 Hey man, so Joshua chapter 22, we're not going to go through the whole chapter tonight. We're only going to go up to verse number 9 this evening and I'm going to tell you, I preached a lot against the prosperity gospel and I preached a lot against, you know, we had some fun with Joel Osteen and things like that in this church and there's even a drawing contest at one point amongst the kids. But I'm telling you, I'm going to preach a prosperity sermon tonight. So it's going to be a prosperity sermon this evening but, you know, the caveat there is that I'm probably going to end up insulting most of you this evening so I don't mean to do that but, you know, even Nehemiah when he, before he built the wall, he had to tear down the old wall first so we're going to talk about some things that will bring prosperity to your life tonight and we're going to look at Joshua chapter 22 and the first part of this is just a great story in the first part of Joshua chapter 22. Look down at the Bible. We're talking about the Rubinites, the Gaddites and the half tribe of Manasseh and the first few verses here and look what the Bible has to say. And let's see what we can learn from this this evening and the conclusion of this just this great story in the beginning of Joshua 22. Look at verse number 1. The Bible says, then Joshua called the Rubinites and the Gaddites and the half tribe of Manasseh and he said unto them, ye have kept all that Moses, the servant of the Lord commanded you, and ye have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. ye have not left your brethren these many days under this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. Keeping the charge means that they were under a covenant of some sort here and they kept it. They did what they were supposed to do. Look at verse number 4. And the Lord, and now the Lord your God, have given the rest unto your brethren as he promised them, therefore now return ye and get ye unto your tents, unto the land of your possession, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you on the other side of Jordan. But take diligent heed to the commandment and the law, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, charged you to love the Lord your God and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cleave unto him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. So Joshua blessed them and sent them away and they went under their tents. Now we're seeing some blessings here in verse number 6, verse number 7, and verse number 8. Look at what the Bible says in verse 7. Now to the one-half, half of the tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given possession and evasion, but unto the other half, thereof gave Joshua among the brethren on this side of Jordan, westward. And when Joshua sent them away also under their tents, then he blessed them. Again, we see that Joshua blessed them. And we're not talking about like a Catholic priest blessing here. He didn't go up and make some weird sign on their forehead. He actually blessed them with things. In verse number 7, he blesses them and look at verse number 8. He's baked unto them saying, Return with much riches under your tents and with very much cattle, with silver and with gold and with brass and with iron and with very much raiment, raiment meaning clothing. And you find this foil of your enemies with your brethren. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan to go into the country of Gilead to the land of their possession, whereup they possessed, according to the word of the Lord, by the hand of Moses. So we see these three tribes, Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, that, you know, they're just having all these blessings poured upon them, turned to numbers chapter 32. So if you remember what happened with these three tribes before the wars even started is when this deal, this covenant, this agreement was made. Look at Numbers chapter 32 and verse number 1, and let's look at what happened here at the beginning. And what we're seeing in Joshua chapter 22 is the end of what started in Numbers chapter 32. Look at Numbers chapter 32 and verse number 1. The Bible says, now the children of Reuben, now they had not crossed over the Jordan yet. They had not gone into the promised land and even started taking possession of the land and starting the wars. Now the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, had a very great multitude of cattle. When they saw the land of Jaser and the land of Gilead, then behold, the place was a place for cattle, but they looked at this place and they said, these pastures, these are great pastures. It was great, there must have been green grass, there must have been water everywhere, and they were like, why would we want to go anywhere else? This is perfect for us. We raise cattle. And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses and to Eleazar the priest and unto the princes of the congregation saying, Adaroth and Daimon and Jaser and Nimrod and Heshbon and Elegia and Shebem and Nibiu and beyond. Even the country which the Lord smoked before the congregation of Israel is a land for cattle. And thy servants have cattle. Wherefore they said, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession and bring us not over there, Jordan. And Moses said unto the children of Gad and the children of Reuben, shall your brethren go to war and ye shall ye sit here. So first of all, they said to Moses, they brought this to Moses and they said, we don't want to go. They said, we would just rather stay here. Can we stay here? And Moses, right away, right away Moses says, what you think that you're just going to get off easy? You think that you're just done fighting? Because look, they had done some fighting up to this point. They had already done a little bit of fighting to get the land that they had. And they said, this place is good for us. So of course, Moses' first reaction is that these guys are just trying to get off easy. They're saying, we don't want to fight anymore. Just give us this land. It's good enough. But that wasn't the case with these tribes. Look at verse 16 of Numbers chapter 32. So they make a commitment and they ease Moses' mind on what Moses thought their motives might have been for just wanting this land. Look at verse 16, and they came nearer to him and said, we will build sheepfolds here for our cattle and cities for our little ones, but we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel until we have brought them into their place, who there, them, in that case, is the other tribes that are going across the Jordan and are going to possess the land, which is basically all the wars in the book of Joshua that we, or all the battles in the book of Joshua that we have read about so far. They're saying, we will build barns here, we will build houses here, and we will leave our families here, and we will go with you to fight until everyone has possessed their land, and then we will come back. And then with verse 18, they said, we will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. Now, I mean, obviously Joshua will let them go, but we know that they didn't really completely conquer their inheritance, so Joshua could have kept them there forever. But basically Joshua is releasing them in Joshua chapter 22, because they kept this commitment that they made in Numbers chapter 32. These guys, they said that we're going to leave our families here, we're going to go, we're going to fight for a land that we're not even going to possess. They said, we will go with you and we will help you. And look, they did it. They did it, and in Joshua chapter 22, we see the conclusion of that. So the way I want to talk about this evening, and what's worth spending some time on, is this idea of keeping your commitments in your life, as we see that these three tribes did. You know, the importance of keeping your word, as you would say it, doing what you say, doing what you say. So the first thing to realize here is with this commitment especially, with this commitment that these three tribes made, Gad Rubin and the half tribe of Manasseh, commitments are not free. Commitments cost you something. The commitment will cost, look, it may cost you a commitment that you make in your life. It may cost you more than what you originally thought it was going to cost you. But this is why, look, think about this for a second. These guys, these three tribes, they literally went to war for this commitment. This commitment that they made for a land that wasn't even theirs cost some of them their lives. They died to keep this commitment, some of these men. Lives were lost. I mean, look, these were battles. Yes, they won the battle, but it's not that people weren't killed on both sides. Look, this shows you that you should think long and hard before you make commitments in the first place. You should think about the cost of commitments up front. I think maybe this is why a lot of people just don't keep commitments in their lives. Because they make a commitment, and then they get into a commitment, and then they decide that you don't like this just, it's just more than I want to pay right now for this commitment. You know, their feelings, you know, here's what happens. Their feelings change. People are driven by feelings, unfortunately. And their feelings change. They're really fired up about something. They make a commitment. And then maybe a month down the road, two months down the road, they just don't feel like that anymore. And then, you know, I don't want to spend time on that. I don't feel the same about that. Maybe my feeling has changed to the point where I would rather do something else at that point in my life. Something else comes up. Something else comes up. But here's the interesting note on these three tribes. They never did that. And at the cost of their own lives, go back to verse number 16 of Numbers 32. Numbers 32. What does it say? Go to Numbers chapter 32 and look at verse number 16. Let me turn there myself. Numbers 32, look at verse number 16. These guys, these guys committed and they came here and said, we will build sheepfolds here for our cattle and cities for our little ones. Do you realize that these three tribes, when they went into battles, at least the other tribes had their families with them? At least their other tribes had their families when they went to settle the land? I mean, these guys then left all their families back then. They built cities, they built sheepfolds for their cattle, and they left all of their families behind as they went to war for land that wasn't even theirs. And they stuck to their commitments. So the first point I want to make tonight is this. On just this idea of keeping commitments, turn to Matthew chapter 23. Not keeping commitments. If we look at Joshua chapter 22, not keeping commitments will cost you. It will cost you. See, the problem is, people don't look out far enough. And people don't necessarily see this in their life. And we'll talk about that in a little bit more detail in a few minutes. But look at Matthew chapter 23 and look at verse number 1. People that look out far enough, but not keeping your commitments will cost you some things. Look, it could make you a hypocrite in your life. Look at Matthew chapter 23 and verse number 1. Then Jesus spake to the multitude and to his disciples, saying the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do. But do not meet after their works, for they say and do not. These guys were saying one thing, but they kept no commitments. These guys would sit there and they would say all these words. And Jesus says, hey, the words that they say are not bad, do those things. It's like, but don't do what they do because they don't do those things. Those guys talk and they don't keep their word. They tell you to do things and they say that they do things, but they don't. They don't do those things. Look, not keeping your commitments can make you a hypocrite to other people. It can make you a hypocrite to your children. And look, it can ultimately ruin your testimony. And we're gonna talk about that in detail in a few minutes. But look, most people don't see the cost of not keeping commitments. That's the beauty that I'm gonna show you about Joshua chapter 22 in these first nine verses because here's the thing, opportunities missed, offers that never come. Most people don't see that stuff. Most people don't see that. Turn to Proverbs chapter 22. Turn to Proverbs chapter 22. See, somebody that keeps their commitment will end up with something. They will end up with something. And Proverbs chapter 22 talks about something, is something that they will end up with. Proverbs chapter 22 in verse number one, it seems like a very simple verse in the Bible, but I wanna just really break it down for you tonight. Look at Proverbs 22.1. The Bible says, a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favor rather than silver and gold. So I mean, what does this mean? The Bible says a good name. So we know that if the Bible is saying a good name, it must mean that the good means a good according to the Bible. A good name, meaning somebody that does the right things. A good reputation, a good testimony is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favor rather than silver and gold. So many of you think, a lot of people think that the Bible teaches that silver and gold is bad and riches is bad. But here's the thing, the Bible here is saying a good name is better than these things. So if the Bible is saying that a good name is better than something that's bad, that wouldn't make a lot of sense, right? I mean, think about silver and gold just for a minute. I mean, I bet you most of you right now, maybe if you didn't have to show hands, most of you could think of, if you had silver and gold, that could maybe solve some problems for you. You know, silver and gold, most people I would think, you know, if I just had more silver and gold than I have now, that could solve some problems for me. I mean, look, couldn't money at least solve some problems for most people? I mean, just money by itself. I mean, couldn't it be, you know, a good thing? Look, the problem with riches is this. Let's just go off on this riches part of this for a minute, because the Bible is saying that a good name is better than great riches. Implying that great riches is, you know, is something that's at least desirable, then something that's good. But here's the thing. It's not the silver and gold that's the issue. It's not the silver and gold that's the issue. I saw a guy on Monday, I was driving to work and I saw a guy walking down the street and the guy, I mean, his shirt was like, I don't know if it was a pajamas he was wearing or what, his shirt was half off, his pants were around his knees and he was stumbling down the street, scratching a lotto ticket. Looks like he hadn't taken a shower for a month. The guy's scratching a lotto ticket, I'm just, I'm driving to work and I'm shaking my head looking at this guy and I'm saying, what are you gonna do with 300 million dollars? I mean, this guy, you know, he's thinking this is the answer for me. But here's the thing. The reason that that guy is broke is the reason that he's always gonna be broke. Does that make sense? It's not, look, the riches aren't the problem. The riches aren't the problem. Turn to 1st Timothy chapter six. So don't be so hard on riches because Proverbs 22.1 is saying, look, it's saying that a good name is better than riches, meaning riches is something that is at least desirable, can at least do something for you. Here's the problem with riches in general. It's the love of it, that's the problem. It's the love of it. Don't be so hard on the riches. It's when you start to love it. That's the issue. But here's the thing. Turn to 1st Timothy chapter six because here's the sad thing. Someone who needs money. This is kinda sad. Someone who needs money to pay bills, to buy food, to live. I mean, I walk around California now and I'm just like, how can anyone afford to live here? I think about that all the time. Things have doubled in price since I got here. Just a few years ago. And I'm sitting here and I'm thinking, you know, people could use more money. I mean, people could use more. I mean, that would help them in their life. But here's the problem. When they become so obsessed with it, when they do get it, look at 1st Timothy chapter six and verse number 10. They already love it for itself. This is, that's the sad thing. For the love of money is the root of all evil. Let me say money. It says the love of money is the root of all evil. Which while some come at it after, they have aired from the faith. Look at that. It says the love of money is the root of all evil. Why? Why? Because they aired from the faith. Because it took them away from their faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. So the sad thing is, is that by the time people get the money, by the time people get the money to pay the bills, to pay the rent, to pay the gas, to buy food. I mean, but what good is it if by the time you get it, your spiritual life is ruined? That's the sad thing. I mean, it's the people that get the riches that are the problem. Not the riches. That's why the Bible can correctly say that a good name is better than great riches. Because great riches by themselves, there's no problem there. It's the people that are the problem. I mean, riches by itself, without the simple person that loves the riches, riches by itself can solve some problems for you. They can make some issues go away. But the Bible says, so that's just a little, you know, just going off on riches. But the point is, the Bible says, let's go back to a good name, back to a point in the sermon. The Bible says a good name is better, is better than riches. You know, how can that be? You say, how can that be? You're like, riches would solve every problem. Look back at Joshua chapter 22. Look back at Joshua chapter 22. So here we see these guys. We see these three tribes and they kept their commitment. They kept their commitment. They had a good testimony. They had a good name. Look at verse number six. Look at verse number six. Look what the Bible says. So Joshua blessed them and sent them away. They went into their tents. I think it gives details of what that blessing was. Now to one half of the tribe of Massa, Moses had given possession in Beishan, but under the other half thereof, gave Joshua among their brethren on this side of the Jordan westward. Look at verse eight. And he spake unto them saying, return with much riches under your tents, much cattle, silver, gold, brass, iron, raiment. And he said, just go divide and spoil your enemies with your brethren. Go back and give all this to your families. Give all this to the people who didn't come with. Look with it, the point Joshua, the point Joshua 22 is making here is with a good name. Here's your prosperity sermon for you. With a good name will come great blessings. And if you don't think that that's true, well, I don't know what else to do to convince you, but today, here's the thing. Today, people are taught to not care what people think of them. Isn't that true? Aren't people taught, you know, just not care? Like, what people think of you? What people, if people look at you and they judge you for what you're wearing, what you look like, whatever, you know, that's just wrong. Look, that's not true. That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says a good name, a good reputation, you know, will bring you great blessings. That's what Joshua 22 is showing us here. I mean, look, people teach this for Washington today. Just be true to yourself, man. Isn't that not what people are taught? Be true to yourself. You know what that means? Whatever you want. Why do I come up to people so many that tell me that? Just like, man, just gotta be true to yourself, bro. Gotta be true to, I mean, that just means like whatever you feel like doing or looking like or spending your time with or your life at is just fine. That's what that means, but that's not true. That's not what the Bible says. Look, this is why, this is why, if you ever wondered why people don't care about their name, this is why. Because they're being taught that their name doesn't matter. That a good name, they're saying, you know, they're just saying that the world is teaching the exact opposite philosophy of the Bible, once again, is what we're seeing here. Haven't you ever heard of somebody saying, you know what, I'm gonna make a name for myself? You know what that means? That means they're gonna go and make a good name for themselves. Because nobody goes and says, I'm gonna make a name for myself and wants to just be a loser. But here's the thing, here's the thing, here's the funny thing. Everybody goes, you know, you might have some really ambitious person that goes out or some young guy that goes out or some young lady. I'm just gonna make a name for myself in this company. I'm gonna make a name for myself in this world or whatever, and they're just super ambitious to make a name for themselves, whatever that success factor is for them. But here's the thing that people, and this blows my mind that people don't get this, but you're making a name for yourself. Whether you think you are or not. You are making a name for yourself every single day of your life. You're making a name for yourself. Might not be a good one. And if you have no plan and you're not this kind of person that's like, you know what? I'm gonna make a name for myself, and you're not focusing what those characteristics of that name are on the Bible, you're probably not making a good name for yourself. But look, everyone is making a name for themselves, whether they know it or not. That's what the Bible says in Proverbs 22. Hey, make a good one. The Bible's saying make a good name for yourself. And we see in Joshua 22, we see these guys, they did it. They made a good name for themselves. Look, a good name is gonna be worth more to you. Listen to me. If you make a good name for yourself, it is gonna be worth more to you. It will do more for you, for your life on this earth than all the money in the world. Yes. If you make a good name for yourself, it will be more valuable for your life on this earth than all the money anybody can ever give you. That's what the Bible's saying. That's what the Bible's saying. Wow. So let's go back to this idea of commitments and what these guys did in Joshua chapter 22. You know what that really means? You know what this idea of keeping their commitment, you know what these guys did, they, I was taught this, I was taught this phrase, you keep your word. That's kind of what I was taught. That it's the same thing though, keeping your commitments in your life. When you get three reasons tonight, you should keep your commitments. Whereas, you know, as you probably hear it said today, that you should keep your word. The first reason is this, turn to Matthew chapter five. Matthew chapter five. Matthew chapter five. Actually, you turn to first Peter chapter two and I will just read for you Matthew chapter five. Matthew chapter five, I'll read to you. Turn to first Peter chapter two. Matthew chapter five in verse number 37, Jesus says this. He says, he's talking about oaths and we've done a lot of study on making stupid oaths and swearing by this and that and this. And Jesus says, he's like, hey, let your communication be yay, yay, nay, nay for whatsoever is more than these come of evil. So he's saying, you know, you don't have to swear by, you know, the sun or the moon or God or whatever. He's like, just say what you're gonna do and do what you're gonna say. Well, look, if you don't keep your word, Matthew five 37 is gonna do nothing for you. Jesus's advice is gonna do nothing for you if you just don't keep your word. If you just say, yay, yay, and then tomorrow you're just like, whatever. What did I say yesterday? Then that doesn't even apply. The first thing, I mean, three things. And keeping your word will do for you in your life. The first one is this, you know, give you credibility. You're like, why do I need credibility? Look at first Peter chapter two and look at verse number 12. Look at first Peter chapter two. Look at verse number 12. The Bible says, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may be made by your good works which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation. Here's these people, think about this. Here's these people and they're just speaking all this evil. They're speaking all this evil. They're the Gentiles and the unbelievers. You know, they're speaking all this evil against you but then they see all your good works and they see that you're just, you're yay, yay, nay, nay. They're seeing your testimony and by that, by that you turn them. By that you turn them. They glorify God because of that. Because of your testimony. Think about like an expert witness in a trial. Ever seen a trial where they bring in like an expert on forensics or whatever? They bring this guy in. He's got 30 years experience, just like being right on everything. He's written like several books that are correct on things. Imagine bringing an expert witness in who's just like a drug addict off the street. But that guy, that's not gonna do good for anybody. Imagine, imagine, imagine this. Imagine you're out and you're walking around. Somebody commits a crime against you or somebody accuses you of a crime and then the guy that's with you that witnesses that it was false or whatever, he's just a serial liar. Is that guy gonna be profitable to you? Like all he does is lie all the time. Look, he'll be no profit because he is what, he has no credibility. He has no credibility. So look, keeping your word and keeping your commitments will give you credibility. It will give you credibility, which guess what? That brings me to my second point. You will become a great profit to other people. Not a profit like speaking the words about it. Profit, like profitable. You will be not profitable if you have no credibility. But look, if you keep your word, you will be a great profit to those around you. To your friends, to your family, to your children, to your brothers and sisters in Christ. I mean, look at some great examples here of this. Like look, just think of the church. Think of the church. We're gonna have, think of the volunteer opportunities at the church. We're gonna have some new ones coming up. We're gonna have like a new cleaning signup sheet. Look, I'm telling you, the people that come here and faithfully clean, they are a super huge blessing to this church. It is a massive blessing to this church. It's a massive blessing to me. It's a bigger blessing to my wife. It's a huge help to people who have made a commitment and then keep the commitment. But guess what? People that make the commitment and then keep it sometimes, I would rather they don't do it. I would rather they not commit to it. Because guess what? Makes it worse for us. Well, here's the thing. If you make a commitment and you keep it, you're a huge profit to other people. But if you don't, you're a detriment. And so as far as the church goes, here's the thing. You don't have to volunteer for things. You don't have to volunteer for the different ministries in the church of all the different things that happen here, whether it's cleaning or audio visual stuff or whatever. You don't have to volunteer for that stuff. But if you volunteer for that stuff, you're either a huge blessing or you can put yourself in the detriment category. Because guess what? If we're, when somebody volunteers for that stuff, we're counting on them. We're counting on them. We're rearranging our schedules. We're doing things. And when things just don't happen or people don't show up, it's like we have to drop everything. We have to rearrange everything. It would have been better if we would have just done it ourselves the whole time. Instead of counting on people that we don't, we can't, we don't know if they're gonna keep that commitment or not. So the second thing is you have the ability if you keep your commitments and keep your word to be a massive profit to other people. I mean, look, it's easier, like it's easier for church management if you literally, if you're like, I just don't know if I can make it every time if you just don't volunteer. No one's gonna be mad at you. Seriously. But if you volunteer and then you show up when you feel like it, that's bad. Because everybody has to try to fill gaps at the last minute. Now here's a big one. Here's number three. So the first one is you'll have credibility and keep your commitments. The second one is you'll be a big profit to other people. And the third one is this. And listen close to this one because this is what Joshua 22 really described to them. The third one is this. You will miss opportunities. You will miss opportunities in your life. And look, look at verse seven and verse eight of Joshua chapter 22. Look, verse seven, look, they got more land. They got more land than they bargained for. In verse number seven and in verse number eight, they just got all these riches and all this spoil and all this clothing and all this stuff to bring back to their families. All these blessings, if you don't keep your commitments, if you don't have credibility, if you're not a profit to others, you'll miss all those blessings. You'll miss all those blessings that will be no opportunity given to you. As a matter of fact, you will probably find yourself at a point in your life where you just don't have much responsibility at all if you're this type of person. You know, and if you look at your life and you think, you look at your life tonight and you think, you know, I should be farther in my career. I should be farther in my life. You know, I'm telling you, it's because you don't have a good name. That's why. That's why it is. On the other hand though, if you do have a good name, I'm telling you blessings will flood to you in this world. At least the world I'm living in. You are living in the same world that I'm living in. Look, if you're credible, reliable, profitable to others, blessings will flood to you. You see, you say, you say, but you know what? This is not me. It's like, what you're describing is not me. I just, I can't commit to things. I commit to things that I don't feel like it next week and I can't show up on time to things because I'm just like, I'm a train wreck every day and I'm late to everything all the time. What? Don't be shocked because that's most people. No, don't be, I mean, don't stress about it. That's most people. Most people don't keep commitments today. I am sorry to report to you, but that is against, but look, there just aren't many people about the type of people that I'm talking about in Joshua chapter 22. That type of people that would make a commitment and no matter what, no matter what it costs them, will keep that commitment to the end, no matter what, there's just not many people like that. So I mean, don't feel bad. I mean, I'm probably making you feel a little bad, but don't feel that bad because look, you're the majority. You're just like, I'm just not good at it. I just can't get it together. But guess what? This is the opportunity of a church right here. This is the opportunity of a church. You can sit here and you can, look, you can hear the truth and you can at least have the opportunity of following the truth. I mean, you can at least have the choice. You can at least sit there tonight and listen to this and say, you know, this isn't me, but you at least have the choice. I'd be like, you know what? I'm gonna change this. I'm gonna make this difference. I'm gonna change my mindset about this. I mean, as far as the blessings go, the problem about not having a good name or a good testimony is this. You most people will not miss the blessings they never received. Think about that for a second. Most people, the blessings that they never, the chapter, the verse number six, the verse number seven, the verse number eight, most people will never miss that. They're just never gonna get it. And it's because they don't have a good name. But guess what? You know, those blessings, they won't miss it because they will just never come. It's not like they come to you and then you lose them, they'll just never get them. They'll just never get them. You know, I mean, many people, look, as a pastor I'm telling you, I see this. Many people miss the curses. You know, much less the blessings that they never receive. Many people have God just cursing their life and they completely miss it. And you're standing here as a pastor, you're just like, what in the world? What are you doing? The blessings that they never receive, it's like, but guess what? A pastor sees that too. This is one thing at the level of a pastor that's very easy to see. That's why it's always good to be a person that goes and asks for a Godly counsel. You know, it's always good to ask that because many times others will see things that you don't in your life. You know, going to church, having a Godly counsel, look, if you're not used, if you're going to a church, you have a pastor and you have a pastor's wife and you're not using Godly counsel, it's like starving to death in front of the refrigerator. Think about that. There was a story, this reminded me, right in the center, it reminded me of this story of this guy. I don't know if you guys have heard this. There was a story like, it's a true story. It's a sad story, it's a ridiculous story. In like 1990 or something, there was this kid. He was like from a middle-class family. His name was Christopher McCandles. And he was this kid, he just like threw off his middle-class life. He was in his mid-20s and he like walked off into the wilderness in Alaska. He wanted to just like, just live off the land and be in uncharted territory. I mean, this kid, he walked off, he walked off into the wilderness in Alaska. And he couldn't get off of charted territory because he had this map, there was roads everywhere, so he threw the map away. He throws the map away, and what happens to him? Well, he starts to death. He goes out and he lives off the land from, I don't know how long you lasted, but he starts to death and he was literally, like some hunters found him, he was literally half a mile from a busy road. He was, you know, less than half a mile from like a geological station. He was just, he just didn't know where he was. He threw away the map. And then, you know, some moron writes a book and just like glorifies this kid and all this. And you talk to the locals in Alaska and they're like, yeah, you know, what he did was he committed suicide. This is what he did. You go off into the wilderness in Alaska with no map, no experience, no food, no clothes, you're gonna die. Like, he committed suicide. But that's what it reminds me of. That's what it reminds me of, just like walking through your life, you've got like counsel around you and you just, you're just gonna blind, put blinders on, you're gonna throw away all the maps. And, you know, no one's gonna glorify that story. No one's gonna glorify that story. But, you know, instead, people continue. They miss blessing after blessing after blessing that they aren't receiving. And then, you know, maybe some people would think to completely fall apart, then they ask, you know, better, better late than never, I guess, but it's better to get on the right path before the train comes off the tracks. So look, folks, Joshua 22 is such a great example of keeping your commitments and what can come from that. I mean, it's a great, it's such a great example it's an extreme, it's an extreme. These guys kept their commitments. You'll never have a commitment that will probably cost you your life. But these guys kept their commitments in extreme situations and you know what they gained? They gained credibility. They were extremely profitable to their brothers and their sisters that they were fighting for. And you know what? They were just poured with blessings at the end. I mean, this is, here's your prosperity right here. Here's your prosperity story in the Bible. You're like, how do I get prosperity? You know, it's not gonna get you to heaven. But prosperity keep your commitments and you will get prosperity. That's what this is telling us. You know, have a good name. The Bible says a good name is priceless. Why? Because you will just get blessings poured upon you. Especially today, folks. Especially today where nobody does it. You will stand out like, I mean, you will be like a beacon. You will be like this huge flashing beacon, somebody that keeps their commitments no matter what. And you'll be a huge blessing to other people and you get blessings, it's a win-win. Every time you have a win-win in your life, you gotta take it. When other people win and you win, why are we not doing that? Whenever you find win-wins, you have to do it. So this is a great story of these guys. They made this commitment. You read about the commitment in Numbers chapter 32 and you're just like, wow, wow. I mean, they're not even gonna walk that land. They're just gonna go fight for these people just to get the land. These are some decent people. You're like, they're never gonna stick to that. They did. They did stick to it. And it's a great example for us to look forward. A good name, folks. Keep your commitments. Look by our heads and have a word of prayer.