Let's turn to the passage from which we've been singing from, Exodus chapter 14. We'll begin our reading at the 10th verse of the chapter, Exodus chapter 14 and the verse number 10. The word of God says, And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them, and they were sore afraid, And the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die. in the wilderness. Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today. For the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. The Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. Lift up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. And I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his hosts, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, and I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh. upon his chariots and upon his horsemen. We'll end at the verse 18 here of this chapter. Let's pray. Father in heaven, now come, help me to preach thy word. Speak to our souls, encourage our hearts, and inspire these lives of ours. May we hear from the Lord. Come now and fill me with the Holy Spirit. And every here as well who knows and loves thee, may they know The Spirit of God speaking into the soul and into the heart. We pray this in our Savior's precious and worthy name. Amen. Today, as I said last week, I want to bring a concluding message in a three-part series of messages that I commenced recently. As you're aware, each of those messages had a one-word title assigned to them, and each message I trust has built upon the foundation of the previous message. Awake, that was the first message that I preached and I took as a text for that message the words of Romans chapter 13 in the verse 11 and that knowing the time It is now high time to awake out of sleep for now Is our salvation nearer than when we believed? Awake, and then we thought about this word arise And that came from the words that we find over there in Ephesians chapter 5 and the verse 14. Well today we come to the third and the final message in the series that's really centered around the challenge that comes to us from the words of Exodus chapter 14 and the verse number 15. The Word of God says, and the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. In keeping with the one word titles of previous messages, I've entitled today's message, Advance. Advance. Someone already prayed that in our morning prayer meeting and thought they were going to start preaching the message. Today they had already went before and thank God for that. They've been thinking about the message. Yes awake It's good to be awake Yes, it's even better to arise But the best thing to do is to advance Don't forget the good is always the enemy of the best Many of God's people they're happy simply to be spiritually awake but they certainly do not want to advance. Now, the army of Jesus Christ at times is called by its great commander-in-chief, the Lord Jesus Christ, to mark time. Marking time is a military step in which the soldier will simply march on the spot. You have seen it happening, the tripping of the collar. Whenever there is a celebration, the official celebration of the Queen's birthday, you'll find the soldiers, they march or they mark time. They simply move their legs up and down. but they do not move forward. And over the last two years, over this period of time that we've all went through, I believe that the church of Jesus Christ has been doing that. We've simply been marking time, marking time. However, there comes a time, there comes a moment, Every soldier of Jesus Christ needs to hear the command from Jesus Christ, the great captain of our salvation, not to mark time but to quick march, quick march. That command, it moves us from simply being on the spot and marking time and propels us forward into new territory for God, I am into new depths with God. And so I want us to think about this thought today about advancing, going forward, pressing on. This is exactly what was in the mind of Jehovah when he spoke to Moses and the children of Israel there in the verse number 15. Speak on to the children of Israel that they go forward by staying where they were, it would be perilous. In actual fact, it was life-threatening for them to remain where they presently were as a nation, for the Egyptian army is hotly pursuing after them. And thus the only course of action, though it was illogical to them with the Red Sea in front of them, the only course of action, the only direction of travel was for them to go forward, was for them to advance. And surely that is the desire, the will of God for every individual Christian, and not only every individual Christian, but for every church, the church of Christ collectively, that we push forward, that we go forward, that we push ahead, that we advance as a mighty army, united under one glorious head. even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now as we think then about this thought, this word advance, one has to think about a number of things. I want us to think in the first place about the example of the one who is always advancing, the example of the one who is always And surely, brethren and sisters, that is the best and the only place for us to begin today, by turning our hearts and our thoughts and our minds away to none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, who leads the way when it comes to advancing, when it comes to pressing forward, when it comes to pressing on in life itself. Turn to the book of the Revelation and the chapter number 6. We'll stay here for a little period of time. Revelation and the chapter number 6. We're thinking here about Christ. He is our example in all things. And so we see him advancing. Revelation chapter 6 and the verse number 2. We read about one in this chapter in the verse 2 of chapter 6. We read about one who sits upon a white horse and who, as I quote at the end of the verse, we see that he went forth. He went forth conquering and to conquer. Who is the one riding the white horse? There's a question for us. Well, let's consider a number of things from the verse number two that I believe will give us a hint as to the rider's identity. I want you to notice first of all the purity of the rider. The rider is said to be riding or sitting on a white horse. A white horse. As you're aware in scripture, the color white speaks to us of purity. And so I believe that the purity of the rider is alluded to in the white horse or stallion as it is, for it is a meal horse for the verse says, and he that sat on him, speaking about the horse, and so this is a stallion, this is a meal horse, him that sat upon the horse had a bow and a crown was given on to him. No other hue, no other color could express in a better way the perfect purity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the pure, spotless, unblemished, impeccable, holy, sinless One. When you take this word white, you can trace it through the Scripture and you'll find that this color white is given to the garments, ascribed to the garments of Christ whenever He appeared in His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. It speaks about His raiment was glistening as white as the snow. It's the same word that's used here in Revelation 6 and the verse number 2. And so there's a thought here the one that sits upon the horse, there is the thought of the purity of the one who sits upon the horse. But then think about the power of the one that sits upon the horse. That power is alluded to in two ways. Firstly, think about the animal that he sits upon. It speaks of his power. The horse is an emblem of strength. If you want evidence of that, you just turn to Psalm 147 and the verse number 10. And so there is the thought of strength, there is the thought of might. There is the strength of power as we think of the stallion and the one that now sits upon the stallion, the one who is able to control this majestic beast. Now to the Jews, the employment of a horse in warfare was unusual. And so that when it was used by their adversaries, they then ascribed great power to that particular force that was coming against them. Some trust in horses, others in chariots, but we will remember the name of the Lord. And so there is the thought of power here in the animal upon which the rider is sitting. And thank God, Jesus Christ, is mighty in power today. It is a power that none can measure. He has power to save, He has power to restore, and thank God He has power to uphold the child of God even in the storms of life. He is mighty. We have a mighty God. not only is the animal but we think of the artillery or the weaponry at his disposal for that also speaks of the rider's power in the hand of the horseman as a bow and the bow was a military weapon that was deployed on many Albert Barnes, the commentator, referring to this bow, he said, so far as this emblem is concerned, it might denote a warrior, a hunter, a preacher, a ruler, anyone who has exerted power over others or who has achieved any kind of conquest over them. Thank God there's power with our God. Christ is the conqueror. He has went forth and conquered the hearts of His people. By His grace He has triumphed and He has won our hearts. He has won us from the devil. He has snatched us as a brand from the burning. He has made us His own and redeemed us and adopted us into His family. And He exerts His power over us as King. And so there is the thought of the power of the rider. Think of the position occupied by this rider. Surely the one upon this white horse, he occupies the position of a king. I say that because what's on his head? There's a crown on his head. rests upon his head. This crown is emblematic of victory or conquest. It was given to the one who won the battle. It was given to the one who came from the battlefield as the victor of war. They were given a crown. The king we have before us then, I believe, a pitcher, not of a defeated king, Thank God we have a picture here of a victorious king, an all-conquering king. And is Jesus Christ not such a king? He engaged with the foe. He went out against him. He entered the fray. He came forth as the victor. Christ is the all-conquering king. He is. The hymn writer said, His be the victor's name. He fought the fight alone. Triumphant saints no honor claim, His conquest was their own. Consider the purpose of the writer. You see, the horse and the rider are not standing still here in this verse of the Revelation 6, verse 2. No, John notes that he went forth conquering and to conquer. You see, here's one who's not on the back foot. Here's one who isn't in retreat. But rather, here's one who's on the front foot. Here's one who is advancing. Here's one who is pressing forward. Here's one who's taking the battle to the foe. Here's one who's fighting from a position of victory. Notice that it says that he's conquering. He's conquering. Verse 2, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. He's fighting from Victory he is conquering and he will continue to conquer. And surely then this must be Christ. This must be Christ for he conquers all his and our enemies subduing them by his power. And so I believe that this is Jesus Christ here. Revelation chapter 6 and the verse 2. Now some may doubt that. Some may question that. But you turn now to the book, the same book and turn to Revelation 19. and the verse 11. Revelation 19 and the verse 11. Always let the Bible interpret the Bible. Don't allow your eschological thoughts to overshadow what the Bible says. Revelation 19 and the verse number 11. Yes, Revelation 19 verse 11. And I saw heaven opened and I beheld and behold a white horse. He that sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. And his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with vesture, dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. Who is this? This is Christ. Who is he sitting on? What is he sitting on? He's sitting upon a white horse. It's the reappearance of this white horse in Revelation chapter 6 and the verse number 2. Christ is described in the first chapter of the Revelation. He is described as the faithful witness. He is the true witness. This is the name given to the one on the white horse in Revelation chapter 19. This is none other than Jesus Christ. But here's the point we've got there. We've seen who this is. We've tried to identify him. I trust that you see this as none other than Jesus Christ. But here's the point that we want to get across. Christ in Revelation chapter 6 is seen to be going forth to What is His direction of travel? His direction of travel is forward. Notice what it says in the text, He goeth forth. He's going forward. He's going forward. Therefore, Christ's church, united to its head, ought to be going in the direction that He is going. The church should be in step with its head to find a body of the head going one direction and the feet going the other direction. That's an odd looking thing. You'd find it very strange if you saw someone like that standing in the street, their feet pointed one direction, their head trying to go the other direction. No, the body and the head are joined together and in unison they go in the direction that the head has determined for that particular body to go in. And so under Christ, as Christ's church united to its head, we are His body, we ought to be going in the direction that Christ is going. He goeth forth. In the book of James we read about our God. We read that there is no variableness of him, neither is there shadow of turning. In other words, God does not change course and direction. He's going forward. Christ is God. He is the second person of the Godhead, and then what is said of Christ is said of the Father, and is said of the Holy Spirit. And thus, if there is no shadow of turning, and we have established that Jesus Christ is going forth, that means that He's always going forth, and that means that the church of Jesus Christ ought to be going on, and ought to be pressing forward. Now, the Savior said something. Familiar words over there in Matthew 16, verse 18, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Those words, they refer to Christ building his church and under its head the church is advancing and the gates of hell are retreating. This is what Christ says. It isn't that the church of Jesus Christ is losing ground. That is not the case. You may think it. Circumstances around us may dictate and say, surely, surely, surely the gates of hell are prevailing, but Christ said, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And so, brethren and sisters, away. Away with this dim and gloom that has come into the church of Jesus Christ. Away with this defeatist attitude. Away with this unbelief-fueled pessimism that is so rampant in the church of Jesus Christ today. Christ is advancing. Christ's church is pressing on. The gates of hell are not prevailing against the advancing church of Jesus Christ. Either that's true or it's not, brethren and sisters. Either Christ was telling the truth or he told a lie. He said the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The church of Jesus Christ. Now, are you going to live by sight or are you going to live by faith? Are you going to live by sight or are you going to live by faith? This is the faith. His church is advancing. Christ will bring every last one. for whom he died into the Redeemer's kingdom. Thank God for that. And so he is advancing. He's our example, brethren and sisters. Don't turn back. Don't turn back. Christ is ever before you. He's leading the way. He's going forth, conquering on to conquer. Maybe there's an enemy this week that you look out and you think, well, how am I ever going to face that enemy? Maybe some difficulty. How am I ever going to come up against that this week? Where will the grace come? Where will the strength? Where will I find it for the battle ahead or for whatever I'm going to face in this week, this unknown week? How will I find the grace and the strength to press on? Brethren and sisters, your head goes before... He goeth before you. Remember he said that to the disciples. Remember he said to the ladies, now remember, tell the brethren, I'm risen from the dead, but tell them, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee. He goeth before you. He has trod the path. He's trod the path. And we're following him. We're following him, our head. We're going in the direction He is going, and therefore we can take encouragement for that. But if Christ, and since Christ is advancing, and then those who are united to Him, we ought to be advancing as well. And that brings us to consider a second, and I trust maybe a more practical thought today, the areas in which we ought to be advancing. Yes, that we hear this call, advance, go forward, press on. Well in what areas of my life should this happen? Well, in the first place, we ought to be advancing in our sanctification. Now, as far as our acceptance with God is concerned, the Christian is completed in Christ as soon as they believe in Him. We're justified, complete in Christ. We're looked upon by the Father as if we had never sinned, never sinned, never committed a sin, because we're looked upon by the Father through Christ, through, as it were, the lens of Christ. Christ's righteousness has been placed on my account. His merit and the worth of His work and I are all to my account. And therefore, I am accepted in Him. And therefore, my acceptance with God has been completed as soon as I believed in Him. But while the work of Christ for us is complete, that of the Holy Spirit in us is not complete. Rather, it is being continually carried on from day to day in this work that we call the work of sanctification. Sanctification is simply, if you want a simple definition, it is the advancing in the divine life or in the Christian life. It's simply an advancing in the Christian life. This is what sanctification is. It's a dying more and more, yes, on to sin, a living more and more on to righteousness. And as God sanctifies His children, then they're going to advance in certain areas. We'll advance in holiness. And we'll advance in righteousness. I speak of righteousness, practical righteousness, the doing of good works. We'll advance in Christlikeness. And surely is that not what every Christian wants? Surely, if the root of the matter is in you, brother, sister, surely you want to advance in Christ's likeness, to be more like your Savior, to be more like your Lord and your Master. In the words of 2 Corinthians 3.18, we want to be changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. We want to be changed. How then, I wonder, is this work going on in my life, in your life, as a believer today? How's it going? Are we availing ourselves of the means by which this work of sanctification is accomplished? You see, the work of sanctification, it's accomplished by the Word of God. Sanctify them through Thy Word or through Thy truth. Thy Word is truth. That's what Christ prayed. And so as we read the Scriptures, oh, the work of sanctification, it goes on. It's accomplished. We see our sin. We repent of it. We ask God for grace not to commit those sins again. Aye, and whenever we hear the Word of God preached, the preacher preaches, and we feel the trouble within our soul, and we know, we know, well, that things aren't right in that particular area. Ah, but God does that in order to sanctify your brother, sister, in order to bring you along this road, in order to advance you, to bring you on to God's. Yes, the ministry of the Holy Spirit within our lives. Let's not forget His ministry. What about the providential events that God sends into our lives? Those providential events, sickness and sorrow and trouble and heartache, as well as the good and the bad days of life, these are means by which we're sanctified. These are used by God to bring us on to God. I wonder, where are you today? Are you further on? When you were a year ago, are you, am I, are we more like Christ on the first of May 2022 than we were on the first of May 2021? We can't just look over a week. Sure, we know our failures through the week, but where is the trend? What's the trend? We hear about trends in economics, and we hear about trends in certain areas. What is the trend of our lives? Is it onward? Is it upward? Is it forward? Is it advancement? Look over the last year, last 365 days, child of God. Where are you? Are you further on with God? Oh, God wants you to advance. Of course He does. In the second place, we ought to advance in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. That was Peter's closing counsel when he came to finish off his second epistle over there in 2 Peter 3, verse 18. This is what he said to the saints of God who would read that particular letter. And we have the opportunity to read that letter. He said to them, grow in grace. And in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grow in grace. Growing speaks of advancement. We all know what it is for a child to grow. We look at them and say, they shut up. They've shut up. We had opportunity last weekend to be at a family reunion. and I was amazed that some of my cousin's children, I don't know how many generations there are now on my mother's side, there's three or four generations, and I thought wow two years look at the height of them suppose that happens whenever you get older those are the things that older people say and you don't think about that as a young person but whenever you get older you think wow look at the advancement of that person look how how they've shot up well this is what Peter he says growing grace there's an advancing there's a going forward there's a there's a growing up into Christ and Peter's very specific in what areas in which this growth is to be seen first of all he says growing grace Growing grace, not saving grace. No, no, no. Sanctifying grace. sanctifying grace of God, to grow in graces, to grow in the graces of God, to grow in love, and faith, and meekness, and patience, and gentleness, and long-suffering, and the spirit of forgiveness, and usefulness in the work of God. It is to really grow in all the Christian virtues that are presented in Holy Scripture. Oh, for a growing in grace, and then a growing in the knowledge of Our Savior, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and where better can we find a knowledge of that but in the Old and New Testament Scriptures? Because they testify of Him, both old and new, and so we advance in our knowledge of the incarnate Word when we come to find ourselves in the written Word. I'm sure you, like me, we often, at times, we're disappointed with ourselves. We often bemoan our advancement in these areas. I'm not as far along with God as I should be. That's what you maybe said. You maybe said that today. You maybe think to yourself, you know, I should be further on in my knowledge of Jesus Christ. I was in exam yesterday with the boys and girls, and there were some questions, the answers I didn't know. I thought, I didn't know the answer to those questions. Oh, my knowledge of the Scriptures, how little it is. We often bemoan our advancement in these areas, the areas of grace and in the knowledge of Christ, but what are we doing? What are we doing about that? You know, brother, sister, if you don't look to your soul, and if you neglect the means of grace, you're only going to find decay, and you're only going to find stagnation setting into your Christian life. However, whenever a person advances in grace and in their knowledge of Christ, then Christ will rise higher and higher in their estimations. And the more cheerfully then that person will give themselves to worship and to honor and their obedience to God. And so there must be an advancement in sanctification and then an advancement in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. But thirdly, there must be advancement in evangelism. Christ commanded his church that they should go. Go to the sinner with the gospel. Mark 16, 15. And he said unto them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. And that is what we're to do. We're to advance, we're to go forward with the gospel. That's what we're to take to the world, the gospel. And we do that, thank God, on a weekly basis. Down there on the street, a bi-weekly basis, the gospel open air happens in the town. We share the message of the gospel. The buses go out September to April. We've thought about that, bringing in the children to hear the word of God. We'll go out, God willing, in the month of July into the community to bring again the gospel to the boys and girls. And of course we want to do more. Of course we do. But let's not lose sight, brethren and sisters, of what we are doing. And let's get involved in the work. You know, sometimes we hear people saying, well, there should be more happening, but there's plenty happening. You just need to get involved in it. You need to get involved in the work of God. You know, brethren and sisters, Pope Ray is going forward. Atheism, it's advancing. Secularism, it's taking great strides into our nation. Islam is moving ahead. Satanism marches on while the Church of Jesus Christ contents itself with holding ground. Let's just hold ground. May God disturb the sleep of death. May God help us to awake, to rise, and then to advance when it comes to reaching the lost of the gospel. Beloved, think of this. Somebody reached you with the gospel. Somebody reached you. Somebody came to you. Someone gave up their Sunday to be a Sunday school teacher. Someone gave up their Friday night to come and to bring you to a children's meeting. Somebody brought the gospel to you. But the question is, who are you taking the gospel to? Who am I taking the gospel to? You know, the world and the flesh and the devil would oppose our advancement in any of these areas. He doesn't want us to progress in our sanctification. He certainly doesn't want us to grow in grace and in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as for the work of evangelism, no, he would rather just have us all sit and sleep. God would have us to press on, go forward. And he does that by setting before us many an encouragement. And that brings us quickly to the inducements that encourages us to advance. I suppose the first inducement is obedience, simply obeying. Every Christian wants to please the Lord, and one of the ways that we please the Lord is by obeying Him. We need to learn, and sadly at times relearn, that obedience is the pathway that God has appointed for all His children and in which His blessings are to be found. And thus, He directs us to advance, to go forward. What soldier In some, as it were, country army or the army of some nation, what soldier would dare to disobey the commander-in-chief or the one giving the order on the military drill ground? Who would do that? What soldier would do that? And yet God calls His children to go forward, to advance, to press on. What do we do? We go our own way. We do our own thing. We sit idly by. Brethren, sisters, we are duty-bound to obey our great captain. And as we obey him, then we'll please him. We'll please him. And I believe that this should be enough. When God directs you to take a step of faith forward in your Christian life, This should be the encouragement to you as I move ahead, as I press on, as I go forward by faith, I'm obeying the Lord, I'm obeying the Master. The Lord Jesus Christ said, I do always those things that please Him. Do we? Do we? The second inducement that encourages us to advance is the one who goes before us. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be assured then that he will go before us. It's encouraging to know that then he has traveled the path before us. He's ran the race. He's marked out the road. He's met and conquered every foe that we'll come up against. And now he says to every disciple, follow me, follow me. Oh, for a holy pursuing after God in these days, it ought To be enough for us to arise and press ahead in our Christian lives to know that He goes before, He's going before me. Thirdly, the third inducement to advance is that it's better up ahead. It's better up ahead. Now of course there are battles to be fought. There are foes to face. There are troubles that we'll all have to pass through. There are trials that we'll endure. Sorrow that we'll bear. There's land to be possessed. There's stands to be taken. There's crosses to be borne. But, brethren and sisters, there's a crown to be won. There's a crown to be won. There's an abundant entrance to be secured. Because not everybody hears, well done, thy good and faithful servant. You don't expect God to say, to you that you've been a good and faithful servant. If you haven't been, God will not do that. There is an abundant entrance. Paul spoke of that abundant entrance. There's a well done to be obtained and there's a heaven to enjoy. And that is why we go forward. That's why we press ahead. That's why we push ahead in the assurance that it is better on before us. Be encouraged by that child of God. As I go forward, it's better on ahead. It's better on ahead. Quickly and finally, the alternative if we're not advancing. I suppose there are only two alternatives, as I thought of this. If we're not advancing in our spiritual lives as we ought to be. Firstly, if we're not advancing in our Christian lives, then we're standing still. We've all experienced that in our Christian lives. Times when we haven't advanced in our Christian walk, we find ourselves as a soldier marking time, marking time. There's been no progress, no advancement, no growth, only stagnation. And maybe that's where you are today. Your life, Christian life, is at a standstill. It seems to be that you're going nowhere. Stagnation rather than advancement marks your walk with God. Well, God doesn't want that for any of his children. Spurgeon said stagnation in the church is the devil's delight. He does not think, I do not think the devil cares how many churches you build. If only you have lukewarm preachers and people in them. The devil does not care about your armies if the soldiers are all asleep. What we need is new zeal, fresh energy, and more fire, rather than standing still, content with the level of spirituality that he had reached in his life. The Apostle Paul, he said this in Philippians chapter 3, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and pressing and reaching forth to those things which are before. toward the mark of the prize of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus. Paul reached forth, he pressed forward. These are phrases that certainly do not speak to me of a man who's standing still in his Christian life. I press toward. I reach forth. Oh, that we would be found doing that, reaching forth, pressing forward to the mark in our lives, resisting every temptation to rest on our spiritual laurels and be self-satisfied at where we are with God. And so, this is one alternative. So, child of God, if you're not going forward, you're standing still. Secondly, if you're not advancing in your Christian life, and if we're not standing still in our Christian lives, the only alternative is then that we're slipping backwards. We're slipping backwards. The simple truth is that if you do not go forward, you'll go back. The Bible refers to the slipping backwards as a backsliding. Let me be very clear. I've been clear before, but I want to be clear again. Being a backslider is not some badge of honor that you wear as an individual. You meet people in the doors, the times you witness to them, and they, when confronted, whenever they're confronted with their coldness and their waywardness, they'll say and they'll protest as if it is something to be proud of. But I'm a backslider. It's not a badge of honor. Not a badge of honor. Beloved, in backsliding, Christ is wounded in the house of his friends. In backsliding, God is dishonored by those whom he has loved and by those that he did so much for. He's dishonored. And so being a backslider is nothing to be proud of. In Hebrews 10, 38 we read, Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Young person, ye did run well. Who hindered you? Who's hindered you? Who's taken you back? Who's taken you away? What has taken you away? And yet, as I said, we need to think about backsliding biblically. You need to think about the great damage that it does to the cause of Christ and to your own life. And in seeing that, we then need to avoid all forms of backsliding. But thank God, thank God there's a way back. I want to ask you, I want you to be honest, has there been a deterioration in your spiritual walk with God recently? If there has, brother, sister, don't stay in that state. Don't stay in that state. As far from God as you've gone and as much as you've lost and as cold and as careless as you've become, there's hope for you. There's hope for you. He who began the work in you, and revive that work again in you, and so get back to God, and then back to God, then go forward with God. Royal Marines, to your duties, quick march. These are the final words of the commandant to a Royal Marine recruit on their pass out parade. Those orders result in the fully-fledged Royal Marine Commando marching off the parading ground and the parade square and out of the Commando training centre to face new challenges across the world and having won the hard-earned Green Beret. The Commandant's words remind the Royal Marine of the high responsibility to them to which they have now been called. Royal Marines, to your duties, quick march. Brethren and sisters, our commander-in-chief, a greater commander than a commandant of the Royal Marines, he gives this order to his soldiers. Christian, to your duties, quick march, quick march. Let us all heed that glorious command. Do our duty. and advance to the conflict, and then to the crime, and then to the crime. Speak on to the children of Israel that they go forward. Awake! Arise! Advance! May these be our mottos in coming days, for Christ's sake. Amen. Let's bow in prayer. Thank you for your attention. It's warm in here. We appreciate it, boys and girls, adults, all have gathered. Thank you in the Savior's name. Let's now just unite in prayer. Father in heaven, rejoice in our glorious head who goes forth conquering and to conquer. We bless thee from victory on to victory. His army He shall lead, till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed. We rejoice in the great day when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. And day by day He's triumphing in the hearts and lives of men and women. Oh, we pray if there be those here not saved, Lord, we pray that they will advance advance to the cross, find themselves at the foot of the tree, and there, repenting of sin, finding in Christ a Savior, Master, and Lord, who's worth following after. Oh, may we enter the fray, and if we have found ourselves in bypass meadows, oh, how glorious to know that you are a God of abundant mercy, God who pardons, we praise Thee. Oh, help us all as one man under God to advance individually, collectively. May great glory be brought to Thy name and advancement be made into this community into which God has placed this body of believers. We pray these, our prayers, in and through the Savior's all-precious and glorious name. Amen and amen. Thank you. Appreciate it.