The Passionate Testimony of an Innocent Man │ Msg 15/22

0:44 oh, that I were as in months gone by, as in the days when God watched over me. When his lamp shone over my head and by his light I walked through darkness, as I was in the prime of my days, when the friendship of God was over my tent, when the Almighty was yet with me and my children were all around me, when my steps were bathed in butter. and the rock poured out for me streams of oil. When I went out to the gate of the city, when I took my seat in the square, the young men saw me and hid themselves, and the old men arose and stood. chapter 30 verse 1 but now here's the present but now those younger than I mock me verse 9 and now I have become their taunt I have even become a byword to them they abhor me and stand aloof from me and they do not refrain from spitting at my face.

2:10 27. I am seething within and cannot relax. Days of affliction confront me. I go about mourning without comfort. I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help. chapter 31, verse 5.

2:36 If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened after deceit, let him, that is God, weigh me with accurate scales. Let God know my integrity. 35. Oh that I had one to hear me Behold Here is my signature Let the almighty Answer me Such a moving section of scripture. Will you bow with me? Thank you, Father, for the instruction that comes through words put to Melody. Thank you for a body of ministering men and women, our choir.

3:39 We pray that those words would find soft soil in our souls. and as they plant these seeds of thought that they will be well received and it will make a difference in how we live, even how we think. It's a tough thing to live in a culture that's lost its way. We were there once. Our desire is not to be so alone that we're aloof, but it is to be different so that we can make a difference. Help us know how to balance that out, dear Father. show us that integrity is a matter of life, not simply what one says from his lips.

4:30 Remind us again, our Father, of the delicate wires on which the heavy weight of a testimony hang. And give us an authentic life. Help us to pay attention to that. to care less about our image or even our reputation and more about our walk with you. Deliver us forever from this pursuit of an image in this televised age where appearance has become more important than character. Lord, we're at war, and none of that surprises you. None of that is out of your control. It is a bit frightening. We pray that you'd protect us in the midst of the fight. Give wisdom and courage to those who make tough decisions, even unpopular ones.

5:29 Give protection to those who fight for us, and give direction to those of us on the home front to be a united body of people committed to a cause that is worth defending. now our father not only do we remember our choir and younger choirs and their ministry we remember those in our midst some of whom have lost their song they're set aside illness has disturbed them and in some places hurt and cripple them and we pray that you would help sustain them strengthen them through this time of testing and give courage and encouragement to those who serve alongside them and help them back to health thank you for the privilege now of participating not in song or in word but in our actions as we're able to give to your work we want to do it our father for the right reasons and we want to be led by you in the doing of it so be honored in the motive, in the action, and be glorified in even the amount.

6:45 We accept from you whatever you provide. May wisdom mark the way these funds are spent. May we do so wisely and carefully. And now, our Father, take our life, take our lips, take our hands, take our feet, take our voices and let us be wholly yours. As we sing and pray and preach and listen and live, I ask through Christ in whose name we give. And everybody said, amen. Ours is fast becoming a jaded generation. Perhaps a better way to put it is suspicious.

7:34 Time once was when a leader was chosen because of character and those who followed that leader respected that person because of character. The old word was integrity. We just trusted one another. I remember as a little lad hearing my father say things like, oh, you can trust him. He gave us his word. my mom and dad had a little work done on our our house in east houston back when i was a kid i remember they were talking about it at the table and my mother asked about a contract my dad smiled and said we had a gentleman's agreement there's no need to have a contract signed i thought about that this past week and i thought today we would laugh him off the stage there's always a contract signed i mean why are there lawyers Thank you.

8:30 We have fun with you lawyers, but we need you. We needle you, but we need you. Back then, we didn't seem to need you as much. For after all, his word is his bond. At the risk of being too general and too generic with this answer, I think much of the erosion of the public's trust can be traced back to three houses, the courthouse, the White House, and God's house. Time once was that the law was upheld in the courthouse. And attorneys did, in fact, walk in integrity, as some still do, thank God.

9:24 Cases were taken because they were cases worth addressing. And the accused was worth defending because he may, in fact, or she may, in fact, be innocent. My heart skipped an extra beat this past week when I heard the prosecuting attorney, I'm sorry, the defense attorney, make a comment on a particular case of child molestation. And having lost the case because the man was found guilty, the attorney waved it off with his hand and said to the reporter, I knew he was guilty. I knew all along he had told me he was. But after all, it was a case. And all the while, his defense was a sham. Knowing the man was guilty There were problems in the courthouse. You remember as a little child trusting the president?

10:21 Remember when you, like I, stood with our hands over our heart and pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America? I remember standing in third grade doing that, right in the middle of the Second World War. It was barefoot. If I had my way, I would have gone barefoot all the way through high school, but I had to start wearing shoes by junior high. Anyway, I'm standing there barefoot in third grade, pledging allegiance and looking at the president's picture as it's framed right next to the flag, thinking, what a man. Never, ever thinking there could ever be a lie in the Oval Office. And I've lived long enough to know from those who witnessed it that there have been many. something happened when I forced myself to believe that there wasn't integrity even in some president's lives but God's house it's one thing to have Watergate but to have Pearlygate Back not long ago, there was a scandal that smeared across the work of God, and all of us in ministry were hurt by it, though only a few were engaged in it.

11:38 Time once was when the minister moved into the neighborhood. People were happy to have a preacher living near. No longer. It's heartbreaking. the breakdown of integrity. Stephen Carter has written a fine book called simply Integrity. In it, he tells this story. There's an old joke about a fabulously rich man who, as he lies dying, summons to his bedside his three most trusted friends, his doctor, his priest, and his lawyer. When the three are assembled he tells them I know they say you can't take it with you, but I'm going to try He then distributes three identical and very thick packages each of which turns out to contain 10 million dollars in cash I want all of you to come to my funeral. He says and when they put me in the ground Throw the envelopes in after me you jaded audience you each friend turned each friend in turn promises that he will do it in the course in due course the rich man dies his three friends attend the funeral and at the cemetery each tosses the thick package into the grave as they begin to walk back to their cars the doctor says my friends I have a confession to make last night I was sitting in my office with the package and I got to thinking about the new wing for sick children that the hospital is trying to build and I thought well this 10 million dollars could do a lot of good instead of ending up covered with dirt I knew that our dear friend if he were in his right mind would have presented would have preferred this charitable use. So I took the money out and gave it to the hospital for the new wing.

13:42 The envelope I put in the grave was stuffed with old newspapers. The lawyer rounds on him in a fury. The money, he says, was given in trust. The doctor is a trustee. By converting the money to his own use or even the use of a charity, he has violated a sacred legal duty and maybe has committed a felony besides. The lawyer is still in full cry when the priest said, not so fast, my son, and then proceeds to tell his own story. He too has a confession to make. He was sitting in the rectory last night thinking about the church's efforts to raise enough money to endow the soup kitchen and homeless shelter it has been running. And he too finally decided that it was better to put the money to good use than bury it in the ground. He quotes the parable of the talents.

14:41 So he gave the money to the soup kitchen and homeless shelter, and he too stuffed the money with, stuffed the envelope with newspapers. Now the lawyer is nearly apoplectic. He reads both men the riot act as officer of the court. He says he may well have to report this breach of fiduciary duty. And apart from the law, he says there's a friendship to be considered. They disobeyed the dying wish of their closest friend. You should have done what I did, he concluded. In order to be absolutely certain that I carried out our friend's request with the most meticulous care, I put the cash in my office safe and it's still there safe from harm. Then I wrote a check for 10 million dollars That is what's in the grave. I'm currently reading Eyewitness to Power by David Gergen, the name you may not catch, but you'd know the face.

15:52 He was often seen on the site alongside people like President Nixon and Ford and President Reagan and more recently President Clinton. he was a advisor and counselor and friend he writes not a kiss and tell sort of book but a straight from the shoulder book and often mentions the word integrity and when he sums up the seven characteristics that mark a president we're not surprised to see listed first that leadership starts from within. He quotes a former senator, if you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. Maybe that explains why all of us have such high regard for Job A man of integrity before the bottom fell out of his life A man of integrity when it fell out of his life A man of integrity after it fell out of his life and a person who dies with integrity.

17:04 He never compromised his integrity. Suffering we admire, even the endurance of suffering we admire, but the modeling of integrity, we stand in awe of that. Nothing is better than that. he says in the 27th chapter of his book at the end of verse 5 chapter 27 he makes it clear till i die i will not put away my integrity from me i hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go Job's problem back then, however, was like the leader's problem today. He had a jaded audience.

18:00 He had a group of men who were suspicious. Words are words and nothing more. No one could be going through the kind of hell you're going through physically, emotionally, domestically. nobody would lose business, home, family, health, and not be guilty of something, something really secret and really bad. And they never believed otherwise. In fact, they intensified their blame as time passed until finally, finally, they decide to be quiet. and Job is left with their words ringing in his ears and for a little brief interlude chapters 27 through 31 of the book Job has time to think about what they've said and to think through his life.

19:01 The benefit of it is that he kept a journal and it appears today in the Bible by his name and when you get to chapter 29 of this book you find job looking back with a bit of sighing as he remembers when and he recounts the blessings of god that's all through chapter 29 with the turning of the verse at chapter 30 verse 1 he says but now and he he now rehearses his current misery. 29 is the blessings of the past. 30 is the misery of the present. And then 31, he again underscores his integrity, lest any of them think the change from the way it was to the way it is was not because he had failed in his integrity.

19:57 By the way, be very careful about judging anyone going through suffering. Be especially careful not to cast blame. You and I do not know why another suffers. We do not know.

20:21 Job's friends should have known that lesson and learned it early in life, but they didn't know it even later in life. So they only added to his misery. But before the misery, let's look at chapter 29 and see the glory of the past. It'll make you sigh with Job as he remembers how things once were. His words are eloquent.

20:47 Job again took up his discourse and said, Oh, that I were as in months gone by. See, he's looking back. He's remembering when. As in the days when God watched over me. Oh, I would love to know days like that when he and I talked together and he and I walked together. Adam must have had similar feelings after the fall. How great it was when we walked in the cool of the evening and there was nothing between my God and me. Job continues, when God's lamp shone over my head and by his light, I walked through darkness as I was in the prime of my days. When the friendship of God was over my tent. Isn't that a beautiful way to put it? When the friendship of God was over my tent. When the Almighty was yet with me and my children were around me.

21:44 This is not a doting parent or a languishing grandparent. This is a grown man remembering when he had the 10 children still alive and could visit with them and even enjoy meals and celebrations with all of them around the table. I remember when, says Job, how great it was. I love verse 6. When my steps were bathed in butter.

22:12 I've got to swallow when I read that. Makes my jaws kind of push the saliva out there. when my steps were bathed in butter and the rock poured out for me streams of oil. It was so good. Life was so great. All of us have days we can remember when there were such great moments, maybe in more innocent days for you. Maybe before trials really reared their heads and grew horns, as you look back you recall maybe your early walk with the Lord and your steps were ordered by him and each new dawn seemed to bring a fresh new touch with him and his word look at how he describes it the young men well let's take verse 7 when I went out to the gate of the city when I took my seat in the square This is where the aging would hold forth.

23:18 This is where a counsel was given. This is where lectures were delivered. The young men saw me and hid themselves. It's a picture of slipping back in the shadows so as not to detract from his presence. And the older men arose and stood. Princes stopped talking and put their hands on their mouths. Isn't that vivid? When we are in the presence of someone we greatly admire, as has been my experience on a few occasions, I inadvertently catch myself putting my hand on my mouth. Maybe part of the reason is to help me keep my mouth closed. What I have to say means nothing. I remember sitting as a student during my years in seminary, and not only was I studying under an enviable faculty and a privileged position that I never took for granted, but on occasion the school would invite to our campus one of those Christian statesmen.

24:26 I remember the first time I ever looked at Richard Summey, who was at that time a board member and had not yet come as the chaplain and had done such a fine work at Richmond, Virginia, at Emmanuel Baptist, and then going on to Wheaton and was a pastor at the Wheaton Bible Church. And I remember his coming on the campus was a benediction to the campus. I could name a half dozen others, and I would occasionally just want to be near him, just to hear him. just to be in his shadow.

25:08 They did that with Job. Job would come to the city square, not in pride, but perhaps carrying on his duties, his responsibilities, and how the young men would gather to hear his wisdom. Here is a man who could be trusted with riches, and he was significantly wealthy but never conducted himself as above anyone. How beautiful to be around people like that. Humbly wealthy. A man of great compassion and great generosity and benevolence and his life was like the flowing of oil over the rocks. Flowing into others' lives. Princes would even stop. the voice of nobles was hushed and their tongue stuck to their palate for when the ear heard it called me blessed and when the eye saw it gave witness of me because I delivered the poor who cried for help and the orphan who had no helper I defended the defenseless and I stood in behalf of those taken advantage of and I did not forget those in great need verse 17 I stood for truth I broke the jaws of the wicked I love the way that reads and snatched the prey from his teeth I thought it would last forever The sports world lost a figure that has made the headlines, not only on the sports page, but in sports magazines and even some headlines, and I'm sure the Baltimore paper.

26:53 Baltimore Colts had a quarterback named Johnny Unitas, who was the quarterback of my young manhood. And I remember as a young man who was just beginning to follow professional footballs, watching what was then called the field general, which was a name given to quarterbacks. He was quite a character. And on one occasion, I read in Sports Illustrated, coaches and players often stood alike in awe of him. On one occasion, he told his coach, just sit back and enjoy. I won't need any help this game.

27:33 That is a good quarterback. And the coach said matter of fact we smeared him and I just stayed out of the way Every once in a while there comes across this earth scene certain people who capture our attention and have a command of life and we long to be near them. he says in verse 25 i chose a way for them and sat as chief and dwelt as a king among the troops as one who comforted the mourners one man writes this this verse encompasses every aspect of his role in the community from leading the council in peaceful times to guiding the people through crisis and caring for the unfortunate he inspired the whole community Thank you.

28:29 But now. Look at the opening of chapter 30. But now. but now, and maybe Job stands, pulls back the sleeve of his robe and exposes the boils, running with pus. His lips are cracked and bleeding. His tongue is parched. His body is gaunt. The lines are on his face.

29:08 And he says, But now those younger than I mock me. Verse 9. Now I have become their taunt. in verses 1 through 11 he says there is no great honor from men as there once was you can read it for yourself i i have become even a byword to them and they abhor me and stand aloof from me look at the next one and they do not refrain from spitting at my face this is the one they once sat with in silence and listening to and now I mean nothing to them. I am a diseased piece of humanity. I am a thing of shame.

30:04 Verse 15, terrors are turned against me. They pursue my honor now as the wind. My prosperity has passed like a cloud. no longer great blessings from God, verses 16 to 23. At night, verse 17, all the nights, at night it pierces my bones within me and my gnawing pains take no rest. One night is followed by yet another miserable night. and the benevolence that I once extended to the needy is no, not extended to me. There's none of that that comes my way. That's in verses 24 to 31. Verse 24, yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand or in his disaster therefore cry out for help?

31:07 Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard? Was not my soul grieved for the needy? When I expected good, meaning good in return, evil came. You had that happen? when I found myself in need having reached out to others no one reached back verse 27 I am seething within and cannot relax days of affliction confront me I go about mourning without comfort Roy Zook writes in his fine work on Job, Job concluded his plaintive rehearsal of his present remorse by stating that his joy had turned to grief. His harp and flute, instruments of expressing joy, now played only funeral dirges in accompaniment to people weeping in grief.

32:08 I don't want you to miss that. Look at the end of chapter 30. My bones burn with fever, therefore my harp is turned to mourning and my flute to the sound of those who weep. This instrument made for playing as people dance and celebrate and this instrument, the flute, with its lilting, beautiful sounds now playing in the minor key. You know what I thought of? I thought of the bagpipes in New York City. I thought of the streets where there had been at one time dancing and the light steps of those on easy street, moving about the financial center, not of our nation, but of our world. And now the sound, the whine of the bagpipe as funeral after funeral after funeral passes by.

33:13 Job says my harp my flute provide instruments for those who weep music for those who weep I'm going to show you a psalm look at Psalm 137 it's really worth a look turn from Job 30 to Psalm 137 every psalm has its context its birthplace. This song was born in mourning. The Jews who are represented in this song with the pronoun we, the psalmist was one of them as he writes, the Jews have been taken captive. Babylon has come in and destroyed the city of Jerusalem. Zion lay in ruins and the Jews en route to Babylon are making their way back and the psalmist writes a song with this funeral dirge kind of theme. 137 begins by the rivers of Babylon there we sat down and wept. When we remembered Zion upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps for there our captors demanded of us songs and our tormentors mirth saying, sing us one of those songs of Zion. Can you just hear the sarcasm? Break out one of those great songs you love to sing. Sing for us now. They were as silent as you're sitting at this moment. And he adds, how can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land. It's as if you and I were taken captive this next week and marching toward the place where we will be imprisoned. One of our captors said, sing us one of those church songs.

35:18 Harmonize, blessed assurance. Jesus is mine. Let's hear that one. How about, and can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood? Sing that one written by Wesley. Sing that song. and a mighty fortress is our God. We'd hang our instruments on the willow. You can't sing the Lord's song in a foreign land. Interesting thing about the suffering that I have seen in hospital rooms and bed chambers of the dying.

36:01 I never hear songs. I hear prayers. But the song is gone. That's Job's point here. My harp that once played the great songs our family loved to sing and the flute. No longer. Now, right about now, if those friends are listening, and I have a feeling they were, they're thinking, Job, from what you had, where your steps were bathed in butter, to where you are, no longer with a song, days of affliction that confront you, crying out for help and no one coming to your rescue, Job. There has been a reason.

36:58 You are guilty. So Job writes this 31st chapter, and he lists one example after another, after yet another, that says, not guilty. I've reflected on past glory. I've rehearsed my present misery. But I want to tell you, I have every reason to reaffirm my present integrity. My integrity is intact. and he lists several examples verses 1 to 12 there have been no sensual secret sins of sex in my life verses 13 to 23 there has not been a an abuse of power taking advantage of those who were in need or those who were helpless 24 to 40 i have not compromised my integrity even before god in my private life, my private world.

37:53 Look at the examples. I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze at a virgin? There's been no lust. Verse 3, is it not calamity to the unjust and disaster to those who work iniquity? Does he not see my ways and number all my steps? There's been no lying. Verse 5, if I have walked with falsehood, my foot has hastened after deceit. let him weigh me with accurate scales let God know my integrity there have been no lies I've told no lies there has not been adultery verse 9 if my heart has been enticed by a woman I have or I have lurked at my neighbor's doorway it's not true I've not done that verse 11 for that would be a lustful crime says Job moreover it would be an iniquity perishable punishable by judges there's no there's no uh guilt there there's no oppression verse 13 if i have despised the claim of my male or female servants my slaves when they filed a complaint against me what then could i do when god arises and when he calls me to to account what will i answer him did not he who made me in the womb make him meaning the servant and the same one fashion us both in the womb if i've kept the poor from their desire or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail or have eaten my morsel alone and the orphan has not shared it. All the way through this, I have circled the word if, if, if, if, if. It appears over a dozen times. If this is true, it is an oath saying, if these things are true, may God reveal it and cast me down, take my life even. If this is true, then I am guilty.

39:39 but his whole point of the oaths one after another is not guilty not guilty this is not true of me and so toward the end he says verse 33 have i covered my transgressions like adam and by hiding my iniquity in my bosom the implied answer is no so that at the fevered pitch of Verse 35, he says, oh, that I had one to hear me. Behold, here is my signature. That's an unusual statement found very rarely, if anywhere else, in the scriptures. At the end of Galatians, Paul says that he's taken up the pen and he's writing in his own hand. But here there's a signature. Job says, I sign the document. All of these oaths that I've taken, these words I swear before God, I sign these.

40:38 and let God read them. Let the Almighty answer me on the indictment which my adversary has written. Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and would bind it to myself like a crown. I would declare to him the number of my steps like a prince. I would approach him. He longs for someone to hear him. See how he puts it? Verse 35, oh, that I had one to hear me. He's defending himself in this courtroom and those who are a part of the jury are all frowning. and Job says you may think that this is not true but I stand on these statements and if there's any evidence you can use against me bring it up and let God judge and there is none.

41:22 I think he says at this point the defense rests. The defense rests. as I've had time to think through these three chapters and you've been very patient to listen to one after the other I think there's a lesson in each of the chapters for all of us and I think there's something for today even now in our lives here's the first, chapter 29 as he looked back on the blessings reflecting on past blessings gives us reasons to rejoice.

42:01 Reflecting on past blessings gives us reason to rejoice. I would encourage you who are still rearing your young to teach them how to do that and to practice that often. Mealtime is a great time to reflect. It's a great time to look back, even on a day, and to count the blessings like David did in Psalm 103, bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and don't forget one of his benefits. who heals all your diseases, who forgives all of your sins. And the list goes on down through verse 12, verse 13. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. He's reflecting on his past blessing. That's why I've always loved Thanksgiving. First of all, I love it that it's not called Thanksgiving.

42:56 I like it that it's Thanksgiving. I love it that we can think back, and invariably we do that at Thanksgiving, and we just call to mind the blessings from our God over the past. And we all have them. It's just easy to let the present misery eclipse the past memory. So I suggest we start with a memory and think back. Don't let yourself get caught in the trap of mentioning the things that did not work out well or have not been solved or resolved. Go to the blessings. There will be many. that makes us rejoice. It lifts our spirits. It keeps us from becoming negative as we reflect on the good of the past. Now chapter 30, where Job rehearses, rehearsing present trials forces us to swallow our pride.

43:53 And if there's something we need to swallow, it's our pride. Pride goes with a jaded culture. Cynicism feeds on pride. We look down at others because we see ourselves as better. I suggest that we rehearse the present trials we're going through and allow them appropriately to cut us down to size. George MacDonald in a fine novel titled The Curate's Awakening writes this sometimes a thunderbolt will shoot from a clear sky and sometimes into the life of a peaceful individual without warning of gathered storm something terrible will fall and from that moment everything is changed Perhaps you are there or you have been there recently and everything has changed for you.

44:56 You once knew a delight you no longer know. Allow that to humble you. Allow pride to take a back seat. face the fact that you, like Paul, when he was given the thorn in the flesh, have been given this so that you would not be lifted up above what is appropriate. In fact, Paul says twice in 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7, that he was given this thorn, listen, to keep me from exalting myself. And then at the end of the verse, 2 Corinthians 12, 7, and he repeats the same words, to keep me from exalting myself. What better use of current trials than allowing them to humble us? Goodness knows humility would wear well on most of us.

45:51 A few of you have it, but you are rare, and you probably walk in humility because you have learned or are learning from your trials. reflecting on past blessings causes us to rejoice rehearsing present trials forces us to swallow our pride now the third reaffirming our commitment to integrity strengthens us with confidence and courage reaffirming our commitment to integrity strengthens us with confidence and courage the thing i love about job is he's not defeated in chapter 31 not proud but he's not defeated he in fact has the confidence and courage to say before god if this is true if that's true If you find any of that, you strike me.

46:57 Because he knows in his heart, his integrity is intact. By the way, we all had a good laugh over the story from my book. Not my book, but Carter's book. And it's a good place to come back to. Would you have tossed the envelope of $10 million in the grave? Don't answer out loud. Isn't it amazing how creative we get when it's an opportunity to put 10 million in our pocket? Oh, that's what he would have wanted. If he were in his right mind, that's what. integrity says you keep your word you do as you say you will do and if you fail at that you apologize and you make it right you say chuck you drive a pretty hard bargain this is almost impossible to oh i i've never said it's possible for us to pull it off in ourselves it's not about what we're able to do. That's why we need Christ. We can't live like this. You think I'd put that $10 million in the grave in my own flesh? Are you kidding? I'd be the most creative guy in the group.

48:17 I mean, I got great sources where that money could be put to wonderful use. We'd get this church out of debt if I gave that $10 million. but in our flesh dwells no good thing. That's why there was a cross, because we can't somehow by our own bootstraps pull ourselves up to become good enough to impress God. Nothing in my hands I bring simply to your cross I cling. and that's why you're surrounded by all sinners, but some of them have peace, and others of you don't.

49:07 Peace comes into our lives when Christ comes in. I want to talk to you about that. Let's bow your head. Will you do that? chances are good that much of your life is spent around Christians. Maybe a few of you are not normally around many Christians, but most of us spend a lot of our lives around Christians. They are not our standard. Other Christians will let us down. Other Christians are like we are, sinful.

49:42 The difference is when they die, they're going to heaven. Forgive it. and if you're without Christ, not a Christian, when you die, you will not. So this is sort of like planning ahead, let's call it. Some of the benefits come right now. You gain control over your tongue more than you ever had before. Your temper takes a back seat. It affects your response to life's trials. And a half dozen other things I could mention, But the best of all is you're prepared to die when you give your life to Christ. and that brings confidence and courage for living. The cross of Christ is the place where the price for your sin was paid in full. So in order for you to know God personally means you need to make a journey through the cross or the message of the cross.

50:50 He died that you might live forgiven and secure. Whole. and empowered. it comes all as a free gift where you believe in Christ alone by faith alone. No need to beg you. The work of the Spirit is engaged right now. He does the begging. He does the pleading. He does the changing. But I invite you to Christ and a new life will begin for you. If you need help, we have our soul care ministers who are here, people just like you and me, who have been trained to talk with folks who are searching for peace and relief.

51:46 somehow Lord I'm led to pray for those who are on a journey toward death it may be their physical condition it may be the doctor's recent diagnosis for whatever reason they're close and I pray for those souls nearest the gate and now also Lord I pray for those in great health who think they'll live forever and I pray that you would bring them face to face with the reality of their destiny that you will use these words that have come tumbling out of an ancient book to help us reflect and rehearse and reaffirm what is true thank you for working in the lives of those without your son we leave them to you I would ask that you keep them miserable and restless and unable to sleep and unable to even get along until they find a sense of peace and rest and relief at the cross thank you father for your mighty work and for your word that instructs us in the truth.

53:15 Help us now to live it in a new way this week by your power and for your glory. For I ask it in the name of Christ, our Savior.