If you have your Bible with you, would you take it out, please, and turn to Psalm 129, the 129th Psalm. I apologize for coughing so much. I choked on the fruit of the vine a second ago. You know, I've often thought, and I've often prayed, you know, if the Lord comes again, I hope He comes during a worship service, and then we can just all keep worshiping for all eternity.

But I didn't think it was going to be because I was choking to death in the pew. What a way to go, right? To get to be with our Lord forever. We'll be in Psalm 129, Psalm 129. For those of you who are visiting with us, we're so grateful that you're here, grateful that you've taken the time to come our way, and we hope we've afforded you The opportunity to worship God in spirit and in truth this morning we hope God is pleased with what we have done here as we've remembered his son, as we've sung sung songs of Praise unto his name as we've gone to him in prayer with these supp, supplications as, as we thought about giving back as, as he's, as he's blessed us as we've studied from his word.

It is, it is the perfect time. For Christ to come, isn't it? And yet, He's not come yet. And so it's our responsibility to continue to work in His Kingdom as we can. If you are visiting with us, I'll have you know that our congregational focus for this year is a year of ascent. Taken from the Psalms of ascent.

And our theme verse is Psalm 122 and verse 1. I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord, as we are among the people of God. And the first three psalms, the psalms of ascent, talk about how we are sojourners in the world. And that applies to all of us who are Christians. This world is not our home, we're, we're pilgrims.

This is a temporary place as we seek our home in our country. And we find refuge in this temporary place that is not our home, in the Lord, in our relationship with Him. And so we enter to the city and house of the Lord, this place of worship with gladness. And each of the quarters this year, we've had a slightly different focus as we look at these different psalms of ascent, that the people of God would sing as they went up to the temple for the various feast days, especially for the Feast of Passover.

And so for the last three months, we've been talking about the refuge of God's direction while in the world. That the Lord tells us the way that we're to live, the way that we are to go. And for this quarter, we're going to be looking at Psalms 129 through 131, which talks about, which talk about the refuge of God's promises while in the world.

Yes, we are here in this world, but not of this world. We are pilgrims and sojourners. And it's not just that God has told us, Hey, this is the direction you should go. This is the path of life. He's given us great and precious promises while in this world to help us on that path. That we know the way that we should go to inherit the great blessings that God wants to bestow on us.

And so we begin that study of this quarter. As we think about these Psalms of Ascent with Psalm 129, as we anticipate God's victory over the world. And what we'll be doing for this month, for the month of July, we're going to be talking about hope. And the hope that we have because of God's promises.

And that begins in verse 1 of Psalm 129. If you'll read with me, we're going to consider for a few moments this morning, how the sojourner, the sojourner found in this psalm, but all of us who are sojourners as Christians here in this world, we can anticipate with hope God's victory over this world, even in those darkest moments where it appears as though sin and death and Satan are claiming the victory.

So begin reading with me if you would, Psalm 129 and verse 1. Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth. Let Israel now say. Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. The flowers plowed on my back, they made their furrows long. The Lord is righteous. He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.

Let all those who hate Zion be put to shame and turned back. Let them be as grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves his arms. Neither let those who pass by them say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you. We bless you in the name of the Lord.

Now there's a lot to unpack there in this psalm. We see at the very beginning, the first line of the psalm is repeated. Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth. And then the psalm says, Let Israel now say, and it repeats it again. Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth. That repetition is in place because this is intended to, to, to signify to us a common experience.

That everyone who was among the people of God in that time, everyone who was coming up to the temple to worship, understood the persecution of those who were in the world. It was the common experience of everyone in Israel to be afflicted. From their youth. It's very similar to Psalm 1 24 that we've already studied a number of months ago that has this same sort of line and then repetition from the whole congregation.

In Psalm 1 24, beginning in verse one, it says, if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, let Israel now say if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us. And yet when we read this psalm in its entirety. This doesn't really seem like a common experience for us today, does it?

At least not on the surface. But what I would like to suggest this morning is that there is a common experience. That there is something that we should glean from this psalm as it applies to us and to every single person who would come to Jesus Christ today. The image of this affliction from a youth is Is this idea of the plowers plowing on my back and making their furrows long?

Well, think about that. Your back is plowed with furrows that are long. I think the imagery is pretty clear. The idea of furrows in your back is the idea of whip marks or scourging on your back as one who was imprisoned or maybe more especially someone who is in slavery. I, I know a little bit about furrows, a little bit about plowing from where I grew up.

I come from a, a long line of cotton farmers on my, my mom's side of the family. And so I imagine those, Those West Texas fields as they're plowed up and you, you see these furrows where the cotton is going to be planted or, as you see in the picture behind me, when the cotton is being harvested. Can you imagine?

We've seen it depicted, no doubt. Few of us have probably seen this in person. Can you imagine someone's back with furrows like this? Because that's how often and how deeply their back has been beat. It's a powerful image. It is brutal. It is harsh. It's barbaric. And while that may still be the experience of some people, even in other parts of the world today, it seems so far removed from us and our civilized society in America today.

And maybe we don't know what it's like to be physical slaves. Maybe we don't know what it's like to be afflicted from our youth physically. In fact, for many of us, all we have known For our entire lives is, is great and abundant blessing physically. Maybe we don't know what it's like to be physically under attack, like what we find in Psalm 124.

And maybe in other parts of the world where they have been under attack, where they have had constant war, where there is still slavery, where there is still beating, maybe in a literal physical sense this psalm would resonate. way and to a different degree. But while we don't know what it's like to be under attack or enslaved in that way, every single one of us here this morning knows what it's like to be under attack by the devil.

We know what it's like to be a slave to sin. We know what it's like to lose that battle over and over and over again.

I've lost the battle with sin far too many times. From my youth, I have been afflicted with this adversary that wants my, my downfall, this accuser in Satan who, who desires for my soul. And we know what it's like. We know what it's like to be in that battle, to be under that kind of cruel master. And it's interesting to me that the, the image, the imagery, we're talking about God's victory this morning, but the imagery that is, that is found there in verse 2 is not one of great triumphant victory.

The image is not of winning per se, but instead it's this idea of hanging in the fight long enough to where you just don't lose. Yet they have not prevailed against me. Do you see the way that's worded? It's not, I have prevailed against them, I have cast down my enemies. No, I am in this fight and they have not yet prevailed against me.

Have you ever felt like that with sin? Where I'm just keeping my head above water,

and sin has not yet prevailed against me. I hate losing. Don't you hate losing? Doesn't everybody hate losing? Maybe some of us hate it more than others. We were over at Pat and Cassie Penn's for Fourth of July and do some fireworks. And they have some games set up. And there was this game it's called Four Square.

It's kind of like volleyball, but there's four different quadrants. And so there's four people playing at one time. You know, I always do this. I think I'm trying to make myself mature. It's not working very well. But every time I look at something like that and I say, Okay, I'm just going to have fun this time.

You know, I'm just going to go over there. I'm just going to try and have fun. And this is the perfect game for it because there's not really a winner or a loser. It's just kind of like rotating and you're trying to be in this fourth spot where you're the server and stay in that spot as long as you want to.

But the game just continues on and on and on. So there's not really a winner or loser. So I get in there. And the first time I'm out, I'm like, man, it's on. And so I'm spiking on people, and I'm like, you know what? I am having fun spiking on high schoolers. That, that is a lot of fun. Because I hate losing, right?

And then the Lord, perhaps knowing what's in my heart, sends me Hannah, Eugene, and Becca, and Brooklyn, and Chloe, and Conrad. And no, I didn't spike it on the little kids. In fact, I let them catch and throw instead of just hitting it back like you're supposed to. But I didn't let them win either, you know.

But there is no losing worse than falling into sin. Amen? Do you know what it's like when the furrows of the sin and its consequences are on your back like these kinds of stripes? And how powerful it is to say, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, despite my shortcomings, despite my failures, sin has not prevailed against me.

Many a time, it has afflicted me since my youth, but it has not prevailed against me. May I suggest for every single person who is in Jesus Christ, that is possible! That is our reality. And it is not by my own strength, not by my own might, that this reality is true. It is by the Lord's. Read there in verse 4, The Lord is righteous.

He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked. Let all those who hate Zion be put to shame and turned back. He is the one who has cut to pieces the cords of the wicked. And it is the same God who broke the yoke of Egyptian bondage. for the children of Israel that can break the bondage of sin and death and Satan for us.

And whether these cords that God has cut in pieces are the whips of the oppressor or the reins of the farmer that is plowing our back, the point is the same. We are no longer slaves to sin because of our God. We studied from the book of Revelation this morning in Bible class, and that really goes perfectly with this psalm.

It is amazing to me how often these sorts of things line up. This sermon was planned long in advance, this Bible class was planned long in advance to be on these dates, and then when we're here, these things go together perfectly. I'll let you draw your own conclusions. Revelation is the ultimate book, in the Bible at least, of victory of the oppressed.

Those who are afflicted, those who suffer persecution, God says you can and will have the victory in me. What's the theme? The Lord is going to win. And if we're on his side God will avenge. He will make things right. And those who hate his kingdom, those who hate his people, they will be put to shame. They will be turned back, right?

Let all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned back. And so the psalmist really invokes a kind of backwards blessing. It's almost a curse that the psalmist has against these people who hate Zion. Read with me again, verses 6 through 8. those who hate Zion. Let them be as grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves his arms.

Neither let them who pass by them say, The blessed Lord be upon you. We bless you in the name of the Lord. Now, now that's a blessing, but what does he say? Don't do that. Don't say that to them because they hate Zion. They hate God's people. They hate God's city. And by extension, they hate God Himself. The image is of this idea of grass on the rooftop.

And so we think about thatched houses. That's found all over antiquity from from Scotland to Japan and everywhere in between, including Israel. We see these thatched roofs made out of straw and various things. We remember the occasion where the friends of that paralyzed man, they made the hole in the roof and lowered him down.

It's because it's this kind of thatched roof. So what would happen in the spring? Well, there would be seeds of various kinds that were up there that would be in that dust and debris and so forth. And so when the rains came in early spring, it would look kind of like this. You've got some grass, you've got some, even some flowers up there on top.

You've got some moss that's growing. And in the early spring, that's the way it looks. But when you get to summer, what happens? There's no reaping. There's no harvest of that. You're not able to go out there with a sickle and, you know, I'm going to reap off the roof and get some, some good return. I'm not going to fill my, my arms up with the sheaves.

That's not the way it works. And so the image, I think, is one that's really powerful. It appears as though there is prosperity at the beginning, but in the end, it all comes to naught. There is not the kind of harvest that we're seeing right now with all of this rain. This was posted by one of our members, Monty, posted this and said three years of drought are over.

You know, you look at a field like this with all of that grass, you're not going to get that off of the roof. No matter how much it rains. You're not going to get that kind of harvest. And so the image that the psalmist gives us is this is what it's like for the enemies of God. This is the way it is for those who love the world and the things in the world.

It is rightly called the passing pleasures of sin. There's prosperity maybe for a little while and it looks as though those who are involved in these kind of evil activities might prosper and they may for a while. But whether in this life or the life to come. There is no true and enduring reaping.

Instead, that is reserved for the people of God. And so we have this binding of sheaves, emblematic of blessing and prosperity. The blessing of the Lord is upon His people. And His people bless one another in the name of the Lord, but those who hate Zion have no such. So, The point of the psalm, the Lord is going to win.

We can have the victory. We don't have to lose against sin and death and Satan. Because God, God is on our side because we're on His. Because we have chosen to come to the side of the Lord. But here's my question. Up to this point, all of this is pretty standard stuff for a psalm. Even this kind of psalm that has some imprecatory elements to it.

You know, God bless us, God deliver us, and God punish them, right? Those people who hate you and hate your people, punishment for them, blessings for us. All of that's pretty standard fare. But I think there's something a little deeper in this particular psalm of victory. My question is this, how? How will God win?

Not against His, the enemies of His people in the Old Testament. But how will God win against sin and death and Satan, our enemies that have afflicted us since our youth? How is it that they will not prevail against us? Have you given that thought? Well, here is the great irony of this particular psalm.

Calling us to think about things in a higher and nobler way from the perspective of Jesus Christ. Not to vindication and victory and the destruction of our enemies, but instead God is going to win. He has given us the victory through His Son Jesus Christ by His submission and by His sacrifice. The image of these furrows that are plowed in the back, the image of whipping and scourging.

When you think of scourging, who do you immediately think of? You think of Jesus Christ. I want you to turn for just a moment to Isaiah. First in Isaiah chapter 50. So, the Jews understood this section of scripture to be messianic. It's talking about the Messiah. But they had a hard time knowing exactly what to do with him, because Because the Messiah is described in these, well, they're called the suffering servant passages, right?

It's describing this Messiah, and he's suffering. Now, is this Israel before its ultimate vindication? Is this the Messiah? They struggled with these. But from the perspective of a Christian, looking back on these verses, we know exactly what they're talking about, don't we? In Isaiah chapter 50 to begin with, look with me there in Isaiah chapter 50 beginning in verse 4.

So in the midst of this description of the Messiah, the suffering servant, here's what it says in Isaiah 50 in verse 4. The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. Well, that's exactly what this Psalm 129 is, right? I'm weary, I'm, I'm worn out by sin, and this is a psalm of encouragement that God is going to win.

He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as to learn. So are we hearing what God is communicating to us? Well, that's what Jesus did in communicating God's message to us. Keep reading, verse 5. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I will not be rebellious, nor did I turn away. Notice verse 6.

I gave my back to those who struck, struck me, and my cheeks to those who plucked out the beard. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting.

That describes our Lord and the events leading up to his crucifixion and death. They spat on him. They shamed him. They struck him on the cheek, but even more, they struck him on the back, as the Romans scourged him as close to death as possible before he took up his cross. We're perhaps even more familiar with Isaiah 53, the most famous of all of these suffering servant passages.

Let's read the same combination of verses. Isaiah 50, 4 through 6, we read. Now let's read Isaiah 53, verses 4 through 6. Surely He has borne our grief. And carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.

The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. Literally, that word for stripes there in Hebrews, in Hebrew, means blows that cut in, blows that leave a mark, like furrows on the back of one who has been scourged. And it is by those blows, by those stripes, we are healed. Verse 6, All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

I, I mean, I think there's some softening of that passage there laid on him. We almost imagine a child, right? I'm laying a child, get down. But literally what that means is cause to land on him the iniquity of us all, because this was not a small burden or a small sacrifice, but it was the path to victory.

Here is the victory over sin. Is this the conquering king who brings us victory, who makes our enemies flee before us? Absolutely it is!

But that victory is found in his submission to the cross and his sacrifice by the very thing that we are hoping to escape. Here is the victory over sin by the stripes of the perfect man of sorrows. God gives us the victory through the suffering of Christ who was wounded for our transgressions. And this is very clearly seen in the book of Revelation.

Turn to Revelation chapter 4 if you would, Revelation chapter 4. Ah, you probably knew I'd try to work Revelation in since We had to cover it in one class, but I tell you, it fits so perfectly with this psalm. In Revelation chapter 4, there is this great throne room scene of God in heaven on His throne.

And it calls to mind the great throne room scenes in Ezekiel and Isaiah and Daniel, where God is pictured. And we see God pictured, and it is one of the first glimpses of victory that we see in the book of Revelation. This is how it ends, with God on His throne and His servants before Him in victory.

That's the way it ends. That's the way time on Earth ends. And for those who are in Jesus Christ, this is our future. But I want you to drop down in the text to verse eight this is Revelation chapter four and verse eight. So in front of this throne are the four living creatures, each having six wings.

They're full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night saying, holy, holy, holy Lord God almighty who was and is and is to come. And then notice the reaction of those who are before this throne. Verse nine. Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him.

I think that's representative of God's people, Old and New Testament. The twelve tribes, the twelve apostles, twenty four elders coming together, the people of God before Him. What do they do? The twenty four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, Worship him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne.

Say, you are worthy, oh Lord, to receive glory and honor and power for you, created all things and by your will, they exist and are created. Now in Greek, there are two words for crowns because they had two different kinds of crowns. There was the king's crown that the, obviously the king wore to show his authority.

And then there's also the victor's crown, the victor's laurel. The Olympics are coming up this summer, so that's the idea. You win the race, you get the crown, because you have overcome everybody else. You are the victor. You might even know the word for that, the Stephanos crown, right? I'm married a victor.

That's no surprise to any of y'all. So this victor's crown, the Stephanos, these elders sit on thrones and they wear these victor's crowns. They are kings. And they don't want to be kings, but they are victors. They are victors, they are conquerors, they are overcomers, as was described in the first three chapters.

But they are only overcomers and victors and conquerors because of the king of kings. And it is before him that they throw down their crowns. They, they want to be his servants. He is the creator, they are the created, and they give up their authority and their glory and their honor in order to give all of those things to him.

So we think about these victor's crowns, there are 21 references to the victor's crown in the New Testament in either verb or noun form. Think about the order of the New Testament. Alright, we got the Gospels, the Book of Acts, and the Epistles. What do you think are the first four references in our Bibles to the victor's crown, the Stephanos, in our New Testament?

It is in the Gospel accounts where a crown of thorns was placed on the head of Jesus. That was the crown of victory. By his stripes we are healed. If we keep reading there in Revelation chapter 5 and verse 1, And I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals? And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at it. So I wept much because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look at it.

John, as a faithful servant of God, he wants God's will contained in this scroll, he wants God's will and word to be revealed so that everybody might know it and hear it and do it. He wants the scroll to be opened and its contents to be revealed and executed, but there is no one with authority to open the seal.

And so John weeps because no one is found with this authority of God to open the seals that God has placed on this scroll. And God's plans seemingly will not be fulfilled, not without someone who is worthy to rule. But then one is found. Verse 5, But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

The root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. I'm going to ask you to stretch your mind just a little bit, okay? Put yourself in this vision. I want to know God's will for victory. But he has sealed it up where only someone with his authority, the authority of God, can open it.

And there's nobody found who can. But then the angel comes while you're weeping about this. I want to know what, how God is going to be victorious. How is it going to happen? And, and an angel comes and says, don't weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah, he has the authority to open it. And so you turn, behold, look, what do you expect to see?

The lion of the tribe of Judah. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne, and the four living creatures, in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

The lion of the tribe of Judah is a lamb that was slain.

Imagine the authority necessary. As God sits on his throne with the seal in his right hand, not even his left hand, in his right hand, he holds the scroll, sealed, not with one seal, with seven seals.

And someone has the power and authority to come and take it out of his hand.

But it is not the lion and all of his power and authority and might as king of the jungle, falsely called.

It is the lamb that was slain. Amen.

Why is Jesus the Lamb worthy of all of this authority and might and dominion? Because He humbled Himself, even to a death on the cross. He is victorious in His death and resurrection. In suffering, He found triumph. 1 Corinthians 1, verses 23 and 24, Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block, to the Greeks foolishness, but to us who are being saved, both Jews and Greeks, the power of God and the wisdom of God is found in the cross.

And this, this, brothers and sisters, is God's path to victory. And so what do they do in the rest of the chapter? They praise the Lamb for what He did. Using the same language used for God on His throne. And even those assembled around the throne are not enough. No, even this 100 million plus of angels is not enough.

By the end of the chapter, the entire creation joins in praise to God and the Lamb. For what He has done in bringing the victory over the world, in bringing the victory over sin. So, do you see that picture? I hope you do. What's the application? Lot, lots of applications we can make this morning, but as we draw our lesson to a close, can I make, may I make two applications?

And I'm going to do them in the form of questions. Two questions I want all of us to consider. Number one, what is the true picture of our victorious God?

To see a true picture of our victorious God, as He really is, and to gain the victory through Him. We must see Him in all of His power and authority and sovereignty and might. As the Psalms said, He is the one who breaks into pieces, who rips to shreds the cords that are the shame of us. He puts to shame the wicked.

He does all of those things by His power, yes. But, also, we must see our victorious God earlier. in the same psalm as the one with furrows in his back, in all of his meekness and self sacrifice and loving kindness and grace. In turning his back, Isaiah chapter 50 says, this is not something he was forced to do.

No one takes my life from me, Jesus says. I lay it down. He turned his back toward this scourging. He allowed it to happen. And that, brothers and sisters,

of God's victory. In chapter 4, we see God on His throne emphasizing all of God's sovereignty and holiness and eternal nature. He is the creator of heaven and earth and He is to be worshipped and praised for who He is. And what he has done. But in chapter five we see the lion of Judah, the lamb who was slain and he too has authority and might and power.

He is worthy because he gave himself a sacrifice for sin and he is to be worshiped and praised for who he is and what he has done and his life. A ransom for many. That's that's a true picture of our victorious God. We have to see both. Second application, second question, back in Psalm 1 29. It talks about those who hate Zion.

It talks about how they're going to be put to shame, how we through God can turn them back. Let all those who hate Zion, verse 5, be put to shame and turned back. So my question is, when we meet those who hate Zion, think about that, God's people, God's church, God Himself. When we meet people who hate Zion, and let's be honest, there are lots of people in our world today who do.

How do we put them to shame? How do we turn them back? Well, I don't know about you. I, my first inclination is to fight. I want to attack. I do, man. How can you be so ignorant and arrogant? How can you say and do such things? How can you approve of those who do? And my first inclination is I want to tear them down from their perch of sinful arrogance.

Is that the way? I want you to turn to one more book in the Bible. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 3, and I think you will see the connections to all we've talked about so far this morning. You'll turn to 1 Peter chapter 3,

beginning in verse 14. 1 Peter chapter 3, beginning in verse 14.

But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, those are those who hate Zion, who attack God's people, right? From 1 Peter chapter 3 to 1 Peter chapter 3. Our adversary since our youth. But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed, and do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.

But, sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you. What's our July focus? Hope, right? Be ready to give a defense for anyone who asks you a reason for that hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Notice verse 16.

Having a good conscience that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. So those who hate Zion, God and His people are put to shame how?

By our good conscience and good conduct. For the hope that is in us that they see we have, that they do not have because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. They're ashamed because all of their reviling and all of their defaming, all of that rings hollow in the light of our hope. You're persecuting me, I'm suffering at your hands, so what?

I've got heaven in front of me and I've got God with me. And this is played out in all sorts of practical ways here at the beginning of, of, of 1 Peter. Really, these verses are kind of the conclusion of the things that he said earlier. What about in our marriages? Sometimes those who hate Zion are the very people to whom we are married.

Maybe they don't hate God or hate God's people, but they are certainly not for God. They're not on His side. So what do we do in those situations? Chapter 3, in verse 1.

that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. They are put to shame by the way you live your life, and it might be such where you can win them without a word. What about in the workplace? Go back to chapter 2 and verse 18.

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongly. What credit is it if, when you're beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.

For to this you were called. Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in His steps. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth. Who, when He reviled, did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.

Who, Himself, when we're going through those things, what are we thinking about? He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed. In the workplace we work in such a way, even when we are persecuted for righteousness sake, they are put to shame.

Because we live as Christ lived. What about with the government? No better time to remind ourselves of this than an election year, no doubt. We look there in chapter 2 and verse 13. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. Maybe it's every institution of man, not every institution.

Obeying commands that are contrary to God's Word, don't misunderstand what he's saying. But there is submission there, whether to the king, as to supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good, you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

And everything, As sojourners and pilgrims in this world, what is our goal? Read verses 11 and 12, these last two verses, and the lesson will be yours. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, of saints and fleshly lust which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

That's our goal. As those who are going to be victorious, that our hope and the promises of God impacts others, and we are able to say in the end, the blessing of the Lord be upon you. We bless you in the name of the Lord because those whom we have influenced are no longer enemies of Zion, but like us, they are freed from sin.

They are citizens of Zion. And we aren't turning back their attack as from the wicked. Instead, we are seeking to turn them, yes, to turn a sinner from the error of their ways that they might know God and come to Him. I hope we walk through those doors as victors, as overcomers, because we see the victory and the hope that is found in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us.

Amen. If you're here this morning and you're not yet a Christian, we want you to be on God's side. And there is nothing that we would love more than to be able to say, the blessing of the Lord be upon you. We bless you in the name of the Lord. If you're willing to come and submit yourself to the Lion of Judah, the Lamb who was slain, by being baptized into Christ to walk in newness of life.

And if you're already a Christian and you realize that sin has prevailed against you, that does not have to be permanent. God can make those things right if you'll come confessing and repenting and we'll pray for you and pray with you All you have to do is come while together we stand and while we sing