Now, I want to talk to you further about the rebellious spirit that is in the world today. And, of course, I draw it from the great record in number 16 of Korah and his rebellions against all authority, both governmental and religious authority. He rebelled against Moses. who headed up the whole regime of Israel, and he rebelled against Aaron, the high priest, and sought the priesthood. So he rebelled against all authority. And I, as I said last week, I'd like to take that rebellion, unbelievable rebellion it was, of the people and bring it down to the present day and its problems of rebellion and the confusion in our own time, for we never seem to learn. One of the saddest traits of man is he never learns. History has taught him very little, if anything, to speak of. And as we look at man, we see him in a world that is so filled with confusion, with little answers, and yet we can find recorded in the Bible, case after case of the rebellions and what happened to people who were rebellious, how God had to put them down, and how they suffered the judgments of God, the chastenings of God, for their wickedness. Now, I couldn't help but think of a statement made by Thomas Manton back around, oh, 1700 or so. And here's what he said. Is that my breathing? Or is it just crackling? He says, wicked men may read their destruction in the destruction of others who sinned before them. This is written over 200 years ago. If they transgress the known laws of God, God is as just as ever. There is the same providence that promises judgment, which is as mighty as ever. And if they act out of the same lusts as ever, they must then remember that God hates those lusts the same as ever, and they shall perish as those before them perished. Sin is not grown less dangerous now in the latter days. In other words, it hasn't changed one iota. It's still the same. And I think sometimes that this is a great problem. We have attempted by some reasoning method or some logic to lay aside the thoughts that sin is still sin. And we have said that the mores have changed, that the age has changed. Well, may I say this? Down through the centuries, people have been saying this. The age has changed. The mores of the people have changed. Therefore, there has to be change. Well, beloved, I want to tell you that God has not changed. His judgments yesterday, today, and forever will be the same. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. And so there is no change with God. The whole scene, if I might say, in the world today reminds me very much of that great symphony of Tchaikovsky, the Pathetique. I don't know whether you've ever listened to it, the hauntingness of it, the terrible sadness of it. He was a very sad man anyway. But the very sadness of it, it's like the funeral dirge of the universe. And our own vision rises in tempo beyond that. And as we look about us, we see all of this going on here. And yet if you listen to that, you would find that the temple rises and there seems to be a glory built up into it, that it finishes in great triumph. And so for the Christian, there is ultimate triumph. No matter if there's defeat, And around us, the world may seem against us. I would remind you that Jesus has warned us of that. The world is against you. And if you're in accord with the world, then, beloved, you cannot be in accord with Christ. He says, all that is in the world is enmity with God. Why does he say this? Because the world is going to perish. All that is seen is temporal. And finally, heaven and earth shall be shaken, and it tells us the only thing that will remain shall be God's word and God's own, and that's all. So all that is in the world is at enmity with God. The heavens and the earth shall be rolled up like a scroll, and the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat. And so all of our building and all of our planning and all of our desire for prestige or money or anything else is a useless pastime. Now, unless you think that I am suggesting lethargy, I am not. But I am suggesting a proper perspective of life. I believe, as the scripture says, you should be good laborers wherever you are, excellent laborers, remembering that whatsoever ye do in word or deed ye do is unto the Lord Christ. That your reason for working is to feed and clothe your body and your family and then to labor so that you might be able to serve the Lord. Your vocation is serving Christ, your avocation, beloved. Every part should be in the service of Christ. Some people separate. Let's put it all in one. Let's say vocation, avocation. Whether I'm laboring, it's to serve the Lord, and that which I receive, it's to serve the Lord. You know, I yearn that a mother and father, it's hard to get the vision. I admit this. It's a very difficult thing to get the proper vision. And yet there's only one vision, according to the word of God, that a family can have, and there are none others. And that is that vision that you were put here for that specific purpose of one day, Your name written in the foundations from the foundations of the world in the Lamb's book of life. If you're saved here this morning, God knew it before he made this earth. Amazing truth, glorious truth, far beyond the finite comprehensions of my little human brain. I'm glad I don't exalt my brain. I understand so little of the universe, and the greatest scientists in the world understand so little. I'm so thankful that there are men that admit this. I'm thankful that though Dr. von Braun may not agree with me theologically, he has made it very clear that as he looks at the universe and as he discovered the wonders of the atom and nuclear physicists, he could not see how anyone could fail but believe in a God who made it all." Or he says, that which has taken me a lifetime, and Einstein a lifetime, to find out about God made mathematically precise from the beginnings, and I have merely discovered the mathematical precisions placed there by someone else so far beyond me that I cannot comprehend his greatness. I'm glad for minds that understand this. that we have a God so far beyond our finite comprehensions, and how blessed it is when we believe that this God, this great God, is the one that we ought to be responsible to, responsive to, that we ought to have rapport with, if I might say, that we're to have communion with, isn't it? You don't mind me, I'm just talking to you from my heart now because I feel that I just have to express myself in every way I can in these last days. I don't know how long... You know, I was thinking to myself, you know, I know you all went to the beach the other day and you probably thought, poor Pastegian, he's probably tired out and all of this, you know, and he can't get down here. Well, frankly, What Alice and I did in the morning was we worked on daily vacation Bible school, getting rid of some of the things that we wanted to. We worked on that in the morning. And then we saw what looked like it was going to Jones Beach and nothing was moving. So then we decided, let's ride the other way and let's go over to Jersey and we'll ride over and we'll see Bob and Cheryl over at the camp in Jersey. But I couldn't help but thinking as we were riding and we're in the mountains, And I couldn't help but think in my heart, there was a brook running down, and the mountains, and the stone, and all around, and we were alone. And I couldn't help but think, what a journey this is. I said, really, I'm really waiting for the Lord in a way that the young people can never quite fathom. I've grown to know Christ in a richer and richer way. And I thought of myself, I thought, suppose I were to live in this mountain. Well, now maybe, Ken, you may be experiencing this a little bit. I know you're not quite as old as me, but you know, you may have a little of this experience. But I couldn't help but think, in my own heart, I thought, if I lived here, I would want to come out every morning and look about me and say, Lord Jesus, really, all I'm waiting for is for you to come. Is this the day of your appearing? Lord, I look at these wondrous things about me, And they are beautiful, but you said, my eyes haven't seen nor my ears heard the things which you've prepared for them that love thee. And this is what I have in store. Lord, as I look about me, I marvel at thy grace and thy wondrous love for me and sending Christ to die for me. You've made me a free man. I'm free up here. Lord, I have no entanglements with the world. It can't hold me down. Nothing can separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, my Lord. Neither life, nor death, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor any other creature can separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. I am a free man. I am free of sin. Lord, I haven't been the best servant, and I've failed you many times. And you've said that all your servants are unprofitable. But I am so thankful that by your grace, you've saved me. And I stand on this mountain, and I say in my heart, oh Lord, can I walk with you? It makes me think back of the day when Enoch walked with God and was not. What a moment. I love what a little child said in Sunday school about that. The teacher said, what do you know about Enoch? And the little girl said, all I know is that Enoch walked and walked and walked and walked. And finally, nobody saw Enoch anymore. And the teacher said, well, where was Enoch? With God. He walked and walked with God, and he finally said to God, God, I've walked with you so long, I don't want to leave, I want to go with you now. Let me ask you, beloved, let me ask you a simple question. Are you walking with God? Are you? Mother, Father, are you walking with God? Young person, are you walking with God? Your life will be radiant, young person, and will be kept from sin. Let me tell you, young person, you're facing temptations that I never knew. I was tempted when I was young, but not like you're being tempted, not with the lures there are in this world. This world hasn't seen an age like this, I don't believe, since the days of the Romans and the Greeks. Sin is abounding, and young people, young ladies, young men, listen. Give yourself to Jesus Christ. Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. And as we read that scripture this morning in Timothy, oh, that God would strengthen you for the fray that's before us. And for you, mothers and fathers, are you walking with God? Are you? Oh, listen to me, father. Listen to me, mother. Listen to me, teacher. Listen to me, businessman. Listen to me, labor executive. I care not what you do. God dignifies your labor no matter what you do. Are you walking with God wherever you are? Doctor, dentist, what matter? Are you really walking with God? Listen, you don't have to be to that mountain place I was to say that. You could walk into that little office of yours. You could get up in the morning in your own home. You can go down to your breakfast table, and you can have your cup of coffee, and you can look up to the Lord Jesus and say, listen, Lord, I may not be up in that mountaintop. I know that you love to take your disciples apart to the mountaintop, but Lord, I'm walking with you. Is today the day of thy appearing? May I be faithful? I'm not old, I'm young. But Lord, if you come, I'd like my child, my baby, my husband, my wife, I'd like to be with you in glory. You give meaning to life. There's no meaning right now to much that I see. Rebellions, rebellions, rebellions. Beloved, listen to me. God is looking for mothers and fathers and young people who really mean business in these last days for Jesus Christ. Wherever you are, I don't care what you do. It doesn't make any difference. You don't have to be a preacher to be close to Jesus Christ. But you have to be close to the Word of God, and you have to be on your knees much in prayer, and you have to have a dedicated spirit unto the Lord Jesus. Listen, are you really, really faithful to Christ? We're going to come to the Lord's table. I couldn't help but think as I read that portion last week that I want to enlarge far beyond. When I read that portion last week where, in Proverbs, speaking in a prophetic sense, in a great prophetic sense, God says there's a generation that curses their father and doth not bless their mother. Father, let me tell you something, and I want to make this pretty clear. I want you to notice what the Scripture says. The Scripture does not say that a boy or girl curses their mother. It says they curse their father. They do not bless their mother. But they know mothers are different. Fathers, why do they curse them? Because a father is to be the spiritual leader in his household and the one who stands out with a father's love and passion for his children and love. And those children in that last stage who are growing up are going to curse their fathers. And I want to tell you there's great cursing going on of fathers in this world right now. Fathers who didn't take the father image. And what is the father image? It is the image of our Heavenly Father. This is the image to be given to a father. What does God say? As a father loves his children, so do I love thee. And it's not the mothers they curse, it's the fathers they curse, because their fathers have failed them. Now fathers What are you doing? Are you the leaders? Are you those who hold up the great doctrines of the Word of God? Are you those who, while holding up the doctrines of the Word of God, you so minister love to your children and tenderness and the compassions of your heavenly Father that it isn't a matter of legalism and don't, don't, don't, But there's love, and there's tears, and there's burdens, and there's leadership in the family, and the father takes his rightful place. And let me tell you, a Christian wife rejoices in a father who takes his rightful place. They curse their fathers. They don't bless their mothers. but they don't curse them. So, fathers, if I might say this as I conclude, oh, that God, and I'm going to enlarge on this. This is a subject that needs such enlargement, and beloved, it's going to take me up to vacation time. But I want to enlarge on this, and I want to show you from the Word of God that God has placed us in such responsible places, not just as parents, but He also places every single young person here this morning as a responsible human being in their relationship to God. But upon fathers, He has placed the great, great responsibility. In ages past, the fathers took the leadership. In Israel, the fathers took the leadership. Why is the name Cohn the great name in Judaism? Because Cohn means priest. The father was the priest of the household. And he was the one that brought his whole family to God. Oh, listen, I would that the fathers of this congregation might be as was Israel of old in its best times, when the fathers brought their families and their children up to love the Lord and to serve the living Christ. Oh, that God would really touch your hearts this morning. Let us pray. Father, we're so thankful we can call you Father. Lord, you seem to have wanted to speak to us in a special fashion when you had your servant Paul say to us, that by the Holy Spirit we now call thee Abba, Father. And you said to us, if your earthly father should know how to give you good gifts, how much more will your heavenly father give to them that love him? But you've said that earthly fathers were to know how. Lord, we got involved with the world. Somewhere along the line, people got to think that good gifts were things and not the spiritual life to be imparted to the children. We remember Paul saying, oh, I would that I might impart to you some spiritual gift. May this be the burden of a father's heart this morning that time is short. God, give us fathers and mothers who really are in love with Jesus Christ, in love with each other, so setting forth the great union of Christ and his church, the bridegroom and the bride, that a boy or a girl, a son and daughter watching their parents would have to say, I'd rather have the kind of life they've had than any other kind. My mother and my father have been joyous Christians. down through the years. God, help us. Help us. Touch us. Touch our young people. Oh, how we pray for them. Touch them by thy Holy Spirit. Strengthen them for the battle and the fray that's before them. And as we come to this thy table, communing with thee and with each other, partaking of that bread which symbolizes the oneness of the body of Christ, partaking of that cup which speaks of the cleansing that has brought us together this morning, the cleansing of the blood of the Lamb. Oh Father, oh Father, help us to know what it means to have thee as Father. and to then be the kind of parents, mothers or fathers, that we should be. In Christ's name, amen. All right, let us join in. We thank thee for this blessed fellowship of love we have had together with thee. We're so thankful, Lord, that it speaks to our hearts. It is a remembrance that Christ died for our sins, He was raised for our justification, and he's coming again. Every time we partake, we remember the Lord is coming soon. And we remember the last verse of the New Testament, even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Father, it may be this morning that some have drifted away, have here and there engaged in some sin that has hurt their heart. Their way of life has not changed. They still love Christ, but they haven't been living the way they should as Christians. And so, Father, we pray that those incursions into sin which may have hurt them spiritually may be cleansed away. and they may walk with the Lord in the power of his might. Then, Father, there may be those who have not yet said yes to Jesus. Lord, I was a very religious young man, but I didn't know Christ. They may have come this morning without Christ really in their hearts. Oh, Father, we would pray that no one would leave this morning without Jesus as Savior. We pray that their hearts may be touched by the Holy Spirit of God, that none will go out. without Christ in their hearts. And if in our midst there should be any who have so done, we pray that at the door, just in the Christian greeting to the pastor, they'll say, I came to Christ this morning, pastor. Lord, you've done it so often through thy Holy Spirit. Do it once more. to hearts in this congregation. In Christ's name, amen.