Okay, well, good morning, everyone. It's lovely to see you. My name is Graeme. I'm the pastor here at the church and we're going to turn to God's word now.
So why don't you turn, if you have a Bible, to the book of Galatians. We're in at chapter five today. If you don't have a Bible, then there's ones on the pews. You can even grab your own this morning at the back.
We've got a ton of them just to give away every Sunday. We want to get God's word into as many people's hands as possible.
So you can grab one of them on your way out this morning, or you can even scroll on your phone. We'll let you away with that one.
But whatever you need to do to get the Bible, God's word open in front of you, make sure that you do it.
And Galatians chapter five is where we are today. But why don't we just pray before we get into this passage together.
Father, truly you are the holy God, the matchless one, the incomparable one, the eternal one.
And Lord, like we sang at the start, who are we? Who are we to come into your presence?
Father, thank you that the initiative, as we'll see this morning, is all yours.
The invitation that you make us through Christ to come and know forgiveness, have life, and to call on you and know you as Father.
And so Lord, we pray that as we turn to Galatians chapter five today, that the words of Psalm 19 verse 10 would be true.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold.
They are sweeter than honey, than honey from your honeycomb.
Lord, may we know the sweetness of your word today, we pray.
In Jesus' name we ask. Amen.
Amen.
Well, folks, here's what we need to do with this text, if we're to really get it,
is we need to kind of enter its atmosphere.
Here's what I mean by that.
If we're to understand this, the clue is all in its tone.
All in its tone.
You know, when our little girl Grace was little, one of the things that she used to do,
we used to love to do as a family, was to go to the little transparent bridge
that is just underneath the castle that kind of goes over the train lines at Waverly.
The transparent bridge was one of her favorite things to do because she loved to look at the trains coming and going
and get a wave from the train driver.
It was her favorite thing to do.
I remember one Saturday we went, though, and there was a gate put in front of this little,
the entrance to this transparent bridge.
And the sign on the gate just said,
Warning, danger, falling rocks.
Danger, danger, falling rocks.
And despite the protestations, Dad, can we not just claim it?
As a parent, you know that you've got to be the grown-up in the room
and you realize that that sign is telling you something that you need to wake up and see,
that this is not a suggestion, this is not a top tip,
the brevity tells you everything, that this is a warning.
Venture here, venture beyond this, you're in some serious danger.
Friends, this is a warning text.
See what he writes at verse 2.
Mark my words.
You ever said that?
You ever written that?
Mark my words suggests, anytime I've ever used that phrase,
that what I'm about to say, I really, really mean it.
Here is Paul the pastor deeply concerned about the souls of the Galatian people.
And we've got to work out and ask ourselves,
what is the thing that he's so concerned about?
So why don't we read this together?
It's Galatians chapter 3.
Sorry, Galatians chapter 5.
See if you can spot his tone.
See if you can spot the thing that he's warning them about.
It is for freedom, says Paul, that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Mark my words.
I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,
Christ will be of no value to you at all.
Again, I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised,
that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
You who are trying to be justified by the law
have been alienated from Christ.
You've fallen away from grace.
For through the Spirit,
we eagerly await by faith
the righteousness for which we hope.
For in Christ Jesus,
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.
The only thing that counts
is faith expressing itself through love.
You're running a good race.
Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?
That kind of persuasion
does not come from the one who calls you.
A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.
I'm confident in the Lord that you will take no other view.
The one who is throwing you into confusion,
whoever that may be,
will have to pay the penalty.
Brothers and sisters,
if I'm still preaching circumcision,
why am I still being persecuted?
In that case,
the offense of the cross has been abolished.
As for those agitators,
I wish they would go the whole way
and emasculate themselves.
Friends, if nothing else,
hold on for that bit.
Now, what is up for grabs in Galatia
and what's up for takes this morning
is the words that you get in verse one,
the word that we thought about last week,
and it's this word,
freedom.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm.
That's the imperative there.
Stand firm.
And blink,
and you might miss the two little details at verse one.
Notice the image.
One that he's taken from everyday agricultural life.
The yoke being the wooden beam
that you put around the neck of two animals
that binds them together.
Paul says,
uses the image,
yoked to slavery.
Striking, isn't it?
Notice the image,
but notice the word.
Again, blink,
and you might miss this.
What is the word?
Again.
You see it?
Again.
Now, do you know what that tells us?
And this is one of the big themes
we'll carry through this sermon this morning.
It tells us
that there's more than one way
that you can be a slave.
More than one way
that you and I can be a slave.
Now, the Galatians,
remember,
we thought about this last week,
these guys,
the majority, I imagine,
would have grown up in a Gentile background,
knew nothing of the gods
of the Old Testament,
as it were.
Their former way of life
was chasing and spending themselves
worshiping idols.
Paul's called those idols
back at chapter four,
weak and miserable forces.
These things that they were chasing,
they were giving themselves
to pursuing,
thinking
that at some point,
if I keep on
giving myself to this,
it's going to be like
the pinata of my dreams,
that at some point,
I'm going to whack it
and all the goodies
are going to come
and fall on my head.
And that's what they thought.
But in the end,
all of those things
that they were giving themselves to
were just black holes
of emptiness
that were always leaving them
wanting more,
never satisfying,
never fulfilling.
And that's what an idol is.
We can look at this and think,
well, just miniature shrines,
perhaps that's one side of it.
The other side
is just something in our lives
that we worship
because we think
it's going to give us
the ultimate lasting thing.
Something that we give ourselves to
because we've been duped
into thinking
that if only we can get
our hands on that,
if only we manage to find
and get for ourselves that,
then we will be complete.
And the Bible says
the reality
is that even though
we think we are sipping
on martinis,
in actual fact, friends,
we're guzzling salt water.
You know that famous line
by John D. Rockefeller,
do you remember this line
that he gave,
richest American at the time?
How much money does it make
to make a man happy?
Just one more dollar.
Man who literally
had everything
and yet do those sound to you
like the words of a free man.
When we make a good thing,
friends,
when we make a good thing
into a God thing,
it is a recipe for disaster.
And Paul's saying
that God in Christ,
and this is
all of our stories,
isn't it?
He has saved us
out of that hollow
way of life.
Friends,
I dread to think
what my life would be
if Jesus hadn't
got involved.
The things that I would
be pursuing,
thinking that life
is all about these things.
He has saved us
out of that hollow
way of life,
out of slavery,
and he's saved us
to walk in freedom
as we know him.
To know Christ.
But here's the thing
that Paul perceives
that maybe the Galatians,
maybe we don't even
perceive it in our own lives.
They are in grave danger
of just swapping
one form of slavery
for another.
And Paul calls out
the issue
for the first time
in this letter.
He's going to dance
around it a little bit
named it.
But here he names it.
What is the thing?
It is circumcision.
That's the presenting issue.
Acts 15
gives us the mantra
of these false teachers.
Rocking up in Galatia,
this is what they're peddling.
Unless you are circumcised,
this is what they're saying,
according to the custom
taught by Moses,
you cannot be saved.
Do you see how ultimate
that is?
And Paul says,
if you adopt that
as your life thesis,
Galatians,
you are declaring
that what Jesus did
for us on the cross
wasn't wholly sufficient.
And allow that mindset
to slither in the door
of your life.
Verse 2.
See what he says.
Not only will Christ
be of no value to you,
but verse 3,
you'll find yourselves
in a place
where you'll need
to obey the whole law.
And he summarizes it
in verse 4.
And I always think
this is just like
the films
when you see
somebody just pull the pin
between the two
train carriages
and they just begin
to drift,
they become untethered.
Paul says,
you adopt this
and you'll be
detached,
alienated from Christ
and everything
that he's won for you,
everything that's yours
because of him,
it will no longer
be yours.
Now at this point
you may be thinking
one of two things.
Number one,
why is Paul
getting so worked up
over a minor male
surgical operation?
Surely there's
bigger fish to fry.
Surely there's
bigger things
to go after.
Number two thing
you might be thinking,
honestly,
I just don't care.
A trivial
first century
theological debate.
I gave up
a Sunday morning
for this.
I gave up
a 10 o'clock
off,
10 o'clock
tea off time
for this.
I gave up
watching Laura Kusenberg
on Sunday morning
television
for this.
Are you kidding me?
Friends,
here's why this
is so much
more relevant
than we might
think it is
at first glance.
In a sense,
the issue
isn't circumcision.
In a sense.
The issue
is why
these Galatians
feel the need
to be circumcised
in the first place.
Christians
and Christian
or non-Christian,
it doesn't matter
who you are
here this morning,
you might be
tempted to think
this is how it
works when it
comes to how
we relate to
and live with
the God
of the universe.
And the umbrella
term for what
Paul is talking
about here
is legalism.
It is a mindset
that at its
core thinks
that we can
somehow
win
God's
love,
earn
God's
favor
by our
performance.
And Paul
says,
you swallow
that,
friends,
it is
deadly.
And it's
not the
gospel.
And I
just want us
to see from
this passage
how legalism
does three
things to us.
And we've
got to ask
ourselves,
friends,
do we see
any of these
things
in our
lives?
And there's
three of these
things.
The first one's
a lot longer
than the other
two,
just so you
can hang
on in
there.
But let's
ask ourselves,
do we see
any of these
three things
in our
lives?
Here's the
first thing
legalism
does.
It steals
our assurance.
Steals
our assurance.
Have a look
at verse
five.
Come with
me.
Paul's
telling us
there that as
he lives
his life in
the present,
he does
so with
one eye
on his
future.
That's what
he's saying.
Live my
life in
the present
with one
eye on
the future.
And it
is his
confidence
about the
future,
just work
it the
other way
around,
his
confidence
about the
future
that gives
purpose
and meaning
and rest
in his
presence.
So friends,
if you seek
to earn
your way
to God,
here's the
problem that
you'll soon
encounter,
is that
you have
no idea
whether what
you are
doing and
how often
you are
doing it
is going
to be good
enough in
the end
for God.
You've
got no
idea.
How do
you know?
How do
you know?
And this
is one of
the most
unique features
of the
Christian
faith.
There's a
guy that
cuts my
hair just
up the
road from
me,
cuts my
hair every
time I
go in
there.
Always
have a
really good
chat.
He's from
Iran.
Always
have a
really good
chat about
life and
about kids.
He's about
to have
his first
child.
Always
have a
chat about
things.
But every
time I
go in,
I always
go in at
nine o'clock
after the
school run,
go in and
he cuts my
hair and
he just
puts on
the
television
the
YouTube
playlist
of the
Islamic
call to
prayer.
So I'm
listening to
this.
It's always
dangerous.
You pick
your
conversation
when someone
is at
your hair
with
scissors.
But I
just ask
him this
time round,
I said,
listen mate,
can you
just translate
for me
what's being
said?
And he
listens to
it for a
minute and
here's what
he says.
The person
is singing
and praying
that God
would be
merciful.
And then
he did
this.
Merciful,
merciful,
merciful.
And here's
the thing.
We want to
ask our
Muslim
friends is
how do
you know?
How do
you know?
Friends,
we've come in
here this
morning,
we've sang
about how
Jesus has
done
everything.
He's done
everything.
How do
you know?
Friends,
assurance is
the birthright
of every
child of
God.
And it
changes
everything
about how
you live
the Christian
life.
Why is
Paul so
confident in
contrast to
my barber
friend?
Why is
he so
eagerly
expectant
about the
future?
Because the
righteous
verdict that
Christ has
won for
him and
shares with
him and
he knows
by faith
now will
be visibly
declared over
him by
God the
Father when
Christ returns.
The righteous
verdict that we
have now that
we are justified
because of
what Jesus
has done
for us and
that alone
is the
sure proof
of the fact
that it will
be declared
over us in
the end when
Christ returns.
What a day
to have God
declare over
us not
because of a
single thing
that we've
done.
You are
righteous.
You are
justified.
So we can
look confidently
towards that
day knowing
that the
verdict is
coming.
It changes
everything about
your Christian
walk in life.
I was
listening to a
great interview
recently with
a man called
John Lennox.
Three things
about John
Lennox.
Number one,
he's the
emeritus,
professor of
mathematics at
Oxford University.
He's a
Christian and
he's now
81.
So this
interview was
all about how
he is looking
forward to the
future.
What's he
thinking about?
How does he
finish this race
well?
And here's what
he said and I
thought this was
fascinating.
He said that
he looks at so
many of his
peers and his
friends who
are the same
age as him
and about how
they're not
trusting in
Jesus and
how it's
beginning to
dawn on
them that
all the
accolades
that they
have, all
the letters
after their
names, all
the material
possessions that
they have, all
the status and
comfort that
they enjoy is
going to one
day disappear.
And how in
their mindset
it is going
from years
to months
to weeks
to days
and their
whole life
is shrinking
in front of
their eyes.
And he
said in
contrast it
feels like
my life is
the opposite.
It feels
like because
I'm looking
at Jesus,
I'm getting
to know him
every day.
As my mental
faculties fade,
as everything
else goes on
in my life,
my world is
opening up
because I know
what's ahead.
I eagerly
await it,
that righteousness
that God
will declare
on me in
the end.
My life
feels like
it's opening
up.
And do you
know what?
That's exactly
what assurance
does to us.
We can look
ahead confidently
knowing that
assurance is the
rocket fuel of
hope.
Friends,
don't let
legalism steal
your assurance.
Here's the
second thing it
does.
It dilutes
our love.
Have a look
at verse
six,
where Paul
essentially
says,
if I can
spin Shakespeare,
to circumcise
or not to
circumcise,
that is not
the question.
He's saying
whatever route
you go down,
neither have
the ability
to change
a life
because neither
have the power
to truly
transform a
human heart.
That's what
he's saying.
It's not the
issue.
But his
gospel,
Jesus alone,
it does
because the
Holy Spirit
impacts us
in the deepest
places and
in the most
profoundest
of ways.
And how
do you
recognize
a transformed
life?
How can
you tell?
It's that
faith
expresses
itself
in love.
And we're
going to
think a bit
more about
that next
week.
Christ has
saved us
from something
but for
something.
This is how
we're called
to live now,
by loving
each other.
But what
does a
legalistic
mindset
do when
it comes
to how
we relate
to other
people?
Think about
it.
It's about
us earning.
It's about
us doing.
We're no
longer
interested in
serving people.
Actually,
we're interested
in beating
people.
They've not
done what?
They're
associating
with who?
They're
struggling
with that?
I'm
better than
that.
And we
begin to
subtly
promote
ourselves
to the
position
of judge
and jury
or the
flip might
happen.
We look
at people
and it
becomes a
competition.
I'm not
as good
as them.
I need
to live
up to
so-and-so.
I need
to live
for the
approval
of them.
I need
to get
in with
that group.
And you
see what
it does?
Legalism
slowly
begins to
dilute
our love
and neither
of those
things are
us living
in the
freedom
that Jesus
has won
for us.
Whereas
when we
get that
Jesus
has saved
us
by grace
alone
and we
are secure
in that
we will
live a
life of
serving
others
the one
that God
has called
us to.
Faith
expressing
itself
in love.
And the
third thing
that it
does,
legalism,
friends,
it stifles
our joy.
You see
what Paul
says at
verse 8
there?
He wants
the Galatians
to see
that this
persuasion,
this argument
is not
from God.
But notice
what he
calls God
there.
He calls
God the
one who
called
them.
And that
is a
reference
to the
unmerited
favor
of the
God who
wrote our
names in
his book
of life
before the
foundation of
the world.
And who
called us
in time
as he
sent his
son who
died for
our sin,
who rose
again,
he sent
his spirit,
he called
us in
time on
his terms,
not ours.
And the
initiative in
salvation was
all of
God's.
And Paul's
concerned that
the Jesus
plus what
we do
ethic is
going to
work its
way through
their lives.
Do you see
the image
there again
like a bit
of yeast
spreads
through and
eventually
dominates the
entire batch
of dough.
We might
think it's a
little thing,
but you take
this mindset
and it begins
to permeate
everything.
Because
legalism's
default mode
is
tick
box.
if I
do this,
then God
will somehow
be happier
with me
than if I
don't do
this.
Whether
it's
prayer,
whether it's
attendance,
whether it's
serving,
whether it's
even our
Bible reading.
Friends,
they're all
wonderful things,
but if we
think that
by doing
them we
are somehow
earning God's
love or his
favor like he
looks on us
disapprovingly
if we somehow
have a bad
night's sleep
and we
miss it.
Do you
see how
subtly we
can slip
into
legalism's
mindset?
How easy
delight in
the channels
of grace,
the way God
blesses us
and we
receive delight
for our
souls can
drift
into
duty.
You know,
that's one of
my favorite
Bible in a
year plans
that I do.
Many of you
might do
this one
as well
is by
a Scottish
pastor from
years and
years ago
called Robert
Murray
McShane.
He does
this Bible
in a
year
program and
it's a
wonderful thing
to try and
read the
Bible and
get scripture
into our
systems,
but here's
what he
perceived.
You can
read the
quote on
the screen.
Being a
good pastor
of people,
a student
of the
human heart,
is that he
always wrote
this in his
preface to
his much
loved and
used plan.
Do you see
it?
He writes,
some may
find conscience
dragging them
through the
appointed task
without any
relish of the
heavenly food.
If this be the
case with any,
throw aside the
fetter and
feed it liberty
in the sweet
garden of God.
And here's the
line,
my desire is
not to cast
a snare
upon you,
but to be a
helper of your
joy.
Friends,
we come to
God's word
not as a
duty,
but as a
child desperately
needing to
hear the
voice of the
father who
loves us.
And as a
deep sea
diver going
in search
of pearls,
do you see
the difference?
Paul's
telling them
there's more
than one way
to be a
slave.
More than
one way to
be a slave.
And of
course,
if you
think about
it,
it's
exactly the
strapline to
the parable
of the
prodigal
son.
You ever
thought about
that?
Which really
should be
called the
parable of
the seeking
father,
but we'll
run with
it.
The parable
of the
prodigal
son.
You know
the story?
Son number
one, Luke
15, runs
away, parties
hard.
Dad, I want
your money,
not you,
believing that
the good
life is to
be found
away from
the father.
That's one
form of
slavery.
But son
number two,
in that
parable, where
is son number
two the
whole time?
He's at
home.
But son
number one
returns.
He's shown
incredible
grace and
it comes
out of
son number
two, the
words, I've
been slaving
for you this
whole time.
In other
words, I
deserve you
love, I
deserve your
favor because
I've worked
for it.
And in the
sting of the
parable is
that both
sons miss
the father.
father.
It's just
another form
of slavery.
What's the
solution then?
We're going to
think more
about this in
the weeks to
come.
The solution
is not to
just try
really hard,
the opposite
of which is
just try not
really hard.
Neither of
those things
miss it.
To be
completely
secure in
the fact that
Jesus has
done it all
for us,
to be
completely
secure in
who he
is and
his love
for us.
That's what
transforms it.
Paul says
you were
running well,
take no
other view.
It's not
too late
for you to
say no to
legalism and
get back to
reveling in
who Jesus
is and your
unity to
him.
And let
God remind
us in his
word today
as we see
Paul writing
here at
verse
11,
that the
cross will
always be
an offense
to the
world.
Why?
Because it
took the
real death
of the
real Son
of God
on a
real Roman
cross to
deal with
my real
sin.
The cross
declares to
us that we
need a
saviour,
no matter
how good
you think
you are,
no matter
what you
try and
do with
your positive
mindset,
the cross
declares in
history that
you and I
cannot deal
with our
sin on
our own.
And if we
try and do
so outwith of
Jesus, the
wrath of God
remains on
us.
The cross
says no
matter what
you're doing,
no matter how
religious you
feel, you
need a
saviour.
and to
some that
will be the
smell of
death.
There will
have anything
to do with
that, but
to others
do you
see how
the fact
the cross
is the
very place
where we
find forgiveness
in life,
if only we
will humble
ourselves.
So let's
not be
surprised.
I always
find it in my
conversations with
people, you
can talk about
God, everyone's
happy with that,
but you start
talking about
Jesus and
things get a
little bit more
frosty.
And this text
tells you why.
You need a
saviour.
You need a
saviour.
And I think
that's what is
going on, if
you were
hanging in
there for
this, with
the emasculate
language there,
just in case
you're wondering.
Right at the
end there.
Now Paul's
playing on the
circumcision
language clearly.
You're thinking,
has the guy
lost the plot?
Is he just
having an
outburst of
anger,
frustration?
What's going
on here?
I think
there's
something
deeper going
on here.
In line
of that
chain of
thought about
needing a
saviour.
To
emasculate
oneself, to
remove the
male genitals,
would in
effect be
to become a
eunuch.
And the
law stated,
and remember
these guys are
all about the
law, keeping
the law,
the law
stated that a
eunuch was
someone who
was prohibited
from entering
the assembly
of the
Lord.
So to
become a
eunuch, if
they were to
go the
whole hog,
law keepers
that they
are, it
would become
obvious to
them, physically
obvious to
them, and
to everyone
who was
looking on,
that they
were not
inside,
but they
were outside
the presence
of God.
And they
would see
that they
need a
saviour.
So let me
just try and
land this,
friends, just
as we
close.
You know,
just a few
years back,
I remember
Alex and I
had a few
nights away
in North
Queensfield,
just the
other side
of the
bridge.
And for
the first
time in
our life,
we walked
across the
fourth road
bridge.
You ever
done that?
Walked across
the fourth
road bridge a
lot, lot
longer than
I thought
it was going
to be.
I thought
we'd be
there and
back in
an hour.
Boy, was
I wrong.
They've
closed down
that bridge
to cars,
haven't they?
And you
begin to
walk over
it and you
understand why.
Because it's
only open to
lorries now.
And we were
walking along
this bridge and
it was a
really peaceful
experience,
but every so
often a
lorry would
come past.
And it
felt like
the whole
bridge was
shaking.
And we
turned around
thinking there
was this
kind of
horde of
buses that
were coming
at the
back and
we turned
around and
see this
little
minivan.
And all
of a sudden
you realise
why they
felt the
need to
build this
new bridge
for all
the traffic.
And that
new bridge
you'll see
on the
screen is
joined
together by
three big
stone
towers.
And if
you're like
me and
you're geeky,
you go on
the bridges
website,
what you
will read
is that
to get
those towers
in place,
they drilled,
pumped concrete
down underneath
that bridge,
getting those
things in
place,
and it
took them
15 days
of drilling,
of making
sure the
foundations were
right,
because they
knew that
when the
wind comes,
and boy,
does it
come if you
cross that
bridge,
and the
storms come,
and the
ice
gathers,
and when
the waves
batter it,
and as the
traffic rallies
across it,
the bridge is
only going to
be able to
stand against
what comes
against it,
if it's
built on
a solid
foundation.
And this
is our
foundation as
believers.
Justification
by faith
alone.
Jesus has
done it
all.
Foundation.
Grace
alone,
faith
alone,
Christ
alone,
and the
thing is,
all sorts
of things
will come
at us
in life.
I've done
this job
long enough
now,
with some
of you
through the
most horrific
of things.
Illness,
bereavement,
redundancy,
recess,
disappointment,
persecution,
relational
breakdowns,
all of these
things will
come at us.
We're not
promised a
pain-free
life when
we follow
Jesus,
but if we
build our
lives here,
if we
stand firm
on this,
in the
end,
Christ the
solid rock,
friends,
we will
be
standing.
And so
Paul says,
verse 2,
mark my
words,
there's the
warning,
but here's
the imperative,
stand
firm then.
Remember your
foundation,
stand firm
then,
and do
not let
yourselves
be burdened
again
by a
yoke
of slavery.
let me
pray.
And so
Father,
we thank
you so
much today
that we
have your
ear,
we have
your heart,
because we
come to
you in the
name of
Jesus.
And so
Lord, I
pray that as
your word has
gone forth
today,
Father, I
pray that your
spirit would
be bringing
challenge,
would he be
bringing comfort,
would he be
bringing a
greater view
of the
sweetness of
Jesus and
the assurance
that we
now enjoy
and have
in him.
So Father, I
thank you that
your spirit is a
much better
pastor than I
could ever
hope to be.
And so I
pray that he
would be
applying this
truth today
right down
into our
souls,
into the
places where
we need to
hear this.
Thank you,
Lord, that
your word is
a solid
foundation
foundation.
Thank you
that you
tell us
things that
we just
wouldn't
believe are
true if
it weren't
the case,
that you
have spoken
them over
our lives.
And so
Father, we
pray that as
we finish our
time here
today, that
what we've
gazed at this
morning and
what we'll
build towards
as we work
towards the
end of this
letter would
resonate in
our minds
and our
hearts.
Thank you
that in
Jesus we
can say
confidently
that we
are eagerly
awaiting the
future.
Father, thank
you for your
love for us.
we just
commit these
things to
you.
In Jesus'
wonderful name
we pray.
Amen.