Grace to you, church family. If you would take your copy of God's word and open to Psalm 128, and if you would stand as we are called to worship from God's word, as we read this Psalm together, as we come together publicly on this Lord's day, the first day of the week, under the grand banner of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we turn our attention to Psalm 128, a song of ascents, beginning to read in verse one, hear now the word of the living God. It reads as follows. Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands. You shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house. Your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel. This is the word of the living God if you would now join me in prayer. Heavenly Father, as we come together on this Lord's Day under the grand banner of the gospel of Jesus Christ, We come before your throne with thanksgiving in our heart, and we come before your throne with praise. Thank you for granting us access to your majestic sovereign throne, and we come with boldness. We come because you have granted us this access and because you have saved us through the blood of your Son. As we consider your greatness and your majesty, we cry out with the words of the psalmist who declared, O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. So we praise you for your sovereign power and your sovereign mercy and your sovereign grace. You are indeed the sovereign God of all creation. demonstrating your power in the expanse of creation and demonstrating your sovereign love by the new creation as you call dead sinners to life according to your grace. So we love you, oh God. And we praise you for your steadfast love for us, sinners who have been lavished with your grace and mercy. And we come together today to praise you. You are indeed worthy of all praise and honor and glory. You sent Your Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He would save us who were condemned in sin and found guilty according to the law. You poured out Your wrath upon Christ Jesus as the substitute for sinners. You satisfied holy justice, refusing to allow the guilty to go unpunished. You called out to us in the darkness that we would come to You in the light, You gave us your spirit who now indwells us. You delivered to us your precious word that is indeed a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. You raised up your son from the dead and he currently sits upon heaven's throne as our mediator. And you hear and receive the prayers of your people even now as we praise you and thank you. We are grateful that you are the never-changing, always the same, yesterday, today, and forever sovereign God. You are the all-wise, all-knowing, all-seeing, never-sleeping, nor-slumbering God who rules over all things. And we ask that you would receive the worship of your people on this Lord's Day. And we come together with a song in our heart, with a testimony on our lips, and with joy that floods our soul because of you, because of what you have done, because of your saving mercy and everlasting love. So be praised among your people today, oh God. This is indeed the Lord's Day. This is the day that you have made. we will indeed rejoice and be glad in it. And our gladness and joy is not rooted in the objects of the flesh or of this passing world, but our joy and gladness is ultimately in you, oh God. So we gather to celebrate the empty tomb and Jesus's victory in the resurrection from the dead. And we gather as the people who are called Christians. We are called according to the name of Christ. And we gather as people of hope. And we gather as the people of the gospel. And we gather as the people of your word. So we bless your holy name, oh God. Receive the worship and praise and adoration of our church family this morning as we gather in Jesus' name. For it's in his name we pray, amen. I invite you to turn to number 18 in your hymnals as we respond this morning in adoration and praise to who God is and what he has done. All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Let's sing together. All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Him serve with fear, his praise foretell. come ye before him and rejoice. The Lord you know is God, Without our aid he did us make. We are his flock he doth us feed. And for his sheep he doth us feed. ♪ O enter then his gates with praise ♪ ♪ Approach with joy his courts unto ♪ ♪ Praise, laud, and bless his name always ♪ ♪ For it is seemly so ♪ to do. For why the Lord our God is good. His mercy is forever sure. His truth at all times firmly stood. Please remain standing if you are able and turn in your copy of God's Word to Deuteronomy chapter 30. This will serve as our Old Testament reading this morning, and we will read the chapter in its entirety. Deuteronomy chapter 30, and beginning in verse one, reads this way. And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you. and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If you are outcast or in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. And the Lord your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. And you shall again obey the voice of the Lord and keep all his commandments that I command you today. The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you as he took delight in your fathers, when you obey the voice of the Lord your God to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven that you should say, who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it. Neither is it beyond the sea that you should say, who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it. But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it. See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him. For he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." This is the word of the living God. At this time, we ask that you would please be seated. And also at this time, we would encourage you to take a few moments to quietly confess your sins where you are. And after a few moments of doing so, I will lead us in a prayer of corporate confession. Let us pray. Father in heaven, we come before you now as a redeemed body of believers here at Praise Mill Baptist Church to confess our sins to you. And Father, though we know of your saving love and of your saving grace to sustain us, we do often choose to turn away from you and place our hope in idols. namely idols that are ourselves, others, material comforts, worldly desires, and all manner of sins and all manner of unbelief. Father, would you please forgive us of these sins? And Father, would you please forgive us of not hating these sins as we are called to do? And Father, would you likewise forgive us of tolerating our sins instead of being dedicated to the task of mortifying our sins as we walk in the Spirit. We recognize, Father, that we are entirely powerless to overcome sin in our own efforts. So, Father, rather than trying to overcome sin in our lives, would you please reveal to us the great evil and power of our own sins? Would you help us to meditate deeply on how sin still fights for dominion, even in our own hearts, and how even in our best moments, we still fall. And Father, would you help us to consider these hard truths, not for the purpose of wallowing in despair, but for the purpose of serving as a catalyst that the reality of our sin might drive us to the cross. where we find forgiveness and salvation in Christ. Father, would you please strengthen us to equally meditate on the holiness and perfection of our Savior. And as we do so, we do ask for your blessing and favor to grow in our love for him and to grow in our hatred of sin. Father, please forgive us of our many sins and please strengthen us to walk in the power of the Spirit so that the power of sin would continually be lessened in our own hearts. We love you, Father, and ask all of this in Christ's holy name. Amen. I invite you to take your hymn insert as we continue in a spirit of confession before the Lord, singing, I ask the Lord that I might grow in faith and love and every grace. Let's sing together. I ask, O Lord, that I might know grace, I pour out his salvation love, and seek for earnestly his face. Toss me, good God, with us in prayer, and be I taught at answer prayer. ♪ That's all those whom we do despair ♪ ♪ I hope that it's on favor now ♪ ♪ That once he answered my request ♪ ♪ That by his love's contraining power ♪ Instead of this, he made me clear the hidden evils of my heart, and that the angry part of him, I sold my soul in every part. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? Oh, why each day is life trembling by? Will I pursue thy good today? Is in this way the mooring high? He's ever joyful, high and poor, From seven high to seven free. Then break the chains of earthly joy, Then thou is done, my God, in me. As we've now had this time to confess our sins and to have this posture of repentance, we turn now to the words of good news, our New Testament reading. If you will turn with me to Philippians chapter 1, and we will read verses 9 through 11. As you find the text, I'll ask you if you're able to please stand with me once again as we honor the reading of the word, and we receive these words of good news with joy once again this Lord's Day. Philippians 1 verses 9 through 11. God's word says, and it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. As we hear those words this morning, we are reminded that as we come, as we acknowledge our sin, we remember that it is God alone who gives us the gift of salvation. And that gift is given to us through the perfect sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when we put our faith completely in him, then we will indeed bear the fruit of righteousness and so be blameless at the day when we see him face to face. And so this morning is my joy to remind you that if you are placing all your faith and all your trust, that you're standing before God on the basis of Christ's work alone and not anything that you could bring, then you can be assured once again this morning that in Christ, your sins are forgiven. Amen? Let us continue to sing. Hymn number 206 as we express praise and thanks to the Lord for our salvation. Hallelujah, what a Savior. Hallelujah, what a friend. Hymn 206. He my Savior makes me whole. Alleluia, what a Savior. Alleluia, what a Savior. I say, my victory is. Hallelujah, what a shame. ♪ While the billows slowly roll ♪ ♪ We can build our country safely, be thy glory evermore ♪ with me to the end. Jesus, now the dying heaven, Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. is with me to the end. Jesus, I do now receive Him. More than all in Him I find. He hath granted me forgiveness. I am His, and He is mine. Alleluia! What a Savior! Alleluia! What a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Church family, if you would take your copy of God's Word and open to Luke chapter 8. Luke chapter 8. Our scripture will be found in verses 4 through 15. This is the parable that we've been covering for the last number of weeks together and we will Give attention to the full reading of this parable, and then our final sermon covering this parable will be centered on verse 15. And so you follow with me as I read aloud as we continue now to worship through God's word, beginning to read in verse number four of Luke chapter eight. This is the word of God, and it reads as follows. And when a great crowd was gathering, and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot. And the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock. And as it grew up, it withered away because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns. And the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold. As he said these things, he called out, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, to you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others, they are in parables, so that seeing, they may not see, and hearing, they may not understand. Now the parable is this. The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root. They believe for a while, and in time of testing, fall away. As for those, or as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear. But as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience. And this morning I'm preaching on this subject, the evidence of genuine Christianity. And you may be seated if you would now join me in prayer. Father, now we continue in a posture of worship through your word. as now has been read, and we pray that shall be preached and applied to us with clarity. We ask that you would grant to us wisdom and understanding as we now once again seek to understand this parable, understand the purpose of parables, and apply this very verse to us in this room. We ask that we would not leave here today as one of the first three soils, that we would leave here in this fourth category that we shall give attention to this morning. We ask that you would once again apply this text to us, that there would be a sufficient examination that occurs in this room. that we would not be without warning today, and that you would indeed encourage your people to persevere in the faith for the glory of King Jesus, knowing that one of these days Christ will return and every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So now strengthen us in Your grace, through Your Word, by Your Spirit now we ask, in Jesus' name, Amen. From the time that I was about six years of age, I grew up in the life of the church. hearing the Word of God read and preached and applied and taught to me in various settings. And I can remember that after professing faith in the Lord Jesus at about six, I was baptized shortly thereafter at about seven here in this baptistry behind me. I can remember growing up and I can remember hearing the good message of the gospel in the church, but it wasn't until I was 25 years of age, sitting at my desk in Atlanta, working, listening to a sermon on the internet, that the Lord saved me. That my eyes were opened, that I could see that I needed Christ. And I repented of my sin and turned to Jesus Christ and the Lord saved me. Today, you could be in this room hearing this sermon as the first example that is given in this parable. Someone who has no desire to be here, someone who was bored out of your mind during the singing of the gospel just a moment ago, someone who was yawning through the public reading of the word of God, with a hardened spirit and a hardened heart, you have no desire for the gospel. But, through the preaching of the word over the next 30 minutes or so, it is my prayer that God would open your heart so that you would receive the word, so that you would believe the gospel, so that you would see yourself a sinner who desires God, who is in need of repentance, and that you would cast yourself upon the mercy of God, and that you would be saved. You could be here today, and you could be like the second example. You could be like the one who hears at the very beginning and goes along for just a short season, but yet, when the day of testing may come, that you would be found to be a false convert, a false disciple, not someone who is truly in the faith. And so it is that you would hear the warning of this parable today, see yourself for who you are, someone who is merely a professor of Christianity, but not someone who is a genuine follower of Christ, and that you would see yourself today in need of Jesus Christ. May God be pleased to bring you to faith. through his son. You could be like the third example. You came here today, once again, just sort of hearing the gospel, sort of like cultural Christianity coming into the church, Bible Belt religion, hearing the gospel, coming along maybe perhaps even with your parents, but you really don't have a love for God. You really don't have a love for the church. You really don't have a love for the things of God. You have no eye upon eternity at all. In fact, you have a love for the world. You have a love for the things of this world. You have a love for the things that are passing away. You have a love for the things that will have no eternal value and in just a short little brief life will be gone forever. and you are chasing with all of the fibers of your being after those things that shall perish. So it is my prayer that through the preaching of the Word of God, over the next 30 minutes or so, that you would come to see that that's who you are, and that you need to repent, and that you need to believe the gospel, and that you need to stop chasing after this passing world. and that you need Jesus Christ. And may God be pleased to change your heart in such a way that you would leave here today chasing after King Jesus. Because today as we look at this fourth soil, we see the evidence of genuine Christianity. In this very parable, as we've already stated, there have already been evidences of how Jesus uses parables in his preaching ministry and his teaching ministry. But in this parable, we have a unique opportunity to have a definition. a purpose, if you will, a purpose statement for what a parable does so that we can read this parable and see what Jesus says. And yet, it's also a unique parable because when the disciples asked what the parable meant, Jesus gives the full explanation as to not leave anyone in doubt of what he was intending. The word parabole in the Greek is actually a compound Greek word, para, which means to come alongside, and bole means to throw or to cast. And so the idea is that Jesus would tell these stories in such a way, these powerful stories, that he would throw them alongside truth to illustrate both the blessing and the curse, the blessing upon those who believe, the secrets of the kingdom of God given to his people, and the curse for those who are the reprobates, those who would harden their hearts, those who would say, I don't care, at the beginning of your message, if you warn us like that, pastor, I'm gonna harden my heart, and I'm gonna chase after this temporal world, I'm gonna get all that I can, and like that little bumper sticker says, he who dies with the most toys wins. No, you will find out in just a few short breaths that he who dies with the most toys loses. You need Christ. And so it is that Jesus will illustrate grand truth through the use of these parables. He will explain truth, illustrate truth, and he does so with the common things that surrounded them in their culture, in their day. He oftentimes will talk about farming as he does here. He will oftentimes talk about things that are very common to the people in the marketplace. He will talk about trees, and he will talk about all sorts of things that they would see as they would walk from marketplace to house, from farm to the center of the community. Jesus takes the details from the Palestinian life, and he would weave those things together to illustrate these grand truths. And so that's what a parable is intended to do. Once again, to use Matthew Henry's definition, he says that parables make the things of God more plain and easy to those willing to be taught, and at the same time, more difficult and obscure to those who are willfully ignorant. Once again, we see As we gave a list last time, he speaks about lamps and baskets, wise men who build upon rock, and foolish men who build upon the sand. He speaks about new wine and old wineskins. He speaks about the sower, as he does here. He talks about the good Samaritan. He talks about the rich fool. And on and on and on we will see, as we survey Luke's gospel, 27 of these stories that we call parables that Jesus uses to illustrate these grand truths. The purpose is stated here in this text. He will use a parable to instruct his people, the elect. It says, to you, notice verse 10, it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God. In other words, He will strengthen His people through the use of parables. He will edify His people through the teaching of truth by using these tools that we call a parable, as we consider what He will accomplish even Through the use of parables, he says, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. In other words, if you are indeed the true child of God, and you are hearing the word of God, if you are indeed the child of God, the follower of God, if you are indeed in Christ, and you have been given ears to hear, then let that one hear. He will accomplish salvation by calling people out of darkness into his marvelous light. Sanctification, edification, warnings and woes. He will illustrate blessings and curses and he will even harden those who continuously harden their own hearts and reject the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, refusing to heed the warning of the gospel of King Jesus. This is indeed what he accomplishes in a parable, but he also says there in verse 10, for others they are in parables so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Let this be a stern, sobering warning for the person that might be here today who is sitting under the preaching and the singing of the gospel in this service. and would have physical eyes to look upon a Bible, or if you refuse to even open a Bible, to see it here on the screen when it's presented, and say, I see it with my physical eyes, but I don't care what it says. Or maybe you have physical ears, and you can hear even now my articulation of this warning. And you say, I don't care what you say. Let this be a sobering warning to your soul. If you put yourself in this position, and you continue to harden your heart, and harden your heart, and harden your heart, then you can be assured of this, that Jesus will continue to talk to you in parables, so that your heart will be further hardened, so that you will, one of these days, breathe your last breath and wake up in hell. So, let that sink in this morning. Hear now the word, be warned of this truth. Do not harden your heart as Hebrews chapter 3 verses 15 to 19 says. Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, an illustration of Moses with the people of God who refused to heed the message of God and wandered there in the wilderness, it states, whose bodies fell in the wilderness. And why did they fall in the wilderness? Because they were not true Israel. They were judged by God. Do not harden your hearts. Now, let's give attention to verse 8 and verse 15 as we consider the description of what a real Christian looks like. The description of a real Christian. We have seen in the first three soils, as the parable has been explained to us, the disciples, after Jesus told the story, said, what does this story mean? And he said, well, the parable is this. A sower goes forth sowing seed. The seed is the word of God. Now again, the picture is that of a common thing, as they would have walked from the market back to their homes, as they would have been either a merchant that was walking by the field, or maybe a farmer who obviously knew what this looked like. Someone there with this bag attached to him, casting out the seed in the cultivated lines of the field, intending for the seed to land there in that cultivated ground, ready to receive the seed, but some of the seed would be broadcast and would land there in the pathway of the farmer as he walked in between the path there, the cultivated rows, if you will, in the field. Sometimes there would be a pathway that would divide fields as people would walk across farms the shortest distance from maybe the market to another place in the community. And so as the farmer would then continue on to cross the path to go on in the road to the next part of the field, some of the seed would fall there in that path. And he uses that illustration to say that some seed falls upon the hard path. which is trampled underfoot. And the birds flock down quickly as they can see the farmer sowing the seed, and they devour all of that seed. And when the disciples ask the meaning of this parable, Jesus says that that's an illustration of what it looks like when the hard-hearted individual hears the message of the gospel, because the seed is the Word of God. that those birds are illustrating the work of the devil who comes quickly to steal away the truth of the gospel so that they would not hear, so that they would not believe, so that they would not be saved. He then speaks about that ground that's hard, that's rocky. It's shallow, it doesn't provide ample moisture for the seed, so when the seed lands there, as soon as the sun rises, it scorches the seed because it has no moisture and it has no depth of soil, and so it withers and it does not produce fruit. The illustration is that the son is illustrating a day of testing, which would be illustrating a day of trial, a day of tribulation, because they turn from Christ and they turn back to the world to save their own life. But Jesus warns, does he not, he who would seek to save his life will lose it. But he who loses his life for my sake and the gospel shall save it. And then there's a third soil, and that's the soil that's filled with thorns, maybe perhaps even on the side or even in the midst of the field that wasn't cultivated. And when the seed lands there among the thorns, those thorns will choke out that plant so that it does not produce fruit. And when the disciples asked the meaning of the story, Jesus said, this is the meaning of the story. is that those thorns represent the cares and the riches and the pleasures of life. And those things choke out the seed. But then there's a fourth soil. If you look there in verse number 8, it says, In other words, the harvest is a wonderful time of celebration. and you think about the farmer going out into the field after he has cultivated the ground and he's been sowing the seed and now he trusts for the rain to come and the rain falls and the seed then begins to have root system that goes deep and then the water is used in such a way and the sunlight is used in such a way that the plant grows to maturity and then there's fruit and then the farmer goes out then brings in this harvest. This is the picture that you see here, illustrated in verse number eight, because this is the picture of what it means to be a genuine Christian. This past year when I was traveling and I went to Madagascar to preach, anytime that you're in a foreign country, sometimes you just like something that reminds you of home. We went into a restaurant and we ordered our food and it was in the urban center there in the capital city of Madagascar. And it was the first day that we were there and the first full day, if you will. And so, as we were there eating with some of the fellow preachers and missionaries, we were talking and I said, well, what type of drink do they have? And they were talking about all these fruit drinks and all these different types of drinks that were there. And so then, we were able to hear that there is this thing called Coca-Cola, but it's not the real thing. So when I asked and I inquired about it, they said, well, you know, Coca-Cola actually used to have a contract here in Madagascar, but for some reason they lost the contract, so a competitor came along and tried to copy it, the recipe that is. And the name of it is World Coke. And I said, well, I want a World Coke. I want to give it a shot. And so I drank it, and man, it was super good. So the whole rest of the week, every time I went into a restaurant, the first thing I asked was, do you have a World Coke? Because I wanted something that reminded me of home. But the interesting thing is, although it tasted much like the real thing, it wasn't the real thing. And sometimes there are people that, as we see illustrated even in this very parable, that they hear the word and they go along for a season. They're not really the real thing. In fact, what we see and what we come to learn through this parable is that the true Christian is not someone who just hears the word, but someone who hears the word and receives the word and actually does the word, which means that someone who obeys the word of God, which results in genuine fruit. What a wonderful truth that is. And so now the illustration is now explained in verse 15, the evidence of real Christianity. Look at verse 15. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience. The good soil is a representation of the person who not only hears the word, but receives it, submits to God, is warned by the woe of judgment, who sees that he or she has actually disobeyed the very law of God, has transgressed the law of God, trespassed God's holy law, and deserves the wrath of God. And so J.C. Ryle says, in these, the people, The fruits of that truth will be seen, uniform, plain, and unmistakable results in the heart and life of that individual. Notice what he says. Sin will be truly hated, mourned over, resisted, and renounced, end quote. Sometimes when people will come to me and they'll say, well, Pastor Josh, I'm really doubting my salvation. I don't know if I'm saved. I sit under the preaching of the Word of God, and it's not like I just say, I don't believe that there is a God, or that I hate the church, or anything like that. I just look at my life through the lens of Scripture, especially when it's being preached, and I just have a hard time knowing if I'm truly a Christian. And so oftentimes I will urge individuals to go home and to read 1 John, and to ask yourself an honest question, does this show that I am someone of the world, or does this show that I am someone indeed who is of God, who loves God? 1 John chapter five verse three says, for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. In fact, this is something that you all need to know, that we all in this room need to be aware of, is that 1 John 5.13 says, I write these things, that's these things there in 1 John, to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. It is indeed important, it's imperative that you would be driven to the place of assurance, that you would know beyond a shadow of any doubt that you are indeed in Christ, that the love of God is in you, that you indeed love God. You should know this. Jonathan Edwards, that wonderful figure from church history, stated in his work, Religious Affections, quote, true conversion is marked by humble, broken-hearted love for God, end quote. Do you have a humble, broken-hearted love for God? That would be a question for you. Listen to what J.C. Ryle says. He describes a true follower of Christ by saying, Christ will be truly loved, trusted in, followed, loved, and obeyed. Holiness will show itself in all their conversation, in humility, spiritual mindedness, patience, meekness, and love. There will be something that can be seen. The true work of the Holy Spirit cannot be hidden. By the way, you're gonna see that illustrated in the very next paragraph as we're gonna continue on with Jesus' teaching of parables as we move beyond verse 15. But notice, real Christianity, notice what verse 15 says, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart. They are those individuals who receive the word and cling to it, not just giving it a listen, not just saying, well, I'll just listen to it on Sunday. That's not what a Christian is. It's someone who clings to it. It's someone who says, I want not just this word to be in my ears, I want it to penetrate my heart so that out of my heart, my mouth will speak, so that out of my heart, my hands will labor, so that out of my heart, my mind will think on the things that are beautiful and true and godly and wholesome. Consider, if you will, in Acts chapter 17, you see the preaching of the word to the Bereans. In verse number 10 through 12, it says, the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. And when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. The illustration was that these Jews in the synagogue were taking their responsibility of God's Word seriously and trying to search the Scriptures and to see if these things were true so that when Paul comes along and he preaches the Word of God, they're searching the Word of God and they're validating the Word of God and they receive the Word of God and they believe the Word of God and they were saved. What a wonderful truth. This is the evidence of real Christianity. Someone that not only just hears it, someone that's okay with amazing grace in an auditorium, someone who is fine to sit as the word of God is being preached and someone might agree and say amen. They're not offended by that, but goes beyond that. To say, I need this. This is talking about me. I need my heart to be changed. Real Christianity bears fruit. In verse eight, you see the story was that the seed that landed in the good soil, it brought forth a hundredfold. In other words, there was a genuine harvest that could be validated. In verse 15, you see the language explained as they asked, what does this story mean? And Jesus explains that they bear fruit. True Christianity produces fruit. You can't be a barren plant or a weed and then claim to be a true follower of Christ. There has to be some evidence that you are in the faith. We live in a day that's so sappy and shallow, misinterprets the Bible and would say, well, no, no, no, judge not, judge not, don't judge. But that's not what the Bible teaches. The Bible actually says that we should be fruit inspectors. The Bible actually says that we need to be examining to see if there is valid fruit or not. True Christianity produces fruit. You say, well, what kind of fruit? I want to give you two examples. The fruit of the Spirit. That's illustrated for us in Galatians chapter five as Paul writes to the church there in Galatia in verses 22 and 23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. In other words, if you are truly in Christ, there's gonna be fruit, fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, which comes out in your life. And this love is not just a generic, sappy love, but it's a genuine, specific love. It is a sacrificial love. It is a self-denying love. It is a love that loves God and puts God first. It is a love that is demonstrated in how you love his word, in how you love the church of Jesus Christ. over against the backdrop and the contrast of what he says in the verses that precede that, in verses 19 through 21, now the works of the flesh are evident. Sexual immorality, Impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. So that's not just an all-encompassing list, but also including things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. The evidence of a true Christian is that you bear fruit. 2 Corinthians 5.17 says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. There is a newness of heart. genuine affections for God, a love for the things that God loves and a hatred for the things that God hates. Does that describe you? If people were to ask you, or if we were to talk to the closest five people in your circle of life and ask them to survey, Galatians chapter five gave the contrast of what the world looks like and then gave the explanation of the fruit of the spirit and then asked this simple question, which one describes this individual the most? Then I wonder which way they would answer. The way of the world or the fruit of the spirit. There is a difference in a person who loves the world and a person who loves God. Another example of fruit would be someone who is a true Christian is someone who makes disciples, someone who actually cares about evangelism. Let me ask you this question. So if you're thinking about what you have on your itinerary for your job tomorrow, or the meetings that are giving you little notifications because you have a 24-hour notification buzzer on your phone, and you keep being tempted to look down to see what's happening on your phone, and you're thinking about the things of tomorrow, you're not even promised that you're going to make it to that meeting tomorrow. So just pause, put your phone down, listen very closely. I want to ask you a question. When was the last time that you actually opened your mouth and shared the gospel? Now I've made it from this side, up there, down here, up there, and down here, so as to not be said I'm just talking to one person. Because I'm talking to everybody. How do you have a right to even dare to call yourself a Christian if you don't talk about Him? You talk about your job. You talk about the things that you love. You talk about your children, your grandchildren. You talk about your meetings. and you're gonna call yourself a Christian. And Jesus said, go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I'm just asking an honest, probing question to try to get us to where the rubber actually meets the road with this examination today. Furthermore, let me ask you this question. Is there one person that's breathing on planet Earth that could say that you are actually investing your life into them, reading the Bible, teaching the Bible, encouraging them, holding them accountable, seeking to be a disciple maker? Is there one breathing soul that could say that about you? Because if there's not, But there are many breathing souls that would say you're talking to them about your meetings and you're talking to them about your money and you're talking to them about the cares and the pleasures of this world and not of Christ, then you need to just stop it and ask yourself if you are even in Christ. This is what genuine fruit looks like. Titus chapter 2. Older, mature, instructing, pouring into the younger and the more immature in the faith. This is what genuine fruit looks like. Someone who is full of love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control. This is what genuine fruit looks like. going and telling people and warning them that there is a real heaven and that there's a real hell, there's a real savior, and that there's real judgment to come, and that any and all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, that this is what genuine fruit looks like. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. That's what genuine fruit looks like. Furthermore, look at this text in verse 15. Real Christianity is also a life of patience. Who brings forth fruit in patience. Interestingly enough, this word translated patience here, which means the capacity to hold out or to bear up in the face of difficulty, it means fortitude, it means steadfastness, it means perseverance, it could also be translated endurance. In fact, it is the very same word that is used in Hebrews chapter 12, verse one. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Verse 2 then goes on to say, with your aim, looking to Jesus who is the founder and perfecter of our faith. In other words, real Christianity is not only those who hear the word, receive the word, but also bear fruit, demonstrating that they are true, and those who run with endurance this race. Refusing to stop. Drop out Christianity is not Christianity. Stop short Christianity is not Christianity. Fall away Christianity is not Christianity. Saved today, lost tomorrow. Christianity is not Christianity. If you are in Christ, you persevere to the very end. In fact, all throughout the scripture, we see this type of language. In Philippians chapter three, verse 14, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. That's the way that Paul talked to the church at Philippi. In other words, he gives this illustration that demonstrates this athletic competition that's saying I am pressing onward to the goal. In other words, I am pressing toward the goal for the prize. Let me just ask you a question. If you were to go to a track meet, and bless your soul if you are the parent of someone who is an athlete, that they are not like basketball games that are just start and finish up in a couple of hours. It's like a long time commitment if you go to a track meet. And I love it, I love watching all the different events. But can you imagine sitting there in the stands and suddenly they call final call for the 1,600 meter, which is the one mile, that's four laps around the track, and you look and all the athletes are out there and they're getting ready to tow the line, getting ready to hear the gun go off. They're all dressed in nice little short shorts, racing flats, little low-cut socks. very, very thin shirts, all of it weighing hardly anything. If you put it all in your hand and held it up, it wouldn't weigh hardly anything. And then there was a guy standing over there and he had on big muck boots, blue jeans with holes in them, a big overcoat standing there with a hat on. I mean, everything that weighs a ton, Standing there ready for the gun. I mean just think to yourself. Does that person even take it seriously? Surely that person's not even attempting to win and Yet That's the way that a lot of people look when they call themselves Christians. They're not attempting to run with endurance. I Paul talks this way in other places. In 2 Timothy 4, 7, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. That's the language of scripture. It's the language of endurance. That's why the very final statement here in verse 15 describing a true Christian is that of endurance, patience. Through trial and tribulation, patience, endurance, steadfastness. And by the way, we believe this to be true. In the 1689 London Baptist Confession, chapter 17 of Perseverance of the Saints, paragraph 3 reads this way, And though they may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein, whereby they incur God's displeasure and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to have their graces and comforts impaired, have their hearts hardened and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves, yet shall they renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end. Notice the language of hardened heart. Notice the language of scandalize others, temporal judgments upon themselves, incurring God's displeasure, grieving the Holy Spirit, all that language. Sounds like an unbeliever is what it sounds like. So it's very possible that I may be talking to someone in this room, you're a genuine Christian, but for some reason you have neglected, you have neglected the treasure of God's grace in your life. And even now, under the hearing of the word of God, you need to repent and you need to have the renewal of repentance in your heart so that you would be preserved and so that you would persevere in Christ to the very end. If you don't persevere to the very end in Christ, I have no confidence that you are in Christ. I've had to have very difficult conversations with individuals that I have known to make professions of faith in Christ, they seem to be like falling into one of the three categories before the soil here. They've made professions of faith, been baptized in this church, and then have seemingly no desire for the things of God, and then suddenly, when they're marching in the very last moments of their earthly life to their grave, have had to have very, very difficult conversations, pointed conversations to let them know, I am not comfortable standing over you in a few days and saying very nice things about your faith. I will say very nice things about you, but I am struggling to know if you are actually in Christ. I promise you, I refuse to stand in a funeral service and preach every person into heaven. It's a sad reality that the world that we live in and the day and age in which we live, funerals should be a grand opportunity to preach the gospel and to have everyone in that room to examine themselves. But it seems as if today, it doesn't matter what in the world someone does and how they live, that everyone who dies, if you go into a funeral service, everyone's in heaven looking down from above. Not if you're a dropout. Real Christianity is, by the way, present tense Christianity. What do I mean by that? I remember as a boy, I would spend a lot of time with my grandfather. My grandfather was a man's man. You would shake his hand. It was like shaking a bear's hand. I mean, a big paw, rough, construction worker. He was in the military in his younger days. He was a boxer. He ran. He was engaged in all sorts of disciplines. I enjoyed talking to my, by the way, we need more men. I'm just gonna throw that out there. We just need more manly men, okay? But that aside, I remember speaking with my grandfather, and I've been blessed with men in my life, my dad, my grandfather, other men who have been faithful examples. But I remember talking to my grandfather, and he smoked a lot. He wasn't in the best health. And I was an athlete, and I was challenging him. And he would say, well, son, you know, back in the day, you know, I used to do this. There was a story of my grandfather, I kid you not, in the military. They went in some town, some place, and there was a young, it was a young man, It wasn't a full-grown bear, but it was a young bear in a cage. And all of his friends, you know, encouraged him and asked him if he would get inside there and wrestle this animal, and he did it. And so, you know, sometimes I wouldn't know if he was exaggerating a bit, but my grandmother was there to validate that it was the truth. All this to say, my grandfather would always talk about the days of old, what he could do, how fast he could run, how strong he was. But it was always past tense. And there was a couple of occasions where I tested him out and he showed that he still had it, just a little bit. But the reality was, all that was in the past. It wasn't in the present. Real Christianity is present tense Christianity. Because you have been saved in the past, you are being saved in the present, you will definitely be saved in the future, you were saved, you are being saved, you will be saved, but this idea of past tense only Christianity, I prayed that prayer, I got my health insurance policy, I know I'm okay, I was baptized, here I can show you my baptismal certificate, that is not genuine real Christianity. We just need to be honest about this. Christianity is not just past tense, it bears fruit now, today. And so now I want to ask you an honest question. As we come to the end of this parable that we've been looking at for the last month, I want you to ask yourself an honest question. Which one of these soils would be most like me? In fact, what happens in this parable as you come to the very end is it provides us this grand opportunity of self-examination. And I told you at the very beginning I wanted for the next 30-something minutes to preach this text and then bring us to a place where we would give genuine attention to this text and then examine ourselves. Verse eight says, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. Obviously, Jesus isn't talking about physical ears. He's talking about spiritual hearing. So I ask you this question, do you have ears to hear? Real, genuine, spiritual life that demonstrates that you not only hear this word physically, but you desire God. So I ask you this question, number one, do you need to be saved today? Have you come to the place under the hearing of the gospel over the last month preached from this parable where you would say, pastor, I know without a shadow of a doubt that the word of God has landed upon my soul, has pierced my heart, has revealed that I am genuinely lost and I need to be saved. Could that be you today? under the hearing of the gospel preached, I would urge you, if that is indeed you, that you would turn from your sin, that you would turn from your wickedness, that you would turn from your love of the world and love of self. that you would cast yourself upon the mercy of God, that you would come to believe that Jesus Christ died in your place, that Jesus Christ suffered in your place, that Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God in your place, that Jesus Christ was buried in a borrowed tomb, resurrected on the third day. even now is seated at the right hand of God upon the throne of glory, that is even now interceding for you, so that even now, under the hearing of the gospel preached, that you would desire to repent, that you would desire to pray, that you would desire to call upon the name of the Lord, if that's you, I would urge you even now to cast yourself upon his mercy. Call out to God who loves to save sinners. for any and all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Which means that every person that I sought to make eye contact with a moment ago, as I looked from the top to the bottom of this room and tried to press upon you to examine yourself, that if you are here today, regardless of your skin color, regardless of your age, regardless of your bank account status, that if you know that you are in need of Christ, why would you dare to say, I'm just gonna wait until tomorrow, why not now? Some of you aren't in the race, and you need to get yourself in the race. And how? You need to see that you are outside, that you are outside of Christ, under his wrath, under his judgment, and you need to cast yourself upon his mercy, and you need to be saved so that you can do exactly what it says to do here. That you can live a life that is genuine Christian life, with endurance and patience. You are not promised tomorrow and God does not owe anyone in this room, including me and all of us. He doesn't owe us another breath. He has been gracious in his providence to arrange your steps today so that you would actually be sitting here under the hearing of the gospel. Second of all, through the preaching of the word over the last month and the probing, sobering questions that I've sought to lay before you, is there anyone in here that would say, I'm a true Christian, but I know that I have neglected the very word of God and the grace of God in my life, and I am in desperate need of sanctification and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in me so that I can go forward and obey God. Now, if there's anyone in this room that just answered no to that question, that is proof that you actually do need the sanctifying work of God in you. Because there is not one person in here that could raise a hand and say, yeah, I'm at the top rung of the ladder. Pastor, if anyone wants to talk about what it's like up here and the wonderful air that I breathe up here at the top rung of the ladder, just have them meet me in the foyer and I could give them all the details about it. There's not one person in here. Every single person in this room, including me, we all need the sanctifying work of God in us. So, one or the other, either the Lord is drawing you to a place of salvation and you know that you need to be converted, or you know for a fact that you need to be shaped by God's word and his gospel. And whatever the Lord intends to do with this word in your life, in your heart, in your soul, may God be pleased to accomplish his work through the preaching and proclamation of his word for his glory. Let us pray. Father, we love you and we thank you again for this privilege What a privilege indeed to come together, to be able to assemble in this place under the hearing and the preaching of the gospel. I pray now that you would do your work through your word in us. that you would strengthen us and encourage us, that you would see that, as the Old Testament reading this morning has clearly stated, that the blessing and the curse has been laid before the people today, that they would choose life, those who were lost, that they would choose to come to Christ, recognizing that salvation is of the Lord. It is indeed your sovereign purpose to save your people, Through the blood and sacrifice of your son. Oh, God, would you do what we human beings and preachers can't do, incapable of doing? To be able to see beyond the physical into the spiritual realm, to be able to know the hearts and the intentions of people. and that you would bring about an effect through the preaching of your word, that you would bring about results through the preaching of your word, that you would bring about saving grace through the preaching of your gospel. Oh God, we pray that there would be individuals in this very room under the hearing of the gospel that would recognize that they are indeed lost and that they need to be saved, that they would believe that Jesus Christ died in their place and that they would cling to his finished work alone. And then for this church, oh God, we pray that you would sanctify us in the truth, that you would shape us by the gospel, that you would mold our hearts and that you would encourage our soul and that you would do all of this through the gospel, the good news, the precious seed of your word. Now we ask all of this in Jesus' name, amen. The time of the Lord's table is a time of worship. It is indeed a gospel invitation. It is indeed a time where we are called to respond to the gospel preached as the gospel is made visible as the bread and the cup are extended here at this pulpit and we cling to the gospel hope of Jesus Christ. So I want to encourage everyone who is here today who is a member of Praise Meal Baptist Church you're presently in good standing and not under any church discipline in the life of this church, I would encourage you as the plates are passed that you would take of the elements of the Lord's table as we remember the very body and blood of Jesus Christ. If you're here today and you're not a member of this church, but you're a member of a church of like faith and practice, and you're too a baptized follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you're in good standing within your local church, then we would encourage you to take of the elements as well and to join with us as we worship at the Lord's table, as we remember the joy that we have in Jesus because of the slain Savior, because of His blood that atones for every last one of our sins, as we cling to the gospel hope that comes in the Lamb of God. If you're here today and you know that you are not a follower of Christ, perhaps you're here today as one of the children of this church, or perhaps you're a guest of ours today, but you know that you have not followed Christ in believer's baptism. then we would simply ask that, since this is a part of our worship service, that you not get up and leave, but that you would participate by listening, observing, watching, paying attention to your family, paying attention to your grandparents, paying attention to those who are beside you, listening to what we talk about here at the Lord's Table as we talk about the gospel, the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. May you, if you are here today as an unbeliever, even now, hear this gospel call once again as we talk about the gospel and as the gospel is made visible that you would see your need for Jesus Christ and that you would repent of your sins and turn to King Jesus. Let's prepare ourselves now to worship at the Lord's table as we hear the word of God read before us. We turn now, as we do each week, to the words of institution as given to us in 1 Corinthians 11, verses 23 through 26. This is God's word. For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way also he took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. This is the word of the Lord. Amen. Aum. Amen. As we take this piece of bread in our hands this morning, we are reminded of the very body of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. As we take this piece of bread in our hands, we are also reminded of the frailty of our own human flesh, that it is not by the labor of our hands, it is not by the works of the flesh that we dare to approach our sovereign God. We do so with boldness and confidence on the basis of Jesus's work on our behalf. And so as we are gathered in this room today, as we come together on this first day of the week, as a reminder of the empty tomb, Jesus Christ being slain on a Roman cross and buried and then resurrected on the third day, he is now interceding for us. He is the one mediator between God and men. And even now, we are reminded of our need for Him. And as we eat this bread, we do so celebrating the Gospel truth of Jesus Christ. Let us do so with joy-filled hearts as we remember the very body of Christ that was broken for us. In like manner, we take this cup, which is a representation of Jesus's blood, the very blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. that was slain, His blood spilt, so that every last one of our sins, not in part, but the whole, would be completely atoned for, completely paid for, so that when Jesus cried out in His dying moments on the cross, it is finished. He was saying the full debt of every last one of His people was completely settled. So we have this confidence, this hope, that any and all who come to Jesus Christ by faith, they are justified by faith in Jesus' work, because His blood has indeed covered every last one of their sins. So, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us drink of this cup, remembering the very blood of Jesus that was spilt for us. May your hearts and minds be encouraged in the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ as we remember that Jesus Christ, the prophet greater than Moses, prophesied of his death, burial, and resurrection. And he has also prophesied that he shall return. We long for that day. Leave here today encouraged in the gospel hope of Jesus Christ. Let's stand and continue to worship as we sing. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him, Abba, even the O's. Let us pray. Father in heaven, we come before you now as a body, thankful for your gospel. Lord, we are mindful of your grace that comes to us, Father, as we are equally mindful of your law that informs us that we are not worthy of your grace on any means. And yet, Lord, yet you are gracious to us. You have sent your Son who lived the perfect life in our place, who died on our behalf, who triumphantly rose again from the grave. Father, we have heard that very gospel preached this morning. And Father, we have been reminded that the power of that gospel in our lives is not to produce a righteousness that is on one day and off the next, but a righteousness that endures. And so, Father, we thank you, Lord, and we come before you now and come before your throne in a posture of thankfulness, being reminded of who you are and what you have done for us in the power of the gospel. And we are thankful, Lord, to know that in Christ the gospel will continue to lead us and that we will walk in faithful obedience to Christ continually and with perseverance if indeed we are in him. Lord, we thank you for this reminder that we have had today. And Lord, as we now come to the moment of our service where we give, Father, help us to be mindful of how Christ gave of himself even now as we give. Lord, we know that this church has many budgetary needs, and we know that it is the desire of this church to use the offerings that we give in such a way that would bring you honor and glory, to do ministry here, and to do evangelism in this local community, and even to the ends of the earth. Father, would you please bless these offerings to that end, and would you help us to give cheerfully and willingly in such a way that would bring you honor and glory? We ask all of this in Christ's name. Amen. Church family, I will announce this as we prepare now to have our final commissioning held and our benedictions and follow-up. I want to first begin by stating that if you are a guest of ours at the priesthood today, to have you with us in just a few moments after we sing and have our benediction. I'm going to make my way into the foyer as well as the other elders of our church. We would love to be able to speak to you and to greet you before you leave on this Lord's Day. And we do, again, hope that you will return and come again. We also want to remind all of those that are here today and are considering church membership here at Praise Mill, and we do have a number of individuals that have had conversations with us. We want to remind you that we will start our new members class next Lord's Day, and so that will be in the in the Family Life Center at the backside of campus in our gymnasium. And that'll be at 9.30 on Sunday mornings. And I'll be teaching four of the five classes. Would love to be able to meet you, and you'll learn more about this church, what we believe, what we preach, and you'll be able to ask us questions along the way as well. So I do hope to see you at 9.30 next Sunday on the backside of our campus here. Also want to remind you to be praying for our missions focus this month, which is the church in Uruguay. I want to remind you to continue to pray for the church to be strengthened and encouraged as the massive challenges of the false teaching of the Roman Catholic Church are prevalent there. And then also want to remind you about this evening. We will be gathered this evening for our members meeting at six o'clock. We have our typical business of our church as well as a vote to affirm John Norton as an elder of the church. Been going through a process now for a couple of years or more in the life of this church. and we will vote this evening. We also will be able to engage in a time of encouraging the recent graduates from high school. We have five of those in the life of our church, and they'll have some presentations for you to see, and we'll be able to encourage them along the way as our church as well. So may God bless you. Have a wonderful Lord's Day, and now we'll continue to stand as we worship and come to the close of our worship service. Let's stand. I invite you to take your hymn insert for our commissioning hymn, Am I a Soldier of the Cross, a Follower of the Lamb. Let's sing together. Am I soldier of the cross, the father of the land, and shall adhere to all his commandments. ♪ While others fought to win the prize ♪ ♪ And severed bloody sleeves ♪ ♪ Are there no foes for me to face ♪ ♪ Must I not stand alone ♪ ♪ Is this the world of men to face ♪ help me unto God. Should I decide, if I could pay, increase my courage more, I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, The saints and all his boys, too, shall conquer the late night. They see the cloud out from afar by faith's disturbing eye. Then all thy glory shine. If thou'rt a victory through the skies, the glory shall be thine. Just as we began our service this morning, as God called us to worship by his word, we are now sent out by his word as well. We turn to Jude, the book of Jude, the very end there, verses 24 and 25, as God sends us from this place this morning. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy. To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen. May God bless you.