The Christian, The World, and The Cross

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. Good morning. Morning, children. Good morning, youth. Wow. I thought I'd catch you off guard. Like the woman at the well, I was seeking for things that wouldn't, couldn't, could never, will never satisfy. [00:00:46] I think we each can sing that song from our hearts. Wow. It's my prayer this morning that I would be filled. Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. I trust we're here seeking the Lord. I really like prayer. [00:01:21] It's essential and it's vital. So, please keep praying for me. Because God's Word is going to be read. It has been read and we've been looking at God's Word this morning. But this sermon, it's a difficult one for me in ways. because in places it steps on my toes [00:01:52] and I can't tell you why I have my toes in a place where they can be stepped on but it steps on my toes. The title is The Christian, The World, and The Cross. It's kind of funny how, not funny, but how when you soak yourself in the Word of God, [00:02:33] that makes you just want to cry. I don't know, it does something to you. I'll get over it here in just a little bit. Sorry. But maybe you noticed that already. Makes you soft. I'm not always soft. I asked my children when the van was dead this morning. When everybody's running a little late, I'm running late. [00:03:07] I'm not always soft, so don't get me wrong. Not this perfect. But, so I'm asking you to bear with me a little bit today. But I want to realize, and maybe some of these things may be a little difficult this morning, but don't look at the person that the words are coming from, because it's not me, it's God's Word. and I have to think often who am I to be preaching this stuff but it's God's word and it's good. [00:03:49] A couple things I wanted to say before I get started to remind us that God is a person. He is not a program. Something that we can just sign up for. We're in this program. He has a heart. And the other thing is that salvation is a gift. Salvation is not a result of this program. [00:04:25] Otherwise, if we see it as a result of this program, I got salvation. I get heaven if I do this program right. That's not true. We have to see salvation as a gift from the heart of God. It's not an equation. I'll do this and get this. Which is kind of confusing because all through the Bible, [00:04:57] he that does this, he that doesn't doeth this, is likened to a foolish man. He that doeth these things is likened to a wise man. So there's a lot of doing. So it gets kind of confusing. So we do have to do. But we will want to do. It won't be law anymore. It will be walking in the Spirit. We don't need the law. We're just going to do it. It's just going to be us. It's going to be the Spirit. It's going to be God in us. God's heart burns for us, and His salvation flows to us. [00:05:34] He loves us dearly. He has a personal interest in you. You know that. He's interested in Levon. Each one, personally interested. And there's a lot of scripture again, all out of the New Testament. This morning, I would like us to examine ourselves. [00:06:05] Are you really a Christian? It's a third of the message. The Christian, the world, and the cross. What is a real Christian? So, let's examine ourselves. Down in Jamaica, it happened all the time. You go into the bank, especially at the bank where they exchange money. Even if you give them a $20 bill, they'll get out their little highlighter pen or whatever that pen is and check the $20 bill. [00:06:39] But especially, you may get that at the bank if you take or into a place to buy something and it's a $100 bill, They're going to get out their little pen and they're going to check it. What would happen if I would go into some place and hand them a $100 bill and she goes to get her pen out and I say, Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it. Don't be using that pen. What's she going to say? Hey, what is up? Don't examine this $100 bill. Because why? Because maybe I'm afraid that it's counterfeit. [00:07:13] Maybe I know that it's counterfeit. So I'm asking, let's examine ourselves. Am I a counterfeit? I don't want to cause any of us to doubt our salvation, to doubt if we are real. That's not what this is for, to make us doubt. And the devil is going to make us think that. But I'm encouraging us to examine ourselves. [00:07:49] If we are afraid that my $100 bill is counterfeit, why would I be afraid? Because I know it's counterfeit. But there's nothing wrong with... To examine something isn't destructive. It's instructive. You know what I mean? It can be building. It can be revealing. [00:08:20] If we don't have anything to worry about, then hallelujah. God tells us, hey, you're real. Puts a smile on your face. I'm real. or He'll tell us that we're not. So, if our hearts are saying a little bit right now, you're a little scared and you're a little afraid, what's He going to say? Let's just be honest [00:08:52] and ask ourselves, why am I afraid? Why am I so afraid to examine myself and to look at everything Not to look at the things that I do, but look at my heart. What's the intent of my heart? What's the intent of your heart? In the very ever so little way. Maybe it's a big way too, I don't know. For everyone practicing evil hates light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. [00:09:41] But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. So if you don't like the light shining on you, check it out. Check out why. I'm not sure why I wrote, you are what you eat. I have no idea why. Sorry about that. [00:10:14] I don't have to say everything that comes to mind. Why did I write that? Right now it says, you are what you eat. Okay, a couple of verses in 2 Chronicles. Just one verse. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? Do you not know for sure? Are you sure? Unless indeed you are disqualified. [00:10:45] See, when I have a $100 bill and I know this thing is not counterfeit, I didn't get it from somewhere, I didn't make it myself, it's not counterfeit, I can hand that thing up there. Hey, check it for all your work. Check it out. Go ahead. I'm not ashamed. I'm not afraid of nothing. So where are we at this morning right now? You're saying, check me out. I am clean. Or are we a little bit scared? Just a little. Ephesians 4, one verse there, verse 30. [00:11:26] and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. And I want to put in there, do not reject his counsel. Don't grieve him by rejecting his counsel. Each, if we're in Christ, and even if you're not, you still have a conscience, but as Christians, the Holy Spirit is speaking to us. Each and every time we're tempted, don't grieve him by rejecting his counsel. [00:12:05] Then in chapter 5, verse 3, all the way, it was hard for me to know what to read and what not to read. Verse 3 of chapter 5 says, But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you as is fitting for saints. There's a big long list there in chapter 5 and I may end up reading it at some point this morning. [00:12:42] But, maybe I will. Maybe I'll just read that. Chapter 5 Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. Now remember, we're looking at the Christian. And we're looking at myself. We're looking at yourself. Am I a real Christian? What does it mean to be a real Christian? Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, [00:13:14] an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. I would, if you're not following along, maybe you want to follow along. Because I get a whole lot more. Personally, I get a whole lot more out of following along. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you as is fitting for saints. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. [00:13:46] For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Do you know how serious that is? You have no inheritance. None. It doesn't say you have a little bit of an inheritance. No. You're in or you're out. You have no inheritance. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. [00:14:19] So you will hear people say, well, you can be, once you're saved, you can live in sin, you can do what you want, you're saved. God's grace covers you. We know that's not true. People will try to deceive us. Verse 7, therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk. That reminds me of 1 John 2, verse 6. [00:14:52] If you call yourself a Christian, walk as he walked. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. but rather expose them or reprove them for it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light [00:15:24] for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore, he says, awake you who sleep. I have a little story to tell. One time Jamie and I were driving up to a job in Michigan and it was a long ways away and a lot of times he'll sleep, which is not a problem. But he was sleeping all the way up to the job. Well, I don't remember why, but for some reason he had to leave and go somewhere or something. But so, since he was sleeping, he didn't know the way. [00:16:02] So he went down the first road and turned left, which was right, or which was correct. Went down the next road, turned right, headed towards Chicago. He was supposed to go the other way. And driving and driving, driving and driving. For some, I don't know where you're going, but anyways, that doesn't matter. But that's not the point. The point was, he was going the wrong way because he was sleeping all that time. And he called me up, and here he is in Cassopolis. What in the world are you doing over there? [00:16:33] So, wake, you who sleep. Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Is seeking your lifestyle. You know, seeking is not a thing that you do just on Sunday morning before you come. [00:17:05] Or, when do you seek? Is it Saturday? Is it just Saturday, preparing for a message, preparing for devotions, Sunday school? Do you only seek when you absolutely have to? You know, I know that it's been said here, worship is a lifestyle. And it is. is seeking your lifestyle. Awake you who sleep. A couple of verses in 1 John. [00:17:49] Little children, chapter 3, verse 7. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin because he has been born of God. [00:18:21] In this, the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. Okay. Verse 8. He who sins is of the devil. Now, I don't believe, I don't want to, I want to maybe settle your hearts a little bit. It doesn't, it's what he's talking there is the life, I think we all understand that. It's a lifestyle of sin. Okay. It's not a slip. [00:18:53] I mean, we still need to call it sin. But if you... Boy, I can get myself in. Do you all know what I mean? Yes or no? I don't want to give ourselves an excuse that, well, it was just a little slip. It was just a little mistake. We need to call it sin. But you are of the devil if it's a lifestyle of sin. And one more in Romans chapter 10. [00:19:34] I think I'm just going to read verse 3. I was thinking of reading this whole chapter too. Good, good chapter. Verse 3, For they being ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness have not submitted to the righteousness of God. Are we seeking God's righteousness or are we somehow trying to seek our own? Now, let's go to Galatians chapter 6, verse 14. [00:20:08] The next two, so I want to look at us as Christians. Are we really Christians? I want to look at the world. I want to look at the cross. But, if we are not looking, when I say at the cross, I'm not talking about in our living room we set up this cross and every day we're going to come look at the cross. That's not what I'm talking about. Now, when I'm talking about looking at the cross, I'm talking about, somehow, if we can envision this, in your quiet time, some morning, just sit down, find all the scriptures of Christ's suffering on the cross, and try, ask God to give you a vision, I almost hate to say that in a Mennonite church, help me to see and help me to understand what Christ went through. [00:21:03] Look at the cross. Look at Christ. You're at the bottom of the cross. You know, all those songs. I don't know if I have time to look at a bunch of songs, but at the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light. Bring all your burdens. Lay them at the cross. Okay, so let's walk up to the cross and look at Christ. There's no way that, you know, well, I'll get into that later maybe. So, I want to look at the cross. I want to look at Christ there on the cross. Do not say that God doesn't love them because Calvary, the cross, is a perfect sign that God loves me. He loves you. Look what he did for you. Would you ever do that for somebody, let alone a wicked sinner such as yourself? [00:21:55] God calls us to that in the Sermon on the Mount. But anyways, Galatians 6, verse 14. But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Check that out. Check it out. [00:22:29] By whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. How does that? But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything. but what? A new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, [00:23:05] peace and mercy be unto them and upon the Israel of God. I want to look at the cross. The cross. I think John Newton, I didn't write any, oh yes, I don't know what song number it is. [00:23:37] I think John Newton wrote this song, Alas, and did my Savior bleed? And did my sovereign die? Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? Now, you know John Newton, right? Slave trader, vile, vile man. He wrote this song. He knew what it was to look at the cross. Was it for crimes that I had done? He groaned upon the tree. [00:24:15] Amazing pity, grace unknown, and love beyond degree But drops of grief can ne'er repay The debt of love I owe Here, Lord, I give myself away Tis all that I can do [00:24:45] The message of Calvary is, I love you. How can we reject such a gift? How can we reject that? It's because we got the world in our eyes. That's why. Here we are in the world. Can't get away from it. Except by looking at the cross. [00:25:17] Except by looking at Christ and what He did. Salvation. The song, The Old Rugged Cross. I will cling to the old rugged cross. We don't go to the cross. Okay, here's my burdens, here's my cares, here's my sins. Walk away. Done. Go on our way. [00:25:49] No, I will cling to the old rugged cross. And I'm going to stay there till all my trophies I lay down. What are your trophies this morning? What are the trophies? What are the things that you don't want to give up? I talked to somebody recently that said that they were a Christian a long time ago, but they aren't anymore. It was the happiest time in their life for two months. [00:26:22] I said, what happened? They said, I wasn't willing to give up what God was asking me to give up. So, they walk away from the cross. All because you didn't want to give something up. When here you are looking at Christ, what has He given up? The world used the cross to put Christ to death. [00:27:02] And as it says here in Galatians 6, verse 14, God uses the cross to put to death the world in each one of us as we look at the cross. God had to do something in order to open our eyes. He wrote it down. Nobody listened to it. Nobody did it. Well, maybe a few. He had to do something. We didn't listen to our forefathers. [00:27:37] Forefathers tried to tell us. Didn't happen. Didn't listen. So we had to do something. As we stand at the cross looking, we can't deny His love for us. And it's only at the cross, as we come to Christ, as we submit ourselves, as we humble ourselves, Lord, I'm a sinner. Sometimes we can hardly say it. You know, I think that's why the Bible says we are to confess our sins one to another. [00:28:15] Maybe a little easier when we're all by ourselves in a little tiny room somewhere and, Lord, I'm sorry. Or driving down the road, you think it, or you're at work, you just, you think, Oh, I'm so sorry for that. You're thinking to yourself. Because it's hard to humble ourselves. It's hard to lay down our trophies and say, I'm sorry, I'm a sinner. Sometimes, sorry Lord, I made a mistake. [00:28:45] No, you're a sinner. It's only at the cross, when we come to Christ, that our eyes are opened to an eternal vision. It's where the eternal is revealed to the temporary, to the temporal. You know, here we are, we're here temporarily. We're living in this world. And it's only at the cross that the spiritual is revealed to the carnal. [00:29:28] So I'm asking, are we desperate for Christ? Are you desperate? You're tired of walking around and looking like a Christian, but knowing in your heart you are not a Christian. And God's calling you. God's calling you. We sit in church and the thing to do, here we come, we're going to go to church today. [00:30:03] Why do we come to church? Even if you're not desperate, make decisions that a desperate man would make. Okay, that just reminded me, Matthew 7 talks about eating my flesh and drinking my blood. Imagine, imagine doing that. What if I would have brought some flesh, a big old chunk of meat, Jim eats that kind of meat. No, imagine, it's uncooked, here's flesh, and here's blood. [00:30:37] And especially if you're a Jew, Jesus was saying this, especially if you're a Jew. Here, eat this, and drink this. How desperate would you have to be in order to come up and eat that? or drink the blood, you would have to be pretty desperate for the Lord to save you. So how desperate are you? You'll do anything? You'll give up anything? Give up the things you want to hold on to? [00:31:08] Like that person? If the world is not crucified in your life by the Cross, Then your efforts to get rid of worldliness in your life will only be a self-made religion. You know what I mean? It's only going to be religion. If we turn to Revelations chapter 3, Jesus tells us what our problem is. [00:31:41] I know your works, that you are neither hot nor cold. I could wish you were hot or cold. So then, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Are you hot this morning or are you cold? Because you are not in between. Well, I guess you can be, but then you're not in. [00:32:16] I guess Jesus said you can be lukewarm. But if you're lukewarm, sorry for you. Verse 17, Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. That's our problem. We're blind. We haven't come to the cross. We haven't come to Christ and said, Lord, I give up everything. Because it's only through the cross that we are crucified to the world. [00:32:55] Verse 18, I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich in white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed. And I want to focus on and anoint my eyes with eye salve that you may see. Eye salve. We do not see things. [00:33:28] We don't see spiritual things as we should. If we don't come to Christ, if we're not seeking after God, And we're just going about life, seeking our own things. We don't see spiritual things. It's like looking through the fog. Have you ever been driving and it's a thick fog? And it's so thick, it's almost, you know, got your eyes squinting, moving your head and trying to make sure that you see everything. Or if you've ever been hunting, I don't know, I've never been hunting, but I'm imagining, I've heard a lot of stories, okay, where you think you see a deer. [00:34:05] It's just getting daylight. Is that a deer? You know, do we have a fog on our eyes? Are we blind? And then I also want to look at verse 18. I counsel you, Jesus says, I counsel you to buy from me eyesalve. And my first thought was, what is it going to cost me to buy this eye salve? [00:34:39] Does anybody know? Somebody answer? What's it going to cost you? If you refer to Galatians chapter 6 verse 14, it's going to cost you the world. It's going to cost you the world. And I don't know what the world is to you. What does that mean? What is the world in your life? Everybody may be some of the same. What is the world to you? Or what does that mean to you? [00:35:14] What will it cost you? It's going to cost you everything. But, this eyesalve is ours for the asking. All we need to do is bring our filthy rags and lay them at the feet of the cross. And say to God, Lord, I agree, I'm blind. Fanny Crosby wrote some wonderful songs. [00:35:51] She knew what it meant to have the vision of the cross. Jesus, keep me near the cross. There, a precious fountain free to all, a healing stream flows from Calvary's mountain Near the cross, a trembling soul, love and mercy found me There, the bright and morning star sheds its beam around me [00:36:24] Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me Help me walk from day to day with its shadows o'er me Near the cross I'll watch and wait, hoping, trusting ever Till I reach the golden strand just beyond the river She was not leaving the cross Let's not walk away from the cross Let's not walk away from Christ hanging there, dying for us Another song that I found written by her [00:36:58] Savior, I don't know this song, but Savior, more than life to me, I am clinging, clinging close to Thee. Let Thy precious blood applied keep me ever, ever near Thy side. Through this changing world below, lead me gently, gently as I go. Trust in me, I cannot stray, I can never, never lose my way. Let me love thee more and more till this fleeting, fleeting life is o'er [00:37:31] Till my soul is lost in love in a brighter, brighter world above She had an eternal vision. She was right there by the cross. Is that you? Is that me this morning? The cross of Jesus is always trying to put to death the world, and the world is always trying to put to death Jesus Christ. [00:38:08] Think of Samson and Delilah. He was lured, I guess that's the right word, laud, or even lured, by carnal, worldly lusts. And it wasn't for his good. It was for his destruction. So that's what Satan is trying to do to each one of us. If he can get a little bit of the world in, pull us a little bit, a little bit, a little bit, a little bit, a little bit. [00:38:41] He's not doing it for our good. And whatever, you know, I'm going to liken Delilah to the world. Worldly compromises in our life. You know, it may seem sweet for a little bit. But in the end, we are blinded to eternal glories. You know, and it can be a big thing, it can be a little thing. [00:39:11] You know, that night when we choose to do something that is of the world, and we wake up in the morning feeling so empty, we're not satisfied. It doesn't satisfy. The world does not satisfy, but for a little teeny weeny bit. And that's not satisfaction. It's not being satisfied. 1 Peter 2. [00:39:59] Verse 11 Beloved, I beg you, as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshless lusts which war against the soul. Galatians 5.17 Verse 16 I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. for the flesh, lust against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. [00:40:32] And these are contrary to one another. They're contrary. What does that mean? They don't mix. They fight against each other. So that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. So we don't need the law because we are being led by the spirit. But I wanted to look at the spirit and the flesh warring against. That's why it's so troubling. That's what makes it so difficult. [00:41:07] They are absolute enemies. My question for myself that I had, which one am I feeding? Am I feeding the spirit? Am I feeding my spirit? Am I feeding God's spirit? Am I feeding my flesh? Boys, green trees Don't feed the dog Oh, that's another long story I should have stayed in 1 John 2 [00:41:44] Verse 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world These are very familiar passages But very very important If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world and the world is passing away and the lust of it but he who does the will of God [00:42:15] abides forever You want to just pass away with the world? Not me. So I want to encourage you. If you have chosen to walk against the tide, all those thousands of even Christians walking against you, so-called Christians, [00:42:47] it's okay to do this. It's alright to do this. It's okay to go here. It's okay to watch this. It's okay to say these little things. You have chosen to walk against all of that. I want to encourage you, keep going. Don't give up. Don't give in. And as many as walk according to this rule, [00:43:18] peace and mercy be unto you. I was going to read, I think I will. Let's turn to Jude a little bit. Could read the whole chapter. Verse 8 it says, Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority. Let's look at he brings out angels, Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain, Balaam, and Korah. If you look at each one of those stories, what was their end? Starts with a D. Destruction. Absolute destruction. [00:44:01] The angels in verse 6 who did not keep their proper domain but left their own abode He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them in a similar manner to these Having given themselves over to sexual immorality, gone after strange flesh are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. [00:44:33] Then verse 8, likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. And it goes on and on. Verse 11 talks about Cain and Balaam for profit and perished in the rebellion of Korah. Korah was seeking after power. And maybe we don't think, well, we're not seeking after power. Well, examine yourselves. Verse 20, But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, [00:45:07] praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God. Where is the love of God? The love of God is hanging on the tree, on the cross. Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life And on some have compassion, making a distinction, and on and on I really, you know, when we start talking about the world and worldliness Maybe we should talk about, I wrote down a huge list of things that I'm not going to go there [00:45:47] But what we normally think about when we think about worldliness, oh boy, here comes this list, right? Youth, that's the way I was in youth. What's worldliness? Ah, not worldly, you know. There's been a lot of talk in our household about world, the world. What is the world? Is this worldly? Is that worldly? So I'll go down this list. And I'm not going to talk about them, but I want us to look at them, examine ourselves. [00:46:25] Where are we at? Examine ourselves, even look at the world that can be in each one of these to us. Maybe it is the world to us. Music, jewelry, makeup, tight dresses, even blue jeans, what about your cell phone, your new car, your haircut, sideburns, eating, movies, sports, romance novels, [00:47:07] Even hunting, fishing, our jobs, our bank accounts, internet, YouTube, Facebook, the whole nine yards. Let's look at it. I don't care what it is, it's food. What is pulling us away from Christ? What's hindering us? So my prayer is that we, again, examine ourselves. [00:47:43] I need to examine myself over and over. Let's pray. Dear God in heaven, Almighty and all-powerful and all-sovereign and all-controlling and all-knowing God, Know our hearts and look at us and search us Lord. Try us. Open up our eyes Lord. Lord you have promised us ISAV. Lord I pray that your Holy Spirit would speak to each one of our hearts this morning. [00:48:28] Me first, Lord. Lord, help me to realize what part of the world is still in me. Reveal it to us, Lord. I pray that you would give us a desire to know you more, that your Holy Spirit would fill us and speak to us, help us to understand your will. In Jesus name, Amen