November 10, 2024 | Teaching the Next Generation

Transcript:

There's a lot of things that are boring in life. Hearing kids worship is not one of them. Amen. Thank you kids for sharing with us. Kind of makes the point.

Can you put the PowerPoint up? Cause we're going to talk about teaching the next generation.

Let's start in Psalm 145, just the first few verses. I will exalt you, my God and King, I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable One generation shall commend your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty and on the wondrous works. I will meditate

Over in Matthew, two one sentence parables.

This is Matthew 13, 44. The kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes out and sells all that he has and buys the field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who in finding one pearl of great value went and sold all he had and bought it.

And then the very last words Jesus spoke as his feet were leaving the ground, ascending to heaven. This is the very end of Matthew. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him. But some doubted. And Jesus came to him and said, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have. And I have commanded you and behold, I am with you always to the very end of the age.

Let's pray. Father, we have one job, to teach the next generation, your glory.

Thank you, Father for the children in our homes. Thank you, father for the children in this church. Thank you, Father for the children in the school. Thank you, Father for our neighborhood. Thank you, father for the state of Tennessee. Thank you God for the United States. Thank you, Father for the world. Thank you for the world and all of time, that we may teach the next generation the love of God.

Thank you Father for your scripture that directs it. Thank you Father for the gift of prayer. Thank you Father for the gift of one another. May we be encouraged with these truths today. In your precious name, amen.

What is the will of God for your life? Anybody ever ask that Anybody ever ask what the will of God for our country was last week? Anybody ever ask what the will of God is for this body? What is the will of God for hiring a new pastor? What is the will of God for a business venture? What is the will of God for, kind of fill in the blank.

So I want to speak to that in how we teach the next generation, the why and the how of the will of God and using the Lord's prayer as a basis.

Jed has how many sermons in first Peter, is it 30? 26. 26 different sermons series on First Peter. And when you take the last or a few of the last three of the last few, and you say entrust your soul to a faithful creator, 4:19, shepherd the flock among you , 5:2, and cast your burden upon him because he cares for you, 5:7, may those truths of first Peter help us to have a good application today as we speak about the next generation.

Within this body, Berean Bible church, this body handles scripture as a priority. I hope so. It's, it's our namesake, right? We are the Bereans. We are the ones who search the scripture to find out if it's true.

I would also say that marriage is a priority in this body. My, my parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and my dad's a psychologist and therefore forever a statistician. And he'll tell you that only 6 percent of the population will make it to 50 years of marriage. And how many have crossed the 50 years of marriage in this room? That's more than 6%. Praise God. And may we do a good job of leading to the next generation.

Teaching is a priority for this body. The amount of teaching, leadership, prayer, Sunday school classes, youth groups, and Berean Christian School ministry. Uh, you could make a big list, and It is a priority.

And so when we talk about what does it mean to teach the next generation? I just want to say it simply we're doing a good job You're doing a good job. We're taking this seriously. You are asking the Lord to fill you to be poured out for the next generation. The world needs that. Praise God.

All right. We are a body of believers. We are called to study the word of God and to live it out and to teach the next generation. What should not be passed on to the next generation?

It's always a good question. Maybe some of our vocabulary. I don't know if any of you have ever used the words groovy or radical or far out or wild. And you can, or, or the youth might say things like sus or bet or skibbity toilet. If you don't know what that is, don't worry about it. It's not worth. The point is, is that every generation has their little pocket words and you say, that's fine for that generation, and when the next generation tries to say it, you're like, that doesn't connect.

Like when I was in middle school, it was funny to say, Hey, nice shoes, not. And somehow that was, in vogue or you're like, okay. It's okay that that vocabulary is not passed on to the next generation. Eight track players. It's okay that that is not passed on to the next generation.

Although vinyl records are making a comeback for those who care about such things. I remember when we got our first microwave in our house. I remember when we got our first cell phone in our house. I remember when we got our first computer, personal computer in the home. How many can remember those things as well?

All right, see? And that's just in our lifetime. And so for youth, when you're like, I remember the days before the internet. And they're like, What, how did you post on Instagram? You're like, exactly. You had to look in someone's eye and have a conversation with them. There was a conversation at the booth out there this morning about an AI assistant on chat GBT, that if you download the app, you can something, something, something.

And a few of you are like, cool, not interested. That's okay. That not everything gets passed to the next generation.

What should be passed to the next generation? What is our charge? What is the purpose? Before we turn our attention to scripture, a few things. My love will say, my wife will say, that I've done a good job of establishing the love of Star Wars in my house for the next generation. So no more need, no more practice needed on that.

Is that what we're after? Probably not. Now, a sweet thing, I'm, I'm, I'm pointing at the empty chair, uh, Maynard Nordmo, who has a farm, asked Andrew, my son, last Saturday to go to the farm to do some work. And he was, Andrew started a little exposure to driving a tractor, and using a log splitter, and working hard outdoors.

Are those things good to pass to the next generation? Yes.

My wife was sewing napkins, cloth napkins yesterday with Jocelyn, our 10 year old, is sewing a good skill to the past, to the next generation?

The love of literature, mathematics, good written and spoken expression. Does this country need good leaders? Does this country need good servants? We're raising the next generation of all of that.

It's It's really hard to overstate the value of a good education. Like when you say, how much does a good education help you in life? And I, and not just get a piece of paper or walk across the stage, formal education, but life education, it's really good to get a good education. Some of us are high on the common sense side of things. Some of us are high on the academic side of things. Some of us are not. There's many forms of intelligence and knowledge and education, but when it's done well, you say that's worth it. That's good. Praise God.

George Waller and a few others can tell you some stories of in the late 1970s, they got together to pray about creating a Christian school in this building. I wasn't here then it was started in 1980. If you're want a word picture for that, I was three at the time. So I would have been in the preschool. Praise God. And many of us praise God for his, his purpose in creating the next generation. And what is so sweet in hearing these kids sing, shaping the next generation. God's truth in our hearts. All right.

Here's a few stats. This body, this year Berean Bible Church will host about 60 services. So, 52 weeks in a year, so a service every week plus a Christmas Eve service and a few other things. This year, There will be about 300 Sunday school classes here. This year, there's two, about 216 Wednesday night gatherings.

So obviously I'm counting, well, there's a youth group, but there's also a men's Bible study and there's also a women's Bible study and a number of other pockets. There'll be about 312 care groups this year, just within our body. There'll be over just over a hundred chapel services in this room. We have three chapel services every week. We have an elementary chapel, a middle school chapel and a high school chapel.

By the way, if you have opportunity on Fridays at 8am to come over here, do it. You will see a elementary chapel of about 200 kids singing to the Lord. And there's a number of teachers and parents sprinkled in. It is a sweet picture of God's love in us and the next generation.

Uh, there'll be 4, 680 Bible classes taught this year in this building. And then there, that doesn't even touch the 700 homeschool ISP families that we oversee and encourage and educate. And that's just this year. If you start counting numbers about the school since 1980 and the church since 1950, praise God.

And may He continue to lead us and protect us.

So, what's the how and why of teaching the next generation?

Say the Lord's Prayer with me. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not in temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

That's Probably Jesus is best known teaching, the Lord's Prayer.

If you're going to teach your kids one thing, if you're going to teach your Sunday school class one thing, if you're going to model one thing in your life. The Lord's Prayer is a pretty good place to start.

Sometimes we overthink it, is my point. We talk about curriculum, we talk about scope and sequence, we talk about all the other things. I, I don't think any of those things are wrong or bad. But don't lose the simplicity of the teachings of Jesus, specifically in the Lord's Prayer.

So, in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus is called Father. Our Father, who art in Heaven. Amen. Why is that name father significant? Well, because we now have a relationship with him.

It also denotes the fact that the father lives in the home. This world's not our home.

Jesus is speaking to his father. We have the opportunity to speak to our father. We will have an opportunity to speak to our father. More clearly more directly without the presence of darkness and sin and night and all the rest when we see him face to face. Our father who art in heaven.

Hallowed be your name. It also is a picture of holiness Uh, you guys are quite familiar if you flip over to Lamentations.

Right in the middle of Lamentations, which is a prayer of lament, a prayer of pain, a prayer of, uh, unspeakable devastation to Jerusalem. Lamentations 3: 22 and 23.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.

So in counseling, you're told to you not use words like you never listen, you're always late, because You're like, okay. It's not every time you're late. It's not you never listen. It's, okay, you could listen better or you know things like that.

But with God, He's absolute. So when it says The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. And for Jeremiah to write this in unspeakable devastation, never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. So the best morning of your life and the worst morning of your life. God is God. God is Holy.

What a gift to teach that and live that for the next generation.

So if you flip over to second Peter. What is the will of God for your life?

Second Peter 3:9. I like it that it says this is the will of God in a number of places in scripture because, it's kind of that simple. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness. But is patient toward you not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It is the Lord's will for you to come to salvation. That is the will of God.

When you stand before God, you're not holy. You're not complete. You have sin in your life. And when you come to the cross and you repent you're saying, God, our father who art in heaven hallowed be your name, you are complete, you are holy, and what a gift that he allows us to be like him.

Let's practice this right now. Take a moment of silent prayer to pray for his holiness to come in your life.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. All right. A very good and simple prayer is God may your kingdom come may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What a gift.

So Imagine this side of the stage is the kingdom of God. And we say and believe that the kingdom of God is best. There are times we find ourselves drifting to the kingdom of me. We don't call it the kingdom of me, but we sure feel it. And we think my way is best. I have to solve this or the problem in my life depends upon me generating the solution. The kingdom of me.

I fear much of the anxiety in my life is not based around the kingdom of God. It's based around the kingdom of me. And there's nothing wrong with fixing problems in life. Like, you get a good flat tire. You want to, you want to fix the tire in your car. Good. You should.

We just got new neighbors on where we live and we didn't know who was going to move in. So do we pray that God would bring the right family to live next to us? Yeah. A good neighbor is a good thing. I heard Tim McKeon say that once, kind of like that. A good neighbor is a good thing. It's yeah, it's true.

I'm not saying we shouldn't pray about things. I'm not saying we shouldn't fix things. But when you pray the prayer, God, may your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It's not only another reminder that the earth is not our home. This world is not our home, but it's also a call for what happens here. May it happen in our lives. May your kingdom come, your will be done.

This is a picture of God being king. Amen. The last one is God being father and God being holy. This is God being king. This is personal to our lives. What does a king get to do in life?

If you are king or queen of something, in all the little fairy tale stories, the king or the queen, they lived in the palace and they got to make all the rules or tell people what to do. Does God get to tell us what to do? I, I, uh, God is king. We are at our best when we bow our knee and say, God, you're king, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

This factors into our covenant relationships. A covenant relationship is a relationship that God wants you to have. I don't know. I work at Berean Christian School in Berean Bible Church. Thank you for The opportunity but I can't distinctly say God, I know you want me to work here, with the same confidence that I can say, I know God wants me to stay married to my wife. That is a covenant relationship. I made a vow. I I said God this is the will of God for my life to be married. Jesus says it very strongly, when he says Matthew chapter 19 verse 6, And so they were no longer two but one flesh what God therefore has joined together. Let no man separate It's a covenant relationship

I know there are marriage struggles. I know there's divorce. God's grace is right and rich.

It's always a wonderful prayer to say God may your kingdom come may your will be done On earth as is in heaven.

If you ask my children, what, what is, if you ask my children, what is your dad's favorite verse? From their point of view, what's my favorite verse? Brielle, do you know?

See? Isn't that a great verse? Shouldn't we practice that a lot? Children, obey your parents and the Lord, for this is right. Rosalie, oh she, she's not here. What's the next verse? What's the next verse? Children, obey your parents in the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children. I don't that we don't need to worry about that.

It is God's will for me to be the father of my children. It is God's will for them to respect me. That is the will of God for our life. So we spend a lot of time on what's the will of God. There are many things that is the stated will of God.

May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Quick story from my past. Um, Uh, when I was 21 years old, I had finished college and I had gotten a certificate in TEFL, teaching English as a foreign language. And while I was taking those classes, uh, somebody who had a school in Thailand said, if you'd like to come teach English, I have a school, come on. And so I finished my undergrad. I took a year off to work, make some money, and raise some financial support to go overseas. It wasn't formally with the mission organization, but it was a church school relationship overseas, and I had a certificate as an English teacher, so it was a, it was an easy access point to being a tent maker missionary idea.

And so I raised my money. I bought my plane ticket. I was ready to go. And I went to the, um, I went to, I'm a 22 year old kid at this point. I feel pretty normal, pretty healthy. I said I should go to the doctor and get a physical because I will be out of the country for a while, and probably some malaria medicine, or whatever else they would recommend for, you know, things like that.

So, um, and so I went and they did a normal blood work, physical, whatever they call the executive panel thing and they tested my blood. And a nurse calls me three days later and says, there's a, there's a problem. And I'm like, okay. And she says, your liver enzymes are supposed to be between 40 and 80. And they're like 250.

And I'm like, what does that mean? And she says, we don't know, but we probably need you to come back and take more tests. I'm like, well, see, I'm getting on my plane to go to Thailand because that's my plan. And she says, I can't answer that for you, but I think we should look into this. And so they, as a 22 year old, they're testing me.

I'd been overseas before I'd been in Vietnam two years before that. And I'd been in China two years before that in my college years. And so they're testing me for mono. They're testing me for malaria. They're testing me there. They did an ultrasound on me for cancer. I thought ultrasound were just for mamas who were expecting. That's not true.

Um, And they were checking for very big words. I had to call my travel agent and say, uh, I, I can't, I can't take off at this time. And he said, well, we'll do an open ended ticket, something, something. And so get that solved. And then as long as you leave within this window, you're fine. So I communicate with the school in Thailand to say, I'm not coming in June, like I thought I was, I might be there in July.

I had groups pray with me. I was part of a youth group in South Carolina at the time. We're a college and career ministry in South Carolina. They prayed for me, my church, my parents, my family. But my life was on hold.

One of the verses in that season that God helped me with, as you can imagine, that shakes you. Philippians, or excuse me, Ephesians chapter one, all the things that Christ, God, the father does, God, the son does God, the spirit does in Ephesians one. And then in verse, uh, I'm going to go to verse seven, Ephesians one in him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which is set before you as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him things in heaven on things on earth. God wants us to bring all things under the administration of Christ. All things. All things. All things. All things under the administration of Christ. So I was like, okay God, uh, are you saying I should not go to Thailand. Are you saying I should just pray more? Are you saying?

Two weeks later I go back to the doctor, I, they draw another blood panel and they check my liver enzymes again and they say, Oh, you're fine, go ahead. And I'm like, what, what does your fine mean? And they're like, well, they're back down.

And I'm like, they're like, do you take too much Tylenol? I'm like, I don't think so. No. There wasn't a good medical explanation. I don't know what happened. I don't know if they mixed up the blood work the first time. I don't know if I had a major problem and God healed me. I don't know if God just had to pause me so that I would pray a little deeper and a little more specific about, God, is this really your will for my life? I can't say.

But I'm sure glad I did because the next six months of my life We're harder than the previous four years. I didn't lose my faith in Thailand. Praise God. I lost everything beyond my personal faith. What's the point of ministry? What's the point of missions? You can't help everybody. Not everybody wants to be helped. And that took me a couple of years to unravel or put back together. Whatever the metaphor is.

But if I hadn't paused and said, God, is this really you? I really want to do this. Let's go get it. And all of a sudden I can't, and it makes me pray a little deeper. May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Not my will. God's will.

And you say, well, I think they're the same. Well, good. Let's, let's seek the face of God on that.

Actually, before we move on, Pray right now for your covenant relationships. Pray right now for the relationships that you know, and that may be your husband or wife, that may be your children and grandchildren, that may be your parents and your grandparents. Pray right now for your covenant relationships.

Give us today our daily bread. Here God is called the provider. Now it's easy to say God's the provider when there's bread on the table. It's easy to say God's the provider when there's money in the bank account. When you get get the good Bill of Health, when the relationship gets healed, you say, God did that. Praise God.

How's our faith when we don't have bread on the table? When we don't get the good Bill of Health, when the relationship breaks instead of heals? Where's God the provider then?

Give us to stay our daily bread.

All right, first Thessalonians five, I like it that it's also this clear in scripture.

Do not despise prophecy, test everything, hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and body be kept blameless at the coming of age. He who is faithful will do it

Run back up to verse 16, rejoice, always pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God for you and your life. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God for you and your life. I like it that it says it that simply. This is the will of God is that you're thankful in all circumstances. All circumstances.

When you look at, um, Philippians chapter 4, Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all, for the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And then the peace of God shall pass as understanding and will guard your hearts and your minds in awe of Christ Jesus.

What is God providing for us in that?

Joy. Peace. Petitioning. Thankfulness. Expecting. Those are pretty good gifts.

It is the will of God for you to be thankful. It is the will of God for you to be prayerful. So I want to ask you to do something right now. I want you to stand up and I want you to say thank you to three people in this room right now. Go.

All right, that's okay. Knock it off. Thankfulness is over. Sit down.

Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. God here is seen as the redeemer, the one who buys back, the one who covers, the one who completes, the one who forgives. This is the will of God for your life, to forgive. To be forgiven and also to forgive others.

So as a middle school teacher for a bunch of years, well, I still am. Um, you, you often, and this isn't just a middle school thing, but it comes up in middle school a lot. What is the difference between saying I'm sorry, or will you forgive me? What's the difference? Sorry. And maybe even I'm sorry. And maybe even I'm sorry that I did that.

It gets a little more personal each time. And it should. But when you say, will you forgive me, there's a weight in that and there should be, what are we calling on God to do when we say, will you forgive me?

We already sang it this morning about the finished work of the cross. When you're saying, will you forgive me? You're saying, God, you died for that sin. I reckon that dead. One word picture for forgiveness is to put a, uh, uh, a lid on a boiling pot of water. So the steam is just billowing out. And when you put the lid on the steam, doesn't billow out anymore. It's contained. The word picture is your sin is now covered by the blood of Jesus. It's finished. It's settled.

That's way deeper. And I understand that not all middle schoolers use these thoughts and words. And I understand that not all adults use these thoughts and words. But when you say, will you forgive me, you're saying, God, you died for that. Will you please reckon that is dead?

And when we relate to God, that's how we need to be. God, please forgive me of all of my sin. Please don't bring up that thing a year later because I know you said you forgive me, but just make it be dead for good. That's what forgiveness is.

In fact, one of the word pictures in scripture is God puts your sin behind his back. Or another word picture is he forgets, he can't remember your sin. And you're like, can God really not remember? Like, is that, is that a thing? And you're like, it's that as the East is from the West, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

That's way different than, well, see, I'm, I'm, I'm a good person. And well, I do some bad things, but I do more good things. That's. Forgive us our debts or our trespasses as we forgive our debtors. God, forgive me of my sin. We desire that to be complete. And when we're redeemed, when we're bought back, when we're purchased, when God has completed the work, us, us trying more, not only doesn't help, it makes it worse.

God, you completed the work on the cross. That's forgiveness with God. Which that's easy to preach, that's easy to say, that's easy to say, but then when you say well, then help us to forgive our debtors, why is it so hard for us to ask for forgiveness from somebody else? And why is it so hard to grant forgiveness to somebody else?

See Jesus tells this story in Matthew 18 about a king who had a servant who owed him 500 million dollars. He, he, he had all this money and the guy couldn't pay, so the King forgave him.

And then that forgiven guy went out and a servant owed him five bucks, and he couldn't pay, and the forgiven man now starts choking this guy saying you owe me five bucks.

And somebody heard about it, went and told the king and the king said, Hey buddy, come back here a second. I just forgave you 500 million dollars and you're not going to forgive the guy who owes you five bucks?

The reason the parable is so convicting is every time we don't forgive, we're that guy.

I don't mean to make light of forgiveness. It is big. It is right. It is hard. And we need God's help to do it. There are major events in life that you don't just say, Oh, I forgive you. That changed my life in a bad way. I can't just, and forgiveness is not necessarily the absence of boundaries.

Well, again, a middle school example of two friends that are friends, and one of them is not acting so friendly and they've been friends since second grade, and now they're kind of growing apart. And one friend tells the other friend, the secret and the other, you, you blab that secret all over the school. And then this one's hurt. And you say, well, I need to, I need you to know that hurt me.

And this person can say, I'm sorry. Will you forgive me? Maybe this person doesn't share their secret next time. I'm using a hypothetical example. May the Holy Spirit direct you to what does it mean for you to forgive others?

When you think about what the next generation is seeing in your life, hearing from you, watching you model.

The Lord's the Lord's prayer is a easy prayer to pray. Does anybody know what the verses right after the Lord's prayer? What does it say right after the Lord's prayer? Yeah, gosh, that's in that's intense. For if you forgive others, their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.

Wow. Wow. Like it's that simple. That is the will of God for your life is to be forgiven and to forgive others.

Spend a moment in prayer right now, asking God for help in those things.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Here, God is our protector. God's the provider. God is the redeemer. God is the protector.

Here's another will of God passage for your life. First Thessalonians chapter four.

Finally, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord that you receive from us how you ought to walk and please God, just as you are doing, for that you do more and more. For you know what instruction we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God for your life. Your sanctification. And then it gives some examples, for this is the will of God for your life, your sanctification. That you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in passion of lust like the gentiles who do not know God. That no one may transgress and wrong his brother in this matter because the lord is the avenger of all these things, and we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you, for God has not called you to impurity, but to holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man, but God who gives the Holy Spirit to you.

What is the will of God for your life? Your sanctification. And specifically here, it's referencing holiness instead of dishonor.

First, Peter, uh, we were referencing for the last months, If you look at first Peter chapter two, verse 17,

be subject to the Lord for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it is an emperor as supreme, or a governor sent to you by him, to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God for your life, that by doing so you should put to silence ignorant and foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor Everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. That is the will of God for your life. It says so.

And James, the end of the book of James. I'm sorry, the end of chapter one of the book of James, if anyone thinks himself religious, we don't use that word, but we would, this would apply to this room right now. We are a bother body of believers. If anyone thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

That's a big word. Religion is pure and undefiled before God. The father is this to, or this is the will of God, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

God is the protector. God is the one who leads us not into temptation and delivers us from evil.

And then as we relate to the world, as we relate to our own bodies, as we relate to the devil. God is our protector. So one of the wonderful prayers is lead us not in temptation and deliver us from evil.

Scott Goss, I'll use your name. You've been an encourager to me on this verse. You pray this verse a lot. It's a great verse to pray. Thank you.

Let's wrap up.

Your kingdom, your power, your glory forever and ever. Amen.

God here is revealed, and God here is glorified. Psalm one or Psalm 23, what does the end of it say? My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That verb follow could also be changed to pursued for goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life. And I'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Why is that a slightly significant or why is that word change a little significant? That God is pursuing us or the love of mercy of God are pursuing us instead of following us? To quote, I think it was Chuck Swindoll, send God sends out the hounds of heaven after you. God is coming after you. He's pursuing you.

We, we still have this idea that it depends upon me. Your sanctification, your salvation are God's work in you. So receive it. God is pursuing you.

First Peter 5, 7, uh, 6 and 7, cast your cares upon him because he cares for you. First John 419 we love because he first loved us. It's continuing to push back to the thought that this is God, God's work. God is doing this.

When you, when you get married and when you have children, something changes in you. One of the things that changes in you, if you, if you were to ask any parent, not just this room, almost anywhere, would you rather die or would you rather have your child die?

I would rather die, like, that's not even a hard question. Well, duh, I'd rather die than have my children die. And you say, where does that come from? That's not the survival instinct. That's not normal. But all of us have it. We know where it comes from. It's agape love. It's divine.

It's what God does for us. God is pursuing us. God would rather die than have you die. That'll preach. God's coming after you. He at the end of this passage is revealed as glorified.

Let me close with this is 52 Hebrew words every Christian should know. And then we'll sing something about the glory of God. Do you ever wake up in a fog and anxiety unable to focus because you're being pulled in multiple directions? The stress of work, unresolved issues at home, unanswered emails, sickness, tiredness, financial pressures. So many things in our modern world can leave us feeling flat and unable to focus on the morning. But, while stress may seem like a modern issue, perhaps there's an ancient solution. For thousands of years, Jewish believers have spoken a prayer the moment they wake up to focus their attention on God rather than things of this world.

The prayer is called Shema, which is a Hebrew word which means to listen, to hear. The prayer comes directly from Deuteronomy chapter 6, which reads, Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength.

These commands I give you today that you are to be on your heart. Impress them upon your children. Teach them when they sit down at home and when you rise, when you go along the road and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your forehands. Write them on the door frames of your houses and your gates.

The word Shema implies action. Similarly, we understand this idea when Jesus said he who has ears let him hear, which was his way of telling his followers to listen to his word and obey. As my friend rabbi Evan Motif says when God says shema, it's an invitation for us to listen, to respond, to appreciate, to understand, to act. As a Jew, Jesus would have prayed the shema every morning as a way of committing himself to God, to a loving God and listen to his word that day.

I remember how our added, I wonder how our attitudes would change, if the first thing we did when we woke up every morning was to commit ourselves to loving God and listening to his word.

Let's pray. Father, there are very big thoughts to talk about the will of God and to talk about teaching the next generation. Thank you Father for using your scripture to enlighten us in that. For many places of scripture, it says this is the will of God for your life. May we live that out. May we praise you.

Thank you Father for points of prayer. Thank you Father for points of gratitude. Thank you Father for covenant relationships. Thank you that you are our Father. Thank you this world is not our home, and thank you Father that you are the one who provides and protects and comes after us.

We ask your blessing on this body. We ask your blessing through that we may be the living curriculum, that we may be the word as you live in us. May we pass that to a world that doesn't have this hope. So may we give testimony of the great things God has done. May we praise you and glorify you today in your precious name. Amen.