In Douglas Campbell's sermon, 'Depend on No One,' he explores Matthew 24:3-14, focusing on the disciples' questions about the end times and Jesus' response. Campbell emphasizes the importance of understanding that the disciples posed two distinct questions about the timing of events and the signs of Jesus' return. He explains that Jesus' response indicates a differentiation between these events, warning against deception and emphasizing the normalcy of wars, famines, and earthquakes as ongoing birth pains rather than signs of the immediate end. Campbell invokes 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 to urge believers to live self-reliantly and work diligently, warning against societal dependence and the dangers of human depravity in governance. He stresses the need for love and unity within the church, cautioning against letting love grow cold amidst societal and political turmoil. The sermon concludes with a call to action for believers to endure, work for Christ, share the gospel, and trust in God's sovereignty, while preparing spiritually and physically for challenging times.

If you would turn with me to Matthew chapter 24. I would, as you turn there, I would like to make a comment. Maybe a correction for Mr. Rusty. We will never use the word attack.

We love you deeply. The Bible would use the word maybe admonish or exhort, but we love you enough we won't attack you amen what a what a great message brother thank you for that Matthew 24 This morning I'd like to look at verses 3 through 14. We're going to do nothing extensive. I'm not going to go deep into this. Just take a few points.

So Matthew 24, 3 through 14. As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, Tell us, when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming in the end of the age? And Jesus answered them, See that no one lead you astray, for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death. And you will be hated by all nations for my name sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another, and many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Let's pray. Heavenly Father, this morning we come to you, trusting in your goodness, trusting in your mercy. Father, trusting as always the mercy that you've given us by revealing yourself to us.

Father, this morning we Father, this morning we come to you as a people who have been oftentimes greatly deceived. Father, as a people who have not served you well, Father, the deception comes from living within a culture that hates you. And yet, as we live in this culture, it becomes normal to us, Father, and as a result, we oftentimes fail you. Father, have mercy on us today, we pray. Father, draw us in here.

Father, there is nothing we need in this world apart from you. I pray you would focus our attention upon that, that you would focus our attention upon you, that God, everything we do, we say, we think, would revolve around giving you glory. Father, help us today, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

This morning, let's go back to Matthew 24, starting at verse 3. It says, And he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and to the end of the age. Now there are some here this morning who have been wrestling with the doctrines of the end times. And I would say that's a noble task. That's a hard task.

That's a deep task. Oftentimes, up until I studied for this message, there's something in this verse that I have overlooked and I have missed. And I this morning hope to point that out to you that might help you in understanding the things that are to come. Let me read this again. It says, as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying.

So the disciples asked Jesus a question, but in essence or in reality, it's not a question. It's two questions. He says, tell us when will these things be, number one, and what will be the sign of your coming into the end of the age? Now it's important to know, understand, that this is two questions. Jesus answers in a way, answers both of these questions.

But these questions aren't tied together as the disciples had assumed. At this point in history, the disciples still believed that Jesus, being with them, He came to deliver them from the bondage of Rome. That the coming of his kingdom, they believed, was then. In essence, it was like if Brody told me that we were going to go fishing in Texas and catch a great big bass and put it on our wall. And I came to Brody and I said, hey, Brody, when are we gonna get our fishing stuff ready and go to Texas?

I've asked him two questions, even though that was a little more joined together. But my understanding in asking Him this is, we're going to do this soon. It's going to be like, you know, at most within five years, Right? It's my belief. I believe this.

And that's exactly how the disciples believed when they were asking Jesus this question. They believed that these two things were interconnected. I would tell you this morning, it doesn't mean that they are. I believe there are some things that are mentioned by Jesus in the New Testament that directly referred to the fall of Rome, and I believe there are some things that were directly referring to His coming, His return to the earth to build His kingdom. So oftentimes those who study in times, they can connect these two as well, and if you do that, you're not understanding that Jesus is answering two different questions.

I don't know that anybody in here thinks that way, by the way, but the reason I answer that, not to take a big sidetrack, that's becoming more and more popular, and I believe there were Puritans that also believed this in times view I Believe the Puritans were way smarter than I'll ever be. But I also believe, I believe John MacArthur is way smarter than I'll ever be. I believe Paul Washer is way smarter than I'll ever be. But with that said, Scripture is still king. And I don't follow a person, I don't follow a group, I follow Christ, I follow Scripture.

Amen? So it's okay for me to disagree as long as I can show you that in Scripture. And that's not a modern, that's not a prevalent belief system at this time, and so I don't think any of you would arm wrestle me over it. But just understand, as that becomes more and more prevalent, There's two questions here. It's not just one question.

They're not joined together. The disciples thought it was joined together, but in essence, it's not. Continuing on, so Jesus answers. He says, And Jesus answered them, See that no one lead you astray, for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, see that you are not alarmed." Now, I want to back up.

I want you all to see this. It says, see that you are not alarmed. Can you guys all say that with me? See that you are not alarmed. This morning, of any alarmed this morning of any time in my life.

I lived through the 80s when I was Sam's age. I had nightmares about nuclear war, But at any time in my life, if there was ever wars and rumors of wars, it's not then, it's today. It's this very hour. As we go through the next two weeks, Believers, there is much at stake. There is so much at stake.

If there is any time in your life that you haven't poured yourself out into prayer, I would beg of you, the next week or two, pray. And I mean really pray and fast and seek God. Pray for the things that are to come. Pray that God would have mercy on a nation that does not deserve His mercy. Pray, brothers and sisters, but amongst that, see that you are not alarmed.

Why are we not alarmed? He said, Jesus continues on and says, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. See, what I understand about this this morning, this scripture, is something that I haven't understood for very long. It's something that I haven't understood even, I believe that I've taught on that, this scripture even here in this church. And what I didn't understand is this, is that when it says you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, this isn't the sign of His coming.

Now you all probably thought that, and I did too a week ago. This isn't the sign of His coming. Now you all probably thought that, and I did too a week ago. This isn't the sign of His coming. In essence, what Christ says is, this is normal.

Between the resurrection of Christ and the return of Christ, this is what will characterize the world. This is normal. It says this is the beginning of the birth pains. This isn't the end. And at the end of this, he says, but the end is not yet.

Don't be alarmed. This is normal. The problem for you and I is that we don't think it's normal. This has been normal, whether it be from the fighting of the Romans, the subjecting of the people of God by Nero, and all those leaders whom would, throughout history, would brutally murder, would martyr Christians, who would pour them out, who would stretch and tear their arms and limbs off, who would feed them to lions. This is normal.

But you and I didn't grow up in a world where this was normal. Matthew 24, 7 through 8, continuing, For nation will, it will, nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. This is just the beginning. This is, in essence, this is what is normal.

We live in a fallen world. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, the world itself was fundamentally changed. We live in a fallen world. We live in a world where people are depraved. So we use that in salvation.

We use that word a lot. But it's important to understand that the general public is depraved. And so when you put someone into a position of power in the government, the depravity within them subjects itself to pride and selfishness and unbelief in God to the point that it elevates itself just as Satan did. It is the natural tendency of man. If you put any unregenerate man into a position of leadership until they will aspire to to amass more and more and more control until they control everything.

It is the wicked human heart. There is no stopping it. If there was any stopping it in government, our founding fathers did their best to come up with a plan to limit the depravity of man in government. And we've been blessed for a long time. But as a nation turns more and more away from God, the leadership will be more and more depraved until it begins to massacre and starve its people in an effort to have total control, in an effort to be the King of the universe.

We watch the funny movies where there's always the evil villain that his whole aspiration in life is to conquer the universe or to control the whole world. And we laugh and we giggle about it because superheroes always save the day. But it's not make-believe. Even your pastor, if God left me to my wicked heart and you gave me enough power, I would aspire to take it all. That's the wickedness inside of me.

And that same heart, If it's not renewed, if it's not regenerated by Christ, we'll destroy everything to get whatever it wants. Nation will rise against nation because nations are led by sinful men. We will always fight. What do they say, the acronym for war? What do we joke about it?

It says, we are right. And if everybody on this side decided that they are right, and everybody on this side decided that they are right, without God's intervention, we would begin to fight with each other in church. Why? Because men have evil hearts. Without God's intervention, without God changing our hearts, we are hopeless.

We are slaves to sin. We will always choose the wicked path. So yes, it's true. Jesus is correct. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. With that being said this morning, I would also point you to 1 Thessalonians 4, 11, and 12. It says, And aspire to live quietly and mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. What is fearful about the direction of our culture, the direction of our society, isn't so much that we're going to enter into realms where people haven't been before. What is fearful is we are a society that will not work with our hands.

We're a society who is dependent upon everyone. Why? Because we've lived under prosperity for way too long. We've learned to depend upon the store to have food. We've learned to depend upon the government to give us food if we can't get it ourselves, to bail us out, to provide us electricity, to provide us heat.

We've learned to depend on these things so much, and this is the reason why we depend on all that, because it makes our life easy. It makes us so we don't have to work with our hands. We can have a 40-hour-a-week job, and we can go home and kick our feet up and watch TV all night, and everything else will be provided. I only need the green stuff to provide these things. But as has happened over and over and over again throughout history, eventually the government becomes so corrupt that it turns on its people.

The green stuff that you've worked so hard for is worth nothing. And in our case, 99% of America has no idea of how to do anything on its own. The reason the future is so devastating for America isn't all the things we often think about. The reason that causes me alarm that I've had to wrestle with my heart for the last week or two isn't my position or what I'm going to do, but it's that everybody around us is going potentially to be starving. Everybody around us isn't going to know how to heat.

There's going to be most of the disaster I feel that will come for this, from all of this potentially, is that result of ignoring completely 1st Thessalonians 4, 11 through 12. We're dependent upon everyone. Our young people have no concept of what it means to work with their hands. In general, I hope you boys know what it means to work, but that's not normal for our country. If you are 50 years and younger, you've probably very likely have never had to actually work.

And if you think I'm lying, Ask Pete what it was like when he was a teenager. Ask him what it was like to put corn in a bin without an auger. Ask him what it was like to use a pitchfork and throw corn over his, you know, lots of feet over his head all afternoon. I would do it three times and I'd be like, Jake, my back hurts. I can't do this anymore.

This morning, that's to your pastor's shame. It's to our shame. Perhaps God will have mercy upon us and will have more years of prosperity. But Jesus promises us that famines are coming. There's always been famines.

There will always will be famines. There's always been earthquakes. There always will be earthquakes. There will always be disasters. This morning, how you react to the, how you provide for your family men isn't so much that the government isn't providing, it's that we've depended upon them.

We've depended upon everything that we have. That is what keeps me up at night. Though Christ said, don't see to it that you're not alarmed. This is only a shock to you and I because we've lived in this manner for so long. There are most in this world that none of this news going on today would even shock them.

It would just be a normal day and Christ tells us in scripture that this is normal And then it continues on in Matthew 24 9 through 11 then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. This morning understand that all of these things are true of times that we live in today. That even inside of the church, many will fall away, many will betray one another and even hate one another.

I would pray this morning that with the same passion that my brother Rusty had when he said, I love you people. I pray that that's true of you as well. The scripture says there are some among us who put on a good show but inside are ravenous wolves. I pray that that's not true in Elveston. We've gone through times where we have experienced this very thing even inside of this church.

There were those, there were some who fell away, whom there isn't a person in this room who loved them as much as I did. They fell away and they betrayed their brothers. And they, instead of working things out, they would not talk anymore and went to the internet to deceive some. There was no one who loved them as much as I did. But as a result of trying to keep it quiet and not to stir turmoil, There were some who were tainted towards other people.

This morning, if that is you, if that's still going on, I'm telling you, as someone who loves you, you were deceived. Work out your differences. Time is short. Work out your differences. 1 John 2.19 tells us that this would happen.

It says, There were some in the church, and they went out from us, but they were not of us. If they had been of us, they would have continued with us, but they went out. That it might be plain that they are not of us. As hard as that is to wrestle with. And this morning, it's interesting because the very next verse is extremely convicting of me.

And this is the verse that I've wrestled with for two weeks in Matthew 24-12. It says, And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. This morning, as you experience these things in the church, as you experience those whom you love, And I pray this doesn't happen ever again, but if you experience those whom you love deeply within the church as they turn on you and they throw you under the bus and they do mean and deeply hurtful things to you, Don't let your love grow cold. Don't put up walls for your other brothers and sisters to have to get through. And this morning, as applied to our current situation, don't watch the news and don't watch the world at what's going on in the world and begin to say, I can't love these people.

See, One of my biggest problems in life, I'm gonna be very transparent. One of my very biggest problems in my life is that I'm an American. And there is something within me That if I think that you are an enemy of our country, it makes me want to fight. It makes me lose my love. It makes me want to bring forth the hatred towards you.

But this morning, brothers and sisters, we are followers of Christ before we're Americans. Don't let the turmoil that's being brought on by people who hate our country, Don't let that ruin your love. Don't let that stop your service to Christ. Don't begin to hate your neighbor because they're of a different political affiliation. Love them.

Don't be as the—we talked this morning—don't be as the Levite and the priest whom saw the Samaritan, whom was their national enemy, or whom they could not—they called the Samaritans dogs. They hated the Samaritans. They were dirty nasty dogs. And the priests in the Levite, the Samaritan has injured himself. The priests in the Levite go clear on the other side, not even to get close to him.

They're not going to help this nasty dog. The scripture speaks very ill of the priest and the Levite. Don't let your nationality, don't let your patriotism, don't let your love for our country turn you into the priest in the Levite. Don't let your love grow cold. Love people.

When they say things you don't like, love them. Love them. In John 13, 35, it says, By this all people will know that you're my disciples, if you have love for one another. This is the words of Christ. I want to tell you what he didn't say.

Although it is true a little bit, but he didn't say, by this all people will know that you're my disciples if you have love for your daughter. It's easy to love my daughter, Right? When I'm having a bad day, my daughter knows it, and she'll just randomly come up and give me a hug. Who could not love that? It doesn't even say, this you will know, this, by this, all people will know that you're my disciples if you have love for your wife my wife is easy to love do you know why because she is more sanctified than I am.

She puts up with more than I put up with. She loves me when I'm unlovable. It's easy to love my wife. And we should love our wives and we should love our daughters. But Christ says this, by this all people know that you're my disciples if you have love for one another.

If you in this room, if you love each other, I mean, love each other more than what the world would say at the Eagles Club. But I love my brother enough that if I have differences, we'll work it out. I love my brother enough that I want to be with him. One of the blessings—you should try this sometime. Go on vacation with your family.

When I go on vacation with my family, I have to practice patience and all those things, and it's okay. When I go on vacation with my brothers and sisters. It's totally different. I'm not bragging to myself because my personality is this, but one of the comments Jake made to me after we had stayed in a cabin and all this for a week or two or a couple weeks. He said, you know, I found that we never fight with you guys because you guys are really hard to fight with.

That should be true of all of us. There's, I, if I go on vacation with Kim and John and Meg and Cole and Will, we should all have the same thing to say about each other. You guys are hard to fight with. We're bored here. Could we fight about something?

Why? Because we love each other. What you want to do today is just as important as what I want to do today, because I love you. Amen? Galatians 6, 9, And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up." Brothers and sisters, don't give up.

Don't give up loving each other. Don't give up serving. Don't give up sharing the gospel. Right now in our world, it seems very discouraging to share your faith. It seems that people aren't listening, but we don't know the reality.

We don't know what's in their heart, and Christ tells us if we don't give up, that'll be a harvest. Amen? In Matthew 24-13 it says, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. This is a characteristic of all true believers. We're not saved because we endure to the end, but we're saved because our heart has changed that God causes us to endure to the end.

I believe he does that in a way through Jeremiah 32 40 it says I will make with them an everlasting covenant that I will not turn away from doing good to them and I will put the fear of me in their hearts that they may not turn away from turn from me There have been times in my life where I have not turned away from God simply because I was afraid. There was a time, I don't take this the wrong way, I didn't really even consider it, but I answered somebody in that way. There was an opportunity that I could take over some part of business and the family, but it would require me to have to change in my position with the church at a minimum to go to part-time or whatever. I said, you know, I thought about it, but I don't believe that that's options even available. I don't believe that I'm subjected to Christ.

It doesn't matter if I think it would be fun. It doesn't matter if I'd make a million dollars. I'm constrained by Christ. It's not an option. I certainly wouldn't want to be, if God has called you to ministry, I certainly, let me rephrase this well, if God has called you to be a farmer and drive in a tractor, you are right where he's called you to be, and you are blessed.

If he's called you to be a pastor, and instead you go to the tractor and drive around all day, you should be afraid. I would be afraid. One only has to read Jonah to really understand. There's no whales in the field. It'd probably be a bear.

Maybe that's what that bear was coming for. Amen. Before the end seems to be much suffering. In fact, Reverend Barnhouse was a preacher in the, I think it was just before the World War II, and his family lived near the beaches of Normandy and France. And just before the war began, he said it didn't seem as if this could even be true or this could be possible, but there was things going on.

And as he was coming home, he was supposed to speak and I think it was in London or somewhere the next week, and the person told him, if you want to speak in London next week, you probably better not go home because you aren't going to be able to get back. Long story short, he couldn't get back the normal way, but he ended up taking trains and went all around on the trains and was able to get there. But he said while he was traveling to London in the train, as every town he would go through, he would watch parents crying as they send their children to get out of the big cities, as they would send their boys to war. There was just this suffering all around. And when he got finally to London, The pastor of the church said, I pray that God gives you a great message.

This may be the last message that will be preached in this church as the war was beginning. And he preached on this text. And when it says that Jesus tells us to not be alarmed, he began to say, what does Jesus mean by this? To not be alarmed. I've watched all of the suffering.

How could we not be alarmed?" But he concluded with, Christ is sovereign. God is sovereign. He is in control of all this and he knows more than than I know and His will is good Thomas Brooks Reminds us that as we suffer Christ is suffering with us He says Christ shares with you in all sufferings and persecutions, as well as in all your afflictions. Saul, Saul, why persecute thou me? There is such a near union between the Lord Jesus Christ and the weakest saints that a man cannot strike a saint By he must by him must strike through the very heart of Christ Their sufferings are held his and their afflictions are his afflictions and their approaches are his approach reproaches and their provocations are His provocations.

God has provoked more than Nehemiah. This morning, as we go forward in this world, understand, brother and sister, if you are suffering, Christ is suffering with you. He's in the boat with you. And finally this morning, Matthew 24, 14, we're left with encouragement. It says, And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

In a way, hard times are a blessing to the prosperous. In a way, age is a blessing to you and I. As we're young, nothing hurts. We tend to go crazy, break bones, do all kinds of things, and the older we get, our broken bones start to hurt. Our bodies start to break down.

We don't move like we moved before. In fact, by God's grace, we find less and less joy in this world. That's by His grace. I believe the same is true of hard times. As we go through hard times, it's God's blessing for us.

It's To take our eyes off of the distractions that prosperity gives us. Put our eyes back on to Christ. To depend on Him for even our survival, our livelihood, for our food. How different is our prayer before we have a church carry-in. I don't like the word potluck.

We'll call it a carry-in. When there's a massive food before us and we say, thank you God for this food, how different is that prayer than the prayer when we haven't eaten for two or three days and we've come across some sort of food or maybe a brother or sister brings us some food. How different is that prayer? Thank you God for this food. Suffering has a way of bringing us to Christ.

It's that which we must embrace. The answer we find in the last verse, how do we end the suffering? How do we end these problems? It's to proclaim the Word of God. As we proclaim the Word of God, either the world has changed or it brings us closer to the return of our King, whom will fix everything.

This morning as we read this last verse, there has to be something within us that wells up and says, Come Lord Jesus, come, come, proclaim the word of God. Saints, don't be alarmed. Don't lose sleep. My toes hurt just right there. Don't lose sleep.

Don't be alarmed. Don't let your love grow cold. Young men, work. Find something at your house to do and work. Even if it's almost nothing of significance, Set your heart to something and work at it.

If you're home from from school or your parents are away working, work at something so hard that you are proud when they get home to be able to say, look what I have done. How many of you young people have ever had that feeling? We work your heart out. And race and try to get something amazing done just in time for your parents to get home and see what you have done to them. You think work is a bad thing?

That's a great feeling. Amen? Learn to work. Adults, work for Christ. See, that's the thing with—and I'm almost finished, Eve—but the thing with end-time theology and studying and all this, there's really not a lot I'm sure about, but there's one thing I am sure about, that Christ is coming back.

And when He comes back, I want Him to find me working my heart out. I want Him to be, I want Him to look at me and say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. That's going to mean more to me than anything that happens in this world. Amen? But children, start by serving your parents.

Work your heart out for them. There will be few things in this world that you will find as much joy in seeing your parents come home and them seeing what you have worked, what you have done for your family. Adults, work for Christ. Don't be of those that stand before Him and say, depart from me, I never knew you. Work for him.

He's worthy. This morning if you don't know Christ, turn to him. I'm not a prophet. I'm not a fortune teller or anything like that. I don't believe there are prophets today, apart from as far as those who would tell the future.

But if we look at our world right now, the future is not promising. For those who don't know Christ, It looks to be very bad. But for those who are in Christ, it looks great. It looks like everything's going just as Jesus said it was going to go. It looks like he's still in control.

And he's coming back. He's come back to fix it. Once and for all. Amen. Amen.

This morning I want to Do something a little different. I want to take a Few moments. I would ask maybe if rusty and Jake would come up I'm putting them on the spot But I'd like us to take just a few minutes and Greg you can play if you want to I'd like us to take a few minutes to pray, but this morning young people, adults, really pray. Really pray. It seems that the next two weeks are going to change the lives of not only you, but your children, your grandchildren.

Now is the time to pray, saints. I would ask you as your pastor, I would ask you in this coming weeks to set a time real time for prayer and fasting. Really, really pray. Amen. I'm gonna ask, I'm gonna Ask us to all bow our heads and close our eyes And ask maybe if Jake would would start us in prayer and Rusty if you would take over for him and then and then I'll close in prayer Mother of God, by what you have done, we have accessed the group and come to you boldly.

Father, we are grateful and humbled by your word today. Father, I preach to myself and my family. I plead with everyone in here. I would like to do it out of us to keep our eyes upon you. Upon your finished work.

Upon your word that is truth. Lord, that our trust would be holy in you, and as times come, whatever they may be, Lord, through sufferings and tribulations and whatever that is, Lord, that it would be your grace upon us, that would cause us not to trust in this world and these parties and what we're used to, Lord, but it would cause us to turn from those things. For each and every one of us has things that we need to turn from, turn towards you more. There are nooks and crannies of our life that the light of your word shines into. Father, we confess those and look to you.

Holy in all things. There would not be an area of our life that's not exposed. Whether we are Christians first, we call you first. We're thankful for the mercies that this nation has been upon us. Father, our hope is not in this nation.

It's in you. It's in your love. Father, our hope of non-illusionation, attend you, attend to the one. Father, may our prayer defer. Pleading words, us who you have so kindly come down and notice when you are not as far off from what is near.

But when there's a need, we're helped to shed excess weight of things that we don't need to be holding onto. We're going to free our hands from things that are more or less a grasp on eternity. All the way up. Whatever the church family may be, come together in strength and love with a body that works together in unity with our eyes upon us. Our most gracious seventh Father, we thank you for you, the sacrifice that you made for us Lord Jesus.

You shed your blood, your body. You share your love for us. It's unpunishable. We don't deserve that for Jesus. But your unconditional God is something that we can't bear.

You will never turn your eyes against us. Help us keep our focus on you, the challenges, the situations that we need them to, or the projects and situations that help us recognize we need your help. And we always seek your wisdom. Lord Jesus. Lord, when I ask a special blessing from all of you.

That we as a church family, help and nurture them Lord Jesus, to follow you. From new beginners, new youngsters, even babies that aren't in the Lord Jesus. Help us, do not forget, but lead them to you. Help their parents in raising them. Lord, one of the hardest things for me Lord is to come to learn through living by something which you don't see.

It's faith, Lord Jesus, that we have faith in you. And that we know that you will provide protest. We love you, Lord Jesus, And we thank you for everything you have done for us. And the Father, we come to you this morning asking that you would equip us. Father, we would be faithful servants.

Father, you would give us courage to share the good news of Jesus Christ More and more as we see the day approaching, Father. Father, I pray for the fathers and the dads that are here, I pray that you begin to prepare their hearts that they might lead their families well. I pray for the mothers father that you would comfort them, that you would use them greatly, Father, to instruct their children, to comfort their children, to Father, glorify you, and pouring children who glorify you, Father. I believe it was our late brother Charles Spurgeon who said that it was no more glorifying for a soldier of Christ in battle than for a mother who pours her heart into her children, who instructs them in the Word of God and makes her home a place where her family is blessed. Father, there are none here who are more important than another.

Father, we are all equal in value, but God equip us for our roles. Let us not blur the lines in our roles. Let us not disgrace ourselves by sending our daughters into battle. Father, help us to glorify you. Father, as we come into times, maybe not even soon, your word says that there will always be times of famine, of wars and rumors of wars.

God, by your grace, maybe you have mercy upon us But father also there we know that we're not deserving of your grace My biggest surprise my biggest wonder today isn't that our country seems to be collapsing around us. But Father, what surprises me that you've been patient this long. We murder our children in the womb. We sacrifice them on the altar of Baal. In the name of prosperity, we put our children to death.

God, I pray that our country would come to repentance. But if God, if not, I pray that your people would glorify you in the way that we live. In light of suffering, in light of the things that may come in our future. God, let us glorify you. Let us be prepared spiritually, Father.

Your Word says that so many will be deceived. As we look into our world of people who are very shallow in the knowledge of scripture, it's no surprise. God, let us equip ourselves. Make it a priority that we would know your word, that we're not deceived by the schemes of the enemy. And Father, also let us look to the physical.

Let us be prepared to provide for our neighbors. Let us be as your word says, not dependent upon anyone. Let us focus on working with our hands, discipling and equipping our families. Let us focus, Father, on glorifying you. Father, finally this morning, I pray for the leaders in this nation.

I pray for our president that you would guide him, that you would draw him to you, Father. If he doesn't know you, Father, that you would draw him to repentance. Father, whoever our next president is, Father, I pray that you would also draw them to you, that you would give them wisdom, that you would change them, Father, if they don't know you. God, for our local leaders, for local law enforcement, for those who make a decision for our country, Father, we pray the same, that you would draw them, those in law enforcement, that you would protect them, Father. As your Word says, they're a servant, a minister of you.

Father, for those in law enforcement who are fearful of the changes coming, I pray that you wouldn't cause them to lose heart. I pray that, Father, you would even use us in sharing the gospel with them, that they might know that this is more than just what appears to the eye. Father bless our leaders, draw them to you Father we pray. Father for us, I believe that Father, if you radically change everyone in this room to be sold out to you, It would make wakes in the entire world. Father, start with me.

Start with us, Father. Pray in Jesus name.