["Pomp and Circumstance"]
We'll go to the anymore Baptist Church.
Please find our seats and open up our song.
Our song goes to song number 39.
We'll begin our morning service by singing the song number 39.
How beautiful heaven must be, that song number 39.
["How Beautiful Heaven Must Be"]
On the right-hand side, we are doing our first annual, perhaps annual, I don't know, Eastside Blitz.
So, basically, this is kind of our version of small-town Solanee because the way Tucson is laid out, trying to go over to the east side,
it's like traveling to another city, practically, because you have to go all the stop-and-go traffic, right?
So it's about a half-hour drive.
So we decided, you know, we're going to go off our map because our map does not encompass all of Tucson there.
There's a very large portion of it, but there's quite a bit to the east of us that is not on our map.
So we're going to go out there during these cooler months and knock some of those doors.
And so you've got an itinerary there, the two dates that are coming up this Saturday, as well as in two weeks from this Saturday.
But just a reminder, you know, we're going to meet at the building, so we're hoping to leave at 930.
So be here before 930 so we can get out there on time.
And we'll have some coffee and donuts ready for you, and then also we'll provide lunch.
We're out there, we found a really good spot over on the east side, so Tucson truly is a gastronomical city.
That's an actual term, you can look it up.
All right, so that's one of their claims, and the longer I'm here, the more I find that to be true.
So Italian-style sausages, you know, Chicago-style hot dogs with real Vienna sausages.
We're talking about no nitrates, no hormones, it's the good stuff.
Formerly known as Luke's, okay, if anyone knows Luke's, the guy bought Luke's from the owner, and he went back to the original recipe.
And so I'm trying to sell it, right, that's what I'm trying to do here, and I know this is a Baptist church,
the best way to do that is just like hit the food.
Donuts, Chicago-style hot dogs, I don't know what more it's going to take.
You're like dinner, okay, so we'll see, we'll see how long the day goes.
But I promise you lunch, and I promise you some donuts if you need it.
But just a couple hours this morning, in the morning, and in the afternoon, if you can only make it to one of them, you know, that's fine.
You can't just make it only to lunch, though, all right?
I mean, you can come to lunch, it's just I'm not going to buy your lunch, but if you're going to do one of the sessions, I'll buy your lunch.
But we'll have the van ready to go, and there is an updated sign-up sheet back there,
I transferred some of the names over, but if you're planning to attend, if you could sign up,
just so I kind of have an idea how many people to expect, that'd be great.
Also, below that, we have the children's and teens' weekly Bible memory passage.
So last week was the six days of creation.
How many of the kids are going to do this? How many young people have got that?
Okay, great, so the cookies are back there.
I'm going to keep the reward this week at the three-cookie minimum.
So, you know, this is just kind of a, I'm throwing you a bone on this one, kids.
So Genesis 3.15, we're going to kind of work our way through the book,
but you've got a famous verse there referring to, of course, God's curse upon the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
So memorize that, that's a very doctrinal verse, great verse to have memorized as a young person or an adult.
It's just that kids get cookies, all right?
You guys know the rules, these have to be recited word perfect to a non-relative.
On the back, continue to pray for the expectant ladies in our church.
Obviously, these are mainly all actually Tempe members,
so I'm sure that they would appreciate your prayers so that they have a safe, healthy pregnancy and delivery.
Also, some Tempe events listed below that.
There is a men's preaching class up there every Tuesday.
It might not be the most convenient thing for people down here,
but if there are any men who, I think they're keeping it to five, is that right? Five?
So, you know, I don't know what else to tell you.
If you want an opportunity there, it's there though.
Also, small town soul winning.
If I'm going to be able to participate in this from our end and meet folks halfway,
but if there's anyone in the church that I just, I can't commit personally at this point,
but I should know by next Sunday.
Let's just go ahead and sing one more song before we get into preaching this morning.
I am a soldier from the cross of all the world.
So I think that's what it means there.
That's the reason, that's the cause for the fact that they could not even have time to eat bread.
They were just so busy with the work that they had to do.
You know, the disciples are probably trying to help, you know, maintain some kind of order.
Who's next in line to see Jesus? Who's going to get healed next?
And so that's kind of setting the scene here.
And then it says in verse 21, you know, this is what's going on.
And when his friends heard of it, when they heard of what?
This great throng that's taking place.
The fact that he's just working so much that he doesn't even have time to put food in his own mouth.
Like he's just working himself so hard, helping other people, and his friends hear of it.
And it says that they went out to lay hold on him.
And lay holding, like literally going out to grab him and try to, you know, stop him from doing what he's doing.
You say, well, why would they do that?
Well, it tells us.
For they said he is beside himself.
Right, they're saying he's, he doesn't know what he's doing.
Now, there's so much here, even just when I was reviewing this as the scripture is being read.
You know, we could go other directions with this chapter.
Just these verse right here, verse 21.
First thing I'd point out is it says that when his friends, you know, Jesus has friends.
And Jesus is God.
You know, it's a great thing to be the friend of God.
You know, many men of God throughout the scripture were called the friend of God.
Even Jesus' disciples, you know, John leaned upon his breast.
He was kind of that, probably it appears anyway to be the closest of the disciples.
You had the 12, you had the 3, and then you had John.
Right?
So that's, you know, that's not the direction I'm going, but I'll point it out.
Because it's, you know, we're kind of going verse by verse, right?
Jesus has friends.
You know, it'd be a great thing to be known as somebody who's not just an acquaintance of God, not just familiar with God, but somebody who's actually a friend of God.
Okay?
But his friends here, and it's interesting that it's his friends that say this, they went out to lay hold on him.
It's his friends that are trying to stop him, and they said, he is beside himself.
So you say, what's motivating them?
Well, they have this opinion about him, they're seeing what he's doing, and they're reacting to it.
Right?
Now you say, what does it mean to be beside himself?
Okay?
Well, this is just kind of an old phrase.
I don't know that we really necessarily use it much today.
I've never been accused of this, but maybe that's because I've never been beside myself.
I don't know.
But it basically means to be in a state of extreme excitement, to be distraught, frantic, agitated,
hysterical, scared, worried.
So those are definitely things I felt, but I think it's talking about in an extreme way.
Right?
We're extremely scared and worried.
I don't know that that's necessarily how the scripture is using it.
Certainly not in this case.
I don't think Jesus was distraught or frantic or agitated or hysterical.
I'm not saying that.
But that is what it means.
And basically what it's saying there, that definition, what it gives us is the idea of being out of your mind.
Like that's probably the phrase we would use today.
Instead of saying, hey, so and so is beside themselves.
We'd say, so and so is out of their mind.
Right?
They're beside themselves.
They've come out of their own mind.
They've, you know, obviously there's a lot of other phrases we could use.
You know, the cheese done slipped out their sandwich.
He's one fry short of a happy meal.
You know, we could say these other things.
You know, but it all kind of means the same thing.
Like they've lost their mind.
They're crazy.
They're out of control.
Right?
That's the kind of thing that they're saying here.
They're saying he's beside himself.
He's out of control.
He doesn't know what he's doing.
He's out of his mind.
And if you would, go over to Acts chapter number 26.
Acts chapter number 26.
This will help us give us, this will help give us an idea of what it means to be beside himself.
Right?
To be out of your mind.
Another way the Bible uses this phrase or describes this state of being rather,
beside you being out of, beside himself, would be say that they're mad.
Right?
So today when we say someone's mad, we mean angry.
Right?
They're upset.
They're aggressive maybe.
But in the Bible, the word, you know, anger is described with the word angry.
Right?
In other words.
But in the Bible, you know, mad means to be out of your mind, to be beside yourself,
to have, to be in this similar condition that Jesus' friends are accusing him of being in.
Okay?
If you look there in verse 24, it says,
And as he does spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself.
So there's that same phrase.
Right?
Thou art beside thyself.
Much learning doth make thee mad.
So you can see how he's using these two phrases to describe how he perceives Paul.
Right?
That he's beside himself and that he's mad.
He's crazy is what he's saying.
But he, Paul, verse 25, said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the
words of truth and of soberness.
Right?
This gives us a good idea of what sober means in the Bible.
Obviously, today, we use that word to mean, you know, to be free of drugs and alcohol.
And that is a good definition.
That's something that the Bible certainly uses it that way.
But another way in which the Bible uses that word is to be serious.
You know, to have gravity is another way it puts it.
So to be sober-minded.
As Paul told Titus to instruct the younger men to be sober-minded.
Right?
I mean to be serious.
Not to just be free of drugs and alcohol, but to be serious.
Right?
And that's probably why we use that word sober.
Right?
Because if you're taking drugs and alcohol, you're out of your mind.
You are beside yourself.
You do things that no sober-minded or serious individual or any sane person would do.
Often.
You know, people do the wildest, craziest things when they're not sober.
Okay?
So you can see how that, you know, we're getting good definition of terms this morning.
How we can start to understand how the Bible uses these words.
When they're saying he's beside himself, they're saying he's mad.
When they're saying he's mad, they're saying he's out of his mind.
He's not sober.
Okay?
To be sober-minded is to not be, you know, beside yourself to not be mad.
Now, this is something that his friends are saying about him.
And if you want to go back to Mark chapter number one.
We're going to look real quickly at Mark chapter number one as we move into the next point here.
But I'll point out again, it was his friends that said this.
Jesus' friends heard about the...
You know, they're hearing of it specifically, and they've probably heard some other things.
Because Jesus has been doing a lot.
Okay?
And if you've noticed, we're only three chapters in.
We're not even through the third chapter, and Jesus has accomplished much.
And that's kind of the theme of the book of Mark.
It's just, Jesus is doing, it's just work after work after work.
If you've ever tried to summarize chapters of the Bible to just kind of get a, you know, a synopsis of Scripture.
You know, just chapter by chapter.
What's each chapter about?
Just a very brief description.
The book of Mark is kind of a hard one to do.
In fact, most of the Gospels are, but the book of Mark in particular.
Because each chapter has so many things in it.
You know, there's so many events that are taking place.
Because that's kind of the theme of the book of Mark.
Okay?
It's just work, work, work.
Jesus is just constantly going from one town to the village, from one healing to the next.
Obviously, there's exposition.
There's Jesus, you know, preaching and teaching.
There's statements that he's making.
Chapter two had a lot of that.
But, you know, the bulk of the book of Mark is telling us the things that Jesus did.
Okay?
Now, obviously, that's the case with all Gospels.
But the book of Mark in particular seems to emphasize that.
So that's why his friends are saying this.
He's like, man, he's being thronged again.
You know, he just healed that guy at the palsy.
Now he's at it again.
You know, he's in another house.
He's being thronged again.
He's not even eating.
He's beside himself.
All he's doing is working.
Right?
And again, I'll emphasize the fact that it's his friends that said that.
And it's interesting because in John 10, we hear the same accusation,
except it's not coming from friends.
It's coming from enemies.
Okay?
I'll just read to you from John 10.
It says in verse 19,
There was a division, therefore, among the Jews for these sayings.
And many of them said, He hath a devil and is mad.
Why hear ye him?
So his friends, you know, they might not be putting it quite as harshly as saying,
He hath a devil and is mad.
But they're basically saying the same thing that Jesus' enemies were accusing him of.
Obviously, the enemies were taken to kind of another level by insinuating that he had the devil.
Right?
Which is also what's taking place in Mark 3.
When it says friends making this accusation, they're just saying, you know, he's beside himself.
It's coming from a place of concern.
It's not really an accusation that they're making.
Okay?
And you can kind of understand where they're coming from.
But, you know, another point we can make here is that, you know, if we're going to be friends with somebody,
let's not make the same statements as our enemies.
You know, a real friend isn't going to, like, accuse you of things that your enemies do.
You know, a real friend isn't going to, you know, rub shoulders with your enemy.
Okay?
That's not, you know, that's a whole sermon right there in and of itself.
Okay?
That's not the thrust of the sermon, but I thought it was interesting and worth pointing out.
That you had the same accusation being made both by friends and enemies.
Obviously, the enemies, it's kind of to a greater degree.
From the friends, it's coming from a place of concern.
But, you know, it's kind of the same things being said, which is, you know, not really what we want to do as friends.
Anyway, let's move on here.
His friends here, they heard of it.
They heard of his fame.
They heard of his constant work.
He can't even eat.
He's being throngged.
And again, Mark is just a record of Jesus' works.
I mean, let's just briefly go through Mark chapter 1 and look at some of this.
It's kind of the opening theme, right?
Jesus goes and he gets baptized in the wilderness, and in verse 12,
And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
Into the wilderness, right?
It's not like he had time to kind of sit down and plan everything out and had all the strategy.
It was just immediately he's driven in the wilderness and goes through one of his, at the beginning of his ministry, really,
is going through one of the greatest temptations, right?
Maybe paralleled or challenged only by, you know, later, at the end of his ministry,
before he's crucified in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he begins to be heavy and sorrowful of spirit, right?
And we actually praise that this cup would pass from him.
You can kind of see how his ministry is bookended by these great temptations that he goes through.
And this is the beginning of his ministry.
He gets baptized, he shows himself unto the world, John the Baptist declares him to be the Son of God,
and then he's immediately tempted, 40 days, 40 nights, being hungered in the wilderness, okay?
So that's, you know, that's a great work right there, and it's right at the beginning of the book.
Now, in a couple verses later, it says in verse 14,
Now after that, John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee.
So, again, now who's John? John the Baptist. What relation is he to Jesus?
Well, it's his cousin, right? He was born of Elizabeth, right?
So this is somebody he might have known.
He said of John that there was not a greater man born of woman than John.
So, obviously, Jesus holds John in high esteem.
You know, it was granted unto John to be privileged to baptize Christ.
Right? He was the voice of one crying in the wilderness.
So, Jesus, you know, you would think probably, I mean, I think it's pretty safe to assume
that he has some kind of, he has at least an affinity for John,
that he has affection towards John and he cares about John.
And when he hears that John is put in prison, he doesn't just stop what he's doing and say,
well, you know, you know, we don't read that Jesus going into county and like standing across,
you know, sitting across the plate glass there or whatever, the plexiglass on the phone.
That's not the next scene, right? He's not in there like, you know, putting money in the commissary or something, right?
You say, how do you know so much?
Just kidding, right?
But, you know, he's not going visiting John in prison.
He just goes right on with his ministry.
You say, well, that's so cold hearted. I mean, no, it's because he has work to do.
And John understands this. John gets it.
I'm sure John's not having a pity party.
Right? In fact, later when he sends his messengers unto him, he doesn't say,
well, why don't you come visit me?
You know, he's having other doubts, right?
But he's not, you know, trying to berate Jesus or make him feel bad or guilty for not coming and visiting him when he was in prison.
OK?
No, it says there that when John was put in prison, Jesus came into Gilead preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.
I mean, these are just these little details that we see that, you know, but they're there for a reason.
John goes into prison.
Obviously, you know, could kind of give us help us understand the time frame and get a synopsis for, you know, or synchronize the scriptures rather.
But basically, you know, the point I'm making is that Jesus doesn't just pull, you know, slam on the brakes in his ministry.
He's like, well, I got work to do. I'm going to go do it.
Verse 21, Mark 1.
And they came into Capernaum and straightway on the Sabbath day, entered a synagogue and taught.
Verse 23, And there was in the synagogue man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out.
Verse 25, Jesus rebuked him, hold thy peace, come out of him.
Verse 28, And immediately his fame spread about abroad throughout all the region around the Gentiles.
Verse 29, And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew and James and John.
Oh, finally he gets a break. He's doing all this work.
No. Verse 30, But Simon's mother wife lay of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
You know, the mother-in-law, right? Oh, Jesus is here, huh? Let me put him to work.
You know, I know a little bit about this. I've never healed my mother-in-law of a fever or anything like that.
But it used to be when I would come over, she would be like, oh, would you mind rearranging the furniture?
Or I'd go over there, and it would be like, this was in Northern Michigan, and be like,
I remember my wife coming to me and saying, you know, the driveway needs shoveled.
I was like, all right, you know. It was on a Sunday after church. I'm out there in a suit just shoveling away.
Because, you know, mom needs help. You know, the mother-in-law needs help.
Hanging Christmas lights, doing things, you know. Mother-in-laws have this way.
But I'm glad to be helping. I really am. I love my mother-in-law. I think she's a great woman.
But, you know, it's just kind of a funny joke. When they show up, it's like the mother-in-law's
immediately putting him to work, right? Obviously, she's sick. She needs his help, right?
But it's kind of a theme. But anyway, the point is, is he doesn't get a break.
He doesn't just walk in the house and be like, oh, let me put my feet up.
No, he's immediately working. And verse 31, he came and he took her by the hand and lifted her up.
Immediately, the fever left her and she ministered unto them. And even when the sun did set,
they brought unto him all that were diseased and them that were possessed with devils.
I mean, it's just work, work, work. I mean, do you see the theme?
This is chapter one. Chapter one of the book of Mark. And it's just like, you know, preaching,
going to the wilderness, being tempted, preaching at Capernaum, healing people there,
going to the mother-in-law's house and healing her and people are showing up.
And it's like working from sun up to sun down.
Verse 33, and all the sin he was gathered at the door.
So this, what we're reading in John chapter three, or excuse me, Mark chapter three,
this isn't the first time this has happened where they're so compressed with people
and there's so much work to do, they don't have time to eat.
The whole city's gathered there in verse one. Verse 34,
and he healed many that were sick of diverse diseases and cast out many devils
and suffered not the devils to speak because they knew him.
And in the morning, he slept in, you know, and got a little reprieve
and caught up on some missed sleep and had a nice leisurely morning
and ate some pancakes and had a nice, had an extra cup of coffee
and, you know, and went for a little walk, right, and got away.
No, it says that in the morning, rising up a great while before the day he went out
and departed into solitary place and there prayed.
You know, that, you know, he went and got with God.
And again, the reason why he's getting up, I believe so early in the morning,
a great while before the day, before the sun's even coming up,
I mean, the stars are still out, the moon is out probably,
is because that's the only time he had to do something important.
You know, and that's a really great, you know, tip right there.
You know, if there's important things that you need to get done,
the best time to do them is early in the day.
You know, getting up early and getting something done,
you know, probably guarantees that it will get done, you know,
because we all know how life gets.
Oh, I'll do it later. I'll read my Bible later.
I'll pray later when I get home from work.
You know, well, what if something comes up at work?
What if you come home and, you know, what if you go to your mother-in-law's house?
You know, there's not going to be time for anything.
No, just kidding.
You know, you go home and then it's like this needs to be done,
that needs to be done.
You have other responsibilities.
Look, there's important things that we need to do,
like, oh, I don't know, Bible reading and prayer,
or maybe even exercise.
We should probably put those things early on in the agenda, prioritize.
That's just a little productivity tip, I guess.
That's the reason why Jesus is doing it so early in the morning
is because it's important and because it's the only time he probably had to do it,
because he knew as soon as that song comes up, we're back at it again.
And Simon and they were with him, followed after him,
and when they had found him, they said to him,
all men seek for thee.
Right?
It's not going to stop.
And he said to him, let us go into the next town
so that I may preach there also, for therefore came my fourth.
All men seek for thee.
Well, let's get away from them and let's just go
hang out by ourselves somewhere.
Let's just go hang out and just talk.
We'll just go have a little Bible study, just the 13 of us,
you know, me and you guys,
and we're just going to go hang somewhere
and just let people wonder where we are.
You say, you know, I've done a lot of work here.
I'm glad everyone's seeking for me, but let's go to the next town.
Let's go do some more of this.
Let's go to these other towns and villages and continue doing the work.
So you can see Jesus is just about doing the work of God
every day for his entire ministry.
It's exhausting.
That's why you read in John when Jesus went to the Samaritan woman at the well,
that it says that he sat down being wearied.
Because again, you don't get the mistaken notion
that he's just doing this through some kind of superhuman,
supernatural strength because he's the son of God.
You know, he became a servant.
He took on, you know, the form of a servant.
He became like a man.
You know, he had the same flesh and blood that you and I do.
Okay?
So he knows what it's like to put in a hard day's work
and to labor and to, you know, and to just, you know,
get into the grind, right?
And he knows what it means to be wearied.
And that's, you know, that doesn't stop him, though.
He keeps doing the work.
And it says, verse 39,
He preached in the synagogues throughout all Galilee and cast out devils.
So his friends, they're hearing about all this.
They're hearing everything that's taking place in chapter one.
They're hearing everything that's taking place in chapter three.
Oh, there he goes again, right?
Because that's, again, you look at Mark 3.
The multitude came together.
They could not even eat bread.
And when his friends heard of it, you know, there he goes again.
They went out to lay hold on him.
And obviously, they're doing this from a place of concern.
His friends are the ones that are concerned for him.
They're worried about him.
They're thinking, I don't think he's right in the head.
And here's the thing.
You know, if we start to serve God, the same thing is probably going to happen to us.
Now, I'm not saying or suggesting we have to do what Jesus did
because we can't do everything that Jesus did, right?
But we are called to labor and to work for God, okay?
We are called to serve God and to preach the gospel and to walk with God daily.
You know, we have the hard work of, you know, mortifying the deeds of the flesh,
putting on the flesh, walking with God, communing with God.
That all takes discipline and effort.
Obviously, we're not going to be going out and doing all the exact works that Jesus did, right?
But even then, if we live for God, what's going to happen is, you know,
there's going to be people that maybe express some concern
and maybe do it in kind of a critical fashion.
They might say, what's wrong with you, right?
Especially those of you that have been saved later on in life, right?
The people that you're familiar with, your friends, your family,
those that have kind of grown up with you, have known you, you know,
and then you get saved later on in life, they might kind of make a similar statement.
You know, you're beside yourself.
That's probably not how they're going to put it.
They're going to say, you're crazy, right?
I mean, I remember being told a similar thing.
You know, the you of two years ago would make fun of the you of today.
I know. I know that's true, right?
You're just on some kick. You're just on some bandwagon.
Well, it's been, you know, 20 plus years of this kick, you know.
I've been on this bandwagon for a while, right?
And I'm not going to get off anytime soon.
And people have stopped saying those things.
Now they're just like, well, that's just the way he is.
They say other things now, okay?
That's not the point. That's not making it about me.
But the point is, is that, you know, for people who are familiar with you,
your friends, they're going to, might even express concern.
I had you in 1 Peter 4. Go back there if you kept something there.
And, you know, this is just the way it's going to be in the Christian life.
You know, your friends might even say some things that might sound like something an enemy would say.
When Jesus' friends came to him and said, thou art beside himself,
you know, it might have been kind of hurtful to hear something like that from your friend.
When they're saying something that sounds a little bit like what my enemy would say.
When you're coming and telling me that I'm mad or that I'm crazy or that I'm beside myself
or I'm not sober-minded, and then my enemies are saying the same thing.
And obviously they're putting a little extra on it when they're confusing me with having a devil.
But they're essentially saying the same thing. You're out of your mind.
Our familiars might come to us and say things, you know, that are harsh.
People who know the old you.
And, you know, even if it's maybe you grew up in a Christian home,
maybe you got saved at a young age, you know, even then,
you're going to hear this from other people.
If you live for God, if you serve God, if you're, you know, if you're public about your faith,
you're going to probably receive some backlash.
You know, even if it might not necessarily be from people who used to know you, but it'll come from somebody,
the Bible says that in all they that live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Not maybe, not might be, shall. It's guaranteed.
No matter what your background is, no matter when you got saved in life,
that if you decide at some point to live Godly for Christ Jesus, there's going to be some backlash.
And oftentimes it's going to come in the form of, you know, just verbal criticism.
You know, I don't know that any of us is going to have to lay down our life for Christ.
We always want to run to these extremes, right?
But the reality is that we're going to probably be criticized.
You might even be criticized by people that are familiar, people that are your friends, right?
Other Baptists, other Christians.
You say, who makes you, you know, the most nervous about, you know, receiving these kind of accusations?
It's not the world.
You know, who frustrates you the most when people start leveling, you know, criticisms against you for preaching the word of God?
It's not the world. It's when I hear it from other Christians that it bothers me the most.
When some other Christian, even if they're saved, starts telling me, you know, they go to some liberal, watered down, you know, fun center of a church,
that's where I'm kind of, I start to get a little nervous, right?
Because that's when they're going to start saying things like, well, you know, you shouldn't hate anybody.
You know, love the sinner, hate the sin.
Like, well, that was Gandhi, so I don't know what book you're reading, you know?
And I understand that, but, you know, what I'm trying to get at is that if we live for God and preach the word of God and live by the word of God,
if we live Godly in Christ Jesus, we shall suffer persecution, and oftentimes that persecution is going to come in the form of accusations,
of slanders, of just things being said about us that aren't true, that are just criticisms.
And they might even come from people who are genuinely concerned for us.
But, you know, this is the Christian life. That's just par for the course, folks.
As he said in 1 Peter, you know, think it not strange that you're going to be tried by the fiery trial that shall try you,
as though some strange thing happened unto you, right?
Look at verse 1.
For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind,
for thee that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.
You know, if you start trying to live the Christian life, start to cease from sin,
stop running with that old crowd, start doing those old things, you know, you're going to suffer in the flesh.
And you're going to suffer reproach. Reproach is a form of suffering.
Obviously Christ suffered in the flesh on the cross, but he also suffered in the form of reproach.
And it's suffering is inherent in serving God. It just comes with the Christian life.
You can't get away from it.
Verse 2.
He that hath suffered from the flesh hath ceased from sin. Verse 1.
Verse 2.
You know, if you start living to the will of God and not to the lusts of men, you're going to suffer.
You're going to suffer.
Verse 3.
For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles.
Obviously, you know, Peter talking to the Gentiles, people who were heathens,
people who were worshipping idols and other false gods,
and all of the abominable idolatries that went along with that,
you know, he's pointing out that, hey, you know, you had a life of that.
The time, it was sufficient. You don't need to do that anymore.
The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles.
We don't need to be living like that anymore as God's people.
That needs to stop, is what he's saying.
When we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries,
wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot,
speaking evil of you, right?
So Peter here is warning us that just like Christ suffered, so we shall suffer.
If Christ suffered in the flesh, it should not be a shock to us
that we are going to have to suffer in this life to some degree.
It is inherent in the Christian life.
It's something that's going to happen.
It makes up the Christian life.
Suffering is a part of life, period.
No one's going to live a life without suffering.
But it's a different type of suffering that comes with serving God.
Everyone's going to lose loved ones. Everyone's going to have tragedies befall them.
Everyone.
And people are going to deal with it well, and some people are going to deal with it not well, to put it mildly.
But not everybody is going to suffer for Christ.
Even amongst Christians, it's those that are going to do the will of God
that are going to suffer as a Christian, right?
Because if we do the will of God,
people that used to know us, our friends even, are going to think it strange
that we're not doing those things anymore.
That we run not with the same excess of riot.
What do you mean you don't drink anymore?
What do you mean you're not coming to the party Friday night?
What do you mean you're not going to, you know, hit this?
What do you mean you're not going to go to that club with this anymore?
You know, oh, you're holier than thou now, huh?
You can't hang out because you're so righteous.
I mean, I remember having a friend say that.
You know, and I remember, you know, when I go into all that, his mother said, well, yeah, he is.
And I didn't look at it that way. She's like, well, yeah, he is trying to live a holy life.
He is holier than you.
Euphoricating, drunk.
You know, maybe if you're not out there, you know, having bastard children, you know,
then you are holier than the people that are doing that.
You know, it's just a fact.
But, you know, if we're going to live the Christian life,
if we're going to do the will of God, people are going to say things.
People aren't just going to go, oh, good for you.
Oh, I'm so glad for that.
You know, they don't like that because it casts a light on their own life.
And they think it's strange.
I'm like, what?
What do you mean you're going to church?
It's Super Bowl Sunday.
Is this Super Bowl Sunday?
Okay.
I didn't look.
It is? Okay.
It's okay if you know that.
I'm not going to call you out.
Who here knows it's Super Bowl?
I'm just kidding.
I mean, I knew.
I knew because somebody like sent me a meme about,
an Alex Jones meme of him going off in the Super Bowl,
which I'm not going to do.
If there's one thing I've learned over the years,
it's just leave people's professional sports alone.
You can have your opinion, but, you know, it's my opinion.
I'm not against the Super Bowl.
Okay?
I'm not against it.
What I'm against is people skipping out on church to go to the Super Bowl,
to watch the Super Bowl.
You know?
Maybe if you watch that demonic halftime show they put on every year,
maybe, you know, there's probably something wrong with that.
I told myself I was not going to go off on it this morning.
Right?
But, you know, that's what people, that's the type,
I'm just using it as an example.
It's Super Bowl Sunday.
What do you mean you're going to church?
Twice?
Was it once enough?
What do you mean?
You went Thursday.
You went Sunday morning.
You got to go back again?
What's wrong with you?
They think it's strange.
They don't understand it.
Wait, you go to church three times a week?
I mean, most people will go,
I could see going to church once a week.
You know?
It's a little bit more extreme than going for, you know,
on Easter and Christmas for them.
But they're like, I could see that.
Okay, you want to go to church?
Great.
But then it's like, oh, well, yeah, I'm going again tonight
and I'm going on the midweek service
and then I'm going to go soul winning.
I'm going to go tell other people about Jesus.
What do you mean?
You're going to go over with the Bible in your hand,
walking down the street in public?
You're going to go knock on some stranger's door
and tell them about Jesus?
What's wrong with you?
You know, this is strange.
Who are you?
You're beside yourself.
You're mad.
And that's going to come out of the mouth of people that know us.
If we do the will of God,
they will speak evil of you.
But notice verse five.
Who?
Who's the who there?
I'm not trying to imitate an owl.
Who is the who there?
The who is the people that are saying these things, right?
The people that think it's strange,
the people that say these things and speak evil of you.
What else is Peter telling us about these people?
That they shall give account to him
that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
You know, they might mock that.
They might think it's strange.
They may ridicule you,
but what you have to understand is that
they're going to give an account to God.
It is a point on a man once to die
and after this the judgment.
If you keep something there in 1 Peter,
go over to 2 Corinthians 5.
You know, what's Jesus' response
when he says he's beside himself?
Jesus keeps right on going.
He doesn't go,
oh, sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you guys.
He didn't apologize for anything.
He's like, well, you know,
let people say what they're going to say.
Let people say whatever they're going to say about me.
Let people talk all the trash they want to talk.
It doesn't matter.
You got work to do.
You know, I understand you think it's strange.
You know, I can even understand where you're coming from.
Yeah, I used to do these things.
I used to do the lasciviousness
and the banquetings and the revelings
and all that stuff that came along with just,
you know, being the natural man living,
you know, being a man of the world,
just living a natural life in the flesh, I get it.
You know, we shouldn't necessarily retaliate against this.
Well, who are you to judge me?
You know, start looking down on others.
Really, it ought to make us feel sad for those people
because they're going to give an account.
The only difference is is that we just realized it
on this side of eternity.
Look, everyone's going to realize,
going to come to the same conclusion that we have,
that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.
Every knee is going to bow someday.
The only real difference between me
and the rest of this world
and those of us that have believed on Christ
and the rest of this world
is that we've just come to that point
and not because we're better
and not because we're, you know,
lifted up in some way
to where we can just look down on them.
You know, we ought to have had
You know what? I still want you to get saved.
Look at 2 Corinthians 5, verse 13.
For whether we be beside ourselves,
it is to God.
If I seem crazy to you,
if it just seems like everything I'm doing
and all my religious fervor,
all my zealotry for God
just is strange to you,
if it seems like I'm beside myself,
well, it's because I'm living for God.
Whether we be beside ourselves,
it is to God.
Or whether we be sober,
it is for your cause.
You know, if I seem a little bit more grave,
a little bit more serious,
if I'm not, you know,
just living fast and loose like I used to,
it's for your cause.
I'm trying to be a testimony.
This is the attitude that Paul expressed,
this is the attitude that Jesus demonstrated,
is that even when people who are friends
reproach us because we trust the living God,
as he said in 1 Timothy,
therefore we both labor and suffer a reproach
because we trust the living God,
you know, we're still going to love those people
that reproach us.
It is to God.
Why are you so crazy about the Bible?
Because I love God.
Why are you doing all this work?
Why are you in the past?
Why are you going to church on Sundays?
Why are you going out preaching?
Because I love God.
Well, why are you so sober?
Well, you got real straight laced.
Turned into a stiff.
Well, it's for your cause.
Verse 14, for the love of Christ constraineth us,
because we thus judge that if one died for all,
then we're all dead.
You know, I'm going to let people
think I'm crazy, that I'm beside myself,
I'm going to let them think I'm too straight laced
or whatever it is,
because I'm constrained by the love of Christ
because I understand
that if Christ died for me,
he died for everyone.
And that he died for all, verse 15,
that they which should live
should not henceforth live unto themselves.
We're not called in the Christian life
to just continue to live the way we used to live.
Now look, you can go out there
and live however you want to live as a Christian
and go to heaven.
We understand that.
But the fact that Christ died for all,
that we which live in Christ,
that have eternal life,
should not henceforth live unto ourselves.
You know, our life should not be about us.
And I get it, we all have to take into account,
you know, every man must bear his own cross.
And we also have to bear one another's burdens,
but we also have to bear our own cross.
You know, we have to deal with
the world that we're living in.
Okay?
But we should not let the, you know,
the time passed has sufficed us
to have wrought the will of Gentiles.
If we live in Christ,
then let's live for Christ.
If we live in the Spirit,
let us also therefore walk in the Spirit.
That's what he's saying.
It's basically the same thing.
We should not live therefore unto ourselves.
And not just make our life,
what can I get out of life?
What's in it for me?
That's not what you see Jesus doing.
Having to get up before dawn
just to have time to pray.
Everywhere he goes,
just people are thronging him
and making demands of him
and he's meeting them.
Just working every single day,
sun up to sun down, working for God.
You know, he did all that, you know,
because he's doing the will of the Father.
Not his own will.
And it's the same with us.
We should not live unto ourselves
and just live the rest of our life
thinking about everything that we can get out of it.
And look, I'm not saying
you can't enjoy some things in life.
You want to watch a Super Bowl?
Record it.
Okay?
Whatever, enjoy life a little bit.
I'm not saying we all have to turn into,
you know, what are they?
Not Mormons.
Definitely not Mormons.
Amish, thank you.
Someone knew where I was going with that, right?
Where we just have to cut the electricity
and everything else
and just never have any fun.
I don't know, maybe the Amish have a lot of fun.
Maybe churning butter
is more exciting than it looks, okay?
I don't know.
But you know, our life,
our life should not just be about gratifying the flesh
and just only thinking about ourselves.
We have to consider the fact
that if Christ died for all,
then we're all dead.
That those, even those that mock us
and ridicule us and express concern
over our newfound life in Christ,
that they also shall give an account
to him who shall judge the quick and the dead.
Look at verse 16, 2 Corinthians 5.
Wherefore henceforth know we know man after the flesh.
We know no man after the flesh,
yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh,
yet henceforth know we him no more.
Now, you know, especially that latter half of verse 16
can kind of be hard to understand.
But he's saying, like, we don't know him after the flesh,
we don't know him after the old man, right?
Because what's the next verse?
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.
I don't know you like I used to know you.
I don't know you after the flesh.
I know you after a child of God.
I know you as a Christian now.
I know you as a born-again believer.
I know you as a son, a child of God.
That's how I know you now.
That's how I'm going to relate to other people.
Just like Christ, we knew Christ after the flesh
before we were saved,
but we don't know him anymore
as an unsaved person.
Now we know him as the new creature
that is in Christ.
That's how we relate to him.
As a child of God.
Everyone understand that?
Hopefully that kind of clears that up.
Hopefully that was a good enough explanation.
But it ties in with the point that Paul's making here.
That we should not live henceforth after ourselves.
That we should be concerned about other people.
Because all are dead.
All are, you know, going to give an account.
Verse 18,
And all things are of God,
who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation.
You say, well, why should I be so concerned
about living for God, about doing the will of God?
Why should I be so concerned
that, you know, other people in this world
are going to give an account to God,
who shall judge the quick and the dead?
Why should that bother me?
Because it's our responsibility to preach them the gospel.
That's what the ministry of reconciliation is.
That's what he goes on and explains.
He says in verse 20,
We are ambassadors of Christ,
as though God did beseech you by us.
We pray you in Christ's stead,
be ye reconciled.
Right?
That's the ministry of reconciliation
turning the sinner to God.
Right?
So that they don't know Christ after the flesh,
as we once did,
but they know him after the spirit.
After, you know, in the manner of being
a child of God.
Okay?
That's a pretty big responsibility.
Don't you think?
That's a pretty high calling
to be an ambassador for Christ.
And ambassadors, you know,
have to conduct themselves in a certain way, don't they?
They do.
You know, if you were going to be an ambassador
to the United States,
which I don't recommend,
because you're going to have to go promote,
you know, the most abominable filth,
which is what they do,
but let's just say, you know,
if you wanted to be an ambassador
of any country, really,
or any organization,
if you're going to be the face
of some, you know, organization,
you're probably going to have
to have a certain standard.
You're going to have to have a certain appearance.
You're going to have to, you know,
you can't just conduct yourself
whatever you want.
You're going to have to be careful
about the things that you say.
Right?
That's what an ambassador would have to do.
You probably have to have some,
you know, some certifications.
You have to have some education.
You're not just going to hire anybody.
You're going to have to live up
to a certain standard.
You have to have accomplished
certain things,
and that's for some worldly office,
some worldly position.
We're called to be ambassadors
for Christ.
That's a pretty,
there is no higher calling, folks.
You know, you know,
Brother Corbin, what great station
do you want to achieve in life?
Well, I hope to be mayor
of Tucson one day.
I'd have to scrub the internet
for that to ever happen.
And even then it'd be too late, right?
A lot of people would have to die.
That's not the only thing
that's holding me back, okay?
Everyone puts you at ease real quick.
I have no desire, you know,
let alone the fact that it's
completely out of the realm of possibility.
But do you think that's, you know,
that's what I'm thinking in life?
Well, man, if I could just become,
you know, some official
in some body somewhere,
then I'd really have achieved something.
Look, this is,
this is the world to some people.
Some people love to have a plaque
and a title and an office
with their name on a door
and have other people
being subservient to them.
And I get it,
organizations have to have structure,
people got to lead.
But some people,
that's their whole life.
They're just wrapped up in that.
You know, you can have it.
Because, I mean,
who can name every mayor
in Tucson?
I barely remember
the one we got now.
Right?
It doesn't matter.
Name all the presidents.
I can't.
I mean, shame on you,
how un-American.
Just men.
Name some ambassadors
for Christ, though.
Well, I know some,
personally.
I can start naming names
of people in this room.
In fact, everybody
in this room
is an ambassador for Christ.
Which means that you've been
called to a higher standard.
We have to live
and conduct ourselves
in a certain way.
We have to be sober-minded.
And even if that means
people thinking it's strange
that we run not to the
same excess of riot,
which we once did.
Even if it means
we no longer
work the will of the Gentiles.
Even if it means
people come to us and say
you're beside yourself.
You're mad.
Go to 2 Timothy 1.
I know I gotta wrap up.
2 Timothy 1,
look at verse 7.
For God hath not given us
the spirit of fear,
but of power and of love
and of sound mind.
That's a very famous verse.
A lot of people might
have that memorized.
I've heard that quoted
over the years.
But when he says there
that he has not given us
the spirit of fear,
what's he talking about?
Don't be a fairy
in the dark.
Don't be afraid
to go bungee jumping.
Don't be afraid
to go skydiving.
You can tell
what I'm afraid of.
The older I get,
the more I don't like heights.
Even when I get
that ladder out here,
I'm just three points
of contact.
I need some fall training.
Where's, you know,
whatever.
Is that what he's saying?
Don't be afraid
to take risks in life.
Don't be afraid
to put your body,
you know, in harm's way.
Don't be afraid,
you know, of other people.
No.
The context is
to not be afraid
of the backlash
of serving God.
Look at verse eight.
Be not thou therefore.
What's the therefore
therefore?
The therefore is there
because of verse seven.
If we are not,
if God has not
given us a spirit of fear,
but of power
and of love
and of sound mind,
God has given us,
therefore we should
not be ashamed,
just another word
for fear,
of the testimony
of the Lord.
You know, it's a sad thing
when there's Christians
out there who are afraid
to be outed
as a Christian.
And look,
and it's funny to me
because I see this
in the workplace.
You know,
when I'm meeting,
when I'm getting
to meeting everybody
and you know,
the guy I'm working
with is a Christian.
He's a good guy.
I like him.
He's retiring.
I wish he wasn't.
I'm gonna try
and convince him
to stick around.
I like him.
He's from Michigan.
What's not to like?
Right?
He gets it.
Okay?
But you know,
he's a Christian,
you know,
and he's,
you know,
and it's kind of funny
because he's introduced
to the other guys.
He kind of had a way
of kind of letting me know
like this is another
Christian.
You don't have
to worry about him
because he knew me
because I mentioned
and all you gotta do
is Google me, folks.
And like I remember
day one,
like I'm in the office.
It's me.
He's my coworker
and our supervisor there
is like I've only been
at work for a couple,
an hour or two.
He's like,
yeah, listen,
some of you are
preaching online.
It's like,
you know,
there was a moment there.
I was like,
okay,
how's this gonna go?
You know?
And he said,
it was good, man.
I liked it.
Right?
Then I was,
I was like,
are you sure it was me?
And I didn't even say
it was good.
No, I'm just kidding.
But he said,
I was like,
well, you know,
it's out.
And it's several times
that we're going
to all these different
places and he's introduced
me to all these
different people.
He's like,
oh yeah,
he's a preacher.
He's a Baptist minister,
too.
I'm like,
man, you know?
And I have to be honest,
in my flesh,
it's kind of like,
do you have to tell
everybody that?
He goes,
you know,
I kind of like this job.
You know,
I tell you,
the place I'm working,
I'm not going to put it
out there right now.
I'm not going to save
the pulpit because
the haters that are out
there, I don't need
to bring that up.
I'm not going to,
I'm not a glutton
for punishment.
You know,
but if it came down
to it,
you know,
where I'm working
is not exactly,
that's what I'm starting
to say,
is not exactly,
you know,
the bastion of
conservative thought.
Let me just
put it that way.
But,
you know,
if it came down to it,
but that's a real
world application
of what it means
to not have a
spirit of fear.
You know,
and you say,
well,
that sounds kind of
carnality.
You know,
it's like,
well,
I'm flesh and blood
just like you.
You know,
all you have
to worry about
is people finding out
you attend this church.
You go somewhere
where somebody
says those things.
I'm the one
saying it,
you know.
So,
but that's the
context here,
and it's interesting,
too,
because that
same week,
I used to have
our web server,
our website,
Wix,
we use Wix.
That's,
Wix is probably
gonna shut me down now.
We would,
I would get
notifications,
you know,
you have a visitor,
and it would be,
like,
from Russia,
New York,
California,
every now and then
something in Arizona.
You know,
like,
it would tell me
when someone's
visiting the website,
the Old Baptist Church
over in Grant
and Silverville,
and just letting
people know.
All of a sudden,
it's just like,
you have a visitor
from Tucson.
You have a visitor
from Tucson.
You know,
it's on your site.
I'm like,
well,
that's everyone
at work checking
me out.
I was like,
all right,
check it out.
Not ashamed
of the testimony
of the Lord.
There's nothing
that I'm ashamed
of in this book.
The words
of God are pure.
You know,
there's nothing
shameful in there.
You know,
they ought to be
ashamed of what
the world's promoting.
They ought to be
ashamed of God
and His word
in the midst
of a perverse
and crooked nation.
But it's interesting
that Paul has
to tell Timothy that.
Right?
Be not ashamed,
therefore,
of the testimony
of the Lord.
Why would you
have to tell Timothy that?
This powerful man
of God,
this preacher,
this pastor,
this one that had
spent so much time
with him,
he obviously would
know it.
Because we all
have a tendency
to want to shy
away from suffering.
You know,
unless you're
sick in the head
or something,
no one goes out
and seeks suffering.
You know,
we can carry that
same attitude
in the Christian life
and say,
well, you know,
I mean,
I'll go to church,
but I'm not gonna
invite anybody
to that church.
I mean,
yeah,
I agree with
everything he's saying,
but I'm never
ashamed of who
your pastor is,
who your preacher is.
He's saying,
don't be ashamed
of me, Timothy.
Don't be ashamed
of Paul.
Yeah, but you're
in jail.
You know,
you went to jail.
You have a chain.
You're bound.
Yeah,
for the sake
of Christ,
for the gospel's
sake,
of suffering.
And he says,
but be thou partaker
of the afflictions
of the gospel
according to the
power of God.
Don't run from it.
Embrace it.
Throw your arms
into the Lord.
Rejoice.
Right?
The men shall
speak evil to you.
Verse 16,
the Lord gave mercy
unto the house
of Anisophorus,
for he oft refreshed
me and was not
ashamed of my chain.
But when he was
in Rome,
he sought me out
very diligently
and found me.
Now,
how do you think
he sought Paul out
back then in Rome?
You didn't
Google him.
He didn't do
one of those,
you know,
name and address
searches you can do.
Right?
Find anyone
for 30 bucks a month.
Whatever it is, you know?
Do some kind
of a background check.
None of that existed,
obviously.
You know what he was doing?
Hey, I'm looking
for a guy named
the Apostle Paul.
You seen him?
Where's the prison?
Anyone around here
know where the prison is?
I got a friend
in prison named Paul
I want to go see.
It means he's
telling everybody,
you know,
who he associates with.
And he's not
ashamed of him.
You know,
he should not be
ashamed of being
a member of this
church.
You should not be
ashamed of being
associated with
Faithful Word Baptist
Church.
You should not be
ashamed of having
someone like me
as, you know,
your pastor.
You shouldn't be
ashamed of that.
It shouldn't,
you know,
something you
try to hide.
And I say that
because I understand
why people would
be tempted to do that.
Because they don't
want to hear,
you go to that
church,
you're beside yourself.
You're mad.
You're crazy.
You believe that?
Because no one
likes that.
No one likes to
hear negative things
about themselves,
right?
We just like,
oh, you know,
we want to do that.
I should add,
it keeps on
1 Peter chapter 4,
verse 14.
I mean,
did any of that
stop Jesus?
His friends
came to him and
said,
thou art beside
thyself.
They're trying
to lay hold on him.
Stop him.
Oh, you know,
I didn't think
I was going to be
taken that way.
Let me issue
a public apology
and just,
you know,
resign and step
aside.
You know,
he kept right on
working.
Jesus said,
I must work
the works of him
that sent me
while it is day
the night cometh
when no man
can work.
We have this
one life to work.
We have this
one life to earn
rewards.
We have this
one life to be
an ambassador
for Christ.
If we're ashamed
of the gospel,
ashamed of the men
of God that we
associate with,
then you know what?
We're not going to
do the works.
If we spend it
afraid of what
people might say
about us,
then we won't
do the work.
Look at
1 Peter 4,
verse 14.
If you be reproach'd
for the name of
Christ,
happy are ye.
Happy are ye
if you're reproach'd
for the name of
Christ.
You know,
if I'm reproach'd
for the name of
Christ,
can you believe
what this guy
said from the
Bible?
You know what?
I'm happy.
It means
I must be doing
my job.
It must mean
I'm not ashamed
therefore of the
testimony of our
Lord.
It must mean
that I'm walking
in the spirit.
It must be that
God has given
me a spirit,
not a fear,
but a power.
You know,
and same for you.
If you're
reproach'd
for the name of
Christ,
you know what?
If you're
reproach'd for
the name of
Christ Jesus,
you must be
living godly
in Christ Jesus.
Good for you.
You should be
happy about that.
For the
spirit of God
resteth upon you
on their part
He is evil spoken
of, but on
your part
He is glorified.
Let the world
say whatever they
want about this
book.
Let this world
say whatever they
want about my
Lord.
Let this world
say whatever they
want about my
God, but
on your part
He is glorified
through it.
And I
don't say all that
so that we can
have some kind
of a standoffish
attitude towards
them.
We have to
look at them
and understand
that they too
will give an
account to
Him that is
ready to judge
the quick and
the dead.
Therefore let
people think
whatever they're
gonna think.
We gotta
judge.
If we're
So be it. I'm glad you're saved or whatever, I'm glad you believe the Bible, but could
you just lay off? I'm glad you quit drinking or whatever, but can you just shut up about
the Bible? We're tired of hearing it. No, I can't. For to me to live is Christ
and to die is gain. I can't. I'm an ambassador. You can't muzzle an ambassador.
You've got a job to do. Didn't stop Jesus. He said, I must do the
Bible while it is day because the night is coming when no man can work. Don't let the
world stop you from serving God as you ought to.
Let's go ahead and close the word of prayer. Dear Lord, again, thank you for the great
opportunity we have in this life to represent you, to be an ambassador, to be a testimony
for you, Lord, to be a preacher of the gospel to those that need it most, Lord, and we know
that not all will receive it, that many will mock and ridicule or be indifferent, apathetic.
There are some in this world that want to hear it, Lord, and if we allow ourselves
to be muzzled or to allow fear to silence us, Lord, then they won't hear it and they
won't be saved. Lord, help us to see truly the importance of what it means to be a minister
of reconciliation and help us to be that ambassador to a lost and dying world.
We ask these things in Christ's name, amen.
Alright, we'll go ahead and sing one more song before we are dismissed this morning.
Come on, 66.
Let's go.
Come on.