All right, well, as we go to the Word this morning, I want to begin with a question for you.
Have you ever had anyone treat you poorly because of your faith in Jesus, specifically?
Have you ever had anyone treat you poorly because of your faith in Jesus?
You know, I was thinking about that this week, and thankfully in my life, I can really only remember a few people
who have treated me poorly because of my faith in Jesus.
The one that stands out the most to me was a co-worker named Harley.
And when I used to work as a courier for FedEx, he and I would stand across from each other.
We had the conveyor belt going right down the middle, the parcels coming down the line.
We had our trucks behind us. We were loading our trucks.
And we'd often talk to each other about all sorts of things each day.
And I prayed for opportunities to share my faith with him.
And on several occasions, I had the chance.
And Harley mocked me.
He laughed at me.
He tried to get all the co-workers that were standing around to just laugh at me.
And it was hard.
Have you ever had anyone treat you poorly because of your faith in Jesus?
Well, this morning as we look into the Word of God, we're going to hear the words of a man who was treated far worse, terribly,
because of his faith in Jesus.
And we're going to hear what he would say to anyone who is perhaps fearful of bearing the scorn and ridicule
and sometimes even suffering that sometimes comes with being a Christian.
We're looking at the words of the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the younger Timothy.
And I'm going to read the passage for us and then we'll examine it together.
We're in 2 Timothy, chapter 1.
And we're going to start here in verse 6.
Paul says this to Timothy.
He says,
Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel
by the power of God.
He has saved us and called us to a holy life,
not because of anything we have done,
but because of his own purpose and grace.
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior,
Christ Jesus,
who has destroyed death
and has brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel.
And of this gospel,
I was appointed a herald
and an apostle
and a teacher.
That is why I am suffering
as I am.
Yet this is no cause for shame
because I know
whom I have believed
and I am convinced
that he is able to guard
what I have entrusted to him
until that day.
So our passage for this morning
has three parts to it.
That first part is in verses 6 to 8
and Paul is just encouraging.
He's exhorting Timothy.
Then in verses 9 to 11,
Paul reminds Timothy
of the gospel.
And then finally,
he puts himself forward in verse 12
as an example
to follow
for Timothy.
Let's look at these in order,
starting with the first part.
Paul says,
For this reason,
I remind you
to fan into flame
the gift of God
which is in you
through the laying on of my hands.
Let's look at that word,
fan into flame.
What does it mean
to fan into flame?
In the original language,
this phrase is just one word
and it means
to rekindle.
And this idea
of kindling a fire
is almost foreign to us today
in our electrified society.
But once upon a time,
2,000 years ago,
when this was written,
there was no electricity.
Kindling a fire
was an everyday thing
for cooking
and heating
and I was reminded
a couple Thursdays ago
about how foreign
this idea
has become to us
because we had
half a dozen youth boys
over at the fire pit
just across the street there
on Thursday night
and they were all
rather clueless
as to why the fire
that was lit
just kept going out.
And they were even more surprised
to see me blowing on it
and fanning it
with a piece of paper.
Like,
don't do that.
You're going to blow it out.
Those of you
who have experience
with camping
and fire making
know that to get
a fire blazing
it requires three things.
It requires heat.
It requires fuel,
which in our case
was wood,
not diesel.
I'm looking at the Schmitz.
And it requires oxygen.
And so you've got to blow.
You've got to fan
on that flame.
Not too hard,
but hard enough
so that those
smoldering embers
begin to burn
if it's already gone out
or so that
that fire really takes.
Especially if you're
making the fire down
in a pit
that's got no air holes,
which is what
we were doing.
So this is the metaphor
that Paul is using here.
He's saying,
rekindle.
Get the fire going
again.
Again.
And specifically,
get the fire going again
when it comes to the gift
of God
that is in you,
Timothy.
So what's this all about?
Well,
Timothy has
a gift
from God.
And I don't want to
read into this too much,
but perhaps
Timothy
has
or at least
he's tempted
to let his gift
go
unused
or sort of
just kind of
die down
to a smoldering
ember.
Now,
what is this gift?
Well,
we actually don't know
precisely what
this gift is
that Paul's referring
to here.
We know
it's the gift
of God,
meaning probably
from God.
And we know
that Timothy
received it from God
through the laying
on of hands
by the Apostle Paul.
Now,
some people suggest
here that the gift
of God is really
the Holy Spirit
himself.
and
I think
this is a little
bit unlikely.
It doesn't really
make sense
to tell Timothy
to rekindle
the Holy Spirit.
Most likely,
this gift
refers to some
special
ability
that God
had given
Timothy
likely to do
with all
the things,
the imperatives
that he gives
in these letters
related to
preaching
or teaching
or shepherding
or leading
the local
flock there
in Ephesus.
So,
it would seem
that at some
point,
God gave this
special gift
to Timothy,
a spiritual gift,
perhaps an ability
to teach
or preach
or lead,
and it came
through the
Apostle Paul
laying his hands
on Timothy,
but now perhaps
Timothy is at
least tempted
not to use
his gift
from God,
to let it go
unused,
to let it
like a flame
just kind
of die down.
And Paul's
saying,
rekindle
that gift,
fan it
into flame,
use it,
don't stop
preaching
and teaching
the good news
about Jesus
or teaching
others how
to follow
Jesus.
And with
this exhortation
comes a word
of encouragement,
a sort of
a motivating
reminder
in the next
verse here.
fan into flame
the gift
of God
that is in
you,
for the
spirit God
gave us
does not
make us
timid,
but gives
us power,
love,
and self-discipline.
So Paul
reminds Timothy
that any fear
that he has
right now
doesn't come
from God.
Why would
Timothy
be afraid
right now?
why would
he be
tempted
to let
his gift
go unused
and sort
of just
die down
to a
smoldering
ember?
Any
guesses?
Fear.
Fear?
Fear of
what?
The crowd.
The crowd?
You're in
a foreign
country,
you just
don't want
to fit in
mind.
Stand
out.
Okay.
If you
were here
two weeks
ago,
what's
Paul's
situation
right now?
He's
in jail.
I heard
somebody
whisper it.
He's in
jail.
In fact,
he's chained.
If we look
just down
one verse
from this,
he refers
to himself
as a
prisoner
and
suffering.
And if
we look
ahead a
little bit
further
in the
letter,
we see
that Paul
is near
the end
of his
life and
he knows
that he
will soon
be executed.
So this
is why
Timothy
might be
afraid
right now
and tempted
to let
his gift
fall into
disuse.
This is
why he
might be
tempted
to just
kind of
keep his
head down
and keep
his mouth
shut.
Right
now,
there is
widespread
persecution
of the
followers
of Jesus
and people
like Paul
are suffering.
They are
being imprisoned
and some
even being
killed
because of
their faith
in Jesus.
Right now,
Paul is
on death
row.
But he's
exhorting
Timothy.
He's encouraging
him.
He's saying,
don't let
what's happened
to me
cause you
to shrink
back
or to
keep quiet
about Jesus.
If you've
stopped
preaching
or teaching
or speaking
about Jesus,
start it up
again.
Rekindle
that flame.
And if
you're afraid
that what's
happened to
me might
happen to
you,
Timothy,
know this,
that fear
that you
feel doesn't
come from
God.
God has
given us
his Holy
Spirit,
Timothy,
and the
Spirit of
God in
us doesn't
make us
afraid.
No.
He gives
us power.
He gives
us love.
He gives
us self
discipline.
It's
interesting
that Paul
highlights
these three
particular
things.
I mean,
power,
I think we
can appreciate
Timothy's need
for that
right now.
Like,
power equals
strength.
It equals
the ability
to persevere
and go on
using his
gift to do
these hard
things.
But we
need more
than that
in the
face of
fear and
in the
face of
persecution.
Paul says
the Spirit
also gives
us love.
What lies
beneath our
efforts to
proclaim the
truth of
Jesus in
our world?
Love.
fear might
tempt us
to keep
quiet if
the world
around us
becomes
intolerant of
the message
about Jesus.
But love
for the
people in
our world
will keep
us speaking
because we
know the
desperate need
of the people
around us to
have that
salvation,
that same
salvation that
we have
found,
that same
forgiveness
that we
have found.
So Paul
reminds Timothy
that the
Spirit inside
us gives
us love
for our
fellow man.
And that
love will
lead us to
speak about
Jesus,
even when
it's hard,
even when
it might cost
us dearly.
And then the
third thing,
he says,
the Spirit
gives us
self-discipline.
Well,
what's
self-discipline
for?
When's it
needed most?
It's needed
when we
know the
right thing
to do,
the best
thing to
do,
and yet
our feelings
are running
strongly in
the opposite
direction.
And feelings
are very
powerful.
Self-discipline
implies that
there's something
that we must
do despite
what we kind
of want to
do or how
we really
feel.
And here's
the good
news.
God's Spirit
living in
us gives
us self-discipline.
He gives us
the ability
to do the
right thing,
the hard
thing,
even when we
don't feel
like it,
even when it's
hard,
and the
things we
feel inside
of us are
pushing.
No,
don't go
that way.
Go the
opposite
direction.
In the
context here,
Timothy is
feeling fear.
At least
that's what
Paul refers
to when
he says
spirit of
fear or
timidity.
What is
good and
what is
right is
for him
to keep
using the
gift that
God has
given him.
Probably to
keep preaching
and teaching
the message
about Jesus,
the truth
about Jesus.
And so I
find this
really encouraging.
Sometimes
talking to
people about
Jesus is
hard.
Sometimes
it's just
uncomfortable.
if I
think back
to those
conversations
with Harley
and the
way that
he was
responding to
me,
I was
just tempted
to say,
well,
forget it
then.
I'm not
going to
talk about
this at
all.
I'll just
keep
quiet.
But God's
spirit,
says Paul,
who lives
in us,
who lives
in all of
his people,
gives us
power,
gives us
love,
and gives
us that
ability to
make
ourselves
do what
we don't
want to
do or
don't feel
comfortable
doing.
We're not
called to
be comfortable.
We're
called to
follow Jesus,
to take up
our cross
and follow
him,
and to
proclaim
him,
and to
share the
good news
about him
with the
nations.
And God
is in
us,
and he
is with
us,
and he
gives us
exactly what
we need
to do
what he's
commanded
with whatever
unique gifts
that he
has given
to us.
Paul goes
on here,
verse 8,
he says,
so do not
be ashamed
of the
testimony
about our
Lord,
or of
me,
his
prisoner.
Rather,
join with
me in
suffering for
the gospel
by the
power of
God.
As we'll
see in
the weeks
ahead,
there is
a tone
of sadness
in Paul's
heart,
because some
who have
claimed the
name of
Christ have
deserted him.
They've
abandoned him.
Some are
ashamed of
him because
of his
chains,
because he's
in prison.
And as
this suggests,
some are
even ashamed
of the
gospel,
the message
of Jesus,
the name
of Jesus.
that's
the name
that's at
the center
of all
this.
The
persecution
and the
suffering
is coming
and it's
all around
this name
of Jesus.
And so
what does
Paul urge
Timothy
to do?
He says,
do not
be ashamed
of the
testimony
about our
Lord,
or of
me,
his
prisoner.
Timothy,
don't be
ashamed of
the true
testimony,
the true
account of
Jesus Christ
that we've
been
proclaiming.
Don't be
embarrassed by
it,
even if
people think
poorly of
you,
or mock
you,
or scorn
you because
of it.
What's
Timothy
thinking here?
You know,
what if
continuing on
this way is
going to lead
me into
suffering?
Like not
just scorn
and derision,
but real
suffering for
me.
We don't
know if
Timothy had a
family at
this point,
but maybe
for his
family too.
What does
Paul say to
Timothy here?
He says,
join with
me in
suffering for
the gospel.
Yes,
I am
suffering.
Suffer with
me for
the sake of
this truth
about Jesus
our Lord.
And you
won't be
alone in
this.
God's
spirit is
in you.
He's
going to
give you
power.
He's
going to
give you
love.
He's
going to
help you
to endure.
This is so
explicit,
isn't it?
I mean,
Paul doesn't
just say,
Timothy,
you might
suffer.
I hope
you don't,
but you
might.
No,
he says,
join with
me in
suffering for
the gospel.
Imagine for a
moment that
you're
Timothy.
what's
your
response
to this?
Do you
say,
yes,
I'm
willing to
suffer with
you,
Paul,
for the
sake of
Christ and
the gospel?
Or do
you say,
thanks for
the invitation,
but no
thanks.
The cost is
too great.
at this
point,
Paul takes
a minute
to remind
Timothy
of what
the gospel
is,
what the
good news
about Jesus
is,
and he
reminds
Timothy
that we
have a
gospel
that's
worth
suffering
for.
Let's
see this
in the
next couple
verses,
starting in
verse 9.
He has
saved us,
says Paul,
and called
us to a
holy life,
not because
of anything
we have
done,
but because
of his
own purpose
and grace,
this grace
was given
us in
Christ Jesus
before the
beginning of
time,
but it has
now been
revealed through
the appearing
of our
Savior,
Christ Jesus,
who has
destroyed death
and has
brought life
and immortality
to light
through the
gospel.
So not
only does
Paul remind
Timothy of
the gospel
here,
but his
underlying point
really is that
we have a
good news
about Jesus
that's worth
suffering for.
It's a
good news
about how
God has
saved us,
how he has
delivered us
from the
punishment that
we deserve
because of
our sins.
It's a
good news
about how
God has
called us
to a
holy life
or a
holy calling
as some
translations say.
God is a
holy God.
God is
like no
other and
he has
chosen us
specially.
He has
called us
specially for
a special
purpose to
belong to
him, to
be his
people, to
be his
children, his
treasured
possession and
to live lives
that are
holy now,
set apart from
the world in
its ways.
we have a
gospel that
is worth
suffering for
and it's
about a
God who
has saved
us and
specially
called us
and chosen
us to be
his holy
people and
to live
holy lives
and he
just keeps
going on.
It's a
good news
about how
God has
done this
for us,
not because
of anything
that we
have done.
This
salvation,
this holy
calling are
not dependent
on how we
have lived.
It's not
because we're
so good
that we're
saved.
It's not
because we
haven't sinned
so much
that we're
saved.
If we read
other places
in the Bible,
it's actually
despite how
much we've
sinned and
blown it.
Yet God
has saved
us.
He has
called us.
Why?
Because of
his own
purpose and
grace.
God is a
good,
gracious,
generous
God,
truly
benevolent,
and it's
out of that
goodness and
generosity and
giving nature
that he has,
that he has
purposed to
save us and
to call us
to himself.
Another way
to say it,
God has
decided to
save us and
to call us,
not because of
who we are,
but because of
who he is.
We are
unworthy
of God.
We're
unworthy to
be in a
favorable
relationship
with him
because of
our sins,
because of
our corruption.
But he is
the kind of
good and
gracious God
who has
real compassion
and mercy
even on
sinners like
you and
me.
And so
salvation is
his gift.
And it's a
free gift.
And that
is the
good news.
Paul goes
on.
Amazingly,
Paul says
that God
had this
gracious plan
to save
us through
sending Jesus
even before
our world
began.
he saved
us and
called us.
This grace
was given
us in
Christ Jesus
before the
beginning of
time,
but it has
now been
revealed through
the appearing
of our
Savior,
Christ Jesus.
Before the
beginning of
time is maybe
not the best
translation in
my opinion,
without getting
all philosophical
on us this
morning.
Some of the
other translations
capture this
well, I
think.
The idea is
before time
as we know
it began,
or as
some say,
before the
world began.
God is
amazing.
He knows
the future
with perfect
clarity.
He knew
that we
would disobey
him and
become rebels.
And even
before we'd
made the
choice,
even before
he'd made
the heavens
and the
earth,
he had
this gracious
plan and
intention to
rescue us and
to forgive us
and to
save us by
sending Jesus
Christ into
the world.
And this
saving grace,
this call of
God has now
been revealed,
says Paul,
through the
appearing of
our Savior,
Christ Jesus.
We have a
glorious good
news about
what God has
done to save
us and to
call us because
of his goodness
and grace and
at the center of
this salvation
plan of God's
is the man,
Christ Jesus
who has now
appeared,
says Paul.
And he keeps
going.
What has
Jesus done?
Our Savior,
Christ Jesus,
who has
destroyed
death,
says Paul,
and has
brought life
and immortality
to light
through the
gospel.
I love
these words.
Jesus has
destroyed
death.
Quite
literally,
he has
abolished
it.
He's
rendered
it
powerless.
That
great
inevitable
fate of
every single
person who
has ever
walked this
earth,
death,
that unbeatable
demise that
overtakes all
of us,
Jesus has
abolished it.
He's broken
its power.
And,
says Paul,
Jesus has
brought two
things to
light.
This is
metaphorical
language here.
He has
brought life
and immortality
to light.
The sense
of this is
that there
were these
two things
that were
lost to
us in
darkness.
We
couldn't
find them.
Really,
when it boils
down to it,
both of these
things are the
same thing,
life and
immortality.
They were
lost to
us.
We would
live,
but only for
a little
while.
And then
death.
We couldn't
find that
life that
endures.
We couldn't
find immortality.
But now
Jesus has
come,
and he has
shone the
light on
life,
on immortality.
He has
helped us
find what
was lost
to us.
He's helped
us see that
there is a
way to
have life
and
immortality.
Or is
Jesus called
eternal
life.
And if
we listen
to the
testimony
about
Jesus,
the good
news of
Jesus,
we discover
that Jesus
is the
way to
that life,
even more,
that Jesus
himself is
that life.
And he
gives that
life to
those who
repent and
believe in
his name.
We have a
gospel,
we have a
good news,
that is
absolutely
worth
suffering
for,
about a
gracious and
loving God
who has
saved us
and called
us to be
his own
special people
and live
with him
forever.
Why is it
that Paul
places so
much emphasis
on this
little bit
about life
and immortality,
on this
part of the
good news?
He could
talk about
all kinds
of things,
atonement
for sins,
reconciliation
with God.
Why life
and immortality?
Because death
is the worst
thing that
can happen
to us
when we
suffer for
the sake
of Jesus.
What's the
thing that
Paul's facing
right now?
Death.
And that's
why he's
clinging
so tenaciously
to Jesus'
promise of
life as we
saw in the
first verse
of this
letter.
He's soon
to be
executed.
He's soon
to die.
And what
does he want
Timothy to
remember?
Timothy,
Jesus has
destroyed
death.
He's shone
the light
on immortality,
on life.
And if
Jesus has
nullified the
ultimate
devastation of
death for
us, then
we need not
fear.
You don't
need to fear
for me,
Timothy.
You don't
need to
fear for
yourself.
If you
keep using
your gift
and you
come to
suffer
yourself.
love.
And if we
have a
salvation so
great as
this, if
we have a
remedy to
death, a
promise of
life like
this, how
can we be
ashamed of
it?
How can we
let fear keep
us silent
about it?
Shouldn't we
be willing to
suffer for
this, to
make this
news, this
remedy known,
known?
This
Savior, Jesus,
known.
In these
last couple
verses here,
verse 11 and
12, Paul puts
himself forward
as an example
of the kind of
courage and
faith that he's
really urging
Timothy to have
here.
He says,
and of this
gospel, I was
appointed a
herald and an
apostle and a
teacher.
That is why I am
suffering as I
am.
Yet, this is
no cause for
shame, because I
know whom I have
believed, and I
am convinced that
he is able to
guard what I have
entrusted to him
until that day.
It's this
wonderful,
glorious,
good news of
God's gracious
salvation, his
promise of life,
that I'm suffering
for, Timothy.
I've been
heralding this
gospel, I've been
declaring it
loudly, proclaiming
it publicly,
teaching it,
speaking it on
behalf of God as
an apostle, and
that's what's
landed me here in
prison, says
Paul.
That's why I am
suffering as I
am.
But make no
mistake, this is
no cause for
shame.
And I love these
words.
Paul's words
just drip with
confidence.
They drip with
trust in Jesus.
This is a man on
death row.
And he says,
this is no cause
for shame, because
I know whom I
have believed.
And I know the
one that I've put
my trust in.
I am convinced
that he is able to
keep what I've
entrusted to him
until that day.
What has Paul
entrusted to Jesus?
to keep for that
day?
Himself, his life,
everything.
Everything's at
stake here.
And Paul says,
I'm absolutely
convinced.
My life is safe.
My life is secure
in his capable
hands.
He is able to
keep what I've
entrusted to him
until that
day.
What day?
Not the day of
his execution.
The day beyond
that.
The day that
is coming.
The day when
Jesus Christ
himself busts
through the
clouds and
returns as a
king to reign
and raises
Paul to life
an immortality.
Never to die
again.
Never to suffer
again.
So these are
the reasons.
I'm not ashamed,
says Paul.
And I think
his intention
is that
Timothy would
hear this
and that he
would take
these reasons
for himself
now as he
goes out
and uses
the gift.
Don't be
ashamed,
Timothy.
Don't give
in to fear.
Remember,
the spirit
of God
lives in
you.
Join with
me in
suffering for
Jesus and
this saving
truth about
Jesus.
What's the
worst thing
that can
happen to
you,
Timothy?
Death?
Jesus has
destroyed
death.
He has
brought life
and immortality.
Don't let a
fear of that
keep you
silent in
these difficult
days,
Timothy.
How does
all this
apply to
us 2,000
years later?
Well,
if you're
here and
you're a
Christian,
if you're
a true
believer in
Jesus,
I think
what Paul's
urging of
Timothy,
he would
basically just
say the
same thing
right to
us.
Pretty
close
anyways.
We may
not have
the same
gift of
God,
the same
spiritual
gift as
Timothy
had,
but we
all have
the same
spirit who
gifts us
each in
different ways
for the
unique work
that God
has called
us to
do.
Now,
we may
not be
experiencing
or seeing
the same
kind of
suffering or
persecution
that Timothy
and Paul
were in
those days,
at least
not the
same intensity
here in
Davidson,
here in
Canada.
And yet,
even without
that,
even with a
relative lack
of suffering
and persecution
in our
time and
place,
we're still
tempted to
be silent
at times,
aren't we?
We're still
tempted at
times to
keep quiet
about Jesus,
as Jesus
said,
to hide
our light
under a
bowl.
But that
temptation,
that fear
that we
feel,
is not
from God.
God's
spirit is
with you,
Christian.
he lives
in you.
He gives
you power
and love
and self-discipline
so that you
can be a
witness,
so that you
can use your
unique gift
in the cause
of the
gospel.
What happens
when you
hide a
candle that's
lit under
a bowl?
It goes
out.
The flame
dies out
for lack
of oxygen.
Don't let
it die
out.
Fan it
into flame.
Use whatever
gifts and
skills and
abilities God
has given
you for the
cause of
this gospel
because we
have a
gospel that's
worth suffering
for.
We have
the promise
of life
that Jesus
has given
us.
Don't be
ashamed of
Jesus or
his gospel.
Be willing
to suffer
scorn,
ridicule,
contempt,
insult for
Jesus'
sake.
We have
a gospel
that's worth
suffering for.
We have a
good news
which leads
us and
others to
immortality,
to victory
over death
itself.
And so I
want to urge
you this
morning from
these words
to follow the
example that
Paul left
and the
words that he
gave to
Timothy.
just as
Paul said,
our glorious
God and
his son
Jesus are
absolutely
worthy of
our trust
and our
confidence in
this, our
full confidence.
And so may
we serve
Christ
unashamedly,
fervently,
without fear,
by the power
of God's
spirit in
us, no
matter the
cost.
maybe you're
here this
morning and
you're not
a Christian.
If that's
you, let me
urge you to
consider this
good news of
Jesus, which
Paul was
willing to
suffer and
die for.
And this is
the good news.
Just sum it up
again.
God has
rescued, God
has offered
rescue to us.
He's offered
us a way to
be forgiven of
our sins and
completely
pardoned and
it's a free
gift of his
generosity and
grace, not
because of
anything that
we have done.
Even the
bad things we
have done can't
disqualify us
from this.
It's sheer
grace, it's
God's own
purpose, and
it's offered
freely as a
gift.
The gift
comes through
Christ Jesus,
the one who
appeared 2,000
years ago, and
Jesus offered
life and
immortality.
to all of
us who
die.
And then he
gave his
life and he
died on the
cross for
us.
And he was
raised to
life again by
God on the
third day,
destroying the
power of
death and
opening the
way to
eternal life.
Listen once
again to these
famous words of
Jesus, which
probably all of
us know.
John 3, 16,
for God so
loved the
world that he
gave his one
and only son,
that whoever
believes in
him shall not
perish, but
have eternal
life.
And so if
you're here this
morning and you
do not believe or
you have not
received this
gift of salvation
yet, I want to
urge you today,
do it.
believe in
Jesus.
Accept the
grace of God.
Receive this
awesome gift.
And if you need
help to do this or
you'd like someone
to pray with you,
feel free to just
talk to anyone
here in the room
who you know is a
believer in Jesus
and ask them for
help or you could
talk to me.
We'd be more than
happy to sit down
with you and just
hear your thoughts
and pray with you.
But make that
decision.
while God gives
us the time.
Let's pray.
Father in
heaven, we're so
grateful for what
you have done for
us through Jesus.
It's amazing.
It's so
wonderful.
We see the
fear in people's
eyes around us,
especially as they
think about death
and when tragedy
strikes.
But for us who
believe in your
name, we need
not fear death
at all.
We look forward
to the day that
you return,
Jesus.
Whether we live
till then or
whether we die
before then, we
know we will be
raised to life by
your words, by
your power on
that day.
that we will
live in your
kingdom and
enjoy you
forever.
That's where our
hope is set.
We thank you
that you have
given us this
gift.
We give you
praise and
thanks in Jesus'
name.
Amen.