Latest / HBCWestminster / 3.14.21 Luke 13:1-9 Pastor Danny Gardner

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3.14.21 Luke 13:1-9 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Well, if you have your Bibles, you can open to Luke chapter 13. Luke chapter 13, our text this morning, is verses 1 through 9. Allow me to read the text, verses 1 through 9, then we'll pray and begin. If you're able to stand in honor of God's word, I would ask you to do that now. Beginning in verse 1, it says,
• 0:28
  Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those 18 on whom the Tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. And he told this parable. A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.
• 0:58
  And he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vine dresser, look, for three years now, I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground? And he answered him, sir, let it alone this year also until I dig it around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good. But if not, you can cut it down. And Lord, we pray a blessing over the hearing and preaching of your word.
• 1:24
  God, we thank you for it. We thank you for the sure foundation, how firm a foundation your word is in our lives. I pray, God, that we would model our lives after your son. I pray that we would commit our way to your word. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you, church. You can be seated. Well, the J. Giles Band kind of famously lamented. In the year 1980, they wrote a song, and the song goes like this. You love her, but she loves him.
• 1:52
  And he loves somebody else. You just can't win. And so it goes till the day you die. This thing they call love, it's going to make you cry. I've had the blues, the reds and the pinks. One thing for sure, love stinks. Yeah, yeah. Love stinks. Yeah, yeah. And no doubt this guy, John Giles, had had his heart broken by some young lady and so wrote a ballad decrying love as an awful venture.
• 2:22
  But we who have had any length of time on this earth, we who have lived a little while, can tell you that the stink goes well beyond love. There are some things in life which just plain stink. Suffering, sorrow, and loss almost help to define the human experience. Calamity is confusing and painful, and to find reason for that pain is one question which becomes a stumbling block for a huge number of thinking skeptics.
• 2:52
  Questions like, why the existence of pain? Why suffering? Why loss? Why death? Why catastrophe? And the confusion which comes from the seeming absence or even indifference of God has kept millions from the faith. They would ask, how could God, if he's loving, all-knowing, and just, allow pain and suffering?
• 3:17
  to befall his people why pain on this earth and hell in the next life and you will hear people even ask i just can't believe in a god who would or i can't why would i believe in a god who would allow such things and a variety of reasons for god allowing calamity can be found in scripture james chapter 1 that the suffering that we endure trials tests develops our faith
• 3:44
  That suffering, maybe Psalm 116 says, suffering develops our dependence upon the Lord. I called to the Lord and he heard my cry. Colossians chapter 3, that suffering helps to take our eyes off of the present and focus them on eternity. And so because this life is hard, it's meant to stir our hearts for the life to come. Maybe that suffering helps us to prioritize those things which are most important. You'll hear people say, well, our house burned down. But praise God, everybody's okay because that's what's most important. It will help to reprioritize our lives.
• 4:15
  1 Peter goes all about suffering and the glory that is to come. And maybe suffering helps to prepare us for greater usefulness in the kingdom. Maybe God uses suffering to sharpen our faith so that our faith is more effective. 2 Corinthians 1 says that suffering equips us to extend compassion and comfort toward others who are suffering. And so because of the suffering that we've endured, it will actually make us better and more compassionate ministers of the gospel.
• 4:42
  But what's interesting about our text this morning is that those reasons are not the focus of Christ's sermon. And in fact, rather than explaining suffering or even developing a theology of suffering, which I've just done, Christ almost threatens his hearers with suffering. It's almost like he uses suffering as a tool against his audience. He reminds his hearers that unless they repent, similar calamities will befall on them as well.
• 5:11
  it's kind of weird and unexpected we could perhaps simplify the issue of suffering by stating that all pain sorrow and every catastrophe which has ever befallen mankind exists because of the fall of man into sin and in fact church that truth cannot be ignored somebody asked the question why is there great suffering the answer is because we are great sinners
• 5:33
  That is the answer. Suffering has come as a result of sin. It is not that there is a vindictive God in the heavens who dislikes us and enjoys when we suffer. That's not it at all. The enemy of our souls enjoys suffering, and suffering was allowed into the human race because of our own sin.
• 5:54
  The reality is that because of the original sin of Adam and Eve in the garden thousands of years ago, every man and woman has died, and very few have known the day or hour of their demise. The truth is that as you and I sit here right now, we are inching toward that inevitable end. The reality of our own death, the reality of our own demise draws
• 6:23
  ever nearer and we have said before that life is a terminal disease that living living just living is dangerous it's funny i've heard people say in the last six months how much deadlier it is to live now than it was just two years ago it's less safe today than it was two years ago and they'll say things like you know danny we'll leave our house again when it's safe they say that phrase when it's safe
• 6:53
  We'll rejoin society when it's safe. We'll even come back to church when it's safe. But friends, and I mean that, and I love you, but friends, it's never been safe. It's never been safe. It's never been safe to go outside. It's never been safe to go and be a part of society. It's never been safe to go to church. It's never been safe to be in gatherings. It's never been safe. And church, it will never be safe in the future either.
• 7:21
  Last year, 2020, in America, this is USA Today reporting, USA Today said that in 2020, that one year, 3 million Americans died. 3 million Americans. Church, that's a lot. But you know what's weird about that number? Right? We hear these numbers and they just seem to be just conflated. Huge, these massive numbers. 3 million Americans died in 2020. But guess how many Americans died in 2019?
• 7:50
  Pre-COVID, pre-virus, pre-pandemic. Guess how many Americans died in 2019? Three million. In 2018, USA Today says, guess how many Americans died in 2018? Two years ago, three years ago, about three million. It's the same number. It's always been dangerous. It's not any more dangerous than it is now. And church, we don't often enjoy reminders of our own mortality. Like, I don't like thinking ahead and thinking that there will be a day.
• 8:21
  eventually there will come a day where I end up in a box. I mean, I don't like thinking about my own mortality. We certainly don't want to become obsessed with our own death and paranoid about it. But according to Jesus in our passage, our own doom is actually good to ponder on occasion.
• 8:41
  The fact that we are deteriorating, the fact that we are inching closer, like I said, to that inevitable outcome is actually a good thing for us to ponder. I was struck with that reality again this week as I celebrated my 45th birthday this last Tuesday. I turned 45 years old. I got a whole bunch of text messages from friends, family members here in the church. You know what, Pastor Danny, happy birthday. One year closer to 50, one of them said. Pastor Danny, happy birthday. One year closer to death, one of them said.
• 9:11
  I'm reminded every year, you know, you celebrate your birthday every year. You're getting older, you're getting slower, right? You're getting closer and closer and closer to your final birthday, my ever-deteriorating body, as you celebrate those birthdays one after the next after the next. And the truth is, church, we cannot avoid the reality of our own deterioration.
• 9:33
  I'm not saying we shouldn't try. Of course, we should push against that. Of course, we should try to be in shape. Of course, we should take care of the bodies that the Lord has given us because we are to be wise stewards of them. They're a resource, but we cannot avoid our own mortality, nor can we avoid the catastrophes which often befall mankind. We may be tempted.
• 9:56
  in our failure to explain suffering, just to throw up our hands and just say, well, life stinks. There's no point to any of this. What's the point? But we mustn't ignore the fact that the temporary nature of this life is meant as a reminder of the permanence of the life to come. Let me say that again, because I kind of fumbled it and because it's important. The temporary nature of this life is meant as a reminder of the permanence of the life to come.
• 10:25
  In other words, if there is anything I hope and pray that we have learned from the pandemic, it is that truth that we were not designed for this life. This is not what we were designed for. We were rather designed for a better next life.
• 10:45
  In fact, I even like how Pastor Nathan last week reminded us of that truth when he said that our goal on this earth should not be to live a long life, but rather to live a life of longing, right? That's the goal of this earth is not to live forever. The goal of the next life is to live forever. And for that, we were designed. And so we come this morning to Christ.
• 11:11
  final warning in a series of warnings. His final warning when he says, don't waste catastrophe because the cross can be seen in its midst. You'll notice that our passage breaks in half. There's a call to repentance, and then there's a parable to drive it home. And so let's look at verse one. You're going to notice here that Jesus is interrupted again. This is now the third time in his sermon, the third time that he's being interrupted.
• 11:39
  And the group that interrupts him, you can kind of tell with their flow of thought, they're following this train of thought as Jesus has been talking about standing before the judge in verse 59 of chapter 12. I tell you, you'll never get out until you've paid the very last penny. So in an effort, make an effort to settle with the judge on the way to court, right? You're going to stand in judgment, Jesus said last week. So get in good with the judge before you stand in judgment. You can kind of tell that kind of flow of thought.
• 12:07
  It's almost like they're saying, you know, teacher, speaking of judgment, did you hear about what happened in Jerusalem? Look what they say in verse 1. There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. So they report to Jesus about a group of Galileans who were in the temple and offering sacrifices.
• 12:34
  when Pilate's soldiers walk in and slaughter them while they're doing it. A kind of a mass execution of Jews inside the temple. Now we assume it was inside the temple because they were in the process of, they were in the act of making a sacrifice. And inside the temple was the only place that the sacrifices were ever made. They were never made outside the temple. So we assume that they were inside the temple. And so you can imagine an innocent and unaware people
• 13:04
  in an act of worship inside the most sacred and seemingly safe place in israel and then a surprise attack by pilate who sends his soldiers in there and kill them so violently that their blood actually mixed together with the blood of their sacrifices on the altar this is horrific some commentators even some ancient historians would speculate that these galileans were perhaps not innocent
• 13:34
  Rather, they may have been insurrectionists, so the attack was justified like they brought it on themselves. Perhaps they would posit, perhaps the Galileans knew that the Romans were after them, so they ran into the temple, grabbed onto the horns of the altar, thinking that Pilate would spare them because of the holiness of that place. You may recall this actually happened once in the Old Testament, 1 Kings 1, where the self-appointed king, Adonijah,
• 14:00
  who was trying to rival Solomon for the throne. David's son Solomon, who was the correct heir, right? The actual heir. But this guy Adonijah declares himself king. And so Solomon is going to go kill him. Adonijah runs into the temple, grabs onto the horns of the altar and tries to make peace, tries to make a truce with Solomon. And Solomon, because of where the guy was standing, holding onto the horns of the altar, Solomon said, okay, I'll spare your life.
• 14:26
  But basically, shape up, get out of here. I never want to see you again. And Solomon took the throne. And so maybe that's what was going on. Maybe the Galileans really were insurrectionists. They knew that Pilate was after him. And so they were kind of faking the sacrifice, thinking that Pilate would spare their lives. But he didn't. He didn't, obviously, because he sent all of these guys in there, the soldiers in there, and slaughtered them all. Now, you can tell by Jesus's response in verse 2.
• 14:55
  What was going on in the minds of the interrupters? Clearly, the interrupters were thinking that they brought this upon themselves because the Galileans who were killed were wicked people. Because look at Jesus' response in verse 2. He answered them, Do you think that those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? So are you thinking right now,
• 15:23
  Well, they brought that upon themselves and therefore it'll never happen to me because I won't bring it upon myself. And then he says in verse three, no, but unless you repent, you will also likewise perish. It's kind of a bizarre way to respond, right? And then he continues in verse four, where he says now, well, did you hear about what else happened in Jerusalem? Those 18 on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them?
• 15:54
  Siloam was an area in Jerusalem, just outside the walled section of Jerusalem, near actually Hezekiah's tunnel. And many from our church have been there, have been to Hezekiah's tunnel, but that tower in Siloam was apparently being built there and under construction while it was being constructed, it collapsed and crushed this group of Jews, 18 of them, that just happened to be walking along the way.
• 16:19
  And so these people were innocent. If the Galileans were not innocent, then certainly these bystanders, they just happened to be walking by. The tower collapses on them and kills 18 of them. And it's almost like you can hear the thoughts of Jesus's audience.
• 16:38
  When he says, do you think, in verse 4, that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. You can almost hear the thoughts of Jesus' audience. These things are horrific, Jesus. These are calamities. These are catastrophes, we would say, right? But we won't be like them, right? We won't be killed in the temple, right? But we won't have a tower fall on us, right? Because, Jesus,
• 17:08
  We are righteous, right? And so Jesus just says, he dispels the myth. No, you're not any more righteous than they were. And therefore, the same kind of calamities can come upon you. You're not any more righteous. They weren't worse sinners than you are.
• 17:32
  The question that was no doubt on the minds of these interrupters was, can we assume, Jesus, that these were worse sinners than the rest of us because we have never experienced calamities such as these? Maybe God likes us more. Maybe God likes them less because of what happened to them. In fact,
• 17:52
  Jesus' statements in verses two and four implies their question when he says, do you think they were worse sinners? Do you think they were worse offenders? And friends, this is exactly what the Jews in that time thought. For the Jews, the only possible reason they could determine that an individual would be punished this way by God was because of some secret sin. So they were harboring something in their hearts. And so the Lord just knocked over a tower on them, right?
• 18:21
  there had to be the only possible explanation in their minds for a man to be born blind was that either he or his parents must have sinned do you remember john chapter 9 teacher who sinned this man or his parents that he would be born blind and jesus said neither one this didn't happen because of sin this happened so that the power of god could be put on display in your midst
• 18:50
  It wasn't because of sin. In their minds, the only possible explanation for a disease or a disfigurement or even a dismemberment was that it must be God's justice unsinned and therefore earned.
• 19:06
  Now you can see the impetus behind that belief because they thought if calamities befall them and it's because God caused it because of their sin and calamities don't happen to me, I must be in right standing with God, right? You see that they can justify themselves because they say, well, they were bad and I am good. You may recall even the Council of Job's friends who preached this same bad theology of suffering.
• 19:34
  Job chapter 4 and verse 7, Job's friend Eliphaz comes and says, who that were innocent ever perished? Nobody. Or where were the upright ever cut off? The upright are never cut off. Job, you've been cut off, therefore you're not upright. Do you see what he's saying? Bildad in chapter 8 and verse 20 of Job, behold, God will not reject a blameless man. Job, you've been rejected, therefore you must not be a blameless man. There's got to be some kind of sin.
• 20:00
  Eliphaz again in Job chapter 25 and verse 5, is not your evil abundant? It must be. There is no end to your iniquities. Therefore, snares are all around you and sudden terror overwhelms you. The only reason all of these snares are around you, Job, it has to be because you have made God angry. In their minds, then on the flip side, if you survive,
• 20:24
  If your life is running relatively smoothly, then you must not be at odds with God. And if you aren't at odds with God, you must be at peace with God. Now, church, how many in Denver, our friends, our family members, our neighbors, our classmates, our coworkers, how many in Denver live out this type of theology? That's exactly how they think. They wouldn't word it that way, but they'll say something like, well, my life is good. I mean, by their own definition, right?
• 20:55
  My life is good. Therefore, I must be right with God. How many live with that theology of bad things happen to bad people. Good things happen to good people. As long as I just keep putting positive vibes out there in the universe, I keep cleansing my aura. My energy is good. As long as I keep doing this, all is well. And therefore, they would say, if there is a God, he must be happy with me. That's how they think they can earn God's favor. Right? I mean, this is this is the theology of Denver.
• 21:24
  But they know nothing of Romans chapter 5 and verse 1, which says, therefore, since we've been justified by faith, we have peace with God. The only way to have peace with God is to be justified by the blood of his son. That's it. And Jesus even says such in verses 3 and 5. He says, no, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Verse 5, no, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all.
• 21:56
  likewise perish. Now, Christ is not here saying, I think they will perish in the same manner. It's not like he's saying, if you're a sinner, a tower is going to fall on you. Towers fall on every sinner. That's not what he's saying. Rather, he is saying that unless they repent, they will perish with the same certainty.
• 22:16
  It's not the same manner but with the same certainty for sure Jesus says you will perish unless you repent and so there are two words that we need to take particular note of draw special attention to the first is perish right we want to know what that means and The second is repent. We want to know what that means. Jesus says unless you repent you will perish And so let's look at those two words that first word
• 22:40
  perish from the greek word apollomai or apollomi means to be destroyed to be destroyed it doesn't just mean to die it means to be destroyed it also means to be lost to be lost it doesn't mean to cease to exist it means to be lost as opposed to being found in john chapter 10 jesus makes a promise to the father that none who are given to him will be lost he says that
• 23:11
  Those you've given me, I have not lost. I have kept every single one of them. They will not perish. In Christ, we will not perish. But here, those souls who refuse to repent, he says, will be lost forever. Now that's the first perish, but the second word repent, and we've spoken extensively about repentance. I would direct you back to a sermon I preached actually last summer from Luke chapter 9.
• 23:37
  verses 24 and 25 titled live without regret if you go back you can hear kind of the three-fold new testament uh use of the word repentance okay repent or repentance would encourage you to go back and look at that luke chapter 9 verses 24 and 25 for a fuller explanation but this word the english word repentance comes from in luke chapter 13 the greek word metanoeo metanoeo meaning a change that's where meta comes from like metamorphosis a transformation
• 24:07
  a change of mind or perception. So in other words, Jesus is saying, unless you think differently, unless you change your mind, unless you change your belief. In the New Testament, every time that word is used, metanoeo, the change is always for the better, not for the worse. Romans chapter 12 verses...
• 24:34
  one and two communicate the same idea when it says do not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind our minds are to be renewed we are supposed to in christ we are supposed to think completely differently than the world thinks our brains function differently now when we begin to think differently right we also begin to act differently
• 25:04
  Obviously, if I think a certain way, if my worldview is a certain way, then I'm going to act accordingly. I'm going to view my wife differently. I'm going to view my kids differently. I'm going to view my employer differently. I'm not only going to act differently, I'm going to speak differently, right? We're not to use the world's words.
• 25:24
  I've heard people even justify the use of swearing. I've heard Christians do this. Justify the use of swear words because they'll say, well, that's just how the world talks. Nonsense. We're not to be conformed to the pattern of this world. We are to think differently, behave differently, speak differently than the world. And that's the idea of repentance. Repentance. It's not to use the world's formula. It's to use God's formula. We are to change.
• 25:51
  our minds and hear christ in luke chapter 13 is calling on his hearers to change their minds he says think differently believe differently we should not ask are they worse sinners because of the judgment that befell them but rather praise god that i'm spared from any judgment at all right we all deserve that that's the reality none of us deserves reward we all because of our sin
• 26:21
  We all deserve to have towers fall on us. That's the reality. And what a different way to think. You can see how he's saying that. You change the way that you think. The truth is that those who die early or even abnormally were no more deserving than those who enjoy a long life. We must come to the recognition, we who have repented, must come to the recognition that we're no better than anyone else. That we only come to the Father by his grace bestowed on us through his Son. Church of that.
• 26:52
  is the gospel. The intent of Christ's warning here is that we must be ready to die. And the only way to be ready to die is to repent. In fact, the worst thing to do is to assume that based on our good works, which if we're honest are few and fall horribly short, but based on our good works, that God will just let us into heaven. That is not the reality. We must do something about the implacable disease of sin, which has taken up residence in our hearts.
• 27:22
  repent he says or we likewise will perish and so that's first a call to repentance but notice second there's a parable that really drives home the temporal nature of this earth he says in verse 6 and he told a parable a man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and found none and he said to the vine dresser look for three years now i have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and i find none so cut it down why should it use up the ground
• 27:52
  And he answered him, sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and put on manure. So in other words, until I fertilize it. Let me try. Let me just do one more. I'll take one more stab at it. Then verse 9 says, if it should bear fruit next year, well and good. But if not, you can cut it down. Now, fig trees during the time of Christ were valuable. They were great for shade. They were great for fruit. They were common in Israel. In fact, they're still common in Israel.
• 28:19
  The farmer from this parable transplanted a tree. And he had the expectation, and I believe a reasonable expectation, that after three seasons, it would bear fruit for him in its new location. He waited, he tended to it, he fertilized it, he did everything the tree should have needed. And so his expectation was a good one, that it would begin to bear fruit.
• 28:41
  I think even by modern standards, three seasons is about the length of time a farmer could have expected a transplanted fruit tree to begin to produce again. Now there's some speculation and commentators disagree about who this parable is being told to because of how often in the New Testament, the fig tree represents Israel. And because there's also kind of a parallel, I think it's a stretch to be honest, but there's kind of a parallel between the three years of the farmer tending to the tree.
• 29:12
  and the three-year ministry of Christ to the Jews, right? They see a parallel there. Like I said, I think it's pretty thin, but some would say, well, the fig tree has to represent Israel in this parable, and therefore it doesn't have to do with us. But I don't agree with that, actually. I mean, perhaps that's possible, but rather I think the fig tree represents all of Christ's hearers.
• 29:34
  Right, we've said before throughout this sermon, this is a mixed multitude. There is a violent mob, some of whom are his own disciples. He kind of takes his disciples aside for a moment, right? Begins to explain to them about not being anxious, about being rich toward God. But in chapter 12 and verse 41, same sermon, Peter interrupts, Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all? And we said there, because then he goes on to faithful and unfaithful stewards, wise and unwise.
• 30:00
  I think he blows that audience open. I think it's for everybody. And I think the parable here of the fig tree is the same. I think what he's doing is taking Jews and Gentiles together, all who would have heard his message, received it, and been blessed by it, all of them now, he says, should be bearing fruit. You've been given a limited amount of time, he says, so go and bear fruit. I think Christ tying together this
• 30:31
  These calamities in verses 1 to 5 in this call to repentance, tying that together with this parable, which concludes his sermon, really gives us this lesson to be learned that we never know when calamity will strike. We never know. We don't know how much time we have. We never know when the tower is going to fall on us. And so the question that we're left with is, what will we do with the time that we've been given?
• 31:01
  Church, we know this to be true, but all of humanity lives on the very precipice of death. And we, God's people, have the only message which can instill eternal life. And the embracing of this truth radically transforms the way we live because it infuses us with purpose and urgency. It pushes us toward the bearing of fruit, even when it's uncomfortable.
• 31:27
  I was so proud of a couple of our high school students this last week. As you guys recall, a couple of weeks ago, our church hosted an evangelism training seminar. It was awesome, you guys. It was so, so good. About 100 of our Highlanders came, kids included, about 100 kids. I mean, praise the Lord, not 100 kids came, but about 100 people total. A couple of our high schoolers left from that seminar, went to school this week, and had a conversation together. They not only come to church here, but they also go to school together.
• 31:56
  the conversation went something like this we know that we've been put on this earth to be on mission to be evangelists and at school we always eat lunch together all the kids from the youth group who go to that school they all eat lunch together they're great friends they enjoy each other so they eat lunch together there's nothing wrong with that but one of the young ladies said what if instead of all eating together what if we practice what we just learned in that evangelism training and we spread out on purpose we spread out we eat with new people
• 32:25
  for the purpose of inviting them to church that evening, inviting them to Wednesday night youth group. And so Wednesday at lunch, instead of all sitting together in a little group, they spread all out and they just started inviting people to church. And guess what happened? Five new kids showed up to youth group because they got invited that same day. Five of them came. Brand new. And church, the excitement.
• 32:54
  that our kids had. I'm excited for those new kids to come. That's incredible. That is the bearing of fruit. But not only is that bearing of fruit, there is also fruit being born in the hearts and lives of our own high schoolers who are saying, you know what? I took a step of faith and the Lord has blessed it. That is the bearing of fruit. Praise God for that. It infuses us with purpose and urgency.
• 33:22
  Church, we're all inching toward an inevitable end. And sometimes it's true. Sometimes life stinks. But don't forget that that stink serves a purpose. The cross can still be seen through calamity. Don't allow calamity to keep you from the faith. Rather, in the midst of it, let your eternal eyes be sharpened. Your heart long for your eternal home.
• 33:51
  and the urgency and purpose of life to cause you to go and bear fruit. And Lord, I pray that you would do mighty things through the preaching of your word. Lord, that we would not only hear it, but do it. God, thank you that it firms up in us our faith and serves as a firm foundation. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.