Sermon: A Life Submitted: Christ’s Example Part I (1 Peter 2:18-21)

 Message can be heard here.

Household slaves, submit with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. For it brings favor if, mindful of God's will, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God. For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps. (1 Peter 2:18-21 HCSB)

What is the key to a life submitted?  What does it look like, where do we even start?  This question is what we will attempt to answer this morning and we’ll look at what living submitted should look like played out in real life and its impact.  One thing Peter has been driving at in this letter is we are to be different.  We are not like other people.  We have been set apart for a reason to make the Christ known.

When I survey Peter’s letter I am overwhelmed by the work of Christ.  He shed his blood for us so that we would have a new birth and a living hope in him.  The entire bible points to Christ’s coming and his coming again.  The reality of him suffering for my sin, for your sin, for the sins of the world is very heavy. We are redeemed by his precious blood, we are bought at a great price.  When I place this weight of this on my heart, when I examine my own sin, when I realize it was my sin that placed Christ on the cross, my heart shatters under the stress.  I cannot look at myself the same, I am broken and humbled.  

It is in this broken state, humbled that Christ can fully be realized.  “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.” (Psalms 51:17 HCSB)  We are to be a humble people, living with hearts humbled by the greatness of God and his grace, humbled by our own sin.  Humbled by the fact that our salvation rest not in what we DO, but in what he DID!  I have a poem I wrote a few years ago that I would like to share that

Standing behind her father the shy
buries her head in safe places
She peeks out with one eye open
a smile you can see only slightly

Who is this you are seeking, is she easily
obtained or understood?
Can one so shy be easily embraced or
even known in conversation

Yet without her the Father is not known
without her one is lost forever
She has to be approached ever so slightly
to know her is to be broken before the King

She will comfort those who morn, whose heart
are shattered
But to speak her name or to boast to
have held her will push her back away.

What is the name you seek?
The name you cannot whisper or speak
Humility is what you seek and is the name you
cannot speak

Humility is not something you can say you possess.  I have watched people try and project a false humility, but you can see it’s false.  They are not humble at all, they are only trying to make themselves look humble and thus they stumble and fall.  Humility has to come from a broken heart, humility is living in a state of ‘thankfulness’  for what Christ has done for us, in light of our sin.  Humility is key to living a life submitted.  

A Life Submitted

Peter has spent chapter two of this letter to remind us to live holy lives, desire to grow by focusing on Christ.  To remember he was chosen and valuable to God and we were chosen in him and we too are valuable to God.  We are his people, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his possession.  We are to go out into a dying and lost world and be his ambassadors.  

          -To Whom

So firstly we are to be submitted to Christ.  He has to be the focus of our lives.  He is the one who has bought us, he is the one who saves us, he is the one who empowers us and he is the one who gives us life.  We are to live submitted to Christ authority, we are to seek and do his will in our lives and in the world.  This is foundational to our entire way of life for the Christian.  Your life is not your own, “for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.

(1 Corinthians 6:20 HCSB) You are no longer slaves to sin, but have been set free.  You have been liberated to be slaves to righteousness and bear fruit for God.  To make Christ known to the glory of the Father, Paul explains it further in Romans 6:17-23

“But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred to, and having been liberated from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to moral impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from allegiance to righteousness. So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. But now, since you have been liberated from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification--and the end is eternal life! For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:17-23 HCSB)

We are to live a life submitted to Christ firstly.  From that position we are to go into the world, living a life humbly submitted to authority. 

          -Authority

We are to live our lives in obedience in civil authorities, understanding we are temporary strangers. (v.11) We are to live good quiet lives in submission to bring glory to God.  Understanding God is the one who establishes nations and authorities.  He uses them to bid his will and through our “good” works so as to silence the ignorant and foolish people.  Remembering people are ignorant of God and foolish in their thinking because of sin.  God uses us expose their sin through our actions and changes their hearts.  Which brings us to masters.  

-Masters

Slaves were a vital part of the Roman Empire. Peter was writing to people who were slaves themselves or were slaves once.  In verse 18, Peter is talking about household slaves, who took care of an entire house.  Slaves who cared for the children, cooked meals, cleaned and did what was needed to provide and maintain the house.  Peter reminds them they are to live a life submitted.  

They were to live humbly submitted to their master weather they was good or evil.  They were to always live knowing who they represented and how God would use them to make himself known.  If they suffered for Christ sake, for doing good, God would be pleased.  And through their actions, God would silence the ignorant and foolish.  Which brings us to a question about suffering, why does a loving God allow suffering?  There is no way I can answer this in one message, but these verses do give us a glimpse into the why. 

The Christians in Peter’s time were suffering for their faith and would continue to suffer.  Why does God allow Christians to suffer?  Let me give you something to think about.  We see suffering all over the world and many in the West, living comfortable lives see this and rage against God.  Atheist will point out suffering and tell us God doesn’t care.  But what about the people suffering what do they think?  In Randy Alcorn’s book “If God is Good” he tells this story:

A family in Milwaukee lost six of their children in a vehicle accident.  A driver of a truck, who was unskilled and managed to get his license through bribery, dropped a large object in the road and it struck the couples gas tank and caused an explosion killing their children.  Here is what Scott Willis said,he depth of our pain is indescribable.  However, the Bible expresses our feelings that we sorrow, but not as those without hope.  What gives us our firm foundation for hope are the words of God found in Scripture….Ben, Joe, Sam, Hank, Elisabeth and Peter are all with Jesus Christ.  We know where they are.  Our Strength rests in God’s Word.

Fourteen years after the event during an interview Janet said, “Today I have a far greater understanding of the goodness of God than I did before the accident.” Scott Willis finished the interview with this comment, ‘I have a stronger view of God’s sovereignty than ever before’.   

It was God who got them through this terrible event and their faith was strengthened by it.   Time and time again we see God using suffering to make himself known, people who survive have a deeper understanding of God or believe in God as a result of suffering. We must always remember and we cannot lose sight of who we are.  

You are called

God has called you.  If you are here today,  it isn’t an accident, God is moving in your life,  if you are a Christian, God is working in your life.  He has a plan and a purpose for you. 

         

-Purpose

You were called and set apart for obedience to Christ, who has given you a new birth and a living hope through the shedding of his blood.  You are called to be holy, as God is holy.  We are chosen, to be a royal priesthood to proclaim Christ to those who are ignorant to him, to intercede for them on their behalf to the living and loving God.  To offer prayers for them, to model a holy life for them, which is used by the Holy Spirit to convict them of their sin and make known judgment and righteousness that points them to Christ who alone can save them.  That is your purpose, that is what you are called to and that is what you will bring you the most satisfaction in your life, because in this God is most glorified.     

  

          -By God

I can hear some of you now saying, “that is a huge responsibility!”  That is a very heavy to load to carry, I can’t do that!  Your right you cannot do that without help.  Peter tells us in his second letter, His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. (2 Peter 1:3-10 HCSB)

 We are to focus our lives on Christ and what he did for us on the cross.  We are to remember it was God who called us according to his foreknowledge,

For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:4-6 HCSB)

Christ’s Example

What I love about Christianity is God always takes the imitative.  There is nothing in the Christian faith that doesn’t find its origin in God.  We love because he first loved us, we forgive because he forgave us.  We live humbly and submitted lives because Christ lived humbly and submitted to the Fathers will.  Christ suffered so we could have life through him and he sets the example for us to follow.  For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps. (1 Peter 2:21 HCSB)

We are called to a life submitted to Christ, following his example for us.  It is not an easy life, but it is a rewarding life, with a great benefit plan!  It’s worth living! 

We started with this question, “What is the key to a life submitted?  What does it look like, where do we even start?”  Everything starts and ends in Christ.  We are to come before him and confess our sin and repent of them.  Humbled by the cleansing of our sin we thankfully submit our lives to him, to live for him, to follow his steps wherever they may lead.  For this end we are called, to this we grow in Christ, in this we find our strength and purpose.  We live this life of submission in front of others, so they may see Christ in us.  So that they may know Christ, so that they may be called out of the darkness of ignorance and foolishness and brought into his wonderful light that brings life.

This morning I pray God has touched your heart.  If you’re a believer I pray you have found comfort and strength of purpose to live a life submitted.  Humility is the key.  If you are here this morning and you are not a believer, I pled with you this morning to give your life to Christ.  I pray he would come into your heart and break it for his sake and replace with a heart that beats for him.  If you are convicted of the sin in your life confess it this morning, confess to God who alone can remove it.  Repent and turn to Christ, for his burden is light and his yoke is easy.  Don’t leave this morning without answering the call he has placed upon you!      

Grow in Grace and Knowledge

 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”~2 Peter 3:18 HCSB

Peter closes out his second letter with these words.  He has written two letter of encouragement to the saints and closes urging them to continue to grow.  He understands the Christian faith is not one satisfied with just standing still but is based on a lifetime of growth, growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Grace and knowledge go hand and hand.  It is by grace of God that we have any knowledge of God at all.  God doesn’t have to help us understand Him, He doesn’t owe us anything, it is all by grace.  The sun rises and falls because of grace.  It rains, crops grow, everything is dependent upon the grace of God.  The very breath you are taking in right now is because of God’s incredible grace.  

It was through grace God revealed Himself to man.  After the fall in the garden Eden, God had every right to destroy man forever but extended him grace.  Not only did he spare man but he provided a way to rescue man from his wayward state.  He sent His Son Jesus Christ to suffer in our place the justice of God.  It was God’s pleasure to crush His Son for the sins of the many.  Growing in the knowledge of this act of grace brings us closer to God and helps us understand His glory. Understanding grace humbles us and makes us teachable.   

In Christ “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him.” (Colossians 2:3 HCSB)  By seeking to grow in the knowledge in Christ we are seeking a treasure. We are people in search of truth.  We all want to know the answers to the questions that move us.  Whatever the question is that you have the answer is found in Christ.  Everything starts and ends with Him.  In Him is everything we need to live.  But it is more than just existing, in Christ we have life!  Life that is full, life that is worth living.  Growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ can only result in one thing, thanksgiving and praise of the glory of God!   

Lord help us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Lord help understand and to live for Your glory.  Lord thank you for your grace and let other see your love in us.  Amen

Ask

“At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask. What should I give you?" ~1 Kings 3:5 HCSB

David had gone to be with his fathers and his son Solomon was declared king.  Solomon walked in the way of David and the Lord came to him in a dream.  God asked Solomon what shall I give you.  Most people in Solomon position might have asked for riches, long life or freedom from enemies, but Solomon say this, “So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (1 Kings 3:9 HCSB) Solomon asked for a ‘listening heart’ which is translated in English differently, some say understanding, wisdom or discerning, but I like obedient.  Solomon understood where the wisdom needed to govern came from. 

Solomon confesses he is young and inexperienced and he greatly desired to please the Lord in being king over God’s people.  He understood it was God who made him king and it was God who would give him the wisdom he needed.  Solomon did something else important, he asked.  Have you found yourself tested? Found yourself in an impossible situation and you feel hugely under qualified? It is when we are in these situations that we need to ask God for knowledge.  Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5 HCSB) With God there is wisdom to see us through any situation we just need to ask.

Solomon humbled himself before the Lord, he knew where to go for help and he asked.  God granted his request.  He made Solomon the wisest man to ever live.  He not only gave him wisdom but he also gave him everything he didn’t ask for.  He was given riches, he was protected and given long life.  Anytime we seek God first, He will always exceed our expectations.  Today ask God to give you the wisdom you need.  Humble yourself before the Lord and know it is God who is knows all things, he alone can help you. 

  

Lord you are to wonderful to understand, Lord give me understanding of You.  Lord give me the wisdom needed to live to bring you glory.  Lord give me the knowledge I need to live a life worthy of the call you have placed on my life.  Amen

In Christ

I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery--Christ. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him. ~Colossians 2:2-3 HCSB

I once had a person say about my sermons, they are all the same—they are about Jesus.  They were right! I do bring up Jesus in every message.  Why do you think I do that?  As I survey the world around me there are many places for you to find self helps.  You can read a book or go online for just about any situation you might have.  You can learn how to deal with your crazy teenager, or a cranky grandparent.  You get how too guides for buying cars, to guides for dummies to a coffee pot.  What you need in life isn’t another how to guide but something you can stand on, truth. 

Jesus is truth and He is the key to everything.  Jesus is what binds us all together as believers.  Through Him we can love one another deeply.  He joins our hearts together in love.  He makes known to us the mystery of the ages—that Christ has come to suffer and die for us.  He took our sin upon Himself, both Jew and Gentile and now all who believe have access to God. In knowing Christ all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge are found in Him and Him alone.  I am convinced if we were to draw nearer to Christ, learn and live Christ in our daily lives, most if not all of our worries and what troubles us would disappear.  

Notice I am not saying our problems will disappear, but the way we view them and approach them would.  When we start to realize that our troubles are opportunities for Christ to work in our lives.  When we experience suffering, we know that He walks along side us and at time carries us.  He places people in our lives that minister, touch and love us.  As we draw closer to Him all of our relationships change around us.  In Christ we think less about ourselves and more about others, which in turn strengthens every relationship we are in.  How or why would I talk about anything else?  We have all we need in Christ and I will proclaim Him until He takes away my last breath!  

Lord you are all we need!  Lord give us the wisdom and knowledge to know You.  Give us the desire to seek You in everything.  Lord in You is everything we need!  Lord help us to understand this and most of all Lord help us to share this wonderful mystery with everyone.  Amen        

Jesus is….

“He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation.

For everything was created by Him,

in heaven and on earth,

the visible and the invisible,

whether thrones or dominions

 or rulers or authorities—

all things have been created through Him
and for Him. He is before all things,

and by Him all things hold together.

He is also the head of the body,

the church; He is the beginning,

the firstborn from the dead,

so that He might come to have

first place in everything.

For God was pleased to have

all His fullness dwell in Him,

and through Him to reconcile

everything to Himself by making peace

through the blood of His cross—

whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

~Colossians 1:15-20 HCSB

Jesus I praise you name!  There is no one like you, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  Thank you for the cross, thank you for your grace, thank you Lord!  Lord let me live for you and for your glory! 

Repentance and Mud Pies

“Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” ~Acts 3:19 HCSB

Reading this verse I am given a painful reminder.  Without repentance there isn’t salvation, notice the order of this verse--repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out.  We have stopped telling people in sharing the gospel they need to repent.   In our effort not to sound judgmental or offensive we have stopped telling people they need to turn from their sin.  As I read the ligature and hear the gospel presented by others I hear it like this.  “We have all sinned, Jesus died for our sins and by putting our faith in Him we are saved, all you have to do is believe”.  What is missing is the need to repent, Jesus died for us and we have to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus, who will remove our sin and help us overcome the sin we struggle with.  

When we are without Christ and living in sin we are walking away from Christ, by repenting we are turning our backs on sin and turning to Christ.  It is not a continued walk with sin and Jesus walks along with you, you have to turn away.  In our thinking we have cheapened the effects of sin.  In doing so, we have developed a mindset that sin is like a playing with mud pies.  The mud gets on our hands and it’s messy, it might get on our cloths and even in our hair, but it was fun and it washes off!  Sin is far more sinister than mud—it makes its way through our pours and poisons us.  The mud makes it way to our hearts darkening and hardening them.  The mud gets to our minds and clouds our thinking, sin has one purpose, to kill, steal and destroy.

Even worse you cannot wash it off, it cannot be removed by your efforts.  You can wash, scrub, use high industrially cleaners and will never remove it, and whatever you touch it becomes dirty.  When you hold your kids, your spouse or shake the hand of a friend it spreads to them.  It dirties everything and everyone around you.  Only the blood of Christ can remove it, only the blood of Christ can keep it from you.  By turning to Christ we are saying I cannot clean myself, I need you to clean me.  We humble ourselves and acknowledging Christ is the only one who can save me and wash me white as snow.   

Lord help us to repent of our sins, to turn away from sin and turn to you.  Lord help me to live a life of holiness, that brings glory to you.  Lord cleanse my heart and my mind of the dirt.  Lord help me to share this with others that they too may know you and experience the season of refreshing that comes from you and you alone!  Amen        

Caught!

David responded to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Then Nathan replied to David, "The LORD has taken away your sin; you will not die.

~2 Samuel 12:13 HCSB

David has pulled off the perfect crime.  He has committed murder, adultery, lying, deceiving all along the way.  No one knows the full extent of his crime.  All the while God is watching and sends the prophet Nathan.  Nathan shares with David a story about a man with a lamb that is like family and how a rich man took the poor man’s lamb for himself, out of greed.  David is infuriated and says, “The man who did this deserves to die!”  Nathan tells him, “You are that man.”  He then proceeds to tell him how God established him and he has sinned greatly against the Lord.  David responds by saying, “I have sinned against the LORD.” 

My first reaction is what about Uriah! Hasn’t David sinned against the man he murdered!  How about Bathsheba?  Hasn’t David sinned against her?  How about Joab, to put him in a position to kill one of his own men?  Yet David says I have sinned against the Lord, in fact in Psalm 51:4 he says he sinned against God alone.  Why would he say that?  The offense is against the highest offended, which is God.  Let me illustrate this.  If I abuse my son and then apologies to my wife, my son is going to be hurt even more and rightly so.  I must first apologies to my son and then to my wife.  Both have been offended, but my greatest offense is against my son.  

When we sin God is the one most offended.  He provides everything for us.  He gives us life, relationships and everything we have is due to Him.  So when we turn away from him and chose sin over His grace, He is greatly offended.  Sin is very serious and we have an incredible God who wants to forgive us.  He loves us and through His Son Jesus Christ we have forgiveness of sin.  Jesus paid the price, He satisfied God’s righteousness and through Him we have life.  So when we sin we are to confess our sin and turn from it, repent.  We do not escape the consequences of our sin, but the one most offended forgives us.

Lord I confess my sin against you.  I pray you will forgive me and help me to repent.  Lord give me the strength and turn to you and to seek you with all of my heart.  Lord let me glorify you in my life in everything I do, for your namesake and glory!  Amen.   

Pastor Steve

No One Knows?

"When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, the LORD considered what David had done to be evil." ~2 Samuel 11:27 HCSB

David’s men are out fighting against the Ammonites.  Early in the evening David got from his bed and strolled along the roof of his palace when he saw a women bathing—a very beautiful women the scriptures says.  He wants to know more about her, she is Bathsheba the wife of Uriah and soon she is summoned to the palace.  Soon afterwards she sends word to him that she is pregnant.  So David in an effort to cover his sin sends for Uriah to come home.  Twice David tries to convince Uriah to go home and be with his wife, twice he refuses.  David then gives Uriah a note to carry to Joab to place him in the thick of battle and to withdraw from him, he is to be killed.  All goes according to plan, Uriah dies and David gets the wife—no one knows about David’s sin. 

David thought he was smart but God saw the whole thing and wasn’t going to let him get away with it.  This thought brings us to a major point in this story that applies to us all.  God see’s everything we do and will hold us accountable! With that thought the question becomes, "What sin are you hiding from everyone else and you think God is none the wiser?"  What are you thinking of doing and are sure you can get away with it?  Everything we do the Lord knows and it will be exposed in time.  

If you have done something you need to confess your sin to God and make it right.  I would also encourage you to pray for God to provide you a Christian brother or sister you can confide in and will hold you accountable.  If it involves people you need to offer an apology and ask for forgiveness, even if the person will not accept or offer forgiveness back.  Fifteen years ago I got mad at a brother for something he said to me and I harbored those feeling all that time.  God worked it out where I had contact with this person again and in His timing put us together on the phone!  I confessed my sin to my brother who in turn quickly apologized himself and it became a great experience of healing for us both.  Don’t hang on to sin confess it and allow God’s grace to bring you healing and forgiveness.  Most of all remember there is nothing we do that is hidden from God and He wants so much more for you than allow you to remain in sin.

Lord forgive us of our many sins.  Lord forgive us of our hidden sin and help us to confess that sin to you and to another person in Christ.  Lord give us someone in our lives we can openly confess our short comings.  Lord if we have wronged someone in our sin, provide a way to forgiveness.  Lord I thank you for your love, grace and mercy!  Amen

Who Am I

“Who am I, Lord GOD, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? This is why You are great, Lord GOD. There is no one like You, and there is no God besides You, as all we have heard confirms. So that Your name will be exalted forever, Lord GOD, You are God; Your words are true, and You have promised this grace to Your servant.” ‘Summery of David’s prayer” 2 Samuel 7

In 2 Samuel 7:18-28 David Prays.  Saul the king is dead.  He was killed along with his son Jonathan by the Philistines.  Saul’s remaining son Ish-bosheth was made king by Abner Saul’s general over most of Israel.  But the people of Judah followed David, what followed was civil war.  Over a course of two years David armies were victorious.  Once a truce was agreed upon with Abner, the fighting stopped.  Only David’s general Joab wanted Abner dead for killing his brother in battle and took matters into his own hands and murdered Abner.  Two thieves broke into Ish-bosheth and killed him while he was napping.  All of David’s rivals were now dead and there was truly peace.  

In this God made a covenant with David.  He promised his throne would remain forever.  In fact we know this to be true because Jesus is from the line of David and His throne is forever just as God promised.  David humbled himself before the Lord and asked, “Who am I?”  Think back over your life and remember how God has brought you along.  How He established you, saved you, loved you, shown incredible grace to you.  Reflect on how He continues to provide for you, strengthen and encourage you.  Take your time and think and then ask the question, “Who am I?”

God is great, there is no one like Him!  There is no other God who can do the things He does, He is alive!  His name will be exulted in all the earth, forever!  His words are true and His grace is everlasting to His servants!  

Lord who am I?  Lord thank you for allowing me to be a part of Your Kingdom!  Lord thank you for loving me, showering me with Your grace, which I do not deserve.  Lord you are magnificent and I will praise your name!