Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church.
And it's my joy to bring God's word to you today. A special welcome if you're new or visiting with us.
We're glad that you're here and we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats,
but because we're following Jesus together as one community.
And as we follow him together, we become convinced that there's no one so good.
They don't need God's grace and no one so bad they can't have it,
which is why we gather week after week to hear what God has to say to us in his word.
We're continuing our series in the Gospel of Mark.
We're also still in Mark chapter 6.
And you'll remember that the Gospels tell the story of Jesus in his life and his death and his resurrection.
And the two questions that we've been asking in this book are,
one, who is Jesus? And two, how do we respond to him?
So I'll invite you to go ahead and turn there with me now to Mark chapter 6.
I want to mention first, though, that I had a very successful trip to Costco on Friday.
And there's only a few things that I buy at Costco that are extremely well-priced.
And one of them are these Perfect Bars, which is a refrigerated protein bar.
And they're a little bit expensive, but they're on coupon right now.
And they will be through April 3rd.
So you heard it here.
So I got five of them and I stuck them in my freezer.
And if you look on the bar, there's this circle.
There's a lot of different labels on it, but there's this circle and it says,
a low and then under it, GI.
Low GI.
And some of you watch your blood sugar carefully.
And so you know what that means.
It means it has a low glycemic index.
The glycemic index is a way of telling us which foods burn fast
and which foods burn slow.
And if something burns fast, maybe it has a lot of sugar in it,
it'll give you a quick spike and then it'll give you a quick crash.
If it has that low GI, you know that's what you want.
It's not going to digest quickly.
It's going to be something that's going to give you energy over the long haul.
It's going to keep, as I think my dad would say, it'll stick to your insides.
Maybe that was my mom.
I forget now.
But as we come to this passage, that's the question that I want us to ask together.
What is our fuel?
What is our power as we move forward in the Christian life?
As we do the things that God has called us to do, especially as we talk about and share the gospel.
That's what we're going to see from the disciples in this passage.
Jesus, remember back in chapter 3, told them they were going to be with him
and he was going to send them out.
And he finally does it in this passage.
Their motivation, the things that power them are what we want to look at
because there's a variety of different fuels that we can use in the Christian life.
I could try to motivate you this morning with shame or guilt.
And that would probably work for a little bit.
That would be a high GI plan.
It might get you to do something fast.
Maybe it would give you a hit of that shame or that guilt,
but it would also lead to a quick crash.
That is not what's going to carry us forward week after week, year after year in the Christian life.
We don't rely.
We don't want to look to shame and guilt.
In fact, quite the opposite, we look to Jesus to remove our shame and guilt.
And so we need God to provide something else for us as our fuel,
something to keep us going as we follow after him together, loving and serving Jesus.
And so the question then is, what is the low GI power and fuel in the Christian life?
What is going to keep us burning for a long time?
What allows these apostles to go forward doing what Jesus has commanded them?
It's with that question that we're going to turn together to Mark chapter 6, starting at verse 7.
You can turn with me in your worship guide.
You can turn in your Bible.
You can turn on your phone.
No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's word.
And God tells us that his word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path,
which means that God has not left us to stumble alone in the dark,
but instead he's given us his word to show us the way to go.
And so that's why we read now, starting at verse 7.
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two.
And he gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff,
no bread, no bag, no money in their belts,
but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.
And he said to them,
Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.
And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you when you leave,
shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.
So they went out and proclaimed that the people should repent.
And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
And I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word.
Our Father in heaven, we freely admit and confess this morning
that we are not able to understand your words without your help.
And so we ask for that.
We ask that you would speak to us in ways that we can understand,
that you'd honor your promise in Isaiah 55,
that your word will accomplish what you've sent it for,
that you'd honor your promise in 1 Corinthians 2,
that the Holy Spirit will help us to understand these spiritual things.
We ask for that help.
We're helpless without it,
that you would open our eyes,
you'd unstop our ears,
you'd soften our hearts,
and you'd clear our minds,
that we would see and hear and believe
and understand everything that you've written for us in your word.
And we ask these things grateful that we don't have to earn them or deserve them,
but instead we ask them in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
We start here, chapter 6, verse 7, with a reference to the 12.
It's been a while since we've seen them.
This phrase, the 12, only appears 10 times in the Gospel of Mark,
and the first time we heard it was in chapter 3.
You might remember that Jesus had gone up into a mountain,
he'd called a variety of people to himself,
and he had chosen these 12 to be his especially close group.
We also saw in chapter 3 that they're not just called the 12,
Jesus also called them the apostles.
You may know that this group, the apostles,
were a narrower band that Jesus worked most closely with
during his earthly ministry,
and they had a special role in representing Jesus
after he had returned to heaven.
So we already know that we're working with the insider group
that's around Jesus,
the group he's most focused on discipling and developing.
The first time we saw them was back in chapter 3,
and you'll remember, as I mentioned earlier this morning,
Jesus had two goals for them.
Goal number one is that they would be with him.
Goal number two is that he would be able to send them out,
it says, to preach and to cast out demons.
And so Jesus has kept his word in this situation,
and he's also kept the order.
In other words, it's important that they are with Jesus first
before he sends them out.
And we talked about that in chapter 3,
that it's that relationship with Jesus,
that mentoring and developing that they receive from him
that is critical before and as Jesus sends them out.
And that's what we saw the second time
they were mentioned in chapter 4, verse 10.
It says, and when he was alone,
those around him with the 12, that's the apostles,
asked him about the parables.
That was when Jesus had taught the parable of the sower,
and they needed this explanation to help them understand
what Jesus was actually talking about.
Jesus was working with them, developing them,
mentoring them during this time.
It would certainly have been easy and tempting for him
to pull them in as his help and his assistance,
because Jesus was pressed in from every side.
You might remember at one point he gets on a boat
so that he can save his life.
His family's worried about him, that he's working too much.
And so it would make sense for Jesus
to immediately delegate to these men to help him out.
And yet Jesus does the opposite.
He focuses on his relationship with them
above everything else.
He spends his time teaching and developing them
rather than using them.
Jesus is more interested that these men grow and know him
than he is that they immediately get to work in his mission.
And so it's here in chapter 3,
Jesus has spent three chapters from 3 to 6,
developing them and teaching them
before he gives his apostles the car keys.
It was in chapter 3, verse 15,
that he said he was going to give them authority
to cast out demons.
Here in chapter 6, verse 7, he finally does it.
It tells us he gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
And so again, as I mentioned, Jesus has kept his word,
he's kept his promise, and he's kept the order.
It is critical that they are with Jesus
before he sends them out.
And it's false, by the way,
for us to believe that these are two separate movements.
So I don't want you to go away thinking,
well, there was phase one, the being with Jesus phase,
and then there was the phase two being sent out by Jesus.
No, these are things that are connected together.
There is a relationship between the two.
Jesus is going to send them out here,
and what are they going to do next?
Well, we're going to have this little short story
next time about Herod.
Then they're going to come back.
They're going to come back to be with Jesus again.
As we go on through the Gospel of Mark,
we're going to see that that relationship doesn't end.
In Mark chapter 11,
as Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday,
it notes that he does it with the 12.
As Jesus gathers in Mark chapter 14 to have the Passover,
we're told he does it with the 12.
Yes, Jesus sends these men out,
and his presence with them never ends.
Jesus doesn't stop being with his apostles.
Jesus doesn't stop being with his people.
Jesus doesn't stop giving himself to those who follow after him.
In fact, we're told in other books of the Bible
that this continues even now.
Jesus is still with us.
Matthew chapter 28,
Jesus gives these men his final commission,
the great commission,
telling them to go out and teach people
and baptize them, making disciples.
And what does he tell them at the very end?
Verse 20,
And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.
I am going to heaven physically.
Spiritually, my presence continues,
and it will continue forever.
Jesus leaves the earth.
He does not leave his people.
Jesus' mission is added to his presence.
Jesus' mission does not replace his presence.
What is our fuel as we go on Jesus' mission?
What is it that keeps us going?
It is first that Jesus is still with us.
Jesus is still with us.
Jesus' promise from Matthew chapter 28 is still true.
It continues now.
How do I know?
We have not reached the end of the age.
That's how long the promise lasts.
Okay?
Jesus calls his apostles to be with him.
He does the same for us.
We are not merely or simply cogs in the machine of God's kingdom.
We're his beloved sons and daughters.
Now, as we come to with us language,
it's tempting to stop there.
It's tempting for that to simply be this pie-in-the-sky phrase,
what I've talked before about the temptation of God talk.
And God talk is where we throw these things out
that sound nice and wonderful.
They're sentimental,
and maybe they make us feel good for a moment,
and we have no idea what they mean.
What does it mean on the ground this Wednesday
that God is with you,
that Jesus is with you?
Well, I'm going to give you not necessarily everything,
but a few things that it means.
First of all, John chapter 14,
Jesus makes this promise that as he leaves physically,
he's going to do something even better than being here.
He's going to send his spirit to be with his people.
He says,
I'm going to give you the spirit of truth
whom the world cannot receive.
You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Now, you might ask at this point,
okay, great, the Holy Spirit's going to be with us.
What good does that do for us?
Well, thankfully, Jesus goes on in chapter 14 of John
to tell us practically what that means for these people.
Verses 25 and 26, he says,
the spirit will teach you all things
and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
How was Peter able to remember everything that he told to Mark
so that Mark could write them down for this gospel in Greek
that was then translated
and we are reading and studying together right now.
Peter was able to remember those things
and tell them to Mark
because Jesus by his spirit was with him.
The Holy Spirit gave Peter practical help
in his mind and his memory
so that he would know the things that Jesus taught
while he was with us on this earth.
Jesus being with us is not a mere sentiment.
It is a real and helpful presence.
Luke chapter 12, we're told something similar.
Jesus tells his disciples,
don't be afraid when you're called
to appear before rulers and authorities.
Why?
Because the Holy Spirit will teach you
in that very hour what you ought to say.
And so it's not just that Jesus was with Peter
when the apostle Paul in the book of Acts
appears before the rulers of the Roman government
and has to give them a defense.
When he's invited to appear before them
over and over again over the period of years,
when he makes his trip to Rome,
how is it that Paul knows exactly what to say?
It is not because of Paul's many years of education.
It's not because he had the best teachers.
No, Paul is able to stand
and give a defense for the gospel
because Jesus by his spirit is with him.
Jesus' presence is real and powerful.
Jesus is teaching us by his word this morning
and he doesn't leave us alone by ourselves
to figure it out.
I've mentioned it at least twice this morning.
1 Corinthians 2 tells us that the only reason
and the only way we can understand
what God has for us in his word
is if his spirit comes and helps us.
And so if you are understanding,
if you've ever sat and listened to a sermon
and you had that moment where you heard the word of God
and everything came together for you
and you understood it and you loved it
and you wanted to change,
do you know why that happened?
It did not happen because the preacher was brilliant.
It happened because Jesus was with you
by his spirit,
explaining and helping you comprehend
and understand the things that are in his word.
Okay, maybe the preacher was brilliant.
Why?
Because Jesus was with him.
It is Jesus' presence that makes the difference.
We're gonna go on.
James chapter one, verse five
makes a bold promise to God's people.
It tells us if we lack wisdom and we ask for it,
God is going to give it to us.
That's a promise you should claim, by the way.
You can go in prayer and say,
God, you promised me in your word
that you would give wisdom to those who ask for it.
I'm asking for it.
What is our hope as we face the challenges in this world?
As you are parenting children
and you run up against situations
that you have no idea how to approach,
when you're talking with people
and you don't have the wisdom to know the words to say
in that moment to help and to calm and protect.
What is your hope as you're dealing with those older
and younger than you?
As you're facing situations at work
that are beyond your capacity,
as you're trying to share the gospel
with those who don't know Christ,
your hope, brothers and sisters,
is that Jesus is with you.
Your hope is that he honors his promise
in James chapter one, verse five,
that he gives wisdom to those who ask.
If you remember from the book of Proverbs,
Jesus is the one who is the ultimate representation
and fulfillment of wisdom.
Jesus is with you by his spirit.
That is our fuel and our power
that keeps us going in the Christian life.
As I prepare week in and week out
to preach in this church building,
I pray multiple times a week
that God would be with me
and that he would be with you
because I know that if he isn't
and I step into this pulpit,
I am dead on arrival.
I can do no good apart from him.
John chapter 15,
I'm the vine, you are the branches.
Apart from me, you can do no good.
He is the one who is at work.
Remember Mark chapter four,
verses 26 through 29,
the parable of the seed growing.
The sower doesn't know how it grows.
He's just sleeping, right?
Because we're simply instruments.
We're instruments for God's power
at work in our lives.
We don't just have the fuel though
of Jesus' presence.
We're told something else in this passage.
It's not just that Jesus is with you,
it's that others are with you as well.
Okay, look with me.
Verse seven, he calls the 12
and he begins to send them out two by two.
You'll notice this appeared
in our Old Testament reading as well.
Ecclesiastes says it's better
for there to be two rather than one.
Not only does Jesus send them out two by two,
we're not told which two get paired up together.
I mean, maybe like James and John
were really hoping they were gonna get paired, you know?
And maybe James got put with Matthias
and that's not who he wanted to go out with.
We don't even know because we're not told.
Why would we need to be told?
Personality is not what matters.
We're not interested in personalities
or personality-driven ministry.
There's nothing complicated here about this point.
I don't need to spend a lot of time explaining it
because it's very simple.
Christianity is not a team sport.
It is a team sport.
It's not a solo sport.
Jesus sends people out as groups.
He calls us together as a church community.
When Jesus calls you to himself,
he calls you to his people as well.
It is a package deal.
You cannot separate Jesus from his church.
You cannot separate your Christian walk
from the brothers and sisters around you.
Do not try to follow Jesus by yourself.
Those who are sitting in front of you
and behind you and to your left and your right this morning
are part of the fuel that God has given you
to make it in the Christian life.
They are who God has blessed you with.
Remember I said God gives wisdom to those who ask for it?
How do you think he gives that wisdom?
Yes, at times directly by his spirit.
Many other times, God gives you that wisdom
through older and wiser saints.
You can pray as much as you want for wisdom
and you also need to put yourself
in the place where wisdom comes.
God has given you these people
as part of his plan to impart you with wisdom.
Those who are in this room with you
are part of your answer to that prayer
that God would honor his promise
in James chapter one, verse five.
You might hear people say things like this.
I don't really need the church.
You know, I've got my three Christian friends.
And we have a group and we have fellowship
and we meet together.
That's great.
How many of them are older than you and wiser than you?
It's in the church that God blesses us
with multiple generations.
It's in the church that God blesses us
with multiple backgrounds and ways of life.
It's in the church that God puts us with people
we would not otherwise be connected with.
My guess is those three other people you hang out with
are somewhat similar to you.
There are people in this building
that if they were not part of this church with you
you would never meet them.
And you would never go to them for wisdom.
You often hear the phrase,
don't try this at home.
Christian version is this,
don't try it alone.
Do not live the Christian life by yourself.
That's part of the reason we as a church
are not interested in personality-driven ministries.
If you've been at our church for a really long time,
you might remember the time in our history
where the pastor did everything up front.
David Johnson's already been up here
to read the Old Testament reading and to pray.
Next week, it's gonna be Jim Franks
who's gonna be up here
to read the Old Testament reading and to pray.
Week after that, first Sunday of April,
it's gonna be John Alpeter
who's gonna be up front
to read the Old Testament reading and to pray.
And I say that not to say
that it's all about what happens here on Sunday morning,
but that's one piece,
one symbol of what it is that we want as a church,
that our focus and our intensity
is not around one person or personality,
but that we are actually following Jesus together
as one community,
that we're not relying on one individual,
but instead people who are walking side by side,
following Jesus together.
And as you see that assisting elder up front
every Sunday morning,
that is just one piece,
one picture of what we want to be true
of our lives as Christians Monday through Saturday.
We want to be people who go at least two by two.
Don't try to witness alone.
Have others praying with and for you.
Don't try to fight sin alone.
Have others that you can confess to and grow with.
Don't try to follow Jesus alone.
And so that's why I say every Sunday
that we're following Jesus together as one community.
Jesus has given us his fuel in the church.
What's our power to keep going?
It's that Jesus is with us.
Others are with us.
It's not simply that though.
It's also that Jesus provides for us.
We have this interesting section here
in verses eight through 10,
where Jesus tells them to take nothing for their journey.
And what I want to tell you up front
is that all of you in your Christian life
need to take a staff.
That was a joke, okay?
We don't want to approach this passage rigidly.
Jesus is giving specific instructions
for this specific group.
So we want not a rigid rule from this,
but a principle.
We read scripture with scripture.
That's one of the ways we interpret the Bible.
And we can look at other portions of scripture
and see these are not always Jesus' instructions.
So in this passage,
they're allowed to have sandals with them.
Guess what?
In Luke 10, they're out of luck, no sandals.
Matthew 10, no sandals.
Matthew 10, Luke 9, no staff.
Here, they're allowed to have a staff.
Jesus doesn't give these sorts of requirements
in other commissioning passages.
So I've already talked about Matthew 28.
Jesus does not say,
behold, I'm with you to the end of the age
as long as you don't have a second tunic.
Okay?
Mark 8, there's a commissioning.
Jesus does not provide these sorts of instructions.
In fact, we have opposite examples.
So in Acts chapter 28, we see the apostle Paul.
He's in prison for two years.
He supports himself,
presumably out of his own savings,
while under house arrest,
and people come visit him so he can teach.
Other parts in Paul's career,
he's making tents.
He's working to support himself.
Luke chapter 8, verse 3,
Jesus is supported by women
out of their resources
who give him what he needs.
Another way of coming at it is this.
This is for a limited mission, right?
Jesus is sending out these particular people
on a specific mission.
He's not sending you out
on that same specific mission.
So if you have two tunics,
it might be okay.
Okay?
It also assumes other people aren't doing it.
If everyone is doing this,
there's not going to be any house
for people to stay at and be fed by.
So the whole thing is predicated
on this other community that's helping them.
At risk of beating a dead horse,
I just want to say,
when we come to passages like this,
it's tempting to get weird with them.
Okay?
What we want to do with passages like this
is recognize what's different
between us and the original context.
What we also want to do
is to draw out the general principle
that can apply to multiple people
in multiple situations.
The principle is this.
Simply,
that we look to God ultimately
for our power and our provision.
The principle is simply
that we look to God
for our power and our provision.
God is the one who bankrolls his mission.
Our hope,
personally,
and our hope as a church,
is not in large bank accounts.
Our hope,
personally,
and as a church,
is not in buildings.
And I'm not just talking about
things that are financial and physical.
We trust,
as we go out in God's mission,
that he is at work.
Because if he isn't,
it's worthless.
The promise,
as we go out
and share the good news,
is that God already has people
who belong to him
to hear it and receive it.
In fact,
that's the word of encouragement
he gives to Paul
in Acts chapter 18.
Paul's in Corinth.
The Lord says to this,
it says,
God has already planned
who he's going to use Paul
as his instrument
to bring to himself.
When we go out
following Jesus together,
our reliance,
our power,
our provision
is from him alone.
Even the people
who hear and respond
to his word
are people
he's already chosen.
We have nothing
that Jesus doesn't provide.
And so the apostles here
present us a small picture
of that in this situation.
In other words,
we are instruments.
God provides the power.
We're simply instruments.
God's the one
who provides.
In fact,
we see that in verse 7.
He gives them authority
over the unclean spirits.
Okay?
We're instruments.
We need God's power.
Speaking of instruments,
instruments,
I had a lot of trouble
the past couple weeks
with my vacuum cleaner.
And I'll tell you,
I have a shark vacuum cleaner.
I bought it.
Yeah, that's right.
Watch out.
I bought it three,
almost three years ago
when I got my house.
And I'll tell you
that as I was having trouble
with this vacuum cleaner,
the roller wasn't working,
I began to have great
and magnificent dreams
of a Dyson.
And I looked on Amazon
to see what it would cost
for a Dyson.
And I think it was at least
a promise of two future children,
if not three,
depending on the model.
And so I decided
that was not part of my future.
I would like my,
you know,
if I ever have children,
I'd like them to stay in my house.
I don't want them to have to go
and work for Amazon
for the rest of their lives.
Maybe you have a Dyson.
And if you do,
I'm grateful for you.
It's not the Dyson
that has the power.
It's not the Dyson
that's great.
It's the one who made it.
And it doesn't matter
how great your Dyson is
if you can't plug it in.
It doesn't matter
how glorious
of a vacuum cleaner it is
if it doesn't have
a power source.
Brothers and sisters,
some of us are sharks.
Maybe a few of us are Dysons.
All the glory goes to God.
And without his power,
it doesn't matter.
Without God's provision,
it doesn't matter.
It's a worthless piece of plastic.
Same is true for us.
It is Jesus
who provides
the fuel
and the power
for our mission.
God made you.
Gives you all the power
that you need.
And so that's what we do
when we pray every Sunday.
It's what you do
when you pray
as an individual.
It's what you do
when you pray as families.
You're saying,
we don't have power.
We don't have an extra tunic.
We didn't bring any food.
If this is going to work,
God,
you're going to have to show up.
And so we're coming to you now
and we're asking you to do that.
We're asking you to show up.
We're asking you to give us wisdom
where we need wisdom.
We're asking you to provide
where we need provision.
We're asking that you would be at work
because if you're not,
what we do is worthless.
We're asking for God's power
and fuel to keep us going.
We have a sobering ending here
to this passage.
Verse 11,
they're told,
if a city doesn't receive them,
they're to shake the dust
off of their feet.
The way we would say it is this.
You know what?
You just need to wash your hands of that.
It's time to move on.
It's a symbol
that they're moving on
from that place.
Don't have anything to do with it.
Don't be polluted by it.
Don't be affected by it.
Just move on.
There are times
when God's word
is accepted and rejoiced at.
There are times
when God's word
is rejected
and hated.
In both situations,
the word has served its purpose.
The Bible actually teaches this explicitly
in 2 Corinthians 2.
Paul talks about
what's called
the aroma of Christ
and he says,
to some people,
it's a fragrance
from death to death.
The other,
a fragrance
from life to life.
Some people smell the gospel
and it smells wonderful
and beautiful.
Other people smell
the aroma of Christ
and it smells like death.
The apostles are going
to experience that
as they go.
They're not to be stopped by it
but instead
to keep preaching repentance.
We're told explicitly,
verse 12,
what it is that they're saying.
It says,
so they went out
and proclaimed
that people should repent.
It's what I've said before
is that knowledge
is dangerous.
And knowledge
is dangerous
because we're held
accountable
for what we know.
God uses his word
to convict
and convert.
God also uses
his word
to confirm
his judgment.
It confirms
even more
how much someone
has rejected
him.
And so we end
with this
as we look
to God's fuel
and his power.
As we look
to the ways
he provides
by being with us
and giving us
his people,
it's important
to remember
that is for those
who follow
after Jesus.
that's for those
who have heard
this verse 12
message of repentance
and they have received it.
Not that the dust
has been shaken off
but instead
they are joining
with the apostles,
following after Jesus,
looking to enjoy him
and glorify him
forever.
Because
Jesus is going
to go on
later in the gospel
of Mark
and die
for all of these people.
God the Father
is going to shake
the dust
off his feet
at Jesus
so he doesn't
have to do it
for us.
He is going
to do that
to bridge
the gap
that's been created
between us
and God
so that Jesus
can be with us.
He is going
to do that
to adopt us
as his sons
and daughters
and so that Jesus
is not simply
with us
but he also
gives us
this great
inheritance
as people
who are his family.
He does that
to earn
for us
and provide
for us
the fuel
and the provision
that we need
to keep going
and that is
a fuel
that will burn
longer and farther
than any guilt
or shame.
It is the fuel
that will keep us
going
in the Christian life.
In Luke chapter 10
we're told
a similar story.
Jesus is sending
not the 12
but he's sending
out the 72.
He's sending out
this greater number
to do a very
similar mission.
And they return
after Jesus
has given them
this authority
and they're so
excited
because of all
the things
they've seen
and done
and it says this
the 72
returned with joy
saying Lord
even the demons
are subject
to us
in your name.
They're thrilled
that God's
at work
through them
and Jesus
rebukes them.
Verse 20
do not rejoice
in this
that the spirits
are subject
to you
but rejoice
that your names
are written
in heaven.
Brothers and sisters
our ultimate
hope and joy
the fuel
that keeps us
going
in the Christian
life
is not guilt
or shame
or discipline
or diligence.
The fuel
that keeps us
going
is what Jesus
provides for us
this promise
that he
is with us.
He is with us
now and he
will be with us
in an even
greater way
in the future
that our names
are written
down in heaven
and that there's
nothing that can
be done
to erase them.
That is a motivation
and a power
and a fuel
that enables us
to do more
than anything
else could
and so we look
forward to that
time when we
experience God
with us
more than we
ever can imagine.
We experience
being with
others and we
see the
fulfillment
of everything
that Jesus
has promised
that no eye
has seen
or ear
has heard
but God
has prepared
for those
who love
him.
Let's pray.
Our Father
in heaven
we praise
you and
thank you
that you
are with us
and we
thank you
for the ways
you've been
with us
this morning
by your
word
to encourage
and sustain
us.
We ask
that you
would continue
to do
that
that you
would stir
up
Jesus'
words
in our
minds
and you'd
stir us
up to
walk
not alone
but with
each other
that we
would
experience
your
presence
we'd
experience
the
presence
of
one
another
and
we'd
experience
the
provision
and the
power
that you
give us
along the
way.
We thank
you that
we haven't
earned or
deserved
any of
these
things
but instead
we look
to your
son and
our
savior
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
and we
ask for
them
in his
name
amen.