Thank you, brother.
This morning we continue in the book of John, chapter 3.
And it's my privilege to read the passage this morning.
But before I read it, I just want to remind us that we're still in the section of John
where Christ has received Nicodemus and they're in conversation.
And by the grace of Christ, he is sharing the truth with Nicodemus so that Nicodemus could
come to see the only means of salvation.
And so it's beautifully articulated here in chapter 3, this message of being born again.
And so this morning we will focus on verse 17 and following down through verse 21.
But for sake of context, I want to start reading in verse 14.
And then we'll read down through verse 21.
So if you would join me as I read, starting in verse 14, it says this,
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe is condemned already,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is a judgment.
The light has come into the world,
and people love the darkness rather than the light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light,
and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
But whoever does what is true comes to the light,
so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
Let's pray briefly.
Fathers, we open your word this morning.
I pray that you would open our eyes and our ears spiritually,
that we might see the truth that is here in your word,
and we might hear from you as you would help us to understand your word.
Lord, I pray that you would move us on a heart level,
that, Father, you would open our hearts to receive readily
that which you share through your word this morning.
I pray that you would bless this time as we open your word,
and I pray it in your name.
Amen.
So I've got five points I want you to see out of this passage this morning.
I feel like Jonathan.
I've got five points,
and if you like taking notes,
you might want to write down these five points.
Point number one is this.
We see in verse 17,
I want you to see the structure of the sentence,
which there's a message in it that I want you to see.
So if I would abbreviate this sentence,
it says this,
God did not, but did.
And I'll fill in the blank here in a second,
but I want to say this,
is that when we see the negative coming before the positive,
what it does is it emphasizes the positive.
It highlights the greatness of the positive.
So if we fill in the blank here,
the verse says this,
God did not send his son Jesus into the world to condemn the world,
but God did send his son Jesus into the world
in order that the world might be saved.
The first point is this,
we see the purpose of God in verse 17,
that the purpose of God is salvation.
And who is this salvation for?
The verse reveals that this is a global salvation.
This is not a salvation that is only for the Jewish nation.
You know, we've said it before in chapter 3,
as we've preached week after week after week on chapter 3,
we've said this,
is that Nicodemus had a Jewish mindset.
Matter of fact, the text says this,
he was a ruler of the Jews.
It says in verse 1.
And then in verse 10, it says,
he was the teacher of Israel.
So this Jewish man who was a teacher of Israel
did not understand.
understand that the Old Testament
prophesied about a coming Messiah,
this king that would come
through the lineage of David,
of the line of David,
and he would be a king,
this great and mighty king,
the greatest of all kings.
But they thought that meant
that he would be an earthly ruler.
That he would be a great king
of this great nation of Israel
and all these other nations
that had been a hindrance to Israel
for all these years.
Even this Roman power
that had their thumb on Israel,
they thought that when the Messiah come,
he would set up his throne.
And truly, that's what the Old Testament said.
But it's speaking spiritually.
It's not speaking physically.
So Nicodemus misunderstood the Old Testament.
This teacher of Israel misunderstood
that this king was not going to have
an earthly reign.
He was not going to destroy
all these nations
so that Israel as a nation,
a physical nation,
would be the greatest of all nations.
That is not what was meant.
Nicodemus thought that there was only one nation
that were children of God.
Only one nation that was chosen of God.
He saw himself as being a part of that nation,
this Jewish nation.
A nation that God first revealed himself to.
And he thought because he was a Jew,
he was saved.
Because he was a Jew,
he had eternal life.
So when Christ graciously shares this
with Nicodemus,
we've got to understand
that he would have been shocked.
He would have not understood
up until that moment
the breadth or the width
or the greatness
or the wideness of the salvation
that God had intended.
And so we read it again.
For God did not send his son
into the world
to condemn the world.
What is he speaking of?
He's speaking of the world
that is the entity of earth,
all the nations,
the Gentiles.
So if we read that passage
with the understanding
of what Christ is saying
to Nicodemus,
he's saying,
Nicodemus,
Christ did not come
to set up his throne
that the Jewish nation
would be the greatest of nations
so that he could destroy
all these other nations.
To judge them.
And in essence,
to condemn them.
That is not why he came.
That is not the purpose
of the Messiah.
Matter of fact,
the purpose of the Messiah
is totally different
than what you're thinking,
Nicodemus.
It says,
God did send his son
in order that the nations
might be saved
through his son,
Jesus Christ.
Isn't it beautiful?
To see so clearly
the picture,
the purpose
of God
in sending his son.
it's for the salvation
that is widely offered
to all.
And we'll see that
a little later
as we look at
one of these other
five points.
But I want us to see,
and I want to remind us,
I want us to see
that Nicodemus,
as a Jew,
would have known
the Old Testament.
He would have recognized
these references
that Christ was sharing
with him.
And so even this reference,
Nicodemus should recognize
it in the Old Testament.
We've looked at it before,
but I want to look at it again.
It's in Isaiah 52 and 53.
And I'm going to jump around
a little bit
because of sake of time
just to hit a couple
of highlights
in Isaiah 52 and 53.
But hear the word of God
through the prophet Isaiah
as he shares about his plan.
Behold, my servant,
Jesus, my servant,
my son,
my one and only son,
that servant.
Behold, my servant
shall act wisely.
He will act
in a sinless way.
He will act
in a perfect way.
He shall be high
and lifted up.
Yes, he'll be exalted
in God's eyes.
God will say,
well done,
my good and faithful son.
But he will be exalted
in another way.
He'll be exalted
or placed on a cross
for all to see.
And he says,
he was despised.
That is,
Jesus was despised
and rejected by men.
He wasn't rejected
by the Father,
was he?
He was applauded
by the Father.
Many times,
audibly,
God said in the audience
of people,
this is my son
whom I am well pleased.
Hear him.
This son,
Jesus,
who never sinned,
who lived
a God-honoring life,
who only did
what the Father
told him to do,
who only said
what the Father
put in his mouth.
This son,
he was despised
and rejected by men,
even his own countrymen.
Even the leaders
of the Jewish nation
rejected him
and put him on a cross.
He was despised
and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief.
Surely he has borne
our griefs.
You know that this
was written
roughly 700 years
before Christ came?
God is telling us
700 years before
that he was going
to send his son
and these things
would be true.
Nicodemus,
do you hear
what the prophecies
are talking about?
He was smitten
by God
and afflicted.
He was pierced.
Obviously,
we know that to mean
on the cross.
He was pierced
for our transgressions.
He was crushed
for our iniquities.
Do you see
the purpose of God
in these verses
in Isaiah?
that God sent
his son
for those
who would be saved.
That he would die
for our iniquities.
He would be crushed
for us.
With his wounds,
we are healed.
The Lord has laid
on him
the iniquity
of us all.
That is,
those of us
who trust in him
as our Lord
and Savior
for salvation.
Verse 10 says,
Yet it was the will
of God
to crush him.
Isn't it amazing
that God would send
his son
with the purpose
of crushing
his son?
That Christ
would have to
take on our sin
in order that
we might know
the forgiveness
and the righteousness
that God would offer us
through him,
his son.
He has put him
to grief
when his soul
makes an offering
for guilt.
You know,
the purpose of God
is that he would
send his son
in order that
his son
would make
an offering
for us,
his bride.
Isn't it beautiful
to see the purpose
of God
in its own display
here is that
God sent his son
in order that
we might be
saved.
So it begs
the question,
why?
Why?
Why would God
send his one
and only son
to die
and to suffer
and be crushed?
Why?
It's because
the condition
of us,
the condition
of men.
What is our condition?
What state
are we in?
Well,
Nicodemus thought
that he was fine.
Nicodemus came
to him by night.
He saw something
different in the life
of Christ.
He said,
the things that you're
doing,
these miraculous things,
they can't happen
unless God's involved.
Tell me what's
going on here.
something points
to you being
the instrument
of God.
And what does
he say to
Nicodemus?
Nicodemus,
you think you're
right with the
Lord,
but you're not.
You think
because you know
the Old Testament
text,
you think because
you're moral
in the way you
live,
you think because
you have
been born
into this
nation,
this Jewish
nation,
that your
heritage is
enough for you
to be the
child of God.
You think that
you'll have
eternal life
because you're
a part of
this nation,
but you don't
understand that
you have to
be born again.
You're in a
condition that
separates you
from a holy
God.
You're in a
condition of
sin.
That's why I
needed to send
my son,
Nicodemus.
That's why
Christ says,
I am he.
Do you
believe?
Nicodemus,
let me show
you by
looking at
multiple Old
Testament texts
that I am
the Messiah,
the one who
speaks to you
and he.
You need to
be born again.
Why?
Because you're
in a condition
of sin.
And we look
at verse 19
and we see
Christ talking
about mankind
here.
What does he
say?
It says,
people love
the darkness.
You know
that's true
of all of
us?
That we
love the
darkness.
That is our
natural bent.
What is
darkness?
Darkness is
everything that
does not honor
God.
Everything that
is in rebellion
to God is in
this category of
darkness.
Notice,
too,
in verse 18.
Whoever does
not believe
is condemned
already.
Do you know
that we're in
a state of
condemnation?
That our
condition is
this condition
of condemnation.
We are
condemned.
Why?
Because of
our sin.
Isn't it
interesting that
as we read
the book of
John,
that there was
God sent
someone before
Christ.
God sent
this forerunner.
And what was
the message
of this
forerunner,
John the
Baptist?
What was
his message?
Repent!
To this
Jewish nation,
he says,
repent.
Repent of
what,
John?
Of your
sin.
Do you
not see
your sin?
Do you
not recognize
your separation
from God?
Just because
you show up
at the temple,
just because
you bow,
just because
you read,
that doesn't
mean that
you're in
right standing
with God.
Do you
not see
your separation?
Do you
not see
your sinfulness?
Nicodemus.
And I
love the
way that
Jesus brought
back Numbers
21 to the
mind of
Nicodemus.
He says,
Nicodemus,
we've all been
bitten by the
serpent and
we're in
trouble.
We've all
been bitten
by the
serpent.
You know,
it also takes
us back to
the garden,
doesn't it?
In a sense,
we were bitten
by the serpent.
The serpent
beguiled Eve.
The serpent
spoke a lie
and Adam
and Eve
embraced the
lie and
they chose
to rebel
against God.
They chose
to sin and
as a result,
they were
forever out
of the
garden.
They were
kicked out,
if you will,
or forced
to leave
the presence
of God
because of
their sinful
state.
Do you
know that
all men
are born
that way?
In this
condition of
sinfulness?
You know,
Paul used
to think
like Nicodemus?
Do you
remember the
text in
Philippians
where Paul
is sharing
about the
way he
used to
live?
He said,
listen,
I was a
Jew,
circumcised,
in other words,
I was of the
right family,
the right
nation,
circumcised the
eighth day,
I did it
just right.
I lived a
God-honoring
life,
I was faithful
as far as
righteousness,
I was leading
the pack.
Matter of
fact,
I was so
full of
zeal that
I was going
from city
to city
to kill
people or
lock them
up in
prison that
we're doing
anything other
than what
is told us
to do in
the law,
the Jewish
law.
And you
know what
happened to
Paul on
the road to
Damascus?
He had an
encounter with
Jesus.
And you
know what he
realized?
He realized,
oh no,
I'm in
trouble.
I thought
that all of
this was
honoring to
you,
God.
He said,
no,
you're
persecuting
me.
And so
what did
Paul say
in Philippians?
He said,
everything that
I used to
think merited
salvation,
I recognize
it now that
it's all
garbage.
It's all
junk.
It's all
a lie.
He said,
it's worthy
to be thrown
on the
garbage heap.
Everything that
I used to
trust in for
my salvation,
every moral
thing that I
ever did,
every attempt,
my fleshly
attempt to
honor the
law is
garbage.
In light
of knowing
Christ Jesus,
my Lord.
Paul would
say,
I've come to
see that not
because I'm a
Jew am I
saved,
not because I'm
a Jew do I
have eternal
life,
I only have
eternal life
because of what
Jesus has done
through the
purpose of God
on my behalf
that he would
die for me,
that he would
pay on the
cross for my
sins.
That is the
provision of
God and the
condition of
man.
I want you to
see what Paul
says when he
talks about
the exclusivity
of the Jewish
people who
thought that they
were all in
good standing
with God.
And he says
this by way of
argument to help
the Jews
understand.
there's this
tendency for
Jews to think
we're better
than everybody
else,
we don't even
marry with
anybody else,
we don't even
spend time with
anybody else,
we don't want
to talk to
anybody else,
we've got to
keep ourselves
clean by not
associating with
these other
nations and
people,
etc.
And we see
as the early
church was
growing there's
this difficulty
of accepting
Gentiles,
a difficulty of
eating with
them,
difficulty of
understanding
that they're
God's people
too.
And Paul
says it like
this in
Romans 3,
he says,
are Jews
any better
off?
No,
not at all.
For we,
that is Jews,
have already
charged that
all,
both Jews
and Greeks,
are under
sin.
As it is
written,
by the way,
in Psalm 14
and Psalm 53,
we see this,
it's written,
it says,
none is
righteous,
he's speaking
to the Jews
as well as
the Gentiles.
none is
righteous,
not one,
no one
understands,
no one
seeks for
God.
All have
turned aside
together,
they have
become worthless,
that is without
worth.
No one does
good,
not even
one.
Paul,
are you saying
that the Jews
are not a special
class of people,
that they
don't have a
special gift
and blessing?
blessing?
In a sense,
they were
gifted the
revelation of
God showing
himself to
them,
so in a
sense,
they have
had a
huge blessing
given to
them,
and yet they
didn't understand
their sin.
They didn't
understand how
to be in
this right
relationship with
God,
though they
had the
law.
So the
second point,
if you
hadn't picked
it up,
is that men
are in a
condition of
sin and
without hope.
Except that
God would
provide salvation
to those who
are in a
condition of
sin,
they would
have no
hope.
You know
that's you
and me?
Unless he
provides salvation
for you and
me,
those of us
who are
under sin,
who are
condemned,
who are
bitten by
the serpent,
who love
darkness rather
than light,
we have no
hope.
The third
point is
the provision,
is Jesus.
The provision
of God we
see in verse
17,
for God did
not send
his son into
the world to
condemn,
but he sent
his son in
order that we
might be
saved.
Let me just
say this,
the word of
God declares
we'll never
be saved,
we can't be
saved apart
from anything
else except
Jesus.
There's no
good deed you
can do,
there's no
school you
can go to
and learn
enough,
there's no
morality that
you can
achieve that's
going to earn
you salvation.
Apart from
the provision
of God that
is his one
and only son,
that is Jesus
Christ our
Lord,
there is no
salvation for
anyone.
I love how
it talks about
it in this
passage.
it says
that,
and this
is the
judgment,
that is,
this is the
evidence of
this sinful
life,
this rebellion,
this separation,
is that the
light has come
and they love
the darkness
more than the
light.
Nicodemus
would have
immediately
recognized the
prophetic passage
out of Isaiah.
And that
passage out of
Isaiah chapter
9 says this,
the people who
walked in
darkness have
seen a great
light.
Again,
pointing toward
Christ,
this is the
same passage
that says,
for unto us
a child is
born,
unto us a
son is
given,
and the
government
shall be on
his shoulders,
his name
shall be called
Wonderful,
Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting
Father,
Prince of
Peace.
And it
says,
the people who
walked in
darkness have
seen a great
light.
What is that
light?
It's Jesus.
That Jesus
has come and
they didn't even
recognize him.
Remember what
John the Baptist
says,
there's one among
you whom you
don't even know
whose latchet of
his shoes I'm not
worthy to even
unloose.
You come to me
and ask me who I
am.
I'm not the
Messiah.
I'm the voice of
one crying in the
wilderness.
There he is.
Trust him.
There he is,
the Messiah.
Do you see?
That's the one
that was foretold.
Apart from him
there is no
salvation.
Beautiful picture
of this light.
You know that
this is not new
to our ears
in the book of
John.
If we turn back
to chapter 1,
verse 3 and 4
said this,
all things were
made through him
and without him
was not anything
made that was
made.
in him was
life.
That is,
in Christ
was life.
And the life
was the light
of men.
There we go
again.
This theme
that Christ
is the light.
What does the
light do to
darkness?
It illuminates
it.
So physically
speaking,
a physical light
is going to
illuminate
darkness.
I've been in
a cave before
where there
were no lights
and you'd poke
yourself in the
eye and you'd
never see your
finger coming.
It was as dark
as anything
I've ever seen.
One guy
struck a match
and it just
went pew.
The whole cave
area was a
light.
Now it wasn't
perfectly clear
everywhere,
but if you're
looking that way
it illuminated
a lot of
things.
The beautiful
picture of the
light that
penetrates the
physical darkness
is only a
pointer,
is only a
way of sharing
a spiritual
message.
And the
spiritual message
is the light
that is Christ
who is truth
and is light
has come into
the world
that were
dark.
They didn't
understand.
They didn't
know the
depth of what
God was saying
even through the
scriptures.
Their mind
was darkened.
They were in
a sense blind
to the reality
of their condition,
blind to the
reality of their
sin, blind to
the reality
they needed
Jesus.
And when Jesus
came, what did
he do?
He illuminated
it.
He showed
us as he
showed Nicodemus.
Nicodemus,
you need to be
born again.
This beautiful
concept is
highlighted in
John 8.
If we peek
forward a little
bit and look
at verse 12,
it says this.
Christ speaking,
Jesus spoke to
them saying,
I am the
light of the
world.
I am the
light of the
world.
Apart from
the illumination
that Christ
gives, we will
never see.
I am the
light of the
world.
Whoever
follows me
will not
walk in
darkness.
Whoever
follows their
own ways
are walking
in darkness,
but whoever
turns and
follows Christ
will not walk
in darkness,
because Christ
illuminates what
honors God.
Christ
illuminates our
sin.
Christ says
this, whoever
follows me will
not walk in
darkness, but
will have the
light of life.
do you know
that when we
turn and follow
Christ and we
recognize him as
the means of our
salvation that we
have light, he
begins to show us.
You know what it
says in the word of
God about the
Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit
comes to indwell
those who trust in
him, and he
leads us and guides
us into all truth.
He shows us what it
looks like to honor
God.
He shows us our
sin, and he says,
no, no, no, no,
no, don't walk
that way, walk this
way, walk in a
way that honors
the Father.
The fourth point
is this.
I saw people
start writing.
That's really
interesting.
Jonathan, I've
never done that
before, but that's
pretty cool.
Everybody's pen
went to their
paper.
The fourth point
is this.
I want you to
see that three
times in this
passage, we see
this invitation.
And you know,
Christ gave, there's
an invitation to
Nicodemus that's
inferred here, and I
want us to see it.
But I also want us
to see that invitation
is for you and me.
So if we were to
look back in 14 and
15, it's the picture
of that wilderness
event where they
rebelled against God,
they rebelled against
God's leadership, and
God sent serpents to
judge them, and
they began, the
serpents would bite
them, and they
began to die, and
to die, and to die,
and to die, and to
die.
Why?
Because of their
rebellion against
God.
Did they deserve to
be judged?
Yes, of course.
But God provided a
means that they might
be saved, and Jonathan
talked about that
last week.
What a beautiful
picture of looking
on this provision of
God in order to be
saved.
And we know that we
need to look on the
provision of God, that
is Jesus Christ, in
order that we might be
saved.
But it says this,
who can be saved?
And whosoever
believes, whoever
believes, whosoever
from any nation,
whosoever believes.
You know, we see it
in verse 18 as well,
and 16.
So in 16, for God so
loved the world that
he sent his only son,
he loved him in that
way that he would send
his son to die, his
provision.
That whosoever believes
in him should not
perish, but have
eternal life.
And we see it again in
18.
Whoever believes in
him is not condemned.
So what is salvation?
What is the means by
which we would be
saved?
How is it that I can
come to a place where
I am saved?
It's this, is it to
believe on him?
To believe that apart
from him I have no
hope?
To recognize my sin and
my need of a savior, my
need of forgiveness, my
need of cleansing.
whoever believes is not
condemned.
Church, and those of
y'all who might be
visiting this morning,
have you believed?
Have you believed that
Christ alone is our only
hope?
Have you recognized, like
he would say to
Nicodemus, Nicodemus, do
you see that you're
actually sinful?
Do you recognize that
all these efforts that
you've put into this
religion don't merit
anything?
Paul recognized it.
He said all that stuff
is garbage.
You know what tends to
happen for you and I?
Is that we tend to lean
on something else besides
Jesus.
We tend to think because
our goodness, because of
our attendance, because of
our family, because of
whatever, that that is
enough.
That God would not dare
not let us in.
Look how good we are.
Look at all these things
we've done.
You know that Nicodemus
couldn't have done a
single thing that would
have earned him salvation
and neither can we.
Apart from looking on the
provision of God, apart
from looking at the
Messiah elevated on a
cross and recognizing
that that sacrifice God
accepted as a substitute
for our sin, as payment
for our sin, our condition
of sinfulness was paid
for.
That is what it isolated
and separated us from a
holy God.
But God sent his provision
in order that we might be
saved if we would only do
what?
Whoever believes.
Have we believed?
You know the invitation is
for everyone worldwide?
Whoever believes,
whatever nationality, whatever
background, whatever level of
sin, whatever things you've done
in your life, if you will look on
the Messiah, though you've been
bitten and you will believe on him
and you will cast yourself into his
hands for his mercy, we will be
saved.
The invitation is for all of us.
And if there's someone here
who right now in your heart
you're saying, you know,
I truly never have actually
stepped toward God.
I've never truly entrusted
myself to him.
I've never truly understood
that it's Jesus and Jesus alone.
You know the invitation is for you
this morning?
God will forgive you on the basis
of the sacrifice of his son,
Jesus Christ.
His death, his perfect life,
his death, the burial,
and the evidence of God's
acceptance by his resurrection
and ascension.
That God would forgive you.
He would take the righteousness
of Christ.
This is a beautiful picture that
Jonathan reminded us of last week
in Corinthians.
that he would take our sins
and he would put our sins
on the back of Christ.
And Christ would carry them
to the cross for us.
Our sins on Christ.
And in exchange he would give us
his righteousness.
So when God looks at those
who trust in him,
who trust in the son,
you know what he sees?
He sees the pure and spotless
blood of the lamb covering us.
Cleansing us.
You know there's no other way
to be cleansed except through
the powerful blood of Christ.
The invitation is here
and the fifth point is the response.
What will your response be?
When you hear this truth,
how do you respond?
You know I think many of us
have already understood this.
Many of us have already
asked God to forgive us
and asked God to accept us
as his son and daughter.
Ask God to be our Lord.
We've changed.
We've begun to serve him.
Not perfectly,
but our heart is there.
Our heart desires to honor God
and desires to seek God,
desires to serve God.
What will your response be?
How about Nicodemus?
We had talked about this once before.
Do we see any evidence
in the life of Nicodemus
after this encounter with Christ
that he's a changed man?
You know the text says this.
Whoever does what is true
comes to the light.
So that it may be clearly seen
that his works
have been carried out in God.
You know what?
We see something
carried out in the life of Nicodemus.
His works.
This display laid in the Gospels.
You know the Gospels
didn't have to tell us this.
It didn't have to tell us
that Nicodemus went
with Joseph of Arimathea
to anoint the body of Christ.
His work,
his willingness to step outside
of the will of the Sanhedrin
and to go and anoint
the body of Christ
is evidence,
at least I believe,
that he was changed.
That we begin to see works
that were different than before.
That there's this changed life.
You know that when we turn to God,
God does something special to us.
He gives us a new heart.
Ezekiel says this,
And I will give you a new heart
and a new spirit I will put into you.
I will remove the heart of stone
from your flesh
and give you a heart
that desires me.
Let's pray.
Father, I thank you
that you would open our eyes
to see our sin
and our condition.
That apart from the provision
of your Son
to fulfill your plan
that is the salvation of many,
that we would have no hope.
God, thank you that you've opened
many of our eyes
and I hope all of our eyes.
God, we've come to see
that we're separated from you
because of our rebellion,
because living for our own ways
and not living for you.
Father, you're holy in every way
and it's right that we would serve you
and that we would bow our knee to you
and we would honor you
with our whole life,
that we would present our bodies
and our life
as a living sacrifice to you,
which is right and proper,
considering that,
Father, you've given us
a gift that's so great
that we can't even understand.
Not only do you accept us
as your child,
but you provide for us glory.
That we will be able
to spend eternity with you.
We will be able
to have perfect fellowship with you.
Father, our salvation
is just the beginning
of this amazing depth
of relationship with you
that you've simply gifted to us,
those of us who will bow our knee,
those of us who will recognize our need,
those of us who will cry out to you.
And Father, I ask,
even this morning,
if there's somebody here
that is not yours,
that has not bowed their knee,
that has not accepted you
as Lord and Savior,
that has not called out to you,
Father, move in their heart this morning
to give them a desire
to call out to you.
And I know who you are, God,
that you're a God of grace
and you always respond
to those who lift their hands up
to you and say, help me.
So God, do what you will.
We praise you in Christ's name.
Amen.