faithful evermore.
Well, now we get to turn to the preaching of God's Word.
And if you've been with us for the last few months,
you know that we've been walking through 1 Peter today.
We complete that series.
We're going to be looking at 1 Peter chapter 5,
taking it in its entirety today.
So if you have your Bibles, you can turn there
or look on the screen behind me.
I don't know if you are fans of history.
History was always one of my favorite subjects
in school growing up.
I continue to love to read historical books
and watch historical documentaries.
Admittedly, I don't know much about Scottish history.
That's on my list of things to read for the summer.
But I do have a great love for American history.
And one of the great icons in American history
is George Washington.
So whether or not you are familiar with American history,
you've likely heard of Washington.
You probably know that he was the first president
of the United States.
And something interesting when you study Washington
is something particular about his legacy
was not necessarily something that happened
during his presidency.
But at the end of his presidency,
he gave this farewell address.
And in this address, he was basically saying
he was stepping down from public service.
He was ready to retire and to live on his farm,
but he wanted to address the public.
And he didn't do so with a speech.
It was actually more of a letter
that he wrote to the American people,
commending them for building up this country.
But also, and more importantly,
he was warning them of the dangers that he perceived
that were a threat to the unity of this very young country.
And so he said,
if we are going to maintain our independence,
maintain our liberty and our prosperity and our safety,
we must be unified as a country.
And he pointed out several of these dangers
that threaten the unity.
Things like sectionalism,
this regionalism that would divide people
into different areas of the country.
He warned against political parties
that could divide people,
that could be divisive,
that tear people apart
rather than seeking the good of the country.
And so these remarks were actually something
that continue to be of value to Americans today.
There's actually his address is read annually
on his birthday on the floor of the Senate in Congress.
And so while we think of that farewell address of Washington,
this actually relates well to our passage today
because Peter,
although he's not retiring from ministry,
gives a very passionate plea to his audience here.
He's talked a lot about suffering
and the role of the church
in this new environment after Christ's ascension.
And he points out some of these dangers
that he sees that threaten the viability of the church.
And so in this last passage,
this is what he's focusing on here.
So this is what we're going to see
as we read chapter five today.
So let's turn there and study it together.
First Peter chapter five, starting in verse one.
To the elders among you,
I appeal as a fellow elder
and a witness of Christ's suffering
who also will share in the glory to be revealed.
Be shepherds of God's flock
that is under your care,
watching over them,
not because you must,
but because you are willing
as God wants you to be,
not pursuing dishonest gain,
but eager to serve,
not lording it over those entrusted to you,
but being examples to the flock.
And when the chief shepherd appears,
you will receive the crown of glory
that will never fade away.
In the same way,
you who are younger,
submit yourselves to the elders.
All of you clothe yourselves
with humility towards one another
because God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.
Humble yourselves, therefore,
under God's mighty hand
that he may lift you up in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on him
because he cares for you.
Be alert and sober-minded.
Your enemy, the devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
Resist him,
standing firm in the faith
because you know
that the family of believers
throughout the world
is undergoing the same kind of suffering.
And the God of all grace,
who called you
to his eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while,
will himself restore you
and make you strong,
firm, and steadfast.
To him be the power
forever and ever.
Amen.
With the help of Silas,
whom I regard as a faithful brother,
I have written to you briefly,
encouraging you
and testifying
that this is the true grace of God.
Stand firm in it.
She who is in Babylon,
chosen together with you,
sends you her greetings.
And so does my son Mark.
Greet one another
with the kiss of love.
Peace to all of you
who are in Christ.
This is the word of God.
Let's pray together.
Lord, again,
as we come to your word,
we ask that you open our eyes,
that you soften our hearts.
May the truth of the gospel
sink in deep.
And may we be transformed
by your word.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So again,
if you've been with us
these last few months,
you know we've been walking
slowly through
this letter from Peter.
And we see a lot of these themes
that have popped up
over and over again.
The fact that we as Christians
are called to be exiles.
That we as Christians
are called to suffer,
not lives of comfort,
but to recognize
that tribulation,
that suffering,
that persecution will come
and that we should expect it.
And we can anticipate that
because we know that God
can use these experiences
to refine us
and to purify his church.
So now in concluding this letter,
Peter's giving some final instruction,
some final encouragement
to the church
in light of all
that he's just said.
And it's interesting
what he focuses on.
He's focusing on our mindset.
He talks about what our posture
of the persecuted church should be.
And so I want to look at three postures
that Peter talks about today.
A posture of humility,
a posture of vigilance,
and a posture of trust.
So let's look at that first posture
of humility together.
This is where we're going to be spending
most of our time this morning.
You may think, though,
that it's kind of strange
that he would talk about humility.
I mean, he spent this whole letter
talking about persecution
and suffering.
You'd think we've got
the humility part down
based on our circumstances, right?
But he's making a point here
to say that our humility
doesn't come simply
by our circumstances
or our surroundings.
Our humility comes
from the inside
and grows outward.
Our true humility
is a matter of the heart.
And so as he talks about humility,
he's really talking about it
in two forms here.
He talks about horizontal humility,
humility that we have
with one another,
brothers and sisters in Christ,
but also vertical humility,
humility in our relationship
with Jesus.
And so let's first look at this
horizontal humility,
this humility that he speaks of
first in this passage.
And he does so
by addressing himself.
He calls himself,
in verse one,
a fellow elder
and witness of Christ's sufferings
who will also share
in the glory to be revealed.
Now through this series,
we've talked a lot about Peter
and his interactions with Jesus.
We know that he denied
knowing Jesus three times
after Jesus was arrested.
We know that he pushed back
when Jesus said
that he would have to suffer.
And so we see how Peter
has grown and developed
and there's actually
one more interaction with Jesus
that I want us to look at today.
After Jesus' resurrection,
Peter and some of the disciples
are out fishing
and Jesus meets them on the shore.
And they come in
and they have a breakfast together
and Jesus turns to Peter
and he asks them
a very pointed question.
He says,
Peter, do you love me?
And he asks him this three times.
And each time,
Peter says the same thing.
He says,
Yes, Lord, you know
that I love you.
And so Jesus gives him
a command.
He says,
Then feed my lambs.
Care for my sheep.
And not only that,
he actually foretells
of Peter's death
that will come as a result
of his ministry.
And so now Peter,
in talking about himself,
he's really expressing solidarity
with his audience here.
He's telling them,
I'm not instructing you
to do anything
that I haven't been told
to do myself.
The calling that you have
to suffer
is the same calling
that I have to suffer.
And so we,
as leaders of the church,
this is our responsibility.
And what is that responsibility?
Verse two,
To be shepherds
of God's flock.
And it's interesting
whose flock it is here.
It's God's flock.
In verse four,
it talks about
the chief shepherd.
That's Jesus.
And so we see this analogy
used throughout the Bible
of Jesus as the shepherd
that we are the sheep
of his pasture here.
And so the elders
of the church,
you may think,
well, this is kind of weird.
Why is he talking
about church leadership
at the conclusion
of this letter?
It goes to show
just how important it is
for a church
to be led well,
especially when we have
that wartime mentality.
And so here,
he's talking about
the need for shepherds,
for leaders of the church
to shepherd well.
And it's interesting.
If Christ is our chief shepherd,
then the leaders of our church
are under shepherds.
And that's actually,
it would be a title
or a position
that someone would have had
back in that day
when you had a shepherd
who had a large flock.
A lot of times
he would need help
caring for
and gathering this flock together.
Certainly God doesn't need
the help of anybody
to care for his church,
but here he welcomes in leaders
to do the duty
of leading the church.
And so what does this include?
What's the role of a shepherd?
We know that a shepherd
has to defend the flock.
We know that the shepherd
leads the flock
and cares for the flock
and feeds
and nourishes the flock.
This is hard work.
A lot of times
you may think of,
when you think of a shepherd,
you kind of look at this
maybe a landscape painting
of a shepherd
kind of leaning on his staff
and the sheep grazing
peacefully in front of him.
But that's not really
what the work of a shepherd is.
It's not about serenity.
It's not about solitude.
The work of a shepherd
is hard work.
And so the reality of this
is that Peter points out,
well, how are these leaders
to work?
How are they to lead
their flock well?
And he says, first of all,
the shepherd watches
over their sheep willingly.
You know, if you're a parent
and you told your child
to do something,
maybe you are a child
and you've been instructed
by your mom and dad
to do something,
and you kind of roll your eyes
and you drag your feet
and you do what
they've told you to do,
technically you did
what they wanted, right?
You followed their commands,
but was it done willingly?
No.
Did it bring pleasure
to your parents?
Probably not.
In the same way here,
he says that the elders
should not serve begrudgingly.
It needs to be done willingly.
And it's not because
the sheep are always lovable.
We've got to remember
that sheep are smelly,
stupid, stubborn animals here.
And so the elders,
as they lead the church,
it's not primarily done
out of a desire
and a love for the church,
so they should love the church.
Their primary motivation
comes through a loyalty
and a love for the shepherd.
He goes on to talk about
not seeking personal gain
in leading.
And so as the leaders
of a church,
they're not to see
what they can get
out of their leadership,
but they should be eager
to give instead.
And lastly,
he talks about
needing to lead,
not lording over others,
he says in verse 3,
but leading by example.
And so as elders in the church,
they lead by example.
They are also following
the example of Christ
who said,
I didn't,
he says,
he didn't come to be served,
but to serve
and give his life
as a ransom for many.
I actually read an article
not that long ago
and it was on the topic
of leadership.
And it was actually
using the same analogy
talking about shepherds
and how do you lead
your sheep well,
how do you lead your people
as a leader well.
And it actually interviewed
this shepherd
and he said,
well,
the one thing you don't want
to do in leading sheep
is bullying them.
You're not going to get
what you want
by bullying your sheep.
But he said something interesting.
He said,
the best way to lead your sheep
is to create a desire
within the sheep
to do the things
the shepherd wants them to do.
And I think that same principle
applies for leadership
within the church as well.
We don't lead in such a way
by bullying,
by just forcing people
to be obedient to you.
We lead in such a way
that God's will
looks attractive
to the church.
That God's desires
becomes our desires
as church members.
And so Peter then concludes,
well, what's the reward
for the leaders of the church?
Verse four,
when the chief shepherds appear,
you will receive
a crown of glory
that will never fade away.
So the leaders of the church
don't do so for personal gain.
They don't do so
for personal glory,
but they are able
to share in the glory
of Christ.
Peter uses that imaging here.
We know in Roman times
when you'd have athletes,
they may win
and get one of those wreaths
that they can put on their head.
That's what he's referring to here.
Except with,
instead of using leaves
and things that die,
he's talking about this,
this red flower
that never fades.
We have this everlasting glory
when we are in Christ.
And so that's really only
half of the horizontal relationship
then, right?
We know the responsibility
of the elders,
but what is the response
of us as a church?
He says in verse five,
in the same way,
you who are younger
submit yourselves
to your elders.
And so it's,
this term here,
younger,
kind of needs to define
that a little bit.
You may think,
well, this doesn't qualify.
I'm not an elder
and I'm not young,
so it kind of,
I'm out of the picture here.
No.
When he's referring to
those who are younger,
he's basically saying
everyone who's in the church
but not in a position
of leadership.
So he is talking
to everyone here
when he says
submit to yourself
to the elders.
And that's kind of difficult,
right?
We don't always like
that word submit
because a lot of times
we've seen how leadership
is done really poorly
and how it can hurt people.
But when he's talking
about submitting here,
it's not simply
of mere respect.
It's more than that
because if God has called
the leaders of our church
to lead willingly,
then he has called us
as the body of Christ
to follow willingly.
And so that doesn't mean
just kind of going along
with decisions
that the leaders make
in the church
is actually
an active,
willing participation
in the life
of the church.
If we are to follow
the example of the elders,
then we want to be committed
to corporate worship.
Then we want to treasure
the teaching of God's word.
We want to participate
in community.
We want to engage
in ministry
because that is the work
and mission
of the church.
And so when we do this,
we need to remember
how we are to act then.
It's not done
begrudgingly
like we've talked about,
but also needs to be done
without complaining
or passing judgment.
We see that often
in our lives.
When something happens
that we don't like
or isn't done
how we want it done,
we can grumble
and complain, right?
We can start to grow resentful
when things aren't done
our way,
but that's not true humility.
Humility comes
when we are under God
and we are willing
to put others first.
And so this is a great challenge
for us as a church body
to think about the leadership
here at Bucleu.
And I want us to think personally,
when was the last time
you earnestly prayed
for the leaders of our church?
When was the last time
you encouraged them
with a note
or a pat on the back?
When was the last time
you commended them
for their servant leadership?
I don't say this
because the elders
of this church
need your encouragement
or they want your praise.
But they do so
because of their love for Christ
and I guarantee
that your prayers
and encouragement
will be well received,
that they will do
many benefit,
they will have
a beneficial effect
on our leadership
of our church.
And so Peter goes on
to talk about
how this humility
is really
a two-way street here.
In verse 5 he says,
in the same way,
or the second part
of verse 5,
all of you
clothe yourselves
with humility
towards one another.
And so when he's
talking about this,
when he says
clothe yourselves,
he's actually,
this Greek term
means to actually
to tie on.
And so when we think
about leading
or submitting
to one another,
when we think
about humility,
we can remember
Christ.
When he was
with his disciples
during that last supper
in that upper room
and before they ate,
what did Jesus do?
He took off
his outer garment
and he tied on
that towel
in order to
wash his disciples' feet
in the same way
in our humility
we should be willing
to serve
one another.
And so then
Peter moves on
from here
we've talked
about horizontal
humility
then he talks
about this
vertical humility
that we need
with Christ.
Verse 6,
humble yourselves
therefore under
God's mighty hand
that he may lift
you up
in due time.
This phrase
under God's mighty hand
is really only used
in this passage
throughout the New Testament.
We see it in the Old Testament
a lot
and it's actually used
in the book of Exodus
where it's talking
about God's mighty hand
and delivering his people Israel
from the nation of Egypt.
But this is really
when he's saying it here
he's talking
specifically about
how our mindset should be
when we are humble
it's out of a recognition
for what God has done for us
how he has
delivered us.
And so when we think
about humility
it's what's really needed here
is
a recognition
of our proper position
before God.
There's an American comedian
who I really like
and he has this bit
where he just complains
about people
who are all about themselves
who talk about
how great they are
and how wonderful they are
and all the things
they've done
and when someone
tells a good story
they have to come in
and tell their story
which they think is better.
And he calls these people
me monsters.
He says
because all they think about
is me, me, me.
And so he has this
social fantasy
that
he wishes
that he could be
one of the 12 astronauts
that have walked on the moon
because
that story
and that experience
trumps anything else
that anyone else
has ever done.
And so when he was
in a social setting
and someone goes on and on
about how great they are
he can just kind of sit back
until they're done
and then look at them
and say well
I've walked on the moon
and put them in their place.
They would be silent
because they recognize
they're not so special
anymore.
So the same happens
when we think about
our humility
is recognizing
our proper position
before God.
We need to recognize
the gravity
of our sin
and recognize
the greatness
of our God.
Jesus tells a parable
of the tax collector
and the Pharisee
who come to the temple
to pray
and he says
that the Pharisee
when he came in
what does he do?
He prays and says
Lord thank you
that I'm not like
all these other sinners.
I tithe
and I fast
and man I'm a good person.
And then the tax collector
comes in
beating his chest
and says
Lord have mercy
on me
a sinner.
Jesus says
it's the tax collector
who went home
justified that day
for those
who exalt themselves
will be humbled
and those who humble
themselves
will be exalted.
and so again
we turn back
to this picture
of recognizing
that God
has delivered us.
There's nothing
that we contribute
to our own salvation
our own position
before Christ.
And so when we recognize
that God
is our deliverer
that he is in control
of our circumstances
and our life
then that kind of
that frees us
when we think
when we put it
in the context
of suffering.
it's going to
prevent us
from when people
persecute us
or when bad things
happen because
of our faith
we don't have to
push back against it
we don't have to
try to get even
or upset at people
because we can
trust in the Lord.
In the same way
we don't have to
always question
when bad things
happen
God why are you
letting this happen
to me
what have I done
to deserve this?
No because we
recognize that
the path of
suffering leads
to exaltation.
He says
because God
is our sufferer
in due time
he will lift
us up.
And it's interesting
this isn't just
in the future sense
but this is the
here and now
that God
cares for us.
Verse 7
cast all your
anxiety on him
because he cares
for you.
You know
there's probably
not been
another time
in your life
perhaps where
you've had so
much anxiety
as this past
year with
the pandemic.
There's many
of us who
might have
been crippled
by fear
in early
on wondering
what this
virus was
all about.
How dangerous
was it?
Am I safe
by wearing
a mask?
Am I able
to go in
public?
Can I see
my family?
Is this
vaccine going
to be
affected?
Have I
washed my
hands enough?
The list
goes on
and on.
The same
occurs when
we may
experience
suffering.
These
anxieties
that creep
up.
How are
my co-workers
going to
receive me?
Am I
going to
lose my
job security?
Will my
family reject
me?
Will my
friends
leave me?
Will my
classmates
make fun
of me?
We need
to recognize
that when we
have these
anxious thoughts
and fears,
it's not
simply because
we have
some level
of uncertainty
or whatever
it may be
in our lives
that causes
us fear.
anxiety
goes much
deeper
than that
because
this
anxiety
is really
based on
the fact
that we
are prideful,
that we
have this
desire to
control our
situation,
that we have
placed our
hope in
ourselves.
So when
there's a
problem,
we feel
like we
should be
the ones
to fix
it.
And so
when we
think about
humility,
humility
comes when
we release
those anxieties,
when we
can let go
of that
false
sense of
control
that we
think we
have and
turn everything
over to
God.
And so
I want to
just pause
and think
about this
for a second
because this
verse is so
familiar to
some of us
that we can
kind of just
gloss over
this truth
that God
cares for
you.
That God
knows what's
going on
in your
life.
And we
have a
chief shepherd
in Christ
who is
willing to
lead and
to protect
and to
nourish you.
So there
is no
one in
this
world
that cares
more for
you
than our
all-powerful,
all-knowing
God.
And so
this kind
of leads
us then
to the
second
point
when we
recognize
the
humility
that we
need
in our
life.
We
also
need
this
posture
of
vigilance.
It says
in verse
8,
Be alert
and sober
minded.
Your
enemy,
the devil,
prowls
around like
a roaring
line,
seeking
whom
he may
devour.
Throughout
this letter,
Peter's
talked a lot
about suffering
as we've
said,
but this is
really the
first point
where Peter
is identifying
the source
of this
suffering.
A lot of
times we
think of
our suffering
and we
think,
well,
it's coming
from that
person or
because of
that situation,
but we
don't recognize
the spiritual
warfare involved,
that Satan
is behind
these
attacks.
And so how
does Peter
describe him
here?
He says
that he
is a
roaring
lion.
When we
lived in
the States,
we were in
this neighborhood
that was
on a hill
that overlooked
this park.
It was a
good-sized park
with trails
and green
spaces and
playing fields.
And on the
north side
of the park,
there was a
zoo.
And it
wasn't a
very big
zoo,
but our
family liked
it.
We could
walk there.
We went
there all
the time.
And one
of the
exhibits that
the kids
liked the
best were
the lions.
There were
two large
male lions.
And so not
only could we
go and see
the lions,
but actually
from our
house,
you could
hear the
lions roar.
You could
be lying in
bed in the
morning and
you could
hear the
roar of
the lions.
And it was
interesting because
that was really
the only time
in the day
that they would
roar.
Rarely would
they roar
at another
time.
And so one
time when we
went to the
zoo, I
asked one
of the
workers there,
why do the
lions only
roar in the
morning?
And he said,
well, that's
because the
zookeeper comes
in the morning
and that's when
he feeds the
lions.
And so that's
what we see
here.
That Peter is
describing this
roaring lion,
not simply a
lion who's
sunning himself
on a rock.
This is a
lion who is
anxious and
irritable and
impatient and
ready to feast.
And so that's the
image of Satan that
we need to have in
our minds here,
that Satan is our
adversary, that he
wants nothing more
than to destroy
the church and to
defeat us as
Christians.
And so how do we
go about defeating
this lion?
Well, it says to
be sober-minded, to
be alert, to
resist and to
stand firm.
This is the third
time that Peter has
used this language in
his letter.
And James in his
letter also says
similar things.
In James chapter
four, he says,
submit yourselves
then to God,
resist the devil and
he will flee from
you.
Come near to God
and he will come
near to you.
So we resist not
out of our own
willpower, but we
can resist being
grounded in our
faith.
We draw near to
Christ, knowing that
Christ will draw
near to us.
So if you're
familiar with the
story of Pilgrim's
Progress, you may
remember that
Christian, as he's
on his journey to
the celestial city,
he encounters two
lions on the path.
And he'd heard
about these lions
before.
Other travelers had
seen them and
actually had turned
around out of fear.
So when Christian
approaches these
lions, he really
thinks his death
is imminent.
And as he
considers turning
around to go the
other way, he
hears his voice
call out ahead of
him.
A man who's
standing on the
steps of the
palace in front of
him.
He calls out and
he says this,
are your strength
and courage so
small?
Don't be so
afraid of the
lions since
they are in
fact chained.
They're being
there for the
purpose of
testing your
faith at this
point in your
journey as well
as to discover
those who are
not faithful.
So keep in the
middle of the
path and you
will not be
harmed.
And so that's
what Christian
does.
He follows this
advice.
He goes on the
path and though
the lions are at
either side of
him growling and
snarling, he's
not harmed and
he makes it
safely to the
palace.
And so what a
wonderful way to
illustrate what
Peter is talking
about here.
When we face
trials and
temptations, we
need to be
grounded in our
faith.
We need to
recognize that
Satan is bound,
that there's no
lasting that harm
that can come from
his attacks.
And so then that
leads us to our
third posture, that
posture of trust.
Because when we
continue on this
journey, we
recognize that we
can trust God, that
he will protect us
and that he will
lead us to glory.
In verse 10 it
says, and the
God of all grace
who called you to
his eternal glory
in Christ, after
you've suffered a
little while, will
himself restore you
and make you
strong and firm
and steadfast.
So Peter finishes
his letter the
same way that he
started talking about
the glory that we
have and share in
Christ.
He's emphasizing,
yes, you will
experience in
suffering.
This life will not
be easy for you,
but we can trust
that we have a God
who is full of
grace.
We can trust that
we have a God
who protects and
preserves us.
We can trust that
our suffering will
be temporary and
the glory that we
will experience has
been secured by the
blood of our
Savior.
And so if you are
a believer, I
would urge you to
remain in this
trust, to focus on
the victory that we
have in Jesus, to
allow the suffering
and the persecution
that we may
experience in our
life now to be a
refining time.
where God may
purify us because
we see the end
result here.
He says that he
will restore us and
make us firm and
strong and steadfast.
What security that
is that we have in
Christ.
And then what's
that going to
compel us to do?
It's compelling us to
doxology, to the
praise and glory of
God, as he says.
But maybe that's not
you.
Maybe you're not a
Christian or you think
the idea of
suffering for your
faith is kind of a
silly concept that
seems really
uncomfortable.
Well, I want you to
consider this.
When I laid in my
bed in the morning
when I lived near
that zoo and I
heard those lions
roar, I had no
fear.
I didn't have to
worry about them
coming and attacking
me because I knew
that they were
contained, they were
caged.
But there is no
such security for
those who aren't in
Christ.
And in fact, not
only if you're not
in Christ, you
have to worry
about the devil
roaring like a
lion, seeking
whom he may
devour, but we
also face the
judgment of God,
which has far
greater lasting
implications.
So I urge you to
turn to Christ.
We have a good
shepherd who wants
to lead and
protect and
nourish you.
And ultimately,
Peter ends with
this.
He says,
peace to all of
you who are in
Christ.
That is peace
that is offered
to all.
And that's a
peace that's
available to you
today.
Let's pray.
Lord, we thank
you that you
offer us peace,
that you are
willing to share
your glory with
us.
And so we ask
God, as we
continue on this
journey, that we
will have a
posture of humility
and vigilance.
that we will be
able to trust you
and all that you
have done for us.
Lord, we thank you
for your great
love.
We thank you that
you are the good
shepherd.
We thank you that
our salvation is
secured by the
blood of our
suffering servant.
Lord, may this
truth penetrate our
hearts.
And may our
response be one
of praise and
doxology and
joy.
we pray this in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
Now we will sing
together our last
hymn, How
Firm a
Foundation.
How firm a
foundation.
How firm a
foundation.
How firm a
foundation.
you saints of the
Lord is laid for
your faith in his
excellent word.
What more can he say
than to you he has
said, to you who for
refuge to Jesus
have fled.
Fear not, I am with you.
Oh, be not dismayed.
For I am your God and will
still give you weight.
I'll strengthen you, help you,
and cause you to stand,
upheld by my gracious,
omnipotent hand.
love you.
Amen.
When through the deep waters
I call you to go,
the rivers of sorrow
shall not overflow.
For I will be with you,
your trouble to bliss,
and sanctify to you,
your deepest distress.
When through fiery trials
your pathway shall lie,
my grace all sufficient
shall be your supply.
The flame shall not harm you,
I only desire
your trust to consume
and your gall to be found.
Will you stand with me
to receive the benediction
taken today from Hebrews 13,
verses 20 and 21.
Now may the God of peace,
who through the blood
of the eternal covenant
brought back from the dead
our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd
of the sheep,
equip you with everything
good for doing his will,
and may he work in us
what is pleasing to him
through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory
forever and ever.
Amen.
You may go in peace.
Amen.
People
Amen.