beginning with verse 9. What then? Are we better than they? No, and no wise, for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin. As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understand it. There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher. With their tongues they have used deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips. Fourteen. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. And the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what thing soever the law saith, that saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. For there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Lord will most certainly add His abundant blessing to the reading of His holy word. And before we expound upon this scripture, let us pray. Most gracious God and Father, in the name of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ, we come before you, Lord, and ask you to minister unto us. Open our eyes that we may see and our ears that we may hear you. Renew our minds that they may be cleansed through the reading. understanding of your word and fill our hearts full of joy we pray father that the corruptions of our flesh would not hinder the beauty and the majesty and the the application of your word and we ask you father that through our service through our services today throughout all the week and all that we think say and do that you would be glorified in our lives and then our Lord Jesus Christ may be exalted we love you Lord and thank you for all that you've given us and And pray, Lord God, that as your word comes forth, that we will rightly divide it and glorify you in its instruction, in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, verse 9, I'll read again. It says, What, then, are we better than they, knowing no wise? For we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. Now, here the Apostle asks another rhetorical question of the believers at Rome, really two questions. A logical question, considering Paul's line of argument throughout this letter, and a legitimate question because it sums up things we have been considering about ourselves throughout the Holy Spirit's step-by-step revelation of the radical depravity and total corruption of man. And what is this question? Well, the question is, what then? Are we better than they? And like I said, it's what then, one question, and are we better than they, the second question. Really, two questions in one. The Apostle asks, what then? Well, in order to comprehend what follows, we must consider everything that came before. And I'm sorry it's going to be a little rough, as we've gone through three chapters to discover how totally wretched man is apart from the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. And it has been soul-searching to go through those three chapters. So, briefly, to consider that that came before the question, are we better than they? In order to fully understand the second question, we must remember what Paul had just been systematically explaining in the letter. See, after having told us of God's righteousness, His justiceness, revealed from faith to faith in chapter 1 and verse 17, and God's just wrath revealed from heaven against sin in verse 18 of chapter 1, after having explained the radical depravity of sinful man in verses 18 through 27 of chapter 1, and listing sins generated from the depraved, reprobate mind of God-hating sinners in verses 28-32 of chapter 1. The Apostle directs his discourse to the congregation of believers at Rome in chapter 2 and speaks of God's righteous judgment to come upon all men, good and bad, in that day that we saw when we walked through chapter 2 verses 1-16. And then he directly engages those with a religious background, the Jews, in chapter 2 verses 17 to chapter 3 verse 8. Now the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, has removed every excuse from fallen man, whether Jew or non-Jew, to justify himself before a holy God. presenting God's just judgment upon all men, smack in the middle of God's explanation of the sinfulness of ignorant heathen, as well as the sinfulness of knowledgeable Jews in possession of the prophetic scriptures. What then? In Paul's logical explanation, in his explaining the essence of the Law of Moses given to the Jews in chapter 2, verses 26-29, as well as presenting the beautiful benefit of having the Law of Moses, in fact, the entire Old Testament in chapter 3, verses 1-8, he can ask rhetorically, as a Jew, Because we have been blessed with... In other words, he's saying, because we have been blessed, we, Jews, as Paul was a Jew, a Pharisee, as we've been blessed with the privilege of having received the very Word of God through God's prophets, are we, we who are Jews, better than the Gentiles, he asks? Paul answers, not at all. Literally. Literally, it's upontos in Greek. Not at all. It says, no and no wise in our King James Version. And then continues, as we have previously proved our case, both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, Paul says. As we have previously proved our case, we have before proved the charge against each one of us. Both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin. Which brings us to verses 10 through 12. Verse 10, it says, As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Now, you may have heard it said that this passage is Paul quoting the Greek Septuagint. The Septuagint is just the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. And he's quoting, it may have been said in Psalm 14, verses 1 through 3, or Psalm 53, verses 1 through 3, because both of those psalms with slight differences in them are basically the same psalm. But he's actually only doing so in verses 12 through 18 in one sense. And I'll have to explain that in just a moment. I want to explain it in just a moment so that you'll have the fullness of what's going on here. But turn with me, if you would, to the middle of your Bible, to Psalm 14, and we'll look at verses 1 through 3, which Paul should be quoting. We could turn to Psalm 53, but I chose to use this one. Or, the Lord moved me to use this one as we look at it to have a fuller understanding of what Paul is trying to tell us here, or in fact, what the Holy Spirit through the Apostle is trying to tell us here. And again, remember, the Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures commissioned by Ptolemy Philadelphus in 285 to 247 BC, taking 70, which is what Septuagint means in Greek, taking 70 Greek Hebrew scholars that could speak Greek and translating the Hebrew scriptures into the Greek language. Now, the Holy Spirit, through the apostle, is giving the reading. That's the Roman Christians of Paul's day, as well as today. He's giving the meaning and the sense of Psalm 14, verses 1 through 3. I believe that that's what he's doing in verses 10 and 11. He's giving the meaning and the sense of it, rather than directly quoting it, because you'll see the difference, or you'll even hear the difference. In Psalm 14, it says this in verse 1, The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt They have done abominable works. There is none that doeth good. Now, it sounds the same, but it is a little different. Verse 2, The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God. They are all gone aside. Verse 3, They are all gone aside. They are all together become filthy. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. Now in Psalm 14 verse 2 we see that David presents, the psalmist penned this, it has an inscription, and in the Hebrew scriptures that little writing that says to the chief musician of Psalm of David, that's actually in the Hebrew scriptures. And David is attributed to penning this psalm, to writing it, and David presents the reader with a poetic illustration of an all-seeing God examining the hearts of men. Whereas Paul, in Romans 3, presents what God sees in the hearts of men. Romans 3 11 because he makes a declarative statement whereas David is saying the Lord looked down to look but Paul says they Paul says in chapter 3 verse 11 there is none that understand it there is none that seeketh after God whereas the psalmist says God looked to see if there was anyone to understand that if there was anyone that Did seek after God? That's how Paul presents it. In Psalm 14, verse 3, it has a slight difference in it. And the Septuagint and Romans 3, 12, are exactly the same in Greek. In fact, I forgot my Greek Septuagint here in the office at about 10.30 last night, and I go in over my notes again, and I said, I've got to check this out. Because I'm just going over stuff that I learned like a couple years back. So I rushed over last night at about 10.30 to grab my book and check it out. There they are. They're both the same. Exactly the same. Verse 12 and verse 3 are exactly the same as far as the Greek translation of the Hebrew. Now the Greek Septuagint for Psalm 14 verse 3 contains Romans 3 verses 12 through 18 nearly exactly with some slight textual variance notwithstanding. As if Paul was taking that. Well the thing that's interesting about that is verses in Romans 3 verses 13 through 18 don't exist in Psalm 14. Neither do they exist in Psalm 53. I believe that, now this is not to suggest that the Greek Septuagint was God breathed as well as these scriptures. I'm not suggesting that. In fact, I'm suggesting the very opposite. Just because it's contained in there, in the Greek Septuagint, and Paul quotes nearly exactly that which is in the Greek Septuagint, that which is somewhat of an addition in the Psalm 14 in the Greek, whereas the Hebrew doesn't have it. In our Old Testament, it doesn't have it. It goes into this verse, verse 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? Well, that's not in Romans 3. There's an insertion in the Greek text that is almost exactly from verse 13 of Romans 3 to verse 18. Now, I believe that only the 66 books of Scripture are the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God. You see that though some would want to claim divine inspiration of the Septuagint, we would dare not suggest such a thing. We who are Bible-believing Christians, since the Greek translation of the Hebrew, Psalm 14 and verse 3, includes something that was not in the original text, Even though Paul would use it 300 years later in what we know to be the very God-breathed scripture, the book of Romans, the Septuagint would not, therefore, qualify to be inspired. Actually, verses 13 to 18 have references elsewhere in the Old Testament, and so when we go through 13 and 18, verse by verse, I'll mention the references which give us clear meaning to it. Just because they're the same, I'm not going to rush to the Greek Septuagint, which is very controversial and say well that's inspired the inspired text that we have are the Greek and Chaldean of the Old Testament and the excuse me the Hebrew and the Chaldean of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament those are literally God breathed the very word of God and when it says God breathed they're inspired in Timothy what it's talking about is if God is speaking and you could feel his breath against you that's what it means God breathed Inspiration has come to be known as a strange term these days. So the integrity of the canon of scripture is what we have in here. And I just wanted to bring that to you. Maybe we'll understand it more by and by, but I just wanted to say that though we read these scriptures in verses 13 to 18, that this is inspired. Romans is inspired. Let's turn back to Romans 3. Oh, before you do, actually, if you're still in Psalm, I want you to point out something here that's very interesting in Psalm 14 that I'd like you to notice, because I think it'll give us some excellent insights. I'd like you to notice that the Lord looked down, verse 2, the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and see God. That God who looks down actually expresses a depravity of man overall as opposed to Jews because it says He looks down upon the sons of men. I lost my place. Oh yeah, there we go. The psalm itself presents a universal depravity among all men in verse 2. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men. This isn't just Jews. It doesn't say the children of Israel or the descendants of Jacob, but says children of men. Bani Adam, in Hebrew, the sons of Adam. In other words, every single descendant from the first fallen man, disobedient Adam. According to Romans 3.10, as I return to our text there, it's talking of everyone being depraved. And as I return to Romans 3.10, it says, as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. According to the scriptures, he presents the biblical case that every single man, woman, and child born on this earth are sinful, wicked, totally depraved creatures apart from the grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus. None righteous, no, not one. There is none that can stand just before a just and holy God. Not a single person, not even one. This is the Holy Spirit interpreting, there is none that doeth good, no not one, because the words are different here. It says there is none righteous, whereas in the psalm it says there is none that doeth good. Completely different words. So that the word righteous ties in with chapter 2 and verse 13, where it says, in chapter 2 verse 13 it says, for not the hearers of the law are just That word just is the exact same word as righteous that is in verse 10. Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. Now, as it is the same exact word, we see that from 3.10, chapter 3 and verse 10, that there is no doer of the law at all except the Son of God. This is also the exact same word in our key verse chapter 1 in verse 17. This is for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith for the just shall live by faith that were the just. There is the exact same word is is in Romans chapter 3 in verse 10. The just shall live by faith tying into that. key scripture, as you remember that I told you, chapter one in verses 16 to 18 will be the very theme of this entire letter to the Romans for our understanding that the righteousness or the justiceness of God is revealed from faith to faith for the just shall live by faith and that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and sinfulness of men. that this central theme in this letter for us, that we would be coming back to it from time to time as we go through. And one cannot live a life of faith unless he is just, unless he is righteous. Yet, if there is none righteous, no, not one, then how then may we become righteous? Well, verse 11. We'll have to look at these verses to illustrate exactly how wickedly, how wicked we are actually, how wickedly depraved sinful man is, so that we can understand the righteousness of God, so that it can be applied to our hearts the way that it should be. In verse 11 of Romans chapter 3, it says, There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. None that understands. It doesn't matter how culturally relevant you try to become, or how interesting you try to make the message. If it isn't the Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, it will do nothing, because there's none that understandeth. The Scripture is plain about that. And it just baffles me how many folks will think that they can take the church and try to make it into something to make it appealing to everyone. Because there's none that understand it. It must be by the power of God through the preached word. It's because there's none who seeks for God. Those who... this whole Willow Creek purpose-driven, seeker-sensitive methods that cater to seekers oppose the scriptures right here. It says there's none that seeketh after God. Hmm, if this is God's word and God is speaking, then to try to find people who are seeking that want nothing to do with God seems to be ridiculous. Now if they are truly seeking, God is doing a work in them, and it's called efficacious grace in theology, where the Holy Spirit has been doing something in the life, And they realize that everything else is causing them to move into a place where they can have the Word of God, the power of the Spirit, and then the life-transforming change that needs to take place by the supernatural power of God. Verse 12, it says, They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. They have turned aside, is another way of saying it. They have turned towards sin, Satan, and the world. John Gill's commentary makes that point. So does Albert Barnes' commentary. So does Matthew Henry's commentary. That's pretty much... everyone seems to agree that they are all gone away, is turning aside to anything other than God, to the world, to Satan, and to sin. Unprofitable. It says that they are unprofitable. Psalm 14 verse 3 says that they are altogether become filthy. And the word in Hebrew means morally corrupt, unprofitable. Verse 13, it says their throat is an open sepulcher. With their tongues they have used deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips. That actually can be a quote, a paraphrase of a quote taken from Psalm 5 and verse 9. If you're a note taker, you might want to jot that down and reference it later, and I'll just read it from my notes. It says, For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their inward part is very wickedness. Their throat is an open sepulcher. They flatter with their tongue. Using words in order to gain something for self flattering with the tongue No faithfulness in their mouth saying anything other than that which is true in order to gain That inward part is very wickedness psalm 5 verse 9 says also psalm 140 verse 3 ties into this verse 13 it says they have sharpened their tongues like a serpent Adders poison is under their lips It ties in also, if you look at James chapter 3, it speaks that the tongue is deceitful. And verse 14 of chapter 3, it says, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. That comes from Psalm 10 and verse 7. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud. Under his tongue is mischief and vanity. Which we would also take a look at James, I mean you don't have to open to James, but James chapter 3 and verse 8 says, but the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. Verses 15-16 it says, their feet are swift to shed blood. Excuse me. Their feet are swift to shed blood. And verse 16, destruction and misery are in their ways. Isaiah 59 and verse 7 lends to this one right here, or at least Paul may have been paraphrasing this one. Isaiah 59 and verse 7 says, Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Well, that sounds pretty much alive. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, wasting and destruction are in their paths. So the Holy Spirit is bringing attention to Isaiah 59 and verse 7. It sounds somewhat interesting in Isaiah 59 verse 7 and also this, verses 15 and 16. Abortion rights and gay rights are two issues that come immediately to mind here. Their feet run to evil and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Abortion lets murder innocent life. and that they have made crooked paths, excuse me, their thoughts of iniquity, wasting and destruction are in their paths. Verse 17 of chapter 3, it says, and the way of peace have they not known. That quotes Isaiah 59 and verse 8. It says the way of peace they know not. That sounds like pretty good taking from the Hebrew and going to the Greek. Isaiah 59 verse 8, the way of peace they know not, and there is no judgment in their goings. They have made them crooked paths, whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. We hear continually in interviews of celebrities that have, you know, quote unquote, made it. But when all is said and done, they're empty, they're unfulfilled and without peace. You hear these people making millions in Hollywood or Tel Aviv, making millions. And when they end up having an interview after their third divorce, after they've run the gamut through drugs and all these other things, they finally come, I've got all these millions and life is just nothing. They're empty, unfulfilled, vacant, no peace. chapter 3 verse 18 it says there is no fear of God before their eyes and that quotes basically Psalm 36 and verse 1 it says the transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before their before his eyes that is that there's no awe there is no veneration there is no reverential affection for God and that because that could only come by something that we're going to look at in a moment Now, verse 19, the Holy Spirit speaks to us and says, Now we know that what thing soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. In other words, Paul, the apostle, is saying that having just quoted the very essence of fallen man's nature from the Old Testament, through all those scriptures, not only Psalm 14, but all of these scriptures in the Old Testament that line up. So all the 39 books that we have as the Old Testament, the Hebrew scriptures that they had as the New Testament is being written, and the Holy Spirit moving, carrying men along like Paul, Peter, James, Jude, John, to write these scriptures. He says, For the Old Testament, what thing soever the law saith, that every Jew, that's them who are under the law, has had it spoken to them so that they know this, that the revelation of man's condition from the Scriptures will end every argument, that every mouth shall be, may be stopped, it says in this verse, and all the world will stand subject to the judgment before a holy God. Which brings us to verse 20. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Since the very nature of fallen man has just been cited in quote after quote that we read here, at least from verses 13 to 18, then there was absolutely no form of obedience to the commands of God rendered by sinful man that would ever justify him in God's sight. This is the condition of man, that even in his greatest attempt to try to do good before a holy God will end in being in this condition. Verse 20, it says, the knowledge of sin. Albert Barnes' commentary, I can't improve upon it, so I'm just going to quote it. It says, this is the way in which a sinner is converted. And more closely and faithfully the law is preached, the more will it condemn him and show him that he needs some other plan of salvation. For the last several weeks, as I mentioned, if the wrath of God from heaven is not preached, it's not the gospel, because what are we saved from? If sin is not preached, then what are we saved from? Jesus Christ becomes nothing more than something we add to our lives and then just proves what we have actually read in Romans 1-3 of how depraved man truly is. Because everything that we do, even our religion in Jesus' name, is nothing more than to get something for ourselves, rather than to recognize that apart from Him, We can do nothing and are nothing, because He is God. Psalm 19 verse 7 actually even says it better than Albert Barnes' commentary, because you know it. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. God has a better way of saying it than even Albert Barnes. Which brings us to verses 21 and 22. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. Again we are brought back to our key verse in chapter 1 and verse 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, for the just shall live by faith. as it is written now God's righteousness has been revealed from faith that's initial imparted justifying faith in Jesus Christ unto salvation which leads to growing edifying and maturing faith in Jesus Christ unto sanctification for it is Jesus Christ who has fulfilled the law whereas no man, no fallen descendant of Adam could and in Christ's fulfilling the law he has magnified it through his righteousness for it is written the Lord is well pleased for his righteousness sake he will magnify the law and make it honorable according to Isaiah 42 and verse 21 Jesus Christ will magnify the law and place it in the holy position that it should be in because it comes from God and it is good and glorious and Paul will mention that a little bit later on. What shall we say? Is the law sin? God forbid. The whole of the Old Testament testified to justification by faith in God's anointed all along. And it would be for all those who believe in Christ Jesus without distinction, whether Jew or Gentile, because to God there is no distinction. We've been looking at that in scripture after scripture and passage after passage here in Romans, but it is all throughout the Old Testament. And the blindness of those that Paul had to come up against with of his own people. And I dare say amongst my own people. Blind. Why is there no distinction? Paul concludes by bringing it all the way back to what he had said when he had started in verse 9. What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise were we have before proved our case, we have proved our charge, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. Why? verse 23 concludes with his summing up what he said in verse 9 and his justification for the entire scripture after scripture in the Old Testament Till verse 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, or some of your translations say, and fall short of the glory of God, meaning the same thing. For all have sinned means that apart from Christ we can do nothing good, nothing holy, nothing decent, nothing honorable, nothing righteous whatsoever. Apart from Christ, everything we do, have done in the past, and ever will do, is vile and wicked before a holy God. And apart from Christ, everything we are, were, and ever will be, is vile and wicked before Him. And come short of the glory of God means that you and I are devoid, utterly lacking, and completely destitute, and absolutely inferior of any heavenly value whatsoever. Apart from Christ, we are so wretched and destitute that we are not only unworthy of being redeemed, but we are not worth a moment of God's time to consider redeeming us, interestingly. Because it is in Himself, not influence outside of Himself for that which He does, because God only does that which is good. And as verse 23 wraps up everything in concluding the explanation of the corrupt state of the human condition apart from saving faith in Jesus Christ. It wraps it up. And it is, in one sense, designed to make us miserable. This is what I am. It is the mirror of God's Word to show us these passages here that explains everything the Old Testament was saying about man. The law that is good and designed for holiness and holy living is something that cannot even be approached by the sinfulness of man. It cannot be justified. Man cannot be justified in his obedience to it. So how do we conclude? What do we do with what we've seen in Scripture? Where is our application? By God's grace, are you saved? I can't read my own writing. That's pretty bad because it's my own typing. Are you saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ? If yes, then these portions we've gone over today should drive you closer to Him. There is joy in reading that and understanding that because then the grace of God becomes real. That God saved me and not in anything puffed up as we've looked at time and again in Sunday night and Wednesday in our devotions and also on Sunday mornings. It should give you, it should give me, it should give us even more gratitude for His amazing grace to save a wretch like myself. Don't feel bad for Brother John because it saved a wretch like you. It was wretches like us. It should encourage us as we examine ourselves according to 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5 to see what the Holy Spirit sanctifying work has done to bring us to God and we look at this and say you know I have God by your grace you've taken me further than what I would have expected I am I look at these things and and those things turn my stomach now to think that that was a part of my life or is a part of my family's life or something that we can grow in grace It should produce godly sorrow in us that leads to repentance, according to 2 Corinthians 7, verse 10, for sins that from the mirror of God's Word, which exposes in our lives these things. And it drives us to God. And repentance, as you know, is a continual thing, not a one-time deal. Continually repenting before God. But perhaps you're not saved, or you may have doubts about whether you're saved. Or you know some folks that would be encouraged by this because they're not saved. Especially after hearing how sinful fallen man is since Adam's fall in Eden. If your condition has been reflected through the descriptions found in Romans 3, 9-18, then God calls you right now to repent and believe. If God is stirring your soul, then don't leave here until it is settled. in the fullness and the thoroughness of your heart. Though your condition may be settled in heaven before the foundation of the world, we believe that the Scriptures bear that out. There is still a work of the Holy Spirit accomplishing to create a new heart and a new spirit, to breathe life into the dry bones of a dead soul. The theologians call that efficacious grace. And many today take an approach to the Gospel as that of escaping hell. or making one's life better, or giving Christ a try. These appeals to the carnal mind of the unsaved soul do not produce that which only the work of the Spirit can do, to bring new birth to one dead in trespasses and sins. And when it's the Spirit's work through the preached word, you will find a desire for Christ above all else. Whereas, that had never been there before. It was only going so far, but you're so distracted. But now, it's becoming a reality. You will receive a clarity concerning the Word if it's the Spirit's movement upon you. Concerning the Word that had not been there before, there's an understanding now of things that you're saying. Not everything, but there are things that are so clear. How did I not see that before? That's the Spirit's moving. Not all things will be apparent, not all things will be clear, but you will rejoice in that which has been brought to light because it is Jesus Christ that you're seeing in the pages of Scripture. And it's drawing you to Himself. And in this, if this is happening, Christ Jesus is saying to you, now come. He says, come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden. that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light that's God's call to each and every one of us not even if you're if you're not saved but if you are saved remember the comfort that we have in Jesus first calling you out come unto me Come unto me, because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Let us meditate a moment in silence upon what the Lord has spoken to us today. If you'd like to stretch your legs, we're going to stand before the closing prayer. It changed. I initially had something from the Blue Book that I'd like to sing one verse for, but I think Amazing Grace just came to my heart that it would be appropriate to end with the first verse of Amazing Grace. If you know where it is in the Green Hymnal, shout it out. I think it's somewhere in the 300s. What's that? 336 343 and it was in the 300s if you don't know we'll sing the first verse of amazing grace as we go out and then have our closing prayer. The sound that saved a wreck like me. I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see. Let us pray. Most gracious Heavenly Father, in the name of your beloved Son, what thanksgiving we have that when we see things like what we read in Romans 1 and all those sins listed going one by one through them, and then hear that universally every man is condemned on the face of the planet since Adam, we rejoice because of the blessedness of your Beloved Son, He is sufficient. The Triune God is sufficient. Your Word is sufficient to save souls. And we pray, Father. We pray, Father, that you will continue to have your work done in us and upon us and then through us, Lord, that we may be means and vessels for your word to go forth here in Alabama. We thank you, Father, for all that you have given us and praise you and glorify you in the exalted name of Jesus. In his name we pray. Amen.