What Qualifies Us to Lead?

This week at the Democratic National Convention, their candidate stated that religious beliefs in this country need to change. The audacity of that statement is overwhelming. The implications are extremely far-reaching. It was a blatant attack on Christian morality. Blatant attack. If you watched any of that convention, I could barely watch it, because it angered me every single time I turned it on. It made my blood boil. They were either promoting the death of the unborn or homosexual agenda, the gay agenda, which they claim is no agenda at all, but in fact is very much an aggressive agenda.

And if you say anything about it or you speak against it, you're intolerant. And they're preaching tolerance, but tolerance is not what they're looking for. Absolute 100 acceptance on your part is what they're looking for. You can't just tolerate it. Christians have tolerated people for millennia. Christianity is tolerant. What they're looking for is acceptance that you change your morals to them.

It's a sad reality in our society. It's continuing headlong down a moral spiral. But you know what, brethren? This is prophesied before the return of Jesus Christ. There's nothing that I'm going to say today from behind a pulpit that's going to change that.

God said it's going to happen. It's going to happen. And we're watching it unfold right in front of our eyes. 2 Timothy 3, verses 1-7. Paul predicts it, and he describes it. 2 Timothy 3, verse 1. This is 2 Timothy, not 1. But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come, for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers.

Just watch either political convention. You'll see all of that. But it's not our politicians to blame. We can't blame them and shift blame off of ourselves. Without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, in other words, betraying one another, there is no more loyalty in the end time. Headstrong, don't tell me what to do. I'll tell you what to do.

Hottie, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness, even the ones that seem religious, but denying its power. It has no real authority in their life. God doesn't really tell them what to do. Having a form of godliness, but denying its power, and from such people turn away. We don't fellowship with the world. We don't have friends in the world. It's not that we're not friendly, and it's not that we don't love them. And it's not that we don't have great hope for them in the future.

They are our family. Future family, not converted. They're against God right now, but one day they will not be. But we cannot allow them to set our morality. For this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of the gullible women, loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth.

I think that's interesting. Always learning. You know, we get criticized in the Christian community as being the ignorant of society that's very laughable. It's extremely laughable. I was thinking about that this morning as I was brushing my teeth. It's unreasonable to believe that God doesn't exist.

They claim that they're so knowledgeable that they learn so much. Oh, yeah? Where did all this stuff come from? Where did the toothpaste I was brushing my teeth come from? If you go back, way, way back, there had to be a beginning. It had to come from somewhere. They just ignore that, oh, don't confuse me with the facts.

They're reason, supposed reasonable people, they're reason for believing God doesn't exist, and so they don't have any rules. That is their reason. I literally heard a debate between a renowned Darwinist and Dinesh D'Souza, who's the guy who's the Republican Party spokesman for creation and for America. He's a big cheerleader for America. Makes lots of movies like Obama's 2016 Hillary's America. And those two debated, and at the end of that debate, the Darwinists essentially said that there's no one out there to tell us who we can sleep with and what we can eat and what we can do with our bodies.

That was the crux of his argument. It's so telling. They learn so much, but they never come to the truth, Paul says. Always learning. Never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. They just spin in darkness. And then down in verse 13. But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. I like that last statement, and being deceived. Remember the Day of Atonement, brethren.

Especially when we give messages like, Oh, the Democratic National Convention stands against God, and we have to stand up. Remember, they are deceived. The Day of Atonement places blame on Satan and casts him into outer darkness, like we heard today in the sermonette. So, don't judge the people.

Judge the morality and the sin according to the law of God. You know, the DNC this week pushed the abortion issue and the gay agenda to intimidate us, that we should tolerate them. I want to read from an article on UCG called, this is from ucg.org, November of 2012, by Rod Hall, he happens to be my uncle, and it's What's Behind the Gay Agenda. The title, What's Behind the Gay Agenda, quote, About a generation we have seen society transform from considering homosexuality to be a psychological disorder, to the point that those who do not accept or affirm homosexuality are themselves called homophobic and viewed as mentally abnormal.

So, if you think that there's a moral issue behind homosexuality, you are now considered mentally ill, like you have a mental disability. Homosexual behavior once considered morally wrong and outlawed in many countries and U.S. states is now largely immune from the public, condemnation or even public criticism. And in some countries, those who do criticize it face fines and or imprisonment.

The term tolerance is now employed to mean complete acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender or the LGBT lifestyle and ideology in the family, in the workplace, in education, in media, in religion. Those who do not accept this definition of, quote, tolerance, end quote, are often labeled intolerant. Today, the term diversity means more than seeking women and minorities to join a company or organization. It often includes embracing homosexuality, LGBT behavior and showing solidarity with the gay agenda. I'll just step out there for a minute. I mean, corporate America is jumping on the bandwagon and it's absolutely unnecessary.

Like a big retail chain will come out and say, we support the gay and lesbian. So? All I want to know is, are you lowering your prices? What's that got to do with anything? Reading on. The gay agenda, along with the sexual revolution that began half a century ago, has transformed America's moral standard that once was based on biblical values to one that accepts the commonplace, the homosexual lifestyle and many other biblically condemned behaviors. Ironically, while gay activists demand tolerance toward themselves, they are quick to slam anyone who dares to disagree with them as intolerant.

Bias, bigoted, homophobic, in demanding their rights, they only demand that everyone else recognize that their self-proclaimed rights, but they actually strip away the freedoms and rights of those who disagree with them and who are standing up for their rights.

To their agenda. You know, the reality is, and it has been so for a long time, that a homosexual person has not been denied any rights in the United States for a long, long, long time. Now, there has been a stigma about homosexuality because it's a moral issue. But, as far as getting a job, even getting benefits for your live-in partner has been possible for a long time! This agenda is not about getting their rights. They already have them, and they have had them. So, what is it about? It's about your heart changing over and away from God and towards something far, far, you know, more healthy. You know, more heinous and evil and immoral. So, the fall Holy Days are not far away. The Feast of Trumpets will start off those Holy Days, and it represents, among other things, a time when God's saints will become immortal and be given new careers as kings and priests with Jesus Christ in his kingdom. The Bible clearly states that this will happen. Let's take a look at that, that the saints will lead. Revelation 3, verse 21. We'll start there. This is very relevant to what's going on this week in the United States. So, what do we do about it? How do we react to it when we hear things like this? You know, that intolerance that we're labeled right now will get worse. Persecution will happen. What do we do about it? Do we rant on Facebook? Do we stand up and hold picket signs? Or is there something far greater that we are supposed to be doing right now? Revelation 3, verse 21. To him who overcomes. Overcomes what? The DNC? The gay agenda? No. No, brethren. Not that. To he who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne. As I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. What did Jesus Christ overcome? What did his blood cover? Sin. The breaking of God's law. That's what you and I need to be focusing on right now.

That's our job. We cannot be distracted every time. Well, okay, we can be distracted. I get distracted when they talk about abortion. I just do. I pray for the unborn. But I know that this is a dark and evil world.

I know that it is God's will to allow mankind enough time to prove himself wrong. And that's exactly what God's doing right now with mankind. A lot of people just think, why doesn't God just stop at all? Hey, a lot of really bad things. If you've studied history, bad things have happened in every country throughout the history of mankind. And they're continuing to happen. And why does God allow that? Why does the Father discipline his child? So that that child will learn. And God is teaching mankind, oh, you want to leave the Garden of Eden? Oh, you want to go do it your own way? Okay, let's see how that works out. Okay, Dad, we'll see you later. Mankind trots off and tries it his own way. And what do we do? We obliterate each other and the earth that we live on.

But there will be some people who are called to overcome. That's you and me. And we are called not just to overcome, but to rule with Jesus Christ when he returns. What will our very first assignment be?

Well, I believe this was just read in the sermonette. So let's go back to Revelation, Chapter 20. We'll read verses 4 through 6. We won't read verse 10, because that was very well covered in the sermonette. 4 through 6. Revelation, Chapter 20, verse 4. And I saw thrones, and they that sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. You making judgment calls.

What's up with that? Are you and I qualified to make judgment calls? You know, God calls the weak of the world. We're not the great people of the world. Who are we to think we will lead in the kingdom? What are our qualifications? Can you lead even the city you live in?

I don't know. I don't know that I could. I couldn't navigate politics. I'm not that savvy.

So what is it that God is looking for in leaders? We are going to lead because God said we were, and that's enough right there for us. We trust Him.

But what qualifies us to lead? That's what I want to talk about today. What qualifies you to sit on a throne and make a judgment? Let's take a look at that.

Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God. That is a critical statement.

For the witness to Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, had not received his mark on their forehood, on their hands. No matter what, anybody told us we need to change.

We will not deviate from what God says to do.

And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years, but the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. What will our very first job be? Fixing a very messed up, very destroyed earth.

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such, the second death has no power. But they shall be priests of God, teachers of the Word of God.

Teachers of the Word of God. What qualifies you to be a leader? You're someone who, when a person comes up to you and says, Did this happen to me? And so and so did such and such to me? You'll have the answer.

Well, the Word of God says this. You will love your neighbor as yourself. You will forgive. And you, as priests, will teach the way of God from the Word of God to people.

Over such, the second death has no power. They shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Let's go back to one of the original prophecies that sets up the fact that God's saints will actually lead. Daniel 7.

Daniel 7. This was his dream where the four beasts came walking out of the sea. And these four beasts represent four world-ruling empires throughout history.

And before they happened, Daniel witnesses them in a dream. And in Daniel 7, verse 16, Daniel says, I came near to one of those who stood by, and I asked him of the truth of all this. And he told me and made it known to me that the interpretation of these things, those great beasts which are four kings which will arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.

Forever in Hebrew just means for an undetermined amount of time. So if they want to say forever, like we mean it in English, they say forever and ever. Meaning it will not end.

Verse 19. Then I wish to know the truth about the four beasts, I'm sorry, the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, the last beast, the one at the end time.

Exceedingly dreadful was teeth of iron and nails of bronze, which devoured and broke in pieces and trampled residue under his feet.

And the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up before were the three fell, namely the horn which had eyes and a mouth, spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

I was watching, and the same horn was making war against the saints and prevailing against them. So, you know, the people of God do not get an easy way through life, not always.

Sometimes we actually have to stand up for what we believe, even to death. Verse 22, There is a constant attack on the calendar and on the law, and we get attacked on both sides of that issue, brethren, and have, for example, from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and the law.

There is a constant attack on the calendar and on the law, and we get attacked on both sides of that issue, brethren, and have for generations.

On the calendar issue, we get attacked on one side. It doesn't matter what day you keep. And on the other side, we're not keeping it enough, you know?

And they start implementing Pharisaical rules in the Sabbath, and the Church of God gets attacked on both sides of that issue.

Times. He tries to change times, but he also tries to change the law. We get attacked on both sides of that.

We don't have to keep the law anymore. The law was done away by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Even though he and Paul plainly said the law was not done away with, that the law of God is a very good thing.

In fact, that's going to be the theme of our regional weekend, the law of God.

But on the other side, we have people that tell us we're not keeping the law enough.

You shouldn't cook on the Sabbath, which is not even a law in the Old Testament.

It was a law to ancient Israel in the wilderness, but that was a law specifically for manna.

And I tell you, if you're going to keep the whole law, and you're going to use that argument, you better eat manna on the Sabbath.

Because if you're not eating manna, you're not keeping that law.

And I'm not just being tongue-in-cheek, I'm being serious.

If you say you have to keep the whole law, you have to keep the whole law.

Everything, every little aspect of it.

Some people say we have to wear tassels, because those tassels remind us to keep the law of God.

But what did Jesus Christ say that the Holy Spirit would do?

But bring that remembrance to us, that tassels were a symbol of the reality, God's Spirit in us.

So we're keeping the reality and criticize that we're not keeping the symbol.

We get hit on both sides of that issue.

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, verse 25.

Persecute the saints of the Most High, and we'll intend to change times and law, the calendar and the law.

Brethren, we keep the Sabbath day, and we will keep the Sabbath day. We keep God's Holy Days, and we'll continue to keep God's Holy Days, no matter who tells us to stop.

And we will keep God's law, no matter who tells us to stop.

Even if it's the President, Him or Herself. Then the saints shall be given into His hand for a time, times, and half a time, three and a half years, of intense persecution on the earth.

Verse 26. But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away His dominion to consume and destroy forever.

Then the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.

Again, another testament to the fact that God's saints will lead in the kingdom.

And you know what? Jesus Christ will be our captain.

Hebrews 2, verse 6.

So what are we supposed to do in reaction when we hear that we're supposed to change our religion to meet the times?

Hebrews 2, verse 6.

But one testified in a certain place, saying, What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you take care of him?

You have made him a little lower than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of your hands.

You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him.

But now we do not yet see all things put under him.

We can't just think and be on Mars. We can't do that.

Right?

We can't just think and stop an earthquake or a tidal wave, a tsunami.

But one day we will.

Verse 9.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

For it was fitting for him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of our salvation perfect through suffering.

Yes, you know, the saints are going to lead after that three and a half year period.

But we have a captain, a captain who is immovable and unchangeable, a leader who we can follow.

We won't be alone.

You won't have such a responsibility and burden on you that you can't handle.

We will have Jesus Christ out in front.

We won't do anything independent of him.

We won't make judgment calls independent of him, as we will see.

We can be very comforted, brethren. We're going to help people.

It's not just going to be, well, I'm going to throw you out in the deep end and see if you can swim.

That's not God's plan.

How is it that a people like us, who have never experienced any kind of major leadership role in government or, you know, city council or anything like that, how can we effectively serve as kings and priests in the kingdom of God?

Brethren, the key lies in our attitude towards our king, Jesus Christ, and towards our Father, God the Father.

Notice how it describes the political theme today in America.

We're going to go to Psalm 2.

This describes the respect that we must have for our king and the disrespect that this world has.

And this Psalm describes our reaction when we hear something like we heard this week.

Psalm 2, verses 1 through 12.

Psalm 2, verse 1.

Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing?

Do you think this is going to succeed?

All this agenda to get us to change our religion?

It won't succeed. Oh, it might convince people to change.

But it's vain. You know what vain means?

Temporary. It won't last.

Like all other social agendas that have come for the millennia that man has ruled the earth, this social agenda will not last.

It will cause a lot of problems in its wake that we will have to currently deal with, but it won't last.

Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing?

Their plotting is vain. It's temporary. It won't last.

The king of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds into pieces and cast away their cords from us.

We're going to cast off religion.

We're going to merrily skip down the road with no consequence whatsoever. It doesn't work that way.

What happens when you throw a rock up in the air?

It comes down.

There's a consequence to every action. You can't just wish consequence is a way.

You can't just say it's okay to abort and it's okay to have a homosexual agenda and not feel the consequences rain down on you. It will happen.

Verse 4, He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.

The Lord shall hold them in derision.

His children left the Garden of Eden. They were kicked out, actually. They rebelled in the garden. He said, Well, you can't stay here anymore. Go figure it out on your own.

They rage against God and say, We'll do it our way. He just chuckles because he knows how it's going to end. He knows he's going to bring them back one day, give them all a big hug, and say, Okay, now let's try it my way.

He sits in the heavens and he laughs. He holds them in derision. Verse 5, And he shall speak to them in his wrath. Oh, they're going to get it. And distress them with deep displeasure.

Yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion. This is Jesus Christ. I will declare the decree, The Lord has said to me, You are my Son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you, And the nations for your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for your possession. And you shall break them with a rod of iron, And you shall dash them into pieces like a potter's vessel. Why will he dash them into pieces? So they can be resurrected and taught again.

Now therefore, be wise, O kings, Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, And this is what you and I are to do. Right now. The kings of the earth will do this in the future. You and I do this right now. Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the sun, lest he be angry, And you perish in the way. And when his wrath is kindled but a little, Blessed are those who put their trust in him.

Only those who learn to follow his lead can be trusted with the job. Only those who have learned not to try their own policies, Not to live by their own opinions, Can fix this world. And the problem is, brethren, Is that we get so comfortable with where we're at, That we come to church during the week, But live by our own opinions the rest of the week. On the Sabbath, we learn from God. Oh, Amen. You preach it, brother. And then we go to work. And we forget. And we lead by our own opinion. What should our reaction be To the Democratic National Convention's platform? It's not rage. It's repentance. We have to get ready. And that should spur us on to say, I can't live by my own opinion anymore. There's so many compromises I see out there. We're now on this Pokémon thing. And everybody's running to it. It's odd-granted. It's a neat game. Augmented reality is neat. You hold your phone up, and it shows a picture of whatever's in front of you. But it puts little cartoon characters over the image of whatever's in front of you. So you've got a tree and a rock, and it puts a little Pokémon character on the rock. And you've got to do something, you know, hit him and collect points. That's a neat game, right? Only...what was Pokémon again? Oh, yeah. Pocket Monster. Pokémon stands for Pocket Monster. And the original ones, not the new ones, because it's been out for decades now. The original ones were ancient Oriental demons. Oh, yeah, little demons! Oh, they've gotten cuter and nicer as we've gone along. Now we have cute little demons that we can shoot little balls at and get points in our augmented reality. And we just live by our own opinion. We don't stop and say, What does God think about that? Not for a second! We just download it! I mean, come on!

We'll read any book or any series of books. They will make the hero of the story be an absolute bad guy. And yet we'll follow the entire series because it's romantic.

Oh, yes, he's an undead, blood-sucking vampire, but it's so romantic!

Really? Yes, they're little children and they're heroes, but they're witches. And they're learning real witch incantations. And they make books about them, and they make movies about them. They're even starting a witch school in England on this series of books. We read them. Oh, just love those books! What does God think? Do we stop and ask? What does God think? When we hear things on the TV that make our blood boil, our first reaction is to stand up and protest. What our reaction really should be is, God, am I following you? Because the leaders in the kingdom of God will not lead by their own opinion, but rather they will have a healthy respect of fear of the Lord, as it says in Psalm 2.

There is only one lawgiver, and that is God the Father. And that doesn't include you or me. We don't get to set right or wrong. You know why? Because we didn't create anything. We didn't create ourselves. We didn't create the universe. So we don't own it. God did. He owns it. He sets the rules. That's why the nations rage and say there is no God, because they don't want rules. We do, because we see the great value in those rules. And there is only one lawgiver, James 4, verse 12.

There is one lawgiver, James 4, verse 12, who is able to save and destroy. Who are you to judge one another?

You know, we're not supposed to call evil good or good evil. So we're not going to stand up and say it's okay for the Democratic candidate to say what she said. We're also not going to judge her. It's not our job. It's not our job. It's God's job. He's going to do it. He said he's going to do it, and he is. What is our job? Judge yourself. Are you meeting up to the law of God? Does God rule your life, or do you just come to church? Because there's a huge difference in those two things. Coming to church and actually being led by the Spirit of God are completely different things. They're actually opposites.

You know what? Jesus Christ Himself has this attitude. He's not asking us to do something that He Himself is not willing to do. John 5. Let's go back to the Gospels. Jesus Christ has that attitude then, and He has it now. He lives by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. John 5, verse 19. And then Jesus answered and said to them, Most assuredly, most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself. He doesn't rule with His own opinion. He's capable. It's not that He doesn't have an opinion. He doesn't rule with it. He chooses not to. The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. Jesus Christ is not asking you or me to do something He's not willing to do. He is our example. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does, and He will show Him greater works than these that you may marvel. You know, that should be our attitude, too. When we lead, brethren, other people, I've said this before, we don't have to teach people how to build buildings and bridges and roads and sewer systems and electrical systems. They already know that stuff.

What do we need to teach people? How to get along with each other? How to think that other people are okay? Because most people get bitter and angry, don't get along with their family. Most people. Very few people are fortunate to actually have a happy family in this world.

What should we do when we lead? Not judge with our own opinion, but allow the Word of God to be our opinion. And that's a choice. That's not being a dumb robot, a simple, brute beast. Ayo, ayo, ayo. God leads me. And that's what a lot of people would have you believe.

And that is not what it is. It is a choice, an intelligent, willful choice that you have to make. You and I have to yield to God. That takes effort, not stupidity. It takes thought and intent. We don't naturally do that. And what's the consequence in our lives when we lead by our own opinion? Proverbs 26 and verse 12. Proverbs 26 and verse 12. Do you see a man who's wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than him. Don't lead with your own opinion today. Ask yourself, what does God think about that? What does God teach about that?

Who will lead in the kingdom of God? Only the man who respects the word of God will lead in the kingdom of God. Let's go back to Proverbs chapter 3. Let's read verses 5 through 10. Proverbs 3 verses 5 through 10. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge him. You mean even on my smartphone? Yeah, all your ways. And he will direct your paths. You mean even when I do my taxes? Yeah, all your ways. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. That's an interesting parallelism. Being wise in your own eyes leads to evil. But the opposite of that is respect for God. We think being wise in our own eyes only leads to good. But step back for a minute and look at the end result.

It only leads to hurting other people. Verse 8, and if we fear God, it will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the firstfruits of your increase. Don't put things over God, in other words. So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats overflow with new wine.

God's word does not change, no matter how much a presidential candidate wishes it would. It will never change, brethren, and we must never change our opinion about it. We must never let anybody influence us away from it. Do you remember Malachi 3? Malachi 3 says, For I am the Lord. I do not change. Malachi 3, verse 6, For I am the Lord. I do not change. God was loving from the beginning. He is loving now. He will be loving in the future. That love has rules, has judgments, statutes, and those who lead in the kingdom will follow them. Do you know Jesus Christ is exactly the same?

Hebrews 13, verse 8. Jesus Christ is exactly the same. Verse 8, Hebrews 13. Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. So who will lead? The people who lead the same way Jesus Christ will. John 14, verse 31. This is when Jesus Christ is just about to be crucified. We read this at Passover time. He is very intense when he is talking to his disciples.

And he says, But that the world may know that I love the Father. And love is the key point in the book of John. The world may know that I love the Father. And as the Father gave me the commandments, so I do. Is that our attitude, brethren? I hope so. I think it's our desire. I think that you and I desire to have this attitude. As the Father commands, so I will do.

You know what? But desire only goes so far. I worry that it's not actually our attitude. As God commands, so I will do. In every aspect of our lives. We know we can trust the Word of God. We know there's benefit. We know that people are against us when we do.

But we know it will work out. We trust Him. Psalm 119. The, Oh, How I Love Thy Thy Law Psalm. Psalm 119. Longest chapter in the Bible. Let's pick it up in verse 85. We'll read just a few verses here. Psalm 119, starting in verse 85. The proud have dug a pit for me, which is not according to your law. People will try to get us to move off of God's law. All your commandments are faithful. They persecute me wrongly.

Help me, David says. For they almost made an end of me on the earth, but I did not forsake your precepts. No matter what people do to us, brethren, are we going to move?

We need to move, and I'll talk about that in just a minute. They almost made an end to me on the earth. Verse 88. Revive me according to your loving kindness. There's that word, chased. It means the same as agape in the Greek. So that I may keep the testimony of your mouth. David's focus is, let me live that I can do more of your way. Is that our focus? Or is it, let us live that I may accomplish whatever it is? Fill in the blank. The one thing that we are to accomplish before you and I die is to learn to love others like God does. And if we don't accomplish that, we have wasted our time.

Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations. You establish the earth, and it abides. They continue this day according to your ordinances, for they are all your servants. God has the entire universe in His hand. It operates according to His law. We, and Satan and his demons, are the only thing out of sync with that.

Verse 92, Unless your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts. For by them you have given me life. Our very Christian life should be by God's precepts. We should believe and act that your word gives me life, and if I don't have your word, I don't need my life. That should be our attitude.

You know, about a month ago, I gave a sermon on rebellion, and I contrasted David and Saul. I just want to go back there to better understand this attitude and why it's so important. Let's look at these examples of David and Saul.

In 1 Samuel chapter 8, ancient Israel asks for a king. So God gives them a king, a strapping king, handsome guy. Everybody looks, that's our king. It's Saul.

And in 1 Samuel chapter 9, that's when God gave him the king. It was great in physical appearance, but he did not work out to be a godly king.

He was presumptuous. He ruled by his own opinion. When you're given leadership, brethren, don't let this be you. God won't allow it.

Let's go to chapter 13, 1 Samuel 13, verse 5 and 10. 1 Samuel 13, verse 5. The Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and people as the sand, which is on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Micmash to the east of Beth-Avon. When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger, for the people were distressed, then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits.

That's reasonable. And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. What do we do? What do we do? Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people were scattered from him, so Saul said, Bring a burnt offering and a peace offering here to me.

And he offered a burnt offering. But he was told to wait. He was told not to do that. But he did it anyway. I'll work it out myself. Do we do that, brethren? Do we wait for God, or do we work it out ourselves? Verse 10, Now it happened as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came.

He just should have waited an hour. Samuel was on his way. And Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. Let's drop down to verse 13. And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord, your God, which he commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart. And that's what God's looking for. That's what he's looking for out of you and me. A man after his own heart. And the Lord has commanded him to be a commander over his people.

But you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. And then drop down to chapter 15. The result of Saul's direct disobedience to God's instruction. He disqualified himself as a godly king. And he lost his right and his entire dynasty. And in chapter 15, verse 35, Brethren, I read that verse to us.

That God may never say that about you and me. That he regretted giving you whatever gift he gave you. He doesn't give you a gift that it might be in vain. That you can spend it on whatever you want to do. But instead, that you will take your life and you will make the decision, the conscious decision, to yield every part of your life to God's word. Dropping down to chapter 16 now. It's 1 Samuel 16, verse 7. The next king was chosen because he had a right heart. And that's what God is looking for. He wasn't a strapping young man.

He was, in fact, the runt of the litter. He wasn't even considered to be king, as we know. But King David was what God was looking for. Why? 1 Samuel 16, verse 7. I have read this before this year, and I will read it many, many times again.

1 Samuel 16, verse 7. But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance or at his physical stature. A lot of times we question, Why would God pick me? It's not for your physical qualifications. It's not what he's looking for. It's not what he wants. He doesn't need people to teach other people how to be a bridge builder, or a doctor, or a lawyer. They already know how to do that. He's looking for you for something different.

Do not look at his appearance or his physical stature. Because I have refused him, for the Lord does not see as a man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance. What are your qualifications? What is your education? Outward appearance. But the Lord looks at the heart. The D&C, the Democratic National Convention, said that religious views must change.

Hogwash! They do need to change, actually, just not in the direction that they're suggesting. We need to go the other direction. We need to head towards God, not away from him. We need to become more like God, not less like him. Some of us think I'm not qualified to lead. But if the word of God lives in you, you are qualified to lead.

And you are qualified to help other people. Psalm 15 will end it here. Psalm 15, verse 1. A Psalm of David, Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle, who may dwell on your holy hill? He who walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart.

It's an inward thing, not an outward thing. He who does not backbite with his tongue. You see, if the truth is in your heart, you love other people. You're not out to get other people. You don't hate someone when they get up on a national stage and they say, we need to abandon God. You hate what they did. You know they're going to get it when their time comes. But you don't hate them. Because the truth is in your heart. He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up reproach against his friend.

When there's a conflict between you and your friend, you work it out. In whose eyes a vile person is despised. Oh, that is a pathetic thing you just did. I'm not even going to eat lunch with you and make it seem like what you just did was okay. I can't do that. Not when truth resides in the heart. But honors those who fear the Lord. Doesn't kiss up to people because they're in leadership positions or because they're wealthy.

Honors people who are righteous. That's who they look to. You go, wow. That guy just got chewed out. He just got publicly humiliated. And he took it. That's the person I look to. That's the person I respect. I don't care how much money he has. I've worked with attorneys. I have known attorneys who are billionaires.

The, with a B, the. Billionaires. You know who I respect? The minister who stood in front of a congregation in Florida. And that congregation railed against him over an issue that he had nothing to do with. He was simply the representative of the home office sent out.

And boy did he catch it. They were disrespectful to him. They gave false accusation to him. And he just sat there. And just lovingly, patiently took it. And he held that congregation together. And they got over it. Not the billionaire. The man who fears the Lord. He, verse 4, continuing on, he who swears to his own hurt and does not change. Your word is your word is your word. If you said you'll do it, you'll do it. That makes you trustworthy. That's somebody who God can put in a leadership position.

When you tell the people who follow you that you're going to do something for them, God knows you will do it for them. You're the person God's looking for. The person who fears God and follows his word. Verse 5, He who does not put out his money for usury. You're not making money on your money. You're just lending your money so that people can be okay. He who does these things shall never be moved. God is not looking for natural leaders who can lead by their own opinion. But those who fear and respect and have awe for his word. His perfect way of love. His perfect way of getting along with others. God's word does not and will not ever change.