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Stephen was the first recorded Christian martyr in Scripture. Shortly before being put to death, Stephen recounted key points of the story of God. Join us as Reverend Daniel leads us to explore how this story of God impacts our story.

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This morning we are continuing the sermon series on selected portions in the book of Acts. And today we are on uh Stephen's speech, right? And uh Stephen's speech is uh sorry, uh Stephen's speech. It's a long speech, right? So covering 60 verses, so we have no time to really cover everything, right? But what I want to do is to go through some of the key ideas of the story of God that uh uh Stefan recounts and to draw us deep into understanding God's purposes for our lives. So we are introduced to Stefan in Acts chapter 6, verse 8. He first appeared on the scene as a man full of grace and power who was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then, as he goes on to perform great miracles, as he's as he preached the word of God with grace and power, his preaching and acts of healing aroused opposition from members of the synagogue of the freedmen and other local groups uh in that time. So they rose up and disputed with Stephan, secretly instigating men, stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes who came upon him and seized him. They set up false witnesses against Stephan and charged him as one who never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law. So in Acts chapter 7, Stephan was brought before the high priest and then he makes his defense. His speech in Acts 7 is the longest, it's the longest speech in the book of Acts, and for a reason we will soon discover. So I'll read through uh certain portions of it and invite you to follow me through uh the storyline of the Bible. So it begins in Acts chapter 2, uh, sorry, Acts chapter 7, verse 2 to 8. And Stephan said, Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran, and said to him, Go out from your land, from your kindren, and go into the land I will show you. Then he went out from the land of the Claudians and lived in Haran. After his father died, God removed him from there into the land into which you are now living. Yet he gave him no inheritance, not even a foot slang, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. And God spoke to this effect that his offsprings would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them for 400 years. And verse 7 says, But I will judge the nation they serve, said God, and after they shall come out and worship me in this place. And he gave them the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the chelve patriarchs. So the focus of Acts chapter 7, verse 2 to 8 was on Abraham. We see that God revealed himself to Abraham in Mesopotamia, and Abraham departed from the homeland in obedience to God's divine call. However, we see Abraham as a man of faith. He was in a land of promise in which he would inherit. But the book of Acts tells us he himself received no possession of it, not even a foot slang. Yet he was there and God called him. He was holding on to the promise of God despite and in spite of very uh in favorable circumstances. Uh God uh goes on to uh Stephan to remind Abraham that his descendants will be aliens and slaves in a foreign land for 400 years. That's a long time. Yet after that, God will judge those nations and bring them out. And as a token of the pledge of the promise, God made a covenant with Abraham. And the sign of the covenant was the act of circumcision. And after that, it tells us that Abraham fathered Isaac and circumcised him, and the line of descendants from Abraham moves on to uh Joseph, his son Joseph. So this part of the story tells us that Abraham was living by the promise of God. He had God's word, he had God's promise, but he's still living by faith. He has not received it. And the story goes on uh in Acts 7, verse 9 to 16, to tell us of the story of Joseph. Just reading two verses, it says uh Acts chapter 7, verse 9, and the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt, but God was with him and rescued him for all from all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. Stephan reaches the story of Joseph in fulfillment of the word that Abraham's descendants will be aliens and slaves in a foreign land for 400 years. So the story goes on to tell us how Joseph ended up in Egypt. And the whole story about the jealousy uh that Joseph's brothers had towards him ended him sent in the end, he ended up in Egypt as a slave. But God was with Joseph in his troubles and delivered him from his afflictions. By divine providence, because of a famine, the whole family came down to Egypt. The whole family of Joseph, uh, and implying even Abraham's descendants, all went down to Egypt. And the surprising thing is uh when they all died, the whole generation died, uh their burial place was in Canaan, in Shechem, right? Even though they were in their whole family were in Egypt, but when they when the patriarchs died, they were buried in the land of Canaan, the land of promise. So it seems to be an expression of faith that even though they are in a foreign land, God will bring them back to the land of promise. So this section of Joseph continues, the theme of the first. Joseph, being a descendant of Abraham, was still living by faith in the promise. The whole generation of Abraham had died. And they were buried in Canaan, though they died in Egypt. A signpost of the promise of God. Then we move on uh quickly to Acts chapter 7, verse uh 17. Uh Stephan tells us as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt until there arose uh over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants so they would not be kept alive. Moving on to verse 23, when Moses, when he was 40 years old, he came, he came to his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wrong, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, Man, you are brothers, why do you wrong each other? But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? So we see that while the time of the fulfillment of the promise made by God was approaching, the offspring of Abraham was were increasing in numbers. There arose a new Egyptian king who had not known Joseph. Moses now comes onto the scene. A crisis in the life of Moses came when he was 40 years old. He attacked an Egyptian and killed him. When he saw him, the Egyptian, oppressing one of the Israelites. And Moses had hoped that the Israelites might recognize that Moses was a friend, an ally in an influential position through whom God perhaps would bring them salvation. But the following day, Moses discovered the reverse response. The Israelites were quarreling with one another, and when Moses tried to intervene and reconcile them to one another, uh, they actually accused him of uh being their ruler and judge. So they failed to realize that it was God who had appointed Moses in time to come to be a deliverer. So now when 40 years had passed, this is fast track again, another 40 years, an angel appeared to Moses in the wilderness of Mount Sinai in a flame of fire in a bush. Moses was confronted by the vision of an angel at Mount Sinai in a burning bush. So the sight attracted his attention. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. And as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord. When he came near the bush, he heard the voice of God addressing him. In verse 32 to 34, the voice said, I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I've surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard them groaning. And I've come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt. We see here that it is the God of Moses' ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is now revealing himself to Moses. And the thought of the promises that was given to Abraham, to Joseph earlier, now is brought to mind. God will be raising up Moses to be the deliverer of Israel. And um Stefan continues the speech in verse 35 to 38, speaking of how the people refused and rejected Moses as the man whom the Lord has raised to be their deliverer. He continues in verse 39 to 42. He says, Our fathers refuse to obey him, but trust him aside. And in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. And they made a calf in those days and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven. So they began to set up the tent of Molech and worship the stars of the gods of the foreign land. And because of that, uh Stephan records how those who have received the law, the Israelites, they had the temple, they have the law, but they have failed to keep it. They have rejected Moses in his capacity as a lawgiver, and in their hearts they had turned back to Egypt. They commanded Aaron to make gods to go before them and cast scorn upon Moses and made a golden calf. So, right from the moment when the law, Stephan wanted the people of Israel who were accusing him, to know, the moment that the law was solemnly given to them, they rebelled against the giver and turned to idolatry. For all their protestations of loyalty to the law and to the temple and their accusations against Stefan, his hearers belonged to a nation which right from the start had rejected the law and the true worship of God. So, in contrast to the tent of Molech in which Israel worshiped, Stefan uh reminds Israel that they had a tent of weakness. Instead of the tent of Molech, they had a tent of weakness in the wilderness, made according to the instructions and pattern which had been given Moses. So that leads uh Stefan to the last and probably the final section in which he recounts this. He says, Our fathers had the tent of weakness in the wilderness, just as he has spoken to Moses and directed him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen. So this is the tent of weakness. So God dwelt in this portable place of worship where the Israelites, uh where God was with them and carried them through the wilderness. So generation from generation, from Moses to Joshua, God dwelt in the tent of weakness amongst his people. And then it records, uh uh, it continues to records that uh in the end of the story, the biblical story, as it continues to go on, uh uh David wanted to build um uh God a house, you know, but God had never actually asked for a house to dwell in. So in the end, Samuel, uh sorry, Solomon was the one who built a house for God, a temple for God. So, quoting from Isaiah 66, verse 1 to 2, uh Stephan then reminded the people of a very important truth. He said, the creator of all things cannot be limited to a temple made with hands. In fact, God all the while, you know, wasn't intending to just fix himself at a particular place in which he's known to be found only. In fact, God was with the people in the tent of weakness in the wilderness. So it's immaterial, you know, about building a palace, a temple for God. Because in verse 48 to 50 it says, The Most High does not dwell in houses made by men. As the prophet says, Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord? Or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things? And Stephan goes on to uh direct attack on his audience for sharing the same attitudes shown by Ishrael down the centuries. He uses Old Testament language in characterizing them as an obstinate and stiff-necked people, uh, quoted in Exodus 33, verse 3, who failed to show that they are really people of God's covenant. They were uncircumcised in heart, they were not willing to put aside their pride and the sinfulness that comes from their hearts. That's why in verse 51 to 53 he retorted against his accusers. He says, You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the righteous one, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. So to make such a speech in the midst of uh the accusers, uh Stefan was actually in a position where uh he was being uh he'll be led to be stoned and to be killed. So it tells us the hearers of uh Stephan's speech was enrayed, was enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him. So their conscience was pricked, but they were far from repenting and acknowledging the truth of what was said. So they cast him out of the city to stone him. So I like to explore with us, in fact, just recounting the story of Israel. It's a long story, hard to summarize, but I think what's more important for us is to really understand what is the significance of this whole story, long story, 60 verses for our lives today. What is the use of Stefan uh recounting the story of God and how does it apply to us today? I'd like to share with us two key ideas uh and two key applications that uh through this story we can glean. The first is this the weakness of God's revelation is not confined to Israel and the temple. Uh Stefan took great pains to tell the people that God's revelation, the way he reveals himself, cannot be confined to Israel and the temple. Uh, because the the patriarchs, uh people of old, we look at uh Abraham, we look at Joseph, they were people of the promise. They were not, Stephan didn't record for us how they actually entered the land of Canaan. In fact, he writes in such a way to tell us they were all living by faith. In fact, they were not receiving the promise yet. So it's not about receiving the having the promise per se, it's not about entering the land of Canaan, not about possessing the land that uh Stefan is concerned about. But he wanted them to see that the patriarchs were people of promise. There's no indication in his whole speech that the people uh actually entered the land of Canaan. So they died not having received and seen the fulfillment with their own eyes. And in fact, more poignantly, and for us to uh understand this, is that God's revelation, the key point in this speech of Stephan is that God's revelation, how he reveals himself, it all took place outside the temple, outside the place in which his accusers wanted, uh thought that the focus of attention was the temple of God, the great, uh beautiful, magnificent temple, and whom they accuse uh Stefan of speaking against. So when when he recounts the story of the biblical story of God, he wanted to tell uh the people that God spoke in various ways, and to all the key patriarchs and key people whom God has raised up, they were all raised outside the temple of God. God spoke to Abraham in Mesopotamia, so that was outside Canaan, outside the promised land. God spoke to Joseph while he was in Egypt, which was all the way south, away, far away from the promised land. He spoke to Moses, the great deliverer, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. He was present with his people in the tent of weakness in the wilderness. So when Stephen recounts the story of God this way, he wants us, he wants his readers to know that the weakness, God's revelation, is not confined to Israel and the temple. So, what is the application for us? My first point is that God desires that we live by faith in his promises, rather than to focus on a place to recognize his presence. Let me repeat again God desires that we live by faith in his promises rather than to focus on a place to recognize his presence. And and that is very human, right? We always think that uh um the church is a holy place. We agree, you know, God's presence is here, undeniable, you know. But God, the Stephan speech tells us that it's not only in the temple or in the house of God that God reveals himself. In fact, God reveals himself in various ways. And it's not so much the tangible presence of God that is important. But what is important is a people of God that He's calling to live by faith in His promise. This is a call for us to walk by faith and not by sight. You know, not by a sense of apprehending God, but to live by faith in Him. George McDonnell, I like this prayer that he penned to God. You know, if you are if you have your phones, maybe if you can zoom in and take a picture of this prayer. I think it's very meaningful, and I'm I'm also currently just meditating on this prayer. It's a prayer that he made to God, which expresses this idea very well of the fact that God is calling us as a people of faith to live by faith, trusting in his promises. And this is a call to walk by faith and not by sight. Not what we see, you know, but what we apprehend by faith. So this is what he says: Lord, loosen in me the whole of visible things. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. I would through thickest veils and coverings see into the chambers of living light. So through the thick veil and coverings of our life circumstances in which we have no control over, there's a glimpse of God's divine light into our lives. In the land of things that swell and seem, help me to walk by the other light supreme. Lord, loosen in me the whole of visible things. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. I would through thickest veils and coverings see into the chambers of the living light. In the land of things that swell and seem, help me to walk by the other light supreme. I believe, church, we need to look beyond our circumstances and problems because often, often God's invisible hand is seen behind every problem we face. Let me repeat again, we need to look beyond our circumstances and problems, because often God's invisible hand is seen behind every problem we face. And this is what uh the story of Stephen tells us. Because if God could call Abraham in Mesopotamia, while he was still a pagan, he was worshiping the moon God, he doesn't have any knowledge of who Yahweh is or who God of you know the Christian God is. He was just a pagan. And God called him, God said, Abraham, go from the land of the Claudians in Mesopotamia, go, leave that place, walk by faith, and I will use you to be a blessing to the whole world, such that all of us here today are in some way we inherit the promise of Abraham. Because it is through Abraham, Genesis 12, verse 1 to 3, that all the whole world will be blessed. And God chose, you know, not a priest, not a rabbi, not a church pastor, but God chose a pagan, a man that has uh maybe a wild man, probably someone who has no knowledge of theology of God, but God chose him while he was still a pagan to be a blessing to the whole world. So if God could be with Joseph, uh, of course, none of us, some of some of us don't like to be called by the name of Joseph. I know there's some Joseph in our midst, but you know, some of us like that name because we know God's will and purpose will prevail, right? Because whatever evil is meant for us, God can turn from good. And and amen. That's a that's a nice name. But if you look at his life in the Old Testament, uh we all pray, God, uh, please uh help me, uh help me to find strength in you, but don't give me what Joseph experienced, right? None of us would want to be in his circumstances, right? Uh, because we don't have time to recount his story, but we know what he went through, right? Being falsely accused, uh, being sold by his brothers, being falsely accused, did nothing wrong, had favor, did well in uh Pharaoh's house, got accused by his mistress, sent to jail, in jail, you know, while he also shined, became a helper to the uh um the jailer and one of the bakers, he told him, you know, remember me, but the baker forgotted him, forgotten about him, and so on. So one thing after another spiral on. But if God could be with Joseph and could make good out of his troubles by his personal presence, because God was with Joseph, we know that you read Genesis uh 37 uh to 50, you will see that God was with Joseph in all that he goes through. So that Joseph can live by faith and not by sight. If Joseph will be a man that watches his circumstances and his predicament only, I think he wouldn't be able to survive the first round, which is to be sold by his brothers in Egypt. He could have wallowed in self-pity, he could have probably uh uh died of you know uh just uh mental sorrow or whatever, you know. But Joseph recognizes that God was with him. You meant evil for me, he told the brothers when you sold me to Egypt, you meant evil for me, but God meant it for good, the saving of many lives when there was a famine in the land. So if God could speak to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai through a burning bush, right, who would find God in the wilderness? Isn't God found in maybe uh the church building or in a place where his presence is supposed to be stronger? What what why would God be found with Moses in the wilderness? After all, he was fleeing, right? You know, from murdering an Egyptian and the people reject him. So for 40 years he was out in the desert. What good is Moses? Uh what did Moses do to deserve God's revelation? We don't know. We know that just God saw his heart and said, Moses, I'm calling you and I'm raising you up to be a deliverer for Israel. Out in the wilderness of Sinai, a past land, uh desert place, God's revelation came. Finally, if God could be with his people in the wilderness through the tent of weakness, and if you have time to go and meditate, go and read through the book of Numbers. God's presence was in the midst of the people. As they crumble, as they quarrel, as they rejected God, they were faithless. God was with them. He was in the midst of them as they traveled, as wherever they make out their journey, uh, God said the cloud move, you move, so they move. God was with them in the midst of all their ramblings and quarrelings, their lack of faith, God was with them. So God has not deserted them, God was with them. So if God could be with all these patriarchs of old, surely He can be with us today. Surely He can shed divine light into our lives today. Surely He's able to help us out of our difficult circumstances. At this time, I just want to uh invite our sister Nolin just now, while we are in an uh atmosphere of worship, uh, she had a word uh that uh just a picture that the Lord spoke to her. But I thought her maybe hold on for a while because I think it ties in with the word that I will bring today. So uh I'll just uh give her some time to just share what she has received.

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Focus together with me, fix our eyes on Jesus, Emmanuel, God is with us. I see a vision of someone standing at the edge of a cliff. It's as if you have been pushed with nowhere else to go. You're feeling anguished, lost, all alone. I saw two beings, one behind and one in front. And I feel that God is saying, Jesus is Christ at his last hour, praying, not my will, but your will be done. And the angels came and encouraged him. And God is saying, He will be with you in this difficult time that you are going through. You are not alone. My presence is with you. You are not alone. Hope in me, trust me, and I will see you through. And I also see a springboard. You call it a springboard, but uh strangely, it is not a board, but it is made of rock, a spring rock. And some of you are feeling stressed, anxious the circumstances and situations are overwhelming. You do not know what to do. You are also standing at the edge. And God is saying, come up here, step on the spring rock, and I will spring you over. This is the word of the Lord.

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Thank you. Thanks, uh, Sister Nolin, for sharing the vision she had received. So I've asked her to share because while we were worshipping the Lord and I was just uh uh just waiting on him uh also for a word. You know, I was just encouraged by you know the story of uh Elijah. You know, Elijah at that time was facing Syria, Syria was an enemy of Israel. So uh there's a time where the king of Syria came against Elijah because Elijah uh uh stood for Israel. And when the when the king of Syria came uh to uh to try to destroy and attack Elijah, what he saw was uh chariots of fire around surrounding the people. So just reading a few verses from 2 Kings uh chapter 11, uh it says, and the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled of this thing, and he called his servants to them. Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom. So Elisha, sorry, it's not Elisha, Elisha. So Elisha was interpreting and intercepting the attempts of Syria to go against Israel. So whatever uh Syria wanted to do, Elijah had that, Elisha had the revelation and went to tell the king of Israel. So the disaster was averted. So the king of Syria was furious. I mean, who is this Elisha? And is he a troublemaker? Right? So he sent his army uh against them. Um in verse 14, he sent their horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. Verse 15, when the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant of Elisha said, Alas, my master, what shall we do? He said, Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Then Elisha prayed and said, Oh Lord, please open his eyes that he may see. So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So the story continues that uh the army of Syria were not destroyed. In fact, they fed them. You know, this we don't have time to read the whole story, but that is the vision, the shield of fire surrounding Elisha and the people of God. And I believe this is what the Lord is doing in our difficult trying circumstances, and uh the word that our sister Nolin shared about being at the edge of the cliff and God giving a springboard for us to cross over. I think this is the God we serve. A springboard to cross over difficult times, a God that bears us up even though we do not see him, the invisible hand that lifts us up, the chariots of fire and horses that surround his people day and night, even though we may be unaware of that. So surely God is with us to shed his light, divine light, into our lives. So he's calling us today to rise up in faith, to rise up in faith, to trust him, to live by faith in him, in spite and despite of our trying circumstances. Because the story of Israel is one of faith, of faith in God's promise, according to Acts 7. We do not see, but we keep walking and living by faith. My second and last point is this the failure of Stephan's accusers to uphold the law and the true worship of God. Though uh Stefan was charged with speaking words against the temple and the law in Acts 6.13. But in fact, uh his speech turned around to accuse them instead. They were the ones, it's not Stefan, they were the ones who failed to uphold the law and the true worship of God. In fact, they were the stiff-necked ones, they were the ones that refused to follow God and obey his law. They built a golden calf, they worshiped Molech, you know, despite having God's very presence with them. So, Stefan, uh a good orator, as he is, turned the tables, cards around and said, You are the ones. In fact, it's not me. You know, it's not me that am opposing the temple and law. But you, all of you here, did not keep the law of God because you built a golden calf, you built idols, you went against God. Right? So the implication of this second point is this for the failure of Stephen's accusers to uphold the law and the true worship of God, I think for us today the application is that uh there's a greater concern to God that our hearts be right before him. You know, that our hearts are not obstinate, stiff-necked, and uncircumcised, but rather open and responsive to him. Interestingly, even though uh Stefan quotes from Isaiah 66 verses 1 to 2 in Acts 7, 49 to 50, if you look at the footnote there in Acts chapter 7, 49 to 50, it's a citation from Isaiah 66, verse 1 to 2, which are read for us, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by men, because heaven is the throne of God, earth is his footstool. What kind of house will you build? In Isaiah 66, verse 2, it tells us that it's not so much about building a house for God to dwell, because God will dwell with his people wherever we are. He will dwell with us, he will see us through, he'll be the invisible hand that carries it, carries us through trying circumstances. But Isaiah 66, verse 2 tells us, goes on to tell us this, which Acts didn't say. He says this, but this is the one to whom I will look. So God is high and mighty, he has his throne in heaven and the earth as his footstool. Yet, this is one whom he will look at. And how many of us today would want to be esteemed by God? Sure. We want that God to look in favor on us. I mean, don't have to be uh shy or about that, you know. I think I want, we all want God to look in favor on us, right? So this is what Isaiah says. This Isaiah 66, verse 2, but this is the one to whom I will look. He who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Right? Humility, humility, humility, as the even the early church fathers down through the centuries, the first few centuries of the church, when they talk about Christian spirituality, there's just one word to summarize: humility, humility, humility. Humility, humility, humility. That's the way. That's the way God forms us. If we are not humble, he will break us, he will mow us, he will shape us. So that we are in a posture that we are able to hear God. You know, when we are humble and contrite in spirit. That's the best place to be, brothers and sisters. The best place to be is at the posture of humility and contrition and fearing God's word. So one who is humble and contrite and who fears and trembles at God's word is the opposite of what Israel was: obstinate, stubborn, stiff-necked, uh tell, don't listen, you know, like sometimes those of us who have children, we know tell, tell, tell, don't listen. So we got to have the rod out, you know, spank them, cane them a bit, then they learn their lesson. Right. And we we know, right? Scripture says he who spares the rod, you know, hates the child, right? So we shouldn't spare the rod. We should cane them when they need to, so that they know what it is to experience pain and learn. So similar for us, you know, God does that to us. He whips us up sometimes so that we'll learn our lesson, so that he allows us to fall, so that we will recognize that you know we need we need his discipline in our lives. Otherwise, we'll be a wild donkey, obstinate, stiff-necked, uncircumcised, stubborn, refusing to move and listen to God. So may God help us today to adopt a posture of humility and contrition, living in the fear of God and trembling at his word. Because this is the person, this is the one God will escape.

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We pray that you've been ministered to by the Word of God today. If you'd like to know more about Eastern Christian Church, please visit our website at yccanglican.com. Have a blessed day.