Jesus: Our Confidence

Please do have a seat.

And it's wonderful to be here this morning.

I hope you feel joyful as you come to church this morning.

It's going to be critical that we have our Bibles open in front of us this morning.

There's some of the pews around about you,

so can I encourage you to make every effort to get the Scriptures open in front of us.

There's also a sermon outline this morning that you may have received on your way,

and if you didn't get one of those, and if you put up your hand,

then I've allocated two glamorous assistants to help me out with spreading them.

So just get your hand in the air, like you just don't care,

and those guys will get one too.

But as we come to God's Word this morning, let's pause just for a moment of prayer,

and let's just ask that God would help us this morning as we come to this passage.

So let's pray.

Our gracious Father, we come before you this morning

with the firm conviction that when your Word is opened,

that your voice is heard.

So we're on our knees this morning, Father,

desperate that you would speak to us.

Lord, we need your words, for only your words have eternal life.

And so, Father, we ask that you would come and challenge us and encourage us.

Would you rebuke us and inspire us?

Would you break us and would you mould us?

All for the glory of your Son, Jesus Christ,

and for our goods and the upbuilding of your church in this place and in this city.

In Jesus' name we ask. Amen.

So before we, Alex and I, before we came to Brunsfield,

we spent a little bit of time in Malawi.

And at the end of our time in Malawi, we crossed the border to Zambia

and we went on a week's safari.

And while we were on safari,

I had one of the most awesome experiences that I've ever had.

Now here's what I mean by that word, awesome.

We went on a night safari drive.

And at the front of our small jeep was our safari guide who had this massive torch.

And pitch black, he's shining his torch looking for wildlife.

And for an hour, we saw absolutely nothing.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, we spot another safari jeep,

way in the distance, fixed on something.

Now that's a good sign.

That means he's found something.

So over we went to check it out,

with our tour guide still doing this with his lights.

And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a leopard.

A real wildlife leopard.

We're not looking at a Puzz 3D book anymore.

We're looking at a live leopard.

Awesome.

Absolutely awesome.

You look at this awesome creature.

It's smooth skin.

Its muscles are rippling as it's walking.

Its eyes, jet blue, staring at you.

Awesome.

Mixed in with that sense of wonder.

It's that sense of fear.

Because underneath those eyes, you see the teeth.

And at the end of the skin, you see the claws.

And it suddenly dawns on you that if you so much had stepped out of this jeep,

this thing would rip you in pieces.

It was an awesome creature.

Awesome.

And I think as we approach this portion of Hebrews 10 this morning,

we should feel something of the sense of awe.

Not because we're thinking about a creature,

but because we are thinking about the God of the cosmos,

the awesome creator God.

Can I ask you straight from the off this morning?

Do you fear God?

Do you fear him?

Do you have that sense of reverent fear as you come before him?

Do you come before him recognizing his majesty,

that yes, in Christ gloriously, we can call him father,

but all the while acknowledging that we are the creature

and he is the almighty creator,

that he is eternal and we are temporary,

that he is big and that we are small,

that he is holy and we are not,

that he is the awesome God.

You know, I think I know in my life it's so easy to lose sight of that.

Sometimes I think we're so akin to thinking of God more as our mate

than as our master.

Do you not think that's true?

We come before the awesome God.

These Christians that Mr. Hebrews is writing to here,

you don't need to convince them about the holiness of God.

You don't need to teach them that they should come reverently before God

because they know that all too well.

They've grown up in this religious system that's taught them to fear God.

The temple, they know that there's a massive curtain

that separates God from them,

that they dare not enter God's presence

because it's not safe for them as unholy people

to come into the presence of a holy God.

So how should they come before God, Mr. Hebrews?

How should they come before God?

What does he say?

Confidently.

Confidently.

Are you sure?

Confidently, this holy God?

Why confidently?

Well, summarizing everything that he's just unpacked

in the last five or so chapters,

this rich, deep theology,

look what he writes at verses 19 to 21.

Look with me.

What does he write?

Why can they come into the presence of this holy and awesome God?

Verse 19.

Because they have access.

Because of the blood of Jesus.

That Jesus, as he dies on the cross,

what do the gospels tell us?

That the temple curtain ripped in two from top to bottom,

declaring to the watching world

that Jesus has opened up something that was formerly closed.

You have access to this awesome God through Jesus Christ.

You have access,

and you've got an advocate before God.

Verse 21.

Jesus is the great high priest.

And what is he doing?

He's ministering for you,

for us,

for his people,

at God's right hand,

in God's very presence.

Why can you come confidently

before this awesome God?

Well, because of Jesus Christ.

And that's our big theme this morning.

If you just remember one thing,

I hope you take away a few things,

but if you can remember one thing,

is that this passage tells us

that confident Christians cling to Christ.

Okay?

I've made that lot of C's there.

Okay?

It was my word of the week,

my letter of the week.

C.

Confident Christians cling to Christ.

That we come before this awesome,

holy God,

not casually on our own,

not presumptuously,

but confidently,

because we are in Jesus Christ.

That's our confidence.

He is our confidence.

And so you can understand verse 35.

Mr. Hebrews,

his big plea,

his big plea,

is please,

whatever you do,

let me beg you,

do not throw away that confidence.

Do not throw away Christ.

And remember what we said right at the start,

he's writing to this group of Christians.

And they're tempted to turn back.

They're tempted to move on from Christ.

They're tempted to bin him

and go back to their former way of Jewish life.

That's the decision that's in their minds.

Do we go on with Christ?

Or do we go back to our former Jewish ways?

That's the decision.

And so anticipating that decision

in the mind of his readers,

you'll see it verse 39.

You'll see it verse 39.

He's got two groups of people in his mind.

He's got the shrinkers

and he's got the endurers.

Those people who will shrink back,

who will turn away from Christ

and who will be destroyed.

That's what it says.

And those people who will have faith

and will persevere,

who will endure

and will be saved.

If you go,

this is what he's saying.

If you go this way,

if you keep claiming to Christ

is your confidence,

then here's what that's going to mean for you.

And if you go that way,

if you throw him aside and turn back,

well, here's what that's going to mean for you as well.

And we're just going to look at these two groups of people.

I think the flow of the text here,

Mr. Hebrews,

he ends on a positive note.

And so I think our time this morning,

short as it may well be,

we'll try and end on that positive note

of encouragement as well.

So let's firstly turn to the shrinkers

that he's got in his mind.

What is going to happen to them

if they throw away Christ,

if they turn back?

Well, let me take you back to my,

the Jeep.

We're on safari.

Our tour guide,

the first thing he said to us

before we set off,

he said,

I'm not going to,

I was going to try and do an accent there,

but I'm not.

He said,

whatever you do,

hands and feet

very much inside this vehicle.

Under no circumstances,

unless I say,

are you ever to step outside this vehicle?

And why?

Well, I guess you could look at it two ways,

couldn't you?

I guess one,

this is kind of what I looked at it,

first of all.

I thought,

who is he?

I've flown halfway across this world

for the safari.

This is a once that,

I'm never coming back to Zambia,

I don't think.

Who is he?

Why is he killing my joy?

Why can't I go out?

Why can't I take some photos?

Why can't I stroll around?

Or,

he's done this business for 20 years.

I've done it for 20 seconds.

I think he knows a thing or two more about safaris than I do,

so I think I can probably trust his words.

And I think that's what we do as we come to these verses.

In Hebrews this morning,

tough as they are,

26 to 31.

Now,

we have to see that he says this warning

in the context of the fact that he desperately loves these Christians.

He loves them.

And because he loves them and cares for them,

he wants them to know the consequences

of what they're about to do

as they reject Christ.

Now, we know that to be true in our own lives,

don't we?

The friends,

the closest friends that we have in our lives

are people who will tell us the truth.

They won't sugarcoat it.

They won't dilute it.

They will tell us the truth.

And why will they tell us the truth?

Because they love us.

And we'll listen to them.

And that is the context of these verses here.

Mr. Hebrews loves these Christians.

And to my mind,

he makes the strongest of the warnings here

that he's made in this letter.

If you remember,

we've seen two warnings so far in this letter.

We've seen one at chapter 2

and we've seen one at chapter 6.

It actually occurred to me in preparation for this

that I spoke on chapter 6,

the warning here,

so you must think I'm kind of judgment shanks.

I don't know.

But this is the third of these warnings

that he's making here

because he wants to ultimately save their lives.

What will throwing away Christ mean?

Well, see verse 27.

It will mean a fearful expectation of judgment.

And judged on what?

Well, what did you do with Jesus?

What did you do with him?

And as you scan your eyes over that text,

let me just draw your attention to two words.

Firstly, verse 26,

notice the word knowledge.

So what did you,

this is what he's saying to them,

what did you do with the gospel message

that you received?

What did you do with the Son of God?

Verse 26,

did you receive the message

and deliberately reject him?

Did you say a resounding no to him

as Lord of your life

and go your own way?

Well, if you did that,

see what he says at the end of verse 26.

to be out with Christ,

to reject him,

then no sacrifice for sin is left.

That you will one day stand before God,

this awesome God,

not on the basis of Christ's righteousness,

his perfect life,

but on the basis of your own righteousness.

And let me tell you,

you will not win.

And to help them picture

what they are doing

as they reject him,

secondly,

notice the word trampled

at verse 29.

To reject Jesus

is akin to trampling over him.

Now, if you think about it,

I don't know if you've been here

during August

when the festival's on,

but you go up into the Royal Mile

and people are flying you

all over the place,

aren't they?

Hitting you with flyers

everywhere, everywhere.

And what do people do

if there's not a bin around?

Well, they get the flyer

and they throw it on the floor.

What happens?

People just trample over it.

They don't care about it.

They just trample over it.

Now, Jesus uses that word trample

in Matthew 5

in the Sermon of the Mount

as he talks about salt

being saltless

and therefore worthless,

good for nothing

but to be thrown out

and trampled under men's feet.

And so what will that judgment lead to?

Well, see verse 31,

and this is a really intense statement

he makes here.

It will lead to the dread

of falling into the hands

of the living awesome God.

Notice the force

of the word choice there.

This isn't a light thing.

This isn't an unpleasant thing

nor an uncomfortable thing.

Judgment without Christ

said lovingly

will be a dreadful thing.

It will be a dreadful thing.

And look at some of the words

and images that he uses

there throughout

as if to make his point.

Look at,

scan your eyes over it.

A raging fire.

Consuming.

Punished.

Avenge.

Repay.

It is a dreadful thing

to fall into the hands

of the living awesome God.

To throw away Christ,

to forfeit your confidence

in him

is akin to stepping out

of the jeep

and facing this leopard

on your own.

And so, so, so much worse.

Now let me ask you

this morning,

are you prepared

to face the confident

consequences

of rejecting Christ?

Are you here this morning

and if truth be told,

you quite fancy your chances

before the creator

of the universe?

Maybe some of you saw it.

I don't know,

a recent interview

with Stephen Fry.

He was asked recently

what he would say

if he ever came face to face

with God

and he said this.

I would say to him,

how dare you create

a world

in which there is

such misery

that is not our fault?

It's not right.

It's utterly, utterly evil.

Why should I respect

a capricious,

mean-minded,

stupid God

who creates a world

in which there is

so much injustice

and pain?

It's not our fault.

That was the phrase

that he used

that caught me.

It's not our fault.

I don't know this guy.

Occasionally I've laughed

at something he said

in QI.

But that strikes me

as such arrogance

that you,

Stephen Fry,

you would come before

the God of the cosmos

and expect him

to answer to you?

Really?

Really?

Friends,

see that this passage

tells us

that it is very much

the other way around.

That one day,

gloriously,

God will come

to put all wrongs

to right.

It's a glorious truth.

But the sober truth

is that outwith Christ

we are very much

one of those wrongs.

But the incredible thing

about the gospel

is that the gospel

tells us

that we can face

judgment confidently.

And why?

Because the gospel

is true.

It's true.

It's true.

Because Jesus

took this judgment

for me.

Jesus was the one

as we were singing

who was trampled

underfoot.

Jesus was the one

who was mocked

and insulted.

Jesus was the one

who was punished

in my place.

He was the one

who bore

the wrath of God

that I deserve to take.

He took it on himself

so that I do not

have to bear it.

And the gospel

is glorious

because it tells me

now that I can

come before God

confidently

that I will be met

not with wrathful hands

but that I have been met

with outstretched hands

of grace

by a prodigal God

who calls me

a prodigal wanderer

back to him.

Welcomed home.

That Jesus took this

so I do not have to take it.

Isn't that not

glorious truth

that we are reconciled

with God

our Father

because of Christ?

glorious truth

and so understandably

Mr. Hebrews says

please, please, please

do not throw away

that confidence.

Do not throw away

that confidence.

Do not throw away

Christ.

Do not throw away

the one who makes you

right with the living

and awesome God

because confident

Christians

they cling

to Christ.

And what will that

clinging

look like?

Well it will look like

persevering

and it will look like

enduring.

See what he says here

keep going with Christ

that confidence you have

keep going

with Christ.

Now you'll notice

three let us statements

at verses 22 to 25

look at it there

three times he uses

this phrase

let us

and you'll notice

that he's shifted

from talking about

you and I

to talking about us

and that tells us

two things

firstly it tells us

that clinging to Christ

is a team pursuit.

We're all in this

together as a community

as Christ's people

and second thing

that it tells us

is that clinging to Christ

is not a passive thing.

Clinging to Christ

is very much

an active thing.

And so after warning

the shrinker

do you see how he

wonderfully encourages

the endurer?

Look what he says

firstly at verse 22

he wants them to draw

draw near to God

by faith.

Draw near.

So he wants them

to understand

more deeply

and more fully

the enormity

of what Jesus Christ

has done for them.

He wants them

to keep pursuing Christ

to keep growing

in their faith

that they understand

daily

more and more

of the gospel.

Now I was trying

to understand it

in my head this week.

What does he want

them to say?

Well I think he wants

them to say

in their minds

and in their hearts

because of Christ

I am God's.

I am God's.

That when I fall

that when I stumble

that they would

confidently say

as John Newton

famously said

that I am a great sinner

but Christ

is a great saviour.

That I am his

and he is mine.

That I am God's.

Why am I God's?

Well I am God's

because of what

Jesus Christ

has done for me.

That in Christ

I am a new creation.

The old man

he is gone.

The new man

he has come.

I am God's.

I have an advocate.

I have access

before the Father

and so I can

confidently come to him

and pray to him

as God's.

He calls me

to draw near

to him in Christ

and I'm going to

claim that.

Fully assured

that I come before him

because I am God's.

God's.

Do you see what he's

saying here?

Draw near.

That is the call

that God makes

to us in Christ.

Now I wonder here

do some of us

need to grasp

that this morning?

Have we lost sight

of that?

That in Christ

we are God's.

We are his people.

And how are we

reminded of that

you might ask?

Well we're reminded

of it as we come

daily to God's words.

That God's word

is the place

that he tells us

these glorious truths

about ourselves

and about himself.

Draw near to God.

Draw near to God.

Secondly,

verse 23,

clinging to Christ

it means holding

fast to hope.

So what does he

want them to do?

He wants them to stand

on what God has said.

Stand on the promises

of God.

We love that hymn

don't we?

Standing,

standing,

standing,

standing,

standing on the promises

of God.

Fasten yourselves

to everything

that comes

from God's word.

Lean the whole weight

of your life

on what God

has said.

On the hope

that he has promised

and set before you.

That's what it looks

like to hope.

To lean the whole weight

of your life

on what God has said.

What he tells us

about us

and what he tells us

about him.

And why can we

have such hope?

Notice that word

that he uses there.

Why can we trust God?

Because he

is faithful.

He is faithful.

And we can trust him.

Now it's interesting,

we live in a culture

that has massive

trust issues.

Massive trust issues.

You look at all the stuff

that's going on

in our world

at the minute

with politics.

What are people saying?

Can't trust him.

You can't trust

what he says.

You can't trust

what she says.

You know,

Alex and I,

we bought a new car

recently.

We traded in our old one,

got a price for it.

You know the first thing

my dad said?

Make sure you're not

getting ripped off.

Make sure you're not

getting ripped off.

We have massive trust issues

in our society.

But the thing I want you

to understand this morning

is that you might not

be able to trust

a car salesman.

You might not be able

to trust a mechanic

or a politician,

but we can trust

100% what God says

in his word.

We can fix our eyes

on what he has said.

We can lean

our whole confidence

on what God has said.

Every moment of every day

we can trust

what God has said.

And thirdly,

confidence in Christ

will mean considering

how to love

and encourage

one another.

So clearly some of them

had decided that

meeting together

like this

in community

wasn't so much

of a big deal.

We can kind of

go out on our own

and that's what

they'd thought

and he's warning them

here that that is

a dangerous game

to play.

Why do we need

each other?

Why do we need

to be in community

together?

Well see,

he tells them

two things

at verses 24 and 25.

Firstly,

so that we can

spur one another

on towards

love and good works

and secondly,

for mutual

encouragement.

I find this

one of the greatest

joys of being

part of this

church family here.

I think about

some of the

interviews

that we've seen

up here

with people recently

and I'm massively

encouraged.

As we had Kate

and Bruce

and their family

up here a few

weeks ago

and Johnny

asked Kate,

what is the

one thing

that we could

be praying

for you?

She could have

said a hundred

things really

but what does

she say?

I want you to

pray for me

that I would

live and love

Jesus Christ.

You know,

we had the pleasure

of having Caitlin

to our home group

on Wednesday night

and we asked her

what could we

pray for her?

How could we

be supporting her?

And she said,

I'm starting a new

job on Wednesday.

Can you pray

that I would be

a good witness

in that new job?

For both of those

prayers,

I thought,

yes,

that's what I

want in my

life as well.

I want to be

standing out

and speaking up

for Jesus.

I was massively

encouraged.

You know,

and as I listen

even this morning,

listening to how

some of you

are serving

one another,

it massively

encourages me.

As I see how

some of you

are serving us,

it massively

encourages me.

As I hear how

you are praying

for me and for

my family and

for other people,

it massively

encourages me.

As I see some

of you taking

bold steps,

speaking of Jesus

Christ to your

neighbors and

your friends,

when it's hard,

that massively

encourages me as

well.

Do you see how

this works?

That as community,

together as God's

people,

we should be

encouraging one

another on.

It's glorious.

Now let me just

say in just one

little challenge

I've been trying

to do the last

month or so,

and I encourage

you guys to do

it as well.

Before you go

this morning,

how about you

try and ask

at least one

person how you

can be praying

for them this

week?

At least one

person.

How can you be

praying for them

and supporting

them this week

and actually do

it?

It would be

great if we're

all involved in

each other's

lives,

encouraging and

spurring one

another on.

Let us draw

near.

Let us hold

fast.

Let us consider

how.

And drawing

those three

statements together,

do you notice

the lovely little

triad there?

Faith,

hope,

and love.

What are these

Christians going to

be marked by?

Faith,

hope,

and love.

Let me ask you

this morning,

do you see

these virtues

in your life?

Do you see

the Lord

growing these

attributes in

your life?

If somebody

from the outside

was to look into

your life and

give a commentary

on your life,

would they say

these things?

Would they say

of me as my

friends looking

into my life

that, yeah,

Graham's marked

by love?

Faith,

yeah,

Graham's got

faith.

And hope,

yeah,

he's hoping

for something

beyond this

life.

Would people

involved in

our lives,

would they

say this

about us?

What a

great prayer

to be praying

for each

other and

for ourselves

this week.

Because confident

Christians,

they cling

to Christ.

Now I wonder

if there were

some of these

readers reading

this letter

and thinking

to themselves

as they read

these words,

we could never

be that community.

We can never

be that community.

we'd rather

keep sitting

and hiding

than we would

get clinging

if we're honest.

We'll see it

verses 32

to 39

as we draw

our time

almost to a

close.

What does

Mr.

Hebrews do?

He reminds

them of their

past.

Do you see

that?

He reminds

them of their

past as if

they say,

you can do

it.

You can do

it.

And how do

I know you

can do it?

Because you've

done it before.

And presumably

he's looking

back on a time

in these guys'

lives,

maybe 10 or 15

years ago

when it was

really tough.

And he's

looking back

on that time

and he says,

do you remember

when you did

those things?

Firstly,

verse 32,

do you remember

when you stood

together?

Now if you

notice at verse

32,

he uses the

word contest

there.

I really loved

it this week.

The Greek word

there is

aphlazion.

Now why is that

significant?

Why is he telling

us that?

Well it's

obviously where we

get our word

athletics from.

So what is he

saying?

Do you remember

the time when you

really went for it

with Jesus?

Do you remember

the time when you

toiled for Jesus?

Do you remember

the time where you

sweated it out for

him?

Do you remember

the time when you

endured so much

conflict that you

pushed the pain

barriers?

That together you

stood for Jesus

in a hostile world?

Do you remember

those days?

Yeah, I do remember

those days.

We'll get back to

those days.

Secondly,

verse 34,

do you remember

when you spoke up?

Do you remember

when you spoke up?

Do you remember

when you identified

yourselves with the

Christians who were

getting a hard time,

who were getting put

in prison for their

faith?

Do you remember

that?

Do you remember

you spoke up for

them?

Do you remember

you went and

visited them,

that you identified

yourselves with them,

that you prayed for

them, that you loved

them, that you went

to visit them, that you

didn't care who saw

you go to visit them?

Do you remember

those days?

Yeah, I do remember

those days.

That's what we used

to do.

Get back to those

days.

And thirdly, do you

remember when you

prioritized rightly?

Verse 34.

You accepted

wrongdoing and you

did it joyfully.

Do you notice that

word in that passage

there, joyfully?

And why did you do

it joyfully?

Well, because in the

light of eternity, it

didn't matter.

You feared God more

than you feared man.

You bowed and were

obedient to God more

than you bowed to man.

You were concerned

about what he had

done in your lives

rather than what was

going on in the world.

You knew that in

Jesus Christ, God

had given you a far

better possession.

The new life that he

had given you through

him, far greater than

any of the temporary

possessions on earth.

Do you remember

those days?

Do you remember those

days when you

prioritized rightly?

Yeah, yeah.

I do remember those

days.

Get back to those

days.

Guys, you can do this

because you've done

it before.

You've done it

before.

Do it again.

I wonder if some of

us this morning, do we

need to remember those

days?

Do we need to

remember those days?

I'm struggling with

evangelism, Graham.

Do you remember the

time when you first

became a Christian, you

were fearless?

You were telling

everyone about Christ?

Yeah, I can't remember

those days.

Come on, guys.

We can get back to

those days.

Pray and seek the

community encouragement

to get back to those

days.

Do you remember the

days when you used to

visit and care for

people that used to

drive from places?

Oh, yeah.

I remember those days.

Come on, guys.

Let's get back to

those days.

Let's be encouraging

one another.

Do you remember the

days when you used

to go to church and

you were the last to

leave on a Sunday

morning because you

were so caught up in

speaking to people?

You loved it.

Yeah, I do remember

those days.

Now we're the kind of

first to leave.

Come on, guys.

Let's get back to

those days.

Do you see what he's

saying here?

You've done it before.

You can do it again.

Let's get going as

this community.

And why do we need

to get going?

Why do we need to

maintain and get back

to that zeal?

Well, look what he

says at verse 35.

Why do we need to

do this?

Why do we need to

keep encouraging one

another and spurring

one another on?

Because the reward is

so glorious.

When Jesus Christ

comes himself to

bring us home,

that eternal home

that we have

worshipping with

him in God's

presence, it will be

glorious.

Your faith, your

endurance will be

richly rewarded.

keep going.

Keep going in your

faith.

Keep going with this

awesome God who's

beckoned you in to

know him.

Be those people who

do not shrink back,

but be those people

who live by faith and

by faith in the Son of

God who gave himself

for you.

Confident Christians,

they cling to Christ.

Now as we close, let me

just tell you this story

that I read in this book

this week.

It's been a freebie at

the front for months.

I don't know if

anybody's read it, but

it's a great one.

It's stories of student

ministry that goes on

around the world.

This organization called

IFES, so International

Fellowship of Evangelical

Students.

I read this story, the

testimony of a woman

called Ruth.

Her husband, Neil, he

worked for IFES and he

took the whole family to

Ecuador for his job.

One night as the

family are walking

home, Neil is

attacked and Neil is

shot, held at gun

point.

Thieves enter, take

his car and he's

left to bleed to death

with his son in his

arms sitting by the

roadside.

And he bled to death.

And two years after the

event, Ruth gives her

testimony at what is the

IFES World Conference.

They asked her, what's

going on in your life

since that traumatic

experience, Ruth?

And she said this.

She said, today I stand

here alone.

When Neil was shot

almost two years ago,

all of our family

dreams and ministry

dreams were suddenly

cut short.

But I am here today to

testify to three

things.

Firstly, concerning the

IFES family.

Your love, prayers and

support meant that

myself and my family,

we couldn't crash even

though everything inside

it was wanted to.

Secondly, to testify to

the great God that I

serve.

He not only accompanies

me in my suffering, but

he suffered on my

behalf.

And thirdly, to testify

and tell you that

brokenness is not the

end of the story.

Our pain is deep, but it

is not all-encompassing.

Our loss is enormous, but

it is not eternal.

Death is our enemy, but it

does not have the final

word.

And this is the great

part.

For the wounded lamb is

also the lion of Judah.

And one day he will reign

in his perfect rule of

love, peace and justice.

This is the hope of the

gospel.

Confident Christians cling

to Christ.

What an awesome God that

we serve.

Let's pray.

Our Father, we would

thank you for Jesus.

Thank you that we can

come confidently before

you, the awesome God,

because of him.

Oh Lord, would you help

us this week to fear you

more than we fear man?

Would you help us to love

and be obedient to what you

have said, regardless of

the consequences?

Father, would you help us to

trust fully in what you

have told us in your

words?

And that you would make

our priority in life,

loving you and striving

after you with all our

strength, and make that

the number one priority in

our lives this week.

Oh Lord, help us love

Jesus Christ more, we ask.

In his name we ask.

Amen.