Latest / Journey Elgin / Sunday Message 7/12/26- We are in the End Game Now!
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: All right, so here we go. Now wanna start off it, you know, I sometimes you can build things up ⁓ too much. ⁓ and so I I hope that that that ⁓ this doesn't just fall flat. ⁓ there's we're not gonna be talking about really anything new, just kind of a refocus and ⁓ okay, here are the times that we're in. and and ⁓ and so I just wanna kinda this This week is kind of an introduction to that. It's going to be ⁓ incorporating the last couple weeks and especially the last sermon on the parables that we did. If you remember that ⁓ sermon, ⁓ that was about bearing fruit and having strong roots. And ⁓ remember the the firm foundation, ⁓ the the wise man builds his house upon the rock, ⁓ you know, the the foolish man on sand. ⁓ right. We need to have a firm foundation that is rooted in truth, that is rooted in Christ. And we don't want to be like the fig tree that has no roots and is not bearing fruit. Right? So so we we want to make sure that no matter what is happening in the world around us, that we have a firm footing and that we are bearing fruit. Right. ⁓ and in order for the us to do that, I I think we need to really understand the times that we are in. ⁓ in order to be able to bear fruit. ⁓ because sometimes bearing fruit is just standing up for what is true, right? Is standing up for Christ. It's not that you're gonna be able to change the culture around you. It's just, no, I'm not going to go where the culture is going. I'm going to stand for what is true. And so, for as for me and my household, We will serve the Lord, right? Then you look for op and are intentional about it because as culture gets crazy, people start to look for what is true, look for those firm foundations. And you can be an example to them as this is how I navigate the craziness of the world around me. Right. And we need to do that as Christians. We need to do that with joy, with hope, right? We we cannot be the Debbie downers of society, right? Even though I can Debbie down with the best of them. Because you can look it out there and you can find tons of reasons to be overwhelmed and sad and frustrated. I think we should actually look at those things and then choose to recognize, you know what? My firm foundation is in Jesus Christ. And so no matter how dark that gets, I know who the light is. And I'm going to reflect that to others. Now, there's times you need to have where you can come and bent a little bit and just recognize, ⁓ my gosh, what is happening? Right? Well, we want to do that, but we do that with a purpose to prepare you to go out there so that you can be a light, especially when it starts getting darker. And it very well may. So one of the things that I don't do is ⁓ do do like sermon titles or series titles, right? Because one, it takes too much effort, I'm gonna be honest. That's not supposed to say that, but yeah, no. Because because you overthink it, right? You're like, okay, does that title really capture what we're going for? Does it do too much? You know, right? And and so it's like and no one cares anyway. But we're we're also now we're at this time where you create titles in order to get clicks, right? That's how you grab attention. Right. And so I mean, if you you know this, if you scroll through Facebook or anything like that, or if you're ⁓ scrolling through, looking at news articles, stuff like that, the headlines. They are always designed to do what? To grab your attention. To to go, ooh. And then a lot of times you actually click on it and then you read and you're like, that has nothing to do with the title at all. But we're in this time where you're supposed to create these titles that just cause people to go like that. So here's my best shot. The title for this series moving forward is this We're in the endgame now. Right. All right. Now So you hear that, you read that title as you're scrolling, right? People are gonna have lots of different reactions, aren't they? ⁓ my gosh, this guy is is only gonna talk about revelation for the rest of time, right? ⁓ this guy, he knows. He's figured out or thinks he's figured out the the ⁓ the the math and he knows the day and he's about to tell us, right? No, the reality is is the moment that Jesus burst forth from that tomb, that moment, we're in the end game now. Right? Because he was working towards the fulfillment of his salvation history. It was working towards that time. Right? And ⁓ and so don't freak out and don't think that we're, you know, I'm I'm gonna start publishing a seven volume set of the the next left behind, right? That's not what we're what we're doing here. We're actually going to talk about a lot of things. We are going to hit on some revelation things. Because one thing, we just focus on Jesus, right? That's all we do. One thing he said, pay attention to the signs of the times. How can you pay attention to the signs of the times if you don't pay attention to the signs of the times? So we're going to do that, hopefully in a responsible way. Right. There's going to be things that you may or but may not agree with. But understand the principle behind what we're doing. I believe that we're in the end game now. And where that phrase comes from, so that ⁓ you know, YouTube doesn't ⁓ you know, block us 'cause of copyright, there's ⁓ the movies, right? Marvel, if you that's when they used to do good movies. It wasn't that long ago. Shockingly, they actually used to do kind of entertaining movies. They don't anymore, by the way. that doesn't exist. but ⁓ the so the the series is, you know, Iron Man and you know, all of these people. Iron Man is hilarious, they're really funny. ⁓ but the Avengers, so they're up against there's a series of these where they're fighting this guy named Thanos, and he is trying his goal is to literally wipe out half of the population of the universe. All right. These are you know, these are documentaries basically. And ⁓ and and And and and so so he's going around trying to get all these different stones so he can be powerful enough to literally snap his finger and half the population, and it reflected in the movies, ⁓ he does it because half the population of Earth just disappears. Now can you imagine, right? Like, whoa. Well, then the the last of the the series is called Endgame. And it's about them trying to overthrow and and d you know, defeat Thanos. And by the way, spoiler alert, they do. ⁓ but Not without a cost, right? But there's a a scene in there where ⁓ I can't remember Doctor Strange, the wizard guy. Yeah, Doctor Strange. And ⁓ and he's he's being able to see all the different outcomes and he's like going and ⁓ and he's looking at all how how this could work out because they can't they can't in their minds, they can't figure out how to defeat this guy. This guy, it seems like he's overwhelming. And by the way, he is winning, right? He is no doubt winning. And they are struggling, even Captain America, right? You know, in his spandex. He's not good enough. Right? And and and it's just over they're overwhelmed. And so Doctor Strange is seeing all of these outcomes. And so he actually does something. He actually gives Thanos the the power to do what he's going to do because he's he says that's the only way that we can actually win this. And he uses the phrase, after he does that, he says, We're in the end game now. Right. Like things are serious. Right. We don't know exactly how they're going to work out and the method that's going to be happening. But we are in the end game now. Now, thankfully, because of this, we know that the light will always overcome. We know that Christ will overcome. And our goal as Christians is the darker it gets out there, we need to be a brighter light. And my fear is that as the church, if we are not engaging the darkness and thinking about it and understanding what's happening in the world around us, that we are not going to be effectively able to be alive in that darkness. And if we're not careful, we will actually be deceptive. Right? That we will we will give people false hope. No, it's going to get hard. It's going to be difficult. But the light will prevail. Darkness will not overcome. So let me I just just a little bit of background. Because one, when you start teaching things like this and going through things like this, there needs to be some trust, some level of trust, because there's lots of voices out there. So I just want to share how I got to this point. So trying to think. So it's been I've been a pastor for a little over twenty years now, right? Why why did I talk to you? She she she has told me that I'm older than I think I am. So yes, so I've been a pastor for over twenty years, which means I'm nearly fifty. So so really started ⁓ did part time youth ministry, ⁓ you know, in between ninety seven and two thousand. I that's whenever did part-time ministry, then have been in full time ministry, ⁓ starting in ⁓ two thousand two. ⁓ is when started in two thousand two, then went seminary, was been a pastor while I was in seminary, ⁓ two different churches and then here at Journey. So that's the the time frame. And ⁓ talk about a different world, right? Whenever I was first a youth pastor, did did did any of my students that I you know, tried to to teach. Did any of them have a cell phone? I I did not ⁓ about halfway through I did and it was a Nokia, right? And it was it it it wasn't the brick, right? But it it was the the Nokia. Which by the way, I think actually was clearer talking on that than it is now. But ⁓ that's beside the point. ⁓ th that's true. The government wasn't listening on it. That's right. ⁓ and ⁓ and and so And and so that's that was the start, the end of the nineties. ⁓ then some some things started happening culturally. ⁓ two towers get destroyed and and crumble. ⁓ we we are now trying to determine what what what is this ideology that was willing to go through these lengths, right? What what does this mean moving forward? Starts changing things, right? ⁓ I go to seminary during that time. And ⁓ and it was interesting. I've always I've always enjoyed kind of the political stuff. Right. So in two thousand, if you remember, there was a big controversy, you know. So I where I really started paying attention would have been a course with Bill Clinton and ⁓ you know, and and knowing, you know, his big story, you know, of what he did in the Oval Office. I guess about what he did, what his intern did and the in the Oval Office. And and you're like, ⁓ This is kind of ugly. And you you started to see, you know, the different sides and and people defending obviously immoral ⁓ actions and and it it was it was kind of fascinating to watch all that. But I I've always loved American history ⁓ and ⁓ and so have always paid attention to that. I can remember when ⁓ when Bush and Gore and the hanging Chads in Florida, right, and and who won that, and there's still a lot of people that think Gore won that. Right. And and ⁓ and then Al Gore goes on to ⁓ you know, be a a climate crazy and and ⁓ you know, things things start happening in a hurry, right? ⁓ I can remember paying attention to all of this stuff before going to seminary and ⁓ and just being interested. ⁓ I remember seeing wait, something's changed. Remember in two thousand four, ⁓ you know, the the unity that happened after two thousand one ⁓ was now completely gone by two thousand four, ⁓ election campaign. And ⁓ and so the the the Democrats need to get in in in control, right? And I remember at the Democrat National Convention, and I know some of you are like, wow trust me, there there's a reason that I'm at a place where I title something we're in the end game now. the the Democrat National Convention, ⁓ you know, ⁓ John Kerry is running and Jimmy Carter is in w the one of the the boxes, right? Jimmy Carter ⁓ is so right I'm just now probably going to seminary ⁓ at this this point or beginning that that process. Jimmy Carter is a Baptist. So as a Baptist, ⁓ we love Jimmy Carter. ⁓ you know, he he does seem like a really nice guy. Horrible president, horrible by nearly any metric, ⁓ horrible president, but actually a decent guy from from All that I can say. That started Habitat for Humanity. unbelievable, wonderful things, right? So he's sitting there. Okay, fine. Right next to him is this guy named Michael Moore. Michael Moore is a godless demonic presence in the world. But other than that, he's great. Okay. ⁓ Now, I say that because again, this is not. Directed at him, it's directed at the ideology that has deceived him. He wa but he was representative of that, representative of a far-left, overtly Marxist, not Democrat. All right? See, this is where people we we we we've lived in this age too long and and we get too much information too quickly. Democrats and Republicans were not that different when Bill Clinton was in office. They were not that different. When George Bush may or may not have defeated Al Gore, right? In 2004, there was introduced into the Democrat Party a radical ideology that desires to destroy the things of God, right? And it was done for political reasons. Hey, we need to open the door. We need to get some more people to vote for us. Right? All right. So I was kind of paying attention. I was like, Whoa, this doesn't look good. This this could this could turn out poorly, right? But I get into seminary and no one in seminary cared about any of that stuff. In fact, if you kind of started talking about it, it became very obvious there didn't didn't really need to be any conversation that that revolves much around politics, especially if it kind of leaned conservative. In fact, I heard more arguments about ⁓ how bad capitalism is and questioning, well, does capitalism does it even fit with scripture, right? And and things like that. I started I was hearing more of that. And I'm fine having those conversations. We should ha actually have those conversations. And by the way, you can be capitalist and still believe in the Bible because capitalism actually acknowledges the fallen humanity of man, that man is greedy. And so if you create a system where Even greed can benefit others? That's kind of good, right? ⁓ but but so all of these things and and there was just this this appeal, sometimes overt, most of the time just subtle, is like, hey, you're getting into ministry. You're going to be preaching. D who cares about this? You need to preach to both Republicans and Democrats. And obviously, yes. And and so just don't don't Get into that, don't worry. And so I kind of backed out. I'm like, okay, you know, maybe it wasn't that big of a deal that this Marxist is getting involved and stuff. And and I I can remember going through seminary, ⁓ getting my first church and ⁓ again my none of the things that I had believed in before had really changed, but I'm seeing the world start to change. But it's like, well, how do you start addressing this? You know, and and kind of wrestling with that a little bit. ⁓ and then I I remember one student ⁓ they ⁓ awarded could I can't remember we went to Washington DC. This would have been in two thousand seven. and ⁓ 'cause ⁓ I was they paid for me to go up to this conference up in Washington D C. It was the more liberal wing of the Baptist ⁓ organization. No, this was this was it was C B F it was ⁓ cooperative Baptist Fellowship. And ⁓ and so so I get I'm like, awesome. Free trip to DC. And and I I don't mind at that point. I didn't mind going to some of these church gathering things. Now I never mind. I I but so I I I go and again re remember I've been in seminary where basically anything that you kind of talked about that was political ⁓ hey, let's not talk about that. If you talked to anything kind of that r sounded kind of conservative, it really was now are you sure about that? Right. Like like like it was it was a so it was like, ⁓ just don't talk about this. I'm gonna go to this conference. We're in Washington DC. Great trip. ⁓ loved every minute of it. ⁓ it but I went to this breakfast. It was the only thing that you kind of had to do, like that you had to sign in, you know, so that you they knew that you were actually there. And so I go to this breakfast and it's ⁓ all these students and professors and and everything like that. This is 2007 and ⁓ and I you probably remember this a little bit, but going to this breakfast and ⁓ and I start kind of looking at what they're talking about, and then they start they start talking. Again, this is from a a church thing. And it was straight Democrat Party talking points. The war is evil. George Bush is ⁓ killing people, talked about racism, talked about all of this stuff that was overtly political, but different from where my normal political viewpoint would be. And I'm like, hey, wait. I I kind of brought it, wanted to bring up some of these things, and I was told to shut up, basically. This whole conference is geared. Around raising up liberals. And I'm like, this is weird. What's happening here? Something's going on. Something's changing. Right? And so then I get a pastor at First Baptist Church in in Sweetwater. It's obviously a very conservative town. It you're just doing church as as church is done, and that's where we started realizing. Do we want to be in that established church model, or do we want is God calling us to something different? And and obviously we felt he was calling us to something different. So we come come to Elgin. And coming to Elgin has been the biggest blessing and the biggest stress and challenge ever. Right? And and there, I mean, since since coming here, you know, ⁓ Molly's sister and her dad have both passed away. My mom's passed away. You know, now that we're five hours away from family, ⁓ we we've gone through ⁓ the the challenges of of a church startup and then seeing that start to grow and and ⁓ and and being really excited and having an extremely diverse congregation ⁓ with people on all different sides of viewpoints and things like that, ⁓ and seeing that that grow. And then all of a sudden ⁓ you have ⁓ the election of a of a very polarizing president and and so you start navigating those waters and you're like, ⁓ man, w this everything's starting to become political. And all of a sudden it's like, wow, there's we're we're getting mad because people are kneeling at ⁓ the the national anthem and in in football games. Why are we making political statements in football games? Like all of this it's like everything starts to be political, right? And it's just ramping up. And it's just g gaining steam. And people don't even realize it, right? It's just this is just part of what's happening. And ⁓ and social media is exploding and and and influences are just ⁓ covering everything around us. And ⁓ and then all of a sudden COVID hits, right? And COVID has an extremely contentious contentious election. And ⁓ and ⁓ I can remember ⁓ through that and ⁓ that all of a sudden there are people here in this church, not not anymore, but but but that were in this church that ⁓ that are posting things after ⁓ you know it appeared that Donald Trump won and then he didn't right and ⁓ we we know all of that stuff, right? But ⁓ but are posting things like, well, it's it's ⁓ disheartening to see that there's still seventy ⁓ million racist and bigots ⁓ in in our in in in our country today. That are because so if you vote for Donald Trump, you're obviously a racist and a bigot, right? Kind of that has now is permeating culture. It's like, what? What is happening? Right? And then as COVID continues on and you start just making simple decisions and saying, Hey, you know, we we don't really know the best way to handle this, but there's kind of no off-ramp, like ⁓ you know, one once we didn't meet for a couple of weeks, it became obvious. Hey, there's no way to actually start meeting again because there's no measurements here to say, hey, we've overcome anything or or things are getting better. And so there was just this kind of assumption, well, just you just continue not to meet. Most of many churches just continued not to meet. So we took the approach that no, we're gonna meet and and and we're going to actually say you evaluate your own level of of ⁓ susceptibility. You take responsibility for yourself. So if you come here and you're uncomfortable, just watch online. Completely understand. Right. And people say, well, are you going to make people wear masks when they come? And I said, well, I said, I I if I thought that it would help 100%, I would. But there's no evidence. By the way, when I say no evidence, I'm saying there's is evidence that they're not safe. Right. But I'm just gonna say no evidence. And by the way, I I watched videos being a hospice chaplain. I had to watch videos about how viruses are transmitted. And everything about them saying that we wear wore the mask went against what those videos said. Right? So they were either lying then or they were lying. So I just said, I I thought this was a rational decision. I said, you can come and wear a mask or not wear a mask. If you are uncomfortable. Because people aren't wearing a mask, then you you don't have to come. You can watch online. But if I t if the reason that you come to church is because we make people wear masks, I'm technically lying to you because I am doing something that's making you giving you a false sense of security. So you know what? I'm not going to lie to you. Well, then we had a few other people that left. Right? And and and But ⁓ I'm looking at this, I'm like, this is ridiculous. This doesn't make sense. Right? So I start realizing, you know what, there's something spiritual going on here. And I start going down that route, looking at that. And and and interestingly, going through the journey through scripture ⁓ was was very eye opening for me. Here's a Confession as a pastor, I had never just sat down and read straight through the Bible. Now, you know, you can mock me for that, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the majority of you have not read sat down and read through the Bible, right? That doesn't mean you're not studying the Bible. I'm not saying that. You've probably read, many of people have read the whole Bible in different settings and stuff like that. But reading through it Is different. And so I'm reading through it and I'm starting to see some themes, some spiritual themes of how God has worked in the world and how humanity has worked. And then you combine those spiritual themes with history. And you're like, whoa, maybe God does govern in the affairs of a man, as the once great deist Benjamin Franklin said. You don't you like that one, Fred? So so I I I start thinking, okay, there's something going on here that we need to take seriously. And I can remember getting to Ezekiel and reading through Ezekiel. And it's talking about it's this is that the the the nation of Israel has been established. It had its kings, it's gone through its its civil war. The northern kingdom has now been is basically gone. Now the southern kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem, they are now going into exile, which means Babylon is coming and taking them. They would never be their own country again. until nineteen forty seven, right? So th this this was was was changing. They they were able to do some things obviously in the Roman Empire, but they would never be their own nation again until forty seven. And ⁓ and so you ⁓ you're reading that and you're reading what the people are doing and and how God is trying to reach them, right? 'Cause we sometimes we think, ⁓ well back then You know, God was like sitting on this throne and that's how he governed. His people would go and they talk to God, and you know, that's what a theocracy is, right? Well, no, because that's not how God works. He works through us, he works through people. So he had set up a system of government for them to follow, and then they just kept taking further and further steps, right? They went, ⁓ we want a king, and then they just got really crappy kings and and ⁓ the the nation started moving further away from Their founding, if you will, because they were founded on the Word of God. And there were major ramifications. And sometimes we think, ⁓ well, God just raised up Babylon and sent them. Yes and no. Maybe it's because the people had become so immoral and so fallen away from the truth of who God was, and they had moved away from who they were supposed to be that they became so weakened and degraded as a country. that that gave Babylon the ability to come and overtake them. And they couldn't resist because now they were not focused on who they were. There's a place in Ezekiel and a Follow follow me here. I'm just I'm gonna read just the first ten verses of Ezekiel 33. ⁓ it went went longer than I was going to, so we'll we'll break this one up. But ⁓ I get to this point, and Ezekiel has been telling the people listen, this is coming. It's going to be bad. The exile has already happened. Babylon has come, brought a lot of people already back to Babylon, but there's still a group. back in Jerusalem. And Ezekiel's still saying, Hey, even the temple's gonna fall. Even Jerusalem's gonna fall. Right? And and ⁓ and he's been trying to get the people to turn. They refuse to turn. ⁓ and ⁓ and now all of it is coming true. ⁓ everything he said is now starting to happen. So Ezekiel, the first thirty two chapters are basically how how bad ⁓ Israel is being And why all of this is happening. And then this is the transition point. And then the rest is actually going to be about restoration and hope. And actually points well into the future, points to the time of Christ, but also points past that to when ⁓ Christ will ultimately come again. But here's Ezekiel and and ⁓ starting in verse ⁓ in chapter 33, ⁓ verse one. It says, The word of the Lord came to me, son of man, speak to your people and say to them. If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword come and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and did not take our warning, but his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken the warning, he would have saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming, and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes away one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require require. at the watchman's hand. So you, Son of Man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning for me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall sur surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that the wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not ⁓ turn from his way. That person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. All right. Pretty heavy verse. So what is what is God calling Ezekiel to do? To be the watchman. Right? That was a very familiar term. They literally there would be people on the wall. You know, like ⁓ if I was watching a little ran on Titanic, right? There there were watchmen up in the crow's nest that needed to be better watchmen, right? And they're like, ⁓ there's a big iceberg there, right? And they're they're trying, right? But that that's what a watchman does is it's looking for danger. Right. And if that sees that danger, the watchman doesn't can't necessarily stop. He's not supposed to load up and load the machine gun and then take out the enemy. His job is to say, Hey, wake up. There's something bad coming. Right? Now Looking at that passage, most of the time, and in seminary, we look at it in context. This is talking about what's happening to the nation of Israel. That is very true. Right? But there's an important principle there. And so does that principle, does it act do we even see that principle in the New Testament? Because I I don't want to be a prophet. God hasn't spoken to me like he probably did to Ezekiel. But that doesn't mean he hasn't spoken to us through the scripture. So as a pastor, whenever I read a s a scripture like that, I'm like, wait, am I supposed to be the watchman? Right? Now, ultimately, it it's it's not my responsibility whether everyone pays attention or not. But it is my responsibility that I share what is true and what is coming. And that's the danger of not. Getting involved and paying attention to what's going on in a culture, especially from the pastorate, from churches. The church should be the watchman. It's listen, this scripture, I don't think it's just applying to people in my position. If you hold the name of Christ and you uplift the name of Christ, you need to be the watchman to the culture that you're in. You need to be sharing that. And ⁓ and so ⁓ Jordan, I'm switching over, I'm skipping the Ezekiel, and I'm going to the passage in Acts. All right. So if you can follow me, the passage in Acts chapter 20. Got it? All right, there we go. Perfect. Good job up there. All right. So Acts starting in verse 26. This is Paul. He's leaving the Ephesians. So he started the church in Ephesus and he's leading the the Ephesians. He says this says, Therefore I testify you to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all. Hmm. What's he talking about there? Says, For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all ⁓ the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the church of God. which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and from among your own selves will rise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. Alright, so what is Paul saying? Very similar to the watchman type language, right? That hey, I've been trying to teach you the truth. I'm now leaving. Guess what? That vacuum is going to be filled with people who are trying to come in there and to and and to deceive. Right? ⁓ because the the wolves try to get within the flock. And and Paul is acknowledging, listen, I've done all that I can, so I am not responsible for. What happens to you anymore, right? Because I've I've shared what I am supposed to share. Now it's on you. But he I think Paul took that principle in Ezekiel very seriously. Right? Then we also see this in Hebrews. Hebrews chapter thirteen verse seventeen. There we go. Says Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. All right. This verse says Is why I think it's important to do this, or one of the reasons. Now, whenever it says obey and submit to your leaders, I'm not telling you that you do everything that I say. But by coming here, you are choosing to listen to what I am saying, right? So you need to make the decision: is this something coming from God or is it not? Right? So you're by by listening to to what I am saying, you are choosing, am I submitting to God? Is he being faithful to to scripture? And that's important for us because there are lots of wolves out there. Lots of wolves. And many in the pulpits. And it's it is a challenge. And no one is perfect. Right? ⁓ And so so it starts with that, and then that that passage it goes on ⁓ keeping watch over your souls. Like I I care about your souls, right? I I pray that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Right? And then I want to encourage you to go and make a difference out in the world because that's how the light spreads. Here's the reality: you can have way more impact for the kingdom of God than I can. The the people that I speak to most of the time are already Christians. They already believe. Right? And they're coming here to be to to grow and to mature in their faith. But you're going to be in places where you're ⁓ surrounded by people who may not know the Lord. You need to bring that light to them. And then the end of that verse. And well, that the Middle says as those who will have to give an account. What does that mean? That as a leader, as someone who is who is speaking the the word of the Lord and claiming that, that I will be held to account for what I say. I I believe face to face with God, I will be held to account. And that is a little terrifying. Not just a little. That is a lot terrifying. So I I just want you know I take this very seriously. Even through the jokes, even through the sarcasm that I try to keep in check, even through my cynicism, I take it extremely serious. I believe this to be true. And maybe it's not. I Okay. Well, I I believe that it is. And so I'm going to respond that way. And here's the really important part that I I definitely have to have to work on and I am at that place now, which is why I'm doing this series now and not ⁓ earlier. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning. All right. That can be hard. Because I look at what's going on in the world and it doesn't bring me joy. Right? I mean, I I if you would have told told little little Philip growing up in Podunk, Sterling City, going to a little church, that eventually he'd be pastoring at a church, and that right down the street there would be a church that flew a pride flag. That g you would blow that person's mind. If if you would have told me that by preaching out of Genesis and saying that God created man and woman now is a political sermon, which I have had those words spoken to me, that that's a political sermon, that mind would have just went. What? That's where we are, because we're in the end game now. Whatever We've been holding on for a while that hey, maybe we vote the right person in, maybe we get the government under control and we go back to where things are normal. I'm sorry, and this is not comfortable. We're never going back to what you think was normal. We're going to be in a constant state of spiritual battle. And we're in a place where the culture is being more overt than it ever has at trying to capture the souls of men. It is openly trying to pull people away from Christ in ways that we have not experienced in this country. And I'm going to lay that out more specifically because it's important. I don't want to just say things. I'm I'm going to be laying that out. Understand, we are in a different time. But God is the same. And we need to be equipped to be a light in the darkness out there. And so I want to encourage you to find that joy. You need to have people that you can vent to and go, can you believe I'm seeing this? Can you believe what our president said? You'll go insane if you do that. So be careful who you choose to because it's every day, right? Can you believe? Can you believe right? You need to have those moments, but we need to live in the fact that you know what? I recognize how horrible it is, but the light is brighter. And you know what? I can stand in joy. I can stand in truth even when the culture around me is doing everything it can to destroy that. We, you are the light of the world through Christ. Live that out. Point people to him. when they are overwhelmed with what's going on in the world. Cause nearly everyone is. Help them to find the only thing that makes sense. And that is Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And it is only in him that we have a firm foundation. It is only in him that we bear fruit. It is only in him that we find peace, find joy, find hope, find what true love is. That is what we are called to do. Let's go to him in prayer.