Well, continuing on in Exodus, so I am. We're at the end of chapter 23, verses 20 through 33. Would you join your heart with mine as I read these verses and make an open ear as you join along. Behold, I send an angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him and obey his voice. Do not provoke him, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for my name is in him. But if you indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. Excuse me. For my angel will go before you and bring you into the Amorites, and to the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I will cut them off. You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works, but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. "'You shall serve the Lord your God, "'and he will bless your bread and your water, "'and will take sickness away from the midst of you. "'No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land. "'I will fulfill the number of your days.'" I will send my fear before you. I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies churn their backs to you. And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite and the Canaanite and the Hittite before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beast of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased and you inherit the land. I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the Sea of Philistia, and from the desert to the river. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them, nor their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. The grass withers and the flower falls away, but the word of God endures forever. May God bless the reading and proclamation of that holy, enduring word that he has given to us. What are your goals in life? Do you have any goals? You know, one nice thing about folks who don't have any goals is they never have to be concerned about not achieving those goals because they don't have any. Now, that would relieve some pressure of reaching our goals, wouldn't it? However, goals can be good in the sense that they do give some motivation to us. They give us something to shoot for, something to work towards. You know the old adage, if you don't aim for something, you'll be sure to hit it? Well, we know a number of people who have goals set up for themselves, educational goals to obtain such and such a degree, athletic goals to get stronger, faster, more skillful in their sport. Folks have relationship goals. They have health and fitness goals, employment goals, career goals, and usually related to that is financial goals as well. And the list can go on and on. For many, these goals aren't really goals. They're merely desires, things they would like to have. It would be nice to achieve them, but the idea of putting in the work, the effort, the sweat, the sacrifice to achieve those goals is less desirable. Proverbs 13, 4 states, the soul of the lazy man desires and has nothing. Now, I have to confess, I have some experience in that area. Now that I'm a senior citizen, I can get a free golden sneakers membership to the Westlake Recreation Center. And it's a very nice rec indeed. Weight room, exercise room, bike, advisors, swimming pool, everything that is conducive to getting myself a physically better shape. Now, I have a desire to improve my physical condition. But the idea of rising up early, making plans, being consistent and carrying it out keeps it merely as a desire. It hasn't become an actual goal yet. But there are those who turn their desires, they take it a step further and turn it into goals. They pursue those goals and many times they achieve those goals. But the problem with goals that people achieve at sometimes is that they achieve them too quickly. They're temporal goals. They were too achievable. They came about too fast. And it can happen to those who achieve these temporal goals then aren't quite sure to do it themselves and they end up in the camp of those folks who have no goals. I remember one man, a missionary actually, I hope he was joking, he said his short-term goal was vacation and his long-term goal was retirement. Now, think of the man who had a goal of making a million dollars and he hit that goal early in life. So, what does he do now? Does he set a new goal of making a second million and perhaps a third million? You know, I used to tell folks I'm working on my second million myself and when they say, oh really? And I say, yeah, I gave up on the first one. Now for many, when they reach their goals, they no longer have the motivation and the focus they once had. Now that's the wonderful thing about being a follower and disciple of Christ is that no matter how many goals we set and pursue, we still have one remaining goal, and that is worshiping and glorifying our Savior. And this is a goal that's transcended. It's beyond ourselves. It's outside of ourselves. And this is a goal that should be for the new believer as well as the believer who's close to the century mark and still has breath to praise the Lord. And the nice thing about that goal is that it's not even interrupted by death itself. And isn't that the standard that's set in scripture? Isn't that what we read the Apostle Paul saying in Romans 14, verse eight? For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. Now, for every Christ-trusting believer, our goal should be this big, real big, Christ himself, that is it. To know him more and more, to have a growing love and trust for him on this side of the veil, and to anticipate that soon approaching day when we'll bow before him and worship him fully on the other side of the veil, in heaven. In that place, he went to prepare for those who love him. That is our goal. And how is our love and trust expressed most clearly in this sojourn, in this life we have now? The most significant way is by our obedience. There's no substitute for it. No amount of sacrifice or giving, no degree of Christian service even, can replace obedience. You know, King Saul found that out when he became impatient, waiting for the prophet Samuel to arrive and offer sacrifice properly. And so he decided to offer unsanctioned sacrifice himself. And the sacrifice was not pleasing to the Lord. The prophet Samuel, rebuking King Saul, told him, to obey is better than sacrifice. For a believer, obedience is to be the major factor in their goal-setting efforts. To say as the Apostle Paul did in Philippians chapter three, verse 14, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And as we look at scripture, we see that because of the glory set before us, heaven and Christ himself, our obedience is strengthened by the promises he has given to us. Now we have the promise that Christ gave his disciples, that Brother Mike read. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Now within that one verse, Jesus tells his disciples that which would be a great motivation for them. He tells them he's preparing a place for them, and he's telling them that they will be with him there. In a similar fashion, we see this in type or foreshadowing in today's text. God's preparing a place for the children of Israel. And in the going to the promised land, he also promises to be with them, guiding them. Now, this section we're looking at today is the epilogue of the Book of the Covenant. If you remember, if you recall, the Book of the Covenant covers basically chapters 20 to 23 of Exodus. Now, within the Book of the Covenant are these laws given to Moses and the children of Israel. And we see that through each law, God's holiness is reflected. And because they were his people, they were to be holy, called out to be holy and separate people unto the Lord. Now, these various laws were based on the moral law, the Ten Commandments, so they reflected how the children of Israel were to walk before God and also with each other. Now, like many ancient covenants, the epilogue contains blessings and cursings. But this covenant is much different than other ancient covenants in that this covenant, the one who gave the stipulations of the covenant, the rules or the demands of it, also promised to go with them and be with them in it. Now, although we read both of the promise of blessings in today's text, as well as the warnings of curses, the major emphasis of this text, if you heard, is the goodness of God and his provision to his people. That was to be the dominant thought here. This was to grab their attention. We see that in the listings of the blessings within our text today. They were itemized to some degree, whereas the potential curses for disobedience were more or less implied. So just as Jesus promises disciples in John 14 that he was going to prepare a place for them, we see a promise here at the end of Exodus 23. And the promised land, it's a wonderful illustration pointing to a new heaven and a new earth that all Christ followers long for. Now in today's text we read of three points concerning this promised land. That is one, the angel of the Lord would guide them into the promised land. He would protect and keep them. Two, the promised land would be full of blessings, abundant blessings, and this is indicated by health and long life. those in the promised lands were to live as if they were citizens of the promised land. They were to live lives of gratitude and service and obedience to the one who brought them out of the bondage and into the promised land. You know, the Apostle Paul writes in Philippians chapter three, verse 17, brethren, join in following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern. And then in verse 20 of Philippians three, the Apostle Paul says, for our citizenship is in heaven, for which we also eagerly await for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, though Christians are not in heaven yet, we are to act like foreigners in this world and as citizens of heaven. The children of Israel were an example of that, and we can learn from them. You know, the general rule is when we learn, as we read of this sojourn of the children of Israel, we have to look to glean much because they were written down. These things were written down for us. You remember what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 11? Now all these things happened to them for our examples, and they were written for our admonition. Now the word admonition carries with it a warning, something to be given careful attention to. So may God give us such hearts to indeed give careful consideration to the narratives in the book of Exodus. And again, for his glory and our good. So one, the angel Lord would guide them into the promised land. Two, the promised land would be full of blessings. And three, they were to act as citizens of the promised land and be obedient. The first point is the Lord's guidance into the promised land. We read in verse 20, Behold, I send an angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. God is sending an angel. Well, who is this angel? Some have speculated that it was Moses. Philip Rankin points out that the church father Tertullian thought the angel was speaking of Joshua, that fearless commander who picked up the mantle from Moses and led the children of Israel into the promised land. Or perhaps it was Michael or Gabriel, one of the two angels who served the Lord. who had their names mentioned in Scripture. However, we don't read of God's commanding the children of Israel to give strict adherence to the words of either of those angels, Michael or Gabriel, as he does the angel here in Exodus 23. Nor do we read of Michael and Gabriel being in a position of judgment over Israel or the ability to retain or forgive sin. Now the angel of the Lord here that was sent to keep Israel can be called, I believe, the angel of the Lord. The consensus of Bible commentators, the ones whom I agree, believe that this was the angel of the Lord, was indeed a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we know, we read of a number of pre-incarnate appearances of Christ in the book of Exodus already. He is the I Am, who appeared to Moses at the burning bush, or the bush that didn't burn. In Exodus 3.2, we read that, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush. And who delivered and protected the children of Israel at the Red Sea? We read in Exodus 14.19, and the angel of the Lord who went before the camp of Israel moved and went behind them and the pillar of cloud went before them and stood behind them. And this is confirmed in the fifth verse of the letter to Jude, of Jude, excuse me. And there's other types of Christ in Exodus. He's the manna, the bread of heaven that fed them, and the rock that they drank from. We read in 1 Corinthians 10, verse four, and all drank that same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. The rock that followed them. I love that wording. When you think of a rock, solid, unchangeable, immovable, I am the Lord, I change not. But yet we read, this rock goes with them. He's the rock that is higher than I, but he's the rock that also goes with his people. Now the angel brings God's presence to the people of God. He brings God's word, he brings God's name. And we know the third commandment, which was even in our reading today, our time of confession of sin, you shall not take the Lord's name in vain. And God's name is in this angel. Now John McKay writes, the name is a revelation of the character and attributes of God, which means that here we have a unique dignity accorded to the angel as manifesting all that God has made known regarding Himself. That is why the angel can command complete obedience and trust. His presence is the equivalent of the presence of the Lord Himself." Now it's interesting point here is that the angel is indeed the Lord. He is God, but yet there's a distinction made here. In verse 22, the Lord says, if you indeed obey his voice, his voice, the angel, and do all I speak. So we see this oneness, yet we see a plurality. And again, it's indeed a plurality within the one. This is a divine manifestation of the second person of the Trinity in angelic form. And what a picture he is that this angel goes with him. We think of our Lord's words in Matthew 28, and lo, I am with you always. He did not leave his people as orphans. He did not leave them to wander on their own. Lo, I am with you always. And even we see that with the children of Israel here in Exodus 23. You know, too many times in world history, the people, the general population who suffered the hardship of wars continued to suffer long after the cessation of hostilities took place. Although peace was declared, there was a sense of abandonment and helplessness. British historian Keith Lowe wrote a book titled Savage Continent, Europe in the Aftermath of World War II. And in it, he details the heartbreak and suffering the people experienced after the war. The people suffered through anarchy, no law, no structure of government, violence, famine, and pestilence. Millions of victims of war after the war was over. Now, slaves in this country had a similar experience. Slavery was over after the Civil War, but what were these slaves to do? They were released, and many had few or no resources in which to start a new life. Well, this wasn't the case for the children of Israel. Their deliverance happened with the strong arm of God revealed against Egypt, but the Lord just didn't deliver them out of bondage and say, now you just go your way, you're free now. Nope, he says, behold, I send an angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I prepared. And we see here the protection, to keep you in the way, guidance, to bring you, and provision, and the place I have prepared. Now the Lord's protection in the keeping of the way is more than just guidance for their travels, but it also speaks of God keeping His law before the children of Israel and calling them to obedience to the law He gave them. Now we read back in Exodus 18.20, and you shall teach them the statutes and laws and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Your word is a light unto my feet. Now the angel would guard their hearts by his commandments and he would guide their persons by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. And where did he guide them to? Well, a land he had prepared for them. And how did God prepare this land? Well, this is a sobering answer. He prepared the land by making the children of Israel an instrument of judgment upon the occupants of the land. If you remember back in Genesis 15, verses 13 through 16, God said to Abram, know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will serve them, and they will afflict them for 400 years. And also the nation whom they serve, I will judge. Afterward, they will go out to your fathers in peace. You shall be buried at a good old age. But the fourth generation, they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. That's the key words there. The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. Over 500 years before God gave Moses these commandments in Exodus, God told Abraham what would happen to his descendants. They would go to Egypt, come out of Egypt, and they would return to this promised land they're at now. And we also read the iniquity of the Amorites. And the Amorites are really representatives of all the pagan nations of Canaan. We read of it in verses 23. Their sin was filling the cup at the time of Abraham. By the time of Moses, that cup was full. And the time of Joshua, that cup was poured out. And it was poured out as the children of Israel were used as an instrument of judgment upon those people and thus came to possess the land of Canaan. Now, I say it's a sobering answer because 500 years is a long time. It's long enough to make people wonder if God is slack or slow concerning his promises. Man makes a mistake of thinking God's delays are his denials, and that's because he hasn't done what he said he would do yet, or so it seems, that he's not going to do it after all. The harsh reality is that when we perceive God's delays in the face of a people in rebellion against him, actually it could mean that he is filling the cup fuller and fuller for judgment to come. You know, truth be told, I often fear for our own nation. It's been over 50 years since the Supreme Court made the Roe decision, which says it's a constitutional right to have an abortion. I can remember being a new believer several years after this decision and hearing Christian ministers talk about the judgment of God that'll come upon us because of such a ruling. But it seems like God's hand has been delayed, or has it? You know, when you think of one thing, our economy itself, now as a percentage of the gross domestic product, that is the total sums and goods of what our country produces. The percentage of that that goes towards our national debt at one point, the lowest point after World War II. At World War II, there was a big percentage. There was a lot of expenditures in the World War II. But since that time, do you know when the lowest point, the lowest percentage against gross domestic product was? 1973 and 1974. Since that time, our debt obviously is combined, but more importantly, the percentage of our debt compared to our GDP, our gross domestic product, that has increased. Back in 73, our debt was around 25% of the GDP, and our national debt in dollars was about 450 billion. Today's debt is over 34 trillion. Trillions, a number our minds can't even really grasp. One trillion is 1,000 billions. 1,000 billions times 34 is our national debt. But even perhaps more significant is that the percentage of debt to grow our GDP is 120%. You know, I don't think a teenager with hardly any sense with a credit card at Crocker Park would do this type of spending. And I wonder, you know, I have to say I'm no economist. I know very little on economics, but I do know what a little number is compared to a big number. And I would say that where we're at is not good and maybe perhaps even beyond precarious. God could pour His cup of judgment on our land quickly. Some, like John MacArthur, thinks that we are not heading into judgment, but that judgment is here. Could it be our monetary system, like one of the gods of Egypt, is being struck first? Now let's remember, according to verse 30 in Exodus 23, judgment more often than not does not come in one fall swoop. We read in verse 30, little by little, I will drive them out before you until you have increased and you inherit the land. Little by little, like a frog in the pot that doesn't notice the water getting hotter and hotter. and perhaps an almost indiscernible little by little for those who are under the judgment. Perhaps there's never a connecting the dots of these things to see that this is the finger of God. Well, dear ones, we do need to pray for our nation. We need to get behind and vote for any candidate that loves life and seems to have some degree of common sense. We must be good citizens and do all that we can do, but I do believe our answer is beyond a political answer. It's only a wholehearted repentance and churning to the Lord that is our hope for this nation. May we look to heaven. and plead for God's mercy upon us, because that's the only place where we will receive it. He can bring down any nation and raise up another, and that is what He's doing in providing the Israelites with this land here. He went and prepared that land by way of judgment. Now the angel went before them in protection as their protector. We read that in verse 22, but if indeed you obey his voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. What a foreshadowing this was of Christ's work on the believers he has. Dear ones, does not this angel, this pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, bring to mind what John writes in 1 John 3.8, for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. were not the right man on our side, our striving would be losing. Thank God that in Christ with the right man is on our side, the captain of our salvation. And we see this here in Exodus. God gives them the victory to the Hebrews from all those who came against them. Now God defeated their enemies by natural causes like hornets, just as He displayed the plagues in Egypt. He is the God of creation and He directs His creation as He wills to supply or to destroy. All things are for His purposes. Or he can use a supernatural fear, like striking fear into the people's enemies, like we read in 1 Chronicles 20. There we read of an alliance of the people of Ammon and Moab and Mount Sira. And they came against Judah. And we read in 2 Chronicles 20 that this unholy alliance destroyed one another. What that simply is is an expression of God's favor upon the children of Israel. And this is the second point. There is blessing in the promised land. Listen as God's goodness is spelled out in these verses 25 through 26. So you shall serve the Lord your God and he will bless your bread and your water. I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days. Now this is. Most likely, a general pronouncement of God's blessing from following his laws. There's even some of the remote pagan villages that are in bondage to drug abuse and alcohol abuse when the gospel comes to them. There's a thing they call, missionaries call the gospel lift, where the quality of life is even raised as those things are discarded. This is, again, most likely a general pronouncement. But also, What God promised to do in Canaan was indeed a picture of heaven. God has declared Himself the healer in Exodus chapter 15. He's the rebundant provider and these passages speak of God's overall goodness in such a way to cause the children of Israel to hear God's law and to obey it. Now there have been some in Christendom that have taken passages like those I just read, and there's a so-called health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. Believe God and all these temporal blessings will be yours. You don't have to be sick because God said in Exodus 23, 25, He will take away your sickness and you'll never miss carry. And if someone objects to such a promotion of falsehood, they will say, well, this was for the children of Israel in the wilderness for a particular time in redemptive history. And the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel preachers would respond, God has no respect to our persons. If he did it for them, he'll do it for you. Simply claim it by faith. Well. How did Jesus view temporal goods and comforts in this life? In John 16, 33, these things I've spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. What did Paul say to encourage the pilgrims in the book of Acts towards heaven, towards the promised land? In Acts 14, 21 and 22, and when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying, this is the promise they were to hold on to, we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. What did Peter say to encourage the hearts of those he wrote to and ministered to? 1 Peter 1.12, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you. But Peter did preach a prosperity gospel, I guess, in one sense, and that he declared in verse 13, but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy." Exceeding joy, to be with Christ in glory, that exceeds all joy. It's exceeding joy. And I guess this is real prosperity preaching right there. So we can say we have some similarities between health, wealth, and prosperity preachers. I would just say we have a much different timeline than they do. And also those blessings when they come and the quality of them. So the angel leads to the promised land, there's blessing in the promised land, and those who go to the promised land were to live with gratitude and obedience. They were to live as citizens of the promised land. You know, going back up to our text in verse 21 concerning the angel, we read, beware of him and obey his voice. Do not provoke him, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for my name is in him. Now this might strike us strange to think that the angel, if we hold that he is indeed a pre-incarnate Christ, a manifestation of Christ, that he will not pardon our transgressions. Doesn't he forgive us all the sins that we bring to him in repentance? Well, yes, he does. But the transgressions addressed here and in the context of today's verses are transgressing or violating the terms of the covenant. And that is violated by taking God's name vainly, taking on other gods, a breaking of the covenant with God by unfaithfulness and looking to other gods. Now isn't this the warning, the type of warning we read in Hebrews chapter 2 in the New Testament? In the second chapter of Hebrews we read in the first few verses, therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we've heard lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him?" Now, if the readers of that letter of Hebrews were looking elsewhere for another Savior, another Christ, to neglect in the abandonment of the Lord Jesus, there would be no forgiveness for that transgression. For nor is there salvation in any other name, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, which by we must be saved. Now as a warning from the Hebrews, The warning to the Hebrews or from the book of Hebrews is also the warning here in Exodus. The forsaking is a total departing from devotion to God and taking on other gods from the nations they are going into. And we see this spelled out more in verses 31 through 33 of Exodus 23. If I deliver, I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you." You know, this has always been a test for God's people, for the children of Israel, and for us today, to take on the ways of the world and culture around us, blend in with it. Is this not what we are experiencing to a great degree in the Western church, a pursuing of sensuality, of going with feelings, and putting amusement as a top priority in so much of our lives? The scripture says this is to make covenant with it to a degree. You know, we read of King Solomon's life in 1 Kings 11.4, it says this, for it was so when Solomon was old that his wives churned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father, David. Solomon, with all his wisdom, was blinded by a divided heart. Now how do we keep from having a divided heart? How do we maintain a loyal heart? what is presented to the children of Israel, God's goodness. Do not doubt the goodness of God. God puts forth his goodness for Moses and the children of Israel, and in giving them the angel, the promised land, and the blessings of it. That was to be their great consideration and pondering. There's no reason to look elsewhere. Their goal was to be the promised land. Don't turn to the right or to the left. This is the way, walk ye in it. Don't turn to those other gods. Beware of the angel and obey his voice. Do not provoke him. Obey his voice and do all that I speak. Now this is the same angel whose God's name is in, who spoke to his disciples and speaks to us as they. In Jesus' high priestly prayer, in John 17, verse six, he says, I have manifested your name to the men you have given me out of this world. Christ has manifested God's name to them. That name is the only name which men could be saved. That name in which Philippians 2 tells us, every knee will bow and tongue confess is Lord. That name is above all names. So in our sojourn, our Christian walk, let our goal be Christ himself. For when we have the Christ from heaven, with it comes heaven as well. As the angel went before the children of Israel, so too the Lord has gone before every person who has called on the name of the Lord for forgiveness and salvation. Christ has made fit all who call on the name of the Lord by removing their sins and becoming a curse for us, taking the judgment of God upon himself on the cross and giving us garments fit for heaven, his righteousness. Without that work, heaven could never be a proper expectation for anyone. And for everyone here who has churned from their own self, their own ways, their sin, their false gods of mammon and pleasure, and have churned to Christ, these words of the Savior ought to be of great comfort. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. You know, in the year 1913, a young aspiring missionary died while studying Arabic in Egypt. His name was William Brodin, and he was 25 years old when he passed away. Now, young William was a deeply committed follower of Christ, and although he inherited a fortune from his father, he gave much of it away and set his heart on taking the gospel to the Muslim Kansu people of China. Now, William's love for Christ and love for people had a big impact on those around him. To give you an example, he started praying with a friend his freshman year at Yale University, and that group grew and grew until his senior year when he finished college, that grew to the size of 1,300 students, a major part of the student body of Yale at that time. Well, after finishing college, William went to Egypt to study Arabic before heading to China. He was going to serve with the China Inland Mission. But while there, again, as I mentioned, he contracted spinal meningitis and died. Now, though his life was short, his impact on others was huge. And they found this on the back of his Bible, that which must have been his motto for life. These six words, no returns, no reserves, no regrets. Put you in mind of that song, trust and obey for there's no other way. No returns, no reserves, no regrets. Let us remember the rest of the Lord's promise in John 17. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also. So let us live in joyful, grateful, obedient service to our King. For in doing so, we will have no returns, no reserves, and no regrets. And we'll live like a people who have been given a promised land. For the truth is we have. Would you pray with me, dear ones? Our Father and our God, how grateful we are to have these fleeting moments together on this Lord's Day, that as we set aside this one day to consider your goodness in a corporate way. to drink and eat of your word, the fellowship of the saints, to lift our voices in praise and worship, and to receive from you, we thank you for these verses out of the book of Exodus. We thank you, Lord, for the promises that you've given to us, and even underlining it with the very words, if it weren't so, I would have told you. Lord, cause our gaze to be lifted up towards heaven, from where our Savior will return to us, We thank you that even as Pastor Dabney was praying for the elderly in our congregation, that in truth, all of us are living a life that is but a vapor, and one day to be in your presence. Keep us, keep us, O Lord, be our protector, be our provider, and give us your spirit to make us obedient to your law and commands. We pray these things in Christ's name, amen.