"The Challenge of Authority" - Bill Watkins - July 19, 2026 - 9AM

[00:02:47]So here's Good.

[00:04:16]All right.

[00:05:17]Hello.

[00:05:39]There you go.

[00:06:09]This is going to Hallelujah.

[00:09:44]Heat. Heat.

[00:10:47]Good morning.

[00:10:49]We want to welcome you to our morning worship service here at Creve Hall. If you're a visitor this morning, you're a special guest. We're glad you've chosen to be with us and worship God today. If you would fill out one of the attendance cards so we'll have a a record of your attendance if it's convenient for you.

[00:11:06]Let's stand as we begin our song service this morning.

[00:11:23]Hail him. Hail him highest angels in glory.

[00:11:32]Holy name.

[00:11:46]Praise him. Praise him. Tell his excellent greatness. Praise him. Praise him.

[00:11:58]Praise him. Praise him. Jesus our blessed redeemer for our high.

[00:12:17]Husborrows love.

[00:12:34]Praise him. Praise him.

[00:12:40]Praise him. Praise him. Ever joyful song.

[00:12:47]Praise him. Praise him.

[00:12:51]Redeemer Jesus forever and ever.

[00:13:12]Christ is coming.

[00:13:15]over the world power and glory unto the Lord.

[00:13:25]Praise him. Praise him. Tell his excellent.

[00:13:31]Praise him. Praise him.

[00:13:40]>> Please be seated. This time, brother Ronnie Boon will come and read uh the scripture reading for this morning.

[00:13:55]The scripture this morning is Matthew chapter 28 verse 18.

[00:14:01]And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

[00:14:19]This St. Bernes.

[00:14:49]Oh, oh, what we all do.

[00:15:11]everywhere.

[00:15:22]We should never be discouraged.

[00:15:52]to the Lord in Pray to the Lord in pray for the take to the Lord in Pray in his arms and thous.

[00:16:59]Let's bow.

[00:17:01]Dear Lord in heaven, we come before your throne. We praise. We glorify your name.

[00:17:06]We're thankful for your son Jesus Christ who died on the cross to save us from our sins. We're thankful that we can meet here in peace and worship you.

[00:17:15]We're thankful for this country that we can do that. We're thankful for our elders. We're thankful for their wives.

[00:17:22]We're thankful for our deacons and their wives. Please give this church peace and strength. This morning, we have many on our hearts and minds we want to pray for. We pray for Nancy Hanine and the death of her son, David. We pray for the family of Barbara Bitner and the family of Imagene Boseman.

[00:17:43]We pray for Vicky Morris, Thomas Haynes, June Fiser, Harold Bowman, Wendy Duval, Heather Flynn. We play pray for Ray Ganon, and we pray for Nancy Ganon.

[00:17:57]Please give them strength. Please help them to keep their faith.

[00:18:02]We pray for Tom McAfee, Macy Paige, Donald Peterson, Jennifer Pal, Theesa Smith, Robin Watkins, Brian Watson, Emily Yoz, Ryan Zowiski, and we also pray for Barry Bagot as he's traveling across the globe to try to bring people to Christ. Please give him safety and please give him wisdom. We have many at this church who have cancer at this time and have friends that have cancer. Please be with them. Give them strength. Help them to be able to take the treatments.

[00:18:42]Help the doctors and nurses to be with them. We pray for Dr. Steve Cantrell. He is our go-to at this church for cancer.

[00:18:53]Please be with him. We are thankful for his wisdom and his knowledge. He has been doing this for many, many years. We are thankful for this. Please help him to stay strong and keep the faith.

[00:19:06]We want to pray for our country. We are currently at war. Please be with our troops.

[00:19:12]Please be with our troops and their families who have have gone on and gave the ultimate sacrifice. Please be with those who are wounded. Help them to heal. Please be with President Trump.

[00:19:24]Help him to listen to the military people who will guide him in the right way and will do prosecute the war that it and it will be pleasing to you.

[00:19:36]This is camp week Lord and we pray for camp. We pray for our campers. We pray for the staff. We ask that you help them to be safe and you help someone to come to Christ.

[00:19:50]We pray for brother Watkins as he brings the message to us this morning. And we pray that someone in the audience will respond, become a Christian, or we pray that someone that needs help will come forward and accept the prayers of the church. Everything is in his name we pray. Amen.

[00:20:13]Before the Lord's Supper, we'll sing How Deep The Father's Love. And then Brother Dennis Green will help guide our thoughts as we prepare to partake.

[00:20:39]Bless to make his great The father returns and bring to glory.

[00:21:34]I saw his voice until I know that I will.

[00:22:31]No, no, no, but Jesus Christ is the king of his reward.

[00:23:00]I know with all my heart I this morning I'll be reading from John chap 19 20 8 through 30.

[00:23:41]After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said, "I thirst." A jar full of sour wine stood there. So they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hissup branch and held it to his mouth.

[00:23:57]When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished." And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

[00:24:07]It was finished. His sacrifice, his suffering was finished. I've often wondered when we near the end of our lives, do we stop and think it is finished?

[00:24:20]All of our decisions have been made. All that awaits his judgment. So this morning, as we take the cup, we remember the sacrifice.

[00:24:32]When he said, "It's finished." That included the suffering. But we also remember the promise that if we will obey his word and because of his sacrifice and the grace of our father that we have a chance for our life of promise not to be finished but just beginning to last eternally. Amen.

[00:25:17]We bow.

[00:25:21]Father, we can only imagine the pain that you endured as a father and the pain that Jesus endured as a human and as God.

[00:25:39]Father, thank you for a love so deep that we struggle to understand.

[00:25:46]This morning as we take this cup, we remember that Jesus did finish that his body was broken and it was for us in Jesus name. Amen.

[00:29:04]We bow.

[00:29:07]Father, as Jesus blood poured from his body, we know his life as man was finished.

[00:29:16]but his life as the almighty God, the creator that it continues.

[00:29:24]As we take of this cup, help us to remember the sacrifice and the promise in Jesus name. Amen.

[00:32:35]Let's pray.

[00:32:37]Father, we know you gave everything.

[00:32:40]We know Jesus gave everything.

[00:32:44]Help us to give all of our energy and efforts to spread your word.

[00:32:50]Help us this morning as we return physical, financial blessings that our hearts will be such that we desire to give what we put in the plate. Help us to have the right mind and the right spirit and to know that everything is yours. We're just called to be good stewards.

[00:33:10]Thank you for our blessings in Jesus name. Amen.

[00:34:43]that could ever be all thee.

[00:35:03]All the cell for my All my life and all of the coner and all of this song. Brother Bill Watkins will present our lesson of the morning. And if it's convenient for you to do so, let's stand as we sing.

[00:36:29]and crown.

[00:36:35]Bring forth the royal and crown him seal.

[00:37:05]Oh, you by his grace and crown of all.

[00:37:21]Every to him all majesty and crown to him all majesty and crown Lord of all sin everlasting song and praise him of all will join the Everlasting song and crown of Please be seated.

[00:38:38]Before I get into the lesson today, I do want to mention something that is really traumatic to me and I think to a number of you. Today is the very last day that Bobby and TK and Braxton Starky are going to be members here. They are moving their membership closer to their home. We knew this day would come, but all of us prayed that it wouldn't come anytime soon. They're making quite a commute. They have been for some time now in order to be here. And they need to be closer to where they can invite people in their neighborhood to be with them. It's hard for them to talk to their neighbors and their friends and schoolmates and say, "Come with me to church. By the way, it'll take you an hour to get there, an hour to get back."

[00:39:17]That's makes it a little difficult. But we are really going to miss you guys.

[00:39:21]You have made such a difference to all of us. And we thank you for who you are and thank you for what you've done. I want to talk to you about the challenge of authority. You know, I know that there's what, nine letters in authority, but it's a four-letter word to a lot of people today. And and when I say a four-letter word, I mean by that that it's uh it's a bad thing. Uh people look at it and they see authority as something that's that's wrong. And particularly the younger generation, this isn't the first generation to do that. I was a part of the generation that said, "Don't trust anybody over 30." That was me, okay? I remember those days. I I want to tell you something.

[00:39:57]all of you who are Gen Zers, the millenn mill millennials are really happy for you because they're not picking on them as much anymore. Now they're picking on Gen Z. But I I thought it was really interesting. I've been doing a little research trying to figure out what is it that makes it difficult for us to accept the concept of authority. Part of it is that uh that younger people are often judged by their weaknesses instead of by their strengths and older people exaggerate their strengths and don't look at their weaknesses when they look at the younger generation. A lot of times they don't see them for who they are. There was the Guardian had a had an article entitled recently undisiplined entitled Lazy Gen Z faces familiar flood of workplace criticism. And it went on to quote actually from the Wall Street Journal on September 24th of last year. Uh there was a there was a woman by the name of Susie Welch who wrote an article that said is Gen Z unemployable? Hiring managers prize achievement learning and work and today's youth value pleasure and individuality. And uh so there's they were asking whether or not that was going to be the case. And here's here's the thing that I want to tell you. Every generation has something really good in it. And every generation has to learn.

[00:41:15]All of us do. We had some great things about ourselves when we were younger.

[00:41:20]When I was younger and the 60s were going on, I can remember some wonderful things were happening. Also some really awful things looking back. Uh there are some really awful things and some really wonderful things that are happening right now. And if you want to know why it is that I think sometimes uh that they don't trust authority, I think there's five basic reasons why the younger generation finds it difficult to trust authority and authority figures.

[00:41:48]Number one is that there's a lot of re generational resentment that takes place. They're looking at job market changes and it's not surprising that resentment gets up. they they educated themselves, have large debt from the schooling that they've done, and yet there's not much in the job market for them. There's not much that they can find. And uh and as they do that, they also find that they're somewhat resented because of their values. And we're going to talk about a little bit of that in just a moment. They they believe the older generation at first when they said, "Work hard and everything will work out okay, it doesn't always work out okay." And they're finding that out right now.

[00:42:27]Too many of them don't feel heard. They feel judged. And it's hard to respect authority when you feel like nobody is really listening to you. They don't like being labeled as lazy or difficult or challenging uh and all of that when in fact uh they have a whole different set of values that they follow that they are many of them are really really good.

[00:42:49]They're less comfortable with authority figures. Um probably because uh Resume Builder did a survey among uh managers recently. They found that 75% of workplace leaders don't want to work with Gen Z. I thought that was interesting. Uh that that that makes it very difficult for them to find a job.

[00:43:08]And and their priorities are not the same. Climate climate change, social justice, mental health issues, all those things are really important to the younger generation. To the older generation, some of those things are not that important at all. We can learn from each other and we need to be able to learn from each other. Our culture has an authority problem. We were born in rebellion. Think about it. 1776 we said to England, "Go."

[00:43:35]We we've rebelled against them. Our revolution started it. And since that time, it's been part of the American psyche to be somewhat rebellious. That's who we are. And so, what do we do? Well, we we want the policeman to come when somebody's breaking into our house, but I sure don't want him beside of the road when I feel like doing 80 in a 70 mile zone. I I I have this problem with authority. We have a kind of a dichotomy inside of ourselves that fights against authority continually. We need that authority though. We need one another and we need it.

[00:44:10]No matter how much we feel resentment towards some types of authority, there's some authority that absolutely must exist in order for society to exist. You know, I think about the statement made in Judges 17:6 and again in chapter 21:2.

[00:44:27]In those days, there was no king in Israel. Every man did what was right in his own eyes. And you know how that turned out. That was the darkest, worst time in the history of the children of Israel. those days of the judges where there was no authority and everybody was their own authority. It sounds a little like our time where we don't want somebody else our our authority has been moved internally so that we become our own authority rather than some external force becoming an authority for us.

[00:44:55]We've been disappointed by the politics.

[00:44:57]We've been disappointed by the lying.

[00:44:59]We've been disappointed by the things that we see. We hear a politician speak and then we have to figure out what did he really mean and did he say what he thought he said or was he lying about it all. We find it difficult to trust people. When there is no king, when there is no authority except our own and we do what is right in our own eyes, we're in trouble.

[00:45:21]I I love Jeremiah chapter 6 verse 16 and then down into verse 19. But I want you to listen. The people of Israel were hearing God, but they weren't listening to God. Thus says the Lord, "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk in it, and then you'll find rest unto your souls." But the rest of that verse, some of the saddest words you're going to find in Jeremiah.

[00:45:45]The end of verse 16 says, "But they said, we will not walk in it." And what's going to happen because of that?

[00:45:52]Go down to verse 19 and listen. Here, O earth, behold, I will certainly bring calamity upon this people, the fruit of their thoughts, because they've not heeded my word, nor my law, but rejected it. Everybody believes something.

[00:46:07]Everybody accepts some kind of authority, no matter what it is. I remember a young man who came to me one time because I was a preacher and he said, "You guys have it all wrong." He said, 'You say some things are right all the time and some things are wrong all the time and that's just wrong. He said, 'In fact, that's evil.' I said, oh, really? He said, yes, it is. I said, so is there anything that's absolutely right and something that's absolutely wrong? He said, no. I said, then why am I evil? Exactly. How did I get to be judged as evil if there's no evil? If there's no standard? The fact of the matter is we all believe in something but all beliefs are not equally valid.

[00:46:49]All beliefs are not equally true. Do you remember what Paul says to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2 4 2-4?

[00:46:57]Preach the word. Be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but having itching ears will heap to themselves teachers after their own lust and turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to fables.

[00:47:17]When it comes to my relationship to God, authority is absolutely essential.

[00:47:23]We're going to talk about that. When Adam and Eve rebelled by eating the forbidden fruit, they began to die. When the people of Noah's day were described as every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I've created from the face of the earth."

[00:47:41]That's Genesis 65-7.

[00:47:44]Isaiah chapter 59 tells us that the Lord's arm is not shortened that can't save, nor his ear heavy that he cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you so that he will not hear. There's somebody with authority, somebody that I'm answerable to. When you think about the word authority, what's the what's the first part of that? Author. That's where authority comes from. It means that someone has authored it. Who authored this world? Well, God did. It was his idea. It was his creative ability. It was his power. It's his sustenance that makes this world endure it all.

[00:48:22]Everything in this world is upheld by the word of his power. He's the author and therefore he has authority.

[00:48:29]We're the creator. He's the creator.

[00:48:31]We're the creature. We're the ones who are in his hands.

[00:48:36]And so we listen to him and listen to his son. No man has seen God at any time but the only begotten who is in the bosom of the father. He's declared him.

[00:48:45]That's John chapter 1 verse 18. God has spoken to us in these last days through his son. Hebrews chapter 1:es 1 and two.

[00:48:54]He said to the people on the mount of transfiguration God did about Jesus.

[00:48:58]Hear him. This is my beloved son. Hear him. I need to be hearing him.

[00:49:06]I need to be the person who listens to him.

[00:49:10]I think there are barriers to our acceptance of authority today. The cultural corruption and abuse of power that we see by people who are often in control. The loss of truth. One of the things that bugs me about the Hallmark Channel, and I do watch it, and and uh Great American Family, and I do watch it, and by the way, I know how it's all going to turn out. Two people are going to meet, they're not going to like each other, and then they'll decide they like each other, and then they'll have a misunderstanding and break up, and then they'll realize their misunderstanding was wrong, and they get back together, and they kiss, and you roll the credits.

[00:49:42]Every one of them exactly the same. And I keep watching them anyway. I don't know why. I just keep watching them. It was kind of nice to have a good ending for all this, but one of the really rotten pieces of advice that I hear often in that is if you follow your heart, everything will turn out all right. Guys, that's not true.

[00:50:04]Your heart is deceitful above all things. The Bible says, he says it's an uncontainable, uncontrollable evil. Who can know it?

[00:50:13]Who can understand it? The heart will deceive even you. Following your heart will get you in trouble. Following your heart is what happened to the people in the days of judges when they cut women in two and and had false priesthoods and did all kinds of things that they weren't supposed to be doing and devalued those who were poor and oppressed those who were powerless. And they did it all in good conscience.

[00:50:36]Following your heart will get you there.

[00:50:39]I think there's a crisis of knowledge in our time. What does God actually say about a thing and how much do I actually read it to find out? I think that's what's going on. The individualism, moving the authority from the outside to the inside, that's done it to us. I think our digital age has made us hyperpersonal so that we only read what we want to read. We only see what we want to see and we don't hear the other side very much. We're becoming more and more divided because we're too much just looking at what we want to see, hearing what we want to hear, and being confirmed in it. By the way, that's not just the younger generation. You guys who watch Fox News, I'm telling you, all of us, some of you watch CNN, some of you watch Fox, and I'm and they're moving and pushing an agenda. Each one of them is. If that's all you listen to, you keep moving in those directions.

[00:51:25]It's not just younger people. It's everybody.

[00:51:29]I think we misunderstand freedom. That we take freedom as the thought that we're supposed to do anything we want to do. That can never work. It never has.

[00:51:39]its chaos when it does. Freedom happens when I rec recognize and respect the rights of other people, not just my own. Freedom happens in Christ when I recognize who God is and follow him.

[00:51:55]Galatians 5:1 and then verse 13. It's for freedom that Christ has set us free.

[00:52:02]Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery. And then back to verse 13.

[00:52:08]You, my brothers, were called to be free. Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh. Rather, serve one another humbly in love.

[00:52:18]I hear often times that's just your interpretation. No, God actually means what he says. And he actually holds us accountable so we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give account of the things done in the body according to what we've done. Jesus said, "He who rejects me and receives not my words has one who judges him. the words that I've spoken will judge him in the last day. It's not just my interpretation. It's the word of Christ and what he means. I need to understand that.

[00:52:47]When I think about what's going on, I think some people refuse to submit to authority because they're afraid of the cancel culture. If I stand out is different. if I stand out in opposition to many of the trends of our time that I will be cancelled that people will ignore me or ridiculed me or marginalize me and I can't afford to have that happen and so we don't stand up and stand on the authority of God but authority comes from God.

[00:53:22]I want you to think about a couple of things and these are just illustrative.

[00:53:26]But I'm not using these as the main part of my lesson. But I think people believe that the Bible's kind of vague on issues that we face today, but it's not true at all. I want you to listen very carefully to this passage. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4:es 1-8. I'm going to be reading from the New American Standard right now, but I want you to want you to listen to what he says about sexuality.

[00:53:50]If you think that the Bible's not clear and authoritative on sexuality, please listen.

[00:53:56]Finally, then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you receive from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God, just as you actually do walk, that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification.

[00:54:16]That is, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God. And that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So he who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Think about what he just said.

[00:54:54]Somebody says, "Well, it's kind of a vague little sort of thing. We're living in a different kind of time. We're living in a time just like the Thessalonians.

[00:55:03]We're living in a time just like first century Rome was. We're living in a time where sexual immorality is everywhere and sex is infused to almost everything.

[00:55:13]And into that culture that saw sex as scratching an itch, Paul said, "That's not who we are and that's not how we live." And I say it not by my own authority. He said, "But this is the authority of God himself." He said, "Listen to this. The Bible is very clear about how I'm supposed to act sexually."

[00:55:33]What about the matter of gender? What about the matter that we're facing today of the of now it seems like hundreds of genders that are out there for a whole lot of people. How do we how do we see the authority of scripture in that?

[00:55:46]Listen to Jesus. Matthew 19 verses 3-6.

[00:55:51]Some Pharisees came to Jesus testing him and asking is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?

[00:55:58]And he answered and said, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, "For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they too shall become one flesh, so that they're no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God is joined together? Let not man put us under." In the beginning, how did he make them? Male and female.

[00:56:22]Those are the genders, guys. Those are the ones. Whatever else you may claim, these are the genders that God accepts.

[00:56:30]You have the authority of the word, have the authority of Jesus himself on all of this. I think that there are two questions that will clarify our posture toward biblical authority. Number one is I need to ask myself about anything I see. What does the Bible say? That's the first thing. What does the Bible say?

[00:56:52]And the second question that I need to ask myself is, will I obey it? What does the Bible say and will I obey it?

[00:57:00]Because the problem that we face in in our time with the issues that we're looking at in our time are not issues where there's questionable thoughts in the scripture about how this all plays out. There's not. It's fairly simple and straightforward. The problem is not that the Bible's not clear.

[00:57:19]The problem is that we're not clear.

[00:57:23]The problem is that we aren't so sure that we want to do it. It's not complicated, but it is difficult.

[00:57:32]Listen to me again. What God said is not complicated, but it is difficult to live it out, especially to live it out in our time.

[00:57:43]So, what does the Bible say? Will I obey?

[00:57:49]I need that authority. I need it for all kinds of reasons. Jesus said, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth." Matthew 28:18. His authority matters.

[00:58:02]Authority is rooted in Christ's identity. When he said, "All authority has been given to me." It guides us in our right actions. Not everyone that says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father who is in heaven.

[00:58:15]Matthew 7:es 21-23.

[00:58:18]It prepares us for the judgment. We already looked at it. Every that that he says that every word that he's spoken will judge us in the last day. John 12:48. And every one of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give account of the things we've done in the body according to whether they're good or bad. 1 Corinthians 1:10.

[00:58:40]Authority isn't just about power. It's about permission from God who created us to live in certain ways. It's about a standard that we have, a guide that we have to live our lives by. We call it the Bible. It's about responsibility to lead justly and humbly.

[00:59:00]And in daily life, it means submitting to God's authority, including the authorities of the government. Romans chapter 13:es 1-7. It means acting in the authority of Christ to pray and to teach and to serve. It means respecting the authority of scripture as the ultimate standard. I need authority.

[00:59:21]It's what we do. What am I going to be?

[00:59:24]What kind of person am I going to be? I need to listen to God because he is God.

[00:59:32]He said, I am the Lord and there is no other. There is no God beside me. I will g you though you have not known me.

[00:59:38]Isaiah chapter 43 verse 5 in Psalm 90:2 before the mountains were brought forth wherever you had formed the earth and the world from everlasting to everlasting you were God. He's all powerful, allseeing, all knowing. He's eternal. He's sovereign, which means he has the ultimate authority. I love this statement and I want you to hear it in Psalm 115:3.

[01:00:01]Children of Israel are trying to do right and they're still losing. that don't understand and the nations are saying where is their God and here's their answer and I love this answer and for our time it's a great answer in Psalm 115:3 they said our God is in heaven he does whatever he pleases that's our God somebody says where's your God in times like these our God is in heaven does whatever he pleases he's still in control he created the world and set it in order. Genesis 1:1. He built everything. Hebrews 3:4.

[01:00:40]By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which were seen are not made by the things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3.

[01:00:51]He knows what's best for us because it's not a man that walks to direct his own steps. Jeremiah chapter 10 verse 23.

[01:00:59]A lot of our problem is not just brokenness. Our problem is often rebellion.

[01:01:07]God said it. Am I going to do it?

[01:01:11]He gives me a choice to obey him or not to obey him. To love him or not to love him. If you want to know why the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was in the middle of the garden. That's why among other things, we have to have a choice. And God gave you that choice because you're free. But you cannot choose the consequences of your choice.

[01:01:30]If you choose to follow God, you'll know that you're moving in the right direction. You're not moving against the grain of creation. You're moving along with it. And ultimately, you will move into a place where God will bless you forever and honor you forever. If you choose to go against it, in the words of Jesus to Paul, it's hard for you to kick against the pricks.

[01:01:54]The fact of the matter is that's what you're doing when you're fighting the authority of God. And ultimately you will lose because you can't beat God.

[01:02:04]But the great news is God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

[01:02:15]God gives us his word and he he speaks of his authority because he knows it's the only way for you to have the best life here and hereafter.

[01:02:24]What will you do? How will you live?

[01:02:28]The challenge of authority is well I look at God and say you're my God. Well to look at him and say I don't have to do what you say.

[01:02:41]I get that choice.

[01:02:43]Is that what I'm going to do this morning? You get that choice. We we offer an invitation. And if you're into walking away from God, I can tell you that God is not sending you to hell.

[01:02:52]You're just moving that way by yourself.

[01:02:55]God wants you to turn around. He would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He's not in heaven looking with a with a lightning bolt to strike you every time that you do something wrong. He's not looking to smite you and you don't want to be smit.

[01:03:10]I'm just telling you the fact of the matter is God loves you and wants you with him now and forever. He's the best father that's ever been. Don't say no to him. If you need to be baptized, do that. If you need to come and ask for prayer, do that because there's nobody else. In the end, nobody else is going to judge us. The world thinks they do now. Paul said, "It's a small thing for me to be judged by you. I leave that to God." In the end, it's only God.

[01:03:43]Will you be right with him? If you're not, be honest with yourself this morning. Change that. Come while we stand and sing.

[01:03:53]Come to Jesus. They will save you for you to make today.

[01:04:24]Jesus Enter the blessing today.

[01:05:04]Come to Jesus. Come savior.

[01:05:22]He will share his glory.

[01:05:55]Please be seated.

[01:06:07]Good morning. Thank you for being with us this morning. We have many visitors.

[01:06:12]We're thankful to have the Rosen Blooms with us this morning. It's great to have a full row. Uh we appreciate you being here. We want to have a record of that.

[01:06:23]If you don't mind scanning the QR code there and letting us know of your visit today, we'd love to get back in touch with you. We have several announcements this morning.

[01:06:37]Our sympathy goes out to Nancy Hanline and family and the death of her son David. His funeral was held on July 18th.

[01:06:47]Also to the family and the death of Barbara Bitner. There will be a memorial service on Monday, July 27th at 6:00 pm in the Creve Hall Chapel.

[01:07:02]At Southern Hills Hospital, Thomas Hayes in room 308 is in for tests.

[01:07:11]At Vanderbilt, Harold Bam is in number 5 S-50.

[01:07:21]uh and he suffered a fall. And uh you can get all this information also on the hardline or uh I believe that announcements are are out front as well uh to check that room number again. Uh, I also got word uh during the services that Will Chamberlain is at the Vanderbilt emergency room being seen for some symptoms related to his lungs and they're running some tests on him this morning. So, we want to have a a special prayer for him uh and these others at the end of these announcements.

[01:08:02]Ray Ganon is now at Encompass Health Rehabilitation for Rehab. No calls or visits, please. Nancy Ganon has been released from the hospital and is now at home. Dana Parton, mother of former member Brandy Batty, is now under hospice care. No calls or visits, please. Tom McAfee, is now at home under hospice care. Short visits are welcome. We want to echo brother Bill's sentiment about this being the last day for Bobby TK and Braxton.

[01:08:40]They've been such a beautiful part of our family here. We're thankful for their service and pray God's best for them as they continue their work, which we know they will closer to their home.

[01:08:55]other notes. Um we have a lot away at camp this week and we ask that you pray for the adults and the campers alike uh for their safety, for their spiritual growth uh and as Zayn did for uh some to come to the Lord during that time. Uh this week, Tuesday, July 21st, uh we're gonna have a visit to Camp Kaos. Scan the QR code in the bulletin if your child would like to go and visit Camp Kaos for the day. Parents are welcome to join us as well. Contact McKenzie Magahan for details.

[01:09:44]Also on Tuesday, July 21st, the prime times will have a DVO at 11:00 a.m. in room 3:16, followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m. in room 318. The cost is $6 per person. Sign up at the senior board by July 19th today.

[01:10:06]Wednesday, July 22nd, uh the summer series will start at 6:30 p.m. There will be a meal at 5:30 p.m.

[01:10:14]prior to the service. A breakfast will be served. Sign up at the information desk if you plan to attend. The prime times are conducting the service.

[01:10:26]August 15th, the Middleish group will be going to a Nashville Sounds baseball game at 6:35. Tickets are $23 per person and space is limited. So, sign up at the information desk and pay by August 9th.

[01:10:41]A bus will leave from the chapel area at 5:00 p.m. For questions, contact Shelley Golden or Willa Manchester.

[01:10:50]Also, August 15th is the Mount Dora Children's Home Benefit dinner at 5:00 PM at the Hillsboro Church of Christ at 5800 Hillsboro Pike in Nashville. The dinner is free, but seating is limited.

[01:11:05]To register, scan the QR code at the information desk. A reminder, all adult Bible classes will meet in the auditorium today. And uh you can see more uh information about these and other announcements in the bulletin and posted at the information desk. I have a few follow-ups also. Uh, Sunday, August the 2nd is our faith and fellowship day after our morning worship. The meal in the activity center will be a potato bar and barbecue.

[01:11:40]Members are asked to bring desserts and or fruit. The afternoon service will begin at 12:30. Again, that's on August 2nd.

[01:11:50]Uh Paul Houndshell wanted me to announce that Bible Bowl classes are starting next Sunday. Uh it always creeps up on us. It's Bible Bowl season again and uh that will be held during class time.

[01:12:07]The Connect Conference is next week, the 29th through the 31st.

[01:12:13]Uh we have 42 men's speakers, 23 ladies speakers. Uh this conference is on disciplehip.

[01:12:22]Uh great singing uh each night and uh we've had attendees from 25 to 30 states the last couple of years. So um it it is a big draw. There's a lot of great messaging and there's a lot of great fellowship from folks that we don't get to see often. If you want to see more about the speakers or just find out more about the event, you can go to connectcon.org, the website for the schedule.

[01:12:59]And one last uh visitation reorganization is next Sunday PM after services. There will be pizza supplied and the uh folks that are involved are asked to bring desserts.

[01:13:17]Sign up uh please today uh for uh for that event.

[01:13:26]Okay, I think that's it. Uh thank you again for being here. Uh we'll say a closing prayer and then have a closing song and and have our class time. Let's pray.

[01:13:38]Holy Father, there are so many things to have on our hearts and minds this morning. Uh we want to begin by acknowledging you as God Almighty, high and holy.

[01:13:50]We pray that you have all authority in our life as we think and speak and act.

[01:13:59]We pray that you would control it all and that the outcome would be loving lives lived in the presence of those that you give us occasion to to influence them toward you to your church to your kingdom and to salvation.

[01:14:22]Help us to care about souls. Help us not to be sold that work and place is what we're here for.

[01:14:39]We pray that we would serve you while we're here. Lord, some of our number are in difficult situations this morning.

[01:14:50]Many that won't even be mentioned in this prayer. We ask your care and help for all of them. We want to ask you especially and urgently for care for Will Chamberlain this morning. We ask that you would give those that are tending to him great skill and access to all of their knowledge and the tools that they need to to take care of him.

[01:15:18]help him to be on the mend and able to heal and be back with us.

[01:15:26]Uh we pray for his family that is going to see about him as well for their care during this time. We pray for the Han family and the Bitner family and their loss. We pray for those in the hospitals for Thomas Hayes, Harold Bamon. Uh we pray for Ray Ganon and Nancy Ganon, Dana Parton and Tom McAfee and those families that are waiting with them. Lord, give them care and comfort. We want to pray for our campers this week and for all those that are there to assist them.

[01:16:04]Please give them a safe week. Most of all, help them to have a closer walk with you during that time and beyond.

[01:16:14]Lord, help us all to turn our hearts towards you, to keep them there throughout the week. We thank you for this morning and the opportunity to be here and to be encouraged and to think about you. Help us to walk with you as we leave here. We ask this humbly through Jesus name. Amen.

[01:16:45]As a reminder, as we sing this, pardon me, this closing song, uh teachers for the young children's classes may leave and all the adult classes will remain here if it's convenient. again. Let's stand as we sing.

[01:17:13]for my stand ready to meet him by him and do his Amen.

[01:17:46]To be in the glory land.