Committed to Us

Well, why don't we pray as we come to God's word this morning?

The Apostle Paul would write this to the church in Colossae.

He says, we're asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will

in all wisdom and spiritual understanding

so that you may walk worthy of the Lord.

And so, Father God, thank you that we can approach you because of Jesus

and we ask, Lord, that Paul's prayer for this church in Colossae

that they would grow in their understanding,

that they would be filled with all wisdom

and that they would walk in a manner that is worthy of you.

Father, that is our prayer today as your people.

Lord, we ask that your spirit would come and would he help us.

Father, we're so aware of our wandering hearts, of our distracted minds

and so we pray, Father, that you would come and help us now

as we turn to your word.

And we pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

I mean, folks, you might want to turn to Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

We're in it verses 31 to 39.

Finishing this little series we've been in over the last few weeks.

Thinking about the building blocks of the Christian life.

And let me just say, as you're turning that there,

the evening service tonight is 6.30.

Andy Constable is going to be our speaker.

Andy's a good friend of mine.

But Andy's one of the pastors at Nidrae Community Church

and he's heavily involved with the work of 20 schemes,

which you may have heard of,

planting churches in some of the poorest areas of our country

to the glory of God.

We're going to have just a time this evening as well

being able to ask him questions.

So we'll have an open Q&A.

Andy's going to come with a few folks from Nidrae.

It'd be great to hear about their work

and some of the ways that they've seen God at work

and some of the things that we can pray about for them as well.

So that's 6.30 this evening.

Let me just say as well, on a personal note,

let me thank you for those folks who were just praying for us

when we were on holidays as a family.

Some of you were so kind and you texted us to tell,

texted me rather to say that you were praying for us.

And that's just meant so much over the last few weeks

that you, for both Alex and I, that you love us

and that you care for us.

And we just want to say that we love you back

and we were so delighted to come back.

So thank you so much for doing that.

Let me just give you two thoughts that have been in my mind

over the last few weeks, just as we've been away

and as we've come back, a few thoughts have been in my mind.

Here's the first one.

I wonder if you'd tap into any of these.

Firstly, there's no place like home, right?

No place like home, and that's home with a small h.

We found this when we were away.

I don't know if you find this, that you get there.

We were sleeping in different places.

We were different places on the holiday.

And we would get to bed and I would sit there and think,

oh, this is not my bed.

This is not my bed.

I've got a sore back.

The mattress is too firm.

These pillows are too soft.

I just want my bed.

And then you would turn on the shower and you would think,

oh, I just want my shower.

This temperature is not, I've got it set at the perfect temperature.

This is too hot.

This is too cold.

The pressure isn't hard enough.

I just want my shower.

And then I found this well down in England.

You would turn on the tap and you have a glass of water.

And you think, oh, I just want my Scottish water back.

If you've drank straight from the tap, especially down in London,

you know what I mean.

We've got it good up here with the water, haven't we?

And I just came back and think, there's no place like home, small h.

And then just as well as I've been tuning in to some of the sermons

when I've been away and as I've been thinking of my own quiet times

and conversations with people, I've just felt in my own spirit,

just there's no place like home, capital H.

There's no place like home, capital H.

As we've been journeying through Romans 8, we've hit that last week, didn't we?

This place that God has prepared for those who are in Christ,

whose trust is in Jesus, who are following him as their saviour.

This place where he's working towards, he's bringing all things together

in heaven and earth in Christ.

Christ, this place, the hope of the Christian heart, heaven,

we've been thinking about it there.

This place that's marked by things that aren't there.

There's no more groaning.

There's no more pain.

There's no more tears.

There's no more death.

It's been swallowed up.

Christ has defeated it, and we're there.

And it's not just defined by the things that aren't there.

It's defined by the things that are there.

Or more rather, it's defined by the person who's there.

Or the one who we love as Christians, Jesus Christ is there.

And what is the song, the Hallelujah Chorus that we read about in Revelation?

It's just we're singing his praise.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.

And my heart, as we read Romans 8 last week, as Wayne was here preaching about it,

we just longed for that day.

Come, Lord Jesus.

And as I've walked with many of you and as I've had friends who've gone through difficult times,

we say, come, Lord Jesus.

There's no place like home, capital H.

And as I've felt this in my own heart and as I've thought about the reality of my life as I've looked around,

I don't know about you, but that place, it feels a million miles away.

Because there's many things that would cause me, and I'm sure cause you, to doubt it.

Or to think that God hasn't got this one.

Or somehow it will slip from us.

There's external things that cause us to think that, isn't there?

As we live our lives in this world that is seemingly becoming increasingly hostile to the things of the Christian faith,

increasingly hostile to the things of the gospel.

And as we think we might have it a little bit hard here,

just think about our Christian brothers and sisters in places like North Korea,

and Iran, Pakistan, places where it's difficult, really difficult to be a Christian.

You really are taking your life in your hands as you put your hand up and say,

I follow Jesus.

External things can cause us to doubt it.

And there's internal things that can cause us to doubt it.

I know this in my own heart, that the sin that plagues me,

that the mistakes that I make again and again and again,

is this very unspectacular body makes very unspectacular strides

in sanctification and holiness and becoming more like Jesus.

And as I know my own heart that it's so often wayward,

so often gets distracted by things,

and it can cause us to doubt it, can't it?

External things can cause us to doubt it.

Internal things can cause us to doubt it.

And the thing, I guess, that I wanted to encourage us

is that we're not the first generation of Christians to feel doubt

or to feel like this might not happen.

Because remember that Paul is writing to the church in Rome here.

Now, historians reckon he's writing this in AD 57.

Now, why that is important is because serious persecution of Christians

is about to kick off in AD 64, right?

So, less than a decade later, Nero is about to,

go all out in his persecution of Christians.

You read some historians who were there at the time,

and they talk about how Christians were set on fire to light the streets.

They were going to be thrown to the lions.

And the thing is, what do they need to know?

What does the Christian in North Korea need to know?

What do you need to know as you stand for Jesus in this world?

What do you need to know?

You need to know that God is for you.

You need to know that there is nothing that is going to separate you

because you're in Christ from his love.

God has got this one.

He's got you.

No matter how hard it gets,

you can build your life on that wonderful truth.

God is for us.

God is for us in Christ.

He's on our side.

And let me tell you what,

it makes all the difference, doesn't it, in life,

knowing who's on your team,

knowing who's on your side.

I remember once when I was at school

doing the Scottish relay championships at Meadowbank down there,

and I lined up in my lane.

It was lane three.

And I'm lining up against guys who are much bigger than me,

much stronger than me,

much faster than me,

and I knew it.

But the thing was,

as they tried to psych me out,

I wasn't really listening to it.

I wasn't all that bothered with it

because I knew we were going to win.

And the reason that I was pretty sure we were going to win

is because we had the fastest guy in the country

at that point on the last leg.

And it wasn't my speed that was going to win that competition.

It was his speed that was going to win that competition.

All I needed to do

was get the bat in and get it to him.

And we were home and trying.

Makes all the difference, doesn't it,

knowing who's on your team,

who's on your side.

These verses, friends,

if you take one thing from this this morning,

let it be this.

This is a commitment from our God.

To us, to his people.

This is his commitment to us,

that he will never let us go.

It's a commitment from.

Now, automatically,

we're suspicious of commitments.

And we're suspicious of promises

as we live our life in this world.

I don't know if you've found this,

as you've been watching maybe the TV debates recently

with the prime ministerial candidates,

as they've been batting it out between them,

as they've made big promises,

or not made big promises,

about what they're going to do with the economy,

what they're going to do about Brexit,

what they're going to do about climate change.

And it's funny,

as the person on the TV has asked the question,

the interviewer asked it back,

have they persuaded you?

Have they persuaded you that they can do this?

And what came back every time?

No, they haven't persuaded us.

I don't trust them.

I don't trust their commitment.

And I even loved as well,

in that one a few weeks ago,

the eye roll that happened.

If you saw that,

somebody rolled their eyes.

Love a good British,

passive-aggressive eye roll.

That's what happened.

Because we don't trust their commitments.

But the thing about this,

what we have in our hands,

is not the word of a politician.

It's not the word of a mere man or woman.

What it is here is,

this is the word of our three-in-one creator,

God.

This is his word to us.

And as the psalmist would say,

we want to lean our whole lives

and hope in this word.

And if we do so,

we will not fail.

These verses are a commitment from God.

Friends, again,

if you take nothing else from this,

know how committed he is to you.

God says,

I'm committed to you.

I'm committed to getting you home

as one of my people,

as you trust in Christ.

I'm committed on the journey there,

no matter how hard it gets,

to shower my love upon you in Jesus Christ.

Shower that love upon you.

The love that I demonstrated

as I sent my son to die for your sin on the cross.

And I hold your life in my hand,

as we saw from the verses in Isaiah,

as we started.

God holds our lives in his hand.

He's got us.

He could not be more committed to us.

The great old hymn,

I love this hymn,

written by Daniel Whittle.

Remember when the first time

I came to Bronxville,

to the first service,

we sang this,

and it went like this.

I know what of good or ill

may be reserved for me,

or weary ways or golden days

before his face.

I see,

but I know who I have believed,

and I am persuaded

that he is able

to keep that which I've committed

unto him against that day.

This is what this is saying this morning.

If your faith is wavering,

if you are fearful about the future,

if your trust is in Jesus,

be assured of God's unwavering commitment

to loving you and bringing you home.

And all that was by way of introduction,

right?

Because the power is not in my words,

the power is in this word.

So why don't you turn to Romans chapter 8,

Romans 8 · chapter mention

and let's see what God says

through his word to us this morning

as we tap into what the apostle Paul

was saying to the church in Rome.

Picking it up at verse 31 of chapter 8.

Paul writes this,

What then are we to say about these things?

If God is for us,

who is against us?

He who did not even spare his own son,

but offered him up for us all,

how will he not also with him

grant us everything?

Who can bring an accusation

against God's elect?

God is the one who justifies.

Who is the one who condemns?

Christ Jesus is the one who died,

but even more,

has been raised.

He also is at the right hand of God

and intercedes for us.

Who can separate us from the love of Christ?

Can affliction or distress

or persecution or famine

or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written,

Because of you we are being put to death

all day long.

We are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.

Knowing all these things,

we are more than conquerors

through him who loved us.

For I am persuaded

that neither death,

nor life,

nor angels,

nor rulers,

nor things present,

nor things to come,

nor powers,

nor height,

nor depth,

nor any other created thing

will be able to separate us

from the love of God

that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

This is God's word to us this morning.

These words have been so refreshing

to my soul this week.

We're just going to look at this

under two headings.

We've not got a PowerPoint this morning.

I didn't have time.

I moved house, okay?

Listen for these headings

and we'll try and group it like this.

First of all,

what Paul does is he asks some questions

to help them see it.

He asks some questions

to help them see it.

Group them together.

Four questions from verse 31.

Look at it with me.

And the thing about these questions

is he doesn't ask them

simply because he wants

a right answer.

Okay?

He's not going,

oh, Chris Tarrant on them.

This is not the chase.

This is not what he's doing.

He's asking these questions

because he's after their heads

and he's after their hearts

because he wants them

to mull over

the implications

of everything

that he's been saying

in this section

because that's what he means

by these things.

Right?

He's drawn this to a close.

Thinking through the logical implications

of everything that he said.

Follow with me

and we'll just think on these.

Verse 31.

If God is for us,

who can be against us?

Who can be against us?

And the answer is,

I guess,

plenty of people

can be against us.

Plenty of things

can be against us.

But what he wants them to know

is that they can have

the world against them.

But if the God of the universe,

because of their faith in Jesus,

is on their side,

if he's in their corner,

as their good father,

then his say,

it trumps it all.

It trumps it all.

You know,

German reformer

Philip Melanchthon,

he was one of the contemporaries

and good friends

of Martin Luther

when he was dying,

when he was on his deathbed.

He asked for a minister to come

and simply read this verse to him.

If God is for me,

who can be against me?

If God is for me,

who can be against me?

Because that's what he needed

in that moment.

Say it to me again.

If God is for me,

who can be against me?

But how is God for me,

you ask?

How do I know God is for me?

Is this wishful thinking?

Well, look what he says,

verse 32.

He who did not spare his own son

but gave him up for us all,

how will he not also,

along with him,

graciously give us all things?

He'll give us all things.

Maybe you had that experience

when you were a child

at Christmas time.

You opened the present

on Christmas morning

and you just thought it

magically appeared there overnight.

Right?

But actually what you realise

many years later

is that somebody took

a very great effort

to think about that present.

They thought about it,

they researched it,

they saved for it,

they went out to buy it,

they wrapped it,

they made sure you didn't find it,

and they presented it

on Christmas morning.

I don't know if you've ever

had this experience,

I remember this as a child,

opening a present

and those three dreaded words,

do you remember,

know those three dreaded words

that you read?

Batteries not included.

Batteries not included,

they hadn't got the batteries.

But here's the thing,

if you've gone to all that effort,

and I know this now as a parent,

okay,

if you've gone to all that effort

to get that present,

all that effort

to get that present,

can I say no parent in the world

would see that the batteries

weren't there and think,

oh, do you know what,

let's just put it in the bin

and start again.

Let's just forget it.

A parent would go out

and get the batteries,

wouldn't they?

And they would see it home.

Friends,

if we would do that,

then what he's saying here

is how much more

would God do that?

How much more

would God,

having done all the stuff

that he's done

and sending his son for us

and doing the hard part,

as it were,

how much more

will God

see it home?

It's,

we don't have time

to look into this,

but there's echoes

of Abraham and Isaac

in the language here.

If God was willing

to pay that price,

he won't fail

to get the job done

and he will give us

all things

so that it will happen

and that all things

doesn't mean

that he's like a genie

that we can rub the lamp

and he'll give us

our three wishes.

What it means

is that he will give us

all things

that are going to

accomplish his purpose.

We saw that just before,

didn't we?

As he conforms us,

as his people,

more into the image

of his son,

Jesus Christ,

day after day

after day

after day

until one day

we're with him in glory.

That's what he's going to do.

He will give us

all things

for that purpose.

And if God is for us,

verse 33,

who will bring any charge

against those

who God has chosen?

Who then is the one

who condemns?

Because there's plenty,

again,

there's plenty of stuff

that could condemn us.

The devil could take his pick

from the multiple sins

that you and I

have racked up

in our lives.

But every time

he brings a charge,

God says,

God's verdict,

is that individual,

because they're trusting

in my son,

not only are they

not guilty,

but they are right

with me.

They are justified.

They are justified.

They are right with me.

Why?

How is that possible?

How is that possible?

Well, because Jesus died for us.

We've been singing it earlier.

He took the death

that I deserve to die

for my sin,

my cosmic treason

against the God

who made me.

He took it on the cross.

He took it on the cross.

He paid it all.

And he gives me

his perfect life,

meaning that I am

right in God's sight.

And do you see

what Paul says?

He didn't just die.

What did he do?

He rose again.

That's where he is.

Heaven's champion.

And it's so important

that we see

the resurrection there.

Because if Jesus died

and he didn't rise again,

friends,

we would have

absolutely no clue

that we were

in the right with God.

We'd have absolutely

no clue

that what he said

was true.

And if that were the case,

if he hadn't risen

from the dead,

not only would he go down

as the greatest

con artist

in all of history,

and if that's true,

you have to say

the trick has gone

remarkably well,

not only would he go down

as the biggest

con artist,

but we'd have no assurance

that our sin

has been paid for.

We'd have no assurance

that we're in the right

with God

like he said he would be.

But we have this assurance

because of the resurrection.

Think of it like

the time you go to the shops.

I had this experience

a few weeks ago.

Went to buy milk

from Tesco

and I tried to pay

with cash.

Tried to pay with cash

and the person

looked at me like,

what is this medieval

payment method

you're trying to do?

But how do you normally

pay these dates?

You pay with your card,

don't you?

You pay with your card

and what do you do?

You either enter

your pen into the machine

or you hold it

against the machine

and it reads your details.

There's always that moment,

isn't there,

after you've done that,

that you think to yourself,

has this really gone through?

Has this really gone through?

How do I know

there's sufficient funds

in the bank account?

How do I know

this payment has happened?

And all of a sudden,

five seconds later,

what happens?

You get the receipt.

And you think,

this has gone through.

This has happened.

Well friend,

how do I know

my sins have been paid for?

How do I know it's worked?

The resurrection

is like the receipt.

It's like the receipt.

Jesus is risen.

Our sins have been paid for.

He sits in the place of power.

Do you see,

Paul tells him,

at the right hand of the Father,

that position of authority

and power.

He is risen.

And this is what I found

so refreshing

for my soul this week.

What is he doing there?

Look at it in these verses.

What is our king?

What is our saviour doing

now that victory has been won?

And fill your souls

with this one.

This king isn't indulging himself.

What is he doing?

He's interceding for you and I.

He's bearing our name

before the Father.

He lives every moment

to pray for us.

Do you see,

this king isn't partying.

What's he doing?

He's praying.

Every moment of every day,

representing failures,

sinners like you and I

before the Father,

praying for our every need.

How encouraging do you find it

when somebody tells you

that they're praying for you?

I find it so encouraging.

Friends,

how much more should we be encouraged

that there is one

who ever lives

to plead for you and I

before our creator God

in heaven.

The God who is for us.

Before the throne of God above,

I have a strong and perfect plea.

A great high priest

whose name is love,

whoever lives

and pleads for me.

What a thought

that he is doing that

right now as we speak for us,

as his people.

He's praying for us.

You know,

we've got that expression

in our culture,

don't we?

Talk about having friends

in high places.

I mean,

not only is that spatially

probably true,

but friends,

we cannot have a friend

in a higher place than him.

And I love how Paul drops in there.

If you see it in the text,

he says,

he also is interceding for us.

Right?

So in other words,

who do we have on our team?

What do we have going for us?

We've got the Father

who is for us,

who has chosen us,

who says we are justified

and right in his sight,

and also,

we have the Son

who is praying for us.

Do you see what Paul is doing?

He's asking questions

to help them see it.

Help them see it.

Understand what God has done.

And so the natural question

that comes to us,

isn't it,

is friends,

do we see it?

Do we see it?

This is what's going on.

Cannot fathom it,

but this is what's going on.

In Christ,

God couldn't be any more committed to us.

And do you see how all the three persons

of the Godhead are involved here?

God the Father was so committed,

do we see it in the text,

that he gave his only Son for us?

God the Son,

Jesus Christ,

was so committed

that he gave up his life

for his bride,

the church.

And as we saw earlier

in chapter 8,

God the Spirit

now lives in us

and helps us

every moment

of every day

in our every weakness.

Our three-in-one

creator God

could not be

more committed

to us.

Does that not encourage you

in your weak faith?

That this is not about

my ability to get home.

This is about

he who holds me

fast.

And having seen all that,

he asks him one last question

at verse 35.

And with this,

he moves from asking questions

to help them see it

to sketching dimensions

to help them live it.

Verse 35

brings it all together.

Who shall separate us

from the love of Christ?

Will anything block God?

Will anything hinder

his love for us?

And he lists all the contenders,

doesn't he?

Trouble, hardship,

persecution, famine,

nakedness, danger, sword.

Things that Paul knew,

of course,

apart from the sword

in his own life.

Things that we will face.

Things that our brothers

and sisters around the world

know all too well.

And that's why he quotes

from Psalm 44.

If you're wondering

what that little snippet is.

Psalm 44.

You can check it

in your own time,

but it's a painful psalm

of lament.

Love it, do you not,

that God has given us

in his word

this prayer book

which is the psalms

that strike the depths

of human emotion

but also scale the heights

of who this God is.

It's almost an invitation

from God, isn't it,

in life's hardest moments

and in life's best moments

to pour our souls to him.

He knows, he cares,

he understands.

But this painful psalm,

Psalm 44,

is written by

God's people

who are feeling the heat

for being his people.

And it's essentially

a psalm that says,

Lord, what's going on here?

Where are you?

Are we going to make it through?

And I think Paul

quotes it

because there are

many hard things

that will come

our way in this life

because we follow Jesus.

In other words,

this is the usual

Christian experience

to some degree

or the other.

But you see how Paul says,

even in those things,

right,

not despite those things,

not above those things,

not after those things,

in those things,

we won't be separated

from the love

of God and Christ.

Nothing,

nothing

is going to separate us

from his love.

And he's persuaded of it.

Do you see that little word

he chucks in there?

I love that.

In the Greek,

it's in the perfect tense.

Saying,

I'm fully in on this.

I'm persuaded.

God's got me.

I'm fully won by this idea.

Nothing's going to convince me

otherwise.

He's persuaded.

He's won.

What's he won to?

The truth that we are more

than conquerors in Christ.

Love it.

Let me just get my Greek geek

on for you here.

The Greek word for conqueror there

is the word Nike.

It's in the sports brand.

So if you've got trainers

on this morning,

you've got a t-shirt on,

something like that,

that's what that means.

Nike,

conqueror.

And what Paul has done

is he's,

he's taken the word more,

he pair,

and he's combined it

with Nikon,

Nike.

And what that means

is he said,

we are more than conquerors.

We are more than victors.

We are super conquerors.

He's mashed these two words together.

It's what he said.

It's his way of helping them

understand that we are

in this untouchable position

as Christians

because of our position in Christ.

That we are hyper victors.

We are more than conquerors

in Christ.

You can think about it this week

every time you put on your trainers

or you put on your top.

That's what I am in Christ.

More than a conqueror.

And because Jesus has made us his own,

nothing will separate us from him.

Do you see what he says?

Death won't.

Again,

he's just painting the contours.

Death won't.

Life won't.

Angels won't.

Rulers won't.

Present things won't.

Future things won't.

Powers won't.

Height won't.

Depth won't.

And I'm sure he paused for a breath

at this point.

And he added in a sweeper clause

just in case he's missed something.

Nothing in all creation will.

Nothing in all creation will.

Friends, can I suggest

just as we bring this

towards a close this morning,

if we can grasp this,

then can I suggest

that there is no more

freeing place for us

to be in life?

That our God has got us.

He's got us in his hand.

We're to run to him,

to ask him,

to hope in his word,

to put our confidence in him.

And I was thinking this week,

how should this truth inspire me?

How should this truth impact

the way that we live our lives?

And I imagine,

I was thinking about it,

surely this frees us up

to take risks for the kingdom.

If he's got us,

if nothing is going to separate us

from his love,

we can take risks for him

knowing that he's got us.

That's exactly what Paul

is aiming for, I think, here.

Remember, he's trying to

stoke up the fires of these,

the hearts of these Roman believers,

people that he's probably

never met.

Because what does he want them to do?

He wants them to join them.

As they find themselves,

remember Rome at this point,

in the most strategic city

in the world at this time?

He wants this church to join him

in this great mission

of reaching the nations,

reaching the peoples of the world

for Christ.

And it's this truth

that's going to impact them

and help them to do that.

It's what's inspired generations

of Christian ministries

down the ages

to take risks

and to give it all for Jesus.

To quote Jim Elliot,

he is no fool

who gives what he cannot keep

to gain that

which he cannot lose.

Let me just ask you,

do you see that

in your own life?

Would you not love

to be more of a risk taker

for Jesus

as you speak for him?

I was thinking on it this week

as one of the movers

helped me pack up

the van for the house.

He said,

what do you do?

And I told him

I was a minister,

I was a pastor,

and he said,

I thought you were in finance,

and I took that as a compliment.

But he said to me,

I didn't have you down this up.

What does it mean?

And I had literally 10 seconds

to tell him what I did.

And do you know what?

I said it and I thought,

I can make more

of that opportunity.

I can make more

of those opportunities

that I have

with the people

who come into my life

every day.

I want my hope

to be in this truth

that he has me.

Now,

we bring Romans 8 together.

We think about it.

What did it start?

And read it in the text.

What does Romans 8,

1 start?

There is no what?

Condemnation.

And where does it end?

There is no separation.

No condemnation,

no separation.

What building blocks

to build our lives upon

as Christians?

That there is nothing

that is going to separate us

from the love of God

shown us in Christ Jesus.

Friends,

there is no place like home.

There is no place like home.

Just as we quote,

I heard a great story this week

about the hymn writer

Charles Wesley.

I didn't know this,

but he wrote his last hymn

on his deathbed

at age 81.

He just wanted to capture

his heart in the moment,

what he was feeling

at that moment.

He was so weak

that he had to get

somebody else to hold the pen

while he said it

and they wrote it.

81.

And as they say,

he wrote this hymn

to try and capture

something of his heart,

but he also wrote it

to try and capture

this truth

that he wanted

generations of Christians,

his generation,

but generations to come

to sing for themselves.

And he wrote this,

get these lines,

in age and feebleness extreme,

who shall this helpless worm redeem?

Jesus,

my only hope thou art,

strength of my failing flesh and heart,

oh,

that I could catch one smile from thee

and drop into eternity.

And 200 years later,

who would pick up Wesley's hymn

and be so inspired by it

that he would want to write it

in his own words

for his generation to sing it

and for generations to come

to sing it.

But Matt Redman,

he would write,

and this is going to be

our closing song,

and on that day

when my strength is failing,

the end draws near

and my time has come.

Still my soul

will sing your praise unending.

10,000 years

and then forevermore.

Oh, that this would be

the song of our hearts.

It's God's people,

unspectacular,

living our lives for him

in Brunsfield.

And let's make an effort

to pass it on

to one another

because there is no place

like home

and our God

could not be more committed

to us

and nothing,

underscored nothing,

will separate us

from the love of God

in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So just before we sing

our final song,

why don't we just have

a moment of quiet.

And friends,

let me just invite you

to be still before your maker

and to allow these hearts

to sink in

that if our God is for us,

who can be against us?

And so, Father,

I thank you so much

for this time

that we've had

in your word.

And I particularly pray,

Lord,

for my friends here

who are maybe doubting

this morning

or who are hurting

this morning

that this truth

that you are for them

in Christ,

that your spirit

would take it

and would it be

like a sweet balm

to their soul.

And Father,

thank you so much

for that wonderful truth

that if you are for us,

who can be against us?

I pray, Father,

that you would help us

have that mindset

this week

that to live is Christ

and to die is gain.

Help us to hope

in him.

Father,

thank you so much

for this time

we commit it to you

in Jesus' precious name.

Amen.