Well, if you would, open your Bibles to John chapter 12. Well I appreciated how the children's lesson and the scripture reading fit together. Blessed is the man whom the Lord does not impute sin. What an amazing truth. Romans 8 1 just kept going through my mind. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. What an encouragement that is for us today. Just simple, the simple truth of our justification. That's meat for us, brothers and sisters. It's meat for us. Well, as we take another look here at John chapter 12, if you remember, John chapter 12 closes the public ministry of the Lord Jesus in the gospel according to John. Our text reflects the last public words, in a sense, in the teaching ministry of Christ. Obviously, there were some words in his during His trial and all. But here, this is, as I've made mention to you before in chapter 12, this is probably, I don't know, maybe two or three days before His crucifixion. It is really, really close. I'm not quite sure what the timeline is, except the triumphal entry, as we read here in John 12, and as we spoke about, was probably on Monday of Passion Week. And if you remember, I spoke about how it seems to reflect the coming out or the setting aside of the Lamb of God, as it was in the Passover. where the children of Israel were to set aside the lamb that they were to offer as the Passover four days later. And so from Monday through Friday, it's almost like the triumphal entry was God saying, here Jerusalem is your Passover lamb. And so we have, as we come off of that, we looked last time at verses 27 through 36, and the title of that message was The King Triumphant. Today I want to speak about the rejected king. And we'll read in our text today from verse 37 to the end of the chapter. And then after we've read that, I want to bring in a couple verses preceding this text in John 12. So John 12, beginning to read in verse 37. But although he had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke. Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again, He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts, and turn, so that I should heal them. These things Isaiah said when he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, even among the rulers, many believed in him. But because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Then Jesus cried out and said, he who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges him. The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me gave me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told me, so I speak." Now, surely all of you noticed the tension of this passage. Notice that in verses 37 through 41 there is this fulfillment of Scripture. And what a terrible place, what a terrible pronouncement this is. What a grievous place to be. if you were not only self-deceived, but if your eyes were blinded to the truth by none other than God himself." We could never say these things were it not in Scripture. But notice the last words of Christ's public ministry an invitation. You see that? The last words here in John 12 are, come. Whoever believes in me, he says. What a tension we have here, right? You see the The kind of the conundrum here is that on the one hand, there were those who were blinded, their hearts were hardened, their understanding was darkened, but still Christ says in a very public way, He cries out to them. He cries in a public place. Then Jesus cried out in verse 44, He who believes in me, you see, But we had just had the commentary in verse 39 where it says, therefore they could not believe. So you see we have this that we need to deal with here. Well, I want to back up to verse 32 where it says this way. where Christ, these are the very words of Christ, he says in verse 32 of chapter 12, and I, if I am lifted up, he says, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself. This he says, signifying by what death he would die. The people answered him, we have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever. And how can you say, the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Then Jesus said to them, a little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. He who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. These things Jesus spoke and departed and was hidden from them." Now I want to say here at the beginning in this short section preceding our text today, from verse 32 through verse 36, my understanding is that this is not a friendly exchange. It is my, it is my, it is, I'm of the opinion that these were not amiable. This was not a, a, this was a loaded question that they brought in verse 34. We have heard from the law. How can you say, you see, And it's, I believe we have a, we have it, it makes it clear, the last line in verse 36, these things Jesus spoke and departed and was hidden from them. That is the language of someone, that is the normal reaction that Christ had earlier to opposition, is that He withdrew and went no longer into a public setting, but He withdrew and went to a private place, and He hid Himself, as it were, from them. Verses 34, 35, and 36 help us to understand verses 37 through 41. Verses 37 through 41 are a very difficult passage. It's a very difficult passage of scripture. It's a difficult concept that we have to deal with. But let's look at just briefly here at verses 34 through 36. Notice what these people were a religious people. They were a very religious people. They had a form of righteousness. I think this is important that we understand this. They had a form. They had what they thought they needed. They thought they were okay. And there's a clue here in that we have heard from the law. Okay? That's religion speaking to, you know, that's them hanging on to what they thought was theirs, to hang on to. And they say, we have heard from the law, how can you say? They did not comprehend that the law was their schoolmaster, right? To bring them to Christ. They pitted the law against the lawgiver. Isn't that amazing? Rather than understanding the law, that is, the way this term is used here, it's the Old Testament Scriptures. That's their word for the Old Testament passages. Rather than understanding the law or the Old Testament passages through the fuller revelation of Jesus Christ, They rejected Christ based on their understanding of the law. They had what they thought they needed to be right with God, and here they thought they were awaiting a Messiah that was an earthly Messiah, a physical king, a deliverer from Rome. You know, I'm not even sure which Actual texts they were referring to here. We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever. I mean there are passages like Isaiah, I think it's Isaiah 9 that says His kingdom will always increase and there will never be an end to it. It may have been that. It doesn't specify which text they were thinking about. But here, also there are the same scripture speaks of the same law that they were quoting is also well known. Take Isaiah 53 about the suffering servant, one who gives himself for them. You see, they were cherry picking. Wait a minute, you're saying the Son of Man must be lifted up. And if he's lifted up, he will draw all people to himself. Well, how does that jibe with where the law says that he will live forever. The Christ remains forever. How can you say the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? And so Jesus simply answers them, with both an invitation and a warning in verses 35 and 36. He says to them, come to the light. See, we have on both sides of this passage of verses 37 and 41, we have on both sides of this grievous warning, we have an invitation to come. An invitation to come to Christ. He says, Walk while you have light. Come to the light. Walk in the light. Believe in the light that you might become sons of light. That's the invitation. The warning is, the day is far spent. The night is almost at hand. The light will not be with you much longer. That's the warning. Because he who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. That's the warning. Darkness may well overtake you. Then you will be lost. You know, how many of us have started a project and we wanted to get done before dark, but darkness overtook us and it stopped what we were doing. It stopped us because we couldn't see what we were doing after dark. Jesus is using this analogy that walk while you have the light Follow after the light walk while you have it draw near to the light Believe in the light that you may become sons of light Because after dark you're not you don't know where you are going Now Think about this passage as a whole. We have the invitation of the Lord Jesus. He was here, the light of the world, as he says in the latter invitation where he says, I have come as a light into the world. We have Christ here in the world speaking to them, inviting them to receive the light, to walk in the light, that they might become sons of light. And the light of the world gives this invitation. But then you know what happened? Because of their animosity, because of their hard-heartedness, what happened at the end of verse 36? The light of the world hid Himself. Hid Himself from them. We actually have a picture in the narrative of what it means in verses 37 through 41. We have a picture of it. Hard-hearted animosity clinging to the law. Having had the word of God, the revelation of God given to them more over and over and over and over again. And then the word became flesh and dwelt among us and spoke to us and invited us and we still rejected it. And the word of life, it became hidden from our eyes. We have a picture in the narrative of this grievous thing, which is the blinding, the judicial blinding. It is judgment from God to blind someone who has heard and heard and heard and heard and refuses to submit. May that just kind of settle on us where we have heard the gospel for so many years. The light was in the world but it was hidden from them because they thought they had the light of the law. They had that which they gloried in and it did not allow them to glory in Christ. So we come to this passage, and it is as if John, the author here, backs up and he just gives a commentary briefly here in the next four verses of the ministry of the greatest preacher who ever lived. Sometimes I preach and I don't know if it does any good. If it does any good in my heart, you know, you begin to question about the profitability of what you're doing. Well, consider what John was saying about the ministry of Jesus Christ. All the miracles that were just I mean, there were seven miracles recorded in the Gospel of John. And verse 37 says this way, Although he had done so many signs, and the idea is not just the number, but the magnitude of them, the manner of the signs. They were phenomenal signs. Go back to the start, to the wine, to the water made wine, to the man healed who was born blind, to the man by the pool of Bethsaida, all of these. To the miracle of the loaves and fishes, all of these are, the manner of these signs, they're amazing. And He had not done them in a corner. He had not done them, you know, somewhere where they didn't know about them, but although He did so many signs before them, right in front of them, they did not believe in Him. And the question that rises in our mind, why not? What was wrong with these people? Well, they had something else, you see, they were trusting in. And it was even revelation. They had a law, you see. And so we have this amazing preacher of the gospel who went about, had all these accompanying signs that verified who he was. and they did not believe him. Well, verse 38 says, "...that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke." Lord, who has believed our report? We have been talking about these things, and who has believed it? In Romans 10, Paul makes it clear, and he uses this same passage, Isaiah 53.1, Lord who has believed our report, makes it clear that he's referring to the gospel there. In Romans 10, Lord who has believed our report, to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He goes on, therefore they could not believe because Isaiah said again. If you would flip back to Isaiah, Isaiah chapter six, I believe it is. And it's appropriate that we sang this hymn this morning. Holy, holy, holy. My thoughts immediately went here. Well, if you read Isaiah, the first part of Isaiah here, it's a bleak picture. It's a dark picture. I mean, it's a pronouncement of judgment upon the Jews and on the children of Israel, on Judah. I mean, Isaiah 1 through 6, if you read that, I mean, It's not good news. But here we have, I want to just point out something. We are very familiar with Isaiah 6, where Isaiah has seen the Lord high and lifted up. And he was pronounced thrice holy. And verse 8, we hear the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? Then I said, hear my, send me. And then he said, go and tell this people. And then we have this passage. You keep on hearing, but don't understand. Keep on seeing, but you don't perceive. Make the heart of this people dull. It's almost like keep telling the good news to them till they're sick of it, till they're tired of hearing it, and they're so used to the message that it just falls off like water off a duck's back. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed. Then I said, Lord, how long? How long am I supposed to preach? How long is this message of judgment supposed to go out over these people? And he answered, until their cities are laid waste. And without inhabitant, their houses are without a man, the land is utterly desolate. The Lord has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. That's how long you're to preach. And if you back up, and I'm not sure where I would want to point out here. I mean, you can go back to chapter 1. Hear the word of the Lord in verse 10. You rulers of Sodom, give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me? Your heart's not anywhere close to me." Et cetera, et cetera, as you go through, He's pronouncing judgment upon them for their shallow and their low view of His holiness. I want to read a portion out of Proverbs 1. Again, I always want to point out this principle is everywhere. It's everywhere in the scripture. I want to point out here, Proverbs 1, if you would turn there and follow as we read from verse 20. Here's the principle again of hearing and not receiving. Proverbs 1 verse 20, Wisdom calls aloud outside. So here's that public declaration, that public invitation. Wisdom calls aloud outside. She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses. At the openings of the gates in the city, she speaks her words. How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke, surely I will pour out my Spirit on you. I will make my words known to you, because I have called and you refused. I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, because you disdained all of my counsel and would have none of my rebuke. I also will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your terror comes. What a, what a word. When your terror comes like a storm and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you, then they will call on me. But I will not answer. I won't hear. I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would have none of my counsel and despised all my rebuke." Despised my every rebuke, excuse me. Therefore, and here, Here is the outcome of that attitude. Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way. It's the principle of sowing and reaping. Because they did this and they sowed these seeds, now you're going to have to eat this fruit. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way and be filled to the full with their own fancies. You know, it's amazing. As you consider some of these implications and some of these realities, we're seeing this happening in our culture today. We're literally seeing this happen in our culture. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. But whoever listens to me will dwell safely and will be secure without fear of evil." It's interesting to me that in the hard-heartedness of mankind, of humanity, in our natural depravity, the things that we think we want, the things that we run after, Those very things are going to be our downfall. They're going to be our destruction. You see, because we don't know what's good for us. We don't know what we should have. And so, therefore, they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and they will be filled to the full with their own fancies. The things that are these little tinsel, this tinsel that is out here that attracts us, and we run after it, it's just a fancy. It's vanity, it's vanity of vanities. And the turning away, that thing that you said, that I will, that turning away of the simple, that's gonna be your undoing. You thought it was just for, you know, it was just you exercising your independence. No, it was you turning to the slaughter. For the turning away of the simple will slay them. And the complacency of fools that, ah, everything will be okay in the end. Complacency. Apathy. It will destroy them. But whoever listens to me, he says, listens to me. that one will dwell safely and he will be secure from fear of evil. I want to go to Matthew 13. If you would turn to Matthew 13. I'll just read this portion, possibly without too many comments. 13, 10 through 17. A very, very interesting passage. You know, the method of Jesus' teaching. And the disciples, in verse 10, came and said to him, why do you speak to them in parables? Why do you cloud your sayings in a riddle? Why do you darken? Why don't you speak plainly? He answered and said to them, because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. And this whole John 12 verses 37 through 41, If that doesn't humble us, if it doesn't humble you that you have some understanding of God's will and God's Word and God's revelation of the gospel, I don't know what's going to humble you. Because here it says, it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom. That was given to the disciples. But to them, those who are out here listening, it's not been given to them. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, and in them You see, we thought the prophecy of Isaiah, or what was happening in Isaiah 6, was meant for the Jews at that time, and it was. It was for them currently, presently, back in Isaiah 6. But now all of a sudden we come here and we say, that the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, that in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, and that means in the time of Christ now, it is fulfilled. That it is applicable to these people, Isaiah is applicable to these people under the sound, you see, of Jesus' teaching. And by the way, it's still applicable today. It is still for us today that hearing we will hear and not understand, and seeing we will see and not perceive. For the heart of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes have been, they have closed. lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For surely I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desire to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. Brothers and sisters, we have a great need for us to give the more earnest diligence to things which we have heard, lest we let them slip away. It is no small thing for us to sit under the sound of God's revelation week after week after week. and to not understand the implication that as we sit here we are called to respond. Dear people, we're called to respond. The gospel is calling to us. In both sides of the text in John 12 is the invitation to come, to believe in the light so that you might become sons of light. But if we sit here and continually hear and continually hear, it becomes like a clanging cymbal, something that's just making racket and we just have to get through this. And it becomes to the place where God's means of your salvation, the preaching of the word, becomes the judgment upon you. That is a grievous thing to consider, that what is meant for your grace is now your judgment. Verse 39 of our text says, therefore, they could not believe. This is an active judgment. And it shows us that you can't just come whenever you feel like it. That it is something that God must do in us. Therefore they could not believe because Isaiah said again. And I want to just point out that just because they did not believe in verse 37, in this great ministry of this, the word become flesh and dwelt among us, just because they did not believe him, did that stymie God's plan? No. No, it did not. Because it was prophesied. It was prophesied of old that they would not hear him. Therefore they could not believe because Isaiah said again, he has blinded their eyes. He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them. Who am I to make any comments on this verse. I don't know what to say about this passage. But to say that they were offered the gospel and they rejected it and they turned and turned and did not hear his rebuke These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. And this verse 41 indicates that he is speaking of the Lord Jesus. Because verse 37 identifies because although he had done, he had done so many of these signs, And then it speaks about the outcome of those signs. And then these things Isaiah said, when he saw his glory, it spoke of him. And so this is judicial blinding. It's a hardening. It's like Pharaoh, where God hardened his heart after Pharaoh had hardened his heart. And so it comes to us, I believe, that it's a terrible thing for us to despise the revelation that God has given to us. I want to go on here in verse 42. Now, in contrast here, I'm not quite sure how to understand this passage, but in contrast to those who had their eyes blinded and their hearts hardened, Nevertheless, even among the rulers, many believed in him." Now, the commentaries were pointing out that this was probably, it seems like there was a division about whether this was genuine faith or not. That there was real, they believed in him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. I'm of the opinion that this is speaking about those who knew who He was, but did not come out in absolute faith and clarity about what they believed in Him. You know, we have this passage in Romans 10 that if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, we shall be saved. Here, they refused to confess Him. Why did they refuse to confess him? Well, because again, what they had stock in, the synagogue, that following of the law, that thing that they had stock in, yes, they did put stock in it. They lived all their lives like this. We would lose that. We would lose that if we would confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. What was the underlying issue there? They had a higher esteem of their peers than they had of God. In a nutshell, that's what happened. They had more of an opinion about, more of a desire for the praise of men, the commendation of men, than they had for God's approval. I just cannot reconcile that with true faith. I just can't reconcile that with genuine faith in who Christ is. But, this passage says, nevertheless, even among the rulers, many believed in him. So I want to leave that, but it is my understanding that that is my position. I guess that this is a faith that is, it is a belief that is not deep enough, it's not genuine enough, it is not of such a nature as to make them believers in God and in Christ. But then we have, again, I want to just look at the last portion here in this invitation, again, that Christ offers and He cries out in a public place, verse 44, see the passion of Christ here. See Him truly reaching out to them. Jesus cried out and said, He who believes in Me, believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me, sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness." Now, isn't that the answer to verse 42? That if you believe in me, Jesus says, you will no longer abide in darkness. You're going to be able to come out of the synagogue. You're going to be able to lay down what you once loved because you have a new love. I have come as a light into the world, that if you would believe in me, you are no longer bound to the darkness of your dead religion. You can come out from among them and be separate. And if anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world." And so there's that genuine offer to the world to come to him. But he who rejects me does not receive my words, and does not receive my words has that which judges him. The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. How is it that that word will judge him in the last day? It is because the words of Christ had the authority of Almighty God behind it. And He was God, but He says here very clearly for us that we might understand, for I have not spoken on my own authority. But the Father who sent me gave me a command that I should say and what I should speak. This is the answer I would like to give to these people who said, how can you say? By the authority of my Father in heaven is what Jesus said. That's how I can say. You see that? They said, how can you say this? And he says, I can say it because I have been given these words to speak to you. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me gave me a command that what I should say and what I should speak, and I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told me, so I speak." And so today, Let's just consider this passage as we might ask, as Isaiah did, Lord who has believed our report? Who has the arm of the Lord been revealed? I believe that is indication, the arm of the Lord, that it takes the power of God for us to believe. It is the arm of the Lord that delivers us from our unbelief. It is that which opens our blinded eyes and softens our hard heart. I referenced Romans 10. I want to just read a little portion here in Romans 10. In Romans 10, in verse 13 it says, for whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. Verse 16, but they have not all obeyed the gospel, For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? You see the connection there? Not everyone has believed the gospel. For Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report? So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes, indeed, their sound has gone out to all the earth and their words to the end of the world. But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says, I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation. I will move you to anger by a foolish nation. But Isaiah is very bold and says, I was found by those who did not seek me. I was made manifest to those who did not ask for me. That's the arm of the Lord. But to Israel he says, all day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. And I think that's what we see in John 12 is that the gospel is extended, the call is out there, but it's God's hands are still out to a contrary disobedient people. And by the intention, if we keep going in Romans 10 and 11, we would look at, there was a plan, and that is that the nation of Israel, their disobedience opened the door to the Gentiles. Certainly, God has a plan, He has His will that He's accomplishing in the calling out of His people. But it does say that Israel here, I believe it is primarily, this passage can be applied to Israel specifically, but in a general way, it can be applied to all who hear the gospel and refuse to submit. submit to the gospel. And so in closing, I just want to read, and Brother Chris was in Hebrews 4, and I thought he was going to read my passage, but he was just following that. I want to read in closing Hebrews 3, beginning in verse 7. Notice how he begins here in Hebrews 3 and verse 7. He says that the Holy Spirit says this, Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion in the day of trial in the wilderness. When your fathers tested me, tried me, and saw my works 40 years, therefore I was angry with that generation and said, they always go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. Be aware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Notice in verse 8 it says, do not harden your heart. Verse 13, the way you harden your heart is through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. While it is said today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, for who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering his rest, let us fear, lest any of you seem to come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them, but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it." There you have it. Brothers, sisters, let's take this passage to heart. It is meant for the church. It is meant for us, and as it says here, for we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. It's a sobering passage to us. It truly convicts my own heart. I would like to just close with a word of prayer and then we'll be dismissed. Let's come before the Lord. Heavenly Father, as we consider your revelation to us in John 12, Father, we are humbled before it and we desire to understand. Father, we don't fully comprehend the judicial hardening, that which you have blinded the eyes, you've hardened the heart, but thus is your Word. And Father, we pray that we would continually offer the gospel, that we would continually always offer the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. And Father, your word tells us that to some it is the aroma of life unto life, and to some it's the aroma of death unto death. So who are we to sit in judgment of these things? We just desire to understand and to obey. So Father, today I pray that these words, these passages of your word would ring true to our hearts. And we ask this through Christ, amen.