I'm really excited to introduce our preacher, speaker to you this morning.
Mike Lilly, Michael Lilly, is one of my dearest friends.
And we served together at King of Grace Church, which eventually sent us both out to plant churches.
So we've planted Trinity Cambridge Church in Cambridge, and Mike's planted King of Peace Church in Salem, Massachusetts.
A lifetime before that, Mike was a lieutenant colonel in the army.
He served there for a while. He's still a highly coveted instructor.
But he gave all of that up so that he can serve Jesus by preaching the gospel.
And he's a man who has personally experienced God's grace in his life in a radical way.
And because of that, he very effectively ministers God's grace to others,
those who are in need, all of us as sinners in need.
And Mike's a man of prayer.
And we had him come, and he actually preached to us, taught us about prayer a few years ago, actually,
when we were still at Kennedy Longfellow School in East Cambridge.
And so this is his second time I guess preaching for, it's been a little while.
But yeah, so probably a lot of you guys don't recognize him,
but I'm really glad that you guys get to meet him today.
So Mike is married to his wife Enza, who serves as a doula.
So their service usually meets in the afternoon.
And so Mike was able to come preach for us.
But Enza had other commitments.
That's why she's not here with him this morning.
He's married. He's got three sons.
He's got three girls. He's got three sons.
And it's wonderful to have you to preach for us.
Thank you, Mike.
So please come up. Let's welcome Mike to come preach for us.
Thank you.
Well, greetings to you from your brothers and sisters in Christ in Salem.
And it's good to be here together with you today.
I just can't say how excited I am.
I remember coming here years ago and walking the streets and praying with Sean before there was any of you here.
So it's really cool to look out and see this today.
You know, the work that God has done building his church.
Amen?
So 20 years ago, I was still in the Army.
And during that time, performance counseling was really a part of my professional life.
Now, I liked my soldiers.
In fact, I love videos.
I love my soldiers.
I liked what I did a lot.
And sometimes you had to go, oh, you had to do counseling, whether it was good or bad.
Right?
Well, even in the stuff where I knew I was going to get a negative counseling, where I really needed to correct where we were going,
I always tried to start off with the positive things that I saw about the soldiers that I was counseling.
I wanted to know.
I wanted to know that I saw things that made me hopeful for their future.
So as we move today at the first nine verses of 1 Corinthians, we see Paul doing something pretty similar to that as he writes the church in Corinth.
See, between a letter that he had received from the church in Corinth, one that we don't have, and a personal report that he had received from one of the house churches, Paul's gotten some really disturbing news about the church in Corinth.
So in response, he's sending one of his most comprehensive correction letters that we have probably in the New Testament.
Yet, unlike the counseling that I conducted with my soldiers that kind of grounded them in the faith that I had for them,
Paul starts 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 1 through 9 by grounding the believers in God's faithfulness.
He points them to the good things that God has faithfully done on their behalf and how he has seen the results of those good things manifested in them.
Paul doesn't move their hope and their ability to do better.
But in God, and in when God is already faithfully done through Jesus Christ.
And how God will sustain them until Jesus returns.
So please, turn in your barbers to 1 Corinthians 1, 1 through 9, and follow along as I read.
Paul writes,
Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus and a brother of South Carolina.
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus,
called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
both their Lord and ours.
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge,
even as the testimony about Christ was delivered among you,
so that you are not lacking in any care,
as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who will sustain you to the end,
guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful.
By whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son,
Jesus Christ,
our Lord.
May God bless the reading and the hearing and the preaching of his Holy Word.
Father, this week,
may you send your Holy Spirit to bring these words to recall
and would encourage your people by the knowledge that they are called by you.
They are being holy in Christ,
and they are sustained guiltless.
Until Christ on the time.
Father,
ask today,
in your spirit,
and let your word go out
and run forward.
That's your promise.
Lord,
empower the preaching of your word today
as you have prepared to receive it.
We pray that in the name of your Son.
Amen.
So,
from this passage this week,
I have one simple thought,
I guess,
that I want you to walk away with.
And that is,
God is faithful.
He will call you,
to sanctify you,
and to sustain you,
who trust in the Lord Jesus.
I guess we could really just kind of cut that down,
even more simply say,
that God is faithful.
But I like the longer one,
because it sort of has the gospel in a nutshell there, right?
God is able to call,
sanctify,
and sustain all those who believe in Jesus Christ.
So now,
to move that proposition to you today,
I really just want to say,
that God has called you,
and my three points are really,
God has called you,
into the fellowship of His Son.
God has called you,
to be saints,
and God has called you,
into the ministry,
of His Son,
which is Christ.
So let's get started,
with our first point,
that God is faithful to call us.
In this first word,
I want to briefly show you,
three ways,
in which God is faithful to call us.
I want to,
I'll build your faith,
by seeing that God,
has been faithful to you,
faithful to call you,
first,
into the fellowship of His Son,
Jesus.
Second,
to live as saints,
of the Lord Jesus,
and third,
into the ministry of Christ.
Now,
Paul,
in verses 1-9,
begins with ministry,
moves to saints,
and then to fellowship.
But I'm going to do that,
in reverse order,
and we're going to start,
verse 9.
There,
we read,
that God is faithful.
Let me ask you,
who does this verse,
say,
called you and I,
into the fellowship,
of His Son?
Who called you?
God.
It was God.
It was God that fought.
And as we consider this passage,
the first thing we learn,
the first thing we really need,
to hold on to,
is it is God,
who is faithful,
to call us,
not we,
ourselves.
It is God,
who is faithful.
We have not called ourselves,
into this fellowship,
of Jesus,
with God.
But,
God,
was faithful,
to do this,
while you and I,
were still enemies.
But,
where were you,
when you caught,
called us?
Stop the thing about that,
where were you,
when God called you?
Most of you,
were probably not,
saved in childhood.
You can go,
thank God,
that I had a grave,
before you.
But I bet,
a bunch of people are not.
I was 30,
when I was called,
and I was eight,
in a full-out spirit,
away from God.
I wanted nothing,
to do with God.
I experienced a church,
when I was living,
and I wanted nothing,
to do with that.
But God,
but God,
was faithful,
even while I,
was still living in sin,
following my own desires,
following the course,
of my own way.
He,
called,
me,
into fellowship,
with his son.
I,
God,
faithfully called me,
bore the foundations of your,
pursued me,
with his relentless love.
He,
sent,
his Holy Spirit,
to open my eyes,
and even gave me,
the faith to believe,
because I couldn't even do that.
So,
so let's,
all,
see,
that this is,
God's,
work,
not ours.
It is God,
that is faithful,
to do it.
It is God,
who is faithful,
to call us,
into the fellowship,
of his son.
And friends,
God,
has,
faithfully,
called you,
into a relationship,
with his son.
But it's more,
than just a relationship.
So you're called into the fellowship,
of Jesus.
And the word,
fellowship,
is important.
In our current context,
we talk about fellowship,
and,
you know,
it kind of sounds like,
off and go,
not a little chit-chat,
after church.
Jesus didn't die,
he didn't have chit-chat,
after church.
These are why God sent his son,
to say,
maybe,
you're familiar,
with,
J.R.
R. Trump's,
trilogy,
the fellowship,
of the ring,
maybe,
Friday,
maybe,
or maybe,
just a word,
but,
the point is,
that there's this trilogy,
out there,
and it's called,
the fellowship,
of the ring.
Fellowship is kind of,
a noun in that,
right?
And,
what he's talking about,
is,
these nine,
companions,
who are brought,
together,
to accomplish,
something,
right?
These,
they're on this quest,
to destroy the ring,
the fellowship,
that they had entered,
was full,
of danger.
It was hard,
it was costly,
people would die,
from the ring.
That's much more like,
fellowship,
also going after.
In the original language,
the noun,
fellowship,
is referring to,
a legal,
and binding,
partnership,
between two,
other people,
excused in terms,
sometimes,
of marriage,
and it's often used,
in business contracts,
and I'm repeating,
for example,
Peter,
and James,
and John,
and Luke,
and I,
where they are,
in partnership,
in this,
in this fishing business,
that they're in.
And if you think about that,
it's a financial partnership,
with them,
but it was a partnership,
of blood,
and sweat,
equity,
right?
And then they failed,
and you didn't bring,
cats,
and what happened?
You went hungry,
your family went hungry.
So you put everything,
you had,
in making this thing work.
It was costly.
So,
think of the people,
in your term,
right here,
in your book,
you are called,
into the eternal,
fellowship,
of God's,
Son,
Jesus,
your God,
our Lord,
your Lord,
God.
And you're called,
into that fellowship,
with these people,
whose lives,
are bound up,
with yours,
in Christ.
You are to,
partner with Jesus,
as it goes,
this church,
not just,
as a individual,
but as members,
who are,
partner,
and,
partner,
and,
partner.
Let me stop,
just a minute.
And what I want you to do,
is you look at the person,
to your left,
right?
Is there anybody,
in your left,
right?
Do you see a parent,
right?
Somebody.
You've got one,
on one,
the other,
right?
And now,
I want you to look at that person,
on your left,
on your right,
and say,
we are in partnership,
with Jesus,
together.
And here,
look at that person,
we are in partnership,
with Jesus,
together.
Good.
God is faithful,
to put you,
into that partnership,
with his son,
together.
Amen.
So the second thing,
that God has,
Paul was into,
is in verse 2.
And there we see,
that we are called,
to be saints,
as those,
whom God has called,
into the fellowship,
of his son Jesus.
Paul wants to make sure,
that the Corinthians,
and I think us today,
know,
that God,
has also,
called us,
to be,
saints.
That,
we didn't call ourselves,
to be saints,
I guarantee you.
God has,
called us,
to be saints.
So let me ask you,
did God,
call you,
into the fellowship,
of his son Jesus,
because you,
were holy.
You were holy,
before you were called,
please raise your hand.
There's the door,
in the back,
because you don't want it.
No,
seriously.
God did not,
call you,
because you,
were holy.
He didn't look down,
from heaven,
and say,
oh,
that went there.
She is,
so holy.
She is,
so righteous.
Come on,
girl.
No,
it isn't,
what happened.
Not at all.
This isn't,
like a modern,
day law,
from the little view,
and says,
wow,
that person has prestige,
their holy,
bring them on,
because they're built,
a prestige,
and well,
not for,
that didn't have that work.
That is not,
at all,
for the world.
You never have,
to prove yourself,
because God,
has already,
done it for you.
God,
is the one,
who made you faithful,
through his son,
Jesus Christ.
And it is God,
who has called you,
to be,
saints.
Come,
through the Lord,
Jesus Christ.
So let's take a minute,
to explore this last thing,
a little further.
Paul makes a single,
profound statement,
in verse 2,
he addresses this letter,
to the church,
of God,
in Corinth,
to those sanctified,
in Christ Jesus.
What does that mean?
What does it mean,
that God has,
sanctified us,
in Christ Jesus?
Well,
let's start with that word,
sanctified.
The word,
sanctified,
means,
you make something,
holy,
right?
Dramatically,
Paul is using,
the perfect tense here,
which means that,
something has been,
accomplished,
in the past,
but it has,
ongoing,
effects.
You have been,
made holy,
and you are still,
holy.
Now I know,
the things I think,
I know the things I do,
I know,
there's a reason,
like,
that's it.
Right?
There's a reason for it,
it's not because,
I'm living,
holy,
right?
I'm not,
perfectly,
righteous,
in my daily law.
So how can I be,
more of you?
Well,
a little roundabout way here,
but what did,
John 3,
16?
For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him,
should not perish,
but have a total life.
what does Jesus mean when He says that?
What does He mean when He says that God gave His Son?
Jesus was referring to the fact that God had sent Him to earth to live a perfect life,
so that He could be given as a perfect sacrifice for everyone who believes in Him.
But that begs the question,
why do He need me a sacrifice?
And the answer is that you and I have a problem.
God has made laws and given commands,
and you and I,
intentionally or unintentionally,
have broken those laws.
We have thumbed our noses at God,
and done whatever we wanted to do.
Well,
Romans 6, 26 reminds us
that you can do that,
but there is a penalty for that.
There's a penalty for breaking God's laws.
And like a person who,
yes,
there are people who,
and oh,
because our hearts are placed that I shouldn't necessarily be,
I hope that doesn't happen in the other way,
there's a penalty,
right?
Because I've done that,
I could get ticketed,
and I could get towed.
And just because I didn't see a sign,
doesn't make me innocent.
The problem is that when we break God's laws,
we just don't get ticketed and towed.
We get a penalty.
And even worse,
every human being that has walked the face of the earth,
has broken God's laws and faces.
That's the penalty.
But God,
God is compassionate,
merciful,
fell with steadfast love and faithfulness.
He knew humanity could not get out of the mess
that was created by Adam and Eve.
So,
he sent his son,
Jesus.
He gave Jesus to be a sacrifice in a new place,
to pay our price,
to pay a price in our place.
To die for our sin,
to face our punishment,
to be an offering that established peace between God and us.
Yet,
before Jesus could live,
before he could be a perfect sacrifice,
he had to live a perfect life.
Right?
So,
Jesus had to live a life that was declared righteous and holy before God,
by following God's laws perfectly.
And he did that.
Jesus did live a life before God that was perfect,
and God did declare him holy and righteous.
And when he had to live that life,
to the point that was necessary,
God sent his son to the cross,
where the sin of every believer was placed on Jesus.
Then God,
the Bible,
put his son to death.
In doing that,
Jesus became a sacrifice on our behalf.
He completely paid for all of our sins.
Every command,
every law,
that you have ever broken,
ever will break,
past, present, future,
in mind,
in heart,
in physical form,
all of it,
painful,
done,
been gone.
Let's come back.
Right?
So what does that mean for you and I?
It means that,
that when you and I face our faith,
gave Jesus as our Savior,
we are saying that,
that we believe,
Jesus paid the price for all of our sins,
but he died on the belt.
All of my wrongdoing,
right?
Even the things I haven't thought about doing that,
which I really agree with you.
There's a lot of them.
That makes us sinless before God,
which is great.
We need that.
But we are made holy by living sins before God.
So God doesn't stop at forgiving all of our sins
without our starvation.
He places us in Christ,
right?
He transfers that perfect life that Christ lived,
and he, like,
puts it on to us.
We call it you,
but,
then he,
I don't need to talk.
It means that he put it on to us,
right?
It became ours.
The perfectly righteous life of Christ became mine.
I'm clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
I'm hidden in Christ.
Just as if I had been in that perfect life.
And because of that,
we are declared holy.
I am both sinless and the heaven,
and the perfectly righteous life before God.
In Jesus Christ,
we are declared being made,
fully,
through Jesus.
You have been sanctified,
completed action,
done.
Now,
let me give you,
I can give you a view of these,
but let me give you just one proof,
one proof,
of why I am sure that as a believer,
God has sanctified you as a completed action.
I know that we are declared holy for God,
because when we saved Jesus,
God does not,
when I'm saved by Jesus,
right?
When I'm raised by Jesus,
God loves me with his Holy Spirit.
He went,
uh-uh,
God loves me,
God loves me.
I'm not trying to find you.
Okay,
think about it for just a second.
You are filled with the presence of God.
Jesus,
but,
do you know what happened in the Old Testament?
When you came into the presence of the living,
God,
and you weren't,
okay,
think about it,
think about it.
It goes on,
right?
The parents are,
the parents are,
right?
The other guy,
right?
The Mark starts to fall,
and so well,
people are thinking he's doing the right thing.
Reach his head.
Presence of God.
Think about it.
Dude,
he died.
He fell over,
dead.
Actually,
he cried.
I don't know,
but he was dead.
What happened in the temple
when the high priest ran,
before the Holy Ghost,
did all this stuff,
and then they died,
where both wanted his wood
so they could cry
and body out
in case he wasn't.
Because he was about to experience
the presence of God.
All right,
maybe that's not making me think.
Here's what I'm like.
if you are a believer,
raise your hand.
If you're not,
that's okay.
But if you're a believer,
raise your hand.
Okay, good.
Now,
how many of you
are believers,
now there's no answer,
how many of you believe
that you're filled
with the Holy Spirit?
Raise your hand.
Good.
That's wonderful.
I'm very excited.
That's a very exciting shot.
Okay.
Any of you physically dead
who just raise your hand?
Oh, good.
I hate talking.
So I'm really glad
to be here today
and that you're alive
and you're filled
with the Holy Spirit,
which tells me
you must be sanctified.
You must be declared
perfectly holy
because the presence
of God dwells in you.
Amen?
Don't you see me going,
oh my gosh,
I can't believe this is true.
The power of the living God
resides in you.
That's amazing.
Amen.
Okay.
Let me finish up
this second point
by saying that God
has made you holy
though to be holy.
Right?
It's not just that
He's a good one
to hang out
while they're in order
or do nice chit-chat.
No, He's called you
to be holy,
to be saints.
God has sanctified you
even as He did
with the Corinthians
and all those
who have ever believed
in Jesus Christ
so that you can be saints.
so that you can go out
with this.
So that you can do this
among one another.
God has given you
everything you need
to be saints.
He has declared you
holy in Christ Jesus.
He has filled you
with His Spirit
to show you
how as saints
you,
you can do this.
He gives you the power
to say no to sin
and yes to righteousness.
This is what we're
talking about
in the saints,
right?
This is the testimony
of Jesus in you.
You're living this out.
These gifts
working within you.
You have the Holy Spirit
in you.
You are a new preacher.
You've been transformed.
This is the testimony
of Christ in you.
So as saints,
we're a good picture
of what it means
to be,
to be with Jesus
and to the world
around us.
Right?
We're going to be saints
to our spouses,
to our significant others.
We're going to be saints
to our children.
We're going to be saints
to our employers
and our clients,
to our neighbors
and our parents
who are not the tougher.
To our fellow brothers
and sisters in Christ.
So is that how you're thinking
about the way God
has called you to live?
Are you thinking
about actively,
thinking actively
that you are
a human picture
of what it would be like
to be with Jesus?
That's crazy,
but that's what it means
to be saints.
That's what we're calling
what God called us to do.
That's the sanctified.
So let me encourage you,
church,
that same power
that raised Jesus
from the dead
is the same power
at work
from day to day
to live as a man.
The same power
that raised Jesus
from the dead
that is the same power
at work in you
to help you live this way.
That's exciting.
You don't have to do this
on your own
to be in the spirit
because you knew
you would.
That's why we're
raised.
That's why we're
not raised.
All right.
God has faithfully
called us
into the fellowship
with the Son.
God has sanctified us
and called us
to be saints
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And then he calls us
into the ministry
of Christ Jesus.
So let's turn to
our third point
that God has faithfully
called us
into the ministry
of the Son.
In his introduction,
Paul identifies himself
as an apostle
of Christ Jesus
called by the
will of God.
Now what I am hoping
to see,
what Paul is making
plain,
is that this also
is not of his own
doing.
He is not
a self-declared
apostle.
Now if you grew up
in North Carolina
and South Carolina,
there are a lot
of self-declared
apostles.
Let me tell you,
there may not be
anybody else
in that church,
but he's preaching
every Sunday
and is an apostle
of his church.
I love it.
God bless him.
He is not,
the Paul is not
a self-declared apostle.
It is by the will of God
and the will of God
who met him
on the way
to Damascus.
While Paul was set
on destroying the church,
God had other plans.
God made the Paul,
Paul,
out of his previous
way of life
and into the fellowship
of his son,
Jesus.
God made the Paul
did all that was
necessary for Paul
to be declared
holy and righteous.
And then he called
Paul to be a saint
and loved with all
those who believed
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yet God also made
Paul into ministry
and he gave him
gifts.
He gave him gifts
like preaching
and teaching
and evangelism
and leadership
and serving.
God made Paul
an apostle.
Amen?
Not Paul.
Church,
ministry is not just
what your pastor does.
And I'm sure
he's taught through that.
It's not just
what your pastor does.
Paul will go on
later in chapters 12
and 13
to talk about the gifts
that God has given
for the building
of the church.
And he's talking
to the church.
Remember the intro?
This is to the church,
not just to the elders
of the church.
This is all of them.
All of us.
God has given gifts
for the building
of the church.
It's so that you
and I
and be ministers
and minister
to one another
using the gifts
that God has given
so that we are all
strengthened
and encouraged,
corrected,
exhorted,
built up in love
until we all reach
full maturity
to have an integral
part of what it means
to be the church.
that's why we call
the fellowship.
You're entered
into a partnership
because each
will be given
all these special things
that are uniquely
joined together.
And if you are
an active member
of the partnership,
we all
are blessed.
Friends,
God has been
faithful to call you
into this fellowship,
but he didn't stop there.
He called you
to live together
and see.
That's the Holy Consum
to you.
I can't believe it.
And then he gave you,
he called you
into ministry,
he gave you
the gifts
necessary
to do.
He didn't just ask
you to do that
to stick with all
you in ministry
and left you alone.
He's given you,
has given you
all the gifts
you need.
But do the ministry
and that's all.
And I don't care
about service
and hospitality
or prophecy
and teaching
from one end
to the other
of those gifts.
In one sense,
we need all of them
to be the church.
And he's faithfully
given you
these gifts
that body
can be built up.
God,
and faithful
calls us
and has given us
everything we need
to be in
the partnership
of his son.
Let me challenge you
this week
to evaluate
how you see
your relationship
with Jesus
and with one another.
Are you living
like a whole member
of the partnership?
Take some time
this week
to consider
what would it
look like
for me to be
a full member
of this partnership?
What needs
to change
in life?
Then ask God
to help you do that.
If you need
to repent,
do that.
Because sometimes
it's a sin issue,
right?
So if you need
to repent,
then receive mercy,
receive grace,
and then with God's help
seek to live
differently.
Now,
I realize I've covered
a lot
with some of you
even for me,
and
this can seem
rather daunting
than just sort of
laid out.
So let me give you
some courage
right here
that God
has not
just done
all of this
in the past.
He left you
on your own
now
and figure it out.
See,
in verse 8,
we're reminded
that he also
sustains
a
guilt
with
to the end
for the day
the Lord
is when
he returns.
Let me give you
quickly three ways
in which God
shows
the Corinthians
and us today
how God
is faithful
to sustain
us
for the day
of our
will be.
First,
let me press
the point
that
part of
God's
means
of
sustaining
us
is what
we've already
spoken about
in the first
of the points,
that God
has faithfully
called us
into fellowship
and
as we know
from John 10,
if he's called
you into the fellowship,
nothing will
snatch you out
of his hand.
It's a done deal.
We've also seen
that he has
sanctified us
in Christ Jesus.
We've seen that
as a completed action
with uncle
and in fact
the music of the
Holy Spirit
is now in you
actively working
with your victims
and to guide you
into the future
so you know
how to live
and to be more
like Jesus each day,
sustaining,
literally sustaining
guiltless
until Christ
returns.
Yet,
by no means
that will
not be
after
what he's
done.
What God
is doing
with faith
is to stay
his way.
God is able
to stay
with grace
and peace.
Look again
at Paul's
reading
in the
church
in verse 3.
Paul says,
grace to you
and peace
from God
our Father
and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Now mercy
is when you
get what
we don't
get what
we earned
or deserve.
We don't
get what
we earned
or deserve
or breaking
God's goals
which would
be
death.
Grace,
though,
is when
God gives
us what
we did
not deserve.
What we
did not deserve.
Life.
Eternal life.
Moreover,
eternal life
Christ Jesus
and it is
a grace
upon grace
John was
saying
in the first
chapter.
Consider
that he
adopts you
as his
sons and
daughters
and makes
you co-heirs
of Jesus
and in
Christ
God calls
you beloved.
Grace
upon grace.
Brothers and
sisters,
God extends
grace to his
gang out of
the gang
and through
Jesus he
says,
come boldly
before my
throne
with mercy
and grace
to receive
mercy
and grace
at the
time of
me.
In Jesus
we come
as his
loved
children
and we
make our
request
to know
we don't
need to be
anxious about
anything.
Matthew 7
tells us
that God
knows what
we need.
Come,
come,
come with
all those
angels and
thoughts,
come with
all those
birds.
Jesus is
my bird
and
not me.
Come,
put him
on me.
God is
there to
bless us,
to give
us his
mercy and
grace in
our time
of being.
God already
knows what
you need
in God
and he's
faithful to
sustain us.
He even
pursues us,
Psalm 23
tells us,
pursues us
with goodness
and mercy,
pursues you
with me.
He sustains us
for those
living in Christ
who is our
mediator,
interceding for
us,
for the
throne
of God
each day.
Jesus is
at peace
with God.
He stands
when the
enemy comes
to condemn
us to
God's
throne.
Jesus
stands up.
He holds
up his
hand,
that nail
scarred
hand,
of his
name,
he's
engraved
and he
says,
this one
is mine.
He pulls
over his
shirt,
it's written
on my
heart,
their name
right there,
this one
is mine,
this one
I shed
my blood
for,
they are
blood
bombs.
This one
is mine.
Come
over there,
it's
cheating,
with his
blood.
And we
extend it,
peace from
God.
The Lord
Jesus Christ
is to be
given also
the shalom
of God,
the peace
of God,
the extension
of God's
will not
just be
to thrive,
but be
to thrive
and flourish.
This is
God's will
for you,
and his
desire for
you,
for you
to thrive
and flourish.
No matter
what
your
understanding
of life
will happen,
to be
able to
rest in
the knowledge
that you
will know
and love
by God,
that
grace
and peace
extend
to you.
Now I
could talk
all day
about our
God's
extension
with
wise
speech
and
knowledge
and
birth
and
testimony
over
the
Holy
Spirit,
the
gifts
forgiven,
how he
keeps you
every
spiritual
gift
with
the
building
up
and
sustaining
the
church.
But let
me just
give you
at the
end
here,
God is
faithful.
This is
faithful.
Hidden in
Christ
Jesus,
who lived
a perfect
life,
who paid
for all
your sins,
who grew
him,
who are
declared
righteous
and holy
before God
guiltless
on the
day when
Jesus
is
eternal,
when he
will judge
the living
and the
dying.
And friends,
he is our
faithful God
who will
welcome you.
Jesus
looks at
my
and says,
God,
could
have
been
to
him.
And
to
him,
he is
faithful.
Church,
it's my
hope
today
that he
is grounded
in my
roots
and the
life
that God
has
been
built
in
faith.
God's
faithfulness
did not
ever
depend
on you.
The truth
is that
God
knew
he
before
the
foundations
of the
earth
and
set
his
love
upon
you.
God
has
been
faithful
to
call
you
a
sanctifier
and
sustain
the
guiltless
of you.
The
day
is
done
and
be
done.
Amen.