Loving The Darkness

Thank you, brother.

This morning we continue in the book of John, chapter 3.

John 3 · chapter mention

And it's my privilege to read the passage this morning.

But before I read it, I just want to remind us that we're still in the section of John

where Christ has received Nicodemus and they're in conversation.

And by the grace of Christ, he is sharing the truth with Nicodemus so that Nicodemus could

come to see the only means of salvation.

And so it's beautifully articulated here in chapter 3, this message of being born again.

And so this morning we will focus on verse 17 and following down through verse 21.

But for sake of context, I want to start reading in verse 14.

And then we'll read down through verse 21.

So if you would join me as I read, starting in verse 14, it says this,

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned,

but whoever does not believe is condemned already,

because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And this is a judgment.

The light has come into the world,

and people love the darkness rather than the light,

because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light,

and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

But whoever does what is true comes to the light,

so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

Let's pray briefly.

Fathers, we open your word this morning.

I pray that you would open our eyes and our ears spiritually,

that we might see the truth that is here in your word,

and we might hear from you as you would help us to understand your word.

Lord, I pray that you would move us on a heart level,

that, Father, you would open our hearts to receive readily

that which you share through your word this morning.

I pray that you would bless this time as we open your word,

and I pray it in your name.

Amen.

So I've got five points I want you to see out of this passage this morning.

I feel like Jonathan.

I've got five points,

and if you like taking notes,

you might want to write down these five points.

Point number one is this.

We see in verse 17,

I want you to see the structure of the sentence,

which there's a message in it that I want you to see.

So if I would abbreviate this sentence,

it says this,

God did not, but did.

God did not, but did.

And I'll fill in the blank here in a second,

but I want to say this,

is that when we see the negative coming before the positive,

what it does is it emphasizes the positive.

It highlights the greatness of the positive.

So if we fill in the blank here,

the verse says this,

God did not send his son Jesus into the world to condemn the world,

but God did send his son Jesus into the world

in order that the world might be saved.

The first point is this,

we see the purpose of God in verse 17,

that the purpose of God is salvation.

And who is this salvation for?

The verse reveals that this is a global salvation.

This is not a salvation that is only for the Jewish nation.

You know, we've said it before in chapter 3,

as we've preached week after week after week on chapter 3,

we've said this,

is that Nicodemus had a Jewish mindset.

Matter of fact, the text says this,

he was a ruler of the Jews.

It says in verse 1.

And then in verse 10, it says,

he was the teacher of Israel.

So this Jewish man who was a teacher of Israel

did not understand.

understand that the Old Testament

prophesied about a coming Messiah,

this king that would come

through the lineage of David,

of the line of David,

and he would be a king,

this great and mighty king,

the greatest of all kings.

But they thought that meant

that he would be an earthly ruler.

That he would be a great king

of this great nation of Israel

and all these other nations

that had been a hindrance to Israel

for all these years.

Even this Roman power

that had their thumb on Israel,

they thought that when the Messiah come,

he would set up his throne.

And truly, that's what the Old Testament said.

But it's speaking spiritually.

It's not speaking physically.

So Nicodemus misunderstood the Old Testament.

This teacher of Israel misunderstood

that this king was not going to have

an earthly reign.

He was not going to destroy

all these nations

so that Israel as a nation,

a physical nation,

would be the greatest of all nations.

That is not what was meant.

Nicodemus thought that there was only one nation

that were children of God.

Only one nation that was chosen of God.

He saw himself as being a part of that nation,

this Jewish nation.

A nation that God first revealed himself to.

And he thought because he was a Jew,

he was saved.

Because he was a Jew,

he had eternal life.

So when Christ graciously shares this

with Nicodemus,

we've got to understand

that he would have been shocked.

He would have not understood

up until that moment

the breadth or the width

or the greatness

or the wideness of the salvation

that God had intended.

And so we read it again.

For God did not send his son

into the world

to condemn the world.

What is he speaking of?

He's speaking of the world

that is the entity of earth,

all the nations,

the Gentiles.

So if we read that passage

with the understanding

of what Christ is saying

to Nicodemus,

he's saying,

Nicodemus,

Christ did not come

to set up his throne

that the Jewish nation

would be the greatest of nations

so that he could destroy

all these other nations.

To judge them.

And in essence,

to condemn them.

That is not why he came.

That is not the purpose

of the Messiah.

Matter of fact,

the purpose of the Messiah

is totally different

than what you're thinking,

Nicodemus.

It says,

God did send his son

in order that the nations

might be saved

through his son,

Jesus Christ.

Isn't it beautiful?

To see so clearly

the picture,

the purpose

of God

in sending his son.

it's for the salvation

that is widely offered

to all.

And we'll see that

a little later

as we look at

one of these other

five points.

But I want us to see,

and I want to remind us,

I want us to see

that Nicodemus,

as a Jew,

would have known

the Old Testament.

He would have recognized

these references

that Christ was sharing

with him.

And so even this reference,

Nicodemus should recognize

it in the Old Testament.

We've looked at it before,

but I want to look at it again.

It's in Isaiah 52 and 53.

And I'm going to jump around

a little bit

because of sake of time

just to hit a couple

of highlights

in Isaiah 52 and 53.

But hear the word of God

through the prophet Isaiah

as he shares about his plan.

Behold, my servant,

Jesus, my servant,

my son,

my one and only son,

that servant.

Behold, my servant

shall act wisely.

He will act

in a sinless way.

He will act

in a perfect way.

He shall be high

and lifted up.

Yes, he'll be exalted

in God's eyes.

God will say,

well done,

my good and faithful son.

But he will be exalted

in another way.

He'll be exalted

or placed on a cross

for all to see.

And he says,

he was despised.

That is,

Jesus was despised

and rejected by men.

He wasn't rejected

by the Father,

was he?

He was applauded

by the Father.

Many times,

audibly,

God said in the audience

of people,

this is my son

whom I am well pleased.

Hear him.

This son,

Jesus,

who never sinned,

who lived

a God-honoring life,

who only did

what the Father

told him to do,

who only said

what the Father

put in his mouth.

This son,

he was despised

and rejected by men,

even his own countrymen.

Even the leaders

of the Jewish nation

rejected him

and put him on a cross.

He was despised

and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows

and acquainted with grief.

Surely he has borne

our griefs.

You know that this

was written

roughly 700 years

before Christ came?

God is telling us

700 years before

that he was going

to send his son

and these things

would be true.

Nicodemus,

do you hear

what the prophecies

are talking about?

He was smitten

by God

and afflicted.

He was pierced.

Obviously,

we know that to mean

on the cross.

He was pierced

for our transgressions.

He was crushed

for our iniquities.

Do you see

the purpose of God

in these verses

in Isaiah?

that God sent

his son

for those

who would be saved.

That he would die

for our iniquities.

He would be crushed

for us.

With his wounds,

we are healed.

The Lord has laid

on him

the iniquity

of us all.

That is,

those of us

who trust in him

as our Lord

and Savior

for salvation.

Verse 10 says,

Yet it was the will

of God

to crush him.

Isn't it amazing

that God would send

his son

with the purpose

of crushing

his son?

That Christ

would have to

take on our sin

in order that

we might know

the forgiveness

and the righteousness

that God would offer us

through him,

his son.

He has put him

to grief

when his soul

makes an offering

for guilt.

You know,

the purpose of God

is that he would

send his son

in order that

his son

would make

an offering

for us,

his bride.

Isn't it beautiful

to see the purpose

of God

in its own display

here is that

God sent his son

in order that

we might be

saved.

So it begs

the question,

why?

Why?

Why would God

send his one

and only son

to die

and to suffer

and be crushed?

Why?

It's because

the condition

of us,

the condition

of men.

What is our condition?

What state

are we in?

Well,

Nicodemus thought

that he was fine.

Nicodemus came

to him by night.

He saw something

different in the life

of Christ.

He said,

the things that you're

doing,

these miraculous things,

they can't happen

unless God's involved.

Tell me what's

going on here.

something points

to you being

the instrument

of God.

And what does

he say to

Nicodemus?

Nicodemus,

you think you're

right with the

Lord,

but you're not.

You think

because you know

the Old Testament

text,

you think because

you're moral

in the way you

live,

you think because

you have

been born

into this

nation,

this Jewish

nation,

that your

heritage is

enough for you

to be the

child of God.

You think that

you'll have

eternal life

because you're

a part of

this nation,

but you don't

understand that

you have to

be born again.

You're in a

condition that

separates you

from a holy

God.

You're in a

condition of

sin.

That's why I

needed to send

my son,

Nicodemus.

That's why

Christ says,

I am he.

Do you

believe?

Nicodemus,

let me show

you by

looking at

multiple Old

Testament texts

that I am

the Messiah,

the one who

speaks to you

and he.

You need to

be born again.

Why?

Because you're

in a condition

of sin.

And we look

at verse 19

and we see

Christ talking

about mankind

here.

What does he

say?

It says,

people love

the darkness.

You know

that's true

of all of

us?

That we

love the

darkness.

That is our

natural bent.

What is

darkness?

Darkness is

everything that

does not honor

God.

Everything that

is in rebellion

to God is in

this category of

darkness.

Notice,

too,

in verse 18.

Whoever does

not believe

is condemned

already.

Do you know

that we're in

a state of

condemnation?

That our

condition is

this condition

of condemnation.

We are

condemned.

Why?

Because of

our sin.

Isn't it

interesting that

as we read

the book of

John,

that there was

God sent

someone before

Christ.

God sent

this forerunner.

And what was

the message

of this

forerunner,

John the

Baptist?

What was

his message?

Repent!

To this

Jewish nation,

he says,

repent.

Repent of

what,

John?

Of your

sin.

Do you

not see

your sin?

Do you

not recognize

your separation

from God?

Just because

you show up

at the temple,

just because

you bow,

just because

you read,

that doesn't

mean that

you're in

right standing

with God.

Do you

not see

your separation?

Do you

not see

your sinfulness?

Nicodemus.

And I

love the

way that

Jesus brought

back Numbers

21 to the

mind of

Nicodemus.

He says,

Nicodemus,

we've all been

bitten by the

serpent and

we're in

trouble.

We've all

been bitten

by the

serpent.

You know,

it also takes

us back to

the garden,

doesn't it?

In a sense,

we were bitten

by the serpent.

The serpent

beguiled Eve.

The serpent

spoke a lie

and Adam

and Eve

embraced the

lie and

they chose

to rebel

against God.

They chose

to sin and

as a result,

they were

forever out

of the

garden.

They were

kicked out,

if you will,

or forced

to leave

the presence

of God

because of

their sinful

state.

Do you

know that

all men

are born

that way?

In this

condition of

sinfulness?

You know,

Paul used

to think

like Nicodemus?

Do you

remember the

text in

Philippians

where Paul

is sharing

about the

way he

used to

live?

He said,

listen,

I was a

Jew,

circumcised,

in other words,

I was of the

right family,

the right

nation,

circumcised the

eighth day,

I did it

just right.

I lived a

God-honoring

life,

I was faithful

as far as

righteousness,

I was leading

the pack.

Matter of

fact,

I was so

full of

zeal that

I was going

from city

to city

to city

to kill

people or

lock them

up in

prison that

we're doing

anything other

than what

is told us

to do in

the law,

the Jewish

law.

And you

know what

happened to

Paul on

the road to

Damascus?

He had an

encounter with

Jesus.

And you

know what he

realized?

He realized,

oh no,

I'm in

trouble.

I thought

that all of

this was

honoring to

you,

God.

He said,

no,

no,

you're

persecuting

me.

And so

what did

Paul say

in Philippians?

He said,

everything that

I used to

think merited

salvation,

I recognize

it now that

it's all

garbage.

It's all

junk.

It's all

a lie.

He said,

it's worthy

to be thrown

on the

garbage heap.

Everything that

I used to

trust in for

my salvation,

every moral

thing that I

ever did,

every attempt,

my fleshly

attempt to

honor the

law is

garbage.

In light

of knowing

Christ Jesus,

my Lord.

Paul would

say,

I've come to

see that not

because I'm a

Jew am I

saved,

not because I'm

a Jew do I

have eternal

life,

I only have

eternal life

because of what

Jesus has done

through the

purpose of God

on my behalf

that he would

die for me,

that he would

pay on the

cross for my

sins.

That is the

provision of

God and the

condition of

man.

I want you to

see what Paul

says when he

talks about

the exclusivity

of the Jewish

people who

thought that they

were all in

good standing

with God.

And he says

this by way of

argument to help

the Jews

understand.

there's this

tendency for

Jews to think

we're better

than everybody

else,

we don't even

marry with

anybody else,

we don't even

spend time with

anybody else,

we don't want

to talk to

anybody else,

we've got to

keep ourselves

clean by not

associating with

these other

nations and

people,

etc.

And we see

as the early

church was

growing there's

this difficulty

of accepting

Gentiles,

a difficulty of

eating with

them,

difficulty of

understanding

that they're

God's people

too.

And Paul

says it like

this in

Romans 3,

he says,

are Jews

any better

off?

No,

not at all.

For we,

that is Jews,

have already

charged that

all,

both Jews

and Greeks,

are under

sin.

As it is

written,

by the way,

in Psalm 14

and Psalm 53,

we see this,

it's written,

it says,

none is

righteous,

he's speaking

to the Jews

as well as

the Gentiles.

none is

righteous,

not one,

no one

understands,

no one

seeks for

God.

All have

turned aside

together,

they have

become worthless,

that is without

worth.

No one does

good,

not even

one.

Paul,

are you saying

that the Jews

are not a special

class of people,

that they

don't have a

special gift

and blessing?

blessing?

In a sense,

they were

gifted the

revelation of

God showing

himself to

them,

so in a

sense,

they have

had a

huge blessing

given to

them,

and yet they

didn't understand

their sin.

They didn't

understand how

to be in

this right

relationship with

God,

though they

had the

law.

So the

second point,

if you

hadn't picked

it up,

is that men

are in a

condition of

sin and

without hope.

Except that

God would

provide salvation

to those who

are in a

condition of

sin,

they would

have no

hope.

You know

that's you

and me?

Unless he

provides salvation

for you and

me,

those of us

who are

under sin,

who are

condemned,

who are

bitten by

the serpent,

who love

darkness rather

than light,

we have no

hope.

The third

point is

the provision,

is Jesus.

The provision

of God we

see in verse

17,

for God did

not send

his son into

the world to

condemn,

but he sent

his son in

order that we

might be

saved.

Let me just

say this,

the word of

God declares

we'll never

be saved,

we can't be

saved apart

from anything

else except

Jesus.

There's no

good deed you

can do,

there's no

school you

can go to

and learn

enough,

there's no

morality that

you can

achieve that's

going to earn

you salvation.

Apart from

the provision

of God that

is his one

and only son,

that is Jesus

Christ our

Lord,

there is no

salvation for

anyone.

I love how

it talks about

it in this

passage.

it says

that,

and this

is the

judgment,

that is,

this is the

evidence of

this sinful

life,

this rebellion,

this separation,

is that the

light has come

and they love

the darkness

more than the

light.

Nicodemus

would have

immediately

recognized the

prophetic passage

out of Isaiah.

And that

passage out of

Isaiah chapter

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

9 says this,

the people who

walked in

darkness have

seen a great

light.

Again,

pointing toward

Christ,

this is the

same passage

that says,

for unto us

a child is

born,

unto us a

son is

given,

and the

government

shall be on

his shoulders,

his name

shall be called

Wonderful,

Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting

Father,

Prince of

Peace.

And it

says,

the people who

walked in

darkness have

seen a great

light.

What is that

light?

It's Jesus.

That Jesus

has come and

they didn't even

recognize him.

Remember what

John the Baptist

says,

there's one among

you whom you

don't even know

whose latchet of

his shoes I'm not

worthy to even

unloose.

You come to me

and ask me who I

am.

I'm not the

Messiah.

I'm the voice of

one crying in the

wilderness.

There he is.

Trust him.

There he is,

the Messiah.

Do you see?

That's the one

that was foretold.

Apart from him

there is no

salvation.

Beautiful picture

of this light.

You know that

this is not new

to our ears

in the book of

John.

If we turn back

to chapter 1,

verse 3 and 4

said this,

all things were

made through him

and without him

was not anything

made that was

made.

in him was

life.

That is,

in Christ

was life.

And the life

was the light

of men.

There we go

again.

This theme

that Christ

is the light.

What does the

light do to

darkness?

It illuminates

it.

So physically

speaking,

a physical light

is going to

illuminate

darkness.

I've been in

a cave before

where there

were no lights

and you'd poke

yourself in the

eye and you'd

never see your

finger coming.

It was as dark

as anything

I've ever seen.

One guy

struck a match

and it just

went pew.

The whole cave

area was a

light.

Now it wasn't

perfectly clear

everywhere,

but if you're

looking that way

it illuminated

a lot of

things.

The beautiful

picture of the

light that

penetrates the

physical darkness

is only a

pointer,

is only a

way of sharing

a spiritual

message.

And the

spiritual message

is the light

that is Christ

who is truth

and is light

has come into

the world

that were

dark.

They didn't

understand.

They didn't

know the

depth of what

God was saying

even through the

scriptures.

Their mind

was darkened.

They were in

a sense blind

to the reality

of their condition,

blind to the

reality of their

sin, blind to

the reality

they needed

Jesus.

And when Jesus

came, what did

he do?

He illuminated

it.

He showed

us as he

showed Nicodemus.

Nicodemus,

you need to be

born again.

This beautiful

concept is

highlighted in

John 8.

If we peek

forward a little

bit and look

at verse 12,

it says this.

Christ speaking,

Jesus spoke to

them saying,

I am the

light of the

world.

I am the

light of the

world.

Apart from

the illumination

that Christ

gives, we will

never see.

I am the

light of the

world.

Whoever

follows me

will not

walk in

darkness.

Whoever

follows their

own ways

are walking

in darkness,

but whoever

turns and

follows Christ

will not walk

in darkness,

because Christ

illuminates what

honors God.

Christ

illuminates our

sin.

Christ says

this, whoever

follows me will

not walk in

darkness, but

will have the

light of life.

do you know

that when we

turn and follow

Christ and we

recognize him as

the means of our

salvation that we

have light, he

begins to show us.

You know what it

says in the word of

God about the

Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit

comes to indwell

those who trust in

him, and he

leads us and guides

us into all truth.

He shows us what it

looks like to honor

God.

He shows us our

sin, and he says,

no, no, no, no,

no, don't walk

that way, walk this

way, walk in a

way that honors

the Father.

The fourth point

is this.

I saw people

start writing.

That's really

interesting.

Jonathan, I've

never done that

before, but that's

pretty cool.

Everybody's pen

went to their

paper.

The fourth point

is this.

I want you to

see that three

times in this

passage, we see

this invitation.

And you know,

Christ gave, there's

an invitation to

Nicodemus that's

inferred here, and I

want us to see it.

But I also want us

to see that invitation

is for you and me.

So if we were to

look back in 14 and

15, it's the picture

of that wilderness

event where they

rebelled against God,

they rebelled against

God's leadership, and

God sent serpents to

judge them, and

they began, the

serpents would bite

them, and they

began to die, and

to die, and to die,

and to die, and to

die.

Why?

Because of their

rebellion against

God.

Did they deserve to

be judged?

Yes, of course.

But God provided a

means that they might

be saved, and Jonathan

talked about that

last week.

What a beautiful

picture of looking

on this provision of

God in order to be

saved.

And we know that we

need to look on the

provision of God, that

is Jesus Christ, in

order that we might be

saved.

But it says this,

who can be saved?

And whosoever

believes, whoever

believes, whosoever

from any nation,

whosoever believes.

You know, we see it

in verse 18 as well,

and 16.

So in 16, for God so

loved the world that

he sent his only son,

he loved him in that

way that he would send

his son to die, his

provision.

That whosoever believes

in him should not

perish, but have

eternal life.

And we see it again in

18.

Whoever believes in

him is not condemned.

So what is salvation?

What is the means by

which we would be

saved?

How is it that I can

come to a place where

I am saved?

It's this, is it to

believe on him?

To believe that apart

from him I have no

hope?

To recognize my sin and

my need of a savior, my

need of forgiveness, my

need of cleansing.

whoever believes is not

condemned.

Church, and those of

y'all who might be

visiting this morning,

have you believed?

Have you believed that

Christ alone is our only

hope?

Have you recognized, like

he would say to

Nicodemus, Nicodemus, do

you see that you're

actually sinful?

Do you recognize that

all these efforts that

you've put into this

religion don't merit

anything?

Paul recognized it.

He said all that stuff

is garbage.

You know what tends to

happen for you and I?

Is that we tend to lean

on something else besides

Jesus.

We tend to think because

our goodness, because of

our attendance, because of

our family, because of

whatever, that that is

enough.

That God would not dare

not let us in.

Look how good we are.

Look at all these things

we've done.

You know that Nicodemus

couldn't have done a

single thing that would

have earned him salvation

and neither can we.

Apart from looking on the

provision of God, apart

from looking at the

Messiah elevated on a

cross and recognizing

that that sacrifice God

accepted as a substitute

for our sin, as payment

for our sin, our condition

of sinfulness was paid

for.

That is what it isolated

and separated us from a

holy God.

But God sent his provision

in order that we might be

saved if we would only do

what?

Whoever believes.

Have we believed?

You know the invitation is

for everyone worldwide?

Whoever believes,

whatever nationality, whatever

background, whatever level of

sin, whatever things you've done

in your life, if you will look on

the Messiah, though you've been

bitten and you will believe on him

and you will cast yourself into his

hands for his mercy, we will be

saved.

The invitation is for all of us.

And if there's someone here

who right now in your heart

you're saying, you know,

I truly never have actually

stepped toward God.

I've never truly entrusted

myself to him.

I've never truly understood

that it's Jesus and Jesus alone.

You know the invitation is for you

this morning?

God will forgive you on the basis

of the sacrifice of his son,

Jesus Christ.

His death, his perfect life,

his death, the burial,

and the evidence of God's

acceptance by his resurrection

and ascension.

That God would forgive you.

He would take the righteousness

of Christ.

This is a beautiful picture that

Jonathan reminded us of last week

in Corinthians.

that he would take our sins

and he would put our sins

on the back of Christ.

And Christ would carry them

to the cross for us.

Our sins on Christ.

And in exchange he would give us

his righteousness.

So when God looks at those

who trust in him,

who trust in the son,

you know what he sees?

He sees the pure and spotless

blood of the lamb covering us.

Cleansing us.

You know there's no other way

to be cleansed except through

the powerful blood of Christ.

The invitation is here

and the fifth point is the response.

What will your response be?

When you hear this truth,

how do you respond?

You know I think many of us

have already understood this.

Many of us have already

asked God to forgive us

and asked God to accept us

as his son and daughter.

Ask God to be our Lord.

We've changed.

We've begun to serve him.

Not perfectly,

but our heart is there.

Our heart desires to honor God

and desires to seek God,

desires to serve God.

What will your response be?

How about Nicodemus?

We had talked about this once before.

Do we see any evidence

in the life of Nicodemus

after this encounter with Christ

that he's a changed man?

You know the text says this.

Whoever does what is true

comes to the light.

So that it may be clearly seen

that his works

have been carried out in God.

You know what?

We see something

carried out in the life of Nicodemus.

His works.

This display laid in the Gospels.

You know the Gospels

didn't have to tell us this.

It didn't have to tell us

that Nicodemus went

with Joseph of Arimathea

to anoint the body of Christ.

His work,

his willingness to step outside

of the will of the Sanhedrin

and to go and anoint

the body of Christ

is evidence,

at least I believe,

that he was changed.

That we begin to see works

that were different than before.

That there's this changed life.

You know that when we turn to God,

God does something special to us.

He gives us a new heart.

Ezekiel says this,

And I will give you a new heart

and a new spirit I will put into you.

I will remove the heart of stone

from your flesh

and give you a heart

that desires me.

Let's pray.

Father, I thank you

that you would open our eyes

to see our sin

and our condition.

That apart from the provision

of your Son

to fulfill your plan

that is the salvation of many,

that we would have no hope.

God, thank you that you've opened

many of our eyes

and I hope all of our eyes.

God, we've come to see

that we're separated from you

because of our rebellion,

because living for our own ways

and not living for you.

Father, you're holy in every way

and it's right that we would serve you

and that we would bow our knee to you

and we would honor you

with our whole life,

that we would present our bodies

and our life

as a living sacrifice to you,

which is right and proper,

considering that,

Father, you've given us

a gift that's so great

that we can't even understand.

Not only do you accept us

as your child,

but you provide for us glory.

That we will be able

to spend eternity with you.

We will be able

to have perfect fellowship with you.

Father, our salvation

is just the beginning

of this amazing depth

of relationship with you

that you've simply gifted to us,

those of us who will bow our knee,

those of us who will recognize our need,

those of us who will cry out to you.

And Father, I ask,

even this morning,

if there's somebody here

that is not yours,

that has not bowed their knee,

that has not accepted you

as Lord and Savior,

that has not called out to you,

Father, move in their heart this morning

to give them a desire

to call out to you.

And I know who you are, God,

that you're a God of grace

and you always respond

to those who lift their hands up

to you and say, help me.

So God, do what you will.

We praise you in Christ's name.

Amen.