1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,120 Oh, let's thank him for being a just God. 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:07,600 Let's thank him for being a just God. 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,880 Hallelujah, Jesus for being a just God. 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:16,760 Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord, Yes Lord. 5 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:24,240 He's a just God. He's just. 6 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:29,760 He's a just God. It's not as though that he 7 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:35,000 winked at our sin or just didn't acknowledge it. 8 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:40,520 It's just that he served the sentence for it, right? 9 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,800 He served the sentence for it. What was free to us was a price 10 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,720 and the cost to him. Amen. 11 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,640 There's nothing free in this life. 12 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:54,440 We've I've said it 1000 times, if you ever see something free, 13 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,360 it's not free. It might be free to you, but 14 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,640 it's costing somebody something. It just might not be costing 15 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,640 you. Amen. 16 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,240 There's a price that's paid tonight, and I'm thankful for 17 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,440 that price, aren't you? Can we just raise our hands one 18 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,200 more time and thank him? Hallelujah. 19 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,720 He looked down and saw where I was. 20 00:01:15,320 --> 00:01:18,920 Hallelujah. He supplied the deficiency that 21 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,280 I had. Hallelujah. 22 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:26,160 Jesus. No cradle love, no greater love. 23 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:31,680 Then a man would lay down his life for his friends. 24 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,800 He laid it down and he picked it back up again. 25 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:38,520 There's no greater love. Hallelujah. 26 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:50,440 Jesus, Thank you Lord, we love you, Jesus. 27 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:59,200 Someone say thank you Lord Amen. The here in the like next week 28 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,200 next week was actually going to be mortgage payment. 29 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,280 And so from the monies that was brought in this morning and then 30 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,280 the monies people around here ever since we've been here at 31 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,800 this Church of giving money some monthly some weekly for the 32 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,280 purpose of covering the mortgage around here at the church. 33 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,680 And so from their gifts and we got gifts last week, but just 34 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,360 from morning and some all of that, you can throw up the thing 35 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,120 as of 1/29/26, that was the payoff. 36 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,960 We're at 8540 collected. We're 56% there. 37 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,120 The rest of that will be paid for this week. 38 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,600 All right, and we'll come in here Sunday with zilch. 39 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:43,200 All right, let's give the Lord. I know he used you and your 40 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,920 sacrificial give him, but let's thank the Lord for health and 41 00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:51,280 wealth and garnering this, the ability, Amen, to be able to do 42 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,640 that, Amen. We're grateful to him tonight 43 00:02:53,640 --> 00:02:57,120 for that, Hallelujah, Amen. We're going to be turning to the 44 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,600 book of second Samuel tonight, Amen, As you're turning there, 45 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,160 yes. Mom said before service that it 46 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,640 had been since candlelight service, since she'd been here 47 00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:08,680 in church, Amen. So I know that she's happy to be 48 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,440 here. You know, we're thankful for the 49 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,800 privilege of live stream and things of that nature that can 50 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,040 meet people in their homes, but our purpose is really for that, 51 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,760 to meet them because maybe of necessity, not because it's the 52 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:27,200 option that you choose. And so it's nice whenever that's 53 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:28,680 there, whenever you can't make it. 54 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:30,960 But I know people would rather be here. 55 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,720 At least that's the delusion I'm under, that you would rather be 56 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,560 here, Amen, in the House of the Lord and be able to encourage 57 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:41,520 one another and comfort one another and see each other in 58 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,080 person. Amen. 59 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,520 So we're thankful for her being here tonight and we're 60 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:48,320 appreciative of that. We're so glad. 61 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,960 Again, I echo Dawn tonight, so glad to see Lexie back and that 62 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,120 her mother is here and her sisters here. 63 00:03:54,120 --> 00:04:00,440 Missy, so grateful for them this evening being here. 64 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,000 We're grateful, grateful, grateful. 65 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,160 Aunt Linda, it's good to see you Amen as well. 66 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:08,760 And the Addams family. And it's good to have Ray and 67 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:10,160 it's good to have Reese. And it's. 68 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,040 You know, once. You get started on one of that 69 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,080 name games, buddy. It's like, well, just let me go 70 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,880 through everybody. And we're always glad to have 71 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:28,320 our special consistent guests. Brother, brother Earl, Amen, 72 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:30,160 Amen. Glad that he came to work. 73 00:04:30,280 --> 00:04:32,840 He told me last week that while we were praying here, he was 74 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:34,800 praying at his house. While we have him praying here, 75 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,280 he was reflecting that prayer at his house. 76 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:42,040 Brother Earl is a member of Greater Grace and he has some 77 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,680 type of pool coming to this place for some reason. 78 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:50,240 And I was under the impression it was my preaching on Sunday 79 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,800 nights. And that's a, that's, that's 80 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,360 another delusion, I think, another delusion that I'm under. 81 00:04:57,920 --> 00:04:59,360 Amen. But we appreciate him. 82 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:02,600 Amen. Tonight, second Samuel, second 83 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:07,840 Samuel chapter #18 And I want to read 3 verses of scripture, 84 00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:13,080 starting with verse number six. We're kind of just coming right 85 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:17,120 in the middle of a story here. David has a son by the name of 86 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,040 Absalom that's trying to usurp his authority and usurp his 87 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:24,360 throne, usurp his kingship. As a result of that, a civil 88 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,240 wars really broke out between Absalom and a cohort that he has 89 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,680 and David and the members of of his Kingdom. 90 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,760 So there's a little civil war that's taking place as a result 91 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:38,000 of this, and everybody knows that That's never good. 92 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:40,760 Look at the own history of our country. 93 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,680 It's never good. But Second Samuel chapter #18 94 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,960 and verse 6 says, for the people went out into the field against 95 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,040 Israel. The battle was in the wood or by 96 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:57,440 say the wood of Ephraim where the people of Israel were slain 97 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:02,280 before the servants of David and their was there a great 98 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:05,240 slaughter that day of 20,000 men. 99 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:10,120 Someone say that's a lot. Verse 8 for the battle was there 100 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,840 scattered over the face of all the country and the wood or by 101 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:19,320 say the wood devoured more people that day than the sword 102 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,280 devoured. It's really nothing new in 103 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:26,920 Scripture, but I want to minister just a little while 104 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,600 tonight. The wood devoured more. 105 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:36,160 The wood, it's kind of interesting concept when you 106 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:40,320 think about it, but the wood devoured more. 107 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:43,560 I don't know him. It's like I've, I've never stood 108 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:48,480 before a tree and really felt intimidated unless it was 109 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:50,920 already questionable and maybe I thought it was going to fall my 110 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,640 way. Dad and I used to cut some trees 111 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,480 in the woods and it's like, you know, he taught me what side of 112 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,520 the tree not to stand on except for once. 113 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,320 No, I'm just joking. But I don't think I've ever been 114 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,560 intimidated by wood. I'd probably be really 115 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,120 intimidated by if someone said I want to fight you. 116 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,680 But at the end of the day, the wood devoured more than the 117 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,800 sword. Let's pray this evening. 118 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,560 Father, I love you tonight, God. I'm so thankful, Lord, for you, 119 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:22,880 God allowing this Lord to come here. 120 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,560 Lord, people that have made choices to show up to be in the 121 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:29,720 House of the Lord, pray God that you would speak to us tonight. 122 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:31,960 God, we need the Lord God, your voice. 123 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:34,640 We need clarity in this house tonight. 124 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,880 God, from the pages of scripture, I know Lord, God, 125 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:40,800 that we can find life there. We can find Lord instruction 126 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:42,440 there. We can find guidance there. 127 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,000 So Lord, to find all of those things and even more God for 128 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:50,440 individual lives and will not fail to thank you for what you 129 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,480 do in Jesus name, Amen, the church, Amen. 130 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:57,440 You may be seated tonight in Jesus name. 131 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,920 Tonight, I I would dare to say this evening that most of us 132 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:12,240 don't lose because some single big moment that happened in our 133 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:17,080 life that takes us, if you will, to a losing spot or a place of 134 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,720 defeat. It's rarely due to some some 135 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:25,960 dramatic failure that that comes or from some towering adversary 136 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:28,560 that presents itself in our life. 137 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,600 It's. It's not typically usually a 138 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:36,880 public collapse that just totally undos us, or it's not a 139 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,840 rug that's just being jerked out from underneath our feet that 140 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,240 that does it, or some obvious crisis. 141 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:47,080 I would dare to say tonight, being a part of this fabric that 142 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:52,080 we call humanity, that most of the damage in life happens many 143 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:58,160 times quietly and over time because of where we are. 144 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,400 We spend a lot of times in our lives, I believe, looking for 145 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:06,760 the visible dangers that come on the horizon, things that we know 146 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:11,400 with certainty that that's that's a threat or that is a 147 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,600 danger. We spend our time focusing on 148 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:20,120 what are clear targets that we need to be mindful about and we 149 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,160 brace ourselves when we see those things. 150 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,160 We brace ourselves for the conflict that may ensue. 151 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:29,880 We, we prepare ourselves to resist temptation that we know 152 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:34,480 is apparent and we we confront opponents that are absolutely 153 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,120 there and tangible. And we talk about sometimes even 154 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:41,440 in our Christian lives, about fighting battles and about 155 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:44,920 standing strong and with the gusto, if you will, of 156 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:46,920 everything that we have within us. 157 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:51,520 But there's very few of us that really pause and, and ask a more 158 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:55,120 uncomfortable question. And that is this is my 159 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:59,840 environment or is my surroundings putting me at risk? 160 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,800 Is where I'm standing possibly slowly hurting me. 161 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,120 So that's the problem tonight, really, that we all share that 162 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,640 set here in this place. We stay alert, yes, for the 163 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:16,000 attacks that are visible and that are apparent, but what 164 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,280 about those that come in as a unawareness concerning the 165 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:22,360 atmospheres we find ourselves in? 166 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,400 Most people, from my understanding, I've talked to 167 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,920 him over the years, been doing this now for a few years. 168 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,600 Most people never come to me and say, well, you know what, Pastor 169 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,160 McGee, I, I, I just fell apart. They, they, they, they don't 170 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:39,360 usually say that, but usually what they say is this. 171 00:10:39,560 --> 00:10:42,360 I just can't really put a finger on it right now. 172 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,640 When it all began. I can't put a finger on it right 173 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,600 now when this all started. They, they don't say Brother 174 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:49,920 Fred. They usually don't tell me. 175 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:52,720 You know what I I was just defeated and it over. 176 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,040 I mean they, they just start to say things like I only thing 177 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,120 that I know is I I was just becoming a little tired. 178 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,720 I I was just becoming a little weary. 179 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,720 And in those moments, nothing explodes. 180 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,400 There's there's nothing that obvious that breaks out. 181 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,640 They they just stayed somewhere or in a mode it too long. 182 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:15,440 And almost everybody in this room under the sound of my voice 183 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:19,920 tonight knows what I'm talking about and maybe knows perhaps 184 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:23,480 what I'm explaining that people have felt, if I could say it 185 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,680 like this tonight, sometimes it's people that that's on the 186 00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:29,920 job and, and on that job. It's not that there was an 187 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,120 attack on their faith, but it's just that there were some 188 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,640 things, there were some circumstances, there was just 189 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:39,680 surroundings that that seemed to drain them or, or they had a 190 00:11:39,680 --> 00:11:42,720 relationship, you know, that they were involved in. 191 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,280 And it, it didn't demand that they would compromise anything 192 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,120 or let down, let down, if you will, their standard of 193 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,760 anything. It, it just made compromise seem 194 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:54,360 to be normal. It just the, the, the feeling 195 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,000 and the surrounding that this is normalized and, and there's a 196 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,080 pace of life that they were working in. 197 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,960 Sometimes it, it didn't feel sinful, it didn't feel 198 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,920 incorrect, but it it just didn't make no space for God. 199 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:10,440 And so in all of these scenarios, people sometimes were 200 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:13,600 just totally taken out concerning their Christian 201 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:15,680 journey and their Christian walk. 202 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:17,880 But in reality, they weren't taken out. 203 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,480 They were taken in by their surroundings. 204 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,480 They were taken in by their environment. 205 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,320 That's the reason why many of the stories that we hear 206 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:30,880 there's, there's a little thread of sameness or similarity that's 207 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:33,000 in them. I've heard them off times. 208 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:37,120 It's not that a man has just burnt out and he's just stopped 209 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,520 loving his family, but it's because some of the, the 210 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,800 environment that's he's in, it's just demanding more than what he 211 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,800 can seem to give. It's, it's not that a marriage 212 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:49,040 drifts. It's not because of betrayal. 213 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:53,840 It's just because they're living in a surrounding of pressure and 214 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:58,360 stress and exhaustion and and it's just crowding out all the 215 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,160 tenderness that they would use to show in their life. 216 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:03,680 As a matter of fact, it's my understanding most believers 217 00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:06,200 will never even leave the church because they're mine. 218 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,560 A lot of times they're walking away because there's just chaos 219 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:14,440 and they're confused. It's a true story that emerges 220 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:16,280 every year, Brother Fred. You can read about it. 221 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,440 You may even know of some because of some of the things 222 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:21,800 that you're involved in. But every year you can read 223 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:26,280 stories of search and rescue missions and reports, and the 224 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:28,640 stories usually go a little bit like this. 225 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:32,960 Hikers went into the woods or into a mountainous region or 226 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,120 area. They are equipped with all the 227 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,360 proper gear. They have all the correct 228 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,440 instrumentation. They have good intentions. 229 00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:44,880 They are physically able to do what they are champion to do in 230 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:49,080 the woods or in the mountains. And then after a while after 231 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:52,240 they get in that space and they get in that environment and they 232 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,640 get in that place, Amen, Their physical strength sometimes 233 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:59,640 begins to give away because they're disoriented by the 234 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:03,360 environment that they are in. They, they don't fall, Amen, 235 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:07,240 Maybe to an injury or to their dismay because they were 236 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:09,440 unprepared, because they went prepared. 237 00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:12,360 They don't fall because they didn't have the physical 238 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:15,240 strength, because they had trained just for this, but they 239 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:19,360 just fall because the terrain that they're now in it, it just 240 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:22,480 kind of distorts their sense of direction that they, they 241 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:25,440 thought they had the compass and they knew how to navigate it, 242 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:29,120 but it's just distorted it. And all the familiar landmarks 243 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:31,200 that they thought they had set in their mind. 244 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,600 They, they vanished from their mind's eye. 245 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,560 And when that starts to happen, Sister Sheila, there's, there's 246 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,680 a little bit of panic that starts to come into a person's 247 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,040 spirit. And it's not so much that the 248 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:45,800 forest or the the mountain range is attacking them, it's just 249 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,280 that this environment is entrapping them and they're 250 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:52,040 disoriented and they're confused. 251 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:57,120 And that confusion sometimes can be more dangerous than if there 252 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,480 were an enemy in those mountains or in that field. 253 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:05,040 Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Christian experience of 254 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:09,120 times because we think of danger as some apparent threat. 255 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:15,040 Come on, what I'm here to tell you tonight, it's not that there 256 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,840 is a danger that's an apparent that is a threat to you, But 257 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:25,960 sometimes the environments that we keep, sometimes some of the 258 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:30,160 surroundings that around us, they can shape you. 259 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:35,320 That's the reason why, Job said in his book and he pinned, he 260 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:42,200 said the waters where the stones, the waters where the 261 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,440 stones. Job saying the reason why those 262 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,680 stones are shaped like they are shaped, the reason why that they 263 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,400 are formed, the way that they are formed, it's not because of 264 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:56,840 a Craftsman that has laid a chisel to them and has chipped 265 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:00,680 away at them. They are as they are because of 266 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,400 their environment has made them as they are. 267 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:07,880 They have the fingerprints in the imprints of their 268 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:11,400 environment upon them. And so that's us tonight. 269 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:15,040 In many regards, that's the reason why humanity sometimes 270 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:18,160 keeps repeating the same mistakes, because we're 271 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,400 preparing for a absolute apparent threat. 272 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:25,920 We're preparing for a sword. But we underestimate the 273 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,480 environment. We underestimate our 274 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:32,000 surroundings. We underestimate Amen places we 275 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,800 find ourselves in and where our foot We're partying against 276 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:40,400 enemies, but unbeknownst to us, we are in a surrounding that's 277 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:42,920 not healthy. We're in an environment that's 278 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:48,560 not the Scripture tackles it over and over again, the very 279 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:50,880 human problem of our surroundings. 280 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,320 Scripture doesn't come, it doesn't condemn, it doesn't come 281 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,360 to do that, but it comes to expose, Amen. 282 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,920 That God was warning us even through Scripture, that 283 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:05,720 sometimes our greatest enemy, it's not the enemy per SE that 284 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,760 we're fighting, but the environment that we are 285 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:09,920 fighting. In. 286 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:18,359 This was not a battle according to scripture. 287 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:23,760 This was not a battle loss because Absalom lacked numbers. 288 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:27,640 He had a sizeable army. This was not a battle loss 289 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:32,200 because Absalom lacked courage. Because he was very courageous 290 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:35,480 #1 let's just understand it was a civil war. 291 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:37,400 It's a battle that he shouldn't even have been in. 292 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:43,560 But number two, it was lost because of a hostile environment 293 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:47,960 where he was fighting. It was lost because this hostile 294 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,520 of environment, he was fighting against God's will. 295 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,400 He was fighting against God's purpose. 296 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,600 The Bible tells us that the fight took place in the forest 297 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:04,080 or in the wood of Ephraim. The wood of Ephraim was known 298 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:08,560 not to be a flat field. It was known not to be an open 299 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:12,520 plain, but it was known rather to be a rugged place. 300 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:16,600 It was known to be a place of broken trees and broken 301 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,480 shrubbery. It was known to be a wooded 302 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:20,680 country. Amen. 303 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:25,040 On the east side of Jordan, among the woods of Ephraim were 304 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,240 ravined. Among the woods of Ephraim were 305 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,480 pits. There were thick oats. 306 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:33,760 There were the undergrowth and integument that you just 307 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,360 couldn't walk through, but your feet could get tangled up in. 308 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:40,600 This was the woods of Ephraim. The Bible says that the battle 309 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:45,080 that day was scattered over the face of all the country. 310 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:47,520 Amen. It tells us that it was an 311 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:51,160 orderly combat, but it was somewhat of a chaos. 312 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,920 Men were panicking. Men were running Amen. 313 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:57,960 Instead of the dancing, they're they're trying to get their 314 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:03,240 bearings in this overgrown wooded place among this ground. 315 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,320 And in that setting, the Bible begins to tell us that the wood 316 00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:12,160 was more of a deadly enemy to them than the adversary that 317 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:14,360 they were trying to fight themselves. 318 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:19,320 Absalom in his army were in the wrong place at the wrong time, 319 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,280 in the wrong environment, in the wrong surroundings. 320 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:26,880 The sword didn't cause the most damage that day, no, it was 321 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,360 their surroundings that caused the most. 322 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,080 Had it been an enemy, maybe they would done a little bit better 323 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,320 because they were prepared for that and they could see it 324 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:40,960 coming. But you cannot brace yourself. 325 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,320 Many times you don't recognize the surroundings and the 326 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:46,800 atmospheres that you put yourself in. 327 00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:52,560 The Bible says that 20,000 men were lost to the woods. 328 00:19:54,240 --> 00:20:00,680 More lives claimed by trees and underbrush, pits and ravines 329 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:05,760 than a sword ever took down. In that battle, it wasn't about 330 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:09,040 the enemy, it was about their surroundings. 331 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,280 Because here's the fact of the matter, the sword only has so 332 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,440 far reach. Sword really has only so far 333 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:23,480 reach. I can I can extend my hand. 334 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:24,960 And this is not by no means a sword. 335 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,960 And I'll probably break something and we'll pay for it. 336 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,160 Hey man. But a sword only has so much 337 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:34,560 reach the enemy and the visibility of a weapon against 338 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,520 me. It only has so far reach. 339 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,120 The sword only going to impact me if it can reach me. 340 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,080 But there's something about when you're fighting in the wrong 341 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:45,560 place. At the wrong time. 342 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:49,280 Now, when you're in such an environment and surroundings, 343 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,040 it's not at the extent of a person's arm. 344 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,520 It's where your feet are presently planted. 345 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,880 It's, it doesn't matter if there's not a sword reaching 346 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,120 you. You, it's where you're at. 347 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:08,440 It's we're going to break it. It's where you're at, ladies and 348 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:09,760 gentlemen. Some of us don't need to be 349 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:11,960 worried about the sword of the enemy. 350 00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:16,240 We need to be worried about the compromising situations that we 351 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,960 put ourselves in. We need to be thinking about the 352 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:21,800 surroundings and the environment that are put. 353 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:36,000 The word can kill anybody. That isn't discipline enough to 354 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:41,480 navigate through it. Let me be plain tonight, some 355 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:54,320 environments are not meant for us and some environments are not 356 00:21:54,320 --> 00:22:02,880 prosperous for any conflict. The Bible teaches US men 20,000. 357 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:07,760 Are taken by the wood. There's men that's fallen in 358 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,440 ravines that didn't realize they were there. 359 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:15,160 There's men whose lives are taken by open pits that they 360 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,760 walked right into. There's others. 361 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:21,480 There's a bottlenecking of the army taking place where narrow 362 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,800 passages are. There's roots that's tripping 363 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,320 some of them up, falling down and impelling themselves on the 364 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:32,080 underbrush that's below them. Trees are snagging them. 365 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:35,960 Hey, man, The same listen, the same terrain that Absalom may 366 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:40,280 have thought should cover him with safety became a trap to him 367 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:43,000 and his army. This force was snagging and 368 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,880 disoriented and confusing. And consuming every single one 369 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:50,480 of them. And it's in the Scripture that 370 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:54,840 Absalom becomes a living parable himself. 371 00:22:55,520 --> 00:23:01,240 The Bible says that his head gets caught in the branches of 372 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:05,040 the great oak. And the Bible says that the 373 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:09,000 captain of the army of Israel, Joab, shows up. 374 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:12,320 Absalom's there and he's alive, but Joab shows up. 375 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:13,680 I'll read the verses here in a little bit. 376 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:18,360 Joab shows up and he takes 3 darts and he plunges them into 377 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:23,240 the heart of Absalom, who was suspended from between heaven 378 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:28,120 and between earth. And as it was the woods, the 379 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:33,000 environment snagged Absalom's head and placed him in a 380 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,480 compromising position for the final blow of Joab. 381 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:43,080 Look at the Bible, Second Samuel 18 nine and Absalom met the 382 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,720 servants of David, and Absalom rode upon the mule. 383 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:49,720 They're already in the woods of Ephraim. 384 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:55,080 And the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and 385 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,960 his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up. 386 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:03,240 Between the earth and between heaven and the mule that was 387 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:08,720 under him went away. There's Absalom hanging by his 388 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:14,040 head, not because someone has a hold of it, but because the 389 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:23,480 environment has caught it. This wasn't some masterful giant 390 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,440 that had a little Absalom by his neck. 391 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:31,840 No, this was his surroundings. The Bible says in verse 14, look 392 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,400 at it now, read it with me, I want you to see it in Scripture. 393 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,440 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. 394 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:41,440 He's speaking to a servant. A servant had discovered this, 395 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:43,640 told Joab. And Joab's like, why didn't you 396 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:45,720 go on and kill him? He says, because that's the 397 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:47,440 King's song. I'm not going to do that. 398 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,200 Joab says, OK, tarry thus with thee, I have nothing to do with 399 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:52,640 you. Let's get to business. 400 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:57,080 And the Bible says And he, Joab took three darts in his hand and 401 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,360 thrust them. Through the heart of Absalom. 402 00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:06,960 Note now, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 403 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:12,240 This whole scenario, this day with Absalom, it didn't end with 404 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:19,480 the clashing of steel swords. It ended with a man that's 405 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:25,720 hanging between earth in heaven, helplessly in an environment 406 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:34,080 that he trusted to save him. Hear me, a Bishop before the 407 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:37,360 three darts were put into his heart. 408 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:42,120 He was still alive, but he was helpless. 409 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:51,320 Alive but helpless. And his surroundings put him in 410 00:25:51,320 --> 00:26:00,060 that place. Someone say Lynn. 411 00:26:03,060 --> 00:26:05,180 So Bernie McGee, that's just a military failure. 412 00:26:05,180 --> 00:26:08,180 No, no, that's a contextual failure. 413 00:26:11,900 --> 00:26:16,460 He wasn't conscious of his environment. 414 00:26:17,620 --> 00:26:21,100 And the wood did to him what the sword didn't. 415 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:29,320 Listen. Listen, we got to be. 416 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:32,800 Cautious got past her for a little bit. 417 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:38,120 We got to be cautious of some of the things that we entertain in 418 00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:42,080 our home, in our families, on our jobs. 419 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:45,560 We got to be cautious some of the things that we involve our 420 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:52,960 family in because all the while it may seem innocent and you're 421 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:56,880 looking for some humongous apparent threat, the surrounding 422 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:00,200 that you're taking them to the environment that you're 423 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:04,080 submerging them in may leave you helpless between heaven and 424 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:14,080 earth. The wood devoured more. 425 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:21,160 This is. My. 426 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,720 Sword and my stand I love it would devoured more tell brother 427 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,880 McGee that's great for a nice little story. 428 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,400 And in Second Samuel that's nice for a little solitary single 429 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:35,040 occurrence. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, 430 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:37,520 no, no, no, no, no. As we peruse the pages of 431 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:42,440 scripture, we find out that this is a common occurrence when what 432 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:47,720 would seem like a pair of enemies may be there, may be 433 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,520 present. But what took many people down 434 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:54,080 in scripture wasn't the apparent enemy, it was their 435 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:57,280 surroundings. Time after time God warns us 436 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,400 that the place where your feet occupy might be more dangerous 437 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,160 than the enemy that you see approaching. 438 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,480 And the sad fact is, is most of the time you don't even realize 439 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:14,120 it until it's too late. Take Lot, if you will, for 440 00:28:14,120 --> 00:28:16,600 consideration we read in Scripture. 441 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:21,400 Lot never fought a battle. Lot never fought a battle. 442 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:25,920 He never drew a sword. But he settled near Sodom. 443 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,320 He moved into that place. He. 444 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:33,960 Sat down among its leaders, and by the time that the fire and 445 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:39,160 brimstone fell on that city, that environment had so warped 446 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:43,640 his conscience. Compromised his family, clouded 447 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:49,240 his judgment that he survived. But he lost his wife, He lost 448 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:52,160 his testimony, he lost his future. 449 00:28:52,480 --> 00:29:00,400 That city didn't attack him. That city consumed him, his his 450 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:05,240 environment. Take consideration of the Book 451 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:08,880 of Judges. Samson reveals the same truth. 452 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:10,800 Man, I just read my Bible. God bless it. 453 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:15,080 We're breaking bread. Hey man, Samson reveals the same 454 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:19,120 truth, but in a different way. Here's a man that when the 455 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:23,240 Spirit of the Lord moves upon him, he has a strength that 456 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,520 seems to surpass the natural ability of men in this world. 457 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:30,920 The Bible describes that he's capable of tearing apart lions 458 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:33,720 with his bare hands. The Bible describes he could 459 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:37,480 take the gates of a city, which was no small thing, upon his 460 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,880 shoulders and carry them away. The Bible describes that he 461 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:44,920 could defeat many, even it would seem almost like armies, Amen. 462 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:49,080 And they would fall before him. But please understand that 463 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,880 because of the Philistines, he fought them, it would seem 464 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,440 sometimes tooth and nail, but he did not fight. 465 00:29:56,440 --> 00:30:00,120 He did not fall because of any fight he ever had with them. 466 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:02,480 He failed because of the environment. 467 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,760 That he trusted in the Bible says he could have been in 468 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:09,800 Israel, but he made a lot of trips to the Philistine 469 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:13,520 territory in the Philistine land, the land that was not 470 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,440 God's land, the land that God had not sanctioned. 471 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:20,520 He makes trip after trip after trip and he's plunging himself 472 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,800 in an environment that he doesn't belong and he goes over 473 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:27,880 and over again and his surrounding Amen snafus him. 474 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:32,240 He's laying his head and relaxing his head on the lap of 475 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,760 the Kyla. Can I tell you tonight, ladies 476 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:37,960 and gentlemen? He rested his head in the wrong 477 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:41,560 place, in the wrong environment, in the wrong situation. 478 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:46,320 No soldier could kill him but a room and a lap and a 479 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:49,360 relationship. The sword never defeated him. 480 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:59,520 His setting defeated him. AM I doing OK? 481 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:04,800 Oh, that's great Old Testament stories, Peter. 482 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:13,320 Peter 2 proves the story. He's bold in public. 483 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,840 He's fearless and tenacious among the crowd. 484 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:27,520 But you put him in the arena of 1 fire pit in a courtyard, one 485 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:34,520 fire pit, rope surrounding in a courtyard unravelled the Apostle 486 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:39,560 Peter, casual talks taking place there, little subtle pressure 487 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:45,040 about aren't you one of them? Aren't you a Galilean? 488 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:49,640 Little persuasive surroundings that he finds himself in, and in 489 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:54,560 one small environmental moment where the Mason, what years of 490 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:57,680 discipleship, couldn't do. What happened in that one 491 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:03,360 moment, that courtyard of his denial, proved more dangerous to 492 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:07,480 him than possibly being crucified next to the Lord for 493 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:21,400 owning and acknowledging him. His surroundings, Sister Grace, 494 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:23,400 he might have been looking for. Maybe they'll take me captive 495 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:24,920 too and string me up with the Lord. 496 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:27,560 That seems to be the apparent enemy. 497 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:31,240 No, Peter, it's where your feet are right now around this fire. 498 00:32:37,470 --> 00:32:40,390 Everybody OK, just a little bit more. 499 00:32:40,630 --> 00:32:45,950 Jonah ran. He didn't run from enemies, but 500 00:32:45,950 --> 00:32:47,590 he ran from where God told him to be. 501 00:32:49,350 --> 00:32:56,390 He changed his environment. He changed his environment and 502 00:32:56,390 --> 00:32:59,760 the ship that he was on became unsafe and the seed that it was 503 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:04,600 riding on became hostile. And the storm then for him 504 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:09,240 became very personal. And then we come back to 505 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:13,160 Absalom. He has numbers, good army, good 506 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,040 size. He has momentum. 507 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:18,160 He even has the popularity. He's kind of favored among the. 508 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:22,320 People, but he fights in a force that he don't understand. 509 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:30,680 Across Scripture, we have this pattern over and over. 510 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:35,440 God's people oftimes do not fall because they've been 511 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,880 overpowered. They fall because they stay 512 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,560 sometimes too long in the wrong environments. 513 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:51,040 Staying in that environment, I get disoriented. 514 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,680 My discernment. My discernment gets varnished. 515 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:04,640 When you get in the wrong environment and you're there for 516 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:14,960 so long that it starts to feel familiar, I want to. 517 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:18,719 Recognize that just as when I first entered this place, this 518 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:21,000 don't feel right. This don't seem right. 519 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,920 Folks, you never want that to leave you. 520 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:27,679 We're a place where you shouldn't be. 521 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:32,000 You don't want to ever get to a place where a place where you 522 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,400 shouldn't be starts feeling comfortable. 523 00:34:40,639 --> 00:34:42,639 No, no, no. That's where our conviction gets 524 00:34:42,639 --> 00:34:45,880 thrown out the window and we have no more conviction and it's 525 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:47,840 fine and I'm fine and everybody's fine. 526 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:49,880 And God, he'll just kind of turn his face. 527 00:34:49,880 --> 00:35:00,360 He understands. They stayed in the environment 528 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:04,480 too long, so long that their judgement becoming clouded so, 529 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:07,160 so long, they begin to compromise some of their their 530 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:09,080 character. You say, well, brother McGee, I 531 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:10,240 can love God. Yes, you can. 532 00:35:10,240 --> 00:35:12,320 You say, well, brother McGee, I'm very talented. 533 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:13,640 You might be. And I'm very gifted. 534 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:15,560 That's great. And I'm annoyed and that's 535 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:17,800 great. I'm sincere, pastor. 536 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:21,960 That's great. But you can still be undone by 537 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:23,880 where your feet keep showing up at. 538 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:32,400 That's not the right place. Victory isn't just about who you 539 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:34,120 fight. It's about where you're fighting 540 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:40,980 from. Am I doing OK? 541 00:35:44,380 --> 00:35:46,260 Because this, this is not a trivial matter. 542 00:35:48,420 --> 00:35:52,940 This, this not trivial matter. Sister, sister and brother 543 00:35:52,940 --> 00:35:54,420 Trout, it's not a trivial matter. 544 00:35:56,100 --> 00:35:58,820 This, this. The game here is not well, I've 545 00:35:58,820 --> 00:36:04,040 got by with it three times. It's either Ecclesiastes or 546 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:05,920 right there in one of the the Wisdom Scriptures. 547 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:09,240 It says because of work or a person's misdeed has not been 548 00:36:09,240 --> 00:36:13,080 judged quickly then that a person believes that they can 549 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:16,280 just all kind of go along the path because there's never been 550 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:20,560 the consequence. That, ladies and gentlemen, is 551 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:26,240 deception. That's that's Aaron. 552 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,120 That's Aaron being there whenever he and his sister 553 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:37,000 Miriam charged Moses for his wife and Miriam struck with 554 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,640 leprosy and Aaron seems unscathed. 555 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:47,520 That's that's Aaron that as Moses is upon the Mount and the 556 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,720 people says take this silver and gold, make us a God. 557 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:53,920 Let let something happen that we can go back to Egypt or or 558 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:55,640 something. He says, will you give me all 559 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:57,920 the give me all the things in your years that you took off the 560 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:00,520 Egyptians and you give it to me and the Bible says he put it in 561 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:02,600 there. He fashioned A graven image. 562 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,160 God Moses comes down, breaks the 10 commandments and there's 563 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:11,120 judgement on a lot of people. People die, but guess what? 564 00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:18,760 Aaron's there like seemingly unscathed, but you wait till the 565 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:23,280 Lord says Aaron, I want you to come up this mountain years 566 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,000 separated from both those times. I want you to come up this 567 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:29,360 mountain and the Bible says Moses you're supposed to strip 568 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:32,800 the clothing off of Aaron and when he does, he dies. 569 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:36,800 The priestly garments, he dies and they're put up on his son. 570 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:45,400 What are you saying God had not missed a thing our environment. 571 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:49,960 Our situations, our surroundings, they can either 572 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:55,320 make you or they can break you. It's how we respond to the 573 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:59,160 environments that are dangerous that can help us. 574 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:01,360 And let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, one of the first 575 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:03,640 things we got to do now I'm preaching for us. 576 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:05,200 Then I got to say you're preaching this. 577 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:06,960 No, I'm preaching for us tonight. 578 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:10,400 The first step is this. How in the world can we respond 579 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:13,280 when the environment is dangerous and more dangerous 580 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:15,520 than the enemy are not right? How can we respond? 581 00:38:15,720 --> 00:38:17,760 But the Mason, I believe this is a good leadership thing. 582 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:22,000 The first thing we got to become aware of the true condition of 583 00:38:22,720 --> 00:38:23,360 our. Environment. 584 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:29,960 We got to stop placating to other people and telling them 585 00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:32,760 it's OK while we're trying to convince ourselves it's OK. 586 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:40,120 You know what I'm saying? We do this all the time. 587 00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:42,120 We we can. We're trying to convince people 588 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:43,960 about something that we're not convinced about. 589 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:46,640 That's the reason why we're trying to convince them, because 590 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:48,880 as we're convincing them, we're trying to feel better about how 591 00:38:48,880 --> 00:39:00,560 we're unconvinced. Hey man, the first step is we 592 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:06,920 become aware, and the moment you become aware is the moment that 593 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:11,920 you avoid the wood that you become aware about. 594 00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:22,400 Preferred danger isn't always a person or a circumstance, some 595 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:27,520 grand dramatic event, sometimes dangerous, just where you choose 596 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:33,280 to live day in and day out. The people that you desire to 597 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:37,920 bring in close into your circle and be your surroundings and be 598 00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:40,160 the birds of feather that you like to flock together. 599 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:50,120 We'll, we'll, we'll take a pole later maybe. 600 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:54,880 What are you saying? I said, well, I've got to take a 601 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:58,000 pulse of, well, I'm in Mount Carmel. 602 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,360 No, no, no, no, no. You need to take a PO of your 603 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:06,720 spiritual geography. Where do you spend your time? 604 00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:18,480 Who do you spend your time with? What habits do you practice? 605 00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:28,640 What patterns do you follow? Oh, Jesus, we're doing all 606 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:31,280 right, folks. We're fooling ourself. 607 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:34,000 If we can play with firing, we think we won't get burnt. 608 00:40:47,900 --> 00:40:51,060 Amen. Why are you talking about stuff 609 00:40:51,060 --> 00:40:53,060 like this nightmare at Medium? Well, listen, from my 610 00:40:53,060 --> 00:40:55,180 understanding, someday I got to give an account for everybody 611 00:40:55,180 --> 00:40:59,900 who sits in this room. Bible says praying to do it with 612 00:40:59,900 --> 00:41:03,540 joy, not with sorrow. And so I'm just like in the book 613 00:41:03,540 --> 00:41:05,020 of Zeke. I'm just kind of sounding it. 614 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:08,280 And if they accept that, they accept that they reject it. 615 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:12,880 I've sounded it is everybody. I'm trying to be sweet and kind 616 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:14,280 and everything. But do you understand what I'm 617 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:15,800 saying? Folks? 618 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:19,960 We, we got to be conscious tonight. 619 00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:23,520 I feel like sometimes we're going to look over our shoulders 620 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:25,920 and we're going to think, I wish I would have done. 621 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:28,960 I wish I wouldn't have done. And we're going to have a lot of 622 00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:32,080 regret and sorrow over how we wish we'd have chose our 623 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:35,360 surroundings and our environment differently, how we went. 624 00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:56,320 I like the little kids. I remember it playing tag so 625 00:41:56,360 --> 00:41:59,960 great, right again at South Gibson. 626 00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:02,200 They had two flag poses out there and we would run back and 627 00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:04,480 forth and do tag after church and got in trouble and all that 628 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:06,960 good stuff. And I remember, oh. 629 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:09,960 Brother yes I remember jump away from the flag. 630 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:14,040 Toe PO, not toe. Someone reach out the yard. 631 00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:16,680 Their their their arm told me. It's like I said, you didn't get 632 00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:20,680 me, you didn't get me. And I had to jump back over to 633 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:25,640 the flagpole and I jump away. They reach out to. 634 00:42:25,720 --> 00:42:27,840 Her just barely miss. I'm like, you didn't get me. 635 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:34,440 And that was so fun as a kid until they got me. 636 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:39,840 Because you can only step away from your environment so many 637 00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:43,360 times into a place that you don't need to be and not get 638 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:46,520 touched until you have gotten grabbed. 639 00:42:52,370 --> 00:42:55,490 It was all fun and games and it was cute. 640 00:42:58,130 --> 00:43:01,730 It was cute and I love the adrenaline of the risk. 641 00:43:07,370 --> 00:43:11,440 Until now I'm it. Just Melinda not making any 642 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:21,790 sense tonight. OK, I appreciate it got taken in 643 00:43:21,790 --> 00:43:32,350 awareness because my awareness then allows me to choose proper 644 00:43:32,350 --> 00:43:37,190 terrain where I know God will help fight with. 645 00:43:37,190 --> 00:43:43,720 Me rather than to be fighting against. 646 00:43:43,720 --> 00:43:51,640 God. So recognizing a dangerous 647 00:43:51,640 --> 00:43:55,840 environment is our first step. That's your first step toward 648 00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:59,600 victory. That's your first step toward 649 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:05,120 victory. Hanson needed to be worried. 650 00:44:05,680 --> 00:44:09,840 David was walking in tandem of God's will and God's purpose. 651 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:12,760 He was being warred against wrongfully. 652 00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:18,440 David had servants in that same woods, but he wasn't fighting 653 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:24,560 against God. He's fewer in number, but his 654 00:44:24,760 --> 00:44:28,680 men had traversed this place before the rugged terrain. 655 00:44:29,120 --> 00:44:31,680 They knew about it. They understood they were 656 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:34,360 discipline in these matters. They, they, they had placement 657 00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:37,280 that was there. He understood the traps. 658 00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:40,240 He fought with the strategy. It's even he that wrote the 659 00:44:40,240 --> 00:44:43,560 Psalms 23 that we often times had have at all of our little 660 00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:45,400 funerals. And he even speaks at one time. 661 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:47,440 He says even though I walk through the valley of the shadow 662 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:49,680 of death that should be a bad surrounding. 663 00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:52,720 But he says I know this particular valley is the one 664 00:44:52,720 --> 00:44:56,000 that the Lord has me in. And so thou art with me. 665 00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:02,640 No evil is going to come because the environment that I'm 666 00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:05,560 presently in. Although it may seem even bleak. 667 00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:09,360 It's not one where I'm fighting against the Lord's will. 668 00:45:16,600 --> 00:45:18,000 Ladies and gentlemen, I'm coming to a close. 669 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:21,200 You can stand for me and we'll end the plane and somebody can 670 00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:27,080 go make a touchdown. But tonight, I understand not 671 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:33,320 every situation is avoidable. Absolutely not, but if every 672 00:45:33,320 --> 00:45:36,720 situation isn't avoidable, not every surrounding we can go in 673 00:45:36,720 --> 00:45:39,720 is avoidable. At least we need to walk into 674 00:45:39,720 --> 00:45:46,600 some places with the certainty. That God is where I'm. 675 00:45:46,720 --> 00:45:59,120 At We in bow our heads tonight. I don't want to talk to us as a 676 00:45:59,880 --> 00:46:06,480 congregation here this evening. We need to ask ourselves some 677 00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:10,200 questions, and I wish we'd be very introspective in this 678 00:46:10,200 --> 00:46:17,840 moment and ask ourselves, God, are there any places or people 679 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:25,680 or are there any routines that's gradually pulling me away from 680 00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:28,720 you, Brother McGee, you preach. You preach this morning seems 681 00:46:28,720 --> 00:46:31,560 like along some of these lines. Well, I guess it's that Sunday. 682 00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:37,840 Are there any environments or surroundings, God that I'm 683 00:46:37,840 --> 00:46:44,000 keeping that's not benefiting my faith, but it's eroding my faith 684 00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:48,720 because we got to we got to choose. 685 00:46:49,120 --> 00:46:51,160 We got to choose the terrain wisely. 686 00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:58,040 And and I'm just sorry to tell you, Alex Mason, I'm just sorry 687 00:46:58,040 --> 00:46:59,640 to tell you. I'm just sorry to tell you and 688 00:46:59,640 --> 00:47:02,840 Sister Grace. With that little girl over 689 00:47:02,840 --> 00:47:07,360 there, it's not up to her to choose her terrain right now. 690 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:18,120 That's your responsibility. You know, I've had to have more 691 00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:22,120 than one talk with my kids through the years about 692 00:47:22,120 --> 00:47:25,880 surroundings and environments and what's acceptable, Not 693 00:47:25,880 --> 00:47:29,600 acceptable. If nothing more, for a reminder, 694 00:47:30,240 --> 00:47:35,240 if nothing more to pull back the curtain on the threat that they 695 00:47:35,240 --> 00:47:40,120 didn't see. And that was environment and 696 00:47:40,120 --> 00:47:41,080 surroundings. Yes, 697 00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:52,680 Sir. Jesus. 698 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:53,040 Yes. Yes, Sir. 699 00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:54,120 Yes. Come on. 700 00:47:54,160 --> 00:47:55,120 I'd be a fool. We'd be a fool. 701 00:47:56,600 --> 00:48:00,000 See our young ones laying a hand on the heart of it. 702 00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:05,800 Say, well, I guess just go on. You really shouldn't be that 703 00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:10,120 close. That's a dangerous environment, 704 00:48:11,720 --> 00:48:21,560 but just go on. There's been too many fatality 705 00:48:21,560 --> 00:48:31,520 counts. Of no grandparent, parental 706 00:48:31,520 --> 00:48:38,960 whatever guardianship guidance allowing people to frolic in 707 00:48:38,960 --> 00:48:46,960 unsafe zones and environments. We got to choose the terrain 708 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:51,440 wisely. We got to remove ourselves from 709 00:48:51,440 --> 00:48:54,640 situations that will subtly harm. 710 00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:58,480 US. Because sometimes it can happen 711 00:48:58,480 --> 00:49:01,160 so slow, it's imperceptible to us. 712 00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:06,480 It's like the frog in the boiling water, Right? 713 00:49:07,400 --> 00:49:09,120 I was reading my devotional this past week. 714 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:11,640 The guy who wrote it, he's talking about whenever he's in 715 00:49:11,640 --> 00:49:12,960 high school. Now, this would probably be, 716 00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:18,080 like, animal, you know, abuse. And they probably have a lawsuit 717 00:49:18,080 --> 00:49:19,920 on their hand. But he was quite old. 718 00:49:20,240 --> 00:49:21,960 He's talking about. Yeah, I remember being biology 719 00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:24,120 class and had a beaker water in there and they had a bunch and 720 00:49:24,120 --> 00:49:27,440 burner in there and he said like every minute it would raise a 721 00:49:27,440 --> 00:49:29,720 degree. That frog, she's chilling 722 00:49:30,280 --> 00:49:35,520 Ribbit, Ribbit until over. I think it was approximately an 723 00:49:35,520 --> 00:49:37,960 hour and a half. It was. 724 00:49:39,080 --> 00:49:40,240 He said there are no more Ribbit. 725 00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:47,400 He said that frog is dead and comfortable being dead because 726 00:49:47,400 --> 00:49:52,640 he never realized the danger of his environment. 727 00:49:53,920 --> 00:49:57,800 Sometimes it happens so gradual, it's imperceptible to the one 728 00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:02,600 that it's happening to. And that's the reason why as 729 00:50:02,600 --> 00:50:07,240 parents and leadership and youth pastors and pastors, we stand on 730 00:50:07,240 --> 00:50:11,680 the wall and say. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, 731 00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:14,720 wait. I don't think you want to cross 732 00:50:14,720 --> 00:50:20,000 that line there. If I put in these terms right, I 733 00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:22,480 see the purple paint on the trees. 734 00:50:22,760 --> 00:50:24,880 We don't need to be trespassing here. 735 00:50:29,960 --> 00:50:34,920 That's not our land. That's not our environment. 736 00:50:35,560 --> 00:50:42,520 That's not. Well, McGee, are you calling us 737 00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:44,600 to a place of perfection? No, no, no, no, no. 738 00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:46,720 I'm not calling you to perfection. 739 00:50:47,520 --> 00:50:50,480 I'm not telling you you got to fight every battle all at once, 740 00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:54,000 but I am saying this. We do that have the ability to 741 00:50:54,000 --> 00:50:58,320 choose where we stand, where we walk, and where we plant our 742 00:50:58,320 --> 00:51:01,440 feet. And when you choose a God 743 00:51:01,440 --> 00:51:06,760 directed God wield ground for yourself, you know what happens. 744 00:51:07,440 --> 00:51:16,080 Your environment becomes an ally rather than a dangerous pitfall. 745 00:51:19,120 --> 00:51:23,640 Oh yeah, the wood. So weird. 746 00:51:24,440 --> 00:51:29,360 Their surroundings devoured more people than the sword of the 747 00:51:29,400 --> 00:51:34,000 enemy. Let me just already clear the 748 00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:35,920 air. Tonight you're in a good 749 00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:38,800 surrounding. Tonight you're in a good 750 00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:41,840 atmosphere Tonight you're in a good environment. 751 00:51:41,840 --> 00:51:44,080 Tonight. This is the place you want to 752 00:51:44,080 --> 00:51:46,800 bring your children. This is the place where you want 753 00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:49,480 to raise your babies. This is the place where the 754 00:51:49,480 --> 00:51:52,040 elderly need to sat and the young Mary need to sat. 755 00:51:52,280 --> 00:51:54,960 And this is the place where the widows need to sat and this is 756 00:51:54,960 --> 00:51:57,440 the place where the single parents need to sat. 757 00:51:57,600 --> 00:51:59,440 This is where the divorce need to sat. 758 00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:07,240 This because I know this is propagating God's will. 759 00:52:08,600 --> 00:52:11,760 So this is some God ground and I'm going to have hills and 760 00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:13,520 valleys, but I know he's going to be here with me because I'm 761 00:52:13,520 --> 00:52:17,160 not fighting against him. I'm not fighting against God. 762 00:52:19,240 --> 00:52:20,600 I'm. Admonishing us tonight, please. 763 00:52:20,600 --> 00:52:23,720 Hear me, if you survey life right here at the end of the 764 00:52:23,720 --> 00:52:25,000 service and you say you know. What? 765 00:52:26,440 --> 00:52:27,200 There's some. There's some. 766 00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:30,120 Surroundings that I There's some surroundings that I walk in 767 00:52:30,120 --> 00:52:34,800 through the week that I need to take the long way around. 768 00:52:40,640 --> 00:52:42,800 There's some environments that we've entertained. 769 00:52:44,440 --> 00:52:45,920 You know what, I'm, I'm starting to get an inkling. 770 00:52:47,200 --> 00:52:49,920 You know what, I remember when I first did this, it didn't feel 771 00:52:49,920 --> 00:52:53,640 right, but I just did it anyway. And now after tonight, I'm 772 00:52:53,640 --> 00:52:55,800 starting to feel that maybe you might need to pay attention. 773 00:52:59,800 --> 00:53:02,760 You know what that is? If you had the Holy Ghost, 774 00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:05,920 that's God's Spirit inside of you, that's pricking you. 775 00:53:08,440 --> 00:53:10,560 That is a wonderful gift that God has for us all. 776 00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:12,280 You know what it's called? Conviction. 777 00:53:13,760 --> 00:53:17,000 You know what conviction does? It draws us from wherever we 778 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:21,480 are, back to God. Wherever we are, back to God, 779 00:53:21,720 --> 00:53:24,880 however far back to God. That's conviction. 780 00:53:25,080 --> 00:53:27,560 You know what I want to do, God? I want to surrender. 781 00:53:27,760 --> 00:53:30,800 I want to surrender to that. Let my feet be positioned in a 782 00:53:30,800 --> 00:53:35,600 place where you can fight for me, you can fight with me and 783 00:53:35,600 --> 00:53:40,560 that my environment becomes an ally to push me forward. 784 00:53:42,680 --> 00:53:44,280 These halters are open this evening. 785 00:53:45,120 --> 00:53:48,800 I wish as many of us that could would find a place to pray 786 00:53:48,800 --> 00:53:51,880 tonight. I know this has been a strong 787 00:53:51,880 --> 00:53:55,520 Sunday, but I wish as many of us as could could find a place 788 00:53:55,520 --> 00:54:00,440 tonight and say, God, Lord, if, if, if my feet and my activity 789 00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:03,920 are involved in some circles that are not conducive to my 790 00:54:03,920 --> 00:54:07,720 life with you, not conducive to my walk with you, then help me, 791 00:54:07,720 --> 00:54:09,640 Lord. Let me have an awareness about 792 00:54:09,640 --> 00:54:13,000 it and help me, Lord, to respond according to the awareness that 793 00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:15,320 I get. Help me to respond according to 794 00:54:15,320 --> 00:54:18,360 the awareness that I get. Folks, it may be that we need to 795 00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:21,400 break off some relationships. We got to break off some other 796 00:54:21,400 --> 00:54:22,920 thing. It may be some of those things, 797 00:54:23,120 --> 00:54:24,880 but we need to take inventory tonight. 798 00:54:25,040 --> 00:54:27,440 God help me, Lord, to become aware of my surroundings, to be 799 00:54:27,440 --> 00:54:30,160 aware of the woods. God, there's entanglement and 800 00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:32,600 there's pits and there's ravines and there's underbrush. 801 00:54:32,880 --> 00:54:35,080 God, it's tripping me up. It's entangling me. 802 00:54:35,080 --> 00:54:38,200 It's consuming me. I'm disoriented, I'm confused. 803 00:54:38,200 --> 00:54:41,240 It's chaos. Hear it tonight. 804 00:54:43,040 --> 00:54:49,000 Come on, just pour your just pour yourself out before the 805 00:54:49,000 --> 00:54:51,160 Lord. Just pour yourself out before 806 00:54:51,160 --> 00:54:54,760 the Lord. Just pour yourself out. 807 00:54:55,560 --> 00:54:57,880 Sometimes we just got to be a David Lord. 808 00:54:57,880 --> 00:55:01,480 If I'm not aware of it, search me O God, and know my heart. 809 00:55:02,160 --> 00:55:05,560 See if there be any winked way. See if there be any winked way. 810 00:55:05,560 --> 00:55:09,440 Oh Lord, help me, God. If I'm, if I'm not aware, help 811 00:55:09,440 --> 00:55:12,920 me. If I've, if I've become dull and 812 00:55:12,920 --> 00:55:24,800 callous to it, help me. The wood devoured more, the 813 00:55:24,800 --> 00:55:28,440 surroundings took more the environment took. 814 00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:29,000 More.