This is stock number 11424. We are here at Summit Automotive in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. You're new and used Jeep and Jeep Compass headquarters today. We are checking out this super clean 2018 Jeep Compass Latitude. This vehicle has the 2.4 liter four cylinder multi-air motor, which pumps out 180 horsepower. This Jeep has been fully safety and inspected by our service shop as a fresh oil and filter change. All the fluids have been checked and topped off. And this Jeep is 100% ready to go. Billet Silver Metallic is the color. We shoot all of our videos in 1080p, 60 frames per second. So if you have HD capabilities on your computer, tablet, or smartphone device, turn them on right now. Because it is definitely your best way to check out the quality and condition of the vehicle before seeing it in person. And if you'd like to check out all the photos on this Jeep in the upper right hand part of your screen, if they link to our website, click that and check us out there. This one comes with the painted alloy 17-inch rims. And it has Firestone Destination 22560R17 tires on here. They have right around half the tread left on them. Maybe a little bit more. Front fender is in excellent shape. No dents or dings on that. Headlight lenses are super clear. And it does come with the factory fog lights. Front bumper is in great shape. I didn't see any dents, dings, or cracks on that. And it does come with the chrome-trimmed grille and the chrome-trimmed Jeep logo. The hood is in really nice shape. Didn't see any dents or dings on there. And then the passenger side fender, no dents or dings on there. Passengers side front rim, no scuffs or scrapes. And as you go down this side of the vehicle, take note of how clean the body is, how reflective. And mirror-like that paint is. We take these HD videos so if you are far away or even if you're close by and just cannot make the trip down but you're still interested in purchasing the vehicle, you can see the Jeep, hear the Jeep, and have confidence in what you're looking at before you even get here. So that when you do get here there's absolutely no surprises. And that's why we offer the Summit Auto FastPass option in the upper right-hand part of your screen. A link right to our website where you can apply for financing, get pre-approved, see a payment quote, even appraise a trade, all from the comfort of your own home. Back tires have just as much try as the front tires. And it does come with four-wheel disc brakes. The other neat thing on these compasses that comes with the capitalist fuel pill, which is a really nice feature, never get gas on your hands again. As you come around to the back of the vehicle, rear bumpers in pretty nice shape, no major dents or cracks on there. The rear gate is in nice condition too. Back storage area is very clean. Those seats do fall down for extra storage. And underneath here is your tire inflator kit. You can see the shocks are doing a nice job holding that rear gate up. And as you go down the driver's side, just as clean as that passenger's side. No dents or dings on the rear quarter. And for full disclosure, this back rim, really nice condition as well. Driver's side doors look pretty good. You do get heated power mirrors. And it has the enter and go system, so you just have to have the key fob in your pocket. Put your hand in there, it'll automatically unlock. And then it has a push button start, so you don't have to get the key out of your pocket at all, technically. You get the leatherette seating with the honeycomb cloth design on there. No rips or tears on the seats. Power driver's seat with lumbar. And this one does come with factory all-weather floor mats. It does have the cold weather group, so you also get heated seats and heated steering wheel. Auto headlamps, power windows, power locks and power mirrors. And as we hop inside the vehicle here, we'll turn the ignition on so you can see the radio and instrument cluster. You can see this vehicle only has 5,030 miles due to getting a compass. And that's an indicator right there, but you can make that the time, miles per gallon, miles to empty. So you can configure that whole 7-inch screen there. Comes with the leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise controls on the right, Bluetooth and information center controls on the left. And there's no scuffs or scrapes on that steering wheel. You do get the 7-inch Uconnect radio. I believe this is the 4C radio. You get AM FM radio capabilities. You also get your heated seats and heated steering wheel buttons. AM FM and Sirius XM radio capabilities. You can check out your climate controls. And then this is also where your backup camera shows up. And then you have all your different apps here. And you do get an Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capabilities on this radio, so you can project your cell phone to the screen. And if you've got a navigation system on your cell phone, you can use that. We actually did a demo on an 8.4 radio, which is similar to this. And if you want to check out that demo on Android Auto, in the upper right-hand corner of your screen is a link to that video. Down here are your more tactile climate controls, including your volume and tune controls there. Down here you get an AUX and USB jack, and then the 9-speed automatic transmission. You get the keyless entry with the remote start on there. That's a nice feature. Then you get the all-weather floor mats on that side. And the passenger side seat is in excellent condition as well. Headliner is in nice condition, and you do get map lights up there. We'll take a quick look at the back seats, and then we'll check out under the hood. Back seats are just as clean as the front seats. No rips, no tears back here. It does have the latch child safety system for any child car seats you may want to put back here. All-weather floor mats as well.   Child safety locks on the back doors. We'll start it up and take a look under the hood. I would personally like to thank you for checking out the video today, and hopefully from watching this HD video, you'll have been able to tell just how clean this Jeep is all the way around. Inside note, under the hood, we have the 2.4-meter multi-air motor. 180 horsepower, engine bay is very clean, runs very smooth. Once again, this Jeep has been fully safety and inspected by our service shop. It has a fresh oil and filter change. All the fluids have been checked and topped off. And this Jeep is 100% ready to go. I'd highly recommend it from a quality and condition standpoint, and to see more pictures of this Jeep, or one of our other 450 new and used cars, trucks, SUVs, minivans, Wranglers, compasses, grand Cherokees, Cherokees, you name it, we got it on our website right there, www.summitauto.com. Full pictures and descriptions of every single vehicle from two locations all at summitauto.com. And if you'd like to check out more HD videos, you can go to youtube.com. Remember to like, subscribe, and share on this video the videos that you see there. In fact, any second you'll see a link to subscribe to our YouTube channel on your left. There are links to more Jeep Compass videos like this one on your right. If you've not been to our website, on the bottom link to this vehicle on our website, click those, check us out, and we really look forward to helping you with this super clean 2018 Jeep Compass Latitude Front Wheel Drive with the cold weather group. Thanks again for checking out the video.


Our text this morning is 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verses 1 through 5 and the title of our sermon, Generous Giving. Generous Giving from 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verses 1 through 5. As we approach our text this morning, we find the apostle Paul once again laboring in ministry with a church at Corinth. As we work through the text, it's a beautiful text, right? These chapters are just rich, rich with instructions from the apostle here. And if you look closely at the white space between the lines, so to speak, you can you can see Paul's wisdom in how he ministers to the church at Corinth. You can see Paul's love for this church, his love for these people. You can see his care and his concern for their growth, for their edification, for their testimony. You can see the desire in Paul for this church to prosper, for them to mature, for them to grow in Christ. And more than that, the pages here just seek with Paul's love for the Lord Jesus Christ and Paul's devotion to honoring him above all. Now, this is far more, far more than simply a record of Paul's work among them for this collection, right? It's through this record, through other other records like it in Second Corinthians, that we learn through Paul's example how to love one another, how to minister to one another in the church, how to think, and how to care, how to be thoughtful, how to apply wisdom from the word of God. We learn how to conduct ourselves in the household of God, how to faithfully minister to one another as Paul does, how we should devote ourselves to the Lord, how we should love. Now, certainly in chapters eight and nine, we learn much about generosity, much about Christian giving. In fact, these chapters represent a virtual systematic theology on the subject of Christian giving. As we consider these verses, and as we consider their application to us, serves us well each time we approach this text to remember the context of this passage. There are saints in Jerusalem, and the saints in Jerusalem are really struggling, having a difficult time due to persecution, due to a lack of material resources, due to an overwhelming influx of new Christians, pilgrim Christians coming back into Jerusalem, who've left everything to follow Christ. The saints in Jerusalem are impoverished and in great need of help. Paul, desiring to remember the poor also, right, has begun a collection among the predominantly Gentile churches to provide much needed support, much needed help to the struggling, suffering saints in Jerusalem. The Corinthians has begun their part in this collection a year prior, and Paul now sends a letter ahead of him, a letter that we have in our hands this morning, by the hands of a three-man delegation. That three-man delegation is given instructions to prepare the offering, to take up the collection, to get it ready, so that when Paul comes through Corinth with other brothers from Macedonia, he can pick it up, pick up the gift, and carry it with him on to Jerusalem. Now our account began with Paul stirring us up to generous giving by way of example in chapter eight verses one through six, where Paul draws our attention to the grace of God poured out on the churches of Macedonia. The grace of God poured out on those churches results in a lavish and sacrificial display of grace fueled and God glorifying generosity, right? Grace fueled God glorifying giving. Our account continued then with Paul stirring us up to generous giving by way of exhortation in chapter eight verses seven through fifteen, where we are challenged by the apostle Paul to abound in this grace of generosity. We are to abound in this grace also. He says, I'm testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of the Macedonians. I am testing the sincerity of your love against the ultimate example verse nine of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in verses sixteen through twenty-four then, we are introduced to this three-man delegation that will be assisting the church with the collection. That delegation consisting of Titus and two unnamed brothers are then charged in chapter nine verse five with preparing the gift beforehand, right? Preparing the gift ahead of Paul's arrival, a gift that the Corinthians had previously promised. And now chapter nine verses one through five, we hear Paul's heart, Paul's mind expressed in the decision to send these brothers ahead of his arrival to ensure that the collection is in order. Paul gives an explanation, if you will, for why he's sending this delegation to Corinth. Paul knows that the church is willing to give. Paul knows that those members of that church in Corinth are ready to give to the collection. They have a heart to give. They have a willingness to give. He says in verse two, I know your willingness, right? Your zeal for every, for this gift, for this collection has everyone else stirred up, right? I know your willingness. But Paul has a concern here that prompts him to send these brothers to Corinth ahead of his arrival. Paul has a concern. And we find Paul's concern expressed in verse five. Therefore Paul says, I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time ahead of my arrival and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised so that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. We see Paul's concern in verse five. Now, Paul sends the delegation ahead of his arrival to prepare the gift. The delegation goes to Corinth to prepare the collection, but they're going to Corinth not only to prepare the collection, right? They're not simply going to gather up the money that's being offered, put it in bags, roll the coins, fill out the deposit slip, right? They're not doing that alone or only. Paul here in our text knows something very tragic about our fallen hearts. Paul knows it's not only the collection that needs to be prepared. He knows their heart needs to be prepared to give as they should also not just the collection. It's our heart also that needs to be prepared. Otherwise, their hearts weren't prepared. They might tend to look toward this act of giving or look toward any act of obedience, not as a matter of love, not as a matter of generosity, but as a matter of grudging obligation. Aren't we prone often to our shame to view giving and certainly many other acts of our obedience as grudging obligations rather than as a matter of love, a matter of compassion, a matter of devotion, right? The believers in Corinth are willing to listen. It's not enough to be willing. It's not enough to be willing. It's not enough to be zealous. It's not enough to simply obey as a matter of grudging obligation. We must follow through with generous giving from the heart if it's going to be generous giving that glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, right? We must follow through with a heart of love for the Lord Jesus Christ, from a heart of love for our brother in Christ. It's that worship, beloved. It's that obedience, that giving that glorifies God then and magnifies the grace of God in Christ. Now that generous giving, that obedience from the heart, grace field, gospel informed, God glorifying giving doesn't come naturally to our fallen hearts. That's the reality of our inward corruption, that corruption that is present within us on this side of eternity. That's the reality of our hearts. We are prone to wonder, Lord, how I feel it, right? Our hearts are prone to cool and to be cold. We are prone to a heartless religion. We are prone, apart from the grace of God in Christ, we are prone to a grudging moralism unless the spirit of God continuously blows across the flaming embers that God has lit in my otherwise cold heart, the flame would go out. But that is the grace of God in Christ to his people, amen? That he sustains us and preserves us and cultivates within us that kind of heart for him, right? A heart of love, a heart of devotion. How unworthy of God, how unbecoming of one who for whom Christ died, right? How unbecoming of that one to offer service to God as a grudging obligation. So it's with that concern in mind that Paul then sends the delegation to Corinth to prepare not only for the physical collection of the money that would be giving, but also to prepare the hearts of the Corinthians to give as they should. They're going to prepare the hearts of these people. Now with respect to our text, Paul knows that a willing heart and a prepared heart leads to a generous heart. Paul knows that a willing heart and a prepared heart leads to a generous heart. If the giving of the Corinthians isn't fueled by grace, isn't shaped by the gospel, then the giving of the Corinthians will be a grudging obligation rather than a matter of God glorifying generosity. I want us to see that concern of Paul in the text, right? The concern of Paul here in this getting is not the dollar amount. That can't be our concern either. The concern of Paul for these Corinthians, these members at this church, the concern of Paul is their heart. It's their heart. The concern of Paul is not to command their conformity to a set standard. His heart here is linked to this concern in chapter 8 verse 8 when he says, I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love. I'm not going to give you a command, Paul says. Why? Because external ritualistic religion, external formalism, mere moralism aims solely at conformity to a standard. Whereas the willing heart prepared by God, transformed by grace, aims at loving the standard bearer. Paul wants them to be prepared to give from the heart. Paul wants us, brothers and sisters, this morning to be prepared to give from the heart. Paul wants us to be prepared to love from the heart, to obey from the heart, to live the Christian life for Christ from the heart. If their generosity flows from that heart, the heart of a sincere love for the Lord Jesus Christ and for his people, then their gift will be exactly what the apostle Paul hopes that it will be. Exactly what he expects that it will be, a matter of God glorifying Christ's exalting, lavish, extravagant, sacrificial generosity. And, beloved, that's the way that we need to think. That's the way that we need to think about giving to the church. That's the way that we need to think about giving to those in need. That's the way that we need to think about giving to the work of missions, giving to the cause of Christ. But that's also how we need to think about all of our obedience to the Lord, every act of obedience to the Lord. Is our obedience a matter of grudging obligation, or is it a matter of love? What is it, ladies, is your submission to your husband? Is it a matter of grudging obligation, or is it a matter of love? Is it a matter of devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ for the glory of God? Kids, is your obedience to your parents? Is it a matter of grudging obligation, or is it a matter of gratitude to God for giving you those godly parents, giving you parents? My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Husbands, is your sacrifice for your wife? Is it a matter of grudging obligation? You come home from work and you walk through the door, what is the condition of your heart? Is setting time aside to study and to meditate on the Word of God? Is setting time aside to evangelize, to witness the lost people, to preach the Gospel? Is that a matter to you of grudging obligation, or is it a matter of love? Is it a matter of devotion? That's Paul's concern. That's the concern of our text. I want to prove this to you from our text. Second Corinthians chapter 9 verses 1 through 5. We'll break the text down across three points. One, a willing heart. Two, a prepared heart. Three, a generous heart. A willing heart, a prepared heart, and a generous heart. A willing heart and a prepared heart leads to a generous heart. Now look with me first at the willing heart of the Corinthians in verses 1 and 2, verse 1. Paul says now, concerning the ministering to the saints. That's what Paul is calling the collection now. Not merely a collection of money, right? Elsewhere it's described as a gift. It's a fellowship with the saints in chapter 8 verse 4. It's a grace in chapter 8 verse 6. It's described as a blessing in our text here in verse 1. It's a ministry to the saints. Paul sees this collection as an act of loving service. Paul says, considering that gift, that collection, that it's superfluous for me to write to you. In other words, it's not necessary for me to remind you to give. It's not really necessary for me to exhort you to give. Why? Verse 2. For I know your willingness, your eagerness, your readiness. The word conveys the sense of an intense and evident desire. Desire for what? A desire to be a part of this effort, this collection. The word here used to describe how the Bereans received the word of God in Acts 17. They received the word with much eagerness, with much earnestness, great eagerness, great willingness. In other words, they didn't have to be prodded. They didn't have to be cajoled. The Corinthians were ready to give. They desired to give. If you think about it that way, that willingness, that's the heart of a Christian, isn't it? That's the heart of a Christian. You've turned from your sin and put your faith in Christ. If you have a new heart in him, then it's a heart where the desires have been changed. And now the desire of the Christian no longer is to serve the lusts of the flesh and to run after the course of this world. The desire of the genuine believer is to praise and worship and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Your desires have changed and now there's a new willingness to endeavor after new obedience. New willingness, a new desire, that's the heart of a Christian. Now, when you become a Christian, when the Lord changes your heart, you have inward corruption and that heart sometimes need to be prodded, doesn't it? It's not always perfectly that way. And sometimes our hearts need to be corrected, but that is the characteristic of the heart of a Christian, a willingness, a desire to obey the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, Paul says, verse two, I boast of that to the Macedonians. I boast of your willingness to the Macedonians that Achaia, particularly the church here at Corinth, was ready a year ago.  Paul says, essentially, really, it's really not necessary for me to write to you about the collection, because I know about your willingness. I know that you desire to take part. Now, praise God. In our church, we have many genuinely, soundly saved people. And if you're in Christ, then we know when we preach and teach, we know that your desire from the heart is to obey the Lord Jesus Christ. So that tends to shape, doesn't it? The way that we teach, the way that we preach, the way that we interact with one another. I know your heart, and I know your heart, your desire is to obey. We just need to prepare your heart for obedience, right, with the preaching and teaching of God's Word. Now, notice the two ways here in which Paul describes this heart attitude of willingness on the part of the Corinthians. It was the willingness that he himself boasted about, and it was a willingness marked by a zeal that was contagious. Now, this is interesting, isn't it? You think about it? You meditate on these two points. First, he spends the first six verses of chapter eight boasting to the church at Corinth about the church of the Macedonia. And then here in chapter nine, he says to the church at Corinth, I've been boasting about you to them, to the Macedonians, right? I love that Paul does this. Such a good example here of cultivating love, right? Cultivating unity. And I see it happen in our church all the time, and I want to encourage you to keep that going, right? We can be talking, and I'll be talking to Robinson, and I'll say Robinson, and that brother will see Noelle walk through the lobby. That's such a good brother. I'm so thankful to the Lord for that brother, right? And then the next time Robinson's around, Noelle, he's saying, that brother rally, oh man, that's such a good brother. I'm so grateful to the Lord, that brother serving in our church. And then we'll say to Braille, right? It's love for the brothers. It's magnifying the grace of God at work in those brothers, in those sisters, magnifying the work of God among us that we would boast about one another in that way. And that's exactly what Paul is doing here, right? And in doing that, what do you do? You knit those brothers together. Our church becomes more loving. Our church becomes more unified. It's just the spirit of God at work among God's people in that way. And the result of that is this boasting in them. No, but in the work of God in them, the work of God through them, right? Let him who glories glory in the Lord. And that's what we're doing. That's what Paul is doing here. It's good to boast about what God does in the lives of our brothers and sisters. But secondly, not just a willingness about which Paul boasted that willingness marked by a desire, a zeal. There was an enthusiasm about that willingness that was contagious. So when Paul boasted that way to the Macedonians about the enthusiasm that Corinth had for the collection effort, that report, Paul says, stirred up the majority, stirred up the majority. Some that are just cold, right? Have to stoke a little harder. But this boasting, this zeal, the willingness of the Corinthian church stirred up the majority in the churches of Macedonia to give. And what was the result of that? We see the result of that in chapter eight verses one through six. We see how the Macedonians then gave as a fruit of that. They gave, motivated by the enthusiasm, by the zeal of the Corinthians. Now point one, these Corinthians were known for a willing heart. And that willing heart expressed in a zeal to be generous. Now that willing heart, that desire, that zeal for the Lord is a mark of a genuine Christian. When you are in the world, you love the things of this world. Would you say amen to that? You walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. You walked as children of wrath like the rest. You love your sin. And walking in the course of the world, there's not an earnest zeal or an earnest eagerness. There's not that willingness to give it up. You wanted your sin either by words or sometimes just by your actions. You'll profess to hate it, but you want it.  A pig to wallowing in the mire. You kept going back to your sin. There's ultimately no war with sin because at the end of the day, there's no genuine desire to turn from it. The willingness is simply not there apart from Christ. There's no earnest zeal to give it up. But when that rebellious sinner, when that lost man, woman, boy, girl, when that rebellious sinner sees what an offense his sin is to God, then he longs to be free from it, right? Longs to be free from it. He hungers and he thirsts for righteousness. If all the sin that was within you was encompassed in your right arm, you would gladly cut it off to be free from it without anesthesia, right? There's a desire to be free from it. A willingness, a willingness that is the mark of the genuine Christian to be free from sin, to please the Lord Jesus Christ, to walk in holiness and to walk in righteousness. Birth within his heart by the Spirit of God is a readiness, is a willingness, an intense fervor to follow hard after Christ, to obey from the heart, to obey from the heart, and to love as you have been loved in him. Paul says it's really unnecessary for me to write to you about this because I know you're willing. I know you're willing. They are willing to give and their willingness is marked by a contagious zeal. Brothers and sisters, let that contagious zeal mark all of your devotion for Christ. Let it mark every act of obedience. Let it mark every area, your meditation on the scriptures, your prayer, your service to the brothers and sisters, your service to this church, your evangelism. Let it mark you as a Christian. I know. Let it be said of you. I know you are willing. You have a willing heart. There's a contagious zeal for the Lord about you. Now, if they're willing, think with me, if they are willing, then the purpose that Paul has in sending the delegation to them, the purpose that Paul has in mind when he instructs and exhorts them in chapter eight is to prepare them. Okay, is to prepare them to give from the heart. They're willing to have a desire. They just need to think about this right. They need to have their heart, their conscience informed. They need to understand what the word of God says. They need to put it in perspective, right? They need to think about it for the Christian willingness or desire is not enough. Not enough.  Had conversations before, brothers and sisters. Sometimes it's because the person is lost where the person will say, I know I'm a Christian because I desire to do the right thing and they're living in sin. You see the problem? Willingness is not enough.  If your desire is genuine, if it is a fruit of the spirit of God, then your desire will eventually in action will eventually in faith filled obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, not perfectly, but in the power of the spirit, that kind of desire and that obedience marks your life. We move on to faithful obedience from the heart. You have a willingness. You have an evident zeal. But now Paul says, a moment has come to put your action, to put action to your profession. You must call your heart and mind all those reasons. Call to your heart and mind all those reasons that motivated your zeal and then follow through with great commitment, follow through with faith filled action. If the Corinthians don't move on from willingness alone to generous giving and what does Paul say about all his boasting in verse three? He says that it's in vain. He says that it's in vain. So now Paul wants to ensure then that they are prepared. Look at verse three with me. Verse three, yet he begins, even though you're willing, even though you're willing, I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that as I said, you may be ready. You may be prepared. Now, in what way would Paul's boasting about them turn out to be in vain? In what way would Paul's boasting about them turn out to be in vain? It would be in vain if the Corinthians failed to give from the heart as a matter of generosity. If they don't give in that way, then all of Paul's boasting about them will have been in vain. It would turn out to be in vain if their giving was the bitter fruit of viewing this collection as a grudging obligation. Do you see? So in verse three, Paul says, essentially, I sent the brethren so that you may be prepared. Lest, in verse four, some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared. Do you see? I sent the brethren so that you may be prepared. Lest when I come, I find you unprepared. Now, Paul's great concern then, verses three and four, is that the Corinthians are prepared to follow through on their commitment and to give from the heart. Look at chapter eight, one chapter back, and look at verse 10. Paul says essentially the same thing there in verse 10. He says, in this I give advice. It is to your advantage, not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago, but now verse 11, you also must complete the doing of it, that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. You see how that fills out our understanding of what Paul means thereby, it's to your advantage. When he says it's to your advantage. We need to follow through from this willingness, this readiness, follow through with a zeal for the completion of it. We need to follow through with action. We can see this in our kids, can't we? This kind of thing, this need for preparation of the heart. Have two kids, maybe they have two daughters. One daughter says to the other daughter, can I borrow your shirt? The first reaction out of the flesh of that other daughter is no. Why? Because it's mine. Because it's my shirt. It's my shirt. But then when you call that young lady's mind and heart to reflect on the love that she has for her sister and the joy that they have in fellowship together as sisters and in gratitude for the fact that God has blessed her with giving her her sister and the relationship that they've had together and how they've grown up together and all the times they've shared together and the conversations that they've had together, right? The love that they have for one another, the love that they have for the Lord and giving them a sister, right? When you call to your heart and mind all of those things, of course, you can have my shirt. Let me give you another, right? We just need to think about it, right? We need to have our hearts prepared. We need to think. We need to put it in the right perspective. We need to think and that doesn't come naturally to us. We need the word of God to inform our heart. We need the word of God to inform our understanding. It doesn't come naturally to our fallen hearts to think in that way. We need the spirit of God at work in us. We need to be immersed in the word of God. That's a small example, small example, but there are many, many, many, many, many examples in the Christian life of that very thing where our first reaction out of our flesh is a grudging obligation to view it as a grudging obligation, right? As soon as you talk to most professing Christians about anything to do with obedience, what's their response? That's legalism. Listen, it's not legalism to obey the Lord. Don't you want to obey the Lord? If you're a Christian, yes, I have a willing heart. Okay, let's put it in right perspective then. Think about it. What has the Lord Jesus Christ done for you? Then all of a sudden the wall that just, you know, flown up in our flesh, those walls start melting away because we put it in the right perspective. We think, right? Husband comes home from work. Honey, will you take out the trash? No, I've been working all day. I'm tired, right? The first reaction in our flesh, but if you'll take a moment, brothers, and prepare your heart, use the drive home, right? To think about the gratitude that you have to God for giving you your wife, the love that you have for her, all that she does for you, right? And you just put it in perspective. Gratitude, love, you put it in perspective. And then it's like, of course, and you are ashamed because of that fleshly reaction, right? That first response that came right out of your flesh, it's a cause for shame. We should be ashamed. Now notice with me, notice with me, if they do not follow through on their commitment to give with actual giving, if their desire, their willingness does not bear the fruit of generous giving from the heart, then Paul gives them two consequences that will certainly follow. Two consequences. Verse three, our boasting of you will have been in vain. In verse four, we, not to mention you, should be ashamed, like Moses interceding with God before a stiff necked and rebellious nation. Paul stands with the Corinthians, having boasted of the grace of God at work in them, him, his ministry, his work wrapped up together with them. And he says, listen, if we do not follow through on our desire with generous giving from the heart, then we should be ashamed of ourselves. We should be ashamed. It's shameful, isn't it? Sin, disobedience, our alienation from God, do our rebellion against him, doing that, which is offensive in the sight of God, inside of the one who sees all. In his sight, we conduct ourselves shamefully in our sin, even in secret, he sees it all. It is shameful. It is shameful here in our text, not following through with love, not following through with generosity from the heart that is in keeping with the gospel, not following through on that would be shameful. The Lord says in Luke chapter 14 verse 28, listen, he says, for which of you intending to build a tower, that's willingness, right? That's readiness. That's a desire. You intend to build a tower. Which of you intending to build a tower does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it. Lest, after he's laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him. Why? Because it's shameful. Because it's shameful. They mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish. Adam and Eve, our first parents in the garden, felt the bitter pain of shame before God, didn't they? Having sinned in his sight and then entirely unable to hide themselves from the eyes of him before whom they must give an account. That's where conviction under the word of God comes from, doesn't it? Doesn't it come from shame and guilt over sin? Conviction under the preaching of God's word comes from a sense of shame and guilt over our sin. It's right that we should have a sense of shame over our sin, amen? When we don't follow through in obedience from the heart for the sake of the one who redeemed us by his blood. If we don't follow through walking worthy of the calling with which he called us, it is a shameful thing. It is a shameful thing. It's shameful. There is a sense of shame when we realize how neglectful, how disobedient, how unloving we've been, how self-involved, self-indulgent, self-absorbed, selfish we've been. It's shameful. And we recoil from shame, don't we? This world especially, they want to avoid shame at all costs. So what happens when they feel shame? When somebody in the world feels shame, they recoil from it. Even worse, what's happening? We see it all over today, don't we? Someone is shamed by the fact that they have murdered their baby, and then what do they do? They shout their abortion. They respond with a brazen attempt to suppress the truth of that shame by proclaiming it as if it were their honor. Sometimes you blame the preacher for the shame. Your preaching is too hard. Sometimes we blame the preacher for that. Calvin wrote, only those who have learned well to be earnestly dissatisfied with themselves and to be confounded with shame at their wretchedness truly understand the Christian gospel. I think that's worthy of reading again. Calvin wrote, only those who have learned well to be earnestly dissatisfied with themselves and to be confounded with the shame at their own wretchedness truly understand the Christian gospel. If you've never experienced the pain of shame, the bitterness of shame over your sin, then you've never repented of your sin. The ultimate issue is not the sense of shame over your sin. It's not the ultimate issue. The ultimate issue is what you do about it. It's what you do about it. Shame is a reality and praise God. He gives us a conscience so there can be a sensitivity to guilt and shame over sin. You should pray, God make me sensitive to the ways in which I sin against you. It's what you do about it. The issue is what you do about it. Are you trying to run from God? Are you trying to run from accountability for your sin? Are you attempting to hide from Him in the garden of delight that you have planted there for yourself? Are you trying to forget your shame or avoid your shame by drowning it in work, by drowning it in a hobby or in video games or the TV or alcohol or pleasure? Some avoid shame by brazenly asserting what they think is their right to that over which they are ashamed. You avoid shame for long enough and you'll begin to dull the sense of it. Your conscience will begin to be seared. You'll begin to feel or sense yourself moving beyond a sensitivity to sin. But it's there. The shame is there. The guilt is there sitting under the surface so to speak. For some it leads to joylessness. For some it leads to despair. It's what you do about it. What are you going to do about it? The shame for your sin, the shame for my sin as a reality, what are you going to do about it? What are you going to do about the guilt?  Take it to the cross, amen. We have a place to go with our shame. We have a place to go with our guilt. It's the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Take it to the Lord Jesus Christ who bore our shame upon the tree. And then sing with the saints, right?  He endured the cross, despising the shame so that we might live no longer with ours. That's where joy in the Christian life comes from. Had someone tell me one time, witnessing to them, we were sort of walking through the law and talking about sin and the existence of sin and the reason that we should be ashamed of our sin. And a response to me was, where's the joy in that? There should be no joy in that ever. You offended God with your sin, there's no joy in that. But what's the good news, brother, sister, lost person, lost boy, lost girl, what's the good news? Is there joy in the cross? Take it to the cross. Plead with God for forgiveness for your sins. He'll give you a new heart. He'll put his spirit within you, cause you to walk in his judgments. That God-given sense of shame should be a powerful motivator. Paul uses that as a motivator here in the text, right? There are a host, a host of God-glorifying reasons why the Christians should zealously and fervently live in love for and obedience to the one who endured the cross for him. There's a host of reasons why we should live that way and we should be ashamed of ourselves if we don't. But we have a glorious savior. Paul would have the Corinthians avoid the bitter shame of giving like it was a grudging obligation. Paul loves them, cares for them, wants to avoid that shame, wants to avoid the thing of that shame himself. Therefore, Paul says in verse five, thought it was necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time and prepare your blessing. That's what the word means. But send the brethren to prepare you ahead of time, prepare this blessing ahead of time, which you had previously promised that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. Incidentally, in thinking about this, how is it that Paul intended for these brothers to prepare them? Sends the three-man delegation ahead of his arrival. They're going to go with this letter. They've got second Corinthians in hand. You can imagine, can't you see the steam? Titus, the two other unnamed faithful brothers standing there with him reading this letter out loud to the Corinthian church. How did Paul intend for these brothers to prepare them? Well, he intended them to prepare the Corinthians through the teaching and preaching of this letter read in their hearing. How were their hearts prepared? Their hearts were prepared by Paul calling to their attention the grace of God poured out on the churches of Macedonia, chapter eight, verse one, right? That prepares our hearts. We're going to be prepared to give and we're going to be prepared to give by looking to the example of the churches of Macedonia, right? The teaching and preaching of this letter. Look at the evidence of their love and devotion and sacrifice. Consider the Lord Jesus Christ, verse nine, that though he was rich yet for your sakes, he became poor that you through his poverty might become rich. Now Corinthians, finish what you started, right? Give like a Christian. I'm testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. You see, this is how they would have been prepared, how their hearts were prepared, brothers and sisters. This is how we're prepared, right? We've been listening to these sermons in second Corinthians through chapter eight, now into chapter nine. What's going on here? Praise is just to hear you. You come and it's like, I just want to sit and listen for an hour, two hours. And then you're going to go and then that's, you know, for many, many, many professing Christians, that's the Christian life for them. No, I'm a Christian. I just show up to that place one time a week. I listen to an 18 minute sermon and I go home and I'm a Christian. Is that what we're here for? No, we're having our hearts prepared. If you're in Christ, you have a willingness.  That's how the brothers and sisters in Corinth were prepared. We're willing, aren't we? Are you willing? We need that kind of heart preparation. Well, a willing heart and a prepared heart leads to a generous heart, leads to a generous heart. When Paul describes the gift, literally their blessing, their blessing, he describes it either as a matter of generosity or a grudging obligation in verse five. That Greek word for generosity is blessing, eulogia. The Greek word for grudging obligation is a word that means greediness, means greediness. In other words, in verse five, Paul is not describing the two ways in which the money can be collected, either by a voluntary gift or by exacting it from them, involuntary. You're going to do it willingly or unwillingly. I'm going to get your money from you. That's not what Paul is saying in verse five, right? That's not what's being described here in verse five. He's talking about the preparedness of their heart with respect to giving. He's talking about heart attitudes. He's describing their heart. If it comes from a willing heart and a well-prepared heart, then the gift will be an act of Christian love. The gift will be sacrificial. It will be lavish. It will be great, fueled, gospel-shaped, God-glorifying Christ-exalting generosity, right? If it's not given with that heart, if they're not ready from the heart, if they're not prepared, if their heart isn't informed, then the gift won't really be a blessing at all. Not going to be a blessing. The Corinthians will give as a grudging obligation, and the saints in Jerusalem will see right through it. And the people in the church at Corinth should be ashamed of themselves, and all Paul's boasting about them are just empty words on the wind. We're talking about the heart. Paul knows that the worship, Paul knows that the love, the obedience, the devotion, the service, the giving that we offer to God is only acceptable to God when it flows from a heart that is prepared by God, right? A prepared heart is a heart that is informed by the Word of God, transformed by the Spirit of God, shaped by the gospel of God, empowered by the grace of God, motivated by the promises of God, submissive to God, right? And that is the kind of obedience, love, sacrifice, generosity that is acceptable to God. There are times in the Christian life where you don't always feel like it. We're not governed by our passions. We're not to be governed by our passions. You don't act all the time on what you feel like or don't feel like. But listen, Paul says of preaching the gospel, doesn't he? If I do it what willingly, that's right, I have a reward. But if I do it unwilling, unwilling, I have a stewardship. I should obey the Lord from the heart. There are times in my heart, shamefully, is cold or dull. Times when I don't feel like it. But I should not then sin against my stewardship, stewardship given me by God. What? Obey the Lord, obey the Lord. Obedience to the Lord Christ is not legalism. But then brother and sister, move on from the willingness, prepare your heart, stir yourself up, cry out, Spirit of God, light the fire, blow across the embers in my heart, make me from the heart, obey you for your glory as you want me to. You intend for me to give me Lord that heart, stir me up, read your Bibles, pray to the Lord. How would this or what would be shameful for us our context, this church? What would be shameful for us? Well, hearing God from his word, exhort us to this loving and sacrificial generosity, and then not giving to the work in Haiti. Hearing God from his word, exhort us to generosity, and then allowing the financial needs of this church to go unmet. Hearing God from his word, exhort us to this kind of generosity, and then a collection for a brother or sister who has a need takes a month.  Prepare, right? A willing heart is not enough. He's calling us here. He's calling us to a prepared heart and then an obedient heart, a devoted heart, a worshiping heart. It's a willing heart and a prepared heart that leads to a grace, fuel, gospel shape, God, glorifying giving that is a matter of generosity and never a grudging obligation. We see that the consequence of that or the result of that in the very next verse, we get verse six. Paul says, listen, this I say, to our advantage, to our advantage, to not only be willing, but to put forth the commitment to follow through his action upon that which we are willing to do for the Lord, because Paul says he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity for God loves a cheerful giver. You have the promises of God to you if you do. God is able to make all grace abound toward you that you always having all sufficiency and all things may have an abundance for every good work. We have God s promise to us. We just need to act, obey, live, give, like we believe in them, like we trust him for them. Paul references the giving of the Corinthians or the giving of the Macedonian churches in Philippians chapter four. Listen to what Paul says there, Philippians chapter four verse 15. Paul says, now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving, but you only. For even in Thessalonica, you sent aid once and again for my necessities, not that I seek the gift, not after your money, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed, I have all and abound. You know, if the Lord wanted to provide for Paul through another way, through another means, he certainly could have. He provided for Paul through this means and fruit abounded to the account of the Philippians. Paul says, I am full having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you. Listen to how this is described. Their acts of love, their generous giving, listen to the way that Paul describes it. He describes it as a sweet smelling aroma and acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. What does that call to your remembrance? Sacrifices of worship in the Old Testament. It's an act of worship. It's an act of worship. And when we give with that heart, when we obey with that heart, when we love, serve, evangelize, worship, read, meditate, pray with that heart, then it's an act of worship to God. And it rises to him like that meat burned on the altar that was a sweet smelling aroma to him, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. Then he says, and my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever while God's people said.


The Aberdeen Costello Program starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, brought to you by Camel, the cigarette of costlier, properly aged tobaccos. The Aberdeen Costello Program with the music of Carl Hoffman, his orchestra, our singing star Amy Arnell, and spotlighting that chunky, chubby little cherub, who went caught putting corn in his Uncle Artie Stebbins pocket, because he heard him say he was going to meet a young chicken, calmly said. Costello, Costello, what's going on there? What's the idea of bringing that dog in here? Where'd you get him? I say, where'd you get that dog? Why bring him in here? You realize we're running a first-class pet shop. Now get that dog out of here. Oh, no, Aberdeen, I'm going to keep this dog. He's a genuine, wine airplane dog. An airplane dog? Yeah, just look at his tailspin. Oh, stop. Costello, where'd you get that broken-down flea hound?  He just took first prize at the cat show. Now, wait a minute. How could he take first prize at the cat show? He took the cat. Costello, you take that dog right out of here now. Remember that. We don't want any mongrels in here with our other animals.   His name was Corset. Corset? Corset?  Because we tied him up in a daytime and we let him out at night. The dog you had, Costello, he was a duck shunt. Yeah. Wasn't he? Yeah, one of those long dogs.  The sad tale, Aberdeen. What do you mean? Corset and going around a tree. It would be a shame to go anywhere with that much. Oh, no, Aberdeen. This dog has class. He goes everywhere. He was at the UNO conference. He likes to hang around the big tree. Uh-oh. Now, no more nonsense, Costello. Take it easy. Hey, honest, Aberdeen. He's a very smart dog. I'll prove it to you. Susie, how much is one-on-one? That's right, ain't it, Aberdeen? I just have him. Do you remember that famous dog, Strongheart? Yes. This is his brother, weak stomach. This is the kindest dog in the whole world. Notice how he's got his tail curled up? What's he doing that for? He lets the fleas loop the loop. Look, Costello, don't bring any more broken-down animals. He's a beauty! Are you listening to me? I don't want you to bring any more broken-down animals into this pet shop. Now, get busy around here. Now. Oh, answer that phone. And it Costello's pet shop. Mr. Costello, do you have a greyhound? Yes, I do. Why don't you get on it and get out of town? That was a peachy joke. Why don't you just pull it on of it? Hey, Aberdeen, do you have a greyhound? No, but I have a setter. You'll never get out of town that way. Look, Lowe, will you please stop this nonsense and get busy and clean up this pet shop before our customer comes in? By the way, what did you do with those newborn puppies? Oh, I put them in a dog incubator. We have no dog incubator. What's that can in the backyard that says deposit litter here? Tell me those little puppies will catch cold in the backyard. One of the puppies has a cold already. And put it in that long rubber tube. Place one in the tube in your mouth and one into the dog's mouth. You understand that? Yeah. And blow. That's no good. I already tried it. What happened? The dog blew first. Hello, Aberdeen Costello's pet shop. Who? Mrs. Pike? Yes, yes, I'll send Costello over there. What kind of a dog have you? Oh, a peek in these. Okay, Mrs. Pike. Costello, I want you to go over and get a peek at Mrs. Pike. Why can't I take a good look? Listen, you dummy, I want you to go after Pike's peek. What do you think I am? A mountain goat? Mrs. Pike's house for a peek in these. Aberdeen, how dare you suggest such a thing? I might glance at her wrinkles, but I would never peek at her knees. Why don't you go? I got to finish washing this dog. What dog?  Spits? No, but it drools a little. Don't remind that, Costello. I have to come back for Mrs. Pike's. I want you to take care of Mrs. Murphy's chow. A what? Her chow. How is Mrs. Murphy's chow? I don't know. I never raided her house. No, Costello, you're thinking of the chow you chew. A what?  It's a pike. It's a pike. It's a... You catch a call, Aberdeen. I'm going to get that food and put it in your mouth. Oh, why did I ever go into business with you? You haven't done a thing in this pet shop since the day we opened it. Oh, no. This morning I put a cage in a front window, and it's attracting more customers than anything you've done around the place. A cage in the front window? What's in it? What's in it? Come here. I'll show you. Go load on that. Listen. What in the... What in the world is that? Two porcupines. Knacking. The United States is a big country, and it was a big job to survey the cigarette preferences of doctors from border to border and coast to coast. But recently, three leading independent research organizations tackled the job and did it. To 113,000 doctors, they put the query, which cigarette do you smoke? Figures were checked and rechecked, and the brand most named was Camels. Now this hardly comes as a rousing surprise to a camel smoker. He figures that doctors would enjoy the rich, full flavor and cool mildness of Camels' costlier tobaccos just as much as he does. But if you yourself aren't smoking Camels now, try them on your own tea zone. That's tea for taste and tea for throat, the true proving ground of a cigarette. Find out how Camels' superb blend of costlier tobaccos registers with your tea zone. According to a recent nationwide survey, more doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette. And here's Carl Hall from the Camel Orchestra. We've come to Baby Dew. Busy now and take inventory of our animals here in the pet shop. I didn't count that little rabbit in the cobra. I'm in the mood for a long two lines. Thank you. Will you stop this, Castella, and wait on that man who just came in? Yes, sir. Okay. How do you do? I'll look it back in there. Talks and talks and talks for 24 hours a day. And when he gets tired of talking, I want him to scream at the top of his voice and call me all the names he can think of. What do you want with a parrot like that? Well, my wife's gone away and I'm lonesome. Well, we'll deliver the parrot in the morning. Now, can we call you a taxi? Oh, no thanks, buddy. I'll ride my pink elephant home. I'll run and jump on his back. Here I go. Miss him every time. Castella, do you hear me? What are you standing there looking in that cage for? See, this is cute, Abbott. What do you mean?  Four little skunks are playing bridge? Yeah, they're playing for a tenth of a cent. Hey, Castella, look who's coming in the door. Why, it's Pessime Mucho. Hello, Pessie. Hello, boys. I came in to buy a young wire-haired doogie. A young wire-haired doogie?  That's a young poopie. For the little doogie, would you suggest a Siamese cork?  For the doogie and a Toxicove. Don't bother, Miss Mucho. I'll bring it over myself on the soon-set boost. Very much. And a Buenos Notes to you. And a pair of old snowshoes to you, too. That's all right, Lossy. The pleasure was all mine. Goodbye. Here's our friend Scotty Brown. What can we do for you, Scotty? I used to have a dog, but dogs are such a sneaky lot. What do you mean, dogs are sneaky? Well, my neighbor used to throw meat over the fence to the dog, and the darn dog would beat me to it every time. I get them home to my wife. I've got a box here for a nice box of fresh marshmallows. Scotty, I can't imagine you buying marshmallows for your wife. Oh, it's the thriftiest candy I can buy.  Good day, Lossy. Oh, Castello, catch that cat and put him in a cage. What is he doing running all over the store to the other cats? Nothing, Abbott. I just sold him. He's going around breaking his engagements. Hurry up, Castello. Here comes Mrs. Niles. Mrs. Niles. No, Mr. Abbott, Mar, you have such a lovely pet shop here, but I just can't help laughing at the stuffed baboon in the front window. Oh, pardon me, that's Castello. Lossy, you have company with you. Who are those two people looking over your shoulder? Me, that's your ears. Quiet. Quiet, Castello. What can we do for you, Mrs. Niles?  Come here to Lula and say hello to the boys. What kind of a dog is that, Mrs. Niles? She's a Doberman Pinscher. A Doberman what? Pinscher. Pinscher. What are you doing? You're calling a pinscher. Will you behave yourself, Mrs. Niles? This dog doesn't look like a full-blooded Doberman. Well, I paid $1,000 for the dog. She's part of Doberman and part of Bull. What part is Bull? The part about the $1,000. Wow! Look, if it comes out. I'll come back here with the police and close up this place.  Aren't you, darling? Yes, mother. From time to time on this program, salutes have been offered to the great men of medicine, the doctors who have done so much in the service of mankind. Tonight is not a man of medicine, we salute, but a woman, the first woman in America to receive the proud degree M.D. Her name, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, who bravely battled the prejudices and rock-bound tradition against women as doctors in the 19th century. So to Dr. Blackwell and to the women doctors who followed her, including the 7,250 practicing in the United States today, this respectful salute. The makers of camels take an understandable pride in the standing of this cigarette in the medical profession. When the query, what cigarette do you smoke, doctor, was extended to 113,000 doctors, both men and women, by three leading independent research organizations, the brand most named was Camel. According to a recent nationwide survey, more doctors smoke camels than any other cigarette. Tonight, Camel's lovely Amy Arnell will help you to favor it. You won't be satisfied until you break my heart You'll never satisfy until the tear drops I tried to shower you a cry I'll bet you Teach the dog by imitation. What do you mean, imitation?  Oh, I did that. I showed the dog how to sit up. What happened?  Put that dog out in the kennel in the backyard. No. She nearly froze up there last night. Don't be silly. It wasn't cold last night. Oh, no. Well, at midnight, she came in and put on a suit of my long underwear.  How could a dog wear a suit of your long underwear? She found out how to work those hinges. Hey, look, Costello. It's Mrs. Niles French maid, Fifi Leblanc.   I'll pretend you love me, Monsieur Costello. You'll never give me anything. Gee, I wouldn't know what to give you. You have so much of everything. And besides, I... Didn't I take you to Syros last night? Yes. But why didn't you take me inside? Well, listen, you two, we have work to do around here. Is there anything we can do for you, Fifi? Oh, yes. I have a message for Mrs. Niles. She forgot to get a license for her dog Tallulah. Well, we'll take care of it right away. Costello, take Mrs. Niles' dog down to the city hall and get a license. Fifi, will you drive me down to the city hall? Costello, you have your own car. Why do you want to ride with Fifi? Don't mind him, folks. He still believes in the Easter Bunny.  Okay. Hello, Marriage License Bureau. Oh, hello, Mother. Yes, I'll be home for dinner early tonight. No, there aren't many people coming in for the marriage licenses today. I guess all the girls are waiting to become June brides. Oh, I have to hang up, Mother. A young man just came in the door. Goodbye. Good afternoon. Is this the place where you get a license? Yes, it is. Where is the lucky little girl? Oh, she's out in the hall. She's sniffing around. Well, a lot of them don't like the smell of the place. It's a pretty old building. Now, what are your names? My name is Luke Costello and her name is Tallulah. I bet she's happy that you're getting the license. Uh-huh. She licked my hand. Licked your hand? Yeah, then she leaned down and drooled on my shoe. She certainly must love you. Uh, what does she look like? She's a sort of chocolate brown. I suppose she spends a lot of time in the sun. Uh, tell me more about her. Is she the dainty time? Not exactly. Her ears are too long. They hang down on her food when she's eating. You're kidding now. Oh, no. We have to pin her ears on top of her head with a clothespin. Well, as long as you love her, I do hope there'll be some little ones. Yeah, and if there is, I'm going to keep all the males. What? I'm going to keep all the males. What about the females? I'll give them to the neighbors. This people's own business, what they do. Now, for the final question, how old are you? I'm 28. How old is Tallulah? I think she's about six or seven. Mr. Costello, are you a hillbilly? I'm sorry, she's much too young. Now you'll have to bring her father and mother in. I can't do that. Her mother ran away with a boxer. And the last we heard of her father, he was hanging around the back door of the backstage bar eating out of the garbage cans. Doesn't she have any other relatives in town? Yeah, she had nine pups last month. Oh! Oh! What's wrong with her? Costello, I'm glad you're back. Mrs. Niles is here and wants her dog. Yes, Costello, where is Tallulah? A terrible thing happened. I left the dog outside the license bureau, and when I came out, she was gone. Gone?  I'll sue you for this. I'll... Just a minute, just a minute, Mrs. Niles. I'll get you another dog. I'll get your bird dog. Oh, what do I want with a bird dog? I have no bird. Well, then I'll get your sled dog. I have no sled. I'll get your bloodhound.  My dog by midnight tonight. I'll have you send to Alcatraz. Remember? Gee, Abbott, I can't walk any further. We've searched every street in this town. Here we are now, way out in the country. We'll never find that dog in the dark. Yes, we will. Just stay close to me. Oh!  It can't be a wolf. We're too far from Hollywood and Vine. Hey, look, Costello. Here are dog tracks. They lead down this path to the old deserted house in the trees. I'm not going to that house, Abbott. Everybody says that house is haunted. Now, don't start that stuff, Costello.  A myth? Yes. You know what a myth is, don't you? Yeah. A myth is an unmarried girl. Oh. What are you talking about? It's not going to the door. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. There's a sign on the door. What does it say? A ghost of blood. Abbott, let's get out of this place. I'll open the door. Come on. Let's go in. She is talking here. What's that noise, Abbott?  Sure. That's all it is. Just an old clock. What was that? 1130. Oh. It was just a street child someplace. Call the dog, Costello. Call the dog. Oh!  Try it again, you'll see. Come on. See, Costello, try it again. But I'll see you later. Come back. Come back here, Costello. That was the little barking. The barking came from that closet. I looked in the door and you catch the dog when she comes out. Go ahead. And you've got your wife's dog with you. Watch behind all this, Ken. Speak up. What are you up to? All right. All right. I'll tell the truth. Come on. Call the truth. I gotta tell somebody. Come on. Call us. You see, my wife is a vegetarian. Every day in our house is a meatless day. Broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, and parsley. Oh, this guy's a regular victory garden with suspenders. And finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. The vegetables were driving me crazy. At last, my mind snapped. Why did you bring the dog to this deserted house? I didn't bring her here. She followed me. That's silly, Niles. Why should the dog follow you? I stole her bone.  And now, tonight's salute to the men in the armed forces who won through to victory. Tonight, we hail the men of the 89th Middle West Division, heroes of Bingen, Eisenbach, and Central Germany, who overran scores of Nazi cities and captured more than 20,000 prisoners. Since the beginning of the war, the makers of camels have sent more than 150 million free camels to our fighting men overseas. But now, with demobilization in progress, free camels are sent to servicemen's hospitals instead. This week, the camels go to U.S. Army, AAF Regional and Convalescent Hospital for George Wright Spokane. U.S. Naval Hospital Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. U.S. Marine Hospital Galveston, Texas. Veterans Hospital St. Cloud, Minnesota. And Veterans Hospital Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In your honor, men of the Middle West Division. Amel Broadcast, go out to the United States twice a week. Our rebroadcast to practically every area in the world where our men are stationed and to our good neighbors in Central and South America. And now, here are Bud and Lou with the final word. Well, Castello, you finally solved the case of the missing dog. Ah, but that was nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, if you will wait until after the program, I'll tell you about how I helped J. Edgar Hoover capture a ring of spies. Don't know, my friend! Hey, look, Lou. Castello, it's your old friend, Mullen Head, sitting in the audience. How do you like that? I thought the moon was coming up. Sister, if I'm trying to make people think, give them the impression that you're smart and intelligent. You couldn't even give me the answer to the most elementary riddle. I'll try you. What's the difference between a girl, a soldier, and a water pistol? I don't know. All right, a soldier faces a potter and a girl potters her face. Watch the water pistol for her.  Good night, folks. Good night. Good night, Debbie. For another great, evident Castello show, brought to you by Camel Cigarette. And remember, try camels in your tea zone. See if they don't shoot your taste, your throat, to a T. C-A-M-E-L-S. Year after year of all pipe tobaccos in the world, more pipes smoke Prince Albert than any other. For Prince Albert is choice tobacco, crimped, cut, and especially treated for the removal of tongue bite. Try Prince Albert, the national joy smoke in your pipe. Saturday night, be sure to listen to Prince Albert's Grand Ole Opry. You'll hear Red Foley, Grand Ole Opry's sensational new singer. He's got a voice that's romantic as moonlight on the mountains, warm as southern hospitality. And the way Red Foley sings our great American folk songs makes mighty fine listening. Remember Grand Ole Opry, Saturday night on NBC with a duke-a-pa-duke, mini-pearl, and Red Foley. Millions of men, women, and children in Europe and Asia today face starvation. You can help by eliminating all waste of foods in your home, by turning in all of your used facts, and by producing and preserving all food possible through home gardening and canning.  Be sure to listen at this very same time next week for another Abbot and Costello show for Camel Cigarettes. Thursday night is all-star night on NBC. Stay around now for Rudy Valley over most of these stations. This is Ken Niles in Hollywood, wishing you all a pleasant good night. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.