SPEAKER_00 0:03

Well, it is also to be with our church today. And I I love I love what how how Russ uh introduced that as we find out who who has lake houses and who doesn't. I've never heard that. That's really that was funny. Um there's times where uh and I would say over the years, this is one of the common weekends that I usually don't preach. Um but nobody invited us anywhere. I'm I'm I'm I'm kidding. My name is Russ. I'm one of the pastors here at Church of the Grove. So glad to be with you on this Memorial Day weekend. Um and and and it is it is a day that we honor those who have fallen on the battlefield to provide for our freedom. And so um, as a matter of fact, just if you if if you either had someone like in your extended family or you know somebody through your family that has given their life on the battlefield to protect our freedoms, just lift your hand up. Lift your hand up. So a lot of people affected. Um on a serious note, Jill and I usually we we do we are up in the mountains on Memorial Day weekend, and there's a family. I did a funeral uh for a student that came to Christ in my youth ministry that died in Iraq. And so we'll we'll call uh Nancy, uh uh his mom tomorrow, as is our custom every year, and just say, hey, you know what? We want to say tell you that we're thinking of you, and thank you. Thank you. And so uh that might be an encouragement for you to reach out to somebody. Um there's a young man, or uh there was a young man named Pat Tillman. And Pat Tillman was an all-American safety for the university of Arizona State, or Arizona State University. Um, and he he was he was drafted by uh the Arizona Cardinals, and as a matter of fact, I believe in in the year 2000 um he set uh uh uh a franchise record that year for 224 tackles. He was a safety, um, but after 9-11, he walked away from the million dollars that he was making in the NFL because he felt called to serve. And so he enlisted. Uh, he became an army ranger, he was deployed, he ended up in Afghanistan where he was tragically killed. And here's the part of the story. I mean, that's that's heartbreaking in and of itself. But the uh the part that even is more heartbreaking to me is Pat Tillman didn't die because the enemy outsmarted him. He died in friendly fire. He died, which means that that he he was he was killed and wounded and killed by uh by American. And I'm not sure, I don't know the details. I mean, some of you probably know that. You've read about it or or or you know the story in more detail. I don't know if it was gunfire, it was um uh missiles or bombs, I don't know what it was, but it was it was friendly fire and the confusion and chaos of combat, he he was mistakenly uh killed by his own side. Now, I'm not I'm not that this isn't I'm not headed down a path to talk about politics or or battles and wars, uh, but but here's here's the point. When you misidentify the enemy, you can do devastating damage to the people that are around you. When you misidentify the enemy that we're dealing with, and let's be honest here, we misidentify the enemy all the time. Uh we miss we we we think some people are enemies and and and that we should fight them, but in the reality, they're not our enemies. Sometimes we misidentify enemies as people that we know personally, just people, people in our life. Sometimes it can be a spouse or a or or a child, a coworker, a uh family member, uh, extended family member. It could be somebody that you're neighbors with, um and it could be a group of people, it could be a a certain type of people, it might be a people of a per certain persuasion. Maybe it's a maybe we think people who don't believe the same as us politically are our enemies, or we think that people who um who aren't uh of the same uh ethnicity as us, they're they're our enemies, or people that have all types of different backgrounds, they're enemies. Um and we we say people like them or those people. Um or maybe maybe it's sometimes saying the next that the generation that came before us or the next generation. Uh it can be a circumstance. Sometimes we think the enemy is the economy and the politicians that are handling the economy. Sometimes it's money pressure, it's health trouble, it's a schedule that's too full. We say we're busy, and in a sense, we're we're fighting, we're fighting against a cultural pull into busyness. We blame others for our circumstances when the with when that pressure is getting intense. Sometimes we think the enemy is an institution. It's the man. It's the man or it's a job or it's a school or it's the government. Uh the enemy can be can be institutions, it can be uh other belief systems, and and our circumstances fool us into thinking that our perceived enemy is our real enemy, but we're always focused on the physical realm. That's I believe that's our natural default system, which is why we have to be reminded of what is true. That's why we come to church every week. That's why we read our Bible every day. That's why we spend time with the Lord. There is a war. We are in a spiritual war. There's a battle that we're in, and there's a real spiritual enemy that's behind all that we face, working against us. And if you miss the real enemy, then you'll misidentify and potentially wound somebody else with friendly fire when really when the reality is it's not them that we should be aiming at. See, when you aim at flesh and blood, you end up damaging the very people that we're called to love. God loves people. And he calls us to love people. And see, people are not the enemy. Here's the big idea, kind of big idea, walk away with a bottom line for today. It is people are not the enemy. The enemy is working to turn people into enemies. And so if you've got your Bible, turn over to Ephesians chapter 6. We're gonna, we we we left off at chapter 6 last week, and we're gonna be in chapter 6, um, beginning in verses 10, and we're talking about spiritual warfare. Over the last several weeks, we've been in the series Rules of Engagement. We've been walking through the second half of the book of Ephesians. The first half of uh of the book of Ephesians is really laying the foundation of our identity in Christ. What who we are because of Jesus. Paul said we're dead in our trespasses and our sins, but God, rich in mercy, has made us alive in Christ. And so he spends three chapters laying that theological foundation. And in essence, what this series is about is because Christ, because he's changed you, because he's given you a new identity, then our life must look different. Our life must change. We must learn how to do relationships according to what the Bible says. We must change in our character, become more like Jesus. And part of that is understanding we are in a war, but we're not in a war with the people around us. We're in a war with spiritual forces. And so because Christ has changed us, I must change too. And we talked about identity issues. We talked about humility, that truth, truth should be spoken in love. We are to put off the old self and put on the new self. We're to walk in truth and wisdom. Relationships that uh that look different because Jesus has changed us. And last week we even saw that our relationships at home are preaching a message to the people around us. Our marriage is a message, our family is a message. So as we close this series today, um, the focus is about the fact that there is an underneath principle to everything that happens in this physical world, and people are not the enemy, but the enemy is working to turn people into enemies. That's what, listen, that's why we live with such tension and so much anger, and we can't have civilized conversations because we have demonized people that may not see the world the same way we do. And there are demons, but it's not the people. Here's the passages, and I'm just gonna read through these ten verses, Ephesians 6, verses 10 through 20. It says, finally, finally, Paul says, as he's coming to the end of this letter to the church at Ephesus, finally be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason, for this reason, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand therefore with the truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandal with the readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and in intercession for all the saints. And then Paul gets personal. He said, Pray also for me. He's in prison. Writing this letter from being in prison. Pray also for me that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known the boldness, the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should. Let's pray. Father, would you take this word that we're going to study, we're going to talk about, we're going to break down, Lord. God, I pray that you would, by the power of the Holy Spirit, make these words, these concepts, these ideas, and the eternal life they offer through Jesus. Make them come alive in our heart. God, change us. Help us to see with spiritual eyes what is truly going on around us. So we can enter the battle in the way that you have designed us for. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So Ephesians chapter 6, and we want to see that Paul states clearly who is our enemy, who our enemy is, and how we engage the real enemy. And so we're talking about the rules of engagement. Engage the real enemy. How? How do we engage the enemy? Number one, before you fight, get your power source right. Before you fight, get your power source right. And that's what Paul says here. He says, be strengthened by the Lord and his vast strength. It's not a new topic here. Paul's link, he's landing the plane after six chapters of this one unified message that we are to depend on Jesus. Before you fight, get the power source right. Depend on the power that God provides through our Savior. Paul's not saying be strong, get your act together, try harder, do better. No, he's saying be strengthened with the strength that comes from the Lord. The Lord's strength. It's not a manufactured strength. It's not something that you can produce in your own, uh, even your own spiritual disciplines and power. It's something you receive from God. It's not hype, it's not adrenaline, it's not personality, it's not willpower or grit. It's a borrowed strength. If you want humility, if you want to speak the truth and love, if you want to put off the old self, put on the new, then you need to understand your power source. And this isn't about digging deeper, it's about drawing nearer. It's about drawing near to the Lord. It's about this hunger. Hunger. I read I was reading through the Psalms this week in Psalm 42. David says, as the deer pants for the water, so I long to be with my Lord. Think about the worst drought. If you've ever been to Israel, I mean it is so funny. I went in 2005 and my wife and I went together a few years ago. And we we landed in Tel Aviv and we drove into the Judean wilderness. And she she was so thankful to be there. So don't misunderstand this. I quote her. But she said, This is the promised land? I mean, she she said, that's what she said. This is the promised land? I mean, she said, this is like Mars, and it really, it really does, it looks like a far it looks like a foreign planet, uh, another planet. Now, you get up you know to Jerusalem and north, and it's beautiful, it's lush, the valleys around the Jordan River are lush, green. But but out in that Judean desert, and and and we went to a place called Angeti, which is an oasis in the middle of the desert. I mean, I mean, literally in the middle of the desert. There's a spring of water. And we went and we swam in that water and we hung out there, and it it is in that area. It is in that area. David hid with his 400 mighty men. So I'm so so I'm I'm I'm hanging out in an area that thousands of years ago, King David would have pinned these words as the deer pants for the water. Oh, my soul longs for the goodness of God. So it's about hunger and drawing near, tapping into the strength. Jesus says this in John 15, 5. He says, I am the vine, you are the branches, the one who remains in me, and I in him produces much fruit because you can do nothing without me. Now, now, a lot of times when we think about spiritual warfare, there's two ditches. There's one ditch or the other that we can fall into. David Guzick says that there's two major ditches. And number one, the first ditch is the spiritual bravado ditch. And it's this idea and mindset, and this is where I think a lot of us men fall into, is we say, hey, I got this. I got this. The last words of a man in trouble is I got this. Spiritual bravado is I got this. I can handle this. I'm fine. I don't need prayer. I don't need community. I I listen, uh, I don't need to confess my sins. I don't need anybody to help me. I got this. And that's this overconfidence or this false bravado, it leads to isolation and eventually it leads to collapse. It leads to a miserable life of self-sufficiency. Do whatever you want, be the best version of yourself. Spiritual bravado is not what Paul is talking about in this passage. Uh there's another ditch. The second ditch is spiritual despair. Not only spiritual bravado, which is kind of this false kind of, I got this courage, poke my chest out. Well, the other ditch is despair. Spiritual despair. It's the opposite of bravado. It sounds like, it sounds like it's it's it's meek and and and we're weak. I'm too weak. I could never change. I can't, I don't get, I don't get this gospel. I don't get that God could never forgive me. I can't stand on the truth. I I might I keep trying so hard, I might as well quit trying. And this spiritual despair is hopelessness. And hopelessness leads to passivity, which is basically sitting around doing nothing. I I don't know how to solve anything. And you know what we do? We give up ground. We forget we're in a battle. We are in a battle. We need to know who our enemy is, and we need to stand. We need to stand. And it's not it's not spiritual bravado, it's not hopelessness or despair. I mean, there's all these voices that are speaking in our lives. There's voices speaking in the younger generation. How do they make sense of what is truth and what is right? Maybe they need parents, maybe they need people in their life that will speak truth, not tell them they're worthless because the world will tell you, the world will whisper into your mind, you are so worthless. You could never measure up to the standard that God wants for you. You just need to fold it up and give in. Which is why the suicide rates are higher than they've been ever in history, especially among the younger generation. Well, Paul speaks a drastically different message from both of these ditches. He teaches us that it's dependence on the Lord. That word strengthen can also be translated to be empowered. And it's the Lord's strength that we rest in, it's the Lord's strength that we fight the spiritual battle. And so the goal is not for you to be impressive spiritually. The goal is for you to be connected to the power source that the Lord has given you through the Holy Spirit. He says, be strengthened in the Lord. Be strengthened in the Lord. It's not only do we get the power source right, but we engage the enemy through the real fight behind the fight. The fight behind the fight. What do I mean by that? Let's read. Verses 11 and 12. He says, put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil spiritual forces in the heavens. It's the real fight behind the fight. There really are demons. There is a devil. Listen, the most important thing that ever goes through your mind is what you think about when you think about God. Now, maybe one of the second, third, fourth most important things that goes through your mind is for you to understand and believe the reality of an enemy, an adversary, a devil, Lucifer. I don't have time to go into that and into who Lucifer is and where he came from. He was the chief worship leader in heaven, and Ezekiel and Isaiah give us passages that give us insight about that. Also, Revelation speaks about him being the morning, great morning star. And he he pridefully didn't believe that God should get all the worship because he was the worship leader, the most talented probably being that's ever existed in all of history. And he lifted up his heart against the Lord and he demanded to be worshiped rather than God. And so he was cast down. The consequences of his rebellion, he is cast down to earth. And one third of the angelic forces, that one third of the angelic host came to be with him. And that those are the demonic forces that we're up against. And I don't have time, but but each one of these, each one of the words that describe Rulers, authorities. There's a hierarchy in the demonic world. And so there's a real fight behind the fight, and we've got to know it. We've got to be willing at times to take a defensive posture and an offensive posture toward the real enemy. The real enemy is not your spouse. It's not your kids. It's not your neighbor. Isn't it interesting that we've walked through Ephesians and we've looked at all of these different relationships that we have, and we finished last week looking at the relationships of a husband and a wife and a father and a mother and their children, and we looked at those relationships, and then he finishes the book, the whole book, the letter, talking about spiritual warfare. I think the part of his understanding is, hey, we tend to make those closest to us our enemies. We tend to have the problems with those that are closest to us. It's not your spouse, it's not your kid, it's not your neighbor. The real enemy is the devil. Now, Paul's not saying that people will not hurt you. People can hurt you, people can physically hurt you, they can emotionally hurt you, but they're not the enemy. There's an enemy behind their actions. And that enemy wants to come at you. People never should be the people are never the targets of our attack or our response. Jesus said it in John 10, 10, he says, the enemy has come to steal, kill, and destroy, but I've come that you might have life and have it abundantly. And so we need to do two things. We need to know two things. Number one, who is the enemy? This the rulers and authorities, the cosmic powers of darkness, evil forces. But also, we need to know what the enemy's gonna do. We need to know the strategy of the enemy. What are the schemes? Schemes are not random chaos. The word speaks to that literally that word leads to or speaks to a patterned strategy. The enemy has a strategy, and he repeats the same plays over and over. He runs the same plays over and over again. Here's the common arrows that the enemy throws at us. Accusation. Accusation. The enemy is great at accusing. And he might tell you this, he might speak it in your mind. You're the only one dealing with this. Nobody cares about you. God won't come through because of what you've done. Look at what you've done in your past. And so there's accusations. Isolation is a common play of the enemy. You don't need anybody. You don't need to talk to anyone. Hey, hey, just just hey, you can worship God in the woods. You can worship God at home. You can worship God watching church online. You can do all there's all excuses. But the right Hebrews says, do not forsake the assembly together of the body. Isolation is not, that's not a scheme of God. That's not what God's plan is. Another scheme of the enemy is deception, getting you to believe something to be true that is actually not true. Compromise. Just give in. Just this one time. Just this one time won't hurt. Division. We've done this whole series on relationships, and the enemy's favorite strategy in relationships is division. He wants us to misidentify the enemy. He wants us to look at each other. He wants us to fight with one another. He loves it when churches start getting having disagreements and become divided and eventually split. I lived in a community that had a church called Dewberry Baptist number one. And just down the road, there was a church called Dewberry Baptist No. That's not funny to you. I mean, I was like, I gotta find out. There's a story there. That's there's something there's something to that. And I started asking questions in the community. And you know what happened? They got mad. One group got mad at another group in Dewberry, number one. Then it was just Dewberry Baptist. And the one group got so mad that they said, we're gonna go take our toys and go play in a different sandbox, but just to rub it in, we're just not even gonna change the name. It's gonna be Dewberry number two. And I think it's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard in my life.

unknown 27:08

Amen. Say that again.

SPEAKER_00 27:11

I think I will. That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard in my life. I mean, just hearing, I mean, I listen, I've been in ministry, there's probably not a story that I haven't heard. I mean, I, uh, of crazy things that happen. And it's the it's the enemy. Charles Spurgeon said this: Satan always hates Christian fellowship. It is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another, he delights in. Since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation.

unknown 27:48

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

And Paul said in Ephesians, let's go back to Ephesians 1. Paul says this, talking about Christ. He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at the right hand of the heavens, far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion and every title given, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. Paul's talking about the power of God in Christ. God raised Jesus from the dead, and the resurrection was not only a victory over death, but a declaration of victory over the spiritual powers and forces. And we live in this in-between. It's already, but not yet. The kingdom of God is already here, but not yet here. The victory has already been won, but not yet been won. So we we live, we have the victory. That is our identity, but there will be a day where Jesus will come back, and he won't come back next time as a humble child. He'll be riding a white horse. And there'll be a tattoo on his thigh that says King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We sang about it this morning, and we all sat here like stumps on a log when we should have been moved spiritually by the truth of what we're singing. And so there's the real fight behind the fight. And here's what we did. Here's how we fight. How do we fight? How we fight? We stand, we suit up, and we pray. We stand, we suit up, and we pray. Say that with me. Stand, suit up, and pray. Say it again. Stand, suit up, and pray. Here's what he said in verse 13. For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything to take your stand. And so Paul says, wake up and put on the full armor of God. Take on the full armor of God so we can resist in the evil day. He says, Stand. Stand firm. It's this idea of not being moved. In the Roman army, they wore sandals, but the Roman soldiers had these special cleats, these metal pieces on the bottom of their sandals that would allow them to dig in. Imagine playing a sport and our athletes wear cleats. Why do they wear cleats? So they can't be moved. So they have traction. They just can't be pushed over. They've got leverage. And so Paul is saying, stand firm. Stand firm. Remember that God is with you. He's called us to persevere. He's called us to stand. He's not, he doesn't call us to give up. He doesn't. Listen, one of the worst things in the world is for someone to walk with Christ and then be on the verge of a breakthrough in their life. Listen to me. Maybe going through difficult circumstances, but you are on the verge of a breakthrough. But right before the breakthrough comes, you just give up. You give up. He calls us to persevere. Stand. Persevere. You know what a black belt is? A person with a black belt is considered like an expert. Listen, a black belt is simply a white belt that never gave up. And a lot of us give up right before the breakthrough comes. And so here's what he says, stand. And then he tells us what to put on. He says, put on the belt of truth. What is the belt of truth? It's the stabilizing center that holds everything together. Truth is God's revealed reality in Christ. It's lived out with integrity. Truth defines reality, not your feelings. There's the breastplate of righteousness. We stand in Christ's righteousness. We live in righteous, we live righteous lives, not in our own power, but through the power that God provides. And it guards our core identity in Christ. You are not in Christ by performance. You don't have strength by performance. You have it as you receive it. Then he says, shoes. Wear the shoes. It's the readiness of the gospel of peace. Going back to the Roman soldiers, they wore these studded sandals, these sandals that had metal studs on the bottom, cleats on the bottom. And so the gospel gives us steady footing. It sends us out into the world. We've got a team right now on their way to Honduras to take the gospel and share it with people. There's the shield of faith. A large door-sized shield would be used to absorb blows and extinguish flaming arrows. Faith puts out lies. Faith puts out it puts away temptations and deals with accusations and fear. Faith is never vague optimism. It's always found in Christ. And then there's the helmet of salvation. It's what changes us when we repent and we believe. We put on the helmet of salvation and that work that Christ has done in our heart begins to take shape and form us into the image of Christ. And then he says, the sword of the Spirit. What is the sword of the Spirit? It's the Word of God. This is the Word of God. A lot of the armor here is defensive in nature. But the Word of God, a sword is never meant to be defensive. It is meant to be offensive. And we fight with the Word. And so we need, listen, Paul's saying, here's your checklist. Make sure these things are put on. And you know what ends up happening is you day by day, day by day, you depend, you learn to depend more and more on Christ. Listen, what I'm talking about in the Christian life, it's not a sprint, it's not meant to be instantaneous. Sometimes change can come quicker for some than others. But I'm telling you, for most of us, it's a long obedience in the same direction. To quote Eugene Peterson. Hey, this is listen, we're in this until the end. He's never finished with us until it's our time to step into eternity. And then he says, pray. Pray. Pray. Pray is dependence on God. Pray at all times. He says, in the Spirit, with every prayer and request, for Sheila Shire, she says, prayer is the divinely authorized method that activates our spiritual armor and makes it effective. And you know what today is on the Christian calendar? Today is, somebody said it. Pentecost Sunday. Today's Pentecost Sunday. Now, us, those of us that have certain backgrounds, some of you that may come from a more uh Baptist or liturgical background, we don't talk about Pentecost Sunday or celebrate Pentecost Sunday as much. You know why? Because we're a little bit afraid of the Holy Spirit. And when I say that joking, we we some of us really are a little bit afraid. But I'm telling you, it's it's the Holy Spirit given to us 50 days after Jesus' life, his death, and his resurrection. 50 days after Passover. That Sunday, that 50th day is the day of Pentecost. And it goes it goes even back further than the life of Jesus, where the Jewish people would celebrate this festival called the festival of Pentecost that was connected to the harvest and planting and all the things going on in their life. But the Pentecost that changes everything about how we fight our spiritual battles is the day that the Holy Spirit was given to the entire church. Somebody asked me a question a while back. Said, Russ, how how is it that, how did God work with the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? I mean, it doesn't, you know, it says that sometimes somebody was moved by the Holy Spirit, and that's pretty much what happened in the Old Testament is at times God would choose in his divine providence to bring the Holy Spirit's power on an individual. But everything changed. When that group of disciples were in the upper room praying, everything changed. They all got the baptism of the Holy Spirit in that upper room. And when they came down out of that upper room in the streets, there were tongues of fire that had to be one of the strangest experiences for people that were there for that festival. People from all over the world were there to celebrate what it meant to be a follower of God. And so Peter stands up and preaches the gospel. And 3,000 people got saved on that first Pentecost Sunday. And I'm telling you, that is how we fight our battles. That is how we fight. That is how we understand the power of God and the dependence that we can have upon Him as we lean in to the Holy Spirit. He established this new remembrance. It's called communion. We call it the Lord's Supper. Some call it the Eucharist. And it's when we take the wafer that represents the body of Christ that was broken for us. This blood was spilled for us. We we take the juice and we take the wafer and we dip it into the juice and we remember what Christ did for us in giving us his life, his broken body and his spilled blood provided for the atoning work and forgiveness and redemption and hope that we would have. And when we put our faith in Christ, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. And part of the Christian walk is learning how to walk in that power. And when we come to the table of the Lord, we are remembering what he has done on our behalf, and that the reality of the power that we need to access to fight these spiritual battles is found through the power and the resurrected Jesus. And so when you take that wafer, you think of his broken body, and you dip it in the juice, think of the spilled blood, all of that that we all deserved ourselves. And we could have him and his power inside of us to fight the spiritual battles that we have in this world. So would you bow your heads with me right now? And can we just spend a moment in prayer reflecting on the significance of the Lord's table? The significance of the spiritual battle that we're in, the significance of what God's plan and purpose is for your life, how he has given you gifts to fight in this battle, he's given you his spirit to fight in this battle, he's given us memorials that bring us back to help us remember where to place our focus, his broken body, his spilled blood, all of that for our atonement, our redemption, to give us eternal life. So if you've never put your faith in Christ, maybe this morning, maybe this morning is the day that you put your faith in Christ. Where you say, honestly, I need to put my faith in Jesus and I need to repent of my sin. And I need to turn and put my trust in what Christ has done by giving his broken body and spilling his blood. And if you never put your faith in Christ, let me just invite you to just simply invite him into your life. We're gonna hear three testimonies next the next hour, uh three people who who might say it a little differently, but basically are saying that Jesus has become Lord and Savior, and that they now believe that he is their Lord and Savior. If that's you this morning and you want Jesus in your life, you simply call out to him, say, Dear Jesus, I need you. I trust you, I put my faith in you, I repent, I believe in the good news that you lived, you died, and you rose again to save me from my sin. And if that's you this morning, you've never trusted in the Lord before. This is your first first time in your life, you've prayed a prayer like that, and you mean it from the bottom of your heart. Would you slip your hand up so I can pray for you? Would you just slip your hand up? Anyone in the room? Now, believers, those of us that are believers, the challenge is today when we leave here, is remember the power that we have access to, and to walk in that power to fight a spiritual battle. And the battle has already been won, but God, in the same sense, gives us a chance to be a part of it. We become his ambassadors, we become his earthly representatives in this battle and this war. And so maybe today it's you saying, I need to restore my relationship to Jesus. I need to repent of this sin. I need to examine my heart before I come to this table. That's you. This is your chance. As we sit and reflect, I'm gonna ask Ryan if he'll just play over us just for a moment. And when he starts singing, when he starts singing, I want you to feel free to come and make your way to the table. But until then, spend some time reflecting on what Christ has provided for you and examine your heart before you come to the table. So in Christ's name we pray. Amen.