Ephesians 4:1-16

Good morning. How many you are warm enough? Now? You'll be thankful I crank the heat up this morning's just for you. All right? It's going to be hot in the second service by the time we're done it usually is but we might open some windows just to cool it off, but I figured the early service people, they come out early we'll crank the heat up for you. So you can keep your feet warm, at least hopefully. Lisa looks a little cold still though.

Aren't you thankful today For what God has done for you? When you began to look at the things in, which he has provided for each and everyone of just, as I was just saying, God has provided for us. He's giving us everything we ever needed ever wanted. But yet there is something within us as long and for something more. Something that really doesn't satisfy something that really doesn't fulfill us. As if when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, we get that feeling. The Fulfillment of Truth in love. Been looking at the world around us, the last few weeks and months seeing all the things that are going on around us all the Unhappy people. Have you seen any on the news? Have you seen any in life people arguing and fighting, and Not getting along.

That's one of those things that's probably worse than a pandemic. When you think about it. Because what happens is when we're not getting along when we're not dealing with other people. We don't usually just keep it to ourselves. We try to spread that around to those and get more on our side. I mean, dealing with the things that I deal with, with doing funerals for families, and talking with different people about different things, this whole thing. This pandemic thing that we've been in now, for almost two years has destroyed some families. It's destroyed Some some friendships. Why? Because, well, you know, whether you mask or you don't mask whether your vaccinated, you're not vaccinated. You can't come over unless you do this, or we don't want to see you unless you do that in families are some families who have not seen each other for a period Of time because of all of that. Now, you say well pastor what do you think about all this? I think that you need to do what God has called you to do. I need to do what God has called me to do. Does that look different if it might God has called me to be pastor of hoosic Valley Community Church. He may not have called you to be Pastor of Hoosic Valley Community Church. If he has, raise your hand, I'll step aside. You can you can run it. 29 years is a long run. Okay. I've been here 29 years. But what he has called us to do is to minister to those people around us regardless of what position we might have. Regardless of who that other person might be. In fact, when we begin to look at what Christ has done for you and for me, when we get to look at the life that he lived in the life that he knew was coming. He knew at 32 years of age He was going to lay down his life. For a world that despised him for a world that rejected him for a world that wanted nothing to do with them. He knew that when he called 12 men to walk with him in his three years of Earthly Ministry. He knew that there would be those who would speak up on things that maybe they should keep silent about it and say that they will never deny you, I'll never deny you Lord. When he knew that they would. In fact, he knew that there would be one who would betray him. All Along The Path. Now some would look at that and well say well that was God's plan. God just used Judas and threw Judas away. I don't think God threw Judas away. I think he used what was there just like he used Pharaoh in the Old Testament with the disease in the pestilences that we're going on pestilences. that's more than one, right. The things that we're going on and all the the plagues that were used God uses What's there for His honor for His glory. He doesn't cast anyone to hell. He doesn't say well, this is your spot other than Satan himself. He prepared a place for Satan and his angels.

But for you, and for me. He prepared a place that we may go to and enjoy worshipping with him. Ephesians this morning, if you turn me the fishes chapter 4, look at verses 1 through verse 16. What are you see within our country? What I see with in the world around us and it's been going on for years. It's not something new it. What I see in the family's, what I see in the church and what I see in the lives of people is this disunity that's going if you don't agree exactly with me. Then we cannot Fellowship We're not going to get along. Well, let me tell you something in my own household. My wife does not agree. Exactly with me.

And I've learned very early in life, do very important words to say, Yes, dear.

Right? Some are Still learning. But those are important because even though she may ask me to do something. I don't want to do a, hey, go out and fill the wood stove. It's cold out yet. It is cold out. I don't want it, but I need to because if I don't, it's going to get cold out. Well its not going to get colder. Any colder out its going to get cold in the house. You say, your wife has to ask you to do that and no she does not that's just part of what I do. Why? Because I know it needs to be done. I know what the wood doesn't go in that outdoor wood stove. The house is not going to stay warm and it's a house does not stay warm. Not only would I be uncomfortable, but my wife would be uncomfortable in the moment. We get uncomfortable, what usually happens.

The Grouch shows up, right? The Grouch in me or the Grouch in her, the Grouch in all of us. When we become uncomfortable we start looking at areas to tear down, Ephesians chapter 4, the first 16 vs. I want to look at this this morning. We'll talk about Unity. So he says I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. What does Paul say? I'm a prisoner of the Lord. So therefore I'm asking you to do what I'm what I need to do. Walk worthy of being a prisoner of the Lord. None of us like to think of ourselves as prisoners. But paul is saying I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were call verse 2 with all lowliness in gentleness with long-suffering bearing with one another in endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of Peace. There is one body. One spirit just as you were called in one. Hope of your calling on faith, one baptism, one God and the father of all, who is above all and through All and in you all. But to each one of us, Grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore. He says, when he ascended on high he lead captivity captive and gave gifts to men. Now, this he ascended, what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is. Also the one who has ascended far above all the heavens that he might feel all things. And he himself, gave some to be Apostles, some prophets, some evangelist, some pastors, and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God and to a perfect man to the measure of the Stature of the fullness of Christ that we should no longer, be children, tossed to and fro carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. But speak the truth in love, may grow up in all things into him. Who is the head Christ from whom the whole body joined and knit together by whatever joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does it share causes growth of the Body for the edifying of itself in love. Paul is sharing some words of wisdom. Some guidance some direction For the church and says hey, here's what needs to happen. You know what, we're not always going to agree. We're not always going to be on the same page. We're not always going to be looking at the same thing in the same way, but God's got a purpose and a plan. God has called you to look at it one way called me to look at it another way, but the unity that he has, it gets us where we need to be when we are unified with him. We can go through on our own Nation. We can see throughout moments and times in our own Nation. Where are our nation has not been unified. The Revolutionary War was one of those. It was brutal. America was attacked and many lost their lives as the British. Attacked our shorelines. It looked Bleak for some time. It seemed as though the tyranny of Britain would prevail. Militia groups were formed as Farmers as Tradesman would gather together and trained for battle. The slaves were already here and they were promised that if they would fight, they would be given their freedom. One slave by the name of Samuel land. Was one of those slaves that joined wanting is freedom. He was mocked. He was picked on called racial slurs and had to eat alone because they wanted nothing to do with him. Those men, those people that he was fighting with fighting, alongside wanted nothing to do with him because of the color of his skin.

There was a ferocious battle in Richmond, Virginia. The militia was ambushed and many were slaughtered. And there was Samuel land out picking up each man, that he could taking them to safety. Taking them to a place where they could be protected. those men That mocked him. Those men that ridiculed him, those men that may have given him a hard time because of who he was the color of his skin. They ridiculed him. And in the midst of the battle in the moment of their hurting, the moment of their paying the moment of their sorrow, he was picking them up and taking them to safety.

Another amazing that at that moment, in that time, from that day forward. They accepted him. Why does it take us doing something heroic or out of the ordinary to help somebody else before Somebody really sees the good in US? And we can't really tell people how good we are. You've heard me say this for 29 years. I could tell you. I'm a wonderful mechanic. I am not a wonderful mechanic. You do not want me working on your cars or anything the other day I decided where I need to go out and probably split some more wood before it gets really cold out. So I've got a wood splitter. And so I go out and I get the wood splitter already and I pulled the cord a couple of times just to get it ready to roll. Make sure it's going to to turn over very good. I turn the gas on. I choke it and I start pulling. Why is it that after 3 pulls your breathing heavy? So then I change arms and that's going to help and I'm pulling at the end. This thing's not starting. What in the world is going on? I just had it running the other day and I'm doing everything I need and I

You been there, right? Whether it's a chainsaw or a lawnmower. Whatever it is. Whatever that motion is that causes you to lose your wind. I don't know. I'm striving to get this thing started. So I just stopped and I walked over and I look at it and I forgot to turn the on button.

Turn it on. Everything else was set.

Now, I got to catch my breath before I can haul any wood over to it to do the work. So what's your point in that will sometimes we get wrapped up in the moment and emotion of what we're doing that we don't stop. It's okay. Why is this not working? We try to force that we try to keep it if we try to give up and in fact, I'm thinking okay. Well maybe today is not the day that God wants me to split wood. Okay.

We give up too easy. Sometimes. Why because of heartaches and hardship, trials and tribulations things that come our way. We don't want to deal with them. Paul is saying you know, what? Here's what happened. Here's what happened with Samuel and unity made the difference. If we are able to survive as a nation, if we're ever to survive as families or as a church. That Unity from God, must be real. I can tell where it when there's fake Unity. When somebody does not want to help you. When you're down and out. Oh no matter what they said, prior all that here. You are, you're in need and nobody's there to help you. That's fake Unity, isn't it? Where are all my friends trial and tribulation? Come along?

How do you think Peter felt? After he denied Jesus three times. How do you think he felt when when it goes off and knows that his Lord And Savior has been crucified knows that his Lord, and Savior had been beating spit up on, put the death, put into a tomb. and when asked of his relationship, he denied it, not once, not twice. But three times. He goes back to his old way of life thinking. You know, what? That Ministry is over the ministry that hes called me to the one that I thought I would be pretty good. Had it it's over. He's back. Mending, Nets back to the fishing business. when Jesus shows up, When Jesus comes again, it says Peter. Do you love me? Jesus had no doubt. He knew that Peter loved him. If or three times when Jesus says Peter, do you love me? Peter? Do you love me? Peter? Do you love me Peter? Answer back? Yes, Lord you know, I love you Yes, Lord, you know, I love and yes, Lord, you know. I love you.

And every three times. And he said that, Jesus says to him, then go feed. My sheep. Take care of the most precious things that I have my children.

Behold, how wonderful and how great it is. For God's children to dwell together in unity. Our nation is not unified. Our nation is being divided. Maybe not to the point. It was in the Revolutionary War, but it's getting there. The more we let it go. The, The more we get to that point.

I read an article this past week. Somebody made made a statement that it takes ten, per-cent of the people, 10% of the people to be unified on one thing in order to get a change. To happen anywhere. 10%. They push it hard enough. They push it long enough They push it far enough The change will happen. If there is a unified in that.

Church, Listen this morning. Here we are this morning here. We are gathered together in a nice warm building. Here. We are gathered together to worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Imagine what we could do in our community. If we were all Unified. Find Christ. Not my will. Not my will, but thine be done. Not doing what I think needs to be doing. We not to be doing but doing what God calls us to do. Look what he says. As we go down through this again himself a verse 11 himself, gave some to be Apostles. some to be prophets some evangelists some pastors or some teachers. We're all different. He gave us different gift, different abilities, but we need to use those gifts. Use those abilities for his honor for his glory to do the work. That he's not for ourselves and gain honor, and Glory from the people. But to give honor and glory to God. And say lord, What would you have me to do? And then we do what we know we ought to be doing.

Psalm 133 verse 1.

Says behold, how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity. It's like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard. The beard even Aaron's beard that went down to the skirts of His Garment as a Dew of Herman and as the dew that Descended upon the mountains for their the Lord commanded the blessing. Even life forevermore.

The anointing oil. Did you know that when they anointed somebody with oil, they didn't use just a little cup of oil and poured over their heads. They poured approximately 6, gallons of oil. On that head. Could you imagine 16 oz or 6 gallons of oil would do to you? It's exactly what he said that portion of the beer that drips from the beer, get gets all over the clothes. It gets down upon you. You know, something has happened. And when we have that Unity, that God has, when we're doing the things that God has called us to do. I said, 6 gallons, 6, quarts what, which is a gallon and a half of 6. Gal is quite a bit. 6 quarts is quite a bit. Think about this though. You can you watch we watch the football games, right? The playoffs are going on and where there's a college team. What, whatever team it is at the end. You see, the guy is hiding back there with the Gatorade bucket. You got to get the coach. I saw coach the other day. I think it's a college coach who got mad at the players for dumping the Gatorade over him. And I'm not sure I would like to spend the night is as cold as it was to get all that dumped on you, but I guess they didn't have Gatorade in their buckets last night, you know what they had in their buckets last night. Chicken broth, hot chicken broth. Can you imagine 17 below in Buffalo with hot chicken broth instead of Gatorade? Get that part on you, you know, something's happened. The point is it it's a upon you. It's it's annointing You, it's pouring over you and others can see it going on. How good and how pleasant it is For those who dwell together in unity. It's like the precious ointment. He says in verse two up on the head that ran down upon the beard even Aaron's beard that went down to the skirt of His Garment as the Dew of Hermon. so it was quite a bit. To be poured upon you. The high priest would come the high priest would come to anoint and they would bring that 6 quarts or a gallon and a half of oil and pour it over their heads. As a sign. So literally it would run down from their face and run down to the floor, you know, something has happened.

When theres unity in your home, When there is unity in your community, when there is unity in your nation When theres Unity around you, when there's unity in your heart, don't you know, the difference? Don't you know that it don't you feel the difference? When there's Unity going around, makes us happy. It makes us pleased We're excited , why?, because things are good. But the moment. Disunity happens. And I do a lot of funerals and I see a lot of disunity and families over the death of a loved one. Whether it's because maybe they left Number one, son, more money than they left the rest of us, who knows what the situation? I know some of the situation, then it's pretty sad. Maybe they, they didn't have a relationship with all of the family that they needed to have it. And now, that that life is over for that person that relationship by those Left Behind, cannot be mended. As I feel, it needs to be mended. But what can they do? They can trust God. Say God. I I lay it at your feet. I lay it before you to take care of this situation cuz I can't do anymore with it. And that's exactly what Jesus did In The Garden of Gethsemane, prior to his death. He goes before God said, Lord, if it be thy, will let this cup pass from me.

Humanly speaking. He did not want to go to the Cross because he knew what was coming. He knew the pain or sorrow, the suffering that was going to take place. He saw it happen. With other people. But you didn't stop there for us today. But you said, Lord not my will. 9 be done. Let me ask you to do this in 2022 as we continue on the path that God has called us. And none of this before it takes God by surprise. God didn't wake up the day. Before the pandemic that boy didn't see that coming. God's got it all lay down. In fact, he says, in the last days, there will be wars and rumors of wars. Pandemics plagues earthquakes fires. Have you heard of any of those things happening in the news? They're all around us.

I got a letter. In the mail. This week, I get letters from time to time. And this was from some guy out in Montana. I don't know how we got our church mailing address or my name, but he writes me. A scathing letter is just wasn't just to meet with it was copied off. He had written it to a lot of other pastors. He said, I got your number. I got your address. I'm writing this, because you are wrong.

What am I wrong about? Well, I'm a pre-tribulation Rapture. I think God's going to take the church out of here before the worst happened. That's my belief because you know why I think that because I think God is going to take care of his kids. It doesn't mean we're not going to have trials and tribulations. That is not what I'm saying at all. But I think before the tribulation happens, he takes a church out. That's my belief. I mean, there's pre-trib mid-trip post-trib and there's pan trip. Do WhatsApp and Rib, the pantry of sahiwal? Whatever it is. It's all going to work out in the end covers it all. I don't think God's going to make us. Go through the worst of the worst of the worst. But we won't go through some trials and tribulations before we get to that point. How do we know? So he's telling me scathing me how, how wrong I am, and everybody else is it? And because because of that, I am leading people off the hell. I'm a wall. Wait a minute.

Whether I believe in pre-trib or post-trib mid-trip, whatever trip. That's not how I get to heaven.

Hey, man, how do we get to heaven? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Now, now that I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, what do I need to do? I need to serve him. I need to worship him. I need to work for him. Do the work. He's called me to do Works. Won't get me into heaven. The death of Jesus Christ. Gets me in the head of my belief, in that, my accepting that as he is, my Lord, and my savior now that I'm on that path to Heaven. I have a job to do. Here's the funny part about it at the very end of this letter that he sent me was as handwritten part in and all the rest was blacking. This is blue ink. He wrote on this copy letter, do not write back to me. I will not respond.

There goes my pen pal.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity. Not in our church this morning in our congregation and you don't have to raise your hand, but you know what we got. We got people who raised in the Catholic faith. We got people who raised the Presbyterian faith. We got people who were not raised in faith at all. But somewhere along the line, somebody shared the message of Christ with them. And they said yes to Jesus. You know what? That makes us?

Sister Sledge sing a song years ago.

What is it? We are. Family, did you know that if you're here this morning, you know, Christ as your lord and savior you are my brother or my sister in Christ.

We're family. If you here this morning, you don't know Christ as your lord and savior. We want you to be family. So believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, say yes to him and then you will be family. And that when the rest of it all works out on this other end, whatever it is, whenever the Lord comes to decide to come back, cuz we don't really know or we can look at the signs of the times we can see what's going on around us, but don't you think that during the Holocaust of Jews might have thought this is it. What was happening to them. Don't you think that maybe during the Revolutionary War, all the things that are going on Nation against Nation, brother, against Brother people in our country fighting against family? Whether Yono northark are the South whatever side you're on.

I'm born and raised in Texas. You guys know that, right? Come to the Northeast to the north because y'all need Jesus.

We all do. No, God called me to come here. Why to share the message? I share the good news and God has used. Me and the ministry of hoosic Valley Community Church in the 29 years. I've been here. I go to the Johnsonville. Fire House banquet last night. They've asked me for the last few years to Common, do the invocation and benediction, Sligo, and I do that. It's a good thing to do. Get a free meal out of it. A gift every now and then. But a B I said with a group of older men. My older, man, I mean my age and above. And they began and I don't know what these guys always know who I am or what I do, but I guess they do because they started firing questions at me. So how long you been at your church? I tell him 29 years.

So, how can you stay there for 29th, July? I'm an independent Minister and independent church. If the church doesn't want me, they tell me to take a hike. I go. I take a hike. I told the church, you guys know this but might as well keep me around cuz if you tell me to take a hike, I'm just going down the road and starting another church. So we might as well get to Unity going on here a man. That's what it's about. And then I hear, well, we hate our pastor.

And I know who these people are. He doesn't know his ass when he doesn't do that anymore to do this in.

So so so what are you going to do about it? I just quit going to church. Yeah, that helps. When we quit doing something that we don't believe is right. We don't help make it right. We had a good conversation. We really did there. There was some respect, some comradery there, some things going on, but it is the aspect within the church has helped with our belief in God. And I said, you know what, we all believe differently doctrinally. But the key is this and I'm sitting at a table with people that I don't know what their belief system is. But here's a key. If we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. That's what matters. And you can't disagree with that because that's what the Bible says. So, if you disagree with that. You're not disagreeing with me. You're disagreeing with the word of God and when we can get unified on the word of God, the other things begin to fall into place. That's the problem with our nation. That's a problem with what's going on around us. There's no Unity. We want to take the word of God. We want to make it fit our lives. Instead of taking our lives and making it fit the word of God.

You ever go to the doctor? Get a checkup. I know you have, right? The doctor says, hey you should do this. You should do that. You need to change your way of living. You need to change some things in your life. You might not like what they're saying. You might not agree with all the things that they say, you might even want to go get a second opinion.

But sometimes when we try to get a second opinion, we don't like that. We go get a third opinion. And if you don't like that, you go get a fourth opinion. Usually, what we try to do is find somebody who agrees with us. To make us feel better. And I think we do the same thing with the word of God. You don't believe me, just go and read the book of Deuteronomy and see what God is telling the telling the children of Israel. He says, I laid this all out for you. I've provided for you. I given you everything you want and you need And yet you reject me. Yet you get mad at me cuz it doesn't come in your time. It doesn't come how you think about to happen. And you curse me you. You turned the other God you turned the other thing you being in worshipping other things. Other than me. Therefore he says. You're on your own.

Don't read the book of Deuteronomy. We can go read Genesis and Exodus Leviticus as well. He says that over and over and over again, and those passages, but in the book of Deuteronomy says, hey, you're on your own. I want to provide for you. I want to take care of you, but you reject it. So, here it is. I've laid it out if you want. What I had to offer. Here's what you need to do. Follow me.

The same thing we see from the very beginning of scripture. Adam and Eve. Hey you want what I have to offer? Here's what you need to do. All of this is yours. Leave that alone. But we're society that we want to be happy or think we want to be happy when we want to do the things that we feel like we ought to do. And then we get involved in those things and we found that it causes us to stumble and causes us to fall, like Janell said in the beginning of her song. We've all done things that we're not proud of. Can I get an amen on that one? Right. So what are you doing? You let those things beat you up, or do you give them to God and give him the God, let God take care of them.

Scott, Strokes. Not with this. This morning. I think he went off the Utah hunting or something. But I'm at Scott's drop a few years ago you if you tell him I said they're so the night but those of you who know him, you know him.

Frank Randall, you know him, right? God has done some things in his life that

he wouldn't want me to tell you about. Right. But you know what happened to Scott? 1 days, Scott. Came to Jesus. And things begin to change.

Is he a perfect man? Absolutely not. We know him, right? I'm not a perfect man. Begin to change.

Here's the funny part. He's even had some run-ins with people in this church years ago, right? And rightly, so, He did wrong.

The thing is, when I'm out in the world was Scott. His friends. See a change in him. And they scratch your head.

Why would God do that? You know, why you would. Cuz he loves Scott. You know, why you would? Because he loves you. He loves me. Does that mean we got to be perfect. None of us are perfect. But when we give our sins to God, we when we cast all of our cares upon Him, you know what he does. He cares for us. He wipes the Slate clean and as much as we might not want him. Think about snow in the whiteness of it. He wash washes white as snow. Snow is beautiful when it first has fallen, but then when the plow trucks come through with plow up all the garbage, it's not so beautiful anymore. Along the roads is it? But that fresh fallen snow is what God does. He washes white? As snow? He removes the sins of Our Lives, never to bring it up again. Never to say. Hey, I remember when

the one who brings it up is usually the devil. What were you used to in? This is what you are, you know, you if you don't change what we can change, when we put Christ first. Unity needs to begin here. First Unity begins at home. We can expect others to change if we're not willing to change, and when were willing to change, we always got to be willing to say, hey Lord. What else can I do? Peter on the seashore. Yes, what I love you go feed my sheep. Peter could have said this in but I'm not worthy. And he wasn't Worthy. But got it asked him to go feed his sheep and he did.

If you kick the dog on the way to church. And then you walk in the church, like everything is fine. We have a word for that. Usually a hypocrite, right? Does a dog is the only animal, wait for you. Wagging his tail. When you come home forgetting what you just did.

Unless you do it too often. And then that dog's going to bite your leg off someday. We tried we tried to kick at the Devil. Is it a few in the devil. We tried to kick at him and say, hey, y'all. Leave me alone, but one day. One day, he's there. One day, he tripped us up. Why? Because he knows how to throw things in our way that interest us. Maybe just a little bit more than what God has done.

To think about Unity, as you can't buy it on eBay. You can't bottle it up. You can't sell it. You can't find it. It needs to be real. And the only way to prove that Unity is real is by doing the things that God has called us to do it in Psalm 91 verse 7. Look, what he says, a thousand shall fall by thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not. Come nigh thee. What is that? That's God. Working with us. When we're doing the things he's called us to do. You're not going to do it. God will do it through you.

Matthew 18:19 says, again. I say to you that if two of you agree on Earth as a touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father, which is in heaven. Imagine the power, the power we could have. When were doing the things God wants us to do, security starts here. How often have I said that in my 29 years starts here. And when the unity is right here, between me and got nothing hidden. Nothing covered up. That flows from us to those around us.

Acts chapter 2. Inverse. Do we see that the Believers they met in the upper room. To seek power from God. Power from heaven. When the last time, you sought that power? When the last time you looked at God for that help and that direction lord. I can't do it. Lord. I can't go any further. Lord. I've had enough of all this stuff going on, Wheatley that multitude of people in our church dealing with some cancer stuff. Multitude of people are Church dealing with family with Cancers and death and all these things going on. And yes, those are serious things. And yes, we we need to be understanding about that and looked at that. But at the same time, we need to trust God to see us through. God, what would you have? Me. To do.

10 days and nights later in God's power from Heaven, ten days, and ten nights. Sometimes, it's hard enough for us at Terry 10 minutes. Amen.

I began reading through the Bible again, January 1st.

Do you want you know what I say when I read I read the Bible. I'm going through it and I get through a few chapters and I stopped and I have to ask myself. What did I just read?

And I usually read first thing in the morning, not a whole lot going on. It's quiet, a cup of coffee. They're ready to do. Just see what God has but God always gives me a nugget. And that nugget that I have, it is something that he gives to me to to get me through that week or get me through that day, or to be able to share with you. But I'm reading and I'm reading through when I get to three four chapters. And I was like, what did I just read? I don't even know what I just read Because going through my mind as I'm reading the word of God. Is all the things I need to be doing. This day. Where are all the things that's going on in somebody else's life, with Lord. How are you? Guiding and directing them? How are you going to? What can I do? And I'm reading the word of God, but my mind is Somewhere else.

That doesn't happen to anybody else. Just me, right.

And you're stopping to go Wallace. Backup repetition.

but I need to back up its is like, sitting down and talking with my wife. But there's a football game on. Write. Yes, dear. Yesterday.

What do you say? I didn't agree to that.

The devil will do what he can to trip us up. He will do what he can to keep us from being what God wants us to be. God has done everything. He can to keep us in the make us what we need to be Paul and Silas were thrown into prison. They were beating. They were bruised. They were down and heartbroken. And instead of playing the blame game and accusing each other, you know what they began to do. Sing praises to God. Oh, how that Midnight Hour as they were singing praises. Must have been. Overwhelming the walls began to shake and the earthquake happened. The doors of the prison opened. They could've escaped all those prisoners, but they did not.

The century comes running in getting ready to kill himself because he if you lost a prisoner, you would lose your license. He pulls out a knife. He's going to kill himself and Paul just don't harm yourself. We're all here. Any count them and they're all there. You're the next question was. Circe prison guard, says, what must I do to be saved? Why? Because he heard them praising God. He heard them and you and although they were not in the place where they were excited to me. They were in prison. And yet, they ministered. And God bless. If you need a miracle from God, there's no need to sit back and try to figure out on your own. It's time to rise up. It's time for us as a church to rise up is time for us as people to rise up and proclaim the goodness of God. For God is good. Amen. 2nd Chronicles 7:14. Scriptures written to the Jews, but we can apply it to our lives today. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves. Turn from their Wicked Ways. Repent, and seek my face. Then he says, I will hear from Heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land. What are we start doing that? Turn from their Wicked Ways. Repent, secret space pray. Lord, guide is Lord direct us, but then we got to follow him. Do what he's called us to do. Even when it does not make sense. He'll guide us. Father. We thank you for your goodness, your mercy and your love will be. Thank you for your provision for each and everyone of us. Father, you know, the needs are those in our church that are dealing with some health issues. You know, the burdens in the lives. Of all around, we leave that all into your hand, you know, those in our church that are dealing with some spiritual issues, whatever they may be, may you take care of those and they they seek you to guide them and direct them as only you can. Not our way your way Lord. Lord thy will be done. We give the praise and the honor and the glory this morning. In Jesus name. Amen. Let's dance together and singer closing him.