Turn with me once again this morning to Romans chapter 12. In just a minute, we will begin part two of our study entitled Practical Christianity 101. If you were here with us the first message of this series, you'll know that we ended at verse 11. We'll now resume at verse 12. Just to set this up very quickly, In part one of this study, you'll recall that in the span of only three verses, the Apostle Paul gives us eight separate commands relative to how we as believers are to think and behave in the midst of a lost, dying, and watching world. In the 10 verses that follow, Paul goes on to give us 21 additional commands. Now, remember why it is that Paul is giving us all of these commands. He's doing this because he wants to establish a fitting context or a foundation for the all-important command that follows in chapter 13 relative to the believers being subject to governing authorities. Writing, of course, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul was no doubt keenly aware that some, if not many of his readers, would be tempted to respond to various life situations in the same way they had always responded, remaining conformed to this world and lacking in the renewal of their minds. This flurry of intensely practical commands was really intended to be a last-ditch reminder or a crash course on proper Christian conduct in the midst of a world that would grow increasingly hostile to the kingdom and cause of Christ. As I pointed out in my first study in this series, as believers, we would all do well to slow down and process all of these things so that we too might be better equipped to deal with everything that's going on in the world around us. in the way that the Lord himself prescribes. Now note very carefully that I said that. I mentioned this this morning in the first hour and I'm going to keep hammering this point home. We are to comport ourselves in the world around us in the way that the Lord himself has prescribed. Not in the way that your favorite author has prescribed. Not in the way that your favored mere mortal who writes a lot of books and knows a lot of things and has a lot of letters after his name prescribes. We are to do all things as the Lord God himself has prescribed for us in his word. Just by way of quick review in verses 1 through 11. We looked at the first eight of Paul's commands, learning the importance of loving without hypocrisy, detesting evil, clinging to what is good, being devoted to one another in brotherly love, giving preference to one another in honor, not getting weary or lazy in serving one another, but boiling over as we understand that it's the Lord himself that we serve. So let's pick up now at verse 12 where Paul continues his commands, exhorting us to be rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink, for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. As you've probably already figured out, there will be a part three of this series, likely a part four, maybe even a part five. So if you're making a beeline for chapter 13, you need to understand we've got a lot of groundwork to lay before we get there. There's a lot here to understand. We can easily enough memorize these things and recite them as mere platitudes. We can simply look endearingly upon what Paul says here and nostalgically and kind of with a sense of melancholy and we can say, yeah, okay, I agree, but Doing these things is much harder than simply knowing them or reciting them. And the question remains this morning, are you obeying these commands? And so this is why we're taking our time. We're being very deliberate to go through these commands so that we might just latch on to them and become obedient to them. Well, the next command that Paul gives us is the command to be rejoicing in hope." Now, notice carefully my exact wording there, the Apostle Paul's wording. Some of your translations say, rejoice in hope. That's not a good translation. What we have here is a present participle. What this means is, this is something that we are to be doing. I've shared this with you before. Anytime you see a participle in the Greek language, just attach an ing to the verb, and put it in the present tense and that means that every moment of every day we are to be engaged in doing this thing or these things. And the first of these things is rejoicing in hope. The verb again denotes an ongoing or habitual disposition toward joy. As one Greek grammarian explains, Paul's exhorting his readers to display an outer joy that is reflective of the inner joy supplied by the Holy Spirit. And what is that inner joy that we have based on? Well, it's based on the great hope that we have. Hope for what? Well, not only at the prospect of the Lord's return, but of our belonging to him and thus our being secure in him forever. This is the same hope that the writers of the Hebrews referred to in Hebrews 6, 19 and 20. He writes, this hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. I believe that a good number of my fellow believers would do well to remember What the hymn writer wrote so eloquently when he said, our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand. There are a good number of well-intentioned believers this morning placing their hope on all kinds of things. Oh, yeah, Christ is in there. But they're also placing their hope on this, that, and the other thing. This, that, and the other person who most impresses them, again, with their ability to expound the Word of God, their ability to speak what sounds like truth. Folks, we have no other final arbiter of truth than the Word of God itself, rightly divided and responsibly applied. That's it. Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. who dwelt among us, died on our behalf, rose again on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the majesty on high, where even now he makes intercession for us. God is still on his throne. When the world goes crazy around you, when we don't even know the definition between men and women, when our former president gets shot in the ear, God is on his throne. We don't despair over the current climate. We rejoice in hope. Because no matter what happens in this lost and dying world, God is on His throne. Jesus is still Lord of all. And He reigns as He sees fit to reign. Our hope simply cannot be built on our own perceived ability to correct the course of human events. That's not where your hope is. Our hope does not rest on man-made reform. Our hope is not in Donald Trump or any other mere mortal. No matter how seemingly effective they might be in the realm of human government, our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, who stands alone as our Redeemer and our refuge. As Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1.1, Christ Jesus is our hope. And it's our hope in Him that enables us to rejoice continually in whatever circumstances we might find ourselves. Look at Philippians 4 again. Philippians 4. We're all familiar enough with verses 6 and 7. But again, we would do well to keep reading. What's the context in which verses 6 and 7 finds itself? Well, Philippians 4, verses 11 through 13. What does Paul say? Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means. I also know how to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance, I've learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Notice carefully, he doesn't say I can do all things on the basis of everything I've learned over the years. I can do all things if I'll just expend enough of my own effort to do all things. No, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. It was this same great hope that also fueled the martyrs steely resolved to withstand some of the most horrendous persecution imaginable. many of them dying under the executioner's axe, many of them being mauled by wild beasts, being burned at the stake, being drowned, being put into an arena with gladiators surrounding them who would take them apart bit by bit, being laid on the ground, staked to the ground over a mound of ants that would eat the flesh off of the body until they eventually just died. These martyrs had that steely resolve, but it was fueled by their great hope. And it's the same hope created in us. It's the same hope sustained by God's Holy Spirit that enables us to look beyond our current circumstances and not only to exist. That would be enough, would it not? to continue regardless of our circumstances, just to continue living, that would be more than we deserve. But we're told that we can do more than that. We can not only be content and live, we can be content and rejoice. How often? Always. Through it all. Kenneth Wiest, fairly well-known Greek grammarian, Paraphrase Paul's command here as, be rejoicing in the atmosphere of hope. That is, the air you breathe is hopeful air. The ground you walk on is hopeful ground. The very existence that you enjoy on this earth is one rooted in hope. Like a fish needs water to thrive, he says, joy needs hope to do the same. This is why Paul connects the two over in Romans 15, 13, where he writes, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. How about you this morning? Are you rejoicing in hope? Are you abounding in hope? Seriously, ask yourself that question. Am I thriving? on the basis of the indwelling Holy Spirit who tells me that whatever my God ordains is right, who tells me that I need not be about doom and gloom in this lost and dying world, but I have Christ as my Savior. I have Christ as my rock. I have Christ as my refuge. Do you really understand that Christ is enough? Or is He not? It's a simple question. Is He not enough? See, anytime we seek to supplant the promise of Christ to be our sustenance, to be enough for us, the minute we add anything else into the mix, we're doomed for disaster. And it might not be apparent at the first, but it's a slow road to nowhere. Trust me. My prayer this morning is that each of us would contemplate All the more the manifest mercies of God and His great blessings to us to such an extent that we might find rest for our weary souls in Him alone. Are you resting in Him this morning? Chances are you're not. Chances are you're angry. Chances are you're bitter. Chances are you're resentful. Chances are you're doubtful. Chances are you're all the things that you shouldn't be in the face of this great hope that we've been given. Our Lord reigns! Does He reign in your heart? To the extent that come what may, you're able to withstand all of it? And to His glory? I hope you're thinking right now, well, I don't know if I have that kind of hope. Start working on it. Ask the Lord to fill you with this kind of hope. As John Stott once said, he said, true believers should be the most positive people in the world. We cannot mooch around the place. He's British, you know. We cannot mooch around the place with a drooping hang dog expression. We cannot drag our way through life moaning and groaning. We cannot always be looking at the dark side of everything as negative prophets of doom. No, we exalt in God. Then every part of our life becomes suffused with glory. Christian worship becomes a joyful celebration of God, and Christian living a joyful service to God. So come, let us exult in God together. Again, any unhealthy preoccupation with the things of the world, to the neglect of recognizing and living in the reality of our joy in Christ, it's a sure recipe for spiritual depression. It's ironic that those who resign themselves to God's sovereignty in all things, choosing to live joyfully in all circumstances, are often ridiculed as being uninformed. I think the latest craze is to say, oh, they're losers. They don't know what time it is. Folks, let me just tell you right now, I'm not a loser. Neither do I care what time it is. You know what time it is, folks? Let this reverberate in your minds and souls for just a minute. You know what time it is? It's God time. It's God's time. He's the master of it. He blesses us or withholds His blessing as He sees fit. And no one can stay His hand. No one can change His mind. No one can thwart His plan. Our God reigns. And again, you might sense I'm a little angry this morning. I am. I'm a little righteously indignant at those people who are walking around calling other brothers and sisters in Christ losers because of a particular eschatological position they hold. I don't know if you're aware of this. John MacArthur is being lambasted because he is a premillennial dispensationalist. He's a loser. He told his own congregation, look, we lose down here. That happens to be his eschatological position based upon his reading of the end times. God love him if that's true or if that's not true. Let me just say this. It doesn't matter. Now, how can I say that without any particular feelings of sadness? Folks, whether we win or lose down here, we're ultimately winners up there. Put your hope in Christ, who has already won every battle you will face, including gaining victory over sin, death, and the grave. If that's not enough for you, I don't know what else is. Okay, okay, Jesus has won death over sin and death and the grave, but He just has to destroy all these evil people in the world. Does he? Well, let's look a little closer at that. This makes a really fitting segue into Paul's next command. Paul doesn't guarantee us that our lives will always be easy. Place your hope in Christ and all your problems will melt away like lemon drops. Anybody here bear testimony? Once I placed my life in Christ's hands, all my troubles went whoosh out the door. What, are you nuts? No, it doesn't work that way. Paul doesn't promise us that. Jesus didn't promise us that. Paul knew full well that the Christian life would be, as the hymn writer put it so eloquently, fraught with many dangers, toils, and snares. But that's the whole impetus of that song, is it not? Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. Anybody want to finish it? Look it up. Give you a Joe Biden moment. You know all that other stuff. Paul knew this though, not just notionally, right? He knew this experientially. Look again at 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11. Starting at verse 23. 2 Corinthians 11, 23. Are they servants of Christ? I speak as if insane. I more so. I've been blessed so abundantly I can't even describe it to you right now. I've been showered with all kinds of accolades from the people who admire me because of my strong Christian faith. I've changed entire nations into Christian nations because of my stance for Christ. Oh, sorry. Sorry. I was reading from the wrong book there. I speak as if insane. I more so in far more labors. in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I've spent in the deep. I've been on frequent journeys in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen. dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren. I've been in labor and hardship through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food and cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there's the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches." Paul knew that the Christian life in its entirety would be a life of suffering. And he understood that Christ himself assured his disciples that this would be the case. Look over at John 15. John 15. And let me just say this with regard to everything I'm reading to you right now. If you can show me someplace in scripture where Jesus changed his mind, where God changed our modus operandi from this to that, show me, please. Please. Have fun looking up those verses. John 15 verse 20. Remember the word that I said to you. A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for my name's sake, because they do not know the one who sent me. Some people say, well, but that was before 70 A.D., that was before everything went horribly wrong. Jesus intended for us to take up arms and become conquerors. And what did Peter write in 1 Peter 4, 12 through 16? Something similar. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing. as though some strange thing were happening to you. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation." Remember what we said about that? It's rejoicing with rejoicing. Let your rejoicing be rejoiceful. This brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department. If you're reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer or thief or evildoer or troublesome meddler. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name." This is why Paul's next command is simply this, be persevering. Same verb construction as before, be persevering in tribulation. Paul's wanting us to understand that rejoicing in hope enables us to persevere in tribulation. As one commentator noted, this is a call for the believer to quote, jettison self-reliance and self-effort and instead yield, surrender, submit to, and depend on their indwelling ever with them, ever ready and able helper, the Holy Spirit, who provides the supernatural enabling power to walk through the difficult circumstances. Before I left for vacation, you'll recall my teaching from the 12th chapter of Job. And I talked about recognizing the sin of discontentment as being just that, an egregious sin against God. We must learn to trust in God's perfect, sovereign plan for all things. Even the most seemingly innocent display of discontentment is an affront to our sovereign God. To say to God that you're discontent with anything is to say to Him, God, I don't approve of your plan for my life. I think my plan is better. As I've expressed a few times over the last several weeks, sadly, we're seeing just the opposite happening among some of the misguided brethren who are beginning to insist that since God's not doing anything about all the things that trouble us as his children, they insist that it's incumbent upon us to take matters into our own hands, to make up for what's lacking in God's sovereign, eternal, and immutable decree. Do you hear how silly that sounds? Step aside God, I've got this. Step aside God, I've determined that I no longer need to act in accordance with the strict parameters of your word. I can just go it alone and I can make these things happen. You can't. You won't. One fairly new figure, who unfortunately is growing in prominence among these types, He posted a portion of a message he gave at a conference in which he said to an audience that he referred to as, quote, beautiful losers. He said, contrary to Jesus' repeated commands to love our enemies, to do good to those who spitefully use us, he said, I want to reward my friends and crush my enemies. Did Jesus ever command us anywhere to crush our enemies? I've told you before what I believe about imprecatory prayers. Imprecatory prayers are fine as long as you acknowledge that you are praying for the destruction of God's enemies and not your own. Now why would I say that? I'd say that because we need to be very careful that when we're praying for the destruction of our own enemies, they must be God's enemies. Otherwise, you might just be praying against one of God's elect. Aren't you so glad people weren't petitioning through prayer for your early demise and mine? I am. To say something like, In spite of the fact that God commands us to love our enemies, I want to crush my enemies. That's not only stunningly arrogant, but again, it assumes that we know who God's enemies really are. If you want to pray in the general sense, God, smite your enemies. Guess what you're praying? You're praying what he's already decreed to do. Oh, God's up there in heaven, and he says, Steve, you prayed for me to smite my enemies. Thank you for giving me your permission to smite my enemies. No. I dare not pray for the destruction of my enemies, because they might just be among God's chosen from before the foundation of the world. Guess what? My primary desire for my enemies? is that they might be redeemed by the blood of Christ. What a novel idea. How soon we forget what Paul said in Ephesians chapter 2. We were all at one time children of wrath. Just like the rest. As he says elsewhere, when he lists all those egregious sins against God, such were some of you Much better, at least in my humble opinion, to pray that people not find themselves subject to the eternal wrath of God. Call me a simpleton. Call me a loser. But I'm going to pray for the salvation of my enemies. And if they end up being God's enemies, then He'll do with them whatever He is determined to do. But as far as I'm concerned, I want all men everywhere to be saved. Is that going to happen? No, I realize that. Did Jesus himself not also say in Matthew 544, pray for those who persecute you? He did. As I thought about this, my mind was drawn to one particular martyr. His name was William Tyndall. I don't know how familiar you are with William Tyndall's life, but for the high crime of Publishing the Word of God in the vulgar tongue, the native language of those in England, William Tyndale was burned at the stake in 1536. And what were his last words before being consumed by the flames? He looked up to heaven, and he prayed in the hearing of everyone gathered there, O Lord, smite the man responsible for placing me here. That's not what he said. Now what did he pray? Oh Lord, open the King of England's eyes. And you know what happened three years later? Three years later, the Great Bible was published. 1539, the Great Bible was published. And not only was it published, it was published with the blessing and the funding of the King of England, Henry VIII. Well, but there are other arguments that say that Henry VIII was probably not a believer. That's beside the point. God at least opened his eyes wide enough for God to work through him to make the first authorized version of the Bible available to the people of England. My point is simply this, it's much wiser and much more beneficial for us to rejoice in hope and prayerfully and lovingly persevere in the persecution that will come. It's much easier in knowing that Christ has already won the battle. Much better to do that than to behave in ways that run afoul of the Lord's own counsel in his word. And again, let me just say this, as for the aforementioned comments about Beautiful losers. I'd rather take Paul's word for it. You know how Paul describes us in Christ? He says that we are more than conquerors. I have to admit that in and of myself, I am a beautiful loser. Emphasize the beautiful part. I'm also humble. You get my point though. In and of myself, I had no hope of winning. But clothed in the righteous robes of Christ, man am I beautiful. Call me everything you want to call me. I'm a beautiful conqueror. Thank you very much. In Christ. So this leaves us with a really important question, doesn't it? How exactly are we to persevere in the face of persecution? How do we do that? Well, let me give you four very effective ways that we can do this. First of all, as I just pointed out from John 15 and 1 Peter 4, we need to recognize that persecution is, in fact, inevitable and unavoidable if we're intent on living a godly life. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3.12 this very thing. Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. The world will hate you. You don't need to give them reasons to hate you. They already hate you on the basis of your profession of faith. So that's the first thing. Recognize persecution is inevitable. And people say, well, if we had a Christian president or a Christian nation, it wouldn't be, we wouldn't suffer persecution anymore. Really? Why did the Puritans leave England? The Church of England? Under persecution. Why did they, why did the pilgrims leave England and then go to Holland and then have to leave Holland? Persecution. Why was it that of those who came over, in subsequent generations, a man named Roger Williams had to create the state of Rhode Island, which, by the way, its charter is one of complete and utter religious freedom, leading the founding fathers of this country, at least two that I'm aware of, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, both saying that this country is being designed so that the Jew, the Christian, and the Mohammedan can live together in peace. Why? Need we resort to veiled racism in order to take us back to Mayberry? You do realize that if a lot of these clowns got their way that we would not have a church as diverse as we have today. It wouldn't be allowed. And if you think I'm lying about that, just go look at the link between Christian nationalism and racism, and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not making straw men here. This is a real problem. The guy I mentioned a moment ago, Joel Webben, is one of the cheerleaders for this entire movement. And Joel Webben had to explain online. He said, do you know the horror I felt at having to explain to my daughter at the swimming pool why there was a woman there dressed in full Hindu garb? If that's not veiled racism, if not outright racism, I don't know what it is. Why'd you have to explain that? I'll tell you, Joel, why you had to explain that unless somebody's not told you already. You had to explain that because we are a pluralistic country. We're a great melting pot. Sure, none of us like the fact that the border is open wide and people are flooding into our country. There's a legal way to do this. But the Statue of Liberty still stands. We still take those who are broken. of all races, creeds, nationalities, countries, we still welcome them in the right way so that they too can be part of this great experiment that we call America. And guess what we do when they get here as believers? We give them the gospel. again and again and again. Instead of looking at immigration as a downside and seeking to, in some kinistic way, to go back to this purity of America. You know, America is not pure. Another thing this guy said was, we have no place to go back to. These people do. What do you mean you have no place to go back to? Are you Native American? We all have a place to go back to. If I was to go back to where I belong, I'd have to be cut into five different pieces. I'd have to go back to England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Scandinavia. Parents, if your kids don't know where that Scandinavian link comes in, explain what the Vikings did when they came over. Anyway. Okay, Randolph. The fact of the matter is, we will suffer this side of glory. Remember what Paul said in Philippians 3.10? After declaring all the things he had surrendered for the cause of Christ, he counted them rubbish. He then said that he counted a privilege to share in Christ's sufferings. He didn't lament his condition, he said, it's a privilege. He said something really similar in Colossians 1 24. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his body which is the church. So first understand that persecution is inevitable. Secondly understand and appreciate that our persecution allows us to enjoy a unique fellowship with the Lord. Thirdly, we need to understand that persecution is actually good for us and that it produces certain characteristics or qualities that grow us more and more into the image of Christ. James 1 verses 2 through 4. What did he say? And this ties very closely with the first commandment that we're studying this morning. He says, count it all joy. My brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." Persecution makes us better, makes us stronger. One commentator expressed it this way, as steel is tempered in the forge, trials and persecution serve to strengthen the character of believers. A Christian yielding graciously to persecution demonstrates that he is of superior quality as compared to his adversaries. It's easy to be hateful, but Christ's likeness produces kindness and blessing in the face of evil opposition. Peter says of Jesus in 1 Peter 2.23, When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate. When he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. And that's so true. In fulfillment of Isaiah 53, Jesus, like a lamb led to the slaughter, was silent before his shearers, didn't open his mouth. And remember what he told Pilate. This is also very relevant to what we're talking about this morning. Pilate, thinking himself to be in control of everything, he said, what, you don't speak to me? Do you not understand that I have the power over you? To either have you put to death or have you set free? And what did Jesus say? There's your first mistake, believing that you're in control. He said, you would have no power over me were it not granted to you by my Father who is in heaven. Folks, do you understand that? Everything that befalls you, think of poor Job. Every bit of persecution that he endured was at God's direction. Do anything you want to him, just don't kill him. Job had to learn the hard way, right? Fourthly and finally, we need to understand that persecution has a way of drawing the people of God closer together. You know, it was in the midst of ongoing persecution that the writer to the Hebrews wrote what he did in Hebrews 10.25. You know, he urges us there in Hebrews 10.23, following, not to forsake our assembling together as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another. And then what does he say? And all the more, all the more, as you see the day of Christ's return drawing near, Isn't it ironic that as we see the day of Christ drawing near, we're more apt to bite at one another's heels, disparage one another over doctrinal disagreements that really are up for grabs in the pale of orthodoxy. We're far more inclined to start hurling invectives at one another and calling each other names than we are to sit and wait patiently on the Lord to reveal himself from the heavens. Learn to persevere in tribulation, knowing that God is still on his throne and that the battle has already been won by the death of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. As Puritan writer Samuel Johnson noted, he said, great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance. Well, this brings us to Paul's next command in verse 12, which is that we are to be devoted to prayer. What does that mean? Do I need to spend a lot of time on that? I don't think so. You know what it means to be devoted to prayer? It means to be devoted to prayer. It means to pray without ceasing. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5, 17. It's very easy to begin leaning on our own understanding, letting our own fleshly thoughts and emotions govern our behavior. It's much easier to do that when we neglect the privilege of prayer. How many of you will admit that there are times when you put off praying for something only to find yourself in a real pickle? If I had prayed about this earlier, it might just be that God would hear my cries, and that God fully intended for me to pray this very prayer so that I would learn to avoid whatever it is that's coming down the pike, and yet we don't pray. as we ought. We are not devoted to prayer. If I were to ask you the all-important yet embarrassing question this morning, how's your prayer life? How many of you are forced to shrink back and re-examine your prayer life? I would dare say all of us. But when we're striving to be in constant communion with God, when we seek His counsel at every turn, we'll begin to act and react in accordance with His clearly revealed Word, which, by the way, He has sealed within our hearts." Could your prayer life use a little work? I would dare say that if professing believers would devote themselves more to prayer than they do to social media, podcasts, websites. If more people were just devoted more to the Lord than their favorite celebrity pastor, I think we'd be on to something. If we were more devoted to prayer, we might just experience the revival that we so seek. Be devoted to prayer. Make it a daily ritual, several times a day, throughout the day. Draw near to God through this special privilege of blessed communion with your Maker and Redeemer. And you see just how God might be pleased to alleviate all of your cares and concerns this side of glory. There's more. Verse 13. He says that we are to be contributing to the needs of the saints. Now, we need to understand that this is a very specifically worded command. We need to be contributing to the needs of who? Everybody in the world? Nope. Of the saints. This is an antidote to the social gospel that's so prominent in our world today. I know I've gotten a lot of calls, but John, I think, has gotten the brunt of the calls because his name is all over the place, his phone number. But I can't tell you the number of times people have called me. Hey, does your church do rent assistance? Well, first of all, it's nice to meet you. Who are you? Well, I'm so-and-so. Where do you go to church? Well, I don't. The answer is no, we don't. And not because we're not willing to help people, simply because can you imagine if we did that for every person who asked. We were asked why we don't have a food pantry. I mean the first few weeks we were here we had people lined out the door wanting to know where they can get free stuff. Folks, that's not what we're about. This is why Paul says that we're to contribute to the needs of the saints. And think of all the blessed opportunities we've had for that. You know, we pay for Lee and Wanda to come down and have a good time every year, and they're a blessing to us, and we support missionaries, and we support, you know, when Boniface needs a new building, and the saints there in Kenya need anything at all, we try to meet those needs. That's what Paul's talking about. When you put your offerings in the plate that goes around every Lord's Day, you're contributing to the needs of the saints, all kinds of needs that many of you don't even have any idea what you're contributing to. But we are a very giving church. You need to understand that you need to know that. It's interesting, this word contributing. Does anybody know what word that is in the Greek? Don't cheat. It's the word koinoneo. You know what that word is? Fellowship. One of the things that cements our fellowship together is our willingness to give to one another and to help one another when help is necessary. I believe Paul expresses this concept best in Galatians 6.10. He says, so then while we have opportunity let us do good to all men and especially to those who are of the household of faith. What he's saying there is not that we're not to do good for all men, we are to the extent that we're able. I mean, I give money and coupons and I've taken meals to people on the street who don't have anything to eat and not virtue signaling or anything, but I do that on occasion just because I'm wanting to help all men. But if I ever saw a brother or sister there next to a person who didn't have anything, guess who's going to get the bulk of my attention? It's the saint, my brother in Christ, my sister in Christ. Here's the beauty of it, who will probably then share whatever it is that he's given or she's given. James, James 2, 14 through 17. What use is it, brethren, if a man says he has faith but has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, go in peace, be warmed and be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 1 John 3, 17. Whoever has the world's goods and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? This is attached to another closely associated need, and that is we are to be practicing hospitality. Hospitality, by the way, doesn't mean entertaining. Right? You go to somebody's house and they throw a party and they routinely have people over to their house. Oh, they're so hospitable. That's not what that means. Hospitality is strictly defined as love to strangers. Love to strangers, people that you don't know. And why would that be important? Well, it's important because the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 13 too, that sometimes we entertain angels unaware. It might be that God places an opportunity for you to contribute to the needs of a brother or sister. They might just be an angel. You never know. Don't go looking for wings or anything. Now, does that mean I'm supposed to open my home to complete strangers? No. Don't do that. Don't do that. Given the larger context, I think the primary recipients of this hospitality are one another. Somebody's house burns down, somebody needs a place to stay, somebody is down and out and they need a place to stay for a while. Open your home. If they're a brother and sister in the Lord, that's what hospitality means. You would have the willingness to do that. Or to provide them lodging elsewhere. I've known people who you know, Lee and Wanda come. We don't have the room to house them. We live in a little small garden home that's just right for me and Dana, but it's not right for entertaining or for having guests, but we put them in a hotel right down the street, and they love it. They don't have to sit and look at us the whole time, right? Especially in our house, because it'd be kind of, yeah. But hospitality can be extended in so many different ways. It's just, again, a reflection of our, motivation to see that we're taking care of each other. And again, the last thing we need to be doing is calling each other names, looking down our nose at each other. You're just not as bright as I am, so off with you. And that happens in local churches. Perish the thought that that would ever happen here. And if you're doing that, just stop. for the love of God and everything holy. Just stop. Well, in our next study, Lord willing, we'll pick up at verse 14. Again, we're just blazing through this whole thing. But here in verse 14, the Lord, through the Apostle Paul, presents us with a command that runs in direct opposition to the way most of us are inclined to think and behave. So be thinking about that in the coming week. And if you've not already begun to do so, I want you to reflect on the importance of rejoicing in hope. Be joyful. You should be the most positive person you know. Don't be so down. Don't be so distracted by the evil of this world. Be positive and be rejoicing in hope. Persevere in the midst of tribulation. Cultivate a life of prayerful devotion. And meet one another's needs. Whatever those needs might be, if you're able, meet the needs of brethren, even if you've never met them. Strive to meet those needs. In all of these things, might God be well pleased. Might He continue to sanctify us, as always, by His grace and for His glory.