THROUGH THE BIBLE - Judges 9..

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com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. Very good, brethren. As I said, I want to speak to you about the judgment of the Lord.

And as you progress through this book, the book of Judges, and you arrive to the final chapter, and you go to chapter 21, I think, and in verse 25, you will find one of the expressions that summarizes the content of this book. That in those days, the days of the judges, brethren, there was no king in Israel. And everyone did according to their own eyes, according to their own passions. That was the situation, that was the circumstances of the times of the judges for the people of Israel. that they were doing according to the passions of their hearts.

And there's no worse place for a human than to be ruled and to be guided, to be led by the passions of their heart, by the imaginations of their minds. And that was the situation and that was the condition, those were the circumstances of the people of Israel. But that which is sadder, more sad, is not so much that they were led by their passions and by their heart, but rather that in that verse we are told that they had no king. And one will be tempted to believe that the book is pointing us to the need of a physical king. But let me submit to you, brethren, that the wickedness of the time of the judges is not due to the fact that the people of Israel did not have a physical, a person who was a king over the people of Israel.

But rather, these people, following the desires of their hearts, had decided not to make the Lord, God of this universe, the King of Israel. What a terrifying place it is for the soul of a person, not only to be ruled, to be guided and to be led by your own imaginations, by your own heart, by your own preferences, but worse than that, not to have the Lord Jesus Christ as King seated enthroned in your heart. Because if He is not enthroned in your heart, then the one that is ruling your life is your own passions, your own affections. And what a terrifying thing it is that. That's why we see all the wickedness that takes place for the people of Israel in this book of Judges.

And from the very beginning, The Lord wants us to show this pattern, that when disobedience comes, judgment will come because of the disobedience. And when the judgment comes, the Lord presents His grace in raising a judge that frees the people of Israel. And let me submit to you, brethren, that the repetition of that cycle that we see through the book of Judges is not so much to show a pattern through the book, but this is a prophetic telling. It is a prophetic, repetitious telling for the people of Israel and also for the church. And that is that apart from the kinship of the Lord God of the universe, we are condemned to follow into wickedness and unrighteousness.

And it does not matter how many times the Lord repeats to us through His Word what we ought to do if we deviate our hearts. If we deviate our minds from the Lord, it does not matter how many times the word has repeated to us what we ought to do, we will end up in the same ways of the flesh. That is the pattern that we've seen in the book of Judges. From each one of those Judges, even arriving to the point of Gideon, who is the Judge that we have been studying in the last few chapters. Now, as we arrive to chapter 9, my dear brother and sister, we would expect that this pattern will continue.

We were told in the end of Judges chapter 8, that the people of Israel prostituted themselves after the death of Gideon. And we would expect that the pattern will continue in chapter 9, that the judgment of God will come upon the people of Israel, that they will be delivered unto a nation, and that then the Lord will raise another judge to liberate them from the judgment of this or the oppression of this other nation. However, brother, sister, and I hope your attention is with me, However, in Judges chapter 9, my dear brother and sister, we see rather a continuation of what we have read with Gideon in chapter 8. We have the story that is going to tell us how wicked and unrighteous the people of Israel. This is the story of the offspring of Gideon, the story of two men.

On one hand, we have Abimelech, as we are going to read it. And on the other hand, we have Jotham, both of them sons of the judge who has just died. Remember, the people of Israel wanted Gideon to be the king or the offspring of Gideon to be the kings and rulers of Israel. Now we have Abimelech, an unrighteous, wicked man, who is going to try to take unto himself the kingship of the people of Israel. Such is the wickedness of Abimelech, one of the sons of Gideon, that he is going to kill 70 of the sons of Gideon.

The only one who is going to survive is going to be the other character of this story, Jotham, who we are told here in the Scriptures that he is the youngest of the sons of Gideon. And it happens that he is, according to chapter 8, verse 31 and 32, that Jotham is a direct descendant of Gideon. While Abimelech is not a direct descendant of Gideon, but rather is a son of a concubine of Gideon that was born in Shechem. Here we have an evil man that is going to try to take the kingship unto himself. And we have a righteous man, Jotham, that is going to be used by the Lord.

Not only to initially spare his life, he flees so that Abimelech will not kill him. But he is going to be used, my dear brother and sister, to warn. the people of Shechem, of the evil that they are committing, of accepting an evil man as their king, as their ruler, and doing that evil thing against Gideon, who was the deliverer of the people of Israel. So Jotham is going to come as a prophet to speak and to warn the people of Shechem and saying, if you accept Abimelech as your king, fire will come upon you from Abimelech. And fire will return from you to Abimelech.

That is the judgment of the Lord. The Lord is going to give over, my dear brother and sister, the people of Shechem and Abimelech, so that judgment indeed will take place. What we are going to read here in these 57 verses, my dear brother and sister, is a story that is going to lead to the final judgment of God. Because, The people of Shechem and Abimelech did not hear the warning of the prophet. In this case, not a prophet, but the prophetic utterance of Jotham, who was warning the people of Shechem not to commit such an evil.

May the Lord help us to treasure up this word that we're going to read now in our hearts, and not to sin against Him in the same way that the people of Shechem sin against the Lord. This is the word of the Lord. Judges chapter 9. Let us read, paying attention carefully to each one of these words. May the Lord help us now to understand what we read.

Now, Abimelech, the son of Jerubal, that is Gideon, went to Shechem to his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family, Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, which is best for you? Which is better for you? That all seventy of the sons of Jerubal rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.' And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of the leaders of Shechem.

And their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother. And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith. with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows who followed him. And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the son of Jerubal, seventy men, one on one stone, that is publicly. But Jotham, the youngest of Jerubal, was left, for he hid himself.

And all the leaders of Shechem came together, all Beth Miloh, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar at Shechem. When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, Rain over us! But the olive tree said to them, Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go whole to sway over the trees? And the tree said to the fig tree, You come and reign over us.

But the fig tree said to them, Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go wholesway over the trees? And the tree said to the vine, You come and reign over us. But the vine said to them, Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go wholesway over the trees? Then all the trees said to the bramble, You come and rain over us. And the bramble said to the trees, If in good faith you're anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade.

But if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon. This is the interpretation of that message. Now, therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubal and his house, and have done to him as he deserved, for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hands of Midian, And you have risen up against my father's house this day, and have killed his son, 70 men on one stone, and have made Abimelech the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative. If you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jeroboam, Gideon, and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, Let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth Milo."

And let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth Milo and devour Abimelech. And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beir and lived there because of Amimelech, his brother. Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. And the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, that the violence done to the 70 sons of Jeroboam might come, and the blood be laid on Amalek, their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.

And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops. And they robbed all who passed by them along the way. And it was told to Abimelech. And Geal, the son of Ebed, moved into Shechem with his relatives. And the leaders of Shechem put confidence in him.

And they went out into the field, and gathered the grapes from their vineyards, and trod them, and held a festival. And they went into the house of their God, and ate and drank, and reviled Abimelech. And Gaal the son of Abed said, Who is Abimelech? And who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubal, and is not Zebul his officer?

Serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem, but why should we serve him? Would that His people were under my hand, then I would remove Abimelech. I would say to Abimelech, increase your army and come out. When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of God, the son of Abed, his anger was kindled. And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, Behold, Gael the son of Abed and his relatives had come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you.

Now therefore go by night, you and the people who are with you, and set an ambush in the field. Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and rush upon the city. And when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you might do to them as your hand finds to do. So Abimelech and all the men who were with him rose up by night and set an ambush against Shechem in four companies. And Gael, the son of Abed, went out and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city.

And Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from the ambush. And when Gael saw the people, he said to Zebul, Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops. And Zebul said to him, You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men. Gael spoke again and said, Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming down from the direction of the Diviner's Oak. Then Zebul said to him, Where is your mouth now, you who said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?

Are not these people whom you despised? Go out now and fight them. And Geal went out at the head of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. And Abimelech chased him. And he fled before him.

And many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate. And Abimelech lived at Aruma. And Zebul drove out Geal and his relatives, so that they could not dwell at Shechem. On the following day, the people went out into the field, and Abimelech was told, He took his people and divided them into three companies and sent an ambush in the fields. And he looked and saw the people coming out of the city.

He rose against them and killed them. Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field and killed them. And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he raised the city and sewed it with salt." This is Shechem, brethren, the ones that chose him as king.

Verse 46, "...when all the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of Elbereth. Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. And Abimelech went up to Mount Salmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up and laid it on his shoulder.

And he said to the men who were with him, What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done. So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold and they set the stronghold on fire over them. People were inside. So that all the people of the tower of Shechem also died. About 1,000 men and women.

Then Abimelech went to Thebes and encamped against Thebes and captured it. But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in. And they went up to the roof of the tower. And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull.

Then he called quickly to the young man, his armored bearer, and said to him, draw your swords and kill me. As they say of me, a woman killed him. And this young man thrust him through, and he died. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, everyone departed to his home." Verse 26.

Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his 70 brothers. And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads. And upon them came the curse of Jotham, the son of Jeroboam." Amen. This is the word to the Lord, and may the Lord have mercy.

My dear brother, my dear sister, Romans chapter 2 verse 2 says that the judgment of God is according to truth. The judgment of God is according to truth, not according to the imaginations of men. The judgment of God is not according to the preferences of men. The judgment of God is not according to the opinions of men, but rather the judgment of God is according to truth. The one who knows it all, the one who sees it all, the one who is true himself.

The one who is a witness of the thoughts of men, the one who can go into the depths of the spirit and the soul of men and see even what a person cannot see in themselves, that judgment is according to truth. And the one who inflicts judgment is God Himself. The same apostle in the book of Romans chapter 2, but now in verse 6, says that because the judgment of God is according to truth, He will give each one according to his deeds. God, the ruler of this world, and the one who is going to judge the living and the dead, does not only judge according to truth, but He is going to give each one according to His deeds. Everyone who has lived, everyone who is living right now, and everyone who is going to live in the future, is going to receive from the judge of this earth and this universe according to their own deeds.

There are people who have already received judgment from God according to their works and deeds. There are people whom you know who have passed away, who have had already an encounter with this judge of everyone, and who have received according to their works and deeds. There are people whom we know, who are about, and perhaps even among us, people who are about to give an account before the Judge of the world, and He will give them according to truth, according to what they deserve, according to their deeds. And my dear brother, my dear sister, my dear soul, each one of us, at some point in our lives, when life comes to an end, and we are brought back before Him, we are going to have to give an account for all the things that we have done. And He is going to be the judge who judges according to truth, and He is going to give each one according to their deeds.

Fearful thoughts. If you know the thoughts that you have, if you know the heart that you have, if you know the things that you have done, then it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of this living God who knows it all. But God is so good that the judgment that comes from the hand of the Lord is a judgment that does not come without a warning. It's not like the judgment of God comes just simply without words that have been said before. It's not that people are going to be judged before Him without knowing that they are going to have to face God.

But rather, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which can be known of God, He has made it manifest in them, even from all things that have been created. Namely, His divine power, His divine nature, the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen in that which is created. The heavens declare the glory of God and for that reason, there's absolutely no one on earth that can say that they do not know, that's why they're left without excuse. The judgment of God does not come without a warning.

And if the testimony, my dear brother and sister, of creation was not enough, He has left as a testimony unto Himself this book, the oracles of God that were initially entrusted to the people of Israel, and then they were entrusted to the church through the apostles, spreading through the world, a testimony that is written, that speaks of this God, whose name is God, in the person of Jesus Christ. No other God, no other Savior, no other religion, no other way to God. Only Jesus Christ. written in these words, a testimony of the judgment that it is to come. And if the testimony of creation and the testimony of the Scriptures was not enough, he hath said unto himself a people that he calls his bride, and a church that hath been entrusted, commissioned to speak unto all peoples from all nations and all tongues, and to warn this world.

That there is a day in which everyone is going to have to give an account to this God who judges in truth, who judges in power. And that you are going to come before Him, and the heart is going to be open, your mind is going to be open. And this church, this people, feeble church, through this time, has been set apart to give a warning to all peoples. People who are even here within the sound of my voice. People who have already received the warning of this judgment that is to come.

Not only by the heavens that declare the glory of God, and by the scriptures, but also by the church, my dear brother and sister. This is the same warning that God gave to the people of Shechem through Jotham. That said, listen to me in chapter 9 verse 7 of the book of what we have just read. Listen to me so that God will listen to you. In other words, listen to the words and to this warning that I'm giving you, people of Shechem, so that you will turn from your evil ways and the Lord will listen to your repenting heart.

But the people of Shechem did not listen to the warning of Jotham. He said to them, if you do not listen to this warning, fire will come from Abimelech to you and fire from you to Abimelech. And indeed, we are told in verse 22, simple words. Abimelech reigned over them for three years." In other words, the people of Shechem did not listen to the warning of Jotham.

In other words, the words of the prophet were just simply in the air. The warnings of the one who knew that fire was going to come were just simply passing over the head. The words of the one who was warning of the fire that was to come were completely ignored, so that Abimelech reigned over the people of Israel for three years. And without words, without interlocution, without just a framework, or without explanation between 22 and verse 23, we are told the consequences of what happens when people do not listen to the warning of the Lord. They are given other.

Because in verse 23, now we are told that because of the disobedience of the people of Shechem, and because of their not paying attention to the warning of Jotham, the Lord sent an evil spirit. The Lord sent an evil spirit. To bring to consummation the judgment that Jotham had prophesied. To bring about the punishment that they deserved. An evil spirit was sent from the Lord.

Enmity between Abimelech and the people of Shechem. They were their brothers. They were their clan. They were their families. They were the relatives of his mother.

The power of the flesh was not powerful anymore. Because now an evil spirit was sent between them. An enmity happened between Shechem and Abimelech. To bring about the judgment of the Lord that he had promised. Those that loved each other because they were of the same family, now they killed themselves as we have just read.

Death came upon the people of Shechem, and death came to Abimelech, and death by fire and by shame. Brethren, did you read that terrifying death of the people of Shechem? Thousands of people there in a tower, put in fire. Imagine what happened inside of that building. Fire and thousands of people, thousands of men and women died inside of that building.

This is what the Lord had warned through Jotham and indeed took place. And the Lord was the one who sent an evil spirit of enmity between Shechem and between Abimelech. Why? Because they did not listen to the warning of Jotham. who was speaking on behalf of God.

And we are told something very terrifying there, brethren, in verse 56. That this judgment that took place is not a circumstantial thing. That the judgment that took place is not just simply because they put that on fire. That this judgment of the Lord is not just simply lack or lack of it, but rather that the judge of this judgment is God Himself. God returned evil to Abimelech, and God returned evil to Shechem, my dear brother and sister.

This God who knows all things is the one that is going to judge according to truth, and is the one that is going to judge even each one according to their deeds. This God of the Old Testament, my dear brother and sister, has not changed. Remains the same. And there is a day in which all of us are going to have to give an account to this God, who sees it all, and who has witnessed all the things that we have done. We that have received the words of the Lord, that have been explained the commandments of the Lord, and have the Scriptures in our hands.

My dear brother, my dear sister, if it's not because of the grace of God upon our lives, Our future, our destination is worse than the death that the people of Shechem experienced in that tower. If it's not because of the grace of God that is manifested in the person of Jesus Christ, our destination, our judgment is much worse than the death, the shameful death that Abimelech experienced when his head was crushed. If we don't receive the grace of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, then the destination of our souls is much worse, much worse than all the horrible things that happen to the people of Israel. But brethren, the same apostle that wrote in Romans chapter 2 that judgment is according to truth, the same apostle Paul who wrote in Romans chapter 2 verse 6 that he will give each one according to their deeds, is the same apostle that wrote in Romans chapter 5 that first of all, we have been justified by faith, that we have peace with God, that we are not enemies with God. And the explanation that he gives to that is that, for when we were still without strength, in due time, Jesus Christ died for us.

that when we were weak, when we were needy, when there was nothing in us that would sustain us and keep us, in due time, Jesus Christ died for us. For perhaps a good person might even give their life for another good person. But God demonstrates His love towards us, in that while we were enemies of God, God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, So that we will not receive the judgment that we deserve. Because the same apostle says, brethren, in Romans chapter 5 verse 9, that if we have been justified by His blood, how much more we shall not be saved from the wrath that is to come. My dear brother and dear sister, if your soul happens to be found in the person of Jesus Christ by His grace, then it is a great reason to rejoice.

Not only in that you are not going to be object of the judgment of God that is to come, but rather that we are going to be object of the blessing that is to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. But if there is anyone among us, my dear brother and sister, Who is not in this Lord of ours, this Lord Jesus Christ? Let me tell you, today is the day of your salvation. Today is the day in which the Lord is giving you a warning of the things that are to come, and the only way to find salvation in the person of Jesus Christ. May the Lord give us grace, not only to continue to trust in Him, but to come in Him for salvation.

Amen? Amen. Let us pray. O Lord, we come before you and we give you thanks for the time that you have given us, Lord, on this Lord's Day, and you extend, Lord, that we can read your word, and we can hear your word, and we can come together, Lord, and meditate upon your word. Lord, who are we that we call ourselves your church?

Who are we, Lord, that we call ourselves your family, your children? I ask, O Lord, that you will help us, that you will teach us, that you will instruct us, that you will teach us, Lord, to reverently fear you, Lord. That we will understand what it is to fear the Lord. That we will cleanse ourselves from all impurity of the flesh and of the spirit, and that we will bring holiness to perfection in the fear of the Lord, as the Apostle says in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1. That we will indeed live our lives by the power of the cross, as we sang, That we will indeed treasure up your words in our hearts, that we will not sin against you, Lord.

That indeed we will comprehend and understand through the Scriptures, by the power of your Holy Spirit, the death from where we have been taken, the darkness and the place from where we have been rescued, the judgment that we deserved apart from Jesus Christ, the darkness that was upon us and that we were in nature, apart from the condescending and majestic and glorious work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us, Lord, please, not to count, not just simply take for granted that we are Christians with a label externally, Lord. But grant us an understanding of the times. Grant us an understanding, Lord, of what comes ahead and the terrifying truth, Lord, of what it is to fall into your hands, not being in the person of Jesus Christ. I ask, Lord, that you will help us, Lord, and give us the grace that is needed to set our minds on things above, not on things of this earth.

Lord, just to always abide in you and to remain in your presence, Lord, knowing that if we are going to be able to stand before you and that our genuine faith is going to be found for glory and honor and praise at the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ is not because there's something good in us, but rather because the sustaining grace of God has been working in us from the moment in which we were vitally united to Christ until the moment in which we are going home. until the moment of the inheritance that is given for possession to the bride. Help us, Lord, please, to reverentially consider these scriptures, Lord. Help us, please, to reverentially consider, Lord, these judgments of old that came upon the people of Israel and upon the wickedness that was manifested among them, Lord. Help us, Lord, to consider that as an example that we will not think that we are firm lest we fall.

Let us consider, Lord, all of these things that have been written and have taken place in your providence and in history, Lord, so that we will look to Christ, the one who lived a perfect life, and rest in Him alone, and not to believe that we are good in and of ourselves like the people of Israel thought of themselves. But rather, Lord, that we will just simply give up to self and to trust in our Savior and our Redeemer. Help us, Lord, please, to abide in You and to depend on You entirely. Teach us, Lord, to be like a child, like little children among us, Lord. To trust in You entirely, Lord.

To live our lives trusting in You, who is the one that is going to judge the living and the dead. and that we might not be shrinking in shame at your coming, but rather, Lord, that we will be found, be joyful there at that moment, Lord, not because we have done this or that, but rather because our faith has been established in the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us, O Lord, now as we come and as we're going to sit under the preaching of the Word, Lord, I ask that you will help us, that you will guide us, that you will teach us, that you will instruct us. I ask the same thing for all of our brothers and sisters all throughout the world. In this city, in this state, in this nation, Lord, in every nation, in every town, even peoples that we know overseas, Lord, wherever they are, we ask, Lord, that you will be with them, with our brothers and sisters, that you will grant them, Lord, the power of your Holy Spirit and the truth of the Scriptures, for them to desire to be conformed to Christ and to know Him, deeper and better.

I ask, Lord, for the church that is under persecution and under tribulation, some of them that we know, Lord, even. If there is any brother or any sister who at this very time and this very hour, as we pray, is being persecuted, if they are running away, if they are hiding somewhere, Lord, I pray that you will give them, provide escape, and that you will give them, Lord, the faith that is needed to endure, that you will provide what they need. Some of them may need food or shelter, Lord, that you will provide for them. We ask, Lord, that you will help us not to be contempt, self-contempt, Lord, that we have a spirit of entitlement to the things that we have in the Western world. That you will protect us, Lord, from being lovers of the things that are passing away from the things that are of this world.

Rather, Lord, that you will help us as you help all your saints throughout history to count it all as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever it is, Lord, that we are to count as loss, empower us and strengthen us to actually count it as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have all things that pertain to life and godliness, and in whom we have received all glorious promises from above, and in whom we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, and in whom we are seated at the right hands of Majesty and High. We praise you and we give you thanks and we ask now for a brother as he comes to this pulpit and he's going to preach. Lord, that you help him, that you give him power and strength and freedom. That you will be with his body, with his mind, with his head, Lord.

That you will be with his mouth, Lord. That you will grant him, Lord, words of freedom. that you will speak to him even as he is up here, Lord, and that we will be taught, that we will be instructed from your Word, that we will receive, Lord, the Word, not with contentious spirit, Lord, that we will not be distracted or with prideful minds or hearts, but that we will receive your Word, deciding to be edified and deciding to be instructed. Bless our brothers and sisters who are not here with us for different reasons. Bless the brethren who are here, and help us, Lord, in all things.

And in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.