His Name

we're on Matthew 633 let's begin there this is our theme for 2024 Matthew 633 you probably have this memorized or you're working diligently to have it memorized you ready everybody read read out loud with me can you do that Matthew 6:33 but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you seek first the kingdom look for God in everything amen you need to know this verse and apply it to your life this is our theme for the year and what we've done again you've been around CAC anytime at all all I do this every year or as Pastor then as leadership we focus on a theme topic every year then each month we pick something under that theme of course and we it keeps us on track and it helps us to be organized and intentional in our teaching first the kingdom of heaven I I feel like that if we will understand that Concept in our day-to-day living that if if we let God be God first I would I'm going to I'm gonna make a big old probably big guess at this but I would say if you put God first a lot of things are probably be okay how many have ever complicated your life because you forgot to pray you don't have to raise your hand we all know because that's human nature right few weeks ago we talked about the the definition the meaning of persecution and I think that we've decided that in modern vernacular or if you will it it's hard for us in Chattanooga maybe to say that we're persecuted for the name of Christ now there are other parts of the world in fact this past past couple of days I've been looking into man there's there's there's some folk in certain parts of the world that suffer greatly I mean greatly uh and I don't even know how to even wrap my mind around the persecution they're going through literal physical emotional mental persecution last week I was out of town of course and brother Vandy was so kind to pick up the lesson and he continued uh he he talked about if you'll recall the leaders the disciples the followers of Jesus who gave their life lost their life what however you want to look at it for their faith in Jesus Christ he mentioned he spent some time talking the fox's book of Martyrs uh I didn't get to see the crowd on the video how how many have read that book anybody I'm GNA challenge you if if you yeah it uh it's it's super enlightening on on the long time ago Christian fa Fox's book of Martyrs it's 6 700 pages but at length they go through details of of of people can I say this and not be misunderstood the church persecuting Christians as well as people not in the church it was just just a hard time 14 1500s and so he did a great job uh teaching on that believing and trusting that uh people went through some extraordinary ends if you will in their lives I mean when you talk about flade to death uh while they're alive and you talk about burning in people in cauldrons of oil and I mean honestly here we are today that was of course again I want to get people's sideways here but a lot of that was the establishment of other religions and it was contrary to what government religion was and so therein the law required for something to be done and it through the beating or the we all talk every day about one called Jesus you do realize why he was crucified aside from for your sins and prophecy why why what was it the court said about him he does blaspheme he works on the Sabbath he's preaching this stuff that's contrary to what we am I right and and and of course I mean there's no other way to look at that and then Jesus of course he he knew why he came in fact he even told him I'm coming to fulfill all of this right point being is is that persecution comes in so many ways today we're going to or tonight we're going to spend some time I I want us to I mean there's I said this two weeks ago I don't there's only so much can be said about beating somebody up for what they think is that okay that's a real basic way to say it but when we look at the multitudes of folk that have died because of what they believed at whatever level they connected themselves to something bigger than them it cost family friends jobs homes um it cost a great price for somebody to say I I I believe in in something bigger than us now now I'm going to ask you through this lesson tonight we're going to have some interaction if you guys are okay with that but when when a decision is made that will cost you your job your career and your future and it's not made based on what you feel like it's not made based on something that you've conjured up it's based on something that has actually altered your life then you the decision you have to make is do I feel like this is worth dying for because persecution that comes simply by saying oh you're one of those are you that's one thing but if rods come out or hammers come out or bats come I mean sticks come out now you're talking a whole another level is this okay I think that that in this room tonight there's probably many of us that have had to give up things to be part of the Body of Christ family that said H friends that basically said you're crazy anybody has anybody ever lost a job because you wouldn't work a certain day of the week anybody here ever lost family or friends that said you know what you're you're crazy for you're just one of those Fanatics and you had to let them go anybody yeah I I I know know what I'm talking about with that cuz I've I've had to and I've tried to be Christlike through it all and with patience and longsuffering but there had to come a time when when I had to make a decision that you know what this is not good I I've told the testimony before I had a job working doing what I they said I was good at or at least I was capable of and I was doing it in 40 hours plus a week and then my boss after 90day evaluates man you're doing great and he calls me in his office he said but I said wonderful I'm glad to hear but this is what I need from you is I need you to step it up I said okay how am I not doing good yeah you are but I just need more of it well I committed to you 40 hours a week and that's I'm giving you that plus yeah but if you'll if you'll do 60 hours a week you can make 100,000 plus this year this is 20 something years ago I said okay but if I give you 40 like I am then what well I I can't I need you to do more and I said well then if you're call asking me to make a decision then I'm this is my two we notice well you can't say that like I said you're you're you're the one asking me to decide between my family my church and he said are you saying you're turning in your notice I said if you're telling me that I have to do this to have this job then yes sir he said I've never had anybody say that before I said well I believe God will provide more than you will so you're I'm done only because you asked me to if you'll let me do 40 I'm in so I did I walked away from that I've had other jobs I had to walk away from and God always provided anybody understand that do I call that persecution no I call it a decision that I was put into a certain place and I had to decide now I could have jumped up and down and screamed and squalled about that's persecution he's hating on me he don't know who my mom is you know whatever but I didn't and I just had to decide you know what Lord if this is what it cost there

stay with me we're going to read the scriptures out of Matthew 5 this where we read last couple of weeks verse 10 Matthew 5:10 blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven this is our foundation on this month's series blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake Rejoice be exceeding glad verse 12 says for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you again I I will I will reiterate here that the persecution comes because of righteousness for righteousness his sake you stood for right things and persecution came to you and and here's what he talks about though in here again he's in he's a Sermon on the Mount he's blessed blessed blessed and he gets to this part and he says now people are going to revile you they're not going to care much for you if you stand for me and there actually notice there's several inclinations here it says that they'll say all manner of evil against you ready for it what's the word say falsely so they can say things against you also what truly is that okay the falsely is the part that you and I don't do well with if somebody were to say to you you know what you're probably the best worker I've ever had how would you feel how would you feel why would you feel good yeah well there you go every dog likes his head pad once all right what if that same boss had the same conversation said you know what you're worst employee I've ever had how would you feel what if he's telling the truth I'm asking you're not going to say well you know I was thinking that same thing huh stay with me stay with me when Jesus is doing his blessed blessed blessed or merciful blessed or peacemaking bless and he's doing those things he you notice he is talking directly to how you act and interact with other people blessed are the peacemakers now how what does it take to be a peacemaker somebody who makes peace that's with other folk blessed are to Pure in heart what does that mean that means you know what I'm saying so everything is about how you act and interact with others he gets down here to verse 10 11 and 12 and he says blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven we want that Kingdom of Heaven but the persecution part of it is where the struggle comes and then he continues blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you say all manner of evil against you falsely for his sake but then he says to Rejoice with that doesn't tell The Peacemaker to Rejoice he doesn't tell the other one to Rejoice he says when people look at you and say oh you listen to me you don't do it the way we do oh you're you're in false Doctrine huh oh you're you misinterpret the Bible's what you do and they're falsely accusing you I've I've had co-workers look at me and say you know what the Bible don't say that and I said good then you tell me what the Bible says well it says something in there Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife in vain something like that wow you what you just went and pulled all these together huh love thy neighbor as you would they I mean they even get the golden golden rule wrong doing to others before they do it here's my point I I I have had so you have too I'm certain you have had conversations with family and friends co-workers and neighbors that have so misquoted the word I mean and I'm sitting going ex does say that now explain that what you just said to me I don't know what it mean it's because you didn't say it right hold on being like Jesus would have you to be is going to cost you something do not think it won't many years ago I was I was led in this direction and I have used it so many times if the world fits you it is the wrong size it should not fit it should not fit you if the world is doing things that you consider to be very good and part of what you are then something is wrong with what you're trying to do listen to Pastor do not think for a moment that God himself robed in flesh comes to Earth and they did to him what they did that some reason you're going to get away with less but Jesus Paid the price indeed and then he said what you want to be like you better take up your hand you pick up your cross I already picked up mine you get your cross off the ground and you follow me see they're in um my wife and I again this past week was very cool for us we had some great conversations uh book she's she's reading for me because I'm driving and I'm having a hard time turning the page anyway um when when somebody somebody somebody mentions you know we are living under grace that means we we're ped the law so we're living under grace so Grace takes care of what the law was doing and that theology stay with me that theology in part is true does anybody here know what the law of God was concerning sacrifice concerning matrimony concerning relationships concerning buying and selling anybody know what the laws were the law of God said what this is how this is what this is the limit this is the this is what you do that's the law and the law had what a start and a stop this to there boom there's law right so if you're living under the law and you lived under the law then you understood the law was a z done law listen to me again this book she's read she says sweetie listen to this but if you want to call it Grace Grace doesn't have a stop or start and it's going to cost you more I said' read that again she said the law had its limits the grace does not so the law you knew I bring this calf I bring this sheep I bring this turtle dove Dome done Grace says what now you got to figure out where you messed up where you dropped the ball where you sinned and how you goingon to get it fixed you got to figure it out better be careful somebody telling you we live a life of Grace only because Grace doesn't have the limits man she's I'm trying to drive Brother Sam I'm just trying to drive and my brain now is jello and all that she said I got another one I said that's all I got right now it's all the space I got listen to me

when we talk about persecution Isaiah he's an old Prophet listen to this Isaiah chapter 5 we're going to Old Testament is anybody okay with that Isaiah 5 and 20 now Isaiah was one of the cool prophets that had so much to talk about about the future about salvation about how people were going to act and interact and live Isaiah right yall know the the 50s and you know in the sixes and all of Isaiah's writings man he's talking future stuff notice what Isaiah 5 and 20 says woe unto them that call evil good that put or and good evil that put Darkness for light and light for darkness that put bitter for sweet and Sweet for bitter Isaiah says woe now there's a whole chapter I challenge go back and read chapter 5 I just want to draw this particular portion out for tonight's lesson to let us understand that deception of the truth will question the purpose of the truth why is it do you think that God at that time of the law said if you're going to deal with me and you're going to have interaction with me listen to me you're going to have to when you have this trespass offering or when you or trespass when you have this sin or when you have this thing happen the only way that I will con continue to communicate with you as if you bring the required sacrifice No Way Around It you do realize that if they brought a lamb that they could not bring a lamb that had not already been separated there was no chance to take that that lamb had mites or had fur problems or issues with its digest anything at all that was wrong or out of place guess what God would not accept it and they would live and continue in their separation from the law of God now listen to me carefully you ready for this persecution stay with me husband wife three kids okay your hand you're your home let's say the is his you as the father the priest of your home you're supposed to set aside the sacrifice get it ready you bring it 14 days you set it aside in 14 you take it to the temple it's got to be done it's got to be sacrificed in order for your family to live listen to me you realize dad that if you did not do it correctly your family would pay the price not just you but your whole family would don't believe it ask aen was achen was the one that took the goods and hid him wasn't it what happened when God said somebody here took stuff you shouldn't have I buried it in my tent what happened anybody remember the story is what his whole family what sucked up into the Earth done I don't know about you men but I see that and I'm like Lord Jesus help me to understand the bitter the sweet the right the wrong the evil the good if I get those Twisted God then I will complicate everything not just for me but for my wife and my children my grandchildren and all again we want to live under grace well the grace of God has appeared to all men man it's for S that's right but then you got to understand some of us want to I got to watch that clock so I don't get in trouble some of us want to live under grace but we don't want want the boundaries that Grace brings to us because that means you have to choose y'all ever heard me and or my wife say we're not the fast police we're not the dress code police we're not the standards police we've say all the time man if you're fasting don't come and say can I fast this and not that can I this and not that and don't ask me this is you and God what about when it comes to separation I can tell you my guideline but then it's up to you do you realize friend that if if I give you guidelines as pastor and you do the guidelines begrudgingly guess what you might as well not have done them why because the spirit of the law and the spirit of the action is going to get you I say it all the time motives matter stay with me if you call evil good this is what Isaiah was talking about and good evil the deception will come in he says woe to those ones that will change the right and wrong that will alter it Isaiah was very aware of the heart of man very aware how men and women thought how humans think so H we have to be so determined with our intentions that our Pursuit Of God has to be pure to the place that we decide Lord I am willing not only listen to me to ask you to forgive me of my sins and to receive that Redemptive power through the washing of the blood of Jesus in baptism but I am also willing to allow the spirit to work in me and I will take the responsibility of carrying it has anyone here ever grieved the spirit of God how do you do that you stop it you sty it you you you you don't permit it to work what you do at that point is do what you figure out believe this or not tonight's on persecution we're headed there if you and yourself can't wrap your mind and your heart around the love of God and how he wants to work in you and then submit yourself to his plan when somebody contradicts you because you're not sure of who you are you'll call it persecution and it's not what it is is is that you haven't settled in yourself the righteousness of God we we read it seek first the kingdom of God and what here's righteousness do do the right the right way

now allow me allow me just a couple of moments here tonight God desires to bless men but the heart of a man is so confusing give me just some lateral here for a moment so many I mean Paul speaks of this so many times you know what's right righteous but the battle sets in and you want to do right and you your your mind says to do right but you don't do right like you know you want to do you know the law and you want to understand the law and live by the law but somehow you have a difficulty following the law I would that I could but I don't because my body my mind my spirit's all on this conflict and the heart of man I mean the scripture reveals in multiple places who can understand it men have you ever told your wife you love them come on men don't be afraid of that did you ever change your mind don't raise your hand did you ever change your mind you might have changed your mind but you never changed your heart it's the conflict I i' I I I got one I had one set of parents the Lord was good to me to give me a one mom and dad some of y'all didn't have that I get it but I did my I my of course my dad died 4 said he was young but I remember as a kid some I don't like you now but I still love you why don't you like me because something you've done or something you're doing I was a kid I'm like well hang on what's the difference I can tell you what's the difference liking and loving is there is that separated can you like something and not love it then apparently you can love something and not like it it doesn't 2024 very quickly if I don't like you love goes out the door and I can divorce you or I tell you what let's just live together until we don't like it anymore then we'll change it we never even bring love into the picture well that's going to settle good isn't that's going to really work well and we wonder why our children are so messed up as Humanity it's Humanity when the nature takes over the natural makeup of man takes over the battle of the mind and the spirit begins to begins to war and I would that I could and I do it but I don't cuz I don't cuz I won't cuz I ain't cuz I'm not I'm like who Paul B who translators bless their hearts they probably came up I don't even know I I I don't I don't I don't know that ain't going to work back space back back space back space I'm sorry today's been highlight delete sorry uh these guys man they're trying to translate letters and they're trying and I'm I'm this is the best you all could come up with Stay With Me the bless that Jesus is talking about is concerning persecution towards you not conflict not just something that's uneasy but the bless that Jesus is talking about is something that you receive because of righteous things you're doing when a person wants to do the right thing but deception and confusion sets in then the right thing comes under question let me ask you a question is it right to put fuel in your car tomorrow if it runs on gas anybody is it okay is it okay to spend $3.30 or would you rather spend $1 $129 a gallon see your car needs the fuel but your frustration comes in when it goes from 3 to 12 that's a simple explanation of I know I need it but am I willing to pay the price I mean we all complain don't we how it be so high I don't even make sense it's over there it's this and here it's I'm like you know we again we were out west ear $492 I'm like the same gay can I just tennesses 3:19 they're like go to Tennessee I'm like but it takes for oh I'm stuck I don't want to walk Stay With Me the Raging in your mind we're talking persecution here because the choices and decisions that you make are fought here and here and somehow through that you're going to determine whether you've been persecuted or not and you're going to have to decide that I make the right choice hey if I if I were to look at you right now with a gun in hand and say you either deny Christ and and or you you're going to suffer the consequence you and I would laugh at that there Ain no way he's going to pull the trigger in a group like this if I did pull the trigger once what would happen to your thought then that dude he's serious now what deny him or well he just did it to that one is he going boom I did it twice now what happened to your thought is this okay see we we persecution be because of our socie and culture that we don't really many times understand what persecution is so many times then we consider if somebody just doesn't agree with us to be persecution and that may or may not be the case so if you don't establish and settle things in your heart and your mind with the spirit before those situations come if you don't settle that and when those situations rise up and you're going to have to make a rash decision that doesn't make sense you may make the wrong one

let me ask you scenario this is conversation I we got just a few minutes here scenario number one you and your family are going through a difficult time in your life okay scenario one you're out of work kitchen has little food to eat bills are behind rents P to this is life what do you do to survive that's the picture what do you do to survive do you steal do you beg do you lie do you get a job and hope that it's enough money what do you do anybody for what so you get a job there's an answer somebody else oh you're going to open a can of worms here okay here we go anybody else they will hold on to that anybody else let me paint this scen I'm I'm using this as scenario one my clock's running you're in a New Testament Church man you have just been smacked in the face with the Holy Ghost baptism in Jesus name and you your life is changed you never had hope before now hope is oozing out of you listen to me Bible specifically says the New Testament in the book of Acts that what they sold goods and brought to the apostles and the apostles did what distributed as the need okay here we go what if you go and you sell a piece of land you have you bring it to the church house and you don't think the church house handled your contribution do you have a right to say anything all of us would say yeah not really cuz you gave it up you know what you may not say anything but you won't sell anything else because you just felt persecuted you just passed judgment because you don't think it was handled right don't say it don't happen because I know it happened I've had people look at me and say man I can't give to the church because I just don't know how it's being spent okay then you take it and you go spend it what are you going to spend it on oh well that a that just not okay scenario two stay with me that's good point stay with me your wife has a serious illness scenario two a serious illness and there is a medicine that will possibly cure it but it takes a $100,000 to buy that what would you do steal the money borrow the money lie about it beat the system beat somebody up take it get a job what would you do who would you borrow from okay now you're now here we go am I right okay now you're in a position that you just gave yourself as the lender now is okay now you got to submit to what they what if the medicine doesn't work see I'm painting some really strange scenarios but guys we can apply a thousand things and we do it all the time in various ways we say well now I think the Lord would because you know out of any of these scenarios that I wrote down my granny I sometime what would she say I just trust the Lord I said okay trust him are you willing to trust him though even if it doesn't turn out the way you think it should number three watching my clock your child's a good kid but is questioning your Authority on every side causing problems in school problems with other family members Rebellion seems to be the normal what would you do would you just let it happen would you beat the snot out of him would you get help only reason I'm asking these three scenarios these are very simple four and five line scenarios but guys here's the truth is that the issues in our lives cause us so many times to wonder are we being persecuted because because we don't feel like that the right decisions are being made and when somebody feels persecuted DNA of humanity says to do what fight back the Bible specifically says that you are going to be hated for his name's sake but not one of us want to be hated but we want the Nam sake now I know that there's some very these issues may seem insignificant whatever and I'm sure that all of you have control over all these possibilities but when you're faced with such things your mind when the fire begins to cook you your mind your spirit your your your heart will begin to question am I being persecuted or is this actually what God has for me and if it's what God has for you then your PR is being answered Lord not my will but thine then you have to learn to embrace persecution and there ain't a whole lot of us that have gotten to that point I don't I don't again I said this a couple weeks ago ain't none of us really saying you know what somebody made fun of me today is such a cool thing I just love that they belittled me and they talked down to me wo that's the best thing ever it was even about me it was about Jesus stay with me when it comes down to decide how much you're going to trust the name of Jesus or how you're going to lose the battle to the will of other men most of the time your flesh will lose out and you'll give into the flesh

Galatians said it like this 5 and 13 for Brethren you have been called un Liberty only use not Liberty for the occa an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another for 14 for all the law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself 15 but if you bite and devour one another take heed that you be not consumed one of another 16 this I say then walk in the spirit you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh for the flesh flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that you would but if ye be led of the spirit ye are not under the law the battle comes between right and wrong and when it comes to how we interact with each other we love one another agreed but then you got to consider what if I'm wronged or what if somebody deals with me in a wrong way then I have to figure out God are you going to help me through this because you've got to settle those things in your spirit Lord I will love people now does there ever come a time when the limit is met and you have to Simply say enough is enough that's a hard question but you've got to be able to settle that here's one thing that's very powerful the reason that you were baptized in jesus' name the reason you repented was to turn the way you were going you were baptized in Jesus name to remit sins but then God knew in yourself you are not capable but I'll fill you with my spirit and then you'll have the opportunity to make the right choice because the spirit will lead you what happens at that point then is we have two Natures flesh Spirit the flesh may feel like you're being persecuted the spirit will realize you know what Jesus loves me and I'm okay with it your flesh will say I'm going to fight back and I'm going to just tell you where to get off and the spirit says leave it alone because I believe Jesus is still in control so when persecuted what he's talking about blessed are those that are persecuted for righteousness' sake what he saying is you're doing spiritual things and you're allowing my spirit to lead you you're following the spirit and not the flesh we're very very good at following flesh and I've been pastoring for a few years I've been on a mission field I've had several other positions in churches and I have yet to cause to cast the flesh out of anybody I can't pray that off of no one Isaiah Jeremiah Elijah Elisha Jona on and on you can go these old men of God they saw things in their hearts of men and they were how can a Jonah stand up in the face of an entire city and say repent and stand there huh how can these men of old decide you know what I I believe in this and I believe it's biblical and scriptural and it's spiritual therefore you say and do what you want and if it is persecution I'm okay with it because my spirit is leading

I'm gonna close with this I got three or four minutes left I know that persecution is a very difficult topic to talk about because nobody here wants to go through persecution and it is really hard to grasp the concept in our world today truth is is you know you hear of groups all the time being persecuted or condemned or talked down on all you got to do is raise your mouth Raise Your Voice raise your hand and declare you don't feel like it's fair and some news camera is going to come running over there and here you go I right I'm just saying that's a basic explanation of 2024 and the whole thing is is our flesh is trying its best to be accepted we've got to do what with our flesh so that the spirit can lead us so it's difficult to talk about now if we were follow me if we were in Korea if we were in North Africa we were in one of these other countries man we could talk about persecution burning their houses down you know if we you're in Canada and you're a pastor they could arrest you because you didn't follow that happened just not long ago if you're in Europe now there's so many things happening there's so many nationalities that are mixing and combining and then you've got religious beliefs in that and it's a it's just this this is going to be for the next until I don't know how else to say that I don't it's going to be that it's going to it's going to be that until we that's why the scripture re tells so many times pray Till There is unity in the spirit there's unity in the church then things are you're going to have conflict but I have to tell somebody today listen to this and I'm done the Greek word for persecution is diakos listen to me it's used in several instances in the New Testament that's where we're bringing Matthew from right Theos the Greek it's a word for persecution and basically what it means by its definition the Greek by its definition it means to pursue or run after to pursue or run after what that means is it's not in a negative connotation it means that they see something you see something and you go towards it what has happened though in later culture is that they have taken that example and they have turned it to where if I'm being if Doos is affecting me the persecution then they're coming after me but I only see the negative of it because it hurts Jesus saw it this way when they come after you when they pursue you what are they going to see you and I want to throw up a flag and say I'm being persecuted and SM fact is is the origin of the word says this to pursue and run after means this Jesus on the mount then could have been saying blessed are those when they run after you because you're righteous they're not going to like it but it's my name that they don't like can I say it this way and not be misunderstood at 7:50 on a Wednesday night don't take it personal if they are running after you there's some you we could go in so many places here and so many examples in the word of God you realize that they were so mad at stepen they were so mad at they were so mad at some of those Apostles and disciples at the time they wanted to Nash them with their teeth and bite them and kill them they were so angry Stephen you remember that guy was he persecuted what did Stephen do you know what they're doing right now while they're throwing rocks and while he's holding their coats they're running after what are they going to see do anybody know what Saul saw that day his face the countenance of an Angel listen to me you and I would say that was unfair to Stephen Steven stood there that day and with the countenance of an angel said I give all honor and glory to you I don't count this persecution I count this them pursuing what's in me what did Saul do right after that I'm going to go take care of more Christians and I'm going to stop themom Saul Saul why do you kick against the why are you trying to stop what I'm doing what was he saying I saw something in Stephen that I've never seen what' you see as I was pursuing him the reflection changed and I saw you Lord so much was the change in his life that he got a new name you remember the prophet that was to go pray for him he's like hey no way I'm praying pray for that guy he's a persecutor of the chch you go why because he's pursuing when he pursues what's he going to see somebody needs to be there pray for him why so that when the scales fall off what's he going to say this is what I've been looking for this is what I've been searching for what was it Paul said I have fought good fight what else you say finished my course I have kept therefore y'all come on musicians and singers therefore there's a reward only reason that the Apostle could say that is why because he didn't consider persecution as somebody running after him he knew it was for righteousness sake they were looking for Jesus they just didn't know how to find him P what he saying I'm saying that when when the trials and tests and stuff come at you you know what you could do instead of take it personal like nobody loves me everybody hates me I'm going to eat some worms why don't you stop it and say Lord am I sh y'all come on in am I showing you enough am I demonstrating you enough through this am I allowing your love and your power to move if I Am Lord that I'm doing it right if not I don't count this persecution I count this Lord just a time that I'm learning how to show your love to them stand with me please we're going to go into a time of worship we've doing this Wednesday night this is a great time for you to connect connect with the lord it's a great time for you to decide make some decisions on how how the Lord is working in your life and if there's some changes or things that you need to make I challenge you before you walk out of this room tonight that you simply yield it and let God have your life your future the plans the things that he's got for you you don't have to count it that somebody hate you you can count it as God is seeing something in you and he's allowing them to see it as well why don't you lift your hands would you come on singers