Our text this morning is found in First Chronicles Chapter 21.

And our key verse is verse 2.

So David said to Joab and to the commanders of the army,

go number Israel from Bershiba to Dan and bring me a report that I may know their number.

Now, as I said, I pray and ask the Lord, what do you want me to share this

morning with Cornerstone? I think this is a message for Cornerstone, but also, you need to know

that as Cornerstone Chapel, you are actually influencing the nation. As I travel, people

often say, you know, Gary, you've been to church? I said, yes, I watch him online. So there are folks all across this country and around the world watching, and they're influenced by your church and the word of the Lord that comes from here. And so this morning, this is the message the Lord gave me, what are you counting?

What are you counting?

Now, David was not the first, and we'll read the entire passage in a moment.

David was not the first to conduct a census, and that's what this chapter is about.

Moses had conducted two, one, as they were coming out of Egypt, into the wilderness, and then one 40 years later as they were coming out of Egypt into the wilderness, and then one,

40 years later, as they were coming out of the wilderness. Now, I will tell you with five kids,

when we were on trips on our motorhome, I would often have to conduct the census before we

left rest stops. I found that it saves time, especially when you don't realize until about 30 minutes later

you left one behind.

You know, historians say that one of the most significant undertakings of our first president,

George Washington, in his first term of office, was the first count of the American people

back in 1790.

Now, America wasn't the first to conduct a census on a regular and ongoing basis.

Actually, Sweden was.

But the U.S. was the first to use the consensus to ensure equitable representation by adjusting

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