1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:29,980 Let's pray. 2 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:59,980 Let's pray. 3 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:17,000 Let's pray. 4 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,000 Amen. 5 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,000 Amen. 6 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,000 Amen. 7 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:36,500 Worship leader. He's ready for it. Yeah. All right. Good morning. We're going to get started. He's our translator. 8 00:09:41,000 --> 00:10:09,000 All right. We're going to be reading together out of Psalm 100. Martin Luther wrote this about that psalm. The 100th psalm is a prophecy of Christ to the entire world, to be joyful, to praise, and give thanks, that is to worship God and come to his throne and his courts, and to call on him with all confidence, an eternal kingdom, which truly remains forever and ever. 9 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:28,000 So we're going to go ahead and stand, and we're going to read this psalm together, and hopefully we're able to do what Martin Luther says, have joy, praise, give thanks, and worship God as we come to him and call on him and worship him together. 10 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:37,000 And we're going to do the whole psalm, and we're going to start with verse 1. It says, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth. 11 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:49,000 Serve the Lord with gladness. Come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord, he is God. It is he who made us, and we are his. 12 00:10:49,000 --> 00:11:02,000 We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him. Bless his name. 13 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:13,000 For the Lord is good. His steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations. This is the word of the Lord. 14 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:23,000 Let's pray. God, we thank you for the opportunity to gather here today and to worship you and to celebrate you and to find joy 15 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:32,000 even in the midst of hardships and trials that we can come together and be encouraged as we glorify you. 16 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:37,000 Thank you. We would thank you for those that are watching online and the encouragement they also are to us. 17 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:48,000 And we ask that you be with our service today. Be with Brandon as he brings the sermon and just allow everything we do here today to glorify you. In Jesus name. Amen. 18 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:53,000 All right. So we're going to get started today by singing "The Battle Belongs." 19 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:24,000 When all I see is the battle, you see my victory. When all I see is the mountain, you see a mountain moved. 20 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:46,000 And as I walk through the shadow, your love surrounds me. There's nothing to fear now, for I'm safe with you. 21 00:12:46,000 --> 00:13:14,000 So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. And every fear I lay at your feet, I'll sing through the night. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. 22 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:26,000 And if you are for me, who can be against me? For Jesus, there's nothing impossible for you. When all I see are the ashes, you see the beauty. 23 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:45,000 And if you are for me, who can be against me? For Jesus, there's nothing impossible for you. When all I see are the ashes, you see the beauty. 24 00:13:46,000 --> 00:14:15,000 When all I see is a cross, God, you see the empty tomb. So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. And every fear I lay at you. 25 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:25,000 Lay at your feet. I'll sing through the night. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. 26 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:44,000 Almighty fortress, you go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. You shine in the shadow. You win every battle. 27 00:14:44,000 --> 00:15:13,000 Nothing can stand against the power of our God. Almighty fortress, you go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. You shine in the shadow. You win every battle. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. 28 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:42,000 So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees, my hands lifted high. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. Every field I lay at your feet, I'll sing through the night. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. 29 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:49,000 Oh God, the battle belongs to you. 30 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:22,000 And then we will be muted here, but there will be a video playing during our time here. And so once we're done, we'll come back and we'll continue on the rest of our service. 31 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:38,000 And also, just a reminder, we have journals and pens in the back if you'd like to get one for a prayer journal, just to write down what people are asking for prayer for here, just as an encouragement and a reminder for the week of how we can pray for one another. 32 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,000 All right, we're going to sing "Glorious Day." 33 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:48,000 Maybe, maybe not. 34 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,000 It's not going to work. 35 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:54,000 There we go. 36 00:16:54,000 --> 00:17:04,000 I was buried beneath 37 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,000 my shame 38 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,000 Who could carry 39 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,000 that kind 40 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,000 of weight 41 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,000 It was my turn 42 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,000 till I met you 43 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:28,000 I was breathing but 44 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,000 not 45 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,000 alive 46 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,000 all my failures 47 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,000 I tried 48 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:40,000 to hide 49 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,000 it was my turn 50 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,000 till I met you 51 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:52,000 you called my name 52 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,000 and I ran out of that grave 53 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:00,000 out of the 54 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,000 darkness 55 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,000 into your glorious day 56 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:10,000 you called my name 57 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:14,000 and I ran out of that grave 58 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:18,000 out of the darkness 59 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:22,000 into your glorious day 60 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,000 now your mercy 61 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,000 has saved 62 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,000 my soul 63 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,000 now your freedom 64 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,000 is all 65 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,000 that I know 66 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,000 the old day knew 67 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,000 Jesus when I met you 68 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:58,000 you called my name 69 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,000 and I ran out of that grave 70 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,000 out of the darkness 71 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:10,000 into your glorious day 72 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,000 you called my name 73 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,000 and I ran out of that grave 74 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:22,000 out of the darkness 75 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:26,000 into your glorious day 76 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:36,000 I need your rescue 77 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,000 my sin was heavy 78 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,000 chains break 79 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,000 at the weight of your glory 80 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,000 I needed shelter 81 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,000 I was an orphan 82 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,000 now you call me 83 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,000 a citizen of heaven 84 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,000 when I was broken 85 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:56,000 you were my healing 86 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:00,000 now your love is the air that I'm breathing 87 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,000 I have a future 88 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,000 my eyes are open 89 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:08,000 cause when you called my name 90 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,000 I ran out of the grave 91 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,000 out of the darkness 92 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:20,000 into your glorious day 93 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:26,000 you called my name 94 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:30,000 I ran out of that grave 95 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:34,000 out of the darkness 96 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:38,000 to your glorious day 97 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,000 you 98 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,000 Let's pray. 99 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,000 Let's pray. 100 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,000 Let's pray. 101 00:26:50,000 --> 00:27:18,000 Okay. Thanks, Russell. And we're going to be moving into our time of communion and singing together, "Never Once." 102 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:49,980 Standing on this mountaintop, looking just how far we'd come, knowing that for every step you were with us. Kneeling on this battleground, 103 00:27:49,980 --> 00:28:19,960 seeing just how much you've done, knowing every victory, it's your power in us. Scars and struggles on the way, but with joy our hearts can't save. Yes, our hearts can save. 104 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:34,960 Never once did you leave us on our own. You are faithful, God, you are faithful. 105 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:49,940 Kneeling on this battleground, seeing just how much you've done, knowing every victory, it's your power in us. 106 00:28:49,940 --> 00:29:02,940 Stroubles all known, but with joy our hearts can say, yes, our hearts can say. 107 00:29:02,940 --> 00:29:19,920 Never once did we ever walk alone. Never once did you leave us on our own. You are faithful, 108 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:31,920 God, you are faithful. You are faithful. God, you are faithful. 109 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:49,900 Skies and struggles on the way, but with joy our hearts can say. Never once did we ever walk alone. Carried by your constant race, 110 00:29:49,900 --> 00:30:19,880 in your perfect peace. Never once, though we never walk alone. Never once did we ever walk alone. Never once did you leave us on our own. 111 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:49,860 You are faithful. Every step we are breathing in your grace. Evermore we'll be breathing out your praise. You are faithful, God. You are faithful. You are faithful, God. You are faithful. 112 00:30:49,860 --> 00:31:19,840 You are faithful, God. You are faithful. You are faithful, God. You are faithful. 113 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:49,820 One of the things that has helped me frequently when it comes to prayer is looking at how God's people pray throughout Scripture and to see their prayers and hear their prayers. 114 00:31:49,820 --> 00:32:19,800 The 20th chapter. Jehoshaphat is king of Israel, and he has a massive army composed of several nations heading toward Jerusalem. And most of us in that situation, maybe we would look for a diplomatic solution, or we would try to come up with some allies, or we would prepare for a siege. We would spring into some sort of action. 115 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:38,800 In a very instructional way for us, is he gathers God's people together for worship, and he prays. And I just want to share just the end of his prayer in 2 Chronicles 20:12. It just simply says this: 116 00:32:49,780 --> 00:32:59,780 "We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you." And it's that last phrase that I think has been most helpful for me, where he just simply says, 117 00:32:59,780 --> 00:33:08,780 "Look, there is this giant army. They're big. We're small. We're aware of the greatness of our problems and the smallness of our strength. And so here's the thing: 118 00:33:08,780 --> 00:33:19,760 We don't know what we're going to do, but we are going to fix our eyes on you." And as Christians, we hear that and we say that is a wonderful sentiment, but the 119 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:33,760 problem is it's difficult for us to do, right? Because sometimes we fix our eyes on our struggles or our needs or our wants, and I think probably most frequently of all, we fix our eyes on ourself. 120 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:49,740 And for us, it is a constant struggle to put our eyes onto God. In fact, you see it throughout Scripture. In the book of Judges, God's people saved by God time and time again, and over time they would drift away 121 00:33:49,740 --> 00:34:00,740 and their eyes would fix on something else, and they would essentially run from God. The book of Hebrews, time and time again, we'll say, make sure that we are paying much closer attention, that we do not drift away. 122 00:34:00,740 --> 00:34:19,720 In fact, chapter 12 begins with fixing our eyes on Jesus. And so for us, this idea of putting our eyes onto the salvation of our God is an ongoing battle and an ongoing fight for us as Christians. One of the ways in which we 123 00:34:19,720 --> 00:34:49,700 fight in this battle of distraction and worry and struggle is to fix our eyes on the grace of God by gathering together around this table. By breaking this little piece of bread and by drinking this cup to remind ourselves and to see the goodness of God in how he does save, and how he loves, and how he helps us, and how he strengthens us, and how he promises us a future. So what I want to encourage us to do this morning 124 00:34:49,700 --> 00:35:00,700 as we partake, I'm going to read from Matthew here in just a moment, but I want to encourage us to use this time to fix our eyes on Jesus. So I'm going to pray, and then we'll read together and partake. 125 00:35:00,700 --> 00:35:19,680 Father in heaven, in a world filled with distractions and busyness and worry and fear and anxiety and struggle, I just ask that you would help us to set those things aside, not just in this moment, but as we leave, 126 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:42,680 and as we go through the activities of this week, that we would continually keep our eyes on you, that we would focus on your grace, your goodness, the good news that your son came and died in our place for us, and as he rose again and is victorious over all of our enemies, that we would live out the hope that is promised and realized at the cross. 127 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:49,660 So be with us as we partake this morning. Strengthen us, nourish us, and help us. It's in Jesus' name we pray. 128 00:35:49,660 --> 00:35:50,660 Amen. 129 00:35:50,660 --> 00:36:05,660 So Jesus, as Matthew recounts the Passover that he celebrates with his disciples, he'll say, "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body." 130 00:36:05,660 --> 00:36:19,640 And then he had took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness 131 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:21,640 of sins." 132 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:49,620 This morning's reading is from Acts 20, and one of the very cool and exciting 133 00:36:49,620 --> 00:37:19,600 incidences of the timing of this message that Brandon is going to preach on these verses is we have just gone through Easter, and Jesus has gone into Jerusalem. He has been tried and murdered, and then he has risen again from the dead. And one of the people that would have been around on the opposite team of what we would call Christians was Paul. 134 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:49,580 Every time we see him in Acts, he's approving of the death of one of the first Christian martyrs. And in this passage, we see Paul going to Jerusalem with funds from the International Church that he helped found and spread. And it's quite an extraordinary irony that that journey to Jerusalem will lead him to one of the most powerful people in the ancient world. 135 00:37:49,580 --> 00:38:19,560 And it says in verse 17, "Now from Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them, 'You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me 136 00:38:19,560 --> 00:38:49,540 through the plots of the Jews, how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, 137 00:38:49,540 --> 00:39:19,520 knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and affliction await me. But I do not count my life of any value, nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, 138 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:49,500 I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see me again. Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made 139 00:39:49,500 --> 00:40:19,480 you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure, fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. And from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be alert, remembering that for three years I did not 140 00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:49,460 cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. And now I command you to God and to the word of his grace, which he is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I covered no one, I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands minister 141 00:40:49,460 --> 00:41:19,440 to my necessities and to those who are with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way, we must help the weak and remember the work of the Lord Jesus. How he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." And when Paul had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part 142 00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:38,440 of all that embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied Paul to the ship. This is the word of the Lord. 143 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:49,420 All right, let's pray and dive right into it this morning. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for this account of 144 00:41:49,420 --> 00:42:19,400 Paul's journey to Jerusalem. Thank you for how we see the gospel transforms from the one who sought to destroy your church to one who sought to protect it and to build it up and help us to see that the gospel changes us. And this morning I ask that you would, in the midst of the uncertainty of life and the struggles that all of us face, I just ask that you would encourage us and help us, encourage us with Paul's encouragement to the Ephesian elders and to the 145 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:25,400 Ephesian church and help us to see your goodness this morning. It is in Jesus' name that I pray. Amen. 146 00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:49,380 So one of the things that kind of came as a surprise to me about having children was the amount of stuff that you have to have when you travel somewhere. So a few years ago we were going camping, and so we got all the main camping stuff loaded into the car, and then we got the, you know, the kind of the daily needs stuff so we could 147 00:42:49,380 --> 00:42:58,380 added the food and all the kids' clothes, and it's like, well, looks like we have a choice. We can take the stuff, or we can take the children. 148 00:42:58,380 --> 00:43:10,380 And that was before the children even came out with all of their worldly possessions in the backpack that they had to take camping. And it was just overwhelming, the amount of things that had to fit into our car. 149 00:43:10,380 --> 00:43:19,360 In fact, Rachel was just like, "Let me do it," because I was getting grumpy and frustrated, and to be honest, she is far better. She must be a better Tetris car. 150 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:32,360 And getting everything to fit into the car in a proper manner. But we got it all in. And when I come to this text this morning, this lengthy passage, all sort of one speech by Paul. 151 00:43:32,360 --> 00:43:44,360 In fact, it's his sort of last major speech that is not a defense before a political authority in the book of Acts. In this speech, there is so much stuffed into here. 152 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:53,360 It kind of reminds me of that car where you're trying to fit everything that you're ever going to need into that car so you have all of the future situations covered. 153 00:43:53,360 --> 00:44:06,360 And what Paul is doing as he says goodbye to the Ephesian elders and, by extension, to the Ephesian church, is he's trying to cram everything into these last few words. 154 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:14,360 So when we have our last words, we try to give them sort of that greatest weight, the most important part. 155 00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:21,360 So there's a lot happening in these verses, and that can cause us, I think, to struggle with this text. 156 00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:31,360 And so I want to share with you before we dive into the verse we're going to take a look at this morning, some of the struggles that we sort of have when we come to texts like this. 157 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:37,360 And the first struggle is, and you may or may not feel this way. I've heard people say this. I've read people who say this. 158 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:48,360 They hear Paul's words, and they immediately assume that Paul is sort of patting himself on the back and just being a little proud of what he's accomplished. 159 00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:58,360 In fact, listen to these verses, these three verses beginning in verse 19, where he says, "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 160 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:05,360 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials. And what happened to me through the plots of the Jews? 161 00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:11,360 How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable and teaching you in public and in house to house, 162 00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:18,360 testifying to both Jews and the Greeks of repentance toward God and our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." 163 00:45:18,360 --> 00:45:27,360 So think about if we heard somebody maybe say something similar like that today, where they say, "Well, you know how humble I really am." 164 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:33,360 And we would say, "Most humble people don't brag about their humility." 165 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:37,360 You know, it's the old song, you know, "It's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way." 166 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:40,360 You know, "I look in the mirror, I get better looking each day." 167 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:47,360 And it can seem on the surface that Paul is sort of, as he unpacks his history with the Ephesian church, 168 00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:56,360 he's sort of saying, "You all remember how great of a job I did while I was with you for those three years." 169 00:45:56,360 --> 00:46:03,360 And so when he shares about his ministry, there can get a sense that he's maybe being a little bit proud. 170 00:46:03,360 --> 00:46:09,360 And not the pride where we have that warm feeling and we've accomplished something and we're joyful over it, 171 00:46:09,360 --> 00:46:12,360 but rather that pride that says, "Kind of, look at me." 172 00:46:12,360 --> 00:46:16,360 And that's not what Paul is doing in this text. 173 00:46:16,360 --> 00:46:20,360 He's not sort of patting himself on the back for the Ephesian elders. 174 00:46:20,360 --> 00:46:25,360 And to understand sort of what Paul is doing when he recounts his history, 175 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:29,360 you have to understand a little bit of what is going on in Ephesus, right? 176 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:36,360 He's seeking to accomplish these words. These are Paul's last direct words to people from this church, 177 00:46:36,360 --> 00:46:39,360 and each of the words in this text has a purpose. 178 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:46,360 And one of the purposes of these words is to defend his ministry from false teachers. 179 00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:52,360 What you find is this whole region that Paul has been traveling through for the past several years, 180 00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:57,360 there has been conflict after conflict. In fact, he alludes to it in verse 19 181 00:46:57,360 --> 00:47:02,360 where he talks about the plots of the Jews. He'll talk about it in Ephesians chapter 5, 182 00:47:02,360 --> 00:47:06,360 a letter that he writes at a later date to the church about how there are false teachers coming in, 183 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:09,360 singing to sort of tear people in the church away. 184 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:13,360 Jesus himself in Revelation, the second chapter, will say this, 185 00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:17,360 "I know your work, your toil, and your patient endurance, 186 00:47:17,360 --> 00:47:20,360 and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, 187 00:47:20,360 --> 00:47:25,360 but tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them false." 188 00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:29,360 So even like 50 years later, the church is still struggling 189 00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:34,360 with those who would come into the church and try to distract and pull them away. 190 00:47:34,360 --> 00:47:38,360 And what Paul is doing, in fact, he's going to warn them very specifically 191 00:47:38,360 --> 00:47:43,360 about these ravenous wolves in a minute, but what he's doing here is he's setting a foundation. 192 00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:47,360 Because what happens, and we see this all the time today, 193 00:47:47,360 --> 00:47:52,360 that if you can't attack somebody's message, what do you do? 194 00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:54,360 You attack the character of the person. 195 00:47:54,360 --> 00:48:01,360 And you say, "Don't listen to their message because their character is terrible." 196 00:48:01,360 --> 00:48:04,360 And in fact, that's what many of Paul's opponents would do. 197 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:07,360 Finally, they couldn't stand up to Paul's message. 198 00:48:07,360 --> 00:48:10,360 They would seek to attack Paul's character. 199 00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:13,360 So for example, in 1 Thessalonians, the second chapter, 200 00:48:13,360 --> 00:48:18,360 he has to devote an entire chapter to defending his character, 201 00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:20,360 where people say, "Paul came to do this for power. 202 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:24,360 He came to do it for greed. He came to steal the money from the church." 203 00:48:24,360 --> 00:48:29,360 And so what Paul is doing here, as he talks about how he ministered in Ephesus, 204 00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:38,360 he's saying, "Let my character that you saw and you encountered for three years be the credentialing of my message." 205 00:48:38,360 --> 00:48:43,360 May it be the confirmation. You remember how I didn't come proudly, how I didn't take money, 206 00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:48,360 how I served, how I wept over the church, how I went to both Jews and Greeks. 207 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:52,360 He's not patting himself on the back, but he's answering these false accusations 208 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:58,360 from people outside the church seeking to discredit Paul. 209 00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:07,360 He's saying to them, "Evaluate my message in the light of my actions." 210 00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:13,360 Paul, in doing this, is also directing the church to the strength underneath his actions. 211 00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:19,360 In verse 20, he'll say, "But I do not account my life of any value or as precious to me, 212 00:49:19,360 --> 00:49:24,360 only that I may finish my course in the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, 213 00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:29,360 to testify to the gospel of grace." And Paul says, "At the end of the day, it's not about me, 214 00:49:29,360 --> 00:49:36,360 it's not about my life, it's not about my accomplishments, it's about the grace of Jesus." 215 00:49:36,360 --> 00:49:41,360 In 1 Corinthians 15, he'll say it this way, "By the grace of God, I am what I am, 216 00:49:41,360 --> 00:49:46,360 and of His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them." 217 00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:51,360 And then look what he says, "Not I, but the grace of God that was with me." 218 00:49:51,360 --> 00:49:57,360 And he'll say, "I worked so hard, but it wasn't about me. It was God who was at work to encourage, 219 00:49:57,360 --> 00:50:05,360 to strengthen, and to help me." And so Paul is defending his ministry. He's pointing them to the grace of God 220 00:50:05,360 --> 00:50:12,360 that underlies his ministry, that allowed him to work, and to struggle, and to suffer, and to have grace. 221 00:50:12,360 --> 00:50:17,360 He's also giving them a visible example of what it means to live as a Christian. In verse 35, he'll say this, 222 00:50:17,360 --> 00:50:23,360 "In all these things I have shown you, that by working hard in this way, we must help the weak, 223 00:50:23,360 --> 00:50:28,360 remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said it is more blessed to give than to receive." 224 00:50:28,360 --> 00:50:34,360 And Paul says, "I also wanted to serve as an example to you." So that when you're struggling in the church, 225 00:50:34,360 --> 00:50:38,360 you're saying, "How do we deal with, for example, in this case, possessions and the needs of the church?" 226 00:50:38,360 --> 00:50:45,360 He says, "Look at how I lived." That sometimes you and I, we work better and we learn better with an example 227 00:50:45,360 --> 00:50:51,360 than we learn by somebody simply giving us words. The second struggle I think we have with this text 228 00:50:51,360 --> 00:50:57,360 is that it can be hard for us to connect with it. And I don't think this is a problem with the text, 229 00:50:57,360 --> 00:51:03,360 but rather a problem with ourselves, right? We have a tendency when we approach places in Scripture 230 00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:12,360 like this to view it as a textbook rather than what it really is, which is this emotionally laden account 231 00:51:12,360 --> 00:51:18,360 with Paul and a church that loves him and he loves them. And what you find is that this is a 232 00:51:18,360 --> 00:51:25,360 deeply emotional and powerful message that he is bringing. You see, goodbyes can be difficult, right? 233 00:51:25,360 --> 00:51:32,360 We struggle with goodbyes now, right? We have to say goodbye to someone just temporarily. I think about it 234 00:51:32,360 --> 00:51:37,360 every time our kids and their friends leave, and it doesn't matter that maybe they live right down 235 00:51:37,360 --> 00:51:43,360 the street or we see them like every other day, there's still oftentimes a sadness in that goodbye. 236 00:51:43,360 --> 00:51:48,360 And Paul's goodbye here is not a small goodbye. What has he said to them? He said, "You're never going to see 237 00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:57,360 my face again." These words are carrying with them a depth of emotion. Listen to what it says in verse 37. 238 00:51:57,360 --> 00:52:01,360 "And there was much weeping on the part of all. They embraced Paul and kissed him." 239 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:06,360 Being sorrowful, most of all, because of the word they had spoken, they would not see his face again, 240 00:52:06,360 --> 00:52:12,360 and they accompanied him to the ship. And so sometimes we struggle with Paul's words. 241 00:52:12,360 --> 00:52:18,360 Sometimes we connect emotionally with this text. Sometimes we struggle to see how it applies to us, 242 00:52:18,360 --> 00:52:22,360 because we might say, "Well, I'm not an Ephesian. I'm not an elder in the church." 243 00:52:22,360 --> 00:52:30,360 What do Paul's words have to say to us? What we'll see is that they are rich in hope and guidance 244 00:52:30,360 --> 00:52:39,360 for the entire church. The third thing that I think is a little overwhelming about this text 245 00:52:39,360 --> 00:52:43,360 is the massive amount of information that is contained within. 246 00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:47,360 So what he's going to do, first of all, Paul's going to take the three years of his ministry 247 00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:52,360 and summarize it in like two verses. He's going to talk about how he ministered, right? 248 00:52:52,360 --> 00:52:56,360 He ministered with humility, with tears, with trials, with not shrinking back. 249 00:52:56,360 --> 00:53:02,360 He's going to talk about what he ministered, right? "I declared, I taught, I testified to Jews and Gentiles 250 00:53:02,360 --> 00:53:07,360 and big groups and small groups." He's going to speak about the future, what God has in store for him. 251 00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:12,360 And not only what's in store for him, but that it's suffering and how he trusts God 252 00:53:12,360 --> 00:53:17,360 even though he doesn't necessarily know how it's going to end. His hope is in God. 253 00:53:17,360 --> 00:53:23,360 Paul is going to give instruction to the church. They need to pay attention, to be alert, to help the weak. 254 00:53:23,360 --> 00:53:29,360 And Paul is going to help us see how God sees the church. Listen to verse 28. 255 00:53:29,360 --> 00:53:34,360 "Take careful attention to yourselves and to the flock, which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, 256 00:53:34,360 --> 00:53:39,360 to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." 257 00:53:39,360 --> 00:53:45,360 And what Paul says is, "Remember, this church is God's church, and that it's deeply valuable to him." 258 00:53:45,360 --> 00:53:51,360 So what I want to do this morning is we have all of these different things. We have Paul summarizing his ministry. 259 00:53:51,360 --> 00:54:01,360 We have our struggles maybe to connect or to understand this text. And what I want to do is I want to focus just on one verse, 260 00:54:01,360 --> 00:54:07,360 rather than trying to overwhelm us with the massive amount of things that are present here in verse 32, 261 00:54:07,360 --> 00:54:11,360 in the midst of sort of strengthening and preparing these words. 262 00:54:11,360 --> 00:54:20,360 "Now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance 263 00:54:20,360 --> 00:54:28,360 among all who are sanctified." Now remember when Paul says these words, he is speaking to a church, 264 00:54:28,360 --> 00:54:34,360 and to the leaders of this church that have experienced a deep emotional shock. 265 00:54:34,360 --> 00:54:39,360 Paul has called them to come meet his ship. They've journeyed something like 20, 25 miles to be there. 266 00:54:39,360 --> 00:54:44,360 They get there. Paul recounts his ministry, sort of preparing them for the attacks that will come in the future. 267 00:54:44,360 --> 00:54:49,360 And then he says something really strange. I'm going to Jerusalem. God's told me. He doesn't tell me 268 00:54:49,360 --> 00:54:56,360 how it's going to end, but none of you will ever see my face again. And that has to hit like a bomb 269 00:54:56,360 --> 00:55:03,360 with these people who deeply love Paul. I'm going to go. I'm going to suffer. The Holy Spirit told me 270 00:55:03,360 --> 00:55:10,360 there's going to be all these afflictions. You're never going to see my face again. And they're seeing 271 00:55:10,360 --> 00:55:16,360 and they're experiencing sadness. And there's going to be some uncertainty, right? Because Paul has been 272 00:55:16,360 --> 00:55:22,360 with this church for three years, right? He's helped them in their troubles. He's probably taught 273 00:55:22,360 --> 00:55:27,360 most of these people. He's discipled them. He's helped them. And all of a sudden, Paul's going 274 00:55:27,360 --> 00:55:35,360 and he's just not coming back. You have to feel this deep sense of law. And then Paul says 275 00:55:35,360 --> 00:55:42,360 these wonderful things. First of all, he says that the church is safe in the hands of God. That's what he means 276 00:55:42,360 --> 00:55:48,360 and he says, "I commend you to God and to the word of his grace." Now, Paul isn't saying, "I'm turning the church 277 00:55:48,360 --> 00:55:54,360 over to God," because Paul has already said the church belongs to God, but he's reminding them 278 00:55:54,360 --> 00:55:59,360 that they are in the hands of God, right? Because the church feels like they're all alone. And we've 279 00:55:59,360 --> 00:56:04,360 probably experienced that where you've tried to do something new on your own for the very first time. I 280 00:56:04,360 --> 00:56:10,360 remember the very first time that I went to preach at a church, like for real, right? We had preaching 281 00:56:10,360 --> 00:56:16,360 classes. I preached a sermon at my home church. But that's not, when you're young, it's different than 282 00:56:16,360 --> 00:56:22,360 preaching in front of a bunch of strangers who don't know you. And the Dean of Students came and said, "Hey, I 283 00:56:22,360 --> 00:56:25,360 got a church for you to preach at this Sunday." And I said, "No, thank you." And he's like, "Well, I'm the Dean of Students. 284 00:56:25,360 --> 00:56:30,360 Go preach at it." And I remember sitting there in the parking lot going, "Oh, there's like really no 285 00:56:30,360 --> 00:56:34,360 safety net here," right? Because at your home church, you can like tag in your preacher from when you're a 286 00:56:34,360 --> 00:56:40,360 kid, right? If you get in trouble, everybody understands. In class, it's designed to learn from you. And here are 287 00:56:40,360 --> 00:56:46,360 all by yourself out there, and it's all on your shoulders. And this is how the Ephesian church has 288 00:56:46,360 --> 00:56:52,360 to feel, right? Paul is leading, and it's going to be all on our shoulders. And so Paul reminds them that they 289 00:56:52,360 --> 00:56:59,360 are in the hands of God. And it's interesting. This word that he used, "I commend you to God," has sort of two 290 00:56:59,360 --> 00:57:05,360 meanings. One of them is a physical meaning. It literally means to put a plate down in front of 291 00:57:05,360 --> 00:57:09,360 somebody at dinner. So when you're serving dinner, or you're eating at a restaurant, the guy comes out and says, 292 00:57:09,360 --> 00:57:14,360 "Who had the steak?" You're like, "I do," and he puts it down right in front of you. That's the literal 293 00:57:14,360 --> 00:57:23,360 meaning of this text. The sort of metaphorical or symbolic meaning is that you are taken care of by 294 00:57:23,360 --> 00:57:29,360 somebody in a deeply close and personal way. And so Paul says to this church that it feels like they're 295 00:57:29,360 --> 00:57:37,360 losing their rock, that you belong to God, and not just in sort of an intellectual way, but you're right there in 296 00:57:37,360 --> 00:57:47,360 front of him. That he's holding on to you, and he will not let you go. In Revelation chapter 1, there is a picture 297 00:57:47,360 --> 00:57:53,360 that I would share to you to sort of help you visualize what's happening here in Acts chapter 20. 298 00:57:53,360 --> 00:57:59,360 And so in Revelation chapter 1, John is in exile on the Isle of Patmos. It's almost the end of the first century. 299 00:57:59,360 --> 00:58:05,360 He's an old man. He's been tortured. He's now by himself, and he's praying, and he hears a voice. 300 00:58:05,360 --> 00:58:11,360 He turns around. There's Jesus, and he falls in his face because he can't believe it's Jesus, and he's terrified. 301 00:58:11,360 --> 00:58:17,360 And Jesus comes and touches him and says, "Don't be afraid, John." And then John describes what he sees. 302 00:58:17,360 --> 00:58:23,360 I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands. 303 00:58:23,360 --> 00:58:30,360 And in the midst of the lampstands was one like a Son of Man, clothed in a long robe with a golden sash around his chest. 304 00:58:30,360 --> 00:58:33,360 The hairs of his head were white like white wool, like snow. 305 00:58:33,360 --> 00:58:38,360 His eyes were a flame of fire, his feet were burnished bronze, refined in a furnace. 306 00:58:38,360 --> 00:58:45,360 His voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars. 307 00:58:45,360 --> 00:58:51,360 And from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining at full strength. 308 00:58:51,360 --> 00:58:56,360 And so you have this picture of Jesus, and glory, and power, and purity, and strength. 309 00:58:56,360 --> 00:59:01,360 But what I want you to focus on are those seven golden lampstands and those seven stars. 310 00:59:01,360 --> 00:59:05,360 And Revelation will tell us what it means. 311 00:59:05,360 --> 00:59:09,360 As for the mystery in verse 20 of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, 312 00:59:09,360 --> 00:59:16,360 and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels or the messengers of the seven churches. 313 00:59:16,360 --> 00:59:19,360 And the seven lampstands are the seven churches. 314 00:59:19,360 --> 00:59:24,360 And you see the picture of Jesus that is painted in all of his power, in his strength, 315 00:59:24,360 --> 00:59:29,360 and in the power to defend the church with the sword of his word, and the purity of his hair, 316 00:59:29,360 --> 00:59:34,360 and the eyes that see everything like fire, the voice that drowns out everything. 317 00:59:34,360 --> 00:59:37,360 What is he doing? He's walking amongst his churches. 318 00:59:37,360 --> 00:59:40,360 These lampstands, and Jesus is walking through them, 319 00:59:40,360 --> 00:59:43,360 caring for these lampstands, picturing these lampstands, 320 00:59:43,360 --> 00:59:47,360 and in his hand he holds the messengers of the church. 321 00:59:47,360 --> 00:59:51,360 The picture here is that Jesus is not distant from his church. 322 00:59:51,360 --> 00:59:53,360 He's not distant from the church in Ephesus. 323 00:59:53,360 --> 00:59:57,360 He's not distant from this little church in Winchester. 324 00:59:57,360 --> 01:00:01,360 And when Paul says this to the church in Acts chapter 20, 325 01:00:01,360 --> 01:00:05,360 he says, "I commend you to God and to the word of his grace," 326 01:00:05,360 --> 01:00:11,360 he's reminding this church that God is not distant and he holds you close. 327 01:00:11,360 --> 01:00:16,360 The second thing he's going to say is that God is at work in the church. 328 01:00:16,360 --> 01:00:22,360 As he talks about the word of his grace and how we are belt up by the word of his grace, 329 01:00:22,360 --> 01:00:26,360 it's a picture that is throughout Scripture in Matthew chapter 16. 330 01:00:26,360 --> 01:00:30,360 Remember when Peter makes the good confession that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, 331 01:00:30,360 --> 01:00:37,360 Jesus says, "You are Peter," instead of Peter's nickname, "You're Rocky, and upon this rock I will build my church." 332 01:00:37,360 --> 01:00:42,360 He's not saying I'm going to build the church upon Peter, but rather what Peter has just said, 333 01:00:42,360 --> 01:00:45,360 that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, and Jesus says, 334 01:00:45,360 --> 01:00:54,360 "The foundation of the church is the truth of who I am, and I will build it." 335 01:00:54,360 --> 01:01:01,360 In Ephesians, Paul will remind the church that we are built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, 336 01:01:01,360 --> 01:01:04,360 with Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. 337 01:01:04,360 --> 01:01:07,360 And so the picture here is that the church is not abandoned, right? 338 01:01:07,360 --> 01:01:10,360 First of all, God holds the church close, and he is near to the church, 339 01:01:10,360 --> 01:01:14,360 but he's working on the church to build it and to strengthen it. 340 01:01:14,360 --> 01:01:19,360 And the way that he does it, according to Paul in Acts 20:32, is through the word of his grace, 341 01:01:19,360 --> 01:01:25,360 that God, through his word, builds and strengthens our church. 342 01:01:25,360 --> 01:01:28,360 He builds and strengthens our life. 343 01:01:28,360 --> 01:01:34,360 One of my favorite preachers, John Piper, says this about this. 344 01:01:34,360 --> 01:01:38,360 He says, "Paul says the word of grace is a builder. 345 01:01:38,360 --> 01:01:42,360 It builds a useful structure out of a life of ruins. 346 01:01:42,360 --> 01:01:46,360 It builds design out of a life of confusion. 347 01:01:46,360 --> 01:01:49,360 It builds security out of fear and anxiety. 348 01:01:49,360 --> 01:01:51,360 It builds strength out of weakness. 349 01:01:51,360 --> 01:01:55,360 It builds permanence and stability out of a wavering uncertainty. 350 01:01:55,360 --> 01:01:57,360 It builds beauty out of ugliness. 351 01:01:57,360 --> 01:02:01,360 The word of grace is a master builder, and it's called the word of grace 352 01:02:01,360 --> 01:02:06,360 because it always builds with the lousy raw materials in our life." 353 01:02:06,360 --> 01:02:09,360 You see, God's at work to build. 354 01:02:09,360 --> 01:02:14,360 It's easy to feel small and underpowered, 355 01:02:14,360 --> 01:02:19,360 but here is God building his church. 356 01:02:19,360 --> 01:02:22,360 The third thing he talks about is this inheritance 357 01:02:22,360 --> 01:02:26,360 that is laid out for those who are sanctified, set apart, holy. 358 01:02:26,360 --> 01:02:30,360 And what he's saying to the church is that through the power and strength of God 359 01:02:30,360 --> 01:02:32,360 there is hope for the future, right? 360 01:02:32,360 --> 01:02:35,360 You are close. God is building, and he does not abandon you. 361 01:02:35,360 --> 01:02:37,360 He takes you all the way to heaven, right? 362 01:02:37,360 --> 01:02:40,360 That's the picture of the inheritance throughout Scripture. 363 01:02:40,360 --> 01:02:45,360 Peter will talk about this inheritance, and he'll say it this way: 364 01:02:45,360 --> 01:02:49,360 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 365 01:02:49,360 --> 01:02:53,360 according to his great mercy he has caused us to be born again 366 01:02:53,360 --> 01:02:57,360 to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ 367 01:02:57,360 --> 01:03:03,360 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, 368 01:03:03,360 --> 01:03:07,360 kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith 369 01:03:07,360 --> 01:03:12,360 for salvation ready to be revealed at the last time." 370 01:03:12,360 --> 01:03:17,360 Peter will give us some characteristics of this inheritance that are so helpful to us. 371 01:03:17,360 --> 01:03:19,360 First of all, he says they're imperishable, right? 372 01:03:19,360 --> 01:03:22,360 It means they don't go bad, right? 373 01:03:22,360 --> 01:03:27,360 And if you've ever bought groceries, especially, you know, fresh meat or milk, right, 374 01:03:27,360 --> 01:03:31,360 they have that date on there, and with the milk, you know, it's kind of a-- 375 01:03:31,360 --> 01:03:34,360 you're rolling the dice, right? Sometimes that date means it's okay, 376 01:03:34,360 --> 01:03:37,360 sometimes a couple days past it's okay, sometimes a couple days before it, right, 377 01:03:37,360 --> 01:03:42,360 you open that lid and you're like, "Nope, we're done with this gallon of milk," right? 378 01:03:42,360 --> 01:03:46,360 It goes bad. And what Paul says is the inheritance you and I have in God, 379 01:03:46,360 --> 01:03:49,360 this future hope, never goes bad. 380 01:03:49,360 --> 01:03:57,360 The second thing that he will talk about is that it is undefiled or unstained, right? 381 01:03:57,360 --> 01:04:03,360 It doesn't get dirty. It doesn't sort of have problems along the way. 382 01:04:03,360 --> 01:04:07,360 It doesn't get a little moldy. You kind of cut the mold off, right? 383 01:04:07,360 --> 01:04:12,360 It stays perfect the entire way. 384 01:04:12,360 --> 01:04:17,360 And he will say this: "And unfading," right? 385 01:04:17,360 --> 01:04:23,360 It doesn't get less strong. It doesn't wear out. It doesn't disappear. 386 01:04:23,360 --> 01:04:26,360 And what you find is he says these wonderful things, right? 387 01:04:26,360 --> 01:04:32,360 It doesn't go bad. It doesn't get contaminated. It doesn't fade away. 388 01:04:32,360 --> 01:04:42,360 And he'll say this: "Who," it's for you, "who by God's power are being guarded," right? 389 01:04:42,360 --> 01:04:47,360 It's all great, this wonderful inheritance, but what happens if I can't hold on to it? 390 01:04:47,360 --> 01:04:51,360 What happens if I can't do it? And Peter will say, "You don't do it. 391 01:04:51,360 --> 01:04:55,360 God is the one who guards you. God is the one who holds on to you. 392 01:04:55,360 --> 01:05:01,360 God is your strength, and he is the one who will keep you." 393 01:05:01,360 --> 01:05:07,360 And Paul, as he speaks to this grieving, uncertain church, what he says is this. 394 01:05:07,360 --> 01:05:11,360 First of all, God holds on to you, right? He's the one who holds you close. 395 01:05:11,360 --> 01:05:18,360 God is working on you to build you. And that God doesn't just start a work, but he finishes it. 396 01:05:18,360 --> 01:05:24,360 He's not just there at the beginning, but he takes you all the way to eternity, right? 397 01:05:24,360 --> 01:05:30,360 God doesn't just save you. He safely brings you home. 398 01:05:30,360 --> 01:05:39,360 Let's pray. Father, we live in a world that feels broken, because it is broken. 399 01:05:39,360 --> 01:05:50,360 We see sin, and we see hurt, and we see struggle around us, and we look at the task that is ahead of us, and we feel like we're too small and the task is too big. 400 01:05:50,360 --> 01:05:59,360 Help us hear the words of Paul that come from your spirit, that you hold on to your church, 401 01:05:59,360 --> 01:06:08,360 that you build your church, and you safely bring us home. Encourage us this morning. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 402 01:06:08,360 --> 01:06:14,360 We're going to stand and sing "In Christ Alone." 403 01:06:26,360 --> 01:06:53,360 In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground. Firm through the fiercest drowning storm. What heights of love? What depths of peace? 404 01:06:53,360 --> 01:07:20,360 When fears are still, when strivings cease. My comforter, my all in all, here in the love of Christ I stand. In Christ alone, who took on flesh, fullness of God in helplessness. 405 01:07:20,360 --> 01:07:47,360 God in helpless faith, this gift of love and righteousness, was scorned by the ones He came to save. Till on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. 406 01:07:47,360 --> 01:08:14,360 Every sin on Him was laid. Here in the death of Christ I live. There in the ground His body laid. Light of the world by darkness slain. Then bursting forth in glorious day. 407 01:08:14,360 --> 01:08:41,360 Upon the grave He rose again. And as He stands in victory. Sin's curse has lost its grip on me. For I am His and He is mine. Brought with the precious blood of Christ. 408 01:08:41,360 --> 01:09:08,360 No guilt in life. No fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath. Jesus commends my destiny. 409 01:09:08,360 --> 01:09:29,360 No power of hell. No scheme of man. Can ever pluck me from his hand. Till he returns. Or calls me home. Here in the power of Christ I'll stand. 410 01:09:29,360 --> 01:09:52,360 No power of hell. No scheme of man. Can ever pluck me from his hand. Till he returns. Or calls me home. Here in the power of Christ I'll stand. 411 01:09:56,360 --> 01:10:23,360 I want to thank you all for being here with us. Whether you're here in person or online, we are very thankful for you. We will be back here Wednesday night, continuing with our Wednesday night Bible study. And another, just a quick reminder, next Sunday we begin the month of May, and the Sunday after that, so two weeks is Mother's Day, so now's the chance to prepare for Mother's Day in the next couple weeks. 412 01:10:23,360 --> 01:10:33,360 I'm going to go ahead and have a word of prayer, and then I'll read, just share a verse with you, and then we will sing the doxology. 413 01:10:33,360 --> 01:10:50,360 Father in heaven, thank you for your church. Thank you for your people. Thank you for your grace. Help us as we move into a broken and hurting world that we would exhibit the good news of the gospel, that we would share hope with the hopeless. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 414 01:10:50,360 --> 01:10:56,360 I'm just going to close with the words that we talked about this morning from the Apostle Paul, where he says this to the Ephesian church, 415 01:10:56,360 --> 01:11:05,360 "Now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among those who are sanctified." 416 01:11:15,360 --> 01:11:36,360 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. 417 01:11:45,360 --> 01:11:52,360 Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 418 01:12:15,360 --> 01:12:22,360 Father, Son, Holy Ghost. 419 01:12:45,360 --> 01:12:47,360 Father, Son, Holy Ghost. 420 01:13:15,360 --> 01:13:45,340 God bless you. 421 01:13:45,360 --> 01:14:15,340 God bless you. 422 01:14:15,360 --> 01:14:45,340 God bless you.