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 --> 00:01:29,980 Let's pray. 4 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:59,980 We're going to get started. Every Sunday we read Scripture together, so we're going to go ahead and do that. Let's go ahead and stand. We're going to be reading out of Psalm 62. 5 00:11:59,980 --> 00:12:29,960 verses 5 through 8 together. And it begins, "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation. My fortress I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory. My mighty rock, my refuge is God." 6 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:44,940 "Trust in Him at all times. O people, pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us." This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray. 7 00:12:44,940 --> 00:12:59,940 God, we thank you so much for all those that are gathered here today, and we thank you for those that are watching online and the encouragement that all of us can be to one another. We thank you for the opportunity to read your word together and to be able to see that you are 8 00:12:59,940 --> 00:13:11,940 that our rock and our fortress and our salvation can only be found in you. We ask that you be with our service today and allow it to glorify you. In Jesus' name. Amen. 9 00:13:11,940 --> 00:13:17,940 All right, our first Song we're going to start with is "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." 10 00:13:17,940 --> 00:13:29,920 Maybe. An oldie but a goodie. Sorry, I'm just stalling for time because it's not working. There we go. 11 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:59,900 What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry. 12 00:13:59,900 --> 00:14:29,880 Everything to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often put with. Oh, what needless pain we bear. Oh, because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. 13 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:59,860 Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer. 14 00:14:59,860 --> 00:15:29,840 For who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer. 15 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:48,840 Cumbered with a load of care. Precious Savior, still our refuge. Take it to the Lord in prayer. 16 00:15:48,840 --> 00:16:13,840 Do thy friends despise forsake thee. Take it to the Lord in prayer. In His arms He'll take and shield thee. Thou will find our solace there. 17 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:46,840 If you want to remain standing, you can. Or if you'd like to sit, you can do that too. We're going to be moving into our prayer and share time. So if you're watching online, there will be a phone number up for you to text. If you have any prayer requests or anything you'd like to just share with us here, do that and we'll be able to do that during that time. And then we're going to be muting the service during that time as well. So give us a few minutes and we'll be back after that and moving into the rest of our service today. 18 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:51,840 So as we go into that part, we're going to be singing one of Neil's favorite songs, "Living Hope." 19 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:36,840 How great the chasm that lay between us. How high the mountain I could not climb. In desperation, I turned to heaven and spoke your name into the night. 20 00:17:36,840 --> 00:18:03,840 Then through the darkness, your loving kindness tore through the shadows of my soul. The work is finished. The end is written. Jesus Christ, my living hope. 21 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:30,840 Who could imagine so great a mercy? What heart could fathom such boundless grace? The God of ages stepped down from glory to wear my sin and bear my shame. 22 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:57,840 And bear my shame. The cross has spoken. I am forgiven. That calls me His own. Beautiful Savior, I'm yours forever. Jesus Christ, my living hope. 23 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:24,840 Hallelujah. Praise the one who set me free. Hallelujah. Death has lost its grip on me. You have broken every chain. There's salvation in your name. Jesus Christ, my living hope. 24 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:31,840 Jesus Christ, my living hope. 25 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:51,840 Then came the morning that sealed the promise. Your buried body began to breathe. Out of the silence, the roaring lion 26 00:19:51,840 --> 00:20:18,840 declared the grave has no claim on me. The burning that sealed the promise. Your buried body began to breathe. Out of the silence, the roaring lion 27 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:45,840 declared the grave has no claim on me. Jesus, your victory. Hallelujah. Praise the one who set me free. Hallelujah. 28 00:20:45,840 --> 00:21:12,840 Death has lost its grip on me. You have broken every chain. There's salvation in Jesus Christ, my living hope. Hallelujah. Praise the one who set me free. Hallelujah. Death has lost 29 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:39,840 its grip on me. You have broken every chain. There's salvation in your name. Jesus Christ, my living hope. Jesus Christ, my living hope. Oh God, you are my living hope. 30 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:44,840 You may be seated. 31 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:39,820 Let's pray. 32 00:22:39,840 --> 00:23:09,820 Let's pray. 33 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:11,840 Let's pray. 34 00:28:39,840 --> 00:29:06,120 All right. We're going to be actually doing communion after the sermon today, so we're 35 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:10,480 going to be singing, "All Who Are Thirsty," and then Brandon will come up and share. 36 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:58,680 Come to the fountain, dip your heart in the stream of life. Let the pain and the sorrow be washed away in the waves of His mercy as deep cries out to deep. 37 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:26,820 Come, Lord Jesus, come. Come, Lord Jesus, come. All who are thirsty, all who are weak, come to the fountain of water. 38 00:30:26,820 --> 00:30:54,960 Come to the fountain. Dip your heart in the stream of life. Let the pain and the sorrow be washed away in the waves of His mercy as deep cries out to me. 39 00:30:54,960 --> 00:31:23,140 Come, Lord Jesus, come. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Come, Lord Jesus, come. 40 00:31:23,140 --> 00:31:50,180 Come, Lord Jesus, come. Holy Spirit, come. Holy Spirit, come. 41 00:31:51,320 --> 00:32:19,500 Holy Spirit, come. "As Rachel mentioned, we are going to do communion. Let our time in the Word of God this morning lead 42 00:32:19,500 --> 00:32:31,000 us to the table. So if you would like to participate in that, and you haven't picked up communion elements yet, they're on the back table, and you're welcome to pick those up at any time. 43 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:47,680 So we've been kind of walking through in the month of August, talking about how God refreshes and God restores us. And so we began by looking at God's faithfulness and how He sees us in the deserts. We talked last week from the 19th Psalm about how the Word 44 00:32:47,680 --> 00:33:04,080 of God refreshes and restores us and leads us to where we are to go. And so this morning, we're going to talk about how God ultimately brings us rest. And so before we do that, we're going to go ahead and have a word of prayer, and then we'll dive right into it. 45 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:15,860 Father in heaven, we thank you so much for your church. We thank you so much for your people. We thank you so much for the grace and the mercy that you have shown us through your Son. 46 00:33:15,860 --> 00:33:33,820 We thank you that you equip us with your Spirit. And I just ask this morning, as we spend some time considering where our hope lies and what it is we are desiring and what it is we are striving after, that you would help us to see that in you there is rest for our souls. 47 00:33:33,820 --> 00:33:41,940 So help us this morning. Give us strength and wisdom. May your Spirit be with us. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 48 00:33:41,940 --> 00:33:53,380 So for us, Friday was kind of a busy day. We were getting ready for Luke's fourth birthday party. And then in addition to that, there was a whole bunch of kids running around the house. 49 00:33:53,380 --> 00:34:04,220 And so I was over here getting some things ready, and I hear the basement door open and realize that the church is about to be invaded by like the world's smallest biker gang. 50 00:34:04,220 --> 00:34:15,660 And so we had our nephews, Solomon, Jonathan, and our honorary nephew Ezra, and they just come riding down the church hallway, and they've got all their bikes. 51 00:34:15,660 --> 00:34:23,580 And I said, "Can we ride our bikes in here?" Well, Johnny said that. So they're riding kind of up and down the hall, and I'm in and out of my office and in the kitchen trying to get something done. 52 00:34:23,580 --> 00:34:32,220 And at that point, I realized that I haven't seen or heard from those three little boys in a while. 53 00:34:32,220 --> 00:34:42,220 One of their moms is here, so I don't want to say how long that while was. So I went looking for the little boys, and I didn't see them downstairs. 54 00:34:42,220 --> 00:34:47,220 And so I went upstairs, and I began to hear noise coming from upstairs, and I got to the top of the stairs. 55 00:34:47,220 --> 00:34:56,220 I realized that they had brought their modes of transportation, bikes and scooters, to the top of the stairs, which is probably a little bit terrifying. 56 00:34:56,220 --> 00:35:00,220 And they were in here, and one of them was playing drums, one of them was playing piano, 57 00:35:00,220 --> 00:35:07,220 and one of them was going for a guitar, starting probably the most adorable band that you have ever seen. 58 00:35:07,220 --> 00:35:13,220 And one of the things we find about life is that it's sometimes hard to balance everything right. 59 00:35:13,220 --> 00:35:21,220 And so trying to balance, chasing down three, little guys full of high energy with trying to get everything done I needed to do. 60 00:35:21,220 --> 00:35:29,220 And what happened was the balance got out of whack, and I forgot one and focused on the other, and then I focused on that one and forgot the other. 61 00:35:29,220 --> 00:35:36,220 And most of us can relate to the fact that sometimes life is hard to find a balance. 62 00:35:36,220 --> 00:35:48,220 And as we move through Scripture, especially in those first two chapters of Genesis, we see this balance that God has given us in relation to how we work and to how we are to rest. 63 00:35:48,220 --> 00:35:55,220 So God creates man, and He puts him in the garden, and it says specifically in Genesis 2, to work it. 64 00:35:55,220 --> 00:36:03,220 And so work is a gift from God. Oftentimes we see work as a result of sin and a problem. 65 00:36:03,220 --> 00:36:10,220 Now work does get harder because of sin, but work is ultimately a gift of God to be done for the glory of God. 66 00:36:10,220 --> 00:36:20,220 But we also see in those first chapters that God calls us to rest. And many of us struggle to find that balance. 67 00:36:20,220 --> 00:36:27,220 Some of us come down on the side of we work and we work until we're physically exhausted, and then we keep working. 68 00:36:27,220 --> 00:36:35,220 And then other times when we're seeking comfort, we end up resting and resting and resting and ignoring our work. 69 00:36:35,220 --> 00:36:45,220 But God calls us in His grace and to bless us with both vocation and work and with rest. 70 00:36:45,220 --> 00:36:54,220 And because I think, probably, most of us struggle maybe a little more with rest than we do with being busy, 71 00:36:54,220 --> 00:37:02,220 that's what I want to focus on this morning. And what we find is that God refreshes and restores His people through rest, right? 72 00:37:02,220 --> 00:37:09,220 It's a blessing. We'll see it commanded in Scripture. But it's also, and this is what I think is so very important, 73 00:37:09,220 --> 00:37:19,220 it's a spiritual act of depending upon the provision, the protection, and the peace that God ultimately provides. 74 00:37:19,220 --> 00:37:27,220 So I want to start by just kind of giving you an overview of just a few verses about rest, starting in Genesis and then moving through to the New Testament. 75 00:37:27,220 --> 00:37:33,220 We're not going to look at every Scripture about rest. I just want to look at a few and kind of give you a picture of the Bible and rest. 76 00:37:33,220 --> 00:37:41,220 And the first mention we find of rest is in Genesis, the second chapter, where it says this in verses one through three: 77 00:37:41,220 --> 00:37:49,220 "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, all the host of them; and on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, 78 00:37:49,220 --> 00:37:53,220 and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done." 79 00:37:53,220 --> 00:38:00,220 So God blessed the seventh day, made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. 80 00:38:00,220 --> 00:38:05,220 Now God is resting, but he's not resting here because he is tired. 81 00:38:05,220 --> 00:38:12,220 In fact, Isaiah will say this: "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, 82 00:38:12,220 --> 00:38:21,220 the creator of the ends of the earth. He is not faint. He does not faint or grow weary. His understanding is unsearchable." 83 00:38:21,220 --> 00:38:27,220 What you find is God is not resting because he's tired or because he's worn out, 84 00:38:27,220 --> 00:38:33,220 but he's essentially stopping with his work. In those first six days of creation, 85 00:38:33,220 --> 00:38:40,220 God has created all things, and the Hebrew word literally means to cease, and he stops. 86 00:38:40,220 --> 00:38:45,220 Now, he still sustains and he encourages and strengthens and is active in his creation, 87 00:38:45,220 --> 00:38:53,220 but God purposefully, and I think that's the point here, God purposefully stops his work. 88 00:38:53,220 --> 00:39:01,220 I think, as an example, what you find is Israel leaves Egypt. They're commanded to rest. 89 00:39:01,220 --> 00:39:06,220 Remember the Sabbath day, and to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all of your work, 90 00:39:06,220 --> 00:39:11,220 but on the seventh day, the Sabbath to the Lord your God. You shall not do any work, you or your son, 91 00:39:11,220 --> 00:39:16,220 or your daughter, or your male servant, your female servant, your livestock, or the sojourner or traveler 92 00:39:16,220 --> 00:39:21,220 who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth and all that is in them 93 00:39:21,220 --> 00:39:28,220 and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 94 00:39:28,220 --> 00:39:35,220 And God, as He institutes this covenant with the people of Israel, commands them in the Ten Commandments 95 00:39:35,220 --> 00:39:43,220 to take a day to make it holy to the Lord and to rest. And He takes that pattern from creation. 96 00:39:43,220 --> 00:39:49,220 But notice this is both spiritual and practical, right? It's a day holy to God, a day focused on God, 97 00:39:49,220 --> 00:39:55,220 but it's also practical. Whether you're traveling through town, whether you're an Israelite or not, 98 00:39:55,220 --> 00:39:59,220 whether you're a servant or whether you're free, whether you're a parent or whether you're a child, 99 00:39:59,220 --> 00:40:08,220 you're called to cease your work. What you find is God's people then wonder of that blessing of God 100 00:40:08,220 --> 00:40:17,220 and twist it and turn it into something legalistic and broken. So by the time you get to Jesus, there are so many rules 101 00:40:17,220 --> 00:40:24,220 and regulations about this day that it ceased to become a day of worship and a day of rest, but rather it's a 102 00:40:24,220 --> 00:40:30,220 day of making sure that you've got all the rules checked off on the box. And in this particular case, Jesus is 103 00:40:30,220 --> 00:40:35,220 hungry and he's walking through a grain field and he reaches down, probably like we do when we walk through 104 00:40:35,220 --> 00:40:40,220 the woods and we see some blackberries growing and we pick them and eat them. Jesus walks through the 105 00:40:40,220 --> 00:40:46,220 grain field and grabs a handful of grain and he sort of gets the chaff out and he begins to eat that 106 00:40:46,220 --> 00:40:51,220 grain and the Pharisees that are following him immediately start blowing whistles and ringing 107 00:40:51,220 --> 00:40:59,220 bells and saying, "Look, Jesus is violating the Sabbath by harvesting a field." Now, by no stretch of the 108 00:40:59,220 --> 00:41:05,220 imagination is Jesus harvesting. He simply walks through, catches a few pieces of grain, and eats 109 00:41:05,220 --> 00:41:15,220 them as a snack. And so Jesus will respond to them this way: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 110 00:41:15,220 --> 00:41:21,220 Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." And so what has happened is he's speaking to them, and they've missed the 111 00:41:21,220 --> 00:41:28,220 concept of rest. And so Jesus does two things with this verse. The very first thing that he does, it says that 112 00:41:28,220 --> 00:41:35,220 you don't serve the Sabbath. The Sabbath was meant to serve you, right? This seventh day for God's people was 113 00:41:35,220 --> 00:41:42,220 not needed because that day needs you to stop working, but rather because you need a day to stop working. And 114 00:41:42,220 --> 00:41:49,220 secondly, Jesus says, "I'm Lord of the Sabbath, so I get to decide what the rules are about the Sabbath." 115 00:41:49,220 --> 00:41:55,220 So moving away from that, I want to point you to another picture in Mark chapter 6. 116 00:41:55,220 --> 00:42:00,220 Jesus' twelve disciples have gone out on sort of their first journey all by themselves, and they're 117 00:42:00,220 --> 00:42:05,220 probably excited, and they're probably nervous, and they come back to Jesus, and there's crowds 118 00:42:05,220 --> 00:42:10,220 surrounding them. All of these things begin to happen, and this is what Jesus will say. The apostles 119 00:42:10,220 --> 00:42:16,220 returned to Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught, and He said to them, "Come 120 00:42:16,220 --> 00:42:22,220 away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and 121 00:42:22,220 --> 00:42:27,220 they had no leisure even to eat, and they went away in a boat to a desolate place by themselves. 122 00:42:27,220 --> 00:42:32,220 So they've come back from their first sort of practice missionary journey, and they're back, and 123 00:42:32,220 --> 00:42:36,220 they're excitedly telling Jesus, "We went here, and we talked to people here, and we did this 124 00:42:36,220 --> 00:42:41,220 here, and we did this here," and there's crowds coming around them, and Jesus goes, "Guys, let's 125 00:42:41,220 --> 00:42:46,220 go somewhere less crowded so you can rest. You're tired?" And I love this picture that Jesus 126 00:42:46,220 --> 00:42:53,220 sees, and even in the excitement of His disciples, their need for rest. And what you find, if 127 00:42:53,220 --> 00:42:58,220 you want to look sort of biblically at rest, from the Sabbath to the commands of Jesus to 128 00:42:58,220 --> 00:43:03,220 the pictures of rest we have throughout the Psalms, is when we talk about rest, what we're 129 00:43:03,220 --> 00:43:08,220 talking about is an intentional sort of stepping away or setting down our work to 130 00:43:08,220 --> 00:43:14,220 find restoration and refreshment in the goodness of God. And not just physically, but 131 00:43:14,220 --> 00:43:21,220 spiritually, right? And what we find, strangely enough, is that physical rest often 132 00:43:21,220 --> 00:43:27,220 depends upon spiritual rest. Now, when it comes to understanding physical rest, probably 133 00:43:27,220 --> 00:43:32,220 most of us understand that we at some point need rest. There's all kinds of 134 00:43:32,220 --> 00:43:37,220 statistics, right? If you go this long without sleep, your reaction time begins to 135 00:43:37,220 --> 00:43:42,220 slow, your decision-making becomes less clear, and all of these different things. 136 00:43:42,220 --> 00:43:46,220 Eventually, if you go long enough without sleep, you can actually end up 137 00:43:46,220 --> 00:43:52,220 hallucinating, and in some case, even dying. But what I want to focus us on this 138 00:43:52,220 --> 00:43:57,220 morning is the spiritual importance of rest. Because what we find is rest will 139 00:43:57,220 --> 00:44:04,220 humble us, rest will refresh us, and rest ultimately fixes our eyes on the 140 00:44:04,220 --> 00:44:09,220 one who truly cares for our soul. And one of my favorite pictures of this, and 141 00:44:09,220 --> 00:44:14,220 I've shared it with some of you before, is when Elijah, he's been working as hard as 142 00:44:14,220 --> 00:44:19,220 he can for God. He's been speaking up for the one true God. He's been fighting 143 00:44:19,220 --> 00:44:24,220 against Jezebel and the prophets of Baal, and he comes down off this mountain 144 00:44:24,220 --> 00:44:29,220 after having this great victory for God, and they're still trying to kill him. And 145 00:44:29,220 --> 00:44:35,220 so he goes into the wilderness, falls down under a tree, and goes, "God, just kill me." And 146 00:44:35,220 --> 00:44:40,220 what God does, and I love this, is he brings him some food and tells him to 147 00:44:40,220 --> 00:44:45,220 take a nap, right? I mean, that's an important thing for us. So sometimes when 148 00:44:45,220 --> 00:44:50,220 we're in those moments where we feel like everything's falling apart, maybe the biblical 149 00:44:50,220 --> 00:44:57,220 solution in that moment is to eat a snack and take a nap. And he is rested and 150 00:44:57,220 --> 00:45:01,220 restored, and God brings him further in the wilderness to teach him and encourage 151 00:45:01,220 --> 00:45:08,220 him. You see, you and I, the reality is I think we struggle to rest. In Psalm 127, 152 00:45:08,220 --> 00:45:14,220 there's this, "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless 153 00:45:14,220 --> 00:45:20,220 the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you 154 00:45:20,220 --> 00:45:26,220 rise up and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil, for he gives his 155 00:45:26,220 --> 00:45:32,220 beloved sleep." And right, the problem in this Psalm is not labor, it's not what 156 00:45:32,220 --> 00:45:36,220 time you get up in the morning, what time you go to bed, but rather your focus. And 157 00:45:36,220 --> 00:45:40,220 it's a focus that I think you and I can relate to, right? That I've got to get this 158 00:45:40,220 --> 00:45:44,220 done. I've got to get this project finished. I've got to get this 159 00:45:44,220 --> 00:45:48,220 belt. And the psalmist uses two pictures, right? The building of a house and the guarding 160 00:45:48,220 --> 00:45:52,220 of a city. And I've got to do it, and it's got to be on my 161 00:45:52,220 --> 00:45:56,220 shoulders. And when we have that attitude, the psalmist says that's the bread 162 00:45:56,220 --> 00:46:00,220 of anxious toil, rather than 163 00:46:00,220 --> 00:46:04,220 seeking God and understanding that we can build, and that we can work, 164 00:46:04,220 --> 00:46:08,220 and we can guard. But unless our hope and trust is in God, 165 00:46:08,220 --> 00:46:12,220 all of that is ultimately in vain, right? 166 00:46:12,220 --> 00:46:14,220 I've got to do this, I've got to do it now, or 167 00:46:14,220 --> 00:46:18,220 everything will come crashing down. And we struggle to rest. 168 00:46:18,220 --> 00:46:20,220 And we eat that bread of anxious toil 169 00:46:20,220 --> 00:46:24,220 because we struggle to trust God. God 170 00:46:24,220 --> 00:46:26,220 giving some clarification to his people about the Sabbath, 171 00:46:26,220 --> 00:46:28,220 he says this, "Six days you shall work, 172 00:46:28,220 --> 00:46:30,220 on the seventh day you shall rest, 173 00:46:30,220 --> 00:46:32,220 in the plowing time and in the harvest 174 00:46:32,220 --> 00:46:36,220 time you shall rest." And one of the things that we say 175 00:46:36,220 --> 00:46:38,220 sometimes is, if I don't do it, 176 00:46:38,220 --> 00:46:40,220 nobody will, right? And I'm 177 00:46:40,220 --> 00:46:42,220 often times very, very 178 00:46:42,220 --> 00:46:44,220 guilty of this, right? I've got to get 179 00:46:44,220 --> 00:46:46,220 this done because if I don't do it, who 180 00:46:46,220 --> 00:46:48,220 else is going to do it? 181 00:46:48,220 --> 00:46:50,220 And so God is specific. Have you ever 182 00:46:50,220 --> 00:46:52,220 hear that and you wonder, why does he 183 00:46:52,220 --> 00:46:54,220 specify plowing and harvest? 184 00:46:54,220 --> 00:46:56,220 You have an agricultural society 185 00:46:56,220 --> 00:46:58,220 where if you don't have crops, 186 00:46:58,220 --> 00:47:00,220 you don't eat. And so 187 00:47:00,220 --> 00:47:02,220 if you don't plow at the right time, 188 00:47:02,220 --> 00:47:04,220 there's no crops. If you don't 189 00:47:04,220 --> 00:47:06,220 harvest at the right time, there's 190 00:47:06,220 --> 00:47:08,220 no crops. But here God looks 191 00:47:08,220 --> 00:47:10,220 at them and says, even if it's the 192 00:47:10,220 --> 00:47:12,220 middle of plowing season, you rest. 193 00:47:12,220 --> 00:47:14,220 Even if it's the middle of harvest season, 194 00:47:14,220 --> 00:47:16,220 you rest. And you say, why does 195 00:47:16,220 --> 00:47:18,220 God do that? Because 196 00:47:18,220 --> 00:47:20,220 he wants you to trust 197 00:47:20,220 --> 00:47:22,220 him. To realize 198 00:47:22,220 --> 00:47:24,220 that ultimately the blessing 199 00:47:24,220 --> 00:47:26,220 and the provision comes from 200 00:47:26,220 --> 00:47:28,220 him and not from our 201 00:47:28,220 --> 00:47:30,220 struggles. 202 00:47:30,220 --> 00:47:32,220 Right? God says 203 00:47:32,220 --> 00:47:34,220 you have to rest 204 00:47:34,220 --> 00:47:36,220 when you're trying to plant the crops. You have to 205 00:47:36,220 --> 00:47:38,220 rest even when you're trying to 206 00:47:38,220 --> 00:47:40,220 get them in. It's a picture 207 00:47:40,220 --> 00:47:42,220 of putting your trust on God. And God says 208 00:47:42,220 --> 00:47:44,220 this, 209 00:47:44,220 --> 00:47:46,220 I think because the 210 00:47:46,220 --> 00:47:48,220 ultimate purpose of rest 211 00:47:48,220 --> 00:47:50,220 is that we would humble ourselves 212 00:47:50,220 --> 00:47:52,220 and trust in him. 213 00:47:52,220 --> 00:47:54,220 Right? God is the one who 214 00:47:54,220 --> 00:47:56,220 provides. In rest, 215 00:47:56,220 --> 00:47:58,220 we're humbled. The fact that we 216 00:47:58,220 --> 00:48:00,220 are told 217 00:48:00,220 --> 00:48:02,220 to rest and that we struggle to do it 218 00:48:02,220 --> 00:48:04,220 says that we put sort of a high 219 00:48:04,220 --> 00:48:06,220 importance on our time and our efforts 220 00:48:06,220 --> 00:48:08,220 and our skills. And 221 00:48:08,220 --> 00:48:10,220 God ultimately here is saying 222 00:48:10,220 --> 00:48:12,220 you need to be humble and rest humbles 223 00:48:12,220 --> 00:48:14,220 you, but rest also encourages 224 00:48:14,220 --> 00:48:16,220 us because by commanding us 225 00:48:16,220 --> 00:48:18,220 to rest, God is saying, trust 226 00:48:18,220 --> 00:48:20,220 me, I'm your ultimate provider. 227 00:48:20,220 --> 00:48:22,220 And the 228 00:48:22,220 --> 00:48:24,220 ultimate picture of this Sabbath, and I think 229 00:48:24,220 --> 00:48:26,220 this is probably the most wonderful picture of 230 00:48:26,220 --> 00:48:28,220 rest, is found in the 231 00:48:28,220 --> 00:48:30,220 fact that this points to Jesus. 232 00:48:30,220 --> 00:48:32,220 Paul says this, "Therefore 233 00:48:32,220 --> 00:48:34,220 let no one pass judgment on you 234 00:48:34,220 --> 00:48:36,220 in questions of food and drink 235 00:48:36,220 --> 00:48:38,220 or with regard to a festival 236 00:48:38,220 --> 00:48:40,220 or a new moon or a Sabbath. 237 00:48:40,220 --> 00:48:42,220 These things are the shadow of 238 00:48:42,220 --> 00:48:44,220 things to come, but the substance 239 00:48:44,220 --> 00:48:46,220 belongs to Christ." 240 00:48:46,220 --> 00:48:48,220 And Paul uses this illustration 241 00:48:48,220 --> 00:48:50,220 of a shadow that sort of goes 242 00:48:50,220 --> 00:48:52,220 before you. One of my favorite pictures 243 00:48:52,220 --> 00:48:54,220 I was camping with a buddy 244 00:48:54,220 --> 00:48:56,220 and we had these great hats 245 00:48:56,220 --> 00:48:58,220 and there's a picture where 246 00:48:58,220 --> 00:49:00,220 we're kind of standing there, and the way our shadows 247 00:49:00,220 --> 00:49:02,220 spread out, we look like a western movie. 248 00:49:02,220 --> 00:49:04,220 If you look at the shadow where the guy 249 00:49:04,220 --> 00:49:06,220 gets out of the stagecoach or off 250 00:49:06,220 --> 00:49:08,220 the train, and you sort of see this shadow, 251 00:49:08,220 --> 00:49:10,220 long shadow with the big hat, and I was 252 00:49:10,220 --> 00:49:12,220 like, "Yeah, we look cool." Now, we didn't look cool. 253 00:49:12,220 --> 00:49:14,220 We looked the complete opposite of 254 00:49:14,220 --> 00:49:16,220 cool, right? But the shadow sort of tells 255 00:49:16,220 --> 00:49:18,220 you something is coming. 256 00:49:18,220 --> 00:49:20,220 And what Paul says is 257 00:49:20,220 --> 00:49:22,220 this picture of rest 258 00:49:22,220 --> 00:49:24,220 in the Jewish Sabbath 259 00:49:24,220 --> 00:49:26,220 was a picture of the fact that that 260 00:49:26,220 --> 00:49:28,220 Sabbath for us is found 261 00:49:28,220 --> 00:49:30,220 in Christ. That rest 262 00:49:30,220 --> 00:49:32,220 is found in Him 263 00:49:32,220 --> 00:49:34,220 and what He has done 264 00:49:34,220 --> 00:49:36,220 for us, right? 265 00:49:36,220 --> 00:49:38,220 He says, "Whether it's 266 00:49:38,220 --> 00:49:40,220 food or drink, regard to a festival, 267 00:49:40,220 --> 00:49:42,220 a new moon, or a Sabbath, 268 00:49:42,220 --> 00:49:44,220 these are a shadow of things to come, 269 00:49:44,220 --> 00:49:46,220 but the substance of all 270 00:49:46,220 --> 00:49:48,220 of that is found in Christ." 271 00:49:48,220 --> 00:49:50,220 You see, rest is designed 272 00:49:50,220 --> 00:49:52,220 to direct ultimately our eyes 273 00:49:52,220 --> 00:49:54,220 to Jesus. 274 00:49:54,220 --> 00:49:56,220 And so the question is, for me at least, 275 00:49:56,220 --> 00:49:58,220 how can I rest? 276 00:49:58,220 --> 00:50:00,220 And I think partly we have to find ourselves 277 00:50:00,220 --> 00:50:02,220 in the right place. So, a few weeks ago 278 00:50:02,220 --> 00:50:04,220 I was going to the airport. Late at night 279 00:50:04,220 --> 00:50:06,220 I had to go to Reagan Airport 280 00:50:06,220 --> 00:50:08,220 in D.C. to pick up my sister, 281 00:50:08,220 --> 00:50:10,220 her three kids, and her husband. 282 00:50:10,220 --> 00:50:12,220 And so I get there, and I got there early. 283 00:50:12,220 --> 00:50:14,220 I thought things were going great. 284 00:50:14,220 --> 00:50:16,220 I haven't been to Reagan a lot. 285 00:50:16,220 --> 00:50:18,220 Mostly we're either in Baltimore or Dulles. 286 00:50:18,220 --> 00:50:20,220 So I get there, I find a parking spot, 287 00:50:20,220 --> 00:50:22,220 running to the terminal like, "Man, I got plenty of time. 288 00:50:22,220 --> 00:50:24,220 Maybe I'll even be able to find a cup of coffee 289 00:50:24,220 --> 00:50:26,220 for the ride home." And I get in there 290 00:50:26,220 --> 00:50:28,220 and I start walking down the terminal, and I hit a dead 291 00:50:28,220 --> 00:50:30,220 end on this end. Go back the other way 292 00:50:30,220 --> 00:50:32,220 and there's a dead end. And I realize 293 00:50:32,220 --> 00:50:34,220 that they're in the other terminal 294 00:50:34,220 --> 00:50:36,220 and you got to go outside and walk down. 295 00:50:36,220 --> 00:50:38,220 But in the time that I had come in 296 00:50:38,220 --> 00:50:40,220 they had started doing repairs 297 00:50:40,220 --> 00:50:42,220 on the ceiling, so all of the 298 00:50:42,220 --> 00:50:44,220 exits are blocked off. So I 299 00:50:44,220 --> 00:50:46,220 finally found like one elevator, 300 00:50:46,220 --> 00:50:48,220 got up a floor, got out, ran 301 00:50:48,220 --> 00:50:50,220 back to my car, circled the 302 00:50:50,220 --> 00:50:52,220 airport again, went to a different parking 303 00:50:52,220 --> 00:50:54,220 garage, and walked out the door and realized 304 00:50:54,220 --> 00:50:56,220 I was back at the same terminal even though 305 00:50:56,220 --> 00:50:58,220 I was in a completely different parking garage. 306 00:50:58,220 --> 00:51:00,220 And so there was like this 20 minutes 307 00:51:00,220 --> 00:51:02,220 of panic where I'm trying to figure out how 308 00:51:02,220 --> 00:51:04,220 to get them, and finally she calls, says 309 00:51:04,220 --> 00:51:06,220 we're next to this giant flagpole 310 00:51:06,220 --> 00:51:08,220 and everybody in the world was 311 00:51:08,220 --> 00:51:10,220 trying to get to the same spot, so we sat in 312 00:51:10,220 --> 00:51:12,220 traffic for like 20 minutes just 313 00:51:12,220 --> 00:51:14,220 trying to get to where I could pick them up. 314 00:51:14,220 --> 00:51:16,220 And if I had just gone to the right place 315 00:51:16,220 --> 00:51:18,220 first, it would have been so much easier. 316 00:51:18,220 --> 00:51:20,220 And when it comes to rest, 317 00:51:20,220 --> 00:51:22,220 the problem is that you and I are 318 00:51:22,220 --> 00:51:24,220 going in the wrong direction. We're trusting 319 00:51:24,220 --> 00:51:26,220 the wrong things. 320 00:51:26,220 --> 00:51:28,220 In Jeremiah chapter 6, there's a 321 00:51:28,220 --> 00:51:30,220 verse that I love so very much. It says, 322 00:51:30,220 --> 00:51:32,220 "Thus says the Lord: 323 00:51:32,220 --> 00:51:34,220 Stand by the roads 324 00:51:34,220 --> 00:51:36,220 and look. Ask for the 325 00:51:36,220 --> 00:51:38,220 ancient paths. Ask 326 00:51:38,220 --> 00:51:40,220 where the good way is and walk 327 00:51:40,220 --> 00:51:42,220 in it, and you will find 328 00:51:42,220 --> 00:51:44,220 rest for your souls." 329 00:51:44,220 --> 00:51:46,220 And God says 330 00:51:46,220 --> 00:51:48,220 to the people, "Make sure you're in the right place, and when you're 331 00:51:48,220 --> 00:51:50,220 on the right path, ultimately it will 332 00:51:50,220 --> 00:51:52,220 lead you to rest." But the last sentence 333 00:51:52,220 --> 00:51:54,220 of the verse is heartbreaking. 334 00:51:54,220 --> 00:51:56,220 But they have said, "We 335 00:51:56,220 --> 00:51:58,220 will not walk 336 00:51:58,220 --> 00:52:00,220 in it." How many times 337 00:52:00,220 --> 00:52:02,220 do we say, "I don't need that. 338 00:52:02,220 --> 00:52:04,220 I've got it taken care 339 00:52:04,220 --> 00:52:06,220 of. I can handle it 340 00:52:06,220 --> 00:52:08,220 myself." And 341 00:52:08,220 --> 00:52:10,220 even though God promises rest, 342 00:52:10,220 --> 00:52:12,220 we choose our own 343 00:52:12,220 --> 00:52:14,220 path. We'll never rest 344 00:52:14,220 --> 00:52:16,220 if we remain in our strength. 345 00:52:16,220 --> 00:52:18,220 Ultimately, true rest 346 00:52:18,220 --> 00:52:20,220 is only found in the provision, 347 00:52:20,220 --> 00:52:22,220 the protection 348 00:52:22,220 --> 00:52:24,220 and the peace that God provides. Jesus 349 00:52:24,220 --> 00:52:26,220 says this, "Come to me all you who 350 00:52:26,220 --> 00:52:28,220 labor and are heavy laden, and I 351 00:52:28,220 --> 00:52:30,220 will give you rest. 352 00:52:30,220 --> 00:52:32,220 Take my yoke upon you and learn 353 00:52:32,220 --> 00:52:34,220 from me, for I am gentle and lowly in 354 00:52:34,220 --> 00:52:36,220 heart, and you will find rest for 355 00:52:36,220 --> 00:52:38,220 your souls, for my yoke is easy 356 00:52:38,220 --> 00:52:40,220 and my burden is light." 357 00:52:40,220 --> 00:52:42,220 And Jesus says, "Come to me, because I'm the one 358 00:52:42,220 --> 00:52:44,220 who provides for you. Come to me, 359 00:52:44,220 --> 00:52:46,220 because I'm the one who protects you." 360 00:52:46,220 --> 00:52:48,220 And Jesus is the one who defeats 361 00:52:48,220 --> 00:52:50,220 the greatest enemy that we have ever 362 00:52:50,220 --> 00:52:52,220 faced. The enemy of 363 00:52:52,220 --> 00:52:54,220 death. And He has triumphed over 364 00:52:54,220 --> 00:52:56,220 Satan, and sin, and death, 365 00:52:56,220 --> 00:52:58,220 and hell, and in rising 366 00:52:58,220 --> 00:53:00,220 again, He is victorious. 367 00:53:00,220 --> 00:53:02,220 And He calls us 368 00:53:02,220 --> 00:53:04,220 to come to Him. 369 00:53:04,220 --> 00:53:06,220 And in Jesus, 370 00:53:06,220 --> 00:53:08,220 there is peace. 371 00:53:08,220 --> 00:53:10,220 Peace. 372 00:53:10,220 --> 00:53:12,220 A Quaker poet 373 00:53:12,220 --> 00:53:14,220 by the name of John Greenleaf Whittier 374 00:53:14,220 --> 00:53:16,220 wrote a poem, 375 00:53:16,220 --> 00:53:18,220 and it's called 376 00:53:18,220 --> 00:53:20,220 "The Brewing of Soma." 377 00:53:20,220 --> 00:53:22,220 And the first half of the poem 378 00:53:22,220 --> 00:53:24,220 is a picture of this 379 00:53:24,220 --> 00:53:26,220 ancient ritual where the priest 380 00:53:26,220 --> 00:53:28,220 would brew this psychedelic 381 00:53:28,220 --> 00:53:30,220 drink, and everybody who partook 382 00:53:30,220 --> 00:53:32,220 would devolve into 383 00:53:32,220 --> 00:53:34,220 sort of a frenzy. 384 00:53:34,220 --> 00:53:36,220 And what he says of our world 385 00:53:36,220 --> 00:53:38,220 answers. And the answers that we 386 00:53:38,220 --> 00:53:40,220 seek are devolving into a frenzy. 387 00:53:40,220 --> 00:53:42,220 But then 388 00:53:42,220 --> 00:53:44,220 he says there's something different. 389 00:53:44,220 --> 00:53:46,220 And he writes this, 390 00:53:46,220 --> 00:53:48,220 "Dear Lord and Father of mankind, 391 00:53:48,220 --> 00:53:50,220 forgive our foolish 392 00:53:50,220 --> 00:53:52,220 ways. Reclothe us 393 00:53:52,220 --> 00:53:54,220 in our rightful mind. 394 00:53:54,220 --> 00:53:56,220 In pure lives 395 00:53:56,220 --> 00:53:58,220 thy service find, 396 00:53:58,220 --> 00:54:00,220 in deepest reverence praise. 397 00:54:00,220 --> 00:54:02,220 In simple trust 398 00:54:02,220 --> 00:54:04,220 like those who heard beside the Syrian 399 00:54:04,220 --> 00:54:06,220 thee, the gracious calling 400 00:54:06,220 --> 00:54:08,220 of the Lord. Let us rise 401 00:54:08,220 --> 00:54:10,220 like them without a word. 402 00:54:10,220 --> 00:54:12,220 Rise up and follow 403 00:54:12,220 --> 00:54:14,220 thee." 404 00:54:14,220 --> 00:54:16,220 And so as we come 405 00:54:16,220 --> 00:54:18,220 to the Lord's Supper 406 00:54:18,220 --> 00:54:20,220 this morning, 407 00:54:20,220 --> 00:54:22,220 we remember 408 00:54:22,220 --> 00:54:24,220 the grace of Jesus. 409 00:54:24,220 --> 00:54:26,220 But more than that, we remember 410 00:54:26,220 --> 00:54:28,220 that this is a rest 411 00:54:28,220 --> 00:54:30,220 that's been provided by the cross. 412 00:54:30,220 --> 00:54:32,220 By Jesus giving 413 00:54:32,220 --> 00:54:34,220 God to forgive our sins. 414 00:54:34,220 --> 00:54:36,220 It's a rest 415 00:54:36,220 --> 00:54:38,220 brought to us by grace and sacrifice 416 00:54:38,220 --> 00:54:40,220 and mercy, and it's 417 00:54:40,220 --> 00:54:42,220 only through the Gospel 418 00:54:42,220 --> 00:54:44,220 that we have 419 00:54:44,220 --> 00:54:46,220 peace. And so we 420 00:54:46,220 --> 00:54:48,220 come, like the poet says, 421 00:54:48,220 --> 00:54:50,220 with a prayer that God 422 00:54:50,220 --> 00:54:52,220 forgives our foolish ways, that 423 00:54:52,220 --> 00:54:54,220 He reclothes us in our rightful mind. 424 00:54:54,220 --> 00:54:56,220 And then he says, 425 00:54:56,220 --> 00:54:58,220 "O Sabbath rest by Galilee, 426 00:54:58,220 --> 00:55:00,220 O calm hills above, where 427 00:55:00,220 --> 00:55:02,220 Jesus knelt to share with thee 428 00:55:02,220 --> 00:55:04,220 the silence of eternity interpreted 429 00:55:04,220 --> 00:55:06,220 by love." And He 430 00:55:06,220 --> 00:55:08,220 calls us to this rest. 431 00:55:08,220 --> 00:55:10,220 God calls us to this rest found in the 432 00:55:10,220 --> 00:55:12,220 Gospel of Jesus. So we're going to 433 00:55:12,220 --> 00:55:14,220 pray and then we'll partake together 434 00:55:14,220 --> 00:55:16,220 this morning. Father in Heaven, 435 00:55:16,220 --> 00:55:18,220 thank you for Jesus. 436 00:55:18,220 --> 00:55:20,220 Thank you for grace. Thank you for 437 00:55:20,220 --> 00:55:22,220 peace and hope. Thank you for 438 00:55:22,220 --> 00:55:24,220 the cross. Thank you 439 00:55:24,220 --> 00:55:26,220 for the good news of the Gospel. Thank you for 440 00:55:26,220 --> 00:55:28,220 the hope of eternal life. 441 00:55:28,220 --> 00:55:30,220 In these moments, help us 442 00:55:30,220 --> 00:55:32,220 to cease our striving 443 00:55:32,220 --> 00:55:34,220 and our worried souls. 444 00:55:34,220 --> 00:55:36,220 That we may humble ourselves 445 00:55:36,220 --> 00:55:38,220 and turn to you knowing that you 446 00:55:38,220 --> 00:55:40,220 provide and you protect. You are 447 00:55:40,220 --> 00:55:42,220 the one who brings peace and all that is 448 00:55:42,220 --> 00:55:44,220 accomplished through the cross of 449 00:55:44,220 --> 00:55:46,220 Christ. Bless this bread 450 00:55:46,220 --> 00:55:48,220 and this cup. May we 451 00:55:48,220 --> 00:55:50,220 turn our hearts toward Jesus 452 00:55:50,220 --> 00:55:52,220 in this moment. It's in His name we pray. 453 00:55:52,220 --> 00:55:54,220 Amen. 454 00:55:54,220 --> 00:55:56,220 Paul writes this in 1 Corinthians 455 00:55:56,220 --> 00:55:58,220 the first chapter. 456 00:55:58,220 --> 00:56:00,220 "For what I received from the Lord 457 00:56:00,220 --> 00:56:02,220 I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus 458 00:56:02,220 --> 00:56:04,220 on the night when He was betrayed, broke 459 00:56:04,220 --> 00:56:06,220 bread. When He had given thanks 460 00:56:06,220 --> 00:56:08,220 He broke it and said, this is my body 461 00:56:08,220 --> 00:56:10,220 which is for you. Do this 462 00:56:10,220 --> 00:56:12,220 in remembrance of me." Would you partake? 463 00:56:12,220 --> 00:56:14,220 Amen. 464 00:56:26,220 --> 00:56:28,220 And in the same 465 00:56:28,220 --> 00:56:30,220 way also, He took 466 00:56:30,220 --> 00:56:32,220 the cup after supper, saying, 467 00:56:32,220 --> 00:56:34,220 "This cup is 468 00:56:34,220 --> 00:56:36,220 the new covenant in my blood. 469 00:56:36,220 --> 00:56:38,220 Do this as often 470 00:56:38,220 --> 00:56:40,220 as you drink it in remembrance 471 00:56:40,220 --> 00:56:42,220 of me." 472 00:56:42,220 --> 00:56:44,220 Partake together. 473 00:56:44,220 --> 00:56:48,220 "For as often as you eat 474 00:56:48,220 --> 00:56:50,220 this bread and drink this cup, you 475 00:56:50,220 --> 00:56:52,220 proclaim the Lord's death 476 00:56:52,220 --> 00:56:54,220 until He comes." 477 00:56:54,220 --> 00:56:56,220 We're going to stand 478 00:56:56,220 --> 00:56:58,220 and sing about the hope 479 00:56:58,220 --> 00:57:00,220 that we have in Jesus. 480 00:57:00,220 --> 00:57:02,220 So let's stand and sing 481 00:57:02,220 --> 00:57:04,220 "In Christ Alone." 482 00:57:04,220 --> 00:57:18,220 In Christ alone 483 00:57:18,220 --> 00:57:20,220 In Christ alone 484 00:57:20,220 --> 00:57:22,220 My hope is found 485 00:57:22,220 --> 00:57:24,220 He is my light 486 00:57:24,220 --> 00:57:26,220 My strength 487 00:57:26,220 --> 00:57:28,220 My song 488 00:57:28,220 --> 00:57:30,220 This cornerstone 489 00:57:30,220 --> 00:57:32,220 This solid ground 490 00:57:32,220 --> 00:57:38,220 Firm through the fiercest drowning storm 491 00:57:38,220 --> 00:57:40,220 What heights of love 492 00:57:40,220 --> 00:57:44,220 What depths of peace 493 00:57:44,220 --> 00:57:46,220 When fears are still 494 00:57:46,220 --> 00:57:48,220 When striving seeks 495 00:57:48,220 --> 00:57:52,220 My comforter 496 00:57:52,220 --> 00:57:54,220 My all in all 497 00:57:54,220 --> 00:57:58,220 Here in the love of Christ 498 00:57:58,220 --> 00:58:00,220 I stand 499 00:58:00,220 --> 00:58:04,220 In Christ alone 500 00:58:04,220 --> 00:58:08,220 Who took on flesh 501 00:58:08,220 --> 00:58:10,220 Fulness of God 502 00:58:10,220 --> 00:58:12,220 In helpless faith 503 00:58:12,220 --> 00:58:16,220 This gift of love 504 00:58:16,220 --> 00:58:18,220 And righteousness 505 00:58:18,220 --> 00:58:22,220 Scorned by the ones He came 506 00:58:22,220 --> 00:58:24,220 To save 507 00:58:24,220 --> 00:58:26,220 Till on that cross 508 00:58:26,220 --> 00:58:28,220 As Jesus died 509 00:58:28,220 --> 00:58:32,220 The wrath of God 510 00:58:32,220 --> 00:58:34,220 Was satisfied 511 00:58:34,220 --> 00:58:36,220 For every sin 512 00:58:36,220 --> 00:58:40,220 On Him was laid 513 00:58:40,220 --> 00:58:44,220 Here in the death of Christ 514 00:58:44,220 --> 00:58:46,220 I live 515 00:58:46,220 --> 00:58:50,220 There 516 00:58:50,220 --> 00:58:52,220 In the ground 517 00:58:52,220 --> 00:58:54,220 His body laid 518 00:58:54,220 --> 00:58:56,220 Light of the world 519 00:58:56,220 --> 00:58:58,220 By darkness 520 00:58:58,220 --> 00:59:00,220 Slain 521 00:59:00,220 --> 00:59:02,220 Then bursting forth 522 00:59:02,220 --> 00:59:04,220 In glorious day 523 00:59:04,220 --> 00:59:06,220 Upon the grave 524 00:59:06,220 --> 00:59:08,220 He rose 525 00:59:08,220 --> 00:59:10,220 Again 526 00:59:10,220 --> 00:59:14,220 And as He stands 527 00:59:14,220 --> 00:59:16,220 In victory 528 00:59:16,220 --> 00:59:18,220 Sin's curse 529 00:59:18,220 --> 00:59:20,220 Hath lost 530 00:59:20,220 --> 00:59:22,220 Its grip on me 531 00:59:22,220 --> 00:59:24,220 For I am His 532 00:59:24,220 --> 00:59:28,220 And He is mine 533 00:59:28,220 --> 00:59:30,220 Brought with the precious blood 534 00:59:30,220 --> 00:59:32,220 Of Christ 535 00:59:32,220 --> 00:59:38,220 No guilt in life 536 00:59:38,220 --> 00:59:40,220 No fear in death 537 00:59:40,220 --> 00:59:44,220 This is the power of Christ 538 00:59:44,220 --> 00:59:46,220 In me 539 00:59:46,220 --> 00:59:48,220 From life's first cry 540 00:59:48,220 --> 00:59:52,220 To final breath 541 00:59:52,220 --> 00:59:56,220 Jesus commends my destiny 542 00:59:56,220 --> 01:00:00,220 No power of hell 543 01:00:00,220 --> 01:00:02,220 No scheme of man 544 01:00:02,220 --> 01:00:06,220 Can ever pluck me 545 01:00:06,220 --> 01:00:08,220 From his hand 546 01:00:08,220 --> 01:00:10,220 Till he returns 547 01:00:10,220 --> 01:00:12,220 Or calls me home 548 01:00:12,220 --> 01:00:16,220 Here in the power of Christ 549 01:00:16,220 --> 01:00:18,220 I'll spend 550 01:00:18,220 --> 01:00:22,220 No power of hell 551 01:00:22,220 --> 01:00:24,220 No scheme of man 552 01:00:24,220 --> 01:00:26,220 Can ever pluck 553 01:00:26,220 --> 01:00:28,220 Me from his hand 554 01:00:28,220 --> 01:00:30,220 Till he returns 555 01:00:30,220 --> 01:00:32,220 Or calls me home 556 01:00:32,220 --> 01:00:38,220 Here in the power of Christ 557 01:00:38,220 --> 01:00:40,220 I'll stand 558 01:00:40,220 --> 01:00:52,220 We are very thankful that you are here with us. Those of you who are here in person, and those of you who joined us online, we are very thankful. Just a few announcements as we get ready to close. We'll be back here Wednesday night at 7pm. 559 01:00:52,220 --> 01:01:00,220 And those of you who joined us online, we are very thankful. Just a few announcements as we get ready to close. We'll be back here Wednesday night at 7pm. 560 01:01:00,220 --> 01:01:11,220 For our midweek Bible study. Just an announcement about what's coming up. The first Wednesday in September, we're going to begin a 12-week series of the Book of James. 561 01:01:11,220 --> 01:01:21,220 So we'll have some more information about that over the coming weeks. Also, this Thursday, Ladies Bible Study here at the church at 1pm. 562 01:01:21,220 --> 01:01:28,220 Also, because we haven't mentioned it for a while, if you are wanting to keep up to date, we generally send out a weekly email. 563 01:01:28,220 --> 01:01:34,220 So you can either give me your email address, or you can go to our website, collegeparkcc.com. 564 01:01:34,220 --> 01:01:41,220 Put in your email address there, and unless your email address is like Stu's, which just doesn't work, because I think you thought he was a spammer. 565 01:01:41,220 --> 01:01:51,220 You can get signed up to our email list there, and we send out about one email a week with sort of an update about what's going on and what's happening. 566 01:01:51,220 --> 01:02:06,220 Also, next Sunday, we are doing kind of a church meal and baby shower for Christy and Derek and upcoming baby Theo, so we are excited to celebrate with them. 567 01:02:06,220 --> 01:02:12,220 And so, if you need the details, you can ask some questions, either Rachel or myself, after church. 568 01:02:12,220 --> 01:02:17,220 Anything you want to say about that? Are we good? Bring some sides. 569 01:02:17,220 --> 01:02:36,220 All right. So, we are going to go ahead and have a word of prayer, then I will read a verse, and then we will sing the doxology. 570 01:02:36,220 --> 01:02:42,220 Father in heaven, we thank you so much for your church and for your people. 571 01:02:42,220 --> 01:02:50,220 We thank you for the joy that you bring us through the encouragement of one another and through your word and through your spirit. 572 01:02:50,220 --> 01:02:56,220 Thank you for all the good that you have done in our life. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 573 01:02:56,220 --> 01:03:04,220 Paul writes this in 1 Thessalonians. He says, "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, 574 01:03:04,220 --> 01:03:09,220 and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus. 575 01:03:09,220 --> 01:03:14,220 He who calls you is faithful. He will do it." We're going to sing the doxology and be dismissed. 576 01:03:39,220 --> 01:03:46,220 Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.