If you would, please turn with me to Philippians chapter one. Philippians chapter one. We're continuing our study through the book of Philippians, and tonight we come to verses 12 through 14. Philippians chapter one, and I will read verses 12 through 14. Please follow as I read. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole Imperial Guard, and to all the rest, that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Well, join me now as we ask God's help once again as we come to his word tonight. Our dear God, we ask for your help. Lord, we acknowledge our weakness, our need, so we look to you again to give us that help that only you can give. As has already been prayed, please send your spirit amongst us this night. Help us to understand the truths that are contained in your word. Open our hearts to receive that which is spoken this night, and we pray that you would help us to be able to apply it. We pray that it might not only be an encouragement, but we also pray for those that are here who are yet still apart from you. We pray that they would hear the gospel, and that they might repent and believe. So we ask that you would bless us this night with your presence, and we ask these things in Jesus' name, amen. Well, some of us are planners. We plan out things, each and every detail. We like to have our ducks in a row. We like to have things go according to our plans. But how do we respond when things don't go according to plan? When perhaps we encounter an obstacle or a hindrance to our plan? Do we grumble? Do we complain? Do we become frustrated and maybe even angry? Do we give up because things just aren't going our way? Well, tonight, as we look at this passage, we will see how Paul responds when things do not go according to his plan. Think of this great missionary, Paul, who was called to preach, to carry the name of Jesus, to proclaim Jesus before the Gentiles and kings and before all the nations. As Paul desired to be faithful to his calling to preach the gospel, one can imagine that Paul had developed a plan, a plan for his missionary work, a plan that included his traveling to many of the major cities. As one man wrote, Paul purposely targeted the heavily populated centers of Macedonia and Greece, cities such as Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Athens, and others. And he did so so that he could preach the message of Jesus Christ, not only in the cities, but that that message might then spread from the cities and into the surrounding regions. Of all the cities to which Paul traveled, we learn that there was one city in particular, one city that Paul greatly desired to travel to one day. where he longed to preach the gospel. That city was Rome. When he wrote to the church in Rome in Romans chapter one, Paul tells the church in Rome that he prayed that he might be able to come to Rome. He writes this, he says, that without ceasing, I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow, by God's will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you. He tells them that he desired to come to Rome. He writes, for I long to see you. And he tells them that he planned to come to Rome. I have often intended, I have often planned to come to you, but thus far I have been prevented. Well, as Paul wrote of his desire to come to Rome, it is doubtful that when he planned to come to Rome, that he planned to come to Rome as a prisoner. However, this is the circumstance that Paul finds himself in now. As Paul is writing this letter to the church at Philippi, Paul is a prisoner. He is a prisoner in Rome. Well, how does Paul respond to his circumstance? Circumstances that, humanly speaking, would seem to prevent Paul from spreading the gospel, that which he desired to do when he got to Rome. Well, we find that Paul does not give up, but he remains faithful to his calling, and he finds ways to share the gospel. Despite his adverse circumstances, despite the obstacles that he faces, the gospel advances. So tonight, as we look at these verses from Paul's letter to the Philippians, we will do so using this outline. First, we will consider the adverse circumstances. What were the obstacles that Paul faced when he got to Rome? And then secondly, we will see the advance of the gospel. The gospel advances despite obstacles. So we have the adverse circumstances and then the advance of the gospel. Well, first, then, the adverse circumstances. As Paul writes his letter to the church in Philippi, in verses 1 through 2, he begins with the traditional greeting to the church. And then in verses 3 through 11, he expresses his thanksgiving to God and what his joy was. His joy was in their partnership with him in the gospel. And then he shares words of encouragement, telling them that he is confident, confident that God will preserve them to the end. And then he tells the church that, I am praying for you. I am praying for you. But then starting in verse 12, Paul now provides a brief report about his own personal circumstances, and then how those circumstances have affected the spread of the gospel. In verse 12 of Philippians chapter one, we read this. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me. It's possible that Paul is responding maybe to a question that was posed to him by Epaphroditus. You recall, Epaphroditus was sent by the church in Philippi to bring a gift to Paul, to minister to Paul's needs, and likely to check on his condition. Well, as Paul writes these words, what has happened to me, I believe that Paul is here referring to his imprisonment. As we think about Paul's imprisonment, it might be helpful for us to know that under Roman law, commentators tell us there were different forms of imprisonment. There were those that were kept in a dungeon. There were those that were kept in a military barracks or a fortress. But there were also those who were confined to a dwelling place. What we might think of today as under house arrest. Furthermore, regarding Paul's imprisonment, we should note that Paul does not specifically state the location of his imprisonment. Thus, there has been some question as to what location his imprisonment, where it was when he wrote this letter to the church in Philippi. Now, there's several views, but the two most likely are locations that are described in Acts. Some believe that Paul was in prison in Caesarea when he wrote the letter to the Philippians, an imprisonment described in Acts chapter 23, verse 23 through Acts 26. Others believe that Paul, in writing this letter, was imprisoned in Rome, as described in Acts 28. Well, the traditional view, and the view that is held by most commentators that I have read, and the view that I hold, is the view that the letter to the Philippians was written by Paul when he was imprisoned in Rome. Two of the key reasons for this is that Paul references being guarded by the imperial guard in Philippians 1, verse 13. Most likely a reference to the imperial guard that was stationed at Rome. And then also there's Paul's reference to greetings sent by Caesar's household in Philippians 4 verse 22, which likely is a reference to believers in Rome, saints who were part of Caesar's household, who may have visited Paul while he was in prison, knowing that he was writing to the church in Philippi. They may have asked Paul to include their greeting to their brothers in Philippi. Well, with this view in mind that Paul is imprisoned in Rome, if you would, again, turn with me to Acts 28. In Acts 28, we're given a description of Paul's arrival in Rome and his imprisonment. I just want to note a few verses in this chapter. Note verse 16, where we read, and when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him. Paul was allowed to stay, to abide, to live by himself. He was kept separate from the other prisoners. Also note later in verse 23, if you look down to verse 23, we see here that we're told of visitors who came to Paul at his lodging. Paul was kept in his own lodging, in his own dwelling place. And then finally, if you look down at verse 30, we read, and he lived there two whole years at his own expense. Or as the New King James Version translated, he dwelt in his own rented house. And from these verses, I believe it is clear Paul was kept under house arrest when he arrived in Rome. However, we should keep in mind that the lodging that Paul was kept in was not like the houses that we live in today, not like our spacious houses, but more likely he was kept in a basic, simple lodging, a place because it's a place that he had to rent. Paul had to pay for his lodging, as it's said. He paid for it as his own expense. And remember, Paul is in Rome. Rome is likely an expensive place to live. If we think of the relatively high cost of living in most major cities, cities such as New York, we know that typically rental spaces in major cities have a much higher cost to rent them. Paul was not a wealthy man. He was a missionary. He relied on the support of the church. And he likely settled for the lowest cost location, not to be a burden to the church, not to be a burden to others. With that same self-denial as when he worked as a tent maker, not to be a burden to the church. Therefore, I believe that when Paul was under house arrest, he was kept in a very simple, very basic lodging in Rome. Now, some might think of this as, well, that's not so bad, is it? Right? It's not like being in prison, is it? At least it's not being in a dungeon. But I would like to point out at least three adverse conditions that are associated with Paul's house arrest. We need to keep in mind that when he is under house arrest, Paul is restricted. He is confined. And although there's no bars on the doors, he was not permitted to go out into the city. He could not go out and walk around Rome. He was not free to go out and preach the gospel. He could not go to the synagogue and preach to the Jews. He could not meet with his church family, other believers in Rome, and to encourage them and strengthen them in the word. And anyone that's been restricted to a house for an extended period of time knows that this is not an ideal circumstance. And it's particularly not an ideal circumstance for a missionary, for a man who desired to spread the gospel. But then secondly, we should realize that Paul was not alone. There was a soldier who was with Paul, a soldier who guarded Paul when he was under house arrest. In Philippians 1.13, we learn that these soldiers who guarded Paul were members of the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard, a group of elite, hardened, hand-picked soldiers who were located in the city of Rome, and their primary responsibility was to protect the emperor. But it seems that also part of their responsibility was to guard prisoners who came to Rome who were awaiting trial, trial before Caesar. And when Paul arrived in Rome as a prisoner who was awaiting trial before Caesar, he was turned over to the custody of the Imperial Guard to ensure that Paul was securely guarded 24-7. There was likely a guard that was constantly present with Paul. But then thirdly, as he is guarded 24-7, we learn that Paul was also chained. In Philippians 1 verse 13, Paul writes of his imprisonment for Christ. The Greek word that's translated in the ESV as imprisonment has the meaning of band or bond or chain. In the King James Version, it's translated as bond. In the New King James, it's actually translated as chain. Also, if you look back at Acts 28, when he's speaking to the local leaders of the Jews that visited him, he tells them of the reason for his being a prisoner. Paul references the chain he is wearing in verse 20. He says, it's because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain. Paul is bound by a chain. He is wearing a chain. And commentators tell us that this chain that Paul is wearing, it's a short chain, perhaps 18 inches. A chain that would have been attached to his wrist. But it's also a chain that most commentators believe was attached to the guard. Think about that for a moment. Paul. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, constantly chained to a guard. I can't imagine what this was like for Paul. He's restricted. He's confined to a small lodging. He's not able to leave, not able to go out into the city that he longs to go into to share the gospel. He's continually guarded by an imperial guard. A guard, he's ever present, watching every movement of Paul. As he walked around the house, listening to every word that Paul spoke, observing Paul, hearing and seeing Paul's every action. And then, there's the chain. Paul always wearing a chain. And he felt that chain upon him, a constant reminder of his arrest and his lack of freedom. And if Paul is indeed chained directly to the guard as many believe, it would mean that he's always linked to this guard. Side by side, night and day, he had no privacy. At least the guard would get a break. After his watch ended, he would be released from the chain. He would be able to go back to his barracks or his home, do whatever he wanted. But there was no break for Paul. For as one guard is relieved of duty and freed from his end of the chain, the next guard took his place, chained to Paul. Paul was constantly chained. So in Philippians 1.12, when Paul writes these words, what has happened to me, that which has happened to Paul, the circumstances that Paul currently faces, he is being confined to house arrest, he is guarded 24-7, constantly guarded by a Roman imperial guard, and he's always wearing a chain. These circumstances would be viewed by, I think, most people as adverse circumstances. So we've seen the adverse circumstances that Paul has experienced. But next, let us consider the advance of the gospel. Looking again at Philippians 1.12, Paul writes this, I want you to know, brothers, what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. Paul tells the church in Philippi that what has happened to him, these adverse conditions, his imprisonment, circumstances that most people would see as an obstacle to the spread of the gospel, God has actually used for the advance of the gospel. Despite these circumstances, the gospel progresses. It moves forward. John MacArthur notes that the word translated as advance or progress describes not merely moving ahead, but doing so against obstacles. It gives the sense of an explorer or an army advance team hacking their way through trees or underbrush, moving ahead slowly with considerable effort, resistance. Resistance is inherent to this sort of progress. Resistance that Paul has experienced firsthand as he now finds himself confined to house arrest and wearing a chain. Paul then goes on to describe several ways that the gospel advances. First of all, In verse 13 of Philippians 1 we read, the gospel advances throughout the whole imperial guard. He writes, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And although we do not know the specific details of how that gospel message spread through the Imperial Guard, what we do know, we do know that from all accounts of Paul's prior imprisonments, we know that Paul is always faithful to share the gospel whenever an opportunity presents itself. So therefore, I think it is reasonable for us to imagine that Paul would have shared the gospel with the guards who were there chained to him. Well, how might this have taken place? It's likely that these guards were told of the charges against Paul. Written charges that were sent by Festus when Paul was transferred from Caesarea to Rome to stand before Caesar. Charges that were made against Paul by the Jews. Charges that Festus described to King Agrippa as being certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who was dead but whom Paul asserted to be alive. Charges that may have stated that Paul is being held as a prisoner for his defense of the gospel, for his proclamation that Jesus is the Christ. And being made aware of these charges, perhaps some of these guards may have come to Paul and said, is it true? You are a Roman citizen. It is true that you have willingly given up your freedom for Christ? To which I am sure that Paul would have responded, yes. Yes, I am wearing this chain for Jesus. Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is my Savior. He is my Lord. He is my King. And while many of these hardcore Roman imperial soldiers, part of the emperor's private guard, probably would have just mocked Paul and said, we serve no other king than Caesar. Who is this king you speak of? But there may have been some that actually came to Paul with a genuine heart, curious, asking Paul, who is this king that you speak of? And I think it's reasonable to expect that Paul would have taken advantage of this opportunity and then shared the gospel with these guards. He would have told them of the kingdom of God, a kingdom that Paul is now a citizen of. He would have told them of Jesus, the King of kings, the Lord of lords. Jesus, the King that Paul followed. Jesus, the King who came not to be served, but to serve. Jesus, the King who willingly laid down His life for His people to suffer and to die, to die a substitutionary death on the cross, the sinless Savior who died in the place of sinners. He would have told them also of Jesus who rose from the dead, of Jesus who has been exalted into heaven, and of Jesus who will come again. And he would have told them of the promise, the promise of forgiveness of sin and eternal life to all who repent and believe in Jesus. I'm certain Paul would have shared the gospel with these soldiers, with these guards, by his word. And thereby, the gospel advances. But in addition to the words that are spoken by Paul to these guards, we can imagine that the gospel advances by means of Paul's life. The witness of his life before these guards. Guards who would have seen how Paul lived, up close and personal. How did Paul respond to these adverse circumstances? When no one else was around to see him, the guards were there. Guards who would have likely expected that he would have grumbled, maybe complained about his circumstances, being chained, being a prisoner, not being free. But this is not what Paul did. There's no indication that Paul complained. There's no indication that Paul was bitter or angry with the circumstances. There's no indication that he became discouraged. There's no indication that he ever gave up sharing the gospel. Instead, Paul remained faithful to Christ. And he proclaimed the gospel to all whom he came in contact with, to the guards and all who visited him. And these guards also likely saw him praying to God regularly. Prayers that he wrote of in Philippians chapter one. Prayers of praise and thanksgiving to God. Prayers in which Paul rejoiced. Rejoiced in the spread of the gospel by the church. Prayers for the church to be strengthened and encouraged and to grow in holiness. Prayers for the lost to be saved. These guards would have seen in Paul a life of contentment, a life of humble dependence upon God, as he trusted God each and every day. And when each of these guards who were assigned to guard Paul returned to their barracks, these men very likely shared with the other guards that were stationed with him shared with them what they heard, what they saw firsthand as they guarded Paul, as they were there with him side by side in each and every day. Paul was a witness. a light shining before these guards. And it became clear throughout the whole Imperial Guard, the reason why Paul was confined under household rest and wearing a chain, it was clear to all, Paul's imprisonment is for Christ, Christ the King. And the news of this man, Paul, a prisoner for Christ, spread through the entire Imperial Guard. And as this news spread, the gospel spread with it as well. Dr. Ferguson writes this, Paul's imprisonment was part of the divine strategy to advance the gospel by bringing it to people who otherwise would never have heard it. It's highly unlikely that these Roman soldiers who guarded Paul would ever have gone out to hear Paul preach. They would not have sought out Paul, They wouldn't want to say, where can I find this man so I can hear the gospel proclaimed? No, God had to bring Paul to them. God did so by bringing Paul to them in chains. He had to become a prisoner to then be able to speak to these Roman soldiers to share the gospel. So we see that God uses Paul's imprisonment to advance the gospel, to reach many who would not otherwise have heard the gospel preached. Secondly, we read that the gospel advances to all the rest. Look again at verse 13 of Philippians 1. We read that, so it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. This news of Paul's imprisonment for Christ, the message of the gospel as it spread, it spread not only through the imperial guard, but it says here, it became known to all the rest, to others. Now we're not told who these others are, but it's possible that these others are those that heard the message from the guards. I think like many of us after work, when we come home, we might tell our wives or our family or maybe our neighbors or our friends, hey, this is what I've been doing at work today. Or perhaps when we go to a different assignment, we might tell them, hey, this is what I was doing over at this job assignment. Well, it's possible that the guards did the same thing. When they were off duty at home or out with friends or speaking to neighbors or when they were on another assignment, perhaps in Caesar's household, they told others about this man, Paul. This man that they were guarding, a man who was a Roman citizen, who was in chains, not because he was some type of notorious criminal, not because he was a felon, no, simply due to his allegiance to Christ. He was in chains because he was a follower of Christ, a message that appears to have spread to others, others who came in contact with these imperial guards. Or perhaps all the rest may have included the others that came to visit Paul while he was under house arrest. Although Paul was confined to house arrest and prevented from going out to spread the gospel, Paul was not prevented from having other visitors, having visitors come to him. We read of these visitors in Acts 28. If you look again at Acts 28, We find that, as was Paul's custom, when he arrived in a city, he first went to the Jews. And since he was confined to house arrest and not able to go to the synagogue, in verse 17 we read that Paul called together the local leaders of the Jews. And when the local Jewish leaders came to him, he uses this opportunity to proclaim Jesus. In verse 20, once again, we read this. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain. He speaks of Jesus, the hope of Israel, the long-awaited Messiah, and he shares the gospel with these Jews, these Jewish leaders. Well, how do they respond? They say, well, you know, we haven't heard anything, any report about you, but we have heard this report about this sect, these people that follow Jesus. And so they said, well, we'd like to hear more about this. We'd like to hear your view about the sect. So they arranged a follow-up meeting with Paul. Then later in verse 23 through 28, we're told of that meeting, a meeting attended by greater numbers of the Jews, a meeting at which Paul expounded. He explained the scriptures from both the law of Moses and the prophets. He was testifying to the kingdom of God and speaking to convince them about Jesus, that Jesus is the Messiah, the long-awaited Messiah, the Christ that they desired to one day see. And he testified to this from morning until evening. Paul preached the gospel to these Jews who visited him. It's a message that Paul continued to share with all who visited him. As we're told in verse 30 through 31, for two years, Paul welcomed all. He gladly received everyone who came to visit him. And Paul used this opportunity whenever visitors came to proclaim the kingdom of God and preach of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul preached the gospel to all who came, to both Jew and to Gentile, and he did so with boldness and without hindrance. Despite his imprisonment, the gospel advances to all the rest. But then I believe there's a third way that the gospel advances. It's the gospel advances as it's preached by others. If you would look with me at Philippians 1, verse 14, Philippians 1 verse 14 we read, And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Paul's adverse circumstances, his being imprisoned in Rome, these adverse circumstances that he experienced, instead of being a discouragement to the church, instead of it causing the brothers to become timid, maybe afraid to preach the gospel, Paul's imprisonment had the opposite effect. By Paul's example, it motivated others in the church to preach with boldness. Think of great leaders, men that inspire others to do great things. We see and we hear their example. We see their actions, their life, their words, how they respond to trials and difficulties, and how they continue to remain faithful to their calling. Paul's example, as he remained a faithful ambassador for Christ, even when imprisoned for Christ, was used by God to inspire others, brothers in Christ, to preach with boldness. These brothers who preach with boldness and without fear, they did so, we're told, having become confident in the Lord. Their confidence was not in themselves. Their confidence was not in their own ability. Their confidence was not even in Paul. We're told their confidence was in the Lord. It's the Lord who had not abandoned Paul, even though he was imprisoned. It's the Lord who was with Paul continuing to bless him. It's the Lord who was using Paul to serve the kingdom as he preached the gospel to all. The Lord, who is faithful, faithful to keep his promises, his promises to never leave us nor forsake us. And therefore they could say, the Lord is on my side. I will not fear. What can man do to me? Their confidence is in the Lord. And it stirred within them a boldness to preach Christ without fear. So we have seen the gospel advances despite adverse circumstances. As Paul was a witness to these imperial guards and to all the rest. As Paul spoke and proclaimed Jesus to all who visited him while under house arrest. As Paul inspired others, brothers in Christ, members of the church to preach with boldness. But there's one final point I would like to note regarding the advance of the gospel. And although this is not coming directly from our text, we do know that the gospel advances as Paul writes letters. While he's in prison in Rome, Paul writes letters. As we've already noted, Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi. And in addition to this letter to the Philippians, Paul writes other letters during his imprisonment. Letters to the Colossians, letters to the Ephesians, a letter to Philemon. Letters that I am confident that have been used by God to both encourage and strengthen the church and also for the advance of the gospel. So what lessons can we learn from this? You might think to yourself, how does this apply to me? Well, one lesson I think we can learn from this is that we're reminded that we need to be a faithful witness, ready to share the gospel in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves. In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded his disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations. And as we go, in whatever circumstances the Lord may lead us into, we are called to make disciples, to share the gospel with all, with all whom God may bring into our lives. with family, with friends, with acquaintances, with coworkers, with colleagues, with neighbors, even with our enemies. And as we go, we should imitate Paul, Paul who remained faithful to Jesus to share the gospel despite adverse circumstances. Well, what might that look like for us today? It's not likely any of us are going to find ourselves chained to our Roman imperial guard. But it's possible we might find ourselves chained in other ways. It's possible that at work, we might be assigned to work side by side every day with a person that's a non-believer, a person who's rather rough, A person that's rather difficult. A man that uses foul language. A man who complains. A man who's always trying to find ways to not have to work at all. A man who might be very opinionated. You know, I know it all. Always telling you how to do things or finding fault in you. And once they learn that you're a Christian, oh, then they're constantly seeking ways to irritate you, stir up controversy, attack your faith, challenge your values. And this person, this is not a person that you would normally seek out. It's not a person that you would normally want to spend time with. But we must remember that God has sovereignly placed you in that circumstance. So how do you respond? We need to seek to be a faithful witness to that person. We can be a witness with our life, how we speak, how we work, how we show respect to our employer. And we need to find opportunities to share the gospel with that person. And when God opens a door of opportunity, we need to be faithful to boldly share the gospel. The same scenario could apply to other circumstances that you might experience, perhaps with a person who's a member of your family, perhaps with a person who is a neighbor, perhaps with someone that you encounter at school or at a school event, anyone who is difficult and who is openly opposed to the gospel. And if we find ourselves in these difficult, adverse circumstances, Remember God's plan may be for you to be in that difficult circumstance, so that you might have access to that person, so that you might be able to share the gospel with them. We need to seek to be a faithful witness wherever God providentially places us. to shine as a light in a world of darkness by our life and by our words, to be ready to share the gospel with the lost as God gives us opportunity. As one man wrote, no matter what hard places we find ourselves, God can use us to advance the gospel in that very situation. You are not where you are by accident. You are where you are by divine appointment for the purpose of sharing the gospel. But then secondly, I think another lesson is that we can have confidence, confidence that the gospel will advance despite the obstacles that we might face. Even though Paul was bound by a chain, the word of God is not bound. The gospel advances, it progresses, despite the obstacles that Paul faced. And as the gospel advances, God uses his word to save the lost. And while we're not told if any of the imperial guard were saved, we do know that others, some who were part of Caesar's household, were saved. Paul referred to them as saints in Philippians 4.22. And we also know that others, some of those that visited Paul, were saved. We're told of this in Acts 28, 24. And some were convinced by what Paul said. In the same way as we share the gospel, even if it appears that we face resistance, obstacles that, humanly speaking, may seem impossible to overcome, we must trust God, knowing that God's word, the gospel, will be used to accomplish his purpose. God's word will not return void. Christ will build his church, and that no obstacle, not even the gates of hell, shall prevail against her. With man, it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. So let us have confidence, confidence in the Lord, to boldly share the gospel, even when we face resistance and obstacles, for we know that the gospel will advance and God will use his word to save the lost. But then finally, tonight, For some of you that do not trust in God, have not put your faith in Christ, know that God has sovereignly brought you here into the hearing of my voice this night, so that I might have an opportunity to share the gospel with you. So I take that opportunity. And remind you, Christ is king. He is the king of a greater kingdom than any kingdom here on earth. And as king, he calls you, calls you to come to him in faith and repentance. And when you do, he has promised that you will be forgiven of your sin and you will be brought into his kingdom as a citizen of the kingdom of God. So I urge you tonight, Obey Christ the King. Tonight, as you hear the gospel, repent and believe, and you will be saved. Let us close in prayer. Oh, our dear God, we bow and we acknowledge that you are the sovereign God, and we know that all things are in your hands. We know that all the circumstances of life that we face are ordained by you. And so we pray, our God, that we would remember this and seek to find ways that as you place this into circumstances, that although they might seem difficult, although there might seem to be obstacles, we pray that you would give us that grace and boldness to remain faithful, to be a faithful witness to you by our life and by our words. And as we share the gospel, we pray that your spirit would use those words, enliven the hearts of those who are yet lost. We pray that you would turn their hearts to Christ the King, that they might be saved. And we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.