I'll talk a wee bit and mention a couple of things from the end of the chapter as well.
!
And he said vehemently and clearly, I will die for you.
And the Lord Jesus Christ replied by saying, you will deny me three times.
And he did say, he would remind him also or predict that his untimely death would be very difficult as well.
He would know what it is to suffer persecution.
But when all of that happened, of course, Jesus is arrested.
Jesus was eventually crucified, all of which Peter saw.
Peter saw Jesus on the cross.
Peter saw Jesus dying on the cross.
Peter saw Jesus laid in a tomb.
And Peter and the rest of the disciples, in a sense, scattered or disappeared and locked themselves away because of fear of what might happen to them.
What happened to Jesus might also happen to them.
What happens then is that some women came running up to Peter and the fellow disciples to tell them that Jesus is raised from the dead.
They ran, and according to John's gospel, you can read it yourselves, and they go and they see an empty tomb.
But it's really interesting that as they go from there, they lock themselves away in a room.
And it tells you why.
John records it for us.
He was there.
We were fearful of the Jews.
They lock the room.
There is nobody can get in.
And what happens then is that Jesus, the resurrected Jesus, appears in the room.
And, of course, they're terrified.
And Jesus simply says, peace be with you.
I'm not entirely sure it would be that easy to persuade me to peace, to be at peace, if I saw the person on the cross and in the tomb appear in the room with me.
Of course, we know why.
But he demonstrates to Peter the words of Scripture that the grave couldn't hold Jesus.
Yes, he laid down his life as a ransom for many.
The perfect Son of God gave his life to dead sinners that we might have life.
But the wonder of what Peter now reveals to these suffering Christians is that Jesus didn't remain dead.
He was resurrected from the grave.
We met him face to face.
In a locked room, the resurrection body is different.
And what is even more amazing that Peter, when he writes these words, was also the same person that would meet Jesus on a beach a few days later and have breakfast with Jesus, the resurrected Jesus.
And there, Jesus would restore the bungling Peter.
And that's why we love Peter, I think.
I don't know, maybe you don't, but I do.
Because in my life, I see the mistakes and I see Peter's mistakes.
And I have a sense of hope that I, too, can know the continual redeeming love of God for my mistakes, too.
It's just amazing to see.
But it's this thought that I want you to hold in your mind as we turn to 1 Peter.
The one who writes the testimony of what it is to have a living hope is the one who saw Jesus die, breathe as last, shed his blood, and was raised again on the third day to life by the power of the Spirit.
Who walked with the disciples, who talked with the disciples, who explained to the disciples that all of the Old Testament had been pointing to him.
It is such a marvelous experience and insight.
And now he writes to these Christians in the five towns, shall we say, that are being persecuted because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
It was a time when Paul and Peter would be put to death, mid-60s, shall we say, of 60 AD, 65 AD, around that sort of time.
And he is writing this to people who are experiencing great trial because of their faith.
And they were probably beginning to either doubt or wobble in their faith.
Now, who hasn't had a wobble in their faith?
Maybe health issues.
Maybe things that have happened to us and we have a wobble.
We start to question.
Lord, are you really walking with me?
What is this?
And it's interesting that Peter didn't turn around to the churches and say, I'm really sorry that you're experiencing great trial.
It breaks my heart.
What he does is, he doesn't diminish that, by the way.
He goes straight to the very foundation of their lives and their relationship with Jesus.
He goes straight to the fact that they have been called by God, saved by Jesus through the sprinkling of his blood, through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, they have a living hope.
Not a maybe hope.
Now, I said earlier to the kids that we have this thing in Lewis, this hope in Lewis.
You know, we can even say, yes, I believe in Jesus, but I don't know if I'll get to heaven.
No, no, that isn't biblical.
When we trust in Jesus for our salvation and have a living hope, we're trusting in him and what he has done, what he has completed, what he has fulfilled, that he has risen from the dead, that he ascends to the right hand of God the Father and continues to intercede.
It is all dependent on our relationship with him.
If you have Jesus as your Savior, you have a living hope.
It's all to do with him.
It's on him, through him.
And so that's really important for us as we delve into this bit of scripture today.
And the first thing, of course, in verse 3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He's just oozing with a sense of joy and privilege and blessing.
And it's just expressive.
Praise be to God, as we would sing maybe the additional element to Psalm 100.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise him, all creatures here below.
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
It's this expression of a believer who knows the Redeemer.
Praise be to the Lord, the one who has provided salvation, who has redeemed his people.
So what does he then express?
It's so important for us to understand that when we are going through trials in life,
the challenges that each and every one of us face, the questions that we have,
whatever it might be, here Peter underlines again the foundation.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because of his mercy.
Because of his mercy.
It's a great challenge to us hearing that because of his mercy.
Justice is getting what you deserve.
Mercy is not getting what you deserve.
Grace is getting what you do not deserve.
That is what we receive.
Grace, we don't deserve it.
But in Jesus Christ, we also get mercy.
Mercy is such an amazing blessing given through the sacrificial work of Jesus.
Everything that we are as believers,
if you are a believer today,
you know the mercy of God.
You know that steadfast love.
And God's steadfast love isn't in the absence of judgment.
It's in the presence of it.
They work hand in hand.
What do I mean?
There is not a person in here that surprises God.
There is not a person.
I mean, when I had backslidden way years ago,
I would always try and persuade myself to come to church and do better.
You've got to do better, Barvis.
Do better.
And I would come in and try and hide wherever I would be.
And I would just turn up in church,
which is a good thing, by the way.
But the battle was much deeper.
A lack of understanding of what it meant just to understand the mercy of God.
And Lord, I'm sorry I messed up.
I messed up again.
Lord, help me.
And in his steadfast love,
he does again and again and again.
And gives me and every believer the grace of repentance.
Daily repentance.
That great term named in a book,
St. Claude B. Ferguson wrote,
the grace of repentance.
Go get it.
It's worth reading every word of it.
True love.
The love of God doesn't exist in the absence of judgment.
There are no surprises here today.
There are no mistakes here today.
Not one of you.
We might make mistakes,
but there are no mistakes.
God knows everything.
And he demonstrates his mercy for you.
Wherever you have been,
there is nothing that you have done
that God's mercy can't redeem
because of the powerful, sacrificial love of Jesus.
Nothing.
There's not one person,
the sin of one person here today
that overwhelms the steadfast love of God in Christ Jesus.
Not one.
So that is this mercy that he speaks about.
He understands that God has always been active
right from the beginning of the fall.
At the fall,
when he exclaims,
the seed of the woman
will crush the head of the serpent.
The serpent will bruise his heel.
That whole picture of mercy
is strewn right through the Old Testament
until the arrival of Jesus,
the seed of the woman.
Hence why Peter calls him here
as the seed,
the imperishable seed.
He is the seed of the woman
who would overcome the world,
who would overcome sin
and our rebellion within us
and bring us home
because he is merciful.
And it is the great joy of every Christian
to know today that mercy.
And it is exactly that mercy
that is always, always on offer
for every moment you take,
for every breath you take in your life.
That mercy,
if you haven't trusted in Jesus,
King Jesus,
it's on offer constantly.
But there can be a time
when that ceases,
when it evaporates
in our final moments.
If you haven't,
I beg you to follow him,
to receive this mercy,
to understand what he is doing.
That mercy then is explained
that he has given us new birth,
born again,
not of Adam's seed,
but the imperishable seed,
God,
the Christ,
the Savior,
the seed of the woman.
Through him,
we're born again.
We start again.
We have a restoration
of our relationship.
Now,
when we talk about the great sin,
in churches,
we talk about sin.
Now,
almost inevitably,
we're thinking about things
that we do.
But the great sin,
ultimately,
is unbelief
or inner rebellion.
That is the great sin.
Other things are follow-ons.
As Jesus would say,
you deal with the heart.
The other things are from the hand,
what flows from the heart.
That's essentially what he's saying
in the Beatitudes,
the Sermon on the Mount,
I should say.
And so here,
you understand the call
to new birth,
to a new start with him.
If you haven't,
that is the blessing
that you are being offered,
a new birth.
And what does that mean?
It means that through
new birth in Christ Jesus,
you believe in him,
you have a living hope.
And I'm just going to quote
a person first of all,
and then two or three scriptures
afterwards.
I want you to understand
the power and the depth
and the majesty
of this mercy,
this new birth,
this call for you
to follow him.
And if you're a believer
here today,
I want to challenge you.
I will challenge you
at the end.
But it's a challenge for you.
How now shall you live?
In the title given
to one of Chuck Colson's book,
how now shall you live
in light of this?
Do we hide?
When you have this living hope,
do you hide?
So we're going to challenge
ourselves at the end for that.
I don't know,
as I do,
I'm like a kid in a sweetie shop,
and I don't say
what I'm going to do
for the last,
and I just chuck it in now.
But we're challenged with this.
And of course,
if you're a non-Christian,
that's the case today.
Edmund Clowney,
in his commentary,
writes,
Peter writes a letter of hope.
The hope he proclaims
is not what we call
a fond hope.
We cherish fond hopes
because they are so fragile.
We hope against hope
because we do not really expect
what we hope for.
But Peter writes of a sure hope,
a hope that holds our future
in its hands,
a current hope
that is anchored in the life
and death and resurrection of Jesus.
Peter knows that God's salvation
in Christ means deliverance
from sin and death
and on God's fulfillment
of his promise for salvation.
That is because God has accomplished
his salvation
in the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead,
and you are through him
ready for his return.
You, in Christ,
are ready for his return.
Now, very often,
I get the question
about end times.
And I've stopped
really thinking about it
other than this.
Exactly what he said
at the end.
Be ready.
Be ready now.
Be ready.
Be ready for his return.
We don't know the time
or the hour.
You can be near the kingdom.
You might have been sitting
in the pew here for,
in the pew that you're sitting in
for many years
because your family has.
But here's the answer.
Be ready.
Be ready for his return.
And to be ready for his return
is not to be found in church,
in a pew,
but in your relationship
with him who is merciful
in his great mercy.
Come to him and be ready.
That's how you're ready.
Now, the rest is,
I don't know when he's going to return.
There might be indications.
I don't know.
But in Christ,
I'm ready for whatever happens,
whether it's trials,
sickness,
or whatever.
I am ready in Christ.
That's the answer
that Clowney here says.
He gives you.
Be ready for his return.
The only way to be ready
is in Christ.
Now, in a couple of bits
of Scripture,
Paul writes,
first of all,
in Corinth,
he talks about the challenge
of those people
who were beginning
to bring doubt
about the resurrection.
And he really challenges them
about that.
And he writes this.
He says,
For if the dead are not raised,
then Christ has not been raised
either.
And if Christ has not been raised,
your faith is futile.
You are still in your sins.
Then those who have fallen asleep
in Christ are lost.
If only for this life
we have hope in Christ,
we are to be pitied
more than all men.
But Christ has indeed
been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those
who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through a man,
the resurrection of the dead
comes through a man.
For as in Adam
all die,
so in Christ
all will be made alive.
All in Christ
will be born again.
Now, to one of my favorite chapters
in the New Testament,
I need you to hear
the cast iron guarantee
of a living hope.
I need you to hear
what it's saying.
And in many ways,
it would have been suitable
for Paul to write
to these struggling,
suffering Christians
as well in these five towns.
Romans 8,
verse 33 and onwards.
Who will bring
any charge
against those
whom God has chosen?
It is God
in his mercy,
that's my added bit,
who justifies.
Who is he
that condemns?
Christ Jesus
who died.
More than that,
was raised to life,
is at the right hand
of God
and also interceding
for us.
Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble
or hardship
or persecution
or famine
or nakedness
or danger
or sword?
As it is written,
for your sake,
we face death
all day long.
We are considered
as sheep
to be slaughtered.
No,
in all these things,
we are more
than conquerors
through him
who loved us.
For I am convinced
that neither death
nor life
nor angels
nor demons,
neither the present
nor the future
nor any powers,
neither height
nor depth
nor anything else
in all creation
will be able
to separate us
from the love
of God
that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
God.
If there is a bit
of scripture
I would like you
to read
when you go home
today
before you eat
your lunch,
read it together.
Read it together.
Chew over it.
Meditate
on these words.
This is the power
of Christ.
The grave
couldn't hold him
and in him
it cannot hold you.
Sin cannot hold you.
It puts it to death.
We are raised
with Christ.
We have new life.
It is incredible
to understand this
because on this
foundation
you live out
the Christian life.
You live it out.
Far too often
we go into our shells.
We end up fighting
cultural wars.
Everybody's waving
their flags
anti this,
pro that
and we're getting
swallowed up
in it all
and we're getting
quieter and quieter
as believers.
But we have
this living hope.
You have it
in Christ
and there is nothing
nothing means
nothing.
Absolutely nothing
can separate you
from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus.
It's truly fabulous.
It changes everything.
And we're all concerned
about the changes
that happen
in our culture.
You have them here.
We have them elsewhere.
But nothing
can rob you
of this.
Not even Satan.
He lost
the battle.
He can damage you
but you can't
lose this.
It is cast iron.
Nothing
can separate you
from
the Lord,
the love of God
that is in Christ
Jesus.
And I pray then
that it would work
in you.
Mold that into
your thinking
and understanding
and you're looking
at people around you
and storing away.
How many people
I see
and I work with
or used to work with
or play football
with or fight with
or whatever.
All of these things
back in the day.
Now I'm seeing
all these people.
Many of them
don't even come to church.
They don't engage.
But that is our calling.
We have this message
that is our calling
to go.
Not to retreat.
To get into fight mode.
To bicker.
This is our calling.
This is what we're called to.
Paul also said,
we were therefore
buried with him
through baptism
into death
in order that
just as Christ
was raised from the dead
through the glory
of the Father,
we too
may live
a new life.
Very quickly then.
You're thinking
how am I going to finish
in this time?
Probably not.
I might go over
a minute or two
or whatever.
If the clock
bothers you
I'll go over it anyway
probably a wee bit
but not much.
The joy then he says
to these people
is this
that you have
an inheritance.
Now my wife
often tells me
you're the only
Lewis man I know
that has never been
left a croft.
That's true.
I haven't
but I don't know
if I'm the only one.
I doubt very much
that I'm the only one.
But we are heirs
of God.
What an incredible
privilege we have.
We are heirs
through the work
of Jesus
the atoning work
of Jesus
the resurrection
power in our lives
we have an inheritance
that cannot
perish.
It's undefiled.
It's unfading.
It feels like
the Christian
witness is
fading in the
church
of Christ.
But God
hasn't changed.
He's still
sovereign.
He's still
ruler.
He's still
the merciful one.
He's still
the one who
brings people
to life.
I had the
opportunity
a few months
ago to speak
about Mission
International
and to share
incredible stories.
One of them
in Malawi
when the
second blast
of Cyclone
Freddie
absolutely
obliterated
Malawi.
And the
pastor we were
working with
we were working
with several
but he was the
main guy
he was a
translator
he starts
preaching
in these
camps.
Tens of
thousands
and he
proclaims
Christ
and all I
get was a
message
pray for me
for the
Muslim
leaders
are looking
for me
with red
eyes.
They're
full of
rage
because over
50 Muslims
became Christians
and nearly
600 came
to faith.
Is God
working?
Yes he
is.
And he
still uses
you as
the body
of Christ.
It's not
just ministers
who stand
up here
and preach.
He uses
you and
your testimony
and this
reality in
your life
is what he's
calling you
out for.
There is
no hiding
under the
bed.
You are
a body
of Christ
you work
together
and you
share this
reality
together
and it's
a living
testimony
of it being
together.
It's
imperishable
it's
undefiled
it's
unfading
this is
kept
in heaven
for you.
That's the
promise.
It's kept
in heaven
for you.
It's like
an anchor
into eternity.
Why?
Because Jesus
is alive.
He's
resurrected
he is
alive and
at the
right hand
of God
the Father
interceding
for you.
That's
how certain
it is.
And finally
you get to
this verse
in verse
5
where it
says
what's
really
together
unfading
and kept
in heaven
for you
who by
God's
power
are being
guarded
through
faith
for salvation
ready
to be
revealed
in the
last time.
Now
I think
I've
talked
enough
about
the
ready
to be
revealed
stuff.
Okay?
Jesus
is coming
again.
You now
understand
all of
that
from what
I've
already
said.
But it's
interesting
to me
that as
you go
on in
this
chapter
and then
into
chapter 2
it became
very clear
through
Peter's
writing
that there
were things
happening
within the
church.
He talks
about
loving
your
brother
intently
loving
each
other
deeply
and
driven
by
love
the
body
of
Christ
driven
by
that
unifying
love
that
keeps
him
together.
Now
I've
heard
various
comments
about
love
in my
time
as a
preacher.
Oh
love
what
about
the
law
or
something
derogatory
as
if
love
was
some
thing
just
you know
wavy
thing.
But isn't
it interesting
that when
Jesus was
asked to
give a
synopsis
of the
Ten
Commandments
isn't
it interesting
that he
says
love
the
Lord
your
God
with
all
your
heart
mind
soul
and
strength
and
love
your
neighbor
as
yourself.
Interesting.
What is
the first
fruit of
the Spirit
mentioned?
Love.
Now
Peter
said this
to a
people
who
by all
accounts
were
beginning
to
he
says
in
chapter
two
briefly
and I
want
to
go
to
John
to
finish
put
away
all
malice
and
all
deceit
and
hypocrisy
and envy
and slander
put it
away
put it
away
chuck it
get rid
of it
get it
out of
sight
because
that
should
not
belong
in the
body
of
Christ
that
is
giving
Satan
a
foothold
to
bring
division
in a
time
of
great
trial
which
is
probably
bringing
doubt
about
their
relationship
with
Jesus
and
the
certainty
of a
living
hope
hence
why
he
emphasizes
all
of
that
get
rid
of
it
put
it
in
the
bin
if I
can
use
all
the
descriptions
you get
the
idea
get rid
of it
it's
just
destructive
it's
just
damage
it breaks
friendships
it breaks
churches
that's
what he's
saying
to them
now
where have
we heard
that before
this
love one
another
deeply
well it's
in John
13
isn't it
in the
upper room
where Jesus
powerfully
just after
he revealed
that Judas
will be the
one to
betray
him
he says
the words
now the
son of
man
has
lifted
up
it's
time
to
prepare
for me
to
return
to the
father
to
fulfill
what
God
has
called
me
to
do
to
lay
down
my
life
final
few
hours
are
here
before
I
return
then
he
says
this
to
love
one
another
deeply
as
I
have
loved
you
love
one
another
the
world
will
know
me
by
the
way
you
love
one
another
it's
a
variant
that
lasts
a little
bit
but
essentially
saying
the
same
thing
how
would
you
like
to be
known
today
is
it
as
someone
who
attends
free
church
chemistry
or a
disciple
of
Jesus
surely
that's
the
answer
surely
that's
secondary
whatever
value
and
joy
we
have
meeting
together
here
the
first
principle
has
to be
I'm
a
disciple
of
Jesus
if
you're
a
disciple
of
Jesus
then
how
do
you
love
one
another
how
do
you
love
one
another
because
I
believe
in the
first
principles
here
there
are
plenty
other
things
that
we
can
challenge
ourselves
with
but
here
is
the
basis
the
foundation
that
is
built
upon
the
way
we
love
one
another
unifying
one
another
facing
challenges
together
have
difference
of opinion
with
each
other
by
how
we
love
one
another
like
Christ
loved
us
Christ
had
just
revealed
a
betrayer
and his
words
to the
disciples
is
love
one
another
why
because
he
knew
the
enemy
would
divide
he
knew
the
enemy
would
maim
that's
why
he's
saying
love
each
other
like
I
have
loved
you
that
surely
is
the
first
building
block
of
everything
that we
should
have
as a
body
of
Christ
we're
putting
we're
imitating
Christ
that is
essentially
the fruit
of the
Spirit
imitation
imitating
Christ
in our
lives
that should
be our
joy
that is
our
privilege
and he
equips
us
and intercedes
for us
and helps
us to do
so
that's
the
challenge
that you
face
so you
go from
here
ready to
be
challenged
what
comes
next
ask
the
question
you've
got
great
preachers
around
here
ask
the
question
how
do
we
grow
in
Christ
how
do
we
have
stronger
bonds
together
you pray
with
one
another
you
love
one
another
that's
the
foundational
principles
to
mission
the
trouble
is
we
get
so
engrossed
with
the
culture
and the
wars
that we
have
in
the
culture
we're
forgetting
to
mission
the
culture
we're
forgetting
the
calling
to
go
ye
therefore
into
all
the
earth
including
our
own
town
and
go
and
proclaim
the
name
of
Jesus
the
good
news
of
Jesus
to
whomever
even
people
that we
might
have
fallen
out
with
over
the
years
it's
time
to
learn
to
put
these
things
right
now
another
thing
and I'll
close
with
this
I
promised
I'll
close
just
about
on
time
now
I did
have the
privilege
again
I mentioned
this but I want to do it again because I feel myself that I learned so much of this moment in Rwanda
!
that I want to try and show you that God can work even in extreme circumstances and obviously if you are at the prayer meeting you'll know exactly what I'm going to say.
When we were out last year in Uganda
When we were out last year in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, in that middle trip we went to the genocide museum and it's truly heartbreaking, terrible, there's just nothing that you can say that even remotely gives you a good feeling.
It was just terrible. 800,000 people dead, killed in about 100 days.
After that we went to a church.
My predecessor, Hugh Henderson, did a commissioning of a building that were over a thousand people in African style. Don't complain if you've got an hour and five minutes. Just saying. We were five and a half hours. And it was just incredible. Right? So the next two days, four of us had the opportunity to preach.
And I was the last of the four. And afterwards we went for lunch and I'm sitting beside Stephen. It's just like I'm still there. Stephen and Bonnie, the other African guy who's the assistant with the Bishop of Kigali, Bishop Amoti. Brilliant, brilliant people.
And then Stephen starts telling us his story. That he lost his whole family in the genocide. Every single one. Close family, extended family, all killed.
And I'm looking at the other three guys across the table and I'm going, what do you say now? What do you say in this moment?
And it's just, I'm looking at them and they're looking at me. Well, you're a team leader, mate. I didn't know what to say.
And then he says, you know, Roddy, so when you were preaching today, two or three of my elders and some of that congregation were the people who killed my family.
I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to say.
I didn't know what to say.
Then he explained, after the genocide, I became a Christian.
And there was one time I was praying to the Lord.
And the Lord made it absolutely clear to me, hear this.
This is what he said to Stephen.
Rwanda will never survive unless you forgive.
Now, anybody who knows my past will know that my instinct will be to fight.
I was struck dumb at what this guy was saying.
As we came away that day, there are more things I could say, but as I came away that day, all of us in the car were silent.
And what we discovered was this.
We just saw the power of Christ in someone's life.
That he wouldn't allow Satan to get a foothold to bring division.
To bring an end to the potential of the work of the church in that area.
Absolutely incredible.
That he understood.
Every day he would stand in the pulpit.
They wouldn't have one like this.
It's a lower platform.
But he would be speaking to the people.
And you know what?
Every day is an opportunity to give Satan a foothold.
Every day is an opportunity to allow bitterness to overwhelm him.
Just bitterness.
Enough bitterness to bring hate.
But 26 years later.
And a school of 2,000 people.
And a thriving church.
Testimony.
To the magnificence of the power of God in someone's life.
Imitating Jesus.
Because you see, he knew forgiveness.
His forgiveness through Christ.
He knew what it meant to him.
And he knew that through the power of Christ.
He could forgive others.
That is something we need as believers.
To stand out from the crowd with.
God bless you.
Let's pray as we close.
Lord God, our Heavenly Father.
Lord, we thank you today for the incredible sacrifice of Jesus.
That we are covered in him.
That you have us covered.
And through him we have this living hope.
This imperishable, undefiled, unfading, living hope.
We're also so delighted, Lord, that you are holding us now.
That your power is holding us now.
Helping us now.
Strengthening us now.
And we know that in your power.
Forgiveness is possible.
Transformation is possible.
All of these things we've spoken about today.
Are all possible because of your majestic grace and love.
And so we pray for every person here.
That we would rest today in Jesus Christ.
The Savior of our soul.
The Savior who was raised from the dead.
Defeating sin and defeating the enemy.
The grave and the evil one.
Lord, in him, in you, we have a living hope.
And I pray that each and every one of us would rejoice deeply in our hearts today as we leave here.
And may you be the glory.
And may all the glory be to you today.
You are an awesome God.
And we love you and we thank you for your radical love for us.
In Jesus Christ's name we pray.
Amen.
Okay, we're going to sing from Psalm 93.
Oh, is it Sing Psalm, is it?
Yeah, Sing Psalm 93.
It's on page 123.
We'll sing the five verses.
The Lord is King.
His throne endures, majestic in his height.
The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength and might.
These five verses to God's praise.
Amen.
The Lord is King.
His throne endures, majestic in his height.
The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength and might.
The world is broken, firm and sure.
We moved it cannot be.
Your throne is strong.
And you have brought from all eternity.
The seas, O Lord, have lifted up.
They lifted up their voice.
The seas have lifted up their waves.
And made a mighty voice.
The Lord is broken, firm and strong.
Royal statutes, Lord, stand firm
of changing His pure word
and holiness and virtue of ours
for endless days.
Praise the Lord.
May your mercy and grace and peace
which we find in you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
one God, may these blessings rest upon each
and every one of us, not only now,
but for every day as we wait patiently
for your return, because we know in you,
Lord Jesus, we have a living hope.
Lord, we thank you, and may the glory be all yours
in Jesus' name. Amen.