2 Timothy 2:1-7 - Pass it on

The Bible reading today is 2 Timothy verses 1-7.

The appeal renewed.

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,

! and the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses,

entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

Join with me in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs,

but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor's crown

except by competing according to the rules.

The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a shower of the crops.

Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all of this.

Amen.

Well, once again, I'm David.

Let me welcome you.

Thank you for being here this morning, whether you're a regular or you're a visitor or a guest.

I'm really glad to see you.

Really happy to be able to bring this passage to you

and just talk through what the Lord has helped me learn in it this week.

Steve, graciously, was busy yesterday and Friday with another church up in York,

and so the privilege falls to me to lead us this morning.

Let me just pray for us before we get started.

Father, we thank you for gathering us here today,

for prompting in our spirit to get up and to turn up to church this morning,

whether that's a normal thing for us or something that is not as normal.

Lord, we pray that the words from 2 Timothy would not just be words on a page,

not just something that was in a book from antiquity,

but live and fruitful and has something to say to us that we might believe it and hear it

and our lives would be different when we walk out.

Father, we pray that our hearts would be open to hear what you have to say,

to accept your teaching in us and allow it to change us,

as you promise you will do if we reflect on these things.

You will give us insight.

So we pray.

We thank you, and we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, so we are back in 2 Timothy.

It's the second letter that Paul wrote to his protege, Timothy.

Timothy, of course, had been with Paul on some of his journeys,

and then Paul handpicked him to stay in Ephesus with the elders and teach the church there.

And so what we see is that Paul is writing this letter,

as we've learned the last few weeks, is that he's writing this letter from prison.

This isn't his first time in prison.

He's been there before, but this time feels different.

This time it feels like he's probably not getting out.

Right?

He's now an elderly man.

He's gone through many journeys.

He's been around and done a variety of things,

and he finds himself in prison, literally chained to a Roman jailer.

And he knows in his heart that this is it,

that he will either die in this cell or that he will be put to death because of what is happening.

And so he's writing.

He decides in his last moments, his last days of his life,

he wants to write a letter to Timothy, his protege, of course,

but one that he calls his dear son, his child.

Right?

Paul is never married and doesn't have a child of his own,

but Timothy is his child in the faith,

his son that he's brought up to know and understand the teachings that he has carried on.

And so he takes this last moment to write in his final words,

to give him a final exhortation of all the wisdom and the truth that he has to offer.

And he writes this last message to Timothy,

and he says, you know, of all the things,

of all the things Paul could say in a final message to Timothy,

he comes up with these words.

And he appeals to Timothy.

He says, you know, you see him, he's gray.

I want you to picture Paul coming to the end of his life.

He's gray.

He says, hold on, I've got to write one more letter to Timothy.

And this is what he says.

He appeals to Timothy to entrust what you have heard from me to reliable people,

to pass on what he has learned to the next generation.

This is the appeal of Paul to Timothy in these words.

Right?

He says, do not let it die with you, Timothy.

And this is the appeal from Paul to us today here at West Kilburn.

He says, don't let this die with you.

All of this message, don't let it die with you.

Amazingly, all of us who believe are here today as believers because of a passage like this.

Right?

Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus and entrusted him with the truth and said, go give it to someone else.

And then we see Paul entrusting it to Timothy in the stories in Acts and Ephesians and 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy.

And here we see Paul encouraging Timothy to entrust the same to faithful people who could teach the next generation.

And by God's grace, that process has carried on for 2,000 some odd years such that today you have heard it from someone if you believe.

And it has made it to you such that you could understand it and now you believe that this is the truth.

It is amazing.

This is unbelievable.

This is a miraculous thing.

What Paul is encouraging here is that we might entrust what we have heard to someone who hasn't yet.

To someone who could pass it on to someone else.

And on.

And on.

This is the strategy laid out for the church by Jesus and then Paul and then on.

This is what we're here for.

Right?

To reflect on the things that we have been taught.

To commit them into our lives.

And then to entrust them to someone else.

This is the glorious work of the church.

The passing on of the gospel truths.

The holding of the good deposit.

Protecting it as we looked at last week in chapter 1.

To guard it.

To protect its integrity.

Not to let it be diluted.

But not to keep it for ourselves.

Not to protect it like a precious stone or a ring that you might want to hold tightly to.

No.

Instead sharing it.

Entrusting it to the next generation.

So that the Bible and these truths are preached in this building for one more 150 years.

And 150 years beyond that.

Until the Jesus.

Until the Jesus.

Until Jesus returns and makes everything new.

Right?

This is the emphasis of this passage.

Entrust what you've heard.

Entrust what you've heard from me, Paul says.

And what exactly are to we entrust?

He says in verse 2.

He says,

The things you have heard me say.

Things you've heard me say publicly.

What are these things that he's said?

Paul refers to this in a variety of places.

In his teachings.

In this book and elsewhere.

In Romans chapter 6 verse 17.

Romans 6:17

He says,

But thanks be to God that through you used to be.

Through you.

That though you used to be slaves to sin.

You have come to obey from your heart.

The pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.

And in Acts.

When Paul is saying farewell to the elders at Ephesus.

He says to them.

Therefore I testify to you this day.

That I am innocent of the blood of all of you.

For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

And in several places just in the chapter preceding where we are today.

As we looked at last week.

In verse 12.

This is from the ESV translation.

But he says,

I'm not ashamed.

For I know in whom I have believed.

And I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day.

What has been entrusted to me.

In verse 13 he says,

What you heard from me.

Keep as the pattern of sound teaching.

With faith and love in Christ Jesus.

And then in verse 14 he says,

Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you.

And then in verse 8, a little bit earlier, he says,

Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord.

So what are the things that Timothy has heard Paul say?

That Paul is encouraging him to entrust again.

It's the pattern of teaching.

It's the whole counsel of God.

It's what he has believed.

It's the things that were entrusted to him.

It's the pattern of sound teaching.

It's the good deposit.

It's the testimony about our Lord.

Paul tells as he continues there, he says,

Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord.

Who saved us.

Who saved us and called us to a holy calling.

What are the things that we're to entrust?

It's the whole gospel.

It's the whole story.

It's all the teaching and clarity of what God has done in Christ for you and for me.

That we were as good as dead, but Christ made us alive.

And that our fortunes go from running into a dead end to glorious life with Jesus.

Not because of what we have done.

Not because we can earn it or do anything that justifies us.

We have been like those children in the other story that are running the opposite direction.

Throwing the mints in the gutter because we didn't care.

And yet, because of what he has done, he brings life and immortality.

And the beauty and wonderfulness of that fact is what compels Paul,

and then Timothy, and then every believer since,

to endure through hardship to do the work of entrusting this message and these truths.

Why? Because we know how it ends.

Because we know that there is life and immortality through the gospel.

We have to get this message, this truth, this pattern of teaching

to the next generation because it is so good.

It's worth going through anything that we might endure.

It's worth pushing past whatever might stand in our way.

And did you notice we must endure?

Because, as Paul says,

somehow this work of entrusting and teaching these truths to the next generation

seems to be inextricably linked to suffering.

Paul doesn't hide it from Timothy, nor us.

Paul says to Timothy here in verse 3, he says,

join with me in suffering.

Echoing what he had already said in chapter 1,

he says, join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.

Somehow in God's economy,

suffering seems to be a necessary part of preaching and teaching the gospel.

How do we know?

Jesus suffered.

Paul suffered.

Timothy suffered.

Suffering is part of it.

But look, there's hope because in verse 1,

we find that there is...

Oh, that was before.

This work brings suffering.

Okay.

But we need supernatural strength to do the work of entrusting.

Look at verse 1 again.

It says,

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ.

The ESV translates it slightly differently.

It says,

Be strengthened by the grace that is in Jesus Christ.

And I like that one better.

Be strengthened.

We need strength,

but he doesn't say,

muster all of your strength.

He doesn't say,

grit your teeth and work as hard as you can.

No, he says,

Be strengthened by the grace.

Right?

This verb is in the passive voice.

Be strengthened.

We are not doing the action.

Right?

We are not doing the strengthening.

Who is doing the strengthening?

It's Christ Jesus doing the strengthening.

In fact, it's the grace in Christ Jesus that's doing the strengthening.

We are strengthened by his grace.

It's not only for salvation that we are dependent on his grace.

But no, it's for sanctification and service to Christ as well.

Look at chapter 1, verses 8 and 9.

It says,

Share in the suffering for the gospel by the power of God who saved us and called us to a holy calling,

not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace.

Right?

We are commanded to allow ourselves to be strengthened by grace in Jesus.

Because we don't have the strength.

Right?

You say,

Go endure that suffering in your own power.

We don't have what it takes.

Nor can we gain it on our own in some way.

Right?

We can't work hard enough, do enough lifting or studying or whatever it would take to get the strength to endure on our own.

That's not how it's built.

We need grace that comes from Jesus.

We need his grace in our lives to work.

And this is what it is.

And so you might ask,

Why do we need such strength?

Why do we need supernatural strength in order to do this task of entrusting?

It doesn't seem like that would be something that you need some, like, extraordinary level of strength.

Right?

People teach things all the time.

People tell people, you know, maybe I'm taking it back now.

School teachers do need some supernatural strength.

But, like, the point is, what do we need this for?

I think there's a clue in 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

1 Corinthians 2 · chapter mention

It says,

This is what we speak.

Not in words taught to us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit.

This is the entrusting.

This is the work that we're doing.

Explaining spiritualities with Spirit-taught words.

The person without the Spirit, the person who does not believe,

does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God,

but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them,

because they can only be discerned through the Spirit.

Right?

A person without the Spirit does not accept, thinks it's foolishness,

because they can't understand, because understanding is only through the Spirit.

So there is resistance.

We know this to be true.

Any time the truth of the gospel is proclaimed,

there is resistance from the enemy.

There is resistance from those who are there.

And there is suffering because of it.

Some of it might be intense suffering that Paul and Jesus might have gone through,

that our brothers and sisters in countries,

where they're not allowed to say these things,

they might go through.

And some of it might be softer, but still feels like real suffering

when your friends or your family don't accept what you believe,

when they ridicule you,

or they make light of the things that have changed your life.

Right?

This is suffering.

And so, like a good Baptist preacher,

Paul gives us three examples of how we might stand strong

in our task of entrusting to the next recipient.

Right?

So he says, be like a soldier, be like an athlete,

and be like a farmer.

So first he says, be single-minded like a soldier.

Look at that verse there.

In verse 3 he says,

Join with me in suffering like a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

No one suffering as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs,

but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

Soldiers on active duty,

if they're out there,

they do not expect,

or at least they should not expect,

it to be an easy or safe time.

Right?

Soldiers would take hardship,

and risk,

and suffering,

as a matter of course.

This is what they signed up for.

Right?

And those things are part and parcel

of the calling of a soldier.

Modern day soldier,

or going back to the times

when what Paul is talking about.

Right?

Church Father Tertullian puts it this way.

He says,

No soldier comes to the war surrounded by luxuries,

nor goes into action from a comfortable bedroom,

but from a makeshift and narrow tent,

where every kind of hardness,

and severity,

and unpleasantness is to be found.

So similarly,

like the soldier,

the Christian should not expect an easy time.

This is what Paul is saying.

If we are loyal to the gospel,

we are sure to experience opposition.

The soldier must share in the suffering with his comrades,

and in spite of everything going on around him,

he has to focus on the task at hand.

He has to focus on the mission.

And in order to do this,

the military,

they understand what's at stake.

And so they make great effort

to free the soldiers

from having to deal with the everyday tasks

that we might get bogged in as civilians.

Right?

Soldiers live on a base

where there's no rent that comes due.

No repairs that need to be done.

Right?

So they can live with mental clarity.

They're given a uniform

so they don't have to be distracted

about what they might wear to work.

They go to a mess hall to get food.

They don't have to worry about shopping

or getting anything,

making anything,

deciding what they might make for dinner.

Their medical and dental care

are taken care of.

Right?

The leaders of the military

have recognized

we don't want our soldiers

to have to worry about all these things

and get distracted

from the most important mission.

Keep your mind on the mission.

And this is what Paul is saying to Timothy.

Be like a soldier.

Don't get distracted

on all the things

that the world has to offer.

Don't get distracted

by the little things

that are keeping you.

But focus on the mission.

We've got to be focused

on the mission of God

and not be distracted

by the whims of the world.

So he says,

be like a soldier.

Not only that,

he says,

be like an athlete.

Be full of integrity

like an athlete.

He says,

similarly,

anyone who competes

as an athlete

does not receive

the victor's crown

except by competing

according to the rules.

the London Marathon

was in town

just a few weeks ago.

And the race course

that they set out

is meticulously planned

and organized

to be exactly 26.2 miles.

No shorter,

no longer.

Right?

And they make very clear

that there are walls

and gates and things

that keep you on that path

so that you can't deviate

and go a little bit less

than that 26.2 miles.

If a runner were to

jump off the course

and take a shortcut,

they might finish first,

but they would,

of course,

be disqualified

from winning the prize

because they cheated.

Right?

Every runner,

in a similar way,

they enter the race

in hopes of winning

or completing the race

in their personal best time.

They've consistently trained

for months and months

to prepare for that race.

Right?

And if any of them

tried to shortcut

the training,

they would find themselves

unprepared

and not able to win

or beat the time

that they hoped for.

Right?

There's no way

to run a race

and take a shortcut.

You have to run the race.

You have to do the training.

There isn't a shortcut way

to make it happen.

Right?

And this is what Paul is saying.

If you want the victor's crown,

you can't take a shortcut.

And he looks at Christians

and he says the same thing.

That,

you know,

in the same way

that the performance

on race day

is a reflection

of the work

that the runner

has put in training,

we must follow

the path laid out for us.

There are no shortcuts

in sharing the gospel

with a friend

or a family member.

There are no magic words

that Steve can give you

that will make that easier

or make it go faster.

Right?

We are simply

to hold fast

to the truths

that we've received

and we share them faithfully.

Right?

And trust that the Lord

will do the rest.

Right?

This is what Paul is saying.

He says,

be like a soldier

and keep focused.

Be like an athlete

and follow the rules

and do what it takes.

Right?

And then he says,

be like a farmer

and be diligent

in hard work

like a farmer.

He says,

the hardworking farmer

should be the first

to receive a share

of the crops.

And the way

that the soldier's focused

and the athlete

has integrity,

the farmer has to be diligent

to do the work

when the reward

is not yet visible.

Right?

Much like the runner

logging mile after mile

in the rain

and in the dark

of their training,

the farmer gets up early

every day

to till the soil

and plant the seeds,

doing what is necessary

to yield a crop

in its due time.

Right?

For weeks,

there's no evidence

at all

that the work

the farmer is doing

will yield any result.

There's weeks

where there's nothing

coming out of the ground.

Right?

And for months,

the farmer carries on

this task

of his daily work

in hopes

that the crop

will actually produce

the fruit.

Or the corn

or whatever it is.

Right?

It takes months of time

for him to realize this.

And his whole life

is dependent on this.

If the crop

doesn't produce,

he has no food to eat

and he has nothing

to take to the market

to sell.

What an exercise

of faith

it is.

And in the same way,

the life

of a Christian disciple

looks very similar.

We walk by the Spirit

and follow the ways

of Jesus

which often

look incredibly

fruitless,

especially in light

of the way

the world

would look at it.

But daily

faithfulness

in pursuing

Christian character

one day produces

a man or a woman

worthy of respect.

And in serving

the Lord

and teaching

and evangelizing

can be the same.

We might

share the gospel

with scores

of people

and no one

comes to faith.

We might teach

the children

or the youth

faithfully

for years

and years

and wonder

if they've hurt us

at all.

Right?

You might

raise your son

or daughter

and faithfully

entrust them

with all the things

that they have to say

and never realize

what comes of it.

And yet in God's timing

and in his grace

he produces a crop.

And when that happens

there is

joyful singing

in all of heaven

because of it.

And so like a farmer

we must walk

in diligence

not worried about

what might come

but

following

in the task

of the day.

Right?

So Paul is giving this

to Timothy.

He's saying

look

this stuff

that I've taught

the things you've heard me say

it's worth telling

and it's going to be hard

but look

be like a soldier

be like

an athlete

be like a farmer

and do it

and

it's not out of a sense

of duty

because

Paul actually includes

a promise

with each of these examples.

He does use the example

of the soldier

but not to say

that he must

soldier on

because he's bound

by duty

but instead

the soldier

remains focused

so that he might

receive the praise

of his commander.

Paul does use

the example

of an athlete

but not to say

that Timothy

must grind away

day after day

to no end.

No, instead

he says

the athlete

reaches the end

of the race

and receives

the crown

of victory.

Paul does use

the example

of the farmer

but not to say

that we must

begrudgingly

and mindlessly

toil away

our days.

No, instead

the farmer

works to then

receive the first fruits

of the harvest.

there are

great promises

awaiting us

if we carry on.

There are great

promises awaiting

Timothy

if he listens

to Paul

and does this

but notice

the promises

are of grace.

They're not earned.

You don't get

those things

because you did

those things.

No, once again

the beauty of the gospel

is that no amount

of work we can do

no amount

of work

that we do

can earn us

the praise

or get us

the crown

or bear the fruit.

No, Jesus

has done

all the work

and he gives it

to us.

See, Jesus

received the praise

from the Father

and it's imputed

to us.

In his high priestly

prayer in John 17

he says

the glory that you

have given me

this is Jesus

talking to God

to the Father

he says

the glory you

have given me

I have given

to them

that they may

be one

even as we

are one

I in them

and them in me

that we may

be perfectly

one so that

the world

may know

that you sent

me

and love them

even as you

have loved me.

See, Jesus

was given

the praise

and he gives

it to us.

Jesus won

the crown

of victory

over Satan

and over death

and we get

to share in it.

In John 16

he says

I've told you

these things

so that in me

you may have

peace.

In this world

you will have

trouble

but take heart

I have overcome

the world.

Jesus

is the first fruits

of the redeemed

and we get

to enjoy him

and eternity

forever.

In 1 Corinthians

Paul writes

but Christ

has indeed

been raised

from the dead

the first fruits

of those

who have fallen

asleep

for since death

came through a man

resurrection

of the dead

also comes

through a man

for as in Adam

all die

so in Christ

all will be

made alive.

Right?

The means

for us

to do the

entrusting

the means

for us

to endure

the suffering

are grace

and in the

end

the result

and the reward

is also grace.

It's grace

by grace.

Oh look

I had that there.

Sorry.

Look

and so finally

we see verse 7.

So Paul

has gone through

this and he says

he looks to

Timothy

and he

recognizes

something in

Timothy

that I think

we can recognize

in ourselves.

He says

look

even if you're

afraid

that you don't

have what it takes

even if you're

not sure

you can do

what it takes

to do this

entrusting work

that he's called to

even if

you're not

100% confident

in your ability

to explain

the teachings

of the gospel

to someone else

Paul

and God

gives us

something here

and he says

look

reflect on

what I'm

saying

for the

Lord

will give

you insight

into all

of this.

See that

reflect

in the ESV

again this time

translate that

he says

think

on what I

say.

Think

reflect

right

we

we

we as

Christians

we don't

read the

Bible

we read

the words

and then

we close

it

and then

we move

on

thinking

that somehow

that's

what we

have to

do.

We have

to think

about it.

We have

to reflect

on what

it says

think

about what

it means

and when

we do

the Bible

says the

Lord will

give you

understanding

the Lord

will give

you the

insight.

Once again

the Lord

is doing

the work

we're not

doing the

work

but the

Lord is

doing the

work

and yet

at the

same time

we're told

to put

effort

into it

to do

the work

of reflecting

and so

the reality

is some

Christians

we never

do any

serious

Bible

study.

It might

be that

we're lazy

it might

be that

we don't

understand

but it

also might

be that

we think

somehow

that the

understanding

will come

from the

Holy Spirit

in a

miraculous

manner

and it's

just going

to fall

on us

without us

ever having

to look

at the

words

and it

doesn't

require

any effort

from us.

We skim

through the

verses in our

morning devotion

and expect

somehow

that the

Spirit

will just

deliver

understanding.

It doesn't

seem to

me

that Paul

thinks it

works like

that.

See on the

other side

others of

us are

very good

and very

diligent

at Bible

study.

We're the

hardworking

farmers as

it were

and we

might grapple

with the

text of

Scripture

we might

listen to

all the

sermons

on YouTube

we might

know them

backwards and

forwards and

commit them

to memory

but we

forget that

it's the

Lord who

imparts

true

understanding.

There are

professors of

religion at

major universities

who don't

believe the

text.

They know

the words

they know

it backwards

and forwards

they know

it better

than many

of us

do but

they don't

believe it

because the

Lord has

to give

understanding.

and it's

the Lord

who does

it and

he imparts

it as a

gift so

we can't

divorce what

God has

in his

wisdom that

he's put

together.

This think

reflect and

then I'll

give it.

Those go

together.

It's not

two separate

things.

And so a

balance of

careful thought

careful reflection

and devoted

prayer for

understanding is

essential.

we do the

considering and

God gives the

understanding.

So church

as we kind

of move

towards closing

here if

if there is

to be a

future here

of vibrant

spirit filled

life in this

building in

this community

if if if

West Kilburn

Church is to

be a gospel

anchored place

of worship

for the next

150 years

if Queens

Park and

Kilburn and

Maida Vale

are and all

the surrounding

areas are to

hear the gospel

and to be

transformed by

Jesus as we

hope and pray

we can't expect

Steve to do

all of the

teaching.

We can't expect

Steve to do

all of the

what's the word

that I've been

using this whole

time?

Entrusting.

Thank you.

Sometimes my

brain just

we can't

expect it.

We can't

expect the

paid workers

of the

church to

do all of

this for

us.

The message

that Paul

hears, he's

writing it to

Timothy who

would arguably

be a paid

worker of the

gospel.

He's writing

it to him but

he's writing

it to us.

And the

message is for

each one of

us that we

must think

and reflect on

these words

and pray that

God might give

us insight.

We must be

strengthened by

the grace that

is in Jesus.

We must be

like soldiers

and athletes

and farmers

entrusting the

gospel deposit

that we have

received by

God's grace

that he's given

it to us and

helped us

understand and

that we've

come to believe

and our life

has been

changed forever.

We then

have to pass

it on to

someone else

that doesn't

know it yet.

We have to

entrust this

pattern of

sound teaching

so that there

are more

teachers.

We have to

teach the

many, many

would-be

listeners.

There's 50,000

people within

one kilometer

of this room

living here.

50,000 people.

Do you believe

that?

A very small

percentage of

them are

trusting in

these words.

So they're

out there and

it's up to

us to

entrust them

with the

things that

we have

received.

Things that

we have

heard and

committed to

our lives.

And if

by God's

grace,

by God's

grace,

we can do

that.

So let's

pray that we

would do

the entrusting.

Let's pray

that there

would be

reliable people

that would

do the

listening.

And let's

pray that

we would

both be

strengthened

by the

grace that

in Christ

Jesus,

right?

That both

of us,

those who

are entrusting

would be

strengthened by

grace and

those who

are listening

and want

to hear

would be

strengthened

by grace.

Amen?

Let's pray.

Father, we

thank you

for your

grace to

us.

That in

your mercy

and love

and grace

for us,

that you

made us

who were

dead in

our

us to

open our

mouths and

tell them

about what

we have

learned,

what we

have received

from you,

and that

there is

much grace

in your

name,

that there

is life

and immortality

that comes

from you

in your

grace to

us,

Father.

Lord, I

pray that

we would

be so

enraptured

by the

goodness and

grace that

is in you

that we

couldn't help

but share

it and

entrust it

with other

people,

that we

wouldn't

have a

choice.

You've

done a

work in

us such

that we

can't keep

it to

ourselves.

It would

not be

like the

ring of

power,

our precious

that we

hold and

put it in

our pocket,

Lord, no,

that it

would be

something that

we share,

that we

excitedly

invite others

into.

Lord, and

you do

the work.

It's your

grace in

their lives

that they

might receive

it.

It's your

work by

your spirit

that they

might hear

it and

understand it.

And so

it's your

things that

you do.

And we

simply want

to be

faithful.

We want

to follow

you.

We want

to share

what we

have learned.

And by

your grace,

you do

the things

that it

takes.

We pray

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.