So, we can sit here, and the reason we can sit back here is because we open up the seats, and we open up the back, and talk here, and we all kind of gather. And that's kind of how we usually rock it. I just like to come in here after Sunday school, and we'll talk back a little bit before I leave. Quick look, quick look. I was wondering why they didn't put it down in the city. It's like right across the road. They looked. Fantastic. Right? Oh, they looked. Yeah. Apparently there was a really cute, it was an old media store that was really popular. It looked really cute, you know. That's good. You have two birthdays? Do you have your birthday? At this stage, there are only five minutes left. Thank you so much. Nobody really saw that coming. Thank you. Thank you. What's fun about this is that we're talking to you guys. I was going to say, maybe we should have the conversation. Are you sitting across from me? No. I'm sitting right next to you. I'm sitting right next to you. Yeah, they know it. It's a nice one for a church, but I didn't know it until I had it on. Hi, how are you doing? I don't want to see it. Yeah. you. Thank you. Well, good morning, everyone. I'd just like to ask you to find a seat, find an open seat. We're going to get started this morning with Psalm 56. So I invite you to open up your Bibles to Psalm 56 is our call to worship this morning. All right, here's Psalm 56. To the choir master, according to the dove on far-off Terebinth. A miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me all day long, and attacker oppresses me. My enemies trample on me all day long. For many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise. In God I trust. I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? All day long they injure my cause. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife. They lurk. They watch my steps as they have waited for my life. For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God. You have kept count of my tossings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God whose word I praise, in the Lord whose word I praise, in God I trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God. I will render thank offerings to you, for you have delivered my soul from death. yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. Lord God, we love you and we thank you for today. We thank you for your grace and your mercy, oh Lord, and we pray for it even now. We thank you, Lord, that you are trustworthy and we can put our trust in you even when we are afraid. We thank you, Lord, that you are light. and the light of Jesus Christ has overcome the darkness. We thank you, Lord, that even though this world has troubles, you are with us and you have indeed overcome the world. We thank you for the hope that we have. So be with us today, Lord. We pray that you would lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Help us put all of our hope and all of our trust in you. We thank you that we can learn to trust you by remembering who you are, that you are gracious and kind, that you are a loving God, powerful and perfect in all of your ways, higher than we are. And so we look to you. We praise you and we pray that you would help us to turn our attention to you, to praise you and your word. We thank you for it. So please teach us and guide us and help us to worship you, to give thanks, Lord, to you who keep our feet from falling, to you who allow us to walk in the light of your life. So please allow us to, God, we pray. We know that you are the God of light and in you is no darkness at all. Thank you for the precious blood of Christ, it purifies us. Thank you that we can have fellowship with you, with your Son, with the Spirit. Father, we thank you for these things. And most of all, God, we thank you that because of your work, on the cross, and because of your continued work, we know that you are for us. And so, cause us to praise you, we pray today, in Jesus' name, amen. Good morning. If you're able, please stand. The psalter we're going to sing is actually not from Psalm 56, but from Psalm 91. But there's a lot of similar themes. And you will be familiar with the melody, stricken, smitten, and afflicted. So if you're able to sing lustily, Salter. Psalm 91. ♪ Well and ever his name. ♪ ♪ There known to all shall guard thee. ♪ ♪ Thou shalt not let up his hand. ♪ ♪ Thou who died and lived for thee. ♪ ♪ In eternal safety. ♪ ♪ From the store that you've been wasting ♪ ♪ From the joys of pestilence ♪ ♪ In the depth of midnight passing ♪ ♪ Shalt thou be thy sure defense ♪ ♪ He shall charge his angel-pleasing ♪ ♪ Watch and warn o'er thee ♪ ♪ Thou shalt walk through hostile regions ♪ ♪ Though in deserts of the sea ♪ ♪ Since with you and her I've met you ♪ ♪ Thou, O God, hast sent thy love ♪ ♪ With the wings of his protection ♪ ♪ He shall still lead from above ♪ ♪ Thou shalt follow him in trouble, he will heart you ♪ Hope you enjoyed the truths in that. If you call upon the name of the Lord, He will save you. He will hearken. He will deliver. Our next song, It Is Well With My Soul. When peace, like a river, hath ended my way, When sorrow's mighty billows roll, It is well, it is well in my soul. It is well, it is well in my soul. with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. No satan should doubt it. No trial should count it. ♪ And His blest assurance control ♪ ♪ And Christ hath regarded my helplessness deep ♪ ♪ And hath shed His own blood for my soul ♪ It is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. of this glorious day. He's nailed to the cross, and I dare him no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. ♪ The Lord is coming, and my praise shall be sung ♪ ♪ The clouds behold him, and the snow fall ♪ ♪ The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall come again ♪ Even so, it is well with my soul. It is well with my soul. Amen. Please be seated. how good it is to be in the house of the Lord. And when I say that, I don't mean just to be in this building, this place, although it is special, but it's to be among the people of God, the people of God who are redeemed by our Savior's blood. And I just, it brings me joy, and I know it brings us joy to be together. But the answer isn't just in us, it's in Jesus. And when He is in our midst, then we are truly satisfied. And for all of you, whether this is your first time or whether you've been here for many years, a member here or a guest, I pray that the Lord would feed you today. He would touch your heart. He would satisfy your soul. He would comfort you. He would speak to you in such a way that you would be able to bow and say, the Lord is in this place. He is with us. He is for us. And also that if it hadn't been for the Lord, we would have been lost. Let's turn our hearts to Him. Let's just ask in that quiet place of our hearts that God would be amongst us and He would be in us. Let's just bow our heads one more time and pray for His presence. Lord, as we gather here, You alone know how we've come. You alone know what's in the deep places of our souls. the things that we're dealing with, but I pray, Father, that you would turn our eyes so that we would no longer look at our circumstances. We would be able to release our fears and our sins, and we would bow humbly before you and be filled with you. You are what we need. You are who we seek. You are the one who can satisfy us. So we pray, satisfy us with your grace this day. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Well, just to cover off some announcements this morning, next Sunday we'll be having the Lord's Table. So if you're planning to be with us next Sunday and you're a guest here, we would look forward to welcoming you, but we do ask that if you Blind to partake with us that you come and just speak with the elders regarding why you want to partake. And the reason we do this is in order to watch over our people, the people of God, so that when we partake, we're partaking knowing who we're celebrating. Communing together as one, as true believers. And it's not the elders that can discern that ultimately, but we do want to ask how the Lord has worked in your heart and why you want to partake. So that's next Sunday. This Saturday, there's men's breakfast, and that starts at 8 here at the building. And please RSVP as soon as you can so that we know how much to prepare. and we're looking forward to that time for the men in this church, whether you're a member here or a guest, you are welcome. We plan to be discussing a number of the issues that have come up in the last while in light of what the Lord has revealed to us in his word, things around COVID mandates and things such as those of that nature. Then next Sunday as well, so that was for Saturday, November 21st, we're having a Oikos meeting and a fellowship meal. Oikos means household, and it's after the message, after our worship service, we'll have the fellowship meal, and then we'll have the Oikos meeting after that. and we'll be able to discuss as a church and go over various things. There will be a little questionnaire and I think it'll be a real blessing just to have the church hear about some of the things that the elders are thinking about and also be able to ask questions and interact. So we're looking forward to that. So, I do want to talk about offerings and our giving of the resources that God has committed to us is an important part of our worship. And it's, in a way, gone invisible in our church body. because it's not as much a part. We used to have a plate that we passed out, and over the last couple of years, that's been kind of phased out. There is an offering box, and then there is also the opportunity to give online via e-transfers. And we pray that as you are, the Lord works in your heart to contribute to His work, you'll be able to worship Him in that way. And that isn't a shill for more funds for some big human-oriented or man-centered project. We know that the Lord is the Lord of our money, and He expects us to steward it, and we are joyful to have opportunities to do that. It's also a way that we're able to support a number of missionaries through this church. So you're encouraged to think about what way works for you to contribute to the Lord's work. So that does bring us to one more point and that is our website is lethbridgebaptist.com. It's up to date and it's greatly improved. and streamlined and I think it's very effective and you're welcome to just peruse it and you'll see there things about current and upcoming events. If anything ever, there's a flash notification, we'll be posting that as well on the website and it's a great source of information for this body. So thanks to all who have worked on that as well. We really appreciate you using God's gifts to you to serve the church in this way. All right, let's move from announcements and please turn with me in your Bibles and we'll read Matthew chapter 13, verse 1 through 30. You can also see it overhead. But it's a well-known parable that we start off with here. Matthew 13, verse 1. The same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Great crowds gathered about him so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables, saying, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away." Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Then the disciples came and said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables? And he answered them, To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even that what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says, You will indeed hear, but never understand. You will indeed see, but never perceive. For this people's heart is grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and yours they hear, for truly I say to you, Many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see and did not see it and hear what you hear and did not hear. You can see here how Christ is actually confusing some people, not intentionally. It's not that what He spoke was deceiving. But they couldn't understand why He was speaking these parables and not laying open the meaning behind it to everyone. And that sounds difficult. We're in an age where we have everything at our fingertips, all sorts of information. And in a certain way, they have things at their fingertips too. They had the Torah, they had God's inspired Word. But you can see that the difference between people is their heart. And Jesus in other places says, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God. And it's being born again that makes the difference between how you receive the Word and what light you receive from it. What light you receive from Christ's words. And it comes very clear, we must be born again. Otherwise it's going to pass over and our hearts will remain these hard or rocky or thorny places where the Word of God bears no fruit. So where are we at? What are we to do? Well, Jesus says in another place, I am the door. I am the good shepherd. If anyone hears my voice, he will go in and out and find pasture. If anyone goes in through me. And people who didn't see Jesus for who He was couldn't hear His words. So we need to look at Jesus this morning and see Him for who He is. The Word of God incarnate offered up for sinful people as the way back to God. as the one who gives the new heart, and then to hear His Word. As God gives us that, He opens our eyes to see who He is. We will begin to hear His Word through faith and receive it. So we need to pray, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. A lot of times that's the way it is, isn't it? We easily hear these familiar parables and sometimes the risk is that we also are hardened. But we pray, here in this place, show us Christ. Show us who He is. Show us who we are. And that Word will then find its way into our heart and start bringing forth fruit. Jesus is going to open up the parable of the sower. In verse 18 he says, hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself but endures for a while. And when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the Word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the Word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the Word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another case sixty, and in another thirty. And he put another parable before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, Did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? He said to them, an enemy has done this. So the servants said to him, then do you want us to go and gather them? The master said, no, lest in harvesting the weeds, in gathering the weeds, you root up the weed along with them. Let them both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn." The Word has a dividing effect among people. The Word is planted in a field, but there's different kinds of results. Wheat comes up, but weeds come up as well. And we see that dividing effect in the world and in the church as well, where some come among us and are hardened, they turn away. Others hear the word and they receive it and it bears forth fruit. Sometimes it's not obvious right away, but there will be a day when all things are laid open and God will not lose any wheat on account of the weeds. His Word will bring forth fruit and His plan will be accomplished. So let's take heart in that. Let's open our hearts to the Word. Let's receive it and pray, God, give me that ready soil to bear fruit. We'll turn now to prayer and we'll pray for this body. There's many things, many needs, many of our members we need to pray for. We'll pray for the various ministries as well and pray for the work of God in the world. Pray for missionaries. Pray also for our governments, that they would submit to God and that the Kingdom of God would prosper once again. Let's pray. Father, we come to You and we pray, as we have heard Your Word, that You would open it up to us. That through faith in Your Son, we would be made ready to receive the Word with joy and not merely be shallow rooted and wither away in persecution or choked by thorns, but rather, Father, the Word would take root, be planted deep in us and bring profound effect, a fruit-bearing effect in our lives that we would give glory to Your Name as You are worthy. That Christ would have His due reward. Father, we pray this. That would happen here this morning. That your people would be strengthened and sanctified and filled with joy and courage. And that we would be spurred on to persevere. Father, we pray that you would find us faithful, faithful even to the end. Whether that be if we die before you return. or whether it be if you return. Father, I pray that none of your people here this morning would fall short. And Lord, we know that you preserve us. We know that you keep us. Father, we pray, even as we think of our own hearts and lives and our weaknesses and our lack of faith, that you would help us, Father. We trust in you. Father, I pray that you would also Glorify Your name among us by saving sinners, by giving them faith, by turning them from darkness to Your light. And Lord, that there would be joy in heaven and joy here for many that would turn their hearts to Christ and would yield to Him and would believe in You for the first time. Father, we just ask that you would strengthen Ryan as he preaches your word this morning. Would you give him much of your spirit? Father, we do pray for the ministries of this church. Lord, we thank you so much for the ladies' ministry, the ladies' study, and the book of Esther that they've been working through. Father, I pray that that would bring forth such joy and such comfort to the women of our church, that they would be built up and able to serve you more and more, able to encourage one another, build one another up, to reach out into our communities, the various needs there. Lord, I thank you for how you've been using so many of the women in our church in your work. and spreading the gospel and raising up the children in our midst, Lord, for you. Diligently teaching and serving their families and serving others, Lord, wherever they may encounter them. And I pray, Lord, that you'd use the Lady's study mightily to build them up. Father, we pray that you would be with those we support mission, various mission fields, Lord, and I pray, Father, that you'd be with the McFalls in France today. We're often tempted to think that somehow European countries are just affluent and easy places to be. And Father, you know the difficulties, you know the struggles that they face, and the calling that they feel to bring the Gospel light to that godless place. And I pray, Father, that you would grant them open doors, you'd grant them open hearts like Lydia, and that there would be just a real turning again to you in France. Would you work mightily in their ministry, and Father, lay them on our hearts, help them to support gladly. their work. And Father, we do pray that you would use the contributions of this church greatly in your kingdom. Would you stir us up to give of our money and of our time, to give with joy, to give with eagerness. And Father, would you just bring a rich harvest from that. Lord, I pray that you would be with many in our midst who are undergoing prolonged suffering, prolonged struggle with health or even spiritual struggles, Lord. Father, we want to lift up to you our brother Cliff. I pray that you'd encourage his heart today, that you'd strengthen him and lift him up. And Father, I pray that you'd grant him relief from his struggle, Lord, with physical ailment. Lord, I just pray that you would encourage his heart and help him to have unwavering trust in you. Help him to hear your Word. This I know, that God is for me. and help him to hear it continually, Lord, and just be able to trust in you every step of the way. Father, we thank you for how you brought our sister Wilhelmina through her struggle. You granted a successful operation and such quick intervention, Lord. And I thank you for how you protected their whole family. I pray, Father, that even Marvin and Wilhelmina's children that are here amongst us today would just know Your presence and Your grace today. Lord, there's so many struggles, so many illnesses and griefs in our midst, Lord. We cannot hold them all. We cannot carry them all. We don't have answers for them all. But Lord, we can bring them to you. Like the people that came to you when you walked this earth, Lord, bringing all their sick and those who are in trouble, and you healed them all. We bring our troubles to you. Lord, we look to you for the grace we need day to day. The strength to trust You, to know that You hear and do answer prayer. Lord, I pray that You would heal us and strengthen us. And may we have a testimony to Your grace. Not merely of physical healing, Lord, but of the one who has power to save. Lord, we do pray. that you would be with our nation, our province, even our local governments, Lord. Father, you instruct us to pray for our leaders. Lord, I pray that you would be with our Prime Minister, our Premier, and those in authority here, even in Lethbridge County. Lord, would you be merciful to them, Would you be working in them, giving them a great sense of unrest and trouble in as much as they oppose you? Father, would you bring a humbling to them? We don't pray that lightly, Lord, because we realize our own pride. But Father, would you grant a turning again to you? Lord, we don't just want to see a Christian majority. A conservative majority and power swing back to those who would, on the right side of politics, Lord. We want to see souls saved. We want to see the Gospel go forth. We want to see Christ exalted. And so, Father, would you work in our land so that that could happen? We don't know your purposes and how you might choose to do that, but we trust in you. Would you protect us in our body and protect those churches, Lord, and your people throughout Canada that desire to worship you in spirit and in truth and proclaim you. By gathering together and preaching the gospel and worshiping you, Father, we just pray that you would strengthen your people in Canada. Our eyes look to You. We pray strengthen us to hear Your Word, to sing Your praises, and would You bless us. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace, Your mercy shown to us through Christ. Help us to praise You with our whole hearts. In Jesus' name, Amen. If you're able, please stand. We have one song before the reading and preaching of God's word. Great God, Christ, Heaven, love you by my own desire. Lord, in all our great supreme, counter every rebel fire. Let it arise for us every day, that we may taste the holy joy. You have loved and purchased me, make me yours forevermore. I was blinded by my sin, had no ear to hear your voice. Did not know who loved or cared, had no place to go. And your spirit gave me life. Opened up your words to me. You are God's full-blooded son. In the end, let's go. Help me now to live a life that's dependent on your grace. Keep my heart and guide my soul from evils and abase. You are great. to be praised with my every thought and deed. Oh, great God of my time, Lord and idol came to me. You are worthy to be praised with thy every thought and deed. O great God of thy strength, glorify your name through me. Amen. Please be seated. If you're able to, please open up your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 5. And when you've found it, please stand as we read together God's sacred, inspired, life-giving, soul-transforming word. Actually, what I'm going to do is start in chapter 4, verse 17, to set the framework of, I think, what Peter's trying to communicate to us this morning. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Chapter 5, verse 1. Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, according to God, not for shameful gain, but eagerly. not domineering over those in your care, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you yourselves will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that, at the proper time, He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, the one who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion. forever and ever. Amen. Please remain standing. Father, we would just now appeal to your gracious disposition to us needy sinners, to be merciful to us this morning. Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit would grant us true humility. And even as we saw just a few weeks back from Isaiah 6 and 7 and 8, This humility comes as the Spirit opens our eyes to see your majestic holiness in the person of Christ. Father, we will never be able to see things rightly until we see you more clearly. And so that's our great cry this morning. Lord, there's a lot of things going on in our hearts and in our lives. We want to be alleviated from trials and from pain. And Lord, these are good things to ask, but even greater, Father, we ask, would you give us a clear sight of Christ? That even through the tears, Lord, we might see him more clearly. And we might see that our anxieties and our cares, they are a care to you. Lord, that we're not alone, and that the all-wise God is ruling. The All-Sovereign God cares. And Father, I pray that you would grant us a unity in the Church. That even as the world seems to ramp up persecution and animosity towards your Son's bride, O Father, would they see that we have a joy that is unstealable and a joy that is inexpressible and has already been glorified that there is a people, a bride who is clothing herself with good works and humility, longing for the return of her bridegroom. Father, I know there are many who are hurting and even halting this morning. Would you give them the grace to heave all of their anxieties upon your son? Would you help us to see that even behind a frowning providence, nevertheless there is a smiling face. Holy Spirit, you are the one who alone can shed abroad, pour into our hearts the love of God, especially in the midst of trials and tribulations and pain and persecution. Lord, the flesh would say less trials, But the spirit says, more Christ. And so that's what we would pray. Lord, your word has been read. Would you give me the grace now, not only to divide it rightly, but to preach it powerfully. But Lord, we pray as even Nathan read from Matthew 13, would you help us to receive the implanted word with meekness this morning, that it may save our souls. Oh, sovereign God, We pray, have mercy on us this morning. For the sake of Christ, your son, we pray in his name, amen. Please be seated. What we saw from our reading, starting in chapter four, verse 17, that God has begun his end time cleansing work. That in the person of his son, judgment has broken into the world. And that judgment begins, chapter 4, verse 17, with the household of God. And that through the preaching of the gospel, God is doing a two-fold kind of purging. That as Nathan mentioned, as the gospel is preached, God separates the elect from the non-elect, the wheat from the chaff. And there's that kind of cleansing of the house of God. that the hypocrites are exposed as the word is preached and as persecution increases. But God also wants, as it were, to purge his people from all the draughts of this world. And in his all-perfect wisdom, he sends trials into our lives. He sends trials into his house. You see, God is like my wife. He likes a clean house. She was wondering where I was going with that. God wants his house to be clean and to be cleansed, and he will use whatever stringent elements are required. And so he allows even this roaring lion on a leash to do his dastardly deeds, and yet there's a purpose in it. Understand that in chapter 5 with all of these commands that are given in shotgun form, boom, boom, boom, boom, there's a purpose. God wants to clean his house. And we saw last week that his house is ruled by elders. Just as we saw earlier that God has set up authoritative structures within the civil realm, and even within the household of the family, there's also the household of faith. And we should not be surprised that if God has authoritative structures in each of these realms, we should not be surprised that Peter has commands for the elders. We saw that last week. We saw that there's an exhortation, a pleading if you will. There are stewards that God has entrusted care over his house. We saw that in Hebrews 13, that the elders that God has called to oversee the local church will have to give an account. And so Peter, knowing that God wants to cleanse his house through persecution, has commands for the elders. It's important to have godly leaders in a suffering church because they will point to Christ. However, this household is not comprised only of elders. How tragic that would be. It's comprised of under shepherds, but also sheep. And so we move from Peter's exhortation to the elders, in chapter five verses one to four, to the rest of the congregation. Do you see that? When he says in verse five, likewise, he uses that word a few other times. In chapter three, look at it. And when he uses this Greek word, he's saying that there's a sphere of authority, a realm within which we live, and there's commands to those who are in leadership and commands to those who are under leadership. Right? In chapter 3, he says, likewise. Likewise to what? Well, likewise to chapter 2, verse 13. Be subject, hu pataso, be subject to those over you in the civil realm. Chapter 3, wives, be subject to those who are over you within the house. And I know we don't like to hear this, but it's just God's word. Just as God desires there to be humble leadership within the civil realm and humble leadership within the house, He says that there should be humble leadership within the church. And as there is a functioning and humble leadership, and as there is submission to that leadership, there is harmony. There's harmony. Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Verse seven, likewise, husbands. live with your wives in an understanding way likewise servants be subject to your masters chapter 5 verse 4 likewise you who are younger what does that mean you who are younger some translations like the LSB would say you younger men but the Greek literally just says the younger And so there's three views, and I'm just going to quickly go over them, because really at the end of the day, where you land doesn't make a huge difference to the application. First, some people think that this is younger men who are seeking eldership, and who might actually want to buck against some of the elders and their decisions. I don't think that's what he's saying. But it could mean that. It could literally just mean young men. So you've got elders ruling, and sometimes young men, like we see in 1 John 2, they're full of knowledge, and sometimes they have a hard time submitting in all of their zeal. Or, as the majority of commentators say, to which I agree, the younger ones refers to everyone who is not an elder in the church. Prasbuteros, we saw that word, is not just talking about old men. Charles is not an old man. Oh, I thought Caitlin was rebuking me for that. Nathan is not technically an old man. I'm not even an old man. I might sound like one and act like one. But we would be in the category of Timothy in 1 Timothy 4. Let not those despise you for your youth. So Peter's not using literal years or literal old here. He's talking about those who are spiritually mature. And usually that has to do with gray hair or no hair. Not always. And what he's doing here when he's saying you who are younger, he's extending the metaphor of spirituality. You who are not as it were elders. So you've got a command for the elders of the church, the presbyteroi, and now you've got, as it were, a command to those who are not presbyteroi, to those who are the neoteroi. Does that impress you? So this command is for everyone who is not an elder. This is the household. I think this fits Peter's context. You have a household, you've got parents in a house, and then everyone who's not a parent. It's simply like that. So in the household of God you've got elders, and then those who are not. And here's the command for you who are the younger. Be subject to the elders. There's that word hupotasso again. It means to come in line under. It's that military term. It has the idea of submitting to those whom God has put over you. And you need to remember that the Holy Spirit is the one who brings elders into the local church. Acts chapter 20. That Nathan and myself and Charles and Marvin, we didn't just have a little brouhaha and say, let's be elders. But actually, God is the one. who calls elders into the local church. And he is the one who gives them a stewardship. And because they have been given a stewardship and God's authority to watch over his household, they need to submit insofar as they are keeping in line with the Word of God. Just the same way a wife ought to submit to her husband. You don't submit to your husband if he's imperfect. You submit to your husband because God has given him to be the head of the house. It's the same in the governmental structure. And it's the same within the ecclesiastical structure. Let me give you a couple of other passages, lest you think Peter's all by himself. We looked at it last week. I'm going to turn a couple of books back to Hebrews 13. Verse 7, while you're turning there, I'll read, and then we'll look at verse 17. But the author, or the preacher, I would say, says, remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Remember from last week that the shepherds shepherded with the crook of God's word. That our authority is not a loud voice. Our authority is God's word. Consider the outcome of the way of their life. Be examples, Peter says, and imitate their faith. They're people that you should aspire to imitate. And if not, you need to find a church where the leaders are worth imitating. It's as simple as that. But look in verse 17. You think it's hard to remember your leaders? Verse 17 says, obey your leaders. And by the way, the guy preaching, this is for me too. When we have elders meetings, we submit to one another. So don't think that we get a pass. Obey your leaders and submit to them. There's that word. Why? For they are keeping watch over your souls. As those who will have to give an account, let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Kids, you want to have a miserable existence? Lip off to your parents. Don't submit to them. It's no benefit to have unruly people in the civic realm, in the house, or in the church. You have to realize what God is doing. He's not the God of disorder, 1 Corinthians 14. He's the God of order. Look also in 1 Thessalonians 5. This is another passage. They too are struggling with persecution. And Paul says this in verse 12. We ask you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord, right? Overseers. And we admonish you to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. So he wants the house to be orderly. He doesn't want there to be bickering. He wants those who are ruling to rule well, those who are shepherding to shepherd well, but those who are being shepherded to be submissive. And so there were the three H's I was thinking about. In God's household, the elders are to humbly shepherd the flock. The congregation are to humbly submit to the elders. And everyone is to humbly serve one another. Remember I said last week that humility is the glue that holds the church together? If you have got proud leaders, you're in trouble. But if you have humble leaders, and you have humble sheep, there is harmony in God's house. So that's what Peter wants. because we're gonna see in the next section that God's house is under attack. And if we're so busy attacking one another, we'll forget that there's an adversary who is seeking to distract us, that he might destroy Christ's church. And so, my first point, I have only two points in our sermon this morning, is one, we are called to humbly serve one another. Whether you're an elder or not an elder, we're all called to humbly serve one another. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Next, all of you. So whether you're an elder or not, the next phrase is for all of us. The ESV says, clothe yourselves, but literally in the Greek, it starts with all of you. All to one another, the humility put on. Okay, so nobody gets out of the command to be humble or to clothe themselves with humility. You who are younger, be subject. That is how you manifest humility. Elders, rule humbly. That is how you manifest it. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. Interesting Greek word. Paul uses this word, a different word to put on, like clothing. But this Greek word, which is used only here, literally means to tie on over something with a knot. And it pictures putting on a servant's apron. And in the world back then, this was a very distasteful image to one's mind, because it evoked within their image the idea of being a slave, or of humbling oneself to serve. And that's what Peter's saying, you need to put on, as it were, the apron of servanthood. This is the ultimate picture of humility, humbly serving one another. And I am almost entirely certain that the first image that came to Peter's mind was found in John 13. Do you remember when they entered into Jerusalem and they're like, yes, King Jesus is gonna destroy his foes and our enemies, remember that? Hosanna to the son of David, riding on his charger, as it were, though it was the foal of a donkey in a picture of humility. Their leafy branches and their garments lining the way into Jerusalem. Here's the king. And then all of a sudden their bubbles popped when this king, late at night, girds himself, not with a crown or a scepter or garments of purple, The kingly garment that Jesus robes himself with is the towel of servanthood. And I think the reason why Peter is saying this is because who is the one person who didn't get it? Do you remember the one person who says, not me! Anyone want to take a stab at who that was of the twelve? It wasn't Judas! It was Peter! He didn't get it. He didn't get the understanding that God's greatness is shown in the servant nature of Christ. By 1 Peter 5, I think Peter does get it. What is greatness in the kingdom? You who would be great, says Jesus in Matthew 20, you need to be a servant of all. And this is what he says here. Whether you're an elder or not, your call to enter, as it were, into this house wearing the apron of servanthood. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with what? The humility. Am I just playing games with definite articles? What is the humility? I think it's the humility of understanding Christ and His humility. And what comes to my mind is Philippians chapter 2. Do you remember a bickering church? In Philippians 2, you've got Uria and Syntyche in chapter 4, and they've forgotten the gospel. And so what Paul says to them in Philippians 2 is, complete my joy, how? By having the same mind, the same heart, being one-souled literally, with one purpose, looking out for the interests of others. esteeming yourself as less significant than others. And then he says in verse 5 of Philippians 2, have this mind in yourselves which was also in Christ. What is the mind? A mind of humility. That the Almighty God incarnate nevertheless would come into this world as a human being and live as a slave, yes a slave, a doulos, and then would die a slave's death naked on a cross. How do you clothe yourselves with the humility? You imitate Christ. Which is why we're gonna see next week, Peter says, be clear-minded. If you're so focused on all that's going on in the world, all of the cares and all the anxieties, if you're focused on that, you won't be clear-minded. Keep your eyes on Jesus Christ and you will be clear-minded and you can, as it were, stand up against the devil. So how do you clothe yourselves with humility? You look upon the greatness of God and the person of Christ who became a servant. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve. And he demonstrated that fully by giving himself as a ransom for the many. First command to this household, humbly serve one another. Humility brings harmony. You wanna be able to stand against the walls of the devil as a church? We will need to do so together. We're always reading the commands to stand against Satan. It's always just me versus him. No, Satan's attacking the church. He's attacking the house. Now we're members of it, and individually parts of it. But if we want to stand up against Satan, we need to actually stand together in humility. Humility brings harmony, and that's what God wants in His house. And we need it in these days, don't we? We need to have this humility. Theological humility. We had a very good robust discussion in Sunday school this morning talking about Sabbatarianism. There's various views on vaccines, vaccine passports. There's various views on modes of baptism or spiritual gifts. But let me say this, that God is more opposed to those who are right and proud than to those who may be wrong and humble. If we have a whole bunch of theological eggheads that are correcting their doctrine but go around with haughty looks, you know what Proverbs 6 says? There are six things that the Lord detests, yea, seven that are an abomination. You know what the first one is? Proud look. He doesn't say those who aren't theologically correct. Now, of course, we want to be. We want to cut straight the Word of God. We want to handle it accurately, of course. But we also want to handle it humbly. And so in God's household, the key virtue that He is seeking to bring about in our lives through persecution is humility. And this comes about as we humbly serve one another. We line up under authority, ultimately, God. Peter keeps going on. He gives some incentive. Likewise, you who are the younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another. See, humility is easy when you're by yourself. Nobody disagrees with you. Hey, when I was a single guy, what do you want for supper? I want this. Hey, no problem. That's what we're gonna get. It's easy to be humble when you're by yourself. It's hard to be humble when you're with others, who might disagree with you, who might see things differently. And so this is what a household needs. Not getting rid of those who disagree with us, but bearing with one another in love, Ephesians 4. Or even as Charles preached on, loving one another earnestly, fervently, reaching outedly. Ectenos is what the Adverb is showing hospitality towards one another, using our gifts for one another. We need to be humble towards one another, not in front of the mirror, but in the house of God. Why? For or because? Quoting Proverbs 3. The God to the arrogant stands opposed, but to the humble, he gives grace. That should terrify us. If we come into his house proud, he stands in opposition to us. So again, if you're a circler or an underliner, This word, submit, sounds almost identical to this word, oppose. You've got hupotasso, antitasso. Anti is against. If we're not lining up under God's authoritative structures and living as we ought in the household of God, He stands against us. We need to stand under His authority, which brings humility. If we don't stand under His authority, He stands against us. There's a play on words in the Greek. If you're not hoopa-tassoing, he's anti-tassoing. That's a terrifying thing. And we who are reformed need to be very careful of this. We can be some of the most arrogant, haughty, self-inflated people there are. We're right! We listen to hour-long sermons, and the pastor yells and uses Greek and Hebrew. And if we become proud in that, the Bible says God opposes us. Why should we put on the apron robe of servanthood towards one another? Because these are the people God loves to lavish his grace upon. That sounds like it's earning. I'm just quoting the Bible. You put yourself in a position where God loves to bless those who are lowly, those who are humble. Jesus says it over and over and over, especially at the very end of his ministry. Paul says it, Peter says it, the Old Testament says it. It's a principle. God opposes the proud, the arrogant, the haughty, the self-inflated, the vaunted ones. It's just who he is. And actually, that's how the Greek construction is. I know Josh is reading his LSB, and it translates that he is, in a sense, this isn't something he does, it's someone he is. God, by dint of his nature, must. He doesn't choose to oppose the proud. He does oppose the proud. Just like because he is holy, he hates sin. He doesn't choose to hate sin. God is light. He doesn't choose to be light. And because of who God is, he must. It doesn't flip a coin. Am I going to oppose the proud today? Just like a functioning compass doesn't choose, it always goes north. God always opposes the proud. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. So the first point is, humbly serve one another. This is what a harmonious household looks like. When you come to church, or when you gather for grace group, or when you get together with your brothers and sisters, are you wearing the apron? Most people come to church this way. I'm coming to be served. And they get angry because no one else is wearing the apron. The service was too long, the service was too short, the music was too loud, the music was too quiet, the songs were too boring, the songs were too busy. That's not the kind of mindset God wants us to cultivate. He wants us to put on the apron of the humility. Why? Because he loves to see his son in his people. James quotes it as well, different context, but God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. First point, humbly serve one another. Second, humbly submit to God. Humbly serve one another. Second, humbly submit to God. Verse six, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. It just makes sense. This is who God is. He shows his favor and gives grace to the humble. Therefore, like this is just common sense. But I need to be reminded of it. Trust me. I'm driving to church this morning. I'm always praying, Lord, would you give me illustrations? I'm not good. Some people are just very creative. Lord, give me illustrations. Oh, and he gave me an illustration this morning. My wife had some words of exhortation for me because I'd said something very foolish last night. And so here I am driving to church with the stair going on. Oh, you know the stair. And there's an inward battle going on in the driver's seat of a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan heading north to Diamond City. Are you going to apply your own words there, buddy? Are you going to humble yourself? Or, more literally, are you going to allow yourself to be humbled? It's a passive imperative. What does that mean? It means to let something be done to you. Accept it. Embrace it. Will you let God humble you, buddy? Or are you going to remain proud? And I pray this all the time, Lord, would you bless this congregation? And this is what God's saying to me, Ryan, I'm resisting you right now. And so the hand does the little creep over, because me and Christine often drive when things are well with our hands together. Will you humble yourself, Ryan? And by the hand coming over, it's saying, I was wrong and I'm sorry. This is submitting to God. Ryan, will you submit to God? He's cleansing you. Judgment begins with you, Ryan. Cleanse out all that old leaven. I want to make you holy like my son. I want you to serve your wife and serve your kids and serve this church. You need to be a paragon of humility. Will you let me humble you? You see, in the English language it says here, humble yourselves. That's not what it's saying. It says, be humbled. Let yourself be humbled. God is seeking to humble you this morning somehow. Whether through persecution, or through marriage, or through being a parent, or through life circumstances, He's seeking to humble you. Why? Because He's seeking to make you into the image of His Son, who is the very essence and epitome of humility. You want to become like Christ? God will make you humble. Therefore, let yourself be humbled. Get under that waterfall of God's humbling grace. We all want God's grace. Sometimes we just don't like the way he dispenses it. You mean I need to go over there? Yep. You mean I need to say sorry to a brother or sister I may have wronged? Yep. Some of us are withholding God's blessing this morning, because we're not allowing ourselves to be humbled under God's mighty hand. This word, to be humbled, it's actually a Greek word that is made up of two parts, and it literally is translated, I think, to King James, lowly-mindedness, to paina, lowly, phronē, saying mind. Humility starts here. Humility starts with having a right view of God, which then leads to a right view of self and a right view of church. So where is your mind? Stewing on how you've been wronged? Or meditating upon the gospel of Jesus Christ? when you realize that you're an unworthy sinner who's had God's unmerited grace lavished upon you, and He's forgiven you and transformed you because of what Christ did for you. It is impossible to be proud when we've truly seen Christ in all of His glory. It's an impossibility. Now we can talk about the gospel and be proud, but I mean to really get the gospel, it is virtually impossible to be proud. To have unforgiveness in your heart? And to be gazing upon the dying Lamb of God on the cross, are you? You're not seeing Him right. Like Nathan kind of brought up from Matthew 13, seeing they don't see and hearing they don't hear. And of course that's true of unbelievers. But even as you read Mark's gospel account, Jesus even says to them, are you so obtuse? Are you hardened too? Why was Peter not getting things? Because he was not getting Christ rightly. And so, again, we come back to the preeminence of the gospel. Nothing will humble you more deeply than seeing God most fully in the person and work of his Son in the gospel. Understand that whatever you're going through right now, it might be physical pain, it might be a relational strain, I don't know what it is. God is seeking to humble you. We wholly or humbly serve one another, but we need to humbly submit to God. Humble yourselves, therefore, not to one another, but under the mighty hand of God. And the hand of God is a metaphor often used in the Old Testament to show of God's power, but also of his presence and intimacy. God by his hand delivered his people. Right? With a mighty hand out of Egypt they came. But also God with a mighty hand disciplines his people. He delivers his people with his hand, but he also disciplines them. Just like a faithful father would do. Humble yourselves under God's delivering and disciplining hand. Let yourselves be humbled more literally. Why? Here's the promise. The first promise, given in our first point, if you humbly serve one another, God will give you grace. If you humbly submit to God, He will exalt you. God always gives promises and incentives for obedience. Humbly serve one another, he will give you grace. Humbly submit to God, and at the proper time, he will exalt you. And part of it, part of your humbling yourself under God, is realizing that time is in his hand. I would love to be vindicated tomorrow for those who are trash-talking me. But you need to just submit to God. He will do all these things. He will restore, confirm, strengthen, establish you. He will exalt you, but at the proper time. When that is, I don't know, but He does. Verse 7. If you're reading from the NIV right now, understand they did a very bad thing in verse 7. Because they start verse 7 with a command, and that's not what the Greek has. Right? So verse six says, humble yourselves. And then verse seven says, cast all your cares on him. But that's not what Peter's saying. He's actually explaining a way that you can humble yourself. By casting all of your anxieties upon him. And so you have a church that is being persecuted. or to churches in Asia Minor that are being persecuted. And Peter says, humble yourselves. Don't hide your anxieties. That's what we do, everything's good. God resists those kinds of people. Don't hide your anxieties from him, heap them upon him. Literally hurl them on him, throw them on him. People are freaking out in the church because there's the, there seems to be persecution on the horizon. And when people are freaking out, they're usually biting and devouring one another. You worrying affects the harmony of the house. Remember, God wants to purge the house. He wants a clean house. So humbly serve one another. Humbly submit to God. Some of you are holding on to cares and anxieties and worries. Going back again to what Nathan providentially read from Matthew 13, that the seed is sown. Many of us leave hearing the word of God unchanged. One, because we're afraid of persecution, and God uses that to purge. But also, there's also the thorns, which Luke says are the cares of this world. And Peter says, cast all of your cares on him. Now, notice he doesn't say, cast all of the pain or all of the circumstances. Those might never change. Okay? But he says, cast all of your worries about that. So let me give you a couple of things we're worried about that I think God is calling us to heap upon him this morning. Humble ourselves by heaping our cares on. We're worried about our future. Am I alone? Maybe I am. But you're worried about the future? Cast it upon the one who declares the end from the beginning. The one in whose eyes a thousand years are like a day, and a day is like a thousand years. The one who has already declared victory in the book of Revelation. That's what they ask Billy Graham, like, why are you not freaking out? He says, I know we've already won. If you're worried about the future, you can't heap the future on it, but you can heap your care about what the future will bring. You may be concerned about your family. Wedding yesterday, and here's just the pessimist. They're getting married, and there's this joy. And when they start having kids, and they're bringing kids into a world that may be very different. Maybe it won't be, maybe it will be. Maybe we'll be like some of these communistic countries in five or ten years. I don't know. But if I'm worrying about that, I need to keep that on. Gone. Future family finances. There's a lot of people freaking out about inflation right now. What if all the years that I've stored up, put away all those stocks and all of those savings, and they're worth nothing? Cast those cares upon God. He sustained Israel in the wilderness for 40 years, and He gave them manna every day, and their shoes did not wear out, nor their garments. Could He not care for you, you of little faith? Some of us are concerned that maybe we will apostatize. What if they come to my house? What if they do this? Well, this is where we go back to the gospel. We're gonna sing it as our closing song. He will keep you, hold you fast. He will not let one of his sheep go. And so here are some of the worries that perhaps you're going through. You're worried about the future, your family, or finances, or losing your faith. And Peter says, humble yourself. See, you know what worrying is really you trying to do? Save yourself. You've maybe never thought of it that way. At the moment when you're worrying, you've forgotten God. You've made all of a sudden whatever you're concerned about the preeminent center of your life. It's become an idol actually. Worry is idolatry in action. And I say that to you because I say it to myself. I'm like the preeminent worrier. So Ryan, humble yourself. Trust in God. We read it from Psalm 56 this morning. Humble yourselves, he will lift you up. Humble yourselves by heaping your concerns upon him. Don't heap your concerns upon your spouse or your pastor. Don't heap your concerns upon Facebook. Actually, delete your Facebook account and read the Bible some more. Seriously! And I'm preaching to myself. Right? It says, casting your cares upon who? Upon the only one whose shoulders can bear those burdens. When Jesus says, come to me. He didn't say, come to religion. He didn't say, go to your pastor. Come to me. I will give you rest for your souls. And again, Peter has another reason. If you're looking at my notes, I have little arrows, right? So, verse 5 has an arrow, verse 6 has an arrow, verse 7 has an arrow. Right? Humbly serve one another. Why? God resists the proud, gives grace to the humble. Humbly submit to God. Why? He will lift you up. Cast all your cares upon Him. Why? Because it is a concern to Him concerning you. That's one of the first things we think about in trials, that maybe God doesn't care. He doesn't care about my kids. He doesn't care about my future. See, that's the false gospel of Satan. You see why he says to be sober-minded? Because we have all kinds of wrong thinking. How does Satan attack us? He attacks the church with wrong thoughts. by inflated view of self. I can get myself out of this. I just have to change how I invest my money. I can save my kids. I just bubble them from the world. We can save ourselves. Never could, never will. So humble yourselves and he will lift you up. Cast your cares upon him. Why? Because he intimately cares about you. Romans 8.32. It's a great verse to memorize. You should have it memorized because I quote it like every Sunday. He who spared not His own Son, how will He not also with Him graciously give you all things, including house-cleansing trials? He's giving these things as a good gift to cleanse you, to make you more like Christ. He cares about you, so much so that He actually fashions peculiar persecutions or trials for you. You're going through what you're going through because that will make you more like Christ. I'm going through what I'm going through because that'll make me more like Christ. And it all comes to submitting to God. Cast your cares upon the Lord and He will sustain you. That was our call to worship last week. Martha, Martha. Church, church. There are many concerns you have right now. One thing is necessary. Choose the right one. Sit humbly at the feet of Jesus. When you remember he's concerned for you, the concerns of this world will flee away. He cares for the birds and the sparrows. He cares for the flowers. How much more does he care for those made in his image? How much more does he care for those for whom his son came to die? Like weights that burden us and drugs that distort our minds, cares can trip us up and confuse us. So get rid of them. Tripping over, right? I still have young kids. I still step on Legos and they really do hurt as much as the memes say. It's just too much clutter. Too much stumbling because there's too much concern strewn about the house. Christina says, throw them into the Lego bin. And if she had her wish come true, throw them into the garbage bin. But that's what God is saying. Don't let those cares trip you up and fog your mind. Humble yourself and realize that they're not meant for you, that you can take those anxieties and you can cast them upon God. Why? Because you are a concern to him. Well, I think that's adequate right now. Two things I want us to leave with then. It's simple. That in this context of a house being attacked from without, we are to seek harmony within. Two things I would command you from Peter. One, humbly serve one another in this body. Ask God, how would you have me put on the apron? Show me what it looks like. Put someone in my life that I can serve. First, humbly serve another. Second, humbly submit to God. In your trials, submit to Him. He cares for you. He really does. And that's the beautiful truth of the gospel. Humbly submit to God. He will lift you up. He will give you grace to help in your time of need. If you're not a Christian this morning, And do understand that God's cleansing purposes, though they begin with his house, they do not end with his house. We saw from chapter four, if this is what happens to the church and God is going to purge her in cleansing judgment, he will most certainly purge you in cleansing judgment. And not trials, but eternal hell. So I would say to you this morning, come to the Savior. Come to the living stone rejected by men. Oh, that God would give you eyes to say, but to you who believe he is precious, that you would come to Christ. This one who bore your sins to Calvary and now intercedes for you at the right hand of God, come to him. He will not cast you away. He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous go. He will not let the righteous be upended. So you need to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, right? Come to Christ. Stop trying to save yourself with religion, turning over new leaves at January 1st time. Stop trying to save yourself with everything possible. Humbly admit you can't. And for us who are Christians, it's kind of the same thing, isn't it? Stop trying to save yourself. Accept God's goodness and sovereignty and just humble yourself under his mighty hand. trusting that he will raise you up and vindicate you on the last day. Father, we thank you for your goodness to us. Thank you for your kindness that is shown most preeminently in the person and work of your son. Father, I can't yell loud enough to convince somebody this morning that you care for them. But Father, you never sent me to be your advocate. I'm not the paraclete. And so, Father, collectively we pray, please, Holy Spirit, work in our hearts. It's only by your ministry that we can say that God is good. Otherwise, we're like those sons of Asaph in Psalm 73, brutish beasts, doubting the goodness of God. Father, that you would turn a fresh, the light in our hearts saying that God is good. Truly God is good to Israel. Father, I ask that you would help us in these times of uncertainty and distress, when the gates of hell are bombarding the household of God. Lord, when we're tempted to worry, stay up all night churning, thinking on, thinking over, things that are really out of our control. Would you humble us and would you give us the grace to let ourselves be humbled, not under your light hand or your uncaring hand, but under your sovereign and fatherly hand, the same hand that was nailed to a cross. Father, would you bring harmony in our church When we see a day and an age where the church has become so fractured and schismed, and this group is against that group, and these are fighting against those, oh Father, would you grant us true harmony at Grace Community? Would you help us to be so Spirit-controlled that we are eager to maintain this Spirit's unity in the bond of peace? And would you give us more and more the mind of Christ our Savior, who thought it not robbery, though being in the form of God, to come into this world fully man, and to live fully servant. Would you make us more like Him, and may the world see us radically different. In this light we pray. we sing now Lord would you fill our hearts with gratitude would you fill our hearts with praise would you help us to remember the gospel not only this morning but every day this week for everything that we need it for we ask in Jesus name amen well we're gonna close with two