Homeward Bound

Well, that was very nice. I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. I'm going to send that to Haiti this week, so hopefully they have something to play next week on their service, being they are taking place services today in Haiti. They've been able to come together again, so I am happy to hear that and also see if they can put me some music so we can hear from them eventually. With that, I'll go right into the sermon. The title of today's sermon is Homeward Bound. Homeward Bound, you might remember in 1993 they came out with a movie called Homeward Bound about two dogs and a cat that make this journey throughout troubles and trials that they run into. Disney made it. It was actually a remake of a 1963 version called The Incredible Journey, which I saw that many years ago. But when they did Homeward Bound, they did kind of this anthropomorphize these animals. They actually had voices and were talking like humans, and you kind of went through their incredible journey as it was. I want to tell you today about a true story, not one from Hollywood. It's made up, but where Hollywood kind of got these ideas for not only Homeward Bound, the incredible journey, but also Lassie. Show Lassie. Come home of the movie from 1943 and the TV series and so forth like that. It all had its beginnings in this story about Bobby the Wonder Dog. Bobby the Wonder Dog was a true story, and it was about his incredible journey back to his master. Bobby was a kind of a collie mix dog. There's a picture of Bobby and his owner right there, and I want to tell you a little bit about that story today. It's the basis of my sermon because I think there's a lot we can learn from that. Bobby and his owners lived in Silverton, Oregon, and they made the journey to visit family members in Walcott, Indiana. Walcott, Indiana is where my, I have an uncle who lives in Walcott. I've spent some time in Walcott. It's a small town and only about less than a thousand people when it was even smaller back in the 1920s when this story took place. But the family went and visited their family in Walcott, and while they were there, Bobby was chased and attacked by three other dogs and ran off in the wild blue yonder, I guess you could say, because they looked for Bobby for a long period of time. They looked and looked and hoped that he would come back, but he never did. So the family then had to get back to Silverton, Oregon, which they did. They drove back from Walcott, Indiana, which is about 80 miles south of Chicago, Illinois. So the trip was about 2550 miles. The family drove back without their beloved two-year-old dog, Bobby, who was lost. Well, it's interesting story because six months later, the family is outside and who comes to the door. But Bobby, Bobby had traveled over 2500 miles to be with his master, to be back home. So you can see this incredible journey that he took all the way back to Oregon. When he came back, he was scrawny, he was mangy, he was filthy, and he barely had any paws left. They were so worn down. The amazing part was they could not believe, but in six months, he had followed them home. He had followed their trail. He was searching his way back home, and he went through the plains and the deserts and the mountains, and he had to swim across rivers, and he crossed the and and he crossed the continental divide, which is huge mountains in the coldest part of the year.

They took it and they figured he must have had to travel average and 14 miles a day going across in the wintertime to get back home to his to his master and to his family. It's an incredible story. It made news, and they even made a small little movie about it, and there were articles written in the papers all across America because they were they were surprised and shocked by this incredible dog, this incredible story, this incredible journey, and his longing for home. Are we, brethren, homeward bound? Are we homeward bound? Where do we really belong? The kingdom of God, brethren, is our future home. It is where we really belong. It's why we keep the Feast of Tabernacles every year and and why the Feast is so empowering to us, because it gives a visionary experience of what the what the kingdom of God will be like, or that's what the Feast should represent to us. That's what we should be looking forward to. See, our eyes, our minds, our hearts must be homeward bound. We must be kingdom bound. Are we are we kingdom bound? Is this is this what our focus is? Matthew 6 and verse 23 in the New King James version says, seek ye first kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things. I want to read from the New Living Translation. Seek the kingdom of God above all else. Live righteously and He will give you everything you need. Isn't that amazing? Above all else. Do we do that? Do we strive to seek the kingdom of God first in our lives? It's hard, isn't it? What keeps us from being kingdom bound? What will keep you?

What does it say? We can be distracted, can't we? We can become preoccupied by everything that we get involved in or that the world throws at us or that we get tied to.

There was an old phrase from the 1960s that the hippies used to say. He said, man, this is now my world. I'm just passing through it. Well, brethren, that should be part of our mantra. We should realize that that is talking and referring to us because what do we have here and what do we have promised from above that will be down to this earth? Are we kingdom bound? You know, our final home will be the kingdom of God. And it's not just a home. It will be eternity for us. Does that not excite you? Is that not exciting? I think of my life. I spent the first eight years of my life in Indiana. A home. It was my home for eight years. Then my parents took me a young age and moved me to Tennessee, where I lived for 45 years, and that was my home until eight years ago when I then moved to Florida, South Florida, and that is my home. It's my home now, but it is not my final home. My final home is the kingdom of God. Brethren, it is your home. It is a place waiting for us. Is Christ even said, I go to prepare a place for us? It's in this kingdom of God. You know, I look back and I think about the prophets. I think about the prophets, just like Ezekiel and Isaiah, two prophets that had, they were given incredible vision. They were given visions that we can read something about their visions and God actually working with them, but unless we were there, we really can't get a total grasp on it, but it's the best we have. But can you imagine their experience? They had visions of the future kingdom. They had visions of the heavenly realm. They had visions of angels that worked with them that came to them.

But then God had something for them to do. Maybe they needed that vision. We do sometimes. That's why it's important for us to go to the feast tabernacles every year so we can see that no matter what our problems are, what our troubles are in this world, there's a better one coming.

And we know about it, and we're blessed to know that because we're kingdom bound. Aren't we? Or we should be. But look at Ezekiel. Look at Ezekiel. God said, I want you to lie on your left side for 390 days. You're going to eat there. You're going to do everything, relying on your side for 390 days. And then I want you to flip over, and then you'll do 40 days on the other side. Realize how hard that would be. But he did it. Why did he do it? Because God said to. And why did he do it? Because he was kingdom bound. He was kingdom bound. He knew of the kingdom. So what about Isaiah? Isaiah. In fact, it says in Isaiah 20 verse 3. It says, then the Lord said, my servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for three years. Three years. Can you imagine if God asked you to go one day and walk around naked in your city? You don't really want to do that. But Isaiah did it. Why did he do it? Because God said it. God said to do it, and he did it. And why? Why did he do that? Because he was kingdom bound. He was kingdom bound. Brethren, that is what dedication that takes. He was really willing to do whatever it took to make it to the kingdom. Whatever God asked him to do.

You know, it's amazing what some of the prophets went through. And I look and I even hear people complain sometimes. Hopefully it's none of you. But I've heard people complain because God asked them to do one thing. He asked them to afflict themselves one day out of the entire year. And people will complain. Dave Atomak goes out eating and drinking for a 24-hour period of time, which is a walk in the park for people in Haiti. A lot of them are used to not eating for one or two or sometimes they even go three days until they find some food to eat, water to drink. And God brings that to us and says, you know what?

Just do it. As I said the other day in my sermon, are we willing to do it because God said to do it. We see these incredible examples in the Bible. Christ brought it out when he was here on this earth and he made the statement, so I guess I am not of this world. I am not of this world. How about us? Can we say the same thing? If we're Christ-like people, will we be able to say that thing? I want to look at the life of Christ in just a few scriptures now and show just how kingdom-bound he was and his disciples and all the examples that are left for us so that we can be that same type of person. Turn to Matthew 26 and verse 29. Matthew 26 and verse 29. It says, but I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of this vine from now on until that day that I drink it, new with you in my father's kingdom. So he was telling the disciple, no, I'm not going to drink it, but I'm looking forward to a time in the kingdom of God when we will sit down and I'll drink it with you in the wonderful kingdom. So, brethren, how inspiring must that have been to look back at that last meal when he said that?

Let's go to Luke 9. Luke chapter 9 and verse 62. But Jesus said to him, no one having put in his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. Are you fit for the kingdom of God? Is this body fit for the kingdom of God? Is this mind fit for the kingdom of God? Am I fit for the kingdom of God? He who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back and not forward. It means you're not kingdom bound. You're not fit for the kingdom of God. We don't need an Edith. Edith. Who's Edith, you're going to say? How about Lot's wife? Remember the example of Lot's wife? You mentioned the example of Lot's wife. She did what?

She looked back, turned into a pillar of salt.

God doesn't need us to look back. I just make that reference on Edith because according to the Bible never says her name, but according to Jewish historians and tradition, her name was Edith. God doesn't need an Edith in the church of God. God doesn't need anybody who wants to put their hand to the plow and look back. He doesn't need them in his kingdom. He wants somebody who is driven, who is passionate about the kingdom of God, who puts it above everything else. That's why he keeps saying that. Why I bring it up and why it's at the forefront of our minds. It should be. See, first the kingdom of God. It was that important. Go to John. Let's go to John. John 18. John 18 and verse 36. Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here. Kingdom bound. Christ was that way during his ministry, during his entire life. He was 12 years old outside of the synagogue at the time. He was questioning and answering questions and getting so involved with all the teachers after the feast. His parents had to come back and find him, and they spent three days looking for him. Why have you put us through this? He said, What? Did you not know I must be about my father's business? Brethren, are we about our father's business? Are we about our father's business? Every day do we get up and say, Okay, I'm kingdom bound. I am kingdom bound. Today, I am going to do what I need to do to make sure I'm on this incredible journey to the kingdom of God. In fact, he was conducting his ministry, and he was here to to proclaim the kingdom of God.

And someone came to him that was in the crowd and said, Oh, good teacher, tell my brother to give me my inheritance. Give me my heart. And he basically said, That's not why I'm here. I'm not here to be your judge. He knew later on he would be. In a second coming, he will judge. But no, that's not why he was here. He was pointing to the kingdom. He was living to the kingdom. In Luke, Luke 22, verses 24 through 30, he tells his disciples that this is what they must be. And he's telling us today, we must be that way. Now, there was also a dispute among them as to which of them would be considered the greatest. Oh, yes, I'm going to be the greatest. Yes, no, it's me. Oh, no, he spends more time with us. No, and in 25, he said to them, The kings of the gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them, they're called benefactors. This is how the world acts. This is they want to be big in this world. They want to be important. He says, not so, not so. They're not kingdom bound. You are. So, what do you need to be? To be on this path to the kingdom of God.

Next verse. But not so among you. On the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. Totally different mindset. Totally different mindset. It's not being somebody. It's helping others. It's putting yourself third. God, others, and then you. For verse 27, for who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yeah, I say to you as one who serves. I am among you as one who serves. This is what he came to set that example. Why? Because that's what the kingdom of God is going to be like. He wanted to get their focus. He wanted these men in the kingdom of God. He wants us in the kingdom of God. Verse 28. But you are those who have continued with me in my trials, and I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my father bestowed one unto me. Can you get any better than that? I am bestowing to you a kingdom. He's promising this kingdom to them and to us. Verse 30. That you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on the thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Can you imagine them hearing that, going, what? We're going to be sitting on over the twelve tribes, judging the twelve tribes of Israel? Yes, in his kingdom. He wanted to make sure that they were kingdom-bound, that they were excited about this thing. And it was. It was exciting to them. They bought it. They bought into it, after Christ came back and after Pentecost and everything that they did during the rest of their lives. They were kingdom-bound, brethren. Is that the reason? Because Paul was, if not many things, one thing he was, is kingdom-bound. Paul was very kind- his focus was very myopic. Yeah, I'm going there. I'm going to the kingdom. You know, this is why I'm doing this. And he went through some difficult times. He went through tremendous pain, suffering, trials. But he was kingdom-bound.

Is that why he referenced, even to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians chapter 6, he said, the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. He wanted to make sure- because they had some messed up problems. Why? You read 1 Corinthians and you see where they had gotten so off track. They had lost the vision of being kingdom-bound. They got so tied up into the world, they were wrapped up in their their own thoughts and the things of this world. But thankfully, as you can see in the second book of Corinthians, that they got straightened out. They worked on themselves, and they got back on the road, back on the path. They were no longer preoccupied by the things of this world or by the fleshly lusts that was consuming that entire city. It took me in kingdom-bound.

Second Thessalonians. That's right. Read what he writes to the church at Thessalonica in chapter 1 verse 3 through 4. He says, we are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as he's writing to the church, as it is fitting because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds towards each other. Wow! Don't we all want a church like that? All we know is they love each other. And I'm blessed in Fort Lauderdale. I'm blessed in the Caribbean that the people generally love each other. And Paul knew this was going to be necessary for them to be in the kingdom of God. Verse 4, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God. They were the apex of the churches. He would tell, hey Corinth, you should see how Thessalonikans live.

So we boast of you, churches of God, for your patience and your faith in all your persecution and tribulations that you endure. It wasn't that, oh well, and Thessalonica, man, everybody's got it made. They've all got money. They all got families. There's no problems. No! He's saying, hey, you went through a lot. You had to endure your own persecution and tribulations. And brethren, many of you have had to do that. And why is it important?

Because Paul says you need to be kingdom-bound. Kingdom-bound. And the amazing thing about not only the brethren in the first century, but also most of the disciples, they were kingdom-bound to the death. Kingdom-bound to death. That is how they lived. And that's why they will be in God's kingdom. Are we are we kingdom-bound? Are we kingdom-bound?

I hope so. I hope so. Let's go to verse five. Which is made manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you also suffer. What about us? Can we be counted worthy? Counted worthy of the kingdom of God? We can if our focus is kingdom-bound. We can if we live every morning thinking about Matthew 6 33. Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Will we put it above everything else? I hope so.

Scripture say, He who endures to the end, the same shall be what? Saved. That's us. We have to endure to the end. That it's not all going to be better roses. It's not all going to be just this easy path. So what's it going to take on this incredible journey? We need to be in spiritual shape for the journey to the kingdom of God. Are you? Are you in spiritual shape? Are you conditioning yourself spiritually every day? There's a word, medical term, for people who are like my friend I knew one time that was laid up in bed for a year with a he had a bad accident broke two or three bones. And he was even young, but we went to visit him and he hadn't been out of the bed in almost a year. And when he finally did get out of bed, he had to learn to walk again because this term atrophy was used. It's a medical term about the deterioration of the muscle and even the bones and the use of it. So when you don't do anything for a while, its atrophy sets in. Well, brethren, I want us to think about spiritual atrophy. Spiritual atrophy. Have you ever thought about it? Spiritual atrophy is a deterioration of spiritual muscles from the lack of use. Spiritual muscles from the lack of use.

Do you have spiritual atrophy? Is it something as you're ready to make this incredible journey, as you're continuing this journey to the kingdom of God, that you need to spiritually exercise? Spiritual exercise. You think about Bobby the Wonder Dog. Bobby the Wonder Dog.

Why did he do what he did? 2,500 and at least 50 miles and some said it was 3,000 mile journey.

Everything he did to get home, to be homeward bound, was for the love of his master. The love of his master. What are we willing to do? What are we willing to sacrifice? As my friend Dale Bessassa, who came before me, as kind of a motto of whatever it takes, as he gave a message one time and he still adds that in, whatever it takes to be in the kingdom of God. Are we willing to do that? Because Bobby was willing to do whatever it took to come home, to be home, to be home with his master. What are we willing to sacrifice to endure to be with our master for eternity in the kingdom of God? Are you willing to answer that question? Are you willing to ask that question? Because I think it's important.

What's interesting is that when the story of Bobby got out and newspapers picked up the story, and it showed his pictures and all the papers, and you even saw a little clip on the movies about it, and so everybody was reading the story and telling each other about this story. And what was interesting is that people started then sending letters and notices to Bobby's family in Oregon, and they started just north of Walcott, Indiana. People started sending stories of this dog that came to a gas station, and he stopped, and he would spend the night at the gas station, and they didn't know why. He had followed his family. He had followed that path, and he stopped at the gas station because he knew, either smelled or felt or whatever it was, he knew his family had stopped there.

And he stopped at least two different gas stations that they had stopped at that people were telling. But some of the amazing stories were that he would come to a home. He would come to a house, and he was like, looked like he was starving. He had eaten in a long time, and he would come by this home, and the person would say, come here, and they would come over. They brought him into their house. It was cold. He was hungry and cold. They would bring him into the house, and they would feed him and take care of him and let him get warm. And it was the perfect situation where they took care of him so well, but he didn't stay. He didn't get preoccupied. He didn't get preoccupied. He didn't get distracted by families, by things, because he was homeward bound. And these stories kept coming in of somebody. I saw that dog doing this. Well, I saw that same collie.

It was a difficult journey. Tough days ahead, but he continued, we have to have that same type of fortitude. We have to have that same drive that he had to make it to the kingdom of God.

We're going to go through some tough times. You may have already gone through some difficult times. Well, it's not going to get any better. We're still going to have to go through things, but brethren, the reward is out there. The kingdom is in front of us. The kingdom is ahead. That's what we need to do. We have to make it home. We're kingdom bound, so no matter when we see the tough things come our way, it's all small stuff. You remember the saying, don't sweat the small stuff, because it's all small stuff. When it comes to the kingdom, this is all small stuff. If you've ever been on a canoe, and you've ever been had quite a distance to travel in a canoe, sometimes it can go very slow, especially if you're on a lake and there's no real current to carry you, and you may want to go to the other side, and pretty soon you get about halfway out there, and you're just kind of tired, and it seems like, wow, that's a long way off. Sometimes the best way to get there, so that you're not distracted by distance, you're not distracted by all these other things, is to just put your head down and paddle. Put your head down and paddle, and pretty soon you see that you've made it through maybe a mental barrier, maybe a physical barrier that happens. That has to be us. The death of a loved one is very tough, and sometimes that can distract us.

But, brethren, it shouldn't, because God's in charge of it all. God's got us. God's got everything. All He asks us to do is to be kingdom-bound. 1 Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter. 1 Corinthians 13 is above chapter, and it's about agape love. One of the things it says about that is it lists everything. We do that in our wedding ceremonies. We read from 1 Corinthians 13, and it's about bringing agape into our lives and having that kind of love, the love of God. And one thing it says about that is that agape, the love of God, endures all things. If we have God's love and we have that love towards God and His kingdom, we can endure all things. And endure means persevere, going through some difficult times. 1 Corinthians 7, verse 14. As we look at this scripture, because in Matthew 7, verse 14, it says that narrow is the gate. Narrow is the gate, and difficult is away. It doesn't say that the gate's real wide and everybody can come through it, and then the path is going to be just this, oh, this will be great. No. Christ is saying difficult is away, but whatever difficulty it is, it's nothing to be compared. 1 Corinthians 2, 9.

Nothing can compare. I has not seen nor ever heard nor ever in the heart of man the things that God has planned for those who love Him. You can't even dream it. It's so great. And yet sometimes we can be just distracted by this little thing over here, or we get distracted by something so temporary. Brethren, we must be kingdom bound if we are to make it. We cannot become distracted or preoccupied by the things we cannot think of as we're, we can't take our eyes off the kingdom of God. We must be homeward bound. We must be kingdom bound. And why? Why? 1 John 2 and verse 17. 1 John 2 and verse 7. Why can't we be distracted? Because the things of this world are passing away.

It's all going to be gone. It's all temporary, and the lust of its God is going to be gone. But if we stay kingdom bound, what does this verse says?

The will of, but He who does the will of God abides forever with God. That's the kingdom. That's eternal life.

We just can't lose our focus. We can't become distracted. Can a news program take us away from Bible study? Oh, I've got to see this. Oh, this is happening here. So you kind of put your Bible down. Why am I saying this? Because I've done it. I've done it, and I don't need to do it. I must be kingdom bound. Has to be more important. Our compost or blogs on the internet consume our time and our focus to where we're more concerned about the things that are going to pass away than the things that will be eternal. Only you can answer that question. Where are we? Has our focus been taken away from the kingdom of God?

Do things affect our prayer life and distract us from the kingdom of God? That's easy. Are we praying about something that seems so important, but yet you look back on your prayer life two or three months ago and you realize that's not even in the realm of what's important?

But the kingdom of God, it is important. What do Christ say? They say, well, teach us to pray. And He says, when you pray, Thy Father who art in heaven, Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We get to practice that now. As Gary Petty put in one of his sermons, I think it was called the Kingdom of God sermon, a couple weeks ago, if you haven't seen it, please get on and watch it. It's very good, and it's about being citizens of the kingdom. As He's trying to teach the same thing I'm trying to teach.

We can't get talked up and worried and all torn up because things aren't just what we think they should be. Either God's in charge or He's not. He's omnipotent, He's omniscient, all these things are He's not. If He is, we can let it go. We can turn things to Him. We cannot let stuff, brethren, distract us from the Kingdom of God, from our study, from our prayer, from our relationship with God. It says, seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Just two. Just two things. He asked us to do. Keep our focus on the Kingdom and on righteousness because the two are tied together.

Can we seek the Kingdom of God above all else? Man is that hard. And live righteously because we promise He's going to give us everything you need. Isn't that what we work for? Isn't that what we worry about? Isn't that what we think about? Well, I've got to take care of what I need. He says, no, I'll take care of this. Just do these two things for me.

What do we do? He says, don't worry, and then we worry.

You know, it's an incredible journey we're on, brethren. Really an incredible journey. It's mind-boggling, if you really understand it, that this road that we're on to the Kingdom of God, to eternal life, has been given to us the knowledge of it, what we need to do, and how we need to get there is just no questions. This is how you do it. Hebrews 11. We know Hebrews 11 is faith chapter, and boy, does it require faith. Every day it requires faith from us. We have to have faith in God, that He is, as in Hebrews 11, He is who He says He is. He's going to do what He says He'll do. But in Hebrews 11, we saw these true heroes of faith endure the journey, even though it wasn't easy.

Let's look at this. Hebrews 11, verse 14 through 15. 14-15. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland, homeward bound, and truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out of, they would have the opportunity to return.

Looking back, no, they had to stay focused. They had to stay focused. But now they desire a better, that is a heavenly country, because that's where the kingdom of God is now. And Christ even told us to pray that because it's going to be on earth as it is in heaven.

Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God. For He has prepared a city for them. Wow! I want to read just shortly the same verses from the New Living Translation. And it said in Hebrews 11, verse 13, New Living Translation. For these all died, still believing what God had promised them, they did not receive what was promised to them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it.

That's where we are. We need to see it from a distance. We need to see that kingdom. We need to know that it's real. We need to believe it's real and that it's coming. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads on this land, just passing through.

Just my world. I'm just passing through it. Obviously, people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland that is why God is not ashamed to call them.

They're not afraid to call God their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Brethren, are we always seeking the kingdom? Will we seek the kingdom? I just have a few minutes, but I am hopefully giving this kingdom-bound sermon to fire you up, hopefully to inspire you to dig a little deeper, dig a little longer into your Bibles, have a stronger relationship with God. These are the things that really matter. Taking care of people, looking after people who need help, being an ambassador for God, being that advertisement, as I said before.

Can we put our hearts, souls, and minds on God's kingdom and what it takes to be there? Can we be kingdom-bound? That means no distractions, no getting involved in the politics of this world, because so many people want to.

And, you know, I remember the politics. I've been around for 61 years, and guess what? It's always been this way. It may just be a little more now than it was in the past. Just distractions, oh, this is going to happen, oh, wait a minute, oh, oh, we have to worry about this, and people would go, oh, wait a minute, oh, is the tribulation starting?

Oh, is it, what about this, and what about what's happening in Europe? Is this, oh, if our focus is on the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we're not going to be worried about all this stuff, because God's still in charge, and He's going to bring His kingdom here, and we're going to be a part of it. And that's where we'll make decisions. That's where we'll make judgments. That's what His book says. For us to get bogged down in some of these things that I hear, and people get, I'm like, distractions, and preoccupied.

Oh, are there things to worry about, or things to pray about? Yes. So when you pray, just like I prayed for Gus Joseph for the last week, ever since I heard he needed prayers here last week. Okay, I prayed, I left it, I didn't call him every day and say, Gus, Gus, how you feeling? How you feeling? No, I laid it to God, I gave it to Him. Like all the stuff. Brethren, God has given us the key. I have key to my house. God has given us the key to the kingdom of God. And if you really think about it, it's the key to eternal life. He has given us this key that unlocks the kingdom of God to us.

How important is it? If I knew this key was the key to eternal life, would I just be throwing it around? Oh, here we go. I'll set it over there by the counter. Oh, where's my key? Brethren, He has given us that key. Matthew 6 and verse 33. We can't be worried about squabbles, squabbles that people have, squabbles that people want to have with us. It takes us off the kingdom. Not fearing about the future. I just know one thing. It's not going to get any better until Christ comes. Do we need to get up every morning? Oh, how bad it is!

Let me watch the news. The world is going to hell in a handbasket. No. No, because we're kingdom-bound. We know that things are going to get worse, but we also know things are going to get better when the kingdom of God is here. Brethren, we have been called. We have been called. We've been trained, and we are preparing for the coming kingdom of God.

We are called and been trained because we're kingdom-bound, because that's where we need to put our focus. I pray that God helps us. I pray that God will help us all be together in His kingdom. That's His wish. That's His desire. And it's a strong desire for us to all be there together. So this week, this week, let's keep our eyes on the prize. Keep our eyes on the prize. Let us be homeward bound, because the kingdom of God is where God wants us to be. Have a wonderful week, and stay kingdom-bound.