Acts 1:6

When they therefore were come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" And He said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in His own power. But you shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth."

Father, I do ask that You would speak to us now as we look into Your Word. Your Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, is able to cut deep, dividing asunder between joints and marrow and soul and spirit. It is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of our hearts. Lord, we do pray that You would speak to us by Your Word and that You'd teach us by Your Holy Spirit this morning. That You would continue to equip us, Lord, perfect us, and make us more and more mature in You as we partake this morning. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. You can be seated.

Well, last week we began the book of Acts, this great work that Luke, the writer of the Gospel of Luke, wrote, declaring all that Jesus began to do and teach. But that work is not finished, as we considered. Even here today, 2,000 years later, the acts of the church continue. We say that this could better be titled the Acts of the Holy Spirit, for God, by His Spirit, is still working and desiring to work.

We are going to consider how He works a little bit this morning as we look at verse 8. We notice here in verse 6 that they were gathered together. As you go on a little further in the passage, you find that they are gathered together on the Mount of Olives, just outside of the city of Jerusalem, to the east of the main part of the city. There was Jesus with His disciples, not just the twelve, but probably a much larger group of those who were following Him. As He is there on that mountaintop with His disciples, overlooking the city of Jerusalem,

His disciples asked Him this great question: "Will you now again restore the kingdom to Israel? Will you at this time bring in, usher in the kingdom?"

It was on that very same mountaintop, just several weeks before this point, that we find in Matthew chapter 24 that Jesus' disciples came to Him because He had just declared to them that not one stone of the temple complex would be left one upon another; they would all be torn down. His disciples came to Him and asked, "Lord, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?" They had this expectation on that mountaintop that something was coming, something was going to happen, and they were looking forward to the coming of a kingdom—a kingdom that all the Jews expected and were hopeful for.

All the way back in the book of Genesis, a prophecy was given in Genesis chapter 49. It stated that the scepter, or the leadership, the rulership, the kingship of the nation would not depart from the tribe of Judah, but there would be a lawgiver who would come from the tribe of Judah—this one who would bring peace and also establish this kingdom. There was an expectation among the children of Israel, among the Jews, that one day a leader would arise from the tribe of Judah. He was going to establish a great everlasting kingdom.

This expectation is not just found in Genesis but also in Isaiah. The prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah chapter 9, wrote, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder." In verse 7, the prophet went on to say, "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and establish it." The Jews believed and understood that one day there was coming a leader, a ruler from the tribe of Judah, but also from the line of David. He was going to establish a kingdom and a government that would have no end.

At this point, when Jesus was standing upon the Mount of Olives with His disciples, Israel was a nation that had very much lost its sovereignty. They were a nation occupied by the Roman Empire and oppressed in many ways by the armies of Rome. Here were Jesus' disciples asking, "Has the time come? Are you ready to establish the kingdom?" They believed that Jesus was the Messiah and had followed Him for over three years.

They had seen Him teach and preach. They had watched Him raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out demons, and feed the multitudes. Just a few weeks before this, they had seen Him crucified, but then He rose again. What would you think if you were in that group? That group that, for many years, had heard Jesus preach about the kingdom.

Beginning all the way back in Matthew chapter 4, verse 17, Jesus said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus preached about the kingdom in Matthew chapters 4, 5, 6, and 9, in Luke chapters 4 and 8, and in many other places in the Gospels. Not only did Jesus preach about a coming kingdom, but He also instructed His disciples to pray for this coming kingdom. In Matthew chapter 6, verse 10, when He was declaring to them the Lord's Prayer, He said, "When you pray, pray, Thy kingdom, what? Come." Again, in Luke chapter 11, verse 12, He said, "When you pray, pray, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Jesus had preached about the kingdom. He had told His disciples to pray for the coming kingdom. He had exhorted His disciples to seek the kingdom. In Matthew chapter 6, verse 33, a verse that many of you know well, Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Again, in the very same passage in Luke's Gospel, Luke 12, verse 31, He said, "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added."

Jesus preached about it, told them to pray for it, and instructed them to seek it. He taught them many kingdom parables in Matthew chapter 13, verses 24, 31, 33, 43, 44, 45, and 47, as well as in Matthew chapters 18, 20, 24, and 25. He was constantly giving them stories, parables, and teachings about this kingdom.

Now do you see why they were a little focused on the kingdom? Not only that, He sent His disciples out in Matthew chapter 10, and He said to them in verse 7, "Go and preach the kingdom of heaven." With all this talk for the last three years about the coming kingdom, and with what they knew about the Old Testament in Isaiah chapter 9, Jeremiah chapter 23, Genesis chapter 49, and many other prophetic passages, these men and women who followed Jesus were expectant and hopeful for a kingdom to come.

Now, when we talk about kingdoms, oftentimes our minds go to a place of dominion, power, authority, and jurisdiction. Jesus' disciples were no different. Remember, many times in the Gospels, we see them coming and arguing with one another about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. Two of Jesus' disciples, James and John, who were brothers, even got their mother involved. They asked her to go and ask Jesus, "When you come into your kingdom, can you make it so that my sons can sit one on the left and one on the right in your kingdom?"

They were excited about this coming kingdom and felt that, because they were close to the one they believed to be the Messiah, they would be the ones with all authority. They envisioned themselves as cabinet members, perhaps the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Defense. I'm sure that James and John were hoping for that Secretary of Defense spot, calling thunder and lightning down on places and all kinds of things. They were looking to see who would be the prime minister and who would be the greatest in the kingdom. All they could think about was dominion, power, authority, and rule.

This is where man's mind, in our flesh, always goes when we consider and think about kingdoms. It was 67 years ago today that one kingdom, one nation, decided to rise against another kingdom, another nation, for a power grab. They wanted to take power. On Pearl Harbor Day, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor to try and establish a kingdom and gain power. This reflects how man, dominated by the desires of his flesh, moves. He is always looking for power, dominion, and struggle, whatever it may be.

Here was Jesus, preaching constantly, talking, and teaching about the kingdom. His disciples asked him, "Will you now restore the kingdom?" Notice what they said: "unto Israel." They believed that Israel in the last days would be raised up once again to be the dominant nation over all nations. Somewhat of what they believed is kind of true, and we are discussing a little bit of that on Wednesday nights as we go through the prophets, but not in whole.

Jesus had a much different thing in mind when he preached the kingdom. If you would, turn over to Luke chapter 17 and notice what Jesus says here about the kingdom. Luke 17, verse 20.

We read, obviously, the kingdom that Jesus was teaching, preaching, and talking about was a little bit different than the kingdom that man often seeks. In John chapter 18, verse 36, Jesus told Pontius Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world." Paul the Apostle, in 1 Corinthians, Galatians, and Ephesians, reveals that the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, is something that the body of Christ receives from God as an inheritance. James, the brother of the Lord, in James chapter 2, verse 5, says very much the same thing: we receive the kingdom of God as an inheritance. It's not of this world.

But we're to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The disciples were looking for a restored kingdom. The people in the land of Israel were looking forward to the Messiah coming and establishing rule and reign here on the earth. Two thousand years later, things haven't changed. Talk to any religious Jew today, and that's what they're looking for: the coming Messiah to bring a rule and a reign of peace in this day.

In Jesus' day, they were looking for him to cast off the Roman Empire and establish a great dominant Israeli nation. Today, they are looking for a great conquering king to come and bring peace. That's a study for another day, though. There is coming a day, the Scriptures make very clear, that Jesus will return. He is going to return to this very same location, as we find in Acts chapter 1, the Mount of Olives. When he does, he is going to establish a new reign, a new rule, a new kingdom.

But it's not the kind of kingdom that you and I expect. It's not the kind of kingdom that we think about when we consider kingdoms, nations, powers, and dominions. It's a kingdom that you and I are already a part of if you have received Christ Jesus by faith this morning, as we read in Ephesians chapter 1. There, the Apostle Paul tells the church at Ephesus that they had been given great spiritual blessings in heavenly places. God has given to you and me redemption and predestination. He has chosen us before the foundation of the world. He has redeemed us.

He's forgiven us by His blood. In Ephesians chapter 1, verse 13, we read, "In whom, in Jesus, you also trusted after you heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, after you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory."

You see, there Paul again speaks about inheritance. He says that the Holy Spirit is given to those who believe, those who trust in Jesus Christ after they've heard the good news of the gospel. They place their faith in Jesus Christ, and God gives us His Holy Spirit as the guarantee for our inheritance. We, as members of the body of Christ and as children of God, have been promised an inheritance—an inheritance that is incorruptible, that is eternal in the heavens, and that will not fade away.

But just what is that inheritance? Well, we've already talked about the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, being an inheritance for you and me. We are going to inherit this great kingdom. Scriptures speak about that throughout: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." You and I receive a kingdom in Christ, but what is this inheritance that we receive? How is it that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee or the down payment, so to speak, of that inheritance?

How many of you have been to Hawaii before? Quite a number of you. I've never been there. I've seen pictures of Hawaii, and I believe it exists. By faith, I believe that there is a paradise called Hawaii. Maybe someday I'll go there; I don't know. But how many of you would like to go to Hawaii? Probably most of you. Some of you may not like to fly or don't like islands; I don't know.

But how many of you would like to be found there in Hawaii, and you wouldn't have to pay for it at all? You would get to stay there with no expenses for the next five years. Sounds good to me. That's a timeshare I'd like to have. How about maybe 10 years? 20 years? 30 years? Maybe the rest of your life? You know, there does come a point in time where even paradise, even Hawaii, would become...

Heaven is described as paradise. Jesus told the man on the cross next to Him, "Today you will be with me in paradise." We look forward to one day going to this place called paradise, and we know the Scriptures declare we are going to be there for eternity. However, even the most beautiful place, if we were there for eternity, might become boring. It could become a situation where we think, "Man, I've seen every part. I've gone cliff diving. I've gone snorkeling. I've done all of it."

So, what is it that makes heaven heavenly? One of the things that I read several years ago from Charles Spurgeon really stuck out to me. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, that what makes heaven so heavenly is the precious presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. To be there in the presence of God is the inheritance that you and I receive in Christ. I believe it is the very same inheritance that the Levites, the priests in the Old Testament, received from God.

As 1 Peter chapter 2 says, we are a chosen generation and a royal priesthood. In Christ, we are a priesthood of God, just as the Levites were in the Old Testament. They did not have an earthly inheritance. In Deuteronomy chapter 10, verse 9, we read, "The Lord is their inheritance." Again, in Deuteronomy chapter 18, verse 2, it states, "Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren."

In Numbers chapter 18, verse 20, we see that for the Levites in the Old Testament, they did not have an earthly kingdom, dominion, throne, or inheritance. Instead, they were given an inheritance that is incorruptible and fades not away. The same inheritance has been given to you and me, and it is God Himself. We are those who receive as a possession for eternity God Himself, His nature, His character, and His presence.

We are told in Ephesians chapter 1 that you and I, in Christ, have been given a guarantee.

A couple of weeks ago, we were going through the book of Ephesians on Saturday night and discussing this very thing. Just a few days before we studied Ephesians, I read an article in the news that caught my eye. It mentioned that in the year 2008, amidst the economic crisis we are facing this holiday season, something has come back to life that really lost its flair. This something was very big in the 1950s, and many of you know it as layaway.

How many of you have heard of layaway before? Layaway has returned to the forefront. Why? Well, people are a little strapped this holiday season, but they still want to buy gifts. Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, and many other places are offering layaway. You go in, see that gift you want to buy for your loved one or friend, and think, "Boy, I'd really like to buy that, but I can't afford it." Don't worry; just put a little down payment here, maybe 10% down. They guarantee to hold on to it for you, and you can come back and pay a few more times until you pay it off. So, people are putting their gifts on layaway this holiday season.

However, one of the things you read in the fine print on those layaway deals is that the money you put down is non-refundable. Their whole point is that you are now invested. You've put some money in, and if you don't pay it all off, you can't have the merchandise. You can't redeem the purchased possession unless you pay the full price, right?

In a sense, you and I are on layaway, and God has given us the down payment by His Holy Spirit. We receive a peace of God here and now on earth. You and I, as the body of Christ, experience the kingdom of God now through the indwelling and overflowing power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Notice what Paul says: "In Jesus, you who trusted after you heard the word of the truth of the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after you believed, you were sealed." He placed His seal upon you by the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the down payment, the guarantee of our inheritance until—circle the word "until" in your Bible—the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory. There is coming a day when He will return to take us home completely, His purchased possession.

But until then, He has sealed us with the Holy Spirit of promise. He has set us aside as His own; that is mine. It is for no one else. He has given us the down payment, the Holy Spirit. Today, as the body of Christ, we have the opportunity to experience the kingdom of God here in our lives and in our hearts.

Jesus' disciples, there on the Mount of Olives, asked, "Lord, will you now restore the kingdom unto Israel?" In their minds, they wanted the kingdom for themselves, here and now. They wanted to rule and reign with Him. But Jesus reorients their focus. Their focus was wrong, as noted in His answer to them in Acts chapter 1, verse 7. He said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in His own power." They asked, "Lord, is it now? Has the time come? Are you ready to establish your kingdom and rule and reign, having us be your prime ministers in your cabinet?" He replied, "It's not time, guys. It's not for you to know the times or the seasons because I have something else for you to do."

Just prior to this, in verse 4, He told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, which they had heard from Him. For John truly baptized with water, but they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. He had also instructed them at the end of the Gospel of Matthew to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that He had commanded them. He assured them, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

At the end of the Gospel of Luke, in Luke 24, verse 47, He told them to go and preach repentance and remission of sins among all nations in His name, beginning at Jerusalem. Jesus said, "This is the call, this is the commission that I have given to you. You are to go and preach the Gospel of the kingdom." The kingdom of God will come once again one day; He shall return. But Jesus said, "Until then, you've got a job to do. Until then, you've got something that I have called you to." Sometimes, I believe we can become so fixated and focused on the coming kingdom that we forget that God has called us to occupy until He comes.

He's called us to go and to preach the Gospel, to make disciples of all nations. Beginning there at Jerusalem, in this passage, He told them in verse 7, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons." This is an interesting phrase that connects us with Paul's letter to the church at Thessalonica, specifically 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. If you'd turn there, 1 Thessalonians comes right after the book of Colossians and just before the book of 2 Thessalonians.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, the Apostle Paul says to the church at Thessalonica in verse 1, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." Notice what he says in verse 3: "For when they"—circle the word "they"—"shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them." Circle the word "them." "As travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape." Circle the word "they."

"But you, brethren"—underline the word "you"—"are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all the children of the light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness." Therefore, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us watch and be sober. "For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that are drunken are drunken in the night."

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation in Jesus Christ. He's appointed us to an inheritance in Christ Jesus, salvation in Jesus Christ. We have not been appointed unto wrath.

Paul emphasizes that regarding the times and the seasons, we have no need for him to write to us, brethren, because we know perfectly that the day of the Lord is going to come. It will come upon those who aren't watching, waiting, and looking, like a thief in the night. But not you, brethren. You are of the day. You're not the children of the night, so walk as children of the light.

But until He comes, we know He is coming. That's the end of the story. The answers are in the back of the book, Revelation. He is coming. But until He comes, I, you, we have a job to do—a job that God has called us to.

To be quite honest, when we look at this job, when we look at this task, it seems almost as if it's just too much. It feels too great for us to be able to accomplish. So, Jesus would say to you and to me in Acts 1, verse 8, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and in the uttermost parts."

Now, before we dig into verse 8, I want you to consider something. Jesus told His disciples in verse 7, "The coming of His kingdom, the day of the Lord, is in the hands and in the power of God the Father." Notice that there. The times and the seasons which the Father has put in His own power. The word "power" there is the word "exousia" in the Greek, and it means jurisdiction, authority, or rule. God the Father is the one who rules over that time, and He has, I believe, an appointed time. Just as there was an appointed day and an appointed hour when Christ would come the first time, there is an appointed day and an appointed hour when He will come the second time. But that is in God the Father's power; that's in His jurisdiction. He is the one who rules and reigns over that, and He knows exactly when it's going to come to pass.

For you and for me, He gives another power. He says, "You shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit." The word "power" in verse 7 is different from the word "power" in verse 8. The word "power" in verse 8 is the word "dunamis" in the Greek, and it speaks of a dynamic power from God to accomplish a task that is far greater than you and I could ever accomplish in our own strength and our own power.

It's the same sort of thing that is spoken of to Zerubbabel the builder in Zechariah chapter 4. As he looked at the mountain of rubble that stood before him, which had formerly been Jerusalem, he had been called by God to rebuild the city once again and rebuild the temple. He looked at it and said, "I can't do this. It's too great." And God said, "It's not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord."

And so he says to us here in Acts chapter 1, verse 8, "You shall receive dynamic power from God through the Holy Spirit, which is our guarantee of the coming inheritance in His coming kingdom." But we have a task to do before that day of redemption comes. He says, "I will give you the power of the Holy Spirit." The result of that power is that you and I shall be witnesses.

The word "witness" here is the Greek word "martis." It's where we get our English word "martyr." That's not entirely a word that you and I like, is it? A martyr. You shall receive power from the Holy Spirit, and you shall be martyrs unto me, martyrs for me. The word "martyr," or "martis" in Greek, can mean several things. It can mean a witness as a legal witness who would stand and give a declaration of testimony. It can mean a record that you look upon, which declares what took place at a specific place and time. Or it can also mean a martyr, one who dies for their faith, for their cause.

But God has called you and me to be witnesses. Notice that He didn't say, "I call you to go and do evangelism." He said, "I want you to be witnesses." Witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part. Here in Acts, Jesus says, "You are going to go out, and you're going to declare the gospel of the kingdom in all the world, beginning at Jerusalem." But don't go yet. Wait until you receive the power from on high.

John the Baptist baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Then He says, "When baptized with the Spirit and with power, you're going to be witnesses." Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost part. Did you know that Jesus is our perfect example in this? Because in the Gospel of John, in John chapter 2, we find that Jesus began His preaching ministry in the city of Jerusalem at the end of chapter 2. At the end of chapter 3, Jesus moved out and began to preach in the wilderness of Judea. In chapter 4, Jesus went and met a woman at a well in the nation of Samaria. After that, He moved up into the region called Galilee of the Gentiles, the uttermost parts.

And so Jesus began His preaching ministry in Jerusalem. He moved to Judea, then to Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts. He has called you and me to do the same. Now, that doesn't mean that we should get onto a plane at LAX and fly to Jerusalem to begin our ministry there. No, it simply speaks about starting at home, where you are. Begin here in Escondido and San Marcos. Move from your Jerusalem into Judea, the surrounding regions of North County or San Diego County, and then from there to California and the nation, and then out to the uttermost parts. God has called us to this: to go and to preach the gospel. He has given us the power to perform that which He has called us to. He doesn't expect that we would do it all on our own; He calls us to go.

Now, it's very interesting to me. Here in Acts chapter 1, verse 8, Jesus says, "You are going to receive power, and you will be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts." But first, you need the indwelling Holy Spirit, which they were going to receive just about ten days after this point. Did you know it took several years before they began to move out of Jerusalem into the surrounding areas?

Turn from Acts chapter 1, verse 8, to Acts chapter 8, verse 1. What was it that finally got them to move out? In Acts chapter 7, you'll remember that Stephen, one of the early disciples, was martyred for his faith. In Acts 8, verse 1, we read, "And Saul was consenting unto the death of Stephen. And at that time, there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria."

Now, notice what it says at the very end of the verse: "Except the apostles." We'll talk about that again another time. But notice it wasn't until the Lord moved them out that they finally moved, given the power of the Spirit to go to the uttermost parts. The gospel did eventually move out to the uttermost parts, and we are recipients of that great good news. But the call is given to you and me as well today.

We have an inheritance that's been promised to us. It's incorruptible and eternal. It will come, and the Lord will return to redeem us as His own precious possession for eternity. But until then, we're called to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts.

In verse 9 of Acts chapter 1, we read, "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." While they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. These were not ordinary men; we must be careful, for we may entertain angels unaware. They said, "Hey, men of Galilee, why are you looking up into heaven? Don't you know that this Jesus is going to come the same way He went up?"

The prophetic scriptures reveal that one day Jesus will return to redeem His purchased possession, you and I. He will set foot on the Mount of Olives. He is coming to redeem us, but until then, He has a call and a commission for us. The Lord certainly will return; He will descend just as He ascended. Until He does, we are to proclaim His death until He comes.

Did you know that when we partake of communion, that's exactly what we do? In 1 Corinthians chapter 11, Paul, when writing to the church at Corinth and explaining to them what communion is all about, says in verse 23, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered unto you."

That the Lord Jesus, in the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread. When He had broken it, He gave it to His disciples and said, "Take, eat. This is My body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me."

After the same manner, He took the cup after He had supped with them, saying, "This is the cup of the new covenant of My blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of Me."

Then notice what Paul says in verse 26: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do what? You do proclaim or show the Lord's death until He comes." You proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. That is the call, the commission that has been given to all of us. You and I are to go and proclaim His death, His burial, His resurrection, until He returns again.

We don't have any time to just wait and sit around and do nothing because God has called us to occupy until He comes. I believe that the times are short. To find out just how short, come Wednesday night as we look through the prophetic passages of Scripture. This is what He has called us to: proclaiming His death until He comes.

So that's what we're going to do now. Let's have the worship team come back up and the pastors come, and we will partake together. God, You are a great and awesome God. Our God. We praise You today. We thank You in Jesus' name. Amen.