The Pilgrims, Nominal Christianity & The Great Awakening

So this will be lesson number 11 part 2 From Reformation

to Revival we did section number one the English Puritans.

So this will be section number two Puritanism and America.

Now, what do what do you know about the Puritans?

How much do you know about the Puritans?

The Pilgrims, they were kind of fussy.

Yeah, I think one thing people know about them is they they outlawed Christmas.

So they banned the celebration of Christmas because yeah people were you might say having too much fun

but they said people were you know living in excess and And

indulging themselves Too much in worldly pleasures during Christmas.

So that's kind of the one thing a lot of people know about the Puritans so It says here in

my book.

I don't think this is in yours, but I'll just read it the Pilgrims Were a group of separatist

Puritans who left England due to what? religious persecution

right.

During the reign of James the first after spending a short time in Amsterdam.

They embarked for North America on the Mayflower landing at Plymouth in 1620.

Thousands of Puritans crossed the Atlantic to North America in the 1620s and

1630s.

So is that something that you knew that the.

That the Pilgrims and the Puritans.

I mean, this is the same group.

Yeah, and they they left England because the Church of England was yeah, they were Persecuting

them.

So it's it's the big church persecuting maybe the small church

or the mountain the majority persecuting the minority, which was the case in the the

Protestant Reformation with the Catholic Church Persecuting the Protestants and then once

the Anglicans had power I mean they were very similar to the

Catholics and they persecuted the Puritans so on and on it went.

Yeah.

Okay.

It says here after Charles the first came to the throne many more Puritans left England.

Convinced that the persecution in their homeland would only grow worse the great

migration of the 1630s saw some 20 ,000 settlers.

Mostly Puritans immigrate to New England now.

Why why didn't they just conform?

There's always a way to avoid Persecution, right?

So if the Church of England is persecuting the Puritans How could the Puritans have

avoided that persecution?

Yeah compromise and give in and Recognize the king as the head of

the church.

What about that?

Is that worth compromising?

I mean, that's only a little thing, right?

I mean we the Bible says and we say Jesus is the head of the church and The

Church of England said the king is the head of.

That's no big deal.

We can just compromise on that, right?

Can we?

Yeah, I mean the very name Puritan, I mean you want you want to purify the church from

stuff like that and a lot of other things and that was really their issue is that the Church of

England was still way too much like the the Roman Church.

Okay, so it says in the Plymouth colony.

It was established in 1620 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in

1628.

In 1636 Harvard University was founded and I think we've

talked about this Harvard and many other of the top schools in the

country were founded as seminaries or Christian schools around that

time.

Roger Williams left Massachusetts Bay to establish Rhode Island and the first

Baptist Church in America, so that was 1638 the first

Baptist.

So what were the Puritans?

So if the Puritans are not Baptist, what are they?

Mainly.

Congregationalists.

Around that time Roger Williams left, Massachusetts.

Okay, the initial wave of Puritans in New England was very devout.

But subsequent generations lacked the conviction of their predecessors over time.

A growing sense of spiritual indifference.

Set in by the time of Jonathan Edwards in 1703 to 1758.

That's when he lived the churches of New England were largely populated by

nominal Christians, okay.

I was in Northampton the other day and I I was just driving through the center.

I'm pretty sure I it's that church in the the center where the four -way intersection is that

that was the church that Jonathan Edwards Preached in and it's so hard to

imagine that Northampton.

I mean at one time was you know.

Well, it was a it would have been considered like it maybe not officially a Christian town but a

town certainly filled with Christians and.

But of course, what are we reading here?

That Jonathan Edwards Even in his day.

According to him the the church was still populated by what nominal

Christians so even back then.

What that means is that the church was filled with people who said they're Christians.

But Jonathan Edwards really didn't believe that they were Christians and this is another story

most people know that Jonathan Edwards got ran out of Northampton he got ran out of his church because he

refused to serve communion to members of his congregation because it was just kind of

known around town the stuff they were engaged in during the week and.

He yeah, he's you can't take communion while you're living like that and that didn't go over too.

Well.

Larry he had a hand up.

Right, well actually, yeah, so a Lot of nominal Christians in

in the church at this time, and of course that's always been the case, right?

Isn't this always the way it is even back in Jesus's day you had people at the temple and

the synagogues.

Everyone said they believed in the Lord, but not everybody believed in the let's it's always been the way the wheat

and the tares.

Some periods are worse than others.

It says in both England and New England there was a great need for revival

such paved the way for Ministries and impact for the ministries and impact of men

like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield.

Okay, so it lists a passage here judges chapter 2.

Let's turn there.

Just as far as the Puritans go.

I was thinking of 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 where Paul says to the

Churchmembers come out from among them and be separate says the Lord so the doctrine of

separation when you see worldliness ungodliness Christians are supposed to separate from

that and that's what they were doing in the Church of England.

They wanted to separate from that and Edwards wanted some separation in his church.

But you know, you're gonna have a fight on your hand when you do that kind of a thing when you

Confront problems head -on so judges chapter 2 6 through 15.

This is the the question in judges 2 6 through 15 the author describes what

happened to Israel when later Generations did not follow the Lord like their forefathers

had done as noted above or as noted above.

Subsequent generations of American Puritans lacked the fervent love for the Lord that had

characterized their Ancestors.

What factors do you think contribute to that kind of apathy?

So let's just read this passage and judges Judges to starting

in verse 6 6 through 15

Says.

And when Joshua had dismissed the people the children of Israel went each to his own

inheritance to possess the land.

So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who

outlived Joshua Who had seen all the great works of the Lord which he had done for Israel.

Now Joshua the son of Nun the servant of the Lord died when he was 110 years

old and they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath.

Here he's in the mountains of Ephraim on the north side of Mount Gaash.

And when all that generation had been gathered to their fathers another generation Arose after them

who did not know the Lord nor the work which he had done for Israel.

Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and they

forsook the Lord God of their fathers who had brought them out of the land of Egypt and they followed other

gods from among the Gods of the people who were all around them and they bowed down to them

and they provoked the Lord to anger.

They forsook the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths and the anger of the Lord was

hot against Israel.

So he delivered them into the hands of the plunderers who despoiled them and he sold them into the hands

of their enemies all around.

So that they could no longer stand before their enemies wherever they went out the hand of the Lord was

against them for calamity as the Lord had said and As the Lord had sworn to them

and they were greatly Distressed.

Okay.

So after reading that after hearing about what's happening with the Puritans and Edwards.

What factors do you think contribute to that kind of apathy.

Compromise okay.

You want to elaborate?

Turning away from God to serve other gods, which even though they had seen

Some of those owners have seen what God had done Previously to get out of

Egypt and how they provided for them.

They still yeah turned away.

Yeah.

Yeah.

One generation believes they have strong convictions the next generation.

You know those convictions.

It's assumed that they're gonna have the same.

Same convictions feel the same way, but it's usually not quite as much and then the next generation after

that.

I Stacey you had.

Okay.

The.

Fervor for the Lord and keeping to

What they knew.

Right failed to pass down to the following generations, right?

Or they just failed to teach to the extent.

Yeah, and of course with judges.

The generation that really loved God often was that generation that saw the Lord's hand of

deliverance so they saw it, but then their children just grew up and everything's great and When

everything's going well.

Become complacent and all the rest Larry.

I can see the effects of my Sin on my

own family and how the effects of my sin.

Let.

Some of my children straight and still are yeah.

Yeah.

How should that affect the way we think about the next generation in the church?

All right, so we talked about what can lead to that apathy.

How should that affect the way we think about the next generation?

Well, I mean you you want to prevent that if at all possible.

So if you could come up with the formula to do that, I mean everyone would be interested in what that

is.

But you know, it's something we just have to be aware of that.

That's typically how it goes not always.

Certainly and that's not always the case in every family.

If the if the parents love God the the children don't.

But sometimes that's the way it is.

Yes.

Yeah, what you believe? determines How you live

and so that can affect? your house your

family here and.

So.

By straying away from.

You're also.

Leading others away.

Okay.

Well any other thoughts before we move on Linda?

Leadership is important.

Yeah.

Right, yeah everything rises or falls on leadership as they say and

Yeah, if the leadership well, yeah when things are good the complacency can affect People

all the way up and down the ladder.

So once the once the leaders start going wobbly.

We're in big trouble, okay, this is section 3 the evangelical revival in

England so not New England.

But it says due to spiritual decline in both England and the American colonies.

The stage was set for an evangelical revival in England and a great awakening in

America, yeah, I don't know.

I just think of this.

If back what is this the 1700s were taught 1600s we're talking about.

I mean if they looked at the culture then and thought oh man, these people are

You know in spiritual decline, I wonder what they would say about things right now.

I Think I think they might say like we're living in a modern -day Sodom and Gomorrah.

I mean, I think that's probably right.

It says to that end though as far as this Revival that was coming to that end

God raised up key leaders including Jonathan Edwards John Wesley Charles Wesley and

George Whitfield.

So these are sort of the the names that you would know if you've studied church history.

So Jonathan Edwards lived from 1703 to 1758.

I think he's considered The maybe the greatest scholar

America ever produced.

I mean, that's the way he was regarded for probably not anymore, but I

Seem to remember the Encyclopedia Britannica or something Stating that Edwards was like the

greatest American scholar and that was Written, I don't know.

I'm sure if they revised that today.

They wouldn't say that but I mean he just had that type of impact and reputation.

Also, John Wesley who lived from 1703 to 1791 John

Wesley Started or what what denomination developed from the

Wesley's.

Yeah.

Methodism Wesley was sort of the the pastor the theologian Charles Wesley was the

the the hymn writer Charles Wesley lived from 1707 to 1788 and then

George Whitfield from 1714 to 1770.

Marcus Yeah, that famous sermon sinners in the

hands of an angry God was Jonathan Edwards, yeah.

And.

I'm not sure if that started.

Let's let's keep reading.

I mean that would that was part of the Great Awakening when people here, but that's that's always included in the history.

But it says John and Charles Wesley were born into large families of 19 children.

Wow.

That's that's a lot of kids.

Yeah, their father was an Anglican minister.

George Whitfield by contrast.

Was only two years old when his father died and Whitfield grew up in poverty.

So they came from very different backgrounds.

In 1729 Charles Wesley founded a group at Oxford

University called the Holy Club.

Both his brother John and his friend George Whitfield would eventually join this group.

All three men would later admit they were not converted at this time.

Okay, so this is this is the nominal Christianity that we read about.

So here they are.

They're professing Christians some of them even in ministry.

They're part of the Holy Club and they say we you know.

After after they got saved they look back in this time and said yeah, we we weren't even truly converted.

Which is interesting.

Says the members of the Holy Club focused on trying to be holy at least on the

outside.

This just makes me think back to Martin Luther when he first became a monk.

Was he a Regenerate born -again Christian.

No.

Because his idea of the gospel is I I need to do

Good.

I need to keep the commandments.

I need to do and it was really sort of a works work system of

righteousness and In his efforts to earn salvation through external good

works I mean there it is.

George Whitfield forced himself to endure severe discipline which damaged his health yet.

Nothing, he did could regenerate his heart or secure his salvation.

Other students at Oxford called the members of the Holy Club What they call them

Methodists because of their methodical approach to self -discipline and

Spirituality so Methodist churches.

I mean, that's how they got the name.

They were so methodical back then this nickname Later came to define

the movement These men would lead because Whitfield's family was very poor when he

enrolled at Pembroke College at Oxford he paid his expenses by working as a

servitor an errand boy basically serving other students.

In 1733 Charles Wesley gave Whitfield a copy of a

Puritan work called the life of God in The soul of man by Henry

Squirgle.

It showed Whitfield That unless he was born again, he would be condemned by God.

The Lord used that book to draw Whitfield to saving faith.

After being genuinely converted Whitfield embarked on a ministry of evangelism and preaching when it became

difficult to find Preaching opportunities and churches.

What did he do?

Yeah, hey if no church will let me preach I'll just go wherever people are and all I'll

preach outside.

I'll preach on the street corner how many of you have ever seen somebody just preaching in a random

place.

Around here.

Yeah.

Yep, I Remember I was in Washington DC and there was a guy at the Lincoln

Memorial standing up on one of the the pillars there and he was preaching but it's not something you

see very often.

Right.

All right, so.

And it says this would be become a hallmark of the Methodist movement.

So just preaching outside preaching wherever you could get a crowd.

Larry.

John and Charles Wesley that I can't remember which one was but they

said if you have learned him in.

Any other way than what?

We have written.

You need to unlearn it.

Don't say it any other way.

You got and he actually had like ten different things in regards to

church that you know ten methods right of how

The church service should work.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, they're pretty.

Methodical.

Yep.

I can't help but think that the success or these

revivals Starts with a preacher.

That's why I went back to that sinners in the hand of an angry God of Jonathan Edwards did and I think now to a

great comfort or the way of the master.

Where.

His method of evangelism is to point out people's Sickness

illness need for Regeneration.

And so he will he just said he will just say have you ever told a lie?

Have you ever stolen anything?

Have you ever lost it after a woman if you ever lose?

Use the Lord's name in vain and people will always say oh, yeah. Sure. Sure. Sure says well, then what are you?

You're a lion even blasphemous.

And you need to you need to believe that first and if you stood before

Pure and holy and judge or just God.

Would.

You have to start that way.

People need to need to know that they they're in bad condition, right.

Yeah, and Ray Comfort if you've never seen him, he goes out to the beach.

You know, wherever people are hanging around or walking by on the street and you'll pull people aside and

I'm sure he gets cursed out.

Often.

But you know, he's made a lot of people think says here in 1738 the Lord

opened the eyes of both John and Charles Wesley on different occasions to the truth of the

gospel.

Their hearts were Transformed.

The dead moralism that had previously characterized them was replaced by the true

life of Regeneration.

In the same year Whitfield made his voyage to the American colonies.

His first visit was to the colony of Georgia a couple years later.

He would tour New England preaching in major cities like New York and Boston.

This preaching tour corresponds with a revival in America known as the great

awakening.

Who's heard of the Great Awakening?

And yeah, there's the Great Awakening there's like the first.

The second I think people talk about a third Great Awakening and some even claim there

was a fourth Great Awakening.

And.

You know when the fourth one supposedly some people argue and say this wasn't wasn't really a Great Awakening.

No, no, but from 19 1960s through the 1980s a lot

of people The Jesus people movement and all of that a lot of people will say that was a

fourth Great Awakening.

But then you have some other people who say well the first one was real and the other three weren't but you know You

get people disagreeing on that kind of stuff.

It says here after returning to England in the 1740s Whitfield Encountered resistance

from John Wesley over the doctrine of God's sovereignty in Salvation.

This resulted in early Methodist or Methodism being split with

Whitfield embracing the reform doctrine of election and Wesley advocating an

Arminian view that emphasized human free will.

During this time both John Wesley and George Whitfield Significantly influenced people

throughout England calling them to consider whether they had truly been born again

By being willing to preach outside.

They were not constrained by the size of local churches or the approved

the approval of clergy, okay, so you had this Rift between the two.

Now if you look at the men they both respected one another.

They both said positive things about each other, but they did sharply disagree over this

doctrine of Calvinism versus Arminianism God's sovereignty versus free will.

Larry.

Yeah,

yeah.

Yeah, there's a there's another line though and can it be there's one line

that sounds like Calvinistic I remember but you know I mean you can you know how it is people can

kind of read into things what they want to what they want to see.

But you know one thing I want to point out when we talk about these two issues that the the two men none

none of them viewed the other as Lost or even though they disagreed on this

teaching.

They weren't pointing fingers and hey, John Wesley is a false teacher.

Don't listen to him or Whitfield believes in Calvinism.

That's wrong.

Don't listen to it.

They didn't do that.

They felt strongly about what they believed the Bible taught.

But they had no question about one another salvation.

And I think we need to have that same attitude if there's other churches other Christians that have a different view

on this than us.

You know debate it if you can be friendly great, but it's not something that you want

to.

Even though they did divide in their ministries and kind of had their own thing.

You don't want to divide in the sense that you stop recognizing someone as a brother in Christ

over this.

Okay?

Any questions on that?

Because sometimes if you know when you're online on YouTube, you know.

You get people that are just willing to throw people away over one disagreement and they're done.

You know, you just you want to avoid doing that if you can.

Whitfield that says.

Also had a major impact on the American colonies during his life he made

13 transatlantic voyages for a total of seven trips to America

on his Seventh trip in 1770 he died after preaching in New

Hampshire over his life Whitfield preached some 1800 sir or 18 ,000 sermons, sorry

he was one of the most well -known preachers in both England and New England in the 18th century

and one of the most recognizable figures of his day in 1788 Charles Wesley

died he is Most well known for composing more than 6 ,000 hymns.

We have how many Wesley hymns in our book?

There's a few at least.

Though he traveled to let's see.

Including well -known songs like and Kennebee and Oh for a thousand tongues to sing.

I know we have those two.

Because we've sang them recently.

John Wesley died in 1791 after giving shape to the Methodist movement.

Though he traveled to America only one time the Methodist movement would become the largest Protestant

denomination in America in the 19th century.

Okay says here for this is the discussion question the preachers of the evangelical

revival.

Noted that moral behavior and good works cannot save sinners rather people

must be Regenerated or quote -unquote born again.

Meaning that their hearts must be changed read John 3 1 through 3

2nd Corinth.

Let's get some volunteers to look these up.

John 3 1 through 3 someone.

Okay mark 2nd Corinthians 5 17 Lance

and then Titus 3 1 through 7 someone.

Okay, Jen.

So.

We're gonna read these passages and it says.

What do these passages teach about the relationship between? regeneration and

salvation.

Yes.

Okay 16 and he wrote.

How many.

6 ,000 that's that's a lot of hands.

Really really.

Okay, so, you know these men dealt with the same thing that Martin Luther dealt with

started out being taught salvation by faith plus works thinking that hey if I'm gonna go to

heaven my salvation depends on me and what I do and they.

They needed to realize the the true gospel, which is purely by grace Believing

that and then once they did their hearts their hearts were actually changed where they wanted to do the

right thing.

So let's read these passages.

John 3 1 through 3 mark.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews.

This man came to Jesus by night and said to him Rabbi, we know that you are a

teacher come from God.

But no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.

Jesus answered and said to him Most assuredly I say to you

Unless one is born again He cannot see the kingdom of God.

Okay, so you must be born again and then Jesus goes on to talk about.

The Spirit is like the wind, you know, he he comes and goes where he

where he will.

So it's not about human effort.

It's about the regenerating work of God the Holy Spirit.

Okay, the next verse.

Lance.

Okay, so you have to be born again.

You have to be a new creation.

So something Within the person has to change.

Something has to.

The the dead spirit that you were born with has to come alive and that that's not something a

Human being can do.

That has to be the work of God Jen Titus 3 1 through

7.

Obedient to see serving others serving divers lusts and pleasures living in

malice and envy hateful and.

But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared not by works of

righteousness Which we have done but according to his mercy.

He saved us by the washing of the generation.

And.

Okay, and Titus 3 verse 5 in particular

Stands out not by works right not by works of righteousness, which we have done or

that Martin Luther did or John Wesley did or whoever?

But according to God's mercy He saved us.

How?

Through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, so again, it's

it's a.

It's a work of God.

So what do these passages teach about the relationship between regeneration and salvation?

What's the relationship.

Well, yeah, I mean they're linked.

One cannot exist without the other.

Anyone who is saved has been regenerated if you've been regenerated.

You're saved.

Okay.

Any questions on that?

All right.

Well next Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awakening, let's see.

Says a Edwards early life.

Edwards was born.

So now we're kind of going back to look at Edwards a little more closely.

Edwards was born in New England on October 5th 1703 he was the fifth

of 11 children.

The only boy his father Timothy Edwards was a minister and his maternal grandfather was who?

Solomon stoddard.

Okay, so it says that during his time at this

Yale at age 16 He became very ill and he thought he was going to die.

This resulted in a period of sober Reflection during which he considered the condition of his soul.

Have any of you ever thought you were gonna die and that made you re of

reevaluate?

I mean that that'll do it, right?

Because people just live they live and they think I got I got years.

I have decade.

I have all this time and.

Then when they realize maybe I don't it forces them to think about.

And that's how that's how Luther was.

Well, he wasn't converted at that moment.

But you remember Luther joined The monastery when he thought he was about to die.

So.

God uses all sorts of different things.

In 1721 Edwards embraced the Lord Jesus in

Saving faith as the result of his conversion.

He came to love the doctrine of God's sovereignty a Doctrine he had struggled to

embrace earlier.

Okay over the next few years Edwards penned What a set of how

many? 70 resolutions in which he articulated his desire to glorify God

and basically, this is saying Edwards was Edwards was with Whitfield

on God's sovereignty and then on the other side was the Wesley's

Edwards just some quotes Said being sensible that I am under or I am

unable to do anything without God's help I do humbly and treat him by his grace to enable me

to keep these resolutions as so as far as Our agreed to his will for Christ's

sake.

Okay, so He said a lot of other thing.

We don't need to read every quote.

Let's just let's just skip ahead for the sake of time.

Well, let's read this one part because it talks about his ministry in Northampton in

1727 Edwards was ordained in Northampton, Massachusetts where he would assist his

grandfather Solomon Stoddard in pastoral ministry a Couple years later when Stoddard died

Edwards became the pastor of the church.

And of course, I guess it doesn't mention Larry.

Did he get ran out or does it?

I guess not.

Skipping ahead to be the Great Awakening.

So the Great Awakening.

This is the mid to late 1730s Edwards Church became a starting point

for a what? Revival that spread through the surrounding areas.

Marcus mentioned a little while ago as Barry remember the as Barry revival.

Is that a year ago?

Not quite.

I think it was last Was last February I think right.

Who remembers that being talked about in the news the Asbury revival?

One of the big questions at the time is is this a real? revival and

it depends how you Define that but to me and I

think this book This is what they're saying a true revival is gonna

have.

Widespread.

Impact not just on one school or one town.

It's it's gonna branch out and It's gonna go on for a while affect a lot of people and

there's gonna be some long -lasting Results.

I don't I don't know if that happened that as Barry or with as Barry doesn't really matter.

But the first Great Awakening did really have an impact on The United States or

at least the colonies back then in 1740 George Whitfield came to

Northampton to preach as part of this preaching tour through New England.

The Lord used Whitfield's evangelistic preaching to convict the hearts of many who had grown up in the church.

But who had never truly been converted to Christ.

Many throughout New England were awakened to the deadness of their hypocritical religion and came to saving faith.

This movement is known as the Great Awakening.

All right.

So the greater way, this is the first Great Awakening Says see Edwards later

life.

Talks about Few other things and just again for the sake of time.

We'll just sort of skip ahead.

It says even though he was only 54 years old when he died.

He remains one of America's most influential Theologians, okay.

So for discussion, the Great Awakening was a revival among the churches of New England people who had grown

up in church But had never embraced Christ in saving faith were suddenly confronted with the reality

of their spiritual condition.

What would you say to someone who claims to be a Christian simply because they attend church and

try to be a good person?

What would you say?

Yeah, I would use Titus 3 5 That it's not by works of righteousness

Which we have done but according to his mercy.

Right.

Yes.

Yeah, I mean remember when they asked Paul What must I do to be saved?

Well go to church and be a good person.

That's what he said, right?

That's not what Paul said.

What did he say?

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

Well see that doesn't mean that.

You don't have to go to church and be a good person if you just believe in Jesus, right?

No, no.

It has to do with your definition or what does it mean to believe in someone.

Yeah, is that you're putting your complete faith and trust in them.

So you you you put all your faith in Christ you love Christ and then Going to

church and doing good.

It should come naturally because you you have a new Nature, you want you want to do those

things?

Is it see this is the thing about going to church or doing good works?

It's not something you should have to try to twist somebody's arm and oh, come on.

You really should be no they want to be there.

Like I don't we don't come because we have to write.

I come because I need to okay.

Well We need we need to.

I agree with that.

But well, I mean I enjoy it, too.

We should want to of course we live in a day and age where people don't don't even do that much.

They don't even go to church and well, I can be a Christian, you know at home on my couch or something.

Well, I Were attending church, but it

says what passages of Scripture would you use to explain what it truly means to follow

Christ?

The verse I would go to Jesus said if you love me.

Keep my commandments.

Yeah, I mean you you do these things because you want to.

Because it's a privilege just to serve.

The Lord is a great privilege.

To be able to come together and worship and Take communion.

I mean that it really it really is a privilege.

That's what I would say any of you want to comment on anything that's been said in the last two minutes.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yep, I like sanctuary.

Yes.

Okay.

Well, I guess we're not gonna have time for number five, but maybe we'll pick up there next week or just move on.

But yeah, just end on that point.

I mean people that you know We probably all know somebody that they profess to

be a believer But they're not interested in in the things of God.

Maybe pray and maybe God will give you an opportunity To share with them not

not to judge them or say, you know, I don't think you really love God.

That's not what we're looking to do but pray that God would give you an opportunity

to Graciously bring something up that was that was stated this morning

that If they're not really if they're nominal that they would make that

decision to truly trust Christ and Experience the second birth

with gentleness and reverence.

Amen mark one last comment.

Amen, all right, you're dismissed.