How Great Thou Art

I'll be reading tonight from the book of Malachi chapter 1 verses one through five whole lot shorter than the book of Ruth chapters through the reading of God's word and make that be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path and Oracle.

The word of the lord to Israel through Malachi, I have loved you, says the Lord. But you ask, how have you loved us was not Esau Jacob's brother, the Lord says, yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals. Edom may say though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins. But this is what the Lord says they may build, but I will demolish.

They will be called the wicked land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord you will see it with your own eyes and say great is the Lord even beyond the borders of Israel.

Let us pray father we stand to honor and glorify you in your word. We pray even now that it would be effectual in our hearts we pray Holy Spirit that you would not only speak through me but through the proclamation of your word to each one of us showing us our great need and your love in Christ who met our needs by giving himself up for us in transferring his righteousness. Try accounts that we might not only glorify you in our everyday lives father but as we proclaim the gospel. Other people would hear the good news, and hopefully be saved before Jesus comes again. Lord bless the ministry of your word in our hearts we pray in Jesus name, amen.

Maybe seated you've heard of the wedding singer. Well, I am the holiday preacher sings the last time I preached was on the. The p.m. service on Easter and so take it as a great opportunity and a blessing that I can come to y'all again this evening is good to see so many of us here on this Fourth of July night that you have all joined together with the saints to worship our God be honest I've seen personally in my own life. Some incredible incredible fireworks, but given the choice only if you know it every seven years you know the Sabbath is on Fourth of July's on the Sabbath, so seven years ago it was left up to me out and I had the choice between going to a celebration for July, church church. I would much rather be here worshiping the Lord with y'all.

So it's a blessing. So to say that I love to read God's word. I love to study his word.

I love to sing psalms, hymns, praise songs love to worship the Lord and I love the coin and in through the Holy Spirit. The fellowship of believers, but I must say there that sometimes I'm halfhearted in my worship, referring to Doug Sherman this morning. I praise God that he has not left me alone, but he convicts me of my sin Israelites. Back in those days in the postexilic times were halfhearted in their worship as well. After the return God call them on their halfhearted worship when I think of his holding them accountable. I was reading before Doug even asked me I was reading going through the book of Leviticus and I was convicted in my heart of my sacrifice of praise, so to speak, and not in a Doug a while back. He asked us to know if you like to hold out your hands for the benediction and I was convicted that I don't raise my hands and praise.

Why don't we cause were Presbyterians that we don't raise our hands in heaven. Thank you for beer with me because unlike with those profits. The cries and I really don't know what in heaven with all of our being, we're going to praise God. There will be nothing that can hold our hands down, if if everyone stomach casting their crowns. Our whole being is going to be given to worshiping our God and our Savior. I hope you look forward to that and I hope as a result of this sermon.

You might even consider raising your hands and praise long time ago. The ministry made a great impact on my life you raised his hands during the doxology in their service of worship and he explained that he raises his hands because it's a sign of surrender just likes in the ancient near Eastern pictographs. You know the people who come before the King have their hands raised, and actually in one hand, they also have their wallets. They're all in all, may we give him our all in all it may convict our spirit hearts as we go through the book of Malachi, halfhearted worship is just one of the issues in the book of Malachi, there are others there is tithing. Most people know the book of Malachi from those verses that speak about the storehouse in tithing and giving onto the Lord. But there's also text that have to do with marriage gentlemen, if you're feeling like your prayers are hitting the ceiling, then maybe is reflective of the fact you're not loving your wives so we can hear about in the book of Malachi, my God, convict us hope did ultimately you will stick with me as we go through the book and this being our beginning in that Malachi will become a treasure trove for you.

You won't read through it any longer without remembering the structure. The rhetorical disputations. The topics that I just mentioned, and even in its placement. The last call of the word of the Lord through the prophet Malachi 4 400 years of silence, like between the sixth and seventh seals. There was a period of silence for the day of the Lord, the great day of the coming of the Lord. Malachi's become one of my favorite books and I hope it would be for you as well when you get a little bit of background just to set the stage in the context for the book. If I don't do it now than some of these things are going to be a little at a sink and is not gonna really strike home. Hopefully there are four chapters in the book of Malachi in English and Hebrew.

There's only three less interesting. There's 55 verses out of those three chapters in Hebrew and 49. Out of those 55 mentioned the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Lord of hosts as well. The book of Malachi could be described as probably one of the most orderly books of the whole Bible is that it is broken down and this is the way I'm gonna go through them in the next series is broken down into what we call rhetorical disputations. What do I mean by that a rhetorical disputation is a form of structure and outline that you can see in the text is making a point. So there's essentially six issues. Topics formed in ABC CBA plastic format so that we can understand specifically what God or what issues, what topics he's addressing. So it's kind of hard to get lost in the book when you break it down I might not see that if you don't read the introductions in your Bibles and some your Bible going to talk about the disputations. But as I go through it hopefully will be blessed as a result of it.

Those points over disputation have a four there's an assertion. This could be my four points of our sermon tonight. There's an assertion that is what the Lord is saying an objection by the people. Or if you reading in your English versions. It might say how can you say so there's an objection to the assertion, like in our text, the first assertion is I have loved you, the objection is, how have you loved us, and then the response by God as a clarification and then finally there's an implication or summary statement, wrapping it all up so those of the four points of the disputation. This was written during post-exile. Most of us. Not only did not ever read or I heard the book of Malachi preached or studied in in the Bible study, we really don't know much about the postexilic. Personally there's a lot to be said about it is really interesting when you start learning about that time of the return from exile in the building of the kingdom and the hesitations the complacency and the apathy which were going to talk about. But then there's also the inter-testament will.

That the McAbee MPI Kings in the Hasmoneans and the just so much that we don't ever hear about in the inner test. That leaves out to the fullness of time when God sent his son to come to this world to redeem us. So this is really a prelude to the coming of Christ setting the stage for the environment and the hearts, helping us to understand Israel of who we are, just as God was speaking to Israel been speaking to Israel now, today. Malachi is just as applicable, then I me today as it was then because we through faith in Jesus Christ are Abraham's seed, we are true Israel. So the whole point of the book of Malachi, if I was a summarize. It would be in a time of marital disillusionment because of their circumstances. Israel is growing weary of God. She's growing weary and is stopped upholding the law so Malachi of God through Malachi is speaking and proclaiming a wake-up call to the lethargy their spiritual apathy doesn't sound like us today in light might represent the struggles of the church in the 21st-century in our culture know it. Ed and the PCI Gen. assembly. Just this past week. If you read Eugene's letter that there's issues having to do with the re-voice movement that's cut that's seeping into the PCA. This is a Reformed Church mother dealing with it, but yet it's hard pressing the church.

There's other issues that are hard pressing against the urge of the church to compromise. We all face that in our daily lives just as they turned away and become complacent and were compromising. We are as well attempted to do the same. So what is the point of our text today. Chapter 1 verses one through five. When times are hard. We need to remember God's love to his people as the psalmist said is in remembering what God's mighty acts are and what he's done for us keeping Christ is the sign in the forefront of our minds to cross that week coming to church and worshiping rather than pretend participating in giving ourselves over to the to the ways of the culture we remember and will stay faithful are assertion point number one is God loves us the Scriptures say I have loved you, says the Lord, and Hebrew is interesting that is different than English and that verbs don't have tenses like we read into that we we have a past with the present we have a future. But they have a verb with aspects invoices that you add on to it. That doesn't mean much to y'all but it does mean something when you look at different versions of the Bible in different versions of the Bible you might read something to the effect of what the ESV says I have loved you, that what it says and then some might say sums up versions of the Bible might say I love you I have loved you, I love you.

And then of all tax. The good news by a lot of the light rated causes such a interpretation of the Old Testament is probably the most accurate.

The good news Bible of all is this. I have always loved you since the beginning, the first disputation begins with this assertion by God.

I have always loved you.

Speaking to his people who have become complacent or in Israel. After look the return from exile, I have loved you. Jeremiah 31 says I have loved you with an everlasting love.

I have drawn you with loving kindness God has drawn us with his love as God loves us. Everything flows from it is care.

His protection is concern he will do everything that we need not always what we want will console us into our grief will be faithful to us, and in hard times it will honor his word to us.

His promises will never fail because he makes them come into being. He will redeem his beloved and make sure that she is with them and that at the marriage feast of the Lamb. While we might turn away, we might falter and stumble God who loves us, who is always loved us is never been unfaithful to his promises and he will remain faithful to the very end and make sure that his beloved is at the table but you look forward to that final day when we can be with him forever and ever at the marriage supper of feast of the Lamb.

We see this in the Bible that God loves us. We see it from the very beginning out of love. He created the world and even made Adam and Eve to be the crown of his creation.

God didn't do it because his love was insufficient not as if he needed someone to love. He was complete and his triune persons, God was complete and is try using this we were made, though, as an expression of his love to receive his love to be free and are being told walking the talk with God in the garden in the beginning, and if Adam and Eve, not failed then that cultural mandate to fill the earth.

The garden would've expanded and fill the earth and we would still be walking and talking with God but God demonstrated his love for us that even when we sinned against him. Christ, he sent his son Christ to die for us even though we broke the covenant and have disobeyed God and turned to another lover is the book of Hosea paints the picture God is remain faithful to his bride in the very beginning, God came down he gave himself up. He forgave us in order that we might be with him forever and we might be reinstated and we might be made sons of God, as he originally planned from the beginning. We also know that God's love is true because the Holy Spirit convicts us of it. Not only is it in the word but the Holy Spirit convicts us. He said his love abroad in our hearts is the difference between us and people you don't believe the Holy Spirit is not in their heart revealing to them the truth of God's word that it is God's word.

The veracity of his love for us.

Truly he loves us. To this extent because even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us that melts and breaks our hearts that compels us to love, to live for him and finally we can feel it in our hearts. Sometimes not all the time. Love comes and goes, but love is truly shown by its faithfulness when those feelings are not there. CS Lewis said near Christianity and your Christianity. Remember though her feelings come and go, his love for us does not. It's not wearied by our sins are indifference and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we should be cured of those sins at whatever cost to us and whatever cost him.

God is faithful and he loves us the objection. This is where it starts to get a little deeper. The objection is Israel says how have you loved us. But Israel's not saying it.

If you look in your text you might think it is real saying it but actually it's God saying it through Malachi. This is was God saying to Israel. This is what you were thinking or in other words, but you say to yourself, how God anticipates, and he knows what resides in the hearts of Israel. There is genuine doubt. There is uncertainty of his love. Because of the circumstances and everything that's going on in their lives when they come back to. There is a series of prophecies that I'm gonna read just reference a couple. If you write these down if you write anything down or hear them. There was expectations of Israel when they came back from exile after seven years there was something to look forward to when it was over with in Ezekiel chapter 34 NSAIDs versus 26 through 30. I will make them the places around my hill a blessing I will send down showers in their season. They should be showers of blessing. He goes on to say in the trees of the field will yield their fruit in the earth shall yield its increase, but it was a desert was like there was a drought and there was no food. Isaiah 54, 133 says or verse to enlarge the place of your turn to and let the curtains of your inhabitants be stretched out. Do not hold back linking records and strengthen your stakes population would swell, but instead the people who would come back from captivity were just a few people. It was slowly coming back inside where is Israel. Another prophecy that had been fulfilled. It was written on their hearts was a nation would arise in the steam to the glorious reign of the new David Holden. Jeremiah said in chapter 23 verses five and six behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. The people had expectations and what was going on there, looking out in there wondering to themselves God, you say that you love is and you've always loved this. What is going on. How have you loved us.

She was still laying in ruins after the exile, the Babylonians, who were famous for their demolition had raised essentially the city of Jerusalem periodically around the walls. They had been torn down.

They were they had been breached and they been God the stones from the walls been thrown down into the Kedron Valley. The city of David according to the texted that they were returning to lay in ruins, and even then aliens and squatters had come to live in their midst. So these people actually even mites that our text refers to people from the South and come up.

When they had all left but actually this way when they had all gone to Babylon. The people from the South came up and took over and moved in and out as these people come out as like these people live in our home these people in the temple complex, who are these people who take advantage of the taxes are who are receiving all the benefits only we think of illegals in the United States when my complaint like what is going on here.

These people as well had the same complaints. What is going on here, Lord. They wanted to know their nation was poor, Babylonians insulted their wells and filled them back up so that there was no water.

They had raised the country officially, but cutting down all the trees and burning everything trying to paint a picture here of scorched earth so you can understand that the Israelites in their circumstances, you might sympathize with them as they look around and and wonder what is going on here, those aliens and those squatters who were left who had moved in were unwanted.

Essentially, the return from exile open their eyes to see the desert devastation of God's judgment after 70 years. In fact, most of the people who had gone out in exile were not returning. It was their families so these people they don't even know most of them didn't even know Israel, much less what to expect. So those people who were still alive, who'd gone out in exile were were overwhelmed. Finally, in the answering this question. How if you loved us why and how could they asked such a question. There was no presence of God in this smaller temple second Temple and been built. It was smaller than the first. And though the article will actually there was no glory of God. There was no arc there was no presence so to speak of God in their midst. That would be devastating. We have the Holy Spirit. As I mentioned earlier, we had the Holy Spirit to confirm to us God's love. But people who are not believers who are without the Holy Spirit people in the Old Testament, they did not have that confirmation of the pillar of cloud and fire God's presence.

Of course there was God's general providence is taking care of the people, but that was not sufficient for them because there there the land been raised in the devastated and they were without how they say.

How can you love to say that you love us. Show us your love. We work hard for our money and our taxes are being shipped off to Persia were ruled by foreign troops were under Persian rule and government, there's no hope for the future of these people are ruling us ruthlessly. There is no hope were discouraged and then after that, the Persians, what kingdom or empires going to come after that and rule over us. They were without hope in God knew it, so his response to them. They didn't say it but the response was the second part thereof. Chapter 2 on a verse two and says Jacob I have loved yet Esau I have hated that God's response to the question how if you loved us, we would expect maybe a detailed list of God's works of the prove proofs of his love in the grimy great and mighty works of God in the Old Testament, we might expect how he closed Adam and Eve before I eat. They exited the garden showing that there was going to come one, a seed of promise, who is going to clothe them in his blood and his righteousness should makes a remember the great escape and how God delivered them from Egypt, how he he gave them or he delivered them time and time from foreign oppressors that he was using to draw them back to himself. But they had forgotten all of these things in this text Jacob I have loved Esau I have hated he's pointing out his covenantal faithfulness and SI dues that specifically covenant faithfulness because were to talk about marriage in the future.

Covenant marriage were to talk about God's covenant to his people and how they broke their covenant stipulations and and the curses that came as a result of their unfaithfulness.

So is pointing to his covenant faithfulness before the fall, God had planned that Jacob would be chosen. The Scripture say in Romans chapter 9 verses 11 through 12 yet before the twins were born I had done everything good and bad in limit before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad in order that God's purpose in election might stand, not by works but by him who calls. She was told the older will serve the younger. It always been a part of God's plan of the owner with the words to Brooke Laks Arianism means but that was before the fall lapse being a fall before the fall. It was a quick, according to God's plan. Revelation chapter 13 verse say that lamb says it describes the Lamb the Lamb who was slain from the foundations of the world before everything came into being, God had a plan and everything is in sync with his plan. Even the choosing of Jacob over Esau, the younger, to serve the older God had already planned from the very beginning that after the fall bit that the promise would come through Seth's line, and so the whole book of Genesis is a testimony to following the seed of promise severe Marine. The book of Genesis in life was all Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph Ellis have to do with it has to do with God's fulfilling his promise, covenant faithfulness to his people. It refers ultimately this text Jacob I have loved and Esau hated it actually can be reinterpreted as choice versus rejection when we explained that this is where it can be a little complicated and I want you to follow because this is where it gets deep and I'm sure there's a lot of red flags for people probably don't like the word IPA Jacob I love Esau I hated because it has to do with predestination and election of all sorts of attacks but our try and help us to grasp this speaking like Jacob Grassley heal. He's the deceiver I want us to see and grasp how God loves us texts week we had this problem with love and hate language isn't out. God, a God of love Lotta people say and a lot of people who are objecting to the gospel as were sharing it with them. They say will is and got a God of love.

How could he send anybody to hell. How can you hate a people group speak of CRT and racism everything that were facing today. How could God condemn anybody is any a God of love, but we need to understand that this language of love and hate does not refer to an emotional state. We can be thrown off track.

If we take it literally. But words have meanings we got understand that just on the way home I had at this and here's an illustration just on the way home from church today after the sermon. My son Henry was driving the car and we pulled up to Highway 29 coming on Pitt school Road and that light is just as long and my son says hate this light that's kinda what it's as life we say hate all the time, but we don't mean hate, hate, he's frustrated. He's expressing his frustration hate can also be interpreted as a pet peeve or an aggravation.

Someone might say I hate these people because they wear their pants below their butts. I hate people who text while driving. Some people say on accident rather than by accident. Other people don't pronounce their TVs in the middle of words. A lot of kids are growing up not pronouncing all their letters sometimes is really aggravating when you go away from the TV or your computer whatever it is and there's a cut, a commercial comes on and they just glares exactly hate going turn it down. Then when your show come back on whatever you want to have to turn it back up hate that George Strait was younger and younger who George Strait is he wrote a song I hate everything from phone in the New Testament. Jesus also helps clarify this love-hate language in Luke chapter 14 verse 26 Jesus said if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life he cannot be my disciple.

But then he went further on group answers or clarifies, and he defines love and hate for us in verse 33 in the same way you have. You does not give everything to this reasoning by hating giving up anyone of you does not give up everything.

He cannot be my disciple.

Matthew 24 said the same thing if anyone would come after me, he must hear the word deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. So there's something to be said into the background of this loving and hating.

Yes it he's pointing out his covenant faithfulness to Israel, but we've got understand that what was he actually saying what he says I love Jacob I love Jacob and Esau I have hated it's not an emotional hatred, but it could be interpreted as a giving up a denial or rejection.

In Luke 16, just following that Jesus said no one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other will be devoted to the one and despise the other can't serve both God and money so that language might be offensive, but we need to if you really think you are reading God's word and we want God to speak to us. We want to understand him and we want to grow in your knowledge of our faith.

We really should take a step back and pursue and try to answer some questions to understand this better. Rather than letting our objections objections rule the day, which often times it does we should humble ourselves inside Lord, that he might open our minds and our hearts that we would love the truth of the fact that yes he has called us.

He has worked in our hearts and draw us to himself. So God's election was that choice.

He chose Jacob but with a purpose, and we can't forget that either.

He chose Jacob to be a good for the messianic promise to be through his lineage had to choose one of the other. He wasn't getting Esau's red and Harry. It was good to be for whatever reason it was going to be Jacob him who grabs the heel he who deceives Elsa from the very beginning God's plan. You can choose Jacob based upon any merit doesn't choose us because were good or because as Arminians say he foreknew that we were going to choose him backwards he knew what we were going to do know it says in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11 in him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works everything out in conformity with the purpose of his will.

God loves you and chose you because he loves you and chose you. In chapter 9 of Romans. There is no answer.

You can't say anything to God. We cannot backtalk a question God's will be no time. That's the way it is.

God chose Jacob, not because he is a great guy but to continue the line of promise with the purpose to save the nations which is us 2000 years later, we are the recipients of that grace great is the Lord is a Scripture say beyond the border of Israel that's us on one good tip to the ending here let me out. But let's talk about the proof and this is what our text says here there's these three little sections here in between halfway in chapter verse three all the way through verse four says I have laid waste until country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert. If Edom says and goes on there. This is the proof of God's statement that he loves Jacob but hates Esau he is condemning the Edomites. These people who've moved in.

Does that mean that God doesn't love Esau that God doesn't love the nations okay you know where I'm going now the God doesn't love Edom know the Scriptures. In fact, say in Deuteronomy 23 we must not hate the Edomites so here in the Scripture say on one hand he loves Jacob, but he hates Esau but yet there's a tax year. The says we must not hate the Edomites Aware Pl., God they are your brothers Joshua 24 four God would bless Edom the Scripture say God allowed many to come to faith in Abraham, God blessed Israel to be a blessing to the nations. In Exodus 12.

Included among the Israelites and the Edomites were Edomites and the Exodus and number 13 intertwined. 12 spies that were sent out representing the 12 tribes of the 12 sons of Jacob Rachel and Leah and the two concubines. Tim came back with a negative report, although they look too big in that series with walls. They were afraid, but to came back with a favorable report and who were they, Joshua and Caleb.

Joshua was from Ephraim.

Caleb was a kid a site in order to his ideas, someone from Edom. So here we have even in the people who are receiving the promised land, were some people who were not even Israel by God's grace just like Ruth. Ruth said to Naomi, your people will be my people, so she was adopted into the people of God people of God, so God bless Jacob to be a blessing to the nations.

God's plan of salvation through Jacob was to save those who would believe on Christ become children of Abraham. So as we look at this proof we got realize though that Edom was condemned.

The Edomites were being condemned because nothing escapes God's attention a day of reckoning was going to come for these Edomites because essentially they had sold out to the Babylonians to save themselves. They were cheering when Judah was taken into captivity and falling they were informants to the Babylonians to help find those people who are in hiding. They help cut off the escape routes when the Babylonians were coming and Judah was trying to run away and be saved. Essentially, they were the thieves. That is the Edomites with the thieves and the deceivers and the traders they were the enemies of God's people, so he was going to bring upon them.

Judgment yet in the bigger picture. We see this condemnation of Esau and we got realize that is not literal in the respect that he hates Esau and hates Edomites but is figuratively speaking, that they were not chosen.

In fact, the descendents of these people are found even in the book of Martin a couple chapters right for we read tonight in chapter 3. The name Edomites was changed to Greek, which is odd to me in and their IME ends in chapter 3 of of Mark who were following Christ around, and who were believing him and observing his miraculous works. So here are people who have been rejected and condemned.

Yet being saved the Edomites or the items. The proof of Edom's guilt shows us the justice of God and his love and his condemnation. It's better to be condemned or be convicted of your guilt. Then as I mentioned earlier than to receive the silence of God from wrapping it up here trying to bring it all together here for you to see that we should praise God for the conviction of our sins. Speaking of the sermon that we heard this morning as God convicted you of your sin recently. Conviction is good. My son doesn't like it when I hold him accountable something that he's doing to lie or he'll tell a story will do all they can to get out of it and then not always.

But he has and then when a hold of account to it and showing that he's wrong then it's a great relief. He's thankful because that burden is gone. Conviction is good. It shows you that God is not left you that he cares for you that he's concerned when we look at Israel coming back from not from the exile, in all that they were going through all they needed to do was to trust in the Lord. All he wanted them to do was to trust in him God.

If God loves you, he disciplines you if he's convicting you of your sin, then that's good Scripture say in Hebrews chapter 12, my son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline. I do not lose heart. When he rebuked you because the Lord disciplines those whom he loves and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Thank God for his love and his discipline in our lives. So what is all this mean was the implication great is the Lord great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel great is our God. The psalmist said in Psalm 117, praise the Lord, all you nations extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love towards us in the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord, we praise God, because it's always been a part of his plan to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy. We prepared in advance and I would go as far as to say before the creation of the world.

Even us whom he is called, not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles, Romans 923 and 24 God is great, but it's always been a part of his plan and we should remember that he called my people, who were not his people. He called her my loved one who was not his loved one God loves us when we were enemies of Paul said to the to the Ephesians when we were enemies. He loved us. Sin is hot son to die for us even though we were like the disciples who could not stay awake through the watch of the night were like those disciples we fail in all of our strength. We fail we fall short. Even though we sin against him, God has been faithful, and he loves us.

In fact the Scripture say in 58 Romans 58 God's demonstrated his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, let us never forget when times are hard.

We need to remember God's love to his people. Let us pray dear heavenly father, we are so thankful that you love us with an everlasting love that you loved us so much that you sent your son into the world to die for our sins. In place of our sins so that we would not perish but have everlasting life with you. I pray father that in these coming weeks. If that we would remember the extent of your love for us. The father even though we are hard pressed on all sides to the sin to turn away from you and to trust in ourselves or to join in with the culture to compromise father you would remind us of his nail scarred hands and his side. The blood that was shed for us. There was it exhibited in the table for us today.

May it be a means of grace to cause us to persevere and may it the Holy Spirit use it to strengthen us and keep us in that hour of trial that we might stand oh heavenly father, bless your church.

We pray in Jesus name, amen