0:07 This is probably the most well-known verse of all. Uh do you know which verses I'm thinking of? John 3:16. It's probably one of the most well-known verses of all. But very often people know only that verse and not the verses beside it. Turn 0:26 with me to John chapter 3:E1 16. When God decided to send his son Jesus into this world, he looked at this world and he said, "I'm not going to send my son into this 0:43 world to condemn this world. The world is already living in under condemnation, under guilt, under hopelessness. I'm not going to send my son to go and condemn it further. 1:00 I'm going to send my son to save it. And so if you turn with me to John 3:1 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but 1:17 have eternal life. Verse 17, for God did not send his son into the world to judge the world or to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Verse 18, he who believes in him is not judged or condemned. He who does not believe in 1:36 him has been judged or condemned already because he's not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. This is the judgment or this is the condemnation that light has come into the world and 1:53 men love darkness rather than the light for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come into the light for fear that their his deeds will be exposed. Verse 21. But he who practices the truth comes 2:12 to the light so that his deeds might be manifest or shown that they have been done in God. And as I think about how God sent Jesus into the world, not 2:29 to condemn the world, but to save it. There are certain things in our lives that we don't see clearly. And God sometimes shows it to us. And I believe one sign that God still has hope for me and hope for you. If he's willing to 2:48 show me things that I have not seen in my life, areas of uncristlikeness that God is willing to show it to me in the hope that I'll repent. If he didn't have any hope for me, then he wouldn't show it to me. But when I 3:08 see that God is willing to show me something of uncristlikeness in my life that I didn't see, I see that God still feels that he has hope. That maybe if I tell him one more time, he's going to turn around. Some of you drove this morning to 3:29 church. When you have to take your driving test, this is one of the things they'll test you on. Most of the new cars have an indicator that shows you when somebody is beside you. But in the old cars, they don't. As you're going through the drive test, 3:47 one of the things they'll test you is if you're going to check your blind spot. Your blind spot is the part that you can't see. If you look to the passenger side of your car, you can see the car right beside you. If you look at the 4:00 side passenger mirror, you can see the cars at a distance. But there's a space in between both of that behind your shoulder to the end of the car which is called your blind spot. You can't see it. And so when they test you, one of the 4:20 things that they tested me is that they'll make sure that you're looking when you're changing lanes. Is this driver looking at his blind spot? The place that he can't see. And if you don't, they'll immediately fail you because that they know that 4:37 you're going to be a danger on the road. Look twice. Does any Maybe I was the only one who saw that billboard. Look twice, save a life. Look twice, save a life. They say look at your blind spot at least two 4:56 times because these motorcycles sometimes they come and if you look only once, you might not see it. So look a second time. So it says look twice, save a life. And so I was thinking about that, Lord, there are certain things 5:12 as a Christian for many years I've not seen. And suddenly it's it was in my blind spot and I didn't see it. And God saying, "Look at your blind spot." And this is one of those things. If you 5:29 turn with me to Luke chapter 18, I've read this parable a number of times. Some of you also may have read it mo a number of times. But when I looked at it and I put myself 5:47 in this person's shoes, I said, "Lord, am I like this?" So if you turn with me to Luke 18:9 and he also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were 6:06 righteous. They trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt or looked down on others. Two people went to a meeting. They went to the temple on one day and Jesus telling the parable telling, 6:25 "Are you one who trusts in your own righteousness? Do you think you're righteous? And do you look down on other people?" Jesus is saying this parable. We've might have read it before. And this was one of those things which 6:45 was in my blind spot. I didn't see it. Lord, you've been speaking to me, but I I didn't see it. It was in my blind spot. And I want everyone to look over here for a moment. Everyone look over here for a moment. One day, we're all going to stand before 7:03 the Lord. Every single one of us will stand before the Lord. And there are going to be people who trusted in their own righteousness. Oh, I didn't do much. If you talk to many people, they would say, "Are you going to be right when you stand before 7:21 the Lord?" I hope so. I've done I've lived a decent life. I've not harmed other people. A very good life. Yes, I think I should be there. Stand in front of God's throne. But it's not living a good life 7:39 that God is calling us for. In order to stand before God and his throne, we can only stand there if we're perfectly righteous. Only if you're perfectly righteous can you stand before God's throne. Even a 7:58 little bit of darkness, you can't stand before him. And so if you said, "I lived a good life, but it was not a perfect life." Can you stand before God's throne? Can you? Can you? No. You cannot stand before God's throne 8:17 unless you lived a perfect life. It says in Isaiah 64, if you turn with me, Isaiah 64, for we 8:44 Isaiah 64:6, for all of us have become like one who is unclean. And all our righteous deeds, not our evil deeds, all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment. If on that day we go before the throne 9:06 of God with all our good deeds, all our righteousness and we stand there, it's going to be like a garment torn and dirty and standing there and saying, "Lord, I came here. I didn't do me much harm. I I was nice to my neighbor 9:26 and it's with filthy garments I stand before him. My best of my righteousness is filthy garments. And if you turn with me back to Luke chapter 18, Luke chapter 18, 9:46 one who has lived a good life but not a perfect life cannot stand before God's throne. Verse 10. And so because of this, Jesus wanted to share a parable. Verse 10, Luke 18:10, two men went into 10:07 the temple to pray. One a Pharisee or you can say a religious person, one who hasn't done too much evil in his life, had a good testimony externally, and the other a tax collector who didn't have a good testimony externally. 10:26 And verse 11, listen to this prayer that he prays. The Pharisee or the religious person or I could say AJ. AJ stood there and was praying thus to himself. God, I thank you that I'm not like other people. Swindlers, that means people who 10:44 cheat. I think a majority of us have not cheated people. We've been fairly honest in our workplace. We've not cheated people. I think all of us, most of us at least can say that. I've not cheated anybody. I've not been unjust. Meaning, I've been 11:06 fair. I've been faithful in my marriage. And I've paid my taxes. I've been righteous. All of us can say that. And then it goes on to say and he says, 11:24 "I am not like other people, swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector." Verse 12, "I fast twice a week. I don't know many people who fast twice a week 11:40 and pay tithes of all that I get." faithful in his money. You'd say, "Oh, this brother, he's doing well in the Lord." Good testimony externally. Very good. 11:57 Very good life that he has. Verse 13. But a tax collector standing some distance away was even unwilling to lift up his eyes 12:13 to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, "God, be merciful to me." The sinner, two men went to pray. Two men went to a meeting. Two men men 12:30 went to a temple. And it says of one verse 14, I tell you this man went home justified. Which man? The one which looked at himself, repented. He went back home justified. The other one 12:53 did not. The other one went to the meeting. He went probably sang the songs, read his Bible, said his verses, all of those things. But the one thing he did was one, he trusted in his own righteousness. All 13:11 the good things he did that day, that week, his external testimony. And secondly, he was judging another person. He looked down on another person there. And Jesus is telling this parable. He's saying that there are going to be 13:31 two types of people who come to the meeting. One coming to the meeting and after that meeting is over going back with their own righteousness condemned and proud. Condemned and proud. That's what it says. 13:49 For everyone who exalts himself or proud will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. And it says there the reason nobody can be proud on that day 14:06 if they truly are righteous before God is because it's a righteousness that they did not do on their own effort of all of us. It says in Romans 11, if you turn with me to Romans 11, when it comes to sin, there's no one who 14:25 is sinless other than Jesus. Every single one of us has sinned. Have you heard that expression on a level playing field? On a level playing field means everybody's the same. Nobody 14:43 has an advantage over another. is a level playing field. And it says here in Romans 11, verse 32, Romans 11:32, for God has shut up all in disobedience. Every single one has fallen short of the glory of God and has sinned. All has 15:02 been shut up in disobedience so that he may show mercy to all. You need mercy. I need mercy. The tax collector needed mercy. The Pharisee needed mercy. Every single one 15:21 is in disobedience to God and needs mercy. So when I come and receive mercy from God, I didn't do it because of something I deserved. I freely received it. I can't glory in it. And I won't look down on another person 15:40 who also received it. Why is this important? We all come to meetings week after week and I was thinking about myself. I came to the meeting. I lived fairly externally good testimony 15:57 that week. I came to the meet. I looked at one brother, sister or young person. I looked down on them and I went back home. What happened? a little bit more pride that week because I looked down on somebody else and I trusted in my own 16:16 righteousness. There was something good in me that week that I lived out well made me better than another person and so I think that God is happy with me. If two people were in that meeting and they saw the Pharisee with a good 16:32 external testimony and this brother tax collector with a sinful external testimony. If I was in that meeting, I'd say, "Okay, I need to pray for this brother here who's struggling in sin. I would not pray for this brother. This 16:50 brother is doing well spiritually." But who really needs the prayer? Sometimes taking myself a I know you want to pray for that brother or sister or young person. They're not the one who needs 17:09 prayer. You're the one who needs prayer. The blind spot, the things that we can't see, but God shows us. J all of that you did very well. You sought to live a life pleasing to the 17:26 Lord. But you ruined it all by judging another and thinking that your living a good life, moral life is pleasing to the Lord. If you think about the wedding feast, 17:46 and this is a picture of what it's going to be on that day, many people are invited to that wedding feast and they'll all be standing there and the Lord is going around and he's saying this in Matthew chapter 22. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 22. All of 18:03 these people are sitting at the wedding feast there. Matthew 22:1. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guest, he saw a man there who was not dressed in the wedding clothes. 18:21 He thought, "Okay, my clothes are not so bad. I can come there and stand there. I remember on Sunday, I looked at that other brother over there. He wasn't doing well. I was doing a little bit better than him. I'm okay. That sister I did. I was doing a little 18:37 bit better than that sister or that person or that person who fell away. I did a little bit better than them. But he was missing the wedding garment. He didn't have it. The wedding garment 18:56 that God gave, that's what God is going to look for. The wedding garment is perfect. There's no It's a perfect garment. pure white and that's the only way we can stand before God on that day. And so when I 19:15 come to the Lord, I want God to give me a wedding garment. Brother, sister, every single one of us can receive it. It's something that God can give to us freely. There's no way that we in our own righteousness can 19:34 stand before a holy God. We must receive it. The good news is because of what Jesus did on the cross. It says, "He who knew no sin became sin 19:52 so that we may become the righteousness of God in him." Let's turn there so that we're familiar with that verse. It's found in 2 Corinthians. The only way we can stand before God is if God gives us his own righteousness 20:09 which he purchased on the cross. No one can earn it, but it's something that we can receive from him freely. Verse 21, uh, verse 20. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 20. 2 Corinthians 20:28 chapter 5 verse 20. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making an appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God. He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might 20:46 become the righteousness of God in him. And so you might say, "How do I receive this righteousness?" You said, "It's a free thing that I can receive from the Lord. How can I receive it?" 21:03 Turn to Luke 18. Luke 18. Verse 13. But the tax collector standing some distance away unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven was beating his chest 21:23 saying, "God be merciful to me the sinner." This man went home justified. This man went home with the wedding garments that day. And it says the other one didn't. This one man went home 21:41 humbler that day because he received mercy which he did not deserved. That do you think that tax collector would have looked down on anybody else? No. He knew his sin that he was a sinner. He didn't have any 22:01 desire to look on somebody else and look down on them because he knew that he did not deserve this righteousness that he freely got that day. And so he received mercy and he went home justified, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, the wedding 22:18 garment, ready for the Lord. The other man thought that everything was right with him and went home. And I know that there's been days in my life after the meeting was over, I probably went home with rags, not realiz 22:37 realizing. But today, the blind spot, I looked on my blind spot. Lord, I don't want to judge anybody. I don't want to look down on anybody, Lord. perhaps is I'm the one Lord you're looking at and said AJ 22:55 there's more hope for that brother that sister that young person you repent you turn around you look at and when I see something in my blind spot and I said oh I nearly got into an accident but brother sister I looked at 23:12 my blind spot and I saw something that I didn't see brother sister be careful of the blind spot Brother, sister, be careful. That man didn't realize that he was going home condemned that day. We might live very good lives 23:33 externally. But that's not it. We must be clothed with righteousness of Christ. Young people, old people, every single one here, we have an opportunity to leave this meeting in two ways. one with our own righteousness, judging 23:50 others, looking down on others. Everything is worthless if you judge one person. That's what I learned from this parable. You could have lived a wonderful life, but if you judge one person, it's all a waste. And there's going to be others 24:07 who leave this meeting clothed in the righteousness of God, humble, not looking down on anybody else, seeing their own need and judging themselves. Young person, old person, every person, 24:25 if you don't know if you're clothed with the righteousness of Christ today, please do not leave here till you know. And if you're not sure, I heard about the righteousness of Christ, but I don't know if I'm clothed with the 24:39 righteousness of Christ. And you're young person, ask your parents. Mom, dad, I don't know. Tell me, am I clothed with the righteousness of Christ? Sunday school teacher, tell me. Because I want to be sure that I'm clothed with the righteousness 24:59 of Christ. We live in a world where there's constant condemnation and discouragement all around us. And I was thinking about Job in our 25:19 Bible reading. We're going through the book of Job right now. And I see this man that God was so happy with. And brother, sister, you may be there, that God is extremely happy with you. And I want to be sure that God's happy 25:35 with me. And if you turn with me to Job 1, this was God's opinion on on Job's life. Verse one, Job 1 verse one. There was a man in the land of Oz whose name was Job. And that man was blameless, 25:54 upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. And if you scroll, if you go down to verse eight, verse eight, the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?" 26:11 How many people are like Job? Read there. Therefore there is no one like him on the earth. He's one of a kind. I c I look through the entire earth. There's a lot of people, religious people, good people, 26:28 but I can't find one like Job. I believe Job was one in the midst of a world that he was seeing found one man that delighted his heart when he looked at Jesus. This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. 26:48 My desire and I hope this is our each of our desires. Lord, can you say that about me? When you look at my life, can you say that you're pleased with me? You're happy with me. No matter what other people say and other situations, 27:03 what do you think about me, Lord? Are you can you say that you're happy with me? That you're pleased with me? If you can say that, that is good enough. But you see this man who God highly thought of, God was extremely pleased 27:21 with when calamity hit his life. Starting with his wife and others started to discourage him one after another. If you turn with me to Ezekiel, it speaks of certain people who do this. 27:41 Ezekiel chapter 13. Ezekiel 13:22 Ezekiel 13:22 Because you have disheartened the righteous by saying false things about them when I did not cause him grief. 28:00 Meaning I was extremely happy with this person, this brother or sister, young person. I was extremely happy with them. But you went and told them false things about them to discourage them. And I look at the friends of Job, 28:17 Alifaz, Bildad, and Zofar constantly. You must have sinned this way. That's why this happened to you. This is why this is happening to you. Constantly discouraging him. in one place. If you turn with me to Job chapter 19, 28:36 this is Job Job's response uh to them. Job chapter 19 verse one. Job chapter 19 verse one. Then Job responded, "How long will you torment me and crush crush me with your 28:55 words?" Verse three. These 10 times you've insulted me. You are not ashamed to wrong me. You're not even feeling ashamed for all these words you're throwing at me to discourage me. He goes on in verse uh 21. He says, "Pity me, pity me, oh 29:19 you my friends, for the hand of the God has struck me. Why do you persecute me as God does? Are you not satisfied with my flesh? Don't you see all these wounds all upon my body? Doesn't that at least give you some pity towards me? 29:38 And this man who God loved tremendously, who said there's none like him, he comes to such a low point in his life. If you read, turn with me to Job chapter 9. Job chapter 9:16, he came to such a low point in his life. 29:57 In Job 9:16, it says, "If I called to God and he answered me, I could not believe that God was listening to my voice." I couldn't believe that God would listen to me. If there was anybody on the face of the earth at that time that God was going to 30:16 listen to, who was it? It was Job. But because of this constant discouragement from all his friends, if you have friends like these, who needs who needs enemies? If you have friends like these, who 30:35 needs enemies? Constantly. But in the midst of it, God loved this man. And for me too, in the midst of everything, I want to know what God thinks of me. If God's happy with me, 30:52 that's good enough. Job couldn't see it. But this has been written for us so that we can see that even though these situations were happening all around him and other people were saying different. He needed to go and say, "Lord, yes, 31:06 these people are saying all of these things about me. Is it true? Lord, what did what do you think? Maybe they may think I'm good, but you don't have such a you don't think I'm doing well. Let your opinion is what matters, not what 31:19 all these other people say. They see my external life. You see my you see my heart. But you see this man completely discouraged by his friends. But 31:38 we must know Lord what do you think about me? Your opinion of me is what matters. But if the Lord allowed it, didn't you? Wouldn't you wonder? The Lord could have easily came to his friends and said, "Stop. Stop here. Why 31:56 did he allow it chapter after chapter? I'm going through it in 1920, 21." God's allowing them to keep discouraging him. Why? And I see that there's a purpose even in God allowing these people to constantly discourage this godly man 32:15 because there is a work that God needed to do in Job. So if you you see in chap up till 31 Job is talking and after that Job stops then Elu comes and then God starts speaking to him starting in Job chapter 38 32:34 and God speaks about his greatness to Job. And if you turn with me to Job chapter 40, Job 40, after God has spoken to him the first time, Job 40:1, 32:56 then the Lord said to Job, "Will the faultfinder contend or argue with the Almighty? Let him who corrects or reproves God answer it." He calls Job a faultf finder. You're find finding fault with me. And then Job says something. Verse 33:16 three. Then Job answered the Lord and said, "Behold, I am insignificant or I'm a small thing." After you spoke to me, Lord, I've humbled myself. Humbled myself, humbled myself, humbled myself. And now 33:34 I become very small, insignificant. What can I reply to you? I lay my hand on my mouth. Once I have spoken, I will not answer. Even twice, I will not add nothing more. But the Lord saw him. 33:54 He was small. He was still small. He was insignificant, which is better than where he started off with. But he still, the Lord was not still done with Job yet. He hadn't come to become a nothing yet. He still was insignificant. He still had something. 34:13 God was waiting till he came to the end. And so two more chapters, chapter 41, 40 and 41, he continues to speak to Job. And then after he spoke to him and talked to him about the behomoth and the Leviathan, these massive creatures that 34:33 God made, finally Jo, God has got Job to the place he wanted him to be. Verse chapter 42 verse one. Then Job answered the Lord and said, "I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can 34:52 be thwarted. Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have declared that which I did not understand, things that too wonderful for me which I did not know. Hear now and I will speak. I will ask you and you 35:06 will instruct me. I have heard of you, but by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I retract or I take back everything I said. I repent in dust and ashes. I repent in dust and ashes. I come from 35:24 being insignificant. I've come to nothing. I take back everything that I've said. I repent in dust and ashes. God brought Job to a place of nothingness. 35:43 And when br when when we see that happening in our lives as well, God putting us in circumstances in situations at school, at workplaces, home, different circumstances and situ situations that break us, break us, break us. 36:00 Maybe we're still insignificant. Maybe we're not still nothing. And so God has to do some more, speak to us. But what what Job's three friends could not do when God started speaking to him, God did. Finally, he came to a place where 36:20 it says here in uh Job chapter 40. Um 36:50 he says in one uh yes it's chapter 40:14 he tells Job then I will confess to you that you your own right hand can save you Job you lived such a righteous life Job 40:14 14. But even though you lived a righteous 37:09 life, you can't save yourself. And so Job had to come to the place where despite his righteousness, he had to come to the place, Lord, I can't save myself. Even though I lived such a godly life, I also need a savior. I need to 37:27 repent of my sins. I need to come to dust and ashes and need a savior just like everyone else. And so God also I believe takes us through dicult situations so that he brings us from all these things. 37:43 A man's pride will bring him low. How low? From insignificant to nothing. God will humble us. humbles me and you because he wants us to not rely on our own righteousness but to come to a place where Lord I don't have any 38:02 righteousness. I can live a good life but at the end of the day I need a savior. I need your wedding garments. And as I think about Jesus and his life, 38:20 Jesus said, "As the father has sent me, so send I you." That's in John 20 21. He sends us also in the world. And when he sent Jesus into the world, he didn't send Jesus to condemn the world because 38:37 the world was already condemned. And for me also when Jesus sends me and you into this world, God has not sent me to judge the world or condemn the world. But he's hoping that I too who has received mercy will show mercy and be one that can save 38:55 others. In Luke 18, we read about the tax collector who beat his chest and said, "Lord, have mercy on me." That Pharisee could not help that brother. He could judge him. He could look down on him, but he couldn't help 39:12 that Pharise I mean that tax collector. But in Luke chapter 19, if you turn with me to Luke chapter 19, there was another tax collector. In Luke 19 whose name was Zakius, 39:31 he was a tax collector. Externally bad testimony, cheated people. But Jesus did not look down on him or judge him. What did he do? A tax collector, another tax collector. 39:50 He saved him. It says here verse 5, "When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, Zakius, hurry and come down today. I must stay at your house." The way Jesus interacted with this tax 40:09 collector brought him to repentance, brought him to salvation. He didn't condemn him. He didn't judge him. Did he have plenty to judge Zakius on? Yes, plenty. But he didn't. And that's why Zakius found salvation. 40:28 And I say, Lord, I don't want to be one who judges another. Lord, if I anybody can judge another person. It doesn't take much to judge another person. But Lord, can I help that brother or sister, can I pray for them? 40:48 And when a situation comes up, whether it's in the home, in the workplace, a situation comes up and usually I would look down on the person or judge the person. I say Lord no let me not judge them Lord let me help them by praying for them in 41:05 Nehemiah 2 I love the way Nehemiah prayed he didn't get on his knees and long prayer soon as the situation came up you know what he did just in his heart Nehemiah chapter 2 verse 4 then the king said to me what would 41:24 you request so I prayed to God the God of heaven And I said to the king, "Quick prayer." And the next time when a situation arises, something happens in the home, in the workplace, at school, and you're willing to, you want to judge that 41:42 person, you want to like you've done in the past. Lord, let me not do it. Let me look at my blind spot. Lord, let me not judge them. You take judging others and looking down on others so seriously. I want to put an end to it today. I want 42:01 to be clothed in your righteousness and I don't want to look down on a single. If I can, let me pray for them. Let me help them. Let me be one who prays for them. If you think about the time that Jesus and our our teens are you're going 42:18 through living as Jesus lived. And so looking at Jesus's life and saying, "Lord, I want to see your life. How were you in your life and let me let me be like that, Lord? Fill me with your Holy Spirit and make me like you." And 42:37 there was one thing that I saw. I think this was the only time that Jesus called God the Father as Aba, meaning dad. Only one place in the Gospels that he calls him out. Aba, father or dad. Do you know 42:54 where it is? It's found in Mark 14 when he's at the garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14 verse 36. Verse 35. Mark 14:35. And he went a little beyond 43:13 them and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible the hour might pass him by. Verse 36. And he was saying, "Aba, Dad, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not my will, 43:33 but what you will." This is probably the most difficult time in Jesus' life. If you turn with me to Luke 22, the parallel passage, Luke 22, Luke 22, verse 43. 43:52 Luke 22:43. And now an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. Verse 44. And being in agony, he was praying very fervently, and sweat, his sweat became like drops of blood falling down upon the ground. I believe this is probably the most 44:11 intense time for Jesus's Jesus in his life praying with ferveny. But the thing that I thought about is even though Jesus was going to pray for the one one of the most intense things that he was going to ever face 44:31 before he prayed for himself. Do you know who who he prayed for? Who did he pray for? If you turn with me to a few few few verses ahead, verse 31. 44:49 Luke 22:31. Before he prayed for himself, Luke 22:31, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat. Verse 32. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail and that what once you have been returned 45:09 again, strengthen your brothers. I saw that Jesus even though his prayer needs was much more than what Peter needed. He thought of Peter first. He said, "My brother, he needs prayer first. Let me pray for him." 45:27 And I learned that from Jesus. I said Lord yes there's many things that I pray for maybe I pray for the salvation of relatives for my children or for work situation or these things but I can always think of somebody who's going 45:40 through a situation just like me in my circle and I say Lord I want to follow you in this example Lord even though your need was much more than Peter's need you thought of Peter first you prayed for him first I can follow you in 45:56 a small As I think about my brothers who are going through a difficult situation or a family situation or a lost loved one and I think about their situation, Lord, I I'll pray for myself as well, but let me pray with for them first just 46:12 like you did. A small way that I can follow your example, Lord. And I wanted to close with this. Over the years, if you look through the scriptures, it's very rare to find a person 46:29 who's fallen away to be restored. You you read of Deus and so many example Cain and over and over in the scriptures many people who've fallen away who've never returned back. And as I look through the scriptures and 46:48 see that very few one man in second Corinthians who after he fell he repented and was restored. You hear of people like non who who got back his senses and said I'll go and do what you told me to do the first time. Very rare. 47:07 And among those who found salvation after they have fallen so far down was Job's friends. It's a very rare thing to see after you've spoken such evil words towards a 47:25 godly man that there is hope for them to be restored back. Very rare. And I say, Lord, you've put this example in scripture for a reason that there's no one who's beyond hope. So if you turn with me to Job 42:7, and 47:49 it came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Elaz, the Tim, can God speak to one who has fallen so bad? Yes. My wrath is kindled against you. It's not even anger. Wrath kindled against 48:07 you and against your two friends because you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has. Now therefore take yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, the one you spoke such evil against, 48:24 and go set matters right and offer thee birth offerings for yourselves, and my servant Job will pray for you. How humiliate humiliating it would have been after you said all these evil things about him that you go and apologize to the same man and ask him to 48:43 pray for you. I'm sorry for what I said. But the way to life is narrow and very few find it. Our young children told us that. How many people have found this narrow way of going and apologizing and setting a matter right 49:01 saying I was wrong? Very few. And that's why you find very few like Alifas, Zofar and Bildad who after they failed so far found the narrow way. And it says that after he prayed, it says in verse 9, Elipas, the Tai, 49:19 Beldad, and Zofar, the name went and did as the Lord told them. And the Lord accepted Job's prayers. Verse 10. The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when when he prayed for his 49:36 friends. Even though they did all that harm to him, he considered them as friends. When Judas came, friend, you betray the son of man. And so even this morning we can go of one two ways out after this 49:57 meeting. One we can go in our own garments our own righteousness or we can say Lord I don't come with my own righteousness. I come beat myself on my chest and say Lord have mercif merciful to me. I'm the 50:16 sinner. Please have mercy. Clothe me in your righteousness. Give me the wedding garments that I cannot earn. Let me not go out of this meeting looking down on anybody else. And may I never look down on another brother or sister again. If I 50:31 want to do something, let me pray for them like you prayed for Peter. He was going to fall, but he didn't condemn him. He prayed for him. Let me also be like that to my brother, my sister, my young the young people here. 50:46 And I believe if the Lord does that in our lives, each one of our lives, where we judge ourselves, God's going to do what he did for Job, bringing his friends to know the Lord. Miracle, a miracle he'll do all around 51:05 us. And it starts with us. The judgment must begin with the household of God. when we judge ourselves, God will do this. God has put this word in his thing and he's caused me to hope in it. Hope in this promise. 51:24 And so I tell Lord, you caused me. You You wrote this down and you've caused me to hope on it. I believe you're going to fulfill it in our midst. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, I pray Lord, I don't want to judge anyone. Lord, I want to look at this blind spot, 51:42 Lord, and I don't want to judge anyone. What I do want to do is receive your wedding garments that I cannot earn. I pray for every single person here. I pray that we'll all receive the wedding garments. The only thing that we could 51:56 wear that will make us be able to stand before you on that day when we stand before your throne. I pray that you'd clothe every single one of us. I pray Lord that we'd come to you humbly and receive your wedding garments. That we 52:10 would not look down on anybody else. And what can we boast Lord? Our righteousness has come from you freely. Lord, we have no righteousness of our owns. Our righteousness is like filthy rags, Lord. We throw it away and receive 52:24 your righteousness. I pray for every single one. I pray for each one of us, Lord. I pray that we would be right with you, Lord. And I pray Lord that we would have great joy on that day. And I pray as we judge ourselves Lord that you'd 52:38 bring many people like Zofar and Buildads and Alifas that they would be restored to a right relationship with you in Jesus name. Amen.
