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[0:00] So the story I want to start with is the story of Joseph's bones.! Does anyone remember what happened with Joseph's bones?

[0:12] Give me a knowing smirk if you feel like you remember what happened with Joseph's bones. There's a few knowing smirks out there. Well, the story starts a lot earlier, where God called a man named Abraham.

[0:26] And he came to Abraham and called Abraham away from his land. And away from his people and said to Abraham, you need to go to a new place. And in the new place, I'm going to make you a family.

[0:38] And then I'm going to make that family into a nation. And I'm going to make that nation a blessing to the whole world. And so God did that. He brought Abraham into a new place, into this place that he had promised.

[0:51] And God's promises worked their way down through the generations like a waterfall as a river goes over. The promises went from Abraham to his son Isaac. And then the promises go from Isaac to his son Jacob.

[1:05] And then Jacob has a whole bunch of kids. Twelve sons. And the promises go all throughout Jacob's family. Now Jacob's twelve sons end up in Egypt.

[1:17] And they end up there for a good reason because of a bad thing that was done. Joseph's brothers didn't like him. And so they sold him into slavery.

[1:30] Now some things are hard to know what we should do. Sometimes it's difficult to know, should I do this thing or should I do that thing? You know, moral dilemmas. Selling a sibling, a brother or sister into slavery is not a moral dilemma.

[1:44] This is just a bad thing. And Joseph's brothers did a terrible thing and sold him into slavery in Egypt. But there's a sense in which we can say that God had a good purpose for it.

[1:57] And so it was done for a good reason in a way. Because God took then Joseph into Egypt and kept Joseph safe in Egypt. And he also helped Joseph to see what was coming.

[2:10] Because there was a big problem coming. God helped Joseph to see for seven years there will be good crops. The gardens will grow up big and strong. There will be tons of food, more than you can even eat.

[2:23] And following that there will be seven years of famine. Which means there will be not enough food for anybody. And so because God helped Joseph to see this plan.

[2:34] Or to see what was happening. Then Joseph helped make a plan in Egypt. So they stored up enough food in the seven good years. So that during the seven bad years that they would have enough to eat.

[2:45] Now Joseph's family is not yet in Egypt. It's just him. But where they're living. In the land that God had promised to Abraham. There's a famine. And so his brothers eventually all come down.

[2:58] And his father, his whole family. He all comes down into Egypt. Because that's where there is food. And so in a sense we can say God's promise to Abraham. Right? Like a waterfall flowing down over the rocks.

[3:10] Going down through the generations. Is still there with Joseph and his family. They've been saved from a famine. They're actually increasing and multiplying. The family is flourishing in Egypt. This is a good thing.

[3:21] But something isn't quite right. And the something that isn't quite right. Even at this point. Before they all get turned into slaves later on.

[3:31] Is that they're not supposed to be here. God called Abraham from his land and his family. And said I'm giving you a land. Where I'll make you a family. And I'll make your family a nation.

[3:43] And I'll make that nation a blessing. But they're not in the land anymore. They are supposed to be living and flourishing. But they're not supposed to be here.

[3:53] And so this is where Joseph's bones come into the story. Because at the end of his life he said this. I'm about to die. But God will surely come to your aid.

[4:05] And take you up out of this land. To the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And Joseph made his brothers swear an oath.

[4:16] Saying God will surely come to your aid. And then you must carry my bones up from this place. See Joseph knew how this works. Joseph knew that things were good.

[4:28] That it was good they'd been saved from a famine. But he knew that things also weren't quite what they were supposed to be. Because they were in Egypt. And Joseph knew that the story can never be done.

[4:40] Until all of God's promises come true. And God had promised they'd be in this land. And so Joseph knows the story's not done. We're not just going to be here in Egypt.

[4:51] God made a promise. And we need to see that promise come true. The story never is done until all of God's promises come true. And so he said, well then we're going to leave this place eventually.

[5:03] I know we are. God promised that we would have this land. That we would become a family. To become a nation. To become a blessing. So then I make you make an oath.

[5:13] After I die. After it's time. And God brings us out. Because he knew they would. Pick up my bones. And carry them with you. And take you. Now there's two reasons for me to tell you this story at the beginning.

[5:26] One is. It's really important to see that this is how God works. That no story is done until all of God's promises come true. That even if you don't see the thing.

[5:38] Joseph didn't know. There was no plan for them to leave Egypt. Right? They were just there. But he knew because of a promise of God that they would leave. The story is never done until God's promises all come true.

[5:51] And so Joseph, it turns out, was right. And God did save them. In fact, we've just been echoing this at Easter. The day that Jesus died is part of the Passover celebration.

[6:04] The Passover celebration remembers the night that God pulled his people out of Egypt. After hundreds of years when they'd become slaves in Egypt. And so in Exodus 13, you could go and read this.

[6:18] God gives instructions just as he's about to bring the people out. He tells them what they're supposed to cook. You're supposed to kill a lamb. And paint its blood on the doorposts. Eat it with bitter herbs.

[6:29] Eat it with unleavened bread. God gives all these instructions saying, do this so you'll remember how I saved you with a mighty hand. Then they do it. God leads his people out with a mighty hand.

[6:40] And the people are going to the sea. And in Exodus 13, there's this little note that says, Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. Because of the oath that Joseph had made them swear.

[6:54] So again, the first reason for telling you the story is to remind you, this is how God works. And this is how our stories work. It's not done until God's promises all come true. The second reason for telling you the story is to think more about Joseph's bones in particular.

[7:12] Because what did it say that Moses took? It didn't say that he took Joseph from Egypt. It said Moses took the bones of Joseph.

[7:22] And even when Joseph was making them swear an oath, he didn't say, when you leave this land, take me. He said, when you leave this land, take my bones.

[7:34] And we know why it says that. The Bible uses a phrase, phrases like ashes to ashes and dust to dust. After somebody does die and is buried, we know that all the soft sort of squishy bits of us all sort of dissolve and fade away.

[7:49] And what's left is the bones. But you can't really have the bones and say, oh, it's the person. Right? And so when Moses went and collected Joseph's bones to take them, he didn't say, let's go get Joseph.

[8:03] You know, like he would have said, let's go get Aaron, my brother. He said, let's go get the bones of Joseph. Now, this is important because we're talking about being raised again with Christ.

[8:17] 1 Corinthians 15 tells us, not only was Jesus raised, but we will all be raised as well. But that's a very strange thing to say. Partly because that's not how it looks like it works.

[8:31] After people have died, they don't come back to life. But it's also strange to think because, well, what if they did come back to life? All that's left of them is these bones.

[8:43] So what is this even going to be like? Is it just going to be that we're all sort of skeletons, sort of rattling around and clanking and doing things like that? What does it mean that we'll be raised when we're just bones like Joseph was?

[8:59] You remember last week, the kids, you guys had an apple at the end and you colored a picture of yourself and you stuck the picture in the apple because Christ is the first fruits. He rose from the dead as a sign that there's a whole harvest coming.

[9:13] The first apple is a sign of hundreds and bushels of apples to come. Christ rising from the dead is a sign of hundreds and bushels of humans to come and rise from the dead as well.

[9:24] But what is that actually going to be like? And this is what Paul helps us to understand in 1 Corinthians 15. He keeps going and explaining. He says, someone will ask, how are the dead raised?

[9:36] With what kind of body will they come? And Paul says, first of all, like this. Think of it like a seed. You guys can come up and have a couple of these if you want.

[9:50] Don't eat them yet. If you'd like one, come on up. You can have a few. You want to take a pinch? I wonder if you can think, are there any ways that a seed is like bones?

[10:11] Any way at all? You want to take a few? Can you think of any way that a seed is like bones?

[10:22] Any of you guys have ideas? Keep thinking. You guys could have them grab a few.

[10:33] Feel free to take some if you're a grown up as well. Anyway, how are seeds sort of like bones? Any ideas over here? That they're strong.

[10:44] That they're strong. It's true. They're strong and they're dry, right? Like they're not squishy. Thank you. Anybody else feel the need for some?

[10:57] Now again, these are seeds. You probably recognize them as popcorn kernels. But the truth is you can use it like a seed and plant it in the dirt. So seeds are like bones because they're strong.

[11:07] Are there any other ways we can think of? Any others have ideas? They grow? Yeah.

[11:18] Bones do grow while they're inside us for sure because they start out little and they grow. So that's another way. Anything else? What's that? You also bury them in the ground. Yeah. They also both get buried.

[11:29] Anything else? Anything else? They're both dry as well. There's a sense in which they both feel dead, right?

[11:43] Because they don't do anything on their own. If you take the little seeds, the popcorn kernels that I passed out and, you know, later on or something, drop them on the floor, they just sort of bounce and settle and do nothing.

[11:53] They don't go splat. They just rattle around. They could be rocks or pebbles. They don't look like they have any life in them whatsoever and neither do bones. When they took Joseph's bones, I mean, they didn't say, here's Joseph.

[12:07] They were like, here's Joseph's bones. And the bones didn't do anything. They're just like dry seeds rattling around in a jar. In fact, Joseph's bones probably were in a jar and probably could have rattled around a little bit as they did carry them.

[12:23] So Paul says, when you think about how it is that one will be raised from the dead, he says, think of it like a seed. Because you take this little hard thing and you plant it into the ground just like a person is buried after they die.

[12:41] And then something absolutely amazing happens. If you still got one, hold it into your hand and look at how small it is. There's really nothing going on.

[12:52] If you plant that in the ground, and I would suggest going home and finding a place that your parents or guardians approve of that you can plant it in the ground or maybe even in a little cup, what will happen is two shoots will come out of it.

[13:06] One will always point down and that one will become the roots. And one will always point up. And that will become the shoot. Now they're very tiny at first, but then as it comes up above the ground, it gets taller and it starts to get bigger around.

[13:24] Before long, it's actually bigger around than the seed was. Even though the seed's a tiny little thing, it becomes, you know, a plant that's this big. I mean, the seed, I can barely show you in my fingers from here to there how small it is, but it'll become a plant that's that big.

[13:37] And then, if all goes well, it'll keep going and keep going and keep going. And if all goes really, really well, it will be taller than even I am.

[13:49] You can go, when these things grow up into corn, they plant whole fields of it and then they cut pathways through them to make a maze. Because they're huge, enormous plants. And they come from a tiny, dry, dead, rattly little seed like that.

[14:06] They've got big, long leaves and they'll grow whole ears, whole cobs of corn that can have a thousand kernels of corn on each one. And it'll have a whole bunch of these ears hanging off that could feed a whole bunch of cows.

[14:20] Or it could feed a whole bunch of people. Or it could make a whole bunch of popcorn for a whole bunch of movies. And all of that from one tiny, little seed. And so, when Paul says, I know you're thinking, how in the world can it be that we, being bones, are raised up to new life?

[14:37] What will that be like? He says, think of it like a seed. A seed's just a tiny, small, dry, hard little thing. But when you put it in the ground, it becomes something absolutely amazing.

[14:50] What you sow, Paul says, does not come to life unless it dies. Plant it in the ground. But when you sow it, you do not plant the body that will be. You don't find a big corn stalk and walk over, shoom, and stick it in the ground.

[15:03] You just dig a little hole and drop the seed in. You drop the seed, perhaps of wheat or something else. But God gives it a body. God makes it grow into something big and tall and strong as he has determined.

[15:18] And to each kind of seed, he gives its own body. And that's what God is going to do with us, Paul says. If you're not sure what it will be like when you're raised to new life, think of it like a seed.

[15:29] That the bones in the ground are like seeds, hard and dry and dead looking. But something absolutely amazing comes up out of them. So I've got an extra activity.

[15:40] There's coloring sheets you can carry on with. But I've also got this, which is a picture. There's the ground at the bottom. It says, so it will be in the resurrection of the dead. I've got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven seeds.

[15:53] And you can draw any kind of plant. Imagine what kind of plant could come out. Thinking God is going to make us new and bring us to life again.

[16:03] And what in the world is that going to be like? And so I've given you some ideas on mine. I tried to draw a realistic one, a tulip. And I drew one that's unrealistic. It's got pink heads and teeth. And you can be as imaginative as you want.

[16:15] I'll come bring these sheets. If you want to work on these. If you distribute those between tables, you guys can look there. So Paul says, what will our bodies be like?

[16:30] What will it mean to be raised from the dead? He says, first of all, think of it like a seed. Think of it how God gives plants different kinds of bodies from these teeny tiny little seeds.

[16:42] And how those plants are all just right. How they have a flower that will attract bees so they can be pollinated. How they have leaves so that they can sit there and soak up the sun and make whatever it is, life juice, chlorophyll or something.

[16:58] Right? And how they have roots that go into the ground so they can suck up water and all the nutrients and things that they need. And God makes them so they fit. You don't see a big sunflower head on a tiny daisy stem.

[17:11] It wouldn't work. God makes them grow, which is amazing. But he also makes them grow the way that they actually should be. Because Paul then goes on to say, well, think of it like a seed.

[17:22] But he also says, remember that God is an expert body giver. When God chooses to give something a body, he always does it right.

[17:36] And he does an absolutely excellent job. Like I said, with plants, the seed grows up just like it should with all the parts that it needs. And we can trust then, because God is the expert body giver, if he's going to raise us from the dead, we can trust that he'll give us the right kind of body as well.

[17:55] Paul said, not all flesh is the same. People have one kind. Animals have another. Birds another. And fish another. And you can think about it with animals. That fish have fins for pushing their way through the water.

[18:09] In fact, I saw something recently where if you take a salmon, a big old fish, fishy salmon that's died recently, and you put it in a stream of water that's flowing, the salmon actually swims upstream.

[18:24] Even after it's died. Because the design of its body reacts to the current, and it slowly moves a bit upstream. It's creepy and strange.

[18:35] But it shows, man, God knows how to give the right kind of body to the right kind of thing. And they have gills so that they can breathe under the water. People have one kind of flesh.

[18:46] Fish have one kind of flesh. Birds have another. Birds have hollow bones so that they don't weigh very much. And they have feathers so that they can flap around. God is an expert body giver.

[18:59] Imagine if it was mixed up. Imagine if I had hollow bones. If I stubbed my toe, and I stubbed my toes all the time, but if I stubbed my toe, I would shatter all the bones in my leg and I'd fall all to pieces.

[19:11] Feathers might not be a problem. I could live with that. But hollow bones would be an absolute mess. But God knows people need solid bones. And we have lungs and we breathe oxygen that way.

[19:23] Imagine if we had gills. Maybe on the streets there'd be like buckets of water and we would have to run between buckets of water and dunk our head in so that we could breathe the oxygen from the water like fish do.

[19:34] Or maybe we could have like, you know, scuba helmets full of water so that we can walk around breathing. But God knows that's not the kind of life we should live. And so he gave us a nose and a mouth and lungs to pull oxygen in and spread it out through our bloodstream.

[19:49] God is an expert body giver. And so if he is giving us a new body and raising us to life, we can trust he's going to do it right. God gives things a body that matches where they belong.

[20:03] There is also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is of one kind. The splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor.

[20:14] And the moon another. And the stars another. And this is where I think it starts to get really exciting. When Paul starts saying he's trying to help us see what our new bodies will be like.

[20:26] And he starts pointing at the sky. The sun and the moon and the stars. What will it be like when we are raised from the dead in Christ?

[20:36] Well, it's not going to be just the sequel to this. It's not going to be part two where we come back exactly as we are in this life. It's going to be something new.

[20:49] A whole new age. A whole new world where all things are made new. Just like we have special clothes for a special occasion.

[21:00] We get dressed up for certain things. God is giving us a new body that fits the new world when he makes all things new in Christ. So it will be with the resurrection of the dead.

[21:12] It will be amazing the way that a plant comes out from a seed. We'll be given a body that is just right for us in the new heavens and the new earth. And then Paul gives us a list of a number of things.

[21:23] He says what is sown perishable will be raised imperishable. Our bodies, as we know, get sick. I think I had five conversations before the service and three of them were about people being sick.

[21:37] We get sick. We break. And not only that, eventually our bodies wear out and we will all die in these bodies. But Paul says our bodies that are sown perishable, bodies that get sick and break down and die, will be raised imperishable in bodies that don't get sick and don't break and will never die.

[22:00] He says what is sown in dishonor will be raised in glory. And it's important to remember the bodies that God has given us, that you're sitting there in right now, these are wonderful, beautiful things.

[22:12] These are gifts that God has given to us. But it's also true that these bodies live in the shadow of sin. That as humans choosing to sin, we've invited more destruction and more death and more darkness into our lives.

[22:28] And that affects our bodies as well. You remember in the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve sinned, also they were ashamed. And they covered parts of their bodies.

[22:39] And we continue to cover our bodies with clothing. Paul says what is sown in dishonor will be raised in glory. A body where we have no more shame.

[22:51] And where the shadow of sin is banished entirely and completely. Paul also says a body that is sown in weakness will be raised in power. Right now, as strong as we are, we're also very weak.

[23:06] In all kinds of ways. There's things we just can't do. And there's things that we should do and we know we ought to do that we have a hard time to do.

[23:16] And Paul says these bodies that were sown in weakness will be raised in power. All of the things that have gone wrong and can go wrong with these bodies is going to be left behind and cast away.

[23:28] We'll be planted like a seed in the earth and rise up to new life as something like we can barely even imagine. Something glorious and powerful and imperishable.

[23:42] Right now we have bodies made for this life. And then we will be given bodies that are made for new life. Or for an all things made new life. Paul says what is sown a natural body will be raised as a spiritual body.

[23:56] And he isn't saying there that, well, now our bodies are physical objects and then they'll be spiritual objects. You will always be able to poke each other with sticks. There's a physical thing. Paul, or not Paul, Chris, our minister, had a quote from C.S. Lewis last week about how when we're raised from the dead in new life, we'll cast a shadow.

[24:15] And that's true. So when Paul says what's sown physical will be raised spiritual, he doesn't mean it won't have physical substance. He seems to be saying that it will be in tune with the new creation.

[24:29] Just like fish have gills so they can live in water, you'll be given a body that is made to live in close, direct proximity with God. If you were going to go visit the sun, you would need a special kind of suit to protect yourself from, you know, heat and radiation and flame that devours itself for a long, long time.

[24:49] Well, these bodies aren't ready to be directly in front of God, but will be raised with bodies that are in tune with the presence of God himself.

[25:02] It's tricky to follow how all of this works in this passage. It seems fairly clear what Paul is saying, but not entirely clear about why he's saying it or what it means.

[25:13] But it seems like, again, in this church where he's writing this letter to, there were people who thought, I'm already arrived. I'm already heavenly and spiritual as I need to be.

[25:24] And so he says this, if there's a natural body, there's also a spiritual body. So it is written, the first man, Adam, became a living being, the last man, Adam, a life-giving spirit.

[25:35] The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that, the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth. The second man is of heaven, as was the earthly man.

[25:46] So are those who are of the earth, as is the heavenly man. So also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.

[25:57] What's clear from this is there's two types of bodies, that which is natural, like Adam, which we have now, and that which is spiritual, like Jesus, when he rose from the dead. And the natural body comes first, and the spiritual body comes after.

[26:12] And you can hear how saying that cuts in two directions. On the one hand, it's a wonderful, beautiful hope. And on the other hand, it's telling these people, you're not there yet.

[26:23] Right? Saying you will have it is saying you do not have it now. And so Paul is reminding them that this is still yet to come. These spiritual bodies. Now, many of you, most of you probably remember I'm a Canadian.

[26:38] And I grew up with a very Canadian tradition called Hockey Night in Canada, where every Saturday night, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation plays hockey games.

[26:49] NHL, the National Hockey League, they'll play two or three games in a row. It's a grand tradition. Families gather, and some pretend to watch while they do other things. But it's this beautiful thing.

[27:00] I did it mostly when I was in college. And this was also back when television was broadcast through radio waves. You know, UHF or VHF. Some of the science-y people will know how this works.

[27:13] But you could get TV not through the internet or through like a satellite dish. You got TV like you get a radio signal. And so our TVs had antennas that you could pull out that we called bunny ears.

[27:26] Did you guys do that? They called them bunny ears in this country? No? No? All right. Well, you should, because they look like the ears of a rabbit. Especially because they work better if you wrap aluminum foil around them and make flags.

[27:38] So when I was in college, we had this junky old TV at the top of the fridge at the end of the hallway. And every Saturday night, we would get together at the end to watch Hockey Night in Canada.

[27:50] But part of the process was wiggling the bunny ears until the signal got right. Because if you know what these old TVs are like, they get fuzzy. The signal doesn't come quite right.

[28:01] The connection between the bunny ears and the TV isn't quite right. And so you spend a lot of time wiggling the ears all around. And we would finally get it just right. And we'd all be enjoying the game.

[28:11] And then it would go off. Or someone would come and open the fridge and close the door. And we'd have to reset it. Or someone would slam a door down the hallway. And the screen would go fuzzy. And we'd have to reset it. When Paul says we will have a spiritual body, I think he's talking about the fact that we will be in direct tune with God and his presence.

[28:33] No adjustments necessary. Never falling out into static and gray screens. See, even right now, in the bodies that we have, we already relate to God.

[28:46] We can see the world that he made. We can hear his voice when we read his word. We use our bodies right now as they are. Even being perishable, dishonorable, and in weakness, we use them to respond to God.

[29:02] We fall on our knees to pray. We open our hands as we pray. We lift our arms in worship. We don't do this so much in our church tradition.

[29:13] But in many, even most, you move your feet and dance as part of worshiping God as well. And we can feel it in our bodies when we are close with God and enjoying his presence.

[29:28] There's a shiver that runs through us sometimes. A warmth that grows from the center and finds its way out through our limbs. Sometimes we feel in singing like our heart is desperately trying to come bursting out of our chests.

[29:44] We relate to God even now in these bodies. What will it be like with the new one? When God raises us to new life, imagine, as Paul wants us to imagine, what it will be like.

[29:58] Imagine being a plant sown in the soil of the presence of God himself, digging roots deep into who he is, spreading out leaves to soak in the glow of his glorious radiance, turning a face toward him in absolute joy and beauty.

[30:18] All of this is coming for all of us who are in Christ. And it is more certain than the return of the first day of work or school after the Easter break.

[30:30] This is coming. It is absolutely coming for all of us in Christ. At the end of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says, Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.

[30:44] Therefore, knowing Christ has been raised as the first fruits, knowing that though you become just bones, it's like you're planted as a seed to grow up into something amazing.

[30:55] Knowing that God is the great giver of bodies and is giving us a powerful, honorable, imperishable, spiritual body to enjoy his presence in the new heaven and the new earth.

[31:09] Therefore, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

[31:21] Do you fear death this morning? Are you afraid to die? Do you not see how thoroughly death is defeated in Jesus Christ?

[31:33] It could not hold him and therefore it will not hold us. Joseph knew when he and his family were in Egypt that it wasn't the end of the story because God's promises hadn't yet all come true.

[31:46] In this life, it is not yet the end of the story because all of God's promises have not yet come true. There is more coming for us.

[31:56] And knowing that it is coming changes things for us right now. To you who are suffering, we say, hold on. God sees and knows the suffering and you will be raised.

[32:10] And you will live imperishable with him in this new body. And recognize as well that God doesn't need to make it up to us when things go wrong. You don't need the disappointments of your life to be made up for in this life because you have all of this still coming for you.

[32:29] And you will be raised. To those who are discouraged in sin, we say fight on. The new life in Christ is alive within you already. Fight on.

[32:41] It is there. And in the end, you will be raised anew, imperishable and glorious to enjoy that state, sin free forever and ever.

[32:52] To you who hesitate from following Christ, to hesitate in following Christ, knowing there's some sacrifice ahead that you don't want to make.

[33:03] We say follow on. Nothing that you can lose. Compares to what we gain in him. And nothing you can sacrifice pulls away from what he gives to us.

[33:17] And to all who are outside of Christ, not yet trusting in him, we continue to call you to come in. Everything that I've said this morning is true for all of us who are in Christ and only for those who are in Christ.

[33:31] Your God invites you to new life in him. To join him who was the first fruits in a resurrection to new life.

[33:42] Let's pray. Father in heaven, thank you that you are so good and so powerful.

[33:52] And we pray that you would help us to see this for all of its glory and joy. And that you would help us to believe that is true and grab hold of it tight with all of our hearts.

[34:05]  We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Please stand with me again as we respond to God in worship. Amen. Amen. Amen.