We Have a Living Hope

I'll talk a wee bit and mention a couple of things from the end of the chapter as well.

!

And he said vehemently and clearly, I will die for you.

And the Lord Jesus Christ replied by saying, you will deny me three times.

And he did say, he would remind him also or predict that his untimely death would be very difficult as well.

He would know what it is to suffer persecution.

But when all of that happened, of course, Jesus is arrested.

Jesus was eventually crucified, all of which Peter saw.

Peter saw Jesus on the cross.

Peter saw Jesus dying on the cross.

Peter saw Jesus laid in a tomb.

And Peter and the rest of the disciples, in a sense, scattered or disappeared and locked themselves away because of fear of what might happen to them.

What happened to Jesus might also happen to them.

What happens then is that some women came running up to Peter and the fellow disciples to tell them that Jesus is raised from the dead.

They ran, and according to John's gospel, you can read it yourselves, and they go and they see an empty tomb.

But it's really interesting that as they go from there, they lock themselves away in a room.

And it tells you why.

John records it for us.

He was there.

We were fearful of the Jews.

They lock the room.

There is nobody can get in.

And what happens then is that Jesus, the resurrected Jesus, appears in the room.

And, of course, they're terrified.

And Jesus simply says, peace be with you.

I'm not entirely sure it would be that easy to persuade me to peace, to be at peace, if I saw the person on the cross and in the tomb appear in the room with me.

Of course, we know why.

But he demonstrates to Peter the words of Scripture that the grave couldn't hold Jesus.

Yes, he laid down his life as a ransom for many.

The perfect Son of God gave his life to dead sinners that we might have life.

But the wonder of what Peter now reveals to these suffering Christians is that Jesus didn't remain dead.

He was resurrected from the grave.

We met him face to face.

In a locked room, the resurrection body is different.

And what is even more amazing that Peter, when he writes these words, was also the same person that would meet Jesus on a beach a few days later and have breakfast with Jesus, the resurrected Jesus.

And there, Jesus would restore the bungling Peter.

And that's why we love Peter, I think.

I don't know, maybe you don't, but I do.

Because in my life, I see the mistakes and I see Peter's mistakes.

And I have a sense of hope that I, too, can know the continual redeeming love of God for my mistakes, too.

It's just amazing to see.

But it's this thought that I want you to hold in your mind as we turn to 1 Peter.

The one who writes the testimony of what it is to have a living hope is the one who saw Jesus die, breathe as last, shed his blood, and was raised again on the third day to life by the power of the Spirit.

Who walked with the disciples, who talked with the disciples, who explained to the disciples that all of the Old Testament had been pointing to him.

It is such a marvelous experience and insight.

And now he writes to these Christians in the five towns, shall we say, that are being persecuted because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

It was a time when Paul and Peter would be put to death, mid-60s, shall we say, of 60 AD, 65 AD, around that sort of time.

And he is writing this to people who are experiencing great trial because of their faith.

And they were probably beginning to either doubt or wobble in their faith.

Now, who hasn't had a wobble in their faith?

Maybe health issues.

Maybe things that have happened to us and we have a wobble.

We start to question.

Lord, are you really walking with me?

What is this?

And it's interesting that Peter didn't turn around to the churches and say, I'm really sorry that you're experiencing great trial.

It breaks my heart.

What he does is, he doesn't diminish that, by the way.

He goes straight to the very foundation of their lives and their relationship with Jesus.

He goes straight to the fact that they have been called by God, saved by Jesus through the sprinkling of his blood, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, they have a living hope.

Not a maybe hope.

Now, I said earlier to the kids that we have this thing in Lewis, this hope in Lewis.

You know, we can even say, yes, I believe in Jesus, but I don't know if I'll get to heaven.

No, no, that isn't biblical.

When we trust in Jesus for our salvation and have a living hope, we're trusting in him and what he has done, what he has completed, what he has fulfilled, that he has risen from the dead, that he ascends to the right hand of God the Father and continues to intercede.

It is all dependent on our relationship with him.

If you have Jesus as your Savior, you have a living hope.

It's all to do with him.

It's on him, through him.

And so that's really important for us as we delve into this bit of scripture today.

And the first thing, of course, in verse 3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He's just oozing with a sense of joy and privilege and blessing.

And it's just expressive.

Praise be to God, as we would sing maybe the additional element to Psalm 100.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise him, all creatures here below.

Praise him above ye heavenly hosts.

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

It's this expression of a believer who knows the Redeemer.

Praise be to the Lord, the one who has provided salvation, who has redeemed his people.

So what does he then express?

It's so important for us to understand that when we are going through trials in life,

the challenges that each and every one of us face, the questions that we have,

whatever it might be, here Peter underlines again the foundation.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because of his mercy.

Because of his mercy.

It's a great challenge to us hearing that because of his mercy.

Justice is getting what you deserve.

Mercy is not getting what you deserve.

Grace is getting what you do not deserve.

That is what we receive.

Grace, we don't deserve it.

But in Jesus Christ, we also get mercy.

Mercy is such an amazing blessing given through the sacrificial work of Jesus.

Everything that we are as believers,

if you are a believer today,

you know the mercy of God.

You know that steadfast love.

And God's steadfast love isn't in the absence of judgment.

It's in the presence of it.

They work hand in hand.

What do I mean?

There is not a person in here that surprises God.

There is not a person.

I mean, when I had backslidden way years ago,

I would always try and persuade myself to come to church and do better.

You've got to do better, Barvis.

Do better.

And I would come in and try and hide wherever I would be.

And I would just turn up in church,

which is a good thing, by the way.

But the battle was much deeper.

A lack of understanding of what it meant just to understand the mercy of God.

And Lord, I'm sorry I messed up.

I messed up again.

Lord, help me.

And in his steadfast love,

he does again and again and again.

And gives me and every believer the grace of repentance.

Daily repentance.

That great term named in a book,

St. Claude B. Ferguson wrote,

the grace of repentance.

Go get it.

It's worth reading every word of it.

True love.

The love of God doesn't exist in the absence of judgment.

There are no surprises here today.

There are no mistakes here today.

Not one of you.

We might make mistakes,

but there are no mistakes.

God knows everything.

And he demonstrates his mercy for you.

Wherever you have been,

there is nothing that you have done

that God's mercy can't redeem

because of the powerful, sacrificial love of Jesus.

Nothing.

Nothing.

There's not one person,

the sin of one person here today

that overwhelms the steadfast love of God in Christ Jesus.

Not one.

So that is this mercy that he speaks about.

He understands that God has always been active

right from the beginning of the fall.

At the fall,

when he exclaims,

the seed of the woman

will crush the head of the serpent.

The serpent will bruise his heel.

That whole picture of mercy

is strewn right through the Old Testament

until the arrival of Jesus,

the seed of the woman.

Hence why Peter calls him here

as the seed,

the imperishable seed.

He is the seed of the woman

who would overcome the world,

who would overcome sin

and our rebellion within us

and bring us home

because he is merciful.

And it is the great joy of every Christian

to know today that mercy.

And it is exactly that mercy

that is always, always on offer

for every moment you take,

for every breath you take in your life.

That mercy,

if you haven't trusted in Jesus,

King Jesus,

it's on offer constantly.

But there can be a time

when that ceases,

when it evaporates

in our final moments.

If you haven't,

I beg you to follow him,

to receive this mercy,

to understand what he is doing.

That mercy then is explained

that he has given us new birth,

born again,

born again,

not of Adam's seed,

but the imperishable seed,

God,

the Christ,

the Savior,

the seed of the woman.

Through him,

we're born again.

We start again.

We have a restoration

of our relationship.

Now,

when we talk about the great sin,

in churches,

we talk about sin.

Now,

almost inevitably,

we're thinking about things

that we do.

But the great sin,

ultimately,

is unbelief

or inner rebellion.

That is the great sin.

Other things are follow-ons.

As Jesus would say,

you deal with the heart.

The other things are from the hand,

what flows from the heart.

That's essentially what he's saying

in the Beatitudes,

the Sermon on the Mount,

I should say.

And so here,

you understand the call

to new birth,

to a new start with him.

If you haven't,

that is the blessing

that you are being offered,

a new birth.

And what does that mean?

It means that through

new birth in Christ Jesus,

you believe in him,

you have a living hope.

And I'm just going to quote

a person first of all,

and then two or three scriptures

afterwards.

I want you to understand

the power and the depth

and the majesty

of this mercy,

this new birth,

this call for you

to follow him.

And if you're a believer

here today,

I want to challenge you.

I will challenge you

at the end.

But it's a challenge for you.

How now shall you live?

In the title given

to one of Chuck Colson's book,

how now shall you live

in light of this?

Do we hide?

When you have this living hope,

do you hide?

So we're going to challenge

ourselves at the end for that.

I don't know,

as I do,

I'm like a kid in a sweetie shop,

and I don't say

what I'm going to do

for the last,

and I just chuck it in now.

But we're challenged with this.

And of course,

if you're a non-Christian,

that's the case today.

Edmund Clowney,

in his commentary,

writes,

Peter writes a letter of hope.

The hope he proclaims

is not what we call

a fond hope.

We cherish fond hopes

because they are so fragile.

We hope against hope

because we do not really expect

what we hope for.

But Peter writes of a sure hope,

a hope that holds our future

in its hands,

a current hope

that is anchored in the life

and death and resurrection of Jesus.

Peter knows that God's salvation

in Christ means deliverance

from sin and death

and on God's fulfillment

of his promise for salvation.

That is because God has accomplished

his salvation

in the resurrection of Jesus Christ

from the dead,

and you are through him

ready for his return.

You, in Christ,

are ready for his return.

Now, very often,

I get the question

about end times.

And I've stopped

really thinking about it

other than this.

Exactly what he said

at the end.

Be ready.

Be ready now.

Be ready.

Be ready for his return.

We don't know the time

or the hour.

You can be near the kingdom.

You might have been sitting

in the pew here for,

in the pew that you're sitting in

for many years

because your family has.

But here's the answer.

Be ready.

Be ready for his return.

And to be ready for his return

is not to be found in church,

in a pew,

but in your relationship

with him who is merciful

in his great mercy.

Come to him and be ready.

That's how you're ready.

Now, the rest is,

I don't know when he's going to return.

There might be indications.

I don't know.

But in Christ,

I'm ready for whatever happens,

whether it's trials,

sickness,

or whatever.

I am ready in Christ.

That's the answer

that Clowney here says.

He gives you.

Be ready for his return.

The only way to be ready

is in Christ.

Now, in a couple of bits

of Scripture,

Paul writes,

first of all,

in Corinth,

he talks about the challenge

of those people

who were beginning

to bring doubt

about the resurrection.

And he really challenges them

about that.

And he writes this.

He says,

For if the dead are not raised,

then Christ has not been raised

either.

And if Christ has not been raised,

your faith is futile.

You are still in your sins.

Then those who have fallen asleep

in Christ are lost.

If only for this life

we have hope in Christ,

we are to be pitied

more than all men.

But Christ has indeed

been raised from the dead,

the firstfruits of those

who have fallen asleep.

For since death came through a man,

the resurrection of the dead

comes through a man.

For as in Adam

all die,

so in Christ

all will be made alive.

All in Christ

will be born again.

Now, to one of my favorite chapters

in the New Testament,

I need you to hear

the cast iron guarantee

of a living hope.

I need you to hear

what it's saying.

And in many ways,

it would have been suitable

for Paul to write

to these struggling,

suffering Christians

as well in these five towns.

Romans 8,

Romans 8:33

verse 33 and onwards.

Who will bring

any charge

against those

whom God has chosen?

It is God

in his mercy,

that's my added bit,

who justifies.

Who is he

that condemns?

Christ Jesus

who died.

More than that,

was raised to life,

is at the right hand

of God

and also interceding

for us.

Who shall separate us

from the love of Christ?

Shall trouble

or hardship

or persecution

or famine

or nakedness

or danger

or sword?

As it is written,

for your sake,

we face death

all day long.

We are considered

as sheep

to be slaughtered.

No,

in all these things,

we are more

than conquerors

through him

who loved us.

For I am convinced

that neither death

nor life

nor angels

nor demons,

neither the present

nor the future

nor any powers,

neither height

nor depth

nor anything else

in all creation

will be able

to separate us

from the love

of God

that is in Christ

Jesus our Lord.

God.

If there is a bit

of scripture

I would like you

to read

when you go home

today

before you eat

your lunch,

read it together.

Read it together.

Chew over it.

Meditate

on these words.

This is the power

of Christ.

The grave

couldn't hold him

and in him

it cannot hold you.

Sin cannot hold you.

It puts it to death.

We are raised

with Christ.

We have new life.

It is incredible

to understand this

because on this

foundation

you live out

the Christian life.

You live it out.

Far too often

we go into our shells.

We end up fighting

cultural wars.

Everybody's waving

their flags

anti this,

pro that

and we're getting

swallowed up

in it all

and we're getting

quieter and quieter

as believers.

But we have

this living hope.

You have it

in Christ

and there is nothing

nothing means

nothing.

Absolutely nothing

can separate you

from the love of God

that is in Christ Jesus.

It's truly fabulous.

It changes everything.

And we're all concerned

about the changes

that happen

in our culture.

You have them here.

We have them elsewhere.

But nothing

can rob you

of this.

Not even Satan.

He lost

the battle.

He can damage you

but you can't

lose this.

It is cast iron.

Nothing

can separate you

from

the Lord,

the love of God

that is in Christ

Jesus.

And I pray then

that it would work

in you.

Mold that into

your thinking

and understanding

and you're looking

at people around you

and storing away.

How many people

I see

and I work with

or used to work with

or play football

with or fight with

or whatever.

All of these things

back in the day.

Now I'm seeing

all these people.

Many of them

don't even come to church.

They don't engage.

But that is our calling.

We have this message

that is our calling

to go.

Not to retreat.

To get into fight mode.

To bicker.

This is our calling.

This is what we're called to.

Paul also said,

we were therefore

buried with him

through baptism

into death

in order that

just as Christ

was raised from the dead

through the glory

of the Father,

we too

may live

a new life.

Very quickly then.

You're thinking

how am I going to finish

in this time?

Probably not.

I might go over

a minute or two

or whatever.

If the clock

bothers you

I'll go over it anyway

probably a wee bit

but not much.

The joy then he says

to these people

is this

that you have

an inheritance.

Now my wife

often tells me

you're the only

Lewis man I know

that has never been

left a croft.

That's true.

I haven't

but I don't know

if I'm the only one.

I doubt very much

that I'm the only one.

But we are heirs

of God.

What an incredible

privilege we have.

We are heirs

through the work

of Jesus

the atoning work

of Jesus

the resurrection

power in our lives

we have an inheritance

that cannot

perish.

It's undefiled.

It's unfading.

It feels like

the Christian

witness is

fading in the

church

of Christ.

But God

hasn't changed.

He's still

sovereign.

He's still

ruler.

He's still

the merciful one.

He's still

the one who

brings people

to life.

I had the

opportunity

a few months

ago to speak

about Mission

International

and to share

incredible stories.

One of them

in Malawi

when the

second blast

of Cyclone

Freddie

absolutely

obliterated

Malawi.

And the

pastor we were

working with

we were working

with several

but he was the

main guy

he was a

translator

he starts

preaching

in these

camps.

Tens of

thousands

and he

proclaims

Christ

and all I

get was a

message

pray for me

for the

Muslim

leaders

are looking

for me

with red

eyes.

They're

full of

rage

because over

50 Muslims

became Christians

and nearly

600 came

to faith.

Is God

working?

Yes he

is.

And he

still uses

you as

the body

of Christ.

It's not

just ministers

who stand

up here

and preach.

He uses

you and

your testimony

and this

reality in

your life

is what he's

calling you

out for.

There is

no hiding

under the

bed.

You are

a body

of Christ

you work

together

and you

share this

reality

together

and it's

a living

testimony

of it being

together.

It's

imperishable

it's

undefiled

it's

unfading

this is

kept

in heaven

for you.

That's the

promise.

It's kept

in heaven

for you.

It's like

an anchor

into eternity.

Why?

Because Jesus

is alive.

He's

resurrected

he is

alive and

at the

right hand

of God

the Father

interceding

for you.

That's

how certain

it is.

And finally

you get to

this verse

in verse

5

where it

says

what's

really

together

unfading

and kept

in heaven

for you

who by

God's

power

are being

guarded

through

faith

for salvation

ready

to be

revealed

in the

last time.

Now

I think

I've

talked

enough

about

the

ready

to be

revealed

stuff.

Okay?

Jesus

is coming

again.

You now

understand

all of

that

from what

I've

already

said.

But it's

interesting

to me

that as

you go

on in

this

chapter

and then

into

chapter 2

it became

very clear

through

Peter's

writing

that there

were things

happening

within the

church.

He talks

about

loving

your

brother

intently

loving

each

other

deeply

and

driven

by

love

the

body

of

Christ

driven

by

that

unifying

love

that

keeps

him

together.

Now

I've

heard

various

comments

about

love

in my

time

as a

preacher.

Oh

love

love

love

love

what

about

the

law

or

something

derogatory

as

if

love

was

some

thing

just

you know

wavy

thing.

But isn't

it interesting

that when

Jesus was

asked to

give a

synopsis

of the

Ten

Commandments

isn't

it interesting

that he

says

love

the

Lord

your

God

with

all

your

heart

mind

soul

and

strength

and

love

your

neighbor

as

yourself.

Interesting.

What is

the first

fruit of

the Spirit

mentioned?

Love.

Now

Peter

said this

to a

people

who

by all

accounts

were

beginning

to

he

says

in

chapter

two

briefly

and I

want

to

go

to

John

to

finish

put

away

all

malice

and

all

deceit

and

hypocrisy

and envy

and slander

put it

away

put it

away

chuck it

get rid

of it

get it

out of

sight

because

that

should

not

belong

in the

body

of

Christ

that

is

giving

Satan

a

foothold

to

bring

division

in a

time

of

great

trial

which

is

probably

bringing

doubt

about

their

relationship

with

Jesus

and

the

certainty

of a

living

hope

hence

why

he

emphasizes

all

of

that

get

rid

of

it

put

it

in

the

bin

if I

can

use

all

the

descriptions

you get

the

idea

get rid

of it

it's

just

destructive

it's

just

damage

it breaks

friendships

it breaks

churches

that's

what he's

saying

to them

now

where have

we heard

that before

this

love one

another

deeply

well it's

in John

13

isn't it

in the

upper room

where Jesus

powerfully

just after

he revealed

that Judas

will be the

one to

betray

him

he says

the words

now the

son of

man

has

lifted

up

it's

time

to

prepare

for me

to

return

to the

father

to

fulfill

what

God

has

called

me

to

do

to

lay

down

my

life

final

few

hours

are

here

before

I

return

then

he

says

this

to

love

one

another

deeply

as

I

have

loved

you

love

one

another

the

world

will

know

me

by

the

way

you

love

one

another

it's

a

variant

that

lasts

a little

bit

but

essentially

saying

the

same

thing

how

would

you

like

to be

known

today

is

it

as

someone

who

attends

free

church

chemistry

or a

disciple

of

Jesus

surely

that's

the

answer

surely

that's

secondary

whatever

value

and

joy

we

have

meeting

together

here

the

first

principle

has

to be

I'm

a

disciple

of

Jesus

if

you're

a

disciple

of

Jesus

then

how

do

you

love

one

another

how

do

you

love

one

another

because

I

believe

in the

first

principles

here

there

are

plenty

other

things

that

we

can

challenge

ourselves

with

but

here

is

the

basis

the

foundation

that

is

built

upon

the

way

we

love

one

another

unifying

one

another

facing

challenges

together

have

difference

of opinion

with

each

other

by

how

we

love

one

another

like

Christ

loved

us

Christ

had

just

revealed

a

betrayer

and his

words

to the

disciples

is

love

one

another

why

because

he

knew

the

enemy

would

divide

he

knew

the

enemy

would

maim

that's

why

he's

saying

love

each

other

like

I

have

loved

you

that

surely

is

the

first

building

block

of

everything

that we

should

have

as a

body

of

Christ

we're

putting

we're

imitating

Christ

that is

essentially

the fruit

of the

Spirit

imitation

imitating

Christ

in our

lives

that should

be our

joy

that is

our

privilege

and he

equips

us

and intercedes

for us

and helps

us to do

so

that's

the

challenge

that you

face

so you

go from

here

ready to

be

challenged

what

comes

next

ask

the

question

you've

got

great

preachers

around

here

ask

the

question

how

do

we

grow

in

Christ

how

do

we

have

stronger

bonds

together

you pray

with

one

another

you

love

one

another

that's

the

foundational

principles

to

mission

the

trouble

is

we

get

so

engrossed

with

the

culture

and the

wars

that we

have

in

the

culture

we're

forgetting

to

mission

the

culture

we're

forgetting

the

calling

to

go

ye

therefore

into

all

the

earth

including

our

own

town

and

go

and

proclaim

the

name

of

Jesus

the

good

news

of

Jesus

to

whomever

even

people

that we

might

have

fallen

out

with

over

the

years

it's

time

to

learn

to

put

these

things

right

now

another

thing

and I'll

close

with

this

I

promised

I'll

close

just

about

on

time

now

I did

have the

privilege

again

I mentioned

this but I want to do it again because I feel myself that I learned so much of this moment in Rwanda

!

that I want to try and show you that God can work even in extreme circumstances and obviously if you are at the prayer meeting you'll know exactly what I'm going to say.

When we were out last year in Uganda

When we were out last year in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, in that middle trip we went to the genocide museum and it's truly heartbreaking, terrible, there's just nothing that you can say that even remotely gives you a good feeling.

It was just terrible. 800,000 people dead, killed in about 100 days.

After that we went to a church.

After that we went to a church.

My predecessor, Hugh Henderson, did a commissioning of a building that were over a thousand people in African style. Don't complain if you've got an hour and five minutes. Just saying. We were five and a half hours. And it was just incredible. Right? So the next two days, four of us had the opportunity to preach.

And I was the last of the four. And afterwards we went for lunch and I'm sitting beside Stephen. It's just like I'm still there. Stephen and Bonnie, the other African guy who's the assistant with the Bishop of Kigali, Bishop Amoti. Brilliant, brilliant people.

And then Stephen starts telling us his story. That he lost his whole family in the genocide. Every single one. Close family, extended family, all killed.

And I'm looking at the other three guys across the table and I'm going, what do you say now? What do you say in this moment?

And it's just, I'm looking at them and they're looking at me. Well, you're a team leader, mate. I didn't know what to say.

And then he says, you know, Roddy, so when you were preaching today, two or three of my elders and some of that congregation were the people who killed my family.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to say.

I didn't know what to say.

Then he explained, after the genocide, I became a Christian.

And there was one time I was praying to the Lord.

And the Lord made it absolutely clear to me, hear this.

This is what he said to Stephen.

Rwanda will never survive unless you forgive.

Now, anybody who knows my past will know that my instinct will be to fight.

I was struck dumb at what this guy was saying.

As we came away that day, there are more things I could say, but as I came away that day, all of us in the car were silent.

And what we discovered was this.

We just saw the power of Christ in someone's life.

That he wouldn't allow Satan to get a foothold to bring division.

To bring an end to the potential of the work of the church in that area.

Absolutely incredible.

That he understood.

Every day he would stand in the pulpit.

They wouldn't have one like this.

It's a lower platform.

But he would be speaking to the people.

And you know what?

Every day is an opportunity to give Satan a foothold.

Every day is an opportunity to allow bitterness to overwhelm him.

Just bitterness.

Enough bitterness to bring hate.

But 26 years later.

And a school of 2,000 people.

And a thriving church.

Testimony.

Testimony.

To the magnificence of the power of God in someone's life.

Imitating Jesus.

Because you see, he knew forgiveness.

His forgiveness through Christ.

He knew what it meant to him.

And he knew that through the power of Christ.

He could forgive others.

That is something we need as believers.

To stand out from the crowd with.

God bless you.

Let's pray as we close.

Lord God, our Heavenly Father.

Lord, we thank you today for the incredible sacrifice of Jesus.

That we are covered in him.

That you have us covered.

And through him we have this living hope.

This imperishable, undefiled, unfading, living hope.

We're also so delighted, Lord, that you are holding us now.

That your power is holding us now.

Helping us now.

Strengthening us now.

And we know that in your power.

Forgiveness is possible.

Transformation is possible.

All of these things we've spoken about today.

Are all possible because of your majestic grace and love.

And so we pray for every person here.

That we would rest today in Jesus Christ.

The Savior of our soul.

The Savior who was raised from the dead.

Defeating sin and defeating the enemy.

The grave and the evil one.

Lord, in him, in you, we have a living hope.

And I pray that each and every one of us would rejoice deeply in our hearts today as we leave here.

And may you be the glory.

And may all the glory be to you today.

You are an awesome God.

And we love you and we thank you for your radical love for us.

In Jesus Christ's name we pray.

Amen.

Okay, we're going to sing from Psalm 93.

Oh, is it Sing Psalm, is it?

Yeah, Sing Psalm 93.

It's on page 123.

We'll sing the five verses.

The Lord is King.

His throne endures, majestic in his height.

The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength and might.

These five verses to God's praise.

Amen.

The Lord is King.

His throne endures, majestic in his height.

The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength and might.

The world is broken, firm and sure.

The world is broken, firm and sure.

We moved it cannot be.

Your throne is strong.

And you have brought from all eternity.

The seas, O Lord, have lifted up.

They lifted up their voice.

The seas have lifted up their waves.

And made a mighty voice.

The Lord is broken, firm and strong.

The Lord is broken, firm and strong.

The Lord is broken, firm and strong.

Royal statutes, Lord, stand firm

of changing His pure word

and holiness and virtue of ours

for endless days.

Praise the Lord.

May your mercy and grace and peace

which we find in you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

one God, may these blessings rest upon each

and every one of us, not only now,

but for every day as we wait patiently

for your return, because we know in you,

Lord Jesus, we have a living hope.

Lord, we thank you, and may the glory be all yours

in Jesus' name. Amen.