Today we are gonna talk all about compromise. We're gonna talk about compromise. The word compromise is the idea comes with promise, right think about someone who has compassion, someone who with, OK, with passion, um, and so here's the reality though that compromise in the wrong areas leads you down the wrong roads and you end up in a place where you don't want to be. See, we live in a culture in a world. The overpromises and under delivers. And so I remember being a senior in high school there, a senior in high school, and we went to New York City and I remember walking on the streets of New York and it was cool to visit Times Square. It was cool to go to a Broadway show, but I remember being excited to buy some really high-end products off the street, you know what I'm talking about. Um, I bought me a nice sweet pair of Oakies glasses that they look just like Oakleys, and I remember uh buying a watch that was a Rolex watch. And then I don't think they even made it home before it broke. Um, but no, they were known, so, so you can purchase some knockoffs or some counterfeit goods that look like the real thing. And so here's the reality for us is that the world often sells us goods and that really can't hold up to the test of time and so if you're taking notes, I encourage you to write this down for today is that compromise with the world always costs more than it promises. Compromise with the world always costs more than it promises. In other words, it's gonna promise you one thing. But it's gonna deliver something completely different. Now we are in a series entitled Dear Church. Where we're looking at 7 letters to 7 churches in the book of Revelation where Jesus offers words to these actual churches and while they were written to the church, they were actual they're also written for us today and how the book of Revelation is filled with prophecies about the future. But more than satisfying our curiosity about the future, it was also written to encourage, to warn, to rebuke, to challenge the churches of that day. And the challenges that they faced are very similar to the challenges that we face today and so we're walking through these letters trying to understand the cities and the churches that they were um that are in these towns and if we can understand their challenges, then maybe we can help understand our challenges and see how we can better live out the great commission and beyond. So the church we're gonna study today is a church at Pergama. And the Pergameans here were an interesting group of people. So the, uh, Pergamum was a city about 65 miles north of Samyrna. That was the church we studied last week, and the name really means height or elevation, so it was kind of raised up and the city, the best way I could describe it is it's a mixture of Washington DC, Hollywood, and Las Vegas all together. Sounds fun. OK. And so the reason I say that is because there was all kinds of temple worship. There's over a dozen different temples. There was Dionysus, Athena. Um, uh, themeter Zeus, emperor worship, like there's all kinds of worship used um for these different temples. It was also seen as a leader in government and so it was given their governor of this province was given a sword. And so back then there were governors with swords and governors without swords, and you want to be the governor with sword for two reasons. Number one, that meant you had more authority than others. And number 2. You had to, you could use that authority to even take life if needed to enforce your rules and so this city was one of the few cities that could actually practice capital punishment and it was a mixture of all the different religions and pagan gods. It was a beautiful city and so there is this symbol of uh Roman authority and a sword and it was also a city with everyone's favorite building in the city, right? You know what I'm talking about the library. Um, no, so libraries were a big deal back then. In fact, it was the 2nd largest library in the world only to the great library of Alexandria. And so this particular library had over 200,000 volumes, and the reason that's important is because there is a wealth of information. Now these gods that came in, so it had a little bit of Roman culture and government, but then a lot of pagan um worship and so they would have these celebrations and people would just um do whatever they wanted. They would live however they want sexually, uh, and, and part of the worship experience for these pagan gods included prostitution and other things practiced out and so it was basically this idea of, uh, and under the name of freedom to just completely embrace debauchery and and sexual morality and sin and sleep around and do whatever in the name of one of these pagan gods. And that then would mix in with these feasts and the foods that were sacrificed to these pagan gods and now you've got this church that's trying to live out their faith and not quite sure where they fit in. And so here is this church um they were experiencing persecution, but more than experiencing persecution they were also experiencing persuasion. And if Satan can't get to you from persecution from the outside, Satan's gonna try to distract you with persuasion from the inside. See, at our core, the Bible says that our hearts are actually wicked. Jeremiah 17:9, that the heart is deceitful above all things that who can understand. That in James 1:14, that in our hearts that we are tempted by our own sinful desires. And that it says in Isaiah 53:6 that we are all like sheep who have gone astray, that we tend to run off and and do what's not good for ourselves. And that when we left to our own devices, we struggle. Right, there are some people that you can say don't touch the stove, and that's enough. And then there are others like myself who it's like, don't touch the stove. All I wanna do now is touch the stove, right? And like we kind of dance around it, we're like. I'd say I'm fine. Oh, see, we're good. Like we burn right and we end up like I think about the characters of the robbers from Home Alone right with the iron in the face. They don't see it coming, um, but that's how we feel like we go into this world and then we think, oh, I'm just gonna to embrace the world that I'm in. I'm gonna embrace the values of our culture. I'm gonna sleep with who I want. I'm gonna act how I want. I'm gonna drink and do whatever I want for the sake of freedom, but the reality is that freedom's gonna cost you a lot more than you realize. That it's actually a counterfeit. Bill of goods, it's not going to deliver what you think it's gonna deliver. And so here's what we're gonna do we're gonna jump into this we're gonna see that the church has some good people in it, but they're struggling with the culture that is just embracing a completely different lifestyle than what scripture says, OK? Let's read through the passage. I'm gonna read through it. There is a lot of unique imagery in here. I'm gonna read through the whole thing and then we're gonna walk back through it again to try to understand what this all means, OK? So Revelation chapter 2, verse 12. Again, every letter starts with a picture of Christ and ends with the promise of God. So here we go. And to the angel of the church in Pergamum right, the words of him who has a sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you do not deny my faith, even the days of Antius, my faithful witness who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balich to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicholas. Therefore, repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give him some hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone and with a new name written on that stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. Now, a lot of pictures there, right? So let's start from the top and work our way down. So first, he, he uses the image of Christ as the one who has the sharp two-edged sword, which this was a description of Jesus found in Revelation one. Now what he's saying here is that the sword of God is greater than the sword of Rome. That don't be afraid of the authority that can take your life. Instead, submit yourself to the one who can raise your life back up again. And then you think Rome is in control, they are not. You think they have all the power, they are not. They only rule and do as much as I allow it. And that the imagery of God and the sword is the power. To reign. And so the description of Christ is actually the sword that comes out of his mouth. And so this sword really is described as the word of God. And if you think about it, how did God create the world in the very beginning? He spoke it into existence. Then in John chapter one, it says in the beginning was God and the word was with God and the word was God. So now you have the coming of Jesus to earth who's called the Word. Who lives a perfect life filled with preachings and miracles and healings and rebuke of religious leaders and all these things, and he gets to the cross and he says these words, he says, it is finished. Te telesa meaning paid in full. So the the job is complete. He dies, is buried, rises again on the 3rd day, now is seated at the right hand of God, interceding on our behalf. And so now he launches the church through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the lives of believers, and we know about this movement through studying the word. Right. So, we get to the end of the book, Revelation 2021 22 here, and then the final battle. How does God win the battle? By his word. Right? When uh Jesus was on earth. And he was performing miracles. Many of those miracles were performed how? By his word, he would look at somebody and say, get up and walk. He would look at the storms and say stop, and storms stop. So this is the power of his word. This double-edged sword that is so powerful that it's sustaining our very existence, that now we have the word of God about Jesus who's called the Word to remind us of the power of His word, that ultimately victory comes through his word. This is why we have absolute eternal authority. Through Jesus Christ and that sword is for punishment for those who reject God, but it's actually for protection for those who love God. So now he has this, and he's saying, look, some of you are doing pretty good. You kept your faith even when you were persecuted. And he gives the example of this guy named Antius, who was called the faithful witness, and the only other person called the faithful witness in Revelation is a reference to Jesus Christ himself. And so, look, some of you have really battled well against persecution. And Antius is the example of that. There's a good chance John even knew Antipus or knew of him at least when he wrote this letter. He said, you know of my friend, you know of this leader who gave his life for you. That's how serious this what I'm writing to you is. And so if you're handling persecution, don't let Satan win by persuasion. Because if he's not gonna get you with persecution from the outside, he's gonna get you with persuasion and compromise on the inside, and he's gonna get you well it's just a little bit. Satan's been running this play from the beginning of time, the very first sin. In Revelation or in Genesis 3, was Satan convincing Adam and Eve of a half truth. To persuade them to say, no, no, no, no, you, you can do what you want. You don't have to obey God. In fact, you could be God if you do what you want. And that's where it comes in. That's where sin creeps in. And takes down the most powerful people. It's, I love the age that we're in because there's more opportunity and more communication worldwide. Right, that you know in a moment's notice. But what's sad about that is that when you cannot help but turn on the news or scroll through social media and see another moral failing of a leader. Of some kind, right? How does that happen? It happens when sin creeps in. And takes down the foundation and the structure from the inside. It's like when a building gets imploded to take it down like it's just a weakened structure. Gordon MacDonald in his book Ordering your Private world, put it this way, he says, if my private world is in order, it'll be because I'm convinced that the inner world of the spiritual must govern the outer world of activity. We have to live from inside out. So then it gives two pictures and say let me share with you two challenges that the early church is facing. So one says, hey, you're following the teaching of Balaam. Well, who is Balaam? Balaam is a reference to a story found in Numbers 22 to 25, and so we don't have time to fully read through it, but it was a prophet who the king, Moabite king Balich hired to say, hey, I want you to put some curses on the people of Israel. And, and it's crazy how God will use anyone and anything to accomplish His will. And so he's literally riding on a donkey through a pass and then the donkey sees the angel of God and stops. And he's like, why are you stopping? And, and the God even uses a donkey to say, hey, no, you need to listen to God. It is a crazy story in and of itself. And so, but he goes on and he says, no, no, I'm gonna curse Israel. But every time he tried to curse Israel, they were blessed. Curse Israel, they were blessed. Curse Israel, they were blessed. And so it's like that's not working. What else can we do? So he convinces the king Bali said, oh, I got it. Instead of persecuting them from the outside, we're gonna persuade them from the inside. And so he sends over the ladies. He sends over the Movi women to seduce the people of Israel, and they start intermixing. Faith with pagan culture and and human desire. And people stumble and they fall and they intermix and they make awful decisions and ultimately many lives are lost and it was seduced and succumb from sexual choices there from the inside of culture under the name of freedom. Then there's the other group of people called the Nicholas who was a group of people that was active in that setting, who said, yeah, but God put you in that culture on purpose so just whatever the culture says, go and do. So you got all these pagan fees. Well, yeah, it's a law you have to obey the law, right? So then go take part, eat food according to that what's been sacrificed to idols. Sleep with who you wanna sleep with live how you wanna live, whatever the culture says is free under that banner of freedom, go ahead and do that and it doesn't matter because it's separate from your claim to be a Christian. I said no, no, no, that's what will bring you down because compromise always costs more than what it promises. And so you have this picture here, and it's, and the name Nicolation really means to rule over the people. And so what happens is you have this counterfeit grace that actually is a doorway to captivity. It's something that's seen to give you freedom, but actually will make you enslaved to that thing, or that craving, or that desire. And sometimes as Christians, we love to claim that we're being spiritually attacked, and we do go against the spiritual forces of the world, but really, it's not that we're being spiritually attacked. It's just we wanna live how we wanna live. We don't like it when someone says don't touch the stove. Even though The God who made us, the God who loves us is, I'm doing this because I love you and I want what's best for you. But if somebody runs and jumps off a cliff, they're gonna feel free. Until gravity kicks in. Right, and so, so, yes, I'm free, uh, but you can't fly yet. It says, don't compromise. Don't be like Balaam. Don't be like the Nicholas. Another way to think about it is this way, is that there's two trapdoors, so to speak. On one side, you have the trapdoor of legalism, and on the other side you have the trapdoor of what I would call laxity or like a license, like our liberty, like just do whatever you want, OK? The first trap door. Tries to add to the gospel. So it's Jesus plus this rule, this rule, this rule, this rule. Right? We like rules. Because we like to know that we're following the rules and we're getting a good grade. Right? We like rules, we don't like principles. Why? Because principles are actually tougher to live by because they're about our identity. Right, we like the 10 Commandments. Don't murder. Don't this, don't, and we listed like, oh, I can follow that. I'm not murdering anyone. I'm a great person. Jesus comes in and says, no. You've heard it said don't murder. I say don't lust after anybody. In your heart. Mm. Uh, I don't, I don't want you to hate anybody in your heart. And that would be the murder part. And it says don't commit adultery. Why I didn't do that, OK, but you're lusting. Right, and it goes further. That's what I'm saying like, OK, you have all these rules, sacrifices, and all these things, and the Newton says love the Lord your God with our hearts, soul, mind, and strength and love others as Christ loved you. That's more difficult. Why? Because that's an identity thing. That's a way of life. Right? Because if we view Christianity as a line not to cross, we go, well, I can get this close to the line. If I can get this close, I can get this close, I can put like 1 ft over the line. I'm OK. But it's not honoring to God, nor is it healthy for you to ask the question. How close to the line of sin can I get? It's a false set of goods, like, so again, it's OK, don't murder. I get that. No, don't hate. Oh, I don't love that. Don't commit adultery. I get that. I don't lust. I don't like that. And so there's legalism saying like, well, it's Jesus plus all of these other rules. That's not good. So then you swing to this side and you go, not to say you guys are the other side, but, uh, kind of we'll, we'll say this to the side and you have what I would call laxity or or laissez faire kind of license to sin. It's like, well, God loves me, God is love, and so I can do what I want, say what I want, live what I want, and God loves me. And yes, God loves you, but God wants what's best for you and there's a standard. So how serious does God take sin? Serious enough. That he sent his only Son Jesus to die for the sin. So why are we celebrating sin that Jesus died for? If Jesus took sin serious, we need to take sin serious. So legalism says Jesus plus this laxity says Jesus minus this. In other words, I like Jesus, but I don't like this rule or I don't like what this says. I don't like what this says. But if you get to decide which ones you follow and which ones you don't, who is God in that scenario? You are It's Jesus. You can't say Jesus plus, you can't say Jesus minus. Another way to think about it would be like this way that legalism adds price tags to God's free grace. Yes, it's free, it's undeserved. It's all this, but you gotta do boom boom boom boom. But laxity removes the price tags from sin. How costly was sin? It cost Jesus his life. And it's your sin that separates you from God, and that separation from God sends you to hell for eternity. So you can't be adding price tags to something God gives freely, and you can't be removing price tags from the sin that cost God his life. You can't minimize the sacrifice. So what do we call to do as believers? Well, it offers. Three alternatives that I think are better. It says I'm gonna give you hidden manna. I'm gonna give you a white stone, and I'm gonna give you a new name. Just what everybody put on their birthday wish list, right? OK, what does that mean? White manna most like uh hidden manna was most likely a reference to back in the Old Testament. When you have Exodus chapter 15 verses 33 to 34, where Moses put a piece of manna in the ark of the covenant to remind them of how God provided for them when they were in the wilderness. God literally provided food for them. Daily To survive And we're gonna see that the word of God is more important than any type of meal you might have. Why? Because food will satisfy your craving temporarily, physically, but the word of God will satisfy the cravings of your soul eternally. And that Jesus himself calls himself the bread of life. So he's not saying, don't do this sin because it's bad and you're awful and you're shameful. That's what Satan does, by the way. He tries to tempt you with sin and then he circles back and hits you on the other side, now you're not good enough. And your guilt and your shame, and you will always be a sinner and you will always be broken and you're not good enough to be a Christian. You're not good enough to be a pastor, you're not good enough to be a wife or a husband or if your family knew what you struggled with, if your friends knew what they struggled with, if anybody knew what you were struggling with, they would disown you outright. But let me tell you something, church, God knows what you struggle with, and he loves you. And he's with you and he is for you. And so you understand that he provides something better. So he offers manna, he offers something stronger, food that's gonna feed your soul. Secondly, the white stone. doesn't mean anything to us today. Actually has a a few different meanings back then, all of which are pretty cool, so I'm gonna share them with you. One, you could win a white stone as a prize or an award because it's a unique looking stone. So if you won the prize, you got the, like a trophy. That's kind of fun. OK, you won the prize. Um, it was also seen in a courtroom setting that if you were let go out of prison, if you were let go or acquitted from your, what you're accused of, they would give you a white stone as proof of your freedom. Oh, he escaped. No, no, no, no, I got the stone like this is proof that I'm free. And the last potential option, which is my favorite, is that a white stone was used as a special ticket to admit someone into an extravagant feast. Back then, you didn't add digital tickets to an Apple wallet, right? They gave you a white stone that was made for this event. So when you show up, your ticket was that stone. And if you present the stone, you're welcome into the feast. What the writer is saying here, what Jesus is saying here is like, I have invited you. I have given you an invitation with your name on it. To the feast of God. That's so much greater than anything this world has to offer. So much so that it's not just a better mutation, it's a new identity in him. That's why he says I'm gonna give you a new name. CS Lewis described it this way of a story of a uh of an orphan child or lost my uh child who gets invited to a feast. With the king But instead chooses to continue to make mud pies by the sea. In our day it would be seen like almost like dumpster diving. Imagine receiving the invitation to the feast of a lifetime, and instead of enjoying the feast of the king, you go outside and you pick the scraps of the culture. That's what we do when we compromise our integrity and our character with what the world says is OK. You have been offered a better manna. A better food, a feast, the bread of life. Jesus Christ himself, the word of God that you have invited in and given a personalized name, identity, invitation as a son or daughter of God. Don't compromise that with the culture. There are some verses that talk about the reality of life, the dangers of compromise when it comes to those things. There are verses that we don't love to put on Instagram or on coffee mugs. For example, Matthew chapter 10, verse 34 to 39. He says, do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. So wait, I thought he was peace. He is, but I want you to follow what he's actually saying at the very end, that's where he's gonna land. He says, I have not come to bring peace, but a sword again that talks about authority. For I have come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. I I could get that one, but no, I'm just kidding. Um, just kidding, I have the best mother-in-law. Um, and so you have in there like you have in here a per it says in here verse 36, and a person's enemies will be those of his own household. That whoever loves the father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. If Jesus Christ is is not the Lord of everything in your life, is he really the Lord of anything in your life? Jesus doesn't want the scraps. Jesus doesn't want your Sunday morning for one hour, and then you take the rest. He wants your heart, he wants your soul, he wants your life. He is the author of life. He created you on purpose and with a purpose, and because he loves you, he wants you to function and live in a way that honors him, that also is meant for you to thrive. So when there is scripture, when there's words in scripture, and we're getting into some sensitive topics next week. So I encourage you to join us. If you've read ahead, the next church gets really interesting. But we're gonna have an honest conversation we're gonna have. A civil conversation we're gonna be very respectful, but we're gonna see what God's word actually says about some very difficult topics next week, OK? But for today, The principle is that compromising with the world. Will always cost more than what the world tries to promise you. So he's not saying don't love your parents. He's not saying don't love your kids or family. What he's saying is, if you really are a believer in Jesus, you have to love him more. It's an all in. Some of you read that verse and you're like, I get it and you've had some divisions in your family over your faith in Christ. You're gonna have some divisions in your relationships at work or out in the community because of your relationship with Christ. There has to be a line in the sand at some point somewhere. You can't just always be moving. You have to directly declare. I'm a believer, a follower of Jesus, and I'm gonna submit to God's word. And if we don't like what God's word says, It's OK to admit that we don't like it, but then you have to also come back to, OK, but I need to obey it. Because he's the author of life I am not. That's why he's saying if you are willing to lose your life for him at that point, you will find it. I love my wife. I love my wife, but my wife is not God and my marriage is not the most important thing in my life. The best thing I can do for my marriage is submit fully to Jesus Christ. And to place Jesus Christ first in my life and submit my life to him, so that I will then love my wife as Jesus loves me. Good things placed in the God spot will leave you feeling empty. That's why faith is an all-in proposition. And that's why he's saying, look, Antius lost his life for this. Are you willing to do the same? It's not just about persecution, it's about persuasion. It's not just about fighting for truth, it's about not succumbing to sensual desires and things that the culture says is OK. It says here in Hebrews 4:12, it says, for the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the division of soul and of spirit and of joints and of marrow and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart, you can't play games with God. God already knows. Just come to him. But the word of God can actually be helpful and freeing to you. Jesus, when he is tempted, uses the word of God to fight off temptation. Matthew 4, he's in the wilderness. He says, then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness and was tempted by the devil. And after fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread, or become loaves of bread. And he answered, It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God, there is a food that nourishes the soul. And that's where we have to get our identity, not the cravings or temporary desires of this world. There in John chapter 6. Right? He's gonna, he, he feeds the 5000. Incredible story. He's going to, right? And but in the conversation with the people in that story, we find these words in John 6:32. He says, Jesus, when he said to them, truly, truly I say to you, It was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven, and the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. They don't get it. They're like, there's better bread. More bread, please. I mean, I get that. Like, like you're in a restaurant, like anytime they say, would you like more bread? The answer is always yes. I And so they say, give us this ray. He said, no, no, you don't get it. And then verse 35, so you just said to them, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger. Whoever believes in me shall never thirst again. You know, in John 10, he's talking, and we talk about the different trapdoors. He said, no, no, no, you need to come to the one true door. Jesus, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture, says, but the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I'm not trying to make you just suffer in this life to be like life is awful, awful, awful, and then you die. He says, I want you to experience heaven now. I want you to experience love and peace and purpose. Now, yes, you're gonna experience suffering. Guess what? So did Jesus. So did the church. But in our suffering, in our grief, in our loss, we don't choose compromise. We cling to the bread that nourishes our soul, so that we can have life abundantly and life eternally with Him. Amen. And we choose that and we're gonna get more specific what this looks like next week so again I encourage you to come back for those with kiddos, it is gonna be a little more sensitive next week so just giving you a heads up on that. But for today, the principle set up our discussion next week is that compromise with the world always costs more than it promises. It always costs more than it promises. It's gonna try to sell you something that it can't fulfill. But with Jesus, you have the bread of life. You have the white stone invitation to a feast with the king and are given a new name, new identity that will satisfy your soul. Don't be persuaded by a temporary craving. So how do we discern that 4 steps and then we're gonna be done this morning. How do we discern? How do we have discernment of what is true and what is not? Number 1. You have to follow Christ above culture. You have to follow Christ above culture. That you have to define your life by what God says, not by what the world says in the current movement of our society. Number 2, can you identify areas in your life of compromise early? Are you seeing areas in your life where it's starting to slip? Can you identify it? Because once you identify it, then that leads to the third step then to repent honestly, humbly and quickly. It's fun to make pancakes with the kiddos in the morning, uh, but have you ever tried to clean the plates that had syrup on it, not right away. Like it sticks and it gets different, like it just gets messier, right? I take, if you don't, if you're not like a food person, like I, I know it's like every one of my illustrations is like sports or food. Um, but the reality is, is like, if you're, if you're not that person there, understand that. Have you ever had a messy room that if you just keep letting it get messy like. It never cleans itself, does it? Oh, I'll get to it tomorrow. And more stuff. I'll get to it tomorrow more stuff. I'll get to it tomorrow, more stuff. Next thing you know you're like, oh, we gotta move, we gotta move and start over. Um, cause there's too much stuff to unpack, right? Why do I say that? Look, you have to repent. And so rather than fight it, it's not a shame thing, but rather as a humble, as an honest child of God. Are you willing to turn admit where you've been wrong? Specifically. Right And that and you can do it quickly. That weight gets lifted off the shoulders. Because God wants you to thrive, he has an all access pass. Right. That's the last thing there is to when you repent, is to meditate on God's word. Chew on it, sit on it, right, feed on the word, the bread of life that's gonna nourish your soul. Right It's gonna nourish your soul. Follow Christ above culture, identify areas of compromise, repent honestly, humbly, quickly, meditate on God's word. If you notice there those four points that spell the word firm. And the idea there is that we want you to stand firm in the faith. My son's playing in a basketball tournament this weekend. It's called Section 7. It's like one of the biggest tournaments on the western half of the United States this summer for high school. Athletes is like 400 schools, 12 states, there's like 250 college coaches there. It's kind of fun and you're walking around, but what's kind of fun is like athletes and celebrities, kids are playing in this as well, so they show up. So like, uh, Friday there's Will Ferrell that was there. I was kind of bummed. I didn't see him. Someone else posted. I was like, ah, I would have loved to be like, go up to him and like reenact Buddy the Elf, you know, you are my dad. You didn't know I was born, but I'm here now. Oh, OK. He wouldn't have wanted that, so it's probably good. I didn't see him. Um, but there's other guys too, like Chris Paul and others are there and like, uh, what was, and they're just they're supporting the kids is great, uh, but they got their own area to sit in. Um, which is fair, right, so people like myself don't go up and bug them. Um, but the reason they can go there is get this little badge that says all access, right? And you can go anywhere they want. Cause they have access to where they want. Do you know that you have an all access pass to God? The God who made you, the God who loves you, the God who saved you. And so we'd like to think of it of like, oh, what are we giving up, right? Like cos like, oh, I don't, I, I like this thing. I like this sin. I like this thing. I wanna tell you there is so like the word of God, the spirit of God, the truth of God, a relationship with Jesus Christ is so much better than anything this world has to offer that it's so worth it to put aside these temporary sinful cravings and desires to repent when we fall short and come back to the grace that comes of God that it's not about. Rules, it's about the relationship, but it's not about just this freedom of sin it's about the freedom to love and the freedom to serve God and to obey his words and his story about our, our sexuality, about our identity, about what we drink, about what we say about how we act, about our how we treat people that every area of our life we will submit to what he has to say to us. So that we can experience the bread of life, Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen. That's what I want for you. That's what they wanted for the church in Pergamon, and that's what I want for us here at Mission Grove. Will you pray with me? Dear Father, just thank you for your son. Thank you that died on the cross, who took our sins so seriously that he gave up his life for us. So God in the same way, and we just repent, turn from our sin. Turn from the teachings of the culture and submit to what your word has to say. May we feast on the eternal bread, on life that comes through knowing you as Lord and Savior. May we repent from the areas where we fall short. When we withstand and stand firm amidst persecution from the culture but also God when we stand firm and not be persuaded. By the sinful desires in our hearts, may we humble ourselves before you, God. We love you and we submit our lives to you. Our one true king, may we follow you and say yes to surrender. Say yes to joy. Say yes to knowing and trusting you as Lord and Savior over all things in all areas in our lives. We love you, God, your sons and we pray. Amen.