Gospel Giving

Introduction

Well, good morning! I hope everyone had a great week…I hope your hearts are ready this morning to dig into God’s Word. Amen? Listen, if you have your Bibles and I hope that you do, go ahead and open ‘em up with me to Philippians chapter 4…Philippians chapter 4. This is our last week in this letter to the church of Philippi and then we’ll be jumping into a short mini series looking at the Christmas promise and then after that, at the start of the new year, we’ll be jumping into a short sermon series, looking at the vision for the future here at FBC before we dive into the book of Genesis. And of course, that’ll take a large part of the year…we’re gonna separate that book into 3 different parts and then dig through that together for the next three years.

And so, just a quick snapshot of what’s to come…but listen, I hope you’ve enjoyed Philippians as much as I have over the last four months…I hope God used it and continues use in your lives. But if you remember, when we started this series, the focus we really wanted to draw out of Philippians was the idea that Paul emphasizes over and over again…obviously its the gospel and the power behind the gospel…obviously, Paul’s goal was to make much of Christ…but if you’ve been with us…Paul’s main theme, its been how the gospel unites us, right? This series, it’s been about unity. And if you’ve been listening…its teaching us about a unity that has nothing to do with us…a unity that has everything to do with Jesus. We’re together…we’ve been changed…we’re different…all because of the power of Jesus in our lives. He’s brought unity to us…And over and over again, Paul’s challenged his reader, he’s challenged us…to live a life worthy of the gospel…to adopt the same mindset of Christ…to humble ourselves…be sacrificial…self-denying…to put others above ourselves…all so that Christ might be magnified in the different places He calls us to…all so that the church that He’s allowed to come together might proclaim His name to a lost world. That’s our purpose in unity…in coming together…And Paul’s been showing us what it looks like for us to be the body of Christ.

And listen, as we come to a close in his letter this morning…it’s no different…even in his closing remarks…he’s reminding his reader of what the gospel does. He’s reminding us of how the gospel changes us. And as we go through this text this morning…Paul’s giving us a whole new way to look at giving.

And listen, I know what you’re thinking, “Oh no…not a sermon on giving. Pastor’s always beat us down with these kinds of sermons…give more money,” right? First off, in the past 18 months I’ve been you’re pastor, I’ve not preached one time on giving…I believe two things about giving…Number one, giving, it involves discipleship…and so if you’re struggling to give to the Lord what He gave you, then you’re still a babe in Christ as Paul would say…and you need to be discipled…you need to grow…and number two, when it comes to preaching it, it’s why I always hang my hat on expository preaching. I’m a firm believer in preaching through books of the Bible verse by verse, paragraph by paragraph, chapter by chapter…just like what we’ve done through this letter. And listen, I believe that...because it really let’s God speak what He’s wants to speak. I don’t control what comes next. You understand? This is His pulpit and what I bring to you, I’ve spent hours and days seeking from Him.

And listen, I wanna be clear…I know we’ve had some moments this year…we’ve experienced a lot of heartache as a church, right? But this sermon isn’t because the church is in any kind of financial stress. You understand? God’s blessed us to continue doing what He’s called us to do…and I’m excited about what He’s putting on our hearts for the coming years....this sermon isn’t because we’re desperate for people to give more…The reason we’re going here this morning, it’s because its the next passage in our exposition through this book. Again, it’s one of the great advantages of expository preaching, no one ever has to wonder if there’s a hidden agenda or if the pastor’s trying to convey his own heart instead of God’s. It’s just what’s next in this letter to the Philippians…and this is God’s Word for us this morning…and guys, I believe this passage, it has some very important things to teach us about giving that I hope Jesus will use in each one of our hearts this morning.

Listen, the main point Paul’s making here really goes back to what Jesus said in Matthew 6, “Show me your treasure, and I’ll show you where your heart is.” When the gospel impacts our lives, our identity, our contentment, our satisfaction, our gratitude, our joy, everything…it’s found in Christ…not earthly things. It’s the same for what we chose to give…it’s just another resource…an opportunity for us to show the gospel…to advance the gospel. Guys, how we handle our money or our resources…it demonstrates our spiritual maturity and the gospel impact in our lives.

Listen, several of you guys have heard of the preacher, Charles Spurgeon. He was a great preacher in the 19th century but listen, he wasn’t just a great preacher…he also had a great heart of compassion and love for people in need around him. He started all kinds of compassion-type organizations and charities. And listen, he was known oftentimes for coming to his church, and especially his deacon team, and soliciting funds to ask for money so that he could meet different particular needs, right?

But the story goes on that one time his deacons got tired of being asked so often, and so they conspired together that the next time Spurgeon took an offering…none of them were gonna give a shilling. And so, sure enough, the day came when Spurgeon had yet another need that he wanted to be met, and he pulled the deacons together in a meeting, and he took an offering. And listen, the way he would do it was to take his hat off and he’d pass his hat around to each person so that they could contribute their offering, right?

And so, the hat came back to him…and listen, not one person gave anything. The hat came back to him empty. Spurgeon, who was humorous and had a very sharp wit about him, he didn’t miss a beat. He bowed in prayer and he said, “Father, I’m thankful to get my hat back from these greedy rascals”! Then he passed the hat around again a second time, and they gave a good offering.

Listen, as we come to our text this morning, this is the complete opposite of what Paul’s says about the Philippian church…they had a heart of giving....because they had a heart that had been changed and impacted by the gospel…And that’s exactly what Paul shares this morning. And so, if you’re there with me in Philippians chapter 4, let’s stand together as we read what he wrote starting in verse 10. He says this, “10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

Thank you, you can be seated.

Listen, as we get started this morning…there’s five important truths Paul shows us about generosity, about giving, and I wanna point each one of ‘em out to you. And so, let’s start with this first one.

1.) We Express the Mindset of Christ Through Giving (vv. 10-13)

The first truth Paul points out here…its from our passage from last week, he shows us that we express the mindset of Christ through our giving. Look back at verse 10 with me. Paul says, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.” Listen, if you underline in your Bibles, underline that word “concern” and “concerned” there in that passage.

That word “concern,” it’s important because it’s a word that literally means “mind” or “mindset,” right? We’ve come across this word over and over again in our study of this letter. It’s kind of masked here because of the translation given to it but it’s important. It’s a word related to the Greek word phroneo.

Matt Harmon, in his commentary, says, “This verb refers to the shared mindset and outlook on life that believers should have in common with Christ.” If you remember, Paul exhorted these Philippians to embrace this mindset, this mentality, again and again. We especially saw this in Philippians 2, where he calls them to have the same mind in Christ, and then he points them to the example of Christ himself, right?

I’ll read this again for those of you that weren’t with us…Philippians 2:3-8, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.”

Listen guys, bringing it back to our passage this morning, when Paul says, “You’ve revived your concern for me,” and, “You were indeed concerned for me.” He’s affirming them…He’s saying, “You’ve had this mindset towards me. This mindset that I’ve been exhorting you to have. You’ve had it.”

And listen, if we go back to the first parts of this letter…chapter 1, verse 7…Paul says, “Just as it is right for me to be concerned for you,” or in other words, “to have this mindset about y’all.” And listen, now that he’s wrapping this letter up…he’s affirming their mindset towards him. You understand? The things he’s been charging them to embrace among themselves…servanthood....humility....selflessness…he’s saying, “that’s been your attitude toward me…it’s been demonstrated through your giving.” He’s showing us…giving, it expresses the mindset of Jesus.

And so real quickly…what’s this mean for us? It means that as we give…as we develop a lifestyle of generosity....we’re becoming more and more like Jesus....And listen, the most Christlike people in the world, they’re always the most generous people. It’s those that imitate Christ that give the most. And guys, I’m not even necessarily talking about just giving to the church…I don’t just give to the church. You understand?

Giving…as Paul shows here…it expresses the mindset of Christ…it shows others that we’ve been transformed…it shows that our contentment’s not found in all those things…it’s part of our Christlikeness…it’s part of our growth in Christ…And guys, if you want to imitate our Savior…if you wanna be like Jesus…you’ll seek to grow in generosity. Because Jesus gave everything for us, right? That’s Paul’s first point here.

2.) We Demonstrate the Fellowship of the Gospel Through Giving (vv. 14-16)

Secondly…Paul shows us that we demonstrate the fellowship or the partnership of the gospel through our giving. Look at verses 14 through 16 again. Paul says, “Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.” Underline that word “share.” “And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel [which simply means when the gospel first began to be preached], when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership [underline that word “partnership”]He says, “with me in giving and receiving except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again.”

Listen guys, do you see the theme here? Those words “share,” “partnership?” Those are word’s we’ve already looked at in our study, right? They’re key words in his letter to the church of Philippi. There’s different ways to translate it but it means “fellowship,” “partnership.” But look at what Paul says here…we have a verb added…He says, “share my trouble.” And again, it’s a phrase related to that same word we looked at, koinonia.

You guys remember how Paul started this letter? Thanking the Philippians? Prayers for them and their partnership? What’s the partnership Paul was talking about? It was their friendship…their fellowship that they had in the gospel....but if you remember…it was more than just that…it was also a financial partnership.

Look at these verses here again…the Philippian church, they were the only church to help Paul when he left Macedonia…they were the only church that entered into a partnership with him in giving and receiving.

Do you remember what he writes to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians about the church in Macedonia? Let me read just a few verses from 2 Corinthians 8. He says, “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that was given among the churches of Macedonia. For in a severe test of affliction their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints, and this not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then by the will of God to us.”

There’s so many things to notice here about this church that entered into partnership with Paul. They gave with joy—it wasn’t begrudging. “God loves a cheerful giver,” right? They gave joyfully, but they gave even in their extreme poverty. In fact, Paul says they “begged us for the opportunity.”

I think that’s the kind of people the Philippians were. They begged for the opportunity to give. They wanted to give so deeply. They were so committed to giving, and it was a special partnership that they had with the apostle Paul.

Listen, you and I, we need to think about our own lives…our partnerships with others in the gospel. There’s a ton of ways for us to apply this passage but on the local church level…it’s important for us to give to our local church because this is the fellowship or the partnership that God’s called us to, right? And when we do that…when we do it generously…faithfully…joyfully…it demonstrates our fellowship with one another in the gospel…our unity.

And listen, I’m grateful for who we are at FBC…our people give generously…we give faithfully....and joyfully…And I’m grateful to be the pastor here…I’m grateful for you.

But we should continue seeking to give…we should continue seeking partnerships with missionaries…We should constantly think about the missionaries we support. We should think about the parachurch ministries that target the kinds of work we feel called to. We should partner with church planters looking to advance the gospel.

Guys, these things, when they’re done in the name of Christ…with a solid commitment to the gospel…it forms part of our gospel partnership with others…giving, it’s an essential part of that partnership…and it demonstrates that partnership. All of us, we should be thinking about the kinds of partnerships we’ve formed. And again, I’m not just talking about giving financially…how about with your time…your talents? Do we have gospel friendships…do those friendships include the element of giving in order to support the work of the gospel?

That’s number two.

3.) We Experience the Fruit of Spiritual Growth Through Giving (v. 17)

Number three…we experience the fruit of spirit growth through our giving. Look back at verse 17…Paul says, “17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.”

Listen, I don’t think you realize just how amazing Paul is. Here he is…he’s in prison…I’m sure this money, its literally helping him survive..it’s probably just enough to take care of his basic necessities…and here he is saying, “Thank you for for the gift, but I wasn’t seeking the gift…I’m seeking the fruit for you.” He just goes out of his way, again and again, to say, “I wasn’t after your money! I’ve learned in whatever state I am to be content.” He wasn’t after the money! And so, what’s he after? He’s after their fruit. He wanted fruit in their lives. I mean that’s been his whole message so far…he wants to see them grow in their walk with Christ.

I mean…do you remember his prayer in chapter one…where he said, “it’s my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

What’s the fruit of righteousness? Well, at least a part of the fruit of righteousness, its generosity. It’s a giving heart, it’s a willingness to give.

Then, notice Paul says here “fruit that abounds to your credit.” The commentaries tell us that when the word “fruit” is connected with financial language—so you have agricultural language (fruit) and financial language (credit)—when that’s combined, that word “fruit,” it can mean an advantage or a profit, or even carry the idea of something like compound interest. Right?

Peter O’Brien in his commentary says, “The picture painted by the accounting metaphor is of compound interest that accumulates all the time, till the last day. The apostle has employed this commercial language to show that he has set his heart on an ongoing, permanent gain for the Philippians in the spiritual realm.”

Think about it like this…whenever someone invests in a business opportunity.....right? Listen, Brittany and I, we love Shark Tank…one day, I’m gonna come up with a great idea that gets me on that show…but listen, whenever someone does that…invests in a business…they’re allowed to share in the profits earned, right?

And so, for believers…when they invest in the kingdom of God…in the work the Lord’s doing…its like they’re benefiting with these eternal dividends…and that profit, it’s manifesting itself in the way of spiritual growth for them right now. You understand?

That’s what Paul means here…he wants fruit…he wants their spiritual growth and their fruit…he’s not looking at the temporary benefit this gift gives him…he’s focused on how this gift’s gonna grow them…he’s focused on the profit they’re gonna gain for this generosity. It’s the same idea that Jesus said in Matthew 6 when He says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Don’t focus on temporary gain…that’s what Paul’s saying, That’s what Jesus is saying. Focus on eternal gain. And listen, giving…our generosity…it grows us spiritually when we approach it with the right heart.

That’s fruit…that’s the fruit Paul’s talking about here....fruit that abounds…that increases to our credit…when we give it grows us…it causes us to become more like Christ…it’s part of our spiritual growth…And listen, the more we grow spiritually…the more inclined we are to giving.

That’s number three.

4.) We Worship Through Giving (v. 18)

The fourth thing we see here is that we worship through our giving. Look at what Paul says in verse 18, “18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.”

Now, when we read that…it’s pretty clear that’s language that comes straight from the Old Testament, right? He’s using the language from the Old Testament sacrificial system…where, when someone was gonna worship God at the tabernacle or at the temple....they would do what? They’d bring an offering, right? They’d bring a sacrifice. And that sacrifice, it would maybe be a grain offering…or a cereal offering....maybe it was a ram or a calf…and it would either be poured out on the altar or maybe burned up and offered to the Lord in a fire…it was said to be a fragrant offering, right? Something that was fragrant to the Lord…something that brought Him pleasure…a sweet aroma.

And listen, you know what this teaches us? It’s pretty simple…our giving…it’s part of our worship…and giving, it pleases the Lord. It reveals the condition of our hearts.

It’s why its a good habit for churches to take a public offering during corporate worship…it’s why we started passing the plates again. I know it rubs some people the wrong way…but its another opportunity to worship. You understand? It reminds us that when we give from the right heart…when we give out of devotion to God…we give all for the glory of God…we give in obedience to God…and it’s worship.

Listen, it pleases Him…it brings Him pleasure…and He delights in our offering to Him. And guys, it’s not the amount we give…its the heart in which we give…its giving out of what you have in order to worship the Lord.

That’s the fourth thing.

5.) We Witness God’s Glory and Grace Through Giving (vv. 19-23)

And then real quickly…the final truth we see here in these passages…we witness God’s glory and grace through our giving.

I want you to think back to everything we’ve talked about over these past four months…everything that Paul’s told us…hopefully, you’ve been going back rereading this letter…saturating your mind with the truths Paul lays out here…Listen, what we’ve seen…it’s that the value of generosity, it’s part of our Christlikeness…it’s part of our imitation of Jesus, right? As we strive to embrace the mindset of Christ..just as Paul’s told us. It’s a ministry to others as we strive to partner with others in the gospel to ‘em…all so that it helps others. It’s good for us to invest in eternal things; its fruit to our credit; its part of our own spiritual growth; it pleases God, it honors Him…it’s part of our worship to Him.

But the real question is…as we come to a close in this letter…how do we get that kind of heart that wants to give? Because listen, I don’t think we can just strong-arm people into doing things for the kingdom of God…it’s why I don’t just come and preach sermons on giving or doing things…it all comes down to that person’s heart, right? The last thing I ever want is for someone to give because they feel guilty…Guilt’s never the right motivation.

Listen, it’s the same in leadership…some of you guys lead teams at your jobs…When I was working in the secular world, I was over the whole east coast in the company that I worked for…and I lead over 800 employees in the loss prevention area of the business. And listen, while some people were afraid of my position, I couldn’t help that…fear, guilt, intimidation…none of those things actually create an environment where people grew in their positions or just found joy in the things they did, right? If I wanted genuine joy…if I wanted to see high productivity and high morale…I had to create an environment where I built a relationship with each of my employees…they had to know I cared about them…and instead of fear, they would do things because they didn’t wanna disappoint me. They were approaching things with a different heart…and it lead to a different outcome.

And so, bringing it back…what’s the motivation we’re after this morning when it comes to giving? How do we get that kind of heart that’s so generous that we just wanna give…where you consider it a blessing to give?

Look at what Paul says in verse 19, “19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Listen, he ends this letter with a promise and with a doxology. He says, “My God, He’s gonna supply every need of yours.” What’s that mean? Again, we have to remember who’s writing this here…Paul’s writing this from prison…Do you really think Paul’s saying, “My God will supply every need of yours, but He hasn’t supplied mine? Because here I am in this stinking jail cell?” No! That’s not the way Paul thinks. Paul’s already said, “I’m content. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…I can be hungry....I can be in need and want for things…I’m content.”

And so, what’s this mean…that God’ll supply our every need according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus? Well, it certainly doesn’t mean health, wealth, and prosperity…it doesn’t mean that everything on your Christmas list this year’s necessarily gonna be given to you. Listen, it means that God’ll give you everything you need to be faithful to Him, to honor Him, to worship Him, to love Him, to be satisfied and content in Him…That’s what it means, but it’s a wonderful promise, because it’s a promise of God’s sufficiency.

And listen, this goes beyond meeting our financial needs…That second phrase there, “in glory.” That includes so much more…He wants to give you so much more than what you think you need in this temporal place. He wants to show you the most valuable thing in the universe....which is the glory of God in the face of Jesus. He meets our needs in order to lead us along so that we’ll increasingly see more of His glory. He wants that. That’s what our sanctification is…right?

Listen, as we behold the glory of the Lord, we’re changed…we’re transformed…we’re given so much more. And that’s what gives us the right heart…it’s a relationship with Jesus…It’s being made into His image…that’s what Paul’s been after. That’s the secret to being a generous person…it’s to have a sight of the riches of the glory and grace of God given to us in Christ…It’s the gospel, it’s understanding the gospel…it’s the gospel penetrating so deeply in our hearts that we’re left in awe…we’re blown away…we’re stunned in our tracks with the sight of this beautiful God…who’s so glorious and majestic…and we’re left wowed at this giving and generous God who’s given us so much in His Son.

Closing

Guys, in closing…let me read 2 Corinthians 8:9,“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” Listen, the incarnation of Christ…the cross of Christ…what was it? It was an exchange. It was this exchange; an exchange of his riches for our poverty, his glory for our shame, his majesty for our misery, his righteousness for our sins, his power for our weakness, his fellowship with the Father for the estrangement of the cross, his life for our death.

We gain because he gave…and guys, when that grips your heart, when that changes your life, when you see the beauty of this one who gave everything for you, the only appropriate response is to turn around and give our lives back to him, and then give generously to others as we imitate Him....all so that they might know this same God.

Church…can I close with a question?…Do you give generously because Jesus has made you rich?

Every head bowed and every eye closed.

Guys, how has the gospel changed you? Do your actions…does your mindset…does it all align with Jesus’s? Can people around you…can they tell that Jesus has changed everything for you?

Thinking about the rest of this letter…do you stand firm with other believers? Do you agree in the Lord? Are you able to rejoice in the Lord? Do you find peace in the Lord? Are you content in the Lord? Is it your desire to grow in the Lord? To know Him more and more? Does that show in your devotion to His Word? In your prayer life? Are you teaching your kids and your grandkids to do the same? Does the gospel impact in your life…does it show through your giving…through your service…through your desire to see the gospel advanced.

Guys, all of that…it’s a picture of what a changed heart looks like. How are you different? How’s Jesus changing you today? Do you see His glory and grace more today than you ever have before? Because as Paul says here…that’s God’s desire…to grow you all so that you can. Is that happening in your life?

Or maybe you’re here today…and what you need is a changed heart. You need Jesus and you need Him to begin restoring you. You’re struggling…you’re barely keeping your head above water…you’re drowning in debt…or you’re struggling with some kind of diagnosis…or maybe it’s an addiction…or family problems…or issues with the kids or work or whatever and you realize you can’t bring yourself satisfaction…Listen to me, turn to the only One that can fix your problems…give yourself to the only One that can bring real joy to your life.

When you were still a sinner, Christ died for you…He desired you…He took on your punishment…He bridged the gap between you and God long before you were ever thought of because He loved you even then…And guys, if you’d just repent and believe, you can experience this satisfaction…this contentment that we’ve been talking about…If you’d just turn from yourself and recognize that Jesus is the Son of God…that Jesus lived a perfect life…that Jesus died on your behalf…that He rose from the dead through the power of the Spirit…that He’s sitting at the right hand of the Father even now…you can experience this salvation…this peace. Is that you this morning?

Listen, in just a moment…here’s what I want you to do…if that’s you…or if you’re one of those people that are struggling in your walk. Things just seem to never go right and you say, “That’s me, I’m struggling to walk right.” I want you to come and I want you to bow at this altar…I want you seek Christ…I want you to humble yourself. I want you to commit to Jesus today that you’re gonna let the gospel…you’re gonna let the power of the Holy Spirit change you.

And maybe none of that’s you today…then seek the Spirit in using you…humble yourself and ask God to work through you and among you. Pray for the people around you…we should all be praying for something.

And listen, if you need me…I’m gonna be down front…I’m here to pray…maybe you’re hurting…maybe you’re grieving…maybe you wanna get baptized or you want me to help you seek Jesus this morning…listen, whatever it is, I’ll be down front for you. And so, you come…you take all the time you need this morning and then I’ll close us in just a moment. You come!

[Prayer]