Ezekiel

Ezekiel chapter 28, and starting at verse 1.

The word of the lord came to me. Son of man say to the ruler of tyre, this is what the sovereign lord says. In the pride of your heart, you say, I am a god. I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas, but you are a mere mortal and not a god that you think you're as wise as a god. Are you wiser than Daniel?

Is no secret hidden from you? By your wisdom and understanding, you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. By your great skill in trading, you have increased your wealth. And because of your wealth, your heart has grown proud. Therefore, this is what the sovereign lord says.

Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god, I'm going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations. They will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. They will bring you down to the pit. And you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas. Will you then say, I am a god, in the presence of those who kill you?

You will be but immortal, not a god. In the hands of those who slay you. In the hand you will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken declares the sovereign lord. The word of the lord came to me, son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of tyre, and say to him, this is what the sovereign lord says.

You were the seal of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of god. Every precious stone adorned you, carnelian, prissomite, and Emerald, topaz, onyx, and Jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and barrel. Your settings and mountings were made of gold on the day you were created as they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub for so I are doing ordained you.

You were on the holy mount of god. You walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trades, you were filled with violence and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of god, and I expelled you guardian Chobe from among the fiery stones.

Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth. I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade, you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you and it consumed you.

And I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All the nations who knew you are appalled at you. You have come to a horrible end and will be no more. Thank you, Allison. My name's, Pete Woodcock, and 1 of the pastors of the church here.

It's a joy to be going through, this remarkably serious, but really powerful, and helpful book even though it's thousands of years old, it really describes our world, of ezekiel. You're gonna need if you've got a Bible, chapters 26 to 28, open, and that's why it's good to bring a Bible, bring your own Bible, because it's hard to put all of those chapters up, in 1 place. So, if you haven't got a Bible with you, then bring 1 next week. Because, when we're doing with so many chapters, it it makes it easier. Father god help us now, please help us help us to listen to your word.

Please, by your spirit, would you be kind enough to open our eyes and open our ears? Would you give us the heart to hear you and to follow you in Jesus' name, amen? The film braveheart, soft and quoted, the of the most quoted bit is when they're opening up William Wallace and he shouts out freedom, but that's not the bit I'm gonna talk about. It's about the, brave Scottish hero, William Wallace. He's captured by the English, and, William Wallace is brought before, the English magistrates and is charged with treason treason against the English king.

Edward, Edward the first. Now William Wallace is Scottish. So he can't see it as treason. And his famous sentence in the film is never in my I'm not gonna put a Scottish accent on. I want to, but, never in my life have I ever sworn allegiance to him?

So how could it be treason? Never in my life? Have I ever sworn allegiance to him? And the English magistrate just replies, well, it matters not. He is your king, and that's it.

Now I think when it comes to god, a lot of people think a little bit like William William Wallace. Your god, your god cannot tell me what to do. I've never sworn allegiance to your god. He's not my king. He's not my god.

I've never sworn allegiance to him. The bible's answer is it matters not. He is your god. Paul, in the New Testament part of the Bible, preaching, in Athens, to a whole group of, people that weren't Jewish, He says in acts chapter 17, the god who made the world and everything in it is the lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. God is the god of heaven and earth wherever you live, and you can't limit him to a little temple like you're trying to do.

He doesn't live in a temple made by human hands. He's your god, whether you like it or not. It matters not. He is your god. Or Paul writing, in the book of Philipp, saying that every person will see the lord Jesus Christ at 1 time in their life.

He says at the same time, at at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow in heaven and an earth and under the earth. And every tongue acknowledged that Jesus Christ is lord to the glory of god, the father. If matters not, whether you're confessing Jesus or not, or you're, in an alliance with Jesus or not or god or not, it matters not. He is your god, and you will bow your knee. And that brings me to my first point.

EZekiel. EZekiel is a prophet to the whole world. That's my first point. Now EZekiel has been preaching exclusively to, the people of Israel. He he's preached to both those people that are in exile, with him in Babylon and those left behind in Jerusalem.

And it's exclusively to those groups he's been preaching. And both those groups have their hope in Jerusalem and their precious temple that their that Jerusalem and their precious temple would be saved. And the reason why their hope is in those things is that that defines them as a people group. That's where they get who they are. That's where they discover themselves in Jerusalem and the precious temple.

And Izuku has been preaching now for 7 years. It ain't gonna work. Jerusalem and the Temple are gonna come crashing down. They're going to be destroyed. And your identity, if it's in them, will be ruined.

Now last week, we saw that the the people, had heard and had come to the knowledge that Babylon had actually now come, to Jerusalem, and Jerusalem was under siege under attack by Babylon. So, actually, EZeku is being proved true now. It's gonna take about 18 months for Babylon for all kinds of reasons. To smash down the walls and smash down the temple and destroy, Jerusalem. But the siege has begun, and no one's come to the rescue.

And even though the Jewish people were hoping that Egypt would come to the rescue, no sight of them. So it's the end, and we saw that last week. So ezekiel now turns and preaches to the nations. The nations around, Jerusalem. And he preaches to them because, they're actually pleased at the demise at the fall of Jerusalem.

And he's gonna say to them, this is what god says to you. You think god's just judged them, but this is what god says to you. So he preaches that the sovereign lord is god of the whole world, is god of all the nations. And that was part of the problem with with Israel, actually. They'd made god so small that they were looking for other gods for other nations.

They'd make god so small that they they didn't realize that god was a sovereign lord, and he's the sovereign lord over every nation of all peoples. It matter not what they think. He's god. So ezekiel goes around the the 7 surrounding nations or at least 7 of the surrounding nations, and he preaches the same message in essence that he's preached to Israel. It's the same message.

The sovereign lord is the sovereign lord, and you will know it. A time is coming when you will know that he is the only god and he is the suffering lord. There's a sentence. If you read through all of the, or all of the the preaching, all of the prophecies on all of those 7 nations, there's a sentence that said at least 12 times. It may be more.

It's is just what I could count up yesterday. And it's then you will know that I am the lord. Then you will know that I am the lord. Same message to Israel and now to the nations. There is a picture just to perhaps help, you know, not that 1, nor that 1.

I put them in the wrong order. Yes. There's the sort of nations around, and he sort of goes clockwise in his prophecies, except he gets a bit muddled up with Egypt here. But he goes around and you you can see the nations. And this is what he says to ammon, then you will know that I am a lord, to Moab, then you will know that I am the lord, to edom slightly differently, and there are reasons for it, but I'm not going into it, they will know my vengeance declares the sovereign lord.

To Philistia, then you will know that I am the lord, to tire Then you will know that I am the lord to sidon, then you will know that I am the lord. To Egypt, then you will know that I am the lord, and then an extra special 1 to pharaoh, then you will know that I am the lord. So all of those prophecies he's preaching to the nations. Now in our series, no, we're not gonna go through all of them because they're they're just very similar sermons. We're just gonna do Tires.

So go back to that picture there. You can see Tires right up right up there. Tai have a little city there in Tunisia, that's what that's that's the prophecy we're gonna look at. So you can turn that off now. So first point, he's a prophet to the nations.

God is god. Whether you give allegiance to him or not. But here's my second point, Tire. Tire with their strapline, their mean, I am a god in the heart of the sea. You get it from chapter 28 verse 2.

That's this that's what that's how they talk about themselves. Tire. I am a god in the heart of the sea. Now the people of Tire were ship builders, they were sailors, they were sailing, all over the world with their cargo and they were trading all kinds of goods as we'll just see in a minute. They were very, very self assured people.

They were they had real self belief and a massive confidence in themselves. And when you when I showed you what they were like, then you can understand that. They have the same attitude to their security as a city as the, ship builders of the Titanic had in 19 12 before the Titanic went on its maiden voyage. It's unsinkable. We're unsinkable.

In fact, I was listening, and it's a bit embarrassing the song I was listening to, But I was listening to See her, and you may know the song. You know, See? She's got the song unstoppable. Do you know that song? You get it on adverts and, you know, there's women on horses and she's singing, I'm unstoppable.

Yeah. Yeah. Do you know that song? Knows that song? Some of you, what are the older ones?

Not no. You weren't armed and you're not older. I think that song would have been the the national anthem of Tire. Do you want me to sing it to you? She says Porsche about the car, Porsche, but isn't it Porsche?

It's Porsche, is it? Anyway, this is how it goes. I'm not gonna sing it. I'm unstoppable. I'm a Porsche.

With no breaks. I'm invincible. Yeah. I win every single game. I'm so powerful.

I don't need batteries to play. I'm so confident. Yeah. I'm on stoppable today, unstoppable today, unstoppable today, unstoppable today. It's I'm unstoppable today.

I just imagine meeting a woman like that. Say hi, you know, because you look quite nice. I'm unstoppable. Okay. Alright.

Alright. Do you wanna go out for dinner? I'm unstoppable. I'm invincible. Okay.

Okay. It's like a steamroller, you know, anyway. The king of tyre would have been on his feet dancing to that song, because that's what they believed. And like the people of the Titanic, the people of tyre would not believe what was coming to them. There's no way that was in their sights.

They are so confident in their safety, so confident in their defenses that they laugh when a neighbor is destroyed. Jerusalem. In chapter 26 and verse 2, this is what happens. They go, uh-huh. They're laughing.

The gates of the nation is broken and its doors have swung open to me now that she lies in ruins, I will prosper. They love the downfall of other nations. That weak people with their weak little god has fallen. All the morality that came from that 1 single god is all down. The gates of the nations is broken, and the doors are swung open for me And now she lies in ruins, and I will prosper.

It's my god is so much more secure, and he's given us that town, and he's given that gateway for more trade. That's how confident they are when Babylon is roaming around taking over places. Not us. And who is their god? That they worship.

Well, here what they're saying. In chapter 27 and verse 3, second half of it, you're c. You say, Tyre, I am perfect in my beauty. It's very beautiful nation. She's beautiful, and she is.

Look at verse 28 and verse 2. In the pride of your your heart, you say, I am a god. I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas. We're unstoppable. We're invincible.

I doubt they could sing about porsches because they weren't sort of invented then, but we're a ship with our sails, full of wind, and our rudder straight. We're invincible. Tire, I am a god in the heart of the sea. Now tire is worth knowing is a sort of city state, and it's part of Tunisia, but it's a it's a sort of 2 city in 1. It's a strange thing.

It's got 1 on the mainland, Tire, and then the other part of the city is out in a on a rock, a kilometer away from the mainland. So if you could put that first picture up, you'll see Tire there. That's causeway wasn't built then. That's when they are destroyed by Alexander the Great. But you've got Tire there as a as a city state out in an island a kilometer from the mainland, and you've got Tire there on the mainland.

That just gives you a bit. Entire means rock. So this is a very rocky place. Yeah? And it means rocks.

You can turn that off. And if you read through chapter 26, If you've got it, you can just look down. You'll see that it has strong defensive walls, just to put up that other picture, and you'll see a picture of look look at the walls. That's it out on the rock. It has strong defensive walls, and it has towers all around the walls.

It's a very, very strong, and beautiful city. You can turn that off. Very, very beautiful. And we and 26 talks about chapter 26 talks about them having music in the streets. Because they're at peace.

And there's, you know, it's it's joy going on. They don't have to worry their defenses are strong, and they're very beautiful. In chapter 27, we see that they traded with people all over the Mediterranean Sea. They're an international port. They're an economic hub, to world commerce, and they're vastly vastly wealthy and kick above their small state in influence of the world.

They are so wealthy. They have a, a mercenary army that they pay from the best blokes they can get around the world. They're safe. They're strong. They're unstoppable.

They're invincible. In chapter 27, ezekiel is such a brilliant preacher because he's showing them in their own language. He he gives this picture of a beautiful ship. I am a god. I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of a sea, and he paints how beautiful they are as a really powerful ship.

Look, they're they're made of the best material. If you look down at verses 4 to 7, in chapter 27. I won't read it all, but look at verse 4. Your domain your domain was on the high seas. Your builders brought your beauty to perfection.

And then you look down and they have they're made of timbers of of juniper and cedars of Lebanon and Oak of Basthen, and they have great oars, and Cyprus wood makes them up. And they've got this beautiful Egyptian linen that is made for their for their sales. They are beautifully made. And only the finest material is being put into the god of the sea. And then look at the key the crew that they have, the best crew in the world versus 8 to to 11.

Of, chapter 28. Excuse me. I just have a look look down there. So there's men of sidon, there's men of Persia, there there's men of, Arvard, and, wherever that is, there's and their shipwrights, and they're strong, and they're they're sailors, and they're veteran craftsmen. It's the best crew in the world.

They're strong, a mercenary army from the best in the world. And then look where they're trading versus 12 to 25. Just look down. You see they trade with Tarshes and Greece and Arabia and others. And what do they trade in?

They trade in silver and iron and tin and lead and bronze. You see it all? They trade human beings. They're into slave trade. They make money out of human beings and horses and other livestock.

They trade in gold and precious stones in ebony and ivory and cloves and olives and oil and Look at verse 25. The ships of Tarshes serve as carriers for your wares. Even other ships of other nations are taking their stuff. They're so they're so they're so powerful. You are filled with heavy cargo as you sail the sea.

Thanks to the business network of tire, luxuries and necessities are distributed around all of the Mediterranean Sea. And beyond. I mean, the you wouldn't mess up a trade deal with these people. If they started putting on 25 percent on their trade deals, you wouldn't argue with it because they're really at the center of commerce. In chapter 28, they're very secure in their own skills, self made men and women.

Look at verse 4. By your wisdom and understanding, you have gained wealth for yourself. And amass gold and silver in your treasuries by your great skill in trading. You've increased you've increased in wealth. They are hardworking, skilled people.

They're they're the at the top of their trade. This this is what you would want to say to your your young people, look at the people attire. Aspire to that. Hard work, skill. Look at what they've done.

Go to their schools. Move into their areas. Buy a house in that area so you could get them to the the local good tire score because they're gonna learn commerce and trade. You know? Job security.

That's the place to live. Safe from international crisis and any and any economic recession. They're surrounded by beautiful people and luxury items, and you could more walk amongst the rich and the famous there. A city state, proud of its achievements, and why not? Small, but punches above its weight in the international scene and world influence.

And as they look at the superpower of Babylon reducing Jerusalem to rubble, they gloat. If only you believed in our gods, if only you look to us, they gloat, and they see a downtrodden people, and not only do they gloat, they say great. We can dread on them. We can make more money out of this, you know? That's how strong we are.

Our gods look after their own. That's what they're thinking. That's my second point. Get it? Ty, wanna live there?

Good place to live. Isn't it? Do you wanna live there, Chris? No? 0.3.

Thier's success is fragile and is gonna fall and fail. They have a false hope. Their hope is hopeless in the end. In the end, it will be the end. The sovereign lord, remember, the sovereign lord will show you that he is lord, then they will know that he is the lord.

And part of his showing that he is the lord, is to start to show them that they're not. That's how you start seeing that he's the lord. When you start realizing that you are not, You're not unstoppable. You're not invincible. Suddenly waves come into your life.

Don't they to tell you that? You're not invincible. I and even your dreams get shattered, and suddenly you're in a mundane life, perhaps, or something suddenly happens. The sovereign lord is gonna show them that he is lord, then they will know his lord. But first of all, they need to know they're not.

So in verse 26, the strong wall that we saw and the strong towers fall, why? Because god is going to send a storm You see how Ezekiel does it? He speaks their language, a sea storm. Look at verses 3 to 5 of chapter 26. Therefore, this is what the sovereign lord says.

I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you like the sea casting up its waves. They will destroy the walls of Tire and pull down her towers. I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock out in the sea, she will become a place to spread fishing nets. You're just gonna be a rock where the fishermen just spread their nets to dry. All abuse is gone.

Scraped clean. It's there's a tsunami coming. You think you're safe. You laugh at other nations that are destroyed, Jerusalem. But I wanna tell you, Babylon, the same people that destroyed Jerusalem are on their way, and you just don't know it.

The title, the tsunami is coming. Look at verse 19, you'll see that god describes I will I will bring at the end of verse 19. I will bring the ocean depths over you, and its vast waters will cover you. There's a tsunami coming. You're out in sea as a god, are you?

Then your wars are gonna fall. Then look at chapter 27. The beautiful boat that's made out of all of that beautiful stuff is gonna sink. God's gonna sink the unsinkable look at verse 34. Now you are shattered by the sea.

In the depths of the water, your wares, and all your company have gone down with you. All of the crew, all of the beautiful ship is battered by the storm. And the sink the shippers sunk. You're not unstoppable. You're not invincible.

You're not unsinkable. Verse 28. The god of tyre dies. Look at verse 8 of 28. They will bring you down to the pit and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas.

Will you then say I am god in the presence of those who kill you? Imagine that I'm god in the presence of those who kill you. I I remember when Chancesco and Missus Chancesco from Romania were just about to be shot. It was an extraordinary bit of, TV, and they're standing up, and they're swearing and telling, giving, trying to give orders to the blokes who have guns up and are just about to shoot them. They thought they were a god until the bullet hit them.

Are you gonna say that? Is that what you're gonna do? Will you say verse 9 of 28? I am a god in the presence of those who kill you? Will you put up will you be, you will be, but a mortal, not a god in the hands of those who slay you?

You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken declares the lord, all your achievements, all the things you put your hope in, are going to go away when you die. That's a horrible thought, but isn't that true? You can't take stuff with you. You leave it behind.

Hope in temporary things is hopeless. And it you have to go under more deception that you're a god, more and more stupidity when you think you're god. I mean, think of the beautiful people. And there are beautiful people, aren't there? Really good looking people, but they think the beauty is their own May.

They think that they don't think god gave it to them. It's them who are beautiful. And then they believe in their beauty, and they get lots of fame and and money for being beautiful. But then, of course, age starts coming in, and they try to keep hold of their beauty, and they're jabbing things in their in their eyebrows and not their noses, and They have all kinds of suctions going on, and they become revolting, don't they? Yeah?

And they believe they're still beautiful. It's true isn't it? The deception is amazing. Now compare tire with this tsunami wave and the sinking of the ship, just compare tire for the moment, this great walled city crashing down, compare tire, this great ship sinking, and how great the powers have lost everything, how those great powers have lost everything. Compare that with a little boy and a little **** ** the beach.

Just outside Tyre, just up a bit in Tunisia. A little boy and a little **** ** the beach, a beach day, now in a lovely time, and they collect the driftwood. And they make a lovely boat that floats. Put a little flag on it. Nice little get a nice bit of driftwood.

Look. This fits well, and they get the best driftwood. And they make a little boat, and they push it out on the tide. And as they see it floating on the tide, they're they're thrilled with their little boat, and they start making a sand castle with towers and little nice wall around the sand castle. And nice towers and little windows, and it's beautiful.

And they see the boat going out on the tide, and then they see the tide change, and the boat comes back quite quickly. And Smashes into their into their Sancastle, knocking down a tower, and they're clapping and laughing because it's such fun, because they knew that would happen. And then the wave smashes down their San Castle, and they laugh and they pack up their stuff, and they've enjoyed their day at the beach, and they thank god and go home for tea. See you the difference? The great powers have lost everything because they put their trust in everything.

But the kids, they enjoyed what god gave them. They knew it was only here until the wave came. And because of that, they could enjoy it. To put your hope in the things of this world is monstrously stupid, which leads me to my fourth point. The fourth point.

A lament. A lament of what could have been. Tire. We're at the funeral now. Now remember god does not delight in the death of the wicked, chapter 18.

Remember that? He doesn't delight in it. And so in these verses of chapter 28, versus 11 to 19. We're taken to a lament. There's a lament.

There's a cry. There's a funeral going on. This is sad. This is what should have been. This is how King of Tire should have lived his life.

This is what would have been much better if he hadn't have gone for his perversion. If he hadn't have put his hope in his self. If he hadn't have called himself god, This is what it would have been. It would have been much more like the children going home for tea after having a wonderful day and thanking god for that they could make a sand castle. This is what it's like.

The sovereign lord, he sees not against beauty. Of course, he's not. He's not against hard work. He's not against ambition. He's not against rich clothes.

He's not against fame or ambition. God is not against those things. Just look at King Solomon. The sovereign lord loves people to flourish and prosper. He put Adam and Eve in the garden to be fruitful.

He loves that. He's not anti that. But the problem is if you try and cut yourself off from god and produce fruit, that fruit has not the source of life to it, because you've cut yourself off from the source of life, and that fruit will go bad. So we come to this section versus 11 to 19 in chapter 28, and ezekiel puts on the morning clothes and stands up for the funeral. And there's a lament, and he draws a contrast in what tire were and what they become.

You do that funeral, don't you? Try and think of the best thing to say about horrible people that have died, don't you? Yeah? You can't really stand up and say, gosh, they have an awful, weren't they? You gotta say, well, you know, he he he had a nice card, didn't he?

He was really? He loved his car. Yeah? Didn't love his wife. Didn't love his family.

Well, he loved his car. You know, you don't but look, this is a sad song because this is what they should have been. This is what should be said at the funeral. First 11, the word of the lord came to me son of man, take up a lament. Concerning the King of Tyre and say to him, this is what the Soviet lord says.

You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of god. Every precious stone adorns you, Cornelian, crystallite, Emerald topaz, onyx, and Jasper, Lapas, I could never say that for some reason. I practice it, and it never comes out. What is it?

Laz lazily, whatever. Turquoise, and barrel, Your settings and warnings were made of gold on the day you were created, you were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub. So for that's, of, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of god.

You walked among the fiery stones. That's what you should have been like. He takes us to the garden of Eden He takes us to a description of Adam and Eve. He takes us to what humans were meant to be. This wonderful picture of a god created beautiful being that was there to live with god and love god and understand god and enjoy god's creation around him.

That is the state that mankind, Adam, and Eva, fallen from, and that's where you are king of Tyre. You've fallen from that. You've fallen from that state, and every human being has. Look at verse 15. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created.

There was a beauty of being blameless of no guilt in your life, but then From the day you were created verse 15 till the wickedness was found in you through your widespread trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of god and expelled you guardian cherub from among the fiery stones. You were blameless. You were meant to walk with me. You were meant to know me, enjoy the world, make the sandcastles.

Not trusting them, and how did it go wrong? Look at verse 17. Your heart became proud on the account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. Go back to to, 28 and verses 2 and 3. In the pride of your heart, you say, I am god.

I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the sea, but you are a mere mortal and not a god, though you think you are as wise as god. Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? Becoming proud not only makes you unrealistic about yourself. It makes you in conflict with the living god.

Pride is a disaster, and god hates pride we're told in the Bible. Proverbs 16 verse 5, the lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this. They will not go unpunished. And not only will he, you know, punished them.

He's opposed to the pride. God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble, he says in James chapter 4. Pride. Pride at its core is the idolatry of self. I don't need god.

I am alright on my own. I will take what god has given me and I will use it for me and my glory. And god can't have that because it's a lie and a disaster because you're not god. God hates pride, but pride hates god. In Psalm 10 verse 4, in his pride, the wicked does not seek him.

In all his thoughts, there is no room for god. Pride is the illusion that we're competent to live our own lives. We don't need god. But not only that. Pride loves sin.

Pride is the first sin and all other sins follow it. When you are about yourself, you can trade in a dodgy manner and down and tread on the downtrodden. And pride, we're told is the sin of the devil. That made him rebel against god. And this passage that we're in, 11 to 19 of chapter 28, merges the whole concept of Adam and Eve sinning because of pride and Satan sinning because of pride.

Do you see it? Satan sins because of pride He lies to us about what life is about, and Adam and Eve sin, and then the king of tyre, and then every nation falls in that area. And Jesus says that Satan is the father of lies He says that Satan is a murderer from the beginning. He says that Satan is the accuser. So when we listen to Satan, when we become pride, proud, then it's Satan who we were following.

We're building our life on Satan, the father of lies, and that's no rock to build your life on. To build your life on a lie is no rock to build your life on because in the end, god will judge that lie. He'll bring it down as those verses from 17 to 19 show us. He'll bring it down in a horrible way. He'll remove it.

He'll take all the rubble from the rock. He'll make the rock just drying fishing nets. Now where does this lead us? Jesus says repent and believe. Jesus has given us time in this world to repent and believe.

And Jesus gives a story of 2 houses. The house that is built on the sand that looks good that's on the sand near the seashore, the millionaire house, It's so good, but there's no foundations. It's built on the sand. And when a storm comes, the house falls, but there's a house built on the rock. It's got foundations.

And when a storm comes, the house stands because it's on a rock. Now tire means rock, but we've seen it sand. The rock where to build our house on is Jesus and his words. The rock we are to build our lives on is him and his words. And as we build our lives on him, we understand what is a sandcastle and what is gonna last forever.

And when we understand what is gonna last forever, that's where our emphasis goes, that's where our love goes, that's where our heart is, that there's a new creation, where there's all the beautiful things of creation, and the splendor of walking with god, 2 houses. Which are you building on? Where's your hope in your beauty that you already know it's fading? In your manliness that you already know that the muscles are aching in your youth. Don't you know you're gonna get old?

In your job? Don't you know that when you leave, no 1 will remember you? In your fame? Don't you know that fame comes and goes? Nothing wrong with any of those things, but you're hoping them and everything is wrong with everyone because they're hopeless.

Because when the wave of death comes, they're all wiped away, And the only thing that stands is did you listen to the word of Christ and repent and trust him and say I give you my life? You are my savior. You are my god. I wanna learn to love you. I wanna learn to walk with you.

I wanna give my life to you. I wanna build my life on the rock. We we sang that amazing song didn't we? With the kids. It don't matter what the proud 1 says.

God sits in the highest place. Even when the wicked ones disobeyed, god sits in the highest place. God sits in the highest place full of glory, full of grace. It don't matter what the proud 1 says. God sits in the highest place.

When the liars lie and the haters hate, god sits in the highest place, When the waters rage in the mountain shake, god sits in the highest place. God sits in the highest place, full of glory, full of grace. It don't matter what the proud 1 says. God sits in the highest place. He's gonna banish sin and shame.

God sits in the highest place. The nations tremble at his name. They will do. God sits in the highest place. God sits in the highest place, full of glory, full of grace, It don't matter what the proud 1 says.

God sits in the highest place. It don't matter what the proud 1 says. God sits in the highest place. It's a great greater theme than I'm invincible, and I'm unstoppable, isn't it? Because you're not.

God sits in the highest place. Come to him and trust him. Ask him to be your Savior. Let's pray. Lord, Jesus, we thank you that you do sit in the highest place and, you rule as king of kings and lord of lords.

And, we know that you give grace to the humble, but that you oppose the proud. And we pray that you would help us to humble ourselves before you that you may lift us up and pray that you'd help us to keep the perspective we've been seeing this morning that these great nations and the great nations of history and of the world that though they, in a moment can seem so strong and invincible, that you just have to say the word or click your fingers and it will all come tumbling down and be forgotten, and to help us we pray to be like those children on the beach to to enjoy the things of this life, but to not invest our all into them. But rather to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness and to build on that rock so that when the judgment day comes, we will have something great to boast in, not in ourselves, but in you and the work that you gave us to do. Help us in Jesus' name. Oh, man.