I invite you to take your copy of God's Word and turn to Hebrews chapter 1.
Our text for this morning will be Hebrews chapter 1, verses 2 and 3.
!
To an unknown and obscure group of Hellenistic Jewish Christians, most likely, probably living
on the edge of Rome, having been dispersed from Rome, but still living in an urban environment.
Likely a small group of people having been pressed out of the synagogues, huddled together
in a house.
This group of Christians had suffered, and they would suffer.
We don't know the exact nature of their suffering, but we know it was because of the name of Christ.
And we get a bit of a taste of it in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 32 and 33.
The writer of Hebrews says,
But recall the former days when after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle
with sufferings.
Sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners
with those so treated.
We read later in Hebrews chapter 12 that none of them had suffered yet to the point of shedding
blood.
But the writer of Hebrews seems to be implying there that that day was coming.
And so the writer of Hebrews very pastorally sends to them a letter that is sermonic in
format.
He states a thesis, and he spends the letter defending it.
And he uses the Scripture to do so.
The reason we think that he's a Hellenistic Jew, Greek-speaking Jew, and that these Christians
are Hellenistic, Greek-speaking Jews, is that he cites only from the Septuagint, the Greek
translation of the Old Testament.
And he uses it in spades.
The book of Hebrews is full of the Old Testament texts.
And one of the reasons that we're studying the book of Hebrews is because the Old Testament,
the Bible in total, but the Old Testament particularly, is under quite a bit of attack in our day.
And so we want to talk about both the discontinuity and the continuity between the Old Testament
and the New.
This is an eloquent letter.
William Lane, the respected New Testament scholar, stated the language of Hebrews constitutes
the finest Greek in the New Testament.
And the thesis that the author defends is the supremacy and finality of Jesus Christ.
He states that thesis in the first four verses.
Last week, we looked at the first verse of chapter one and just a bit of the second verse and saw that the writer of Hebrews
employs his eloquence to speak of the eloquence of God in the past.
Verse one says,
Long ago at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.
Many different ways he spoke by the prophets.
The prophets then in turn relayed the message of God in many ways.
And this is recorded in the Old Testament text.
The eloquence of the writer of Hebrews also spoke.
We saw last week to the eloquence of God in the present, he says at the beginning of verse two.
But in these last days, he has spoken.
Praise God.
In these last days.
And most think that he's referring to the age of the church.
And third, we saw the eloquence of God in the person of Christ.
In these last days, he has spoken to us by or in his son.
We have a God who speaks in order to make himself known.
Praise God.
He is not a silent God.
He is a speaking God that we might know him.
He wants to be known.
And he can be known as he has spoken to us by his son.
So imagine with me, if you will, once again, if you were here last week for the first time, if not.
A small, exhausted, suffering church.
Having been enlightened, having been converted to faith in Jesus Christ, and have found no earthly pleasure from doing so.
Nothing was going well for them by the standard of the world.
And they've gathered together.
They've heard this author has sent a letter to them.
And they've gathered together to hear its reading and to be encouraged by it.
Some of you may find this exercise of imagination difficult.
Because you've not suffered for your faith.
You've not pursued Christ in a way that makes you pleasant to those who are pursuing him and unpleasant to those who are not.
Your life looks like the life of the world.
No one has any need of rejecting you because you look just like them.
Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3.12.
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
If it is difficult for you to imagine this, and you are in Christ, if you are resolute to follow him, you will suffer.
There will come a day, a very soon day, that you will suffer for proclaiming the name of Jesus.
Some of you, I think many of you, have no difficulty whatsoever imagining being this people, beat down and tired.
Because you've been faithfully pursuing this Christ.
You've been sharing him with others.
And people have not liked you for it.
You have felt the pressing back of the world as you try to press the light into it.
But be encouraged this morning by what the writer of Hebrews, God by his pen, would say to you.
To encourage you to be perseverers to the end.
So I'll read our text, Hebrews chapter 1, verse 2 and 3.
Before I do, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us.
It was written for his glory and our good.
And we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey his commands.
But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things,
through whom also he created the world.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.
And he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.
And there it is.
The supremacy and finality of Jesus Christ.
This is, in large, the thesis of this entire book.
The writer will go on to defend it.
He is more excellent than anything that you think is excellent.
Place Christ above that thing because he is supreme and he is final.
Kent Hughes, who's a contemporary pastor and wrote a really wonderful commentary on the book of Hebrews,
said this,
Christ is held up like a great jewel to the sunlight of God's revelation.
And as the light courses through it, seven facets flash with gleaming brilliance.
Christ's supremacy and finality is refracted for us to consider.
So think about this, right?
The writer of Hebrews is saying Christ is better.
He is greater.
He is above all things.
And he is the final word for how it is we are to know God.
And this text takes that reality and refracts it,
splits it into seven things for us to consider together this morning.
So let's give these seven refractions some titles to help us in our study.
I'm going to read them to you quickly.
And then, of course, I'll go through them each one by one with some expedience this morning.
Christ is number one, inheritor.
Number two, creator.
Number three, sustainer.
Number four, radiator.
Number five, representer.
Number six, purifier.
And number seven, ruler.
I know you'd stayed with me until representer.
Number five, representer.
Number six, purifier.
Number seven, ruler.
Number one, Christ is inheritor.
In these last days, he has spoken to us by his son.
In the middle there, verse two says, whom he, being God, appointed the heir of all things.
It follows that because Jesus is the son of God, then he is also the heir of God.
He will receive the inheritance of God.
The writer of Hebrews identifies for us Jesus Christ as the anointed and son of Psalm 2,
when he cites Psalm 2, 7 in verse 5 of chapter 1.
Here's if you look down just a little bit.
He's citing here from the Septuagint.
Psalm 2, 7.
You are my son.
Today, I have begotten you.
Going on in Psalm 2, the psalmist writes in verse 8,
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
So let me read that to you together.
Hebrews 1, 5, which is Psalm 2, 7, and into verse 8.
You are my son.
Today, I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, or inheritance,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
So Psalm 2 teaches us that the inheritance of Jesus Christ is the earth and its peoples.
But Colossians chapter 1 and verse 6 takes us a bit further, doesn't it?
Oh, verse 16, excuse me.
That all things, so the cosmos themselves were created for him.
That's not an accident that the children are learning Colossians 1, 15 through 20 right now.
But not only that, beloved, if you are in Christ Jesus, then you, specifically you, are his inheritance.
Through the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the cross, he has purchased you,
and he treasures you as his inheritance.
In Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 18, Paul tells the Ephesian believers that he always prays that they may know
what are the riches of his, Christ's, glorious inheritance in the saints.
Paul prays that the Ephesian believers would understand that they are Christ's inheritance,
that he treasures them as such.
What an astounding truth.
If you are in Christ, then you are treasured by him as in his inheritance.
But not only are we Christ's inheritance, we are also his co-heirs.
In Romans chapter 8 and verse 17, Paul calls us heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.
So if Christ is the heir of all things, if he's the heir of God, all things belong to him.
But as followers of Christ, we are found in Christ.
And so we are also heirs.
Amazing.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 21 and following,
For all things are yours.
Whether Paul or Apollos, Cephas or the world, or life or death, or the present, or the future,
all are yours and you are Christ and Christ is God's.
He makes the case in the opposite direction.
Because Christ is God's, then all things are Christ's, and therefore all things are ours.
Christ is the inheritor.
Secondly, Christ is the creator.
It makes sense that he inherits all things that he made.
The end of verse 2, through whom also he created the world.
God creating the world through Christ.
Not only does Christ inherit all things, but he also created them.
The Greek word here, translated world, is ionas.
Probably not pronouncing it correctly.
More literally, ages.
Ages.
More literally, ages.
This is a wonderful word because it includes all things.
Not only space, but also time.
It's a very elastic word.
It means more than just those things that we can see,
but everything outside of that as well.
Well, Brooke Foss Westcott, who's a 19th century British theologian,
defines this Greek word as the sum of the periods of time,
including all that is manifested in and through them,
an order which exists through time developed in successive stages.
He just says in a lot of words,
the space-time continuum is what he is saying.
This is what this word means.
Through Christ, God created the space-time continuum
and all that is contained within it.
Astounding.
An incredible reality.
People have been guessing for ages
at how it is that the universe came into existence.
And they are guesses at best.
All theories of knowledge have at their base some foundation.
And for most, they are guesses.
But for followers of Jesus Christ,
we know exactly what that foundation is.
It's Jesus himself.
He created all things.
Our universe is astounding.
I hope the little thing I did with the kids
was even a bit helpful to you.
Let's just talk in larger terms.
Our solar system is part of a galaxy called the Milky Way.
Our galaxy is an average-sized spiral galaxy
over 100,000 light-years across.
It contains thousands of millions of solar systems.
These numbers are staggering, right?
It's about 100,000 light-years across,
which is 600 trillion miles.
This is a crazy thing.
This is just our galaxy.
We can see with modern telescopes
about 100,000 million galaxies.
100,000 million galaxies.
This is just what we can see in the universe
with modern telescopes.
Each galaxy contains 100,000 million stars.
The average distance between these galaxies
is 3 million light-years.
It's an astounding reality
of how big the universe is.
And theoretic physicists say
that it's expanding as well.
This is included in this idea of ages.
It's ever-expanding.
What?
The universe is absolutely astounding.
And it was created by Christ,
and it was created for Christ.
If you have never seen images
from the Hubble Space Telescope,
I encourage you to go Google that this afternoon.
The astounding beauty
of the world in which we live.
And it is screaming, right?
Praise Jesus,
the maker of all these things.
The New Testament has quite a bit in it, right?
Saying this very reality.
John 1, verse 3.
All things were made through Him, Christ,
and without Him was not anything made.
That was made.
1 Corinthians 8, 6.
Yet for us there is one God, the Father,
from whom are all things,
and for whom we exist.
And one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom are all things,
and through whom we exist.
Colossians 1, 16 in its totality.
For by Him all things were created
in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities,
all things were created
through Him and for Him.
And Romans 11, verse 36.
For from Him and through Him
and to Him are all things.
To Him be glory forever.
Amen.
The cosmos were created
that we might praise Christ.
Everything that has been made
was made for Him.
We, those of us who are in Christ,
are a new creation.
We have been made new.
Created and then recreated new
for the praise of Christ.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5, 17.
For if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation.
The old has passed away.
Behold, the new has come.
So Christ is creator.
Third, Christ is sustainer.
Again, verse 3.
And He upholds the universe.
Upholds the universe
by the word of His power.
Jesus Christ created all things
and He sustains all things.
I love that the author of Hebrews
uses the word upholds.
Not like Atlas upholding a static globe of stone.
But He does it with His words.
And it's not just the earth,
it's the universe.
This great expanse that we have just considered.
He upholds all of this.
He sustains all of it
by the word of His power.
He actively sustains
by the word of His power.
This means that Jesus says
to the world,
move like this.
Behave like that.
Rain here, snow there,
and the world obeys.
This means that nothing will cease to do
exactly as it is told
until Jesus says
to do otherwise.
He says orbit,
and it orbits
until He says stop.
It continues to go
just the way
He commands it to go.
Now,
I want to go off point
just for a sec.
Well, it's on point,
but just to make your head
hurt a little bit.
Many of you know
that I really love
Jonathan Edwards.
Most will say
he's the greatest theological mind
that America has ever produced.
He was rather brilliant,
and he believed in a doctrine
called continuous creation.
And I'm just going to tell you
a little bit about it
and let your mind trip a little bit,
and then we're going to get back
to what we're talking about.
But essentially it's this,
that Jesus is continually
speaking the world into existence.
So even now,
the fact that I exist
is being sustained by the fact
that Jesus is causing me to exist
in successive moments.
He wrote this.
It is plain,
this won't be plain to you,
it's not to me.
He says,
this is Edwards for you,
it is plain,
nothing can exert itself
or operate
when and where
it is not existing
because
what is past
entirely ceases
when present existence begins.
It does no more
coexist with it
than it does
any other moment
that it ceased
20 years ago.
They don't coexist,
right?
And essentially
what he's saying is
the past
does not have the power
to sustain
that which is in the present
or in the future.
My present self
doesn't have the ability
to sustain
my future self.
He also said,
God's upholding
created substance
or causing
his existence
in each successive
moment
is altogether
equivalent
to an immediate
production
out of nothing.
He's speaking us
into existence
now
out of nothing
is what Edwards
is postulating.
At each moment
because its existence
at this moment
is not merely
in part from God
but wholly from him
and not in any part
or degree
from its antecedent existence.
So exactly what he's saying is
if Jesus were to stop speaking
we would also cease to exist.
That's hard to wrap
your mind around.
Edwards apparently
had.
That doesn't necessarily
make it true
but
isn't it incredible
to think
about the very nature
by which
Jesus sustains
the world
by the word
of his power.
Whether or not
this continuing
creation
thing is a reality
doesn't
minimize
the fact
that Jesus
is upholding
what is happening
now
is happening
because
of Jesus'
mighty word.
It's because
of his sustaining
work
that we have
our life
and our being.
If Jesus Christ
has the power
to sustain
the world
which he does
then he
also
has the power
to sustain
our faith.
Having made us
new creations
he has the power
to continue
in us
this
new
creation.
This is why
Paul was able
to say
with such
confidence
to the
Philippian
believers
in chapter 1
verse 6
of Philippians
I am sure
of this
that he who
began a good
work in you
will bring it
to completion
at the day
of Christ.
Nothing
escapes him
everything
is upheld
by the word
of his power
including
our faith.
What a confidence
we have
in our pursuit
of him.
Fourth
Christ is
radiator.
Christ is
radiator.
He is the
radiance
of the glory
of God.
And
he is the
radiance
of the glory
of God.
Radiance
here
in the
English Standard
Version
is a
better
translation
than the
oft-used
reflection.
Some of you
may have a
Bible translation
that says
reflection
and that
doesn't make
it a bad
translation
necessarily
but in
this case
the word
radiance
is a
better word
for what's
trying to be
communicated
here
because the
moon
reflects the
light of
the sun
radiates
that
light.
Jesus does
not merely
reflect
God's
glory.
He is
part and
parcel
of
God's
glory.
This is
speaking to
Jesus'
very being.
He is
the
radiance
of the
glory
of God.
We are
created
as
creation
to reflect
God's
glory.
But
Christ
as
creator
is
part
and
parcel
of
God's
glory.
John
chapter 1
verse 18
no one
has ever
seen
God
the only
God
referring
to
Jesus
who is
at the
Father's
side.
He
has
made
him
known.
Right?
Radiated
him
out
to us.
Jesus
is
God.
I'm
always
looking
with the
children
for the
specific
answer
of
Jesus
and
when
I
say
God
I
go
yeah.
Right?
Yes.
Because
Jesus
is
God.
The
Nicene
Creed
325
AD
this is
on
your
bulletin
this little
excerpt
from it
says
we
believe
in
one
Lord
Jesus
Christ
the
only
Son
of
God
begotten
from the
Father
before
all
ages
God
from
God
light
from
light
true
God
from
true
God
begotten
not
made
of
the
same
essence
as
the
Father
this
is
what
they're
communicating
right?
This
is
an
expansion
of
this
idea
of
Jesus
being
the
radiance
of
the
glory
of
God
right?
He
is
God
himself
so
when
we
see
Jesus
we
see
God
Colossians
chapter
1
beginning
of
verse
15
Jesus
is
the
image
of
the
invisible
God
so
Christ
is
radiator
Christ
is
also
fifthly
representer
the
middle
there
verse
3
says
and
the
exact
imprint
of
his
nature
and
this
phrase
balances
out
the
previous
phrase
Christ
as
radiator
and
representer
Jesus
is
God's
radiance
speaks
to
his
oneness
with
the
father
Jesus
is
God
Jesus
as
God's
representer
or
imprint
speaks
to
his
distinctness
as
the
son
so
the
author
of
Hebrews
gives
us
a
taste
an
inkling
of
the
mystery
that
is
the
trinitarian
nature
of
God
it
is
a
confusing
thing
to
think
about
God
as
one
but
three
in
one
it
is
a
thing
that
we
cannot
in
our
fight
knightness
fully
understand
every
analogy
I
have
ever
heard
is
woefully
lacking
to
this
come
and
tell
me
your
analogies
later
and
if
you
have
one
I
will
appreciate
it
likely
I
will
say
nope
and
here's
why
the
apple
doesn't
work
states
of
water
doesn't
work
he
is
always
existing
in
one
but
he
is
also
always
existing
as
three
in
one
but
beloved
this
should
move
us
toward
odd
speculation
some
kind
of
criticism
of
it
but
wow
who
is
this
God
a
God
who's
one
but
is
three
in
one
this
is a
mystery
that
I
hope
that
you
with
me
look
forward
to
having
unraveled
for us
in
glory
fully
comprehending
the
trinitarian
nature
of God
what an
incredible
thing
to
understand
right
so
Christ
is
God
but
he
is
also
distinct
from
God
the
father
as
God
the
son
he
is
an
imprint
and
this
refers
as
phrase
to
the
image
on
a
coin
made
by
a
die
a
stamp
right
the
image
stamped
onto
a
coin
once
again
when
we
see
Jesus
we
see
God
we
know
how
God
thinks
we
know
how
God
speaks
we
know
how
God
feels
we
know
how
he
relates
!
to
mankind
God
has
spoken
to
us
by
his
son
in
these
last
days
Christ
is
representer
six
Christ
is
purifier
Christ
is
purifier
after
making
purification
for
sins
our text
says
Christ
made
purification
for
sins
Jesus
Christ
is
the
supreme
priest
mediator
between
God
and
man
he
was
the
agent
of
the
purification
for
our
sins
and
he
was
the
sacrifice
necessary
for
that
purification
he
offered
up
himself
he
is
the
supreme
priest
and
the
final
priest
the
author
of
Hebrews
will
go
on
to
expand
on
both
of
those
realities
quite
extensively
we'll
get to
spend
a lot
of
time
thinking
about
this
together
in the
coming
months
but let
me read
to you
from
Hebrews
chapter
10
beginning
in
verse
11
and
following
the
author
says
and
every
priest
stands
daily
at his
service
offering
repeatedly
the same
sacrifices
which can
never take
away
sins
they're
insufficient
for
that
task
and so
verse 11
says
the priest
is constantly
doing this
work
right
this work
that isn't
sufficient
to take
away
to be
a finished
work
it's not
sufficient
for that
so it
has to
go on
and on
and in
verse 12
the author
says
but when
christ
had
offered
for all
time
a single
sacrifice
for sins
he sat
down
at the
right hand
of god
waiting
from that
time
until his
enemy
should be
made a
footstool
for his
feet
for by a
single
offering
he has
perfected
for all
time
those
who are
being
sanctified
his
sacrifice
was a
complete
and final
sacrifice
for god's
people
for all
time
this is an
astounding
reality
right
what the
author of
hebrews is
trying to
explain
to his
original
audience
and to
us
is all
that's
encapsulated
in jesus's
final word
recorded in
john
chapter
19
it
is
finished
the
sacrificial
work that
was necessary
to atone
for our
sins
to purify
us
that we
might be
in
relationship
with god
is
finished
when christ
died
on the
cross
right
he paid
the full
penalty
he was
the
sufficient
sacrifice
romans
6 10
paul says
for the
death
he died
to sin
once
for all
a fully
sufficient
sacrifice
to accomplish
exactly
that which
it's intended
to accomplish
right
the salvation
of god's
church
for the
death
he died
to sin
once
for all
and then
paul in all
his inspired
brilliance
says but the
life he lives
right
he didn't
stay dead
but the
life he
lives
he lives
to god
right
toward god
for the
glory of
god
as he's
now
ascended
and seated
at his
right hand
so christ
is
purifier
this
speaks to
us
and it
should
speak
loudly
to us
about our
need of
him
if we're
ever to be
found right
with god
you've ever
felt the
weight of
your sin
carried the
guilt of
it as
you should
because you
are guilty
of your
sin
it should
cause us
to cry
out
for the
perfect
once for
all work
of christ
this
should
if we
are the
new
creation
cause us
to love
god's
sustaining
grace to
us
in christ
if we've
yet to
receive
this
mercy
it should
cause us
to flee
to christ
the perfect
sacrifice
christ is
purifier
and lastly
christ is
ruler
christ is
ruler
having been
sacrificed
once for
all
raised on
the third
day
he ascended
and he
sat down
our text
says he
sat down
at the
right hand
of the
majesty
on high
jesus christ
does not
have to
work as
the
levitical
priests
work
as i
said they
never
sat
they
were
continually
making
sacrifice
for the
sins
of israel
and all
of the
careful
instruction
for the
tabernacle
and then
the temple
there were
never
seats
there's
no need
for seats
if you
were working
in the
temple
you were
making
sacrifice
when you
cocked out
you went
home
but when
you were
there
you were
constantly
making
sacrifice
the writer
of hebrews
words are
absolutely
astonishing
here
don't
let this
be lost
on you
21st century
american christians
his original
listeners would
have taken
such courage
from this
phrase
he sat
down at
the right
hand of
the majesty
on high
this is
massively
significant
they would
have remembered
at the
opening of
this letter
that jesus
is
sacrificial
work
is
finished
all that
it guarantees
will happen
because
it's
finished
all the
promises
of god
find their
yes
in christ
it
is
finished
this is
massively
significant
paul wrote
in romans
chapter 3
verse 21
and 22
but now
the righteousness
of god
has been
manifested
apart from
the law
although the
law
and the
prophets
bear witness
to it
there's the
continuity
of the
old testament
and the
reason we
should
still use
it
the righteousness
of god
through faith
in jesus
christ
for all
who believe
finished
work
and now
we believe
in this
finished
work
and we're
granted
the
righteousness
of christ
it is of
great significance
that jesus
is at the
right hand
of the
majesty
on high
the right
hand
was the
place
of highest
honor
and
power
paul writes
in ephesians
4 10
right as a
as a
parenthetical
he who
descended
being christ
is the one
who also
ascended
far above
all the
heavens
that he
might
fill
all
things
right
bring to
pass
everything
that his
death and
resurrection
guaranteed
would come
to pass
that he
would finish
the work
of the
church
and bring
heaven
down to
earth
in jesus's
session
sitting at
the right
hand
paul tells
us something
that he is
doing
specifically
for those
who believe
in him
so if you've
yet to be
encouraged
i hope you'll
find this of
great encouragement
to you
i know
that these
listeners of
this letter
would have
taken great
courage from
it they
would have
pressed on
they would
have
persevered to
the end
as they
heard just
these opening
comments
from the author
of this letter
paul tells
us romans
chapter 8
verse 31
and following
just after a
grand explanation
of god's
elective
purposes
what then
shall we
say to
these
things
if god
is for
us
who can
be against
us
he who
did not
spare his
own son
but gave
him up
for us
all
how will
he not
also
with him
graciously
give us
all
things
who can
bring any
charge against
god's
elect
it is
god who
justifies
who is
to condemn
christ jesus
is the one
who died
more than
that
who was
raised
who is at
the right
hand of
god
so here's
this language
again
right
seated
at the
right hand
of god
and then paul
says
who indeed
is interceding
for us
beloved he is
praying
for us
he is
speaking
on our
behalf
to god
this is
astounding
truth
as he is
the ruler
and bringing
all things
to pass
he's doing
so by the
power of
spirit in
his people
and he is
praying
for us
so christ
is
inheritor
creator
sustainer
radiator
representer
purifier
and ruler
i hope you're
seeing the
supremacy
and the
finality
of jesus
christ
right
this is the
theme
right
this is the
ark
that's going
to rest
over the
top of
this
entire
letter
we're
going to
continue
to develop
it out
further
in the
coming
month
in closing
let me
repeat to
you my
hope for
our study
of the
book of
hebrews
number one
that we
would greater
appreciate
both the
continuity
and the
discontinuity
of the
old and
new
covenants
and therefore
the old and
new testaments
that our
scripture
right
the canon
all 66
books of it
will become
more precious
to us
as we study
this book
of the
bible
together
that it
would be
greater
concreted
in our
hearts
right
that this
is god's
inspired
inerrant
authoritative
sufficient
word
to us
and second
that we
would greater
love the
risen
christ
that we
would so
love the
risen christ
that we
would worship
him with
greater
fervor
in the
face of
opposition
that we
would be
a people
who
persevere
to the
end
for the
glory
of god
let's pray
together