Deuteronomy chapter 34, as we are finishing a new year and beginning, or finishing a year and beginning a new year, I wanna think about finishing. I think you might think, well, that's a little bit odd on, we're about to start a new year, but your message is on finishing. But I want to think about finishing strong for the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. We don't know when our race is over. Now we're all assuming we're going to make it 2025, right? But there are people that are alive at this moment that won't make it to 2025 or across this globe. And Jesus could come back before 2025, amen? He could. And we're to be looking for him, amen? And so we may not make it 2025, but if we do, it makes no difference whether it's 2024, whether it's 2025. If God gives us another 10 years and it's 2035, I want to finish strong, amen? So here in Deuteronomy chapter 34, if you would look with me here at beginning in verse number five, the Bible says, so Moses, the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in the valley, in the land of Moab, over against Beth Peor. But no man knoweth of his sepulcher unto this day. And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. And Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him, and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses. And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face." Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we do thank you, Lord, for this day. Thank you for this time of Christmas season when we celebrate the birth of your son. And Lord, I pray that we have been busy about getting out the word like the shepherds did and telling others of the Christ, not just the Christ child, but the Christ of the cross that can save them from their sin. Lord, I pray that you would help us to continue to do so. Lord, that many might trust you as Savior, that many might be like some of those and wondered at the things the shepherds said and the things they heard. But Lord, if they ponder them in their heart, you can work on their heart and they can trust you as Savior. We ask Lord also as we approach this new year, we don't know what will take place in this new year. If you allow us to enter this new year and to live for you, Lord, we do ask already that, Lord, you might help us to serve you. Lord, may we be found faithful. May we be found as your servant Moses and not quit until the day you call us home. We ask this in Jesus' precious name. Amen. Now, I find it very interesting thing here in verse seven, the Bible says, his eyes was not dim, nor his natural force abated. I mean, you look at his age, Moses was full of years, amen? and lived longer than probably any of us will, and longer than most do today. I think last I read, the oldest living man presently was like 127, so he had a few years on Moses, but not many. But most of us, I would say, probably won't make it to 100, but at his old age, Moses, the Bible says, his eyes were not dim. I already have to wear glasses, amen? And his natural force not abated. I'm 54 and I wished I could say that. I don't have the strength, the natural force I did when I was 25, 30 years of age, amen? And we'll just leave it there. But the fact of the matter is, this is of God, God's ability. God gave Moses that ability that he had. I just found that very interesting at that age. And I wish I could say that at my age, but I can't. But Moses finished his service to God on a high note, amen? He had served God many years. He had done what God had called him to do. And Moses finished on a high note there. I believe that God didn't allow us to know where he is buried because I can guarantee you the way man is, man would make a shrine out of it and a man would have something else to worship. And I believe that's why God did not allow that. But Moses had made a few mistakes. As a matter of fact, that's why we see him in this passage. Remember, he had hit that rock when he was supposed to speak to that rock. And we look at that and say, well, that wasn't a big deal. Yes, it was. Because these were pictures that God was using for the children of Israel and Jesus Christ died once, amen. And Not twice. And so because of that, I understand he was upset. I understand he was angry and rightfully so because the children of Israel were murmuring and complaining again. But the fact is we're responsible for our own actions. And so because of that, he couldn't go into the promised land. He was not perfect, but he had served the Lord. He had finished well. The question is, how about you and I? How will you finish your earthly race? Will you have regret? Or will you hear, well done thou good and faithful servant? The Bible has both stories of people who finished well, like Moses, Joshua, and others. And it also has stories of those that started well, but didn't finish well. I think of Saul. He started well when they were looking, when it was revealed Saul was going to be a king, they were looking around. He was hiding among the stuff. He was hiding. He was humble. He started well. He didn't finish well. Somewhere along the line, he got full of pride. And he began to think that he was king because of himself and that he could do what he wanted. And he didn't have to obey the word of the Lord completely. Remember Samuel came to him and said, to obey is better than sacrifice. So he started well, but didn't finish well. And there's many others we find in scripture that way. How will you and I end up in the race? Isn't the point of the race is to end up well The race that we're running now, we're not competing against each other, amen? I'm glad for that. But we're to run the race that Jesus has set before each one of us. My race is different than your race. Your race is different than the person sitting next to you. But you and I have a race to run, and I wanna hear well done, amen? I don't want the Lord to shake his head and discuss and say, you could have done better. You shouldn't have quit. Why did you give up on the race I set before you? Why did you try to change it and go a different direction? I wanna hear God say, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Would to God that we would all endeavor, not just to start well, but to run well and to finish well, amen. How you end up in the race is the point, isn't it? I wanna give you three things that I believe helped Moses. finish his race well, that I believe will help you and I finish our race well. First, I see that he had a real purpose. He knew what that purpose was. He had a purpose that was given to him by God. Moses didn't come up with his purpose. As a matter of fact, if you remember, when God came to Moses and said, hey Moses, I wanna send you down to Egypt to bring my people out of Egypt, Moses went, wait a minute, Lord, you got the wrong guy. I got speech problems, and I got this issue, and I've got that issue. Hey, Lord, send whoever you will. Needs to be done. Just don't send me. This was not Moses' plan. It was God's plan. He did what God called him to do. God had to put him in his place, amen, because like you and I, he gave some excuses. But he understood God's purpose was to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt to the promised land. And he did just that. And by the way, I can pretty much assure you that Moses didn't think it was gonna take him over 40 years. Think about it. Moses, you're gonna lead the children of Israel from Egypt over to the promised land. Well, you can make that journey pretty quickly. It shouldn't take you even a year, but it certainly shouldn't take you 40 years. I'm sure when Moses finally was convinced of God, okay, Lord, I'm gonna do this, I'm sure he thought, this isn't gonna take me the rest of my life, but it did. I say that to say this, what God has called you to may be different than you expect. He wasn't expecting 40 years to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, but just because it's not what you don't expect, you shouldn't quit, amen? Those 40 years, Moses didn't quit. And I'm sure there was many a day he wanted to. As a matter of fact, you read Scripture, you find that out. Those days that children of Israel were complaining, hey, there were a couple of times children of Israel even thought about stoning Moses. I'm sure those were days that Moses would have liked to have been able to just, you know what, I'm gonna quit, I'm gonna resign, somebody else can lead you. But God didn't call anybody else to lead them. He called Moses. He called Joshua to finish the task and to be their leader when they first entered the promised land. But Moses was called to a task that only God wanted Moses to do. Can I tell you, you are called to a task that God wants you and no one else to do. Now I find that a privilege. There's over 8 billion people I'm told on planet earth. I thank the Lord I didn't have to count them. Amen. But that's what I'm told. And out of those, there's not another one made like you. Not another one with your fingerprints. Not another one with your exact combination of personality, talents, abilities, problems, whether physical or other. God made you like no other. And God made you for a specific task, a specific purpose. Go with me to Exodus chapter three, if you will. Exodus chapter three, I want you to understand we need to find that purpose and we need to live in it, amen? Find that purpose. Hopefully, most of us, I hope by now you have found that purpose God has called you to. And if you've completed one purpose God's called you to, He has another one for you, amen? He's not gonna leave you without purpose in this life. Make sure you found the purpose God has for you and live in it. We call that the will of God. And that is a daily thing. That's not something out there in the future. That's now. Hey, the moment he called Moses, it wasn't just Moses, I'm gonna use you to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. He called Moses and Moses started following at that moment as he's taking his trip down to Egypt. It's for right now, not just the future. Look here with me, Exodus chapter three, notice with me beginning here in verse number 10. Come now therefore and I will send thee unto Pharaoh that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses said unto God, who am I that I should go into Pharaoh and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? Now you and I might try to use the same excuse with God. Lord, who am I to do what you've, I can't do that. Whatever God's called you to do. Well, who made you? Who gave you your talents, your abilities? Who gave you your personality? Think God had something in mind when he gave you those abilities and talents? Amen, he did. Are you using them for his glory? So he says, who am I? By the way, I can answer that for you. If you're saved, you're a child of God. And as a child of God, we're to be obedient to God. So who am I? Lord, I'm your obedient child, or we should be. So whatever you've called me to do, I'll do it. Who am I? I'm a child of the King. I need to follow my king's direction. and what he wants me to do with my life. And so that doesn't, it didn't work for Moses, it doesn't work for you and I. Verse 12, and he said, certainly I will be with you. I'm thankful for God's presence. And this shall be a token unto thee that I have sent thee when thou has brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers has sent me unto you, and they shall say to me, what is his name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I am that I am. And he said thus, shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am has sent me unto you. You know, that name of God, I am, you know how important that is? That's present tense. Hey, whatever you need God for in your life today, He is, amen. And tomorrow, if we have tomorrow, if we get to tomorrow, whatever we need presently, God is for you and I. That's why he introduced himself as that name. I am. Hey, what do you need? I need wisdom today. God is my wisdom. I need strength today. God is my strength. I need help. I need discernment. All of these things, God is saying, I am for you. You gotta seek me though. Well, if I don't seek him, I don't have that wisdom and that strength and that discernment and those other things that I need. The purpose was the purpose of God. It's very clear from this passage that this was not the purpose of Moses. This was not what Moses had planned for himself. This is what God planned for Moses. Moses was content being a shepherd on the backside of the desert. And God said, no, you've been here long enough. Training's over. No doubt God used that to train Moses. Now I've got a job for you, Moses. It was God's purpose. How about you? Folks, we've been under enough preaching of the Word of God to understand that God has a purpose for our lives, but are you and I living in that purpose? Do you know God's specific purpose for your life right now, presently? God's will is for today as well as tomorrow. Are you living in His will presently, right now? It's a decision by decision, moment by moment thing. Are we in His will? We should know. You know, we complicate things. As mankind, we complicate things. I'm glad God is a God of simplicity, amen? I'm glad it's a simple plan of salvation. But we as man, we complicate it. The will of God, we complicate it as if it's some ambiguous thing that God's trying to hide from you and I, and we gotta figure it out. It isn't. Most of God's will, he's already provided in black and white in the word of God. It is God's will for me to be faithful to church. I know that, the Bible tells me. It is God's will for me to study his word. I know that, the Bible tells me. It is God's will for me to be a soul winner. I know that, the Bible tells me. He that wins souls is wise. And I can go thing after thing after thing after thing that I know is God's will for me because God has said so. Very little has God not told us. All those things about, for our young people whom I'm supposed to marry, God gives us principles and God will lead and direct, bring that one along for you. Those that are young couples will, how am I supposed to direct my children? It's in there. Every single one of us, it matters not, not our age. God will lead and direct you and I in His will, if we'll follow what He's already shown us. You know, the Bible says that the word of God is a lamp unto my feet and a light in my path. You know, those lamps worked, they weren't flashlights. They didn't show you what's 20 feet in front of you. They showed you enough for one step. And many Christians have gotten out of the will of God because the steps that God's already shown, we haven't taken. And if we're not gonna follow what God has already told us in his word to do, why should he reveal any more if we won't follow what he's already revealed? We need to follow what God has already revealed. And when we do that, guaranteed, God does exactly what he says. His word will be that lamp. He will show us the next step, not five or six steps, the next step. And when we take that step, we've got light for the next one. That's the way God works. He didn't show Moses everything he was going to. Can you imagine if he did? Moses really would have put up an argument then. I don't want to have to lead this stiff-necked people and have all these problems and all these difficulties. No, God didn't show him everything. He just showed him one step. I want you to go down to Egypt. Lead my people out. And one step at a time, he followed the will of God. I'm sure he had no idea that it would take him as long as it did, but he followed the word of God and he was true to what God wanted him to do. He didn't quit. I think of others, Elijah, Elisha, Joseph, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and the list goes on and on. They all faced adversity. They all faced disappointments. They all faced discouragements. They all faced hardships following the purpose God had for their lives, but they all finished well. Hey, there was a time with Elijah, he was ready to quit. Remember, he asked the Lord to take his life. He got over that discouragement. God continued to use him and he finished well. What a finish going up in a chariot of fire. I don't know about you, I'd be a little nervous. Amen. But what a way to finish. How about you and I? They knew that it was God's purpose, His work. They understood He would enable them. They understood He would go with them. They understood He would not forsake them. They all finished well because of that understanding. Do you understand, Christian? God will go with you. God will empower you. God will not forsake you. We just need to get busy about His work, amen. He won't fail you and me. Will you and I finish well? Something else I believe that they understood concerning the purpose of God and that helped them finish well, and that's this, you cannot be successful carrying out the purpose of God in your life when you're afraid of people. They had to get over that. Jeremiah had that for a while, didn't he? He was getting tired of things that were going on because he gave God's message. And he decided, hey, you know what? I'm just gonna shut up for a little bit. I'm not gonna continue to give the message of God. And it didn't work. He said, it burned in me like a fire. I just had to give out the message of God. We got to that place, he was no longer afraid of people. I find that with all these men. Moses, he couldn't be afraid of Pharaoh. Can you imagine going to the king of Egypt, Pharaoh, who at that time was one of the most powerful kings, and telling him, hey, all your slaves have served you all these years, you need to let us go. That's a scary situation to be put in. And I say this as a pastor, I cannot allow fear of what so-and-so will think to affect giving out the Word of God. I am obligated to preach uncompromising the Word of God. I can't fear what others will believe if it is the Word of God. We need to adhere to it, amen. I'm to preach the whole counsel of God. I may not preach as eloquent as some, I understand that. And I know sometimes I'm a little heavy on bluntness and a little bit light on tactfulness. Believe me, that's not on purpose. My wife tells me that sometimes she thinks I don't understand the word tactful. And that may be true, but I must preach the whole counsel of God without changing it. without watering it down, amen? All across this land, we have ones that have changed it, we have ones that have watered it down, and we are reaping the consequences of that. Do you fear God or do you fear people? You see, if you fear God, you won't fear people. If we fear people, we won't fear God as we should. Which is it? The answer to that question, I believe, will reveal whether you and I will live in God's purpose or not. Because we fear people, we won't live in God's purpose, we won't be bold. Over and over in scripture, I find Paul, one prayer request that he asked for himself, he would ask people to pray for him that he would have boldness in preaching the word of God. Because there are a lot of people that don't like what this book says, amen? There is. But we're to give it out anyway. Moses finished well because he embraced God's purpose for his life. Secondly, he finished well because he was a man of prayer. Go with me to Numbers, if you will. Numbers and chapter 21. Numbers chapter 21. And look here with me, verse number seven. Numbers 21 and verse number seven. Therefore, the people came to Moses and said, we have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee, praying to the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people." Hey, they knew where to go to. They knew, hey, we've got a problem. They understood that they brought on themselves, but they went to Moses because they knew that Moses had the ear of God. Moses was a man of prayer. Hey, the only way that we're gonna fulfill God's purpose is if we do so by His power. And the only way to have God's power in our life is prayer. Excuse me. There is no substitute. Too many Christians, we have a fast food mentality when it comes to spiritual things. We want it done now and we don't wanna have to put a lot of effort in it. We wanna be able to say a five word prayer and God do something miraculous. I've had those times. I've had those times I've just prayed, Lord help. And God did what was needed. But there are other times we need to labor in prayer. You know, some today, they want their sermon and worships in 60 seconds. They want their prayers answered in 90 seconds flat, or 60 minutes, I should say, 90 seconds flat. And we want extra credit from God if we attend a revival service or we hand out a track. That's not the kind of Christianity God's called you and I to, amen. God has called us to serve Him, whether it's something that is very quick or something that takes some time, whether it's a lot of effort, a little bit of effort, whatever the need is, God wants you and I to stick with it. God help us if we've reduced our fellowship with the Lord to just that. Hey, 60 minutes on Sunday morning and answer my prayers very quickly, 90 seconds and everything's great. No. That's not what God wants from you and I. Many Christians feel they don't have time to labor in prayer. Thank God we're not to live according to feelings, amen? Every single one of us have those days. I thank God that I don't base my salvation on feelings. We've all faced days where you don't feel like you're saved, amen? You feel like everything's going against you. The truth is God is still for you, amen, if you're his. I praise God we don't go by feelings. You know, sometimes I don't feel like getting up early and going to Sunday school or church today. Well, I'm not supposed to go on feelings. Just ask God one question, Lord, is it right for me or is it wrong? If it's right, I need to do it. If it's wrong, I shouldn't. Amen? Don't go by your feelings. Hey, I'll be honest with you. I didn't feel like getting up out of bed this morning. I could have gotten some extra sleep, but I knew what was right to do. How about you? Found a statistic I find interesting. Again, you know, when you read statistics, how accurate are they? I don't know. But anyway, they, whoever they are, says that if mom attends church regularly, 17% of the children remain faithful to church. If dad attends regularly, the number goes up to 55% remain faithful. But if both mom and dad attend church regularly, about 72% of children will continue to remain faithful. to church. I think that sounds like church might be pretty important. I know God puts a premium on being in church. What about sometimes, you know, well, I just feel like I can't save anyone, so I don't witness. No, you're right, you can't save anyone. But again, it's not according to feelings. Well, so-and-so, I don't think they'll ever get saved. Praise God, it's not according to how you or I think or feel. God has already saved the chiefest of sinners, amen? So he can save those that you and I wanna see saved. We've gotta be faithful to pray, faithful to go after them and try to win them for the Lord. Look with me in Acts chapter one, if you will. Go with me to Acts chapter one. And notice here with me Acts chapter one, look with me at verse number 14. Bible says, these all continue with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus and with his brethren. Jump over with me, if you will, to chapter two, verse one. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. By the way, they were in one accord praying. Look with me. at verse number eight there, we know what took place. The Holy Spirit came upon them, verse eight. And how here we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born. In other words, God performed a miracle, but notice before God performed the miracle, what were they doing? They were praying. And by the way, a long time, because we find they're praying in Acts chapter two, but the prayer meeting started in Acts chapter one. Look with me at verse 41 in Acts chapter 2. Verse 41, then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls. Folks, that didn't happen because they just had a great day. That didn't happen because Peter preached just the best message in the world. That happened because the power of God was upon them because they spent a lot of time in prayer. And if you and I are gonna see a lot of folks saved, if we're gonna see God expand our church, if we're gonna see God do great miracles among us, it only comes by God's power, which only comes to a praying people. Look with me in Matthew chapter 21. Matthew chapter 21. In Matthew chapter 21, look at verse 22 with me. Matthew chapter 21, verse 22. And all things whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing ye shall receive. All things we'll ask in prayer, believing, not doubting. Well, I don't think we're gonna see anybody saved. God's not gonna answer that prayer. It's not a prayer of faith. How's our prayer life? And are we applying faith? James 5.16 says, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Just very quickly, that word effectual, there's a difference between effect and affect. Affect means influence. Effect means change. So the effectual or a changing prayer, a prayer that changes something. Fervent means there's some work to it. It takes some effort. It takes some time. It takes some getting a hold to God. It might take some getting right with God. Of a righteous man, that is a saved individual. Because the only righteousness we have is from God. That kind of prayer availeth much. Do you wanna finish well for Jesus? It's gonna take some effectual, fervent praying to do so. That takes a little effort on our part. Takes a little changing on our part, amen? You see, prayer's not about changing God's mind. Prayer's about changing us, be on the same page with God. Are we willing? If you and I are gonna finish well, it's gonna mean that we follow God's purpose for our life, not our own. If we're gonna finish well, it means it's gonna take some prayer, it's gonna take some work and faith and prayer. It's also gonna take some mountain climbing. Look back in our text, go back with me, if you will, where we start out there in Deuteronomy chapter 34. Deuteronomy chapter 34. Notice if we're gonna finish well, it's gonna take some mountain climbing. Look with me at verse number one. And Moses went up from the plain of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo to the top of Pisgah. Do you notice? He didn't just climb one mountain. There's three mountains mentioned there. And notice, I wanna call your attention to some words, the word up, the word mountain, and the word top. There was some mountain climbing in his life. Now remember his age. He was doing mountain climbing at 120 years of age. How many of you would like to do some mountain climbing right now? He was 120. Say, what are you trying to show us here? Well, he was persistent. He faced adversity from the enemy. He faced adversity from the very people he was leading from Egypt to the promised land, but he didn't give up. He kept going and doing it God's way. He kept following his Lord. He kept climbing the mountains, amen. The Bible's full of wonderful Christian examples for us of people who kept on, who were persistent for Jesus, and as a result, they finished well. I think of the Apostle Paul. He said, I pressed toward the mark. Do you know why he was pressing toward that mark one day? He was stoned for preaching and left for dead. You read that account, you know what he did? He got up, brushed himself off, and he went to the next town, and he didn't bellyache, he preached. Didn't stop him. Talk about adversity. They thought they killed him. But he kept on preaching. Matter of fact, we have that account, Acts chapter 14, verse 19. It says, and came into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch." Do you notice that? He got up, they went to the city. He got the rest of the day off. I don't know what time of day it was, but he took the rest of the day off to recuperate. And the very next day, he goes to the next city and he preaches. He kept doing what God called him to do. He faced some adversity, but you know what he was doing? He was pressing toward the mark. He was pressing toward the mark. He kept preaching. What about the disciples? All of them were martyred for the Lord, save one, John. They tried to kill him. They boiled him in oil. Could you imagine how much pain that would have been? Somehow he lived through that. So they exiled him to the Isle of Patmos. He's disfigured. I'm sure he now has some physical problems he never had before because he was boiled in oil. And yet he didn't quit. God used him to write the book of Revelation. I don't know what else he used them for on that island. I'm sure if there were any other inhabitants, John was the witness that he needed to be. He didn't quit. He didn't give up. I can't help but think of some of our missionaries, many of them putting their lives in danger. How about Rebecca Fruin, where she's at, a war-torn country. There's others, I can't give their names out over the airwaves for their safety. And yet they're serving God, they haven't quit, they're facing adversity, but they understand the purpose God has given them, and they understand God is going with them, and they understand that God is enough to meet their need. Folks, we are no different. It doesn't matter what your career is, or what your job is, or if you're retired, or if you haven't started a career, it doesn't matter. If you are a saved, blood-bought, born-again child of God, we serve the same God, amen? And He has a will for your life that is just as important as a will for somebody else's life. And you and I need to find that will, and we need to live in it and not quit until Jesus calls us home either by way of the rapture or by way of death, that's the only way to finish well. This is not retirement time, amen? Not retirement time. You say, preacher, but I've got many years under my belt. Maybe you say, I retired from my career many years ago. We're not to retire on Jesus Christ, amen? What are you doing to serve your Lord? Are you just waiting till Jesus comes back? I wasn't told to wait. I was told to serve, amen? I was told to be looking for him. So in that sense, I'm to be waiting. The disciples were told to be looking for him. But remember when they were still looking, when he went in the clouds and they're still looking, the angel said, hey, what are you doing here? Why are you looking up? The same Jesus is gonna come back. The mandate was get busy. Folks, I think you could agree with me. There's plenty that needs to be done. in our country for Lord Jesus Christ, amen? There's plenty of work to do. Who's gonna do it if not you and I? The unsaved aren't gonna do it. Those that have a false gospel, they aren't gonna win them to Christ. They're gonna win them to something, but it's not gonna be Christ. You and I that know Jesus Christ, It's our job, it's our work, it's what God has called us to do. Are we living in the purpose God has given us? How exciting that last thing we see Moses doing at 120 years of age is mountain climbing. I was talking, I believe it was Brother Joe, I could be wrong, this weekend, talking and about the fact, you know what? It is exciting to serve God. It's not boring. It is not boring to serve God. I could give you all kinds of stories. I won't do that this morning, but I could give you all kinds of stories. Sometimes it gets so exciting, you say, Lord, can you make it a little less exciting? You know, I'm serious. It's exciting serving God. You know where it's boring? sitting on the sidelines, watching somebody else lead someone to the Lord, watching God answer somebody else's prayer, watching God do a miracle for someone else. Oh, we can rejoice with them, but if all we get to do is watch someone else getting a blessing, someone else getting a prayer answered, someone else leading someone to the Lord, and we don't get any of those things ourselves because we're sitting on the sideline, that's boring, folks. But it's not boring serving God. You want an adventure? Live by faith, serving God. Best life possible, but I will guarantee you it will be an adventure. There'll be some things you didn't plan for happen. There'll be some times you'll say, Lord, how are you going to get me out of this? And he does. He does. He will. We can have it, you know, it's our choice. God won't force you. God didn't force you to trust him if you're saved. God won't force you to live for him. He won't force you to serve him. He wants you to do so because you love him. How's your love for him? Hey, if you and I are going to finish the course well, to do so, We have to live in God's will and God's plan. Know the purpose that God has given to you and I. We have to be willing to live for him in such a way that we bring honor and glory to him. We have to embrace God's purpose. We have to be a person of prayer. And folks, if you and I are gonna see God use us We have to be just willing, just willing. That's where it's our decision. You would bow your heads, close your eyes for just a moment.