Children of God - George Solomon

Hey guys, Pastor James Murray here, and I want to welcome you to the Abide Sydney podcast. This whole podcast is designed to help you on the journey of discipleship, and our mission is to make disciples of the people of Sydney. But maybe not from Sydney, we hope this blesses you, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this podcast. Church! If I get you to take your seats, that would be amazing. Say good, say good. If you don't believe in prayer, that was a miracle right there, in hospital, 30 seconds later you sit in right there. So be encouraged with that. But I'm, hey, if you've had a good week, you're in the right place because God's always good, but sometimes you don't have such a good week, and God is still good, and you're still in the right place, and He always works things out together for good, not always the way we want, the way we think. Most of the time it's actually not, but He always works it out, and God's always working behind the scenes. If you've stepped into this service for the first time, you are in the fifth week of our message through the book of first John, and today we're going to look at what John says, which I think is really interesting because you have to keep this in context. This is talking to the church. Every epistle, every letter is always written to the church. So when you read this, you say, no, surely this doesn't happen within the church, and actually it does, and it is very prevalent today. It is happening today at such a rate. It's actually incredible when you sit and talk with people, you go, oh, this is what John's talking about. So I want to go straight into it first, John. Chapter two, verse 18, one John, chapter two, verse 18. It is John the disciple, yes, but it is now the pastor, John, talking to his sheep, so to speak. It is the father, speaking to children. So he introduces this letter by saying, little children. Little children, it is the last hour. Listen, and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, but even now many antichrist have already come. By this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, so they were in the church, but they went out from the church, but they were not of us. They weren't real. They pretended to be, but they weren't. If they had been of us, they have wood of continued, or they would have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest or revealed. And that none of them were of us. Now he rejects, brings it back to you and he says this, but you have an anointing from the holy one or the Holy Spirit, and that you know all things. And we know all things, but what John is alluding to is we should know the truth. We should know the truth. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it. And that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar? It is he who denies that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. And whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either. He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Therefore, let that abide in you which we heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you will also abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he promised to us. What is it? Eternal life. Eternal life. Think about that for a moment. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you from what? Eternal life. But the anointing which you have received from him abides in you. And you do not need anyone to teach you. That does not mean we do not have teachers or people that help us along the journey of life. But that at the same anointing teaches you talking about the Spirit of God. He will teach you all things. And he is true and is not a lie. And just as it has taught you, you will abide in him. That is a long part of one letter to the church. But John is writing to believers that are living in a world not much different to ours filled with deception. False teachers were redefining who Jesus was. And many believers were now left wondering as some of us sometimes do when questions arise, how do we know what is true? How do we know what is true? The question John is answering is not just a question for the first century church of his time. But it is a question for this generation right now. The question is how do we recognize what is real? What is counterfeit? How do we know what is truth? What is the lie? How do we know? It seems simple on the surface. That is actually not. And I want to try and illustrate it this way. One day I was in China and I was doing some work and I took a break and I went down to what they called the shoe market. The shoe market is this incredible, huge place full of everything that you ever want. And what you will know when you get there, everything is actually a copy. But it looks quite real. And what is interesting when you ask him, I always go, is it original? Now go, yes, original copy. I go, okay, cool. So one day I went to buy something and I hand someone a dollar note or a $20 note. And what they do, very cunning, some of them, not all of them, what they will do is then they will go and look for what you want. So given the $20 as a down payment, I wait for them or they say, come back in an hour and we will go find your size or whatever it is that you are looking for. I come back to get it and they give me the $20 back and say, oh, sorry, we don't have it. I say, oh, okay, cool. So move on, there is another store and I pull out the same note. I pull out the note to give it to them. Now let's say this is the note that they give me. I gave them, they give back to me. I go to the other store and I say, I want to purchase that, here is the note. They pick the note up and immediately they go, not can. No, no, no have, can't do. I go, what, what do you mean? And then they explain to me, this is counterfeit. I go, what, I was given a counterfeit note. A lebo was given a counterfeit note. I was so disappointed. The question is, like, I didn't know at the time. I didn't know. I didn't know at the time. But how can you tell which is real and which is fake? How do you tell? Is this one real? Or is this one real? Think about it for a moment. They both look real. They both look identical, but one of them is fake. And I want to thank Murray for giving me the counterfeit note. Murray, I'll see you. It's got plenty of them. But this is what John's trying to get to. So one day they pose a question to a bank teller. And it's the same question I asked the Chinese shopper. Like, how did you know? Well, when they asked the bank teller, they said, well, we never studied the fake note. We always studied the rule note. So when we touch the fake note, we know it's not real. It's the very same thing that that Chinese owner of the shop told me. I said, how do you know? This is what she did. She goes like this. She gets the fake note and goes, not real. Okay, just like that. Yes. It's not because they studied the fake. It's because they studied the rule note. Now they can tell the difference straight away. This is what John's talking about. The best way to recognize a counterfeit is not by studying the fake. Be careful what books you read. Be careful what YouTube you're listening to, what person you're listening to. Because you're not getting to the depths of it. And it's easy to be deceived. This is the thing. The enemy doesn't come out with a with a red cape and two horns and a pitch fork and say, I am the devil. Now he doesn't do that. Johnny saying, hey, you know the genuine real because you study it so well that when the fake comes along, it's obvious. It's obvious. But for some today in this generation in our churches today, it's actually not that obvious. And John gives us the same principle spiritually. So John's big idea is this. John isn't telling people to spend their lives chasing every false teaching. And we don't intentionally do that. You want to pick up a book and I want to read it. If you've ever done it, I've done it. And then we'll study, you start to question something. Oh, maybe, maybe. I think I got to go back to the original, to the real one. What is that saying? And counterfeit, see, counterfeit doesn't succeed because it's completely different. That's not the idea of a counterfeit note or counterfeit gospel. It succeeds because it is close enough to the real. It's actually convincing. You only have to go to talk to a religious group for a moment. Whether it's a Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon and you ask them questions and they will tell you what you want to hear. Do you believe in God? Of course we do. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Of course we do. Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? Of course we do. Oh my goodness, we're the same. But when you dig deeper, the question is, what do you actually believe? That's what I don't think. tell you. They don't tell you that. So John's answer is quite simple, because he gives the answer, abide in Christ, study the real and you'll not be taken by the counterfeit. So what does counterfeit Christianity look like today? Counterfeit Christianity. What does it look like? Well, just as John warned the early church that we must guard against our teaching or teaching, that sounds Christian, but slowly moves people away from the Jesus, the Scripture reveals. This is deception. I want to give you four things that are happening. There are more, but there are four, I think probably top four that are working its way through the churches today, through the churches today. Number one, universalism. Listen, the belief that everyone is saved automatically. No judgment, no hell, no need for repentance or faith. Is that true or false? But yeah, a lot of people believe it. I heard it last week being preached from a Christian guy that is in the church in the shire. This is what he's preaching. Okay, cool. So what about the cross? What about the work of Jesus? What resurrection? Where does that leave it? Why is it so deceptive? Because it contradicts Jesus's own teaching on judgment. And then necessity of faith avoids the work of the cross. I'll do it my way, universalism. Number two, progressive Christianity. Progressive Christianity. A movement that often seeks to reshape historical Christian beliefs through the lens of modern culture. So instead of the church leading the way of the culture, we blend the world into our culture and we become more like the world. Personal experiences. Changing values rather than submitting culture to biblical authority. I think I feel my opinion. Why is it deceptive? Because it retains Christian language. On the surface, it retains it while affirming Jesus as a moral teacher. Or an example, more than the unique son of God who died on the cross for us. That looks quite simple, yet people are teaching it and believing it. Synchrotism. Ever heard of that one? Number three, syncretism. It is the blending. It is Christianity that can be blended with other spiritual practices. Witchcraft, yoga, crystals, energy, rocks, anything like that. New age. Why? Because it offers a spiritual experience while replacing dependency on Christ with an alternative source of guidance and power. It contradicts everything the Bible says. How do we get there? How do we get to these three? What about the fourth? Prosperity Gospel. Amen. And by the way, is that Peter? Did you shout that out? I don't believe in a poverty gospel either. As a Prosperity Gospel says that Jesus is a means to my wealth, my success. That if I give a dollar, I will get back 10. If I sow in a hundred, I'll get back a thousand. Everything I do is for my wealth, my success. But that's not the truth, is it? It's not a poverty gospel either. Wherever God puts us, we need, we need, we need, we need rich Christians. But not for their own kingdom, for God's kingdom, we do. We need it. We don't need poverty. Or maybe we need poverty. Maybe we need poor Christians so that the rich Christians can help the poor Christians. Just a thought. Or the church. You know, I'm not the church. I don't know if that's surprising. I'm not the church. You're the church. You're the church. So the church is to help. That's why we do connect groups. A pastor and pastors and leaders cannot get to every member in the church. But connect groups can. Connect groups. And they have, we've heard so many great stories throughout connect groups. People jump in and help. People to cook, people who help in houses when they're flooded. There's so many things that go on in the background. That's why it's so important. Prosperity gospel. God's primary will is your health, your success and a faith that guarantees material blessing. I would love that. I would love it. But it's not true. Why? Because it makes Jesus a means to prosper rather than him being Lord, who calls us to deny ourselves, carry our cross and follow him. It's all about me. I sang a something two weeks ago. What about me? It's all the same. Every counterfeit thing has one thing in common. It changes Jesus. It changes Jesus. So the title of my message is don't get it twisted. Don't get it twisted. With the rule Jesus, please stand up. I mean, there are so many different versions of Jesus these days. Is this something? Even that sounds cultish. That sounds like I could, anyway, that's not a whole other matter. But why doesn't matter? Why doesn't matter? Absolutely matters. John gives this warning. Why is it so urgent for John to write to this message? Okay, let's go back to verse 18. I don't know if you have it, but if you don't, I'm going to read it to you. John says this. Hey, children, this is why it's urgent. This is why you need to get it together because it's the last hour. He's not talking about a 60 minute on a clock. You know that. He's not talking about that. He's talking about the entire period when Christ arrived to when Christ comes back. We're in the last hour. And we don't know exactly where that stands, but but I'm telling you, if the last hour is between this point and this point, and this is the beginning of the cross of Christ and the coming back of the cross, I don't think we're here. I think we're somewhere over here. And John's saying, hey, this is why I need to warn you because you're living in the last hour, living in the last hour. He's not talking about that we fully come to the kingdom or into the kingdom. What he is saying, he's saying, what will fully happen at the end of history has already started happening now, but only partially. In other words, Jesus has already defeated sin and death, right? We know that, but sin and death still have not yet been fully removed from our lives, but it will one day. So we live in the now, yes, we have the kingdom and the not yet haven't fully received the kingdom. And we will one day when we step into that kingdom. We're living in the last hour, listen, creates tensions that can slowly start to creep into our lives. And you'll hear it. I mean, Jesus was come back in 1988 on the 9th of September at 3pm. It didn't show up. It didn't show up. And then there are other signs that started predicting when will he come back. And I think this can sometimes not only create tensions, but dangers. And the question is, what are they? What are the tensions that this last hour can create in our own lives? I'll give you three, just three. Last hour can create this. We believe he's coming, but we don't live like he's coming. Jesus warns himself against the danger of being unprepared. Why does he say it? Why does he say that? Because some will be unprepared. Luke 12, 35, he says, be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lambs burning. We believe he's coming. We don't always live like he's coming. And I'm not talking about living in deception and living all that. What about the little things of life? What about the things I shouldn't do or the things that I should do? Forgive when I'm asked to forgive. What to give when I should give? What about the little things in life? I don't be angry with your brother, but go to your brother. What about the little things? It's not always the big things. Number two, we know he's coming, but we live like it won't be in our lifetime. And all these signs that pointed to Jesus coming, even back then, where is your coming? When is he coming? In fact, Paul writes to the church and he says, you know what? In the last days, people start to mock his coming. Where is it? You've been saying it for years. He's still not here. He's still not here. So where does that leave you then if he's not coming back? But the scripture says that God is patient, long suffering, not willing at any parish. So he knows the time that he needs to come back. Two Peter says this, where is his coming coming that you promised us ever since our ancestors died? Look how far they go back. Everything goes on as if it has since the very beginning. Question, what if you go before he comes? Are you dressed ready? Question. Number three, we know life is temporary, but we live like it's permanent. And that's okay, because maybe we were not created to live in death. Maybe we were created as the scripture says to live forever. Eternity. So we always have this longing to look younger, to feel younger, to live forever. And that's okay, but it's only going to be found in Christ. James 4 says this, your life is a mist. It appears for a little while, then it vanishes. That is so true. So true. Life is beautiful. And it's valuable. And God says enjoy it. But remember it's brief. Why are we here? The truth is this, the last hour doesn't mean we stop living. It just means we live differently. It just means we're different. I don't get out of bed and go, my goodness, it's the last hour. But I do try and look at it from an eternal perspective, like in the day, like what do you want from me today, Lord? What am I meant to do today, Lord? And it's not like, sometimes it doesn't even answer. Sometimes I know what to do. I've already read it in the truth, what I should be doing. We are living in the last hour. John tells us that there are dangers then we must be aware of. If we're living in the last hour, what are they? Well, we must guide against our heart. We must know the truth. We must be careful not to drift. All of these deceptions don't happen. You don't wake up one day, go? I want to be deceived today, I don't think Jesus is the real deal, I believe Jesus is this, you don't do that, you've read it, you've been taught it, you've heard it, and slowly it starts to creep within you and all of a sudden you're used to be here, but now you're sort of here. And then a year later, you're like right here, it changes slowly, and this is the subtlety of the enemy. He's so smart, so strategic, I'm not giving him the credit, the Bible says that. The Bible says it, the one danger is you drift, drift is the slow, almost unnoticed movement away from Christ, it is slow. We don't wake up one morning, hey today I'm going to drift, unless you're on a Toyota Corolla, you want to put it sideways, that's different, but we don't, I don't wake up, I want to be deceived, we don't, it often begins with spiritual comfort that leads to spiritual complacency in our lives, we become complacent, and when we become spiritually comfort, comfortable we stop pursuing Christ, church is enough, once a week is enough, and maybe the hunger that we once had starts to sort of diminish. We stop pursuing, we stop being connected, and the result is we stop growing, and maybe we stop being real, consistently being inconsistent in coming to church, in doing what God asks us to do, will eventually make its way out. The question is, why does this matter, why does church matter, why does Sunday matter, why does connect groups matter, because it's his design for his people, God designed church, we didn't design church, we modified it, but we didn't design it, listen to what Hebrews says, Hebrews 10 says this, and this is church, this is what church should be, let us think of ways to motivate one another in acts of love and good works. So before you come on a Sunday, this is what you should be thinking, who do I need to pray for, how can I encourage, how do I pray, this is why we come together to encourage one another, let us not neglect, it's neglect, our meetings together as some people do, but encourage one another, why do we need encouragement, because you will be discouraged, you will be discouraged, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near, he's written this what like 2000 years ago, every one of us is important to another person, every single person that sits in this chair, you are important, you are value, but you're not that important if you don't encourage, you're not that important if you don't do anything, send a text, if someone, God prompts you to do something, do it, don't pray about it, just do it, just do it, Christianity, listen, it's not just about attending something, it's about abiding in someone, this is church, and when someone begins to drift from abiding in Christ, they become vulnerable, this is how now you become vulnerable to a different gospel, that's danger one, we drift, danger two, obvious, deception, being pulled away from the truth, this is the work of the enemy, John's concern is not simply people will stop believing, that's not the concern, and that's not the enemy, that's not the work of the devil, he doesn't care if you believe in Jesus, because the Scripture says that the devil's believing tremble in fear, but don't follow him, his concern is people will follow a different Jesus, because the enemy's strategy is to redefine Jesus, to reshape him, the one who requires less surrender, less obedience, less transformation, more about me, less about him, John, the Baptist says I must decrease, he must increase, today the world is saying I must increase, he must decrease, it Jesus who comforts us but never challenges us, it Jesus who blesses us but never becomes the Lord of us, sounds like Jesus, looks like Jesus, but it's not the real Jesus, do we need to ask a deeper question, because I had to ask this question, why do people drift and I get it, because I've drifted, I've drifted, I've been in a cult, I understand deception and look, there are probably three things that happen in a person's life that cause you to drift and to be deceived, the problem with deception is you actually don't know you're deceived, I can go to a Satan and say, hey, do you really believe what you do, of course I do, Satan is my God, everything I do is true, wow, it's like I can see, why can't you see it, listen, number one, the struggle to reconcile a good God with a broken world, if God is so loving, why is it also broken, how does he lay our pain and suffering, and when it comes close to home, oh now you start to ask, how did my God let my brother die, like how, and you don't want to believe it anymore, you don't want to believe that God can be that cruel, he's not, but we live in a broken world, that's number one, number two, the struggle of accepting sin, judgment and hell, this is too painful, too uncomfortable, too awkward, the thought of judgment is just no, so we remove judgment, we remove the seriousness of sin in the same time, and if sin is not serious then the cross loses as a meaning, then why the cross, you know, I was talking to a guy yesterday and he was in church every week and something happened, he lost the loved one, so he's trying to now reconcile between the good God and brokenness and why did this happen, so he picks up another book and he starts to read the book, and the book brought nothing but confusion and more questions for him, and I said why won't you believe, I said why won't you believe that the one that you loved is actually in eternal heaven, because they gave their life to Christ, they were in connect root, they were doing the things of God, why won't you believe that, because he read something that confused him, put a thought in his mind and now he's like, he actually said to him yesterday he goes, I don't know if I can do this anymore, I said what does that mean, you're not talking about doing something I think you're doing, he goes, no, no, I'm not doing that, but most of the times when people want to take their lives they'll lie, they'll tell you the truth, of course I want to kill myself, no, they don't, they hide it, the struggle of accepting sin and judgment and hell, number three, one that leads to a desire for a Jesus who fits our preferences, a preferred Jesus, instead of allowing Jesus to transform this, we attempted to create a Jesus who agrees with us, it is, John tells us there is a spiritual force behind this, listen to what he says, he says it's the anti-Christ spirit, it's the anti-Christ spirit, a spirit that teaches and it's anything that teaches, any philosophy that teaches, any influence that opposes or replaces or distorts the truth about Jesus, that's the anti-Christ spirit, you've heard it, he's come in, he's come and he is come in, John is speaking about a future anti-Christ that one day will rise up into the world and the scriptures as he will deceive many with signs of wonders, we need to know the truth, but he also says there's a spirit already that anti-Christ spirit is already working in people's hearts, who's heart, Christian's heart, he wants to deceive who, not the ones who are deceived, the ones who know the truth, what is his role, offer a different Jesus, it's simple, I'm going to just offer you a different Jesus, not to hate Jesus, I don't want you to hate Jesus, I just want to distort the truth a little bit, I want you to deny who Jesus is, it sounds spiritual, he'll even use Christian language, and I want to illustrate to this as we start to close, there are a number of people throughout the scripture and you'll see it, you'll see it in the beginning right with Eve, right we know, did God really say, did he, no he didn't, as she's like, then he comes to David and the scripture says he moved David, he provoked David, he influenced David to do something that God asked him not to do, so we see the work of the enemy, he puts something in the heart of a person, and then we see it in Peter, you know the whole famous thing about when Peter denies Jesus, and he says no, and then Jesus says, and Peter says to him, you're not going to go to the cross, and Jesus replies this, get behind me Satan, huh? It's Peter, it's not Satan, or was it, who was he talking to? Peter or the devil, listen what he says, Peter, Satan, I don't know who he's talking to, maybe the devil, you're not mindful of the things of God, oh, what I do know is that the enemy had somehow influenced Peter's thinking, just as he did with Eve, just as he did with Adam, just as he did with Peter, just as he tried to do with Jesus, if you are the son of God, see what he does, the question, question, question you, put it down on everything that you believe, everything that you thought, every truth that I should forgive, that I should do that, I know, do I have to know, that's why we justify, if you're justifying then the enemy has already put a thought in your mind, it is called mental possession, mental possession, mental possession, I want to manipulate your mind into thinking something different about the Jesus that you believe in, why? Man that tells me right there, that's the truth, but who do, who do we see it in, we see it in Judas, Judas, would you name you kid Judas, there was more than one Judas in the Bible, Judas Amanda walked with Jesus, heard the, heard the messages, in fact lived out the message, he went and healed the sick, he walked with Jesus for three years, sat under his teaching, saw the miracles, he was so close to Jesus, so we think, yet he was so far away, Judas and what does he say, I want to show you this scripture, can you put it up so quickly before we close, John 13 2, listen to what, listen to what happens, and supper being ended, this is the last supper, being ended, the devil had already put in to his heart of Judas the scarred son and the son to betray him, what did he do, he put something in him, he put a thought in him, maybe it was a question, maybe it was a doubt, maybe it's hey Judas, you can get a lot of money out of this if you just do this one thing. It's not a big thing, it's just one little thing. He put it in him. It carries the idea of casting something. Casting like you put bait on a rod to cast a catch a certain fish. He cast something to Judas and there was something in Judas that took that bait. And that's what he does with us, he's casting. He puts the right bait on to catch the right fish. He's not silly, he's not stupid. So we cast it out in the hope that you will catch something. And that's what happens when we catch a thought. All he wants you to do is catch a thought, just catch the thought. He puts in the idea, so Jesus talks about the seed being scattered and it falls somewhere. Judas was close to Jesus but his heart was so spiritually far away from Jesus that he opened the door to deception. One more scripture, 1327, can you put it up? Remember this, this is a progression. Deception doesn't happen overnight when you get out of bed. It's been happening for a while. People don't drift apart. One Sunday and say, hey, I don't love you anymore. No, no, something happened in the five years, the ten years that you were married, that you ignored, that you neglected, that you didn't see. And then all of a sudden you wake up one day and go, I don't do this anymore. No, no, have you heard it? I don't, I fell out of love. No, you didn't. You chose different things along the road of your journey and one day you woke up and there you are. I no longer listen to this, John 1327. As soon as Judas took the bread Satan now entered him. This is now a physical possession, physical possession. Where did it start? I thought. I don't know exactly what the thought was but he allowed then for the enemy to work in him. What you are about to do, do quickly. Whether he was talking to Judas Satan, we don't know at this point of time but whatever you allow to grow in darkness will eventually reveal itself in the light. The enemy is real. The enemy is real. Plan a thought, scatter a seed. What he can't get you to do is surrender. He can tempt you but he cannot, he cannot hook you onto that. Unless, unless it is in the darkness. John Stott says this. The greatest danger facing the church today is not persecution, seduction. It is seduction. Why don't we all stand? How do I combat this? How do I come against this? Okay number one, real simple. John already told us, abide. Abide in God's worth. Study the truth. So when the count of it comes along. You'll know, oh this does not feel right, this does not sit right with me. This is confusing me. That's an indicator straight away that that is not truth. You might not know the scripture, you might not know what the Bible says in that moment. But your spirit is saying to you this is not true, do not listen to this. Abide in his word. Number two, abide in his people. Come together on a regular basis. Come together in your connect groups. Come together during the week. Come in together every day, every week. Whenever you can, as often as you can, abide in it because there is a great deception coming. Number three, examine your heart and ask yourself, what is shaping my heart? What has my attention right now? And where are my affections? Are you ready? Here today, are we ready? Maybe you drifted. Maybe you're drifting. Maybe you're comfortable, but you're not committed anymore. Comfortable Christianity. No such thing. Casual Christianity. No such thing. No such thing. A saying to some of the other day, the only thing that we will want to hear, that need to hear, from Jesus at the end of our life is this. Well done and good and faithful spiritually gifted. No? Well done and good and faithful. Tyler, no. Servant, you have to work that out what that means then. Servant. Which Jesus are we following? I hope that all of us are following the real Jesus. I'm pretty confident we are. Pretty confident we are. Has comfort replaced commitment? Has something crept into our hearts that causes not to move away from Jesus? Because we'll never say that, but we move away from our obligations to Jesus. We move away from what He's called us to do, despite of our feelings. I know. I've been challenged with Him. All the time you get challenged. I don't feel like doing that. I don't want to do that. And then just like Ori said, I always go back to the cross. Wow. The cross. The cross. Of course I'll do it. Even though I don't want to do it. Of course I'll say, even though I don't want to say. Of course I'll go the extra mile, although I'd rather not. Of course. Didn't Jesus say the very same thing? Not my will. In other words, there was something else within Him that He could have done and wanted to do, maybe. But He surrendered in that moment. I don't think He felt to go to the cross. I don't think He felt to put His back down on the. and be whipped. I don't think He felt it. Yet they say 70% of the church lives very comfortable. God's not asking you to go into the mission field and do something dramatic or get up and preach. If you give a couple of cold water, Jesus says, you'll have a reward. You've done your work. For some you're a housewife. For some you're a school teacher. For some you're a leader or a pastor. For some we need everyone in every sphere of this entire world. It's only based on one thing. What did you do with God? What God gave you? Did He give you one talent? Two talents, three talents for talents? And to each every one of those talents, you know what He says? Well done and good faithful servant. Nothing more, nothing less. You did what I asked you to do. Every eye closed, every head bow just for a moment. Maybe just a time of reflection right here right now. What do you need to do as a Christian? What aren't you doing? You should be doing it. What should you be doing that you aren't doing? And what aren't you doing that you should be doing? And if you are someone here that is not sure about even the real Jesus, and I get that, I was there. It's just a simple, one more step of faith. God, help my unbelief. I do believe, but I'm not sure of everything. So when I asked you to come into my life, you're the truth, you said you are the way the truth in life, and no one comes to the Father except for me. So I want you to come into my life and lead me into truth. Exactly what David said. So I just want you to lead me in the way of everlasting. What do you take a moment? Just do that. If you've never done that, invite a Jesus, the real Jesus, the personal Jesus into your life. What do you do that? And while we're doing that, if you're a Christian, you need to examine your heart. Do that as well. We all do. Father, I thank you right now. Thank you for what you do that we don't even know. We don't see. Even though we don't feel you at times, we don't understand you at times, Lord. Will you help our unbelief? Yes, you will. You will. Will you cause us to rise up, Lord, and live the life that we call to live? As Christians, as children? As soldiers? As priests to God? As the children of God? Will you decrease in my life what shouldn't be increasing and increase in my life? What needs to be growing? Would you do that right now, Lord? I pray that for all of us, me included. Each and every one of us, Lord. Life is brief. Life is short. Thank you, Lord. Father, we just thank you as we come before you. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for your resurrection, Lord. Let that be a revelation in our lives and let it come to a place of realization that what you call us children and who we are in you, Lord, that no one can take that away from us. Father, just pray your blessing upon your people. Lord bless you and keep you. Lord make His face shine upon you. Be gracious to Lord you. The Lord lift up His countenance. Give you peace in Jesus' name. Amen, amen, amen. Hey, if you need prayers, just come up. Well, we hope this podcast has inspired you on your journey of discipleship to Jesus. If you want to know more about our church, just go to abide.cidney. We'd love to get to know you. If not, you're from another place. Hey, why don't you share this with someone else? And hopefully, it helps them as they continue to follow Jesus. Have a great week.