Ep 150 | Cover to Cover 29 | Pastor Ryan Clark | July 19, 2026

Have you ever heard the phrase, "my way or the highway"? In our readings for this week, we see "my way" represented by King Saul who made a habit of insisting on doing things his way. By contrast, David sought to do things "the Most High's way"! Which choice do you most often make? #StJohnsBuffalo #CovertoCoverBible #MyWayOrGodsWay #TheMostHigh’sWay

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Hello, this is Pastor Ryan Clark.
You are listening to a message from St.
John's Lutheran Church in Buffalo, Minnesota. 4 00:00:14,796.897959184 --> 00:00:19,86.897959184 Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 5 00:00:19,746.897959184 --> 00:00:20,376.897959184 Amen. 6 00:00:21,426.897959184 --> 00:00:30,86.897959184 The story is told about a father who was driving with his family on vacation when he came to a large sign that read, "Road closed. 7 00:00:30,96.896959184 --> 00:00:31,216.896959184 Do not enter." 8 00:00:31,756.896959184 --> 00:00:40,546.897959184 The man decided not to obey the sign because he was confident that by not obeying the sign and going down that road, they would save a little bit of time. 9 00:00:41,136.895959184 --> 00:00:48,226.896959184 His wife was resistant, of course, to the adventure, but there was no turning back for this persistent road warrior. 10 00:00:48,746.896959184 --> 00:00:55,566.894959184 After a few miles of successful navigation, he began to boast about his good decision to ignore the sign. 11 00:00:56,186.895959184 --> 00:01:03,146.896959184 His proud smile was quickly replaced with humble sweat when the road led to a washed-out bridge. 12 00:01:03,746.896959184 --> 00:01:10,896.898959184 He reluctantly had to turn the car around and retrace his tracks several miles back to the main road. 13 00:01:11,396.898959184 --> 00:01:22,336.899959184 When they arrived at the original warning sign, he was greeted by large graffiti letters on the back of the sign saying, "Welcome back, stupid." 14 00:01:27,126.897959184 --> 00:01:48,76.89695918 My way or the highway, huh? Well, in the road of life, what is our road map? What is the sign that tells us what to do and what not to do? That's the Bible, isn't it? And that's why we are, over the next two years, going through this sermon series cover to cover. 15 00:01:48,376.89795918 --> 00:01:59,166.89595918 And we are literally going Genesis through Revelation because the Bible is our road map to this life and even to the life to come. 16 00:02:01,356.89795918 --> 00:02:04,996.89795918 Now you've heard those words, right? My way or the highway. 17 00:02:06,356.89795918 --> 00:02:09,806.89795918 My way says I'm gonna do it my way. 18 00:02:09,806.89795918 --> 00:02:13,816.89795918 I'm gonna do it the way that just comes naturally to me. 19 00:02:14,366.89795918 --> 00:02:29,346.89695918 Well, what comes naturally to us? Sin, disobedience, right? Well, we're going to turn this around a little bit here today, and we're gonna call this message My Way or the Most High's Way. 20 00:02:29,726.89695918 --> 00:02:46,656.89595918 In other words, am I going to choose my way, or am I gonna choose God's way? Because God's way, as we find it written out in the words of scripture, are always in the long run way better for us. 21 00:02:47,986.89795918 --> 00:03:05,166.89595918 So as we go through, and we're gonna be looking at two accounts here today from our readings, My Way is gonna be represented by King Saul, and the Most High, or God's Way, is represented by David. 22 00:03:06,966.89695918 --> 00:03:15,476.89395918 The first instance that we're gonna be looking at comes on the heels of David's great defeat of Goliath in 1 Samuel, Chapter 17. 23 00:03:16,436.89895918 --> 00:03:27,236.89795918 As they come back into town in Chapter 18, there is King Saul and all of his army, and there's David alongside of him. 24 00:03:27,866.89895918 --> 00:03:38,206.89695918 And all of the ladies are singing and chanting, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David has slain his tens of thousands." 25 00:03:39,186.89695918 --> 00:03:43,456.89595918 Well, immediately King Saul did not like that very much. 26 00:03:43,956.90095918 --> 00:03:48,956.89695918 And it says in Chapter 18, "Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. 27 00:03:49,426.90295918 --> 00:03:54,456.89895918 'They have credited David with tens of thousands,' he thought, 'but me with only thousands. 28 00:03:54,656.89795918 --> 00:04:01,556.89595918 What more can he get than the kingdom?' And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. 29 00:04:01,956.90095918 --> 00:04:05,896.90195918 The next day, an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. 30 00:04:06,146.89595918 --> 00:04:10,666.89495918 He was prophesying in the house while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. 31 00:04:11,176.90295918 --> 00:04:20,356.89295918 Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, 'I'll pin David to the wall!' But David eluded him twice." 32 00:04:21,766.89895918 --> 00:04:29,756.89495918 So here we have King Saul, and in his jealousy he started thinking, "This guy's out to get me. 33 00:04:31,186.89695918 --> 00:04:32,256.89295918 He's out to get me. 34 00:04:32,266.89895918 --> 00:04:34,176.89595918 He's out to get the kingdom. 35 00:04:35,896.90395918 --> 00:04:38,186.89195918 I got to take this into my own hands. 36 00:04:38,706.90095918 --> 00:04:40,776.89495918 I got to deal with this myself." 37 00:04:41,16.89895918 --> 00:04:48,616.89395918 And he takes his spear and he throws it at David, and David just barely gets away. 38 00:04:52,892.90195918 --> 00:04:57,762.90195918 From that point on, David was on the run from King Saul. 39 00:04:59,162.90195918 --> 00:05:03,232.90195918 And in chapter 26, we have this instance from our readings this week. 40 00:05:03,232.90195918 --> 00:05:14,542.90095918 It says, "So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. 41 00:05:15,32.90095918 --> 00:05:17,462.90195918 Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. 42 00:05:17,722.90195918 --> 00:05:22,182.90095918 Abishai said to David, 'Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. 43 00:05:22,372.90195918 --> 00:05:25,892.90195918 Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear. 44 00:05:26,142.90195918 --> 00:05:27,922.90195918 I won't strike him twice.'" 45 00:05:28,502.90295918 --> 00:05:41,972.90095918 So God had put Saul and his army in this deep sleep, so much so that David and Abishai could walk right up to Saul, and this whole thing could be over right then. 46 00:05:42,382.89995918 --> 00:05:45,222.89995918 Remember, Saul thought that David was out to get him. 47 00:05:46,722.89995918 --> 00:05:50,272.89895918 David knew that Saul was out to get him. 48 00:05:51,862.89895918 --> 00:05:55,2.90095918 And they could have put a quick end to this right then. 49 00:05:56,132.89995918 --> 00:05:59,462.90395918 "But David said to Abishai, 'Don't destroy him. 50 00:05:59,832.89695918 --> 00:06:12,572.90095918 Who can lay a hand on the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the Lord lives,' he said, 'the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 51 00:06:13,2.90295918 --> 00:06:17,382.90095918 But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. 52 00:06:17,882.89995918 --> 00:06:22,462.89595918 Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head and let's go.'" 53 00:06:24,12.89695918 --> 00:06:34,462.89895918 This great opportunity to get revenge, to put an end to this person that is out to get him, and David said, "Far be it from me. 54 00:06:34,912.89895918 --> 00:06:36,312.89595918 I'm not gonna do that. 55 00:06:37,362.90295918 --> 00:06:43,542.89995918 If God wants to do that, He can do it, but I'm not gonna take it into my hands." 56 00:06:44,12.89695918 --> 00:06:54,632.90395918 And then having taken the spear and the water jug, he goes far away, and once Saul wakes up, he says, "Look, I've got your stuff. 57 00:06:54,852.90195918 --> 00:07:31,284.90895918 I could have killed you, but I didn't" My Way or God's Way? My Way is to think that I have to defend myself As I was preparing for this message, I was just thinking over the last few years all of the times that maybe someone came in or I saw someone uptown or something that, that said something that was a little cringey, you know? One of those things that rubs you the wrong way. 58 00:07:31,284.90895918 --> 00:07:33,94.90895918 They said just the wrong thing. 59 00:07:34,44.90895918 --> 00:07:42,894.90895918 And I thought about how many times immediately I have something come back to my head, a zinger, right? I've got to defend myself. 60 00:07:42,894.90895918 --> 00:07:56,244.90795918 If I don't defend myself, who will? Maybe I get into work at 9:30 some day and someone walks up to me and goes, "Are you just getting here?" Grr. 61 00:07:57,504.90895918 --> 00:08:02,884.90795918 "What time did you go to bed last night? I went to bed at midnight, 'cause I got home at 9:00 last night." 62 00:08:03,134.90795918 --> 00:08:06,304.90795918 Right? And you think, "I've got to defend myself." 63 00:08:08,340.90895918 --> 00:08:10,650.90895918 Well, that's our way of doing things. 64 00:08:10,790.90895918 --> 00:08:22,178.90895918 And by the way, our way is the natural way God's way is the supernatural way of living life, and it's always a lot better. 65 00:08:22,358.90895918 --> 00:08:29,748.90895918 God's way is to teach us to ask for Him to defend us when it seems like somebody is out to get us. 66 00:08:32,282.90895918 --> 00:08:36,882.90895918 Saul did things the human, natural, sinful way. 67 00:08:37,592.90895918 --> 00:08:42,612.90895918 David did things the supernatural, God's way. 68 00:08:43,752.90895918 --> 00:08:55,482.90795918 And God wants us to learn from these accounts as well and learn how to do what doesn't come naturally, but we can by the power of the Holy Spirit. 69 00:08:56,122.90895918 --> 00:08:59,992.90795918 In Romans 12 it says, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. 70 00:09:00,252.90795918 --> 00:09:03,182.90895918 Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 71 00:09:03,442.90895918 --> 00:09:07,962.90895918 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 72 00:09:08,382.90895918 --> 00:09:12,722.90695918 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. 73 00:09:12,732.90795918 --> 00:09:16,752.90795918 For it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. 74 00:09:17,282.90695918 --> 00:09:21,902.90695918 On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. 75 00:09:22,202.90895918 --> 00:09:25,232.90895918 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. 76 00:09:25,562.90995918 --> 00:09:30,832.90895918 Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." 77 00:09:32,692.90695918 --> 00:09:38,2.90695918 God says, "Listen, you remember your job and let me do my job. 78 00:09:38,312.90995918 --> 00:09:42,392.90495918 Your job is to love people unconditionally. 79 00:09:42,602.91095918 --> 00:09:48,682.90695918 Whether they treat you well or whether you think they're out to get you, you are to love those people. 80 00:09:49,702.90895918 --> 00:09:55,72.90695918 My job is to discipline and take care of those kind of things on your behalf. 81 00:09:55,292.90495918 --> 00:09:59,632.90495918 So you do your job and let me do my job. 82 00:09:59,772.90895918 --> 00:10:08,462.90895918 Don't be overcome by evil, but instead overcome evil by being good continuously." 83 00:10:10,252.90395918 --> 00:10:26,506.90895918 That's what David was doing, and that's what God would have us to do in this world where we're gonna have so many opportunities to be offended Jesus puts it this way: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 84 00:10:26,506.90895918 --> 00:10:33,716.90895918 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." 85 00:10:35,306.90895918 --> 00:10:39,966.90795918 And so it's not just, "God, you take care of that person." 86 00:10:41,136.90895918 --> 00:10:46,106.90795918 It's saying, "Lord, if there's any vengeance that needs to be taken, I'm gonna leave that up to you. 87 00:10:46,416.90795918 --> 00:10:51,236.90795918 But in the meantime, out of my love for this person, bless them. 88 00:10:52,706.90895918 --> 00:10:54,456.90695918 Help them through their life. 89 00:10:54,506.90795918 --> 00:11:00,786.90695918 Lord, if there's anything that is a struggle in their relationship with you, fix that for them. 90 00:11:01,766.90595918 --> 00:11:06,286.90795918 May you make yourself real and known to this person." 91 00:11:07,686.90795918 --> 00:11:11,756.90795918 That's what it looks like to be children of our Father in heaven. 92 00:11:13,316.90495918 --> 00:11:28,246.90395918 My way or God's way? Secondly, in 1 Samuel 28 it says, "Now Samuel was dead, and Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. 93 00:11:28,676.90995918 --> 00:11:32,86.90995918 Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. 94 00:11:32,506.90395918 --> 00:11:38,656.90895918 The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. 95 00:11:39,816.90895918 --> 00:11:45,386.90395918 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid, and terror filled his heart." 96 00:11:47,804.90795918 --> 00:11:55,954.90795918 So during Saul's and later in David's reign, it always seems to be these mighty Philistines that are always attacking. 97 00:11:56,264.90795918 --> 00:11:59,874.90695918 And they had really made inroads into the land of Israel. 98 00:12:00,194.90695918 --> 00:12:06,684.90795918 And so that Saul and his army felt like they were being backed into a corner, and he was scared to death. 99 00:12:06,724.90795918 --> 00:12:23,426.90795918 "What should I do?" Well, Samuel had passed away and he had rightly expelled all the mediums and the spiritists, the witches from the land And now he's getting a little nervous. 100 00:12:25,36.90795918 --> 00:12:31,976.90795918 He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 101 00:12:32,746.90795918 --> 00:12:38,446.90695918 Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who's a medium so I may go and inquire of her." 102 00:12:38,976.90695918 --> 00:12:52,638.90795918 "There is one in Endor," they said Have you ever called out to God and didn't hear a clear answer right away? I mean, that's happened to all of us, right? That happened to me this week. 103 00:12:53,378.90795918 --> 00:12:57,518.90795918 I called out to God, and I didn't have a clear answer right away. 104 00:12:58,38.90795918 --> 00:12:59,688.90695918 Well, that's what happened to Saul. 105 00:13:00,298.90795918 --> 00:13:02,88.90695918 Initially, he did the right thing. 106 00:13:02,98.90795918 --> 00:13:11,948.90695918 He called out to God, "God, what should I do?" But when God didn't answer him right away, he said, "Well, I've got to find out what I'm supposed to do. 107 00:13:13,338.90795918 --> 00:13:14,348.90695918 I got an idea. 108 00:13:15,768.90795918 --> 00:13:25,144.90795918 Is there a witch around?" Now, like I said, initially he had done the right thing. 109 00:13:25,284.90795918 --> 00:13:27,344.90795918 He had expelled all the witches. 110 00:13:28,424.90795918 --> 00:13:39,314.90795918 But then when he got really nervous and God wasn't answering right away, he decided to do something that was despicable to God. 111 00:13:41,702.90795918 --> 00:13:44,52.90795918 Look at this passage from Deuteronomy 18. 112 00:13:44,422.90795918 --> 00:13:57,52.90795918 "Let no one be found among you who practices divination or sorcery, who interprets omens, who engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, who's a medium or spiritist, or who consults the dead. 113 00:13:57,402.90795918 --> 00:14:02,472.90695918 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord." 114 00:14:05,40.90795918 --> 00:14:17,380.90695918 God doesn't mince words when it comes to this kind of thing, does he? And these kinds of things still exist in the world today. 115 00:14:18,130.90795918 --> 00:14:29,210.90795918 Oh, they may have different names like a Ouija board or tarot cards or witchcraft or daily horoscopes, but it's all basically the same thing. 116 00:14:29,290.90795918 --> 00:14:32,390.90795918 It's all completely detestable to the Lord. 117 00:14:32,510.90695918 --> 00:14:47,780.90795918 Why? Because in all of these things, you're trying to get information or you're trying to get power by bypassing God That's why it's detestable to Him. 118 00:14:48,70.90795918 --> 00:14:51,50.90795918 He says, "I don't want you to bypass me. 119 00:14:51,160.90795918 --> 00:14:53,310.90795918 I want you to come to me." 120 00:14:57,680.90795918 --> 00:15:03,190.90795918 Saul says, "Well, I tried, but you didn't answer right away, and so I had to go to something else." 121 00:15:06,10.90795918 --> 00:15:10,60.90795918 What should have Saul done? Let's come back to that. 122 00:15:11,540.90795918 --> 00:15:15,810.90795918 Now, look at what happens when David gets nervous. 123 00:15:16,600.90795918 --> 00:15:25,480.90795918 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. 124 00:15:25,910.90795918 --> 00:15:30,430.90695918 So David and his men wept and until they had no strength left to weep. 125 00:15:31,20.90795918 --> 00:15:37,20.90595918 David's two wives had been captured, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 126 00:15:37,590.90795918 --> 00:15:41,790.90695918 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him. 127 00:15:42,320.90795918 --> 00:15:49,580.90595918 Each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters, but David found strength in the Lord his God. 128 00:15:50,960.90695918 --> 00:16:03,60.90595918 So the situation here is David and his men go back home to where they're living in the city of Ziklag, and to their horror, they find that the city has been razed to the ground. 129 00:16:03,210.90695918 --> 00:16:10,600.90795918 It's on fire, and all of their loved ones, their wives, their children, have been taken captive by their enemy. 130 00:16:12,260.90595918 --> 00:16:22,30.90795918 If that isn't bad enough, then all of David's men begin looking at him as the one that did this and start talking about killing him. 131 00:16:24,330.90795918 --> 00:16:32,514.90795918 That would make me nervous But look at how David responds. 132 00:16:34,104.90795918 --> 00:16:39,874.90795918 "Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, 'Bring me the ephod.' 133 00:16:40,464.9079592 --> 00:16:50,734.9079592 Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the Lord, 'Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?' 'Pursue them,' he answered. 134 00:16:50,914.9069592 --> 00:16:55,304.9069592 'You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.'" 135 00:16:57,368.9079592 --> 00:17:04,218.9079592 What did David do? David didn't go to witchcraft, he didn't go to tarot cards, he didn't go to a Ouija board. 136 00:17:04,228.9079592 --> 00:17:06,858.9079592 What did he do? He went to the Lord his God. 137 00:17:06,998.9069592 --> 00:17:17,58.9079592 And we don't know how long he had to seek the Lord before he got an answer, but we do know this, he sought Him until he got the answer that he needed. 138 00:17:19,382.9079592 --> 00:17:32,132.9069592 My Way or God's Way? My way, the natural way, the sinful way, is to not seek God at all when I need help or when I need information or when I need wisdom. 139 00:17:32,702.9079592 --> 00:17:46,722.9069592 Or to seek Him for a little while, but then give up when I don't hear something right away, and then take it into my own hands and do something that is oftentimes displeasing to God. 140 00:17:47,672.9079592 --> 00:17:49,652.9079592 That's the natural way of things. 141 00:17:49,652.9079592 --> 00:17:51,822.9059592 That's what comes naturally to you and me. 142 00:17:53,642.9069592 --> 00:18:03,822.9089592 God's way is to teach us to seek Him until we find Him, to not give up. 143 00:18:04,102.9059592 --> 00:18:05,212.9079592 That's what Saul did. 144 00:18:05,212.9079592 --> 00:18:07,202.9079592 He gave up too early. 145 00:18:08,762.9059592 --> 00:18:16,592.9079592 In our highlighted verse of the day from Psalm 63, you can highlight this in your Bibles if you brought it along here today. 146 00:18:16,842.9079592 --> 00:18:18,202.9059592 These are David's words. 147 00:18:18,282.9069592 --> 00:18:23,42.9059592 He said, "You, God, are my God, and earnestly I seek you." 148 00:18:23,212.9069592 --> 00:18:25,562.9069592 That means I'm seeking you with all my heart. 149 00:18:26,162.9079592 --> 00:18:27,332.9069592 "I thirst for you. 150 00:18:27,332.9069592 --> 00:18:32,272.9059592 My whole being longs for you in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 151 00:18:32,842.9079592 --> 00:18:37,362.9069592 I have seen you in the sanctuary, and I beheld your power and your glory." 152 00:18:37,602.9029592 --> 00:18:46,832.9089592 How much is David seeking the Lord? As if he was out in the middle of the desert with no water and he's seeking for water with everything that he has. 153 00:18:48,888.9079592 --> 00:18:55,748.9079592 And he says in verse two, "I know that you're gonna come through for me because I've seen you in the past. 154 00:18:56,98.9079592 --> 00:18:58,78.9079592 I've seen you do amazing things. 155 00:18:58,88.9079592 --> 00:19:03,318.9079592 I beheld your power and your glory, and so I'm not giving up on you. 156 00:19:03,678.9069592 --> 00:19:10,288.9079592 I'm gonna keep on seeking you and seeking you and seeking you until I find what I need in you." 157 00:19:11,968.9079592 --> 00:19:15,798.9079592 In Jeremiah 29, God promises an amazing promise. 158 00:19:15,798.9079592 --> 00:19:20,158.9079592 He says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart. 159 00:19:20,618.9079592 --> 00:19:24,128.9089592 I will be found by you," declares the Lord. 160 00:19:24,398.9079592 --> 00:19:31,268.9079592 If you seek the Lord with all of your heart and he never shows up, then guess what? Let's call a spade a spade. 161 00:19:31,268.9079592 --> 00:19:34,548.9069592 God's a liar, but he's not. 162 00:19:35,638.9059592 --> 00:19:41,188.9069592 If you seek him with all your heart and don't give up, you will find him. 163 00:19:41,308.9079592 --> 00:19:45,188.9069592 He says, "I will be found by you." 164 00:19:48,396.9079592 --> 00:20:08,726.9079592 What do these two lessons, the first one about not taking revenge on those who hurt you or threaten you, and secondly, seeking the Lord for wisdom until we find Him, what do these two things have in common? The answer is this: They both require us to do something that none of us like to do. 165 00:20:09,926.9069592 --> 00:20:12,416.9079592 Wait on the Lord. 166 00:20:14,882.9079592 --> 00:20:21,672.9079592 Here's our very important point of the day: God is frequently, in our estimation, late. 167 00:20:23,918.9079592 --> 00:20:39,998.9069592 But when it seems like He's taking His own time in coming to our rescue or defending us or answering our prayers, it's not that He's not listening, and it's not that He's tardy because He's always on time in Heaven's perfect time. 168 00:20:41,648.9079592 --> 00:20:57,888.9059592 But oftentimes He's inviting us into an even deeper seeking of Him maybe than we've ever done before, and He's inviting us into ever deeper faith in Him and in those promises that He's made to us. 169 00:21:01,516.9079592 --> 00:21:02,566.9079592 Here's the Good News. 170 00:21:02,566.9079592 --> 00:21:16,476.9079592 2,000 years ago, God's Son, Jesus Christ, came here to this earth, and like Noah said a little bit ago, He always chose God's way. 171 00:21:17,66.9079592 --> 00:21:22,126.9079592 Not the natural, sinful way, He always chose God's way. 172 00:21:22,856.9069592 --> 00:21:39,136.9069592 He lived His entire life that way, and then He went to a cross and dealt with the sin that once separated us from God so that God could now hear you and help you when you call out to Him. 173 00:21:40,696.9069592 --> 00:21:43,36.9059592 That's what the Gospel is all about. 174 00:21:43,546.9059592 --> 00:21:53,66.9079592 God always wanted to have a relationship with you, but that sin that you and I have, it kept us from Him doing that. 175 00:21:53,226.9059592 --> 00:22:05,156.9049592 And so He sent Jesus to take our place with His perfect life and His substitutionary death so that now God can hear us when we call out to Him. 176 00:22:05,416.9079592 --> 00:22:11,606.9069592 When we say, "Lord, you defend me," when we say, "God, I don't know what to do. 177 00:22:11,856.9029592 --> 00:22:24,46.9069592 What should I do?" He always hears us, and in His perfect time, because of what Jesus did on that cross, He can come to your and my aid. 178 00:22:24,546.9059592 --> 00:22:27,946.9059592 That's why Jesus came in the first place. 179 00:22:29,946.9069592 --> 00:22:33,926.9069592 In Isaiah 30, it says, "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you. 180 00:22:34,416.9079592 --> 00:22:46,346.9079592 Therefore, He will rise up to show you His compassion, for the Lord is a God of justice, and blessed are those who," there it is again, "wait for Him." 181 00:22:49,998.9079592 --> 00:22:58,448.9079592 In Proverbs 14 it says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads only to death." 182 00:22:59,938.9079592 --> 00:23:01,798.9079592 That's represented by My Way. 183 00:23:03,864.9079592 --> 00:23:21,324.9079592 God through His Son Jesus Christ has a better way for you and for me recognizing that we are forgiven, recognizing that now God is close to us, recognizing that now he can come to our aid. 184 00:23:22,304.9079592 --> 00:23:27,394.9069592 May we regularly choose this week God's Way over Our Way. 185 00:23:27,694.9069592 --> 00:23:28,64.9069592 Amen. 186 00:23:30,999.2412925 --> 00:23:32,649.2412925 You've been listening to a sermon from St. 187 00:23:32,649.2412925 --> 00:23:34,729.2412925 John's Lutheran Church in Buffalo, Minnesota. 188 00:23:35,49.2412925 --> 00:23:36,849.2412925 If you would like more information about St. 189 00:23:36,849.2412925 --> 00:23:42,509.2412925 John's and any of our ministries to our community and beyond, you can go to our website, www. 190 00:23:42,599.2412925 --> 00:23:42,839.2412925 stjohnsbuffalo. 191 00:23:44,79.2402925 --> 00:23:44,409.2402925 org. 192 00:23:44,789.2402925 --> 00:23:46,79.2412925 Thank you and God bless you.