Don't Give Up! | Francis Chan

Man, it's kind of weird. I I've been gone for a while. Um, and God's done so much so much in my life uh over the last few weeks. It's funny because the last time I spoke here was the first of the year and uh that was just an interesting weekend.

I mean, rough weekend and I I had several people come up to me and just say, "Wow, you were really weird. You were just really weird that weekend." And uh but they said it made me feel good about myself. And I was like, "Oh, that's good. I'm glad I could do that for you.

But uh you're saying, you know, it's just good to see you struggle and and I was like, well, I I struggle every week, you know, and I'm sorry if I ever give off the impression like life is easy for me or that it's easy to follow the Lord, but oh, it's an absolute fight every week to live the way that God wants you to and to to do the things that he's calling you to.

So, I I hope I never make it sound like it's a it's a breeze for me or my family or or in my own personal life, my own personal thoughts and the battles and everything that goes on in in a person's mind because uh it's an absolute war and I I don't know what encourages you to keep fighting that fight, you know, because it's a battle for all of us.

Every one of us is in a war, you know, trying to keep our morality, trying to to to keep our lives on track, doing the things that God wants us to do. And I don't know what helps you because there's times when we all feel like giving up.

But for me, sometimes I hear stories or interact with people who are fighting alongside of you and and you hear about the struggles they're going through. And isn't that encouraging sometimes when you see someone who's going through so much more and yet they're fighting. They're living it out.

And you go, "Wow, okay, that motivates me. If that guy can do it, if she can do it, if she can go through everything she's going through, you know what? I I can make it through this." when I was in uh Nashville um man which was which was a just a beautiful thing.

I mean imagine being in a stadium where every seat is filled 20,000 college students worshiping God as loud as they can and you're just sitting there going this is this is beautiful. This is just amazing. But um I I gave this talk on trials on going through hard times and the student comes up to me afterwards.

One of the students that came up to me was from Indiana. And he goes, "Wow, I could totally relate to that." He says, "You see, because in November, I was in a tornado. Um, it ripped through my town and and it it killed my whole family." And he he said, "I I just remembered being caught up in this thing and the sound and as your body just being tossed and it was like in my mind, I knew my family was all they were all going to die."

This 23-year-old kid. And he goes, "You know, I just I I I things are flying around. There's just noise. You're just" He goes, "And I'm thrown about a hundred yards. I wake up about a hundred yards from where I started." And he says, "Honestly, I felt like while I was in the middle of the thing, like I could feel God's arms around me, like protecting me in the middle of this thing."

And and I wake up and, you know, a few scratches on my face, but I was fine. and uh he says, you know, I know that God has a plan for my life. I know there's a reason why I'm alive. I know he has a purpose for me.

He wasn't talking about the bitterness or frustration of why God this, why why my whole family, why my mom, my dad, my brothers, my sisters. He just said, you know what? There's a reason why God protected me. And somehow I I could feel like his embrace in the middle of this tornado like he was holding me saying, you know what?

I'm keeping you on this earth, you know. And as he told me that story, I thought, "Wow, that that's so much. Isn't that just the way life feels sometimes, like everything's just flying around you? All these obstacles at 100 miles an hour, you know, just flying at you and all this noise, and yet in the midst of it, you can just still sense, no, God's still with me."

It sure seems crazy right now. It seems like everything's out of control, but my one saving grace is I know God is with me. And um this this week I was uh you guys remember Sand Sandy Simol. A lot of you guys that have been around for a while.

Sandy Simol. She used to help out with our worship all the time. There there's been no one like Sandy since she left. Her and her husband Scott went to Arizona and uh and he pastors a church out there now. But uh gosh, I I loved having Sandy in our church.

You know, every time I was preaching, you know, I get fired up and you'd hear someone in the congregation go, "Come on, Rev." You know, and it was always Sandy, you know, amen. Come on, Rev. you know, and I I just loved her. I mean, no one fired us up like Sandy.

And uh she was she was back visiting her daughter because her daughter almost died. Um you know, her her daughter had a heart problem just a couple weeks ago. She was out here and uh Sandy was combing her hair the other day and her brush dropped. She went to grab it and her arm snapped in half and went to the doctor and found out it was cancer and her bone had become so brittle and you know and and in breaking her arm found out she had cancer and um so I went over to the hospital to visit her this week and I get in the hallway and I just hear this shriek, this absolute scream at the top of her lungs and I knew her voice and I knew it was her and she's just screaming out, "God, help me.

God, you know, and and you ever have someone you you really care about scream out in pain where you go, gosh, that's not a person that's that's weak or frail. I mean, she's a strong person and she's screaming at the top of her lungs and and it's the worst feeling in the world because there's nothing you can do, right?

You you go, "Gosh, give me the pain. Do something. Someone do something." and you hear the shriek and immediately you get this this sick feeling in your stomach and you start welling up with tears going ah I can't believe the pain she's in you know so I wait a couple of minutes nurse is like you know just wait outside and I you know I walk in and she sees my face and tears are running down her face and she first thing out of her mouth pastor God is wonderful our God is so good she goes can I just tell you all the good things my Lord has done for me.

And she just starts going and just naming all the blessings like I I shouldn't even be this is just amazing that God would have me here in Semi Valley so close to a hospital, you know, and everything else and on and on telling me about how God's been watching over her, caring for her and and I go, "Sandy, I I was just in the hallway listening to you scream a couple minutes ago."

She goes, "You heard me? I I could have heard you from the freeway, you know. And uh and she and I told her, I go, "Gosh, I just felt so sad." And she says, "Honey, don't you get sad for me. God has been too good to me. I'm his daughter.

I'm his little girl. And he's been so good to me. So don't feel sad for me." You know, and her husband Scott's going, "You know, it's great, Sandy. You know, some of the pain's away. You can rest now." And she goes, "Rest? I can't rest. I got too much praise in me.

I got to keep praising him." You know, and just kept praising, worshiping God. And I just I said, 'You just blowing my mind right now. You're absolutely blowing my mind right now. You know, you go and you think you're going to go minister to someone and then you leave there just being changed going, "I've never seen faith like that.

I I've never seen someone so in love with the Lord uh through the pain, through the pleasures in life, through everything that you just can't stop praising him. And you know, when you see people live that way, it fires you up, doesn't it? You just go, "Okay, I I I I can do this.

Whatever I'm going through in life, I I can do it. I'm going to keep fighting." And while people encourage me, you know, there's there's really uh there's really nothing that that picks you up like the word of God. Don't you love it when um you're struggling with something and suddenly a passage, you know, someone shares a passage with you and you go, "No way."

You know, and there was a passage of scripture that was shared just a couple of weeks ago just flipped up on the screen and I thought, "Wow, that's exactly what I need to see." It's Galatians chapter 6. And I want to share it with you today. Galatians chapter 6:es 7-10.

And this is this has been like my my verses for the last uh three weeks. Galatians 6:7-10 says this, "Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sws. The one who sws to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. The one who sws to please the spirit, from the spirit will reap eternal life."

Let us not become weary in doing good. For at the proper time, we'll reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers. But but that verse, that third one, you know, where it says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we'll reap a harvest if we don't give up."

Man, I love that verse, man. It was just such good timing. It's like, I know you're tired. I know you're you're wiped out. And a lot of you in this room, you know, probably come here today and and going, "Man, I just can't do the right thing anymore.

It's just too tough. It's just too hard. I'm just going to give it up." And that verse is just so encouraging. Come on. Don't don't grow weary in this. Don't don't don't give it up. I know it's just so hard to walk the right path sometimes, but you can't get tired of it because there's that promise that if you don't give up, you're going to reap a harvest.

Okay. I don't I don't know what your struggle is this week. I don't know what your week's been like. I don't know what your year's been like so far. But I'm willing to bet many of you are just going, "Man, it's just been a tough long hall. And I feel like I've been fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, and I'm just tired and I want to quit."

And the Bible says, "Don't give up. Don't give up. There's a reward in it." You know, and that I've just been claiming that verse day after day after day, just going, "Okay, I can't get tired of this. I got to keep doing what God's called me to do.

See, he starts off the passage and he he says uh he says, "Don't be deceived." I mean, don't don't let anyone, you know, drag you in this this this wrong direction. Stop being led astray is literally what it says. Stop being led astray. God is not mocked. And now, the word mocked is the idea of uh of being fooled or or being uh ridiculed.

You ever ever have someone mock you or uh ridicule you? You know, we we've all had it happen to us. If you have older brothers, older sisters, you know, as as a kid, it starts there. Remember my brother when we were younger, just always, you know, just trying to tease you or trick you or something.

Remember when crazy glue first came out, you know? I remember my brother was fixing his bike and and he goes, "Hey, Francis, come put your fingers around uh the the bike here and uh and and he puts crazy glue." He goes, "Squeeze it really hard like that." And I got this bike, you know, here.

And then he just walks away and I'm stuck to this bike. It was pretty funny, you know. So he comes back with a knife and we cut my fingers back open. But you know, it's just I ever since I was a kid, you know, just just the whole idea of mocking one another, tricking one another and and then you get older in life and and pretty soon it's it's not so funny.

You know, pretty soon people start lying to you, promising things to you, telling you how much they care about you, and you realize it's all a lie. that it's all a it's all a joke to you, isn't it? You know, and and people that make promises to you suddenly break your heart and you go, "Wow, you're kidding me.

You had me fooled that whole time. I thought everything was good between us. I I thought you really cared. I thought you you really meant it. I thought you were a a man or a woman of your word." And and you you they start lying to you and it kills you, right, man?

And how many times in the church people that that come for years, you know, acting like, "Oh, no, no, no. Everything's good. Everything's together. I'll be a leader in the church, this or that." And you just you find out the truth. Later on, you go, "Wow, you totally fooled me the whole time.

You've been fooling me for years." And the Bible says, "Don't be deceived because you're not going to do that to God." I mean, I've fooled people. I've lied to people. I've pretended I was something I was not. We We've all done it. But the Bible says, "Don't be fooled.

Don't be deceived. God is not mocked." And the word mocked is this this word. It's literally means nose. Um which is a weird thing, but but it's the idea of of turning your nose up at someone. You you know when when you're it's like a child, you know, and and and uh you know, the parent says, "Hey, do this."

And and for the child, they go, "Hm, I'm not going to do that." and you just want to, you know, it's just that whole idea of I told you to do something, you're going to turn your nose up at me and you're going to rebel against what I asked you to do.

It's that that's what this word means to mock. And and how how often people will say, "Hey, God, I know that's what your law says, but you know what? You can't make me forgive that person. Sorry, I'm not going to forgive. Sorry, I'm not I'm not going back to that marriage.

Sorry, I know that that's wrong, but I'm not going I'm not doing that. You know what? I know I'm not supposed to have sex before marriage, but you know what that and just to turn your nose up at God's commands. And the Bible says, you know what? You don't do that to God.

You You don't think that you're you're going to get away with anything. God's not mocked. You You don't just say, "Okay, I know that's what your law says, but I'm going to go the other direction." You think that's going to work out for you? God's not mocked. God's not deceived.

You're not tricking anyone. See, you you could be fooling me right now. You could be fooling your your spouse, your kids. But you know what? You're not fooling anyone who matters. Cuz God is not mocked. God's not tricked. Everything that happens on this earth is noticed by God.

You know, one of the things that bothers me in in uh in churches and amongst Christians is is how often we say the name God to the point where it becomes common and we forget who we're talking about. The verse says God is not mocked. Remember who we're speaking about when we say God.

Remember how the Bible describes God as a being right now in heaven who is sitting on this throne? God. And the Bible says he dwells in unapproachable light. That he's not like you and I. He's this being who dwells in unapproachable light. That that that you can't even look upon him right now.

If we were to see God, we would die. That's that's who we're talking about. that that being that you and I, all of us are going to have to face him one day. And it says that that God is not mocked. God is not mocked. So don't be led astray.

Don't think, you know, cuz your buddies say, "Oo, God doesn't see this. Oh, it's okay. I'm getting away with something." You're not. God is not mocked. He says, "A a man reaps what he sws." He goes, "Whatever you do, you're you're going to you're going to reap the consequences of it.

You reap what you sow. It's a law." You know, just like there's obvious natural laws. He This just a law. This is this is black and white. Period. A man reaps what he sws. You know, he goes, "You ever try to plant You guys ever try to plant an avocado tree and hope that it produces corn?

It's it's just never happened. You can try it. You can try it and hope all you want, but it's just a law. It's just this natural law that avocado trees produce avocados and not corn. He goes, "In the same way, you got to understand if you reap, you know, if you sow sin, don't think that somehow that God's going to bless you for it, that somehow you can turn your nose up at God and and go against his law and he's going to go, "Oh, that's okay.

I didn't see that. So, I'll just keep blessing. He goes, "No, no, no. Whatever you plant, that's what you're going to harvest." A man reaps what he sws. You know, I I was talking to a a guy this week on the phone and, you know, who's who's leaving his family and everything else and and and I said, "Man, I'm just so sad for you."

I go, "Listen to what you're saying. You know, this is wrong before God. Do you really think you're going to be the first person in history to turn your nose up at God's commands and have him bless you for it? You're fighting God. Don't you understand? It's never been done in the history of mankind for someone to mock God, to go against his law, and then him bless you.

And that's exactly what you're trying to do. And I go, I'm just so sad for you. You know better right now. God's not fooled. God's not deceived. You're going to reap what you sow. It's a promise. He says the one who sws to please his sinful nature from that nature will reap destruction.

It will. It's a law. You you you trying to please your flesh, your sinful nature. He goes, you're going to reap destruction. And that's a result of it. The word destruction is the word decay. You're going to pay for it one way or another. You are going to pay for it.

And and he he says, you know, and the one who sws the spirit to please the spirit from the spirit will reap eternal life. See, right now, the idea is right now while we're on earth, while we're still on this planet, okay, those of you who hear me, you're on this planet right now.

We're living. This is like the seed time, okay? You know, just like you, okay, what am I going to plant into the ground? Okay, that's the seed time. What what seed am I going to put on the ground? And then later on, you wait for the harvest. You know, whatever you put in there, you're going to see the results of it later.

It's all a matter of what you planted. And the Bible's explaining, look, right now is seed time. Right now on earth, you decide, what am I going to do? What am I going to plant on this earth? Am I going to just try to please myself? He says, 'Well, you know what?

You're going to see the results of that later. He goes, "Or you going to please the spirit, you know, the things that God wants you to do." He goes, "Because then you'll see the results of that later. And either later on, you're going to reap decay, destruction. You know, it all ended.

There is nothing to it. Or you're going to reap eternal life, things that actually matter." You see, there's a war that goes on every day in all of our bodies. For those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, the Bible says that his Holy Spirit has come into our lives.

And so in our spirit, we have these desires to do the right thing, right? We want to do what's right. But at the same time, the Bible says in our flesh and our bodies, we also have these sinful desires. And there's this battle between our spirits and doing what God wants us to do and these earthly bodies we live in.

See, it's not just a battle between us and Satan, you know, when Satan trying to do things, you know, to convince us and tempt us. It's not us against the world. Not just us in the world where the world's trying to convince us, man. It's also us against our own bodies.

We live in these fleshly, earthly bodies that have desires. We all have them that go contrary to God's law. And the question is is what are you going to do? you going to please that body or are you going to please the spirit that's also at war in there saying no no no you know what's right and you know you can take the right road and you know you'll be happier if you do and it's this war we all go into and the Bible says don't be mocked don't be fooled don't be deceived God isn't mocked God knows what's going on he sees when you decide to to go for your own sinful pleasures and he goes you know But you'll see it at the end.

And he knows when you're going to give it up for him and serve him. And you know what? You'll see the results of that. God's not fooled. A lot of us are. I'm fooled all the time, every week, by all sorts of people. And the comfort is is I don't really matter.

You're not fooling the one that matters. And I love the verse, and I I've been quoting it over and over and over again. Let us not become weary in doing good. I praise you. You got to memorize it. Don't grow weary in doing good. I That's been like my chant, you know, for the last few weeks.

Don't grow weary. Don't get tired of doing what's right. Don't get tired of doing what's right. Don't get tired of doing what's right. Because he says in due time, you're going to reap a harvest. There's going to be a reward. But the key phrase here is in or at the proper time.

You see it says at the proper time we'll reap a harvest. And you know what stinks about that is what we think is the proper time and what God thinks is the proper time. Those are usually two different things. You know I I mean isn't it true? Don't we just disagree with God's timing?

Let's be honest. Aren't there times when you just disagree with God's timing when you whether it's for punishment or for reward? You know, aren't there times when you you see someone do something so evil and go, "God, would you punish them already?" And then there's other times when you do something good and you're like, "God, would you reward me already?"

You know, we want it now. And most of us disagree with this whole idea of what the proper time is for reward and for punishment. Most people would uh would say that regarding God's punishment that he's too slow and that he's too severe. We'd say, "Wait, God, why don't you punish him now?"

And then we hear about God's punishment to come called hell. We go, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You got not that. Not that. That's a little too harsh. You have no right to punish that severely." And yet we'll get mad at him and say, "God, you should punish like immediately, but not so severely."

And I think most people in America anyways would say that I think God is too slow to punish. And I think that when he does punish, I think it's unfair. It's too severe. And if I were God, I would, you know, have a little more of an immediate consequence and not so severe, you know, like if someone flips someone off, I'd have his finger fall off and go, "See, right?

Right. You I mean, wouldn't you feel better about that?" Go, "Yeah, yeah, why why don't you just do that?" Or someone's staring at pornography, his eye falls out and go, "Ah, told you'd go blind." You know, it's that whole uh idea of uh you know, it's like, why not something more immediate?

Why not something immediate and not so severe as hell? And and we have all these things about God. You know, if I were God, I would do it this way. I would do it that way. And and and there's so many people, you know, who who question this idea of God's wrath and how severe it is and how he stores it up for the end.

And for those of you who feel that way though, let me just ask you something. And I I don't mean this sarcastically at all, but uh do you ever you ever put are you ever in a situation where you just you think that your opinion really doesn't matter and so you just don't even give it?

Or do you just always feel like whatever you have to say or your opinion really should have a you know should carry some weight? You you see like if I I don't know a whole lot about cars. cuz I hardly know anything about cars. So, when the mechanic's fixing my car, I don't go under the hood and go, "Hey, why don't you uh do this, you know?

I I got an idea. I I just I just go, you know, you just fix it. I'll pay you the whatever." You know, unfortunately, you just just go do whatever you need to do because I I don't know. I I don't I don't walk in on a surgeon while he's operating on someone and go, "Whoa, hey, why don't you try um you know what I think?

Take that tendon, you know, stretch it to the esophagus. you know, I just just kind of I just stay out. It's, you know, it's just who am I and I don't know about that stuff. You just do what you need to do. Well, has it ever crossed your mind that maybe with God you're in over your head?

Just a thought that that that that maybe he's got justice figured out. Just maybe. and that your opinion really doesn't matter so much that he knows what's fair and that that that he knows more about what the proper time and proper punishment and proper reward is all about and for you just to sit back and go, you know what, I'm just going to stay out of this one and why don't I just why don't I just obey?

Why don't I just sew to please the spirit, you know, and do the things that God wants me to do and trust that he'll reward me at the proper time and I'll see the harvest at the proper time according to what he thinks is best cuz he probably knows more than me.

You see, because we live in a very we live in a very arrogant society where everyone just wants to throw their voice out and believe that their voice carries so much weight. I mean, the guy that that gets fired over at McDonald's believes, "Ah, but I got the answer to the national debt.

I know how to lower it. I, you know, like, who are you, you know, but we all just feel like we we we got a voice. We I know I know I know you guys, we're talking about God. And he says, I'm not mocked and and I have the system of justice and I have the system of mercy and I have a love that's so far beyond yours.

A mercy, a compassion that goes way beyond yours. And yet I have a wrath and an anger towards sin that goes way beyond yours. I my my ways are so far beyond yours. My thoughts are so far beyond yours. So just come under me. And and and he says, "And while while you have opportunity," he he goes, "While you have opportunity, let us do good."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Because you, here's your responsibility. Why? You've got an opportunity, which is today. You've got an opportunity right now that you may not have tomorrow. You got an opportunity to do good.

Everyone has that opportunity today, right now. Anyways, I don't know if you'll have that opportunity tonight. I don't know if you'll have that opportunity tomorrow, but right now you have the opportunity to do good. He goes, "So, while you still have it, while you're still on the earth, while it's still seed time, do something good, especially to the household of believers, especially if you see another believer hurting or going through a hard time, do what you can to comfort, to love, to care, to meet their needs. care for them while you have the opportunity.

You got the chance to plant something that's going to be eternal. You got you got a chance today to do something that you'll see the results of forever. He goes, "So why you still got that opportunity? Do it." Man, I I'm telling you, I as a pastor, I'm facing death every week.

You know, I'm called to do a funeral just about every week. And and you think those people were all expecting it and go, "Yeah, I knew it was going to happen." No, we it just flies by and it's like, "Wow, I can't believe I don't have any opportunities anymore.

This is it. That was it. The seed time is over. Now all I'm going to do is see what did I do with my life? What's the harvest going to be?" Man, I mean, doesn't life just fly by? I I guarantee you almost all of us in this room right now would say, "I can't believe I'm already this old, right?

Wouldn't we all say that?" And you're like, "Wasn't I young just a little bit ago? Wasn't I cool just a little bit ago?" And yeah, wasn't that little bit ago? It just flies by. We all look at our lives and go, I I can't believe I'm at the stage already.

I can't believe I'm here. can't believe I'm at this age. I used to look at people at this age and think, "Wow, they're so old." And that's me now. And I'm telling you, you guys, the Bible says your life's a vapor. Boom. It's over. And that's why he says, "Listen, while you have opportunity to do good, you do good."

You know, people have said to me, you know, how come every week you're still so you still care so much about what you say and it seems like every service you get even more fired up every, you know, because I really think to myself, this could be my last message on earth.

I've had friends who died while preaching. I I I you know, it just I don't know this isn't my last time. And so I want to say everything I need to say while I still have the opportunity. And and I I want you to to look me in the eyes right now because listen, I I don't know.

I don't know how it all works when it ends, when it's over. You know, I'll read certain passages that make me think that you and I will know each other and we'll recognize each other and we'll remember things on the earth. Other verses I go, I don't know.

I don't know. Seems like we forget the things on the earth that cause so much. I don't know. But here's the deal. Here's what I want to say. Some of you I'm going to see in heaven. Okay? Whether we'll recognize each other, whether we'll remember this moment right now, I'm not totally sure.

Okay, I go back and forth on that one in my theology and trying to understand the scriptures. But here's what I don't want. Let's let's suppose we remember our lives on earth and we remember everything that we went through together. I don't want any of you looking me in the eye thousand years from now, 10,000 years from now, million years from now, and saying, "Francis, when we're on the earth, you weren't serious enough about God and you didn't look me in the eye and seriously tell me how huge this was."

And so I want to look you in the eyes right now and tell you, listen, nothing in your life matters except what you do for God. That's it. That's it. Every ounce of energy you spend on something else is a waste. Every dollar you spend on something else is a waste. that you really need to think through how am I investing my life?

Because when you stand before God, all the things that you worried about on the earth that you just love so much and were concerned about, you're going to realize this that didn't matter. And I don't want you looking at me and saying, "Hey, why weren't you more serious up there?"

Because I'm telling you, there's going to come a time, and that time's going to come before you realize that you're going to stand before God and go, "What did I do with my life?" You need to think through every decision and think through, is this what God would want for me to do with my time, do with my effort, my passions, my resources?

Because this is just little seed time. Like when you drop the seed into this, that that's just how quick it is. That's it. The question is, what did you do with your life and some of you are absolutely wasting it and I'm telling you now so I I can go with a clean conscience and go, you know what, I told him everything else is a waste.

And I am constantly re re-evaluating my life going, God, okay, now am I doing what I need to be doing? Am I investing like I ought to be investing? And I'm constantly looking at my life because I realize this is all that matters. And we'll all see it one day.

I just don't want it to catch you by surprise. See, when I look at this verse and it says says, "Do good to all believers," you know, to all people. Well, we have the opportunity. I I look at what I'm doing right now and I go, "Okay, this is my opportunity to do good.

Th this is what I do. this is what I do well is is just just to speak and to speak God's word. And I just thought, you know, the most loving thing I can do is is not come here and entertain you and make you feel good about yourself, but to get up here and speak truth this morning and say, look, this is it.

You need to take a long hard look at how you've invested your life and how you're going to invest the rest of it because so much of what you did this week really isn't going to matter at all. You've swn into the flesh and all that stuff's going to decay and be destroyed.

And yet, for those of you who who have been trying to live the way God wants you to and you're sacrificing, you're holding on. I'm I'm begging you, don't give up. Okay? I know it's tired. Believe me, I know it's exhausting sometimes. But the Bible says you'll reap a harvest if you do not give up.

And I want to look at you years and years and years from now and say, "I told you it was worth it." Right? You know, I mean, you think anyone in heaven looks back at anything they sacrificed and goes, "Ah, why did I give that up?" No, there's no regrets.

And I I I want I I pray that I I've prayed for this weekend saying, "God, I pray it's a turning point in someone's life so that they could look at me in heaven and and I can say, "See, told you it was worth it, huh?" I I mean, told you remember 2,000 years ago when I told you to do that and you did it.

It was worth it, huh, man? This is this is reality. This is the real stuff and this is all that matters. Some of you, today's your opportunity. Maybe you've never even started a relationship with God. That God in heaven is crazy about you. That God on his throne that dwells in unapproachable light wants a relationship with you.

And you keep putting it off, putting it off, putting it off. And I'm going, "Do you understand how serious this is?" I mean, I can tell you how wonderful it is to know this God and how great it is and what a blessing it is to be in fellowship with a holy God.

At the same time, I also have to warn you. You know what? You don't have forever to make these types of decisions. You need to do what's right while you have the opportunity. If you've never publicly professed your faith in front of people and confessed in front of people through baptism, look, I'm a follower of Jesus.

You need to do it while you have the opportunity. Do what's right. While you have the opportunity, don't give up. do the right thing because God notices. Isn't that comforting to know that all those things you've done that maybe no one else noticed, God saw it. Keep fighting because you know every time you kick those evil thoughts out of your mind, God notices that.

Every time you go back and forgive someone you just don't want to, God notices that. You go, "Okay, God, that's all that matters. So let me do what's right.