Ron Dunn Podcast - The King and His Kingdom

Episode Date: December 14, 2016

Ron Dunn preaches a message on John 18:28-28.

You are listening to the Ron Dunn Podcast. Ron Dunn is a well-known author and was one of the most in-demand preachers during the latter part of the 20th century. He led Bible studies all over the United States, Europe, and South Africa. For more information and resources from Ron Dunn, please visit rondunn.com. I want you to open your Bibles tonight to the Gospel of John, Chapter 18. The Gospel of John, Chapter 18. This is a good crowd tonight. Makes me kind of wish I'd prepared, but I appreciate you coming, being here, part of the service.

Gospel of John chapter 18, I want to read beginning with verse 28 and read through verse 38. Gospel of John chapter 18, verses 28 through 38. Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate's headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. Now, he's talking about the high priest here, and I never can read that verse without thinking, what hypocrites.

These men are so scrupulous in keeping the rituals and the laws. They were a jot and tittle of the law, but they don't mind murdering an innocent man. I found that to be true in my Christian life. Some of those in our church who are the most legalistic and the most scrupulous about some things often have very little conviction about slandering somebody's reputation and doing other things. To me, it is a great statement. They themselves did not enter the headquarters so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, what accusation do you bring against this man?

They answered, If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you. Pilate said to them, Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law. The Jews replied, We are not permitted to put anyone to death. This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die. Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answered, Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me? Pilate replied, I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have

handed you over. What have you done? Jesus answered, my kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here. Pilate asked him, so you are a king. Jesus answered, you say that. Now put a period there, it belongs there. It says, oh, Jesus is saying, you said it. I am a king. For this cause I was born, for this I was born, and for this cause I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs

to the truth listens to my voice. Pilate asked him, what is truth? Now you know, if you don't like somebody, any old excuse will do.

People talk about love at first sight. I believe in hate at first sight. Oh, maybe hate's too harsh a word, but dislike at first sight. Have you ever? Yeah? You know, there's some people, you've met people like that. The first time you see them, I mean, you don't know them and you've never said a word to them, but I don't know. There's just something about them that you just take an instant dislike to them the minute you see them. Anybody here like that?

Amen. Yeah. I mean, there's no reason. They've never spoken to you. You've never spoken to them. You've never had any dealings with them. But I don't know. You just see them and immediately there is a dislike. You just dislike them. And then you do meet them and you dislike them more.

And you end up marrying them. How many of you wives did not like your husband the first time you saw him? How many of you still don't like him? No, I wouldn't have done that. You don't need a reason to dislike somebody. You just dislike them,

and then you think of reasons. And then, you know, if you want to get rid of somebody, any old accusation will do. It doesn't matter whether it's accurate or not. It doesn't matter. That's what the Jews were saying. They hated Jesus so much, wanted to get rid of him so badly, Doesn't matter. That's what the Jews were saying. They hated Jesus so much,

wanted to get rid of him so badly, they brought him to Pilate, and Pilate said, what accusation do you bring against him? Well, they didn't have one. They said, hey, if he weren't a criminal, we wouldn't have brought him to you in the first place. They so wanted to get rid of Jesus so badly and any old excuse will do

and when you do want to get rid of somebody you know you will do you know try to find some reason scratch around in the background upturn all the rocks, and you'll, you know,

try to find something. Maybe the way he combs his hair or anything, you know, to add to that. Because after all, the main thing is to get rid of them, whether it's an honest accusation or not. That's the way it is with the world.

That's the way it is, sadly, with many of us. That's certainly the way it was with the chief priests, Jews, and Jesus. And so they brought him to Pilate. Now, Pilate didn't want to hear the case at first. He has no regard at all for the Jews. You can pick up on his sarcasm when he says in verse 35, I'm not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over. And then in the verse 38, Pilate asked him, what is truth? Now he wasn't really wanting to know because he turned away right after that and went out to the Jews again. He was being

sarcastic. He was being caustic. He had no use for the Jews. He didn't want to be bothered by this. And he told them, go ahead and deal with it according to your religion. What do I have to do with this but then something was said that made him listen to the case well what was it somebody mentioned the word King ah well I couldn't care less about the Jews but if there's somebody going around claiming to be a king that's a threat to Caesar and that's my main job is to make sure this part of the empire

stays intact and so I better listen to him and so he interviews Jesus one of the greatest moments in history Jesus standing before Pilate. There he is, the Lord of glory, standing before this Roman governor. Jesus before Pilate.

And Pilate said, Are you a king? Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my friends would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here. I want to talk to you tonight about the king and his kingdom, primarily the kingdom. Jesus says, I do have a kingdom, and I am the ruler of a kingdom. I am a king and I have a kingdom. There are some things about that kingdom that you and I, being a part of, need to understand. The first thing that Jesus said is,

My kingdom is not of this world. My kingdom is not of this world. Literally, the Greek says, My kingdom is, well, the. Literally, the Greek says my kingdom is, well, the best way I know to put it, it's like laying two things beside each other for comparison. And he's saying if you lay the kingdom of the world down

and lay the kingdom, my kingdom down, you'll see that there's no comparison. They don't have the same origin. They don't have the same object. They don't have the same object. They are in no way alike. My kingdom does not originate out of this world. My kingdom does not operate like this world operates. My kingdom is not of this world. Now the church has had a hard time hanging on to that. All the way from the beginning there have been the attempts

to make His kingdom a worldly kingdom. Even the pagan writers like Suetonius and Tacitus spoke of a Jewish legend that said that one day there would come forth a Messiah who would overthrow the yoke of Roman bondage and set up a kingdom here on this earth. And when the Jews were looking for a Messiah, they were not looking for one like Christ. They were looking for one who would lead them in victory over Rome

and would set up a kingdom, restore the kingdom of Israel. And even the disciples after the resurrection, still in their blindness and acts, they said, will thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? They still did not understand. My kingdom is not of this world. My kingdom is not of this world. But there have always been the attempts to make His kingdom a kingdom of this world that operates like this world

and moves like this world. You can go from one extreme to the other. Go all the way back to the Catholic Church to that extreme. And in the Crusades, trying to establish Christianity by force of arms, and the Vatican having its own ambassadors and having great deal of political intrigue and its own standing police force, It is the kingdom of this world. And the history of it has been to make Christians by force of arms.

And come all the way to the other extreme, and I'm going to have to be careful here and talk about the religious right. You know, I used to believe, I really did, I rejoiced in 1980 when Reagan, our president,

was elected, and I said, well, things are going to be different now. And then we had Reagan and we had Bush, and when Clinton got into office with the stroke of a pen, his first day in office, he destroyed most of what Reagan and Bush had established.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Christians ought not to be involved in politics. I think as citizens, we ought to be involved in politics. As Christians, we ought to be concerned about the course of our country but I want to tell you something friends you cannot legislate morality we are not going to redeem this country and save this country by the ballot box

you're not going to do it you're not going to do it Jesus said my kingdom You're not going to do it. You're not going to do it. Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. Therefore, he said, my kingdom doesn't operate like this world. He said, if my kingdom were of this world, then my friends would fight. But he said, my kingdom not being of this world, I do not engage in worldly methods to advance that kingdom.

Now, every one of us is going to have to decide for ourselves where to draw the line on this. You say, well, we ought not to use technology and all that's available to us. I'm not saying that at all. I believe we ought to use all available means to us, but I think when it comes to, apart from scientific means,

when it comes to ethics and it comes to culture and when it comes to reaching a society, we need to understand His kingdom is not of this world. And the biggest mistake the evangelical church is making today, in my humble and accurate opinion, the biggest mistake they're making is they're trying to reach the world by worldly methods. We're trying to win over the world.

We're trying to make them like us. And we feel like if we become more and more like the world, then the world is going to like us. My dear friend, the one thing that we have that is distinctive is that we're not like the world. We're not like the world. And if you have to make the world like you, then you compromise the gospel somewhere down the line. That's all there is to it. You say, well, where do you draw the line? I know for myself, but I can't tell you. You have to decide yourself.

Your pastor, your staff has to decide yourself. Where do you draw the line? All I know is that the guide that we go by is, this kingdom is not of this world and therefore it does not engage in worldly methods to advance the kingdom. His soldiers do not, his friends do not fight. That's what the world would do. They would try by force and any other method to try to save their king and their kingdom. Jesus

said, I don't operate that way. I don't operate that way. You say, well, the church certainly has to change and adjust. I have no quarrel with that. I don't believe you can operate today like you did in 1953. 1954, don't believe that. I understand that. I know you have to adjust. I know you have to adjust. And I know you have to make changes. All I'm saying is there's a line somewhere.

And you're going to have to find out for yourself where that line is. Judge for yourself where that line is. Every music director has to judge for himself where that line is when it comes to worship. And every pastor has to judge for himself where that line is. I can't worship. Every pastor has to judge for himself where that line is. I can't tell you where it is. I know where it is for me. I just want to say to you tonight that we are not going to win this world.

We're not going to win it anyway, but we're not going to win people to Christ by worldly weapons, by worldly means. And so Jesus says, and what we need to keep in our minds all the time, my kingdom is not of this world. Don't expect me to act like the kings of this world. Don't expect my kingdom to function like this world. We sometimes try to run the church like a business.

I remember I was pastor of one church and we were having a deacon's meeting one day, one evening, and one of the men, who wasn't my favorite, I mean, you know, I wasn't his favorite, whatever it is, you know.

And we were proposing something. He said, well, I'll tell you what. He said, if I ran this church, if I ran my business like you ran this church, I'd be out of business. I said, well, I'll tell you what. He said, if I ran this church, if I ran my business like you ran this church, I'd be out of business. I said, yeah, and if I ran this church like you ran your business, I'd be out of church. Church isn't a business, friends. Church is the body of Christ. There is something divine and miraculous about it. And I know it has to operate in business-like ways, but it is not a business. In a business you don't have room there for faith and trust

and prayer and vision based on faith. The kingdom of God is not of this world. Not of this world. And I am convinced that the reason so many of our churches are powerless is because we're trying to make it like this world. We're trying to run it and operate it and make it function like a worldly kingdom, and that just will not work. My kingdom is not of this world, he says. Then he goes on and he says,

my kingdom is a kingdom of truth. He says, for this cause, for this I was born, and for this cause I came into the world. You notice how, by the way, how he uses those two different expressions. I was born, so was everybody. But then he says, emphasizing his preexistence as king and lord, I came into this world.

You and I can't say that. We were born, but we did not voluntarily, as an act of our will, come into this world. But Jesus did. And he's emphasizing here, even though Pilate is too dumb to catch it,

he is emphasizing here, his preexistence as King of kings and Lord of lords. For this cause I came into the world to what? To testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.

What a statement. What a sifting statement. Everyone who belongs to the truth doesn't say everyone who believes the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth. The truth is something you commit yourself to because the truth, everyone who belongs to the truth. The truth is something you commit yourself to because the truth is a person. And everyone who belongs to the truth hears my voice. I came to testify to the truth. The kingdom is a kingdom of truth. Now listen, Jesus in the first

place says, my kingdom is not of this world, therefore I don't operate like this world. I don't use the weapons of this world. But he said, I do have a weapon. There is a weapon that I use to advance my kingdom and that weapon is the truth. That is our weapon, the truth. We do war, but we do not do war like the world does. Let me see if I can find this real quick.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul makes a great statement in verse 3. He says, Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards. For the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. And we destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God. And we take every thought captive to obey Christ. He says, our weapons are not of this world. We do war and we are human beings, but we do not wage war like human beings. Jesus said the weapon that he's given us, the sword of the Spirit that he's given us is the truth. It's the truth.

How am I going to change the world? How am I going to bring men to Christ? How is the church going to do its part in redeeming the world? How is it going to make an impact on the world? By proclaiming the truth. That's it. Now, it is the truth about Jesus that he's talking. Not the truth

about the Hallelujah Diet. Not the truth about the environment. Not the truth about finances. All those things are good for seminars and conferences and stuff. But when the pastor stands behind, and yes, I still call it the sacred desk. When the pastor stands behind this and yes, I still call it the sacred desk, when the pastor stands behind this sacred desk, he is to proclaim the truth concerning Jesus Christ, concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This isn't to be a supplement to the Sunday newspaper or to the Reader's Digest. This isn't to be a how-to column that we discuss on Sunday morning and Sunday night. The only justification that a man has for standing behind this desk is that he's proclaiming the truth about God, the truth about the gospel, the truth about Jesus Christ. And that's the truth that converts. Now, you know, you can have these other ministries,

I guess, if you want. I mean, you know. And you can have your seminars on vegetarian diet and have your seminars on getting in touch with the environment, have your seminars on Y2K and all that sort of stuff. That's fine. That's fine. That's fine. No, I'm serious. And you can have 10 steps to financial freedom and that's all right. I want to tell you something. I expect you to listen to me. And the only right I have

to expect you to listen to me is because I proclaim the Word of God. I get up here and just give you my opinions and philosophize and give you a bunch of therapeutic insights. I have no right to expect you to sit there and listen. You have every right to get up and walk out. The only right I have to come to this place is

if I pledge myself before God and to you that I will with all the right I have to come to this place is if I pledge myself before God and to you that I will, with all the ability I have and with all the grace that God can give me, to proclaim to you the truth, the ultimate truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. That is our weapon. That is our weapon that God has given us and it's so what a damning statement everyone who belongs to the truth

listens to my voice how many people do you know who listen to his voice today when the Columbine shootings which just seemed to be the beginning of a long string of things, started. Then there was Conyers, Georgia, and then there was, where else,

Los Angeles, and now Fort Worth, and all of these things. Kay and I would lay in bed at night, and we'd watch the MBBBCF, or something like that, you know. They got so many talking heads on there now, they don't have enough channels to accommodate them all. And Kay and I would a lesson we'd sit there lay there watch all that stuff

they'd bring in all the experts you know sociologists psychologists psychiatrists you know all the people who know they'd give their opinions why does all this happen nobody asked god outside of jerry falwell nobody even mentioned the name of god well we ought to hold the parents guilty, hold them accountable. Well, first of all, government's going to hold me accountable for what my child does that needs to give me back my control over my children. That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard of in my life. I don't know how it is here, but in Texas, if you have a 16-year-old

and he wants to run away from home, drop out of school, there's nothing you can do about it. But I guess if he gets out and shoots somebody, I'm accountable. Of course, that's the craziness of this world's wisdom anyway. Nobody asked what Jesus would say. Nobody talked about the heart. When they had those shootings in Atlanta, the mayor of Atlanta said, there is a deep cancer eating at the heart of our society.

We need to discuss guns. I'd have thought you'd want to discuss the cancer that's eating at the heart of our society. We need to discuss guns. I'd have thought you'd want to discuss the cancer that's eating at the heart of our society. And nobody talks about that. You know why? They don't belong to the truth. So they don't listen to His Word. Jesus got the answer to all of this right here.

Changing hearts, changing lives, changing homes, but nobody listened to him. And it's because they don't belong to the truth. We have swallowed the lie, the big lie. Well, all right, got to move on. There's something else about this kingdom. And I kind of need to back into this one. Anybody here remember Yugoslavia?

Yeah. Whatever you have to say about old Tito, at least he kept the kingdom together. There are now five, soon to be six nations going to emerge out of what was formerly Yugoslavia. Soon as Tito, the dictator, died, I tell you what, that thing's all apart. Because with worldly kingdoms,

you've got to make sure the king stays in control, stays alive, or the kingdom will fall. That's why in the old ancient days of kings in England and other European countries, they had what they called royal tasters, you know. I mean, bring them my dinner, but also bring me Herbert here let him take a bite of that soup

if he doesn't keel over dead I'll take a bite of it I bet it was hard for those boys to get life insurance why did they do that? because to keep the kingdom safe and secure, you had to protect the king. The pope is sick, but nobody's talking about it.

Because when he dies, there's going to be convulsions within the Vatican, political struggles, policy changes. You see, in worldly kingdoms, you've got to keep the king alive. But in this kingdom, our kingdom, it's necessary that he die. If the kingdom is to survive and the kingdom is to advance,

then the king himself must die. And those poor fools didn't know that and the devil didn't know it. And they say, well, we'll get rid of this kingdom business by destroying the leader, by destroying the king. By destroying the king. That's the way you get rid of them.

That was their practice. If there was somebody who was leading a rebellion against the empire of Rome, what they did was to kill the leader and the rest of them would scatter. Only trouble is, this one wouldn't stay dead. They killed him and took him off that cross and put him in a tomb.

And they said, that's that. That's the end of that. Oh no, it's just the beginning of it. What you thought you were destroying, you were actually creating. For all the other kingdoms of this world, they must protect, they must ensure that their kingdom live. all the other kingdoms of this world. They must protect.

They must ensure that their kingdom live. Then their king lives in our kingdom, the kingdom of God. We've got to make sure that he dies. And they thought like other kings and kingdoms. They thought the way to destroy this man's kingdom is to get rid of him, is to kill him. And little did they know, poor fools, that's not the way, no.

You've walked right into our trap. Because in killing the king, you make the kingdom real, possible. So they killed him. It's interesting. You know, I said earlier that if you're against somebody, any old reason will do.

So they're going to make sure that he gets killed. Pilate doesn't want to do it. Listen to what these chief priests said in chapter 19, verse 12. From then on, Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, if you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar's. Everyone who claims to be a king

sets himself against the emperor. And then Pilate says in verse 15, What shall I do with your king? And the chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. We have no king but Caesar. It was a lie, and a lie that damned them

because they hated Caesar just like any good Jew would. Their aim was to get rid of Caesar. But in their blinding hatred for Jesus they disowned the Jehovah God we have no key but Caesar and so they crucified him before I move on to this there's just one other thing I want to point out look at verse 28 of chapter 19

after this when Jesus knew all knew that all was now finished he said I am thirsty and a jar of sour wine was standing there so they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop

and held it to his mouth and when Jesus had received the wine, he said, It is finished. Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. I like the way Luke records that. Luke says that he cried with a loud voice and gave up the spirit. In Luke chapter 23, I believe it is, and gave up the spirit.

In Luke chapter 23, I believe it is, 23, 46, he cried with a loud voice. Now, the truth of the matter is, folks, people don't die that way. People don't die with a loud voice. Oh, now, if you're in a car wreck or something and you see it coming, you may scream, or if somebody pulls a gun on you and starts to shoot you,

well, you may cry with a loud voice. But I tell you what, after hanging for nine hours on the cross, you're not going to die with a loud voice. If you've been in the hospital for a month or two with terminal cancer, you're not going to die with a loud voice. Nobody dies with a loud voice. They go out with a whimper. You know where I found that out? I found that out in the hospital. Years ago when I was a young pastor walking down the hall with a doctor, we passed a room, the door was closed, and this woman in there

was saying, I'm dying! I'm dying! And we just walked right on. The doctor never, no nurses ran in there, nothing. I said, that woman says she's dying. He says, not with that strength, she's not. He said, people don't die with a loud cry. They go out with a whimper. If they're even able to get that out.

You know what this is saying? Jesus, they didn't take my life from me. I give it up. No man takes my life from me. I lay it down. And if I lay it down, I can take it up. No man takes my life from me. I lay it down, and if I lay it down, I can take it up again. He cried with a loud voice. Why?

He was still healthy, and he was still there. He was very much alive. He just wanted everybody to know he hasn't been manipulated into this death, and he is not at the power of his torturers. Well, there's one last thing about this kingdom, and I'm going to have to back into this one too. I said earlier at the beginning

that Pilate didn't want to hear this case. And then he decided he would hear this case and then after he heard the case he wanted to dismiss it and to release Jesus Pilate fought pretty hard to get Jesus, after he examined Jesus, why was Pilate on the side of Christ and wanting him to be released? Why was it? Well, why did he hear the case in the first place? Because they said he claims to be a king. Now, that catches old Pilate's attention because it is his job to watch out for all of these people who would pretend to be kings and try to overthrow the Roman Empire. And so he said, I'd better interview this Jesus. That's why he said, are you a king? Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my friends would fight to save me.

But he said, My kingdom is not from here. Pilate said, Oh, this man, he doesn't even have an army. He's no threat to Rome. He's no threat to Rome. Let him go.

Why, this is just a peasant and his few friends that he has are scattered and they're just peasants and unlearned men. There's not an able-bodied soldier among them. This man has no army. This man is not marching. He's no threat to Rome. Let him go.

But it was this king and his kingdom that brought down the kingdom of Rome and will bring down every kingdom of the earth. Oh, Jesus is no threat to our way of life. Jesus is no threat to our world. Look at him. He's just some religious zealot whose followers are fanatics.

He's no threat. He's no threat. Let him go. And the world still making the same mistake. They look at Jesus and they dismiss him. He's no threat. They don't call upon his name because they feel he has nothing to help them with.

Why call upon the name of Jesus? Oh, sure, when you're at a solemn occasion, you know, you give a nod to God and you offer a little prayer, but nobody takes it seriously. Sure, everything we're doing is against God. Everything we're doing is against Jesus. We've disregarded his ethics, outlawed his morality. We don't have anything to worry about.

He's no threat to us. We can take his laws and take his teachings and his principles and spit on them and look him in the face and say, do something. Yeah, I'll do anything. He's just weak memory. Be no threat.

That's a mighty big mistake. Because I tell you, the greatest threat to the American way of life is not communism, not terrorists. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. And friend, I'll tell you something. His kingdom will bring down all the other kingdoms of the world. The other day my wife asked me

for a credit card. I gave her one. She asked for another one. I said, why two, Kay? I had to work hard to get that in. I want you all to... Why two, Kay? I want you all to... Y2K... Ah, yeah. Wake up back there. Y2K, yes.

Well, it would be interesting to sit in on the conference, Y2K. I can tell you already what they're going to tell you, but I won't. I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not worried about it. Oh, I think there'll be some glitches here and there. About all I'm going to do is get an extra carton of IBC cream soda and some extra snicker bars. I mean, that's my plans. Oh, the world is going to come to an end. Well, so what? That doesn't particularly upset me. Oh, some idiot's going to push a button

and we're all going to be vaporized. Best way to go. Not worried about that. Nobody's going to push a button unless my Lord says they can. His kingdom reigns my king my kingdom and it will one of these days

bring down all the kingdoms of this world. And every haughty and arrogant thought that is thrown in the face of Jesus will be put down by our Lord, by our King. I'm glad I'm a part of that kingdom. I hope you are too. Well, the Lord bless you.

Let's pray together. Our Father, tonight we do come to praise you and to worship you and to call you our King. And we gladly own thee as our King. Help us never, never, oh dear God, help us never to be guilty of the sin of those Jews who cried out, we have no king but Caesar. Father, I think we come so close to it in so many ways in the way that we live and the things that we do. We're saying, I have no king but Caesar.

And often we may join with those who try to bend the truth. Truth is never seeker-friendly, Lord. men do not want to know the truth when they had it in physical form they nailed it to a cross man cannot stand unvarnished truth dear God help us stand on the varnished truth. Dear God, help us who lead the worship.

Help us to always minister the truth. The truth. While there are so many other attractive things that clamor for our attention, that the world calls good and the world says, this is the answer, this is the answer.

Lord, let us never deviate for a moment from the truth that is in Jesus Christ. And may we give allegiance to this truth and to this king. And say we have no king. But Jesus. For we ask it in his name. Amen.