And if you take your Bibles and turn to first Kings chapter 18. First Kings First Kings chapter 18 this morning. We are going to begin by reading the first 18 verses of first Kings chapter 18. Again, the subject this morning is Elijah primarily though there's somebody else who plays a big role in our message this morning also. Elijah was a prophet of the Lord who springs on to the scene seemingly out of nowhere in chapter 17 to to confront the wicked king Ahab who has turned the nation of Israel to Baal worship and to turn from the worship of almighty God.

And he pronounces judgement that it will not rain again on the nation of Israel until he says so, until the Lord says so and for for three and a half years, it didn't rain. While while that happened, God took care of Elijah first in the brook with ravens and then with a widow lady inside him. But now the time has come for Elijah to return again to Israel and to speak with Ahab. So, that's where we pick up in verse eight chapter 18 verse one. It came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year saying, go, show thyself unto Ahab and I will send rain upon the earth.

And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab and there was a sore famine in Samaria. And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly. For it was so when Jezebel cut off the prophets, that means killed the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an 100 prophets and hid them by 50 in a cave, and he fed them with bread and water. Verse five, and Ahab said unto Obadiah, go into the land unto all fountains of water and unto all brooks Peradventure, we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.

So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it, and Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself and as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him and he knew him and he fell on his face and said, art thou that my Lord Elijah? And he answered him, I am. Go tell thy Lord, behold, Elijah is here. And he said, that is Obadiah said, what have I sinned that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me? As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my Lord hath not sent, that is where Ahab is not sent to seek thee and when they said he is not there, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they found thee not and now thou sayest, go tell thy Lord, behold, Elijah is here and it shall come to pass as soon as I am gone from thee that the spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whether I know not and so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me.

But I, thy servant, fear the Lord from my youth. Was it not told my Lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a 100 men of the Lord's prophets by 50 in a cave and fed them with bread and water and now thou sayest, go, tell thy Lord, behold, Elijah is here and he shall slay me and Elijah said, as the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him, unto Ahab today. So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah that Ahab said unto him, art thou he that troubleth Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy father's house, and that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Balam.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for your word. May you bless it and may you bless us through it today. Lord, guide in the words that I speak and the message that you have.

Lord, work in our hearts. Give us understanding that we might be able to apply this to our own lives, that we might see your hand at work here and in our own lives, that we might be courageous and take a stand for the Lord and that we might be the salt and light that you have called us to be in the day and time in which we live today. Lord, I pray that Jesus would be exalted in in all we say and do here this this day in Jesus name, amen. Three points this morning to the message. The first is the courage of Elijah.

The courage of Elijah. Now, we have seen the courage of Elijah before and we will see the courage of Elijah again. In a couple weeks, we'll see that even Elijah is still human and we'll deal with that. But the time has come. The time has come for Elijah to leave his cozy, what has become sort of a cozy situation in Sidon where God has been taking care of him day after day but now, it is time for that to end.

For several three and a half years between the brook and the ravens who provided for him and between the widow and Sidon, where God provided for him and her. Now that time has ended, it's time for him to go back to Israel and it's time for him once again to confront who? To confront Ahab, the king, the wicked king. And for God to bring what? For God to bring rain.

Why after three and a half years? Why do you think God waited three and a half years? Why not sooner? Why not later? What's so special about three and a half years?

Well, we could conjecture. We could say, well, you know, at Sunday school, we talked about the tribulation and it's divided into two periods of what? Three and a half years and so, the time of God judgment sometimes lasts three and a Now, that would be conjecture. The fact is I don't know exactly why God chose three and a half years, do you? Chances are not.

But God's timing is always what? God's timing is always perfect. You know, we sometimes ask that same question in our life. Why now? Why now?

Why not sooner? Why not later? Why let this this happen? Why did it take so long? God's timing is perfect.

Reminded of that in Galatians four four and five. My tongue just can't keep up with my brain yet this morning. It says, but the when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son. That's Jesus. God had made that promise way back in the Garden of Eden or at least had alluded to it in Genesis three fifteen that the seed of the woman would come and crush the head of the serpent, Satan, but it's now been thousands of years that God keeps his promises and it happens in God's perfect time.

When the time was right in Israel, when the time was right in the world, when the world was at relative peace, albeit under the thumb of Rome, when Roman roads were connecting the known world, when the world had a common language to where many could be reached with only one language, when the time was right, God sent forth his son to redeem us, to die on the cross, and to establish his church. Don't fear God's timing is perfect. It's perfect in Elijah's life. It's perfect in sending his son. It's perfect in the day he returns.

It's perfect in the things that he does in our life. We need to just learn to trust him more. To wait upon the Lord but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary.

They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah forty thirty one. Galatians six nine says, be not weary in well doing for in due season, in due time, we shall reap the rewards if we what? If we faint not. Just keep doing, keep going, keep trusting, don't be overwhelmed, don't be depressed or discouraged, Trust in the Lord.

His timing is perfect. It was here too. Anyway, Elijah had escaped Ahab's wrath the first time and now God wanted him to go what? To go back and see Ahab again. And Ahab clearly wanted him what?

Clearly wanted him dead. He was sent as Obadiah mentioned here. He was sending people out to the neighboring nations looking for Elijah because he loved Elijah so much and he just wanted to reward him. I don't think so. No.

No. And now God says to Elijah, this guy that's looking, hunting, trying to hunt you down, you go to him. So he does. He goes back. It is not for us to question why, but to answer yes, and head out to do the will of our God just as Elijah did.

If you're in the military, you don't ask questions why. You don't protest. You just what? You just do as you're told. Trust your commanders to know what they're talking about.

And though those commanders sometimes fail, we have a commander who will never fail and who we can trust fully. God's servants are sometimes compared to soldiers in scripture. Here's one such passage. Second Timothy two, three, and four, Paul writing Timothy says this, thou therefore endure hardness or discipline as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

What is Paul saying to Timothy? God has chosen you to be a soldier. Now follow what he says. Do what he says. Sometimes, what he says is not going to be easy.

Sometimes it's going to be difficult. Sometimes it's going to be scary, but trust in the Lord. Submit to him. Follow his commands commands as a good soldier and don't be entangled and confused and distracted by the things going on around you. Now there's a lot going on around us today, it's easy to be entangled and distracted.

We must not be entangled and distracted. We must keep our eyes focused on the Lord. As Paul was going back to Jerusalem, as he felt the Lord had called him to do, he ran into several people along the way that said, do you know what's awaiting you in Jerusalem? We know that when you get there, the Lord has told us, things are going to go badly. But Paul in each case said, no, I must go.

I must go. I must go. In Acts 20 and verse 24, he says this, but none of these things move me. Neither count I my life dear unto myself. So that I might finish my course with joy.

And the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Paul said, focused, I'm not going to be distracted, dissuaded. I am going to finish my course. I am going to perform the ministry that God has called for me and I am not going to turn to the left or to the right. What courage.

What courage we see from a man who went into city after city and was rejected and imprisoned and mocked and sometimes tortured and left for dead, and he got up and he went to the next city and he did it what? All over, all over again. How did he do that? The Lord sustained him. He knew God's calling in his life.

He knew who his Lord was and what he had done for him. That it was but his reasonable service as he says in Romans twelve:one, to give his life to the Lord wherever it may take him and whatever trials or struggles he might run into. I think of the courage of Moses as he stood before Pharaoh and said to Pharaoh, let my people go. I think of the courage of Esther who stood before the king not knowing whether she would live or die. So, Elijah headed out to meet Obadiah to get an audience with Ahab which he did and spoke boldly before Ahab, the message of God.

So, we see the courage of Elijah. Now, secondly, I want to see the courage of Obadiah. Now, Elijah was a prophet. Was Obadiah a prophet? Doesn't appear so.

There is an Obadiah prophet in the Old Testament but that doesn't seem to be the same Obadiah. There are actual several men that had the name Obadiah. This man was not so much a prophet. This man was a government official in Northern Israel. K?

That's who Obadiah was. He served the king of Israel as a government official who would be who? Ahab. And so that's that's who he was. He was a little different in what God had called him to than what God had called Elijah to.

Nonetheless, we see the courage not only of Elijah the prophet but of Obadiah, the government official. Okay? So, when Elijah comes and he says to Obadiah, he says, I want you to go tell Ahab I'm here and to come here. Now, now, this this Elijah is telling, asking Obadiah to go tell Ahab not that Elijah's coming to Ahab but that Ahab not needs to come to who? Elijah, okay?

So, here's this proud, arrogant, wicked king and Elijah tells Obadiah, you go tell him to come to me. Okay. Well, Elijah knew who he served and who he served was greater than who Obadiah served. Ain't that right? That's right.

And so he said to Obadiah, you go tell Ahab to come here and to see me. And Obadiah's initial response is, what? If I go tell Ahab to come here to see you, he's gonna kill who? He's gonna kill me. Maybe because I didn't kill you.

And what's worse is if I go tell him you're here and then he comes and the Lord moves you somewhere else, then he's for sure gonna what? Gonna kill me. But Elijah reassures him, no. It it I'll I'll be here. I'll be here.

You go tell him and and I promise, I will be here when he comes. When Elijah had been away, things had not gotten better in Israel, had they? Three and a half years? No, things had gotten much worse. The drought and famine had ravaged the land so much that Ahab himself was running out of what?

Water and grazing land for his own cattle. And so he sent Obadiah one way and he went another, and he said, Obadiah, find water. Find grazing land or else I'm gonna have to kill all of my livestock. And so that's how it was that Obadiah ran into ran into Elijah. But not only had the drought gotten worse, but also the spiritual condition Israel had not gotten better either.

Jezebel had ordered the execution of all the what? Of all the prophets of the Lord. Everybody who spoke for the Lord, everybody who stood for the Lord. She had decreed that they be executed. Thankfully, one person in a place of authority, one person who had opportunity wasn't willing to go along with that command.

His name, Obadiah. Well, Elijah was away being protected and taking care of the Lord by the Lord in Sidon, Obadiah was right in the middle of the mess in Israel. And he found an opportunity to serve the Lord, to take a stand, stand and he did. He secretly took 100 prophets and he divided them up into 50s and he put them in caves and he secretly brought them bread and water during the famine. Probably out of the stores of Ahab to provide and to take care of them.

He remained faithful to the Lord despite the paganism all around him, despite the wickedness of the king whom he served. He stayed faithful to God. He did the king's bidding. He served the king. He was a government official.

So, said, do this, he did that. He said, go find water for my livestock. Did he go do it? Yes, he did. Was he wrong to do so?

No. I don't believe so. Turn if you would to Romans chapter 13. Romans chapter 13. Was he wrong to do as he was told by the king?

To go help find water for the livestock? Romans thirteen:one. Verse one. Again, I'm going read seven verses. So, if you have a Bible.

Romans thirteen one, let every soul be subject unto the higher powers or authorities, government authorities. There is no power or authority but of God. The powers that be are ordained of who? Ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to them selves damnation.

The word damnation there does not mean hell and lake of fire. It just means harsh judgment. Verse three, for rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power, do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God for thee for good, to thee for good.

But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore, you must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake. For for this cause, pay ye tribute also. What's tribute?

Taxes. I heard taxes. Yes, taxes. Okay. For this cause, pay ye tribute or taxes, also.

For they are God's ministers attending continually upon this very thing. In other words, they do need some financing to perform this, defense. Verse seven, render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due, cuss to whom custom fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. So I ask again, was it wrong for Obadiah to do as his king commanded to go look for water for his livestock? I don't believe so.

Was it wrong for him to serve in the government in obedience to the king who was placed there ultimately under the authority of who? Under the authority of God. Now you say, well, but he was a terrible, nasty, bad king. Yes, he was. But now think for a minute when Paul wrote Romans, he was writing to people who were in what empire?

The Roman Empire. So do you think the Caesars of Rome were a whole lot better than the Ahabs of Israel? I don't think so. And so it would appear God commands us to the best of our ability as he says to live peaceably with all men, we are also to obey the authorities that are over us. So, I don't believe he was wrong to do as he did.

However, he could not follow the queen's command to kill all the what? To kill all the prophets. So instead, he hid them, protected them, and fed them throughout the famine. Was he wrong to do that? The answer is no.

As the disciples explained to the rulers in Jerusalem, we must obey God rather than men. When the two are in direct conflict and you must make a choice, your choice must be the higher authority who is God. When government commands us to do that which is contrary to the word of God, it has stepped out of its place of authority that God gave it and we must obey God rather than men. Praise the Lord. Obadiah knew the difference and he did what was right.

Thankfully, the midwives of Egypt could not bring themselves to kill the Hebrew male babies who were born to the Israelites but hid them and helped them. Thankfully, Jehoida the priest was able to hide Joash from the command of Athaliah to kill all the line of David. Thankfully, Gamaliel stood against the execution of the disciples early on in Jerusalem and said to the leaders that were there, if this be of God, you will not stop it. So, let's let him go and see what happens. Things go very badly in this world when people of conscience and particularly God's people take a pass on standing for what is right and against what is wrong.

We must obey God and in some cases that may force us to obey God rather than what? Rather than men. We are called to be salt, to be a preserving agent in this world, a righteous agent in this world to help make it more palatable to a holy and righteous God primarily by the presentation of the gospel but also by our testimony and actions. We are called to be salt, to be different. But if the salt has lost its flavor, its savor, what's it good for?

Nothing. Jesus said to be tossed out in the street and trodden under the feet of men. If we are not salt in this world for Jesus, then we are of little good in this world for Jesus. We are called to contend for the faith. We are called to proclaim the good news.

We cannot just roll over and submit when and if we are told not to. Thus, there are churches in The United States that are meeting today in states where they have been told they cannot meet. But after six months of waiting, they finally said enough is enough, we are going to meet. There comes a point in time when we must choose to obey God rather than men. That time may come sooner or later as it regards our worship and our church but when the time comes, we must be willing to choose God rather than man.

We are not called to be soldiers of the sword in God's army but we are called to be soldiers of the word and of testimony and of faithfulness. And we must fight and stand in the gap for everything will continue to go worse rather than better. To go poorly, not just for us, but for the world in which we live and the nation in which we live. Ezekiel twenty two thirty says, and I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it. Last words, but I found none.

There came a day in Israel when God said I looked for someone or someone to stand for me, to take a stand, for choose God rather than men and God says, I didn't find anybody and then God's judgment came upon the nation of Israel. Just a few generations after Ahab, God's judgment fell upon Israel for they had turned their back upon him and they would not repent. Praise God in Ahab's day. There were some who stood in the gap. Obadiah stood in the gap.

Elijah stood in the gap and God used them to stave off judgement a little longer to restore God's glory in Israel one more time and to save lives of many of God's servants. They took a stand. They stood in the gap. But by the way, how did it get this bad in Israel in the first place? We're reading about the days of Ahab.

We kind of jumped into the middle here and it's bad. The nation has turned their back on God. There are few left that are true believers and even fewer that are willing to stand for the Lord. How is it that the king of Israel is a Baal worshiper and married a Baal worshiper? How did it get this?

These are God's what? Chosen people. God delivered them from Egypt. He brought them into the land. He gave them this bounty but he warned them back in Deuteronomy.

Don't forget because I know you're gonna forget when things are good how you got here, and you're gonna turn away from me, and they did. And now it's bad. It's bad. They are executing people who stand for the Lord. It's bad.

How did it get this bad? When seemingly one man in the administration had the conscience to do what was right and obey God? How did it get this fad? Well, maybe because God's people just stood by with their hands in their pockets earlier. They did not raise their voice when they could have.

They did not persuade their neighbors as they should have. And now look at the mess. Does it ring any bells? Is our situation so much terribly different? What direction are we headed in?

How did we get here? Sometimes the fact is we are just too polite, or you might use the word timid. Paul said, I am not, what, ashamed of the gospel. I am not going to keep my mouth shut. I am not going to go hide.

But I'm afraid too many Christians for the past several generations have done so. We are too under the radar, and the silent majority is about to become, if it not has not already, the silent minority. And we're going to have to make some awful tough decisions like Obadiah down the road because we did not make some easier ones in the present. Too many of us tolerate too much of the world and will not speak up for what is right. We listen to their bad language.

We laugh at their dirty jokes. We entertain ourselves with their entertainment, TV, and movies. We listen to the vile messages in their music. We spend money and time at places where God is not welcome. Because we want to be accepted not by God but we want to be accepted by the wicked world.

Jesus said to his disciples, don't be surprised when the world hates you because it hated me before it hated you. If the world loves you, then there's something wrong. And indeed in Christianity today, in the church, there is something wrong. We care more for the world's acceptance than we do. Sometimes, at least it seems, God's acceptance.

And too many Christians are incognito Christians blending in rather than sticking out. We have lost our what? Saver. We have lost our society and culture to the world and the wicked, and we are on the verge of losing our country to the same because we're not taking our responsibility to speak up seriously. Too many Christians don't even vote or if they do, don't vote like Christians.

In this country we have a privilege that most countries don't have. We can vote. We can vote for those who are supposed to be serving us in our government. Most countries don't have that privilege. Don't vote your party because of your heritage or your past allegiance.

Vote as representatives of heaven. Vote as ambassadors for who? For Christ. Vote for God. Vote for freedom of religion to worship him as he has commanded that we must and we should.

So, we don't have to make the choice whether to go to prison for our faith. Vote for God for freedom of speech so we can proclaim the good news of the what? Of the gospel to those who need to hear it without fear. Vote for God and for the government to do what God has called it to do, to protect their citizens, their rights and innocent from those who would do them harm, particularly from innocent babies yet born whose lives are violently taken from them before they have a chance to open their eyes and see God's beautiful creation and breathe his fresh air. We have an opportunity to take a stand to be salt in a way that many do not, in the way the disciples did not.

Let's not brush that aside. Let's not forget who we belong to and who we represent. And it's not a political party and it's not a government official. It is Jesus Christ the righteous who died for us and the God who created us, countries and governments. Stand in the gap now at the polls while it still matters.

Stand at the gap at work and be a light for Christ. Stand in the gap in your neighborhood before your neighbors. Stand in the gap in your schools, and do not bow to the worldly wise men who spout the lives of evolution and secular humanism. Stand for truth. Encourage others to do the same.

We have young people who need to be encouraged to stand for the Lord. They need to know that we have their back. They need to know that we're praying for them. They need to know it's right to obey the government, but also to stand for the Lord and if necessary to obey God rather than men. If we do not stand now, we will have to stand later or our children will.

When the stakes are much what? Like Obadiah and Elijah and these 100 prophets he protected. Yes, God will be there for them and others, but why wait until it's too late when there is something that can be done today by voting, by praying, by witnessing, by serving, by teaching, and yes at times by taking a stand. We see the courage of Obadiah and Elijah, they did this in their day. It's too bad that others did not do so before their day.

And then finally, number three, the challenges made and God is trusted and this leads us back into the message next week. I want to conclude with this. If you can turn back to first Kings 18 and verse 17. First Kings 18 and verse 17. And yes, point three is very short.

You say, Pastors always say that. Now, for the last point, verses 17 through 24, chapter 18. It came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, they have said unto him, art thou he that troubleth Israel? By the way, who was troubling Israel? Ahab was, not Elijah.

Elijah points that out. When we choose not to obey the Lord and trouble comes, that's not God's fault, that's whose fault. It's our fault. Verse 18, Elijah answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou are you and thy father's house, and that ye have forsaken the commands of the Lord, and thou hast followed Balaam. Now, therefore, send and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal, 450, and the prophets of the groves, 400, which eat at Jezebel's table.

So Ahab sent unto all the children. Isn't it interesting Ahab just does what he says. Well, that's because who's behind him? The Lord's behind him, and Ahab just doesn't is willing to go against the Lord. So Ahab sent all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel and Elijah came unto all the people and said, how long halt ye between two opinions?

If the Lord be God, follow him. But if Baal, then follow him and the people answered him not a word. Interesting? He stood up and said, now choose this day whom you will serve. Remember when somebody did that back at Joshua?

And they said, we will serve the Lord. This day, Elijah said, choose you this day whom you will serve. Silence. They're willing to take a stand. How sad.

I lost my place. Verse 22, then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I, only remain a prophet of the Lord, But Baal's prophets are 450 men. Let them, therefore, give us two bullocks and let them choose one bullock for themselves, cut it in pieces, lay it on the wood, put no fire under, and I will dress the other bullock and lay it on wood and put no fire under. And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord. And the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.

And all the people answered and said, it is well spoken. So finally, they answer. They say, okay, we'll see. Not much of an answer, but that's what we said. That's what they said.

Elijah makes a challenge. He challenges the prophets of Baal to what essentially is a duel. He challenges them to say, okay, you say your God is a god, you prove it. You prove that he has the ability to do something, that he's not just a dumb idol. And he said, I will prove the same, and we'll see which God really is God.

So in closing, boldly Elijah meets with Ahab. Boldly Elijah speaks to Ahab. Boldly, Elijah challenges Ahab in Israel to choose between the God of Israel and the God of the Sidonians. Why? Because this is what it all boils down to.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. How could he do that? He trusted in the Lord. Do we trust in the Lord enough to take a stand, to do what's right for him? God is clear.

He will not share his glory with the gods of wood and stone. He must be God and God alone for indeed he is the only true and living God who made all that is and who deserves the faith, worship, and love of his creation. In Matthew six, Jesus said, you cannot serve what? Two masters. Masters.

You have to what? You have to choose. Have you chosen? Is Christ your Lord and master, or are you yet undecided? You must decide.

You cannot serve serve two masters. You must decide. Jesus said, he that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God and in Romans ten nine, it says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus that Jesus is Lord and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. I ask you Christian, will you choose to take a stand? Will you represent Christ in this world?

Will you take seriously the opportunity and the time we have been given to represent your Lord well in everything we do and what we say, to proclaim the good news to our neighbors, our friends, and our coworkers or will we stand by and watch it continue to spiral down? And if you're here today and you've never chosen, choose you this day. Who is your Lord? The one who died on the cross spiral for your sins. He is Lord.

He is your creator. He wants to be your savior. If you will accept him today. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord.

For Jesus Christ, our savior, for what you did, for taking a stand for us. Now, give us the courage Lord to take a stand for you. Lord, help us to do it in the present and not wait to the day when it is more difficult. Help us to be holy in every aspect of our life. Help Help us us to to be be loving loving to to everyone.

Everyone. Help us to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to tell them of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for them. Help us, Lord, to represent you in our actions. Yes, even in our vote. Lord, help us to see where we need to stand, to be able to discern, and Lord, to always stand with you.

And Lord, if there be one here that's never trusted Jesus Christ, I pray this morning. They would come as we give this hymn of invitation. And they would choose. Also. I wanna change the