Sermon On The Mount - The Beatitudes

However hungry we are, that's how filled we will be. He will withhold nothing, no good thing from us. That's the kind of father that we serve here tonight. And when a church expresses what we just did, not only the words of the song, but the meaning of your heart. And you could feel it. There was a craving and a desiring for what we were saying. More of God. We want it, don't we? Come on, Jesus. Come on, Jesus. Hallelujah. We welcome you, Jesus. We want you, Jesus. We want you, Jesus. Praise God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Praise God. Well, you may be seated. I kind of feel like the guy that said, "I don't know why we have chairs in Pentecostal uh churches. We don't ever use them." But I'm glad to have to tell folks, be seated. That's better than being up here with a dry, dead uh I always say it this way. Here's what comes to my mind. I'd rather try to ride a bunking a broke uh bronco bucking bronco. I can't say it and I'd like to try to ride it. I guess I can't do either one. Then carry a dead horse, right? So, it's alive and the spirit of the Lord is here. If you didn't receive a lesson sheet tonight and you would like one, just lift your hand. There are several uh folks ready to hand those out. So, if you need one, just lift a hand, keep it up there for just a moment and get it up high and that may help you to follow along just a little bit as we start the biatitudes. The sermon on the mount, we're in the midst of that series and it's recorded in Matthew 5 through7 and we're going to Matthew chapter 5 in just a few moments. And then also in Luke 6 17- 49. That's another occasion of the sermon on the mount. But we're going to start with Matthew chapter 5 and we'll go there in just a moment. So if you want to turn in your uh Bibles or devices and get ready. The biatitudes when you read them, they contain a surprising list of virtues that are going to advance the kingdom. And I'm going to explain that word surprising as we move along here. But these truths Jesus spoke to advance his cause and his kingdom. In fact, it's things he's going to be teaching and not only teaching, but he's going to live them out. People are going to see them displayed in his life and in his ministry. The word blessed occurs nine times in this particular passage on the biatitudes. Now that word conveys a sense of happiness uh true happiness. In fact the first blank here is it's more than a contentment that is unaffected by circumstances or it is a contentment that is unaffected by circumstances. So, it's good to be happy about a job promotion. It's good to be happy about a raise. It's good to be happy about a new possession. But if that's taken away, this blessedness still remains. And I know I'm teaching to people that have had losses, and we'll talk more about that in a few moments. But still, there is that inner contentment that remains. It's more than just a superficial feeling of happiness is what Jesus is talking about when he uses that word nine times. It doesn't just come from our circumstances. But this happiness is a true inner I was seeking for the right word to to put down and I I don't know there is one but a deepseated pleasantness or fulfillment. You just kind of know everything's all right. That's what Jesus is talking about. This joy comes from an unairring trust in God because we know that we can't always trust circumstances because they change and we cannot always trust people because they will change. But this trust in God who never changes and it comes from a belief in what Paul wrote about that he's going to finish the work he started. And I just feel like addressing this very personally to someone tonight and maybe several someone's. Whatever God has started in your life, he is going to finish. He said, "We can be confident of this very thing that the one who began a good work in us is going to complete it in that day until that day." Now, all of this is radically different from the world's view of happiness. But our joy in the kingdom of God that these biatitudes are going to describe does not fluctuate with victories and losses. Yes, we're happy when we have victories, but we can still have a blessed happiness when we have the losses. Paul talked to the Thessalonican church and said they received the word, but they had much affliction, but in the midst of the affliction with joy, they received the word of the Holy Ghost. So, we still have a joy even when things are going wrong and bad. the circumstances do not affect our faith in God, our trust in his word and the blessedness that he has given us. Now, I want to say, I know that it would be very quick for natural minds to go to this, but I'm going to tell you this is not pie in the sky stuff. We can live above the circumstances of this world. We're in them and we have them. But as far as our spiritual status is concerned and our inner peace and fulfillment and happiness, it's not just pie in the sky. It's not just some neat Bible verses. It can be and it is a reality. And I'm teaching the people tonight that are living out that reality. I tell you what, I want to go out of here more determined to be blessed than this way. I I appreciate the blessings of God and the things he gives us, but to be blessed in the sense that this world does not bother us to the extent of overwhelming us or overcoming us. Now, that next little section that has a blank in it, I'm going to save that. I'm going to come back to that in just a little bit. So, the these uh statements here can be divided into three triads. The biatitudes are three different triads and they're what I referred to earlier as nine surprise statements. So Matthew chapter 5, let's just verse one, he saw the multitudes. He went up into the mountain. When he was set, his disciples came to him. He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, and here comes the first three. First of all, blessed are the poor in spirit. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Second one, blessed are they that mourn. The word is grieve, for they shall be comforted. And then the fi verse five, the third of this first triad. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Verse six begins the second of the threesome, a trio. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness. Listen to this. For they shall be, there's no might in there. They shall be filled. Verse seven, blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. The third triad, verse nine, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Verse 11, blessed are you. Wow, this one sounds upside down. When men shall revile you, persecute you, shall say all manner of evil against you falsely when it's for my sake. But then he caps it by saying, "Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." The first triad basically deals with some of our basic needs. First of all, verse three, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This first one mentions a blessing for those who are poor in spirit. Now, this doesn't mean financially poor. It's not has very little to do with money. It's mainly about our spirit or our mindset. Here's the idea of that word poor. First of all, to be powerless or lacking power, to be powerless. To lack power. And this was true of the people that Jesus was teaching to that day. To be powerless means we can't do what needs to be done. can't get the things done that need to be done because in this case they were being prohibited from doing them by the powers that were reigning. These people that Jesus was talking to lacked the ability to do what they needed to do to change their situation from that powerlessness. They couldn't do anything about it. They tried but they would uh the government would take their finances so financially they were powerless. The government took away certain rights. They were powerless in that regard. And even in religion the Pharisees and Sadducees um who could be very hypocritical took away any religious hope that they would have. So they were powerless to a great degree. But Jesus is pronouncing a blessing on them. And then he also another meaning to this word is to be impoverished. And that that's akin to the word poor. Empoverished in spirit. In other words, poor in relation to their spirit. What do you mean? The inner personal life energy. We've said it sometimes. That just knocked the wind out of my sales. that disappointment or that situation or that uh condition, it just left me empty. It it empties our personal life energy, life vital vitality. a circumstance happens and uh we feel so here's here's a word that would fit depressed and depression it just hits us in the gut as we say and we just feel lifeless in our spirit and we don't feel like getting up and and going. So here's the question we pose to Jesus to try to understand it. How is being powerless and being impoverished and being depressed being blessed as he said blessed are those that are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God. I would just offer a couple of things here for the here and now. The blessing is when we are hit like that and impoverished on our own, we more readily recognize we need God. We depend on him. You know, I believe God and a child of God can ring a blessing out of anything. any situation, we can count it as blessed because all right, I may not have any alternative financially or any alternative with power or decision making, but you know what? I'm going to turn to God and he has all power. The God that's in this room has all power. And he's interested in your life tonight. Hear me tonight. He's interested in your life situations. the poor in spirit. Those that are poor in spirit are really in a position to receive the kingdom of heaven. They're in a position to receive the blessings of God. Those who are emptyhanded or more ready to receive something from God. You ever had your hands full and somebody tried to uh give you a gift? Now, you'll you'll get it under there somewhere under your arm. But it's not as easy to receive it when our hands are full and we've got a whole lot that we can count on. But if we're empty-handed, if we're impoverished, if we're powerless on our own, we're in a position to more readily receive God and his kingdom. I believe this is one of the reasons there is such great revival. One of the reasons there is such great revival in third world countries. Now, it doesn't have to be that way, and I'm not saying it's any greater than here. But I do know that here we have a whole lot in our hands. And over in those countries, they do not have a whole lot in there. That's why when I come to the house of God or even come before God, I want to empty out my hands or empty out my dependence on myself or any of the things the material of this world. And if I stay empty-handed, God's going to put something in those empty hands. Do you believe it? God is going to put something there when I have a need, when I'm impoverished or powerless. And of course, when it comes to salvation, we are powerless to save ourselves. Blessed are the poor in spirit. We can't save ourselves. We lack the energy, if you would, or the power to save ourselves. But when we obey God and when we respond in obedience to God, then we receive the kingdom into our lives, great reward comes to those who are poor in spirit with the assurance that they are going to inherit the kingdom of God. Verse four, the second of this first triad, blessed are they that mourn. I'm telling you, these are surprised statements. You know, here here steps preacher Jesus to the pull pit and he said, "I've got some good the gospel is good news, right? I've got some good news." You're blessed because you're mourning. I've never preached a sermon like that, but I've never preached like Jesus preached either. And he said, "I'm going to The second need here is for comfort for those who mourn." mourning uh is a strong expression of grief. This word, the definition of this word has to do with grief and and mourning and that's always associated with some kind of loss or or maybe it's death of a person or a thing or a dream. But grief and mourning are associated with death. But notice at the end of the statement, he shall be comforted. That word comfort, that's associated with death and loss, too. Isn't it wonderful to feel the comfort of the Lord when we have loss? Whether it's the loss of a loved one, whether it's the loss of a job or a position or some other thing. So, he's not just talking about the loss of people when he talks about mourning. He's talking about perhaps the death of a hope or the death of a dream. I just feel to stop right here and say maybe there's a dream that seems that has been lost or died, but there's a promise from heaven. You shall be comforted. We're now in that state of he's telling those people you're now in the state of grieving and mourning and about the things that you've lost. They had lost their land. They had lost their livestock. They had lost a lot of things because of the control that was wielded over them by others. And now they're waiting for restoration and waiting for fulfillment. They're waiting for that coming Messiah. But he said, "You're blessed because you have a promised comfort that is coming." I I just do want to say tonight, I know that it's it's easy to stand up and say, "Well, uh you've had a loss, but you're going to be comforted." But I'm going to tell you that is the truth. God can come along and comfort us. Again, that's it's that unairring trust in God. It's that unairring faith in him. And we can we ha we have strength. We may depend on other things, but if we're emptied and we're grieving, we can be comforted by the power of his spirit. I just want to say this too about grieving. It's important to pay attention to our losses and mourn those things that we leave. We We're not ignoring those. It's dangerous to deny or ignore our losses. Jesus was putting it right out there. He said, "I know you're mourning, but there's a blessing coming." So, we don't say, "No, I'm I'm going to ignore that because I I just don't want to think about it or I don't want to get involved in it or I have enough problems of my own to to help somebody else grieve or mourn." Here's here's the key. Have a capacity for grief. We have to have a capacity for for mourning. And we don't overdo it. In fact, somebody said we need to steer into the skid. You start skidding on snow, you you steer into that. And when we start skidding in life or maybe skidding with grief or some kind of mort, we need to steer into that. In other words, you handle it with the help of the Lord and don't let it handle you. Don't let it overwhelm and become the only focus or the only thing that's talked about. Look at Jesus. He steered into the skid. He knew he was going to resurrect Lazarus. And yet he wept. He stared into the SK. He didn't try to say, "Oh, I'm not I'm not sad. I'm not mourning." Now, he didn't make some great big public display about that and didn't go around talking about that all the time, but he stared into the skin and he handled it and did not let it handle. And what do I mean by handling here? Here's how to handle it. Prayer. talking to the Lord, counsel, talking with spiritual family members, a spiritual leader, a friend, uh ministries that focus on that. We've got them, grief, share, celebrate, recovery. In other words, do not let it handle you. This is what Jesus is teaching. There's a comfort waiting. There's a comfort. In other words, don't ignore it, but don't enlarge it. And so, and really grief can be a friend because really in many ways it's an emotional relief and release. If if that is stifled and our hearts are not able for that release of however we relieve and release that grieving, it could become an underlying bitterness. So really Jesus allows it, God allows it as a friend to us during our time. But yet on the same time we know there is a comfort that we have in him. There's much more to this principle than just weeping over the pain that life brings to us. There's a spiritual mourning too. In other words, when we come to an awareness of our spiritual condition in the eyes of the Lord, that's what happened when we repented. We realized how sinful we were and we said, "God, I'm sorry." That's spiritual mourning. Mourning over the sins that we had committed and wanted the Lord to forgive us. And thank God he does and he will and he did. The only way salvation can take place in a person's life is for them to do and have that blessing that Jes blessed are those that mourn. Blessed are those that you could insert the word, blessed are those that repent before the Lord and see their emptiness. And nobody's going to get the Holy Ghost or be able to fully repent by coming and saying, "God, I I may need you sometimes, but I don't really need you. I'm pretty righteous on myself, on my own. I can do it. And I'm pretty good, and I've been around for so many years, and I've got it made." Nope. There's got to be that spiritual emptying, that spiritual mourning. God, I'm sorry. And here's what Jesus said. There's comfort coming. In fact, he called himself the comforter. Said, I'm going to send the comforter, which comes from God, and he's going to be with you. And he said, I'm going to abide with you forever. Listen, if you're forgiven and your sins are under the blood, it's forever. Yeah. He has forgiven you of any wrong that you have committed that you have repented before him. He said, I'm going to give you another comforter. He uses that same word there that we've got in this biatitude and he's going to abide and be with you forever. So, thank God for his comfort during times of loss, whatever that is. And thank God that he responds to our spiritual mourning and our spiritual emptiness. Verse five, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Now the word meek could mean humble or gentle, a modest spirit. Meekness is the opposite of the push to the front of the line attitude, push to the front mindset. When Jesus used this word, he wasn't only saying humble and modest, but this particular word was a word that contrasted said gentle, humble, spirit of modesty as compared to a powerful, proud or arrogant, pushed to the front personality or mindset. Okay, I'm just going to say it. That kind of spirit, you can read it a mile away and it makes a sick makes me sick at my stomach. Proud, arrogant, thinks they're it. I don't know too many people like that. And I thank God for it. This is what Jesus is talking about. Meekness as compared to that. And then there's a second layer of meaning. Not only the gentle, humble, but it also can mean to be afflicted or be unimportant. And affliction not so much by sickness, but afflicted because that we're maybe unimportant or the outsider or we're vulnerable, which sounds like being poor in spirit. So here again, the blessing is in the second line of the verse. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the afflicted. Blessed are those that walk modestly in spirit, for they shall inherit the earth. Now, here's why this meant so much to these people. He's speaking to people that had had their lands that they had had for generations taking taken away. And right now, they didn't have them. So, he said, "Keep being meek because there's a promise to you that you're going to inherit the land." And in fact, guess what? They're not going to only inherit their promised land. They're going to inherit the new earth promised land. Hallelujah. We're going to inherit a land that is beyond a natural land. Now, to those Jewish people still to this day, that land means a lot to them. If you ever take a trip to Israel and watch them react and our guides who were Jewish, it amazed me. one. It amazed me how much of the scripture they knew, but how they revered their nation and their land. These people that Jesus is teaching and talking to have lost that'd be like somebody coming and taking away your house that you've purchased or that you in the bank are purchasing and just or your vehicle and just take it. The Lord said, "Continue in your meekness." Now, he's not talking about being run over. He's talking about how res respond to these kind of circumstances. And he said, "Because you are going to inherit the earth." Not only the promised land, but the land of the new earth. Revelation 21:es 4 and 5. God shall wipe away. Here we go. Here's the inheritance that we have coming. God shall wipe away all because of loss because of things that we've lost like these people had lost their land. He said, "I'm going God's going to wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death, no sorrow, no crying, neither shall there be any more pain. The former things are passed away. In other one translation says it this way. The old order of doing things has passed away. Folks, I want to tell you something. I don't know when. I believe it's soon. I don't know when. But this whole thing is going to turn right side up. I started to say upside down, but really it is upside down right now. If we'll just hold faithful to God and faith, his word and trust. And this is where I want to go back to page one on and that that one blank that's just above the first triad part. There is the reversal effect. There is the reversal effect that is going to impact and is impacting this kingdom. The reversal effect. These biatitudes all contain the reversal effect. It blessed are the meek. Blessed when you're mourned. Uh how can those be blessing? But here's what we know by our faith in God. This whole thing is going to turn upside down or right side up. We have to have faith for and believe in the reversal. I do not know what particular people are going through. what particular situations you are going through tonight. But I can say with confidence and I feel the confidence of God's word and his spirit right now that hold on to your faith. There is a blessing and there is a reversal coming. Hallelujah. And it may come sooner than later. Now, in in prophetic language, Jesus was talking about a f the future kingdom that was to come for these people. And we're part of the kingdom, this kingdom of the Holy Ghost and the kingdom of this uh Jesus Christ and the kingdom of the gospel. And there's going to be a future day when of course Israel is going to be the head of nations, the na nation itself. But until those times, we just have to have faith. God's going to turn this around. And I'm gonna tell you, we don't have to wait for the millennial to God to do some turning around in our situations. I believe it. I speak the word of faith right now to every situation. Even though I don't know what it is, I know the God who knows what it is, God is going to turn it around. Hallelujah. Would somebody agree with me right now? God is going to turn it upside down. I'm going to tell you the kingdom of God is going to bring about a total reversal of value systems. Here's what I mean by that. Our our estimation of who and what is blessed, our estimations of what is important to this world. Let's just take tonight being here is not all that big a deal. come if you want to and miss if you want to. That's kind of the way the world looks at it. That shouldn't be the way the church looks at it, but it is the way the world I mean, and it's even it's crept in. It's, you know, we we were driving somewhere to preach the other Sunday morning, and I know services are held all different times of the day, but the ball fields out there off of 64, they were full. They should have been in the house of God. I'm going old school here right now. But I'm not apologizing. I'm just explaining. You take our life and our lifestyle right now. Some may even wonder, is this life really worth it? Our belief in a salvation plan. Yes, it does take the new birth. Yes, it does take repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, and receiving the Holy Ghost to go to heaven. Now, there's pressure when we I felt a little bit right there. There's pressure when we say that or believe that because the majority doesn't, but this thing is going to get all turned right side up. And you will never be sorry for holding on to this apostolic truth. You will never be sorry. There is a reversal effect in this kingdom of heaven. What it means to be holy. There's pressure about that. Do you have to do this? Do you have to do that? Uh will I go to hell if I do that? Will I go to heaven if I do that? Those are the wrong questions to ask. What can I do to please God? What does his word say? And would you admit with me and would you agree with me that sometimes those measures cause us some stress and cause us some pressure because there are many others who don't feel that way or don't believe that way and it it tends to loosen try to loosen our grip on who we are and what we are. But get a death grip on this thing because it's all going to change. There's a big surprise coming. The game is going to change. Hallelujah. Excuse the carnal analogy, but freeze is coming up the back. All us carnal people know what that's about. Praise God. It ain't over till it's over. And things get tight and society gets tight and people come and people walk away and all of that tends to make us. Have you ever questioned it if should I really believe that? Is is it really this straight? Is it really this definite? Is it really this? Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Thank you, pastor, for not letting up. Praise God. Thank you for continuing to teach and preach the word of God. We don't need somebody to pat us on the back on our way to hell. And there are some things that are heaven or hell issues and the new birth is one of them. And holiness unto the Lord is another one. And serving him with all our heart. What the Bible requires to be a genuine apostolic believer. There are many other values that are being tampered with and changed and challenged. Challenged. Sometimes it's not the change that challenges that that mot that moves us or discourages us. It's the challenge. Praise God. I don't want to be a challenger. I want to be a cheerleader. I I'm not letting you beat me to my feet when pastor starts preaching the new birth. And I know it's more than about standing. I hate having to give all these caveats. Here we are. Well, you don't have to, Bishop. Thank you. I won't. Praise God. tell you one thing, I just don't ever want it to get old. Praise God. And that will lead me to take it for granted. And that will lead me to question it. And that will lead me to trade it. And that will lead me to think, well, it's not all that necessary. And this world needs to know the necessities of living for God and obeying the commands of God and living for the Lord. And so what we got to do is just hold on this surprising backward nature of the kingdom of God. But if we'll if we'll submit to God and just wait on his timing, I want this to apply to some of your circumstances right now. Just trust God in his timing. I I would imagine out in that crowd that day, there were some people that said, "Uh, inherit the earth. Jesus, they just took away my form. They just took away my house. What? But just wait on God's timing. He's always right on time. Right. I need some company on this. Have you ever tried to hurry God? Thank you. Make me feel better. or try to tell God, "Well, God, now here's a good plan. The one who made the universe put it all together and I'm telling him what to do." A meek individual, this is what Jesus is talking about here. Blessed are the meek. A meek individual is willing to submit to God and wait on his timing because meekness requires us to trust and rest. I've been pretty antsy tonight. I've been pretty mobile tonight. Slow down, Steve. Just rest. Slow down and rest and let the Lord take care of it. No, I I think I need fix this. I need to arrange that. And this not quite right. And here, let me fix that. That's The situation is going to get handled by hands that have nail scars in them because that that one with those hands loves you and loves the individual that has created the loss. He loves us all. He's going to talk about being merciful in a few minutes, which talks about forgiveness. He's going to talk about that if I can just rest. He's not talking about being lazy here. He's not talking about ignoring things. not talking about. He's talking about just letting him walk, letting him work, letting him speak, letting him do his plan and his will. He wants to give somebody a Sabbath, a rest. God, I pray it right now. Let somebody rest tonight that has had trouble sleeping. I heard of someone just today, not from this church, but they've had great unrest in their life. They've had tremendous turmoil in their life since December. Tremendous. It's one of our ministers. He our superintendent met with him and prayed with him. He said, "Brother Parky," he said, "I feel like I'm going to be able to rest all through the night for the first time in several months. That's that's not the will of the Lord." And that's because of his compassion. And I say that not to make anybody feel bad about not being able to rest. I'm just saying he wants to help you. He wants to give you that rest. Blessed are those mourn, lost, blessed are the meek have had to try to take a backseat all of this. Oh, backseat drivers. We have to take a backseat. We want to try to control the steering wheel as if our words jump up there and just turn. I see some smiles going on right now, so we won't go too much deeper into that. I'm just saying, let God be the driver. Somebody said it's that little bumper sticker was wrong. God is my co-pilot. God's the pilot. I know what they meant. And it's a good thing to have the Lord with you. So, I'm not going to crack down on that. I'm just saying we just need to rest. Let the Lord handle it. Hallelujah. If you can reach to somebody right now, do it right now. And let's pray one for another. And if you can't, just reach a hand towards someone. And maybe the Lord, the spirit is here right now. He's going to direct us. He's going to direct us. God, we do need your peace. We do want your power. You've provided it, Lord. You said bless it. You said it's there. You said they shall be comforted. They shall be consoled. They shall be answered. They shall be filled. You said it, Lord. And I pray right now. Right now in the name of the Lord. Hallelujah for anyone here and anyone that's watching at home online. Minister right now. And that's it. Pray church right now. Pray in the Holy Ghost. You're moving God. It's your plan. This is your plan tonight. This is your will, oh God. Hallelujah. We want to wait on the reversal. We want to believe for the reversal. We want to trust you instead of getting ahead of you. We want to walk with you and behind you and in your footsteps, oh Lord. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Yes. Yes. Yes. I thank you, oh Lord. I thank you Lord for being with us in those times of turmoil, in those times of tremendous stress. Oh God, I thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. Hallelujah. I'm not asking you to lift your hand right now, but I'd like for you to lift your hand in your heart. If if you have been trying to have you been trying to handle the situation on your own and some of that may just unintentionally. We were going through in the building program and we were in the midst and we were nearing conclusion. I went to John Littlefield's office right there 21 and Lindberg and uh to meet with the architects. So, I had my previous vehicle Lincoln and had the roof open. So, I went in for the meeting and it didn't last all that long. And uh but when it came out and there was stress, there was stress. Not with John or what they were doing, but some of the things that were happening here, there was just stress. So, I was feeling that stress. Are we going to be able to afford this? Is it going to be is it going to look all right? All of that all of those things. I'm going tell you when when anybody goes through a building program, pray for them. Before we went in, I asked brother Norm Pas at general conference. I said, "Norm, tell me a little bit about a building program. What what should I prepare for?" Prepare for he said, "Just put your helmet on and buckle the chin strap." That's a good good answer. So when I came out, it had thunderstormed and the inside of the car was baptized. That was it. I was trying to handle this building thing on my own. Now, the board was with me and the church was with me. You were given. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying all this planning, I was trying to do that too much on my own. I came home, bless her heart, I walked up the steps, walked right by her, headed right for the bedroom, and just sprawled on the bed because I needed rest. And I just started balling. I was empty. What had happened? Yeah. Difficult. things had happened, but that unairring trust in God had left. And I was trying to handle it too much by Steve because God said, "Build this building." God said, "Move here to 901." God said it before we ever got here. There was no doubt about that. If I could have just thought, God, you did say get in the ship and go to the other side. And just because there's a storm doesn't mean we're not going to make it to the other side. You're on board the boat and you can speak a word and peace be still. And thank God he did. And that that's just I'm just saying that illustration to let you know it's possible to try to handle it on our own. But this is where we need to remain empty-handed and say, "God, I receive from you." Would you stand with me? And if you don't mind, would you if you really mean this, you don't have to do this, but if you really would you just lift your hand and say, "God, I'm empty-handed. I want you to put things in my hands that will direct my family, that will direct my life. That's it. Use your voice. Come on, folks. We We need We need this. We We We need God's help. Oh, God. Give me faith to trust you for the reversal. Give me faith in your timing. Help us, oh Lord. Help us, oh Lord. Yes. Yes. Yes. That's it. We receive from you right now, God. I pray that you would come underneath that load. Come underneath that yoke with somebody. Oh yes. Give us give us rest because your yoke is easy. Your burden is light. You want to give us rest for our body but for our soul. That's what you're doing here tonight, God. That Oh, I thank you for it. Hallelujah. Receive it, child of God. Receive it wherever you are. Receive it, Lord. I receive it. I receive it. I receive it. I believe you, oh God. I believe you. I thank you, Jesus. I thank you, Jesus. I thank you, oh Lord. I think it'd be okay if we just took a moment and just rested in the presence of God. Would you do that with me right now? Just lift your hands and seek after the Lord Jesus. Thank you for your love. Thank you. Thank you.