Radical Faith (#7)

Luke 18:9-14

Consider the contrasts between the two men in Jesus’ parable...

1. They had different postures in prayer. (18:11, 13)

• The indication of the text is that the Pharisee stood in public view to be seen of others as he was praying. The Greek can literally be translated: “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed...” This is significant because it brings to mind the way Jesus said hypocrites liked to pray in Matthew 6:5. Apparently, he wanted to be seen and heard as he extolled his virtues before God.

• The Publican, however, stood at a distance (“...standing afar off...”), so the fewest number of people would see him as he prayed. He did not want to be in public view. He did not feel worthy to be in God’s presence.

2. They had different approaches to God. (18:11-12, 13)

• The Pharisee addressed God, but then immediately began listing his virtues (He’s not like the “extortioners, unjust” and “adulterers.” He fasts “twice a week”  and “gives tithes” of “all” his possessions. Notice that he congratulates himself on the things he can list and measure.

• The Publican addresses God, too, but won’t even “raise his eyes to heaven” as he prays and “beats his breast.” “Beating the breast” was a sign of mourning or remorse. This man is broken and sorrowful for his sins, asking God for mercy.

3. They had different perspectives on themselves. (18:11-12, 13)

• The Pharisee thought in himself that he was righteous. Actually, as Jesus is telling this story, most everyone listening would have thought the Pharisee was righteous. Today, our opinion of the Pharisees is colored by all the information we have about them. But, in the first century, the Pharisees were among the most respected people in society. They were known for their piety and religious deeds.

Notice that five times he uses the first person pronoun (“I”) in his prayer to God. He’s more interested in impressing God with his deeds than he is seeking something from God.

• The Publican, on the other hand, was among the most despised people in his society. He was viewed as a Jewish collaborator with the Roman government, oppressing his own people. The Greek text can actually be translated as, “God, be merciful to me THE sinner!” When the Publican approaches God, he acknowledges his sin. He even feels he is the worse sinner possible in need of God’s mercy. Unlike the Pharisee, he doesn’t plead any merit...he pleads for mercy! This wording is not unlike that of Paul...cf. 1 Timothy 1:15.

4. They had different measures of righteousness. (18:11)

• The Pharisee felt good about himself because he viewed himself as better than other men around him. They were his measure, not the God of Heaven. He was better at following the Law than most of his day. His telling comment comes when he sees the Publican praying and specifically points him out saying, “or even as this tax collector.” He was using the Publican to make himself look better to God and others.

When you measure by others you always miss something (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:12). The Pharisee mentions three specific sins of which he says he is not guilty: extortion, injustice, and adultery. But, what about his sin of pride or his attitude of contempt for others (“Love your neighbor as yourself”)?

• The Publican never looked up while he was praying and never paid attention to the others that may have been around him. His measure was God and only God could forgive and extend him mercy.

5. They had different feelings toward others.

• Self-righteous people are usually critical of others, pointing out their flaws and failures, while ignoring their own. The Pharisee was harsh and condescending (18:9), as if he didn’t need the mercy of God. He thought of himself as better than most other people. He was arrogant and proud!

• Nothing is mentioned about the Publican’s feelings toward others because his focus was God and himself...not others. He knew he needed mercy and it seems feasible that he would have been merciful, since that’s what he was seeking from God.

When Jesus concludes the parable, He identifies which of these men went home right with God and everybody would have been shocked by his conclusion...it was the Publican!

Jesus explains why he went home right with God...He humbled himself before God!

People that exalt themselves will be “humbled.” But, those that humble themselves will be “justified” and/or “exalted.”  All three of these verbs are divine passives, meaning that God is the One who acts upon the person to make them happen. God is moved when we humble ourselves and don’t make Him humble us (cf. Philippians 2:9-11).

Application:

1. You can’t earn Heaven by the way you live (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9).

2. You can’t impress God with who you are or what you’ve done (Romans 2:11, Acts 10:34).

3. You can’t receive mercy without humbling yourself before Him.

• We need a radical faith that relies solely on the mercy/grace of God and not self-effort.

Radical Faith (#6)

Joshua 24:14-15

There have always been moments in history when leaders stepped to the forefront and made declarations that are long remembered and studied. For instance:

• Sir Winston Churchill: Battle of France/1940:

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender[.]

• John F. Kennedy: Inauguration Speech/1961:

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

• Martin Luther King: Lincoln Memorial/1963:

I have a dream…

• Ronald Reagan: Berlin Wall/1987:

We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

You find these same kinds of monumental statements in the biblical record:

• Elijah on Mt. Carmel with the Prophets of Baal:

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. (1 Kings 18:21)

• Jesus on the cross:

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30)

• Paul to the Philippians:

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)

However, there is one declaration made in scripture by Joshua that is worthy of consideration concerning the radical faith needed for raising our families. It was made at Shechem, which was a vitally important site to the Jewish people. Clarence McCartney says about it,

“If you were to put Plymouth Rock and Yorktown and Lexington Independence Hall together, you would not have what Shechem is to Israel.” (Clarence McCartney, The Greatest Texts of the Bible, pp. 74-75)

It’s at this place that Joshua calls the people together, with all of their leaders, to reaffirm the Israelites’ commitment to the Mosaic Covenant. It’s a commencement day of sorts as he prepares to hand off the spiritual baton of leadership to the next generation.

After rehearsing God’s blessings to them in the previous verses, he issues a challenge to them to obey God.

• Joshua before his death:

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

We desperately need today a radical commitment among parents and grandparents to influence their children for Christ. The children of our culture are regularly taking the brunt of our increasingly secular society.

In a report entitled, “America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Wellbeing, 2012,” agencies within the U.S. government give statistics about the general status of the children of our nation. The report is too lengthy to give them all, but listen to some of the key indicators of what is happening to our children. For instance:

“In 2011, there were 73.9 million children in the United States, 1.5 million more than in 2000. This number is projected to increase to 101.6 million by 2050...In 2011, children made up 24 percent of the population, down from a peak of 36 percent at the end of the “baby boom” (1964). Children are projected to remain a fairly stable percentage of the total population through 2050, when they are projected to compose 23 percent of the population.”

“In 2011, 69 percent of children ages 0–17 lived with two parents (65 percent with 2 married parents), 27 percent with one parent, and 4 percent with no parents. Among children living with neither parent, more than half lived with a grandparent. Seven percent of all children ages 0–17 lived with a parent who was in a cohabiting union...”

“The percentage of all births that were to unmarried women...more than doubled between 1980 and 2009, with the largest increases for women in their twenties. In 2010, 40.8 percent of births were to unmarried women....In 2010, the adolescent birth rate was 17.3 births per 1,000 women ages 15–17...”

“In 2010, 22 percent of children ages 0–17 (16.4 million) lived in poverty. This is up from

a low of 16 percent in 2000 and 2001. Consistent with expectations related to the economic downturn, child poverty has increased annually since 2006, when the rate was 17 percent.”

“For children living in female-householder families, the poverty rate was 47 percent in 2010,

an increase from 45 percent in 2009...For children living in male-householder families, the poverty rate was 29 percent in 2010, not statistically different from 2009.”

“In 2010, 10 percent of children lived in families with incomes below 50 percent of the poverty threshold (a value of $11,057 for a family of four). This estimate is the highest since 1994.”

“Recent illicit drug use among youth remained unchanged from 2010 to 2011. In 2011, 9 percent of 8th-graders, 19 percent of 10th-graders, and 25 percent of 12th-graders reported current illicit drug use, that is, use in the past 30 days...”

As these statistics show, our children are under attack and desperately need intervention. While it may not be possible to change the lives of all these children, it should be the desire of Christian parents to impact their own children's lives. And, Joshua’s declaration would be a good place to begin as we make our own declarations as to how we are going to live and lead our families.

Consider the following seven observations about Joshua’s faith...

1. He spoke individually about his faith.

This was not the faith of his father's alone. This was a faith that he owned for himself and that he followed through the course of his life. There was no mistake about Joshua’s own commitment to the Lord. This life commitment was very personal to him, as well as permanent.

2. He spoke thoughtfully about his faith.

He first rehearsed some of the many blessings God had given to Israel. Then he placed before them a question that was purely rhetorical in nature. He is not suggesting that they should leave the God of their fathers. But, he is calling the people to follow his example and to make the choice he made to obey/follow God.

3. He spoke decisively about his faith.

Joshua left no ambiguity in his declaration. And, he spoke not just for himself, but for his entire family. He had no intention of leading them to any other decision than the one he had reached. He didn’t leave the faith of his children up to chance. (cf. Job 1)

4. He spoke confidently about his faith.

There was no hypocrisy in Joshua’s declaration. The people had seen his integrity and he had demonstrated a consistency and genuineness of life. It was his sincere and proven character that added weight to his words when he spoke.

5. He spoke submissively about his faith.

This wasn’t a “dead faith” that lacked works to demonstrate it. It was a living faith that brought him to the place of submission to the Lord. He intended to serve and obey God all the days of his life.

6. He spoke openly about his faith.

He stands before all of the leaders of Israel and the people of the nation without a hint of indecision about following the Lord or making this declaration of allegiance. He didn’t have a secret relationship with God. Rather, it was a bold faith that was unafraid of public scrutiny. Everybody knew where Joshua stood and about his sincerity!

7. He spoke purposefully about his faith.

All those years ago Joshua had stood alone with Caleb to declare that God could enable them to conquer the Land of Canaan. Now, he stands alone again to influence his nation to remain faithful to the God of Israel after he’s gone. He intends on leading them to a similar decision that he had made and kept throughout the years of his life.

It’s this kind of faith lived out before our families that this world is so desperate to see. It’s going to take the radical, living faith of parents and grandparents to influence the next generation for God. This is no time for indifference and/or negligence in rearing our children. If you are not showing them the way to God and how to live this relationship out before others, then you can be sure that the world, the flesh and the devil are looking to trap your kids/grandkids in ungodly ways.

So often the way our kids turn out is determined by the way we live out our faith before them.

Illustration: There were four scholars who were arguing over Bible translations. One said he preferred the King James Version because of its beauty, eloquent old English. Another said he preferred the American Standard Bible for its literalism, the way it moves the reader from passage to passage with confident feelings of accuracy from the original text. A third man preferred Moffatt’s Translation because of its quaint, penetrating use of words, the turn of a phrase that captures the attention of the reader.

After giving the issue some further thought, the fourth scholar admitted, “I have always personally preferred my mother's translation.” When the other scholars chuckled, he responded, “Yes, she translated the scripture herself. She translated each page of the Bible into life and it’s the most convincing translation I’ve ever read.”

Application:

1. Instruct your children in the ways and Word of God.

2. How well you live is as important as how well they listen.

3. Pray for your children...without ceasing.

4. Encourage the work of God in their hearts when you see it.

5. Love is the bridge you cross to sow faith in their hearts.

Radical Faith (#5)

Ephesians 4:11-16

A pastor by the name of Tom Nelson has identified at least four distorted images of the church.

First, some people see the church as a gas station. He says, “the church is a place where you fill up your spiritual gas tank when you’re running low. Get a good sermon, and it will keep you going for the week.”

Second, some people see the church as a movie theater. He says that, “for many people, the church is a place that offers entertainment. Go for an hour of escape, hopefully in comfortable seats. Leave your problems at the door and come out smiling and feeling better than when you entered.”

Third, some people see the church as a drug store. He says that, “for other people, church is the place where you can fill the prescription that will deal with your pain. For many the church is therapeutic.”

Fourth, some people see the church as a big box retailer. He says that, “people see the church as the place that offers the best products in a clean and safe environment for you and your family. The church offers great service at a low price—an all in one stop. For many people, the church is a producer of programs for children and young people.”

The one thing that all of these have in common is that none of them are found in scripture. Pastor Nelson says, “all of them are distortions of the way we’re supposed to be doing church and they all have one thing in common—they’re all about ‘me.’”

He goes on...”Fill me up! Entertain me! Take away my pain! Give me the programs my family and I are looking for! It’s pure consumerism. This isn’t surprising. This mindset is pervasive in our culture.”

Contributing to this type of mindset is how many Christians impose a hard distinction between the clergy and laity. Some believers think the church hires clergy to do the work of the ministry and the laity’s role is primarily to “consume” their ministry. Many church members believe this to be the New Testament model established by Christ, but it isn’t. Actually, its an unbiblical model precisely because it creates the extreme distinction between clergy and laity, as well as turns Christians into “consumers.”

If the church is going to make a difference in our world, we must make some radical changes to the way we approach ministry so that we see every member as a minister of Christ. And, God has given us the pattern to follow to make this happen.

In the opening three chapters of Ephesians, Paul outlined the spiritual benefits of being a child of God. Now (chapters 4-6), he takes those doctrinal concepts and shows how they are practically worked out in daily living. It is precisely because of our position in Christ that we have unity with all other believers that must be preserved, even though there is great diversity among us due to our differing giftedness.

In this opening section of practical application (4:1-16), Paul shows us how using our differing gifts for the overall benefit of the body of Christ work together to preserve “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (v. 3). It’s in this first section (4:1-16) that we see how God intends His church to operate so that our “oneness” is displayed and His “body” (church) is edified in the process.

In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul gives us one long sentence with several prepositions to show us how the church is supposed to work with a diversity of gifts. We’re not going to look exegetically at each phrase or preposition in this pericope, but there are five things to notice that will help us understand the thrust of what Paul is teaching.

1. There is movement...in this text.

From the beginning to the end of 4:11-16, there is the feeling of consistent/constant movement. People are progressing along a path to spiritual maturity and the church is growing in strength, as well. Every church/Christian should be characterized by movement along the path to usefulness to Christ.

Can you see growth in your spiritual life? Do you approach temporal and spiritual matters any differently today than you did at the beginning of your discipleship journey? What have you learned that has made you more effective in your service for Christ? On the continuum to spiritual maturity, where would you rate your life? Or, has your spiritual life become stagnant?

Illustration: The reason a pond is considered stagnant is because it is cut off from any source and the water is not fresh.  The origin of the word “pond” comes from a variant of the English word, “pound,” meaning an “enclosed place.” A pond is typically small, and if there is a lack of movement, it can produce a layer of pond scum where bacteria grow. It’s possible with time that pond scum can completely cover the water, making it barely visible.

In contrast, a flowing stream is constantly fed by a higher water source. This may be a glacier, mountain snowmelt or a lake. Its constant flow ensures the water is fresh, and its movements are dynamic as it navigates through the rapids and times of calm.

God calls us to be like a stream, not a pond, lest we become stagnant and our lives become covered with the bacteria of sin. Spiritual development is about movement, growth and change.

2. There are functions...in this text.

Not everyone has the same role to play within the body of Christ and God is the One that determines your specific role. He gives “gift[s]” (4:7) to each of His children that He intends them to invest for the good of the overall body.

If you combine all the listings of spiritual gifts, there are approximately 19 different gifts mentioned. At one time in my understanding of scripture I thought that the only gifts God gave were the ones specifically mentioned in the biblical text. But, I’ve come to believe that there may be other gifts not mentioned that He gives, since no list matches the other lists exactly. It is even possible that He gives a mixture of gifts, dependent on the role He intends a person to play within the church and which are unique to that specific person.

Interestingly, in this passage (nor the others) we are not told how to discover our spiritual gifts. Instead, we are instructed to find our place of service. In doing so, we should ultimately be able to discover our gifting from the Lord.

One of the points of this passage is that the body of Christ needs every gift He has given and there are no unimportant gifts (cf. v. 16).

Illustration: Think of the church like the clubs in a golfer’s bag. Every player is allowed to carry a maximum of fourteen clubs without penalty. Each club is slightly different to the others, but each has an important role to play in a round of golf. The absence of even one of those clubs can create considerable pressure on the rest of a golfer’s game and affect his overall score. So it is in the body of Christ. When even one of the members fails to fulfill his role, in means the rest of the body is crippled to some degree. Pressure is placed on other members of the body to function in roles they weren’t designed to fulfill and the overall body is hurt by the absence of that member.

Gary Hale (our missionary to the Dominican Republic) and I were discussing the importance of every member to the body of Christ in an online discussion we were having several months ago. In our interchange, Gary wrote, “We are dynamically connected in the body of Christ in a way not present with a group of sports fans or members of a country club. When we fail to come to church or serve through Christ’s church when we could, we actually fail in our responsibility to our brothers and sisters in Christ. It's not what I can receive or consume, it's about every church member being a vital part of the whole.”

Never underestimate the importance of the role you play in the ministry of God’s church!

3. There is a process...in this text.

God lays out the process by which Christians are to be prepared for service in His body. In fact, He has given specific gifts (4:11) for the purpose of “equipping” the other members of the body for service.

He speaks about “Apostles” who were called to establish the church at its foundation level. “Prophets” built on the foundation established by the apostles. Their ministry of the Word was essential for the developing church, since they didn’t yet have a completed canon of scripture. “Evangelists” were missionaries to the unconverted after the church was established. And, “Pastors and Teachers” were concerned with shepherding and instructing the church on a day to day basis in order to build up the church.

It’s precisely at this point in the text (4:11-12) that so much of the trouble is found in our understanding of the church. For generations many have drawn a hard line of distinction between the clergy and the laity. It’s not uncommon to hear some Christian imply that his church hires professional clergy to do “the work of the ministry.” But, the reality is that the gifted people mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 are given to the church to prepare the rest of the body to be ministers of the church. There are no "clergy-laity" categories in the New Testament. All Christians are called and gifted to be full-time ministers. Not all are called vocationally, but all are called to serve!

In other words, every member is to be a minister of Christ and the pastors/teachers to be administers of Christ.

There are at least three reasons why this concept is vitally important:

1. It is thoroughly biblical and we should desire to be biblical in the functioning of the church.
2. From a purely practical standpoint, the work of the ministry can be accomplished more effectively when it is being performed by all the members of the body and not by the clergy alone.
3. By making the task of ministry the responsibility of every Christian, each person is able to exercise his/her gifts in service for the Lord. This means the church will be blessed by their involvement and the Christian will grow to his/her fullest potential personally as a disciple of Christ.  

Notice carefully the primary function of those gifted to administer the church...it is to “equip” the saints for “the work of the ministry.”

The term "equip" literally means to cause something to be ready for its assigned purpose. It is used in different ways in Greek literature:

• To set a broken limb so that it can heal and be made useful again.
• To mend torn fishing nets, making them able to catch fish.
• To fit a ship with ropes and sails so it can go out to sea.
• To mature chicks large enough to take to market.

All of these uses indicate the idea of preparing someone to reach their fullest potential in utilizing their gifts for the Lord. It involves training them in spiritual disciplines so that they can be  effective servants in His church, contributing to the overall benefit of the body of Christ. It also means helping them reach a place of spiritual maturity so they can care for their own spiritual lives and not develop a codependency on the leaders of the church.

F. F. Bruce states that "the gifts enumerated in verse 11 do not monopolize the Church's ministry; their function rather is so to help and direct the Church that all the members may perform their several ministries for the good of the whole." (F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Ephesians [Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1961], p. 86.)

When every member sees himself/herself as ministers of Christ, then all of the members are ministering to each other and building up the body.

Illustration: There was a pastor of a large congregation in the supermarket one day and a lady came down the aisle that he could barely see over the top of her groceries. He got somewhat frightened when she seemed to be heading straight for him. She screeched to a halt within a few feet of him, peered over her load, wagged her finger, and said, "I left your church. I left your church."

He responded, "Well, if it’s my church, I think that was a very wise decision. If it’s my church, I think I’m going to leave, too."

She said to him, "Don’t you want to know why I left?"

He responded, "No, not particularly,” though he knew he was about to find out anyway.

Ignoring his response, She said, "You weren’t meeting my needs."

He answered, "I don’t ever recollect seeing you before, let alone talking to you, let alone knowing your needs. Did you ever tell anyone specifically what your needs were?"

She couldn’t recall that she had, so the pastor raised another question. "Can you tell me, if we have 5,000 people sitting in that church, all with your attitude, how are anyone’s needs going to be met? If you reserve the right to have that attitude, then you must give everybody the freedom to have that attitude. And if everybody has that attitude, who on earth is going to do all the need-meeting?"

Standing her ground, she demanded, "Then you tell me who will."

Relieved that she’d asked, he said, "...This is what will work: when people stop sitting in the pew, saying, ’They’re not meeting my needs’ and start saying, ’Whose needs can I meet?’ Then needs will be met. When a servant spirit flourishes in a congregation, then they minister to each other as unto the Lord."

Pastors/Teachers aren’t called to create a product that is purely for the member’s selfish consumption. Their task is to teach and prepare people spiritually and practically so they can do the work of the ministry, which involves meeting other people’s needs.

4. There are outcomes (results of obeying this instruction)...in this text.

When we follow God’s design for the church the right things result:

• There is maturity. (4:13)

“...to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ...”

• There is stability. (4:14)

“...we should no longer be children. tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine...”

• There is conformity. (4:15)

“...grow up in all things into Him...”

“‘...towards Him’ denoting the end or aim of our growth, namely, to the standard of Christ’s full stature...As such, Christ is both the source (v. 7) and the goal (v. 15). (Harold Hoehner, Ephesians, An Exegetical Commentary, p. 566)

• There is unity. (4:16)

“...what every joint supplies...every part does its share...for the edifying of itself...”

I think everyone would agree that all of these things are needed in today’s church. And, when we work together fulfilling the ministry God has given us, amazing things can happen.

Illustration: Consider the foot. It has 26 bones, 19 muscles, and more than 100 (some say...107) ligaments. Walking up stairs requires the cooperation of (about) 300 different muscles. The sense-receptors in your foot let your brain know exactly what kind of surface you’re walking on: rocks, ice, soft sand, and your foot immediately adapts. In the course of your life, you will walk about 100,000 miles. If you walk or jog for exercise, of course, that number will be higher. Although most people don’t often do this, the toes can be used to pick up things. Some people can even write or draw with their feet. All this is done when our body, brain, bones, muscles, and ligaments cooperate together.

5. There is duration...in this text.

This is a process that does not end until “all” (4:13) are equipped and mature in their faith. This effectively means that until Christ comes for His church, our task doesn’t end and the pattern we must continually follow for equipping and maturing saints is the one outlined in this passage.

Illustration: Maybe you feel like there isn’t much you can do in the service of the Master, but consider the following examples of what God can do with people that are willing to let themselves be used. Consider that...

• Moses stuttered.
• David’s armor didn’t fit.
• John Mark was rejected by Paul.
• Timothy had ulcers.
• Hosea’s wife was a prostitute.
• Amos’ only training was in pruning fig trees.
• Jacob was a liar.
• Solomon was too rich.
• Abraham was too old.
• David was too young.
• Peter was afraid of death.
• Lazarus was dead.
• Naomi was a widow.
• Paul was a murderer--So was Moses.
• Jonah ran from God.
• Gideon and Thomas both doubted.
• Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.
• Elijah was burned out.
• Martha was a worry-wart.

Application:

1. Grow up into being a low maintenance member of His church.
2. Develop a teachable spirit that can be instructed in how to do the work of the ministry.
3. Remember, Christ’s work can be done outside the gathering of believers, as well as inside.