Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

All the welcome to our midweek lifestream service here at beacon Baptist Church. Glad you been able to join us if you were able to log on your computer you were enjoying and listening to a couple of piano pieces played by Melanie Lowell about one of our pianist here at beacon. She was playing Jesus paid it all and when I survey the wondrous Cross we are in the middle of passion week I don't need to remind you that. I suppose if you're Christian part from the covert, 19 pandemic resurrection of Jesus Christ should be on the mind of entire world.

Attention is drawn to that.

For those of us who know the Lord.

It is a special time of precious time, so much of what Jesus did in his earthly ministry is confined to this week that we know is passion week we turn our attention to the Scriptures. Tonight we are going to take off our shoes, as it were, and enter into the garden of Gethsemane and consider our Savior. There Paul David Tripp sends the devotional out frequently. I got this one this morning at 5 o'clock in the his opening words so I thought were appropriate for the beginning of our midweek service.

He writes we're living through a moment that will be written about in history books. You will tell your grandkids about the time the world shut down documentaries will retell the story for generations, it's tempting to dwell on the weight of the global pandemic, but I would encourage you to step back. There is a far greater historical moment that you should be thinking about this week.

It's the most significant event in the history of the universe. It is the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says everything in the Bible. Everything that your faith relies on and all of your reasons for hope, rest on this day. If there is not a specific point in time where Jesus walked out of the tomb, then your religion is a waste of time. This is the argument Paul the apostle makes in first Corinthians 15 work where he says, and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If, in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied well. He did rise from the grave. He did conquer sin, death and the grave. For that we have hope. We have an eternal hope and all Christians rejoice in that reality. If you are able to download our prayer sheet that we make available to our people in beacon in the know you have the announcements and you also have the prayer requests will always print a verse of Scripture at the top of the announcement sheet and this evening.

Hebrews chapter 4 in verse 15 is printed there that says for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin, we have a high priest, we have a great high priest.

The next verse in Hebrews chapter 4, following the adverse says. Therefore, because we have a high priest whose touch with the feelings of our infirmities.

Because of that led us, boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need and just the first stanza of that first him that you heard played by Melanie Lowe.

I hear the Savior say, thy strength, indeed, is small child of weakness, watch and pray find in me, thine all in all our strength doesn't carry us very far in this life, particularly when the clouds roll in the difficulties come and the uncertainties arise. We are children of weakness because we are children of weakness. We have this exhortation.

Watch and pray, and as we do. And as we are faithful to do that hymn writer affirms, we will find in him. Thine all. Thank you again for joining us.

Would you look with me to the Lord as we ask his help in this service this evening. Father, we thank you that we can come to. Indeed, a throne of grace, that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Were thankful tonight that your eyes are upon the righteous, and that your ears are open on our cry. We thank you that we have audience with you the most high God were thankful that you're aware of our our needs are weaknesses, our struggles are fears, our doubts, Lord, I thank you that you promised grace in times of weakness that your grace is made perfect in our weakness.

So father thank you for the wonderful provisions you've made for us, that teach us that life is worth living is a life that is lived in dependence upon you, and not apart from you and Lord left to ourselves. Apart from converting grace. That's the way men live. All have gone their own way. They turned everyone to his own way about your word tells us that there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is death. And that way is the Wyden Broadway that many are traveling in this world and all travel in this world apart from your intervening grace that rescues men, quickens them to life sets their feet on the straight and narrow way and establishes their going so we rejoice tonight that there is a straight and narrow way that there is the door Christ Jesus that that way is narrow, and yet it is a safe way a way that leads to life everlasting. We thank you that we can meet in this unusual unorthodox way. We thank you for this technology that affords us this, we confess that we miss the corporate gathering of the church we miss our brothers and sisters in Christ, we believe that there is something very special about the church gathering and that is why you have commanded in the Scriptures for your children not to forsake the assembling of themselves together, and Lord were not forsaking our assembly times we are honoring the authorities over us that have mandated that we not come together.

So Lord, we wait upon you for the lifting of that restriction.

We long for the day when we can come together again as beacon Baptist Church in this place and worship together corporate, but until that time, we ask that you would continue to preserve us to strengthen us into the inner person renew our minds. Help us to fix our hope in our affections upon things above, not on this earth. Help us to cast all of our cares upon you, knowing that you care for us. Help us to rest secure in the love of God.

I pray that you would bless these minutes together is we will share them together over your word and then as we consider prayer requests the needs of this particular flock and then a couple of missionary updates. Thank you that we can meet in this way this evening receive our praise in our worship and our adoration to you or you've commanded us to love you with all of our hearts, minds and souls and strength. We offer ourselves to you and that holistic way. This evening, and asked that you would help us to love you more. We pray these things in Jesus name, amen. We will continue to conduct these lifestream services in this way until restrictions are lifted B9 30 on Sunday morning, 6 o'clock on Sunday night and then 7 o'clock here on Wednesday night were thankful that we can carry on some continuity of ministry in this way were also mindful that it is an interruption for other parts of our ministry are impact clubs have not been able to meet for over a month as our Wednesday night children's club ministry way, which we are engaged in Scripture memory catechizing are clubbers save hour-long program is well-organized and grateful that we have that ministry, but it's been interrupted Sunday school's been interrupted our children's church ministries been interrupted 15 or so.

Rest homes and nursing homes in the area that are men are involved in carrying on services throughout the week and through throughout the month. Those of been disrupted so although were able to meet in this way. So much of our ministry has been displaced and were longing for normalcy to return and when we believe in God's time it will indeed do that is an announcement here concerning coffee encourage our ladies are taking our project there, mindful of healthcare. Healthcare workers of our local hospital elements Regional Medical Center and the tremendous burden and strain that are upon them and they want to do something tangible to reach out and minister and encourage them so this is the project that is been organized through our coffee ladies coffee encourage ministry says they're planning to take a container of gifts to the workers individually wrapped candy some sugar-free individually wrapped cookies, crackers, granola bars nuts protein bars, etc. these items cannot be homemade for obvious reasons, fresh apples, small containers of hand lotion small water bottles small bottles of hand sanitizer if you can find them in cards of encouragement. If you want to participate in this ministry of encouragement. There will be a box in the breezeway between her fellowship.

All the main building here at the church where you can deposit your items. Saturday morning April 11 and will remain there until 4 o'clock in the afternoon so it says let's join our hearts and prayer for healthcare workers and those for whom they are caring and show them in a tangible way are creation.

Thank you coffee encourage ladies that are involved in that ministry for your initiative. In this ministry going to reserve our prayer time announcements to prayer and a couple of missionary letters.

Toward the end of our service but right now like to open the Scriptures to Mark chapter 14 Mark chapter 14 and were going to consider the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane. All four of the gospel accounts give us a record of this various details omitted and added by various authors, but my choice this evening is to consider what Mark has for us in Mark chapter 14 figure have a copy of the Scriptures on your phone or your Bible follow with me as I read for Mark chapter 14 beginning at verse 32. Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I pray and he took Peter, James and John with him. He began to be troubled deeply distressed. Then he said to them, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch he went a little farther, and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him and he said Abba father.

All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will but what you will. Then he came and found them sleeping and said to Peter, Simon, are you sleeping could you not watch one hour watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak and he went away and prayed and spoke the same words and when he returned he found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy and they did not know what to answer him. Then he came the third time and he said to them, are you still sleeping and resting. It is enough. The hour has come, behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners rise let us be going.

See my betrayer is at hand. Again, you will find this account in Matthew chapter 26 Luke chapter 22 and John chapter 18 tonight as we consider Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane would like to consider that under three headings. I like for someone to look at his sorrow, his sorrow number to his supplication, and then finally his submission supplication. I'm ski him skews me his sorrow, his supplication, his submission, the count begins in a place called Gethsemane. It was a familiar place to the disciples. Jesus. Jesus often met with them there. According to John chapter 18 in verse two. It was a place that they all know because Judas knew where to take the mob to arrest Jesus in the middle of the night.

The best we can make of this to try and paint some kind of a picture for ourselves is that we know it to be a walled all of Grove appeared to have only one entrance and that's where we find the Lord Jesus.

Jesus left most of the disciples at the entrance while he went inside and with him. He took Peter, James and John, we have that recorded in verse 33 and he took Peter, James and John with him. He told all the disciples the sit here while I pray and then he took these three with them. It was obvious throughout the evening, Jesus met with them in the upper room and discoursed with them.

They could tell that he was troubled.

He communicated as such to them.

Jesus says to them in verse 32. Sit here while I pray in and we have these words, he took Peter, James and John with him and he began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then he said to them, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. So we see this expression. This acute expression of emotion and feelings with the Lord Jesus Christ distressed trouble sorrowful, even to the point of death. One of the gospel writer speaks of it as agony. Jesus was greatly troubled sit here while I pray verse 32. Stay here and watch verse 34 and then Jesus went into the garden and pray and he did this three times when an prayed returned and found the disciples sleeping went back to the garden and prayed and we see that repeated three different times. You have to consult all for the gospel records to see that it didn't just happen one time, but he repeatedly went and prayed and he prayed the same thing were told verse 34 five.

He went a little further and fell on his on the ground and prayed verse 37, he came and found them sleeping and he said to Peter, Simon, are you sleeping could you not watch one hour.

What's interesting is the fact that Jesus asked them to pray commanded them to pray told him to stay here and watch Matthew 26 verse 38 says Jesus said stay here and watch with me that he was asking their participation and there is any hint that they prayed a single word. Nothing is recorded that they pray. Jesus didn't come find them and find them praying Jesus came and repeatedly found them asleep, and there's some irony here in the fact that the sinless son of God felt such a great need for prayer that evening and yet his week vulnerable disciples apparently had no sense of the desperate need of the hour. I wonder dear friends in these unprecedented times of uncertainty in our nation and in our our country that's affected our lives. Have you been driven to prayer.

Have you been earnest in prayer.

Is this a matter that you have been taking before the Lord in prayer. I hope it hope so. I trust so but I wonder for some, their experiences, and similar to what we find here in the context of great knee that warrants heartfelt prayer, earnest prayer. How many are asleep. How many are so overwhelmed with anxiety and fear that there haven't even been motivated to pray your friend let's honor the Lord in prayer. Let's pray for ourselves.

Let's pray for our community.

Let's pray for our nation are so many things to pray about. Let's pray that God will break in upon this nation and bring a revival that sweeps from coast-to-coast.

He's done in the past. Read about the great awakening read about the moving of the spirit of God and revival what God is done in the past. He's able to do again. Let's trust in Fort let's believe him. Let's beseech him let's seek him in prayer in that matter, the question comes to our minds. How could. How could these disciples. These chosen three, Peter James and John, how could they have fallen asleep while it was evening tiredness of body probably has set in Luke chapter 22 in verse 45 tells us that they were asleep because of sorrow, so this sorrow that had come over. Jesus had also come over them and it provoked Jesus to seek his father in prayer and it had caused these three to be careless and to go to sleep and as I thought about that. It seems strange to me and then I began to think about people you are in distress. People who are having difficulty coping with their emotions and how often people find sleep as an escape.

Go to their room. Go to their bed, pull the covers over their head and sleep try and sleep their worries away. Jesus had asked them stay here and watch with me here. They were completely it seems disengaged from the need of the hour and Christ finds them asleep when he returns. I find it interesting. This is a bit of a trivia question I asked Carly this, I've been studying this I said who said spirit is willing and the flesh is weak. Who said that if you are listening as I read the Scriptures you know who said that when Jesus in this hour of great need.

Found these ones that he was asking the pray and watching with him asleep. He comes in he does not call them names.

He doesn't say you you you betrayed me. You've disappointed made no no language at all like that fact he offers them an excuse. You would think it was be Peter, James and John, who would've said the Lord you caught us asleep.

This ruling, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. But it is the Lord Jesus who offers that reason that excuse that justification for why they were asleep. Jesus said the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I find that encouraging that our Savior in the midst of such great agony and sorrow and distress is so gentle and so compassionate and so understanding. He understands our weaknesses he understands are imitations certainly not an excuse for their failures but it's worthy to take note with despite the fact that these three did not watch with him. Jesus was not alone. Luke chapter 22 in verse 43 records and it's the only one of the gospel writers the records.

This that an angel appeared to him from heaven and strengthened him so God the father was caring for his son dispatched an angel to minister to the needs of the Savior Bible tells us here that the anguish and the distress that the Lord Jesus was under. This is in Luke chapter 22 in verse 44, was so great that he sweat, as it were great drops of blood and we wonder what is going on there and it is some medical condition capillaries burst under stress in the blood mingles with one's perspiration exiting through the sweat glands but that raises the question why why was there such agony with the Savior. Was he dreading the physical pain of the cross. I don't think so many have suffered crucifixion without sweating blood at the thought of it. It certainly was not death per se. The trouble his soul so greatly.

After all, he said I've come to die. This was the hour for which he had come in a prayer that he offered in John chapter 12 verse 27 this is a public prayer, Jesus says this now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour. So here in the garden we find Jesus praying father. If it is possible for this cop pass from me again. Is he having second thoughts about dying as he praying to be delivered from the cross in John's account John chapter 18 again. His account of this event in Gethsemane when Peter pulled the sword to try and stop the arrest.

Jesus said to Peter, this is John 18 verse 11, Peter put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which my father has given me notice what Jesus said the father gave to me God the father gave Christ this cop to drink and that begs the question what is the cup what is this cup the Jesus is referring to, to suggest to you that it's not merely death. It's not the physical pain of the cross. It's not the humiliation of the cross.

It's not the torture of the cross is not the disgrace of the cross what Christ dreaded, most about the cross the cup from which he asks to be delivered if possible was the outpouring of divine wrath that he would have to endure from his father. The cup is a symbol of wrath against sin.

Many Old Testament Scriptures we could look at two show you that we will take the time to nine. So when Christ prayed that if possible.

The cop might pass from him. He spoke of drinking the cup of divine wrath. That's what he was referring to when Christ hung on the cross. What was he doing he was bearing the sins of his people and he was suffering, the just wrath of God for those sins on their behalf.

The price of the sin that Christ bore was the full fury of divine wrath and the hymn writer has it absolutely exactly right. Jesus paid it all.

So what is motivating Christ's praying here is not sinful weakness but it is human infirmity were seeing the humanity of Christ. Here and again we understand that Christ was 100% divine.

He was 100% human in his person is this hypostatic union. This mysterious coming together that we have no way to fully comprehend or understand, but the Scriptures never allow the divine nature of Christ to overshadow or diminish the human nature of Christ. Everything Scripture says about Christ's role as our's art as arts and sacrifice and Savior depends on the fact that he is fully and completely a man.

Hebrews chapter 2 in verse 17 says in all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things preterm pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people to make propitiation for the sins of the people that I work propitiation is a big theological word, but it simply means the offering of a sacrifice in order to take away wrath the satisfy wrath and that's what Jesus was doing. He was offering himself as a sacrifice as a propitiation that wrath might be satisfied that it might be removed. That's the explanation for the sorrow of Christ in Gethsemane was consider number two. His supplication is supplication is prayer, his supplication, his desire was to escape the wrath of God. And that's normal. That's perfectly understandable. It's a human feeling in the feelings themselves. The desire itself is not sinful. Were talking about the sinless son of God.

What is sinful is when we is creatures pursue desires and feelings and preferences at the expense of God's will. Jesus in the entirety of his life, character is characterized by constant voluntary submission to his father's will.

He said in John 829 I always do those things that please him. John 434 my food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work.

John 638 for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. But Jesus and his humanity.

He dreaded the father's wrath.

He wished to avoid it. If there had been any possible way he's praying this prayer at this hour.

Now he always knew the cup of God's wrath was an unavoidable aspect of the atoning work in John's Gospel in his account. Jesus said this in verse four. What is this about Jesus. Jesus knowing all things that would come upon him.

None of these events as they unfolded on this night caught Jesus by surprise. All things that would come upon him.

He knew John 1811 Jesus told Peter put your sword away. Shall I not drink this cup which my father has given me so as were considering the supplication of Christ. This is a prayer and outpouring of his passion, and it is proof that he was falling human in every sense again. Jesus asked them to watch and pray with him. Sit here and pray stay here and watch the first 38 in Mark 14, watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. Again there spirit was certainly willing but their flesh was weak. They should have been praying the way Christ was consciously submitting their will to the father's will and looking to God for the strength to endure, but again we see their human weakness. Their failures of all the things we could say about the supplication of Christ here in the garden this above everything else. Christ's prayer is a prayer of submission.

It is a prayer of submission is not the focus is not on the request to let the cup pass, but the higher purpose is reflected in his repeated request. Your will be done.

Your will be done so his natural desire, his desire in his humanity was to avoid if possible, the awful judgment that he was about to suffer. But his overriding desire, the ultimate answer to prayer. He was pleading for was that God's will be done and again this is instructive for us.

This should be the overriding principle of our life that we want the will of God to be accomplished in and through us that that dominates our concern in prayer that that is what moves and motivates us through life that were earnest about that that were jealous for that. That where we are settled in our minds concerning that.

So again tonight. The supplication of Christ. First is sorrow that is supplication. Third, let's look quickly at his submission. When Christ prays, not as I will but as you will.

We are not to think you that there is any disparity between the will of the father and the will of the son. What we see here is the son deliberately voluntarily subjugating all his natural human feelings to the perfect will of the father. The prayer is an example of how Christ in his humanity always surrendered his will to the will of the father in all things. And again. Think of this Christ being sinless.

He needed to submit his desires to the will of God with deliberate, purposeful dedication and if that's so, how much more do we need to be deliberate in surrounding our hearts and our souls in our minds and our strength to God because we have the liability of sin in our fallenness were Christ did none of that Christ prayer was not for the cop to pass at any cost, he asked to be relieved of the cop only if there were some other way to accomplish the plan of God. Believe me, if there had been another way, he would have done it, but there was no other way and that is why the cup did not pass from Christ. There was no other way to accomplish divine justice and the forgiveness of sinners, Christ submission to the father's will is an expression of his love for his father is how Jesus manifested his love to the father by doing the will of the father and again the lesson is there for us. How do we demonstrate our love for the father by yielding our wills to his by submitting ourselves to him.

See, this is something that's unfolding in human history but in the mind and purposes of God.

This was settled in eternity past, and we have a couple of verses of Scripture that draw our attention to that and let me at this time show those to you. Paul in his epistle to Titus opens with these words Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, listen to this promised before time began.

That's Titus one verses one into question. If God promised eternal life before time began before there were any creatures to make such a promise to go home. Did he make the promise that's the question the answer to the question is the promise, the Godfather made was to God the son, and is describing a covenant that took place between the members of the Godhead for the redemption of the elect of God is another verse and underscores that same idea. Second Timothy chapter 1 verse nine Paul says that God saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

In other words, the eternal guarantee of our salvation involved promise made by God the father to God the son before time began. You see how strong the foundation. Our salvation rests upon our entire hope of eternal life consists in this eternal promise made by God the father to his son.

That is why Christ often spoke of the redeemed as those whom the father had given to him. John 79 John 1711, John 1724 John six versus 3738 and 39, God the son. For his part, is part of the covenant is the die to go to the cross to give his life a ransom for these once. So when Christ prays this prayer and settles this in his mind he submitting himself to the father's will. In order to purchase redemption for his people in eternity past the sun willingly deliberately submitted himself to the father's will and the path to the cross was set.

This prayer of Gethsemane that we've looked at this evening gives us a window into the soul and heart of our Savior. He makes that surrender. He reveals what a supreme sacrifice. It was for him to die on the behalf of his children and when Christ finished praying, he emerged from his agony in perfect harmony with the will of the father. His enemies were approaching the colonists with which Christ would meet them in the quiet grace that he would show testified to the peace that comes in surrender to the father's will and what the Savior new and experienced the child of God can know and experience.

We can know a piece we can know with joy as we submit and surrender our lives to the will and purposes of our father may God help us to do that in May we learn about that more intimately as we consider our Savior in this most solemn occasion in the garden of Gethsemane. Let us pray our father, we thank you tonight for showing us this picture of the humanity of our Savior's. His is sorrow. He who left the glories of heaven, and came to this earth.

Man of sorrows. What a name for the son of God who came to Jesus and his sinlessness. Still no of sorrow and distress. Help us to understand that being a Christian does not insulate us from sorrow that is part of our earthly sojourn that is not necessarily because of sin, help us in this context of sorrowing and wrestling through life to know that we have access to pray and may we be honest and that may we not be negligent and that might we be more consistent in that and then will God by your spirit would you so work in us that we might be more surrendered more committed or desirous of the father's will grant that submission for our good and for your own glory sake. I pray in Christ name, amen. These moments that we have left. I want to go over prayer requests.

This is for the saints of God. Here beacon Baptist Church.

There's a number of praises on our sheet praising the Lord for the improvement of Evelyn Butler, Gail Ellis, his mother, Joe Davis is doing well from recent surgery. Rebecca Ellis granddaughter Paul and Gail Ellis. She's greatly improved for Don and faucet is doing well from a recent fall for free to kings doing well from the falls well for Michael to tours recovering well from knee surgery and for Barbara Schultz got a good report from her procedures.

All cause for praising and thanking the Lord for remembering Angela Boyd in our prayers. Drew Guthrie, she's undergoing cancer treatments.

Talk to Don Junior this afternoon on conveyed Drew's requested to beacon St. pray for her. She's dealing with pain.

She does not have appetite treatments are there difficult to handle. There be consulting tomorrow preps the next day with the doctors there considering putting a feeding tube so that she can receive nourishment. So there are concerned about that and ask for wisdom and asked the saints here beacon to pray and undergird Drew and that need want to make you where is with in the past concerning Scott Lori and his wife Evelyn and Daniel leave travel to the Philippines and Scott's got Scott has got caught here in between is going to follow them in several weeks and then this Cova 19 is set in and he separated from his family were glad of John Petrie. Some progress in recent days sees doing well physically seems to be processing his grief will concerning the home-going of Mildred and missionaries Paul Snyder and his daughter Marianne are need of our prayers talk with Stuart while on the phone they before yesterday for about 20 minutes. Stuart was upbeat.

He was in the hospital they were running tests, taking sure that his heart was able to withstand surgery and that he's upbeat and thinking that approval is finding a calm for his much-needed transplants of pray concerning that then is under the sympathy section. There are a number of names you want to make you aware of if you not aware already were asking you to pray for the family of Rev. Paul Hopkins of Reidsville, North Carolina, God's call to love our dear ones home with the Lord within a 24 hour period. God called Bob Rose home yesterday afternoon and brother George Simpson at 1 o'clock this morning.

The update concerning those two as I know it right now as I stand here, it will be a lifestream service allow funeral home at 4 o'clock on Friday afternoon after the tour tells me that in the obituary will be the instructions on how to access the website so you can watch it lifestream. If you care to that of the 4 o'clock on Friday afternoon, Pastor. The tour will officiate their because of the restrictions of that were living with it were living with right now it's restricted to family only and then for George's ensign.

There is no service being planned right now for for him.

Just please remember Joan in your prayers and the family. Then we learned the of the home-going of veteran missionary Bill Standridge to Italy passed away last week we were made aware asking to remember Josh Boyd in your prayers this is that Angela Boyd, son's been diagnosed with acute pancreatitis is the request tonight. Want to just share one letter with you, but I can find it here. Well seem to lay my hands on that's fine, thank you for those of you who have been faithful to pray in these days it's a little bit unsettling for your pastors to be that arms distance from the saints of God, the sheep that have been entrusted to us.

These are different days of ministry. It's caused us to have a greater dependence upon the great Shepherd of the sheep. We have a responsibility to care for God sheep when circumstances dictate that are efforts in our abilities are providentially hindered.

It's caused us to be more earnest in our prayers and committing you to the great Shepherd of the sheep. Thank you for the way secure reaching out to members of the church here of many ways that you have come up with to carry meals leave meals on the steps honor the social distancing that were all trying to be mindful of so thank you for making use of the technology that we have tuned in here on lifestream. Those of you are calling the Deacon group sitters stain connected in that way.

Thankful for your efforts. Believe there is such strong evidence that the churches is well that you are keeping on keeping on that you're being steadfast that you're being faithful and for that we are grateful to the Lord as we come to the end of this service tonight with join me as we bring some of these requests again before the Lord.

Normally this be a time that we would call on men are simply to lead us in prayer, but I'm here by myself. So join me as we again beseech the Lord. Father, we thank you for the privilege of intercessory prayer. We thank you for the body dynamic that you have created that when one member of the body rejoices. We all rejoice in one.

One member sorrows were all affected by that Lord we feel the sorrow that sister Hanan sister Joan are experiencing at this time in the earthly separation from their husbands. We thank you father for your grace that is save these men and has sustained these men, all the days they were they were on this earth.

Thank you that they finished well thank you that they were ready to meet the Savior, Lord, we confess that these earthly separations are hard for us. We are in eternity.

Looking back, it will seem like no time at all but on the side looking the other direction. Time can seem to go on for a very long time. We asked our father that you would come to these dear ones that you would strengthen them that you would encourage them that you would comfort them that you would fill their hearts with consolation and joy that they would be filled and flooded in their minds with good memories. We pray that you will help pass of the tours he officiates it.

The service for for Bobrow's minister to the needs of that family. Pray for the needs of the sense and family.

Lord, you know, we don't know the particulars but there's always needs of various and sundry kind so Lord, we commit these families to you and how we would because I have cause to give praise and thanksgiving to you for the long and faithful ministry of Bill and Bill Standridge and Maria Teresa Standridge nearly 7 decades of ministry that they were engaged in in the country of Italy and Rome. Thank you father for raising them up and for using them in that way minister that family in home-going and loss of this one. Lord, thank you for the many mentions of praise and thanksgiving for answers to prayer Lord, it encourages us to keep praying and keep trusting you so Lord would ask that you save the lost among us that the circumstances would be used to view to cause men and women to cast themselves upon the mercy of Christ that the delusion of self-sufficiency and human economy would be taken away. When we see just how little control we do have of our lives, we would realize that the safest place the best thing for us to do is to cast ourselves upon you, the safekeeping of our not only earthly life, but are never dying soul Lord.

We look forward to the occasions to remember the events that will yet unfold in passion week the necessary death of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he indeed died the death we deserve to die. He died in the place of sinners.

His death was a vicarious death how we thank you that he willingly voluntarily offered his life in that way that unlike the Old Testament priest who offered the sacrifice our Savior not only offered himself as the sacrifice he was both the sacrifice and the giver of the sacrifice. We rejoice in such a save Lord we thank you. The resurrection Sunday followed Friday because Jesus lives. We shall live also.

How we thank you for the hope of the resurrection. How we rejoice. The Jesus who is the firstfruits guarantees the resurrection of all those with their faith and trust in him or that means a lot. Every saint of God and oh how it means a lot when one of our loved ones comes to the end of the earthly sojourn. Thank you for the hope we have the resurrection, free of sin, free of the limitations of the body free of pain. No more sorrow no more tears. No more regrets no more disappointments. All is well in the father's house. Greater longing in our hearts for that day and until that day. Keep us by your grace. Safeguard your church grow us, make us more like the blessed Savior who loved us and gave himself for us. We pray in his name. Amen