. I bet Noah looked real 00:22:13.059 --> 00:22:14.900 stupid building an ark before anybody had ever 00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:19.420 seen a flood. Abraham left everything he knew 00:22:19.420 --> 00:22:25.500 just because God said, go. Go now. Moses had 00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:28.299 people complain almost every single day for 40 00:22:28.299 --> 00:22:31.619 years in the wilderness. David was hunted by 00:22:31.619 --> 00:22:36.200 a king he had faithfully served. Jeremiah was 00:22:36.200 --> 00:22:39.779 mocked. Paul was beaten. The early church was 00:22:39.779 --> 00:22:48.859 scattered. And Jesus, Jesus was called a glutton 00:22:48.859 --> 00:22:55.319 by some, demon -possessed by others, and a blasphemer, 00:22:55.460 --> 00:23:04.599 a blasphemer by religious leaders. Faithfulness 00:23:04.599 --> 00:23:08.660 will not guarantee applause. Those things don't 00:23:08.660 --> 00:23:10.500 go together like hand and glove. Sometimes it 00:23:10.500 --> 00:23:16.220 guarantees opposition. And if you don't expect 00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:18.819 that, every criticism will make you wonder if 00:23:18.819 --> 00:23:24.640 you've missed God. Sometimes the criticism is 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:35.670 simply the cost of following God. Before we go 00:23:35.670 --> 00:23:37.569 any further tonight, I want to tell you something 00:23:37.569 --> 00:23:39.569 that the Lord has been reminding me of all day. 00:23:43.509 --> 00:23:48.170 The people who hurt us ain't always your enemy. 00:23:53.230 --> 00:23:55.309 Some of y 'all have spent years fighting people 00:23:55.309 --> 00:23:58.329 when all along there was another battle happening 00:23:58.329 --> 00:24:04.269 underneath it the whole time. Let's go to Ephesians 00:24:04.269 --> 00:24:07.069 6 real quick while I'm thinking about it. It's 00:24:07.069 --> 00:24:08.509 also in the New Testament. Just flip over to 00:24:08.509 --> 00:24:15.410 Ephesians. Let's look at Ephesians. I'm going 00:24:15.410 --> 00:24:17.829 to get into chapter 6, so we'll go over there. 00:24:17.890 --> 00:24:25.890 Last chapter of the book. Alright, if you're 00:24:25.890 --> 00:24:29.990 in Ephesians 6, let us begin. Children, do what 00:24:29.990 --> 00:24:33.750 your parents tell you. This is only right. Honor 00:24:33.750 --> 00:24:35.769 your father and mother is the first commandment 00:24:35.769 --> 00:24:38.710 that has a promise attached to it. Namely, so 00:24:38.710 --> 00:24:42.250 you will live well and have a long life. Fathers, 00:24:42.250 --> 00:24:44.210 don't frustrate your children with no -win scenarios. 00:24:44.450 --> 00:24:46.289 Take them by the hand and lead them in the way 00:24:46.289 --> 00:24:49.829 of the Master. Servants, respectfully obey your 00:24:49.829 --> 00:24:52.269 earthly masters, but always with an eye to obeying 00:24:52.269 --> 00:24:55.569 the real Master, Christ. Don't just do what you 00:24:55.569 --> 00:24:57.670 have to do to get by, but work heartily as Christ's 00:24:57.670 --> 00:25:01.059 servants doing what God wants you to do. And 00:25:01.059 --> 00:25:03.099 work with a smile on your face. Always keep it 00:25:03.099 --> 00:25:06.059 in mind that no matter who happens to be giving 00:25:06.059 --> 00:25:12.619 the orders, you're really serving God. Good work 00:25:12.619 --> 00:25:14.480 will get you good pay from the master regardless 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:16.380 of whether you are a slave or free. Masters, 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:20.400 it's the same with you. No abuse, please, and 00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:23.680 no threats. You and your servants are both under 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:26.000 the same master in heaven. He makes no distinction 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:34.309 between you and them. God is strong and he wants 00:25:34.309 --> 00:25:36.210 you strong. So take everything the master has 00:25:36.210 --> 00:25:38.029 set out for you. Well made weapons of the best 00:25:38.029 --> 00:25:39.910 materials and put them to you so you'll be able 00:25:39.910 --> 00:25:41.609 to stand up to everything the devil throws your 00:25:41.609 --> 00:25:45.009 way. This is no weekend war that we'll walk away 00:25:45.009 --> 00:25:46.690 from and forget about in a couple of hours. This 00:25:46.690 --> 00:25:50.750 is for keeps. A life or death fight to the finished 00:25:50.750 --> 00:25:55.970 against the devil and all of his angels. Be prepared. 00:25:57.250 --> 00:25:59.430 You're up against far more than you can handle 00:25:59.430 --> 00:26:02.579 on your own. Take all the help you can get. Every 00:26:02.579 --> 00:26:04.920 weapon God has issued so that when it's all over 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:06.599 but the shouting, you'll still be on your feet. 00:26:06.779 --> 00:26:11.019 Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation 00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:15.240 are more than words. Learn how to apply them. 00:26:16.180 --> 00:26:18.299 You'll need them throughout your life. God's 00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:21.460 word is an indispensable weapon. In the same 00:26:21.460 --> 00:26:23.539 way prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare, 00:26:23.740 --> 00:26:32.079 pray hard and long. Paul wrote this letter while 00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:34.460 he was imprisoned in Rome. We went over this 00:26:34.460 --> 00:26:38.880 a couple weeks ago in our Bible study. He's chained 00:26:38.880 --> 00:26:45.059 to a Roman guard. He has every single earthly 00:26:45.059 --> 00:26:50.420 reason to be bitter as a June apple. He could 00:26:50.420 --> 00:26:52.319 have spent chapter after chapter talking about 00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:54.579 the emperor and how mean he is and how he wants 00:26:54.579 --> 00:26:56.200 to get out of prison. He can't believe that this 00:26:56.200 --> 00:26:58.160 is happening to him and all the poor men and 00:26:58.160 --> 00:27:00.079 corrupt government and unfair treatment and all 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:03.319 the people who lied about it. Instead, Paul uses 00:27:03.319 --> 00:27:07.599 this moment, listen to what he says. For we wrestle 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:10.700 not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, 00:27:10.740 --> 00:27:12.779 against powers, against the rulers of the darkness 00:27:12.779 --> 00:27:15.079 of this world, against spiritual weakness in 00:27:15.079 --> 00:27:28.460 high places. This is no weekend war that we'll 00:27:28.460 --> 00:27:30.559 walk away from and forget about in a couple of 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:38.039 hours. This is for kings. Notice what Paul says. 00:27:38.180 --> 00:27:40.359 Before he tells us who we're fighting, he tells 00:27:40.359 --> 00:27:42.839 us what we're not fighting. We're not fighting 00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:45.579 flesh. We're not fighting blood. We're not fighting 00:27:45.579 --> 00:27:48.220 people. That difficult co -worker, that ain't 00:27:48.220 --> 00:27:50.880 your enemy. That family member who doesn't understand 00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:52.619 your relationship with God and wants to point 00:27:52.619 --> 00:27:56.140 it out to you all the time, not your enemy. The 00:27:56.140 --> 00:27:57.640 person gossiping about you down at the beauty 00:27:57.640 --> 00:28:01.420 shop, not your enemy. The stranger leaving ugly 00:28:01.420 --> 00:28:04.279 comments on your Facebook all the time, believe 00:28:04.279 --> 00:28:09.740 it or not, not your enemy. Now, that don't excuse 00:28:09.740 --> 00:28:12.319 sinful and terrible behavior. It doesn't. But 00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:15.480 people can absolutely choose to sin against us. 00:28:15.619 --> 00:28:20.140 That's a given. However, Satan loves it when 00:28:20.140 --> 00:28:25.769 we confuse the tool with the carpenter. He loves 00:28:25.769 --> 00:28:27.670 it when Christians spend all their time fighting 00:28:27.670 --> 00:28:33.230 among each other instead of resisting him. Can 00:28:33.230 --> 00:28:35.029 I tell you one of the oldest tricks in the book? 00:28:35.650 --> 00:28:39.670 Division. You can't do long division without 00:28:39.670 --> 00:28:41.829 a denominator. That's where I think we get denominations 00:28:41.829 --> 00:28:43.589 from. It's just a long division of the church. 00:28:44.750 --> 00:28:47.470 Division. If he can't destroy the body of Christ, 00:28:47.609 --> 00:28:51.930 he'll settle for distracting it. He'll whisper 00:28:51.930 --> 00:28:55.420 things like, they're all against you. You're 00:28:55.420 --> 00:28:58.140 gonna need to defend yourself. You better get 00:28:58.140 --> 00:29:01.759 even. You better make sure everybody knows you're 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:06.480 right. Before long, we've spent six months fighting 00:29:06.480 --> 00:29:10.359 somebody and haven't prayed in six days. The 00:29:10.359 --> 00:29:17.640 enemy is thrilled. Let me ask you a fun question. 00:29:17.799 --> 00:29:19.279 You ever have anybody stay at your house longer 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:23.299 than they were supposed to? Don't, you know. 00:29:23.850 --> 00:29:28.049 Don't point at anybody. Don't look at your mother 00:29:28.049 --> 00:29:29.509 -in -law. Don't look at your spouse. Don't do 00:29:29.509 --> 00:29:34.130 that. I've learned something wonderful over the 00:29:34.130 --> 00:29:37.529 years. Guests are amazing. I love having house 00:29:37.529 --> 00:29:39.269 guests. I love having people in this house. I 00:29:39.269 --> 00:29:41.529 love it bursting at the seams. And we can eat 00:29:41.529 --> 00:29:43.170 as a cheese ball and have a glass of sweet tea 00:29:43.170 --> 00:29:44.670 and sit on the porch and visit. I absolutely 00:29:44.670 --> 00:29:49.829 love it. Guests are wonderful. Until they start 00:29:49.829 --> 00:29:56.440 acting like they own the place. And that's kind 00:29:56.440 --> 00:29:58.279 of exactly what the enemy is doing with our minds. 00:29:58.339 --> 00:30:02.920 That thought comes in. A criticism. A fear. A 00:30:02.920 --> 00:30:08.980 memory. A lie. And instead of us showing it the 00:30:08.980 --> 00:30:10.799 door like we're supposed to, we'll make it coffee. 00:30:11.740 --> 00:30:15.500 We'll sit it down. We'll let it stay. We'll let 00:30:15.500 --> 00:30:18.259 that moment replay and replay and replay. And 00:30:18.259 --> 00:30:20.279 we decorate a room for it. We feed it every day. 00:30:20.799 --> 00:30:22.900 Until one day we wonder why we have no peace. 00:30:25.959 --> 00:30:34.359 porch. The devil is a terrible house guest. Stop 00:30:34.359 --> 00:30:39.440 letting him rent space in your head. Paul even 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:42.880 says in 2 Corinthians 10 5, casting down imaginations 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:44.819 and every high thing that exalted itself against 00:30:44.819 --> 00:30:46.960 the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity 00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:50.819 every thought to the obedience of Christ. Every 00:30:50.819 --> 00:30:55.309 thought, not some. Every. Paul doesn't say believe 00:30:55.309 --> 00:30:59.349 every thought. He says arrest it. Question it. 00:30:59.430 --> 00:31:01.910 Bring it before Jesus. Just because you think 00:31:01.910 --> 00:31:07.589 something don't mean it's true. Now let's look 00:31:07.589 --> 00:31:09.130 at one of my favorite stories in all of scripture 00:31:09.130 --> 00:31:10.549 real quick. I know we're jumping around. Just 00:31:10.549 --> 00:31:12.069 take notes. Okay, we're going to go to 1 Kings 00:31:12.069 --> 00:31:14.470 real quick. 1 Kings chapter 19 is one of my favorite 00:31:14.470 --> 00:31:17.750 stories in the entire Bible. And I have preached 00:31:17.750 --> 00:31:21.710 on it and talked about it and lived it a lot. 00:31:22.190 --> 00:31:25.720 There you are. 1 Kings was hiding. We're going 00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:28.299 to 1 Kings 19. And if you know where we are, 00:31:28.420 --> 00:31:30.180 then get comfortable because I love this story. 00:31:37.380 --> 00:31:43.539 In 1 Kings 19, it says, Ahab reported to Jezebel 00:31:43.539 --> 00:31:45.480 everything that Elijah had done. Remember, Elijah 00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:47.180 had just called down fire from heaven at Mount 00:31:47.180 --> 00:31:49.259 Carmel and proved to everybody else that his 00:31:49.259 --> 00:31:51.140 God was the real God. Our God is the real God 00:31:51.140 --> 00:31:56.049 and everybody else is just sitting ducks. So 00:31:56.049 --> 00:31:58.190 Ahab reported to Jezebel everything that Elijah 00:31:58.190 --> 00:32:00.309 had done, including the massacre of the prophets. 00:32:00.410 --> 00:32:02.230 Jezebel immediately sent a messenger to Elijah 00:32:02.230 --> 00:32:04.809 with her threat, The gods will get you for this, 00:32:04.849 --> 00:32:07.569 and I'll get even with you. By the time tomorrow, 00:32:07.710 --> 00:32:09.670 you'll be as dead as any one of those prophets. 00:32:10.769 --> 00:32:13.009 When Elijah saw how bad things were, he ran for 00:32:13.009 --> 00:32:15.369 dear life to Beersheba, far in the south of Judah. 00:32:15.509 --> 00:32:17.230 He left his young servant there and then went 00:32:17.230 --> 00:32:18.910 on into the desert for another day's journey. 00:32:19.390 --> 00:32:22.029 He came to a lone brim bush and collapsed in 00:32:22.029 --> 00:32:25.950 its shade, wanting in the worst way. To be done 00:32:25.950 --> 00:32:30.269 with it all and to just die. Enough of this, 00:32:30.269 --> 00:32:34.390 God. Take my life. I'm ready to join my ancestors 00:32:34.390 --> 00:32:39.829 in the grave. Elijah said. Exhausted, he fell 00:32:39.829 --> 00:32:41.990 asleep underneath a broom bush. And suddenly 00:32:41.990 --> 00:32:43.589 an angel shook him awake and said, Get up and 00:32:43.589 --> 00:32:46.769 eat! He looked around and to his surprise, right 00:32:46.769 --> 00:32:48.589 by his head was a loaf of bread baked on some 00:32:48.589 --> 00:32:50.950 coals and a jug of water. He ate and went back 00:32:50.950 --> 00:32:53.480 to sleep. An angel of God came back, shook him 00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:55.019 awake again and said, get up and eat some more 00:32:55.019 --> 00:32:56.460 because you've got a long trip ahead of you. 00:33:08.099 --> 00:33:10.500 So we know that Elijah was at Mount Carmel. Fire 00:33:10.500 --> 00:33:12.819 falls from heaven. The prophets of Baal are defeated. 00:33:13.460 --> 00:33:17.160 God is the one true God. It's one of the greatest 00:33:17.160 --> 00:33:19.500 miracles in the Old Testament, by the way. Tried 00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:22.309 to throw a split in the sand, build a boat. If 00:33:22.309 --> 00:33:24.470 anybody should have felt strong in that moment, 00:33:24.569 --> 00:33:28.750 it should have been Elijah. But here's something 00:33:28.750 --> 00:33:33.309 I've learned. Sometimes the greatest attacks 00:33:33.309 --> 00:33:41.170 come right after the greatest victories. I think 00:33:41.170 --> 00:33:42.890 you know what I mean. You've had an incredible 00:33:42.890 --> 00:33:46.349 week. You leave a revival. You finally beat that 00:33:46.349 --> 00:33:50.940 addiction. You see God answer a prayer. And then 00:33:50.940 --> 00:33:55.579 Monday shows up. And you're wondering if God 00:33:55.579 --> 00:34:00.220 even knows your name. That's Elijah. Jezebel 00:34:00.220 --> 00:34:03.720 sent one message. Just one. Basically, in essence, 00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:08.739 she said, you're next. The same prophet who stood 00:34:08.739 --> 00:34:10.960 fearless on Mount Carmel before hundreds of false 00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:13.960 prophets ran to the wilderness because of one 00:34:13.960 --> 00:34:18.809 threat. One sentence, one message, one voice. 00:34:19.070 --> 00:34:21.710 That's all it took for him to sit underneath 00:34:21.710 --> 00:34:24.369 a juniper tree, a broom bush, and say, it is 00:34:24.369 --> 00:34:28.750 enough now, oh Lord, take away my life. How many 00:34:28.750 --> 00:34:37.309 of you have said that to God? I have. I can't 00:34:37.309 --> 00:34:39.110 tell you the times that I've said, I've had enough. 00:34:39.849 --> 00:34:44.090 I just want to go home. I can't do it anymore. 00:34:44.230 --> 00:34:47.679 I can't do one more thing. So tired and I'm not 00:34:47.679 --> 00:34:56.820 getting anywhere. You didn't want to die. You 00:34:56.820 --> 00:34:58.420 just didn't know how to keep carrying everything. 00:35:05.500 --> 00:35:07.639 Some of y 'all came onto this porch not feeling 00:35:07.639 --> 00:35:15.409 just like Elijah. I do. You love Jesus. You follow 00:35:15.409 --> 00:35:23.369 God, but you're exhausted. You want to know what 00:35:23.369 --> 00:35:27.730 the cool part is? God doesn't show up with a 00:35:27.730 --> 00:35:32.010 point and wagon finger. What have you done? Don't 00:35:32.010 --> 00:35:42.829 do that. He sends an angel. He doesn't ask Elijah, 00:35:43.030 --> 00:35:46.050 why don't you have more faith? The angel says, 00:35:46.230 --> 00:35:52.389 get up and eat. Get up and eat. The first miracle 00:35:52.389 --> 00:35:59.610 wasn't a sermon. It was lunch. Then Elijah sleeps. 00:36:01.389 --> 00:36:04.389 Then he eats again. And then he rests again. 00:36:08.590 --> 00:36:10.289 I'll tell you something that's changed my life, 00:36:10.349 --> 00:36:14.519 friends. Sometimes what we call spiritual failure 00:36:14.519 --> 00:36:22.519 is just human exhaustion. Now, please don't misunderstand 00:36:22.519 --> 00:36:25.880 me. Sin is sin. Okay? I'm guilty of it. You're 00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:30.179 guilty of it. None of us are perfect. Far from 00:36:30.179 --> 00:36:32.079 it. We all sin and fall short of the glory of 00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:36.360 God. But not every weary heart is a rebellious 00:36:36.360 --> 00:36:42.800 heart. Sometimes you've just been carrying responsibilities 00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:47.380 that God never asked you to carry. Sometimes 00:36:47.380 --> 00:36:49.559 you're trying to fix people that only God can 00:36:49.559 --> 00:36:56.159 fix. Sometimes you're trying to earn approval 00:36:56.159 --> 00:37:02.860 that only God can give you. And you're worn plump. 00:37:05.900 --> 00:37:10.829 God knows the difference though. Did you know 00:37:10.829 --> 00:37:14.909 that? I have a bug in my bra. Sorry. God knows 00:37:14.909 --> 00:37:23.730 the difference. After Elijah rests for a little 00:37:23.730 --> 00:37:25.329 bit, moving on in here for a minute, I'm going 00:37:25.329 --> 00:37:27.710 to tell you what happens. God brings him to Mount 00:37:27.710 --> 00:37:30.750 Horeb. Do y 'all remember what happened at Mount 00:37:30.750 --> 00:37:37.829 Horeb? There was a mighty wind, but God wasn't 00:37:37.829 --> 00:37:41.030 in the wind. And then there was a big, huge earthquake. 00:37:42.449 --> 00:37:45.409 God wasn't in the earthquake. And then there 00:37:45.409 --> 00:37:50.789 was a fire. God wasn't in the fire. Then came 00:37:50.789 --> 00:37:59.530 a still, small voice. 1 Kings 19 .12, if you 00:37:59.530 --> 00:38:02.650 want to highlight that one, I recommend it. A 00:38:02.650 --> 00:38:13.960 still, small voice. A quiet whisper. The enemy 00:38:13.960 --> 00:38:24.219 usually shouts. God usually whispers. Fear screams. 00:38:26.440 --> 00:38:33.139 Grace speaks softly. Pride demands. Wisdom invites. 00:38:37.500 --> 00:38:42.349 That's why we have to get quiet. In order to 00:38:42.349 --> 00:38:47.030 hear him. Some of us have so much noise in our 00:38:47.030 --> 00:38:48.329 lives. That you can't even hear the shepherds 00:38:48.329 --> 00:38:51.510 voice anymore. Social media. News. Arguments. 00:38:52.349 --> 00:38:54.730 Podcasts. Notifications. Everybody's got an opinion. 00:38:55.750 --> 00:38:58.929 Everybody wants your attention. And somewhere. 00:38:59.130 --> 00:39:03.389 In all of that noise. God is still talking. Not 00:39:03.389 --> 00:39:07.750 because he's weak. Because he's inviting. He 00:39:07.750 --> 00:39:14.150 don't have to holler. One more little stop in 00:39:14.150 --> 00:39:18.449 Psalms on this section. In Psalms 42, I love 00:39:18.449 --> 00:39:23.630 this. In 42, 11, he says, Why art thou cast down, 00:39:23.690 --> 00:39:26.909 O my soul? Hope thou in God. David's talking 00:39:26.909 --> 00:39:29.909 to himself. David's preaching to himself in that 00:39:29.909 --> 00:39:31.710 moment in Psalms. Did you notice that? He starts 00:39:31.710 --> 00:39:34.849 talking to David. David is talking to David. 00:39:36.429 --> 00:39:38.670 Sometimes you have to preach to yourself before 00:39:38.670 --> 00:39:42.769 you can preach to anybody else. Sometimes you 00:39:42.769 --> 00:39:44.610 have to look in the mirror and you have to say, 00:39:44.670 --> 00:39:48.630 God is still in charge. He is still faithful. 00:39:50.269 --> 00:39:53.369 His promises haven't changed. My feelings are 00:39:53.369 --> 00:39:58.750 real, but they are not my master. You don't deny 00:39:58.750 --> 00:40:01.909 your emotions. You don't pretend they don't exist. 00:40:02.250 --> 00:40:04.050 That's called denial. It all bottles up and it 00:40:04.050 --> 00:40:05.590 comes out like a pressure cooker. It's terrible. 00:40:05.769 --> 00:40:08.519 You bring them to the foot. Of the cross. You 00:40:08.519 --> 00:40:10.900 bring them to the feet of Jesus. And let his 00:40:10.900 --> 00:40:16.960 truth speak louder. That's what David did. That's 00:40:16.960 --> 00:40:19.400 what Elijah did. That's what we're learning tonight. 00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:23.380 Because keeping your faith. Isn't pretending 00:40:23.380 --> 00:40:26.420 life don't hurt. It's choosing to believe. That 00:40:26.420 --> 00:40:41.230 God is still good. Even while it does. Last chapter. 00:40:41.389 --> 00:40:44.070 Let's go to this one. Let's go to Nehemiah. End 00:40:44.070 --> 00:40:48.570 on a good note. Let's go to Nehemiah. Ezra, Nehemiah. 00:40:48.829 --> 00:40:54.429 Okay. Had to sing. Sorry. Nehemiah. Chapter 6. 00:40:55.969 --> 00:40:58.130 I know you probably not even thought about Nehemiah 00:40:58.130 --> 00:40:59.889 in a while. It's not something that you hear 00:40:59.889 --> 00:41:02.650 often. There's some kids I know that are named 00:41:02.650 --> 00:41:06.130 Nehemiah. I think. Do I know any Nehemiahs? I 00:41:06.130 --> 00:41:11.010 knew a Jeremiah once. Anyway. Nehemiah chapter 00:41:11.010 --> 00:41:13.829 6. Get the picture real quick. Jerusalem's been 00:41:13.829 --> 00:41:17.349 destroyed. Walls are broken down. The gates have 00:41:17.349 --> 00:41:20.650 been burned by fire. For nearly a century, for 00:41:20.650 --> 00:41:22.710 a hundred years, God's people have looked over 00:41:22.710 --> 00:41:24.869 at those broken walls as a reminder of loss and 00:41:24.869 --> 00:41:28.789 defeat. And then God raises up a man named Nehemiah. 00:41:29.530 --> 00:41:31.210 Let's read about him real quick in chapter 6. 00:41:33.129 --> 00:41:35.710 When Sambalot, Tobiah, Geshem, the Arab, and 00:41:35.710 --> 00:41:37.449 the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt 00:41:37.449 --> 00:41:39.090 the wall and that there were no more breaks in 00:41:39.090 --> 00:41:40.949 it, even though I hadn't yet installed the gates, 00:41:41.130 --> 00:41:43.710 Sambalot and Geshem sent this message. Come and 00:41:43.710 --> 00:41:47.030 meet with us at Kephraim in the Valley of Ono. 00:41:48.630 --> 00:41:50.570 I knew they were scheming to hurt me, so I sent 00:41:50.570 --> 00:41:52.670 messengers back with this. I'm doing a great 00:41:52.670 --> 00:41:57.269 work. I can't come down. Why should the work 00:41:57.269 --> 00:41:59.170 come to a standstill just so I can come down 00:41:59.170 --> 00:42:02.820 to see you? Four times they sent this message 00:42:02.820 --> 00:42:04.820 and four times I gave them my answer. The fifth 00:42:04.820 --> 00:42:08.260 time, same messenger, same message. Sambalat 00:42:08.260 --> 00:42:10.440 sent an unsealed letter with this message. The 00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:12.420 word is out among the nations and Geshem says 00:42:12.420 --> 00:42:13.960 it's true that you and the Jews are planning 00:42:13.960 --> 00:42:16.099 to rebel. That's why you're rebuilding the wall. 00:42:16.940 --> 00:42:18.860 The word is that you want a king and that you 00:42:18.860 --> 00:42:20.559 have appointed prophets to announce in Jerusalem 00:42:20.559 --> 00:42:23.239 there's a king in Judah. The king is going to 00:42:23.239 --> 00:42:24.980 be told all this. Don't you think we should sit 00:42:24.980 --> 00:42:28.219 down and have a talk? I sent him back this. There's 00:42:28.219 --> 00:42:29.820 nothing to what you're saying. You've made it 00:42:29.820 --> 00:42:32.889 all up. They were trying to intimidate us into 00:42:32.889 --> 00:42:34.769 quitting. They thought they'll give up and they're 00:42:34.769 --> 00:42:37.969 never finishing. I prayed. Give me strength. 00:42:41.329 --> 00:42:44.949 God raises up Nehemiah. He's not a priest. He's 00:42:44.949 --> 00:42:47.769 not a prophet. He's not a king. He's a cupbearer. 00:42:52.170 --> 00:42:59.349 A regular man with an extraordinary burden. But 00:42:59.349 --> 00:43:02.619 isn't that just like God? He doesn't always call 00:43:02.619 --> 00:43:04.639 the people that everybody expects. Sometimes 00:43:04.639 --> 00:43:06.739 he puts a burden in the heart of an ordinary 00:43:06.739 --> 00:43:11.599 person and says, here, you build it. Now, here's 00:43:11.599 --> 00:43:15.039 what happens. I really love this. The minute 00:43:15.039 --> 00:43:17.980 that Nehemiah starts rebuilding the wall, the 00:43:17.980 --> 00:43:22.519 criticism starts. Have y 'all ever noticed that? 00:43:23.420 --> 00:43:24.940 Nobody ever wants to bother you while you're 00:43:24.940 --> 00:43:28.179 standing still. It's the moment you decide to 00:43:28.179 --> 00:43:30.440 obey God. That very moment, somebody suddenly 00:43:30.440 --> 00:43:34.800 has an opinion about it. Semblot and Tobiah laughed 00:43:34.800 --> 00:43:39.900 at him, mocked him, threatened him, spread rumors, 00:43:40.179 --> 00:43:42.539 questioned his motives. Does that sound really 00:43:42.539 --> 00:43:47.099 familiar to anybody else? Finally, they sent 00:43:47.099 --> 00:43:49.739 him word and they said, come down here. Let's 00:43:49.739 --> 00:43:53.380 have us a meeting. That sounds pretty reasonable 00:43:53.380 --> 00:43:56.389 of a request, actually. But Nehemiah knew that 00:43:56.389 --> 00:43:59.690 something was up. It wasn't a meeting. It was 00:43:59.690 --> 00:44:03.929 a distraction. And listen to his answer here 00:44:03.929 --> 00:44:08.110 in 6 -3. 6 -3 blows my mind right here. I am 00:44:08.110 --> 00:44:15.349 doing a great work. I cannot come down. Porch, 00:44:15.349 --> 00:44:18.010 that might be the most freeing sentence in the 00:44:18.010 --> 00:44:25.409 entire Bible. I can't come down. I don't have 00:44:25.409 --> 00:44:27.849 time to defend myself to everybody. I don't have 00:44:27.849 --> 00:44:30.190 time to address every rumor. I don't have time 00:44:30.190 --> 00:44:32.949 to chase every critic. God has called me to build. 00:44:34.369 --> 00:44:40.349 So I'm staying on the wall. And I'm going to 00:44:40.349 --> 00:44:44.170 tell you something. Some of us spend so much 00:44:44.170 --> 00:44:46.190 time defending our calling that we never get 00:44:46.190 --> 00:44:49.989 to fulfill it. If God called you to build your 00:44:49.989 --> 00:44:52.960 marriage, stay on the wall. If he called you 00:44:52.960 --> 00:44:56.599 to raise those babies, stay on the wall. If he 00:44:56.599 --> 00:44:58.800 called you to start this ministry, stay on the 00:44:58.800 --> 00:45:03.780 wall. If he called you to forgive, stay on the 00:45:03.780 --> 00:45:09.780 wall. If he called you to write that book, stay 00:45:09.780 --> 00:45:14.340 on the wall. Don't come down every time somebody 00:45:14.340 --> 00:45:17.130 whistles. Not every invitation deserves your 00:45:17.130 --> 00:45:19.570 attention. Not every criticism deserves your 00:45:19.570 --> 00:45:22.269 response. Not every battle deserves your energy. 00:45:26.110 --> 00:45:33.269 Think about Jesus. If anyone ever lived a perfect 00:45:33.269 --> 00:45:36.449 life, it was Jesus. It was Jesus. It says right 00:45:36.449 --> 00:45:38.389 here, He was blameless without sin. He was the 00:45:38.389 --> 00:45:40.690 perfect Son of God, God incarnate. He had no 00:45:40.690 --> 00:45:44.920 sin. Yet they still accused him of breaking the 00:45:44.920 --> 00:45:49.500 Sabbath. Eating with sinners. Having a demon. 00:45:50.579 --> 00:45:56.019 Being a blasphemer. Can you imagine criticizing 00:45:56.019 --> 00:46:05.079 the Son of God? And they did. And here's something 00:46:05.079 --> 00:46:08.019 I noticed years ago. Jesus answered sincere questions. 00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:13.260 But he wasn't foolish. He did not entertain a 00:46:13.260 --> 00:46:16.019 fool. He rarely chased cynical arguments. Sometimes 00:46:16.019 --> 00:46:19.599 he answered, sometimes he stayed quiet. When 00:46:19.599 --> 00:46:21.539 he stood before Herod, the Bible said he answered 00:46:21.539 --> 00:46:26.280 him nothing. Can I tell y 'all why that's important? 00:46:27.260 --> 00:46:29.119 Because some conversations aren't looking for 00:46:29.119 --> 00:46:33.960 truth. They're looking for reaction. The enemy 00:46:33.960 --> 00:46:38.019 loves to bait us, get us angry, get us defensive. 00:46:39.119 --> 00:46:41.780 Get us explaining ourselves over and over and 00:46:41.780 --> 00:46:43.719 over and over and over again. And meanwhile, 00:46:43.800 --> 00:46:46.460 our joy disappears. Our peace evaporates. And 00:46:46.460 --> 00:46:52.039 everything suffers. Our witness suffers. And 00:46:52.039 --> 00:46:55.980 Proverbs tells us, a soft answer turneth away 00:46:55.980 --> 00:47:00.679 wrath. I have the hardest time with that. I am 00:47:00.679 --> 00:47:03.579 as sharp -tongued as my mother is, and I know 00:47:03.579 --> 00:47:05.900 that I can slice somebody to the bone just by 00:47:05.900 --> 00:47:07.679 looking at them wrong and saying something that's 00:47:07.679 --> 00:47:10.179 kind of off -kilter. I have to remember that. 00:47:10.239 --> 00:47:11.980 I have to be like David and preach to myself, 00:47:12.139 --> 00:47:14.780 Oh, so why are they weary trusting God? A soft 00:47:14.780 --> 00:47:19.920 answer turneth away wrath. Sometimes the strongest 00:47:19.920 --> 00:47:25.280 thing that you can say is nothing. My very best 00:47:25.280 --> 00:47:26.619 friend in the whole wide world, Gretchen Wilson, 00:47:26.719 --> 00:47:30.269 said, No is an answer and silence is an answer. 00:47:30.849 --> 00:47:32.449 She said, you don't have to explain anything 00:47:32.449 --> 00:47:43.489 to anybody. She's right. So, so whose report 00:47:43.489 --> 00:47:48.230 do you believe? Okay, like in Numbers 13. 12 00:47:48.230 --> 00:47:53.099 spies. Ten were bad and two were good. You remember 00:47:53.099 --> 00:47:55.500 this from BBS, right? Twelve spies, same land, 00:47:55.579 --> 00:47:58.260 same grapes, same giants. Let's talk about that 00:47:58.260 --> 00:48:00.780 in other words. Giants. Yeah, they showed back 00:48:00.780 --> 00:48:05.579 up. So, ten came in saying, we can't do it. We 00:48:05.579 --> 00:48:08.719 can't do it. We can't do it. There's no way we 00:48:08.719 --> 00:48:15.500 can do it. Two came back and said, God can. The 00:48:15.500 --> 00:48:18.579 circumstances were identical. The report was 00:48:18.579 --> 00:48:25.389 different. Whose report are you believing? The 00:48:25.389 --> 00:48:31.829 ten or the two? Are you believing the report 00:48:31.829 --> 00:48:38.150 of the past? The report of fear? The report of 00:48:38.150 --> 00:48:40.510 people who only remember who you used to be? 00:48:42.130 --> 00:48:45.349 Are you trusting in the report of the Lord? Because 00:48:45.349 --> 00:48:47.730 whichever you believe will determine how you 00:48:47.730 --> 00:49:03.420 live. Today reminded me of something. No matter 00:49:03.420 --> 00:49:06.800 how old we get, there's still a little kid that 00:49:06.800 --> 00:49:08.699 wants her mom and dad to say, I'm really proud 00:49:08.699 --> 00:49:17.800 of you. And we never outgrow that. And when we 00:49:17.800 --> 00:49:24.019 don't hear it, it hurts. But here's what God's 00:49:24.019 --> 00:49:29.630 teaching me. People are wonderful gifts, but 00:49:29.630 --> 00:49:37.449 they make terrible gods. If my peace depends 00:49:37.449 --> 00:49:39.829 on everybody agreeing with me and placating me, 00:49:39.929 --> 00:49:46.130 then I'll never know peace. My dad kept saying 00:49:46.130 --> 00:49:47.989 that this week. Y 'all are messing up my peace. 00:49:48.130 --> 00:49:50.349 And I'm like, I don't think you're understanding 00:49:50.349 --> 00:49:53.429 what you're doing. You can't demand peace by 00:49:53.429 --> 00:49:58.460 causing war on everybody else. You can't. It's 00:49:58.460 --> 00:50:05.199 contradiction in terms. If my joy depends on 00:50:05.199 --> 00:50:08.099 everybody applauding me, I'm never going to know 00:50:08.099 --> 00:50:12.579 joy. If my confidence depends on everybody understanding 00:50:12.579 --> 00:50:14.579 God's work in my life and His mission for me 00:50:14.579 --> 00:50:16.659 and what I'm doing to serve His kingdom, I'll 00:50:16.659 --> 00:50:18.639 spend my whole life chasing something that I'm 00:50:18.639 --> 00:50:22.119 never going to be able to catch. So today I made 00:50:22.119 --> 00:50:26.900 a decision. I'm going to keep loving. I'm going 00:50:26.900 --> 00:50:29.280 to keep honoring. I'm going to keep reading and 00:50:29.280 --> 00:50:35.360 sharing and trying to get to you. Maybe you don't 00:50:35.360 --> 00:50:40.519 know him like I do. I want you to. I'm going 00:50:40.519 --> 00:50:43.659 to keep praying. And I'm going to keep following 00:50:43.659 --> 00:50:47.619 Jesus. Because one night, I'm not going to have 00:50:47.619 --> 00:50:51.139 to stand before Facebook. I'm not going to have 00:50:51.139 --> 00:50:53.019 to stand before critics. I'm not going to have 00:50:53.019 --> 00:50:57.739 to stand before my family. I'm going to have 00:50:57.739 --> 00:51:03.099 to stand before Christ. And that's the opinion 00:51:03.099 --> 00:51:11.219 that matters the most to me. Oh, Lord. Hang on. 00:51:11.260 --> 00:51:16.500 I got to get a Kleenex. Do I not have a box of 00:51:16.500 --> 00:51:19.460 Kleenex on this porch no more? Oh, sir, Ben. 00:51:21.099 --> 00:51:23.539 Ricky mistake. I must have used them all the 00:51:23.539 --> 00:51:25.519 other day. It's okay. I have some over here. 00:51:26.469 --> 00:51:28.150 Oh, that's what I get for getting tender -hearted. 00:51:34.449 --> 00:51:37.869 Sorry, I had to use a tea towel. Alright, anyway, 00:51:38.050 --> 00:51:44.889 sorry. Let's go to Philippians for just a second. 00:51:45.389 --> 00:51:55.050 It's one of the epistles. Philippians 4. I know 00:51:55.050 --> 00:51:56.489 we've been all over the place tonight, but there's 00:51:56.489 --> 00:52:06.710 a reason for it. Now, in Philippians 4, Paul's 00:52:06.710 --> 00:52:08.469 still in prison. He's writing these from prison. 00:52:08.610 --> 00:52:11.090 He's not on vacation at a beach or in a cabin 00:52:11.090 --> 00:52:13.809 in the mountains. He's in prison, chained to 00:52:13.809 --> 00:52:17.650 a Roman guard, dungeons, chains, terrible. He's 00:52:17.650 --> 00:52:21.500 still in prison. So, but in Philippians... 4, 00:52:21.559 --> 00:52:26.559 6, and 7. He says, don't fret or worry. Instead 00:52:26.559 --> 00:52:30.179 of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises 00:52:30.179 --> 00:52:31.980 shape your worries into prayers, letting God 00:52:31.980 --> 00:52:34.039 know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense 00:52:34.039 --> 00:52:36.340 of God's wholeness and everything coming together 00:52:36.340 --> 00:52:39.139 for good will come and settle you down. It's 00:52:39.139 --> 00:52:41.139 wonderful what happens when Christ displaces 00:52:41.139 --> 00:52:45.199 worry at the center of your life. In the King 00:52:45.199 --> 00:52:47.280 James Version it says, Be careful for nothing, 00:52:47.539 --> 00:52:49.659 but in everything by prayer and supplication 00:52:49.659 --> 00:52:51.360 with thanksgiving let your requests be made known 00:52:51.360 --> 00:52:55.320 unto God. And the peace of God which passeth 00:52:55.320 --> 00:52:59.300 all understanding shall keep your hearts and 00:52:59.300 --> 00:53:03.360 minds through Jesus Christ. That word keep is 00:53:03.360 --> 00:53:11.119 a military word. It means to stand guard. I want 00:53:11.119 --> 00:53:14.880 you to picture a soldier at the gate. Paul said 00:53:14.880 --> 00:53:17.300 that when we bring everything to God, His peace 00:53:17.300 --> 00:53:21.800 stands guard over our hearts and minds. The enemy 00:53:21.800 --> 00:53:24.940 may knock. Fear may knock. Discouragement may 00:53:24.940 --> 00:53:28.059 knock. Criticism may knock. But God's peace says, 00:53:28.179 --> 00:53:34.340 not today. No one's home. We're hiding in the 00:53:34.340 --> 00:53:56.530 bathtub. Don't fret. Pray about everything. Before 00:53:56.530 --> 00:53:59.929 you know it, a sense of God's wholeness and everything 00:53:59.929 --> 00:54:03.150 coming together for good will come and settle 00:54:03.150 --> 00:54:11.329 you down. So tonight, maybe you're exhausted. 00:54:14.349 --> 00:54:16.190 Maybe you're carrying words that somebody spoke 00:54:16.190 --> 00:54:21.130 over you years ago. Maybe you're trying to earn 00:54:21.130 --> 00:54:23.530 love that God has already freely given to you. 00:54:24.889 --> 00:54:28.190 You don't have to earn it. You just have to accept 00:54:28.190 --> 00:54:35.710 it. Maybe you've been fighting people when the 00:54:35.710 --> 00:54:40.030 real battle is in your mind. I think we're losing 00:54:40.030 --> 00:54:41.809 a lot of the battle out there because we can't 00:54:41.809 --> 00:54:49.019 win the one right here. Tonight, lay it down. 00:54:52.760 --> 00:54:55.980 Leave it at the foot of the cross. Leave it at 00:54:55.980 --> 00:55:04.659 the feet of Jesus. Because that's the only answer. 00:55:05.719 --> 00:55:08.079 And don't lay it down at Jesus' feet because 00:55:08.079 --> 00:55:11.920 tomorrow will suddenly become easy. No, because 00:55:11.920 --> 00:55:15.590 you're never meant to carry that alone. Jesus 00:55:15.590 --> 00:55:19.510 said in Matthew 11, 28, Come unto me, all ye 00:55:19.510 --> 00:55:22.409 that labor and that are heavy laden, and I will 00:55:22.409 --> 00:55:29.309 give you rest. Notice he doesn't say, I'll give 00:55:29.309 --> 00:55:32.389 you explanations. He says, I'll give you rest. 00:55:36.170 --> 00:55:38.769 Some of us don't need another argument. We need 00:55:38.769 --> 00:55:42.929 rest. We don't need another debate. We need Jesus. 00:55:51.369 --> 00:56:00.329 Let's pray. Father, some of us came onto this 00:56:00.329 --> 00:56:03.349 porch tonight smiling on the outside and falling 00:56:03.349 --> 00:56:10.949 apart on the inside. Thank you for reminding 00:56:10.949 --> 00:56:13.130 us that you are not intimidated by our tears 00:56:13.130 --> 00:56:17.329 and that you still speak in a still, small, quiet 00:56:17.329 --> 00:56:22.840 voice. Teach us to recognize your voice above 00:56:22.840 --> 00:56:26.019 all others. Help us love people without letting 00:56:26.019 --> 00:56:30.119 fear rule. Help us honor those who have shaped 00:56:30.119 --> 00:56:34.599 our lives even when we don't agree. Give us the 00:56:34.599 --> 00:56:39.219 wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent, 00:56:39.340 --> 00:56:45.619 Lord. Give us courage to stay on the wall that 00:56:45.619 --> 00:56:50.579 you've called us to build. And when we grow weary, 00:56:50.699 --> 00:56:53.400 please remind us that your grace is still sufficient. 00:56:55.280 --> 00:56:57.980 We ask all this in the precious name of Jesus. 00:56:59.639 --> 00:57:14.960 Amen. Porch. If nobody has told you today that 00:57:14.960 --> 00:57:25.010 you are loved, If nobody believes in what God 00:57:25.010 --> 00:57:29.090 is doing in your life, God still does. Stay on 00:57:29.090 --> 00:57:35.170 the wall. Keep your Bible open and your eyes 00:57:35.170 --> 00:57:38.690 on Jesus. And don't let the enemy rent any more 00:57:38.690 --> 00:57:44.070 space in your head. Don't come down from the 00:57:44.070 --> 00:57:49.989 work that God has given you. And remember, the 00:57:49.989 --> 00:57:52.610 loudest voice in your life should always be, 00:57:53.289 --> 00:58:00.250 The voice of the shepherd. Okay. Stay on the 00:58:00.250 --> 00:58:07.369 walk. I want to thank you for coming to the porch 00:58:07.369 --> 00:58:11.650 tonight. Sometimes my Bible studies talk more 00:58:11.650 --> 00:58:13.429 to me than they do to you. But I think that's 00:58:13.429 --> 00:58:16.809 why God puts them on my heart. Because he knew 00:58:16.809 --> 00:58:23.239 what kind of week I was having. I sure wish I 00:58:23.239 --> 00:58:28.579 tried as hard for God as I do my earthly day. 00:58:29.239 --> 00:58:35.659 And I'm working on that. I have to stay on the 00:58:35.659 --> 00:58:39.239 wall. I am doing busy, important work and I cannot 00:58:39.239 --> 00:58:47.260 come down. So I'm going to keep building. And 00:58:47.260 --> 00:58:49.409 I'm going to keep reading. And I'm going to keep 00:58:49.409 --> 00:58:51.090 studying the Word of God. And I'm going to keep 00:58:51.090 --> 00:58:54.949 telling other people about it. So I'm really, 00:58:55.010 --> 00:58:58.550 really glad that you were here for it. And maybe 00:58:58.550 --> 00:59:01.309 you heard something you never thought about before. 00:59:01.409 --> 00:59:03.050 Maybe it's making you open your Bible and going, 00:59:03.090 --> 00:59:05.289 what does that say? Or maybe it's making you 00:59:05.289 --> 00:59:07.030 talk to God and going, I didn't know that about 00:59:07.030 --> 00:59:08.849 Elijah. Or I didn't know that about Nehemiah. 00:59:08.889 --> 00:59:10.489 Or I didn't know that about Matthew. Or I didn't 00:59:10.489 --> 00:59:14.449 know that about David. Just saying a pulpit. 00:59:16.170 --> 00:59:18.170 And if most of you spent more time worried about 00:59:18.170 --> 00:59:19.929 the evil in the world than the women behind the 00:59:19.929 --> 00:59:21.690 pulpit, we wouldn't be in the shape that we're 00:59:21.690 --> 00:59:27.929 in. It says in the end times, your sons and daughters 00:59:27.929 --> 00:59:36.570 will prophesy. And your daughters. Just because 00:59:36.570 --> 00:59:39.130 the men that are running the church don't agree 00:59:39.130 --> 00:59:41.110 with you, doesn't give them authority over God. 00:59:41.630 --> 00:59:43.869 If God put it in your heart to share His Word, 00:59:43.989 --> 00:59:46.510 then share His Word. If God put it in your heart 00:59:46.510 --> 00:59:48.690 to minister to the homeless, then minister to 00:59:48.690 --> 00:59:50.269 the homeless. If God's put it in your heart to 00:59:50.269 --> 00:59:53.269 be nice to that B -I -T -C -H that steals your 00:59:53.269 --> 00:59:56.869 parking space every day, do it. Stay on the wall. 00:59:59.150 --> 01:00:07.369 And I'll see you when we get there. In Christ 01:00:07.369 --> 01:00:14.570 alone, my hope is filled. So keep your Bibles 01:00:14.570 --> 01:00:18.269 open and your powder dry and your head on the 01:00:18.269 --> 01:00:21.190 swivel because we are not fighting flesh and 01:00:21.190 --> 01:00:25.889 blood. Be nice to old people, animals, and children. 01:00:26.550 --> 01:00:28.650 Try to love your neighbor and give it all to 01:00:28.650 --> 01:00:34.369 God. And remember, friends, I'm Sarah Beth Terry 01:00:34.369 --> 01:00:36.909 and you're not. Good night.