Luke chapter 13 verse 23 Luke
13 23 Then said one to him Lord I Are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, strive
to enter in at the straight gate. For many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter in and shall not be able." Now I can understand this question.
I imagine you probably can too. Are there few that be saved?
How many are going to be saved? You know, with religion, it's
a stupid question, isn't it? If I've been asked anything the
most from people, or just religious people in general, it's, how
many you got? It's a matter of stupid pride
with religion. They consider that relative success
or failure based on how many attend a certain place. But this is a different question.
He's not asking that here. He's saying, how many are saved
at all? How many are saved at all? Are you just going to save
a few, Lord? I think that's an interesting
question. And we're not sure in what spirit he asked this
question here. Maybe noticing that the Lord
didn't have very many true followers. Most people didn't think much
of him. A lot of people thronged around him for certain reasons,
but then they walked away. He didn't have very many people
that stuck with him. And maybe they're asking this
by way of criticism. with a sneer maybe, but we don't
know that, we can't assume that because this is a question that
believers are concerned with as well. Are there few? Are there
few that be saved? But we're concerned with it for
a different reason. Elijah, turn with me over to 1 Kings chapter
19 for a second. I want to look at this because
let's talk about this question of how many are saved because
the answer is very interesting. First Kings chapter 19, verse
1. Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah
had done and with all how he had slain all the prophets With
the sword now, this is the previous chapter chapter 18 where Elijah
Stood strong for the Lord. He challenged the the false prophets
of Baal and called upon the Lord and the Lord rained down a fire
upon the altar consumed the sacrifice picturing Christ and his gospel
and how that God saves sinners and exposing those false prophets
of Baal. So Elijah just got done standing
pretty strong as God's prophet. But here Ahab told Jezebel what
he did. He killed all those prophets
and then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah saying so let the
gods do to me and more also if I make not thy life as the life
of one of them by tomorrow about this time. In other words she's
saying about this time tomorrow I'm gonna kill you like you killed
my prophets. And when he saw that he arose
and went for his life and came to Beersheba which belongeth
to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a
day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a
juniper tree. And he requested for himself
that he might die. And said, it is enough now, O
Lord, take away my life, for I'm not better than my father's.
And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then
an angel touched him and said unto him, Arise and eat. And
he looked and beheld there was a cake baking on the coals and
a cruise of water at his head. And he did eat and drink and
laid him down again. And the angel of the Lord came
again the second time and touched him and said, Arise and eat,
because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did
eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days
and forty nights unto Horeb, the mount of God. And he came
thither unto a cave, and lodged there. And, behold, the word
of the Lord came to him, and said unto him, What doest thou
hear, Elijah? And he said, I have been very
jealous for the Lord God of hosts, and for the children of Israel
have forsaken thy covenant. thrown down thine altars, and
slain thy prophets with the sword. And I, even I only, am left,
and they seek my life to take it away. And he said, go forth
and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord
passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and breaking
pieces the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind.
And after the wind was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
And after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire, a still small voice. God's teaching Elijah
something here. It's not about how many is it.
It's about who it is that's talking. It's not about big and grand
and impressive to the senses. It's about who it is that's speaking. And it was so, when Elijah heard
it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and
stood in the entering in of the cave. And behold, there came
a voice unto him and said, What doest thou hear, Elijah? And
he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts. Because
the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine
altars, and slain thy prophets with a sword, and even I only
am left, and they seek my life to take it away." And he was
jealous for God. He said, y'all stand over there, and y'all stand
over there, let's find out who God is today. And they did. And the Lord said unto him, go,
return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when thou comest,
anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, and Jehu the son of Nimshi, shalt thou anoint to
be king over Israel. And Elisha, the son of Shaphat,
of Abel-mehola, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And
it shall come to pass that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael
shall Jehus slay, and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu
shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me 7,000 in Israel,
all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal. in every mouth
which hath not kissed him." So Elisha, would you want to be the only
one left in this evil world? The only believer here? Elisha
didn't want to be. He said, just take it. He requested. That's the right way to do it,
isn't it? He requested, Lord, is it okay
if I die now? He acknowledged that it's not
his life to take. He didn't take his own life,
it's not mine to take. But he said, God, is it alright
with you if I just come home? If I thought I was the only one,
I might ask the same thing, wouldn't you? Oh my, thank God for each
other. Isn't it wonderful to have brothers
and sisters, friends that know God? Oh my, surely a friend is
a friend in a whole other sense when you know God. Surely that's
the real meaning of the word. So he said, is it alright with
you Lord if you just, let's just end this thing. But he was wrong. God said, I've reserved 7,000. Contrast Elijah's experience
in confronting false religion. Now that happened right after
he had stood up and challenged the prophets of Baal to call
on their God and see if their God could do anything. He mocked
them. He said, well, maybe he's asleep.
Because they called on him and nothing happened, of course.
And Elijah said, maybe he's asleep, or maybe he's gone on vacation.
Maybe he's gone on a journey and he hadn't come back home
yet. And so he ridiculed him and then of course God showed
up. And everybody there that day found out who God was. But
then affliction, then tribulation, then Jezebel who had some power
is chasing him and saying, I'm going to kill you. And who's
going to help Elijah? Of course, he was bold to speak
for God before now, not so much. But listen, that's the circumstances
of it. He's afflicted. He's hounded
by those that hate his God. And then his experience there,
I'm alone. Take me home. I don't want to
be here anymore. But then in Acts chapter 4, contrast
Elijah's experience with in Acts chapter 4, same thing happened. There was a bold declaration
of who God is. There was affliction by the enemies
of God. There was persecution by the
enemies of God. And then what happened after
that? What happened in Elijah's case
is he ran and hid and said, God, kill me. But look at Acts chapter
4, this is so beautiful. This is more like our experience. Acts 4, 18. I was talking and not turning.
I can't do it at the same. If I was chewing gum, we would
never get this done. Acts 4, 18. And they called them and commanded
them not to speak at all. nor teach, let's see, they threatened
him, verse 17, they threatened him that they speak no more to
no man in this name. And they commanded him not to
speak or teach in the name of Jesus, but Peter and John answered
and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God
to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot
but speak the things which we've seen and heard. So when they
had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing
how they might punish them because of the people. For all men glorified
God for that which was done. For the man was above 40 years
old on whom this miracle of healing was showed, and being let go,
they went to their own company." They went. and gathered with
other believers. Elijah didn't know. He didn't
have anybody. He didn't know about them. If
there was anybody, he didn't know. But they were able to go
to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and
elders had said unto them. And when they had heard that,
they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said,
Lord, Thou art God, which hast made heaven and earth and sea
and all that in them is. You're God. That's what he keeps
teaching us over and over. You're God. I want to learn that
this morning, don't you? I want to go from here saying,
Lord, you are God. Isn't that comforting? Who by the mouth of thy servant
David has said, why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain
things? This is what's happened to us,
this threatening and stuff, this is not new to us. Your enemies
have been threatening you and your people from the start. The
kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together
against the Lord and against his Christ were of a truth. Thy
holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius
Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered
together to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined
before to be done. Oh, we know the purpose of this
all. We know why this all happened.
We know what was accomplished here. And now, Lord, behold their
threatenings, and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness
they may speak thy word. You notice he didn't say, behold
their threatenings, don't let them hurt us. Behold their threatenings, and
whether they hurt us or don't hurt us, may we preach your gospel
with boldness. by stretching forth thine hand
to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy
holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the
place was shaken, where they were assembled together. And
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the
word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that
believed were of one heart and of one soul. Neither said any
of them that all of the things which he possessed was his own,
but they had all things common. Oh man, wasn't it good that they
had some brothers and sisters in Christ to go and talk to about
all of this and worship God together under the sound of the gospel.
And they were unified in every way. Verse 33, with great power
gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus and great grace was upon them all. That's what happens
here. The Lord said where two or three
are gathered. How many Lord? Are there be few?
Are there just a few that be saved? Well if there ain't but
two or three and you gather in my name, I'll be there. His grace
is upon us. Great grace is upon us. Neither was there any among them
that lacked For as many as were possessors of lands or houses,
sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
and laid them down at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made
unto every man according as he had need." You know, if we were
in the situation that they were in back then, we might have to
do something like that. Now, the same principle applies,
though, doesn't it? If somebody needs something,
just like that. And so, you see the difference
there. Thank God that we have each other. You see, that's a
question that concerns us as believers. Are there few? Are
there few? Isaiah asked in 53-1, who hath
believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Are there few that be saved? Paul wrote to the church at Philippi,
Philippians 2.19, I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus
shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I
know your state. I wanna know that you're taken
care of, that y'all are worshiping the Lord, that the Lord's blessing
you. For I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your
state, for all seek their own. and not the things which are
Christ's. That'd be tough, wouldn't it? I'm thankful for Timothy. He was thankful for Timothy.
But he said, Timothy's the only one. There's nobody else I can
send you. Because everybody's worried about all of their own
things and not the things of Christ. So, we mourn that. As Isaiah, who hath believed
our report? Relatively very few. But at the same time, we rejoice
in those that are faithful. Paul said to that same church
in Philippi in 1.3, I thank my God upon every remembrance of
you. Always in my prayer of mine,
in every prayer of mine for you all, making requests with joy
for your fellowship in the gospel. from the first day until now. What are you thanking God for,
Paul, for them? For their fellowship. Are there
few that be saved? Maybe. But thank God for those
few. Thank God for you. We've had
sweet fellowship from day one, haven't we? Day one. That's what Paul, from the first
day until now. It's important to see in our
text that the Lord didn't answer the question He deliberately
very instructively does not answer the question His answer is direct he's not
avoiding the question His answer is vital How many is not vital But his
answer is, it's not our business how many
is it? It's not our business. But we do have business in this
world as believers. And that's what he told him.
Strive. Strive means to endeavor with
strenuous zeal to strive to obtain something. Paul said, I'm not just as one
that's beating the air. I'm not just punching a punching
bag or something. We're after something. Strive to obtain something. That's Paul, isn't it, in Philippians
3? I press toward the mark. There's
a prize that I'm after. I count not myself to have gotten
there yet, to have apprehended. But this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind and reaching forth into those
things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize
of the higher calling of God in Christ Jesus. That's exactly
what our Lord is teaching right there. Forget about how many are going
in this gate and how many are going in this gate. Run to that
gate just as fast as you can run. That's what he's saying.
Isn't that simple and beautiful and instructive? There's a whole
bunch going in this gate and there ain't but a few over here.
Just run for that one just as fast as you can. That's what
Paul said I'm doing. But aren't we supposed to rest?
What's this thing about striving? If our Lord teaches us to rest,
hear of me and rest, find rest under your soul. Is it not the
unbeliever that's heavy laden, that's always having to work
and to strive to please God? Are we not told that he that
enters into Christ rest ceases from his own labors? Why then
are we told here to strive? The answer is very simple, and
it's an important one. The unbeliever strives to please
God by his works. He's going about to establish
his own righteousness, and that's a work that never ceases. That's a work that you can never
rest from. They refuse to submit to the righteousness of God in
Christ, and so they're always striving and laboring to please
God. The believer strives for one
thing. For the believer, one thing is needful. I press, strive,
endeavor, all of my effort, all of my heart is set upon one thing. And it's not me pleasing God. There's one thing needful to
the believer. And remember that in Philippians
3 where we read in the context, Paul abandons all of his works,
all of his law keeping. We'll read that. Let me read
it to you. I know you're familiar with that
passage. The things that unbelievers strive for, personal goodness
by the deeds of the law, moral superiority, these are specifically
the things that Paul renounces as dumb. That's the striving
of the flesh to achieve, to measure up before the law. to be respected
and honored of men, for people to say he's blameless according
to the law, to be morally superior and all those things. Those are
specifically the things that Paul said, I have no interest
in that anymore. Not only am I not striving for
that, I'm leaving it behind. But he was striving. But listen to what he said in
verse four. Though I might also have confidence
in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof
he might trust in the flesh, I more, I've got to be. Circumcised
the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin
and Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee.
Everybody looked up to him and considered them the most moral
people. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness
which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to
me, those things I had obtained and strove for and achieved,
I thought, I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I
count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things. And do count them but dung that
I may win Christ. And be found in him not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which
is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith. So what's Paul striving for now?
that I may know Him. All of my endeavors, all of my
laboring to keep the law and the measure, I quit. I quit. I've got another job
now. I've got a different business
now. What is it, Paul? That I may know Him. That's the
teaching of our Lord in our text. If you look at the rest of the
chapter there, chapter three, Paul says, I strive to know Him.
I'm striving to win Him. I'm striving to be found in Him.
I'm striving to follow after Him. I'm striving to apprehend
Him. I'm pressing toward Him. You
look at it later. Every bit of that is word for
word in the text. That's pretty clear what Paul's
doing, isn't it? That's what our Lord is telling you to do.
run, strive. And there's just one goal, one
desire, that I may know Him. My desire is not to be good. If that's your goal, to be good,
you're a failure. And most importantly, you will
be a failure. You always will. If your goal
is for your good to outweigh your bad, I've got some bad news
for you. You don't have any good. The more you do, the more you
sin. Our one goal is Christ. Christ Himself. Not to know things
about Christ, not to be smart in the scriptures. Our goal is
a person. And our goal is Christ because
our need is Christ. One thing is needful, and so
this one thing I do. I run for Him. I don't need to
act right. I don't need to do the right
thing. Don't misunderstand me. I want to, but I don't need to. And if you do need to, you're
in big trouble. If it is a necessity for you
to be good, you're in big trouble. I know that may sound terrible
to some people now to say, well, I don't need to be good. Aren't
you glad you don't need to do righteousness? You're in big trouble if you
do. There's no hope for you if you do. I want to honor the Lord. I want
to please Him. But I don't need to. I need Christ. And I hope that's clear. I need
Him. And in Him, I do please God.
Him my righteousness is what we need to understand. That's
what Paul the very thing we're talking about though Oh, I've
got to keep the law. I've got to good Paul said I count all
of that but done So that I might win What I do need The Lord Jesus
Christ My righteousnesses are as filthy rags in the sight of
God. And so if that's what I'm striving
for, God is going to be repulsed by me in the end. And he's going
to say, get away from me, you wretched worker of iniquity.
I never knew you. But our Lord says, strive to
enter in at the straight gate. And he is that gate. What was his met? Come to me.
Come to me. Come to me. Believe on me. He said in John 10 9, I am the
door. A gate and a door is the same
thing. We call it, we might say, if
I said look at that gate back there, you might say that's not
a gate, that's a door. But it's the same thing isn't it? A gate
you might think is a little bigger, what we call something you know
in the yard, there's a gate you know. But it's access, it's entrance
from where you are into another place. Am the door by me if any
man enter in What is our Lord saying about the gate strive
to enter in? at the straight the narrow Gate
strive to enter in I am the door if any man enter in he should
be saved This is a matter of eternal life and death. That's
why he says strive Don't you take it for granted and don't
you be lackadaisical about it? Don't you be nonchalant about
it. Don't say it at a convenient time. Strive. This gate in our text is exactly
the same message. Christ is access to God. Romans 5.1, therefore being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his precious blood,
We have peace with God because we believe that all of my righteousnesses
are filthy rags, I count everything, all of my morality and my religious
heritage is dung, that I may win Him. He is the object of
my faith and I'm justified in Him and I have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. By who? Also, we have access
by faith into this grace wherein we stand. and rejoice in hope
of the glory of God. Christ is the door whereby we
enter in to this grace that we stand in. How'd you get in here?
How'd you come to the place where Christ is, I believe God, I know
God, I'm saved, how'd you get there? I opened the door, I came
through the door. I entered in by his grace. And now I stand in his grace.
The word straight, of course, means narrow. And our Lord did
say that the gate that leadeth unto life is narrow. The man's
question was, are there few that be saved? And the Lord had answered
that at other times. But it's important that he didn't
answer it here. Because he set this man on not
worrying about how many, but worrying about one thing. Do
you believe on the Son of God? He did say in Matthew 7, 13,
enter you in at the straight gate for wide is the gate and
broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there
be that go in there at. Because straight is the gate
and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life. And few there be that
find it. There's the answer to your question.
But you know what your business is? Not to figure out how many
or worry about how many. Run, run, run for the gate that
leads unto life. The way and gate to destruction
is broad and inclusive. You can call yourself whatever,
Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, it doesn't matter.
Everybody's welcome. Not so at the straight gate. Not so. You can't enter into
the straight gate with any baggage whatsoever. You've got to come
through just like you are before God, naked. With no covering of your own. We don't
come with a covering, we come for a covering. We don't come
with a righteousness, we come for righteousness to Christ. I believe the Ark pictures this
very beautifully. It was easy to not enter into
the Ark. The broad way was to just stay
right where you're at. I believe that's what the broad
way is. Many of there be that go in there at. If you don't
go in the straight gate, you're in the broad gate. You've gone
in. You've already gone in. The arc. It was real easy to not enter.
To not enter the arc is just to keep doing what you're doing.
The broad way to destruction is simply the way you've always
gone. Just going to work and coming
home and going to the grocery store and whatever you do. That's
the broad way. It was business as usual in Noah's
day, the broadway. The broadway was everywhere except
in the ark. The narrow way was one door,
one way of access into safety and rest and peace from the wrath
of Almighty God. One door. Only a handful went
in there. Just a few. But everybody that
went in, went in through that one door. And they were safe. They were safe. God poured out
his wrath upon this entire world. And they were safe. And this
is how it is with the two ways. There's Christ, the way, and
then there's everywhere, everybody, everything else. There's Christ
and there's Antichrist. He said, no man cometh unto the
Father but by me. He is the narrow way, and he
says, strive. Strive to enter, to be found
in Him, Paul said. I must be in Christ, in Him as
my representative. All of my faith is in Him. All
of my hope is wrapped up in the Son of God. How do you strive? You ever think about that? How
do you strive to enter in? What exactly does that look like?
I know if I have a task to perform in this world, I've lived long
enough to know pretty well what will be involved in the types
of things that I do. If I have to build something,
I'm going to need to be able to afford it. I'm going to have to be able
to carry materials, have a little bit of strength. I'm going to
need to have some skill in operating certain tools. I'm going to need
to have some understanding of structural physics and things
like that. And so before I begin, if any of that is beyond me,
I might need some help. I'm going to have to figure it
out before I even start. What is the desired end of that
which we strive for in our text? When I've got a task to do in
this world, if you don't know what you're actually trying to
accomplish, then what in the world are you doing? You gotta
know what the end result you're looking for is, right? That's
where it kinda starts. Even though it doesn't exist
yet, you gotta know what it is. What's the end result? What's
the desired result in our text? Well, here's how it started.
Are there few that be saved? Are there just a few, Lord, that
are gonna be saved? To be saved, that's what we need. That's what we need to be saved
from our sins, to be saved from the wrath to come. The wrath
against our sin. And the Lord in his answer did
not bother with that which was not important. How many? But
he answered what was vital. Who's going to be saved? Strive
to enter in. Remember what he said there in
John 10 9 he said I am the door by me if any man enter in He
shall be saved Are there few that be saved? Well, here's what
you need to know about that enter in strive to enter in What must I do then to be saved
what is this entering in I? If I come through that door back
there, if I come through there, I enter into the church building.
How do I enter into Christ though? There's two answers to that in
the scripture. First of all, here's our business.
Acts 16 31, they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
thou shalt be saved. Sounds kind of like what our
Lord was saying, except the way to be saved is described two
different ways. entering in and believing. But the result is the same. And
so the path is the same. To enter in is to believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ. He said in John 6.29, Jesus answered
and said to them, this is the work of God that you believe
on him whom he has sent. Believe on him. Here's the second answer from
the scriptures. Listen to this carefully. I probably should
have you turn, but listen to this very carefully. 1 Corinthians
1.7, But God hath chosen the foolish things of this world
to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of
the world to confound the things which are mighty. Think about
this now, God chose, God chose a people. He deliberately chose
the most wretched and the most despised, the weakest, the basest. The base things of the world
and the things which are despised hath God chosen and things which
are not to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should
glory in his presence, but of him, of him who chooses. Of him who deliberately chooses
the most wretched, of him are you in Christ Jesus. That's how
you get in Christ. God puts you in there. By setting his heart upon you
from the start and choosing you in Christ. of God are you in
Christ Jesus who has made unto us wisdom and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption that according as it is written
he that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord and that's key now
the reason you need to know the second answer to the question
how do you get into Christ is because God's going to get
all the glory that's why That last phrase is key to the second
answer. You need to know that your striving
is because of His striving. Your doing is because of His
doing. You need to understand that now so that all glory will
go to Him where it belongs. Remember what striving means,
to endeavor with strenuous zeal to obtain something. Did our
Lord do that for us? For the joy that was set before
Him, He endured the cross. He was after something, wasn't
he? You know what it was? It was me. Our Lord's work to glorify God
and to redeem His people, to obtain eternal redemption for
us, is the cause of our striving to enter into Him. We strive for Him because He
first strove for us. And that's what Paul, now he
said that too in Philippians 3. Philippians 3 is just a parallel
passage to our text this morning. He said, I press toward the mark,
I run swiftly to the goal, and the goal is what? In Christ Jesus. To be in Him, to be found in
Him, that I may know Him. And then he said this, I count
not myself to have apprehended, but I'm determined to lay hold
of him. That word apprehended in that
text, it means to lay hold of. Isn't that a beautiful picture?
You run and lay hold of. Oh, and he said this, he laid,
and then in verse 12, he said, I was laid hold of by Jesus Christ. I count not myself to have apprehended,
but I am determined to lay hold of him. Why, Paul? Because he
laid hold of me. Verse 12. I was apprehended of
Jesus Christ. And now, verse 13, this one thing
I do. What's that, Paul? I'm going
to lay hold of him. That's how it works. And isn't it beautiful? Notice that in our text that
many are striving to enter in, But notice that the word straight
gate are not in that part of it. They're
wanting to get in, but not by the straight gate. Everybody
wants to go to heaven when they die, but nobody wants Christ. Nobody. That's what he's saying,
at least not many. Not many. We know the answer to the man's
question, though our Lord didn't answer him here. Few, few there be that find it. But he deliberately stressed
to this man and to us that our business is to be one of them. Make it your business. You remember
when Frank Tate said that during our conference? That was a long
time ago. How in the world do you remember
that, Chris? You can't even remember your kids' names. Because the
Lord's put that thing right there. And I hope it stays. Right there
and right there. Make it your business to know
the Lord Jesus Christ. Make it your business. Make it
your business like it was Paul's, to know Him, to win Him, to be
found in Him, to follow after Him, to press toward Him, and
to lay hold of Him. That's our business, by His grace. Strive to enter in. at the narrow gate. May God give
us grace. Let's pray. Thank you again, Lord, for your
precious word. May we see your son exalted and so clearly revealed
in that word and see that he is all that we need
and all that we are to desire. And may he be all of our desire. Thank you for all spiritual blessings
in him. May we go from here rejoicing
and glad in our hearts that the Son of God has laid hold of us
and our desire now is to lay hold of him. Thank you for all
your blessings Lord. Stay with us, keep us close to
you in this world. In our Savior's precious name
we ask. Amen. Amen. You're dismissed.