The Day of the Lord

I want us to see what God is doing in this passage, and I want us to see what God is doing in this passage, and I want us to see what God is doing in this passage. I want us to see what God is doing in this passage. I want us to see what God is doing in this passage. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Alright, good morning. We are glad to be here to worship this morning. It feels like the last couple weeks, weather-wise, it's been a bit of a roller coaster. From cold to warm to like now, it just seems kind of humid. So, I don't know, but I'm glad to be here and be able to worship with you this morning. In just a moment, after we pray, we'll read some Scripture together. And as we begin to focus our hearts and think about our time together this morning, we're going to be, eventually, in 2 Peter 3, talking about the day of the Lord, the return of Jesus. So, as we read our Scripture together, as we gather in prayer and at the table and open God's Word and spend time in it, we want to tune our hearts and focus our eyes on that.

So, I'm going to pray, and then we're going to stand and read from Isaiah, the second chapter. If you would, let's pray. Father in heaven, give us strength, give us peace, give us patience, give us hope. As we look forward to the day when all things will be made new and be restored, we just ask that as we live our lives, you will direct us in holiness and in godliness and in righteousness, that as we worship this morning, you would encourage us and strengthen us, that you would focus our eyes and our hearts and our actions on you. We ask that you would make the gospel clear and plain, that your truth would be proclaimed, and that you would give us strength. It is in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you would be standing with me, we're going to read just a couple verses, but they are long verses from Isaiah, and so let's read together.

It shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills, and all the nations shall flow to it. And many peoples shall come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." This is the word of the Lord. We're going to start this morning by singing "On That Day."

The Lord is victorious. His kingdom knows no end. Through His resurrection, death has lost its hope. I know on that final day, our eyes as Jesus rose. On that day, we will see You shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will know You as we lift our voices one. Till that day, we will praise You for Your never-ending grace. And we will keep on singing on that glorious day.

God bless you, though now tired and worn. We will spend eternity around our salient thorns. Though we grieve our losses, we grieve not in vain. For we know our crown of glory is beyond the grave. We will see you shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will know you as we lift our voices. One till that day, we will praise you for your never-ending grace. We will keep on singing on that glorious day. Father, what a day it will be. For at home with you, my joy is no need. As I run into your arms open wide, I will see you. My Father who is waiting for me. Hallelujah, what a day it will be. For at home with you, my joy is no need. As I run into your arms open wide, I will see you.

My Father who is waiting for me. My Father who is waiting for me. On that day, we will see you shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will know you as we lift our voices one. Till that day, we will praise you for your never-ending grace. And we will keep on singing on that glorious day. On that day, we will see you shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will know you as we lift our voices one. Till that day, we will praise you for your never-ending grace. And we will keep on singing on that glorious day. And we will keep on singing on that glorious day. Christ is my firm foundation. The rock on which I stand. When everything around me is shaken, I've never seen it before. I've never been more glad that I put my faith in Jesus. 'Cause He's never let me down. He's faithful through generations. So why would He fail now? He won't.

He won't. I've still got joy in chaos. I've got peace that makes no sense. So I won't be going under. I'm not held by my own strength. I've built my life on Jesus. He's never let me down. He's faithful in every season. So why would he fail? He won't. He won't. He won't fail. He won't fail. Rain came, wind blew, but my house was built on you. I'm safe with you. I'm gonna make it through. Rain came, wind blew, but my house was built on you. I'm safe with you. I'm gonna make it through. Yeah, I'm gonna make it through. 'Cause I'm standing strong on you. Oh, I'm gonna make it through. 'Cause my house is built on you. Christ is my firm foundation. The rock on which I stand. When everything around me is shaken. I've never been more glad. But I put my faith in Jesus. 'Cause He's never let me down. He's faithful through Jesus. through generations so why would he fail now he won't he won't he won't fail he won't fail he won't. Amen. Amen. Amen.

In just a moment, we're going to sing a song that is probably familiar to a lot of us. We have not sang it in quite a while, and probably I think most of us are familiar with this hymn. Probably most of us are familiar with the story behind this hymn, but as we prepare to move toward the Lord's Supper, I want to share just a brief bit of the what we are about to sing. And so it was 1873, and a man received a message from his wife who had sailed with her four daughters, their four daughters, to Europe, and he had planned, he'd been delayed on business, and he planned to meet them soon, and the telegram just said, "Saved alone." And so she and the girls, as they were traveling, their ship had endured a terrible collision

and the ship had gone down, and she was the only one in his family that was saved. And this just absolutely horrifying news was sort of the capstone of three really bad years for this family. They lost their son in 1870, and then the Chicago Fire ruined them financially the next year, all before the horror of losing his daughters at sea. on the crossing to meet his wife, writes the words we're about to sing. So we're going to sing it, and let it lead us to the peace that we find in Jesus. When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blessed assurance control.

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, that hath shed his own blood for my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. In all the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul, with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. And more takes the day when the faith shall be sight. The clouds be rolled back as a scroll. The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend. Even so, it is well with my soul. resound and the Lord shall descend even so it is well with my soul it is well

It is well, it is well with my soul It is well, it is well with my soul It is well, it is well with my soul And if you think about what Horatio Spafford experienced as he pens those words, the question is, how does somebody who has experienced the grief and the trauma and the brokenness of loss write these words? He is able to write these words that it is well with his soul because he knew the Jesus that Paul writes about. In Philippians chapter 2, Paul will write this about Jesus, that although he existed in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men. And even being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.

Therefore, God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Lord to the glory of the Father." You see, he knew that Jesus, the Son of God, became a flesh and bones man like us. And he didn't simply become human, but he was an innocent man, and he humbled himself to die a sinner's death on the cross. In fact, he writes about that, that he is my soul. And as we consider his broken body and poured out blood, and realize that the reason we are able to say that it is well with our soul, with our soul, is that Jesus, not in part, but in whole, nailed our debt to the cross, and we bear it no more.

And so even in the midst of his heartbreak, he was able to look forward to the day when his faith would be sight, and to see that grace and hope and joy that is found in Jesus. So I want us to remember in a world full of uncertainty and hurt and loss and chaos, and even in joys and victories, the way that it is well with our soul is through the gospel, through Jesus who knows you, who is with you, who has saved you, and who will deliver you and will guard you until the end. Let's pray. Father, this morning as we partake of the bread, may you remind us of the hope, and that as we sail through the stormy seas of life, that you would remind us that you are in control of all things,

and that even in the midst of our deepest struggles and our hurts and our loss, that there is hope and closeness in you. So remind us of Jesus, encourage us, strengthen us, nourish us in this moment. I ask that you bless this bread and this cup. May we proclaim your son until he comes again. It's in his name we pray. Amen. Jesus, when he had given thanks, took the bread and broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Let's partake together. In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me." For as often, as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

We're going to go ahead and jump into 2 Peter 3. Derek, if you just want to make that screen go clear, because I forgot to take the background off it for the slides for the live stream. So just make it clear, and we'll skip those so that people watching on the live stream are able to see what is happening. I'm going to go ahead and read this Scripture, and then we'll just dive right into it this morning. Peter writes this, "But the day of the Lord was like a thief. And then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,

waiting for and hastening the coming day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and will melt as they burn. But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish and at peace. This is the word of the Lord. Father in heaven, as we come to your word this morning, may you help us to see the reality of the coming of your son. That you will help us to see the reality of judgment and the reality of salvation. That you will instill in us the hope that is found in Jesus through the gospel. May your spirit be at work to give us what we need, whether that is sin, whether it is the strengthening

of our faith, whether it is the correction we are straying or this reassurance of hope. May you be at work in our lives this morning. We thank you for your word. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So, I think it was maybe three, two and a half, three years ago, I had gone to the eye doctor because I realized that when I was trying to read, things were not quite going as easily as it used to. And I was in pretty severe denial that I would ever need any kind of reading glasses on my exam. And they said, "Yeah, it looks like as you're getting older, you're going to need some glasses to help you read a little better." And so when I get uncomfortable, I just tend to make really dumb jokes. And so, the guy said, "Have you progressives?" And I said, "Sir, is there anything about me that says progressives?"

And he laughed, and I laughed, and then I never filled the prescription. And so I went back the next year, and in between, right, I'm in denial about it, but occasionally, like, if somebody leaves their reading glasses, I try them on and try to read. And I said, "You know what? I don't need reading glasses. What I just need is people that have bigger print." So I got a Bible that got bigger print, and then I realized that it made my Bible print bigger, and life was good for a short period. And then, finally, the day came where my pride had been humbled to the point where I finally went and got a new one. I said, "Not only do you need a little bit, you need a little bit more help than your last eye exam," and then I went ahead and bought the glasses.

Put them on, and I went to read and go, "I can all of a sudden see clearly. Maybe they really knew what they were talking about." And as everything comes into focus, it makes it far more easy to see and to understand and makes life easier in a lot of ways. And as Peter brings this little letter, these three chapters to a close, what he is going to be doing is he's bringing into focus for us the return of Jesus. And what we need to understand is that as he brings this into focus for us, is that we need to see this truth clearly, but we also need to see this truth as clearly important. It's not just that we need to see this, but we need to understand the reality of what Peter is saying. And so he's going to begin in this text

talking about the day of the Lord. So I don't know about you, but as I get older, what I have learned is I'm more and more skeptical about new things. And so one of the things that happens on Monday for our families, the girls and I usually go work with horses in the morning, and on the way back we stop by the general store. And as we're getting ready to leave, I'll go over and I'll grab like a Coke out of the fridge to drink on the drive home. Probably not the greatest decision, but it is my decision to make, so I do that. And then, I think it was about Christmas time, I grabbed a Coke, got to the car, opened it up, took a drink, and I was like, "What is this madness?"

And you know they have like all different flavors of Coke? Now you probably did. That particular one was Starlight. They have one that's designed by AI called Y3000. I made the mistake of Googling this, and in this year, 2025, they're going to introduce one. It's called Vanilla Peach Lover, but it's spelled wrong, and then Tropical Vlog. And all I'm thinking about is maybe you've seen this picture of Jesus with the phone going, "Start the rapture." Like, this is where I'm at, right, with this, right? And so I'm skeptical. It's always like, "Hey, try this. It's brand new, and it's great." It's like, "Well, what's wrong with what I've always had?" What I want you to understand as we come to this text this morning, Peter is not telling us something new. He didn't just come up with this and put it out for the church to see and the church to hear about.

He is reiterating something that begins with Jesus, specifically in his words, but runs through the entire Bible, including the Old Testament. So Peter is not telling us something new. He's focusing us on what Jesus has said and what the prophets have prophesied. And he's answering those who scoff at the return of Jesus. Those who, earlier in the chapter he says, they will say, "Where is the promise of his coming?" And so Peter says this, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the works that are done on it will be exposed." And he begins with this sort of strange comparison. He says, "The day of the Lord is going to come like a thief."

And this comparison does not begin with Peter, but it begins with Jesus. Who in Matthew 24 says this, "Therefore stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour you do not expect." And the point that Jesus is making is that his return will be unexpected. Paul picks up that same idea and echoes it in 1 Thessalonians 5. "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. And when people are saying there is peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them,

as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief." And so as Paul uses this picture, he says that it is unexpected, like a thief, but it's not a surprise, right? We don't know when, but for God's people we know that it will happen. And it's not just Jesus who is returning or Paul who writes this, but throughout the Old Testament, this phrase, the day of the Lord, is written throughout its pages. We read a little bit of that picture this morning as we began our service. Let me just show you a couple more. In Joel, which Peter quotes in his very first sermon, in the book of Acts, he says this, Joel, speaking on behalf of God, says, "I will show wonders in the heavens

and on the earth blood and fire and columns of smoke, and the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon shall be turned to blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes." And then in Zephaniah, there is this very large list beginning in Zephaniah 1:14, and it focuses very much on the judgment, on cries and wrath and distress and ruin and devastation for those who have sinned against the Lord." And Zephaniah says this, "Neither their silver nor gold shall be able to save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord and the fire of his jealousy, and all the earth shall be consumed. For full and a sudden end he shall make of all inhabitants on the earth, and the point that is being made in Zephaniah is that you and I have a tendency to hope in all

of these other things." And at the end those other things end up not being nearly as hopeful as we had imagined. Malachi talks about his day coming like a refiner, a refiner's fire, and in Malachi 4 he says this, "For behold the day is coming burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and the evildoers will be stubble. And the day is coming that shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the Son of Righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings, and you shall go out leaping like calves from the stall." There are three things I want you to see about the day of the Lord as Peter writes this. Not just saying this is new, but calling back to the Old Testament prophets, to Jesus, the Son of God, to the

Apostle Paul, who he talks about in just a few minutes. And he says, first of all, the day of the Lord is unexpected. You can't put a clock on it. You can't mark it on a calendar. It will be unexpected. Secondly, it will be judgment for the unrighteous and salvation for God's people. In fact, you get a glimpse of that in that last part of Malachi, and I love that picture so much, because there's not much that's more adorable than little baby animals, especially in the springtime, right? And you see them sort of bouncing through the field. We had a baby goat a couple years ago. Some of you remember, we brought him to church one day. And one of my favorite things is him just sort of bouncing down the halls, little hooves clip-clopping.

This picture of sort of unrestrained joy, right? We're not very good at unrestrained joy. Some of these baby animals and their frolicking are. And what Malachi says is that God's people, in the unexpected day of the Lord, will frolic with joy. That there is both judgment, but there is salvation. For God's people, the day of the Lord, as we hear these words, right, it should lead us to hope and to joy, right? There is a time that is coming when the Lord will return, and He's going to bring judgment on the unrighteous, but He's going to gather His people into a new and righteous kingdom. And the wording is intense, and it can be a bit scary. There's fire. There's melting. It's dissolved. It's burned out and burned up. But what we see in that, for the righteous, this is a

restoration of the way things should be. Because our world cries out in brokenness. Not just us, but our world. Paul writes this: "Creation was subject to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope that creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption, and to obtain the freedom and glory of the children of God." And it's not just our world that testifies to the groaning of brokenness, but we do, too. Paul actually continues: "For we know the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." And we find this groaning. Oftentimes, maybe we don't express it in our words, but we have this

deep sense that things aren't right. And sometimes it's a general, sort of a general sense. We look at the world, and we see all of the hurt, and we see all of the sin, and we see all of the conflict, and the hatred, and the words being thrown back, and we say this world is broken. But the reality is, we don't just see it. We feel it, right? We felt this brokenness in the depths of our soul, and in the depths of our being, and suffering, and sickness, and in broken relationships, and in broken hearts, and the sins that have been committed against us, and the sins we have committed against others, and our hearts cry out for something better. And so, this picture that Paul paints, or Peter paints, as both judgment on sin is also a picture of restoration, and

renewal, and cleansing. In fact, if you listen to John's description of this in Revelation chapter 21, I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and he will dwell with them, and he will be their people, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He shall wipe away every tear in their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away." And in the very next verse, Jesus speaks. "And he who is seated on the throne," said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And he said, "Write this down for thee." So as we consider the day of the Lord, I want us to see, first of all, that this is

not something new that Peter is writing Scripture in its entirety to both the day of the Lord, to the judgment of the unrighteous, and to the salvation of God's people. This is important, can and cannot be ignored. And so the question is, how shall we live in light of the day of the Lord? Another way of saying that might be, what do we do with this information? Yes, that Jesus will return, and there will be judgment, and there will be salvation. What do we do with this? In fact, that's the question that Peter asked. Look at verse 11 in chapter 3. "Since all these things are to be thus dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness?" And the question is not if this will happen, but when this will happen, and how do we live in light

of Christ's return? And I think, first of all, we must clearly, truly, and honestly evaluate our hearts. I want you to set aside the coming day of the Lord for just a moment and just think, in general, about how we think about the future. Maybe in simple terms, like the weather. We talked about it a lot this morning. We went from cold to spring to humidity to cold to rain to wind. So what do we do if we're getting ready to do something outside? We go, "Well, what's the weather going to be like? I need to get a coat." Or, "I don't need a coat. It's going to be 90 degrees. Maybe I should wear some shorts." And with the rain and the humidity, when you're going out to the field with the horses, probably don't wear flip-flops in the mud, right? Like we use our thoughts about the future to prepare for it.

In simple things, like what clothes to wear and what shoes to wear, and should I bring a jacket? And we do it in bigger ways, too. So how should we live in light of this greatest reality that Jesus is returning? If I look at the small areas of life and consider the future, why should I not do the same spiritually? Jesus is coming back, and that changes things. The reality of His coming. And there must be, for God's people, an evaluation of how we're living. In fact, that's what Peter says. He says, "How, then, shall we live in godliness and in righteousness?" And what he's saying, it's not a choice of how to live for God's people. It has been laid out how we are to live. And what's interesting, because he is seeking to strengthen the church who is under attack, both physically and spiritually, he's also seeking to call those

false teachers to repentance while at the same time defending the church from all of this. And he calls the church to say, "How are you living?" "How shall we live in the light of the return of Jesus?" The second thing is, "How will we build?" Or maybe this, "What will we build?" You see, every single one of us is builders. Like, we all want to build something. Every single one of us in the depths of our heart is seeking something that lasts. We feel the reality of change and the reality of the temporary, and we're seeking a future. And so sometimes we want to build into creating something, or making something, or owning something, or accomplishing something. We build with gathering. The reality is there is only one thing that truly lasts. And that doesn't mean all of those other things we do are bad.

However, there's two problems with all of the things we try to build and acquire and accomplish. And the problem is, number one, is that they're not strong enough to support our soul. That if all of our joy and hope is rested on these things, they are not strong enough to carry the weight. They will collapse and leave us broken and disappointed. And so Peter says this in verse 11, "Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be?" And he says the thing that we are called to build is holiness and godliness, that this ultimately is what lasts. And so for a moment this morning, I want you to evaluate with me. There's a memory, and I've shared with some of you this before, there's a memory that sticks very, very deeply in my mind.

And it's a little bit ridiculous that it does because it was not a big deal, but it was a morning, and it was pretty early and everything was going well. It was one of those days that seem so rare where everything is on track, everything is on schedule, everything is going according to plan. And as part of my plan, I had run out to get coffee for myself and Rachel, and this was a bunch of years ago. And I still remember that moment when I get out of the car with my coffee and her coffee, and I'm just looking forward to sitting. I don't have to rush. I'm not behind schedule. Just sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee. And as I get out of the car, my coffee goes slipping through my hands. And my day changed. All of it in that moment. And you may go, "Well, that's a dumb thing to be upset about."

What was the problem? I had put all my hope that my day was going to be so good because I get to start this peaceful, non-rushed, non-hurried, good cup of coffee. Now, there may have been some deeper emotional things going on underneath of all of that, but I still remember watching my coffee fall to the ground and going, "Everything's broken. Today's ruined." The reality is, that's everything that we put our hope in other than Jesus. Not that those things are bad, but when we put our hope in them, and they slip through our fingers and fall to the ground, and we find ourselves broken. It's a picture of everything in life. Things get worn out. Things get used up. Things get taken away. Maybe you change, and the thing that you used to love doesn't bring you joy anymore.

The thing that you used to set your desires on and said, "This will make me happy," you acquire it, and you find yourself still empty and still seeking. The things we thought that would be hopeful aren't. Right? Look at our world and see the changes that have happened. See the brokenness that surrounds us. Ask yourself, "What can I truly depend on?" And then hear these words, "But according to the promise, we are waiting for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot and blemish and at peace." Right? There's a call to hope in these words. That there is a day that Jesus will return and make things right and bring us to a place where righteousness dwells and that there is peace and there is not that feeling of brokenness and loss and disappointment and struggle.

And maybe you hear these words and you say, "How can I be found by Him without spot or blemish?" Listen to what Jesus says at the beginning, the very beginning of this letter, "The divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises so that through them you might become partakers in the divine nature, have escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire." And as Peter begins this letter, and he starts by addressing it to those who have a precious faith, he says know that Jesus has called you, Jesus has transformed you, Jesus is growing you, Jesus is encouraging you, and as you walk through the brokenness of this world, there will be all kinds of things that grab your

attention and seek to pull you in one way or another, but do not lose sight of the fact that it is Jesus. Both what he has done for you, what he is doing through you, and that he has promised to bring you into this kingdom of righteousness. That there is reconciliation, there is hope, and there is hope with God. I encourage you to renew your hope and to fix your eyes upon Jesus, to set aside all those other things that we are trying to build a foundation upon. And we will run to our Savior. And if you are not a Christian, Peter is clear. The reality of this world is that there is judgment for sin and salvation, for righteousness. And that righteousness is found through Christ and through Christ alone. So Peter isn't writing, maybe you've experienced that, hearing that, sort of the hellfire and brimstone. Peter is writing, yes, about fire and destruction, but he's not doing it to try to beat you,

or to hurt you, or to discourage you, but rather to say, "Here is Jesus, who has taken your sin at the cross and has paid the price. He died in your place. He rose for your victory, and he went back to bring you home." And as you stand here, he's saying, "Run to Jesus." Run to the one who comes, that precious one who transforms, and who calls, and who strengthens and changes. Let's pray. Father, may You cause us to cling more closely to Jesus than in a world that tends to pull us in a million different directions that You would hold us so very close. You would call us to repentance and You would call us to righteousness. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We're going to stand and we are going to sing "I Set My Hope on Jesus."

I set my hope on Jesus. When the questions come and doubts remain. I set my hope on Jesus. For the deepest wounds the time won't heal. There's a joy that runs still deeper. There's a truth that's more than all I feel. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My rock, my only trust. Who set His heart upon me first? I set my hope on Jesus. Though I falter in this war with sin, I set my hope on Jesus. When I feel the fight and sink within, I set my hope on Jesus. Though the shame would drown me in its sea, and I drain the wave of justice. I will cast my life on Calvary. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My God, my only trust. You set His heart

upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. Though the world call me to leave my Lord, I set my hope on Jesus. Though it are for all its pain, I set my hope on Jesus. Though this heart of my trade, give me grace in our village, till I worship on that final day. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My God, my only trust. You set His heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My God, my only trust. You set His heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus.

I'm thankful that you are here with us this morning. We'd also like to invite you to stay for lunch. We've got some food downstairs. Oh, it must be set to repeat when I added that song. So, we can't have one day go by without some kind of technological struggle. I can invite you to stay for lunch. We've got some food downstairs. I think we're just about ready. We just kind of need to take a moment to get it all put out. So, what I'm going to do is rather than waiting for everything to be all ready and to wait for everybody to get down there, we're going to go ahead and pray for our meal now, and then we'll go ahead and get set up and go ahead and partake in some food together. So, I'm going to go ahead and pray. We'll read a verse of Scripture, and then we will sing the doxology.

Father in heaven, I thank you for your people. I thank you for how you nourish us, both physically and spiritually. And so, I ask that this meal that we're about to share together would be something that brings nourishment both to our bodies but also to our souls. We're thankful for your people. We're thankful for your grace. We're thankful for what you have done for us. We thank you for this food that we're about to share together. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We begin this morning in Isaiah chapter 2 with this picture of the Lord coming and establishing this house. The end of this picture is this in Isaiah chapter 2 verse 5: "O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord."

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.