In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing when the Lord is at work and being ready to advance quickly in our spiritual battles. Using the example of David and his troops, the speaker explains that when they heard the sound of marching in the mulberry trees, it was a signal for them to move forward and strike the camp of the Philistines. The speaker encourages the audience to constantly seek the Lord and be open to different battle plans that God may give. Additionally, the speaker highlights the joy and excitement that comes from recognizing Jesus as the King in our lives.

In 2 Samuel chapter 5 this morning, the best way is to just jump right into verse 1. Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, Indeed, we are your bone and your flesh. Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in. And the Lord said to you, You shall shepherd my people Israel and be ruler over Israel. Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. Many centuries past, we look at David and we say, Well, look at this great king over Israel, the greatest king Israel ever had. Oh, they had kings with more territory, they had kings with greater military might, they had kings over greater material prosperity, but there was never a king as great over Israel as David. But I think it's fascinating, for the first five or six years of his reign, only one tribe out of all the twelve tribes of Israel recognized him. Only one tribe, the tribe of Judah. The other eleven tribes recognized a pretender to the throne, a man named Ish-bosheth. He was sort of a renegade son of Saul, the previous king of Israel. And these eleven tribes didn't come around to supporting David, to embracing him as king, until Ish-bosheth was dead. Now, it's great that now that Ish-bosheth is dead, we saw his murder in the previous chapter, and David dealt severely with that as well. He didn't like it that Ish-bosheth was murdered, but once that he was, the other eleven tribes said, Well, Ish-bosheth is dead, I guess David could be our king now. And isn't it funny? It's strange to us, isn't it? I mean, here you've got two kings to choose between. You've got Ish-bosheth and you have David. I mean, just the sounds of the names. Who wants king Ish-bosheth? You'd think you'd want king David. That sounds a little bit better than Ish-bosheth. And the character and the calling of the two men weren't equal at all. And it's amazing that eleven of the tribes chose Ish-bosheth. They wouldn't receive, they wouldn't embrace David. It's sad that the tribes only turned to David when their previous choice was taken away. I could stand back and sort of cluck my tongue at those eleven tribes. Oh, how carnal they are. It's easy for me to do that until I look in the mirror. And take a look at times in my life when I've had my intention on other things, and I only turned my attention away from those things and back to Jesus when the Lord took away those other choices. You know, here's a common situation that many people encounter in their life. You're in an ungodly romance, and you've set your affection on another person in an ungodly way. And in effect, that person is in your life as an idol. And you're not really worshipping King Jesus, you're worshipping that person or that romance. Now, if we were smart, we'd say, listen, I'm going to serve Jesus, and I'm going to leave that romance aside. But so often, how is it? You don't turn back to Jesus and give him the rightful place until that person dumps you. And then when you're dumped and have that broken heart, well, then you come back to Jesus. Well, it doesn't make any sense, does it? You should have come back before. But yet, oftentimes, there's just something in our heart where we'll only recognize Jesus as King when our other choices crumble. But we should choose Jesus outright, not when the other options fail. Well, at least they came around to serving David as King, and they give three specific reasons why. Look at the first reason in verse 1. It says, Indeed, we are your bone and your flesh. The elders of Israel received David's leadership because he was an Israelite himself. You're one of us, David. We recognize that you can effectively lead us because you're one of us. You know, followers want to know that of a leader, that he's not in some ivory tower, some distant place. You're one of us. Secondly, and this is in verse 2, it says, Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in. That's sort of a biblical phrase, meaning you conducted successful military campaigns on our behalf. They said, David, we're going to receive your leadership because you've already displayed your ability to lead. You did it in the past when Saul was king. And look at the third reason. It's in the second part of verse 2. It says, And the Lord said to you, you shall shepherd my people Israel and be ruler over Israel. In other words, the elders of Israel received David's leadership because it was evident that God had called him to lead. There was an evident call of God on his life. Now, might I say that those three characteristics should mark anyone who leads God's people. First of all, are you one of them? Secondly, have you demonstrated your capability to lead? And third, do you have an evident call of God? Isn't that a great challenge for any leader? If you're going to step forward and be a leader among God's people in some way, those three things should mark your life. But by the same token, notice that the elders of Israel received David's leadership when they saw those things in him. And when you see those three things in a leader, you should receive their leadership. You should embrace it. You should say, I'm going to follow that person because I can tell they're one of us. I can tell that they've demonstrated a capability to lead. And third, they have an evident call. I'm going to follow them. That's how it was with the elders of Israel. And I think it's great when you go through the scriptures and start comparing scripture with scripture. 1 Chronicles chapter 12 tells us about this great gathering at Hebron where the elders of Israel recognized David as king over all Israel. And actually, when you read about it in 1 Chronicles 12, there's a lot more to this than we see immediately here in 2 Samuel chapter 5. It says in Chronicles that there was a great army gathered together, that all the troops from the different tribes came together. And there were more than 340,000 soldiers gathered together. It was a great military parade. It also says in 1 Chronicles that they got together and for three days they feasted and partied. It was a tremendous celebration before the Lord. They were excited because now they recognize David as king. And friends, I think it should be the same way in our life. When there's a recognition of the kingship, of the royalty of Jesus in your life, there's a happiness to it. There's an excitement. I don't get it when Christians are depressed and sad. I don't get it when I'm depressed and sad. You know, I look at myself in those times and say, what do you have to be depressed? Oh, did God get off of his throne? You know, there's a great story about Catherine von Bora who married Martin Luther and became his wife. And one day when Martin Luther was in one of his depressed times, men of God, great men of God through history go through these seasons of great depression and discouragement. And Martin Luther was in despair in one of these and just going all around. And one day his wife comes down and she's all dressed in black like she's going to a funeral. Just dressed in mourning. And he looks at that and it catches his eye. He goes, what, are you going to a funeral? You know who died? And she said, oh, God has died. And he says, wife, what are you talking? Don't say such things that God has died. Just, well, of course God has died. Look at the way you're depressed and discouraged. Surely God has died in heaven if you're this discouraged and depressed. Well, it was a good rebuke to him. And he realized, well, what are you discouraged about? You know, if you recognize the royalty of Jesus in your life, what do you have to be discouraged about? Well, all the circumstances might be against you, but King Jesus reigns on his throne. And when these people embrace David as king, there is tremendous rejoicing. It says in First Chronicles 12, all these men of war who could keep ranks came to Hebron with a loyal heart to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king. And there they were with David three days eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them, for there was joy in Israel. Well, there's joy in our life when we embrace Jesus as king. Well, going on now to verse four, it speaks about the duration of David's reign. It says David was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 40 years. In Hebron, he reigned over Judah seven years and six months. And in Jerusalem, he reigned 33 years over all Israel and Judah. Do you notice that? A 40 year reign. Now, I think about a couple of things. First of all, I think David came to the throne when he was 30. Go back in your mind mentally in the book of First Samuel, about chapter 15 or 16, when the prophet Samuel anointed a young boy named David to be the next king of Israel. Do you know how old David was at that time? Something like 12, 13, 14, at the outside, 15 years old. So it took at least 15 years from the time he was anointed to be king from the time that he actually sat on the throne over Israel. And then it took seven more years until he reigned over all Israel. But until he sat on a throne at all, more than 15 years. You know, we take a look at that and we go, well, that's no big deal. I mean, look, he reigned 40 years, 40 years of a glorious reign. What's that said against 15 years of preparation? Well, it makes sense when you're done with it all. But when you're in the middle of the 15 years, it's like agony, isn't it? 15 years for this. You know, friends, God's work in our life often takes time. People who know me, my wife knows this about me. I'm always in a rush. I'm always in a hurry. There's nothing more frustrating to me than when you catch a bunch of red lights and they take forever. You know, it's just my impatience. And, you know, I always think I'm ready for everything. But, you know, God's work, especially if it's a great work, especially if it's a genuinely good work, it takes time. You see that little acorn and it's going to grow into a great oak tree, is it? Well, you plant that acorn and how long does it take for it to grow into a great, mighty oak? Many, many years. Now, squash, it grows up overnight. So what kind of Christian life and effectiveness do you want? That of a squash or a mighty oak? Now, what I want is I want the strength and the majesty and the enduring fruit of an oak tree, but I want it in the squash's time. And God says it doesn't work that way. Oh, you know, my mind goes back, you know, 20 years ago when when another gentleman and I, we started a Calvary Chapel in Oxnard out of two home Bible studies that we had going. And I suppose you would say that's when my real pastoral ministry began. I taught home Bible studies before that time and such. But here now I was going to be a pastor of a church and I was all of 19 years of age. And I was so smart back then, man, I knew it all. It's amazing how the years go on and I seem to get dumber and dumber. I wish I knew everything I knew back then, but I was smart enough to know, you know, I knew that I wasn't going to set the world on fire right away. I knew that God had to prepare me. I knew that at 19 years of age, I wasn't going to set the world on fire. It was going to take two or three years of preparation, at least, you know, and your mind's just filled. You never say him. I mean, it sounds stupid to say, but it's in your head somewhere. Oh, and God takes the years to teach you and to train you that that it generally takes longer than you think. We usually think we're ready long before we are. Well, David had a glorious reign, but God used a great time of preparation to do it. I don't know about you, but I want to be used to my utmost. I don't think that God is done preparing me for what he has later in my life and later in my ministry, and I think the same principle is probably true of you. Well, it was certainly true of David, but look, he certainly went out and accomplished great things. Verse six shows some of the great fruit that he had when he once came to the throne. Verse six says, And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land who spoke to David, saying, You shall not come in here, but the blind and the lame will repel you, thinking David cannot come in here. You see, the city of Jerusalem at that time was still in Canaanite hands. The Israelites had not conquered it yet. It was something that had resisted the authority of the rightful king. And now that David takes control, he's going to take this pocket of land, this city that had long been under enemy control, and he says, There's a new king in town. I'm taking this city over. Now, it was a very well defended city. It had great natural defenses, steep walls, and it was on top of a hill, very hard to attack. And so the Jebusites taunted the men of David, saying, You know, we can put the blind and the lame on top of this wall and they can defend among you. And you wouldn't take that to a man like David. You wouldn't throw down a challenge like that in front of him. It would just make him all the more determined. So look what happens. Verse seven. Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion. That is the city of David. Now, David said on that day, whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites, the lame and the blind who are hated by David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Therefore, they say the blind and the lame shall not come into the house. So David dwelt in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the millow and inward. So David went on and became great. And the Lord God of hosts was with him. Well, David says, you challenge me and say that that the city so mighty that the blind and the lame can defend it. I'll show you who's blind and lame. And David and his men, in a great act of bravery, scaled the walls and went up through the water shaft and they conquered the city of Jerusalem. This was a city that had been long under enemy control. And when the king comes in and takes control over Israel, now it's conquered. You know, the same principle is true in our Christian life. King Jesus conquers old strongholds when he becomes king over our life. You know, territory that should have been given to him long ago, it can be given over to him now at a rededication when you say King Jesus reign over my life. There's no habit in your life that Jesus can't take control over. Well, some of you, you're stuck in some sin and you just sort of you write it off now. You've just accepted it. You've made a peace treaty with that sin because it seems so stubborn in your life. I'm telling you, it's not so stubborn that Jesus can't conquer it. Would there anybody be here this morning? You stand up and give a testimony and say, well, this is a sin that's just too tough for Jesus to conquer in my life. It just can't be done. No, King Jesus, if you'll let him reign, if you'll let him have authority, you'll see that he can even conquer a stubborn old thing in your life and bring great, great victory through it. And so David makes Jerusalem his new capital city. And didn't you love how I put it there in verse 10? So David went on and became great. And the Lord God of hosts was with him. Well, we love that verse, don't we? The becoming great. And David knew greatness. But let's remind ourselves he was by no means an overnight success. David was long prepared for the greatness that came to him, and he came to that place of greatness because the Lord God of hosts was with him. Friends, let's remind ourselves that in God's plan, there is almost always a hidden price of greatness. Again, we want the oak trees majesty with the squashes growth curve. And it doesn't happen that way in the kingdom of God. No, in God's kingdom, you have that hidden price of greatness. You say, well, you know, we want to reign like David, but 10 years being hunted by Saul in the wilderness. No, thank you. Living as a fugitive with no home, with no family, with no the rest of it. It's very difficult. I want you to see that David paid that hidden price of greatness. And oftentimes those who become great amongst God's people, they experience much pain and difficulty in God's training process. Well, it was true of David, but he was lifted up to a high place. Look at it here in verse 11. Then Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David and cedar trees and carpenters and masons, and they built David a house. So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people. Israel. Well, this shows his great prestige as an influence. Even neighboring kings send down supplies and craftsmen to build him a great palace and David's reign, David's influence over Israel. It's very, very securely established. He reigns over Israel. And just when we think that the star can't shine any brighter, we think, oh, this is fantastic. Sort of a minor chord is introduced into the song right now. There's a shadow that passes over this brilliant scene. Look at it right here in verse 13. And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he had come from Hebron. Also, more sons and daughters were born to David. Now, these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem. Shamuah, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nefeg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada and Ephelet. All these were born to David while he was in Jerusalem. Well, you see the shadow that passes over the scene there. It's the fact that David had many wives and concubines. Now, why? I want you to realize that this David was just buying into the spirit of the day. And that day, if you were a great king, one of the ways that you express the greatness of your reign was you had a big harem. That's what all the kings around David did. The Moabite king, the Ammonite king, the Egyptian king, the Syrian king. If they were great kings, they had a great harem. And David's just following into the spirit of the day, the worldly thinking of his times. I don't think he asked God about this. If he asked God about it, God would have taken him back to Genesis chapter three, where it says that God had ordained from the very beginning that a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined unto his wife. And the two shall become one flesh, not one in five, not one in eight. The two shall become one. David would have turned to Deuteronomy chapter seven, where specific instruction was given to the kings of Israel that neither shall the king multiply wives for himself, lest he turn his heart away. It says the king shall not multiply wives to himself. And by this time, David has, I don't know, eight or nine, ten wives and concubines. And I think any way you slice it, once you get up to eight or nine or ten, that's multiplication. You might say two or three wives. That's just addition. But you get up to nine or ten. That's multiplication. David's multiplying wives unto himself. I think the difficult thing here is that everything was going so great for David. All this success, all this military success, prosperity, look at the great new palace there in Jerusalem and everything's going great. But friends, it's often the case that in the times of our greatest success, the seeds for later tragedy and failure are sown. And that's how well this is, David. And he couldn't see it. He couldn't perceive it because look, it's everything's going so great. I keep adding more wives and more concubines and I'm more and more blessed. And maybe you think that God is blessing all that because the blessing continues. But no, later on, those seeds of failure and tragedy that were sown in the time of great success, they're going to grow up to bear bitter fruit in the life of David. You see, these wives and concubines were an expression of uncontrolled lust on David's part. And that uncontrolled lust is going to flower one day when David is standing on top of his rooftop and he sees a woman bathing and he says, get that woman for me. I mean, he's been saying that self to him all the time. Get that woman for me. Get that woman for me. Now, before they've all been unmarried, so he just made them a wife or a concubine. Oh, but this woman, Bathsheba, she was married. Well, it didn't matter to David. He'd been saying, get that woman for me all along. The seeds to his destruction or or or failing, I should say, not destruction, because David was not destroyed, but he failed deeply. The seeds for that failure were sown in a time of great success. Later on, he's going to have tremendous trouble from his family and his own sons are going to rise up to disgrace him. And one's going to going to launch a civil war against him. The seeds to that failure, they were sown in the time of great success. I fear that some of us are in that place. You know, it's a time of some of us for great prosperity, great blessing. Hope things with the family are going great. Look at your kids. They're growing up so big and great and they're so smart and such great character. And look at you in business. You've never been more prosperous. Your career is just kicking into high gear. You're making more money than you ever thought you would. I mean, you're just blessed. Praise God for all the success, for all the blessing. Be careful that those seeds for later failure are not being sown right now. Be careful that you're not winking at sin and saying, look, everything's going so great. God must be pleased with it. If it's sin, it's sin. It doesn't matter how great everything's going. It doesn't matter how successful everything is. It's sin, it's sin, and you need to deal with it as such. In some ways, David seemed to handle trials better than success. It's the case for many of us. Well, but he's still on the successful role. So let's take a look at it and enjoy it while we can. Verse 17. Now, when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over all Israel, the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the valley of Rephan. So David inquired of the Lord saying, shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said to David, go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand. Wasn't that great? David's seeking the Lord. Oh, Lord, what do you want me to do in regard to the Philistines? And God says, well, go up against them in battle. Just meet him head on and I'll give them into your hand. Don't you wish David would have inquired of the Lord this way about all those wives and concubines? But at least he did it about the Philistines and God blessed him with that. As long as David sought the Lord and in those places where he sought the Lord, God guided him and God blessed him. And look at how he blessed him here in verse 20. So David went to Baal, Parazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, the Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breakthrough of water. Therefore, he called the name of that place Baal, Parazim, and they left their images there. And David and his men carried them away. Think of a dam breaking. He said it was like the breakthrough of water. And there's the dam and there's the little cracks in the dam and a little bit of water is flowing through it. But then the pressure is building up. You know, the crack gets bigger and bigger. What happens? Well, there's just a gush, the dam burst, and there's a great flood of water. It's like a breakthrough. And that's what it was like for David in the victory right here. Oh, I love those breakthrough victories, don't you? Where it's just like a flood, where it's just like water pouring out. And it's a great, tremendous breakthrough victory. That's what this battle against the Philistines was like. And David recognized it. So he sought the Lord. God guided him. It was such an overwhelming victory, like a waterfall flowing down. So great that the Philistines, they left their idols behind. And David and his men picked him up and carried him away. Well, look at it, it's even better here in verse 22. It says, Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, You shall not go up, circle around them and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. Well, they're getting ready for the next battle. And what does David do? He inquires of the Lord again. I don't know about you, but this is the place where I mess up often. You know, I'm just coming from the flush of victory. I just beat the Philistines. And what do I need to inquire to the Lord about for the next battle? Look, I know how to beat Philistines. I just did it. Let's just go and do it. But David was smart enough to say, No, I'm going to inquire of the Lord before each battle. I'm not going to sit back in self-confidence and say, Well, you know, I'm a Philistine beater, so I can just do it. No, David always triumph when he sought and obeyed God. And so he sought the Lord again. He inquired of the Lord again. Lord, how do you want me to do it? And God gave him a different plan. Did you notice it there in verse 23? And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, You shall not go up, circle around behind them and come up upon them in front of mulberry trees. Last time I wanted you to meet him head on. This time circle around behind the Philistine army and wait behind the mulberry trees behind the mulberry trees. What's going to happen then? Well, God will show him. Look at verse 24. So it shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines. And David did so as the Lord commanded him. And he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Giza. That's where all the old people lived in Giza. Well, you see, it's a great victory, right? The Lord told David to do it. He did it. And I think there's two great things that we draw from these last couple of verses. First of all, it's to seek the Lord constantly. Here's a new situation. And David sought the Lord and God gave him a different battle plan and he obeyed it. It was completely different. The end result was the same. The Philistines were routed each time. But God gave him a different battle plan. And then there's another thing that I think is interesting here. Look at verse 24 again. So it shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines. Here's David's army behind the mulberry trees. And there's the Philistine army supposedly on the other side of this grove of mulberry trees. God says to David, you wait until you hear the sound of rustling in the mulberry trees. I'll send that sound. And when you hear that sound, you rush forward because I'm going to give you the victory. Now, I love to read, I love Bible commentaries, I love old commentators, not that there's not some great modern Bible commentators that I like to read, and I could talk your ear off for an hour or two about the great commentaries that I like and commentators and such, but I like the old guys. There's a saying that goes, if it's not dead, it's not read. In other words, if the guy isn't dead, it might not be worth reading. And I don't subscribe to that entirely, but mostly I do. And my favorite commentators are old guys like Charles Spurgeon and G. Campbell Morgan and John Trapp and Adam Clark and the others. And I would hear them use this phrase all the time. I remember it many times in Spurgeon, just in the middle of a sermon. He'd throw out this phrase, you know, and when you hear the sound of rustling in the mulberry trees or it was like the sound of rustling in the mulberry trees, and I would kind of read it and go, yeah, I'm kind of act like I knew what he was talking about and move on. But I never really got it until just this week when I really took a look at this passage and understood what he meant about the sound of rustling in the mulberry trees. You see, the principle is this. The sound of rustling in the mulberry trees was God's way of telling David, I'm working now. And what was their response supposed to be? Their response was supposed to be when you see God beginning to work, you rush through. You look at it. Verse 24, you shall advance quickly. Now, David could have taken it. Oh, great, Lord, you're beginning the battle. OK, Lord, whip the Philistines and tell me when it's over. No, God's going to show you when he begins to work, then it's your responsibility to advance quickly through and fight the battle. You see, that's how we need to be in our life. Let me repeat it again. Just so you have the principle at the signal that the Lord was at work. David and his troops were to rush forward to victory. And that's true in our everyday walk with God. When we sense that the Lord is at work, you need to advance quickly and you'll see a great victory won. Now, here's the question. Do you see the Lord at work? Do you see a heart stirred around you? Do you see my heart stirred for the Lord? Do you sense something different in worship that God is working in a fresh way and there's a unique anointing there? Or do you just sense spiritually, hey, God's doing something here? Then what do you do in response? You advance quickly. Sometimes you kind of want to stand back and say, OK, Lord, well, you know, I'll come back to this when it gets going a little bit more. No, when you hear the sound of rustling in the mulberry trees, you advance quickly through. There's something really wonderful about the new excuse me, about the old King James version translation of this. It translates 2 Samuel 5, 24 like this. When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees that then thou shalt be stir thyself. Don't you love that? Now, listen, that's the principle. When you hear the work of God happening, bestir thyself, advance quickly. And I like how Spurgeon wanted to point out when he preached a sermon on this passage that it says bestir thyself, not others. You know, a lot of times we're all concerned about stirring other people up and it just degenerates into cheerleading and hype and emotionalism. No, it says bestir thyself. And how do you do it? Let me put it to you this way. When we see the work of God happening around us, it's like the sound in the mulberry trees and the rustling sound should awaken us to prayer and greater devotion. And so Spurgeon said, now, what should I do? The first thing I will do is I will bestir myself. But how shall I do it? Why, I will go home this day and I will wrestle in prayer more earnestly than I have been taken to do before that God will bless the minister and multiply the church. You see the principle. When you see God moving, when you see him working, even if it's just in a small way and we got to admit it doesn't take much for God to rustle some mulberry trees. Well, then you advance quickly through and you'll see a great work of God done. Don't sit back with arms folded and say, well, I want to see a few mulberry trees uprooted before I advance quickly. No, bestir thyself. Now, if you see the sign of God moving, follow hard upon it. You will see God win great victory. Well, that's my prayer for myself and for our congregation. I pray that you see signs of God moving, of God stirring things up. Then bestir thyself and you'll see God triumph in your life just as he did with David. Let's pray towards that end right now. Father, I trust God that we see at least enough of a stirring among us that we would say that it's like the sound of rustling in the mulberry trees. Well, Lord, I pray that you would put upon our hearts a passionate dedication to advance quickly to whatever it is that we normally do for you, Lord, that you would give us a passion to do more, to seek you more diligently, to pray more fervently. I pray that you'd move upon these people, Lord, to lift me up more passionately than they ever have before. And the work that you want to do among us with greater devotion. Lord, even though we see that the tokens among us now, it's just as if it's the sound of rustling in the mulberry trees help us to follow hard upon it, to advance quickly, to bestir ourselves, to see a great work of God done among us. Thank you, Lord. We embrace you as king this morning, Lord Jesus, in Jesus' name. Amen.