Real Christianity

We're taking the Lord's Supper, but it's a really big pleasure for me to stand here and to worship God. And that's what I hope in teaching and saying to the Lord, is this the way that man worships God? And so, so I pray that you would be listening and I know we have an ear to hear. And Brother John had mentioned a passage, one, when he started very first in Luke chapter 22.

He said, when the hour was come, and that's kind of what I want to talk about today. I'm going to talk about time, but specifically from a distance of years coming to years to months, months coming to weeks, weeks coming to days, days coming to hours, and hours to seconds. And I want to talk a little bit in the scriptures of bringing forth fruit in this direction here.

And that's kind of my my prayer for us today. We will start in Matthew chapter six. That's where my text will begin in Matthew chapter six.

You want to turn there? I'd like to share something just to something that happened to me this week. And it was a blessing never had experienced this in this certain direction of witnessing to somebody. I was out and about and we were picking up some two refrigerators for somebody.

And nevertheless, we loaded them up in the trailer. And upon loading them, I was I looked out. It was kind of in a condo, a condo area.

And I looked out and there was an older gentleman over in a garage and the garage was open. And he had all these paintings everywhere, like on easels and all his stuff. It looked really neat from where I was looking.

And and so I I just eagerly went over and wanted to see these paintings. And then seeing these paintings, he had mountains and this a lot of really good artwork. I mean, it's very, very beautiful, very, very talented man.

He was 70 years old. His name was Bo. And I took a liking as I was talking to him.

And then we he started getting out his portfolio and showing me some more. And I had some interest. And then finally we came to a picture.

And and sometimes, you know, when you're around, people don't know quite what to say. He gave us a Halloween picture is really in this ugly looking creature coming onto the scene. And I go, whoa, that scares me.

And he goes, what are you talking about? And so that just allowed me to kind of loosen up and still hold my conviction and still go a little forward. But then along what I want to get to, as I look to him and I said, would you mind drawing me a picture? And he says, certainly I would love to draw you a picture. And I said, I would pay for it.

And I said, have you ever read the book of Matthew and the book of John of the crucifixion? And he got a little nervous. And I said, I know what you're thinking. And but I started encouraging him, I said, with your beautiful artwork and all the detail, all the detail of the crucifixion, that if you would read this and all the detail of all that God would be showing you through through what the Bible is showing you and all of your wonderful drawing that you can do, would you draw the crucifixion for me? And it was quite interesting as a seven year old man, he he actually took me up on the challenge.

And it was a beautiful thing. We exchanged numbers. He was going into the house, supposedly, unless something fails to read the book of Matthew and the book of John at the crucifixion.

He is not a Christian. And he said he would give all that he could all that he could imagine that you're reading the crucifixion. And I told him, I said, just everything you had when when it says that he bore the sins of the world.

And I was giving him examples. And I kind of preached the gospel in it a little bit. And I knew that when you're reading this, he's going to begin to draw all the detail.

And I just thought it was a really beautiful time. But I've never experienced that before. So the ministry of as he was a painter and he's going to draw the crucifixion.

And I just think that the Lord is going to do a good work there. OK, well, let's see if we can hold on here. Matthew chapter chapter six.

And we're going to primarily just stay at the last verse and in this chapter to begin. And it's going to be dealing with, as I mentioned, somewhat of time and the years, months, months, weeks, days and hours. And I kind of want to just slightly deal with that.

And let's read verse thirty four. Take, therefore, no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. And so here we have we see as Christ was right before that about seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And he was the whole time even before that was talking about where your treasure is there, where your heart be also.

But he ends on a very interesting thought here as he exhorts them to take sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. And I want you to kind of condense down and maybe real quickly think of your life way back in your years of life that God has given you. And I want you to I want you to think right now where you presently are.

And I want you to see and see and I want you to be able to to get in a frame of mind of thinking here that if you can, if you can or cannot connect the dots of your life with the Lord. And I want to give you some steps and I want it and I want to bring it all the way down to a final hour to final to a final a final close of not only becoming a Christian as but also as you are a Christian. And we're going to go through some some things on that.

And but on the main thought in your mind, I want you to stay very clear. And just maybe I thought of a word that you could think of. Think of the final hour.

So many things, you know, when you're coming down to that last been that last hour. I want you to think of that while we're going through this. You know, a lot of people look for the big day.

A lot of people look for things that might be tomorrow is Christ was saying to take no thought for. And he said sufficient is the day is the evil thereof. And I want to you to maybe not forget or maybe to for the first time to remember that in a day there is a lot going on moment to moment, second to second.

And I believe as Christians miss out a lot on what God is doing. And I want to share a little bit about that. We often hear of the Christians having an abundant life, don't we? We hear that, you know, an abundant life.

And we think when we someone think of abundant life, we kind of want to go ahead for the things we we have and the things we might get or some real spiritual experience in the sense of that might be up ahead. But really, we never really think of it as the abundant life that Christ is there with this moment to moment. And this moment to moment, as I mentioned here, I had written here, knowing the will of God moment to moment and obeyed is a mighty weapon in the times to come.

And I want you to see and I want you to have an evaluation in the scriptures to this moment to moment, obeying God, the will of God. And is it there really there for you as time comes on? And we're going to use Christ as an example as he went to the Garden of Gethsemane and that Christ, when it became that final hour of really what happened and then give you some encouragement there. Noah, he preached for a long time, didn't he? He was a preacher of righteousness.

The Bible says that he he lived righteously and he found grace in the sight of God. And I believe he worked the will of God. But I believe at the final hour, because because of his obedience and faith and moment to moment working and laboring that in that final hour that God, the Bible says that God, when he went into the ark, that God shut him in.

I believe that there's there's those final hour moments, and I think we need to take all of those and condense them down to our today, being a Christian today and making being a Christian today as moment to moment and exacting your day and learning how Christ works in your heart today. And so these years, months, weeks and days, minutes, seconds and connecting the dots, not just seeing Christ in one sense as your daily devotion, as he as he walked the earth, but as you walking with him. And that's kind of what we're trying to.

To we're trying to get this picture going here, in a sense, you meet some that might say, I don't really remember. Maybe you can relate to this. I don't really remember my childhood.

You've heard that by a lot of people maybe have a lot of missing pieces as a child in their childhood, right? Some say I can't remember none. I want you to think as we look into the scriptures and as it teaches us what a Christian is. Do you feel as a Christian that you remember your childhood as God is your father? Are you are you can you remember and connect the dots as he has raised you moment to moment? And are you can you count to your day as though today moment to moment that sufficient is the day is the evil thereof.

Are you are you learning and growing? And as the word of God, as we look to the scriptures, it says that it was given to us by God for reproof. And also for correction and for instruction. Are these your remembrances of your childhood in the faith? Brother John mentioned as children.

Do you remember those years of of when when you came when you first came to Christ? But after being in Christ, can you connect the dots of a father truly leading your life moment to moment? Was it always just maybe when you come here or is your life consist of a little more than that? Spiritually speaking, can you say that the word of God, not not just here, but personally at home where you are? Have has your father or have you have a you have a have you forgotten your childhood in Christ? Do you can you connect the dots? Is it? So can you say that in the day that the day the day that you walk, not only are you seeing Christ, but you're seeing the evil. May I ask you these questions because I want to get somewhere specific. Do you find that the more and more do we hate sin? The mark of the Christian is is is true, we will put away sin.

But here the the highest mark of the true Christian. Is that when they are converted and walk in day to day that God is he instructs us as he said he would in the scriptures and that he would reprove. That he would correct you and instruction.

It's not that you say, well, sin and maybe change the wording of sin. Maybe like as in, oh, made a mistake or I was having a low self-esteem day. We're talking about sufficient is the day is the evil thereof.

Do you see your day to day that God is with you and as your father? And that's kind of where I want to just really calmly get to at. And do you see sin? Do you hate sin? Like God hates sin. I think that's just plain plain out where we need to be.

If you say you want to find God and you want to be in the deepest way you possibly can. I can't recommend no specific book. But I recommend this that if your heart and hate sin.

Yeah, he that loved the Lord hate. That's a strong word, right? Hate evil, hate sin, right? If you love the Lord, he's been fathering you. We should hate sin.

Just that's just what God does. God does not sin. That's a good direction to start with.

I want to read in this kind of stir a little bit of my own self as I am talking to you in this direction. I'm going to read in John chapter 16. Some of the things that Christ has done in John chapter 16 verse 20 and 21.

Verily, verily, I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice. And ye shall be sorry for but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail has sorrow because her hours come.

But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish for the for the joy that a man is born into the world. I want to lay this groundwork with your sufficient is the day is the evil thereof. That in here it says a woman when she is in travail has sorrow because her because her hours come.

You have those day to day hours this moment to moment, if you will. As Christ walked and was obedient to the Father. I ask you, do you have these these type of days of when you are in travail as a woman's intro? There is an hour within not not always just having those really good days per se that you can look back to.

And those are a blessing. They somewhat are really highlights for you. Now we're talking about this morning.

This week. Has God really been fathering you? And can you remember your childhood as a Christian? You remember the upbringing of God and can you connect the dots of grace in your life? Can you really do that? And I want to exhort you in that direction. Jesus said.

And the same chapter 16 verse 32. Behold, the hour cometh yea and now now is is now come that you shall be scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone. This is talking about Christ prior to going to when he's going to be deserted when when Judas comes and they take him prior to go to the judgment in the cross.

But then Christ often spoke of this that a lot of times his hour wasn't ready and wasn't wasn't here yet. Many times they were a lot of his persecutors were wanting to take him and kill him. But his hour was not yet come.

Christ would often mention that that the hours there was times. And as you read the scriptures, the hours do come. And when those hours do come, there's something that takes place.

And I want you to stay not. I want you to stay in the day. I want you to stay in your last week and through your life, moment to moment, day to day, and your remembrance of these things.

That in John, chapter 17, verse one. And it says these words, fake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. The hour has come.

Have you had those? And I want you to kind of frame your mind. When when hard times come as a Christian and that which they will. But on your day to day, sufficient today's evil thereof, and thus that God is regenerated our hearts.

We begin to grow to be like him to reprove. He reproves us. He loves us.

He corrects us. He loves us. He instructs us.

We begin to be like him and hate the things he hates. We begin to see the that the marks of God in our life. And day to day, we've come face to face with the hour.

There's an hour that comes when we choose not to sin and we choose to obey the spirit of God and be led of the spirit of God. And so it's a moment by moment. We are victorious.

This abundant life is is really. If you look at it like people say, I've heard people even say this. Well, you some of you Christians, I don't really see an abundant life.

And so immediately we just think it's just over hilarious, laughing, falling on the ground, intoxicated in the spirit type feel. But do you realize when you take it from a day to day perspective, that moment to moment up to the very seconds and hours that God is with you? But not only is God is with you, but how much have you been delivered since you've been saved? How much within a day's time has God the Father been with you? He's been with you always and he dwells within you. Right.

And so in that you're walking and you are being delivered. So when you say an abundant life in comparison of what you would have been, because if you were without and have not the spirit of Christ or none of his. Imagine being in such a state.

If your life was left to itself and had not Christ as your guide. As a day to day walk, what would that be like if you would compare them to you can start to see that day to day you are living an abundant Christian life. And that truly is the case.

And truly. I was going to read a couple of verses here in Second Timothy. Chapter two.

Verse five, six and seven. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laborers must be first partaker of the fruits.

Consider what I say and the Lord give the understanding and all things. So in this day to day, can you say that, you know, we think of a race we think of course for the endurance to the end. But I want you to stay in your normal day.

I want you to have a detail work of just you as a Christian on your normal day of life when you get up. How is can you connect the dots of grace? What has been your life since your profession in this direction? When the hour cometh in your eyes awake. Can you honestly say I worship God? Can you say that honestly that your heart as to your father for direction? Knowing that you cannot sustain the day because sufficient is the days evil.

You know there's enough evil in a day not to worry about tomorrow. You know that when you wake up that within yourself you can do no good. And that your directions going to their father is because you connect the dots of grace.

You begin to understand that it's moment to moment. Now you can see why it's not that you must read your Bible. You must pray.

You must go to church. You must witness. And I'm asking you a day-to-day looking back since your conversion.

Can you see your childhood? Can you see God there? Can you see Christ truly in your day-to-day when you look and you lay open the word of God? Can you connect grace? How long can you do that or is it once every couple great while that you open the word of God and you feel it's it felt real good. But no, no, no, I'm talking about the child of God that we we say that we say that we can do nothing without him and apart from him. We're doing we're talking about a Savior a wonderful Savior.

This moment to moment you're starting to see the abundant life. Now, you know them Christians that are just extremely settled and have great fervency of heart. And can conquer tasks before God.

That's why they're not ashamed of Christ. And when they see all things cave in on them. They look at that day because they've been learned of their father and they have been instructed and taught.

And I would ask you today. How does the prophet is the word of God prophet in you has it since your conversion? Can you look to your conversion and see the word of God? Can you see it as the top three things that God has used to father you? Is it so distant to where you always are repenting in a sense? If you want to call it that of not seeking the face of God was God so good at first and in the end and day to day does he get worse? I wonder sometimes can God get worse? Is he is he not interesting but has the word of God remain? Have you really tasted sufficient of days evil thereof? Because I believe once you as a Christian in God has schooled you and learned you. You know, there's these are the things of which he uses to bring and rear up his children.

And I would have to tell you once again that this here this precious word of God. If it ain't been before you and if it's a struggle to you. I want to tell you something.

It's a very concerning scenario. Now listen here another connecting grace. I want you to look at prayer your life.

Really? Is it really what you say it is? Are we are we as God has we been so joined to Christ? Is he said he would dwell in us and walk in us? We glory in a lot of things, but I want to ask you and looking back in your day to day moment to moment life. Not here on a not not in a not in a one day turn up the rate of good worship song. It's not that time.

I'm talking about strength. I'm talking about prayer. I'm talking about have you been learned as their spirit have been instructed that it's stable to where you're constantly praying.

You don't you don't fear when the Bible says pray without ceasing you to say or that Christian. They just became a Christian. My father is going to do the same to them and teach them the same way to pray without ceasing is because it's everything we need to be sustained because sufficient is the day is the evil thereof.

There's enough evil today that we must learn the handiwork of God in great detail from the time you get up and the time you get moving and going and you start to see as this gets thicker and stronger upon the heart of the believer. We call it just simple Christianity. Some people would would call it almost to the point of Lee.

But if your spirit is free. Yeah, it's a whole it's different, isn't it? It's different. Now, listen, I want to read and just a couple of verses that when when things started out and how God directed some people and then we'll end in Christ because I know we don't have that awfully long and I want to take you to give you an example of Abraham.

I thought, well, let us get a couple Old Testament patriarchs will will find this and see how that their moment to moment trusting and abiding in what God has laid for them that when the hour came, how victory was won. You want to know why so many people when things come, they have to go through a. They got to go through a mine ritual, if you will, to call to what God who God is and what he can do. We should already know we should be.

We should be quickened and learned of God. And when horrific times come as Joshua, I think, you know, when they went there and God gave him gave him what to do when the walls fell of Jericho. You notice how it was moment to moment specifically for what they were to do.

You walk around six days one time. I'll think about this and you do this and then seventh. I believe it was seven times.

You had the covenant of God, the Ark of the Covenant, which he took that that's a blessing because in the New Covenant, the Ark of the Covenant was the very means by which they went with. And God makes a covenant with us through his son, makes a New Testament covenant in his blood. And in this covenant going before us, and it's a beautiful picture, but it was very detailed on their day.

And in their obedience, but in that in that shout, when they all just shouted and all the priests, the priests and the blowing of the horns. These were because God's word, in a sense, was giving them specific details for each day. And victory was won at the final hour.

How many times in your life can you say you truly have had victory in the final hour? Or are you not to say this lightly, but understand me when I'm saying this, or do you find yourself a perpetual Lee confessing your sins without any results? Lord, yes, that's true. I feel I'm wrong and I'm wrong and I'm wrong and I'm wrong, but I'm never ever, ever can get right. I think and I believe, according to the Bible.

David says that he talks about the precepts of God and they hate every false way. I think we need to pray for you to pray anything. Just to put this in there, get on your knees as soon as you can and pray, God, can I hate sin like you? If you evaluate your day to day things that come temptations, recognize them in a couple in this category in thought.

Lord, is these sins that I'm facing temptations, but yes, temptations will come to us all. But when they do come and when you do sin, might I ask you a question? What's what's what's the condition there? Or has there been a condition of hatred towards sin? These are the marks of God. Abraham Romans chapter four.

Says this, I want you to see his his continuance, his continuance. Rome Romans four. I'm going to read in 16.

It says, therefore, is a faith that it might be by grace to the end. The promise might be sure to all to see. Not to that only which is of the law, but that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

As it is written, I have made the father of many nations before whom he believed. Even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were who against hope. Believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations.

According to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith. He considered not his own.

He considered not his own body now dead when he was about 100 years old. Neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully persuaded.

That he that he had promised. He was able to perform. So I mean, we see here that Abraham.

We see in a moment to moment. We see a life that comes to the end, even before, you know, when he was believing God for this child, the promised child. He said against hope, believed in hope.

And he says he was not weak in faith. And I believe and I just want to get you down to thinking of things of just spiritual life. What do you think is spiritual to you day to day? Honestly, is it a daily bread? Is it a little word? Set it aside.

Can you really say and connect the dots of grace that are you? Are you a Christian conqueror within your day? Just in a simple day? Are you conquering sin? Are you proclaiming Christ? Are you doing the work of the Lord? Are you one that just envisions way out ahead? And you know, as the years creep up, you finally realize that you really haven't been father. Have you thought I will get better? I will I will do this. And you're making all these promises to yourself, promises to others.

You have really never begun the work because Christ has never begun the work. Day to day, you understand the evil that's around you on a day to day basis. You understand your flesh.

Can you really understand it? You should understand who you are personally before God. And as your father, do you find yourself? I mentioned lightly confessing with no results. But do you really sincerely find yourself confessing your sins as a true believer to God? Do you see your weaknesses or have you carried on in such days and hours, months at a time and never ever look to God and said, God, I'm just sinning.

Have you gone that long? Have you gone such a distance now? But I'm just trying to get to to realize that it's it's within the day that God is wanting to deal with us today. Sufficient is a day's evil there. If God says enough evil today to take no thought for tomorrow and you're forgetting the day, you're forgetting his correction, his reproof and instruction.

Are you truly furnished unto all good works then? Can you stand clear with God? You have great lapse of time in your life where you see nothing, no childhood remembrance. It's vacant. It's horrific.

Christ has set us up in such a way in his loving kindness. That it's a lot different than what many would say. What many would say.

Moses, Moses, I'm going to I took out of Hebrews 11, just a couple of words. And I want you to think of Moses since a child. And I want you to see when God called him to himself called called Moses.

Just some strong words here in Hebrews chapter 11. And I want you to remember in your day is God with you in these type of wording in your life, in your day. Can you connect these type of dots of grace in your life? OK, here we go.

Says by faith, Moses, when he was born, was hit three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child. And they, they, his parents were not afraid of the king's commandment. That's a good start.

His parents, it says by faith, faith, Moses, when he was come to years, come to years. Coming to age, coming to years, coming to, in a sense, salvation. Coming to Christ, if you will.

It says here he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Some of you, are you refusing to be called the son or daughter of Pharaoh from Egypt and their corruption? Some of you, he refused to be called that. Refusal, one word.

Next, it says he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God. Some of you, can you connect the dots of grace? Are you burdened about me? What about brother Jerry as he mentioned things? What about brothers and sisters that are in affliction? Or, let me guess, in normal Christendom today it's taught, you can have a good life now. But here he chose rather to suffer.

Can you connect the dots of grace in that? Day to day, moment to moment, are you remembering your brothers and sisters in prayer? And that many of us have children that are lost and family members that are lost. I say it not to damage or harm, but I'm just thinking, can you remember your spiritual childhood since you professed Christianity? Now you can get in a hurry and say, I'm going to do better tomorrow because I don't like what he's saying. But you have to answer from the past, from how you got here today.

That void of time, if there is nothing and you have not learned what Christ had said, take no thought for tomorrow because there's sufficient as a day is evil. This day is where I'll reprove. This is where my covenant will lie.

This is where the blood of Christ will be exalted. This is our God. And then it says he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.

Grace. He esteemed. It says he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater.

Day to day. Now watch. You say, now I remember, I don't want that.

I don't want that thing. We're talking about day to day. A father that's fathering you.

That's saying and correcting you, reproving you and not allowing Egypt to come back. And you are as he was, you esteem the reproach of Christ. His cross.

Greater than the riches of this life out there. All the fancies. All the I don't I don't need to even give the details because everything you see out there.

Everyone wants it to make it look the best period from your house to the lawn to the car to the job to the to the courts to the anywhere. Everywhere your mind can picture. Man wants it to look elevated at its highest worth.

Moses said no. I esteem. The reproach of Christ greater.

Now we're not talking about that one time you had a good praise and worship service. Where your heart just felt finally there was felt something. But did it go away? Has your father been with you day to day? Day to day.

Moment to moment. This all seen I have got. And then we'll go to Joshua.

I read. I won't get in. I just want to pull out something in Joshua.

I saw when God told him. A certain thing he said, you know, we're used to always hearing thou shall not right. Don't do this.

Don't do that. You know what? What? What God told Joshua to do is what he says thou shalt do. You like that? That really blessed me.

We're always there. One's always saying you can. Oh, I can't do this or I can't do that.

But as a true Christian of grace day to day, do you hear God saying thou shalt do this? Thou shalt pray. Thou shalt read. Thou shalt worship me.

Thou shalt get in the back of your work truck and fall on your face. Thou shalt stop your work and worship me. Thou shalt witness.

Thou shalt constantly day to day. Thou shalt say God help God forgive God. I can't do it.

I'm losing out. I need grace father. Where are you? That's thou shalt call upon the name of the Lord and thou shalt be saved.

Are you constantly calling on the Lord? Shall we shall we be forbidden to say such statements as are you a church goer today? Are you a follower of are you a follower of men today? Is God fathered you in the grace of God to tell you thou shalt do this? Not thou shall not. We're always being accused of that. All that churches rules all Christians.

Just you can't do anything. No, no, no. We can do everything.

We're doing everything good in the sight of the living God. Thou shalt and I like that. And so anyway, that's a good thing.

And then I'll read into this here is a really good one too. And I probably won't even really get to where I my actual message was. But we're going to have a good time here thinking on Daniel.

I think there was a piece in here. Daniel chapter three. Verse six and fifteen six and fifteen.

Oh, yeah, this was a good one. This got me really excited because this here incorporated the world and it took care of his day to day moment to moment. That's what we're really wanting after.

Right. We don't want hypocrisy, do we? Moment to moment kind of schools you in in the school of God to learn you into where you will not stand because God in the great detail of your life from day to day. And this is where it's at.

And Daniel chapter three, verse six, and his and whosoever fall is not down in worship shall the same hour right now. This this is the climax of where he's coming to moment to moment. And he was told.

He was told the three the three Hebrew children. I'm sorry, I've been a book of Daniel. I'm not talking about Daniel and the three Hebrew children.

The same hour shall be cast in the midst of a burning, fiery furnace. Now, let's just kind of we can really just that's your day to day right there. This is the devil.

This is the roaring lion. This is all of what life, the world, the flesh and the devil is trying to get you to do. And that he's wanting you to bow down and to worship any anything else except the one and true God.

And in verse 15 says, Now, if you'd be ready that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, harp, the sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer and all kinds of music. Now, this is getting pretty serious, isn't it? A rallying up. I can almost see this in a false Christian sense.

Can't you? When you hear all the music, all the background, you're going to worship God. And here are these Hebrew children. Didn't have any kind of noise, didn't have anything.

They were school. They were schooled in the in the school of God. That thou shalt thou shall not.

And here they are when they said when they heard that. But it says, But if you worship not, you shall be cast the same hour in the midst of the burning, fiery furnace. Within that hour, we're going to kill you.

We're going to throw you into the fiery furnace. And of course, there was a refusal. There was a refusal.

And that's how we should be day to day, moment to moment. And we should thus have an abundant life and have victory. And then the final hour has Christ was and we went here in this last portion here in Matthew chapter 26.

Now, this year, I really did do this. I saved the best for last. You might have thought there wasn't enough strength me when I'm saying enough detail.

But I really, heartfully, I wanted to save this for last. In a Matthew chapter 26. Jesus Christ.

Here he was Christ's agony in the garden. And I want you to see, see everything of really of what it's like to be a Christian moment to moment, hour to hour. Matthew chapter 26.

Because everything about this has to do with Christ. The cross where he was going towards. And in verse.

In verse 36. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane and saith unto disciples sit you here while I go pray on. We know this real well.

And he took with him Peter, the two sons of Zebedee began to be sorrowful and very heavy. That's your that's your Savior. Your Savior.

Listen. The hour came for him. Now he walked faithfully day to day.

But now the hour is coming. And behold now is. It's the cross.

Your sin. And this is what he says. And he took.

He took them. But his soul. He was sorrowful and was very heavy.

Christ. At an hour. And then it says, then saith he unto them, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful.

Can you connect that dot in your in your life? If your Savior. Had it had to cross up ahead. And he he was going to lay a groundwork for the day to day Christian life.

And here he says. My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death. Terry here and watch with me.

Watch with me, he said. And he went a little further and fell on his face. That's your Savior, by the way.

On his face. Imagine that. Imagine seeing that.

Fell on his face and prayed. Your Savior prayed. And saying, oh, father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not as I will. But as thou will. And he cometh unto disciples and findeth them asleep.

Now we've heard by a lot of sermons. This is the pathetic place of many of us, even today. Asleep.

Asleep. Apathetic. Your Savior is on his face.

He's calling the world to repentance and faith. His blood has already been shed. All heaven is rejoicing around the throne of God.

And like the old preacher say, and you can't get up in the morning to even acknowledge him. And yet. And yet.

You believe. And yet. The banner that flies over, and I mean not this harsh.

But you haven't done much more than what the devil has already done. If you are believing and not obeying. And if you're believing.

And that's it. And nothing has changed. Your belief hasn't moved you.

Hasn't changed you. And you have no connected grace dots in your life. That's what the devil does.

He believes and he's defeated. He lays there and he's a sluggard and spiritually sluggard. He cannot do nothing.

He don't want to really, really give honor and glory to God, does he? He's wanting to take his place. The spiritual child can connect the dots. All I'm saying is you've got to be able to.

To do this. Now, he said. As he went, he says.

And he cometh on disciples, find them sleeping and sayeth unto Peter. What could you not watch with me one hour? There's your hour. I'm giving you an hour.

I'm giving you the times in your day to day. Moment to moment. Call of grace for reproved correction.

Instruction and righteousness. That you'd be like your savior. Would you when he calls you.

To pray. And I encourage you something. To learn of your father.

Wherever you are, whenever. Internally, externally. Now watch this.

One hour, he says. Watch and pray that you enter not in the temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

He went again in the second time and prayed. Saying, oh, father. If this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it.

Thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again. Time and time again.

The second time. This is the second time. For their eyes were heavy.

And he left them and went again and prayed the third time. Saying the same words. Then cometh he to his disciples and sayeth unto them.

Now I'll end here. Now watch. Time and time again.

I can't wait for some of you to have been saved. Years, months, weeks, days, hours. And you have nothing.

There's nothing. There's no faith. There's no repentance.

That's one thing. And some of you can say I don't even know what you're talking about day to day. I felt the heat of God and that's it.

I've never been saved. You've lost your whole life. You look back.

All you see is you. When you look in the mirror, you say, I see me. I see my investment.

I see everything. When I look out in the world, all I see is what I'm going to do, what I'm going to get. You don't see God.

You're not in this equation here. You're somewhere else. You're lost.

And you won't be found until the hour comes that you repent and believe. But here, this is for us Christian. Your victory is at stake here.

To continue in the faith is this, to connect the dots of grace as we are to have and to see that the spiritual hand of God is in parenting you as a good father. You come up to this time. Here they were, then he says, temptation was coming upon Christ, the son of the living God.

And he remains steadfast in prayer and before God. And here you are. Here we are.

I don't need to pray. I got this. You don't have it.

You have to learn. If these are the marks of God, Christ said, then it's disciples, then cometh he disciples. And this is when it's too late.

This is too late when you hear these words. He said, sleep on now and take your rest. Now that's not a good word from your Savior.

You've had time and time again, in your day to day, moment to moment, and hearing the reproof, the correction, instruction, God wants to furnish you. And then finally, it's like, you got overtaken. And this is what Christ said.

He come back to him and he taught him. He said, then cometh he disciples saying to them, sleep, go ahead, sleep on now and take your rest. It's too late.

He persevered. He was ministered to by angels. He had the grace of God without measure.

And here he says, behold, the hour is at hand. The son of man is betrayed in the hands of sinners. Now the hour came for him, his example.

He went through it. Sorrowful, exceedingly sorrowful. I don't know about you, and I'll confess this.

How many of you have been so sorrowful and cast low, you just went ahead and took a nap? That's what disciples did. Can you bear the heat of the cross, the will of God? We must learn to continue steadfast in the faith. This avenue, the hour is at hand.

The son of man is betrayed in the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. Behold, he is at hand that does betray me.

They wouldn't have I fled or forsook if they would have stayed in prayer. They were sorrowful. Christ was sorrowful and he remained steadfast in prayer.

These are, this is, but we look at it like that was some huge day, and it was. But Christ was teaching them that this is your everyday. May I present to you the Christian life? May I present to you the Christian life that's moment to moment, hour to hour? That your victory should be won.

They should come to these desperate measures day to day because evil is all around. We must have a declaring of the cross. Then you'll say, how do you have Jesus on your lips? Because when you're relying on him and when you're really by faith, trusting him moment to moment, you have a great visual memory of his grace and his word.

But if you're forgetful, have no concept, really, when you even say Christ, Jesus, the Lord, if that makes you even feel awkward in your day to day, there's something wrong there. So then may the Lord help us to fashion ourselves moment to moment. Sufficient is the day, is the evil thereof.

Enough evil today. So when we leave here, the battle's still on and we're still warring today. And may God give us grace for that.

So let's pray and we'll thank the Lord. Father, we thank you for this hour to hear how to escape the life's snares. We thank you for this hour.

We were able to partake of your divine ordinance of communion. We thank you, Lord, for an hour and you've even given us more, a couple. Lord, we're blessed to be, to have our Bibles on our laps.

We're blessed if some of us here are pricked by the spirit of God in our heart and cannot understand what it's like to be fathered, not to have you over their lives. Lord, if there's someone here that is lost, far from you, and can't connect any dots, but Lord, lives a life to self, Lord, would you grant to them repentance and faith and might they see Christ today before it's too late. Lord, us Christians here, you've taught us, corrected us, and Lord, we understand that each day is given by you and each day we must do all to stand and we must stand and we must war.

We must, and Lord, we wanna choose Christ. We wanna esteem you higher. Lord, we need your grace, continual grace and help.

Help us not to be a sleeping people. Lord, awaken us even today. May us not even put it off tomorrow.

Lord, drive in our hearts hatred towards sin, that we would not sin against thee, but love thee in the most purest way. And when we preach to others, they see that we hate sin. And when we tell others and encourage others, they see it as sin that we are waging war against in the name of Jesus Christ in which we have deliverance.

So Lord, we thank you for this hour's time once again, not knowing how many more hours and maybe the final hour of our life could even be today. Some of us here could easily, our lives can be taken. It'll be the last hour, the last moment.

Lord, let it not be so to none of us here. Lord, if it is, may you grant to them what they need today. And all of us here that we might die in faith.

We might die with a fervency of heart and our conscience to be clean and clear with our savior. And of course, we always most gladly and always will pray in the name of your son, the Lord Jesus Christ.