Enemies of the Cross

Philippians chapter 3 beginning in verse 17.

! Let's read through the end of the chapter. Let's read through the end of the chapter.

May God add a blessing to the reading of his word. Would you please be seated? Yesterday, Danny went with a lot of the other women from our church.

And they were out of town, which meant that for the morning and the afternoon, which meant that I was responsible for our children on my own. And so it's not the first time that it happened.

In fact, I have fun often when that's the case. So do they, because they know that, you know, they can get away with just a little bit more than maybe they would otherwise. But one thing that we always do when it's me and them and it's lunchtime is I take them to McDonald's.

And so yesterday was no different from any other time. And we went to McDonald's. And as you are probably aware, we're down to one McDonald's in this town. So pray for Bartlesville, I guess, right?

But it was busy. It was really busy, busier than normal. And I remember being in line and waiting to get to the window to pay and to get the food and looking over at Long John Silver's, which is right across the parking lot.

And there was nobody in line there. And I thought, you know, I hope that they don't ever have to go out of business. But then I thought, that's crazy.

Because since I've been here, I haven't ate there one time. Why would I care so much about a place going out of business that I never go to?

And I got to thinking about that. I thought, you know what, it's because we like to have options, don't we? I like having the option of never eating there. I like to drive by and say, nope, not today.

I'm going to go over here. We love options in our society. Just if you have Netflix, for example, there are so many movies and TV shows that you could watch on Netflix that you end up not watching anything.

Just sorting through all the different things that you could watch. You take cable television as well. There are so many channels that you can just go through and look over and over again and end up not choosing any of them.

Because we like options. We don't like to feel limited. We like to keep our options open, so to speak.

And we like to do that with everything. And it's a popular assumption in our society today that when it comes to salvation, that our options are open.

That all roads ultimately lead to heaven. Doesn't matter which path you take, just as long as you take one. And so we love this thought that we have this option available to us.

Because it sounds nice, doesn't it? It sounds easy. I can believe whatever I want. I can do whatever I want to. And ultimately, whatever path I take is going to lead me to the place where I think I want to go.

However, the Bible says that when it comes to God and salvation, our options are limited.

In fact, they are extremely limited. It's either one or it's the other. You're either saved or you're not.

There's no gray area. There's no third way. There's no other option. And we see also from Scripture that if the choice was left to us, that none of us would choose God.

None of us would take that option. Because we would all want to go our own way. That's what the Bible says. Jesus talked a lot about this.

In the Sermon on the Mount, he draws to a conclusion. There in chapter 7, he's been preaching for a while. Now he's drawing everything to a conclusion. And this is what he says.

Let's look at beginning in verse 7 verses 13 and 14. He says, So here he begins by saying, Look, there's two gates.

There are two paths. One is narrow and the other is wide. One path is easy to travel. The other is a lot more difficult.

Ultimately, each gate and each road ends with a different destination, he says. The difficult path leads to life while the easy path leads to destruction.

And tragically, he says to us, Many choose the path that leads to destruction.

And then he continues on in verses 15 and 20. He says, Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thistles? So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

A healthy tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, he says, you will recognize them by their fruits.

And so here he continues with this thought. Two gates. Now he says, two trees. One is healthy. And it produces good fruit because it's full of life.

It's a living thing. The other one is a diseased tree. And you can tell because its fruit is bad. Because it's full of death. Some people, he points out, will appear to be on the path that leads to life.

But on closer inspection, you find that their fruit is bad, revealing that they are diseased. That they're full of death.

Their fruit exposes the reality of their true spiritual condition. Like the Pharisees. Who to the people seem like the most holy in town.

These were the holy men. These were the spiritual guys. These were the guys who they thought were the closest to God. And Jesus revealed that they're just whitewashed tombs.

Everything looks good on the outside. But on the inside, they're full of dead men's bones. Then he continues on in verses 21 through 23. And he says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.

But the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?

And cast out demons in your name? And do many, mighty works in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.

Two gates, two trees, two destinations, two paths. And now we see that there are two wills. Only those who do the will of the Father, Jesus says, will enter the kingdom of heaven.

The others go through the motions. Some of them are faking it, hoping that they're going to make it. But in the end, God is not fooled. And then he concludes all of this by talking about two different foundations.

In verses 24 through 27, he says, Everyone then who hears these words of mine and who does them will be like the man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the wind blew, and it beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock.

And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat against that house, and it fell.

And great was the fall of it. So again, he's continuing this thought. Two foundations. Two houses.

From what we can tell, from what Jesus gives us, they're built with the same materials. It's not what they're made of that matters. It's what they're founded on that matters. One is founded upon the rock.

The storms beat against it, but it stood firm while the other was destroyed because one's foundation was good and sturdy and strong, and the others gave way because it was the exact opposite.

And so here in these verses that we've read, especially in verses 18 and 19, Paul is reaffirming in this text all the things that Jesus was saying in Matthew 7.

He says that you are either living in this world as a citizen of heaven, or you are living in this world walking as an enemy of the cross of Christ.

It's one or it's the other. Now, this shouldn't be some kind of a guessing game. You understand, when that day comes, when we stand before the Lord in judgment, it's not to be some kind of a cosmic spiritual guessing game where we find out whether we're going to go to heaven or whether we're going to go to hell.

God doesn't intend for it to be that kind of guessing game. Okay, are you going to take the box, or are you going to take the curtain? Which will it be? Life or death? We don't know.

It all comes down to your choosing. God tells to us through His Word that it's not to be that way. That we should know whether we are walking as citizens of heaven or whether we are walking in this world as enemies of the cross.

There should be no question in our minds. However, as a pastor, I can tell you, and you've heard other pastors say the same, I'm sure, and if you've taught Sunday school class, you've probably heard it as well, a frequent question that you'll get from Christians is, how do I know?

How can I be sure that I'm saved? I've gotten that question many a times, and I can only imagine how many more times God hears that question in prayer. God, how can I know?

How can I be sure that when my time comes, it will be heaven for me, and not hell? When I was in preschool, I got my first girlfriend, okay?

And this is how it all happened. I didn't know what a girlfriend was, nor did I know what a boyfriend was. But I knew that this girl in my class came up to me, and she looked at me, and she pointed at me, and she says, you are now my boyfriend.

And she's a pretty aggressive girl, right? And so I was just like, oh, okay. All right, I don't know what that means, but, you know, sounds good to me. And so all day long, I would ask her, are we still boyfriend and girlfriend?

You know, so you're at, is this still good at lunchtime? Are we still? Am I still your boyfriend? And I kept doing this all day long, until finally, at the end of the day, I asked her, are we, am I still your boyfriend?

And she looked at me, she turned on me, and she had this red face, she goes, no, no, not anymore, because you won't leave me alone. Thank God, and I share that with you, because thank God, he doesn't operate, like that girl operates, right?

As many times as we've heard that question, we ask that question, I'm telling you that God wants you to know, for certain. Doesn't want it to be a guessing game. He wants you to know.

He wants you to have that affirmation. And he's willing to give that to you, and I hope that he will do that for you, today. So here's the main idea, of our text this morning, and it will be the case, in a couple weeks, when we return to it.

In this world, you either live as a citizen of heaven, or you live as an enemy, of the cross of Christ. Enemies of the cross, live for this world, but citizens of heaven, live for the world, that is yet to come.

And so again, my purpose is this, that through God's word, you will either, be reassured, of your salvation, or whatever faulty assurance, that you had, that it will be taken away, from you.

And why I want that to be the case, is because why God, wants it to be the case. That you would know for sure, and that if you, and that you would know, that if you're not saved, that you must be saved.

That there's no other option. There's no other way for you, to have eternal life. And so that we would also, stop wasting our lives, as Christians, pursuing worldly treasures.

Stop wasting our lives, as Christians, looking over to that other path, and thinking, oh man, if only, if only I could have, some of those things over here. We've got to stop doing that. Stop treasuring the things, of this world, that we would treasure, the things of God.

So that we don't, waste the life, that we've been given here. And then also, to take away, that assurance from you, that is false. That's not built, on the sure foundation, of Jesus Christ.

That you would see, the desperate state, of your spiritual condition. You will die. And apart from Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, you will spend your eternity, in hell.

There is, nothing, but weeping, and gnashing, of teeth, in that place. That you will stop, trying to fake it. That you would realize today, that Jesus is your only hope.

Your only hope. And that again, that we as Christians, knowing that this is the outcome, for those who walk, as enemies of the cross, that we would be motivated, to speak the gospel, to those who walk, as enemies of the cross, that they would hear, the good news of Jesus Christ.

So today, let's do some introspection. Asking ourselves, these questions, as we go along. Does this describe me? Does this describe, someone whom I know?

Or does this describe, someone I know, who claims to be a Christian, but based upon, how they live their life, all I see is bad fruit. So let's begin, with the warning, God gives to those, who live as enemies, of the cross.

He says, in verses 18 and 19, that enemies of the cross, of Christ, live for this world. They live for this world. And so Paul, is going to compare, in these verses, two different mindsets.

A heavenly mindset, and an earthly mindset. Whatever mindset, you possess, will reveal, your spiritual condition. And so in verses 18 and 19, Paul says, that enemies of the cross, possess an earthly mindset.

And then he goes on, to explain, exactly what that means. But before he does so, he expresses, his heartbreak, over the reality, that there are those, who live in this world, as enemies, of the cross, of Christ.

And so before I continue on, I must say this, that if you are a believer, and if your heart, doesn't break, for the unsaved, then there is something, wrong with you.

And you must repent. Man, our hearts must break, for those who walk, as enemies of the cross, of Jesus Christ. Luke records, three different instances, where Jesus' heart, broke, for those, who rejected him.

Chapter 13, chapter 19, and then chapter 23, as he's bleeding, and dying on the cross. Remember? And he prays. Looking at all those, who have scorned him, looking at those, who have mocked him, looking at those, who have beat him, looking at those, who put the nails, in his hands, and in his feet, and he asked, that God would forgive them.

Jesus' heart, broke, for the unsaved. These instances, don't mitigate, God's sovereignty, in salvation, but they reveal, the love that our Lord, had even for those, who sought, to kill him.

Man, I know the disappointment, I know the hurt, and the heartbreak, you experience, when somebody from your church, stops coming to church. And then in our day and age, you can tell, what people are doing, just by going on Facebook, and seeing what's happening.

And you see, that they're out in the bar, and they're partying, and they're hanging all over, a man or a woman, who isn't their spouse. And they're supporting things, that are contradictory, to scripture.

I've been in situations, where I've seen such a one, in a store, and all I wanted to do, was run over, and wring him by the neck. In a loving way.

But you know what I mean, and I didn't do that. But you know what I mean, because you get so mad. You get so angry. You think, how could you be doing this, to yourself?

How could you be doing this, to your family? And you just want to, you just want to shake, some sense into them. But do we get angry, before we actually weep, for them?

Are we looking to, spread gossip about them? You know, I heard they're doing this, I heard they're doing that. Can you believe it? Man, I hope they never come back here.

That kind of attitude, is anti-Christ. Man, our hearts should break, when that's the case. We should be so heartbroken, broken over them, that we pray for them.

That we hope, for restoration. That we hope, even to be used by God, to go, and to speak, to that brother, or sister. That they would come back.

that they would be, willing to again, submit themselves, to Christ, as Lord and Savior. And for some people, it's the case, because they never truly, were saved to begin with.

For others, they're just a prodigal. And they need to be, reminded, of the love, of the Lord. Remember, Paul felt this way, towards the Corinthians.

Man, if there was ever a church, that a pastor, would never want to go pastor, it was the church, in Corinth. These people, had problems. These people, were messed up. Sin wrecked, their lives.

They treated, Paul poorly. But yet, he says in 2 Corinthians 2, 4, for I wrote you, out of much affliction, and anguish of heart, with many tears. Not to cause you pain, but to let you know, the abundant love, that I have for you.

You know, I'm praying for you. My heart is breaking, for you. You're walking, in a way, that you shouldn't be, walking, you are rejecting, the love, and the obedience, that you should be living, towards God.

But let me tell you, that I'm not going to, write you off. I love you. I've been praying for you, and I'm sending you, these letters, because I care for you. Because God loves you. Because God cares for you.

So may God, break our hearts, for those who live, as enemies of the cross, of Christ. Because as we've seen, there are many of them. And that path leads, to destruction.

So maybe what we need, to be praying, maybe what you need, to be praying about, is God, break my heart, for those who are around me, who I know, are unsaved.

Enemies of the cross, live for this world. Well, what does that mean? What does that look like? Well, Paul says here, in verse 19, that their, God is their belly. What does that mean?

Do they worship their stomach, or something like that? Well, kind of. Paul's using, the stomach here, as an illustration, to reveal, that these people, are controlled, by their, fleshy, sinful, appetites.

In John, 1 John 2, 15 through 16, we see that, there the apostle says, do not love the world, or the things, in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father, is not in him.

For all that is, in the world, the desires of the flesh, and the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And so here, he's explaining, what it means, to live for these appetites, these worldly desires.

The world, being referred to here, is the corrupt value system, of our society. The Bible says, that Satan, is the God, of this world. And that his value system, is contrary, in every way, to God's.

His word, is contrary, to God's word. God is truth. He speaks truth. Satan is the father of lies. He speaks, only lies. And so we see, in Romans chapter 1, that the worst thing, that can happen, to a person, in this world, is that God, gives them, what they want.

That God, allows them, to have the things, that their flesh, craves. It's the worst thing, that can happen, to anybody. Allowing them, to pursue, the things, that they think, will make them, feel happy.

When a person, lives only for themselves, they end up, hurting other people. Especially, people whom, they should love. And people, whom they should be, protecting. Ultimately, they end up, hurting themselves.

Just look at, our celebrities, in our culture, whom we worship. They seem to have, everything that, anybody could ever, want.

Don't they? They've got, the money. They've got, the fame. They've got, the popularity.

They can satisfy, every appetite, that their heart, desires. And they do so. But do they seem, all that happy, to you?

I want to read to you, a couple quotes. One is from, Jim Carrey. You guys, I'm sure, are familiar, with Jim Carrey. Comedian, actor, movie star. He said this, I think, everybody should get, rich and famous, and do everything, they ever dreamed of, so they can see, that it's not, the answer.

Tom Brady, quarterback, of the, New England, New England Patriots, at age 27, after winning, three Super Bowls, said this, why do I have, three Super Bowl, rings, and still think, that there's something, greater out there, for me?

I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think it's better, I think it's got to be, I think there's got to be more than this. I mean, things can't be what, this can't be all that it's cracked up to be, he says.

You know, what's crazy is that often, a celebrity's popularity, is due to their ability, to make others feel dissatisfied, with themselves. You ever thought about that?

The more money they have, the more rich and famous they are, the more, as we look at them, it causes us to feel dissatisfied, with what we have. And all of a sudden, we think, you know what?

My house isn't big enough. My car isn't fast enough. My spouse isn't attractive enough. I'm not attractive enough.

My job isn't exciting enough. My clothes aren't trendy enough. And so, strangely enough, we worship these people, for the dissatisfied way, that they make us feel.

And so then, we have advertisers, who prey on this feeling. Hey, you're right. They tell us. You are dissatisfied.

But let me tell you, we can fix that. Buy this product. It'll make life better. It will make life easier. You'll be so much happier, better.

In the end, when you have this thing. And so, ironically, as a society, who has been told that, you know what?

You do what feels good. You do what makes you happy. Have you ever stopped to think how ironic it is that as this message is being told to us, that as a society, we are more unhappy than we've ever been?

The statistics back me up on this. And you know it too. Suicide rates are skyrocketing in our society right now. And it's no coincidence that as this is the message that the world is trying to feed us, that we are realizing that we're not really that happy.

And that these things that we've been told and promised will make us happy, they're not making us feel any happier. And so people are thinking if this is it, then life isn't worth living. Because they're trying to use those things to replace the void that only God can fill in our hearts.

They will only dissatisfy us. And you know what's even more tragic about all of this? Is that these suicide rates that are skyrocketing, you know what age group they are skyrocketing in the most?

Most teenagers. Young people. And you know why that is? I think. Because they've been force-fed this lie their entire life.

This is what they've been led to believe. It's tragic. When your God is your belly, when you live only for yourself, you walk as an enemy of the cross of Christ.

Because the God whom you truly worship is yourself. And understand this. You are terrible at playing God. You are a terrible God to serve.

You are a terrible God to worship. You aren't meant to play God. Secondly, we see that enemies of the cross glory in their shame.

they glory in their shame. And so when I was thinking more about what this looked like, I was reminded of the way that I used to live in high school and in college.

And I've shared my testimony with you a few times. In those days, especially in college, one of my nicknames was Wild Mike.

and I earned that nickname because of the crazy things that I would do on the weekends when under the influence of substances.

And man, I got to be the life of the party. And my friends would come and they would tell me after the day of partying, they'd come to me and we'd piece together all that happened. They'd be like, man, you did this.

And then you said this. And then you did this. And it was like we would glory in all these things. I couldn't remember doing any of these things. They're like, oh, look, all these stupid, stupid things.

But we gloried in that shame. You know, I can't believe we did that, we said that. Things that I would, I couldn't imagine doing today.

Glorying in such shameful things. Being proud of doing such stupid things. Wasting life. Life. Hurting other people.

I'm shamed of those things. But this is what people do when they live for the world. When they walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

They glory in what is shameful. Think of Bruce Jenner. This is a man who left his wife and his children.

And this wasn't the first time he had done that to pursue his own wants. To pursue his own desires. To do what the rest of the world said would make him feel good. And he was celebrated for this.

He was treated almost like he was some kind of God. They were giving him awards for doing nothing. Besides just changing his name and his physical appearance.

And saying that he was no longer a man but that he was a woman. And he was worshipped for that. He didn't do anything for anybody else. He was worshipped for this. He was glorified for this shameful thing by our society.

This shouldn't come as any surprise to us. Let's look at Romans 1 28-32. This is exactly what God says happens in a society where people become their own God. And they live as enemies of the cross.

And they glory in their shame. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice.

They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, not only do they do them, but they give approval to those who practice them.

This is our world. This is our society. And so what I also want to say to you, Christian, is be careful that as we see this stuff going on, that you remain on the sidelines and silent and watch it all happening without doing or saying anything.

Be careful that that isn't you. You know, there'd be fights after school. And, you know, you went to grade school, you went to high school, you went to middle school, you see those fights that would happen out in the school yard, and you know what happened?

Two people would start duking it out, and then a crowd of people would form around them. And they'd either sit silently by and just watch it happen, or they'd cheer them on, you know? And then at our school, I remember for the first time, our administration told us from now on, if we find out that you are at one of those fights, and if you're there and you're forming a ring around these people who are fighting, if you're cheering them on, or if you're just there and you're silent, you're going to be punished just as severely as those who are in the fight.

That changed things for us. We can't do that. We can't sit idly by. We must be on mission for the Lord Jesus Christ.

When you glory in what is shameful, you walk as an enemy of the cross because you make light of sin. You belittle God's holiness, and ultimately that means you reject God's Savior.

And then we see thirdly what it means to live as an enemy of the cross of Christ is this, that their minds are set on earthly things.

And so here we think Paul is talking about either one or two groups of people primarily. He's thinking about the Jews, the Judaizers, who are trying to earn their salvation based upon their good works.

Or he's talking about the Greek libertines, the antinomians who say there is no law, but they believe that they're saved and they think that that means that they can do whatever they want.

Right? I'm good with God. God, we're good. We're cool. You know? But I can still, I can do whatever I want. Right? And it doesn't work that way. If you're truly saved, you don't live your life that way.

You don't want to live your life that way. And so here he's either talking about one of those two groups of people, but either way, their mind is set on earthly things, not on the things of God as they should be.

And so here we see that those who have their minds set on earthly things walk as enemies of the cross because they are at home in this world. Their minds are set on earthly things because this is their home.

home. Now Jesus said to us, this is not the home, the dwelling place for his children.

Right? Over and over he told us that I am not of this world and neither are my people. And so in John 17 he prayed for us and I want us to read this very carefully.

John 17, 14 through 19. Because I think we've misunderstood what Jesus asked of us for. He says there, I have given them your word speaking of us, his people, and the world has hated them because they are not of this world, just as I am not of this world.

I do not ask, listen, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth. Now understand, as you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself that they also may be sanctified in truth.

I think again we hear these words, we hear this prayer of Jesus for his disciples, for us as believers and we get the wrong idea of what Jesus is actually praying for us.

We read this and we think that being not of this world is the request, or that that's the goal. We read this scripture, we read this prayer, and we think that according to Jesus' prayers, that the objective, right, is that we just go and we hide somewhere in some corner, and we watch what's going on over there, but we protect ourselves in our little bubble.

Oh my gosh, can you see what's going on over there? Thank God we're not over there, we're over here. Praise the Lord. Protect us in our little bubble. Is that what Jesus prayed for?

No, he said not being of the world is the starting place, not the outcome, not the destination that he's sending us to. It's clear that Jesus doesn't want his followers to be of this world for certain, and we've seen that you can't be of this world and at the same time say that you're a follower of Jesus Christ.

You've either been born again or you haven't been. But what I mean to say is that Jesus has a purpose for our not being in this world. Jesus is talking about taking this somewhere.

Again, he isn't asking that his followers be taken out of the world but that we be sent back into it. Do we understand?

He's called us out of the world but then he sends us back into it. Why? Because we've been rescued from darkness.

Because he has saved us. Because he has filled us with his spirit and we have light. We have his word. We can go back into the darkness with that light and guide people out.

That's what he's praying that we will do. Yeah, he's called us out of the world for a purpose. We are no longer of this world but he doesn't say, okay, I'm going to put you over here in this safe little corner.

He says, I've called you out of this but now I'm sending you back in to guide others back out. Is this not what Jesus is praying for?

He's rescued us so that we can go and rescue others. Who is a Christian supposed to be like in this world? Sunday school answer.

This is easy. Jesus. That's who a Christian is supposed to be like in this world? So now let's go back. Did Jesus fulfill his appetites, his fleshy appetites?

No. Did Jesus glory in his shame? No. Did Jesus have his mind set on earthly things? No. We can go back to Philippians 2.

He humbled himself, being obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. And God has highly exalted him for that.

we must follow his example. And just as he came for sinners like you and me, so we should go for those who walk as enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ.

That they could hear the good news of who he is and what he's done. And so I want to conclude with two quotes from the same man, Charles Spurgeon. The first is just a sentence.

He said, every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. Not saying that you have to go overseas to be a missionary, but he's saying where you're at, that's your mission field.

You're a light in your workplace, in your home, in your neighborhood, and you're to share the gospel in that place. You are a missionary. And then he said this, if sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our dead bodies.

And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped around their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned or unprayed for.

And so this is what I want us to do as we end our time here this morning. pray. Pray for those whom you know. You know somebody, and they don't know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

They are walking as an enemy of the cross. You know at least one. So at the very least what we can do right now is we can pray for that one. So will you join me in prayer, and as I pray, will you pray for that one pray that God would use you to share the gospel with that one.

Let's pray. Lord God, you are an awesome God.

There is none like you, Lord. None. Father, forgive us that for too long and for too often we have remained silent.

We've been too willing to sit on the sidelines complaining about how bad the world is, wanting it to be so much better, but doing nothing about it.

God, your prayer for us was that we would go back in. Those whom you have called out of the world, those who do not belong to this world, Lord, those who are your people, that we would go back in.

And so, God, I know that each and every one of us in this room today, we know at least one person. God, you've probably already put that one person on our heart, whoever it may be.

Lord, may we, like Charles Spurgeon, have broken hearts, like the Apostle Paul. Lord, like you yourself have a broken heart for the unsaved. And God, may we have the same desire that you know if that's their eternal destination, then it's going to be that way, but it's not going to be that way without me doing everything that you've called me to do to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.

And so, God, whoever that one person is, I pray that not only would we pray for them today, but that we would pray for them throughout this day, throughout this week, Lord, until that time when we have our opportunity.

And that when that opportunity arises, Lord, that we wouldn't let it pass by, but that we would be people who are so in fear, live in such fear of the Lord and not of men, that we are willing to be bold and courageous, we are willing to get into the fight, we are willing to accept your calling for us to be sent back into the world, Lord, to let our light shine brightly, that men and women would know that our hope is in Jesus Christ.

And whether they agree with that or not, that's between them and you, Lord, but they would know where we stand, and that there would be no doubt. God, this world is in desperate, desperate need of the gospel.

They are in desperate, desperate need of your people living like you, Lord, by your spirit and your power. We pray that you would help us to do that as a church. And we ask these things in Jesus' name.

Amen. Thank you.