I have been greatly moved and stirred tonight. greatly appreciate the music and the preaching and the teaching. I have been thoroughly fed and Pope Baptist Church, thank you for putting this on and spending and being spent working all these hours and sweeping and cleaning and cooking and organizing and then readjusting everything. Thank you so much for doing this for us. This is a great need. Great need throughout our nation. I want to read to you a few verses here tonight. And if you would turn with me to Exodus chapter 20. Exodus chapter number 20. And Exodus 20 is maybe the most famous chapter in the book of Exodus. This is the giving of the law. God thunders his word. People hear God thunder. His law. Now, God gives his law to the people there, the Israelites. And as you remember, they had been enslaved for 400 years in Egypt. They had been surrounded by oppressive power, physically, emotionally, spiritually. As a matter of fact, those 10 plagues that happened in Egypt were a direct assault on the supernatural powers that ruled in Egypt, at least in the minds of the Egyptians. I spent a lot of time doing some research on these ancient gods, and these ancient gods are gods of destruction that cloak themselves in various ways. And we're commanded not to mention their names, and I think it's wise not to. But I don't think those ancient gods are gone. I think that they are very active. Just as Brother Rogers brought out, the devil is seeking to destroy. And he wants to destroy our families, our lives, brings us, he wishes to bring us into a place of desperate disaster where we cry and we don't know what to do and we're confused, just like the man with the shackles that cut himself. And God had rescued his people out of Egypt through the man Moses. And for about three months now, according to Exodus 19 and verse number one, in the third month when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, has brought them to this mountain, Mount Sinai. And at Mount Sinai, God speaks. And this law that God speaks is the famous 10 Commandments. I'd like to just preach tonight on the first of the 10 Commandments. And it's all about how Jehovah reigns. How does Jehovah reign? Where does Jehovah reign? And Jehovah can reign in your heart and in your home. Before I read the text, I want to tell you a little story. We had just arrived from New Guinea. I wasn't a political guy. I didn't know U.S. politics at all. We were absolutely cut off and isolated in New Guinea. And now we arrived in in Washington, D.C. Now, I had studied the map and all the little townships around the Beltway, but I didn't really know politics much at all. And I called Jonathan and I said, how do I get started? And he didn't like the Frisbee and the football and baseball idea at the park. Which was working okay. But he helped me make some little business cards. You design some business cards for me and had them printed up and I went and picked up these business cards. This is the only thing I had. I didn't know. And I got my suit and I got my tie and I walked into the One of the buildings there on the House side, the United States Capitol is a complex made up of seven buildings, three Senate to the north and three House to the south, with the Capitol there in the middle. And I went into the Cannon building, which is part of the House, the first building made. And I built and I walked through the halls and I was going to pass out my cards and I said, well, I'm going to try to start a Bible study. And I began to pray and stand in the hallway. I hadn't even started yet. It was my first day, not in D.C., but my first day of what would be the Capitol Hill ministry. I had my cards and I had no plan and I had no idea. And many of you might have stood there in that cannon building, and I came in, I'm standing there, and I'm thinking about just going door to door and trying to start a Bible study or something. And this group of people started walking towards me, and I kind of wanted to back out of the way, and I kind of backed over here, and they were coming, and there was more, and I saw this little room over here to the side. And I kind of ducked over there into the doorway, and they started coming around, and I just sort of slid into this room. And all those people came in the room. And they're all dressed up, and they had these fancy pins, and they had these... And this little lady, this little lady that was wearing too much makeup and super friendly, was just thrilled to see me. Now at this time, I didn't know that people thought I looked like JFK. I had no idea. Nobody had ever said that ever to me. And she came up to me and slid her arm in my arm and looked up at me and said, thank you so much for being here. We didn't know you were going to be here. I'm so glad you're here. I didn't know either. And Nancy Pelosi asked me if I would get in here with the rest of the Democrats there and take some pictures. And I'm like, I don't even know what's going on. True story. What in the world? I'm walking through the halls. This has happened many times. I'm walking through the halls and the security guards are there and they'll step back and they'll wave me through. Now my kids all got jobs in there and they're working and first it was internships and then they got different positions and I'll say, you know, I came here. Dad, you went through there? You can't go through there. I said, well, I didn't want to. They told me to go through. But I said all that to say, Jehovah doesn't reign everywhere. But he can reign in your heart. And God wanted Jehovah to reign in this people, his people, his chosen people. And God wants Jehovah to reign in your heart. So does Jehovah reign in your heart? Is God in charge? Exodus chapter 20. And verse number one says, and God spake all these words saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And here's the first commandment, Exodus 20 and verse number three. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Let's all say that together nice and loud. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Father, we ask for your blessing as we wish to discover you. in your word and in your truth. And Lord, we wish that you would reign in our hearts and in our homes and in our lives and in our cities and communities and in our nation. And we long for the day when you come in your fullness. But Lord, until that day, might you reign in our lives and in our hearts. Father, help us, we pray in Jesus' name, amen. In Psalms 112, verses one and two, I want to read it to you. Don't turn there. I have recently really discovered this verse, and it might be one of my new favorite verses. It is one of my favorites. It might be my very favorite. Here it is. Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. Verse two, his seed shall be mighty upon the earth. The generation of the upright shall be blessed. It's only God's eternal truth that can defend against the legions of hell that are trained against our families. It's God's Word. It's God's truth that is going to save you from the demonic power that is ruling and reigning in many of our lands, in our communities. Now, Satan would rather have us believe a wrong thing than do a wrong thing. Now, doing a wrong thing is wrong. But if you believe a wrong thing, you're going to do lots of wrong things. Because the thought is the father of the deed. And the sinister minister of destruction, the devil, uses the deception of humanism. Man is God. My thoughts matter more than God. Relativism. Things change. We push aside the truth that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Materialism, that is stuff, is God. You know, there's never been a society that has had more stuff than us. And when I say us, I mean us in this room. It is quite possible that every single person here is struggling, whether you know it or not, worshiping at the altar of materialism. Hedonism, not he then, but hedon, which means pleasure. The addictions that are caused by social media, We haven't even understood the scope of it. But it is tied to the chemical dopamine release that happens in our minds with immediate gratification. And I have felt it before. And I'm like, where's my phone? What's going on? Okay, I've got no calls. All right, all right, I'm good. Oh, I feel it. There's an addiction problem there. Humanism, relativism, materialism, hedonism, these are the modern gods that God must deliver us from. And the Ten Commandments are the fixed standard for right and wrong that will save us from certain disaster and bring us into God's blessing. And correctly understood, the Ten Commandments are God's liberating laws of life. And so this first commandment, put God first. It could be understood how Jehovah reigns in our heart. Is God first in your life? Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Now the legalistic stand to the Ten Commandments is the law is my master. The Messiah never came, the law is my master. And it brings into bondage and legalism and much of the Bible speaks against that. What seems to reign in a lot of modern churches today is a licentious view. That is, the law is my enemy. The Messiah did come. We worship the Messiah. As a matter of fact, he's my friend. It's kind of a very palsy-wowsy approach to the Messiah. And the Messiah destroyed the law. But the liberty that is promised and described greatly in the book of Galatians comes from the view that the law is my friend. The law is not my savior, but my friend. And Messiah fulfilled the law. Paul would describe the law as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. As a mirror, not that cleans us, but shows us where we're dirty. not that saves us, but shows us that we are lost and in dire need of a Savior. President James Madison said this, We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not upon the power of government. Far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves. Here it is. According to the moral principles of the 10 commandments. Then he said, if man is not fit to govern himself, How can he be fit to govern someone else? I believe that our hearts and our homes should be heaven's colony here on earth. As a matter of fact, that's what Deborah and I see ourselves as, as colonizers in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill. And we're praying that our little colony, that our little tribe increases. that people are living out God's righteousness and God's plan in a daily way. My first year there working in Congress, I got to meet Judge Moore, Judge Roy Moore, and you might remember him. He was the guy from Alabama that got in trouble for displaying the Ten Commandments there in his court. It was a big, big deal. But you know, God isn't telling his people to display the Ten Commandments in the courthouse or in the government house or in the schoolhouse. Interestingly, he's telling them to display them in their hearts. In their hearts. Is God's law in your heart? Do you love God's law? Do you know what God's fixed standard for right and wrong in society is? Later, Moses is standing before Joshua. and commissioning Joshua as the great leader. And of course, Moses doesn't get to go across the river into the promised land, but Joshua takes the people. And in Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verses 6 and 7, this is what he says. And I want you to listen. And all these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. Is God's law in my heart? And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children. Not just casually, but diligently unto thy children. And shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Four different, very common things that oftentimes our mind kind of just gets numb to. The last thing you do before you go to bed, the first thing you do when you rise up. Out of bed. When you're commuting in your travel, don't waste those moments. I encourage you, don't just scroll through whatever. Don't sit in the car and just start scrolling through. Use this time. Oh, this is travel time, commute time, according to Deuteronomy chapter six, verses six and seven. This is where I'm supposed to be showing that I love God's law and making Jehovah supreme, putting God first in my life. Now, there is both a principle and a promise. The principle is this. If you put God first in your life, God will lead you. God will guide you. God will make it so you don't get lost and you don't lose your precious cargo. And I guess each one of us have been lost and lost an opportunity and lost what we were carrying. And that's not good. But one thing's for certain, you don't want to get lost in this life and you don't want to lose your precious cargo. Talking about your family. Is God first in your life? You know Proverbs 3, 5, and 6? Quote it with me if you would. God wants to direct you. God wants to show you the way. There is a track and a path and a perfect will of God. God wants to lead you. I want to be on God's path. Now, there are some things, God gives you this choice and that choice and you've got to make the best of it, but there are some certain stones that you've got to step on. Otherwise, you're going to make a dive. And I've known many people, I guess hundreds of people that I would consider better than me, smarter than me. that have slipped and fallen and lost their way. And I want God first in my life, and I want God first in my family, and I want to be that man in Psalms 112 that delights greatly in God's commandments, and that my seed be mighty upon the earth. So I want to give you just a little acrostic here, just maybe we'll have a little bit of fun. Five places God must have priority in your life. And so analyze, do I have God first in my life? Is God taking the prime position, the principal position in my life? The first one, corresponding with the letter F, finances. Is God first in my finances? Jesus said in Matthew chapter six in verse number 33, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Now it's very common for us to get the mindset, I am gonna do this, I'm gonna get my education and then I'm gonna get settled in my career. I'm probably gonna, I'm gonna get married, I'm gonna have some kids and then I'm gonna serve the Lord. I'm gonna find a church and I'm gonna get in, God says, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. put me first. We need to put God first in our life. God must have priority in our finances. You know, God has all the money. God has all the money. And this life is a test. This life is a test. This life is a trust. And this life is a temporary assignment. And one of the big tests that you will face Most all your life is money, is God first in your finance. Apostle Paul warned Timothy in chapter six in verse 17 of his first letter, charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. Don't trust in your finances. Now, I think that's true of us. That we who put God first begin to trust God just as much as the amount of money we have. And how are things going? Oh, I've got plenty of money. God's good. Friends, God's always good. And Job declared, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. And Jesus saw the widow who gave her little mite. And he said, she cast in more than they all. You know why? Because God doesn't count the numbers on the check. He counts the numbers on the stub, and she gave it all. Is God first in our finance, in our finances? Now, we often say, what belongs to God? Well, 10%. Friends, it all belongs to God. And we are to give God that 10%. And if we don't, then that's theft. You can steal from a lot of people, but don't steal from God. We read Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, well, we kind of quoted it together, but the next, well, verses 9 and 10 says, honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. God wants to see what we will trust him with. And in our monetized society, we need to make sure that we're putting him first. Deuteronomy 14 says that God asks his people to tithe and give first to the Lord that they might learn to fear God. Brother Knox brought up a tremendous message this morning about genetic disorders with the lambs, and blemishes and spots, and then different wounds that might occur throughout life. And, of course, it's a biblical picture of us, and the seed of sin in our hearts, and the choice of sin in our daily activity. But those Those Jewish people would bring a lamb to the Lord. And God asked for a perfect lamb without blemish and without spot. So it couldn't have various defects and problems. It was supposed to be as perfect as they could find. And think of a young man. 20 years old, maybe he's just brand new married, and he's inherited some sheep. He's got a little flock, he's got a little cottage, and things are just coming together. But, you know, not too good. There's some hard times ahead. And he gets, out of these new lambs, one young lamb, and it is a good lamb. This is the one. I mean, it's got a good build, it's got a good coat, it's got a great attitude, and it's a perky little thing. And man, everybody loves this little lamb. But now he's got to offer this lamb. And he's got these three or four others, but he would really love this lamb to sire his herd. And he's got to trust God. with his first and with his best. And that's what God is asking from each one of us, to trust him. That's what it means to fear God. I'm afraid to not give God the first and best of my flock. Now, when? When does this happen? Well, in 1 Corinthians 16, you know, Apostle Paul wrote and said, on the first day of the week. Every one of you lay by him in store as the Lord has prospered him. It's supposed to be first, something about first. I don't think God wants to be second, ever. As a matter of fact, God won't take second. God will leave. God won't take second. You've got to give God first. So Jehovah reigns. Jehovah reigns. How does Jehovah reign in my heart? Because I give him priority. Priority. What does that mean? I give him priority in my finance. Everybody got the first letter F? Look at the second letter, I. I give God priority in the interests of my life. Interest. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 31. Let's turn over there. We read over there in Exodus 20, and I read several verses to you. I don't want to wear you out. I'll turn here and there. But 1 Corinthians chapter number 10 and verse number 31, this is a verse, oh, my parents really brought this into our home, and it became something that just rolled off my mother's lips all the time. And if you know it too, would you say it with me? Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Let's do it again. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Interests. What am I interested in? You know, the biggest businesses in the world today, far eclipsing oil and fuels, is the algorithm for the telephone, for the cell phone, mobile phone. And the algorithm running Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and all these things. And you know where the money is and all that? It's all tied up in finding your interests. And if you have those apps on your phone, which I suspect you do, you have yielded permission to the microphone and to the camera so that you can upload and take videos and do cool things. Man, tech. But when I was invited to Facebook headquarters, government headquarters, in an unmarked building, and I came in, and I called my friend, I said, I don't think this is the right place. He says, is there a yellow chair in the corner? I said, there is. He said, go over there by the elevator. I went over to the elevator, and the elevator opened. He said, get in the elevator. I got in the elevator, I went up. And then, wow, there it is. It was all hidden in plain sight. They showed a little bit to me about how the camera tracks your eye and determines what you're looking at and for how long, and how long you scrolled. And there's all sorts of little things that you didn't order in your little scroll, in your algorithm, and they're tracking what are the interests. Now they're just trying to serve you what you're interested in, and they say this person is interested in this, and this other person can sell you something. That's what it's all about. However, it is but just a step, which I think has already been taken quite a few times, to start developing your interests. and you can have interests develop in your mind. Now, how many of you were raised right in church? I mean, nine months before you were born, you were just in church the whole time. Yeah, me too, me too. But do you know, and I probably guess you do, that you can be exposed to more wickedness than your fathers and grandfathers ever were, though they maybe never went to church. It's all right there. What interests are you developing? Jehovah reigns. Is Jehovah first in your heart? God needs priority in your finances, and God needs priority in your interests. Watch out what you're developing an interest in. Ephesians 5 says, speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. That is our daily life should be just a choir, just a wonderful radio station of praise to God. And it's just flowing out of us. But if we're not careful, dark, destructive interests against the Lord. Finances, interests, the letter R, relationships. God needs priority when it comes to our finances, our interests, and relationships. You show me your friends, and I'll show you who you'll be in a very short while. If you've got three friends like this, You're the fourth one sitting right on the same log. Proverbs 27 verse number 19 says, As in water, face answereth to face. It's speaking about the reflection like a mirror. Evil communication corrupts good manners. You will become like the people you're like. It is amazing to me, I told you about our crowded little church there on 9th and Penn Southeast and people come in and it is amazing how two similar people find each other. It's their first day, they didn't know each other and they find each other in the church. And we're crowded and it's loud and there's all this talking and it's too small and there's not enough, there's no parking, there's nothing. I don't know why we're there but we're trying. And people will find it. It is amazing. And that's universal. That's at camp. You guys went to camp last week. And it's in church, and it's in activities, and it's an amazing thing. You seek out people that are similar to you. Put God first in your relationships. You will find that there are people that are hindering you from walking with God. As a matter of fact, you need to develop friendships based on faith, based on common goals. And if you're not careful, you will develop friendships based on doubts. Now you might have a common doubt, but that doesn't mean you have a common goal. And you can develop a friendship on common attitudes. And all of a sudden, one bad apple is spoiling the whole bunch, the whole barrel. Watch your relationships, yield them to God. Jehovah reigns, Jehovah reigns in my relationships. There are friends I can't be around. As a pastor, they kind of bring out, it's not so much that they grade against me, which sometimes happens. That's not the dangerous thing. The dangerous thing is those friends that puff me up and bring something out in me that, I don't want to see that. Where did that come from? Relationships. So what's our first one? It is, help me out a little bit more, it's finance. And number two is? Interests. And number three is? Relationships. Now let's go on to the letter S. And this is our word schedule. Put God first in your schedule. I mentioned the other day that attention deficit disorder, AD what? Is becoming unaware that time and opportunity is slipping by. And so you will yield your attention to something that might help or might not. But now that you've given away your attention, you have no power. It's got you. And it is difficult to pull that back. It's really tough. You need to be very, very careful about what you watch on TV, the movies, the entertainment, because you know what? It's going to be funny, especially at the beginning. It's going to be interesting. There's going to be great characters and great acting. And these are, wow. Oh, but there is a hook indeed. Indeed, there is. I must admit to you, I have felt that hook. And it snapped me. And I still struggled getting away. And I knew there was a hook. And I saw it. Watch out. I guard my attention. I remember as a kid. going into stores and different things and going with my mom. For a few years, we lived in Littleton, Colorado. That's the little town just south of Denver. And the grocery store there is called King Soopers. And we went into King Soopers and it was just a little neighborhood grocery store right around the corner from our house. And I remember going in there and they were playing some music. Man, I was dancing around. I was having a good time. And I remember my mom grabbing my hand and said, Brad, We don't dance to that music. And I'm like, huh? And she said, that's not our music. And all through my life, she's taught me to guard your heart. And I still hear her. That's not our music. And I still want to. It's not our music. That's not for me. See, God uses means to bring revival. That's me, that's you. And the devil uses means to bring a whole community into captivity. That's what Brother Rogers just told us about. And God must be first in my life, in my finances, in my interests, in my relationships. in my schedule. Ephesians chapter 5 says, redeeming the time because why? That means that Jehovah isn't reigning in everybody's day. If there's evil days and evil places, and we all know that. But I'm redeeming the time because the days are evil. and be not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." That is, I can't just go about doing anything and everything. I've got to be strategic. I've got to, this is what I do. I don't do this other stuff. I haven't got time for that. And some of it might not be evil, but I only have this much energy and I only have this much strength and I've only got this much time left So I've got to make the best use of my time. And I've got to firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is. Now you need to know what God's will for your life is. And God wants to show you. God is a designer. He's an engineer. He's an architect. And He does things with purpose. And He places things specifically Much more so, much more so precise than a Swiss watchmaker. God is strategically engineering the days of your life. If you will yield your time to him, be not unwise. Church, be not unwise, but knowing what the will of the Lord is. Grasp it. I know that the Lord wants us to cry against the great city. I wrestled with, is it the great city of commerce, maybe Los Angeles, or the great city of, I don't know, finance, New York City? It's the great city of politics and power. And my life and our work is to cry against it. And I've got to be strategic. And you have a call. You have a perfect will. God has a perfect will for you. And he wants you. He's not hiding it from you, but he wants to know if you want it. And then you get on point and get on target and focus. And get after it. And God will bless. We already mentioned the first part of your day. And as we're talking about your schedule, Jesus many times is recorded as going and praying with the Lord. In Mark chapter one, and in the morning, rising a great while before the day, he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed, seeking God, God seeking. Wow, it's an amazing thing. And if Jesus needed to seek God and put God first in his daily schedule, how much more us? We've got some interesting people at our church. In the early days, we had this attorney come, and he's a speechwriter there in Congress. but he's kind of disheveled and kind of odd guy and a great big powerful guy. But he came in, man, he loved our church. And of course, we're all dressed conservatively and everything. And he come up to me after church and he goes, man, I love this church. I love you were preaching right from the Bible. You were holding the Bible and you were preaching. I said, yeah. He said, this is great. And the music was great. He said, But what's with Little House on the Prairie? Why are we all dressing like Little House on the Prairie? Okay, well, that's a good question. We're working with people, they don't even know what in the world we're doing. But if you put God first, it will become evident before others. One more. What's the first one? It is put God first in finance, and then interest, and then schedule, and now our last one, trouble. T, trouble. When you're in trouble, when you don't know what to do, when you've lost your way, when everything fell apart, when the very thing that you were trusting maybe even God for falls apart, crumbles right before your face. Trust God. I'd like to read four passages in Psalms. Maybe just jot them down and listen, or you can turn there, whatever you wish. Psalm 9, verses 9 and 10. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. and they that know thy name will put their trust in thee. For thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee." Put God first. Give God priority in trouble. Is there trouble in your heart? Is there trouble in your home? Is there trouble looming on the future of your life? Put God first. Give him priority. It's amazing to me how people, when they get in trouble, and they'll miss a church service, and I'll call them or send them a text, and they say, man, thank you for calling. I wasn't sure you noticed. I noticed, we all noticed. Man, what's going on? Oh, I just can't. This happened, that happened. Well, we got church here. I'm gonna be preaching on this. Make sure you come. Oh, pastor, I can't come. Oh, why can't you come? I've got trouble in my life. That's like, I can't go to the doctor because I'm sick. You need help. This is when you need to prioritize God. Psalm 37, verses 39 and 40, actually the whole Psalm, but just two verses here. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord. He is their strength in time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them. He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them. And say that last part with me if you could. Because they trust in him. Are you trusting in God? Don't trust your finance. Don't even trust the blessings of God. Trust God that gives blessings. Psalm 46, verses 1 and 2. You're doing well. We're almost done. Psalm 46, verses 1 and 2. And I'd like us all to say this together. Everybody there? Psalm 46, 1 and 2. Here we go. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Therefore will not we fear. I love that verse. My wife and I taught that to our kids, We only have seven. We taught it to our seven kids in their first year. God's a very present help in trouble. It's not God's close. It's not God saying, hang in there, I'm on the way. You remember when you were a little kid in school and the teacher said your name and what did you say? You said here or what? Present. That meant I'm here. I'm not close to here. I'm not getting here. I'm not almost here. I'm right here. When you're in trouble, he's a present help. Remember, in Babylon, three young Hebrew boys got in trouble. And you would almost think that God would rescue Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the burning fiery furnace, but he didn't. He was present there with them. And the king looked in the great burning furnace and he said, did not we cast in three? But yea, I see four men walking, and the fourth is like the Son of God." God wants to get in trouble with you. Not bad trouble, good trouble. Trouble. And you don't have to be afraid. You don't have to be afraid. Psalm 50 and verse 15, "'Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Now let's say our five points of priority that God must have in our lives in order for Jehovah to reign in our hearts. First it's finance, then, then, and, and one more, trouble. Now would you stand to your feet, take your Bible with you, and go to Joshua 24 and verse 15. Pastor Marshall, you can come on up ahead, sir. In Joshua 24 and verse 15, you've done so well tonight. This is Joshua's commitment. And here Joshua is, he's ready to take God's people into the promised land. They've been rescued from Egypt. They've overcome the 10 gods of Egypt or the 10 groups of gods and demonic powers of Egypt. 40 years walking in the wilderness. And now they're ready to go into the promised land, but there's more false gods. And there's false gods in your community. And there might be false gods in your home. I have found false gods in my home and in my life many, many times. And Joshua says, And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve. Whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell, there are principalities and powers everywhere. And we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but these demonic forces. They're everywhere. Don't be so carnally minded to think that this struggle is all physical or emotional. You might well be fighting against the devil. Now, I want you to stand up straight and tall as we read that last verse. This is very important. I want to read it first, and then I'll have you read it with me. Joshua said, But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. That's a big commitment. I want you to look at the word. I want you to stand up good and straight and tall. And I want, if you want, if you want, to make that commitment to do it right now. Here we go. Together. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. One more time. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Father, we come before you painfully aware of our own failures and how we want to hang the 10 commandments on the courthouse and get all fired up. about your laws being taken down from the school system and various public places at the park. But we, your people, often fail to give you priority and put you first in our own lives. Lord, we want you to reign. We want you to rule and reign in our heart. Take priority. Have priority in these places, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen.