Verse 25, now, when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained, for Aaron had not restrained them to their shame among their enemies. Then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp and said, whoever is on the Lord's side, come to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. When there's a turning back to God, when there's a time of this running to evil of many people, two groups can emerge, and I say can emerge. And not every church controversy can be viewed through this lens, so we need to be careful with this. But some issues and some things will ask us this profound question. Who is with God? Who has turned to holiness? Who has said, my allegiance is to Christ, no matter the cost, no matter the consequence in this world. They stand out. and they do not join in with the evil of apostasy. In Exodus 23 verse two it says this, you shall not follow a crowd to do evil, nor shall you just testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. It's easy to go with the crowd. It's easy to go with what is popular. But the word of God warns us that we shall not follow a crowd to do evil. Our responsibility, as it was in 2020, as it was in 2019 and 2018 and every year before that, is to obey God, being careful not to be carried along with panic such as this, that is seen in the camp. This great uncertainty that has been created in the camp. And turning to holiness may mean turning away from something that is popular. And what is even more shocking is here it is in this text that even Aaron went along with it. That's a sobering thought. That is a really sobering thought. I think of myself and Lord willing, I hope to be in the ministry someday. I should never think for a second that I am incapable of succumbing to popular opinion and being pressured into something that is evil. You must pray for your elders. You must pray for those who are in leadership. Aaron should not have supported this rebellion. It said, for Aaron had not restrained them to their shame among their enemies. And Aaron's excuse was this. Well, you know the people, you know what they're like. Another way of saying it. And he said to them, thus says the Lord God of Israel, that every man put his sword in his side and go in and out from the entrance. There was grave consequences for this turning. There was church discipline being carried out here. Verse 28, so the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and about 3,000 men of the people fell that day. Now, today we do not have the death penalty as a form of church discipline. But there is church discipline, there is consequences for sin, and it is done for many reasons. It's done for the health of the church. It is done also for the benefit and the blessing of that person who falls into their sin. It is vital for the health of the church. It is vital that God's people look to the true God of heaven and not to one they have invented. If there is true repentance, dear friends, there will be a change in behavior. There will be something that changed. They all flood towards this idol, this golden calf. They all go in this direction. Even Aaron is pressured into it. And then in the midst of this, there are a number who step out and are on the Lord's side. putting to death the deeds of the flesh. There are sincere believers and they're caught up in sin. And then the question will be, when that happens, do we stand for God? Do we stand for God? Who do we serve? I do not know the future. I do not know the future. But the world is changing very, very rapidly. And things are being discussed I never thought would be discussed. Things such as mandatory medical treatment against someone's will. It does not matter what our views about vaccines are. But when informed consent and things like this are being discussed and We have to make sure we do not go after the crowd for evil. Maybe we have no say in it, maybe we have no way of changing it, but we don't support it. We pray against it. We try to urge our people who are in power to have sense. And I even ask this scary question, I fear even to put it out loud. I hope this is completely absurd. I hope that this will never even be a question. Vaccine passports needed to enter a church. The church is for all who will come. Everybody, everybody. We've got to be very careful. that we don't go against people. We may disagree with people, but we don't oppress them. There will come points in our lives, dear friends, I say this as somebody who has wept and cried over this. Forgive me. There will come a point when theology will no longer be theory. And we will be tested. But dear friends, there are some of the most glorious days in church history. We still read about the martyrs. We still read about the William Wilberforces. We still read about all those men. Their testimony throughout the ages still speaks. Let our testimony today speak to our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren. Idols challenge us, it doesn't matter who we are. Every single last one of us. I am prone to it and so are you. But maybe you haven't come to Christ here this evening. There is nothing else that is needed but faith in Jesus Christ. And he says to you, dear friend, come to me, all you who are at labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. It doesn't matter what is wearing you. It doesn't matter what is drawing you away from him. Jesus says, take my yoke upon you and learn from me. My yoke is easy. My burden is light. It is wonderful. His burden, I mean, we fear what comes ahead, but his burden is light. It is wonderful. And the Lord gives us the greatest times of peace and serenity, just things we can't even imagine in the most horrible situations. How could the early Christians sing while they were in prison? How could they go to be crucified outside the walls of a city singing? How? And yes, we don't feel brave enough today May the Lord give us the strength if those days ever do come. And may His name be glorified in those days. His invitation is to all, and we invite every single person, regardless of who they are or what they believe, to come and fellowship with us, and to trust in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.