Well, Paul has started out in Romans chapter 11 by telling the Jews in the church of Rome that God has not cast away the nation of Israel altogether because of their disobedience and their unbelief. Because He has always preserved for Himself a remnant of believing Jews. And He said that remnant of Believers was according to the election of God's grace, and not by any works that they could do, not by anything that they could do to obtain salvation or to obtain an inheritance in heaven. It was all by God's grace. He said God's saving grace through the gospel message to most of the nation of Israel was a stumbling block. It was a rock of offense. It was a snare and it was a trap for many of the nation of Israel, as it still is today for many of the Jews. Paul then assured them that through the fall, through the disobedience and unbelief of the nation of Israel, though it was not permanent, helped the Gentile world. He told them in part the reason for their rejection of the Gospel message and the rejection of Jesus Christ as the Messiah was so that the Gentiles could hear the good news of Jesus Christ and they would believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, as the Savior, and they would then be saved. And Paul says, in the salvation of the Gentiles, it was his hope that through that, the nation of Israel would become jealous, and then some of them would be saved. That's why Paul was so compelled to share the Gospel with the Gentiles, because he knew when they came to Christ, it would provoke the nation of Israel to jealousy, and then some of them would come to Christ as well too, because he loved both Jew and Gentile. But Paul in all of this warned the Gentiles not to boast against the branches, not to boast against the Jews, not to boast against the nation of Israel, for God cutting them off and grafting you in. He says, you have no place to boast in this. Because what he did with the nation of Israel ought to cause you not to boast, but to fear. Because of what happened to unbelieving Israel can happen to the unbelieving Gentiles as well too. He said that the Jews falling away, their being the broken branches from a tree, he used that analogy last time, it was not permanent. And if they could be grafted back in, if they could be grafted back into that tree that was holy and that root of Abraham who had the covenant promises with God alone, then you should rejoice with them. You shouldn't be haughty towards them. You shouldn't be arrogant towards them. You should love them as God's chosen people. And that's where we left off last time and where we want to pick it up this morning in Romans chapter 11, starting in verse 25. Paul says this, For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery. lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come." Paul tells the Gentiles in the church of Rome, whom he calls brethren, not to be ignorant about what has happened and what is happening to the nation of Israel, which Paul calls in part a mystery. And by the way, that word mystery, mysterion in the Greek, and it means something hidden in part or in whole in the past that is now being revealed. And when you look at Paul's writings, he revealed a lot of mysteries that were not revealed in the past or just partly revealed, that he opened up to the truthfulness of those things by the power of the Holy Spirit as he wrote many of his epistles. As a matter of fact, in Romans chapter 16, he defines this mystery in Romans 16.25 as something kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest. And some of the mysteries that Paul wrote about that were revealed to the church in the New Testament times, one of those was found in 1 Corinthians 2 verses 7 to 10. And it's the mystery of God's wisdom in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. They didn't understand that. It was a mystery to the Jews and Gentiles alike that their Messiah, the one that they called, the one that was written about, would then be crucified. He wrote about the mystery in Ephesians 1, verses 9 and 10. The mystery of God's will in bringing together in one all things in Christ. He wrote about a mystery in Ephesians 3, verses 3 to 6. It was the mystery of the Gentiles being fellow heirs of the promises of Christ. He wrote in Ephesians 3 verses 9 and 10, the mystery of God's wisdom may be made known through the church. God uses the church of Jesus Christ to make known His wisdom to a lost and dying world. And of course, he made known the mystery in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 51, where he said, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. He told us about the mystery of the rapture that was not revealed in the Old Testament, that has been revealed in the New. And here now, Paul wants to reveal another mystery. And this mystery, he says, I do not want the Gentiles to be ignorant about, or wise in their own opinion about. Again, he warns them about their pride and their arrogance in being chosen by God, while he is blinding the very ones he had chosen before. He says, I don't want you to be ignorant, and I don't want you to be arrogant about this. And Paul says, this is the mystery. He says, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come. God has judicially blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of many of the nation of Israel because of their unbelief. But not all of them and not forever is what he is saying here. Because he says, until, this is the mystery, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come. In other words, what Paul is saying is the blinding of Israel by God will come to an end at His divinely appointed time. And if you think about it, for the nation of Israel, their blindness really has been in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, but really started when it came to a relationship with Christ early in the life and ministry of Jesus, didn't it? When He was proclaimed to be the Messiah and said He was the Messiah? When in the book of John He says, I am, and they knew exactly what He meant and they tried to kill Him then? They rejected the Messiah. They rejected everything about Him. They were blinded to who He was. As a matter of fact, when He was a baby, you remember that? And the wise men came from the east and they came to the city of Jerusalem. And they said, where is he who was born King of the Jews? We've seen a star in the east and we have come to worship Him, not King Herod or anybody else. And because of the blindness of King Herod and all of the Jews and all of the people of that time, we know what they did. They killed every baby two years and older and under in hopes that they would kill the Messiah. that they didn't believe in, and that they would eventually reject, and that they would eventually kill. And Paul says, that mystery is only part of that. It's going to continue, he says, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come. That is an incredible statement in light of what Paul has been teaching here in the book of Romans. He says, the nation of Israel is going to be blinded until this specific time. And that specific time is until the fullness of the Gentiles has come. That word fullness, pleroma, it means to be completed, it means to be finished, it means to be filled up completely. And the word has come, two words in the English, one word in the original Greek language, eserkomai, and it means to enter into something. And what it means to enter into, and I put some references in your notes there, just in the book of Matthew, but it's used over and over again in the Gospels and the Epistles here, it means to enter into the kingdom, or enter into heaven, or enter into life, or enter into salvation. So listen to this, what Paul is saying here is that the nation of Israel will remain blinded until the fullness or the completeness of the number of Gentiles has entered into the Kingdom of God, has entered into eternal life, have been saved. Until that time when the very last Gentile non-Jew comes to saving faith in Jesus Christ, the nation of Israel will remain blinded. And guess what? Every one of you in this room who is a born-again believer was one step closer to that. When you came to faith in Jesus Christ, you were one step closer. The next person, one step closer. And there's still one person out there, whenever that takes place, the final one who comes to Christ, wherever they may be, when that one comes to Christ, then the fullness of the Gentiles will be complete. That last Gentile has come to faith in Christ, then look what happens in verses 26 and 27 of Romans 11. And so also, all Israel will be saved. As it is written, the deliverer will come out of Zion and he will turn away in godliness from Jacob. Now he's not talking about the remnant here because he's been talking about that all along. He's talking about all Israel being saved. The salvation of national Israel as a whole. But let me be quick to say this, when he says all here, he doesn't encompass every single Jew that has ever lived, or every single Jew that will be alive during the time of this national salvation. That's not what he's saying here, because we know from the Scriptures that many Jews are going to die in their sin, and they're going to be cast into a Christless eternity in hell. You can read in Zechariah 13 verses 8 through 9, and many other places, where not every Jew is going to be saved. He uses all the nation of Israel, encompassing those who will believe, but it will be a revival in the nation of Israel like never before. Because they are unbelieving to this very day. There are remnants of Jews who do believe. But God is going to cause a revival in the land of the nation of Israel like never before. So when He says, all Israel will be saved, not all encompassing is what He's saying. And you can look at that word all other places in Scripture, like in Matthew 10 and verse 22. Jesus said, you will be hated by all people. Is that true? Every single person who ever lived is going to hate Him? No, because not everybody does. Like in Romans 9 verse 33, Paul uses the very same word, all, as used here in Romans 11, but it's translated there, whoever. So it's not all-encompassing, but the nation of Israel as a whole, those who have been called, will come together and there will be a revival in that land like there never has been before. That's what the Jews look forward to. That's what the Jews go out tenaciously and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those born-again believing Jews, because they know there's coming a time when that revival is going to take place and they want to be a part of that. And Paul says, I'll tell you why, because it is written. Then he quotes, the Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob, for this is my covenant with them, and I will take away their sins. Here, like he does all the time, he's quoting the book of Isaiah here, Isaiah 59, verses 20 and 21, and Isaiah 27, 9. And if you read both of those, in both of those cases, Isaiah is talking about the sin of the nation of Israel, and their idolatry, and their rebellion, and their ungodliness, and how God will send a deliverer out of Zion to turn away their ungodliness and take away their sins. That's what Paul is quoting here, what Isaiah said back there. That's why the psalmist wrote in Psalm 14.7 and Psalm 53.6, Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion. When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and let Israel be glad. And we know who that Deliverer is from the Old Testament, it's the Messiah. From the New Testament, it is Jesus Christ. The very one that the nation of Israel has rejected. Even to this day, they have not turned away from their ungodliness. So this promise is a promise yet future to us. And that's why Jesus said what He did in Matthew 23, 38. You remember when He left the temple there? The Jews had rejected Him. He knew that they were going to crucify Him. They had defiled the temple of God, the house of God. And He says, Behold, your house is now left to you desolate. For I say to you, you shall see Me no more until you say to Me, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And then this passage here will be realized. Listen, the nation of Israel has not, as a nation, experienced God's salvation by having their sins taken away. As a nation. They have individually, there is a remnant of the nation of Israel, but not the nation as a whole. And let me make it very clear, when that revival takes place, it is every individual Jew who must come to Christ on their own. Not just because they belong to the nation of Israel, do they get saved. It is God opening up their heart collectively as a nation, to repent of their sin, to put their faith and trust in Christ, and then as a nation together, recognizing Jesus Christ as the Messiah, as Lord and Savior, and crying out for forgiveness and receiving that forgiveness as a nation. You who are born-again believers here did that individually. But now collectively we are Lighthouse Bible Church. It's the same way with the nation of Israel. You come to Christ on your own. Because narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way that leads to eternal life. And few find that. You can't take anything with you. Nobody can help you through that. It is you and Christ, and coming to faith in Him. And that's what he's saying here. They have not experienced that, but they will. That's what that promise was that Alan read in Jeremiah 31. This is the covenant I have made with the house of Israel. I will put my law in their minds and I will write it in their hearts. I will be their God and they shall be my people. For they shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin. I will remember no more. Listen, this promise had a past promise, it has a today promise, and it has a future promise for the nation of Israel, and by extension, all people who are God's chosen people. You can also read about it in Ezekiel 36 as well that I put in your notes there. And because that will happen, it will not happen until the fullness of the Gentiles has come. There are still Gentiles that need to be saved. So this is a future promise for the nation of Israel. It isn't a past, it isn't today, it is a future promise for the nation of Israel. You say, when is that going to happen? Well, when is the time when the nation of Israel is going to recognize Jesus Christ for who He is? Well, Jesus, like He said in Matthew 23-38, when you see Me, then you will say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Zechariah 12-10, when you look on Me whom you have pierced, then I will pour out My Spirit of grace upon you. So what He's saying is, listen, when Christ comes back, that will be the time when the nation of Israel will experience a revival like they never had before. Not until then. That's an incredible thing when you think about that. That's a promise and a hope that the nation of Israel has. That's the challenge for all of us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world, both Jew and Gentile alike. And then Paul says in verse 28 of Romans 11, concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. Paul again says to the Gentiles that the nation of Israel were enemies of God, and they still are today, because they reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ on a national scale. They reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah and His offer of salvation through the Gospel message. But because of that, It was helpful for the Gentiles. For their sake, they were able to come to Christ because now they left the Jews and shared the Gospel with the Gentiles as we've seen before, and many have come to Christ. So for your sakes, that was a good thing, but not for theirs. But then Paul goes on to say in verse 28, but concerning the election, the choosing of the nation of Israel for salvation, they, the Jews, are beloved for the sake of the fathers. The nation of Israel was chosen by God to be a special people through His divine election, as we've already seen before. Because of His election, they are beloved people, and they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. Because of the promises and the covenants made to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, they are a part of those promises. And by extension, we are a part of those promises as well. Do you realize today every unbelieving Jew is a beloved enemy of God? And just think about this, before you became a born-again believer, you were a beloved enemy of God as well. Because remember what the Scriptures say, before you came to Christ, you were an enemy of God? And then when you came to Christ, you were the beloved of God? But since you were chosen from the foundation of the world, you've always been His beloved, but you were an enemy who became one of His children. And it's going to be the same way with the nation of Israel. And he says it's concerning that election for the sake of the fathers that this will happen. And by the way, that calling and election for you and for every Jew that has already been saved and every Jew and Gentile that will be saved in the future, listen to this, verse 29 of Romans 11. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. He will never take away what He has called and given. By the way, he says for the gifts, that word gifts is charisma in the Greek language, and it's where we get our English word charisma from. It's God's gift of divine grace, a favor which one receives without any merit on his own. It's used of God giving out spiritual gifts, giving out spiritual gifts of grace for those people to use. But here he's talking about God's grace towards His beloved people, the nation of Israel. He is extending His grace to them, just like He has extended His grace to every one of us who have been saved, right? Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. Grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God given to you through Jesus Christ. It is the same offer that is given to the nation of Israel as well too. He says, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. His calling of them, His calling of you, His divine choosing and electing of those for salvation by His grace, He says, are irrevocable. Once you have been saved, you have been saved for all eternity. God will never revoke what He has given to us. It can never be changed. Even in Israel's disobedience and rebellion and unbelief, God will sovereignly take away their sins as He has done with each and every one of us who have been born again, because that's been His plan from all along to restore the nation of Israel. We are seen in God's sight as holy and perfect and just, right? He's removed all of our sins as far as the East is from the West. We stand, as Jude says, as holy and perfect and righteous in His sight, the book of Colossians says. And because of that, that's the only way we can have that relationship with God. And because of that, we always have that standing, even though we still sin, right? Because we all still have that sin nature. We all sin. And that's why we confess our sins, because He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And then He says this in verses 30 and 31 of Romans 11. For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience. Even so, these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you, they also may obtain mercy." Paul's still talking to the Gentiles here, and he says, if you were once disobedient to God in your unbelief, and your rebellion is a pagan people, and you now have received mercy from God, God has shown you mercy, and it was through the nation of Israel's disobedience that you received that mercy, then what do you think will happen to them? And by the way, as I thought about that, those are really words of encouragement for us. Especially when we want to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ to those in our family, or friends, or co-workers, or people that we know who are hardened to the gospel of Jesus Christ, who reject Christianity. There is still hope for them until they take their last breath, right? Just like there was hope for all of us. who are deserving of hell and certainly not His grace, and yet He saved us. And that offer of salvation goes for every single person. The nation of Israel, many rejected the gospel, and yet His grace and mercy is going to be extended to them. Oh, how that should compel us to never stop sharing our faith. with those who have proclaimed faith and maybe fallen away, those who don't make any profession of faith whatsoever, but live a moral life, those who are living a rebellion against God, the gospel of Jesus Christ can still penetrate that kind of heart through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. And by the way, we know and understand what God's mercy is, right? It's giving to us what we don't deserve by withholding what we do deserve. And the Bible says our wages of sin is hell and death and eternal punishment for the wages of those sins forever and ever. And you see, Israel's greatest need And our greatest need is to have our sins removed as far as the east is from the west, so that we can have that right standing before God in righteousness. That the nation of Israel has so desperately tried to find on their own, as we have seen over and over again. As people today so desperately try to find on their own, through their own works or their own religion, and they always fall short and they never find it, because they never will. The promise in Psalm 103.12, God through His mercy and grace has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west. God gives us forgiveness for our sins that we don't deserve and He withholds the punishment that our sins do deserve. And that was all done through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and His subsequent resurrection, showing that God approved of that sacrifice on our behalf. Because He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. That exchange took place on our behalf. It's going to take place on behalf of the nation of Israel. 1 Peter 1.3 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That's the hope that we have as born-again believers, that our sins have been forgiven, that it's irrevocable, our relationship with God, and someday we get to experience all that heaven has to offer. Paul says that through the mercy shown to you, You Gentiles, the nation of Israel will be shown mercy as well. Their salvation like ours is not based on a works righteousness system. It's not based on our merit at all, but on God's mercy on whom He will have mercy and on whom He chooses as we have seen over and over again in the book of Romans. And maybe because Paul had experienced that himself, that he keeps sharing that over and over again in his writings. Because he said to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1 verse 12-14, he said this, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, a violent man, and then listen to what he says, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And that's the exact way the nation of Israel is today. They are living in unbelief out of the ignorance of their heart, as Paul said in Romans 10 and 11, and they need the salvation of Jesus Christ. And then Paul says something incredible in verse 32 of Romans 11. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all. Now some of your versions, I looked at several of them, some of your versions might say, for God has shut up all in disobedience, or God has consigned all to disobedience, or God has imprisoned all to disobedience. What is he saying here? What he is saying, both to Jew and Gentile alike, what he's saying to the nation of Israel and applies to everybody, he is saying because all have sinned from Adam and Eve on, and everyone has rebelled and been disobedient to God, including the nation of Israel, God is going to use that disobedience to show His mercy to all. And that's an incredible thing when you think about that. One of the reasons that God allows sin, one reason that God allows man's disobedience, is to demonstrate His grace and His mercy. Because one of the divine attributes of God is His grace and His mercy. But listen, where there is no sin, no rebellion, no disobedience, then there's no reason for Him to show His grace and His mercy. He has nothing to show it for. So in His wisdom and understanding, He allowed man in their sin to do what they've done, to bring them to the place where they understand His grace and His mercy extended to them. That's an incredible thing. When people today say, why does God allow all that He allows in the world today? Well, for one reason, because He wants to show His love and His grace and His mercy to those, even in their rebellion and their sin, can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Because when they do, they understand that grace and mercy better than anybody else and they rejoice over that. And then when somebody else sees that in their life, that becomes a witnessing tool to them as well too. He allows sin because the whole world is under the condemnation and punishment of sin, both Jew and Gentile alike. And God is able to show His infinite mercy to all, to all of those whom He chooses. Because we know that His offer of grace and mercy is extended to all, but not all are going to receive that, right? Like he said in Romans 3.22, that offer of grace is extended, but only to those who will believe, being justified by His grace. That's an unfortunate thing that it's offered to everybody, but not everybody is going to receive it. So having done all of this, Paul is just overwhelmed with everything that the Holy Spirit has given him to pen for the church at Rome and for us today. He just is overwhelmed with everything that he has seen and heard and known and understood about God. So look what he does in verses 35 and 36 of Romans 11. Verse 33, "...Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him, and it shall be repaid to Him?" Paul just all of a sudden in praise and glory to God says, I don't know what to say, I'm just going to say all I can say, and it does no good to try to glorify God with my inept words. God is so infinitely powerful and almighty and gracious and merciful and all of those things. He closes chapter 11 by extolling God for His greatness and all of His attributes, His power and His wisdom. He can begin to comprehend or understand the omniscience or the omnipotence, the all-knowing and the all-powerful God and all that He has done. He tries to put into words for Jew and Gentile alike in the church of Rome, much like what we would try to do here and fall way, way short of trying to extoll God for who He is. We're looking at God for His incredible wisdom and knowledge, in His plan of salvation, in His provision for our deliverer, in His choosing both Jew and Gentile from the foundation of the world to be saved, in the expression of His grace and His mercy extended to all, and yet His sovereign plan in choosing those whom He chose from the foundation of the world. Paul begins to look back from chapter 1 through chapter 11 and saying, oh, all of this is too overwhelming for me. Because we know he's going in a totally different direction starting in chapter 12. He's going to now say, you know all of this, now let's apply it. And it's going to apply directly to us to say, okay, now we know all of this, now we've been sovereignly changed and called by God, what does that mean for us and how does it show itself in our lives? You know, he's overwhelmed because of God's love for His people, the nation of Israel. He's overwhelmed because of God's love and His grace extending the Gospel message to the Gentile world, because the nation of Israel rejected that. And it was just so overwhelming for him. He couldn't come up with words for that. Much like really what David did in Psalm 139. Starting in verse 1, it says, "...O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down, You know my rising up. You understand my thoughts afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether." He is extolling God for His omniscience, His all-knowing. He knows His thoughts. He knows what He's going to say before He says it. He knows what He thinks before He thinks it. All of this stuff is so overwhelming for David. And then he says this, such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It's too high for me. I cannot attain it. It should be the same way with us. And Paul quotes in Romans 11 verse 34 from Isaiah. He's going to try to pull some scriptures together to help to extol God. So Isaiah 40 verse 13. It's a passage where Isaiah is extolling God and His creative power. And so he says, who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand? Measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure. Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance. And what we're saying, who could do what God has done in His creative power? The span of His hand or the span of His arm is the span of the entire universe. The heaven of all heavens. And we haven't even gone out of our solar system yet. He says all of the water and the seas, He's measured all of that out and they know their boundaries. Everything that God has created, the hills, the mountains, He knows every speck of dust on the earth. He knows everything. He knows how much it weighs because He created. How incredible is that God whom we serve that He knows all of that, He's created all of that. He is the Creator God. And how many times do we come and sit here not thinking that? Or realizing that? Paul said, I can't contain myself. That is so overwhelming for me just looking at my people and looking at His grace and mercy and salvation. How much more for us today? Because after he says that, this is what he says, for who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? The answer is no one. Who are we to say anything to God? God is God of very gods. He is infinite in His wisdom and knowledge and understanding and power. Who can counsel Him? Nobody can. That's the God we say we serve. That is the God we say we worship. But does it show in the way we worship and in the way that we live? He doesn't stop there. Verse 35 of Romans 11, he here quotes Job 41 and verse 11. The writer of Job is extolling God's creative power in creating one unique being, animal or fish or whatever you want to call it. It's called Leviathan. And the writer says, this Leviathan has great power. It's an intimidating creature. It has great strength. And everyone is overwhelmed when they see it. And then God, who is speaking to Job, says this, And how could you ever think that you could stand against Me? Against all My creative power that created Leviathan, that created the water and the land that he lives in, All of this. And then he says, "...or who has first given to him, and it shall not be repaid to him." In other words, you haven't given anything to God that He should ever repay you back for anything. God owns everything. God created everything. God gives us everything. He owes us nothing. But in His grace and His mercy, He gives us everything. And Paul draws from Scripture the things that come to his mind about the best way to extol God and His glory and grace and mercy. So he calls upon Scripture to say, Oh God, You are just so wonderful. And he concludes in verse 36 of Romans 11 by saying, Of Him, through Him, to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. My question to ask is, do we view God this way? Do we view God for who He is, with all of His majesty and glory and power and dominion and might and wisdom? The indescribable nature of His character ought to overwhelm us often. And we have to thank Him for that continually, for all of His qualities and attributes that bring us to this very place today to worship Him. And yet how many times do we come drawing near with our mouth, honoring Him with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him. And our worship is in vain, Jesus said. We ought to be the most glorious people on the planet, praising God, breaking out in song and joy and praising for Him all of the time. And we just get the privilege of doing it corporately here together. We should never take for granted those who play the musical instruments, those who lead here, and the opportunity we have to sing praises to God, to study His Word together and proclaim His name to everybody here into a lost and dying world. That ought to energize us. That ought to give us a hope and a joy and a privilege that we can't contain. That we just want to cry out in song to God. We want to cry out in praise to Him. We want to quote Scripture over and over again about His goodness and His grace and His mercy and all of those things. Paul couldn't stop doing that. Oh, that we would be like him. That it would be a true act of worship when we come here. That it would be a true act of worship when we leave this place. It would be a true act of worship every place that we go and everything that we do. Because we have so much to be thankful for. And Paul says it's for him and through him and to him that we should be doing this. Very similar to what he said about Christ in Colossians 1, verses 15-17, when he said, "...He is the image of the invisible God, for by Him all things were created that are in heaven and on earth. All things were created through Him and for Him, and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." Is that the kind of God you serve? It is. Do you recognize that? Do you fall on your knees and say, thank you God for all of your attributes? Revelation 4 verses 10 and 11, we're going to do that someday. The 24 elders will fall down before the throne of God to worship Him who lives forever and ever, and they cast their crowns before the throne and say, You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. You created all things and by Your will they exist and they are created. You know, we could have a prayer life that would be incredible, that would last longer than five or ten minutes or an hour or three hours, when you think of all of the things that we can praise God for in our own individual lives, in the lives of our family, in the life of our church family, and on and on it goes. We have an eternity to praise and worship God and adore Him for what He has done for us. To whom be glory forever. And then Paul says, so let it be done. Amen. So let it be. May that be so with all of us. Let's pray.