Please do have a seat.
And it's wonderful to be here this morning.
I hope you feel joyful as you come to church this morning.
It's going to be critical that we have our Bibles open in front of us this morning.
There's some of the pews around about you,
so can I encourage you to make every effort to get the Scriptures open in front of us.
There's also a sermon outline this morning that you may have received on your way,
and if you didn't get one of those, and if you put up your hand,
then I've allocated two glamorous assistants to help me out with spreading them.
So just get your hand in the air, like you just don't care,
and those guys will get one too.
But as we come to God's Word this morning, let's pause just for a moment of prayer,
and let's just ask that God would help us this morning as we come to this passage.
So let's pray.
Our gracious Father, we come before you this morning
with the firm conviction that when your Word is opened,
that your voice is heard.
So we're on our knees this morning, Father,
desperate that you would speak to us.
Lord, we need your words, for only your words have eternal life.
And so, Father, we ask that you would come and challenge us and encourage us.
Would you rebuke us and inspire us?
Would you break us and would you mould us?
All for the glory of your Son, Jesus Christ,
and for our goods and the upbuilding of your church in this place and in this city.
In Jesus' name we ask. Amen.
So before we, Alex and I, before we came to Brunsfield,
we spent a little bit of time in Malawi.
And at the end of our time in Malawi, we crossed the border to Zambia
and we went on a week's safari.
And while we were on safari,
I had one of the most awesome experiences that I've ever had.
Now here's what I mean by that word, awesome.
We went on a night safari drive.
And at the front of our small jeep was our safari guide who had this massive torch.
And pitch black, he's shining his torch looking for wildlife.
And for an hour, we saw absolutely nothing.
All of a sudden, out of nowhere, we spot another safari jeep,
way in the distance, fixed on something.
Now that's a good sign.
That means he's found something.
So over we went to check it out,
with our tour guide still doing this with his lights.
And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a leopard.
A real wildlife leopard.
We're not looking at a Puzz 3D book anymore.
We're looking at a live leopard.
Awesome.
Absolutely awesome.
You look at this awesome creature.
It's smooth skin.
Its muscles are rippling as it's walking.
Its eyes, jet blue, staring at you.
Awesome.
Mixed in with that sense of wonder.
It's that sense of fear.
Because underneath those eyes, you see the teeth.
And at the end of the skin, you see the claws.
And it suddenly dawns on you that if you so much had stepped out of this jeep,
this thing would rip you in pieces.
It was an awesome creature.
Awesome.
And I think as we approach this portion of Hebrews 10 this morning,
we should feel something of the sense of awe.
Not because we're thinking about a creature,
but because we are thinking about the God of the cosmos,
the awesome creator God.
Can I ask you straight from the off this morning?
Do you fear God?
Do you fear him?
Do you have that sense of reverent fear as you come before him?
Do you come before him recognizing his majesty,
that yes, in Christ gloriously, we can call him father,
but all the while acknowledging that we are the creature
and he is the almighty creator,
that he is eternal and we are temporary,
that he is big and that we are small,
that he is holy and we are not,
that he is the awesome God.
You know, I think I know in my life it's so easy to lose sight of that.
Sometimes I think we're so akin to thinking of God more as our mate
than as our master.
Do you not think that's true?
We come before the awesome God.
These Christians that Mr. Hebrews is writing to here,
you don't need to convince them about the holiness of God.
You don't need to teach them that they should come reverently before God
because they know that all too well.
They've grown up in this religious system that's taught them to fear God.
The temple, they know that there's a massive curtain
that separates God from them,
that they dare not enter God's presence
because it's not safe for them as unholy people
to come into the presence of a holy God.
So how should they come before God, Mr. Hebrews?
How should they come before God?
What does he say?
Confidently.
Are you sure?
Confidently, this holy God?
Why confidently?
Well, summarizing everything that he's just unpacked
in the last five or so chapters,
this rich, deep theology,
look what he writes at verses 19 to 21.
Look with me.
What does he write?
Why can they come into the presence of this holy and awesome God?
Verse 19.
Because they have access.
Because of the blood of Jesus.
That Jesus, as he dies on the cross,
what do the gospels tell us?
That the temple curtain ripped in two from top to bottom,
declaring to the watching world
that Jesus has opened up something that was formerly closed.
You have access to this awesome God through Jesus Christ.
You have access,
and you've got an advocate before God.
Verse 21.
Jesus is the great high priest.
And what is he doing?
He's ministering for you,
for us,
for his people,
at God's right hand,
in God's very presence.
Why can you come confidently
before this awesome God?
Well, because of Jesus Christ.
And that's our big theme this morning.
If you just remember one thing,
I hope you take away a few things,
but if you can remember one thing,
is that this passage tells us
that confident Christians cling to Christ.
Okay?
I've made that lot of C's there.
Okay?
It was my word of the week,
my letter of the week.
C.
Confident Christians cling to Christ.
That we come before this awesome,
holy God,
not casually on our own,
not presumptuously,
but confidently,
because we are in Jesus Christ.
That's our confidence.
He is our confidence.
And so you can understand verse 35.
Mr. Hebrews,
his big plea,
is please,
whatever you do,
let me beg you,
do not throw away that confidence.
Do not throw away Christ.
And remember what we said right at the start,
he's writing to this group of Christians.
And they're tempted to turn back.
They're tempted to move on from Christ.
They're tempted to bin him
and go back to their former way of Jewish life.
That's the decision that's in their minds.
Do we go on with Christ?
Or do we go back to our former Jewish ways?
That's the decision.
And so anticipating that decision
in the mind of his readers,
you'll see it verse 39.
You'll see it verse 39.
He's got two groups of people in his mind.
He's got the shrinkers
and he's got the endurers.
Those people who will shrink back,
who will turn away from Christ
and who will be destroyed.
That's what it says.
And those people who will have faith
and will persevere,
who will endure
and will be saved.
If you go,
this is what he's saying.
If you go this way,
if you keep claiming to Christ
is your confidence,
then here's what that's going to mean for you.
And if you go that way,
if you throw him aside and turn back,
well, here's what that's going to mean for you as well.
And we're just going to look at these two groups of people.
I think the flow of the text here,
Mr. Hebrews,
he ends on a positive note.
And so I think our time this morning,
short as it may well be,
we'll try and end on that positive note
of encouragement as well.
So let's firstly turn to the shrinkers
that he's got in his mind.
What is going to happen to them
if they throw away Christ,
if they turn back?
Well, let me take you back to my,
the Jeep.
We're on safari.
Our tour guide,
the first thing he said to us
before we set off,
he said,
I'm not going to,
I was going to try and do an accent there,
but I'm not.
He said,
whatever you do,
hands and feet
very much inside this vehicle.
Under no circumstances,
unless I say,
are you ever to step outside this vehicle?
And why?
Well, I guess you could look at it two ways,
couldn't you?
I guess one,
this is kind of what I looked at it,
first of all.
I thought,
who is he?
I've flown halfway across this world
for the safari.
This is a once that,
I'm never coming back to Zambia,
I don't think.
Who is he?
Why is he killing my joy?
Why can't I go out?
Why can't I take some photos?
Why can't I stroll around?
Or,
he's done this business for 20 years.
I've done it for 20 seconds.
I think he knows a thing or two more about safaris than I do,
so I think I can probably trust his words.
And I think that's what we do as we come to these verses.
In Hebrews this morning,
tough as they are,
26 to 31.
Now,
we have to see that he says this warning
in the context of the fact that he desperately loves these Christians.
He loves them.
And because he loves them and cares for them,
he wants them to know the consequences
of what they're about to do
as they reject Christ.
Now, we know that to be true in our own lives,
don't we?
The friends,
the closest friends that we have in our lives
are people who will tell us the truth.
They won't sugarcoat it.
They won't dilute it.
They will tell us the truth.
And why will they tell us the truth?
Because they love us.
And we'll listen to them.
And that is the context of these verses here.
Mr. Hebrews loves these Christians.
And to my mind,
he makes the strongest of the warnings here
that he's made in this letter.
If you remember,
we've seen two warnings so far in this letter.
We've seen one at chapter 2
and we've seen one at chapter 6.
It actually occurred to me in preparation for this
that I spoke on chapter 6,
the warning here,
so you must think I'm kind of judgment shanks.
I don't know.
But this is the third of these warnings
that he's making here
because he wants to ultimately save their lives.
What will throwing away Christ mean?
Well, see verse 27.
It will mean a fearful expectation of judgment.
And judged on what?
Well, what did you do with Jesus?
What did you do with him?
And as you scan your eyes over that text,
let me just draw your attention to two words.
Firstly, verse 26,
notice the word knowledge.
So what did you,
this is what he's saying to them,
what did you do with the gospel message
that you received?
What did you do with the Son of God?
Verse 26,
did you receive the message
and deliberately reject him?
Did you say a resounding no to him
as Lord of your life
and go your own way?
Well, if you did that,
see what he says at the end of verse 26.
to be out with Christ,
to reject him,
then no sacrifice for sin is left.
That you will one day stand before God,
this awesome God,
not on the basis of Christ's righteousness,
his perfect life,
but on the basis of your own righteousness.
And let me tell you,
you will not win.
And to help them picture
what they are doing
as they reject him,
secondly,
notice the word trampled
at verse 29.
To reject Jesus
is akin to trampling over him.
Now, if you think about it,
I don't know if you've been here
during August
when the festival's on,
but you go up into the Royal Mile
and people are flying you
all over the place,
aren't they?
Hitting you with flyers
everywhere, everywhere.
And what do people do
if there's not a bin around?
Well, they get the flyer
and they throw it on the floor.
What happens?
People just trample over it.
They don't care about it.
They just trample over it.
Now, Jesus uses that word trample
in Matthew 5
in the Sermon of the Mount
as he talks about salt
being saltless
and therefore worthless,
good for nothing
but to be thrown out
and trampled under men's feet.
And so what will that judgment lead to?
Well, see verse 31,
and this is a really intense statement
he makes here.
It will lead to the dread
of falling into the hands
of the living awesome God.
Notice the force
of the word choice there.
This isn't a light thing.
This isn't an unpleasant thing
nor an uncomfortable thing.
Judgment without Christ
said lovingly
will be a dreadful thing.
It will be a dreadful thing.
And look at some of the words
and images that he uses
there throughout
as if to make his point.
Look at,
scan your eyes over it.
A raging fire.
Consuming.
Punished.
Avenge.
Repay.
It is a dreadful thing
to fall into the hands
of the living awesome God.
To throw away Christ,
to forfeit your confidence
in him
is akin to stepping out
of the jeep
and facing this leopard
on your own.
And so, so, so much worse.
Now let me ask you
this morning,
are you prepared
to face the confident
consequences
of rejecting Christ?
Are you here this morning
and if truth be told,
you quite fancy your chances
before the creator
of the universe?
Maybe some of you saw it.
I don't know,
a recent interview
with Stephen Fry.
He was asked recently
what he would say
if he ever came face to face
with God
and he said this.
I would say to him,
how dare you create
a world
in which there is
such misery
that is not our fault?
It's not right.
It's utterly, utterly evil.
Why should I respect
a capricious,
mean-minded,
stupid God
who creates a world
in which there is
so much injustice
and pain?
It's not our fault.
That was the phrase
that he used
that caught me.
It's not our fault.
I don't know this guy.
Occasionally I've laughed
at something he said
in QI.
But that strikes me
as such arrogance
that you,
Stephen Fry,
you would come before
the God of the cosmos
and expect him
to answer to you?
Really?
Friends,
see that this passage
tells us
that it is very much
the other way around.
That one day,
gloriously,
God will come
to put all wrongs
to right.
It's a glorious truth.
But the sober truth
is that outwith Christ
we are very much
one of those wrongs.
But the incredible thing
about the gospel
is that the gospel
tells us
that we can face
judgment confidently.
And why?
Because the gospel
is true.
It's true.
Because Jesus
took this judgment
for me.
Jesus was the one
as we were singing
who was trampled
underfoot.
Jesus was the one
who was mocked
and insulted.
Jesus was the one
who was punished
in my place.
He was the one
who bore
the wrath of God
that I deserve to take.
He took it on himself
so that I do not
have to bear it.
And the gospel
is glorious
because it tells me
now that I can
come before God
confidently
that I will be met
not with wrathful hands
but that I have been met
with outstretched hands
of grace
by a prodigal God
who calls me
a prodigal wanderer
back to him.
Welcomed home.
That Jesus took this
so I do not have to take it.
Isn't that not
glorious truth
that we are reconciled
with God
our Father
because of Christ?
glorious truth
and so understandably
Mr. Hebrews says
please, please, please
do not throw away
that confidence.
Do not throw away
that confidence.
Do not throw away
Christ.
Do not throw away
the one who makes you
right with the living
and awesome God
because confident
Christians
they cling
to Christ.
And what will that
clinging
look like?
Well it will look like
persevering
and it will look like
enduring.
See what he says here
keep going with Christ
that confidence you have
keep going
with Christ.
Now you'll notice
three let us statements
at verses 22 to 25
look at it there
three times he uses
this phrase
let us
and you'll notice
that he's shifted
from talking about
you and I
to talking about us
and that tells us
two things
firstly it tells us
that clinging to Christ
is a team pursuit.
We're all in this
together as a community
as Christ's people
and second thing
that it tells us
is that clinging to Christ
is not a passive thing.
Clinging to Christ
is very much
an active thing.
And so after warning
the shrinker
do you see how he
wonderfully encourages
the endurer?
Look what he says
firstly at verse 22
he wants them to draw
draw near to God
by faith.
Draw near.
So he wants them
to understand
more deeply
and more fully
the enormity
of what Jesus Christ
has done for them.
He wants them
to keep pursuing Christ
to keep growing
in their faith
that they understand
daily
more and more
of the gospel.
Now I was trying
to understand it
in my head this week.
What does he want
them to say?
Well I think he wants
them to say
in their minds
and in their hearts
because of Christ
I am God's.
That when I fall
that when I stumble
that they would
confidently say
as John Newton
famously said
that I am a great sinner
but Christ
is a great saviour.
That I am his
and he is mine.
That I am God's.
Why am I God's?
Well I am God's
because of what
Jesus Christ
has done for me.
That in Christ
I am a new creation.
The old man
he is gone.
The new man
he has come.
I am God's.
I have an advocate.
I have access
before the Father
and so I can
confidently come to him
and pray to him
as God's.
He calls me
to draw near
to him in Christ
and I'm going to
claim that.
Fully assured
that I come before him
because I am God's.
God's.
Do you see what he's
saying here?
Draw near.
That is the call
that God makes
to us in Christ.
Now I wonder here
do some of us
need to grasp
that this morning?
Have we lost sight
of that?
That in Christ
we are God's.
We are his people.
And how are we
reminded of that
you might ask?
Well we're reminded
of it as we come
daily to God's words.
That God's word
is the place
that he tells us
these glorious truths
about ourselves
and about himself.
Draw near to God.
Secondly,
verse 23,
clinging to Christ
it means holding
fast to hope.
So what does he
want them to do?
He wants them to stand
on what God has said.
Stand on the promises
of God.
We love that hymn
don't we?
Standing,
standing,
standing on the promises
of God.
Fasten yourselves
to everything
that comes
from God's word.
Lean the whole weight
of your life
on what God
has said.
On the hope
that he has promised
and set before you.
That's what it looks
like to hope.
To lean the whole weight
of your life
on what God has said.
What he tells us
about us
and what he tells us
about him.
And why can we
have such hope?
Notice that word
that he uses there.
Why can we trust God?
Because he
is faithful.
He is faithful.
And we can trust him.
Now it's interesting,
we live in a culture
that has massive
trust issues.
Massive trust issues.
You look at all the stuff
that's going on
in our world
at the minute
with politics.
What are people saying?
Can't trust him.
You can't trust
what he says.
You can't trust
what she says.
You know,
Alex and I,
we bought a new car
recently.
We traded in our old one,
got a price for it.
You know the first thing
my dad said?
Make sure you're not
getting ripped off.
Make sure you're not
getting ripped off.
We have massive trust issues
in our society.
But the thing I want you
to understand this morning
is that you might not
be able to trust
a car salesman.
You might not be able
to trust a mechanic
or a politician,
but we can trust
100% what God says
in his word.
We can fix our eyes
on what he has said.
We can lean
our whole confidence
on what God has said.
Every moment of every day
we can trust
what God has said.
And thirdly,
confidence in Christ
will mean considering
how to love
and encourage
one another.
So clearly some of them
had decided that
meeting together
like this
in community
wasn't so much
of a big deal.
We can kind of
go out on our own
and that's what
they'd thought
and he's warning them
here that that is
a dangerous game
to play.
Why do we need
each other?
Why do we need
to be in community
together?
Well see,
he tells them
two things
at verses 24 and 25.
Firstly,
so that we can
spur one another
on towards
love and good works
and secondly,
for mutual
encouragement.
I find this
one of the greatest
joys of being
part of this
church family here.
I think about
some of the
interviews
that we've seen
up here
with people recently
and I'm massively
encouraged.
As we had Kate
and Bruce
and their family
up here a few
weeks ago
and Johnny
asked Kate,
what is the
one thing
that we could
be praying
for you?
She could have
said a hundred
things really
but what does
she say?
I want you to
pray for me
that I would
live and love
Jesus Christ.
You know,
we had the pleasure
of having Caitlin
to our home group
on Wednesday night
and we asked her
what could we
pray for her?
How could we
be supporting her?
And she said,
I'm starting a new
job on Wednesday.
Can you pray
that I would be
a good witness
in that new job?
For both of those
prayers,
I thought,
yes,
that's what I
want in my
life as well.
I want to be
standing out
and speaking up
for Jesus.
I was massively
encouraged.
You know,
and as I listen
even this morning,
listening to how
some of you
are serving
one another,
it massively
encourages me.
As I see how
some of you
are serving us,
it massively
encourages me.
As I hear how
you are praying
for me and for
my family and
for other people,
it massively
encourages me.
As I see some
of you taking
bold steps,
speaking of Jesus
Christ to your
neighbors and
your friends,
when it's hard,
that massively
encourages me as
well.
Do you see how
this works?
That as community,
together as God's
people,
we should be
encouraging one
another on.
It's glorious.
Now let me just
say in just one
little challenge
I've been trying
to do the last
month or so,
and I encourage
you guys to do
it as well.
Before you go
this morning,
how about you
try and ask
at least one
person how you
can be praying
for them this
week?
At least one
person.
How can you be
praying for them
and supporting
them this week
and actually do
it?
It would be
great if we're
all involved in
each other's
lives,
encouraging and
spurring one
another on.
Let us draw
near.
Let us hold
fast.
Let us consider
how.
And drawing
those three
statements together,
do you notice
the lovely little
triad there?
Faith,
hope,
and love.
What are these
Christians going to
be marked by?
Faith,
hope,
and love.
Let me ask you
this morning,
do you see
these virtues
in your life?
Do you see
the Lord
growing these
attributes in
your life?
If somebody
from the outside
was to look into
your life and
give a commentary
on your life,
would they say
these things?
Would they say
of me as my
friends looking
into my life
that, yeah,
Graham's marked
by love?
Faith,
yeah,
Graham's got
faith.
And hope,
yeah,
he's hoping
for something
beyond this
life.
Would people
involved in
our lives,
would they
say this
about us?
What a
great prayer
to be praying
for each
other and
for ourselves
this week.
Because confident
Christians,
they cling
to Christ.
Now I wonder
if there were
some of these
readers reading
this letter
and thinking
to themselves
as they read
these words,
we could never
be that community.
We can never
be that community.
we'd rather
keep sitting
and hiding
than we would
get clinging
if we're honest.
We'll see it
verses 32
to 39
as we draw
our time
almost to a
close.
What does
Mr.
Hebrews do?
He reminds
them of their
past.
Do you see
that?
He reminds
them of their
past as if
they say,
you can do
it.
You can do
it.
And how do
I know you
can do it?
Because you've
done it before.
And presumably
he's looking
back on a time
in these guys'
lives,
maybe 10 or 15
years ago
when it was
really tough.
And he's
looking back
on that time
and he says,
do you remember
when you did
those things?
Firstly,
verse 32,
do you remember
when you stood
together?
Now if you
notice at verse
32,
he uses the
word contest
there.
I really loved
it this week.
The Greek word
there is
aphlazion.
Now why is that
significant?
Why is he telling
us that?
Well it's
obviously where we
get our word
athletics from.
So what is he
saying?
Do you remember
the time when you
really went for it
with Jesus?
Do you remember
the time when you
toiled for Jesus?
Do you remember
the time where you
sweated it out for
him?
Do you remember
the time when you
endured so much
conflict that you
pushed the pain
barriers?
That together you
stood for Jesus
in a hostile world?
Do you remember
those days?
Yeah, I do remember
those days.
We'll get back to
those days.
Secondly,
verse 34,
do you remember
when you spoke up?
Do you remember
when you spoke up?
Do you remember
when you identified
yourselves with the
Christians who were
getting a hard time,
who were getting put
in prison for their
faith?
Do you remember
that?
Do you remember
you spoke up for
them?
Do you remember
you went and
visited them,
that you identified
yourselves with them,
that you prayed for
them, that you loved
them, that you went
to visit them, that you
didn't care who saw
you go to visit them?
Do you remember
those days?
Yeah, I do remember
those days.
That's what we used
to do.
Get back to those
days.
And thirdly, do you
remember when you
prioritized rightly?
Verse 34.
You accepted
wrongdoing and you
did it joyfully.
Do you notice that
word in that passage
there, joyfully?
And why did you do
it joyfully?
Well, because in the
light of eternity, it
didn't matter.
You feared God more
than you feared man.
You bowed and were
obedient to God more
than you bowed to man.
You were concerned
about what he had
done in your lives
rather than what was
going on in the world.
You knew that in
Jesus Christ, God
had given you a far
better possession.
The new life that he
had given you through
him, far greater than
any of the temporary
possessions on earth.
Do you remember
those days?
Do you remember those
days when you
prioritized rightly?
Yeah, yeah.
I do remember those
days.
Get back to those
days.
Guys, you can do this
because you've done
it before.
You've done it
before.
Do it again.
I wonder if some of
us this morning, do we
need to remember those
days?
Do we need to
remember those days?
I'm struggling with
evangelism, Graham.
Do you remember the
time when you first
became a Christian, you
were fearless?
You were telling
everyone about Christ?
Yeah, I can't remember
those days.
Come on, guys.
We can get back to
those days.
Pray and seek the
community encouragement
to get back to those
days.
Do you remember the
days when you used to
visit and care for
people that used to
drive from places?
Oh, yeah.
I remember those days.
Come on, guys.
Let's get back to
those days.
Let's be encouraging
one another.
Do you remember the
days when you used
to go to church and
you were the last to
leave on a Sunday
morning because you
were so caught up in
speaking to people?
You loved it.
Yeah, I do remember
those days.
Now we're the kind of
first to leave.
Come on, guys.
Let's get back to
those days.
Do you see what he's
saying here?
You've done it before.
You can do it again.
Let's get going as
this community.
And why do we need
to get going?
Why do we need to
maintain and get back
to that zeal?
Well, look what he
says at verse 35.
Why do we need to
do this?
Why do we need to
keep encouraging one
another and spurring
one another on?
Because the reward is
so glorious.
When Jesus Christ
comes himself to
bring us home,
that eternal home
that we have
worshipping with
him in God's
presence, it will be
glorious.
Your faith, your
endurance will be
richly rewarded.
keep going.
Keep going in your
faith.
Keep going with this
awesome God who's
beckoned you in to
know him.
Be those people who
do not shrink back,
but be those people
who live by faith and
by faith in the Son of
God who gave himself
for you.
Confident Christians,
they cling to Christ.
Now as we close, let me
just tell you this story
that I read in this book
this week.
It's been a freebie at
the front for months.
I don't know if
anybody's read it, but
it's a great one.
It's stories of student
ministry that goes on
around the world.
This organization called
IFES, so International
Fellowship of Evangelical
Students.
I read this story, the
testimony of a woman
called Ruth.
Her husband, Neil, he
worked for IFES and he
took the whole family to
Ecuador for his job.
One night as the
family are walking
home, Neil is
attacked and Neil is
shot, held at gun
point.
Thieves enter, take
his car and he's
left to bleed to death
with his son in his
arms sitting by the
roadside.
And he bled to death.
And two years after the
event, Ruth gives her
testimony at what is the
IFES World Conference.
They asked her, what's
going on in your life
since that traumatic
experience, Ruth?
And she said this.
She said, today I stand
here alone.
When Neil was shot
almost two years ago,
all of our family
dreams and ministry
dreams were suddenly
cut short.
But I am here today to
testify to three
things.
Firstly, concerning the
IFES family.
Your love, prayers and
support meant that
myself and my family,
we couldn't crash even
though everything inside
it was wanted to.
Secondly, to testify to
the great God that I
serve.
He not only accompanies
me in my suffering, but
he suffered on my
behalf.
And thirdly, to testify
and tell you that
brokenness is not the
end of the story.
Our pain is deep, but it
is not all-encompassing.
Our loss is enormous, but
it is not eternal.
Death is our enemy, but it
does not have the final
word.
And this is the great
part.
For the wounded lamb is
also the lion of Judah.
And one day he will reign
in his perfect rule of
love, peace and justice.
This is the hope of the
gospel.
Confident Christians cling
to Christ.
What an awesome God that
we serve.
Let's pray.
Our Father, we would
thank you for Jesus.
Thank you that we can
come confidently before
you, the awesome God,
because of him.
Oh Lord, would you help
us this week to fear you
more than we fear man?
Would you help us to love
and be obedient to what you
have said, regardless of
the consequences?
Father, would you help us to
trust fully in what you
have told us in your
words?
And that you would make
our priority in life,
loving you and striving
after you with all our
strength, and make that
the number one priority in
our lives this week.
Oh Lord, help us love
Jesus Christ more, we ask.
In his name we ask.
Amen.