Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.gracespringfield.com/sermons/43869/salvations-33-blessings-07/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] Bob and I were just talking a little bit about some of the things that's going on in this old world and how day by day there is an appearance of things just kind of unraveling right before our very eyes. [0:17] It seems that every new day or week that goes by there's more oddities, more peculiarities, more, well, I never thought such and such would happen, but here it is right in front of us and it's becoming more and more so. [0:34] And one cannot help but wonder if this ongoing destabilization of the culture, not just here, but in other parts of the globe, is just part of that overall scheme and plan that is setting the stage for what is coming. [0:56] And we need to be reminded that a verse that we all ought to have committed to memory is that the God of this age has blinded the minds of those that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, which is the image of God, should shine unto them. [1:17] That 2 Corinthians 4 passage is so enlightening. And then, in addition to that, what our Lord said three times in John's gospel, chapter 12, chapter 14, chapter 16, he referred to Satan as the prince of this age. [1:41] He's calling the shots. If you're wondering what's wrong with the world, it has a lot to do with the fallen angel that is dictating policy and fallen humans that are in compliance with it and don't even have a clue. [2:03] Unbelievers do not have a clue that they don't have a clue. That's how clueless they are. And we've got to remember, they are not the enemy. They are captives of the enemy. [2:15] And so were you before you came to faith in Christ. And that changed absolutely everything. So, this old world is in for a showdown. And it appears it is getting closer and closer all the time. [2:29] And if that's true, and I believe that it is, and I'm not setting any dates, but if that's true, then one wonders how close the rapture just might be. [2:42] And anyway, something to think about. Roger, did you have something? You talked about leading people astray, the devil. What about demon possession? [2:55] Is that for this time? Will they slowly creep back in? Or is it just a matter of people turning away from God or not wanting nothing to do with Him? [3:07] I can't speak. I certainly can't speak as knowledgeably as I would like to about demon possession in this age. There is absolutely no question that it exists. [3:21] But it appeared to have reached an apex during the earthly ministry of our Lord. [3:33] And He was continually confronting demons and demonic activity. And I suspect, I don't know this, but I suspect that it was simply the adversary, Satan himself and his minions, those demons who operate under His control, perhaps pulling out all the stops during the earthly ministry of Christ in an effort to block or hinder whatever they could in connection with His ministry. [4:08] And that does not mean that that's the only time that there's demonic activity. You know, Paul refers to this also in writing to the Corinthians when he talks about unbelievers and pagans who are offering food and activities as an offering to a false god. [4:37] And Paul says, they don't know it. They aren't even aware of it. But what they are doing is offering these to idols, what they think are idols and false gods or their gods, they are actually offering them to demons and they don't even know it. [4:54] So, there is a dangerous lack of awareness on the part of the unregenerate as to the powers that are in this world and are operative that are often undetected. [5:13] And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the devil's to blame for everything because as I've pointed out to you before, we really don't need any assistance from the adversary to be mean and ornery and sinful on our own. [5:27] We can do that without any help from him. But there is satanic activity that is taking place and missionaries upon missionaries have told us about some of the most hair-raising experiences that you can imagine in some of the faraway lands, and I'm talking about places like maybe Tibet and Nepal and places like that where there is spiritual darkness the likes of which you can't imagine. [6:02] And there are some very weird, weird things that happen in some of these places. And I'm not saying that we are somehow exempt from it because we're more advanced or educated or civilized or whatever. [6:17] I suspect that there's demonic activity here too, but it's under the radar. And there is perhaps a correlation between demonic activity and people under the influence of mood-altering drugs and alcohol and things like that because what happens when somebody engages in taking drugs and things like that, it's almost as if they are surrendering control of their faculties. [7:02] And they are kind of voluntarily turning themselves over to some other kind of entity. And I'm not saying that that is always demons or demonic activity, but I am saying this, I wouldn't be surprised if in many cases that is not exactly what is involved. [7:21] Because when people are under the influence like that and do things, sometimes damaging things to hurt themselves, it's almost always a negative activity, almost always something that is damaging, something that is hurtful and painful and maybe even, you know, invoking death itself. [7:48] Because when people are under the influence, it can do all kinds of crazy things like jump off of buildings because they think they can fly and stuff like this. And it seems so, these drugs, fellas, just inundating the nation. [8:04] And we've always had a problem with it, but never to the scale that's taking place now. You hear about fentanyl and all of this stuff. It's invading the country. And this is all deliberate. [8:14] This stuff is being poured into the nation with the intent of crippling and having a negative effect on the nation. And it's doing that. So it's just a thing that we need to be aware of. [8:28] What, Dan? Everything you say is absolutely right on. But who would ever think they'd come after our refrigerators and heat pumps and all the other stuff? Oh, well. [8:38] That's it. I mean, that's not it. We got some stupid people. Yeah. Well, I mean, they're not. They're just plain stupid. Yeah, there's no question about that. You know, we made the point, and I think it's in some of the Christianity Clarified that were kind of, done kind of recently. [8:56] And, but it's a hard sell because most people won't believe this, but I'm totally, 100% convinced that it is true. And that is the entirety of the human race, you, me included, functions and lives under impairment. [9:17] We are all physically impaired. We are mentally impaired. We are psychologically impaired. [9:28] We are emotionally impaired. We are broken people. Hey, guys. This is the fallout from the fall. [9:40] And it started thousands of years ago. And it is genetic. It is systemic. It is systemic to the whole human race. And perhaps the greatest evidence of that, at least that we are physically impaired, is the fact that you're going to die. [10:01] Why are you going to die? That's part of the impairment. We are damaged goods, all of us. And we all know that physically, and those who are young and hale and hearty and good health and all that, it's not so aware to them. [10:17] But my advice to them is, you just wait. It's coming. And it will be real to you later on. That's part and parcel of a fallen world. [10:29] And in connection with that, in connection with that intellectual impairment, which simply means none of us is intellectually, what shall I say, intellectually whole. [10:48] We all have blind spots in our thinking. And somebody's pointed out that every one of us is ignorant. We're just ignorant about different things. [10:58] That's all. When somebody reaches a certain level, we pronounce them an expert. And that doesn't mean they know everything about that. [11:09] It just means they know more than most people know about. So, you know, guys, there's only one expert and he's the one that knows everything about everything. [11:20] And that's not you. And it's not me. And, you know, we're not even close. So this impairment, just think of this and try to put the two and two together. [11:33] I feel like sometimes I'm forced to do that on a day-by-day basis. But this impairment is there is a sociological impairment because that's part of the package. [11:47] What I'm saying is, guys, we are all damaged goods through and through. All of us are. Nobody's escaped it. And the evidence of that is coming out more and more as this culture goes on in bold relief. [12:04] And we are, we tend to think that every every new culture and new generation is so superior to the one before it. [12:17] And in some ways that's true when you talk about technology and stuff like that. But in other ways it's the same old woman in a new dress. [12:28] And nothing has changed. And evidence of this is borne out in the fact that intellectual impairment allows people to come up with some of the most harebrained, irresponsible, unbelievable ideas and concepts that you could ever imagine. [12:49] And do you know what? There's nothing new about this. Did you ever hear of the Philistines? The Hittites? The Jebusites? Who were those people? [13:00] They were human beings just like you and me but they lived way back in Old Testament times and you know what? They too were all impaired intellectually, socially, every way impaired. [13:13] And now we're dealing with a more what shall I call it? A more well I can't even give it a name but we just come up with all kinds of screwball ideas and you just want like for instance this sexual dysphoria thing. [13:31] If you don't like being a male not a problem. You can be a female. You take these hormones and you blah blah blah and if you're female and you want to be a male you can actually find a surgeon who will remove your breasts and feed you hormone therapy. [13:48] what is this? Is this nuts or what? Yes it is but the world bought into it and what what we look upon guys as screwball ideas the world and some of the most unexpected people in the world hail this stuff as wonderful breakthrough. [14:14] are you kidding me? What? So it's just like well anyway I could go on but I'm not going to. We got to get to our text here. Larry what? How about Solomon and Gomorrah? [14:26] Well Solomon and Gomorrah too is an excellent example and what's going on in the whole field of sexuality is just just plain just plain nuts. [14:38] I heard from a guy a couple of weeks ago that this is the year that the Lord's coming back. Well I'm not saying that it is but I certainly but I'll say this I wouldn't be surprised if it is. [14:53] We're not we're not given to setting dates too many have done that in the past and just made fools of themselves but all we know is and I told you this before safe answer from which I'm very confident is that we are closer than anybody's ever been and beyond that we cannot go well let's look at our sheet okay we are dealing with salvation's 33 blessings and we are arriving at item number seven I think we've dealt with that we pointed out that we are not under the law and I tried to make a distinction between the law that we have in inbred in us the sense of right and wrong and so on but let's go on to any question about that by the way before we go on I don't want to slip by something okay item number eight a believer has been made a child of God Galatians 326 he is born anew that's a spiritual rebirth by the regenerating power of the Holy [15:59] Spirit into a relationship in which God the first person becomes the legitimate father and the saved one becomes a legitimate child with every right and title an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ absolutely astounding concept and you can take it to the bank because it is borne out all through scripture scripture and Titus 3 5 kind of adds to that where Paul wrote to Titus and said not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he has saved us by the washing of regeneration and it's not the washing of baptism it's the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit Titus 3 5 so that's a beautiful and a precious truth and then item number 9 a believer has been adopted as an adult son in the father's household [17:11] Romans 8 and this is a concept that needs some explanation because it's using terminology with which we are not familiar because when we try to apply our cultural understanding to certain passages of the Bible it just doesn't make any sense and here is a perfect example of that we all know that here in the western world and I'm sure probably in other places too there are governmental provisions made for people to undertake what we would call a legal adoption now this almost always occurs on behalf of a would be parent to a child that was not of their lineage and we know this happens all the time because there are couples who want to produce a child and enjoy rearing a child and for reasons of some kind of maybe a medical deficiency of the husband or the wife that are unable to do so so common route is to go by way of adoption and this almost always involves adopting a baby or a very young child and it's standard operating procedure here in the western world and something that's gone on for a long time but how many times do you know of anyone who adopts an adult that's just not done in our culture because we don't adopt adults we adopt children and yet [19:01] Paul is talking about adopting an adult as sons or not an adult but perhaps one along well let me explain it this way in the Roman culture in which Paul lived and by the way one of the reasons he's dipping into that even though he is a Jew is because Paul is also a Roman citizen and that was rather extraordinary I mean there weren't very many Jews who were legal Roman citizens and Paul was born a Roman citizen probably indicating that his father was probably a true Roman citizen that made sense but anyway when one was born into the Roman culture as a child he was not automatically considered an heir to the father or a legal son of the father even though he was a biological son and how much more of a son can you be than that but under [20:04] Roman law you were not considered a legal son of the father until you reached a certain age and I'm not sure what it is I think it was kind of like the Jewish with the bar mitzvah when a young Jewish boy is considered to be an adult and responsible for his own actions but somewhere in the area of 12 or 13 the Romans would actually hold a ceremony kind of like the Jews did with the bar mitzvah and family members would come in and neighbors and so on and the father will have arrived at a position regarding a particular son and it might not be the firstborn might be second or thirdborn son whatever but he undertakes a legal act of adoption and papers are drawn up to that effect and that particular son who is officially adopted even though he was a biological son and the real son of the father he wasn't legally and it isn't until the father makes that decision to legally adopt his biological son giving him status and automatically making him the heir apparent of all of the father's belongings trust etc upon the father's death and that was a big deal in Roman culture and it is that backdrop against which the apostle [21:44] Paul is speaking here so it doesn't make much sense to us but it made perfect sense to them so let's read the text if we may and where are we here in Romans 8 15 okay verse verse 15 Paul says well verse 14 is really good too and while we're at it yeah let's just start with verse 14 for all who are being led by the spirit of God these are sons of God for or because you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again but contrast you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out Abba father and that word Abba is a term that is actually translated from the [22:49] Aramaic because it's Abba in the Aramaic and it's brought right over and it is Anglicized or it is put into English for the English equivalent and the word Abba in Aramaic means daddy or papa it is a term of affection such as a little boy uses of his father now I notice this every time something comes up from down south and thinking about for instance Billy Graham most of us most of us when we are children who is our father he's daddy and boys and girls call him daddy and it's an affectionate term but when we grow into adulthood we usually lose that childlike identification and it's just dad or pop or something like that but I noticed down south you know they still maintain a lot of the daddy thing [24:01] I don't know how many times I've heard members of the Graham family whether like Ann Graham Lotz or Franklin Graham talk about their daddy I wonder what is this you know here's old enough to be a grandfather himself and he's talking about Billy Graham as being his daddy well that's a cultural thing and down south it's still daddy and when Paul is using this term Abba here he's saying that we have been brought into a sphere of not just legal sonship by adoption but emotionally and in a connecting way with emotion feeling love daddy and it is an endearing kind of term that reveals not only a legal connection with God but an emotional connection with him and he's giving that as an illustration and he's saying you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out daddy there is that love bond connection between father and child that we ordinarily don't think of as adults but it is there and then he says the spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children and that if is a [25:41] I'm quite sure that it's a first class conditional clause and it literally means since since not if sometimes when we use the word if we mean maybe and maybe not but when this is used in the Greek with the first class conditional clause it's better rendered since than if because when you use the word if it's maybe so maybe not but since establishes the reality of it and since children heirs also heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ since indeed we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him and this suffering of course is talking about the backdrop that existed at this time which was one of if you received Jesus Christ as your personal savior back in this day in this culture and you made it known you could be painting a big bullseye on your back because sometimes there was a price to be paid when the heat was on from the authorities and we know that so it started even with Paul the apostle or Saul of Tarsus for I consider verse 18 for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us guys that would be a great verse to memorize because [27:13] I can assure you you will find occasion to use it to encourage a lot of people and nobody is saying and by the way the man who is saying this and writing this has great credentials of integrity for saying it because I don't know of anybody who has experienced this in the raw more than the apostle Paul and you look at that extensive list of things that he underwent I think it's in 2nd Corinthians 11 about all the things that he experienced suffering and and he never issues a single word of complaint interesting and he never asks the question I don't know why God doesn't give me better protection and kind of run interference for me so I don't have to deal with all of these difficulties no there's no complaint at all because Paul realizes that he is living and functioning in a world that is really fallen and God does not remove the spirit of fallenness for Paul and he doesn't remove it for you either or for me we are born into this veil of tears and it is a fallen world and we suffer the consequences of being a fallen person in a fallen world and guys listen this this is what the kingdom of heaven is all about the kingdom of heaven isn't up there where God dwells the kingdom of heaven is going to be here on planet earth but the insertion of that word heaven tends to make people think that we're talking about heaven the dwelling place of [29:11] God and where believers go upon death absent from the body present with the Lord to go to heaven well that is heaven but the kingdom of heaven is the rule and reign of heaven where God is brought to and applied to planet earth which means everything's going to get fixed everything is going to be restored to what is supposed to be from its current fallenness things are going to be as they ought to be and if you think that things right now are as they ought to be you're living on a different planet than I am because this world is messed up and the crowning negative achievement of a messed up world is your death your death Jesus said time is coming when I'm going to build my church and the gates of [30:20] Hades will not prevail against it what does that mean this is back in in Matthew's gospel chapter 16 and it's a powerful powerful thing so much so that it's the kingdom the kingdom the kingdom and that's all these people were thinking about when John the Baptist came preaching what was his message his message to Israel was repent change your mind get your act together because the kingdom of heaven is at hand what's that mean it means it's right around the corner it's on the verge and when Jesus came he took up John's message and he preached the same thing and the twelve preached the same thing and when Jesus was riding into Jerusalem the text tells us I think it's in it hasn't moved [31:22] I think it's in well I don't know I don't know that's Luke somewhere and it says that Jesus was nearing Jerusalem and they thought they thought the disciples the twelve disciples thought that when Jesus rides that donkey into Jerusalem he's going to establish his throne right then and there and kick out the Romans and Israel is going to be elevated to its rightful position and people were shouting Hosanna Hosanna in the highest blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna to the son of David do you hear what they're saying Hosanna to the son of David David been dead a thousand years when Jesus came into Jerusalem but he was not only the son of David thus to inherit the throne of David but he was the last one in the line think of that all that goes back to goes all the way back to [32:38] Abraham look at the genealogies in Matthew and in Luke Matthew is a genealogy of Joseph Luke is a genealogy of Mary and they came together and produced the legal child and again this is an adoption thing the legal son of Jesus of Nazareth and they thought he's going to be he's the king he's the one in line and he is going to establish the kingdom they didn't have a clue that he was going to Jerusalem to die on the cross and the reason he was because that is the first leg that has to be accomplished before the kingdom of heaven can come to earth that is Jesus the Messiah has to pay the price for the sins of the entire world and that's exactly what he did and that's why he came and the second thing is two things [33:45] I've told you I hope you remember these forever two things are required before the kingdom of heaven can come to earth the first is the Messiah has to pay for the sins of the world which gives him the right to that kingship and that's what he did guys when he died on the cross that was the meaning of tetelestai it is finished Jesus said the great transaction is done in other words he said I did my part I did the thing that I was sent to do the father sent the son to be the savior of the world that's exactly what he did and the second leg of that is for Israel to get on board to comply to agree but they did not and as Jesus rode in to Jerusalem he stopped and he wept and he said oh [34:50] Jerusalem Jerusalem if only you had known the time of your visitation but now it is hidden from your eyes what was he talking about he was talking about this was going to be Israel's opportunity to embrace Yeshua HaMashiach as a Messiah but it was not to be because the first part had not been done yet and when Jesus went to the cross he did that and then when we find in well let's go quickly to Acts chapter 3 okay this is so critical and this kingdom thing just won't let go of me because it's the big picture guys and by the way we who are believers in the church and I don't want to minimize that because we have we in the church we have as believers in the body of Christ we have blessings and benefits of our own but you need to understand that the kingdom is the big picture it's the whole enchilada and the church is simply a part of that so in [36:11] Acts chapter 2 Acts chapter 3 we've got to remember that Pentecost is behind us and it's a few days and at this second sermon of Peter that he's delivering to the children of Israel and we come down to chapter chapter 3 and look at verse 17 if we may we'll just jump in here in the text Paul says and now brethren I know that you acted in ignorance just as your rulers did also what's he talking about talking about the crucifixion you handed Jesus over out of ignorance stupidity and so did your rulers they didn't know what they were doing and this is partly what Jesus meant when he said father forgive them they they know not what they're doing and he says just as your rulers did also but verse 18 the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets that his [37:19] Christ that his Messiah should suffer and there are so many but we'll just think of Isaiah 53 because it's the most definitive about the prophesying of the Messiah suffering and he says it was predicted it was promised by the prophets that the Christ should suffer he has thus fulfilled what's that mean that means the first requirement for establishing the kingdom is out of the way it's done it's accomplished Jesus fulfilled it now what Peter is saying Israel now the ball is in your court what are you going to do that's exactly what he goes on to say repent therefore what that means is change your mind and your thinking and your estimation about [38:20] Jesus who he was what he did why he came why it matters change your mind repent therefore and return so that your sins may be wiped away in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord what is that guys that's the kingdom that's the kingdom that's the time of refreshing and Peter is saying hey you're halfway there first leg accomplished you're halfway there whom heaven that he may send Jesus the Christ appointed for you how long has it been since Jesus had been gone when Peter said that just about two weeks just about two weeks remember in Acts 1 when he ascended to heaven he said not many days since you'll be inspired by the Holy Spirit that was [39:21] Pentecost that was ten days ahead and Peter is delivering this message shortly after Acts 2 this is a follow up message to his Acts 2 message on Pentecost and he says that your sins may be in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus the Christ appointed for you and as I said he just left a couple of weeks earlier whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things that's world is screwed up big time everything everything is committed to death and destruction and ruination and it's in a cycle the world is in a death cycle and what Jesus Christ is going to accomplish he's going to bring that to a screeching halt and it will no longer be in a death cycle it will be life and living in other words it will be the world as it is supposed to be it will be the world as it was before [40:31] Adam and Eve's sin brought everything crashing down so we are living in this interim period of which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times and this is the message and these people are going like this they're wondering they're listening listening to what Peter's saying and they're taking it all in and they're processing this information and they're trying to reach conclusions is what this guy saying true or is it a bunch of malarkey or what they're trying to put they're trying to connect the dots and put this thing together and before anybody can really make any conclusions guess what happens here comes the law here comes the law verse 1 of chapter 4 says and as they were speaking to the people the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the [41:33] Sadducees came upon them and greatly disturbed being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead and they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day it was already evening but many of those who had heard the message believed and the number of the men came to be about 5,000 I think this is an additional 2,000 added to the 3,000 in chapter 1 or chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost so the numbers are growing but guys the heat is being applied the religious establishment that served at the pleasure of the Romans who were the political establishment they turned on their own people and the first incident that we have of persecution in the [42:38] New Testament is Jews persecuting Jews don't blame this on the Romans the Romans don't have anything to do with what we're talking about here they're completely out of the picture this is strictly a Jewish thing and the Jews are persecuting their own people and of course the Romans are just standing by and looking at it and saying there's crazy Jews you don't know what's going on so that's that's essentially what's going on so this a screeching halt and right here because Israel nationally is not going to endorse and get on board with what Jesus did on the cross they remain in unbelief the whole kingdom program comes to a halt where are we now we are living in that halt the kingdom is postponed and when [43:43] Paul when Matthew talks about the secret of the kingdom understand guys it's postponement is the secret the postponement is the secret and what is placed in the position of that blank space that is postponement is you and me we are the Johnny comes lately that were not predicted prophesied promised expected or anything else we are the church not to be confused with the kingdom and guys here in this precise point is where we as believers the what we are dispensational or people who see the Bible as a progressive revelation we are out of step with the majority of the churches. And the majority of the Christian churches [44:53] I'm saying are Roman Catholic and Protestant. We are a minority because the vast majority sees this thing called the kingdom not as postponed at all. They see it as this is the kingdom. We are in it. [45:18] But, but, and here is the clinker. It is not a physical, literal kingdom. It is a spiritual kingdom. [45:31] And God's rule and reign is being done on earth as it is in heaven. Only spiritually, not literally or physically. And we ask him, whatever does that mean? They're really hard pressed to come up with answers. What is this spiritual kingdom? And we are told that Christ is ruling from heaven. And he's ruling the planet from, from heaven. Well then, what about his infertile majesty? [46:08] whom Jesus said is the prince of this world? And Paul says he's the God of this age. I don't want to be irreverent. And I'm certainly not dishonoring the Lord. But I'll tell you what. If Jesus Christ is ruling and reigning on this earth, he's doing a pretty lousy job. Seriously. I mean, Lord, is this the best you can do? I mean, good grief. [46:43] Hey, fellas. Hey, fellas. This is not the kingdom. Not spiritually. Not physically. Not anything. This is the kingdom in postponement. And plugged in here is this unheard of, unimagined, unprophesied thing called the church. And if you want a real scoop on that, we won't take time to go there. But I want to reference it so you can look it up later. [47:04] Read Ephesians chapter 3. Read Ephesians chapter 3. It will explain what this period of time is that we're dealing with right now. Read Ephesians chapter 3. [47:16] And you will see that this thing called the church is not Israel. But what it is is Jew and Gentile blended together to make one new man that Paul says. And it is called the body of Christ. And it is absolutely amazing. Absolutely amazing. [47:40] Not to be confused with the kingdom. Not to be confused with the kingdom. Guys, we're not the kingdom. But I hear this all the time. And preachers on TV and preachers everywhere talk about it. We're building the kingdom. Well, la-dee-da. Baloney. We're not building the kingdom. The kingdom is in postponement. [47:59] And guys, when the kingdom is established, things are going to be as they ought to be. Not as they are now. [48:10] This is why Jesus is referred to as, when he establishes his kingdom, he's going to rule with a rod of iron. What does that mean? [48:20] That means it's going to be a no-nonsense ring. It means things are going to be the way they ought to be. And if you think they are now, you're living in a different world than I am. [48:35] All of these things come into play. And this is part and parcel of what, well, what we're talking about here. This period of restoration of all things. The glorious, glorious thing. [48:46] And I've been dealing with this for the last few weeks with the Christianity Clarified series. And I've just become more and more convinced as to how important this is and how misunderstood it is. [49:05] Because so many are barking at the wrong tree. And the only reason that we aren't is because of the enlightenment that comes through the Word of God. [49:15] And thank you for your kind attention. We're going to enjoy our breakfast now. Whatever the Lord has for us ahead. Thank you all.