 Amen. Alright, James chapter 2. I think we'll go through James chapter 2 once a year, just for the first couple years of the ministry here. It's just a great chapter in the Bible and it's a chapter that people use to prove things that are not in the Bible many times. And so we're talking about good things. And tonight, you know, we've talked about in this series, we've talked about good things that are not tied to salvation. Good things that sometimes, especially in Bible preaching churches, these good things, these phrases, these terms, these nouns maybe, they get a bad name because people in false teaching churches or whatever, they tie them to salvation. We talked about repenting of your sins. We talked about how that's not tied to salvation, but it's a good thing to do. I mean, it's a good thing to turn from your sins. It's a good thing to try to get the sin out of your life. We talked about confessing your sins. We talked about how that's something that's good to do. It's not tied to your salvation. Lutherans, Catholics will tie that to salvation. They'll tie it. They'll say it's a sacrament or whatever and they'll say it has to do with being saved. But they're good things to confess your sins is good. It's good to do that to be in good standing with your heavenly Father. So tonight, we continue this idea of good things. It's kind of a big one tonight, but what we're going to talk about this evening is works. We're going to talk about your works. So we talk a lot about we'll go out and we'll preach the gospel and we'll talk about how it's not of works. But sometimes works can get a bad name because people tie it to salvation. But look, works are a good thing and we're going to talk about works this evening. Turn to Ephesians chapter 2. A verse many of you I'm sure know well. Ephesians chapter 2. So first of all, let's talk about how salvation is not of works. Literally, it's not of works. Of course, we know this, but let's just look at it real quickly so it has nothing to do with salvation. It's not that it has a little bit to do with salvation. It has absolutely nothing to do with salvation. Works. The Bible says in Ephesians 2 verses 8 through 9, the Bible says, for by grace are ye saved through faith and not of yourselves. It is the gift of God not of works, the Bible says. So look, I mean, it's not of works. It's very clear. I don't think that there's a clearer verse in the entire Bible where then the verse that says not of works. You know, this is how you're saved and it's not of works. So look, to go to heaven does not even depend a little bit on your works. This is Satan's religion is what it is. This is Satan's religion. And Satan very effectively has taken a good thing and turned it into something that will send people straight to hell is what has happened. So I mean, it's belief on works that is sending everyone to hell, folks, instead of belief on the Lord Jesus Christ. So look, turn to John chapter 14. Let's turn to John chapter 14. The Bible says, I mean, look, I mean, on not having works. Let's think about this for a minute. You know, James chapter 2, we're going to get to that. Keep your finger in James chapter 2. But the Bible says, you know, the Bible is not for just not having works. Okay, the Bible is talks many places throughout the entire Bible about having works. It just doesn't have to do with how you're going to go to heaven. Okay, so look, the Bible first says in John 14, 15 says, if you love me, keep my commandments. So look, if you don't have works, and I'm using that as a general term, okay, if you don't have works, you don't love God is the bottom line. Okay, so basically, how much you love, you could say this could be a true statement. Alright, how much you love God is directly proportional. Are you familiar with directly proportional? So if something is, if two things are directly proportional to each other, it means when one increases, the other one also increases. Okay, if two things are inversely proportional, proportional, it means when one increases, the other decreases. So your love for God is directly proportional to your works. So if you have a lot of works, it means the Bible says you love God a lot, basically is what the Bible is saying. If you don't have many works, you don't love God is what the Bible says. Okay, so it's giving you that proportion there. It's giving you that relationship between your works and how much you love the Lord. Okay, go back to James chapter 2. Let's talk about, in James chapter 2, let's talk about this idea of dead faith, of dead faith. So we're talking about not having works here. Okay, so first of all, we see in John chapter 14, if you don't have works, you don't love God. But you're like, oh, but I love God, but I love Him. What is love again? Love is you actually doing something. Your definition of love is wrong again. So love is you actually doing something, doing work. Doesn't that make sense? Doesn't that completely match God's definition of love? We'll go back to James chapter 2. Look at verse number 15. James chapter 2. Now, if you've never really read James or you've never really read James, especially chapter 2, and you read James chapter 2, you might think, wow, this sounds a lot like you need to have works in order to be, you know, have your faith alive and all this kind of stuff. Well, what is James chapter 2 talking about? Look at verse 15. The Bible says, if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say to them, so here we have, you know, the context is this. The context is, you have a brother and sister in Christ, and they need something. They need like something important. They need food or they need clothing. The Bible says, the Bible says they be naked and they have a destitute of daily food. They're starving and they have nothing to wear. And what have you say to them? Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, not withstanding. You give them not those things which are needful to the body, underline this in your Bible. What doth it profit? So what the Bible is saying here is your brother or sister in Christ comes to you, and they're like, I'm cold and I don't have any food. And you're just like, you know, I'm praying for you, brother, you know, just depart in peace. I hope things get better for you. It's like, you profit them nothing is what this is saying. Okay, it's saying you're not profiting those people anything. That's the context of verse 17. Look at verse 17. It says what? It says, even so. It means, that means, like as, or likewise and in the same way. It means, faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Look, what does it, what it means is in verse 14 and verse 16, when it says what doth it profit, is that if you do not have works, your faith is useless to other people is what it's saying. It's saying your religion, your faith is dead. It can't help anybody. Just like you with your brother when you're just like, I hope you get warmer. I hope you get, you know, food and you just do nothing to help them. Okay, what doth it profit? You know, look, I mean, this one is actually the most I mean, this one thing right here is the most costly thing for not having works, which is why James is talking about it. He's talking about your works profiting your brothers and sisters in Christ, profiting other people, because if you don't have works, that is the biggest consequence to it is that no one else will profit from it. No one else will profit from your life. Now, look, I mean, this is, this is probably one of the most exciting things for me personally in the ministry to see is when you see people when you see people grow. So let me just let me just park it here first on James chapter two. Basically, what James chapter two is telling you is number one, your faith is tied to your works. Your faith is directly proportional to your works. So as I mean, go down to verse number 22 of James chapter two, this is like the verse of the chapter right here. See is how though faith wrought with his works, and by works was his faith made perfect. How do you make your faith perfect through your works? Okay, you have saving like you if you're saved, you had enough faith, you trusted in Jesus, you're saved, and nothing to do with your works. But you make your faith perfect, your faith grows throughout your life, and you make it perfect through your works. That's how you do it. Your works wrought, they work with your faith. It works together. Okay, so it James chapter two is laying out this relationship between your faith and your works. It's not talking about how you're going to heaven. It's talking about how they're related to each other. Okay, and I mean, even if you read James chapter two, I've thought about this many times, if you've read James chapter two, and you're like, Oh, yeah, that means you got to have works to be to have faith to be saved. It's it makes no sense if you think that through. Okay, because I mean, think about this. What's the opposite of good works? Like wicked deeds, right? Good work like a helper, a little lady across the street, or I like murder the lady. That's the opposites, right? That's the opposites. Is anyone like completely does anyone have like zero? Has anyone any even the worst psychopathic killer? I'm sure they said hi to their mother one time. The whole thing makes no sense. Right? It's a spectrum is just showing you the relationship between faith and your works. It is nothing to do with salvation. It's talking about how your faith and your works are proportional to each other. Okay, and it's also talking about, look, it's giving you the consequences as well. It's saying, I mean, first of all, if it has to match the rest of the Bible, how you interpret something, right? It makes no sense, even if you would think that through. But the bottom line is, the consequences are if you have no works or you have, you don't do good works, you profit no one. That's a big consequence. I mean, that's a big problem. I mean, think about your family, think about your friends, think about all those people around you. Back to what I was saying, one of the most exciting things for me personally in the ministry is when you see people start to change their life and get their work straight and start doing what they're supposed to do. You know what happens? Like it's weird, but it happens like as a side effect or something, they just start becoming profitable to people. And you just see that you just see them that maybe they were struggling before and then they start getting some things straight and they start listening to what the Bible says and they start making the moves that they need to make through their works, in their life and all of a sudden they just become this profitable person. And they become someone that's that's no longer having to have somebody else give them food and have somebody else help them and they start to be the one that's profitable to others. That's what James chapter two is talking about. Okay. So I mean that's exciting to see. I mean that's proof and why is it exciting to see? I mean look, if we had a church of a hundred people, we had one person like that, it would be worth it. Because it's exciting to see that the Bible works, right? It's exciting to see that that happened. I mean now look, now here's the paradox of works. And I don't know if any of you I'm sure you've probably thought about this, but here's the thing. People that believe in works, have you noticed that like people that believe in works-based salvation. Many times I mean you're just like they they don't appear to have any works at all. I mean of course they have some they don't have zero works right like I just explained. But you're just like these people that believe in works-based salvation, we met some of these people today. I mean trying to give the gospel to these people. There's just like this huge party going on and like this music. I'm just like going insane from this music. Brother Dave has given the gospel to this lady. I mean some days you go and you give the gospel and it's just like it's like feeding candy to a baby right. They're just waiting for it. They just couldn't wait and they're just like oh that makes sense and it just clicks and all this. And other times you got music just blasted in your face and there's like all these people and there's just having this party over here and you're just like should I even be here right now. And then you got a guy over here like fighting for someone's soul. I mean it's just a fight. It's just a battle. And then they end up not getting saved because they're like no no no. You got to have the works as they go back to their party and get drunk. I mean you're just like what. But it's a paradox right. And here we are. We think that you have zero it has zero to do with it. And here we are out we're doing the works. But it has nothing to do with us going to heaven. I mean it's a paradox right. It doesn't seem to make sense right. So how is it possible. And here's why it's possible. Because people set their own bar. That's how it's possible. Everybody sets. Look it's the devil's greatest trick. It's the devil's greatest trick. Think about this. Think about this. What's the first thing we tell people when we give them the gospel. What's the first thing. The first thing that we tell people is hey you know what. You're not good. The devil's greatest trick is convincing people that they're good. Because these people have in the party and doing all this stuff. I mean they think they're good. They think that they're nice. They think that they're good. They think that they're good enough. Because they've set their own bar. Right so I mean the first trick to understanding the true gospel is understanding that you're not good. So that's why the devil has people set their own bar. He convinces people to set their own bar. So look you have to believe that you're guilty before you will believe that you deserve to be punished. I mean that's the bottom line. But if you're proud turn to Proverbs 16. If you're proud and you think you are good you've got problems. Look at Proverbs chapter 16. Proverbs chapter 16 and look at verse number five. Proverbs 16 5 the Bible says everyone that is proud in heart is in abomination to the Lord. Okay so that's pretty strong language right there. I mean the Bible says you know abomination that's like the Lord hates it or the Lord hates you. It's like if you're proud in heart you know the Bible says that you know God you know you're in abomination to the Lord. So I mean though hand join in hand he shall not be unpunished. Right so the unsaved person that is proud in heart is probably in the worst condition that anybody could ever be in. And the Bible says that they're not going to go unpunished. Meaning you know I mean for the unsaved pride is deadly to the soul for sure. And ultimately that's why pride is tied to somebody's ability or likelihood of getting saved. Turn to James chapter four. It's a couple chapters over. James chapter four. Look at James chapter four in verse number six. So I mean I'm sure you that we all know people like this that aren't saved and their main problem is that they're prideful. That they think they're pretty good. That they have a pretty high view of themselves. Look at James four in verse number six. The Bible says but he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble. So look it's through grace that you're saved. So this grace look if you don't get this grace you're not getting this salvation. That's the bottom line. And it says God resisteth the proud and giveth grace. So look he's not going to give that grace to somebody who's proud. You see what the Bible is saying here. So I mean look it takes being humble to be saved. I mean that's the bottom line. And ultimately if you're not saved but you're proud I'll read for you Proverbs 26 12. The Bible says see a thou a man wise in his own conceit. There is more hope of a fool than of him. I mean the Bible says that if you're look if you're unsaved and you're proud there is just not much hope for you. I mean that's kind of sad but you think about all the unsaved people you know. Just take three seconds and think about the unsaved people that you know. And I guarantee you this is most Americans right here. This is most Americans. This is why that Jesus said it's so hard for the rich man to get saved. When he used the analogy of a camel going through the eye of a needle. Look that's why it's so hard. It's pride. It's why it's so hard for it's hard for someone when things are going well because it puffs them up. Right. Maybe I mean that's why you know sometimes maybe it's best to pray that you know somebody that is proud maybe gets knocked down a little bit because they're going to need that humility first and then they'll be able to understand. So they're going to need to realize you know what I'm not so good. That's step one. That's step one. I'm not so good. Maybe my works aren't so great. Right. And then there might be a little bit of hope there. But that's where it has to go. And a side note for the save by the way side note for the save. You get prideful. Don't make God knock the pride out of you. Because look it's not going to it's not going to ruin it's not going to be deadly for your soul if you're saved but God will beat the pride out of you. I mean that's another sermon in itself. Don't take the blessings that God has given you and be like I am awesome. I am great. And then just make God just have to just beat the pride out of you. And go through these cycles where you're like I'm great. Beat me down. I'm great. Beat me down. Right. I mean because everything that's good comes from God. If you're saved and everything that's good is a blessing from the Lord. Don't all of a sudden make that about yourself. Stay humble in any blessing that you receive. All right. That's just a side note for save. So look this is another reason that especially in America I don't really understand why people do this but enticing people with this prosperity gospel is not going to work at all. Because look many people out there are doing well in this country. I mean people are just too comfortable. People are too comfortable. That's the problem. That's the problem with 90 plus percent of the people that you knock on their door is they're too comfortable in their own life. Telling them that they need to get right with God and it will just improve their life. They're just like well things are pretty good right now. I don't really need any improvements. I mean things are going well. I mean it's probably not the case from their perspective. That's also why you see if somebody does get saved and then they get into the Christian life a lot of times there's just a lot of growing pains at the beginning because they're just into all this stuff. All this sinful things and they come into this Christian life and they're into all these these just short term highs and all these things that were just giving them these quick fun you know reactions right away and they come into the Christian life and they're like oh there's all these rules here. You know look there's there's no rules it's not of works. It's just we're trying to express our love towards God here. We're trying to find them you know we're trying to follow the Bible here. So I mean they were having a good time before. I mean look these short term highs just lead to long term depression and despair. We know that right. But look that's why the prosperity gospel just falls flat on its face for most people. All right. So look ultimately it's true that you know the Christian life will improve your life. I mean that is true in the long term but in the sense that they will think of it from the worldly sense from a worldly perspective it's going to it's not going to resonate with them. All right. Look there's a lot of unsafe people out there that think they're doing just fine. That's the problem. All right. They're living extremely comfortable lives. It's not the problem that they face. The problem that they face I was telling David today. I mean I was like you know those guys they seem nice enough. They seem nice enough you know and you know they're just you know they're just a bunch of drunks and they're all going to go to hell. Other than that they seem fine. But that's kind of a big problem. All right. That damnation thing is a big problem. Their problem isn't really paying their bills. A lot of people. So back to the point. The reason turn to Jeremiah chapter nine. The reason people think that they are pretty good. Why do people think? Why has the devil successfully convinced so many people that they're pretty good? And this is why. I mean pride is the is the overarching reason. But you know more specifically good. Jeremiah chapter nine in verse number 23. The Bible says this. Jeremiah nine 23. The Bible says thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Neither let the mighty man glory in his might. Let not the rich man glory in his riches. So here we have a guy that he's got wisdom. He's got might and he's got riches. And what is he doing? He's just he's personally glorying in that. He's not appreciating it. He's not being like oh this is such a blessing. I'm so thankful that you know I don't have to worry about money or I'm so thankful that I'm not weak or I'm so thankful that you know I'm not a fool. He's just glorying in the fact that he is great is what this guy is doing. Turn to Isaiah 14. It sounds a lot like this guy in Isaiah chapter 14. Sounds a lot like this guy. This guy's like I'm so smart and I'm so rich. And he's just like he's got a lot of glory focused in on himself. It sounds a lot like this guy. Isaiah 14, 14 is talking about Satan himself. In Isaiah 14, 14 Satan says this. He says I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high. See this is Satan's problem. This is why Satan, Satan is like I want to be as powerful as God. Satan wanted to be, he wanted to be God. Look what it says right there. His own words. I will be like the most high. Hello? Who's got a pride issue here? You know I mean I'm going to be as powerful as God. I'm going to be up at the same level as God. But look that's why he's dumping this problem. That's why his religion is the religion of you have to do it yourself. You glory in yourself. You set your own bar. You are good. You can be like the most high. This is Satan's philosophy. It's a very simple one. But it works with everybody. Maybe that's why because it's so simple. It's so easy to believe right. Look I mean how hard is it for me to believe. I mean I'd probably have a lot more people in this church if I just like preached like you are great. You are all great. You brother awesome. I mean I don't know what you did today. Great. It was awesome. Everything you do is awesome. Good job guys. But you know what I'm saying? It doesn't make any sense. But it works. But it works. Okay so look it's because I believe it starts from a good place with people. Okay and I'm just kind of giving you some deep thoughts from my head here. Right because I've thought a lot about this. I mean everybody's wondering why we're here on this earth right. Everybody has thought about that. If you ever go and knock on somebody's door and you like have you ever thought about where you're going to go when you die and they say no they're lying to your face. That's what I think. Because look everybody has wondered like what does my life mean. What is my life about. Right I mean you're maybe you're in a bad place. Maybe you're in a good place. But everyone's like wondering like what's the point of this. Of my life. Right everyone knows. Everyone knows I've never had one person say when you ask them do you are you going to live forever. I've never had one person say yes I'm eternal right now as I stand. I've never had one person say that. But everyone wants to do something important. With their life right. And most people just translate that into Satan's philosophy is the problem. They think that something important you say what are you talking about. That doesn't even make any sense. They think that there's something important in their life is to get rich. Is to is to be the CEO. Is to be the most successful. That's Satan's philosophy. He wants you to get he wants to get you to think that your life. Is about you becoming the most powerful or the most. Hi you see what I'm saying. It's Satan's philosophy. You know it's the it's the exact opposite of God's philosophy. It's the exact opposite. I mean. I mean you're something important from the Bible's perspective. Is to what James chapter 2. Is to profit others. That's the opposite. Of profiting yourself. Right. So look. God's perspective even from the perspective of the world. Makes more sense. Right. I mean it's not sustainable that everyone's just in this thing. I like just think about a world where think about a country. Just imagine this for a second where everybody's in it for themselves. Imagine what that would be like. Probably something a lot like today. Right. I mean imagine but imagine a country that operated by or a group of people that operated under the rules of or under the guidance of the Bible and under the guidance of profiting others. I mean it's a much it's a sustainable model. Everyone's worried about sustainability today. I can't believe he even said that word. It's a bad word to me. But look if everyone was out for self. It just wouldn't work out. The whole thing would be a mess kind of like where we're headed today. All right so let's talk about let's kind of bring it back around. Let's talk about why your works matter. Your works aren't tied to salvation. That's Satan's religion. He successfully propagated it throughout our entire country throughout the whole world. Every single religion other than the religion of the Bible is all the same thing. It's works. That's it. There's only two religions in the whole world. There's what the Bible teaches and works. They just it's just changed up. Do these works. No do these works. No do these works. Then most of these religions it's not even fair. There's no list. What are the ones that I have to do to get there? You know there's no list. You can't even win the game. It's not fair okay. But look I'm just kind of joking. But look why your works matter. John 14-15 we already saw this. Your works matter because it shows how much you love God. All right look being saved doesn't mean you love God. Being saved means God loves you. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Right look if you being saved proves nothing of you loving God. It only proves that you were able to trust on Him. Okay you loving Him is what comes next. You doing those works is what's supposed to come next. It's what you should do. Okay love is not a feeling. Thank God that love is not a feeling. Thank God that when God loved us He actually gave His Son for us. All right so that's an easy one. But here's the second one. It's through your works that your life will matter. It's through your works that your life will matter. You're sitting in a chair and in drinking all day long. You're guaranteeing that your life won't matter. It's through your works that your life will matter. Faith without works is dead. I mean look everyone wants to matter. I mean the whole thing is this everybody has the same goal in life. It's this search for relevance right? I mean it's a search for relevance. Doesn't everyone want to be relevant? I mean who could you ask? Do you want to be relevant in your life? And people would say no not really. I want to be a nobody. I want to just be a loser. And you know maybe you would find people like that in California. I don't know probably. But my point is most people want to be relevant. In their life and this is how you do it. You through your works comes relevance. That's the bottom line. Literally going I mean look and the first works. The first works are the best ones. That's why they're the first ones. So you know literally going out and when we come back in. I mean think about it. We go out at two o'clock and when we come back in. People that were going to hell are now not going to hell. They're going to heaven. I mean look that's I mean that's like better than the best hero story you can find. Right I mean everybody I mean that's all you hear about today is heroes and soldiers and a guy just got the Medal of Honor the other day and all these things and he sees great fantastic stories. Right these people going out and he saved all his buddies and he went through and saved hostages and all these things and you know firefighters going and saving things and saving people and all this. Look but we do that every week here. But we don't do it for ourselves and for our glory like the world says. We do it out of the love. It's it's two reasons we do it. We do it out of the love for God and out of the love for other people and it's almost like those are the two most important commandments that encompass all the commandments. Love God and love your neighbor. I mean that's why we do it. But think about this. You think about we go out and we go soul winning it's you're like it's no big deal right but do you remember the first time that you went soul winning? Do you remember the first time that you went soul winning? It was terrifying. It was a terrifying prospect getting out of your car going into some neighborhood that you're not from carrying a Bible. Carrying a Bible in public? What's the matter with you? We're going to carry these Bibles around and people are going to see us carrying Bibles. What? I mean that's how you feel when you start doing it. Look it's a terrifying experience for people at first. It can be anyway. But look most people would be terrified at such a prospect but doing something great like this that's how you become relevant and profitable in the world. So look I mean those are just the first works. Okay those are just the first ones. There's a lot of works. Those are just the first ones. Here's some more works. It's through your works that you will raise godly children. It's through your works that you will raise godly children turn to Deuteronomy 6. It's it's through your works that you will raise children that will grow to reject the the world that we live in and serve the Lord instead. But that will only happen through them profiting from your works. From your works. Deuteronomy 6 what works you say? Well here's some of them. Deuteronomy 6 look at verse number five. The Bible says and thou shalt love the Lord with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might. Now what is that? What is that doing right there? Thou shalt love the Lord. That is work. I mean are you seeing the connection? I mean it says thou shalt love the Lord with all thine heart. Look that's a lot of works right there. I mean to love the Lord with all thine heart. Look I mean first of all I'll never get there. To love the Lord with all my heart. To love the Lord with all my heart would be to do everything in the Bible that God wants me to do. I'll never get there. This is something we're striving for right? We're trying to love the Lord with all our heart and with all thy soul with all thy might. And what's that connected to? And these words oh it's connected to the words in the Bible. Which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. So to love God is to follow his words. To put his words in our heart right? And to follow him. And then look at verse 7. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children. And shall talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, when thou walkest by the way, but thou liest down when thou riseth up. So if your children see you loving the Lord, they will also love the Lord. That's the pattern. But if they don't see you doing it, you don't teach them those words, those commandments, that law. There's no chance that they will do it. So you have, it's through. I mean, so everyone's like, oh you think you can just do whatever you want? Yeah, go ahead, get saved, do whatever you want. And then watch the nightmare of your family unfold for the next 40 years or 50 years of your life. I mean, it's crazy. Like teaching them the law, separating them from the world. This all takes, look, it takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of work. That's, I mean, that's what we talk about here week after week after week. Raising them to fear God as you teach them to love and respect. You takes a lot of work. It takes consistency. It takes effort. It's not easy at times, right? These are all works, folks. These are all works. And look, most people aren't going to get these things right. So you're going to see a lot of people fail at these works. A lot of people. And I mean, look, that's why we need the success stories. Can you give me some success stories? So, you know, you don't have to watch everyone fail? Because, look, a lot of people aren't going to get it right because it's a lot to get right. It's a lot to get right, folks. Look, here's number three. It's through your works. It's through your works. What's the third one? It's through your works that this church will grow. You say, what? People always ask, here's the thing. Being in this position, I never would have thought this, but it's shocking how many people ask, like, what kind of numbers are you running constantly? Like, whenever somebody visits, whenever somebody asks how things are going from out of town or whatever, you know, the bottom line is, you know, the truth is, I mean, here's the thing. I could care less about numbers. I mean, I could care less. You say, why? Don't you want the church to grow? Don't you want people to come here? I could, I mean, I could literally care less about the numbers. And you say, why? Because I have faith. That's why. Because I have faith. You say, well, what do you mean? I have faith that as we do the works, I mean, you say, well, I thought God grows the church. Yeah, as we do the works, God will grow the church. You think God's going to look down here and see a bunch of bums running this church and a bunch of people not doing what they're supposed to do and you think he's going to grow this church? You think he's going to invest in that? No, as we do the works, God will grow the church. I also know that there's a difference between this church and the other church. Church is around the area. All the other churches around the area. And I'm sure, you know, maybe if you've been to other churches around the area, you know, turn to Exodus chapter 17. Look, this is a working church. This is a working church. I mean, this, this is a busy place around here. I mean, this is a busy place. Ultimately, I mean, I'd love to just like, like glorify myself with the Bumbuster invention, but ultimately, you know what got rid of the bums around here? Yeah, they're bums. All right. You know what got rid of the bums is that we're constantly in and out of here. We're just, I mean, this place is, is, is hopping. I mean, there's constantly somebody here. Every single day, there's people here. I mean, you think about, there's a lot going on. Look at the bulletin. Every single week, the new, the bulletin has new things going on. So look, I mean, you think about all the things going on. From Sundays, think how busy the Sundays are around here. From, you know, events to, I mean, I think the church is cleaned like four times a week at this point to decorating, to all these different activities. I mean, turn to Exodus chapter 17. I'm going to turn there myself. I want to, I want to just say something real quick too. Look at Exodus chapter 17. Look, there's a lot going on here. This is a working church. I mean, we're not, I mean, this is going to be a hard place to be if you're just kind of like half in, one toe in. It's not going to be that much fun for you probably, but that's fine because we're looking for the right type of people here too. Because this is a working church. Okay, let's talk about the ministry for a second. Here's a funny thing. And I was talking to my wife about this the other day, but we never, the church is cleaned. I don't know. It seems like a lot. The church is cleaned a lot. And look at Exodus chapter 17. The Bible says that the children of Israel are at war here. Okay. And look at verse number 11. The Bible says, and as it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Look, Moses got tired. You know something? We never put a sign up sheet for cleaning here. We never put one out. We never put one out because you know what we felt like? That, you know, we'll just be the example, and I'm just, I'm speaking for my wife because I don't know that I've cleaned the church that much. But we'll just be the example, and we'll see what happens with that. And all of a sudden, you know, look at verse number 12, but Moses' hands were heavy because look, he was getting tired. Because it's a lot of work just holding your hands up like this so everybody can win the battle. And they took a stone and they put it under him, and he sat there on, and Aaron and her stayed up his hands. They held his hands for him. The one on the other side and the other on the other side. And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So let me tell you something about you ladies that show up here to help clean. You are holding up the hands of the ministry. And I swear, I mean, the ladies, the ladies, my wife and everything that she does, you know, it's kind of a silent ministry there. She doesn't get up here, get up, you get to get up and yell at you people. But, you know, she's doing a lot of work, and you know, I just want to say thank you to the people helping hold her hands. I mean, amen to that. It was never asked. It was never asked, but you have no idea how much it helps the ministry because this is a working church and it takes a lot of work. There's no button. Remember the button? There's no button that says reset church. I mean, there's a lot of people doing a lot of work to keep things squared away here. So I mean, I just want to say thank you. I mean, to the people that aren't seen, especially, there's a lot of people that aren't seen that help to stay up the hands of this ministry. And guess what? Guess what? Those are works. Those are works. And you know what? Those are works. You could even argue that they're the first works because they're works that support the first works. So I mean, everything builds upon everything. This is a working church. That's why I don't care about the numbers because I don't want this place filled with the wrong type of people. If we kept 40 of just working people that were here to just get this thing done and we just leave it to God when he adds to that. That's where I'm at. That's where I'm at. I mean, I'd rather preach to a small group of soldiers than 100 people that aren't plugged in any day. Any day. I mean, that's why if you don't respond to the Bible, if you're lazy, you just don't respond to the Bible, you are going to hate it here because we're moving. We're moving. This place is busy. And look, we're going to get it done. One way or another, we are going to get it done. And look, here's the thing. God will bless that. We're going to get it done. We're going to drive forward. We're going to do the works and everyone's going to drive forward together and God is going to bless that. That's how it's going to work. I don't want to give you the end of the story, but it's going to work that way because our works are important. Our works matter. Look, our works at this point, when you're saved at that point, your works are everything at that point. But, you know, I mean, the devil does have power to hurt you and that's also how he's going to hurt you. Through your works. It's through your works. It's through your works that the devil can make you worthless. He can't take away your soul. He can't take away your soul to hell. He can't damn you. He can't take away your salvation, of course. But look, he can make you worthless. He can make this church worthless. He can make this church a lazy, ineffective church. Think about how horrible that would be if we were just like everybody else. I mean, what a nightmare. Who would want to be part of something like that? So look, here's the thing. If you want your life to matter, you know, salvation is by grace through faith. We know this. But your relevance of your life will be through your works. It's a pretty simple message tonight. But let's not downplay works because that's how you become relevant in this one life that you have. And that's a good thing. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.