We're closing up our Creed series this morning. I think that it's been really good for us as a church just to kind of take a step back. What are some of those foundational beliefs that we hold, and let's get a better grip on those or a better understanding of them, and we're going to talk about something that we've talked about before. So if you've been around Veritas for a while, you might be like, yep, heard that. Know that we're going to talk about it again, and we're going to talk about it again. And in the future, we'll talk about it again. And we're just going to keep talking about this because I think it's super important to get. In fact, if somebody told me, Haley, you only have one message left to preach. I don't know if it'd be this text, because you can get this from all over in scripture, but it would be this topic. It would be one where it's like, okay, this is what we have to talk about. I'm convinced that if we're going to be the people that we're called to be and we're going to be the church that we're called to be, we got to get this. This is foundational to that. And I just want us to bleed this as a church. Like, this would be just such a part of our DNA. And that is what Ian said, that God is the prize. God is our treasure. He's the source of our joy, our fulfillment, our satisfaction. He's not a means to that. He is that. It is about God. And we see him as the prize of life. Now, we state that. Do you think that, like, do you really believe that when you think of God? Like, this is my heart's desire is to know God, to be close to God, to be fulfilled in God. Like, is that something you think, in fact, aw, tozer, an old dead pastor, he said this one time, he said, what you think about when you think about God is the most important thing about you. So whatever conclusions that you make, whatever thoughts you have about God, when you think about God like, that right there is the most important thing about you. So when you think about God, do you think my soul satisfier the prize of my life, the longing of my heart? Or is it like, ah, sounds boring? I don't know. Like, what are the conclusions that you come to in your mind when you think about God? What do you think about God? Now, a common answer to that is, I don't. I don't actually think about God that often. I think about what I'm gonna have for lunch today. I think about what I gotta do this week. I think about my task. I think about retirement. I think about different vacations I wanna take. Like, there are things that occupy our mind, but probably, if we're honest, we don't have a lot of intentional thoughts about God. And that's the problem. And we looked at that in kind of the essence of sin in Romans 323, that all have sinned and falls short of the glory of God. We fail to give God the weightiness he deserves in our lives. We don't give him much thought. But what if I told you that if you were less all about you, like the way the Bible put, like, if you could die to yourself, if you were less all about you and more all about God, that that's the best thing you could do for you, right? That the way Jesus says, you know, if you're willing to lose your life for my sake, you'll what? You'll find it, right? But if you try to save your life, kind of make your life all about you, you're gonna lose it. So let's get our minds around this. Like, what if the best thing you can do for you is to stop being all about you and to start being all about God? Because here's the reality. Listen, everyone wants to be happy. Hey, it doesn't matter what you believe. If you've been a part of this church for a long time, you would call yourself a Christian or you had a friend invite you. It's your first Sunday and you're trying to figure this out. Like, one thing we all have in common is we want to be happy, right? In fact, it's like, written into our foundation as a country. It's the life, liberty, and the what? Pursuit of happiness. Like, you bet we're going to pursue it. And you don't even need to be told to pursue it. You're going to do it like, you're gonna pursue whatever you think makes you happy. We have this drive to find happiness and fulfillment and satisfaction and, guys, it's not wrong. It's not wrong to want to be happy. It's not wrong to want to be fulfilled. It's not wrong to want to be satisfied. Now, to look for happiness and value and satisfaction and fulfillment in the wrong things, that's wrong. Not just wrong. That could be harmful, but it's idolatry. That's not wrong to want to be happy. We all want to be happy. We all want to be satisfied. But think about it. What's going to do it for you? Like, what is it that would make you happy, that would fulfill you? That would satisfy you? Is it a little bit more money? Is it a spouse? Is it a different spouse? Is it kids finally? Is it kids finally leaving? Is it a new job? Is it more respect and recognition? Like, what are those things? It's like, if I had that, then I would be happy. Then I would be fulfilled. Because we see people in our world that have that, whatever that is for you, and it doesn't always equal fulfillment. It doesn't always equal satisfaction. It doesn't always equal happiness. What is it for you? Like, we all want to be happy. We're all pursuing it. We're all desiring it. Well, how do you actually get it? And I'm not talking about, like, momentary pleasure. I'm talking about, like, real, lasting, unshakable joy. Where does that come from? And the answer is God. Now what we have to get our minds around is God didn't just create the heavens and the earth and human beings and plants and animals. He's the author and source of life. He creates joy. He's the joy giver. He's the satisfier of our souls. He gives fulfillment. God is the source of those things. In fact, some of you are looking at me like, I don't know what I'm talking about. So let's go to the Bible. Romans 1513, it says, and you're going to recognize a lot of the passages we look at. We've been kind of coming back to these throughout our series. Romans 1513. May the God of hope fill you with all what joy. You don't get joy from your circumstances, per se, or your experience, or you don't kind of muster it up on your own. It's like there is a God and he is able to fill you with joy. He's the God of hope and he provides joy. He gives joy. You see this at John, chapter 15 as well. This is Jesus talking about abiding in him, staying connected to him. You stay connected to me, you're going to bear much fruit. Apart from me, you could do nothing. You guys familiar with that text? At the end of it, he says, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love. Just if I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. And then he tells us why. He just told us what he told us, which is really helpful. He says these things I have spoken to you that my what joy may be in you and that your joy maybe full. He's saying, I have a joy. It's my joy and I want to give it to you. And if I give you my joy, my joy is better than your joy. And your joy is going to be full, like, I have a joy that's greater and I want to fill you with that joy. It happens through being connected to me. Let's look at another one. Psalm 37 four. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Now this is often a twisted passage where it's like, well, if I delight myself in God, then I'm going to get what I want. That's not what the psalmist is saying. It's like if you delight yourself in God, you're going to find that your heart is satisfied in God. He's the fulfiller of your soul. You will be satisfied in him. Let's look at one more. Psalm 16. You make known to me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. That's where I find fulfillment. That's where I find pleasure. That's where I find joy with you, connected to you. Now hear me now, you were made by God. I'm gonna assume that most of us in this room can, like, we can get on the same page on that statement like, we have a creator. Amen. Okay, we were made by God. That's the next part that we might lose some of you. We were made by God for God, like, you exist for God, you were made for him for his pleasure. So you were made by God for God. The reason of your existence is for him. It's all over in scripture. And the conclusion that we make from that is if you were made by God for God, you're only going to find fulfillment, ultimate fulfillment in God. Right? If you were made, let's just logically walk this out. If you were made by God and you were made by God for God, you're not going to find the fulfillment that you're looking for outside of God in lesser things. There's like a craving in your heart that only God can fill, and you're ultimately going to be fulfilled in God. Let me give you a passage for that. This is in colossians. For by him, this is Christ. All things were created. Now all things include you in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. That's getting into like some spiritual realm language there. Then he comes back all things. So there's this very broad like, all things, like, including things you don't even see or comprehend. But I'm talking about all things. All things which included you were created through him. And what for him. You were made for God. Like, get this, church like, life is not about you, but this is good news. You are about God. Like, this world wasn't created for you. It doesn't revolve around you. It's not made for you. But you were made for God. You were made to be connected to God. You were made to be fulfilled in God. Life is not about you, but you are about God. Let me show you some passages for this. Titus 214. Let's talk about how we await the appearing of our savior. I think we looked at this a few weeks ago. Who gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself. For himself, a people for his own possession, who are zealous for good works. Let's look at another one first. Peter two, nine and ten. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you are not a people, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. You've received mercy. And through that mercy, you become God's people. And God's people are for his own possession. Let's look at another one. Isaiah 43 seven. Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. He's saying, I made people, and I made them for me. They're my possession, my people. And I made them for my glory. Like we're wired for God. Like your creator. You've been built on purpose to be connected to your maker. You were made by God for God. Therefore, you will only find the fulfillment that you long for in God. Now, you have to get this. You are more than just a body. And I know we've talked about this, but you are more than just a body. You have a soul. You have a soul. And just like your body has needs. Needs to eat, needs to rest, needs to sleep, your soul has needs. Like you felt it. You felt those internal cravings. In fact, in psalm 42, we looked at a few weeks ago where the psalmist is kind of in a wrestling match with himself, with his own emotions. Like, why are you so downcast? Oh, my soul. Hope in God. The beginning of that psalm is as the deer pants for water. So my soul thirsts for you. And as christians, we think, like, oh, that's so cute, a deer. Let's put that on a coffee mug. Like, that'll be cute. But the imagery is like a deer starving or thirsty. Like, craving, like, panting. Like, I need water. He's like, yeah, that's what my soul is like. And just like, a deer can't live without getting water. My soul can't live without God, and it's thirsty for God. There's a thirst that my soul and your soul has. And the only thing that will quench it is God. You talk about, you know, you go after cisterns that don't hold water, you get thirsty again, you got to drink again. You get thirsty again, you gotta, like, jesus says, no, I am the living water for me. You'll never thirst again. Like, I can quench that soul thirst because I'm the only. I'm who you were made for. So we're not just a body. You're a soul. And your soul has thirst, it has needs. And people often try to make their body happy, whatever kind of physical pleasure. But how do you make your soul happy? Now, sometimes the way people try to make their body happy is an opposition with their soul is harmful with their soul. Now, that's a message for another time. But people try to pursue physical pleasures. But how do you make your soul happy? Like, how do you satisfy your soul? Like, will money do it? Will relationships do it? Will status do it? Will security do it? And you look at people to have that. You're like, no, it doesn't do it. So what will satisfy your soul? See, you were made for God, and your soul knows it. Like, whether you believe in God or not, you were made for God, and your soul knows it. Let's look at some passages that tell us this. Ljm. Somebody's kid's misbehaving. You gotta check that out. Isaiah 26, it says, in the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you. Your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you. There's a desire our soul has. My soul yearns for you. In the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Let's look at another one. Psalm 179. For he, God satisfies the longing soul. Have you ever felt like your soul had longings? Like just an internal angst and need? It's like, how do you satisfy that well, the answer's there. He's saying, God is the satisfier of the longings of our soul. And the hungry soul. He fills with good things. He can feed the soul and him alone. Look at another one. This is psalm 63. We're going to read, like, five verses out of here. I'd encourage you to go read the whole psalm. Psalm 63. It says, o God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory, because your steadfast love is better than life. My lips will praise you, so I will bless you as long as I live. In your name. I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich foods. It's one of my favorite passages. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich foods. And my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, like there's a hunger that our soul has, he said, and that satisfaction, that fulfillment is found in God. Listen, you were made for God. It is on purpose that you find your fulfillment in God. It is in your design that you find your satisfaction in God. And getting this helps us get what salvation is all about. It helps us also understand what sin is all about. In fact, look over at second corinthians, chapter four. Second Corinthians, chapter four. Let me read you a few verses from here. Starting in verse three, it says, and even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in their case, the God of this world. But Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel, of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants, for Jesus sake, for God, who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now, we're not going to spend a lot of time here unpacking this, but in this text, you get a lot, like, it's there. You can come back and see it. But this text shows us what it means to be lost. It shows us what it means to be saved, and it shows us how we're to minister to other people. So what does it mean to be lost? There's a blindness to the glory of God in Jesus Christ. So to be lost. It's like you don't see it. You don't see how glorious God is. You don't see how awesome God is. You don't see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. You're numb to it. You're not inspired by it. You're not stirred up by it. You're not in love with him. Like, that's lostness. Okay, so if that's lostness, if there's a blindness to people who can't see the glory of God in Jesus Christ, what does it mean to be found? What does it mean to be saved? You see it. You see the glory of God in Jesus Christ. You get it? I get how awesome Jesus is. I get how glorious he is. I'm in love with him. My soul is stirred up by him. That's what it means to be found. I once was lost, and now I'm found. I was blind, but now I see right there's this. This is what it means to be saved, that you see the glory of God in Jesus Christ. So what does it then mean to minister to others? How are we to minister to other people? We're to help them see the glory of God in Jesus Christ. We're to help them see how awesome God is, that he is the prize, that he is the fulfiller of our souls. Listen, guys, the christian life or conversion is not just about believing a truth, but about finding a treasure. You tracking with me? I want to say that again because I want this to sink in the christian life or conversion. It's not just about believing a truth. It's about finding a treasure, and that treasure is God. Jesus talked this way. This shouldn't surprise us. Like, jesus talked this way. Look at a couple parables that Jesus told in Matthew 13. He says, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. He's like, you want to understand what getting saved looks like? You want to understand what the kingdom of, like, grasping the kingdom of God looks like? It looks like you found a treasure. Not just like, intellectual. It's like, yeah, I think I agree with that. No, it looks like you found a treasure and you're willing to give up everything that you have in order to get that treasure. He goes on and says again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it it's like, this is what it looks like. This discovery of a treasure, this, like, thing. You're willing to give up everything else to have this precious value, this great value. Like, this is what it looks like. Your eyes are open to the glory of God in Jesus Christ as supremely valuable. He's like, I want him. That's my prize. That's my passion. You guys know the song Tennessee whiskey? I think you can admit that in a church song about whiskey. I was gonna sing it for you. My wife told me not to. So the gospel is in that song now? I'm not telling you that's a gospel song. They didn't talk about Jesus or the resurrection or forgiveness or anything like that. But if you know the gospel, you can see it in that song. In fact, let me read some of the lyrics to you. It says, I used to spend all my nights at a bar room. Liquor was the only love I've known. So this is like his life, pre conversion. And it's a love. It's like the only love I knew. Like, I'm chasing after empty things that don't satisfy. But that was my life. I kept going back to that sister that couldn't deliver. This was my life. But you rescued me from reaching for the bottom and brought me back from being too far gone. So he's talking about deliverance and a rescue from this past life of addiction. And then he says this into the chorus. You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey. You're as sweet as strawberry wine, as warm as a glass of brandy. That's his past vices. And what he's saying is, I've found a better love. There is something that I kept going to that did not satisfy and could not deliver. And I have found something better than that. Like, here's the problem with Christianity. Sometimes we look at something, it's like, well, sin is wrong. I shouldn't do that, even though it's a love, but it doesn't deliver. So, therefore, like, I need to find, like, just run away from that. But the gospel is saying, like, no, there's something better than that. There's a better high, a better addiction, a better intoxication than the things of this world. He goes on to say this, I stay stoned on your love all the time. It's like, the reason I don't have to go back to thy previous life is because I'm still high on something better. I'm stoned on you. Can we talk like this? I'm just trying to like you. Listen to the song. Don't act like I've never heard this before, right? Like, I think the bastard's got some problems. No. So he's like, no, you're smoother as Tennessee whiskey. You're sweeter than strawberry wine, like, you're warmer than a glass of brandy. All these things I'm addicted to, no more, because I'm stoned on something better. I'm stoned on your love, like all day long. I don't have to go back to that because I've found something more fulfilling and better. He goes on to say, I've looked for love in all the same old places, found the bottom of the bottle, always dry. It, never satisfies it, never. I kept going back to it and going back to it, and guess what? I discovered emptiness all the time. And then he says, a little further down, there's nothing like your love that gets me high. I think of like, ephesians five eight, don't be drunk on wine. That's debauchery. But be filled with the spirit. Don't settle for worldly intoxication when you can have heavenly intoxication, when you can be stoned on Jesus Christ, when you can have a high. I mean, that's the language that Paul's using there. And that's what the gospel is like. It's not just run away from bad things, find the betterness in Jesus Christ. He's sweeter, he's more fulfilling. And maybe you've reduced the gospel down to just forgiveness of sins and eternal life, and you're missing it. And it's hard to even know that you're missing it because you got some really important components apart of it, like it's true. Forgiveness of sins is an amazing aspect of the gospel. Eternal life is an amazing aspect of the gospel. But you're stopping short and you haven't grasped the full gospel. I mean, maybe you believe in God, you know you are a sinner. You want forgiveness. You believe Jesus died for your sins, and you're still missing the gospel because you don't treasure God. You treasure salvation. You track with me there. You don't treasure God. You treasure salvation. You want to be forgiven. You want to go to heaven when you die, but you still think you need x for fulfillment. You still think you need that job to matter. You still think you need that money to be secure. You still think you need that marriage to, to feel fulfilled. And you're not against God. God's great. In fact, you see, God is extremely useful in helping you get what you really prize cause God, can you help me get that promotion and can you help me get that spouse, and can you help us have those kids and can you help me get eternal life? But God is always just seen as a means to something you prize, not the prize himself. Because what I really prize is health. And God, can you give me health? And what I really prize is marriage, and can you give me a family? And what I really prize is eternal life. Can you give me that? But if you don't see God himself as the prize, you're missing the heart of the gospel. Guys, the best part of the gospel is not the forgiveness of sins. And the best part of the gospel is not eternal life. The best part of the gospel is God. That we get reconciled back to God, that we get to enjoy the glory of God forever. That we get to stand in his presence, bask in his radiance and enjoy everything he has to offer. Forgiveness of sins is just necessary in order to have a relationship. Relationship with the holy God. Heaven or the new heavens and the new earth is just the location in which that relationship happens. But the greatest news of the gospel is reconciliation. Back to God. Let me point this out because this is the point of salvation. Romans seven four. Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ. So that now this is important. When you read your bible, you got to see the so thats and the thats and therefores and because and buts like those are crucial in your understanding, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. The reason that he died for us is so that we may belong to God. Lets look at another one first. Peter 318. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, that reconciliation happens. We got another 1 second corinthians five. It says, for the love of Christ controls us because we have concluded this, that one has died for all, therefore all have died, and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. The reason Christ died is so you can stop living for yourself. You can live for him and you can live for him because you've been reconciled back to him. So there is a point in salvation, and it's not your eternity, it's God's glory and your reconciliation back to him as your maker, that he would be brought back to God. Guys, listen, if you want to be forgiven and go to heaven when you die. But you don't care if God's there or not. You're missing the gospel. Like, we have this such a me centered view of eternity. Like, I can't wait till I get to heaven. I'm gonna live next to all my friends in my dream house and my dream bass boat, right? I'm gonna have 50 pounds off my new body. I'm gonna look great, and we just talk about all the things that we like. We build heaven around ourselves. Heaven is not for you, but you are for God. So why do you want to be forgiven? Why do you want to go to heaven when you die? And hear me, church, there is a wrong way to answer that question. There is a very me centered, self centered way to answer that question. I mean, who doesn't want to be forgiven? Who doesn't want to go to heaven when they die? You don't need to be born again to want to be forgiven. You don't need to be born again to want to go to heaven when you die. But you do need to be born again to see the glory of God in Jesus Christ. You do need new spiritual life to see how beautiful and awesome God is. And I'm telling you guys, this is a game changer. Like, now for the christian life. The heart or the key of the christian life is treasuring God. And we gotta get this. So let's look at, like, what does it look like when somebody does get this? Like, somebody that does truly prize God? What does that practically look like in their life? What does it look like lived out? So turn over to Philippians, chapter one. Philippians, chapter one. We're going to start in verse 19. He says, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance. So Paul is writing this, and he's in prison as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but with full courage. Now, as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. So this deliverance that he's confident that he'll get is either going to happen in his life or it's going to happen in his death, but either way, that's deliverance for Paul. And he has this confidence that that's going to happen. Now, what is his eager expectation and hope? This is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage. Now, as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or death. So Paul's eager expectation is hope, is that Christ would be honored. Like, that's what I want. That's what I want. You see this in somebody who treasures God. I want him to be honored. And this can happen in a variety of ways. Whether I live, Christ is honored. Whether I die, Christ is honored. Like, whatever the circumstance, I want Christ to be honored. And you see this attitude even in chapter four of this letter, he says, not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low. I know how to abound in any and every circumstance. I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. So Paul is saying, I know how to be poor. I know how to be rich. I know how to do good times, I know how to do bad times. Whatever the circumstance, I'm good. I can do that through Christ who strengthens me. What he means by that is Christ has done something and he has done something so powerful that has led me to be content in whatever situation I find myself. I'm good. So you can play out this way. When God is your treasure, your life ambition is to honor him. When God is your treasure, your life ambition is to honor him. And when your life ambition track with me here. When your life ambition is to honor Christ, you can always do that. You can always do that. You can do that in stage four cancer in a hospital bed, you can do that. Hopping fully healthy to work, you can do that married, you can do that single, you can do that poor, you can do that rich in whatever circumstance, you can always do that. You can always honor Christ. And when you can always do what you see life is ultimately about, that is an unshakable fulfillment. You can never not fulfill the purpose of your life. There's no circumstance in which you cannot bring honor to Christ. There's no situation where you can't try to point people to how glorious and satisfying and sufficient Christ is. So if I'm poor, I can honor Christ because he's enough and I got God, so I'm good. And when you're rich, you'd be like, this has no hold on me, and I'll be joyfully generous and I can honor Christ. When you're sick, you can be like, I'm good because I'm just closer to meeting my maker. When you're healthy, you're like, I got more time. Like whatever the situation is, there's never a time when you can't fulfill the ultimate purpose of life, which is to honor Christ. So let's keep reading here, verse 20. Again, he's got this eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now, as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. And you get this famous verse 21, for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. So it's connected to what he just says, I want to honor Christ, whether by life or death. So to live as Christ, to die is. Again, he addresses both life and death. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and the joy and faith, so that in me you may have an ample cause to glorify Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again. So he wants to honor Christ, whether by life and death. So here's my question. How does that work? Like, how do you honor Christ in life? And how do you honor christ in death? And I think the life one is easy. He's saying, if I gotta keep living, I'm gonna keep preaching. I'm gonna keep pointing people to Jesus. I'm going to keep proclaiming the excellencies of him who called me out of darkness into his marvelous light, like, you, don't kill me. I'm going to plant more churches. Or the way he says it, it's going to result in fruitful labor. So it's clear, like, okay, to live or to honor christ in my life is to live for christ. How do you honor christ in your death? Now, to die is to get christ, but how do you honor christ in your death? And it's this attitude that he has about death. He says, to die is gain. We'll gain what? Christ his to gain christ. In fact, he says, you know, I'm hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with christ, for that is far better. Far better than what now? You could think, well, it's far better than prison. He's in prison now. Prison is awful. So it'd be like, boy, just kill me now. That would be better than this. But it's not that my life is so bad, I wish I would die. It's God is so glorious, it's better to be with him because to depart, it's gain because I get Christ. In fact, you see that attitude in chapter three, he says, but whatever gain I had, I counted loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus. So to die is far better than what everything, everything this world has to offer. I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish. Rubbish. And it's not like other things in this world don't have value. But compared to knowing Christ, oh, yeah, that's an easy choice. I'll take Christ all day long. That's what he's saying. So he's saying, listen, honoring Christ by either living for him or I'm going to honor Christ by being excited about being with him in death. But either way, Christ is clearly shown as treasured. He's treasured. It's his attitude makes much of Jesus. Paul's talk here is he doesn't make Jesus out to just be this obligation, this needed ticket to heaven. Man, I really want to go to heaven when I die. So I guess I need Jesus for that. Oh, Jesus is preferred. He's prized. He's treasured. It's his attitude that magnifies and honors Christ. Last week I said a pretty hard statement. It was about that study that shows that kids tend to walk away from the church, their faith, in high school more than college, which might surprise some conclusions we have and pointing to. It's not the liberal professor that's wrecking kids faith as much as lukewarm parents. And that's a proverbial statement. A proverbial statement means it's not true all the time. It's true a lot of the time, just like a lot of proverbs. It's like, raise up a child in the way he should go, and when he's older, he won't depart from it. That's not true all the time, but it's true a lot of the time. And there are godly, passionate parents for Jesus Christ that have their kids walk away from Christ. Like that's a reality, but a principle that needs to be applied when we're trying to raise up the next generation to love Jesus is when they look at your relationship with Jesus, do they want it like, do they see you satisfied in Jesus Christ? Do they see that you prefer Jesus from the things of this world? Do they see in you that to live is Christ and to die is gain. Are they drawn to that? Is Christ shown to be treasured by you? Is he shown to be preferred by you? Not just an obligation or a duty? But have your eyes been open to the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ? And you love him. We want that to be true of us as a church. We want to be known as a people in love with Jesus Christ, passionate for God, that our life is about reconciliation with him. We long to be with him. As leaders in this church, we looked at a passage, hebrews 1317, where we're to care for your soul. We know your soul longs for God. We want to see you close to God. We want to see you connected with God. Guys, listen to me. God's the prize. He's the prize. He is sweeter than whiskey, right? He's better. He'll give you more relaxation than pot. He's better than sex and pornography. He provides greater security than money. Being known by him is better than being known in this world and loved. God's the prize. He's better than anything this world has to offer. And when we remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that his body was hung on a cross and his blood was shed, the ultimate goal of that sacrifice was not the forgiveness of your sins. It was your reconciliation back to the father, that you could enjoy him forever. Because at his side is joy. Forevermore pleasures. Forevermore. God is the prize. And we cannot comprehend how awesome God is, but by faith, we pursue him with all our hearts. Amen. Let's pray. Father, I pray that you would wake us up from a numbed heart towards you in this world that we have intoxicated ourselves on alcohol, Netflix, sports, work. And we keep returning again and again to find the bottom of the bottle. But your love is sweeter than anything this world can offer us. And I pray that you would open our eyes to the glory of God and the face of Jesus Christ. We need you. We need you even to want you. So wake us up to your greatness, that we would find all our satisfaction in you. Pray this in your name. Amen.