In this sermon, the speaker addresses the topic of making God cry. He references John 11:55 and emphasizes the importance of believing in a miracle-working God who has everything under control. The speaker shares personal struggles, including a sick son and his wife losing her sight, which led him to question if he had made God cry. He highlights the lack of faith among Jesus' disciples and the importance of unwavering trust in God, even in the face of challenges. The sermon concludes with the speaker discussing how God, in the form of Jesus, wept over Jerusalem, expressing his love and desire to gather them under his wings.

This recording is provided by Times Square Church in New York City. You're welcome to make additional copies for free distribution to friends. All other unauthorized duplication or electronic transmission is a violation of copyright and other applicable laws. This recording cannot be posted on any website. However, written permission to link to the Times Square Church homepage may be requested by emailing info at timessquarechurch.org. Other recordings are available by calling 1-800-488-0854 or by writing to Times Square Church Tape Ministry, 1657 Broadway, New York, New York, 10019. This morning I want to speak to you on the subject, Forgive me Lord for making you cry. Forgive me Lord for making you cry. There's one verse, it's in John 11.55. Do you know what it is? Well, go ahead and turn to John 11.35. I'm just going to read this one verse, two words. Jesus, what? Jesus wept. Jesus, Christ, Lord and Savior, we thank you for your great love. We thank you for your love for your people. Lord, you told us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and we pray for the peace of Jerusalem now. You said that you would bless those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And we pray, Lord, that you bring peace to Gaza, you bring peace to that troubled Mideast area. And, Lord, that you will support and protect all of those who trust you. We stand here, Lord, redeemed and thankful. But, Lord, we're part of one body worldwide, and if one hurts, we all hurt. God, stop this war, we pray, and give time for the gospel to penetrate and tear down the veils, Lord, upon the Jewish eye, upon the Islamic eye, and upon those who are backslidden in your own church, Lord Jesus, that the veils will be torn apart and Christ be given entrance and peace may come to so many hundreds of thousands, we pray. Now, Lord, we come to this message. We come to the heart of what you want to say to us. Lord, this is not a condemning message, but, Lord, I want us, everyone within the sound of my voice this morning, to reach out and think of your feelings, Jesus. We're always bringing our feelings to you. We're bringing all of our problems to you, and that is scriptural. But, Lord, help us to think now of your feelings and your wounds and your hurts, Lord Jesus, that we can be one with your suffering, that we can enter into your suffering. Lord, you're going to have to speak through me because I can't convey this humanly. It has to be a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit to even comprehend where we're going this morning. So I bring it to you for anointing in Christ's name. Sanctify this vessel. Amen. And don't turn there, but in Luke 19, there's a picture of Jesus approaching the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. And as he comes down the Mount of Olives toward the gate, the crowds begin to grow. And you know the story. They're throwing their outer garments in front of the donkey so the donkey can have a royal trail. And they are crying and shouting, Hosanna, the King has come. He's coming. The hour has come. The King of Israel, peace, is coming to Jerusalem. And while they're shouting and while they're singing their Hosannas, the Bible says, and Jesus came to the city. And when he looked over the city, something amazing happened. Now, the scripture gives the clear reason why they were shouting. It was not because they fully trusted him as the Messiah. They didn't really trust him as God in flesh. But the scripture says because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. They saw Jesus coming and suddenly the crowd began to come rushing out of the city. They heard the noise. And they said, finally, a king has been sent by God. This means peace for Jerusalem, peace for Israel. This means no more war. This means that the kingdom of God is being set up now. He is going to arise in fury. This is what John the Baptist preached about. He's going to come with a sword and he's going to cut and he's going to slash. They began to sing Hosannas to him. And in the midst of it, Scripture said Jesus broke down. It says Jesus wept. He looked at the city and now when he was come near, he beheld the city and he wept over it. Now, here's God in the flesh. The concept of a weeping God is an abomination to the thought and the mind of the wicked man. How can you preach? How can you conceive of a God who weeps, a God who cries? That's weakness. This is God in the flesh. And he sees. He sees what's happening. He's the one who cried as he looked over Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I would have loved you. How I wanted to gather you under my wings as a mother hen gathers her chicks. In other words, I gave you miracles. I gave you signs. I gave you wonders. I met your needs. I fed you miraculously. You've seen miracle after miracle. I've given you every, every example, every kind of love that the father represents. I have done everything that God has called me to do. You've rejected love. And I believe Jesus is weeping. Yes, he's wounded. There's no question that in his human flesh he is wounded by what has happened. He was wounded in the house of his own friends. And there is a sense, though, of weeping because he knows what's coming. He knows that within 70 years the army of Titus is going to come and raze the whole city. The walls are coming down. The temple is coming down. The wives of women are going to be raped. And there's going to be terror and calamity. And he sees the price, the payday for unbelief. What a horrible payday is coming for the rejection of God's love, the rejection of truth and the absolute blatant unbelief. And Jesus weeps over the city. He said the days are coming. Enemies will surround you on every side. There will be calamity. Not one stone will be left upon another. What about now? What about today? Is the glorified Christ capable of feelings? Doesn't the Bible say we have a high priest who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities? It is said of God that he laughs. It is said of God that his anger can be stirred. He is a feeling God. The same man that ascended to glory, the same man who wept, he was moved and wept even in his glorified state, is the same man that was ascended to glory and in glory now in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father who is spirit. Jesus is not only spirit, but he's man. He maintained his body. He had a body and touched as a high priest before the Father, touched with all the feelings and the hurts and the needs of his people. The Bible says we will not have this man rule over us. How often does the church of Jesus Christ wound our Savior by their unbelief? Think of the miracles that Jesus has performed. Think of all the gospel that has gone out. Think of all the thousands of pastors and missionaries around the world who preach faith. And thank God for those who truly believe, such a small number that believe for the impossible, that live with an unwavering faith, who have come to a place where they trust God no matter what happens. But on the whole, as you look at the church of Jesus Christ, there is nothing more than a wavering faith. It's a one crisis at a time faith. One need at a time. Faith sufficient for one crisis. And Lord, if you get me out of this, I'll never doubt you again. And God gets us out of that and then another crisis comes more severe, more intense. And the doubts begin to roll in again and again and again. We doubt him. What is the time? What about the apostles? Folks, I have a sense of the grief of God in my heart. I've been accused of being a negative preacher. I am not a negative preacher. But those who stand in this pulpits, when you walk with Jesus and when you share his heart. He stirs it and he makes you feel out of his love. He makes you feel what he's feeling and he wants to convey the folks. I don't I can't explain this from notes. I can't explain it. But from what I see in the scripture, I see the apostles in a boat and they've just come from feeding 4000. They had fed 5000 previously. They fed 9000 people, plus women and children. And they saw this great these great miracles. They get on a boat and Jesus is talking about Levin, really the doctrine of the Pharisees. And suddenly the disciples are saying, well, who brought bread? We forgot to bring bread. And Jesus is is so shocked by what he heard. He said, do you not yet understand? Don't you remember the miracle, the feeding of the thousand? And listen to his very words. How is it or how can it be you still have unbelief that you don't understand? How can you not believe me and trust me now after all the miracles and the answers to prayer and everything you've seen of me? How is it that you still don't understand? I wonder if Jesus wept a tear, wiped a tear from his eye on that boat that day. What about the time after his resurrection? Two disciples on the road to Emmaus. And in essence, this is what they said. Jesus just fell and stepped with them on the way to Emmaus. And you see, it's been the resurrection has already taken place, but they don't know where Jesus is. And Jesus asked them, what trouble? What is troubling? In essence, they said, well, we don't you understand? Haven't you heard what's going on in Jerusalem? Don't you know the tremendous commotion in the city? Jesus said about what? They said, well, it's about Jesus. We thought he was the redeemer. We thought he was God in flesh. We really thought that this was the time. But he was crucified and he told us he would be raised from the dead on the third day. It's the third day and we've just got reports that the tomb is empty and we don't know where he is. Absolute unbelief. Absolute unbelief. And Jesus said, oh, you fools. You foolish men, so slow to believe. I wonder if he didn't have a cloth at that time with tears in his eyes again. Here are his beloved disciples who had probably been there at the resurrection of Lazarus. They had seen him raise the dead. They had seen all of these miracles. And here is Christ now in his glorified body. Now, does a glorified Christ have feelings? Can he feel hurt? Oh, you fools. You foolish men. How slow to believe. He still loved them, but there's a despairing, there's something in the heart of Jesus. Why couldn't you believe me? Why? I told you time and time again, why couldn't you believe that I was going to die and be raised again? And I would be your life giver, that I am the resurrection. I am the life and I'm living. And they still couldn't believe it, even though they were taken from Moses right through the Scripture of the day. And all of the references to the prophets about Jesus began to open their eyes. They still didn't see it until he sat down and had communion with them and broke the bread. And then suddenly they said, oh, my Jesus Lord. Then it breaks through. It is written that we have a high priest now in glory who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Afterward, after his resurrection, the Scripture said he appeared to the eleven as they set at meat and he upbraided them. He rebuked them, in other words, for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believe not them which had seen him after he was risen. They're in a room now and they're discussing where the whereabouts of Jesus. They've been told in that room. They've been told this is this is his church. These are the pillars of the church. And they're saying we don't know. And they are full of doubt and their hearts are hard. Now, these are those who walk with them were taught by him and loved him. This was his inner circle. Now, folks, I want to tell you, nobody can hurt you more than those that are closest to you. Those who are in your inner circle. No one can wound you like someone that you're intimate with, whom you have trusted and walk with. And here he is in his circle. These are his disciples. These are the pillars of the church. And Jesus appears in that room and he sees unbelief and he listens to their talk as if there as if there was no redeemer. Now, as if there was no living Christ, no resurrection. And he upbraided them. He reproved them. And I tell you now, I believe that Christ was wounded. A resurrected Christ felt the wound of those men that he had trained and loved. And he sees what is coming to mankind and the calamities that are coming. They needed men who believed in the impossible. Here they are shaken with unbelief. In other words, he reproved them. He reproached them for unbelief and for hardness of heart. You see, these people today that are mocking Christ, the wicked world that's mocking Christ, the Da Vinci Code, the Judas Gospel, all the legislation against removing a picture of Jesus from any public school or courthouse, and absolutely setting out to try to wipe the name of Christ or God out of our society. Now, I get angry at that. I'm telling you, it's not spiritual anger. I just get angry. I just say, God, how can you let them get away with it? How long will they mock you and say, this man will not rule over us? And I get upset. And the Lord says, just be still. They're children of the wicked one. They're children of Satan, Jesus said, and they're just doing what their father tells them to do. He said, there's going to be a day. There's going to be a reckoning. Don't get excited. That's not what wounds my heart. That doesn't wound him. They're just doing what their father tells them to do. It's just an outbreak of directions out of hell. And he has his people who have so hardened themselves, so given themselves over to their sins, so rejected the gospel or the love of Christ, they're given over to it. And the Bible said, your father is the devil and you're doing the works of the devil. And that's what it is. Please don't get nervous about it. Thank God for those who are risen up to defend and they write books on the subject and so forth. I'm going to tell you something. If you really love Jesus, if you're walking with Christ, that stuff doesn't that just rolls off your Christian back. It doesn't affect you. Oh, yeah. It gets you fired up. And yours may be what you call holy indignation. I have to confess, it's been more than that for me. But I thank God for those who are defenders of the faith. But don't get upset about that stuff. That's that's not that's not what wounds the heart of God. It's hurtful. Yes, but that's not the issue. The most hurtful wounds are inflicted by the most intimate friends. Now, I know God is no respecter of persons, but you have to take that in the context in which it was given. He's no respecter of persons when it comes to merit. He's no respecter of persons when it comes to salvation by faith alone. And not by works. In other words, he's not going to respect somebody or be someone made special. Say, well, I've I've said in the gospel that you're saved by faith alone, the finished work of Christ. But here's a good man. We're going to let him get in. You know, God respect this man. He's no respecter of person when it comes to merit. Other than faith in Jesus Christ. But he's always Jesus had an inner circle. He had those with which he was most intimate. You see, Peter, James and John, the most intimate of the twelve. You see them being brought into the innermost circle of Christ. You see Peter, James and John with Christ. No one else is allowed in the room when he raises the young damsel from the dead, except Peter, James and John. You go to the Mount of Transfiguration and you will see Peter, James and John. You you see Peter, James and John in the Garden of Gethsemane. Can't you watch with me and pray with me? He had an inner circle. These were going to be the pillars of his church. And these are the ones that are most capable of wounding, most capable. The unbelief of these kind, those closest to him, that kind of unbelief wounds him the most. But you see, he had another circle even closer. It was the home. It was in Bethany, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. And the scripture says this. And now Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus. There was so there was a home for him. There was a place he could go to get away from the crowd for a few moments to just clear his his human mind. And Martha, I'm sure, cooked some lovely meals for her savior. And Lazarus apparently was one of Jesus closest friends. It was someone he could talk to. And a minister can tell you what's that. And often only friends include ministers. And sometimes it's just refreshing to have a lay person that you can just talk to. And not so much about doctrine or the burdens of the church, but just talk about human things. This was his retreat. This was his place that he goes. He could so trust Mary and Martha. He knew all about that one pound box of spikenerd ointment she hid in her room, perhaps under her bed. The anointment that she would put on his feet and prepare him for his death. This was his special inner circle. And one day in his ministry, he a messenger sent the one whom you love is sick. Mary Martha sent a message to Jesus. The one you love. Is sick. And Jesus waited for two days before. The word came that Lazarus died. He sent no word to them. He allowed a hopeless situation to fall into an impossible situation. He allowed it to go to a place where there was no human possibility of the situation being changed as far as the human mind is concerned. And Jesus said, for your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there. He's talking to his disciples. To the extent that you may believe. To the extent that you may believe. Now, get this picture, please. God, Jesus allows a situation to develop in his inner circle. I don't think this would have ever been entrusted to someone in the outer circle, a faithless or some up and down hot and cold believer. This happens to those who walk with Jesus, who are intimate with him, whose whole life is wrapped up in him. They're not of this world. They don't think like other people think. It's not because they're better than anybody else. It's just that they've made time for him. They've made such quality time with him and they walk with him with with a heart so set on him and so in love with him. And this is the situation now. Jesus allows something to develop in the house. He could have spoken the word at any time and that man could have walked out of the grave. He could have done that. And Jesus said, I'm glad I wasn't there. You see, you think about that for just a moment. You think about that. Jesus says what he's really saying. This condition is not yet right. This condition is not impossible enough because you see, anyone can believe that I can lay hands on a sick man and he raised. But I'm going to allow to I'm going to entrust in the home of my friend Lazarus and my dearest friends. I'm going to allow a situation that falls into absolute impossibility. He can say, I'm glad I'm not there because he knew he was going to raise him from the dead. He knew the hope that was there. But but see, he's going to be dying himself soon. He's going to he's been trying to get them to believe in his resurrection. He wants them. I am the resurrection and one and I'm the life. And Jesus, Martha finds out that he comes a second day and he's outside of Bethany, two miles from Jerusalem. And she runs out to meet him. And she says, oh, if you had only been here and the disciples are thinking what Jesus said, I'm glad I wasn't there. That to the intent of the purpose that I can produce an unwavering faith is what he's saying. It can never again be shaken because he's thinking, Martha, it's not just this man. He's going to live and die again. But you're going to be hard times coming. You're going to face death. You're going to face situations that are coming now upon this nation. Are you going to believe me in all things? Are you going to believe me just for the resurrection of your brother? We want to pick the times that we trust God. What about the promises God made to what about the things God said to you? What about the situation that you're in right now? Do you think that it's impossible that Jesus entrusted you? That he put in your hands an opportunity, he allowed you to face the most hopeless, impossible situation so that you can find through the Holy Spirit a faith that will not be shaken when you turn on the news one day and you hear that this virus, avian flu, has mutated and is spreading through Indonesia or through some other country in Turkey and now the whole nation is in panic and the Lord is saying, I know what's coming. He knows what's coming to Jerusalem. He knows what's coming to these families. And he's trying to produce for the church of Jesus Christ, his own church, an unshakable, unwavering faith. I will believe God no matter what devil comes, no matter what calamity comes. I'm going to have a people who believe me and trust me. Martha says, if you had only been here. Then she says, but even now, I believe that whatever you ask of the Father, he will give it to you. And Jesus said to Martha, Lassus is going to rise again. He's saying he's going to, he's going to be alright, he's going to be raised. She said, oh yeah, I know. In the resurrection at the last day, we'll see him. How do you think Christ, how do you think Jesus felt? His beloved family, his inner circle. You see, you can believe God is omniscient. You can talk about the majesty of God. You can preach it. You can testify and tell everybody how you believe God is so great and so good. And then when God allows a situation that demands an unwavering faith, and then we begin to question. We said, oh God, if you had only been there, but now it's too late. Things have spun out of control. And the Bible said Martha went her way. She didn't pursue it. She just went her way. That's what we do. We just go our way without settling the issue, without saying, help my unbelief. We walk away and we wound him. We just go back to our doubtful, fearful, shaking ways. And then as she's walking away, Jesus said, Martha, please tell Mary to come to me. She goes to the room and all her friends are weeping and wailing with her. All of her mourners and comforters are weeping with Mary. And Mary quickly runs out to meet Jesus. In the same reception, she falls on her face, weeping. Oh, Jesus, if you had only been here. And the Bible said he groaned in his spirit. In other words, oh, no, not you, Mary. Of all people, I thought surely, Mary, you would understand. If you had only been here. And that word groaned means indignant. There was something that was up in Jesus. Now think of it. At this time, you can't tell me anybody on the face of the earth that was trusting Jesus fully. The Jews hated him. There was no faith in Israel about him. His disciples are standing there just wondering what it's all about. There's not one evidence that he encouraged that these disciples encouraged faith for Mary and Martha to believe for the resurrection. They're not thinking about it. And when Jesus says, open, roll away the stone, all that Martha can give him is all you're going to get is a stench. In other words, she's saying that's a corpse in there. Jesus wept. He wept. I've heard whole commentaries have been written on these two words. I look through a bunch of commentaries, the old ones and the new commentaries. And there must be a thousand definitions trying to describe why Jesus wept. But it became personal to me when I was walking and praying with Jesus and meditating on that scene. And I began to say, Jesus, I want to feel what you felt. Not doctrine. I don't want to hear from some theologian. I've read and read and read and none of it makes sense to me because that's not how I feel. Lord, this is a gospel that relates to us. It relates to how we live. It has to be saying something to me in my need. And I had been going through some questions. I've been been facing some some battles. I have a son who is very ill and Gwen is losing her sight. There were other issues in the mind. And I'm walking and there are questions that were rising and there were some doubts that were taking root in my heart. And I said, Lord, have I made you cry? He groaned again at the tomb. He looks around his own disciples, faithless, his most inner circle. Faithless. Tell me where Jesus said when he comes, will he find faith on the earth? He's about to leave. Where is the faith? Where's the unwavering faith? Where is that trust in God? No matter what happens, no matter what I face, Lord, I give myself over to you. For it's impossible without faith. It's impossible to please you. And they that come to you must believe that you are and you're reward of them that diligently seek you. Where was the faith? Well, I imagine when that man Lazarus walked out of that tomb, bound up, there was a lot of shrieking. There was a lot of hosannas. I often wonder where Jesus went. In my own mind, I think Jesus hugged Mary and Martha. He said, I love you. It didn't affect his love for his people. He loved them more than ever, even in their doubt. This is not about losing your salvation. This is not about losing the love of Christ for you and for me. This is about entering into the sufferings of Christ that Paul spoke about. I'd say how this has helped me when doubts assail me now. When I begin to just think, Lord, where are you? Why? I think of wounding him. I think of bringing a tear to his eye. And I back away and say, no, Lord, not anymore. Not anymore. Not after 50 years of walking with you. No. You see, friend, at my age, I don't really care about how people think of my preaching. I just want to convey his heart. And almost everyone listening to me right now, at one time or another, and maybe recently, you brought a tear to his eye. You have, without intent, without malice, you have wounded his spirit. He who is touched with the beatings of the heart of our high priest. If you're able to shrug this off, I don't understand that. If you can't examine your heart under the light of the Holy Spirit right now and think of the doubts and the fears and the unsettledness and the wavering. If you consider this morning said, no, I've never wounded him. It's probably the greatest kind of wound you could inflict. And what he'd rather hear is, Lord, forgive me. This is the prayer I cried. I have a place I walk. It's a mile long. I call it the Emmaus Road because there's nobody around. And that's where I walk and talk. But when I saw this, I began to weep with Jesus. I began to weep and feel his feelings when I doubt him. And that's what he wants for you to be able to enter into that feeling of Christ. He is a feeling man. I know we walk by faith, but I'll tell you, you can't forsake. You can't ignore your feelings. Feelings are there. They're natural. And God rejoices over you. Christ rejoices over his church. He absolutely loves us. He loves you sitting here in this congregation. But you're facing a very difficult time. And some of you in this church right now listening to me, you look at it and it's going to take a miracle. But if he is God, he's the God of the impossible. And you have got to believe that. And I've got to believe it. And I stand here now declaring to you, I believe the God that I serve is a miracle working God. And that God has everything under control. And he demands of me a living faith. Will you stand, please? Please, please don't think I'm losing it. But I'm going to ask you to sit back down. Now, I'm really sorry if you feel that this doesn't apply or that or that that a omnipotent, omniscient God could feel the pain and wound enough to weep. But here's the invitation the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart before the service this morning, what I was to do in the closing of this message. If I gave an invitation for those who have been fighting unbelief, if I gave an invitation now to those in the balcony here and overflow, wherever it is. If you know in your heart that you have made Jesus cry through an episode of unbelief and something that's taking root in your heart, there would be too many. But I'm going to ask you to be honest before the Lord, because this is a time for repentance. I have repented of my unbelief. I've repented of my wounding my Christ. And I'm saying, God, the enemy will come in. But I know now I know now what happens when I distrust you. I know what I do to you. And that's been like a guard that it's been. I'm so thankful. And that's what God wants as the result of this message in the service this morning. So I'm going to ask you in just a moment to stand. Everywhere you're at. I want you to stand for prayer and repentance. If you honestly say, Pastor David, this message touched me in my inner man. Yes. In my present battle and my present trial, there has been question. There have been questions and there are doubts and there are fears. And I'm not at ease. We're to repent of that. We repent before God. That sin is the father of all other sins. Father of the mother of all sins. Unbelief. But what did Jesus say? Who did he say grieved him? He didn't say it was my children who for 40 years heard my truth. They grieved me. They wounded me. And he said, be careful, lest you to what he's saying, lest you grieve me. By your unbelief. And you don't enter into this unwavering promise of unwavering faith. I'm going to pray. And while I'm praying, if you have to repent of that, I want you to stand and repent now before a holy Christ. And let's believe God right now that he will unleash a spirit of faith. Father, for those in the annex who are willing to stand now and say, Oh, Jesus, Lord, forgive me for making you cry. Forgive me for wounding your heart. I know you love me, but Jesus, I have mistrusted you. Forgive me, Lord. Can you say that from your heart? Just say, Lord, forgive me. God is more than willing to forgive you now. Father, look on this scene now. Almost an entire congregation standing on their feet before you. Lord, Holy Spirit, would you please? I plead with you. Let us feel your pain. Let us feel the hurt that we cause you, Lord Jesus. Let us feel it and know it. And Paul called that entering in to the fellowship of his suffering. Jesus, forgive me. Forgive every one of us now. How many believe that God is more than willing to forgive when we ask him? Raise your hand. Now, will you thank him for the love that he has for you and for us? Lord, we give you thanks. We love you and we worship and we praise you. For those that have come forward, I would believe that you understand how simple it is to come to Jesus. He said, if we confess our sins, he's faithful just to forgive us and cleanse us from all, all our unrighteousness. Would you pray this prayer with me now? If your heart's really repentant, if there's a godly sorrow. In fact, if you don't feel sorry for your sins, ask the Holy Spirit to give you that godly sorrow that the Holy Spirit feels. And that you will sense that need in you to walk in his righteousness. Pray this with me, Lord Jesus. I come to you now boldly in front of this congregation to acknowledge you as total Lord and Savior of my life. Cleanse me, forgive me, and heal my spirit. Now, let me pray with you. Father, it doesn't take long. If there's no routine and simple childlike faith to believe what God said, confess your sins, he will forgive you. Then, Lord, you said we're to trust you to walk in righteousness, that the Holy Spirit will give us what we need with authority and power to walk a clean life. A righteous life before you, not in our own strength, but in the strength that he has promised and provided. We thank you for it in Jesus' name. Amen. This is the conclusion of the message.