"Hard Sayings" - Luke 12:41-59 - March 22nd, 2026 - Pastor Scotty Brown

Well, hey, if you have a Bible, we're going to finish the 12th chapter of Luke.

I think we've been here for a year and a half, but some good stuff.

And we left off last time in verse 40 where the Lord said,

therefore you also be ready for the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

And as I've read through the Bible over the years, I've come across those sayings that Jesus says that are really hard sayings.

Actually, if they're not true, they're psychotic sayings.

Right?

Jesus was accused many times of being crazy, being demon possessed.

And it's funny when you talk to the world about Jesus, they go, oh yeah, we're,

we're totally into Jesus. He's cool. He's just all love. Really? I remember picking up one of the rainbow

people. Do you guys remember the rainbow people? They had some big conferences here in Idaho where they

would all get naked and run through the hills and it's kind of a strange thing. So I was picking,

I picked this guy up. My wife's looking at me like, I think I'm going to kill you when we let this guy out.

I'm going to kill you. And so I picked this guy up. He's out.

out in the middle of nowhere, hitchhiking.

And so I pick him up and we're driving.

And so I try sharing Jesus.

Oh, Jesus?

Yeah, J.C.'s cool, man.

I just smoked some peyote with the Indians down in Arizona.

And, yeah, we saw J.C.

He was there with all the others.

Oh, okay.

Lost is a goose, right?

They don't have a clue who Jesus is.

And Jesus tells us, he says,

many, many Christs will come. And, and so his, his admonition was, don't be deceived, but,

but definitely be watching. And so, because he's coming at an hour that we do not expect.

And so in these, these verses from verse 41 to verse 59, there's some hard sayings. And so,

I'm just going to jump in, but probably better pray first. Father, we thank you for your word.

Lord, it is truly a light unto our path and a lamp into our feet.

And so we just pray today that as we look at this and you encourage us and you say some hard things, Lord, that aren't easy, but they're necessary.

Just like the chastening of a child, Lord, it's not easy, but it's so necessary.

And so, Lord, we pray that if you need to chasten us, that we would humble ourselves before you.

Lord, and receive it and realize that you have our best interest at heart.

And so, Lord, we ask that by your Holy Spirit you would come and be our unseen guest today

as we look at this passage of scripture in Jesus' name. Amen.

And so I'm going to take verses 41 through 48.

We'll take it in, I think there's going to be two or three chunks here.

And I'll make some comments and we'll get out of here today.

but it starts off after he says this, right, that no one knows the day or the hour.

Peter steps up and he says, then Peter said, verse 41, to him, Lord, do you speak this parable

only to us or to all people? And the Lord said, who then is that faithful and wise steward

whom his master will make ruler over his household to give them their portion of

food in due season. Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all he has. But if that servant says in

his heart, my master is delaying his coming and begins to beat the male and female servants

and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not

looking for him in an hour when he is not aware and will cut him into and appoint him his portion

with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself

or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know yet

committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given from

much will be required. And to him who much has been committed of him, they will ask the more.

And so these are some hard sayings and some serious sayings. I think of some of the sayings over the

years that I've come across. I know one is in John chapter 6 when Jesus said,

John 6 · chapter mention

unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will have no part with me. You know,

the people freaked out. I'm so glad he said that, though, even though it may have created some

confusion in people's hearts, and some people that said, they departed from him and followed him

no more. And I'm just going, wow, that's pretty heavy. But then he, the Lord, he, he, he's not

afraid to put us to the test. And that obviously put some people, we don't eat, drink blood. That's against

the law, right? The law said, don't, don't, don't.

eat the blood for the life is in the blood. What is he talking about? We can't handle this.

And so they departed. And then he approaches his apostles. So are you two going to leave now that

I've said this? And Peter, in his greatest moment, I believe, said, Lord, to whom shall we go?

You alone have the words of eternal life. Right? But that was a hard saying. It was hard

for the people of the day, it seemed to be so against what they had been taught.

And then he shares the commandment about dishonoring your parents.

And he talks about the children who dishonored their parents should be put to death.

Really?

Jesus said that and agreed with that?

Well, of course he agreed with it.

It was in the law.

Really?

Well, if that's true today, there'd be rocks all over Bonneville County.

Rock piles with rebellious teens under them, right?

And another hard one that people always overlook about what Jesus said.

When he speaks to the church at Thyatira in Revelation chapter 2,

Revelation 2:21–23

verses 21 through 23, you should read it.

Right?

He says, unless you repent, I'm going to cast you into a sickbed and I'm going to kill your kids with death.

the Lord gets pretty serious.

Those are hard sayings.

He would really do that?

Well, either that or he's a liar.

So here, Peter's concerned.

He's saying, are you saying this to everybody or just to us?

And Jesus kind of changed his, he was talking about servants,

now he mentions he who then is a faithful and wise steward. That's a little different word. That's

more of a manager. Or maybe what I'm doing right now, which scares me to death sometimes.

Because I know I can be a little flippant sometimes and say things from this pulpit that maybe I shouldn't

say, why a lightning bolt has not fried me behind this pulpit. I don't know that. But just know that it

could happen, right? So you might want to wear your sunglasses. But he says,

uh, who is a wise steward whom his master will make ruler over his household to give them

their portion of food in due season. And so the Lord here is, is three things. Number one,

he, he rewards faithfulness. God requires us. God requires us.

to be faithful and it's rewarded, right? Revelation 217 says,

He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be His God, and he shall be my son.

Have you overcome? What do we overcome, by the way, anyway? Right? Because it says that to every church

in the book of Revelation, the message to the churches. It says, He Who overcomes? What do we overcome?

The world, the flesh, and the devil. That's what you overcome. The world, the flesh, and the devil,

because they're just gnawing at you and nagging at you your whole life until you take your last breath.

So he's called us to be faithful.

If you'll be faithful, you'll be rewarded.

Romans 832.

He who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all,

how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

But it's about being faithful.

That's about finishing the race.

because races sometimes have a wall that you hit.

And he talks about the wall that some of these people hit.

Ah, he ain't coming.

My Lord delays his coming.

Secondly, right, if faithfulness is rewarded, unfaithfulness is punished, verse 45,

but if that servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming

and begins to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and be drunk.

The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour when he is not aware

and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

Cut him in two.

That sounds pretty severe.

What does that mean?

Well, some people, don't you just love Bible commentators?

right oh because well it's not really talking about literally cutting you in two it's talking about

separation which may be i think there's some that embrace no he's going to cut you in too

uh maybe that's part of the the body being destroyed but the soul being saved um we we've been

going through hebrews on wednesday nights and um and we have

have been teaching through Steve and I kind of team teaching.

And so the subject comes up, once saved, always saved.

Once you're saved, you're always saved.

Are you?

Because the Bible kind of would suggest that actually no outside force can take your salvation from you,

so you can't lose your salvation.

but can you leave your salvation?

Those that I mentioned there in John chapter 6,

John 6 · chapter mention

those who left and walked with him no more.

Did they leave?

Were they saved to start with?

See, that's the big question.

And when you get dogmatic on those things,

you kind of back yourself into a corner.

So what is it?

I don't know.

I just don't want to go there.

Right?

I know what my heart is capable of.

So then the question is, will God keep you against his will?

Or excuse me, against your will.

His will is that none should perish,

but not that all would come to repentance.

But would God keep you against your will?

You say, Lord, I don't want you no more.

I don't love you no more.

I can't imagine saying that.

But would God keep you against your will?

I don't know.

Maybe that's part of the body being destroyed and goes,

Lord just gives you over.

Your soul's saved, your body's destroyed.

You get in by the skin of your teeth.

You know, that's a biblical reference, right?

Skin of your teeth.

Job talks about it.

but it's it's a hard thing knowing that unfaithfulness is punished

there's an accountability for what you know about God and about your sin

and here you are today and you already know more than you did when you came in

and you think man why did I go to church today

because he holds us he holds us accountable right so no those who know those who know

will suffer a greater consequence those who don't know will have a less consequence

what is that some believe that it's a lot

of rewards, right? That the judge at the seat of Christ, that we're saved, but there'll be a loss

of rewards. First Corinthians 315 mentions this. He says, if anyone's work is burned,

he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as to fire. You're just barely

getting in, man. Your hind parts is on fire. Listen, God love.

loves us, right? But he has a plan for us and he requires obedience and he wants us to turn from

those things that in our heart we know are wrong. And so often we just set our jaw and we won't do

it. A lot of people in relationships where they're not married and they're just shocking.

Man, what are you doing? Just get right with God. It's so simple.

go down to the courthouse

call me I'll do a shotgun wedding

I've done them in my socks

God is a covenant

God and he loves that covenant

people oh we're committed

committed to what

iniquity

he's he's serious about

these things. First Corinthians chapter four verse two. So it's moreover, it is required in

stewards that one be found faithful. God just wants us to be faithful to him. Just like you're

faithful to your spouse or you're faithful to your kids. Just be faithful. So simple. But not easy.

Warren Wordsby says once a believer starts to think his master is not coming back,

his life begins to deteriorate. Our relationship with others depends on our relationship with the Lord.

I like this. So if we stop looking for him, we will stop loving his people. The motive for Christian

life and service must be a desire to please the Lord and to be found faithful at his return.

And when they came to Jesus and they wanted to know, Lord, what's the greatest commandment?

And Jesus says, you know it.

It's in your law.

Love the Lord of God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

And love your neighbor as yourself.

But when you get preoccupied with other things and you lose sight of that, then you don't do that.

You don't love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

You don't love your neighbor as yourself.

But if you focus on him coming again, we realize that time is short.

and we have to take the opportunity to love one another.

And I love the story of the old apostle John

that in his latter years,

they would help him up in front of the assembly of the people.

And he would,

he'd be up little children.

You know, he's almost 100 years old.

Love one another.

And then he'd go sit down.

That's all he would say.

Love one another.

Now, what does that mean?

Just being Ui and Goui?

No, you got to tell the truth.

They'll trail the truth in love.

Sometimes that stings.

Because the truth is,

is that many times we're denying the Lord

by the way we're living our lives

because we've lost sight of him

coming.

So the main point is that the Lord demands faithfulness.

He punishes unfaithfulness.

He rewards faithfulness.

And so he's not going to be severe on what you don't know,

but he will be severe on what you do know.

and so if you're not faithful with what you know

you're going to get a whooping

right

because what's he say there

that he's going to

let's see

my Bible turned on me sorry

golly

a couple pages

where he says

and the sat servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes.

But he who did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few.

So the punishment is equal to the crime.

And the thing about it is, is so many people do know so much about the Lord.

That's what shocked me about teaching at a Christian school.

Sometimes by the times those kids were six and seventh grade,

what they knew was fascinating to me.

Some of them could teach a Bible study.

They knew that much about God's word.

And then they're accountable for that.

And then they've got to go through their turbulent teen years,

knowing that and that conviction and that, you know,

having to really harden their heart against the Lord

because he's no doubt talking to him.

That's why it's so important to put the word in these kids' hearts when they're young, right?

Because the mountain gets a whole lot higher.

And to get over the top and get to the place of decadence, they have to really work at it.

And hopefully they get tired before then and throw their hands in the air.

It took me until I was 23.

And I threw my hands in the air.

I said, okay, Lord, I've tried this life my way.

From now on, it's yours.

I'd had enough.

Maybe you have to come to that place.

Maybe today, have you had enough?

You had enough of yourself and the world and the enemy just beating you up?

Come to Jesus.

Right?

His joke is easy and his burden is light.

Oh, it is good.

Like the song said, it is good to sing praise the Lord.

right you're just your soul is lifted up i read about it in the psalms this morning so then we have

verses 49 through 53 and it says and it and he said this jesus said i came to send fire on the earth

and how i wish it were already kindled but i have a baptism to be baptized with and how distressed i am

till it is accomplished. Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all,

but rather division. For from now on, five in one house will be divided, three against two and two

against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and

daughter-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Well, that's a

given. Just kidding. Sorry. But notice he says, I came to bring a fire, right? Some believe that this is,

the Jews believe that fire was speaking of judgment, which others believed that it was, well,

first of all, that it may be Jesus spoke, it was judgment to come upon the Jewish people for,

because they had been following the law for decades,

and then when Jesus comes along,

the religious Jews just thought,

no way, you're not our Messiah.

You don't fit the bill.

So some think that's what it's going to be.

Others, on the other hand,

think it may be the fire Jesus spoke of

is the spread of the good news

and the coming expansion of the work of his kingdom across the globe.

Right?

You've heard of people that get saved.

That's in that kind of how we termed,

the terminology we use, right?

They're on fire.

They're on fire for the Lord.

The gospel has had that kind of an impact.

The Great Awakening, the Azusa Revival, the Jesus movement.

You would have to say that would be like a fire that came across the hearts of humanity.

Thirdly, it may be that the fire Jesus spoke of is this, excuse me,

that Jesus spoke of is, is, golly, I put that on there twice,

was, is the power of the Holy Spirit in the church, that kind of fire.

But then he also mentions baptism, right?

He says, I wish this fire was already coming, but I have to go and be baptized first.

And that's why many think that it was probably the speaking of the Holy Spirit in the

the church and there were tongues of fire there at Pentecost.

But the baptism that he's speaking of here, he says, but I have a baptism to be baptized with

and now and how distressed I am till it is accomplished.

Speaking of his journey to the cross.

That it was serious.

It was weighing heavy on his heart.

We see him in the Garden of Gethseman.

just weighted down, sweating drops of blood.

And it was referred to when the two disciples wanted to sit at his left and right.

You remember that, James and John, right?

They said, we want to sit at your left hand and your right hand.

And Jesus said, hey, are you willing to be baptized with a baptism that I'm going to be baptized with?

Speaking of his death?

They said, we are.

they had no idea but they were and they did at least john or james did right but jesus answered

to them do you not know what you ask you are are you able to drink the cup that i am about to drink

and be baptized with the baptism that i am going to be baptized with they said yeah we're able

just like yeah i could do that i don't think i'm that confident

Maybe they didn't really know what he was talking about.

But the division is probably the most painful is the last part there in verse 53 where the Lord says,

Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother,

mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-law against her mother-in-law, and daughter-law against her mother-in-law

And it does seem, I was just talking to a brother just before service, it does seem like it's an epidemic that people are just at odds with their adult children.

And it's just like, why?

I mean, obviously, we as believers, we established what we believe with our family members, right?

I remember doing this with my mom.

I remember mom looking at me and my little brother thinking, you know, because we had checked her,

but she was shacking up with the guy and was going, hey.

And she's looking at me and him going, you little hypocrites, right?

How dare you call me on this?

Right?

You're the biggest little sluts, right, that I know.

And we had just gotten saved, right?

And we were trying to correct her.

But she immediately knew where we stood as believers,

and she believed it was a fad that we were going through when we came to Jesus.

right? She believed, oh, well, you guys will get over this. And she remarried was, I don't know,

she got convicted or just wanted to shut us up or whatever. But she went ahead and got married

for the fourth time. And we really never had too many issues after that. But I'm shocked at what

people get wotted up about. And how they actually let that destroy.

a family relationship especially.

I know families, they haven't talked to each other in years.

And it's like it's, no, that's wicked.

That's not right.

You can love people that you disagree with, right?

I think we see that that's the same problem in the whole political realm.

You know, one side just thinks the one's wrong.

The other side wants the other's dead.

Right?

and that's the way it is in some family.

There's such a hate, and you can't do that.

As a Christian, you can't do that.

You humble yourself.

You reach out an olive branch of love to your loved ones,

even if they spit in your face, and they will.

In another place, Jesus says, no, children are going to have their parents put to death.

That's the kind of hatred.

that's going to rise up.

That's demonic.

Right?

That's demonic.

And I know families like this, and I'm looking at them, and I'm thinking,

you're such punks, right?

Would you just get over it?

In fact, my message to kids is, cut your parents some slack for crying out loud.

They're just fellow strugglers that have made terrible decisions.

in their life maybe and oh i'm going to hold it against them and i ain't never forgiven them

and i ain't talking to them and they're not going to see my kids wow that's that's pretty

that's pretty evil that is evil and there's parents who just they browbeat their kids i was talking

to a brother about it about his mom and she was just she's just been browbeat his

his siblings, they're in the world.

They know where she stands as a believer.

And every time she's just hammered on them.

No, let the Holy Spirit do that.

Right?

Don't hammer on them.

They know where you stand, yet they know you don't agree with their lifestyle.

Love them.

Invite them over for dinner.

Just let it go.

Forgiveness is a, it's a staple in the Christian life.

It's a staple.

and when you're at odds with a family member, just love them.

Let it go.

Me and my older brother, man, we used to butt heads because he was in the gay lifestyle

and he was trying to convince me, Scotty, I was born this way.

I said, Randy, you were not.

Right?

You weren't no more born that way than I was born a drunk and a drug addict.

Right?

You made a decision.

You chose to be this way.

I chose to be this way.

We both have to turn from that and go to Jesus.

And I could have let that, but I could still, you know,

we know we disagreed vehemently, if I even said that, right?

I could still give, you know, hug him and give him a kiss and tell him I loved him.

But totally disagreed with his lifestyle, right?

but some people they just can't let stuff go and some of these people i know i'm thinking if i if anyone

had a how to how to a gripe against their parents me and my siblings would have had right between

the two of them seven marriages you know all kinds of crazy things we we went through his kids to

and perversion and all kinds of stuff.

We could blame them for that,

but I just look, they were just,

they were just in the world.

I got to cut them some slack.

Right?

And I just, I love them.

And praise God, both of them have realized

what we realized much younger than them,

that Jesus is the way, the truth in the life, right?

But he's going to bring it, you guys.

He brings this to your life.

this division, this, this angst, because his spirit is contrary to the spirit that's in the world

and the, in the world system.

And to navigate it, it's going to have to be tempered by the grace and mercy and love of God.

That's the only way to navigate it.

I think there are times when, yeah, you have to stand your ground and, yeah, it might cost a relationship.

and the Lord's saying that.

He said, and when he called his disciples,

they forsook all, right?

They forsook all and followed him.

That's a hard thing.

Man, I don't want to be sideways with my family,

but I have been,

but I got to put it behind me.

I got to walk in grace and mercy

and let things go.

go.

So we must apply the truths to our own lives personally and walk in that.

And he'll be with us and he'll help us.

And even if all forsake us, he won't.

He'll never leave us nor forsake us.

And that is a great comfort.

verse 54 through 59 and we'll wrap this up it says then he also said to the multitude

whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west immediately you say a shower is coming and so it is

and when you see the south wind blow and say there will be hot weather and there is hypocrites

you can discern the face of the sky of the earth but how is it you do not discern this time

yes and why even of yourselves do you not judge what is right when you go with your adversary to the magistrate

make every effort along the way to settle with him lest he drag you to the judge and the judge deliver you

to the officer and the officer throw you into prison i tell you you shall not depart from there till you

have paid the very last might and here he's just encouraged humble yourself right just humble yourself

Who do you got things against?

You got things against people.

You got things against God.

Humble yourself.

Because the handwriting's on the wall, so to speak.

It's coming.

Jesus is coming.

Judgment is coming.

And we need to be prepared for those things.

He tells them, right?

He tells them, you see a storm coming and you would prepare for it.

If you knew an officer was coming to take you to court, we would go hire a lawyer and try to settle out of court.

The storm of God's wrath is coming and the judge is already standing before the door.

He's at the door.

James 5.9 tells us this, do not grumble against one another, right?

Don't grumble against each other.

kids don't grumble against your parents parents don't grumble against your kids quit you're grumbling

would you don't grumble against one another brethren lest you be condemned

behold the judge is standing at the door that's what james says so the the the takeaways from this

this passage today is we watch we wait and we work we watch we wait and we work we watch we wait

we work.

Those that wait on the Lord will renew their strength, right?

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

waiting on him, waiting on him to provide,

waiting on him to open doors,

trusting him, seeking him.

That's waiting on the Lord.

Watching.

Think about that.

What are we watching?

Well, we got a war to watch right now.

Have you been watching?

You've been watching this war?

It's crazy.

No, I just shut it off.

Now, I agree with that.

Shutting it off, but not to where you're just turning a blind eye.

You need to pay attention on what's going on in the earth because there is a lot to watch.

Right?

There's a lot.

The Iranians showed their cards this week when they sent a intercontinental ballistic missile to Diego Garcia, 2,500 miles.

was the range. And then they launched a cluster into Israel. That's almost a thousand miles.

So because they were, they were kind of whining and saying, oh, no, we don't have, we don't have the big missiles.

Yeah, they tried. No cigar, but they tried. And so, no telling what's going to happen.

The only way there's going to be a regime change is if there's boots on the ground. That's the only way that's

going to happen. Israel may do that. I know we're putting, sounds like we're putting a couple

thousand Marines on the island there where all their refineries are and stuff. And so that's

something to watch, folks. And we obviously, we always watch Israel. Right? Wednesday night,

we have the Israel flag here, right? Not that I think Israel's all that in a bag of chips. I just

know that God's promise to Israel, those who bless, so I'm in the blessing category.

But this kid walked in, he goes, hey, you guys are church, huh?

I said, yeah.

He says, I grew up in California.

I was at Calvert Chapel.

But now I'm Eastern Orthodox.

See, you got the Israeli flag.

You with Israel?

Yeah, we're with Israel.

You can choose your friends, but you're stuck with your family.

because the Bible says we're grafted in, right?

His take on it, he says, we are Israel, saying he's a Christian and that the church has replaced Israel.

No.

No.

No.

Right?

So you've got to watch these things.

And guys, listen, this is going to get less and less popular.

And our seats might get less and less full simply because we stand with Israel.

And I guess is I got to let the chips fall where they may.

I know in whom I believed.

And I believe that God's going to keep his promise.

Now, talk about whoopens.

This country is going to get a severe whoopin before it's all over.

Right?

And the thing about it is, is the U.S. is kind of in bed with Israel.

So we might get one too.

So just brace ourselves for that.

and watch.

And if we get a whoopin,

smile, bend over and grab your ankles and take it.

What can I say?

I actually got really good at that as a kid.

I had to bend over and grab my ankles a lot.

Wooden rods, horse bats, you name it.

I got lit up a lot.

Something else that was pretty fascinating this last week, you guys.

It was from a news outlet called the Middle East Forum.

And it's talking about Sudan and the union with Sudan and Iran.

Well, Sudan is mentioned in Ezekiel 38, right?

Sudan, Libya, Turkey, Iran.

They're all in there.

And this is what the headline was the Iranian Brotherhood Nexus and the global threat to energy security.

That's what the headline to the article.

This is just a little excerpt from it.

It says the United States designation of the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood,

together with its armed wing, the Barabin Malik Brigade,

as a global terrorist organization, is no bureaucratic.

footnote announced March 9th, 2026, an effective March 16th. The move formally recognizes a

fully operational Sunni-Shiah fusion that has turned Sudan into Tehran's most dangerous

forward operating base. This designation completes a cascade that began in January

26 terrorist listings of Muslim Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Georgia.

in Lebanon. And so it's like the whole coalition that it talks about in Ezekiel 38 is slowly coming

together. Turkey's in that group. Syria's in that group. Libya's in that group. Libya is actually

mentioned in this article. Are you watching? Watch. Watch these things. Right? I've been faithfully

watching a guy named Don Stewart.

Blue Letter Bible guy.

It's pretty solid.

He's not going to lead you astray.

But he takes what the outlets are saying and parallels it with what God's word says.

And he's got free downloads.

That's one way you know he's pretty legit.

It's all free.

25 signs that we're close to the end is really good.

But I'm watching like I never have in my life.

And that's good.

because I'm more apt to love my brothers and sisters if I'm watching.

Now, this is a big one, Billy Crone.

Somebody had mentioned it to me, so I checked it out.

Billy Crone's been talking about an organization called the Club of Rome.

Who's heard of it?

The Club of Rome.

Pretty fascinating stuff, right?

And so the Club of Rome, it's there, its mission is to build effective momentum towards well-being,

listen to this, for all on a healthy planet to make sense of the evolution of human societies,

paving positive future pathways, inspiring processes of collective learning and influencing decision-making.

right now now what this group did when they were established in 1968 they broke the world up into 10 regions

10 regions uh some believe 10 financial regions which would agree with what the scripture says

in revelation 17 verses 12 and 13 it says and the 10 horns which you saw are 10 kings who have received no kingdom as yet

Revelation 17:12

but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.

These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.

Right.

And so the UN actually has kind of embraced some of this club of Rome ideas of the whole 10 region around the world,

and they say we have people who would rule over it.

That would be 10 kings.

These are things that we need to be watching.

You can check it out, right?

You can Google the Club of Rome.

And it's almost like it parallels the World Economic Forum, right?

And so some pretty fascinating stuff.

So it's worth watching.

It's exciting.

We live in the most exciting time in human history.

and the Lord, he's going to come.

And some will say, well, what's the work?

The work is looking for opportunity to share Jesus.

That's the work.

That's why I went over and mined copper out of the building this last week.

There's a bunch of old refrigeration stuff in there.

It has copper in it.

So I went over there and worked most of the week and got a couple big buckets of copper

and put them in the petty cash in the church office.

why am I work? Why would I do? And I got filthy. I mean filthy. I had my burgers were black. It was just nasty in there. And I'm going, why am I working? I'm working because we're trying to create a place where people can come and hear about Jesus. Right? That's why we work. That's what we're working towards. Because is there anything better? I haven't found anything. I tried a lot of stuff in my day.

And there ain't nothing like Jesus, folks.

There ain't nothing like Jesus.

And he's coming again.

May we prepare ourselves.

May we watch.

May we wait and may we work till he comes.

Let's pray.

Let's stand, shall we?

Father, thank you for today.

Thank you for, Lord, just encouraging us in your word, Lord, that we, yeah, we blow it.

Lord, we get sideways with each other.

Would you forgive us?

Would you keep our heart soft, Lord, as we come to you in humility, Lord, and seek your forgiveness, Lord.

and you tell us that's how we get right with you, Lord, that we confess our sin and your faithful

unjust to forgive us of our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Lord, it's so, so simple.

And I just pray for anyone, maybe right now they need to do that.

And right where you're standing, if you've never just humbled yourself before the Lord,

or maybe it's been a while, just humble yourself before the Lord and pray a simple prayer.

I'll just lead you in it right now saying, oh Lord, I've been away from you.

Draw me close.

Forgive me of my sin.

Take away my bitterness.

Help me walk in the newness of life.

I believe that you died for me and that you rose again from the dead.

Fill me with your spirit.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.