[Automated Captions - Not yet edited.] I have talked to so many people who have gone into. The discipline of psychology. Am I on, yeah. They have gone into the discipline of psychology because of their own. Soul issues have gone into Christian counseling because of their own soul issues and sometimes we as preachers. We look at a certain topic not simply to preach it. But out of need. Out of our own need. And so I'm going to share with you some things this morning that. Were birthed out of my own questions and my own need and my own confusion and wanting clarity but wanting it from Scripture. So many times we as Christians. We turn real truth. Into cliches or we turn them into. I don't know what you would call it. Kind of a theology of glory. Big words. Emotional statements. But when it comes down to it. Do we even know what we mean and the people hearing us? Do they even know what we mean? And it can create an emotionalism of pietism. It can create also everyone looking at the preacher, look how much he loves Jesus. In comparison to me. He's up here talking about seeking the face of Christ in the glory and The Majesty and, and I know that is true. But it also sets a thing where in which people are going. I'm not like that. Is he like that every day? Is that the way it's really supposed to be? That's not a reality in my life. Well, it's not a reality in mine either. Yes, I have moments in the word that are beautiful and moments in prayer where it seems like there's exceptional presence of God and many things like that. But I also have to ask my wife to forgive me and sometimes I'm just tired and. The everything that that you go through. At least for me. Right there with you brother. I'm right there with you, and so you know, I hear statements like trust, God. But what does that mean? I hear statements like look to Christ. I'm looking unto Jesus. But OK, but how? I mean, what are you talking about? Contemplate or meditate upon the gospel? Relish or savor the gospel. But again. Boy, that sounds pretty and I really like the way it was put in that poem. But how do you do that? I find that so many people who are sitting in the Pew here these things, almost as though they're wonderful mysteries. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Have you ever heard that one? You're downcast, you're broken, and some believer walks in and says, but the joy of the Lord is your strength and you want to give them a high, you know high five in the face with a chair. It's like. I'm hurting, what do you mean? Can I giggle my way? Out of this water, what are you talking about? Walk in the spirit. I went to hear Brother Ravenhill preach. I was a young man many times, but I went this one particular time and someone preached before he did. And they were. Well, they had just cleared off a spot and pitched a fit for about an hour and a half an it was a young man and sometimes we try to be the mature man. We're not. We tried to imitate, but we're not that we don't have that reality and he was going on and he was really ripping into all of us about the need to walk in the spirit. And I was in total agreement, but as a young Christian and I always had this question. That everyone who told me to walk in the spirit, I'd ask him this question. What does that mean? And no one could seem to answer me and I remember going up to the preacher afterwards. In saying, I totally agree. And I want so much to walk in the spirit, but what does it mean? How do you do it? And he got very angry with me as though I was attacking his sermon. And I didn't really know what to do as a brand new believer, but unfortunately there was an older believer behind me in the line and he put his hand on my shoulder and he said son move over. And he walked up and he said, preacher. You didn't ask the boys question. You didn't answer the boy's question. Because I don't even think, you know. How to answer the boys question. You were up there stomping around telling us all to do something. I'm not even sure you know how to do. I'll never forget that I don't know who that man was. But I like him. So I started looking at things. I mean, how? How do I really grow? Not as a preacher. But as someone just. So much like you, it would shock you. You know when I when I preach on family like I did, I called my wife yesterday and we talked about it and it's we always go through the same thing. It's about she goes. It's a high standard, isn't it, yeah. And neither you and I. Have arrived half. We know we haven't. And I always want to be careful doing that, because when you're up here preaching about how to be a wonderful husband, all the wives are looking at their husbands going. Why can't you be like him? That's why I almost never wanna teach that unless my wife is here so that my wife afterwards can come up and say a lot of you women are saying. Why can't you be like him? And I'm saying, why can't he be like him? Now, I do sincerely strive towards the mark and those are biblical principles, and we do seek to apply them, but I just want you to know again, it's three steps forward, 2 steps back. It's. Alright. We need to press on men. We need to be more than what we are, but don't think. That here's another thing. I always thought that. People who read the word a lot. And people who prayed a lot and people who would love their wives a lot and people who had joy a lot. That there was just something special about him. That they were removed from me that that maybe. It was easy for them. That was their gift. Do you see? Do you know what is one of the most? Powerful truths I ever learned. Was that people who read the Bible a lot? It's hard for them to read the Bible a lot, and people who pray a lot that their struggles to pray a lot is are the same as when I learned that people who were actually doing these wonderful things struggled and fought even for joy as John Piper Sis. It really opened up a whole world to me and it took away all my excuses. I couldn't say. Well they do that because they're particularly gifted. I found out that everyone striving toward godliness is in a battle and we can advance. Don't think we can't. We. I've seen people, both men and women who have made extraordinary strides in being like Christ. But don't let them be like a source of. Just. Introspection leading unto death for you. Just keep going forward so. I sat down for a few days one time and I thought OK, how? How do I really grow? And I want to talk to you about four different things. The first one is knowledge. Biblical knowledge the second is faith. The second, the third. Is joy. Joy, which comes forth from faith in knowledge. And then obedience that is energized by joy. You see so many people they say they don't have any joy because they haven't been obedient and I'm saying they put the cart before the horse. My joy is not in my obedience. My joy is in the my knowledge of God. And if you believe that everything God says about himself and says about you as his child, if you believe it's true. You're gonna have joy. And then Joy is what energizes obedience. It's not the other way around, so let's look for a minute and get out your pencil's. And paper or write this on your husband's forehead, whatever, but let's. Let's get going. First of all, knowledge. Just listen for a moment. What is the most important knowledge? This is the Lord. Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom. Let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not the rich men boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on Earth. For I delight in these things, declares the Lord. What is the greatest knowledge that you can possess? The absolute fundamental essential knowledge, and that is the character, the attributes of God? I want you to know this and especially you ladies. You can't bypass this step. If if a dear friend of mine from Peru, by the name of Paco who I served with for many years, he was so faithful, such a faithful friend. If he ran in here right now and said, throw me the keys to your Jeep, I would throw him the keys to my Jeep. And you say, well, why did you give him the keys to your Jeep? You don't know what he's going to do. I don't need to know what he's going to do, 'cause I know who he is. I hear people trying to hold God hostage, especially during the Corona virus. I'm not going to have peace, I need to know what God is doing. I need to know what God is doing. It's almost as though you're saying, God, I, I'm not going to have peace to you. Tell me what's going on and God doesn't work that way. You don't need to know what's going on if you know who he is, 'cause if you know who he is, you know whatever he's going on, he's in control of it, and he knows exactly what he's going to do, and it's all going to be good. So see it. It starts out. If you don't know the character of God. If you can't explain to me, not in big theological terminology, but incorrect biblical terminology. If you can't explain to me what it means that he's holy or what it means that he is love. Or what it means that he's just are merciful? Then there's there's no, you can't. If you don't have that. You have no foundation an your whole tower, no matter what you build upon, it is going to fall. So please, you must understand that. And in there are good systematics and there are good things like that, but nothing replaces the Bible and know this that you don't have to jump into a systematic. You know the knowledge of the holy, different, smaller books about who is God. Get to know who God is. Through our study of the Scripture also, what has God decreed? Now I want you just to think about that for a moment. Do you know who he is? His righteousness, His Holiness, his love, his mercy, His grace, his kindness, his beauty. His omnipotence, his sovereignty. Do you know any of that? Do you know what is decreed? Do you know, do you have any idea what he's decreed with regard to creation? What he's going to do with it? How he's going to make a new heaven and new Earth do. You have any idea what he's decreed regarding you? Well then, how could you ever have any joy? You don't know where we're going. You don't know what's going to happen to you. Let me just give you a quick kind of common illustration. Let's say the richest man in the world is coming under some like bad press. Everyone says he's miserly and isn't kind. So he decides he's going to give an example to the entire world of how generous and kind. Here's how gracious he is. You know what he decides to do? He searches around and he picks out you. And he says I am going to heap all the wealth of everything. I am all my kindness is everything I've ever made. I'm going to just give it to this person and then throughout the rest of their life every day I'm just going to increase it, increase it, then I'm going to call every buddy in the world to look at this one person. That's going to be the example of my absolute kindness and generosity. Wouldn't that be neat? I mean, I wouldn't turn that down. Well, Ephesians basically is telling us that. That God, throughout all eternity, is going to use you. To demonstrate. To all creation. To angels to principalities, the powers he is going to spend all eternity revealing himself to all of creation. And how is he going to do it by the kindness he heaps on you ever increasing manifestations of his kindness heaped upon you, and calling everybody, and basically saying you want to know how kind I am look right there. I took the lowliest and I made them the object of my affections. See you how can you have joy? If you don't know. All this you wonder why sometimes. Preachers and missionaries just seemed to go wild. They seem to almost lose their mind in the pulpit, would just joy. But it's not 'cause their special is because they they know some of this. And the more they know it. Well, changes everything. I have an idea who I'm going to. And I have a really good idea of. What is going to look like? And other than the ministry and my children. Take Me Home now. Zero knowledge of decrees like Romans 821. The creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Wow. That's what he's decreed. Jeremiah 2911 for I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. Every dream you've ever had sanctified. And inflated beyond anything you can imagine and fulfilled by him. Every desire of your heart that will never be met. Will be met there. Every loneliness that no one else knows about but you. Will be. Dissipated like the darkness when the sun comes over the mountain. Perfect peace. Non Pacific carry unable to send. Every desire fulfilled because every desire is pure and godward. If you don't know these things, how can I help? How can you get to joy that energizes? Look at what God is done. No look at this Romans 15. Four for whatever was written in earlier times was written for for us. For us for you, for our instruction, so that, through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope. I why do I love literally love studying the history books, the historical books and in the Bible? 'cause you see who he is, what he does, the way it works, and then you realize, hey, he's telling you in these last days I recorded all that for your benefit so that you would see me and trust me. That you see. It's like he looks at you and says. Have I ever failed? No. Have I ever failed even my sinful people? No. Can you find 1 flaw in me? Look, I'll let you look down through the annals of history. Thousands and thousands of years, millions and millions of different options and choices that I one time fail. No. Look what he's done in history. And if you believe it, your joy is increased. Look at who he is and if you believe it, you joyous increased look at what he has decreed. If you believe it, if you know it and believe it, you can't help but have joy. Look at what he's done throughout all human history, knowing that that's your God. And if you believe that's what he's really done, you can't help but have joy. Look what God will do in the future. Things which I has not seen an ear has not heard. And which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him. Your mind, one of the laments of a preacher. Of a Bible student is that he cannot comprehend. The smallest part of the glory that is in that text in the Gospel in Christ and got and then even what he knows he can't express. Truly, there are things I know that every time I tried to express them, I just want to weep. I just want to shut up. I hate words, they're useless. And so he's saying here, listen, I don't care what kind of mind I don't care you, you know IQ to the IQ. You are not even going to be able to begin to understand what's coming. And young people. It is not a 24/7. Church service. It's a garden. Filled with the glory of God, the light of Christ radiating. Perfect people. Able to perfectly render worship to God. Unflawed knowledge of him not perfect knowledge because he's too big to be grasped by us. But all the knowledge we have will be perfect. The relationships I have stayed up almost every night to like one 1:30. Why? Because I'm so faithful, no. 'cause I was having such a good time. Talking to people I don't even know. I don't want to go to bed, it's like. Well, there's a brother I never met. Well, there's a sister over there where this family. Family you're going to leave here today and you're going to be a. There's going to be a tinge of real sadness. There will be for me. 'cause it's like. Because we're not just people who know each other. We are one. And to think I'm going to be running around glory. Talking to everybody, you ought to know by now that is what I. Will be doing. Oh Lord, here comes brother Paul again. Maybe I won't be so talkative. Alright, so I want you to look at something. You can't have faith. You can't have faith without knowledge without biblical knowledge. So you can't believe how wonderful your God is if you don't know. What he said about himself, you can't believe the wonderful future that has been decreed for you. Unless you know about it from Scripture, you can't. Believe the gospel. Unless the gospel is made known to you through the scripture. You can't believe about your future. If you don't know. What the scriptures say about it. So everything begins with the right understanding of. This. The knowledge of God now preachers for those of you who are preachers. One of my favorite and I don't have time to go there. One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is job 28. I call it the minister's study. And what he's describing is a minor. Who is willing to go down into the very depths of the earth to cut himself off from people to swing precariously over deep channels in the middle of the Earth and chip it rock all day long, even he so he he knows the jewels that are there is so great. Job says they'll literally turn over a mountain. That is the preacher study. And one of the reasons for the weakness of the church is the weakness of the preaching, not in eloquence. Not an emotion. But the weakness of the preaching in this sense, the preacher no longer sees himself as the minor. Who goes in there to harvest jewels to bring them out and show them to the bride of Christ? He no longer sees himself as one who prepares food as the the good Stuart in order to feed the Bride of Christ our job. He's like that servant who went to get a bride hour job. Abraham servant. I'm sure when he was bringing back that bride to Abraham son that maybe she was like, well, I wonder if he has teeth. I wonder if he's good looking or not. I wonder this or that and maybe every time he saw a doubt in her face. He looked back and he pulled out his bag. Another gold bracelet here. This is from your beloved. Get ready. This bracelet's nothing. Compared to the man that's walking toward you in that field right there. Bride don't be afraid. The one given this gift, my master is far greater than the gifts he's given. You just don't don't be afraid. Don't turn your camel around. Keep going. Do you see? Do you say? Now. I want to talk about faith. Faith, according to you know, I've always heard the Cantion faith is a leap into the dark. And then Faith is a leap into the light. Some contradict caught. You know it's a leap into the light and all that's good. But what does it mean? Well, let's look at it. Hebrews 11. One. Now Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Now if I pull that out of context. I can turn that into an absurdity. Let me show you assurance. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. All my life. I have hoped to fly unaided by a machine. I mean, who wouldn't want to be Superman, right? I mean. It's like the. Ultimate in Cool, isn't it? You can fly around. So I've always hoped to fly. And you know what? I have to tell you this morning I woke up with the assurance that I could. And so I'm going to dismiss myself right now. I'm going to climb up to the top of this building. I'm gonna throw myself off. You say that's absurd? No, that's exactly what this text is saying. I hope I can fly. I really do and this morning I'm assured of it. What's going to happen when I jump off the building? Yeah, that ain't gonna be pretty. Alright, the conviction of things not seeing. I've never seen a human fly. But I have the conviction this morning. That they can do it. So I'm going to go and I'm gonna throw myself off to a Peter Pan right off the pinnacle of this building. What's going to happen? But I'm doing exactly what this verse says. But out of context. You see, there's two ways to sin. There's the sin of unbelief, and that's where most of us are. Where we don't believe the promises that are there, the other is the sin of presumption. When we believe promises that aren't there. Let me give you an example pastor. There's there's a lady in the church that's been abandoned by her husband. Terribly abandoned, she's having to struggle with children, she just she feels so just. Lawston forgotten and no longer beautiful and he's treated her in such a way and left her and she's worried about her children and she's broken. An everyday it's a struggle when she comes to church. It's a struggle, and the pastor talks to her and talks to her, but it just seems she's going further and further down into depression. And then one day she shows up to the church and she's full of joy. Pastor says what happened? She said. Last night a friend of mine came over the house and said that she had a dream that she saw my husband in my kitchen and he was full of joy and the Lord's going to bring my husband back and that's why you see this change in me. Is that faith now? No, it's not. But let's change the scenario. She comes in one Sunday and she has joy. Real joy and real peace. In the pastor says. What's going on? And she said, well, you know Pastor last night. I was reading through the Bible. Anne. I saw that. Text you've shown me so many times, but this time I saw it. That God was the husband to the widow. And the father to the orphan. I don't know what's going to happen to me. There may be a long road of suffering ahead. I may be alone for the rest of my life, and I don't want to be. But pastor. God. In his word tells me. He will be with me as a husband. He will care for my children. That's faith. Do you see the difference? That's pay now. I do believe what happened that Pastor shared with her that verse many times is she never saw it. And I do believe there was an illuminating work of the spirit. There was the spirits help in the spirits application. I do believe that because she had read it many, many times for months. But nevertheless, it's the word of God. It's the promises of God. Abraham now look at this without becoming weak in faith. He contemplated his own body. Now good as dead since he was about 100 years old and the deadness of Sarah's womb, yet with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, he was able also to perform. Now, as Hebrews 11 one is the greatest definition of faith here. We have the greatest concise illustration of faith in a package. Now, why do I say greatest? Concise? Because this is not the greatest illustration of faith. The greatest illustration of faith. Is Jesus Christ going through the semini on the cross? I can assure you the greatest man of faith who ever walked this planet is Messiah. But it is the most concise for us. He had reasons he had reasons to become naturally weak. Why his body is as good as dead? He's about 100 years old. And his wife. The deadness of her womb. She's an old woman. So he looks around him and there's no reason to believe there is absolutely nothing to sustain his faith. Nothing, no physical thing to look at and say this could happen. So if he believes it, he believes it only because of the character of God. There's no other reason to believe it. There's nothing to support his faith. Everything is the contrary. Yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God. This is absolutely impossible, apart from two things, his knowledge of the character of God and his knowledge. Of a real. Promise that came from the mouth of God. And being fully assured. That God that what God had. Promised he was able also to perform. Now look at this. He couldn't have been sured a shirt he could not have been fully assured of what God had promised if he didn't know what God had promised. You know, Spurgeon wrote. I've seen titles in his sermons and small books that today when I read those titles, I cringe. Like God's checkbook. I kind of cringe why? It was entirely appropriate for him to write that, but because we're surrounded by so many heretical prosperity preachers. And self-help preachers and stuff that use titles like that. That that we've gotten where we can't use language that does pertain to us as children of Zion. So here God's checkbook, or something you're like. Oh, that sounds like it came from a TV evangelist. But what Spurgeon is saying there is that. There are promises. Not not merely promises with regard to salvation. Or was sanctification but promises regarding everything that you could come into conflict with? And that believers are like living in poverty. Why? Because they don't have faith, but it's not because they gotta screw themselves up and get more faith. The problem is of course they don't have faith 'cause they don't even know what gods promised them in that given scenario. And so we need to know. I mean, wouldn't you want to know everything you see when you have promises when God's promised something? Is he going to do it? Yes. But you have not because you ask not yes, not because I'm going to turn it around a little because you don't even know what to ask. Or you'll ask something and you don't even know if he'll do it because it's not founded on something he revealed in his scriptures. Do you see how important the scriptures are? Now. I used an illustration last night that I actually heard. I think it was from the late Jay Adams. Or is one of those guys, but it's really a good illustration. So let's say I'm counseling a man on the third floor of a building and there's a big picture window. An I'm counseling him all of a sudden he looks at the open door into my office. He starts screaming. Jumps up does jumps right out the window through the plate. Glass falls three stories and breaks both legs. So I've always asked guys I was teaching younger ministers. OK, what's your conclusion here? Well, he's crazy. OK, let's change the scenario. He's in the hospital now and I asked him. Why did you? Jump up out of the chair screaming and throw yourself through a plate glass window. In fall. Three stories. Well. He says because there was an 8 foot tarantula coming through the door with fangs that were about 1 foot long with poison dripping out of them. I asked the students So what is your diagnosis? He's crazy. No, he's not. Actually, what he did was very rational. If I saw an 8 foot tarantula coming through the door with fangs this big with poison dripping out of them, what would I do? I would throw myself out a window. I've been in places where transfers are only this big and you want to throw yourself out the window. A native one time, you know, I, I come flying out of a. I come flying out of a toilet as fast as a rock at one time. Then he said, what happened? There's a spider in there as big as a horse. It jujitsu dmei. And he goes and I come flying out there. I stumble and everything you know and he goes, brother Paul. Those spiders can hurt you. I said no, but they can show make you hurt yourself. I mean, if it's not tarantula coming through the door 8 feet tall, I'm going through the window. And probably so are you at this very rational, you stand a chance at least of just breaking a few bones. But that translates over. So that was rational. The problem is his view of reality. That's where he's wrong. There was no tarantula there. And I say, what does this have to do with faith and what you're talking about? Absolutely everything you have a wrong view of reality. Brother Mike was talking last night, you know you don't understand that, but it really is all of grace. You don't understand that he's accomplished everything. Not only did he die for the under the penalties to put an end to them, he lived the perfect life in order to clothe you in his righteousness, he accomplished everything. It's grace, but if you don't believe that if you think it's 99% Jesus and 1% you congratulations, you're going out the window. You're just like the person who sees it rantula 8 foot tall tarantula your perception. You have a worldview. That is not true. You're not living according to reality. The reality is the moment you trusted in Christ, you were legally declared righteous before God. And here's the word everyone leaves out and they shouldn't because you're declared righteous. You're now treated by God's righteous. Jesus was legally declared unrighteous on that tree. And treated as unrighteous. The wrath of God was poured out upon him, so that you can now be legally declared righteous and treated as righteous. I see no flaw in the my bride. If he saw one sin and you you go back to you, go back to start or whatever go and. You know? You can start all over again once in. But you don't have one. He paid for them all. You will not be more legally righteous in heaven than you are right now. Do you see but? If you don't have that view of reality, you start doing crazy things. Do you see that it is such a good illustration? I sometimes marvel at it. If your view. Of your relationship with God is not biblical. It is going to literally destroy you. And that's why faith must be based upon the revelation of God's Word with regard to God's character, God's promises, God's decrees, God's works. And preacher. Listen. There is a reason why God gave evangelist pastors and teachers to the church. 'cause wherever the church is weak, either these three men are absent or their week. This is our job to see that they know who God is, but how can you give them God, preacher if you're just a busy boy? And you never set alone. Ouers study prayer reading. Just and it's the goal is not so that you can be smart. My our only goal is to feed the bride. I tell men they go well. You know I don't study, I said so you don't study for yourself, no. What can you study for your wife? Can you study for your children? If you don't do it for you, can you do it for your wife? She needs you to can you do it for your children? They need you too. But more importantly, can you do it for God? He doesn't need you to. But he's deserving of it. So Faith now if you know. All these. Magnificent things about God. And who he is. And what he's done for you, and his disposition toward you and what he's planned for you and everything. If you actually believe it. I'm sorry folks. You can't help but have joy. You can't help but have joy. So if you don't have joy, you're either looking in the wrong place or you don't understand what you're looking at. If you don't have joy, it's because you're either you're looking at yourself. Or you're looking at God, but you don't know him very well. Faith produces joy. Assurance confidence hope leading to gladness of heart. Gladness of heart when all that God is when all the God is done and when all that God will do for you is apprehended, it will produce a joy independence of everything but God. Did you get that last part a joy that is not dependent upon anything except the revelation God has given you in his word about himself is decreases disposition towards you. His plans for you. And those are immutable and can't change. If your joy is based on anything else, it's mutable. It's changing. It's imperfect. It never measures up. Now Nehemiah 810 do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Joy that comes from union with God and Faith in his person works and promises. Now I want to say this over and over and I want to read it if our joy is the result of faith. And precedes obedience. It's comes before obedience. Then our joy will not be based on our performance, but God's performance. My joy must be based on God's performance, not mine. Unless you are really self righteous. 'cause the only way you could have joy in your performance would be your miss judging your performance. Or you're miss judging the standard by which your performance is going to be judged. Did you see that? It is so very important if our joy is the result of faith and proceeds obedience, then our joy will not be based on our performance but upon gods. Let me give you another thing, you know. Paul is he says that the love of God, the love of Christ constrains. Constrains me. And people say yeah, Paul loved Christ so much that that motivated him. No, that's not what Paul's saying at all. Listen, Paul was like he comes from the same stock we come from Adam. Paul had the same battles with flesh we have. Paul's love for Christ. Was nothing to boast about. You say how dare you say that 'cause it's true. An angel's love for Christ is not equal to what Christ deserves. Christ is beyond anything. Specially a man, though redeemed yet still struggling. This year so it wasn't. Paul's great love for Christ, which was. Changing and mutable. That constantly drove him. It's not what it says it was. Christ love for Paul. Unchanging, perfect love unfathomable love. Was what motivated Paul. Do you see that? When I talk to people about they just how do I love God more? Everyone has a real sense that they ought to love God more. We all do. We should. And they all think that they're going to go to some conference and get all wound up like a toy soldier. And maybe they are man. During that conference. They are like on fire, but what always happens? Those toy soldiers wind down, don't they? Three days later, you back where you started from. Now that isn't to say that we shouldn't look for special works of God and ask for God for special visitations. No, that does. It's not what I'm saying, but what I'm saying is this. If you see a man. Really loves his wife. I mean serves her loves her, treats her like a queen, I mean queen. And all the ladies said, Amen. Treats her like a queen. What you, humanists? What do you automatically say? Man, what a wonderful man. Don't you? When you see a man love a woman man, what a man, what a wonderful man want to be like that man he's wonderful. You are so messed up in your head. You're always thinking wrong. I just say things like that. 'cause then you listen, people are looking down like this and they're like half asleep like what do you mean I'm twisted? I'm not really mean. I just know how to keep you awake. But we always think what a wonderful man. Maybe he's not a wonderful man at all. Maybe as a wonderful wife. Maybe his wife? Is so virtuous. So beautiful in her inward spirit, so such a magnificent person that it takes this basically. You know? Big loose takes this big dull. Have brainless man. Who really isn't that passionate at all? In it her beauty, I mean inward beauty, her virtue. Takes this man and draws out his affections. She's the cause. Of his great love for her. Because that's the same way it is with God. People say brother Paul, how can I love God more and always giving this illustration. OK, so imagine I'm laying on the floor on my back here in the pulpit. OK Reese, right here I'm just laying and you walk in and I've got both hands on my belt like this and I'm going I'm laying on my back and I'm going. You walk over and you go. Brother Paul, what are you doing? I've always heard you were kind of outside the box, but what are you doing? Anne, I'm going. I'm going well. I'm trying to get up. Bro Point, did you ever study physics? I mean in physics 101. If you're going to get up that way, you have to be acted upon by an external force. Something outside of you must pull you up. You cannot pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. Or your own belt. Something outside of you must get you up. Must pull on you. Have you ever studied the tide and the moon? It is amazing if the moon goes away. We're all in a whole lot of trouble. Does every night. The the waters. Just by its own force. Reaches up to the moon. Is that what they do now? The moon pulls the water. Now. How do we grow in our love for God? That's not where you should be looking. You grow in your knowledge. Both biblical, factual and experential experimental. Knowledge. Of gods. Attributes, but let me say it in a different. Way of God's beauty. Of God's virtue. You see? The more if your heart is unregenerate, the more you know about God, the more you will hate him. That's just a fact. OK, now let me give you another fact. Not 90%, no fact, 100% Olive. If your heart is genuinely regenerate. The more you know about God's virtue. His beauty, his splendor, his glory, his disposition, the manifestation of his love in the gospel. The more you know that. The more your heart. Like like the ocean is going to be pulled toward him, so if you're trying to screw yourself up and wind yourself up or fire yourself up. That's that's just no. No, it doesn't work. You know it doesn't work. So what is going to cure this? It is not you going and reading Berkhof now, I love Birkhoff. Don't get me wrong, but we're not just talking about learning how to properly define things and memorizing attributes. We're talking about studying the scriptures, an reading books about the attributes of God, but it's more that you see knowing God is not less than factual knowledge from the Bible about who he is. It's not less than that. But it is more than that. It's crying out God, show me. Like that Lady who had read the passage the pastor gave her countless times and it meant nothing. And then one day it just woke up to her and she saw it. Now, here's another thing, and you listen to me very carefully. I go to prayer meetings and I hear people lament the fact that they don't have anguish. Or how start put it? I have heard this that the church began agonizing in the upper room. I don't see them agonizing in the upper room. Why would they agonize? There's nothing to be in agony about. Their master gave them promises. They just needed to calmly and joyfully believe. Be very, very careful. I I was praying with a brother from Lebanon and then this really fired. Up of Angeles guy. One time, who was he was something. Been wearing this hotel room late at night. And the brother from Lebanon prayed a man who had suffered for Christ and everything. And you know, just. Prayed and we prior to that immediately prior to that prayer time we were having a lovely conversation. Very joyful, very light and brother from Lebanon said, let's pray and he prayed. It was beautiful prayer. And then I thought, well, evangelism. And all of a sudden. Well, God. And started he went on the floor. I thought it should. I grab his tongue what the world is going on is having a fit. And I mean he went wild weeping and done Ness and I thought goodness gracious how do you follow that? I like what happened to him. And I didn't know what to do. I was younger. And when he finished praying that old man from Lebanon. Poked him right in the chest. Like that said, don't you ever do that again? Now it's like, yeah? Don't you ever do that again? Yeah, what he said. I'm not gonna do it. My my friend listen to me when I sing a hymn about the resurrection up from the grave. He wrote, you see me, yes. When it's sacred Head, now Woon did with grief and shame. Wait now no. That's. That's my savior. There's no time for clapping. Same way in prayer there's a time for agony, but I see so many people the moment they go into prayer mode, it's agony mode. God think about this, you know, think about especially young people. What if every time my daughter, you know? My little 5 year old. Every time she was hungry she came up and she did this. Oh Dad I'm so hungry and I know that I'm not worthy to eat at the table but. What? But that's what you do. I've seen you do it here this weekend. I just wanted to bring the point home. But really? What about? Lord I'm I'm hungry again. You've been faithful in the proper time to feed me, but I'm just going to lift this up to you, I'm. I'm hungry again. My favorite prayer. I'm going to let you into my little secret world. I'm a very fearful man. And things scare me, all the things that heart cry. And all the things that we have to do. And you know what? My most powerful weapon is. I get out of bed. In the middle of the night. Now is this window right? In our cabin we had an old cabin. And I get down on my knees. I look at that window. And I would just say. You you know. You know? You know, Lord? And then go back to bed. He knows. And yes, there is a time for anguish. And there is a tablet, but we're talking about a father who has given you all things. I find the older I get, the more I. Go before him just with. I'm so happy. Get that door open. I'm coming through. Heaven will never be the same father. Just so much is so good. And here's the thing. When you pray, tell him what you need, but then then don't tell him how to answer it. He doesn't need your directions. He also doesn't need you to go into a thorough theological explanation of why your prayer is correct. He doesn't even know it need to know all the details because he knows them better than you do and he knew them better than you do. Like a gazillion years ago. If I say off in eternity, all the little kids don't understand it, but they understand gazillion years ago. Did you see so when you know this, God? And you believe his promises? There's peace. There's love. Not always, because you know what God will do. If you say man. That guy rambles a lot. Just remember my doctors told my wife that she'd be lucky if I was in an institution after the heart attack, so I'm doing pretty well. I want you to look at something. Isaiah 50 1st 10. This is a in the servant song. Who is among you that fears the Lord that obeys the voice of his servant? Man, you are in a right relationship with God. If this is you. Fear the Lord that obeys the voice of his servant. That's the son you've obeyed, the voice, his son, when he said rise. And live. That walks in darkness and has no light. Hold it, Michael is teaching that the true Christian walks in the light. That's exactly what John says. That's exactly what John says. Walks in the revelation of God walks in the light of God. Yes, the purity of God. All that. So, So what is he saying? Is talking about believers when God in his grace. Remember how Abraham had nothing to look at. To hold up. His faith, except the promise and God's character. Here's what God's going to you believe you're going to be crying out. I want to feel something I want to feel something. I want to see something on and there are. There are times when things like that a sense of the presence of God are entirely appropriate, wonderful and needful. But when you really start getting into the. The more difficult classes. In God's teaching. He will leave you at times in utter darkness. Leave you without anything to sustain your hope or your faith. Except your knowledge of his character. And if God promised to hold the hand of Messiah when he walked on the earth, you can be sure that he holds the hands of the Messiah's disciples. So let him. Trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Let him do that. Not trusting what he can see, God will take away your feeling. He will even take away the sense of his love from you. He calls sometimes leave you and it seems completely barren. Why is he doing it that you learn to trust in the nature, the character, the word of your God? And then he goes on. Behold, all of you who kindle a fire who encircle yourself with firebrands. Walk in the light of your fire and among the brands you have set ablaze. This you will have from my hand. You will lie down in torment. These are people who say no, your character is not enough. Your word is not enough. I need to see something. I need to feel something and so they go out there and they acquire strange fire. They've got to have some experience. They've got to have something because just trusting in the nature of God and so many believers will come to me and they'll go. I'm believing, but it's almost as though I see nothing. I feel nothing. There's nothing to support me at all. And I'm going, oh, child. And yet you find yourself believing. And yet you find yourself going forward. Or I'll tell them something like this. Good enough. Seems quite hopeless in your case. Did you drink and party before you became a Christian? So yes, I did will go back to it if I was you. Let's eat and drink for tomorrow. We die. I can't do that. No, no really, really go open door. I'll look up some in the Yellow Pages or get on the Internet for you. Go out and have a bang up time. I can't do that. Why? Why? Because of my God. Sounds to me like. God is making you a spectacle at this moment and he's very happy because he has left you with nothing. He's drawn from you everything. And yet, at the same time in heaven, he's boasting of you look at my servant. Who walks in darkness and has no light but trusts in my name? Do you see? Now, so many of you can identify with that, and you're going. What I thought was a desert because of my sin. Is actually God getting greater glory from me than he would have if I had all kinds of things around me supporting up my faith? Do you see? So now I want to go quickly. I want to talk about how joy energizes. Now again, most people are like this. I'm going to if I obey God. I will have joy. But my obedience is always so weak. I have so little joy. If all I had to do was look in the mirror, I would have very little joy. But if it's. The God of all creation. Has shown his love toward me. By sending his own son to die, and then he says, if he will not do, if he will do that, will he not also give me all things and there's all and I'm perfectly righteous before him and I am secure and I am you see now, where's that joy coming from? I haven't even got to obedience. I'm not even thinking about me. You maybe think about you too much. Brother Paul, when I look in. The mirror I just see. Well, why on earth would you look in the mirror? The Puritans would say for every inward look. 10 glances to Christ in long glaze. Gray gazes upon Christ. Do you see? So all this now gives you joy. Hebrews 12, two fixing our eyes on Jesus. The author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Believers, you are often told that you must walk the way of Calvary. That's true. But Calvary is not the end. It's not the end. The end goes up and up and up and up. Until you're seated at the right hand of him. Do you see that? And that should bring you joy. He's not getting glory for himself because he saved the most capable people on the planet. He's getting glory for himself because he saved the weakest in the smallest and those who were not in the base, and those who never are. It's not that we just were not. I'm not now. My greatest moment of piety would only earn me death. If one fraction of this was based on us, there would be no hope, but it's not. It's the perfect work of Christ who accomplished. I love that word. The older I get accomplished, accomplished, accomplished, he accomplished it. It's a done deal. You say and therefore having joy. Derek Kidder writes. Joy is invigorating. Biblical joy is invigorating, not escapist. We can run headlong into the battle knowing. Will make it out. We can go into the darkest tunnel, knowing this too will pass. I want to read from Charles Simeon just really quick. He wrote Charles Simeon. If you're a preacher, a pastor expositor. Buy all of it from Charles Simeon, all his preaching commentary on the Bible. It's one of the richest. I read Simien almost as much as Spurgeon. Fenomenale expositor. He says joy disposes for action, fear and sorrow, depressed and overwhelmed the soul. Can you identify with that? Yeah, but you don't know me. I have a reason to. Yeah, you do have a reason to. I agree with you. But you're not the reason. I have a reason to be sorrowful and depressed and cast down when I look at myself, but I'm not supposed to be looking at myself. What am I supposed to be looking at? Who am I supposed to be looking at? God Christ. The accomplished work, joy disposes fraction fear and sorrow depressin overwhelm the soul. The innervate and benom all our faculties. They keep us from attending to any encouraging considerations. They disable us from extending relief to others. They indispose us for the most necessary duties. We cannot pray or speak or do anything with pleasure. On the contrary, a joyous frame exhilarates the soul. David well knew the effect it would produce in everyone may safely adopt his reservation. His resolution. I will run the way of Thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart. Who is amazing? I can be walking through the office and just hear what I think. They keep a lot from me. Hear the brothers talking about. Someone else has made a film against Paul or someone is attacking Paul. And I think I mean in that second I just. I stop thinking about missions. I feel horrible about to go in my office to pray. The day the briding everything I was going to do, it's like. And then they come out and say, hey Paul, what's up? What were you talking about? Oh, remember that thing that happened like 20 years ago. So something new didn't happen? No, oh great. Let's talk about missions. How can you see that? You identify with that, don't you? Yeah, the news could have changed, but my God didn't change. Why am I so weak? You see, and how often do we sit there in lamentin are afraid of something that doesn't even exist, like a 8 foot tarantula. He goes on to write joy, qualifies for suffering. When the spirit is oppressed, the smallest trial is a burden. In those seasons, we are apt to fret and murmur, both against God and Man. We consider our trials as the effects. Now listen, we consider our trials as the effects of divine wrath or overlooking God. We vent our indignation against the instruments he uses, but when the soul is joyous, afflictions appear light. How little did Paul and Silas regard their imprisonment? How willing was Paul to lay down his very life for Christ? This accords with the experience of every true Christian and brothers. Let me say this, if there is one area. We're very serious people about the Lord. Sometimes we fail. I know I fail. I fail in this with my children. I fail in this with my wife. I fail in this with my brethren, and that is encouragement. In Kurt, how many times does that word appear? Encourage, encourage, encourage, instill, courage, instill hope. Instill how many times you know. Your child could be out mowing the yard. And you realize, Oh my gosh, he's 17. That there mowing the yard. What's the big deal about that? Well, he's obediently mowing the yard. His. Is rather tall. Isa. He pushes that stronger than his dad can. And walk out in the yard and say son stop for a moment. I'm bout to cry. I just you're amazing. You just. Thank you. Walk in. Tell your wife is a good meal. Oh, that's nice. But what if? You just sat down. Said honey, sit down for a second. I just want you to know that. This doesn't go unnoticed. You know you. Prepare things from scratch. You do this. You cook you. It just doesn't go unnoticed. This one encourage you in that. Encouragement, encouragement, encouragement, encouragement, encouragement, encouragement, and you. Sit there and you're like me, guys. You would do this if you would remember it. Right, please say right, right? I would do this, say right. Your wife is looking at you or you want to say right right now. Or maybe you should just, I don't know. Paint it on your wall at work or something. But this is what the whole Christian life we need encouragement and what encouragement can do. I heard a testimony last night there sister from India. I mean it's. I mean it's it's 11:00 o'clock. I'm really tired and we're standing there for 40 minutes. Is the most encouraging thing. I think I have heard in so long. Everything she shared with me about what God had done in her life just made me sit there and go. Alright, it's gonna be OK. It's gonna be OK. God did that with her. Yeah, he's alive. Yeah, he's alive. Yeah, you can't write that one off. That's amazing, do you see that? And that's one of the things I told Matt that I love about this conference, even though I want to preach like 14 hours a day. And I'm probably on our 14 this morning preach like. I said Mac, I said I think one of the most amazing things about this conference is the time that you men have wisely allowed for people just to be with one another. It 'cause it's just beautiful. I mean, I've just talk and talk and talk and talk with so many people here. So many stories. OK, let's get to obedience real quick. Obedience is founded upon faith. I want you to see that lot of times the word is used interchangeably in a way. You say what do I mean? Don't look at. Obey. I want to do it. Or disobey 'cause I don't want to do it. Look at something else here and this is what I always tell my children. This a lot OK? Who loves you more than you love you? God. Who's wiser than you? God. So why do we obey his commands? Because God loves us more than we love ourselves and is wiser than we are. He wants more for us than we want for ourselves. He wants better for us than we want for ourselves, and he has shown us the way to do it when we don't know how. That's obedience. Obedience is born out of faith. That this God so young person you've got this decision. There is this, you feel alone. You feel lonely. Maybe you're you're an older person younger and you desire a mate. And someone comes into your life. Very handsome or very pretty. Not a Christian or not spiritual. Not not, not mature. And now you've got to make a decision. You really want. To be in a relationship you really want to. There's nothing wrong with that. That's wonderful. But now you've got to say. God tells me to do something else. God isn't saying you can't be with this person. What he's saying is you can't be with him now. And maybe it will be you can't be with him, ever. And you've got to sit there and go OK, God's telling me know, does God love me? Or is he just trying he? Or maybe does God love me? Or not. Yes, he loves me more than I could ever does. He love me more than I love me and boy that would be difficult. Yeah he loves you more than you love you and he loves you in the right way where you and I don't love ourselves in the right way. So he loves me OK? Is he smarter than me? Yeah. He's smarter than me. Does he know what's best for me when sometimes I don't know what's best for me? My wife says look, you don't know what's best for you. I know what's best for you. If she is. She does most of the time. She knows what's best for me, especially with regard to eating broccoli. She knows what's best for me. So certainly God knows what's best for me. So if he says no. It's because he loves me more than I could ever know. And he's right about this. It will lead to my harm and not be good for me. Do you see how obedience changes when you look at it that way? Do you see how everything changes now? Isn't it amazing that when the book of James talks about temptation? Probably the most important passage in the Bible about temptation and James chapter one that immediately immediately people go. I hear preachers say this. Now James is going to change. Well, let's just look real quick. Look real quick. Look at James one. I want to show you something that will really help you with obedience. So James one I'm not going to read the whole thing but. You know what, 13? Through through 15 is all about right. It's about temptation. It's about temptation. Don't give into temptation. Don't give in to temptation. Temptation gives birth to something that gives birth to something you die. Do not give into temptation and then people get to verse 17 and they go now. Jane James is going to change the theme. No, he doesn't know he doesn't do not separate. Verse 17 from the temptation passage. Every good, every good thing given in every perfect gift is from above coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting of shadow. What is he saying? This temptation is no good. It contradicts the will of God and how do we know it's no good? Because every good and perfect gift comes from God, and if this isn't from God, it's not good. And it's not perfect. So when you look at that young man or that young lady and they they are come outside of the context of who you can consider as a biblical mate. You look at that and the devil is going now now. Now fulfill the need now now now and you go well. Let's see how we can fight this. God loves me. Infinitely and perfectly God's wisdom is the greatest. And this and God's wisdom wants the best for me. And this contradicts God's wisdom, yeah, but now now now. So what I'm being told is, take this secondary faulty perversion of God's will. Because we don't want to wait for the good and perfect gift that God is going to give. Do you see that? So how do you come over temptation? By realizing this is not. This is bad. This is counterfeit. This is a substitute, and if I take this I might miss this other thing. Every good and perfect gift. So see, obedience is well, I want the good and perfect gift. And that that changes the way we think about obedience. Also, obedience is energized by joy. Also, obedience is not a burden. Obedience is the way of security and peace. You want to see a child who is nervous and scared and becomes angry. I'll show you a child that was never given parameters. The child doesn't know how. To live. They do not know what's right. What's wrong? They have no standard by which to judge their conscience runs wild. Do you see that? So how can I have security? Because God is giving us specific commands, so we might know how to live. Let me give you an example. Let's say that I'm right here back here. Anne. The enemy is coming through this door. And I've got to make it across this room. And out the other side. You say, well? I said, what should I do? You say, well, run. In what direction will straight out the door? Sounds simple enough, but now let's look at it this way. It's true, enemies coming through here. If I don't get out of here, I'm going to die. There's the door. But the entire floor. Underneath it has hidden landmines everywhere and if I step in the wrong place, I'm going to die. Now I'm paralyzed with fear. I am literally paralyzed with fear. I'm going to die from what's coming through the door, but I can't navigate my way to where I need to be. Because I can't see around the corner. I can't see under the carpet. I don't know how to walk, but. If I'm here. And I have a book. A map. And it says 2 steps forward. Now, one step to the left. OK, five steps forward. I can navigate myself through all the dangers of this life, even though I cannot see, even though I walk in darkness. I can navigate my way through the course of this life. By the Commandments and wisdom of God. Now, gentlemen, do you want to cast off your children out of your house without having taught them the wisdom of God? God is giving us specific commands so that we do not have to fear that we are wandering aimlessly. I believe that by the spirit we are taught how to love. But I believe also the Spirit uses the Word of God to teach us how to love. Remember what I said? When someone says I love my wife. Remember what we did the other day went to first Corinthians says, well, that means you're patient with your wife. That means this. That means this. That means to see you don't know how to love. Refined Lee, apart from the Word of God. Conclusion What is the source of this knowledge and faith that leads to joy and obedience? Renewing our mind in the Word of God? Renewing our mind. There is a word that I love. In the English translations in Psalms 37, it's cultivate. Cultivate faithfulness. That word, cultivate me as a farm boy means a lot. Cultivate the mind of Christ and how do you do that saturation in the word? Now. Think about this. Your child. Is. Conscious is awake. About 16 hours a day. So they get up and they go off to oftentimes to public school. Where for 8 hours. Five days a week they are indoctrinated. With everything that opposes. Your face. Then there's all the other kids. He who walks with wise men will be wise, but a Companion of Fools, no. Most of your children, if they do this, their companions or other children just like them. They're not around men or women. OK. They come home from school and maybe. You let him watch a little bit of select DVD's, or let's say no. It's just a normal child. They come home and they watch TV, Internet or video games until they go to bed. Then they go to Sunday School and they paint a picture of Noah's Ark paying particular attention to the stripes on the zebra. And then you wonder. Why children cannot stand. And then think about you gentlemen, ladies. 16 hours a day. Bombarded constantly. And then you're going to pick up a little devotional and read it for 10 minutes a day. That's what you're going to do. Really. We're behind enemy lines. Where ignorance is a very deadly thing. Extremely deadly, you know. I've been in a lot of really, really bad places. Really bad, really horrific situations. And jungles middle of war. Horrible dangerous city streets. And I survived. Do you want to know why? I'm a farm boy from Illinois. I'm not Indiana Jones. I'm not a military man. I don't know how to survive in the jungle. But I did. Do you know how? I submitted myself to those who didn't know how to survive in the jungle. The agua dunas. When I was with the Agua doing is going through the jungle. I was like the shadow. I mean if they told me to move I moved it. They said don't sit there. I didn't sit there, I did everything they told me to do. When I would go into the inner city of Lima, very, very dangerous. I would go there with a friend of mine girl Haley Arcea from Cuba or from Carlos Santana, both of them who had been on the streets all their life and then were converted and they were still known by the gangs. I could go in there if I went in there by myself. Be there. I could go in there all day long why? Because I was with them. Now young person. I know I'm going on, but now I want to shift gears for just a second. I want to take this and I want to apply this to you. I was teaching the Chinese several years ago and the Chinese are some brilliant musicians. An in this church and this one girl Mike knows or she plays the piano like just. You know, it's like a concert pianist for me. So she played the piano and I got up to preach while I was giving this illustration. I said now I want to show you what I'm talking about. I went over to the piano. Put up the thing I look my pulled out like a man I'm they thought man brother Palser Renaissance man plays the piano. And then I just started going in and. And banging and everything and making noise in the Chinese. They think I'm crazy anyways, but they laugh. And then I got up and I said what's the difference between me and your pianist? Submission. You see, I you think submission. Hampers your life and limits it. That's what you think. It's the very opposite alright, could could could. Can you imagine me Michael Durham and Mac Tomlinson wandering through the very center of Amazonia? And Mike in his suit. With that I even. Can you imagine how long would we last? Not very long. But if all three of us in there with the Agua Tuna men that I know, we could stay in there forever and preach all over the place if we submit to everything they tell us to do. Using us three again as examples, we don't exactly look like Gangstas, do we? So us going into the inner city of Lima where there are gangs and everything else. Now it's it's just not going to go well. But if that were there with rojelio. Isaiah and Carlos Santana. We're in we're OK. Why those men know exactly what they're doing, but we have to submit to them that girl could run all over that piano. I mean, just freedom. Do you realize I had no freedom? I had no. She had freedom. One just back and forth. I had no freedom why I didn't know the rules, nor had I trained myself to submit to them. Do you see the difference? Submitting yourself to the wisdom of God in the Law of God does not limit your life. People have come up to me and they said, you know, man, you've been able to do so many things with and all of it is an Illinois. Mike knows where I live. A simple Illinois farm boy from a town of 1000 people who literally. Sometimes I'm in the kitchen like this with my I got blue bathrobe, but I'm in the kitchen and then I forget while I'm while I'm in there specially after my heart attack and I'm like looking and my wife will be sitting in the living room and she goes. Hey Dory, you found Nemo yet. I mean I. Have no but but so many things, even even the things I know. Many of the things I know. Are the fact that I hang I hung around with so many godly men and listen to them. Did you see what I'm saying? Alright then, if you see what I'm saying, then I guess I've said enough. Renew your mind in the study of Scripture and renew your mind sitting under godly preaching. Renew your mind in godly. Fellowship of a local church. I want to tell you that this has been a beautiful. I'm like the. Queen of Sheba. Maybe that's not good history. I'm like her husband. He was probably tagging along. When she said, you know, the half has not been told. I was always told that this was a wonderful place to be. But it really has been for me this week. I'm physically tired, but I'm completely renewed. So God bless you.
